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Wicketkeeper hopes new-look England get distracted as they build towards 2025-26 campaign

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Jul-2024Joshua Da Silva says he is not irked by England already setting their sights on the 2025-26 Ashes – but is more than happy to accept their generosity if such future planning allows West Indies back into the series.A dominant innings and 114-run win at Lord’s gives England a 1-0 lead in this three-match series heading into the second Test at Trent Bridge which begins on Thursday. The first Test was also James Anderson’s retirement party, coinciding with the start of a new era as Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith excelled on debut, with the former marking the changing of the guard with match figures of 12 for 106.Anderson’s removal from the team, and into a bowling coach role he fulfilled for the first time on Tuesday in Nottingham, was done with a view to regaining the urn in Australia in two winter’s time. The move has been criticised in some quarters, not least for drawing focus away from West Indies.Da Silva, however, does not see the move as a slight and understands England’s motivation to prepare for Australia in advance. Especially if it means underestimating their current opponents.”That’s their biggest fixture of their calendar,” Da Silva said. “So if they’re looking forward, they’re looking to groom some players to make sure they have their team ready for them. I don’t think it’s wrong of them at all.”Nah, it doesn’t hurt us. I don’t study it especially. We still have to play the cricket. If they take us for granted we might get a win, or might win the series. For me, I take that as a favour.”Last week’s dispiriting defeat was followed by an honest discussion among the touring party. The batting efforts of 121 and 136 were the main point of conversation. Although leeway was given for the lack of experience in English conditions, the onus was put on individuals failing to hit their marks.Gudakesh Motie was West Indies’ top-scorer in the match with 31 down at No.9 in the second innings, among a handful of other starts and single-digit scores. On day one they collapsed from a solid 88 for 3 to 121 all out, before they were reduced to 55 for 5 in their second innings the following afternoon.James Anderson dismissed Joshua da Silva for his 704th and final Test wicket•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Da Silva, who pocketed a two-ball duck and nine in his two innings, is optimistic that amends can be made at Trent Bridge.”Obviously in the batting a few of us didn’t stick our hands up,” Da Silva said. “We had a few soft dismissals.”We are pretty disappointed after the first Test. We have put that behind us, we’ve had our discussions, and we are looking forward to the second Test. We are doing everything we can, rebuilding, and going hard forward into the next Test.”It might not look like it, but we’ve taken a few positives. A lot of guys got starts and just didn’t carry on. We talked about soaking up more pressure and how we are going to deal with those situations if we are put in them again. Not losing wickets in clusters.”It’s about reminding ourselves of the process and trusting that process because all of us have a different way of going about it. It’s just about trusting our own game and making sure we get the job done.”West Indies trained on Tuesday morning, pushing through the rain that arrived at the end of their session in the outdoor nets. Shamar Joseph, who suffered from stiffness in his left hamstring during the first Test, was able to bowl despite doubts as to whether he would be able to continue in the XI for the second Test. He could yet be replaced the uncapped Jeremiah Louis, whose brother Mikyle made his debut at Lord’s.”He should be good, yeah,” Da Silva said, on Shamar. “I am not part of the medical team so I can’t really comment. But he bowled a couple in training so I’m sure he will be alright.”Da Silva also insists Anderson’s farewell was not a distraction for the visitors, barring the odd bit of ceremony: “It was the first time I had to walk out, every morning of a Test match, in a line.”The wicketkeeper batter became Anderson’s 704th and final Test victim on Sunday, the veteran signing off with a trademark pearler to take the right-hander’s edge through to Jamie Smith.”I tried my hardest not to be one of those wickets but unfortunately I got a good Jimmy seed,” Da Silva said. “I told him after the game I was trying really hard, and he had a good laugh. What a legend he is, and I’m happy I don’t to have to see him again.”For da Silva, the next few days are as much about improving his own output as helping those around him. With 27 caps, he is the fourth most experienced member of the squad, and he is the only one of three players – along with Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder – to score a century against England.Related

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That came in March 2022, a match-winning effort to secure a 1-0 series win that, ultimately, set England on their way to a new Test captain and coach in Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. It remains da Silva’s only century in the format, though he still sees his experience as something for less seasoned teammates to lean on.”Oddly enough, yes and no,” Da Silva said when asked if he feels like a senior man in the dressing-room. “I’m in the front row of the team picture now so that says a lot!”I like to think that I’ve played enough, have a bit of experience. I don’t know everything and am far from knowing everything about Test cricket so I’m still learning off Kraigg, Jason and Alzarri especially. I hope to see that some of the boys can ask me some questions and just look up to the games that I’ve played.”Da Silva also echoed head coach Andre Coley in calling for a repeat of the resilience the team displayed against Australia at the start of the year when they squared a two-match series at the Gabba after a similarly dismal loss in Adelaide.”It’s something we can look at. It happened the same that time in Australia. We came back and we won the Test. If we can replicate that, all of us will be really happy. It’s not going to be easy again.”

We give marks out of ten for West Indies’ 2-1 series loss which saw England reclaim the Wisden Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Jul-20207Jermaine Blackwood (211 runs at 35.16)

The most improved player for West Indies. Blackwood was the only one who came closest to raising his bat to mark a Test century, missing the landmark by five runs having set up the victory in Southampton. Naturally aggressive, Blackwood learned on the job to not get excited having engaged erroneously with Ben Stokes and losing his head on the penultimate afternoon in the second Test. Finished the tour as Windies’ top run-scorer.Roston Chase (10 wickets at 34.00, 157 runs at 28.16)

Player of the Series mainly for his bowling, but in the Southampton victory, Chase played a significant hand with the bat, providing semblance to the middle order when England were threatening to regain control. Got a five-for in the second Test. His aim was to score a Test century in England, but he was exposed playing back to deliveries coming in. Finished the series caught napping and was run-out.Shannon Gabriel (11 wickets at 32.27, 4 runs at 2.00)

Took the first wicket of the series, ended up being one of most persevering bowlers and the third-highest wicket-taker behind Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes. Started the series stiff, having not played since last September. Remained stiff due the endless workload through the series. Bowled with pain but never showed it as he hit the bat hard and created opportunities.6Kemar Roach (8 wickets at 36.50, 15 runs at 5.00)

Bowled the most overs in the series (116.4). Had the most maidens (31). Was the second most economical bowler behind James Anderson. Yet Roach was not as lucky as others finishing with just eight wickets. He went wicketless in the first Test, but he returned proud to the bowling mark, never allowing the batsman the upper hand. Set an example with endless toil.5Jason Holder (10 wickets at 30.10; 114 runs at 22.80)

It was the West Indies captain who broke England’s back in the first innings with five-for. He swapped the best allrounder position on the ICC rankings with Stokes through the series, Holder failed to play the decisive hand that Stokes managed with the bat. It would hurt the Barbadian’s pride to return home without a Test century. His leadership, too, was under scrutiny especially after he twice inserted England to bat in overcast conditions at Old Trafford.Jermaine Blackwood drives through the covers•Getty Images

4Kraigg Brathwaite (176 runs at 29.33)

Finished the series as a pub quiz question – the batsman who was the 500th Test wicket for Broad and Anderson. Before the series Brathwaite had worked on his technique with former Windies batting great Desmond Haynes. The counselling worked, it seemed, as Brathwaite scored twin half-centuries, both in the first innings of the first two Tests, playing the new ball late. However, the Windes vice-captain failed to cash in on his starts and continued with his string of second-innings failures while struggling with a fraught technique.Shamarh Brooks (195 runs at 32.50)

The most watchable Windies batsman in this series. With an upright, side-on stance Brooks showed composure, timing, placement and good wrist work while making quick starts. However, the promise never lasted long as Brooks struggled to bat for longer or, as in the final Test, played a ball he could have left.3Shane Dowrich (126 runs at 21.00; 7 catches)

Will be remembered for getting hit on the mouth after failing to collect a fast ball from Gabriel in the final Test. It only put under scrutiny his glovework to both types of bowling. Also got exposed with the bat by jumping against the short delivery, which became a weakness as the series progressed.2John Campbell (84 runs at 16.80)

The only left-hand batsman for the visitors, Campbell had his toe bruised by Jofra Arher in the second innings of the first Test. He would return to hit the winning runs, but otherwise Campbell remained a walking wicket despite showing a much more positive attitude in the final innings of the third Test.Alzarri Joseph (59 runs at 19.66; 3 wickets at 60.66)

West Indies head coach predicted Joseph would the difference this series. Joseph got three wickets playing the first two Tests. He has the pace, but he struggled for control and rhythm. According former Windies fast bowler Andy Roberts, Joseph needs to use his body more than his shoulder.Rahkeem Cornwall (12 runs at 6.00)

Replaced Joseph in the final Test as the fast bowler had a sore elbow. Recognised for his bounce, Cornwall started well, but fell silent as England attacked him. Cornwall aims to become a specialist batsman, but his head keeps falling away and he loses balance quickly.1Shai Hope (105 runs at 17.50)

In a chat with Sachin Tendulkar before the series, Brian Lara folded his hands to pray Hope’s talent would flourish during the England series. Hope had not scored a single century since his record twin tons at Leeds in 2017. Hope and everyone in the Windies camp assured the issue was not technical and more mental. Hope finished the series with a highest individual score of 31, amassing just 105 runs in six innings. On the 2017 England tour Hope’s average was 75. This time it was 17. Lara shouldn’t have wasted his time.

They absorbed all the pressure from the spinners and finished off the game in calculated manner

Sidharth Monga06-Nov-20202:33

Gautam Gambhir: RCB didn’t deserve to qualify for the playoffs

Two Test captains saw a jittery Sunrisers Hyderabad chase of 132 through, and their shirts and hair had sweat to show for it. Brought into the side after they failed to chase 127 against the Kings XI Punjab, Kane Williamson and Jason Holder absorbed all the pressure from the spinners on a turning pitch, saw the asking rate of eight when they came together nudge 10, but finished off the game in calculated manner with two balls to go. This was the Sunrisers’ fourth straight win in a must-win game, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s fifth straight loss after an excellent start to their season. The Sunrisers set up a virtual semi-final with the Delhi Capitals for the right to play the Mumbai Indians in the final.Having recovered successfully from the injuries during the season to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mitchell Marsh and Vijay Shankar, the Sunrisers were now missing the man significantly responsible for their comeback, Wriddhiman Saha. The Royal Challengers had to contend with their talisman Chris Morris’ absence, out with a quad injury. They made wholesale changes, punting on two legspinners and also getting Moeen Ali and Aaron Finch in.On a pitch that offered both seam and spin, the bowlers from both sides were on top of their games. Eventually, only AB de Villiers and Williamson rose above the conditions, and they had to score their runs without taking risks because they didn’t have batting cover behind them.If Sandeep doesn’t get you, Jason willSandeep Sharma came into the match with nine wickets in the powerplay this IPL, and Jason Holder none. Opening for the first time this IPL – perhaps he wanted to try it sooner but his side couldn’t seal the playoff spot befire their last match – Virat Kohli was watchful in the first over, keen not to fall to Sharma an eighth time. Holder, though, got a glove from him down the leg side with his extra bounce. He then cramped up Devdutt Padikkal on the pull, making it a third Padikkal dismissal to a short ball this IPL. Padikkal has scored just 46 off 50 such balls.AB plays himself in, others play themselves outIn as early as the fourth over, de Villiers had no choice but to eschew any risk. He would go 20 balls before hitting his first boundary and reaching a run a ball. It was imperative that Finch take the pressure off, but life at the pitch was a struggle for him. He struggled to adjust to the pace of the surface, and was stifled by the accuracy of the Sunrisers bowlers. The first 10 overs featured just four boundaries, the joint-fewest in the tournament, all off the bat of Finch.Just as he looked like he might be turning a corner with a big six off Rashid Khan, Finch holed out to deep cover with Shahbaz Nadeem defeating him with a wide one as he backed away early. Ali walked out with a red carpet of a free hit rolled out for him, but he patted it to extra cover and ran himself out thanks to a Khan direct hit. The Royal Challengers were 62 for 4 in 10.4 overs.AB masterclass loomsBetween the Sunrisers and a facile chase stood the genius of de Villiers. Having scored 20 off 22 so far, with one edged boundary, de Villiers was just entering the genius phase of the innings. Without taking risks – he couldn’t afford to – de Villiers still managed to score 36 off the next 21 balls he faced. However, the Sunrisers were excellent against the others – Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar – bowling 19 balls to them without a boundary. The Royal Challengers were 111 for 5 in 17 overs.AB de Villiers – feeling the weight of single-handedly carrying RCB?•BCCI

The Natarajan masterclassThere was still time for de Villiers to do damage. Teams know he can still win matches even from here, especially when he is 40-plus balls into an innings. T Natarajan then had an unenviable task to bowl overs 18 and 20. He has had an unenviable task all season, bowling the really difficult overs for his side. He came into the playoffs with 14 wickets to his name, 10 in the death overs. In the 18th he made it 12. Sundar was regulation, timing a chip too well and getting caught at deep cover.The next one was one for the ages. A cross-seam yorker, dipping and beating the master and ripping the middle stump out of the ground. This just brought the total crashing down with just 20 runs coming off the last three.Warner is sent offMohammed Siraj removed Saha’s replacement, Shreevats Goswami, in the first over, but David Warner and Manish Pandey staged a recovery after playing themselves in against the seaming ball. Pandey broke free first, and in the final powerplay over, Warner, too, cut Siraj for two boundaries. Then he survived an appeal for caught behind. Or so he thought. The Royal Challengers took the matter upstairs. Replays showed this delivery pass the bat and pad at the same time, and there was a spike on UltraEdge. In a decision bound to cause controversy, the third umpire felt it was conclusive enough for him to overturn the on-field call. The Sunrisers 43 for 2 in 5.4 overs.The spin choke is onThat Warner wicket was huge not only because of Sunrisers’ middle-overs troubles, but because of the Royal Challengers’ attack composition. Warner feasts on legspin: he averages 61 and goes at 9.1 an over against legspin. Now they could unleash both their legspinners at right-hand batsmen. Pandey soon fell to the pressure created. Fourteen bowls of legspin for seven runs later, he played an ambitious late-cut and toe-ended to de Villiers. Priyam Garg faced 14 balls of legspin for seven runs himself. Then tried to drive over cover but holed out to the boundary rider. Six overs, 20 runs, two wickets.Test captains come togetherWith 64 required off the last eight overs, came together Williamson and Holder, two of the calmest players in international cricket, two players used to carrying their sides with them. They kept picking the singles, not worrying about the rising asking rate. Kohli had to eventually take the legspinners off. With 59 required off 38, Williamson tried to hit his first boundary, slog-sweeping Sundar as he overpitched. That took him to 19 off 25.Back came the legspinners. Back came the boundary drought. Back it went to 41 off 25. Out came the slog sweep again as Chahal overpitched this time. Williamson reached a run-a-ball 32 with this. Now Kohli had to go to pace. The dew began to play its part too. Navdeep Saini and Siraj took the high-risk route of bowling yorkers with both third man and fine leg up. While it provided them cover down the ground, a deft batsman such as Williamson kept finding the boundaries and twos behind square to never let the asking rate go past nine. And Holder then killed it off with two fours in the last over. The 65-run partnership comprised just two sixes and five fours.

England quick proud of role in fightback, and primed for possible role with the bat

Andrew Miller04-Jun-2022Stuart Broad says that England will carry their new-found positive approach into the clutch moments of their 277-run chase, after Joe Root’s unbeaten 77 and a streaky but vital half-century for Ben Stokes had taken the fight to New Zealand on an absorbing third day of the first LV= Insurance Test at Lord’s.Broad himself instigated a key momentum shift in the morning session, as New Zealand’s final six wickets fell for 49 runs in 12.3 overs. The first three of those came in a row in his third over of the day, including the run-out of Colin de Grandhomme, as England battled back from a chastening second afternoon to restrict New Zealand to 285.And as Root and Ben Foakes put together an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 57 to reduce England’s final-day requirement to a further 61 with five wickets standing, Broad acknowledged that his work in this match could yet be far from done.”It’s been a really enjoyable Test match, really exciting and hard to know what is going to happen from hour to hour,” he said. “It’s great to be coming [back] knowing either team could win.”In Test cricket you’re constantly saying ‘it’s a big hour’, and I feel like we’ve said that every single hour here. The hour with Rooty and Foakesy before the new ball is going to be crucial to try and get the runs down as low as we can.”There’s been times we’ve had to soak up pressure, but we’ve got to have a really positive mindset leading up to the new ball. The way Rooty and Stokesy played after a bit of luck with the no-ball showed the way this team want to go about it.”After a relatively quiet performance with the ball in the first two days, Broad’s ebullient display was typical of the game-changing displays that he has made his calling card down the years, and after Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell had turned the tide of the game with a 195-run fifth-wicket stand, he admitted that it had come at a critical moment for the team.”It was huge,” he said. “We were a bit disappointed yesterday afternoon…they played really well for their runs. We knew we had to strike with the new ball because the Test match was riding on it. If New Zealand get 340-350 it’s a different game. I really enjoyed the feeling of getting the crowd going, lifting the energy in the stadium. The crowd responded brilliantly and so did the players.”In his 153rd Test, Broad has seen most situations that the game can serve up, and with Covid restrictions now lifted, he said he was looking forward to taking his mind off the game – and his probable role with the bat – by enjoying a night out for his fiancée’s birthday.Related

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“Gone are the days of 20 beers to relax yourself. That was my dad’s [former England opener, Chris] trick. I think it’s important for all of us to take our mind off the game tonight.”It’s actually Molly’s birthday today. Happy birthday Molly. So we’re going out for dinner with a couple of her friends which will be great, and I’ll next think about [the match] when I arrive at the ground tomorrow and practice specifics in the nets.”There’s no point just having throwdowns, with me not focusing on how I want to play in the middle,” he added. “Obviously my situation might change depending if I’m in in the first ball or the 10-15th over, or whatever, but it’s runs we need. There’s no point blocking and waiting for a draw. It’s runs we need.”Whatever transpires, however, Broad knows that England have achieved one of their primary aims of this game already, by setting out to entertain.”A win would be great, it would cap off a fantastic Test match,” he said. “But there’s no-one who’s come to watch this game over the last three days who would leave disappointed, I don’t think.”It’s had a bit of everything. It’s up to us as a group of players to do everything we can to get over the line, and it would be very special, but if it doesn’t work that way we step up to the plate in Nottingham.”But I’ve got a really good feeling about tomorrow. Joe Root is one of the calmest, England’s best ever batsmen, and Foakesy I thought settled really nicely, and then it’s going to be up to the lower order to chase these runs, so it’s set up to be a brilliant morning.”

There was confusion in the Renegades’ innings when a no-ball was called against Hurricanes’ Jordan for an incorrect field

AAP23-Dec-2023
Matthew Wade blasted 82 as the Hobart Hurricanes overcame the Melbourne Renegades and some fielding-restriction drama to notch a breakthrough Big Bash win.After missing a game with back spasms, Wade’s 50-ball knock on Saturday night at Blundstone Arena got his side past Renegades’ 183 for 5 with an over to spare and six wickets in the sheds. Wade shared a 140-run partnership with Mac Wright, a late inclusion for Ben McDermott who copped a blow at training.Wright played a support role early but finished with five sixes and five fours in his 36-ball 63.He faced all 12 balls of the power surge, which went for 39 runs, before being caught trying to clear the fence in the 13th over. Wade, who muscled nine fours and three sixes, was caught in the deep in the 17th over but by then the damage had been done. The Hurricanes are 1-2 from three games, while the Renegades are without a win from four matches.There was confusion late in the Renegades’ innings when a no-ball was called against Hurricanes’ quick Chris Jordan in the final over for an incorrect field.Under competition rules, teams are limited to four fielders outside the circle if they don’t bowl their overs in the allotted time.Hurricanes’ Tim David told he was under the impression the team had not gone over time.”I dare say if we were told we needed an extra fielder in, we wouldn’t have bowled (with that field),” he said via the on-field mic. “We were told the previous over the time on the scoreboard was wrong and we had until 8.45 (pm).”The scoreboard said 8.43 and we bowled it, and it was a no-ball. Got to respect the umpire’s decision.”Renegades allrounder Will Sutherland hit the ensuing free-hit for a boundary.Earlier, imports Quinton de Kock (38 from 22) and Joe Clarke (38 from 25) got the Renegades off to a quick start after they were sent in to bat.De Kock was in the groove inside the powerplay, hitting 21 runs including two sixes off speedster Riley Meredith’s second over.
Melbourne were flying at 78 for 0 in the eighth over, before losing three wickets in four deliveries.Hurricanes spinner Paddy Dooley (2-32) got rid of de Kock and danger man Jake Fraser-McGurk for a first-ball duck in consecutive balls.Nathan Ellis then clean bowled Clarke off the first ball of the next over.Jono Wells (40 not out from 24) and Aaron Finch (31 from 28) steadied before swinging freely late. Finch didn’t field for the Renegades because of back soreness.

Head coach says it would be ‘slightly mad’ if duo are left on sidelines during Championship season

Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Feb-2024England head coach Brendon McCullum says it would be “slightly mad” if Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir are unable to build on a breakthrough tour of India in county cricket, and has suggested clubs should produce pitches to assist in the development of spinners across the country.Hartley and Bashir have been two plus points in a series in which England competed well but still lost after India took an unassailable 3-1 lead on Monday, with victory in the fourth Test at Ranchi. Having arrived with minimal first-class experience, the left-arm spinner and off-spinner respectively have acquitted themselves brilliantly throughout, against opposition batters proficient at playing the turning ball.Hartley has played all four Tests and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series (20), having taken just 19 in the entirety of Lancashire’s Division One campaign last summer. Bashir, who only made his first-class debut in 2023 and arrived with 10 dismissals at an average of 67 for Somerset, has more than doubled his red-ball tally with 12 Test wickets. Both picked up five-wicket hauls on this trip.Related

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Their selections were made to meet England’s specific requirements for success in India: tall spinners driving the ball into the pitch, aping the likes of R Ashwin and Axar Patel, who have had so much success in home conditions. After impressing with the Lions under men’s performance director Mo Bobat – who left the ECB last week to take up a post at Royal Challengers Bangalore – Hartley and Bashir were essentially fast-tracked into the England set-up, where they have since thrived.The concern, however, is the pair may be stunted by a lack of playing time when they return to their counties, which England want to avoid given they are building towards a tour of Pakistan in October.Lancashire, for instance, have signed Nathan Lyon for the season, the Australian veteran spinner who claimed his 500th Test wicket at Perth in December. Speaking after bowling England to victory in the first Test with 7 for 62, Hartley reflected it would be “fantastic” if they were able to play together but acknowledged Lyon would be the main man in the XI.Bashir, meanwhile, has England team-mate Jack Leach to contend with at Somerset. Leach, who is having surgery on Thursday to ease the swelling in the damaged left knee that ruled him out of the India series after just one Test, will need Championship games to work himself back to full fitness for the home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. Though Taunton pitches occasionally favour a multi-spinner approach, Bashir was the only one in the XI for his three appearances at home last summer. Leach presented Bashir with his maiden cap for the second Test in Visakhapatnam.Bashir’s eight wickets in Ranchi gave England hope of squaring the series•AFP via Getty Images

“It will be a slight frustration of ours if they weren’t given opportunities at county level,” McCullum said. “There’s a very real possibility that might be the case, but without wanting to dictate to counties because they have their own agendas as well, when you see performances like we have out of those two bowlers throughout the series, I think you’d be slightly mad if you didn’t give them more opportunities in county cricket.”It would be nice to think they’d get plenty of opportunities so that they can improve at a quicker rate. Whether those opportunities are with counties or with England, I think we’ve just got to keep trying to get cricket into them. Whatever opportunity we can, we’ll try and give it to them because there’s two guys there more than good enough for international cricket. They’re also tough characters.”What you can’t tell from the outside of a man’s body is the size of their heart – and we’ve seen both of them have big hearts and they’re up for international cricket. It doesn’t get any harder than it is right now, and they’ve both stood up and performed, so we’ve just to keep giving both of them chances.”It was a sentiment echoed by the captain Ben Stokes in the immediate aftermath of England’s five-wicket defeat in the fourth Test, but acknowledged it was “very tough” to force counties to adhere to specific needs. McCullum suggested a workaround of sorts could be if teams produced surfaces that encourage turn more, a move that he believes would enhance the craft and provide more entertainment.Hartley’s seven-wicket haul in Hyderabad secured a famous England win•BCCI

“As much as England’s about playing on good wickets and having the ball move off the seam, it should also be about playing on spinning wickets too,” he said. “If we lived in a world where we could have both Bash and Leachy able to operate in spinning conditions at Somerset, and Hartley and Lyon could bowl together at Lancashire, I think that would be a great viewing point for spectators.”Hartley and Bashir are the latest examples of an England set-up not beholden to domestic form and numbers. Zak Crawley, for instance, was selected initially in 2019, despite scoring just three first-class centuries in 36 matches for Kent, before McCullum and Stokes backed him during a tough start under their tenure. Having top-scored in the Ashes, he is now leading England’s run charts in India with 328 at an average of 41.Despite looking beyond the numbers, McCullum insisted England’s selection policies are not dismissive of county form. Indeed the scale and variety within English cricket has allowed them to be more precise with their picks.”We certainly don’t pick in spite of county cricket, if that’s what you mean. We look at what we need skill-wise and we try and adjust it to what we think we’re going to require, and be brave enough to make decisions around it. We’re not going to get every decision right.”From our point of view there’s a big team out looking around county cricket, and the guys who we think play in the way we want to play as a cricket team, and who fit the environment as well. And there’s a lot of eyes on those guys throughout. So it’s not certainly in spite of it. County cricket is a good system, it’s got a lot of cricketers opportunities, it’s got a volume of cricket as well and different conditions.”Some guys who have got great county numbers might not find themselves necessarily in the England team. And some guys who don’t will find themselves in, but that’s not a reflection of that [county cricket]. It’s just about the skill set we want.”

There was no place for Jaker Ali who was in the squad for the Ireland series in March

Mohammad Isam18-Jun-2023Bangladesh have brought back Afif Hossain and Ebadot Hossain into their T20I squad for the two-match series against Afghanistan. There was no place for wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali who was in the squad for the Ireland series in March.Afif, who was also named in the ODI squad for the series against Afghanistan, last played T20Is against England in March. In 62 T20Is, he has scored 1020 runs at a strike rate of 120.28.Related

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Ebadot, meanwhile, wasn’t in the T20I side against England or Ireland, and he last played in the T20 World Cup in November last year. Having made his debut in the format during the Asia Cup in 2022, he has seven wickets in four T20Is. He took 4-47 in the one-off Test against Afghanistan earlier this week.Bangladesh’s next scheduled T20Is are against New Zealand in December this year following this series. The T20Is against Afghanistan will be played in Sylhet on July 14 and 16 following the three ODIs. The only other time Bangladesh played T20Is at home in July was against South Africa in 2015.Bangladesh T20I squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Afif Hossain

Josh Sullivan take 4 for 11 in rain-reduced encounter at Chesterfield

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2021Yorkshire 109 for 2 (Fraine 69*) beat Derbyshire 108 for 6 (Sullivan 4-11) by eight wicketsWill Fraine scored the fastest List A fifty in Yorkshire’s history to take his side to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Derbyshire in a Royal London Cup match reduced to 10 overs a side at Chesterfield.Fraine smashed 50 off only 19 balls and his unbeaten 69, which contained five fours and four sixes, from 32 deliveries took Yorkshire to their target of 109 with eight balls to spare.Derbyshire had set a challenging total of 108 for 6 after rain delayed the start by six hours with Fynn Hudson-Prentice hammering four sixes in an unbeaten 38 from 17 balls.Josh Sullivan took 4 for 11, including three in four balls, with his leg spin before Fraine’s assault carried Yorkshire home at a canter and keeps alive their chances of making the knock-out stages.Mitch Wagstaff and Harry Came got Derbyshire off to a good start when the rain finally cleared, adding 40 before Wagstaff was bowled trying to ramp George Hill in the fifth over.Tom Wood drove Hill for consecutive fours but then became Sullivan’s first victim when he pulled the leg-spinner’s first ball to deep midwicket.Brooke Guest was stumped coming down the pitch and Alex Hughes clipped his first ball to square leg as Derbyshire slipped to 50 for 4.Hudson-Prentice pulled Mathews Pillans for six and Came repeated the treatment as 21 came off the seventh over.Sullivan was driven over the long on fence by Hudson-Prentice but Came’s attempt to dispatch the spinner into the crowd ended in a sliced catch to cover.Derbyshire needed another big over and Hudson-Prentice delivered when he straight-drove and pulled Ben Coad for sixes with 17 coming from the 9th.It lifted Derbyshire to a competitive total but Fraine got Yorkshire off to a flyer, driving Hudson-Prentice for successive fours before lifting him over long off for six.Matthew Revis miscued a pull at Ravi Rampaul to mid on but Fraine drove Mattie McKiernan for another six to take his side to 43 for 1 after three overs.McKiernan bore the brunt of Fraine’s onslaught, conceding 21 from his second over, as the opener drove him onto the pavilion roof before his fourth six took him to a 19-ball 50.William Luxton pulled George Scrimshaw for six and although he holed out to deep midwicket in the same over, Yorkshire needed only eight off the last two overs.Gary Ballance removed any lingering hopes Derbyshire might have entertained of pulling off a dramatic heist by driving Hudson-Prentice for six as Yorkshire cruised to victory in the evening sunshine.

Bumrah named vice-captain as most of the regulars who missed the Sri Lanka tour in July return

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-20211:18

Chetan Sharma: ‘KL Rahul has proved his leadership qualities’

Rohit Sharma has failed to recover from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the Test series in South Africa. In his absence, KL Rahul will lead India in the three-match ODI series in South Africa. Jasprit Bumrah has been named the vice-captain of the squad.This was supposed to be India’s first ODI assignment since Rohit was named full-time captain for the format, but Rohit’s recurring hamstring injury has emerged as a bit of a concern. Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma said the decision to not send Rohit to South Africa was taken keeping that frequent injury and important events in mind, including the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup in the coming two years.”This is the only reason why we have decided to let him work on his rehab, work on his fitness, work on his muscles,” Chetan said. “Nobody gets injured on purpose. This is precisely why we didn’t send him to South Africa because we want him to go back to 100% fitness because there are important events and World Cups coming. That is the reason why he is not going to South Africa, and KL Rahul is the captain.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India’s 18-man squad welcomed back R Ashwin, who last played an ODI in 2017 but made his comeback into the T20I side earlier in 2021. Venkatesh Iyer received a maiden ODI call-up. As with T20Is, Venkatesh might bat in the middle order and bowl a few overs, a vacancy created by Hardik Pandya’s inability to bowl because of fitness issues.The other allrounder in the squad is Washington Sundar, who missed the T20 World Cup with injury but proved his fitness in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy. Also coming back from injury was Shreyas Iyer, who has since made a successful Test debut too. The other potential allrounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, are yet to recover from injuries sustained during the Test series against New Zealand.That Rahul would lead in Rohit’s absence was expected, seeing that he is the ODI vice-captain, but Chetan said that Rahul was being groomed as a future leader. “We are looking at KL Rahul as a three-format player, and he has got good experience of captaincy,” he said in an online press interaction. “He has proved his leadership qualities. That is what all selectors think. When Rohit is not fit, we thought KL is the best one to handle the side. We have good confidence in him, and we are grooming him.”From India’s last full-strength ODI squad that played England in March, the selectors omitted Kuldeep Yadav, the Pandya brothers Hardik and Krunal, T Natarajan (injured) and Shubman Gill. Deepak Chahar and Ishan Kishan found their way in.KL Rahul has been handed the reins of the ODI squad•Getty Images

Between the England series and this one, India played an ODI series in Sri Lanka too, but it was a second-string side because the main squad was in England to play the World Test Championship final and the Test series against England. Shikhar Dhawan captained that side in Sri Lanka and retained his place, but Prithvi Shaw didn’t. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was part of that squad but didn’t get to play, was retained for the South Africa series.”He’s getting the chance at the right time,” Chetan said of Gaikwad. “He was picked in the T20s and now he’s in ODI squad. Wherever this is space for him, he’s getting picked and selectors are hoping he will do wonders for the country. We have selected him, now it’s up to the management when he plays in the XI and when he’s required in the combinations. He’s doing well and he’s been rewarded for that.”On some of the major names missing, Chetan said, “Mohammed Shami, we are resting him looking at the load management of our faster bowlers. He will definitely be playing the coming series. Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, both are not fit, that’s the reason they are not in South Africa.”Also discussed in the selection meeting, Chetan said, were Ravi Bishnoi, Rishi Dhawan, Shahrukh Khan, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan: “These guys will definitely get their chances in coming times.”ODI squad: KL Rahul (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj

The USAC-ACE contract termination has created uncertainty around USA’s preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup as well as the future of the MLC

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Sep-2025USA Cricket’s decision to terminate its contract with American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), its primary commercial partner, which is also the parent company of Major League Cricket (MLC) – has left USA’s players “extremely affected” while dealing with uncertainty about their future. According to USA allrounder Corey Anderson, who is the operational director of the US Cricketers’ Association (USCA), the players fear that cricket in the country could be derailed if ACE pulls out.Anderson, the former New Zealand allrounder who moved to the USA and became eligible to play for them in 2023, suggested that ACE had been integral to the development of cricket in the USA for the past several years having invested in both Minor League Cricket and the MLC, which is now three seasons old.Related

• ICC suspends USA Cricket board

• ACE takes USA Cricket to court as power struggle intensifies

• MLC parent company calls its agreement termination by USA Cricket 'unlawful' and 'wrongful'

“I guess the termination of this contract between USAC and ACE just leaves players in a limbo and in a scenario where they are now so uncertain of their futures,” Anderson told ESPNcricinfo on a call from his home in Dallas. “And this is something that they’re extremely affected by in the way that they earn a living. How long does this last for? What does future seasons of Major League or Minor League or anything like that – what does that start to look like from that regard?”Apart from the significant sums of money it spends to conduct cricket in the country, ACE is also the backbone of cricketing operations in the USA. ACE owns the ground that houses the High Performance Centre at Grand Prairie in Dallas, Texas, holds exclusive license to the ground in Morrisville, has agreements with Broward County in Florida, and owns two drop-in pitches at the Oakland Coliseum, which made its debut during the 2025 MLC.As part of a long-term deal inked in 2019, ACE is contracted to funnel a minimum of USD 1.2 million annually to the USAC to cover the contracts of the national team including support staff. A failure to pay out that money consistently, the USAC has claimed, was one of the breaches that led to the termination of the contract. ACE strongly disputes this, claiming it has actually paid more than the agreed amount.Another thing that bothers Anderson, in case the standoff continues, is its potential impact on several important events leading up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is set to be played in February-March in India and Sri Lanka with USA among the 20 participating teams. In consultation with USAC, ACE had planned a high-performance camp for 35 top men’s players with trial matches – three 50-over games and three T20s – in Morrisville against West Indies A.Anderson, the former New Zealand allrounder who now plays for USA, is the operational director of the US Cricketers’ Association•Major League Cricket

The objective of this camp was to identify the best players for the T20 World Cup as well as prepare the team for World Cricket League 2 in October, which is USA’s qualification pathway for the 2027 ODI World Cup. ACE is also meant to be hosting the USA Women’s team at the HPC in Grand Prairie along with five-match T20 series against West Indies in October-November.”Is that all still taking place or not? These camps have to take place for the players to get ready for those things,” Anderson said. “All of those things are very much in a big question mark at the moment, which again just creates more uncertainty around the players. And effectively anything that goes on regarding those contracts ends up ultimately just affecting the players.”It’s just throwing a question mark on what players don’t know and their uncertainty around even that, which is again so unfortunate, because we’re in a space now with USA [where cricket] is growing and it’s growing very fast, and there’s a lot of money getting put into it and a lot of investment. But again [as things now stand], for what? Because players are now disrupted, unsure of what they need to do, unsure of where they’re going, and what their future looks like.”Has USAC written to the players since the public termination of the ACE contract? Not yet, according to Anderson. He pointed out that while the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) recognizes USACA, USAC doesn’t. “We haven’t heard anything from USAC,” he said. “Again, I do want to establish that we aren’t recognized by USA Cricket, so in terms of being bound by anything, they do not have to say anything to us. But again, it would be very neglectful of them not to inform the players’ association considering we do have majority of the members [players] of Major League Cricket and in fact we have the majority of the USA national team as our members. And so when we speak up and get into bargaining discussions and things like that, we are doing it for them. It’s a players’ union run by the players.”Anderson said he had personally not reached out to any USA players, although there had been several discussions between players during the ongoing Minor League, where he plays for Dallas Kings Eleven. “I have not been in touch with any of the players because at the moment we don’t have any information to provide those players. If they’ve been provided information, that hasn’t been given back to us or given to any other players. This is where things can get pretty messy, because it starts becoming a little bit of the whispers start going around, and the rumour mill starts up, and [nobody knows] what’s actually true and what’s correct. And everyone’s a little bit unsure of what that actually looks like. So again, it’ll be nice to hear from the governing body [USAC] itself and understand what it looks like.”We’re currently in the middle of Minor League at the moment, so there are a lot of players asking what’s happening. Text messages, phone calls, what does this look like for Major League and our World Cup preparation? Minor League is currently running, but what does the future of that look like? Is this going to continue? So again, messages that unfortunately don’t have any answers.”According to USAC chairman Venu Piske, ‘it’s too early to make any assumptions’ about the future of the MLC•Sportzpics for MLC

USAC open to ‘renegotiate’ and ‘sanction’ 2026 MLC

Venu Piske, the USAC chairman, said he understood the concerns raised by Anderson, and added that players would always be the priority. “I certainly can understand the sensitivity and also the players may have some concerns,” Piske said. “It’s understandable, but players are our No. 1 priority without any doubt. We have made sure we take care of players in all situations even when we are getting our funding as per the contract from ACE, or not getting the funding.”Piske said while there remained outstanding issues to sort out with ACE, USAC would not overlook players’ welfare including the financial aspect. Piske said USAC had given out 15 national contracts, which he said were the highest number offered in the board’s history. Piske said he could understand players being concerned about the future of MLC, and whether it would happen next season, but remained optimistic, saying USAC were open to “renegotiate” with ACE and even “sanction” the next season.”I know there may be some concerns around what’s going to happen with MLC, that’s understandable, but it’s too early to make any assumptions. As per our communication to ACE at the time of termination, we are committed to renegotiate on different terms because the current terms they [ACE] have not met; we always had a friction environment for the last six years, but considering their [ACE’s] commitment and investment to MLC, we are open to even sanction MLC while this is going on or we are open to some agreeable terms to resolve this.”MLC CEO Johnny Grave said ACE was not in breach of any terms in the original agreement and said it was focused on continuing to support USA Cricket. “We are fully compliant with our agreement with USAC and we continue to work to build all aspects of cricket in America.”According to Anderson, the best solution ought to involve ACE, without whose support he felt USA Cricket cannot provide a “premium product”. A “resolution sooner rather than later”, Anderson said, would benefit not just the game in the USA, but also reassure players that they have a secure future. “It needs to be anything that’s going to benefit the players in terms of just answers that will give us some suggestion that the future of the game here in the States is going to continue to be invested in and continue to grow, and players understand that they have a way of earning a living and being able to play quality cricket here again,” he said. “With the runway of what the USA team specifically has in terms of a World Cup and then an Olympics in 2028, those are massive markers for USA cricket to be able to hit. And I don’t see a world in which they can provide a premium product or quality of product without funding from ACE.”