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The England & Wales Cricket Board could be forced to put next summer’s disputed West Indies Test back out to tender

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2011The England & Wales Cricket Board could be forced to put next summer’s disputed West Indies Test back out to tender, after they appeared to undermine their own bid process by accepting an offer from Glamorgan that was up to 40% less than the £1million put forward by the MCC.In a situation described by one board spokesman as “very delicate”, the ECB’s apparent desire to bolster the appeal of Test cricket in Wales has hit a number of stumbling blocks, with last month’s Test against Sri Lanka resulting in a reported loss of up to £1.5million.Glamorgan bid a hefty £2.5 million for the Sri Lanka Test, but a combination of poor weather and spectator apathy left their chairman, Paul Russell, talking of a “conceptual difficulty” in marketing the game outside of England.A meagre 922 spectators witnessed England’s remarkable victory on the final afternoon of the match, and the size of the loss has raised concerns that the county would not be able to bear the costs of hosting another five-day Test in 2012.The simple solution would be for Glamorgan and MCC to instigate a straight swap, with Lord’s taking over the West Indies rights for 2012, and Cardiff picking up the visit of New Zealand in the Ashes summer of 2013. However, with MCC themselves nursing a loss of £2.5 million for 2010-11, their own preference would be for the process to be put back out to tender. Given the current economic climate, they could expect to gain the rights for a knock-down price.According to Hampshire’s chairman, Rod Bransgrove, whose own county hosts their first Test match at the Rose Bowl on Thursday, the problem of marketing five-day cricket might not be limited to Glamorgan. He suspected that, in the long term, the ECB’s current preference for seven Tests a summer might have to be reconsidered.”I do think that seven Test matches every summer is a big ask,” Bransgrove told ESPNcricinfo. “Audiences are beginning to show us that’s a difficult quantity to sustain. But I do think that there is ample international cricket to go round the nine grounds that we now have, even if it means that everybody won’t have everything they want every year.”The one surefire crowd-puller remains the Ashes, with Durham already selling tickets for their 2013 contest to ease their cash-flow problems, even though the dates of the series have yet to be announced. However, the arrival of India in the second half of this summer promises to be a windfall for the cash-strapped counties, with ticket sales already topping 700,000.

Trent Johnston will captain Ireland for the two matches against West Indies A later this month and the World Cricket Division One one-dayers between July 1 to 10

Cricinfo staff15-Jun-2010Trent Johnston will captain Ireland for the two one-day matches against West Indies A later this month and the World Cricket League Division One one-dayers between July 1 and 10. The selectors announced the squads for the two series and the key players missing are current captain William Porterfield, wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien and fast bowler Boyd Rankin.All three have been omitted because they have county commitments. The new faces in the squad are Albert van der Merwe, the offspinning allrounder, and Sussex fast bowler Craig Young. Andrew Poynter, who’s in both squads, has been rewarded for his impressive start to the season for both his club, Clontarf, and Ireland A.”The county players have one and four-day games over the period, so we have to plan without them. It’s always a balancing act with the counties, and we’ve got bigger games ahead,” Ireland coach Phil Simmons said. “We’re looking at alternatives in the bowling. The quick bowling is our weakest area, so it’s a chance for us to try out Craig Young to see what he can do, and also Phil Eaglestone, who has been on the periphery now for a few seasons. In the spin department, Albert van der Merwe has started the season well with his club, so he’ll get his opportunity. It’ll be a chance too for me to see Rory McCann with Niall [O’Brien] unavailable.”While I agree it doesn’t look the strongest squad at first glance, don’t forget there are still eight or nine of the team who started the games in the ICC World Twenty20. In a way, it might be a good thing that these guys aren’t available, as it gives those drafted in a great chance to force their way into the reckoning for the World Cup next year.”Ireland’s games against West Indies A are at Stormont on June 23 and 25.Squad for WCL: Trent Johnston (capt), Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Phil Eaglestone, Nigel Jones, Rory McCann, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson, Craig Young.Squad for West Indies A : Trent Johnston (capt), Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Phil Eaglestone, Nigel Jones, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson

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.”

The ICC has told its members to not issue NOCs to their players until the issue is resolved

Peter Della Penna23-Mar-2023Days after Major League Cricket’s (MLC) landmark player draft, a sanctioning dispute between USA Cricket and league organisers threatens to disrupt the start of the tournament this July. The dispute has reached the ICC, who has told its members to not issue NOCs to their players until the issue is resolved.In this latest manifestation of the age-old tradition of administrative strife on US soil, it has emerged that USA Cricket has not yet sanctioned either the MLC or Minor League Cricket (MiLC), the tournaments that are seen as the next big step in the evolution of the game in the country. That did not prevent the MLC from announcing a host of big-name foreign signings – including Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis and Quinton de Kock – in a draft in Houston on Sunday. But concerns are growing, especially as the ICC is currently classifying the events as “disapproved”.USA Cricket has previously given sanction to MiLC, for both 2021 and 2022, but in a communication recently sent out by the ICC’s operations department to Members, officials have flagged the issue for overseas players wishing to play in both competitions.”Members may be aware of the following two events that are proposed to be played in the USA,” the ICC said of the events, both administered by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), the parent company which signed a 50-year commercial rights agreement with USA Cricket in 2019.Related

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“Applications for sanction have been submitted to USA Cricket, but these events have not yet been sanctioned by USA Cricket. Consequently, without a sanction from the host member, both events are currently deemed to be Disapproved Cricket and as such, Members should not issue NOCs to their players to participate in either event.”On March 1, in a statement from USA Cricket, the interim board chairman Atul Rai said that the board of directors were “concerned about the plight of the players and the owners” of MiLC, though what exactly those concerns are has not been specified.”However, they are equally concerned about the operations of Minor League by ACE without any accountability and its failure to follow the USA Cricket guidelines, not to mention the lack of communication,” the statement continued. “USA Cricket has sent a letter to ACE that includes several questions on Minor League operations by ACE that we hope to get a quick response timely to allow for sanctioning of the event.”Rai was on the board in 2019 and voted in favour of signing the commercial partnership with ACE at the time. Then board chairman Paraag Marathe was the main driver of the deal and rubber-stamped the tournament going ahead in 2021 and 2022. Rai left the board in February 2020, but won an election to return in September 2022 and immediately replaced Marathe as chairman. Rai’s stance toward ACE and MLC seems to have changed in his second term.Observers see this dispute as a negotiating ploy by USA Cricket to revise terms of the original short-form agreement signed with ACE in 2019. In that agreement, ACE keeps 95% of all gross revenues generated by MLC while USA Cricket receives the remaining 5%.Organisers say, however, that the tournament is on course to begin its inaugural season on July 13, as is MiLC for a third season from June 10.”We are aware of the recent letter that the ICC sent to its membership regarding the status of MiLC and MLC,” MLC tournament director Justin Geale told ESPNcricinfo. “We don’t believe the letter was a warning at all, inasmuch as it was merely factual informational that the events are not yet sanctioned as the member boards need that confirmation in order to issue NOCs to the players.”We have been in regular communication with all concerned parties regarding the ICC sanctioning of these events for the past several weeks. These events already have the necessary sanctioning from USA Cricket under our agreement with them, and the completed ICC sanctioning applications for MiLC and MLC are presently with USA Cricket.”We have been assured that they will be processed in a speedy manner once received by the ICC. We believe that the recent staffing changes at USA Cricket may have contributed to any delays. However, we fully expect the events to receive complete sanctioning in the coming days, as all parties agree that MiLC and MLC are very important to the growth and development of cricket in the US.”Geale’s reference to staffing changes alludes to the resignation of USA Cricket’s interim CEO Vinay Bhimjiani over the weekend, after five months in the role.Rai told ESPNcricinfo that there were other outstanding issues that had prevented them from moving forward on the sanctioning. This includes USA Cricket’s desire for more favourable revisions from the short-form agreement, before signing a finalised long-form agreement between the two parties.”The board appointed a five-member working group to negotiate the terms of the Long-form agreement and they have started the conversation as I understand,” Rai told ESPNcricinfo. “I am not part of that committee and since the CEO resigned, he is no longer involved in the negotiations. Therefore, any sanctioning or approval will have to come as a recommendation from the committee to the board.”As for the 50-year commercial partnership agreement, the working group had sent a letter to ACE outlining the areas of problems in the contract as well as the failures. While there was a response from ACE, I believe that there is much to be discussed before any final agreement can be reached.”

Dravid and stand-in captain Rahul both felt India were short on runs in the first innings, and expect Kohli to return for the decider

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-20227:29

Dravid: As a batting unit, we can look to seize a few key moments

India head coach Rahul Dravid has said the team management will have conversations with Rishabh Pant over his shot selection, even as they continue backing his natural aggression with the bat. Pant was out for a duck in India’s second innings in Johannesburg, edging Kagiso Rabada behind after charging out of his crease.”We know Rishabh plays positively and he plays in a particular manner and that has got him a little bit of success,” Dravid said in his post-match press conference. “But yeah, of course there are times when we’re going to have some level of conversations with him around, just a little bit of maybe just selection of the time to play that [shot].”No one’s ever going to tell Rishabh not to be a positive player, not to be an aggressive player, but sometimes it’s just a question of picking and choosing the time to do that. I think when you just come in, maybe giving yourself a bit more time might be a little bit more advisable, but look, in the end we know what we’re getting with Rishabh – he is a really positive player, he’s someone who can change the course of a game very quickly for us, so you naturally won’t take that away from him and ask him to become something very different. Sometimes it’s just about figuring out what is the right time to maybe attack or maybe play out a slightly difficult period that sets the game up for you or sets the innings up.”He’s learning. He plays in a particular way, so it’s always something that he’s going to keep learning, he’s going to keep improving and keep getting better.”Related

• Report: Elgar's unbeaten 96 seals Johannesburg Test for SA

• 'Immensely proud' Elgar lauds South Africa's character

On a challenging pitch characterised by uneven bounce, India were neck-and-neck with South Africa for three-fourths of the Test match before the hosts pulled away in a fourth-innings chase of 240, their captain Dean Elgar steering them home with an unbeaten 96. Dravid felt the result could have gone differently had India put up a bigger first-innings total after winning the toss.”It’s been challenging wickets for both the teams,” he said. “This fourth innings was probably their best innings as well. The wickets have been a little challenging, I will give that to the batsmen, but yes, honestly we pride ourselves on wanting to do better and wanting to get better, so yes, as a batting unit we can certainly look to maybe seize a few key moments and when we get those partnerships, maybe make them a little bit longer.2:54

Cullinan: ‘I thought India’s batters were too loose’

“There could have been phases in the first innings where it was challenging, the ball was tending to kick up a little bit, but we could have probably got maybe 60-70 runs more, it probably could have made a significant difference in this game.”So yes, certainly we would like to bat a little bit better, maybe some of the guys who got starts could have converted those into, say, hundreds. That was a difference in the first game – we had [KL] Rahul who went on to get a hundred for us and we ended up on the winning side. Second game, they had someone who ended up on 96 at the end of the game and they ended up on the winning side, so it really shows you the importance of, on these kinds of wickets especially, one of your batsmen going on and making a big score.”It’s not easy batting conditions, so if one of your batsmen who gets set can go on and make a significant score, that certainly adds those 60-70 runs to the total, which sometimes prove to be the difference in the end.”‘We had their backs’ – Rahul on Pujara-RahaneIndia’s captain for the Test match, KL Rahul, also felt his team had fallen 60 to 70 short in that first innings.”I think if I have to be really harsh, it’s the first innings, after winning the toss we could have put 60 or 70 more on the board and gone in [to the second innings] with 50-60 lead,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation. “That would have been really crucial for us in the second innings.”Apart from Rahul, no batter managed to get to 50 in that innings, with the second-best score coming from No. 7, R Ashwin, who hit a counterattacking 46 to lift the side to 202. That was to remain the lowest innings total of the match.Dean Elgar solidly carried South Africa past KL Rahul’s India•AFP via Getty Images

India had a wobble the second time around too, going from 155 for 2 to 184 for 6, before Shardul Thakur hit a vital cameo to follow up bowling figures of 7 for 61, the best Test figures for an India bowler against South Africa.Rahul was all praise for Thakur. “Shardul has had a great Test match. In the few Test matches he’s played, he’s really created that sort of impact and won us games. Really happy with the way he’s bowled and with the contribution that he had with the bat as well, it was really crucial for us and gave us a change to win the Test.”Before Thakur, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane did the bulk of the work in India’s second innings, hitting brisk half-centuries in a stand of 111 for the third wicket. The partnership came at a time when the pair’s places in the side were potentially under pressure, with both batters having endured extended periods of poor form.The team’s official stance, however, has always been to back both batters publicly, and Rahul maintained that stance.”They’ve been great players for us, they’ve done the job for the team over the years. They’ve obviously been under the pump a little bit but in the team we really believe Pujara and Ajinkya are our best middle-order batsmen and they prove that time and again,” he said. “So we really had their backs and to go out there and put up a performance like that it really shows the mindset they are in and the fighters they are. We always knew they could do something like that. Hopefully that gives them a lot of confidence and they can do out in the next game and put in an even better performance.”

Australia have reverted to a traditional leadership structure for the England tour having previously used two vice-captains

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2020Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch was one of the driving forces behind the return to a single vice-captain and having Pat Cummins in that position with a desire to streamline the on-field decision-making process.The idea of two vice-captains was first used against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018 as Australia rebuilt following the ball-tampering scandal and has been a feature of squads since. However, for the tour of England – which will see Australia resume action for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March – Cummins will be sole lieutenant to Finch, having been preferred ahead of Alex Carey, and is an injury away from leading the team.If Cummins was to captain Australia it would be only the second time they would be led by a specialist fast bowler – the other occasion was when Ray Lindwall captained one Test against India in 1956 – although the selectors have said this is not an indication of direct succession planning for the leadership.ALSO READ: Another blow for Usman Khawaja, Andrew Tye’s return and a glimpse of the future captain“That was one of my recommendations on the back of the South Africa tour [in March], just try to streamline the process a little bit more, especially on the field,” Finch said. “We feel as though Patty has everything covered off the field as well, but just on the field having that one direct line for me is really important. At times if you have seven or eight guys going to three or four people sometimes it can feel a little bit clouded and you just get to a point where you have so much advice. So for Pat to be able to filter that out on the field will be a huge help.”The great thing Patty brings is a real calmness to the squad and he’s someone who over the years has been able to separate the off-field stuff with his on-field performance and manages himself really well. He brings a different perspective being a bowler as well, with the traditional captains and vice-captains being batsmen, so to have that real close connection to the bowlers is really important as well.Aaron Finch on Pat Cummins: ‘He brings a different perspective being a bowler’•Getty Images

“That’s taking nothing away from Alex – he did a fantastic job – we just feel that going back to one vice-captain is probably the way forward and simplifies things out in the field when you have one direct line to a vice-captain rather than going to a few different others.”When Australia’s 21-man squad for the tour was named last week, national selector Trevor Hohns said: “After taking advice and reviewing the leadership of the squad we have decided to revert back to the traditional captain and one vice-captain setup. Alex remains a genuine leader within the squad and will continue to provide valuable support to Aaron as skipper. Pat is very much in the same category and someone the entire squad has immense respect for as a person and a player.”This is not a reflection of succession planning, but rather a decision to return to the traditional leadership set-up that has served Australian cricket so well for generations.”It will be a few months before Australia name a Test squad but Cummins will be firmly in the frame again having shared the role with Travis Head since the home series against Sri Lanka in early 2019. However, speaking about the potential of one day landing the top job in Test cricket Cummins acknowledged the challenge it would bring for a fast bowler.”I feel like in every Test I play, I bowl my overs and I’m absolutely cooked and I go down to fine leg and try to recover,” he told SEN Radio last year. “I’m not thinking about field placements or who should be bowling or anything like that. I’m not sure I’d make a great captain at the moment.”

Cooke reaches career-best 161 while Root chimes in with 98 to send Gloucestershire packing

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2019Chris Cooke’s career-best List A score of 161 guided Glamorgan to a 74-run Royal London One-Day Cup victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol.The 32-year-old South African smashed 12 fours and 8 sixes in an exhilarating 127-ball innings, sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 234 with Billy Root, who contributed 98 to a Glamorgan total of 331 for seven after winning the toss.In reply, Gloucestershire slumped to 26 for 4 as Marchant de Lange claimed three early wickets. They were eventually dismissed for 257, Jack Taylor top-scoring with 75 from 70 balls and de Lange claiming 3 for 41.Both sides face the prospect of elimination from the competition before the knock-out stage. It was only Glamorgan’s second win in six matches, while Gloucestershire have three victories from the same number of games.Cooke and Root transformed the visitors’ innings after they had struggled to 53 for 3 in the 13th over. David Lloyd was unlucky to be run out at the non-striker’s end when bowler Ryan Higgins got a fingertip to a Jeremy Lawlor straight drive.Lawler was caught at deep cover off the left-arm spin of Graeme van Buuren and when Marnus Labuschagne was caught behind down the leg-side off Chris Liddle, Glamorgan looked in trouble.Patience was needed to assess the pace of the pitch. Both Cooke and Root showed that quality in spades as they took the score to 137 for three after 30 overs.The two batsmen than cut loose, adding 101 runs in the next ten overs. Cooke reached a 66-ball half-century with a six over fine-leg off David Payne and Root soon followed.Billy Root attempts an acrobatic shot•Getty Images

Cooke launched two more big sixes in moving to a century off 99 balls and then needed only a further 21 deliveries to reach 150, passing his previous best List A score of 137, made against Somerset at Taunton in 2012.He finally fell for the third highest score ever by a Glamorgan batsman in one-day cricket to an unusually expensive Benny Howell, bowled attempting a ramp shot. The 234-stand with Root, a Glamorgan record for the fourth wicket in List A games, had occupied fewer than 33 overs.After a couple more wickets, Root, who had lost little in comparison to Cooke, was run out attempting a second run from the last ball of the innings. He had faced 103 balls, hitting nine fours and a six.Glamorgan’s total looked well above par and so it proved as Gloucestershire’s top order were rushed into some rash shots. Lukas Carey removed Gareth Roderick, caught at point in the first over, while the impressive de Lange, working up good pace, accounted for Miles Hammond, Benny Howell and James Bracey.Chris Dent was bowled by a slower ball from Graham Wagg, pushing forward, for 30 and, at 62 for 5, Gloucestershire looked beaten.Taylor and van Buuren, the two batting stars of the win over Somerset on Sunday, added 34 before the latter was caught behind for 41, edging an attempted pull off Wagg.Labuschagne’s leg-spin accounted for Ryan Higgins, caught at long-off for a brisk 38, while Tom Smith fell to a catch at fine leg off a long-hop from off-spinner Root, the bowler’s first List A wicket for Glamorgan and only his fifth in total.Taylor went to a 56-ball half-century with two sixes off successive balls from Dan Douthwaite and Payne batted well for his unbeaten 36, but it was too little too late.

Afghanistan’s path through the Super Sixes to the 2019 World Cup is a complicated one, but the legspinner wants his team to concentrate on winning their last match and then “see what happens”

Liam Brickhill in Harare20-Mar-2018″Anything can happen,” Rashid Khan said, after Afghanistan’s five-wicket win over UAE in their Super Sixes clash at Old Hararians Sports Club took them to four points with a game still to be played. Afghanistan have now drawn level with Ireland, and if Scotland and Zimbabwe both lose their remaining matches, and Afghanistan win their encounter with Ireland, they can still book their place in Sunday’s final.”Anything can happen. In the Super Six, it’s quite difficult for anyone to go direct,” Rashid said. “Till now, a single team hasn’t qualified. Everyone is in doubt. That is a good thing. We just need to win the last match and see what happens.”The favourites tag seemed to weigh heavily on Afghanistan, who stumbled through the group stages with losses to Scotland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong. Since then, however, they have kept themselves in the running with wins over West Indies and, now, UAE.”In this Super Six, the target was to win all three matches and just see what happens,” Rashid said. “Anything can happen in the match between UAE and Zimbabwe. We can only hope for the best.”Rashid’s contribution with the ball was vital to Afghanistan’s success over a spirited UAE side. He took 5 for 41, stalling UAE’s fightback with the wickets of Shaiman Anwar for 64 and Mohammad Naveed for a quickfire 45.”It feels good to take five-wicket haul and to contribute in the bowling department,” Rashid said. “I did well in the last matches as well, but I was unlucky in not taking many wickets. Today I took wickets, and it was a good day for me.”Initially, the ball was gripping and turning, which helped us to take early wickets. And then we put pressure on them, with dot balls, and at the end they tried to play shots and lost wickets.”Rashid also credited Gulbadin Naib and, in particular, Najibullah Zadran. Naib was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 74, while Najibullah’s 63 was his third fifty-plus score of the tournament.”The batters also did really well,” he said. “They took responsibility. Losing five wickets for 50 or 60, and chasing 180, they formed a very good partnership. They did a good job to bat to the end and win the game.”[Najibullah] is very talented, and the way he has played in this tournament is superb. He took responsibility in the end, and that’s the main thing. On these wickets, taking responsibility and playing a long innings is really good. At the end, you’ll have time to hit and make some runs. He took responsibility, as he has throughout the tournament.”Rashid had also worn the extra responsibility of the captaincy in the early stages of the tournament, after regular captain Asghar Stanikzai had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. But Rashid insisted that the extra responsibility had not affected his bowling.”I didn’t feel any pressure when I was captaining and bowling. Whether I’m captain or not captain, I just try my best to enjoy myself.”UAE coach Dougie Brown suggested that the responsibility shown by Najibullah and Naib had been the difference between the two sides.”Rashid spoke about taking responsibility, and I think the two guys at the end showed exactly what responsibility was on a pitch, which, really, there were no demons in,” Brown said. “Both teams bowled exceptionally well.”Before Afghanistan play Ireland on Friday, UAE will face Zimbabwe in a clash that will likely decide the fate of several teams vying for a top-two finish. While UAE aren’t in contention, Brown suggested that their experience in Zimbabwe had been a good one despite his team’s inconsistency.”It’s been great. We’ve learned a lot. We don’t often get a chance to play Full-Member teams. We are a team who are learning. We strongly believe that as a team, we’re working on the right things. And on a day when we piece together 100 overs of really solid cricket, we know that we can put in a strong performance against anyone.”In the last game against Zimbabwe, we know it’s going to be a tremendous atmosphere,” he added. “There’s a lot riding on that game – World Cup qualification for them. And other teams as well. There will be thousands of people in there shouting for Zimbabwe. But we know that around the world there will be millions of people shouting for us. We take that positivity with us, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Ten teams will run the gauntlet in Colombo, but only four will go on to the World Cup in England in June 2017

Shashank Kishore06-Feb-2017It is an anomaly that the qualifying event for a World Cup in England is being played in Sri Lanka, but that, perhaps, will be the last thing on the minds of the 10 teams fighting to be a part of the biggest event in women’s cricket.In principle, identifying four more contenders to join Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies for the World Cup in June spells expansion and indicates the drive off the ICC to promote the women’s game. But, there is a serious gulf in the quality of the teams in the Qualifier.Thailand, for example, will be playing their first 50-over game ever on February 8 – and it will be against India, the tournament favourites. Some recent match practice might have helped even the scales, but Thailand, in the last one year, have only played five T20s. The threat posed by Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea and Scotland seems similarly underwhelming. Expecting a level-playing field in the competition – where three teams from two groups of five will progress to the Super Six stage – would be far-fetched.The Qualifier may well become an opportunity for the bigger sides – India, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – to get more game time and fine-tune their combinations in preparation for the World Cup. Bangladesh and Ireland, who have been in the fringes of women’s cricket showed sparks of their ability at the World T20 in India last year, would be keen to play the role of a banana skin.The four teams who progress to England will also be a part of the next ICC Women’s Championship table. Considering most of the top-eight nations play a minimum of five ODIs in a series, with three of them counting towards the championship, the new entrants could potentially stand to play a lot more than the 21 games they were guaranteed over a three-year window from 2018 to 2020.Here is a look at all the teams in Qualifier, which begins on February 7, their key players and their chances of making the World Cup.

India

Mithali Raj leads a strong side full of options•International Cricket Council

They are still hurting from a first-round exit in the 2013 World Cup and an inability to make the semi-final of the World T20 in 2016. Mithali Raj and co. could have earned direct entry for the coming World Cup had they beaten Pakistan in a series, but that was a non-starter because of political tensions. India are looking at this tournament as an opportunity to prepare back-ups for the injured opener Smriti Mandhana and their bowling spearhead Jhulan Goswami.Recent form: Won the Asia Cup T20 by beating Pakistan in the final in Bangkok in December with Raj making an unbeaten half-century in the chase. Prior to that, they beat West Indies in the three-match ODI series at home, but lost the T20Is.Chances of making it: A largely spin-based attack will thrive on Sri Lankan pitches. Add a much-improved batting unit, and they have every chance of making the final.

South Africa

Legspinner Sune Luus was the highest ODI wicket-taker in 2016•Getty Images/ICC

At the World Cup in 2013, they were the rank outsiders who made it past the group stages. At the World T20 that followed, they made their first-ever semi-final. Those performances earned them a Test, a direct sign of improvement in women’s cricket, later that year. Having failed to make the semi-finals of the World T20 in 2016, the team has had a change of guard with Dane van Niekerk, who made her debut as a 15-year old, taking over the captaincy across formats from Mignon du Preez. If their warm-up performance, where they shot out a strong Indian batting line-up for 155, is anything go by, they will be more than a handful.Recent form: They gained valuable match-time in subcontinent conditions beating Bangladesh 4-1 last month. In October, they registered their first-ever ODI win over New Zealand, but eventually lost the series 5-2.Chances of making it: Their sheer athleticism in the field, and a largely improved bowling attack that has had vital contributions from spinners recently – Sune Luus finished as the top ODI wicket-taker last year, with 37 in 22 matches at an average of 20.40 – make them a definite threat in conditions that may not be too alien, after all.

Pakistan

Pakistan nearly made it to the semi-final of the World T20 last year•IDI/Getty Images

In 2011, the PCB managed to do what even bigger boards like Australia and England did much later: 19 top cricketers were awarded central contracts following their Asian Games gold-medal performance in Guangzhou. At the World T20 last year, improvements surfaced when they came within touching distance of a semi-final. At the World Cup in 2013, they were merely looking at “gaining experience.” Now, they want a lot more.Recent form: They beat Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Thailand en route to the Asia Cup final, which they lost to India. Prior to that, they were whitewashed 5-0 in the ODIs in New Zealand. The improvements from their point of view: they topped 220 in two matches, and then ran the hosts close in the only T20I on tour.Chances of making it: Their opening game against South Africa on February 7 could likely determine the group toppers. Should make it into the Super Six stage, but have to be vary of Bangladesh, who recently beat South Africa to register their first ODI win over a Full Member.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka depent on Chamari Atapattu for most of their batting firepower•IDI/Getty Images

They need to look no further than their 2013 World Cup exploits in India, where they ousted the hosts and beat England to qualify for the second round. Familiarity of conditions will be an advantage, but their batting has regressed. Lack of power hitters and fitness that was rated by their own coach Hemantha Devapriya as “not up to standard” makes them vulnerable to meltdowns.They are over-reliant on Chamari Atapattu, the only Sri Lankan to score two ODI centuries in women’s cricket. Absence of a proper domestic structure has resulted in them having to learn on the job in international cricket.Recent form: Sri Lanka made totals of 168, 173 and 161 in the first three ODIs against England. Against Australia, they passed 150 just once in four ODIs. They lost both series. The defeat to Bangladesh in the Asia Cup T20 further exposed how much ground they have lost.Chances of making it: The lack of wins recently makes it a question of form v confidence. They could face stiff competition from Ireland for the second spot in the group stages.

The other contenders

Ireland, semi-professionals fighting for recognition, will bring into the tournament their experience from the World T20 in India last year. With money being pumped into their development activities and teams visiting their shores ahead of tours of England, players are finally getting good exposure. That some of them have earned contracts with Women’s Big Bash League frachises through ICC’s Associate Rookie Programme – Kim Garth, who featured for Sydney Sixers in the final two weeks ago – is an indication of how far the sport has come.As things stand, Ireland are the best-placed among the sides that don’t yet have international status to make the World Cup. Bangladesh may also be in the hunt for a Super-Six berth, but for Zimbabwe, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Scotland, this will be an opportunity to understand where they stand on the global stage and what they need to do to bridge the gap.

Several of Australia’s Test cricketers will be made available for Big Bash League matches between the first and second Tests against West Indies, Cricket Australia has confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2015Several of Australia’s Test cricketers will be made available for Big Bash League matches between the first and second Tests against West Indies, Cricket Australia has confirmed.The BBL begins on December 17 and some of Australia’s Test cricketers will be available for at least the first four days of the Twenty20 tournament, given the lengthy gap between Tests. The first Test against West Indies will be played in Hobart from December 10 to 14, and there is then a 10-day break before the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.However, the Test fast bowlers will not take part in the BBL matches and opening batsman David Warner, who is yet to sign with a team for this season, will sit out to spend time with his pregnant wife Candice. Allrounder Mitchell Marsh’s availability is yet to be decided, with his workload in the coming Tests likely to determine if he will play in the BBL during that period.Steven Smith, Joe Burns, Peter Nevill, Nathan Lyon and, fitness pending, Usman Khawaja, will be available from December 17 to 20. There is also a possibility the Perth Scorchers players in the Test squad – Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh – will be made available for their team’s first game on December 21.The Test players will gather in Melbourne on December 22 ahead of the Boxing Day Test.