Category Uncategorized

Sreesanth, who injured his knee in Sri Lanka, is hoping to come back to match fitness for the BCCI Corporate Trophy, which begins on September 1

Cricinfo staff20-Aug-2010Sreesanth, who injured his knee in Sri Lanka, is hoping to come back to match fitness for the BCCI Corporate Trophy, which begins on September 1. He has been going through physiotherapy and rehab at the NCA in Bangalore, and resumed bowling on August 20.Sreesanth was attempting a comeback after a bout of swine flu and then a stress fracture of the back had kept him out of the national side. Upon reaching Sri Lanka, he injured the knee while warming up for the first training session on the tour. It was diagnosed as a medial collateral ligament tear in his left knee.Sreesanth had returned to India, and then went to England to consult Jonathon Lavelle, an orthopaedic consultant in England, for further diagnosis. He is relieved that the knee doesn’t need surgery and is hopeful of starting another comeback through the Corporate Trophy.The domestic tournament is the only event through which Sreesanth can stake a claim for selection for Australia Tests: the Irani Cup coincides with the first Test of the series.

India have won the last 10 ODI series against Sri Lanka, but that record is in danger of falling on Wednesday

Alagappan Muthu06-Aug-20243:17

What changes should India make in the decider?

Big picture – The ODI learning curve

And they said the middle overs in an ODI are dull. India and Sri Lanka are playing a series where all of the action is contained in the exact period where the 50-over format tends to be dull. And that’s largely because they have been playing these games – the first of which ended in a tie – on pitches that challenge a batter, in ways that extend far beyond technique.The Khettarama is asking people to play cricket thinking two overs ahead; to avoid the expansive drive just even if the ball seems to be tossed up, because that juicy half-volley is actually going to dip and turn to go past the middle of the bat and take the edge through to slip.Restraint is the very thing that India have spent the better part of two years beating out of themselves, but now it is the very thing that stands between them and a bit of a black mark on a very proud record. They have lost only five out of 22 bilateral ODI series. They have won the last 10 rubbers against Sri Lanka – a streak that will come to an end regardless of the result on Wednesday – and that is tribute to the way this Sri Lanka side has performed even though it is missing several first-teamers. They are certainly shading the middle-overs battle, averaging 24.7 and losing only 10 wickets to India’s 17.8 and 14 wickets.Related

• Washington: 'We need to find a way to get the job done in crunch situations'

• Big-innings accumulator to powerplay aggressor: Rohit finds ways to be extraordinary

• Vandersay brings the vibes back for Sri Lanka

• Vandersay six-for gives SL first ODI win over India in three years

• India, Sri Lanka throw it back to the '90s in Colombo classic

Throughout the series, the aggression of Rohit Sharma at the top of the order has made Sri Lankan fans wax nostalgic about the days when their line-up was littered with all-time greats too. In the same way perhaps, India fans might be looking at Dunith Wellalage, all of 21 years old, shepherding Sri Lanka through back-to-back collapses like someone who used to do it for them. He is one of two men in this series to strike at better than run a ball and the other one has been playing this format for almost as long as he has been alive.Whether India win and level the series or Sri Lanka win and claim it 2-0, these three games are likely to be an important learning curve for both teams and that is a check in the box next to why bilateral ODI cricket is still worth it (just, does it to be eight hours long?).

Form guide

Sri Lanka WTLWL
India LTWLW

In the spotlight – Virat Kohli and Avishka Fernando

Virat Kohli has only one fifty in his last 15 innings for India across formats. But here’s the thing. He doesn’t look out of form. And this is ODI cricket as well. He could probably write five different books about it – and star in their movie adaptations – and still not be done explaining how well he knows it. So a big score is probably on the horizon, and even if it isn’t, he isn’t the sort to be fussed about his numbers, not as long as he feels good in training and doesn’t have to force himself to be involved. That’s when there will be cause for worry.Avishka Fernando is the best of both worlds. He can finesse the ball to the boundary, or if the mood strikes him, inflict that same ball to a whole lot worse. He puts attacking shots together like the rest of us put two and two together. It’s just that natural to him. Except sometimes he might get carried away, which is why 26 of his 40 innings have ended at or before the 30-run mark and 17 of those innings have been single-digits. He’ll be pushing himself to justify the talent he has and take his place as one of Sri Lanka’s mainstays.Sri Lanka have edged the middle-overs battle so far in the series•AFP/Getty Images

Team news – Does Parag have a chance?

Sri Lanka hit a sweet combination packing their side with spinners for the last game, which helped them drag India down from 97 for 0 to 147 for 6.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 8 Kamindu Mendis, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Asitha FernandoIndia might weigh up the pros and cons of Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag. Dube is a proven spin-hitter, which is sure to come in handy, but Parag offers them a bowling option that is better suited to the conditions. Or if they’re feeling really funky, they might drop a quick bowler to bring in Parag and hand Dube the new ball.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube/Riyan Parag, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions: Bit of rain around

There are chances of showers in Colombo both leading up to and during the game, but it is unlikely that the whole thing will be washed off. Spinners have bowled twice as many balls (812 vs 351) as the quicks and picked up almost four times as many wickets (29 vs 8). Consider yourself warned.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka last beat India in a bilateral ODI series in August 1997.
• Rohit has hit 90 of his 122 runs in this series in fours and sixes.
• Charith Asalanka has 11 ODI wickets from 61 matches; 10 of them have come against India, six in this series.

Quotes

“We have very good batters. When it comes to their attack they’ve got great variety in legspin, offspin and left-arm spin. We need to find a way to put them under pressure. That’s why a left-hander is in the middle in the middle overs.”
Washington Sundar breaks down the importance of a left-hand batter against a quality attack

He says India are favourites “if they get the right balance of youth and experience”

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-20232:07

Can Samson cement his place in India’s ODI middle-order?

Is India’s ODI top six loaded with too many right-handers at the moment? Former head coach Ravi Shastri seems to think so and would like to see at least two left-handers in India’s top six for the ODI World Cup later this year.”You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” Shastri told .With Rishabh Pant not playing any competitive cricket this year due to injuries suffered in a car accident, India have lost a key left-hander in one-day cricket. They have gone with Ishan Kishan for a few games this year. Ravindra Jadeja is another option but he doesn’t have a lot of experience batting in the top six. Yashasvi Jaiswal made it to India’s Test squad for the West Indies series, but his name remained absent from the ODI list.Related

• Gavaskar defends 'loyal servant' Pujara: 'Why make him the scapegoat for our batting failures?'

• Jaiswal a far cry from Dravid and Pujara, but can make No. 3 his own

• Kishan to head to NCA for strength and conditioning ahead of WI tour

• Rishabh Pant's recovery progressing faster than expected

• Samson, Gaikwad and Mukesh called up to India ODI squad for West Indies tour

The World Cup is set to start on October 5. Pant, if he gets fit in time, will likely get his place back, but what are the other left-handed options?”You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju [Samson]. But the left-handers, you have [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment.”Shastri was also adamant that India needed to form a pool of youngsters and get them in the mix ahead of the World Cup. While he voiced concerns about India’s red-ball depth, he was pretty happy with talent coming through in white-ball cricket.”There are so many youngsters. There is Jaiswal and, I might miss out a few here, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera. There is [Sai] Sudharsan, who played so well in the [IPL] final. There is Jitesh Sharma,” he said.”Among the bowlers, there is a crop of young fast bowlers. Quite a few, there is Mukesh [Kumar], names do not come to my mind now. But, there are at least four or five who can be groomed around that 135kmph-140kmph mark. So I am not worried about the talent in white-ball.”You have a lot of injuries these days. I always like a pool of 15-20. You should always be prepared, you should have a plan B, plan C.”Shastri: Sanju Samson is a “match-winner”•BCCI

Another name that Shastri was quite vocal about was Sanju Samson. The Kerala batter has been in and out of the India side but has been included in the squad for the ODIs in the West Indies next month. Shastri likened Samson to a young Rohit Sharma and felt the wicketkeeper-batter could be the “match-winner” India are looking for.”There is Sanju [Samson], who I believe is yet to realise his potential. He is a match-winner. There is something that is missing. I will be disappointed if he does not finish his career all guns blazing. It is like when I was the coach, I would have been disappointed if Rohit Sharma had not played in my side as a regular Test player. Hence, his opening the batting. I feel similar with Sanju,” he said.Shastri felt that with a number of youngsters ready to knock the door down, India should get started on succession planning. “There are seniors ready to be phased out and there are youngsters ready. No question about it when it comes to T20 cricket. Lesser in 50-over cricket and even fewer in Tests,” he said.”Because of the IPL, you see an abundance of high-quality, young, white-ball players. But, one should not get carried away by that and think they should be automatic red-ball choices. No, I would rather see the red-ball record. I would sit with the selectors and find out more about who the [red-ball performances] were against, in what conditions, what are their strengths, what is the temperament of the bloke like.”For me, temperament is key. It is paramount. Does the guy have the stomach for a fight? When it gets hot in the kitchen, is he is ready to bite the bullet? These are qualities I look for in a [Test] player. When I use the word fearless as a coach, these are the qualities that make a fearless cricketer. Backing his own ability and his strengths, and not wavering.”Luckily for India, the volume of players that play the game, compared with other countries, [is high]. I think you should always have a strong bench across formats.”Shastri was confident that India go into the ODI World Cup at home as favourites, and could “win this one” if they got the balance of the side right. “They are playing at home. I think they are one of the favourites. I am telling you now; I think they can win this one. Provided they get the right balance of experience and youth. And there is enough time to identify the squad that you want. And if you get your full-strength side, I think India are favourites, with England and Australia.”

World Cup-winning captain leads strong Australian contingent after signing Trent Rockets deal

Matt Roller05-Apr-2022Meg Lanning, Australia’s multi-World Cup-winning captain, will make her debut in English domestic cricket this summer after signing for Trent Rockets in the second season of the Hundred.Lanning was one of 11 Australians to pull out of the Hundred’s first season in 2021 due to restrictions on international travel and the competition’s proximity to their home series against India. She had previously withdrawn from a planned stint in the Kia Super League due to injury and is one of the few members of the Australia set-up who has never played domestic cricket in England.This year, she will lead a contingent of 10 members of the squad that went unbeaten the 50-over World Cup as well as an 11th Australian in Sophie Molineux, who missed that tournament through injury.Related

• Alana King awarded Cricket Australia contract, Sophie Molineux misses out

• Tim David's walk-on role inspires Hundred regulation change

• Women's Hundred trimmed due to Commonwealth Games clash

• Taylor joins Manchester Originals as men's assistant coach

• Mandhana, Rodrigues, Perry commit to Hundred as England players eye moves

The women’s Hundred starts on August 11, four days after the final of the T20 tournament at the Commonwealth Games which will be held in its entirety at Edgbaston, and as a result the calibre of overseas players involved is significantly higher than in the tournament’s first season. Wages have also doubled, with Lanning among the players due to earn £31,250 from their involvement.Twelve overseas players were confirmed on Tuesday, adding to the dozen that had previously signed up. The signings announced were: Megan Schutt, Beth Mooney, Amelia Kerr (all London Spirit), Rachael Haynes, Annabel Sutherland (both Welsh Fire), Deandra Dottin, Amy Satterthwaite (both Manchester Originals), Lanning, Mignon du Preez, Alana King (all Trent Rockets), Molineux (Birmingham Phoenix) and Tahlia McGrath (Southern Brave).Several English players have also moved teams for the 2022 edition, headlined by Tammy Beaumont’s decision to leave London Spirit and captain Welsh Fire. She will be joined in Cardiff by Fran Wilson, Alex Hartley, Fi Morris and Sarah Bryce, who have all signed contracts after leaving their previous teams.The women’s squads as they stand•The Hundred

Elsewhere, Lauren Winfield-Hill has left Northern Superchargers in order to keep wicket for defending champions Oval Invincibles (Superchargers retained Alyssa Healy who will take the gloves) while Georgia Adams and Jo Gardner have left Invincibles to join Brave. Jenny Gunn, the veteran seamer who did not play in the inaugural season, has joined Superchargers and Bryony Smith will play for Rockets.Each women’s team will sign an overseas ‘wildcard’ player later in the summer, with a maximum of three overseas players permitted in a single playing XI.

New women’s signings

London Spirit: Beth Mooney (Welsh Fire), Amelia Kerr (Southern Brave), Megan Schutt, Sophie Luff (Welsh Fire)
Welsh Fire: Tammy Beaumont (captain, London Spirit), Rachael Haynes (Oval Invincibles), Annabel Sutherland (Trent Rockets), Fran Wilson (Oval Invincibles), Alex Hartley (Manchester Originals), Fi Morris (Southern Brave), Sarah Bryce (Oval Invincibles)
Manchester Originals: Deandra Dottin (London Spirit), Amy Satterthwaite, Ami Campbell (Northern Superchargers), Phoebe Graham (Northern Superchargers), Grace Potts
Northern Superchargers: Jenny Gunn, Lucy Higham (Trent Rockets)
Oval Invincibles: Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Superchargers), Aylish Cranstone (London Spirit), Emily Windsor (Trent Rockets), Eva Gray (Retained), Kira Chathili
Trent Rockets: Meg Lanning (Welsh Fire), Mignon du Preez (Manchester Originals), Bryony Smith (Welsh Fire), Alana King, Marie Kelly (Birmingham Phoenix), Sophie Munro (London Spirit), Alexa Stonehouse, Georgia Davis (Retained)
Birmingham Phoenix: Sophie Molineux (Trent Rockets), Sterre Kalis (Northern Superchargers)
Southern Brave: Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Adams (Oval Invincibles), Jo Gardner (Oval Invincibles), Freya Kemp (Retained), Ella McCaughan (Retained)

West Indies Test captain will head straight to the BBL after the Test series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2020West Indies Test captain Jason Holder has signed with BBL champions the Sydney Sixers for a three-game stint following the Test series against New Zealand.The travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand allows Holder to enter Australia without having to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Following the two-Test series in New Zealand, he will head straight to Hobart to play in the December 20 clash with the Adelaide Strikers. He will also be available for the December 26 fixture against the Melbourne Stars and the December 29 match with the Melbourne Renegades.Holder, 29, comes in as cover for England bowler Tom Curran who needs to complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine after arriving from England’s limited-overs tour of South Africa. He joins fellow West Indian Carlos Brathwaite and England batsman James Vince as part of the Sixers’ overseas contingent.”I’m really excited to be coming to the BBL and the Sydney Sixers,” Holder said. “I’ve wanted to for a few years now and this year I have the opportunity to come in and make some appearances and hopefully do a bit for the Sixers.”Holder said he was looking forward to reuniting with Sixers skipper Moises Henriques, having played alongside him in the IPL.”BBL cricket is an interest for me and the Sixers have been successful over the past few years. Moises and I played together at Sunrisers and I really enjoyed that. It will be good to do it again.”

All the latest news from the Vitality Blast, including over-rate penalties, Durham’s death-bowling duo, and Worcestershire’s unlikely pinch-hitter

Matt Roller05-Aug-2019Somerset have set the gold standard among counties for streaming their games, and have had to find a way to manage an influx of traffic after the signing of Babar Azam.Ben Warren, Somerset’s digital marketing executive, had to upgrade the club website’s server capacity after their first game of the Blast, a win at Glamorgan that was not streamed live, as fans in Pakistan were so desperate to follow their star batsman’s progress.But the change appears to have been worthwhile: their home defeat against Sussex last weekend, in which Babar made 83, attracted over 1.5 million views on YouTube.It remains a source of frustration for several clubs that due to the technicalities within the broadcast deal between the ECB and Sky, streams on YouTube have to remain ‘unlisted’ – meaning they do not show up in the search bar, and have to be found via hyperlinks.It may seem like a minor difference, but counties are convinced they are missing out on substantial traffic because of it, and hope that after consultation with the governing body, a change will be implemented ahead of next season.***James Faulkner and Glenn Maxwell celebrate a wicket•Getty Images

Lancashire have stormed to the top of the North Group thanks to Glenn Maxwell’s runs, Liam Livingstone’s all-round exploits, and a bowling attack which offers genuine pace and high-quality spin.They could be forgiven for looking forward to the quarter-finals already, but the knockouts pose a real conundrum for them. The quarter-finals are scheduled for the same week as the Old Trafford Ashes Test, which gives Lancashire a headache if they finish in the top two.As reported on Saturday, the club are in discussions with the ECB as to their potential options – Sky would struggle to show a game at any of their outground options, and they will be loath to give their opponents home advantage, so a neutral venue might be an avenue worth exploring.Further, it has emerged that Maxwell will be unavailable if they are to reach Finals Day, as he will be returning to Australia in time for the start of the domestic season, with James Faulkner likely in a similar position.Article 3.5 of the ECB’s regulations on player registration – commonly known as the “Bravo Rule”, since it was introduced after Dwayne Bravo’s ill-fated Finals Day appearance for Essex in 2010 – means that a potential replacement for the knockout stages would have to have played at least one group game, meaning Lancashire would likely go in without an overseas player.And while Jos Buttler is usually available for Finals Day, he may well be made unavailable by England this time around after a hectic summer. Lancashire are flying high, but could soon be in danger of suffering from vertigo.***Durham are set for a scrap to reach the quarter-finals for a second year running, a sentence which must have seemed improbable at the start of last season.What they lack in high-profile names – D’Arcy Short and Peter Handscomb are the only real stars – they more than make up for with wholehearted contributors, which is perhaps epitomised best by their unlikely death-bowling duo.Nathan Rimmington, the diminutive 36-year-old Australian seamer who plays on a British passport, has combined with 20-year-old Matty Potts to great effect so far, and the pair find themselves leading the way among regular death bowlers.Rimmington’s economy rate at the death is 7.01, and his 59 balls in overs 16-20 have brought only four boundaries, while Potts has an almost identical record to last year’s breakout star Pat Brown – both have conceded 65 runs in 48 balls at the death, though Brown has one wicket more.There is another improbable face just behind Rimmington, in Ravi Rampaul, who is quietly enjoying a stellar Blast for Derbyshire, while Tom Helm (12.22) and – surprisingly – Harry Gurney (11.00) find themselves at the wrong end of the rankings.***Wayne Parnell roars in celebration after seeing Worcestershire home•Getty Images

Wayne Parnell is best known for his left-arm seam and a feisty on-field attitude, though he is not completely without pedigree with the bat.He had regularly been deployed as a pinch-hitting opener by Cobras, his domestic team in South Africa, and before the start of last week, had batted in every position from Nos. 1 to 11 in T20, except one.As if to try him out in the only role he was yet to have a go at, Worcestershire promoted him to No. 4 for their run chase against Derbyshire. And the risk paid off in some style: he belted 81 not out off just 46 balls to see them home, before adding an 18-ball 27 in the win against Yorkshire two days later.***Michael Klinger questions an over-rate penalty with Umpire Ian Gould•Getty Images

Gloucestershire were left fuming on Sunday, as their attempts to defend 159 against Sussex were derailed by a six-run penalty applied due to their slow over-rate.The main sources of contention appeared to be the umpires taking some time to confirm Luke Wright was out, after a boundary-rope catch by AJ Tye, and a lost ball, with Michael Klinger convinced his side had not been given sufficient extra time in which to bowl their overs.It meant Sussex only needed eight from the final over rather than 14, which Delray Rawlins knocked off easily enough. Gloucestershire allrounder Benny Howell risked sanction from the ECB by tweeting afterwards: “Such an unfortunate end to a great day and exciting game. The umpires need to be held accountable for costing us a potential 2 points.”Even that controversy, though, could not take the shine away from a memorable occasion, as both teams wore specially-designed shirts to raise awareness for the charity Grief Encounter.Tom Smith, the Gloucestershire and ex-Sussex spinner, lost his wife to a rare form of liver cancer in 2018, and the charity has provided him and his daughters with support and counselling since. For further details, visit www.griefencounter.co.uk/about-us

An off-day in Manchester suddenly leaves hosts in must-win as they ponder team balance and batting flexibility

The Preview by Shashank Kishore05-Jul-20182:22

Dasgupta: Don’t see India making any changes to their XI

Big picture

It is hot and dry, the pitches are flat and there will be lots of spin awaiting England. Add to this a huge Indian contingent that will be cheering their team at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. If there was any doubt before, there is none now – the main challenge of the summer has arrived.A game down, England know one thing already: scoring truckloads of runs against Ashton Agar was clearly no preparation for India’s spin variety. Already, discussion of wristspin and their failure to cope against left-armer Kuldeep Yadav has become a talking point. The second T20I, therefore, gives them an opportunity to prove the Manchester nightmare was an aberration.It is one thing executing badly against this rare bowling style, another not picking them at all, as was the case with four of the five England batsmen in the series opener. While two days between games is unlikely to change their foundation towards approaching spin, it sure could have given England time to ponder over batting strategies – knowing whom to target – and perhaps batting positions. Joe Root, for example, was a complete misfit at No. 6, especially when having at come in as late as the 14th over. His strike rate in T20Is since 2016 a modest 105.74 in seven innings.India have decided to play five specialist bowlers, leaving them vulnerable at times to a bowler having an off day and little else to fall back on. That perhaps explains the team management’s preference for Suresh Raina over the in-form Dinesh Karthik, because he can offer part-time offspin. England must look to capitalise on this.A game down, India may have discovered their best batting line-up too. KL Rahul’s success at No. 3 could mean an end to the musical chairs at No. 4, with Virat Kohli all but likely to settle there for the time being. The success may have come in the shortest format, but India are approaching what would otherwise be a context-less T20I series, with an eye on next year’s 2019 World Cup.

Form guide

England LWWLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight

Moeen Ali took 12 wickets in five ODIs against Australia, but has little to show with the ball in the two T20Is since. Against Australia, he was clobbered for 58 off his four overs. On Tuesday, his 2.2 overs went for 37. He didn’t look great with the bat, either, out to an ugly hoick when England needed to arrest the slide in the wake of Kuldeep’s strikes. England may well be tempted to play a specialist bowler in his stead, given their batting depth. However, should they persist with Moeen, the onus is on him to deliver.Bhuvneshwar Kumar is India’s lead bowler, and one bad outing is unlikely to change that. He’s graduated to become a bowler who isn’t always dependent on swing and seam, and will want to get back to his usual ways after two wicketless matches in Dublin and Manchester. Umesh Yadav’s stunning IPL form that earned a comeback and his fiery spells since have given him a headstart. Should Bhuvneshwar also find his groove back, it will give the team management a healthy headache when Jasprit Bumrah recovers from his thumb injury.

Team news

England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Alex Hales, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Joe Root, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Adil RashidIndia (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Pitch and conditions

Cardiff has tended to play much slower than other surfaces in the UK, the average score here is just 144. Weather-wise, all of UK is set for a scorching weekend. No prizes for guessing which team is happier.

Stats and trivia

• Umesh Yadav is the highest wicket-taker in Powerplays in T20s this year. In 16 innings, he has 17 wickets; he averages just 14.29 in this period. The only England-based bowler in the top 10 – never mind, he doesn’t qualify to play for them yet – is Jofra Archer (eight wickets in 22 innings at 34.75).
• Jos Buttler’s 69 in the series opener was his seventh fifty-plus score in his last eight T20 innings. All of them have come as an opener.
  Four of England’s top five – Buttler, Roy, Hales, Morgan – have been dismissed at least thrice to wristspinners in T20s. Buttler has been out the most: nine times in 16 innings.

• England are undefeated in four T20Is in Cardiff
• Tuesday’s win was India’s first in T20Is against England in England.

Quotes

“It has been made very clear that there will be few changes in the team and as a batting unit we need to flexible in our heads to be able to perform any role or responsibility that has been given to us by the team. We are all working towards it like you said, I might bat at No. 3 or 5 or 6. Someday we might want to promote MS Dhoni or Hardik Pandya if we get a good start to go and get us a few sixes or get the run rate up. So we will be flexible keeping in mind the World Cup.”

“It was a good spell from Kuldeep Yadav, first of all, and then a very good innings from KL Rahul. They thoroughly deserved the win, but we’ll be looking to bounce back come tomorrow.”

Plans to include Salman Butt in the Test squad to tour the West Indies were afoot, but the PCB has decided to shelve them for now in the wake of the PSL spot-fixing affair

Umar Farooq20-Mar-20170:47

Quick Facts – Salman Butt

Plans for an international recall for former Pakistan captain Salman Butt have been shelved for now, in light of the continuing fallout from the recent corruption allegations emanating from the PSL.Butt has no connection to the PSL corruption issue, but his role in the spot-fixing scandal in England in 2010, for which he was banned, has forced a selection rethink ahead of Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies. The PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan had publicly cleared Butt’s potential selection earlier this year, but it appears he will have to wait longer for a comeback.ESPNcricinfo understands Butt was even informed by a selector last month that he was being considered for the national side. But last week he was told that those plans had been set aside for now, as the present circumstances were not ideal for his return.Five players – Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed – were provisionally suspended for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the PSL and face various corruption charges. The PCB was thus keen to avoid criticism by recalling Butt, who has not featured for his country since returning to domestic cricket from a five-year ban for corruption.Butt’s name had cropped up in recent selection meetings – headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq – as a reflection of Pakistan’s continuing struggle with opening batsmen. There was reluctance among some members of the management but the proposition wasn’t rejected outright, and the chairman’s clearance was seen as a green signal.Since his return Butt has impressed on the domestic circuit. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the National One-Day Cup with 536 runs at 107.20 in 2015. He resumed his first-class career in 2016, as captain of the WAPDA side which won the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, and scored 749 runs at 49.40 in the season, including twin hundreds in the final. He was also the second highest run-getter in the National T20 Cup last year.Butt was 26 when he was banned, having played 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. Since then, he has attended anti-corruption rehabilitation programmes conducted by the PCB, taken part in social work and publicly apologised, though he had pleaded his innocence until 2013. Butt, who was Pakistan captain at the time, was also sentenced to 30 months in jail for his part in the Lord’s scandal. The two other players punished at the time, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, have also returned to cricket after completing their bans. Amir has been successfully re-integrated into the national set-up, and so forms a precedent of sorts for any more returns.Butt’s selection had also been mooted ahead of Pakistan’s tour to England in 2016, when the captain Misbah-ul-Haq admitted he was impressed by Butt’s form.”We have a settled line up between numbers three and seven but the opening slot is not as consistent as the rest of the order,” Misbah had told ESPNcricinfo last year. “There are issues and we are looking at a couple more options including Shan Masood and Salman Butt. Salman is playing well and overall I didn’t see any such difference since he left [in 2010]. He is a good prospect and he has also scored ample runs after his comeback.”With an average of 30.46 from 33 Tests, Butt was never prolific at Test level, but a dearth of other options has made Pakistan look towards him again. Ahmed Shehzad has not played a Test since being dropped from the side in 2015 and Masood has struggled to cement his spot at the top of the order. Mohammad Hafeez’s inconsistency has made him a less attractive option at the top.Sami Aslam had impressed with twin fifties in his first Test against England last year but faded away, with only one score above 22 in his last nine innings. Sharjeel’s suspension has deprived Pakistan of yet another opening batsman, and the only bright spark has been Azhar since being pushed up as a makeshift opener.

UAE’s hopes of a fourth successive win in the Asia Cup were snuffed out by Lasith Malinga, who struck twice in the first over and took 4 for 26 in the match to lead his side to a 14-run win

Mohammad Isam25-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:10

By the numbers – Malinga’s 12th T20 four-for

At the innings break, UAE would have had hopes of a fourth straight win in the tournament, having restricted Sri Lanka to 129 for 8. Those hopes, however, were snuffed out in the first over as Lasith Malinga struck twice to wreck UAE’s chase and ultimately lead his side to a 14-run win. Malinga marked his return to international cricket with a haul of 4 for 26.The UAE bowlers had done well to restrict Sri Lanka for a less than average score of 129 in Mirpur. In fact the 129 for 8 was one run less than what UAE captain Amjad Javed had said he wanted to restrict his opponents to, after he decided to field. But their batsmen were not as inspired as their bowlers and were shut out for 115 for 9 in 20 overs.Malinga, playing his first competitive match since November 2015, trapped Rohan Mustafa leg-before off the first ball of the chase with a fast, straight and full ball that was only destined to hit the stumps. Off the last ball of the first over, Mohammad Shahzad was duped by a 113.7 kph slower ball, and was bowled for 1.Nuwan Kulasekara got into the act, too, removing Muhammad Kaleem and Muhammad Usman in the fourth over. Kaleem lofted one needlessly to mid-off before Usman’s uncharacteristic slog ended in a simple catch to Chamara Kapugedera at first slip. UAE finished the fourth over at 16 for 4.Shaiman Anwar quickly counter-attacked in the next over, striking Angelo Mathews for fours through midwicket before Swapnil Patil played a pull off Mathews for a beautiful six over the same region.UAE, however, had more bad news around the corner. Rangana Herath, playing his first T20 international since the 2014 World T20, was brought into the attack and straightaway removed UAE’s last hope, Anwar, with an arm ball that took a thin outside edge on its way to the keeper.Herath then removed Saqlain Haider in his next over, reducing UAE to 47 for 6 at the halfway mark of their innings. But Patil held firm, hitting Herath for a six, playing a late cut off Milinda Siriwardana for a boundary and taking two fours off Dushmantha Chameera in the 15th over to bring the equation to 53 off the last five overs. Patil kept trying to find the boundaries but he, too, fell to a Malinga slower ball, giving the bowler a simple return catch. Patil top-scored with 37 off 36 balls with the three fours and two sixes, and he added 38 runs for the seventh wicket with Javed, who scored 13 off 18 balls.Malinga completed his four-wicket haul when he removed Mohammad Naveed in his last over. Kulasekara took 3 for 10 while Herath finished with two.The first half of the game, however, was an altogether different picture as Javed took three wickets while Naveed and Shahzad picked up two each. Mustafa also took one wicket as Sri Lanka slumped after a strong start.Sri Lanka had raced to 72 for 1 in the first ten overs but added only 57 in the next ten, for the loss of seven wickets. The first few wickets were down to their eagerness to find the big hits but UAE also curbed the runs at the death, conceding only three fours in the last five overs. They had started well enough with openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal adding 68 runs before the former was easily caught at the deep square leg boundary to give Javed his first wicket.Dilshan was hit on the hand and on the helmet in his usual effort to destabilise the bowlers. Siriwardana, who like Chandimal was given a batting promotion, fell to Javed’s short ball two overs later, with Saqlain Haider taking a great running catch at the deep midwicket boundary.From 79 for 2 in the 12th over, Sri Lanka could have been looking at 200 but Chandimal fell one ball after raising his 50 off 38 deliveries. His knock included seven fours and the only six of Sri Lanka’s innings. Shahzad took a tumbling catch at midwicket on top of the 30-yard ring to send back Chandimal and give Javed his third wicket.Dasun Shanaka gave Anwar a simple catch at mid-off to make it 98 for 4, and Sri Lanka faltered after Mathews fell leg-before to Mustafa and Shehan Jayasuriya was bowled trying to play a second successive scoop. Shahzad snapped up the wickets of Kapugedera and Kulasekara in the last over to give UAE the momentum and confidence they needed to cause an upset.That, however, was a bridge too far for the side, who will now look forward to their match against Bangladesh on Friday.

Richard Levi crashed 70 from 43 balls as Northamptonshire edged closer to a Friends Life t20 quarter-final spot after beating Worcestershire by five runs at New Road.

21-Jul-2013
ScorecardRichard Levi blasted six sixes in his 70•Getty Images

Richard Levi crashed 70 from 43 balls as Northamptonshire edged closer to a Friends Life t20 quarter-final spot after beating Worcestershire by five runs at New Road.Levi, the big-hitting South African opener, smashed six sixes and five fours while monopolising partnerships of 46 with Kyle Coetzer and 56 with Cameron White. A lower order slump then pegged Northamptonshire back to 137 for 6 but that proved enough for the group leaders to complete a quick turnaround from Saturday’s defeat by Warwickshire.Although Worcestershire dragged themselves into contention with Andre Russell’s 44 from 31 deliveries, they had too much to do after David Willey’s match-clinching return of 3 for 13 in four overs. Willey crucially had Russell well caught on the long-off boundary by Alex Wakely and despite Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 38, the home side could not get close to the 21 required from the last over.Joe Leach managed a four and six off Lee Daggett and in making 14 from the six balls faced the young batsman at No. 8 – fresh from a maiden championship century against Gloucestershire – made a case out for a higher position in the next match.Ultimately the result was all about Levi’s ability to dominate, as he did last Tuesday in blasting an unbeaten 110 from 62 balls against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham. Worcestershire were blown away when he launched another onslaught with three consecutive sixes off Leach when taking 22 off the fifth over.Three other bowlers were targeted for further sixes and Worcestershire only found a way to stem the carnage when turning to Gareth Andrew for the 15th over. The eighth bowler to be used, Andrew made the breakthrough when Levi powered his first delivery to deep square leg where Russell was almost knocked off his feet in hanging on to the chance.There was little else to come from Northants as wickets fell to the spinners, Shaaiq Choudhry with 2 for 21 and Moeen Ali, 1 for 17. The last five overs produced only 30 in a disappointingly flat finish to the innings, but it did not prove costly in the end.