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SLC also believes they have enough power-hitters in the team “capable of meeting any challenge”

Madushka Balasuriya13-May-2024While the ongoing IPL may be a certifiable run-fest, the current school of thought surrounding the upcoming T20 World Cup is that conditions in the USA and Caribbean might be a little less batter-friendly. At least, that’s the working assumption Sri Lanka’s selectors were going on when they named their 15-man squad for the tournament.”If you look at the conditions in America and the West Indies, most of it is pointing towards the wickets there being quite slow,” chief selector Upul Tharanga said at a media briefing on Monday.”The Major League tournament was played in Dallas with drop-in pitches. If you look at those, even though they’re being brought down from Australia they are still quite uneven and a little slow. This could of course change, so it’s a little hard to predict.”Related

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It’s this line of thinking that has seen them stock their squad with spin-bowling options. While Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana will lead the line, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage all offer all-round options, while Vijayakanth Viyaskanth is among the travelling reserves.

Dhananjaya, Wellalage show versatility is key

Among the main beneficiaries of Sri Lanka’s focus on spin have been Dhananjaya and Wellalage.A lack of power-hitting pedigree has seen the 32-year-old Dhananjaya struggle to become a mainstay of the T20 side, while his position in the batting line-up has also yo-yoed. Over the past four years, he’s batted in each of the top seven positions, though primarily in the middle order, and of Sri Lanka’s nine T20Is this year he’s only played in four of them. As for Wellalage, he is yet to debut for Sri Lanka in T20Is, though he has 21 ODIs and a solitary Test to his name.But despite this lack of game time, both have been included in Sri Lanka’s squad, and Tharanga explained that it was their versatility that cemented their inclusion.”There could be a chance that we play three spinners sometimes. Looking at that is why we picked Dunith, particularly his batting, because sometimes we could go with him ahead of a fast-bowling allrounder.”As for Dhananjaya, we value his bowling. And with regard to power-hitting, we think we can get that from elsewhere in the side. In terms of his all-round input, and taking into consideration the conditions, he was a better option.”Tharanga also revealed that the uncapped Viyaskanth, who had impressed in the LPL in recent seasons as well as the ILT20 earlier this year, had been picked as a travelling reserve ahead of the likes of Jeffrey Vandersay and Akila Dananjaya owing to him being more suited to the conditions.”Viyaskanth is taller and has a higher arm action, and because of that we thought he would suit the West Indian conditions better. Along with Viyaskanth, we looked at Akila Dananjaya and Jeffrey Vandersay, and compared to them Viyaskanth has bowled more in franchise cricket, and so we think he’s best suited to fill in in the case of any injury.”Matheesha Pathirana has been in sensational form for CSK, but Sri Lanka will have to wait on a final medical report before they can clear him for return•BCCI

Concerns over power-hitting?

The build-up to the World Cup – in the shadow of the IPL – has brought with it a certain degree of uncertainty over what the scoring will be like at the tournament, with ground averages perhaps no longer a reliable indicator of scoring patterns considering the kind of uber aggressive batting seen in the IPL so far.In this vein, there were questions over the selection of Dhananjaya over more explosive options like Kusal Janith Perera and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (travelling reserve). The selectors, though, were confident that the team selected has the firepower needed to go deep in the tournament.”If you look at scores in the West Indies historically, as well as the US, average scores are around 160. But until we play on them we won’t know how such wickets behave. But I do believe that this a team capable of meeting any challenge.”Speaking further on Perera’s axing, Tharanga said it was down to his recent lack of form, while he added that Bhanuka had been kept as a reserve as there were enough power hitters in the side already.”From the 15 players we’ve selected I think we have the necessary power in the side in terms of batters. In the opening slots we have Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, then we have Kamindu Mendis, Charith [Asalanka], there’s Wanindu and Dasun Shanaka. So we have faith that we can cover the power side of the game with those players.”

Special request for Liyanage

Janith Liyanage was not part of the initial 25-man shortlist the selectors had identified as potential candidates for their final squad, but such has been the strength of his performances in ODIs – he has scored three fifties and a century in six innings since debuting in March of this year – they had been urged to reconsider his role in shortest format.As such, Liyanage, despite having played the last of his three T20Is back in February 2022, has been named one for four travelling reserves.”He wasn’t selected in the initial 25-man list because we thought we could go forward with those selections. But in the games following that decision, Janith performed very well,” Tharanga explained.”This meant that some of the seniors and coaches in the side asked again if it was possible to take Janith for the tournament.”

Sri Lanka wait on Pathirana injury

Matheesha Pathirana had impressed in his second IPL campaign, picking up 13 wickets for Chennai Super Kings in six games before being sidelined with a hamstring strain. According to Tharanga, they are hopeful of the slinger being fit for the start of the tournament but will have to wait on the final medical report before identifying a clear timeline for his return.He is one of five seamers Sri Lanka will be taking to the US, alongside fellow slinger Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera and travelling reserve Asitha Fernando.In those, Tharanga believes there is enough to trouble opposition batters in all phases of play.”We have players to bowl at the death, but it’s in the powerplay that we need to focus on picking up wickets. So for that we have Madushanka and then as travelling reserve we have Asitha.”If we take our side, Thushara, Pathirana they can bowl in the death overs. But we needed someone that could come in if we needed a wicket-taking option with the new ball, which is why we went with Asitha [as a reserve over Binura Fernando].”

Maiden T20 hundred for Wharton as home side pile up 224 for 4 on way fifth win in a row

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2023Centurion James Wharton and England star Dawid Malan shared 159 for the second wicket – Yorkshire’s all-time highest T20 partnership – as part of a high-scoring Vitality Blast 26-run victory for the Vikings over Worcestershire Rapids at Headingley.Wharton, 22 and in only his fourth career T20 match, struck a fabulous unbeaten 111 off 56 balls and was more than ably supported by Malan’s excellent 79 off 48 as they underpinned a daunting 224 for 4 batting first. Yorkshire’s previous record partnership in T20 cricket was 150 shared between Adam Lyth and David Willey at Northamptonshire in 2018.In typically excellent Headingley batting conditions, it proved a target beyond a Rapids side whose spirited response of 198 for 6 saw Jordan Thompson claim 4 for 34 from four overs of seam and Kashif Ali make 48 not out.Worryingly, Worcestershire lost New Zealand overseas allrounder Michael Bracewell, who collapsed mid-pitch clutching his right leg on 11 and retired hurt early in the 225 chase.Yorkshire have now won their last five Blast fixtures having lost their first three in the North Group, and they are well placed in the race for the quarter-finals. Worcester, top of the table earlier this week, have now won four and lost three.Yorkshire began the night by becoming the latest county to sign up for the Muslim Athlete Charter – also referred to as the Nujum Sports’ Charter – which is a commitment to recognise the needs of Muslim cricketers, fans and staff within the game and which further underpins the county’s avowed commitment to equity and diversity.More than 75 sports clubs and organisations have signed the Nujum Sports’ charter since it was first enacted in June 2021, including the RFL, the Premier League, and the Football Association of Wales. The ECB agreed a formal partnership last year, since when nearly half the counties have adopted the charter which is based upon Nujum Sports’ core values of equalty, community, support and aspiration.Yorkshire have signed up to the Muslim Athletes Charter. Darren Gough, director of cricket (third from left) is joined by (l-r) captain Shan Masood, Ebadur Rahman, CEO for Nujum Sports and Mo Hussain, Yorkshire’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager.•SWPix.com

Worcestershire actually made a bright start having lost the toss, restricting their hosts to 13 for 1 after three overs. Bracewell’s offspin accounted for Adam Lyth caught at midwicket following a miscued slog-sweep. However, that only brought Wharton to the crease, and he started like a train amidst a partnership with Malan lasting a little less than 14 overs.Right-handed Wharton hit the lion’s share of 49 off the next three overs, including two savagely pulled sixes off seamers Pat Brown and Dillon Pennington, to leave Yorkshire 62 for 1 after six overs.The assault continued, with Wharton, dropped on 19 at mid-on by captain Brett D’Oliveira, reaching his fifty off only 20 balls as the Vikings moved to 108 for 1 after 10 overs.When Malan followed him to the same milestone off 33 balls shortly afterwards, a score in excess of 220 was a looking almost certain.This was Malan’s fourth fifty in his last five Blast innings, but Wharton was the standout having been given his chance following some excellent recent second-team form, including a century opening the batting. He mixed power with finesse. One of three sixes added to 16 fours was savagely pulled into the Western Terrace off Adam Finch before he later scooped Brown over the rope at long-leg to reach his maiden century off 51 balls.At one stage, he was on course to better Yorkshire’s fastest-ever century off 47 balls, scored by Ian Harvey in 2005.Wharton was particularly strong on the drive. It was somewhat surprising that his innings only included three sixes, indicating that this was an innings of pure batting – very similar to how Malan, who hit four, has made his name in this format.Worcester were poor in the field, missing a handful of opportunities. Just before Wharton was dropped on 19, Jack Haynes couldn’t get his hands to one which seemed to hang in the air for an age as he ran back from cover.Not that the Rapids were out of this match at halfway. They had already scored 226 for 5 in a win at Nottinghamshire earlier this month. But everything had to go swimmingly for them – and it didn’t.After Bracewell limped off in the second over, Haynes miscued David Wiese to mid-on and Adam Hose top-edged Thompson behind, leaving the score at 48 for 2 in the fifth over.The run-rate wasn’t an issue, but the loss of wickets was. Opener D’Oliveira tried to rectify his earlier error in the field with a quick-fire 47 off 31 balls before pulling the seam of Matthew Revis to deep midwicket.When Mitchell Santner (27) clubbed Thompson to long-on, leaving the score at 109 for 4 in the 12th over, the Rapids had a mountain to climb.Kashif helped them at least reach basecamp with some lusty hitting. The target became 62 off four overs at 163 for 4. He shared 81 with fifth-wicket partner Cox. But the latter holed out as Thompson struck twice in as many balls in the penultimate over, which ended with the score at 191 for 6.

Opener’s unbeaten 118 shows benefit of winter technical work

Paul Edwards05-May-2022
Dominic Sibley will never be a gainly cricketer but he might become an exceptionally effective one once more. Those Warwickshire and England supporters who watched Sibley struggle dreadfully when playing Test cricket last summer would be heartened by such a renaissance and they may be further encouraged when he finally talks about the work he did over the winter.The evidence of that labour – apparently Sibley was often in the Edgbaston nets at eight in the morning – was plain during this marvellously well-contested day at Emirates Old Trafford. When it ended, in glorious May sunlight, the opener had 118 runs against his name. He had batted through the three sessions and had faced 278 balls, 15 of which he had hit for four. So much, so statistical. But the true merit of his innings was plain not in its figures – he has made centuries before, some of them big ones, two of them in Test matches – but in the manner the runs were made.It is, of course, absurd to say Sibley should now be recalled to the England side. Yet innings like this revealed an improved technique and underlying that, the sort of humble, illusionless approach any sportsman needs if he is to recover from the setbacks that will certainly be part of his career. The late wickets taken by Lancashire with the new ball may have given their side the slightest of edges but there is little doubt whose contribution will attract the most notice when this game is reported on the media’s many platforms. Sibley’s “journey”, to borrow the current buzz-word, might be one from which other young cricketers can learn and perhaps it began, ironically, with opting not to play for an England team.When selected for the England Lions squad last autumn it would have been easy for Sibley to go to Australia in the hope of picking up a big hundred and somehow getting straight back in the Test team. Instead, he clearly recognised that such an approach would do little for his technical shortcomings and he opted to spend his winter mornings with Tony Frost and the other Warwickshire coaches in the Edgbaston nets, working on his balance and rebuilding a game that had come close to disintegration in two Tests against India’s pace attack.As a result, Sibley’s batting is no longer an unlucky bag of technical problems. He does not fall across the line of the ball; his hands are less likely to grope out towards the off side; his attacking strokes to leg in front of square have become controlled clips rather than wild shovels. He is also playing much straighter, with his head over the ball; a fine straight drive off George Balderson was a perfect example off this modification. In short he no longer topples over like a hat-stand in a stiff breeze. His batting is characterised by commitment without compulsion.There were sins amid all this righteousness; Sibley’s 380-minute innings was chanceless but by no means faultless. Yet one only needed to recall his fraught cricket last year to realise how much has now changed. And one had to see the struggles some of his partners endured to understand the merit of his innings.The first wicket to fall was that of Alex Davies, whose departure from Lancashire last July came as a surprise to most people at Emirates Old Trafford, maybe even, in a sense, to Davies himself. However, the opener experienced a more predictable leave-taking in the third over of the day’s play when he shouldered arms to a ball from Tom Bailey and lost his off stump. Davies had already been flummoxed twice by his former colleague so one can hardly say his dismissal for an eight-ball eight-minute nought was much of a shock.Sibley’s difficulties, though, have never been of the temperamental variety and throughout the rest of the day he bore the departures of his partners with a phlegmatic shrug. Nearly an hour after Davies’ dismissal, Rob Yates was bowled for 15 by a fine outswinger from Luke Wood that curved back from a middle-stump line and knocked out the off stick. The stump had barely stopped moving before Sibley had turned to the dressing room and indicated he needed new gloves. It would be wrong to interpret this as indifference to reverses; rather it revealed a determination to prepare for a new stage in his side’s innings. The over after Yates was dismissed Sibley cover- and straight-drove Balderson for fours. It was hard to recall him playing the second of those strokes with comparable assurance a year ago.Lancashire, though, are a flinty bunch of cricketers and they allowed Warwickshire few liberties in the afternoon session. Sam Hain batted very competently for his 38 runs but then turned a legspinner from Matt Parkinson into a full toss and drove it to straight to short extra-cover where Rob Jones, the substitute fielder, took the catch above his head. Will Rhodes, who seems out of sorts at present, went back to a legspinner from Parkinson when he should have gone forward and was bowled for 16.Warwickshire came into tea on 169 for 4 and by then it was clear that the nature of the day, although not its balance, might be defined by whether or not Sibley, who was on 76, completed one of the most important centuries of his career. That matter was resolved relatively swiftly. A glanced four off Bailey and a cut off Wood took him nearer the nineties and two fours off Parkinson eased nerves. A single off Balderson brought up the landmark but Sibley acknowledged the matter in the most low-key fashion. He probably knows there is so much more to do in this match, this season and his career. Others can kiss badges if they wish.Lancashire, though, struck the day’s final important blows. Bailey, who seems never to bowl badly, had both Chris Benjamin and Michael Burgess leg before wicket, the former for a fine 47, and Hasan Ali snared Danny Briggs well caught at slip by Keaton Jennings. Sibley watched from the other end and then trudged off. Weather permitting, he will be there again tomorrow. And suddenly, it looks as though there might be a lot of fine tomorrows for him.

“Never ever miss the birth of your children, because it is one of the great things you will ever do”

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2020″Of course it will have an impact,” Australia coach Justin Langer said when asked about Virat Kohli returning home after the first Test in Australia later this year for the birth of his first child. Using an Aussie Rules Football parallel, Langer likened Kohli’s absence to “taking Dustin Martin out of Richmond”, but stressed that even without their captain, India “are a very, very good team” and “we have to be on our toes all summer”.”Are we happy he is not playing? It’s like taking (AFL star) Dustin Martin out of Richmond,” Langer said with a laugh at a press interaction earlier today. “Of course it will have an impact, but we also know that India beat us last time (in 2018-19). They are a very, very good team. We cannot get complacent for a second with or without Virat.”So we are going to have to be on our toes all summer, and we’re looking forward to that.”Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their first child around the turn of the year, and Kohli has asked for – and been granted – paternity leave. The tour will start with three ODIs, followed by three T20Is, with the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy played at the end. In a media statement earlier this week, the BCCI confirmed Kohli’s return after the first Test, which will be India’s first day-night Test overseas, but did not specify whether Kohli would rejoin the Indian Test squad at a later stage, though any return would have to negotiate strict quarantine protocols, adding to the time that he would not be available.As far as Langer was concerned, though, taking time off for “one of the great things you will ever do” was worth the sacrifice on Kohli’s part.”Virat Kohli is probably the best player I have ever seen in my life for so many reasons, not only his batting but his energy and passion for the game, the way he fields. I cannot believe he displays the energy he does in everything he does, and I’ve got so much respect for him,” Langer said. “I’ve also got respect for him in the sense that he’s made this decision (to take paternity leave).”He’s a human being like all of us. It’s the same with Kane Richardson. He sacrificed the IPL so that he could be at the birth of his son a couple of days ago. So if I was giving advice to any of my players, I would always say never ever miss the birth of your children, because it is one of the great things you will ever do. Virat’s a human being, and I respect his decision.”The Indian contingent – without Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma, who are both carrying injuries – reached Sydney from the UAE on Thursday, and have gone into two weeks’ quarantine straightaway.

Jamieson has a stiff hamstring after returning from the tour of Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2023Uncapped fast bowler Ben Sears has been added to New Zealand’s ODI squad for the three-match series against Bangladesh as cover for Kyle Jamieson, who has a stiff left hamstring.Jamieson returned to New Zealand after the two-Test series in Bangladesh on Tuesday and then travelled to Dunedin to join the ODI squad. He played both Tests in Bangladesh, taking two wickets in 34 overs and scoring 52 runs in three innings.”We’re taking a cautious approach with Kyle,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “We don’t want to rush or push him back, particularly at the very start of our home summer. He could play if absolutely necessary but we don’t want to take any unnecessary risks, hence calling in Ben for this first match. Ben’s familiar to the team environment and it’s been good to see him back at full fitness for the [Wellington] Firebirds.”Sears, 25, hasn’t made his ODI debut yet but he has played six T20Is and was part of the ODI squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Series against Australia last year. He has 36 wickets in 29 List A matches at an average of 33.77 and economy of 5.62.New Zealand play the first ODI against Bangladesh on December 17 in Dunedin. The second ODI is in Nelson on December 20 and the third in Napier on December 23.New Zealand’s ODI squad: Tom Latham (capt), Adi Ashok (games 2 & 3), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi (game 1), Will Young, Ben Sears

“The biggest difference is that you know your team-mates really well playing for Australia,” Cummins says of leading a franchise T20 side

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-20242:29

Steven Smith: ‘Starc won’t be affected by his price tag’

Pat Cummins vs Mitchell Starc. INR INR 20.50 crore vs INR 24.75 crore. Hardly a rivalry, even if it’s been talked up ahead of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) game at Eden Gardens on Saturday. For Cummins, it’s only going to be “weird looking across and seeing him in the other dugout”.”I will say this: hopefully I don’t have to face Starc because that means our batters have done quite well,” Cummins said at a press conference a day off from the game. “It’s funny… it’s one of the beauties of the IPL; I have been playing with Starcy for 15 years, [and] I can’t remember another game where I have played against him. Also it’s going to be weird looking across and seeing him in the other dugout.”But there’s that big salary to live up to. “Yeah, being an opposition captain, seeing how we go about playing him will be an interesting part of tomorrow. But we’re both bowlers, so I am not sure we’ll cross [paths] too much.”Related

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Cummins, as has been discussed ever since he was named SRH captain for the 2024 IPL season, has never captained a T20 side at a competitive level despite being Australia’s Test and ODI captain and playing international cricket – all formats – since 2011. A fast-bowling captain at that.”Really excited, good to go,” Cummins said while acknowledging his lack of experience helming a T20 side.”It’s got its challenges,” he elaborated. “In that you play 14 games in six-seven weeks, plus finals. I’m used to playing a lot of Test cricket, so four overs isn’t as taxing on your body. But it can be mentally taxing, the travel, obviously a different country, play a new team every few days you have to prepare for… But it’s nothing new, we’ve done it before. Obviously, the game day is most important. That’s what we put most days into. No teams play the same XI for all 14 games. I am sure we’ve got to call on our squad and we’re lucky we’ve got a young, fit squad.”I think it’s been a part of the IPL, you have expectations, you have a lot of fans who demand a lot out of the team, they want results. Yeah, being captain is probably a little bit more [of responsibility]. But it’s not much different to what we’re used to as players. We’ll give it our best.”As for the players who don’t get many chances, Cummins has a simple message: “You want a bit of people rivalry, you know, a bit of rivalry when people try to break into the XI.”At SRH, Cummins will have for company Travis Head, who he leads in Tests and ODIs, but it’s going to be very different from leading Australia, who he has captained to world titles in both those formats.”The biggest difference is that you know your team-mates really well playing for Australia. There’s a lot of things doesn’t need to be said, because I have played with Joshie Hazlewood and Starc for 15 years. So there’s a real kind of trust and you just don’t really need to say much, everything kind of runs by itself,” Cummins said. “I think here, learning [about] some new players, that’s going to be the biggest difference, and just learning those different roles within the team. I know a few of the other guys, obviously, and have done a bit of homework to try and get the best out of the guys. But that’s probably going to be the biggest difference.”Washington Sundar adds depth to the SRH batting while also bowling his quota of overs•Associated Press

Are SRH light on the spin-bowling front?

There is Wanindu Hasaranga in the ranks, but that takes away an overseas slot and leaves just two, with Cummins as captain a starter. Outside of Hasaranga, SRH’s best spin options are Washington Sundar and Mayank Markande. Both solid performers at the IPL over the years, but not quite names that would strike fear in opponents.”Whilst not having any huge names that have played a lot of cricket for India, I’ve been really impressed with the guys we do have,” Cummins said. “Washington, who can bat in the top seven but also give handy overs. Markande as well, who’s had some success as well. So I feel like we’ve got that covered. We’ve also got guys like Aiden Markram and Travis Head, who can chip in if we need to as well. So feels like there’s a bit of quality there and if it’s a spinning wicket, we’ve got plenty of guys who can bowl.”Which might be the case at Eden Gardens, which Cummins knows well, having turned out for KKR in the past. His great 14-ball half-century, however, didn’t come in Kolkata, but in Pune, against Mumbai Indians, though Cummins would like to give it another heave on Saturday.”Maybe, I’d love to. It’s great fun. It’s much more fun than trying to block and hang around and cop a few on the body,” he said. “So yeah, I look forward to that, especially the IPL, I’ve got a few runs over the years… I’ve been hit for a lot of sixes in my life, so I’ll try to get a few back.”

With just 24 days to go before the first Test against England, there is still no director of cricket or selection panel

Firdose Moonda02-Dec-2019Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has resumed discussions with Cricket South Africa over the director of cricket role, which he had shown an interest in before withdrawing last month.Smith was interviewed for the post alongside suspended interim director of cricket Corrie van Zyl and former national selector Hussein Manack, and was understood to be CSA’s preferred candidate. But he then made himself unavailable for consideration, citing a lack of “the necessary confidence” in the board.Following a report in the , which said Smith had had a change of heart and was on the verge of agreeing to a four-year deal, Smith confirmed he was still in communication with CSA, but acknowledged that he still had his reservations.”Contrary to media reports I have not been appointed Director of Cricket by CSA. As previously advised I withdrew my application for the role. I am, however, in ongoing discussions with CSA, but I still have real concerns, which I have reiterated to them,” Smith tweeted.ALSO READ: 2019 – South African cricket’s annus horribilisESPNcricinfo understands that Smith has been in conversation with CSA president Chris Nenzani and has conveyed that his main concern was about the CSA’s senior management. But even if Smith does get on board, it is unlikely to be in time to have an effect on preparations for the upcoming home series against England, which starts on Boxing Day.With just 24 days to go before the first Test, South Africa have neither a confirmed director of cricket nor a selection panel, although interviews for a selection convener have taken place. Patrick Moroney has emerged as the frontrunner for that, but there is no indication on if or when he would be appointed or when a squad would be announced.In an interview with Afrikaans newspaper on Sunday, CSA CEO Thabang Moroe said van Zyl and Enoch Nkwe, the interim team director, make up the current selection committee.Graeme Smith shares a laugh with Faf du Plessis•Getty Images

Moroe’s statement came four days after CSA spokesperson Thamie Mthembu had told that CSA had a “technical team” in place to select the squad; Mthembu, however, did not name anyone but Nkwe. Given that van Zyl remains suspended for alleged dereliction of duty following delayed commercial rights payments to the South African Cricketers Association, Nkwe could have a significant, if not unilateral, say on the make-up of the squad. Most recently, Nkwe took South Africa to India, where they drew the T20I series and were whitewashed in the Tests.Those Tests are the only red-ball cricket some national players have featured in, which means the squad must be picked on the basis of those results, and the performances in the first four rounds of four-day franchise cricket played in October-November, and the single round of fixtures that will take place on December 19. Some players who picked up injuries in India, such as Keshav Maharaj (shoulder injury) and Dean Elgar (concussion), have made recoveries and are playing in the ongoing Mzansi Super League (MSL), which runs until December 16, ten days before the first Test against England. Others, such as Aiden Markram (wrist fracture), Dwaine Pretorius (hand injury), and promising young quick Gerald Coetzee (hamstring injury), are on the sidelines, which may make selection trickier.Nkwe is not involved at the MSL this year after coaching the Jozi Stars to the title last summer. His position with the national team remains temporary until a director of cricket, who will name the long-term team management, is appointed. Since Smith withdrew from the race, CSA has dragged its feet on making an appointment. Sources suggested that the delay could run well into 2020, with some suggesting CSA will readvertise for the post and look for options overseas.All that leaves South African cricket mired in uncertainty ahead of an important few months for all its national teams. The men’s side play England in four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is, before facing Australia and India in white-ball internationals to prepare for the T20 World Cup in October-November 2020. The women’s team will play in the T20 World Cup in February-March and the Under-19 side will feature in the World Cup, to be played at home, in January-February. Though the coaching staff for the women’s and Under-19 team is in place, the director of cricket was expected to roll out an overall national strategy for all cricket played under CSA’s umbrella and ensure continuity in the structures. That will have to wait.

Middlesex slip to heavy defeat despite Jack Davies’ debut half-century

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2021Alastair Cook and Tom Westley crashed big half-centuries as Essex crushed Middlesex by nine wickets in the Royal London Cup.England legend Cook clocked his 48th List A fifty to end 92 not out while Eagles captain Westley returned an unbeaten 87, the pair putting on 159 together.Essex were only chasing 212 after Shane Snater’s 3 for 45 and two-fors for Simon Harmer and Ryan ten Doeschate, and completed a comprehensive victory with 11 overs to spare to maintain their 100 per cent record in the competition.Westley won the toss and restricted Middlesex to a below-par 212, with runs not flowing particularly freely on a green-tinged wicket under thick grey clouds.Sam Robson was the exception to the rule has he stroked 18 in nine balls before he was strangled down the leg-side by Snater. Joe Cracknell was leg-before to Snater and Australian Peter Handscomb was excellently snaffled at first slip by Cook as the visitors slumped to 31 for 3.Middlesex then produced their two, much needed, partnerships of note as Max Holden and Robbie White added 49 before Holden top-edged a sweep to the short boundary and was replaced by Jack Davies, who put on 67 with White.Related

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Neither White nor Davies scored at any great speed but ticked along, the former falling for 47 lbw to Paul Walter, while List A debutant Davies reached his half-century in 67 balls.Middlesex lost their last five wickets for 39 runs as Luke Hollman was lbw to Westley, James Harris chipped straight back to Harmer, Thilan Walallawita edged ten Doeschate behind and then the Dutchman produced cat-like reactions to pouch a return from Davies. Snater ended up at the top of the wicket pile, returning 3 for 45, as Ethan Bamber pulled into the leg side to end the innings.Essex’s chase looked in little doubt from the moment Will Buttleman cut Walallawita to the boundary with the fourth ball. Cook looked in sumptuous form with pure timing trumping outright power. An on-drive through midwicket, a straight drive and a push through the off side typified his style and got him motoring.Buttleman flicked straight to Robson at short midwicket, having put on 54, with Cook in a rare batting misjudgement from the hosts.
Cook reached his 20th format fifty for Essex in 60 balls with a flick off his legs, with Westley unfurling some glorious stroke play as the duo reached a century partnership in 118 deliveries.Westley moved to his half-century in 59 balls before threatening to overtake his experienced partner, and eventually preventing him from reaching three figures.

Tahir, 46, was retained by Amazon Warriors, while TKR recruited the Pakistan pair of Amir and Tariq

Deivarayan Muthu18-Jun-2025St Lucia Kings, the defending champions of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), have signed IPL winner Tim David as their first-round pick at the draft for the 2025 season. Kings, however, will be without Faf du Plessis, who had led them to their maiden title last year, prioritising the Hundred over the CPL this season.Du Plessis will instead play for Southern Brave in the Hundred, whose signing was the result of his involvement with Delhi Capitals in the IPL. The Capitals’ co-owners GMR Group are finalising their deal to buy Southern Brave, having taken over at host county Hampshire last year.Moeen Ali, who had announced his international retirement in September last year, has opted to skip the Hundred for the CPL, where he was re-signed as a seventh-round pick by Guyana Amazon Warriors. Imran Tahir, 46, was retained by Amazon Warriors as their first pick.Related

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Four-time CPL champions Trinbago Knight Riders recruited the Pakistan pair of Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq. While this will be offspinner Tariq’s maiden CPL stint – he plays for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL – Amir is a familiar name in the CPL, having turned out for Barbados Royals, Jamaica Tallawahs, Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the past.As for the Falcons, they snapped up Imad Wasim as their first pick and Shakib Al Hasan as their second pick. Shakib holds the record for the best figures in an innings in the CPL – he had claimed 4-1-6-6 for the Barbados franchise back in 2013.Rashid Khan will miss the CPL once again, but other spinners contribute to a fairly significant Afghanistan presence in the league. Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, who was picked by Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 auction and is currently in fine form for Derbyshire in the T20 Blast, will join Naveen-ul-Haq at Falcons.Left-arm wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil moved from TKR to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman will return to Barbados Royals. When Royals made the final in CPL 2022, Mujeeb had collected ten wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.11. Seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai will join Mujeeb at Royals.Bevon Jacobs, the big-hitting New Zealand batter, will link up with Falcons for his first CPL gig after having stints with Mumbai Indians in the IPL and MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20. Glenn Phillips, who first made his name as a franchise player at the CPL before establishing himself as an allrounder for New Zealand, will join Amazon Warriors. Wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert will stay with Kings while Colin Munro will return to TKR.Imran Tahir, 46, was retained by Guyana Amazon Warriors•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Munro, who was signed as an eighth-round pick, has previously enjoyed success with TKR – he is still their highest run-getter with 2178 runs in 72 innings at a strike rate of 129.56. Munro, 38, has retired from international cricket but continues to be active in franchise leagues around the world. Darren Bravo, the second-highest scorer for TKR behind Munro in the CPL, will also return to the franchise and will reunite with his brother Dwayne Bravo, who is set to take over as head coach.Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell were all retained by TKR as expected.Allrounder Matthew Forde, who recently equalled AB de Villiers’ record for the fastest ODI fifty, was retained by Kings while fast bowler Shamar Joseph was retained by Amazon Warriors.

Incentive for emerging players

In CPL 2025, each franchise must play at least one player from the Breakout League, a new tournament that was held to identify emerging talent from the region, in every game. This also gives the franchise the option of picking five overseas players in their XI to go with their ‘breakout’ player.The last three rounds in the draft – 15, 16 and 17 – were all reserved for emerging players from the Breakout League.Reigning champions Kings brought back St Lucian Ackeem Auguste as one of their breakout players. After winning the CPL title with Kings, Auguste visited India to train at the Chennai Super Kings academy and his recent form for West Indies Academy is also encouraging.Having captained Trinidad & Tobago Legions to the 2025 West Indies Breakout League T20 title, Joshua da Silva will now link up with his home franchise, TKR, in the CPL.Jyd Goolie, a former Under-19 World Cup winner who recently earned a call-up to the senior squad, was picked by Patriots as a player from the Breakout League.

CPL 2025 squads

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder (traded), Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Corbin Bosch, Waqar Salamkheil, Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze (traded), Mohammad Nawaz, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Ashmead Nedd, Jeremiah Louis, Jyd Goolie, Navin Bidaisee, Leniko BoucherAntigua & Barbuda Falcons: Imad Wasim, Shakib Al Hasan, Fabian Allen, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Justin Greaves, Bevon Jacobs, Jayden Seales, AM Ghazanfar, Rahkeem Cornwall (traded), Odean Smith, Jewel Andrew, Shamar Springer, Amir Jangoo, Karima Gore, Kevin Wickham, Joshua JamesBarbados Royals: Rovman Powell, Brandon King (traded), Sherfane Rutherford (traded), Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Jomel Warrican, Kadeem Alleyne, Shaqkere Parris, Kofi James, Nyeem Young, Rivaldo Clarke, Zishan Motara, Johann Layne, Ramon SimmondsTrinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Alex Hales, Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Amir, Colin Munro, Usman Tariq, Ali Khan, Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Terrance Hinds, McKenny Clarke, Joshua Da Silva, Nathan EdwardGuyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Shai Hope, Glenn Phillips, Gudakesh Motie, Moeen Ali, Shamar Joseph, Keemo Paul, Dwaine Pretorius, Shamarh Brooks, Kemol Savory, Hassan Khan, Jediah Blades, Kevlon Anderson, Quentin Sampson, Riyad LatifSaint Lucia Kings: Tim David, Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Tim Seifert, Roston Chase, Tabraiz Shamsi, David Wiese, Delano Potgieter, Matthew Forde, Aaron Jones, Khary Pierre, Javelle Glen, Micah McKenzie, Shadrack Descarte, Johann Jeremiah, Keon Gaston, Ackeem Auguste

Rashid Khan takes three wickets in a set as Southern Brave suffer third straight defeat

ECB Media18-Aug-2025An all-action display from Sam Curran and another eye-catching half-century from Jordan Cox eased reigning champions Oval Invincibles to a seven-wicket win over Southern Brave and extended their lead at the top of the table.Set 134 to win, Invincibles lost their openers cheaply, Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye both falling to Craig Overton, but Cox continued his red-hot form with a classy 37-ball 56 and Curran capped a fine all-round performance by making an unbeaten 50 from 32 deliveries.Cox fell to Tymal Mills with 15 still required but captain Sam Billings struck three boundaries to ensure there were no further alarms as the visitors sealed the win with 11 balls to spare, their fourth victory in five.Invincibles overcame Brave in last year’s final and they made an impressive start at Utilita Bowl, Australia left-armer Jason Behrendorff making early inroads when he had both James Vince and Leus du Plooy caught at short third by Tom Curran, who then knocked back Laurie Evans’ off stump to leave the Brave 32 3.Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when Rashid Khan was thrown the ball. Six days ago, the Afghan leggie returned figures of 0 for 59 at Edgbaston but he was irrepressible against Brave, striking three times in his opening set to send Jason Roy, Michael Bracewell and James Coles on their way. Those scalps took Rashid to a competition-high haul of 10 in the Hundred this summer.With the Brave sinking fast at 44 for 6, Hilton Cartwright and Jordan Thompson counterattacked, the latter making a sprightly 13-ball 24 before nicking off to Sam Curran, who then castled Cartwright (42 off 30) with a pinpoint yorker.Curran struck again to dismiss Jofra Archer with a super-slow delivery before Mills was the last man out, run out by the live-wire Curran, to end the Brave innings on 133 from 98 balls, not enough to prevent last year’s runners-up slumping to a third straight defeat.Sam Curran, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was a really big win. The way the table is at the moment, we knew it was such a big game, they’re a really good team.”I’m just really enjoying it. It’s a lovely bunch of guys. We’ve been together a while and turning up to work and playing with your mates and having coaches who know you is great.”On sharing a 101-run partnership with Cox, he said: “He’s special, the way he’s playing is incredible. The way he’s striking the ball is so clean and so skilful. Our partnership took the pressure off early. We knew they had some key bowlers and thankfully we saw them off and got the win.”