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Beth Mooney made short work of the small chase after another underpowered effort from Pakistan

AAP26-Jan-2023Australia wrapped up a T20 series victory over Pakistan on the back of a clinical bowling effort and clean strikes from Beth Mooney.The hosts used nine bowlers on Thursday night at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena, restricting Pakistan to 96 for 7 and chasing down the target in 12.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.Mooney returned to the top of the order after not batting in the first game of the series because of soreness, and hit 46 from 29 balls. She shared a 60-run opening partnership with skipper Meg Lanning to iron out most of the total.The win clinches the three-game series for Australia, following their eight-wicket win in game one, with the final match to be played in Canberra on Sunday.Lanning shared the ball around in Australia’s final series ahead of the T20 World Cup in South Africa beginning in February.Spinner Alana King came on in the middle to late stages with great effect, picking up 2 for 10 from two overs. King dropped Ayesha Naseem in the 13th over, but made up for it in the 14th when she trapped her plumb lbw for 5.Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Jessica Jonassen, Grace Harris and Annabel Sutherland all chipped in with a wicket each.Star allrounder Gardner, who earlier this week expressed her discomfort with playing on Australia Day, was one of just two players to bowl four overs.Gardner, a proud Muruwari woman, said January 26 was a day of hurt and mourning for Indigenous people. Australia’s squad attended a smoking ceremony and completed a walking tour of kunanyi/Mt Wellington in Hobart, and wore an Indigenous jersey, socks and wristbands for the match.Megan Schutt, who took 5 for 15 in the first game, conceded 10 runs from her one over.Pakistan opener Muneeba Ali top-scored with 33 from 43 balls, but was one of only three in her side to reach double figures.There was an awkward moment not long before the first ball, with the on-field sprinklers briefly coming to life.

Trying to keep strike, the batter ran one short off the penultimate ball of the first innings

Tristan Lavalette24-Dec-2021Hobart Hurricanes were hit with a rare five-run penalty in their Big Bash League match against Melbourne Stars at Bellerive Oval on Friday after batter Tim David was deemed to have deliberately run short in the last over of the home side’s innings. This was the first time a five-run penalty had been enforced in the BBL, for any offence.In what was the penultimate ball of the innings, David hit a yorker-length delivery from Brody Couch to long-on, and while at first glance it seemed like the batters had returned for two runs, it was soon evident that David had avoided finishing the first run in an effort to get back for the strike – his partner was No. 8 Nathan Ellis. As a result, what could have been at least one run, and possibly two, ended up being a dot ball. Not just that, for the deliberate act, David’s team was slapped with five penalty runs under Law 18.5.1.David kept the strike, though, and earned five more runs for his team – two off the regulation last ball, which was a full-toss that was a no-ball for height, and two more off the free hit. That took Hurricanes to 180 for 6, and Stars began their chase with five runs already on the board.Adding to the drama, there was obvious chatter between the Stars players and David as the teams left the field at the end of Hurricanes’ innings.Related

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Peter Handscomb later said that the Hurricanes players felt somewhat aggrieved by the penalty. “Tim was just trying to get back to his end. He’s a big boy and can hit sixes so it was his job to get back on strike,” he told Fox Sports. “I’ve never heard that rule before but every day is a school day so you learn something.”Adam Gilchrist said on the Fox Sports broadcast that he had never seen that type of incident before and believed it was “not really in the spirit of the game. It was really quick umpiring to pick it up… good umpiring,” he said.Other instances of batters deliberately running short include Sri Lanka’s Roshen Silva in a Test against England in 2018, and West Indies’ Kieron Pollard in a match in IPL 2017.

Bangladesh’s new batting consultant will be wary of making wholesale changes

Mohammad Isam29-Aug-2020Craig McMillan has said that in his new role as Bangladesh’s batting consultant he would look to build relationships with the players rather than making wholesale changes. McMillan, who was appointed on Bangladesh’s support staff last week for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, will be joining the squad next month during the tour’s preparatory phase.McMillan, who was New Zealand’s batting coach for five years until the 2019 World Cup, said that he would focus on helping batsmen make good decisions for longer periods to bring them success in Tests.”One of the first things that I have to do is develop a relationship with the players,” McMillan told ESPNcricinfo. “I am really looking forward to doing that. I know a few players through New Zealand playing against Bangladesh but not that well. I certainly won’t be coming in and changing any techniques. It won’t be the first thing I do. It will be more about just adding little things to their game plans, and adding those things that will bring success.”I certainly believe that quality Test match batting is about having a solid defence first and foremost, one that you trust and believe in, and then the ability to make good decisions for a long period of time. So if you can do that, you can get in the battle with the bowler and playing the right shots at the right time is key to being successful in Test match cricket.”McMillan said that Bangladesh’s three-week training camp, likely to start in Colombo at the end of September, is necessary given the large amount of time that the players had been out of action due to the pandemic. He said that playing a three-match Test series, Bangladesh’s first in six years, is going to be a “great opportunity” for the team.”It has been a quiet time in cricket being played all over the world, so it is exciting to have a tour coming up,” he said. “Three Test matches is a great opportunity for the Bangladesh side.”I think it’s an excellent idea by the BCB to have a good three-week preparation getting into that [first] Test match. So much downtime and not a lot of cricket being played in the last six or seven months, I think the preparation is going to be important heading into the Sri Lanka series.”McMillan said that Russell Domingo, Bangladesh’s head coach, called him up about the role, and after a bit of thought, he decided to take up the position. He is, however, going to be available only for the Sri Lanka tour, and he said that anything beyond that will require further discussion.”It caught me a little bit by surprise,” McMillan recalled. “I got a call from Russell Domingo, and after I had a week to think about it, I was excited by and looking forward to the challenge. It was one of those things that I wasn’t expecting throughout these times. There isn’t a lot of cricket being played at the moment but once the opportunity came, I decided to take it. I am really excited to be working with the team and coaching staff.”I am not looking any further than the Sri Lanka tour at the moment. I am really looking forward to working with the players, finding out what makes them tick and developing relationships with them. I think it will be key.”I am also excited to be working alongside Russell Domingo who is vastly experienced, and other coaching staff. We will see how this tour goes and then have further discussions and see where it leads.”

Both men have been here before, and they’ve had great success too, but who will take the trophy home in 2019?

The Preview by Sreshth Shah11-May-20199:07

Agarkar: Flat pitch may expose CSK’s pace attack

Big Picture

The IPL’s 12th edition has earned the blockbuster finale it deserves.When Chennai Super Kings won last year, they tied Mumbai Indians’ record of three IPL titles and opened up a debate about which was the better IPL side. After Sunday, that debate may well be decided.Mumbai, who reached Hyderabad four days ago, have enjoyed a near-flawless season. They were at the top half of the points table all through and they will end the campaign without knowing what back-to-back losses feel like. It’s been a team performance too: a total of four men have scored more than 300 runs for Mumbai and five have taken 10 or more wickets.This was also the year when Hardik Pandya became Mumbai’s premier death-overs batter, taking over from Kieron Pollard. His 386 runs have come at breakneck pace and that’s often helped the team put up above-par totals and take down tough targets. Add eight overs of a fitter Lasith Malinga and a fiery Jasprit Bumrah, and you know why Mumbai have reached another IPL final.For Super Kings, it’s about proving popular wisdom wrong once again. A team with an average age near 35 was not supposed to contest in two finals in a row, but MS Dhoni’s astute man-management – and a resurgence in personal form – has seen them reach their eighth final in 10 seasons.With 414 runs, this has been Dhoni’s best IPL season and for long it looked like he was carrying the weight of the Super Kings batting on his own. But they come to the final knowing the supporting cast – Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner – has produced some match-winning performances too.Tournament finals are a whole different ball game though and results of yore – including the three times Mumbai have beaten Super Kings this season – carry very little weight in a game where pressure has a bigger role to play than skill. If there’s anything Mumbai can hold on to, it’s that they return to the same venue where they won their last IPL title in 2017. Oh, and that Rohit – unlike – has never lost an IPL final.Malinga and Bumrah, united by their distinctive unorthodoxy•BCCI

Likely XIs

Both teams have made very few changes – unless forced – all tournament. But a change in venue from their previous games could see Mumbai dropping extra spinner Jayant Yadav and bringing allrounder Ben Cutting in. Cutting was Man-of-the-Match when Sunrisers Hyderabad won the IPL 2016 final. Super Kings could offload Shardul Thakur, who bowled an expensive one-over spell in Qualifier 2, for an extra batting option in M Vijay.Mumbai Indians: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Ben Cutting, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit BumrahChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 M Vijay, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 MS Dhoni, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Imran Tahir

Previous meeting

Mumbai have won all three games against Super Kings in IPL 2019, the first almost wholly thanks to Hardik Pandya, the second thanks to Rohit and Malinga masterclasses and the third thanks to their spinners out-bowling CSK in their own den.MS Dhoni shapes to go big•BCCI

Strategy punt

• Don’t save Bumrah for the death, save him for Dhoni instead. Overall, Dhoni has a strike-rate of only 102.20 against Bumrah in the IPL, with a dot-ball percentage of 46.20% and three dismissals in seven innings. And this season he is the only pace bowler against whom Dhoni does not have a strike-rate of more than 100.
• If Bumrah fails, let Hardik bowl to Dhoni. In seven innings against Hardik, Dhoni has scored only 21 runs in 26 balls. To counter both, Dhoni could promote himself up and take a shot against Mumbai’s spin bowlers.
• Want to surprise Rohit? Throw in Deepak Chahar with the bat. Chahar’s strike-rate of 189.70 between overs 7-15 (in four IPL innings) will allow Super Kings to maximise their run-scoring in a period where designated batsmen Rayudu and Raina have struggled. Ravindra Jadeja, too, could be a useful ploy against Krunal Pandya. Krunal has conceded 9.20 runs per over against left handers this season, while going at only 6.50 per over against right handers.

Stats and Trivia

• MS Dhoni, chasing his 100th win as Chennai Super Kings captain, has not struck a boundary off Rahul Chahar, Bumrah, Hardik or Krunal Pandya this year.
• The top four run-scorers in IPL finals are all in Super Kings. Suresh Raina (241 runs), M VIjay (181), MS Dhoni (178) and Shane Watson (156) lead the pack.
• Teams batting first in IPL finals have won 63.60% of all games.
• Mumbai are the only team to have a win-percentage of more than 50 against Super Kings.
• Rohit, Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu will be chasing their fifth IPL titles – the most among any player.

Continuing their dominance over Zimbabwe, Afghanistan piled up their second-highest ODI total of 333 with Rahmat Shah’s 114 off 110 balls the centerpiece of a resounding victory

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2018Afghanistan 333 for 5 (Rahmat 114, Najibullah 81, Ihsanullah 53) beat Zimbabwe 179 (Mire 34, Rashid 4-26) by 154 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRahmat Shah celebrates his century•Associated Press

Continuing their dominance over Zimbabwe, Afghanistan piled up their second-highest ODI total of 333 with Rahmat Shah’s 114 off 110 balls the centerpiece of a resounding victory. The 24-year old batsman had come in with a sturdy foundation in place but as the score slipped from 90 for 1 to 109 for 3, he felt the need to preserve his wicket and bat long. Rahmat was 37 from 53 balls at the end of the 30th over but picked up the pace towards the end, smashing half of his 12 boundaries in the last 10 overs. He was still no match for a red-hot Najibullah Zadran, who launched five sixes and five fours in an innings of 81 at a strike-rate of 158.82. Only the spinners Graeme Cremer (3-47) and Sikandar Raza (2-58) managed to escape the carnage.Zimbabwe’s chase began brightly enough but they lurched from 50 for 0 to 135 for 8, Rashid Khan once again the wrecker-in-chief, taking four wickets in 5.4 overs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the 16-year old offspinner playing his third ODI, opened the bowling for Afghanistan and picked up two wickets. Even Rahmat chipped in, dismissing Kyle Jarvis to hasten their 154-run victory and walked away with the Man-of-the-Match award.

Fresh off a Man-of-the-Series performance against Sri Lanka, Dean Elgar is eyeing a spot in the one-day set-up with a view to staking a claim for the Champions Trophy and eventually the next World Cup

Firdose Moonda16-Jan-2017Fresh off a Man-of-the-Series performance against Sri Lanka, Dean Elgar is eyeing a spot in the one-day set-up with a view to staking a claim for the Champions Trophy and eventually the next World Cup. Although South Africa’s fifty-over batting line-up is fairly settled, Rilee Rossouw’s exit from the international stage after his Kolpak deal could create an opening, especially if AB de Villiers is unfit.Rossouw played in all five matches during South Africa’s 5-0 whitewash over Australia in October, for which de Villiers was unavailable as he recovered from elbow surgery. De Villiers is expected to be back and to lead the side against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and ultimately the Champions Trophy but South Africa will still be searching for a reserve batsman and Elgar wants to put “both hands and both feet up” in a bid for the job.”I very much still want to play one-day cricket, and think I have something to offer, especially with my bowling. In Test cricket I can’t offer my bowling as I can in white-ball cricket,” Elgar said. “I am throwing both hands and both feet up, I want to play one-day cricket. I know opportunities might come with guys leaving and so be it.”Elgar has played six ODIs for South Africa – the first five during their tour to England in 2012 – and the most recent one in India in November 2015 as an injury replacement for JP Duminy. His returns have not been particularly impressive, with 98 runs at 24.50, but he has a much better domestic record to back him up, albeit not a recent one.International commitments have seen Elgar miss most of the last two season’s worth of franchise List A cricket but when he as available in the past, he was an impressive performer. He topped the one-day batting in the 2011-12 season when he scored 567 runs from 10 matches at 81.00, ahead of Faf du Plessis and Colin Ingram. He last played List A cricket in 2016, in the one-day cup. He played three matches for Titans scoring 8, 57 and 37.”It’s difficult when I tour a lot. I’ve missed two years of domestic one-day cricket so it’s difficult to turn out the numbers and stats that people are looking for,” he said. “But in saying that I still get to play Test cricket for South Africa which is the format that everyone wants to play. I’m all-in for one-day cricket still.”This season will not be much different. The one-day cup will be played between February 17 and March 31 when then the national team will be in New Zealand. The Test side will only be required from the beginning of March, which could leave Elgar free to play in the early stages of the competition and coach Russell Domingo is keen to see what he can offer.”Our one-day side is pretty stacked at the moment with Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and David Miller – that’s probably the top six. Farhaan Behardien is also there. He [Elgar] is definitely an option, particularly in the top three. He has got a good one-day record. He is in the mix, there’s no doubt about it. Him and a few other batters, like Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma who got a hundred on one-day debut when he played. There are a few fringe players in the mix and his name is definitely in there.”Elgar has not been included in South Africa’s new-look T20 squad to play Sri Lanka next week, despite the selectors search for new faces. De Bruyn is in the side, along with Jon-Jon Smuts, Reeza Hendricks and Heino Kuhn.

The bilateral series between India and Pakistan, scheduled to take place in December, remains in limbo even after a meeting between senior officials from both governments

Umar Farooq08-Dec-20153:46

The flip-flop saga

The bilateral series between India and Pakistan, scheduled to take place in December, remains in limbo even after a meeting between senior officials of both governments.India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj was in Islamabad and held talks with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday. But it is understood that cricket was not among the topics discussed.PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, however, had been under the impression that resuming cricketing ties would be on the agenda, and the fact that it wasn’t has put serious doubts in his mind over the series going though.”We are already late, but this is something which is beyond our control,” he said. “I am disappointed that cricket didn’t make into the discussion but we are still unclear about the status of the series. I don’t know what is going to happen but given the delay and silence I understand it’s a no after all from them.”More doubts were cast when BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, who is also an MP with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said cricketing relations cannot resume until there is political stability between the two countries. These, however, were his personal views and he clarified that he would comply with whatever decision the Indian government or the BCCI took.”If there is firing on the border, with your people getting killed, will you play cricket? Of course I’ll say no,” Thakur told . “Any Indian will say no to that. My personal view could be different, but I have to honour what the BCCI members have decided because I’m secretary.”Former secretary of the BCCI signed an agreement with the PCB in April last year, where it is clearly mentioned, if certain resolutions are passed by the ICC, we will play you. We have to honour that now. But I can’t force BJP’s agenda or my individual agenda on the BCCI.”After a deadlock over who would host the series, the BCCI and PCB had petitioned their respective governments to allow the teams to play each other in Sri Lanka. Pakistan had given the nod, the series still awaits the Indian government’s approval.Even if headway is made and the series does go through, the PCB will have to race against time to make logistical arrangements given it is tentatively scheduled to begin on December 15. According to the MoU signed between the BCCI and the PCB, it is Pakistan’s turn to host the series. The prevailing uncertainty leaves the Pakistan board with very little time, especially with the venue being Sri Lanka. The PCB, however, is determined to host the series.

Alex Lees scored an unbeaten century in only his third Championship match to lead Yorkshire to a commanding 215 for 2 against Middlesex

11-Jun-2013
ScorecardAndrew Gale’s form continued in partnership with centurion Alex Lees•Getty Images

Alex Lees scored an unbeaten century in only his third Championship match to lead Yorkshire to a commanding 215 for 2 against Middlesex on a day shortened by persistent drizzle and bad light at Lord’s.With rain stopping play four times and bad light bringing a further interruption, it was not easy for the batsmen to maintain their concentration but Lees showed he had a sound temperament as well as a solid technique by reaching his century in the penultimate over in dazzling sunshine. He had been batting more than four and a half hours and faced 221 balls when he swept off spinner Ollie Rayner nervelessly for his 11th four to complete his second first-class hundred.Middlesex must have fancied their chances against a Yorkshire side missing their England trio of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan as well as Gary Ballance (virus), Jack Brooks (broken thumb) and Moin Ashraf (stiff back).They did not mind bowling first, either, after Yorkshire won the toss and chose to bat in overcast conditions but they were to be denied by Lees, who made 121 against Leeds/Bradford MCCU earlier in the season but had managed only 12 runs in his three previous Championship innings. A powerfully-built, 6ft 3in left-hander, he withstood a thorough examination from Tim Murtagh and Corey Collymore with the new ball, applied himself diligently and received his due reward.Yorkshire had lost Adam Lyth for 11, caught low down at first slip off Murtagh, at 32 and Phil Jaques, caught behind off Gareth Berg, at 70 but Lees got all the support he needed from Andrew Gale, his captain, in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 145 in 53 overs.Lees played and missed a few times early on and there were a couple of streaky fours through the slips, including the one off Neil Dexter that took him to his fifty off 116 balls but he was growing in confidence all the time. Gale, fresh from his monumental 272, the 13th highest score in Yorkshire’s history, against Nottinghamshire at Scarborough last week, was a reassuring presence as he batted with great assurance to reach 61 off 165 balls with five fours.It made it a chastening day for Middlesex, who began the game joint second with Yorkshire, only five points behind first division leaders Sussex. They had further cause for concern when James Harris pulled up with a side strain in his fifth over. Curiously he stayed on the field, presumably so he will be able to bowl straight away if his condition improves overnight.

Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has said that the side’s decision to keep the faith in their “core group” of players, including Yusuf Pathan, is one of the reasons for their strong performance

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2012Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has said that the side’s decision to keep the faith in their “core group” of players, including Yusuf Pathan, has been a factor in their strong performance this season. Yusuf, who had a series of low scores throughout this IPL, came good in the first qualifier against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday, his unbeaten 40 off 21 deliveries crucial in taking Knight Riders to the final.”After we lost to Chennai Super Kings, at Eden Gardens, I was asked why I stick to the core group of players… the answer is, because I want them to believe that I have complete faith in them,” Gambhir said after the qualifier. “Only that can boost them to give their best. That only will make them stand up to these tough challenges. I was also asked why I persist with Yusuf Pathan. I have always said that he is a magical player and that he will come good when it would matter the most. I was proved right today.”Mahela Jayawardene, the Daredevils batsman, said that the partnership between Yusuf and Laxmi Shukla – 56 runs in four overs – took the game away from his side. “In a Twenty20 game, it is tough to say anyone is out of form,” Jayawardene said. “I think there was a great platform for him [Yusuf] to come and play his natural game, which is hitting the ball clean. Our guys bowled a few good yorkers. When they did not hit those zones marginally, he hit a few good [shots]. Laxmi batted really well too. I think his cameo gave Yusuf the confidence to go after our guys.”Gambhir said that after their narrow loss to Kings XI Punjab, Knight Riders could have dropped players, which he was not in favour of. “We could have easily chopped and changed when we lost to Kings XI. We could have easily made harsh decisions but it is important [to] stick to the core group of players and make them believe that everyone backs them. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we have done well.Gautam Gambhir on Yusuf Pathan: “I have always said that he will come good when it would matter the most.”•AFP

“The players who are there in the KKR dressing room are there because I have complete faith in them. Whoever sits in the dressing room, I completely back them. That is why they are part of KKR.”Everyone has been talking about Yusuf and Manoj Tiwary, but the way Manoj batted in Mumbai, those 40 [41] runs he made were as important as any runs in the tournament. I have always mentioned that those small contributions make you win games. For me Shukla’s contribution [24 not out off 11] made the difference [in the qualifier]. It is not about someone getting 60 or 70 at the top of the order. It is about someone who comes lower down the order or someone like Rajat Bhatia who can bowl two-three overs at a good economy-rate.”When asked about Brett Lee missing out on the playing XI, Gambhir said that no one was bigger than the team. “It is about the best XI that is going to go out and win the game for us. It is not about Brett Lee. It is not about individuals. From me to Jacques Kallis to no one. If I feel that I am not hitting the ball well and there is someone else who can do the job for KKR, I will be the first one sitting out. It will always be about KKR when I am [in charge].”Brendon McCullum, the Knight Riders wicketkeeper and former captain, called Gambhir an “outstanding” leader, saying that he had led from the front. “He is very soft-spoken in the changing room and around the group, and on the field he leads through performance and through actions,” McCullum told . “Technically, he has been very good and has used Sunil Narine incredibly well and he has got a lot out of the other guys as well. He has been excellent as a captain so far.”Gambhir, McCullum’s opening partner, has been Knight Riders’ best batsman by some distance this season, making six half-centuries compared to the three fifties the rest of his batsmen have scored in all. “He has been hitting the ball as well as anyone in the tournament,” McCullum said. “I, from the other end, try to give him strike – that is probably the reverse of the roles that we thought of at the start of the tournament. I can’t take credit [for] the partnerships where he has played beautifully and made my work easy, and I just try to hang in around and get him on strike.”

Up to eight top Pakistan players are likely to be in the running to play in the first edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL)

Osman Samiuddin09-May-2011Up to eight top Pakistan players are likely to be in the running to play in the first edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL), allowing players from that country to finally benefit from some of the riches on offer in lucrative Twenty20 leagues around the world. The SLPL, likely to feature players from around the world, is scheduled to be held at the end of July and beginning of August this year, a window in the FTP where Pakistan has no commitments currently.Both Pakistan captains – Shahid Afridi from the limited overs side and Misbah-ul-Haq from the Test side – have been approached, as have Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik and Umar Gul.The players were first approached directly by the organisers of the tournament, the Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment, something that the PCB wasn’t pleased about. But eventually the organisers contacted the PCB asking for clearance for the players to participate and they have been given a positive response. “We told them, in theory, we have no issues with our players taking part in the tournament,” a senior board official told ESPNcricinfo. “The first priority of each player of course will be Pakistan’s international commitments and if there is something on in that window and the player concerned is picked for Pakistan, that commitment will take priority.”The participation of Malik will depend on whether he will be cleared by the PCB’s integrity committee, a condition which has kept him out of the national side since last summer.Players from Pakistan are currently the only ones from the Test-playing nations not to be taking part in the richest domestic Twenty20 league of all, the IPL. Though a number of players took part in the inaugural season of the tournament, in 2008, deteriorating political ties between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks later that year have led to them missing out since, much to the chagrin of the players themselves, some of whom can rightly claim to be among the best international players in the format. The players were even put into the auction for the third season of the IPL but no franchise was willing to buy them, given the potentially tricky diplomatic and logistical issues that could have emerged.For similar reasons, no Pakistan domestic side has taken part in the equally lucrative IPL spin-off, the Champions League, which brings together the best domestic Twenty20 sides from around the world. A few Pakistan players, including Afridi, Gul and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan have taken part in the Australian Big Bash but the timing of it generally tends to clash with international commitments and so curtails participation.There is also regular participation in Twenty20 competitions in England, as well as longer-term county contracts but by and large, Pakistan’s players have missed out on the bonanza of the last few years. “We are aware that our players have not benefitted as others around the world have done, though much of this is out of our hands,” the official said. “This will be a good opportunity, if things work out, for them to take part.”Though full financial details of the league are yet to emerge, one estimate suggests that there will be three salary tabs with the highest at US$ 30,000.