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They have made each of the two finals so far, driven by a strong core of domestic talent and led by Pakistan’s all-format captain Sarfraz Ahmed

Umar Farooq20-Feb-2018

History

Quetta Gladiators are not a star-studded team, but they have emerged as the most successful one in the PSL’s short history. They have made each of the two finals so far, driven by a strong core of domestic talent and led by Pakistan’s all-format captain Sarfraz Ahmed. Not bad for the franchise that costs the least out of the six playing the tournament. In fact, Quetta were favourites to win last year having beaten the team they would meet in the final, Peshawar Zalmi, in the play-offs. But many of their in-form overseas players did not travel to Lahore and a depleted side was soundly beaten.

Quetta Gladiators

Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Kevin Pietersen, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Mahmudullah, Umar Amin, Mir Hamza, Asad Shafiq, Shane Watson, Rahat Ali, Rameez Raja jnr, Saad Ali, Saud Shakeel, Hassan Khan, Jason Roy, Rashid Khan, Azam Khan, Faraz Ahmed Khan, Jofra Archer
Best XI: 1. Asad Shafiq 2. Shane Watson 3. Kevin Pietersen 4. Rilee Rossouw 5. Sarfraz Ahmed (capt) 6. Umar Amin 7. Mohammad Nawaz 8. Jofra Archer 9. Mir Hamza 10. Anwar Ali 11. Hasan Khan
Coaching staff: Moin Khan (head coach), Sir Vivian Richards (batting coach/mentor), Abdul Razzaq (bowling coach), Julien Fountain (fielding coach), Rashid Qureshi (trainer), Usman Ghani (physio), Shakir Khilji (analyst), Azam Khan (manager)

Team overview

Quetta have retained Sarfraz, Kevin Pietersen and Rilee Rossouw, the three pillars of their batting line-up. They have also placed faith in left-arm seamer Mir Hamza, batsman Umar Amin and allrounder Anwar Ali, even though he had a mediocre season in 2016.Their highest run-scorer Ahmed Shehzad has been shipped off; he will now play for Multan Sultans. Umar Gul is gone. Mohammad Nabi is gone. Zulfiqar Babar and Tymal Mills are no longer on their roster either. The only player that Quetta gave up and bought back was Carlos Brathwaite, and he ended up having to be replaced. The West Indian allrounder will be busy playing the World Cup qualifiers in March and so Quetta invested in seamer Jofra Archer, who was among the players of the tournament in the BBL 2017-18.Rashid Khan adds to their bowling strength as well, but the legspin sensation and the only Afghanistan player picked up in the PSL draft will not be available for the entire season. The same applies with Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah. Shane Watson, who has played 15 matches across two seasons, is their Platinum player.

Strengths

With Pietersen, Watson and Rossouw, Quetta can blow teams away with their top order alone. In Sarfraz, they have a shrewd and capable captain. And the variety in their bowling line-up, which includes the left-arm-spinning Pakistan Under-19 captain Hasan Khan, will prove handy as well.Rilee Rossouw guides the ball to fine leg•Getty Images

Weakness

It’s a good thing Quetta have good options at Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 because there doesn’t appear to be enough firepower lower down. They have quality spinners in Rashid and Mohammad Nawaz but Sharjah is usually known to help fast bowlers, putting extra onus on Archer to adapt to UAE conditions.

Key foreign players

Pietersen, who intends to retire by the end of the year, is set for his final stint with Quetta. He has been an integral part of the team, scoring 456 runs in 18 matches at a strike-rate of 140.74. His unbeaten 88 off 42 balls against Lahore Qalandars in Sharjah was nothing short of a classic. Can the 37-year old maintain his lofty standards in his PSL swansong?

Under-the-radar local players

Saad Ali recently rose to prominence, becoming the leading run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class competition. The 24-year-old left-hander tallied 957 at 68.35 for United Bank Limited with three hundreds and three fifties. He is relatively new to T20 cricket but his List A record – 1448 runs at an average of 48 and a strike-rate of 84 – reflects his ability to adjust to shorter formats.Quetta’s emerging player from the previous season, Hasan Khan, continues to develop in 2018. He led Pakistan to the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup in February and his skill as a left-arm spinner is considerable. He took 2 for 10 on PSL debut, helping his team defend a total of 136 in spectacular fashion.

The Mumbai Indians captain said he would continue batting at No. 4 to help bring stability to the middle order, much like he did with a match-winning 94 against RCB

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai18-Apr-20184:19

Left-right combination did the trick – Rohit

If Rohit Sharma’s decision to bat at No. 4 after Mumbai Indians’ first two games was to play the anchor role in the middle order, it seemed to have flopped as soon as their innings started against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Umesh Yadav’s two swinging deliveries removed Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan for golden ducks, and the captain was effectively opening the batting again.Rohit had avoided the temptation to open in the interest of his franchise, even though he had blasted a 35-ball century batting at the top for India a mere four months ago. And mere weeks before the start of the IPL, he scored two consecutive half-centuries as opener and led India to a tri-series title.Still, he decided to move down two places to add more depth in the Mumbai middle order and set a stage for Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers in the slog overs. And if Rohit had to pick an opposition at Wankhede Stadium to get going and finally register Mumbai’s first win, he would have picked Royal Challengers with his eyes shut.Even before his knock of 94, Rohit’s best average against an existing IPL team at Wankhede was against Royal Challengers – 50.50. His strike-rate against them – 144.28 – on this ground was second only to his figures against Kings XI Punjab (145.91). In the last four meetings between Mumbai and Royal Challengers at Wankhede, Rohit ended up the top-scorer three times – in 2014, 2016 and 2017 – batted until the last over twice and won the Man-of-the-Match awards thrice. If the stars had to align for Rohit this season, you didn’t have to look for an astrologer to know it would happen on Tuesday night.A team score of 0 for 2 only meant he had to be cautious for the first few overs but his original plan of consolidating and then unleashing was still on.”The reason I came down the order was that the few guys who are new, Surya has played before, but Ishan is playing for the franchise for the first time and I want him to go out there and bat freely because he’s that kind of a player,” Rohit said. “You need to give him that freedom. And Surya as well, we want him to go up the order and bat freely. Myself, Krunal, Hardik, Pollard, we can take the pressure and make sure that the team gets into a good position all the time. Again, it can happen and sometimes it can’t. I think this is the ideal combination for us.Rohit Sharma plays a picture perfect-drive•BCCI”When I went to bat, there was a lot happening on the pitch [and] because it was little on the softer side, shot-making wasn’t easy. Obviously, the idea was to build partnerships. If you are looking to post a decent target, partnerships are important and the only talk we had was to make things difficult for their bowlers with the left-right combination that we have by batting as long as possible.”If Rohit takes his time to build innings, he had a partner who goes on the attack from ball one. “With Evin Lewis batting, anything can happen, he’s a great striker of the ball, and anything in his area, he is going to smash. That allowed me to take my time which was very, very crucial and we always wanted the set batsman to bat as long as possible and it was the perfect platform for me to do that.”The way Rohit and Lewis (65 off 42) combined as a left-right pair to unsettle the spinners Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal was a spectacle in itself. Virat Kohli bowled Sundar before Chahal, in the fourth over, probably keeping Lewis’ record against offspin in mind: strike-rate of 128 compared to his career strike-rate of 146, and 19 dismissals in 51 innings. But Rohit hit a flat first delivery from Sundar through the covers for four before Lewis collected two more boundaries later in the over.When Chahal was introduced, and Rohit was not great against legspinners last IPL season, he simply kept giving strike to Lewis and the left-hander smashed three sixes in 10 balls. That meant neither of RCB’s spinners completed his quota of overs, and they ended with combined figures of 5-0-64-0.”You have to put pressure on the bowlers whether it’s spinners or fast bowlers,” Rohit said. “We never had any discussion about which bowler we want to target because we had the left-right combination going all the way through. So, when an offspinner is bowling, right-handers are most likely to take chances and when legspinners are bowling, left-handers will take most of the chances so that happens everywhere. Whoever their strike bowler was, we always had an idea that we want to take the charge and put the pressure on them.”And Rohit did that to play a typical Rohit innings, scoring 40 runs off his first 30 balls, before laying into the quick bowlers in the last six overs of the innings. He faced only four dots in that period and belted four fours and three sixes; his strike-rate shot up from 133 to 181.With a settled line-up now, Rohit said he will continue to bat in the middle order as it suited his game and would also allow the new top order to “plan accordingly” for the coming games.”I don’t think right now we are looking to change anything. It’s important to give the guys comfort because they should know where they are batting for next few games. You can’t chop and change so many [times], it’s not a good idea and for the team as well. They should know where they are batting and they can plan accordingly. If you’re changing too much, it doesn’t help anyone. For me it’s important to understand that and let that message go across.”And on Tuesday, the message went across to the other team too, not just to his own team-mates.

Nottingham Forest star Ola Aina says Taiwo Awoniyi's serious injury would never have occured if the assistant referee had raised his flag earlier.

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• Awoniyi suffers serious injury
• Assistant referee raised flag late
• Aina says injury could have been avoided

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Awoniyi was awoken from an induced coma on Wednesday after undergoing surgery to repair a serious abdominal injury that stemmed from the 27-year-old colliding with a post in Forest's 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Sunday. Antony Elanga was offside in the build-up to the incident but the assistant referee did not raise their flag until the play was completed. But team-mate Aina suggested this protocol, which was introduced in 2020, should be binned as "the whole world could see" Elanga was offside.

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  WHAT (INSERT NAME) SAID

  He told The Daily Mail: "Anthony was miles offside. The whole world could see and so could I from where I was. You think 'offside' straight away. Surely you could just lift the flag up? None of this would have happened to 'T' if the flag had just gone up, would it?"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Injuries like this may lead to a rethink of this protocol but the way this incident was handled by Forest has also drawn scrutiny. Club owner Evangelos Marinakis came onto the pitch at City Ground after the game, allegedly to express his frustration to manager Nuno Espirito Santo – who had used all his blocks of substitutes and therefore could not replace Awoniyi – how this was handled. This has been a dark few days for Forest.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While Awoniyi continues his recovery, Forest are set to open an internal review into the incident and establish just what went wrong.

Chelsea have reportedly agreed personal terms with another striker – shortly after inching closer to securing the services of Liam Delap.

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• Ipswich star Delap nearing Chelsea transfer
• Blues 'agree personal terms' with another striker
• Could set them back another £80m

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Prominent Chelsea journalist Simon Phillips claims that Enzo Maresca's side have 'broadly agreed personal terms' with Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike after another round of talks with his agents. This comes a matter of hours after the Blues agreed personal terms with Delap ahead of a £30 million ($41m) transfer to Stamford Bridge.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Phillips adds Ekitike will cost a whopping £80m ($108m) to sign this summer, amid competition from Liverpool and Arsenal. Chelsea have been targeting a new number nine for a while and if they signed Delap and Ekitike, that would be some going.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The report adds that Chelsea are trying to get a reduction on that hefty fee and the west London team are getting 'increasingly confident' a deal for 6ft 3in Ekitike, who scored 22 goals and added 12 assists for Frankfurt this season, could be struck.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  With the summer transfer window now underway, at least until June 10 before opening again on June 16, bids may start flooding in for Ekitike but whether Chelsea can sign the 22-year-old remains to be seen.

Manchester City may have identified their Ederson successor, with Pep Guardiola reportedly mulling over a raid on Barcelona for Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

• Brazilian keeper linked with move elsewhere
• New No.1 will be required at the Etihad
• German star slipped down pecking order under Flick

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Brazil international Ederson continues to see questions asked of his future after eight years at the Etihad Stadium. The Premier League and Champions League title winner has been linked with teams in Turkey and the Saudi Pro League.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  If the 31-year-old were to move on, then Guardiola would want another proven performer to provide his last line of defence. That could lead to the Catalan coach bringing in a new No.1 from one of his former clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , City are considering an approach for Ter Stegen. That is because he has slipped behind veteran Polish shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny and summer signing Joan Garcia in Barcelona’s pecking order.

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  TELL ME MORE

  The Blaugrana are eager to get Ter Stegen’s wages off their books, with Hansi Flick reportedly informing the German, who has World Cup selection to think about in 2026, that he is free to move on.

Shamar Joseph ensured the home side had to bat again then gave them a late injury scare

Andrew McGlashan19-Jan-20242:28

Malcolm: ‘A very one-sided match at Adelaide’

Australia wrapped up a 10-wicket victory before lunch on the third day in Adelaide as Josh Hazlewood claimed career-best match figures, but there was late drama when Shamar Joseph drew blood from Usman Khawaja with a bouncer when the scores were level, forcing him to retire hurt.Shamar Joseph again showed his batting prowess at No. 11, which will surely mean a promotion in the near future, as he and Kemar Roach added 26 for the last wicket to follow the 55 they put on in the first innings.It meant a brief second innings for Khawaja and Steven Smith. Oddly, Shamar Joseph, who claimed Smith with his first ball in Test cricket, was not given the new ball. He was eventually introduced in the fifth over with 14 needed and after being cut to the boundary first ball by Khawaja produced a lovely delivery beat Smith’s edgeRelated

• Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood could play both West Indies and New Zealand T20Is

• Brathwaite: Shamar Joseph 'gave a lot of confidence to the team'

• Hazlewood completes Australia's 250-wicket quartet in trademark style

• 'I'll take a picture, and post it up' – Shamar Joseph on dream first-ball wicket of Smith

• Australia's marvel and crisis man, Head again shows why he's a cult hero

Then came a lifter that beat Khawaja before an awkward bouncer clattered into his helmet around the jaw area as he tried to sway out of the line. Khawaja had blood coming from his mouth and after a few moments left the field leaving Marnus Labuschagne to hit the winning runs. In more ways than one, Shamar Joseph had left an indelible mark on his debutWest Indies had resumed 22 behind with four wickets in hand after losing Justin Greaves to the final ball of the second day. They whittled the deficit down to 11 before Joshua Da Silva gave his innings away by falling for the well-telegraphed short-ball plan, top-edging a hook to deep backward square off Mitchell Starc.Alzarri Joseph showed a solid technique and played a brace of strong cover drives against Starc but got a thin edge from around the wicket. When Gudakesh Motie became Hazlewood’s fifth wicket, shouldering arms to one that was far too tight to leave, West Indies were still a run behind.However, that lasted just one more delivery as Shamar Joseph played a first-ball cover drive that would have pleased a top-order player, bringing huge cheers from a healthy crowd who had flocked in despite the risk of very little cricket.Each run added by the last-wicket pair was greeted by warm applause, while it added to Australia’s recent difficulties over getting through lower-order stands. The return of Nathan Lyon, who had started the day bowling a single delivery, ended the resistance when Shamar Joseph charged and missed.The second Test begins in Brisbane on January 25 and will be a day-night encounter.

Aitana Bonmati has voiced her disappointment after Spain’s hopes of European glory ended in a tense penalty shootout defeat to England.

• Bonmati missed in penalty shootout as Spain
• Unbeaten in the tournament before the defeat
• England win back-to-back European titles

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bonmati, who was named Player of the Tournament, admitted she is "in shock" after Spain lost to England in the Euro 2025 final on penalties. Spain, contesting their first European Championship final, led early but conceded an equaliser from Alessia Russo in the 57th minute. After 120 minutes, the teams were tied at 1-1, sending the game into a penalty shootout. England's goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, saved two spot-kicks, including Bonmati's effort, as Mariona Caldentey and Salma Paralluelo also missed and England clinched a second consecutive European title.

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  WHAT BONMATI SAID

  "I'm still in shock. It's as if nothing had happened and the game was still to be played," Bonmati told . "It's hard to see you in this moment, but it teaches you things. There's no point in playing a better game if penalties come and you don't score. So I take responsibility.

  "On a footballing level, we were the team that played the best football. As you say, we haven't lost a single match, and that's why I feel bad, because we're not just playing for ourselves, we're playing for many other people… The goal is to win again. We're a capable team that has been able to overcome other serious defeats like this one."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Spain played some of the tournament's most impressive football, remaining unbeaten until the final and outshooting England with 22 attempts and five on target. Despite dominating possession from the 70th minute onwards, they were unable to break the deadlock. This final marked England's defence of their European crown, and their resilience in penalty shootouts secured back-to-back titles.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SPAIN?

  Spain will regroup under Montse Tome, whose future is still a big question, to build on their strong showing at Euro 2025 and prepare for the upcoming clash against Sweden in the Nations League semifinal in October with World Cup qualifiers and future major tournaments, aiming to turn recent progress into silverware. All players remain fit and available as the team looks ahead to upcoming international fixtures and potential squad developments.

Andrew Miller picks out ten of the finest batting feats in Anglo-Australian history

Andrew Miller19-Aug-2005The third Test of the 2005 Ashes was saved by a remarkable rearguard from Ricky Ponting. Andrew Miller trawls through the annals to pick out ten of the finest batting feats in Anglo-Australian history

Gilbert Jessop at The Oval 1902
Gilbert Jessop would have approved of the thrilling new tempo that Test cricket has achieved in the 21st Century – after all, he was pioneering such an approach way back in 1902. Initially selected as a fast bowler who could slog, Jessop cemented his place in history with a thrilling onslaught at The Oval, as England squeaked a one-wicket victory in the fifth and final Test. Known as “The Croucher” for his up-and-at-em stance, Jessop launched himself at the Australians, clobbering 17 fours in a 77-minute century that rescued England from the mire at 48 for 5. Given that sixes were only awarded for shots that flew out of the ground, that figure would have been far swifter in this day and age. He fell with 76 runs still needed, but George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes, famously, were on hand to “get `em in singles”.Don Bradman at Lord’s 1930
Don Bradman was, in the immortal words of RC Robertson-Glasgow, “a genius with an eye for business”, and so, instead of sifting through his litany of Ashes performances, it is better to take the man’s word for it when he said that his 254 at Lord’s in the Lord’s Test of 1930 was the greatest of his 19 Ashes centuries. “Practically without exception, every ball went where it was intended,” he wrote in his autobiography, Farewell to Cricket. Australia racked up a massive 729 for 6 to set up a four-day victory, and it was a testament to Bradman’s genius that not even his feat in his very next Test – 309 runs in a single day at Headingley – could surpass this personal zenith.Eddie Paynter at Brisbane 1932-33
The Bodyline series is remembered more for the fast-bowling feats of Harold Larwood and the unwavering captaincy of Douglas Jardine, but three feats of batsmanship stood out nonetheless – Larwood’s own 98 as a nightwatchman at Sydney, Stan McCabe’s unspeakably brave 187 in the first Test, and perhaps most notably of all, Eddie Paynter’s Lazarus impression at Brisbane. Struck down by a bout of acute tonsillitis, Paynter had been taken to hospital when he received a summons from his sick-bed, after England had collapsed to 216 for 6 in reply to Australia’s 340. Refusing the offer of a runner, he batted to the close, returned to hospital overnight, then resumed in the morning to add 92 for the ninth wicket with Hedley Verity. His intervention turned a probable 2-2 scoreline into an impregnable 3-1 series lead, and just for good measure, he sealed the match with a six.Stan McCabe at Trent Bridge 1938
The first Test of the series, and Australia, faced with a mammoth England first innings of 658, were up to their necks in it at 194 for 6. The stage was set for one of the most remarkably measured onslaughts in history. Stan McCabe was one of the few batsmen whom Don Bradman regarded as an equal, in talent, if not always in temperament. But on this occasion, the Don was in awe. “If I could play an innings like that,” he said afterwards, “I’d be a proud man.” McCabe’s feat was to score 232 out of a total of 411, with nothing but the tail for support. Of the batsmen who followed him, only Ben Barnett (22) reached double figures. Protecting his colleagues but never missing a scoring opportunity, he made 213 of the 273 runs in the day, including 72 out of a tenth wicket stand of 77.Len Hutton at Brisbane in 1950-51
Scores of 8 not out and 62 not out would not usually rate too highly on a batsman’s CV, but then few games are played on as treacherous a wicket as the first Test at the Gabba in December 1950. In the days of uncovered wickets, a violent thunderstorm had decimated the track shortly after Australia’s first innings had come to an end for 228. Manipulating their batting order in the hope that conditions would improve, England declared on 60 for 7, before Australia reciprocated with 32 for 7. Needing 193 to win, England closed a crazy day on 30 for 6, but with Hutton at No. 8, hope was not lost. Freddie Brown joined him in double figures, but in the end the damage had been done.Greg Chappell at Lord’s 1972
Bob Massie’s stunning 16-wicket debut might not have been possible had it not been for an innings of intense brilliance from the young Greg Chappell. His first century had come on debut against England in 1970-71, but at the seventh time of asking, he produced his first matchwinning performance. Replying to England’s 272, Australia had slipped to 84 for 4 as John Snow exploited the same juicy conditions to full effect. Greg’s brother Ian stemmed the tide for a time, before Rod Marsh chipped in with a hard-hitting 50, but without Greg’s six-hour 131, Australia might have conceded a fatal first-innings lead.Tony Greig at Brisbane 1974-75
Signalling your own boundaries is never the best way to pacify an enraged fast bowler, but Tony Greig was always big enough to look after himself. His survival instincts, however, were tested to the max at Brisbane in the opening match of the 1974-75 Ashes. England had naïvely assumed that Australia would have no fit pacemen to speak of, so when a patched-up Dennis Lillee and his dervish of a sidekick, Jeff Thomson, tore into England in front of a ferociously partisan crowd, there was no place to run. But only Greig had the wherewithal to stand his ground, as he slashed over the slips and drove aggressively through the covers, feeding off the fury as Lillee and Thomson threatened to explode. His 110 was a rare example of resistance in a futile campaign, but no less noble for that.Rick McCosker at Melbourne 1976-77
The Ashes weren’t at stake in this legendary commemorative match, but the blood and guts of Anglo-Australian contests were on full display nonetheless, in a resounding five-day tussle that was witnessed by every Ashes veteran who was still fit and able to travel. Derek Randall’s 174 was the stand-out performance in terms of runs, but it was McCosker’s contribution that ultimately proved the most valuable. In the first innings, his jaw had been splintered by a vicious bouncer from Willis, and it seemed he would take no further part in proceedings. But, second-time around, with jaw wired shut and swathed in bandages, he emerged at No. 10 and produced 25 priceless runs, including a hooked four off Lever. His ninth-wicket partnership with Dennis Lillee realised 54 runs – the winning margin was just 45.Steve Waugh at The Oval 2001
Nobody did more than Steve Waugh to ensure that the Ashes battles of the 1990s and early 2000s were a one-sided walkover. He racked up ten centuries in his 46 encounters, and never lost a series from the moment of the first of these, at Headingley in 1989. But no innings was more typical of his bloodymindedness than his farewell to England at The Oval in 2001. Three weeks earlier, he had been stretchered out of Trent Bridge with a torn calf muscle, but now he was back, with just one serviceable leg, to graft his way to 157 not out. It was a performance that mocked the injury crisis that had wrecked England’s summer, but it almost came at a cost – after the flight back to Australia, he was hospitalised with deep-vein thrombosis.Ricky Ponting at Old Trafford 2005
Australia’s 16-year Ashes hegemony had never been in graver peril than when Ricky Ponting entered the fray in the second over of the final morning at Old Trafford. Needing to bat out the entire day to avoid a 2-1 series deficit, Ponting produced what might come to be regarded as his defining innings. Out of touch for much of the summer, and facing a barrage of criticism for his lacklustre captaincy, he was unyielding for nearly seven hours, as a succession of his team-mates were whittled away by England’s incisive seam attack. Though he was ninth man out for 156 with four overs remaining, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath staved off defeat.

Stuart Clark was Australia’s undoubted star as they wrapped up the series clean sweep and a nail-biting two-wicket success in the third Test

Peter English04-Apr-2006Stuart Clark was Australia’s undoubted star as they wrapped up the series clean sweep and a nail-biting two-wicket success in the third Test. In his debut series he collected 20 wickets to top the list of his new team while a few old favourites such as Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist had difficult times with the bat.

9

Stuart Clark

The man of the tour for his country and officially the Man of the Series. Picked to replace Glenn McGrath he did as well – if not better – than his New South Wales team-mate and spent most of the time in a state he never dreamed. Added the third-best debut by an Australian with 9 for 89 at Cape Town and collected a wild 20 victims at 15.75 in the three Tests. Lively surfaces helped him and he now needs to show his disconcerting bounce and regular movement can occur on flatter pitches.8
Brett Lee

Confident as the attack leader without McGrath, he struck 17 times at an average of 19.53 with a brutal blend of speed and accuracy. A haul of 5 for 69 was the highlight, but he picked up at least a wicket in each innings and was frightening at times as he hit the mid-150kph. Scored a career-best 64 in first innings at Johannesburg and a game-sealing 24 not out in the tense conclusion, winning the Man of the Match prize.7.5
Ricky Ponting

Secured another comfortable series win before running into trouble in the dead game in the last serious hit-out before November’s Ashes. The peaks were his 103 (gritty and sweaty) and 116 (smooth and inspiring) at Durban, where he became only the second player to achieve twin centuries in three Tests. Started well with 74 at Cape Town but didn’t convert starts in the third Test and finished with 348 runs at 58.

Shane Warne

Seaming pitches didn’t suit him but he still managed 15 victims at 27.33. Didn’t have much impact in the first Test with three wickets, but bowled Australia to the series win at Durban with 2 for 80 and 6 for 86, and caused more problems in the third to keep his side in the game. The South Africans say they can cope with him but they struggled again. Please stay for the Ashes.6.5
Michael Hussey

Mr Cricket became Mr Consistency in the final two Tests with three half-centuries that produced important fightbacks and collected him 257 runs for the series. Moved to opener for the third Test’s second innings, he crafted 89 (helped by three early umpiring errors) to set Australia on track for a narrow victory. Also salvaged competitive totals with lower-order recoveries in the first innings with 73 on a tricky pitch at Johannesburg and 75 at Durban.Damien Martyn

Waited until his last innings of the tour to confirm his spot in the side after a stop-start opening. His 101 as Australia successfully chase 292 for a clean sweep was brilliant and unflustered, despite the individual pressure to hold his spot and improve the team’s predicament. Scored a solid 57 in the second Test but needed the final performance to mask other confusing performances.6
Matthew Hayden

Made two big contributions with 94 to open the series and a hard-working 102 in the second innings at Durban to set up the victory, but also had two ducks and a 3. (He’ll be relieved not to face Makhaya Ntini for a while.) Superb catching at gully and slip earned him seven catches.

5
Adam Gilchrist

Another awful series with the bat but was almost flawless with the gloves. Fifty runs, including 22 from one Andre Nel over at Durban, ended a disappointing summer that showed his days of domination were waning. Dropped an incredibly difficult chance above his head in the final Test and it was the only blemish as he picked up ten catches and one stumping. Stood in for a sick Ponting on the final day of the second Test and guided Australia to the series win.4.5

Andrew Symonds

Still waiting for something approaching consistency, but is the sort of player who will never be judged purely on numbers. A first-Test 55 gave Australia a vital first-innings lead before he departed trying to pound Nicky Boje, and a quickfire 29 almost ensured a fast victory in Johannesburg. In between were a couple of failures, a split lip from Makhaya Ntini and one wicket.Michael Kasprowicz

A surprise call-up for the tour, he struck in every innings but the final one when he succumbed to a lower-back problem. Began the tour with the new ball but was replaced by Clark, and provided useful support with seven wickets. Helped to erase memories of Edgbaston 2005 with an unbeaten 7 that sealed the third Test with Brett Lee.4
Justin Langer

Unfortunately his series will be memorable for his 100th Test headache at Johannesburg. Ntini’s first ball of the first innings ended his participation in the milestone match and continued a disrupted season of injury and indifferent form. Was padded up at No. 11 for the third-Test denouement, but Lee and Kasprowicz saved him the risk of batting and he left with 122 runs in the series.

Almost throughout his 12-year Test career, Shivnarine Chanderpaul has played second fiddle to Brian Lara, but in the second Test at Multan, the spotlight will deservedly be on him

S Rajesh19-Nov-2006

Almost throughout his 12-year Test career, Shivnarine Chanderpaul has played second fiddle to Brian Lara, but in the second Test at Multan, the spotlight will deservedly be on him. After Lloyd, Greenidge, Richards, Haynes, Hooper, Lara and Walsh, Chanderpaul will become only the eighth West Indian cricketer to reach the 100-Test landmark.Chanderpaul’s contributions have often been lost in the greater flourish and bravado of some of his mates, but over a decade and more his solidity and skill in the middle order have been critical for West Indies. With 6617 runs in his kitty, Chanderpaul ranks seventh in the list of highest run-scorers for West Indies in Tests.As the table below shows, one of the biggest strengths of Chanderpaul has been his consistency. He suffered a lean spell between Tests 21 and 40 – that period included difficult tours to England and South Africa – but since then the runs have flowed quite regularly. The one area in which he has improved significantly is in his ability to convert fifties into hundreds. He notched up his first century in only his 19th Test, by which time he had already racked up 13 half-centuries, but since then his conversion has improved dramatically. Of his last 20 fifty-plus scores, ten have been hundreds.

Chanderpaul’s country-wise stats reveal some rather interesting numbers. He obviously relishes playing the Indian attack, against whom he averages more than 70, but quite surprisingly, he has found Zimbabwe’s bowlers more difficult to get away than the Australians: in nine innings against Zimbabwe, he’s only managed one half-century and an average of less than 30.Chanderpaul has been the main support act for Lara on numerous occasions – most recently in the first Test against Pakistan at Lahore – and so it’s hardly surprising that he has added most runs in the company of Lara: the two have put together 2600 runs at an average of 47. While his partnerships with Lara have added up to many runs, in terms of average runs per stand he has had a more prolific time with his Guyanese mate and former captain Carl Hooper. Quite unexpectedly Ridley Jacobs is third in the list of Chanderpaul’s best partners, indicating the frailty of the West Indian top order and the number of times Chanderpaul and Jacobs have mounted rescue missions.

Another reason, perhaps, why Chanderpaul hasn’t always got the recognition he has deserved is because many of his big runs have come in draws: he averages 54.74 in wins, but 70.21 in stalemates, with 16 fifty-plus scores in such games. Like Lara, Chanderpaul has scored plenty of runs in defeats – 2954 of them, next only to Lara and Alec Stewart, who is only 39 runs ahead of him.

Apart from his stats against Australia (average 34.90), the one discrepancy that Chanderpaul will have to address over the rest of his career is the huge difference between his home and away numbers. When playing in the West Indies he averages more than 54, but when playing overseas it drops to less than 37. One primary reason for this skewed stat is his inability to convert the fifties into hundreds when playing away from home – he has three centuries and 20 fifties abroad. A three-figure score at Multan would be the ideal way to start correcting that statistic.