Full BBL overseas player draft list – 332 names confirmed

England has provided by far the biggest group with Afghanistan, Pakistan and West Indies also well represented

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2022The final list of players for the BBL draft on August 28 has been confirmed with 332 names in total. The 12 platinum names were announced on Monday and, overall, there are 28 players eligible for retention by their team of last year.Adelaide Strikers Rashid Khan, Ian Cockbain, George Garton, Daniel Worrall
Brisbane Heat Tom Abell, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Fakhar Zaman
Hobart Hurricanes Jordan Cox, Sandeep Lamichhane, Tom Lammonby
Melbourne Renegades Unmukt Chand, Zahir Khan, Reece Topley
Melbourne Stars Andre Russell, Qais Ahmed, Joe Clarke, Ahmad Daniyal, Syed Faridoun
Perth Scorchers Lauire Evans, Tymal Mills, Colin Munro
Sydney Sixers Chris Jordan, Shadab Khan, Tom Curran, James Vince
Sydney Thunder Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Mohammad HasnainAnd here is the full list: (bold = Platinum)Afghanistan
Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rehman Akbar, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Usman Ghani, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hamid Hassan, Hamza Hotak, Waqarullah Ishaq, Rashid Khan, Zahir Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Gulbadin Naib, Izharulhaq Naveed, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Waqar Salamkheil, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Shahzad, Naveen Ul Haq Murid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ghamai Zadra, Hazratullah ZazaiBangladesh
Al-amin Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Ripon MondolBermuda
Kamau LeverockCanada
Kairav SharmaEngland
Colin Ackermann, Rehan Ahmed, Toby Albert, Kashif Ali, Tom Alsop, Martin Andersson, Gus Atkinson, Josh Baker, Sonny Baker, Jake Ball, Chris Benjamin, Jacob Bethell, Sam Billings, James Bracey, Henry Brookes, Pat Brown, Brydon Carse, Matthew Carter, Jordan Clark, Joe Clarke, Josh Cobb, Ian Cockbain, Jordan Cox, Mason Crane, Zak Crawley, Matt Critchley, Steven Croft, Alex Davies, Liam Dawson, Joe Denly, Brett D’Oliveira, Leus du Plooy, Stephen Eskinazi, Laurie Evans, Matt Fisher, James Fuller, George Garton, Ben Gibbon, Richard Gleeson, Lewis Gregory, Sam Hain, Alex Hales, Miles Hammond, Tom Hartley, Jack Haynes, Freddie Heldreich, Tom Helm, Ryan Higgins, Max Holden, Adam Hose, Benny Howell, Louis Kimber, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Chris Jordan, Danny Lamb, Tom Lammonby, Jack Leaning, Jake Lintott, Liam Livingstone, Conor McKerr, Lewis McManus, Ben Mike, Tymal Mills, Daniel Mousley, Steven Mullaney, Matthew Quinn, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Callum Parkinson, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Michael Pepper, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Adam Rossington, George Scrimshaw, John Simpson, Prem Sisodiya, Will Smeed, Nathan Sowter, Mitchell Stanley, Cameron Steel, Olly Stone, Callum Taylor, Jack Taylor, Tommy Taylor, Reece Topley, Liam Trevaskis, James Vince, Paul Walter, Joe Weatherley, Ross Whiteley, Chris Wood, Luke Wood, Saif Zaib, Tom Abell, Tom Banton, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Luc Benkenstein, Alex Blake, Sol Budinger, Tom Curran, Joey Evison, Luke Fletcher, Ben Geddes, Nick Gubbins, Haseeb Hameed, Tom Lawes, David Lloyd, Adam Lyth, Wayne Madsen, Tom Moores, Daniel Moriarty, Samit Patel, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Darren Stevens, David Willey, Daniel Worrall, Rob YatesIreland
Mark Adair, Andy Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Paul Stirling, Harry TectorNamibia
David WieseNepal
Subash Khakurel, Sandeep LamichhaneNetherlands
Shariz Ahmad, Bas de Leede, Brandon Glover, Fred Klaassen, Maxwell O’Dowd, Vikramajit Singh, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Tobias VisseNew Zealand
Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mitch McClenaghan, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, James NeeshamOman
Bilal KhanPakistan
Tayyab Abbas, Abbas Afrifi, Asif Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sohail Akhtar, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Adil Amin, Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Umaid Asif, Amad Butt, Shahnawaz Dahani, Salman Fayyaz, Zafar Gohar, Kamran Ghulam, Sameen Gul, Mohammad Hafeez, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Haris, Dilbar Hussain, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Ilyas, Ali Imran, Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Irfan Jr, Salman Irshad, Akif Javed, Usman Khalid, Azam Khan, Imran Khan, Junaid Khan, Maaz Khan, Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Sohail Khan, Zaman Khan, Ahmad Daniyal Latif, Syed Faridoun Mahmood, Sohaib Maqsood, Shan Masood, Usama Mir, Salman Mirza, Mehran Mumtaz, Saad Naseem, Usman Qadir, Momin Qamar, Rumman Raees, Mamoon Ur Riaz, Wahab Riaz, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Majid Shah, Khushdil Shah, Yasir Shah, Saud Shakeel, Usman Shinwari, Haris Sohail, Hussain Talat, Imam-ul-Haq, Khalid Usman, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Yamin, Amir, Mohammad Zahid, Fakhar Zaman, Zeeshan Zameer, Mohammad ZeeshanPNG
Norman VanuaScotland
Michael Jones, Michael Leask, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Hamza Tahir, Craig Wallace, Mark WattSouth Africa
Shane Dadswell, Marchant de Lange, Faf du Plessis, Pieter Malan, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Imran TahirSri Lanka
Dinesh Chandimal, Dushan Hemantha, Nisala Gamage, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ruwantha Kellapotha, Ramesh Mendis, Lakshan SandakanUAE
Vriitya Aravind, Rahul Bhatia, Aryan Lakra, Alishan SharafuUSA
Harmeet Singh Baddhan, Unmukt Chand, Karima Gore, Andries Gous, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jaskaran Malhotra, Saurabh Netravalkar, Monank Patel, Smit PatelWest Indies
Joshua Bishop, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Rivaldo Clarke, Sheldon Cottrell, Amrit Dass, Mark Deyal, Dominic Drakes, Fidel Edwards, Matthew Forde, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Chemar Holder, Akeal Hosein, Joshua James, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Keemo Paul, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Jeavor Royal, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh, Tion Webster, Kesrick Williams, Nyeem YoungZimbabwe
Ryan Burl, Eddie Byrom, Elton Chigumbura, Christopher Mpofu, Tawanda Muyeye, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava

Shastri: Bumrah and Jadeja's absence 'an opportunity to unearth a new champion' at T20 World Cup

Former India coach believes the side has enough depth to win the tournament should they start well

Deivarayan Muthu06-Oct-2022Ravi Shastri believes that despite the injury-enforced absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, India have enough depth to win the T20 World Cup in Australia should they start the tournament well.Axar Patel has slotted into India’s T20I XI as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja while Mohammed Shami has emerged as a frontrunner to take up Bumrah’s spot in Australia. Batting allrounder Deepak Hooda, who was sidelined from the recent T20I series at home against South Africa, is believed to have recovered from a back niggle.Related

  • Shami, Siraj and Thakur to link up with India's T20 World Cup squad in Australia

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  • Pieces shuffle into place in India's batting jigsaw

  • How do India replace the irreplaceable Jasprit Bumrah?

“[It’s] unfortunate,” Shastri said of Bumrah’s injury at the launch of , his new initiative with B Arun and R Sridhar, at Lalaji Omega International School in Chennai. “There’s so much cricket being played, and people get injured. He is injured, but it’s an opportunity for somebody else. There is nothing you can do with injury.”I think we have got enough strength and we have a good team. I have always believed if you make it to the semi-finals, it could be anyone’s tournament. The endeavour would be to start well, get to the semis, and then you have got enough strength to probably win the [World] Cup, for all you know. Bumrah not being there, Jadeja not being there – it hampers the side – but it’s an opportunity to unearth a new champion.”Former India bowling coach Arun, who is now with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL as their bowling coach, was also upbeat about India’s chances at the T20 World Cup in Australia.”The expectation is that India has to keep winning,” Arun said. “If they lose, people tend to criticise them. They are showing a lot of promise, especially in World Cup events, and Australian conditions will suit them.”After India won the T20I series against South Africa 2-1, India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid hinted at Shami stepping in as Bumrah’s replacement, given his experience in Australian conditions. Shami has played just a solitary T20I in Australia but has been impressive in Tests and ODIs across multiple tours in the country. He has taken 31 wickets in eight Tests to go with 22 wickets in 14 ODIs. Seventeen of those ODI wickets came in the 2015 50-over World Cup, where he was India’s second-highest wicket-taker and joint fourth-highest overall.”Precisely, his experience [in Australian conditions is his strength],” Shastri said of Shami. “India have been there a lot in the last six years and he has been an integral part of all those tours. So that experience [of having done well in Australia] counts.”India Women one step away from winning something big – Shastri

Shastri was also enthused about the launch of the women’s IPL next year and said that India Women are just one step away from winning a world tournament and creating an impact similar to what the India men’s side did after winning the 1983 World Cup.”Fabulous [on the launch of the women’s IPL],” he said. “They are only that [little] far away from winning something big. You see what happened with the men’s cricket team when they won the World Cup in ’83. So, if the women win a World Cup, the interest that will be generated will be unbelievable. The more and more I see of the Indian women play, they are far more self-confident with the exposure they’ve got, and they have far more self-belief that they can actually go the distance.”

Sarfaraz ton drives Rest of India after Mukesh and Co fold Saurashtra for 98

Coming in at 18 for 3, Sarfaraz added 187 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Vihari

PTI01-Oct-2022Rest of India 205 for 3 (Sarfaraz 125*, Vihari 62*, Unadkat 2-47) lead Saurashtra 98 (Jadeja 28, Mukesh 4-23, Malik 3-25, Sen 3-41) by 107 runsMedium-pacer Mukesh Kumar rattled Saurashtra with some high-quality swing bowling before Sarfaraz Khan continued his dream run with an attractive hundred to put Rest of India in the driver’s seat on the opening day of the Irani Cup match in Rajkot.At stumps, Sarfaraz’s unbeaten 125 off 126 balls took Rest of India to 205 for 3 after Mukesh’s swing, and scorching pace from young guns Kuldeep Sen (3 for 41) and Umran Malik (3 for 25) demolished the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy champions for a meagre 98 in 24.5 overs.In the presence of the chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma and his colleague Sunil Joshi, Sarfaraz gave an exhibition of his wide array of strokes that included 19 boundaries and two sixes.Coming in at 18 for 3, Sarfaraz played one of his most counter-punching knocks to take the stuffing out of Saurashtra attack while adding 187 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Hanuma Vihari (62 off 145).The hallmark of Sarfaraz’s innings was how he picked the length early, and that enabled him to play late. He played some attractive shots square of the wicket but the manner in which he toyed with Jaydev Unadkat was worth watching.Unadkat bowled two bouncers at varied pace. Against the first one, Sarfaraz kept his shape to come under the delivery and pulled it uppishly for a six. The next bouncer from the same spot; this time he rolled his wrists over to keep the pull shot down for a boundary.It was a late cut off left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja that brought Sarfaraz’s century. Later in one over of Jadeja, he slog-swept him for three boundaries, forcing Unadkat to open his field to stop boundaries.However, in the morning, the pitch was spicier than expected. On a track that offered good bounce and some early moisture, aiding a bit of nip in the air, Mukesh decimated Saurashtra with his first spell as he made the batters play almost every delivery.Most of his deliveries swung in and either left the batter late after pitching or straightened, with the keeper and slip cordon catching everything that came their way. The best part about each dismissal was that it was more about the bowler hitting the fuller length while delivering very close to the stumps.Neither of the Saurashtra openers, Harvik Desai and Snell Patel, played away from their body, but Mukesh, who had a dream A series versus New Zealand, made them push at deliveries on off stump. However, the prized scalp of Cheteshwar Pujara (1) belonged to Sen, who bowled quick and straight to get a thick outside edge that flew to the slip fielder.But the man who terrorised batters bowling 145-plus clicks regularly was Umran. The manner in which one batter after another was shuffling towards leg stump to avoid getting hurt was exhilarating.

Essex signal 'new beginning' as Azeem Akhtar is named club chair

Appointment follows resignation of predecessor for alleged use of racist language in 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2022Essex have appointed their first minority-ethnic chair, 12 months after a racism scandal led to the ousting of the former incumbent.Azeem Akhtar, a former chair of Active Essex who has also served as a board member at Sport England, was ratified by the club on Thursday, having been one of eight candidates elected to the board at this year’s AGM. He is currently lead customer chief technology officer at BT Global, while in 2016 he was named in the UK’s Top 100 Most Influential BAME Business Leaders.He takes over from John Stephenson, the chief executive who had been Essex’s interim chair since November 2021, after John Faragher was forced to resign following allegations that he had used racist language in a board meeting in 2017, a claim that he continues to deny.Essex were fined £50,000 by the Cricket Discipline Commission in the wake of that incident, but last summer the club were also found to have fallenb”significantly short” of the diversity targets set by the ECB, which stipulated that county boards needed to feature 30% female representation and “locally representative ethnicity” by the end of April 2022.In the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s whistleblowing testimony about his treatment at Yorkshire, Essex had also been implicated in separate racism allegations, with former players Maurice Chambers, Zoheb Sharif and Jahid Ahmed all stating that they were victims of abuse during their playing days.And while the findings of an independent report into those cases have yet to be made public, Akhtar’s appointment is a major step for Essex, which said in a statement that his tenure would “signal the beginning of a new era for the club”.”I am extremely proud to be elected as the chair of Essex County Cricket Club,” Akhtar said. “From someone who is born and raised in Essex and a lifelong supporter of the club, I understand the importance of this great club to members, supporters, commercial partners and the wider community.”I’m looking forward to working with the newly formed board and taking positive steps for the future of the club. Our ultimate aim is to make Essex the premier red- and white-ball cricketing county in England, whilst continuing to enhance and grow the game through our fantastic work in the community.”Stephenson added: “Azeem was the standout candidate from a very strong field of potential candidates for the position of chair.”Aside from his strong all-round skills set, since childhood he has been a regular visitor to the Cloud County Ground, being a lifelong Essex fan. He will bring vast experience and his passion for Essex cricket and I’m looking forward to working with him and the newly formed board.”

Freya Kemp diagnosed with stress fracture of back after returning from Caribbean tour

No timeframe on return but allrounder will miss T20 World Cup in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2022Freya Kemp, the 17-year-old allrounder, has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the back, after flying home early from England Women’s tour of the Caribbean.Kemp was given her international debut in the summer and soon made her mark against India by becoming the youngest England player, male or female, to make a T20I half-century. She went on to be named the Women’s Young Player of the Year by both the PCA and the Cricket Writers’ Club, and was recently handed her first England central contract.Although the ECB said in a statement that there is no specific timeframe for Kemp’s recovery, she has already been ruled out of the T20 World Cup, which gets underway in South Africa in February.”After receiving further exploratory scans in the UK, it has been confirmed that England Women and Southern Vipers all-rounder Freya Kemp has sustained a stress fracture in her back,” the ECB said.”Although the timescale of Kemp’s return is to be determined, she will not be available for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in February 2023.”She will now begin rehabilitation in partnership with the England Women and Southern Vipers medical teams.”Kemp was not involved in any of England’s three ODI wins over West Indies prior to her departure, after suffering with back pain from the outset of the trip.She joins her fellow teenager Alice Capsey in returning home early, after Capsey suffered a broken collarbone during a fielding accident in the opening ODI.

Onus on New Zealand's top five to deliver in dead rubber

They have failed in both matches so far, but conditions in high-scoring Indore could cheer them up

Vishal Dikshit23-Jan-20232:46

Jaffer: ‘New Zealand’s batting has let them down’

Big picture: Will New Zealand’s top five please stand up?

Six-eighty-six runs in the series opener and just 219 in the second game. Even if the total runs scored in the match reduced by nearly 70% from the first ODI to the second, the common and worrying theme for New Zealand was how their top five barely showed up. While chasing 350 in Hyderabad, their top five totalled 101 runs; batting first in Raipur they managed a mere 11 runs as New Zealand collapsed to 15 for 5.Michael Bracewell’s heroic 140 off 78 balls saved them the blushes the first time but there was nothing to hide their face behind in the second. Undoubtedly, New Zealand need a lift from their top five, which is without Kane Williamson, and what will lift their spirits is that Indore, the venue of the final game, serves runs – like its food – on a platter. In the last ODI here, in September 2017, Australia scored 293, with their top three scoring 229, including a century from Aaron Finch. And in the most recent T20I here last October, Rilee Rossouw blasted a match-winning 48-ball century when South Africa amassed 227. On both occasions, India found it hard to dismiss the opposition’s top five.Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell are the batters New Zealand will expect a lot from, and No. 5 Tom Latham is perhaps due for runs against a side he already averages (minimum five innings) and scores the most against. Finn Allen got a start in the first ODI but he was beaten comprehensively by Mohammed Shami’s swing in the second, and will be itching to get runs too.Related

  • Santner flexes his muscle as NZ strengthen spin stocks

  • India's awesome powerplay, and one of New Zealand's worst

  • Shami comes off the sidelines to put on a show

New Zealand’s issues don’t end there. The chances of it happening in Indore may not be much and they are already without Tim Southee and Trent Boult, but they will be desperate for quick and early wickets to avoid more punishment from Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma.India do not have anything to worry about with the series in the bag. With only one more ODI series between this one and the IPL, they would want to see some more of Suryakumar Yadav’s batting in this format, before KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer return from personal leave and injury respectively.A 3-0 win will take India to the top of the ODI rankings. If India win 3-0, England will have to beat South Africa by the same margin in the ODI series starting January 27 to displace India from the top.

Watch LIVE in the UK and USA

You can watch the third ODI between India and New Zealand LIVE on ESPN Player in the UK and on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi in the USA.

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
New Zealand LLWWL

In the spotlight: Suryakumar Yadav and Devon Conway

Suryakumar is on several former players’ and commentators’ wishlists for the World Cup later this year. But where does he fit in? Once everyone is available, Virat Kohli slots in at No. 3, Iyer at 4, and Hardik Pandya at 6, leaving only No. 5. Going on current form, that slot goes to Rahul along with the keeping gloves. But Suryakumar’s red-hot form in T20s and even the two Ranji Trophy games he played recently have earned him a few ODIs in the lead-up to the big event later this year, but time is also running out for him. He scored 31 off 26 in the first ODI and didn’t get to bat in the second, and who knows, he may not get another ODI after this series – they play three against Australia in March – before the IPL arrives. What can he do in this one game to impress the selectors and the team management?Mohammed Shami sent back Finn Allen with a beauty in Raipur•Associated Press

Conway was in prolific form in Pakistan before he crossed the border. He scored 91 and 122 in the Tests followed by a century and a half-century in the ODIs to average 51 and take the Player-of-the-Series award. So far on this tour he has faced just 16 balls in each of the two ODIs while falling to pace, but he would want to spend more time in the middle before the teams switch to T20Is. Apart from the experience of Latham, Conway is the name in the top order New Zealand could look to for both quick runs and stability.

Team news: Will India give Chahal a chance? Will NZ make changes?

Having won the series, India could try some other players on Tuesday. Yuzvendra Chahal, who played just one ODI against Sri Lanka, could come in for Kuldeep Yadav. But it remains to be seen if India will try out Rajat Patidar or Shahbaz Ahmed, who are hardly in the running for the World Cup, or continue to give game time to their first-choice players to give them more confidence before the big event at home. Umran Malik could come in for Mohammed Siraj or Mohammed Shami – taking Shardul Thakur’s place would deplete the batting – but that would mean opening the bowling with Hardik because Malik usually comes on as first change.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ishan Kishan (wk), 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 and 11: two out of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umran MalikIsh Sodhi missed the opener with an ankle injury and barely trained with the team on Monday in the nets. New Zealand do not need a third spinner on the small ground in Indore but could give a game to Doug Bracewell or Jacob Duffy. They could also change their top five a little by bringing in Mark Chapman, who scored a 74-ball century in his last ODI.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Henry Nicholls/Mark Chapman, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Doug Bracewell/Henry Shipley/Jacob Duffy, 10 Blair Tickner, 11 Lockie Ferguson

Pitch and conditions: Another run-fest in Indore?

What do you expect on a small ground with a quick outfield and possibly a flat pitch? You don’t have to answer. The decision to bowl first after winning the toss will also be likely given the chance of dew once the sun sets. The ground staff will employ anti-dew spray but that’s unlikely to change the toss decision.

Stats and trivia

  • Since the ODI rankings began in October 2002, there have only been five instances when the team that began a bilateral series as No. 1 was whitewashed in a series of three or more matches. A loss for New Zealand will make it the sixth such instance.
  • If New Zealand lose, it will be the third time India have whitewashed them in an ODI series. India won 5-0 in 2010 and 4-0 in 1998-99 (one match of the five-match series was a no-result).
  • Virat Kohli’s scoring has oscillated from one extreme to another in recent ODIs. His scores since December read: 11, 8, 166*, 4, 113, 113, 5 and 9.
  • Shardul Thakur needs three more wickets to reach 50 in ODIs.
  • It won’t happen on Tuesday but Rohit Sharma is closing in on the 10,000-run mark in ODIs. He needs 319 more.

Litton: Watching Mushfiqur's hundred was a great feeling

“When someone plays such a knock in the team, it looks good. When a senior plays such a knock, it is even better”

Mohammad Isam20-Mar-2023Mushfiqur Rahim’s 60-ball century against Ireland was a shining example of the aggressive intent Bangladesh have been trying to adopt, especially through the middle and late overs of ODI cricket. At the end of the match, which got washed out, Litton Das, who scored 70 off 71 himself, said they have been trying to get this balance right for a while now and added that he has noticed things clicking into place ever since the T20Is against England earlier this month.Mushfiqur made the fastest ODI century by a Bangladesh batter. It was also the first one by a Bangladesh batter coming in after the 33rd over. Litton said that for the second match running, Mushfiqur left a lasting impact in their batting effort. He made a 26-ball 44 in the first ODI, which was influential in the home side reaching 338 for 8 in 50 overs. In this game he made his hundred off 60 balls, as Bangladesh reached 349 for 6 in 50 overs.”Watching his innings was a great feeling,” Litton said. “I have never seen a Bangladeshi batter score a hundred towards the end. When someone plays such a knock in the team, it looks good. When a senior plays such a knock, it is even better. His first ODI knock was amazing too. He made 40-plus but it created a big margin to get a 300-plus total. His innings today really made it a different ball-game.”Litton said that the 108 runs scored by Bangladesh in the last ten overs, their third-highest tally in this phase of an ODI innings, showcased their growth as a team.”I think these runs are important in ODIs. Big teams often get hundred or close to hundred runs in the last ten overs. It was a challenge for us. We have been talking about how we can get 100 runs in the last ten overs of a T20I too, so it is a good sign that we have started to do it.”Everyone is batting with intent in the middle overs [10-40]. It is a good intent. They are not just targeting big sixes but the focus is on ones, twos and fours,” he said.Litton added that Bangladesh’s cautious start when the ball was nipping around also played a role in them getting a big score.”It was quite difficult to bat in the early overs. After a long time we felt like we were batting in overseas conditions. The ball was moving. It was quite challenging. It is summer, but it felt like winter. It was due to the rain.”We were totally successful in fulfilling our batting targets in the last two matches. We didn’t give any wickets in the first ten overs today, they were bowling very well. We did lose a wicket at the end of the tenth over, but it could have been a different ball game had we lost too many wickets early.”I think our 40-42 [in the first powerplay] isn’t a lot of runs but it was quite effective in the end. [Najmul Hossain] Shanto and I also helped put the foundation for the big score, we got to around 140 in the 25th over. Wickets in hand always makes scoring runs more comfortable in the latter overs,” he said.Litton said that there’s no regret among any of his team-mates when they get out close to a century, but the batters understand that these days, they should be aiming for more.”The top four batters want to finish the innings, which these days can even mean a double-hundred. Century shouldn’t be a target. If Shanto and I had batted till the 45th over, we could have got 150-180. We were batting quite well. I had a soft dismissal, Shanto was unlucky. But Mushfiq played a spectacular knock, way better than our efforts,” he said.

Why has the BCCI allowed teams to use DRS for wides and no-balls in the WPL?

The move is aimed at reducing the chance of umpiring error impacting crucial phases of the game

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-20232:15

Should players be allowed to review wides and height no-balls?

Remember the high full toss Virat Kohli faced in the 2022 T20 World Cup match against Pakistan that was called a no-ball by the umpire? Or the high full toss that Rovman Powell hit for six in Delhi Capitals’ tense chase against Rajasthan Royals that wasn’t called a no-ball and led to Rishabh Pant losing his temper? Or the wide from fast bowler Prasidh Krishna that his Royals captain Sanju Samson reviewed for caught behind because he felt it should have been a legal delivery?Each of those incidents from the recent past led to debate on whether the delivery was legitimate or not, and the aggrieved team did not have recourse to review the on-field umpire’s decision. That’s why the BCCI, starting with the ongoing WPL and the 2023 IPL, has decided to allow teams to refer wides and no-balls for height to the TV umpire using the DRS, the first such usage in T20 leagues. The teams will still be allowed only two unsuccessful reviews per innings.So what prompted the BCCI to widen the scope of the DRS? ESPNcricinfo has learned that the board wanted to give teams the chance to rectify an umpiring error that could prove costly in closely-contested tournaments like the IPL. With considerable pressure from players and experts to bring wides and no-balls for height under the scope of DRS, the BCCI consulted its match officials after last year’s IPL.In ODIs and T20Is, a team that concedes a no-ball also has to bowl a free-hit the next delivery, off which a batter cannot be dismissed in any manner apart from a run-out. The BCCI’s experts agreed that it was prudent to reduce the chance of a match result being impacted by an umpiring error.The BCCI, however, did not want to give teams more reviews per innings, as some experts like Daniel Vettori had suggested last IPL, to review the on-field umpire’s decisions on wides and high no-balls. The board does not want to nullify the human element in umpiring and is also mindful of the time the extra reviews will add to the length of the game.The modified DRS is already in use during the WPL as a trial phase before the IPL that starts on March 31. The BCCI is aware that the onus is on the TV umpire to make the right call, and the board is ready to allow match officials, most of whom are Indian, leeway and understands that errors will happen.While there have been a few instances of players reviewing for wides and no-balls already, the most debatable incident happened during UP Warriorz’ chase against Gujarat Giants. With 6 needed off 3 balls, Annabel Sutherland pitched one wide outside off stump, just over the guide line, and Grace Harris used the DRS to successfully overturn the umpire’s decision that it was not a wide. The decision was debatable because Harris had moved towards the off side in her crease while trying to make contact with the ball, but the TV umpire over-ruled the original decision that it was a legal delivery.

Archer misses Mumbai vs CSK clash in the IPL as precaution

Mumbai coach Boucher says England seamer has “picked up a little niggle”

Nagraj Gollapudi and Matt Roller08-Apr-20232:45

Tait worried for Archer after more elbow trouble

Jofra Archer was absent from Mumbai Indians’ line-up for their seven-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday evening. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Archer experienced discomfort in his right elbow immediately after his first game of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 2.Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai captain, when asked by Ravi Shastri at the toss about injuries replied, “one injury.” He then quickly corrected himself to say, “not an injury actually, more of a precaution” before confirming that Archer was sitting out.It is understood that Archer has not bowled since that match although he did turn up for one of Mumbai’s training sessions this week. He travelled to the Wankhede with the rest of the squad but warmed up away from his team-mates, undergoing short running and throwing drills.”He’s picked up a little niggle,” Mark Boucher, Mumbai’s head coach, said after the match. “We’ve got a fantastic medical team that are looking after him. He’s obviously a massive player for us, so hopefully they can pass him fit sometime soon.”We will always look after the player, so if he’s not ready to put his hand up to play then we’ll look after him as well, but we’re following medical advice from our team at the moment. Hopefully he’s up for selection pretty soon.”Related

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Mumbai bought Archer for INR 8 crore (£800,000 approx) last year, even though they knew he wouldn’t be able to play IPL 2022. Saturday’s game was his debut for the franchise, having previously represented Rajasthan Royals. He went wicketless, giving away 33 runs in his four-overs spell as Royal Challengers cruised to victory.Having broken onto the scene as a generational talent, Archer suffered a major injury setback in 2021 when he began to have trouble with the same right elbow that is causing concern now. The England fast bowler had to undergo two operations for it, and missed nearly two years of international cricket after suffering a lower-back stress fracture during his rehabilitation.He had only just returned to cricket in January this year, playing for another Mumbai franchise – MI Cape Town – in the SA20. In total, Archer has played 10 T20s and four ODIs since his comeback. The 28 year-old has been careful about doing too much too soon and is already seeing the possibility of playing anything more than one Ashes Test – the five-match series begins on June 16 – as a bonus.

Super Kings without Stokes and Moeen

Ben Stokes, Archer’s England captain, was also ruled out of Saturday night’s fixture. Stokes said earlier this week that he had bowled “pain-free” during Super Kings’ victory over Lucknow Super Giants on Monday night, but reports emerged on Friday night that he had a sore heel after training. Stokes has been clear that he wants to be fit and ready for the new English summer, which begins with a Test against Ireland on June 1 and leads into the Ashes.Archer, Stokes travelled to the Wankede on Saturday night but took minimal part in the team’s warm-ups. The franchise clarified on Sunday afternoon that Stokes was “nursing a minor toe injury” which he had sustained in training.A third England player, Moeen Ali, was also ruled out of the game due to illness. Moeen played in both of Super Kings’ first two matches of the 2023 season and addressed a press conference on Friday evening, but Dhoni said he was “not well” at the toss.Deepak Chahar was added to this list when the game began, the fast bowler only able to complete one over before leaving the field with his left hamstring causing problems. He’s already had a difficult time with injuries to his back and quadricep in 2022.

Durham hold nerve for one-wicket win to increase Yorkshire pain

Yorkshire’s winless run continues as Ben Raine ensures Division Two leaders get over line

David Hopps14-May-2023Durham 227 (Robinson 44, Hill 4-43, Thompson 3-55) and 246 for 9 (Jones 56, Raine 50*, Fisher 4-64, Thompson 3-55) beat Yorkshire 254 (Masood 44, Potts 4-49) and 218 (Hill 51, Raine 4-36, Potts 4-61) by one wicketYorkshire’s hurt goes on. Cricket revolutions might be caused by principles and beliefs, but they are fuelled by results. Those victories refuse to come for Yorkshire’s new dawn and Durham’s nerve-jangling one-wicket victory at Chester-le-Street will cause further resentment throughout the Broad Acres at the on-field failures of a county on the verge of bankruptcy.This was a wonderful game, perpetually fluctuating, and often of Division One quality, even if the final memory for Yorkshire will be of pace bowling deficiencies that refuse to disappear.Their hopes were cruelly raised after Durham had reached the second new ball with only two runs needed, and George Hill’s second delivery had Matthew Potts lbw on the back pad.With nine down, Brydon Carse, who is awaiting scan results on a back injury, came out with a runner. Hill rapped him on the hand first ball, the next two were stoutly left. Carse then squeezed the last ball of the over to deep third for the winning runs, leaving Hill, who had a fine all-round match, to drop to his haunches in despair. Dawid Malan offered a consoling pat.Yorkshire’s winless Championship run now extends to 17 after Durham strengthened their position at the top of Division Two with a victory that owed everything to a ninth-wicket stand of 71 between Ben Raine, who finished unbeaten on 50, and Potts that was ridiculous in its ease.Durham’s promotion challenge looks set to last, although Carse’s injury is a concern and Potts could conceivably get an Ashes call. There is a definite sense of well-being in the north-east under the supervision of the new head coach Ryan Campbell. When the England captain, Ben Stokes, comes from your own dressing room, his urging for positive, pressure-free cricket, is amplified.Raine said: “Every game has been fun to be part of, even games when we’ve lost and drawn.” Yorkshire did not look as if they were having fun. They looked as if they were feeling the pressure. It’s hard to have fun when old men are arguing wherever you look.Both in the previous evening, as Yorkshire unsuccessfully took the extra half-hour, and on the final morning, as Durham added the final 33 runs, there was no swing or seam to be had and the treacherous low bounce that Yorkshire had hoped for, and that had been responsible for many drag-ons over the four days, never materialised.But there was drama as Jordan Thompson fell to the ground in obvious pain as he failed to stop a straight drive from Raine in his follow-through. It looked serious, his leg kicking the ground in agony, but during a lengthy delay the physio replaced a dislocated finger and, limping for good measure, Thompson caused general amazement by continuing the over.Perhaps understandably, Thompson’s body language was unpromising as Durham ticked off the runs with purpose and commonsense. Matthew Fisher, the one pace bowler of quality, lacked conviction and is well down on the pace that brought him England recognition, as if a succession of injuries have knocked him back. Shan Masood, beaten in his first match as captain, has shown little faith on such a slow surface in the lanky Australian, Mickey Edwards.He began the morning with Hill, who had taken only 32 first-class wickets before this game, as well as entrusting him with the solitary new-ball over.Shan Masood oversees Yorkshire’s efforts in the field•Getty Images

Criticism will mount in defeat with Ottis Gibson, the head coach, bound to be in the firing line as recognition dawns that they now sit bottom of the table. Many want him to supervise a successful renewal. But there are also many slighted supporters of old, who refuse to countenance any talk of racism, and who profess no longer to care, often in such an emotional way that it is apparent that actually they still care quite a lot. Presumably, the phrase “take your bat and ball home” comes from cricket and, if so, it’s a good bet that it is Yorkshire cricket.Gibson said: “There’s a whole lot of different emotions. We did a lot of good things. In a game like this where things come down to small margins, it’s a hard one to take.”Our 17-game win drought is not affecting the players. We know we haven’t won. I don’t think we’ve been counting; 17 sounds like a lot. But we keep on putting ourselves in a position to win games. Perhaps we’re lacking a little bit of toughness in key moments that can get us over the line. But from my point of view at least we’re putting ourselves in those positions.”In Gibson’s defence, he inherited a toxic dressing room after the fallout from Azeem Rafiq’s accusations of racism and has done well to hold spirits together. In further defence, this narrow defeat was very much in tune with the seven previous losses that Yorkshire have stacked up since they began 2022 by beating Gloucestershire at Bristol. Many could have gone either way.That win left the director of cricket, Darren Gough, looking fondly a tilt at the Championship that might be undermined by an ECB points penalty. Since then, they have suffered a series of painful reverses – 18 runs, 1 wicket (twice now), 2 wickets, 4 wickets. Only Hampshire and Surrey gave them a whupping last summer but they were relegated on the final day. Yorkshire have forgotten how to win.As for a possible points penalty, disgracefully, it still hangs over them. The delay might be politically pragmatic as the ECB worms its way through the racism scandal, but is no way to treat young professionals trying to make their way.Yorkshire have had only two longer sequences without a Championship win in their history, both of them occurring this century as the county’s self-regard at its illustrious history too often failed to translate into results.Their record winless run was 20 in 2008-09 and considering the altercations of the past two years, it is intriguing, perhaps even instructional, to reflect on some of those involved.Michael Vaughan retired in mid-season, furious that Yorkshire tried to give him a farewell appearance before he was ready to announce the news; Matthew Hoggard was released at the end of the season and claimed to be sacked; Andrew Gale took over as captain midway through and in this volatile atmosphere a young lad, name of Rafiq, barely noticed in the corner of the dressing room, was trying to make his way.

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