Rising Pune Supergiant are a win away from securing a playoff berth, but they’ll have to do it without Imran Tahir

The Preview by Shashank Kishore11-May-2017

Match facts

Delhi Daredevils v Rising Pune Supergiant
New Delhi, May 12, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:41

Hogg: Zampa can match Tahir on economy, not wickets

Head to head

Rising Pune Supergiant lead 2-1, with both their wins coming last season. In their first exchange this season, Delhi Daredevils were powered by a maiden T20 hundred from Sanju Samson and a blistering unbeaten 38, off just nine balls, from Chris Morris that helped them win by 97 runs after scoring 205.

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils (sixth): beat Gujarat Lions by two wickets, lost to Mumbai Indians by 146 runs, beat Gujarat Lions by seven wickets
Rising Pune Supergiant (third): beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 12 runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets, beat Gujarat Lions by five wickets

In the news

Pune will be without Imran Tahir and Faf du Plessis. The pair left for a preparatory camp in South Africa ahead of a limited-overs series in England before the Champions Trophy. Adam Zampa, the Australia legspinner, is likely to slot in for Tahir.Daredevils have a quick turnaround of little under 48 hours since their game against Gujarat Lions. Already without Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Angelo Mathews, who have left for national duty, they are unlikely to tweak their XI barring injuries.

Qualification scenario

Pune are on 16 points, but aren’t entirely safe because of an inferior net run rate. They need to win at least one of their two remaining games to guarantee qualification to the playoffs. Should they lose both, and Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers win their remaining matches, Pune will be knocked out. Unless Kolkata Knight Riders lose their final game, Pune will need to win both their remaining games to finish in a coveted top-two spot.

The likely XIs

Delhi Daredevils: 1 Sanju Samson, 2 Karun Nair, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Carlos Brathwaite, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mohammed Shami/Shahbaz Nadeem, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Zaheer Khan (capt)Rising Pune Supergiant: 1 Rahul Tripathi, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Manoj Tiwary, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Adam Zampa

Strategy punt

Zampa has dismissed Samson twice in the two games he has played against Daredevils. Considering Samson’s strike rate drops to the 130s against spin as compared to 150 against pace, there’s perhaps a case of Pune opening with Zampa or even Washington Sundar, the offspinner.

Stats that matter

• Rahul Tripathi is the second-highest scorer in the Powerplays this season, just 12 runs behind David Warner’s tally of 264 runs. Tripathi has been striking at 170.27 in the first six overs.
• Among the 26 seamers who have bowled 20 or more overs this season, only two – Andrew Tye and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – have better economy rates than Christian’s 7.25.
• Prior to the ongoing season, Amit Mishra has an economy of 7.23. This season he has conceded 8.57 runs an over, his second-worst since 2014 when he went at 8.92.
• Daredevils are among three teams who have taken 66 wickets, the fewest this season. Their economy of 8.77 is the second-worst among all teams in IPL 2017.
• Tahir is he second-highest wicket-taker this season with 18 wickets at 20.50. He has bowled 47 overs in 12 games. Only Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have bowled more overs. Zampa, who could replace Tahir, has played just two games this season.

Both India and West Indies have had on- and off-field issues of late. The visitors are still favourites, provided their batsmen adjust to the slow, low Caribbean tracks

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro22-Jun-2017

Match Facts

June 23, 2017
Start time 0900 local (1300 GMT)

Big Picture

Take out India’s 20-7 win-loss record since the start of their home season last year, and you have a team on very shaky ground. Misunderstandings between captain and coach which led to the coach quitting even as the squad was mid-flight to the Caribbean, a thumping in a very high-profile global final just last weekend, and two middle-order superstars on the wane.West Indies, in the past few years, have seen coaches sacked and players banned. Successes have been scarce – they have won two of nine ODIs this year, and slumped to ninth on the ICC ODI rankings. Both teams’ mindset off the field must be rather similar. Except, they aren’t.The negative forces currently surrounding India are strong enough to destabilise any team, but winning is the most impactful nullifying factor in sports. Despite their issues, in terms of personnel, skills, confidence and form, India have the edge, no doubt. They just made the final of the Champions Trophy; West Indies did not qualify for the Champions Trophy, and while it was in progress they lost an ODI to Afghanistan at home.In the five-match series against West Indies, India’s biggest stumbling block could be the slow nature of the Caribbean pitches. Apart from the occasional turner, India have played their ODI cricket on predominantly high run-scoring surfaces. They last played an ODI in the West Indies four years ago. Here, hitting through the ball or swinging across the line may not be viable options. Instead, opening the face of the bat late and nudging accurate bowling into gaps could be the best alternatives. How effectively will India adapt?West Indies have honed their ODI cricket on such surfaces in the recent past. The lower the scores, the higher are West Indies’ chances. A series win against India is a must as they aim to climb the rankings and get direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup.

Form guide

West Indies WLLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
India LWWLW

In the spotlight

Spinning allrounders may be the most productive asset on low, slow pitches. West Indies picked Roston Chase for the series against Afghanistan, albeit on Test form. He didn’t quite deliver, but still has the best resume for the job. A quick, flat and accurate modus operandi with the ball is well supplemented by his boundary-hitting ability.Virat Kohli will be pleased to get back on the field, given the distractions off it. Fingers have been pointed and focus was temporarily shifted away from the game. All eyes will be on how Kohli leads his team in the wake of the biggest controversy of his captaincy tenure. He is also India’s best and most capable batsman in challenging conditions. A determined Kohli is not what West Indies will want to come up against.

Team news

With Shannon Gabriel unavailable due to injury, West Indies named an unchanged 13-man squad for the first two ODIs. Fast bowler Kesrick Williams and legspinner Devendra Bishoo may miss out.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jonathan Carter, 5 Jason Mohammed, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Miguel CumminsRohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah are the two exclusions from India’s squad from the Champions Trophy. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav were picked in their place, but they may not make the XI initially. Ajinkya Rahane is likely to take Rohit’s opening spot, and Umesh Yadav could be brought in for Bumrah.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umesh Yadav

Pitch and conditions

In the three T20s played between West Indies and Pakistan at the Queen’s Park Oval – the venue for the first two ODIs – earlier this year, the highest score was 138 for 3 in a successful chase. Run-making is unlikely to get any easier, which could mean both teams’ batsmen face a trial of slow bowling. There is no rain forecast.

Stats and trivia

• The previous ODI played at Queen’s Park Oval was between India and Sri Lanka in 2013
• India have lost three of their last four away ODIs against West Indies

Quotes

“We see [Rahane] more powerful at the opening slot and that’s where he can play his game the best, so during the course of all these five games, Ajinkya will definitely open with Shikhar.”
Virat Kohli

South Africa wrapped up England’s innings midway through the afternoon session on the fourth day, leaving themselves a target of 331 to win the first Test

The Report by Alan Gardner09-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:15

‘Moeen at his best when he is aggressive’ – Root

Do you remember the first time? Joe Root certainly will after England swept South Africa aside to mark his captaincy debut with a crushing victory as 19 wickets fell in a day at Lord’s. Moeen Ali, taking full licence of the attacking brief given to him by Root, ran through a mesmerised South Africa batting order to claim 6 for 53 on the way to a maiden ten-wicket haul in Tests.Having been set 331 to win the first Test, with almost 150 overs in which to get them, South Africa were unable to even take the match into a fifth day. With the pitch offering appreciable assistance for the spin of Moeen and Liam Dawson, they subsided to 119 all out in 36.4 overs, with Temba Bavuma’s 41-ball 21 providing the most prolonged resistance. Faf du Plessis, looking on from the balcony having returned to lead the team at Trent Bridge next week, was left with much to ponder.

England unchanged for Trent Bridge

England have named an unchanged squad for Friday’s second Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge, in the wake of their 211-run victory at Lord’s.
“I didn’t know what to expect but what was pleasing was everything I asked of the lads they were very open to do and responded to it,” Joe Root, England’s captain, said.
“I wanted us to be proactive, to stay ahead of the game and when there was an opportunity, to take responsibility. Everyone at certain points did that and it can’t be a bad thing moving forward.”
Squad Joe Root (capt), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Toby Roland-Jones.

South Africa were in trouble early in their innings, going to tea on 25 for 3, with Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock their main hope of giving Root and England a fright. Only once had a team chased as many in the fourth innings to win a Lord’s Test, though Root may have recalled for a moment the occasion when he filled in as Yorkshire captain in 2014 and saw Middlesex ease to a target of 472 three wickets down on this ground.That gained him the nickname “craptain” in the Yorkshire dressing room, but it looks like England will have to come up with something more generous. In truth, Root did not have to resort to much in the way of tactical genius, as his two spinners bowled in tandem for 24 overs to finish off South Africa with time to spare on another sun-drenched evening in north London. South Africa had not lost a Test at Lord’s since 1960 but they broke that record in style.It meant their fightback during the first half of the day, when they claimed England’s last nine wickets for the addition of 114 runs became a distant memory. It could have been better still but Jonny Bairstow, who scored a vital half-century, was dropped on 7 as South Africa replicated the mistakes that were so costly to their chances in the first innings.After James Anderson had made the initial breakthrough, Heino Kuhn removed via a fine, diving catch from Bairstow down the leg side, Moeen picked up his first wicket when he brilliantly held a reflex return catch off Dean Elgar. South Africa’s stand-in captain must have feared the worst at that moment, and their fortunes sunk further when JP Duminy pulled Mark Wood straight to midwicket on the brink of tea.Moeen Ali celebrates his five-wicket haul as South Africa are rolled aside at Lord’s•Getty Images

The selection of Dawson, who made a pair with the bat, was not widely lauded beforehand but he delivered for Root when he plucked out the key wicket of Amla shortly after the interval. Moeen’s first four overs were maidens, bottling up South Africa from the Nursery End, and Dawson then produced a ripping delivery that pitched on middle and leg, spun past the groping bat and hit the back leg in front of off; Amla reviewed but in vain.De Kock and Bavuma dug in for more than 10 overs, lifting the score from 28 for 4 with a 36-run stand, but an increasingly confident England had Mo-mentum on their side. When de Kock tried to relieve some of the pressure by pulling, he only succeeded in dragging the ball into his front leg, from where it fizzed back into his stumps.Bavuma also fell trying to force an attacking shot to break England’s chokehold, a precise delivery hitting the top of off, and Moeen then had Theunis de Bruyn caught at slip and Keshav Maharaj bowled off an inside edge to record his maiden Test ten-for. Having contributed 87 to the first-innings total of 458, he became the first England player to score a fifty and take ten wickets in a Test since Ian Botham in 1980.Botham-like heroics will help keep most Test captains feeling chipper and, following his first-innings 190, Root could reflect on a perfect start to his tenure. It had been a slightly bumpier beginning to the day, however, as England lost nine wickets in 36.1 overs – though the consolation for Root was that the procession of batsmen returning to join him in the dressing room could attest to the increasing difficulty of the pitch.Bairstow was last man out, stumped off Maharaj, the spinner’s four-wicket haul a harbinger of what was to come. At lunch, England’s lead had been 279 but Bairstow and Wood scraped together valuable extra runs during a brisk ninth-wicket stand of 45. Apart from Alastair Cook and Gary Ballance, who added 10 and 11 respectively to their overnight scores, no other England batsmen managed to get into double-figures on the day.Maharaj might have removed Bairstow right at the start of his innings, only for Vernon Philander, who was fit to bowl after injuring his hand batting on the third day, to drop a simple catch at long-off. Maharaj claimed three of the seven wickets to fall in the first session, amid increasing signs of the pitch breaking up. The dismissal of Cook for 69, caught at cover attempting to lift the scoring, precipitated an England collapse of 4 for 10 in 39 balls – which would have been 5 for 19 had Bairstow’s offering been held.The evidence of the first over of the morning was that the Lord’s baize was by now a little rumpled. At least two deliveries from Philander kept low before the last jumped to hit Ballance on the glove. When Maharaj came into the attack shortly before the hour mark, the first ball of his second over went directly to slip out of the rough; the same over concluded with Root being bowled by one that didn’t turn.Cook and Ballance picked up initially in much the same mood as they guided England to the close on the third evening, a couple of tugboats towing their barge along the Thames. They had added a boundary apiece, taking their partnership to 59, before Cook suddenly weighed anchor and drove aerially into the covers, where Bavuma snaffled a sharp, diving catch.Morne Morkel continued his impressive Test by having Ballance caught behind with another exacting delivery that straightened from round the wicket and England slide’s continued with the dismissal of Root for 5 in the following over. Having seen Maharaj spin the ball sharply, Root swept a boundary but was then caught playing back and got an inside-edge on to his stumps.Ben Stokes did not have much time for reconnaissance, pinned lbw for 1 by a delivery that shot through low from Rabada. Stokes started walking as soon as it hit him, while Rabada – suspended for the next Test due to his outburst after dismissing Stokes in the first innings – kept his counsel. That left England 149 for 5 and it ought to have been 158 for 6 when Bairstow lofted Maharaj towards Philander, only for the fielder to drop it on to the rope. He gestured towards the skies, seeming to suggest that Spidercam had distracted him – but little could excuse the scale of South Africa’s defeat.

The 27-year old has been diagnosed with pneumonia; Rangana Herath likely to lead

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2017Dinesh Chandimal, the newly-appointed Sri Lanka Test captain, will miss at least the first Test against India after contracting pneumonia. Rangana Herath, who captained Sri Lanka in four Tests in the 2016-17 season, will lead the side in Galle, in Chandimal’s stead.”We were actually only told late last night – the blood Test came a bit late. He’s got pneumonia,” Asanka Gurusinha, Sri Lanka’s cricket manager, said of Chandimal on Friday. “He was admitted to hospital this morning at 9am, and he’s definitely out of the first Test.”The doctors have advised us this morning to say: ‘Finish the first Test’ and they’ll advise us afterwards. If they tell us he needs another week to recover, that’s it. We can’t do anything. He had started feeling unwell on Tuesday after the Zimbabwe Test, but we never suspected it would be anything like pneumonia.” Chandimal has, however, been cleared of dengue, which has been rife in Sri Lanka over the past few months.His absence is a significant blow to the team, not just because Chandimal is captain, but also as he is part of a relatively settled top order. In addition, Chandimal will have had fond memories of the most recent India Test in Galle, where his rapid 162 not out helped overturn a first-innings deficit of 193.Although limited-overs captain Upul Tharanga is in the side, Herath’s experience has landed him stand-in captaincy. Herath most recently led the Test side in the 1-1 draw against Bangladesh, in March.”Most probably the captain is going to be Rangana, because for now it’s just one Test, and he has done the job before,” Gurusinha said.The news is slightly better for Sri Lanka elsewhere on the injury front. Asela Gunaratne, who had experienced tightness in the hamstring during the Zimbabwe Test, is likely to be available for the match. “He’s good – we got the green light from the physio this morning, but we’ll still have to put him through his paces over the next few days,” Gurusinha said. “Asela is a very resilient guy. Very tough.”Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who had also missed the Zimbabwe Test also with a hamstring injury, has recovered sufficiently to be named in the squad Gurusinha confirmed. The full squad is expected to be announced late on Friday.

Jason Roy’s reputation is markedly higher than his red-ball average, but for once those worlds collided at Kia Oval in a tight London derby

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Kia Oval29-Aug-2017Jason Roy led Surrey’s response•Getty Images

A young Surrey side spurned the opportunity to run rings around a Middlesex XI that creaked in the field on day two of a match that is still anyone’s when it really should be theirs. It may be putting too fine a point on it, but what sprightly exuberance the hosts displayed on day one to fight for every run in the field was countered by a batting display that began well and lost concentration as it went on. The wise heads accompanying James Franklin in the field managed enough of the game to ensure it was rarely beyond them.Dismissing Middlesex inside 85-overs gave Surrey the luxury of batting at their own pace. Even with the loss of both openers, they began day two at their leisure: 69 runs scored in the entirety of the morning session, for the loss of just Scott Borthwick, edging Steven Finn behind, 10-minutes before lunch. The bulk of those runs came from Nightwatchman Stuart Meaker: booed for turning down runs the night before, was egged on after every boundary – three in a row were taken off Toby Roland-Jones – on his way to a more than useful 42.Time was the real currency, here. Surrey’s batting card had a club cricket quality to it: wiser heads dotted in and amongst the younger kids. Experienced spread about like policemen on street corners, making sure everyone ticked along nicely. When the peace needed to be disturbed, Surrey had just the men for it.An older ball in the second session was flayed around, as Jason Roy and Ben Foakes made use of a slow pitch and a frustrated Middlesex attack, helping to put on 149 between lunch and tea. Naturally, England thoughts crept in. It doesn’t take much at a county match for home fans to plug their own, especially when England are rattling through players like disposable razors.In Roy, Surrey have a player who seems to command a Test place in newspaper columns rather than in his work against the red ball. For 91 balls, those two worlds collided.In at four, he got off the mark with a cut off Finn through point. As scoring became tougher, he knuckled down, picking off singles at will. He didn’t have to battle, but he did have to grind. Then, when he was 36 from 48 balls, he decided it was time to kick things up a gear and smashed Ollie Rayner into the Pavilion two balls in a row to move to 48 from 50. The half-century came up eight balls later. Thing is, it was only his second half-century of the season – albeit a season in which he has been limited to just five innings so far through white ball commitments with the IPL and England.Once that was in the bag, Roy stepped aside for Foakes, who had played it cool for the most part, contributing 35 of their century partnership. Foakes was 33 from 82 balls before making his move: a brace of fours off Finn, one off Roland-Jones helping him to 50 from 94 balls.From this point on, it really should have been a tale of two men reaching their first Championship centuries of the season. Instead, the story to tell is of an advantage spurned. When Roy had a brain fade and failed to clear mid off against Adam Voges’ passable left-arm spin, and Foakes was trapped in front by James Franklin, it sent about a cascade of wickets that saw Surrey’s secure a first innings lead of just 33.The final four wickets would fall for just 49 runs, the last four with the new ball: Roland-Jones finishing with four for 66 and Tim Murtagh bagging his first two of the match. All the hard work of the fifth wicket stand between Roy and Foakes should have turned the match. In the end, it reads as a flashy 125 that simply got the game back to square one, with honours just about even.At stumps, brought about by bad light, Middlesex were just 18 behind, Sam Robson and Nick Compton still in tact, with weather expected to play some part on day three. For the second evening in a row, they leave the happier despite Surrey having controlled most of the preceding play.

Team management’s decision to spread workload uniformly on the bowlers has helped, says India pacer

Alagappan Muthu in Nagpur30-Sep-2017In the last two years, it would seem that India have earmarked Umesh Yadav for long-form cricket. The 29-year old fast bowler has played 19 out of 24 Tests in this period, but only 21 of the 40 ODIs, and he might just prefer it that way.”The thing with ODIs is that there will always be games. I enjoy playing Tests more,” Umesh said at a press conference at his home ground in Nagpur. “You have time in a Test and there are situations and match simulations (in the preparations) to know how to respond to a situation. I like those challenges. I like that because it increases confidence and also makes a bowler more accurate. You know the line and length you need on a particular surface and you focus on that. I am more than happy to play as a Test bowler.”However, Umesh clarified that he was not quite ready to start picking and choosing formats. “Playing both Tests and ODIs is good and particularly for me, because I am at an age when the more cricket I play the better it is for me,” he said. “I don’t want to be at a stage where I am saying I don’t want to play this format or that, I want to keep going. I would love to play in all formats.”To a certain extent, India now have enough seamers of quality and variety that they can manage their workloads better without losing their potency as a team. At the start of the Bengaluru ODI, Australia captain Steven Smith rated Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the world’s best death bowlers in 50-overs cricket. And over the course of a long home season in 2016-17, Mohammed Shami and Umesh won praise from their own captain, who said they were among the top five quicks in Test cricket.Separating them to play the respective formats they are good at seems not only the logical choice, but also helps the players function at peak fitness. “I think it’s good for the fast bowlers,” Umesh said. “If you continuously play Test cricket, it’s lot of load for fast bowler. Playing in sub-continent conditions is very tough. Slow wicket, no pace and bounce for fast bowlers, you have to give your 100 per cent. It’s very hard for the fast bowlers to come to one-day cricket with the same intensity [immediately afterwards]. It is better you get some rest. It also helps you recover from small niggles. It’s a good concept as we get proper rest and look after ourselves properly.”Umesh also felt that fast bowlers could not afford to become full-fledged Test or one-day specialists because of their fitness needs. “If you are playing a lot of Test cricket, say 15-20 Tests in a year, then you have to decide what to do. Because you can’t otherwise say I only want to play Tests – there are fewer Tests in the year, so what will you do the rest of the time?”It is important for a player’s body to have match practice. We say it’s good to keep practicing and everything will be fine, but that’s not the case. Until you don’t play matches, your physical form is not ideal and you don’t have that match-situation awareness. When you’re bowling in a match, you have to use your whole body and you know what lines you have to bowl. In the nets you do practice but at that time, you don’t really understand where the ball is going and what a situation is. There’s a big difference between bowling to batsmen on your team and the opposition’s batsmen.”So if there is a situation where we are playing four Tests against a team and then there are ODIs, I prefer playing Tests first. The way my body responds and how fit I am, then I will say I am ready. But there is no such thing for me that I will play only Tests or only ODIs. If you don’t accept all the challenges in cricket, then what are you a fast bowler for?”

The former Bangladesh captains went unopposed as nominees for the October 31 election

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2017Former Bangladesh captains Khaled Mahmud and Akram Khan will continue as BCB directors after they, and six others, went unopposed as nominees for the October 31 election. The same cannot be said about Naimur Rahman who, at this stage, is among five nominees for the two directors’ posts from the Dhaka regional and district associations.Some withdrawals, however, are likely to take place in this segment on October 29, the deadline day for withdrawals and final nominations list to be published by the election commission. There are also two nominees for the single director’s post for the Barisal region, with MA Awwal Chowdhury and Alamgir Khan pitted against each other.Mahmud was the only one to submit nomination papers in category-3, under which he is a councillor as a BCB-nominated former cricketer. Akram represents the Chittagong divisional sports association. Both were BCB directors in the 2013 to 2017 period.In fact, the six others who also submitted nomination papers from their respective regions were board directors previously. They are Sheikh Sohel and Kazi Inam Ahmed (Khulna), Shafiul Alam Chowdhury (Sylhet), Anwarul Islam (Rangpur), AJM Nasiruddin (Chittagong) and Saiful Alam Swapan (Rajshahi).Fourteen councillors have filed nominations for the 12 directors’ posts in the Dhaka metropolitan club category although it is likely that the National Sports Council will select two from this category as their picks for automatic directors’ position. It would mean the 12 other nominations in this category would also become board directors uncontested. They were all directors in the previous board.There are two vacancies from the previous board of directors: Nazmul Karim Tinku passed away earlier this year while Ahmed Iqbal Hasan is not participating in the elections this year.

The spin duo strangled Rajshahi Kings after Comilla had won the toss, and left their batsmen a meagre target

The Report by Mohammad Isam12-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Rashid Khan lets rip with an appeal•AFP

Comilla Victorians crushed Rajshahi Kings by nine wickets after Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan starred with the ball, taking four wickets collectively as Rajshahi lurched to their third loss in four games.Sent to bat, Rajshahi’s innings hardly put up a decent partnership. They succumbed to the deadly Afghan combination – Rashid’s subtle variations and Nabi’s accuracy- as they made only 115 for 7 in 20 overs. Nabi finished with 3 for 15 while Rashid gave away just seven runs in four overs for his wicket.Liton Das gave Comilla a brisk start before Imrul Kayes and Jos Buttler finished off the chase with their unbroken 97-run second-wicket stand, taking Cmilla home with 29 balls to spare.The only good partBefore he was stretchered off, Simmons was the only Rajshahi batsman to give Comilla something to think about. Off Nabi, he slammed a straight six before hitting Arafat Sunny for three consecutive fours in the sixth over. But off the next ball, he completed a single while clutching his hamstring and then went down. His 40 came off 23 balls with the solitary six and six fours. With his departure, Rajshahi were effectively 48 for three in the sixth over, having already lost Mominul Haque and Rony Talukdar in the fourth and fifth over respectively.Afghans rule MirpurMominul was Nabi’s first wicket before Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nihaduzzaman also fell to his accurate offspin. Credit for Miraz’s wicket was shared with Marlon Samuels too, who leaped to his right at backward point to hold on to catch.Rashid took the key wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim in the ninth over. Rashid had worked over Mushfiqur for six deliveries before an attempted flick took the top edge, and was easily caught at extra cover. Rashid also had a hand in the removal of Malcolm Waller in the 11th over when the Zimbabwean lost his concentration momentarily during an lbw appeal and took off for a single assuming the ball had gone past the square. Liton quickly whipped off the bails, getting him run-out.Liton goes sweepingFarhad Reza was subjected to four sweeps by Liton before he was bowled off the last ball of an over while attempting a punch over the infield. The first of those sweeps that connected, somewhat, went for a six over the wicketkeeper before the next one went off a glove through the same region. Off the fifth ball Liton connected properly with the sweep against an outswinger and it sailed over the square-leg boundary for a second six in the over. Despite conceding 22 runs in the over, Farhad had the last laugh when he snuck a slower ball in and beat the bat to find middle and leg.Chasing it down unflappablyLike he did with Samuels in Comilla’s last match, Kayes settled down to take his side closer to the chase. This time, Buttler was with him. Buttler made an unbeaten 50 off 39 balls with four boundaries and two sixes while Imrul was not out on 44 off 41 balls, finishing the chase with a pulled six off Malcolm Waller.

England’s tour has been thrown into turmoil by allegations of another off-field incident involving Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft

George Dobell in Brisbane26-Nov-20171:45

Getting drunk is the best form of team bonding – KP

Andrew Strauss, the England team director, says that allegations that Jonny Bairstow “headbutted” Cameron Bancroft in a bar in Perth last month have been “blown out of all proportion”, as the ECB seeks to draw a line under the latest off-field incident to have rocked their Ashes campaign.The incident is alleged to have occurred in The Avenue bar in Perth almost a month ago after members of the England squad bumped into members of the Western Australia squad by chance during the early weeks of the Ashes campaign.Bairstow is alleged to have made contact with the side of Bancroft’s head and later apologised. Bancroft was not a member of the Australia squad at the time.Speaking to journalists in Brisbane, Strauss insisted that the incident had occurred out of “playfulness”, adding that there was “no malice”, and that it had been “blown out of all proportion”. There will be a de-brief of players and staff after the Brisbane Test, he added.There is no police involvement and no official reports were made by anybody involved, including by a member of the ECB security staff who was present throughout in the bar.England, privately, are adamant that the incident is being deliberately exaggerated to destabilise their squad.An ECB spokesman said: “At close of play in Brisbane today, we were made aware of allegations of an incident in Perth four weeks ago.”There has been no report of any incident from the venue, security or police and there was no injury reported.”Following an initial conversation with Jonny Bairstow tonight we understand the context and will follow up with England players and management after the Brisbane Test.”Bancroft went on to score heavily in first-class cricket following the incident and won a Test debut at the Gabba.Jonny Bairstow in private conversation with England security officer Sam Dickason•Getty Images

Bairstow was one of those fined and warned about his future conduct by the ECB after accepting a charge of “unprofessional conduct” for his behaviour in Bristol the night that Ben Stokes was arrested for his part in a brawl.Neither he nor two other players fined – Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett, who is not in the Ashes party – were with Stokes at the time.The new allegations came to light when Bairstow came out to bat in the second innings of the first Test at the Gabba. While no England player is welcomed to the crease with smiles, Bairstow received a particularly ferocious reception which led to questions being asked as to the motivation.England will suspect that the sledging, picked up by a stump mic, was a deliberate set-up intended to leak the story.England initially refused to comment on the validity of the claims, but the ECB has been keenly aware that the behaviour of the squad would be under fierce scrutiny from the moment they set foot in Australia.It is understood the management only became aware of the allegations during play on the fourth day of the Gabba Test. Strauss was among those who spoke to Bairstow at the close of play.The claims against Bairstow comes as the police investigation continues into Stokes’ actions in Bristol in September.While England’s players decided not to impose an alcohol ban for the Ashes tour, they had agreed their behaviour off the field would be followed closely following the Stokes incident and decided they would not drink in the immediate lead-up to matches.England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, explained at the time: “The players sat down and had a chat. They are the ones who have come up with this.Cameron Bancroft is giving his Baggy Green at the start of the Gabba Test•Getty Images

“There are no set curfews, they are just sensible rulings. To me, it’s what we should have been sticking to anyway as players or people around a professional set-up.”Not drinking between matches is just sensible. We certainly don’t want to keep players in their rooms because it is a long tour. You have to get out and experience what the country you’re touring has to offer.”It’s about picking the right time to have a couple of drinks, but knowing to stay away from it if you’re preparing for a match.”If there is any truth in the allegations, the consequences could extend well beyond the Ashes tour. If a third England player (after Stokes and Alex Hales) is shown to have been involved in any sort of violent incident while in a social environment, it would raise questions about the culture and management of the England squads.In particular, it would lead to renewed scrutiny about the leeway given to players and their misuse of such a policy. It would also raise further questions about their use of alcohol and, perhaps, ask questions of both Bayliss and Strauss about their failure to control the players.It would not be the first time there had been an incident involving England and Australia players in recent years. Four years ago, the attention was on David Warner who was banned after an early morning stand-off with Root in an infamous night at the Walkabout Bar in Birmingham.

The participation of Ben Stokes in the one-day series against Australia will depend on whether the Crown Prosecution Service reaches a decision on charges

George Dobell06-Dec-2017Ben Stokes and Alex Hales have both have been named in England’s ODI squad for the five-match series against Australia, but it remains possible that neither will play.The pair missed the final two ODIs against West Indies at the end of the English summer after the ECB announced that neither would be considered for selection until the conclusion of a police investigation following an incident outside a club in Bristol.While Hales has been now been told that he will not face charges and has, as a consequence, been cleared for international selection by the ECB, Stokes is still waiting to hear whether he will be charged and remains unavailable for selection. His inclusion in the squad might, therefore, be considered something of a legalistic nicety.While Hales, too, could still face action from the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) – it has currently suspended judgement awaiting the outcome of the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision over whether to charge Stokes – he is, at the present time, available for selection.

England one-day squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, David Willey, Liam Plunkett, Tom Curran, Mark Wood, Jake Ball.

But, after Jason Roy returned to the ODI side in fine style and Jonny Bairstow all but cemented his place as an opening batsman during the series against West Indies, it has left no obvious place available for Hales’ return. Bairstow scored two centuries in the ODI series against West Indies, while Roy replaced Hales for the final two games and made 84 and 96.”We’ve been playing some good one-day cricket and Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy at the top of the order have played well,” the England coach, Trevor Bayliss, said. “I can’t see any changes there personally. The two openers we had did very well and it would be difficult to go against them.”We could bring Hales back in and drop one of those guys down, but then it would upset someone else. We’ve got to take a decision now and I just think the best way to go is with the two guys who have taken over.”England have named a full-strength squad for the series with Mark Wood returning having not been selected for the series against West Indies. While there was discussion about the value of resting players, the England management have instead decided it is important to establish a settled, successful team ahead of the 2019 World Cup. Players will instead be rested from the tri-series T20 event that follows it, which might create opportunities for the likes of Craig Overton, who has clearly made a good impression in Australia.”History will tell you that the winners of the World Cup have come from the top two ranked teams,” Bayliss said. “We want to play well and get ourselves high up that order as we possibly can.”At the same time, we’re still two years away and there might be some younger players, like Craig Overton for example, who comes into the team and does well.”We’ll keep a check on players such as Joe Root and Moeen Ali in this Test series and the one-dayers. Hopefully, if all goes to plan, they’ll play these five Test matches and the five one-dayers as well and then we’ll look at giving them a break.”Meanwhile Bayliss admitted there had been discussion over how to avoid the “media circus” that has bedevilled the squad since Stokes’ arrest came to light.”I’m sure there will be a lot of scrutiny,” Bayliss said. “We won’t know it actually until it comes along. There’s been a fair bit of scrutiny that’s come along with it in the first five or six weeks of this tour as well. But we’ve got to adjust to that at some stage.”Look, we have discussed what will happen when Ben returns, but whenever he comes back that’s going to be a bit of a circus for sure. Whether it’s any more of a circus than we’ve already seen on this tour is hard to say. If it happens, let’s just get on with it and take it on the chin.”The ECB board will meet within 48-hours of any decision of whether to charge Stokes or not and decide whether he should be considered eligible for selection. The ECB’s CDC will also have to decide if he or Hales warrant any sanction.