All posts by n8rngtd.top

During the New Zealand game, people outside the playing group were influenced by radio commentary, says the Bangladesh captain

Mohammad Isam in Taunton16-Jun-2019Mashrafe Mortaza has asked his team-mates to rely on their instincts in assessing pitches – starting with the one in Taunton, where Bangladesh play West Indies on Monday – and not go by “outside” opinions.The playing surface in Taunton is quite green, but there’s also the knowledge that it is traditionally a batsman-friendly pitch. And that has caused confusion in the ranks, with Mashrafe saying that since it’s the players who cop the flak for poor performances, they should make the calls on the matter.”The team that correctly assesses the pitch faster, they will be ahead in the game. I think we misread the pitch in the New Zealand game [at The Oval]. If we had read the pitch right during that match, we would have targeted 260-270, and not 300-plus,” Mashrafe said. “There’s confusion about the [Taunton] pitch as well. We heard it will be grassy but some are saying that it is usually a flat pitch.”I think those who go out in the middle can assess it quicker, since they end up getting criticised for the defeat.”Shakib Al Hasan is caught behind by Tom Latham•Getty Images

The context for the comments was Bangladesh’s 244 all out against New Zealand. It was thought of as a 260-270 pitch by the players but, Mashrafe said, the opinion outside the playing group – influenced by the radio commentary – was that the team should aim higher, which prompted the batsmen to throw their bats around more than they might have otherwise. They collapsed from 151 for 3 in the 31st over and lost by two wickets; in the previous game, against South Africa, they had scored 330 for 6 at the same venue.ESPNcricinfo found out soon after the match against New Zealand that some in the Bangladesh dressing room had been influenced by the radio commentary. At one stage, a message was also sent out to the batsmen in the middle – between overs 31 and 38 – to get a move on. That didn’t go down well with many of the players.”The behaviour of a pitch changes as the match progresses. When you are playing in a ground like The Oval, you are likely to have in the back of your mind that there will be 330-350 runs,” Mashrafe said. “I think our calculations were spot on against South Africa. But if Shakib [Al Hasan] didn’t get out at that time against New Zealand, we would have gone along the same path against New Zealand.”When [Mohammad] Mithun and [Mahmudullah] Riyad were batting, we had the right thinking, aimed at a score around 270. It is hard to judge the pitch listening to the radio. They can only speculate, and only comment on things as it progresses in front of them. I think those in the middle should make the decisions based on their judgment.”

There are still some limited-overs internationals and T20 leagues, on the anvil, but the charismatic West Indies opener is done with World Cups

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2019He opened the batting, and scored an 18-ball 7. He bowled six overs and picked up a wicket. He strutted around the Headingley turf, mostly with a big smile on his face, and threw in as much drama as possible into pouching a sitter on the field and, if that wasn’t enough, proceeded to do six push-ups. And after West Indies had beaten Afghanistan to finish their World Cup 2019 campaign, Chris Gayle confirmed – again – that as far as World Cups were concerned, he was done.”It’s a brilliant privilege and honour to represent West Indies in five World Cups (2003 to 2019),” he then told Brett Lee and Dean Jones, among others, while speaking to the host broadcaster. “Disappointed to end the World Cup without making it to the final four, but at the same time, I’m grateful to actually be here. A lot has happened behind the scenes, (and) to actually be here is fantastic. To finish off with a win is fantastic for me.”We have a great bunch, some great youngsters as well and it’s up to them to lift West Indies cricket from here on. I will still be around, and give my input to West Indies cricket. I still have a few more games left as well, so we’ll see what happens. The World Cup (form and results wise) wasn’t the one I wanted from a personal point of view, but at the same time, you can’t complain too much. It’s one of those things.”In February this year, Gayle had declared that he would be done with ODIs after the World Cup, but during the tournament he offered the possibility of playing on for a bit longer. When asked if that reconsideration would stretch to playing another World Cup, Gayle played along.

Most memorable WC moment

“In the last World Cup, I hit a double century against Zimbabwe. It was my best World Cup, I would say. To be able to get a double-century in a World Cup, I think that’s a fantastic achievement. I didn’t get a century in this one, but I can’t complain. I enjoyed this World Cup as much as I enjoy each and every World Cup.”

“Should I give it some thought,” he said with a big laugh. “Yes, it is my last World Cup. Unless they can give me two years to rest and I can come back in two years’ time again. It’s definitely my last World Cup. Like I said, life goes on. The game has done a lot for me and I’m privileged to be part of another World Cup.”It is possible [to play the 2023 edition] if I put in the work, but I don’t intend to put my body on the line. As you can see, I’m struggling a bit. Four years is a long way off, and I’m not considering another World Cup, to be honest with you.”Gayle, who picked up one of the match balls – “a prized possession” – did express regret at not winning the trophy, but acknowledged the support of his team-mates, who let him do things his way. “All the guys rallied around me, and the support from the youngsters was fantastic,” Gayle said. “I can’t really fault anyone, but I must commend the staff as well for the work ethic they’ve actually put in for the youngsters and myself.”Life goes on, it’s one of those things. Words can’t explain what I feel right now.”There were moments in the World Cup when some of the West Indian youngsters gave enough indications to suggest cricket in the Caribbean has a bright future. Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer with the bat, and Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas created a splash.”The future definitely looks bright,” Gayle agreed. “Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Pooran as well – those guys will carry the flag and make sure West Indies cricket is back where it belongs. It’s just for them to actually take ownership and take responsibility out there in the middle.”We have a young captain as well, Jason Holder, he’s been around five years now. These guys will need to rally around West Indies cricket as long as possible, and I’m looking forward to (watching them in) the next World Cup as well.”I’ll be telling the youngsters to demolish bowlers.”Gayle, meanwhile, will continue to play franchise cricket, and expects to be in the mix for the tour of India later in the year, and “then hopefully we’ll see what happens later on in the year.”Gayle has finished with 1186 runs from 35 World Cup matches, sixth in the list of most prolific run-getters in the marquee event and second among West Indians behind Brian Lara’s mark of 1225. The 2019 edition had Gayle in patchy form, with 242 runs in eight innings and two half-centuries, scored at a strike rate of 88.32.

The wicketkeeper-batsman said he was not going to let the weight of being MS Dhoni’s successor be a burden, and would continue to be himself

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2019Rishabh Pant played four matches for India in the 2019 World Cup, batting at No. 4 in each game. Scores of 32, 48, 4 and 32 seemed to suggest Pant had the potential to be the long-term solution for India, batting at that troublesome number. The No. 4 spot hasn’t yet been nailed down despite several players being tried out, but for his part, Pant said he felt comfortable there and had been practising for it.”I loved batting at No. 4. It was nothing new for me as I have played at No. 4 before, like in the IPL. I had been practicing for the same role,” Pant told . “There is no specific way or style I play in. I always play according to situation. I don’t know what people say, because I don’t read newspapers much.”Pant had played only five ODIs before the World Cup, though he wasn’t short on international experience, having played nine Tests and 15 T20Is. The wicketkeeper-batsman acknowledged that cutting his teeth in Test cricket made things easier.”I don’t think about (the differences in) formats too much. Yes, maybe it did help that I played Test cricket first,” Pant said. “I got good experience from playing Test cricket. People used to say that Test cricket is the most difficult. So I got to learn a lot, how to build the innings, playing down the order and how to bat with the tail.”There is learning every day in Test cricket. Especially when you have to walk out to bat after having fielded the entire day. That is a different experience. In ODIs and T20Is especially, things happen very fast.”Pant will now be the first-choice wicketkeeper for the Indian team on their tour of the West Indies across formats, with MS Dhoni not available.”I know those are big shoes to fill, but if I start thinking about it there will be a problem,” he said of replacing Dhoni in the limited-overs formats. “Right now, I am not thinking about what people say. I am just focusing on what I have to do.”My coach has always told me one thing: every year you have to add something to your game. You can’t stagnate because now the technology is so good that you have to keep improving and add on things each and every day of your career. That’s what I try to do. I just keep on trying new things. If it helps me, I try it in a match. There are days when I try these new shots in the nets, some days I don’t. It is all part of a long-term process.”

Australia reached 30 for 1 during a tricky period at the end of the day after their bowlers put England under pressure again

The Report by Valkerie Baynes15-Aug-2019Jonny, be good. It was a plea rather than a statement and Jonny Bairstow duly answered England’s call.Whether Bairstow’s half-century, his second in Tests in 2019 and his first on home soil in more than a year, combined with Rory Burns’ fifty proves to be enough remains to be seen but, given Australia’s performance in the opening Test, England’s first-innings total did not look overly impressive.Most concerning for the hosts, was the events leading up to Bairstow’s entrance. The majority of England’s upper and middle order floundered – Burns and Joe Denly were among just four batsmen to pass 20, another being No. 8 Chris Woakes. Even a 66-run stand for the third wicket between Burns and Denly, while somewhat encouraging, was indicative of the England batting collective – a start without going on with it.Australia battled during a tricky hour under lights at the end of a late session elongated after the washed-out first day. Openers Cameron Bancroft and David Warner, who both failed to break into double figures at Edgbaston, looked uncomfortable in the face of a fiery first spell from Test debutant Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad, who has had the measure of Warner in the series so far.Broad claimed Warner’s wicket for the third time in as many innings, bowling him through the gate off an ideal length for just 3 with a ball that nipped back to take the leg bail and put Australia at 11 for 1, having dismissed him lbw and caught behind in the previous Test.Archer could have had Warner out an over before with a 90-mph delivery that UltraEdge suggested shaved the bat, but with not so much as an appeal emanating from the bowler or the field, Warner hung on – briefly. Bancroft and Usman Khawaja safely navigated the rest of the session as Australia went to the close with a slight edge.Archer’s first over in Test cricket yielded plenty of pace and venom with speeds in the low 90s and high 80s after he was made to wait a day to be a part of the action, having been handed his cap by Chris Jordan during a short break in the weather on Wednesday. His first foray came with the bat after Tim Paine won the toss and sent England in.When Josh Hazlewood claimed the wickets of Jason Roy for a duck and Joe Root for just 14, England were in trouble at 26 for 2 and Paine’s call – which Root said he would have echoed had he won the toss – seemed well justified.Doubts crept in, however, as Burns and Denly dug in, the former backing up his first-innings 133 in Birmingham with a controlled 53 after he was dropped on 16 by Khawaja at gully off the bowling of Peter Siddle, and Denly making a marginal improvement on his earlier innings of 18 and 11 in this series when he reached 30 to leave the match looking fairly even at lunch.It took a brilliant catch by Bancroft, diving to his left at short leg, off Pat Cummins to dismiss Burns after Hazlewood had Denly caught behind. The England pair were among four wickets to fall in the second session, as Australia’s bowlers combined well, Cummins banging the ball in short while Hazlewood and Siddle found some away swing from the Pavilion End.Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes made very little impact to compound England’s batting concerns as Bairstow and Woakes set about rebuilding. Woakes was hit hard on the helmet by a Cummins delivery and, after barely flipping the penultimate ball of the over to the leg side, fell on the next when Cummins’ delivery brushed his thumb on the way through to Paine behind the stumps.Bairstow compiled his 52 off 95 deliveries, with seven fours, before he picked out Khawaja at deep square leg to hand Nathan Lyon his third wicket. Lyon’s three-for moved him level with Dennis Lillee on 355 Test wickets, joint-third overall for Australia. Cummins and Hazlewood also ended the innings with three wickets each.The theme of the day was red, with Lord’s spectators urged to wear the colour and players entering the field wearing bright red caps in honour of the Ruth Strauss Foundation, set up by former England captain Andrew Strauss following the death of his wife last year from a rare form of lung cancer. By stumps the initiative had raised well in excess of £350,000 for cancer research and support for patients and their families.

Donald’s work with some of the province’s young bowlers forms part of Free State Cricket’s drive to nurture youth cricket in the region

Liam Brickhill11-Sep-2019Allan Donald will take up a position as a consulting coach for all Free State Cricket teams, including the Knights franchise, for the duration of October, the Free State Cricket Union announced on Wednesday.Donald, 52, will be leaving his position as Kent’s assistant coach at the end of this season, upon completion of a two-year stint with the county. Born in Bloemfontein in the Free State, Donald is renowned as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of Test cricket. He took 330 wickets in 72 Tests and also played 164 ODIs for South Africa, taking 272 wickets.”We are delighted to announce that we have embarked on a project to get a consulting coach this season,” Knights and Free State Cricket chief executive, Johan van Heerden, said.”The name of Allan Donald came up as the best candidate as he was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame; and as a player, a coach or an administrator you cannot receive a higher honour than that.”Allan is a born and bred Bloemfonteiner and it was an obvious choice to get him to come and look after our fast bowlers.”Donald will be working closely with the current Knights fast bowlers in preparation for the 4-Day Franchise Series, which starts in October, as well as all provincial teams going to various national weeks towards the end of the year.”Allan will work with the different age group fast bowlers’ prior to the national weeks to equip them and teach them more about the art of fast bowling,” van Heerden said.Donald’s work with some of the province’s young bowlers forms part of Free State cricket’s drive to nurture youth cricket in the region, and particularly the young cricketers who are part of the South Africa Under-19 set-up.”We have secured three fast bowling superstars at the Under-19 level in the Jansen twins [Duan and Marco], as well as Gerald Coetzee,” van Heerden said.”An initiative like this requires money and we are proud to announce that we have secured a sponsorship with VKB to take care of this project that will help us build the future of cricket in the Free State and the Central Region.”

As some unlikely heroes emerge, we pick our team of 2019

Deivarayan Muthu13-Oct-2019Brandon King (Guyana Amazon Warriors)King, a ninth-round pick in the draft, is the first name on our team sheet. True to his name, he rolled out a number of regal strokes, reeling off 496 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.11 and strike-rate of 149.94. King’s tally included an unbeaten 132 off 72 balls – the highest individual score ever in the CPL – that extended Amazon Warriors’ winning streak to 11 and vaulted them into their fifth final.The record-breaking hundred moved Amazon Warriors coach Johan Botha and his family to tears and perhaps signalled the change of guard in the league. Notably, King also had the maximum batting impact as per ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats with a score of 662.58.

ESPNcricinfo’s team of CPL 2018

Glenn Phillips, Chris Gayle, Colin Munro, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Darren Bravo, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Fawad Ahmed, Ali Khan, Imran Tahir

Lendl Simmons (Trinbago Knight Riders)Simmons wasn’t supposed to be part of CPL 2019 in the first place. After finding no takers in the draft, Knight Riders picked him as a temporary replacement for Colin Munro, who missed the early stages of the tournament because of international commitments. Then, after regular captain Dwayne Bravo was sidelined from the entire season with injury, Simmons became a permanent part of the side.While one end was a revolving door at the top – partly due to a finger injury to Sunil Narine – Simmons established himself as Knight Riders’ No.1 opener and cracked five half-centuries, including a measured 51 off 47 balls that secured his team a home qualifier against eventual champions Barbados Tridents. All up, Simmons made 430 runs in 11 innings at an average of 39.09 and strike-rate of 150.34.Glenn Phillips (wk) (Jamaica Tallawahs)Having racked up 457 runs in 11 innings in 2018, Phillips followed it with another productive season that netted him 374 runs in 10 innings at a strike-rate of nearly 145.For Jamaica Tallawahs, the story of the season was Phillips or nothing. He struck three fifties, including a boundary-laden 87 off 49 balls, which in isolation was among the knocks of the tournament. By the time Phillips was dismissed, Tallawahs were 123 for 6 in pursuit of 177 and they eventually fell short. Phillips was also sharp behind the stumps and left some of our collective jaws on the floor when he flew to his right and plucked a one-hander to send back St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ Devon Thomas.ALSO READ: Della Penna: Hayden Walsh Jr.’s moment of truth, at 36,000 feetShoaib Malik (capt) (Guyana Amazon Warriors)The ice-cool Malik proved the perfect foil for King’s fire for Amazon Warriors. In addition to seamlessly closing out the innings with the bat, Malik marshalled his attack expertly and his tactical nous came to the fore when he unleashed Imran Tahir on Chris Gayle at Kingston and shut down Tallawahs’ chase by giving his spinners nine overs in a row first-up.And when Tallawahs reduced Amazon Warriors to 8 for 4 in the return fixture, Malik soaked up all the pressure and rescued his team to 156 for 6 with a match-winning 73 not out off 45 balls. The title slipped away from Amazon Warriors’ grasp once again, but Malik left his mark with 317 runs in 12 innings at an average of 63.40 and strike-rate of 124.31ESPNcricinfo’s Team of the Tournament for CPL 2019•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kieron Pollard (Trinbago Knight Riders)Pollard marked his debut for his home franchise with a violent 47 and although the rest of the Knight Riders lost steam towards the end of the season, Pollard kept blowing hot, especially in the slog overs. He blasted 223 runs off 117 balls between overs 16 and 20. Only Fabian Allen and JP Duminy had a greater strike-rate than Pollard among batsmen who had faced at least 50 balls in this phase.When Knight Riders seemed to have dug themselves into a hole in the Eliminator, it was Pollard who hauled them out of it with an unbeaten 26 off nine balls.ALSO READ: Barbados Tridents end Guyana Amazon Warriors’ 11-win streak to win second CPL titleFabian Allen (St Kitts & Nevis Patriots)Power-hitter. Electric in the field. Bowls fast-ish left-arm spin. Allen has all the makings of a T20 star, and this season he even had Ian Bishop tweeting: “Lots of sparkling batting, but Fabian Allen is so cool. I hope West Indies target him for a special course of development”. This, after Allen had followed his two wickets with 37 not out off 15 balls in a successful chase of 242 against Tallawahs in Basseterre. Allen shellacked 177 off 79 balls between overs 16 and 20 at a strike-rate of nearly 225. Allen’s Smart strike-rate, meanwhile, soared to 235.24.Chris Green (Guyana Amazon Warriors)Bowling the tough overs in the Powerplay with just two men outside the circle could be a nightmare for the bowlers. But this seems to be Green’s dream destination: he bowled 168 balls in the first six overs this season, conceding just 151 runs while picking up five wickets. Only Sunil Narine (3.50) had a better economy rate than Green (5.39) in the Powerplay in CPL 2019. Green’s handy batting and leadership qualities add more value to the team.Chris Green points to his team-mate after getting a wicket•CPL T20

Romario Shepherd (Guyana Amazon Warriors)In a season where bowlers travelled for runs, Shepherd impressed with his hit-the-deck bustle and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker for Amazon Warriors with 13 scalps in nine innings at an economy rate of 8.32. In addition to being a safe outfielder, he can also swing the bat, as he showed during his unbeaten 32 off 13 balls against Knight Riders.Raymon Reifer (Barbados Tridents)Reifer didn’t have too much to do with bat or ball until the knockouts. In the second qualifier against hosts Knight Riders, he silenced a vociferous crowd with a crucial all-round performance. After helping Tridents loot 42 off their last two overs, he pinned a rampaging Seekkuge Prasanna and then Khary Pierre to put Tridents in the final. And on the big night, his left-arm angle and variations snapped Amazon Warriors’ stellar winning run and gave him figures of 4 for 24 – the best in CPL finals.Shoaib Malik leads the way as Guyana Amazon Warriors players take a victory lap around the ground•Getty Images

Hayden Walsh Jr (Barbados Tridents)After playing understudy to Sandeep Lamichhane in the early half of the league, Walsh Jr set the tournament ablaze once the Nepal legspinner left the Caribbean to join the national side. Despite playing just nine matches this season, he claimed 22 wickets at an economy rate of 8.28. The USA legspinner was also a fireball in the field and ran out Pollard in the second qualifier to tip a thriller Tridents’ way. From warming the benches to the MVP of the tournament: it was one hell of a season for Walsh Jr.Imran Tahir (Guyana Amazon Warriors)The South African took at least two wickets in seven of the nine games he played this season. He often shared the Powerplay load with Green and was also thrifty outside of that phase, excelling with his stock ball as well as the wrong’un. His 16 wickets and vaudevillian celebrations jazzed up the tournament further.Imran Tahir is pumped up after taking a wicket•Getty Images

12th man: Phil Salt (Barbados Tridents)The Sussex batsman was vacationing in Miami on Saturday and on Sunday, the day of the final, jetted to Trinidad and joined Tridents as a replacement for the injured JP Duminy. He bagged a duck but by the end of night lifted the title with Tridents. As simple as that.

This was the first time the two young batsmen scored heavily together for England, but it’s unlikely to be the last

The Report by George Dobell12-Nov-2019Centuries from Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley provided a peek into England’s future as the Test leg of their New Zealand tour began.This is not a first-class game and there were moments, at an almost deserted ground on a bitterly cold day, when we seemed light years from the intensity of Test cricket.But, as Sibley and Crawley seized their opportunities with centuries in their first innings in England shirts, it was not hard to imagine a time when both men are fixtures in the Test side.Sibley is, in many ways, an old-fashioned Test batsman. He is, by modern standards, unusually patient – he made nine from his first 48 deliveries here, faced 22 successive dot balls at one stage and did not hit a boundary until his 60th delivery – with discipline outside off stump that would impress a Trappist monk.He is not strokeless, though. As he demonstrated once he was set, he can pull, cut, drive and clip with the best of them. It’s just that he places a high value on his wicket and prefers to play the percentages as he builds an innings. His first 50 runs – which included a six lofted back over the head of left-arm spinner Theo van Woerkom – occupied 109 balls; his second 50 just 52 balls. He didn’t give a chance and has now scored centuries – one of them an unbeaten 215 – in three successive innings. It was all but certain he would open in next week’s Test before this innings, but he should now go into the game with confidence high.His stance – as open, perhaps, as any England batsman since Peter Willey – will raise some eye-brows when it is seen by a wider audience on TV. But there was nothing here that would surprise those who have watched him in county cricket over the past 18 months where he has scored prolifically. While he retains a predilection for the leg-side, the open stance – a characteristic of those coached by freelance batting consultant by Gary Palmer – allows him to retain his balance and avoid his bat becoming trapped behind his front leg. Bearing in mind that he was the only man to score 1,000 Division One Championship runs in 2019 – he scored 1,324 and faced over a thousand deliveries more than any other player in the division – it seems to work pretty well for him. He is, in short, exactly what England have required at the top of the order for some time.Crawley may be, too. It is asking a great deal of a 21-year-old averaging 31 in county cricket to make a go of things in the top-order of a Test team and he was not, initially at least, quite as assured as his partner here. It took him 16 balls – several of which troubled him – to get off the mark and he was dropped, at short-leg off the spin of Woerkom, when he had 11. But as he settled, he demonstrated a wide array of strokes and produced an increasingly commanding innings. Both men retired once they had reached their centuries to provide opportunities for their teammates. Joe Root, in making a run-a-ball 41 before stumps, looked in fine touch.”I don’t see myself as a blocker,” Sibley said afterwards. “But opening the batting is tough. So you have to face a lot of balls and make sure you get through the new ball. Then you can cash in. I like to think I have a few shots in my locker and I know that batting always gets easier at some stage if you stick with it for long enough.”Some caution is required in interpreting these scores. While this New Zealand XI does contain some good cricketers – Benjamin Lister and Henry Shipley were the pick of the seam attack – they are also raw: their entire squad has played fewer first-class matches than Stuart Broad has Tests. There is no doubt the standard of competition will increase sharply in the coming days.It wasn’t a perfect day for England, either. With rain preventing play until 2.30pm, their plans to give all their batsmen an opportunity had to be shelved. As a result, they may well bat into the second day of this match which will provide their bowlers a little less time to prepare in match conditions. Ben Stokes also took a blow when batting in the nets which appeared to hurt his wrist. And while Rory Burns looked pretty solid for the first hour, he will be disappointed with the succession of strokes that led to his dismissal: fortunate to survive a series of near misses through the cordon, he could not help himself having another dart outside off stump which resulted in an outstanding catch at third slip.Burns’ position is not in doubt, though. He will have another chance to prepare for the Test series in the three-day first-class game that starts at the same venue on Friday, with Joe Denly expected to return at No. 3. Realistically, that will mean Jonny Bairstow will depart for England – and some time working on his technique – in the next few days and sentence Crawley to a period on the sidelines. Ollie Pope will bat at No. 6 in the Test side, with Jos Buttler below him. Already it seems a better balanced side than the one that failed to regain the Ashes.And while Crawley may have to wait for another chance, he hinted that he will ready if the call comes. This may have been the first time Crawley and Sibley scored heavily together for England, but there is no reason to suspect it will be the last.

James Pattinson was also named, subject to being released from the Test squad, in the 13-man side to face New South Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2019Will Pucovski and Nic Maddinson have been named in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield squad to face New South Wales at the MCG starting Friday after receiving medical clearance to return following a break to treat mental health and well-being issues.Both Pucovski and Maddinson had taken breaks from the game within a space of six days earlier this month, just after Glenn Maxwell opted out of the T20I series against Sri Lanka for the same reason. Maddinson and Maxwell returned to club cricket in Melbourne over the last weekend, with positive returns.Both Pucovski and Maddinson trained with the Victoria squad on Wednesday at the MCG while Maxwell did a running session. Cricket Victoria general manager Shaun Graf confirmed that both Pucovski and Maddinson had been cleared to play; however, Maxwell has not been cleared yet.”We are looking forward to having Nic and Will back playing for Victoria after receiving clearance from our medical staff,” Graf said. “We’ll continue to support all our players through their return to play.”Victoria team-mate and Australia’s T20I captain Aaron Finch has been in constant contact with Maxwell during his time out of the game including after his return to club cricket on the weekend.”He was OK. It probably took him a bit longer than he thought to get back into it,” Finch said.”I don’t want to speak on his behalf. But no doubt it’s going to be a gradual process to get back, and whether that’s next week, or next month or next year I think it’s something that with the amount of awareness around mental health and stuff like that these days I think that you have to be mindful of the player making the right decision in their best interest and not trying to rush them back for a particular game or set a defined date on it. I think it’s just a case-by-case scenario.”I know in Maxy’s case a lot of the time he passed it off as tiredness and [being] run down from the game. A lot of the time’s there’s more to it than that.”Fast bowler James Pattinson was also named in the 13-man squad, subject to being released from the Test squad, after missing the Gabba Test against Pakistan through suspension.Marcus Harris also returned for Victoria having missed their last Shield match because of Australia A duty.Victoria chairman of selectors Andrew Lynch was pleased to have a few big names back into the side as the defending Shield champions currently sit bottom of the table without a win in four games. “To bring Marcus Harris, Nic Maddinson, Will Pucovski and potentially James Pattinson back into the squad is really positive as we move into the final two Shield matches before the [BBL] break,” Lynch said. “We’re now looking to get some results on the board to put ourselves in a better position for the second half of the season.”Victoria left out recent debutant Jake Fraser-McGurk and Eamonn Vines. Fraser-McGurk, 17, remarkably will play for Victoria at the national Under-19s championships in Perth just a week after making half-centuries on both Sheffield Shield and List A debut.Victoria are also without acting head coach Lachie Stevens who is on paternity leave. Former Victoria and Australia batsman Brad Hodge has been called in as a short-term senior assistant coach for the game against New South Wales in Stevens’ absence.Squad: Peter Handscomb (capt), Andrew Fekete, Aaron Finch, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, Nic Maddinson, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Matthew Short, Peter Siddle, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain

“It does disappoint me when a lot of our boys don’t get opportunities as assistant coaches in IPL”

Saurabh Somani in Lucknow28-Nov-20191:39

‘It disappoints me that some of our boys are not picked as coaches in the IPL’ – Dravid

Rahul Dravid believes IPL franchises are “missing a trick” by not involving more Indian coaches. Dravid feels Indian coaches are as good as any in the world, and even if not appointed at the top of the tree, they will add value as assistant coaches, given that a majority of players in every IPL franchise is Indian.”I believe we’ve got some very good coaches, a lot of good people. I’m fully confident [in their ability]. Just as we have a lot of talent in the cricket department, we have a lot of talent in the coaching department,” Dravid said in Lucknow on Thursday. “We need to give them confidence and time to flourish. I’m sure they will do it.”It does sometimes disappoint me when a lot of our boys don’t get opportunities as assistant coaches in IPL. Honestly, there are so many Indian players in the IPL, there’s so much of local knowledge [among our coaches]. I feel a lot of teams could actually benefit from using a lot of our Indian coaches in the IPL. They know the Indian players better, they understand them better. Even as assistant coaches… there is a lot of talent and ability. It just needs to be given the opportunity, and flourish.”In an expanded role as the National Cricket Academy director, from previously being the head coach of India A and India Under-19, part of Dravid’s remit is to develop Indian coaches in addition to overseeing the next rung of talent in Indian cricket.Rahul Dravid has been cleared by the BCCI to take charge at the National Cricket Academy•Getty Images

“A part of our goal is to create a programme for coaches as well, so that we can give them certain skills in which they can develop – and hopefully then get the opportunities to work at a slightly higher level,” Dravid said. “I think a lot of IPL teams miss a trick by not using more domestic talent in the coaching area and the talent identification area, even if it is as assistants.”That’s my personal opinion. It’s not for me to decide for franchises and head coaches what they do, but I think they miss a trick by not involving more Indian coaches. Indian coaches understand and know the system, and they know a lot of Indian players. Every IPL team has at least 17-18 Indian players. It’s my personal view, but I would love to see a lot of our boys get the opportunity to be in and around that environment. Hopefully we can work with some teams to try and ensure that.”Dravid has been in Lucknow to observe the ongoing one-day series between India Under-19 and Afghanistan Under-19 as part of preparations for the World Cup early next year. Victory in the fourth one-dayer meant India took a winning 3-1 lead in the series. Dravid said the trickle-down effect of the success of India’s pacers had in international cricket could be seen in how many young cricketers were taking up pace bowling at the age-group level.”Every year now in Under-19 cricket, we’ve had some very good fast bowlers,” Dravid said. “Last time, (in the Under-19 World Cup 2018), we had three of them in Kamlesh (Nagarkoti), Shivam (Mavi) and Ishan (Porel). This year also you will see some good fast bowlers in the team.”

England’s imposing batting pushes South Africa’s bowlers to the brink on day of toil

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth17-Jan-2020It’s a thankless job. Keshav Maharaj’s sixth career five-for came as a result of him bowling more overs than a South African has delivered in a home Test in 55 years and was also the most expensive by a South African bowler, ever.It’s a thankless job. The second ban of Kagiso Rabada’s career came as a result of a reaction that embodied the passion South Africa needed more of on a lifeless Port Elizabeth pitch. Now they will have to do without him, and all that he brings, for the series decider next week.It’s a thankless job. Between them, Maharaj and Rabada, the saint and the sinner, did the hard work and showed the heart that should have set South Africa up for a strong second day at St George’s Park. But things fell apart as England posted the highest first-innings score by a visiting team at this venue since readmission, and laid down a challenge that South Africa’s batsmen have not shown themselves to be up to meeting in the last year.Maharaj, in particular, needs the batsmen to do well. That’s what Paul Harris told ESPNcricinfo in the lead-up to this Test, when he explained that big runs will give Maharaj permission to be more aggressive.Until then, he has to do the donkey work which, in this series, has meant holding an end almost all day. He sent down 30 overs on the trot from the Duck Pond End on day one, had two tough chances dropped, two reviews go against him and several close shaves for only one wicket. On day two, he served up a further 26 overs, but at least added four more scalps to his tally. The standout feature of Maharaj’s effort was his consistency. He bowled more deliveries on the stumps than in any other Test innings he has taken part in, which speaks to his discipline, even though that’s a trait that rarely makes headlines. Drama does, and that’s where Rabada comes in.Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes added 203 for the fifth wicket•Stu Forster/Getty Images

Rabada’s dismissal of Joe Root gave South Africa a short-lived advantage post-tea on the first day, and sent a loud and long-awaited message that his desire was still there. Too loud. Rabada’s scream, which spewed out within spitting distance of the departing Root, could have been directed at the England captain but might have been aimed at the pitch, which had given him nothing all day. Either way, it constituted a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, and whether or not everyone agrees with the decision, Rabada should have known better.This was the fourth time in 24 months, and the sixth time in 36 months, that he has been found guilty of effectively the same offence. The four most recent transgressions (send-offs to Niroshan DIckwella, David Warner and Root, and a shoulder brush with Steve Smith) are why Rabada will miss the Johannesburg Test and there seems to be no explanation for why he would have risked that.He knows the rules. He even knows the consequences because he was banned in 2017 when he told Ben Stokes to “f*** off”, at the culmination of a previous series of demerit points. That Rabada was less than a month away from the expiration of the Dickwella demerit point only makes his actions more reckless. He even knows that. Rabada has previously acknowledged that his “outbursts of emotion” may “let the team down.” And how.ALSO READ: Rabada banned for Johannesburg Test after demerit pointSouth Africa do not have the luxury of losing players. They have already had two, Lungi Ngidi and Aiden Markram, ruled out of the series with injury; one, Temba Bavuma, dropped after recovering from a niggle and another, Vernon Philander, operating as a passenger in this attack. Philander only bowled 11 overs on day one and five on day two after it became obvious the slow pitch didn’t suit him, which only increased the burden on both Rabada and Maharaj.Rabada had to make something happen, and his frustration with that difficulty showed in the celebration. Maharaj almost made something happen for an entire day, and his frustrations manifested in a lack of rewards initially and then a leaking of runs at the end. Ben Stokes was merciless against them both, bringing up his fifty off Rabada and 4,000 Test runs off Maharaj. Mark Wood made a mockery of them both, earning a reprieve off a no-ball before smashing Maharaj for successive sixes to grind South Africa down.It’s thankless job. Maharaj who toiled for the best part of two days and conceded his runs at less than three an over, had his figures stretched out of shape by a late assault. Rabada, who knows he will not be able to have a say on the decider, denied himself the opportunity to make a final statement on this innings by completely unravelling, first when he was fielding at long-on and failed to see the chance Sam Curran offered and then with a four-over spell that cost 27 runs as England approached 500. That they didn’t quite get there doesn’t exactly constitute a job well done. It’s a thankless job.