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Captain believes back-to-back wins has cemented authority in squad brimming with young talent

Andrew Miller20-Jan-2020Joe Root believes there is now a greater “outside” impression that he is the right leader to take the Test team’s fortunes forward into a new era, after overseeing England’s second away win in consecutive matches in their innings-and-53-run win over South Africa at Port Elizabeth.Though Root himself starred with the ball with four second-innings wickets in the third Test, he turned the praise onto two of his new-look team’s youngest players, Ollie Pope and Dom Bess, who, at the age of 22, played crucial roles with bat, ball and in the field to deliver a 2-1 series lead with only Friday’s fourth Test at the Wanderers to come.The pair’s efforts followed the maiden Test century that Dom Sibley recorded in England’s second-Test win at Cape Town two weeks ago, and with the injured Jofra Archer also chipping in with a five-wicket haul in defeat at Centurion in December, England have now had four players aged 24 or under with a significant milestone on this tour.And with England now on the verge of their first series win since Chris Silverwood took over as head coach in October, Root believes that the quality and range of the performances augurs well for the rapid development of his squad.”That is a really strong effort,” Root told Sky Sports, “and a strong message to the rest of the guys that that anyone’s capable of doing something special out here. And that breeds confidence within the whole group.”England’s victory was founded on their first-innings total of 499 for 9, in which Pope’s maiden Test century came for the most part in a 193-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ben Stokes, before Bess’s five first-innings wickets pushed South Africa towards the follow-on.”I think this game has been a brilliant template for us moving forward,” said Root. “Big first-innings runs, a big partnership in there, and then really driving the game. I couldn’t be more proud of the group, and for the young lads to be stepping up yet again, and showing that they’re more than capable to perform at this level.”Asked if he felt as if this was “his team”, Root replied: “It absolutely does, and it has done for a while. I think the fact that we’re starting to see results now might make it look like that from the outside, but I very much feel like the guys are listening to my message, the way we want to play the game. And now, because we’re starting to see results, it’s really feeding through the group and long may that continue.”Ollie Pope was player of the match•Stu Forster/Getty Images

At the age of 29, and with more than 7400 runs in his 91-Test career, Root is living proof of the rewards that are on offer to England’s young players if they seize their opportunities in the Test team, just as he himself did with a fifty on debut in Nagpur at the age of 21. And as a consequence, Root believes that the squad newcomers are particularly eager to absorb the message from the team’s leadership.”More than anything, they’re very willing to listen and very willing to learn,” Root said. “Not that the other guys aren’t, but they haven’t seen any other way, if you like, and we’ve got a really clear direction of how I want to take the team forward. The guys that have come in have responded really well to that, and when you start seeing results that starts really hammering home the message.”But it’s not just the youngsters,” he added. “It’s the senior guys that are still learning as well. Broady, yesterday and this morning, was finding different deliveries and being open-minded enough to not just run and bowl seam-up, but legcutters and cross-seam balls, and trying different things. At his age, to still now be finding ways to take wickets on flat ones, is really impressive.”One of the more memorable off-field moments of the Test came when the cameras panned to Root in the dressing room when Pope, on 74, was reprieved via DRS after an on-field lbw. The captain’s desire to see his young player push on to his maiden hundred was tangible, and Root admitted it was an important achievement for the team that he went on to do so.”I think everyone’s been in that position where you desperately want something,” he said. “You could see how he’s a wonderful talent, you know he’s got such a brilliant game on him, and when you see someone with that ability, once they believe it themselves then I suppose the sky’s the limit for them.”You don’t want to get to that position where other players have been, with five, six, seven fifties, and the feeling that it’s never going to come. But for Ollie to do that this week was a massive marker for himself and for Test cricket in general really, seeing a very talented young player show that he’s ready for this. He wants to be very hungry for runs and make it count when he gets in.”ALSO READ: ‘Wanderers Test could be my last’ – du PlessisBess’s achievement was, in its own way, even more remarkable, given that he hadn’t been part of England’s original squad, as well as his lack of consistent opportunities at county level since making his Test debut against Pakistan in 2018. He claimed each of the first five wickets to fall in South Africa’s first innings – a remarkable feat for any bowler let alone an offspinner – before adding Anrich Nortje on the final morning for match figures of 6 for 87.”He’s had a remarkable journey but he works incredibly hard at his game,” said Root. “He’s gone and played on loan [from Somerset to Yorkshire] at different times to make sure he’s getting the cricket that he needs, and he probably could do with more if we’re being brutally honest, as could a lot of spinners around in the English game. But he’s been given an opportunity to go away and work at his game with guys like [Rangana] Herath, and he’s come back with a lot of different deliveries that he didn’t have last time he played for England.”He’s come back into this team, worked very well with Jeetan [Patel, spin-bowling coach], and he thinks very well about the game. He’s very smart for a youngster.”Looking ahead to the Wanderers on Friday, Root admitted it was hard to say whether Archer would be fit after missing the third Test with an elbow injury, but said that the squad was fully focused on finishing the job they have started, and signing off from the Test series on a high.”It’d be a great achievement for this group of players [to win the series] and I think more than anything it would be a massive step in the right direction,” he said. “I think we’re nowhere near the finished article, we’re very aware that we’ve got a lot of learning to do, but we’ve got a lot of youngsters that are willing to do that. And we’ve just got to keep looking to get better.”

Pretty much all Karachi have done in the PSL so far is stumble through to the playoffs

Danyal Rasool17-Feb-2020

Karachi Kings

Team overview
For all the talk of Lahore Qalandars woes in the tournament’s history, there is little justification for Karachi Kings to feel any smugness at the travails of their traditional rivals. They’ve bested them in all four seasons – indeed, everyone has – but pretty much all Karachi have done in the PSL so far is stumble through to the playoffs. They’ve never finished in the top two, and have consequently gone on to lose three of the eliminators, with a third place finish in 2017 their biggest achievement to date.The evidence would suggest they haven’t got the most from their abilities. For the past few years, Karachi have had the services of arguably Pakistan’s best batsman, their best bowler and their best all rounder in Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, who will reprise his role as captain for a third season. This year’s recruitment has seen them pick up experienced – and successful – PSL campaigners, including Chris Jordan, Alex Hales and Cameron Delport, while Sharjeel Khan is back after a two-year absence, and should be hungriest of all to take up the second chance he has been afforded.Strengths
For all his superlative abilities, Azam is yet to light up a PSL season. Yet it seems impossible that this won’t be that defining season. He comes in on the back of glittering form across formats. In the most recent T20 competition he played, the Vitality T20 Blast, he was top of the run charts, smashing 578 at over 52.5 at a strike rate a smidge under 150. Should he bring that form to this PSL on home soil, he can almost serve as a new signing for the sheer array of brilliance he should sparkle onto this event.No aspect of the squad stands out as a conspicuous chink in Karachi’s armour. Imad has always been handy with the ball, and if Umer Khan continues to develop at the explosive rate that was in evidence last year, Karachi have a potent spin bowling combination. Studious recruitment has seen them snap up genuine world-class talent like Jordan, who comes fresh off a high-quality T20 series against South Africa. Hales was second on the run charts at the Big Bash, and is a previous PSL winner with Islamabad United. Mohammad Rizwan, meanwhile, has gone from a domestic accumulator to Pakistan’s number one choice as keeper, and that increase in his profile, not to mention the improvement in his batting, should free up another spot for able overseas talent in Karachi’s final eleven.Weaknesses
Ummm…history? There must be a reason Karachi Kings never appear to be firing on all cylinders at the PSL. At least three of the last four seasons, the only reason they managed to squeak into one of the last play-off spots was the abject ineptitude of Lahore Qalandars. They were shown up immediately by their failure to make much of a splash in the playoffs.An ageing squad might also be a concern; Umer is the only guaranteed starter under the age of 27, while more than half of the final eleven is almost certain to comprise of people over 30. How Sharjeel, on whom Karachi have taken a bit of a punt, performs is very much up in the air given the lack of relevant recent form to make serious conclusions, and the stalled development of promising players such as Aamer Yamin and Usama Mir does not bode well for a squad already somewhat long in the tooth.Squad: Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Alex Hales Cameron Delport, Awais Zia, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim (capt), Aamer Yamin, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Chadwick Walton (wk), Mohammad Amir, Umaid Asif, Umer Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Ali Khan, Usama Mir, Mitchell McClenaghanManagement staff: Salman Iqbal (owner), Wasim Akram (bowling mentor and President), Dean Jones (head coach), Johan Botha (assistant coach)Hasan Ali is pumped up after a wicket•PSL

Peshawar Zalmi

Overview
Peshawar Zalmi is a T20 franchise done right. In terms of final finishes and performances in the group stage, this is probably the most consistent side in the league. Three of the four seasons have seen Zalmi top the group stage en route to the playoffs, and they’ve made it to the final in the last three seasons. Year in, year out, Zalmi show they are one of the sides to beat, and make it clear doing so will not be easy.You’d think they value statistics over the eye test, analytics above emotions, and fitness trumps maverick brilliance. And yet, bizarrely, their captain for the past three years is the perpetually injured yet wildly popular Darren Sammy, barely able to break into a jog and generally only good enough for a few lusty blows with the bat at the death. They stuck with Shahid Afridi for longer than the evidence suggested was sensible, while 38-year old Kamran Akmal’s fading star in the field hasn’t prevented him from being gloriously successful with the bat in the resplendent yellow of Zalmi.Most of these players are back for another stint in the PSL; perhaps the consistency of personnel across seasons is the secret to this side’s success. No team has managed to retain a core group of players as well as Zalmi since the league began; Sammy, Hasan Ali, Akmal and Wahab Riaz have worn no other colour.Strengths
This is by no means the youngest squad in the league, but something about Zalmi always feels gregariously sprightly. Perhaps it is Sammy’s larger-than-life exuberance, but arguably no other side squeezes more out of their fading lights than Zalmi do. For all of Sammy’s injury concerns, his strike rate over the last two seasons is 158. No player comes within 170 runs of Kamran Akmal’s all-time run-scoring tally in the PSL’s history, while the addition of Tom Banton – second only to Babar Azam in the run charts at the Vitality Blast – to a side that’s already so joyful to watch is a deliciously exciting prospect. Even the blow of not having Kieron Pollard for the whole tournament has been buffered by replacing him with a reasonably like-for-like Carlos Brathwaite, while Liam Dawson’s return brings vital balance, in addition to a seasoned spin option.The top two wicket-takers in the four seasons of the PSL are, far and away, Wahab Riaz and Hasan Ali, both of whom Peshawar have available again this season. Rahat Ali has proven more than handy for Lahore and Quetta over the years, while Brathwaite and Pollard’s ability to sneak in a few overs in the middle may prove handy in a number of games.Weaknesses
Make no mistake, there are questions this time around. To what extent Hasan Ali has recovered from a back injury that has kept him out since the World Cup is by no means clear, and his absence for any length of time would be debilitating for a side that doesn’t appear to have bowling depth of any kind. Dwaine Pretorious, who Zalmi judiciously picked up, would have been excellent as a replacement, but he is now unavailable for the entirety of the competition.Dawson’s spin is useful, but Zalmi have no real experience in that department besides him, and it isn’t at all clear that Shoaib Malik can be deployed with any real efficacy should another slow bowler be required. Imam-ul-Haq’s T20 star has fallen somewhat in the past 12 months, and while Sammy – who is likely no longer captain – does get through more games than his doctors might recommend, that knee is not getting any better. And of course, Brathwaite is good to have in Pollard’s absence, but he is by no means the same thing.Squad: Imam-ul-Haq, Liam Livingstone, Umar Amin, Haider Ali, Adil Amin, Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, Liam Dawson, Darren Sammy, Carlos Brathwaite, Mohammad Mohsin, Lewis Gregory, Tom Banton(wk), Kamran Akmal(wk), Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Dwaine Pretorious, Aamir Ali, Mohammad Amir KhanManagement Staff: Javed Afridi (owner), Zaheer Abbas (President), Mohammad Akram (head coach), Hashim Amla (batting mentor) Grant Luden (fitness coach, fielding instructor), John Gloster (physio)

Afghanistan’s win was their seventh straight T20I victory over Ireland in India

The Report by Sreshth Shah06-Mar-2020While three of Afghanistan’s bowlers conceded more than 9.75 per over, Rashid Khan’s four-over spell of 3 for 22 ensured Ireland could post only 172 for 6 in their 20 overs. After that, brisk scoring from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the No. 6 Najibullah Zadran, who both maintained strike rates of over 200, kept Afghanistan 11 runs ahead of the DLS par score when the rain arrived 15 overs into the chase, handing the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.Ireland had won the toss, and on the back of a 63-run stand between Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien inside the powerplay, they got off to a flying start. But then Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck off the powerplay’s last delivery to remove O’Brien for 35. Stirling, however, continued his charge, hitting a half-century before being dismissed for a 41-ball 60. Khan, who dismissed Stirling via a caught and bowled, then dismissed Andy Balbirnie and Lorcan Tucker to keep Ireland’s run-scoring in check. Despite some late hitting from No. 5 Harry Tector, what Ireland could post was 22 runs fewer than the average first-innings score in the three T20Is that had been played at the ground previously.Afghanistan openers Hazratullah Zazai and Gurbaz got a fifty stand by the fifth over of the chase, but the latter was soon trapped lbw by offspinner Simi Singh. Zazai was then bowled trying to cut Singh three balls later, and at the end of five overs, Afghanistan were 55 for 2. Karim Janat and Asghar Afghan were then both run-out in quick succession, which reduced Afghanistan to 70 for 4, but then Samiullah Shinwari and Najibullah put on 63-run partnership to drag Afghanistan out of trouble.They batted under a steady drizzle, with one eye on the DLS par score – that they were always ahead of – but then Shinwari perished trying to slog Boyd Rankin in the 15th over. With 30 balls to go, Afghanistan needed 40 runs, but that’s when the rain got heavier. Najibullah did not wait for his new partner as the umpires asked both teams to exit the field, and 25 minutes later, they confirmed that no more play would be possible. The win was Afghanistan’s seventh-straight T20I win over Ireland in India.

The BCCI, NADA said, cited a technical glitch as the reason for delay

PTI14-Jun-2020Five centrally-contracted Indian cricketers – Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma – have been issued notices by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for failing to disclose their whereabouts as the BCCI cited “password glitch” as the reason for delay.These five players are part of the 110-strong National Registered Testing Pool (NRTP).Speaking to PTI, NADA director general Navin Agarwal confirmed the BCCI had sent an official explanation for their five NRTP players’ failure to submit the whereabouts, because in some cases the boards or federations feed such information to NADA on the players’ behalf.”There are two ways to fill up the whereabouts form in the ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration & Management Systems) software,” Agarwal said. “Either athlete does it himself or association fills it up on his or her behalf.”Now athletes in some discipline aren’t educated enough or do not have access to the internet and find themselves unable to handle the whereabouts clause of the ADAMS or upload the filled up form. They use the assistance of their concerned federations. So federations have accepted the responsibility of uploading their whereabouts.”Similarly in cricket also, although these people are well qualified and they can do it, perhaps they don’t have the time for whatever reasons, so the federation concerned, the BCCI has taken upon itself the responsibility of uploading their whereabouts.”Agarwal further said the BCCI gave a “reasonable” explanation for not filing the five cricketers’ whereabouts, which NADA will discuss.”Well, they have given an explanation which appears to be reasonable but a decision will be taken,” Agarwal said. “They have said that there has been a glitch with regards to password in ADAMS. Now they have said that issue has been resolved.”The BCCI’s explanation will be discussed as to whether it will be counted as one of three filing failures or not. It will be decided on the explanation given and how they (BCCI) proceed from here.”While India has been under lockdown, the rule to submit three months of whereabouts is mandatory. Three such failures to disclose leads to one Anti-Doping Rule Violation, which could lead up to two years of suspension upon hearing.

Glamorgan thwarted by feisty partnership after dominant display with the ball

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2020Glamorgan 8 for 0 trail Somerset 296 (Davies 81, Brooks 72) by 198 runsSteven Davies and Jack Brooks transformed a modest Somerset total with a last-wicket stand of 107 on the opening day of the Bob Willis Trophy match against Glamorgan at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts had looked set to miss out on any batting points when crumbling to 149 for eight, Ruaidhri Smith claiming three of the wickets.But after Josh Davey had contributed 20 to help revive Somerset fortunes, last man Brooks came out to smash a 38-ball half century on his way to making 72, off 58 deliveries, with 9 fours and 2 sixes.Davies, who had been dropped twice, top-scored with 81 not out, off 108 balls, with 9 fours, as the menace went out of the Glamorgan seam attack. Somerset were finally bowled out for 296 before their opponents replied with 8 for no wicket.It was a day of mixed fortunes for Smith, who finished with three for 41, but was forced to hobble off injured in the closing session.Before play started there was a minute’s silence in recognition of those who have lost their lives to the coronavirus pandemic.The players also took the knee in support of improving diversity and inclusion in cricket and the community ahead of the opening ball being delivered.Somerset won the toss, but were soon being put under pressure in overcast conditions on a pitch offering pace and bounce.Young openers Tom Lammonby, making his first class debut, and Eddie Byrom did well to take the score to 38 against some testing pace bowling before being parted.Byrom was bowled off an inside edge by Graham Wagg (two for 59) for 22. Tom Abell, on three, had his stumps scattered by Marchant de Lange (two for 37), and James Hildreth was caught at point off Dan Douthwaite for 16.At lunch, the score was 92 for three and Glamorgan’s position would have been stronger had Charlie Hemphrey not dropped Lammonby on 14 at second slip off the impressive de Lange.The 20-year-old Devonian left-hander batted through the morning session to be unbeaten on 40 at the break. But in the fifth over off the afternoon Lammonby fell lbw to the accurate Michael Hogan for 41.Smith picked up three wickets in the session, sending back George Bartlett, who was worked over by the sharp de Lange before falling for a battling 23, Roelof van der Merwe and Jamie Overton.Douthwaite accounted for Craig Overton leg-before and Glamorgan were well on top as Davies survived a couple of chances to slip on his way to a 76-ball half-century.Davey began the recovery, helping Davies add 40 for the ninth wicket, but when he top-edged a steeply rising ball from de Lange to mid-on Somerset were still 11 runs short of a batting point.Brooks played positively from the start and had blazed his way to 45 with a succession of belligerent shots before being dropped off Wagg, a tough chance to Billy Root over his shoulder at mid-wicket.It was all the luck Brooks needed to register his first half-century for Somerset since joining them from Yorkshire. He bludgeoned a tiring attack and Davies lost little by comparison as the pair ensured a respectable total.When Brooks was eventually caught and bowled by Wagg, Glamorgan were left with seven overs to bat in the day. Nick Selman and Hemphrey found the new ball seaming around for Craig Overton and Davey.Overton conceded four byes with a bouncer that flew over wicketkeeper Davies’ head and the first six overs were completed without a run off the bat as the openers concentrated on survival.

Second Test set up for gripping finale as England throw caution to the wind for series hopes

Andrew Miller19-Jul-2020Stuart Broad says that England may be willing to set West Indies an achievable target on the final day of the second Test in exchange for the opportunity to get hold of a second new ball, after giving themselves an outside chance of forcing a series-salvaging victory at Emirates Old Trafford.Speaking at the close of the fourth day, in which his own new-ball burst of 3 for 1 in 14 balls was instrumental in bowling West Indies out for 287, Broad remained confident that the fifth-day wicket would offer England plenty of opportunities to take 10 wickets and square the series with Friday’s third Test to come, but only if they allow themselves enough time to turn the screw.ALSO READ: Broad’s new-ball burst leaves England chasing final-day winEngland certainly set out with intent in their own second innings, opening the batting with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler in a bid to build quickly on their first-innings lead of 182. And while Buttler fell for a duck, and Zak Crawley followed soon afterwards for 11, Broad was not disheartened at England’s close-of-play total of 37 for 2, for it reinforced the impression that run-scoring is getting ever harder on this surface.”It’ll be a good day tomorrow, I think,” Broad told Sky Sports. “We need to set it up in the first 45 minutes to an hour tomorrow. The dream world [would be to] try and get two new balls because we’ve seen the new ball has behaved slightly differently on this pitch, and gives the bowlers a real chance. We’ve given ourselves a chance of winning this game which is a great position to be in.”With 98 overs available on the final day, and an overnight lead of 219, the danger for England is that an over-aggressive declaration would offer West Indies an achievable run-chase and a chance to sew up a 2-0 series win. But with their hopes of the Wisden Trophy depending on back-to-back wins, Broad was adamant that the benefits of the second new ball – available after 80 overs – would inform their decisions.”We’ve not had those sort of chats of where we want to be runs-wise,” he said, “but I think the second new ball is going to be quite important, even if it’s for four, five, six overs. Because if West Indies were seven-down with that second new ball, you’d feel like it would give you a real chance.”We saw today, with a bit of short-pitch bowling, you can you can stop the scoring quite quickly with big square boundaries and windy conditions, so I think we’d sacrifice a few runs for the chance to have that second ball for sure.”Another factor in England’s plans may be the propensity for the ball to go quite soft after 40 overs – even, as Broad agreed, for the spin of Dom Bess, who claimed the first wicket of the day in an incisive morning spell but was unable to replicate that threat later in the innings. And the fielders’ inability to use saliva on the ball may also be a factor in that lack of mid-innings threat.”Another day’s wear in that pitch today, with some sunshine and wind, might have dried out a bit more, which helped it deteriorate slightly today, so it might play that way tomorrow a bit,” Broad said.”These balls are proving hard to shine. We’re giving it to the bowlers to try and get some sweat into it, but obviously with no saliva I think the swing numbers would be way down compared to English summers gone by.”We decided we would just try to slam the ball into the pitch as hard as possible and try and wobble the seam a little bit, and we got some indifferent bounce. The balls haven’t swung up until about 12 overs old, when the lacquer starts to come off, but the hardness of the ball definitely bought some extra bounce. We saw that with [Shannon] Gabriel tonight, and a couple misbehaved to Crawley there, which gives us bowlers hope tomorrow.Stuart Broad celebrates the wicket of Shane Dowrich•Getty Images

“We need to create ten chances as a bowling unit, and we need to take our chances in the field.”Although Broad believes that the new ball will be the key to England’s hopes, he also feels that England have the creativity in their ranks to mix their tactics up in the middle overs, as Ben Stokes in particular showed in the first innings.”Going round the wicket, he bowled a really hostile spell on a slow pitch that created chances and got him a wicket,” Broad said. “Hopefully we’ll have enough runs on the board that we can get creative and if a few boundaries go against us, it doesn’t matter.”Bessy might play a key role tomorrow. Obviously the bowlers have had a decent workload today, we’ve got to back that up and do everything tonight recovery-wise. But I think our mindset is to create ten chances, and I think that pitch – particularly with the new ball – has got ten chances in it.ALSO READ: Stuart Broad’s timely rampage shows there’s fight in the old dog yet“I see [Kraigg] Brathwaite as a big wicket,” he added. “He’s solid, he takes up a lot of balls, he bats a lot of time. If we can get him in the first ten overs, I think that’ll give us a real boost.”Shamarh Brooks, the West Indies batsman, said he expected England to pull the plug on the third innings once the target was “260, 270″.”It all depends on the time that they spend to get those runs,” Brooks said. “We just need to make it as difficult for them as possible and make them spend as much time out there batting so they don’t get the opportunity to bowl too much at us.”Brooks said that he was “not at all” surprised to see Buttler and Stokes promoted up the order, and added that it was by no means a given that West Indies would drop anchor.”I’m not saying that chasing the runs is out of the question,” he said. “It all depends on how much they give us to chase. I still think the wicket is decent to bat on, I said before the new ball did a bit out of the ordinary this evening and it’s something to look at. Once you see out that new ball, then you can look at actually chasing the runs.”

The Australia batsman breaks down his unorthodox and extremely effective technique

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2020Steven Smith’s unorthodox technique has confounded viewers worldwide, but its effectiveness is undoubted: he averages 62.84 after 73 Tests, and he’s well on his way to becoming an all-time great. So how does he do it? Speaking to the , the Australia batsman explained how he arrived at his current technique and why it works for him.Hitting the ball where there are no fielders
“I remember Trent Woodhill, who I worked with for a few years when I was like 16 and I think I had a hit with him, I reckon when I was 20-21 as well. I remember him saying to me… he was throwing me balls and I hit a ball [on] off stump straight down the ground. He’s like why don’t you just hit that through the leg side, and I was like, I don’t know, that’s kind of textbook, almost, to hit a ball on off stump kind of straight down the ground; why do I hit it to the leg side? I remember him saying something like, why don’t you just hit it where the fielder isn’t, essentially, you know you’ve got both options: you can hit the ball straight or you can hit it to where the fielder isn’t, and that’s batting, isn’t it? You’re trying to hit the gaps and batting is about scoring runs so why play a ball that’s on middle stump to mid-on and hit it straight to mid-on, why don’t you whip it through midwicket for four? So it was finding the sort of balance.”From bat-down to bat-up
“At that stage I was also working a lot on my defence. That was really important to me, knowing where my off stump was, leaving the ball. I used to have a bit of a different set-up. I used to tap my bat just before the bowler bowled the ball and at that stage I think my head was kind of dropping, so my eyes weren’t level, my balance wasn’t quite right. So I started to just hold the bat up. Everything just sort of felt a lot better. I had my eyes level and everything felt a lot more stable at the crease.”The changing of the guard
“I was batting on middle stump at that stage like I’d done pretty much for my whole career. It wasn’t until I got another opportunity playing for Australia, I played the whole Ashes over in England [in 2013] where I just batted on middle stump and played the way I had been playing, and then we came back home for the Ashes series here [in 2013-14] and played the same way the first two Tests. And then got to the WACA and I remember Stokesy [Ben Stokes] and Broady [Stuart Broad] in particular were bowling a fair bit back of a length and quite short at me, and I just wasn’t getting myself in a good position. So I just randomly decided I was going to take middle-and-leg-stump [guard] and I was just going to have a little shuffle and put some weight on my back foot, and get myself in a better position. So I started doing it and they pitched a few balls up and I hit some nicely down the ground. [They bowled] a couple of short ones, I was getting out of the way, and I was pulling them and everything just sort of clicked into place. I thought geez, why did I wait so long to do this?”Opening up the leg side
“The way I would go across my stumps and get to where I get to, I basically know that anything outside my eyeline is not hitting my stumps. So that’s a start. So I can just leave anything outside my eyeline. Then basically it’s like if the ball’s on my stumps, use my bat. If I’m missing it I’m probably in some trouble but I’d back myself to hit the ball 99 times out of 100 hopefully. Every now and again I’ll miss one, I’ll say, bad luck Steve, move on.”The mental aspect
“I don’t know what’s orthodox or unorthodox. I just do me and do it to the best of my ability. I’ve learned a lot over the years and got more experience the more I’ve played and understand different tempos of the game. When to up the ante, when to rein it back in. I think one of the best things that I’ve learned over the years is also catching my thoughts. I think the mental side of the game is probably 90% of the game. Sometimes out in the middle I might be facing someone and I feel in a good rhythm and it’s like I just want to smack this bloke back over his head. But then being able to catch it and go, right, you know that’s not the right thing to do right now. Yes, I might be able to do it nine out of ten times, but what if it’s the tenth time and things don’t work out? I’ll be sitting back in the sheds and I’ll be angry at myself for playing some stupid shot. So put your head back down and concentrate on the next ball and I think that’s one of the things I’ve been able to learn over time is catching my thoughts and stopping myself from giving in to urges to play different shots and things like that.”The Don Bradman comparison
“I really haven’t watched much at all on Bradman. He was obviously a fair bit before my time but he obviously had a method that worked for him. I reckon I am sort of go out with my hands and the bat, probably from Mark Waugh more than anyone. He was the person I loved watching as a kid and he sort of used to bring the bat out and round [in his backlift], so you know your hands kind of get that sort of muscle memory and it’s hard to change that kind of thing from when you’re young. So I guess that’s where it probably started for me and I just sort of carried on doing it.”

The meeting cannot be held online as per the rules under which the BCCI is registered as a society

PTI11-Sep-2020The BCCI has indefinitely postponed its Annual General Meeting, supposed to be held by September 30, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as the meeting cannot be held online.BCCI secretary Jay Shah wrote to the state units about the postponement. The Indian board is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, and is required to hold an AGM before September 30 each year.”Owing to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, the Registration Department, Tamil Nadu Government, has extended the period for a registered society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, to conduct an Annual General Meeting by three months, from September 2020 to December 2020,” Shah wrote in the letter accessed by PTI.”The Press Release further states that an Annual General Meeting of a registered society cannot be conducted online. It refers to a Government Order no. 89 dated 16th June 2020 issued by the Commercial Taxes and Registration Department (‘Notification’) which reiterates the above [sic].”After getting a legal opinion on the subject, the BCCI decided to postpone the AGM. The BCCI’s apex council meetings have been conducted virtually during the pandemic.”We also sought legal opinion regarding the applicability of the Press Release and the Notification on BCCI and as per their view, the same is applicable and BCCI is not required to conduct its Annual General Meeting by 30 September 2020 [sic],” the letter stated. “We will keep you informed regarding the date of the Annual General Meeting.”The previous BCCI AGM was held in October 2019, when Sourav Ganguly took over as president, ending a 33-month-long tenure of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators.

The Knight Riders spinner can continue bowling, but another report would lead to suspension

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2020Sunil Narine’s bowling action has been reported again, this time at the end of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ thrilling two-run win over the Kings XI Punjab in their IPL 2020 match in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Narine played a key role in the game, bowling the 18th and 20th overs in the Kings XI chase on his way to returns of 2 for 28.”The report was made by the on-field umpires [Ulhas Gandhe and Chris Gaffaney] according to the IPL’s Suspected Illegal Bowling Action Policy,” an IPL statement said, adding that Narine would be placed “on the warning list” but would be permitted to bowl unless there was another report against him. If that were to happen, Narine would be “suspended from bowling” in the tournament until cleared by the BCCI’s committee that deals with suspect bowling actions.Narine has been in trouble with the authorities for his bowling action in the past too, most notably in November 2015, when he was reported after West Indies’ third ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. That was the first time Narine’s action had come under the scanner in an international game, though he had been reported twice during the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014, and as a result, he was forced to miss the Knight Riders’ final encounter against the Chennai Super Kings.He returned with a remodelled action not long after but chose to skip the 2015 50-over World Cup saying that the comeback would be “a little too much too soon”. Narine was subsequently reported during the 2015 IPL, when he was cleared to bowl, then reported and sent for a re-test, then banned from bowling his offspinners, and finally cleared again with a “final warning”.Narine’s action was reported again during the 2018 edition of the Pakistan Super League, but he was cleared soon after.Narine has been a part of the Knight Riders set-up since joining the team in 2012, when his 24 wickets at an economy rate of 5.47 went a long way in helping the team win the IPL for the first time. He had a good year in 2013 too, picking up 22 wickets with an economy rate of 5.46, though the Knight Riders had a rough time of it. His 21 wickets (economy 6.35) were again crucial in 2014 when they won the title for the second and last time till date.More recently, Narine has added top-order pinch-hitting to his repertoire and contributed significantly to the Knight Riders’ campaigns in 2017 (224 runs, strike rate 172.3), 2018 (357 runs, strike rate 189.89) and 2019 (143 runs, strike rate 166.27) with the bat, but he had been off the boil this season and has been pushed down the order. With the ball, he has taken five wickets from six games so far, at a strike rate of 26.4 and an economy of 8.09.

Who will replace Ishant as the third seamer? Who fills in for Kohli once the captain leaves?

Sidharth Monga05-Dec-20201:43

Moody: Bumrah needs some overs under his belt before Tests

By the time India begin their second T20I on Sunday, their Test specialists will have played out the first day of their three-day warm-up match against Australia A at Drummoyne Oval. It is not ideal that some of the all-formats players will have to choose between the T20I and Test preparation, but these are unprecedented times because of the pandemic.Going by the indications from the first T20I, Virat Kohli will almost certainly miss the first warm-up match. He will anyway not play a red-ball Test on this tour so it makes sense for him to play only the second warm-up fixture, which will be played with the pink ball. India could send one of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to play the warm-up match and the other could play the T20 international at the SCG. KL Rahul will likely play the international although India do have a wicketkeeper-batsman in Sanju Samson should they want to send Rahul for some long-form practice.Here is what to watch out for in the three-day fixture.Audition for third seamerThe absence of Ishant Sharma is a bigger hole left in India’s Test XI than the one Kohli will leave when he goes on paternity leave. Not only has Sharma himself been in sensational form over the last few years, the threat posed by Bumrah and Shami could be reduced significantly if Sharma’s replacement keeps releasing the pressure. The three choices India have for the role are Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj. All three are likely to be in action against Australia A.Pujara and Vihari get a hitThrough the pandemic, the biggest hit has been taken by Test specialists who don’t get picked for the IPL. Cheteshwar Pujara last played competitive cricket in the second week of March, the Ranji Trophy final, and Hanuma Vihari last played the last Test in New Zealand in the first week of March. Both Pujara and Vihari had plans to play in the English County season but the pandemic put paid to that. They would have hoped for some Ranji Trophy cricket before traveling to Australia, but couldn’t do that either. The two will be looking to get rid of ring rust over these three days.Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari are not a part of IPL 2020•AFP via Getty Images

Pant or SahaRishabh Pant was India’s wicketkeeper in their last Test in Australia, and also their last away Test, in New Zealand. However, since then he has gone through a lean phase in IPL and might be low on confidence. This will be an opportunity for him to get rid of those jitters. Wriddhiman Saha injured both his hamstrings during the IPL, and this will be a chance for him to prove his fitness should he be required for the Tests.Overs for Ashwin and KuldeepThe concussion for Ravindra Jadeja seems to have put him out of contention for the first Test. He and Kuldeep Yadav were India’s spinners in the last Test they played in Australia. Yadav then took a five-for in that match, in last January, but that also remains the last Test he played, losing his spot to the fingerspinners in home Tests. Yadav has never played a Test as the lone spinner, and India will not have reason to play two of them outside perhaps Sydney. So Yadav will have to show the team management something special in the tour game to make them consider him for the lone spinner’s role.R Ashwin has been India’s first choice as the lone spinner on most of their recent away tours. However, he didn’t look a 100% fit through the IPL. This is the chance for him to show he is back fully fit and get overs under his belt.Other batting spots up for grabMayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw are India’s incumbent openers, but they didn’t have a great tour of New Zealand, putting together partnerships of 16, 27, 30 and 8. One of KL Rahul and Shubhman Gill will likely slot in when Kohli leaves, but the other one might even challenge one of these openers.