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Karnataka’s 24-year-old left-handed batter Satheesh Shubha also earned a call-up for the Tests against England and Australia

Shashank Kishore01-Dec-2023Renuka Singh has made a comeback from a stress injury, while WPL breakout stars Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque have earned maiden T20I call-ups for the three-match series against England beginning December 6 in Mumbai.Renuka and Ishaque are also part of the Harmanpreet Kaur-led 15-member squad for two back-to-back Tests against England and Australia. There was also a maiden Test call-up for Karnataka’s 24-year-old left-handed opener Satheesh Shubha, who impressed with scores of 99 and 49 in the practice four-day fixture prior to selection.India will be playing a home Test for the first time since November 2014. Since then, they’ve featured in just two Tests (one each in England and Australia). The upcoming games will mark a change of guard in many ways, given it will be India’s first Test outing in over 20 years without retired stalwarts Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami. This will also be the first time that Harmanpreet will lead India in a Test.Related

• New Test dawn for India, but focus firmly on road to T20 World Cup

• Harmanpreet 'really excited' for Test homecoming

• Amol Muzumdar named India women head coach

Patil was one of the bright stars for Royal Challengers Bangalore during an otherwise dismal maiden WPL campaign for the team. Earlier this year, she also became the first Indian to play in the women’s CPL where she was the tournament’s top wicket-taker while representing Guyana Amazon Warriors. Patil is currently part of the India A squad for the three-match T20 series against England A.Meanwhile, Ishaque, the left-arm spinner, was a key figure for Mumbai Indians during their spectacular run to the inaugural WPL title in March. Ishaque was the tournament’s joint second-highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps, with her ability to bowl across phases earning plaudits. Ishaque’s inclusion in the T20I squad leaves no room for experienced left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, while Patil’s call-up has led to Devika Vaidya being dropped.In addition to Patil, Ishaque and Deepti Sharma, India also have a fourth spin option in the form of left-arm fingerspinner Mannat Kashyap, who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning squad earlier this year. Middle-order batter Kanika Ahuja, who like Patil impressed for RCB in the WPL, retains her place in the T20I squad.Saika Ishaque picked 15 wickets to help Mumbai Indians win the inaugural WPL title•BCCI

Yastika Bhatia was handed a comeback as one of two wicketkeeping options alongside Richa Ghosh. Bhatia was dropped from the Asian Games squad that returned with a gold medal from Hangzhou in October. Her inclusion meant there was no place for rookie wicketkeeper Uma Chetry.The selectors have also opted to overhaul the pace stocks for the Tests. With Goswami having retired and Shikha Pandey left out, Renuka will lead a four-member attack consisting of Titas Sadhu, Meghna Singh and allrounder Pooja Vastrakar. Also returning for the Tests is Sneh Rana, the offspinning allrounder.The upcoming home series marks the beginning of a long stretch of games for the Indian women’s team leading into next year’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. After the three T20Is and Test against England, India are slated to play Australia in a Test, followed by six white-ball matches.The upcoming series marks the first assignment as head coach for Amol Muzumdar, the former Mumbai captain, who takes over from Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who had helmed the team in an interim capacity.India Women’s squad for England T20Is: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh, Titas Sadhu, Pooja Vastrakar, Kanika Ahuja, Minnu ManiIndia Women’s squad for England and Australia Tests: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Shubha Satheesh, Harleen Deol, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh, Titas Sadhu, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar

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.”

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.

“That call I’ll take once the IPL is over or in-between [the tournament].” says India’s No. 3 in Test cricket

Shashank Kishore20-Feb-2021Cheteshwar Pujara isn’t ruling out the possibility of a short county stint this summer, as preparation for India’s tour of England in August, while also insisting he’s keen to prove himself in the shortest format after finding an IPL team in Chennai Super Kings after a gap of seven years. Pujara was picked up at his base price (INR 50 lakhs) at the IPL auction on Thursday, which means he’ll once again play under his first India captain, MS Dhoni.”First of all, I’m really glad to be part of the IPL. It’s good to be back again and I’d like to thank CSK for picking me,” he said after India’s training session in Ahmedabad on Saturday. “At the same time, with regards to county cricket we still have enough time before we play the England Test series. Once the IPL will be over, there is a window where I can play a few county games. That call I’ll take once the IPL is over or in-between [the tournament].”There will be enough time to play some county games. We also have a couple of practice games [against India A] before the Test series. But yes, it’s good to be back in the IPL. I haven’t spoken to them [CSK management] yet but I always want to play the shorter formats. But for now, my focus once this series is over will be on the IPL and after that, I’ll think about county cricket and the big series against England in August. Hopefully, we will play the World Test Championship final as well. I want to focus now on the next two Tests, both of them are important for us to qualify.”In a way, a return to Ahmedabad is a little like life coming full circle for Pujara. The last time he played here was way back in November 2012, when he was just setting out to make a mark at No. 3 in the post-Dravid era. On a turner, India utilised the toss to their advantage by setting up an imposing first-innings total, with Pujara making 206 not out against an England attack of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Samit Patel.The surroundings and the surface, though, are starkly different this time around. The stadium has now been redeveloped to accommodate 110,000 spectators – although only half of those can be in attendance for the third Test – and the surface they’ll encounter here could be much different to the one from 2012, because they’ll be playing a day-night Test with the pink ball. The pandemic has meant Ahmedabad has only hosted a handful of T20 games – the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockouts – before this big match. Pujara was posed a question on the uncertainty of the challenges of playing on an untested surface, but it’s not something he’s too worried about.”We have three-four days [for the Test] and a lot could change,” Pujara said. “It looks a decent pitch but it’s difficult to predict anything, considering we’re playing with a pink ball. With the red ball, it’d be a different ball game, but with the pink ball, it’s difficult to assess. You expect something, but it could turn out to be something else. I want to just try and keep things simple and not worry too much about the pitch.”‘As a batsman, what is in my control – my practice, preparation, process – it’s been wonderful. I’m confident of getting a big score very soon’ – Cheteshwar Pujara•BCCI

The one thing India do expect is dew, which could potentially mean they’ll play three seamers, even though Pujara steered away from any talks over team combination. “Yes, there maybe dew,” he said. “Looking at the weather, there’s a possibility of dew in the final session. The guys have played a lot of cricket with the white ball here, and the bowlers are used to it. As batters, we’ve played with the pink ball. It could [affect] in the third session, although how much we don’t know yet. We will have a better idea [over the coming days] but we are expecting dew.”Pujara was also reminded about India’s previous pink-ball Test – the infamous 36 all out in Adelaide two months ago. He swatted it away with a chuckle, insisting there’s going to be no baggage from that game, and instead chose to draw positives from how well India batted in the first innings of that Test, where they even claimed a slender lead over Australia.”I’ve played so many Tests but with the pink ball, even I don’t have enough experience,” he said. “I don’t think it matters a lot when you play one-off pink-ball Tests, we will get used to it as we keep playing more. We’ll have to just play normal cricket, have similar game plans like we had in the previous Test match, depending on the pitch. We’ll just stick to that. In Adelaide, the ball was swinging around and we had one bad session of poor batting that led to that disaster, but overall if you look at the first innings, we were in a dominating position.”‘Chennai pitch not dangerous at all’Pujara was asked for his verdict on the Chepauk surface for the second Test, in which England folded cheaply in both innings. India’s spinners ran amok, picking up 17 of the 20 wickets to fall, with none of the visiting batsmen going beyond the 43 Moeen Ali made in the dying moments of the match which India won by 317 runs on the fourth day.”Sometimes, if you’re playing on a turner, you find it difficult, but it wasn’t a dangerous pitch at all,” he said. “When the ball spins, people find it difficult to score runs. When we go overseas, we also play on seaming tracks where games finish in three or four days. We still have to play on pitches with grass and seam movement. When it comes to turning tracks, you can’t define how much it should turn. There’s a thin line, but I don’t think it was a bad pitch. Yes, it always becomes difficult in the second innings, but even when we play in Australia on fourth or fifth-day tracks, balls can hit the cracks and take off. As a team, I don’t think we had an issue, am sure England once they’re used to it and play more matches, they’ll also figure out a way.”It’s not often Pujara goes through an entire press conference without questions about his batting. And while he’s made key contributions right through the summer, the one thing he’s looking to tick off is getting to three-figures, something he last did in Tests in Sydney in January 2019.”I started well, got off to starts but got out unfortunately [in the second Test],” he said. Pujara was out to a pull shot that deflected off short leg to the midwicket fielder in the first innings. In the second, he was run out after his bat got stuck in the turf while trying to get back into the crease.”The way I am batting, although the three-figures haven’t come, I am hoping it wont’ be too far away. As a batsman, what is in my control – my practice, preparation, process – it’s been wonderful. I’m confident of getting a big score very soon.”

The allrounder was also named ODI player of the year, while Alyssa Healy took home the T20I award for 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2019Ellyse Perry, the premier allrounder in women’s cricket, has won two of the three top annual ICC awards for 2019: the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for women’s cricketer of the year and the ODI Cricketer of the Year award. Alyssa Healy, meanwhile, has taken home the Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award for the second year in a row. In a sweep by Australian cricketers, Meg Lanning was named captain of the ODI and T20I teams of the year, which included five and four players from the country respectively.It has been an outstanding year for 29-year-old Perry across formats. She has hit three centuries – one in the Ashes Test and two in ODIs – and averaged 73.50 in 12 50-over games and 150.00 in nine T20Is. With the ball, there have been 21 wickets in ODIs, including a national record 7 for 22 (the fourth-best overall), and six in T20Is. During the course of the year, she also became the first player – man or woman – to complete the milestone of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in T20I cricket.ALSO READ: Perry the ‘greatest female player we’re ever going to see’ – Charlotte EdwardsFor Perry, it was the second Heyhoe-Flint award in three years, after she won in in 2017, the inaugural year. She is ranked No. 4 and No. 3 among batters and bowlers in ODIs respectively, and is just outside the top ten in the corresponding charts for T20Is.”It’s an amazing honour and I’m a little bit shocked, given how many amazing performances there have been across the year,” Perry said in an ICC statement. “It’s amazing to be acknowledged and I do truly appreciate it. It’s a really nice way to finish the year on a personal note.”It’s been nice to have a chance to tour so consistently with the Australian team. It’s been an amazing year, I’ve really enjoyed all of it and it’s just been nice to be a part of it. It’s so exciting that the T20 World Cup is here at home early next year and with the target of the final at the MCG it could be a really special moment in the game’s history.”Healy, meanwhile, made the record books when she scored a world record 148 not-out in just 61 balls in October against Sri Lanka, the highest individual score in women’s T20Is. Her century came off 46 balls, the quickest by an Australian man or woman.Alyssa Healy has been named T20I Cricketer of the Year for the second year running•Getty Images

“I’m really pumped to be awarded the T20I Cricketer of the Year,” Healy said. “The Australian women’s team had a fantastic 12-month period and we played some really consistent T20 cricket. Whilst the individual award is really nice for me personally, I think it was great to see our team play so well throughout that 12-month period, especially leading into a home World Cup in 2020.”Perry and Healy featured in both the ODI and T20I teams of the year, too. In the ODI team, the trio – Lanning, the third – was joined by compatriots Jess Jonassen and Megan Schutt, who also figured in the T20I line-up.Australia are the top-ranked side in ODIs and T20Is, and have a chance to retain the women’s T20 World Cup at home next year. “A home T20 World Cup is an opportunity that doesn’t come along often, but we are looking forward to and embracing the challenge of performing well in front of our home crowd,” Lanning said.Thailand will be making their debut at a global event, men’s or women’s, at that World Cup, and in a boost for them, Chanida Sutthiruang, their star medium pacer, was named the Women’s Emerging Player of the Year.India was the next best represented country in the teams of the year, with four players – Smriti Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami and Poonam Yadav – figuring in the ODI XI and three – Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav – named in the T20I team.ODI team of the year: Meg Lanning (capt), Alyssa Healy (wk), Smriti Mandhana, Tammy Beaumont, Stafanie Taylor, Ellyse Perry, Jess Jonassen, Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Megan Schutt, Poonam YadavT20I team of the year: Meg Lanning (capt), Alyssa Healy (wk), Danielle Wyatt, Smriti Mandhana, Lizelle Lee, Ellyse Perry, Deepti Sharma, Nida Dar, Megan Schutt, Shabnim Ismail, Radha Yadav

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.

Spin-bowling allrounder Anna Peterson, who was the Player of the Match in the third ODI, has been named as replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-20190:49

‘It’s easier to transition to the T20s after playing the longer format’ – Satterthwaite

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Bernadine Bezuidenhout has been ruled out of the T20 series against India, owing to a fractured middle finger of her right hand. Spin-bowling allrounder Anna Peterson, who was the Player of the Match in the third and last ODI on February 1, has been named Bezuidenhout’s replacement, and will join the squad in Auckland on Thursday.Coming off an underwhelming run in the three-match ODI series where she scored 22 runs in two innings took two catches, Bezuidenhout was struck on the hand when batting at the Basin Reserve nets ahead of the T20I series opener on Wednesday. New Zealand head coach Haidee Tiffen confirmed Bezuidenhout will return home to rest.”You never like to see players miss out due to injury and it’s no different in Bernie’s case but unfortunately it’s just part of the game,” Tiffen said. “We wish her a speedy recovery and know she will be doing everything in her power to get back on the park.”Peterson, meanwhile, finished as the hosts’ leading wicket-taker with five wickets in two innings in the ODI series, and the second across teams, behind India’s Poonam Yadav.Anna Peterson is congratulated after one of her three wickets•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

“Anna joins the side and brings with her experience as well as an option with both the bat and ball,” Tiffen said of the 28-year-old Peterson. “She will slot right in having already been with the squad for the ODI campaign.”New Zealand lost the three-match ODI series 1-2 but their captain Amy Satterthwaite was excited to see what the new faces can do during the T20I series that starts on February 6.Meanwhile, New Zealand Test opener Jeet Raval has been named captain of the New Zealand XI side for a one-off 50-over tour match against Bangladesh, in Lincoln on Sunday. Rachin Ravindra, the Under-19 batting allrounder, has also been included in the squad.”We’ve identified Rachin as a player of interest for a significant period of time now,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “He did a very good job for the NZ A team in both the UAE and at home against India A and we believe another day of international cricket would be very advantageous for him.”New Zealand White Ferns: Amy Satterthwaite (capt), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Caitlin Gurrey, Katey Martin (wk), Frances McKay, Leigh Kasperek, Hannah Rowe, Amelia Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, Hayley Jensen, Anna PetersonNew Zealand XI to face Bangladesh: Jeet Raval (capt), Andrew Fletcher, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Dale Phillips, Katene Clarke, Sean Solia, Max Chu (wk), Theo van Woerkom, Iain McPeake, Andrew Hazeldine, Jamie Brown

Australia’s team performance manager Pat Howard will play a reduced role in talks over the next payment deal between the players and Cricket Australia

Daniel Brettig23-Aug-2016Australia’s team performance manager Pat Howard will play a reduced role in talks over the next payment deal between the players and Cricket Australia, with fellow senior executive Kevin Roberts set to work as the Board’s chief negotiator.The decision to sideline Howard arrived ahead of the formal start to the MOU negotiating period, on October 1, in which CA are expected to pressure the Australian Cricketers Association for a change to the fixed revenue percentage model that has endured since the ACA was formed in 1997. Australian players are entitled to a share of between 24.5% and 27% of annual cricket revenue depending on performance.Howard was a leading figure in a pair of fractious pay negotiations over the past four years, debating the last MOU signed with the men in 2012 and then finding himself in several stoushes with the ACA over an agreement for women’s pay earlier this year.Roberts, who has been an industrious figure at CA since becoming the first person in history to resign as a Board director to join management, has been deemed better placed to deal with the ACA both as a personality – he played first-class cricket where Howard did not – and also because he is based in Melbourne where most talks will be held.”Kevin will take a lead role and that’s fine,” Howard told ESPNcricinfo. “He heads up strategy and human resources and it makes sense to do industrial relations. I will be across it, I’m involved the whole way along. But you’ve got CA located in Melbourne, the ACA’s located in Melbourne, I’m on the road a fair bit, so it makes perfect sense.”I’m across the whole thing; I was the only one left who was sitting at the last negotiation so I have a reasonable amount of IP [intellectual property] in this, and I see what works on the road. So Kevin will take that role. It actually makes sense when you remove the personalities. I was there last time because it worked for the organisation.”There had been some scepticism among the players about Howard’s dual roles as the senior executive chiefly accountable for the national team’s performanc,e while at the same time bringing his forceful personality to bear in collective bargaining between the players and the Board.”It was really challenging, but a role I’d done before,” Howard said. “In many roles, your manager has to decide where your remuneration is but also be really positive about where you’re going to grow. I’m very much a link between the playing group and CA, between the strategy and the team.”I’m well aware I want to win as much as anyone and make sure the team has got the resources to win – how do we give ourselves the best chance of winning? I want to give the team the best chance of winning, and you try to do that for the best bang for your buck.”Since the 2012 deal, the ACA has lost its chief executive Paul Marsh to the equivalent role at the head of the AFL players association, and this year has also seen the departure of the head of operations Graham Manou to a talent pathway role at CA. The Board chairman David Peever was outspoken in favour of bypassing unions in negotiations with employees during his former role as managing director of the mining company Rio Tinto, and the chief executive James Sutherland gave little away when asked whether the fixed revenue model would be challenged in coming talks.”I don’t know whether it will be up for debate or not, but certainly from our perspective we’ll take a position of having discussions behind closed doors,” Sutherland said. “I certainly don’t intend to go into detail as to what our position might be on the MOU at this time.”

Ruvindu Gunasekera’s third half-century in five games was the difference in a low-scoring contest as Canada notched a 23-run win over USA to wrap the ICC Americas Division One T20 title

Peter Della Penna in Indianapolis10-May-2015
ScorecardCanada did not drop a game on their way to the title•Peter Della Penna

Ruvindu Gunasekera’s third half-century in five games was the difference in a low-scoring contest as Canada notched a 23-run win over USA to wrap up a 6-0 record and the tournament title at the ICC Americas Division One T20 at Indianapolis World Sports Park.USA elected to field first in overcast and damp conditions following a flash storm that swept across the ground at the conclusion of Suriname’s win over Bermuda and caused a five-minute delayed start. Captain Rizwan Cheema was run out for 9 in the second over pushing for a tight third run through covers. Adil Bhatti hustled from mid-off to track the ball down before the rope and his relay to Hammad Shahid at the non-striker’s end was in time.A 40-minute delay ensued after the fourth over with the score 22 for 1 because a brief thunderstorm passed over the ground but the quick drying outfield at the IWSP allowed play to restart quickly without any overs being deducted. Upon resumption, Gunasekera and Nitish Kumar forged ahead with a 60-run stand as Canada reached the halfway stage at 67 for 1 looking to post a score in excess of 140.Muhammad Ghous struck in the 11th to break the stand, dragging back his length with a quicker offbreak to beat Kumar in flight. Steven Taylor completing the stumping. Canada reached 91 for 2 at the 15-over mark and Gunasekera brought up his 50 off 45 balls with a single to start the 16th before Canada’s innings turned south.Legspinner Timil Patel reined Canada back in the final five overs and dismissed Jimmy Hansra courtesy of Bhatti fighting off swirling winds over midwicket to take a catch. Timil got Gunasekera for 54, slicing a short ball to Danial Ahmed at short third man to make it 97 for 4. Timil took one more in the final over, Saad Bin Zafar lifting to Ghous backpedaling from midwicket, to finish with 3 for 20 as Canada ended on 127 for 6.USA’s chase got off to a helter-skelter start as Taylor took on legspinner Junaid Siddiqui in the first over and sent a catch to Satsimranjit Dhindsa, who spilled the chest-high chance at long-on over the rope for six. Taylor then crushed the following two balls over midwicket and down the ground to make it three sixes in a row but his aggression backfired by the end of the over when he tried repeating a flick to midwicket but sent a leading edge to Hansra at cover to fall for 18.Fahad Babar played out a maiden to fast bowler Cecil Pervez in the second over before smacking him over midwicket for six and clipping him wide of mid-on for a boundary in the fourth to take USA to 34 for 1. USA’s bats went silent from then on as 12 straight overs of spin shackled the middle order.USA crawled to 57 for 2 at the halfway stage and were 76 for 5 after 15. By then, Babar had been stumped for 33 after failing to get to the pitch of a Dutta delivery and Canada looked assured of winning. USA went more than eleven overs without a four or six before Barrington Bartley clocked Nikhil Dutta over cow corner for a maximum in the 16th but was bowled one over later by Pervez for 12.Bhatti ramped Pervez over fine leg for a boundary to end the 17th at 93 for 6, leaving USA with 35 to get off the final three overs. However, he was out two balls later slogging Dutta to midwicket and USA didn’t hit another boundary the rest of the way, eventually finishing on 104 for 8. Dutta finished with 2 for 16 and Hansra 2 for 15 for Canada.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ performance was a dominating one for the conditions they played in as defending champions

The Report by Siddhartha Talya03-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sunil Narine was the star for Kolkata Knight Riders, but Gautam Gambhir played a significant role in the chase•BCCI

In 2008, Brendon McCullum had set the inaugural edition of the IPL alight with a whirlwind century that stands out for its audacity after more than 300 games in the tournament over five years. Not many will remember the exploits of his team in the opening game of IPL 2013 five years from now, but Kolkata Knight Riders’ performance was a dominating one for the conditions they played in as defending champions. On a slow Eden Gardens track that didn’t always cater to power-play, Sunil Narine and Rajat Bhatia restricted the Delhi Daredevils batsmen and captain Gautam Gambhir anchored the bulk of the chase.Mahela Jayawardene, the Daredevils captain, got what he wanted at the toss when Gambhir elected to bowl, but Knight Riders snatched the initiative as early as the first ball. Unmukt Chand, a rising star in Indian cricket and fresh from back-to-back tons in India’s domestic T20 tournament, was beaten by a lovely outswinger from Brett Lee that knocked out off stump. The sight was a delight to a capacity crowd and there were more such instances of batsmen proving clueless against a bowler in a format that’s usually one-way traffic, the other way around.Narine had played a pivotal role in Knight Riders’ victorious season in 2012, and his variations were just as confounding for the batsmen. David Warner was baffled by a sharp offspinner that he edged to slip, West Indies team-mate Andre Russell was caught napping against a , and Irfan Pathan holed out playing a flighted delivery to the hands of long-off.Jayawardene, however, looked in control, adapting expertly to the approach the pitch demanded, restraining himself from playing expansive shots to rely on touch-play, all the while remaining fluent at one end. Lee was upper-cut over slips, Bhatia and L Balaji were steered through the off side before Lee returned for a final spell to be pulled for six, though, again, with more politeness than venom. Jayawardene helped stretch the score to 128 with a late surge, but Bhatia and Balaji, who bowled eight overs together, conceded 43 and picked up two wickets, had played an excellent containing role with their medium-pace and unsettling cutters before that.A sense of urgency was more evident in Gambhir’s start to the chase, as he stepped out to smack Irfan for a four and a six in the third over, the latter clearing long-on. He then targeted Umesh Yadav for two consecutive fours, while Jacques Kallis at the other end was finding the boundary with lesser effort, timing the ball gloriously, a punch down the ground off Ashish Nehra standing out. The pair added 47 in less than six overs, a mix-up that resulted in a run-out chance that was missed by David Warner being the only serious scare.Gambhir ensured a steady run-flow after losing Kallis; the singles came easily with Manoj Tiwary, there were boundaries pierced by late-cuts through gaps on the off side, and enough lapses in the field by Daredevils to keep Knight Riders well ahead of the asking rate.Gambhir and Tiwary fell in quick succession, but Knight Riders were in control of the chase when they needed 29 off 30 with six wickets in hand. Eoin Morgan and Yusuf Pathan saw to it that the task was completed without any fuss, some quick running and a straight six off Russell relieving any pressure in a low-key beginning to a long IPL season.