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NSW selector Stuart Clark said CA had asked for Zampa to be selected, but the board has said that it does not give such selection directives

Andrew McGlashan30-Nov-2024Cricket Australia (CA) has insisted that there was no directive to New South Wales (NSW) to select Adam Zampa for the previous round of Sheffield Shield matches after state selector Stuart Clark said they were forced to pick the legspinner on the board’s orders.The move to include Zampa against Tasmania at the SCG led to promising 23-year-old legspinner Tanveer Sangha being omitted so that Zampa could partner Chris Green, who himself does not hold a NSW contract after having opted to go freelance earlier this season. Zampa does not train with NSW between Australia commitments as he lives in Byron Bay.It was Zampa’s first Sheffield Shield match since February 2023 and came amid talk that he is in the frame to tour Sri Lanka early next year. He claimed 4 for 140 from 40.2 overs across two innings. It has yet to be confirmed whether Zampa will play against Western Australia in the final round of Shield games before the BBL but, after the Tasmania game, Zampa indicated he was keen to feature again.Related

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Last week, CA’s head of high performance Ben Oliver said domestic selection calls were entirely in the hands of the states.”The national selection panel are in regular contact with each state association, but ultimately, the selection for each Sheffield Shield match or domestic matches is very much the realm of the state association,” Oliver said. “The selection panel are very pleased to see all players playing domestic cricket and have as many options as possible for each of our upcoming series.”In an update provided to ESPNcricinfo on Saturday following Clark’s comments, Oliver added: “That [selection] process was consistent with the most recent round of Sheffield Shield.”It’s understood that amid discussions around Zampa, CA had asked NSW whether it was their intention to select him against Tasmania and, if they weren’t going to include him, the national selectors would have made him part of the Prime Minister’s XI squad to face India in Canberra even though that is a pink-ball day-night fixture.That, however, was not the view of Clark when he was interviewed on . “When it came to Adam Zampa, we didn’t have a discussion because there was no need to – we were told he had to play,” Clark, the former Australia quick who is also a NSW board member, said. “Quite frankly, I don’t understand what the comment of Cricket Australia is because we didn’t need to have a robust debate about his selection… it was a foregone conclusion that he was in the team. I don’t know where this comment comes from.”I’m going to ask [NSW chief executive] Lee Germon… to clear this up by writing to Cricket Australia perhaps and put my board member’s hat on and say we don’t understand this,” Clark added. “What we were told to do, and what’s coming out in the press, is exactly the opposite. They don’t make sense. Either we as selectors have got it wrong – I don’t know, did we misunderstand? – but I’m pretty clear because I’ve got messages that say Adam Zampa must be in the team and there is no point discussing his selection.”Former NSW and Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin strongly criticised the selection. “I’m an Adam Zampa fan… but I don’t think he should be playing this Shield game. He doesn’t come to training, he’s not part of the NSW system. I just think it sends a real bad message to our younger players in the squad,” he told the .”Tanveer Sangha, what sort of message does that send to him? Chris Green is playing as well. Chris Green at the start of the year gave back his contract and said ‘No, I want to go over and play a tournament wherever… I don’t want to be considered for a few games’.”On the same show, Australia captain Alyssa Healy said it was possible to see why NSW had selected Zampa but added “you are kind of taking the piss a little bit [out of] of the baggy blue”.”I might look back one day and feel like maybe I didn’t give [Test cricket] a 100% crack”•AFP/Getty Images

Zampa has previously spoken about his desire to earn a Test cap. After the game against Tasmania, he said that he was a much more confident bowler than when he played the majority of his first-class cricket before 2018.”I was eager to play a lot of first-class cricket when I was young, but I probably wasn’t good enough or as confident as I am now,” Zampa had said. “I bowled a lot more bad balls than I do know. I wasn’t confident with my own reading of the game whereas now I feel like I can read guys a lot better and have less mental fog. It’s being able to have a bit more resilience on day-one wickets when you’re trying to hold up an end.”It [Test cricket] is something I’d like to do and challenge myself at. If I got to end my career and it didn’t pan out that way then I’d be okay with it. I might look back one day and feel like maybe I didn’t give it a 100% crack. I feel like playing these games and putting my hand up for the Sri Lanka tour and being keen, for that is fine.”George Bailey, Australia’s national selector, has previously said that Shield form would not be an over-riding criterion when picking the side for Sri Lanka given the vastly different conditions. Glenn Maxwell, who was in line to play his first Shield match in nearly two years and feature for the PM’s XI before he picked up a hamstring injury against Pakistan, is also in the frame.

“What we saw on the streets tonight is something I’m never going to forget in my life,” says Kohli after open-top bus parade in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2024Virat Kohli felt the T20 World Cup was going to “slip away” from India at one point of Saturday’s thrilling final against South Africa. Five days later, while celebrating their victory with thousands of fans in Mumbai, he asked that Jasprit Bumrah be applauded for his “phenomenal” show to bring them back into the final.”Like everyone in the stadium [here], we also felt at one point if it is going to slip away again, but what happened in those [last] five overs was truly, truly special,” Kohli said, at the team’s felicitation at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday night. “You know what I’d like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs, it was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please.”Related

• Massive crowds in and around Wankhede to greet Indian team

South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls, having ransacked 38 off the previous two overs, when Bumrah came back for his third over. He went on to concede just four runs off the 16th over, and two off the 18th, also knocking over Marco Jansen, as India completed an incredible heist. That win, India’s first World Cup title in 13 years, was being celebrated in Mumbai, with thousands lining Marine Drive as India’s bus drove past on its way to the Wankhede. The stadium, too, was filled to capacity hours before the team’s arrival, with fans braving rain.Kohli said he will “never forget” the reception he and the Indian team received. “A big thank you to all the people who turned up in the stadium,” he said. “What we saw on the streets tonight is something I’m never going to forget in my life.”The last four days have been a roller-coaster of a ride. As soon as we won the World Cup, we wanted to get out of Barbados, get back to India and celebrate with everyone. We got stuck in the hurricane, so it was an anti-climactic feeling. But since we’ve been back, it’s been phenomenal.Fans as far as the eye can see: Marine Drive was chock-a-block ahead of the Indian team’s arrival•AFP/Getty Images

Kohli said he had never seen Rohit Sharma as emotional as he was in the moment after India’s victory in Bridgetown. Social media was ablaze with pictures of the two embracing each other on the way up the stairs of the dressing room at Kensington Oval. “I don’t know about breaking the internet, but for the first time in 15 years of playing together, I saw Rohit show so much emotion on the field,” Kohli said. “When I was walking up the steps, I was crying, he was crying and we hugged. For me, that is going to be a very special memory from that day.”Rohit said he was “relieved” to end India’s long wait for a global title. “Bringing the World Cup to this country means the world to us. This is for the people who support and watch the game, and, along with all of us, for the last 11 years, they’re the ones who’ve been wanting this trophy to come back. Finally it’s here, and I’m very happy and relieved.”

Stokes picked up a back problem during the one-day series, which was his return to international cricket, and was unable to bowl in the first Test at Eden Park

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2018Ben Stokes has been “frustrated” by his back injury in New Zealand but has also been heartened by the pace he has been able to achieve off a shortened run-up.Stokes picked up a back problem during the one-day series, which was his return to international cricket after missing the Ashes and one-day series in Australia, and was unable to bowl in the first Test at Eden Park. In Christchurch he sent down six overs in New Zealand’s first innings and is hopeful he will be back towards full tilt in a couple of weeks.”It’s been frustrating. I had a few injections into an injury I had when I was a kid,” Stokes told . “At the same time it’s getting slowly better. It’s a patience game, a day-to-day thing. Hopefully in a week or two times it will be good to go.”Stokes has been working with Chris Silverwood, England’s bowling coach, on trying and get his delivery stride into a straighter line to ease the pressure on his back.”I’m working alignment…it’s more a long-term plan,” he said. “I think if I can cancel out my dip-in, which obviously loads my lower back where I’ve had the pain recently, that will do me good in the future”When I was looking at my paces off that [short run-up] I was bowling as fast as I normally do. I don’t think I’ll resort to that short of a run-up but it proves to me that I don’t need to over-try. Sometimes I’ve been guilty of that.”Stokes most significant performance so far in the two Tests was his second-innings 66 in Auckland which gave England hope of saving the game before he fell to ill-judged hack at Neil Wagner in the over before dinner. Stokes batted at No. 5 in that match, a position coach Trevor Bayliss sees as a long-term option, though he was back to No. 6 in Christchurch.”I won’t look back on the dismissal with too much pleasure but I had time at the crease which was a pleasing thing,” he said. “Going forward it’s a template I can use, I have the game to push games on but also the patience to survive.”Stokes will head to the IPL at the conclusion of the New Zealand tour to join Rajasthan Royals before returning to England ahead of the Test series against Pakistan which starts on May 24.

Somerset and Middlesex are not the only counties in danger of relegation but their meeting at Taunton next week has the makings of a sudden death affair

Tim Wigmore at Kia Oval22-Sep-20171:53

I was just hoping to pull my weight – Sangakkara

Perhaps it was better this way. Sure, Kumar Sangakkara, in the final ever first-class game at a ground he has made into his private playground, was batting serenely, once again, with victory only 15 runs away. All inside The Oval were united in expecting him to stroke the winning runs.
Then Sangakkara took a couple of steps down the ground, drilled a delivery from Dom Bess back to the bowler, and suddenly was out. The silence that enveloped the ground, and even Somerset’s own players, reflected just how surprising this moment was. Sangakkara paused for a few moments, and then walked back. As he did so, every Somerset player shook his hand to congratulate him for a stupendous career – “You’ve got to appreciate genius when you see it,” explained their captain Tom Abell. Sangakkara took off his helmet to soak in the standing ovation he received from the entire ground. He walked up the stairs to The Oval changing room for the very final time, and that was that.A few minutes later, Ollie Pope, one of Surrey’s many young players to have benefited from the extraordinary privilege of three years with Sangakkara, strode down the wicket to thump a six to tie the scores. Two balls later, he lofted a four through long on and secure Surrey’s win. Sport, like life, can move on very quickly.Not that anyone will be forgetting Sangakkara anytime soon. His seasons at Surrey – not just the runs they have brought, but how he has carried himself – have enriched his legacy in the sport and, for those who stayed behind to take selfies with him or simply to say thanks, will not easily be forgotten.”That was very, very special to me,” Sangakkara said, crediting Surrey with rekindling his passion for the game.”The county professional is a very, very special breed of person and I’ve found a completely new respect not just for county cricket but for the game as a whole. To understand that wherever there is first-class cricket, the pride with which they play this sport, the pride in which the club supports the players and the pride with which the fans come and embrace those players, it’s something that suddenly hit me and it hit me once I retired from international cricket. I regret that but I thank Surrey for allowing me to rediscover that immense love and passion that first-class cricket and cricketers have for this game, and what an amazing breeding ground it is for players.”And what of this extraordinary summer, which has already brought 1407 County Championship runs? “I was just hoping to pull my weight in the dressing room. This has been something very special. I don’t really know how it happened. I’ve changed my batting over the last three seasons – I’ve changed my backlift, I’ve tried various things. Something this season has worked.”Whoever replaces him as Surrey’s overseas player – Mitchell Marsh and Hashim Amla are among the names being considered – will have quite a task. “For sides to evolve and grow, you need new ideas, new perspectives and new players coming in. Surrey has a great opportunity next year to look for somebody who will continue to make Surrey grow and for them to become stronger. And I think I’m not that guy, no matter how many runs I get for them. They need someone new, someone different. They have enough talent in that dressing room to be a real, real force in county cricket.”For all the vim with which Somerset bowled on an excellent cricket wicket – how their spinners would have loved assistance of the sort they seem certain to receive at Taunton next week – Ben Foakes’ swagger in the early evening sunshine ensured that Sangakkara’s farewell to The Oval would be in a victory. It was certainly an overdue one for the club: their last County Championship victory came way back on April 10.If Surrey’s target of 143 to win in 39 overs always seemed meagre, it has still taken all of Somerset’s resolve to get that far. After Abell flashed Rikki Clarke’s outswinger straight to second slip, Somerset showed great stoicism and application to add another 174 for the last five wickets.Once again, Steven Davies underpinned a Somerset recovery with an innings of finesse and fortitude. His move from The Oval to Taunton was expected to bring abundant runs; instead, it brought agonising early season struggles. Yet in recent weeks Davies has produced some of the most fluent batting of his career – and much of it against Surrey. After scoring 142, his maiden Championship century for Somerset, at Taunton against Surrey last month – since followed by another against Lancashire – Davies contributed innings of 86 and 52 here. His second innings featured an enthralling duel with Stuart Meaker, who bowled with great vim and located a yorker to uproot Davies’ stumps, only to be received by a no ball. It took a flighted delivery from Gareth Batty, edged into Clarke’s reassuring hands at slip, for Surrey to finally be rid of their old teammate.Then, they had Peter Trego to contend with. Few have embodied Somerset’s decline better this season: from averaging 44.58 in the nearly glorious 2016, he arrived at the crease with an average of 15.91 in 2017. Trego gave the impression of a man channeling Ferdinand Foch’s line: “My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I am attacking.” If he could not entirely trust his technique, Trego could trust the eye and power that have earned him cherished status in Taunton; on this evidence, his driving has not lost any power. To his evident consternation, Trego would be bowled by Ryan Patel’s energetic medium pace, playing across the line to a straight delivery, but not before he had made 68. Still, Dom Bess’s driving, so crisp that it hinted he could one day be considered an allrounder, ensured 64 would be added for the final two wickets.That Somerset extended the final day beyond 5 o’clock also owed to a hint of fallibility from Sangakkara. The day after Surrey’s end of season awards had, essentially, been an exercise in handing out more awards to one man than he could carry, Sangakkara dropped Trego at first slip, a relatively straightforward chance. Maybe he was just making it easier for Surrey to cope with life without him.While Sangakkara heads to Old Trafford for his last ever first-class game, Somerset have what Abell called a “cup final” against Middlesex next week, needing to win to preserve their Division One status, a task made harder by the possible absence of Trego, who could only bowl one ball because of an ankle complaint. Their plight is partly a reflection of the underwhelming cricket – especially lax batting – that has marred their Championship season. But it is also a reflection that the quality in Division One may well be greater than ever before – and, the sheer ruthlessness of 25% of teams being relegated each year. As September nears its end, Somerset must summon all their reserves of spirit once again.

“We’ve seen in the other formats what a side they can be,” Southee says of the Test against Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-20240:43

Southee opens up on NZ cricketers refusing central contracts

The club vs country issue is beginning to hurt New Zealand, with high-profile names opting out of central contracts. As they get ready for a burst of nine Test matches in the next few months, Test captain Tim Southee acknowledged the issue, but put it down to “the changing landscape of international cricket”.He recently expressed hope that the cricket boards and the franchise leagues find a way of “working together” to resolve the issue, and ahead of New Zealand’s departure for India to play Afghanistan in a one-off Test in Greater Noida, said that his country’s board was “trying to come up with what’s best for both parties”.”There are plenty of offers out there that weren’t around years ago,” he said. “But yeah, at the moment it’s concentrate on playing for New Zealand and giving that everything at the moment.”Related

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It won’t affect the team, he said: “We’ve seen a number of guys who haven’t taken contracts, guys that are sitting on this plane with guys with contracts.”Among the players who have refused contracts in recent months are Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, and Adam Milne. Of them, Williamson is in the squad for the Afghanistan Test, which will be the first of six Tests in the subcontinent (with two in Sri Lanka and three in India to follow), after which New Zealand will host England at home in November-December.”If you look at it as a whole – six Test matches in the subcontinent – it’s exciting,” Southee said. “It’s probably something we haven’t done, in my time anyway. It’s a great challenge for the side.”First up: Afghanistan.When they played each other at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Afghanistan won by 84 runs after bowling New Zealand out for 75 in Providence.”They are still new to the red-ball format, but we’ve seen in the other formats what a side they can be,” Southee said. “Just recently in the T20 World Cup, last year in the one-day World Cup [where Afghanistan finished sixth], they are an improving side. They’ve had great success in those two formats, and I am sure as a country they want to have success in the longer format as well.”Every time we have come up against them in a world event in the last five or six years, we know they are an improving side and a dangerous side. Especially in their part of the world. We just saw them making the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, a couple of upsets last year, and the one-day World Cup as well. So we know they are a very good side in those conditions.”Six Tests in the subcontinent could well mean the quick bowlers taking a backseat at times and the spinners taking centre stage. New Zealand have a good bunch in their tournament party: there is the left-arm spin of Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner, and the offspin of Michael Bracewell, to go with the part-time offspin of Glenn Phillips. Afghanistan’s spin threat, of course, is a real one.1:14

Southee: Afghanistan ‘an improving and dangerous side’

“That part of the world, spin is going to play a big part. They’ve got some quality spinners, mixed in with some quality quicks as well,” Southee said. “We’ve seen in other formats that’s been their strength, their bowling unit, particularly their spinners. It’s going to be an exciting challenge.”[The role of the spinners] might change from venue to venue, change from India to Sri Lanka and back to India. We have the options. We have guys that can bowl spin, offspin, left-arm spin, so we’ve got a good mix, mixed in with some quality pace as well. It’s exciting for all the spinners. We were in Bangladesh last year, so as a spin bowler, I’m sure you’re looking forward to this challenge.”As for his own game, Southee acknowledged, not for the first time, that he wasn’t “at my best towards the end of the summer”. But “the body is good,” he said as a bunch of New Zealand players left Auckland for India, adding, “The cricket I have played since [the last summer] has been pretty good, so I have enjoyed a bit of a break and enjoyed a bit of the cricket as well.”The Test against Afghanistan will be played from September 9 to 13 after which New Zealand will travel to Sri Lanka before returning to India.

Azhar will continue to a member of the selection committee for the men’s national team

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2024Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has been appointed head of youth development at the PCB. The newly created role was filled, according to the PCB, after a recruitment process and Azhar will perform it in addition to his current role as a member of the selection committee for the men’s national team.While light on specific details of what the role entails, a PCB statement said Azhar would be “tasked with shaping the future of Pakistan cricket by designing and implementing comprehensive youth cricket strategies, establishing robust grassroots cricket structures and talent pathways, collaborating with regional cricket associations to strengthen age-group programmes, educating emerging cricketers under the PCB’s Pathways Programme, and organising seminars and clinics to build awareness of off-field development essentials for aspiring players”.Azhar is one of the more obvious examples of a success story through the player pathway programme in Pakistan.He made his first-class debut in 2002, and was part of Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup squad that year. He went on to hone his game in the UK before returning to Pakistan, making his Test debut in 2010, and became a Pakistan great, scoring 7142 Test runs at an average of 42.26, and briefly captained both Pakistan’s Test and ODI sides.”I am honoured and excited to take on this important role,” Azhar told the PCB’s website. “Having risen through the age-group ranks and played extensive club and domestic cricket, I understand the critical role grassroots development plays in shaping future stars.”Significant strides have already been made in this area and I look forward to working with my colleagues to elevate our youth development programme further. Our goal is to identify promising talent and equip them with the tools to excel at the highest level.”Pakistan’s U-19 side is currently involved in a triangular series in the UAE, with Afghanistan as the third side.

The allrounder clubbed a brilliant half-century, claimed two wickets and took a stunning catch

Tristan Lavalette10-Jan-2024Michael Neser starred with a spectacular all-round performance as Brisbane Heat secured the BBL’s top spot after a drought-breaking victory over nemesis Perth Scorchers at the Gabba.There was much at stake in the top-of-the table clash with Heat locking in a home qualifying final on the Gold Coast on January 19, while two-time defending champions Scorchers were unable to wrap up a finals berth.Related

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Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne made rare BBL appearances between Test commitments, but stalwart Neser stole the show.In a replay of last season’s epic final, Heat were in trouble at 91 for 5 before Neser and Sam Billings struck a belligerent 80-run partnership from 41 balls.Neser was unstoppable with 64 off 30 balls at No. 7 as Heat smashed 100 runs off the last 47 balls.Scorchers rued an unusually ragged effort in the field and were always up against chasing 192 with Neser taking two wickets and his heroic effort also included a brilliant catch to dismiss Josh Inglis.The teams will renew their rivalry on Saturday at Optus Stadium.Unbeaten Heat had been the form team of the competition, but faced a litmus test against Scorchers who had won the past six matches between the teams.After Khawaja elected to bat, the contest lived up to the hype during a frenetic powerplay laced with a flurry of boundaries and two wickets from knuckle balls by left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff.Having battled on tough Test surfaces against Pakistan, Khawaja relished the batting-friendly conditions to bludgeon three boundaries in the first over off quick Jhye Richardson.But Khawaja, who showcased the dove and olive branch symbol of peace on his bat and shoes, fell in the next over after mistiming a slower Behrendorff delivery that was well caught by Sam Whiteman low down at cover.Michael Neser celebrates his stunning catch•Getty Images

On a flat surface, Behrendorff cleverly mixed his speeds but Richardson erred by bowling too short and he was dispatched by Labuschagne for a trio of boundaries.Richardson, who was named in Australia’s ODI squad against West Indies, leaked 25 runs off his first two overs. He was shown up by typically superb new-ball bowling from Behrendorff, who knocked over Colin Munro with another clever slower ball that gripped the surface.Left-arm wrist spinner Hamish McKenzie was selected over veteran seamer Andrew Tye due to Heat’s slew of left-handed batters. He came on in the sixth over as Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw aimed to build a partnership.But Renshaw, who was selected in Australia’s Test squad against West Indies, could not get going and he fell to left-arm spinner Ashton Agar on 18.Heat were further derailed two balls after drinks when Labuschagne nicked off for 45 to quick Lance Morris. Rather farcically Labuschagne was at the wrong end on resumption and should have been on strike instead of Billings, who then took a single off the first ball.The batters struggled to pick McKenzie, who continued an impressive debut BBL season having pushed through a back injury. He combined well with Agar, who was coming off the remarkable figures of 2 for 6 from four overs against Sydney Thunder.But Neser ignited Heat with three consecutive boundaries off Morris before Billings took over with lusty hitting after the power surge was taken late in the innings.Showcasing his ever improving batting, Neser smashed his first BBL half-century as he pummelled the previously miserly Behrendorff for three sixes in the last over to lift Heat to a total that had seemed well beyond them.Neser then dented Scorchers’ fast start in reply with the wicket of opener Zak Crawley in the third over. It was Crawley’s final BBL appearance before he heads off to England’s tour of India.Bowling at speeds around the mid-140kph, left-arm quick Spencer Johnson was a handful and his sharp short-pitched delivery accounted for Whiteman.The pressure fell on Aaron Hardie and Inglis, who bat well together. But Inglis had to take the lead when Hardie holed out on for 14 and he attacked through the off-side.He gave Scorchers hope with a 48-run partnership with Laurie Evans, who clubbed a golf-like tee shot into the stands off Neser.But Neser’s stunning catch running back to the boundary to dismiss Inglis in the power surge gave Heat a stranglehold.Evans tried to provide a late twist as he unfurled strokes similar to his recent 28-ball 85 against Adelaide Strikers. Batting deep in the crease, Evans powered to a half-century off 27 balls but ran out of support as Heat clinched a pivotal victory.

Mathews bashed 42* off 22 with the bat and then returned with figures of 2 for 9 in two overs as Afghanistan went down by 72 runs

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Feb-2024Angelo Mathews bashed 42 not out off 22 balls, then claimed two early wickets, as Sri Lanka stormed to a 73-run win in the second T20I to seal the T20I series. There were contributions from throughout Sri Lanka’s top order – Pathum Nissanka struck 25 off 11, Kusal Mendis struck 23 off 14, Sadeera Samarawickrama played an innings of substance as he hit 51 off 42, and Wanindu Hasaranga was hyper-aggressive again, hitting 22 off 9.In response, Afghanistan never really got going. None of their top five breached 15, and though Mohammad Nabi and Karim Janat put up something of a partnership, they never seemed to have the measure of this chase. Afghanistan were all out for 115 inside the first 17 overs.Mathews rocks it with batHaving come in in the 15th over, Mathews didn’t explode immediately – that’s generally not his style. Having made four off his first nine deliveries, Mathews began to find the boundary – a four over short off Fazalhaq Farooqi to start, before bashing a four back past Naveen-ul-Haq next over. It was in the 19th over, bowled by Azmatullah Omarzai, that he really unleashed the finisher of old. He spanked Omarzai’s first ball over deep midwicket, crashed the next one over deep square leg. A rattled Omarzai bowled a genuinely poor length ball outside off next ball, and Mathews punished him, launching him over long-on.He was dropped by Mohammad Nabi before his last six was struck – again back over the bowler’s head – but nevertheless, Mathews collected 33 runs off his last nine balls.Mathews rolls it with the ballOne of Mathews’ great strengths in the great Sri Lanka T20 teams of the past was his ability to deliver cheap overs with the new ball. On this occasion, he was penetrative too. Fifth ball, he had Hazratullah Zazai nicking a gentle away-seamer behind. Second ball of his next over, he took the prize wicket of Ibrahim Zadran, who eyed a slower ball and mis-hit it to mid-on. He only needed to bowl those two overs, but he conceded only nine, and took two wickets.Sri Lanka’s bowlers run through AfghanistanAt no point in the chase did it seem like the visitors were in it. After Mathews’ early wickets, left-armer Binura Fernando began to strike, and later, Wanindu Hasaranga began to cause trouble, and finally Matheesha Pathirana became a menace with his extreme pace (he frequently bowled deliveries over 150kph). In addition to Mathews, Fernando, Hasaranga, and Pathirana took two wickets each. Dasun Shanaka was excellent at cover, taking two good catches.

“When you take a break, people gossip about it a lot. But I feel it’s important to understand not everything is in players’ hands,” Kishan says

Edited PTI copy12-Apr-20241:55

Moody: Kishan is getting his career back on track

Having returned to competitive cricket after a break for personal reasons, Ishan Kishan is not thinking about his spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad.Kishan, who last played for India in November, had asked for a break during the South Africa tour in December-January. He returned to action in February during the DY Patil T20 Cup. Currently, he is the leading run-scorer for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 with a tally of 161 at a strike rate of 182.95.”About the World Cup, it is not in my hands and I am taking things very easy right now,” he said on Thursday, after starring with a 34-ball 69 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru to help Mumbai win by seven wickets. “You have to take one match at a time. One needs to understand that a lot is not in the hands of the players.Related

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“It [the IPL] is a long big tournament and you do not want to overstep. I am just taking one game at a time and [my motto is] however I can help the team, let’s do it.Talking about his time away from the game, Kishan said: “I was practising [during the break]. When you take a break, people gossip about it a lot, they say a lot of things on social media. But I feel it’s important to understand not everything is in players’ hands. We can only make the best use of the break. This is what adopting a good mindset is.”Kishan, along with Shreyas Iyer, was not considered for the BCCI central contract for the period between October 2023 and September 2024. However, Kishan is not thinking about proving a point to anyone.Ishan Kishan smashed a 23-ball fifty against RCB•Associated Press

“There is nothing like that [that] I want to prove to someone,” he said. “I just have to go there and enjoy. I have learned that you do not have to add pressure on yourself about these things, which are not in your hand. You have to figure out what are [your] controllables and what are [your] uncontrollables.”If I were the old Ishan Kishan, I might not have left the good deliveries in the first two overs [against RCB]. I would have been in pressure. But with time I have learned that even 20 overs are a lot and you can take your time. You can have the belief and move forward. So all these things helped me in that break also. Now we lost some games here, but I feel most of the players, not just me, were keen to work with everyone. It was never about us individually performing well for the team and not knowing what other players were going through. So I also know if someone is not doing well, how they feel.”So these things also changed in me that even when I am not performing, if I know someone isn’t feeling good, let’s talk to them, let’s know what their mindset is. So these things have happened after that break.”

Hardik ‘loves challenges’, fans ‘will start loving him’

Hardik Pandya might have been at the receiving end of fans’ ire in this IPL, but Kishan has little doubt that the Mumbai captain is “enjoying the challenge” of winning them over.Hardik, who replaced Rohit Sharma as captain before the start of this IPL, has been consistently getting booed by the fans and the situation was no different on Thursday night at the Wankhede.”He [Hardik] loves challenges, he has been in this situation before and he is in that situation right now,” Kishan said.” He is not someone who will come out and talk about it and say let’s stop this or that. I know that he must be enjoying it. I know him personally. I have spent a lot of time with him. He is ready for the challenges because you cannot complain to the fans, they will come up with their explanations and their point of view.”Kishan said Hardik could turn around fans’ anger with his performances.”Knowing how Hardik Pandya thinks, he is happy with people doing it but I know that in the coming games, he will do it with the bat and people will start loving him [again]. People also recognise your hard work, what you are going through and still you are doing so well for your team.”Our fans will be a little harsh on you but at the same time when you do well, or when you show that it is [still] not bothering you and [that] you are in a good headspace, that might change. If not today, tomorrow. If not tomorrow, the day after tomorrow.”

Brittin top-scored in the 1993 World Cup final with 48 against New Zealand and took the final catch

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2017Jan Brittin, who was part of England’s World Cup-winning side in 1993, has died from cancer aged 58.Brittin is the leading run-scorer and century-maker in Women’s Test cricket with five hundreds in her 27 matches between 1979 and 1998. She played 63 ODIs, and top-scored with 48 when England beat New Zealand at Lord’s to win the World Cup and also took the final catch to secure victory.Her Test best of 167 came against Australia at Harrogate in 1998 – in the penultimate match of her career – and she opened alongside Charlotte Edwards, who paid tribute on Twitter calling Brittin “her idol.”
Clare Connor, the director of England Women’s Cricket, said: “JB was one of the most quiet and unassuming cricketers you could meet, but she was pure class. An outstanding cricketer and a truly lovely person.”In a year when England have again won the World Cup at Lord’s, we should not forget the huge contribution JB made to the development and success of women’s cricket in this country.”For girls of my generation she was our first real female role model. She batted with grace and timing – a classical opener, so beautiful to watch. She was also a brilliantly athletic cover fielder.”JB was born to play Test cricket and it’s unlikely that her record in this format will ever be beaten. She also had a fine record in the one-day game, and of course she made that significant contribution to England’s World Cup win at Lord’s in 1993.”Brittin played her domestic cricket for Surrey and flags at The Oval were lowered to half-mast during the Championship match against Yorkshire.Ebony Rainford-Brent, Surrey’s director of women’s cricket, said: “JB was such an inspiration to me and many others growing up who were able to watch or play with one of the greatest female cricketers of all time. As a character she was fun, engaging and always generous in her knowledge, particularly when she gave back as a coach later in her career. Her records speak for themselves the class of player she was and will stand the test of time.”