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ESPNcricinfo has learned that Chetan Sharma and his panel had not received any communication from the board on the development

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Nov-20227:03

Newsroom: ‘Selectors alone are not to blame for India’s T20 World Cup exit’

In an unprecedented development, the BCCI has sacked the entire senior men’s selection committee led by former India fast bowler Chetan Sharma. The board sent out a media release on Friday evening stating it was inviting fresh applications for the positions of the five national selectors, setting November 28 as the deadline for applications.This is the first major decision taken by the BCCI administration headed by the former India allrounder Roger Binny, who was elected unopposed as board president in October.Related

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• Malhotra, Paranjape and Naik make up the BCCI's new Cricket Advisory Committee

• Lots of contenders but little opportunity as India ring in the changes

• Mongia, Maninder, Ratra, Das apply for India selector post

• Selecting the selectors: a key job in Indian cricket, but who'd want to take it up?

ESPNcricinfo has learned that the four national selectors – Sunil Joshi, Harvinder Singh, Debasis Mohanty and Sharma – who are currently watching the ongoing the Vijay Hazare Trophy games at various venues around India – had not received any communication from BCCI on the development.Although no specific details were provided in the media statement – there was no mention of the selection panel being reconstituted – the BCCI probably took the step as part of its early review of India’s performances at successive T20 World Cups – exiting at the group stage in 2021 and losing in the semi-finals in 2022.Since late 2021, the Sharma-led selection panel was reduced to four members after Abey Kuruvilla, the former Mumbai and India fast bowler, completed the maximum tenure of five years. While Kuruvilla moved on to the role of BCCI general manager (cricket development), the board did not appoint his replacement on the selection panel.It was in October, mid-way into the 2022 T20 World Cup, that the selectors announced India squads for the limited-overs series in New Zealand, which is now ongoing, and also the Bangladesh tour in December. It raised eyebrows since it was an unusual move for selectors to announce squads for two separate tours at the same time.Barring Mohanty, who is on the verge of finishing his term (he was also a national junior selector), the remaining three selectors had only served half – two years – of their four-year tenures.Technically, Sharma and the other selectors can reapply for the posts. The qualification criteria for applicants is that they must have played at least seven Tests or 30 first-class matches, or 10 ODI and 20 first-class matches; they should have retired from the game at least five years ago; and they cannot have already served for five years as a member of any of the BCCI’s cricket committees.The BCCI also listed the major job duties and responsibilities for the selection panel as follows:

• Select the best possible team in a fair and transparent manner.
• Plan and prepare a strong bench strength for the senior men’s national team.
• Attend team meetings as and when required.
• Travel to watch domestic and international matches.
• Prepare and provide evaluation reports of the respective team performances to the apex council of BCCI on a quarterly basis.
• Address the media on team selection as and when instructed by BCCI.
• Appoint captain for the team in each format.
• Adhere to the rules and regulation of BCCI.

The world’s most prolific run-scorer in women’s cricket joins the Ahmedabad-based franchise for the inaugural season of WPL

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2023Former India captain Mithali Raj has been roped in as mentor and advisor at Gujarat Giants, one of the five franchises set to take part in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Raj – the most prolific run-scorer in the history of women’s cricket – has been one of the strongest advocates of an IPL-style women’s franchise league in India, and as mentor and advisor at Giants, will also promote women’s cricket at the grassroots level in their home state of Gujarat.”Women’s cricket is growing steadily, and this kind of impetus will undoubtedly encourage young women to consider taking up cricket
professionally,” Raj said in a media release. “I believe that the high-impact participation of corporates will help hasten the process of eventually bringing more glory to India. This level of influence can help strengthen the sporting ecosystem, and enhance opportunities for women athletes.”Related

• Charlotte Edwards to coach Mumbai's WPL team

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• The time is right for Women's IPL – Mithali Raj back in 2017

• Who are Adani Sportsline and Capri Global, the new WPL owners?

• Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, RCB win bids to own WPL teams

Pranav Adani, Director of Adani Enterprises, which manages Giants’ owners Adani Sportsline, said on hiring Mithali: “Mithali Raj is a role model for the young generation, and we are delighted to have such an inspirational athlete on board to mentor our women’s cricket team.”We believe that the presence of international sporting heroes like Mithali will attract new talent not just into cricket but also into every other sport.”On January 25, Adani Sportsline – the sports development wing of the Adani Group – purchased the rights to own an Ahmedabad-based team for INR 1289 crore (USD 158 million approx.), the most expensive team that will take part in the competition. In all, INR 4669.99 crore (USD 572.78 million approx.) was spent by Adani Group, Capri Global – who bought the Lucknow team – and the owners of Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore to acquire the rights for the five WPL franchises.The WPL is likely to be played between March 4 and March 24, a tight window squeezed out between the Women’s T20 World Cup that ends in late February and the men’s IPL that is set to start one week after the women’s competition. The WPL auction, set for early February, will have auction purses of INR 12 crore (USD 1.46 million approx) per team.Each team can buy a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 18 players, including seven overseas ones, of which one must be from an Associate country. Unlike in the men’s IPL, WPL teams will have the option of fielding up to five overseas players in the XI, provided, again that one is from an Associate team.A total of 22 matches will be played in WPL 2023, with each team playing the other twice to make it a total of eight games per team. The top-ranked team will enter the final directly, while the second and third-placed teams will face off in a Qualifier to determine the second finalist.

Laurie Evans, who missed last season after a provisional doping suspension, has also put his name in

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-20234:28

WATCH – Pooran’s magnificent 137* takes MI NY to inaugural MLC title

Nicholas Pooran, the West Indies left hander, could return to the BBL after he was announced among six batters who have nominated for the overseas draft next month.Pooran’s one previous stint in the BBL came in the 2020-21 season where he made six appearances for Melbourne Stars, smashing 65 off 26 balls with eight sixes in his second outing against Sydney Sixers although Stars lost a thriller by one wicket.His is an eye-catching inclusion on the draft list given his recent form where he hammered 137 off 55 balls in the MLC final to carry MI New York to the title which has been followed by runs in the T20I series against India.Related

• Thunder and Stars win WBBL and BBL draft lotteries

• When, where, how? All you need to know about the BBL and WBBL overseas players draft

• MLC final week: Nicholas Pooran, and a bit of this and that

• Alex Hales: I would 'do a Will Smeed' if I were 21 again now

English batter Laurie Evans could also head back to the league after he was forced to miss last season with Perth Scorchers after being provisionally suspended following a positive doping test.The suspension was lifted in March and Evans is currently playing in the Hundred for Manchester Originals having also been part of the T20 Blast for Surrey. However, he still faces a hearing later this year.Nicholas Pooran played one spectacular innings during his previous BBL stint•Getty Images

Having been on Scorchers’ original list last season he will be eligible for retention, whereby a club has one opportunity to prevent another team signing a player who was in their squad the previous season. Evans played a starring role in their 2021-22 title success with 76 off 41 balls in the final.Other names heading into the draft, which will take place on September 3 following the inaugural WBBL overseas draft, are Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis and Colin Munro.Hales, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, is eligible for retention by Sydney Thunder as is Rossouw. Du Plessis was originally an unpicked platinum player in last year’s draft before getting a replacement deal with Scorchers so he could also be retained.Munro, the New Zealand left hander, was part of Brisbane Heat last season where he made 278 runs at a strike-rate of 150.27, so they would have the option of bringing him back.This year’s BBL, which will start on December 7, has been shortened to a 43-game season although there is still likely to be an overlap with the ILT20 in the UAE and the SA20 which may affect player availability.Overseas players can nominate in three categories for the draft – gold (AUD$300,000), silver (AUD$200,000) and bronze (AUD$100,000) – with the BBL then selecting a group of the biggest names to the platinum picks on AUD$420,000 if they are available for the whole tournament.How retention picks work

• Have been in a Big Bash squad for a minimum of two seasons and haven’t been contracted to another team since
• Have been in a Big Bash squad the previous season
• Was in a team squad last season but did not play in the starting 13 and have been approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee
• Is otherwise approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee due to exceptional circumstances

Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd have been rested for the Nepal series, while Shimron Hetmyer had made himself unavailable

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2025The West Indies team management is looking to expand the bowlers’ pool ahead of the T20 World Cup early next year in India and Sri Lanka.Their next T20I assignment is against Nepal at the end of this month for which the selectors have picked five uncapped players, including legspinner Zishan Motara, left-arm quick Ramon Simmonds and legspin-bowling allrounder Navin Bidaisee, apart from batters Ackeem Auguste and Karima Gore, who played international cricket for USA until 2021 but is yet to get his West Indies cap.They have also picked a support staff heavily stacked with former bowlers to accompany the 15-man squad to Sharjah, with Rayon Griffith as the head coach, Ottis Gibson as fast-bowling consultant, and Nikita Miller and Jerome Taylor as assistant coaches.Related

• 'Not tactics, just team belief' – Pooran toasts TKR's spirit after CPL glory

• Nepal, WI to play first bilateral T20I series in September

• Five uncapped players in Akeal Hosein-led WI T20I squad against Nepal

“The tour of Nepal is quite strategic for us,” CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said in a press meet. “We have recognised that probably over the last few years, our bowling has been a little bit of the Achilles’ heel in our white-ball team. So we have tried to bolster the support for the bowling group.”After touring the UAE, West Indies will tour Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in October and then fly to New Zealand for five T20Is and three ODIs.Full-time head coach Daren Sammy explained that some of the first-choice players like Gudakesh Motie, the second-highest wicket-taker in the ongoing CPL, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd had been rested for the games in Nepal to manage their workloads. Except Shimron Hetmyer, who blew hot and blew cold this CPL and was unavailable for the tour.Ottis Gibson’s presence raises the profile of the West Indies support staff•Getty Images

“If you look at the workload of these guys, Rovman for sure, he has been battling a wrist injury that prevented him from playing in the Pakistan series,” Sammy said. “I mean, he pushed it through this CPL. He requested a time off for him to further look at it. Motie and Shepherd, because of their workload over the last few months, we gave them a time off for that. Sherfane was also [rested] because of his workload.”Hetmyer also requested that he was unavailable for that Nepal trip. So again, like I said, it’s not always a bed of roses. Some things we don’t see, but it’s always a challenge. I’ve said that when I call somebody and tell them, ‘you’ve been selected for some of the series’, and I have to ask to everyone, do you accept the selection to play for West Indies? It’s something that I must do because we don’t own the players. We could only select from what’s available to us. Hettie has been one of our promising, talented players from the Under-19 level. However, the scope of things that now… we could only select and hope guys accept this selection. But he’s always available for selection from our side.”Sammy further said that the selectors and coaches also looked at the performers from the inaugural Breakout League – a new T20 league launched earlier this year to spot talent from across the Caribbean – and the CPL to pick fresh players for the upcoming T20Is.Nathan Edward is a rare left-arm quick in West Indies cricket•ICC/Getty Images

“You look at the Breakout [League] and again, I will emphasise the need for continued avenues for us to showcase and unearth talent,” he said. “And the Breakout, maybe some people were against it because it was a T20 format, but if you see this year, the amount of players that came through – Bidaisee was one of them that came through and show his skillset in the Breakout. And, he reminds me of Samuel Badree, who probably could bowl in the powerplay, bowl in the middle, very consistent around that good-length area that brings challenges to batsmen.”And two areas that I’ve spoken about in our bowling department in T20s is the need for a wristspinner. And every single team I could remember in World Cup T20 cricket, has had a left-arm seamer. Just the angle they bring and the difficulty, especially in the back-end of an innings, or whether the ability to swing. I don’t think in the history of West Indies cricket we’ve actually even had two left-arm seamers playing together, much less three. And we also, from the Breakout, you see a young Nathan Edward, who’s been quite quality as well. So again, you put that and you’re hoping that one or two will graduate so quickly that they could be into the senior team.”We gave Jediah [Blades] the exposure, but the way Ramon Simmonds has been bowling in all phases of the game gives me, and I’m pretty sure the selection group, confidence. It makes us excited about the prospects, the promise he’s shown. And then to top that, having somebody like an Ottis Gibson working with them, it’s a win-win situation for us. And hopefully that experience that they will gain or learn from getting the skillsets and the technical aspects of fast bowling or seam bowling from Ottis on that short trip could be a step…”Matthew Forde was still not fit to be considered for selection after he dislocated his shoulder in August, which made him miss the ODIs against Pakistan. CWI is, however, hoping he will be “up and running again” by the Bangladesh series.

Surrey have now lost three Blast matches in four and are flagging at the wrong time

David Hopps03-Jul-2022Will Smeed is still awaiting his first T20 hundred, but he is wasting no time in ticking off the 90s one by one. After treating a capacity Taunton crowd to another typically bullish innings, he now has a 98 to his name to add to a 99 and 97 for Quetta Gladiators and a 94 earlier this season in the Vitality Blast against Glamorgan. All of them made since the turn of the year.Smeed and his captain Tom Abell, in delightfully contrasting styles, ensured that Somerset joined Surrey in securing a home quarter-final in the Blast next week with a 48-run defeat of the Brown Caps at Taunton. Surrey, unbeaten in all formats for the first stage of the season, have now lost three Blast matches in four and are flagging at the wrong time.It took 73 from 35 balls from their captain, Chris Jordan, to keep up appearances. Somerset, by contrast, are in form. But both will take some beating and Derbyshire and Yorkshire will head south with trepidation. Surrey play Yorkshire on Wednesday whilst Somerset must wait until Saturday before facing Derbyshire.Somerset’s third-wicket stand of 165 in 70 balls between Smeed and Abell was a delight for any West Country loyalist on a perfect night when the sun flooded onto the Quantocks and the crowd was awash with smiles. On nights like this, with the ball flying to all parts, there is no happier place in T20, perhaps no happier place in cricket, perhaps (for cricket fans of a certain disposition) no happier place in the world.In the hands of Smeed and Abell, joy was unconfined. Smeed, at 20 is already a hulking presence. He sits on the back foot with an uncomplicated intention to wreak havoc, and included 10 fours and five sixes in his 51-ball assault. But his game is broadening, as it should, and there were a couple of rasping square cuts in his repertoire to keep bowlers thinking.There may be better batters in the Blast – more dynamic, more destructive – than Abell. He has never played for England so that suggests as much. If England are looking at anybody, especially in their current mood, it is likely to be Smeed. But for the sheer delight of an educated batter at the height of a 360-degree game, choosing the best option and executing it brilliantly, there are few better sights in the domestic T20 game. Smeed is a potential colossus, and doubtless lifts sales of teenage-friendly dumb bells, but Abell is fast becoming one of the most respected players in Somerset history.At 194 for 3 with 21 balls remaining, they should have made 230. They had to settle for 218 for 8 as Surrey summoned a response once Abell’s slog sweep against Reece Topley had been brilliantly caught over his head by Gus Atkinson, running back towards long leg. Abell injured himself batting and did not field. Smeed was undone by a slower ball from Topley which he hauled to deep square. The thought of a couple of quiet singles for his maiden hundred does not seem to enter his mind and, in a format where no ball should be wasted, he is all the more impressive for that.Related

• Craig Overton felled by twin Jamie as Somerset batting lands in a heap

• Leicestershire close season with bitter-sweet victory over Yorkshire

• Hampshire warm up for quarter-finals with ninth win in ten matches

• Tom Hartley applies the long handle as Lancashire leap into home quarter-final

As an enticing sub-plot, attention also focused upon on Overton v Overton 2. Jamie returned to Taunton last month following his move to Somerset and felled Craig Overton and Josh Davey in successive overs with wicked bouncers.This time, he introduced himself with a 60-metre throw from deep square after Tom Banton risked a second. Banton spent a lot of time calculating the odds as he assessed Overton’s progress towards the ball while he ran the first, but did not quite compute one of the strongest arms in the game pulling off a direct hit.Craig demanded even more attention when it came to his turn as he had three Surrey wickets to his name in his first seven deliveries. Will Jacks attempted a pull on the charge and was caught second ball; Tom Curran, again trying the pull, this time without the charge, added a second-ball duck of his own; by way of contrast, Jamie Smith pushed at one and was caught at first slip.Jordan and Laurie Evans then rescued that in an untroubled stand of 82 in 46 balls. Evans had fluffed a couple of chances in the field, including Smeed on 76 at deep square, to the derision of a section of the crowd, and was bent upon revenge, but his 39 ended with an excellent diving catch by Ben Green at long off. Jordan struck 23 off an over from Lewis Gregory, who was standing in as captain for Abell in the field, and he was to carry his resistance into the 17th over, particularly impressive over long off and extra cover, until Peter Siddle shrewdly plugged extra especially for him and the sub, George Bartlett, held a good catch.But the crowd wanted to see: COverton vs JOverton, sibling rivalry write large, and they were not disappointed. With his penultimate delivery, Craig had Jamie caught at the wicket, cross-batting, and set off on a sprint of celebration. “I owed him after being hit on the head a couple of weeks back so it was nice to get one back,” he said.Perhaps only Surrey among the 18 professional counties can potentially act as if money is no option and Aaron Hardie, the Australia A and Western Australia allrounder, has been called for the end of the group stages (with qualification already assured) as well as the last-eight tie.Hardie has just finished the Australia A tour of Sri Lanka where he scored 226 runs at an average of 75, was part of the Perth Scorchers’ Big Bash-winning squad and starred in this year’s Sheffield Shield final, guiding Western Australia to victory with an unbeaten 174 as well as taking three wickets opening the bowling. He has yet to fire for Surrey – one wicket and 26 runs in two knocks, Roelof van der Merwe bowling him on this occasion – but he is acclimatised for the quarter-finals and is dangerous.

England are coming off victory in Pakistan while the home side have rested key bowlers

Andrew McGlashan08-Oct-2022

Big picture

Day by day, match by match, we are getting closer to the real thing. Neither Australia nor England have been short on T20Is of late and now they face each other for three more, beginning in Perth before two more back across the country in Canberra.The sides have been doing a fair amount of tinkering with their teams in recent games, but it has been as much to do with workload management as anything. Barring late-injury dramas, it still feels they are close to knowing their World Cup XIs – England perhaps have two spots up for most debate and for Australia, provided Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis can bowl, it still appears just the final batting place to resolve.While there is nothing hugely significant riding on this series – the main thing will be certain players finding form and others avoiding injury – it has the makings of a very good contest. Australia found their groove in the second outing against West Indies while England played some excellent cricket in Pakistan to take the series 4-3 with wins in the last two games.Related

• Jos Buttler: 'Managing risk is a big part of T20 batting'

• Fit-again Stoinis not feeling threatened by Green's emergence

• Smith's T20 World Cup hopes hang by a thread as 'incredible' David shines again

• Buttler eager to unleash Stokes, but World Cup doubts remain over Livingstone

The short nature of this trip to Perth, which is not an ideal schedule for the home side, and was not the original fixture until this game was moved west after the venue lost its ODI against South Africa, means Australia will field a fresh frontline attack from Friday in Brisbane with only Cameron Green of the five bowlers used with the squad.For Green, provided he is in the XI, this will be his first international on his home ground with Perth having not staged international cricket since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. If Marsh, Stoinis and Ashton Agar play, Western Australia will be well represented. Josh Inglis is also in the squad along with former WA player Tim David.Depending how England manage their fast bowlers, there is the enticing prospect of seeing Mark Wood operate on a Perth pitch after he sent down some thunderbolts in Pakistan.

Recent form

Australia WWLLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England WWLLWMitchell Marsh will hope to make an impact on his home ground•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Ben Stokes is now a two-format player having retired from ODIs earlier this year, but he hasn’t played a T20I since March 2021 against India. Rightly or wrongly, his career in the format is still most-remembered for being taken for four sixes by Carlos Brathwaite in the final over of the 2016 T20 World Cup final. He has never quite found his perfect role in the England side, with a top score of 47 not out in 28 innings and 19 wickets with an economy of 8.77. There is a squeeze of highly-destructive hitters in England’s middle order, so it’s a rare occasion of the pressure being on Stokes to prove he should be among them.This is a big week for Marcus Stoinis. He has struggled to stay on the park in recent months and his side injuries are frequent enough to be something of a concern. But he had a significant part to play in Australia’s World Cup triumph last season and he is important in balancing the side, although his bowling is not of Green’s quality. He has every right to be in the World Cup XI, but he’ll want to make this series count.

Team news

Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell have all stayed on the east coast and will rejoin the squad in Canberra, so there will be four new bowling options. It would make sense to give Kane Richardson and Agar a game after their recent side issues as they are in the World Cup squad, but it could also be another opportunity for Nathan Ellis to impress. Steven Smith is likely to be forced out of the XI as Australia may continue to tinker with their batting order.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Cameron Green, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Aaron Finch (capt), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Daniel Sams, 9 Ashton Agar, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Kane RichardsonLiam Livingstone is not available for selection as he continues to recover from an ankle injury while Chris Jordan may be held back for the Canberra games. Captain Jos Buttler will return at the top of the order, which leaves the major selection call between Alex Hales and Phil Salt to partner himEngland (probable) 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Alex Hales/Phil Salt, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

There hasn’t been much cricket at this ground over the last couple of years – just a handful of BBL and WBBL matches – but it’s normally a good pitch that offers pace for bowlers and batters to work with, although it is still early in the season. The forecast is, by Perth standards, on the milder side with just a very slim chance of a shower.

Stats and trivia

• England featured in the first international at Perth Stadium, an ODI in 2018 which they won by 12 runs
• In the one previous T20I at the venue, Australia cantered home by ten wickets against Pakistan in 2019
• Aaron Finch needs 12 runs to become the first Australia men’s player to reach 3000 T20I runs. Smith needs three runs and Matthew Wade 28 for 1000 in the format.

Quotes

“Adapting to conditions quickly is going to be a key factor for us to get up and running. It’s all about peaking at the right time for this World Cup.”
“Don’t leave any energy in the tank. Give it our best shot. We are here on home soil. We want to entertain and we want to take it deep. We have to start well against New Zealand.”

In spite of tough 2021-22 tour, allrounder still hopeful he can play a part in upcoming Ashes

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Apr-2023″It’s similar to 2019, isn’t it?” Chris Woakes noted, as he looked at the 2023 schedule with its home Ashes series and a 50-over World Cup in the next six months. To say his eyes widened would be an understatement.Woakes, now 34, was a prominent part of both big-ticket events four years ago. He was one of eight players to appear in all 11 matches in England’s successful World Cup, then played four of the five Tests against Australia, which ended in a 2-2 draw.Four years on, he remains a factor for both, but his standing in white and red-ball are very different. Having missed the entire 2022 summer with a cartilage issue in his left knee – eventually rectified through an operation at the end of July – Woakes’ Test and limited-overs careers were set on divergent paths.He was able to return in the winter, helping England secure the T20 World Cup, before low-profile international duties in South Africa and Bangladesh, with a stint with Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20 sandwiched in between. However, his appearance for Warwickshire in their County Championship fixture against Kent two weeks ago was his first first-class match in a year.”It was a bit of a shock to the system,” Woakes said of Warwickshire’s victory of an innings and 14 runs, in which he took 2 for 28 and 3 for 59, sending down 32 overs in total. There was stiffness from the grind, but it was the good kind of hurt.”I had a pretty good winter with the World Cup win and a couple of tours away with England and stuff. But it’s always nice to get back with what’s to come in the summer. It’s a big summer for English cricket, it’s nice to get a red ball back in hand and play red-ball cricket and feel relatively fresh.”All being well, Woakes will be on that plane to India to defend England’s ODI crown. As for his involvement with the Test side, a bit more needs to go his way.Woakes played a key role in England’s T20 World Cup win, including the ten-wicket victory over India•ICC via Getty Images

The last of his 45 caps came on a dire tour of the Caribbean on docile pitches and – most importantly – before the Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes regime took over and rejuvenated the Test side. Off the back of 10 wins out of 12, Woakes appreciates it’ll take a lot for him to get back into the set-up.It is why, prior to the start of the summer, he called up Stokes to see what he should work on and get a full scope of the current ethos.”It’s good to just touch base,” Woakes said. “I did give him a call and spoke to him to see whether there was anything I needed to change. But he was happy for me to just go about my business, do what I usually do and he was just like, ‘get yourself back into it, play some county cricket’. Obviously he couldn’t give me any guarantees on playing in the first Ashes Test, but he said if you’re playing well and being around red-ball cricket, of course you’re likely to be there or thereabouts.”Having not been in the environment with the lads and the way it’s changed since Brendon and him had taken over, it seemed like a wise move to just touch base before I started my season. Just to see if there was anything I need to change. Anything that is being mentioned. Obviously, you hear all the noise from outside but I’m sure there are still messages from within the dressing-room which don’t get leaked or whatever.”Woakes admitted there was an element of jealousy looking at how much fun the Test side are having, even if he’s been privy to just as much fun and far more global success with the limited-overs side, under Eoin Morgan and now Jos Buttler.Related

• England keep faith with old guard as Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes return for T20 World Cup

• England find the squeeze when it matters to keep World Cup dream alive

• 'It wasn't an easy decision' – Woakes on sacrificing IPL chance for the Ashes

• Ghosts of 2019: Warner's Ashes fate remains uncertain

“It’s the way it’s been, hasn’t it? Because the white-ball team had done so well over the last however many years, and then we had a bit of a tough run as a Test side. Now it’s kind of almost roles reversed with the Test boys having a great time and winning games of cricket and doing it in such a fashion.”Naturally you want to be a part of that. I don’t regret anything that’s gone before. Every opportunity you get to play for England is a privilege and an honour. Albeit the last time I played for England in the whites, it didn’t go overly great away from home.”It’s important to dwell on those last appearances “in the whites” because the three-match series against West Indies is a peculiar anomaly. England were coming off the back of a humiliating 4-0 loss in the Ashes, without a coach or a director of cricket following the sackings of Chris Silverwood and Ashley Giles. Joe Root was on the verge of giving up the captaincy – something he would eventually do upon returning from this tour – and James Anderson and Stuart Broad had been dropped.The onus was on Woakes to assume a more senior role on the trip, but an injury to Mark Wood in the first Test and Ollie Robinson’s fitness issues throughout meant he also had to take on a far greater workload. He managed just five wickets across a mammoth 93.5 overs. Only in hindsight can he see it for what it is – one tour too many at the end of a gruelling winter programme that began with the 2021 World Cup and a tour of Australia. Both with strict Covid-restrictions that had a debilitating effect on his physical and mental wellbeing.”I was pretty cooked by that West Indies series,” Woakes said. “The surfaces we played on were horrendous, to be brutally honest. That whole winter, not just physically but mentally by that point, it was quite tiring. We had the World Cup prior to that in a bubble in Dubai which was draining in itself, then quarantine in Australia, then the Ashes which we all know what happened there. And then onto the West Indies.Woakes’ record in home Tests is exceptional and gives him a chance of being in the Ashes frame•AFP

“We were trying to build something new in the West Indies, Joe was keen to carry on as captain but Ben was having a heavy input as well. We were trying to move the team forward and make the changes we felt were needed. That was draining as well”You look back and think we were almost trying too hard to get it right. At the end there probably wasn’t too much left to give and my left knee was struggling at the time. But you get the opportunity to play for England and you snatch their hand off, don’t you?”Perhaps that puts this summer into perspective. Woakes is reticent to regard any Test appearance as a shot at redemption, or unfinished business. As far as his work in English conditions goes, there is little to prove given his 94 dismissals and average of 22.63, along with a batting average of 35.25. But even given the competition for places in a bowling group that has taken ten wickets in each of its 23 innings since the start of last summer, Woakes is desperate for a piece of the action.Starting with Surrey’s visit to Edgbaston on Thursday, he has three more Championship matches before the one-off Ireland Test. Even if he regards four-day game-time as a way of tuning up his skills for the white-ball challenges ahead, the primary focus is ensuring he states a loud enough case to be part of something special – such as England’s first Ashes win since 2015.”I don’t look at it like I’m desperate to have another crack and prove anything, because I feel over my career I have proved what I’m capable of,” he said. “But absolutely, I’d love to be part of an England team playing against Australia in a home Ashes series. It’s an incredible series, home or away. In this current team there is a huge chance, if we get it right over a five-match series, that we could win a home Ashes series. So you want to give yourself the best opportunity to be part of that team.”I by no means expect to walk back into the team, but I feel like with my experience, my record in England, if I can put in some performances early-season for Warwickshire in the next few games, then hopefully that gives me a chance of being in and around the squad.”

Danny Lamb, George Balderson share six wickets as Will Williams impresses on debut

ECB Reporters Network12-Jun-2022Warwickshire 292 (Hain 130, D Lamb 3-43, Balderson 3-68) vs Lancashire Sam Hain’s high-class century kept Warwickshire afloat as Lancashire’s bowlers impressed on the opening day of their LV=Insurance County Championship tussle at Edgbaston.The home side was all out for 292 just before the close with Hain the last to fall for 130. The accomplished knock continued the 26-year-old’s excellent red-ball form, his last four championship innings having brought 449 runs for twice out.After choosing to bat, Warwickshire leaned heavily on Hain as other batters got in but then found ways of getting out against a Red Rose attack which persevered well on a good batting pitch.