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.

After years of putting his own career first, Kevin Pietersen has embarked on a groundbreaking initiative that uses cricket to help disadvantaged kids get their own leg-up

George Dobell23-Nov-20155:56

#PoliteEnquiries: Kevin Pietersen special

There was a time, not so long ago, when talking to Kevin Pietersen on the day of an England squad announcement would reopen old wounds and rouse sleeping dogs to bark once more.But those days have gone. Right or wrong, Pietersen’s international career is over and he knows it. Clinging to the past does nobody any good. While there was still the odd outburst of anger and frustration last Thursday – during this conversation, one coach was branded “a clown” and one non-selection “insane” – they are less frequent now. He has, just about, moved on.That has allowed room for new pursuits in his life. He plays golf, he sees more of his family, and he is able to approach cricket with the mental and physical rest periods for which he – and the likes of Eoin Morgan – have long argued. Indeed, the irony of Andrew Strauss adopting several of Pietersen’s opinions – embracing the IPL, sacking Peter Moores and attempting to cut the domestic schedule – is not lost on him. “If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry,” Pietersen says. “I told Strauss all this about six years ago and I was portrayed as the bad guy.”Most of all, though, he has a new motivation. After years (a lifetime, really) of thinking mainly about himself – his batting, his fitness, his career – he is driven by a more selfless desire. He is, after all those years pursuing personal ambitions, inspired to help other people.That is not meant to sound critical. Whatever the reputation – and there are as many former team-mates who talk warmly of Pietersen’s support as those who decry him – he is the first to admit that he was, as an international sportsman, single-minded in his focus. He was, like the vast majority of top athletes, hugely driven by personal ambition and pride. And they are, in many ways, admirable qualities. But they don’t always allow much time for thinking outside the bubble.At the launch of the Sprite 24/7 project. Pietersen plans to start a similar scheme in the UK•KP24 FoundationHe is the first to admit this. “I’ve been incredibly lucky to travel the world,” he says. “Playing international sport has given me a privileged life. I’ve been to amazing places and had some incredible experiences. But the truth is, when you are focusing on your career in international sport, you have to be quite….”Selfish?”Yes, you do. Selfish is right. You do have to be, if not selfish, then single-minded. That’s maybe a better way to put it.”I always worked very hard. I always took my training seriously and was focused on being as good as I could be. You have to be to enjoy that level of success. It is a job, and to be good at your job you have to spend a lot of time on it. It means you probably don’t give the time you should to other things.”And while I always noticed the world around me – the net bowlers who would do anything for us but went home without shoes; the kids running along beside the team bus; the poor areas we drove through – it passed me by a little bit. I’m not proud of that, but it’s true. And if I had allowed myself to think too much of that, I probably wouldn’t have had the success I have had. I wouldn’t have the profile I now have, which allows me to give something back.”But it was all about me in the past. It was all about my ambitions. My runs. So to do something now that is all about helping people is incredibly satisfying.”Pietersen is not the only cricketer to attempt to give something back at the end of a fine career. Maybe there is some irony in the fact that two of his former team-mates, team-mates with whom he is no longer close, have recently made generous gestures of their own. James Anderson is the executive producer of the film Warriors, a really quite beautiful documentary that shows how cricket has been used as a tool to educate and improve a Maasai community in Kenya, while Graeme Swann was so moved by a Chance to Shine visit to a school that he made a substantial donation to ensure they have the facilities they require.Sharing dressing rooms and hotels with a dozen other highly ambitious, driven young men for months at a time is liable to cause friction. Maybe, as they grow older, the members of England’s finest team for many years will realise they have far more that unites them than divides them.

“Look, I can’t change the world. But if I can change the world of one or two kids? Well, that would be great”

Certainly Pietersen feels he has changed. Shocked by the death of a close friend and enlightened by parenthood, Pietersen has matured. While his new book, On Cricket, isn’t exactly a mea culpa, it does contain a lot more reflection and self-criticism than many would expect. The anger, the ego, the hurt, have subsided. They have been replaced by something more positive.”This only started a year or so ago,” Pietersen says. “For the first time, I had time to reflect. I had time to think about what I wanted to do next. And I came up with two clear goals.”The first was to raise awareness of a rare form of cancer – ocular melanoma – that took my great friend, my other brother, really, Jon Cole-Edwardes, from us far, far too soon.”And the other was to give something back. I wanted to repay all those people from all round the world who have always been so supportive. I wanted to use some of the good fortune I have had to help those who haven’t had any fortune.”To that end, his charity, the KP24 Foundation, has set up the Sprite 24/7 project which launches this week. It sees teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, Bangladesh, Kenya and the UAE assemble in Dubai – the foundation covers all the costs and that of chaperones – for ten days of training, activities and a T20 tournament that is expected to attract thousands of spectators. Each squad contains 12 players between the ages of 16 and 18 from underprivileged backgrounds. Pietersen will be among the coaches, and one player from each team will be given a scholarship to support their cricketing development.”I enjoy life more now. I see old friends and they say ‘How much calmer are you now?'”•Getty ImagesHe has plans to launch a similar scheme in the UK. He hopes it will “mirror the franchise teams” he likes to think will replace the county structure in T20 cricket.It is easy to be cynical about celebrities involving themselves in charitable causes. Often it is justified, too. Commitment sometimes extends to little beyond a photo opportunity and some positive PR.Time will tell, but this doesn’t feel like that. Pietersen talks of the project with such passion, with such fervour, that even when it seems impossible to imagine his claim that he will one day be known more for his charitable work than his cricket, you suspect he believes it. He has put his own money into the foundation – the whole of his Surrey wages in 2014, for a start – and insists this is just the beginning.”I would love this to be my legacy,” he says. “Of course I’m incredibly proud of the runs I’ve scored and the success we’ve had, but improving the lives of these disadvantaged kids would be something else entirely. It will be about giving people some of the incredible opportunities I’ve had.”I know some people will be surprised I’m doing this. But hopefully I’ll win some people over and other people will accept that I’m just trying to help. Why wouldn’t I want to?”Look, I can’t change the world. I know that. But if I can change the world of one or two kids? Well, that would be great, wouldn’t it?”Pietersen knows that his profile, and therefore his public reach, is much greater while he remains a player. He therefore intends to continue on the T20 stage for a few years to come, though it seems audiences in England may see little of him. There seems every chance he has already played his last first-class game.”I scored a triple-hundred last summer and the England selectors still ignored me,” he says. “What’s the point of me turning up at the start of April to be nicked off by some 60mph seamer?”If I play for anyone, it will be Surrey. But I don’t like the NatWest Blast as a competition, as playing once a week doesn’t really work for my batting. Besides, my schedule is already very busy. I intend to play cricket for a few more years, but I don’t know how much of it will be in England.”That seems a shame. But maybe there is too much baggage, too much pain involved in going back.”I enjoy life more now,” he says. “I see old friends and they say ‘How much calmer are you now?’ The stuff that happened a couple of years ago… it took a lot out of me.”I’m cool with my life now. I like what we’re trying to do. It excites more than anything I’ve ever done before. It seems more important. I want to help create a legacy beyond the world of cricket.”And I don’t have any stress now. I see my family. I play golf. And I can do things like this – the foundation – which is more important to me now. I feel I’m a happier person now. A better person.”For more information visit www.kp24foundation.com

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.”

Under Craig McDermott, Australia regained the hard edge of pace and skill that had been missing for several years before his arrival

Daniel Brettig10-Mar-2016Craig McDermott’s contribution to Australian pace bowling over the past four years can be summed up through the story of Peter Siddle. In September 2011, at the time of McDermott’s arrival for his first stint as pace-bowling coach, Siddle had played 22 Tests, taking 74 wickets at 32.10 and only eight in his past four matches.Move forward to 2016 and Siddle is assured of a highly respectable place in Australian cricket history, having passed 200 wickets this summer. Since beginning his association with McDermott, Siddle improved his record markedly: a return of 134 wickets at 28.65 and a strike rate of 60.2 over the period ranks very favourably with any Australian paceman outside the legendary likes of Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath and, latterly, Ryan Harris.For now, Siddle’s future is uncertain, as he seeks to recover fitness after back and ankle problems at the age of 31. When he does return, it will be as a mentor as much as a fast man, carrying on much of McDermott’s advice now that the older man has parted ways with Cricket Australia.While his record is not quite spotless – last year’s Ashes series blots the copybook of all involved, as does a poor series against Pakistan in the UAE – there has been undoubted progress made in McDermott’s time. Siddle’s record speaks a wider truth, as Australia regained the hard edge of pace and skill that had been missing for several years before his arrival. At the same time a private goal between pupil and mentor has been achieved.”Peter was teetering on the edge when I became involved with the side,” McDermott told ESPNcricinfo. “We sat down and went through a number of things and he certainly bought into some of the philosophies. We changed a few things with his action, he did all the hard work and I now see him talking to the young fast bowlers about the same things whether it be in state cricket or the national team.”I remember at warm-ups in Perth during the India series in 2011-12 I said to him ‘You’re going to be a 200-wicket taker for Australia easily’ and I was unbelievably happy when he finally got his 200th Test wicket because it was one of our little private goals we stashed away between us and he finally got there.”I hope Peter gets over his back and ankle injuries and is back around the team at some stage. He’s certainly got a lot to offer cricket in general and a lot to offer young fast bowlers with his experience, his tenacity and his true grit.”McDermott’s two spells with the Australian side in 2011-12 and 2013-16 took place after several years of decline in the fortunes of the team’s effectiveness as a bowling unit. The 2010-11 Ashes, where the likes of Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell were utterly dominant, sits uneasily in Australian memory.

“I was unbelievably happy when he [Peter Siddle] finally got his 200th Test wicket because it was one of our little private goals we stashed away between us and he finally got there.”Craig McDermott on Peter Siddle reaching a pupil-mentor goal

A simple philosophy demanding the ball be pitched up to tempt the drive, with strong use of the bouncer to muddle footwork in between times, was to bring much improved results for a range of bowlers, from Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus to Harris, Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson and, more recently, Josh Hazlewood. As a coach first at the then Centre of Excellence and later the national team, McDermott played a role in both background and foreground.”There was a fair bit of work done back in those times,” McDermott said. “The younger guys that have come through have done work with myself at the academy and other coaches as well around the country, let’s not forget there are other coaches who have taken on similar philosophies because they’re very simple and they work. Prior to 2011 we’d gone away from that and our bowling was suffering greatly.”So to be involved with that side at that particular time and work with blokes like Hilfenhaus, Johnson, Siddle in particular really changed the way Peter bowled, and then obviously Patto came on the scene in 2011-12 against New Zealand and India as well. That was really pleasing, and I really enjoyed my time working with Nathan Lyon as well, even though I’m not a spin coach by any stretch I’ve loved seeing him grow and become Australia’s greatest offspinner.”If there is a disappointment to McDermott’s era, it is that the cycle of injuries to Australia’s pacemen has abated only intermittently. The ability of Siddle, Harris and Johnson to bowl unchanged across the last home Ashes series looks a miracle when lined up against various other ailments for the quicks, and McDermott has conceded there is not much more to be done other than accept the physical toll inherent in the job.”I really think it’s the nature of fast bowling,” he said. “We’re doing enough to reduce all those things. Having Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris retire for instance puts extra load on other guys and I take my hat off to Josh Hazlewood this year, he’s played every Test match bar one in the last 13 months and done a great job. He just continues to improve, I’d been a little bit nervous about him for a while playing so much cricket in 12 months but he’s handled that with a spell in one-day games here and there, but not a lot of rest overall.”If we can do anything it is to get six to eight blokes fully fit all the time, which is a big wish list, you can pick and choose through a four or five-Test series who you’re going to play. That can help. But we thought we were in pretty good position this time then Patto got injured, Nathan [Coulter-Nile] popped his shoulder and all those sorts of things really test the depth below. Jackson Bird’s gone to New Zealand and bowled very well with the new ball and bowled very good reverse. Patto bowled very well as well, and in that series Josh bowled magnificently without the rewards he deserved.”No bowler sums up the fitness conundrum more so than Pattinson, another bowler McDermott worked particularly closely with. His pattern of injury, rehab, recall, performance and another injury has been repeated more than anyone would like, and McDermott hopes simply that his charge can find the room away from the cricket calendar to build the requisite strength in his legs for the long haul.”James [Pattinson] has now got his action where he feels very happy with it, and he’s now got to get himself strong and fit enough to stay on the park,” McDermott said. “The rest he’s on now is important as will be getting him ready to possibly go to Sri Lanka. He’s a work in progress still, where others like Josh and Mitchell have stepped over that stage. Starcy’s ankle impingement is not uncommon, Bruce Reid had one of those, and if you’re going to bowl fast, you’re going to get some niggles and injuries. Good he’s been operated on and can come back better than ever now.”The most promising emergence over the past year has been from a somewhat unexpected source. In the absence of Starc, Pattinson and Pat Cummins, the allrounder Mitchell Marsh has emerged as an impact bowler of considerable hostility. During the recent New Zealand tour he earned promotion from into-the-wind to with-the-wind duty, and his second-innings dismissal of Brendon McCullum in the Wellington Test was rich reward.”Mitchell Marsh has come along unbelievably well over the last 12 months with his bowling. He’s been great to work with and I can only see him becoming a better bowler as he goes forward – I’d just like to see him get some runs!” McDermott said.”Particularly in Wellington he started bowling into the wind and Smudger [Steven Smith] moved him to bowling with the wind and with Birdy into it, and he got McCullum out last over of the day in the second innings. I think he’s really starting to grow and think better as a bowler. His pace has increased over the last six months, he’s looking after his body, so he’s only going to improve and it’ll be interesting to see how he develops.”From here on McDermott will be watching that evolution from a distance, after his contract with CA was not renewed. He is eager to work more fully on an expanding academy business affiliated with numerous Australian tertiary institutions, and will look to expand it overseas also. There will also be time to spend with his wife Ann-Maree and young children Ella, Emma and Zac, and perhaps the odd short overseas coaching stint.He is unsure who CA will find as his replacement, with the likes of Shane Bond, Ryan Harris and Jason Gillespie touted. Whoever it is, they will find Australian pace stocks in decent shape, and with a strong idea of how to keep it that way.

Their weakened bowling attack could hold them back, so Australia need to plan their batting line-up carefully

Aakash Chopra17-Mar-2016Australia have done well in Tests and ODIs but not so much in T20s. The World T20 is the one trophy that has eluded their grasp so far.The way they approached their three T20s against India in January gave the impression that either they don’t take T20s seriously (key players left the series mid-way) or that they were unsure about their final squad for the World T20 and so were experimenting with players and their batting spots.Strength
Assessing the conditions and forming strategies around them is a big challenge in world events, but it won’t be an issue for Australia, whose players form a big part of the overseas IPL contingent. No format values game-changers more than T20 does and Australia’s batting order is full of them, whether it’s David Warner at the top with Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja or Aaron Finch; and Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh at the end.If things go horribly wrong, Australia have the solid Steven Smith to steer them out of trouble. Smith’s captaincy is the best thing to have happened to them in this format. He is always a couple of overs ahead of the game.Their biggest challenge with regard to their batting order will be to find the right spots for everyone, because they have four quality openers, none of whom can bat in the middle order.Weakness
The absence of Mitchell Starc is their biggest weakness. Starc can pick up wickets in the Powerplay and restrict runs towards the end of the innings. Without him their bowling lacks class and depth.On good pitches against good opposition, the batting orders of both sides cancel each other out, and that’s when you need a spell of four overs for 24 to tilt the balance in your favour. Smith doesn’t have a single bowler who he can turn to when the opposition gets on a roll.Nor does he have the slow-bowling resources to fall back on if the pitches favour spin, which is likely to happen as the tournament progresses. We are getting towards the end of the cricket season in India, so some of pitches might already be tired. In Adam Zampa and Maxwell, Australia have, at best, two middling spin options. If they don’t win the trophy this time around as well, it will be due to their bowling strength, or rather, the lack of it.X-factor
They don’t rate him that much in Australia but when it comes to playing T20s in India, Watson is their most prized asset. He has been an integral part of the IPL since its inception and knows what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t in this part of the world. He is at his best at the top of the order and Australia ought to look to make sure he doesn’t bat any lower than three. Watson is equally adept at playing pace and spin on slow, low Indian pitches, because he has the unique ability of staying low at all times. For a tall man, his hands are reasonably low and he utilises that further by collapsing the back knee while playing off the front and back feet.Watson can also give you four good overs in the middle. Slow bouncers, if they bounce at the right height, are the toughest to hit in India, and he bowls them well.

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?

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2016Aaron Finch’s bat also left the bowlers in the dust, as the score raced to 54 for 0 in four overs•Associated PressIndia fans, who had very little to cheer about till then, found their voice when Ashish Nehra had Khawaja caught behind for 26•Associated PressThen David Warner was done in by R Ashwin for 6 off 9 balls•AFPThe spinners’ waltz: Yuvraj Singh picked up a wicket with his first ball of the tournament, and it was the big one of Steven Smith•AFPSmith, though, was quite unhappy with the umpire ruling him out caught behind and Australia were 74 for 3 in the 10th over•Getty ImagesGlenn Maxwell played a responsible innings – even if it included a wild switch hit for six. He had 31 off 28 balls when he missed a Jasprit Bumrah slower ball in the 17th over•AFPShane Watson was put under the spotlight, but he did quite fine in his new role of finisher•Getty ImagesHardik Pandya was given the final over again, but this time he conceded two fours and a six•Getty ImagesWatson and Peter Nevill took Australia from 130 for 5 in 16.3 overs to 160 by the time the 20th was done•Getty ImagesShikhar Dhawan gave India a steady start in the chase…•AFP… before falling to Nathan Coulter-Nile•AFPWatson accounted for Dhawan’s opening partner, Rohit Sharma, two overs later•Associated PressWatson struck once again to remove Suresh Raina in his next over as India were reduced to 49 for 3•AFPVirat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh then went about rebuilding India’s innings with a 45-run partnership•Associated PressYuvraj, though, picked up an ankle injury during his stay at the crease…•Getty Images… before a Watson stunner ended his innings for 21•Associated PressIndia’s asking rate kept soaring in the slog overs, but Kohli kept his cool as he was joined by MS Dhoni•AFPWith 39 required off the last three overs, Kohli unleashed a lethal attack on James Faulkner, taking the left-arm pacer for 19 runs in the 18th over•Associated PressIn the next over, he took Coulter-Nile for 16 runs, and India needed just four off the last over•Getty ImagesAs he has done on many occasions, Dhoni hit the winning runs for India•AFPKohli eventually ended on 82 not out off 51 balls, taking India into the semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai, while Australia were knocked out•Associated PressAt the end of the match, the Australia side clapped off Watson as he stepped off the field for the last time in Australia colours•Getty ImagesWhile Kohli, on the other hand, received a hero’s welcome in the India camp•IDI/Getty Images

Sanjay Manjrekar analyses the reasons behind India not being able to get the better of West Indies in Jamaica

04-Aug-2016Chase could be consistent middle-order batsmanRoston Chase proved his skills at the highest level with an exceptional all-round performance in the second Test in Jamaica, says Sanjay Manjrekar2:17

Manjrekar: Chase could be consistent middle-order batsman

‘India didn’t seem to have a Plan B’India’s bowlers did not experiment enough on a slow fifth-day track in Kingston to come out tops in the second Test2:10

Manjrekar: India didn’t seem to have a Plan B

‘Holder’s day-three spell could have triggered WI resurgence’West Indies need to fix a few holes before the next Test, but they seem to be in a much better position than they were after the first Test2:17

Manjrekar: Holder’s day-three spell could have triggered WI resurgence

‘India might look to replace Mishra in St Lucia’When the pitch provides no assistance, legspinner Amit Mishra is not as effective, and that could mean is he left out for the next Test2:12

Manjrekar: India might look to replace Mishra in St Lucia