CSA and SACA have also agreed on a 6% annual increase in salary for all national and franchise players and that the revenue-share model with the players will be maintained

Firdose Moonda26-Apr-2018Cricket South Africa has re-committed to the revenue share model with its players and has also reached an interim agreement with the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), which will remain in place until the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is completed at the end of June.The MoU between the parties will expire next Monday. Negotiations for a new deal have not been completed in time for a new agreement to come into immediate effect. That carries the risk of leaving most of the country’s professional cricketers – apart from those on two-year deals – out of contract, but the interim arrangement has made a provision for player contracts to move ahead.CSA and SACA have also agreed on a 6% annual increase in salary for all national and franchise players and that the revenue-share model will be maintained. The CSA will have an extension on player commercial rights until the MoU is finalised, which means the CSA can continue to advertise for events, such as the next home summer using players’ images.The longer-term financial arrangements, such as benefits, which will be similar to those in the previous MoU, have not yet been discussed. Crucially, CSA and SACA have agreed on specific dates on which they will negotiate in May and June, which has been absent previously. In the past week, SACA claimed that CSA had avoided communication with them, had not responded to messages and that negotiations had not even started. Now, SACA are pleased with the progress that has been made.”We are satisfied that this Interim Agreement addresses the uncertainty that has existed amongst players regarding the MOU and their contracts and it ensures that no national or franchise player in the system going forward is left without a contract come May 1, 2018,” Tony Irish, SACA CEO, said. “The Interim Agreement also contains commitments to key issues outside the player contracts and commits the parties to further structured negotiation over a two-month period which aims to finalise the full ambit of player benefits, and other player relevant matters, to apply over the longer, four to five-year term of the MoU.”The MoU between CSA and SACA is renewed every four years. This time, CSA are proposing a five-year MoU, which will be in place until 2023. CSA will also look to redefine their relationship with SACA, though they have not outlined what they want to change. “There is still a long way to go in these negotiations but CSA and SACA have both acted in the best interests of the game by setting a clear platform needed to jointly and constructively get this done within a two-month period,” Thabang Moroe, CSA Acting CEO said.There was also no update on the Global T20 League. Moroe has hinted CSA will make an announcement on the tournament’s future within the next week.

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.

The India T20I captain defends herself against accusations of fake degree certificates

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2018India women’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur defended herself against allegations that her graduation degree was fake, and said that had she known something was amiss, she would have “done graduation again, maybe two or three times over”.Harmanpreet had been appointed a Deputy Superintendent of Police by the Punjab government after her remarkable showing in the 2017 World Cup, which included a stunning 171 not out in the semi-final against Australia. However, reports emerged on July 2 that the Punjab police were set to demote her to the rank of a constable with the Chaudhary Charan Singh University of Meerut saying Harmanpreet’s enrollment number did not exist in their records.Harmanpreet, who had initially refused to comment on the reports, defended herself on Tuesday and pointed out that she had even been accepted into a postgraduate course on the basis of her graduation degree, although her blossoming cricket career meant she could never complete her postgraduate degree.”When you did your graduation, did you go to the head office to verify your enrollment number? Nobody does that,” Harmanpreet told the . “If I am playing, my focus is obviously on cricket. Apart from that, I just wanted to complete my graduation. On the basis of my graduation certificate, I took admission for a post-graduation course in a different university, but could never take my exams because of overseas tournaments. Today, that very degree is being called fake.”Harmanpreet also said that so far the Punjab police had not communicated officially with her about the speculated demotion in rank. “The department should initiate action against me. I am waiting for word from my department… I have not received any notice from my department.”Harmanpreet was previously employed by the Indian Railways and given the rank of office superintendent, in Mumbai, and said she had been offered that post on the basis of the same degree that is being questioned now. “I completed my graduation through distance learning from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in 2009-11,” she said. “Earlier, I was pursuing my graduation from a college in Jalandhar, where I did my first year. Thereafter, I was not able to pursue it as my cricket schedule and the examination dates used to clash always. Besides, as the college principal had changed, and they did not like me pursuing sports, they did not adjust exam timings as per my cricket schedule. So, I had to migrate to another university. I have been playing for India after completing my Class XII.”I have cleared all my exams and my every certificate is legal. My examination centre used to be in Delhi. My subjects were sociology, political science, English and general awareness.”Harmanpreet, 29, made her debut for India in 2009 a day before her 20th birthday on March 7. She has played two Tests, 87 ODIs and 83 T20Is, and is also an Arjuna Award winner. She is in 12th spot on the ICC rankings for batsmen in women’s ODIs, and on seventh for the corresponding T20I list. She took over as the full-time T20I captain in October 2016 and her skills have put her in demand in T20 leagues around the world; she has played in the Women’s Big Bash League for two seasons and signed for the Kia Super League for the 2018-19 edition, starting next week.

Indian captain achieves a career-high 937 points, the 11th best of all time; Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah also move up

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2018India captain Virat Kohli moved back to the top of the ICC Test rankings for batsmen after his Man-of-the-Match performance at Trent Bridge. He has amassed a career-best 937 rating points and is one point shy of breaking into the top 10 batsmen in rankings history.Donald Bradman is No. 1 having achieved a rating of 961 points in February 1948 followed by Steven Smith (947), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs and Ricky Ponting (both on 942), Peter May (941), and Garry Sobers, Clyde Walcott, Vivian Richards and Kumar Sangakkara (all on 938 points).Virat Kohli on top of the world•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kohli is placed 11th on that list after his knocks of 97 and 103 in Nottingham as India beat England by 203 runs to make the series scoreline 2-1 with two Tests to play. He had previously reached the top of the rankings after the first Test at Edgbaston, before ceding it to Smith after low scores in the second Test at Lord’s.Among other Indian players who made big moves in the rankings were Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah.Pandya moved up 23 places in the bowlers’ rankings to No. 51 after taking five wickets in six overs on the second day at Trent Bridge. He occupies the same spot on the batsmen’s charts after his second-innings fifty to set up India’s declaration. Those performances have placed him at No. 17 on the allrounders’ list.Bumrah, who sat out the first two Tests with an injury, took a five-wicket haul in England’s second innings and is now at No. 37 among the bowlers after just four Tests.For England, the biggest move was made by Jos Buttler, whose second-innings 106 took him up 22 places to be No.47 among the batsmen.

BCB president stresses that repeat offenders will not go unpunished as batsman awaits hearing over social-media fracas

Mohammad Isam30-Aug-2018Sabbir Rahman might be facing another lengthy ban from cricket. He is set to meet the BCB’s disciplinary committee on Saturday, for a hearing related to the outburst on social media that allegedly came from Sabbir’s official account and directed abuse at a fan following Bangladesh’s loss in the second ODI in the West Indies last month.Sabbir has been dropped from Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the first time since his debut in 2014, and is already on the BCB’s watchlist for physically assaulting a spectator; for this, he was stripped of his central contract, fined, and barred from domestic cricket for six months in January. He has been in trouble over disciplinary matters previously too, with the BCB fining him in 2016 for “serious off-field disciplinary breaches” during the Bangladesh Premier League.BCB president Nazmul Hassan said Sabbir would get a chance to defend himself but indicated that a repeat offence will not go unpunished.The disciplinary committee has also summoned Nasir Hossain, over being embroiled in a social media scandal earlier this year, and Mosaddek Hossain, who was recently sued by his wife Sharmin Samira from whom he is now divorced.”The disciplinary committee will hold Sabbir’s hearing after which we will reach a decision,” Hassan said. “He is not in the ODI squad, which could also be because of the hearing’s influence. One has to be given a chance to defend himself. We will take an appropriate action.”When we see our punishment has no impact on a cricketer, we have to give him more stringent punishments. We also have to be fair in our judgment. If it [the allegation] is proved, however, we have to take a final decision which, for me, is being ousted from the national team.”In the last three years, several Bangladesh cricketers have found themselves in trouble off the field. Rubel Hossain was jailed briefly in January 2015 after a fall-out with his girlfriend. Al-Amin Hossain was sent home from the 2015 World Cup for breaking a team curfew in Brisbane. A few months later, Shahadat Hossain also landed in jail for allegedly physically assaulting his house help.Arafat Sunny got bail last year after serving jail time in a dowry case. Around the same time as the Sunny affair was playing out, Mohammad Shahid’s wife had reportedly lodged a complaint with the BCB CEO alleging Shahid of physically assaulting her.Hassan said the BCB was prepared to bring in outside help, in the form of a psychologist, to address such issues. Also, he said, the board is considering social media restrictions on tours, but ultimately the responsibility to behave in an appropriate manner lay with the players.”The players have to follow the guidelines but, at the end of the day, the players have to be good themselves. We cannot force it on them.”

Pakistan have issues with their bowling, their batting and their fielding to address in a winner-takes-all game against a hungry Bangladesh

The Preview by Mohammad Isam25-Sep-20182:02

Manjrekar: Pakistan will have a slight edge

Big picture

Unpredictable sides make for great knockout games, so the Bangladesh-Pakistan encounter in Abu Dhabi, which will determine India’s opponents in the final, is unlikely be any different. Pakistan can be a dangerous side in crunch situations while Bangladesh would see making the Asia Cup final a big step in their progress as an ODI force, especially with the World Cup now eight months away.Not making the final would be seen as a backward step for Pakistan’s ODI set-up, especially after their Champions Trophy triumph last year. But so far their average Asia Cup campaign goes with their recent trend of extreme highs and lows from series to series. In October last year, they beat Sri Lanka 5-0 before being blanked 5-0 by New Zealand. They beat Zimbabwe 5-0 in the last ODI assignment before the Asia Cup where they have won against Hong Kong and Afghanistan, but lost both times to India and comprehensively so.Mohammad Amir going wicketless in his last six ODIs has been surprising, while Hasan Ali, the only quick bowler picked in every game in the Asia Cup, has taken three wickets at 51.66 each. Shadab Khan therefore has to take up responsibilities against a Bangladesh batting line-up that can be susceptible against legspin.Pakistan would also have to pick up their fielding, having dropped too many catches in their last two matches against Afghanistan (five) and India (three). On top of these bowling and fielding woes, Pakistan also needs runs from three batsmen among their regular top six.Fakhar Zaman, who made a record 210 against Zimbabwe in July, has so far made just 55 runs in the tournament. Captain Sarfraz Ahmed and Asif Ali have made 58 and 46 respectively, in the four matches so far. Runs have mostly come from Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq, but against Bangladesh’s efficient bowling line-up they cannot afford a top-order collapse or a poor finish.Bangladesh are at times susceptible in their death bowling aside from Mustafizur Rahman, whose skillful mix of slower balls, yorkers and bouncers troubles big-hitters. Mashrafe Mortaza and Mehidy Hasan Miraz often keep it tight in the first Powerplay while Mustafizur, Shakib and Rubel keep the run-rate down in the middle-overs.But Bangladesh become a stronger bowling unit when they post at least a competitive total. Liton Das’ 41 would be encouraging for the team management but his opening partner in the last three games, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, has made a poor start to his ODI career with just 20 runs.As a result, Imrul Kayes, who made 72 batting at No. 6 for the first time in his career in the previous game, may be sent to No. 3 with Mohammad Mithun reverting back to No. 5. It would mean they have two senior batsmen in Imrul and Shakib in the top four, while the in-form Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah have the capability to stop a batting collapse or, in a better situation, go after the bowling in the last 10 overs.Neither team can however be assured of everything going to plan. They are unpredictable and at times flawed, which usually makes for gripping viewing.

Form guide

Bangladesh WLLWL (last five matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWLWW

In the spotlight

Mustafizur Rahman’s last-over heroics handed Bangladesh the win against Afghanistan, and bowling in the last five overs is fast becoming his biggest strength. In the last three years, he has been one of only two bowlers to have an economy rate of under six per over during that period in ODIs.Shoaib Malik has been Pakistan’s main scorer in the tournament, having made 181 runs in four matches. He would also want to improve his ODI record against Bangladesh, having scored just one half-century against them in 13 innings.

Team news

Bangladesh usually doesn’t make changes when they have just won a game, especially when they are playing at the same venue.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das 2 Nazmul Hossain Shanto, 3 Mohammad Mithun, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Imrul Kayes, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 10 Nazmul Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanBatting and bowling woes may tempt Pakistan into trying out Shan Masood and Junaid Khan for the first time in the tournament. But it also doesn’t mean the likes of Faheem Ashraf, Haris Sohail and Usman Khan can’t be hopeful of a place in the XI.Pakistan (probable): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Sarfraz Ahmed, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Usman Khan, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pitch and conditions

Only Pakistan have won while chasing in Abu Dhabi in the four Asia Cup games held here so far, so it remains a bat-first ground. There will be no let-up in the heat.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have won 31 out of 35 ODIs against Bangladesh, but three of those four defeats came in the 2015 ODI series.
• Shakib Al Hasan’s direct hit that ran out Rahmat Shah in their previous game was only Bangladesh’s third run-out with a direct hit in the last 12 months. Shakib has two of them, Imrul Kayes the other.
• Shoaib Malik is 54 runs away from eclipsing Younis Khan’s 7,249 runs, which will take him to sixth place in Pakistan’s all-time ODI run-scorers list.

Quotes

“Pakistan are a tough cricketing nation and want to put things right. I did read some comments from Mickey Arthur about some of their tactics and that’s the very reason I am trying to not give our tactics away. But I know what he wanted his bowlers and batsmen to do and they did not do it in those games. They are a good team and they can very much bounce back.”

Zimbabwe’s batting has let them down on the tour so far, while the home side have gained valuable insights into their bench strength

The Preview by Liam Brickhill13-Oct-2018

Big Picture

South Africa have gained significant insights into their bench strength in the last two weeks of white-ball experimentation. They have had a look at 22 players, four opening pairs, umpteen seam options and both of their frontline wristspinners, while also managing to win every match.That they have done so even when several of the pitches played on have been unsuitable for South Africa’s push towards increased aggression with the bat in limited-overs cricket, speaks to the gulf between these two teams. Zimbabwe have been good enough to put themselves in strong positions, but have lacked the ability to land the killer blow with the ball, or counterattack effectively with the bat.That might not have been the case had Zimbabwe been able to draw fully from the reserves of talent that the country has produced. How would South Africa have dealt with Blessing Muzarabani’s height and pace on capricious early season pitches? Might Sikandar Raza have added a little more backbone to the middle order?Those questions are, perhaps, academic. This is the hand Zimbabwe have been dealt, and while Raza will be back in action in their next tour to Bangladesh later this month, it will be years before Muzarabani plays international cricket again, if ever, having signed a three-year deal with Northamptonshire.That’s not to say there have been no positives for the visitors on this tour in the absence of those two. Brandon Mavuta has emerged as a player of great promise, and the bowling has generally been good throughout. But it’s never all clicked at once, and Zimbabwe’s batting has repeatedly let the team down.South Africa will face sterner challenges from Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka this summer, but this series has given them the freedom to chop and change, and by then they will have a better idea of which combinations suit them. Zimbabwe, too, have learned a little about their own strengths and weaknesses, and they have one more chance to get it right.

Form guide

South Africa: WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Zimbabwe: LLLLL

In the spotlight

Quinton de Kock‘s keeping over the last two games has been virtually flawless, but his batting has been a little off, with scores of 5 and 26. While he remains South Africa’s first-choice keeper, there will inevitably be a little pressure on him with Heinrich Klaasen in the squad and hitting the ball cleanly in the middle order. A commanding knock in the final T20I would certainly help de Kock cement his place ahead of South Africa’s trip to Australia at the end of the month.Hamilton Masakadza has made four scores in the 20s on this tour, repeatedly getting himself in and then getting himself out before he can make the sort of contribution that his team so sorely needs. He admitted as such in his post-match interview on Friday, and as Zimbabwe’s leading run-scorer in this format, the team needs more from their captain.

Team news

South Africa’s plan was to give every player in their squad at least two matches over this series, and after the last match captain Faf du Plessis suggested that he might be the player to miss out in the final game to ensure they’re able to do that. Without du Plessis, JP Duminy will captain and South Africa will have a little more space to tinker with their middle order.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Gihahn Cloete, 3 Heinrich Klaasen, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 JP Duminy (capt), 6 Christiaan Jonker, 7 Robbie Frylinck, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Junior Dala, 10 Dane Paterson, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiNeville Madziva is the only member of Zimbabwe’s T20I squad not to have got a game on this tour, and he could slot into their lower middle order in place of Elton Chigumbura, who seems horribly out of form with the bat. Zimbabwe may also look to swap Wellington Masakadza for Tendai Chisoro, who failed to take a wicket in either of the first two games.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Solomon Mire, 2 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 3 Brendan Taylor (wk), 4 Tarisai Musakanda, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Peter Moor, 7 Neville Madziva, 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Brandon Mavuta, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Chris Mpofu

Pitch and conditions

It’s very early in the season, and while this ground is traditionally thought of as one where plenty of runs can be scored, the two provincial games played here last week suggest that there could be a good battle between bat and ball. Both Easterns and Boland were bowled out in the 50-over game, while neither side reached 300 in the three-day match. Come Sunday, there should be something in it for the bowlers.The weather may also have an impact. It’s expected to be cloudy and cool, with the possibility of a thunderstorm in the afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• This will be the first T20I between Full Members to be played at Willowmoore Park.
• The last time South Africa and Zimbabwe played here, in an ODI in 2010, South Africa soared to 399 for 6 and then bowled Zimbabwe out for 127 to secure their biggest ever win in the format.
• Hamilton Masakadza became the first Zimbabwean to score 1,500 runs in T20I cricket on Friday. No other Zimbabwean has yet reached 1000 T20I runs, and Masakadza also has the most fifties for his country in this format.

Quotes

“Guys are getting starts, but it’s about building on those starts. We’ve continued to lose wickets at the wrong times.”
“If you look at the all round batting unit, there are seven or eight batters in the mix for the World Cup and all the guys have done well at different times.”

Australia’s pacemen have wasted no time plotting their first target of the Indian summer, after Nathan Coulter-Nile predicted a short-pitched barrage to be directed at Rohit Sharma

Daniel Brettig19-Nov-20182:41

‘Australia is the one place where we want to leave our mark’ – Rohit Sharma

Australia’s pacemen have wasted no time plotting their first target of the Indian summer, after Nathan Coulter-Nile predicted a short-pitched barrage to be directed at the opener Rohit Sharma as a way of testing what the fast bowler called a “compulsive” tendency to play the hook and pull shots.Speaking in Brisbane ahead of the first T20I meeting between the two sides at the Gabba on Wednesday night, Coulter-Nile stated that he and his fellow Western Australian Jason Behrendorff would look to replicate the sort of new ball success they had against Rohit in India a year ago, where he was twice dismissed cheaply.This time around, Coulter-Nile added, the bounce on offer at the Gabba would add to the tricks in the Australians’ fast bowling locker, with the ground’s expansive square boundaries – relative to a far shorter straight hit – providing further impetus for the fast men to drop short against batsmen still adjusting to unfamiliar climes.”[Rohit] is an unbelievable player, he’s got a good record all round the world, so he’s definitely a player to watch but we’ve also had success with the new ball as well,” Coulter-Nile said in Brisbane. “I think Dorff got him out the last time we played him, hit him on the pad, so we’ll look to do that again early. Big square boundaries here, so we might test him a little bit, he’s a good puller of the ball but he is compulsive as well so we’ll try to get him out there.”I think everyone knows [Behrendorff] is a fantastic option up front. He’ll swing it here, beautiful conditions today, so hopefully the same sort of conditions and we can hold our chances, because he’ll certainly create a few.”Rohit Sharma mistimes a pull•Getty Images

For his part, Rohit said that adaptation to Australian conditions was key to the challenge of performing, as India recognise the significance of their opportunity to win a Test series down under for the very first time. Their closest efforts previously were drawn encounters in 1980-81 and 2003-04.”It’s either Perth or Brisbane. India has always played at Perth or Brisbane and this time around we’re at Perth,” Rohit said. “Those two conditions are obviously very challenging. Australia has bowlers who are very tall and extract those conditions, use them to their advantage. Indian batsman generally are not that tall. Obviously it’s not that easy for us but all the guys are quite determined to change things around this time.”Of course, their bowling attack will challenge us no matter the format. But as a batting unit we’re prepared to face that challenge. The reason we came down few days early here is to get used to the bounce. Brisbane has always challenged us, so as a batting unit we are ready to accept it. This time we want to change our fortunes and come out with some exceptional performances. It’s not going to be that easy, we understand that. But we have quality in our unit.”It’s the one place that we want to leave our mark and do well. The last time we played a Test series here, although we lost two games and drew one, I thought there were a few close games being played. We want to make it count this time around. There’s a real good feeling inside the group in all three formats – the motivation of the team is to just try and seize all the moments and win tournaments. When you do well in places like Australia you feel good as a team.”Reflecting on the possibility of verbal provocation from India, given Australia’s relatively recent commitment to play the game with far less of an abrasive edge, Coulter-Nile pointed out that the shortest format did not necessarily grant as much time for players to get steamed up, either by circumstances or in an effort to motivate themselves.”I’ve never been sledged by them. T20 its a little bit hard to sledge, you don’t have that time in the field to really get angry, so I don’t think you’ll see too much of it during the T20s,” he said. “I don’t talk to any of the batters personally, in T20s I don’t think people have too much to say. If they get an opportunity I don’t think that’ll happen, it’ll just be talk with the ball, talk with the bat.”There has been plenty of criticism around Australian cricket of this summer’s schedule to date, particularly how much white-ball players have been required to jump from one format to another. But Coulter-Nile was happy to at least be playing a series of three matches against India, ahead of a Test series of four and then a further three ODIs in the new year.”I think we like a bit of continuity and so even if we don’t win the first game you can learn from your mistakes and try to build on that. If you do win you can try to hold it over them,” Coulter-Nile said. “But a one-off T20, especially a T20 game it can go either way. Three is a good number I think.”Confidence comes from wins so we’ve just got to find a way to win, scrap a win out, find a bit of luck. Once one happens, you get confidence and build it up. We’ve played these guys a lot so hopefully the confidence is there. We’ve all performed well against India and against their players, so hopefully guys can take that confidence into playing for Australia.”

Keep up to date with all the news from on and off the field during the Big Bash

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2019Willey suffers shoulder injury
January 22Perth Scorchers import David Willey has been ruled out of the remainder of the Big Bash League with a left shoulder injury. He will fly home on Tuesday night for further assessment and treatment in the UK.It is understood the injury is not serious at this stage but has been bothering Willey, the England allrounder, since the Scorchers’ loss to the Hobart Hurricanes on December 30 in Launceston.He was ruled out of the Scorchers latest match against the Hurricanes last Friday night and the ECB medical staff have advised him to return home.Willey has endured a frustrating tournament form-wise with both bat and ball coming off limited cricket in the lead-up. He was shuffled through multiple roles with both bat and ball. He batted in three different spots in four innings, including opening the batting, and his bowling role changed regularly in the games he played.Willey has not played for England since the India series last July after a back injury ruled him out of the tour of Sri Lanka.The Scorchers do welcome back some key Australian internationals for their next match against the Sydney Thunder on Thursday at Perth Stadium. Shaun Marsh and Jason Behrendorff both return from ODI duty.Wicketkeeper batsman Sam Whiteman has been ruled out for two to three weeks with a quad injury he suffered in the loss to the Hurricanes. But Josh Inglis appears to have overcome a broken toe and looks set to slot in as a like for like replacement.Vince replaces Denly at Sixers
January 11Sydney Sixers have roped in James Vince for the remainder of the season as a like-for-like replacement for fellow England batsman Joe Denly, who has been called up by England for the Test series in the West Indies later this month.Vince, who recently played for Auckland in the Super Smash in New Zealand, had earlier turned out in the 2017-18 BBL season for the Sydney Thunder. He is set join the Sixers squad ahead of their match against the Perth Scorchers on Sunday at the Optus Stadium.”I’m extremely excited about joining up with the Sixers,” Vince said. “The Big Bash is a fantastic competition to be a part of. The guys are playing some great cricket at the minute and are in a strong position heading into the second half of the tournament.”Hopefully I can hit the ground running and make some good contributions that will help us go all the way this year. Sydney is a fantastic place and the SCG is an incredible ground, I can’t wait to get started.”The Sixers are currently third on the points table and have seven more games left in the league stage.Mark Waugh hits at BBL batting
January 4The quality of batting in this year’s BBL has provoked debate. Melbourne Renegades have yet to register an individual half-century in five matches and on Thursday limped to 9 for 126 against Adelaide Strikers. Not for the first time it was spin causing the major problems as Liam O’Connor, Rashid Khan and Colin Ingram proved a handful.It was enough for Mark Waugh to term the standard of batting against spin as “embarrassing” although he had also noted a couple of days previously that the state of some of the wickets wasn’t helping.Australia had an awful time against spin in the UAE last year when they played three T20Is then struggled against Kuldeep Yadav in the India series in November. Their next T20Is are set to be in India during the limited-overs tour which starts next month so life is unlikely to get easier.Maddinson nears comeback
January 4Nic Maddinson is closing in on a comeback from the broken arm he suffered in the Sheffield Shield last month having surprised himself at the speed of his recovery.Maddinson needed surgery after being struck by a short ball from Jhye Richardson and was unsure whether he would hit the surgeon’s timescale of a return in around four weeks. But he appears on course for that with a comeback looking likely when Melbourne Stars face Perth Scorchers at the MCG on Wednesday.”It seems to be pulling up better and better after everything I do,” he told the . So I thought, why not push it a bit harder and try and play.”

It will be held in September 2020, a month before the T20 World Cup in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2018The next Asia Cup will be hosted by the PCB for the first time in over a decade, but whether that means it will be played Pakistan or the UAE, is not yet clear. The tournament, which will switch back to being a T20 event, is scheduled to be played in September 2020 – a month ahead of the World T20 in Australia.If the situation in Pakistan, or Pakistan’s relationship with India, does not improve between now and then, it would seem logical for the tournament to be held in the UAE, the PCB’s de factor home ground since 2010. That would mean the UAE would have hosted back-to-back Asia Cups, having held a 50-over version this September.The tournament just gone was hosted by the BCCI, who opted to play it on neutral territory given that a Pakistan team traveling and playing in India would’ve been a complicated political issue. Ties between the two countries are at a low ebb, neither side having played a full bilateral series against the other in over a decade and India not having played in Pakistan since June 2008. Tensions remain between their boards too, most recently in the dismissal of the PCB claim that the BCCI “legally breached” an agreement to play bilateral series in 2014 and 2015.ALSO READ: PCB’s case against BCCI dismissed by ICC dispute panelThe 2008 visit, incidentally, was also for the Asia Cup, and the last time Pakistan held a multi-nation competition. The PCB has not yet responded to queries about where the tournament is planning to be staged.Since the Lahore terror attacks on the Sri Lankan team in 2009, international cricket has slowly returned to Pakistan. In the last year, Lahore has hosted T20Is against Sri Lanka and a World XI while West Indies played a series in Karachi in April this year. Added to are the staging of several high-profile PSL games in both cities over the last two seasons, with the involvement of foreign players.