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In a move to grow interest in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the BCCI is set to act on a proposal to convert India’s domestic T20 championship to an inter-zonal competition

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2016In a move to grow interest in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the BCCI is set to act on a proposal to convert India’s domestic T20 championship to an inter-zonal competition.The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is currently an inter-state tournament wherein the top two teams from four groups progress to to the second round, where sides are divided into two groups. The winners of their respective groups make the final.The revised structure would have the state teams divided zonally, and the best performers from a zone make up the zonal team to contest against other such sides. In addition to the five main zones – North, South, East, West and Central – a sixth team, comprising the best young players from all zones, will be selected to participate.BCCI president Anurag Thakur confirmed the development. “We discussed the issue at length during our fixtures committee Meeting. The endeavour is to make domestic cricket more engaging and viable,” Thakur told PTI. “With 1882 playing days, the BCCI has shown how serious we are about our domestic structure.”We have decided to have Ranji Trophy at neutral venue, Duleep Trophy with pink ball and now we are trying to make Mushtaq Ali more competitive by bringing in a zonal structure. The aim is to improve the quality of domestic cricket. We are trying to finalise details and senior officials will be putting a process in place.”The BCCI tours and fixtures committee had also previously recommended playing day-night games with the pink ball in the Duleep Trophy, the zonal first-class tournament, and playing at neutral venues in the Ranji Trophy, the country’s premier first-class competition.

Hampshire followed up Fidel Edwards’ ferocious second-evening spell by beating Sussex and telling the West Indian quick they had never seen anything faster

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Hove09-Jun-2015
ScorecardFidel Edwards’ pace blew his Hampshire team-mates away•PA Photos

Hampshire have secured their first Championship win of the season with a six-wicket win at Hove, a ground that has now hosted its third three-day result game in a row. But this was nothing to do with the pitch: the visitors put together their best performance of the season, typified by Fidel Edwards’ first five-wicket haul for the county.Edwards’ 5 for 58 was not only Hampshire’s first five-for of the season, but it was also his first since taking 6 for 90 in a Test against Bangladesh, back in November 2012. That match in Khulna was his last for the West Indies across all formats and, in signing as a Kolpak player, at the age of 32, it seems that his international days are behind him. This will be his last four-day game for Hampshire before he jets off to the Caribbean Premier League on Sunday.His spell yesterday was a reminder of the confrontational attitude he used to save for the world’s best. The “you can’t see me” celebration: the hair is grown out but the swagger remains. His skipper Jimmy Adams said his spell at the end of day two was the fastest he had ever seen in domestic cricket, a point backed up by the rest of the Hampshire team, who told Edwards as much in the dressing room.

Fidel on making big waves

• On helping Hampshire secure their first Championship win at Hove in the last nine attempts “I’ve heard we hadn’t won here for a long time, so that’s good. The pitch was quick but not as quick as thought it would be. It was good though to bowl with the wind behind me. That’s my job – I’m here to get at batsman, bowl fast and get people out!”

• On his Hampshire future beyond 2015: “I signed a Kolpak deal for Hampshire and hopefully I can extend that for the next couple of years. That’s my aim. Hampshire have a lot of West Indian greats playing for them so hopefully I can do my best to join that bunch.”

• On his speed: “When I was younger, I was clocked a couple of times, when I first started, at around 96 or 97mph. Hopefully I can still bend my back like that at this age.

• On his first experience of the English domestic season: “It’s been lovely – just a bit cold and wet! I’m looking to see what the sunshine can do and it was good to see a bit today. Last night, I went for a walk by the sea and it was terrible! The waves were kicking and I was right next to the sea! But it’s a good experience to be here and experience the cold for so long.”

Edwards was so quick last night that, when Wright decided to take him on, Adams moved one of his slips to a back-stop position for the top-edge. “I hadn’t set a field like that before – maybe not since my under-10s,” laughed Adams at the close. He confirmed the decision was Edwards and he was more than happy to oblige him.Edwards’ fifth wicket came this morning when he removed nightwatchman Steve Magoffin with his fourth ball before both he and Jackson Bird were put under pressure by Luke Wright and Ben Brown. Bird in particular, in his first Championship game of a season that has already been hampered with shoulder and neck injuries, struggled throughout the match.Having started the morning session from the Sea End, Bird switched to the Cromwell Road to calamitous effect. His first four overs went for 28, with his first going for 12, as Brown took him for three consecutive boundaries.It seemed that Wright and Brown could milk him easily until the new ball. Earlier, Brown had benefited from a poor drop from Danny Briggs, who shelled a routine catch with the batsman on 13, when he ran around to square leg for a top edge that would have given Edwards his sixth wicket. The joint hundred came off 164 balls as the complexion of the game started to change.And then, with the lead standing at 122, it happened: the first of two brain-fades that led to a lower-order collapse of four for four.The first came from Brown, who decided to take a risky single to the last ball of a Bird over that had already leaked 11 runs. He hit the ball to the left of cover, Will Smith, who ran around the ball to pick-up right-handed and throw down the stumps with Wright short of his ground.Brown’s misery was compounded when he became the recipient of what must have been Bird’s best ball of the match: a good-to-full length ball that jumped up to say hello and take the top of his glove, giving Sean Ervine a simple low catch at first slip. He sunk to his knees as Bird streamed past him, before returning to the pavilion flanked by the rest of those on the pitch as lunch was taken early.Ollie Robinson was the next to go, failing to take note of a deep square leg and finding him perfectly, just nine balls after the restart. With him went any realistically possible of quick runs, leaving Briggs to take his first wicket of the innings – caught bat-pad – to finish Sussex off.With just 125 to defend, it was Magoffin or bust for the home side. Their lead man ran in, unchanged for eight overs, from the Cromwell Road End. Bats were beaten, an edge fell short of Ed Joyce at first slip and a length was pounded, but to no avail.Jimmy Adams hit a quick 30 from 33 balls, seemingly trying to throttle the nerves out of the chase. When he departed with 51 on the board, in the 12th over, the runs came at a slower pace. Sean Terry, in his second game of the season, got some valuable time in the middle on his way to a first Championship half-century of the season and a career best in first-class cricket.Terry can take pride in the fact that he carried his bat through this chase, while more senior heads came and went. He’ll have a bruised thumb as a souvenir, for a week or so at least, after he was clocked by a sharp one from Hobden. But he and Hampshire will take that, as they finally get a win on the board.

Alastair Cook admitted he wished that England had been confronted with more spin bowling as they completed their warm-up games ahead of the first Test of the series against India

George Dobell in Ahmedabad11-Nov-2012Alastair Cook admitted he wished that England had been confronted with more spin bowling as they completed their warm-up games ahead of the first Test of the series against India. While England’s captain declared himself satisfied with his team’s preparations, he did suggest that “a message” had been conveyed to the opposition to ensure the tourists were denied meaningful exposure to spin bowling ahead of the series.A draw against Haryana meant England had drawn all three of their warm-up matches. But, although every batsman in England’s top-order has enjoyed a lengthy innings at some stage, Cook knows that such success may prove deceptive. Some of the opposition has been surprisingly modest.The absence of spin has been particularly noticeable. Fewer than 11% of the overs bowled against England in the second innings of the three matches has come from spinners and, arguably, none of it has come from what might be described as a quality spinner. It was typical that, in England’s second innings against Haryana Amit Misha, the legspinner who has played 13 Tests for India, did not deliver a single ball. It means that England, with a less than illustrious record against top-quality spin bowling in recent times, will go into a series in which spin is expected to play a major role, having had very little meaningful practise against it.”Clearly we can’t control the standard of the opposition,” Cook said. “We would have liked to have faced more spin in the matches but that hasn’t happened. If anyone has been watching our training sessions while these games have been going on, we’ve had some good spinners bowling to us in the nets. We’d rather them in the middle but they’ve been turning out there and all the lads have been putting in some really good practice.”I don’t know who it has come from but clearly there’s been a message of some sort. Obviously we’ve had Amit Mishra missing here. I don’t know if he was injured or not but he didn’t bowl that many overs, so clearly there’s been a message of some kind.”England could have tried to force the win against Haryana. Not only did they decline to enforce the follow-on, but they agreed to an early finish when they had a minimum of 10 more overs to take only four more wickets. Instead, though, Cook opted to rest his bowlers in case they were required on Thursday.”Clearly we would have liked to have won a game but sometimes common sense has to be used,” he said. “There’s no point busting a gut today on a very flat wicket with a Test match just around the corner and with [the condition of] our fast bowlers at the moment, especially with a few injury concerns as well.”Cook’s caution was understandable. While Steven Finn and Stuart Broad both returned to bowling in practice, there are still question marks over the availability of both of them. Cook is adamant that they will not be selected if there are any doubts over their fitness. Indeed, the fact that there are doubts over both of them renders the decision even more tricky for England.”It’s great to see them back bowling,” Cook said. “The next few days are vital for them and we must go into that game with a fully fit attack. They have to be 100%. You’ve seen how hot it is out here and how flat the wickets are. They won’t be in the ideal state, the preparation period hasn’t quite gone right with those two not playing and getting overs under their belts. We’re going to have to see over the next few days and make a decision on that, but clearly we’ve got to be very careful. In an ideal world, they’d certainly have liked to have more match bowling.”But what we do know is that they’re quality performers. Stuart, especially, has got a lot of experience. He knows what he’s doing and he knows when his body is right. We’re going to have to assess these guys over the next 24 hours and then make a decision. As a captain, you’d want them to have more match practice but they are world-class bowlers. It would be great if they were fully fit and had some overs under their belt but they haven’t.”The performance of Tim Bresnan in Haryana’s second innings may have made England’s decision a little easier. Bresnan bowled with good control, decent pace and, along with Stuart Meaker, gained enough reverse swing to trouble all the batsmen. His 2 for 13 took his tally to nine wickets in two tour matches.”In the last session, with the reversing ball, all three of them – Bresnan, Graham Onions and Meaker – showed good control, which is encouraging,” Cook said. “We’ve got six bowlers out here fully fit and on a tough tour like this I’m sure we’re going to need that. Tim Bresnan has been an integral part of our attack for last couple of years and he’s certainly done himself no harm in this game.”Cook was also encouraged by the news that Graeme Swann returning to India having flown back to the UK due to a family illness. “All the reports have been good and he is coming back on Monday. That’s fantastic for us and it’s fantastic that all’s well at home as well. He’s an experienced campaigner and he knows what’s he doing. I have no doubts or concerns about Swanny.”

Mtutuzeli Nyoka has been removed as president of Crickst South Africa (CSA) for the second time this year at a special board general board meeting held in Johannesburg today

Firdose Moonda15-Oct-2011Mtutuzeli Nyoka has been voted out as president of Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the second time this year at a special board general board meeting in Johannesburg. Nyoka was removed by an “overwhelming majority” after being accused of various misdemeanours, the most serious of which was bringing the organisation into disrepute. Vice-president AK Khan will serve as acting president until August 2012, when the next elections are scheduled.

Gerald Majola v Mtutuzeli Nyoka

July 2010 – President Mtutuzeli Nyoka wants an external investigation into the payment of R4.7 million (US$671,428) in bonuses to 40 CSA staff, including chief executive Gerald Majola, after the hosting of the IPL and Champions Trophy in 2009, as they were not passed through the board’s remunerations committee.
August 2010 – CSA sets up an independent review committee to investigate the bonus payments despite Nyoka’s calls for an external inquiry.
November 2010 – The independent committee clears Majola of any wrongdoing but finds that CSA’s corporate governance procedures were to blame and in need of a revamp.
Jan 2011 – Nyoka is asked to resign by CSA for continuing to push for an external investigation and South Africa’s sports minister steps in to try and resolve the conflict.
Feb 2011 – Nyoka is voted out of office for continuing to argue for the possibility of wrongdoing within the organisation.
April 2011 – Nyoka is reinstated as president after the court finds his removal was improper. The court also criticises the reasons for Nyoka’s removal and grants him the right to subject CSA to full financial scrutiny.
May 2011 – Accounting and consultancy firm KPMG is appointed to conduct an external audit in the bonus payments.
July 2011 – The audit report, which has not been released to the public, finds that Majola may have breached the Companies’ Act on four occasions and advises CSA to seek legal advice on how to proceed.
August 2011 – CSA appoint advocate Azhar Bham to provide opinion, which is delivered to the board orally at their AGM and results in a severe reprimand for Majola. CSA also resolves to improve its corporate governance.
September 2011 – Nyoka and his lawyer are informed of the proposal to remove him on September 8, when CSA’s board met at the conclusion of their annual conference.
October 2011 – CSA votes to remove Nyoka again.

Nyoka was not present at the meeting on the grounds of poor health but sent a deposition to be read out in his absence. The CSA board decided that he “was not in a position to offer leadership,” and ousted him with immediate effect. Although they did not disclose the actual count, six of the eleven provinces had, in the past two weeks, made public their decision to support the motion. Gauteng, Free State, Easterns, Eastern Province, Boland and Western Province all issued press releases stating that would vote in favour of the motion. ESPNcricinfo learned that at least one other union would do the same. Only Northerns Cricket Union stated their objection to the motion and indicated that they would vote against it.The decision brings to an end a 16-month saga which has essentially revolved around a battle between CSA chief executive Gerald Majola, and Nyoka. Majola and 39 other staff members received a collective R4.7 million (US$ 671.428) in bonuses after the hosting of the 2009 IPL and Champions Trophy but those payments were not authorised through CSA’s remunerations committee (REMCO) and were picked up as irregularities. Nyoka had repeatedly pushed for an external audit and had already lost one vote of no-confidence and had to win a court battle to be reinstated.KPMG were eventually tasked with looking into CSA’s financial affairs and found that Majola may have breached the Companies’ Act on four counts. They recommended legal advice which resulted in a severe reprimand for Majola. However, the spat between Majola and Nyoka had not cooled, as Nyoka struggled to gain access to various documents.At the conclusion of their annual conference in September, CSA tabled a second motion of no-confidence in Nyoka. They claimed he had breached media protocol, and the Companies’ Act by taking his honorarium in advance, and that they were unhappy with the way he handled press releases. National team manager Mohammad Moosajee also penned a letter saying Nyoka’s conduct would make it difficult for Moosajee to maintain discipline in the team.Nyoka’s tenure has ended 10 months prematurely, and this time there is indication that he will not fight further. Although his lawyer, Bernard Matheson, believes his client will have reason to take CSA back to the courts if he is removed because Matheson has said the grounds are improper, Nyoka appears to have accepted his fate. CSA also do not anticipate another court battle, although Khan said the possibility of it recurring can only be confirmed by Nyoka himself.”You should direct that to Dr Nyoka,” he said at the conclusion of the special general meeting. “All I can say is that I am deeply saddened by all of this. I have never seen anyone take an organisation that they serve voluntarily to court.”CSA have also had to deal with the departure of the REMCO chief, Thandeka Mgodosu, who tended her letter of resignation on Friday. She said she could no longer work with the current board because she believes there is a lack of transparency. Khan said most of the board came to know of her resignation on Saturday morning but are confident they can move on without her.”We have very highly qualified people in positions on REMCO and nothing prevents us from acquiring expertise from outside,” Khan said. With corporate governance and the paying of external and internal bonuses through REMCO a central issue of the ongoing saga, CSA are in the process of appointing a Legal and Compliance Manager and said they are close to announcing who will occupy that post.Also imminent is the announcement of sponsors, who have been reluctant to deal with CSA until the board’s issues have been resolved. Majola confirmed that two deals have been done and will be made public this week. The ongoing T20 series against Australia was forced to be played without a sponsor and CSA gave the naming rights to a charity at no cost. It was seen as a major failing but Khan said the organisation weathered the storm well. “CSA was in a superb financial position to deal with these difficult issues. We also signed a R1.5 billion deal with broadcasters.” Khan said that CSA are willing to “go to every business partner and answer any questions they have in mind.”Transparency is the new buzz-word around CSA, but it will take some time before the public will be convinced that the organisation, and Majola, are free from blame. They hinted at releasing the finalised KPMG report after consulting as a board and obtaining permission from KMPG. Should that happen, it will go some way towards easing concerns. For now, the board has simply acknowledged that they have erred. “We have made mistakes but we love the game and we want to serve the game,” Khan said.

Chris Gayle has been axed as the West Indies captain and replaced by the allrounder Darren Sammy in a shake-up that has also resulted in Brendan Nash being handed the vice-captaincy

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2010Chris Gayle has been axed as the West Indies captain and replaced by the allrounder Darren Sammy in a shake-up that has also resulted in Brendan Nash being handed the vice-captaincy. However, Gayle has kept his spot in the squad for the three-Test tour of Sri Lanka in November, despite turning down a central contract with the WICB last month.The board has also demoted Dwayne Bravo, who was the vice-captain under Gayle but like his captain did not agree to a new WICB deal. The pair, along with Kieron Pollard, have forged lucrative Twenty20 careers in domestic tournaments including the IPL and refused central contracts which stipulated that they must make themselves available for the West Indies team at all times.That has paved the way for the Windward Islands captain, Sammy, to take over the leadership, despite not being a regular member of the Test side. He and the Australian-born Nash will be in charge of the Test squad until the end of the 2011 home series, ending Gayle’s three-year period at the helm of the team.Gayle led West Indies to three wins in 20 Tests as captain, and they sit seventh on the ICC Test rankings list and eighth in the ODI rankings. Sammy said he was looking forward to the challenge of leading the side, even though in Sri Lanka the squad will be missing several experienced men, including the now uncontracted Denesh Ramdin, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jerome Taylor.”Being appointed West Indies captain is an honour and distinction which I will treat with the highest regard and dignity,” Sammy said. “I believe my captaincy of the Windward Islands, a young team which I have been moulding into playing consistently competitive cricket, will stand me in good stead as West Indies captain as we work on building a team for the future.”I have always given my all when I prepare and play for the West Indies and nothing will change now. I know this will be a difficult challenge and I will take the torch from Chris and hold it high as we forge ahead. I have been playing for the West Indies since 2004 and over those six years I have built strong relationships with many players and I expect to have the full support of the squad.”The decision to appoint Sammy and Nash into positions of responsibility is indicative of the WICB’s desire to achieve stability in leadership from players whose availability isn’t in question. Ernest Hilaire, the board’s CEO, said: “Chris Gayle, the former captain, led the West Indies during a challenging period and the board thanks him for stepping up then but it is now time to past the mantle on as the West Indies rebuilds.”The squad picked for the Sri Lanka series features several players who didn’t play against South Africa at home earlier in the year, West Indies’ most recent Test assignment. Adrian Barath, the opener who burst onto the international scene with a century on debut against Australia in Brisbane last year, returns after hurting his knee in April.Carlton Baugh, who has not played a Test since 2004, will vie with Devon Thomas for the role behind the stumps, while there was also a maiden call-up for the Jamaica allrounder Andre Russell. The opener Devon Smith, who played his most recent Test in May 2009, is also back after averaging 61.50 while leading West Indies A in the first-class fixtures in England this year.West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Brendan Nash (vice-captain), Chris Gayle, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wk), Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Nelon Pascal, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Devon Thomas (wk).

The first priority of the umpire review system is to eliminate obvious mistakes but the man in charge of implementing the technology hopes it will also lead to a new generation of walkers

Peter English24-Nov-2009The first priority of the umpire review system is to eliminate obvious mistakes but the man in charge of implementing the technology hopes it will also lead to a new generation of walkers. Dave Richardson, the ICC’s cricket operations manager, believes an indirect benefit of the two-appeals-per-innings innovation, which was implemented full-time in New Zealand on Tuesday and Australia from Thursday, will be more batsmen not hanging around when they’ve edged behind.In the 11-Test trial Richardson said not only did the percentage of correct decisions improve by 6%, but they noticed the players, the only ones who can call for a review under this part of the system, were adhering more closely to the spirit of cricket. “I quite like the idea of putting a bit of responsibility on them, they are very quick to shake their heads and wave their bat around when they get an inside edge,” he said at the Gabba. “Let’s see how brave they are when it comes to actually taking that responsibility.”Initially when we spoke we thought a possible indirect benefit might be that batsmen, when they do edge a ball, won’t hang around and will walk anyway because they will be inevitably given out in the long run and they might be shown up as, not cheats, but certainly not playing within the spirit.”Richardson said there were fewer issues of dissent from the players and there was also less pressure being placed on the on-field officials by the bowling side. “We’ve found in the trials that the vociferous appealing, and appealing when you know it’s not out, just to try to convince the umpire has seemed to go out of the game.”What’s worse for the game, Steve Bucknor’s effigy getting burnt in India from a bad decision or the opportunity to rectify his mistake and hopefully improving the spirit by saying to the players: it’s your game, your responsibility. You hit it, you walk, if you don’t think it’s out, don’t appeal.”Nine out of the ten ICC members voted for the adoption of the system in internationals – England were not in favour because it is the players who generate the review – but it still relies on the host broadcaster having the technology, which can include Hawk-eye, pitch maps, hot spot and super slo-mo. Hot spot will not be available to the umpires during the Australia-West Indies series, but the third official will always have the same replays as the fans in their lounge rooms.”Unfortunately in this day and age the guy’s not out when the umpire raises his finger, he’s out when Ian Chappell or Mark Nicholas says he’s the out,” Richardson said. “The modern view is we need to use technology.”Simon Katich, Australia’s opening batsman, said the system worked well for the team in South Africa at the start of the year. “We tended to use it at the right time,” he said. “We certainly had no dramas on it.”David Williams, the West Indies coach, said it was good to know the decisions would be well-made. “If the technology is there and used properly then I have absolutely no problem with it,” he said.Richardson wants to make one thing clear: it won’t be perfect. While the human element is being downgraded, there is still scope for doubt. “It’s so important for the person at home watching on television to understand that we are still not going to get 100% of the decisions right, because there are going to be some decisions that aren’t conclusive from the technology point of view. The obvious ones we’ll eradicate.”

Afridi’s omission makes it unlikely that he will win his place back for Pakistan’s home Test series against West Indies in January

Danyal Rasool04-Dec-2024Shaheen Shah Afridi has been left out of Pakistan’s squad for the two-Test series in South Africa in December and January. Afridi, who was released from Pakistan’s Test side after their defeat in the first Test against England in October, remains part of the white-ball squads for the tour. Babar Azam and Naseem Shah, who were released alongside Afridi after that first Test, return to the Test squad.Afridi’s absence specifically from the Tests, though, appears to signal a point in his career where the red-ball format has become less of a priority than it has before, a state that may even become permanent for him. When he was dropped in October, the belief was that the more pace-friendly surfaces in South Africa, where he played his second and third Test matches five years earlier, would suit him better as he tries to return to form in the format.Since returning from a knee injury he picked up during a Test in Sri Lanka in July 2022, Afridi has played just a handful of Tests, and been ineffective while doing so; in six games, he has 17 wickets at an average of 45.47. His omission from these Tests makes it exceedingly unlikely he will win his place back for Pakistan’s home Test series against West Indies in January, following which Pakistan have no Test matches at all till October 2025.There’s also a return for seamer Mohammad Abbas, who last played Test cricket for Pakistan in 2021. Abbas, whose metronomic accuracy and ability to seam the ball initially saw him come into the Pakistan side when they played their home Tests in the UAE, is the only fast bowler in the squad who was also in the side for Pakistan’s last Test tour to South Africa in 2018-19.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sajid Khan, meanwhile, has been left out of the travelling party, Alongside Noman Ali, Sajid was instrumental in turning the series against England around when Pakistan rejigged their pitches to suit the spinners, taking 19 wickets across the two Tests. But surfaces in South Africa will be vastly different to those, and Pakistan travel with just the one spinner, and have opted for Noman’s left-arm orthodox spin instead.That means Abrar Ahmed, at the start of this season considered Pakistan’s premier Test spinner, has also been omitted.Khurram Shahzad returns to the Test side for the first time since a recurring rib injury sidelined him following Pakistan’s home Tests against Bangladesh in August. Initially, he was thought to be out for just a few days, but it would turn into a much longer absence as he missed the entirety of the England Test series. Since returning at the end of October, though, he has been in sparkling form, taking 13 wickets in two Quaid-e-Azam trophy matches, and a further 15 in three innings against the Sri Lanka A side.It leaves Pakistan’s squad somewhat bereft of high pace, a quality more valuable in South Africa than perhaps anywhere else. Naseem is Pakistan’s only true fast bowler for the series, with Aamer Jamal, Shahzad, Abbas and Mir Hamza the others in the squad. This is likely to stand in stark contrast to South Africa’s Test squad, which currently possesses a battery of fast bowlers who can push into the high 140s and even beyond.There’s much less flux in Pakistan’s white-ball squads, with Pakistan opting to stick largely to the team that played the ODI and T20I series in Australia. Sufiyan Muqeem’s bright start in Zimbabwe has seen him rewarded, as he keeps his place for both white-ball teams against South Africa, while Omair Yousuf is part of the T20I squad.Pakistan play three T20Is and three ODIs in South Africa between December 10 and 22, and two Test matches in Centurion and Cape Town beginning on December 26 and January 7. South Africa is, statistically, Pakistan’s least happy hunting ground in Test cricket, where they have won just two Test matches, and never a Test series.

Pakistan squads for South Africa tour

Tests: Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)
T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)

“We are just off our game at this moment… we are getting there,” Klaasen says as the losses pile up

Firdose Moonda11-Sep-2023At what point should a team that has lost five successive fixtures across white-ball formats start to panic? Or, if that sounds too extreme, when should that team, with the knowledge that a World Cup is less than a month away, begin to show some signs of concern?Not yet, according to Heinrich Klaasen.South Africa’s No. 5 put the team’s poor form (they lost the T20Is 3-0 and are currently 2-0 down in the ODIs against Australia) down to the simple – but not small – matter of not doing the foundational stuff well.Related

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• Bavuma urges South Africa to be 'relentless'

• 'Our next best have got work to do' – South Africa coach

“They [Australia] are doing the basics very well and we are quite far off on our basics,” Klaasen said in Potchefstroom ahead of the third ODI. “And the intensity they are playing at at this moment is far, far higher than ours. We need to raise our intensity a little bit.”He called it “a good challenge” for South Africa that they need to win the next three games to take the series, and even better that the gauntlet has been laid down in Potchefstroom, a venue Klaasen claims opposition teams “don’t particularly enjoy”.Marnus Labuschagne, who grew up 40 kilometres away from Potchefstroom in Klerksdorp and whose friends and family are expected to arrive in numbers, may disagree. But for Klaasen, the absence of distraction and South Africa’s strong record give them the upper hand.”We all stay in the [student] village. It’s nice and quiet here. We don’t give them the glamorous life that you get elsewhere in South Africa, so speaking to the guys, teams don’t particularly enjoy it,” Klaasen said. “But we love this venue.”South Africa have won seven of the eight ODIs they have played in Potchefstroom, including a six-wicket win when they blanked Australia 3-0 in 2020. Then, it looked like the team had turned a corner after a period of mostly administrative upheaval. Now, they will hope to do the same with only three competitive fixtures before the World Cup and, as Klaasen put it, at least a 20% improvement the need of the hour. “We’re performing at 60%, if we’re honest, perhaps even lower. If we can get that around 80% to 95% – I don’t think anyone gets it to 100% – we’ll be in a good position.”They will have to do that with three big questions to answer, starting with who is able to take the field.Anrich Nortje is out with lower-back spasms•MLC

Nortje’s fitness under the scanner

South Africa started the series without death-bowling specialist Sisanda Magala, who was nursing a knee niggle. He is available for selection for the third ODI but Anrich Nortje has been ruled out with lower-back spasms. Nortje also didn’t play the first match in the series, for the same reason, and only managed five overs in the second. He is undergoing scans in Johannesburg, which will have the medical staff holding their breath.It was in 2021-22 that Nortje was out of action for seven months with hip and back injuries that took longer than expected to heal. He is one of six quicks in the World Cup squad – South Africa are relying on their traditional strength – and, after missing the 2019 World Cup with a fractured thumb, Nortje will not want history to repeat itself.With concerns over both Magala and Nortje, it is likely that if South Africa need a replacement player, they will look to Wayne Parnell, which may also help the…

… balance of the squad

Currently, they have only one allrounder – Marco Jansen – in the World Cup 15, which is far fewer than most other squads. Australia, as a direct comparison, have five allrounders in their playing group, which lengthens their batting order and gives them several options with the ball.While Klaasen thinks “if we nail our basics, then our balance is perfect”, he need only look at some of the other squads to wonder if his statement should be taken with a pinch of salt. England have six allrounders, including two spin-bowling allrounders, New Zealand and Netherlands have five each, and India three. South Africa may consider Aiden Markram a second allrounder, and Magala, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj almost-allrounders, but even then they all need to step up to avoid the XI lacking something.That said, a fairly similar squad beat England earlier this year to give South Africa much-needed World Cup Super League points so it may just be a case of…

… shaking off the rust

South Africa were out of action for five months before Australia arrived, and though many of their players were active in T20 leagues over the southern-hemisphere winter, they may still be finding their feet as a group. Again, Klaasen didn’t agree but urged some patience with the playing group, which will look to get things right over the next six days.”We are professional cricketers and the majority of the guys have been playing around the world. We are just off our game at this moment,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time. Maybe we are trying a little bit too hard. We are getting there. Hopefully we’ll get it right tomorrow.”

Fast bowler Rusty Theron is also included after missing the Ireland T20Is due to injury

Peter Della Penna22-Jun-2022Former Melbourne Renegades fast bowler Cameron Stevenson has been included in USA’s T20I squad for the first time as one of several changes to the group headed to Zimbabwe next month for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B tournament, from July 10 to 17.Stevenson, 29, has played 12 ODIs for USA, including five during the recent tour of Texas, since making his List A debut for the national team in the CWI Super50 tournament at Trinidad in November 2019. However, he has not played a T20 match since suiting up for the Renegades on New Year’s Day 2017, when he took the wicket of Kevin Pietersen at the MCG in a seven-run win over Melbourne Stars.Stevenson effectively takes a spot made available by the absence of Ian Holland, who was USA’s standout player at the ICC Americas T20 World Cup Qualifier in Antigua last November when his team-leading 10 wickets in six matches propelled USA to a first-place finish and a spot in Zimbabwe. But Holland is unavailable to tour Zimbabwe due to his County cricket commitments at Hampshire.Fast bowler Rusty Theron is also included after missing the Ireland T20Is due to injury. It will be the 36-year-old’s first tour of the African continent with USA since making the switch in 2019 having previously played nine T20Is and four ODIs for his native South Africa from 2010 to 2012.The trickle-down effect of the Covid-effected T20I series against Ireland in December has also had an impact on USA’s squad for Zimbabwe. Sushant Modani and Yasir Mohammad have retained their spots in USA’s T20I squad after impressing as last-minute replacements against Ireland when four players – including Steven Taylor and vice-captain Aaron Jones – were ruled out in December due to Covid.Modani took advantage of his opportunity and scored a fifty on T20I debut in a win over Ireland. He was also one of USA’s most in-form batters in the recent ODIs in Texas, scoring three fifties and a maiden ODI century across the eight games. Teenage legspinner Mohammad also made his T20I debut against Ireland and played a crucial role in the two matches to maintain his spot for the Zimbabwe tour, effectively replacing left-arm spinner Karima Gore who was initially in USA’s T20I squad against Ireland before being ruled out with Covid.The arrival of Stevenson combined with the emergence of Modani and Mohammad – plus the return of Taylor, Jones and Jaskaran Malhotra, who also missed the Ireland matches with Covid – means a number of players make way. Ryan Scott, who made 8 and 11 in his two innings opening the batting against Ireland, has been left out. Xavier Marshall has also been dropped after scoring 4 off 11 in his only innings against Ireland. Teenage allrounder Ritwik Behera was also dropped after struggling in his pair of opportunities against Ireland, making a four-ball duck followed by 16 off 23 balls. Jessy Singh and Ali Sheikh were also left out after not taking the field against Ireland.USA’s squad leaves later this month to begin their preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier with four T20 matches in Namibia – two each against Namibia and Jersey – before moving on to Zimbabwe where they will play two more warmup matches against the Netherlands on July 6 and 7.USA have been placed in Group A of the Qualifier to be staged in Bulawayo where they will face Jersey, Singapore and Zimbabwe. The top two teams in each four-team group – Hong Kong, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and Uganda are in Group B – will advance to the semi-finals where the two winners will advance to the T20 World Cup in Australia this October.USA T20I squad: Monank Patel (capt./wk), Aaron Jones (vice-captain), Marty Kain, Ali Khan, Jaskaran Malhotra, Sushant Modani, Yasir Mohammad, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nisarg Patel, Gajanand Singh, Cameron Stevenson, Steven Taylor, Rusty Theron, Vatsal Vaghela

Chennai clash will be first Test match on UK terrestrial TV since the 2005 Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2021Test cricket is set to return to free-to-air television in the UK for the first time in more than 15 years, after Channel 4 struck a deal with Star Sports, the global rights holders, to broadcast England’s Test series against India.The four-match series, which begins in Chennai on Friday, will be the first Tests to be shown by a terrestrial broadcaster in the UK since Channel 4 themselves hosted the fifth and final match of the 2005 Ashes.However, the broadcaster did make a return to cricket in a one-off capacity for the 2019 World Cup final, when England’s thrilling Super Over victory over New Zealand at Lord’s attracted 15.4 million viewers over the course of the day.Subsequent ECB research suggested that a third of that figure was watching cricket for the first time, and with the UK currently under national lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Channel 4 are understood to be confident of attracting significant interest in a series that will be on air from 4am until past midday – and also features a day-night fixture that will begin at 9am UK time.Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said: “This is fantastic news for all cricket fans in the UK. It’s been a long 16-year wait for the return of live Test cricket to free to air television but it couldn’t have come at a better time. What better antidote to the lockdown blues than an England Test series in sunny India.”Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews and Penny Mills, Head of Sports Rights, led the broadcaster’s negotiations to secure the deal.Andrews added: “We’re delighted to be showing live Test cricket on Channel 4 again and given the recent performances of both sides this series is set to be a cracker. We’re thrilled to have struck this deal with Star Sports.”Aside from the last Ashes series in Australia in 2017-18, which was shown on BT Sport, this will be the first overseas England Test not to have been shown on Sky Sports since their coverage of England cricket began on the tour of the Caribbean in 1989-90.Channel 4 will take the world live feed commentary from Star, and is expected to announce its studio presentation team in due course.