Imran Tahir, who had stayed back in Pakistan after the PSL, will take part in the T20 tournament

Firdose Moonda28-Jul-2020No South African player apart from Imran Tahir will take part in this year’s Caribbean Premier League, which is due to start on August 18. Rassie van der Dussen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw and Colin Ingram were unable to confirm travel arrangements in time to be in Trinidad by August 1, when CPL organisers wanted all participating players to arrive in order to fulfil a 14-day quarantine period before the tournament begins.While the CPL had organised a charter flight from London to Trinidad, the South African players were unable to get to the UK in time bearing in mind flight scarcity, visa requirements and the obligation to receive government permission. Tahir has not been in South Africa through the lockdown but in Pakistan, where he was playing in the PSL, and has been able to travel to the West Indies from there.There will be no English players in the competition either, with Harry Gurney and Alex Hales both withdrawing after signing for Barbados Tridents. Both players had hoped to play the first handful of games before returning to the UK for the T20 Blast on August 27, but the requirement of a strict, 14-day quarantine period and the competition’s respective dates prevented that from being a realistic option.South Africa remains in lockdown with all provincial and international borders closed and is expected to only begin easing travel restrictions after the coronavirus pandemic peak passes at the end of September. That means the participation of South African players in the IPL is also awaiting logistical checks, chiefly government permission. Similar permission is being sought for the national women’s team, who are due to play a series in England in September.While Cricket South Africa will issue its players with no-objection certificates, and does not intend to organise any bilateral cricket during the IPL window, players will need to obtain permits to travel and will need to consider quarantine regulations. The tournament is expected to take place from September 19 to November 8, which could mean that South African players will be required to be away from home from early September until early November, given pre-tournament training and quarantines.There is also the possibility that they will need to isolate for a further 14 days on their return home. As David Warner said, with families unlikely to be able to accompany players and tours made longer by quarantine periods, several players may need to consider their personal circumstances before committing to travel.South Africa has ten players contracted with IPL teams, and two of them – AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis – have babies on the way. Earlier, three players missed the 3TC exhibition match. Chris Morris was unavailable for personal reasons, Kagiso Rabada missed the fixture following the death of a family member, and Quinton de Kock pulled out because a close family member tested positive for Covid-19. The men’s team has not had any official training camps since the lockdown began in March but continue to train individually or at their franchise grounds.

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.”

The gala – minus the fans – is about to get underway, and it starts with two teams with seven titles between them

Alagappan Muthu18-Sep-20204:52

The IPL 2020 season preview

Big picture

There has been delay. There has been discussion. There has been a great deal of expense, across the board. There has been fear. At every turn, there has been a challenge and the IPL has come through it. While it may not look like any IPL we are used to, it might just help us forget how broken our world is right now, at least for three-four hours every evening (give or take a Super Over). And it all starts with “El Clasico”.

In the news

• While Mumbai Indians have been based in Abu Dhabi all this while, Chennai Super Kings will only get their first taste of the conditions they face tomorrow… tomorrow. And that’s not good. Even coach Stephen Fleming said so to the CSK website: “I must admit, going to Abu Dhabi without seeing the wicket or assessing the conditions is going to be one of the big challenges to start with.”
• Despite picking up Chris Lynn, the big-hitting Australian opener, at the auction, Mumbai will continue with Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock at the top of the order
• The IPL made a breakthrough on Thursday when it negotiated varying quarantine periods for the players coming in after playing in the bio-secure bubble in England, which means, Josh Hazlewood, who was quite a handful in very different, fast-bowler friendly conditions, will be available for selection for Super Kings.

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2. Ambati Rayudu, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Imran TahirMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit BumrahMS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians will kick off IPL 2020•BCCI

Strategy punt

• He’s managed to recover from Covid-19, so what’s a little powerplay battle with one of the IPL’s greatest batsmen? Deepak Chahar has dismissed Rohit Sharma two times in six innings in the first six overs of a T20. Given away only 29 runs in 24 balls too. The only question is – can he somehow conjure some swing out in the desert?
• Mumbai are perhaps one of the few teams who wouldn’t be fretting the death overs, even when facing a giant like MS Dhoni. They have at least two bowlers who have been able to both keep him quiet and take him out. Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed the Super Kings captain three times in the slog overs (16 to 20) of a T20, while conceding only 39 runs in 33 balls. Nathan Coulter-Nile’s record is: 23 balls, 25 runs, two wickets.

Stats that matter

• Totals in the UAE don’t usually turn out to be too big. The norm for the first innings of a T20 in Abu Dhabi over the last one-and-a-half years is less than 140.
• Mumbai have this thing with the opening game of a season – they haven’t won one of those since 2012. But that could change in a matter of hours given their outstanding record against Super Kings – eight wins in the last ten games.
• Mumbai’s spinners put together (Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav and Anukul Roy) have a total of 61 IPL wickets between them. Ravindra Jadeja alone has 108. CSK will sense a big opportunity here.
• Kieron Pollard was invincible in the CPL: 207 runs at an average of 51 and strike rate of 204. Given he played most of those games on slow pitches, it seems a safe bet he’ll be able to showcase those destructive tendencies for Mumbai as well. Super Kings could try to mitigate his threat by using Imran Tahir, who has a favourable head-to-head record against the West Indian powerhouse: four wickets in 16 T20 innings, with a dot-ball percentage of 50.
• Super Kings’ bowing attack relies heavily on early success. In fact, since 2018, they have picked up 56 wickets in the powerplay, the best among all teams. Chahar is responsible for 25 of them, again the best among all teams. Early wickets on slow pitches means Dhoni can control the game so much better with the spinners to follow. Question is, will that work against Mumbai, who have a hitter as dangerous as Hardik Pandya lurking as low as No. 6.

County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy will both be up for grabs next season

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2020Essex will have the opportunity to defend two red-ball titles in 2021, after the first-class counties agreed to a revised league-based structure for next season’s County Championship, followed by a separate five-day showpiece final at Lord’s, in which the Bob Willis Trophy will be once again be at stake.Essex are the current holders of both titles, having pipped Somerset to the County Championship in 2019 after securing a draw at Taunton on the final day of the season, before claiming the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy against the same opponents at Lord’s last month, again with a draw in which their first-innings lead proved to be the decisive factor.The announcements follow discussions between the ECB and the chairs of the first-class counties, who are seeking to mitigate against further disruption from Covid-19 in the 2021 season. A full review into the men’s domestic structure is due in 2022, for which the existing split of ten first-division teams and eight in Division Two will be taken as the default position.Unlike this season’s short-term arrangement, in which the 18 counties were split into three regional groups of six and played a single fixture against each opponent before the top two teams progressed to the final, next year’s competition will feature three seeded groups, with 10 home and away fixtures, followed by a further round of games in which the top, middle and bottom two of each group form three new divisions, and play four further games against one another for a total of 14 fixtures.The top team in this newly configured Division One will be crowned winners of the 2021 County Championship, and be awarded the traditional Lord’s Taverners trophy, but the first and second-placed teams will then compete at Lord’s for the Bob Willis Trophy, in a repeat of the showpiece finale that capped the 2020 season. Playing conditions for both competitions will be confirmed by the ECB in due course.Essex were crowned inaugural BWT champions•Getty Images

Seedings for the group stage of the County Championship have been determined based on the 18 teams’ performances in the past two seasons, while a provision for local derby encounters has also been factored in (where it does not cut across the seeding) to enable Surrey and Middlesex, Yorkshire and Lancashire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire, and Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to compete in the same initial groups.Ian Watmore, the new chairman of the ECB, explained the reasoning behind the restructuring. “Since starting in my new role last month one of my key priorities, as a huge supporter of red-ball cricket, has been to collaborate with the first-class counties so that we could confirm a structure for next summer’s men’s domestic season,” he said.”I am delighted that the counties have been able to reach this agreement less than three weeks after Essex won the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s.”The success of that competition provides reassurance that this structure can help safeguard against any impact the global pandemic may have on next season while also ensuring the integrity of the County Championship.”It must be stressed that this structure has been agreed for next season only and during 2021 we will review and consult with the counties and other stakeholders to decide the appropriate next steps for the men’s domestic structure in 2022 and beyond.”

2021 County Championship Groups

Group 1: Essex, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Durham

Group 2: Somerset, Hampshire, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Middlesex, Leicestershire

Group 3: Kent, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Glamorgan, Sussex

Meeting, on December 24, also to discuss cricket in 2028 LA Olympics

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Dec-2020The BCCI has signalled the likely addition of two new teams to the IPL for the 2021 edition. That, along with the “discussion” on including cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, are two key items the BCCI has listed on the agenda for its forthcoming annual general meeting, scheduled in Mumbai on December 24.Ever since the conclusion of the 2020 IPL, which was held in the UAE due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been constant murmurs about the BCCI considering adding at least one, if not two, IPL teams to the lucrative T20 tournament, which was originally started as an eight-team event in 2008.It is understood that the top brass of the board comprising BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah had informal discussions on addition of new teams with board members during the IPL final. A formal proposal was meant to be discussed at the IPL Governing Council meeting, which has not yet taken place.In the AGM agenda sent to the state associations on Thursday, the BCCI noted: “Approval on inclusion of 2 (two) new teams to the Indian Premier League.”The impact of 10 teams on the formatIf the BCCI members (state associations) approve the addition of two new teams, it will not be the first time the IPL has had 10 franchises in a season. That happened for the first time in 2011, when Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers were added to the original roster of eight franchises. The home-and-away format, which would have meant a total of 94 matches, was shelved due to fear of burnout.Consequently, the IPL split the 10 teams into two loose groups with a total of 70 league matches and four playoff games. Teams, though, were ranked together in one composite league table.During the league phase, every team played the same number of league matches, which was 14. Each team played the other four in their group both home and away (eight matches), four of the teams in the other group once (four matches, either home or away), and the remaining team in the other group twice, both home and away. A random draw decided the composition of the groups as well as who played whom across the groups once and twice.The last time more than eight teams played in the IPL was in 2013, when nine teams took part with a total of 76 matches conducted.Cricket at Olympics 2028?The ICC has become more optimistic in the last 18 months about cricket featuring in the 2028 summer Olympics, which are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles. Although the ICC has been pushing for a long time to get cricket at the Olympics, which are usually held in the July-August period every four years, teams like India, England and Australia have been sceptic about participation hurting their bilateral calendar.However, recent events – including the BCCI agreeing last year to come under the ambit of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) – have boosted the ICC’s push. The BCCI had resisted the move for several years, mainly concerned by the whereabouts clause listed in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, which NADA subscribes to.Recently, the ICC sent a questionnaire to all member countries asking them to quantify the “potential financial benefits” they could accrue from their respective governments if cricket is included in the Olympics.The BCCI now wants to seek the state associations’ viewpoints and said it wanted to have a “discussion” during the AGM on the board’s “stand on the inclusion” of cricket at Los Angeles Olympics.

Zimbabwe need their experienced hands to show the way, while Pakistan might be tempted to experiment with their XI

Danyal Rasool09-Nov-2020Big picture
After all the promise of a competitive ODI series, the T20Is have been something of a damp squib. Pakistan brought their top form to both weekend games, and illustrated the chasm that evidently exists between a Pakistani side that’s rapidly improving and a Zimbabwean unit that needs improvement desperately. teams As you might expect, if these two teams simply go through the motions, Pakistan will nearly always emerge on top and do so with relative comfort.If anything, the hosts may be slightly disappointed they weren’t challenged further to be able to assess how well some of the youngsters afforded opportunities this series would fare in that scenario. Haider Ali and Usman Qadir have both excelled, but they could have been undergoing net sessions for all the intensity of the contest. Haris Rauf’s pace has been enough to get him a cluster of wickets, but he may have to demonstrate more nuanced skills against more competitive opponents. And while Babar Azam has scored two sumptuous half-centuries, you wouldn’t expect any less of him against the quality of bowling he has faced; if anything, his frustration must centre on a failure to remain at the crease to knock off the winning runs. Pakistan have just turned up and not more, and so far, it’s been more than enough.Much of that is down to Zimbabwe. The visitors haven’t come close to a level of performance they will believe they are capable of. In two of the three ODIs, Zimbabwe pushed themselves to the limit. But in the T20Is, even the in-form batsmen have floundered, while with the ball and in the field, Chamu Chibhabha’s side has been – at best – lacklustre.You could level more scathing criticism at Chibhabha himself, who arguably shouldn’t be anywhere near this side based on his numbers over the past several years. When a frontline batsman who averages 13.24 over the past four years leads the side out on a challenging tour, it is of little surprise if he returns just 34 runs in five innings. It’s a level of performance that’s unacceptable for any international side whatever the ranking, and when the middle order doesn’t bail Zimbabwe out – as on Sunday – they fall apart alarmingly quickly.Form guide

Pakistan WWWLW
Zimbabwe LLLLW
Wesley Madhevere looked good while he was out there•AFP via Getty Images

In the spotlightThese are uncertain times for Fakhar Zaman, for whom being the leading run-scorer in the recent National T20 Cup doesn’t seem to have brought international T20 runs. In the format he should be most useful at, at home and against a mediocre attack, Zaman’s lack of confidence has been laid bare by the manner of his dismissal on Sunday. A low-percentage, ill-timed drive straight to mid-on sent him back for 5, the 16th consecutive T20I innings in which he has failed to reach 40. In that time, he has crossed 25 only once, and for all his domestic form, Zaman wouldn’t be able to complain if the Pakistan selectors – who have shown uncharacteristic patience with him – get twitchy fingers after another failure on Tuesday.Despite being the highest run-getter for Zimbabwe in the ODI series, Brendan Taylor’s twin failures in the T20Is may signal a deeper malaise. He, too, has crossed 40 in T20I cricket just once in the past 16 innings, though he has continued to produce cameos fairly regularly. But against Pakistan, he will need to take more leadership at the top of the innings, especially with Chibhabha out of form. If anything, it may relieve some pressure off the young shoulders of Wesley Madhevere, and give his bowlers something to defend if Zimbabwe are to bat first again.Team newsPakistan maybe open to some experimentation in the bowling. Mohammad Musa will be itching to get a game, while even Rohail Nazir could get a call-up with the series sealed.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Haider Ali, 4 Mohammad Hafeez/Abdullah Shafique, 5 Mohammad Rizwan/Rohail Nazir (wk), 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Imad Wasim/Faheem Ashraf, 8 Haris Rauf, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Musa, 11 Mohammad HasnainZimbawe have been somewhat cautious, never quite ringing the changes this series. It would be a surprise to see that change, though with the series gone, they can afford to experiment.Zimbawe (possible): 1 Chamu Chibhabha (capt), 2 Brendan Taylor (wk), 3 Sean Williams, 4 Wesley Madhevere, 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Tendai Chisoro, 9 Carl Mumba, 10 Richard Ngarava, 11 Blessing MuzarabaniPitch and conditions
The pitches prepared for this series have been dry and flat, and expect that to remain unchanged tomorrow. Rain should not be a factor.Stats and trivia

• Sikandar Raza has batted 34 times in T20Is without being dismissed for a duck. The only active internationals with longer streaks are Kusal Perera (46), Faf du Plessis (47) and David Miller (68)
• Azam has scored six half-centuries in his last nine T20I innings
• Taylor needs 99 runs to become just the second Zimbabwe batsman after Hamilton Masakadza to tally 1000 runs in T20I cricket

James Pattinson, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the third Test with a rib injury

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2021Players on both sides of the ongoing Australia-India series have spent an extended period of their lives – up to six months for some – moving from one biosecure bubble to another, but Nathan Lyon believes it’s a “very small sacrifice” they’re making to play cricket in the times of Covid-19.Amid reports that India are unwilling to submit to another period of hotel quarantine if the fourth Test stays in Brisbane, Lyon said the players would simply have to “suck it up and get on with it”.Related

• Fresh report casts doubt on Brisbane Test, but Cricket Australia says it's not heard from BCCI

• Ajinkya Rahane: Stay in bubble 'challenging' when 'life outside in Sydney is completely normal'

• Tim Paine: 'Tension starting to boil under the surface' as India's tour nears close

• In the spotlight: Rohit Sharma's batting spot, Umesh Yadav-shaped bowling hole

• 'Nothing formal from BCCI' on Brisbane Test switch, says Cricket Australia chief executive

There is still some doubt over who will host the fourth Test, but Lyon – echoing the words of his team-mate Matthew Wade yesterday – said Australia were fully expecting it to stay with Brisbane.”To be honest, I’m not even thinking of a plan B or not playing at the Gabba,” Lyon said in a media interaction on Monday. “I 100% think we’re going out there and planning and preparing for the Gabba.”To be honest with you with regards to the quarantine I know there’s a few people from both squads who’ve been in a bubble for close to six months now, but in my eyes it’s a very small sacrifice for us to get out there and play the game that we love and put a lot of smiles on a lot of people’s faces around the world, so in my eyes, we just have to suck it up and get on with it and get out there and play cricket for our respective countries and make sure that we’re playing a really competitive brand of cricket.”Asked for his views on the severity of the restrictions that have been placed on the players, Lyon reiterated his view that they would simply have to “stop complaining” – though he empathised with the five India players who are under investigation for a possible breach of bubble safety.”To be honest with you, it’s all been okay in my eyes,” Lyon said. “As I said before, we just need to suck it up and get on with it. People make mistakes, we get that, but it’s just about making sure that we go out there and we worry about what’s happening and try and make sure that we prepare the best way we can for the Test match, and not looking to anything else the media is blowing up at all.”We’ve got to listen to the advice of our medical people, here at Cricket Australia we’re very lucky that we’ve got an amazing medical team, but to be honest with you, let’s just suck it up and get on with it and stop complaining.”James Pattinson has been ruled out of the third Test with a rib injury•Getty Images

The third and fourth Tests are set to be the 99th and 100th of Lyon’s career. The offspinner is also only six short of 400 Test wickets. With the series locked 1-1, however, Lyon said the milestones weren’t at the forefront of his mind.”It’s probably more about winning the series for me,” he said. “Obviously one-all, so if I can play my role and make sure that we win this series against a pretty amazing Indian side, so it’s more about the series for me. Those milestones will be nice to look at, at the end of my career, it’s obviously pretty amazing that a couple of them are just around the corner personally, but for me it’s more about making sure that we come out and [I] play my role, personally, but hopefully we can sing the song (Under the Southern Cross, which Australia’s players sing after winning Test matches) twice, and that will top off my milestones which are just around the corner.”Pattinson ruled out of third TestAustralia fast bowler James Pattinson has been ruled out of the third Test against India in Sydney after injuring his ribs in a fall. According to a Cricket Australia statement, the incident occurred while Pattinson was on his personal property during “approved leave from the Melbourne hub”, where both teams were stationed between Tests.No replacement has been named for Pattinson in Australia’s extended 18-member squad for the Tests. He has not played in the series yet, but “will be assessed further leading into the Brisbane Test”, which is scheduled to begin on January 15. Sean Abbott and Michael Neser are the back-up pace options in the squad, behind the first choice trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.

Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma give visitors hope before they unravel against the new ball

Firdose Moonda08-Feb-2021Hasan Ali’s ten-wicket match haul topped stubborn resistance from two of South Africa’s Test captaincy candidates, Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma, to secure Pakistan’s first series win over South Africa since 2003. Hasan triggered a collapse with the second new ball that saw South Africa lose seven wickets for 33 runs and fall 96 runs short of what would have been the highest successful chase in Pakistan. They had lost the first Test, in Karachi, by seven wickets.Related

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Despite the defeat, South Africa would be especially pleased with Markram’s performance. He scored his fifth Test century – his first since March 2018 as well as the first in the subcontinent – to keep hopes of an unlikely upset win alive. Markram and Bavuma, who scored 61, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 106 runs and looked comfortable at the crease against the old ball. But neither could negotiate the fresh ball on a surface that was keeping low, and their dismissals opened up the lower order and allowed Pakistan to seal the series 41 minutes before tea on the final day.South Africa have now lost four of their last five series and ten of their last 13 Tests and are going to have an extended break from the longest format with no games scheduled for the rest of the summer following Australia’s decision to postpone indefinitely a proposed series in March. South Africa had hoped to use this season’s Tests to identify a suitable long-term Test captain after Faf du Plessis stepped down last year. Quinton de Kock, who took over in a temporary capacity, is expected to be relieved from the role after managing just 74 runs in four Tests as captain.Things could hardly have been worse for de Kock, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck chasing a full, wide Hasan delivery that he should have left. De Kock’s dismissal came the ball after Markram was caught at second slip, prodding at a Hasan delivery that kept low. That was in Hasan’s first over with the second new ball, and the second over with it overall, and Pakistan needed just ten more overs to finish South Africa off.The speed of, and shot selection that led to, South Africa’s collapse remains a concern – they had lost five for 37 in the first innings and seven for 87 and nine for 70 in Karachi. While the Rawalpindi pitch got better for batting as the match progressed, it kept low throughout and only Markram and Bavuma were able to adapt to the bounce on the fifth day.Rassie van der Dussen applied himself well on the penultimate day of the match and was on 48 overnight but fell to the third ball of the day. Hasan beat his inside edge with late swing to end a 94-run second-wicket stand with Markram and give Pakistan the breakthrough early on the final morning. Two overs later, Hasan had du Plessis trapped lbw with an incoming delivery that stayed low. Du Plessis reviewed but ball-tracking showed middle and leg stump would have been disturbed.The celebrations were muted as Aiden Markram brought up his first Test century since March 2018•AFP via Getty Images

Instead of sending in de Kock, South Africa opted to stick to the same batting order they had used in the first innings with Bavuma coming in at No. 5. Bavuma batted with more intent than he has come to be known for, and was especially strong on the back foot and the sweep. He played a strong supporting role for Markram, whose confidence grew as his innings developed.Markam was comfortable enough to play the ball late, kept out yorkers from Shaheen Shah Afridi – who took 4 for 51 for the innings – and took on Yasir Shah, cutting him for four and dancing down the track to loft him over long-off for six. His hundred came up the ball before lunch with a single to midwicket to break a century drought that has stretched 26 innings. But his celebrations were subdued, with the knowledge there was still work to do.He only added eight runs to his total after lunch before Hasan had the second new ball in hand and lured Markram into playing a stroke. De Kock’s dismissal off the next ball meant that Bavuma and the lower-order batsmen were left with 129 runs to get. That became far too much when Bavuma played at Afridi outside off and was caught behind.Afridi reaped rewards for his disciplined bowling in the off-stump channel and got the wickets of Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada later on, to go with the scalp of Dean Elgar on the fourth evening. But the day belonged to Hasan, whose five-for came when he had George Linde caught at point and he celebrated his usual bomb-explosion celebration to a baby-cradle one in a nod to his impending fatherhood. The entire squad did the same once victory had been completed, with Babar Azam joining Fazal Mahmood (vs West Indies, 1959), Mushtaq Mohammad (vs New Zealand, 1976), Javed Miandad (vs Australia, 1980) and Saleem Malik (vs New Zealand, 1994) in the list of Pakistan captains to win their maiden Test series at the helm.Shah, who had gone wicketless as the pacers did the damage, finished the game when he beat Wiaan Mulder’s slog to hit timber in the 92nd over. The win, Pakistan’s first against South Africa in over 17 years, means they have recorded series wins over every Test side in the last 15 years. As for South Africa, it was their 21st successive failure to boss a 200-plus (they had been set 370) chase; the last time they managed one was back in 2011 against Australia. They have lost 18 of those matches.

India vice-captain doesn’t want the two newcomers to put too much pressure on themselves

Hemant Brar10-Mar-20216:12

Rohit: Pant is starting to understand game-situations better now

Rohit Sharma feels it’s important for Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan to relax and enjoy being part of the Indian team rather than thinking too much and putting themselves under pressure ahead of the T20I series against England, which kicks off on March 12 in Ahmedabad.For both Yadav and Kishan, it’s their first call-up to the national side. In 2020, under Sharma, the two had played an important role in helping the Mumbai Indians lift their fifth IPL trophy. In 13 innings, Kishan smashed 516 runs at an average of 57.33 and a strike rate of 145.76, while Yadav had 480 runs in 15 innings with an average of 40.00 and a strike rate of 145.01.Sharma was confident the duo will keep their form going when given an opportunity, but he also had a word of caution for them, saying things won’t be that easy at the international level.”I don’t want them to be thinking about anything,” Sharma, India’s white-ball vice-captain, said on Wednesday. “That’s how they bring their best performance out. Having watched them closely for a few years now, I have realised it’s important for them to be part of this wonderful team, a great set-up, which the team has. So I just want them to have fun and understand what this team is all about.”Keeping in mind that this is their first time in the squad, they will be a little nervous, they will be thinking about performance and all. But it’s important for people like me, other senior members and the coaching staff to tell them that it’s just another team that you got to be part of and they just have to enjoy that moment because thinking about performance and what they need to do when they get an opportunity will only put pressure on them.”So [they should] just have fun, relax and be part of this wonderful set-up first and when the opportunity comes… These guys have done really well in the last few years, especially the last year, and it’s just about carrying that form and putting it out there. It’s not going to be that easy here. They will be challenged every now and then but that’s what international cricket is all about. How you respond to those challenges is crucial. So you need to keep telling them about having the right mindset to counter those challenges.”The five-match T20I series will be a preparatory step for India for the 2021 T20 World Cup, for which they are the hosts as well. Till now, India’s approach to T20I cricket hasn’t been very different from their ODI approach, which is to settle down before playing their shots. Sharma, who is the leading century-maker in T20Is with four tons and has a strike rate of 138.78 in the format, said it’s the match situation that dictates how he bats.Rohit Sharma has captained both Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in the IPL•BCCI

“I have played more than 100 T20Is, so you should know my approach by now, what my approach is, what I do,” he said. “I don’t need to talk about the approach I bring into the game because I have done for many years now but yeah, the situation changes every now and then. So based on the situation of the game, I have to change my game. The approach will always remain the same, which is to have that intent, to have that scoring mindset.”The situation of the game is what I look forward to because that keeps changing every game that you play. So I think it’s very important for me to understand that situation and play accordingly, whether we bat first or bowl first. The situation of the game demands the approach of your batting. So keeping that in mind, I play my game.”In order to have their best possible XI at the World Cup, a big factor will be how much bowling load Hardik Pandya can take. Pandya has hardly bowled after recovering from the back surgery. He was excellent with the bat at the 2020 IPL but didn’t deliver a single ball in the whole tournament. In Australia, he rolled his arm over four overs in the second ODI but then didn’t bowl in the next game, or the following three-match T20I series.Sharma was tight-lipped on whether Pandya will play the first T20I on Friday but said the allrounder was doing “pretty much everything” to be fit and do what the team expected him to.”I cannot reveal who starts and who doesn’t start,” Sharma said. “Of course, he has been with the squad and has been an integral part of the squad. He has been working on his bowling, he has been working on his batting and the particular skillset he has. He has been trying to sharpen those skillsets as well.”It has been a good month-and-a-half that he has been with the team and has done pretty much everything he needed to do to get ready for this limited-overs series. It seems that the time has come for him to get ready and start doing what he does. He has worked hard on his bowling and hard on his batting in the last few weeks. I hope he is ready to do what the team expects him to.”There is a spotlight on Hardik Pandya and on whether he can take on his usual bowling workload•Getty Images

‘Challenge for me in Test cricket is how many balls I play, not how many runs I score’
Sharma has had a successful Test series in Australia and then against England at home, where the spin-friendly pitches made run-scoring difficult. Talking about his form in red-ball cricket, Sharma said he felt the challenge for him is to stay at the pitch for as long as possible, and the confidence he gained from scoring runs while curbing his natural instincts will help him in the shorter formats too.”The benefit [of the red-ball success] is when you have to keep aside your natural and then play, I feel you have already won a battle,” he said. “I feel whenever you have to go against your nature, and have to do those things you are not used to, that’s a small victory for you. If you keep doing such things again and again, it will only boost your confidence.”I feel in Australia and then in India especially, the way I batted, I really liked the way I batted, especially in the last Test. I made only 49 runs but I played 150 balls. So for me, personally, that was a big victory because I had to play against my natural game. They were bowling me well outside off and I felt like playing my shots but I curbed those instincts and batted. Like people say the batsman played a bad shot and got out, I didn’t play that bad shot. I batted with the required disciplined. Unfortunately, I got out on 49, but I was really happy with my effort.”Right now, the challenge for me in Test cricket is how many balls I play, not how many runs I score. The challenge for me is to play 100 balls, 150 balls, 200 balls, and even more. I think in terms of balls, runs will come automatically. The challenge for me is to play as many balls as possible. And that will be beneficial for me as well as the team.”

Nepal legspinner to make first appearance in Vitality Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2021Worcestershire have announced the signing of Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane as one of their overseas players for the Vitality Blast.Lamichhane, 20, first came to attention at the 2016 U19 World Cup and has been a regular on the global T20 circuit since becoming the first Nepali player to be signed for the IPL in 2018. He has taken 125 wickets in 96 T20 appearances, with an economy of 6.79.This will be his first stint in England, having also featured in the Big Bash, Pakistan Super League and Caribbean Premier League, among others.”Sandeep has played in many tournaments and gained a lot of experience in franchise cricket,” Worcestershire’s head coach, Alex Gidman, said. “He’s a legspinner, which is a bit of mystery spin we believe we need in our squad in terms of balance, so we are ecstatic with the signing.”We believe and trust that we have got an excellent squad of players ourselves, and it’s about adding to that squad, rather than getting players to replace players, and add to the balance of the team, which we think we’ve done well.”This is his first taste of playing in England, and I’m sure he will do well and have an enjoyable summer with us.”Worcestershire, Blast winners in 2019, have also recruited Australian left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis, with both overseas players set to be available throughout the tournament’s group stage.