Opening batsman Aiden Markram will remain with South Africa’s Test squad in the UK and not return home for the A series against India

Firdose Moonda10-Jul-2017Opening batsman Aiden Markram will remain with South Africa’s Test squad in the UK. His availability for the Test series will be determined on a match-by-match basis as he may yet return home for the A series against India*.With Australia A cancelling their tour to South Africa because of the ongoing pay dispute, the selectors have decided to keep Markram with the senior side to gain experience and provide an extra batting option. South Africa are in the process of confirming a replacement for Australia A later this week.Markram was initially included in the squad as cover for Faf du Plessis, who missed the first Test because of the birth of his child, and was due to head home on du Plessis’ return. Markram did not play in the warm-up match in Worcester or at Lord’s because Theunis de Bruyn was preferred and will likely still have to wait his turn for a Test debut. But with South Africa’s line-up struggling and pressure on the top four, Markram may yet be called upon.The Under-19 World Cup winner enjoyed a breakthrough season at franchise level where he finished 10th on the first-class run-charts with 565 runs at 51.36 from seven matches. He captained the South Africa A side in England and scored a century in their match against Hampshire and 71 against the Lions.He did make an appearance as a substitute fielder in the first Test, but he was unable to get hand on a chance from Joe Root early in the England’s captain’s first-innings 190, having moved in from the boundary at long leg.*July 11, 10.45amBST: this story was updated to reflect further detail of Markram’s availability

Former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts has questioned the fitness of the current pace attack on the eve of the first Test against England at Edgbaston

Melinda Farrell17-Aug-2017Former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts has questioned the fitness of the current pace attack on the eve of the first Test against England at Edgbaston.Roberts was speaking in Birmingham at Wicketz, a children’s clinic hosted by the Lord’s Taverners, ahead of the day-night Test alongside fellow West Indies greats Viv Richards, Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson. While all four former players acknowledged there were significant weaknesses in the side, Roberts handed out the harshest assessment of bowlers.”To be honest I don’t know what is the strength of West Indies cricket today because we don’t bat too well and at times it depends on the fitness of the fast bowlers,” Roberts told ESPNcricinfo. “It seems as though some of them are prone to breaking down.”I’m hoping that they are all at full strength and that they’ll all be able to last the full five days. If they do they may have a chance but you see it’s very difficult if you do go in with four bowlers and you have problems with one because the overall team is not as strong as I would like to see.”Roberts was critical of the amount of time players spend in the gym and suggested they should spend more time in the nets. But he singled out 20-year-old Alzarri Joseph as the bowler who could thrive in English conditions.”He’s young, I think he’s probably the fittest of the lot in terms of not breaking down and he also swings the ball a bit which is not common,” Roberts said. “Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel are more seamers. They seem to hit the deck a lot harder and try to get legcutters and offcutters whereas Alzarri Joseph, especially early in the innings, will try to swing the ball and that’s very important here in England. So I won’t be surprised early on, if he takes the new ball, if he takes one or two early wickets.”In contrast, former West Indies bowling coach Ambrose felt the current crop of bowlers were holding their own in Tests, but he called on the batsmen to push harder for competitive – and defendable – totals.”I’m not saying they don’t have batsmen who can score runs, they do,” Ambrose said. “But you can’t keep scoring 180, 200, 220 in Test cricket and expect to win too many games.”One of the batsman who has impressed Richardson, the former team manager, is Shai Hope. Although Hope averages just 19.57 in ten Tests to date, Richardson believes his temperament marks him out as a batsman who can develop into a mature player.”His attitude towards batting, towards the game, he’s always willing to learn,” Richardson said. “He listens and you can see he would make changes to his game.”If he got out a particular way he would go into the nets and try to work on his weaknesses and I like that about him. He’s always willing to learn and always asking questions, he’s got a desire to work hard and to achieve great things.”Richards, perhaps typically, called on the West Indies batsmen to show no fear and, while acknowledging England are heavy favourites going into the series, believed the pink ball could be something of a leveler in the opening match.”England is one of the best places for you to play the game itself and one’s got to look at it that way,” Richards said. “All the players from the West Indies who have toured this part of the world would have gone back from England being a much better player. I’m hoping the guys do understand that, the batters themselves understand that.”There are no demons playing in this country. If you can play and you back yourself enough, you’re going to have success and that’s what it’s all about. Knowing your requirements, knowing your limits, the things you can get done and the things that you cannot get done.”Don’t worry about them talking about the seam and the swing and all that sort of stuff, it can be countered. If you’re good enough.”

Joe Leach’s Worcestershire team moved closer to the Division Two title despite Durham avoiding the follow on during a rain-affected third day at New Road

Paul Edwards at New Road27-Sep-20172:06

County Championship Round-up: Final-day drama awaits

Joe Leach’s walk back to his bowling mark is a fine enough thing, yet even his fondest relations do not judge it worthy of applause. We may live in a hyperbolic age but putting one foot in front of another does not justify hysterical ovations and hats-in-the-air jubilee. No, the reason the spectators at New Road broke into spontaneous clapping at 10.42am on this hazy late September morning was because, some 70 miles away, Northamptonshire’s Ben Sanderson had been bowled by Leicestershire’s Dieter Klein. One doubts this dismissal prompted unalloyed rejoicing even among the heaving thousands on the Grace Road terraces but at New Road it confirmed Worcestershire’s promotion to Division One of the County Championship.Some might have thought the rest of the day’s cricket would be wrapped in prolonged celebration and unreality following the achievement of the goal set by the Worcestershire coach, Steve Rhodes, last November. Yet it was not so. For one thing, Worcestershire want to go up as champions and that is not quite settled yet. Nottinghamshire may overtake them although their priority will be the achievement of a draw and their own promotion. Nevertheless, despite the entreaties of the lunchtime television people, Bradford-born Rhodes did not give any interviews until the end of the third day’s play. “I have a cricket match to win,” he said. You can take the lad out of Yorkshire etc, etc.Moreover, Durham’s cricketers have never been the drinks waiters at someone else’s party. It was entirely in character when Michael Richardson and Graham Onions added 30 for the last wicket to save the follow-on. Other teams might have folded on this third day but Onions does not want his last game for his beloved county to end in defeat. He even protested fairly plainly when Steve Gale judged him caught at second slip off the glove for 13. That ended Durham’s innings and it gave Worcestershire a 127-run lead. That had been extended to 284 for the loss of three wickets when bad light and rain arrived in mid-afternoon and only relented briefly. The destination of the title will therefore hang on the final day of the season here and even some home supporters were secretly pleased when Richardson pushed that crucial single. Every September afternoon is treasured.But this day had already offered other touching ovations and one of the warmest was for Leach and his players when they returned to the pavilion at the end of the Durham innings. The reason for this prolonged applause was very clear. Leach’s one wicket in the morning had taken his own total to 66 in the Championship but in addition to his impressive fast-medium bowling, he has been a fine skipper of some good young players. For example, Ed Barnard’s removal of Mark Wood and Chris Rushworth on the third morning took his own tally of wickets to 45, this in addition to nearly 600 runs. The hope is that cricketers like Barnard and George Rhodes will not be overawed by first division cricket. Worcestershire have won promotion five times in 12 season; all but one of those successes was followed by immediate relegation.Yet the most wholehearted applause of the day was reserved for Tom Fell, who returned to the pavilion having made 47, his highest score of what has been a thoroughly miserable season. Fell had offered signs that he was returning to something on the outskirts of form before he was leg-before when attempting to play Ryan Pringle’s sharply-spun offbreak to leg. It was a limp shot but that did not affect the spectators’ regard. Fell is one of the ten players in this Worcestershire side who came up through the county’s Academy and has recovered from serious illness. Even a half-century from him would have made the crowd’s day even more special.The evening session ambled towards a grey conclusion. Four overs were bowled but conditions were thoroughly miserable and Paul Collingwood saw no virtue in bowling his spinners to prolong the play. By the close it was clear that if Nottinghamshire avoid defeat at Hove they will be promoted while if Worcestershire avoid defeat here they will be champions. Any declaration offered by Leach will probably be tough in the extreme. That, though, may not matter to the home supporters at New Road. They hope simply that some sun will shine on a trophy their team has not won since 2003. And that will be it for another season. “Even the sun sets in paradise,” croons Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Perhaps so, but even the kaleidoscope of copper beeches, chestnuts and limes on the banks of the Severn does not make it easier to apprehend.

Ravi Rampaul, the former West Indies quick, has signed for Derbyshire on a three-year contract

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2017Ravi Rampaul, the former West Indies quick, has signed for Derbyshire on a three-year contract. Rampaul has been playing in county cricket with Surrey for the past two years and does not count as an overseas player due to his Kolpak status.Rampaul will be available in all three formats, as Derbyshire look to continue their rebuilding under Kim Barnett, who came in as Director of Cricket last year before taking on an advisory role at the end of the season.”We identified new-ball bowling as an area we wanted to strengthen for 2018, and we’re delighted to secure someone of the calibre of Ravi,” Barnett said. “He is highly skilled and vastly experienced, with over 100 internationals under his belt, and he will give us the additional firepower we needed alongside the likes of Hardus Viljoen and Will Davis.”Ravi will be available for all forms and has committed to Derbyshire full time, ruling out any clashes with the CPL during the English domestic season. It’s a massive coup for the club and shows our intent that we want to build on the progress we made in 2017 and kick on in 2018 and beyond.”Although Derbyshire finished eighth in Division Two of the Championship, they did enjoy a successful NatWest Blast – under specialist T20 coach John Wright – reaching their first quarter-final in 12 years. Rampaul, a World T20 winner in 2012 who also has experience of the IPL, can be expected to bolster their white-ball attack.Despite not being a regular during his time at The Oval, he claimed 59 wickets overall, including 18 in this year’s Royal London Cup as Surrey reached the final. Rampaul last played for West Indies in 2015, having been capped in 18 Tests, 92 ODIs and 23 T20Is.”I’m grateful to Derbyshire for giving me this opportunity to extend my career in England and play across all forms,” Rampaul said. “The club has ambitious plans for the years ahead and I’m excited by what we can achieve. Hopefully I can play my part, not only on the field helping to win games of cricket, but also help the younger guys in the dressing room.”

After Australia scythed through the tail to set a target of 170, the extinguishing of English hope was left to David Warner and Cameron Bancroft

The Report by Andrew Miller26-Nov-2017Australia 328 (Smith 141*, Marsh 51) and 0 for 114 (Warner 60*, Bancroft 51*) trail England 302 and 195 (Root 51, Bairstow 42) by 56 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn the final analysis, it has been a slaughter, but England’s latest trip to the Gabbatoir has turned out to be a more humane affair than some of their more gory predecessors.Their decisive second innings may have been topped and tailed by some traditional fast-bowling savagery, with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins claiming 4 for 10 in 21 balls to finish the work that Josh Hazlewood had started with the new ball on the third evening. But the extinguishing of English hope was left to David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, whose utterly unhurried opening partnership of 114 in 34 overs made mincemeat of what could have been an awkward victory target of 170.It was a curiously flat finale to a contest in which the momentum had not so much swung as vibrated from session to session. But, after a final burst of violent lurches one way and then the other on the fourth afternoon, Australia’s traditional dominance at their favourite home venue came flooding to the fore in a one-sided finale.Warner, whose second-innings onslaughts had been such a crucial factor in the 5-0 whitewash in 2013-14, took a more measured route to his latest Ashes half-century, which came from 74 balls with not so much as a boundary until his 27th delivery.But he did not need to rush on this occasion – worryingly for England, where the Aussie quicks had been able to threaten with pace through the air, even when the wicket had been at its most sluggish, England’s own mid-80mph seamers relied exclusively on the new ball for their breakthroughs, and once James Anderson and Stuart Broad had been neutered in a watchful start from Australia’s openers, the rest of the attack proved toothless.In particular, Moeen Ali – whose spinning finger was glued together after being lacerated by the Kookaburra seam in the first innings – was unable to replicate either the turn or the bounce generated by Australia’s own offspinner, Nathan Lyon. Emboldened by his lack of threat, the debutant Bancroft pumped him over long-off for six en route to a maiden Test half-century, as Moeen’s contribution was limited to four unthreatening overs.Moeen was, however, involved in arguably the decisive moment of the fourth day, and certainly the most controversial, when he was adjudged stumped for 40 off the bowling of Lyon – the very definition of a line call as the third umpire Chris Gaffaney adjudged his toe to be on the crease but not behind it as wicketkeeper Tim Paine whipped off the bails.It was a crucial moment of what had been a gripping afternoon session, for Moeen’s positive attitude to England’s adversity had taken the attack back to Australia after their hopes of posting a defendable total had taken a big hit in the final moments before lunch, when Hazlewood had pinned Joe Root lbw for 51 to undermine the foundations of their innings.With Jonny Bairstow alongside him to chivvy the ones into twos and force Australia to keep an eye on the scoring rate as well as the wickets column, Moeen came out swinging after lunch. From the outset, he used his feet against Lyon where his fellow left-handers, Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan, had been caught on the crease, dumping a four over long-on in the first over of the resumption before nailing a sweep through midwicket two balls later.His approach did not trigger a deluge of runs by current Test standards, but in the context of an atypically low-scoring contest, it provided England with crucial breathing space, after they had lost five wickets for 113 in a frenetic start to their second innings. But, Lyon – such a threat in both innings – eventually got his revenge, ripping a sharp turner past Moeen’s long stretch down the wicket, and Paine, whose glovework has been maligned since his drop of James Vince on the first day, showed lightning reflexes to whip off the bails before Moeen could ensure his foot was fully grounded.Reaction to the decision was predictably polarised. Some viewers saw no controversy whatsoever, others quibbled both with the notion of the benefit of any doubt going to the batsman, and with the geometry of the crease itself, with images on Twitter suggesting that the line was wider in the middle of the crease than at either end. Either way, it all added up to a whole lot of not-a-lot. In the post-mortem of this contest, England’s inability to press home several moments of apparent dominance will be of far greater concern that one 50-50 umpiring call.Chris Woakes, on a pair, came through a skittish start to help Bairstow add 30 runs for the seventh wicket, and take the lead past 150, but with tea approaching, Starc struck with a vengeance to rip England’s resistance to shreds.Despite appearing to feel pain in his right ankle on a couple of occasions, Starc summoned the fury that had served Australia so well on the third evening to extract three wickets in ten balls – another example of his matchless ability to dock Test-match tails.Woakes was the first to go, caught fencing in the cordon as he was shocked by the short ball, and sent on his way for 17. But it was Bairstow’s departure, one over later, that truly wrecked England’s hopes. Another sharp short ball lured Bairstow into a ramp to third man, but Peter Handscomb had just been brought into a catching position and gleefully accepted the offering to send Bairstow on his way for 42.At 8 for 194 with just the bowlers to come, England’s prospects were looking bleak. But even so, their next wicket came as a surprise to both Starc and the batsman, Broad, who appeared to have been beaten by a full-length snorter outside off. However, Paine was adamant he had heard a noise, and with little to lose, Steve Smith opted for a review. Sure enough, a thin nick showed up on Hot Spot, and Broad was gone for 2.And it was left to Cummins to head-hunt the final wicket, as Jake Ball flapped another fierce bouncer over the cordon to Handscomb at a well-positioned fly slip. It all amounted to England’s second bona fide batting collapse of the Test. And Warner was lying in wait to snuff out any lingering hope.

Moeen Ali has admitted England “let themselves down” with the bat in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane

George Dobell at the Gabba26-Nov-20171:03

Moeen refuses to blame glued finger for poor bowling

Moeen Ali has admitted England let themselves down with the bat in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.On a blameless batting track, England failed to make 200 in their second innings with none of their batsmen scoring more than 51. But while Moeen accepted England weren’t going to win on the final day, with Australia requiring just 56 more runs with all 10 of their second-innings wickets in hand, he took some encouragement from his side’s performance and suggested Australia are “not as good as we sometimes make out”.”We’re very disappointed,” Moeen said. “For the first three days, we played well and were in the game. Today we let ourselves down with the bat.”A few players got in, but nobody made the big score that we needed. We couldn’t get that big hundred. It was a good pitch to bat on but we haven’t made a hundred in the game. When you come to the Gabba, you have to have guys who get hundreds if you’re going to have any chance of winning. We’ll have to score hundreds in the next four games.”Moeen did not spare himself from such criticism. Despite a slightly controversial dismissal in the second innings, Moeen insisted he had nobody to blame but himself after making scores of 38 and 40.In that second innings, he was adjudged out stumped when the TV umpire, Chris Gaffaney, concluded (after multiple replays) that he had dragged his back foot out of a crease that appeared to be slightly unevenly painted. It was a desperately tight decision, certainly, but Moeen had no criticism for the umpire or any of the groundstaff.”If I was bowling I’d want it to be given out,” he said. “I thought I was all right at the time, but the replay looked very tight. It depends at what angle you look at it. You have to respect the umpire’s call.”I’m just disappointed with myself for getting out like that. I was most disappointed in the time I was out. Jonny Bairstow and I were building a good partnership.”They were under a little bit of pressure then. If we could have carried on, we could have set them 220 or even more than that. So to get out then was very disappointing.”Moeen also refused to make excuses for a disappointing personal display with the ball in the second innings. While he said he had struggled with a cut spinning finger in the first innings, he admitted he just bowled poorly in the second when he was removed from the attack after four expensive overs.Moeen Ali was stumped off a ripper from Nathan Lyon•Getty Images

“I ripped my spinning finger after about 15 overs of the first innings” he said. “It’s not been easy since then. I’ve had to have it glued and filed and tried to keep it hard.”But today it felt much better and I just didn’t bowl very well.”Most of all, though, he was frustrated that England had failed to take opportunities against an Australia side that are good, certainly, but not unbeatable.”We feel Australia are a good side,” he said. “But they’re not as good as we sometimes make out. We know we have to compete very well in the next four games.”Steve Smith has probably been the difference. Without him they would have struggled to get anywhere near 300. He played very well.”We scored 300 in our first innings without Alastair Cook or Joe Root scoring many runs. That’s a positive. And the new guys played quite well. We had big partnerships and the run-out of James Vince, in the first innings, was a big moment. Then we had them at 70 for four but we couldn’t take the next wicket.”Inevitably, Moeen was asked about the absence of Ben Stokes and he admitted he had been missed.”In the last couple of years, we’ve been very good at getting a big score despite losing wickets at the top of the order,” Moeen said. “The lower order have contributed a lot.”Here it us cost us in both innings. But it’s more an issue for the top six or seven: we have to be the ones to score big hundreds and put the opposition under pressure.”Obviously Ben is a very good player. He gives us great balance coming in at No. 6, with Bairstow No. 7 and me at No. 8. It means we can get lower-order runs. So he’s always going to be a miss. But we know he’s not here and we have to get on with it.”

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.

At the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, Nair bowled with an action “markedly different” from the one he used in the BBL match, which incurred an automatic ban for 90 days

Daniel Brettig19-Jan-2018Arjun Nair, the Sydney Thunder spinner, has been suspended for a suspect bowling action after undergoing testing at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.The testing followed a report questioning his action, which was filed by the officiating umpires in the Big Bash League match between the Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes on December 30.At the NCC, 19-year-old Nair was found to have bowled with an action “markedly different” from the one he used in the BBL match, and under Cricket Australia’s regulations such a change incurs an automatic ban from all first-class, List A and Twenty20 cricket for 90 days. He remains free to bowl in the Sydney club competition and is still a part of the Thunder squad as a batsman.”Arjun is a talented and popular member of our club,” Thunder general manager Lee Germon said. “We believe he will have a long and successful career with Sydney Thunder and shall support him through this process.”Nair has delivered his overs economically for the Thunder this season, and has been a bowler of some interest in Australian cricket for his ability to turn the ball both ways. He has spoken previously of developing his method by watching footage of the West Indian Sunil Narine on YouTube and trying to follow suit.”I was mainly a batsman who bowled part-time leggies,” Nair said in 2016. “Then I started watching a bit of YouTube, clips of guys bowling carrom balls and stuff. I’d watch clips of past matches, slow it down, watch replays and pick things up here and there.”I started trying that for fun at the backyard with my dad and he couldn’t pick it. At first I couldn’t get many revs on the carrom ball, but over time and getting used to it, I’ve started to get more on it and my accuracy has improved.”I was 15 when I started bowling it, and I was bowling it in matches about four months after that. So it wasn’t too long, but because batting was my main thing, it was just fun for me, I didn’t really think about it too much, there wasn’t pressure on me to quickly work on it. Now my bowling is getting ahead of my batting, so it’s worked both ways.”In addition to his T20 and limited-overs appearances, Nair has played four first-class matches, the most recent being a Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales against Queensland in February 2017.

Former board member warns that key principles of county game are at stake as he elaborates on stinging criticism of ECB

George Dobell08-Mar-2018The ECB could be moving towards a system featuring only eight fully-professional first-class teams, Andy Nash has warned.Nash, who resigned from the ECB Board on Wednesday citing his concerns over the standard of corporate governance, has now warned that one of the key principles at the heart of the game in England and Wales – an equal share of revenues – is under threat.Talking to BBC Somerset, Nash warned that ‘compensation’ payments planned for the Test-hosting grounds in years when they do not host Tests – understood to amount to £500,000 a year – illustrated “what the ECB’s direction of travel is”.As a former chairman of Somerset, Nash was never personally convinced by the virtues of the new-team T20 competition – though he was persuaded to vote for its approval – on the grounds that it might exclude counties like his that will not (at least in the medium term) host matches. But the possibility that non-Test-hosting grounds might be further disadvantaged by a disparity in funding has increased his alarm.”It suggests we’re moving towards favouring an elite band of eight teams rather than treating 18 fairly,” Nash said. “And that is not something I could reconcile my conscience to.”There are 18 counties (plus the MCC) and historically they’ve always shared equally as funds come in from ECB from various sources. What we’ve read about is very different and strikes at the very heart of what the ECB’s direction of travel is.”It is a very, very important issue that goes right to the heart of cricket in England and Wales. And that is the county system.”The ECB claim the compensation payments were, at this stage, only a discussion topic for a working party and insist that the idea would have been put to the board before any payments were made. It appears, however, that at least one county has already received a payment and at least a couple of others have been led to expect them and budgeted accordingly.”It is a very a substantial development,” Nash said. “And it’s clearly something that should have been discussed by the board before it got anywhere near the public domain.”If, as directors, you’re learning about such things through the media then there’s something very wrong.”I’m professional non-executive director. And it’s been a great privilege to serve the ECB for the last five years. Usually that role is one of support and guidance to executive colleagues. But occasionally challenge is very important, too.”Our responsibilities are prescribed by law. To be able to discharge those responsibilities, an organisation must have in place effective corporate governance. The board is responsible for the organisation and, to perform that to a satisfactory level, it must be well appraised. It must have the right information.”Ultimately corporate governance has to be at a level where you can discharge your fiduciary responsibilities. Regretfully I came to the conclusion that I was unable to do that.”You don’t call out a national governing body lightly. But ultimately you have to be prepared to do that. As I woke this morning and the consequences of my decision sunk in, I’m happy I did the right thing. My moral compass is in a good place.”Nash’s words will do nothing to dissuade those who fear the ECB has an unpublished agenda to reduce the number of first-class counties that it is trying to introduce through stealth.

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.”