Regular skipper Laura Delany still injured as hosts prepare for up to four international debuts

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2022Gaby Lewis will captain Ireland Women for next month’s six-match, multi-format series against South Africa in Dublin.As a result of injuries and player unavailability – primarily due to school or college exams – head coach Ed Joyce is without eight of his 20 senior performance squad members for the series.Lewis will lead the side in the absence of regular captain Laura Delany, who is recovering from injury. Still only 21, Lewis already has 88 caps and is Ireland Women’s fifth-highest run-scorer across all formats. She also becomes the first child of a former Irish cricket captain to lead her country, following in the footsteps of her father, Alan Lewis, who led the Ireland men’s team 35 times.Lewis became the first Ireland woman to score a century in any format last August when she struck an unbeaten 105 from 60 balls against Germany in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Region Qualifier and she was subsequently named in the ICC Women’s T20I team of the year for 2021.”It’s an absolute honour to be asked to captain Ireland for the first time,” Lewis said. “The opportunity to take on one of the world’s leading sides is one I am relishing, and I know the squad is looking forward to the challenge.”One of the benefits of a competitive domestic Super Series is that – even with up to nine players missing – we are still able to bring in a talented group of players as cover, showing that we are growing our player pool and developing our emerging talent in the right way.”

Ireland vs SA schedule

• June 3 1st T20I, Pembroke

• June 6 – 2nd T20I, Pembroke

• June 8 – 3rd T20I, Pembroke

• June 11 – 1st ODI, Clontarf

• June 14 – 2nd ODI, Clontarf

• June 17 – 3rd ODI, Clontarf

Selectors have chosen four possible debutants in the 14-player squad, including New Zealand-born Arlene Kelly, as well as Alana Dalzell, Sarah Forbes and Kate McEvoy. Jane Maguire is in line to make her T20I debut, if selected, having played four ODIs. New Zealand-based Eimear Richardson was unavailable for the series.The 28-year-old Kelly, who plays for Auckland Hearts in New Zealand, is an Irish passport-holder and recently relocated to Ireland to pursue cricket opportunities. She has featured for Dragons in the early stages of the Arachas Super Series, claiming Player of the Match honours on debut after scoring 60 and taking 3 for 35 against Typhoons at Lisburn.Carrie Archer, chair of national women’s selectors, said: “We are excited about the inclusion of these potential debutants, but at the same time acknowledge that there’s a lot of years of experience missing. We will be facing one of the world’s top-ranked teams, and this is our first outing in the ICC Championship.”Despite the challenges, the squad will still feature a number of senior players who have a wealth of experience – Gaby Lewis, Shauna Kavanagh and Mary Waldron have 335 caps between them. We wish Gaby and her team the best for the challenge ahead.”South Africa’s tour of Ireland will begin with three T20Is, starting on June 3, ahead of three ODIs from June 11-17.The three ODIs will be Ireland’s first fixtures as part of the ICC Women’s Championship. It was announced this week that Ireland and Bangladesh had been added as the ninth and tenth teams in the 2022-25 Women’s Championship, offering sides a chance of direct qualification to the next ODI World Cup in 2025. During the four-year cycle, Ireland will host England, Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka, and tour Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and West Indies.Ireland squad: Gaby Lewis (capt), Alana Dalzell, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Kate McEvoy, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Celeste Raack, Mary Waldron

Clubs won’t have long to lock down their recruitment strategies for the new season

Alex Malcolm22-Jun-2022The BBL will aim to get a jump on the new rival T20 leagues emerging in UAE and South Africa by hosting its first overseas player draft in August in a bid to secure leading players early as it attempts to revive the competition.The tournament announced a new overseas recruitment model on Wednesday with top-line overseas players set to earn $AUD340,000 and given the option of nominating the amount of games they want to be available for during December and January without having to commit to the whole tournament.It has been difficult for the BBL to match the riches on offer in the UAE and potentially South Africa, as well as even the BPL and the PSL, given the league is bound by a $AUD1.9 million dollar salary cap for an 18-man squad and for a competition that is significantly longer. But players will get to nominate for three price categories – Gold, Silver and Bronze – with an additional Platinum level on offer for the biggest names. Cricket Australia will contribute a significant portion to each salary bracket to sit outside the cap to help the clubs.There is no official date set for the draft but it is understood that it will likely be held in August, up to four months before the start of the BBL season. The tournament will once again be a full 14-game home and away season likely to run from mid-December to late-January, with fixtures set to be announced in July. There is a need to lift the competition ahead of the next TV rights deal, with the current deal ending in 2024, after a difficult few years compounded by Covid-19.An August draft is not ideal for clubs, who would prefer it be held closer to the season so they have greater clarity on their needs and player availability. However, BBL general manager Alistair Dobson and BBL player acquisition and cricket consultant Trent Woodhill both believe the earlier draft will give high-profile overseas stars clarity and options to lock themselves into playing in the BBL prior to the UAE and South Africa leagues getting established in what is set to be a crowded January calendar.”We are keen to be able to provide players and agents and clubs with a timeline that gives certainty and allows them to plan their year and be confident that the BBL is a place they want to come and play which we know they’re looking forward to,” Dobson told ESPNcricinfo.The BBL is confident they can secure some big names after early fruitful discussions with agents.”It’s actually been really positive,” Woodhill told ESPNcricinfo. “I feel like there’s clarity. Players want certainty. Player agents now have an opportunity to put their players up in lights and then work with the clubs to promote their players. The clubs get a choice. And I think it really suits the competition. And I’m confident they’re going to get some really good names.The league has previously left the recruitment of overseas players to the clubs to do privately. But Woodhill believes the draft will bring greater fan interest to the process with clubs’ decisions on who they select base on who is available now out in the open.”By having a draft, it’s up in lights,” he said. “It’s harder for the clubs to dismiss a high-profile player and they have an opportunity to draft them or choose somebody else in the draft.”I like the fact there is a choice. The choice for the player in what band they nominate in but also a choice for the clubs to see how they fit into their existing domestic team. And then explaining why they’ve done that. You always want to know why teams have gone for a spinner or a quick or an allrounder or maybe a frontline bat. So I’m excited to see the viewpoint of the club and the explanation from the club as to why they’ve gone for one big name over another.”The one downside that has been discussed among players is that the draft does not allow overseas names to choose where they will play, with a summer stint based in the beachside eastern suburbs of Sydney proving a popular recruiting tool for Sydney Sixers pre-Covid, for example.Clubs have also been reluctant in the past to pay big portions of the salary cap to star players for short-term deals with some clubs preferring to recruit lower-tier overseas players for specific roles over a full season. Andre Russell did a short stint last year at Melbourne Stars and they missed the finals while AB de Villiers’ six-game stint at Brisbane Heat in 2019-20 was equally unsuccessful.On the flipside, Perth Scorchers recruited lesser-known Englishman Laurie Evans last year for a very specific middle-order role. He was available to play for the entire campaign with Scorchers on less money and ended up being Player of the Match in the final fulfilling the exact role he was recruited for.There was some push and pull from the BBL and the clubs initially when the draft concept was raised with clubs still keen to do their own bespoke recruiting. However, clubs have been pleased that they were able to work with the league to come up with a draft model that allows clubs to use one retention pick, so that teams like Adelaide Strikers get to retain Rashid Khan even if another club drafts him.Clubs also won’t be forced to take a big-money Platinum player who is only available for a short stint if they would prefer to recruit a lesser name in a Silver or Bronze category for the full year. Dobson, Woodhill and the clubs have been meeting weekly over zoom to discuss the mechanics of the draft.”We’ve consulted for a long period of time with clubs and they’re excited about what the draft brings,” Dobson said. “I think there’s a bit of apprehension around the pressure and it is new territory for clubs in terms of being live on draft day or draft night and I think we’re excited to see how they handle that.”Clearly, success is the quality of the players that we get in. But trailing along not far behind that is the amount of interest and stories we can tell and speculation and debate and potentially controversy that sits around that because we think that’s all going to be a great build-up to the start of the BBL season.”Woodhill, who was formally the list manager at Melbourne Stars and has worked on auction strategy with Royal Challengers Bangalore during his time coaching in the IPL, was in no doubt about what his approach would be if he was entering the draft with a club.”You can’t underestimate star power,” Woodhill said. “Some teams look at it as a whole year approach. I’d be looking at how many wins do we need to make the top five and then I’m looking to find the best player possible in the draft to help me get to that point. If it’s seven games, then we need to get the seven games. So that’s my first target.”So it’s hard to look past an Andre Russell, a Sunil Narine or a Kieron Pollard, Faf du Plessis because they win a lot of player of the match awards. So I’d be aiming high.”

Sri Lanka captain was dismissed twice by Nathan Lyon in the first Test, but insists he is “not going to change” his methods after just one match

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jul-2022Don’t panic. Keep things simple. And you don’t necessarily have to sweep (if you don’t want to). This, Dimuth Karunaratne said, was his advice to Sri Lanka’s batters ahead of the second Test in Galle. They had stumbled to 212 and 113 in the first Test, while Australia made 321 in their first innings.With a slightly better batting pitch expected for the second match, Karunaratne hoped his batters could put up a total that would give an inexperienced spin attack something to bowl at.”When we’ve won matches here, it’s not generally on tracks that turned from ball one,” Karunaratne said. “It’s when we batted well and used that scoreboard pressure to give the spinners a cushion – that’s when we’ve won here. We don’t have Rangana Herath or Dilruwan Perera anymore, so the spinners have to do what they can.Related

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“But as a batting unit, we need to put up a big first-innings score. That’s where you set the tone for the bowlers to build that pressure.”How to put up those scores when the opposition spinners are all over you, though? Nathan Lyon claimed nine wickets in the first game, Mitchell Swepson took five, and even a rank part-timer in Travis Head took four second-innings wickets.Half of Sri Lanka’s batters had fallen attempting to sweep or reverse sweep in that second innings, with new head coach Chris Silverwood suggesting after the match that mastering that stroke was crucial to Sri Lanka’s success on turning tracks. Karunaratne, though, did not put such an emphasis on the sweep in his chats with team-mates.”The sweep is just one option against spin. If you’re batting well, there are a lot of options there for you,” he said. “Everyone’s game plan has to be different. Not everyone can sweep well. Everyone’s got a unique method, and I’ve told everyone to play in their own unique way, without putting much pressure on themselves.”Without trying too many new things, what’s important is to improve the things you already know how to do. We’ve had separate training sessions for the batting unit. We know where we failed.”Karunaratne had a poor Test personally as well, making 28 in the first innings and 23 in the second. He was dismissed by Lyon on both instances, the first as he came down the track, and the second as he attempted to sweep. He is a vital part of Sri Lanka’s top order, having hit match-winning innings in Galle over the past several years. But he won’t let the battle with Lyon play on his mind too much.”I’ve got a very simple plan for myself. I’m not going to change what I’m doing based on what happened in the last match,” he said. “This is a new game. Perhaps the pitch will be better for this game than the last one. I’m going through the routine that has brought me success.”I have a plan for the first 15 overs, and then what I need to do to build an innings. As a senior batter, I’m trying to take as much responsibility as possible.”

There is a bigger squeeze than ever to fit in all the bilateral cricket alongside global events and the expanding domestic leagues

Alex Malcolm17-Aug-2022Mind the BBL gap
Cricket Australia have made the BBL a top priority under new chairman Lachlan Henderson with a fresh broadcast deal looming in 2024. It has faced numerous hurdles recently with the proliferation of rival leagues in the UAE and South Africa even as it tries to recover from the impacts of Covid-19. CA had previously said it would like a free window in January, which now has a crunch of leagues, to allow Australia’s international stars to play in the BBL. The plan has been partially successful.Australia don’t have any white-ball commitments in January over the next four years, but there will be Test cricket that will take the multi-format players away. They are scheduled to host West Indies in two Tests in mid-January 2024 as the ODI World Cup in October-November 2023 creates a squeeze on Australia’s home summer. Meanwhile, in January-February 2025, there is a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka. That series will need to be played before the Champions Trophy, which does not leave CA much room to keep the Test players at home for the BBL. Then, in early 2027, Australia will make another unusual summer away trip to India to play five Tests in January and February.CA’s head of scheduling, Peter Roach, confirmed that CA had tried to create a January window. “That was the priority to try and free the white-ball players so they can compete in the whole BBL,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “But we understand Test cricket works in that window as well. So it’s trying to find that balance between the opportunity for everyone to play versus making sure that our Test product is still really strong.”Related

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Homeward March
There is another significant knock-on effect of the five-Test tour of India in 2027. Australia have not hosted a Test in March since 1979 with their home matches played almost exclusively between November and January each year, with the exception of the rare winter series. But, in the new FTP, there will be two Tests against Bangladesh in March 2027 with the home summer essentially split in half by a trip to India. Australia begin that home summer with limited-overs matches against England in November 2026 before hosting Tests against New Zealand over Boxing Day and New Year. Then, after heading to India, they will return to host Bangladesh at a time when traditionally only Sheffield Shield cricket has been played in Australia. It will also be just the second time Bangladesh have played a Test series in Australia, with the first coming way back in 2003. It will also complete a run of ten Tests in four months for Australia to finish their 2025-2027 WTC cycle.Back-to-back West Indies
One of the vagaries of Australia’s new FTP is that they will host West Indies for Test matches in consecutive home summers because of the new World Test Championship starting next year. They visit for two Tests in December this year during the final stages of the current WTC cycle, but the new one starts afresh thereafter and Australia are drawn to host them again the following summer for two more Tests. It’s understood CA did try to change the order of the series to avoid the back-to-back visits but it was unable to find a solution. Australia will also travel to the Caribbean in 2025 for three Tests and three ODIs.In 2027, Bangladesh are scheduled to play their first Tests in Australia since 2003•AFP via Getty Images

Winter cricket back in northern Australia
Australia are hosting Zimbabwe and New Zealand in the coming weeks during late winter in the north of the country and will have more internationals during that period in years to come with the climate in the Northern Territory and North Queensland perfect for cricket. Australia have experimented with winter cricket previously, starting with ODIs under the roof at Docklands in Melbourne in 2000 and 2002, to Test matches in Darwin and Cairns in 2003 and 2004, before abandoning the concept after an ODI series against Bangladesh in 2008.It wasn’t a popular offering for local broadcasters as it clashed with the football codes that dominate the winter airwaves. But they will host ODIs and T20Is with South Africa in August of 2025 and then a Test, and T20Is ODIs against Afghanistan in July and August of 2026. “We hope that [winter cricket] becomes a little bit more regular,” Roach said. “I don’t think it’ll be every year but we know those games will be really well supported by all those fans and we also know the fans around the country, whilst they’re deep into their footy season, still relish the opportunity to watch some cricket during our winter months.”The Afghanistan question
Australia were set to host Afghanistan in a one-off Test last year prior to the Ashes but it was postponed after the Taliban seized control in Afghanistan with CA taking a stance on women being prevented from taking part in the sport (the game had previously been postponed from 2020 due to Covid-19). Australia have two bilateral commitments against Afghanistan in the new FTP – an away T20I series in August 2024 and the aforementioned tour in northern Australia in 2026 – which will mean the CA board may have to make another decision on their position depending on the situation when the series are played.More broadly, CA knows it will need to pull its weight in playing the developing nations and alongside the away T20Is against Afghanistan will also tour Ireland for white-ball matches in 2024.”We want world cricket to be really strong, and it’s not going to be really strong if we restrict ourselves to a handful of opponents,” Roach said. “Having the opportunity to go and play these opponents, developing countries in some respects, is something we’re really focused on doing. Not so much to be a good citizen, it’s the right thing to do because we know what value it brings to our players and also the players in the opposing teams.”

Australia’s men’s FTP 2023-2027

(* = home series)2023-24
Jun: World Test Championship
Jun/Jul: England vs Australia (5 Tests)
Sep: South Africa vs Australia (5 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
Sep: India vs Australia (3 ODIs)
Oct/Nov: ODI World Cup – India
Nov/Dec: India vs Australia (5 T20Is)
Dec/Jan: Australia vs Pakistan (3 Tests)*
Jan/Feb: Australia vs West Indies (2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)*
Feb/Mar: New Zealand vs Australia (2 Tests, 3 T20Is)2024-25
Jun: T20 World Cup – West Indies and USA
Aug: Afghanistan vs Australia (3 T20Is)
Aug/Sep: Ireland vs Australia (3 ODIs, 1 T20I)
Sep: England vs Australia (5 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
Nov: Australia vs Pakistan (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)*
Dec/Jan: Australia vs India (5 Tests)*
Jan/Feb: Sri Lanka vs Australia (2 Tests)
Feb/Mar: ODI Champions Cup – Pakistan2025-26
Jun: World Test Championship
Jun/Jul: West Indies vs Australia (3 Tests, 3 ODIs)
Aug: Australia vs South Africa (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)*
Oct: New Zealand vs Australia (3 T20Is)
Oct/Nov: Australia vs India (3 ODIs, 5 T20Is)*
Dec/Jan: Australia vs England (5 Tests)*
Feb: Pakistan vs Australia (3 T20Is)
Feb/Mar: T20 World Cup – India and Sri Lanka
Mar: Pakistan vs Australia (3 ODIs)2026-27
Jun: Bangladesh vs Australia (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
Aug: Australia vs Afghanistan (1 Test, 3 T20Is)*
Sep/Oct: South Africa vs Australia (3 Tests, 3 ODIs)
Nov/Dec: Australia vs England (3 ODIs, 5 T20Is)*
Dec/Jan: Australia vs New Zealand (3 Tests)*
Jan/Feb: India vs Australia (5 Tests)
Mar: Australia vs Bangladesh (2 Tests)*

Surrey director of cricket could be tempted to make switch after eight years in the role

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-Sep-2022Alec Stewart has emerged as the frontrunner to become the new England national selector.Stewart, who has been director of cricket at Surrey for the past eight years, is believed to be highly rated by Rob Key, the England team’s managing director, given his detailed knowledge of the county circuit and the talent therein, and his own success in nurturing young talent at Surrey.The role of national selector was discontinued in April 2021, when Key’s predecessor, Ashley Giles, dispensed with the services of the previous incumbent Ed Smith, and handed selection duties to the then-head coach across all formats, Chris Silverwood.However, England’s subsequent collapse in form, culminating in a run of one win in 17 Tests until the start of Brendon McCullum’s tenure as head coach in May 2022 has prompted a rethink, with Key adamant from the outset of his appointment that he would be looking to reinstate the role.Related

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Key’s decision to split the red- and white-ball coaching roles – with McCullum and Ben Stokes now in charge of the Test team, with Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler the coach-captain combination for the limited-overs formats – arguably increases the need for an independent selector to co-ordinate the priorities of the two formats.Stewart, 59, had been one of the names in the frame for the MD role that eventually went to Key, but withdrew his interest due to family reasons. However, the selector’s role, which is expected to involve less time away from home, is likely to be more appealing as he weighs up his next career move.Other names that have been mentioned in connection with the role include the former England players-turned-commentators Nick Knight, Steven Finn and Steve Harmison, with potential scope for the appointment of an assistant selector, similar to the role that James Taylor played alongside Smith.Whoever is appointed will work closely with Mo Bobat, the ECB’s performance director, and David Court, the ECB’s talent identification lead, as well as a team of talent scouts in and around the 18 first-class counties.

Northamptonshire battle in first innings after explosive lower-order batting

ECB Reporters Network06-Sep-2022Northamptonshire 77 for 1 trail Hampshire 400 for 9 dec (Donald 94, Organ 71, Abbott 57) by 323 runsAneurin Donald fell six runs short of an explosive century but tailender Kyle Abbott’s 57 pilfered full batting points for Hampshire in their quest for the LV= Insurance County Championship title.Hampshire pulverised Northamptonshire’s bowling attack with 171 runs coming in 28 overs, with Donald’s 84-ball 94 and Abbott’s 45-delivery barrage doing heavy damage.Having been 167 for five and 273 for seven, the idea of reaching 400 for maximum points seemed fanciful, but Abbott was astonishing in making sure the last wicket got the 46 runs required, to maintain the pressure on leaders Surrey.Hampshire declared at 400, but Northamptonshire were defiant in their defence, with only Will Young falling before reaching 77 for 1 at the close.An all-action, but all-too-brief, half-an-hour morning session before the rain hit saw Liam Dawson half-driving to second slip to the seventh ball of the day and Donald reach his half-century in 53 balls.When play returned, with Hampshire 273 for six, it proved a breathless 20-over afternoon. It started well for Northamptonshire when Luke Procter bowled Barker with the first ball on the resumption, but from then on boundaries were a regular occurrence and runs flowed.It was peak Donald as he mixed the glorious drives with agricultural aggression. One over he was swatting a six and swinging hard and getting an edge over the slips, the next he’d be caressing through the covers.The Welshman has a skill of lifting the run-rate regardless of the match situation, and more often than not makes a telling contribution, with this his third fifty in 10 innings this season.On his comeback game, against Gloucestershire in May, after two years without playing after twice breaking his leg, he scored 89. Again, looking on course for three figures, he fell six runs shy when he was lbw to Josh Cobb while attempting an uncharacteristic sweep shot.He had added 63 runs in 52 balls with the equally boisterous James Fuller – who was caught at mid-on after the highest of skiers soon after. Hampshire were 354 for nine, possibly happy with four batting points but they allowed Mohammad Abbas to keep Abbott company for a while.”A while” turned out to be just over eight overs of happy-go-lucky batting which totted up 46 runs. No.10 Abbott took the majority of the strike and intelligently swung hard to claim seven fours and two memorably long sixes. It was his 11th first-class half-century and his first since last April.A single, off an inside edge, took the score to 400 and brought about the declaration. The extraordinary session saw 127 runs pour in 119 balls, and the final-wicket pair unbroken on 46.Young and Emilio Gay were impeccable in the face of the highest, fourth-highest and sixth-highest wicket-takers in Division One.The movement off the pitch was less than Ben Sanderson and Co managed the previous day but the opening duo’s technique and resolve, especially when leaving the ball, saw them through the new ball.They managed to get through to the 20th over with the light ever dimming before Young was trapped on the crease and leg before to Abbott. Eventually bad light stopped play with the deficit still 323 runs.

Liam Livingstone helps seal stuttering chase as England miss significant NRR boost

Vithushan Ehantharajah22-Oct-2022England’s World Cup campaign is up and running thanks to a five-wicket victory over Afghanistan in their opening match in Group 1.It was very much a performance of two halves for one of the tournament favourites. They were outstanding in the field, vindicating Jos Buttler’s decision to bowl first by dismissing Afghanistan for 112 with a stellar hand from Sam Curran of 5 for 10, becoming the first Englishman to take a T20I five-for.But a stuttering chase took the gloss off what could have been a complete performance. They were 65 for 3 at one stage in the 11th over, only managing to clear the fence once and in turn missing the chance to rubber-stamp this win with a significant net run rate boost.Curran stole the headlines with his career-best figures and was even on a hat-trick at one point, removing Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan off the last two balls of the 18th over. Though he missed out on a hat-trick, he did claim three in four when Usman Ghani slapped one to Liam Livingstone at deep point in the 20th over.If that was a rudimentary take for Livingstone, his first was on the other end of the spectrum: charging out from the cover boundary to take a stunning, diving catch at backward point after Hazratullah Zazai tried to flay Ben Stokes to the fence. Stokes went on to take one more wicket, benefitting again from similar brilliance in the outfield, this time from Adil Rashid.Mark Wood also claimed two with a four-over spell with an average pace of 149kph, while Chris Woakes (1 for 24) relied on nous to leave Mohammad Nabi’s side well short of a par score.While achieving a target of 113 was always expected, the manner in which England struggled, particularly against Rashid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Nabi, spoke of a few kinks still to be ironed out. The spin trio conceded just one boundary between them and emerged with a wicket each. Ultimately, batting depth saw Buttler’s side through with Livingstone batting till the end to finish unbeaten on 29 off 21 – the only English batter to score double figures at better than a run a ball – with Moeen Ali (8 off 10) for company.Wood cranks it up, again
Wood’s first ball nipped away at 146kph/91mph, taking Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s outside edge. The second – 154kph/96mph – welcomed Ibrahim Zadran to the crease. It’s safe to say Wood was not messing around. Much has been made about pace at this World Cup, and even more on his point of difference in this English attack. That brought its own pressure and Wood could not have lived up to the hype and expectation any better.Mark Wood congratulates Livingstone on a brilliant catch•ICC via Getty Images

The two wickets for 23 are what matters from a statistical point of view, but the other numbers, particularly on the speed gun, are jaw-dropping. He looks as fresh and consistent as he has ever been – a credit to the man himself and the medical team who have worked tirelessly to help him achieve a level the likes of which England have never seen.Fielding focus
One of the aspects of the Stokes conversation that punctuated discussions on selection matters heading into this first match was his fielding. Whatever role he would occupy with bat or ball, his fielding would play a huge role in Australia: his speed across those vast expanses of green, that cannon arm, and, of course, those hands. As it happens, he was excellent with the ball (2 for 19), negligible with the bat (2 off 4) and largely a spectator in the field. The last part was because those around him delivered the stunning grabs this time around. Livingstone and Adil Rashid pulled off exceptional running, diving catches – both carbon copies of Glenn Phillips’ earlier worldie against Australia. Buttler’s one-handed Superman catch of Nabi was the icing on the cake, and even a late drop from Alex Hales sprawling at point could be marked down as saving a boundary. England’s undoubted strength is their batting, but their fielding is a close second.Afghanistan botch upset
The collapse of 5 for 3 off the final 12 deliveries of their innings, the drops off Alex Hales on 4 and 17 (he was eventually dismissed for 19) and the way England did not need to take risks against their spinners, with Rashid producing a boundary-less four overs. You can see why Nabi said he wanted to defend at the toss, and why that has been Afghanistan’s modus operandi for the longest time. But you can also see why their fans might rue what might have been. An opportunity to catch England cold was spurned thanks largely to an underwhelming, borderline-naive approach with the bat. Given how the last hour of the game played out, an extra 20 runs would have gone a long way.

Prolific openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yash Dhull also included in squad led by Abhimanyu Easwaran; Priyank Panchal misses out

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2022Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav will play for India A in Bangladesh ahead of the national team’s two-match Test series next month. The tour party will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, the Bengal opener.Related

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• Rohan Kunnummal is Kerala's batting star in the making

Umesh and Pujara will feature in the second four-day game leading up to the first Test in Chottogram from December 14. KS Bharat, the back-up wicketkeeper to Rishabh Pant in the main Test squad, will also link-up with the India A squad ahead of the second four-day fixture from December 6-9 in Sylhet. The first four-day match will be played in Cox’s Bazaar from November 29 to December 2.Elsewhere, there was a maiden India A call-up for Kerala’s Rohan Kunnummal, who has had a superb initiation in first-class cricket. This year alone, the 24-year-old has hit four centuries in nine first-class innings.The young and prolific pair of Yash Dhull and Yashasvi Jaiswal have also made the cut, alongside Baroda’s seam-bowling allrounder Atit Sheth, who picked up 13 wickets in three Ranji Trophy matches this year. Sheth has been around the domestic scene since 2015, but has come into his own over the last few years.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Like Kunnummal, Dhull, too, has had an impressive red-ball initiation, having already hit four first-class centuries in six matches. Dhull, India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning captain from 2022, has already hit hundreds on debut in the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy.Jaiswal has been equally prolific, becoming the joint-fastest Indian to 1000 first-class runs in September, getting to the mark in only 13 innings, equally-fastest with Amol Muzumdar and Rusi Modi. Earlier this year, he hit twin hundreds in the Ranji semi-final and backed that up with another century in the final against Madhya Pradesh. Overall, Jaiswal has five centuries and a half-century in seven first-class games at an impressive average of 84.58.The inclusion of Jaiswal and Dhull, both of whom open, meant there was no place for Priyank Panchal, the Gujarat opener, who had led India A during their previous assignment at home against New Zealand A in August-September.Tilak Varma, who gave a good assessment of himself in the first red-ball game against New Zealand A with a century, retains his place in the middle order alongside Sarfaraz Khan, another prolific run-getter in domestic cricket.Mukesh Kumar, who was the joint leading wicket-taker in the three games, also keeps his place, alongside Saurabh Kumar, the left-arm spinner. Saurabh will lead the spin-bowling unit with Jayant Yadav and Rahul Chahar, while Umesh (second game only), Navdeep Saini, Sheth and Mukesh will form the pace battery.India A squad for first four-day game: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Rohan Kunnummal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yash Dhull, Sarfaraz Khan, Tilak Varma, Upendra Yadav (wk), Saurabh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Atit ShethIndia A squad for second four-day game: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Rohan Kunnummal, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yash Dhull, Sarfaraz Khan, Tilak Varma, Upendra Yadav (wk), Saurabh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Atit Sheth, Cheteshwar Pujara, Umesh Yadav, KS Bharat (wk)

Trio join former coach Gale in pulling out of delayed hearings, citing a lack of faith in process

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Feb-2023Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan, the former England fast bowlers, have hit out at the ECB’s disciplinary process after confirming that they will not be attending the hearings into historical racism at Yorkshire. Former Scotland international John Blain has also criticised the process and withdrawn his cooperation.Hoggard, a veteran of England’s 2005 Ashes victory, told the BBC that the inquest into allegations of institutional racism made by their former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq had “failed everybody”, while Bresnan told the Times that they had pulled out because they believed they had “no chance of a fair hearing”.The three former Yorkshire cricketers were among seven people due to appear before the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) in March, on charges levelled by the ECB in June in the wake of Rafiq’s emotional testimony before the DCMS select committee in Westminster in November 2021.However, Hoggard, Bresnan and Blain have now taken the same approach that their former captain and ex-club coach Andrew Gale took last year, informing the ECB that they have lost confidence in the process and that they will not attempt to defend themselves against the charges.”The process has failed everybody,” Hoggard said. “Every party involved has a problem with the way this process has been dealt with. Azeem has a problem with it, all the respondents have, [former Yorkshire chairman] Lord Patel has, Yorkshire have. There has got to be a better way.”After what the ECB described as a “thorough and complex investigation”, the players were charged in accordance with Directive 3.3, which says: “No participant may conduct themselves in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”Gale, the former club captain and latterly head coach – who is also Bresnan’s brother-in-law – responded two weeks later with a statement that denied all the allegations against him, adding that he had “moved on with his life”. He was also one of the members of staff who won an employment tribunal against Yorkshire last year, after their collective sacking in the wake of the allegations.In a subsequent statement, the ECB insisted that the laying of the charges in June last year had “not been a finding of guilt”, and claimed that the disciplinary process had been undermined by “significant misreporting” in the media.”Individuals are entitled to choose not to participate in the hearings if they wish, but the cases will still be heard in their absence and we are satisfied that the disciplinary process in this matter has been both rigorous and fair,” the statement read.”The ECB’s investigation and disciplinary process has been overseen by an independent committee and specialist leading King’s Counsel (KC).”As with any case before the Cricket Discipline Commission, defendants are entitled to a fair hearing by an independent and experienced CDC Panel where they can call witnesses, and they can also challenge the evidence in support of the charge, including through cross-examination of the ECB’s witnesses. It is entirely the decision of defendants if they choose not to take advantage of this opportunity.”At the end of the hearing it is for the independent CDC Panel, not the ECB, to determine guilt or otherwise and any sanction.”Hoggard’s witness statement, parts of which were revealed in The Cricketer last week, will be his only contribution to the commission. However, he told the BBC that he was pulling out because he didn’t think it was a “fair process”.”There are no winners in this,” he added. “It is not an admission of guilt. The people who know the truth, know the truth. That is all that matters to me. I, as a respondent, have not been spoken to by the ECB once.”Bresnan, who played in the 2010-11 Ashes win in Australia and was also part of the England team that won that year’s World T20, likened the experience to “being charged [by police] and tried without even being arrested”.”The thing that is hardest to swallow is that these allegations came out in such a way. It has been two-and-a-half years of nonstop articles, leaks, tweets, different stuff coming out without any right of reply,” he told the Times. “I had witnesses who wanted to provide statements in private, but we couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t appear in the public domain.”Blain said: “The decision to withdraw was quite an easy one in the end, given the process we have gone through. But it slightly hurts me, because I know my role in this and what I was at the club at the time.”For nearly 800 days I’ve kept my counsel on this. I haven’t been interviewed by the ECB and yet they’ve charged me without talking to me. It’s an allegation that was brought for an incident on an unstated date.”The leaks have been quite distasteful and reduced the whole thing to a bit of a circus. It didn’t have any class or traditional values about it. It had this feeling of being substandard.”Responding to the trio’s decision, Rafiq issued a statement in which he insisted his claims had been “vindicated time and again”.He added: “This has included: a legal investigation that confirmed I was a victim of racial harassment and bullying; a Yorkshire commissioned panel that concluded I suffered discrimination; numerous apologies, both public and private, from people who witnessed or were involved in this behaviour; and others have come forward to confirm the culture in the wider game.”It is regrettable that these defendants are not willing to go to a public hearing and face what happened.”At the time of writing, only Hoggard’s former England captain and fellow 2005 Ashes-winner, Michael Vaughan, and former bowling coach Richard Pyrah are due to participate with the process. Gary Ballance, who has left Yorkshire and returned to play for Zimbabwe, the country of his birth, accepted his CDC charge on five counts, including the use of racist language, but will not appear at the hearings.In November 2022, the CDC announced the hearing would be made public which in turn led to a delay in the process due to respondents appealing the decision. However, the ECB confirmed to the Press Association on January 13 that those appeals had been dismissed by an independent Appeal Panel convened by the CDC.The CDC panel comprises chair Tim O’Gorman, a lawyer and former professional cricketer, alongside Mark Milliken-Smith KC and Dr Seema Patel, a Senior Lecturer in Law who is an expert on discrimination in sport.

Australian seamer joins county after helping Perth Scorchers to BBL title

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2023Andrew Tye, the Australia seamer, has signed for Northamptonshire for the 2023 T20 Blast.Tye was the stand-out performer in Durham’s Blast campaign last season, claiming 21 wickets in 10 matches, to take his overall record in the competition to 67 wickets in 48, following a previous spell at Gloucestershire between 2016 and 2019.He joins Northants off the back of his fourth BBL title, having helped Perth Scorchers overcome Brisbane Heat in last week’s final. In the course of that match, he picked up his 300th T20 wicket in just his 211th match, surpassing the previous record set by Rashid Khan (213 games).”I’m very excited to be joining Northamptonshire for the Blast,” Tye said. “They’re a good team that’s had success in the competition in the past so I’ll be hoping that we can recreate that success this year.”Tye, 36, will be reunited with his Australia team-mate Chris Lynn at Wantage Road, and has also played alongside the club’s bowling coach, Chris Liddle, during their Gloucestershire days.”I’m looking forward to joining Lynny, it’s always better to have him on your team than to try playing against him,” Tye added. “I’m excited to work with John Sadler too, I’ve heard really good things about him plus Chris Liddle and I go back to his playing days at Glos so I’m excited to see him and work together again.”Sadler, the head coach, added: “To get AJ on board is really pleasing, he’s an amazing addition and gives our team a great balance.
“His experience and skill set is exactly what we needed and he knows what’s required to win games and win competitions too. He’ll be a super asset for us this season.”Northamptonshire, two-times winners of the T20 Blast in 2013 and 2016, have struggled in the competition in recent years, with a solitary quarter-final appearance in the past five editions. However, with England’s David Willey also returning to the club after his spell at Yorkshire, the captain Josh Cobb believes they will have a “world-class” core in 2023.”AJ’s got a fantastic record in T20 cricket and we were looking for someone to come in and bring real experience to the attack, someone that can bowl the tough overs in the latter part of the innings and be a banker for us at the death,” Cobb said.”Willo [David Willey] coming back is a great addition for us as an allrounder, then we’ve got Lynny [Chris Lynn] at the top of the order and AJ now with the ball. It gives us a real solid core of world class experience throughout the side.”We know we fell away last year but we played some excellent cricket in the tournament, so hopefully with these two coming in alongside Willo we can push and go one step further this summer.”