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Captain leads the way with bat as England continue T20 World Cup fine-tuning

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2019Pakistan pushed England close but could not prevent defeat and a 3-0 whitewash in the T20I series in Kuala Lumpur. Javeria Khan top-scored in the match with 57, but England kept a grip on the scoring rate to close out the game.England, who rested Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt for the final game, produced an all-round effort with bat and ball. Captain Heather Knight made 43 from 31 balls and the rest of the top five all chipped in with solid contributions, before Anya Shrusbole, Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone shared five wickets to disrupt Pakistan’s chase.The tour also allowed England’s new head coach, Lisa Keightley, who is due to take up the role in January, to have a first look at the players after she joined up with the team following the conclusion of the Women’s Big Bash League.”I think it’s been a good tour for us,” Knight said. “We asked batters to get big runs and that’s happened across both the ODI and the IT20 series.”I think we’ve found some new players, as well. Sarah Glenn has really put her hand up and that’s great for us, it adds to the competition for places and makes us stronger as a group.”I’ve been proud of how we’ve maintained our high standards, especially in the field – which is something we’ve been working hard on.”It’s been great to spend time with Lisa and get chatting to her about how she sees the plans moving forward. We’re looking forward to the new year and the challenge of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.”After Danni Wyatt had lashed 25 off 15 to get England going, the main plank of the innings was provided by an 81-run partnership between Knight and Amy Jones. Knight hit three sixes in her innings, and while both fell in consecutive overs, Fran Wilson and Tammy Beaumont added another fifty stand in the closing overs.Pakistan lost both openers inside the Powerplay, and were struggling at just past the halfway way point when Bismah Maroof was stumped off Glenn to leave them 68 for 3. Javeria’s measured innings kept them in the hunt but despite Sidra Nawaz cracking 19 off 7 balls at the end, Pakistan had left themselves too much to do.

Former India women’s batsman Sulakshana Naik also likely to be part of the panel

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Jan-2020Three former India cricketers – Gautam Gambhir, Madan Lal and Sulakshana Naik are in the running to be part of the next cricket advisory committee (CAC). The CAC has been dormant since the previous panel, led by former India captain Kapil Dev, resigned last October.ESPNcricinfo understands Gambhir has given his consent to be appointed to the panel, while Madan Lal confirmed that he had given it the nod. Naik, the former Mumbai and Indian batsman, said to wait for the news to come out officially. The BCCI is yet to make an announcement on the matter.It is not clear whether the BCCI will appoint the CAC formally just yet, or wait for the Supreme Court to hear its pending plea on the conflict of interest rules and other amendments it has proposed to the board’s constitution. The court was scheduled to hear the case on January 14, but it is yet to list it as part of the next week’s roster.Lal, the former India fast bowler and a 1983 World Cup winner, told ESPNcricinfo: “I was approached in the last week and I gave my consent. I have received no guidelines yet.”Both Gambhir and Lal work as cricket experts for television but they and Naik are not part of any other state association or IPL franchise. Gambhir had stepped down from the Apex Council of the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association after he was elected as a Member of Parliament last year.The formation of the CAC was a foremost priority, Sourav Ganguly had said soon after taking charge as BCCI president on October 23 last year. The CAC’s primary role is to pick the men’s selection panel as per the constitution. But previous CACs have picked the head coaches of both men’s and women’s teams and Ganguly said the next CAC would carry out that role too.However, as the weeks went by, Ganguly said that his administration was finding it hard to find suitable candidates for the CAC, a panel which he himself was once part of before being forced to stepped down after being found to be in conflict of interest.The same conflict of interest issue, Ganguly said, had dissuaded many former players from applying to be part of the CAC and other cricket committees, which, as per the Lodha Committee reforms, need to be made up of cricketers. Even Kapil Dev and his panel members – former India batsman Aunshuman Gaekwad and former women’s captain Shanta Rangaswamy – stepped down in reaction to the conflict of interest charges against them.The charges against the previous CAC members barring Ganguly came from the same complainant – Sanjeev Gupta, a life member at the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association. In all instances, Gupta said that each of the CAC members was holding more than one position in Indian cricket, which was a clear violation of the conflict of interest rule that permitted only one post per person.

Raqibul Hasan, the first to the landmark from the country, was on the field when the landmark came up

Mohammad Isam02-Feb-2020Tamim Iqbal has recorded the highest individual score in first-class cricket by a Bangladeshi when he scored 334 not out for East Zone in a Bangladesh Cricket League match against Central Zone in Mirpur on Sunday.It was the second instance of a Bangladeshi batsman getting to a first-class triple century, after Raqibul Hasan’s 313 in March 2007, and also the highest first-class score in the country, topping Kumar Sangakkara’s 319 in a Test match in 2014. He got past Sangakkara’s mark with a stylish six down the ground off Shuvagata Hom.Thanks to Tamim’s quick innings – he faced 426 balls, and hit 42 fours and three sixes – East Zone declared on 555 for 2 in reply to Central’s 213He didn’t spend too long in the 290s, hitting boundaries off Hom and Mustafizur Rahman through the off-side field before picking up a quick single to cross the mark in the second session on the third day. Raqibul was incidentally on the field – in the opposition – when Tamim reached the landmark.A sparse crowd, which included Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo, selectors and BCB officials came out of their offices to applaud the left-handed Tamim, Bangladesh’s highest run-getter in international cricket.Tamim began the third morning on 222, before putting together a big partnership with Yasir Ali for the third wicket, before going to to lunch on 279. He faced 407 balls and hit 40 boundaries to reach the figure.The opening batsman has been batting since the first evening of this four-day game, having put on partnerships worth 62 with opening partner Pinak Ghosh and 296 with Mominul Haque, who made 111 on the second day.Following a short break from the game, Tamim will make his Test comeback when Bangladesh play their first Test in Pakistan, in Rawalpindi, next month.

A round-up from the opening day of the latest Sheffield Shield round as teams push to play NSW in the final

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2020ScorecardThree wickets each to Peter Siddle and Andrew Fekete has put Victoria in control of their clash with South Australia at Adelaide Oval.The skilful duo exploited the helpful conditions to put South Australia’s top order under enormous pressure. They took four of the first six wickets between them as the home side slumped to 6 for 123. Jake Weatherald made a very patient 67 from 149 balls but fell to the offspin of Matt Short, gifting a catch to cover.South Australia’s tail wagged to ensure the first-innings deficit was kept in check with Joe Mennie making 34 and Daniel Worrall 24 to tick the total past 200.Victoria looked set to reach stumps unscathed with a lead of well over 100 and all ten second-innings wickets in hand but Wes Agar made the late breakthrough with Marcus Harris adjudged lbw for 33 in the penultimate over the day.ScorecardA composed 78 from Charlie Wakim helped Tasmania build a first-innings on day two at Bellerive Oval before New South Wales pegged it back thanks to Sean Abbott’s four-wicket haul.Wakim made his second half-century in as many matches to help Tasmania to the brink of a first-innings lead. He shared a 99-run stand with Ben McDermott who contributed 46. Wakim was frustrated to depart for 78, hitting a half-tracker to point, with Tasmania still behind at 6 for 181. But Beau Webster continued his excellent form making 48 while Nathan Ellis contributed a handy 20 to push the lead to 75 before Tasmania were bowled out. Abbott and Trent Copeland took seven wickets between them with Abbott claiming 4 for 52.The Blues were in trouble early in their second innings with Ellis and Lawrence Neil-Smith removing both openers to leave them 2 for 29. But Kurtis Patterson and Daniel Solway steadied with a 68-run stand. Patterson chipped one to mid-on late in the day for 46 but Solway remained unbeaten on 36 as the Blues hope to set the home side a challenging fourth-innings chase.
ScorecardBryce Street made his second first-class century to lead Queensland reply against Western Australia in Perth. The opener finished with 115 off 281 balls, an innings of patience, but also strokeplay considering the 11 boundaries it included. Alongside him, Joe Burns was equally compelling and looked set to score a hundred of his own until he was stopped eight runs short by Matthew Kelly in the 60th over. Burns made 93 off 162 balls with 12 fours. The Queensland middle order then went into a wobble, but Sam Heazlett and Jack Wildermuth have stemmed the rot with a 32-run partnership in the 10 overs’ time.

ECB board meet on Wednesday to discuss tournament

George Dobell29-Apr-2020Moeen Ali believes it is “better for the Hundred to be delayed” for a year than to launch the tournament without overseas players or fans.The ECB board meet today (April 29) to discuss whether to postpone the launch of the tournament in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the Hundred is a central component of the ECB’s strategy to broaden the appeal of the game, there are concerns that any potential launch will be compromised by the current situation.Not only is there currently a ban on gatherings of any kind – meaning the tournament may have to be staged behind closed doors – but it is likely to prove hard to attract the overseas players whose presence was seen as a draw card.As a result, it could prove hard to build the momentum the ECB envisaged to ensure the Hundred makes the big splash that was anticipated. There will also be concerns that it struggles to justify its large budget. It is currently scheduled to start at the Kia Oval on July 17.While Moeen has long been an enthusiastic supporter of the competition – he has been named captain of the Birmingham Phoenix side – he now accepts that, with the prospect of a heavily abbreviated season and the absence of overseas players, it would be better to delay and ensure it is given every opportunity to succeed next year.”It is better for it to be delayed,” Moeen said. “As players we want the Hundred played with all the best players around the world available to come and play so it makes more sense that way.”If we can get other international players who were not available this year to make the Hundred even stronger for next year through a mini draft then we an attract a new audience to come and watch cricket. It is probably going to be too much to squeeze in the last couple of months of the season. It would be hard work to squeeze in the Hundred as well.”It is such a big deal for us in this country and we want it to be played when everything is right and no problems around the world.”An announcement on the tournament’s postponement is expected later this week, following today’s ECB board meeting.

England seamer also sees no problem playing with dad Chris as match referee

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-20200:56

Stuart Broad enjoys first day back at Trent Bridge

Stuart Broad has described thoroughly enjoying his return to bowling for the first time in more than two months, despite pulling up weary afterwards.England seamer Broad was one of 18 bowlers to return to individual training programmes at venues around the country last Thursday and Friday amid a slight easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. He also said he saw no problem playing in a match where his father, Chris Broad, was referee, as might be the case this summer with limits on travel and social contact set to remain in place even if the international season goes ahead.Broad trained at Trent Bridge under the guidance of Nottinghamshire physio James Pipe and adhering to strict infection control protocols. Broad had to record his temperature before heading to the ground, where he had his own parking space and toilet and bowled with a new set of Dukes balls, which he will keep and continue to use throughout the individual training period.”I was only bowling at an empty net, and yet, when I left Trent Bridge on both Thursday and Friday there was a real ‘wow’ feeling,” Broad wrote in his column for the . “It felt really good to be back out in the middle again.”It was the first time I’d bowled properly since we returned from the tour of Sri Lanka 10 weeks ago. To be fair, although I’ve only bowled 12 overs so far, the action feels pretty solid.”ALSO READ: Prospect of Chris Broad officiating over son Stuart raises concernsBroad also described undergoing aerobic training excercises in the form of shuttle runs, known at Nottinghamshire as stag runs and borrowed from the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team in Australia.”I have done quite a bit of long distance running at a slower pace during these last couple of months but the good thing about the stag run is that it is done at about run-up pace,” Broad explained. “It incorporates turning too, which gets the body into similar scenarios that you would encounter on the field – like changing direction to chase the ball.”Although I felt great, on the second morning I woke up at half past six to discover muscles I’d forgotten existed. That’s what bowling does to you. Even bending down to touch my toes caused me to grimace a little. I could feel my sides too. I wouldn’t call it pain. I was just very aware that my body had been doing something different again.”Stuart Broad looks on in training•Getty Images

England are expected to name an international training group of up to 45 players, including red- and white-ball squads, this week in hopes of playing a condensed interntional schedule behind closed doors at venues deemed ‘bio-secure’, possibly starting with the first of three Tests against West Indies on July 8.Plans to play in bio-secure environments with players, officials and staff required to isolate before, during and after series, have also raised the prospect of Chris Broad, the only English representative on the ICC’s elite panel of seven match referees, officiating in England’s home Test series.While no one is questioning Broad Snr’s impartiality as an official, the scenario is understood to have raised some eyebrows in the Caribbean. But Broad Jnr rejected any suggestion that it could pose problems.”Sure, if he was an umpire I could understand that because he could have a subconscious influence on decisions that are made on the field,” Broad said. “No offence to him here but he sits in an office and if I, or anyone else, breaks the code of conduct he simply looks up the regulations in a handbook and determines the appropriate sanction from the relevant section.”There is no emotion in a match referee’s job. And there is likely to be no contact between us … there’s no haggling over the punishment. It’s not as if I can go into a room and barter to only pay 12 per cent of a 15 per cent match fee fine.”From experience, and I’ve played 138 Tests, you only see a match ref if you’re in trouble. Often they are sat in a different building. You only tend to meet at breakfast in the hotel or on the outfield before the start of play. From a selfish point of view, I’d love the chance to be able to have a coffee and catch-up with dad in a bio-secure environment.”

A visit by the Australia Women’s team is also in the early stages of planning

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2020New Zealand are set for a full programme of international cricket during their summer with men’s tours by West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh while a visit by the Australia Women’s team is also in the early stages of planning for the gap created by the postponed ODI World Cup in February.NZC are currently working with the government on the biosecurity measures that will need to be in place for the touring teams with visitors to the country currently required to isolate for 14 days on arrival.David White, the NZC CEO, said they are looking at a model similar to that used by the ECB during their ongoing season, which was the first international cricket to resume amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”We are making tremendous progress. I was just on the phone to the West Indies, they’re confirmed, Pakistan is confirmed, Australia and Bangladesh… so 37 days of international cricket,” White told reporters in Auckland.”The White Ferns will tour Australia in September and then the Australia Women’s team will tour New Zealand in February. We are just working through the content but probably five ODIs and three T20Is.”We’ll just be held up for a week or two while we work with the government agencies on the managed isolation but they’ve been extremely supportive.”Under the current Future Tours programme, West Indies and Pakistan were down to visit for Tests and T20Is with Bangladesh slated for ODIs and T20Is and then Australia for T20Is, although the final structure of the seasons remains to be confirmed given the postponement of the Men’s T20 World Cup. The Tests against West Indies and Pakistan are part of the World Test Championship.The last time the men’s team was in action was in the behind-closed-doors ODI against Australia at the SCG in mid-March shortly before that tour was called off with New Zealand needing to get home before the borders were closed.The women’s team are set to be the first back on the field with their trip to Australia in late September that includes three T20Is and three ODIs.The Women’s ODI World Cup, which was due to be staged in February and March next year, was postponed by 12 months earlier this week when it was decided that there would not be sufficient time for teams to qualify and prepare for the tournament.New Zealand has been one of the most successful countries in combatting Covid-19 and recently marked 100 days without community transmission, but things have changed a little bit since then. On Tuesday, local media said four fresh cases of community transmission had been reported in the country, and Auckland would move to Alert Level 3 from Wednesday, with the rest of the country moving to Alert Level 2*.White was speaking as NZC confirmed a new deal for radio coverage of cricket in New Zealand with MediaWorks Radio. Earlier this year, previous rights holders NZME confirmed they would not be extending their broadcast deal with commentary on Radio Sport, a station which has now been taken off the air.*

Who do they play? When do they play? Where do they play? Here’s a ready reckoner

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2020With the IPL schedule now made public, each team now has a clear idea of when, where and whom they play. There are ten day games, which begin at 2pm local time instead of the 6pm start for most matches. The Kolkata Knight Riders, the Rajasthan Royals, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad will play three day games each, while the Chennai Super Kings, the Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab and the Mumbai Indians will play two each.Here’s a look at how each franchise’s schedule stacks up.

Chennai Super Kings

Their first match is the IPL opener against defending champions Mumbai Indians on September 19. They play seven matches in Dubai, four in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are three blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against the Sunrisers and Kings XI (October 2 and 4), against the Capitals and the Royals (October 17 and 19), and against Mumbai and RCB (October 23 and 25).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Delhi Capitals

Their first match is against Kings XI on September 20. They play seven matches in Dubai, four in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are three blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against KKR and RCB (October 3 and 5), against the Royals and Mumbai (October 9 and 11), and against Mumbai and RCB (October 31 and November 2).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kings XI Punjab

Their first match is against the Capitals on September 20. They play seven matches in Dubai, four in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are four blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against the Sunrisers and KKR (October 8 and 10), against Mumbai and the Capitals (October 18 and 20), against the Sunrisers and KKR (October 24 and 26), and against the Royals and CSK (October 30 and November 1).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kolkata Knight Riders

Their first match is against Mumbai on September 23. They play three matches in Dubai, eight in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are three blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against Kings XI and RCB (October 10 and 12), against Mumbai and the Sunrisers (October 16 and 18), and against the Capitals and Kings XI (October 24 and 26).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mumbai Indians

Their first match is against CSK, in the IPL opener on September 19. They play three matches in Dubai, eight in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are three blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against the Sunrisers and the Royals (October 4 and 6), against KKR and Kings XI (October 16 and 18), and against CSK and the Royals (October 23 and 25).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rajasthan Royals

Their first match is against CSK on September 22. They play six matches in Dubai, five in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are three blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against the Capitals and the Sunrisers (October 9 and 11), against RCB and CSK (October 17 and 19), and against Kings XI and KKR (October 30 and November 1).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Their first match is against the Sunrisers on September 21. They play seven matches in Dubai, four in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are three blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against the Royals and the Capitals (October 3 and 5), against CSK and KKR (October 10 and 12), against Kings XI and the Royals (October 15 and 17), and against the Sunrisers and the Capitals (October 31 and November 2).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Their first match is against RCB on September 21. They play eight matches in Dubai, three in Abu Dhabi and three in Sharjah. There are three blocks in which they play two matches within three days: against CSK and Mumbai (October 2 and 4), against the Royals and CSK (October 11 and 13), and against the Royals and Kings XI (October 22 and 24).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Australia will carry a giant silk adorned with the Walkabout Wickets logo onto Allan Border Field and then form a barefoot circle with New Zealand

Daniel Brettig24-Sep-2020Australia’s cricketers will carry a giant silk adorned with the Walkabout Wickets logo onto Allan Border Field and then form a barefoot circle with New Zealand in a major public display of solidarity with the nation’s Aboriginal community prior to the first international sporting fixture on home soil since the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement this year.Plans for such a moment are in line with a long-running process by which the women’s national team has connected ever more deeply with the experiences of Aboriginal Australians and other people of colour, but will carry added significance in the wake of the many conversations opened up around BLM. In particular, Meg Lanning’s team hope to shine light on the fact there have been more than 400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handed in its findings in 1991.The team had previously formed a barefoot circle prior to the Reconciliation match played against England in Canberra in February, where the players also took the field wearing Indigenous-inspired playing kit. These public gestures have run hand in hand with education and connection efforts to ensure that all players and staff know the deep and often painful history of Aboriginal Australia and how its initial close connection to cricket – via the inaugural MCG Boxing Day cricket match in 1866 and the more widely known tour of England in 1868 – was lost for decades.ALSO READ: Australian cricket’s Indigenous inclusion – ‘You can’t just window dress things’The Walkabout Wickets design was created by Aunty Fiona Clarke, a descendant of one of the members of the teams that played in 1866 and 1868. The logo will also feature on the collars of both the women’s team, exemplifying a long-term commitment between them and Aboriginal Australia. The concept of forming a barefoot circle is based on the idea of connecting the players to the land and its traditional owners as well as to each other. It will become part of the routine for the team each time they visit a new city.”The great thing about being involved with it was that it wasn’t a superficial event,” Australia’s vice-captain Rachael Haynes has said of the Reconcilitation match played against England last summer. “Quite often when we do things on the field, you walk out as a player and you’re just part of that one moment and then you move on and you play the game. One of the things I really enjoyed about being involved in it was it started perhaps six months before that moment.”CA came and presented to us on the whole concept and then spoke about the jersey that was going to get produced and we did some activities leading into it as well to get an appreciation of indigenous culture. For me as a player that was much more valuable than just stepping out onto the field and going through the ceremony and not perhaps understanding different moments you were part of.”I think that’s something sport has a responsibility to do, just because the lights and cameras are out and flashing, that’s not just the moment you’re looking to capture. If you want to be impactful long term, you’ve actually got to take the opportunity leading in to educate the players on what they’re doing and why they’re doing it and what the opportunity is as well. Rather than just getting them to step out onto the field and be part of a ceremony which is really symbolic and great to be part of, but that shouldn’t be where it stops and starts.”In addition to being pioneers for the professionalisation of women’s cricket, the Australian team have also played a leading role in showing how an elite sporting team can expand its understanding of issues around race and inclusion beyond public actions often queried as “tokenism” without a deeper meaning beneath them.The men’s national team is at an earlier stage of a similar journey, as acknowledged by coach Justin Langer on the recent tour of England after criticism from Michael Holding for not taking the knee.”To be completely honest we could’ve talked more about it perhaps leading up to that first game, there was so much going on leading up to us getting here, maybe we should’ve thought and talked a bit more about it,” Langer said.”What we do talk about in the team is we want to have a response that is sustained and powerful and it can go, not just in one action, but sustained periods, not just throughout this series, throughout our summer, but throughout time.”I know there’s a lot of talk going on within our group about how we can, and I know there’s a lot of talking going on about the Australian women’s team as well, about how we can have a sustained and powerful response to Black Lives Matter. It’s incredibly important.”Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, stated this week that BLM and related issues needed to be the subject of plenty of conversations in cricket. “It’s not just about the Australian cricket team, it’s about Australian cricket and it’s about the world game,” Ponting told . “It’s a huge issue in world society at this point and as cricketers we should do what we can to help the cause or around that cause. We should certainly be talking about it.”

England spinner expects to be invited by BCCI to join tournament given clashes with WBBL

Matt Roller03-Oct-2020Sophie Ecclestone, the England left-arm spinner, is hoping to be involved in the Women’s T20 Challenge in the UAE but is yet to receive an invitation from the BCCI for the tournament.Six England players flew to Australia on Saturday to begin a two-week quarantine period ahead of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) but Ecclestone, the No. 1 T20I bowler in the world according to the ICC’s rankings, was not among them.Instead, speaking in a Zoom session for the NatWest Cricket Awards, Ecclestone expressed her desire to be part of the tournament, which ESPNcricinfo revealed is due to be staged from November 4-9 in the UAE.”I’m really hoping to be involved in it,” she said. “I don’t think we know exactly what’s going on yet, or exactly when it’s going to be – I think it might follow the men’s – but a few of us would definitely be really interested in going if it did come up.”Ecclestone was one of three England players involved in the 2019 edition of the T20 Challenge, alongside Danni Wyatt and Nat Sciver, and impressed with the ball, taking 2 for 11 and 0 for 13 from her four-over allocations in her two appearances.She is expected to be invited to take part again – not least with several marquee overseas players participating in the WBBL instead – but admitted that she had not yet received an offer.”The BCCI are very last-minute with their plans so we’re still waiting for an email,” she said, “but hopefully a few of the girls get asked to go.”