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Stats highlights from the fourth day at the SCG where Australia amassed more runs and Pakistan lost more wickets

Bharath Seervi06-Jan-20171:04

Fast and furious fifties

7.53 Run rate in Australia’s second innings – 241 in 32 overs – the highest, by a distance, in any team innings of 100 or more runs, beating West Indies’ 6.82 in total of 173 against India while chasing in Kingston in 1982-83. Australia’s run rate in their second innings in this series has been 6.23 – easily their best in any series; it was never more than five per over in any other series where they scored 250-plus runs. They had scored 202 at 5.17 in their second innings at Gabba.8.85 Yasir Shah’s economy rate in the second innings – the worst by a bowler delivering 10 or more overs in an innings. The next worst is Shahadat Hossain’s 8.41 at Lord’s in 2005. This is the first time Yasir has conceded at more than six an over in his career.23 Balls taken by David Warner to reach his fifty – the second-quickest in Test history. The fastest fifty was off 21 balls by Misbah-ul-Haq against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014-15. The previous fastest by an Australia batsman was Bruce Yardley’s 29-ball effort in Bridgetown in 1977-78. The previous fastest by any player against Pakistan was Kapil Dev’s, off 30 balls, in Karachi in 1982-83. Warner had raced to 50 in 42 balls and 100 in 78 balls in the first innings.203.70 Warner’s strike rate in his cameo of 27-ball 55 – the highest by any opener scoring 50 or more runs, beating Chris Gayle’s 173.91 (80* off 46) against New Zealand in Port-of-Spain in 2014 and the third-highest for a 50-plus innings. Warner’s strike rate of 137.70 in the match, which included a 95-ball 113 in the first innings, is the third-highest for a batsman with 150-plus runs in a Test.287 The highest target successfully chased at the SCG, by the hosts against South Africa in 2006. No touring team has won chasing more than 200 at the venue. Pakistan are 410 runs behind with 98 overs scheduled to be played on the final day.7 Innings for Peter Handscomb in his Test career and he has not got out without scoring at least a fifty. No other player in the history had started his Test career in this fashion. South Africa’s Jimmy Blanckenburg and England’s James Anderson had started with six consecutive innings from debut without getting out for less than 50. Handscomb’s scores so far, when dismissed – 54, 105, 54, 110 – and when not out – 1*, 35* and 40*.Australia scored 241 in just 32 overs in the second innings to set a target of 465•ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Higher scores by batsmen at No. 4 position at the SCG than Younis Khan’s 175 not out. There have been two double-centuries at that position – Brian Lara’s 277 and Sachin Tendulkar’s 241 not out. Younis’ score is the highest by any Pakistan player at the SCG, eclipsing Ijaz Ahmed’s 137 in 1995-96, the last time Pakistan won a Test in Australia.672 Runs conceded by Yasir in this series – the most by any bowler in a three-match series. The previous most was Muttiah Muralitharan’s 649 in a home series against Australia in 2003-04. Anil Kumble gave away 710 runs in three matches he played in Australia in 2003-04, but that was a four-match series. In this series, Yasir averages 84, has a strike rate of 111.1 and economy rate of 4.53 – all being his worst in any series.4 Instances of Australia’s both opening batsmen scoring 50 or more in both innings of a Test. Warner and Matt Renshaw scored centuries in the first innings and then Warner and Usman Khawaja scored fifties in the second innings. The 431 runs scored by their openers in this match are their fourth-highest ever in any Test.2 The top two individual scores for Pakistan in Australia have come in this series – Azhar Ali’s 205 not out at the MCG in the last match and Younis’ 175 not out. The top score before this was Majid Khan’s 158 way back in 1972-73. There were only three 150-plus scores by Pakistan players in Australia before coming into this series.

Also: who missed the largest number of Tests over the course of a career?

Steven Lynch14-Mar-2017Four bowlers took six-fors in the Bengaluru Test. Is it true that this was a record? asked Christopher Jackson from Australia
Each innings of the recent match in Bengaluru featured a six-for by a different bowler, which had never happened before in a Test match. Nathan Lyon started with 8 for 50 for Australia, Ravindra Jadeja replied with 6 for 63 for India, Josh Hazlewood added 6 for 67, and R Ashwin wrapped things up with 6 for 41. There had been two previous instances of four six-fors in the same Test, but not by four different bowlers: at The Oval in 1896, Hugh Trumble took 6 for 59 and 6 for 30 for Australia, while Jack Hearne took 6 for 41 and Bobby Peel 6 for 23 for England; then in Melbourne in 1901-02, Sydney Barnes took 6 for 42 and 7 for 121 for England, and Monty Noble took 7 for 17 and 6 for 60 for Australia. There are 32 other Tests which featured four separate five-fors – and one that had five: in the solitary Test played at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, in 1902, Noble took 6 for 51 and 5 for 52 and Jack Saunders 5 for 50 for Australia, while Barnes collected 6 for 49 and Wilfred Rhodes 5 for 63 for England. At The Oval in 1997, three different bowlers – Glenn McGrath, Phil Tufnell and Michael Kasprowicz – uniquely took seven wickets in an innings.R Ashwin has 269 wickets after 47 Tests. What’s the record for a player’s first 50 matches? asked L Balakrishnan from India
Ashwin could take no wickets at all in his next three matches and still be top of this list: the most wickets by anyone after their first 50 Tests is Dennis Lillee’s 262, just ahead of Dale Steyn with 260. Allan Donald took 251, and Muttiah Muralitharan 245. The next milestone for Ashwin to aim for is being the fastest to 300 wickets in terms of Tests: Lillee did it in 56 matches, Muralitharan in 58, and Steyn, Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall in 61. Donald and Shane Warne each needed 63 Tests to reach 300. The most wickets after 60 Tests is Lillee’s 321, and then Muralitharan takes over: he had 382 after 70 matches (ahead of Steyn 356, Hadlee and Lillee 355), 450 after 80 (Hadlee 403, Steyn 402), 527 after 90 (Anil Kumble 434, Hadlee 431 in 86 matches), and 593 after 100 Tests (Kumble 485, Glenn McGrath 451, Shane Warne 444).During a 27-year Test career, Brian Close was more out of the side than in it•Getty ImagesDean Elgar just missed twin centuries at Dunedin. Has anyone done this for South Africa in a Test? asked Keith Harrison from South Africa
Dean Elgar followed 140 in the first innings in Dunedin with 89 in the second. Had he managed 11 more runs second time round he would have become the sixth man to score two centuries in the same Test for South Africa, following Alan Melville and Bruce Mitchell (both in England in 1947), Gary Kirsten (against India in Kolkata in 1996-97), Jacques Kallis (who did it twice – against Pakistan in Karachi in 2007-08, and v India in Cape Town in 2010-11), and Hashim Amla (v India in Kolkata in 2009-10).England played 170 Tests between Gareth Batty’s debut and his (presumably) final match last winter. Was this a record? asked Kevin Burns from England
Gareth Batty played in only nine of England’s 170 Tests between his debut, against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2003-04, and his latest cap, against India in Mohali in November 2016. It’s a difficult one to check, but I think the only player to miss more Tests during his career than Batty’s 161 is Brian Close: England played 244 Tests between Close’s debut in 1949 and his swansong in 1976, and he played in only 22 of them – he therefore missed 222 matches that he might have played in. Pat Pocock, another Surrey offspinner, missed 145 of the 170 Tests during his Test career, which stretched from 1967-68 to 1984-85, while Fred Titmus missed 132 of England’s 185 Tests between 1955 and 1974-75. The first non-Englishman is Brad Hogg: Australia played 136 Tests between his debut in 1996-97 and his last appearance in 2007-08, and he played in only seven of them. Next is someone who may yet climb the list: Parthiv Patel has played only 23 of India’s 150 Test matches since his debut in 2002 and his recall at the end of last year.Nine down? Take it home, Viv•PA PhotosWhat is the highest last-wicket partnership in ODIs? asked Nilanjan Banerjee from India
The highest tenth-wicket stand in one-day internationals involved a famous innings quite a while ago: at Old Trafford in 1984, West Indies were in trouble at 166 for 9 against England when Michael Holding walked out to join Viv Richards. But Viv seemed unconcerned, and blasted his way to 189 not out – the highest ODI score at the time – and put on 106 with Holding, who managed 12 not out. Said Wisden: “In 14 overs they added 106, Richards’s share being 93. He batted with daring and immense power, giving only one technical chance, a leg-side stumping off Miller when he was 44.” It proved more than enough: England were shot out for 168. The only other century stand for the last wicket in ODIs was 103, by Mohammad Amir and Saeed Ajmal against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in 2009-10, a partnership which nearly stole victory after Pakistan had been 101 for 9, chasing 212.Is it true that the same man was involved in Test cricket’s first obstructing the field and handled the ball dismissals? asked Jeremy Attenborough from Scotland
Remarkably, it is true: the one and only obstructing the field dismissal in Tests happened at The Oval in 1951, when the England opener Len Hutton tried to flick away a ball which had run up his arm after he gloved a lifter from Athol Rowan. Although Hutton didn’t make any further contact, the South Africans appealed, as they believed he had prevented their wicketkeeper from taking a catch – and Hutton was given out. The wicketkeeper concerned was Russell Endean, who was making his Test debut. A few years later, in 1956-57, Endean was batting in Cape Town when a ball from Jim Laker hit his pad and ballooned up in the air. As Wisden reported: “The ball rose high and might well have fallen on to the stumps had not Endean thrown up a hand and diverted it. On appeal the umpire had no option but to give him out.” Some wondered whether Endean’s background in hockey – he had also represented South Africa in that – might have led to this temporary brain-fade. There have been six further handled-ball dismissals in Tests, but it seems unlikely there will be any more, as this method of dismissal is being removed from the Laws shortly (handling the ball twice will still be illegal, but anyone doing it will be given out obstructing the field instead).Post your questions in the comments below

As two of ODI cricket’s most mercurial sides prepare to face off in a knockout clash, we go back to the tactics board

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2017PAKISTANWill Pakistan play Faheem Ashraf?
Faheem Ashraf pulled his side back from the dead in their practice match against Bangladesh, and Pakistan’s lack of genuine hitting options in their lower-middle order mean Ashraf could come in as a power-hitting allrounder. Pakistan’s run rate of 6.44 in the last ten overs since the 2015 World Cup is the lowest among the top eight sides, in matches against each other. Ashraf’s innings in the warm-up game, coupled with his reputation as an explosive hitter who can bat with the tail, could inspire Pakistan to slot him in the playing XI, especially considering the high scores the tournament has witnessed so far.Pakistan have among the lowest run rates at the death since World Cup 2015•ESPNcricinfo LtdHow will Pakistan approach the first ten overs?Pakistan are missing the big-hitting prowess of Sharjeel Khan, whose strike rate of 130.37 since the 2015 World Cup has offered them some of their briskest starts in the past few years. Without him, Ahmed Shehzad’s lean patch, coupled with Azhar Ali’s steadier methods have only offered Pakistan sedate starts in the first ten overs. Fakhar Zaman impressed with 31 off 23 balls on debut against South Africa, playing some crisp strokes against a quality bowling attack. Pakistan will hope he comes good against a Sri Lankan bowling attack that has been rather ordinary so far despite Lasith Malinga’s return for this tournament.Sri Lanka’s openers have both struck form in the two games so far•ICCCombating Sri Lanka’s openersIn one of the few early-innings blitzes in the tournament so far, Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis ran the Indian bowling attack ragged in the game on June 8. Though Niroshan Dickwella fell for seven in that game, his combination with Gunathilaka at the top, in Upul Tharanga’s absence, makes for one of the most belligerent opening pairs in the tournament. Pakistan’s bowling, on the other hand, has blown hot and cold so far. However, they came back strongly in their game against South Africa, through the early introduction of Imad Wasim and Mohammad Hafeez, who, apart from keeping it tight, picked up three crucial wickets between them. Gunathilaka, in particular, has been susceptible to spin in his short career so far – he has been dismissed by spinners in five out of ten instances – and if Pakistan have an eye on these numbers, we could see Wasim and Hafeez bowl more overs in the Powerplay. Hasan Ali has not bowled too often in the first ten overs in his career so far, with his wicket-taking record in the middle and latter overs speaking for itself. With neither of the Sri Lanka openers likely to hold back, unlike in the previous two games, Sarfraz Ahmed could well turn to his side’s leading strike bowler early.SRI LANKAPersistent injuries have prevented Malinga from finding his groove of late•ESPNcricinfo LtdWill Malinga regain form?
Malinga’s figures so far in the tournament read 20-0-127-2, and the only wicket he has earned was with a classic wide slower one which Shikhar Dhawan sent down long-on’s throat. While he has been a talisman for Sri Lanka over the years, he has only featured in nine ODIs since the 2015 World Cup, taking a wicket every 46.6 balls and conceded 6.16 runs per over. On his day, he is as significant a threat as it gets for any opponent, and there would be few better days for him to show his worth than a knockout fixture in a global tournament – a scenario Sri Lanka are known to relish.Lakshan Sandakan’s wrist spin offers Sri Lanka a potent wicket-taking option•AFPTime to try out Sandakan?Sri Lanka are the only side in the tournament to concede at more than a run a ball between overs 15 and 40, and it is partly down to their extensive use of part-timers to fill the fifth bowler’s slot, and partly to all their fast bowlers leaking runs. Lakshan Sandakan’s left-arm wrist spin, spoken of highly in the build-up to the tournament, now has its reputation enhanced by his absence in Sri Lanka’s first two games. If nothing else, he offers a refreshing change from the three right-arm quick bowlers and Thisara Perera’s medium-pace.Angelo Mathews has held the Sri Lankan middle order together in the past few years•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe importance of Mathews in ODIsAngelo Mathews’ ODI batting has been in a somewhat extended bull run since the beginning of 2014. He has averaged 50.08 since then, scoring as many runs in his last 61 innings as he did in his first 91. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he is the glue that holds the Sri Lankan middle-order together, while also possessing the ability to accelerate in the final overs, where he has a strike rate of 13. Relieved of his bowling duties, Mathews shone in Sri Lanka’s record chase against India, and holds the key to his side’s batting fortunes today.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan came up with unforgettable lines from time to time during their international careers. Here’s a look at a few memorable #MisYou quotes over the years

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2017

“Believe me, there was no pressure of playing the final. The pressure was all about the ticket requests.”

“I don’t want to be a dummy captain, and the reason why I have refused the captaincy will be revealed afterward.”

“In this form it is better to take it easy and have fun. It is like WWF.”

“It’s not because of one man. I didn’t attack the Sri Lankan team nor have I finished international cricket in Pakistan.”

Misbah played some breathtaking knocks in Twenty20 cricket, in complete contradiction to his “tuk-tuk” nickname•Panda Man

“There is no fear. He is not a [ghost].”

“Call me ‘Tuk-Tuk’ and keep saying it, but remember I am the captain of Pakistan.”

“So a player like me should shoot himself?”

“Since Saeed Ajmal does not listen to anyone else, the one advantage I have over him is that I can say anything I want to him.”

Misbah-ul-Haq’s push-ups delivered on a promise•Getty Images

“I promised them, if ever I score a hundred, I will definitely do that to remind you that we were there.”

“I got a call from India. It was Mohammad Azharuddin. He told me to stay in the crease.”

“Attacking cricket doesn’t mean you shoot the opposition’s head with a rocket-launcher”

“In Pakistan there are a lot of very good people. But because of some mad people, perhaps 5% of the population, we are suffering at the moment.”

Younis Khan made it a habit of scoring big runs against India•Associated Press

“Whenever I am out of form, I get to play against India and I regain my form.”

“Whenever I go out to bat, the score is 10 for 3. Fine, I’ll move up the order and take the score to 230 for 3, but then they are all out for 235.”

“The career is not 42 years”

The pair does not feature among the 45 best first-class players in India outside the Test set-up anymore – or so their omission from the Duleep Trophy squads seems to suggest

Arun Venugopal31-Aug-20173:15

Agarkar: Duleep Trophy no longer relevant

Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir do not find themselves among the 45 best first-class players outside of the India team set-up. That’s the message the selectors seemed to have sent by leaving them out of the Duleep Trophy, which begins on September 7. With Gambhir having opened for India in Tests as late as last year and Yuvraj being part of the limited-overs side until June, it is perhaps a strong indication that the national selectors have moved on from the pair.The MSK Prasad-led selection committee has repeatedly pointed out – often using the Ashish Nehra example – that age isn’t a barrier to being picked for the national side. However, after the Champions Trophy, some non-negotiable fitness guidelines had been laid down; Prasad made it clear that if someone failed to adhere to the parameters set, he wouldn’t be considered for selection.Suresh Raina’s case is a good illustration of how things stand. There are suggestions that he hadn’t been considered for national selection in recent times after failing to meet the requisite fitness standards set by the team management. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the selectors are keeping a close watch on Raina’s batting and fitness during the Duleep Trophy, where he will lead India Blue. Some impressive performances in the tournament will put him right back in contention for a limited-overs slot. That’s why the importance of doing well in a domestic tournament like the Duleep Trophy can’t be overstated, as Gambhir in particular would know. He captained the India Blue side last year and had a productive outing with 356 runs, including four fifties from five innings at an average of 71.20. The performance earned him a recall to the India side after two years.Yuvraj was picked for the limited-overs series against England last year after the selectors were convinced of his form and fitness during the Ranji Trophy. The vote of confidence was cast after Yuvraj stacked up 672 runs in five games, including scores of 260 and 177. The rationale, according to a BCCI official, was if he could bat that long to amass so many runs then he was hungry and fit enough to play 50-overs cricket. The same official now feels neither Yuvraj nor Gambhir has a realistic chance of playing Test cricket again.Unlike Yuvraj, Gambhir did not have an impressive 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, making only 235 runs from eight innings at an average of 29.37. This was likely to have given further vindication to the selectors’ decision to drop him from the Duleep Trophy. Both players will turn 36 in a few months, and neither was particularly impressive the previous time they turned out for India. While Yuvraj had a poor Champions Trophy where he aggregated 105 runs in four innings before not touching 40 in the West Indies and being dropped thereafter, Gambhir notched up scores of 29, 50, 29 and 0 in his comeback Test series against New Zealand and England in India, following which he was axed.Meanwhile, a talented group of youngsters will play in the Duleep Trophy; it is understood that the tournament is being seen by the selectors as an opportunity to take stock of a broader pool of young talent ahead of a busy Test season that will have India play at home against Sri Lanka before the overseas challenges of England, Australia and New Zealand. It is also understood that the likes of Gambhir and Yuvraj, if given another chance with India, won’t get the same number of opportunities that a youngster coming into the side for the first time gets.This means the likes of Abhinav Mukund, Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant have an advantage over Yuvraj and Gambhir, who will now have to ensure that they check the twin boxes of runs and fitness during the rest of the domestic season. With teams being divided into four groups this Ranji Trophy season, they will need to remember there are fewer opportunities to showcase their wares during the league phase.There is one rider: Yuvraj’s omission from the Duleep Trophy squads could mean he still has a chance, however slender, of being picked for the limited-overs series against Australia, which begins on September 17 and overlaps with the Duleep Trophy.

Five players to keep an eye on during the 2018 edition of the Under-19 World Cup

Shashank Kishore in Whangarei11-Jan-20181:07

Watch: Shaheen Afridi’s nine wickets against Rawalpindi

Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)With an action that has already elicited comparisons with Mitchell Starc, Shaheen burst onto the scene with figures of 8 for 39 for Khan Research Laboratories against Rawalpindi in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani cricketer on first-class debut. Shaheen, who was born after the turn of the millennium, isn’t the first from his family to don Pakistan colours. His older brother Riaz, who played one Test for Pakistan in November 2004, was part of a successful Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2004.Shaheen was first selected for the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) in an Under-16 talent hunt programme, and became the leading wicket-taker for his region with 12 wickets at 16.17 in 2015. He impressed the national selectors in a high-performance camp for players who had impressed at the Under-16 level. His pace and fitness won him a ticket for an Under-16 tour to Australia. Last season, he signed a two-year deal with the BPL franchise Dhaka Dynamites.PTI Shubman Gill (India)While all eyes will be on Prithvi Shaw, India’s captain, teams would do well to make note of Gill’s penchant for big runs. Gill, who generally bats No. 3, has been a constant feature in Rahul Dravid’s plans during the build up to the 2018 tournament. Along the way, he’s also been picked for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. If he hadn’t injured himself at training ahead of the Ranji Troohy season, he would have also made his India A debut when New Zealand A toured the country in August-September.Gill has constantly played at an age-group level above his. In 2014, he smacked 351 in Punjab’s Inter-District Under-16 tournament, and shared a record opening stand of 587 with Nirmal Singh. On his Under-16 state debut for Punjab, he made an unbeaten double-century in the Vijay Merchant Trophy. Later that year, he would go on to share the stage with his idol Virat Kohli while receiving a BCCI award for the best junior cricketer, which he won for two successive years: 2013-14 and 2014-15.Gill’s real test with the India Under-19s came earlier this year, when he amassed 351 runs in four innings to win Man of the Series during the Youth ODI series at home against England. In the reciprocal tour, his first in English conditions, he top-scored once more, with 278 runs in four innings. India swept both series.Peter Della PennaMujeeb Zadran (Afghanistan)He can bowl traditional offspin and mix it up with legspin and ripping googlies to make what Afghanistan coach Andy Moles terms a “complete package”. At just 16, Mujeeb wants to follow in the footsteps of Rashid Khan, his senior by two years. There’s plenty of hype surrounding him too, supported by the weight of his performances.Mujeeb was part of an Afghanistan Under-19 side that clinically dismantled the Bangladesh Under-19s 3-1 in their own den. Bowling predominantly with the new ball, Mujeeb, who picked up eight wickets in the first three games of that series, nearly doubled his tally during the course of a nine-over spell in which he took 7 for 19, the joint second-best best bowling figures in all Youth ODIs. This performance was all the more spectacular as it helped Afghanistan defend 133. Bangladesh, reduced to 11 for 6 at one stage in that game, lost the series 3-1.Mujeeb went on to pick up 17 wickets in the series, the most by a bowler in a bilateral Youth ODI series. These performances against their own country perhaps coaxed Comilla Victorians to sign him as a replacement player during the 2017-18 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.Mujeeb continued to enhance his reputation on the global stage by starring in Afghanistan’s historic triumph at the Under-19 Asia Cup, where they beat Pakistan in the final with him claiming a five-wicket haul. The title-clinching performance was preceded by a six-for in the semi-final against Nepal. He finished the tournament with 20 wickets in five games.AFPJason Sangha (Australia)Sangha first caught the eye after being picked for the School Sports Australia Carnival in Darwin in 2016. His inclusion came following a meteoric rise through the summer of 2015, when he started the season in the New South Wales Under-15 Schoolboys team before being picked in the Cricket Australia Invitation sides for both the Under-17s, where he made four half-centuries in five games, and the Under-19 National Championships. Impressive performances here made him the the youngest cricketer in Australia’s history to be handed a rookie contract with New South Wales, in 2016-17.His age-group performances led to a BBL contract for the sixth edition with the Sydney Thunder. The franchise had earlier signed Arjun Nair through their youth system. Sangha was earmarked for an Under-19 debut ahead of their 2016 World Cup, but couldn’t play since Australia withdrew from the tournament in Bangladesh citing security fears.In November 2017, in what was a sign of things to come, Sangha, aged 18 years and 71 days, defied England’s Test attack in a pre-Ashes toue game to become the youngest first-class centurion in Australia since Ricky Ponting (18 years and 39 days) made one for Tasmania against New South Wales in 1992-93. He also became the second-youngest man in history, after Sachin Tendulkar, to record a first-class century against England.Raton Gomes/BCBAfif Hossain (Bangladesh)Bangladesh’s Under-19 coach Damian Wright has gone as far as labelling him “possibly the most talented left-hand batsman at the tournament.” Primarily an opening batsman, Afif has all the shots in the book, and the confidence with which he approaches his batting has earned him plaudits. However, in November, it was with his bowling and electric fielding that he shot into the limelight.A virtual unknown in the T20 circles up until then, Afif, who had trained with Rajshshi Kings, announced himself on T20 debut by claiming 5 for 21 with his offspin, including the big scalp of Chris Gayle. At 17 years and 72 days, he became the youngest bowler to pick up a five-for in T20s. Afif is a student of the BKSP, Bangladesh’s premier sports institute, which has produced a number of international cricketers including Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan.

The man with the best strike rate against the yorker doesn’t feature in this year’s IPL

S Rajesh13-Apr-2018For all the newer deliveries that have come into the 20-over game, the yorker remains perhaps the most lethal option if bowled with precision. Sample this to understand why: since the start of 2015, AB de Villiers’ strike rate against the yorker is 82.14. Against all other kinds of deliveries, he strikes at 169.ESPNcricinfo LtdOverall, the strike rate off yorkers bowled in all T20s since 2015 is a mere 78.1, and the average: 12.30. The challenge is to get it right, because the repercussions of getting it wrong are quite severe.Among the 50 batsmen who have faced 25 or more yorkers in T20s during this period, only five have strike rates of over 100. Three of them feature in this year’s IPL – Chris Morris, Glenn Maxwell, and Jos Buttler. The leader of the pack, though, is Hashim Amla, who is the only batsman with a strike rate of over 125.

Top strike rates against the yorker (In T20s since Jan 2015; min 25 balls)

Batsmen Runs Balls Dismissals SRHashim Amla 38 30 1 126.67Glenn Maxwell 40 33 1 121.21Chris Morris 37 31 0 119.35Jos Buttler 33 31 0 106.45Brad Hodge 33 33 2 100.00MS Dhoni 52 53 1 98.11Kevin Pietersen 29 30 2 96.67Kane Williamson 24 25 1 96.00Shakib Al Hasan 37 39 2 94.87Rohit Sharma 32 34 2 94.12Morris and Buttler haven’t been dismissed off these deliveries, which is quite impressive. Rounding off the top ten are MS Dhoni (SR 98.1), Kevin Pietersen (96.67), Kane Williamson (96), Shakib Al Hasan (94.87), Umar Akmal and Rohit Sharma (both 94.12).Now, let’s look at how a few other T20 stars fare against this delivery. None of these numbers are flattering to the batsmen, which means when the delivery comes out right, it’s lethal. When it doesn’t, the bowlers pay a huge price. Nowhere is this more evident than in the stats for Andre Russell: his strike rate against the yorker is a mere 52.63 (30 runs off 57 balls); when the bowler misses and bowls a half-volley or a full toss, Russell’s strike rate zooms to 221.

Batsmen v the yorker (in T20s since Jan 2015)

Batsmen Runs Balls Dismissals SRVirat Kohli 44 47 3 93.62AB de Villiers 23 28 0 82.14Shane Watson 29 36 1 80.56Suresh Raina 28 37 3 75.68Kieron Pollard 60 89 3 67.42Brendon McCullum 31 47 1 65.96Chris Lynn 25 38 1 65.79Chris Gayle 42 67 1 62.69Andre Russell 32 59 2 54.24Shikhar Dhawan 9 29 2 31.03

It was a record year for English participation in the IPL, but were the returns equally high? We break down their contributions, player by player

Alan Gardner21-May-20185:57

English players underperforming in the IPL?

Sam Billings, Chennai Super Kings

Billings was not in the XI for CSK’s opener, but Mark Wood’s omission after one game opened up another overseas spot. Billings was Man of the Match in their next match, smashing 56 off 23 balls as they chased down a target of 203 – but that innings accounts for almost half of his runs as he has flitted around the middle order. Excellent fielding adds a string to his bow and he could yet have an impact in the knockout stages.Jos Buttler, Rajasthan Royals

Unarguably the star man of the England contingent, and one of the players of the tournament overall. Buttler began with a series of 20-something scores batting in the middle order, before a move up to opener unleashed the T20 beast within. He promptly produced innings of 67 (off 26), 51 (39), 82 (58), 95* (60) and 94* (53), equalling the IPL record for consecutive fifties and helping set up a run to the playoffs – although a surprise England Test recall has deprived Royals of his services.Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler celebrate the victory•BCCITom Curran, Kolkata Knight Riders

In a Kolkata team that features three default overseas picks – Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn and Andre Russell – Curran was vying with Mitchell Johnson and Javon Searles for the fourth spot. He claimed more wickets than the other two put together (in the group stage), but was rarely given a full quota of overs and an economy of nearly two runs a ball led to him losing his place. Has only featured once since April 21.Alex Hales, Sunrisers Hyderabad

Hales finally made his IPL debut, halfway through Sunrisers’ 2018 campaign and three years after being called up as an injury replacement by Mumbai Indians. He hit consecutive 45s at the start of a six-game run in the team but, as with KKR, there is really only one overseas spot open at Sunrisers (Kane Williamson, Shakib Al Hasan and Rashid Khan occupy the other three) and Hales was dropped for the last group game.Chris Jordan, Sunrisers Hyderabad

After taking 11 wickets in nine games for RCB in 2016, Jordan has been kept warming the bench at Sunrisers, where he has made one token appearance in each of the last two seasons. He subbed in for the injured Billy Stanlake early in the tournament, delivering a creditable four overs for 31 as Kings XI racked up 193 for 3, but has not had another chance since.Moeen Ali, Royal Challengers Bangalore

Moeen was left kicking his heels as RCB rotated through their star-studded stable, only coming into the team for the last five games. He bowled tidily and produced once significant innings – smearing six sixes in 65 off 34 (outpacing AB de Villiers) against table-topping Sunrisers – as RCB won three in a row to keep alive hopes of reaching the playoffs. Got a positive namecheck from Virat Kohli at the end of the tournament, so there’s hope for the future.Moeen Ali brought up his maiden IPL half-century•BCCILiam Plunkett, Delhi Daredevils

An injury replacement for Kagiso Rabada, Plunkett was in and out of a struggling Daredevils XI. Like many of the England players involved, he produced one notable performance – taking 3 for 17 in his first match, although Daredevils still could not convert victory – among some much more forgettable stuff. Only managed to pick up one more wicket in six appearances and saw his economy rate balloon.Jason Roy, Delhi Daredevils

Roy’s IPL jaunt in 2017, which saw him play three innings for Gujarat Lions, presaged a drop in form that cost him his England ODI spot. He only featured five times for Daredevils this time around, but did at least grab the limelight with a dominating 91 not out to set up the team’s first victory. He was soon out of the side again, as Daredevils chopped and changed, and a weakness against spin limited his impact.Ben Stokes, Rajasthan Royals

Last year’s MVP, bought for a whopping GBP1.37m by Royals, Stokes’ 2018 IPL was a bit… meh. The only Englishman apart from Buttler who was an automatic pick, he just could not get going with the bat despite consistent starts – nine of his 13 innings reached double-figures but his best score was 45. Weathering questions about his bowling fitness, Stokes was Royals’ most economical seamer and only Jaydev Unadkat sent down more overs. They squeezed into the last four but Stokes had already headed home for England duty.David Willey loads up•BCCIDavid Willey, Chennai Super Kings

Willey’s late call-up, filling a spot left vacant by the injured Mitchell Santner, caused much grumbling in Yorkshire – and there has not been too much for the combative left-armer to cheer about. Had to bide his time before getting a chance, producing figures of 4-0-24-1 in a comfortable CSK win, but then saw six overs across two games disappear for 71. Lungi Ngidi’s rise may have put paid to any further opportunities.Chris Woakes, Royal Challengers Bangalore

Although Woakes continued the wicket-taking form that he showed in his maiden IPL season with KKR last year, a series of leaky performances at the death saw him fall out of favour at RCB. He had the best strike rate (13.7) of any RCB bowler but an economy above 10 after five games was deemed too expensive. Uncertainty over their best XI led to much shuffling among overseas players but Woakes did not return.Mark Wood, Chennai Super Kings

A cheap pick late in the auction, Wood found himself making his IPL debut on the opening night in front of a packed Wankhede. Some thought his pace and skiddy angle of attack would be suited to conditions – but an opening over that conceded only two runs was as good as things got. He ended the night with 0 for 49 and was cast aside, eventually deciding to come home early and get red-ball practice ahead of England’s Test summer.*Could still be involved in knockout stage

The only team besides Islamabad United to lift a trophy, popularity has come easy to the men representing northern Pakistan clad in yellow

Danyal Rasool13-Feb-2019HistoryPeshawar Zalmi have, alongside Quetta Gladiators, been the most consistent sides in the PSL. The only team besides Islamabad United to lift a trophy, popularity has come easy to the men representing northern Pakistan clad in yellow. They set the tone in the first year when they topped the standings en route to playoffs, but it was in the second year the franchise really began to soar. With the final moving to Lahore and the opposition’s foreign players refusing to come, Darren Sammy dragged his entire squad to Pakistan and romped to the title in front of a euphoric home crowd.The legend of Sammy was born, the St Lucian the most popular man in Peshawar, arguably the best-liked player in the PSL’s history, local or otherwise. With his side falling short at the final hurdle against Islamabad in Karachi last year, Peshawar will be keen to keep that high level this year, with anything less than that coveted trophy considered a disappointment.Team overviewAs Peshawar have done so well across each season in the PSL, the presence of a core group of players that helps maintain the team’s identity is visible. In leagues like the PSL where selection happens through the draft system, retaining players is never that straightforward, but Peshawar have a bunch who’ve been ever-present since the first year. Sammy, of course, leads that list, while Dawid Malan, Chris Jordan, Hasan Ali, Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz have all only ever worn the yellow of Peshawar.In addition, Kieron Pollard’s signing is on paper the most high-profile, but the inclusion of Umar Amin and Wayne Madsen could prove equally judicious. In Ibtisam Sheikh, the baby-faced legspinner who made a bit of a splash last year, Peshawar could have one of their local lads rising through the system, while 44-year old Misbah-ul-Haq signing on was one of the more surprising additions. His game time will likely be limited, but his inputs of the field priceless.StrengthsPeshawar’s key advantage seems to be the solid team that has been built incrementally over the years. Never has the draft been fundamentally crucial to them because a major overhaul isn’t required, with two or three tweaks more than enough to remedy any problems the squad may face. The side, right through from the batsman to allrounders and bowlers is well balanced with greater depth than most sides; they are not reliant on one or two big players to paper over the cracks, as there seem to be no cracks to paper over. In Kamran Akmal, they have the player with most runs – by over 200 – in the tournament’s history. At the other end, Wahab Riaz has the most wickets – by 11 – ever since the PSL began. With top and tail secured, the likes of Dawson, Sammy and Pollard offer all-round stability. Balance, and it appears success, run through this franchise’s blood.WeaknessesThe only finger one could point at that side is the possible absence of indisputable quality at the top, Kamran excluded. Mohammad Hafeez, Dwayne Bravo and Tamim Iqbal are all absent this year, and players of that quality are nigh-on impossible to replace. This should provide Andre Fletcher a more prominent role at the top, with Dawid Malan also expected to take on the mantle of a senior player. It also saddles Wayne Madsen and Nabi Gul with greater burden should they be required to fill in for an underperforming batsman at some point in the season. With the missing trio at the top, the margins for Peshawar become that bit tighter.Kieron Pollard exults after bringing up his maiden T20 hundred•Getty ImagesKey foreign playerKieron Pollard is well known to the fans of Karachi for those famous 12 runs off the final two balls in 2017 that took them through to the playoffs, but needless to say, he is no one-match wonder. From the Toronto Nationals to the Adelaide Strikers, he has become one of the giants of the T20 circuit right around the world, having played almost 450 games. The PSL is well-acquainted with his brutal hitting; he’s struck at over 161 across the seasons. And he has also brought that languid yet impossibly athletic boundary fielding which produces stunning catches. In Peshawar, under the leadership of a fellow West Indian, Pollard should feel right at home.Under the radar local playerNabi Gu, 21, may only have played a handful of games, but there’s plenty to indicate the following five weeks could be seminal in his career’s launch. Just six T20 innings provide little by way of a gauge as to the kind of player he is, but the 99 runs he’s scored have come off 74 balls, and a first-class average of 44.8 suggests batting quality. In a Peshawar side where the top order is a little thin, Nabi could find opportunities opening up for him.Squad: Darren Sammy (capt) Kamran Akmal (wk), Andre Fletcher, Nabi Gul, Dawid Malan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsoon, Wayne Madsen, Liam Dawson, Kieron Pollard, Khalid Usman, Umar Amin, Wahab Riaz, Chris Jordan, Hasan Ali, Umaid Asif, Ibtisam Sheikh, Sameen Gul, Samiullah Afridi, Jamal AnwarManagement and coaching staff: Mohammad Akram (head coach), Younis Khan (batting coach and mentor), Saqlain Mushtaq (spin bowling consultant), Grant Luden (fielding coach and fitness trainer), Ibrahim Qureshi (assistant trainer) Brad Robinson (physio), Usman Hashim (analyst)

Mumbai Indians continue to be far too inflexible with their batting order, while Rajasthan Royals were anything but with their field placements

Srinath Sripath13-Apr-2019Hardik Pandya has delivered with the bat more often than not in IPL 2019. And when he has, they’ve been match-turning innings. His four major innings in the competition have been:32 not out in 14 balls (2×4, 3×6) against Royal Challengers Bangalore31 in 19 balls (3×4, 1×6) against Kings XI Punjab25 not out in 8 balls (1×4, 3×6) against Chennai Super Kings28 not out in 11 balls (1×4, 3×6) against Rajasthan Royals