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Aaradhya Yadav, Shaik Rasheed and Manav Parakh join their captain and Siddarth Yadav in isolation

PTI21-Jan-2022Five Indian players, including captain Yash Dhull, have been ruled out of India’s final group-stage game of the Under-19 World Cup, against Uganda, after testing positive for Covid-19 in a fresh round of RT-PCR tests. Of the six players, who had isolated before the match against Ireland on Wednesday, only Vasu Vats has tested negative, a source in the ICC said.Dhull, Aaradhya Yadav and Shaik Rasheed had all returned positive Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) on Wednesday, while Manav Parakh and Vats had displayed symptoms of Covid-19 but returned negative RATs. Siddarth Yadav had, meanwhile, returned a positive RT-PCR test.Related

• Under-19 World Cup: Five reserve players to fly out to bolster Covid-hit Indian squad

• Two West Indies players sidelined with Covid-19 at Under-19 World Cup

• Your ready reckoner for the 2022 Under-19 World Cup

• India's concerns: Depleted squad and travel worries

“One positive out of this unfortunate situation is that the 11 who played against Ireland have all tested negative,” the ICC source said.Among the infected, Dhull has the worst symptoms but he, along with the other players, “should be fine” before their quarter-final on January 29 (if they top Group B, which they are currently leading), the source said.India registered a thumping win over Ireland in the second game, on Wednesday, to qualify for the knockouts after barely managing to field a team in the wake of the outbreak.All the infected players are required to undergo five days of isolation as per tournament protocols and can only rejoin their team after returning three negative tests within that period.How did the virus enter the bubble?
After winning the Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE, the Indian team had flown to the Caribbean via Amsterdam. A support staff member, who is fine now, had tested positive during the hard quarantine upon arrival in Guyana after catching the infection in transit and it is believed the players contracted the virus from him.The entire squad underwent a five-day hard quarantine in Guyana upon arrival and underwent three RT-PCR tests within that period. However, with the reports taking as long as 48 hours to arrive, the third test report was only made available on the seventh day.”The players mingled with the coach in that period and that seems be to be the most likely source of outbreak in the team,” the source said.It has also been learnt that the tournament’s bio-bubble could be stricter with team not being allocated dedicated floors in the hotel as it was during the Asia Cup in the UAE.However, despite a tight bubble in Dubai, the virus managed to enter the environment and a league game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had to be abandoned after two officials involved in the game tested positive.

“My role at the moment is to put the icing on the cake and help our guys in the top four”

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2020The disparity between Glenn Maxwell’s record for Australia in T20Is with his performances in the Indian Premier League is stark, but the right-hand batsman put it down to having a “clearer role” with Australia as against the frequent changes in his batting position and roles that the changing landscape of various franchises in the IPL demanded. Maxwell averages 33.52 at a strike rate of 158.36 in 64 matches for Australia. In the IPL, while his strike rate has remained up there at 156.78, his average after 76 matches is 22.38.”I probably would not (compare IPL and Australia career). The way I have played international cricket, it has been more of a clearer role. I know exactly how the guys will bat around me,” he said in a chat with PTI. “My role in IPL changes probably for most games. In IPL, a lot of teams change their sides a lot. In the Australian set-up we have the same eleven for most of the games, we all know our roles really well.”Maxwell came to IPL 2020 on the back of some good form, having hit 77 and 108 in two matches of the three-ODI series in England, where Australia won 2-1. But he has totalled just 58 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 95.08 for Kings XI Punjab so far.ALSO READ: Maxwell ‘shattered’, Stoinis shines, and Warner vs Archer“When you are only together for two months in the year with IPL, there is going to be chopping and changing,” Maxwell said. “You are always looking for that right team balance. The team you pick at the start of the tournament might not have the balance you think as you progress.”We feel we are getting closer to that (team balance). I have had different experiences where I have not quite performed to the level people expect but there has been no lack of trying, (or) putting the effort in training.”Maxwell, who has also turned out for Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians in the past, had his best season in the IPL in 2014, hitting 552 runs (strike rate of 187.75) in a man of the tournament performance that took the Kings XI to the final for the first, and so far only, time in their history.”Despite the fact I did well in 2014, I actually thought my performance in 2017 was my best season,” Maxwell said of the time he made 310 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 173.18 for the Kings XI, also taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.57. “Being captain, Man of the Match multiple times and I bowled a lot more. I thought that was my best season in the IPL. I was able to combine some match-winning knocks with some mature knocks.”The following season, he played for Delhi but didn’t have great success. He did not take part in IPL 2019. Maxwell has only faced 61 balls, though he has been dismissed four times in those.”This year has been a different role and I am trying to get used to it,” Maxwell said. “I would like to think that I have tried to do my role as well as I can. We have got Nicky (Pooran) batting unbelievably well at four. With his power-hitting, my job has been to get him on strike and be there to help finish off games.”I have been not out four times [thrice] in seven games which has probably never happened to me in the history of my career. So, it has been a strange transition for me batting at five and one that I feel, I have started to become more accustomed to.”With the way the team is set up, there is no position there (higher in the order) for me. As I said, my role at the moment is to put the icing on the cake and help our guys in the top four. There have been limited opportunities for me to bat. It has been a learning experience for sure… it is nice to be able to challenge myself with something different. I certainly have not been too hard on myself for my result in this tournament.”The Kings XI started the tournament with a Super Over loss to the Delhi Capitals and then beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore, but have since lost five games in a row.”The wickets have probably surprised me a little bit in terms of the way they have played. I have had a lot of success here in international cricket and even last IPL,” Maxwell said. “The wickets have been a little bit slower. The spin has not been as consistent. It has been probably easier for guys to bat at the top of the order than someone to come out and hit from ball one. It has not been easy and we have seen that consistently through the tournament.”It has been a tough campaign for us as a team. I would say we were ahead in a lot of those close games but unfortunately came short. It is the hardest to score the winning runs in T20 cricket.”

The multi-point Women’s Ashes begins on Tuesday and here are some of the names to keep an eye on

Andrew McGlashan29-Jun-2019Ellyse PerryThe allrounder is one of the leading cricketers in the world and enjoyed a wonderful 2018-19 season with a prolific WBBL campaign and a strong one-day series to finish against New Zealand. Her international career began in 2007 and she has seven Tests under her belt which will be valuable experience in a format rarely played by the women. In the previous Ashes Test Perry scored an unbeaten 213 in Sydney which ensured Australia couldn’t lose the match and in the 2015 victory which helped regain the Ashes she took nine wickets at Canterbury. It will be interesting to see what role she plays in the T20Is later in the series having been lower down the order in last year’s T20 World Cup before filling her boots in the WBBL.Tammy Beaumont raises her bat for a half-century•Getty Images

Tammy BeaumontA key figure in England’s batting unit since reinventing her game as a dashing opener over the last three years. No one has scored more ODI runs since 2016 (1918) than Beaumont. She was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in March following her run-scoring feats which included a 47-ball T20I hundred against South Africa last season where she set a new record England tally of 628 runs. “I want to be the leading run-scorer again this year and have no problem in saying that publicly,” she told the earlier this year. “I’m the one putting the ­pressure on myself.” In the 2017-18 Ashes Test she contributed more than 100 runs across the two innings and will be vital in repelling a strong Australia attack.Alyssa Healy works through the leg side•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Alyssa HealyHealy has taken her game to a new level over the last 12 months, playing a central role in Australia’s T20 World Cup triumph, excelling in front of and behind the stumps, which culminated in her being crowned the Belinda Clark medalist at the end of the 2018-19 Australia season. Ominously for England, she thinks there is more to come having spent her downtime since the end of the season working on further expanding her power hitting, “I’d like to think I’m still improving as a cricketer and have a lot to learn,” she said before flying to England. Expect some chirp from behind the stumps as well from a player who isn’t afraid to get involved in a feisty battle.Kate Cross during her matchwinning performance during the 2014 Ashes Test•Getty Images

Kate CrossCross had a memorable start to her Ashes career with a matchwinning performance in the 2013-14 Ashes Test in Perth when she claimed match figures of 6 for 70 to secure a 61-run victory. That was followed by another six wickets in the 2014 Test against India and coupled with promising performances with the white ball she looked set for a lengthy stay in team. However, there have been huge challenges for Cross to overcome; last year she opened up on her battle with mental health which dated back to 2016 and almost led to her quitting. She made her comeback against New Zealand in 2018 and can play a key role in taking the pace-bowling pressure off the experienced pair of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole.Tayla Vlaeminck bowling for Melbourne Renegades•Getty Images

Tayla VlaeminckThe 20-year-old quick, with just two international appearances under her belt, could be a point of difference for Australia having overcome a disrupted season after a torn ACL in what has already been an injury-hit career that has included two knee reconstructions and a dislocated shoulder. “She’ll be a big weapon for us, she’s bowling fast and accurate,” captain Meg Lanning said. “She put in a lot of hard work over the off-season, she didn’t really have a break like most of us did so she’s ready go. Katherine Brunt in the England side is pretty quick and she’s up there with that pace. In our game it’s a bit of a weapon and something extra and we feel Tayla really adds something to our squad.”Amy Jones cuts through the off side•Getty Images

Amy JonesLike the men’s sides, England are not short when it comes to wicketkeeper-batsmen. The world-class Sarah Taylor currently has the gloves but in Jones they have an excellent deputy and her batting skills alone are getting her in the team. So far 2019 has been a stellar year for her with 415 ODI runs at 46.11 and a strike-rate of 100.48 making her comfortably the leading scorer in the world. And she sees the wicketkeeping rivalry as healthy. “I’ve always known that if I’m going to be the first-choice keeper I’ve got to be good,” she told the in March. “Now that I’ve been at a good standard for a few years I can push her to improve and we can see how good we can get.”

The chasm between the two sides was in full evidence as Pakistan romped to their joint-highest T20 total before they bowled West Indies out for their lowest

The Report by Danyal Rasool01-Apr-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThis might have been billed as the day international cricket came back to Karachi, but take that with a pinch of salt. A whole tablespoon, rather.The team Pakistan played against today – and beat by 143 runs – was in no universe international standard. Thirteen individuals cobbled together whose only unifying characteristic was their willingness to travel to Pakistan, they were never a match for the top-ranked T20I side. Especially not if you consider they had arrived in Pakistan from halfway around the world just 24 hours ago (the squad having only been announced late in the early hours of Friday morning), with barely enough time to shake off their jetlag before they were sped to the National Stadium to face off against Pakistan. In all senses of the phrase, this simply wasn’t cricket.A wretched bowling performance from West Indies – if we must call the touring side that – began with Samuel Badree, Keemo Paul and Riyad Emrit well off their lines and lengths, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam easily finding the gaps to take advantage of the fielding restrictions, and Pakistan speeding to 56 for 1 in the first six overs. You might be forgiven for not noticing the fielding restrictions had been lifted thereafter, as Pakistan continued along their merry way, never encumbered by tricky bowling or intelligent field setting. The quality of fielding from the tourists was amateur, singles on several occasions turning into boundaries as fielders under no pressure whatsoever let balls slip through their fingers.Even when West Indies managed to take wickets, it wasn’t down to the skill of the bowling. Until the 17th over, just three wickets and fallen, two of them to run-outs. Debutant Hussain Talat, who looked excellent as he top-scored with 41, was unfortunate enough to be involved in two mix-ups, the first one putting paid to Fakhar’s bright start, while a collision between Sarfraz Ahmed and Kesrick Williams meant Talat himself was left stranded mid-pitch.After a rare spell around the death overs in which West Indies looked to be reining Pakistan in somewhat, the shackles broke again in the penultimate over. What followed devastated West Indies and was arguably responsible for taking the wind out of their sails, even for the second innings. As Faheem Ashraf and Shoaib Malik freed their arms for a final flourish, Emrit and Williams found themselves helpless to stop the carnage. A whopping 41 runs came off the last ten balls as Pakistan surged to their joint-highest T20I total, setting West Indies a target of 204.AFP

It was like bringing a gun to a knife fight; they needn’t have bothered with such a vertigo-inducing total. The six that Chadwick Walton hit
Mohammad Nawaz for off the first ball was a false dawn as West Indies quickly began to unravel. Other than Walton and Marlon Samuels, no one in the top five scored a single run. Andre Fletcher and Jason Mohammed looked to be giving Hussain Talat catching practice at cover, both falling in Mohammad Amir’s first over. Denesh Ramdin, underwhelming in the PSL, didn’t trouble the scorers either, holing out to midwicket, and when Samuels top-edged a big heave off Nawaz, the visitors had slumped to 33 for 6, and the contest was descending into farce.West Indies would have been thankful to get past 39, the lowest T20I total ever, but there was no denying the innings was headed towards an early finish. Shoaib Malik removed the next two off consecutive deliveries just after West Indies crossed 50, and 79 – their previous lowest T20I score – was looking a long distance away. Particularly since West Indies were one man short; Veerasammy Permaul had injured his foot while bowling and would not bat.And sure enough, with the score at 60, the last wicket fell, condemning West Indies to a slew of unwanted records: their lowest T20I score and the largest margin of defeat between two Full Members among the more ignominious ones.It’s hard to read much into either side’s performance today, given the disparity between them. You could make a case that the touring side
didn’t play as well as they could, but one can’t help feeling an improved performance may only win them respectability. To win cricket matches, they may need a number of players who, for all sorts of reasons, aren’t where West Indies would want them to be – in Karachi.

Bangladesh women were bowled out for 136 in 49 overs but went on to defend the total by dismissing South Africa women for 126 in the third ODI in Cox’s Bazar

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Khadija Tul Kubra took her second consecutive four-for and her career-best ODI figures•ICC/ Mainoor Islam Manik

Bangladesh women kept the five-match series against South Africa women alive, defending 136 by 10 runs in the third ODI in Cox’s Bazar. The result leaves the series scoreline at 2-1, with two more ODIs still to be played.At the centre of Bangladesh’s win was offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra, who finished with a career-best 4 for 33, her second four-for in as many matches. Introduced into the attack in the ninth over, after South Africa had already lost two early wickets, Tul Kubra dismissed the in-form Lizelle Lee for 46 off 31 balls. Then, with South Africa reeling at 64 for 5, Tul Kubra dismissed Suné Luus and Sinalo Jafta off consecutive deliveries in the 15th over. South Africa rapidly slid to 96 for 9 in the 23rd over but Dane van Niekerk kept Bangladesh at bay. Eventually, however, the South Africa captain was left stranded on 42 not out as their innings ended in 31.2 overs. Apart from Tul Kubra, Panna Ghosh and Jahanara Alam took two wickets apiece, while Salma Khatun claimed the last wicket to fall. Between them, Lee and van Niekerk contributed 88 runs in the side’s total of 126, with extras accounting for the next best score, 9.Earlier, having won the toss, Bangladesh had laid a platform that promised a total higher than 136. Their innings came undone, however, after a batting implosion, as they lost their last seven wickets for 32 runs, stumbling from 104 for 3 to 136 all out. Every bowler in South Africa’s attack took wickets, with Marizanne Kapp, Luus and van Niekerk taking two apiece. The fourth ODI will be played on January 18.

Craig McDermott has moved to clarify assumptions about James Pattinson’s action, including the contention that Pattinson abandoned two years of adjustments to claim five wickets in the Hobart Test

Daniel Brettig16-Dec-2015James Pattinson’s mentor Craig McDermott has moved to clarify assumptions about his pupil’s bowling action, including the contention that the 25-year-old abandoned two years of adjustments in order to claim five wickets in the second innings of the Hobart Test against the West Indies.While Pattinson did struggle for rhythm in the first innings and found himself delivering the ball from an arm position that reduced his chances of gaining any movement through the air or off the wicket, McDermott said there was still plenty of evidence of the adjustments they had made together during his 5 for 27 on the third and final day.Changes to Pattinson’s action had been devised to ease pressure on his back, which has been the subject of multiple stress fractures over his five years around the Australian team, and were as much about foot position as arm and wrist. McDermott noted that Pattinson’s back foot is now much more side on at the point of delivery and thus in sync with his waist, back and shoulders. The adjustments to his arm path made for a much more rhythmic performance on day three.”In a transition from an old action to a new action, sometimes in competition your body will want to go back a little bit to the way it was,” McDermott told ESPNcricinfo. “That happened in the second innings a little bit, but it was more about Patto jumping in a straight line through the crease and going towards the target with his body and getting his arm path down a little bit below the perpendicular and his wrist behind the ball all the time.”The bottom half is still different. Sometimes his back foot gets a bit more front on down the wicket, but generally he’s travelling pretty well. We tried to get his back foot as far towards 90 degrees as we possibly could to start with, knowing that when you get back into competition mode it’s always going to creep back the other way. He’s anywhere between 30 and 45 degrees at any one stage so it’s not too bad.”Pattinson had stated that he hoped to find a middle ground between his old ways and new ones, with the added benefit of now having an older, more mature body to cope. However, McDermott counselled that given a history of multiple stress injuries, Pattinson needed to be aware of the risks inherent in his former methods – the pair will continue their work together when McDermott travels to Melbourne ahead of the rest of the team on Monday.”Every bowler is different, but Patto’s had a number of stress fractures and even at the age of 25 he’s probably had more than someone like Mitchell Starc who’s had one,” McDermott said. “He’s got to be careful, old stress fractures sometimes don’t heal 100%, a bit like with Pat Cummins at the moment, after about a month his were still not healing that well, so he’s put in a brace just to make sure that does restrict his movement.”Patto’s still got to be careful even at his age, just because of the amount of stress fractures he has had in the past that he may not get a new one but you can always open an old one, which may not have healed as strong as some of the other bone matter has. I don’t think it’s right to compare Patto’s body with Mitchell Johnson’s body or with Mitchell Starc’s body, everybody’s differently made up.”Nevertheless, McDermott agreed that once a player is in the Test team, the last thing they should be doing is thinking too intricately about their bowling action. For this reason, he kept his advice simple and to the point between innings, much as the captain Steven Smith also did.”There were a couple of things I spoke to Patto about the night after the first innings,” McDermott said. “One was ‘don’t think too much about it, just really bowl the ball’, and the other thing was ‘try to get your arm path down a little bit, because if it’s up too high it is very hard to get your wrist behind the ball’. They were the only two things I spoke to him about the night before.”His first wicket in the second innings if you look at the slo-mo, it’s very good as far as the seam position and all of that sort of stuff goes. There’s still some variation in that with him, but everything’s coming along pretty well. There’s still a lot of room for improvement, as we’ve discussed since then. But some wickets will give him confidence.”In the absence of Starc, who underwent his ankle surgery on Tuesday night, McDermott said that Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile were both well equipped to be Australia’s impact bowlers over the next four Tests against the West Indies and New Zealand, with Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle providing the steady counterpoint.”I think Patto’s one of those and Nathan Coulter-Nile’s got the ability to do that as well,” he said. “Josh is really starting to hone his skills with his lengths, Sidds does what Sidds does, nothing changing there. Certainly leading into the next two Test matches and New Zealand, those guys stand us in pretty good stead.”

Kevin O’Brien, the Ireland allrounder, has said the upcoming ODIs against Pakistan are a welcome chance for his team to match skills with a Full Member side

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2013Kevin O’Brien, the Ireland allrounder, has said the upcoming ODIs against Pakistan are a welcome chance for his team to match skills with a Full Member side. Ireland, who last played a top team during the 2012 World T20, are set to play Pakistan in two one-dayers in Dublin on May 23 and 26.”It’ll be a great chance for me personally and for the team to show what we can do again,” O’Brien told . “It has been a while since we’ve played a Full Member.”Following their famous victory against Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup, Ireland lost their next two encounters when Pakistan visited the country in 2011. O’Brien said the he would not be overawed by having to face Saeed Ajmal, the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler. “We played against him two years ago and we know that he’s obviously a tricky customer,” he said. “[But] there are no specific plans for him, just go out and enjoy facing a great spinner. We’ll have to give him the respect he deserves and try to score off as many balls as we can.”The question of giving Ireland Test status is one that has been floating around for a while. According to O’Brien, the team still has some way to go before they can make the step up. “We’re still a few years away from being a Test team. Bangladesh, when they were given full status, were probably dominating Associated cricket for 10 to 12 years. We’ve only been doing it for six or seven years,” he said. “We don’t have as big a pool of players as Bangladesh either.”Cricket Ireland needs to put a few things in place in terms of first-class cricket and multi-day cricket in Ireland, and I think they’re certainly going towards that. In the future, possibly in three of four more years, Ireland could be playing a Test match against Bangladesh.”He empathised with scheduling issues facing the Full Member countries when it comes to accommodating Associates. “Bigger teams need to concentrate on Test series and one-day series that are already in place, and to add an extra two or three games on the tour to play us is really difficult. England have come over two or three times in the last couple of years and Pakistan had also come here in 2011. We’re getting more and more opportunities.”We’d obviously like more but we can’t be too greedy. We just have to bide our time and when we do get a chance, perform well and get a few victories.”O’Brien was also pleased about “definite” progress made by Associate nations over the last five or six years. “Afghanistan are a good side, as are Holland who are improving all the time. Then you have the likes of Scotland who are getting better and better with their young team. It’s definitely getting more and more competitive at the Associate level and it’s great to see.”The two one-day internationals will be streamed live on YouTube – via the Cricket Ireland channel – after the board struck a deal with Google and Quipu TV to broadcast the game online. The matches were not going to be shown on television. However, the deal is unlikely to help fans in Pakistan were YouTube is banned.

West Indies’ captain Darren Sammy did nothing to quash talk after defeat at Lord’s that Chris Gayle should be invited to strengthen his side in the rest of the Test series against England

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2012West Indies’ captain Darren Sammy did nothing to quash the theory after his side’s defeat at Lord’s that Chris Gayle should be invited to strengthen his side in the rest of the Test series against England, as well as the one-day matches that follow.Gayle’s involvement in IPL is over after Royal Challengers Bangalore were eliminated from the tournament and such has been his troubled relationship with the WICB that any emergency dash to the UK in time to play in one or both of the remaining two Tests seems hard to imagine.But Sammy refused to close the door on the possibility after West Indies’ five-wicket defeat against England at Lord’s put them 1-0 down in the series, suggesting that both he and the coach, Ottis Gibson, would be content to accommodate Gayle’s late arrival.”Whatever happens outside this squad takes its own course,” Sammy told Sky Sports. “Whoever comes in we will welcome them into the team and hopefully they will help. It is up to the selectors to select the team.”I think Chris has said he is available for Test cricket, one-day cricket and T20 so it is up to the selectors. We have been having some difficulties at the top of the order and if he comes in we would all welcome him, myself, Ottis and all the guys.”One change West Indies will consider for the second Test at Trent Bridge on Friday, and one which needs no political machinations, is the inclusion of Shane Shillingford, the Dominican who took ten wickets in his last Test, against Australia on his home ground in Roseau in April.Shillingford, according to Sammy, had been omitted at Lord’s partly because he could not cope with the cold weather – and with higher temperatures forecast in the build-up to Trent Bridge that could change.”Shane was experiencing a bit of difficulty gripping the ball but in the course of this Test match he has done some work and hopefully his fingers will be warm enough and ready for him to play for us in the next match,” Sammy said. “He played a crucial role in the last series and once he is ready to master the cold we will have him in.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Pune Warriors in Jaipur

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya30-Apr-2011

Match facts

Sunday, May 1, Jaipur
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Robin Uthappa could do with a promotion in the batting order•AFP

Big picture

One of the enduring images of the first week of the IPL was Pune Warriors’ owner Subroto Roy, flanked by beauty queens in the VIP stands, smiling away gleefully at his franchise’s early successes on the field. Five straight defeats later, with his team’s campaign in need of a dramatic turnaround, the smile, presumably, would have been clouded by anxiety.A misfiring batting line-up had been their primary concern but the hammering meted out to Jerome Taylor and Kamran Khan by Royal Challengers Bangalore was another setback. They tweaked their batting order, but failed to push on in a big chase and when Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, their bumper buys, did step up, it was too late. With the tournament already at its halfway stage, and Pune sitting at the bottom of the points table, they would be hoping to keep themselves alive with a win in Jaipur.Rajasthan, in contrast, are on a high after two comprehensive wins that centered around dominating performances with the ball. This included a humbling of early favourites Mumbai Indians, and they’d want to win at least four of their next six games to be certain of progress.

Form guide (most recent first)

Pune: LLLLL (tenth in the points table)

Rajasthan: WWLLL (fourth in the points table)

Team talk

Tim Paine struggled to get going for Pune against Bangalore, and Manish Pandey has had three straight failures. A cursory glance at the averages of Pune’s batsmen will reveal a lack of form, but Pune should consider giving Callum Ferguson a chance. Ashish Nehra hasn’t had a game due to his finger injury, but in his absence Pune could bring back Shrikant Wagh for Kamran Khan.Rajasthan stuck to the same XIs in their previous two games, and are likely to do so for this one as well unless Shane Warne’s swollen knee, an injury he sustained in Rajasthan’s previous game, keeps him out. In that case, Raul Dravid or Ross Taylor may have to take over.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Robin Uthappa batted at No. 5 in Pune’s failed chase in their previous game. He could do with a promotion in the order, as his team, at this stage, is more in need of a surge at the top of the order than an explosive finish.Ross Taylor, known for those explosive finishes, hasn’t been at his best this IPL, with a highest of 35 in seven games. He didn’t get to do much in Rajasthan’s previous two games, with opponents folding for low scores after batting first, and awaits his turn.

Prime numbers

• Yuvraj Singh has struck 13 sixes so far this IPL, the highest by a batsman this season.
• Siddharth Trivedi, despite improved performances in the last two games, still has the dubious distinction of conceding the most runs in an innings this IPL – 59 in four overs against Kings XI Punjab.

The chatter

“We have been lucky here. We know a few things about this ground like the angles to be blocked off and that gives us the extra confidence.”

Shahid Afridi has urged authorities to resolve the allegations surrounding the team because the uncertainty was “damaging for the players”

Cricinfo staff21-May-2010Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, has urged the authorities to resolve the allegations surrounding the team as soon as possible because the uncertainty was “damaging for the players and the team” as they prepare for future assignments, especially the 2011 World Cup.”The thing is that there is too much uncertainty because of all those allegations,” Afridi told the . “It’s really damaging for the players and the team and I’m really concerned because it comes at a time when we are looking forward to a very busy calendar filled with major assignments, including the all-important World Cup.”I think that for our team to move on, we need to quickly resolve all such controversies. You can’t expect the players to give their best when there are so many allegations thrown at them.”The ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) said on Thursday that it was investigating Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 2009-10 to establish whether Pakistan’s on-field failure was the result of what it called a “dysfunctional” team or “something more serious”.The PCB has been conducting its own investigations into the Australia tour and a leaked video recording of the committee’s hearings revealed the level of in-fighting and disunity within the Pakistan side. Senior members of Pakistan’s team management on the tour raised concerns about a run-out wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal fluffed during the second Test in Sydney, hinting that it may have been more than just a cricketing error.When Afridi was asked at the inquiry if the losses to Australia were deliberate, he said: “I have heard from others that such things [deliberately losing] exist but I do not know of any such player myself.”Pakistan’s next assignment is the Asia Cup in June and Afridi said it “would be great if the team goes to Sri Lanka with this issue resolved so that everybody can focus on playing cricket.” Pakistan have not yet announced an ODI captain but it is widely expected that the responsibility will be given to Afridi.