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Essex will require three runs with only one wicket in hand to avoid the follow on after reaching stumps on day three in Canterbury on 289 for 9

ECB Reporters Network22-Sep-2016
ScorecardDan Lawrence made 88 but Essex were still short of the follow-on target at the close•PA Photos

Essex will require three runs with only one wicket in hand to avoid the follow on after reaching stumps on day three in Canterbury on 289 for 9. Responding to Kent’s 441 all out, Essex lost wickets at regular intervals in this Specsavers Championship top-of-the-table clash, but a last-wicket stand worth 22 between David Masters and Matt Dixon has at least given the visitors a chance to avoid batting again on the final day of the campaign.Batting for the first time by 11.35am on day three, Essex lost two wickets in the short 15-over spell through to lunch as Kent maintained their grip on events despite a plucky knock from No. 4 Dan Lawrence, who rode his luck to score 88 having edged through the cordon when on 5 only to see Will Gidman down a chance at third slip on the same score.The visitors and second division champions elect, lost Varun Chopra, lbw for 25 to Kent’s man-of-the-moment, Darren Stevens, then Tom Westley, caught at square leg by Sean Dickson off the bowling of Mitch Claydon in the over before the interval.Kent maintained a check on the run rate in the afternoon session and also collected a further three wickets in the process as Nick Browne, Ravi Bopara and Adam Wheater all trooped back to the pavilion. Browne edged the 12th ball after the resumption to Sam Billings off Claydon then Bopara, digging down late on a full ball from Hardus Viljoen, also nicked through to the Kent keeper. Just before tea Wheater’s miscued pull against Matt Coles flew to deep square leg where Dickson took a comfortable catch.Viljoen continued to shine after tea by having Kishen Velani and Will Rhodes both caught at second slip by James Tredwell off successive overs.With 27 needed to avoid the follow-on and just 12 short of his fourth Championship hundred of the summer, Lawrence inexplicably holed out to long-on against the offspin of Tredwell. Masters, in his farewell appearance for Essex, was given a guard of honour by the Kent side as he walked to the middle, but Tredwell soon struck again by ripping an arm ball though Paul Walter’s defensive gate to peg back the left-hander’s off stump to leave Essex nine down.At the start of the day Kent had secured the second division runners-up spot upon reaching 400. Resuming on their overnight score of 387 for 7, the hosts motored past 400 with a fearsome back-foot cut by Coles that registered a fifth batting bonus point to clinch the ECB’s prize money cheque of almost £57,000 for finishing second behind Essex.In trying to repeat the stroke in the next over Coles nicked to Wheater to depart for 32 and give Masters, the former Kent seamer, his first wicket in the match. Masters struck again with a lifter that Viljoen could only glove to third slip then Stevens, on 136 and just four short of equalling his season’s best, clipped to deep backward square to give Dixon figures of 5 for 124.

Netherlands will take on fellow 2015 ICC World T20 Qualifier co-champions Scotland in the headline matchup of round two in the ICC Intercontinental Cup and WCL Championship

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2015Netherlands will take on 2015 ICC World T20 Qualifier co-champions Scotland in the headline matchup of round two in the ICC Intercontinental Cup and WCL Championship. Scotland will travel to The Hague for the four-day Intercontinental Cup match scheduled for September 8-11 at Sportpark Westvliet. Netherlands last played there in 2012 when they defeated Bangladesh by one wicket in a Twenty20 international.The two sides will then play a pair of 50-over WCL Championship fixtures at the VRA Ground in Amstelveen. Both sides are currently joint leaders after round one of the WCL Championship after Netherlands swept Papua New Guinea in June and Scotland claimed two rain-affected matches over Nepal in Ayr last month.Ireland will travel to Namibia in a top-of-the-table clash in the I-Cup from October 24 to 27 in Windhoek. Ireland claimed full points with an innings victory over UAE in Malahide in June to kick off round one while Namibia did the same, defeating Hong Kong by 114 runs in May. Namibia then host Kenya in two WCL Championship matches in Windhoek on October 30 and November 1.Hong Kong travel to UAE in the second week of November with both teams seeking their first win of the I-Cup. The four-day game will take place at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai from November 11-14 and will be followed by WCL Championship matches on November 16 and 18.The second round of the I-Cup will wrap up with Afghanistan hosting PNG in Sharjah from November 21-24. PNG will be looking to bounce back after their dreams of reaching the 2016 World Twenty20 in India were dashed by Afghanistan in Malahide last month.PNG are then scheduled to take on Nepal in a pair of WCL Championship fixtures on November 28 and 30, with both teams seeking their first wins in the competition. However, the venue for those games has not yet been decided. An ICC release stated that the matches are currently slated to be held in Kathmandu, though that is subject to a security and infrastructure assessment and clearance following a series of earthquakes that struck near Kathmandu in April and May.According to a source, the games may be shifted to the UAE. From a logistics standpoint, it would not require additional travel for PNG, who will already be there for the four-day match against Afghanistan, and the ICC GCA would be available to serve as a neutral venue. The ICC recently had to shift the 2015 U-19 World Cup Qualifier out of Nepal due to infrastructure damage from the earthquakes and it was announced earlier this month that the tournament will now be hosted this October in Malaysia.

Gladstone Dainty has cited insufficient investment to cover initial operational costs and a lack of turf wicket venues in key markets for another delay to the proposed domestic Twenty20 league

Peter Della Penna04-Feb-2013USA Cricket Association president Gladstone Dainty has cited insufficient investment to cover initial operational costs and a lack of turf wicket venues in key markets for another delay to the proposed domestic Twenty20 league. ESPNcricinfo reported last week that Cricket Holdings America LLC, the partnership headed by USACA and New Zealand Cricket to stage a Twenty20 league in the USA, has pushed back the starting date for the league from 2013 to 2014.According to Dainty, who is also the chairman of CHA LLC, the organisers did not want to rush the start of the league with partial funding. They hope for enough revenue to make up the balance so that incidences of players not getting paid in time – as in last summer’s T20 All-Star exhibition match in Toronto and reportedly, in the Bangladesh Premier League last year – can be avoided.”The bottom line is that we did not get all the money to have a quality league,” Dainty told ESPNcricinfo. “We got enough money. We can go start a league but you’ve heard the stories. Players not getting paid, vendors not getting paid. In America, that could be trouble. We don’t want to get involved because we’re not a Full-Member country and we’re really not trying for people to say, ‘Well this is a Mickey Mouse league.'”Besides operational costs, the other key issue revolves around the type of facilities available. While CHA LLC chief executive Neil Maxwell told ESPNcricinfo last year that the proposed league would be played on artificial pitches in order to take advantage of bigger metropolitan markets, Dainty has said that it would be harmful to the league’s image if games were not played on turf.”As long as the ICC says it’s turf wickets, I’ll vigorously defend that position,” Dainty said. “If the ICC changes to artificial wickets, then I’ll change but I don’t think we should be going and starting a league with artificial wickets, at least not in America. I don’t think that our cricketing pedigree is as such that we should be initiating those changes.”Currently the only ICC ODI approved turf wicket venue in the USA is in Florida. Dainty says that more funds should be raised for installing turf wickets in the New York metropolitan area, rather than use any artificial wicket venues that currently exist in the city, for the league to be successful and seize the sizable expatriate fan base there.”You need these wickets to have a quality league. As far as I can see, most of the games are going to be played close to each other, maybe New York-New Jersey, New York- Washington D.C., depending on whether we can get wickets rather than spreading ourselves all over the country. I don’t think we should compromise quality of play and turf wickets, I don’t think you can have the best quality without turf wickets.”Even though the league is expected to be the key driver of revenue to USACA from licensing fees through the CHA LLC agreement, revenue can also be generated from staging other events. Dainty says he is confident there will be as many as three series arranged this year in the USA which may include Full Members or “international club teams”, hinting that IPL franchises may be sought to tour in the same way that European soccer teams have often played exhibition fixtures around the USA outside of their own domestic seasons.The concept of having IPL teams tour the USA was first broached in 2010 when former USACA chief executive Don Lockerbie met with former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi. Although CHA continues to target New York as the base market, Las Vegas has been identified as an ideal destination to host a one-off series. A new cricket stadium would need to be constructed in Las Vegas if such a series were to take place.”I feel confident that that’s one of the places [Las Vegas] we’re gonna have cricket this summer,” Dainty said. “This summer we’re hopeful to maybe have one or two events in Vegas. Vegas is hot in terms of putting a facility together. We have a couple of strong groups putting packages together to have cricket in Vegas, a couple of strong groups that the CHA LLC supports.”If any series are organised for this summer, they would be the first genuine CHA LLC revenue-generating events since the partnership was formed in December 2010. The pair of Twenty20s held in Florida last summer between the West Indies and New Zealand were organised by the West Indies Cricket Board after CHA LLC, which holds the rights to stage Full-Member matches in the USA, sold those rights for the series to the WICB for $1.”It was more important to have the games and to make it work than to make money, so technically it’s a loss but that’s the way we had to do business. It’s the game first and building the game. Everybody’s treating this as maybe the next El Dorado. The streets are just paved with gold and once you find the city you’re rich. Well, we’re planning to build a city.”

David Warner’s 180 powered Australia to a strong lead before their bowlers set about routing India a second time on day two of the third Test at the WACA ground

The Report by Daniel Brettig14-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc dismissed Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar in the second innings to send India hurtling towards defeat•Getty Images

David Warner’s 180 powered Australia to a strong lead before their bowlers set about routing India a second time on day two of the third Test at the WACA ground. Australia were cut down for 369 after an opening stand of 214 between Warner and Ed Cowan, but any gains made by India’s bowlers were frittered away by their batsmen, who limped to 4 for 88. They were still 120 runs short of making Australia bat again, and a handful of wickets away from surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.It was the left-armer Mitchell Starc’s turn to be the visitors’ chief tormentor, swinging the ball at high pace while also gaining some steepling bounce. Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus also struck to maintain their summer jaunt through the visitors’ batting, while Ryan Harris beat the bat often.Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli were India’s last faint hope, but it seemed a forlorn one given how the ball continued to swing, seam and bounce. The failures of the other top-order batsmen opened the question of whether or not Rohit Sharma will debut in Adelaide.Starc defeated Gautam Gambhir with a ball that pranced at the batsman and looped to gully off the bat handle, and then pinned Sachin Tendulkar lbw with in-swing. Tendulkar was unhappy about the decision, shaking his head as he walked off then reacting with dismay to replays that showed the ball clipping leg stump. Virender Sehwag was undone by a Siddle delivery that lifted and left him, while VVS Laxman made another duck on a wretched tour, edging Hilfenhaus’ outswinger into the cordon.For all of India’s woes, their bowlers had again found a trace of brittleness in the hosts’ batting. Australia lost all 10 wickets for 155 from the time Cowan was the first man out, underlining the value of Warner’s innings, among the most brazen played by a Test opener, and his partnership of contrast with the more restrained Cowan. However it reflected poorly on the batsmen that Siddle’s 30 was the next best score.Yadav claimed five wickets for the first time in Tests, striking three times in a hostile morning spell, then Ishant, Zaheer Khan and Vinay Kumar chimed in across the afternoon to limit the hosts’ lead to 208.Resuming at 0 for 149, Cowan and Warner played in more or less the same vein as the previous evening. If Warner reined in his game at all, it was only in a nod to better bowling from the visitors. He was still inclined to swing for the fences every now and then, and crashed another straight drive over Ishant’s head for his fourth six.The first chance of the innings arrived at 193, Warner touching a well-pitched delivery from Zaheer only for it to be dropped by Kohli at first slip. Cowan accumulated soundly at the other end, reaching his second half-century of the series and rotating the strike intelligently. It was he who raised the 200 stand, pulling Yadav to the square-leg boundary to take Australia’s openers past that mark for the first time since Simon Katich and Phil Jaques did it against West Indies in 2008.Thoughts had turned to the possibility of a Cowan century when Yadav moved around the wicket and produced a delivery that moved back a shade to burst between the opener’s bat and pad and disturb the stumps. Cowan was crestfallen to have left the middle, but the following passage would show that batting was not as easy as it had seemed.Warner was struck a painful blow on the elbow, requiring the physio’s attention for the second time in his innings, and Marsh fell cheaply for the fourth time in as many innings this series. He played at a delivery that left him and snicked to Laxman at second slip. Ponting managed one back-foot cover drive before he too was undone by Yadav, who found just enough swing and seam from the off to flatten the former captain’s middle stump.The merry progress of Warner continued in a stand of 48 with his captain Michael Clarke, before the opener finally miscued a loft to offer an outfield catch. Much as Warner cussed, the end of the innings reflected the crazy brave manner of its construction.Clarke received a fine delivery from Zaheer, angled in then moving subtly away, and a similar ball also accounted for Brad Haddin, the wicketkeeper’s duck raising further questions about his place in the side. Michael Hussey battled for fluency and was oddly subservient to the cleaner hitting of Siddle in another brief stand, before Vinay collected his first wicket when Hussey cut to gully.Siddle’s fluent stay was ended when Yadav beat the outside edge to flick off stump, Harris perished for 9 when he lobbed a pull shot to square leg, and Hilfenhaus could not contain himself against Sehwag’s off spin. But bad as Australia’s batsmen had done once Warner departed, India would do worse.

Left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan has said he is not overawed at the prospect of making his international debut on the World Cup stage

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2011Left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan, who replaced the injured fast bowler Sohail Tanvir in Pakistan’s World Cup squad, has said he is not overawed at the prospect of making his international debut on such a big stage.”I’ll treat it as just another game of cricket,” Junaid told . “I’ve represented my country at junior levels and Pakistan A, so I know what the responsibility of playing for your country is like. I don’t think I’ll have any nerves and I’m confident I can handle the situation.”Junaid was selected on the basis of his consistent showing on Pakistan’s domestic circuit. In 35 first-class games, he has picked up 167 wickets at an average of just above 21. He was also the second-highest wicket-taker for Pakistan A in the unofficial ODI series during their recent tour of West Indies where he picked up five wickets in three games.”I’ve been working so hard over the last couple of seasons and I feel that I have consistently improved as a bowler, “Junaid said. “I’ve also been working hard on my batting and I feel that my call-up for the World Cup is warranted as I have done consistently well at all levels for Pakistan.”There have been several high-voltage clashes between India and Pakistan in previous World Cups and Junaid said he was looking forward to another such encounter. “Just getting a chance to play in the World Cup is a dream come true for me,” he told . “But if we get to play against India in the World Cup, it would be a blast to bowl at [Sachin] Tendulkar and get him out. It is an ambition for me.”

A round-up of matches from the second day of the RBS one-day competition

Cricinfo staff12-Feb-2010

Group A

A fine unbeaten ton from opener Ali Asad helped Karachi Dolphins successfully chase down 253 against Peshawar Panthers at the National Stadium. Haroon Ahmed struck an adventurous 61 off 73 balls and was supported by Azam Jan’s 56, but the Panthers were pegged back by their inability to kick on. Faraz Ahmed’s medium-pace compounded their problems with a tight spell of 4 for 48. Chasing 253 for the win, Asad’s innings ensured that the Dolphins were never in trouble. Fahadullah Khan struck a busy 66 to ensure that he had the necessary support and the target was overhauled in 44 overs.Multan Tigers’ bowlers wrapped up Quetta Bears for 190 and set the tone for a fluent win at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex in Karachi. Abdur Rauf started the slide by striking twice early to set the Bears back. Shoaib Khan jnr and Taimur Ali resisted briefly before the spinners – Zulfiqar Babar, Faisal Ali and Mohammad Hafeez (1) – got into the act. Taimur Khan’s 52 was the only saving grace as the spin trio picked seven wickets to asphyxiate the innings. The Tigers were troubled by Shoiab’s medium pace and lost six wickets in their chase, but a target of 191 was never going to pose major problems.

Group B

Mohammad Idrees’ 91-ball 104 propelled Khan Research Laboratories to a comfortable 88-run win over Lahore Eagles at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Despite losing Saeed Anwar for 0 in the first over, and two more before the score reached 60, Idrees ensured that the innings did not slow down. He was assisted by a sedate 59 from Bazid Khan who helped raise 119 runs for the fifth wicket. The innings closed at 263, after Emmad Ali and Mohammad Saeed picked three wickets apiece. The Eagles’ chase was derailed by a spate of wickets that saw the score plummet from 78 for 2 to 89 for 7. They eventually finished at 175, well short of the target.National Bank trumped Habib Bank by three wickets in a last-ball thriller at the Gaddaffi Stadium in Lahore. Chasing a reduced target of 256 in 46 overs, Nasir Jamshed and the middle order overcame a torrid start where two top-order wickets fell for ducks. Shahid Nazir bowled well to finish with 3 for 48, but it was not enough as Mansoor Amjad took his side home. Earlier, a fine hundred from Hassan Raza and a strong support role from Younis Khan propelled HBL to 271 in 50 overs. Raza struck ten fours in his run-a-ball innings, but it proved insufficient to force a win.In another nailbiter at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground, Karachi Zebras pulled off a one-run win over Sui Southern Gas Corporation. Ashraf Ali, whose 71 had taken SSGC to the brink of victory, was run out off the final delivery of the match to hand the Zebras four points. At 195 for 8, still needing 51, SSGC looked well out of the game, but Ashraf forged two solid partnerships with Sohail Khan and Dilawar Khan, neither of whom had any batting expertise to keep SSGC fighting. They were helped by a generous Zebras bowling, which conceded 39 etxras including 25 wides. Zebras had been put in to bat earlier in the day, and were struggling at 91 for 5 before Wajihuddin and Babar Rehman made half-centuries to drive them to a useful 245.

Group C

Fine spells from spinners Imad Wasim and Kamran Hussain formed the cornerstone for Islamabad Leopards’ four-wicket win over Abbottabad Rhinos at the Diamond Club Ground. The Leopards chose to field first and tormented the Rhinos from the very first over when Ghulam Mohammad departed for no score. Javedullah’s run-out set them further back before the spinners took over. Both finished with identical figures of 4 for 24, as the innings floundered after Mir Azam’s belligerent 39. Irfan Talib anchored the chase with a calm 65 to take his side home, though six wickets fell in the process.Shehzad Malik’s 72 was the highlight in Sialkot Stallions’ successful chase of 187 against Rawalpindi Rams at the Jinnah Stadium. Asked to bat first, the Rams never got going and lost wickets too often in a shoddy performance. Only two batsmen – Usman Saeed and Adnan Mufti – reached 40, but neither could push on to a substantial score, as they folded in the 44th over for 187. At 51 for 4, the Stallions’ chase seemed to be going down the same road before Shehzad and Adeel Malik put their heads down to strike the only half-centuries of the day. Adeel perished for 55, but Shehzad ensured that he saw the job through, to give his side four points.Faisalabad Wolves made short work of Lahore Lions, trouncing them by 74 runs in Sargodha. Batting first, the Wolves racked up 274, thanks to Zeeshan Asif’s 74-ball 80. He was supported by Mohammad Shahid, who made 56 in 63 balls. Junaid Zia and Asif Ashfaq picked up three wickets each, as the Wolves were bowled out in the final over. The Lions were never in the hunt and folded up for 200 in the penultimate over. Rana Adnan hit 65 and Yasir Ajmal contributed 46, but the big chase required a more substantial anchor. Aqeel Ahmed picked 3 for 21 to put paid to ensure that the chase never picked momentum.

Group D

Despite a career-best 133 from Rameez Raja, Water and Power Development Authority sneaked a one-run victory over Pakistan Customs at the Bahawal Stadium. Chasing 257, Customs lost their top three for 19, but Raja combined with Rameez Aziz for a 113-run stand that evened the match. After another couple of quick blows, he was involved in a steadying 66-run partnership with wicketkeeper Hanif Malik. Customs seemed to have sealed the match reaching 254 for 7, but contrived to lose their final three wickets for one run, with Imranullah Aslam striking twice in the final over of the match. Earlier, half-centuries from Rafatullah Mohmand, Bilal Khilji and Jahangir Mirza proved the backbone of WAPDA’s batting effort after they won the toss.Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited opened their campaign with a convincing 53-run victory over Pakistan International Airlines at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Half-centuries from opener Naeemuddin and No. 3 Raza Ali Dar powered SNGPL after they were put in. There was a lower-order collapse towards the end of the innings – five wickets going down for 18 runs – but SNGPL managed to put up a competitive 245. PIA opener Khurram Manzoor’s 89 was the cornerstone of the chase but with Fahad Iqbal being the only other batsman making it past 15, they were bowled out for 192. Dar was the most successful of the SNGPL bowlers, striking four times in five overs to finish off PIA’s challenge.

Chamari Athapaththu has been named captain of the 15-member squad

Madushka Balasuriya10-Sep-2025Veteran left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani has returned to the Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup after nearly a year-long injury layoff.Batter Imesha Dulani, who was dropped for the home tri-series against India and South Africa earlier this year, is also in the 15-member squad for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka beginning on September 30. Teenagers Rashmika Sewwandi and Manudi Nanayakkara, batter Hansima Karunaratne, and spinner Inoshi Fernando were not picked.Prabodhani, 39, last represented Sri Lanka during the Women’s T20 World Cup in October last year and hasn’t played an ODI since the tour of Ireland in August 2024. She was recovering from a persistent hamstring injury and her return will boost Sri Lanka’s seam attack, which includes 35-year-old Achini Kulasuriya and 24-year-old Malki Madara.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Dulani, 23, replaced 17-year-old Nanayakkara in the squad and will likely serve as back-up batter. The captain Chamari Athapaththu heads a settled batting unit that includes Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Piumi Wathsala and Anushka Sanjeewani.Even with the exclusion of Inoshi, Sri Lanka still have plenty of spin options in Dewmi Vihanga, Inoka Ranaweera and Sugandika Kumari, and also the allrounders Athapaththu and Dilhari.Sri Lanka begin their World Cup campaign against India in Guwahati on September 30 and then play their next four games in Colombo before travelling to Navi Mumbai to take on Bangladesh. They then return home for their final league game against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka squad for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025

Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Achini Kulasuriya, Piumi Wathsala, Dewmi Vihanga, Malki Madara, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, are looking to up their fielding as both teams face off to fine-tune for the showpiece event

Madushka Balasuriya16-Feb-2024There might be a little over three months left for June’s Men’s T20 World Cup, but for Afghanistan and Sri Lanka that leaves just six competitive fixtures each before the start of the tournament – three of which will take place over the next week, starting on Saturday with the first T20I in Dambulla.This means that any flaws that crop up or game-plan tweaks that need doing take on added significance – essentially, this is the time to perfect your game, there’s not much time left for much else. And for Sri Lanka, team composition will likely take precedence.In the just-concluded ODIs a line-up featuring four frontline bowlers, six batters and Wanindu Hasaranga as a sole allrounder proved to be a winning combination. In T20s though, Sri Lanka have tended to favour more allrounders, with the likes of Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva capable with both bat and ball. With World Cup surfaces in the Caribbean and the USA likely to vary from batting friendly to sometimes slow and low, similar to subcontinental wickets, sides need to be prepared for any eventuality, something captain Hasaranga is cognisant off.”We saw in the ODIs that going in with just one allrounder worked. When we play on good wickets we can play like that. The batters have confidence when they know the wicket is good. In T20s also I would very much like to play like that,” he said on the eve of the first T20I. “Because I bowl four overs [along with his batting], there is also a line of thinking as to whether we need another bowling option or not.”So the plan largely depends on the type of wickets we’re playing on as well; the plan has to suit that. We need to be thinking about the World Cup coming up when playing these games.”Sri Lanka’s last two T20 World Cup outings have been underwhelming, plagued with injuries and general underperformance. While they won a T20 Asia Cup in between, inconsistency in the format has been a recurring theme. When everyone is fit though, Hasaranga is confident that Sri Lanka’s bowling attack in particular measures up with the best in the world.”If you look at world cricket, we’re one of the best teams in terms of bowling outfits. If you look at the rankings, myself and Maheesh [Theekshana] are in the top 10. Dushmantha Chameera was unlucky with his injury, otherwise he’d also be here. But in his place we have Binura [Fernando] who has come in, and there’s also Matheesha [Pathirana] and Nuwan Thushara. We know how good those two are. Dilshan Madushanka is also there.”In terms of bowlers we have quite a few options, so when we come to playing on good tracks – especially T20s – we need to see exactly how to bowl. We’ve bowled on good wickets before, so I think in T20s it’s from the bowlers that you’re going to win matches.”The types of wickets we’re going to play on at the World Cup, there’s a good chance we’ll play on similar wickets during these next six games. With that we’ll be aiming to figure out how we can win a game with our combination of bowlers.”As for Afghanistan, the upcoming World Cup is a chance to build on their growing reputation. Previous appearances have seen them notch up big scalps, while in last years ODI World Cup they registered wins against three former world champions on their way to securing qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy by virtue of finishing in the top eight.With arguably their best format, T20s, now in focus, they’re targeting their best performance yet in a major tournament.”I think lots of people before the World Cup [last year], they didn’t consider Afghanistan a strong side. But what we did, it was a good answer to anyone, especially those people that thought Afghanistan was only a T20 side,” said Afghanistan assistant coach Raees Ahmed. “But as a Full Member we’re working a lot, our players are working hard. The way we performed in the World Cup, we want to continue.”Most of our players are playing in different franchises around the world – we have eight or nine players playing the IPL – so this will help the team. I don’t think Afghanistan will be an easy side to face, I think we could be in the top four or five. Every team will think twice before playing Afghanistan in the World Cup.”An area that they will need to improve quickly though is in their fielding. Across the recent ODI series, Afghanistan were guilty of dropping a spate of catches – many of which in hindsight might have been game-defining.”This is the area that we should work harder in, if you want to beat the stronger sides. It will help the team and give it some nice momentum when you have a strong fielding side. Yes, this is the area that we should be working on a lot. Honestly, we’re far behind as a fielding side. But we have time, we will work on it, and we will cover that weakness.”

They beat a Western Australia Cricket Association XI by 13 runs with Arshdeep Singh also making a mark

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2022Suryakumar Yadav continued his good form as the Indian team beat the Western Australia Cricket Association XI by 13 runs in its first practice game ahead of the T20 World Cup, in Perth on Monday.The Indian team, which has been training at the WACA for the past three days, wanted to get used to the pace and bounce of the track. They made 158 for 6 in their stipulated 20 overs and in reply, the WACA XI managed only 145 for 8 in their 20 overs.Instead of captain Rohit Sharma’s regular partner KL Rahul, it was Rishabh Pant, who opened the innings for the visitors. But it was Suryakumar, whose 35-ball 52 was the highlight of the innings as a few hundred fans enjoyed his free-flowing strokeplay. He hit three fours and as many sixes during his knock and not for once did the pace and bounce of the track looked like troubling the world No. 2 ranked T20I batter.The other man, who made a significant contribution, was allrounder Hardik Pandya who scored 27 off 20 balls. Deepak Hooda, having recently recovered from injury, also chipped in with 22 off 14 balls at No. 3.India were 28 for 2 in the powerplay before Suryakumar’s intervention. His wicket, in the 18th over, left India at 129 for 5 but the last 16 balls yielded 29 runs and got them closer to the 160-run mark.Defending the total against a WACA XI wasn’t a big ask as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh basically blew away the home team’s top-order inside the powerplay. WACA XI were reduced to 12 for 4 in the third over and they could never recover from the setback.Arshdeep was the best Indian bowler on view with impressive figures of 3 for 6 from three overs, while Bhuvneshwar (2 for 26) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2 for 15) also chipped in.India’s next practice game against the same opposition is on October 13 before the team travels to Brisbane for two official T20 World Cup warm-up games against Australia and New Zealand.

The allrounder is now back with the New Zealand squad and has no plans to ditch the captaincy

Andrew McGlashan08-Jun-2021New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has opened up on her decision to take a break from the game at the end of last season, with her fatigue having reached a point where she did not feel able to do herself or her team justice.Devine stepped away after the first T20I against Australia in late March – following a run of seven internationals that brought a top score of 17 – and revealed she did not think about the game for about two months. She is now back with the New Zealand squad as part of their first winter training camp in Christchurch and wants to retain the captaincy ahead of a 12-month period that includes a tour of England, the home one-day World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.”Looking back, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, it had probably been bubbling away for a little while,” Devine said. “For me I just knew I couldn’t do a job. It’s the same thing as if I broke a leg or pulled my hamstring – if I can’t complete the job to 100% then I need to take a serious look if I’m worthy of being in that team. And at that stage, I couldn’t live up to my role, what I expect of myself, as well as what my team-mates expect of me.”I had my own little bubble for probably two months and spent that time going back to simple things, spending time away from cricket first and foremost and spending it with loved ones which was really important. I needed to get back to what makes me feel good. I had fantastic support which made it easier for me, wasn’t having to worry about expectations. I really did switch off from everyone and everything which I needed to do at that time.”Amy Satterthwaite stepped into the captaincy against Australia but Devine said her commitment to the role had never wavered. “I certainly do want to keep with it, that’s something that has stayed throughout.”While not singling out one factor that led her to the point of taking the break, Devine acknowledged the challenges presented by Covid-19. Last year she was part of the New Zealand squad that had two weeks quarantine in Brisbane before facing Australia, was then part of the WBBL hub in Sydney and then did two more weeks of quarantine on returning home.”Covid has certainly thrown a spanner in the works and spending time in numerous different bubbles and quarantine, it’s a bizarre environment,” she said. “Think it was a combination of a lot of different things.”Devine has been working with New Zealand Cricket’s psychologist Natalie Hogg to put in place strategies if she feels she is having difficulties again, and also hopes her situation encourages others to speak out or seek help if they need it.Sophie Devine is crucial to New Zealand with bat and ball•Getty Images

“Hopefully it doesn’t happen again, but it might and hopefully I’m in a better position to deal with it if those things do come up. And I can share my stories with others to know it’s okay to be able to step away. It’s not just athletes, it’s everyone. We need to create that space for people to be able to talk about mental health.”It seems to be quite topical at the moment, the really important thing to keep remembering is we are humans too – humans first and athletes second. We are not shying away from the fact that we know we are going to scrutinised from the public, media, everything and we don’t want to step away from that. It’s just remembering behind the helmet, the bat and the pads there’s a person under there too.”Joining Devine back in the New Zealand set-up at the training camp which has been largely focused on fitness testing has been Suzie Bates, who had shoulder surgery six months ago which ruled her out of the home summer.Bates has picked up a bat again over the last month and is confident that she is on track to return to action. She admitted she found it tough being around the game in the initial part of her recovery which included a commentary role, but by the end of the season was eager to be involved.”It was an interesting experience. The first tour against England I wanted nothing to do with it, but with commentating I couldn’t help it, but then the Aussie series I felt like I wanted to be back around the group just trying to help because I could sense that individuals were struggling a bit.”It was a tough summer but I’m absolutely fizzed that I haven’t missed a World Cup. All going well my shoulder will be fit to play a full part again.”In my White Ferns career this is probably the most exciting 12 months that we’ve got with a home World Cup and a Commonwealth Games. So when I was sat at home feeling a bit sorry for myself, to know those two tournaments were ahead of us was really exciting.”