Back at old home, Suryakumar thrives in new role

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Having spent most of his time at Kolkata Knight Riders batting in the lower middle order, the Mumbai batsman has found a wider canvas for his talent in his second stint at his hometown franchise

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai16-Apr-2018Gautam Gambhir stationed himself at mid-off for the first ball of Delhi Daredevils’ match against Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Trent Boult bowled it, and Suryakumar Yadav drove it straight and hard, so hard that Gambhir fumbled it and the batsmen ran two. Two balls later, Suryakumar drove even straighter, further to Gambhir’s right, and picked up four.This was a different Suryakumar to the version Gambhir had captained at Kolkata Knight Riders from 2014 to 2017. Gambhir mostly used Suryakumar in the lower middle order, where he only had time for cameos: in 45 innings for Knight Riders, Suryakumar batted at No. 6 or lower 32 times for a top score of 43 not out.Now he was opening the batting, and was on his way to scoring only his second IPL half-century. By the time he was done, he had scored 53 off 32 balls, top-scored for Mumbai for the second time in three matches, and become their leading scorer this season. With 124 runs at an average of 41.33 and a strike rate of 134.78, he now sits fourth on the overall list of top run-getters.”I have always enjoyed batting higher up the order because you get that extra time and go out there and express yourself,” Suryakumar said after the match. “You can say that because the few innings I’ve played in the past, I have not gotten this opportunity to bat high up the order and take it ahead from there. This is a good opportunity for me as well to grab it and take the momentum from here.”I am hitting the ball well in the practice sessions and as the games are going on, I would really love if I can take it ahead and bat longer for 40-50 balls, it will help me and the team.”Suryakumar sounded happier than he looked because his team had just endured another final-over defeat, their third in three matches. Mumbai have endured a frustrating start to the season, but there has been personal contentment for Suryakumar, who has been given a prominent role at his hometown franchise.In the first two games of the season, Suryakumar batted at No. 4, ahead of Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers, and scored a fluent 29-ball 43 in the season-opener against Chennai Super Kings.After their second loss last week, to Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Mumbai team management went up to Suryakumar and asked him if he would bat even higher, at No. 3, and he agreed. On the flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai, the captain and team management approached Suryakumar again and this time asked him if he was ready to open in the home game against Daredevils.The Wankhede Stadium is Suryakumar’s home ground when he represents Mumbai in domestic cricket and the decision-makers felt his familiarity with the conditions and knowledge of how the new ball would behave would help them get a rapid start. Suryakumar agreed again and said to himself: “Let’s take that challenge and responsibility and go ahead.”BCCIAnd he was on song. At ease against both pace and spin, he collected runs with technically sound strokes that weren’t slogs or premeditated. He barely sent the ball in the air during the Powerplay, and when he did, he sent it far from the fielders. The first came in the third over against Boult when a bouncer rose close to his throat and Suryakumar ramped it high and fine for a one-bounce four. This prompted a tweet from Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler.

Two overs later, Mohammed Shami banged in an innocuous short ball down the leg side and Suryakmar sent it sailing it over the fine-leg boundary, knowing full well the fielder was inside the 30-yard circle.Suryakumar was at home in more ways than one. He has batted plenty of times at the Wankhede, and had tasted T20 glory here very recently. In March, he had captained Triumph Knights in the Mumbai T20 league – the Mumbai Cricket Association’s T20 league – and scored a match-winning 90 not out off 42 balls on the same ground in the final. This, moreover, was his second stint at Mumbai Indians. He had represented them until 2013 too, before he was bought by Knight Riders at the 2014 auction for INR 70 lakh.”Surya did exceptionally well for us before he moved over to Kolkata,” Mumbai Indians batting coach Robin Singh said before the 2018 season began. “He has grown as a player. He has understood his game really well. I love the way he plays spin. He is one of the better players of spin bowling in this part of the world. Plus, he knows the wicket here better than anybody else. It’s his home ground. I think he can probably give a few tips to the young guys on how to play here.”Despite being Mumbai’s leading run-scorer so far, he may have slipped under the radar somewhat for the spectators at the Wankhede, who have seen pyrotechnics from visiting batsmen such as Dwayne Bravo and Jason Roy. If he sustains his form, however, and if that form helps his team recover from their run of three straight losses, he won’t go unnoticed for too much longer.

Little chance of conservatism from England as Pakistan search for bowling balance

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Big Picture

Harder, faster, better, stronger. England have taken the Daft Punk approach to reviving their Test fortunes, not to mention reshaping the format as a whole. But how can you raise the bar after scoring close to 1000 runs at well above a run a ball, then crowbarring out the 20th wicket to secure one of the most-remarkable – and hardest-earned – victories in Test history amid the lengthening shadows of the final session on day five?Ben Stokes, England’s captain/nutty-professor-in-chief, has a few ideas on that front, but will be content for more of the same in Multan. England may be 1-0 up in the series, in a country where they have only ever won twice before, but there is little chance of conservatism creeping in – with allrounder Liam Livingstone invalided out of the rest of the series, Stokes and Brendon McCullum have opted to bring in a fast bowler, Mark Wood, to add to their cutting edge.McCullum flagged at the start of the tour that his team would be chasing results, even that meant hustling themselves to defeat in the process. It helps that England’s World Test Championship hopes were dead on arrival; and there is no better way to win a three-match series than to go 2-0 up after two.Related

  • Pope retains gloves as Wood returns for Multan Test

  • Naseem Shah under injury cloud ahead of Multan Test

  • Stokes embraces the 'why not?' as England look to press harder still

  • Why does Ramiz think Pakistan have a problem with their pitches?

But Babar Azam might be grateful to know that, like an undead horde, this England will just keep coming. Not because he enjoys the stress headaches brought on by having to set fields when England’s batters are on the charge, but because that very impulsiveness might result in a slip-up that lets Pakistan back into the contest – particularly if the pitches to come are anywhere near as uncooperative as Rawalpindi.Pakistan might need to discover a new spirit of adventure themselves, but they could start with selection and then go from there. The batters acquitted themselves well enough in the first Test, with hundreds for the captain and both openers, while the debutant Saud Shakeel top-scored with 76 in their failed run chase. But it is not just hindsight to suggest that an attack featuring three debutants and 19-year-old Naseem Shah as its most-experienced head was always going to struggle in the face of England’s onslaught.The early suggestions from on the ground in Multan are that, as Babar requested for the first Test, spin may play a greater role. More life in the surface should improve the contest, potentially dulling the edge on England’s strokeplay – India took that route to flex their strength in home conditions during the 2020-21 tour – although the Bazball response to playing on a Bunsen would be fascinating.Pakistan also need to push that bit harder for results across four home Tests against England and New Zealand, if they are to keep their own WTC final hopes alive. Once the morning fog clears in Multan, it’ll be time to put the pedal to the metal once again. Go harder, or go home.

Form guide

Pakistan LLWLD (last five Tests, most recent first)
England WWWLW

In the spotlight

An unexpected debut, confirmed only a couple of minutes before the toss, meant Will Jacks was able to slip into his Test whites somewhat under the radar. But after stepping up in the wake of Livingstone jarring his knee to bowl 40.3 overs – more than he had ever previously delivered in a first-class innings – on the way to figures of 6 for 161, Jacks is likely to be the focus of some extra attention. His ability to score attacking hundreds while giving his offspin a rip has already earned comparisons with Moeen Ali, and his performance in Rawalpindi is only likely to have raised such expectations. The challenge is to keep meeting them.Abdullah Shafique has had a stunning start to his Test career. First capped just over a year ago – having only played two first-class games – he now averages 65.84 from eight Tests, his 114 at Rawalpindi the seventh time he has passed 50 in 15 innings. If he can add another 144 runs over the course of England’s visit, he will become the fastest Pakistan batter to 1000 in Tests. Opening the batting in Pakistan seems a good gig right now, but after England succeeded with their unorthodox new-ball policy in the second innings, bouncing him out for 6, they will be hoping to put a check on his stellar progress.

Team news

What will the Acme Pakistan Selection Generator come up with this week? They opted not to add an experienced seamer, in the mould of Hasan Ali or Mohammad Abbas, to their 17-man squad after the injury to Haris Rauf, but could still make as many as four changes to the attack. Naseem is a significant doubt due to a sore shoulder sustained during the Rawalpindi Test. Mohammad Nawaz seems likely to return as a spin-bowling option who can add depth to the batting, allrounder Faheem Ashraf may also be picked and Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Abrar Ahmed could potentially be Pakistan’s fifth and sixth debutants for the series.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Agha Salman/Faheem Ashraf, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Naseem Shah/Mohammad Wasim Jnr, 10 Mohammad Ali, 11 Abrar Ahmed/Zahid MahmoodStokes confirmed just one change to the England XI, which means barring another late bout of illness striking the camp Ollie Pope will keep the gloves ahead of a fit-again Ben Foakes, with Wood coming in for the injured Livingstone.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Will Jacks, 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonThe Multan outfield gets a make up amidst some morning fog•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

There have only been seven first-class matches played in Multan since 2018, with five ending in draws, and the stats suggest it is the most batting-friendly ground in use for this series. Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan’s batting coach who averaged 86.16 from four Test appearances in Multan during the 2000s, reportedly travelled up before the end of the Pindi Test to speak to the curator – whether or not that results in a turning surface more to the hosts’ liking remains to be seen. Air pollution could also be a factor, with the potential for morning smog to further squeeze the playing hours.

Stats and trivia

  • Multan has not hosted a Test since 2006, when Pakistan and West Indies played out a high-scoring draw.
  • The year before, England were the visitors as Pakistan clinched a 22-run win on the final day – Marcus Trescothick, England’s batting coach on this tour, scoring 193 in vain.
  • England’s 657 in Rawalpindi was the second-highest total recorded by a visiting team in Pakistan – behind the 675 for 5 declared made by India at the Multan Cricket Stadium in 2004.
  • Pakistan have only once managed to come from 1-0 down to win a Test series of three matches or more, against Zimbabwe in 1994-95.
  • Jack Leach needs two more wickets for 100 in Tests.

Quotes

“We have staged comebacks in the past and were confident of doing so again. But we made mistakes in Pindi that we need to cut down on.”
“Whether we bat or bowl first we’ll still be implementing the same style of cricket. If we bat first we’ll try and press the run rate and move the game forward as fast as we can. And if we bowl first, I don’t think you’ll see too much difference to how we approached [Rawalpindi] with the ball.”

Hardik, Santner express 'shock' and 'surprise' at Ranchi pitch

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The two captains were surprised by the new ball offering more turn and how much it spun in the second innings

Deivarayan Muthu28-Jan-20231:29

Is Devon Conway New Zealand’s best all-format batter?

India captain Hardik Pandya was surprised by the way the Ranchi pitch behaved in the T20I series opener against New Zealand on Friday. The pitch offered sharp grip and turn to slower bowlers throughout the game, with the dew factor not making much of an impact in the second innings. Chasing 177, India could manage only 155 for 9, as New Zealand won their first game of the tour.”I don’t think no one even thought that this wicket would play like that,” Hardik told Star Sports at the post-match presentation. “Both teams kind of got surprised, but think they played better cricket on this [pitch], and that’s the reason the result ended like that.”Actually, the ball was turning more with the new ball than the old one. And the way it spun and the way it was getting [that] bounce, I think it kind of caught us by surprise, but I still think we kind of pulled it back. We were still in the game till Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] and myself were batting and obviously the way Washy [Washington Sundar] finished. As I said, it was a surprise wicket, but they just played little better cricket than us.”Related

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Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner give New Zealand 1-0 lead in T20Is

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner echoed Hardik’s thoughts on the track, with the sharply cut grass at the JSCA Stadium perhaps offering their spinners more assistance in the second innings.”I think it was a shock for everyone involved – how much it kind of spun in the second innings,” Santner said. “But yeah, it was a great game, and it was pretty tight in the end. You saw a lot runs in the ODI series, so it’s nice to see the ball spin a bit more [in the T20Is].”Watch India vs NZ on ESPN

You can watch the replay of the first T20I on ESPN Player in the UK and on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi in the USA.

Washington wasn’t too critical of the pitch and suggested that the way it played was just an aberration. “I think it was just a one-off game,” he said at the post-match press conference. “I don’t think that just because it was spinning so much, we have to address anything. Just that one-off game. Had we got off to a flier or even a better start, things would’ve been much different. Obviously, it did spin, and you will see such wickets here and there. Obviously, people over here and players in our team have played on such wickets in the IPL and even in the Indian team. So, just that one-off game where certain things didn’t go our way and eventually, we couldn’t cross the line. They bowled well and they played with three spinners and even their seamers bowled very well.”Washington reckoned that allrounder Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 59 off 30 balls, including a sequence of 7(nb), 6, 6, 4 in the last over turned the game. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh kept missing his yorkers and ended up leaking 27 off the over of New Zealand’s innings.”Obviously, Daryl’s innings was very crucial for them and as I said 150 would’ve been par and we would’ve been very happy with that going inside, but yes he made the difference by actually getting a half-century for himself,” Washington said. “He played till the end and made the difference in the last over. I think these big overs will happen in T20 cricket and it just happened in a couple of occasions in this game and at times it could happen where you will see 15 runs and above in three-four overs. That’s how this format is.”Santner also acknowledged that Mitchell’s contribution – and making early inroads with the ball – was crucial on that pitch. Santner himself was so un-hittable in the early exchanges that Suryakumar played out a maiden in the last over of the powerplay. The left-arm fingerspinner came away with the most economical figures on the day: 4-1-11-2.”I don’t think we were ever safe [with that total],” Santner said. “On-seventy-odd was obviously nice, Daryl hit a couple over the rope and he batted extremely well and so did Dev [Devon Conway]. We thought we were in with a sniff at 180 [176 for 6]. We knew we had to bowl well with the power that India have; so it was nice to chip some wickets away at the powerplay, which we struggled for in the one-day series.”

Revealed: Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney received 'horrible' warning from Wrexham director about conduct when attending games

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney received a warning from club director Shaun Harvey on how to conduct themselves on matchdays.

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  • Reynolds and McElhenney received warning
  • Advised not to wish opponents luck before match
  • Wrexham set to compete in Championship
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    Wrexham have had a fairytale journey since Hollywood actors Reynolds and McElhenney completed their takeover of the club in 2021. The Welsh club have secured three consecutive promotions from the National League to the Championship and are now eyeing a final dream move to the Premier League. The celebrity owners have regularly visited the SToK Cae Ras on matchdays and have shown their support for the team passionately.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Reynolds, however, has revealed that he and McElhenney received a warning in the first week of the 2024-25 campaign from club director Harvey on how to conduct themselves at stadiums during matchdays.

  • WHAT RYAN REYNOLDS SAID

    Speaking to the , Reynolds said: "At this season’s first home match, Shaun Harvey came running over to Rob and I to tell us to stop wishing the away team ‘good luck'. I was there, oh, just be horrible. That’s football – oh yeah, I get it now."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

    Reynolds and McElhenney are expected to spend heavily on transfers as the Red Dragons are all set to experience a busy summer window before they compete in the second tier of English football for the first time in over 40 years.

Stump Mic podcast: India's U-19 title a big win for women's cricket

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Raunak Kapoor, Lydia Greenway, Marina Iqbal, Valkerie Baynes and Sambit Bal look at the possible impact of India’s win

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2023The path ahead for the women’s game certainly looks brighter. Raunak Kapoor is joined by Lydia Greenway, Marina Iqbal, Valkerie Baynes and Sambit Bal to look at the possible impact of India’s Under-19 T20 World Cup win on the sport – the increased interest, attention, cash, coverage and acknowledgment.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick provides Robert Lewandowski & Pau Cubarsi fitness updates ahead of potential title-clinching clash with Espanyol

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Hansi Flick has confirmed that Robert Lewandowski and Pau Cubarsi will be available for Barcelona's potential title-clinching clash against Espanyol.

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Flick provides Lewandowski and Cubarsi fitness updatesConfirms that the duo will be available against EspanyolBarca just one win away from winning LaLiga Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona head coach Flick provided the latest updates regarding the fitness of Lewandowski and Cubarsi during a press conference on Wednesday, confirming that the duo will be available for his side's potential title-clinching clash against local rivals Espanyol on Thursday.

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Lewandowski suffered a muscle injury during Barcelona's 4-3 win over Celta Vigo last month, which saw him miss five games, including the Copa del Rey final as well as the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Inter. However, he returned to action as a second-half substitute in the second leg against the Nerazzurri. He was an unused substitute against Real Madrid in their league Clasico on May 11, raising doubts over his fitness. Cubarsi, on the other hand, suffered a minor injury scare following a strong challenge from Lewandowski in training.

WHAT HANSI FLICK SAID

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Flick provided an update on Cubarsi's fitness (h/t Barca Universal): “He’s fine. He has finished training after the knock and tomorrow he can play.”

The reporters also asked about Lewandowski's availability, with Flick set to miss out on the services of Ferran Torres after the Spaniard underwent an emergency appendectomy surgery on Wednesday. The German manager added: "[Lewandowski's] fine and he's ready to play."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Having already won the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, the Catalans have a chance to win LaLiga on Thursday night, when they visit local rivals Espanyol.

Review panel urges CWI and West Indies players to find 'middle ground'

by csb10.top Uncategorized

West Indies cricket will “cease to exist as an entity” if the best players in the region represent it only on an “optional” basis while featuring in all T20 leagues. This was one of the conclusions drawn by the review group that Cricket West Indies recently appointed to probe West Indies’ failure to get past the first round of the 2022 men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.The two-time T20 World Cup winners, led by Nicholas Pooran, started with a loss to Scotland and beat Zimbabwe before a defeat to Ireland led them to crash out of the tournament. Pooran subsequently stepped down as white-ball captain, just after CWI instituted the review committee comprising Patrick Thompson Jr (chair), former West Indies captain Brian Lara, and Mickey Arthur, who has been head coach with South Africa, Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and is currently at Derbyshire.Related

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  • Pooran steps down as West Indies' white-ball captain

  • Lara, Arthur part of panel to review World Cup performance

The terms of reference for the review group was to “identify, investigate, and analyse the factors contributing to the poor performance” before reporting the findings to CWI, which made them public on Thursday. “The untimely exit of the West Indies Men’s Team (“the WI Team”) from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (“the World Cup”) bears certain similarities to a disaster, albeit one without fatal consequences,” the review said.Pooran’s team, the review said, was “underprepared” for the World Cup, with most of the squad having negligible experience of playing “topflight” cricket in Australia. The fact that West Indies’ players landed in Australia immediately after the Caribbean Premier League was not lost on the review group. “The World Cup matches were played in wet and cold Hobart, Tasmania, which had more in common with the north of England than West Indian conditions. In the absence of a camp in Australia, the CPL had little meaningful impact on the Team’s preparation.”Brian Lara is one of the three members of the CWI-appointed review panel•BCCI

This was a second successive poor performance from West Indies at a T20 World Cup after their failure in the 2021 edition, which was played in the UAE. In that tournament, West Indies were led by Kieron Pollard, who retired last April. Recently Pollard called West Indies’ exit from the 2022 World Cup a “sad day” but said he would not blame the players.“NoCs cannot be weaponized against the player”
The review group, though, underlined the fact that West Indies were not fielding the best available team. Sunil Narine has been a consistent match-winner and impact player in tournaments like the IPL, but he has not made himself available for selection for West Indies for the past several years. Andre Russell, valued as one of the best allrounders in T20 cricket, was not available for the World Cup in Australia. The review group pointed out that Shimron Hetmyer’s absence in Australia “was a significant loss to the batting unit”. Hetmyer failed to board the World Cup flight, and was consequently dropped from the World Cup squad.Yet all these players have made themselves available for T20 franchise leagues around the world where they get paid big money. While the review said it was “entirely understandable” for players to “maximize their earnings”, it warned that this could not come at “the detriment of West Indies Cricket.”Andre Russell and Sunil Narine haven’t turned out for West Indies in recent years but are among the most sought-after players in T20 franchise leagues•BCCI

“It is not in the best interests of West Indies Cricket that our best players play in every global league and play for the WI Team on an optional basis,” the review said. “It is imperative that the Board and the players have a frank and honest discussion with each other in order to arrive at a solution to this impasse. In this Group’s view, there is significant distrust between the players and administration and this distrust is inimical to ensuring that the best 11 players turn out for the WI Team in every match.”No Objection Certificates cannot be weaponized against the players, but it is essential that some middle ground is arrived at. Otherwise, West Indies Cricket may cease to exist as an entity. This Group does not indulge in doomsday predictions but no entity, sporting or otherwise, has a viable future if its talent is not harnessed and effectively managed.”Three-day retreat to address “grouses”
The review pointed out that West Indies had a “golden opportunity to hit the reset button” ahead of the next T20 World Cup, which the West Indies and the USA will co-host in 2024. A key part of that process would be to roll out a strategic plan, and the review group has put in place short-term, medium-term and long-term goals to facilitate such a plan.One of the short-term recommendations is for the CWI’s director of cricket and the selectors to shortlist 30-35 players who will form the pool from which the “nucleus of 15” for the World Cup can be picked. But to ensure all the best players make themselves available for selection, the review group wants CWI to host a three-day “retreat”.”That meeting should be akin to a strategic retreat where players and administration can speak frankly and address any and all grouses (real or imagined) in a constructive manner. Mediator(s) should be secured for this meeting in order to assist and facilitate the discussions contemplated above. The Head Coach, CEO, Director of Cricket, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, WIPA representative, the President and two directors (nominated by the other directors) should be in attendance together with the players.”A performance consultant who can assist the players and management to define West Indies cricket culture, identity and values is essential to this process. It is important that this meeting is convened in a round table format as opposed to management on a raised platform and players on a lower level.”One of the review panel’s recommendations is for the top white-ball players to play Test cricket•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Select best 11-13 players in all formats
Finally, as part of the short-term strategic goal, the review group wants the shortlisted pool of players to feature in “as much red ball cricket for WI as possible”, as that would provide “vital opportunities for primarily white ball players to develop their overall cricketing skills” against better-quality Test teams, which in turn would automatically enhance their preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup.As per the ICC’s Future Tours Program, West Indies are scheduled to play Test series against Zimbabwe, South Africa, India, Australia and Pakistan between now and the next T20 World Cup. The review group has recommended that some of the white ball players including Pooran, Evin Lewis, Akeal Hosein, Odean Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Brandon King and Rovman Powell should play Test cricket against Australia and Pakistan at least.”Following this Group’s consultations, we hold the strong view that red ball, and in particular Test cricket, against the Test Teams ranked above us provides vital opportunities for primarily white ball players to develop their overall cricketing skills.”As a necessary corollary of the strategic retreat, all parties must clearly determine what is meant by availability for selection. In this Group’s considered view, the selectors should be encouraged, if not mandated to always select the best 11-13 players for the WI Team in all formats. Once selected, the onus would then be on the players to determine whether they will make themselves available within an agreed upon timeframe.”

'Absolutely normal' – Tamim Iqbal on his on-field relationship with Shakib Al Hasan

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

“I can assure you that I always get his help as an ODI captain, and I am always there if he needs any suggestions in the Test team”

Mohammad Isam26-Feb-2023

Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan are two key, senior members of Bangladesh’s set-up•Getty Images

Bangladesh’s ODI captain Tamim Iqbal and Test captain Shakib Al Hasan might not be on the best terms off the field, but Tamim is of the firm opinion that their on-field relationship is in proper working order. He said as much in a press conference in Dhaka on Sunday, in the lead up to Bangladesh’s ODI series against England.Shakib is part of the squad for this series but has not been present with the team in the build-up; Tamim said that is because he is away tending to a family matter.”The important thing is when Shakib and I put on the Bangladesh jersey, we are giving our best. And if we are helping each other when we are leading the teams, nothing else matters,” Tamim said in reply to questions about a rift between the two, sparked by comments made by BCB head Nazmul Hasan in an interview with Cricbuzz. “Whatever anyone is saying, whether we have coffee together or not, these things don’t matter.Related

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Uphill challenge for hosts as world champions England look to conquer Bangladesh

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Tamim Iqbal returns to ODI side for England series

Rehan Ahmed set for white-ball debut on Bangladesh tour

“I can assure you that I always get his help as an ODI captain, and I am always there if needs any suggestions in the Test team. When we bat together, or when we are celebrating his wicket, it’s absolutely normal.”Shakib wasn’t available for a comment as he is reportedly in the USA for family reasons. Tamim said that he would have preferred to have Shakib with the squad ahead of the England series, but he understands why Shakib needs to be away. “It is definitely important for the whole squad to be together. But I have said it before that family is the most important thing. Family is above everything else.”Tamim said he had sat down with Shakib in a meeting to work through things, but did not elaborate much. “It [the meeting] was between two individuals who are very important members of the team. The matter shouldn’t have come out of that room. I am not commenting on that. Everything [ending their disagreements] is possible.”When asked whether it was distracting to deal with such questions before a big series, Tamim said he felt it was more important for him to clear the air. “I was prepared since yesterday [when Nazmul’s interview was published]. I have never seen so many journalists in one room. I knew these questions would come.”It would have been very easy for me to say ‘No comments, let’s move forward’, but I think it was important to give my message to the journalists and fans.”Tamim said that he had not noticed any cliques in the team, but the word has a way of popping up in the media when the team isn’t doing well. “I have been playing for Bangladesh for 17 years. At different times when the team wasn’t doing well, this term was being used. I am not just saying this – I am quite a straightforward person, and I have never seen grouping in my career.”I don’t know if it developed in the last six months when I wasn’t with the team, but it doesn’t seem like it. I haven’t seen anything in the last three or four days [during the preparatory camp]. We have been having fun, talking about the BPL, etc. But sadly, when the team isn’t doing well, this term comes up. Now the team is doing well. And as far as I am concerned, everything is fine.”The first of Bangladesh’s three ODIs against England will be played on March 1, followed by three T20Is. The ODIs are part of the ongoing Super League, from where the top eight sides will earn direct qualification for the World Cup later this year. Bangladesh are currently sixth in the points table, with England placed third.

Mitchell Starc, Harmanpreet Kaur among registrations for the Hundred draft

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Leading Australian players have opted out of both the men’s and women’s competitions

Matt Roller28-Feb-2023Mitchell Starc, Harmanpreet Kaur, Robin Uthappa and Jemimah Rodrigues are among the notable inclusions in the longlist of players registered for the 2023 draft for the Hundred, which will take place on March 23.The eight teams announced which players they had retained ahead of the draft earlier this month. Their squads for this summer’s 100-ball tournament – which runs from August 1-27 – will be fleshed out at the draft next month, which will be televised live on Sky Sports for the first time since 2019.In the women’s competition, each team could only retain four players, though will be able to use one Right-To-Match (RTM) card at the draft in order to keep hold of one extra player: Danni Wyatt (Southern Brave), Kate Cross (Manchester Originals) and Sophie Devine (Birmingham Phoenix) are all expected to return to their 2022 teams.Harmanpreet, Rodrigues set top reserve priceAs ESPNcricinfo revealed, several leading Australian women’s player are skipping the Hundred this year to give themselves a break after the Ashes. Forty-three Australian women have entered the draft including Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Grace Harris, but Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath, Ash Gardner and Beth Mooney have opted out.Related

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The Hundred 2023 – Women's draft picks

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Six Indian women have registered, with Harmanpreet and Rodrigues setting themselves the top reserve price of £31,250 (INR 31 lakh approx). Shikha Pandey, Deepti Sharma, Disha Kasat and Kiran Navgire have entered the draft without a reserve price.Laura Wolvaardt, Diana Baig, Lizelle Lee and Dane van Nierkerk have also entered. In total, 148 overseas players are competing for 15 spots, including players from Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Sweden, Afghanistan, Kuwait, France, Bhutan and Vanuatu.Each women’s team will pick four players at the draft, except Welsh Fire who will sign five after opting to retain only three players. After the draft, each team will have filled their eight best-paid slots, three of which will go to overseas players; an open-market window will follow for teams to complete their squads.Starc leading Australian entrantMost of Australia’s multi-format players have opted out of the men’s Hundred, with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith and David Warner’s names all absent from the longlist. The Hundred starts the day after the scheduled fifth day of the fifth men’s Ashes Test.But Starc has opted to put himself forward, and could appear in the competition for the first time if selected in one of the five vacant £125,000 slots that is available for an overseas player. His availability may depend on the dates for Australia’s white-ball tour to South Africa, which is due to start in the last week of August.ESPNcricinfo understands he considered playing in the competition last year and had been lined up as a top draft pick by Northern Superchargers – where his wife Alyssa Healy plays – only to withdraw shortly before the registration deadline.Steven Smith and Pat Cummins’ names are absent from the longlist•BCCISuperchargers are unable to sign him this year, since they do not have a vacant £125,000 slot. His most likely destinations are Mike Hussey’s Welsh Fire – who signed him in the 2019 draft, before he opted to withdraw – and Trevor Bayliss’ London Spirit.Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis have also set £125,000 reserves. Other notable Australian registrations include Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson (both £100,000), Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja (both £60,000). Tim David (£75,000) is expected to return to Southern Brave while Ashton Turner (no reserve) could be a contender for the Northern Superchargers captaincy.Availability rules the roostA number of leading Pakistan players have signed up for the draft including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi. But their availability will depend on the dates for a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, due to be played in the third week of August according to the Future Tours Programme.Pakistan are also due to play a two-Test series in Sri Lanka towards the end of July which could run into August and further limit availability. Shadab Khan (Birmingham Phoenix) was the only Pakistan player retained.Devon Conway could return to Southern Brave•APNew Zealand’s players are expected to be in high demand at the draft, with a clear window in their schedule in August ahead of a white-ball tour to England in September. Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson have both registered with £100,000 reserves, while Southern Brave are understood to be lining up Devon Conway (£50,000) with an early pick.A number of West Indian players including Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder have registered but are unlikely to be signed due to a clash with the Caribbean Premier League. Sunil Narine was retained by Oval Invincibles, but they are expected to replace him after four or five games.Uthappa signs upUthappa could become the first Indian man to appear in the Hundred, though seems unlikely to be picked up at the draft. The BCCI does not permit active Indian men’s players to appear in overseas short-form leagues, but Uthappa retired from international cricket and the IPL in September.He has entered the draft with a reserve price of £40,000. Harbhajan Singh is the only previous Indian player to register for the Hundred draft, but he withdrew from the longlist after ESPNcricinfo revealed his interest in 2019, fearing his involvement could jeopardise his IPL contract.Harbhajan Singh is the only previous Indian man to sign up for the men’s Hundred•BCCINo reserve for Duckett, TopleyOnly seven domestic players have entered the men’s draft with a reserve price – including Lancashire’s Tom Bailey, who has demanded £125,000 for his services. David Willey, who was not offered a deal by Northern Superchargers, has a reserve price of £60,000.Tom Abell, who has been lined up as a potential captain by Welsh Fire, has a £40,000 reserve, along with Chris Dent, Graeme van Buuren, and England seamers Ollie Robinson and Olly Stone.Ben Duckett, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Reece Topley and Tom Banton, who are expected to be among the most lucrative England-qualified signings have all entered without a reserve price.The full list of players who have registered for the draft is available on the Hundred’s website.

Legendary Man Utd striker tells Red Devils exactly which centre-forward they should sign in the summer transfer window as Rasmus Hojlund continues to toil

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke has suggested that the Red Devils should go all out to sign Victor Osimhen amid Rasmus Hojlund's struggles.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

  • Hojlund struggling for goals at Man Utd
  • Man Utd now looking to sign new striker
  • Yorke believes signing Osimhen is a 'no-brainer'
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    United have faced a lot of trouble scoring goals this season, with Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggling to find their shooting boots. The two strikers have only scored a combined 17 goals in 97 appearances in all competitions, and as such, the Red Devils have been looking at options to sign a new striker this summer.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The 20-time Premier League champions have been linked with a lot of strikers, including Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko. However, legendary striker Yorke has suggested that United would be much better off going for Napoli's Osimhen this summer as he describes the transfer being a 'no-brainer'. Osimhen has spent the season on loan at Galatasaray.

  • WHAT YORKE SAID

    Speaking to Instant Casino, Man Utd legend Dwight Yorke said: "Manchester United signing Victor Osimhen this summer would be better late than never. I don’t know what has stopped the club signing these big names in recent windows.

    "You can see why they have signed young players for their potential like Rasmus Hojlund, but United need more than that. They have made too many mistakes and are paying for it.

    "Can Osimhen handle the pressure? Well, it can't get any worse. He's been around for a while now, he's a senior player and he's scored wherever he's been.

    "The expectation of coming to Manchester United now, it's something that will give him another challenge to achieve. I think signing Osimhen is a no brainer.

    "I think it's a no-brainer because United are in a hole and they need to get out of it."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

    Yorke has also mentioned that United need to win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League if they wish to entice star players like Osimhen into a move to Old Trafford. He added: "Getting into the Champions League has a bigger picture for Manchester United, it’s about being able to attract players and keeping the name of the club among the best teams in Europe.

    "Whether they could compete in the tournament is another question, but even a sixth place United can’t attract names like they used to, they need to be in the Champions League.

    "The legacy of the club hasn’t changed, but the club are no longer in a position to attract the level of players that they want."

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