All posts by n8rngtd.top

These pitches, he said, neither allowed their batters to be in top hitting form, nor taught their spinners how to handle conditions that required them to work harder

Madushka Balasuriya12-Nov-20232:01

Silverwood: ‘We need a proper plan for the next cycle’

As the Sri Lanka squad arrived home after a disappointing 2023 World Cup, consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene attributed much of the team’s struggles the types of tracks being produced for domestic cricket in Sri Lanka. These pitches, he said, neither allowed their batters to be in top hitting form heading into the World Cup on flatter decks in India, nor taught their spinners how to handle conditions that required them to work harder for their wickets.Sri Lanka finished ninth on the points table, meaning they do not qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. In the five instances where they batted first, they were able to breach the 280-run mark only once, against Pakistan.”We knew that when we went to India, looking at the wickets, that we had to play at a very high tempo, which we discussed with the batters,” Jayawardene said. “It was something that they were not used to, particularly leading up to the World Cup did not allow us to do that – and most of the surfaces that we play in Sri Lanka.Related

• Sri Lanka Cricket suspended by ICC board

• Sri Lanka exit World Cup quietly but a familiar noise is brewing back home

“In domestic cricket we play on pretty slowish wickets so the batters aren’t going to trust their shot selection on good wickets, because they’re not used to that, against high quality bowling.”Of the batters, Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama were regular contributors in the top order, while the bowling unit was carried by the outstanding Dilshan Madushanka. After his 21 wickets, the next highest for Sri Lanka was Kasun Rajitha with eight, while Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana had six apiece.Theekshana’s struggles in particular hurt Sri Lanka, however support in terms of other spin options was sorely lacking. Jayawardene once more lay the blame on the pitches being offered domestically, which traditionally are known to suit spin bowling – but crucially does not necessitate the imparting of extra revolutions on the ball, something spinners who were successful at the World Cup, such as Mitchell Santner and Ravindra Jadeja, have been known to do.”When we play in Sri Lanka, the number of good wickets we play on is very low. So on those wickets it’s not really necessary for our spinners to bowl with any sort of overspin – which is what is needed to succeed on wickets like those in India. That’s where we see a big difference in our spinners.”If you take someone like Rangana Herath, he played years in England, so he had that skill. What we need to see is how we get our spinners to acquire those skills. At the moment, if you even take a player from the Under-19s they will first play in domestic cricket. But to get them to the right level, we need them to play on good wickets.”We’ve run the numbers in the high performance centre, and at the moment 66% of the deliveries bowled in domestic cricket are by spinners. We even saw a match last week where the whole innings was bowled by spinners. These the major problems we have to address. It’s only if we fix these problems that we can take Sri Lankan cricket to where it needs to be even in the next 10 years.”Jayawardene was speaking during an hour and thirty-minute long post-mortem, during which Sri Lanka’s returning players and staff were grilled by the country’s media on topics ranging from team changes and decisions made at the toss to more wide-spanning inquests regarding Sri Lanka’s standing in the broader cricketing landscape and the way forward for a side seemingly lacking in direction.The entire World Cup squad was present at the briefing, with only Angelo Mathews absent, while head coach Chris Silverwood and Jayawardene represented the coaching staff. It was Jayawardene though that took the lead in navigating a sometimes hostile press. He urged critics to show “trust and be patient” in a “skilful group”.Maheesh Theekshana had a disappointing 2023 World Cup•AFP/Getty Images

“It’s a process that we have to trust and be patient with. This is a skilful group,” Jayawardene said. “The expectations I understand. I think the fans, they all know that when we go for a World Cup, we’re going to do well, perform well. But that expectation has to be realistic, along with the plans.”People jumping and shouting and screaming have to realise what one-day cricket is, and how we’re going to compete going forward. The plans are being set, we just need to be patient and work harder in areas where we need to improve.”More immediately however, Jayawardene drew attention to the team’s fielding and fitness levels. Sri Lanka were the worst fielding side in the tournament in terms of the percentage of catches dropped, while in terms of fitness – aside from injuries to Dasun Shanaka, Matheesha Pathirana and Lahiru Kumara – Jayawardene said that fatigue played a role in some of the poor performances towards the end of the tournament.”We dropped 16 catches which is the highest in the competition. When you’re going with a depleted bowling unit you can’t afford such mistakes. They work really hard in their fielding practices, but on the field the anticipation and execution we do lack. That comes with experience.”But for me the biggest thing is the fitness. What I noticed over the course of the tournament, because of our fitness levels the fatigue got to us as the tournament progressed, and because of that our performances died down. From the first game to the last game, we saw guys making a lot more mistakes. That happens with mental and physical fatigue. The execution and concentration lapse is because of that.”Looking ahead, the path forward is not without substantial obstacles. Much like the World Cup cycle that preceded it, the one leading up to the 2027 tournament will have two T20 World Cups in between. Further, with Sri Lanka having failed to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy, they will have considerably less ODI cricket under their belt heading into the next ODI World Cup – which could potentially leave the ODI side undercooked once more in four years time.”There’s a big difference between how T20 cricket and one-day cricket is played,” Jayawardene said. “We need to see how we can fit in more one-day games in to the next FTP [future tours programme]. We also need to increase the number of one-day games being played domestically.”Once we have a debrief of this World Cup, we will start planning for the next year and the two years after that and so on, and see what the best plan is moving forward. During this planning we must not only look at the T20 and one-day sides, but also the Test side – who were very close last time around of qualifying for the World Test Championship final.”Despite the team’s poor recent results, Jayawardene was eager to stress patience with the current set of players, highlighting the primarily the need to create an identifiable culture within the team.”We’ve come this way with the talent of our players, the issue is the consistency of them utilising that talent. The players know this as well. They all have a responsibility to build a culture within the team. Each player has that responsibility.”They have to do it on their own though, it’s not someone can just come and instil. The biggest challenge is building that culture along while winning. My biggest belief is that culture precedes strategy. If that culture is there then the team strategy will be easy to execute. If we can do that then this team will go a long way.”

The left-arm quick has thanked the team for changing his life after starring in their BBL final triumph

Tristan Lavalette24-Jan-2024An emotional Spencer Johnson has said Brisbane Heat have “changed my life” after leading them to an upset 54-run victory over Sydney Sixers in the BBL final.Left-arm quick Johnson was the Player of the Match after picking up 4 for 26, the best figures recorded in a BBL final, as Heat ended an 11-year drought to capture their second title.Related

• Brown: 'To do what I did in a pressure game was surreal'

• Johnson, Brown lead Brisbane Heat to second BBL title

It was sweet redemption for Heat, who were unable to defend 175 in a heartbreaking defeat in last season’s epic final against Perth Scorchers.But Johnson, one of eight players in Heat’s Wednesday line-up who were part of that bitter defeat in Perth, led from the front with the wickets of top-order batters Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards before closing the door on Sixers by dismissing Ben Dwarshuis in the power surge.He finished his brilliant effort by snaring Hayden Kerr as the celebrations started for Heat.It’s the latest spectacular performance for Johnson, who burst to prominence during last season’s BBL by unleashing 145kph thunderbolts with his left-arm angle and towering height making him almost unplayable at times.He made his international debut for Australia in white-ball cricket last year and looms as a player of significant interest for the national hierarchy despite being overlooked for the T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming series against West Indies.”I owe Brisbane Heat everything. Coming up here last year, I didn’t know where my career was going and now I’ve just won a Big Bash with 11 of my closest mates,” a visibly emotional Johnson told Fox Sports.”Twelve months ago, I wasn’t in this position. And I think the Brisbane Heat have changed my life. So it’s pretty special.”Johnson and Heat’s miserly attack sealed a victory set up brilliantly by opener Josh Brown, who blasted 53 off 38 balls on a tricky SCG surface after Sixers surprisingly elected to bowl in overcast and humid conditions.It was a superb follow-up to his extraordinary 140 off 57 balls against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger as Heat finished with a total of 166 for 8 that proved more than enough.”Credit to the batters. Browny again, got us to a total that we can defend and I feel like we were the best team all year so I think we deserve to have the medal around our necks,” Johnson said.Spurred by the painful memories of last year’s final, Heat finished on top of the ladder before exacting revenge over Sixers, who had easily won the Qualifier on the Gold Coast.”The boys with the ball have been incredible all year. To defend that with ease was really special for them,” said batter Matt Renshaw, who smashed 40 off 22 balls to spark Heat at the death.”We’re a real squad mentality. Everyone has contributed on and off the field.”Unlike his teammates, Renshaw will have to temper his celebrations ahead of a 10am flight to Brisbane on Thursday as he races to be part of Australia’s squad for the pink-ball second Test against West Indies.”I’m going to try and keep it a quiet night,” he said. “I’ll be watching all the other boys. It will be good fun.”

England captain pinpoints powerplay assault as key factor in close contest

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-20241:21

Morkel: De Kock doesn’t overthink the game

England captain Jos Buttler described Quinton de Kock’s innings of 65 from 38 balls as “probably the difference” between the sides after South Africa closed out a seven-run win in St Lucia to extend their winning run at the T20 World Cup 2024 to six games.De Kock struck four sixes on the way to a 22-ball half-century, helping South Africa finish the powerplay on 63 without loss. With the surface notably slower than during the four preceding evening games at the Daren Sammy Stadium, South Africa could only post 163 for 6 at the end of 20 overs but they had enough in the bank to hold England at arm’s length.”I’d say in the powerplay, actually,” Buttler said, when asked at the post-match presentation where England had lost the game. “Quinton de Kock came out with a lot of intensity in that powerplay, and we couldn’t quite match that. I think we were probably 20 behind them after six overs. The wicket slowed up and we brought it back really well, we were quite happy chasing 160 [164]. But yeah, they bowled well in the powerplay and Quinton de Kock’s innings was probably the difference.”Related

• How de Kock's local knowledge helped win the powerplay, and the match

• Klaasen lauds SA for 'grafting and adapting to conditions'

• Live report – England vs South Africa: Group 2 pace-setters clash

• South Africa hold nerve against England to continue unbeaten march

England, by contrast, lost Phil Salt on the way to 41 for 1 from the first six overs of their chase, with Jonny Bairstow falling shortly after. When Buttler was dismissed for 17 off 20 and Moeen Ali holed out two overs later – both dismissed by Keshav Maharaj – England were 61 for 4 with 103 still required from 9.4 overs.A stand of 78 in 42 balls between Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone edged them back into contention, the pair taking 21 off Ottneil Baartman’s 17th over to bring the equation down to 25 needed from the last three. But Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje held their nerve to close out victory.”I think it’s still a good wicket,” Buttler said. “A little bit slower than we probably expected, but as I said, we were quite happy chasing 160. We came back really well with the ball after how well Quinny played in the powerplay. I thought Brook and Livingstone had a fantastic partnership there to take us so close and at one stage [we were] looking like favourites but it’s never quite as simple as that in T20 cricket and credit to South Africa for closing it out.”I thought we were really good [with the ball]. As I said, the powerplay was the best time to bat, and I think Quinny recognised that and took some calculated risks. But yeah, the bowling performance, to come back and restrict a really powerful line-up to what I thought was a par score was a great effort.”Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks added 86 in 9.5 overs for the opening wicket•Associated Press

Defeat means England will have to beat USA in their final Group 2 game to retain hopes of reaching the semi-finals and defending their trophy, with the potential for net run rate to again be the decider.The equation for South Africa is more straightforward, with victory over West Indies on Sunday guaranteeing them a semi-final spot. Aiden Markram’s side have now won six games in a row, a run which has seen them prevail in several close finishes, and the captain praised their “fighting spirit” after holding off England’s charge at the end.”Yeah, we’ve had a few of those so far this comp,” Markram said. “But specifically today’s, probably getting to those last three overs and it looks like the odds will be heavily against you, and for the bowlers to hang in there, have really good plans and ultimately get the execution right, shows a lot of skill. But I think it comes from deeper and that fighting spirit, like you mentioned, helped us a lot.”On his bowlers’ approach between overs 15 and 17, during which Brook and Livingstone defied the conditions to add 52, Markram was philosophical.”It’s always a tricky one, you want to see the bowlers’ best skills. You want to give him the freedom to bowl his best ball first before changing to conditions. It was a bit nerve-wracking there in those overs. The plans were okay but the execution let us down, but that’s okay, that’s part of the game. You do have to give credit to Liam and to Brooky, they put us under the pump, and ultimately in the last few overs it was good to see the bowlers respond.”Markram also pinpointed the start de Kock gave his side, given the way conditions changed, adding that he felt South Africa were “getting closer to the really complete game” with their latest performance.”I thought Quinny and Reeza [Hendricks] took on the powerplay beautifully for us but then it definitely got slower,” he said. “I probably wanted another 10-20 runs, being greedy, especially on the back of that really good start. We needed to try and squeeze in the middle, try and save as many runs as we could in the field and build pressure that way. As a whole, we are probably getting closer to the really complete game of cricket. Not quite there just yet, but we are definitely on the right track.”

Rahul scored a patient 57 but could not prevent an India A defeat with Dayal, Saini and Mukesh sharing seven wickets between them

Shashank Kishore08-Sep-20244:05

Takeaways: Musheer shines, Akash stakes serious claim

For over three hours on the final day of the Duleep Trophy game in Bengaluru, KL Rahul’s discipline kept India B waiting. Victory had seemed a mere formality post lunch when India A stumbled to 99 for 6 chasing 275. Rahul, who walked into bat at No. 4, denied himself runs he would pocket on most days because he wasn’t willing to be lulled into driving on the up even with cover vacant.It meant the scoreboard came to a standstill. Rahul battled for 99 deliveries for a half-century, even going 55 balls without a boundary at one stage. But when he saw width from Mukesh Kumar, he couldn’t resist a cut. The ball gripped a hint onto the surface to take the edge as Rishabh Pant dived forward to complete the catch. Rahul’s 121-ball vigil that brought him 57 was over and India B went on to win by 76 runs.The margin of victory could have been a lot bigger if not for Akash Deep’s enterprising 43, which wasn’t the only highlight for him. His 5 for 56 earlier in the day ensured India B were bowled out for 184 after pocketing a 90-run first-innings lead. This included the wickets of Abhimanyu Easwaran, first-innings centurion Musheer Khan and Washington Sundar.Related

• Akash Deep uses Shami's advice for impressive Duleep Trophy outing

• One-Test-old Akash Deep determined for more

• Magnificent Musheer revives India B from 94 for 7

• Pant and Sarfaraz's thrilling double-act hands India B advantage

Akash finished with a match haul of 9 for 116 to put himself in the frame for the Bangladesh Tests which begin in 11 days as the third fast bowler in the squad. Among the other quicks to make an impression was left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal, whose 3 for 50 triggered India A’s second innings slide.He had Mayank Agarwal nicking to second slip in his first over when he got one to move away appreciably off the seam to square him up. Dayal had his second when Riyan Parag feathered a drive to Pant. He celebrated the wicket with a send-off after not taking too kindly Parag’s adventurous short-arm jab that flew over midwicket for six. Dayal’s third came shortly before lunch when Dhruv Jurel’s loose drive away from the body flew low to Yashavi Jaiswal.In between Dayal’s carnage, Navdeep Saini, who made quite an impression with his ability to bring the length ball back in, had Shubman Gill caught behind with a loose drive. The match seemed to be heading for a quick finish until Rahul’s obstinance took centerstage. This perhaps stemmed from wanting to make up for his first-innings lapse, when he was out attempting a cute paddle sweep off Washington Sundar after battling his way to 37.KL Rahul looked comfortable in what was a tricky time for his team•PTI

Losing a clutch of wickets left Rahul with two options: going for runs or looking to take the game into the final session. He chose the second option. It wasn’t necessarily entertaining, but his willingness to put a price on his wicket on a surface Akash felt was “getting more and more tougher” stood out.However, on the positive side, at least from an Indian standpoint, there was also perhaps no bigger endorsement of Rahul’s match fitness, considering he was playing his first red-ball game in over seven months. That said, it wasn’t all dour defence There were two on-drives that oozed class, a cut shot that sped to the fence. He hit seven fours in all.Akash’s slogs provided some late fireworks, but the fun ended when he was run out after losing his balance attempting to fend a bumper, with Musheer Khan at short leg flicking the ball back onto the stumps. India A were bowled out for 198 in 53 overs. Dayal apart, Saini picked up two wickets to go with his three from the first innings, while Nitish Reddy and Washington picked up a wicket apiece.

There was enough time for Sri Lanka to strike four times before the weather opened up shortly before lunch

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Nov-20243:11

Takeaways: Right call by Sri Lanka to bowl first

Under dark Durban skies, Sri Lanka had very nearly their perfect first morning of a first Test, their captain inserting the opposition, before his seamers removed four South Africa batters.But only 20.4 overs were possible on the first day before rain arrived just before scheduled lunch. It stayed put over Kingsmead, until play was called off at around 3pm.Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando had led Sri Lanka’s advances, zipping the ball around on a somewhat moist surface to frequently beat and occasionally collect the outside edges of South African bats.Vishwa, the left-arm quick, was especially disciplined, finding significant inswing in the air from over the wicket, as well as away movement off the deck. He took the wicket of Tony de Zorzi, who was caught by a diving Kamindu Mendis at second slip, soon after Asitha had Aiden Markram held in the cordon – both bowlers striking in their second over of the day.Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs scratched their way through to the drinks break, putting on 32 together, with many of those runs coming off the outside edge through deep third. But Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka’s fastest bowler, made amends for a wayward first over by having Stubbs fend one to third slip. Soon after, he nipped a ball through David Bedingham’s defenses to send his off stump cartwheeling – the most dramatic dismissal of a short day’s play.Sri Lanka could have had an even better morning but for two indiscretions. Bavuma, who survived 47 balls and ended the day on 28, should have been held by Dimuth Karunaratne for 1, but he grassed the low chance at second slip. That was off the bowling of Vishwa. Then, shortly before rain arrived to cut the session four minutes short, Bavuma edged a Kumara bouncer he was trying hook, but Kumara was found to have marginally overstepped. Bavuma was on his way to the dressing room when the umpires called him back. He was on 20 at that point.Bavuma, however, was perhaps the most restrained of South Africa’s batters. He covered the line of his stumps nicely as Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers plugged away in the channel, and though he frequently had his outside edge beaten, he did not appear especially eager to feel bat on ball. He had wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreyne for company when the showers came through.Though Kumara claimed two wickets, his four overs cost 35 runs. Asitha and Vishwa both went at less than three an over.The forecast for Thursday is for better weather. Sri Lanka will feel they did justice to the good bowling conditions they got by dint of having won the toss.

Rockets still in with an outside chance of a top three finish after convincing victory over Welsh Fire

ECB Media24-Aug-2025Trent Rockets 145 for 6 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Davies 3-26) beat Welsh Fire 122 for 9 (Dunkley 26, King 3-17) by 23 runs Trent Rockets produced a clinical all-round performance to overcome Welsh Fire by 23 runs at Sophia Gardens and keep themselves in the mix for progression to the Eliminator.Aussie all-rounder Ash Gardner starred with bat and ball, hitting 36 from 26 and taking 2 for 28 with her off-breaks, as the Rockets claimed a victory which leaves them four points behind third-placed Manchester Originals with one game still to play. They will need to win their final group match against Birmingham Phoenix on Wednesday and hope other results go their way to secure a top-three finish.Bryony Smith (38 from 27) laid the foundations for the Rockets’ 145 for 6, the opener hitting Freya Davies for three boundaries in the second set and then finding the ropes from three consecutive Jess Jonassen deliveries in the fifth.Hayley Matthews was next in Smith’s sights, the Bajan off-spinner dispatched over mid-off for four and then swatted for six, but Davies (3-26) ended her entertaining knock when a top edge flew to Georgia Elwiss at short third.A third-wicket stand of 67 from 45 balls between Nat Sciver-Brunt (38 from 26) and Gardner built on Smith’s good work, the England skipper stroking five fours while Gardner showed off her powerful strokeplay with three maximums.Jonassen broke the partnership when she trapped Sciver-Brunt lbw and Gardner fell six balls later, nicking off to a surprise bouncer from Matthews, but a bright cameo from Heather Graham, who hit two boundaries in her unbeaten 13, took the visitors to a competitive total.In reply, Tammy Beaumont’s lean trot continued when she was bowled by Alexa Stonehouse for 5 before Sophia Dunkley (26 from 23) and Matthews (18 from 12) moved the Fire on to 57 for 1. But when Gardner took the key wicket of Matthews, bowled by a nicely flighted delivery, the hosts lost their momentum.Aussie leg-spinner Alana King turned the screw, returning figures of 3 for 17, while Gardner made another telling intervention when she had the dangerous Dunkley caught and bowled.The Fire eventually subsided to 122 for 9 from their 100 deliveries, their sixth defeat of a disappointing season.Gardner, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I think that was probably our first well-rounded performance. I think we did all three disciplines really well. Obviously we need to keep winning and for others results to go our way but we’re just trying to control what we can, and that’s winning games of cricket.”I was happy with parts of my innings. There were a few dot balls in there where I was trying to hit it too hard but the wicket was quite tricky at times when the bowlers took pace off the ball, and when the quicks bashed a length it was tough to find the boundary. But if I had a ball in my zone, I tried to clear the fence.”

Saim Ayub still “at least four weeks” away from being fully fit

Danyal Rasool31-Jan-2025Fakhar Zaman has been named in Pakistan’s squad for the Champions Trophy, marking his return after he fell out with the PCB over a social media post in October 2024. In a squad that PCB called “horses for courses”, Faheem Ashraf, who last played international cricket in 2023, has also been called up. Khushdil Shah and Saud Shakeel are also included. The same squad will also play the ODI tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in the build-up to the Champions Trophy.The squad confirms what was widely feared within Pakistan: Saim Ayub remains unavailable because of the ankle fracture he sustained during the Cape Town Test. At the time, it was announced he would be out for six weeks, but it was believed his chances of recovering in time for the Champions Trophy were exceptionally slim. Earlier today, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed Ayub’s return remained “at least four weeks” away.Abdullah Shafique’s loss of form has cost him a place in the squad. In the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, which Pakistan won 3-0, he became the first player to be dismissed for a duck in every match of a series. It means Pakistan will go in with a completely different opening pairing, with Fakhar likely to pair up with either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, with the PCB citing Babar’s success opening in Test cricket as a potential factor to consider.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition and match strategy,” a statement from Asad Shafiq, a member of the selection panel, said. “Both players are highly capable at the top of the order, with Babar being particularly seasoned in the role, regularly opening in T20Is and also excelling in the Cape Town Test by scoring two half-centuries in Saim Ayub’s absence.”The squad also retains its pace-heavy element that saw Pakistan win three successive away ODI series towards the end of last year. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain are all part of the final 15, with only one specialist spinner in Abrar Ahmed. Neither Sufiyan Muqeem, who took four wickets on debut in the only ODI he played, nor Shadab Khan, who captained his side to Champions Cup glory in September, have made the final cut.Related

• Pakistan boosted by Rizwan's form but bowling remains a concern

• Taskin, Tamim headline ESPNcricinfo's BPL 2024-25 team of the tournament

• Context is king as Pakistan and New Zealand open pre-Champions Trophy tri-series

• Saim Ayub to travel to London for ankle fracture treatment

• No captains event or photoshoot before Champions Trophy

“One of the standout qualities of this side is its flexibility – an essential trait in today’s modern-day cricket,” Asad Shafiq, a member of the selection panel. “We are confident that this squad strikes the right balance between youth and experience, and has all bases covered. Each player has been chosen with a clear role in mind, ensuring the captain has versatile options at his disposal.”Irfan Khan, who was eyed by the selection committee as a key component of Pakistan’s middle order and feted for his fielding, also drops out. Faheem’s return comes off the back of limited ODI cricket, having had an indifferent Champions Cup in September. Strong showings with the bat in the President Cup in October, however, seem to have played a part in earning him what appeared an unlikely recall.Pakistan’s first game at the Champions Trophy comes against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19, following which they go to Dubai to play against India. They play their final group game against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

Warwickshire’s run chase leaves Middlesex in drop zone heading into final round

ECB Reporters Network22-Sep-2023Warwickshire 315 (Rhodes 102, Briggs 99, Murtagh 6-83) and 58 for 2 beat Middlesex 121 (Hannon-Dalby 5-29) and 251 (Robson 107*, Higgins 57) by eight wicketsSam Robson’s tenacious, unbeaten hundred proved to be in vain for Middlesex as they slid into the LV= Insurance County Championship relegation places after defeat to Warwickshire at Lord’s.Warwickshire’s bowlers stuck to their task, dismissing Middlesex for 251 in their second innings despite a spirited knock of almost seven hours by Robson, who carried his bat for 107 not out.Ryan Higgins provided support with 57, but Craig Miles’ 3 for 52 was backed up by Olly Hannon-Dalby, who also took three wickets to finish with match figures of 8 for 81 and pass 50 in the Championship this season.Although an afternoon downpour threatened to derail Warwickshire’s success, leaving them with just 10 overs to chase 58, Rob Yates and Ed Barnard guided their side home with nine balls to spare.Middlesex began the day 98 runs in arrears and Barnard immediately sent a couple of deliveries whizzing just past Robson’s outside edge before the opener steered him through point for four.However, Jack Davies soon perished to a rash stroke, having failed to increase his overnight score of 10 when he swatted a loose delivery from Miles into the hands of backward square leg.The seamer also claimed the scalp of Joe Cracknell, who had just struck him for two boundaries but was lured into a trap next ball, miscuing the pull as Miles switched to around the wicket and tempted him with a short one.Three down and 74 short of making Warwickshire bat again, the home side urgently needed a partnership and Higgins settled down to build one of 85 with Robson as the pair whittled down the deficit.Two overs of offspin from Yates helped them to do that, disappearing for 20 as Higgins fished the reverse-sweep out of his locker and Middlesex went to lunch just 13 behind their opponents.A stray leg-side ball from Miles that went for two byes took the batting side into positive territory and, in the next over, Higgins reached his half-century with a sweet straight drive off Barnard for four.But the bowler quickly responded by breaching Higgins’ defence to hit his off stump – just as he had done in the first innings – and reignited Warwickshire’s prospects of pressing for victory, with the new ball on the horizon.Those were strengthened further still as Danny Briggs had John Simpson caught at short leg before Hannon-Dalby and Chris Rushworth took joint ownership of the new ball, picking up a wicket apiece to plunge Middlesex deeper into trouble at 234 for 7.Despite that pressure, Robson maintained his focus to progress to three figures from 251 balls, squirting Rushworth for a leg-side single, while Tom Helm dug in to deny Warwickshire further success prior to tea.Having survived more than half an hour, Helm was undone by one from Hannon-Dalby that kept low and the same bowler eventually brought Ethan Bamber’s dogged resistance to an end by finding the edge of his bat.With the sky darkening, Warwickshire had to revert to spin and the second ball of Briggs’ first over was enough to fox Tim Murtagh – who registered a duck in his final innings at Lord’s – and leave the visitors with an apparent 25 overs to chase their modest target.As Warwickshire’s top-order batters sprinted towards the pavilion, though, the heavens opened and the resulting delay reduced their allocation of overs by 60 per cent when play resumed an hour later.Alex Davies moved up to open and carted Murtagh into the grandstand for six before the bowler trapped him lbw – and a superb reaction by Simpson to stump Dan Mousley earned the 42-year-old his eighth wicket of the match.But there was to be no fairytale finish for Murtagh, with Barnard clubbing Jayant Yadav over the top and running three to secure Warwickshire’s victory.

Cricket South Africa also announces a six-team professional domestic system for women

Firdose Moonda22-Aug-2023CSA has announced equal international-match fees for their men and women’s players, joining New Zealand and India in establishing parity across genders. The landmark announcement comes on the same day that CSA unveiled a six-team professional domestic system for women cricketers, as part of the legacy projects following the successful hosting of the Women’s T20 World Cup in February. The new match fees will be in place from next month, when South Africa’s women’s team tours Pakistan.The new domestic structure takes its framework from the existing 16-team, two-tier set-up, which is divided into a top six and a bottom ten, with the latter being split into two groups of five each with a promotion-relegation system in place. The same set-up will continue, but the top-six teams will now have the resources to contract 11 players – up from six in previous years – at pay rates that are on par with the highest-paid male cricketers in Division 2, and will be able to employ a full-time coaching staff. CSA will subsidise four backroom-staff positions for each of the six sides, and require two of them to be female.The top six teams will compete in a 50-over and a 20-over competition, with the shortest-format matches likely to be played on the same days as the men’s competition to increase visibility. Cricket becomes the first team sport in South Africa to professionalise the women’s game at domestic level, thus earning the praise of the country’s sports minister Zizi Kodwa.Related

• Wolvaardt to test the waters as SA women's team interim captain

• Moreeng claims South Africa women's dressing room is not divided

• Luus steps down as South Africa captain ahead of Pakistan tour

• Moreeng to continue as SA women's coach despite calls for change

• Luus calls for CSA to invest in women's cricket after WC final defeat

“What we are celebrating today is not about monetary value but about leadership and political will,” Kodwa said at the unveiling of the six teams in Pretoria. “In the first week of our appointment, we met with the top five [sports] federations in the country, and we stressed this point. You seem to be the only federation who understood what we said. How I wish others are listening as we speak now.”For the 2023-24 season, the top six teams will be Titans, Lions, Dolphins, Western Province, Free State and Garden Route Badgers. Four of the six – Titans, Lions, Dolphins and Western Province – also have men’s teams in South Africa’s domestic first division, while both Free State and Garden Route Badgers are top tier women’s teams only.For Free State, who are based in Bloemfontein, this is particularly significant. They occupy an important geographic area in the country’s central region, and have faded into the cricketing periphery in recent years with no team in the men’s top division and no SA20 franchise in their area. Garden Route Badgers are located in Oudtshoorn, an inland town in the Western Cape known for ostrich farming, and are exploring the possibility of moving to a stadium in the coastal town of George.While the top six teams will receive most of the benefits of the new initiative, teams in the bottom ten will also see changes – most notably the increase in fixtures. In previous seasons, those teams competed only against the four other teams in their group; but from this season, they will also play cross-pool matches. CSA is still finalising the logistics of this but it is likely to take a tournament-style approach, with teams based at one venue for a few weeks.Players from both divisions will also be exposed to elite-level international coaching and talent. This season, CSA is planning camps for women’s teams with SA20 sides; next season, the board hopes to have women’s exhibition matches in the SA20, and the season after that, it is aiming for a women’s T20 franchise league.This expansion in the women’s game is estimated to cost CSA R40 million (approx. US$2.1 million) over three years, but it has received some support from the government to cover the costs. The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture has pledged R15 million (US$800,000) to CSA for the same period.

Haider Ali sparks for Derbyshire but hosts cruise chase for third successive win

ECB Reporters Network04-Jun-2023Wayne Madsen fell six runs short of becoming the first man in T20 history to score six successive fifties as his Derbyshire side were comfortably beaten by seven wickets by a revitalised Yorkshire in today’s Vitality Blast clash at Headingley.England’s Dawid Malan then starred in the chase with a superb 81 not out off 57 balls, Yorkshire winning with 10 balls to spare.Madsen’s 44 off 26 in the Falcons 166 for 8 batting first means he remains one of seven players worldwide to have scored five fifties in a row in this format. Jos Buttler, Virender Sehwag and David Warner are on the list.Pakistan overseas opener Haider Ali’s belligerent 74 off 47 balls was the feature of Derbyshire’s innings having been inserted, and also his best score for the county in all cricket since arriving in April. But Haider and Madsen falling in quick succession meant the innings lost crucial momentum from 147 for 2 in the 17th over.That paved the way for the Vikings to win their third successive North Group fixture, backing up last week’s successes over Nottinghamshire and Lancashire.After three wickets for Ben Mike, Malan continued his excellent form with a third fifty in a row and could yet expand that aforementioned list of seven over the next week. The left-hander shared 83 inside 10 overs for the first wicket with Adam Lyth, who made 31, and continued on with almost effortless class in hitting nine fours and three sixes.Both teams came into this fixture having had identical seasons – winless in the Championship, having lost their first three games in the Blast before winning their last two last week.Yorkshire started well, with Derbyshire limited to 19 for 1 after four overs, including Mike getting Luis Reece caught scooping. But Haider counterattacked with success and ensured 40 runs came off the next four overs, playing confidently on both sides of the wicket in excellent batting conditions.Tom Wood fell to legspinner Jafer Chohan’s first ball in the ninth over – 59 for 2 – as he was brilliantly caught at a wide short third-man by a diving Will Luxton following a reverse sweep. But that strike only served to bring Madsen to the crease.Both Haider, who reached 50 off 35 balls, and Madsen struck the ball cleanly during an 88-run partnership inside nine overs, though the wind was quickly taken out of Derbyshire’s sails.Madsen drilled David Wiese into the covers to end his shot at history, leaving Derbyshire 147 for 3 in the 17th over, before Haider was smartly caught by Wiese off Mike in the next. Mike also bowled a reverse sweeping Leus du Plooy before another three wickets fell in the last eight balls to give Yorkshire the definite advantage at halfway.And it didn’t take long for the result to become obvious as Lyth and Malan were quickly into their stride. Malan pulled seamer Zak Chappell for six over square leg and dominated the powerplay as 54 came from the first six overs.Unlike Yorkshire, Derbyshire’s bowlers just couldn’t drag things back as they suffered defeat number four of the campaign.Malan pulled his second six off George Scrimshaw’s pace early in the eighth over, a vicious shot over midwicket to take him into the 40s, and by the time he reached 50 off 35 balls in the 11th over, Yorkshire were 103 for 1. Lyth had been bowled slog-sweeping at Wood’s offspin before Will Luxton fell cheaply having miscued a pull at Scrimshaw to square leg, leaving the score at 110 for 2 after 12.Yorkshire’s target was reduced to 42 off the last five overs at 125 for 2, and a couple of lusty blows from Namibia international allrounder Wiese ended Malan’s hopes of a sixth career T20 century but more importantly gave the hosts another two points.Wiese actually fell for an entertaining 30 to Chappell, but it was nothing more than a consolatory wicket at 158 for 3 in the 18th over. That allowed Mike to clinch the win with a straight six off Zaman Khan in the 19th over.