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A round-up of how the cricket community is reacting to the Covid-19 threat

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2020Three members of South Africa’s Women’s team and support staff have returned positive Covid-19 results after they were tested ahead of their training camp scheduled to commence on July 27. Overall, 34 individuals were tested, and those that tested positive showed mild to no symptoms, according to a Cricket South Africa media release.They have been withdrawn from training, and will self-isolate for ten days, with the CSA medical team closely monitoring their condition. The rest of the group that returned negative results will assemble in Pretoria on July 26, a day before they partake in a week-long skills-based training camp. Then, they will return to their respective provinces for individual training from August 3 to 14.There will be another round of testing for the squad and support staff ahead of a second training camp scheduled between August 16 and 27, in preparation for the proposed tour of England in September.Spike in Covid-19 cases halts Zimbabwe training campZimbabwe Cricket have decided to break their two ongoing camps in Bulawayo and Harare owing to a spike in Covid-19 cases across both cities. The training programmes had begun more than a month back with an eye on playing Afghanistan in a five-match T20I series. reported that the team’s communications manager Darlington Majonga has provided the senior men’s cricketers with regimes to follow at home.Though the players had begun training, the team was still awaiting approval from the government to host Afghanistan between July and August. However, Zimbabwe now has over 2000 confirmed cases for Covid-19. Bulawayo is the epicentre of the pandemic in Zimbabwe with 593 cases, closely followed by Harare, which has reported 579 cases. But Majonga said that the board had written to the government for final dates for the series, as the “July to August timeline was just a tentative date”. “The dates for the tour will be determined by the government’s response. We wrote to government and are waiting for their response,” he said.ICC postpones two more eventsThe ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 which serves as a qualifying round for the 2023 Men’s World Cup, and the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup regional qualifier division 2 have been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The League 2 was to be hosted by Namibia with Papua New Guinea and the United States joining the hosts, while the U-19 tournament was to be held in Tanzania from August 7 to 14, with Botswana​, Kenya​, Mozambique​, Rwanda​, and Sierra Leone joining the hosts.”With ongoing international travel restrictions, global health concerns still prominent and on government and public health authority advice in relation to COVID-19 we have decided in partnership with Members, to postpone two further qualifying events,” Chris Tetley, the ICC’s head of events said.In light of the postponement of the 2023 Men’s World Cup by about six months to allow space for qualification rounds, Tetley added: “We will now work with hosts and participating members to find a window where cricket can be safely and practically rescheduled. With this week’s ICC Board decision to hold the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in October and November of 2023, we now have been given additional time to work to reschedule the Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 postponed matches and enable us to preserve the integrity of the qualification process allowing it to take place on the field of play.”The last of the League 2 matches took place in February, with matches scheduled for April cancelled as cricket came to a standstill due to the pandemic.Boult returns to trainingTrent Boult was back in training on day three of New Zealand’s camp for North Island-based players in Mount Maunganui. He had missed training on day two, as a precaution after feeling unwell. Back at the Bay Oval to train on turf along with seven of his team-mates, Boult said he was very keenly looking forward to getting the chance to play again.”I think everyone just wants to get back playing some sort of cricket,” Boult said. “There are a few guys who are heading to the CPL, which hopefully will go ahead in the coming months, and then looks like the IPL will follow that. I think guys have been caged up for a few months now and are eager to get out and play some cricket.”Boult is part of the Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2020, which is now likely to take the slot left vacant by the postponed T20 World Cup.Boult’s new-ball partner for New Zealand, Tim Southee, was also part of the training camp and said he’d consider travelling abroad to play cricket as he trusted all precautions would be taken to keep the players safe. “I think I would. I’d definitely be taking the right precautions to follow all the guidelines that are in place. I’m sure we won’t get sent somewhere where it’s not safe,” Southee said. “We’d all just have to be sensible, but I don’t have to make that decision at this stage and I’ll eagerly wait to see what unfolds over the next couple of months.”CAB office shuts for a week after staff member tests positiveThe Cricket Association of Bengal has shut its office for seven days after a non-permanent staff member of its civil engineering department tested positive for Covid-19.”He is at present admitted at Charnock Hospital,” CAB president Avishek Dalmiya said in a statement. “Even though he had not come to CAB for a week, on the advice of eminent doctors in the Medical Committee, we have asked all to refrain from visiting the CAB office for the next seven days and during this period, extensive sanitizing will take place keeping all safety protocols in mind.”Incidentally CAB has not opened formally and has been working sporadically with a skeleton staff essentially to meet certain statutory compliances and for clearing dues to various stakeholders.”As on Monday, West Bengal has recorded 22136 cases of Covid-19 – 6668 of which are active – and 757 deaths. Kolkata is the state’s capital.Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz to take PIA flight to England on July 3Mohammad Hafeez and five of his team-mates who have returned two successive negative Covid-19 tests to become eligible to join the rest of the Pakistan squad in England will fly out to Manchester on July 3. Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz are the other five, who, along with Hafeez, will fly from Lahore on Pakistan International Airlines.From Manchester, the six players will go to Worcester and integrate with the rest of the squad pending another round of testing by the ECB.The six players, who had been tested twice in three days, all currently in isolation at a five-star hotel in Lahore.Already, 18 squad players who returned two negatives as well as two reserve players – Musa Khan and wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir – are in Manchester for Pakistan’s tour, having flown out earlier on a chartered plane organised by the ECB. These six players could not fly out with the rest of the squad as they had initially tested positive for Covid-19, before testing negative on the retest; two negative results were required for the players to fly out to England.As part of South Africa’s efforts to bring cricket back, CSA initiated mass testing of its personnel, seven of whom were revealed to be infected with Covid-19.”We were definitely going to have people testing positive,” CSA’s acting CEO Jacques Faul told . “Having conducted over 100 tests, the number of seven is actually quite low.”CSA would not mention if there were any players among those people who tested positive for the coronavirus. “Our medical ethical protocol does not allow us to share info that could ID people that have tested positive,” Faul said.Indian Cricketers’ Association extends help to 60 cricketers’ familiesA total of 57 former players, including six women and a blind cricketer, and the widows of three former players, have received between INR 60,000 (US$800 approx.) and INR 1 lakh ($1300 approx.) – a total of Rs 78 lakh ($102,300 approx.) – as part of the newly-formed Indian Cricketers’ Association’s financial assistance programme during the Covid-19 crisis.”It’s a huge step, especially helping Mr Shekar Naik, the former captain of the Indian blind team, because that was not in our rules and regulations. But we thought that since the Indian government has honoured him and the BCCI has honoured him, why shouldn’t we,” Ashok Malhotra, the president of the association, told ESPNcricinfo. Naik led India to victories at the 2012 T20 World Cup for the blind and the 2014 World Cup for the blind.Malhotra also confirmed that a number of former players, including Dilip Vengsarkar, Arun Lal and Balwinder Singh Sandhu, had made donations to help their needy colleagues. “Many other cricketers, some of them very famous, are coming forward with big and small amounts,” Malhotra said. “We have funds to help more people, and we are hoping to do that.”So far, according to Malhotra, 2800 former players have signed up with the association, and “most of them have contributed” between Rs 1000 ($13 approx.) and Rs 5 lakh ($6600 approx.), the minimum and maximum donation amounts.Sri Lanka want to be ‘best prepared team post Covid-19’Sri Lanka want to be, in the words of head coach Mickey Arthur, “the best prepared international team post Covid-19 and to be ready to play at any given time” and to that end they are heading into a second training camp that starts on June 22.An SLC press release on Thursday said 24 players and six support staff will take part in the 10-day camp. Sri Lanka had been preparing for a Test series against England when the coronavirus pandemic struck, forcing the world into lockdown. Since then the players have already been able to complete one training camp and are no gearing up for another, which will focus on their skills and their conditioning.SL training squad: Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Embuldeniya, Oshada Fernando, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Bhanuka RajapaksaZimbabwe players start training after testing negativeZimbabwe have become the latest team to start training after Covid-19 fallout as all 37 selected players, as well as the coaching staff, were tested negative for coronavirus.Due to lockdown restrictions in Zimbabwe, the training pool is split into small sub-groups that are practising within their provinces. On Monday, Bulawayo-based players kicked things off with a fitness test overseen by provincial coach Njabulo Ncube at the Queens Sports Club. The players will focus on strength and conditioning sessions for the first three weeks before switching to skills training.Zimbabwe are supposed to host Afghanistan in July-August for a five-match T20I series before travelling to Australia to play three ODIs.Training squad: Brian Chari, Christopher Mpofu, Ainsley Ndlovu, Charlton Tshuma, Sean Williams, Faraz Akram, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Neville Madziva, William Mashinge, Peter Joseph Moor, Brian Mudzinganyama, Ryan Murray, Brendan Taylor, Regis Chakabva, Luke Jongwe, Wessly Madhevere, Timycen Maruma, Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Tapiwa Mufudza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Richmond Mutumbami, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Brandon Mavuta, Carl Mumba, Tendai Chisoro, Tendai Chatara, Kevin Kasuza, Donald Tiripano
Zimbabwe players to undergo tests ahead of training
Zimbabwe’s players and support staff will undergo tests for Covid-19 ahead of their return to training on June 15. According to a media release from Zimbabwe Cricket, a squad of 33 players has been put together and only those who pass the medical tests will start training from Monday.Zimbabwe are set to host Afghanistan and India for limited-overs series in July and August, subject to government approval.The players will practice in their respective provinces starting with strength and conditioning sessions for the first three weeks before turning to cricket-specific skills training.As per the ICC guidelines, the use of saliva will be prohibited and all players as well as Zimbabwe Cricket employees will be provided face masks and alcohol-based sanitisers.
Afghanistan to begin month-long training camp starting June 7
Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad are among 22 players who are going to take part in a month-long training camp organised by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in Kabul starting Sunday.The camp, an ACB release said, will be focused on “strengthening their batting, bowling and overall performance as part of their preparations for upcoming tournaments.”This camp will be held under the relevant health guidelines and in close coordination with the ICC, WHO and the ministry of public health of Afghanistan to avoid the spread of COVID-19,” the release said.On Saturday, the ACB held a Covid-19 awareness meeting for players and other relevant officials at the board’s head office to “educate them about the health guidelines to be maintained during the camp.”Afghanistan were scheduled to tour Zimbabwe and play the Asia Cup in the second half of the year but both look uncertain now, and a one-off Test in Australia’s new summer schedule is now slotted for November 21 to 25 at the Perth Stadium.Players participating in training camp: Asghar Afghan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazrathullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq, Shapoor Zadran, Qais Ahmad, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omerzai, Samiullah Shinwari, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Shahzad, Sayed Shirzad, Darwish Rasooli, Zahir Khan Paktin, Farid Malik, Hamza Hotak, Sharafudin Ashraf.Kapil Dev, Murali Kartik to face off in golf fund-raiserFormer India captain Kapil Dev is set to square off against Murali Kartik, the former India left-arm spinner, in a Covid-19 golf fundraiser at the Delhi Golf Club course on July 11. The 18-hole Covid Relief Exhibition Golf Match will have Dev and Kartik, both regulars at several Pro-Am events during the season, partner Shubhankar Sharma, a two-time winner on the European Tour, and Gaganjeet Bhullar, winner of one European title and nine more on the Asian Tour, reported the .

Provisional approval for Cricket Ireland to start club training
Cricket Ireland has received provisional approval from sports and health authorities for club cricket to move a step closer to limited training in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.However, restarting activity at club level is dependent on when the Irish government and the Northern Ireland executive plan their next phase of reopening, according to a release, and that the clubs undertake pre-opening protocol compliance measures. The board had made its submission to both the governments on May 22 seeking approval to restart activity.”This means that Provincial Unions and clubs can actively progress their Covid-19 safety preparation work in anticipation of each Government’s progression to Phase 2 / Step 2 of respective roadmaps to reopening,” a board release said.In the first stage, Cricket Ireland will make “information packs” and resources available to all clubs across the country starting next week which will include checklists and advice regarding training practices that comply with social distancing and health protocols.
“Our priority from the outset was to take a safety-first approach – to ensure the health of players, coaches, volunteers and families,” Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland CEO, said.”With this in mind, it’s important that we remind our club and grassroots family that the 20km radius rule still applies to club cricketers, and that the ability to restart training depends upon being able to comply with the protocols. We fully understand that it won’t feel like normal, and there will be more work than usual to implement and properly monitor hygiene protocols and social distancing, but we are sure everyone recognises their role in controlling the spread of the virus and protecting the vulnerable in our community.”There will undoubtedly be some details still to resolve during implementation, but we will provide advice on issues as they arise. If we work together on meeting these protocols, then we can begin to look towards an eventual resumption of competitive matches later in the roadmap – a scenario that seemed very distant to many just a few weeks ago.”

Umpire Dar turned down their appeal for lbw on the basis that they had taken too long to ask for it. But the commentators suggested that only 13 seconds had elapsed

Liam Brickhill13-Feb-2019An apparent DRS timing error may have cost Sri Lanka a wicket on the first morning at Kingsmead.Two balls after he had Dean Elgar caught behind in his first over of the day, Vishwa Fernando rapped Hashim Amla on the pads to spark a confident appeal for lbw. Umpire Aleem Dar was unmoved, and after a short discussion Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne asked for a review – but Dar turned down the request on the basis that the visitors had taken too long to ask for it.Section 3.2.2 of the ICC’s Test playing conditions stipulate that: “The total time elapsed between the ball becoming dead and the review request being made shall be no more than 15 seconds,” and “If the on-field umpires believe that a request has not been made within the 15 second time limit, they shall decline the request for a Player Review.”According to the commentators on the SuperSport broadcast of the game, only 13 seconds had elapsed when Karunaratne asked for the review, and the TV umpire Ian Gould would have been in charge of timing the 15-second interval between the ball going dead and the review time limit.”The bowler’s end umpire shall provide the relevant player with a prompt after 10 seconds if the request has not been made at that time and the player shall request the review immediately thereafter,” read the playing conditions. Dar made no visible prompt to Fernando or the Sri Lankan players at the 10-second mark as SuperSport’s cameras followed him on the field of play.Had they been able to take the review, Sri Lanka would have had South Africa wobbling at 0 for 2 as replays showed that Amla would have been out lbw.Shortly afterwards, the umpires were into the action once again when Amla made a late move to leave a ball from Suranga Lakmal and ended up sliding a catch to Kusal Mendis at second slip off the face of the bat.The catch looked clean live, but Umpire Richard Kettleborough called for a TV review, giving a soft signal of “not out”. Replays showed that the ball had lodged straight into Mendis’ hands, and the soft signal was thus overruled by Gould.”If that is given not out, well, I’m walking back to the Caribbean,” said Michael Holding on SuperSport’s television commentary as replays of the catch were shown on the screen.”The Test match has not started well for the umpires,” he said. “First, 15 seconds reduced to 13, and now a soft signal of not out when it was clearly out.”

The PCB clarified that the tweak in the anti-corruption code, pertaining to appeals against the decisions of the spot-fixing investigation tribunal, “will affect future cases”

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2017The PCB’s tweaking of its anti-corruption code will not apply to Sharjeel Khan’s case. The board made the clarification a day after Sharjeel and his lawyer accused them of modifying the code while a tribunal was sitting over the spot-fixing case in which he was implicated.A statement issued by the PCB said the amendment “will affect future cases and does not apply to Sharjeel Khan”.On Tuesday, Sharjeel’s lawyer Shaighan Ejaz said the PCB had amended a clause in the code on July 18, 2017 and stipulated that it retrospectively apply to Sharjeel’s case. They accused the PCB of acting in bad faith. The PCB’s lawyer, Taffazul Rizvi, had, in response, stressed that it was a routine change. “Such amendments are never person-specific, and are applicable to all cricketers,” he said.The change to the clause has to do with the process of appealing the tribunal’s decision. The old clause allowed a player to appeal to an independent adjudicator or go to the Court of Arbitration [Sports], based in Lausanne, Switzerland.With the tweak, a player can go to the CAS only after he has appealed to an independent adjudicator, which Sharjeel has in his case. After the appeal, the player has 21 days to go to the CAS.The change, according to one official, was the result of a “grammatical error” in the original code, which mirrors, in large part, the ICC’s anti-corruption code.”The true state of affairs is that under both versions of the PCB Code (old and new) an appeal against the order of the Anti-Corruption Tribunal lies with the Independent Adjudicator,” the PCB’s statement said.”Article 7.5.4 provides that the decision of the independent adjudicator on the appeal shall be final and binding on all parties. The amendment made by PCB in fact provides parties with an additional opportunity to appeal i.e. before Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Sporting bodies including cricket regard CAS as the final court of appeal.”The PCB also pointed out that nothing was stopping Sharjeel from going to Pakistan’s judiciary, referring to Article 11.5 of the code: “…the Courts of Pakistan shall have exclusive jurisdiction to issue relief….and/or to hear and determine challenges to any decision issued by the Anti-Corruption Tribunal and/or CAS.”Theoretically that means Sharjeel could file a writ petition in Pakistan’s courts. But if it does go to court, the PCB is likely to argue that Sharjeel should first approach the CAS – as per their code. Sharjeel’s lawyer has already said that going to the CAS was not a realistic option for the batsman owing to the expense he would need to undertake.Pakistani courts have been involved in a number PCB cases over the years, and aren’t unknown to overturning board decisions on, among other things, player bans and punishments.

The hosts took the “wind out of Pakistan’s sails” in the 21 overs on day one, said New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton25-Nov-2016The hosts took the “wind out of Pakistan’s sails” in the 21 overs on day one, said New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan, though he remained wary of what could continue to be a tough pitch. New Zealand had moved to 77 for 2 in Hamilton after being asked to bat on a lively surface, having become increasingly confident as the morning wore on. They hit 38 runs in the six overs preceding the rain that washed out the remainder of the day’s play.”It was favourable conditions for the bowlers, so I thought the way we played took the wind out of their sails to be fair,” McMillan said. “We were very positive and decisive in that first session. I thought our guys – especially Ross Taylor – were pretty harsh on any width that was offered up, and he made the most of it.”Taylor remained not out on 29 off 20 balls, cracking six boundaries – five of those behind square on the offside. It was a particularly important innings for Taylor, who has not only been in modest form, but has been troubled by a growth in his left eye over the past week.”I thought Ross moved really well today,” McMillan said. “Even the first ball that he left – sometimes he doesn’t like leaving the ball. I thought his decision-making was excellent. Sometimes he got some short wide ones. We know how well he enjoys playing the cut shot, so it was perfect really.”Opener Jeet Raval continued his bright start in Test cricket, finishing 35 not out off 63 balls. He had been dropped at first slip by Sami Aslam in the first over, but was largely secure against the right-arm bowlers, though Mohammad Amir continued to trouble him through the session.”He looked really good today. Always helps when you get dropped in the first over. I thought it was a quality first over from Mohammad Amir where he asked some serious questions from the left-handers,” McMillan said. “But Jeet just showed a composure that we’ve seen from him at the level below. It’s nice that you can see him take that step up and see that composure again. It’s what we’ve come to expect and what we know about him.”Really the key for any Test opener is the decision making. The good thing about this Pakistan bowling attack is that they ask a lot of questions. We know we have to be precise in the decisions we make at the top of the order in seamer-friendly conditions. I think he’s shown the ability to do that, and it’s been great to see.”McMillan expected the pitch to be just as tough upon resumption on day two because it will have been “sweating under the covers”. Nevertheless, he said New Zealand had been surprised by Pakistan’s omission of Yasir Shah. The visitors chose four quicks instead, perhaps swayed by the colour of the Hamilton surface, and the wet forecast over the first three days.”Yasir is a world-class bowler, so it’s good for us, I think,” he said. “If the game goes along to five days, you’d think that days four and five, a spinner might be needed and will come into calculations. They’ve decided that he wasn’t needed and they went for the extra fast bowler. We’ve got Mitchell Santner on our side, so we’ve got pretty much all bases covered.”

Chris Morris suffered from an injury and a personal loss on the recent tour of Bangladesh, and hopes to perform well enough to fight of competition and secure a place in South Africa’s limited-overs sides

Firdose Moonda16-Sep-20151:19

‘Our conditioning will be vital in India’ – Morris

Cricket changed Chris Morris’ life. Twice. The first time, it made him a millionaire, the second, it almost robbed him of everything money could not buy.In 2013, Morris received riches to the tune of R5.5 million (US$625,000 at the time) when he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings franchise at the IPL auction, after they spotted him during the Champions League T20 the year before. With the money, Morris bought his parents a house, got married and made a life, which included occasionally playing international cricket. He struggled to secure a regular spot in the South African side but remained part of their plans and was taken on their most recent tour to Bangladesh, where it all went wrong.Morris only played in two of the five limited-overs matches and struggled physically, with a groin injury, and emotionally, after the death of his grandfather. The combination almost cost him his career.”It was a really tough journey,” Morris said at a bowling camp in Johannesburg. “I’ve come back from a bad tour of Bangladesh that I don’t think I ever should have gone on but I was never going to turn down an opportunity to play for my country, so it was a lot of mental stuff that went on behind the scenes.””I had to find my reason for playing cricket again so I took a couple of days off, went to the bush, went hunting, played a lot of golf and found my passion again. It sounds horrible to say that as a young cricketer but I had a lot of things going on in my head that I needed sorted out and luckily we got them sorted. It was about going back to the drawing board.”When I was a youngster it was very easy to say why I wanted to play cricket and that was because I wanted to play for my country, and having coming back from that tour doing so badly I thought maybe I was not good enough to play for my country. I had a couple of dark days but there is always motivation when you put that jersey on.”Chris Morris wants his cricket to be enjoyable again•AFP

Morris’ returns of 2 for 32 and 0 for 29 are hardly the stuff of shattered dreams but they were disappointing for a player looking to push for a more permanent place. More devastating was the injury, which took extensive rehabilitation to overcome. “You are in a very dark space when you are injured,” Morris said. “I don’t think I ever wanted to throw in the towel but I was a little bit confused in my head as to why am I playing this game and what do I want to achieve out of the game. I think I almost lost sight of that a little bit.”During his time off, Morris had time to think about where his cricket was going. He was known for his bowling but remembered that when he first started playing, he had batted in the upper middle order and had designs on becoming a genuine allrounder. “When I first got into the Lions side, I had to bat at No.6 or 7 and bowl fast – that was my role,” Morris said. “So automatically batting takes a back step and you become that slogging tailender. I feel I have underachieved in four-day cricket very horribly. I know my bowling will always be No.1 and that will get me into most teams but I’d love to be a genuine allrounder.”Morris’ first-class batting average of 30.64 is better than his List A (25.29) or T20 (21.45) figures but he believes there is more he can do. ” I lost sight of my goals with batting recently and now, this is the hardest I have ever worked on my batting. I am hitting a lot of balls, I am doing a lot more drills which I absolutely hate but we’ve got to do them, so I am working hard on my batting,” he said. “Then, if my bowling is not up to standard on the day, hopefully my batting will lift me, and if my batting is not up to standard, hopefully my fielding and if I am not a good fielder, I will carry the drinks as well.”Warming the bench will not be an option for Morris on the tour of India, especially in ODIs, where he is all but guaranteed a spot after David Wiese was left out of the squad. He will complete with Wiese for a place in the T20 XI and both will be looking over their shoulders at the likes of Wayne Parnell, who will be at home but doubtless eyeing a comeback, and the rest of the reserve bowlers.Some of them like Marchant de Lange and Kagiso Rabada are in the squad, others like Beuran Hendricks are not, and competition is fierce enough for Morris to know he will have to stand out to earn a spot. “The pecking order I wouldn’t know, but I know there are a lot of gun bowlers pushing for that spot they say is missing in South African cricket,” he said.If Morris can fill it, the 2016 World T20 could be in his future and he admitted he had thought about it. “The World T20 squad is always going to be in the back of your head. It’s the World Cup, who doesn’t want to go? I will be pushing for it as hard as I can,” he said.For now, Morris is “just happy to be playing cricket without pain,” and hoping it can make him feel like a millionaire again.

The pink ball will make its Bangladesh Cricket League debut for the first time in Wednesday’s final

Mohammad Isam21-Feb-2013The pink ball will make its Bangladeshi debut when the Bangladesh Cricket League final begins on Friday. The BCB’s decision to experiment with the ball will be, quite literally, under the spotlight, as the first-class match between Central Zone and North Zone is a day-night fixture – another first for the country – at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.Both teams, however, have been given very little time to get acquainted with the ball, as they were each given a set of three pink balls to train with on the eve of the match.The initial report after the centre-wicket net session from both teams has been cautiously encouraging. Central Zone’s Marshall Ayub, who is the tournament’s leading run-scorer, was wary of how much the ball would swing, but said he had no trouble sighting the ball.”The ball moved sideways, so I think how much it swings tomorrow will be in the back of everyone’s mind,” Marshall said. “Everyone is talking about the pink ball in the dressing room, but I have done some catching and fielding. It seemed visible enough under artificial lights.”North Zone batsman Farhad Hossain found it quite easy to deal with the new pink ball, though he believed what happens in a competitive match will be far more important. “We played with a new ball mostly, so wear and tear wasn’t an issue,” Farhad said. “I think we have to find out what happens tomorrow when the ball gets old. So far I think it has been okay sighting the ball. I also found it easy catching the ball, even though one of the light towers wasn’t used.”It is a very different experience for us, but we want to see how it goes tomorrow. The only issue [is] it becoming discoloured [as it gets older], [which may] trouble the batsman because the ball will [need to] be changed. A newer ball under lights can swing around.”The BCB have set aside 30 balls for the five-day match as a precautionary measure, after concerns about its longevity had been raised. A domestic match in South Africa held in September last year was the last occasion when a pink ball was used in a competitive match. But concerns over its ability to hold colour, especially given how easily the sheen goes away, remained. It had to be changed roughly every 25 overs during the match The other hurdle for many of the players will be to switch between the formats in such a short space of time. The BPL final was on February 19, ending four weeks of continuous Twenty20 cricket, and three days later it is a first-class final. But Marshall said it is hardly an issue. “I think we will manage between the formats quite well.”

Mitchell Starc’s presently irresistible blend of swing, speed and direction is all in the wrist – the result of a fiendishly simple piece of advice from Wasim Akram

Daniel Brettig07-Feb-2012Mitchell Starc’s presently irresistible blend of swing, speed and direction is all in the wrist – the result of a fiendishly simple piece of advice from Wasim Akram.Since a brief meeting with Wasim at the SCG nets during the New Year’s Test against India, Starc has plucked 14 wickets at 13.42 in all competitions, finding the rhythm to test the very best batsmen.Twice he has removed Sachin Tendulkar, lbw to a ball curling back in the Perth Test, then pouched in the gully as he stretched to cover a Starc delivery snaking across him in Sunday’s Melbourne ODI. That dismissal was largely the result of the batsman’s knowledge that he could just as easily received a delivery that swung back: exactly the sort of doubt a left-arm bowler must create.Watching it all from the commentary box has been Wasim, who said his words to Starc had focused on sending the ball down with a snap or flick of the wrist at the point of delivery, a gambit known to enhance swing. It appears to have done the trick for Starc, who turned heads when he next appeared in the Twenty20 Big Bash League before returning to the national side.”One thing I like about him is he’s got the in-swinger going to the right-hander, he’s got the pace, he’s tall and he’s fit,” Wasim told ESPNcricinfo. “When I saw him in the nets we just mainly spoke about the swing bowling and wrist positioning.”I told him when he comes in to bowl to the right-handers like he does normally, to flick his wrist at the last moment to gain the most swing – the snap. On these wickets [in Australia] if he learns to do that he will get a lot more wickets.”If he’s done well after talking to me for half an hour, the credit goes to him. He’s picked it up so well, he’s a nice guy and I’ve told him next time I’m around, I’m here for the one dayers so if he wants to come up to me I would like to have a word to him about reverse swing as well.”Wasim’s advice, which also covered how to use the variation from around the wicket to pose more questions for batsmen when the ball lost its shine, was delivered with a healthy helping of encouragement, for the former Pakistan captain liked plenty of what he saw in Starc even before he had seen him bowl in the flesh.”It is a very simple, beautiful action, an easy action, upright, wrist is straight, everything is very natural to him, so that is a plus,” Wasim said. “He’s got a bright future. I had a very quick arm action, but his action is very beautiful, nice and smooth. Now he is flicking the wrist he’ll be more dangerous and over the next three to four months he is only going to get better. With his action there is less chance of injuries, that’s for sure and a good sign for him.”While Starc has benefited from Wasim’s empathy for left-arm bowlers, the older man said he was also impressed by the way the Australian attack has been harnessed by a former international foe, Craig McDermott.”He has a very good coach in Craig McDermott, who has been there and done it himself and he knows the psyche,” Wasim said. “I have a problem with coaches who’ve never played cricket at that level. First-class level, fine, but that level is different. You need to be able to explain it to a youngster that ‘look, I have done it’ and that’s how they pick things up very quickly.”Starc is not the only left-armer Wasim is hoping to aid during his time in Australia he is also open to working with Mitchell Johnson during his rehabilitation from foot surgery. Their paths may yet cross in Perth this week while the triangular series visits the west.”Being a left-arm bowler I can explain much more to left-armers than right-armers. The wrist positioning, angle, the crease,” Wasim said. “I remember seeing Johnson three years ago in South Africa, he was bringing the ball back in, he was getting wickets left, right and centre, but after that series it was gone.”Being a left-arm bowler at this level if you don’t have the in-swing you’ll be struggling, you’re not going to get many wickets. I can work with him and if he can get in touch I would love to help him – he’s a very talented cricketer, and he has a future as well, as long as he can get his in-swing back.”

Pakistan are likely to announce a captain for the World Cup within the next few days, possibly even before the fourth ODI of the current series against New Zealand scheduled for February 1

Osman Samiuddin29-Jan-2011Pakistan are likely to announce a captain for the World Cup within the next few days, possibly even before the fourth ODI of the current series against New Zealand scheduled for February 1. Indications, for the moment, lean towards the Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq taking over from Shahid Afridi, the current ODI skipper, for cricket’s showpiece event. But the situation remains fluid and Misbah’s chances were far greater a few days ago; a comfortable win over New Zealand on Saturday, with a starring role from Afridi, will no doubt impact on the final decision.The PCB announced a 15-man World Cup squad earlier this month, but much to the surprise of almost everyone, didn’t name a skipper for the event. Afridi has been Pakistan’s ODI captain over the last year but just before the New Zealand tour began, a number of key players and team management officials raised concerns with the board over his captaincy. The development placed the board in a quandary, between players and the captain, ultimately compelling them to delay the announcement.Expectedly the decision has been slammed by a number of ex-players, most notably Inzamam-ul-Haq; the broad feeling of discontent doesn’t revolve around the personalities as much as the instability inherent in such a situation. The board and the chairman Ijaz Butt, it is believed, have no real issue with Afridi remaining captain, but such are the nature of the concerns the players and team management have, that the board has found itself having to choose sides.It is understood that players are mostly unhappy with Afridi’s regular and very public assessments of his side’s performances, mostly when they have been critical. In addition, Afridi’s statements to the ICC with reference to the spot-fixing case involving three Pakistani players have also been felt by some players in the current squad to have been incendiary and unnecessary. Though local reports suggested that a group of senior players had thrown their support behind Afridi, players such as Kamran Akmal and Misbah still hold reservations.The inability of Afridi and vital members of the team management to gel with each other has not helped matters; one important management official is thought to have pushed particularly forcefully for Misbah’s elevation to the captaincy over the last few weeks in New Zealand.The delay has allowed the board chairman to travel to New Zealand to hold discussions with Afridi, senior players and management officials before making a decision. In a meeting before the team departed Butt also advised Afridi to try and improve his interaction with players over the course of the series. These meetings will ultimately decide who is to be appointed.On paper, Afridi’s record as captain is not hugely impressive, with seven wins and 10 losses in 18 games (and one no-result). He averages nearly 36 with the bat in that time, including two hundreds in Sri Lanka, and well over his career numbers. And though the 25-ball 65 against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday was his first fifty in 12 ODIs, he has, on five occasions, made scores between 24-49, which given the way Afridi bats and the position he bats at, are often vital hands.His bowling has not been as incisive, taking only 17 wickets in that span and generally going for runs. But in pushing ODI series against England and South Africa to the final game each time, in overseeing several fightbacks in tough circumstances Afridi would seem to have built up some credit.Misbah’s case for captaincy, on paper, is weaker. He has not been part of the ODI set-up for much of the last year; in fact, he only played two ODIs in 2010 and was dropped midway through the series against South Africa. His often poor strike-rate also works against him, and if Younis Khan is in the playing XI, robs Pakistan of some power in the middle. But he has built up momentum from his Test exploits, where he has been in exceptional form with the bat and has just led Pakistan to a drought-breaking Test series win.

Eric Simons has confirmed that Gautam Gambhir will not play in Friday’s match against Chennai Super Kings at the Feroz Shah Kotla

Jamie Alter in Delhi18-Mar-2010Gautam Gambhir will not play in Friday’s match against Chennai Super Kings at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Eric Simons, the assistant coach of Delhi Daredevils, has said. Gambhir pulled a hamstring during Wednesday’s defeat to Mumbai Indians and was forced off the field within the first 10 minutes of the match. In his place the vice-captain Dinesh Karthik has been elevated to the lead the side.”He [Gambhir] is going for a scan to see how bad it is. Once we assess him, only then we will know how long he will be out for. It’s reasonably serious and he won’t play on Friday,” Simons said.”The captain plays an important role. He should understand the game and should be able to take quick decisions. So many captains have been fined for slow over-rate in this tournament and we need to be careful.”Karthik has captaincy experience leading his state side Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions but this is his first task leading players of international quality in a lucrative tournament. Delhi won their first two matches before losing heavily to Mumbai at home.Gambhir joins a long injury list that includes Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Ashish Nehra, Charl Langeveldt and MS Dhoni – all within one week of the IPL. Yusuf Pathan recovered from a shoulder issue and Virat Kohli survived a dodgy fall while bowling. However, most injuries – Gambhir’s the notable exception – have been the sort that cannot be avoided on the field, as Lalit Modi, the IPL Commissioner, stressed on Thursday.”I think injuries are not happening because it [the IPL] is packed too soon, injuries are happening because of the game,” Modi told the TV channel CNN-IBN. “Injuries will take place if the person gets hit by a ball on the wrong place and that’s what happens. Cricket is a game like that, it’s not because of the schedule that one gets injured.”

MacDonald-Gay takes four wickets to keep the table-toppers in command

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025Surrey continued their Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup charge with a three-wicket win over Warwickshire at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground.Warwickshire were lifted to 239 all out by a dazzling maiden professional century by Davina Perrin (113 from 125 balls). Supported by Natasha Wraith (47, 49), Perrin salvaged her side from 32 for five after early damage done by Ryana MacDonald-Gay (four for 47) and Alice Monaghan (three for 48)Surrey then reached 240 for seven with 20 balls to spare as Alice Capsey’s sparkling 79 (73) underpinned the chase and Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s composed 43 not out (43) saw it to a comfortable conclusion.Surrey chose to bowl and did so very effectively in the opening overs as four batters had their furniture rearranged in the first 40 balls. Monaghan bowled Meg Austin through a pull and Abi Freeborn through the gate. MacDonald-Gay bowled Bethan Ellis behind her legs and induced Amu Surenkumar to play on. When Sophie Beech, on her debut, tucked her first ball to leg and was called for a quick single by Perrin and run out by Phoebe Franklin’s throw, it was 32 for five.Perrin and Wraith skilfully excavated their side from the hole with a partnership of 118 in 19 overs. Perrin posted the century stand in the grand manner with a straight six off Danielle Gregory before Monaghan returned to hit the stumps for a third time, Wraith’s as she tried to lift to leg.Issy Wong (21, 27) continued the recovery in a stand of 55 in nine overs with Perrin whose superb innings finally ended when she she lifted a Gregory full toss to long off. She walked off to a huge ovation and with her team right back in a game they seemed to have lost in the opening overs.Surrey’s reply took an early hit when Wong trapped Kira Chathli lbw. Bryony Smith (38, 31) and Capsey added 75 from 62 balls but when Smith launched Phoebe Brett over long off for six she immediately signalled for treatment and soon had to retire hurt having aggravated a side strain.Surrey shrugged off the blow as assertive cameos from Paige Schofield and Grace Harris kept the scoring rate high. Schofield fell lbw when she missed a sweep at Georgia Davis and Harris, match-winner in the final three days earlier, was bowled by Wong.Capsey was lured down the track by Brett and stumped and Millie Taylor kept Warwickshire in contention by removing Monaghan and Franklin in an over, but Wyatt-Hodge, with plenty of time on her side, eased Surrey calmly to their target.