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Derbyshire suffered their first complete wash-out in the County Championship in 35 years after no play was possible for the third day running against Northamptonshire at Chesterfield

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2016Derbyshire v Northamptonshire – match abandoned without a ball being bowled
There wasn’t too much danger of flying balls at Chesterfield on another washed out day•Getty Images

Derbyshire suffered their first complete wash-out in the County Championship in 35 years after no play was possible for the third day running against Northamptonshire at Chesterfield.Play was abandoned after umpires Neil Mallender and Ian Blackwell decided the bowler’s run-ups were still unsafe and the match was officially called off in mid-afternoon following an inspection by umpires, captain and coaches.Although no rain has fallen during the hours of play in recent days, the Queen’s Park ground is still saturated from heavy rainfall through June.Northamptonshire captain Alex Wakely said: “It’s one of the most bizarre games of cricket I’ve ever been involved in.”It’s a great ground and great place to play cricket but unfortunately the weather had taken its toll from the previous week with the heavy rain completely saturating the run-ups and they’re still unstable.”I think if you bowled on them for four or five overs you would be churning up mud. We got bowlers to run in but they didn’t feel confident and with our injury issues we had to be pretty careful.”But it wasn’t our decision, the umpires deemed it unfit and although it’s frustrating, there’s nothing we can do about it.”The washout is a major setback for the Chesterfield festival, which has also lost the chance to host Sunday’s NatWest T20 Blast fixture against Yorkshire after the club made the decision to shift the fixture to Derby.Chief Executive, Simon Storey said: “Chesterfield is a special venue and everyone puts a huge amount of time, planning and preparation into delivering a successful festival each year.”Unfortunately, following the recent bad weather over the last few weeks, the outfield has taken on a huge amount of water and is still saturated despite the recent sunshine. In the interest of player safety, no play has been possible.”It’s clearly very disappointing that the weather has beaten us this year but we remain committed to bringing county cricket to Queen’s Park.”The Festival is so much more than just cricket and helps put Chesterfield on the map. Since county cricket returned to Chesterfield in 2006, we have been able to build strong partnerships with Chesterfield Cricket Club and Chesterfield Borough Council.”

The Bangladesh bowling coach doesn’t see Mortaza in head coach Domingo’s plans for the 2023 World Cup

Mohammad Isam18-May-2020Bangladesh bowling coach Ottis Gibson has urged Mashrafe Mortaza to retire from international cricket as he doesn’t see the bowler in head coach Russell Domingo’s plans for the 2023 World Cup. Mortaza, who stepped down from captaincy during Bangladesh’s last home series, against Zimbabwe in February, hasn’t made any announcements about retirement despite being constantly questioned about it since December 2018.Gibson, who joined Bangladesh in January this year, said that Domingo has to look at several younger bowlers to build a team in the next three years, which would mean having to look beyond Mortaza. Gibson suggested that Mortaza, Bangladesh’s leading ODI wicket-taker, can advise the young fast bowlers in a different capacity.”I think he has had an outstanding international career,” Gibson told the Bengali daily on Monday. “He has done himself and his country proud. With the next World Cup in 2023, any international coach will now start to build a team. I am quite sure that’s what Russell will be thinking. So he would want to see players like young Hasan Mahmud, [Mohammad] Saifuddin, Shafiul [Islam] and Ebadot [Hossain]. We haven’t seen Ebadot in white-ball cricket yet. There’s Taskin [Ahmed] and Khaled [Ahmed] gets fit again. We have Hasan and [Mehedi Hasan] Rana. So there’s a lot of young cricketers in the country.”I think if Russell is now trying to build a team for the future, then I don’t know what part Mashrafe will have to play in that. Perhaps now is his time, with all that’s going on in the world, to move on. He can find other ways to pass on his vast knowledge and experience to the young guys. I don’t think he has to be on the field to be able to pass on what he has learned over his career. He needs to find other ways to pass on that message.”This is the first time a coaching staff member has explicitly asked Mortaza to retire from ODIs, the only format he plays currently. Mortaza is currently on 269 international wickets from 218 matches. Despite his long absences due to mostly leg injuries in the first 10 years of his career, he has only missed five ODIs in the last five years, two of them to over-rate suspension. However, he only took one wicket in the 2019 World Cup, which brought into question his place in the team, notwithstanding his new role as a member of parliament after the 2019 general elections.Gibson said he is pinning his hopes on 20-year-old quick Mahmud who recently made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe, after impressing in domestic and A team competitions.”I have really been impressed with Ebadot who can clock 140kph,” Gibson said. “There’s Taskin who is still there. I have had some time to chat with him. He is still hungry to get involved. Khaled has been injured for a while.”Young Hasan Mahmud has really impressed me too. I have a lot of faith on him. He can really break through and become a top international Bangladeshi fast bowler. I have high hopes from him. He is very hungry to learn. He has a fantastic action that can only get better, so it will be interesting to see how he goes over the next few years.”Gibson, however, said the attitude towards pace bowling has to change in Bangladesh, if they are expected to do well at home or overseas. “The bowlers genuinely have a lot of skill but they lack in experience. They only get one spell in domestic cricket. Even if they pick two fast bowlers, the captain generally tends to go to the spinners if there’s a crisis. The fast bowlers never really get to bowl in pressure situations.”It is a very different story when we go abroad. We are relying on the fast bowlers to do the job away from home but they lack in experience in closing out games, even back home in domestic cricket. We must look at the way we play domestic cricket.”

Veteran legspinner won’t play for the Renegades after electing to stay on in South Africa

Alex Malcolm28-Dec-2020The Melbourne Renegades have suffered another blow with their premier legspinner Imran Tahir withdrawing from the tournament for personal reasons.Tahir had been in doubt to play in the BBL after his arrival was delayed in December with the Australian government requiring overseas players to do a 14-day quarantine in a hotel room prior to being available to play.Related

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The Renegades had signed a bevy of international spinners including Tahir, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, and Imad Wasim.The Renegades coach Michael Klinger said that while it was disappointing to lose Tahir, it would give an opportunity to Noor Ahmad. “Unfortunately, Imran is not coming for personal reasons,” Klinger said. “He’s a great player so it is a loss. But at the same time we’ve seen Noor Ahmad a couple of games ago, a bowler who people haven’t seen that much, it might actually work in our favour.”He’ll now be able to play a fair chunk of that back end of the season, with Imad Wasim. Nabi has to go home for international duty. It is a loss but at the same time what a huge opportunity for young Noor to come in and have a huge impact on the BBL.”Ahmad, 15, made his BBL debut against the Hobart Hurricanes and took 1 for 27 from four overs and was unfortunate not to claim a second wicket with a very close lbw shout against Colin Ingram turned down.He was left out of the Renegades last match against the Sydney Thunder, where they were beaten by 129 runs to suffer the second-largest defeat in BBL history, just two weeks after suffering the worst one against the Sydney Sixers.Klinger said the mood in the group was still upbeat despite the heavy defeats. “The mood is still pretty good because we know what we’re capable of doing,” he said. “We saw in game one how well we played. We know we’ve got the ability in the group to really come out and perform well.”

Batsman set to enter IPL auction as international exile continues

Matt Roller22-Jan-2021Alex Hales’ prospects of an England recall remain unchanged, despite his rich vein of form for Sydney Thunder which has propelled him to the top of the Big Bash League’s run-scoring charts.Hales’ innings of 110 off 56 balls against cross-town rivals Sydney Sixers on Friday night was enough to take him past Josh Philippe in the race for the ‘golden bat’, but he said after the game that he had received no contact from the England selectors ahead of the white-ball tour to India in March which comprises three ODIs and five T20Is.”No, nothing at all – nothing from that end,” Hales told Fox Sports when asked if he had heard anything from the England management. “At the moment, I’m just enjoying my cricket and I’m going to keep trying to score as many runs as I can, enjoying myself, and see what happens.Related

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“Obviously that’s the peak of cricket, playing for your country. At the moment, I’m just going to focus on the process of scoring runs and enjoying my cricket, and if that’s the end result then brilliant.”Hales was de-selected from England’s 2019 World Cup squad immediately before the tournament after it came to light that he had returned a second positive test for recreational drugs, and he has not been part of a squad since.Eoin Morgan, England’s white-ball captain, has repeatedly stressed that Hales’ actions had caused a “breakdown in trust” and demonstrated a “complete disregard” for the team’s values. While he has never officially drawn a line under Hales’ England career, 22 months have passed since his last international appearance.Hales overtook Josh Philippe in the race for the Golden Bat on Friday night•Getty Images

Hales’ case is not helped by the fact that England are overflowing with top-order options, particularly in T20 cricket. Jonny Bairstow shifted into the middle order in their most recent series with Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan forming the top three, while players like Tom Banton, Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone missed out on the squad altogether.And his prospects of a recall were dealt a further blow on Thursday when Ed Smith, the national selector, said that he did not anticipate the situation changing in time for Hales to win a recall for the squads to tour India, leaving his chances of a comeback before the T20 World Cup in India looking slim.”I think at the moment, I would expect things to stay as they are,” Smith said. “No doors are closed – there’s been no final decision. It’s not that it’s going to be the same indefinitely, but at the moment, if I had to make a prediction, I would say we would stay as we are.”Smith said that it was an “unfair inference” to suggest Hales would not be picked again under Morgan’s leadership, but stressed the importance of captains’ opinions in the decision-making process.”I would say every captain is very important for selection, and that goes for Joe Root, too,” he said. “But in terms of responsibility, selectors take responsibility for a selection of squads, while working closely with all the coaches, and especially the captain. We all work together, and we all take responsibility for our decisions.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Instead, Hales is set to play for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League from February to March, following the conclusion of the BBL season. His runs helped Karachi Kings to the title in November, but he has been traded back to the franchise he represented in 2018 and 2019 ahead of the 2021 edition.It is understood that he will enter next month’s IPL auction, and he will hope that his form over the last two years will be enough for a team to pick him up. A handful of overseas openers, including Banton, Roy and Aaron Finch, were released by their franchises this week, boosting his chances of being signed.Hales is the leading run-scorer around the world in T20 cricket since the start of the 2019 Vitality Blast, averaging 32.21 with a strike rate of 147.93 in that period. He has played more innings than anyone else in that time, across five different leagues, and demonstrated his skill and experience in his belligerent innings on Friday. His hundred – his fourth in T20 cricket – included nine fours and eight sixes, helping the Thunder to break their losing streak as they piled on the highest total in BBL history.”The last few games hadn’t quite gone to plan so for us to turn up in the Sydney derby was really good,” he said. “It’s about trying to find that balance between which bowlers and which ends to attack, and what stage of the partnership to go at. It’s finding that balance between having that positive intent and not throwing your wicket away, which I’d done a few times this year in the 40s, so to go on and get that big score was really pleasing.”

This is what Test cricket used to be like, and probably the best approach they could take

George Dobell in Mount Maunganui21-Nov-2019It took 2,000 years to build the Great Wall of China and 1,600 years to build Stonehenge. The Sagrada Familia – started in 1882 – is still not complete. And let’s not even mention Brexit.The point? Sometimes it takes time to build something worthwhile (which is very much not a political statement about Brexit). And sometimes, during that process, you have to be patient.Certainly spectators at the Bay Oval were obliged to be patient on the first day of the series between New Zealand and England. While there were moments during the tenure of Trevor Bayliss when England were accused of reacting to every adversity by playing ever more aggressively – like speeding through fog to get past it – there were moments here when their caution was like deciding to park the car and walk. Joe Root and Joe Denly took 21 balls to get off the mark. Ben Stokes took 15.England spectators, in particular, have probably been spoiled in recent times. Many of their Test wins have been almost impossibly unlikely and, as a consequence, entertaining. Take the victory against Ireland that was achieved despite being bowled out by lunch on the first day. Or the victory against Australia at Leeds that came despite having been bowled out for 67 in their first innings. Even when they are bad – and they were pretty bad in Barbados – they are entertaining. And all those games were just this year.But this is what Test cricket used to be like. And, on a slow wicket, against a disciplined attack this was probably the best approach they could take. So while there were moments – and by moments, think of several hours – with bowlers aiming wide of off stump in the hope of tempting the batsmen and England simply letting the ball sail through, when it seemed the game was in something approaching stalemate, England eventually started to pull away from New Zealand in a final session that realised 120 runs. There had only been 121 in the first two combined.You do wonder what Bayliss, no doubt keeping an eye on scores from his hotel room in the UAE, would have made of it, though. He used to reason that the dangers of such a cautious approach were that it only took a couple of wicket-taking balls and all that work was wasted with little to show for it. And maybe, had Stokes been held at slip on 63, or Rory Burns taken in the slips on 37, Bayliss would have been proved right. But they weren’t and, with Stokes starting to wrestle the initiative away from New Zealand, the day finished with England perhaps slightly the better placed of the two teams.That’s not just a reflection of the scores, either. It’s a reflection of the amount of work invested by both sides. The New Zealand bowlers, despite their obvious stamina, are human. And there is a quick turnaround – just three days – between games. The miles put in their legs here could yet turn out to be crucial in the coming days. There is every chance they will be pulling their boots on for a fifth session here.Maybe there were times on day one when we witnessed an over-correction from England. Times when it became apparent that they were learning a new approach and times when they got it slightly wrong. Take Root’s innings: he is masterful at rotating the strike; as adept at anyone of nudging and deflecting and picking up singles. Yet here, perhaps wanting to provide an example to his team, he became almost stroke-less and was eventually persuaded into a loose shot.Such moments are inevitable. It doesn’t mean the approach is wrong. It just means England have to get better at the way they execute such plans. Because despite all their patience, three of the wickets that did fall in the day – Burns’, Root’s and Joe Denly’s – all owed a little to frustration. But it’s worth remembering that England tried the Bayliss approach for the best part of five years. It gave them great days and some decent success. But they are the No. 3 side in the Test rankings and, if they want to rise higher, they probably have to show a more sophisticated approach. What we saw here was the start of a new era for England cricket. Nobody should mistake them for the finished article.Several batsmen can feel satisfied with their day’s work. Denly, in particular, may well have done enough to secure his trip to South Africa. This was his fourth half-century in six Test innings and was, perhaps, as assured as any of them. His six off Mitchell Santner, a bit of a luxury player at this stage, was the shot of the day: a perfectly timed lofted drive that he bore plenty of beauty and no brawn.And while Denly and Burns, in particular, may feel they failed to capitalise on the foundations they had built, they can console themselves with the knowledge that they resisted a fine attack and built a strong platform for their team. There’s a lot of work left to do – 400 might be considered par in such conditions – but with Stokes set and more batting to come, England could be quietly satisfied with their first day of Test cricket under Chris Silverwood.

Beckenham continued to be a batsman’s paradise as Northants responded to Kent’s 701 for 7 declared with big runs of their own

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2017
ScorecardNorthamptonshire batsmen Max Holden and Adam Rossington filled their boots in sublime batting conditions at Beckenham where Northamptonshire reached 528 for 7 in their first-innings reply to Kent’s mammoth 701 for 7 declared.The visiting fifth-wicket partners joined forces to bat through the entire mid-session and well into the final hour before Holden fell for a career-best 153. Soon after, Rossington followed him back to the pavilion for a season’s best 112 leaving Kent’s rookie seamer Matt Hunn to finish a tiring day with decent figures of 3 for 90.Requiring 552 simply to avoid the follow-on, Northamptonshire resumed on their overnight score of 180 for 1 and suffered a huge blow to their survival aspirations when England batsman Ben Duckett perished to only the sixth ball of the day.The diminutive left-hander, who hit a sublime double century on this ground last season, leant back to club Matt Coles’ fourth ball through mid-on to move to 105 but, in aiming an expansive drive two deliveries later, Duckett edged behind to Sam Billings, who was standing in for Adam Rouse behind the timbers.Coles gave way at the Beckenham End after a spirited seven-over spell of 1 for 26 to be replaced by Hunn, who also enjoyed success in his first over of the day. Alex Wakely, the Northamptonshire skipper, misjudged the line of Hunn’s fourth delivery, shouldering arms to one that pegged back off stump to make it 219 for 2.At the Worsley Bridge Road End, Pakistan wrist-spinner Yasir Shah whirled away in a wicketless, 11-over opening stint. He got the occasional delivery to turn, while one to Holden spat alarmingly from
the footholds, only to balloon to safety.Yasir then switched ends to bamboozle Rob Keogh with a darting top-spinner that rushed past Keogh’s back-foot force to peg back off stump in the penultimate over before lunch. It proved to be Yasir’s sole success from 34 overs bowled during the day.Kent took the second new ball immediately after the restart and, despite lung-busting efforts by Coles and Mitch Claydon, they were unable to make any impact other than beating the outside edge half-a-dozen times.Pretty soon, spinners Tredwell and Yasir were twirling away in tandem with three or four close fielders around the bat, but Northamptonshire stood firm with Holden, the Middlesex loanee, reaching a patient half-century from 146 balls, with only five fours.Rossington, the more aggressive of the pair, needed only 59 deliveries to reach the milestone hitting seven fours and a six along the way as Kent continued to toil throughout the mid-session without success.After tea, Holden, the wiry left-hander, notched his second century in Northamptonshire’s colours from 216 balls and with 13 boundaries, while Rossington, seemingly content to bat time, went into his shell.Holden received a healthy round of applause from the visiting dressing room balcony when passing 124 – his previous first-class best scored against Durham at Chester-le-Street last month – and they went up again soon after for Rossington’s 100, scored off 132 balls with 11 fours and a six. It was his first ton of the summer and the sixth of his career.Their run-fest and a stand of 239 ended when Holden, aiming an ambitious short-armed jab to a length-ball from Hunn, clipped to deep square-leg where Rouse, taking a rest from keeping, took a stunning diving catch on the ropes to send Holden packing after five hours at the crease.Rossington followed just before stumps for 112. Wearily chasing a wide one from Hunn to be caught behind, then Coles came on to have Steven Crook well caught at second slip by James Tredwell to give Kent their sixth success of an arduous day in the dirt.

Australia will hope to attack down the Headingley hill and keep things tight going up it as they continue their attempts to ‘win boring’

Daniel Brettig in Leeds21-Aug-2019″Take back control” has been a pretty loaded phrase in this part of the world ever since its co-option by Dominic Cummings and the Vote Leave campaign that successfully won Britain’s EU referendum in 2016.It is also a highly relevant one to Australia’s Ashes campaign, which began so brilliantly at Edgbaston but was stifled somewhat at Lord’s, not only by Jofra Archer and the concussion inflicted on Steven Smith, but also the inroads England made on the touring team’s clear plan to cut down the flow of runs, build pressure and reap wickets from a home batting lineup always eager to impose themselves.Pat Cummins will continue as the “ironman” in an attack that has otherwise required careful workload management•Getty Images

The Australian blueprint to maintain control over the scoring rates of the hosts, block off the boundaries and prosper through patience has been adhered to so rigorously as to rule out Mitchell Starc from selection so far. The coach Justin Langer’s words two days out from the Headingley Test, about not getting caught up into a bouncer war begun by Archer, seemed to strongly indicate that this pattern of selection would continue. “What we’re not going to do is get caught up in an emotional battle of who’s going to bowl the quickest bouncers,” Langer had said. “We’re here to win the Test match, not to see how many helmets we can hit.”ALSO READ: Here to win Ashes, not engage in bouncer war – LangerBut this plan, of course, has two sides to it. England were not only better able to find scoring avenues off the likes of Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon at Lord’s (both were taken for more than 3.5 runs per over), they also succeeded in keeping things exceedingly tight when Archer and Jack Leach had the ball. Where Australia’s batting at Edgbaston had taken on an air of freedom, at Lord’s it was always a slog, even without accounting for the short-pitched stuff from Archer that claimed most of the headlines.”You look back at that period before the second new ball, Jack Leach bowled 10 overs for 12 runs at the other end to Jofra,” England’s captain Joe Root said. “It’s important that you dovetail well as a bowling group and that you continue to keep applying pressure from one end if you’re attacking at the other. I thought we got the balance of that exceptionally well and right last week.”Lyon’s inability to put the clamp on England’s scoring made for quite a contrast. In fact, in all the 20 Ashes matches he has played, Lyon has never been more expensive than the 3.76 an over he conceded at Lord’s when bowling more than 25 overs in a Test. Root, certainly, was happy to see Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow find their ways into the series.”The most pleasing thing from my part was seeing Ben, Jos and Jonny sending good time at the crease,” Root said. “I feel like they really got themselves into the series in that Test match, and it’s a big engine room for us that middle order, they’re some high quality players who can go up and down the gears and really change the momentum of a game. To see them starting to hit some form at what seems like a really poignant time in the series is a really impressive thing for us and a huge confidence boost for the whole batting group.”Australia’s captain Tim Paine, too, acknowledged the shift. “I think Ben Stokes played a pretty good innings as well, I think you’ve got to give him credit there,” he said. “But Lord’s can be a fast scoring ground and so can this one and it just happened to be that the rain pushed the game forward really quickly and almost turned day five into a one-day game, and we know that England are the best in the world at that game, so we thought that really suited them.”We thought we could have handled things a little bit better, but at the same time we had them 6 for 130 in the first innings and 4 for 60 in the second so we still thought we had some opportunities there to break the game open. But as the game played out, we know when they’re in that sort of mood particularly Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow, they’re hard for anyone to stop. If we get in that situation again we’ll do some things slightly differently.”So what must Australia do to improve on their control of proceedings at Headingley? Precise lines and lengths are a given, but so too is awareness that the ground an allow for quick scoring if bowlers are too attack-minded. Darren Lehmann’s wildly successful stint as Yorkshire’s overseas professional in the late 1990s and early 2000s was epitomised by how he often turned favourable bowling conditions on their head by going after the opposition, taking advantage of the quick, short square boundaries not a million miles removed from his Adelaide Oval home.Nathan Lyon leaked more runs than usual at Lord’s•Getty Images

Additionally, the slope across the ground at Lord’s has now been replaced by a gradient from the Kirkstall Lane End down to the Rugby Stand End. Plenty of rapid-fire spells have been delivered down that hill, from Bob Willis in 1981 to Jason Gillespie in 1997. A serviceable, accurate and uncomplaining seam and swing merchant pushing up the hill can also enjoy success: Peter Siddle claimed 5 for 21 here on the first day in 2009 when the Australians set the game up by rolling England for just 102.”We’ve had a couple of days here now for the bowlers to come in and have a bit of a bowl,” Paine said. “Granted it’s not on the centre wicket, but out on the wicket block. You get guys playing in different conditions with different run ups and different surfaces all the time, that’s part and parcel of being a professional cricketer and whatever lineup we pick, we expect that guys will be able to handle it or adapt to it really quickly.”Most capable and flexible for the Australians is Pat Cummins, who can be expected to turn out for the second of back-to-back Tests as the “ironman” of a bowling attack that is otherwise rested and rotated carefully. There will be times during this Test where Cummins may be asked to do either job, attacking down the hill or pushing tightly up it, and it will be critical that the Austrlaians are able to prevent England’s middle order from getting as comfortable as they did at Lord’s.”He’s pretty good. No complaints from him so far,” Paine said. “I think in the last 12-18 months his body’s really matured and he can handle a really big workload and not only do you see a high level of skill from Pat all the time but he’s highly competitive as well. So he’s a great weapon for us, and someone we certainly need to look after, but at this stage he’s handling the workload really well, he’s a super professional in the way he prepares himself, the way he looks after his body. So at the moment he’s going really well.”As a county, by the way, Yorkshire voted to leave in 2016, though the city of Leeds was a remain hold-out, both by narrow margins. Taking back control has proven more complicated than the slogan suggested: Australia will hope their task at Headingley is a little more straightforward.

As the possibility of a Test debut looms, the Cape Cobras batsman says time off during MSL helped channel his game better

Liam Brickhill09-Jan-2019Zubayr Hamza doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, but the possibility of making his debut in the current South Africa batting unit is “something you only dream of”.Hamza has been travelling as a reserve batsman in the Test squad, but Faf du Plessis’ suspension has opened up an opportunity for the 23-year-old to be South Africa’s 100th cap since readmission.”As a batting unit, It’s something you only dream of, batting with these guys, playing in the same side and representing your country,” said Hamza at the Wanderers on Wednesday. “I haven’t received confirmation if I am playing or not. If given the chance that would be great, I have really enjoyed my time so far, the training has been intense and everyone has been welcoming. I have felt comfortable within the team surrounding. If given the chance, I am looking forward to it. There is a lot of excitement at the moment.”Hamza is yet to score a first-class century this season (he has three fifties for Cape Cobras), but has enjoyed an otherwise fruitful run at franchise level over the last two years, averaging a shade over 49 with nine centuries, including an unbeaten double. Although he is lacking in match time after missing out on the Mzansi Super League and a round of CSA four-day matches since he has been with the squad, he remains confident about his preparation and form.”It was disappointing, but the month off [from the MSL] gave me perspective and I focused on working on myself and on my game,” he explained. “Yes I haven’t started off too well this season with franchise cricket but I don’t feel out of form. I still feel like I’m batting well and that I have a lot to offer. The runs and performances haven’t shown it but that is not how I feel, I have been batting well. I have been training well with the world-class coaching staff that we have here, and I have learnt a lot so far.”Born and bred in Cape Town, Hamza matriculated from Rondebosch Boys High School. It is an institution that has produced a notable cricketing alumni including Jonathan Trott, Gary Kirsten, HD Ackerman and Andrew Puttick, who also played an early role in guiding Hamza’s development before he blossomed under Cobras coach Ashwell Prince.While not many will have seen him bat before, Hamza’s promising first-class record speaks for itself. He is a batsman with the kind of grit that could help him slot easily into a squad that has thrived off fast bowling and braved batting in seam-friendly conditions, and professed a “willingness to battle” as what he will look to bring to the side if selected.Hamza described his style as “at times free-flowing, but also willing to graft. Never looking the prettiest, but I take pride out of the innings where there’s a bit of struggle in them.” He grew up idolising players such as Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla, but says he has been feeding off most of the players in the squad on what it takes to perform at international level.”When I look up to someone, it’s not necessarily the person they are, but a combination of a whole lot of people and what they bring to the game,” Hamza said. “Faf for example is very cool and calm at the crease. Then there’s Kallis’ technique, or Virat Kohli’s passion. Stuff like that, I pay attention to. I look up to those things.”I have learnt a lot from every individual in the team, whether it is on the field or off the field. For me, I’d like to stay true to myself and stick to the game plans that have got me to this position. I will try to be self-confident and have self-belief.”I have tucked under a few guys’ wings so far,” he admitted. “I’ve been leeching as much information as I can about what it takes to perform at this level, and then sort of combining it and finding my own mixture to try and perform as an individual.”

The 29-year-old had fared modestly for Barbados Tridents before the injury, scoring 185 runs in seven innings

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2018Australia batsman Steven Smith will miss the rest of this year’s CPL with a side strain. The injury was revealed by his Barbados Tridents captain Jason Holder at the toss ahead of their game against St Lucia Stars on Sunday at Kensington Oval.A subsequent interview with the side’s head coach Robin Singh revealed that Smith has left for home to receive treatment for the injury.Smith was signed as replacement for Shakib Al Hasan after he became available to play in the CPL for the first time following his one-year suspension from international cricket for his role in the ball-tampering scandal during Australia’s tour of South Africa.The 29-year-old had fared modestly before the injury, scoring 185 runs in seven innings while also taking three wickets, though he was Man of the Match in one of the only two wins this year for the bottom-placed Tridents by scoring 63 and taking 2 for 19 against Jamaica Tallawahs in Florida.

Justice DK Jain met all three members of the CoA, along with the BCCI top brass in Delhi on Thursday

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2019The controversy surrounding Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul over their remarks on an Indian television chat show earlier this year will be the first case the BCCI’s newly-appointed ombudsman, Justice DK Jain, will adjudicate on. The decision was taken after Justice Jain met all three members of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), along with the BCCI top brass including its chief executive Rahul Johri, in Delhi on Thursday.It is understood that there is no timeframe for Justice Jain to take a final decision, which he would arrive at after a thorough inquiry, including calling both players to record their views. Both Pandya and Rahul have already apologised to the BCCI and the CoA twice in writing before returning to play. Pandya is currently recuperating from a back injury while Rahul is part of the ODI squad playing against Australia.ALSO READ: ‘Humbled’ KL Rahul uses suspension time to work on techniquePandya and Rahul were suspended by the CoA on January 11 for their offensive comments on the chat show , which was aired in the first week of 2019. Both players were subsequently called back home from the limited-overs tour of Australia.At the time, the two members of the CoA, Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji, were split on the next step. While Rai was in favour of banning the players for two matches, Edulji wanted the matter to be addressed properly through an inquiry process. The BCCI legal team’s opinion was sought, and the CoA was told that as per the BCCI’s constitution, only the ombudsman had the authority to carry out the inquiry.Consequent to the intervention of amicus curiae PS Narsimha on January 24, the CoA provisionally lifted the suspension allowing Pandya and Rahul to play, but pointed out that allegations of misconduct against them would be dealt with once the ombudsman took charge.The ombudsman’s position had been vacant since 2016 until the Supreme Court appointed Justice Jain in February, while also adding Ravindra Thodge as the third member of the CoA.