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There were a few names among the overseas players picked on day one of the Pakistan Super League draft that might have had you asking, “Who?” Here are brief answers to that question

Mohit Shah21-Dec-2015Jim Allenby
Australia-born Jim Allenby played one first-class match for Western Australia towards the end of the 2006 season but has earned his name in county cricket, chiefly for Glamorgan. The 33-year-old, a medium-pace bowling allrounder who can strike the ball powerfully, was a potent force in the Glamorgan side that reached the final of the Yorkshire Bank 40 in 2013. He shifted to Somerset at the beginning of the 2015 season to get a taste of First Division cricket.Cameron Delport
The 26-year-old South African is a big-hitting left-hand batsman who is also capable of bowling solid medium pace. He has played in the Big Bash League (Sydney Thunder) and the Caribbean Premier League (Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel), and slammed 34 off 9 for Dolphins to briefly threaten Chennai Super Kings during a massive chase in the 2014 Champions League T20 – he finished that tournament with a strike rate of 280.Kevon Cooper
Another pace-bowling allrounder, Kevon Cooper is a T20 specialist who plays around the globe – he has already plied his trade in the IPL, the Bangladesh Premier League and the CPL. The 26-year-old Trinidadian has played 122 T20 games and only two first-class games. He was recently a part of the Barisal Bulls squad that finished runners-up in the BPL, and was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 22 wickets at an average of 9.31 and an economy rate under six. Cooper can also whack a few big sixes down the order.James Vince
Hampshire captain James Vince is a stylish, classy batsman who recently made his T20I debut for England against Pakistan, a few months after debuting in ODI cricket. He showed flair and considerable nous in making scores of 41, 38 and 46 in the three-match T20 series and finished as the highest scorer from either side. Former England coach Duncan Fletcher once compared Vince’s batsmanship to that of former England captain, Michael Vaughan.

But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it motivates him to be a better cricketer

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2020Adam Zampa is four years old in international cricket, and is Australia’s first-choice white-ball spinner, but he still doesn’t feel “comfortable” at this level. Although that may not necessarily be a bad thing.”Even now I don’t feel comfortable, which is probably a good thing to be honest – same as any professional cricketer at this level,” Zampa said after Australia won the Cape Town decider to seal the T20I series against South Africa. “I probably feel the same, but I haven’t been comfortable since I’ve been playing professional cricket. So, hope it’s a good thing that keeps me driven and as I said earlier, I hope for constant improvement. As I get older, get more experience, train harder and think about the game a bit different and think about it…”Zampa and left-arm fingerspinner Ashton Agar had played central roles in Australia’s 2-1 victory. While Zampa picked up five wickets at an economy rate of 5.89, Agar emerged as the top wicket-taker in the series, with eight scalps at an economy rate of 5.66. Agar took a career-best 5 for 24 in the T20I series opener, and Zampa said he relished bowling in tandem with Agar.”I’m really confident after the Big Bash and it’s nice to bowl well in this series too, but yeah it’s probably very similar for Ash,” Zampa said. “We speak about spin bowling a lot, we speak about our roles – we do a lot of preparation on the opposition and things like that we talk about a lot. And Ash keeps getting better and better every game as well. He is still a pretty young guy too. Probably took him a little bit longer because of the [holding] role he played at Perth Scorchers for a long time. But, yeah he’s a frontline bowler now, and that’s for sure. The more he plays, the better he gets.”Zampa also put the recent success down to his chemistry with Agar off the field.”Yeah, really good combination,” he said. “The best thing is we’ve got a really good friendship, and as I said before, the way we talk about it and understand that our roles might change day in and day out. So, yeah communication is huge and preparation and as I said our friendship is really close.”Australia will now turn their focus to the three-match ODI series, which begins in Paarl on Saturday, and Zampa touched upon the challenge of adapting to ODI cricket and tuning up for the T20 World Cup at home later this year.”It actually takes a bit of adapting from T20 cricket to one-day cricket,” he said. “It’s not [similar], I don’t find it to be similar at all to be honest – yeah it’s going to be a good couple of days preparation and good confidence after this win. But, I think there is a different thought to how T20 works from one-day cricket.”Yeah, I think we’ve found a really good combination. The batting side basically picks itself and then our bowling combination is really working at the moment. So, the line-up of our team is great and if we play that team going into the T20 World Cup and keep playing the way we do, we’re going to give that a serious nudge.”Zampa had just played two T20Is when he was thrown into the previous T20 World Cup in India in 2016. Zampa, 23 then, was simply happy to be part of the tournament in which Australia exited without qualifying for the semi-finals. Four years on and armed with more experience playing for Australia and Melbourne Stars in the BBL, Zampa wants to win games in the upcoming T20 World Cup.”I was just excited to be there [in 2016] and it was disappointing to lose,” he recalled. “I just look back and think wow! I’ve played a World Cup, but I think it’s a little bit different now. I’ve got the drive to win games for Australia. I think I can help that rather than thinking I’m just happy to be there.”

South African batter to play county cricket for the first time

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2023Durham have pulled off a major transfer coup, signing South African batter Tristan Stubbs for the T20 Blast.Stubbs will be available for the majority of the competition following his commitments with Mumbai Indians in the IPL.He was part of the Manchester Originals squad that reached the final of the Hundred last summer, but this will be his first experience playing county cricket.”We are extremely pleased to have secured the signing of Tristan Stubbs,” Marcus North, the club’s director of cricket, said.”At 22, he already has experience playing for South Africa and in major T20 franchise leagues around the world where he has produced some world-class performances.”Related

• De Leede signs two-year contract with Durham

• Sowter signs one-year Durham deal

• Campbell named Durham coach on three-year deal

• SA20 auction: Stubbs the biggest buy

Stubbs was the most expensive player signed at the inaugural SA20 auction last year and was part of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape squad that won the title earlier this month, despite an underwhelming season with the bat.There, he played alongside his new Durham team-mate Brydon Carse. “He’s only had good things to say about the club,” Stubbs said.”I can’t wait to get over to Durham and meet up with my new team-mates,” he added. “Having played in England last summer I know how much the fans love their cricket so it should be a really fun and successful summer.”Durham are one of five counties who have never won the Blast, and last reached Finals Day in 2016. Last season, they won only three games as they finished second-bottom of the North Group.They have also brought in Ollie Robinson, Nathan Sowter, Brandon Glover and Bas de Leede over the winter and will expect a better showing under new coach Ryan Campbell.

Former Indian allrounder chosen for highest honour the BCC can bestow

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2009Mohinder Amarnath, the former Indian allrounder, has been chosen for the CK Nayudu lifetime achievement award, the highest honour the Indian board can bestow on a former player. It will be presented to him later this month in Mumbai.The CK Nayudu award comes with a trophy, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh (approx. US$ 3w,000).Amarnath – or Jimmy as he prefers to be known – scored 4,378 runs at an average of 42.50. Yet he will perhaps most be remembered for winning Man-of-the-Match awards in the 1983 World Cup semi-final against England and in the final against West Indies, when India achieved one of the game’s most unexpected victories.A technically accomplished and orthodox right-hander, he saved his best performances for the fearsome West Indies pace attacks. He made 85 in Trinidad in 1975-76 as India made the highest ever fourth innings score to win a Test (406 for 4) and was the brightest start of the 1983 Lord’s final, scoring 26 and taking 3 for 12 with his useful medium-pacers.The preceding winter Amarnath showed remarkable consistency in making 1182 runs at 69.53 in 11 overseas Tests, five of which were in the Caribbean and none of which India won, although the following winter he made just one run in six innings as the West Indian fast bowlers wreaked their revenge.The son of the great Indian captain Lala, Amarnath also captained Delhi to the Ranji Trophy in 1981/82 – he scored 185 as they overhauled Karnataka’s 705 to win an extraordinary final – and made a century before lunch against Northants in 1986.

New-look seam attack restrict New Zealand to sub-par 153 for 5 in series opener

The Report by George Dobell01-Nov-2019England 154 for 3 (Vince 59, Santner 3-23) beat New Zealand 153 for 5 (Taylor 44) by seven wickets
A maiden T20I half-century from James Vince helped a new-look England get their New Zealand tour off to a winning start in Christchurch.Despite taking the opportunity to look at three debutants – Sam Curran, Pat Brown and Lewis Gregory – England ensured the reign of new head coach, Chris Silverwood, got off to a winning start in sealing a sixth successive T20I victory. For a side experimenting with fringe candidates a year out from the T20 World Cup, it was a satisfying performance.There were some dissenting voices when Vince, now 28 and playing his 35th international game across formats for England, was recalled. But when he bats like this, combining composure with an ability to time the ball that few can match, it is easy to see why the selectors have
found it so hard to cut him adrift.James Vince pulls through the leg side•Getty Images

Here, demonstrating a range of conventional strokes, Vince controlled the run-chase perfectly. From the moment he hit his first delivery for
four, a classy square drive of Mitchell Santner, he batted with a fluency no other batsman in the game could replicate. Using his feet to pace and spin alike, he made it hard for New Zealand’s bowlers to settle on a length and hit as many fours – seven – as their batsmen managed in their entire innings.But while Vince may dominate the headlines, this was a result set up by a skilful display from England’s bowlers. Maintaining immaculate lines and lengths, they varied their paces cleverly to keep New Zealand to a total perhaps 20 under par on a surface that was a little sluggish – understandably, too: this is the earliest date an international game has been played in New Zealand’s South Island – but which offered bowlers little.The opening pair of Sam and Tom Curran conceded just seven from the first three overs of the match – Tom Curran started with a maiden – to ensure New Zealand were unable to make full use of the Powerplay. And while Sam Curran’s figures were dented by a third over that cost 21 – Colin Munro punishing Morgan’s decision to extend the bowler’s spell with two successive sixes – he had already snared the key wicket of a frustrated Guptill, playing-on as he looked to force the pace.It was a decent start from Brown, too. Bowling at the death, he showed both his skills and his composure, conceding two sixes but no fours,
and claiming a notable maiden international wicket when Ross Taylor mistimed a slower ball to deep midwicket. The third debutant, Lewis
Gregory, was not required with bat or ball, though looked just a touch nervous in the field.Pat Brown made his England debut•Getty Images

But perhaps Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers. While Tim Seifert may have been unlucky with his dismissal – replays suggested the full toss he scooped to mid-wicket was perilously close to waist height – Jordan demonstrated a good range of pace, good control and a willingness to bowl both in the Powerplay and at the death.That New Zealand were able to set anything like a competitive target was largely due to a fifth-wicket stand of 56 in 38 balls between Ross
Taylor and Daryl Mitchell. Mitchell hit the ball as hard as anyone but, coming in at 93 for 4 in the 14th over, had been left too much to do to get New Zealand up to a match-winning total. Only four overs in New Zealand innings realised more than 10 runs; only one realised more
than 13.Any hopes that New Zealand may have enough were quickly banished. Jonny Bairstow may have taken eight balls to get off the mark, but he then took 18 – three fours and a six – off Scott Kuggeleijn’s first over. So while Santner, with his changes of pace, troubled England with three wickets, the support bowlers – Kuggeleijn and Ish Sodhi – were unable to maintain the pressure.When Bairstow, brilliantly caught by Martin Guptill at deep mid-wicket after he had been drawn into slog-sweeping one well outside off stump, and then Vince, mistiming a long-hop in the same direction, fell New Zealand may have harboured hopes of a dramatic fightback. But Eoin
Morgan was too experienced to allow that and sealed the result with a heave over midwicket off Tim Southee with nine deliveries remaining.
The result puts England one-up in the five-match series.At the post-match press conference, Mitchell conceded that New Zealand were about 10 short of a par score. “We would’ve liked to have done better but I think England probably adapted better to the pitch than we did. It was tough to start on, was a bit two-paced and a bit slow. We lost a few wickets straight after the Powerplay there which halted our momentum a bit and we had to play catch up but fair play to England. They might have been a bit more match-fit having played a couple of warm up games and hopefully we’ll learn from this and be ready for the next one.”The match was preceded by a minute’s silence for those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack of March 15 in the city. All proceeds from ticket sales at the match are to be to donated to a fund to encourage the participation of ethnic minorities in sport.

Lahore Qalandars had reduced Peshawar Zalmi to 20 for 5. Then walked in Misbah-ul-Haq, who combined with Darren Sammy to seal a knockouts berth for his side

The Report by Peter Della Penna05-Mar-2019How the game played out
The largest sixth-wicket stand in PSL history was spurred by the oldest player to score a T20 half-century as Misbah-Ul-Haq, playing his first match since February 15, rescued Peshawar Zalmi from a perilous position of 20 for 5 to complete a four-wicket win with a ball to spare. The win helped Zalmi clinch a playoff spot while Qalandars are on the brink of missing the knockout stages after the loss.Chasing 125, Misbah entered at 8 for 2 in the second over in the midst of a destructive spell by Shaheen Afridi. But with Zalmi in serious strife, Misbah was joined by another cagey veteran in Darren Sammy and the pair added an even 100 for the sixth wicket, taking the match into the final over before Sammy fell with four balls left.Qalandars had several chances in the final over to turn the tide their way, but Misbah was dropped at deep square leg on the first ball by Ryan ten Doeschate on 55 before a missed run-out led to overthrows to level the scores. A single by Wahab Riaz to short third man was fumbled to symbolically end the match.Turning points

• Playing his first match of the season, Tymal Mills bowled a superb spell for Zalmi, showcasing his array of slower balls and changes of pace to keep batsmen off balance. Mills got Anton Devcich miscuing a drive to mid-on in the second over of the match to get the ball rolling in the field before coming back in the 15th getting Haris Sohail uppercutting to third man for a top-score of 43.
• With the score 34 for 5 after 9 overs of the chase, Misbah slog swept Sandeep Lamichhane for a pair of sixes over midwicket to begin the 10th over, getting the Zalmi chase back on track.
• With 31 off 18 needed, Sammy drove Haris Rauf over mid off before a streaky edge led to a second four in the over. There was nothing streaky about the six he pulverized over cover to end the over, taking the equation down to 13 off 12.

Star of the dayAt 44 years and 281 days, Misbah showed he’s still got something left in the tank. He now has 108 runs in the season in his two knocks without being dismissed.The big missFakhar Zaman’s use of Sandeep Lamichhane. Fakhar got spooked too easily by Misbah’s back-to-back sixes to start the 10th. Rather than back his champion legspinner to break a burgeoning stand – especially since Lamichhane had taken 4 for 10 two matches prior against joint first-place Quetta Gladiators – Lamichhane was taken out of the attack and didn’t return until Ryan ten Doeschate left injured four balls into the 20th over. A single followed, and he ended with 22 for 0 in 2.1 overs.Where the teams standZalmi are level with Quetta Gladiators on 12 points atop the PSL table, though Zalmi have a better net run rate. However, Gladiators have another game in hand and, if they win, will finish at the top of the league heading into the playoffs. Qalandars sit in fifth place, on six points, two behind both Islamabad United and Karachi Kings. On the plus side, one of the final two matches for Qalandars is against last-place Multan Sultans, giving them hope that they can sneak into fourth.

Jasprit Bumrah had Australia’s batsmen, especially the left handers, in all sorts of trouble

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2018ESPNcricinfo Ltd

1.6 Bumrah to Harris, no run, that’s a ripper which angles in towards off stump then straightens to beat the outside edge3.1 Bumrah to Harris, no run, beaten by a cracker! This is an incredible delivery. Around the wicket, angled in it hit the seam and took off, miles past the edge and Pant had to climb high to take it3.4 Bumrah to Harris, no run, beats the edge again! 144kph, good length, angled in, nipping away, he presses forward to defend and it blows by the edge at high speed.7.5 Bumrah to Harris, no run, he gets hit flush on the badge of the helmet! He’s knocked over backwards. He’s OK. he’s bounced back up. What a brute of a ball. Short, lifting, it following him, he ducked late and it hit the helmet flush. It ricocheted away to point9.1 Bumrah to Harris, no run, 140kph beats him again, this pitched on middle and nipped across him, he pushed forward and it swerved past the edge11.1 Bumrah to Harris, no run, 137kph, beats him again! Wow. Shorter length, pitching leg stump, it climbed up and across him as he tried to defend, it flew to Pant11.4 Bumrah to Harris, no run, 142kph, gets a bottom edge that rolls to second. It was a good length outside off, he prodded at it and runs off the bottom of the bat to RahulMarcus Harris takes a tumble after being struck on the helmet by Jasprit Bumrah•Getty Images

17.2 Bumrah to Harris, OUT, left alone and he’s bowled! Good length from round the wicket, Harris thought this would shape away (or he just got it badly wrong) lifts the bat out of the line and off stump is clipped17.4 Bumrah to Marsh, no run, don’t think he had a clue there! A full delivery, just outside off, Marsh is shuffling all over the crease, starts to leave, then starts to play, then eventually leaves it alone17.6 Bumrah to Marsh, no run, pads up to this one but it’s too high for lbw, and may have pitched outside leg…a short of a length delivery. Marsh all over the shop23.1 Bumrah to Khawaja, no run, what a ripper, there’s no playing that, good length from round the wicket, leaps as it straightens and beats the outside edge23.5 Bumrah to Khawaja, no run, beats the edge again, Khawaja just pushing away from his body, another one which nips off the seam34.2 Bumrah to Head, no run, 132kph, leaps off a length and beats the edge! Goodness. This is unplayable. Angled in, climbing away. Past the edge34.4 Bumrah to Head, no run, 136kph, another play and miss trying to force square off the back foot, it bounces over the edge and swings after it passes34.6 Bumrah to Head, no run, 139kph another freakish off cutter beats the edge! This hit a crack and shot sharply away from the bat! Wow.36.4 Bumrah to Khawaja, no run, 139kph beats the edge again. Angled in, just nipping away, he’s forced to defend and it nips past the edge once more. Amazing bowling38.6 Bumrah to Head, no run, 140kph, flash and miss away from his body. Back of a length, it nips away, he tries to force off the back foot and it beats the edge and flies through to Pant