Jaded Shakib asks for break from international cricket: 'I don't think I should be in the South Africa tour'

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“I was like a passenger in the Afghanistan series, which is never desirable. I didn’t enjoy the ODIs and T20Is”

Mohammad Isam06-Mar-2022Shakib Al Hasan has said that he needs a break from international cricket, indicating to the BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus that he could opt out of the ODI series against South Africa later this month, so that he can come back mentally and physically fresh for the Test series in the same tour.Shakib was named in both the squads last week after BCB president Nazmul Hassan claimed that the allrounder had agreed to go for the Tests too.However, on Sunday before leaving Dhaka for Dubai for a personal engagement, Shakib said that he felt like a “passenger” in the just-concluded Afghanistan series, where he made 74 runs and took seven wickets in the three ODIs and two T20Is.”Considering my mental and physical state, I don’t think I can play so much international cricket,” Shakib said. “If I get a break, if I get my interest back, I can play with more ease. I was like a passenger in the Afghanistan series, which is never desirable. I didn’t enjoy the ODIs and T20Is. I don’t think I should be in the South Africa tour with such a mentality. I want to meet everyone’s expectations when I am playing. There’s no guarantee of my best performance, but at least I will know that I tried hardest for the country. I don’t want to waste the time or someone’s spot. Playing in this way, as a passenger, it will be like betraying or cheating my team-mates and the country.”Shakib said that he did tell BCB chief Hassan that he will tour for both formats in South Africa, but he was having second thoughts during the Afghanistan series.”I have informed Jalal who told me to think about it for a couple of days. I am expecting a decision after that. I had earlier spoken with Papon that I will play both the series but I thought long and hard since the match yesterday. Looking at my mental and physical condition, I need a bit of time. I might skip the ODI series to play the Tests in a better physical condition.”Shakib said that he wants the BCB to chalk out a year-long plan for him by taking into account the advanced stage of his career. He said that he had asked the BCB for a break from all Tests till mid-November, not for just six months as Hassan had said last week.”I think at this stage of my career, I need a long-term plan. I think it is important that we have clarity about everything. My letter to the board didn’t mention six months. I told the board that I wanted to stay out of Tests till November 22 this year. I wanted to concentrate fully on white-ball cricket. We have two World Cups in the next two years.”I didn’t want to leave Tests totally, but because we are finding a bit of balance in the Test side, I felt that if I focus on white-ball, considering my age and physical fitness, I could have done better in ODIs and T20Is. I think it is better if I know the long-term plan about me. There’s no point thinking series-by-series.”Bangladesh are scheduled to leave for South Africa on March 12. They will play three ODIs on March 18, 20 and 23, as well as two Tests from March 31 to April 8.

Ben Slater, Lyndon James cash in as Durham deck fails to rebel

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Unbeaten centuries set up Notts but forcing victory could be hard slog

David Hopps22-Apr-2022Lyndon James is the Nottinghamshire batter who barely gains a mention. No longer. His maiden first-class century might have been compiled on a lifeless surface at the Riverside, but it was a worthy landmark nevertheless and the likelihood is that he will make many more in more exacting circumstances. Stylish and understated, he ground Durham into the dirt and once again underlined that he is an allrounder of considerable promise.James was not Notts’ only century-maker. Ben Slater, 164 not out at the close, returned his first Championship century for a year. He already has his highest Notts score and his career-best is eight runs away. Both progressed in untroubled fashion throughout a sunny second day that might have been termed soporific had it not been for the sharpening effects of a chill nor’easterly which kept spectators upright in their seats and then persuaded them to cut out early in the final session. Slater was heavily off-side dominant, carving and driving. James’ serenity means that many of his well-timed boundaries, the best off the back foot, just crept over the rope as if not to waste excess energy.The more celebrated trio of Haseeb Hameed, Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke all missed out. Matthew Potts was responsible for that, his energetic, attacking pre-lunch spell almost signifying Durham’s desperation to strike early. He has started the season well and it is to be hoped that a heavy schedule does not dull him. Hameed was lbw on the back foot, a vision of watchfulness but missing it nevertheless; Duckett’s half-century was inventive and a little impatient and when he dragged onto his stumps it was a disappointing end; Clarke, with a couple of overs to survive before lunch, pushed at a wide one.But Durham’s pre-lunch bowling resolve died as overs built up and the inevitability of batting dominance took hold. Slater and James have so far added 216 in 67 overs for the fourth wicket. Slater’s luckiest moment came on 99 when he cut the offspinner George Drissell into the pads of the wicketkeeper, Ned Eckersley, and ran for the ricochet. James also flirted with a play-and-miss at Potts on the same score, but otherwise he played with great precision in attack and defence. The second new ball did nothing.Drissell, a concussion substitute for Liam Trevaskis, could not exert the same pressure that his fellow spinner Liam Patterson-White applied on the first day, but he was unfortunate not to have Duckett caught at mid-off on 19 when Scott Borthwick, running backwards, failed to lock on to a steepler. Since his first senior wickets at the Cheltenham Festival four years ago, where academia encourages optimism, rewards have not come easily.Oh, Chester-le-Street, what has become of you? You used to be such a lark, always fun to be with, flouting authority as you swung and seamed to your heart’s content. The rebel of the north we used to call you, with a nod of recognition to the Angel of the North which dominates the skyline a few miles up the A1 in Gateshead. Now look at you: impeccably well behaved, smartly groomed, the sort of square you would introduce to the ECB without a second’s thought. No wild days now, just predictability and convention. If this is the future, not everybody will be sticking around for the ride.Some people apparently think that the Angel of the North was built in celebration of Alan Shearer’s goalscoring exploits for Newcastle United. There’s nowt as queer as folk. In actual fact, the architect, Anthony Gormley, came up with three explanations which was probably two too many, but was a good attempt to persuade the nay-sayers to recognise its brilliance. It variously represented coal miners of the north-east who worked in the dark for two hundred years, it was a bold grasp of the future, expressing our transition from the industrial to the information age, and lastly it was a focus for our hopes and fears.As far as the Riverside, the fallen rebel of the north, is concerned, “the focus for our hopes and fears” is the most apt because the four-day game in England is at an uncertain stage. Overly seek to satisfy ECB demands for hard and true surfaces, so theoretically producing batters with unbreakable concentration, 90mph quicks and mystery spinners, and what you often get, in April anyway (midsummer is a totally different story), are slow surfaces that become deader as the match wears on, an unbalanced contest proceeding along predictable lines and bored spectators. And on chilly days like this, it needs to be said, many people are bored. Cold weather, in particular, needs cut and thrust. For those who watch, the fun has gone.Luke Fletcher, Notts’ indefatigable seamer, put it more jovially on BBC radio: “I used to like Chester-le-Street. I’m not sure now.”Potts, as he must be, was defiant. He looks the likeliest to make things happen on such surfaces whereas Chris Rushworth, so often Durham’s saviour, could be feeling his age. “It was a long day in the dirt and toil for the boys,” Potts said. “If this is a sign of the way things are going to go, I think we might see a few more draws. We’ve just got to get better and adapt as a bowling unit, which is something we’re having a lot of discussions on to get wickets on these types of pitches.”Notts, with a lead of 141, can anticipate taking that to 300 soon after lunch on the third day, but even with their excellent pace attack, it would be unwise to delay their declaration any longer. This is not a one-off. Leicestershire batted out the final day at 183 for 2 last week, against what remains a highly serviceable Durham seam attack, just two pitches down on a square that was relaid 18 months ago. The moisture content on this surface apparently started out even lower than last week. But Notts shouldn’t be in Division Two anyway and are rightly favourites to win it so if any side can force a victory they can.

Prithvi Shaw unlikely to be available for Delhi Capitals' last two league games

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“I don’t know his diagnosis exactly but he has just had this underlying fever for the previous couple of weeks,” assistant coach Watson says

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2022The questions around Prithvi Shaw’s health continue with Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach Shane Watson saying that the opener is unlikely to be available for the team’s last two league games.Shaw has been down with a fever and has been admitted to a hospital. He last played on May 1, against Lucknow Super Giants, and has missed three games since then.”I don’t know his diagnosis exactly,” Watson told the Grade Cricketer on Thursday, “but he has just had this underlying fever for the previous couple of weeks, which they’ve had to really get to the bottom of it to find out exactly what it was. It’s not looking great for him to be available for the last couple of games, which is a big shame because he is an incredibly skilful young batter taking the best bowlers in the world down a lot of the time.”It’s a big loss for us to not have him. The last couple of weeks he has been under the weather. Hopefully, he gets back to full health soon, but unfortunately, it’s not going to be in time for the minimum of last two games that we’ve got.”In an in-game interview during yesterday’s match against Rajasthan Royals, head coach Ricky Ponting told host broadcaster Star Sports that “Prithvi has been ruled out now”, without specifying for how long.At the post-match presentation, captain Rishabh Pant was asked if Shaw’s IPL was over. He too didn’t have a concrete answer. “We miss him, but at the same time that is something we cannot control,” Pant said. “He got typhoid or something like that because the doctor told me that. Hopefully, he will be back [but] we don’t know yet. If he is back it’s going to be a good addition for us.”Capitals currently have 12 points from 12 games with a healthy net run rate, which gives them a genuine shot at the playoffs.

BCCI bans journalist Boria Majumdar for two years for 'intimidation' of Wriddhiman Saha

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No press accreditation, interviews with registered players or access to cricket facilities owned by BCCI or its member associations

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2022The BCCI has banned Boria Majumdar, the Kolkata-based journalist Wriddhiman Saha had pointed at for “threat and intimidation”, for two years. Majumdar will not get press accreditation for domestic or international matches in India, interviews with any “registered players”, and access to cricket facilities owned by the BCCI or the state/member associations.In a missive sent to its members, the BCCI said that a three-member committee comprising vice-president Rajeev Shukla, treasurer Arun Dhumal and councillor Prabhtej Singh Bhatia had spoken to both Saha and Majumdar and concluded that Majumdar’s actions “were indeed in the nature of threat and intimidation”. They recommended the sanctions to the BCCI’s Apex Council, which agreed and imposed the ban.In February, Saha, who had been dropped from India’s Test team for the home series against Sri Lanka, had taken to Twitter to publish a screenshot of messages that a journalist had sent him on WhatsApp. The screenshot showed the sender requesting Saha “to do an interview with me”, to which Saha did not respond. The messages eventually took a more aggressive tone: “You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don’t take insults kindly. And I will remember this. This wasn’t something ypu [sic] should have done.”Though Saha hadn’t named the journalist in question, Majumdar responded on March 5, saying he would serve a legal notice to Saha for defamation. Majumdar, in a video he put out on social media, said the screenshot Saha had put out was a doctored version of an exchange between the two.The BCCI, as it says in the message to the member associations, “had taken congnizance of this incident and deemed it necessary to investigate and probe the matter to avoid the recurrence of such instances with other players”, and formed the three-member committee. The committee subsequently “considered the submissions” of Saha and Majumdar before arriving at their decision.

Liam Livingstone crucial to England's white-ball plans despite ODI inexperience

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Allrounder’s place in first-choice XI for World Cup defence increasingly looks to be in place of Eoin Morgan

Matt Roller21-Jun-2022Liam Livingstone has become such an integral part of England’s white-ball plans that it seems surreal that Wednesday’s fixture against the Netherlands in Amstelveen will be only the sixth appearance of his ODI career. He had two cameos at No. 6 in Pune 15 months ago and filled in as an opener for the injured Jason Roy against Sri Lanka last summer but his 50-over opportunities have been few and far between, with the format on the back-burner since the 2019 World Cup.And yet, it is implausible that England will start the defence of their title in India next October without Livingstone in the side: he is the personification of their ultra-attacking batting style, as proved by his 17-ball half-century in the first ODI on Friday, and his success in Indian conditions earlier this year and ability to bowl legspin and offbreaks in the same over make him an indispensable player.The only question is how England will fit him into their first-choice XI, and the answer increasingly looks to be in place of Eoin Morgan, who has made consecutive ducks in this series and skipped Tuesday’s optional training session at the VRA as he continues to manage his workload amid concerns about his medium-term fitness.Morgan admitted before this series that the 2023 World Cup felt “a long way away” and looks increasingly likely to step down as captain after the T20 World Cup in Australia this year; with Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Livingstone in their top six, England would be overflowing with bowling options without sacrificing their batting depth.Livingstone described his success for Punjab Kings at the IPL this year as getting “the monkey off my back”, having previously struggled in his sporadic appearances for Rajasthan Royals. He was signed for Rs 11.5 crore (£1.125m approx) at February’s auction, the highest sum for an overseas player, and repaid the franchise with 437 runs from the middle order at a strike rate of 182.08, bettered only by Dinesh Karthik and his Lancashire team-mate Tim David.

“I don’t think it could have gone any worse [than previous years] to be honest,” Livingstone said on Tuesday after training. “There was only one way and that was up. I hadn’t really had too much opportunity before but there’s always people who say certain things. It’s the biggest tournament in the world, so it was nice to be able to do well.”It was nice to have a clear role. We go away and play in the IPL so that we can become accustomed to their conditions and that ultimately will help England in a World Cup next year. Any experience you get around the world with World Cups coming up is a great thing to have so I really enjoyed it. It was nice to finally get the monkey off my back about not being able to do it in the IPL.”His versatility with the ball also boosts his case for inclusion in India. “We spend time with Numbers [Nathan Leamon] the analyst and whatever the match-up is, we probably try and go with that,” he said. “I’m pretty comfortable with chopping and changing mid-over: I’m used to it because I have done so much of it in T20 cricket. If we think somebody has a bigger weakness with the ball turning in I will happily spin the ball into them.”Livingstone’s explosiveness in the middle order was in evidence in Friday’s first match, when he was primed for the fastest-ever ODI fifty before two air-shots on 48 saw him fall short of AB de Villiers’ benchmark. He pleaded ignorance to the possibility of taking that crown – and to the fact that consecutive sixes off the last two balls would have taken England to the first-ever score of 500 in a 50-over game – but he could not have hoped for much better than his 66 not out off 22 balls.Related

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Going hard from ball one “is something I’ve tried to work on for the last couple of years,” Livingstone said. “It’s something that’s probably got me into this team. It’s starting to become a little bit more familiar now: I did it throughout the whole of the IPL and have done it more and more in the England team.”A lot of it comes from practice. One of the biggest things we’ve got from this group is the trust that it’s not always going to come off: some days it’s not going to work out and that’s absolutely fine. We’ve got trust in everybody’s ability around us that if it’s not your day, somebody else will do it for you.”Livingstone had never played cricket on Dutch soil before this series and said that he had relished being “free from a bubble” after spending most of the last two years confined to his hotel room on tours. He said it was “brilliant” for England to play against the Netherlands and that Friday’s world-record ODI total would live long in the memory of the 5,000 or so travelling fans who witnessed it.”It’s brilliant any time we can go to the so-called smaller countries and grow the game,” he said. “I’m sure everyone in the ground will remember that day for a long while. That’s the entertainment part of it: we are in the entertainment business. We’re there to entertain and thankfully, we have a lot of talent that can do that. It’s always good fun when we’re involved in a game of cricket, wherever it is in the world.”

Alice Davidson-Richards seizes day that she always hoped would come again

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Debutant feels ‘bloody brilliant’ after starring alongside former school captain

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-2022″Bloody brilliant” is how it feels to score a century on your Test debut, in case you were wondering. Just ask Alice Davidson-Richards.One of four players in the England XI making her Test debut, Davidson-Richards, a 28-year-old allrounder, scored 107 and shared a 207-run stand for the sixth wicket with Nat Sciver, which was poignant for many reasons.Sciver, nearly two years her senior, captained Davidson-Richards in their school cricket team at Epsom College, where they also played hockey and netball together before they joined the England set-up and shared car journeys to training.”It means quite a lot having Nat there,” Davidson-Richards said as the pair faced the media after rescuing their side from 121 for 5 and securing a 44-run lead on the second day of the Test with South Africa in Taunton, Sciver still unbeaten on 119 at the close.”When we started driving up to Loughborough together however many years ago, to being out there playing a Test match together is really, really special.”But then their international careers diverged. Davidson-Richards played one ODI and five T20Is, all in 2018, and that was that until her recall for this match. Sciver, meanwhile, is playing her eighth Test and has 180 white-ball internationals to her name, including a pivotal role in England’s World Cup campaign earlier this year when they finished runners-up.Asked whether she thought her international career had been over, Davidson-Richards said: “I don’t think completely.””I’ve always had like a deep-rooted faith in how good I could be and it was just knowing how to get there,” she added. “And everything that’s happened before has allowed me to get to here so I’m absolutely fine with everything that’s happened before, to be the player that I am now and the person I am now.Related

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  • Centuries to Nat Sciver and Alice Davidson-Richards put England back in front

“It stopped being at the forefront of my mind and ended up being, if I can be the best player I can be for the South East Stars and doing it that way, then everything else on top of that is a plus.”Davidson-Richards has also stuck around long enough to be part of England’s newly professionalised domestic structure. She is one of South East Stars’ six contracted players and plays for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.She has also made a mental shift that has proven invaluable.”I’m a lot nicer to myself to be honest,” said Davidson-Richards, who took also took a wicket in South Africa’s innings. “I put a lot less on myself doing well all the time.”It’s a more well-rounded approach: ‘How can I help the team?’ Rather than, ‘have I done well, or not done well?’ And I think that’s something that really brings out the best in me and that enjoyment side as well is a big factor for me.””Some of it’s just getting old, not that 28 is old, but I’ve been told that I’m old a few times,” she laughed as Sciver rolled her eyes in jest. “So I think it’s a little bit of that. I’ve definitely talked to some of the coaches back at home and not necessarily a sports psych but I just talk to friends, people, who have helped me on through.”Davidson-Richards saw Sciver to her fifty while facing 45 balls for her first nine runs. But she ended up unleashing 17 fours on the way to her 107 which ended on what turned out to be the last ball of the day when she sent a Tumi Sekhukhune delivery to Lizelle Lee at backward point.Sciver, meanwhile, rated her maiden Test century as “definitely up there” with her five ODI hundreds, including two unbeaten centuries against Australia at the World Cup in April, one of those in the final as England finished runners-up.”For it to be in a Test match is really very special – a format we don’t get to play much of but one that I love so I’m really happy,” Sciver said.It also sweetened her involvement in Heather Knight’s run out for just 8 on the first ball after lunch. Knight’s dive was in vain after Sciver worked Nadine de Klerk towards square leg and called for a single but then the slightest of hesitations mid-run from both of them found Knight short of her ground as Sekhukhune fired the ball to wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.”I was feeling very guilty,” Sciver said. “It was a bit of hesitation from everyone. I did say, ‘yes’. But she has forgiven me, apparently,” she added with a smile. “If I didn’t get to a hundred, maybe she wouldn’t have forgiven me.”

Saif Zaib upstages Feroze Khushi as Northants sneak home

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Record Wantage Road crowd enjoy Zaib’s maiden List A hundred as Essex are beaten in tight chase

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2022Northamptonshire’s Saif Zaib treated a record Royal London Cup crowd at Wantage Road to a commanding 136, as Northamptonshire pulled off their highest ever run chase in one-day cricket to beat Essex in a thrilling 50-over clash.It was a maiden List A century for Zaib, who was forced to retire hurt on 129 after diving for a second run with Northamptonshire still needing 110. But he returned later to record his highest score in all forms of first team cricket before Tom Sales and Nathan Buck saw their side home by three wickets with two balls to spare.Zaib had combined with captain Will Young in a stand worth 212 in 27.1 overs to set Northamptonshire on their way. Zaib was in aggressive form throughout, hitting boundaries all around the wicket, finishing with 14 fours and four sixes.Related

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Essex’s total of 343 for nine was set up by a sparkling century from Feroze Khushi who shared a partnership worth 169 in 23.4 overs with his captain Tom Westley (67). It was his second List A hundred since making 109 against Durham on 50-over debut last summer. But hopes of capitalising on that start were dashed by Buck who took three wickets in the space of just seven balls to finish with career-best figures of 5 for 59.Essex had lost a wicket in the second over when Josh Rymell chopped on to Buck. Khushi though showed immediate intent, stroking consecutive boundaries off Buck and hooking him for six before greeting a loosener from Tom Taylor with disdain, smashing it square for four. He was equally adept against the slower bowlers Alex Russell and Zaib, firing the ball down the ground and playing a delicate cut to the ropes.He had some moments of luck, earning a reprieve on 43 when he was caught hooking a Taylor no-ball. Later, one delivery after hitting Zaib for a big six over deep midwicket, he was caught in the deep by Ricardo Vasconcelos who threw the ball back in just before he stepped over the ropes. Then on 86, he was dropped at long-on off Zaib but dispatched the next delivery over the bowler’s head for six to move into the nineties.Westley meanwhile kept up the rate at the other end, scoring at a run a ball, stroking the ball sweetly around the park, hitting eight boundaries before he fell to a brilliant diving catch by Will Young at short cover off Russell..Grant Roelofsen (16) played a few aggressive shots but departed when he picked out Vasconcelos on the deep square leg boundary to give Russell a second wicket.Khushi’s stay finally ended when he swung Taylor to Young at deep midwicket.In total He hit 12 boundaries and three maximums off just 93 balls.Robin Das got off the mark by hooking Tom Taylor for four to bring up Essex’s 200 in the 30th over and took consecutive boundaries against Zaib. But on the verge of a half century, he smacked Jack White straight to Young at short cover for a well-made 47.Buck’s spell though was telling. He bowled Will Buttleman and picked up Aaron Beard and Aron Nijjar, both to catches, in quick succession before celebrating his maiden List A five-wicket haul when Shane Snater was caught on the boundary.Feroze Khushi swings over the leg side•Getty Images

Northamptonshire lost two early wickets in the chase against a tight opening burst from Beard and Jamie Porter. Emilio Gay was caught off a leading edge, the first of two early wckets for Beard who also got one to nip back and bowl Vasconcelos (11).Young and Zaib began the process of rebuilding, the captain pulling Porter for four while Zaib steered Beard took two boundaries behind square in the same over.Northamptonshire ended the powerplay on 58 for 2, 13 behind Essex at the same stage, but soon started to make up lost ground. Young, dropped by keeper Buttleman on 27, stroked the seamers around the ground, but reserved his biggest shot for slow left-armer Nijjar when he swung an enormous six over deep midwicket and moved to his half-century off 51 balls.Zaib meanwhile swung Porter through midwicket.and smacked Nijjar ferociously through the covers for another boundary, moving to his half century off 47 balls. He greeted Jamal Richards by hooking him high over backward square leg for six followed by an off-side four to bring up Northamptonshire’s 150 in the 23rd over.He reached three figures off just 79 deliveries and showed no signs of slowing down, hitting a Beard delivery out of the ground over deep extra cover.Young finally fell lbw to Nijjar, one ball after hitting him for six and Northamptonshire quickly lost a second when new batter Rob Keogh was adjudged lbw to Snater.With Zaib still there and Northamptonshire well ahead of the run rate, there still seemed little cause for panic until Zaib went down after diving for a second run.Keeper Lewis McManus (28) though held his nerve, hitting Nijjar down the ground for six and combining in a 54-run stand with Taylor (27). When both fell, Zaib returned to the crease to a huge ovation and dispatched Snater down the ground for six.When he was out caught off Richards, Northamptonshire needed 26 off the last two overs. Snater gifted two no balls before James Sales struck consecutive boundaries and ran a three. Buck hit down the ground for six and played a deft cut down to third to leave Northamptonshire needing just three runs off the final over.

'I reaped the rewards of the guys who bowled before me' – Zampa after career-best figures

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Williamson laments his team’s “soft” cricket as they saw another strong position slip away

Andrew McGlashan08-Sep-2022Adam Zampa shifted all the praise onto Australia’s pace bowlers for the pressure they applied in the second ODI, labelling his delivery to remove Kane Williamson “c***”, with the New Zealand captain left to lament his team’s “soft” cricket as they saw another strong position slip away.Australia were 117 for 8 before the last two wickets added 78, with Zampa playing an important role. New Zealand’s top order was then rendered virtually scoreless. They were left 14 for 3 after ten overs by the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott – the latter bowling 28 dot balls, and taking two wickets, on his comeback before conceding a run.Zampa, who claimed his first wicket with a big full toss that Williamson missed, was especially delighted for Abbott. Zampa himself finished with a career-best 5 for 35 but reflected that he felt “a little bit off”.”To be honest, I haven’t seen a run [economy] rate like that in an ODI probably ever,” Zampa said. “Our guys showed some serious discipline. I mean Hazlewood and Starc were both excellent, but in particular Sean Abbott, who has been in and out of the team. Think over five, six, seven years, he has played five or six games. So to take his opportunity now – it’s tough when you are sitting on the pine [being left out] for four or five games, sometimes having only one opportunity to make your mark, it can get the better of you. But he bowled outstandingly today and super proud of Sean.”I bowled terribly. Well, I wouldn’t say terribly…but was one of those days where I felt a little bit off, probably wasn’t quite at my best but there was a lot happening. Sometimes when it’s like that and you are bowling to the tail you can go searching for wickets, which I did, [but] probably felt like we were in position to go searching for some wickets tonight. I think I reaped the rewards of the guys who bowled before me.”I had a bit of luck with the Kane dismissal, then got into my work a bit better from there. They say legspinners can bowl a bit of c*** and get wickets. When that c*** comes out and you see it go down, you start walking back to your mark knowing you’ve got an extra six runs against your name. But that happens.”Williamson, who threw his head back in anguish after missing the full toss and called for a review purely out of hope, said New Zealand’s batting needed to be better at adapting to the conditions – which he termed “very slow and hard to get rhythm” – something they had done successfully on the tour of the West Indies last month where they came from 1-0 down to take the series.”No doubt the conditions are tough but we have to be a little bit smarter,” Williamson said. “Today I thought we were too soft in terms of our dismissals, we did need to try and weather the storm a bit. It was going to be a challenge, but if you could try and stick together. There wasn’t a lot of scoreboard pressure so you try to reverse that momentum later in the game and get through the tough spells.”The new ball was quite challenging and Australia were just outstanding with the lengths they are able to hit, the pressure they built, and they got some early wickets as well. It is almost old-school one-day cricket where you are just trying to get through spells. As we saw, Australia were able to get two partnerships that were able to get them a competitive total, so certainly some lessons to learn.”However, he insisted that New Zealand did not have a psychological barrier to get over as they tried to beat Australia on their soil for the first time since 2011. “It’s cricket, they are a very good side, they’ve played well and adapted to conditions,” he said. “[But] we do need to be better than we were tonight.”The final ODI takes place on Sunday and the two teams will meet again in their opening match of the T20 World Cup at the SCG in October.

England frustrated but phlegmatic as bad light defers their moment of victory

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Anderson, Broad call for common sense to prevail after openers motor towards victory target

Andrew Miller11-Sep-2022James Anderson and Stuart Broad admitted to a mixture of frustration and sympathy for the umpires at the close of another captivating day’s play in the third and final Test against South Africa, after a capacity crowd was denied the prospect of witnessing an England victory march by the onset of bad light.After being set a target of 130 for victory, England’s openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees had rattled off 97 runs in 17 overs, and needed just 33 more to seal both the match and the series. However, shortly after the scheduled close of 6.30pm, umpires Richard Kettleborough and Nitin Menon led the teams from the field, having deemed that the light had diminished too much to continue.The decision cause immediate uproar on the England balcony, where the captain Ben Stokes was seen gesticulating in disbelief, and the crowd booed loudly as the players left the field. However, having taken a light-meter reading at a similar time at the close of Saturday’s play, the umpires were obliged to take that as the precedent for the match, irrespective of the match situation – a point that England’s senior bowlers both acknowledged at the close.”It’s obviously frustrating from our point of view,” Anderson told Sky Sports. “The rate that we were scoring, it might only have needed another five or six overs. The guys were obviously seeing the ball pretty well, and with a good crowd in here tonight, it would have been nice to finish it.”But we understand what the point of view of the umpires is,” he said. “They’ve taken a reading yesterday. That’s the precedent for the whole game. And I think their message is, if it rains all day tomorrow, it would be unfair on South Africa if they just tried to get the game done tonight. But I’d like to think that common sense could prevail every now and then.”Broad also acknowledged that the umpires could not be faulted for having to follow the letter of the law as it stands.”If you’re a neutral making decisions, it was probably a fair call,” Broad said. “The umpires communicated it very clearly with Zak and Leesy out there. They were saying, look, we’re running out of time here … we don’t have long left. It’s not as if they said, right we’re coming off.”But we’re naturally disappointed and frustrated, particularly as the guys were going so well. Leesy hit the last ball of the day through the covers for four and was seeing it fine. I can see that side of it but as a changing room, we’re frustrated that we didn’t get to finish it in front of the crowd that have been with us all day.”It was a point of view backed up by the former England captain Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports, who called on the authorities to adjust to the prevailing late-season conditions.”You cannot be cross with the umpires, they are doing their job,” Hussain said. “The people who set the rules need to take a look. Do they think that suddenly, in September, it’s going to get bright at 6.45pm? It’s not. If you have to make up half an hour, start half an hour early, rather than adding on at the end of the day. But you’ve got a full house here. Cricket can’t just shoot itself in the foot, by picking up the bails and walking off.”Either way, the decision ran counter to the entertainment-first ethos that Stokes and Brendon McCullum have instilled to such good effect in their side this summer, with England now all but assured of finishing the summer with six victories in seven Tests, all of them achieved in a similar vein after batting second and letting their bowlers focus on taking 20 wickets.”It’s been amazing,” Anderson added. “Baz has been a breath of fresh air, it just feels like a positive atmosphere in that dressing room. The message he sends about going out there and trying to entertain, everyone’s bought into it.”Yes, some days it hasn’t come off, but when it does, it’s spectacular. And I think it’s really changed the way, not just the players think about Test cricket, but a lot of the world will think about Test cricket. It’s been an incredible summer, and hopefully we can get over the line and seal the deal tomorrow.”Marco Jansen, South Africa’s allrounder, was phlegmatic about the light situation, admitting that the game was already as good as up for his team, who are now resigned to a 2-1 series loss, having won so emphatically by an innings in the first Test at Lord’s last month.”I feel it would have not mattered whether we played another 20 minutes or we start again tomorrow,” Jansen said. “If the game was more in the balance, it probably would have affected us a bit more. But the situation that the game was in, I don’t feel it would have mattered. As bowlers we are always happy to play on, but it’s all up to the umpires.”

Rossouw smashes 48-ball ton as South Africa finish series with victory

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

India crashed to their first defeat in the last 17 chases in T20Is at home

Himanshu Agrawal04-Oct-20221:32

Jaffer: India should have played a full-strength XI and pushed for a 3-0 win

Rilee Rossouw smashed his first T20I century as South Africa put up their fourth-highest total in the format, and India crumbled in their chase of 228. The 49-run reversal was the first defeat in their last 17 chases in T20Is at home.Rossouw cracked 100* – a score he reached off 48 balls – and added 90 free-flowing runs for the second wicket with Quinton de Kock. That partnership came off just eight overs, and included seven fours and six sixes, most of which were hit in the arc between deep midwicket and fine leg. De Kock hit 68 from 43 deliveries, starting off by flicking Mohammed Siraj for four and six in the second over.In their reply, India went hard, too, as they had to looking at the target, despite losing Rohit Sharma for a duck to the second ball of the innings. They lost four wickets after only seven overs, but managed to post 78 with exactly as many fours and sixes as Rossouw and de Kock had. In the end, the target proved far too big.Rilee Rossouw and Quinton de Kock added 90 runs for the second wicket in quick time•Getty Images

Rossouw and de Kock’s redeem themselves
After failing to score a single run in the first two matches of the series, Rossouw started with three dots, before making up rapidly; by the end of the ninth over, he was on 30 off 15 balls, going after each of Siraj, Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin.He flicked, pulled, swiped and hoicked at will, with neither the fuller lengths nor the shorter ones bothering him. A lot of luck went Rossouw’s way, too: first, when on 24, he slog-swept Ashwin, only for the ball to pop out of Siraj’s hands and go for six at fine leg.At the other end, de Kock made up for taking his time in the second T20I in Guwahati, where his 69* from 48 balls hurt South Africa in their chase. He raced to his fifty off 33 balls this time, pulling Umesh over fine leg to get to the landmark. The first ten overs raised 96, as the two raced along.The partnership ended when de Kock was run-out at the beginning of the 13th over.India had held back their left-arm spinner Axar Patel until 13 overs with two left-hand batters going gung-ho at the crease, and Rossouw just proved India’s fears right by slogging Axar’s third ball for six to reach his fifty off 27 balls.Rossouw then pulled Harshal Patel in the 15th over, with the ball just going over a leaping Umesh at fine leg. In the next over, he bisected long-on and deep midwicket as Deepak Chahar attempted a yorker. The last three overs fetched 50 runs for South Africa, including Tristan Stubbs’ cameo of 23 and David Miller’s final-over onslaught.Miller crashed three sixes off Chahar, as South Africa hit 24 off the final over. Their total boosted to 227.1:59

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India, thin on batting, fall well short
In the chase, at 4 for 2 after the first ten balls – having lost Rohit and Shreyas Iyer – India promoted Dinesh Karthik, the designated finisher, to No. 4 despite the presence of Suryakumar Yadav [Virat Kohli and KL Rahul had been rested for the game].He declared his intentions first ball by pulling Wayne Parnell for four to deep midwicket. Next over, Rishabh Pant – who had opened alongside Rohit – hit Kagiso Rabada for four. The early boundaries gave India hope, and the full house at the Holkar Stadium something to cheer about after the Indian bowlers had been carted around earlier.With only 25 on the board after four overs, Pant went 4, 6, 4, 6 off Lungi Ngidi, before Stubbs’ brilliant catch at cover-point sent him back for 27 off 14 balls. India were three down after five overs, with another 183 to get at a required run-rate of over 12.That’s when Karthik brought out his full repertoire of strokes, attacking Parnell for 6, 4, 6 in the final over of the powerplay. He then deposited Keshav Maharaj for consecutive sixes next over, but in an attempt to be too creative, he was bowled trying to reverse scoop the spinner.An innings of 46 from 21 deliveries came to an end, and with it India’s hopes too. Their allrounders were slotted in as early as No. 6, with Axar followed by Harshal, Ashwin and Chahar.Harshal, Chahar and Umesh entertained with 17, 31 and 20* respectively, but India folded with nine balls left.

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