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Younis Khan became the first Pakistan batsman to make 10,000 Test runs, adding 131 with Babar Azam, before late strikes by Shannon Gabriel evened up the opening Test

The Report by Danyal Rasool23-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsYounis Khan and Babar Azam added 131 for the third wicket•AFP

It sometimes felt as if the sole purpose for playing this Test match was to provide Younis Khan a platform to score the 23 runs he has needed to become the first Pakistan cricketer to score 10,000 runs. If that was indeed the case, then the purpose had been served. Younis swept – of course he swept – to the fine-leg boundary to reach the milestone, and the wait was over.It happened two balls after the tea interval. Younis had, of course, left us all hanging at the break with his career runs tally reading 9999, and for perhaps 15 minutes, it was a figure almost as famous in cricket as 99.94. But then after two balls (although really after 70 years), it happened. The newest addition to the 10,000-run club took off his helmet and set off for the tiny cluster of Pakistan fans huddled together. He raised his bat, pointed at the Pakistan crest on his shirt and set to work on what he knew best: batting in Test match cricket.There was almost a palpable sense that a burden had been lifted, and Pakistan’s scoring rate picked up sharply after that. The West Indies pacemen had tired themselves out, and the spin bowlers – Devendra Bishoo excepted – were child’s play for the pair to handle. Having come through a cagey second session, Younis and Babar Azam tucked into Roston Chase and Kraigg Brathwaite, during a stand of 131 for the third wicket, a six into the second tier by Younis the shot of the day.Jason Holder was forced to return to the quicks once again, and called upon Shannon Gabriel to do something about a match that was slipping away from his side. The move paid off almost immediately. In just Gabriel’s second over back, Younis, who had perhaps relaxed a bit too much, failed to keep an attempted cover drive along the ground, spooning it straight to Brathwaite at short extra cover. It wasn’t before Younis had scored a valuable 58, though, putting his side in control of an innings that had been quivering at 54 for 2 when he came in.Gabriel wasn’t done, however, accounting for Babar in his next over, the young batsman playing on to his stumps after making a composed 72 off 201 deliveries as a seesawing Test began to even up again. The new batsmen, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq, simply shut up shop thereafter as the quicks continued to push for another wicket in fading light. But the pair, nothing if not defensively resolute, held on till the close of play, Misbah surviving a review off what turned out to be the last ball of the day, setting the game up for an intriguing last couple of days.The day had started with Mohammad Amir wrapping up the home side’s innings, which had stretched on interminably owing to a combination of uncooperative weather and a wagging tail. They came out nine wickets down, and Amir needed just nine deliveries to account for Gabriel. It was almost a replica of the ball that did for Alzarri Joseph yesterday, angling in to Gabriel from around the wicket to crash into the middle stump and giving Amir his career-best bowling figures of 6 for 44.Pakistan were dealt an early blow when Azhar Ali, indisputably their best batsmen of late, fell to a short wide delivery from Joseph that he will rue flashing at. It caught the edge and Shane Dowrich took a smart catch behind the wicket, but from Pakistan’s point of view it will have felt like a wicket gifted. Ahmed Shahzad struck some confident boundaries on his return to the Test side but fell soon after, as a Holder delivery nipped in late to strike him on the back leg, bringing Younis and Babar together.The pair hung around gamely in the face of a disciplined West Indian attack, ensuring they went in to tea having suffered no more setbacks. It took Younis 48 minutes and ten overs across two sessions to so much as get off the mark as the pace bowlers employed a consistent off-stump line and good length in otherwise unhelpful bowling conditions. Babar and Younis were equal to it, not about to throw their wickets away playing false shots, and consequently the session took on the feel of a stalemate. However, with Gabriel’s late intervention taking the advantage away from Pakistan, the crowning glory is still very much up for grabs.

The presence of like-for-like replacements is exactly what captain MS Dhoni desires but the inevitable upshot of such squad dynamics is that a few players are not going to play even a single game

Arun Venugopal in Kolkata09-Mar-20161:06

Harbhajan targeting hat-trick of World Cups

India finally find themselves in the possession of a luxury they have craved for some time now – a settled combination topped up by a bunch of all-rounders. The presence of like-for-like replacements in the squad is exactly what captain MS Dhoni desires as India head into the World T20. But the inevitable upshot of such squad dynamics is that a few players are not going to play even a single game in the tournament.In the Indian context it is hard to see how Ajinkya Rahane and Harbhajan Singh can force themselves into the first XI. For Rahane to get a look in, one of the openers – Shikhar Dhawan or Rohit Sharma – would either have to be injured or suffer a sudden form slump. The team’s batting order is so well grooved that it can’t accommodate him in the middle order.

Want to be like Kallis – Pandya

India allrounder Hardik Pandya has said he wants to play a role similar to the one former allrounder Jacques Kallis played for South Africa. The 22-year-old allrounder, who made his international debut against Australia earlier this year, said he wants to emulate Kallis’ impact.
“Big things start with the dream only. This was the dream. Yes, it’s fulfilling. I want to be like Jacques Kallis. What he has done for Proteas in batting and bowling. I want to do the same thing for India,” Pandya said during a media session in Kolkata.
Pandya, who first came to the fore as an allrounder for Mumbai Indians, said the Indian Premier League had changed his life.
“IPL has changed my life big time,” he said. “Same time last year, I had posted a photo saying that I was sold to Mumbai Indians for Rs 10 lakh. This year on same day, I won the Asia Cup. Just imagine playing for the national team within a year and winning the Asia Cup. The journey has been quite amazing.”
Pandya said he was eager to repay the faith India captain MS Dhoni had shown in his batting abilities. One such instance was the second T20I in the home series against Sri Lanka last month, when Pandya was promoted to No. 5, ahead of Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, and smacked a 12-ball 27.
“When you see your captain promoting you ahead of big names, [it] is really a good thing. It helps a lot. I quite like the faith he is showing. I want to contribute as many times as I can. I don’t take pressure [on myself],” he said.

Harbhajan, similarly, would find it hard to dislodge the team’s frontline spin options, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. He would have reason to feel hard done by given that his recent performances have been impressive; he picked up nine wickets from five games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali domestic T20 tournament. While India have played 11 T20Is since January, Harbhajan got his solitary opportunity against UAE in the Asia Cup where he returned figures of 4-1-11-1.Rahane, on the other hand, has had luckier circumstances: he got to play the entire Sri Lanka series with Virat Kohli being rested and turned out against Pakistan in the Asia Cup after Shikhar Dhawan was out with a niggle. However, he hasn’t really pushed his case with a tally of 51 runs from four games.What has helped India’s cause though is neither Harbhajan nor Rahane has appeared to harbour any feelings of negativity or frustration. Instead, both the players have sought to derive happiness from contributing to the team in some form, be it mentoring, sharing ideas or running drinks. Rahane insisted there was no need for him to feel disappointed.”For me, even if I am not in the XI, it’s important to be of some help to the team. I think kisi ko paani pilaana bhi bahut badi cheez hoti hai [even carrying drinks for someone is a very important thing],” Rahane said at a media interaction in Kolkata on Tuesday. “If you do anything from your mind, whether you are in the XI or not, if you are offering drinks or helping someone by being the 12th man it’s of some value to the country.”Getting the team combination right is the best priority. I am quite happy that the ones who have got opportunity have done well. It only gets difficult [to deal with being dropped] when you don’t prepare but if I prepare well and practice with purpose I am sure I will do well when I get the opportunity. “Harbhajan said he gained satisfaction from sharing his knowledge, and that a receptive bunch of team-mates made the process even better.”It’s important to share your knowledge. If you don’t, you haven’t done much in your life,” he said. “If my seniors have helped me to become the player I have become then it’s important to share my knowledge on what to do in different situations, not just on the field but off the field.”Guys like me understood many things late; I would get angry a lot but with time we all learn. So I share my knowledge even when I am not playing. If someone is looking to do something as a bowler help him out with things he wants to achieve in the net sessions. Luckily this team has those sort of guys who are good listeners. They believe in sharing thoughts.”A naturally introverted person like Rahane has found his voice in team-meetings. He attributed that to the enhanced confidence level gained from constantly working on his game.”Whoever is playing now I try to learn from them about their shot-selection in different conditions,” he said. “In Bangladesh, the ball was moving around quite a bit initially, and I was noticing how our openers and also the batsmen in the opposition were playing. Specifically how Rohit took some time initially but after 10 overs began opening out. It’s about how quickly you analyse a situation and adjust mentally that’s most important.”My wife told me many times that I need to talk a little more. My nature is such that, even during the days I used to practice karate, I was very shy. Sometimes you end up not saying things that are right and which ought to be said that also you don’t end up speaking. I think it’s important to speak for yourself. We all speak in team meetings and it is very important to speak your mind and if what you say helps the team it is important. Like you said my confidence has also improved and because of that you express your mind better.”Harbhajan said two things, faith and satisfaction, played a huge part in him keeping pace with youngsters. He even has the word ‘faith’ tattooed on his hand to reinforce the message.”I have done one and only thing – I have worked really hard on my fitness which has kept me going,” he said. “If I have to compete with a 25-year-old then I have to have the same sort of fitness. You need to have the will along with the skill. If the will is big enough you can achieve anything.”Playing for India satisfies me the most and playing anywhere gives me pleasure. This is a very important part of my life. Till the time I can play I must play, whether it is 40 or 45 or 50. I don’t know anything else other than playing. [The tattoo refers to] faith in God, faith in your ability, faith in everything you do. There is a reason behind your working hard.”

The selectors have rectified an error they had made in selecting the injured Saurabh Tiwary for the upcoming Challenger Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2013The selectors have rectified an error they had made in selecting the injured Saurabh Tiwary for the upcoming Challenger Trophy. Tiwary had undergone a shoulder operation about three weeks ago, and is not expected to take field for the next month or so. His Jharkhand team-mate, Ishank Jaggi, replaced him in the India Red squad.Interestingly, Jaggi had been involved in a somewhat similar fiasco in the past. Two years ago, after having been named to represent Rest of India in the Irani Cup, Jaggi was withdrawn on fitness ground. The Jharkhand Cricket Association took exception to that BCCI explanation, and reported that Jaggi had been fit and been part of the Jharkhand Ranji preparatory camp. K Srikkanth led the selection panel back then.This time, though, the selectors, led by Sandeep Patil, could be given some leeway. This year’s Challenger Trophy will be played during an extremely busy period for Indian fringe players. Four sets of Indian cricketers were ruled out of selection because of the clashing Champions League T20. Another A team was selected to represent India A against West Indies A, which, too, clashes with the Challenger Trophy. In all, the selectors picked five teams on September 10: India A for one-dayers, India A for the first four-day game, India A for the following two four-day games and two Challenger sides.

Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC chief executive, as a special advisor to help the board revamp its domestic cricket structure and improve the administration of cricket in the country

Tariq Engineer31-Jul-2012Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appointed Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC chief executive, as a special advisor to help the board revamp its domestic cricket structure and improve the administration of cricket in the country. Lorgat will work with SLC until October 31, 2012.”Mr Lorgat has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we are delighted that he has agreed to work with us to improve the governance and administration of our cricket,” Upali Dharmadasa, the SLC president, said in a statement. “As a board we are determined to tackle the challenges we face and to exploit the opportunities for the betterment of SLC. Mr Lorgat is a seasoned administrator and I am excited that with his expertise we can work towards building a strong and sustainable future for SLC.”Lorgat served as ICC chief executive for four years before stepping down at the end of June. He has also held several posts in South African cricket, including that of chairman of selectors, and was on the finance and organising committees for the 2003 World Cup.SLC have been through a turbulent last 15 months. They ran up debts of close to $70 million to finance the building of two international stadiums in Hambantota and Pallekele, and to renovate the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, for the 2011 World Cup. It was also forced to hold its first elections in seven years in January, 2012, to comply with ICC regulations.The team struggled on the field as well, after Kumar Sangakkara gave up the captaincy following the 2011 World Cup. Sri Lanka lost Test and ODI series against England, Australia and Pakistan, and had gone nearly 18 months without winning a Test until they beat South Africa in Durban in December, 2011.Their form has improved since Mahela Jayawardene replaced Tillakaratne Dilshan as captain after the South Africa series, but the new board feels the domestic structure in Sri Lanka needs to be strengthened in order to keep the country competitive at international level. SLC’s domestic game centres on the club system, with the best clubs traditionally located in Colombo. The board is currently planning on cutting the two-tiered club tournament down to one, and reducing the number of teams from 20 to 14.

Benny Howell blasted an explosive half-century as the Hampshire Royals demolished the Northamptonshire Steelbacks by 174 runs in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B match at Wantage Road

26-Jul-2011
ScorecardBenny Howell blasted an explosive half-century as the Hampshire Royals demolished the Northamptonshire Steelbacks by 174 runs in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B match at Wantage Road.Howell smashed an unbeaten 84 runs off just 54 balls, including six fours and three sixes as the Royals piled on 307 for six from their 40 overs. Liam Dawson weighed in with 70, while David Lucas took five for 48 – his first five-wicket haul in one-day cricket.The Steelbacks were woeful in response as they collapsed to 133 all out with Ben Howgego absent hurt as Chris Wood took three for 34 and only captain Andrew Hall’s 44 not out provided any resistance. The Royals won the toss and chose to bat and they started confidently before losing James Vince for 38 off 23 balls when he chipped Lucas straight to David Willey at extra cover.Lucas then accounted for Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams for 23 when he was caught by Willey at deep extra cover before he trapped Michael Carberry leg before wicket for a single. Former Zimbabwe international Sean Ervine bludgeoned 38 off 34 deliveries before launching James Middlebrook to Willey at long-off.Dawson reached 50 off 48 balls by smashing James Middlebrook for six over midwicket before he perished by top-edging Lucas to Evans at short third man.Dimitri Mascarenhas smashed 26 off just 16 balls before giving Lucas his five-for by launching him to substitute Rob Keogh at long-on. Howell then completed his half-century off 44 balls as the hosts conceded their highest total in a 40-over match.Chasing a mammoth 308, the Steelbacks lost Mal Loye in just the third ball of their reply when he was pinned lbw by David Griffiths before Rob White (six) swept Mascarenhas to Dawson at deep square leg.The hosts’ wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien walked on 22 as he mistimed his scoop shot off Wood and was easily caught by Ervine at backward point. Rob Newton (22) was next to fall when he chipped Wood to Vince at midwicket, before the same bowler bowled Middlebrook for a six-ball duck.Chaminda Vaas (one) continued the Steelbacks’ miserable procession when he was caught by Ervine at slip off Mascarenhas. Ervine was brought on in the 17th over and he forced both Willey (one) and Lucas (four) to edge to Royals wicketkeeper Michael Bates.With Howgego not fit enough to bat, the final nail in the coffin was hammered down when Luke Evans (18) launched Imran Tahir to Wood at long-on, sealing the hosts’ second-heaviest defeat in one-day cricket.

Jaidev Unadkat and Umesh Yadav, mainly as net bowlers, to Colombo came good in an undesired way as two frontline bowlers missed India’s first net session of the tour

Sidharth Monga11-Jul-2010The BCCI’s move to send over Jaidev Unadkat and Umesh Yadav, mainly as net bowlers, to Colombo came good in an undesired way as two frontline bowlers missed India’s first net session of the tour. Sreesanth was down with a knee discomfort and Harbhajan Singh with fever. Sreesanth has had an MRI done, and the board is likely to make an official communication on Monday. A first nets session without two main bowlers would have frustrated the visitors after a steady drizzle denied them practise on Saturday.The issues with Sreesanth and Harbhajan are coincidental, but that the board agreed to the team’s request for extra bowlers is worth credit. It is believed that the team management had asked the BCCI for a couple of promising young bowlers, who could solve India’s problem of lack of quality net bowlers on their away assignments. So Unadkat, playing in the India A tour of England, was asked to accompany Wriddhiman Saha and Abhimanyu Mithun, who are part of the Test squad.Although this is a hastily arranged tour, the BCCI had earlier acted prudently by getting the programme changed to include a three-day tour game, and making sure the team reached the country nine days before the first Test. The Indian team had come in for a lot of criticism for the absence of a warm-up game in their World Twenty20 schedule. They didn’t have a warm-up game on their previous Test tour, to New Zealand, either. Both these decisions could be pointing towards a pleasant change in the board’s attitude where it listens to the needs of the team management.The choice of the bowlers is interesting. The 18-year-old Unadkat, who was one of India’s better performers in the Under-19 World Cup, first caught attention when Wasim Akram, his coach at Kolkata Knight Riders, had nice things to say about him. Yadav has taken the more conventional route to the reckoning, through two solid reasons with Vidarbha. He made his ODI debut during the second-string Indian side’s tour of Zimbabwe.Neither of these bowlers have had chances to bowl at Test batsmen: Unadkat is yet to make Ranji debut, and Yadav plays in the Ranji Plate League. “It was the board’s decision to send them here so that they get exposure bowling to Test batsmen, and also our batsmen get proper practice,” Ranjib Biswal, India’s manager on tour, told Cricinfo.

Unbeaten half-century from Harry Came sees hosts take charge in pursuit of rare home win

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2024Zak Chappell lifted Derbyshire’s hopes of securing an elusive County Championship victory at Derby by demolishing Glamorgan on the opening day of the Division Two match.The fast bowler took 6 for 47, his best figures for the county, as the visitors were bowled out for 168 with Timm van der Gugten top scoring with an unbeaten 46.Glamorgan were 32 for 6 before Dan Douthwaite and van der Gugten led a mini recovery but Derbyshire closed on 119 for 2 with Harry Came not out 58. It leaves them in a strong position to push for a first Championship victory at the County Ground since they beat Sussex in August 2019.On a morning more in keeping with October, Derbyshire’s decision to bowl first on a grassy pitch paid immediate dividends with three wickets falling in the first five overs.In blustery conditions, Glamorgan’s top order had no answer to Chappell’s relentless accuracy and Luis Reece’s swing as they slumped to 9 for 3. Ben Kellaway’s promotion to opener was short-lived and he followed a pair on his first-class debut last September by edging a ball from Chappell that moved away late to register another duck in his third red-ball innings.In fairness, his more experienced team-mates fared little better with Billy Root bowled by a Reece delivery that kept low before Sam Northeast pushed forward to Chappell and was caught at second slip.Kiran Carlson played across one from Chappell that appeared to be going down before Reece got some late swing to have Colin Ingram caught behind. When Chris Cooke was caught behind down the leg side off one of the few bad balls Chappell bowled, Glamorgan were in disarray and grateful for the rain which resulted in an early lunch.Chappell, who passed 50 wickets in all formats for the season, left the field with outstanding figures of 4 for 9 from 6.4 overs but after the resumption they were dented when Douthwaite hit him for three fours in an over.With van der Gutgen playing solidly, the pair added 55 from 97 balls in relative comfort before Pat Brown removed Douthwaite with a snorter that nipped away late to take off stump.Chappell celebrated his fifth wicket when Mason Crane fenced at one to give Brooke Guest his fourth catch but Fraser Sheat on his debut looked capable until he top edged a pull to midwicket.Ned Leonard marked the first match of his loan spell from Somerset by helping van der Gugten take Glamorgan past 150 and drove Jack Morley’s second ball for six before he tried again next ball and holed out to long-on.Van der Gugten matched Chappell’s discipline with a probing spell but Sheat and Leonard could not exert the same pressure. Reece and Came shared an unbroken treble-century stand against Glamorgan last season but this time they managed only 21 before Reece was defeated by a full-length ball from van der Gugten.Guest played a loose stroke, clipping Leonard to midwicket with the score on 41, and Came should have gone on 28 but Ingram at first slip dropped an edge of Leonard.Came took advantage, seizing on any width to reach an 84-ball fifty which contained 10 fours, and with Wayne Madsen motoring to an unbeaten 41, they added 78 before bad light ended play.

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

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

He takes over from Lance Klusener, who decided to step away from the role on mutual agreement in September 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2022Stuart Law has been named interim head coach of Afghanistan men’s team for the upcoming limited-overs series against Bangladesh. The former Australia batter takes over from Lance Klusener, who decided to step away from the role on mutual agreement in September 2021.According to an official release, the ACB has launched the recruitment process for hiring a new permanent head coach.Law, who played a solitary Test in 1995, had a more productive ODI career for Australia, featuring in 54 games from 1994 to 1999, making 1237 runs. He was also a prolific batter in Australian domestic cricket and is the third all-time highest run-getter for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.He took to coaching roles at different levels following his retirement, starting with being appointed as Sri Lanka interim coach before the 2011 World Cup. He was appointed as the head coach of Bangladesh in 2011-2012 and he led the side to their first Asia Cup final.After a few stints with various domestic and Under-19 sides, he took charge as West Indies’ head coach on a two-year contract in 2017. He also served as a consultant with the Australian team in 2016. His most recent permanent role was with Middlesex in the UK, and he has recently coached Bangla Tigers and Dambulla Giants in the Abu Dhabi T10 and Lanka Premier League respectively.Law has already linked up with the Afghanistan side, who are currently undergoing a preparation and conditioning camp in Bangladesh ahead of start of the ODI series on February 23. The second and third ODIs are set to be played on February 25 and 28, while the two T20Is are scheduled for March 3 and 5.Afghanistan have made a number of changes to both their squads for the tour. Senior players Mohammad Shahzad, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan and Hashmatullah Shahidi have been dropped from the T20I squad, while the likes of Sharafuddin Ashraf and Usman Ghani have been removed from the ODI squad.

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.