Category Uncategorized

Karachi Kings guaranteed to finish bottom of the table after eighth straight defeat

Danyal Rasool16-Feb-2022
They might have left it a bit late, but the inevitable could not be thwarted. Multan Sultans, almost certain to top the table now, edged past Karachi Kings, guaranteed to finish bottom, in the final over, sealing a seven-wicket victory. In pursuit of 175, they were only trudging along at seven an over with five to go, with the asking rate at 14. But 71 runs in the last 27 balls – the last six a dashing flourish over square leg by Rilee Rossouw – condemned the Kings to their eighth successive defeat, at the same time ensuring the Sultans will get two bites at the cherry in their bid to qualify for the PSL final.In the end, Karachi might blame a mystifying approach to the first innings, particularly the first ten overs. Only 57 came off the first nine, with vaunted power hitter Sharjeel Khan struggling badly, managing just 21 off his first 29 balls. With Babar Azam falling for just 2 off four, it was down to the middle order to salvage a respectable total for their side.Sharjeel belatedly clicked into gear and was good for a couple of sixes, but hadn’t nearly undone the damage he had caused in a somnambulant stroll of an innings when Khushdil Shah struck to remove him with just his second ball. The Kings seemed well off the pace until the last seven overs, and needed cameos from Rohail Nazir and Imad Wasim – who smashed an unbeaten 32 off 16 balls – to get the 174 they eventually did finish with, the late surge thanks coming courtesy of 75 runs in the final seven overs.The Sultans innings looked, for the most part, very much like the batting effort of a side that already knew it was through to the next round. Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood appeared content to strike at just over a run-a-ball, prioritising preserving wickets on a pitch that didn’t look quite as free-scoring as some in this tournament have. The free-flowing Masood was reined in for much of his innings, and would admit in a post-match interview he feared he had “messed up” the chase as the asking rate climbed inexorably and the Sultans’ power-hitters sat in the dugout where they could do little damage.It was only after Masood holed out to the deep-cover boundary that the game really moved into the next phase. Rizwan’s best instincts came alive, and all of a sudden he seemed to be finding the gaps with every delivery, almost putting Tim David, batting alongside him, in the shade as he brought the run rate down single-handedly every over. When he fell for a 56-ball 76 that belied his early struggles, David quickly picked up the mantle with a couple of further boundaries, though his dismissal in the 18th over kept the Kings just in front.It was, as it so often is in T20 cricket, the penultimate over when the game truly showed its hand. Khushdil Shah smashed Chris Jordan first ball for six over midwicket, with a remarkable flick of the wrists; astonishingly, it was the first six the Sultans had hit all game. The second would follow two balls later and a boundary came in between, leaving nine to get off the final over.The winning shot was delightfully flamboyant from Rossouw, who moved across his stumps to pick Umaid Asif up over square leg for six, before nonchalantly folding his arms and holding the pose. It showed a swagger that comes so easily to the Sultans right now, and is wholly missing from the Kings, for whom this campaign cannot conclude soon enough.

India players were seen training with pink and red balls

PTI17-Nov-2020The limited-overs competition awaits them first but the India players, led by captain Virat Kohli, seemed focused on next month’s Tests against Australia as they practised in simulated long-format match conditions with pacers using red and pink balls in Sydney on Tuesday.The top batsmen and bowlers from across the three squads were seen taking part in the practice session.The likes of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj were seen bowling to Kohli in a video posted on Twitter by the captain himself.ALSO READ: Tim Paine, Marnus Labuschagne in mass airlift to avert summer disruptionKohli will feature in just the opening day-night Test, starting December 17 in Adelaide, before flying back to India for the birth of his first child. The video showed the players using the centre strip of the ground with Test match field and a batsman at the non-striker’s end, which is a deviation from traditional net sessions. Given that the players were kept busy by the IPL for the last two months, the white-ball training has taken a back seat.In another video, posted by the BCCI, Shami was seen bowling in tandem with Siraj. The 30-year-old Shami, who took 20 wickets from 14 matches for the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, is a part of all three squads. India will rely heavily on him during the four-match Test series.Siraj, who is only in the Test squad, followed his senior team-mate and was seen sending down a few deliveries as other senior players watched him bowl.ALSO READ: Glenn McGrath says ‘Australia slightly ahead’ because of Mitchell Starc’s X-factorThe 26-year-old, who has played one ODI and three T20Is, took 11 wickets from nine matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.On Monday, the star studded batting line-up was seen gearing up for the lively Australian pitches with the traditional tennis ball training after competing on the slow UAE tracks during the IPL.The first two matches of the ODI series will be played at the SCG on November 27 and 29, followed by the third in Canberra on December 2.The first T20I, on December 4, will also be played in Canberra while the last two will be played at the SCG on December 6 and 8.

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2019Gloucestershire 172 for 7 (Salter 4-12) tied with Glamorgan 172 for 5 (Fakhar 58)Glamorgan’s Andrew Salter returned the superb figures of 4 for 12 in three overs, including a first-ball wicket and three more in the space of seven deliveries, but AJ Tye battled back for Gloucestershire to seal a thilling tie in the Vitality Blast clash at Cardiff.Gloucestershire, set a daunting 173 for victory following a brisk half-century from Fakhar Zaman and a turbo-charged 42 from 21 balls from Chris Cooke, suffered a terrible start when Miles Hammond was deceived by Salter’s offspin, knocking a simple catch back to the bowler off the first ball of the innings.Two overs later, the visitors lost their second wicket, when James Bracey was caught off Marchant De Lange on the midwicket boundary.Gloucestershire were 46 for 2 after six overs, but in the next over Michael Klinger edged Dan Douthwaite’s fifth ball to the wicketkeeper, and with Graham Wagg conceding just three runs from his first over, Glamorgan’s bowlers held the upper hand.After ten overs Gloucestershire required a further 100 runs, but Cockbain raised their spirits by taking 14 runs from Wagg’s third over before Salter burst back into the action, ending his stay for an aggressive 40.With five overs left, the visitors required 57, but Salter struck twice more in three balls to dismiss Higgins and Jack Taylor. Billy Root held on to a low catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Higgins before Taylor drove to long-on.Tye, however, was not done yet, and hauled Gloucestershire back into contention with a violent innings of 38 from 19 balls, including three fours and a six.He struck De Lange’s penultimate over for 19, though he was also dropped by Colin Ingram in the process, a simple chance at mid-off.
With 14 needed in the final over, Benny Howell smashed Lukas Carey for six to keep his side in the hunt, only to fall the next ball, but Tye scrambled Gloucestershire to parity with a brace of twos off the final two balls of the innings, and deny Glamorgan their first win of the Blast campaign.

Also, for the first time ever, the BCCI will recognise the top women players of the year, at their awards function on June 12 in Bengaluru

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2018India captain Virat Kohli will receive the BCCI’s Polly Umrigar award – honouring the best international cricketer – for the fifth time in his career following his consistent performance over the past two seasons.Also, for the first time ever, the BCCI will recognise the top international women players of the year, at their awards function on June 12 in Bengaluru. Harmanpreet Kaur wins it for 2016-17 and Smriti Mandhana for 2017-18.The current No.1 ODI batsman in the world, Kohli has been in phenomenal form for the past three years, amassing 2757 runs at an average of 91.90. He also became the first batsman to score four double-centuries in consecutive Test series during this period. The 29-year old went past 5000 runs with his 20th Test ton during the series against Sri Lanka in December 2017. Under Kohli in the last three years, India equalled Australia’s record of nine consecutive series wins in Tests. They are also ranked No. 1 in Test cricket.

Harmanpreet has been equally prolific in women’s cricket. She played significant roles in India’s campaigns at the women’s World T20 in 2016 and the Asia Cup win in 2017, but her crowning achievement remains the unbeaten 171 she made against Australia in the World Cup semi-final. It was the second-highest score by an Indian in women’s ODIs and it helped her break into the top-10 ODI rankings for batsmen.Mandhana began the 2017 World Cup with a 90 against England and then struck her second ODI hundred in the series against West Indies. In March 2018, she scored the fastest fifty for India in a T20I, off only 30 balls. She was also named the Player of the Series when India hosted England in April.

Kusal Perera and Thisara Perera were recalled to Sri Lanka’s ODI squad for the series against Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Mar-2017

Sri Lanka squad

Upul Tharanga (capt), Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Vikum Sanjaya, Thisara Perera, Sachith Pathirana, Seekkuge Prassanna, Lakshan Sandakan
In: Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Thisara Perera
Out: Chaturanga de Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lahiru Madushanka, Jeffrey Vandersay, Sandun Weerakkody

Kusal Perera and Thisara Perera were recalled to Sri Lanka’s ODI squad against Bangladesh, but captain Angelo Mathews continued to remain unavailable due to injury. Other additions in the ODI squad included opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka – fresh from an excellent run for Sri Lanka A – but there was no place for either seam bowler Nuwan Kulasekara or legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay.Upul Tharanga, who was stand-in captain during their 0-5 ODI whitewash in South Africa, will continue to lead the side in Mathews’ absence. While the management had hoped that Mathews would regain fitness in time for this series, the hamstring tear he sustained during the T20I series in South Africa continued to ail him.Both Pereras have returned to the ODI outfit after showing decent form in the ODI leg of the England Lions’ recent tour of Sri Lanka. Thisara had hit a match-winning 56 not out off 35 in the first unofficial ODI, and taken 2 for 17 in the second. Kusal, meanwhile, had struck two fifties in the three games he played.It was Gunathilaka, however, who headlined that series, with scores of 64, 121 not out, 44 and 51. He returned to the ODI squad after missing the South Africa series with a back complaint and his presence will create additional competition for the opening position. In addition to Gunathilaka, Kusal Perera, Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella have all recently opened the batting in limited-overs cricket.Sri Lanka’s selectors have unusually selected just one specialist spinner in the 15-man squad, giving Lakshan Sandakan that place, but omitting the likes of Amila Aponso and Vandersay. Allrounders Sachith Pathirana, Asela Gunaratne, and Dhananjaya de Silva are capable slow bowlers however. Left-arm spinning allrounder Chaturanga de Silva, who was picked for that series in South Africa, has been omitted.On the seam-bowling front, Suranga Lakmal appears likely to lead the attack, with Lahiru Kumara and Vikum Sanjaya were also picked. Lasith Malinga has made his comeback from injury in the T20 format, but is yet to reappear in ODIs.The first of three ODIs is scheduled to be played in Dambulla, on March 25.

Liam Dawson, the Hampshire slow left-armer, could make his international debut against Afghanistan on Wednesday

Andrew Miller22-Mar-2016Liam Dawson, the Hampshire slow left-armer, could make his international debut against Afghanistan on Wednesday after Eoin Morgan admitted England were considering the option of three spinners in a vital Group 1 clash in DelhiEngland would take a significant stride towards the World T20 semi-finals if they avoid an upset on Wednesday. Their frontline spin pairing, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, have demonstrated their value in the tournament so far, and Morgan said that any decision over the make-up of the team would be deferred until the management had had a good final look at the wicket.”I expected a dryer pitch,” Morgan admitted. “There’s still a lot of grass on it but I don’t know what it’s going to do. We’ll have to leave it as late as possible to select the side, and see what conditions are going to be like. If it’s another hot day like today, [the groundsman] might leave grass on it rather than take it off.”Since we’ve arrive here we’ve had one net session in the nets and they have turned a considerable amount, but I don’t think it will turn as much. We can be as open minded as we can, we can talk about it and we can use other players and our backroom staff as a sounding board.”

A pump-action shotgun

Eoin Morgan likened Afghanistan’s threat to that of a “pump-action shotgun” as he braced his side for a severe test of their mettle against an Associate team, like Ireland in Morgan’s own early days of international cricket, that would not be afraid to lose.
“[Victory] will be their ultimate objective,” he said. “It’s a bit like a pump-action shotgun. You can keep loading as long as you like. If you keep missing, it’s fine. But the opportunity along the way will come. And if you have your day, you might win a game. That’s certainly the attitude when I was a part of Ireland
England lost their last World T20 outing against an Associate team, against Netherlands at Chittagong in 2014. But Morgan insisted that the circumstances could not be different two years on.
“We were already out of the tournament,” he said. “We probably came into the game with a completely wrong mindset. We were flying directly after the game, had already packed our bags to leave. In my mind I was already at home sitting on the couch.”

If Dawson did play, it would be quite a turnaround for a player who spent part of last season loaned by Hampshire to Essex to rediscover his form. He achieved that so markedly that he won a call up to the England Lions in the UAE where he impressed the coach, Andy Flower, not just for his spin bowling but his ability to hit a long ball.Dawson was nevertheless a surprise selection for England’s 15-man squad, after beating Stephen Parry to the third spinner’s role on account of his greater allround versatility. Morgan expressed absolute faith in his ability to front up on an important occasion, and stressed that Joe Root, who bowled briefly in the victory over South Africa, was not being considered as a front-line option.”Rooty can be a viable option for a third spinner, but Liam Dawson adds a lot more with the ball than Joe would, and he would come into consideration if the grass comes off the pitch,” Morgan said.”Is he ready? Yeah, absolutely. He’s trained really hard since he’s come into the side and has been great around the group. He’s really upbeat and, like everybody, he’s really keen to get involved.”England’s recent record against Associate nations at the World T20 leaves plenty to be desired, with defeats to the Netherlands in 2009 and 2014 staining their overall record. But Morgan said that England would be going into the Afghanistan game with their eyes wide open, and with their thoughts trained solely on victory.”They’re a dangerous side,” he said. “They have played a really exciting brand of cricket. Ten years ago we might not have known much about them, but now that is the nature of modern sport. We know a lot about them and that is quite comforting – the fact that there’s no stone that’s left unturned.”We watched the early stages of the tournament and they played some really good cricket. We watched both games, against Sri Lanka and South Africa in different circumstances, and it’s been nice for us to see what they’re about as a side.”Afghanistan’s reputation for maverick tendencies is best expressed in the wild batting of Mohammad Shahzad, whose 44 from 19 balls was the highlight of their run-chase against South Africa. But Morgan said that they would be wary of all of their opponents, and not merely the man at the top of the order who has captured the recent headlines.”I think he is a good batsman but I think it would be rude of me to single out any one of their players,” he said. “I think as a side they can be quite strong and destructive.”If we target one player in particular, it can give an opportunity to another player to come out and have their own day, so it is important we treat each player as we do Shahzad.”I wouldn’t say it is nervy to have a bit of unpredictability there, but I would say in any T20 game up against any team then unpredictability can be a strong point. We have lacked consistency as a T20 side in recent times and there is an element of that to our game.”With Sri Lanka looming as England’s final contest of a potentially tight group, the prospect of net run rate could yet come into play as a deciding factor in which team goes through to the knock-outs. But Morgan dismissed any such thoughts from his mind, insisting that victory was England’s sole focus, no matter how fast or slow their route.”Our priority is on winning. Tomorrow is a big game and we are certainly not taking Afghanistan for granted, so first and foremost we need to go into that game with the right mindset,” he said.”I think focusing on anything else at the moment, given that there is two group games left, would be a little bit naïve, actually stupid, so tomorrow is very important and getting a win under our belt is key.”

Nick Compton has signed a new three year deal to stay at Somerset, ending speculation about his future.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2013Nick Compton has signed a new three year deal to stay at Somerset, ending speculation about his future.With Compton out of contract at the end of the season, several counties were interested in tempting Compton away from Taunton but he has decided to stay in the Westcountry, despite the prospect of playing in Division Two of the County Championship next season.Somerset are in deep relegation trouble but Compton has remained loyal to the county who have helped his career flourish. He spent the first nine years of his career at his home county of Middlesex, averaging 34.14 in first-class cricket before a move to Taunton in 2010. Since the switch Compton has scored 3,677 first-class runs at 61.28.Compton’s progress culminated in his call-up for England’s tour of India in November 2012. He had to wait until the following tour of New Zealand for his maiden Test century. But despite back-to-back Test tons, a lean return series against New Zealand saw him dropped for the Ashes.Back in the Championship, he has scored 578 runs at 44.46 with two centuries and Dave Nosworthy, Somerset’s director of cricket who has endured some problems in his maiden season at Taunton, is delighted to have retained a key member of his squad.”The Club and I are very pleased to have secured Nick again for a further period,” Nosworthy said. “He is one of the best players in the country and makes a huge contribution to the club, not just on the field of play but also off it. We look forward to seeing Nick score many more runs at Taunton and beyond and we are happy to have secured a quality person and a quality player.”Compton added: “I’ve enjoyed my three years with the club and feel settled by having such a great team and support network around me. I’m aware of interest from other clubs but I’ve played some of my best cricket here and I’m grateful to the club and its members who have given me such great support. I want to continue to grow as a player so I can be at the top of my game over the coming seasons.”

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has filed an appeal against the lifetime ban handed down to him by the ECB for his involvement in spot-fixing

Umar Farooq11-Jul-2012Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has filed an appeal against the lifetime ban handed down to him by the ECB for his involvement in spot-fixing.His lawyers also confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Kaneria has also appealed against an order to pay £100,000 in costs for the hearings, a charge that was not publically outlined in the ECB judgment.Kaneria, Pakistan’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests, was handed the life ban by an ECB disciplinary panel for his part in the spot-fixing case involving former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield. He had been found guilty of inducing Westfield to under-perform and of bringing the game into disrepute.Last month Kaneria’s legal team said they wanted an opening hearing for the appeal after describing the outcome of the tribunal as “pre-determined”. Westfield provided testimony against his former Essex team-mate but Kaneria’s lawyers contend that the legspinner was not given a fair hearing. They also indicated that a further legal appeal – potentially to the Court of Arbitration for Sport – could be pursued in order to clear Kaneria’s name.”We’ve got nothing to hide about this. It’s not sour grapes that we lost a fair hearing,” Steven Hourigan, who represented Kaneira, said. “We lost a hearing where it was pre-determined what the result was going to be. We’re going to have an appeal. What we want is an independent observer to sit in and listen to the evidence. What we want is a fair hearing in front of an independent panel. We would want the press to sit in on the appeal and hear every word.”The PCB have said they will uphold the ECB’s ban – as was agreed between all ICC member nations – and earlier this week the PCB’s integrity committee barred Kaneria from playing any official cricket in Pakistan pending the outcome of his appealWestfield, Kaneria’s team mate, pleaded guilty to bringing the game into disrepute and was given a five-year ban, although he will be allowed to play club cricket after three years.Kaneria’s Pakistan-based lawyer Farogh Naseem, told ESPNcricinfo. “The appeal cover not only covers the life ban but also against the £100,000 cost that was imposed as a part of the
expenditure of all he hearings.”There was no understanding before or during the hearing that we will pay the expenditure of all the hearings that took place. The cost along with the ban is unfair. They don’t have any evidence against Kaneria and still the ECB passed an order against him.”Gerard Elias QC, chairman of the ECB disciplinary panel that found Kaneria guilty, called him “a grave danger to the game of cricket.” Kaneria has continued to plead his innocence.

A PCB disciplinary committee has recommended the board lift the suspension on selector Mohammad Ilyas

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2011A PCB disciplinary committee has recommended the board lift the suspension on selector Mohammad Ilyas. Ilyas, a former Pakistan batsman, had earlier been suspended and served two showcause notices for his role in the dispute involving Shahid Afridi’s conditional retirement and appearing on a TV show with banned cricketer Salman Butt.Ilyas was asked to appear before a disciplinary committee and explain his appearance on a TV show – Butt was a panelist on it – in which he responded to criticism levelled at him by Afridi. He was found to have violated clauses 8 and 9 of his PCB contract. Under ICC rules, no board member is allowed to interact with a banned player, in this case Butt, who was punished by the ICC for his alleged role in the spot-fixing controversy.”Mr Ilyas was asked to explain the reasons for his recent conduct. He mentioned that he should have sought permission from PCB before appearing in a talk show,” a release issued by the PCB stated. “Mr Ilyas said that he felt he had to defend his honour after being subjected to accusations of a personal nature. The committee noted that Mr Ilyas had responded to personal comments made against him but had not criticised the PCB, its management, or its policies.”The committee issued a short order in which it recommended that PCB issue a warning to Mr Ilyas to exercise caution while dealing with the media in the Future. The committee also recommended that PCB lift Mr Ilyas’s suspension. A detailed order will be issued at a later date.”Afridi had specifically and personally criticised Ilyas after announcing his conditional retirement from the game as part of his blitz against the board. An incensed Ilyas felt compelled to respond with his own attacks against Afridi and was duly issued with a showcause notice, in which the board said he had violated the code of conduct applicable to officials.Afridi and Ilyas have a history: Ilyas has often opposed the selection of Afridi in the side but that opinion has ballooned in recent months. Afridi accused Ilyas of promoting his son-in-law Imran Farhat, while Ilyas responded by saying Afridi had pushed unfairly and persistently for Ahmed Shahzad, Fawad Alam and Shahzaib Hasan.

The ongoing limited-overs series between Canada and USA will determine who goes on to participate in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier to be held in Bangladesh in 2012

Cricinfo staff14-Jul-2010The ongoing limited-overs series between Canada and USA will determine who goes on to participate in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier to be held in Bangladesh in 2012. USA won the first of the three games comfortably in King City, Ontario.Canada, who are led by Mona Persaud, qualified for this series by virtue of their victory in the 2009 Americas Region Women’s Championship, where the USA were runners-up. Each of the three games will be held in King City, with the winner moving a step closer towards qualifying for the 2013 Women’s World Cup in India.George Codrington, the Canada coach, said his team was up to the challenge. “We have had a good week’s training camp in Toronto before the big games and the girls have been training all spring – they’re ready,” he said.Chandra Gocool, Cricket Canada’s CEO recognized the growing importance of women’s cricket and Canada’s women’s team. “Over the past few years we have stepped up our commitment to the women’s program and we have seen marked improvement at the highest levels. We are excited to see more and more women participating in cricket across the country in recent years. It’s a positive sign for the future of the women’s teams.”The teams also play two Twenty20 games on Saturday.Canada squad: Mona Persaud (capt), Kim Coulter, Nicole Gallagher, Helene Gaffney, Jennifer Gruno, Mahwish Khan, Monali Patel, Santhiya Rajaram, Kiran Samra, Natasha Springett, Suthershini Sivanantham, Sheryl Tittlemier, Mikaela Turik, Saniyah Zia, Vindhya Varanasi