All posts by h716a5.icu

Three weeks ago, Mehedi Hasan was the best-kept secret in Bangladesh’s spin-bowling ranks. Nineteen historic wickets later, he’s a national hero

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur30-Oct-2016There’s a story from Mehedi Hasan’s fledgling first-class career that sums up his enthusiasm to learn. In one of his early matches for Khulna Division, he endured a wicketless session and, after some of the seniors had told him to bowl better, he had disappeared from the dressing room.Moments later, Abdur Razzak who had also left the dressing room to get ready for the next session of play, saw Mehedi bowling in the nets nearby. Before Razzak could say anything, Mehedi asked him: “Bhai, can you have a look this way? Am I bowling fine now?”The eagerness to absorb every bit of experience around him has remained with Mehedi in his early days in the senior team. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha said that his passion had made him stand out.”He is an exceptional talent,” said Hathurusingha. “He is keen to do well, which is big for me. He has enthusiasm in the game. He is always sitting next to me or the other coaches in the dressing room, listening to every word that we are saying. He is very keen to learn.”There was never any doubt in the team management’s mind that they had found themselves an exceptional talent – in fact, in an echo of Australia’s unveiling of Shane Warne on the 1993 Ashes tour, Bangladesh’s captain Mushfiqur Rahim admitted that they had deliberately omitted Mehedi for the Afghanistan ODIs last month to keep him as a secret from England.”We knew what type of player he is,” said Mushfiqur. “We wanted him to play against England rather than Afghanistan so that they don’t know anything about him.”It is all his credit that he did so well. There’s a lot to learn from him, and I know he has the calibre to do well in the future,” he said.Mehedi was certainly the surprise package that England couldn’t deal with. He picked up 19 wickets in his maiden Test series, beating Enamul Haque jnr’s 11-year old record of 18 wickets in two Tests against Zimbabwe in 2004-05 which resulted in Bangladesh’s first Test series win.Mehedi was phenomenal in both Tests, starting off with a six-wicket haul at Chittagong on his first day of Test cricket.His maiden Test wicket said big things about Mehedi’s ability to absorb the information around him. When Mushfiqur told his bowlers to bowl at the stumps on the turning Chittagong pitch, Mehedi did exactly that, drawing Ben Duckett into a stroke but getting the ball to turn past him sharply.He took six more wickets in that game, while in Dhaka, he ran through England in the first innings by doing a similar job of pitching his offbreaks right up to the batsman at decent pace. He bowled with loop to the left-handers, in particular, but accuracy was his main weapon, especially when armed with the new ball. His arm ball was a constant menace, even though he himself admitted he doesn’t know how it came out.His rise to national stardom has been dizzyingly quick, but Mehedi said that after the Under-19 World Cup ended in February this year, he was ready for the call.”I always wanted to do well whenever I got the opportunity. I didn’t really think it would be this series. It could have been any time in the next year or two. I wanted to come into the national team with a strong mentality so that I could perform well,” he said.But it is easy to forget that, even three weeks ago, he was just a first-class cricketer who had graduated from the age-group scene. Almost overnight he seems established alongside the big names of the Bangladesh team, but Mehedi has not stopped learning either.”I watch Shakib closely, he is such a brilliant bowler. I try to adopt what he is doing,” said Mehedi.It is easy to compare him with offspinners like Sohag Gazi and Naimur Rahman, who also started their Test careers very well. Both faded away fast not only because of their own lack of performance, but also due to Bangladesh’s immense dependence on left-arm spin.Mehedi doesn’t have trouble with his bowling action, and seems to have a mature approach to his game. It is still early days for him but, even from this point, he shouldn’t be judged on his first Test series forever – neither should anyone expect him to be this effective on New Zealand’s pitches in January.He should be treated more like Mustafizur Rahman than a normal Bangladeshi offspinner. If he is so keen to learn his art, give him a bigger classroom and let him learn his way to the top.

As a fast bowler you need a big heart to sustain your career in Sri Lanka, so perhaps it’s a good thing the 19-year-old has experienced so little of it

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Newlands02-Jan-20171:15

Lahiru Kumara: Want to play for a long time

Most Sri Lanka fast bowlers are lovers, not fighters. Sadly this is by process of elimination.Look, quicks don’t have to be angry. Chaminda Vaas rarely was. But many of the best, at least outside Sri Lanka, reserve the right to a stage persona. Andre Nel had a mountain man he called “Gunther”. Dale Steyn has a vein on his forehead that seems to be made of concentrated fury. Vernon Philander will bowl a 125kph delivery, then stare at you like he has raised the smell of sulphur from the surface and brought demons up from the ground.These are not the antics of the stereotypical Sri Lanka quick. The smile, the sigh, the arm around the shoulder of the team-mate who has dropped a catch, the loving caresses of the ball and the kiss before he lopes in to bowl – those are the island tropes.Lahiru Kumara’s delivery to dismiss Hashim Amla’s was electric – the ball whizzing in late towards the batsman, beating the drive, making a small eruption of the stumps. But it was his reaction to the wicket that really drew the eye: a yell, a violent pumping of the fists, and shoulder action that – so abundant have injuries been lately – you were worried he would dislocate it.He surged in after that first breakthrough. He hit 143kph in that same over, and once JP Duminy had been caught down the legside, hit 144kph in the next. On air, commentators had bemoaned the lack of skill from the visiting fast bowlers, and practically declared the attack toothless. Suddenly, with Kumara’s introduction there was tension in the ground. Through the rest of the day, it was his spells that brought the Newlands crowd to attention.He’s only 19, so perhaps it’s not surprising, but Kumara’s first ever game of real domestic cricket had only been played in December. Perhaps that is just as well. The school system, from which he only recently graduated, retains a little of its own glory, but the first-class circuit is known to turn fast bowlers into husks. Of the top fifteen wicket-takers last season, only one was not a spinner. You can almost imagine Kumara going into a first-class season with his ox’s shoulders and broad chest, and in the end emerging wimpy and 125kph, shorn of all his exuberance, dead in the eyes, and growing facial hair that looks like pubes.Though Kumara is light on senior experience, he does have the benefit of having begun his cricket at a young age – moving to Trinity College for his cricket in Year 9. In comparison, Nuwan Pradeep only played leather-ball cricket from around the age of 20, and Suranga Lakmal had not started long before. Unlike them, Kumara has bowled fast right through his adolescence, which could make him less prone to injury, or so that theory goes.He had four wickets in Zimbabwe before this match, but though he didn’t remember the names of the batsmen he dismissed on those occasions, he says he will not forget his victims on this one.”Of the three wickets today, I loved the one the Hashim Amla dismissal,” he said after play. “He is one of the greatest players in the world and to get him with the way I did was a sweet feeling.”I have three wickets now and maybe a chance for me to finish with a five wicket haul. Let’s see how it goes. But the most important thing is to bowl them out as quickly as possible.”It does seem strange when it is a Sri Lankan fast bowler, not a spinner, or batsman that emerges. Fast bowling is the nation’s cricket most faulty production line. At home they manage on dusty tracks, which sometimes even make the quicks completely superfluous, but on tours outside the continent they are like a car without an engine, with Angelo Mathews and his men sitting inside hoping no one notices that it is their own paddling feet that keep the body moving.Maybe in years to come they will have better resources to call on. When Dushmantha Chameera eventually reaches his best, Sri Lanka hope to have a bowler of serious pace. Lahiru Kumara is not quite that quick, but today he swung the ball, and he did it with an attitude. For now, at 19, that is enough.

If Sri Lanka are to get out of the hole they are in, they will have to be rescued by the bowlers, as has been the norm in recent times

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo18-Mar-2017Having had a rough time in South Africa, Sri Lanka thought they were coming back to the comforts of home, to play a team they have nearly always crushed.They had endured Newlands’ seam movement, suffered on a hard Port Elizabeth pitch, and been lavishly flogged at the Bullring, but oh, at last, the sweaty embrace of Mother Lanka. See how her tawny tracks gleam a glorious amber at sunset. Doesn’t the dust that rise from her surfaces bring a tear to the eye? And her curators, oh, such curators – so friendly and helpful the mere sight of them makes you want to leap into their arms and weep. After the mean groundstaff in South Africa, these men will know how to treat you right. They will whisper reassuringly in your ear. You’re in safe hands now. Everything is going to be alright.The thing with coming home, though, is that things aren’t always in perfect order. Maybe the water coming out of the tap is a curious brown. At times, sparks will fly out of the power sockets. Occasionally you’ll discover that entire generations of rodents have lived, loved and died in some corner of the kitchen. On Saturday Sri Lanka’s batsmen were faced – for the first time in the series – with problems that required prompt solving, but they proved to be the kinds of homeowners that will flee quickly to the nearest hotel, and call in folks who are willing to get their hands dirty. Apart from Dimuth Karunaratne, they chose to pass the job to Sri Lanka’s bowlers.Bangladesh’s attack was always going to test Sri Lanka at some point. Mustafizur Rahman picked this day, and a clever strategy after lunch, loping impishly in from around the wicket at the right-handers, sending some balls straight, slyly seaming others away. Kusal Mendis might have been unlucky to have a not out decision overturned, but chances are he sent a thin edge to the keeper (Karunaratne basically admitted as much at the end of the day). Dinesh Chandimal reached out to drive the bowler soon after, and was out in similar fashion. Dhananjaya de Silva got the best ball of the three, but didn’t himself have to offer a shot. When Asela Gunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella fell at the other end, Sri Lanka had lost five top-order wickets for 47, and Sri Lanka’s tail-end handymen, who hail not from Colombo or Kandy, but from places like Waduwawa and Debarawewa, were called on to come up with a solution.Even Karunaratne – the one top order batsman who didn’t balk at Saturday’s difficulties – seemed confused by some situations. Karunaratne has recently been the sultan of the soft dismissal, poking balls to short cover, slapping them to point, almost always seemingly in a race to the dressing room with his fellow opener. Today he made it to the middle of the innings, and so unfamiliar was he with a reality in which he was the last recognised batsman – and the innings’ prized scalp – that he was befuddled as to how he should react. Where just after lunch, he had scored at close to a run-a-ball in the company of Kusal Mendis, Karunaratne managed only 10 off the last 38 deliveries he faced before tea. At one stage he seemed to want to shield Dilruwan Perera – a half-centurion from the previous Test – from the strike. It brought to mind tribesmen from isolated Amazon settlements, who have only seen the jungle all their lives, and are awestruck when they see anything as advanced as a bullock cart, or a building taller than a tree.He had, though, batted beautifully in the first three hours of the day, and Sri Lanka have him to thank for their slim lead in the match. His celebrations at reaching a fifth Test hundred were decidedly muted – the helmet stayed on. “Honestly, I was so focused that I didn’t realize that my hundred had come,” Karunaratne said. “I wanted to stay not out and put pressure on Bangladesh. I wanted to stay not out till stumps. I was disappointed when I was dismissed.”His exit left the job squarely in the hands of Sri Lanka’s fix-it men, who over the course of the last year, have cleaned up many a top-order mess. If Sri Lanka are to escape in this Test, Rangana Herath will need his toolkit again on Sunday. Suranga Lakmal and Dilruwan Perera will need to step out of their trucks ready for action, with sleeves rolled up.This has been a theme of Sri Lanka’s Test cricket in the last three years: pampered batsmen have long stretches in the team and are endlessly cared for by coaches, even through spells of poor form. The bowlers who have to contend with terrible fielding, weird captaincy, injuries, and still often find their places under threat, wind up having to do most of the work.

Despite numerous achievements across the formats, Hashim Amla has often batted in the shadow of his team-mates – but his place in the ODI pantheon is secure

Firdose Moonda at The Oval03-Jun-2017When Hashim Amla became the holder of the highest Test score by a South African, after his unbeaten 311 at The Oval in 2012, he was already the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman but barely lauded as such. He was known as a long-form master and his triple-century, as well as another hundred in the series against England, confirmed that – though it only elevated him to No. 2 in the Test rankings. In the afterglow, he was asked what it felt like to be the best batsman in the world.”I don’t know, I’m not even the best batsman in my team,” he replied.It was a typically Amla-esque answer, draped in modesty, but it also hinted at a home truth. Playing in the same team as AB de Villiers has its drawbacks, even more so in limited-overs cricket.De Villiers had been hailed as the best batsman of his generation, an era which straddles Tendulkar-Ponting-Kallis as well as Kohli-Williamson-Smith-Root. Amla has played in the same period but, although he occupied the top spot for a substantial time, he is seldom mentioned among the modern greats across all formats. His hundred in South Africa’s Champions Trophy opener should change that.It is not just that it was a(nother) impeccably timed bit of batting from Amla, whose first 27 balls yielded only 13 runs before the next 59 resulted in 71, or that he was the anchor of the 145-run second-wicket stand with Faf du Plessis that South Africa’s innings was built on, or even that he contrasted wrists flicks with meaty blows like the two sixes he smashed into the crowd. It was what this innings says about Amla’s place in the 50-over game.This century was his 25th and it took him 151 innings to get there, faster than anyone else. He is also the fastest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 ODI runs – proof that Amla, with his classical style and calm demeanour, is actually a more aggressive run-scorer than his contemporaries. Add in his effectiveness – only two of Amla’s 25 hundreds have been scored in defeat – and Amla’s role in South Africa’s success cannot be doubted.So why does the spotlight seem to scan past Amla and shine more brightly on de Villiers and, more recently, Quinton de Kock and du Plessis? The answer is two-fold. De Villiers and de Kock are showstoppers, whose range of strokes are more emphatic than Amla’s. While de Villiers now has a reputation that means even when he plays a pull too early and gifts a catch, as he did today, he will still steal headlines, de Kock has been South Africa’s most successful run-scorer since the 2015 World Cup and his precocious talent will result in him being recognised for many a year to come.Du Plessis has dominated talk less for his cricket and more for the off-field issues of the last 18 months. In that time, Amla stepped away from the Test captaincy to make way for a de Villiers-du Plessis debate, in which du Plessis eventually prevailed. The topical issues in South African cricket shifted from Amla’s reluctance to lead, to de Villiers’ reluctance to play Test cricket and desperation to win a World Cup, to du Plessis’ desire to captain, which allowed Amla to slip into the shadows, just as he likes it.For a while, Amla’s form followed suit – which did not aid his claim to a place among the ‘big four’ batsman in the world. Amla went nine Test innings without a hundred, which included South Africa’s victory in Australia, and then had a quiet ODI series in New Zealand, where he did not score fifty once. His lull coincided with purple patches for Steven Smith, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli and Joe Root, meaning that even Amla’s two IPL hundreds only briefly resurrected the conversation about his all-format ability. They also hinted at a return to the rhythm that South Africa are now benefitting from.Ama has come on this England tour on the back of an IPL where he finished sixth on the run charts, with 420 runs at 60.00, and was allowed to adopt a more carefree approach to a game that can sometimes become so serious that batsmen lose their spontaneity. He joined the South Africa squad with what seems a renewed focus, knowing that, like many of the seniors, the time to win a major tournament is likely limited to the next two years. Though Amla has never said it in the same way de Villiers has, he also aims to be part of an ICC-event success story, and he showed it here.He took on the responsibility South Africa needed against a Sri Lanka attack that was not entirely threatening but bookended the innings with fairly tight spells. Amla used the mid-section to press home South Africa’s advantage. He upped the tempo, he punished the bad balls, he set it up for a burst at the end and though he seemed more annoyed than usual when was run-out, he put his team in a winning position. That’s what a great does. There is no reason that Amla should not be counted among them.

Ed Joyce is in the twilight of his career but is putting all his efforts into staying around to play Test cricket for Ireland

George Dobell03-May-20173:41

‘If I bowl to him, it’s another wicket’

Ed Joyce used to hide his cricket bat when he took the train into Dublin for nets.As a typically self-conscious teenager, he was painfully aware of what he calls “the stigma” surrounding a sport that was seen as “upper class” and, even worse, “English”.So it is, he says, “hugely significant” that England has, at last, welcomed the Ireland team to their home for a two-match ODI series and, equally, that much of Ireland will be gripped – and united – by their cricket team’s progress in England.These days, as you drive on the A5 from Dublin to Derry, you regularly see cricket clubs dotted along the side of the road. These days, cricket in Ireland claims 52,000 participants (as defined by ICC standards) – that’s up from 11,000 in 2007 and 25,000 in 2011 – and boasts crowds of up to 10,000 at home internationals (it seems they may well attract something close to full houses at Lord’s and Bristol). These days, Cricket Ireland’s statistics provide evidence that they are running the fourth-biggest sport in the land (based on a combination of commercial revenue, media coverage, attendance and participation figures) and the second biggest on social media. The ODIs against England will be broadcast live (on subscription TV) and the largest broadsheet newspaper carried a page of cricket last Sunday. These days, Joyce doesn’t hide his bat.But these games aren’t just a victory parade. While being welcomed to play a series in England is a watershed moment – arguably as much for the ECB who, under new management, have started to take their duties towards developing cricket nations seriously – Ireland have long stopped thinking of themselves as “plucky underdogs” who could surprise their big neighbours occasionally. They’re not here for selfies in the Long Room.Furthermore, the games come just as a judgement is made over their readiness for Test cricket. While it would be absurd to judge a team’s suitability for Test cricket on the snapshot offered by two ODIs, it would, their CEO Warren Deutrom admits, be “disingenuous to pretend that the results carry no influence”. Just as Bangladesh owed their elevation, in part at least, to that controversial victory over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, so Ireland could ease the wheels of their own promotion with a victory or two against a side rated by some bookies as favourites for the Champions Trophy. Equally, two drubbings might make the elevation – which is due to be ratified by the ICC in June – just a little more awkward.

The stumbling block is money. It’s going to cost us a lot of money if we’re to play Test cricket and we’re going to need the ICC’s helpEd Joyce on the challenge ahead

“We want the ICC to see our potential,” Deutrom, who is every bit as responsible for Ireland’s progress as any of the players, says. “We don’t have ten stadiums or a staff of 200.”But I think what the ICC are trying to do is take a broad, holistic view of Irish cricket. It’s not just the performance of the senior men or women’s team over the last six months they’re looking at: it’s the facilities; it’s the strength in depth; it’s the governance and coaching structure, and evidence that we can manage our budgets. It’s our potential.”We believe we offer a new commercial opportunity for the game. We’re not after a hand-out. But yes, of course these games could have an influence. This – the decision to grant us Test status – is a new process and nobody here is thinking it as a penalty kick. We are in no way complacent.”In some way, these ODIs come at a far from ideal time for Ireland. Their progress, as an international side at least, has slowed of late. While much is being achieved in the background – most notably, the introduction of a first-class competition, but also ever-improving facilities, a growing pool of players and, at last, some support from England and other ICC members – the fact is that teams are judged on their results on the pitch. And Ireland’s, of late, have been eclipsed by Afghanistan’s.One of the problems is that, the golden crop of players they had to pick from a few years ago has long since been harvested. Several (such as Trent Johnston) have retired, several (such as George Dockrell) have not yet kicked-on as hoped and, most worrying of all, several are claiming the extra half-hour at the end of their careers.Joyce is an obvious example in that last category. He is 39 in September and, as Leonard Cohen put it, aching in the places he used to play. He can, he says, still see the ball as well as ever – and this is a man who sees the ball well enough to have made an ODI century against a strong Australia attack in 2007 – but knee and hip problems are reducing his effectiveness and his sense of enjoyment in the field. Niall O’Brien and Tim Murtagh, who are both aged 35, can probably empathise. All of them are locked on to the target of Test cricket; all of them are hoping they have the range.”It’s getting to the point where I’m not sure I can put myself through a lot more rehab,” Joyce says. “And, yes, personal pride comes into it. Having Test cricket on the horizon may leave me with a difficult decision to make.”Ed Joyce knows his body may not allow him much longer in the game but he’s determined to help Ireland•SportsfileHe has, he admits, taken a “significant” pay-cut to leave county cricket. He would have had no problem winning a contract to play for another year or two, but he was keen “to put something back” into Irish cricket. He has, therefore, signed to play for Leinster in this season’s domestic competitions – incorporating the new first-class competition – and will supplement his playing role with the start of a transition into coaching.”I love county cricket,” he says. “And playing it was brilliant for me. But ultimately we want to create a system where our best young players don’t have to leave Ireland to progress their careers. We’re not there yet and I’d still like to see more of our guys go to England for a while. But the long-term goal is that it’s not necessary.”Joyce’s fear is that those hard-won gains of the past – all the work that led to memorable victories against England and Pakistan and West Indies, victories that forced the world to take them seriously – could be lost. And with Ireland so close to their long-term target – Test cricket – he felt it was time to commit to the fight. Nobody wants a repeat of Kenya’s rise and fall.”We’re not at the level we were,” Joyce admits. “We’ve been hit by four or five big retirements and that’s made life very difficult for us. And that’s happened just as people have started to expect more of us. We can’t be plucky underdogs any more. We have to prepare to win and we have to learn to live with a higher level of expectation. It’s not easy.”It’s vital we keep the level of performance up. The world seems a lot more receptive to our situation than it has been but the gains we have fought so hard for could be lost. We have to keep playing well. We can’t let things slip now just as it seems the door might be opening for us.”Ireland’s problem is not new. They need to play more games in order to improve, but until they improve other nations have been reluctant to grant them those games. It’s starting to change – Bangladesh and New Zealand visit shortly for a tri-series tournament – but they continue to be held back by those who claim their elevation to Test cricket will devalue the format. Hell, they might even lose five Tests out of seven in Asia or be whitewashed 5-0 in Australia. Ireland shouldn’t really have anything left to prove at this stage.”We just don’t play enough,” Joyce says. “We need to get into the limited-overs leagues the ICC are talking about to speed up the process. It’s a chicken-and-egg problem.

Whenever I doubt the progress we’ve made – and of course I have done at times – I look back on the team that qualified for the 2007 World Cup

“The stumbling block is money. It’s going to cost us a lot of money if we’re to play Test cricket and we’re going to need the ICC’s help. It has, in the past, been tough to get past the other national boards, but they have definitely changed. Tom Harrison at the ECB has been very helpful. It feels like there is much more acceptance of us.”But we deserve some of the credit for that. Ahead of the 2015 World Cup we decided that, if we won any games, we’d make a point of taking to social media or saying things in interviews that we might not have done in the past. We wanted to put the boards and the ICC under pressure. And we’ve done that by playing consistent cricket for the best part of ten years and taking every opportunity to point out the challenges we face.”He is adamant that the development of Afghanistan is positive for Ireland and world cricket. “It’s been good for us, I think,” he says. “They are helping make the same argument as us. They have players like Rashid Khan who demand to be seen on the biggest stage. It feels as if we’re pushing together in the same direction.”If elevation does come too late for Joyce, it will prove the second time he has laid foundations on which others could build. Joyce was part of the Ireland squad in 2005 that won World Cup qualification only to miss out on some of the most memorable moments in the team’s history as he made the understandable choice to switch to England in a bid to play Test cricket and earn a decent living; neither was achievable with Ireland at the time. But whether he misses out or not, he will take consolation from the progress made over a relatively short period of time.”Whenever I doubt the progress we’ve made – and of course I have done at times – I look back on the team that qualified for the 2007 World Cup,” he says. “The sport had almost no profile in Ireland and hardly anyone took it seriously. We had a good group of players back then – and yes, some good imports who brought an edge to the unit – and we shocked a few teams.”Yes, we’re in a transition right now. But Steffan Jones, the fast bowling coach, came over recently and said he reckoned we had as good a crop of young fast bowlers as he had ever seen. We just need to make sure these guys have the chance to fulfil their potential.”There’s always been talent in Ireland. But for a long time it wasn’t feasible to get any better. There weren’t any facilities; there wasn’t much coaching. These things are much better now. There’s far more awareness of the sport in Ireland than there was just a few years ago. We’ve made huge progress.”Ed Joyce was speaking at the launch of UK company Clear Treasury’s sponsorship of Cricket Ireland. Visit https://cleartreasury.co.uk/ for more information

Stats highlights from the third ODI in Pallekele where Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah secured another series win for India against Sri Lanka

Shiva Jayaraman27-Aug-2017 8 – Number of consecutive bilateral ODI series, involving two or matches, won by India against Sri Lanka. This equals the second-longest such sequence for a team against any opposition. Pakistan have won nine consecutive series against West Indies and eight against Zimbabwe. India last failed to win a series against Sri Lanka in 1997 when a three-match rubber was drawn. 0 – Number of five wicket hauls by Jasprit Bumrah in ODIs before this. His previous best was 4 for 22 that he took against Zimbabwe last year. His 5 for 27 in this match are also his best figures in List A cricket. He had taken 5 for 28 against Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final in 2015-16. 4 – Number of times Bumrah has taken four or more wickets in 19 ODIs. This is the quickest any India bowler has taken four such hauls. Before Bumrah, Mohammed Shami was the quickest having taken 35 matches to do so. 16.14 – Rohit Sharma’s batting average in ODIs in Sri Lanka before this match. He had made 339 runs in 23 innings with a highest of 69. Overall his 124* in this match was his 12th ODI century and his eighth outside India. Rohit has stayed unbeaten or scored 150-plus in seven of his ten ODI hundreds since his comeback in 2013. 101.84 – MS Dhoni’s average in successful chases in ODIs. He is currently the only batsman to average over 100 among those with at least 1000 runs. Dhoni has stayed unbeaten in 40 of the 65 successful chases he has been involved in. His unbeaten 67 in this match was his 19th fifty-plus score in such matches. Overall, this was Dhoni’s 74th fifty-plus score in ODIs. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly have more such scores than Dhoni. 120/7 – Sri Lanka’s score in the last 25 overs of their innings in this match. They were 97 for 2 at the end of 25 overs. For the second time in the series Sri Lanka lost their way in the latter half of their innings: In the first ODI, they had collapsed from 141 for 2 at the end of 25 overs to 216 all out. Overall, in this series Sri Lanka have lost 19 wickets at an average of 17.05 after the 25th over. While the dot percentage hasn’t come down dramatically after 25th overs, Sri Lanka have taken nearly nine more deliveries per boundary when compared with the first 25 overs.

RR Wkt Ave Dot % BpBLast 25 overs 4.74 19 17.05 54.1 20.5First 25 overs 4.59 8 43.12 63.3 11.8 12 – Number of times out of 16 Sri Lanka’s top-order batsmen (No. 1 to No. 7) have got themselves in, having faced at least 20 deliveries in this ODI series but have got out without scoring a fifty. Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera and Milinda Siriwardana were such batsmen in this match. In the previous ODI, there were five such batsmen out of their top seven. 6 – Number of Sri Lanka batsmen to make fifty-plus scores in three or more consecutive ODIs against India before Lahiru Thirimanne. Thirimanne had scored 59 and 52 in his previous two ODIs against India. This was Thirimanne’s fifth score of 50 or more against India – the most such scores he has against any team in this format. Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews are the other batsmen to have done it.

If the team batting second has reached a winning target at the time of a stoppage, why wait for the quota of overs to be completed before looking at the revised targets?

Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis24-Dec-2017Before the dust has settled entirely on Pakistan’s well-merited win in the 2017 Champions Trophy, we’d like to reflect on the circumstances leading in to the qualification for the semi-finals. (“We” are the inventors of the Duckworth-Lewis method.) We’d like to stress, however, that what we have to say is not specific to targets reset by the DLS method (as it is known now): the same problem would have occurred under any of the previous or other current target-resetting methods. Because of our continuing interest and concern for the welfare of the game and the obtaining of fair results, we have something to say on the not-unusual circumstances of one particular match in that competition.You will remember that the hosts England played their best cricket in the early stages, winning three matches, and were top of Group A. In second place were Bangladesh, which, even accounting for their growth as an ODI side, was a surprise to most.You will also recall that the weather in England and Wales at the time was variable. Three matches were decided by the DLS method and two were declared “no result”, as both sides hadn’t received the minimum of 20 overs. Some teams, such as Australia, suffered from rain interruptions far more than others.In Group B, for instance, Sri Lanka played all three matches uninterrupted. In Group A, each of Australia’s games was affected by rain. They lost to England on the DLS, though England were well ahead of the par score when the match was abandoned. Their game against New Zealand was abandoned, with Australia 53 for 3 after nine overs in their chase (this was a game already reduced to 33 overs). And their game against Bangladesh was also deemed a no-result because 20 overs couldn’t be bowled in Australia’s innings; they were 82 for 1 after 16 overs, chasing Bangladesh’s 182. With two no-results and a defeat, Australia exited the competition.We believe, however, that there are compelling reasons, , for Australia to have been awarded victory in that game, thus earning two points and qualifying for the semi-finals instead of Bangladesh.The ICC’s own rules are not being applied appropriately in such cases. Using the ICC’s ODI Rule 12.4.2 we hope to explain why. We emphasise that we are not suggesting there should be an additional rule, or even a rule change, but only a different application of the existing rule. The rule states: more than 30 overs had been lost, in accordance with the ICC rule, they should at that stage have been declared the winners.However, ICC protocol for umpires in interrupted games appears to be inhibiting the application of the rule in this manner. It seems that the umpires first decide whether conditions are deemed fit to play, as they did for the 8.30pm planned restart in this case, and only then is the revised target assessed. This is what we call a static view of the protocol. We believe that a more dynamic view of the process would be fairer.In other words, the revised target should be continuously under review as time is lost, which equates to about one lost over for every four minutes deducted. And so with about eight minutes left before the official cut-off time (which was declared as 9:59 pm that evening) the revised target of 79 for the loss of 28 overs would have been already achieved. But as rain was still falling, the umpires had decided that play could not resume and had no need, according to current protocols, to consult the table of possible targets. Since fewer than 20 overs had been bowled, there was no result and Australia were eliminated.We shall return to this match after looking at a more clear-cut scenario that easily have occurred in the Women’s World Cup only a few weeks later. We’ll first describe the actual match situation and then adjust it to produce what would have been an extremely embarrassing situation, as well as being grossly unfair.In the game between New Zealand and Pakistan in Taunton, Pakistan were bowled out within their 50 overs for a modest 144. The weather was fine with no rain forecast and New Zealand quickly reached 143 for 1 in 14.4 overs. In trying to hit the two remaining runs to win, Sophie Devine, on 93, was caught and bowled by Nashra Sandhu. In the event, New Zealand completed the victory off the subsequent ball, with 35 overs to spare.However, here is a plausible variation to the actual event. Suppose New Zealand’s haste in wanting to achieve their target was due to a forecast that rain would arrive some time into their innings. Hence they wanted to complete the win as quickly as possible, even within the 20 overs according to the current interpretation of Rule 12.4.2 (ii). Suppose now that rain began to fall significantly around the start of the 15th over. Being conscious of the 20-over rule and that they might be denied victory, imagine Devine trying to hit the winning runs that over but falling off the fifth ball as described. As often happens after a wicket falls, the rain becomes too heavy and so, unfortunately but correctly, the umpires decide play cannot continue. And it soon becomes clear that the prospects of resumption are not good.Why are umpires first made to see if play can resume before the revised targets are looked at?•Getty ImagesAt 143 for 2 in 14.5 overs, New Zealand were 105 runs ahead of the DLS par score of 38. The table of possible targets for this match (not supplied) would show that for the loss of just two overs New Zealand would have already achieved the revised target of 142. With the early closure of Pakistan’s innings there would have been many hours left before the cut-off time to play the 5.1 more overs needed to make a valid match. Under the current protocols everyone would be sitting around for all this time to see if the rain stopped and the ground could be readied for play to resume. Then, and only then, would the umpires have assessed the time lost and the reduced the number of overs for the New Zealand innings. And this could have been as few as 5.1 overs and so only about 20 minutes before the cut-off time. Only then would it have been announced that the revised target had already been achieved and that New Zealand would have won without any further play required.This static process is wrong and it could be very embarrassing for the game’s administrators. If play couldn’t restart earlier, there would be no avoiding having to wait until overs started to be lost, but after that point we can easily see that once just two overs had been lost there would be no more cricket at all. That could mean everyone waiting around for up to two more hours unnecessarily. Surely the game would be better for viewing the revised target dynamically and declaring New Zealand the winners as soon as just two overs had been lost instead of having to wait those hours to see if play could have resumed before the cut-off time? And this could be done whether or not conditions were fit for play.If play could have resumed, it wouldn’t have needed to, because New Zealand would have already won. The remaining 32 or so overs were not going to be needed and Pakistan would not have been given any more overs to bowl, so why should it matter whether or not conditions were fit to play? Such a situation could be extremely embarrassing and any credibility in the current protocol would be completely lost. Worst of all, a no-result would have been unsatisfactory and unfair on New Zealand.The obviously fair and logical outcome we advocate could only be obtained if the current protocol were interpreted such that the target revision process was a dynamic one based on the table of possible targets. In other words, when overs start to be lost, an imaginary hourglass, calibrated with the figures from the table, is upturned. As the sands run out, the reducing revised target is shown at the level of sand remaining. If it reaches the “already achieved” point before the sands of time have all run out, then the team batting second are the winners. In our example New Zealand would have been declared the winners after two lost overs and no one would have had to hang around waiting to see if the umpires decided if play could resume.Let’s return to the actual Australia-Bangladesh game, which unfolded in a similar way to the above scenario, although not quite so emphatically.The dynamic approach to the target revision process means that as overs are being lost the target is coming down. We can lose a maximum of 30 overs, but you can see that when only 28 have been lost, with six more overs of play possible, two more than the minimum of four to make up the 20, Australia have enough runs to have won. They don’t need any of those six more overs. So why does it matter whether or not play is possible in those six overs? Australia should be declared the winners.The current process obscures this by only looking at the target when play is possible. Since the umpires decided that play could not be resumed for those four more overs a no result was declared – and what we see as an injustice to Australia was enacted. In practical terms the umpires may well wish to abandon a match well before the cut-off time. But if the team batting second have achieved a revised target the cut-off time, as was the case with Australia, then they should be declared the winners.Another near example occurred in the Big Bash League, in which the minimum overs per side is five but the logic of teams winning before the minimum overs have been bowled to both sides is identical.The example took place in a match in December 2012 between Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars. Scorchers batted first and were all out for 69 in 15.2 overs. Stars started their reply and reached 29 without loss in two overs when rain interrupted. It stopped in time for the umpires to allocate a five-over innings to Stars – that is, three more overs. Then, and only then it seems, was the target calculated using the D-L software in use at the time to reveal… a target of 20. In other words, they had already achieved this revised target and so the game was over before a restart, Stars having won. Such a situation was unfamiliar to officials, and absurdly, the players came out and one unnecessary ball was bowled before everyone trooped off.It would appear then that the table of possible targets, as provided below, hadn’t been reviewed during the stoppage, otherwise the situation would have been more apparent.This is what we believe should have happened. It is clear that after 13 lost overs, two fewer than the maximum of 15 after which a no-result is announced, Melbourne, on 29 for 0, had already achieved a revised target of 28, and so there was no need to resume. The result could have been declared earlier. But, as importantly, if the rain had not stopped, Melbourne would still have achieved their revised target time had run out and so would have been the winners, whatever the weather situation, with five, not three, more overs left.If this dynamic interpretation were recognised and implemented then it would have the additional benefit of avoiding tactics that, while understandable, are liable to bring the game into disrepute. We mentioned Smith’s defensive batting to try to speed up the completion of the 20 overs in the Champions Trophy match. If our suggestion were adopted, and understood, teams would realise in this situation that the tactic is to get as far ahead of par as possible (recognising that losing wickets raises the par score) if the match is likely to be terminated before 20 overs have been bowled. Isn’t this what spectators would prefer to see rather than the defensive tactics Smith observed were appropriate for the current protocol? In addition, under the current protocol, it would have been to Bangladesh’s advantage to deliberately bowl wides so as to not complete the 20 overs and allow the rain to stop the match.We think rules that support negative tactics need questioning. Our interpretation would make such tactics unnecessary.The main reason quoted by authorities in the past for not supporting our dynamic view is that only Team 2 can win this way, and so it is unfair to Team 1. They argue that in cases where Team 2 are facing almost certain defeat – for example, at 100 for 9 in 19 overs chasing a target of 300 – then there is no equivalent way to give Team 1 the victory that the weather might well be denying them without bowling at least one more over. We accept this point but don’t see why it should disqualify Team 2 from winning within the 20 overs, for which we have shown such compelling logic.We argue that this is just one further point of difference between batting first and second due to cricket’s asymmetrical playing structure, and it is something, along with all the other inequalities between batting first or second, that captains might take into account in making their decision whether to bat or field on winning the toss.We stress again that we are not proposing another rule, but a de facto dynamic interpretation of the existing rule in that the team batting second should be declared winners although they have received fewer than 20 overs if they have already achieved a revised target for the loss of more than 30 overs. Put simply, having already achieved such a revised target it does not matter whether or not play is possible in those unneeded overs. The batting team don’t need them and the fielding team are not going to get them. Consequently, whether the umpires declare conditions are, or are not, playable is irrelevant.In summary the scenario we are trying to allow for occurs in these specific but not unusual circumstances.* Team 1’s total is below/well below average for the number of overs per side
* Team 2 make a rapid start and are well ahead of the par score (by whatever mechanism this might be derived – it’s not specific to DLS)
* Play is interrupted before completion of the minimum overs to make a matchCurrent protocols instruct umpires first to decide whether play can resume and then work out how many overs should be lost whereupon the revised target is computed. We believe the revised target should be continuously under review and if Team 2 have achieved a revised target time has elapsed for the loss of more than 30 overs in ODIs then Team 2 can be declared the winners no matter that it might still be raining and they haven’t received the minimum of 20 overs. If those remaining overs are not needed why it should matter whether play could take place in them? It doesn’t.

But there was still the feeling he bowled a little too short, especially with the first new ball when Trent Boult and Tim Southee had pitched theirs up with devastating effect

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch31-Mar-2018A lot can change in a week. Just ask David Warner, Steven Smith, Cameron Bancroft and Darren Lehmann. In a less dramatic way, things have changed for Stuart Broad. Or actually, in a sense, they haven’t.In the build-up to the Auckland Test there was a strong indication that he would lose the new ball role he has held, largely without interruption, since 2013. Then England were bowled out for 58 and there was no time to try something new. Broad took the new ball alongside James Anderson.’Felt in the best rhythm I have for a couple of years’

Stuart Broad said his second-day performance in Christchurch was as well as he had bowled since his 6 for 17 against South Africa in Johannesburg more than two years ago. Broad took 4 for 38, moving ahead of Curtly Ambrose in the all-time list, to give England the advantage having spent a lot of time working on his action before this series.
“I’ve a had a couple of four-fors since then, but don’t think I’ve created as many plays and misses and chances. Today, I hit length hard, I was snapping into it. That gives me a lot of confidence and it proves, at the most basic form, that a bit of a hard work really pays off.
“I felt in the best rhythm I have for a couple of years. I was rubbish in Australia, to be honest. It was the lack of bounce I was getting because of my wrist. Everything about my bowling today, I felt in full control. The ball was bouncing through, it had pace, it was nipping. It’s quite an exciting place to be. When you see improvements over a short period of time it gives you a lot of energy.”

His 400th Test wicket, when Tom Latham clipped to midwicket, was one of the more subdued landmark moments you could see but there were small signs that the work he had put in during the alone hours in the Trent Bridge indoor school were paying off. There was a little bit more zip and bounce than in Australia and he was better aligned to the right-handers.But there was still the feeling he bowled a little too short, especially with the first new ball when Trent Boult and Tim Southee had pitched theirs up with devastating effect. The length of England’s new-ball bowlers has often been a gripe and was never more evident than the first afternoon of the Adelaide Ashes Test when Joe Root had put Australia in and watched his senior duo waste conditions.Two days before the second Test in Christchurch, Root had a long meeting with his bowlers which ran well past the end of an already lengthy training session. There have been a lot of meetings in the last few days. What was said will probably remain behind closed doors, but it would be a surprise if pitching the ball up had not been on the agenda.If it wasn’t, and the second morning in Christchurch was just Anderson and Broad thinking on their feet, then you would have to wonder why they couldn’t have done it before.The effect of pushing the ball full was almost instant and for Broad made for his most impressive spell since the start of the Ashes. He drew Latham onto the front foot, finding the outside edge as the opener looked to drive, then pushed one out a touch wider to Ross Taylor who couldn’t resist a flat-footed flash which sent a catch to Alastair Cook at first slip. The scalp of Taylor will have been especially satisfying as it continued a hold Broad has had over him throughout their contests together. This was the 10th time he had dismissed Taylor in 14 Tests.A full length also soon defeated Henry Nicholls, the ball nipping past the inside edge to take the back pad. CricViz analysis during Broad’s first spell showed at one point he was pitching 37% of his deliveries in a full-length area compared to 30% normally – the difference in length was calculated at 30cm.Bowlers have a natural length and it can be difficult to adjust at the drop of a hat, but when Broad gains the success he did pitching it up. it is a wonder why it hasn’t been his default. When Broad went through a previous struggle in 2011 it came during a time when he was given the ‘enforcer’ tag which led him to bowling too short. After a lean series against Sri Lanka that summer, he then pitched the ball up against India and took 25 wickets in four Tests at 13.84.”To go away and play for Notts and get a five-for pitching the ball up a week before the Test gave me a lot of confidence,” he said at the time. “That was how I wanted to bowl in this series but then for it to happen straight away at Lord’s, to pick up four wickets and could have potentially had more, that length showed me the way to go.”This time, the problems, Broad believed, had been caused by bowling so much round the wicket to the left handers. Leading into this series, having worked hard to make small corrections, Broad spoke about having plenty of legs in him at Test level. “I’m in a place now where I feel like I can do quite a bit of damage as a bowler again,” he said. Whether the new-ball talk was a ploy to get the competitive juices flowing or not, it may now be a little while before the Anderson-Broad partnership is broken.The new-ball burst didn’t last long enough to be classed as a return to the streaks that made him such a devastating bowler up until early 2016, but there were signs that he still has some more in him. However, late in the day, with England having endured a 142-run partnership between BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme, Broad returned and struck with his second ball. How? Yes, it was a full delivery that got the batsman driving. Saturday’s performance wasn’t a case of teaching an old(ish, by fast bowling standards) dog new tricks, but reminding him of the ones that make him most effective.

With Aaron Finch seeing them like beach balls, who’d want to be a bowler? So wonders the Twitter world

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2018

172 off 76 balls from @AaronFinch5 …. Bloody love this era of Cricket ….

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) July 3, 2018

Oh @AaronFinch5 172 off 76… one of the greatest knocks of all time! And selectors wanted you to bat down the order! Always a true opener..
simply #AUSvsZIM

— Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) July 3, 2018

.@AaronFinch5 you freak! Absolutely amazing striking who wants to be a bowler… #AUSvsZIM

— Jessica Jonassen (@JJonassen21) July 3, 2018

@AaronFinch5 wow what a special knock that was well done brother. Beat his own record

— David Warner (@davidwarner31) July 3, 2018

Wohhh I’m a bit behind, but I just checked the cricket score @AaronFinch5 that’s crazy, seeing them like beach balls #AUSvZIM #bosh #flattrack

— Megan Schutt (@megan_schutt) July 3, 2018

172 off 76 deliveries. @AaronFinch5, what did you eat last night? #ZIMvAUS

— R P Singh (@rpsingh) July 3, 2018

Incredible @AaronFinch5 #ZIMvAUS

— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) July 3, 2018

Aaron Finch, what exceptional hitting. 172 in a T20 innings , beating his own world record. Simply Wow #ZIMvAUS

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 3, 2018

After just one full season of domestic cricket, the 20-year-old left-arm quick is part of India’s Asia Cup squad, having imbibed some lessons from Zaheer Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar along the way

Shashank Kishore01-Sep-20185:24

Agarkar: It was time for India to move on from Raina

These are the questions on everyone’s mind, now that Khaleel Ahmed has made India’s squad for the Asia Cup: How quick is he? Can he swing it back into the right-handers? Can he bowl the heavy ball? What does his action look like?First, some background. Khaleel has only played one full season of domestic cricket – and only two first-class matches. But he has shown enough promise to win a place in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s squad in IPL 2018 and get fast-tracked into the India A squads for a tour of England in June-July and the recently concluded A team quadrangular series. In his last nine outings for India A, he hasn’t gone wicketless even once, and has picked up 15 wickets.Khaleel’s strength lies in extracting bounce even on docile surfaces – which could come in handy in the Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi – and he’s got pace too. He grew up playing tennis-ball cricket in Tonk, a Rajasthan town known for its muskmelons. On muddy surfaces where batsmen kept swinging, he learned early that the only way to beat them was by being quick through the air. Now he’s trying to blend that pace and bounce with with swing to become the complete fast bowler.When he first came through at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, he relied mostly on his angle across the right-hander. Over the last two seasons, he’s worked closely on swinging the ball back in. This process began during a stint with Delhi Daredevils (2016 and 2017), when he didn’t get to play in the IPL, but got to rub shoulders with Zaheer Khan, who was captaining the franchise at the time. Zaheer would try and get Khaleel to think for himself, ask him to set his own fields and bowl to them. Khaleel says this experience improved him significantly as a bowler.”Being under Zaheer coincided with my improvement as a cricketer,” Khaleel told ESPNcricinfo during the quadrangular series last week. “I used to just look to bowl fast, didn’t think much about the technicalities, but Zaheer worked on my non-bowling arm and wrist position. The seam position used to be wobbly, because there was some problem with my grip and alignment with my thumb. Now I can swing the ball back into the right-handers.”Khaleel Ahmed and Pawan Suyal bond with each other•Delhi DaredevilsKhaleel only picked up two wickets in his two Ranji Trophy games in 2017-18, at an average of 90.00, but did rather better in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, picking up 17 wickets at 15.52, while conceding just 6.76 per over. Rajasthan finished the T20 tournament as runners-up. In the final against Delhi, Khaleel dismissed Rishabh Pant and half-centurion Unmukt Chand to finish with figures of 4-0-23-2.In the 2018 IPL auction, Sunrisers entered a serious bidding war with Kings XI Punjab and Daredevils before eventually picking Khaleel up for INR 3 crores. It’s another matter that Sunrisers looked at him as a back-up option, since they had a strong Indian pace battery in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul and Basil Thampi. He only got one game for the franchise, in which he ran into the rampaging Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine and ended up with figures of 0 for 38 in three overs.At the time of his signing, Khaleel hadn’t even played List A cricket, but he went into the IPL on the back of a productive Vijay Hazare Trophy, in which he picked up 10 wickets at at 23.40 in six 50-over matches, while returning an economy rate of 4.77. These performances earned him a place in the season-ending Deodhar Trophy.In the final, he bowled a hostile spell in tandem with Umesh Yadav to rip through Karnataka’s top order. He took three of the top five to help his side beat the domestic 50-over champions. “Performing in those matches gave me a lot of confidence,” Khaleel said. “Before that, at the Under-19 level itself, Rahul Dravid sir kept talking to us about how we have to be ready for the step up and the kind of adjustments we must make. So that transition was a little smooth, because we were prepared mentally.”While playing opportunities for Sunrisers were scarce, he spent as much time as possible with Bhuvneshwar, often accompanying him for breakfast or to watch moves in rest days. All along, he tried to pick his brains. “With Bhuvneshwar Kumar at Sunrisers, I learnt about death bowling,” Khaleel said. “How he trains in the nets, how he practices bowling yorkers and does target practice. He is a very simple person, and is always ready to offer advice.”With him, chats have been around consistency. My strength is bounce because of height, but if I can swing the ball, then it adds variety. So even when I didn’t get chances, I wasn’t frustrated because I tried to learn in whatever little time we had between matches.”Khaleel’s rise has been swift, helped by the fact that there aren’t too many left-arm quicks in Indian cricket at the moment. While this could put pressure on some, Khaleel is relaxed. “I consider it as a good thing, because it could get me noticed, so isn’t it a good thing?”He may or may not get game time for India, but he is at least guaranteed another learning stint with Bhuvneshwar, this time in blue and not in orange.