All posts by n8rngtd.top

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the tri-series final in Perth

Sidharth Monga and George Dobell at the WACA Ground01-Feb-2015The plan
At the end of the 10th over, which Stuart Broad bowled, he signaled towards the dressing room, asking for a helmet. He wanted a short leg when he bowled next. When he began the 12th over, though, he had Steven Smith on strike. The helmet remained behind Jos Buttler. After conceding a single first ball, Broad called for the short leg. Now Broad had in his sights the out-of-form George Bailey. On 0 off 12. On a pitch with uneven bounce. There was going to be one soon aimed at the ribcage, but when? First on a length, angling in. Defended to midwicket. Second slightly short, played to cover. Third fuller and wider, left alone. With the fourth he went short, but provided Bailey the width to get off the mark. The fifth one he dug in like he really meant to, Bailey surprisingly didn’t seem to be expecting it, and stabbed at it, his head falling back, fending in front of his chest. Easy catch for short leg.The call
Umpires are usually pretty harsh on bowlers when they stray down leg in limited-overs cricket. With these regulations it can become near impossible to bowl when batsmen like Smith keep moving across and timing everything to leg after taking it from outside off. Just because umpiring for leg-side wides is done by rote, everyone assumed Chris Woakes would be called wide when Smith moved inside the line of a shortish ball and missed it. Smith looked up for a wide too, but Umpire Marais Erasmus was having nothing of it. His hands remained down, and went up only to call over and suggest to Smith that he had moved too far across. A chat between the batsmen – Smith and David Warner – followed during the changeover.The presumption
Presumption, they say, is the mother of much misfortune. Certainly it seemed that way when Smith was stumped. Smith, having presumed a delivery from Moeen Ali would turn, skipped past the straight one and then, presuming that Buttler would complete the stumping, did not immediately attempt to regain his ground. But Buttler, perhaps presuming that Smith would make contact with the delivery, did not take cleanly and was grateful for Smith’s slow response as he scrabbled to pick up the loose ball and break the wicket just before Smith regained his ground.The run-out
Mitchell Marsh was beginning to look imperious. Having rebuilt the innings with Glenn Maxwell, it was important for Australia that he went on to capitalise on his hard work in the final few overs once his partner had been dismissed. Instead, just as he began to move into top gear, he was run out after Brad Haddin called him for an unwise second run against the arm of James Anderson at third man. While Haddin, running to the apparent danger end, made his ground without much trouble, Marsh was left well short of his ground after Buttler collected and threw down the stumps at the bowler’s end with a direct hit. It left Australia with two new batsman at the crease and checked their acceleration. Until James Faulkner happened.The demon
The groundstaff had worked hard on the pitch since the end of Friday’s match involving India. It was better, too. The bounce seemed far more consistent. But one of the few balls that misbehaved had serious consequences. David Warner was dismissed by a delivery from Anderson that appeared to stop on him a little, bounce more than expected and resulted in a spooned catch to point. To lose such a key player in such an unfortunate manner was disappointing in such a high-profile game.

AB de Villiers felt a lack of “electric vibe” before South Africa’s match against Pakistan – and his post-match disgust revealed that things only got worse

Firdose Moonda07-Mar-20152:18

AB de Villiers had nothing positive to say about South Africa’s defeat

Meet South Africa. The only team to have posted 400 runs twice in succession in an ODI. The team with two batsmen, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, who consider each other the best in the world and who the rest of the world consider the best, too. The team with the top-ranked pace bowler in the global game. The team de Villiers has “nothing good to say about at the moment.”After being defeated in what de Villiers identified as the second of the big matches in the pool stage – the first was against India – the South African captain has concluded that his men may “not be as good as we think we are,” and were “not prepared to fight it out,” against a spirited Pakistan.”I hate losing. I’ve got nothing good to say about the team at the moment,” de Villiers said. “Hopefully we have got four games left in the tournament and opportunity to lift the trophy. We need to approach the quarter-finals with a fresh mindset. I’ve got nothing good to say about performance today.”The truth was something was not right from the moment South Africa arrived at Eden Park and de Villiers knew it. “I didn’t feel an electric vibe,” he said.It did not seem as though many people, particularly South African supporters, felt that vibe. On the quiet suburbs around Eden Park, which is just three kilometres from the city where almost a third of the population of New Zealand lives, the currents flow calmly.Activity was limited to a square outside Gate A where one group was rollerblading, another was on stilts and a third mimicked the person directing foot traffic. Forty minutes before the match was due to begin the stands of Eden Park were similarly sparse as spectators waited to see if the weather would hold before committing their Saturday to sport.When they came in, the green of Pakistan outnumbered the green and gold of South Africa. They did not intimidate in the same way the Indian-dominated crowd at MCG did but their presence added to what already been a morning of mishaps for South Africa.Vernon Philander had been declared fit and available on Friday, after missing the previous two matches with a hamstring strain, but he had to withdraw from the playing XI before play when he experienced discomfort again. De Villiers admitted he felt he was “thrown a curve ball before the game”. The extent of that curve was only known later when the effect Philander’s absence had on the batting line-up was exposed.South Africa needed him more with the bat than the ball which encapsulates the actual issue of their team: the make-up of their team, not the mindset. They are without a regular genuine all-rounder and are constantly compromising on an element of their game. Their gambles have often paid off before and they almost paid off again when they limited Pakistan to a chaseable total, albeit it with a makeshift fifth bowler.Wahab Riaz signals victory in a match where only Pakistan felt the vibe•Getty ImagesThis time duties were shared between JP Duminy and de Villiers himself, who offers little more than novelty value as a bowler. His medium pace is innocuous and, even though de Villiers snagged the wicket of Younis Khan between him and Duminy, they cost the team 77 runs.De Villiers made exactly that score with bat in hand but lacked support, which illustrates South Africa’s more pressing concern. They are prone to collapses when the middle order is exposed to pressure.The only way to avoid that is with consistently solid starts at the top and a line-up that bats deep. Against Pakistan, they had neither. Philander, or even Wayne Parnell offer more with the bat than Abbott and South Africa may need to look at including one of them instead of a specialist seamer.They will be more worried about what to do with Quinton de Kock, whose lean run has now stretched one game too many. Although his talent is not in question, de Kock has now gone five innings with only one score in double figures.At another stage of his career, that would be regarded as a rough patch that could be smoothed over with sufficient game time, especially as he returning from a serious injury. But this is a World Cup and luxuries like that are hard to afford, unless, as is the case with de Kock, the player is needed in another capacity.De Kock is also the first-choice gloveman, who frees de Villiers up to lead, prowl the outfield and bowl. Leaving him out would require de Villiers to take the gloves but allow South Africa to play another batsman – in-form Rilee Rossouw would be the obvious choice. But then too much would be asked of the captain.Already, South Africa depend on him with the bat, although they have taken great care to play that down lest it be perceived as over-reliance. When Russell Domingo was asked about de Villiers recently, he said, ‘He is a wonderful player but we have many wonderful players,” while another member of the support staff repeatedly reminded that South Africa are not a “one-player team.”De Villiers himself brushed off suggestions he is overburdened, even after the Pakistan performance. “I know I can’t win this World Cup on my own: I need my team-mates,” he said. “They’ve got the ability and capability and the talent to do that. It’s about the senior guys stepping up and helping some of the youngsters to lift their game. We can all play cricket.”Now, they have to show they can play cricket even when they are not feeling as charged up as usual. “It’s my responsibility to try and get them going which I couldn’t do today. I could feel nothing was happening at 100%.”It’s like a car that in second or third gear and that won’t win you games. Not under pressure in big tournaments like this.”
Unless South Africa change that, de Villiers won’t be the only one with nothing good to say.

This match exposed the deep chasm between a consistent champion team like Chennai Super Kings and the desperate and frazzled Kings XI Punjab unit. Here are five moments from the game that underline the differences.

NAGRAJ GOLLAPUDI IN MOHALI16-May-2015The first whipAfter his 12-ball 31 proved to be the difference for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Wriddhiman Saha was the danger man. He had been shuffled between the top and middle order in the tournament but was sent out to open against Chennai Super Kings. MS Dhoni asked left-arm spinner Pawan Negi to open the bowling and it was a smart move to tempt Saha and Manan Vohra to take on the slow bowler. Saha remain rooted in his crease for the better part of the first over and even lofted an easy four over the cover fielder. In Negi’s next over, the batsman tried to create room to once again hit over the offside but was badly beaten by turn and offered a simple catch to cover.  It was an effortless kill.A desperate, ultimately futile, promotionGeorge Bailey rushed in to replace Saha. Most fans did not even notice him and in fact thought it was their favourite Glenn Maxwell at the crease. Even the big screen had Maxwell as the new batsman, but it was indeed Bailey. It was another experiment by Kings XI Punjab in their final match. But why? Before this game, Bailey had batted at No. 3 only twice in the IPL, managing 19 runs. Despite a terrible season he has been the second-best batsman for Kings XI this year behind David Miller but those runs have come in the lower order where his calm proved crucial at times. Today, Bailey started confidently, hitting a couple of fours, but facing the first ball from Ashish Nehra – a slanted delivery moving away – Bailey edged the ball into Dhoni’s gloves.Maxwell’s empty bag of tricksThe crowd erupted as soon as they saw Maxwell walk in, but the batsman started with an uncharacteristic waiting game. He did unleash a Ponting-esque pull on the front foot nonchalantly for his first four, but only six runs came off 14 balls. He had even managed to just nudge and dab against his once famous whipping boy, R Ashwin but facing the first delivery from left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, Maxwell went for a reverse sweep. The ball had pitched on leg stump and was too close for him to attempt the stroke. Not surprisingly, next ball Maxwell once again attempted the same stroke. Once again Jadeja had pitched it on leg stump and on length and, once again, the ball hit the pads. Then Maxwell suffered a brain fade and failed to react to a ball that pitched on middle stump and straightened to knock back the off stump. Maxwell stood there for a moment, amazed and appalled. On his way back, he kicked the stump in disgust. Kings XI’s best batsman last season, who had set the IPL alight with his audacity and creativity, was a minimal presence this season.One-dimensional strategyDefending a low score is never easy, but ask Dhoni and co. who have on numerous occasions managed to turn a low-scoring affair in their favour through a combination of expert leadership, good fielding and an experienced bowling attack. An attacking field customised to each batsman’s weakness is also something successful teams usually deploy immediately.  Sadly Kings XI were lacking on all these fronts today. The best chance to dominate came once the Super Kings opening pair of Michael Hussey and Brendon McCullum returned in quick succession, but the Kings XI bowlers bowled predictable lines and failed to attack Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina. It did not help when Maxwell was surprised by a return chance from Raina and failed to latch on to the catch. Raina was on 20 and Super Kings were 54 for 2 in the seventh over. Both Raina and du Plessis took advantage of the vast gaps in the field and picked easy singles and twos and, whenever the bowler faltered, hit easy boundaries to exhaust and negate the opposition.The helpless walkOn Saturday afternoon Sanjay Bangar, the Kings XI coach, walked four times on to the field –  during the strategic time-outs – to have a word with his players. There was never an urgency in his walk to and from the dugout. What Bangar told his team is irrelevant but as Rahul Dravid wisely said, if players need a pep talk on match-day then they are playing for the wrong team. This season has been a learning lesson even for Bangar, who took over the role only last year. Bangar, a phlegmatic man, will work hard but he needs to improvise and adapt quickly. Without altering too much, he still needs to get the best out of his players. It will never be easy but he needs to put an end to the defeated walks from the dugout to the pitch.

Plays of the Day from the second T20 between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Lahore

Mohammad Isam24-May-2015The oldies’ collision
Pakistan’s two old-timers Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami were trying to cut off a whip by Vusi Sibanda but as they got closer to the ball, they banged into each other. Precisely, Malik headbutted into Sami’s knee and the two collapsed.Sami had enough presence of mind to throw the ball back to the bowler Shahid Afridi but Sibanda and Sean Williams had taken three runs. The physio made his way out and after a few shakes of the head and some cold water, Malik was up. Ahmed Shehzad checked if Malik was fine before the two, Malik and Sami, hugged it out. No harm done, it seemed.The slippery slower one
Bilawal Bhatti was struggling for a proper length when he started to dish out slower deliveries in the sixth over. The first one went down the leg side and the second one was comical.The ball, released from the back of the hand, reached the ducking batsman high on the full. However, it wasn’t as bad as Abdur Rehman bowling the three successive high full tosses that got him barred from the attack in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh last year.The stare’s short stay
Imad Wasim, making his international debut, was introduced into the attack in the fifth over. He readied himself quickly and bowled the first ball, a full delivery, which was driven back by Hamilton Masakadza.Wasim stared at Masakadza, before turning back to bowl the next delivery, which was blasted over his head for a boundary. There wasn’t much of a stare as he quickly walked back to his mark.The comeback in the stands
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan announced on Twitter that he would be present at the Gaddafi Stadium to watch the second T20. He said this would be the first time since the 1996 World Cup final that he would be at the ground.He perhaps forgot that he had vented his anger at Pakistan’s losses to India in the ODI series in 2004, while near the press box. This time, he wanted to watch a thriller as it was his “day off”, and he had his wish fulfilled.The catch
Sikandar Raza saw Shahid Afridi sky one and ran in, and so did Vusi Sibanda who had taken three catches in the game.As the ball came down near the advertising mats behind the bowler, close mates Raza and Sibanda nearly collided, but Raza clung on to the catch. He screamed in delight, turned and gave Sibanda a big smile.The floored appeal
Chris Mpofu has a few dance jigs for wicket celebrations but couldn’t find a reason to bring them out until the 17th over, when his celebration was by accident and not choice.When he hit Umar Akmal’s pads in the 17th over, Mpofu turned around and appealed. So earnest was his shout that he fell on his back. The umpire took his time and gave it out. Mpofu celebrated on the floor.

He started out as a natural talent who lost his way. Now, able to marry venom and control, Steven Finn finally feels back to his best

George Dobell at Edgbaston30-Jul-2015Just over a year ago, Steven Finn sat in the dressing room at Edgbaston and wept. The pace and rhythm were gone. The England place, too. There were no guarantees that any of them would be back.At the time, Finn had been reduced to bowling first change for Middlesex. It wasn’t that he minded; it was that he didn’t understand what had gone wrong. He didn’t understand why the game that had once come so easily had suddenly become so hard. He didn’t understand why all his hard work was getting him nowhere.But as he sits in the same pavilion, he may reflect that the experience has been the making of him. He may reflect that, where once he was a talented kid, he is now an experienced professional. He may reflect that the whole experience, painful though it was, was a necessary process that helped him develop from something raw into something quite special. He’s not a brute hurling a ball now; he’s a fast bowler.And yes, he is fast. Finn has bowled faster than anyone – including Mitchell Johnson – in this Test. His speed, in both innings, has gone above 90mph, with a first-innings high above 93mph. With his height, that presents an uncomfortable challenge for a batsman. Even a batsman as good as Steven Smith, rated No. 1 in the world, who Finn has dismissed twice in this match.Just as importantly, he has gained swing. While the Finn that first represented England swung the occasional ball, the version that has come back into the side appears to have control and regular away shape. The wicket of Mitchell Marsh – bowled by a full delivery – even seemed to tail in just a fraction. It has made him a far more complete package as a bowler.And, most importantly, he has hit the seam and maintained a good length. His spell of 8-1-25-4 either side of tea, in which he dismissed Smith and Michael Clarke, squared up by one that left him slightly off the seam, may well have settled this game. His obvious happiness afterwards – “it feels pretty darn good,” he said in what might have been considered a pretty good Hugh Grant impression – was understandable. There have been some dark days on the journey.In the beginning, fast bowling came easily to Finn. While his school friends were doing their GCSEs, he was making his first-class debut. For a 16-year-old to play professional sport is impressive enough; for a fast bowler to do so is remarkable.Six years later, he was celebrating becoming the youngest man to claim 50 Test wickets for England. He hadn’t had to think about the game; it all came naturally.

Like fixing an engine, Finn was forced to understand how each part of his action worked and how to gain the best from it

But then came the obstacles. His propensity to leak four runs an over made him something of a liability in a four-man attack who prided themselves on attrition and control. Then, after his habit of knocking the stumps in his delivery stride became more than an irritation in 2012, the attempts to alter his action and approach started.The results were, initially at least, wretched. The run-up was shortened, then lengthened again. The pace dropped – Finn continues to deny this, but the statistics brook no argument – the control disappeared and a man who once looked natural and confident then appeared deliberate and diffident.He played his last Test at Trent Bridge in 2013 – he bowled especially poorly in the Lord’s nets ahead of the second Test of that series and was dropped – and, by the time England reached Australia later that year, looked a shell of the bowler he had once been.The image of him alone in the nets at the SCG, bowling delivery after delivery in agonisingly arrhythmic fashion, growing slower the more effort he applied, was one of the sadder sights of the tour. By the time Ashley Giles sent him home suggesting he was “not selectable” – a phrase that had been used throughout the tour by the coaching staff away from the microphones – it was a kindness. He needed a break.What he gained, in reality, was time and space and support. Back at Middlesex, in a more benevolent environment without some of the “banter” that was not always helpful in the England dressing room, Finn worked for hour after hour with the club’s bowling coach, Richard Johnson.There was, for a long time, little sign of improvement. But perhaps at Finchley Cricket Club, where Finn started bowling off two paces, then built it up off three, then four and more, perhaps at Lord’s in May, when Jonathan Trott said Finn was back to his best, or perhaps at Merchant Taylor’s School earlier this month, when Finn and Johnson both came to the same conclusion, Finn started to bowl with the venom of old and the control of new. And, just as importantly, he started to believe in himself again.The process of rebuilding that action will prove priceless. Like fixing an engine, he was forced to understand how each part of his action worked and how to gain the best from it. He was forced – prepared might be a better word; plenty wouldn’t have bothered – to confront technical lapses that his natural talent had, for a while, allowed him to ignore. He was prepared to do the hard work to come again.”Trying to improve hindered me for a while,” he said recently. “But overall it’s been a beneficial experience. I came home and reassessed where I was. I feel good now. I feel I can do myself justice.”That may prove just as well for England. There seems a very strong chance that James Anderson will miss at least the Trent Bridge Test, providing a peek into England’s future. Anderson will surely prove irreplaceable but, at least if Finn is fit and firing, the future does not look quite so worrying.It is not a unique story. The likes of Anderson, Matt Prior and Ian Bell were also selected young only to then struggle and benefit from a spell back in the county game. Gary Ballance will surely prove the same.Bearing in mind the occurrences of players struggling in the England environment, it does provoke reflection on the ECB’s belief in the academy at Loughborough. While millions are spent on a centre that appears to produce little – there are several examples of players who feel their career was detrimentally affected by its coaches – the ECB is drawing up plans to cut the County Championship schedule by 25%. To do so risks weakening the foundations of everything good in the English game.Finn, himself, credits the endless support of Johnson and, to be fair, the ECB’s Kevin Shine. “I’m indebted to those guys,” he said. “They put in hours and hours of early mornings with me bowling through to a mitt, or to a stump and watching and giving feedback. I’m very grateful to the way those guys have given their time so selflessly to me after the last 18 months.”Steven Finn found an irresistible rhythm to rip through Australia’s top order•Getty ImagesBut he also credited a refreshed atmosphere in the England dressing room. More comfortable in the less intense environment, Finn is not thinking so much at the runs he must avoid conceding as the wickets he wants to take. It is a subtle difference, perhaps, but it has helped him relax and produce the cricket that he had shown for Middlesex this summer.”I’m enjoying playing cricket at the moment,” he said. “I used to put myself under a huge amount of pressure. But now we just want to play with smiles on our faces.”We’re playing with a can-do attitude. Before, we were playing some very attritional cricket because it suited the players that we had. Now we’re trying to be a team of people who can showcase our talent. It seems to be working.”It was not as if he had things all his own way. His first over was hit for 14, mainly by David Warner, and he was quickly whipped out of the attack and brought back at the other end.It proved a masterstroke by Alastair Cook. Two ball later Smith, perhaps trying to pile the pressure on to a bowler who has sometimes been suspected of cracking when he is targeted, top edged an attempted pull. Shortly after tea, Finn was on a hat-trick and Australia were the ones under pressure. He had been tested and he had come through.”There have been dark times along the way,” he said. “But it makes those good times all the more satisfying.”Indeed, it will. And, in the long-term, his hard work and increased understanding of his art will serve him and England well.

Stats highlights from a day completely dominated by Australia’s batsmen

S Rajesh05-Nov-2015389 Runs scored by Australia, the most ever on the first day of a Gabba Test. The previous-best was 364, also by Australia against England in 2002. It’s the third-highest on any day of a Gabba Test: the highest is 459, on the fifth day of the 2001 Test against New Zealand, while the second-best is 404, on the last day against India in 2003.161 The opening partnership between Warner and Joe Burns, which is Australia’s fourth-highest for the first wicket in a Test innings against New Zealand. The highest is 224, also at the Gabba, between Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer in 2001. That was also the last instance of an Australian opening pair putting together a century stand at the Gabba. The partnership of 161 is also the highest by a new Australian opening pair since Ian Redpath and Bill Lawry added 219 against South Africa in Melbourne in 1964.2 Instances of partnerships of 150 or more for the first two wickets for Australia in a Test innings. The only previous instance was at Lord’s in 1930, when Bill Woodfull (155) and Don Bradman (254) made merry against England. This is the 12th instance of century stands for the first two wickets in an innings in Australia’s Test history. The last time it happened was also against New Zealand, in Adelaide in 2004. Three of the last four such instances have been against New Zealand.3 Number of successive century stands for Australia in Tests: in the 2015 Ashes, Warner and Rogers added 113 in the second innings of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, and 110 in the first innings of the fifth, at The Oval. It’s the first such instance for Australia in Tests.13 Test hundreds for Warner, which puts him in joint fifth place among Australian openers, along with Bill Lawry. Hayden leads with 30, which is well clear of Mark Taylor, who is next on 19 hundreds.2 Fifty-plus scores for Warner in eight Test innings at the Gabba – on both occasions he has gone on to convert them into hundreds. In 2013 against England he scored 124 in the second innings, after being dismissed for 49 in the first.57.78 Warner’s Test average when he opens the batting but doesn’t take the first ball – 12 of his 13 centuries have come in the 60 innings when he has started at the non-striker’s end. In the 20 innings when he has faced the first ball, he has averaged only 24.50.102* Usman Khawaja’s score, his first Test century, in his 18th Test innings. In 17 previous innings he had gone past 20 ten times, but his highest was only 65.4 Instances of two of Australia’s top three batsmen getting hundreds in a Test innings against New Zealand. It happened twice in the 2001 home series, and once in the 1993-94 series. Each of those Tests have been played in November.

ESPNcricinfo presents the good, the bad and the ugly from the 2015-16 Bangladesh Premier League

Mohammad Isam16-Dec-2015The delivery In a tournament dominated by bowlers, there were plenty of deliveries that generated interest and discussion. Despite stiff competition from Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Sami and Ashar Zaidi, it was Al-Amin Hossain’s hat-trick delivery to Mushfiqur Rahim – a sharp in-swinger that broke the top of the middle-stump – which stood out. Al-Amin generated enough pace and it was a pressure delivery given the match situation, as Barisal Bulls had to take control in the low-scoring game.The shotDespite the challenging batting conditions in Mirpur, there were some great shots played during the BPL. Alok Kapali’s two fours in the last over of the final will be long remembered, but the calmness with which Shahid Afridi swept Dhaka Dynamites’ Farhad Reza over fine-leg for six, clinches him the tournament’s best shot.The catchIn the dying stages of the second qualifier, Barisal’s Sabbir Rahman swung over long-on, but the ball was intercepted by Darren Sammy, who had to track back till he was inches away from the boundary rope. After catching the ball, he had to balance himself on one leg for at least three seconds before he could get full control of his body. The flexibility was remarkable, especially after he had dropped a simpler catch earlier in the over.The dropped catchAmong the tournament’s bloopers, none looked as bad as Chittagong Vikings’ Asif Ahmed dropping Sammy in the last over of Rangpur’s thrilling chase in the tournament opener. With eight needed off the last four balls, Sammy squeezed one towards sweeper cover but Asif, generally a safe fielder, dropped the chance and the batsman struck a four next ball. Rangpur went on to win the game off the last ball.The stuntChittagong Vikings’ campaign was lagging behind so much, they decided to fly in Umar Akmal immediately after Pakistan’s T20 loss to England in Sharjah on December 1. Akmal arrived in Dhaka from Dubai, and he was brought to the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury in Chittagong on a white helicopter. He made just one run, and Chittagong went on to lose by nine wickets.The controversiesThe BPL’s third edition ended with fewer controversies than in 2012 and 2013, but there were still some incidents that had no place in a cricket field. Sylhet tried to field two players who were not in the team sheet at the toss, leading to the tournament opener being delayed by more than an hour.Shakib Al Hasan abused an umpire for a not-out decision and was banned for a match. But the ugliest image of the tournament was that of Tillakaratne Dilshan tripping Imrul Kayes deliberately as the Comilla batsman tried to set off for a run. Dilshan had initially tried to tackle Imrul, but when that did not work, he pushed out his leg to trip Kayes. Surprisingly, the BPL’s technical committee did not charge Dilshan.

The youthful Hong Kong team (with a 44-year-old) hopes the experience of having played in the last World T20 will come in handy in India

Peter Della Penna27-Feb-2016Hong Kong’s maiden appearance at the World T20 in 2014 was a microcosm of their cricket over the last five years. They were shot out for 69 by Nepal. Four days later, they bowled out Bangladesh for 108 – at the time the hosts’ lowest losing total at a World T20 – before going on to a two-wicket win. Such results raise the question: will the real Hong Kong please stand up?Despite indications that they suffer from split-personality disorder, Hong Kong’s ability to rise to the occasion for major wins under pressure is a credit to how well they have deployed their small playing base. They have achieved this in part with a plan to pick a young squad and stick with it through thick and thin, developing chemistry through a strong nucleus.One-third of their squad – Jamie Atkinson, Waqas Barkat, Mark Chapman, Aizaz Khan and Nizakat Khan – are alumni from the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, the only time Hong Kong played that tournament. Their commitment to blooding and retaining youth is so strong that even though they have the oldest man in the tournament in their squad – 44-year-old Ryan Campbell – their average age of 24.24 is more than a full year younger than the next closest team, Bangladesh.However, it would be foolish to link age to experience. Former captain Atkinson, 25, debuted in the senior team aged 17; and star middle-order batsman Chapman, who spent most of the southern-hemisphere summer playing first-class cricket with Auckland, at 16.Road to the World T20
At the World T20 Qualifier, Hong Kong had wins over Nepal and Ireland, sandwiched by losses to 30th-ranked Jersey and USA, but finished off the preliminary stage with a win over Namibia to take second place in Group A. They chased down 162 for their first T20 win in seven tries against Afghanistan to secure a World T20 berth before losing to Scotland in the semi-final.Mark Chapman is only 21 but has played for Hong Kong since he was 16, and has experience in New Zealand domestic cricket as well•AFPIn a stretch from mid-November 2014 to mid-February 2015, Hong Kong played nine T20Is and an unofficial T20 against Pakistan. In streaky fashion, they began with three losses, followed by three wins – over Oman, Afghanistan and Scotland – before stringing together four more losses in a row. The most recent cold streak includes a winless run in the Asia Cup T20 Qualifier.At the helm

A former Pakistan U-19 player, Tanwir Afzal played his first full-fledged Hong Kong match in 2012 at the Asian Cricket Council Trophy Elite, and took over the reins from Atkinson in 2015, just prior to the World T20 Qualifier in Ireland. The 27-year-old is a steady medium-pacer but is also capable of explosive batting cameos, such as the time he struck 30 runs in an over on the way to 56 off 22 balls against Scotland in January.Key stat
44 years, 30 days A new record age for the oldest player to feature in a T20I debut, if Campbell makes the starting XI. UAE’s Mohammad Tauqir currently holds the mark for oldest T20I debut at 43 years, 176 days.Leading menBabar Hayat

Hayat struck an unbeaten 20 off nine balls, including the winning runs, in Hong Kong’s first T20 win over Afghanistan to clinch a second straight World T20 berth. The burly right-hander has been the hottest batsman in Associate cricket since then, scoring 372 T20I runs in his last ten digs at an average of 46.5, including the fourth-highest T20I score – 122 off 60 balls against Oman in February.Will Ryan Campbell be able to provide a solution to Hong Kong’s top-order problems?•Getty ImagesMark Chapman

Hong Kong’s best player, the 21-year-old made vital contributions of 30 and 40 in World T20 Qualifier wins over Ireland and Afghanistan. In unofficial matches, he made an unbeaten 53 off 33 in a win over Zimbabwe ahead of the 2014 World T20, and 50 off 39 in November against Pakistan. In January, he made 157 off 111 balls for Auckland in New Zealand’s List A competition. He is also Hong Kong’s best fielder and his part-time left-arm orthodox spin will be called upon in India.Nadeem Ahmed

The left-arm spinner has taken on the responsibility to bowl with the new ball in the lead-up to this tournament, with positive results. After taking just one wicket in eight T20Is in 2015, Nadeem now has eight in his last five games. He was rock-solid in the last World T20, taking a T20I career-best 4 for 21 against Bangladesh.Burning question: Who will open the batting in place of Irfan Ahmed?
The star allrounder was the team’s leading scorer at the World T20 Qualifier and a key strike bowler as well, but Hong Kong have struggled to find a replacement for Ahmed after he was suspended by the ICC for failing to report a match-fixing approach. Kinchit Shah has been trialled as an opener alongside Anshuman Rath, but neither has impressed. Campbell said Irfan’s absence was one reason why he felt it necessary to make himself available for Hong Kong, and has hinted that he’ll take a crack at opening in a bid to restore the firepower at the top.In their own words: Mark Chapman

“It’s massive having the experience of the last World Cup, because before the last one we hadn’t played a lot of cricket under lights, we didn’t have experience with dew. Naturally, there were a lot of nerves, being a step up from the qualifying event. I think there will be a sense of calm this time.”Ideally we’d be playing against the Test nations, but we have got in effect another qualifying round. [Zimbabwe, Scotland and Afghanistan] are all teams that we’ve played and beaten before, so we’re going out there to win every game. We can’t have any other attitude.”

Darren Lehmann’s Australians are not resting on their recent arrival as the No. 1 Test team in the world. Far from it, in fact

Brydon Coverdale07-Mar-2016A half-volley from Trent Boult, a boundary driven through cover-point by Adam Voges, a round of applause from the smattering of fans on the grassy banks at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. This was the understated scene in which Australia regained the No.1 Test ranking last month. There was no sign of the mace, the ICC’s trophy for the top Test team. There was no novelty cheque for $1 million, Australia’s cash prize for finishing the Test year at No.1. All they got was the Trans-Tasman Trophy.Apparently it will all come later, the ICC declaring that Steven Smith “will receive the mace and the cash award on behalf of his team in a ceremony to be held at a later date”. Like much about the rankings system, it all seemed fairly arbitrary. Australia will be on top at the annual cut-off date of April 1, hence their cash prize, but how long they stay there is another question. Last time they hit No.1, back in 2014, they spent only three months there.Still, the very fact that Smith’s team has reached the top ranking is a significant achievement. In the space of six months during 2015, Australia’s Test team lost to retirement Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris. That’s 365 Tests, more than 20,000 runs and 500 wickets gone from the dressing room. And yet, since Smith succeeded Clarke as captain after last year’s failed Ashes campaign, Australia have not lost a Test.Arguably, they are yet to be seriously challenged. There were high hopes surrounding New Zealand this summer, but their attack was limp in the Test campaigns both away and at home. Limp would have been an improvement for West Indies, who took only 12 wickets in their three-Test series against Smith’s men, compared to Australia’s 48. Opposition aside, the signs could not have been much better for Australia this summer.Usman Khawaja finally established himself as a Test batsman with centuries in four consecutive first innings. Voges, like Khawaja, averaged more than 100 for the season. Smith and David Warner both averaged 70-plus. Joe Burns was a reliable opening replacement for Rogers and averaged 53.23. Mitchell Marsh’s bowling improved. Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon continued to pile up wickets. And all the while, coach Darren Lehmann was steering his men through a time of change.”You wouldn’t think you’d lose that many [players], but that happens and you’ve got to adapt,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo after the Test series in New Zealand. “I’m really pleased that we took a punt on some players and they’ve done really well. [National selector] Rod Marsh has been excellent. We cop a lot of criticism as selectors – that’s part and parcel of the game and you accept that from the media and the fans – but sometimes you get it right.”We were lucky enough to pick a good group that can take us forward. Yes we’re No.1, but we’re a long way away from where we want to get to. We’ve got the challenge of playing well in Sri Lanka in four months’ time. That’s a great challenge for the group. If we win that series, that’s adaptability. That’s becoming better.”Australia have a red-ball lull in the next few months, instead focusing on the World Twenty20 tournament in India in March, then a one-day tri-series involving West Indies and South Africa in the Caribbean. But after that, they will be challenged in unfamiliar conditions with a Test series in Sri Lanka, and a Test campaign in India early next year will be a major learning curve. Lehmann conceded that his young side still needed to prove their No.1 credentials over the coming year.”I think you have to prove it more. But we do win a lot of Test matches over a year,” Lehmann said. “We play an aggressive brand that allows you to win Test matches. One-nil is normally not our go. It’s really trying to win each and every Test match you play.”That’s important for the fans and how we go about it. We’ve improved our off-field demeanour, the way we play, the young kids are trying to learn each day and become better. They’re becoming great men. We’ve got better, but we’re nowhere near where we want to be.”Of course, sometimes Australia’s style leads to them coming spectacularly a cropper, as they did last August at Trent Bridge, where they were skittled for 60 on the first morning of the fourth Ashes Test. All out inside 19 overs. Stuart Broad could do no wrong, taking 8 for 15. Only two men – Clarke and Johnson – reached double figures. It brought back memories of 47 all out against South Africa in Cape Town in 2011.That was the innings that effectively lost Australia the Ashes, for England won the Test by an innings and took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. It is tempting to view it as a line-in-the-sand moment, given that since then Australia have played nine Tests and, discounting the Sydney wash-out against West Indies, only once have scored less than 480 in their first innings. But Lehmann views their first innings of the Ashes in Cardiff as a greater failure, even though Australia made 308.

“I don’t look at the 60 as bad as the 308 [in Cardiff]. If we play well and get 500 in that game, maybe it’s 2-1 going into the last Test.”Lehmann on where he thinks the Ashes went wrong

“I’m not that worried about the 60 all out,” he said. “The conditions were overcast, green wicket, perfect conditions to bowl. I think if we bowl first we bowl them out – maybe not for 60. But I don’t think that 60 all-out was a line-in-the-sand moment. I think moreso [the disappointment was] the fact that we’d lost the Ashes.”And I was probably more disappointed with our first innings at Cardiff. From Warner who got 17 to Rogers’ 95, the top seven all got starts and no one went on. Whereas now we’re making 500 because blokes are going on with it. It’s a tough one. I don’t look at the 60 as bad as the 308. If we play well and get 500 in that game, maybe it’s 2-1 going into the last Test.”It’s an interesting take on things, but it’s also a case of coulda, woulda, shoulda. The end result was that the Ashes was lost, and with it a swathe of experience as Clarke led the exits to allow a regeneration of the side. All of a sudden Smith, at 26, is in charge, Australia’s youngest Test captain since Kim Hughes. And his age gives him the chance to put his stamp on a long era of Australian cricket.”He’s been magnificent for us as a group,” Lehmann said. “His batting has been exceptional, but his leadership and his knowledge of the game, he’s well beyond his years. To take the role on at 26 – people say it all the time, it’s the second most important role after the prime minister, when you’ve got to play and run a cricket team.”He’s been great in how he’s dealt with the younger players. He knows when to have a firm hand with them. He speaks really well. He’ll get better and grow into the role. Tactically he’s excellent. And most importantly, he’s making runs.”He’s really hands-on with the young players, he goes to dinner with them. He’s grown up with them almost. That’s a great thing for him. That will stand him in good stead as they get older and play more Test matches. They know exactly where they stand, and his communication skills are exceptional.”Smith’s elevation to the captaincy was a mere formality after he had filled in for the injured Clarke during the 2014-15 home summer against India, but the appointment of David Warner as his vice-captain was slightly more controversial. Warner’s reputation was in desperate need of rehabilitation after 2013, when he was suspended for punching Joe Root in a Birmingham pub, but Lehmann said Warner had been the perfect backup for Smith.”He’s been brilliant in the role,” Lehmann said. “They complement each other really well. David does everything a vice-captain should do behind the scenes, and lets the captain concentrate on the bigger issues. That’s important for us.”They’ve done a really good job transitioning from Clarke and Haddin to Smith and Warner. It’s been exceptional, a really smooth change. That probably helps when you’ve got the age of the players coming down a little bit. But the way they’ve handled it – I can’t speak highly enough of both of them.’We cop a lot of criticism as selectors – that’s part and parcel of the game and you accept that from the media and the fans – but sometimes you get it right’•Getty Images”I think we’ve developed nicely, and quicker than we probably expected. But that can change quite quickly as well. We’re going to have some ups and downs – we know that. So we’ve got to lessen the downs and make sure we’re better prepared than we ever have been each and every day.”To extend their lead at No.1, Australia will need not only to play well at home next summer in Test campaigns against South Africa and Pakistan, two of the strongest Test teams in the world, but also find a way to play well in spinning conditions in Sri Lanka and India. Australian teams have found ways to win in Sri Lanka but India is generally a far tougher challenge.And the Test rankings are tight. Australia, as the World Cup holders, have a healthy lead at No.1 in the ODI rankings, but in Test cricket South Africa, India and Australia have all held top spot already in 2016. South Africa have been the only team to consistently win away from home in recent years but their peak appears to be behind them, and any team that can adapt to foreign conditions on a vaguely consistent basis will have a case to call themselves the world’s best.Lehmann has always said he is not looking to keep the Australian job for a lengthy period, and a recent bout of deep vein thrombosis will no doubt have given him pause. The departures of two trusted lieutenants in Michael Di Venuto and Craig McDermott are other indicators of the demands of the gig. The next 12 months therefore loom larger than most.”We’ve got two subcontinent tours and two tough Test series at home,” Lehmann said. “Come this time next year, we’ll have a better idea of where we sit. South Africa have been very good for a long period of time away from home. They’ve still got some quality players.”I suppose the big one is winning away in the subcontinent. That’s the big challenge. We’ve got to do that in Sri Lanka first, then play well against quality sides at home, and then play well in India. The next four series are pretty big.”

Inzamam-ul-Haq talks about his short and successful stint as the team’s coach, and what they need to do to match the best sides in the world

Danyal Rasool16-May-2016Less than an hour before my interview with Inzamam-ul-Haq, I was watching him on television. He was conducting his first press conference in his new role as Pakistan’s chief selector after shortlisting 35 names for a training camp ahead of the side’s tour of England this summer, from which the final squad would be picked. Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, talented yet profligate batsmen, had been omitted. Inzamam didn’t seem too shy about laying down a marker.I’m sitting in Inzamam’s drawing room, and he enters dressed in a shalwar kameez and house slippers. Despite the short time between the press conference and our meeting, he shows no signs of being rushed; the feeling that he always had a little extra time clearly wasn’t confined to his batting.His tale of his stint as Afghanistan coach begins, rather improbably, in Saudi Arabia. “I was at the Hajj last year when Afghanistan called me,” he says. “Kabir Khan [former Afghanistan coach] approached me previously too, asking me to become Afghanistan’s coach, but I had declined. Afghanistan isn’t your average country in terms of the challenges you’re presented with. So when I received the call this time, I told them I’d take on the role, but only for the Zimbabwe tour [in October 2015]. I had no prior experience in coaching, so I wanted to see how I handled it before agreeing to any full-time contract. By the grace of Allah, we won both the ODI and T20 series. They offered me a three-year contract, but I didn’t want anything too long term, so I signed on for one year.”

“The Afghan boys don’t mind hitting the gym. They are also great foodies, and after all that hard work they’ll go in and polish off a whole barbecued lamb or two for dinner”

Inzamam’s six months as Afghanistan coach coincided with one of the most successful spells, statistically, in the country’s short cricketing history. They won 12 out of 17 T20Is, including all five against Zimbabwe and a stunning upset of eventual world champions West Indies at the World T20 this year. In ten ODIs during Inzamam’s stint, all against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan won six, winning series home and away. It was a stellar run, and, after putting it down to “good luck” in typically modest fashion, Inzamam reveals what he thinks were the two biggest factors behind the impressive numbers.”As soon as I became coach, we had a very busy run of fixtures coming up, so I focused on the things I thought would bring short-term success. I didn’t attempt to fix their techniques – you can’t do that overnight. I tried instead to change their approach to the game. For example, their satisfaction levels were very low. They were content to score 30-35 runs and get out, feeling they had done enough. I told them it was criminal to get out once they were set, had their eye in, and had begun to understand the pitch and conditions.”Secondly, cricket has become so much faster that the value of running singles, and the art of rotating the strike, has become a little lost. But I believe that any player capable of taking multiple singles per over will never feel too much pressure. I believe that was instrumental to our success.”The sense that coaching Afghanistan is no ordinary job looms large again as Inzamam talks about being forced to rely on second-hand knowledge regarding the state of cricket within the country. “I only spent one day in Afghanistan during my time as coach, and that was to sign my contract,” he says. “Obviously that meant I was dependent on their selectors and local coaches. Instead of hand-picking the boys who I thought could make the grade, I was sent players [to Afghanistan’s training base in Sharjah] who had performed well in domestic cricket in Afghanistan, but they did give me the final say regarding selection.””I tried to change their approach to the game. They were content to score 30-35 runs and get out, feeling they had done enough”•Getty ImagesHe stresses on the importance of a strong first-class system, directly linking it to international success, and praises Afghanistan for the strides they have made in this department. “They have organised formal ODI and T20 tournaments in the country. In addition, they’ve established approximately 40 cricket grounds across the country to give people the opportunity to play the game. They’ve invested in turf pitches. They’ve built a stadium in Jalalabad, and they recognise the value of a good first-class system.”And so they should. If these sorts of developments to safeguard their future weren’t taking place, all of their good work could be undone very quickly.” He emphasises the point with a warning: “Even Kenya played a World Cup semi-final once.”When the conversation moves to the possibility of Afghanistan attaining Test status in the next decade, he draws a comparison with a team he is rather more familiar with. “Look,” he says, with a hint of fatalism in his voice, “the reason Pakistan cricket is down in the dumps at present is the absence of virtually any international cricket here. And Pakistan has been an established Test side for over six decades. Afghanistan cricket is in its infancy. If they want to reach the levels that Test sides are expected to be at, they have to organise international cricket there. They to.”Maybe they could attract some of the up-and-comers in Associate circles to visit. But if they fail in that task, I simply don’t believe they can continue to progress like they’re capable.”It is imperative that Afghanistan cricket does well. You cannot imagine how passionate Afghanistan’s fans are, and how they live and die by every result.”I remember whenever we won a match, [Asghar] Stanikzai used to address the nation on television, pleading with them not to celebrate with gunfire, because on one occasion five people died during the festivities. Around the cricket world, we might not think too much of Asghar or Mohammad Nabi, but they are absolute megastars in Afghanistan. After we won in Zimbabwe, 15,000 people came to the airport to receive the team. They were taken directly to the stadium in Kabul, which was jam-packed, not to watch a cricket match but simply to give their heroes a homecoming.”

“It’s crucial that the ICC provides these Associate nations with quality coaches. A lot of the players I worked with have technical flaws and kinks in their batting that a good coach could easily have ironed out at Under-19 level”

One of the more charming features of Associate cricket is the level of camaraderie and togetherness among players from the various teams, and a recognition of the mutual challenges their fellow “second-class citizens” face. Given that every story requires a villain, many view the ICC as having filled that role with regard to the Associates, standing like a surly security guard outside a members-only party, refusing to let the intruders in, no matter how meticulously they appear to follow the dress code. Inzamam’s criticism of the ICC’s role, however, is far more tempered and nuanced.”I do think the ICC has financially helped Afghanistan and Ireland a lot, but I think it’s crucial that the ICC provides these Associate nations with quality coaches to work on their basics. A lot of the players I worked with have technical flaws and kinks in their batting that a good coach could easily have ironed out at Under-19 level, or in first-class cricket. But years of those shortcomings being left unchecked results in them being entrenched into the players’ batting techniques, and then they become extremely difficult to remedy, especially at international level, the level at which I have worked. If the ICC were to do that more frequently, I think it would make a huge difference to all Associate nations.”The topic of the players’ fitness requires tact and poise; it is Inzamam I’m talking to, after all. But a smile crosses his lips when I mention the word. “I remember before the 2003 World Cup, I worked extremely hard on my fitness,” he recalls. “A great deal of training and dietary discipline. I believe I lost 19kg. And 19 is the number of runs I scored in the entire tournament.”I only spent one day in Afghanistan during my time as coach, and that was to sign my contract”•Danyal RasoolNot that he means to discount the importance of fitness. “The Afghan boys are very hard-working, and they don’t mind hitting the gym,” he says. “They naturally have a strong, athletic build, which helps in a number of cricketing departments. But they are also great foodies, and after all that hard work they’ll go in and polish off a whole barbecued lamb or two for dinner. Next day, when the sun is out and you have to be fielding, the meat absorbs a lot of water in your body, making you extremely thirsty. So you have to be more professional if you want to take the next step in your progress.”Inzamam speaks of the players’ almost reverential respect for him, and their humility; these are young men who, in their country, are about as big a deal as Sachin Tendulkar is in India. He speaks about the country with great affection, and it is clear he desires to see the team succeed. His pride at their results under his tutelage speaks of his genuine satisfaction at being able to help a team and a nation he developed a great fondness for.All the more relevant to ask: when all seemed to be going swimmingly well, why did Inzamam leave Afghanistan cricket a few months ahead of time?The ensuing silence is longer than at any stage during the evening; he clearly didn’t take the decision, or his response, lightly. “I coached Afghanistan for seven months. Out of those, I spent five and a half away from home. After retiring from all forms of cricket in 2008, I took up no other assignments till this Afghanistan job. With young children, it was very difficult to spend all that time away from my family, and I didn’t want that to continue. So when the PCB approached me, I thought it was best to take up their offer, and Afghanistan were extremely understanding and generous. I still have a great relationship with the people I worked with.”Inzamam’s strongest conviction appeared to be his assertion that Afghanistan cricket cannot remain on the road to progress without international cricket being played in the country. And yet, he himself spent just a day in the country.For all his optimism, it is hard not to view Afghanistan’s cricket, and the scope for its development, in its geopolitical context. Many of the boys Inzamam interacted with became men before they picked up cricket equipment; indeed, long before boys should become men. This is a country whose scars aren’t symbolic, nor are they the remnants of mere sporting failure. They aren’t just any cricket team, they are an Associate nation; and not just any Associate nation, they are Afghanistan.Inzamam’s stint might have seemed all too short, but to those Afghans who live day to day, players and spectators alike, it will have lasted an eternity. What might they have achieved together if he had stayed the duration?