All posts by csb10.top

ScorecardBen Stokes’ Durham return brought scant reward [file picture]•Associated Press

Ben Stokes had a day to forget as Worcestershire adapted to the pink ball better than Durham in the Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.He was out for a seven-ball duck as Durham crashed from 12 without loss to 18 for 5 before recovering to reach 197. Worcestershire replied with 213 for 4, three of the wickets going to England colleague Mark Wood as Stokes conceded 69 in 12 wicketless overs.The visitors took the bold gamble of sending in John Hastings and skipper Joe Leach to slog following the early loss of Daryl Mitchell. Both hit a six before departing in fairly manic fashion.Worcestershire’s Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes said: “”We felt we needed to get the ball soft by belting it a few times and also try to knock their bowlers off their stride when the ball was at its most dangerous. The move served its purpose.”A more measured approach then saw Brett D’Oliveira and Joe Clarke put on 77. D’Oliveira played some handsome strokes and looked comfortable until twilight, when he edged Rushworth through the slips for his ninth four to reach 50 off 72 balls.On 59 he sliced Barry McCarthy to point, where Stokes leapt and was unable to hang on with his right hand, then another edge evaded the slips. But as darkness closed in prior to the 9.47pm finish D’Oliveira reasserted himself to remain unbeaten on 91.Wood returned for a second spell and his third ball sent Clarke’s off stump flying for 45, but Moeen Ali saw out the remaining 14 overs and will resume on 36.The day began badly for Durham when New Zealander Tom Latham was unable to make his debut because of a suspected stress fracture in a foot. Durham anticipate a three-week lay-off.On an overcast day the floodlights were on from the 2pm start and Worcestershire dispensed with the toss before Leach and Hastings wreaked havoc.When they pitched it up it swung; when they hit the deck it bounced and seamed.Hastings enjoyed an opening spell of 8-4-10-3 against his former team-mates, capped by having Stokes caught behind when trying to withdraw his bat from a steeply-bouncing ball.Leach also produced a snorter to account for Keaton Jennings, who got an inside edge into his leg stump.After three wickets fell on 18 Paul Collingwood stopped the rot by making 25 before he sliced a drive low to gully to become the first of four victims for Josh Tongue.Batting looked easier after lunch as the last three wickets added 133. Stuart Poynter and Wood had put on 54 when Wood cut a long hop from Tongue straight to deep backward point. On 43 Poynter played across an in-swinging yorker and was bowled by Tongue, then Rushworth contributed 30 to a last-wicket stand of 50 with McCarthy before lifting a catch to deep square leg.Hastings was in as early as the third over of the reply, when Mitchell propped forward and edged Wood behind. The burly Australian launched Rushworth over long-on in making 12 before edging an attempted hook off Wood to Poynter. Leach holed out at deep mid-off after making 15.They were shortlived knocks, but at 59 for three after ten overs Worcestershire were much better off than Durham had been with plenty of batting to come.

Faf du Plessis will miss the opening Test against England at Lord’s to remain with his wife after the “difficult” birth of their first child. Dean Elgar will stand in as captain, leading South Africa for the first time.Du Plessis will rejoin the squad later in the week to prepare for the second Test at Trent Bridge which begins on July 14.In du Plessis’ absence, South Africa look set to pick Theunis de Bruyn ahead of newcomer Aiden Markram, who was included in the squad as cover for du Plessis. De Bruyn was preferred over Markram in the tour match at New Road last week, and made his debut in South Africa’s most recent Test against New Zealand after Stephen Cook was dropped from the opening berth. De Bruyn scored 12 runs in the match and selection convener Linda Zondi confirmed that when the batsman was reconsidered for a Test spot it would not be as an opener. This is, therefore, an opportunity to blood him in the middle order.”Theunis played the one Test match in New Zealand. There’s been a sense of fairness to players,” Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, said. “We haven’t really discarded a player after one Test match, or two or three innings. At the moment he would be ahead in the pecking order, ahead of a guy like Aiden.”Even if Markram is made to wait, South Africa will still have at least one newcomer to the XI come Thursday. Heino Kuhn is set to partner stand-in skipper Elgar at the top of the order which means half of South Africa’s top four will be fairly inexperienced. Hashim Amla, with 103 Test caps, will bat at No.3 with Temba Bavuma and JP Duminy at No.5 and 6 respectively.South Africa can call on seniority in the bowling department, though. Vernon Philander was passed fit after sustaining an ankle injury during a county stint at Sussex. His availability was particularly pleasing to Domingo, who regards Philander as among the tougher prospects for batsmen.”Vernon is a fantastic bowler for us. He is probably the hardest bowler to face in our side and when he is not there, we tend to struggle a little but because he gives us that control but also gives us the cutting edge if there is something in the wicket and also balances our side with his batting. He is a fantastic cricketer.”Philander will form part of a three-pronged pack alongside Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel. Duanne Olivier, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo are the reserves.With the focus on the make-up of their own XI as they “try to find out what the best combination is,” as Domingo put it, South Africa have not spent too much time weighing up their opposition. Like South Africa, England are under a new captain in Joe Root – although his is a permanent appointment – and Domingo suggested his side would look to a test a top order which continues to be juggled around.”We haven’t looked too closely at their side. Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad, James Anderson are five seriously experienced players who are all match winners in their own right. They are a good side but they’ve also got some uncertainties,” Domingo said. “There’s a new opening batter in Keaton Jennings who has only played a handful of Tests and Gary Ballance has come back into the side. There are certain areas where they may be a little uncertain about that we want to expose.”

ScorecardBen Foakes continued a fine season with the bat•Getty Images

Ben Foakes added to his growing reputation with a highly-responsible 82 not out as Surrey kept alive their hopes of reaching the Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-finals by beating Kent Spitfires by 44 runs at the Kia Oval.The 24-year-old Foakes, who hit a six and six fours from 80 balls, was joined in a sixth wicket stand of 79 in 11 overs by Sam Curran as Surrey rallied from 141 for 5 to reach 251 for 7 in an innings reduced to 41 overs by a delayed start and then two further rain interruptions.In reply Kent could reach only 204 all out from 35.4 overs as they chased a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target of 249, despite 69 from 65 balls from Sam Billings in his first appearance for the county this season following stints in the Indian Premier League and in England’s short one-day international series against Ireland.Kent lost Daniel Bell-Drummond early, for 11, when he missed a hoick at Tom Curran, but Joe Denly played well for a 40-ball 34 before inside-edging into his stumps an attempted drive at Ravi Rampaul.Sam Northeast put on 38 with Billings but was then run out for 17 when his partner refused a short single into the offside; Darren Stevens was leg-before for 5 to what looked to be a Scott Borthwick googly; and Alex Blake briefly glittered with three fours in a quickfire 22 before mishitting Sam Curran to mid on.The same bowler castled Calum Haggett and, at 170 for 6 with ten overs left, Kent’s hopes rested with Billings and the tail.Those hopes were extinguished when Sam Curran went around the wicket to have Billings caught on the pull by his brother Tom at long leg. Billings had struck three sixes and two fours but his dismissal was symptomatic of Kent’s profligate batting and they sit at the bottom of the South Group with just one win from six matches.The end came soon afterwards with James Tredwell and Charlie Hartley removed for ducks and Matt Coles last out for a jaunty 25. Stuart Meaker, who had Coles caught behind hooking at a bouncer, finished with 4 for 37 and he and Sam Curran (3 for 43) were the pick of Surrey’s attack.Sixteen runs had come from the first over of the match, with Jason Roy plundering three high-class boundaries off Coles after edging the paceman’s second ball just wide of a diving Tredwell at second slip. A clip through mid wicket, a back foot cover drive and a thundering pull were all despatched to the ropes with withering power and a huge total on a fine pitch looked certain.Coles, however, hit back to concede just 12 runs from his next four new ball overs – an excellent effort – and Haggett, though expensive, snapped up the wicket of Mark Stoneman for 10 with a fine ball, brilliantly held by keeper Billings as he flung himself in front of slip.The first of two rain interruptions came with Surrey on 58 for 1 off 7.4 overs and, by the time of the second, they were struggling at 115 from 20.2 with Stevens snaring both Kumar Sangakkara and Rory Burns in a typically canny spell of medium pace from the Vauxhall End.Roy had also by then fallen for a 44-ball 44, caught at deep square leg off Ivan Thomas after failing to kick on from his flying start while both Sangakkara and Burns found it difficult to find fluency against the accurate Stevens and also a steady six-over spell by Thomas.Hartley and Tredwell also began tightly but, after Borthwick had chipped Hartley’s whippy fast-medium to short mid wicket, a Surrey rally was launched by the in-form Foakes.The right-handed keeper-batsman found a busy partner in Sam Curran and the sixth wicket pair added 79 in 11 overs to revive the innings. Foakes reached his fifty from 57 balls, with successive fours off Hartley, and the younger Curran brother drove Haggett and Tredwell for sixes to long off and long on respectively before, on 39 from 37 balls, edging the returning Coles to Billings who completed the catch at the second attempt.Thomas removed Tom Curran in the closing overs but was also pulled superbly for six by Foakes as Surrey eventually hauled themselves past the 250 mark in what had been a stop-start innings, and not just because of the weather.Most of Surrey’s innings was watched by 5,000 local schoolchildren, enthusiastically attending as part of the club’s annual Schools Day, but by the time Kent replied in warm afternoon sunshine they had long gone.

A greater sense of assurance about his game has instilled in Robin Uthappa the hope of a return to national colours. The Kolkata Knight Riders batsman’s 47-ball 87 highlighted an already productive evening that had seen him effect three stumpings, as his team sauntered past Rising Pune Supergiant by seven wickets at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Uthappa’s third half-century of the season was, by his own admission, a crucial knock, but he said it was important to not get ahead of himself.”They batted well to get 182, and we knew we had to keep the run rate going even after the first six overs,” Uthappa told . “We could not take our foot off the pedal and were looking to get nine runs from every over and we were in a very good position by the 15th over.”It is important to keep performing and I have been doing that. The dream is to play for India again and represent the country in Test matches. The dreams are there but one can’t think too far forward. You want to stay in the present and give your best foot forward. I believe hard work never goes unnoticed. I truly believe my turn will come.”In a departure from past editions, Knight Riders have chosen to move Uthappa down the order and make captain Gautam Gambhir open with different partners – Chris Lynn, Colin de Grandhomme and Sunil Narine. Uthappa admitted that his new position meant he lost out on the advantage of batting in the Powerplay sometimes, but said he had the game to cope with the change. “I have immense faith in my batting. I know I don’t need that kind of advantage to score the runs that I need to score for the team. I back myself and I am really confident and sure about my batting.”On Wednesday, though, Narine was dismissed in the third over and the Gambhir-Uthappa reunion that followed produced a 158-run alliance, the second biggest for Knight Riders. Uthappa said their understanding of each other’s games contributed to their successful partnerships. “Gauti and I understand each other very well when we are batting,” he said. “We understand the importance of strike rotation and support each other in that sense. When we take a decision on the field, we really stick to that decision, and when you do that, it works in your favour.”Another area of improvement for Uthappa has been his wicketkeeping. A case in point was his sharp work off Narine’s bowling when Ajinkya Rahane made room to cut but missed and lifted his back leg momentarily for Uthappa to whip the bails off. Uthappa said keeping to the three spinners in his side – Kuldeep Yadav, Narine and Piyush Chawla – was as enjoyable as it was challenging. “Obviously, you keep to them as often as you can in the nets and that helps in understanding what they are bowling and when they are bowling it.”Also, during the course of the game you understand what the batsman is doing and what the bowler is probably going to bowl. So, there is a sense of anticipation as well. It worked today for me and I am very happy. Piyush is an extremely challenging bowler as he has different kinds of googlies. All our spinners are a little bit of hard work, but it makes keeping a lot more fun.”

Kane Williamson was named New Zealand’s Player of the year and was awarded the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for a second successive year, just three days after he had become the fastest New Zealander to 5000 Test runs and their joint-highest century-maker.Williamson, who racked up 1079 Test runs at 59.94, including four hundreds, during the judging period, secured the Redpath Cup for first-class batting for a second successive year. He was also named T20 international player of the year.Currently ranked second in the ICC Test rankings, Williamson had become the youngest and the quickest to make a century against all nine other Test countries, in August last year. In ODIs, Williamson scored 695 runs at 40.88 while in T20Is, he hit 158 runs at 52.66.Fast bowler Neil Wagner, who played in 13 out of 14 Tests during the judging period for 56 wickets, was adjudged the Test player of the year, and also won the Winsor Cup for first-class bowling. During the home summer, Wagner became the second-fastest New Zealand bowler, after Richard Hadlee, to 100 Test wickets.Opener Martin Guptill, was named ODI player of the year for his tally of 570 runs at 47.50, including an unbeaten 180 against South Africa in Hamilton. Guptill now has three scores of 180 or more – the most by any batsman.Amy Satterthwaite, who equalled Kumar Sangakkara’s record of four consecutive ODI centuries and finished with 935 runs at 103.88, was named Women’s ODI player of the year. Her captain Suzie Bates was recognised as the Women’s T20 player of the year.The winners
Sir Richard Hadlee medal for player of the year: Kane Williamson
Test player of the year: Neil Wagner
Men’s ODI player of the year: Martin Guptill
Men’s T20I player of the year: Kane Williamson
Women’s ODI player of the year: Amy Satterthwaite
Women’s T20 player of the year: Suzie Bates
Winsor Cup (first-class bowling): Neil Wagner
Redpath Cup (first-class batting): Kane Williamson
T20 domestic player of the year: Glenn Phillips
Ruth Martin Cup (women’s domestic batting): Katey Martin
Phyl Blackler Cup (women’s domestic bowling): Leigh Kasperek
Bert Sutcliffe medal for outstanding service: Neil Sulzberger

The proposed new T20 competition in England is likely to dilute the quality of domestic 50-over cricket and provide “another kick” to its future, according to new PCA chairman, Daryl Mitchell.While Mitchell, the Worcestershire top-order batsman who was recently elected to the PCA role, regards the launch of the eight-team T20 competition, scheduled for 2020, as “inevitable” he has reservations about several aspects of it and promised to work hard to ensure the interests of all 400 PCA members are protected.”The new T20 competition looks like a great opportunity for the 90 to 100 lads selected to play in it,” Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo. “But the role of the PCA is to look out for the other 300 players, too.”The plan at the moment is to play the 50-over competition during the window when the new T20 competition will be on. But if you take the best 100 white-ball players out of the tournament it is pretty inevitable there will be a dilution in quality.”We’re told players not in action in the new T20 competition may be made available to their counties, but 50-over cricket is probably already the format given the least priority by the players – something that is reflected in the prize money – and this will be another kick for it.”Our role will be to ensure the money we’re told will come into the sport trickles down for the benefit of everyone.”Mitchell’s personal views would appear to conflict quite sharply with the ECB’s approach in several areas. He believes a partial return to free-to-air broadcasting is essential if the game is to reach a new audience, he preferred the idea of a two-division solution (with promotion and relegation) in the T20 debate, and he argues for a need to increase the wages of young players.He accepts, however, that the ECB has “an incredibly difficult job” in trying to “look after so many stakeholders” and that his role is to communicate not his own views but those of his membership. “It’s about feeding back the views of the collective,” he said.”One of the challenging parts of the job is the need to balance the long-term health of the game with the short-term benefits to our current member. We have to remember that, if we don’t look after the game, we might not have any future members.”We appreciate that the ECB are trying to ensure the health of the game in the long-term and we appreciate we’re one of many stakeholders. We know we have to balance our aspirations with the aspirations of everyone else and I’m looking forward to working with the ECB to that end.”But he believes the players may have been “a bit naïve” in their enthusiasm for the new T20 competition and that reality has “hit home in recent times”.”As a Worcestershire player, we really look forward to the T20 competition as it provides us with a chance to play in front of packed houses and on big grounds,” he said. “As things stand, we go into that competition each year with a chance of winning it. To have that taken away from us is a bit of a blow.”When the new competition was first talked about, I think everyone thought they were about to become millionaires. Now people are realising that only about a quarter of us will play. We’re going to need quite a lot of info from the ECB.”From a personal point of view, I liked the two-division idea and, from a personal point of view, I think we need to get some cricket back on free to air. I think the ECB recognise that, too, and they are very clear about trying to raise the profile of the game.”Responding to the ECB’s reported attempt to change the mechanism by which the domestic salary cap is calculated, Mitchell suggested his attention was more on players at the lower end of the salary spectrum.”The salary cap isn’t relevant to many clubs,” Mitchell said. “I’m more worried up upping the minimum salaries. There are players in county cricket earning around £15,000 a year, which I don’t think reflects the skill and dedication required to be a professional athlete.”I’m told that nothing is decided about the salary cap yet, but I think our main priority will be making sure some of the money coming into the game filters down to the lower ends.”

Scott Kuggeleijn has been found not guilty of rape by a jury at the Hamilton District Court.Kuggeleijn, 25, an allrounder, plays for Northern Districts in New Zealand’s domestic circuit and is the son of former New Zealand Test cricketer Chris Kuggeleijn.The case dates back to an incident that occurred on May 17, 2015. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before coming back with the not-guilty verdict.In a release following the verdict, Northern Districts’ chief executive Peter Roach said: “This has been a terribly difficult situation for all concerned. Northern Districts is an organisation which embraces inclusivity and promotes respect towards women. As such, the charges against Scott were a grave concern.”The case had to be re-tired after a jury could not reach a verdict in August 2016.

The meeting to select India’s squads for the ODI and T20I series against England beginning on January 15 was delayed in Mumbai on Friday because of a lack of clarity over protocol in the wake of the Supreme Court order on January 2, which left the BCCI without most of its office-bearers. The meeting was supposed to begin at 12.30 pm IST but it only began at 3.15 pm and was eventually convened by the board’s CEO Rahul Johri.The procedure until now was that the BCCI secretary convenes the selection meeting; the confusion arose with the incumbent, Ajay Shirke, being removed from his post by the Supreme Court. On Friday Shirke’s deputy, the joint secretary Amitabh Choudhary, asked Johri to delay the selection meeting until the evening to enable him to reach the venue in Mumbai. Johri in turn asked the Lodha Committee secretary Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who replied that Choudhary was no longer an office bearer under the terms of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations and that the selection meeting should proceed as scheduled.

Eligibility criteria for BCCI and state office bearers

“All the office bearers of BCCI and of its affiliated State Associations who fail to meet the norms recommended by the Committee and accepted by this Court, shall forthwith demit and cease to hold office namely: A person shall be disqualified from being an Office Bearer if he or she”
(a) Is not a citizen of India;
(b) Has attained the age of 70 years;
(c) Is declared to be insolvent, or of unsound mind;
(d)Is a Minister or government servant;
(e) Holds any office or post in a sports or athletic association or federation apart from cricket;
(f) Has been an Office Bearer of the BCCI or a State Association for a cumulative period of 9 years;
(g) Has been charged by a Court of Law for having committed any criminal offence.”

In an email to the BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri at 2.08 pm IST on Friday, Sankaranarayanan wrote: “It is clarified that Mr. Amitabh Chaudhary stands disqualified and is no longer the joint secretary of the BCCI or an office bearer of the BCCI or a State Association by virtue of the orders of the Supreme Court dated 2.1.2017 and 3.1.2017.”As a result, he has no authority to interfere with the BCCI and its functioning or with the directions of this Committee. Please proceed with the Selection Committee Meeting as scheduled.”The Lodha Committee’s email was in response to a query from Johri at 1.33pm on Friday, after Choudhury requested that the selection meeting be delayed. “We have received differing legal advice insofar as whether a person who has completed nine years as an office bearer of a State Association would be disqualified from being an office bearer of the BCCI in terms of the order dated 2nd January 2017 read with the order dated 3rd January 2017 and have been advised to seek a clarification from the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” Johri wrote.”Although Mr. Amitabh Choudhary has completed nine years as an office bearer of a State Association, he has not completed nine years as an office bearer of BCCI. In view of the above, please advise as to whether Mr. Amitabh Choudhury stands disqualified in terms of the order dated 2nd January 2017 read with the order dated 3rd January 2017 and whether we should go ahead with the selection committee meeting as per your earlier emails or act on the instructions of Mr. Amitabh Choudhury.”On January 2, the Supreme Court had passed an order removing the BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Shirke from office, and also directed that all other office bearers of the BCCI and state associations who did not meet the eligibility criteria laid down by the Lodha Committee Committee should step down.On January 3, however, the Supreme Court modified one of the sub-clauses in its January 2 order concerning the eligibility of an office-bearer. Originally the order had said: “A person shall be disqualified from being an Office Bearer if he or she has been an Office Bearer of the BCCI for a cumulative period of 9 years.” But on Tuesday, the court modified that to: “Has been an Office Bearer of the BCCI or a State Association for a cumulative period of 9 years.”According to the Lodha Committee’s interpretation of the modification, if a person had finished nine years as an office-bearer, whether at BCCI or state level or both combined, that person was ineligible to remain as office-bearer at BCCI or state level effective immediately. Choudhury was deemed ineligible according to this condition. It is understood the Lodha Committee consulted legal counsel involved in the case, including the BCCI lawyer, before arriving at its interpretation.Choudhary explained his request to delay the meeting by citing the court’s order of January 2, under which, he said, that the honorary joint secretary would discharge the duties of the BCCI secretary in the latter’s absence. Over the issue of eligibility related to the nine-year cap on tenure, Choudhury referred to an FAQ bulletin released by the Lodha Committee in September last year and said a legal query would be raised on the matter.”The other earlier recommendations are also very clear. Yes, the ceiling of nine years is the law now but that ceiling applies to state associations as well as the BCCI,” Choudhary said. “Interestingly, in a FAQ bulletin released in September, by the Hon Lodha Committee, I think point number eight clarifies the point that the ceiling of nine years for the state associations and the ceiling of nine years for the BCCI are not congruent. They run differently. So in view of these, I see no reason for confusion.”The validity of the team largely depends on the selectors and considering the fact that the five selectors were present, including the chairman, the process to that extent is perfect. And this is not a personal matter for me to raise this question. There will be a legal query raised about this but the team staff and players will not be affected by this.”

ScorecardRahat Ali finished with three wickets•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

The Pakistan fast bowlers completed the demolition job they had begun on the first night, dismissing Cricket Australia XI for 114, but their batsmen stumbled once again against the pink ball under lights in Cairns. The visitors ended the day on 5 for 124 in their second innings, ahead by 218 runs.CA XI had begun the second day on 4 for 3, and had little respite from a three-pronged pace attack. Mohammad Amir did not add to the three wickets he took on the first day, but Rahat Ali picked up two more to finish with three as well, as did Wahab Riaz who razed the lower order. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz bowled only five overs and did not take a wicket. CA XI were shot out in 39.1 overs, having conceded a first-innings lead of 94.In their last competitive innings before the day-night Test against Australia in Brisbane from December 15, Pakistan lost Sami Aslam and Babar Azam cheaply once again. They were out for 12 and 22, falling to fast bowler Mark Steketee. Opener Azhar Ali held one end up with an unbeaten 44 off 153 balls, but Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq made fleeting visits to the crease.Azhar added 45 for the fifth wicket with Shafiq, who was dismissed late in the day.Wahab said at the end of the day that he deemed this pitch was on the slower side. “It’s summer here, which is why I feel the wicket is on the slower side. I had to see how the pitch was behaving [at the start of my spell]. It wasn’t doing much and was on the slower side. There wasn’t much bounce and carry, but I managed to do what I do and bowl fast. But the ball travels well under lights. There’s swing and seam and carry through to the keeper.”He played down questions about Pakistan’s scoring rate by saying that it was a welcome sign that the batsmen were spending time in the middle.”It’s good that the batsmen are taking their time. This is what we’ve lacked in the last two-three Tests. Our batsmen have not been staying in for a long time. They’re getting starts but no one has been converting them to big scores. So I think it’s good that they’re taking time and have confidence before going into the Test series. Run rate doesn’t matter as much as the confidence they’re getting.”

Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Umar Gul to their ODI squad. The 32-year-old last played 50-over cricket for his country in April 2015. Gul is one of four fast bowlers – including the uncapped Hasan Ali – chosen to play against England and Ireland from August 18.Legspinner Yasir Shah has also made a return to limited-overs cricket for the first time since November 2015. He had been suspended for a doping offence and was unavailable for selection when Pakistan had toured New Zealand in January 2016. Seven out of the 16 men from that squad have been sidelined.

Changes to Pakistan’s ODI squad

In: Sami Aslam, Sharjeel Khan, Umar Gul, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz
Out: Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Zafar Gohar

Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan was one of those to be left out. In the past, Pakistan have handled him with great care, mindful of his injury-prone nature. His pace and bounce have been seen as assets, but with only 12 wickets in nine ODIs over the past 12 months, he has been overlooked by the new selection panel led by Inzamam-ul-Haq.Others who haven’t made the cut include Ahmed Shehzad, Sohaib Maqsood and Anwar Ali. While Shehzad has fallen out of favour due to issues with indiscipline and inconsistency, Maqsood and Anwar have struggled with their recent form. Maqsood has not done much since starting his career with back-to-back fifties, while Anwar has gone wicketless in four of his last six matches.Sami Aslam, who made two high-quality half-centuries in the Edgbaston Test against England, was drafted in, as was Mohammad Nawaz, who made his Pakistan debut in the Asia Cup in February. Nawaz is yet to take an international wicket, but had a productive time in the Pakistan Super League where he finished with 13 wickets at an average of 18. He was also part of the A team tour to England this July.Meanwhile Hasan, a 22-year-old right-arm seamer, is the only squad member without any experience in international cricket. He made his List A debut in 2013 and has taken 40 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 22.87. Like Nawaz, he has recent experience of English conditions thanks to his inclusion in Pakistan’s A team tour last month.”While picking the squad, the team management and skipper were consulted and all concerned gave their consent in this regard,” chief selector Inzamam said in a statement issued by PCB. “The team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions and the recent performances of some players in domestic and A Team tours. The team is a fine blend of experience and youth and the selectors believe that this team will do well.”Gul’s return to the Pakistan team has come two months after he had accused the selectors of “double standards”. Though he has had problems with fitness, missing large chunks of cricket in 2013 and 2014 due to a knee injury, he said he had been overlooked for the 2015 World Cup despite meeting the minimum fitness requirements. After he was left out of the Test squad for England and even the national camps in Abbottabad and Lahore, Gul said he felt the selectors had lost faith in him.Pakistan’s ODI squad: Azhar Ali (capt), Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Nawaz