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Naveen-ul-Haq misses out with Abdollah Ahmadzai taking his place for matches starting Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2025Afghanistan will get plenty of practice, and scope to gather information on their Asia Cup opponents, when they play Pakistan and UAE in a T20I tournament starting in Sharjah on Friday. They’ve named virtually the same squad for both competitions, with only Naveen-ul-Haq missing from the tri-series.Abdollah Ahmadzai takes his place in the 17-member squad. The 22-year-old fast bowler, with 14 wickets from 10 T20s, is still waiting for his first international cap and has been named among the reserves for the Asia Cup. These games will be Afghanistan’s first white-ball matches since the Champions Trophy ended in February 2025.Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar is in line to make his T20I debut in the UAE tri-series, as he joins a strong spin unit comprising captain Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad.Related

• Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE gear up for Asia Cup rehearsal

• No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup

• Afghanistan bring in Ghazanfar to strengthen spin department for Asia Cup

• Junaid Siddique comes back as UAE ring in the changes for T20 tri-series

• Afghanistan bring back former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as fielding coach

The tri-series will also mark the return of Ibrahim Zadran, with the opener not a part of Afghanistan’s last T20I assignment in Zimbabwe in December 2024. From that squad, left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote has also been left out, although he is part of the reserves for the Asia Cup. Zadran returns having last played T20Is during the 2024 World Cup.The tri-series, which Afghanistan and Pakistan will kick off, has the three teams playing each other twice in round-robin format before the top two meet in the final on September 7. Should Afghanistan reach the final, they will only get a day’s rest before their first Asia Cup game, against Hong Kong, on September 9. UAE’s first game of the Asia Cup is on September 10 and Pakistan’s is on September 12.

Afghanistan squad for UAE tri-series

Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi

The fundraising match will now be played as a double-header with the Australia-England T20I

Andrew McGlashan05-Feb-2020The Bushfire Cricket Bash fundraising match will now take place at Junction Oval in Melbourne on Sunday as part of a double-header with the Australia-England T20I after it was relocated from the SCG due to the heavy rain forecast for Sydney over the weekend.Torrential rain, which the region desperately needs, is forecast for Sydney from Friday right through the weekend with up to 50mm predicted for Saturday, when the double-header was due to take place alongside the Big Bash final.While the forecast suggests there is every chance the BBL final will also be a washout – which would hand the Sydney Sixers the title – Cricket Australia wants to ensure that no damage is done to the SCG in case a match can be played. Five overs per side would constitute a game.”It’s been a whirlwind 24-hours, but we’re really proud to say that there will be four fantastic games of cricket held over the weekend of The Big Appeal,” Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts said. “We have moved the Bushfire Bash from the SCG because we want to provide every opportunity for the BBL09 final to be played on Saturday night. We have no doubt that the SCG pitch and outfield will be in great condition for the final.” The rescheduling of the relief match has required some changes to the squad with Shane Warne now no longer available to captain a team with Adam Gilchrist taking over. It has also been confirmed that Courtney Walsh will be involved in a playing capacity having originally been down to be a coach. Tim Paine will coach the Gilchrist XI.The match, which will be 10-overs per side due to start at 3.15pm, is still set to include Brian Lara, Wasim Akram and Yuvraj Singh among a host of names. The T20I will be brought forward to start at 11.40am.The fundraising weekend will now include four matches – two T20Is, the Bushfire Bash and the BBL final – with all profits going to the Red Cross appeal.There is no reserve day for the BBL final at the SCG, something that the Sydney Thunder captain Callum Ferguson said probably needed to be addressed. The Thunder will play the Melbourne Stars on Thursday and whichever team gets through would need the weather in their favour to have any chance of taking the title.”I absolutely believe there needs to be a reserve day,” Ferguson said. “At the moment it is what it is, and I believe we’ve got the right system barring maybe a reserve day, we need to make sure that we give it every chance of being played.”Bushfire Bash squad Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist (capt), Alex Blackwell, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, Dan Christian, Matthew Hayden, Luke Hodge, Justin Langer, Phoebe Litchfield, Andrew Symonds, Nick Riewoldt, Elyse Villani, Shane Watson, Yuvraj Singh and Wasim Akram.

Quetta have picked Zahir Khan to fill in for Ben Cutting, while Islamabad have chosen not to replace the unavailable Janneman Malan

Umar Farooq22-May-2021Multan Sultans have picked the West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer to replace Bangladesh batter Mahmudullah in the platinum category for the remainder of the PSL 2021, which begins in the first week of June in Abu Dhabi. Several players are set to miss the remaining 20 games of the season for multiple reasons, including logistical challenges. In order to allow teams to replace their absentees, the PCB carried out a mini replacement draft on Saturday.Rashid Khan, meanwhile, will be back with the Lahore Qalandars. The franchise had signed the Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan in his place during last month’s replacement draft. Shakib has now pulled out of the remainder of the season, but Lahore have announced Rashid is available once again. Related

• How the PSL teams stack up ahead of the second leg of the 2021 season

• Coconut water, ice collars, lighter kits: How the PSL plans to beat the Abu Dhabi heat

• PSL 2021: Quetta Gladiators' Anwar Ali tests positive for Covid-19, to miss flight to Abu Dhabi

• Lahore Qalandars bag Shakib Al Hasan, Quetta Gladiators sign Andre Russell

• PSL gets green light from Abu Dhabi authorities for June resumption

All six franchises were also allowed to pick two additional players in their original squads, with at least one overseas player, increasing squad sizes from 18 to 20. Teams originally had to feature at least three overseas players in their XIs, but given the growing challenges around the Covid-19 pandemic, the PCB has reduced the number to two for each team.The draft is the third overall since the start of the season, which was suspended after 14 matches following a spate of Covid-19 cases among players and support staffers.The Quetta Gladiators have picked the Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan to replace the Australian allrounder Ben Cutting, while Lahore have chosen the Singaporean batter Tim David, who plays for the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, and boasts an overall T20 strike rate of 154.07, to replace the Australian batter Joe Burns.Meanwhile, Hammad Azam, once talked of as a exciting all-round prospect for Pakistan, is back in the limelight, with Multan picking him as an additional option in the silver category.The Singaporean batter Tim David replaces Joe Burns in the Lahore Qalandars squad•Getty Images

UAE’s Waseem Muhammad, who made his name with his blazing knocks for the Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10, has found a place in the Multan roster. His career highlight so far is an unbeaten 13-ball 56 in the T10, which helped the Warriors chase down 98 in just 4.3 overs against the Pune Devils. The Qalandars snapped up another UAE player in Sultan Ahmed, a left-arm spinner who originally hails from Pakistan.During last month’s replacement draft, Islamabad United had picked Janneman Malan in place of Alex Hales. Now, with Malan also unavailable, Islamabad did not pick a replacement, citing a lack of equivalent options.Islamabad, Lahore and the Karachi Kings haven’t yet picked a 20th player, but can do so if required.

Final squads

Karachi Kings Imad Wasim (capt), Abbas Afridi, Aamer Yamin, Arshad Iqbal, Babar Azam, Chadwick Walton, Danish Aziz, Martin Guptill, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Haris, Thisara Perera, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ahmad, Qasim Akram, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Zeeshan Malik.Lahore Qalandars Sohail Akhtar (capt), Ahmed Danyal, Ben Dunk, Callum Ferguson, Dilbar Hussain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, James Faulkner, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Hafeez, Rashid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Seekkuge Prasana, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sultan Ahmed, Tim David, Zaid Alam and Zeeshan Ashraf.Multan Sultans Mohammad Rizwan (capt), Hammad Azam, Imran Tahir, Imran Khan Snr, Johnson Charles, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Umar, Obed McCoy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rilee Rossouw, Shahid Afridi, Shahnawaz Dhani, Shan Masood, Shimron Hetmyer (partially available), Sohaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Usman Qadir, Waseem Muhammad.Islamabad United Shadab Khan (capt), Ahmed Saifi Abdullah, Ali Khan, Akif Javed, Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Fawad Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Akhlaq, Musa Khan, Rohail Nazir, Usman Khawaja, Zafar Gohar, Zeeshan Zameer.Peshawar Zalmi Wahab Riaz (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Amad Butt, Bismillah Khan, David Miller (partially available), Fabian Allen (partially available), Fidel Edwards (partially available), Haider Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Irfan Snr, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Rovman Powell, Waqar Salamkheil, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik, Umaid Asif.Quetta Gladiators Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt), Abdul Nasir, Andre Russell (partially available), Anwar Ali, Arish Ali Khan, Azam Khan, Cameron Delport, Faf du Plessis, Hassan Khan, Jack Wildermuth, Jake Weatherald, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Usman Shinwari, Zahid Mahmood, Zahir Khan.

The five-match T20I series will happen first now. The original schedule had the tour starting with three ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2021Zimbabwe’s tour of Ireland has been rescheduled to begin on August 27 on the advice of Ireland’s health authorities. The tour was originally scheduled to start on August 6, but Zimbabwe Cricket hadn’t received clearance from the Ireland government due to complications around Covid-19 protocols.In a media release, Ireland Cricket said the tour would now be “effectively flipping” with the five-match T20I series happening first, as opposed to the previous schedule that had the tour starting with a three-match ODI series. A Zimbabwe XI will play against Ireland Wolves in a 50-over warm-up match between the two series.”There has been a great deal of behind-the-scenes work on pulling together a revised playing programme since the earlier series postponement, but thanks to the support of Provincial Unions and various hosting clubs, we have managed to create a schedule that meets the evolving requirements of health and sporting authorities, while ensuring we can still host these extremely important matches within the available window,” Ireland’s High Performance cricket director Richard Holdsworth said in the statement.A change of venues is also part of the new plan, with Belfast – where three ODIs and the last three T20Is were to be played – dropping off the schedule. The first two T20Is will now be played in Clontarf, and the last three will be played at Bready, which was originally supposed to host only the first two T20Is. The ODIs, which are part of the World Cup Super league, will all be held in Stormont.”In order to meet quarantining requirements in both jurisdictions, the visiting side will spend the first ten days of their tour training and playing in the Republic under biosecure protocols, then the two sides can then move to Northern Ireland to complete the series,” Holdsworth said. “As a consequence of this change, we have had to flip the order of the T20I and ODI series, and we will see the return of international cricket at Clontarf for the first time since May 2019.”Zimbabwe have not qualified for the upcoming T20 World Cup, but the ODIs against Ireland will be a chance for them to drag themselves off the bottom of the World Cup Super league points table and push for qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup. In their most recent ODI series, Zimbabwe were swept 3-0 at home by Bangladesh. As for Ireland, they are placed seventh on the Super League table, although they have had the benefit of playing 12 matches; Zimbabwe have played only six.

Champions of 2017 and 2019 – and Bob Willis Trophy winners in 2020 – as ruthless as ever

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Apr-2023Essex 266 (Lawrence 105, Roland-Jones 7-61) and 211 (Critchley 53, Murtagh 4-44) beat Middlesex 170 (Higgins 70, Simpson 63, Porter 6-35) and 210 (Hollman 63*, S Cook 3-31, Porter 3-34) by 97 runsAs far as statements of intent go, Essex’s 97-run victory over Middlesex in the first match of the 2023 season is loud and clear. The County Champions of 2017 and 2019 – and inaugural winners of the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020 – are as ruthless as ever.Despite losing the toss and “only” scoring 266 in their first innings, Essex’s control of game was never in doubt. Perhaps their only frustration came on this final day when they were made to wait until 2:45pm for the last of the five wickets required.The final dismissal was Jamie Porter’s ninth of the match, with 3 for 34 supplementing 6 for 35 in the first innings. Sam Cook, who took Sunday’s first wicket, settled for 3 for 31 (4 for 73 overall, from 33 overs). The opening pair used Dan Lawrence’s expertly crafted 105 to dismantle Middlesex’s top-order twice – 4 for 4 on day two; 15 for 3 on day three – meaning we arrived here on Easter Sunday under bright skies expecting little beyond an Essex victory.The last stanza was very much a team effort from the bowlers, with Shane Snater’s 2 for 34 and a wicket apiece for Simon Harmer and Matt Critchley last night. But Porter and Cook were the headliners overall and, in this form, rival other new-ball duos in Division One. Skipper Tom Westley was told as much on day four.”I bumped into Sam Robson at lunchtime, and he was like, ‘How easy is it for you with these seamers, and then you’ve got Simon Harmer?'” said Westley. “It does make it easier, in terms of the personnel you can turn to. The challenging bit is telling them they’re not bowling!”Related

• Ben Compton's 114* leads Kent to victory over Northamptonshire

• Middlesex face chastening defeat as Essex rip through batting once more

• Lawrence stays true to himself and Essex to show he fits the England mould

• Jamie Porter's duck-shoot leaves Middlesex with top-flight reality check

For Porter, this fixture was a welcome return to form. Along with a first five-wicket haul since 2020, the overall 9 for 69 were his best match figures since 11 for 98 against Worcestershire back in September 2018. While urging a degree of caution on an outright return to the 2017-to-2019 vintage, which saw Porter on the cusp of England honours with 199 first-class dismissals across three summers, Westley is pleased by the 29-year-old’s re-emergence after a tough couple of seasons.”I’m so happy for Ports. He’s an integral part of our team: when we’re doing well, it’s coincided with when he’s taken wickets. I think he’s worked really hard with Mick Lewis, the bowling coach. I think he’s made a couple of technical adjustments, but nothing too drastic.”He’s got a little bit wider on the crease, like how he used to be. He’s always very awkward to face because of his angles. I also think, for Ports, someone that led the attack for a number of years, with the likes of Sam Cook and Shane Snater coming through, it’s going to be a bit challenging going from the main man to one of the bowling unit.”There’s obviously a little bit of the England stuff from a few years ago,” said Westley, referencing Porter’s elusive Test cap and missing out on the enlarged 55-man training squad during 2020’s Covid-19 summer. “When you get so close and don’t quite get the chance that sometimes plays on your mind. You want it too much or you chase it too much.”I think what he’s done fantastically well is he’s gone back to basics – what made him so successful in those years leading up to 2017 and 2019 – and he’s looking to repeat that.”If Middlesex are chastened by such a heavy defeat in their first outing in the top-flight since 2017, they could at least wonder how different things could have been. Luke Hollman’s 63 not out, along with Ryan Higgins’ 41 and Stevie Eskinazi’s 114-ball 37 spoke of the application within the batting. Alas, when your top three only manage a combined 7 for 6 in the match, there is only so much you can do.The first of the final five wickets came within the 10 minutes of the morning, Cook needing just four deliveries to send the nightwatcher Tom Helm back via an edge to second slip.In walked allrounder Higgins and combined with best mate Eskinanzi to offer resistance. The ask when they came together was 231, the same as it was overnight, but there was no real intention to score those runs.The first boundary of the day – a six, no less – came 9.3 overs in when Higgins skipped down the track to lift Harmer over the mid on boundary. But even that was a retaliation to the loss of Eskinazi the over before. Porter, in the midst of a fine opening from the Pavilion End, eventually found a way past Eskinazi’s bat and into his pad.The breaching of the former Middlesex captain’s defence was all part of the inevitability of Essex in these situations. As Harmer set his stall out at the Nursery End, and Cook took over from the Pavilion End after Porter’s six-over burst of 1 for 9, it felt like the walls were closing in.Higgins and Hollman pushed back, going beyond frustrating Harmer and Cook to score freely, particularly Hollman, who relished the battle with the South African offspinner. A perfect reverse sweep for four followed by a cut for a couple took the 22-year-old to 27, bringing up a 50-stand from just 79 deliveries.By lunchtime, Snater and Ben Allison had taken over from Harmer and Cook respectively, and Middlesex’s second-highest stand of the match had grown to 67. Now 146 behind, thoughts returned of where the hosts might have been had their top order not capitulated twice in 24 hours across days two and three.The availability of a second new ball 11 overs into the afternoon session carried looming sense of dread from Middlesex’s perspective. It manifested earlier than anticipated when, in the 77th over, Snater finally got the better of Higgins for the sixth lbw of the innings.With the very next delivery, Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones was squared up, edging sharply to first slip where Alastair Cook took a brilliant catch. Snater had two-in-two but had to wait until the next over to deliver the hat-trick ball.He almost did not get the chance when No.11 Tim Murtagh plopped forward at the end of the first over of a new Harmer spell. Dan Lawrence missed a straightforward catch at silly point meaning Snater got his shot at three-in-three at Lord’s. Hollman kept it out, then guided the next delivery over the slips for his sixth boundary of what was soon to become a fifth first-class century.When the new ball was given to Snater, Hollman carved the first delivery through extra cover for four, then squirted out the fourth over cover to take Middlesex to 200. By that point, the final pair had already opted for the cavalier version of defiance, very much of the mind if they were going to go down, they would do so swinging. Murtagh tried to clear the Pavilion and ended up losing his off stump to the returning Porter.It’s worth noting Essex’s impressive squad got stronger on Saturday with New Zealand seamer Doug Bracewell touching down in the UK. He comes in as a 10-game replacement for Australian Will Sutherland, who was ruled out with a lower back stress fracture.Westley was unequivocal in his belief this is the strongest squad he has had at his disposal. Considering they finished fourth in 2022 and could have finished second had they beaten Lancashire in a Chelmsford crapshoot in the penultimate round, it is a stark warning to the rest.”It was a massive disappointment,” said Westley of the previous campaign. “That was my team talk to the guys in Northampton last year (after the last match of the season) and this is where we are as a club.”And really, if we win that Lancs game, we finish second. And that’s still a disappointment. We had times last year – at The Oval last year against Surrey – positions to go on and win the game. For whatever reason, we couldn’t repeat what we did in the past.”Fingers crossed, and it is one game, but if can play this brand and standard of cricket, I don’t see why we can’t go on right the way through.”

Defeat will leave Rohit Sharma’s team dependent on other results going their way to make the final

Hemant Brar05-Sep-20226:15

Pujara: India need to play Axar, and an extra seamer

Big picture

One bad result is all it takes to leave a team staring at possible elimination from the Asia Cup. Pakistan faced – and overcame – that challenge after losing to India in the group stages. And now it’s India who are in a precarious position after losing to Pakistan in the Super 4 round.Rohit Sharma’s team cannot afford to lose to Sri Lanka in Dubai on Tuesday. If they do so, the defending champions will have to rely on other results going their way to have a chance of making the final. And Sri Lanka will become favourites for a place in the summit clash.Sri Lanka didn’t start the tournament well. They were dismissed for 105 in the opening game and then watched Afghanistan run down the target with 59 balls to spare. Since then, however, Sri Lanka have had two morale-boosting wins, chasing down 184 in a must-win group game against Bangladesh, and 176 in their first Super 4 match against Afghanistan.Sri Lanka’s batters aren’t globe-trotting T20 superstars but a big target seems to liberate them. Against Afghanistan, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa smashed quick 30s to overpower Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 45-ball 84. They may follow the same plan in a chase against India as well.Though India lost off the penultimate ball against Pakistan, they had a couple of big positives in that game. After a first-ball duck and a 39-ball 36 in his first two innings, KL Rahul found fluency and played some gorgeous shots during his 20-ball 28. His straight whip for six off Naseem Shah was arguably the shot of the match. Virat Kohli also looked close to his best, making a “conscious effort” to score at a higher rate. While Kohli was at the crease, he scored 60 runs off 44 balls; batters at the other end scored 45 off 45.But as far as their campaign is concerned, it’s crunch time, and India must beat Sri Lanka to stay in control of their own fate at the Asia Cup. They will draw confidence from the fact that they whitewashed them at home in the three-match T20I series earlier this year.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WWLWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India LWWWWRelated

• Is Yuzvendra Chahal in need of a plan B?

• Sri Lanka continue to ace the big chase, somehow

• Kohli 'made a conscious effort to strike at a higher pace'

In the spotlight

Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan stifled India on Sunday, and Sri Lanka will hope their spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana can do the same. Both Hasaranga and Theekshana have impressive numbers in the UAE, and also have experience of bowling to the Indian batters at the IPL. On the flip side, India too will be aware of the tricks they have. All in all, it could be a contest that decides the game.2:00

Uthappa, Pujara on what’s gone wrong for Chahal at the Asia Cup

After going wicketless in India’s first two games of the Asia Cup, Yuzvendra Chahal had figures of 1 for 43 from his four overs in the Super 4 game against Pakistan. That performance was on a pitch where the other three spinners in the match had combined figures of 4 for 82 from 12 overs (economy 6.83). In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, India needed Chahal to up his game.

Pitch and conditions

The last three games in Dubai featured five innings with scores in excess of 180. However, it all depends on which pitch Tuesday’s match will be played on, and its location on the square will decide if there’s a shorter boundary for batters to exploit. Evening temperatures will be around 35°C and the night will not be much cooler, which reduces the chances of dew playing a role in the chase.

Team news

Expect Sri Lanka, searching for a hat-trick of wins, to stick with the same XI.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.With Avesh Khan available, India could return to their original combination of three specialist fast bowlers, one specialist spinner, and two allrounders. That could mean Ravi Bishnoi, despite doing well against Pakistan, making way for Axar Patel.With Axar being a left-hand batter, and Hasaranga the only spinner with a stock ball that turns away from right-handers, India could also replace Rishabh Pant with their designated finisher Dinesh Karthik.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Stats and trivia

• Apart from the two games involving Hong Kong, the other six matches have been won by the chasing team in this Asia Cup.
• Kohli now has the most 50-plus scores in T20 internationals. His innings of 60 against Pakistan on Sunday took him past Rohit’s tally of 31.
• Suryakumar Yadav (183.33) and Kusal Mendis (163.33) have the best strike rates for India and Sri Lanka at the 2022 Asia Cup.

Quotes

“When it comes to Asian cricket, everyone talks about India-Pakistan games. But I don’t mind the [lack of] big talk [around our team]. I would prefer to focus on the way we are playing.”
“When you are under pressure, anyone can make a mistake. It was a big match. The situation was also tight… but when the environment is good, you learn from those situations. And you look forward to the next opportunity. I give the credit to the captain and the team management for creating such an environment where everyone feels that the next time such an opportunity comes, we want to seize it.”

Coach enthused by the growth of a “fantastic” bunch as team eyes 42nd Ranji Trophy title

Srinidhi Ramanujam18-Jun-2022Three-hundred-and-eighty-two days into his job, Amol Muzumdar can now heave a sigh of relief after coaching Mumbai to within touching distance of a record 42nd Ranji Trophy triumph. They will meet Madhya Pradesh in the final, which begins on June 22 in Bengaluru.Getting the team “back on track in red-ball cricket” was his priority since he took over the reins as the head coach from Ramesh Powar in June 2021, and the months of hard work have come to fruition.Muzumdar’s mantra for success was simple: follow the process that is working in the dressing room and show complete commitment till the end.Related

• Mumbai hunt for a 42nd Ranji title, Madhya Pradesh their first

• Amol Muzumdar: Mumbai's players 'have bought into the future'

• Armaan Jaffer and Sarfaraz Khan: A tale of friendship and fire

• Stats: Mumbai's margin breaks 92-year-old record

• 'These guys are good enough' – Muzumdar revels in impact of next gen

“This is a different generation you are dealing with here,” Muzumdar says of Mumbai’s legacy and handling the current bunch of players. “I personally feel it is another game [the final]…””We haven’t looked at the quarter-finals or the semi-finals or the finals. There are systems that are working in the dressing room, and we would like to follow that till the last ball is bowled in the Ranji Trophy season. That was our commitment at the start of the season.”The process that he is talking about also emphasises on an individual’s progress – that is giving him “immense pleasure” – rather than the team’s result. Despite just managing to sneak into the knockouts, players have stepped up for Mumbai.Suved Parkar scored a double-century on debut; Sarfaraz Khan hit 153; Shams Mulani picked up a five-for, hit a fifty against Uttarakhand and then scored back-to-back half-centuries against Uttar Pradesh; Yashasvi Jaiswal has cracked three consecutive hundreds; Hardik Tamore rose to the occasion in the absence of the experienced Aditya Tare; Armaan Jaffer played the long innings; and the bowlers collectively chipped in at important stages to turn the tide.Shams Mulani leads the bowling charts with 37 wickets this season•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

So when everyone knew what they were doing, the outcome was visible.That apart, one of the things that Muzumdar and the team were also particular about was managing the workload of the bowlers and ensuring they didn’t feel burnt out.Decided even before the start of the season was a five-bowler strategy without looking back at it. The result? Left-arm Mulani now leads the bowling charts with 37 wickets, the pace duo of Dhawal Kulkarni and Mohit Avasthi has accounted for 26 strikes, and offspinner Tanush Kotian has 18 wickets to him.And more importantly for Mumbai, all of them have played all five matches.”The bowling unit has been fantastic, they’ve been putting in the effort throughout – 365 days,” Muzumdar said. “Trainers and physios have done a fantastic job. Dhawal has led the pack nicely. He has been the sort of a guy who mentors and takes them under the wings and gives them the freedom to do that.”Shams Mulani’s… terrific performance this season. He didn’t pick up a wicket this match [semi-final], but he has been wonderful this season so far. There are some tweaks that have happened during the season and that’s paying off.”Muzumdar feels that the “bold” gen next has the “sense of the Bombay legacy” growing up in the of Mumbai, and that every player values the coveted Mumbai cap.For instance, this is what Muzumdar said to Jaiswal before the knockouts: “If you like batting, you show me. There is no point talking in the dressing room. If you are between those 22 yards, you can display that you like batting”.And Jaiswal proved it by adding three centuries on the trot. Interestingly, in the semi-final, he swallowed 54 deliveries to get off the mark to eventually to get out on 181. Mind you, Jaiswal was playing first-class cricket immediately after being with Rajasthan Royals, tuning up for T20 cricket, until just days before the Ranji quarter-finals.”The only difference [in this generation’s approach] is how you take it and how you bring it to the dressing room; how you keep that dressing room light,” Muzumdar added. “It should not be heavy. That’s been the goal.”This generation has been fantastic. I keep telling them if you keep working on your game, the world is your oyster. There’s no looking back. Look at the opportunity. It’s been wonderful working with them, [and] just shaping them. Seeing them grow gives me immense pleasure.”Keeping the group motivated was a “different challenge this season” as Ranji was played in two phases, but Muzumdar said that the team bonding sessions with the National Security Guards (NSG) in October last year and an in-season fitness program during the month of April and May for the Ranji players who were not part of the IPL also helped.All said and done, the final is only four days away, but Muzumdar is not fretting over their opponents Madhya Pradesh or their coach Chandrakant Pandit, who had led Mumbai to two Ranji titles, as well as Vidarbha twice recently. Pandit was also the team’s coach back in 2016-17 when Mumbai had last reached the Ranji final.”There are a lot of things that happen in a season – a lot of ups and downs, out-of-form players and so many things to deal with,” Muzumdar said. “We would like to follow our process and focus on what we’ve done in our dressing room”.

Australia will likely be without Mitchell Starc in the second game after he suffered a badly cut finger in the first match

Andrew McGlashan08-Jun-2022Some advice from David Warner may have helped his short-of-runs opening partner Aaron Finch start the Sri Lanka tour with a half-century.Finch entered the tour with his form again under scrutiny after four low scores in five innings at the IPL and unconvincing returns for Australia for much of the last 12 months. Former team-mate Shane Watson had even gone as far as to say that Finch’s form could be a “liability” for Australia heading into their T20 World Cup title defence later this year.Related

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For a split second on Tuesday night, it looked as though the Finch form talk would bubble on, when he was given out lbw third ball against Maheesh Theekshana. However, the DRS showed a thin edge and either side of a rain delay Finch clubbed his way to 61 off 40 balls with four sixes.During the IPL, which had brought contrasting returns for the opening pair, Warner had spotted an issue that was playing a part in Finch’s problem and sent some advice over text. “[I just said] not to walk out into the ball, let the ball do the work in the air,” Warner said. “If they want to bowl nice and full, if you stay still, keep that leg-stump line, you are going to hit full contact with the ball.”He was probably moving a little too much, was walking straight into the ball and was still moving at the time of the delivery. You don’t really want to do that unless you are charging. Just kept in touch with him, I always do, we support each other as much as we can. If we see little things we try to help out by dropping a message.”Finch’s innings actually made it back-to-back half-centuries for him in T20Is after he finished the Pakistan tour in April with a fifty. The unbeaten stand of 134 with Warner was also their fourth century partnership in T20Is, taking them to the top of the list for Australia ahead of the three made by Warner and Watson.”For Finchy, it’s about keeping it simple and not moving too much around the crease,” Warner said. “He looked to hit down the ground [when] the ball was in his area, he looked to hit his slog sweeps which he’s very, very good at. You could see his energy was a lot different, running between wickets, he was up and about. It was great to see.”The pair also made a statement against Sri Lanka’s key bowler, Wanindu Hasaranga, by taking his opening over for 19 runs, although Warner said it was not premeditated and instead a response to Hasaranga giving the ball plenty of air.Australia will look to wrap up the T20I series in the space of 24 hours with the second of back-to-back games in Colombo on Wednesday, but they will likely have to do it without Mitchell Starc, who suffered a badly cut finger in rather bizarre fashion.In his opening over, the index finger of his left hand clipped a spike on his boot during his follow through. It was patched up by the physio and he was able to complete his four overs, taking 3 for 26 including the wicket of Pathum Nissanka, which started Sri Lanka’s nosedive of 9 for 28. But he won’t be able to start a new match with the same about of protection on the injury. Jhye Richardson will be the likely replacement if Australia retain the same balance in their attack.

James Hildreth’s guard of honour is only highlight for Taunton gathering

ECB Reporters Network19-Aug-2022Ali Orr smashed the first ever List A double century by a Sussex player as the Sharks maintained their impressive Royal London Cup form with a 201-run demolition of Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The 21-year-old left-hander hit a brutal 206, off 161 balls, with 11 sixes and 18 fours, to help his side post 397 for five after losing the loss. Cheteshwar Pujara contributed 66 and Delray Rawlings 54 not out off just 23 deliveries.Orr eclipsed the previous highest individual innings by a Sharks player, the 174 made by Pujara against Surrey at Hove just five days earlier, and earned a share of fifth place among the top scorers ever in List A cricket.”It was a very special day for me and one I certainly didn’t expect when I woke up this morning,” Orr said. “I took a blow in the face from a Kasey Aldridge delivery early on, but I felt fine. The physio came on and asked me a few questions, including where we were. I told him ‘lovely sunny Taunton’, so we had a smile and all was well.”In reply, shellshocked Somerset were bowled out for 196 in 38.2 overs as they fell to a seventh defeat in as many group matches and their heaviest ever in List A cricket by a margin of runs. Only Andrew Umeed, with 56, offered much resistance. Their captain, Matt Renshaw, said the lack of senior players because of Hundred absences was “demoralising for all of us”.Apart from a three-over opening burst from Jack Brooks, Somerset’s seamers lacked any semblance of control on a true pitch and Orr was in just the mood to capitalise.Related

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His first fifty occupied 45 balls, the second 61, the third 24 and the fourth 29 as he mercilessly punished anything off line, launching the vast majority of his sixes over mid-wicket and long-on with impressive bat speed.It was murderous display that required just one moment of luck. On 66, he edged Alfie Ogbourne through to wicketkeeper James Rew, who took a diving catch, only to see that a no-ball had been signalled.Other than that, Orr, whose previous best List A score in only 11 games was 108, produced a display of clean hitting rarely matched at ground renowned for fast scoring.From 61 for two, Danial Ibrahim having edged Brooks to Matt Renshaw at slip and Tom Clark been run out in a mix-up with Orr over a quick single, Sussex assumed total dominance.Pujara characteristically picked up ones and twos in a stand of 140 for the third wicket. The Indian maestro also hit 5 fours and a six before being caught and bowled by Kasey Aldridge off a leading edge.Fynn Hudson-Prentice supported Orr with a solid 36 in a partnership of 98. When he was caught at long to give slow left-armer Josh Thomas a maiden List A wicket, Rawlings strode out to inflict more heavy punishment.James Hildreth takes accolades at Taunton after confirming he had played his last Somerset match before retirement•Getty Images

Three sixes and 6 fours helped him to a 22-ball half-century, while at the other end Orr continued to plunder runs. When the opener was finally caught at long-off in the final over of the innings, spectators all around the ground stood to applaud.It took just eight deliveries of the Somerset reply for the Sharks bowlers to show what was possible with line and length, Bradley Currie swinging a ball away from Rew and having him caught at second slip.Lewis Goldsworthy, who had been given only seven overs despite being the pick of Somerset’s bowlers, dragged a ball from Currie onto his stumps and skipper Matt Renshaw edged a catch behind off Aristides Karvelas to leave the hosts 26 for three.Having been forced by injuries and Hundred call-ups to sign Gloucestershire all-rounder George Scott on a two-match loan, Somerset were facing humiliation.So it proved, as George Bartlett was caught at mid-off advancing down the pitch to Henry Crocombe, who then had Thomas caught at cover off a total mishit.Umeed moved steadily to a maiden List A fifty off 47 balls. But he was caught at slip off the first over from slow left-armer James Coles and when Rawlins had Aldridge caught behind it was 114 for seven.Scott, Brooks and Ogborne, who smacked Rawlins for a straight six, produced some belligerent tail-end blows to boost the meagre total. But for Somerset it was another disastrous day in a calamitous 50-over campaign.

Assistant coach says the team dynamic wasn’t healthy while they were going through a six-match losing streak this IPL

Ankur Dhawan in Mumbai05-May-20194:45

We fell badly in middle phase of tournament – Katich

There was an indication throughout the IPL that all wasn’t well in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp. Contradictory statements from the players and team management regarding Andre Russell’s batting position furthered that suspicion, before the situation escalated to the point where the allrounder questioned some of the decision making, besides adding that the atmosphere around the team hadn’t been the healthiest.Simon Katich, the KKR assistant coach, reiterated that the dynamic within the group had started to change during the course of their six-match losing streak and that’s something that they’ll have to work on as a group going forward.”Can’t hide from the fact that there was tension,” he said at the press conference. “That was pretty evident from the last few games after we got on a bit of a roll with losses. We’ve got to address that as a group. What is so important in the IPL is the dynamic if the group and I guess the unity. That’s something that KKR is very very proud of. It’s a very successful franchise and it’s something that everyone involved has worked very very hard to contribute to over a long period of time. That’s something we have to certainly work at to get better at it because there’s no doubt that throughout this campaign, the dynamic within our group has certainly changed.”Despite that, KKR came into this game against Mumbai Indians with a very good chance of making the playoffs. All they had to do was win.But the combination of Lasith Malinga, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah were too difficult to handle. So much so that after being 49 for 0 at the end of the Powerplay, they finished 133 for 7.”It did go wrong, that’s for sure,” Katich said. “Today is obviously disappointing but it’s a tough ask coming to Mumbai, we don’t obviously have great record here [It was KKR’s sixth straight defeat at Wankhede]. Yes, it would have been great to win today and get through but to finish where we did is probably what we deserved given how our season went.”Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell have a chat•BCCI

Looking back at a season that began brightly with four wins in five matches, Katich rued the home defeats against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals the most, which he felt came back to hurt them in the end, given that one more win would have secured a playoff spot.”We had a very good start but it fell away badly through that middle phase of the tournament,” he said.”If you look back on our season, the two missed opportunities we had were in the matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. We hadn’t played well through the season but to lose those two games was always going to come back and hurt us in the end. When you look back in the end, that’s what probably catches up with you, when you don’t win at home, where that wicket suits our style of play, particularly our batsmen, given how flat it’s been.”Katich’s sentiments were echoed by the captain Dinesh Karthik, who conceded Knight Riders had a lot of work to do to get back to their best.”Through the whole tournament, we’ve been good a lot of times, bad at a lot of times, but this tournament is such that we had to play consistent cricket and we were not up to the mark,” he said at the post-match presentation. “It’s been decent. I don’t think it’s the best season that we’ve had. There’s definitely a lot of areas for us to improve and come back stronger next time.”