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Prasidh Krishna, the Karnataka fast bowler, has replaced him in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2018Prasidh Krishna, the Karnataka seamer, has been called up to the Kolkata Knight Riders squad as a replacement for the injured Kamlesh Nagarkoti. The IPL release confirming the news did not specify the nature of Nagarkoti’s injury, but other media reports have suggested he has injured his foot.The 22-year-old Krishna has played 23 matches for Karnataka, only three of which have been in the T20 format. He has been impressive in 50-overs cricket, with 33 wickets in 19 matches at an average of 21.27 and an economy rate of 4.74, his best performances including a match-winning 3 for 37 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Saurashtra in February.Nagarkoti was one of India’s brightest sparks through their victorious Under-19 World Cup campaign earlier this year, picking up nine wickets at 16.33 and clocking speeds in excess of 140kph. His performances enthused Knight Riders enough to spend INR 3.2 crore on him during the IPL player auction.Knight Riders have also brought in Abhishek Nayar as part of their support staff. Franchise CEO Venky Mysore tweeted the news, but did not specify what Nayar’s role would be.
Mumbai allrounder Nayar has mentored Dinesh Karthik, Knight Riders’ captain, in the past.

Former international batsman Asanka Gurusinha has been appointed Sri Lanka’s manager

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Feb-2017Former international batsman Asanka Gurusinha has been appointed Sri Lanka’s cricket manager, SLC has announced. Presently residing in Melbourne, Gurusinha will arrive in Sri Lanka over the next few days to begin work with the team ahead of the series against Bangladesh.”Gurusinha, a marketer by profession, was awarded the title of Deshabandu in 1996, for his role in the World Cup victory, and has since been domiciled in Australia for the past many years,” an SLC release said. “Gurusinha is a Level 3 certified cricket coach with many years of experience, and most recently served as the Consultant Regional Cricket Coach for Cricket Australia.”Though he had not held any official role with Sri Lanka cricket since moving to Australia soon after the 1996 World Cup, Gurusinha had always said he was open to the possibility. He will work alongside Ranjit Fernando, who will remain with the team performing some of the managerial roles.*”It is indeed welcome news that Gura will be coming on board with our vision,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “”We are enhancing our resource team with professionals to achieve or national objective.”*This story had originally said Gurusinha would relieve Fernando. However, Fernando will remain with the team, also in a managerial capacity.

England showed commendable resistance to keep South Africa in check on the opening day of the third Test at The Wanderers

The Report by David Hopps14-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland showed commendable resistance to keep South Africa in check on the opening day of the third Test at The Wanderers. A day in the field at The Bullring was an onerous demand for a squad stricken by a stomach ailment since the end of the Cape Town Test, but they recovered from an uncomfortable morning to take four wickets in the final session and leave the Test nicely balanced.AB de Villiers was skippering South Africa for the first time and, such is the inspirational nature of his cricket, England would have been wary of the consequences as they defended a 1-0 lead in the series with two to play: another reason for queasy stomachs.”They are climbing out of their death beds to play,” Alastair Cook, England’s captain, had said upon losing the toss, before swiftly backtracking and suggesting that “a few are not quite feeling 100%.” He has never been one for hyperbole.Steven Finn was the sharpest component of England’s attack. A hasty addition to England’s South Africa tour party after shaking off his foot injury on a Lions tour, he spearheaded their challenge in what must have ranked as one of his most impressive days in an England shirt, his efforts supplemented by the tendency of a succession of South Africa batsmen to get out carelessly when well set.Only Hashim Amla escaped such a charge. The ball that Finn unearthed to dismiss him for 40 – leaving him peremptorily from around off stump – was a key wicket, the maker of a double hundred in Cape Town unpicked when he was looking ominous. Even Cook would admit it was hard to exaggerate the value of that.There was less fortune for England’s seasoned new-ball pairing. James Anderson went wicketless, much in keeping with a record at The Wanderers which had brought him only two wickets in two previous Tests and Stuart Broad, one of those most affected by the stomach bug that had ravaged the England camp – media troupe included – did well to sustain as much threat as he did.The decision by de Villiers’ to bat first after winning a tricky toss was vindicated by the batsmen’s composure in that first session. As tosses go, it was one of the more interesting decisions. The pitch was a little greener than normal and the skies were overcast, but as Dean Elgar, in particular, proved a bugbear, England’s attack failed to build prolonged pressure.South Africa will anticipate that the pitch will quicken on the second and third day when the pitch dries out and their quartet of pace bowlers – three drawn from the Highveld Lions who were so impressive on this ground in winning the domestic trophy – take the field with aggressive intent.The manner in which England’s attack became more threatening as the day wore on encouraged that expectation. Every batsman got a start without any of them making a half-century.De Villiers’ first morning as captain was not without disruption. Dane Vilas caught a morning flight to Johannesburg – he arrived midway through the first session – in response to an emergency call-up as wicketkeeper – the result of a knee injury to Quinton de Kock, suffered when he slipped while walking the dogs the previous day. Batting first at least spared de Villiers from having to take the gloves again until his keeper turned up – and so experiencing a fate known to club captains worldwide.With South Africa needing an opener, JP Duminy was dropped – others can consider whether this represented a relaxation of the transformation policy: guidelines that seem to exist or not exist depending on who you speak to and what day of the week it is.That de Villiers’ accession to the captaincy had come at a time when he is openly musing over how best to balance the demands of international cricket and franchise T20 was hardly the most encouraging sign for cricket. For all the predictions that 90,000 spectators were expected over five days, the crowd was thin and it will take big crowds over the weekend to lighten the belief that if the ICC fails to manage the game with enough conviction it will be left to market forces to determine the future.Ben Stokes took England’s only wicket before lunch, Stiaan van Zyl succumbing to a long hop in his first over. Stokes’ first few balls were as grouchy as an old car on a cold winter’s morning – a suitable image for the tourists because back home in England the first cold snap of the winter had arrived – but van Zyl obligingly tried to flick the third of them to the leg side and Jonny Bairstow collected a gentle skier. It was not the shot of a battle-hardened opener. Stokes looked upon his gift wicket with bemusement.The second-wicket pair – Amla smooth and languid; Elgar, a nuggety batsman whose shorts are full of friction – gave South Africa a strong position at 117 for 1, only for Moeen Ali, the only recognised spinner in a Test where pace bowling will dominate, to find enough turn to clip Elgar’s outside edge.Stokes came close to dismissing Amla on 26, signalling so emphatically for a review after bringing the ball back to strike the pads that it brooked no argument. Amla survived on an umpire’s call and, when Amla groped forward to the next ball to inside-edge the next ball to the boundary, Stokes reddened with enough frustration to light up half of Johannesburg.But Finn, outstanding after lunch, removed him as England upped their game, a fast bowler brimful of confidence again, trusting his ability now to take the ball away from the right-hander, and encouraged by the bounce available at The Wanderers, a ground where not only the higher altitude sends fast bowlers heady.De Villiers was in enterprising mood: no chance, one suspects, that this captain will be consumed by negativity because of the cares of captaincy. He rattled up 36 from 40 balls, Moeen planted into the crowd at deep midwicket, but Stokes, fresh from his batting feats in Cape Town, again revealed a Bothamesque ability to take wickets with humdrum balls as de Villiers wafted a catch down the leg side – the fourth catch in a row for Bairstow.Du Plessis had even more cause to berate himself. The delivery from Finn that he clipped off his hip had no devil, but du Plessis clipped it carelessly to deep backward square.Worse followed. Temba Bavuma could be blamed for hesitation, but there was little to commend Vilas’ eagerness for a single to mid-on; Bairstow rushed to the stumps with alacrity to field the bounce from the substitute, Woakes, and complete the run out.When Vilas was bounced out by Broad, England had every chance to polish off South Africa’s innings. But weariness had taken hold and instead Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada regrouped confidently with 32 runs in nine overs against the second new ball. The last ball of the day, from Broad, reared past an outside edge – a reminder for England of the challenge lying ahead.

A succession of rash strokes and an inability to handle pressure brought Sri Lanka’s downfall in the first Twenty20 in Colombo, captain Dinesh Chandimal has said

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo03-Aug-2013A succession of rash strokes and an inability to handle pressure brought Sri Lanka’s downfall in the first Twenty20 in Colombo, captain Dinesh Chandimal has said. Having restricted South Africa to 115 for 6, Sri Lanka mustered only 103 for 9 in their 20 overs, on a surface that presented no great obstacle for scoring runs.Sri Lanka had been 72 for 3 in the 14th over, but lost six wickets for 23 runs thereafter in which time they used up 32 balls. Kumar Sangakkara hit 59 off 53 and remained unbeaten at the close, but no other batsman in his company managed double figures.”There was nothing in the pitch that warranted scores that low,” Chandimal said. “The bowlers on both teams bowled very well, and for us, our batsmen we just didn’t play to the situation. Early on we lost two or three wickets and then played some rash shots. We played some really good cricket in the first half, but we didn’t have anyone to support Sangakkara. Not even one batsman stayed with him.”Chandimal said Sri Lanka had planned to use this series strategically, as they looked to build a Twenty20 side for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh next year. As a result Sri Lanka’s most successful Twenty20 batsman, Mahela Jayawardene, did not play in this match, despite being available. The series moves to Hambantota for two matches now, and despite the failure in Colombo, Sri Lanka may not play their best XI there either.”We are giving the young players a chance in this series, because it’s the best chance to test our young players looking ahead to the World Twenty20 in five months’ time. Most probably, even in the next two matches, only two of our experienced players will take the field, so that we can give that place to a young player. The senior players can come into any match and perform, because they have that experience. We took that decision with the management and selection committee.”Chandimal’s promotion to No. 3 had also been made with development in mind. Sangakkara usually occupies the first-drop position across all formats, but was displaced to No. 4 against South Africa.”In the last ODI Lahiru Thirimanne had the chance to bat at three. In the ODIs, I didn’t get a chance to bat very much so that’s why I batted at three today. I’m also a No. 3 or 4 batsman and there was a plan to get some experience in the top order for the young players. Kumar is batting very well, so his game wouldn’t be affected. I accept though, that I didn’t bat well.”Thirimanne’s place in the Twenty20 side has also come under scrutiny, after he contributed a nine-ball five, and was caught on the fence attempting to hit out. The harder-hitting Angelo Perera would appear to be the better option for Sri Lanka in Twenty20s, but could not find a place in the side, although he is in the squad.”In some T20 matches Thirimanne bats really well. We also have to look at the future of Sri Lanka cricket. Thirimanne, Kusal Perera and myself can get experience and take Sri Lanka cricket forward. So it’s up to us to figure out how to learn quickly and perform well. We’re doing our best to do that. Angelo Perera is a really good Twenty20 batsman as well, and in the future we’ll have to see what our plans are and what our changes and combination will be.”

The eight Big Bash League teams will begin their scramble for players next week, when the initial 12-day contract window opens

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2012The eight Big Bash League teams will begin their scramble for players next week, when the initial 12-day contract window opens. All players became free agents after last year’s tournament, meaning that sides must start from scratch in compiling their squads this year, and competition will be extra fierce this year because teams will be allowed to sign players to multi-year deals.The contract window runs from Monday until July 20, by which time each side must have contracted at least 14 players and a maximum of 18, which can include two from overseas, and the salary cap remains unchanged at A$1 million. The remainder of the squad members must be confirmed by November 30.Cricket Australia has also released the fixture for this year’s tournament, which will begin nine days earlier than last year and will feature four extra matches. The increase means each team will play four home games, and Sydney and Melbourne will each host two derby games.It is those cross-town rivalries that will kick off the tournament, with the Melbourne Renegades hosting the Melbourne Stars at Etihad Stadium on December 7, and the following evening the Sydney Sixers will play the Sydney Thunder. The final has been scheduled for January 19.Schedule
Friday December 7: Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Saturday December 8: Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder, SCG, 7pm
Sunday December 9: Brisbane Heat v Hobart Hurricanes, Gabba, 5pm
Sunday December 9: Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers, WACA, 6pm
Wednesday December 12: Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars, WACA, 5pm
Thursday December 13: Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval, 7pm
Friday December 14: Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Saturday December 15: Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes, MCG, 7pm
Sunday December 16: Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers, SCG, 7pm
Tuesday December 18: Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers, Gabba, 6.30pm
Wednesday December 19: Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Thursday December 20: Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Friday December 21: Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers, MCG, 7pm
Saturday December 22: Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Sunday December 23: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder, Blundstone Arena, 4.30pm
Sunday December 23: Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Oval, 7pm
Wednesday December 26: Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes, SCG, 7pm
Thursday December 27: Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval, 7pm

Friday December 28: Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Saturday December 29: Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades, WACA, 6pm
Sunday December 30: Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Tuesday January 1: Hobart Hurricanes v Perth Scorchers, Blundstone Arena, 7pm
Wednesday January 2: Melbourne Renegades v Adelaide Strikers, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Thursday January 3: Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars, Gabba, 6.30pm
Friday January 4: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder, WACA, 6pm
Saturday January 5: Hobart Hurricanes v Adelaide Strikers, Blundstone Arena, 7pm
Sunday January 6: Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades, MCG, 7pm
Monday January 7: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers, Gabba, 6.30pm
Tuesday January 8: Melbourne Stars v Sydney Thunder, MCG, 7pm
Wednesday January 9: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades, SCG, 7pm
Thursday January 10: Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Oval, 7pm
Saturday January 12: Hobart Hurricanes v Brisbane Heat, Blundstone Arena, 7pm

Tuesday January 15: Semi-Final 1 (1st v 4th)
Wednesday January 16: Semi-Final 2 (2nd v 3rd)
Saturday January 19: Final

A boundary-laden 79 from Jess Cameron and three wickets apiece for Sarah Coyte and Shelley Nitschke helped Australia to a 29-run win over New Zealand in their opening match of the Natwest Women’s Quadrangular in Chesterfield

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Sara McGlashan’s aggressive fifty was in vain as Australia surged to a 29-run win•Getty Images

A boundary-laden 79 from Jess Cameron and three wickets apiece for Sarah Coyte and Shelley Nitschke helped Australia to a 29-run win over New Zealand in their opening match of the Natwest Women’s Quadrangular in Chesterfield. Cameron’s 128-run stand with Alex Blackwell powered Australia to 261 for 9, and despite Sara McGlashan’s fluent 65 New Zealand were bowled out for 232 in the 48th over.New Zealand appeared to have given themselves every chance of keeping Australia to a gettable total during Nicola Browne’s exemplary opening spell, which yielded the wickets of Meg Lanning and Leah Poulton.But Cameron and Blackwell put Australia back on track after they had slipped to 31 for 3, and though New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins eventually removed Blackwell for 41, a couple of lively cameos from the lower-middle order kept up the momentum. Lisa Sthalekar’s rapid 32 took the score past 200, and though New Zealand kept chipping away the runs continued to flow.Lucy Doolan’s confident 42, scored at better than a-run-a-ball, got New Zealand’s chase off to a fluent start as she put together an opening stand of 63 with Frances Mackay. That was the best partnership of the innings however, and despite a fighting partnership between Suzie Bates and McGlashan that took New Zealand almost halfway to their target, they were always behind the rate.McGlashan reached a 72-ball fifty, but once she chipped a return catch back to Clea Smith the match was Australia’s. Browne and wicketkeeper Rachel Priest smashed a few crisp boundaries before departing. Coyte then returned to bowl Kate Broadmore and end the match.

Medium-pacer Maurits Jonkman has been ruled out of the ICC World Cricket League Division One due to injury, and has been replaced by Bernard Loots

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2010Medium-pacer Maurits Jonkman has been ruled out of the ICC World Cricket League Division One due to injury, and has been replaced by Bernard Loots. Netherlands have won and lost two of their four games thus far in the competition and face Ireland in a crucial encounter in Amstelveen on Friday.

Both teams have exciting cricketers, their head-to-head record is almost dead even, and with higher-ranked teams in their group, this is a game they can’t lose

Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Jun-2024

Match details

Netherlands vs Nepal
Dallas, 10.30am local

Big picture – Netherlands favourites, but only just

There are two obvious groups of death in this T20 World Cup, and Group D is one of them. Netherlands and Nepal are the two lowest-ranked sides in the group, but one of them comes into the tournament with serious pedigree in punching well above their weight at World Cups.Remember this? And this? And this? And more recently, over the last two years, this, and this?Before they can try and pull off results of that nature against South Africa, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, however, Netherlands will have to get past the one team they are favourites against. And it won’t be easy.Related

• Edwards: 'Our best is well and truly good enough'

• Lamichhane denied US visa, will miss T20 World Cup 2024

• Netherlands bring in Saqib Zulfiqar and Kyle Klein

Netherlands have a 6-5 T20I record against Nepal overall, and their six meetings in the pandemic and post-pandemic eras have been dead even. They met three times earlier this year, in a triangular tournament in Kirtipur, and won once apiece in the league stage before Netherlands won a closely fought final.Netherlands may have been here and done it before, while Nepal have only featured in one previous T20 World Cup, but the results they achieved in that tournament – in 2014, when they beat Afghanistan and fell short of a Super 10s spot only by virtue of net run-rate – should tell you that this could be a seriously tight contest.

Form guide

Netherlands LLLWW
Nepal LLWWWDipendra Singh Airee, the man who can change – and finish off – a T20 game singlehandedly•Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images

In the spotlight – Michael Levitt and Dipendra Airee

Michael Levitt earned his first Netherlands call-up last year, at 19, and has gone on to become a key player at the top of the order since his debut this February. The South Africa-born Levitt has scored 349 runs in eight T20I innings so far, at an average of 43.62 and a strike rate of 156.50. He made Netherlands’ highest T20I score in only his second T20I, smashing 135 off just 62 balls against Namibia, and he comes into this tournament with form behind him too, scoring a 28-ball 55 in the warm-up victory over Sri Lanka.You probably remember him for scoring the fastest T20I fifty, off just nine balls, against Mongolia during last year’s Asian Games, but Dipendra Singh Airee, Nepal’s highest run-getter in T20Is, has shown his quality against higher-ranked teams too. Netherlands know what he’s capable of; earlier this year, Nepal were six down against them in Kirtipur, needing 57 off 24 balls, when Airee went ballistic. His 34-ball 63 took Nepal to the doorstep of victory, before Roelof van der Merwe bowled him with four runs needed off three balls and Netherlands sealed a two-run win.

Team news

Since Levitt’s emergence, Vikramjit Singh has dropped out of Netherlands’ first-choice opening combination. He may bat at No. 3 or 4 if he finds a place in their XI on Tuesday.Netherlands (probable): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Michael Levitt, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 5 Teja Nidamanuru, 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Aryan Dutt, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian KingmaWith a visa refusal ending Sandeep Lamichhane’s potential participation in the World Cup, the question of Lalit Rajbanshi’s spin partner becomes highly pertinent. Sagar Dhakal was one of only two Nepal bowlers to complete their four-over quota in their warm-up game against Canada. It suggests that Nepal may be mulling starting the 22-year-old against Netherlands, if they decide to go with two left-arm spinners.Nepal (probable): 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Anil Sah, 4 Kushal Malla, 5 Rohit Paudel (capt), 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Gulsan Jha, 8 Sompal Kami, 9 Karan KC, 10 Lalit Rajbanshi, 11 Abinash Bohara/Sagar Dhakal0:50

Which team is the likeliest to be upset?

Pitch and conditions

Dallas was where this World Cup got underway, and it got underway with a bang, as USA chased down 195 with 14 balls remaining. Twenty-one sixes were hit in that game, ten coming off the blade of Aaron Jones, who smashed an unbeaten, match-winning 94 off 40 balls. Prepare for more big hitting if the conditions remain similar.The threat of rain hangs over the match, though, with Dallas experiencing stormy weather in the lead-up, and there’s a 20% chance of precipitation forecast for Tuesday.

Stats and trivia

• Sompal Kami is the only survivor from Nepal’s last appearance at the T20 World Cup in 2014. The seam-bowling allrounder, who was 18 at the time, made his T20I debut in that tournament, picking up 2 for 13 in an 80-run win over Hong Kong
• In the same match where Airee broke the record for fastest T20I fifty, Kushal Malla scored a 34-ball century, which at that time was a T20I record too. That record has since been broken, with Nepal at the receiving end as Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton tonked a 34-ball ton against them in February
• Malla (167.24) has the fourth-highest T20I strike rate among all batters with at least 500 runs in the format. Of batters from teams featuring in this tournament, only Suryakumar Yadav (171.55) is ahead of him
• Logan van Beek is playing his fifth T20 World Cup, having previously featured in 2014, 2016, 2021 and 2022.

Quotes

“We know the Nepal team quite well because we’ve played against them recently. But we’ve also played against South Africa, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka very recently as well … in the 50-over World Cup and in the qualifiers. So really looking forward to our group and I’m sure there’ll be a lot of jostling within the group.”

Both Rizwan and Afridi also praise Zaman Khan who defended 12 in the final over to give Qalandars’ their second successive PSL title

Umar Farooq19-Mar-2023After his side lost the 2023 PSL final to Lahore Qalandars by one run, Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan has tagged Shaheen Shah Afridi’s unbeaten 15-ball 44 the “turning point” of the match. Rizwan also gave credit to Zaman Khan who defended 12 in the final over to give Qalandars their second successive title.In a game where the momentum swung from one side to the other more than once, Rizwan’s dismissal too played a big part in the result. Chasing 201, Sultans were 122 for 2, in the 13th over, when an excellent catch by David Weise at the long-on boundary sent him back.”Turning point was Shaheen’s innings that took away the momentum,” Rizwan said in the post-match press conference. “We did manage to make things easy for us at one stage. Unfortunately, my bat turned in my hand and I couldn’t get enough power behind the shot. But he [Wiese] took a brilliant catch and that’s why the game was with them.Related

• Shaheen and Zaman the heroes as Qalandars defend PSL title

• Stats – All-round Shaheen, Qalandars' turnaround, Rawalpindi run-fests

“You should give credit to Zaman Khan for the way he bowled that over. I have seen very few bowlers who have saved 13 runs from six balls, but he has been doing this a lot since the last two seasons, 11 from six balls, 15 from six, 13 from six.”In the end, you can’t blame anyone or nitpick the mistakes when it went so close. The difference of one run is maybe because they have slightly more passion than our team, a bit more effort. There was obviously something different that the result went their way. When you lose or win by one run, you can’t complain because it means both sides played good cricket, so sometimes we can safely put that on fate.”This season, Afridi surprised everyone with his batting. He spent a lot of time in the nets working on his big-hitting. In the league stage, he promoted himself up the order on a few occasions and did the same in the final as well.Afridi wasn’t even padded up when Sikandar Raza got out in the 15th over, leaving the side at 112 for 5. Weise was about to walk in next when Afridi emerged from behind and stopped him. The move paid off as Afridi’s knock helped Qalandars post 200.”Obviously we know Weise and Rashid [Khan] are someone who can score quickly even when there are only a few balls left. But in some games, I felt if I go in before them, it would be better for the team,” Afridi said. “And whenever I try something, I have the complete backing of [head caoch] Aaqib [Javed] and [COO] Sameen [Rana] .”In fact, I had only one pad on. But I stopped him [Weise] because since Khushdil [Shah] was bowling, I didn’t want to give away an extra wicket. I thought if I could connect a couple, we could put them under pressure. And that’s exactly what happened.”In the last two overs of the match, Sultans needed 35 runs. Haris Rauf went for 22 in the 19th but Zaman kept his nerve.”Haris is not just Pakistan’s best bowler, he is the world’s best bowler,” Afridi said. “He has always won the games for his team, be it for Pakistan, Lahore Qalandars, or in any other league or even county cricket. I have always had blind trust in him, he always does well in such situations. Going for 22 in one over doesn’t change that.”We were also lagging behind the over rate. But the way Zaman has improved, and the way he delivered in that last over, full credit goes to him because we only had four fielders outside the circle.”All that meant, Afridi became the first captain to win back-to-back PSL titles. For his growth as captain, he thanked Aaqib and Rana.”Aaqib and Sameen have played a big role,” Afridi said. “They guided me as a player, groomed me as vice-captain for two years, and then handed me the captaincy. At times, there were bigger names in the team, like [Mohammad] Hafeez , and I shouldn’t have been leading the side. So when you get it, you should grab it, and if the team has trust in you, then you should lead them to the best [of your abilities].”

Uncapped opener Kaitano and wicketkeeper Madande are part of the 15-man squad

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2022Craig Ervine will captain Zimbabwe for their three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. The series is part of the World Cup Super League, with these three ODIs Zimbabwe’s first 50-over matches since a three-match series against Ireland in September.Ervine has been entrusted with the responsibility to lead Zimbabwe once again after he captained the team for the limited-overs tour to Ireland and Scotland in August-September last year.The squad sees opening batter Takudzwanashe Kaitano and wicketkeeper Clive Madande included for the first time, while allrounder Tino Mutombodzi has returned to the national side. Experienced middle-order batters Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams are also part of the side, while Zimbabwe resume life without Brendan Taylor, who retired from international cricket in August.The three games will take place on January 16, 18 and 21. The last time the two sides played an ODI series, Zimbabwe stunned the hosts, famously winning the five-match series 3-2. It remains the only multi-game ODI series Zimbabwe have won in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s last ODI series came against South Africa at home, with the hosts winning 2-1.According to Zimbabwe Cricket, the side will leave for Sri Lanka on Saturday.Squad: Craig Ervine (capt), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande, Wesly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams