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Players, coaches and officials on four major talking points from CPL 2016

Colin Benjamin15-Aug-2016The emergence of potential fast bowlers
When West Indies dominated world cricket, their battery of top-notch fast bowlers was arguably the most important facet in their armoury, and the decline in quality fast-bowling options since 2000 was a key factor in the team’s fall. Caribbean pitches now do not usually encourage the development of fast bowlers, as spinners take a lion’s share of the wickets.However, Ian Bishop noted on Twitter during the CPL how Michael Hilton, the head groundsman at Sabina Park had done an excellent job with the pitch. It was a point also reinforced by Barbados Tridents coach Robin Singh, who said, “While the competition this year was certainly better than previously, I was particularly impressed and happy about the standard of pitches.”The end result was that some upcoming West Indies fast bowlers had an encouraging tournament, on surfaces that kept them interested. They included Alzarri Joseph (who notably hit AB de Villiers on the head during the series, and went on to have an impressive debut Test versus India), Kesrick Williams, Sheldon Cottrell and Delorn Johnson. Add to this Miguel Cummins claiming a six-wicket haul in the St Lucia Test against India, and Shannon Gabriel’s improvement since the tri-series, and potentially the team has some solid fast-bowling options to work with.West Indies fast bowling legend Andy Roberts, who was part of the St Lucia Zouks coaching staff, wants to see the WICB take steps to harness the talent. “These young fast bowlers were encouraging, but it’s difficult to judge from just four overs whether they are suited for Test cricket, even though they got better pitches to bowl on in the CPL than they do in the domestic season,” he said. “I find it funny that the WICB thinks its new Professional Cricket League is the end of all of it, when clearly the production line of international-ready talent is not there.”[The bowlers] should be immediately put into a camp where they can pick the brains of those like us, if the board wishes to engage us, who have been there and done it, as well as working on their fast bowling, strength and endurance.”St Kitts and Nevis Patriots finished at the bottom of the table with two wins•CPL/SportsfileWarriors and Patriots: one up, one down
After a football season in which underdogs such as Leicester City and Portugal produced stellar team work to win the English Premier League and European Championship respectively, Guyana Amazon Warriors threatened to do the same for a while in the CPL.”We kept hearing that the Warriors was not the best team, didn’t have any big stars, so really no one was expecting anything from us,” said Amazon Warriors captain Rayad Emrit, who previously played with Barbados Tridents. “So our mantra was to use that as motivation, plus we had an owner who gave us everything we needed. It is disappointing for the franchise that after getting to another final, we couldn’t bring the title to our great fans in Guyana.”Similar to last season, when Tabraiz Shamsi’s CPL efforts led to his being called up for international service for South Africa, Australian Chris Lynn, who led the Warriors batting impressively will surely be representing Australia more in the future.At the other end were St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. “I was very surprised and disappointed at the Patriots because overall we felt there were six very evenly matched teams on show,” said CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe. “A betting man would have certainly thought Patriots could have gone far in this competition. He went on to point out that the team management had had “a stern review” and said fans could be in for a surprise regarding what type of team Patriots have for the 2017 season.Two youngsters to watch
As noted before the competition, arguably the biggest young player to watch out for was wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran. His two excellent half-centuries made everyone take notice. “The first time I saw him bat, I told Kieron Pollard they’ve got to find a way of including him in the national side,” said de Villiers at a post-game interview. “He’s a special talent.””He has dominated at all youth levels and I can only expect him to build on his CPL performances,” commentator Daren Ganga said.”Obviously he is still young and can further develop his game, especially his keeping,” Tridents coach Singh said. “But he is a superb talent who fits the modern trend of what most teams hope get out of keeper-batsmen.”Although he didn’t produce any major performances with bat or ball, Jamaican Rovman Powell displayed enough promise with a few cameo knocks that had some suggesting he could be the next Andre Russell.”Powell’s background – he never had a father in his life, with his mom has being his main parental figure, and his overall drive to pay her back is what is pushing him as a cricketer,” said Jamaica Tallawahs coach Paul Nixon.”Young Powell is blessed with talent, like all upcoming West Indies players,” said Ganga, “though I would like to see him exposed to first-class cricket so that his talents can be seen in all formats.”Jamaica Tallawahs’ Kesrick Williams was one of the fast bowlers who impressed through the tournament•CPL/SportsfileClub v country

West Indies have struggled in the Tests against India, and former India captain Sourav Ganguly criticised the WICB for prioritising the CPL over the Test series.A combination of retirements, injuries, and Kolpak status, meant the likes of Chris Gayle, Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul and Jerome Taylor played the CPL instead of the Tests. However, even discounting these senior players, the team was unable to pick some of impressive upcoming players even, because they were not contracted by the WICB.A CPL deal is worth more than playing Test cricket for West Indies. Young Joseph was not picked until Patriots were eliminated. Sunil Narine could not be picked, nor was talented young opener Evin Lewis. Instead, the failed experiment of using Rajendra Chandrika continued.This was a notable difference to how things operate in the Big Bash and NatWest T20, where Cricket Australia and the ECB, because they own those competitions, pay their players well and get first preference on picking players when matches in those leagues clash with home Test seasons. This issue is set to return to the fore next year, when India come back to the Caribbean for five one-day internationals.”We are operating in a cricket landscape where there is no black and white solution to deal with the rise and importance of T20 leagues,” said Ganga. “Yes there were many pros and cons to playing CPL alongside the India Tests, but for me I didn’t see any real issue doing so.””It was always going to be a challenge playing the two competitions together and we are going to work with WICB and will be sitting down to look at this with the board in September,” said O’Donohoe.

New Zealand’s rise as a cricketing force has generated an upsurge of support, and on the day of their biggest World Cup triumph yet, Eden Park became a living, breathing, 41,000-strong cardiogram

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Auckland24-Mar-2015Cape Town, January 2013. New Zealand are decked for 45 in the first innings of a Test. Vernon Philander has five wickets. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel the other five. New Zealand’s second innings is a little better. Their second Test is not. Through this disastrous series there is a string of meetings. Which way forward? How to overcome this almighty rut?”We knew we had to make changes – for the public who cared about this team,” Brendon McCullum has said of that time. “It was essential to all of us that we have the public’s support. The best way to get that is to go out and represent New Zealand with all you’ve got.”On Tuesday, the greatest stadium in the country became a living, breathing, 41,000-strong cardiogram for their national cricket team. Their cries lived out Trent Boult’s first, sniping spell. The ball would rush by Quinton de Kock’s blade and hands would rush to heads all over the South stand. The slips’ oohs and aahs were mouthed on both tiers, in the uncovered seating beyond deep cover. This was no ordinary home support. This was all-consuming love. This was hard-earned respect. It was the apex of New Zealand’s World Cup, and Eden Park would let the world know it.Luke Ronchi made New Zealand’s first mistake. With an outswinger that went late, at almost yorker length, Trent Boult drew de Kock’s outside edge, but the keeper spilled the chance, diving hard and low to his right. The bowler kept it together, but men and women in the stands could not. There were frustrated slaps on thighs. Gritted teeth and swearing, followed by applause to raise spirits again. Boult was so skilful early, another chance would surely come.The first three wickets were met with deafening roars, but when Kane Williamson dropped AB de Villiers at cover, he was swiftly forgiven. This is a crowd that has formed bonds to fit each player. They have seen Williamson pull off screamers at gully, so they know the drop was not for want of effort or dedication.When old man Daniel Vettori, he of the climbing one-handed grab from the last match, chased balls and reeled them in near the boundary, he was given full-blown standing ovations. He is the man who was once the blond-haired tyro at 18, then New Zealand’s talismanic captain through one of their bleakest periods. His name has been on the nation’s lips the longest, and it came easy to this crowd when he took the ball at the end of his busy run-up. He would take no wickets in his nine overs, but all through, rhythmic chants of “Da-niel Ve-ttori” rang out. Every time he touched the ball, another cheer.Like the team, Eden Park was quietened by David Miller and AB de Villiers’ late charge, but when McCullum was flaying one of the greatest quicks of the 21st century for 25 in an over, the whole stadium’s confidence rose to match his arrogance. McCullum’s 32 minutes at the crease brought for the first time a grimaced clenching of fists and a snarling intensity. The batsman’s manic bat-speed and rippling muscle had seemingly delivered assurance. Then he got out. Silence.Through the middle overs the crowd and their team lived on a precipice. Every New Zealand advance, no matter how minuscule, was celebrated. Singles were cheered like hundreds, and even South Africa’s field changes were booed. New Zealand is a laidback country. Its people are usually measured and reasonable. But here, tens of thousands of them had become fanatics.As wickets were lost and the finish approached, nerves began to fray. Twice Elliott hit balls high in the air. Once it dropped safe, in the pinpoint middle of three converging fielders. The other time, it slipped through deep square leg’s hands, as fine leg almost crashed into him. You heard the whole stadium exhale. Restless-leg syndrome swept through like a pandemic. Vettori’s last-over four through third man brought a curt welling of noisy hope. Then there was quiet as the ball left Steyn’s fingertips, fizzed through the air, pitched, and hit Elliott’s bat, but when the trajectory was certain, the noise was something else. Surely nothing louder has been heard on planet earth today. Friends were high-fiving, strangers were hugging. They were all going to the final.It wasn’t so long ago that this New Zealand team were pariahs at home: whitewashed by Bangladesh, five lost Tests in a row. It wasn’t so long ago Tim Southee spat abuse at batsmen even when he had been smeared around the ground, or Brendon McCullum said on national radio: “We stopped listening to Martin Crowe years ago,” when New Zealand’s greatest batsman had simply suggested McCullum play in a different position.But even before this long, glorious home summer, New Zealand’s public had seen change. This was not the same team that Stephen Fleming led on a verbal warpath against South Africa in 2003. This was the side that was so bruised by Phillip Hughes’ death they did not bounce their opposition for a whole day of the Sharjah Test last year. This was a team so respectful of greatness that to a man they congratulated Kumar Sangakkara after his Basin Reserve double-hundred, and later described that innings as an educational experience.It has all been said over and over this tournament: “McCullum is a dreamy captain”, “New Zealand attack without relent”, “They play like they have nothing to lose.” But never let it be forgotten they won hearts as well as matches. Don’t let it be forgotten they have stirred a nation with their humility, their unflinching devotion, their bloody-minded approach. Whatever happens in Melbourne on Sunday, whichever cricket giant they wind up playing, New Zealand were adored by their public on this electric night.Through their fans, New Zealand have found a way forward. They have overcome the rut.

The three-match ODI series was a special one for Quinton de Kock, who became only the fifth batsman to score three successive ODI centuries

Shiva Jayaraman12-Dec-2013Quinton de Kock’s ODI career figures weren’t remarkable till November this year, having scored just 399 runs from 13 innings at 30.69. In one of those innings he had scored 112, which means that he averaged just 23.91 in the other 12 innings. These were quite ordinary figures that didn’t quite justify replacing Graeme Smith, who has had similar numbers in ODIs in 2013. Smith has scored 291 runs at 26.45 from 11 innings, with one century against New Zealand in Potchefstroom.But de Kock showed promise with his 112 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last month. He became the youngest South Africa batsman – at 20 years and 326 days – to hit an ODI century, replacing Jacques Kallis from the top of that list. Kallis was 22 years and 92 days old when he hit his maiden ODI century against New Zealand in Perth in 1998.The three-match ODI series against India, though, has expelled any doubts about de Kock’s place in South Africa’s ODI team. He has scored 342 runs in this series at 114.00 – the most any batsman has scored in a three-match bilateral series in ODIs. Only two other batsmen have scored in excess of 300 runs in such series – Martin Guptill, in New Zealand’s series against England earlier this year, and Brendan Taylor, against New Zealand in 2011. De Kock’s 342 runs in this series are also the seventh-highest runs scored by a South Africa batsman in any bilateral ODI series.No batsman has scored more than three hundreds in a series, bilateral or otherwise. Including de Kock, there are 15 instances of batsmen scoring three hundreds in an ODI series. But all the those batsmen, aside from de Kock, have batted more than three times to score those hundreds.He’s become only the fifth batsman in ODIs to hit three consecutive hundreds. AB de Villiers was the last one to do this back in 2010. Before de Kock, Zaheer Abbas was the only batsman to get all his three hundreds against one team, with India on the receiving end of that little spell as well. In fact, of these 15 hundreds scored, nine have been against India.Three centuries in a row in any format of the game usually signifies a hunger for getting runs. De Kock’s shown that hunger at a fairly early stage of his career compared to the others who’ve achieved this feat. Before de Kock, Zaheer was the youngest in terms of experience, at 40 ODIs when he hit three consecutive hundreds, but by then he was aged over 35. Herschelle Gibbs and de Villiers, the other South Africa batsmen to hit three consecutive hundreds in ODIs, achieved it when they had played 105 ODIs and 93 ODIs respectively.

All four of de Kock’s hundreds have come before he’s aged 21. He is only the second batsman in ODIs – after Paul Stirling of Ireland – to hit as many before turning 21. Only two other batsmen have managed three hundreds before that age – Tamim Iqbal and Shahriar Nafees of Bangladesh.

Those are not the only records that de Kock’s made in this series. He took four catches behind the wickets, in addition to the 106 runs he scored, in the second ODI against India – only the fifth player to do so in ODIs. Like with the consecutive hundreds, de Kock emulated de Villiers again, who was the last wicketkeeper-batsman to do so. Matching the rest of de Villiers’ achievements in international cricket won’t be easy, but de Kock’s first year in ODI cricket has clearly raised expectations.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the fourth day in Port-of-Spain where rain had a major impact

Daniel Brettig in Port-of-Spain18-Apr-2012Dual drop of the dayFidel Edwards has been short of fortune during this Test and his dry run continued in the fifth over of Australia’s second innings. Bowling a short of a length delivery that cramped Ed Cowan for room, Edwards coaxed an outside edge as the opener tried to force off the back foot. The ball flew straight to Darren Sammy at slip, who dropped it. The ball’s downward path was not without a chance of a second grab, however – Carlton Baugh dived across but, unfortunately in keeping with his untidy work behind the stumps all match, was unable to close his gloves around the ball in time.Near run-out of the dayCowan received a rare loose delivery from Kemar Roach on 9, a full toss that he pushed wide of mid off and set off for a single. Misjudging the speed at which the ball reached Edwards, Cowan left Ricky Ponting in dire danger of being run-out for the second time in as many Tests, again the victim of his partner’s overzealous search for runs. So far short was Ponting that he appeared to give up the run, letting Edwards’ throw decided whether or not he would continue batting. However Edwards was narrowly off target with his return, and Baugh had not made it up to the stumps in time to retrieve it and complete the run-out.Doosra of the dayShane Shillingford has so far shown accuracy and persistence in Trinidad, and on the fourth day he also showed he was patient enough to hold back a variation for an entire innings. For 49 overs in the first innings and eight in the second, Shillingford kept more or less to off breaks, relying on the natural deviation and variation to be found in a co-operative Port-of-Spain pitch. But in his ninth, Shillingford revealed a top-spinner/doosra that gripped and bounced significantly, beating the outside edge of Ponting’s bat and thudding into his thigh. Happy with how it had come out, Shillingford bowled another before the over was done.

After 79 ICL players decided to withdraw, it has become obvious that the league, in its original avatar, is no more

Ajay S Shankar02-Jun-2009It is a question that has been snapping at their heels ever since the momentous launch in Mumbai two years ago. And now, it’s a question they can no longer run away from. Will the ICL survive? Tony Greig, the face and voice of the private venture, says the battle is not over; Himanshu Mody, the brain behind it, says the league will emerge stronger. But after 79 of its Indian cricketers decided over the last month that they don’t want to be tagged as rebels any longer, it has become obvious that the Indian Cricket League, in its original avatar, is no more.Of course, cricket might still spring back to life under the ICL banner, possibly this October. But that would, at best, be a diluted version of what was once hailed as a revolution in world cricket. For now though, it looks like it will be a long haul back, if at all.What are the options?
ICL officials say that the current exodus of players is part of a larger plan where they will first trim the losses – running costs, including a wage bill that runs into millions of rupees – and then start with a clean slate. They say that they still have around 40-odd players on the rolls and can recruit new talent whenever they need to. In the meantime, they are hoping that the economic recession will let up, and that they will also succeed in getting the courts in London to force the ICC into granting the ICL recognition, citing restrictive-trade-practice clauses, as it happened in the famous Kerry Packer-versus-the-establishment tussle in the 1970s. Such an outcome, they claim, will lead to two things: sponsors will be back with money, and the players will only be happy to sign up for the official version.But for now this is just a scenario. The reality is that the official IPL, and the BCCI’s sponsors, are mopping up whatever money is left in the market; and the players are now wary of signing up for a league that will shut them out of all official cricket, thanks to the BCCI’s all-pervading ban. In fact, in the middle of the last ICL season, a senior player revealed the trauma and frustration he was going through, after even his local college refused to let him use net facilities. As for the players who are still with the ICL, only a handful are Indian; the rest are foreign players, most of whom, as Greig admitted, have retired from international cricket and so are driven by a “different motivation”.What went wrong?
The ICL claimed that their mission was to promote domestic Indian talent, and they did succeed to an extent, at least in shining the spotlight on talented players like like R Sathish, G Vignesh and Alfred Absolem, who may have slipped under the radar otherwise. But overall, the league’s cricket was inconsistent, and the foreign players failed to sparkle – Brian Lara, their biggest signing, failed to even turn up after a season. They were unable to sustain the initial buzz, having struggled with sparse crowds in the first season, and found comfort later only in Ahmedabad, a cricket-crazy city that was kept out of the IPL loop. Besides, the league, which was launched with a projected three-year budget of Rs 100 crore (US$ 21 million approximately), struggled to evolve a profit-making model.Then again, within months of the ICL’s launch, the IPL swept through cricket, with the full backing of the powerful BCCI and their sponsors, drowning whatever hopes the ICL may have had of carving a niche for itself in the business of Twenty20 cricket. More than anything else, it was the vindictive attitude of the BCCI that finally broke the ICL’s back. Players were banned, and the dues they were officially entitled to from the BCCI were kept on hold; sponsors were aggressively persuaded to stay away; and the ICC network was used to ensure that other national boards shut their doors on their ICL players. Not only did the Indian board ignore worldwide protests against their aggressive and monopolistic crackdown, they also pushed the ICC’s board to refuse recognition to the ICL, leaving the world body vulnerable to a legal challenge.The BCCI even led David Morgan, the ICC president, to believe that the issue could be sorted out amicably but ended up having two “compromise meetings” with the ICL that yielded nothing. The BCCI’s offer? Shut down the ICL and take up an IPL franchise instead, or similar variations, including a suggestion that the ICL operate as a veterans’ league. The ICL, not surprisingly, rejected these offers.Walking back into their state Ranji teams may not be so easy for many•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat does this mean for the players?
Some of the ex-ICL players that Cricinfo spoke to were confident that they would be selected to play for their states again. This could be true for established players like Bengal’s Deep Dasgupta and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Hyderabad’s Ambati Rayudu and Uttar Pradesh’s Shalabh Srivastava. But it may not be such an easy road for others. Some state officials are still seething at the way these players walked out on them two years ago – the Hyderabad Ranji team was almost wiped out. Return tickets, obviously, will be at a premium. Besides, as one state association official asked: what will they do with the players who stepped up to fill the breach two years ago?Then there’s the IPL. The BCCI initially said that those who returned from the ICL would be eligible to play domestic cricket immediately (the IPL is a domestic event), but seems to have developed second thoughts since. They have clarified that the norms for IPL eligibility will be revealed later, and suggested that they may apply a year’s cooling-off period on these players before they are let into the official league. But according to some ICL players who have returned, the event that they are really hoping to be a part of is the BCCI’s soon-to-be-launched inter-corporate tournament, to be conducted in 50-over and Twenty20 formats – the winners will take home Rs 1 crore (US$ 213,000 approximately), and the runners-up half that amount.The word on the street
Naturally, the ICL’s willingness to release their players without much fuss, and the BCCI’s open welcome, have led to intense speculation in Indian cricket circles. An ICL official privately suggested that these moves are part of a compromise that could see Zee TV, ICL’s parent company, get a share of the official broadcasting pie when the BCCI’s TV rights come up for renewal next year. Zee TV is currently blacklisted by the Indian board, and one of the reasons why Subhash Chandra, the owner of Zee, started the ICL was that he was denied the opportunity to broadcast India matches in 2004, which led to a long-drawn legal battle with the BCCI. Incidentally, Chandra also shares a good personal rapport with Sharad Pawar, the former BCCI president, who still has the final say in Indian cricket matters.The buzz doing the rounds among ICL players, meanwhile, is that they will be part of an IPL auction now, with a cap of US$ 50,000 per player. But, of course, all these suggestions have been dismissed as “wild speculation” by BCCI officials who claim that the ICL is simply crumbling under its own financial burden.

He is facing 19 charges in total relating to alleged offences perpetrated between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2024

AAP15-Apr-2024Former Australia Test cricketer Michael Slater has been remanded in police custody after being charged with more than a dozen offences.Slater, 54, had his case mentioned in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday.He is facing 19 charges relating to alleged offences perpetrated on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on various dates between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2024.The charges include domestic violence offences of unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking into a dwelling with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and choking or suffocation.The former opening batter and TV commentator was also charged with breaching bail and ten counts of contravening a domestic violence order.Police confirmed they arrested a 54-year-old Noosa Heads man at a Sunshine Coast address on Friday following alleged domestic violence incidents over several days.Slater has been remanded in custody with the case due to be mentioned in the same court on Tuesday.After making his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour, Slater played 74 Tests for Australia, amassing 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 with 14 centuries. He also played 42 ODIs.Slater retired from cricket in 2004, and embarking on a successful TV commentary career.

Big picture: Santner and Hardik impress

India and New Zealand have travelled the length and breadth of the country for six games in 14 days and we are finally at the end, with the T20I series tied at 1-1. It’s time for one last push, and then please remember to put those tray tables in the upright and locked position.Winning a series here is hard work for a visiting team. India have protected their stronghold with ridiculous consistency. Over the last 10 years they have played a total of 55 bilateral series, across formats, and won 47 of them. Only Australia in 2019 and South Africa in 2015 have beaten India in India.Mitchell Santner has stressed this point in press conferences; that apart from the learnings New Zealand can take about conditions they will face during the ODI World Cup in October, there is still the chance to go down in history as a team that beat India in India.Related

• Ferguson, the unofficial leader of New Zealand's pace pack

• Why India trust Arshdeep with the difficult overs

• Mitchell and Santner give New Zealand 1-0 lead

• Suryakumar helps India draw level in spin-fest

• Lucknow curator sacked for 'shocker of a pitch'

Both captains have actually been big gains for their sides. Santner has already shown the poise under pressure that he set out to have, and he seems to be an out-of-the-box thinker too. Dude asked Lockie Ferguson if he’d bowl offspin to make the most of a rank turner in Lucknow.Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, has been an upfront and honest presence, even in front of the camera, which has been great (though not for everybody). Except, is that even a surprise? Guy publicly said he wouldn’t have minded losing to Pakistan in that epic T20 World Cup match because it was an epic T20 World Cup match. He’s well liked in the team. He throws his entire weight behind his players. And he has no fear of failure. The specifics of this series may easily fade from memory but the two captains might just go on to etch their names in history.

Watch live in the UK

You can watch the third T20I between India and New Zealand live on ESPN Player in the UK and on ESPN+ in the USA.

Form guide

India WLWLW (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand LWTLL

In the spotlight: Kishan and Sodhi

Ishan Kishan scored 210 in one innings in December. In the next eight, he’s scored less than half that. This India team insists on giving its incumbents a long rope. Plus Kishan doubles up as the their wicketkeeper and presents a hard-hitting left-hand option at the top of the order. These are pluses everybody looks for in the modern game. So his place is probably safe, but still, wouldn’t he love a match-defining innings in a series decider…In a New Zealand bowling attack that values discipline and works towards minimising the margin for error, Ish Sodhi is a total wildcard. He’s the kind of spinner who gets bored by even the idea of stringing six balls on the same spot, which is probably why he finds himself on the outs in Test cricket. But what hurts him in whites is what defines him in coloured clothing. Sodhi is the second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is over the past two years.0:37

Ferguson: ‘Hardik’s body language as captain has been fantastic’

Team news: Malik in for Chahal?

Ahmedabad may not want to do what Lucknow did – its already been in the eye of a storm before – in which case India might be tempted to bring back Umran Malik in place of Yuzvendra Chahal.India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shivam Mavi, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Umran Malik, 11 Arshdeep SinghBarring injury and other circumstances, it’s unlikely that New Zealand will want to make a lot of changes.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 Mitchell Santner (capt), 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Jacob Duffy, 11 Blair Tickner

Pitch and conditions: The return of the belter?

The Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad has typically been a high-scoring venue for T20Is, with three of its last five games producing totals in excess of 160 in both innings, including a 224 for 2. The weather is set fair.

Stats and trivia

• Apart from a T20I series in 2012, which ended up being a one-match affair, New Zealand have never won a bilateral series in any format in India.
• Kishan’s 19 off 38 in the last game is the third-slowest innings of 30 or more balls by an opener from a Full Member country in T20Is. There were, of course, mitigating circumstances.
• There are 44 players with a batting average above 40 and a strike rate above 130 in T20Is. Two of the top three have been on show in this series: Suryakumar Yadav (47.17 and 175.63) and Devon Conway (47.42 and 130.47)

MatériaMais Notícias

Para o confronto com o Red Bull Bragantino nesta quarta-feira (8), Rogério Ceni está garantindo a zaga do São Paulo com base na ‘sorte’. Isso porque, em seu plantel, só pode usar duas opções: Beraldo e Alan Franco – que, inclusive, foi autor do único gol na vitória contra o Santo André.

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Mesmo com mais opções no elenco, o departamento médico vem sendo o pesadelo do Tricolor paulista no setor. Desde o final do ano passado, Diego Costa, com uma contusão no joelho esquerdo, foi submetido a uma cirurgia, e conforme o LANCE! adiantou, deve voltar aos treinamentos no final desta semana, mas sofrerá com a questão da recuperação de ritmo.

ATUAÇÕES: Alan Franco marca e garante vitória do São Paulo nos acréscimos

Veja tabela do Campeonato Paulista e simule os próximos jogos

Ferraresi, com uma ruptura no ligamento durante o clássico contra o Palmeiras neste ano, operou neste domingo (5) e conta com um prazo de recuperação de 9 a 12 meses. Arboleda, embora recuperado da grave lesão que sofreu no tornozelo ano passado, agora sofre com quadros frequentes de tendinite no joelho. A dupla estava sendo a principal opção de Rogério Ceni no começo da temporada, mas os planos foram frustrados.

Rafinha, que já foi improvisado como zagueiro algumas vezes no ano passado, trata uma entorse no tornozelo. Ou seja, não é opção também.

Quando se fala de contar com sorte, é no sentido literal da palavra. Os dois próximos desafios do São Paulo não são fáceis: Red Bull Bragantino, no Nabizão, e clássico com o Santos, no Morumbi.

Ou seja, diante do contexto atual, se por acaso Alan Franco ou Beraldo tivessem se machucado ou levado alguma suspensão, o problema diante estes dois confrontos seria maior ainda. Contra o Massa Bruta, a presença dos dois já é garantida. O problema é contra o Santos.

Mesmo com o Peixe enfrentando uma situação extremamente delicada no Campeonato Paulista, com apenas uma vitória até o momento, nenhum dos dois zagueiros podem arriscar ficar de fora do duelo, que será o quarto clássico do Tricolor neste ano e o último desta primeira fase do Paulistão.

Veja as movimentações do São Paulo no mercado da bola

Com o estadual em andamento, as únicas opções caso aconteça algo com Beraldo e Alan Franco seria utilizarMatheus Belém eYthallo, Crias de Cotia que foram promovidos ao profissional recentemente. Mas diferente de Beraldo, que tem mais experiência, os dois ainda são muito ‘júniores’.

São opções de urgência, conforme o próprio Ceni pondera. Isso porque o treinador vê como ideal que se repita o que aconteceu com Beraldo: um ano treinando com o plantel principal para ajudar na adaptação.

Quanto a vinda de possíveis reforços, alguns nomes eram alvos, mas nenhum se concretizou como esperado. Entre eles,João Marcelo (do Porto B) e Joaquim (do Cuiabá). Alan Franco, por conta da idade e passagens pela MLS, de fato é mais experiente. Mas Beraldo não ficou para trás nos elogios de Rogério Ceni. Com o desempenho que tem apresentado, pode aproveitar este momento para se firmar mais ainda na equipe.

– Um menino dedicado, chega cedo, trabalha bem. Erra um pouco mais do que os outros porque arrisca mais do que a maioria, ele constrói mais do que a grande maioria dos zagueiros. Acho que ele vem ganhando experiência. Às vezes se distrai e um marcador rouba a bola dele, mas tem sido muito útil e tem sido uma peça fundamental sem os zagueiros experientes – disse o treinador.

O jeito agora é este: assegurar que nada aconteça com os dois defensores e manter os bons números que o São Paulo tem apresentado no setor defensivo mesmo com as adversidades.

The Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes quick has been a consistent performer when given a chance

Andrew McGlashan30-May-2024Former Australia captain Tim Paine believes Nathan Ellis should be in Australia’s first-choice attack for the T20 World Cup 2024 with a decision then made between Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.Ellis, 29, has struggled to command a regular spot in Australia’s T20 side despite impressive returns in the 14 matches he has played – only one of which has come at home. He was a reserve for the 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE when Australia won the title and did not make the squad on home soil in 2022.Related

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“I think Australia have a great opportunity, and I hope they take it in this World Cup, and that is to pick Nathan Ellis. He would be my third quick,” Paine, who played for Ellis’ state Tasmania, told ESPN’s . “I think he just complements the other guys really well, he’s got a different skillset, comes from a different angle, different height, and think some variety in the attack will be really important to win this World Cup.””I know you are going to ask me straightaway who aren’t you playing…I’m going to go Mitchell Starc, [he] is my out and out number one quick, I’m picking him, obviously going with Adam Zampa, and I’m doing to decide between Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.Nathan Ellis has rarely failed to perform for Australia•Associated Press”I’m going to pick one of them and I’m going to go with Nathan Ellis’ all-round skills, his ability to bowl all through the powerplay, I think his slower balls, he’s clever. His international record for the opportunities that he’s been given is outstanding and I think now is the right time…that’s not to say they [Cummins and Hazlewood] are not the best couple of bowlers in the country, they are outstanding bowlers, and will continue to be, I just think Nathan Ellis complements the rest of that attack really, really well.”Starc finished the IPL in outstanding form with back-to-back player of match awards for champions Kolkata Knight Riders, Cummins was very consistent for Sunrisers Hyderabad who he captained and Hazlewood has put together some outstanding T20 performances when his schedule has allowed, including 3 for 16 in the 2021 final.However, Ellis’ numbers stack up well against them and he has been particularly strong in two tough phases of innings: the powerplay and the death. In all T20s since 2020 (domestic and international), Ellis has the second-best powerplay economy of those selected in the World Cup squad behind Hazlewood while at the death, where he has forged his reputation, he is the best of Australia’s quicks by some margin having bowled far more at that stage than any of the others.Ellis featured just once for Punjab Kings in this season’s IPL and took 1 for 24 in a rare win for the side that finished second bottom. In Australia’s first warm-up match against Namibia he took 1 for 17 from his four overs.There remains a chance that Australia try different combinations of bowling attacks through the group stage where they face Oman, England, Namibia and Scotland. Starc and Cummins only arrive into the Caribbean over the weekend when the squad travels to Barbados.

There are five Pakistan players with ILT20 contracts whose availability for the final stages is likely to be compromised as a result

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2024The Pakistan Super League’s 2024 season opener will coincide with the final of the UAE’s ILT20, a scheduling clash which will provide complications for franchises in both leagues.The ninth edition of the PSL will launch on February 17 with a fixture between the league’s two most successful teams, defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United, at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. The ILT20 final is due to take place in Dubai at the same time.There are five Pakistan players with ILT20 contracts whose availability for the final stages of the tournament is likely to be compromised as a result. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Mohammad Amir are all due to play for Desert Vipers, while Imad Wasim was recently unveiled as a new signing by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.Related

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A number of overseas players are also due to feature in both leagues and may miss either the start of the PSL or the final stages of the ILT20, depending on the terms of their contracts and their franchises’ progress.The PCB unveiled fixtures for the PSL on Friday, with the tournament’s final scheduled for March 18. The knockout stages will be played in Karachi for the first time since 2020, which will host a total of 11 games. Lahore (nine games), Rawalpindi (nine) and Multan (five) will also stage fixtures, but neither Quetta nor Peshawar will.Zaka Ashraf, the chair of the PCB’s management committee, said: “The decision to host the marquee event across these cities is a testament to our commitment to bring top-notch cricket to fans across the country. We believe that hosting matches in these venues not only adds to the excitement for fans but also promotes cricket at the grassroots level.”The PCB recently agreed a new broadcast deal for the 2024 and 2025 editions of the PSL and reported a 113% increase in the value of live-streaming rights and a 45% increase in the value of broadcast rights. “It is an unprecedented moment as the prices for both of these rights are unmatched,” Ashraf said. “This is a testament to the growth of the HBL PSL brand.”The board also announced that the National Women’s T20 Tournament will start on Monday, January 15 and will feature six regional teams: Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi. The final will be staged on January 31, with the venue yet to be announced.The 16-player squads were selected by the national women’s selection committee. “The National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024 serves [as] a great opportunity for the players to stake a claim in the national team ahead of the busy international year,” the PCB said in a press release, with both the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup due to take place in September-October.