Bangladesh have played very little cricket in the recent past, but will back themselves to punch above their weight

Firdose Moonda and Mohammad Isam04-Mar-2022South AfricaOverview
This has to be the one.South Africans say it every time a major tournament rolls around and, usually, they believe it. This time more so than in the recent past. While the men’s team’s form spiralled downwards over much of the last two years, the women’s team has been consistently good and much of the talk in local traps is that they will bring home the World Cup, back-to-back reversals in the warm-ups notwithstanding.After reaching the semi-finals in 2017, they identified the 2021 (now 2022) World Cup as theirs to win, knowing their core group of players would have matured and backing the plans of long-serving coach Hilton Moreeng. Everything was going as expected, including automatic qualification for the World Cup by beating New Zealand in New Zealand, until Dane van Niekerk slipped on the pool deck in her new home and was ruled out of the tournament with a broken ankle.South Africa have been without her for long periods over the last two years, as she’s battled back injuries, and have found a capable leader in Sune Luus, and have retained most of the group that played together five years ago. Lizelle Lee, ranked top batter in ODIs not long ago, and Laura Wolvaardt form a formidable opening pair, and at the other end, Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp are fierce with the new ball. There may be gaps in the middle but South Africa have routinely found personnel to come good on the day and as a collective, they could achieve big things.Squad
Sune Luus (capt), Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune | Traveling reserves: Andrie Steyn, Nadine de Klerk, Raisibe NtozakheRecent form
South Africa have won their last five ODI series, dating back to before Covid-19 times in January 2020. They have beaten New Zealand, Pakistan, India and West Indies (home and away).Player to watch
Kapp and Ismail headline South Africa’s attack but Ayabonga Khaka is a more-than-capable third prong and has been at the forefront of some of South Africa’s best performances. With her pinpoint accuracy and reliable variations, Khaka was the bowler who kept South Africa in the 2017 World Cup semi-final with a strangling economy rate and she has developed into a genuine wicket-taking option since. She is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket in 2022, and was crucial to South Africa’s victory over West Indies, where she also claimed her first five-wicket haul. All told, she lies seventh on the ODI bowling rankings, and is South Africa’s second-best in that category, above Kapp. This World Cup should also bring up an important milestone for her: Khaka is four away from 100 ODI wickets.What the captain said
“There has been a lot of pressure in the past and we didn’t always handle it well. I feel like we have been through three big semi-finals now and I don’t think our hearts can take another close semi-final. If we get to the semi-finals stage again we are going to make sure we push through even if it’s the last thing we do, so we are going to give our best to make it through to that final.”Sune LuusFargana Hoque looked in great touch during her 71 in the warm-up game against Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladeshOverview
Bangladesh will be appearing in ICC Women’s World Cup for the first ever time, and will be banking on their recent form to take them far in the tournament. Between November and January, Bangladesh took part in two qualifying tournaments, which amounted to all the cricket they have played since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangladesh missed out on a Commonwealth Games spot after Sri Lanka beat them in the deciding match in Kuala Lumpur in January. Still, for a team that has played very little cricket in the last two years, it will be counted as crucial match practice ahead of the World Cup.Bangladesh are among three teams who qualified to the World Cup on the back of their ODI rankings following the cancellation of the qualifiers in Zimbabwe, last November. Under new captain Nigar Sultana, they had already played three of their four matches, losing only to Thailand in a game affected by bad light.Bangladesh have a bit of form to work with, in New Zealand. Left-handed batter Murshida Khatun made 126 runs and left-arm spinner Nahida Akter took ten wickets in the Commonwealth Games qualifiers. Nigar is also in form, while Fargana Hoque and Sharmin Akhter both made runs in the World Cup qualifiers, with the latter hitting a century. A slight worry is Jahanara Alam’s form, but the seamer comes with vast international experience and can be expected to perform when it counts the most.Squad
Nigar Sultana (capt), Salma Khatun, Rumana Ahmed, Fargana Hoque, Jahanara Alam, Shamima Sultana, Fahima Khatun, Ritu Moni, Murshida Khatun, Nahida Akter, Sharmin Akhter, Lata Mondal, Sobhana Mostary, Fariha Trisna, Suraiya Azmin, Sanjida Akter MeghlaRecent form
Bangladesh won three out of their four matches in the Commonwealth Games qualifier, as well as two out of the three matches they played in the World Cup qualifiers. All things considered, they are still a work in progress.Player to watch
Bangladesh have a blend of young and experienced players, but even after 14 years of playing at the highest level, the buck stops with Salma Khatun. The offspinner who bats usefully lower down the order, Salma is Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, and among the top three in ODIs.What the captain said
“We have never played ODIs against England, Australia and New Zealand, so it will be a new experience for us. We follow them on TV and Internet, because we knew that one day we would have to face them. Our analyst is also helping us to understand their game.”
Nigar Sultana

Babar Azam-led Karachi Kings have dynamic batters in their side but Mohammad Amir’s recent form is patchy

Danyal Rasool and Umar Farooq27-Jan-2022

Quetta Gladiators

Captain: Sarfaraz Ahmed
Coach: Moin KhanFull squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Will Smeed, James Faulkner, Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Umar Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Ben Duckett, Khurram Shahzad, Luke Wood, Abdul Bangalzai, Asher Qureshi, Ali Imran, Ahsan Ali, Dan Lawrence, Ghulam MudassarLast season: Finished bottom (eliminated after group stage)Gladiators appeared to have the firepower to challenge for the title last season, but a combination of poor fortune – they lost each of their first six tosses – and a star cast that underperformed doomed them well before the business end of the tournament. Dale Steyn, in particular, found himself off the pace, and in a number of tight games, the bowlers found the pressure getting to them as they looked to defend totals.Sarfaraz’s mounting frustration, often publicly directed at them, gave off the image of a disjointed, demoralised side, but a number of below-par showings as a team meant the other five franchises pulled away fairly quickly. While the other fellow Karachi strugglers Multan Sultans upped their game in Abu Dhabi, the Gladiators wilted further, with a 110-run thumping at Sultans’ hands in their penultimate game perhaps a fitting reflection of how the season had gone for them.What’s changed for the season? Plenty, and perhaps not enough at quite the same time. Azam Khan has been traded out for Iftikhar Ahmed, who’s in the form of his life, and might yet become the Gladiators’ X-factor. Umar Akmal returns to the PSL for the first time since he helped the Gladiators to the title in 2019. James Vince and Sohail Tanvir have moved to the franchise from the Sultans, while instead of Steyn, the overseas fast bowler this time is Englishman Luke Wood.But a side that reached three of the first four finals doesn’t quite appear to have made the wholesale changes required to correct their recent slump. Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem Shah are a touch too similar to truly balance out a bowling attack; the cloud hanging over Hasnain concerning his bowling action is concerning enough as it is.James Faulkner was successful in Abu Dhabi but his medium left arm might not carry the same potence in Pakistan. The absence of Jason Roy and Vince from the start could be an issue, with no obvious opening replacements of a similar calibre. Moin Khan and Sarfaraz Ahmed continue as coach and captain respectively, who have overseen both the rise and then the fall of this franchise. If they can orchestrate another successful season, it might be their most salient achievement yet.Player to watch Umar Akmal has at times become the subject of ridicule and outrage within Pakistan cricket, but when it comes to the PSL, few Pakistani batters match his consistency. He remains in the top 15 highest scorers in the competition’s history despite not playing the last two seasons; no players with fewer games has more runs than him. His 604 runs have come at a strike rate of 137.91; of the Pakistan batters with more PSL runs, only Asif Ali (164.29) and Sharjeel Khan (144.74) outpace his scoring rate. Suggesting Umar is the same player he was before this lengthy absence, or that he’s even as sharp, would be foolhardy, but he nevertheless remains an intriguing cricketer to keep an eye on over the next month.Key statSarfaraz is the only player to have captained his side in every PSL season. His record since being appointed Quetta Gladiators skipper at the inception of the league reads 32 wins, 29 losses.Babar Azam will lead Karachi Kings in PSL 2022•Pakistan Super League

Karachi Kings

Captain: Babar AzamCoach: Peter MooresFull squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imad Wasim, Lewis Gregory, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Amir, Aamer Yamin, Sharjeel Khan, Joe Clarke, Umaid Asif, Ian Cockbain, Rohail Nazir, Mohammad Imran Junior, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Talha, Talha Ahsan, Tom Lammonby, Shahibzada Farhan, Jordan Thompson, Chris Jordan, Faisal Akram, Qasim AkramLast season: FourthWon three out of their first five games, but stumbled midway, losing three successive games. They edged Lahore Qalandars on net run-rate to eventually qualify for the playoffs after beating Quetta Gladiators by 14 runs on the last day of the group stage. However, they were thrashed by Peshawar Zalmi in the Eliminator, where Hazratullah Zazai smashed a 38-ball 77. They had a strong squad last season, headlined by Babar Azam and Sharjeel Khan, but the bowling attack couldn’t make much of an impact. Mohammad Amir managed only five wickets in 11 matches while conceding 8.37 runs an over.What’s changed for this season?They lost Arshad Iqbal and Waqas Maqsood, but Chris Jordan’s return will boost the bowling attack that will also include Amir and Aamer Yamin. The major change is Babar taking over captaincy from Imad Wasim. Lewis Gregory will add all-round value to the side while fellow Englishman Ian Cockbain brings strong form from the BBL. Tom Lammonby, another uncapped English player, lends further firepower to the batting line-up. The 21-year-old has a strike rate of 152.02 in T20 cricket and can provide an extra bowling option with his left-arm medium pace.Player to watch Amir’s PSL form has plummeted after he lost his place in the national side and subsequently announced his international retirement. In the last two PSL seasons, he has picked up only 15 wickets in 22 matches at an average of 45.06 and economy rate of eight. He has been demoted from Platinum category to Diamond this season and the onus is now on him to remedy those numbers and step up.Key statJoe Clarke has scored 1490 runs in 51 T20s since 2020, at a strike rate of 167.04, the second-best among the 83 players with 1000-plus T20 runs during this period. Clarke is coming off a successful stint with Melbourne Stars in the BBL, where he struck four consecutive fifties. Clarke was also part of the first leg of PSL 2021, where he had scores of 46 and 54, both at a strike rate of 200.

What do the selectors’ decisions suggest about the immediate future in the two formats?

Karthik Krishnaswamy22-May-202211:36

Shastri: On current form, India might just play Malik against SA

A recall, and a farewell?

Cheteshwar Pujara is back in the Test squad, and he pretty much forced that decision on the selectors with his rollicking form in the County Championship. How do you ignore 6, 201*, 109, 12, 203, 16, 170* and 3? The selectors possibly factored another reason into his recall as well: in the first four Tests of the series that will end in Edgbaston, he was arguably India’s best-performing middle-order batter, his series average of 32.42 masking the vital contributions he made. His third-innings knocks of 45 (off 206 balls) and 61 helped India claw their way back to victory after conceding first-innings leads at Lord’s and The Oval respectively, and he top-scored for India with 91 in their defeat at Headingley.Another senior stalwart, however, isn’t part of the squad, and you may wonder whether there is a way back now for Ishant Sharma. For so long an ever-present face in India’s attacks overseas, he has slipped behind both Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav in the fast-bowling queue over the last year-and-a-half, and now it would seem Prasidh Krishna as well, as India look for a successor in the tall, hit-the-deck department.There was no way anyone was leaving Cheteshwar Pujara out of the Test squad after his run for Sussex•Getty ImagesA lack of match practice, however, could be a more immediate reason behind Ishant’s non-selection; he hasn’t played any competitive cricket since a pair of Ranji Trophy games in February-March, and those were his only matches since India’s home Test series against New Zealand in November 2021. But with India’s pace reserves constantly growing, you wonder where Ishant will get his next opportunity to turn heads and demand a recall.Intent machines ignored

Over the last three IPL seasons, Prithvi Shaw has managed a strike rate of 152.84 in the powerplay. In the middle overs, meanwhile, Sanju Samson has achieved strike rates of over 150 against both pace and spin. No other India contender comes close to matching those records.But that sort of intent always has a flip side – both Shaw and Samson average under 30 in IPL 2022, and this, perhaps, is the reason why neither is part of India’s T20I squad even though Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rested and Suryakumar Yadav is out injured.Instead of powerplay enforcers and intent machines, the selectors seem to have preferred – as they have over a number of years – top-order batters with a penchant for big scores, even if it entails slow starts. The likely opening combination of KL Rahul and Ruturaj Gaikwad says as much.Prithvi Shaw has scored at a strike rate of 152.84 in the powerplay in the last three IPL seasons•BCCI/IPLEqually, though, the selectors could point to Ishan Kishan and Deepak Hooda – whose approach could be termed similar to those of Shaw and Samson respectively, even if their phase-wise IPL numbers don’t necessarily match up – as counter-examples to suggest they aren’t entirely wedded to an old-school approach.Long rope for long-term prospects

Kishan (strike rate of 120.11) has been far from at his fluent best during IPL 2022, while Venkatesh Iyer (average of 16.54, strike rate of 107.69) has had a horror season. But both have kept their places in the T20I squad, suggesting that the selectors are backing the players they have identified as long-term prospects, and that IPL form is neither a guarantee of selection nor a deal-breaker.It helps, too, that both are left-handers who can bat in multiple positions, and that one offers a wicketkeeping option and the other a sixth bowling option.New quicks on the block

IPL 2022 has been a goldmine for India’s selectors in terms of the sheer number of uncapped fast bowlers who have made an impact with their pace, skill, and execution under pressure. Out of that group – which also includes the likes of Mohsin Khan and Mukesh Choudhary – two have earned first-time call-ups to the T20I squad.4:40

Ravi Shastri: ‘Central contract straightaway for Umran Malik’

The two bring dissimilar but equally exciting skillsets to the table. Umran Malik’s sheer pace – consistently upwards of 150kph – and nose-or-toes lengths offer India a bruising middle-overs option that can upset any line-up in the world. Arshdeep Singh isn’t as quick, but he’s a left-armer with superb defensive skills, as his death-overs economy rate of 7.31 in IPL 2022 (the best in the league among bowlers who have sent down at least ten overs in that phase) would suggest.With these two in the mix alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel, India’s squad has a fast bowler for nearly every situation.How do you fit Hardik and Karthik into the same XI?

Hardik Pandya was always going to be back in India’s white-ball plans the moment he resumed bowling. And he hasn’t just resumed bowling; his speeds have often veered past 140kph, he’s used hard lengths and changes of pace most cleverly, and he sent down his full quota of overs in his first four matches of IPL 2022. A groin issue has reduced his bowling output since then, but India don’t necessarily need him to bowl four overs every game. If he can bowl two while striking the ball at even 80% of his potential, he would walk into most T20 line-ups in the world.2:40

Manjrekar: ‘Don’t think Pant is under pressure from Karthik’

Speaking of ball-striking, have a look at Dinesh Karthik’s death-overs numbers from IPL 2022: 91 balls, 206 runs, a best-in-the-league strike rate of 226.37. At nearly 37, Karthik probably reckoned his best chance of knocking on the selectors’ doors was to take an axe to them. He’s long been one of the best finishers in Indian cricket, and was distinctly unlucky to have been out of the T20I squad for so long despite boasting world-class numbers during his most recent run in the side; but then again, where do you fit him into the XI?If Karthik’s other skill was part-time spin rather than keeping wicket, India would have no trouble answering that question. They would simply bat Rishabh Pant, Hardik and Karthik at Nos. 5, 6 and 7. As things stand, however, Karthik is a specialist finisher who is significantly less comfortable batting up the order, and he isn’t the first-choice keeper. With Hardik not a guaranteed deliverer of four overs, Karthik is left competing with a second allrounder (Axar Patel in the current squad) for the No. 7 slot, which is a difficult contest to win.If he can grab the chances he gets during the series against South Africa, however, Karthik could still make a major case to be picked as India’s reserve keeper for the T20 World Cup.

Standout all-round figures and a Sheffield Shield-winning innings was followed by an impressive winter for the 23-year-old

Alex Malcolm28-Sep-2022There’s a tall fast-bowling allrounder in Western Australia who is turning heads in Australian cricket, and his name isn’t Cameron Green.Aaron Hardie is 23, just six months older than Green, and after 13 first-class matches is averaging 52.85 with the bat and 26.35 with the ball.Hardie already has two first-class hundreds, one of which came in last season’s Sheffield Shield final, and three four-wicket hauls. But while Green is a friend and an inspiration, Hardie is wary of any comparison.”Greeny and I’ve grown up playing together,” Hardie told ESPNcricinfo. “So we’re certainly similar cricketers in some aspects, but we’re also very different in others. Selfishly, watching him go to that next level and dominate as he already is, it’s been really nice for me to see. Not only as a friend but as a fellow cricketer, because I’ve seen the training that he’s done and we don’t train dissimilarly.”Seeing him be able to dominate, I sort of know that I’m not too far away from being able to do what he’s been able to do.Related

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“But also, I’m not comparing myself to him because we’re very different athletes, we’re different cricketers. And yeah, it’s pretty difficult to try and compare yourself to someone of his level because I think he’s going to be one of the best of all time.”Having unearthed a once-in-a-generation allrounder in Green, there are astute judges around WA and Australian cricket wondering whether they might have a second capable of playing in the same team, following Hardie’s spectacular performance in the Shield final, which led to a surprise call-up to tour Sri Lanka with Australia A during the winter.He opened the bowling in the final and took 3 for 54, bagging three of Victoria’s top four with a combination of swing, seam, and bounce. But the best was yet to come in the second innings with WA precariously placed at 110 for 5 early on day 4, leading by only 190, and a drought-breaking Shield title in jeopardy. Hardie made 174 not out, batting for six hours over two days to help WA secure the draw they needed. It left their coach Adam Voges in no doubt as to the prodigious all-round talent they had on their hands.”If he was batter only he’d bat in our top five or six, I think,” Voges told ESPNcricinfo in May. “There’s no doubt he’s good enough to do that. When you play the allrounder role and we need 30 to 40 overs out of him in the game, No. 7 seems about right at the moment in this stage of his career.”Physically as he matures and gets stronger in his body and he’s able to back up a big workload over four days and I’m sure he’ll be able to get up the order as well. I think he’s scored two hundreds now, one was at No. 8, one was at No. 7. I imagine that he will keep creeping his way up over the next couple of years.”

I always remind myself I’ve only played 10 Shield games…the call that I got picked in the Australia A team was certainly unexpected.

It was Hardie’s discipline and decision-making in that innings, as much as his powerful ball striking, that caught the eye of Australia’s selectors. He was an unexpected inclusion in both the 50-over and four-day Australia A squads to tour Sri Lanka just six months after being on the fringe of WA’s side following elbow surgery.”I look back to this time last year, I wasn’t going to play in the first team [for WA],” Hardie said. “Really pleased that I was able to take my opportunity at the end of last year and I suppose those experiences I had were not solely off the back of the Shield final performance, but I think that probably played a big part in those opportunities.”He franked the selectors’ faith in Sri Lanka. Hardie made 58 off 50 in the second one-day game in Colombo batting at No. 7. He then produced two outstanding performances in the two four-dayers in Hambantota.Entering at 98 for 5 in the first innings of the first game, he made 62 and shared a century stand with Josh Philippe to avert a collapse for the visitors. He backed that up in the fourth innings with the ball, claiming 3 for 35 to help bowl Australia A to victory.In the second four-day game, he produced more fourth-innings heroics, this time with the bat. With Australia A chasing 370 to win, he joined Jimmy Peirson at 220 for 5 and the pair cruised to victory sharing an unbeaten 150-run stand. Hardie finished 78 not out while Peirson made 128 not out.Aaron Hardie is looking to continue his development in both aspects of the game•Getty ImagesMuch like Green’s performance in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Hardie’s batting exploits in Sri Lanka came as no shock to those in Perth after the pair had put in a power of work in the WACA indoor centre on spin mats while facing Ashton Agar in the lead-up to the tour. Hardie’s development of his sweep shot was noticeable, given it is not a shot he had played during his junior days either with his club side Willetton or his school side at Aquinas College.”I don’t think the sweep was really an option that we used very much growing up,” Hardie said. “A lot of people say that the sweep is quite hard for taller blokes but flip it on its head, we probably still have that reach even when we’re sweeping that we can reach out to those balls and almost get them on the full.”We did as much work as possible. We tried to replicate the conditions and I think it went really well for us.”I think I’ll benefit just being able to come back to Australia and put a few of the things that I practiced against spin in place on potentially wickets which are a bit more batter friendly when they are bowling spin. And just being able to be more proactive against the spin.”Bowling on flatter wickets is also the next phase of Hardie’s development. His ability to swing the new ball, combined with his height, makes him a nightmare proposition at the WACA where he averages 17.85. But he averages 38.50 in eight first-class games away, at venues across the east coast of Australia, Sri Lanka and England.Aaron Hardie had a brief stint in county cricket after his Australia A tour•Getty Images”It’s probably [about] just developing some more skills,” Hardie said. “Being able to adapt when you’re playing at the WACA on a nice bouncy pitch and then being able to go out over east and elsewhere and bring the stumps into the game. And obviously have the body in a good enough position that you can contribute over the innings.”He got a taste of English conditions in the off-season with a brief stint at Surrey, playing three games in the T20 Blast and one game in the County Championship where he delivered again with the bat in a win over Yorkshire. Australia A will tour England next year alongside the Test team, but Hardie’s not getting ahead of himself.”I always remind myself I’ve only played 10 Shield games for WA so I want to get that number up,” Hardie said. “I want to be able to be fit for a full season. I want to be able to contribute with the bat and with the ball. The call that I got picked in the Australia A team was certainly unexpected. So I’m very happy just concentrating on WA.”

Pakistan captain backs team – and selection – after being swept aside in first Test

Danyal Rasool05-Dec-2022Babar Azam added his name to the growing number of people to express disillusionment with the Rawalpindi surface in the moments after England’s famous win in the fading light. As the fallout from the preparation of the pitch intensifies, the Pakistan captain, speaking at the post-match press conference, said he didn’t get the pitch he wanted, and that it inhibited the way Pakistan went about their game.”We have a lot of input in the pitch, but we didn’t get the pitch we wanted,” Babar said. “We couldn’t execute our plans. We wanted a turning pitch, but perhaps because of the weather and preparation, that sort of wicket couldn’t be created.”We are feeling very disappointed as a team. We had an opportunity to win the match. We were in the match the way we started. The way the batters built partnerships after lunch, we were quite confident. But then back-to-back wickets fell and when the new batters came in they struggled. That put pressure on us, but we need to give credit to England the way they fought and put in a real effort.”Related

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Pakistan found themselves in comfortable, if not commanding, positions on a number of occasions across their final innings. When the fourth day drew to a close, Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel had put on 54 for the third wicket partnership and went in unbeaten overnight, looking in complete control against both seam and spin. On the final day, Pakistan went from the relative luxury of 176 for 3 and 259 to 5 to the poverty of losing their final five wickets for nine runs.”We’re not able to finish well when the opportunity presents itself,” Babar said. “When we get close to winning, we make some mistakes and end up failing to finish a game off.”After tea, when Agha [Salman] and Azhar Ali got out, it became evident things were slipping away. Naseem [Shah] and Mohammad Ali dragged it to the very end, but we shouldn’t have left it to the tailenders; our specialist batters should have won it.”Aside from the pitch, Pakistan’s team selection was the most contentious issue, with the home side handing out four debut caps and deciding against playing an allrounder. That backfired when Haris Rauf was unavailable to bowl in the second innings, leaving Pakistan a pace bowler light, without the option of a seam-bowling allrounder like Faheem Ashraf to bridge the gap. In addition, Pakistan opted to go for Zahid Mahmood over fellow legspinner Abrar Ahmed, despite the latter enjoying significantly more domestic success this season, a decision made to reward Zahid’s greater experience travelling with the team.Babar, however, was unwavering in his support for the team Pakistan put out, and unwilling to accept criticism of the implications it had for either balance or experience.”In our view we played the best XI. I’m happy with the XI we selected. We planned for this match and played the best XI we had. I don’t have any regrets with selection. Every side has its own way and ours is different. You can’t change your style suddenly and start playing the way the other side is playing. You have to play according to the situation, when to attack and when to defend. Everyone has their own plans and we try according to our plans. We planned to win. This wasn’t a match to draw, but a match to win. It was in our hands, after all.”Even England’s teatime declaration on day four, which seemed to have taken everyone by surprise, appears not to have caught Babar off-guard. “We expected them to play such cricket,” he said. “They played a similar style during their home series so we knew what to expect. We planned to play a similar brand in some ways but it can get difficult to stop a team scoring at 6.50. We didn’t bowl in the right areas at times, and got punished. They took the game away from us in the first innings. In the second innings we bowled on one side of the wicket and got wickets early. But credit goes to the way Joe Root and Harry Brook played in the second innings, because that was outstanding.”He also had warm words for the crowd at the Rawalpindi stadium, which heaved with fans across the weekend, and even on Monday, right until the final moments. That despite the dreary nature of the surface, with little realistic hope of a result until England forced the issue on the penultimate evening. The atmosphere had the air of an intimate gathering rather than a hostile cauldron, with plenty of support for Pakistan and about as much gratitude for England’s visit.”They’ve given support to both teams,” Babar said. “It was packed all five days. When you have a home crowd behind you and show the world that Pakistan cricket is alive and well, and they want other teams to come here too, that feels quite special.”The Pindi crowd has never disappointed us.”On the merits of Pakistan’s performance, though, it would be incredibly generous if the crowd felt the same way about the cricket side they had come to see.

The Impact Player rule has allowed their teams to give the two players a run of games, and in Ahmedabad, they showed what they can do with that opportunity

Karthik Krishnaswamy09-Apr-20232:08

Moody: Vijay Shankar repaid Titans’ faith in him with an extraordinary performance

They’ve played 14 ODIs and 18 T20Is between them, scoring 481 runs and taking 14 wickets. They’re adept at using their reach to strike a long ball, and they bowl brisk medium-pace. They’re multi-dimensional cricketers with great utility value, and that’s been both a blessing and a curse for Vijay Shankar and Venkatesh Iyer.Vijay famously went to the 2019 ODI World Cup ahead of Ambati Rayudu, a specialist middle-order batter, and came back early with a fractured toe. He got to bat only three times, scoring 15*, 29 and 14, and bowled 5.2 overs, all against Pakistan, taking the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed.He didn’t get enough of a chance to succeed or fail in any real way, and played no part in the semi-final defeat to New Zealand, but fan discourse turned him into something of a scapegoat for India’s failure to win the tournament.Related

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Vijay hasn’t played for India since.Venkatesh came into India’s squad after their early exit from the T20 World Cup in 2021, at a time when Hardik Pandya was recovering from a long-term back issue and bowling very little. Seam-bowling allrounders who can bat in the top six are a scarce resource in Indian cricket, and Venkatesh had shown promise in both departments over the course of his debut IPL season.He played 11 times for India between November 2021 and February 2022, and showed glimpses of his potential – his 133 T20I runs came at a strike rate of 162.19 – without putting in a headline-grabbing performance. Soon after, Hardik enjoyed a triumphant IPL campaign as Gujarat Titans’ captain, batting up the order and bowling regularly with immense skill and smarts.India had no need for Venkatesh anymore.Neither Vijay nor Venkatesh is at Hardik’s level, but not being as good as a once-in-a-generation talent doesn’t necessarily diminish an allrounder’s value.Even so, both Vijay and Venkatesh began IPL 2023 with their utility under threat, thanks to the introduction of the Impact Player regulation, which gave teams the ability to substitute a specialist for a specialist – usually a batter for a bowler or vice-versa – vastly reducing the need for allrounders. Both Vijay and Venkatesh had endured poor 2022 seasons with the bat, and with their secondary skill no longer quite as important to their teams, they were under pressure to contribute with their primary skill.Venkatesh Iyer smashed 83 off 40 against Gujarat Titans•Associated PressOn the flip side, though, having the Impact Player option might have enabled both their teams to keep giving them opportunities. On Sunday, Gujarat Titans picked Vijay for the third time in three matches this season, and Kolkata Knight Riders used Venkatesh as their Impact Player for the second time, which meant he had featured in all three of their games as well.In a sport with as much variance of outcome as T20 cricket, it’s a blessing to get a solid run of games. Given enough chances, a gifted player will put on a display worth the wait.Both Vijay and Venkatesh did this on Sunday in Ahmedabad, lighting up a cracking contest full of incredible hitting, and demonstrating why India selectors have shown interest in them over the years.Vijay adopts a baseball-style power-hitting set-up in T20s, and it doesn’t always seem a natural fit with the lines of his bat-swing. It can make him look a little ungainly sometimes, as he frequently did during the first half of his innings – his first boundary was a flat-bat swipe past the bowler, and his next three came off the inside edge, the inside half of his bat, and the top edge respectively.But having rushed to 34 off 16 in that manner, a switch seemed to click inside Vijay, unlocking the effortless power he can summon while in full flow. His hitting began to be defined by the stillness of his head, and by how well he held his shape through his bat-swing.A lofted off-drive off Lockie Ferguson – one of four sixes he hit off the last six balls he faced – was a prime example. He moved his left leg out of the way well before the bowler released the ball, but kept his front shoulder closed: he had the room he needed to free his arms while being perfectly aligned to hit straight through the line of the ball. It’s a difficult balancing act, clearing your front leg without losing your upper-body shape, and when he spends time at the crease and gets into rhythm, Vijay does it as well as anyone.Having rushed to 34 off 16, a switch seemed to click inside Vijay Shankar, unlocking the effortless power he can summon when in flow•AFP/Getty ImagesVenkatesh, loose-limbed and left-handed, took no time getting into his groove when he walked in with Knight Riders 20 for 1 in their chase of 205. He’s more of a square-of-the-wicket player than Vijay, preferring to hang back and either lash the ball through point or muscle it over square leg or midwicket. On this day, these shots pinged unerringly off the middle of his bat: a flamboyant, one-legged carve over deep third off Mohammed Shami set the tone as he clattered his way to 83 off 40 balls with a control percentage of 90 – an incredible figure in the smash-and-grab world of T20 cricket.Interviewed post-match, Venkatesh spoke about the pitch giving his back-foot game full value.”I am really not surprised that we have scored 200 in these last two games because of the role clarity that has been given to us,” he said. “I have not been in great form but tonight, I just wanted to go out there and execute my plan of playing late. When the bounce is good, you tend to hang back and use the pace. Their bowlers were quick so I tried to use their pace and it worked to my advantage.”It’s worthwhile to examine what Venkatesh said about role clarity. It’s certainly beneficial for a batter to have no doubts over how to approach their innings, and it’s easier to have that sort of clarity when your team bats deep. Both Titans and Knight Riders batted deep on Sunday, and everyone bats deep in the IPL now, thanks to the Impact Player rule. Where teams once had to strike an uneasy compromise while deciding whether to pick the extra batter or bowler, they are now able to name a batting-heavy or bowling-heavy team the toss, and sub in a bowler or batter to address their balance as required.It’s likely, then, that the Impact Player regulation will give gifted ball-strikers such as Vijay and Venkatesh more opportunities as well as more freedom to play their shots. It’s also likely, though, that it’ll turn their secondary skill redundant.

We take a look at the teams vying for promotion in our Division Two preview

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2023DerbyshireLast season: 5th in Division Two
Head of cricket: Mickey Arthur
Captain: Leus du Plooy
Overseas: Suranga Lakmal, Haider Ali
Ins: Matt Lamb (Warwickshire), Zak Chappell (Nottinghamshire), Mark Watt
Outs: Alex Hughes (retired), Dustin Melton (released)Are there stirrings of a revival in the Peaks? Mickey Arthur is among the more ebullient characters on the county circuit – so full of enthusiasm for the game that this season he will combine coaching Derbyshire with acting as a consultant for the PCB – and his determination to deliver on the “four-year project” that he signed up for shows no sign of abating. Last season was, in Arthur’s words, about changing perceptions – both inside the dressing room and out – and Derbyshire made clear strides, keeping promotion hopes alive into the final month of the season (as well as reaching a T20 Blast quarter-final).While Derbyshire were much harder to beat, their clear shortcoming in Championship cricket was a cutting edge to finish games off. Wayne Madsen was the leading run-scorer in either division, Shan Masood romped past 1000 runs in just eight appearances, and Anuj Dal added 957 at 73.61 – but Derbyshire drew all six of their fixtures at the County Ground, and won only three out of 14 all told. Sam Conners enjoyed a banner campaign, reaching the 50-wicket mark for the first time – but the fact they cost 35.80 told of the hard yakka experienced by Derbyshire’s attack.One to watch: Getting promoted will require taking 20 wickets more often – and the arrival of Zak Chappell could be vital in realising Arthur’s ambition. Chappell fits the template for this Derbyshire side of coming in with a point to prove, having trod water during an unfulfilling three-season stint with Nottinghamshire. Chappell, now 26, was seen as one of the brightest talents on the circuit when he emerged at Leicestershire and has already featured for the Lions. Alongside a fit-again Suranga Lakmal, he could provide the extra firepower Derbyshire need. Alan GardnerRelated

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Bet365: 12/1DurhamLast season: 6th in Division Two
Director of cricket: Marcus North
Head coach: Ryan Campbell
Captain: Scott Borthwick
Overseas: David Bedingham, Matthew Kuhnemann
Ins: Ollie Robinson (Kent), Nathan Sowter (Middlesex), Brandon Glover (Northamptonshire), Bas de Leede
Outs: Chris Rushworth (Warwickshire), Sean Dickson (Somerset), Matt Salisbury (Leicestershire), Ned Eckersley (released)Durham were fancied to be Nottinghamshire’s closest challengers for promotion last season but their push never materialised and, despite stabilising the club through a “period of transition”, James Franklin was let go after three years as head coach. His replacement, Ryan Campbell, won plaudits for his work with Netherlands and has not chosen the easy life for his next assignment, a year on from suffering a life-threatening heart attack.The transitional feeling has been hard to escape at Chester-le-Street ever since Durham’s abrupt demotion to the second tier in 2016. That will be heightened as they begin a Championship campaign without the services of their leading first-class wicket-taker, Chris Rushworth, for the first time since 2009. Rushworth is 37 this summer but, having asked to be released for “personal reasons”, will move up to Division One with Warwickshire. The emergence of Matthew Potts – 58 wickets 17.87 in 2022 – might help ease the disquiet, though his availability is likely to be impacted by England demands.Durham have also lost the services of their second-leading run-scorer, Sean Dickson, who opted to move back to the south of the country with Somerset, but Alex Lees will have increased availability after being discarded by England and Dutch allrounder Bas de Leede could prove a shrewd signing.One to watch: Talented wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Robinson arrives looking to burnish his reputation in all formats after being pigeonholed as a red-ball player at Kent. Robinson pinned down a spot in the Championship side as a 20-year-old and has four first-class centuries to his name, but found his path blocked in limited-overs cricket by the presence of Sam Billings and Jordan Cox. A loan spell at Durham for the Blast was followed a permanent move over the winter – in between which Robinson smoked 206 not out – Kent’s highest List A score – in the Royal London Cup. AGBet365: 9/1Australia spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has signed for Durham•Getty ImagesGlamorganLast season: 3rd in Division Two
Head coach: Matthew Maynard
Captain: David Lloyd
Overseas: Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser
Ins: Harry Podmore (Kent), Zain-ul-Hassan (unattached)
Outs: Michael Hogan (Kent), Lukas Carey, Joe Cooke, Tom Cullen, Tegid Phillips, Ruaidhri Smith, James Weighell (released)Glamorgan perhaps surprised themselves in 2022. But for a 10-wicket loss to Middlesex in the third-last match of the season, it could have been them rather than the north Londoners preparing for life in Division One. The acquisition of Sam Northeast was inspired as he led the line with 1189 runs, the headline innings being a spectacular 410 not out in the victory over Leicestershire. But healthy contributions from established batters like David Lloyd (899), Chris Cooke (840) and particularly Colin Ingram, who managed 596 from just five appearances, gave the batting a more settled feel which they will look to carry forward.The difference this time around is the overseas help. With Australia in the World Test Championship final before the Ashes, Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser have limited availability and will only be around from Glamorgan’s second match against Durham at Sophia Gardens. With the loss of club legend Michael Hogan to Kent, Harry Podmore – who made the move the other way – needs to hit the ground running, while the experienced James Harris must shoulder more responsibility after a disappointing 2022 by his standards, with 31 wickets at 38.09. The club could also do with repeating last summer’s trick of bringing in a player of Shubman Gill’s quality for the second half of the season if they are to push for promotion this time around. If local lads Kiran Carlson and Andrew Salter step up, too, the club could challenge for promotion once more.One to watch: The last time Dan Douthwaite featured in a first-class match was way back in September 2021. Now, in part because of the loss of Hogan, the allrounder will have to go into this season’s County Championship from a standing start. It might help that he probably won’t start the summer, but it has been an encouraging pre-season for the 26-year-old. He had a quietly impressive tour of Zimbabwe, returning home to take a five-wicket haul against alma mater Cardiff UCCE – his first in Glamorgan whites. Currently the only Glamorgan player in the men’s Hundred after being picked up for £40,000 by Welsh Fire, Douthwaite could stand up for his county in more ways than one. Vithushan EhantharajahBet365: 5/1GloucestershireLast season: 10th in Division One
Head coach: Dale Benkenstein
Captain: Graeme van Buuren
Overseas: Zafar Gohar, Marcus Harris
Ins: Marchant de Lange (Somerset)
Outs: Ryan Higgins (Middlesex), Benny Howell (Hampshire), Ian Cockbain (released)Gloucestershire suffered a bruising return to top-flight cricket, losing eight and drawing four of their first 12 games to be cast adrift at the bottom of Division One long before the relegation battle got interesting (although they played their part in making it so, beating Warwickshire and Yorkshire in the final two rounds as the former leapfrogged the latter on the last day of the season).They suffered some misfortune, with overseas signing Naseem Shah picking up a shoulder injury on his Championship debut. David Payne, the attack leader who won a maiden England cap on the tour of the Netherlands in June, was limited to six first-class matches and 17 wickets, while Ryan Higgins, the talisman from their 2019 promotion campaign, averaged 36.85 with the ball. Higgins, at least, will get the chance to test himself again in Division One straight away, having opted for a move back to Middlesex at the end of the summer.Both Marcus Harris and Zafar Gohar, who initially signed on a pay-as-you-play deal but ended up as Gloucestershire’s leading wicket-taker, will be back in Bristol after successful campaigns, and with veteran quick Marchant de Lange adding some beef to the attack, the plan will be to bounce straight back up.One to watch: Tom Price, a tousle-haired 23-year-old allrounder, had only played seven first-class matches when he came into the Gloucestershire XI midway through last season, but he quickly set about making himself undroppable. He claimed a maiden five-for in his first outing, then produced astonishing figures of 8 for 27 against Warwickshire to help set up the team’s first win in the penultimate round; with 32 wickets at 20.09 from eight appearances all told, he topped the Gloucestershire averages. Has a first-class best of 71 with the bat, too. AGBet365: 8/1Rehan Ahmed will be a key player for Leicestershire his stellar winter•Getty ImagesLeicestershireLast season: 8th in Division Two
Head coach: Paul Nixon
Captain: Lewis Hill
Overseas: Ajinkya Rahane, Wiaan Mulder, Peter Handscomb
Ins: Sol Budinger (Notts), Matt Salisbury (Durham)
Outs: Ben Mike (Yorkshire), Hassan Azad, Sam Bates, Nat Bowley, Alex Evans, Gavin Griffiths, Abi Sakande (all released)It was another rock-bottom season in 2022 for Leicestershire, their eighth wooden spoon in 14 summers and the fourth time in the last ten that they had failed to register a single victory. And though that precipitated a predictable churn of players – with seven squad members moving on, including the influential Ben Mike to Yorkshire, as well a change of captain following Callum Parkinson’s contract rejection – there are just a few reasons for optimism at Grace Road this season.The signing of Ajinkya Rahane is one. He’ll join up with the squad after the IPL, and at the age of 34 with his India Test days seemingly behind him, he could be just the sort of hardened campaigner required to shore up a batting line-up that passed 300 on just six occasions in 27 attempts in 2022. James Taylor, the ex-Leicestershire and England batter who was until recently on the national selection panel, is back as batting coach to further stiffen up that department. But the biggest bonus is surely the flourishing of Rehan Ahmed after his breakthrough winter with England across formats. This time last year, he hadn’t yet made the first of his three Championship appearances. Now, he’s indisputably the county’s biggest drawcard.One to watch: Rehan Ahmed’s most recent appearance for Leicestershire, against Derbyshire in September, produced his maiden five-wicket haul as well as a hard-hitting maiden century from No. 5, 122 from 113 balls all told. And it is this string to his bow that will guarantee Rehan’s presence in Leicestershire’s line-up even if the early-season conditions aren’t entirely conducive to his legspin. “He’s in our team, 100 percent, absolutely,” Paul Nixon, the head coach, confirmed on the county’s media day. “People haven’t seen his real talent with the bat yet. He is going to surprise everyone. I genuinely think in three years’ time he could be a number four or five for England in any format.” Andrew MillerBet365: 20/1SussexLast season: 7th in Division Two
Head coach: Paul Farbrace
Captain: Cheteshwar Pujara
Overseas: Pujara, Nathan McAndrew, Steven Smith
Ins: Tom Alsop (Hampshire)
Outs: Luke Wright (retired)In 2021, Sussex used 26 players and finished bottom of Division Three (in the one-off conference structure). They started the following summer amid some optimism about the potential of a young squad… and arguably had it even worse. By the end of 2022, they had picked 29 different players to feature in the Championship and won just a single first-class match for the third season running – that, coupled with an off-field issue concerning young spinner Jack Carson, led to Ian Salisbury departing after two years in charge of the red-ball side and ushered in the end of twin head coaches at Hove, James Kirtley dropping back to the ranks after the arrival of Paul Farbrace.Having spent four seasons as sport director at Warwickshire, Farbrace has decided to get his hands dirty again – and he has already signalled his expectations by challenging Sussex to push for a return to Division One for the first time since 2015. Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored runs by the ton – 1094 at 109.00, including three double-centuries – takes on the captaincy on his return, allowing Tom Haines to focus on pushing his case as England’s next opener, while the availability of Ollie Robinson for the start of the season should lift an otherwise callow attack. The kids must do more than all right if promotion is to be secured – but the bookies are already on board.One to watch: Haines won selection for England Lions over the winter but he is not the only Sussex opener receiving good notices. Ali Orr, who turns 22 on the opening day of the season, has less than two full campaigns behind him but currently averages 44.30 in first-class cricket. He was the only Sussex batter other than Pujara to pass 1000 runs in 2022, and finished by blasting 198 off 174 balls against Glamorgan – having also made Sussex’s highest List A score (206 off 161) in the Royal London Cup. Look out for more “Shock and” Orr this summer. AGBet365: 9/2Ollie Robinson’s availability at the start of the season should be a lift to Sussex•Getty ImagesWorcestershireLast season: 4th in Division Two
Head coach: Alan Richardson
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Overseas: Azhar Ali
Ins: Adam Hose (Warwickshire), Matthew Waite (Yorkshire)
Outs: Moeen Ali, Ed Barnard (both Warwickshire), Tom Fell, Josh Dell, Jacques Banton (all released)
Worcestershire had some big run-scorers last season with two players posting double-centuries in overseas retention Azhar Ali and Jake Libby, plus five more centurions but consistency and their record of just four wins set them adrift of the top three. They have retained all bar Ed Barnard, their leading batter of 2022, but it was with Ed Pollock that they saw some encouraging signs with a match-winning knock against Middlesex as he played 13 of the 14 matches after limited opportunities at Warwickshire.Seamers Dillon Pennington and Joe Leach led Worcestershire’s efforts with the ball and may be required to do so again with the addition of allrounder Matthew Waite, who struggled for a regular place at Yorkshire but impressed on loan at New Road last season with six wickets against Leicestershire.One to watch: Adam Hose’s move form Warwickshire was motivated by the desire to breathe new life into his red-ball career after his T20 credentials went on show in the Vitality Blast and a maiden BBL gig with Adelaide Strikers. He hasn’t played a first-class match in more than three years making this an intriguing phase if he can convince Worcestershire to give him a chance, as they did with Pollock last season. Valkerie BaynesBet365: 9/1YorkshireLast season: 9th in Division One
Director of cricket: Darren Gough
Head coach: Ottis Gibson
Captain: Shan Masood
Overseas: Shan Masood, Neil Wagner, Shai Hope
Ins: Ben Mike (Leicestershire), Matt Milnes (Kent), Jafer Chohan (unattached)
Outs: Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Somerset), Tom Loten (Notts), Matthew Waite (Worcs), David Willey (Northants), Steven Patterson (retired), Gary Ballance, Harry Sullivan, Josh Sullivan (all released)In the end, it was arguably a mercy killing. Yorkshire’s last-gasp relegation in 2022 at least spared the club (and the wider game) the uncertainty that would surely have accompanied their survival, given the probability of sanctions in the wake of the racism crisis that had been such a key contributor to their downward spiral. Those could yet still come to pass after the club accepted four charges of bringing the game into disrepute, but at least they have been able to prepare for the new season from a solid bottom-tier base.A wholesale changing of the guard has taken place over the winter, with long-term captain Steven Patterson retiring after being denied a new contract, and Gary Ballance committing his own future to Zimbabwe after his central role in the racism case. Tom Kohler-Cadmore and David Willey complete a clearing-out of disillusioned senior figures, but in real terms, the club’s talent drain may not end there. Harry Brook is unlikely to play a single Championship fixture given his breakthrough winter across formats for England, while Dawid Malan is also eager to manage his availability with the carrot of the 50-over World Cup later this year. Given their ECB incremental contract status, both men remain firmly on Yorkshire’s books. For a club that faced bankruptcy over the winter, it’s a sub-optimal scenario.With uncertainty around the involvement of New Zealand’s Neil Wagner after he tore a hamstring on Test duty, and fellow newcomer Matt Milnes still working his way back from a stress fracture, there’s likely to be a lot on the plate for Shan Masood, a potentially inspired signing as captain following his stellar showing at Derbyshire last season – that is when he arrives from Pakistan duty, with Shai Hope signed as short-term cover and Jonny Tattersall set to lead the side for the first month of the season.One to watch: Even if all else fails for Yorkshire, there’s still the prospect of Jonny Bairstow defying the doubters all over again and putting together an unanswerable run of pre-Ashes form. Bairstow has hardly held a bat in anger since his freakish golfing injury at the height of last summer’s Bazball antics, and recently pulled out of his IPL deal with Punjab Kings. There’s still no knowing whether he can recover sufficient fitness to challenge for his England spot, let alone find that same sweet spot of form, but he is eyeing up a comeback at the start of May, maybe even with the wicketkeeper’s gloves to heighten his Test claims. And generally speaking, when anyone suggests a challenge is beyond even Bairstow’s capabilities, that’s when he truly steps up. AMBet365: 6/4

It’s (almost) time to burn, as Andrew McGlashan and Matt Roller join Alan Gardner ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2023With Australia crowned World Test Champions, the stage is now clear for the Ashes and England’s attempts to regain the urn. The teams have assembled in Birmingham ahead of the first Test, with Moeen Ali is back in the Test fold for the first time since 2021. For our Switch Hit preview Alan Gardner was joined in the studio by Matt Roller with Andrew McGlashan dialing in from the second city, to discuss Australia’s pace-bowling poser, the return of Moeen and whether Bazball can succeed against such a formidable touring line-up.