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The ICC has given a cautious nod of approval to the PCB’s efforts in toughening its approach to corruption in cricket and undertaking reforms to improve the administration of the game in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2010The ICC has given a cautious nod of approval to the PCB’s efforts in toughening its approach to corruption in cricket and undertaking reforms to improve the administration of the game in Pakistan. However, the ICC has warned against complacency and reiterated a series of measures to all member boards to make efforts at eliminating corruption in the aftermath of the spot-fixing controversy.”We are encouraged by the excellent progress reported and also the willingness of the Pakistan Cricket Board to embrace the ICC recommendations,” ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said after a meeting of the Pakistan task force, a group aimed at bringing international cricket back to Pakistan, on Saturday. “However, we can never be complacent nor distracted in our determination to tackle corruption.”The ICC, earlier this month, had warned the PCB over the continuing decline of governance in Pakistan cricket and had conveyed a clear message to get its act together by sorting out the game’s administration or facing the consequences, possibly in the form of sanctions. The PCB was given a 30-day deadline to conduct a thorough and far-reaching review of its “player integrity issues” and report back to the task force.In the interim, the PCB, as advised by the ICC, has introduced a revised code of conduct with a strong emphasis on anti-corruption which has been signed by all players ahead of the tour of the UAE later this month. The board has also set up an Integrity Committee, aimed at finding ways to move forward after the spot-fixing controversy, deal with the ICC’s recommendations and address issues of corruption and doping, each of which have plagued Pakistan cricket in the past. The committee comprises several senior officials of the board including chairman Ijaz Butt, chief operating officer Wasim Bari, team manager Intikhab Alam and director of international cricket Zakir Khan.The PCB has also been asked to implement education programmes for players, a “proper, accountable and robust disciplinary process for the sport” and a process to deter and detect corrupt elements within the game, “whether it be players, officials, agents or any other individual.”Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, who heads the Pakistan task force, emphasised the need for the PCB to reform itself. “The task team urged everyone to support the PCB to reform its cricket and governance models and the important role Ijaz Butt has to play in this regard,” Clarke said. “An independent board would help it to regain its glory and ensure long-term success.”Lorgat also reiterated the ICC’s recommendations to member boards for eliminating corruption in the game. They included the introduction of a domestic anti-corruption code that mirrors the ICC’s. He further urged members to review player contracts and introduce appropriate clauses to ensure players comply with anti-corruption rules and regulations.Among the initiatives discussed was a one-off declaration by all players as a commitment to preserving the integrity of the game. “We have issued a broad advisory to every ICC Member about the need to root out corruption from our great sport,” Lorgat said. “This advisory requests all international players and support personnel to sign a once-off declaration before participating in the next FTP match and/or ICC event.””Such declaration is intended to serve as an important reminder of the spirit in which the game is meant to be played, the importance of its integrity and their roles and responsibilities in this regard.”The Pakistan Task Force includes Clarke, Lorgat, Zimbabwe Cricket chief Peter Chingoka, ICC’s General Manager of Cricket Dave Richardson, Chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle and former captains Mike Brearley and Ramiz Raja.

Pakistan’s batting reverted to type as they subsided in a heap for 74 after tea on the third day at Lord’s

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan28-Aug-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSalman Butt was bowled first ball after tea to begin another Pakistan collapse•AFP

England had already shifted themselves into a winning position after a world-record eighth-wicket stand between Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad, but even in a summer of batting collapses the way they blew Pakistan away for 74 on the third day at Lord’s took the breath away. For the third time in four Tests the visitors couldn’t emerge from double figures as they subsided either side of tea, with Graeme Swann and Steven Finn sharing the last seven wickets for 28 runs, before they slumped to 41 for 4 in the follow on.Having been through the debilitating experience of watching England haul themselves from hopelessness to supremacy in record style there was always the danger that Pakistan would succumb to the pressure. But having shown much more backbone with the bat at The Oval it was hoped they could replicate the same yet were skittled in 33 overs and the second innings promises little better. It was a depressing performance from Pakistan because some of the shots were plain awful, the worst being Imran Farhat’s weak pull at the start of the second innings. A clear sign the fight had gone.Credit, though, must go to the hostility of England’s quicks and the continued guile of Swann as the four-man attack never took the pressure off Pakistan. In the follow on, Yasir Hameed was plumb lbw to Anderson as he played across the line then just to compound Pakistan’s woes their last chance of making the fourth day a contest vanished as the light closed in. Salman Butt, who was getting annoyed by the chirp from England’s close fielders, was lbw to Swann – an excellent decision from Tony Hill as the review proved it was pad just before bat – then, to what became the last ball of the day, Mohammad Yousuf top-edged a pull to deep square-leg. Pakistan’s two best batsmen had gone twice in a session.Rarely can a Test have included periods of such dominance by the ball either side of an epic batting performance. Take out one stand and the batsmen have been walking wickets; but that partnership was the small matter of 332. As Trott and Broad extended their stay during most of the morning the ball barely did anything for the Pakistan bowlers, but when a new one was placed in the hands of Broad and Anderson it quickly became a major threat.Broad, fresh from his mighty 169, dispatched Hameed in familiar manner as the opener hung his bat outside off and sent a comfortable edge to second slip. Anderson then exploited Farhat’s weakness against the moving ball when he drove loosely at an outswinger having watched the previous three deliveries zip past his outside edge.The best set-up, though, was still to come as England executed their plan to Yousuf to perfection when Broad slotted a full delivery past his bat. It was almost identical to how he fell in the second innings at The Oval and England have always felt it was a way to trap Yousuf early since Anderson did the same at Cape Town in the 2003 World Cup.Briefly, Butt rallied as he tucked into a loose opening spell from Finn but Swann gave an immediate warning of the danger he would pose as he ripped two deliveries past Butt’s edge in his opening over. With his first ball after tea Swann produced another unplayable offering which gripped and hit off stump. The batsman initially stood his ground thinking the wicketkeeper may have knocked off the bails, but his dismissal was swiftly confirmed.That brought Umar Akmal to the crease and he was immediately greeted by some words from Trott at silly point following their conversations during England’s innings and Umar proceeding to launch his third ball over midwicket. But Swann was finding huge turn, much more than Saeed Ajmal extracted, and soon had Azhar Ali taken at short leg as the batsman lunged forward.Meanwhile, Umar started complaining about problems picking up Finn’s line from the Nursery End as the bowler’s hand came from above the sightscreen. It clearly affected Umar’s mindset when he was told just to get on with it by the umpires and it wasn’t long before Finn, who improved with the change of ends, speared a yorker through his defences.Two balls later Mohammad Amir lost sight of the ball which thudded into his pads and although Tony Hill said not out Strauss correctly opted for a review and leg stump would have been hit flush. To Amir’s credit he left without complaint, but his spirit was far removed from the joyous character of yesterday. Finn claimed his third when Kamran Akmal got a thin edge and Swann completed Pakistan’s woeful effort with two more in six balls.The morning session had been another full of records as Trott and Broad continued their monumental effort. The new world record eighth-wicket stand was brought up in Wahab Riaz’s first over the day when Broad slotted a cover drive to the boundary to surpass the 313-run stand by Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq against Zimbabwe in 1996. Thoughts were turning towards an extraordinary double century from Broad, who had passed his father’s Test best of 162, when Pakistan finally struck as Broad was given out lbw on a review.Broad had been given a life on 132 when Kamran couldn’t gather an edge off Ajmal and the scoring rate soon increased as both batsmen began to find the boundary with regularity. Broad lost nothing in comparison with Trott and the cover-driving was a highlight of the display as he, too, went past 150 but missed out by five runs on knocking Ian Smith from the top spot for a No. 9.Trott’s timing and placement remained of the highest quality, particularly a couple of off-side strokes against Ajmal, and he was within sight of being the first man to score two double hundreds at Lord’s until becoming last-man out. It will go down as one of the finest centuries made on this famous ground; Pakistan’s entire line-up couldn’t even get halfway towards matching it.

The legspinner played an important role in Bangladesh’s 3-0 win over Afghanistan in the recent T20I series

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2025Rishad Hossain makes regular contributions for Bangladesh. The legspinner’s presence allows Bangladesh to have a varied bowling attack and gives them a fielder who can change the course of the game. Those skills have also raised his stock in franchise cricket. He played for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2025, after which Hobart Hurricanes drafted him for the upcoming BBL season.Rishad is likely to be available for the full BBL season and is looking forward to link up with Ricky Ponting, the franchise’s head of strategy.”As a legspinner, if I get to play in these foreign leagues, it will be good for me and for my bowling,” Rishad said in an interaction organised by Hurricanes. “I’ll get opportunities to improve my skills.Related

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• Bowlers, Saif hand Bangladesh 3-0 win in T20Is vs Afghanistan

• Saif primed for debut as Afghanistan and Bangladesh do rare ODI battle

“Ponting was one of my favourite players growing up; I used to watch him play. I’m really looking forward to working with him. More than the players, I’m looking forward to working with Ricky Ponting and playing under his coaching.”For Bangladesh, Rishad plays the role of a middle-overs wicket-taker, something he wants to do for the Hurricanes as well.”As a legspinner, my job is to take wickets after the powerplay. I hope to continue that in Hobart,” he said. “My goal is to create doubt in the batter’s mind by using different angles. It’s just another variation. I believe in my strengths, and day by day I’m trying to improve – even if it’s just by one or two percent – without thinking too much about the future.”Rishad also has recent form on his side. He has taken at least one wicket in seven of the last eight T20Is – including five wickets in the recent T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah that Bangladesh won 3-0. He will be an important part of Bangladesh’s ODI attack too for the three-match series that begins on Wednesday.”I think it was important to get off to a good start right after the Asia Cup,” Rishad said. “Winning the series is always a good feeling.”What was particularly impressive about the Bangladesh spin attack was how they outbowled the Afghanistan spinners. Bangladesh’s spinners had a much better average and strike rate, even though they took ten wickets compared to 11 by Afghanistan’s spinners. Rishad’s bowling partner Nasum Ahmed was even adjudged the Player of the Series for five wickets at an economy rate of 5.58.”They have a lot of world-class bowlers in their side, so we tried to analyse them as much as we could before every game,” Rishad said about the Afghanistan spinners. “We got success [too].”Bangladesh are also finding out other sides of Rishad. His big-hitting ability became known last year when he cracked seven sixes in his of 30-ball 53 against Sri Lanka. His fielding impact was illustrated by his stunning run-out of Abhishek Sharma in the Asia Cup.”That situation demanded that we take a wicket,” Rishad said. “I was trying to create an opportunity, maybe with a diving catch or a fielding effort – anything to change the momentum of the game since it was on their side at that time, and it happened.”

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.”

Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry missed the third ODI as stand-in captain Haynes and Healy set-up a 232-run victory

Daniel Brettig07-Oct-2020That Australia would conclude a domineering home series against New Zealand with their second highest ever ODI total on home shores, on the way to a record-setting 21st consecutive ODI victory, was startling enough. That they would achieve those feats with a 232-run win, without their captain Meg Lanning as well as their famed allrounder Ellyse Perry in the XI, was downright unnerving for the rest of the world.Lanning’s absence, due to a right hamstring strain sustained during her unbeaten century in the second of three ODIs on Monday, was the talk of Allan Border Field on Wednesday morning, giving New Zealand a chance to pressure a batting order shorn of its most vaunted name. Certainly it was enough to encourage Sophie Devine to send the hosts in upon winning the toss despite a slowing and ageing surface.But the response was that of a team far more enthused than overawed by such challenges. The acting captain Rachael Haynes and Alyssa Healy combined for a commanding opening stand worth 144 in a little more than half the available overs, before Haynes and the middle order accelerated fearfully to take the Australians to 325 – only a gargantuan 397 against Pakistan in the amateur days of 1997 surpassed it among matches at home.ALSO READ: How Australia made it 21 wins in a rowIn the midst of the punishment, including 104 from the final 10 overs as Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney and Lanning’s replacement Tahlia McGrath made merry, there was also room for development: an occasionally halting but equally promising stay at No. 3 from the 18-year-old allrounder Annabel Sutherland, as she added 78 in 87 balls with Haynes. Asked to chase a distant 326, the touring side were in trouble virtually from the start, as Devine was cramped into pulling Megan Schutt into the trap of two midwickets placed for her, departing the scene for a disconsolate first-ball duck. There onwards, the Australian bowlers did not relent, as Jess Jonassen and Georgia Wareham particularly enjoyed the expansive spin occasionally on offer.There had been far more optimism for New Zealand early on, as an overcast morning offered the chance for swing, and the knowledge that Healy and Haynes were to be followed by the callow Sutherland rather than the hamstrung Lanning.ALSO READ: Meg Lanning interview – On leading superstars, legacyBut they were unable to find a way through, allowing Healy and Haynes to punish any errors in line and length, and build with something approaching impunity as both passed 50 and Healy reached the outskirts of a century. Thirteen short of a century, she skied wristspinner Amelia Kerr, clearing the way for Sutherland’s entry.The next period saw New Zealand regain some control of the scoreboard as Sutherland struggled to rotate strike with her correct and upright technique, only for Haynes to intervene with some aggressive blows to get the run rate going again. With time, Sutherland began to join in, but was bowled behind her pads attempting to sweep Kerr just as the final 10 overs began.Haynes’ steadfast display merited a century, but was ended on 96 by a marginal lbw call when she, too, knelt to sweep Kerr. Mooney might also easily have followed lbw, saved only by a little doubt over whether the ball had pitched outside leg stump before looking likely to crash into middle. Kerr’s wristspin skills had again been very evident, but upon the conclusion of her spell, having seen Gardner wretchedly dropped by Natalie Dodd, the Australians freed their arms. Eight sixes for the innings were the joint-most for Australia in a women’s ODI.New Zealand’s pursuit was never more than a cursory one, save for Amy Satterthwaite’s 41. On a slow and spinning surface, against bowling options ideally suited to the conditions, they were completely overwhelmed. The evenness of Australia’s display was underlined by the fact that wickets were shared among every member of the attack, rounding off a massive victory without their two biggest names.Twenty-one ODI wins in a row equalled the record set by the Australian men’s team in the 2000s; seldom if ever were Ricky Ponting’s side quite as dominant as this.

The latest gossip from the county circuit as the 2019 season gathers pace

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2019Our correspondents bring you the latest gossip from the county circuit as the 2019 season gathers paceIt would have been perfectly understandable if Somerset members in the Long Room of Colin Atkinson pavilion had wanted to celebrate their county’s first victory of the season on Monday by buying a cider at the bar.But if current plans go ahead, those supporters who want to enjoy a home-made pasty with their pint may find their collars felt by a West Country gauleiter.Somerset’s chief executive Andrew Cornish announced at a forum on Saturday evening that an executive decision had been taken that members would no longer be allowed to consume their own food or wine in the Long Room.Not surprisingly, this diktat has not gone down well. It would seem that any profit made by the club’s catering outlets as a result of the move will not outweigh the ill-feeling caused among loyal members who have already paid top-whack subscriptions.The club say that the complaint originated from the members themselves, some of whom were unhappy at pack lunches being consumed in a “premium” area of the ground, and it will be put to a vote as to whether food from home can be consumed on the balcony. However, if the ban is enforced, it looks like another example of cricket loading both barrels and taking careful aim at its foot.The other, more ironic consequence, of course, is that the only pasties available in Somerset’s pavilion will have to receive Cornish approval.***Lancashire supporters arriving at Emirates Old Trafford for next Wednesday’s Royal London Cup tie against Worcestershire may notice a familiar voice on the public address.The long-serving Matt Proctor retired last September and has been succeeded by John Gwynne, who will be most familiar to younger sports fans as one of Sky’s football reporters or as a darts commentator.However, Gwynne has needed little persuasion to return to Old Trafford as often as possible in recent years. Since he stopped being a cricket correspondent for the BBC in the North West, he has become well-known as an MC or interviewer at benefit dinners and he now has the prospect of spending his summer at Manchester, Liverpool and Sedbergh.Only one question remains: will Gwynne be able to conceal his full-throated ecstasy if a batsman is dismissed for … one hundred and eighteeeeeee?***The County Championship might be under permanent threat but at least it has entered the 21st century in terms of WiFi availability.All 18 counties now offer WiFi on their grounds thanks to a tie-up with Sky. We tested it at Trent Bridge last week and it was surprisingly fast – perhaps because not everybody has cottoned on to its existence.Just what you need to ensure you can message your thoughts to our County Cricket Live blog without using up your data allowance too quickly.Tom Taylor was in the wickets early for Leicestershire•Getty Images

We couldn’t help a snigger or two at the incorrigible optimist Paul Nixon as he assessed Leicestershire’s chances on the eve of the season.Nine players out, four in suggested a tough season ahead for the Foxes but Nixon overflowed with praise for Leicestershire’s prospects and, in particular, their new signing from Derbyshire, the seam bowler Tom Taylor.”Could be in contention for an England Lions trip by the end of the season,” said Nixon, so impressed was he by Taylor’s winter improvement.It appears we laughed too soon. Taylor took career-best stats of 10 for 122, promotion hopefuls Sussex were beaten at Hove and Nixon’s optimism was vindicated.***Perhaps the most surprising sight at Lancashire’s Media Day was to see Matt Parkinson virtually fully recovered less than a fortnight after being struck an horrific blow on the jaw by Surrey’s Mark Stoneman during a T10 Festival at the ICC Academy in Dubai.Parkinson, a 22-year-old leg-spinner who has been tipped to get an England call-up, was taken straight to hospital in Dubai where scans revealed no broken bones and the deep lacerations in his jaw were repaired by a plastic surgeon.Merely to escape with nothing more than stitches from such a life-threatening incident seems faintly miraculous but Parkinson is clearly made of stern stuff. And the astonishment at his availability was not confined to the media. “That ball couldn’t have been hit any harder,” said head coach, Glen Chapple.***In addition to the new players and refreshed ambitions on parade at Trent Bridge, this most splendid of county grounds is showing off another elegant architectural addition in the shape of the two-tier upwards extension of the central section of the Radcliffe Road stand.The project, which began in 2017, is now finished, providing extra broadcasting suites and hospitality areas, plus a swish new restaurant, under a stylish curved roof.Nottinghamshire have hired a Michelin-starred chef, Nottingham-born Tom Sellars, to ensure that the new eatery, which has been named Six, meets the highest standards of contemporary fine dining. (Sadly, he won’t be supplying the press lunches, although that’s not to say the first-floor dining room doesn’t look after us very nicely).Diners who do plan to eat there will need patience and deep pockets. Already, more than 2,000 foodies interested in such offerings as gin-cured chalk stream trout with cucumber and oyster emulsion, Packington chicken with asparagus, morels and wild garlic, or native lobster with lobster bisque and lovage, have been added to a priority booking list for the 40-seat restaurant. Last Friday and Saturday’s sampling menus were fully booked at £150 per head.***The ECB network correspondents are grumbling because they were asked for a letter of assignation before being issued with their press accreditation for the new season … even though their employer is the ECB.

Though the appointment is currently being made on a series-by-series basis it seems likely that Anderson will keep the job at least until the conclusion of Stokes’ court case

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton13-Mar-2018Ben Stokes has been stripped of the England vice-captaincy for the Test series against New Zealand with James Anderson retaining the role he took on during the Ashes. Though the appointment is currently being made on a series-by-series basis it seems likely that Anderson will keep the job at least until the conclusion of Stokes’ court case.Stokes’ trial date, after his charge of affray to which he has pleaded not guilty following the incident in Bristol last September, has been set for August 6 and is expected to last between five and seven days, meaning the allrounder will miss the Lord’s Test against India. Having removed the vice-captaincy from him in the current situation it is very unlikely he will be considered again until the outcome of the legal case is known and also the Cricket Disciplinary Commission process that will follow.Anderson took over the role for the Ashes after Stokes was removed from the squad as he awaited charging following his arrest outside Mbargo nightclub in Bristol on September 25. Stokes returned to action in the one-day series against New Zealand, but having him one step away from captaining England with an ongoing legal case was a situation the ECB needed to avoid. With Stokes not being in Australia, and Jos Buttler the vice-captain to Eoin Morgan in the one-day side, this was the first time a decision needed to be made by Joe Root and coach Trevor Bayliss with Stokes present.Last week, Bayliss praised Anderson’s impact in the position during the Ashes where he was the stand-out England bowler and he is also understood to have made a good impression behind the scenes on what was a difficult tour. Given his seniority it was a logical choice for him to continue and he can now also expect to have the job against Pakistan and India in the summer.”I’m delighted Joe has asked me to do it again for this series,” Anderson told the . “It doesn’t change my role in the team a huge amount. I see myself as a senior player and I’m there for people if they need advice. Certainly if Joe needs help on the field, I’m there for him.”Anderson got a taste of being one step away from the captaincy on the final day of the Ashes when Root was taken ill and could not conduct the post-match interviews (England were only batting so Anderson was not needed to lead in the field) but he sees a collection of senior players as being important to offering advice.”It’s a big group effort when we go on the field, so it’s important that we get that right,” he said. “Again in the dressing-room, it’s trying to get people relaxed and ready to play Test cricket.”It’s not just my job; it’s Joe’s, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have plenty of experience, and the coaches as well who have been around the block. It’s our job to help out where we can and try to help this team progress.”This series against New Zealand will see England trying to correct a horrendous run away from home which has seen them lose nine of their last 12 Tests overseas. They avoided another Ashes whitewash due to a draw on a docile Melbourne pitch, but Anderson believes that England weren’t as poor as the 4-0 scoreline suggests.”I don’t think we were far away,” he said. “I know the scoreline says 4-0, and it looks like we got thrashed. But in each Test match I don’t think we were that far away.”We got ourselves into games at certain times, and it was a bad half-hour or an hour here and there that really cost us the games we lost. I think that’s the learning curve for us.”

Former Delhi captain says he will strive to restore the “glory days” after being named “government nominee”

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2017Delhi and India batsman Gautam Gambhir announced, through a tweet, that he has been added into the Delhi District Cricket Association’s managing committee by sports minister Rajyavardhan Rathore as a government nominee. Gambhir, who was Delhi’s captain until last season, said it was time to “adjust the corridors” of the DDCA to help restore the “glory days”. Gambhir has made a century and a fifty in four completed Ranji innings this season, and is currently in action against Karnataka in Alur.

A total of 140 proved more than enough as Shakera Selman took 2 for 7 in three overs, Anisa Mohammed finished with 2 for 14 in four and the even their most expensive bowler only conceded runs at 4.5 to the over

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2017
ScorecardHayley Matthews poses with the Player-of-the-Match trophy•WICB Media

A scarcely believable bowling performance from West Indies, keeping Sri Lanka to a mere 69 in 20 overs, gave them a 1-0 lead in the women’s T20I series that began in Antigua on Thursday. Medium-pacer Shakera Selman took 2 for 7, offspinner Anisa Mohammed finished with 2 for 14 and the even their most expensive bowler only conceded runs at 4.5 to the over. A total of 140 proved plenty more than enough.The eventual margin of victory – 71 runs – was West Indies’ third largest in T20Is with Sri Lanka matching their third-lowest total in T20Is. Only two batsmen got into double-figures – Ama Kanchana making 18 off 21 balls at No. 3 and wicketkeeper Rebeca Vandort with 10 off 23 balls at No. 7.The innings began to flag when Selman ripped out both openers in her first two overs. Chamari Atapattu, who was a sensation in the Women’s ODI World Cup, was caught behind for 1 off the fifth ball of the chase and her partner Yasoda Mendis was lbw for a duck. Mohammed took out the middle order and soon Sri Lanka were 33 for 5 in the 12th over with no way out. They managed to play out the full 20, making one run more than West Indies’ Hayley Matthews (37) and her captain Stafanie Taylor (31). Late acceleration from the recalled Britney Cooper (20 off 11 balls) to lift the total from 106 for 4 to 140 in the space of19 balls almost seemed unnecessary.

Bangladesh suffered an abysmal collapse of 9 for 49 in their first innings but then removed three England wickets before rain brought an early finished to the first day of the Dhaka Test

The Report by Alan Gardner28-Oct-2016
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThis was a day of Test cricket in two halves. During the first 41 overs, with Tamim Iqbal in imperious form, 171 runs were scored and just one wicket fell; from the 35.2 bowled thereafter, the corresponding returns were 99 and 12. By the time rain arrived to cut the evening session short, with England three-down in their reply to 220, it was unclear quite where the balance of power resided.Bangladesh’s innings had lurched from the serene to the tremulous. An astonishing collapse either side of the tea interval resulted in a nausea-inducing slide of 9 for 49, a seemingly dominant position reduced to rubble. Moeen Ali was the main catalyst and beneficiary for England, although Ben Stokes’ steadfast spell of 6-2-7-2 before tea deserved high praise, his mastery of reverse swing once again causing the sorts of problems that spin – initially at least – had failed to achieve.Momentum was certainly with England as they began their innings, having fought back from one of their worst bowling performances of recent memory, but once again a fragile top-order was exposed by spinners more confident in their craft. Ben Duckett fell in the second over, before Mehedi Hasan removed Alastair Cook – lbw via the latest review in a series stuffed with them – and Gary Ballance to leave England 42 for 3 and looking anxiously to Joe Root for the required innings of substance.Despite losing a wicket in the third over of the day, Tamim’s third Test hundred against England had given Bangladesh a solid foundation and left Cook frantically shuffling through his bowling options. Mominul Haque scored a crisp half-century as he and Tamim inflicted fresh psychological blows on an already beleaguered spin cohort during a stand of 170 – Bangladesh’s highest for the second wicket against England – which came at a rate comfortably above four an over.Tamim bestrode the morning and early afternoon during a regal innings full of judicious stroke-making that culminated in two full-blooded drives through the covers to go to three figures, though he did not add many more having unwisely chosen to pad up to Moeen’s arm ball. Mominul’s first significant contribution of the series was also an accomplished knock but he was then bowled for 66 playing back to a similar delivery. That over, the 46th of the innings, was the first maiden bowled by a spinner, a measure of how England had been unable to contain the pair.The twist, when it came, was a sharp one and all the more surprising after England’s subcontinental weak spot had been exposed again. Following on from Tamim and Monimul, the next-highest score was 13, as Stokes once more exerted his will on proceedings by providing both control and penetration, while Moeen located a groove to finish with 5 for 57 – only his second five-for in Tests.Stokes’ threat was also physical, as Mushfiqur Rahim could attest. With the ball reversing, Stokes had Mahmudullah taken at slip and he then roughed up Mushfiqur with a snorting bouncer that struck the Bangladesh captain on the back of the helmet as he turned away. He got up to carry on after treatment by the physio but was back in the changing room minutes later after a brilliant catch from Cook at leg slip, who clung on at the second attempt after Mushfiqur had inside-edged a glance off Moeen through his legs.Sabbir Rahman, so nearly the hero of Chittagong, fell meekly to Stokes with the tea interval approaching; Chris Woakes struck twice straight after, having Shuvagata Hom and Shakib Al Hasan caught behind; and England successfully turned to the DRS to have Mehedi lbw before Moeen rounded things up when Kamrul Islam Rabbi was taken at slip.Mushfiqur’s head must have been spinning twice over. He had had better luck at the start of his 50th Test, having won the toss and decided to bat first – just the sort of good fortune he must have hoped for after electing to go in with a fourth spinner on a cracked surface that was expected to turn.It could yet prove decisive, after Tamim rammed home the initial advantage. His eighth fifty-plus score against England in 11 innings came after Woakes had picked up a wicket in his second over and helped Bangladesh respond emphatically during a rousing stand with Mominul. Tamim motored to 60-ball fifty, having failed to score off his first 19 deliveries during a watchful opening, and also successfully utilised the review system – such a feature of the first Test – by overturning a caught-behind decision on 66, shortly before the lunch break.Cook struggled for control throughout the morning session, with only Stokes going at less than three runs an over. Zafar Ansari, into the side as one of two changes from England’s victory in Chittagong, suffered a chastening introduction to Test cricket as his first six overs were taxed to the tune of 36 runs. The debutant left-armer was not seen again.England had found success after being put into the field, throttling the scoring and removing Imrul Kayes, and after four overs the card had gone nowhere at 1 for 1. Mominul eased the pressure with a brace of boundaries off Woakes; Tamim, meanwhile, was content to bide his time against the new ball.Cook turned to Moeen in the seventh over but the sight of spin encouraged Tamim to kick into gear as he stepped out to drive his first boundary. Three fours off Woakes – leg-side flick, back-foot drive and a meaty pull – confirmed that he had hit his stride and another brace came in the next over, as Tamim welcomed Ansari by crunching him through the covers and down the ground. Ansari did succeed in drawing an edge with his second delivery, though it scuttled wide of slip for three, and his opening over cost 13 runs, England still no nearer to finding a spinner who could offer control.Mominul happily ceded the impetus to his partner, as Bangladesh reached the top of the hour in a much more comfortable position at 67 for 1, with England also wasting a review against Tamim when he padded up to a Moeen delivery that was shown to be bouncing over the stumps. Tamim’s fifty came up via a sweep off Ansari and it took a vigorous spell from Stokes to ensure Bangladesh’s progress would not be completely unfettered.It was Stokes who thought he had broken through, too, when Kumar Dharmasena raised his finger for a catch down the leg side. However, DRS quickly confirmed that the ball had flicked Tamim’s thigh pad rather than glove, the procession of successful reviews growing longer. Tamim then took a blow to the ribs from a Stokes short ball before Mominul stroked the 15th boundary of the morning sessions to ensure Bangladesh went in to lunch far the happier of the two sides. Then things got a lot more complicated.