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Results from the ODI series were supposed to count towards points in the ICC’s new one-day league

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2020South Africa’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, which was scheduled for the first half of June, has been postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The teams were set to play three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour, with results from the former counting towards points in the ICC’s new one-day league.”It is very sad that we have been forced to take this step and we will re-schedule the tour as soon as cricket returns to a sense of normality and our international fixture list allows,” Cricket South Africa acting chief executive Jacques Faul said in a statement.”Our Proteas would not have been able to prepare properly taking our own lockdown situation into account and, more importantly, health considerations for our players, which are always paramount, were the over-riding factor.”Graeme Smith, CSA’s director of cricket, had also earlier indicated that players would need six weeks of preparation time before embarking on a tour, given the ongoing global lockdowns.South Africa’s next assignment is a two-Test, five T20I tour to West Indies in July-August. A decision on that tour is expected mid-May.The inaugural ODI league was due to run from May 2020 to March 2022, featuring the 12 Test-playing teams and Netherlands – the 13th ranked ODI side, which qualified for the league from the World Cricket League Championship. The top eight sides from the league will qualify automatically for the 2023 World Cup.”[This series] would have been a particularly important tour for us with the three ODIs counting for the new ICC one-day league and the T20 programme being part of our preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for Australia later this year,” Faul said. “It is very frustrating for the players who want to build on the good form they showed at the back-end of our home summer against Australia.”This is the second one-day series with ODI league points at stake to be postponed, after Ireland v Bangladesh. The ICC is yet to officially comment on how the schedule will be rejigged to accommodate series that are part of the ODI league and the Test Championship, but more is expected on this following high-level meetings on Thursday.Two series that count towards the Test Championship – Sri Lanka v England and Bangladesh v Australia – have also been postponed due to the pandemic. The men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in Australia in October-November, another tournament that is in doubt in current circumstances.

Perry had earlier batted through the Sixers innings making 54 not out, taken a key wicket, made a crucial run out and held a vital catch before bowling the final over that saw the match end in a tie

The Report by Alex Malcolm19-Jan-2019
Super over
Is there anything Ellyse Perry can’t do?A stunning six in a Super Over saw the Sydney Sixers keep the dream of three consecutive titles alive scraping past the Melbourne Renegades in a remarkable game. They will face the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL final next Saturday following a day of heart-stopping semi-finals at the Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.Perry had earlier batted through the Sixers innings making 54 not out, taken a key wicket, made a crucial run-out and held a vital catch before bowling the final over that saw the match end in a tie. And after all of that, she clubbed Molly Strano for six off the fourth ball of the Super Over to win the game.Strano only had six runs to play with after Sixers pacer Marizanne Kapp had held the Renegades to four singles and a two.The Super Over was an anti-climax compared to the chaotic final ball sequence in the Renegades chase.Sophie Molineux, on 53 having controlled the chase magnificently, faced Perry needing three runs to win off the final ball. Molineux carved it just over backward point’s head. Erin Burns sprinted from deep cover-point to make a remarkable diving save to prevent the boundary. Sarah Aley was there in support to fire the throw to the keeper’s end. Molineux’s partner Claire Koski made her ground coming back for three but Molineux had been slower covering the ground. Alyssa Healy ripped her glove off, gathered Aley’s throw and fired to the non-striker’s and delivered a direct hit to catch a diving Molineux short to leave scores tied.Ellyse Perry celebrates Sophie Molineux’s run-out•Getty Images

Healy produced another direct hit run-out in Kapp’s excellent Super Over. Kapp found Dani Wyatt’s outside edge with a slower ball but the nick fell just short of Healy. Wyatt went to run but was sent back, only to be run out by Healy’s accurate underarm.Molineux’s remarkable innings was in vain. She made 55 off 54 balls only to be just inches short of winning the game. Her innings was even more special given the Renegades had slumped to 3 for 19 chasing 132. But she got superb support from Jess Duffin who made a vital 41 from 34 balls. But after Duffin and Courtney Webb fell, the Renegades needed 45 from the final four overs. Koski clubbed 19 from 14 to aid Molineux but left her needing 13 from the last over. Molineux struck a boundary first ball, but Burns’ save denied her a boundary off the last to save the game for the Sixers.Earlier, Perry and Dane van Niekerk saved the Sixers blushes with the bat with an unbeaten 98-run stand to set the Renegades a stiff target. The Sixers looked in a world of trouble losing three wickets in the Powerplay and slumping to 4 for 33 in the ninth over.Healy fell in the third over with only eight runs on the board, swiping a slog sweep straight down the throat of Wyatt at deep midwicket off Molineux. It was the fifth time in WBBL Healy fell to Molineux’s left-arm orthodox.Amy Satterthwaite’s bold move to place herself at slip to Lea Tahuhu paid immediate dividends, with the captain pouching a low catch from Ashleigh Gardner’s outside edge. Burns was run out after a horror mix-up with Perry before Sara McGlashan chipped a simple catch to cover-point off Georgia Wareham.Perry, in the form of her life, had struck her first ball for four but really struggled for fluency thereafter. Van Niekerk’s vast experience provided the perfect foil. Despite the horror scenario, the pair didn’t panic. They rotated the strike comfortably and ticked the scoreboard over without taking undue risks during a six-over rebuild. They then unleashed late. Perry reached her eighth score of 50 or more for the tournament. Van Niekerk’s 51 not out from 36 balls was even more valuable. The South African struck three fours and a six in the last three overs which proved pivotal in the end.

Ellyse Perry holds the key to Australia’s fortunes on day three after England made steady inroads against the hosts on day two

The Report by Daniel Brettig10-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ellyse Perry holds the key to Australia’s fortunes on day three after England made steady inroads against the hosts on day two of the women’s Ashes Test at North Sydney Oval.Though losing regular wickets in daylight, Perry’s spinal innings ensured the Australians did not falter against the moving ball under lights to the same degree as England. However the slowing of the surface indicated it would be a difficult commission batting last, meaning Australia must attempt to build a lead in day three.Resuming at seven wickets down, England were able to cobble 45 runs from their last three wickets, largely through the efforts of Anya Shrubsole. In one of the quirks of the floodlit game, the time the touring lower order spent in the middle also served to reduce the number of overs available to them with a second new ball under lights.Sophie Ecclestone dismissed Beth Mooney and Alex Blackwell in quick succession•Getty Images

For a time this appeared to be a secondary concern, as England claimed regular wickets following the breakup of a stout opening stand between Nicole Bolton and the debutant Beth Mooney. The left-arm spin of debutant Sophie Ecclestone proved particularly effective, confounding Mooney and then Alex Blackwell as the English seamers kept the runs down at the other end.However Perry, who had looked to be setting herself for a long innings during the ODI portion of the series without going on to a substantial score, was this time able to get settled in, mixing dogged defence with the occasionally powerful flourish to move the scoreboard along.She found a willing ally in the captain Rachael Haynes, the pair combining for a priceless stand worth 73 that also soaked up plenty of overs under lights – the most challenging time of the day for anyone new at the batting crease in any match using a pink ball.The second new ball arrived with five overs of the night remaining, and though Katherine Brunt pinned Haynes lbw in the first over of that spell – a ball after having her dropped in the slips – Perry was able to survive to stumps in the company of Alyssa Healy, who batted at the top of the order during the ODI portion of the series. Much will depend on how she and Perry get started in the afternoon.

Giles Clarke, the ECB president, is set to renew his relationship with the Pakistan Cricket Board, after being tasked to explore ways to boost the board’s economy

Nagraj Gollapudi and Umar Farooq14-Oct-2016Giles Clarke, the ECB president, is set to renew his relationship with the Pakistan Cricket Board, after being tasked alongside David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, to explore ways to boost the board’s economy in the absence of any home international matches.The decision was taken at the quarterly ICC board meeting that concluded in Cape Town on Friday. The board also agreed to look into financial “assistance” for the PCB given that it has now been almost eight years since their cricketers were last able to play a match in front of their home fans.Clarke, who is a member of the powerful Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee, headed up the ICC’s original Pakistan Task Force in 2009, although he was unable to visit the country in that capacity due to the ongoing security concerns.Despite their difficulties, Pakistan’s Test team rose to become the No.1 nation earlier this year following a hugely creditable 2-2 draw in their away series against England. It is understood that Clarke is scheduled to meet PCB officials in a month’s time to chalk out the details of the ICC’s funding exercise.”We reflect the unique contribution of Pakistan to world cricket. There is a huge amount of goodwill at the ICC board table for Pakistan,” Clarke told ESPNcricinfo. “Along with the [ICC] chief executive, I have been charged with looking at how we can assist Pakistan. Some of the economics of life has not been easy for Pakistan because they can’t play home games.”We are looking at the economics of Pakistan cricket, seeing where the ICC can help in recognising the importance of Pakistan to the international cricketing community, and to the cricketing world. They got the Test mace and played a superb series in England this summer. They were magnificent on and off the pitch during the England series.”Describing himself as a “very committed supporter” of Pakistan cricket, Clarke said he had spent seven years trying to figure out ways to develop the game in the country.”We have made a bit of progress today with some of the ideas that came out of the meeting. David Richardson and I are going to see what we can do to help Pakistan cricket economically and what we can do what possibilities are there for anyone to tour Pakistan.”However, the prospect of international cricket making a permanent return to Pakistan remains doubtful. Earlier this year, memories of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in March 2009 were revived when another terrorist attack ripped through Lahore, killing at least 72 people and injuring 300 others in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, a popular hangout.”As you know, we were a very long way down the road with a concept of having a heavyweight world team tour Pakistan and play against Pakistan,” said Clarke. “Then the atrocity in Lahore absolutely scuppered that.”As a consequence of that attack, the PCB had to terminate a planned World XI versus Pakistanis match, an exercise that had been intended to provide a first step towards a return of full international cricket.”Cricket does not belong in a war zone,” said Clarke. “[But] Cricket does belong in Pakistan. If we are going to bring world cricket back to Pakistan, then we will need the help of the vast number of massively enthusiastic Pakistani cricket followers – which in my view is most of the country. Because it is the bad guys who are stopping us. If you love cricket in Pakistan, you know we can’t have atrocities. It stops people from coming. But if you give up, then the terrorist wins. I am not bloody giving up.”According to Clarke, PCB executive chairman Najam Sethi made a “very powerful plea” which had struck a chord with the ICC board during the Cape Town meeting. Sethi had been representing his board in the absence of Shaharyar Khan, who could not attend due to health reasons.During his address, Sethi focused on the major issues that were denting Pakistan cricket financially. Aside from Zimbabwe’s limited-overs tour in May 2015, have played all of their matches since 2009 in the UAE. However, the extra costs incurred by those matches have directly hampered the development of the game back home in Pakistan.In a bid to shore up their domestic infrastructure, the PCB recently began work on 16 regional academies as a part of their developmental plan. Another option under consideration is that ICC should help carry the cost of Pakistan’s bilateral series in the UAE.There is, however, an acceptance from all parties that it will ultimately be down to the players themselves to determine whether they are prepared to tour Pakistan again. As England’s current tour of Bangladesh shows, administrators cannot force players to tour when they are not comfortable with the security.

Keith Mitchell, the chairman of the CARICOM sub-committee on cricket governance, has expressed “grave concern” over the comments of West Indies coach Phil Simmons about outside influences in the selection process

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2015Keith Mitchell, the chairman of the CARICOM sub-committee on cricket governance, has expressed “grave concern” over the comments of West Indies coach Phil Simmons about outside influences robbing him of the best possible ODI squad for next month’s tour of Sri Lanka.Mitchell recommended it was time for “Project West Indies cricket”, which would encourage unity, openness and co-operation from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) administrators to ensure Simmons and the selectors were given the autonomy to do their jobs.”The head coach’s comments about the selection of the West Indies one-day team to tour Sri Lanka are highly disturbing,” Mitchell wrote in an open letter to the WICB on Sunday.Earlier this week Simmons had revealed that he and Clive Lloyd, the chairman of selectors, were outvoted 3-2 in the selection meeting on September 23 on the inclusion of allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard. The pair have been out of the ODI side since the series in South Africa this January. At the time Lloyd had said he had spoken to the two players and explained to them that the selection panel wanted to move on and give youngsters more chances.But Simmons said Lloyd and Jason Holder, the West Indies Test and ODI captain, wanted Bravo and Pollard in the squad.”The disappointing fact is that you can lose 3-2 in a vote-off but there is too much interference from outside in the selection of the ODI squad and it’s disappointing for me to know that in any aspect of life … [people would use] their position to get people into a squad; or in this case, get people left out of a squad. It is wrong and I don’t like it and that is my beef with the selection of the ODI team.”According to Mitchell, all the leaders involved – captain, coach, selectors – needed the support of the WICB and no intrusion, if West Indies cricket had to regain its lost glory.”The team is now at an important crossroads, and it will require wisdom and good leadership to chart and follow the right path. It will therefore take the skill, motivation and priorities of the men who lead and the players who follow, to restore the team to world prominence.
To that end, the leadership unit must receive the full and unequivocal support and cooperation of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), and the backing of an independent selection panel, that is free of interference, fear, or favour.”Mitchell said one reason his political party was elected to power in Grenada in 2013 was because it placed the interests of the country before any personal agendas. That was part of the manifesto called Project Grenada that Mitchell said had proved successful.”We need a similar “Project West Indies cricket” approach if the team is to be successful. The entire cricketing organization should be fighting battles on the field against opposing teams, and not with each other in boardrooms and offices,” Mitchell said. “I believe that if Simmons is given the right tools to do his job, the liberty to make critical cricket decisions, the autonomy to create learning environments in which young players can grow and prosper, and the freedom to field the best teams, West Indies cricket will flourish.”Mitchell also highlighted that Simmons, in the short time he has been coach – he took over after the World Cup in March – had already managed to sit with national players across the Caribbean and help them understand and buy into his vision.”Already the head coach and his coaching team have taken a great step forward by gaining the trust, respect and loyalty of the West Indies players. These are things that administrators and other West Indies coaches struggled with and failed to achieve during the last fifteen years.”A disgruntled players’ fraternity up in arms against a divided WICB and a revolving door of coaches and captains have been some of the factors responsible for West Indies cricket not only sliding down the rankings table but also losing face and respect in world cricket. Dave Cameron, the WICB president, who was elected for a second term recently, has tried hard to gain the players’ confidence and win over his opponents within the board, but has been severely criticised throughout his tenure. Nothing signified this more clearly than West Indies’ aborted tour of India last October.Bravo, who was the ODI captain on that tour, led the pullout with one ODI, one T20 and three Tests pending, due to a protracted disagreement between the players, the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association over the payment structure specified by the players’ revised contracts. Calling the episode a “monumental disaster”, the BCCI demanded $41.97m as damages from the WICB. Since then Cameron has received a lot of flak with critics, former players and CARICOM officials blaming him for the embarrassment caused to West Indies cricket due to the pullout.Ralph Gonsalaves, the St Vincents and the Grenadines Prime Minister and Mitchell’s associate on the CARICOM committee, accused Cameron of “dishonouring” his word after Bravo and Pollard were first dropped from the ODI squad. Gonsalves said Cameron had assured him at an earlier meeting that none of the India 14 would be “victimised” and the squads for South Africa tour would be picked on merit.Mitchell’s remedy for the WICB is to be more inclusive. “A sports organization needs good management and administration to function at its best, but it cannot win battles on the field without sensible, coordinated and innovative leadership at every level throughout its ranks. The organisation must not be divided unto itself.”Mitchell even quoted Pope Francis, who, in his speech at the United Nations earlier this week, “reminded the world about the dangers of polarisation, anger, hatred, resentment, exclusion and adversarial attitudes, and the benefits of inclusion, kindness, unity, cooperation and common purpose. We sincerely hope that his words were heard and heeded by our cricket administrators.”

Thilan Samaraweera has retired from international cricket after being left out of the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Mar-2013
Thilan Samaraweera has retired from international cricket after being left out of the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against Bangladesh in Galle, which starts on March 8. Samaraweera had sent a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday informing it of his intention and the board has now accepted his decision.”I was shocked with my omission from the squad against Bangladesh,” Samaraweera said, adding he had been told by the selectors that they may need him to play Pakistan later this year.”There was no point in waiting for nine months. I respect the decision of the selectors to go with young players and decided it was the right time for me to retire.”SLC wanted him to play against Bangladesh – perhaps a farewell Test – but Samaraweera declined because he felt the time was right to retire.”I never wanted a farewell match because if you’re not good enough to be in the 15-man squad, there’s nowhere in the world you can play in the first XI,” the 36-year-old Samaraweera said. “I didn’t want to be selfish and deprive a youngster of his place by requesting to play in a farewell Test.”Samaraweera’s decision to retire was brought on as much by a lack of Test matches for Sri Lanka in 2013, as his non-selection for the first Test against Bangladesh. Apart from the two home Tests in March, Sri Lanka only have one away tour to Zimbabwe during the year, which Samaraweera was unlikely to attend in any case, before the year-end tour to Pakistan. A proposed series against South Africa was postponed to 2015.”I may not have retired so early if the Test series against West Indies and South Africa had not been postponed because as a cricketer you’d always want to play against the number one team which is South Africa at the moment.”Samaraweera will leave for England next week to represent county side Worcestershire during the 2013 season. “I will take a decision at the end of the English season whether to retire from first-class cricket,” he said.His international career comes to a close after a woeful tour of Australia, where he made 79 runs in six innings. He reclaimed form in Sri Lanka’s first-class competition since then, hitting 464 runs at 92.8 in four matches. Samaraweera was originally left out of Sri Lanka’s preliminary Test squad for the Bangladesh series, but was later called into that squad when Mahela Jayawardene’s finger injury ruled him out of the series. He could not find a place in the final 16, however.In a letter to media, Samaraweera thanked the coaches, clubs, team-mates and family who had supported him through his career, and laid out the reason for his retirement. “Although I have not lost the power of my passion to make a comeback, my ethics of reasoning does not interest me to do so at this hour where the obvious focus should be to find a balance in the prospects we have for the future,” he said.Samaraweera has played 81 Tests, and scored 5462 runs at 48.76, with 14 hundreds. He was primarily an offspinner at the beginning of his domestic career, but transformed himself into a secure, if dour, middle-order batsman, in order to break into the Sri Lanka side in the time of Muttiah Muralitharan. He also played 53 ODIs, but his conservative style of play never made him a natural fit for the shorter formats, even after he began improving his stroke range later on in his career.Samaraweera’s Test career has had several starts, most notably when he came back from being shot during the 2009 Lahore attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus, after he had made double-hundreds in back-to-back Tests in Pakistan. Samaraweera had surgery to remove the bullet which had travelled 12 inches into his thigh, and underwent months of physical and psychological therapy, before returning to the Test side four months later.He was dropped for more than a year in 2006, and again for one series in 2011, but he returned triumphantly from his second layoff to play his most memorable Test innings – a first innings 102 which enabled Sri Lanka to win their first Test in South Africa, in Durban.Though he had received a central contract from SLC, Sri Lanka’s selectors had expressed a desire to build a youthful Test side in 2013, and was unlikely to play a major role in what little Test cricket Sri Lanka had scheduled.

ESPNcricinfo Previews the second ODI between Pakistan and England in Abu Dhabi

The Preview by David Hopps14-Feb-2012

Match facts

Wednesday, February 15, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Start time 1500 (1100 GMT)
Alastair Cook became the first England batsman to outscore the opposition in the first ODI•AFP

Big Picture

Immediately after the opening match attention turned largely to England: they found release from a troubled Test series with victory by 130 runs; Alastair Cook underlined himself once more as a captain eminently capable of adapting to 50-over cricket with an unflustered century compiled at almost a run a ball; and Steve Finn’s fast-bowling development was clear to see as his four new-ball wickets confirmed England’s superiority.But what of Pakistan? Their batting vulnerabilities were masked as their spinners dominated the Test series but they were apparent again as they found Finn’s opening burst impossible to contain. Bowl straight and full at Pakistan’s top order, England have concluded, and you will prosper. If Pakistan take note of Cook’s innings they may be tempted to ask Azhar Ali or Asad Shafiq to try to play a similar stabilising role.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Pakistan: LWWWW
England: WLLLL

Players to watch

It was easy to see why the Pakistan captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, was tempted to call for Shoaib Malik to return to the squad. Pakistan need to shore up a long tail and England’s vulnerability against spin has been so apparent that it is tempting to take the view that the more spinners the better. But Shoaib played with little verve in the opening game and on that evidence will be fortunate to survive the series.If you missed Steven Finn’s audition on Monday to be viewed as one of an exciting crop of new fast bowlers then don’t make the mistake again. Finn was the stock answer to the “can you take any positives out of this?” cliché as England were drubbed 5-0 in India in October. Pakistan will not want him to get another opportunity to bowl under the lights as the dew enlivens the pitch.

Team news

Umar Akmal strained his back during the first match which must make him a doubt, especially to keep wicket, a role he fills modestly at best. Umar was once accused of overplaying a back injury to get his brother, Kamran, back behind the stumps. This time another brother, Adnan, could deputise. Shoaib Malik would be vulnerable in a shake-up.England could bring in Tim Bresnan for batting depth and that would put James Anderson’s place under threat. Jade Dernbach might have to wait for his chance until Dubai.Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Adnam Akmal (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Wahab RiazEngland (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Kevin Pietersen, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 Steven Finn

Pitch and conditions

The evidence of the first game points to a simple decision to bat first upon winning the toss, post 250-plus and then rely on new-ball wickets when evening dew freshens an otherwise benign surface.

Stats and trivia

• Alastair Cook became the first England batsman to outscore the opposition in an ODI on Monday. His 137 beat Pakistan by seven runs.
• England win bucked a losing trend of nine defeats in 10 matches across all formats and an equally demoralising run of 11 defeats in 12 overseas ODIs.
• England have drawn level with Pakistan in fifth position in the ODI rankings. Both teams are on 107 points, three adrift of fourth-placed Sri Lanka.
• Pakistan’s 130 was their lowest ODI score since they were bowled out for 124 against New Zealand in Wellington in January 2011 and New Zealand needed only 17.2 overs to win the match. Pakistan went on to win the series 3-2.

Quotes

“Happy Valentines Day everyone. Me and @StuartBroad8 will be having a romantic dinner tonight.”

“I hope there is no panic. We should not panic because we have not batted badly in the last four or five matches so we need to try our best and put Monday’s performance behind us.”