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Fourteen Associate teams attempt to outwit, outplay and outlast one another in Ireland and Scotland starting Thursday at the World Twenty20 Qualifier

Peter Della Penna in Belfast08-Jul-20152:06

The tournament format explained

Fourteen Associate teams will attempt to outwit, outplay and outlast one another in Ireland and Scotland starting Thursday at the World Twenty20 Qualifier. The six surviving teams after an intense 51-match event in 18 days will earn a ticket to India for the 2016 World Twenty20 next March. With the World T20 scaling back from a biennial event to once every four years from 2016 onwards – and no guaranteed places for Associates in the 50-over World Cup – there is even greater desperation in this tournament.To add to that, the event has been trimmed from 16 to 14 teams from the last time it was held in the UAE, while two playoff berths in the knockout stage have also been slashed. Now, only the top four from each group will advance to the playoffs. The respective table-toppers during the round-robin challenge receive immunity until the semi-finals as well as the prize of a guaranteed slot for the main event in India.Duckworth-Lewis may play a massive role at this event, unlike the last time. Consistent rain that washed out much of the official warm-up matches may have teams pining to bat last, with overs reduced and all 10 wickets in hand.

Group A

The favoritesContinuity in the Ireland squad has been a hallmark of their success in their title-winning runs from 2012 and 2013. However, only five players remain from the squad that secured the trophy three years ago and a slew of retirements since 2013 has left them somewhat vulnerable. The bowling unit is particularly untested with Trent Johnston and Tim Murtagh’s T20 retirements leaving a gaping hole in the pace department.Scotland exposed the lack of depth in their batting last month with senior players William Porterfield, Paul Stirling and Gary Wilson absent from a pair of swift defeats in Bready. The youth brigade of Andrew Balbirnie, Tyrone Kane and Craig Young need to step up if the big guns don’t fire.Hong Kong have had a steady build-up to the tournament, splitting a T20 series with Namibia in May before travelling to England. They won against a Sussex second XI and tied with Warwickshire second XI in two high-scoring affairs before defending 113 against Netherlands in their last warm-up.Irfan Ahmed has struggled under the spotlight of bigger Associate tournaments in the past but comes into this tournament in excellent touch. The squad is also boosted by the return of vice-captain Mark Chapman in the middle order. Hong Kong’s biggest asset is their pace bowling unit spearheaded by Ahmed, Aizaz Khan and captain Tanwir Afzal, who will all be a handful on seaming wickets.Battle for playoff spotsSompal Kami will have a big role to play in Nepal’s bowling unit•ICC

After finishing third at the last qualifier, Nepal had extensive preparation leading into this event but fared poorly in the Netherlands just before coming to Ireland, winning just one of the four T20Is. It did not get much better on arrival with a low total against UAE in a warm-up loss on Wednesday.Nepal’s bowling attack is their biggest asset, particularly their pace unit. Sompal Kami and Karan KC will have big roles to play but the focus will be on what kind of support the batting unit can give the captain and vice-captain – Paras Khadka and Gyanendra Malla. Sharad Vesawkar was the hero of the knockout stage in 2013 and top-scored in their loss to UAE, so if his bat can heat up it will cool down pressure elsewhere.Papua New Guinea have the most cramped schedule for any team in group stage, with their first match coming three days later than anyone else before having to wrap up six games inside of eight days. The team has shown during their pre-event tour in the UK that they are geared up to get over the hump that saw them fall agonisingly short in 2013. They faced up for two matches each against Worcestershire second XI and Gloucestershire second XI, winning one against each of them.Pulling up the rearNamibia won the Africa Qualifier in March to get to Ireland and registered a two-run win at home against Hong Kong in May. The early signs since landing for the tournament were not good though as they were blitzed by Scotland and Canada. Since making 59 against Botswana on March 28, Gerrie Snyman has scored 60 runs in eight innings, across formats. If his bat doesn’t fire, Namibia are in trouble.USA were dealt a significant blow with the withdrawal of Steven Taylor ahead of the tournament. His bat served as a great leveller against high-class bowling but without him they may be overmatched. Despite non-existent team preparation, USA benefit from a favourable schedule in terms of rest days and sequencing of opponents, starting off against Nepal.Jersey make their debut in the qualifier after winning the European Championship in May. They registered a surprise win over Kenya on June 29, defending 157 after a 64 from Ben Stevens. A truer reflection of their abilities came in the last two days against Afghanistan, who bowled them out for 46, before Scotland won by 69 runs on D/L method after racking up 199. They’ll do well to avoid the wooden spoon.

ESPNcricinfo previews the one-off Twenty20 between England and India at Old Trafford

The Preview by Andrew Miller30-Aug-2011

Match facts

Stuart Broad keeps his eye on the ball in training•PA Photos

August 31, Old Trafford
Start time 1800 (1700 GMT)

Big Picture

A week of relative downtime, and India’s tour of England is finally up and running. Three low-key county fixtures – against Sussex, Kent and Leicestershire – have given a bruised squad a chance to rediscover that winning feeling, and with a trio of hard-earned victories to fall back on, attention now turns to the limited-overs leg of their campaign, starting with the one-off Twenty20 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.As far as India are concerned, a change ought to be as good as a rest. A chance to swap their benighted whites for their familiar blue one-day outfits is an opportunity to draw a line under their shortcomings of the Test series, and revert to the mindset of champions. After all, less than five months have elapsed since that night of nights in Mumbai, and no matter how poorly they may have fared in the interim, they’ll always have that achievement to fall back on.Wednesday’s fixture, however, is unlikely to prove much about the mindset of either set of players. In Twenty20 cricket, it is England, not India, who are the reigning world champions, although their squad has little in common with the one that triumphed in the Caribbean in 2010, and has been selected very much with a view to next year’s defence in Sri Lanka.A trio of youngsters – Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes – are vying for an opportunity to present their credentials, under the leadership of Stuart Broad, whose captaincy career started edgily against Sri Lanka in June, but will doubtless have benefitted from an injection of confidence courtesy of his Man-of-the-Series performance in the Tests against India.As for India’s line-up, it’s a pragmatic blend of old and new. Gautam Gambhir heads back home, and Sachin Tendulkar will sit this match out, but Rahul Dravid, at the age of 38, will make his T20I debut – in recognition, perhaps, of the liveliness of English wickets and the fallibility of some of his batting colleagues against the moving ball. With no Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Gautam Gambhir or Harbhajan Singh, among others, there’s an air of experimentation on display in India’s selection. But, ahead of the serious business in the ODIs, this is clearly the game in which to test the waters.

Dhoni slighted?

In a bizarre incident, India captain MS Dhoni was stopped from entering the area where the ECB had organised a photoshoot for the Indian players. When Dhoni walked to the indoor centre inside the Old Trafford ground, he was refused entry by a Lancashire county official since he was wearing spikes. “It is the manner in which he spoke to Dhoni that is annyoing,” Shivlal Yadav, the Indian team manager said.
The official remained adamant despite Dhoni’s attempts to explain his case. According to Yadav, at that point Dhoni decided to walk away. The Indian management has reported the matter to John Carr, the director of operations at the ECB.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
England LLWWW
India WWWWL

In the spotlight

In the build-up to their triumphant World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, England stumbled upon a pair of hard-hitting openers in Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb almost by chance. The challenge, with a year to go until the defence of their title, is to find a combination that can prove equally as explosive. Kieswetter endures, even though his problems against the moving ball appear to hamper his effectiveness in English conditions, but Lumb appeared to bid farewell in a flaccid final outing in Bristol. Into the breach, therefore, steps the young Nottinghamshire slugger, Alex Hales, whose raw power has proven effective even in the naturally swinging environment of Trent Bridge. At the age of 22, his time is now.It’s a young man’s game, so they say, but not if that man in question is Rahul Dravid. Back in 2007, when India first fell in love with Twenty20 cricket, Dravid, along with Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, opted out of the epoch-changing campaign in South Africa. He didn’t even play in India’s last World Cup victory, the 50-over version at home, but now, with his country in need of a solid batting presence on the most abject of tours, he’s finally been given his bow. In the circumstances, it’s little surprise he’s announced his retirement from the limited-overs game at the end of this tour. But before then, we’ll have a chance to see one of the game’s smoothest operators get to grips with the rough and tumble of the fastest format.

Team news

With the probable selection of Alex Hales at the top of the order, England are set to field their 19th opening partnership in 38 Twenty20s. The bowling attack is set to have a familiar look to it, with Jade Dernbach’s performance in a rain-reduced game against Ireland having cemented his value in the shortest form of the game. Jos Buttler, who once again demonstrated his big-hitting credentials for Somerset on Twenty20 finals day, could find himself squeezed out of the reckoning by fellow newcomer, Ben Stokes.England: (possible) 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Ravi Bopara, 6 Ben Stokes / Jos Buttler, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad (capt), 10 Graeme Swann, 11 Jade DernbachDravid’s debut coincides with the end of Gautam Gambhir’s tour. He has not been himself since thwacking his head on the Oval turf while dropping Kevin Pietersen in the fourth Test, and has finally bowed out with a concussion. Parthiv Patel, the diminutive wicketkeeper who first made his name on the 2002 tour of England, is set to open the innings, with the twin spin attack of Amit Mishra and R Ashwin also likely to get an outing.India: (possible) 1 Parthiv Patel, 2 Rahul Dravid, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt / wk), 7 Amit Mishra, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Munaf Patel, 11 R Vinay Kumar

Pitch and conditions

Old Trafford had a reputation as being one of the quickest decks in world cricket, until the square was rotated as part of the ground’s redevelopment. Since then, the pitch conditions have been somewhat subcontinental, although that didn’t aid Sri Lanka in their ODI-series-deciding loss earlier in the season. The weather, ever a factor in Manchester, is set fair. Which is nice.

Stats and trivia

• England’s most recent Twenty20 against India came at Lord’s in the 2009 World Twenty20, when Ryan Sidebottom’s aggression on a lively pitch helped to defend a middling total of 153 for 7.
• The only other Twenty20 between the two teams came in Durban in September 2007, a match made unforgettable by Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over off England’s current captain, Stuart Broad. Yuvraj finished with the fastest half-century in international cricket, as England were knocked out of the World Twenty20 in the group stages.

Quotes

“The Test series is hard to forget because from an England point of view we played very well and confidence is high. But it’s different in the white-ball game, they have a
few new players and we have to be aware of that.”
“He went to an eye specialist today and it seems he continues to suffer from concussion.”
Shivlal Yadav, India’s manager, on the end of Gautam Gambhir’s tour

The South Africa A squad that has gone to Zimbabwe has 14 players who have played for South Africa and they will all be competing for a recall to the senior side

Firdose Moonda 27-Jun-2011South Africa’s cricketers are experiencing their first, full-length winter break in 14 years. The team last played on March 25, when they were dumped out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage and they will not take the field again until October 13, giving them a break of almost seven months.Some, like JP Duminy and Graeme Smith, are using the time to tie the knot while others, like Dale Steyn, have gone on an extended holiday. But the likes of Roelof van der Merwe and Loots Bosman aren’t curling up around fires or exploring parts of the world that cricket doesn’t take them to. They’re part of the South Africa A side that have headed to Zimbabwe, where they will play in a tri-series also featuring Australia A.The trip to Zimbabwe is short, with South Africa A playing just four one-day games, but significant. Ten of the 14 players in the A side have been part of the senior national team before and, with no other competitive cricket before the season starts, have to take this opportunity to stake their claim for a national recall.Vincent Barnes, the South Africa A coach, enunciated the significance of the tour. “We’ve sent an important message to these players, that this is not just an ordinary tour or just any other set of pre-season games,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “We need to find out who’s next, in terms of everything from wicketkeeping to spin.”With Heino Kuhn and van der Merwe the only specialist wicketkeeper and spinner in the A squad respectively, it is clear that they have been identified as players for the future. The trip to Zimbabwe will present the pair with the chance to break further away from the chasing pack, with the focus on van der Merwe, now that South African attitudes are more embracing to spin. The left-arm spinner is known for his aggression with both bat and ball and is experienced enough to merit another stint at the highest level. “Roelof fell by the way side with the national team a few years ago, but he has worked really hard in our camp over the last few days and showed his commitment,” Barnes said.In the batting department, Jacques Rudolph, who will captain the A side and is being tipped for a recall to the South Africa team, will be closely watched. Rudolph returned from Yorkshire last season to play domestic cricket in South Africa. He topped the run-scoring charts in the 2010-11 SuperSport Series and was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the MTN40 tournament. His captaincy of Titans, and of South Africa A during the home series against Bangladesh A, has been innovative and his maturity evident. “My goal is always to score as many runs as possible,” he said. “It’s a good time to show the strength and depth of our cricket.”The fast bowlers could prove the most interesting area, with none of the five quicks in the A squad having finished the MTN40 season in the top ten on the bowling charts. Vernon Philander and Rusty Theron are considered the two closest to a comeback for South Africa. Philander has been outstanding at first-class level, but less so in the limited-overs formats. “It will be good to play against more international players and see how I go against the big boys,” Philander said.Philander last played for South Africa in August 2008 and said that being dropped allowed him to develop as a player. “I know a lot more about my game now than I did before and I know what’s expected at international level.”Theron has had a frustrating time; he has been picked for various South Africa squads and given a national contract but has only played five Twenty20 internationals and four ODIs. He said he will use this tour to show that he is a “complete bowler.” Theron is known to be a death-over specialist but feels he can offer more. “I can also bowl an efficient first spell and come back in the middle as well. If there is a good training ground to show those skills, this is it.”Allan Donald, who took over as national bowling coach when Gary Kirsten was appointed on June 6, is accompanying Barnes on the tour in order to get a first-hand look at the fast bowlers. Donald replaced Barnes and, on the face of it, the situation they find themselves in appears, at best, awkward. But Barnes denied any tension and said the pair enjoyed “sharing ideas.”The tour is Barnes’ first in his new position at the High Performance Centre, after he spent eight years with the national team. While it is mostly about the players proving their worth, Barnes said he will also use it as a step to re-establishing himself as a coach in his own right. “It’s very good to be able to consider myself a head coach now,” he said. “I am actually running the nets and not just working with the bowlers now.”

Bangladesh are not going down without a fight as backs-to-the-wall resistance from Junaid Siddique and Mushfiqur Rahim ensured England will have to come back for a fifth day

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan15-Mar-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJunaid Siddique battled hard through two sessions to remain unbeaten at the close•PA Photos

Bangladesh are not going down without a fight as backs-to-the-wall resistance from Junaid Siddique and Mushfiqur Rahim ensured England will have to come back for a fifth day. When the home side were reduced to 110 for 5 shortly before tea the hard work had seemingly been done, but the sixth-wicket pair remained undefeated throughout the final session.There has been a sense of inevitability about this whole match, but Bangladesh’s periods of resistance have made England dig deep in hot conditions. Siddique showed great determination after being worked over in the first innings and, barring the occasion lapse in judgement, was impressively solid during a four-and-a-half hour stay. He proved that Bangladesh batsmen are capable of occupying the crease without regularly finding the boundary and each time his concentration appeared to be wavering he refocused.Rahim followed his first-innings 79 with another composed, mature innings and he was rarely troubled by pace or spin, except from the occasional top-edged sweep. He passed 1000 runs in his 20th Test and again struck the ball cleanly when boundary opportunities were offered. England will look forward to the new ball in the morning, but creating chances when conditions go flat remains a challenge.The pace bowlers certainly felt the heat as they operated in short bursts, while Graeme Swann continued his notable match by booking in for a 25-over spell before being given a break – and that was only for a change of ends. Tim Bresnan was the most impressive paceman, particularly with a six-over spell in the afternoon session where he extracted Aftab Ahmed and Mahmudullah with reverse swing, but Stuart Broad appeared laboured and couldn’t match the menace of the first innings.England batted on for 50 minutes to leave Bangladesh a hypothetical target of 513 with the decision based more on time that it was runs. Alastair Cook is following the conservative route of Andrew Strauss when he comes to declarations. After the way Broad bombed the top order in the first innings it wasn’t a surprise when the same tactics were used again. Tamim Iqbal was again the more confident of the openers, but Imrul Kayes offered greater determination after a limp first-innings dismissal as he survived the short ball.Both Broad and Bresnan were rested after four-over spells – while Broad regularly got his head swathed in a cold towel at fine leg – with Swann given a successful early bowl and Steven Finn offered a chance with the ball still reasonably hard. In his second over, Swann produced another lovely piece of bowling when he spun one past Tamim’s outside edge to take off stump.Finn immediately hit a testing line and made Siddique inside edge close to the stumps and Kayes couldn’t build on his gutsy start as Finn showed the value of height to make one climb outside off and graze the edge through to Matt Prior. The more Finn bowls the more exciting a prospect he appears and his two wickets doesn’t reflect his endeavours.England were frustrated during the afternoon session as Aftab and Siddique played with impressive restraint. There was very little help off the pitch for either the quicks or Swann, but at around the 30-over mark the ball began to reverse. Bresnan has been more of a threat with the older ball in this game than with the new one and caused problems from the start of his second spell.In his second over he found Aftab’s edge with a full delivery as the batsman drove without much footwork to undo his hard work. Mahmudullah found life tough against the late movement, getting off the mark with a streaky edge to third man, and soon played all round a full delivery. It was a loose shot for a talented batsman but Bresnan deserved his success.Shakib Al Hasan completed a poor match with the bat, although can feel aggrieved with his decision after replays showed he gloved a sweep that Tony Hill ruled had come off the pad. Shakib has felt his team hasn’t had much luck with umpiring decisions and his anger was clear. However, the fact he fell to Swann wasn’t a surprise. The offspinner has had the Bangladesh’s captain number throughout the tour and had almost bowled him first ball.That loss appeared to open the door for a swift conclusion and an extra day off for England’s weary attack, but there is more bottle in this Bangladesh side than some people give them credit for. England will still win, but Test victories are meant to be earned and the home side have ensured it hasn’t been handed to them on a plate.

Since the conclusion of The Oval Test, the Australian rumour mill has been abuzz with theories as to the motives behind Nathan Hauritz’s omission

Alex Brown29-Nov-2009Since the conclusion of The Oval Test in August, the Australian rumour mill has been abuzz with theories as to the motives behind Nathan Hauritz’s omission from the starting XI. The move to play an all-pace attack on a parched pitch that turned early and substantially played a sizable role in Australia’s eventual 197-run defeat, and prompted on-duty selector Jamie Cox to offer a rare on behalf of the panel after the match.But murmurings around the Australian camp suggest there is more to the overlooking of Hauritz than meets the eye. Several team sources have told Cricinfo that Australia’s selectors intended to play their specialist spinner in the series decider but, hit with a crisis of confidence before one of the most important Ashes Tests in modern history, Hauritz either withdrew his candidacy or was deemed too great a risk.Whether true or not – and Hauritz insists upon the latter – the issue of the spinner’s confidence has been a discussion point within Australian cricket for some time. Greg Matthews, one of his spin-bowling mentors, once described him as “heavily scarred” following his arrival in New South Wales from Queensland, and Hauritz himself has been candid in discussing his need to be more assertive as a bowler.In the immediate aftermath of The Oval defeat, the aforementioned sources expressed concern over the working relationship between Hauritz and Ricky Ponting looking ahead. Their worries appear unfounded. Ponting showed no hesitation in tossing the ball Hauritz’s way throughout subsequent limited-overs campaigns in South Africa and India, and was effusive when discussing the spinner’s five-wicket contribution to Australia’s thumping Test win over West Indies at the Gabba.”As far as I’ve been concerned for the last eight or ten months he hasn’t let anybody down,” Ponting said. “The more exposure he’s getting to better players and different conditions to bowl in he’s learning a lot about the art and craft of offspin bowling in Test cricket these days. It’s not an easy skill anymore. Batsmen are playing differently and always trying to stay a step ahead of the bowlers and a lot of the wickets we play on these days around the world aren’t that conducive to it. I think he’s done a great job.”As for Hauritz, evidence of his evolving confidence was on display at the Gabba – both on the field and in the press conference room. He appeared in no way intimidated returning to the venue that almost broke him as a first-class cricketer, bowling with a tantalising loop that was all but absent in his latter years with Queensland. It was at the Gabba that Hauritz was jeered – first as an underperforming Queenslander, then as a New South Wales “defector” – and he admitted to a sense of self-satisfaction when, after dismissing Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach with successive deliveries on Saturday, the once antagonistic crowd erupted into chants of “Haury”.As striking as Hauritz’s self-assured deeds on the pitch were his comments off it. No longer was he dealing in one-game-at-a-times. Hauritz expects to be on the plane to Adelaide on Tuesday, and Perth thereafter. “I don’t know if I’ll ever feel like I belong in the side,” he said with trademark self-deprecation. “I don’t know if that feeling exists within such a competitive culture. But I know I’m very happy with where my game’s at, at the moment.”It’s going to be a different situation going to Adelaide. Adelaide is a lot slower wicket but it is renowned for turn. It’s going to be different. That’s one of the first Gabba wickets I’ve played on – and I don’t know if my bowling’s different now – that I got the ball to turn a little bit. I don’t know if I’ve changed a bit as a bowler or the wicket’s changed, but I enjoyed bowling out there and I’m looking forward.”Such is Hauritz’s confidence in his own game at present, he is toying with the idea of revealing his experimental doosra against West Indies in Perth. Though much has been written about his “other one”, Hauritz has thus far been unwilling to bowl it outside the nets. The third Test at the WACA, he hinted, might prove a suitable occasion for the unveiling.”For me, I need to be able to consistently land it in the nets before I bring it out because I sort of feel short-leg would die if I don’t get it right,” he quipped. “Punter’s always trying to get me to bowl it in a game. Whether it’s this series I don’t know, but definitely on a wicket like Perth, where the bounce is so fast and it does spin, it might come out there. I’m looking forward to playing the next two games because there’s two totally different wickets.”This week Hauritz will return to the venue that staged his sudden and unexpected comeback to the Test arena last year. A training mishap involving the then Test incumbent Jason Krejza prompted Andrew Hilditch to order Hauritz, an occasional member of the New South Wales side at the time, onto the next Adelaide-bound flight. His efforts in that match and the remainder of the summer earned him a ticket to the Ashes and a chance to reignite a Test career many, himself included, feared had stalled at the Wankhede Stadium four years prior.”The [feeling] in Adelaide was one of great relief playing that second Test,” he said of last year’s recall. “I never thought that would ever come along. There might not be any difference in the areas I land the ball – there might be a little bit more spin, I don’t know – but definitely the mental strength and the confidence with what I’m doing makes me a lot different bowler to then.”Mo Matthews is always keen [for me to] embrace it all. I’m generally a pretty reserved person. I’m pretty happy to stay to myself and just bowl and play cricket. Definitely one part of my game that can improve is my aura on the field. That might change after 30 or 40 Tests, I don’t know. But I’m just happy to be playing each Test on its merits at the moment.”

He will miss Strikers’ first game due to the final Test of England’s tour of New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2024England’s current stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope has signed with Adelaide Strikers and West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has joined Sydney Sixers to complete the pre-draft names in the BBL.Pope, who is leading England against Sri Lanka due to Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury, will be available for Strikers after the Test tour of New Zealand which finishes on December 18 which means he will miss at least their first match.Related

• Paine makes rapid climb to Adelaide Strikers head coach

• Shamar Joseph nominates for BBL draft; Harmanpreet confirmed for WBBL draft

• Warner signs for full BBL, Smith inks three-year Sixers deal

Pope will be looking to build on a T20 record of 1295 runs at 28.77 and a strike-rate of 132.82. He had a lean time in the recent Hundred for London Spirit where he made 35 runs in five innings.He will have a chance to team up with Ashes adversaries Travis Head and Alex Carey, the latter who has signed a new four-year deal, when they are available for the BBL for a short window after the India Test series.”Ollie Pope is an exceptional talent with a proven track record at the highest level,” Tim Paine, Strikers’ new head coach, said. “His dynamic batting style and wicket-keeping abilities are a fantastic addition to our squad.”It was confirmed earlier in the week that Strikers had not taken allrounder Jamie Overton as their pre-draft signing but they will be able to use their retention option if needed during the draft itself if they wish to bring back the England allrounder who had a huge impact last season.AAP reported that Rashid Khan has not nominated for the draft meaning he will miss the BBL for the second consecutive season after being ruled out by injury last year. Afghanistan have international cricket scheduled during the first part of the BBL then Rashid has signed for the SA20.

Akeal Hosein fills Steve O’Keefe’s shoes

Meanwhile, Sydney Sixers have identified Hosein to fill the gap created by Steve O’Keefe’s retirement although he is only due to be available for the first seven games of the season due to an ILT20 deal with MI Emirates.From 2025-26 players signed under pre-draft agreements have to commit to the full BBL season but that is not the case for this season. Hosein took 13 wickets in nine matches for Melbourne Renegades in 2022-23 and played one further game for them last season as a late replacement.”With the retirement of Steve O’Keefe last season, we identified a gap for us to fill and Akeal is going to play a key role for us in that position,” Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes said. “We expect him to bowl some really important overs for us, but we also know he’s a talented fielder and a capable tail-end batter who’ll be able to provide crucial runs in the back end of an innings if required.The BBL draft will take place on September 1.

BBL pre-draft signings

Adelaide Strikers: Ollie Pope
Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro
Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan
Melbourne Renegades: Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Tom Curran
Perth Scorchers: Finn Allen
Sydney Sixers: Akeal Hosein
Sydney Thunder: Sam Billings

Batters Jannillea Glasgow and Chedean Nation, who were with Royals in 2023, have now joined Knight Riders

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2024England wicketkeeper-batter Lauren Winfield-Hill has joined Guyana Amazon Warriors for the third edition of Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).Amazon Warriors have also drafted in former West Indies Under-19 captain Ashmini Munisar, offspinner Sheneta Grimmond, uncapped allrounder Realeanna Grimmond, left-arm spinner Kaysia Schultz and Nyia Latchman along with Jamaican seamer Kate Wilmott.The three WCPL franchises had done most of their recruiting previously through retentions and pre-signings. Last week, Amazon Warriors had announced the signing of allrounders Chloe Tryon from South Africa and Erin Burns from Australia.Meanwhile, defending champions Barbados Royals drafted in wicketkeeper Rashada Williams and batter Trishan Holder from their squad of last year and added seam-bowling allrounder Shabika Gajnabi, seamer Cherry Ann Fraser and batter Djenaba Joseph – who were all with Amazon Warriors last year.Related

• Jhulan Goswami joins TKR as mentor for WCPL 2024

• Royals add Chamari Athapaththu for Women's CPL 2024

• Tryon and Burns join Amazon Warriors for Women's CPL 2024

• Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey sign up for Women's Caribbean Premier League

Trinbago Knight Riders drafted Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed and young wicketkeeper Shunelle Sawh from their squad of last year. Batters Jannillea Glasgow and Chedean Nation, who were with Royals in WCPL 2023, moved to TKR for the upcoming season.This year’s WCPL will be held in Trinidad from August 21 to 29, with all seven matches to be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Squads

Barbados Royals: Hayley Matthews, Chamari Athapaththu, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Qiana Joseph, Rashada Williams (wk), Trishan Holder, Shabika Gajnabi, Cherry Ann Fraser and Djenaba Joseph.Guyana Amazon Warriors: Stafanie Taylor, Shabnim Ismail, Karishma Ramharack, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Natasha McClean, Shakera Selman, Chloe Tryon and Erin Burns, Ashmini Munisar, Sheneta Grimmond, Realeanna Grimmond, Kaysia Schultz, Nyia Latchmann and Kate Wilmott.Trinbago Knight Riders: Deandra Dottin, Meg Lanning, Jess Jonassen, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey, Kycia Knight (wk), Shamila Connell, Zaida James, Samara Ramnath, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Shunelle Sawh, Jannillea Glasgow, Jahzara Claxton and Chedean Nation.

Former New Zealand batter reveals details of alleged incident in his new autobiography

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2022Former New Zealand batter Ross Taylor claims he was “slapped” by one of the owners of the Rajasthan Royals franchise during the 2011 season of the IPL.Taylor made the revelation in his new autobiography, , and says the incident took place following a defeat against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.”The chase was 195, I was lbw for a duck and we didn’t get close,” Taylor wrote in his book, an excerpt of which was published on . “Afterwards, the team, support staff and management were in the bar on the top floor of the hotel. Liz Hurley was there with Warnie [Shane Warne]. One of the Royals owners said to me, ‘Ross, we didn’t pay you a million dollars to get a duck,’ and slapped me across the face three or four times. He was laughing and they weren’t hard slaps but I’m not sure that it was entirely play-acting. Under the circumstances I wasn’t going to make an issue of it, but I couldn’t imagine it happening in many professional sporting environments.”Royals have not issued a statement in response yet.Having spent three years at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from 2008 to 2010, Taylor played one season for Royals – in 2011 – after he was bought for USD 1 million at the auction. In his book, Taylor said he wished he had stayed at RCB.”While it was amazing to go for a million dollars, in the long run I would’ve been better off if RCB had got me for US$950,000,” Taylor wrote. “If they had, it would have been my fourth year with them. While the IPL is pretty unsentimental, there is loyalty towards long-serving players and I probably would have had a longer IPL career as a one-franchise player. On the other hand, if I’d stayed at RCB, I wouldn’t have played with greats such as Virender Sehwag, Shane Warne, Mahela Jayawardene and Yuvraj Singh.”When you fetch that sort of money, you’re desperately keen to prove that you’re worth it. And those who are paying you that sort of money have high expectations – that’s professional sport and human nature. I’d paid my dues at RCB: if I’d had a lean trot, the management would have had faith in me because of what I’d done in the past. When you go to a new team, you don’t get that backing. You never feel comfortable because you know that if you go two or three games without a score, you come under cold-eyed scrutiny.”Taylor played 12 games for Royals in 2011, scoring 181 runs at a strike rate of 119, after which he played three more seasons for Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors India.In his book, Taylor had also revealed that he had experienced racial insensitivity while playing cricket in and for New Zealand.Who are Royals’ owners?
The Royals franchise – which won the inaugural IPL – was bought in 2008 by Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd, a consortium of business entities. The major investors in this consortium comprised: Tresco International Ltd (Suresh Chellaram family, 44.2% stake), Emerging Media (IPL) Ltd (owned by Manoj Badale, 32.4%), Blue Water Estate Ltd (Lachlan Murdoch, 11.7%). A year later, in 2009, the Royals became the first franchise to broaden its ownership by selling an 11.7% stake to Kuki Investments Ltd, led by Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty. The deal, at the time, was reportedly for US$15.4 million approx.In 2015, Kundra was banned for life from cricketing activities by the Supreme Court-appointed RM Lodha Committee, after investigations into the the 2013 IPL corruption scandal revealed he was involved in illegal betting. The Lodha Committee also suspended Royals for two years.In 2021, Badale became the lead owner of the Royals franchise by upping his stake to 65% after an injection of funds from global investors. Also, last June, RedBird Capital Partners, a global private investment firm that has interests in the parent company of Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox, bought a 15% stake in Royals.

Lord’s will play host to the start of the Stokes-McCullum era, not to mention a bizarrely out-of-form Williamson

Matt Roller01-Jun-2022

Big picture

The champions are back. One year ago to the day, New Zealand arrived at Lord’s for the first of three seismic Tests: the first two – a draw in London followed by a convincing win in Edgbaston – gave them only their third-ever series win in England and their first since 1999; the third was their crowning moment, beating India at the Ageas Bowl to become the inaugural World Test Champions.For England, that Lord’s Test represented a sliding-doors moment, the first step on the Joe Root-Chris Silverwood era’s gradual, then sudden descent towards self-destruction. With fans back in the stands for the first time since the pandemic, England declined the opportunity to chase 273 in 75 overs, instead grinding their way to 170 for 3; Root defended the move but lost the goodwill of his team’s supporters and never won it back.When selecting the squad for the series – which saw several multi-format players rested after their IPL excursions – Silverwood had created a rod which was used to beat him for the next seven months. “Playing the top two teams in the world […] is perfect preparation for us as we continue to improve and progress towards an Ashes series,” he said, fatefully; one win in six home Tests and a 4-0 drubbing in Australia sealed his fate.Related

• Ben Stokes wants 'blank canvas' not 'reset' as England begin new Test era

• Broad relishing latest reinvention after brush with Test mortality

• Southee: 'The Kiwi way is to muck in and get the best out of what we've got'

• Henry Nicholls, Trent Boult doubtful for first Test against England

• Potts to make debut at Lord's in first Test

And so 12 months on, England have a new look about them; a snarling, bearded, tattooed one with a distinctly Kiwi flavour, personified by the new captain-coach combination of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. The pair have spoken at length about positivity, mindsets and brands of cricket since their respective appointments but this week will be the first chance for their side to walk the walk.Unsurprisingly, there have been changes in personnel. Only five members of the side that played the equivalent Test last year are retained in the playing XI which England named on Wednesday and even the survivors have a sense of freshness: Root has been released from the burden of captaincy, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have been shuffled into new positions and James Anderson and Stuart Broad are recalled after they were jettisoned in the Caribbean.One of their most pressing tasks is to win back their fan base, a challenge highlighted by the public’s reluctance to shell out extortionate sums for tickets at Lord’s. Of course, there is a fine line between attacking, attractive cricket and recklessness, but McCullum’s track record as a captain suggests he will strike the balance.New Zealand, meanwhile, are entering a new era of their own, with this series representing a benchmark for their succession planning. “We’re quite a different team to even a year ago at the World Test Championship,” Gary Stead, their understated coach, said on Monday while pointing to the retirements of Ross Taylor and BJ Watling. “Those changes are felt within the team but that’s an opportunity for someone else to come up and play the game.”The transition has not been seamless so far: New Zealand have played three two-match series since the WTC final and won none of them, losing 1-0 in India before back-to-back 1-1 draws at home to Bangladesh and South Africa. On the back of a warm-up defeat to a County Select XI at Chelmsford last week, there is just a hint of vulnerability.It is their batting line-up which will come under particular scrutiny. Will Young is yet to nail down his spot at the top of the order while the engine room of Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell have had limited preparation time after their involvement in the IPL. Even still, they will prove tough first opponents for England’s new regime, especially given their main strength – fast bowling – remains unaffected.

Form guide

England: LDDLD
New Zealand: LWWLLKane Williamson will return to Test cricket at Lord’s•PA Images/Getty

In the spotlight

Only seven weeks ago, Joe Root was still England’s Test captain and for a fleeting moment it seemed as though he was determined to cling onto that position despite a run of one win in 17. Instead, he handed the reins to Stokes and has kept a low profile since, warming up for this series with six appearances – three in the Championship, three in the T20 Blast – for Yorkshire. Most ex-captains return to the ranks in the twilight of their career and with a limited shelf-life but at 31 and in the form of his life, Root could press on for many years to come.Kane Williamson‘s persistent elbow injury means he has played a solitary Test since the WTC final and missed New Zealand’s entire home summer. When he has played, he has struggled for form: at the IPL, he finished the season with a glacial strike rate of 93.50 after Sunrisers Hyderabad opted to retain him on a INR 14 crore (USD 1.86 million approx) contract. Following a purple patch, the last 12 months have served a reminder of Williamson’s mortality.

Team news

England named their playing XI on Wednesday, with Matthew Potts due to make his Test debut after he was preferred to Craig Overton as the third seamer. The reshuffle in the batting line-up sees Pope promoted to No. 3, a position he has never batted in first-class cricket, while Root, Jonny Bairstow and Stokes form the middle-order engine room. Jack Leach plays his first home Test since 2019.England: 1 Alex Lees, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Matthew Potts, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.Trent Boult, who arrived late from the IPL, was under consideration before New Zealand trained on Wednesday but appears to be a major doubt. Henry Nicholls, whose rehabiliation from a calf injury was delayed by a positive Covid test, has been ruled out and Williamson confirmed Daryl Mitchell will bat at No. 5 in his place. The main selection call is whether Ajaz Patel – who has not played a Test since taking 10 wickets in an innings against India in Mumbai – should be included, with Stead hinting that he might earlier this week. If he plays, one of Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner or Matt Henry will miss out.New Zealand (possible): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Matt Henry/Ajaz Patel.Stuart Broad and James Anderson pose in the Long Room•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

After an unseasonably dry spring, the rain has returned in London this week and may cause some delays over the weekend, though the first two days are expected to be clear. Pitches at Lord’s have been significantly better for batters this season with an average of 34.24 runs per wicket in the Championship, compared to 20.76 on the green seamers of 2021. There was still some live grass on the surface 24 hours before the toss, but cut much shorter than New Zealand are used to from their home pitches. Supporters have been encouraged to wear red, white and blue to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubillee but some empty seats are expected after slow ticket sales.

Stats and trivia

• Ben Foakes will play his first Test in England, after five in the Caribbean and three in both India and Sri Lanka. Potts and Alex Lees will also make their home debuts.
• Root needs 111 runs to reach 10,000 in Tests; he would be the 14th player and second Englishman to reach that landmark.
• Stokes is 18 sixes away from overtaking his coach, McCullum, as the leading six-hitter in Test history. Stokes is currently sixth on the all-time list; Tim Southee is 15th.
• New Zealand are unbeaten in their last four Tests in England. They have twice gone five Tests in a row without losing in England, from 1937-49 and from 1986-90.
• Southee needs seven wickets in the match to go clear of Glenn McGrath and Sir Richard Hadlee as the leading overseas wicket-taker in Tests at Lord’s.

Quotes

“There’s been talk around the word reset, which is something that I don’t particularly like. I just see this as a complete and utter blank canvas for this Test team going forward.”
“I’ve seen him a couple of times around the hotel and it is strange to see him in it, but good on him. He’s done exceptionally well in his transition from cricket and to get a job like this shows you the type of person he is, and the coach he is as well.”

Australia coach Justin Langer has hinted that the allrounder could get the nod ahead of Peter Handscomb on a slow MCG pitch

Melinda Farrell at the MCG24-Dec-20184:46

Langer hints at Mitchell Marsh’s inclusion for MCG Test

Australia’s Christmas Eve training shaped up as a No. 6 nets shootout between Mitchell Marsh and Peter Handscomb, with Marsh firming as the most likely option for the Boxing Day Test.The nature of the MCG pitch has been a huge talking point ahead of the third Test, nearly a year after the ICC had rated it “poor” for the Ashes Test draw, and the suggestion it may once again be slow over the five days could tip the scales in favour of the support Marsh’s bowling could provide to Australia’s quicks.”In a perfectly balanced side you have someone who can bowl some overs, so Mitch becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket, unlike Adelaide and Perth where we knew it would be an even contest, that although there’s some grass and moisture we also know the history of it,” coach Justin Langer said after Australia’s training session. “Our fast bowlers have been lucky, they have bowled less overs than the Indians at the moment, particularly [Jasprit] Bumrah, and the more we can look after those guys the better. It will come down to that decision.”Handscomb was given a tough audition in the nets facing Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in quick succession but, while his strength batting against spin has often been a factor in his selection, Langer was quick to point out Marsh’s batting qualities. It’s an either-or situation that is overshadowing all thoughts of Christmas cheer.”We weigh up all those things,” Langer said. “Pete’s a very good player of spin bowling, Mitch is a pretty good player of spin too.”They are the hard decisions. You generally talk about one position and they are the ones that give you the most headaches. You have to tell someone they’re not playing which is tough and tell someone they are, it’s a nice Christmas present.”I spend my life thinking about all those things, it’s a bit sad, not what Christmas presents I buy for my kids but who plays spin better, whether we play the extra bowler.”Langer also acknowledged how difficult it can be for players like Handscomb and Marsh, who have both been the subject of widespread criticism, whether due to technique or form.He’s behind you: Peter Handscomb has taken Mitchell Marsh’s place•Getty Images

“We talked about that in our team meeting this morning,” Langer said. “There’s so much noise, so much opinion, but we have to keep trusting the path we are on whether it’s the individual players or the group.”We know there’s lots of criticism, that’s okay, it’s hard but it’s part of the business. Takes great strength and courage to eliminate it and perform.”Langer confirmed if Marsh plays he will definitely bat in the top six above Tim Paine, a decision made easier by the strength of Australia’s lower order. While Australia’s tail has made instrumental contributions with the bat and was particularly incisive with the ball in Perth, the coach believes they are yet to hit their straps with the ball.”All of them would admit they haven’t quite nailed it this series, so that’s exciting,” Langer said. “We saw it in the Ashes last year that there were times they were all over England.”Nathan Lyon is literally world class, he’s been so good. The other three, we’ve seen great signs, and there were times when they bowled worse and got more wickets but I’m really excited when those guys bowl as that unit – I can’t wait to see that.”