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It remains unclear, however, whether the latter will contest after a bruising defeat two years ago

Tristan Lavalette20-Oct-2022The stage could be set for ICC chair Greg Barclay and his deputy Imran Khwaja to once again contest the leadership of the sport’s global governing body, but it remains unclear if the latter will make a run after a bruising defeat two years ago.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Khwaja, a veteran board director and long-time Associate chair, will be nominated for the chair election to be held during the ICC’s meetings next month in Melbourne. The ICC chair election will be held during the ICC’s meetings next month in Melbourne scheduled immediately after the semi-finals of the ongoing men’s T20 World Cup. It could not be confirmed whether any other candidates will enter the fray as the deadline for filing nominations closed on Thursday (1700 Dubai time).It is, however, unknown if Khwaja will accept the nomination after falling short against Barclay in the last election in late 2020. Then, acting ICC chair Khwaja had his support diminished during two rounds of voting as Barclay prevailed 11-5 after receiving influential support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. In the first round Barclay had secured 10 votes while Khwaja had half-a-dozen members on ICC Board voting in his favour. However, as per the election process at the time, a clear winner needed a two-thirds majority, which Barclay secured after Cricket South Africa voted for him in the second round.If Imran Khwaja contests the election, he will strive to be the first ICC chair from outside the Full Member nations•ICC via Getty

This time though the ICC has modified its constitution and stated that a simple majority will be enough during the chairman elections. As per the election procedure, the candidate has to be proposed by a member on the ICC Board and once the person decides to contest, a second board director needs to be support the nomination.The influence of the BCCI remains vital once again for both candidates. ESPNcricinfo has learned that while the BCCI has decided not to field its own candidate in the ICC chair elections, it is keeping its options open.In July, Barclay publicly expressed his desire to continue for a second term. “I am available for re-election if members want,” Barclay told mediapersons immediately after the ICC’s annual general meeting in Birmingham.Having retained popularity through the Associates while sitting on numerous ICC committees and helming the working group tasked with looking into the issue of women’s cricket in Afghanistan, Khwaja remains a prominent figure. It is understood the Singaporean’s backers believe he can still triumph without the all-powerful BCCI endorsement, having apparently strong support in Asia and Africa. But he would need nine votes to prevail. If he does put his hand up, Khwaja would be striving to be the first ICC chair from outside the Full Member nations.

Steven Finn could be fast-tracked straight into England’s Test team for next week’s Boxing Day Test at Durban, with the management expected to give him an opportunity to prove his match fitness in Sunday’s final warm-up game against South Africa A at Piet

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2015Steven Finn could be handed a chance to play his way straight back into England’s Test team for next week’s Boxing Day Test at Durban when Sunday’s final warm-up game against South Africa A gets underway in Pietermaritzburg.However, the England management’s eagerness to give him an opportunity to prove his match fitness may have to be weighed against the need to give their original squad bowlers enough overs going into the first Test, following the untimely thunderstorm that wiped out the final innings of their first practice match in Potchefstroom.England are expected to inquire about rescinding the second fixture’s first-class status and making it another 13-a-side affair. However, South Africa A have provided a strong opposition containing several international players, including Quinton de Kock and Dane Vilas, and there may be justifiable reluctance to agree to such a move.Finn, who was forced to pull out of England’s Test series in the UAE in October after suffering a bone-stress injury in his left foot, was drafted into the squad as a late addition last week after impressing for England Lions in two Twenty20 comeback appearances against Pakistan A in Dubai.The initial suggestion had been that Finn would not come into consideration for a place until the second Test at the earliest, which gets underway at Cape Town on January 2.However, the pace and hostility that he displayed in his two four-over outings in the UAE have been on display in the nets at Potchefstroom, where a final-day thunderstorm curtailed the opportunities for his two main rivals for a Test berth, Chris Woakes and Mark Footitt, to advance their claims during the opening warm-up match.Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach, said of Finn: “The understanding is that once he has made it here he is added to the squad and therefore if he proves in the next couple of days that he is ready, my understanding is that everybody is available for selection.”He has been excellent. He has obviously done a lot of work in the UAE and the guys over there who looked after him did a great job getting him up to speed.”He hasn’t played a game but given the facilities here he has done a lot of good stuff in the nets and put himself right in the frame.”With James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes – who has himself recovered from injury in the Pakistan series – all certain selections for Durban, their match readiness may have to be the main focus in the three-day fixture at City Oval. Anderson and Broad bowled 11 overs between them in the first match.However, Gibson said that Anderson in particular would not need much in the way of warming-up ahead of the first Test. “The stage he is at in his career you treat him slightly different to someone who’s just coming in,” he said. “He’s a very experienced senior pro and he knows exactly what he needs to get himself ready for a Test match nowadays.”Steven Finn could yet feature in the Boxing Day Test•Getty Images

The early front-runner for the third seamer’s berth was Footitt, the Surrey left-arm seamer who has forced his way into the squad at the age of 30 after collecting 158 Championship wickets in the space of two seasons for his former club, Derbyshire.His initial efforts in the opening tour match against a South Africa Invitational XI were a touch erratic, however, and Gibson suggested that his best chance of success would come if he finds a way to relax and believe in his ability.”There were obviously nerves and everything with it being his first bowl for England but he got a wicket and then settled down,” Gibson told reporters.”It’s his bowling for Derby over the last couple of years that has got him here and my message to him is to do exactly what he’s been doing for them. There’s no point him trying to be someone else when he gets here.”He’s impressed the selectors – that’s why he got picked – so the best thing he can do now is relax in this environment because that’s the way for him to produce his best.”Footitt’s 90mph pace and left-arm line would doubtless prove an asset in the Kingsmead Test, a venue that has traditionally favoured fast bowling. Like Finn, his full-throttle approach would provide a strong and contrasting back-up to the established new-ball pairing of Anderson and Broad, and would provide a hostile counterpoint to South Africa’s renowned pace attack, which looks set to be led once again by Dale Steyn, after he came through a fitness test on the groin injury that he sustained during the Test series in India.”The way he has taken wickets over the last couple of years should give him the confidence to believe he can do it here,” Gibson added of Footitt. “It’s a step up but the key thing for him is to find the balance of managing his nerves and being as relaxed as he can to do what he has been doing for the last two seasons.”He’s got good pace, he can swing it and he’s a wicket-taker. He is going to be an asset.”

Australia’s tour of Bangladesh appears increasingly in danger of being cancelled, with Cricket Australia’s security team on their way home following a series of meetings in Bangladesh

Brydon Coverdale29-Sep-20151:13

Bangladesh offers Australia extra security

Australia’s tour of Bangladesh appears increasingly in danger of being cancelled, with Cricket Australia’s security team on their way home to brief players and the board following a series of meetings in Bangladesh over the past two days.CA’s head of security Sean Carroll, team security manager Frank Dimasi and team manager Gavin Dovey have held meetings with Australian and Bangladeshi officials after the squad’s scheduled departure was postponed at the weekend. Their trip followed a new travel warning from Australia’s government that: “There is reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh.”Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had contacted CA directly on Friday to inform them of the updated travel advice. On Monday, the United Kingdom government also updated its travel advice for UK citizens to state that: “Militants may be targeting western interests in Bangladesh in late September; UK officials have been advised to limit attendance at events where westerners may gather.”News agencies have also reported that an Italian charity worker was shot dead in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone on Monday evening, and both and AFP reported that an online statement in the name of Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack.ESPNcricinfo understands the BCB was caught off guard by the departure of Dimasi and Dovey from Bangladesh on Tuesday – the Bangladesh board had expected the two officials to remain in the country until the Australian team arrived. Both CA and the BCB have, over the past two days, expressed their strong desire for the two-Test series to go ahead, though CA’s chief executive James Sutherland said on Sunday that the safety and security of their players and staff was “the absolute priority”.”There has been no change to our position on the matter,” a CA spokesman said on Tuesday. “Following yesterday’s meetings, our head of security, team manager and team security manager are on their way home from Bangladesh for further meetings with the Department of Foreign Affairs and to brief our board, management and players on the situation.”The BCB on Monday expressed its confidence that the series would go ahead as scheduled, and also named a squad for the first Test in Chittagong. The first Test is scheduled to start on October 9, with the second Test due to begin in Dhaka on October 17.

England coach calls on youngsters to seize their moment at Commonwealth Games

Valkerie Baynes18-Jul-2022As England pressed on with a revamp of their white-ball game, choosing a number of inexperienced players for the Commonwealth Games and leaving out Tammy Beaumont due to her low T20I strike rate, Lisa Keightley said: “it’s their time now”.England picked two uncapped teenagers, allrounder Alice Capsey and left-arm seamer Freya Kemp in a 15-player squad for the tournament starting on July 29 alongside 20-year-old quick Issy Wong, who made her international debut in last month’s Test against South Africa.They join the likes of Maia Bouchier, the middle-order batter who has played just three T20Is, allrounder Bryony Smith, who played the last of her four games for England in an ODI against West Indies two years ago, and seamer Freya Davies, who has been unable to break into the England side for the Test or ODI sections of their ongoing series with South Africa despite having 24 white-ball caps.Davies could get her chance against South Africa in the upcoming T20Is, with the Commonwealth Games squad also forming the T20 outfit for the final leg of the multi-format series, and legspinner Sarah Glenn returns for the first time since the rain-hit T20 leg of the Ashes series in January.Related

• Tammy Beaumont back in the top ten in ODI batting rankings

• Wong rides the emotions as England sense their chance

• One goal achieved, Dunkley moves swiftly onto the next

• Van Niekerk out of CWG, Luus SA captain

• Dunkley century powers England

England have already seen some benefits of changing up the ODI side which finished runners-up at the World Cup earlier this year. Wong took 3 for 36 in six overs on debut against South Africa last Friday and Sophia Dunkley, in just her second game since being promoted to No. 3, scored a century.”We’ve really looked at how we played the last two years and after the World Cup and had a look at the areas that we needed to improve in,” Keightley, England’s head coach, said. “We’ve had really good conversations and hopefully we’re picking the players that we think can go out and do that. It’s their time, I think… and the structure underneath, the regional structure, has given them confidence to come in and play at the next level.”Keightley said 17-year-old Capsey had progressed even further after enjoying a breakout season for Oval Invincibles in the inaugural season of the Hundred. She has since represented England A in Australia and most recently at home during South Africa’s warm-up matches. Her first senior call-up comes six months after Heather Knight, the England captain, warned against “over-egging” young players like Capsey.”We’ve had a lot of cricket between here and there,” Keightley said. “It’s always great to get on a bandwagon really early but I think she’s matured. Going over to Australia and seeing her travel and play probably a little bit under the radar, she’s been really clear on what we want her to do and how we want her to play and I just think her time is now.”She gives us a lot of options with the ball and she can float in a batting order and tends to be able to move quite freely with a good strike rate, so we’ve always had an eye on her. Sometimes the skipper doesn’t want to put too much pressure on a young kid too early and I think she’s done that really well.”Issy Wong took three wickets on her ODI debut•PA Photos/Getty Images

The younger brigade joins experienced hands like veteran seamer Katherine Brunt and Danni Wyatt, who will open the batting – possibly alongside Smith – in the absence of Beaumont, who was a surprise omission from the T20I squad.Beaumont is one of England’s leading ODI batters and was briefly top of the ICC’s player rankings in the format last year but has not been as prolific in T20Is. She made 97 off 65 balls against New Zealand last September but was used out-of-position in the middle order in the T20 World Cup in 2020, Keightley’s first tournament in charge, and has a career strike rate of 108.37 in the format.”Obviously Tammy’s an amazing player,” Keightley said. “She’s performed really well over a long period of time and I suppose the challenge is out to Tam to go away and work on things that we’ve been working on and show us why she should be in the squad. I’m sure she’ll bounce back and that’s what we want, really. We want pressure on and players getting better in every format.”In 50-over cricket you can’t match Tammy’s record. I think it speaks for itself. In T20, I think there’s still some room for growth and improvement there and now it’s up to her to go away and do it. The Hundred’s a fantastic opportunity to do that, and we’ll see what she can do.”Beaumont was a surprise omission from the Commonwealth Games squad•Getty Images

Dunkley’s move to No. 3 has proven successful early in the ODIs and Keightley suggested the middle order, which also includes Knight, could remain fluid depending on match situations and how players settle into their roles.”It’s been interesting how it’s evolved,” Keightley said of Dunkley’s promotion. “Performing not as well as we wanted up front and losing early wickets and being quite slow has made us think about, well, how can we improve that?”It’s quite clear how we want the openers to go out and bat in 50-over cricket and then we felt Sophia’s improving. She’s a clean striker. Usually if we lost a wicket or we’re going well her strike rate’s roughly going to be around the same.”She just gives us that punch-ability, I suppose, if we did lose a wicket, for her to go out and play her natural game and put hopefully the bowlers back under pressure.”Wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who in ODIs has played in every position from No. 1-7 since her debut in 2013 has batted predominantly at No. 5 since the end of 2019, reaching fifty only twice in that time. In T20Is she moved from opener to the middle order at the end of the World Cup in 2020 with limited success.”Amy would admit that she probably hasn’t finished games off for us and gone the way that we want probably consistently and we know Heather is cool and calm under pressure,” Keightley added. “If we’re in trouble, she can work with players around her to read the situation a little bit better than probably we have in the past, so I still think three, four and five could be flexible moving forward.”

Andy Flower to coach the team owned by Adani Sportsline in the new UAE T20 league

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2022Gulf Giants, the team owned by Adani Sportsline in UAE’s International League T20 (ILT20), confirmed on Wednesday that they have signed up Australian batter Chris Lynn in their list of 14 overseas players for the inaugural season in January 2023.Related

• Russell, Narine, Bairstow join Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

• Pollard, Boult, Bravo join MI Emirates

• Cricket Australia could block Lynn's ILT20 deal

It was reported earlier that Lynn was the only Australian named for the ILT20 but CA had said it had not received a NOC request from him to play in UAE’s league. Lynn, who has scored 6656 runs in 241 T20s at a strike rate of 143.38, does not have a BBL deal after he was let go by Brisbane Heat.Former Zimbabwe captain and World Cup-winning coach Andy Flower has been appointed head coach of the Giants. The team has also signed up Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, David Wiese, Ollie Pope, Liam Dawson and Qais Ahmed.