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Gilchrist rated Paine as being “on par with anyone in the world as gloveman”

Srinath Sripath07-Nov-2019Adam Gilchrist believes Tim Paine is still the best available wicketkeeper and captain for Australia’s Test team.Paine’s batting form in the Ashes – one fifty from ten innings at an average of 20 – has led to concerns about whether he merits selection in Australia’s first-choice Test XI, with Alex Carey waiting in the wings. Gilchrist’s comments echoed those of Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts, who unequivocally backed Paine to “continue leading from the front the way he has done so far”.Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Gilchrist rated Paine as being “on par with anyone in the world as gloveman”, and said he has done a “wonderful job [as captain]” since he took over from Steven Smith after the events in Newlands.”[If you look at] what he took on, when he took it on, he in partnership with [coach] Justin [Langer] and all the players have done a remarkable job over the past 12 months to just get a nice, stable balance back. I can’t see any rush to push him out, as long as he’s still performing, like we all had to, to stay in the team. Like every other player, he’s got a hold of his spot in the team as being selected as the best available option for that player type. I think he’s doing a wonderful job [as captain].”Gilchrist, who works as a Fox Cricket commentator, is also a notable mentor for Carey, who recently spoke to ESPNcricinfo about their relationship: “I’m fortunate enough to have a good relationship with him now and I guess through the Big Bash it probably started with him as a commentator and myself getting into the Strikers team. It developed from that. The funny thing with Gilly and I, we don’t really talk a lot about cricket when we catch up, which I think is a good thing as well. We have a great relationship away from the game, talking about footy, talking about family, rather than the skill sets on the field.”Australia have had an unbeaten start to their home summer, winning all four of their T20Is so far, as they build up to the first-ever T20 World Cup on Australian soil, the only global tournament the men’s side haven’t won yet. Gilchrist is backing them to “start as one of the favourite teams” playing at home, “even though 12 months is a long time [and things can change]”. Asked to stick his neck out and predict a winner, he named “the usual suspects like India, England, Australia and New Zealand”, the same four sides from this year’s 50-over World Cup to make it to the semi-finals.”I think Australia are really well placed seeing how they’ve started the summer. They love the conditions, they play well in the bigger grounds. We’ve got everyone available now and probably for the first time, Australia are looking to pick their best XI regularly [for bilaterals] rather than just for the World Cups. They’re probably still working out whether they should play two spin bowlers or one spinner with a batting allrounder like Mitch Marsh or [Marcus] Stoinis.”Ashton Agar is doing a really good job, and if you look at all the successful bowlers in T20 around the world, they’re all spinners. Nine out of the top ten I think are spinners”. Australia have one of their own spinners, Adam Zampa, among the top ten, and Gilchrist is optimistic of their chances given “they’ve got a really well balanced squad” and “have time to work out” their ideal combination for the World Cup”.

Gary Ballance’s superb century rescued his side and then tipped proceedings firmly in their favour against Worcestershire.

ECB Reporters Network25-Sep-2018
ScorecardGary Ballance has played a significant role in ensuring Yorkshire’s Division One survival in the Specsavers County Championship and a superb century rescued his side and then tipped proceedings firmly in their favour against Worcestershire.The one-time England batsman followed up his hundred in the draw against Nottinghamshire and 85 in the victory over Lancashire by holding together the Tykes innings after Worcestershire had been bowled out for 340 at Blackfinch New Road.Ballance fought a virtual lone hand while completing his third ton of the campaign – and steering Yorkshire past the threat of being asked to follow on – until he was joined by Jack Brooks in a run-laced final session. The pair added a record-breaking 171 in 27 overs for the ninth wicket and shepherded the visitors into a lead that had seemed unlikely when they joined forces at 232 for 8.It surpassed Yorkshire’s previous ninth wicket best against Worcestershire of 150 by Azeem Rafiq and Matthew Hoggard at New Road in 2009.Brooks is certainly signing off in style before joining Somerset on a three-year contract as he followed up his six-wicket haul in Worcestershire’s first innings with 82 before he was dismissed in the penultimate over.It left Ballance unbeaten on a chanceless 189 from 213 deliveries with two sixes and 29 fours as Yorkshire closed on 417 for 9 – a lead of 77. But, as well as Ballance and Brooks played, Worcestershire were left to reflect on another situation in a season of promise that slipped from their grasp when well placed – a major factor in their relegation to Division Two.They seemed powerless to stop the onslaught and were also handicapped by the absence after tea of paceman Josh Tongue with a foot injury as Ballance and Brooks cut loose almost at will.Worcestershire resumed on 319 for 8 and Ben Coad struck with the fourth delivery of the day without addition to the score as he trapped Ben Twohig leg before. Brooks then added to his five-wicket haul by wrapping up the innings as Dillon Pennington was caught behind to leave Tongue unbeaten on 30.When Yorkshire began their reply, Adam Lyth made a quickfire 27 before he fell lbw to Wayne Parnell and Jack Leaning was undone by a fine delivery from Tongue and was comprehensively bowled. Hey Spinner Ben Twohig struck with the final delivery before before lunch as Jeet Raval went to cut and dragged the ball onto his stumps.Former Worcestershire batsman Tom Kohler-Cadmore went leg before to Twohig and Jonathan Tattersall had his off stump knocked out by a Tongue delivery which kept low. Pennington, who had impressed in Worcestershire’s win at Scarborough, had Tim Bresnan pouched at second slipTongue’s third success was also clean bowled in the form of Tykes skipper Steven Patterson and, shortly after tea, debutant James Logan was lbw to Moeen Ali. But then the balance of power shifted dramatically as Ballance and Brooks raced along at more than six an over.The carnage only ended when Brooks, having struck 15 fours in his 99-ball knock, edged Moeen – by now bowling medium pace – through to keeper Ben Cox. A total of 203 runs came from 32 overs after tea.

USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake was in confident mood ahead of his team’s opening match against Oman

Peter Della Penna in Kampala22-May-20170:47

‘We have come a long way from WCL Division Four’ – Dassanayake

As USA approach the start of WCL Division Three in Uganda, head coach Pubudu Dassanayake said the team had improved significantly from the group that won Division Four on home soil in November. According to Dassanayake, if the team chemistry and spirit is at its peak to match the talent on paper, “I don’t think anybody can come close to us.”USA’s three successive failures at Division Three in 2011, 2013 and 2014, prompted a reevaluation of their preparation methods. In 2014, a scheduled warm-up tour to Jamaica was scuttled due to a combination of lack of funds and inability for some players to get visas and as a consequence the team arrived in Malaysia a few days before with little cricket under their belts. Unsurprisingly, they finished in the bottom two and were relegated.

Tennessee 20-year-old expected to debut

Brought on tour to Africa as insurance in case of any injury, the Sagar Patel policy has been cashed in on the eve of WCL Division Three in Uganda with the 20-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee set to come into the official 14-man squad in place of the injured Fahad Babar. An opening batsman, Sagar has previously represented USA at U-15 and U-19 levels and is now set to make his senior team debut against Oman on Tuesday.
“I just got the news right before our final practice session,” Sagar told ESPNcricinfo in Kampala on Monday of being drafted into the 14-man squad for the tournament. “It feels good to be in the 14-man squad but I have to go out there and perform.” Sagar first began playing cricket in the Arkansas-Tennesee Cricket League at age 11 and has made an impression on coach Pubudu Dassanayake at all of USA’s selection camps, ensuring he was brought along as the youngest member of the team.
“I’m pretty nervous but I’m excited at the same time,” Sagar said. “I just wanna go out there, make the most of this opportunity and do well for the country.”

This time around, the team gathered in Los Angeles for ten days of training, which included four warm-up matches against a strong local XI that featured a calibre of player such as former India U-19 medium-pacer Saurabh Netravalkar. They then traveled to Potchefstroom, South Africa where they had two more warm-up matches against a North West Invitational XI featuring numerous first-class players and captained by former South Africa U-19 allrounder Lesego Senokwane.The second match was an especially good simulation for the pressure USA will be under in Division Three. After setting their opponents a target of 281, USA were rocked in the field by former North West U-19 opener Louren Steenkamp, who blitzed 126 off 115 balls. After 34 overs, North West needed 82 to win with six wickets in hand and Steenkamp still at the crease, but a pep talk at the final drinks break resulted in a furious comeback in the field and USA eventually won by 11 runs. Dassanayake said it was just the challenge USA needed heading into their first match against Oman on Tuesday.”Overall I’m very satisfied,” Dassanayake said. “I think from Los Angeles we got a lot. Everyone has put in a lot of hard work in those 10 days. Coming to South Africa for five days, two games and a couple of practice sessions – the games, I could not ask for better. The first game we had to chase. All the batters were exposed to conditions and we got through. The second game was the best scenario where the batters set up nicely for 280, then we didn’t start well in the field so I think it was a good wake-up call for the team in the whole tournament.”The South African team batted really well and to come back from a situation where we were in a very bad position, I think that game gave confidence to the team how you can turn around a game. The bowling attack, a couple of bowlers who came back at that time, we were discussing a lot who was going to get a wicket so everyone was exposed to situations and I cannot ask for better preparation.”Mrunal Patel could have an important role to play for USA•Peter Della Penna

One player who starred in that match was left-arm spinning allrounder Mrunal Patel, who scored 45 off 43 balls coming in at No. 5 before taking 3 for 43, including the wicket of Steenkamp. Mrunal was in USA’s 2015 World T20 Qualifier squad, but missed selection trials for Division Four in 2016 because it clashed with his wedding. Available again, he impressed at the team’s trials in Houston and has been in superb form, with Dassanayake giving strong indications that he will be in the starting XI for the first match.”He’s one of the guys who can handle spin and pace well,” Dassanayake said. “He has the temperament and he’s very knowledgeable. When you ask him to bat through the innings and hold down one end, he’s been doing that from LA in many games. So I’m very happy how he’s shaping up and looking at the top order, with some of the senior guys and having him in the number six position, I think our team is going to be a very, very strong batting unit. I think he’s earned his place.”The only cause for slight concern for USA at the start of the tournament is that opening batsman Fahad Babar has been ruled out after failing to recover from a hand injury two weeks ago sustained during the team’s LA training camp. Babar, who was USA’s leading scorer at 2014 WCL Division Three in Malaysia, suffered a gash on his right-hand ring finger that required five stitches. He had the stitches removed on Tuesday but did not play in either warm-up match in Potchefstroom. Though he was able to bat in the nets, his hand is still not allowing him to field with the finger still wrapped in bandages.It means that 20-year-old Sagar Patel, who was the leading scorer for USA U-19s at the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Malaysia in 2015, will come into the squad. Dassanayake indicated Sagar will not just come into the 14 but straight into the starting XI, as a like-for-like replacement opening the batting. Sagar has been in decent form during the team’s warm-up matches, top-scoring with 83 in one of the games in Los Angeles.”Fahad, we tried until the last minute checking that he’s going to be okay or not,” Dassanayake said. “He’s getting better and better but he’s not ready to play tomorrow. We don’t want to take a chance so we made the switch. Sagar got the opportunity to play in every warm-up game and I think he proved that he’s capable of performing at this level.”I’ve been watching him for awhile and I think he’s capable of scoring runs at this level. In the last two weeks, he’s gotten opportunities to play and more than anything one of the key things that helped me make the decision was that he’s a good player against spin as well. So looking at these conditions, he’s ahead of Fahad and looking at all of these things contributed to the decision.”

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is hopeful that the funds it has expended in clearing Kusal Perera of doping charges will be covered by the ICC

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-May-2016

‘WADA code ineffective in safeguarding clean athletes’

Tony Irish, the executive chairman of FICA (Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations), has expressed his concerns over some of cricket’s anti-doping regulations following the ICC’s withdrawal of disciplinary proceedings against Kusal Perera.
“We are pleased that the right result has been achieved and welcome the decision, however, this case brings to light several issues in regard to anti-doping regulation in cricket” Irish said in a statement.
“The damaging impact of the error on Kusal’s career is not to be underestimated. He has been removed from the game for a significant period of time in the middle of a developing career, for reasons which have been found to be unjustifiable.
“The case highlights many of the pre-existing concerns held by FICA and athlete representatives around the world around the inflexibility and unfairness of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) code, the requirement for sports to be compliant and its appropriateness for sophisticated team sports such as cricket. We have voiced these concerns to the ICC over the past year, and will seek to discuss this further.
“The concerns raised have included the view that the WADA programme is ineffective in safeguarding the interests of clean athletes and is open to penalties being imposed on players who are not ‘cheats’.
“FICA is supportive of fair, proportionate and appropriate measures to ensure that cricket is a clean sport. However, the game must ensure that any measures are effective and tailored to the game of cricket.”

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) could not rule out further legal action after the ICC withdrew its charges against wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera, board president Thilanga Sumathipala said. SLC is unlikely to initiate a lawsuit against the ICC, but was hopeful that the funds expended in clearing Perera will be covered by the governing body. The Qatar-based lab whose findings led to Perera’s five-month suspension will also come under scrutiny.”We have to definitely get our costs back,” Sumathipala said. “By that I mean the direct costs. The indirect costs are colossal. So we will discuss that separately.”Sumathipala said the board had spent at least 13 million rupees (approx. USD 92,000) on the case. This included the money spent on a polygraph test on Perera, a hair analysis commonly used in forensics and a separate urine test, the results of which all helped leverage Perera’s case and bought his legal team time. SLC had also paid for the consultation of UK-based Morgan Sports Law firm, during the challenge on the lab’s findings.Sumathipala said the board would discuss the matter with Perera and the nation’s sports ministry before any further action is decided upon.”We got the hard part right and now we have a definite claim, now that we have proved our player is innocent,” Sumathipala said. “I’m sure Sri Lanka Cricket will go forward and discuss with ICC. We can’t sour the relationship also. If the sports minister has a directive that is separate, we want to discuss that as well. Definitely the player has a claim.”Sumathipala also likened the results of Perera’s case to Muttiah Muralitharan’s campaign to have his action, and later his doosra, cleared by the ICC. On that occasion, Muralitharan’s action proved a catalyst for further scientific testing, which ultimately led to a landmark change in the ICC’s playing conditions – specifically, 15 degrees of flexion was deemed legal, as almost all bowlers were found to straighten their arms.In addition to consulting local and foreign legal teams, SLC and Perera’s management also approached chemical pathologists and independent lab operators for their views.”We decided to go the scientific route,” Sumathipala said. “We have seen SLC do the same thing in the past with the straightening of the arm issue. We did it after Murali was no-balled in Boxing Day 1995. Then we did it again when the doosra was banned. Once we concluded that route, we were that much stronger with the ICC.”Prompted by our scientific evidence, we have taken the ICC to a different level about how they should process this kind of situation in the future. We’re happy about that. We’ve taken an approach that we’re not sure anyone has taken in the past. We were very happy.”Sumathipala said the board believed in Kusal from the outset. His board had initially set aside five million rupees to fight the case, but that figure was repeatedly revised upwards.”We spoke about this at the board and we decided that we trusted him, and that he was telling the truth. We decided to represent him as best we can. We thought that we would be able to get him cleared, so we set aside 15 million rupees to spend on him, which is unprecedented for this board.”Perera is eligible for selection for Sri Lanka with immediate effect, but the selectors have not yet decided whether to add him to the Test squad currently in England.

Umar Amin’s 99 led Pakistan A to 244 for 5 on the first day of the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2015
ScorecardKhurram Manzoor hit 82 off 128•AFP

Umar Amin’s 99 led Pakistan A to 244 for 5 on the first day of the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Colombo. Amin and Khurram Manzoor provided the guts of the visitor’s effort, putting on 135 for the second wicket after Umar Siddiq had fallen early. Manzoor hit 82 off 128 balls before being given out lbw to offspinner Tharindu Kaushal.Amin was involved in a 51-run stand with Ali Asad after Manzoor’s departure, but was out on the brink of what would have been his 11th first-class ton. Kaushal claimed his wicket as well. There was little else of note in Pakistan’s batting card. Siddiq and Ali Asad made only minor contributions, and Ali Waqas was out for a duck.The two offspinners – Kaushal and Dhananjaya de Silva – took two wickets apiece. De Silva returned the day’s best figures of 2 for 28 from 13 overs.

Australia’s captain and selector Michael Clarke has flatly denied reports that Brad Haddin’s Test career has been terminated, opening the way for his younger rival Matthew Wade to take the gloves for the first Test of the summer

Daniel Brettig15-Oct-2012Australia’s captain and selector Michael Clarke has flatly denied reports that Brad Haddin’s Test career has been terminated, opening the way for his younger rival Matthew Wade to take the gloves for the first Test of the summer against South Africa in Brisbane.Clarke and the rest of the selection panel, comprising the national selector John Inverarity, the coach Mickey Arthur, Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel, met in Sydney on Monday afternoon following Cricket Australia’s season launch for a planning meeting. However Clarke was adamant that no decision had been made on whether Haddin would reclaim the Test place he gave up for personal reasons in the West Indies earlier this year.”I’m one of five selectors and if you’re asking me as a selector that’s completely false, it hasn’t been discussed,” Clarke said. “It obviously is a topic for discussion and will be spoken about over the next couple of weeks that’s for sure. It’s probably one of the most important decisions that needs to be made leading up to the first Test match, and whoever gets left out it is going to be tough on them.”Not only have they both performed at the highest level, Hadds has a lot of experience and has been successful over a long period of time, Wadey’s done every single thing in his power to make the most of his opportunity – he got a hundred in his last Test match. So it’s going to be a tough decision. I know the selectors and I will be discussing that over the next couple of weeks.”We need to talk about it, the selection panel need to talk about it. We need to see both sides, and we’ll pick the best XI for that game, that opposition, those conditions. That’s the only way you can do it. It’s not personal, it’s about what we think is the best team for that first Test.”It has been a tough time for Hadds – any single one of us would’ve made the exact same decision that Brad did in regards to going home and making sure he was there to support his family. He certainly knows how I feel about that and I have openly supported him on that.”The other side is Matthew Wade cannot do anything more to be selected for that first Test. He has performed as well as any player, he has made the most of his opportunities, he’s an amazing talent, and he’s going to be a big player for Australian cricket over a long period of time.”Since his early exit from the Caribbean, Haddin has undergone a full pre-season with New South Wales and made a century for the Blues in their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at Bankstown Oval before flying to South Africa to lead the Sydney Sixers in the Twenty20 Champions League. Wade, meanwhile, had his struggles on the ODI tour of England and had limited batting opportunities in the UAE and Sri Lanka, though he kept soundly throughout.However a match-turning innings of 89 for Victoria against Queensland on a lively Gabba pitch last week may prove pivotal in the duel for the keeping spot, as Wade demonstrated his capacity for making runs in the sort of pace-friendly environment likely to be relished by South Africa’s vaunted trio of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander next month.Ricky Ponting, having watched Haddin’s entire Test career from up close, said the 35-year-old still had plenty to offer, but acknowledged the difficulty of the decision. “There are arguments for both at the moment, Hadds is a great mate of mine and we’ve got lots of off-field memories,” Ponting said. “I saw him up close and personal a couple of weeks ago in the Shield game in Bankstown and he played beautifully, hit the ball really well and kept very, very well.”So I know his game’s in really good shape. Then you look at Matty Wade, he has really grabbed his opportunity, made a brilliant hundred in the Caribbean, he has had a great game up in Brisbane last week, so there are two great arguments to be put there as far as selection is concerned. Every Australian side that’s picked, there are always a few guys who think they’re unlucky or hard done by, and one of those two guys is going to miss selection for Brisbane.”I’ve got no doubt in my mind that Hadds has a lot to offer, and I saw it up close in that Shield game. I don’t think anyone will be writing Brad off, he’s a great character to have around the team, and he’s an unbelievable talent with bat and gloves.”The most influential voice at the selection table may well be that of Marsh, the former gloveman who has worked extensively with Haddin in the past. More recently Marsh was a tour mentor for Wade, spending plenty of time with the younger man on the West Indies tour as he fought an ultimately successful battle to adapt to extremely unfamiliar and challenging conditions for both wicketkeeping and batting.

Former Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons has come out in support of Shakib Al Hasan, the recently-sacked national captain

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2011Former Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons has come out in support of Shakib Al Hasan, the recently-sacked national captain. Shakib, Siddons said, has the ‘perfect credentials’ for a captain, but lacked the support required to lead the team.”He [Shakib] is the only person to lead the side,” Siddons, who now coaches Wellington in New Zealand, told Bangladesh newspaper, the . “A captain must be consulted on everything regarding the team and must be listened to when he speaks or raises an issue. This does not happen with Shakib or any other captain at present. He is a great thinker, and is also the team’s best and most-respected player, perfect credentials for a captain.”Shakib and his deputy Tamim Iqbal were axed earlier this week following Bangladesh’s poor performance during last month’s tour of Zimbabwe, with indiscipline being cited as one of the reasons for their removal. Shakib has always had strained relations with the board, having questioned team-selection more than once. Current Bangladesh coach Stuart Law had expressed surprise at Shakib’s removal and said he had the respect of his players.Siddons had coached Bangladesh between October 2007 and April 2010, and moved to the Wellington job after his contract was not renewed following a disappointing World Cup and home series against Australia. Siddons and Shakib worked together in the capacity of coach and captain for close to two years, barring brief spells when Mashrafe Mortaza took charge.The selectors have not named a new captain, triggering speculation about who could be ready to take over. Mushfiqur Rahim, who has played 24 Tests and 98 ODIs, and is one of the few players who is a regular part of the national XI, is tipped as a frontrunner for the job. Siddons, though, said he did not think the players were eager for the post. “Not one other player in the side apart from maybe Ash [Mohammad Ashraful] is willing to take it [captaincy] on. They know there is no support around them and they will be blamed for any results.”Siddons also said he did not understand the need to have a selector or observer in the dressing-room during matches. During the tour of Zimbabwe, Siddon’s successor Stuart Law had reportedly expressed displeasure over selector Habibul Bashar and ‘tour observer’ Shafiqur Rahman Munna’s presence in the dressing room.”I believe a selector should be allowed to visit the dressing-room and sit in there to discuss or chat at times, but should not make it his home during a game,” Siddons said. “I have never understood the reasoning behind having an observer with the team, and especially not in the [dressing] room. This is a blatant mistrust of the coach and players, and is never a positive.”

Doug Bollinger insists he and Michael Hussey will be prepared for the first Test against India starting on Friday, despite having only just joined the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2010Doug Bollinger insists he and Michael Hussey will be prepared for the first Test against India starting on Friday, despite having only just joined the squad. The pair flew in to Chandigarh on Tuesday, having helped Chennai Super Kings to a Champions League triumph on Sunday in Johannesburg.Their Australian team-mates have adjusted to the conditions with a warm-up game but Bollinger and Hussey have only two days of net sessions to get themselves up to speed. However, India are in a similar situation, with MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and M Vijay also having made the last-minute dash to Chandigarh from South Africa.”We’ll be right to go, we’ve got a good couple of days of training coming up and we’ll look after ourselves and we’ll be fine,” Bollinger told AAP. “We’re a little bit tired, it’s been a long flight, but we’re good and we’ll just chill out for a couple of days and make sure we’re right to go.”Australia’s vice-captain Michael Clarke spoke of players putting their country before other competitions, but said it was a positive that the two men had been playing tough cricket in South Africa. Hussey is a well-travelled cricketer and he believes it is possible for him and Bollinger to be in good shape for the Test.”It’s not ideal, but it’s the best we can do, we’ll just make sure we’re really smart the next couple of days and get ourselves prepared as best we can,” Hussey said. “I’m sure we’ve got good background staff and they’ll get us in the best possible shape to get going for Friday.”We’ve been playing cricket and training every other day, so it’s not like we’re coming in underdone or anything like that, we’ve got plenty of cricket behind us, obviously it’s a totally different format but it’s a mental adjustment as much as anything. The next couple of days we’ve got to get the head right and get thinking more Test match cricket.”Bollinger is likely to form part of a three-man pace attack with Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus for the first Test. Hussey will slot back into the No. 5 position he occupied during the Test series against Pakistan in July, when Clarke was promoted to No. 4.

A scorching spell from Starc restricted the visitors to 203, but Rauf nearly stole the game away

Alex Malcolm04-Nov-2024It was the full Pakistan experience at the MCG, a ground where they have so much great history. They were hopeless, then thrilling, then hopeless, then thrilling. And then Australia won, without much conviction. But they did what they do thanks to a sizzling spell from Mitchell Starc and yet another nerveless chasing masterclass from the ice-cool captain Pat Cummins in the face of what looked like a match-winning three-wicket haul from Haris Rauf, heroics with bat and ball from Naseem Shah and some crafty captaincy from new skipper Mohammad Rizwan.The 25,831-strong crowd looked sparse in the gargantuan MCG. But it sounded like 100,000, and it felt like it was in Lahore, as Pakistan fans drowned out the locals to help keep their side in the game. But there was only so much they could do, as Pakistan found a way to lose despite being on the brink of one of the great ODI heists.Chasing just 204 after Starc took 3 for 33 from 10 overs, including three maidens, Australia slumped from 139 for 3, after Steven Smith and Josh Inglis were in control, to 155 for 7 on the back of Rauf’s raucous burst. That became 185 for 8 when Sean Abbott was run out, after he had nearly run out Cummins. But skipper held firm, as he had at Edgbaston, Mumbai, Kolkata and Christchurch over the past 18 months.Related

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• 'Final piece of information' – Cummins makes ODI return

His 32 not out won’t go down as his most memorable, but it was the equal of any of his best innings in Australian colours. It was vindication too for his decision to have laser eye surgery in the winter to fix his vision, and some extensive batting work in Sydney with Australian batting consultant and well renown coach Trent Woodhill.Australia’s chase began poorly with the new opening duo of Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk both falling inside the first four overs.Fraser-McGurk’s 16 was particularly frantic. But Smith was calm and settled into a stereotypical groove. Any fears on his Test form could well be allayed given how well he handled some excellent fast bowling on a quick pitch.Australia could have been 55 for 3 when Inglis was dropped by Irfan Khan at gully. Naseem got one to rear from a length and catch the edge but Irfan could not hang on flying high to his right.That looked like it might have been the last chance. Barring an edge between the keeper and wide slip trying to glide a ball, Inglis was imperious. Coach Jason Gillespie’s four years coaching against Inglis in Australian domestic cricket had not translated to his four-pronged pace attack avoiding dropping short to the West Australian. It cost them three sixes and two fours.Haris Rauf burst through Australia’s middle order•AFP

After an 85-run stand, Smith made an uncharacteristic error. He slashed a cut off Rauf straight to backward point to be out for 44.Pakistan’s insistence on going short to Inglis paid off when he nailed another pull shot off Shaheen only to see Irfan run a long way to hang on to an outstanding catch in the deep.Rauf, a Melbourne Stars favourite, then had the Pakistan fans in raptures as he cranked up the speed and Australia lost 3 for 0. Labuschagne top edged to deep third, undone by extra bounce. Maxwell nicked the next ball to Rizwan and Australia were 139 for 6.Aaron Hardie and Abbott steadied briefly but it was fleeting. Hardie fell trying to back away and cut a ball from Mohammad Hasnain that hit the top of middle.Enter the skipper for another salvage job. It was unconventional as it always is. He was bombed with short balls. But he keep scoring and kept surviving. Abbott was run out when Cummins pushed for a third. But he was there at the end yet again when the winning runs were scored to break the hearts of all those who don’t bleed green and gold.Earlier, Australia set up the win with the ball. Most of Pakistan’s batters, with the exception of Babar Azam who made a classy 37 off 44, were exposed on a fast and bouncy MCG pitch after being sent in having come straight from the low spinning Test pitches of Multan and Rawalpindi last month. Rizwan top scored with 44 off 71 balls while Naseem made an outstanding 40 off 39 with four sixes from No. 9 to ensure Australia was at least chasing more than 200.Starc and Cummins, fresh and in rhythm ahead of a big summer, put on a show in front of a very pro-Pakistan crowd. Starc’s 140kph thunderbolts accounted for Saim Ayub on debut and Abdullah Shafique.The pair were opening the batting in ODI cricket for the first time after averaging just 8 as a pair in 12 Test innings together. Their international average dropped to 7.61 when Ayub chopped on trying to drive on the up.Shafique looked like he was batting in a Test match. He defended, ducked and weaved on his way to 12 from 26 before failing to get his bat out of the way of a rising delivery from Starc wide of off as he tried to sway inside it.Mitchell Starc removed Pakistan’s openers•Getty Images

Babar and Rizwan settled but never accelerated. Babar looked in fine touch but felt the pinch of the slow-moving scoreboard. He tried to create a scoring option off the back foot to Adam Zampa but picked the wrong length and lost his off stump.Cummins welcomed Kamran Ghulam to Australia with a brute of a delivery. The whites of his eyes popped as Cummins’ 142.7kph bouncer reared at his throat. He got his hands up in time but could only glove it to Inglis.Rizwan’s sluggish rearguard began to pick up steam when he hooked Starc into the stands at fine leg. But he fell to Labuschagne trying to sweep a wide legbreak only to get a top edge onto his helmet that popped up to Inglis.Some late hitting from Naseem, Shaheen Afridi, and Irfan Khan, in the mould of the man who had presented his debut cap in Wasim Akram, lifted Pakistan from a dire position at 117 for 6 to 203.Naseem and Shaheen showed the type of intent that Pakistan’s top order could have used, launching five sixes between them after the entire top seven had contributed one, before Shaheen was castled by Starc for 24 off 19.Naseem feasted on spin, launching Zampa into the stands twice and Maxwell once. But Naseem also launched Sean Abbott over deep midwicket. He holed out to mid-off to end the innings. Had he batted until the end, it might have been enough.