Head coach impressed with fightback, as Buttler-Salt partnership gives team new gear

Cameron Ponsonby20-Dec-2023Matthew Mott has said that England are “very close” to settling on their squad for the T20 World Cup next June.England are currently tied at 2-2 in their five-match series against West Indies, in a contest that has been enthralling throughout with over 100 sixes hit in four matches.The series has been invaluable preparation for England, with all of their group-stage fixtures for the World Cup next year expected to be in Antigua, Barbados and St Lucia.”We always said with this series we’ll go pretty close to the side we’re looking for, otherwise why would they be here?” Mott said, a day out from the series decider. “We don’t get many opportunities to play together before the World Cup. So this is a very strong team we’ve bought out here.”Of particular certainty is that the opening pair of Jos Buttler and Phil Salt is expected to continue, meaning Jonny Bairstow will have to find another route into the team, potentially at the expense of Will Jacks at No.3.”It’s looking pretty good, isn’t it?” Mott smiled when asked about the Buttler-Salt pairing that has put on back-to-back century partnerships in their last two innings. “We’ve got a lot of time between now and then. Obviously, Salty has put an undeniable case there and Jos is one of the greatest of all time. So how we get that top six or seven going will be an interesting thing.”There are currently 15 players out in the Caribbean, the same number that will be named for the World Cup squad, with Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer guaranteed to come back into the set-up, fitness pending.”I think that’s a given,” Mott said of whether the duo would would be in the mix for World Cup selection. “Ben, aside from his incredible match-winning ability in every department, gives us that ability to have a seam bowler in your top six that gives you so many options with your team balance…It makes selection a hell of a lot easier. So that’s a given.”In terms of Jofra, you’ve just got absolute box-office pace, change of pace, bowl any over in the innings. Bowl your Super Over, bowl your last over when they need to. Him on the park is massive, everyone would agree with that.”Related

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Mott confirmed that Bairstow is also within that group of players who will automatically return to selection discussion but was not asked about Mark Wood.Such a small squad leaves little chance for too many changes. Unless injuries strike, it seems likely that Ben Duckett and John Turner will be the first two names to drop out of the squad, with Gus Atkinson and Tymal Mills then left to battle it out if Wood returns, whilst Bairstow would have to come in for one of Jacks or Moeen Ali.That such big names are at risk of missing out is testament to the strength in depth of a group that, despite a torrid couple of months, have produced two superb performances to come back from 2-0 down and force a decider in Trinidad on Thursday.In game three in Grenada, England chased 223 thanks to a remarkable unbeaten century from Salt. Then, in Tarouba, they made their highest T20I total, 267 for 3, thanks to Salt’s second century, this time from 48 balls.”I enjoyed them both,” Mott said, when asked if he preferred one of England’s style of victories over the other. “Losing the toss over here, getting sent in, all the stats showed us [Tarouba] was a low-scoring ground. What we talked about after the last game was we had to play with that intensity, whether we’re batting first or chasing. That was the most pleasing thing from yesterday, is that it would have been easy to get a 180 score, 20 or 30 above par, but as soon as we got off to that really positive start, we just kept the foot down as if we were chasing a massive score.”Mott also spoke highly of the impact that Andrew Flintoff has had on the group, with a team meeting following England’s defeat to go 2-0 down sparking a change in approach.”There was a realisation that the game that West Indies were bringing to us was certainly a power game and talked about matching fire with fire.”A few people spoke. Jos spoke, Freddie spoke and I spoke about that. I’ve really enjoyed Freddie’s perspective, coming in as a guy who’s experienced the highs and lows of the game, to come in and he’s added a lot of fresh energy. It’s a great perspective, obviously what he’s been through in the last year or so. Sometimes it’s just a couple of words here and there, but essentially it came from within the playing group.”

Uncapped offspinner could have been in contention, but Pakistan heritage causes immigration delay

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Jan-2024Ben Stokes says he is “frustrated” by the ongoing delay with Shoaib Bashir’s visa application for England’s tour of India, which has forced the Somerset offspinner to return to the UK, subsequently ruling him out of the first Test.England arrived in India on Sunday without Bashir, who remained in Abu Dhabi where the squad had been training ahead of the series, along with Stuart Hooper, the ECB’s director of cricket operations. It was initially hoped he would join his teammates in Hyderabad on Tuesday. But after further delays, the 20-year-old has returned home in the hope of facilitating the process.Bashir was born in Surrey and has a British passport. But as someone of Pakistani heritage, he is experiencing all-too familiar issues entering India because of the deep-rooted unrest between the neighbouring countries.In the last year alone, Usman Khawaja, who was born in Islamabad, also arrived late for Australia’s tour at the start of 2023 due to a similar visa delay. Pakistan’s visas for the recent ODI World Cup were only issued a day before they were scheduled to fly out, forcing them to cancel a pre-season training camp in Dubai.The application for Bashir, along with the rest of the players and support staff, was submitted soon after the squad was named on December 11. Rehan Ahmed, the other England player on this tour with a similar background, already possessed the necessary paperwork having been on standby for the World Cup.There is optimism that Bashir will be in situ by the weekend. But Stokes remains irked at the ordeal he has been put through, at the start of his maiden England tour.”Especially as captain I find it particularly frustrating,” Stokes said.”We announced that squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. I am more frustrated for him. I didn’t want this type of situation to be his first experience of what it’s like to be in the England Test team. I feel for him.Related

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“But he’s not the first cricketer to go through this, I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues. I find it frustrating that we have picked a player and he’s not with us because of visa issues. Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him. It’s a frustrating situation to be in, but a lot of people have been trying to get it through. It’s unfortunate and I’m very frustrated for him.”Bashir earned selection through an impressive showing on an England Lions training camp in November. It was there he showcased his wares as a six-foot-four offspinner who could impart a healthy amount of revolutions on the ball, forcing selectors to look beyond the raw numbers of just 10 wickets at an average of 67 from six first-class matches.He was said to have taken the step-up to the Test squad well, bowling impressively throughout the 10-day training camp in the UAE. With a spinning pitch in the offing for the series opener, he would have been under consideration for a debut this week. A lack of visa now makes that prospect redundant, even if he was able to arrive on Wednesday, the day before the start of the Test.”Him not being able to be here rules him out,” Stokes confirmed on Tuesday. “We didn’t come here with preconceived ideas about what we will do with the first team. In India you do like to have a good look at the pitch to see how it might play. With Bash unfortunately not able to be here, it rules him out of this game.”

Exclusive: Pulling out of other commitments at short notice is understood to be the main reason for his withdrawal

Alex Malcolm and Danyal Rasool16-Mar-2024Shane Watson has pulled out of the race to become Pakistan’s head coach after being the PCB’s preferred candidate.Watson, the former Australian allrounder who coached Quetta Gladiators this season in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), was in advanced discussions over the last week regarding him taking over as Pakistan’s limited-overs coach. It is understood he had seriously considered the offer after thoroughly enjoying his time in Pakistan during the PSL and was excited by the prospect of working with Pakistan’s players.Related

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But ESPNcricinfo understands that Watson has decided to honour his current coaching and commentary commitments for the time being. Watson currently has a commentary deal at the IPL and a head coaching role in Major League Cricket with San Francisco Unicorns, on top of his role with Quetta Gladiators. He also has a young family and is based in Sydney.A full-time position with Pakistan would have seen him assume charge with immediate effect ahead of Pakistan’s next limited-overs series against New Zealand at home in April and commit to Pakistan’s limited-overs programme year-round.Watson’s decision to pull out of the race means Pakistan remain without a head coach ahead of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Pakistan are also due to play T20Is against England in May ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.While news reports in Pakistan suggested the PCB’s offer to Watson ranged around US$2 million a year, ESPNcricinfo understands the actual figure was closer to half that number. It is understood the PCB’s financial offer played no part in Watson’s decision to withdraw.The speed at which developments occurred concerning the PCB’s interest in Watson as head coach meant that accepting the offer would have necessitated pulling out of his other roles at short notice, which is understood to be the main reason for withdrawing.Watson was appointed head coach of Quetta Gladiators late last year. He won a title with Gladiators as a player in 2019.He has rung the changes at the top in his first season as coach, most notably playing a leading role in replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed – who had served as captain of the franchise for eight years – with South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw.Gladiators started extremely strongly and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. However, they lost momentum towards the tail-end of the tournament and were eliminated by Islamabad United on Friday.

Lucknow Super Giants beat the Chennai Super Kings for the second time in the space of five days

Hemant Brar23-Apr-20242:43

Why No. 3 is the best position for Stoinis at LSG

“Fortress Chepauk,” proclaimed a huge banner in CSK colours in the stands. By the end of the contest, though, Lucknow Super Giants had breached it to hand Chennai Super Kings their first defeat at home this season. It was their second loss against LSG in five days.The star of the night was Marcus Stoinis, whose unbeaten 124 off 63 balls helped LSG pull off the highest successful chase at Chepauk in T20 cricket. He was batting at No. 3 for the first time this season and achieved the target of 211 with three balls and six wickets to spare.Stoinis’ century came off 56 balls, just like Ruturaj Gaikwad’s did earlier in the night after the CSK captain lost his seventh toss in eight games. Gaikwad’s unbeaten 108 off 60 balls and Shivam Dube’s 66 off 27 powered the Super Kings to 210 for 4.CSK had looked in control for the majority of the defence. LSG needed 74 from the last five overs but Stoinis, with help from Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda, silenced the Chennai crowd. The result took LSG to fourth place with ten points from eight games; CSK are fifth with eight points after eight games.

Gaikwad powers CSK

After LSG opted to bowl, Matt Henry struck in the first over. He bowled four balls on a good length, one slightly short of it, and then pitched the last one full. Ajinkya Rahane edged the drive, and with first slip wider than usual, KL Rahul dived full length to his right and completed a stunning, one-handed catch.Rahul’s athleticism, though, was followed by some shoddy fielding from LSG. In the second over, Yash Thakur dropped Daryl Mitchell off Mohsin Khan at short third. A little later, at the same position, Henry could not get his hand to a tougher chance from Gaikwad off Ravi Bishnoi.Mitchell could not take advantage of the reprieve and fell for 11 off 10 but Gaikwad did not miss out. He was on 20 when he was dropped and hit two fours off Henry in the next over. CSK ended the powerplay on 49 for 2, with Gaikwad scoring 37 off 19 balls. While the other CSK batters struggled for timing, he looked sublime and brought up his fifty off 28 balls, with seven fours.

Gaikwad, Dube take CSK past 200

Ravindra Jadeja, sent in at No. 4, got out in the 12th over for 16 off 19 balls. By that time, Gaikwad had scored 71 off 39; the other CSK batters 29 off 32.Gaikwad found an ideal partner in Dube, who also hit the first six of the innings in the 13th over. After that, there was no respite for the LSG bowlers. Given Dube’s reputation of being a spin-hitter, Rahul did not risk bringing on either Bishnoi or Krunal Pandya – both turn the ball in to Dube – for the rest of the innings.Dube showed he had improved his game against pace as well. He hit Yash for three successive sixes in the 16th over and Mohsin for two sixes and a four in the 19th.Gaikwad, too, was severe on Yash, hitting him for 6, 4, 4 off successive balls – a sequence during which he also brought up his hundred.Marcus Stoinis is mobbed by his team-mates after his match-winning century•Getty Images

LSG’s stuttering start

Deepak Chahar got the new ball to swing in both directions and had Quinton de Kock chopping one onto his stumps in the opening over. Rahul and Stoinis kept LSG on track with a flurry of boundaries before CSK struck again.Having hit a boundary earlier in the over, Rahul tried to go aerial against Mustafizur Rahman but failed to clear Gaikwad at extra cover. LSG finished the powerplay on 45 for 2.

Stoinis keeps LSG in contest

Devdutt Padikkal came in as Impact Player but struggled with timing. Meanwhile, Stoinis singlehandedly kept LSG in the contest by hitting boundaries at regular intervals. He brought up his fifty off 26 balls, with six fours and two sixes.Still, it was an uphill task. LSG needed 128 from the last ten overs, of which Matheesha Pathirana was to bowl four and Mustafizur three. Pathirana ended Padikkal’s struggle on 13 off 19 balls with a 151.4kph length ball that uprooted leg stump.

The dew effect

Dew in the second half of the game was the only reason LSG had opted to chase. They have otherwise preferred to set the target this season. The first obvious sign of dew having an impact came in the 13th over, when Tushar Deshpande bowled a beamer. Stoinis hit it for four. And when Mustafizur dug a cutter into the pitch, the ball came onto the bat nicely, and Stoinis launched it to the straight boundary off the back foot.When Shardul Thakur got the 16th over, Stoinis and Pooran knew they had to cash in, with the remaining four shared by Mustafizur and Pathirana. Pooran hit the first three balls for 6, 4, 6 and LSG eventually took 20 runs off Shardul.

Stoinis silences Chepauk

Pooran holed out to long-off against Pathirana when LSG needed 53 from 22 balls. Once again, it was all up to Stoinis. He hit Pathirana for a four before pulling Mustafizur for a six in the 18th over. Two balls later, he brought up his hundred.With 32 required from two overs, Stoinis and Hooda picked up three boundaries in the first four balls from Pathirana. It left them needing 17 from six balls.Stoinis launched the first delivery from Mustafizur over long-on before drilling the next straight back for four. Luck, too, favoured him as the next one raced past short third for another boundary. It turned out, Mustafizur had overstepped as well, which reduced the equation to two needed from four balls. Stoinis then moved across and pulled a short-of-length ball over backward square leg to complete the job.At the toss, Rahul had said that it was not easy to silence Chepauk. By the end of the day, LSG had done that too.

MI’s batting coach Kieron Pollard believes fans will ‘sing Hardik’s praises’ soon after another disappointing loss

S Sudarshanan15-Apr-20241:40

Pollard to Hardik’s critics: ‘Stop nitpicking’

Hardik Pandya looked forlorn. He had walked out to bat with Mumbai Indians’ asking rate just under 13, and by the time he was dismissed – for 2 off 6 balls – it had shot up close to 17. He paused on his walk back and joined the MI group that included the head coach Mark Boucher and batting coach Kieron Pollard as the timeout was taken.A couple of hours earlier, Hardik took the responsibility of bowling the last over for Mumbai and gave away 26 as MS Dhoni smacked three successive sixes to help Chennai Super Kings to an unlikely 206. That total proved to be enough for Super Kings to script a 20-run win despite an unbeaten 105 from Rohit Sharma.Pollard threw his weight behind MI’s under-fire captain Hardik and said everyone “will be singing his praises when time comes”.Related

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“I don’t know if it will affect his confidence. He is a confident guy, he has been great around the group,” Pollard said after Mumbai’s fourth loss in six outings in IPL 2024. “In cricket, you have good days and bad days and I am seeing an individual who is working bloody hard to improve his skills and plying his trade.”I am sick and fed up of [us] looking to pinpoint individuals; cricket is a team game at the end of the day. This is an individual that is going to represent the country in less than six weeks’ time, and all are going to cheer him and want him to do well. So high time we try to encourage and stop nitpicking and see if we can get the best out of one of the great allrounders India has produced. He can bat, bowl and field, and has a X-factor about him.”I hope very well deep down within my heart that when he comes out on top, I’ll sit back and watch everyone sing his praises.”After the pre-season IPL trade, Hardik has been the subjected to jeers from the fans in Ahmedabad (where his former team Gujarat Titans is based) and Hyderabad in their first two games, and a similar treatment has continued in Mumbai’s home games, too. But his form this season has been a concern.1:35

Gavaskar on Hardik: ‘Ordinary bowling, ordinary captaincy’

Returning from an ankle injury suffered during the ODI World Cup last year, he has scored 131 runs at a strike rate of 145.55 and picked up three wickets but at a high economy of 12. In his first stint with Mumbai – from 2015 to 2021 – Hardik averaged 27.33 with the bat but struck at 153.91. In his two years with Titans, whom he captained, his average shot up to 37.86 – he played in the middle order and anchored their innings – while the strike rate came down to 133.49.On Sunday, he pulled a short ball from Tushar Deshpande straight to Ravindra Jadeja at deep midwicket on the longer part of the ground.”As an individual you have to evolve,” Pollard said of Hardik’s batting methods. “When you are young, you have the youthful exuberance. You go out and do things in a certain manner. The older you get, accountability and responsibility kick in.”What I am seeing is the guy is evolving. We, as individuals, want to see certain things but sometimes the game does not demand certain things and [players] are going to make mistakes as you go along, as we all have done. The individual has put in the work and hard work pays off. So, all of us will be singing his praises when time comes.”Speaking on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut, former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody felt Hardik has the right support staff at Mumbai.”As good a player Hardik Pandya is, he has got to earn the respect of the dressing room and his fans,” Moody said. “He’s finding that difficult because no one’s letting him in at the moment. What would have made it easier is if they would have won their first three games in a row, and it would have been business as usual. We wouldn’t be this far down the road with regards to talking about it.”It is a challenge. He has got a lot of good people around him though. You look in that dugout there’s a lot of experience around him – a lot of international experience, a lot of IPL experience and on the field. That’s what he needs to draw from. He needs to take onboard support from that experience and try to get this ship turned in the right direction.”

New Zealand name experienced 15-man squad with only Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra set to play in their first T20 World Cup

Alex Malcolm29-Apr-2024Devon Conway has been named in New Zealand’s provisional 15-man 2024 T20 World Cup squad with Kane Williamson named as captain of an experienced squad, but fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out after requiring surgery on his injured ankle.The squad also features veterans Tim Southee and Trent Boult, with Southee named to play in his seventh T20 World Cup. Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry are the only members of the squad who have not appeared in a T20 World Cup previously.Ben Sears has been named as the 16th travelling reserve.Conway had been recently ruled out of the IPL, as he was yet to recover from the thumb injury he had suffered in February. Despite being ruled out of the IPL, Conway has still travelled to India to train with Chennai Super Kings. He has returned to batting and has done some wicketkeeping sessions. He is set to be New Zealand’s first-choice keeper and opener at the World Cup.Williamson, meanwhile, returns to lead the side after missing New Zealand’s last two T20I series – the home series against Australia in February because of the birth of his third child and the Pakistan tour because of IPL duties.Milne was ruled out after requiring surgery on the injured ankle that saw him miss the tour of Pakistan. New Zealand coach Gary Stead said Milne’s injury, as devastating as it was, had made the selectors’ task easier in terms of picking the final 15.”I think the injury to Adam Milne was really tough on him but it probably made it easier for us in some ways in terms of getting the squad that we wanted,” Stead said.”We knew pretty quickly that it was surgery that he required on his ankle. Thankfully he’s had that now but he’s going to be out for I think it’s 10 to 12 weeks.”New Zealand squad for 2024 T20 World Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kyle Jamieson is also unavailable as he continues his long recovery from another stress fracture in his lower back.Finn Allen has recovered from the back injury that kept him out of the tour of Pakistan. Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham and Ish Sodhi are the only players who went on that tour who have made New Zealand’s squad.Stead said it was difficult to tell some of the players who had performed well in the 2-2 drawn series in Pakistan that they had missed out on the World Cup but stressed that it bodes well for New Zealand’s future.”I think when you go to World Cups you want experience and you want people that know what it’s like,” Stead said. “That certainly doesn’t exclude those that have really put their hand up. I think that what’s been really exciting about the tour to Pakistan. We’ve seen some performances from some younger players, that’s really exciting for our future. And the message I had to them was, look, you haven’t been selected in the side, but in two years there’ll be another World Cup and that should be certainly a big enough carrot for you guys to put pressure on these guys that are here now.”Stead confirmed that the selectors had discussed the possibility of recalling veteran batters Colin Munro and Martin Guptill despite both being full-time franchise players. But the selectors opted to stick with a group that has been together regularly in recent times.”Those guys were discussed because of the experience they have,” Stead said. “But when you look at the group of batters that we’ve selected, there was no room for them.”New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Sears (travelling reserve)

Fast bowler’s vital over to Pooran derailed West Indies’ acceleration to set up eight-wicket win

Andrew Miller20-Jun-2024It was the decisive intervention in what turned out to be a remarkably comprehensive eight-wicket victory over the hosts, West Indies, in St Lucia.Liam Livingstone’s previous over had just been dispatched for 20 runs by West Indies’ captain Rovman Powell, and though his dismissal to the final ball of the same over redressed the balance a touch, West Indies’ intentions had been made abundantly clear going into their final five overs at an ominous 137 for 2.Enter Jofra Archer, for an over that the man himself has described as “one of those times when you just nail it” – an exquisitely targeted over of wide yorkers, outswinging at a pace that climbed steadily through the gears to a peak of 150kph/93mph.Nicholas Pooran, fresh from a matchwinning knock of 98 from 53 balls against Afghanistan, slashed the third of those deliveries past Mark Wood at gully to become the first batter in the tournament to reach 200 runs, but that was as far as he would get. The sixth ball of the same over was dragged back half a yard, and Jos Buttler snaffled the thinnest of edges to accelerate a crucial collapse of 3 for 6 in 12 deliveries.West Indies were unable to regain their hold on the contest despite a bright finish from Sherfane Rutherford, and even after Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow had powered England to victory with 15 balls to spare in an unbroken stand of 97 in 44 balls, it was clear where the credit truly belonged.”I was just glad I executed,” Archer said after the match. “It was everything that we talked about in the bowling meetings – that’s one of the times you just nail it, execution was almost perfect. If Woody had dived, he might have caught that one as well. I’m really glad that over was probably the turning point.”Archer’s impact was heartening for England on several levels. It showed that his tactical nous has not been diminished by his long absences from international cricket, while his raw pace was further proof of the success of his recovery from those long-standing elbow and back injuries.”You don’t really get the chance to run in and bowl fast [in T20 cricket],” he said, acknowledging that a lively St Lucia pitch had encouraged him to crank up his speed in a manner that might not have worked previously in the tournament.”Usually everyone sits back and tries to use the pace, so I feel from the Pakistan series [onwards] I’ve been trying to mix the pace, not be too predictable. Obviously at the back end you bowl a bit more pace-on, but in the powerplay you mix it up, so you don’t get lined up.”Pooran had been threatening a decisive innings, having made 98 against Afghanistan•AFP/Getty Images

Archer finished with figures of 1 for 34 in four overs, but said he had taken just as much pleasure from getting stuck into every aspect of the contest, not simply his own contribution with the ball.”Coming back into the team, you just feel you want to give back,” he said. “I didn’t think about it too badly. The first two overs, that’s when you run around trying to make something happen. Giving back to the team makes it easier for everyone else … so bat, ball, fielding, I’m just trying to help. That’s just the person I am.”I wouldn’t say enjoy [bowling the pressure overs] but it’s my job … from the first time I debuted at Sussex, the times I bowl haven’t really changed. You just have to get on with it.”After more than a year on the sidelines, and only a handful of England appearances since 2021, the timing of Archer’s return has been serendipitous. This latest match happened to be the first time he had faced West Indies in a T20I, but he insisted – having ‘had a little cry’ while playing in front of his friends and family in his native Barbados – there had been no mixed emotions at taking on his former countrymen.”This is my first time playing in St Lucia, last week was my first time in Antigua,” he said. “I haven’t really played in the Caribbean apart from St Kitts, so just like the other day, I was just finding my feet and getting used to conditions.”The significance of overcoming the hosts in front of a passionate St Lucia crowd, and ending their run of eight consecutive wins, was not lost on Archer. However, given the doom and gloom that had surrounded England’s campaign after their rain-affected group-stage campaign, he insisted the squad was not about to get carried away by their revived fortunes.”Yeah, it’s probably going to be one of the toughest games we play in this tournament,” he said. “A great opposition in their backyard as well with the crowd … so to come out on top when, I wouldn’t say it didn’t look possible, but it was always going to be a tricky chase, so really glad we were able to chase such a high total so early in the tournament. If we do get in trouble [in future games] we know we can do it.”Everyone loves to win and to win a close game, so confidence will be high .. but it’s only the first game, we have another four to go, so this is lovely but it’s also business as usual.Related

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• WI coach Sammy: 'This loss will not dampen our spirits'

“We had a good night with bat and ball but it’s only one, the first game of the Super Eight. In the last group stage we were struggling a bit – obviously it was weather dependent. We just take every game in our stride.”England have barely 36 hours to digest the West Indies win before their next match against South Africa – the team that delivered them a crushing 229-run defeat in Mumbai in October, arguably the nadir of their terrible 50-over World Cup defence.Archer, however, put that on-field disappointment into context as he recalled the reasons why he didn’t have any abiding memories of the match.”Honestly, I didn’t get to watch it as I was heading back to the UK,” he said. “I know it wasn’t a great tournament for the boys but we have put it past us. It happens and we just look forward.”It’s the same challenge as any other team … every team has a 1-6 that is packed with batters, so it doesn’t really change. We just need to come up with a plan that works.”

Charith Asalanka had been appointed their T20I captain just before the ongoing series against India

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Jul-2024Sri Lanka’s selectors have appointed Charith Asalanka as the new ODI captain, replacing Kusal Mendis. Asalanka had been named T20I captain as well, ahead of the ongoing series against India after Wanindu Hasaranga had resigned from the role following Sri Lanka’s early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup.The same set of selectors had appointed Mendis as the ODI captain in December 2023, though he had also led Sri Lanka in several matches in last year’s World Cup in an acting capacity. Though Mendis has been in good touch with the bat, and Sri Lanka won six of the eight completed ODIs under his leadership, the selectors opted to go in a different direction. Under Mendis’ captaincy Sri Lanka had won five consecutive home matches against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, but lost 2-1 away to Bangladesh.Asalanka’s elevation to the T20I captaincy was expected following Hasaranga’s resignation, but a change in the ODI leadership was somewhat unexpected, largely because Mendis has not been in the position long. Nevertheless, Asalanka has been one of Sri Lanka’s more consistent ODI batters, averaging 43.59 with a strike rate of 90 across 52 innings.Test batter Nishan Madushka, 24, has also been included in Sri Lanka’s squad for the three ODIs against India on August 2, 4 and 7, while the likes of Akila Dananjaya and Chamika Karunaratne receive recalls.Seamers Dilshan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando, who were only added to the T20I squad after Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara were ruled out, will stay on for the ODI series. Left-arm spinning allrounder Dunith Wellalage has also found a place.The remainder of this squad is largely as expected. Illness continues to keep Chameera out, while a fractured thumb makes Thushara’s participation impossible. In addition to Madushanka and Asitha, Matheesha Pathirana is the only other specialist seamer. This is understandable given Khettarama stadium in Colombo, where the three matches will be played, tends to be spin-friendly. There is no room for Lahiru Kumara or Pramod Madushan, who had played in Sri Lanka’s most-recent ODI series, against Bangladesh.On the spin-bowling front, Sri Lanka have plenty of options, between Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dananjaya and Wellalage. Kamindu Mendis and Asalanka himself can send down some part-time spin as well.The top order seems fairly set. Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, and Mendis are likely to form the top three. Kusal Perera has not been included, despite some good T20 performances recently. Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, and Kamindu are in the mix to be in the middle order. Captain Asalanka will likely bat at No. 5.

Sri Lanka squad for ODIs vs India

Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Nishan Madushka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Akila Dananjaya, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando

Rockets recover from back-to-back defeats with clinical 22-run win over London Spirit

ECB Media07-Aug-2024Alex Hales wound back the clock to fire Trent Rockets back into the top three of the Hundred men’s competition with a 22-run win over London Spirit at Trent Bridge.The 35-year-old T20 World Cup winner cleared the ropes five times in a typically powerful innings of 68 from 42 balls, before Rashid Khan claimed three wickets in his first six balls to effectively ice the game, save for a couple of massive blows from Andre Russell.”The most important was pitching the ball in the areas I wanted to,” Rashid said, adding of his battle with Russell: “That’s what makes this competition beautiful: playing against the best in the world. I always enjoy such competition with the good batters and that’s true about Russell.”Rockets, who had lost their previous two games after botching run chases, posted 166 for 4 with Tom Banton and Joe Root providing hard-hitting support of their own for Hales.Hales had not passed 38 in his previous 11 innings in the competition but found his groove as the Rockets added 93 from the second 50 balls of their innings – the only moment of concern coming when Hales was temporarily felled by a Nathan Ellis beamer.Alex Hales on his way to fifty•ECB via Getty Images

Banton thrashed 36 from 25 balls to set a platform while Root’s enduring know-how ensured a strong finish to the innings with 32 from 23 balls.Afghanistan legspinner Rashid then made an immediate impact with the ball on his way to figures of 4 for 24.Spirit skipper Dan Lawrence’s attempt to attack Rashid early backfired, picking out Rovman Powell on the rope from his second ball, before Shimron Hetmyer was judged lbw on review from the next.Keaton Jennings hit 31 from 18 only to direct his normally reliable reverse sweep into the gloves of Banton as Rashid again showcased the match-defining qualities that has made him a star in white-ball competitions across the world.Russell responded by dispatching Rashid out of Trent Bridge with a mighty six that got the 10,564 fans off their feet. The Jamaican allrounder crunched another massive blow into the stands while John Turner had to be removed from the attack as a second beamer hit Russell.But just as the hosts had started to feel the pressure, Luke Wood expertly produced a slower ball that kept low and found Russell’s off stump.Matt Critchley offered some late hitting, with 37 from 30 balls, but Sam Cook closed him out and there was too much left to do as defeat left Spirit with just one win from their five games and their hopes of reaching the knockout stage all but over.

Veteran sports organiser Ahmed Sajjadul Alam alleges “government interference” for removal as BCB director

Mohammad Isam21-Aug-2024 • Updated on 23-Aug-20240:41

Faruque Ahmed wants ‘to improve the image of Bangladesh’

Faruque Ahmed has been elected the BCB president after a board meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday following Nazmul Hassan’s resignation. Faruque is the first BCB president to have played any competitive cricket. He played seven ODIs between 1988 and 1999 and led Bangladesh in the ICC Trophy in 1994.Faruque joined the BCB directors’ meeting after the National Sports Council (NSC) nominated him and Nazmul Abedeen Fahim as their directors in the board.The NSC had replaced their incumbent directors Jalal Yunus and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam with Fahim and Faruque; Yunus resigned on Monday but Alam didn’t resign, asking the NSC to take their due course of action.The BCB meeting, held at the NSC office, was attended by directors Mahbubul Anam, Khaled Mahmud, Akram Khan, Salauddin Ahmed, Kazi Inam Ahmed, Iftekhar Ahmed and Fahim Sinha. The other 16 directors, including Hassan, have been missing from Dhaka since the Awami Leauge government fell on August 5.Related

• New BCB chief wants to 'find someone better than' Hathurusinghe as Bangladesh coach

• ICC moves women's T20 World Cup out of Bangladesh to the UAE

• Jalal Yunus steps down as BCB director

During the meeting, Fahim was inducted as the second NSC-nominated director. After that, one of the BCB’s signatories was changed from Ismail Haider Mallick to Fahim Sinha. Mallick was considered Hassan’s closest ally in the board, and the most powerful director. He was the finance committee chair, marketing committee vice-chair, and secretary of the BPL governing council. Mallick is one of 16 board directors missing from Dhaka.The directors were also informed about the change of venue for the Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE, but the BCB remains the hosts of the tournament.BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury informed the attendees that Hassan had officially resigned from his position as president. Shortly afterwards, the present directors unanimously elected Faruque as the new chief.After his playing days, Faruque served two terms as chief selector. He was in charge from 2003 to 2007. He was credited for ushering in a new era in Bangladesh cricket, giving breaks to Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, among other young players. He returned as chief selector in 2013 but resigned in 2016 when Hassan decided to expand the selection panel to include coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud in the selection panel.Hassan, who has also been the country’s sports minister since this January, was one of the several board officials who had direct political connections with the Awami League. Hassan has been a member of parliament since 2009.Among the 16 board directors missing, Shafiul Alam was a serving Awami League MP, Naimur Rahman was a former MP, and AJM Nasir Uddin was Chattogram’s mayor. Two of the board directors, Najib Ahmed and Sheikh Sohel, are cousins of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.Hassan took office as the BCB chief in 2012 after AHM Mustafa Kamal left the role to take the ICC vice-president’s post. A year later, he became the BCB’s first elected president after the board amended its constitution following a Supreme Court ruling, paving the way for the president to be elected by the board of directors. Previously, the government appointed the BCB president.

Sajjadul Alam alleges ‘government interference’ for removal as BCB director

Ahmed Sajjadul Alam has alleged “government interference” for his removal from the role of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director.Alam, a veteran sports organiser in Bangladesh, refused to resign after the National Sports Council (NSC), the body that oversees all sports federations, asked him and Jalal Yunus – BCB directors nominated by the NSC – to step down as directors on August 19. This was after the country’s new sports adviser Asif Mahmud called for reforms in the BCB and other sports federations. Yunus resigned immediately. Alam refused.”The National Sports Council’s decision [to remove me] is government interference,” Alam told ESPNcricinfo. “I am shocked with their decision. It is completely unacceptable. I have been made a councillor and subsequently a director for four years. I would have wanted to serve cricket for the rest of my term.”On Friday, the BCB issued a press statement saying that it has changed the nominated directors on the basis of “philosophy of jurisprudence”.”These nominations are made on the basis of philosophy of jurisprudence with the utmost careful application of prevailing rules,” the BCB said. “The government is committed to keep the activities of all federations/associations, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board, smooth, efficient, active and uninterrupted. The cooperation of all quarters is sought in the progress of advancing the country’s sports arena.”