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Ishant Sharma bowled only 5.3 overs on the first day of India’s tour match in Canberra, the most notable episode in a forgettable start for the tourists

The Report by Daniel Brettig in Canberra15-Dec-2011
ScorecardIshant Sharma went off the Manuka Oval early in the day and returned only to carry drinks•Getty Images

Stiffness, jet-lag, an ankle in need of re-strapping, or just micro-management on the part of Duncan Fletcher? Theories abounded as to the reason for Ishant Sharma bowling only 5.3 overs on the first day of India’s opening tour match against a Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI in Canberra, the most notable episode in a forgettable start for the tourists.An uncertain 2 for 45 after being sent in to bat by the acting Indian captain Rahul Dravid, the local XI ultimately reached a bountiful 6 for 398, led by dashing centuries from Wes Robinson and Tom Cooper. Umesh Yadav was the most incisive of the visiting bowlers, striking once in the first session and twice at the end in gathering gloom. They were watched by the CA chairman Wally Edwards, while the Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s partner Tim Mathieson was also in attendance to observe Ishant’s enigmatic introduction to the summer of 2011-12.Taking the new ball on a sleepy surface at Manuka Oval, Ishant went off the field twice in the space of his brief spell, and after his second exit midway through his sixth over, did not return. An Indian team official explained that Ishant had only planned to deliver six overs for the day, and when his ankle strapping came loose before it was concluded, he felt no need to return. Ishant was seen on the field later, but only to help run the drinks.As a tall fast bowler still recovering from the duration of the flight to Australia plus a four-hour bus trip into Canberra, Ishant was understandably below his best, and will take time to find his rhythm over the course of the week. There is sound reasoning for India to monitor Ishant’s left ankle carefully, given the debate about whether or not he required ankle surgery to repair ligament damage he sustained in the third Test against England at Edgbaston in August.In Ishant’s absence the rest toiled without much success against studious batting by the West Australian Robinson and the more attractive strokes of South Australia’s Cooper. Robinson showed more flair the further his innings went on, following Cooper’s example and ultimately blooming in a stand of 226. Pragyan Ojha and Vinay Kumar were on the receiving end of the most aggressive strokes, though no member of the bowling attack shone too brightly against batsmen largely considered surplus to the requirements of the imminent Big Bash League.Yadav enjoyed early success when he had the Chairman’s XI captain Ryan Broad edging behind to Wriddhiman Saha, and Ojha’s subtle variations of pace and flight proved too much for Joe Burns, bowled on the back foot by a flatter delivery. But the afternoon session passed without another wicket, as Robinson and Cooper built momentum against an attack that called on eight bowlers.A solid 2 for 186 at the tea interval, Robinson and Cooper accelerated with vigour on resumption, swatting boundaries to all parts. Ojha was subjected to particularly heavy punishment to return 2 for 149 from 25.3 overs. Robinson swung Ojha to the leg-side boundary no fewer than five times before he perished in the attempt to add a sixth.Alex Doolan provided unobtrusive company as Cooper reached his century, but both he and Glenn Maxwell were beaten on the crease by Yadav in light that became increasingly murky. Dean Solway, a Canberra product, edged Vinay behind shortly before the close.Cooper’s display was both pleasant and authoritative, demonstrating why he is now being watched by the national selectors as a possible contender for the Australian side.

Plays of the Day from the third day of the second Ashes Test at Adelaide

Andrew Miller and Peter English at Adelaide05-Dec-2010Cathartic single

There was a sense of inevitability about Kevin Pietersen’s century. Twenty-one months may have elapsed since he last reached the milestone at Trinidad in March 2009, but from the moment he resumed on 85 not out overnight, there was not a spectator in the whole of Adelaide who believed he’d throw it away. Sure enough, in the fifth over of the day, he patted Ryan Harris into the leg-side, and completed his milestone with an ecstatic leap to the non-striker’s end. From there he settled into a more restrained jog, as he peeled off his helmet and waved to all corners with a broad grin tinged with more than a hint of relief. He was back, but after waiting this long, he was far from finished.The Ego has relanded

One-hundred-and-twenty balls later, however, Pietersen’s reaction was joy unconfined. Having gone to tea on a familiar score of 158 – the total for which he had been dismissed three times in Tests already, including here in 2006-07 and at The Oval in 2005 – he eased past that bogey-number and sprinted for the hills. Xavier Doherty was powerless to intervene, and it was his delivery that was pushed wide of cover for Pietersen to charge through to his second Test double-century. This time there was no restraint. He ran a full 20 metres past the stumps at the non-striker’s end, dropped to his knee in a body-builder’s fist-pump, and lapped up the acclaim like a man who once again believed he was his destiny to dominate all opponents.Over of the day

Ryan Harris has been Australia’s best bowler of the game, which isn’t saying a huge amount. But he delivered a fierce over to Pietersen and Cook in the opening session when Australia were desperate for a wicket. After forcing Pietersen to hop away from a searing bouncer, Harris followed up with another spot-on short ball, which the batsman pulled short of the man at deep square leg. That left Cook on strike and later in the over he inside-edged to Brad Haddin, who leapt for a fine one-handed take.He’s out

If Australia’s afternoon papers had not died a death in the 1970s, those three words splashed across the city’s newsstands would have sufficed to describe the sense of disbelief that greeted the end of Cook’s vigil, just as they were once used to tell of Don Bradman’s dismissals. He was into his 19th straight hour of batting since the third day at Brisbane and his 24th in all for the series, when he finally made his misjudgement, with exactly 450 runs to his series tally. The crowd rose in unison to acclaim a monumental feat of endurance, but with Pietersen into his stride, Australia did not believe that their suffering was over.Pulling power

Shortly after Pietersen brought up his century, the Australians tried bouncing him through Peter Siddle. Three men were set back on the fence – at fine leg, behind square, and in front of square – and Siddle aimed short. Pietersen was in such good touch that the threats didn’t concern him. He hooked one so well that Xavier Doherty didn’t see it at backward square, and he unleased a similar shot from the next ball. Doherty saw this one, but it didn’t matter. It raced over the rope and Pietersen powered to 120.Watson’s wicket

Referrals have been a feature of this game, along with lots of England runs and wickets, but there was no complaint from anyone when Paul Collingwood was lbw to Shane Watson. Somehow, Watson managed to get a ball to cut back on the flat surface, and it struck Collingwood right in front. In a period where batsmen are keen to make an instant t-sign for a review, Collingwood made a beeline for the dressing room.

Less than a day into his role as New Zealand coach, Mark Greatbatch has chalked out an immediate priority: to help the pool of batsmen play to the top of their game

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jan-2010Less than a day into his role as New Zealand coach, Mark Greatbatch has chalked out an immediate priority: to help the pool of batsmen play to the top of their game. Greatbatch, who was today appointed head coach after a four-month void following Andy Moles’ resignation in October, has identified batting as an area New Zealand have a lot of work to do on.”In Test cricket you need to take 20 wickets and you also need to score a decent amount of runs. In the past, we have taken wickets but haven’t scored enough runs and that is one area we are looking to improve,” he told Cricinfo after a long Saturday.Greatbatch, who played for New Zealand between 1988 and 1996, will perform the dual responsibility of being part of the national selection panel along with his new appointment. Interestingly, despite being head coach, it is reportedly understood that Greatbatch’s primary focus will remain the batting department with Daniel Vettori continuing to hold the rights on decision-making concerning strategies and selections. The appointment just puts an official stamp on the duties that Greatbatch has already been performing in the last few months.In the aftermath of Moles’ resignation, NZC declared they were in no hurry to fill the breach. In the interim they decided to seek help from within their own ranks. During the ODI series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, where Greatbatch had accompanied the team as a touring selector, he was asked by NZC if he would like to act as a batting consultant. “I went to Abu Dhabi with the team as a selector in November and got involved with the team helping the batsmen,” he said. “At the same time NZC were looking for a replacement for Andy Moles, so they approached me and asked if I would consider an extra role as part of the coaching staff.”The more they talked, the more excited Greatbatch became about the job. “The initial role was predominantly working with the batsmen and helping Dan with any other areas as a captain,” he said.Today, both NZC and Vettori acknowledged the positive impression Greatbatch had made and admitted that clinched him the offer. Greatbatch has already begun talking about pushing forward plans that were set in motion about six months ago. “John Wright and Martin Crowe have been working closely with some of the players outside the Black Caps system on technical and tactical areas to get the best results,” he said. “We also have Glenn Turner on the selection panel, so we have a lot of very good people in our group and it is a matter of utilising them to the fullest and that is going to be the key area through which we are going to improve as a group.”Greatbatch has two previous stints as coach, the first as coaching director at his native Central Districts and then a curtailed two-year experience with Warwickshire with whom he had signed a three-year contract at the end of 2005.His first assignment will be against Bangladesh next week. New Zealand have been robbed of three quality fast bowlers who formed one part of their recent successes. Shane Bond’s fairytale return lasted one victorious Test, Ian O’Brien conceded domestic life was more appealing than finding ways to break through the defence of an opponent, and Kyle Mills has yet to fully recover from injury. In the batting department, the highly-talented Jesse Ryder has been waylaid by a stomach muscle injury.Greatbatch, though, was unruffled and pointed out that his duty was to find out more about the players and what worked best for them, after which the task was to develop it. “As a coaching group, we need to help find the players their A game and work very hard with them on that and help them develop in their practice and repeat it then we can get stronger and more consistent,” he said.But New Zealand, who in 2009 reached the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa and defeated Pakistan in a thrilling victory in Dunedin, their first win in 13 months, face a stern test in March when Australia arrive to play a full series. “The Aussies are looming,” Greatbatch said, “But we are working on improving our Test ranking. We had a very good Test series against Pakistan in December but unfortunately it rained despite us playing well. We are making some progress.”New Zealand will then travel extensively in the Indian subcontinent with a proposed tri-series in Sri Lanka in July, with India the third team, followed by a tour of Bangladesh and then a full tour of India before the World Cup next March.Greatbatch understood the various challenges in the pipeline but was relaxed. His source of confidence remains the same as that of the whole of New Zealand: his captain, Vettori. “I admire the way he plays,” Greatbatch said in praise of Vettori, who started his career when his was ending. “He has his own methods. It is a little bit unique to him but again he has found his A game. He consistently performs with both ball and bat and is a great leader. He is nice and relaxed in the dressing room and I’m looking forward to complementing that.”

With the series on the line, the hosts go in as favourites with their bowling attack firing as a unit

Danyal Rasool21-Jul-2025

Big picture: Bangladesh eye series win

Perhaps it will never be possible to conclusively establish which was worse – the Mirpur pitch or how Pakistan went about batting on it. But with the series on the line, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson will know his side can only control the latter. In the first T20I, on a somewhat two-paced surface where Fakhar Zaman got them off to a fast start, Pakistan would shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly, lacing the innings with three run-outs and several soft caught dismissals. It ground their innings down to a halt before the hosts pulled off a clinical, pressure-free chase with 27 balls to spare.Bangladesh have, seemingly out of nowhere, found their T20I groove in what was a dismal year in the format for them. A fortnight ago, their most recent T20I series had seen them get brushed aside by Pakistan 3-0, their only victory all year coming against the UAE in a series they would go on to lose 2-1. But with their injury and availability issues starting to ease, they effected a turnaround with a crushing win over Sri Lanka, turning that series around before Sunday’s dismantling of Pakistan helping them reel off three successive wins.Related

• Pakistan suffer rude awakening at the start of Bangladesh T20Is

• Hesson slams 'unacceptable' Mirpur pitch

While there were flashes of batting brilliance up top from Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon even when the side was struggling for wins, it is the coming together of the bowling attack as a unit that has lit the touchpaper for Bangladesh’s form. It began with that 83-run trouncing of Sri Lanka eight days earlier, one where each of the five bowlers took wickets before they stifled the batters in the series decider. With Taskin Ahmed joining the fray, it was notable Bangladesh’s quicks took all but one of the Pakistan wickets that weren’t run-outs, indicating the potential blossoming of a more rounded bowling attack.Pakistan will have to demonstrate the first game was a bump in the road and not an indication their young fiery batting order will struggle on surfaces not attuned to their preferences. The Gaddafi Stadium, where they eased past Bangladesh so comfortably, were batting featherbeds, with a weakened bowling attack given well above par to defend. In lower-scoring games, though, those weaknesses will invariably be magnified and exploited; this series could well be a litmus test for the suitability of this approach in the medium term.

Form guide

Pakistan LWWWL Bangladesh WWWLL

In the spotlight – Emon and Mirza

Parvez Hossain Emon has been a bit feast or famine, but is perhaps Bangladesh’s most dynamic T20 batter. Cheap early dismissals in two of the three games in each of the series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka belie the sheer destructive power he possesses when he finds his rhythm. A 34-ball 66 in the final game against Pakistan last month was followed up by a similarly impactful cameo – 38 off 22 – against Sri Lanka. He would not score a run in that series afterwards, but showed no hesitancy after two early wickets fell in Sunday’s low chase, his unbeaten 39-ball 56 carrying Bangladesh home with ease. Alongside his more consistent but perhaps slightly less watchable opening partner Tanzid, Bangladesh appear stood on the precipice of a truly modern T20 opening pairing.Bangladesh outbowled Pakistan in the first game, with Pakistan’s lack of star bowling firepower painfully visible. Without Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah or Haris Rauf, it was Salman Mirza who spearheaded the attack. Shaheen and Rauf’s Lahore Qalandars team-mate was the only bowler to make any inroads while there was jeopardy in the game, reducing Bangladesh to 7 for 2 after his first eight balls. But if support from elsewhere is not forthcoming, Mirza needs to repeat – and potentially improve upon – his showing if Pakistan’s quick bowlers are to match Bangladesh’s as they scramble to keep the series alive.

Team news

Bangladesh are unlikely to tinker with the side which produced a comprehensive win. Expect the same eleven to try to wrap the series up.Bangladesh : 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali (wk), 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin AhmedNeither side trained so there’s little to reveal Pakistan’s thinking. The batting is unlikely to change with Salman Agha and Hesson promising to back their players. If Pakistan want another specialist spin option, though, Sufiyan Muqeem could find his way in.Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Mohammad Haris (wk), 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 6 Mohammad Nawaz, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Abbas Afridi, 9 Faheem Ashraf, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Abrar Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

There’s a strong chance of an evening shower as Bangladesh remains in the grip of the rainy season.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh’s victory over Pakistan was achieved with 4.3 overs to spare; it is their largest such victory over Pakistan, and their fifth largest overall
• Zaman is 107 runs away from becoming just the fifth Pakistani to 2000 T20I runs

Nicholas Pooran takes over MI Emirates captaincy from Pollard in the ILT20

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2024MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan has been ruled out of the upcoming season of the SA20 as he continues to recover from a back surgery. The ace legspinner was named in the Afghanistan squad on January 6 for the three-match T20I series in India, but is unlikely to play, according to a statement from his cricket board (ACB). Rashid had also missed Afghanistan’s most recent T20I series in the UAE and the Big Bash League (BBL).Kieron Pollard will captain MI Cape Town in Rashid’s injury-enforced absence and will make his debut in the SA20. Pollard was also retained by MI Emirates for the ILT20 in 2024, but with its dates clashing with the SA20’s, Nicholas Pooran will take over MI Emirates captaincy from Pollard. It remains to be seen whether Pollard will join MI Emirates for the last leg of the ILT20 in the UAE.Related

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• SA20 2024 kicks off on Wednesday. Here's what to expect

• Mujeeb back in Afghanistan squad for T20I series in India

• Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, Kyle Mayers turn down WI central contracts

• Pooran joins Durban's Super Giants ahead of SA20 auction

Pollard was recently in action for New York Strikers in the Abu Dhabi T10 league, where his side won the final against Deccan Gladiators. Pooran, who is Pollard’s CPL team-mate at Trinbago Knight Riders, had turned down his West Indies central contract in December 2023 to become a free agent. Pooran was unveiled as Durban’s Super Giants’ wildcard pick in September 2023, and is likely to play three matches in the SA20 before linking up with MI Emirates for the second season of the ILT20.MI Cape Town also announced the signing of Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Thushara, who will take Jofra Archer’s place in the upcoming season.The SA20 will run from January 10 to February 10, and the ILT20 from January 19 to February 17. The two leagues will also clash with New Zealand’s Super Smash and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Selected at the age of 30 with only four T20s to his name, the legspinner quickly impressed on his debut

Alex Malcolm06-Oct-2022Yannic Cariah looked like he belonged. Thirty years old, on T20I debut, bowling to Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell in Australia for the first time. Picked ahead of Akeal Hosein. Selected ahead of Fabian Allen and Hayden Walsh.He bowled like a veteran with impeccable control, forcing a mistake from Maxwell who can maul inexperienced legspinners in his sleep.In just his fifth career T20 game, Cariah took 1 for 15 from four overs, bowled 13 dot balls and conceded one boundary against the reigning world champions on their home patch.Was he surprised?”The funny thing about this, when you work your entire life for something, the work you put in, confidence goes within yourself,” Cariah said. “I’m very confident in my ability and what I can do. What I believe in. Nobody can take that away from me.”Yannic Cariah has spent his entire career hiding in plain sight. It’s all been there for anyone to see yet few have seemed to notice.Related

• Yannic Cariah, who played his last T20 in 2016, makes West Indies' T20 World Cup squad for 2022

• Wade and Finch secure untidy narrow win for Australia

• Kyle Mayers' stunning back-foot cover drive – the Shot Heard 'Round the World

An unbeaten 110 in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup third-place playoff against Sri Lanka, playing alongside Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder. A member of the famed Queen’s Park Cricket Club in Trinidad, home of some of West Indies’ greatest-ever players. Five first-class centuries for Trinidad and Tobago. Leading run-scorer in West Indies’ first-class competition in 2016-17. Two first-class five-wicket hauls. Captain of the West Indies Emerging Team that won the domestic 50-over competition in 2019-20. An impressive List A bowling record.Yet he hasn’t played in the CPL since 2016.”That’s not my fault,” Cariah said. “That’s the people picking the sides. I have no control over that.”When you meet Cariah, you can see how he might be underestimated and even overlooked. He is very softly spoken. He doesn’t carry himself with a swagger.But there is an inner confidence and belief in his ability that only begins to show the longer you speak to him.It’s a confidence and a belief that shouldn’t surprise anyone given he has learned the game through watching videos of Shane Warne and Brian Lara. But it took a little while after the Under-19 World Cup to find his place in domestic cricket.”I’m a genuine allrounder,” he said. “But when I started off, I made my Trinidad debut as a legspinner. And then I found it difficult to maintain my spot as a legspinner because of other bowlers. So I put some more emphasis on my batting. I made my comeback as a batter, and then after my batting took off, my bowling was always there. I never neglected [either] of them. I just kept getting better and better over a period of time.”Despite leading the West Indies Emerging Team to their title in 2019-20, Cariah then went two years over the Covid-19 pandemic without playing a single domestic match. But his self-belief never abated during that time.”I’m blessed with a gift to play cricket,” Cariah said. “I always believe that I can make it to the top without giving up. Once I don’t give up. I guarantee I’m going make it.”Yannic Cariah made his international debut against New Zealand•AFP/Getty Images

After a two-year absence from domestic cricket, he made 72, 72, 18 and 100 in his first four first-class innings for Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year. He also bagged 4 for 59 against Leeward Islands. After years of no one noticing, someone finally did. West Indies selector Desmond Haynes noticed.Cariah was picked for West Indies A against Bangladesh A in a first-class match in August and acquitted himself well enough to be called up for his ODI debut against New Zealand, which led to his selection for Australia. Cariah noted the jump in intensity from domestic to international level.”You have to think a lot faster and have a lot of clarity in what you’re doing, to execute your skills and be decisive in what to do,” he said. “Because if you bowl a bad ball it will be put away easily. They ain’t going to miss any bad balls.”But there were hardly any bad balls on Wednesday. He beat Maxwell and Finch four times in his first two overs. His length was immaculate, a product of his maturity and his ability to read the conditions quickly on his first trip to Australia.”I figured out which lengths were best for me to bowl and my style of bowling and I adapted really, really quickly,” he said. “What made it even better for me is Australia bowled first. And I saw [Adam] Zampa bowl and I saw the lengths he was bowling, so I know with my style of bowling once I hit my areas it’s going to be difficult for anybody to play.”It’s the type of attitude his hero Warne would have been proud of. Cariah might not have the bluff or bluster or swagger of the late, great legspinner, but he has the same mindset.”Whatever I do, I play to win,” Cariah said. “I don’t play to compete. I play to win.”I’m a very quiet person. But if they get to know me, I’m very cool. I do my best in everything I do. Good things happen to me. I have a positive mindset. I’m very confident within myself.”

Jarvis, who last played a Test in January 2020, battled a trio of illnesses earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2021Zimbabwe fast bowler Kyle Jarvis has announced his retirement from all cricket after a year of illness and injury. Having made his international debut in 2009, he played 13 Tests, 49 ODIs and 22 T20Is, picking up 46, 58 and 28 wickets respectively.Jarvis battled a trio of illnesses – Covid-19, malaria and tick fever – earlier this year. At that point, he revealed that he wouldn’t be able to play cricket for up to six months. He last played in the first Test against Sri Lanka at home in January 2020, when he went wicketless in Zimbabwe’s 10-wicket loss. A back injury kept him out of the second Test and required significant rehabilitation.”I hurt my back against Sri Lanka in a Test match beginning of 2020,” Jarvis said in a media interaction. “I managed to come back and become fit again and just as I was starting to come back into it I got that illness which set me back further. After the uncertainty of that, I needed to realise I had to start looking for something for life after cricket. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could come back again, but I had my mind set to start something on the side.”Fast-tracked into the Zimbabwe side after an impressive performance in the Under-19 World Cup in 2008, he made his ODI debut in the home series against Kenya in October 2009. Jarvis subsequently made it to Zimbabwe’s squad for the series against Bangladesh and South Africa, following which he was sidelined after a spate of injuries. His comeback to international cricket coincided with Zimbabwe’s return to the Test fold. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in Harare in August 2011, where he picked up five wickets across two innings.Jarvis took the first of his three Test five-fors later that season when he claimed 5 for 64 against New Zealand and took it as a sign that he belonged. “A big one that sticks out is my first Test five-for in Bulawayo against New Zealand. That was a special moment when I knew I was good enough to play at that level,” he said.However, he left Zimbabwe in 2013 to play county cricket with Lancashire. At the time, Zimbabwe Cricket was experiencing one of its many financial crises, including delays in payments to players. Jarvis sought a county deal in the hope of financial security and soon established himself as one of the club’s most valuable players. As a result of the deal, he missed the 2015 World Cup and will end his career without having played in a fifty-over World Cup. Jarvis represented Zimbabwe in one T20 World Cup, in Sri Lanka in 2012.In September 2017, he ended his Lancashire deal to resume his international career with Zimbabwe. Since then, he played 5 Tests and took 16 wickets at 25.12, including 7 for 98 in a match against Bangladesh in Dhaka in November 2018, and 25 ODIs, in which he took 31 wickets at an average of 27.96, significantly lower than his overall average of 36.00. “I felt my last three years of international cricket were my best,” he said. “I am very proud of what I managed to do at the end there.”Although his form was on the up, and he has completely recovered from both the injury and the illnesses, the 32-year old said he had already made plans for an alternate career during the period.”I made a full recovery from both. I train every day – in the gym, playing football or running. I can’t try and guess if I could play at the same level again. I think if put my mind to it, I could but I have made peace with my decision,” he said.While Jarvis hopes to become involved in coaching, he also has several other business interests for the foreseeable future. “I’ve got a vehicle import-export business and a used car dealership here in Zimbabwe and I am starting a restaurant. It’s a bit crazy to be doing a restaurant in these Covid times but hopefully we can get it together,” he said. “And hopefully I won’t be forgotten that soon. I’d like to give back and be a part of Zimbabwe cricket in some capacity going forward.”

Initial allocation of men’s Finals Day tickets sells out within 24 hours, with total sales passing 100,000

Matt Roller14-Feb-2020The ECB has claimed that initial sales for the Hundred have “surpassed expectations”, with an initial allocation of men’s Finals Day tickets selling out within 24 hours of the priority window opening on Wednesday.Around 75,000 tickets were sold in the 24 hours after that window opened, on top of the 25,000 that had been purchased by county and MCC members in an earlier priority period. An ECB press release pointed to the fact that over two thirds of tickets were sold to under-45s, in an attempt to demonstrate that the new competition has succeeded in appealing to a younger audience.There are limited tickets available for the Hundred’s opening game between Oval Invincibles and Welsh Fire at The Oval, while season-ticket packages have sold out at Lord’s. A handful of season tickets remain available for The Oval.ALSO READ: Scheduling clashes set to reduce overseas player availability for the HundredECB chairman Colin Graves suggested in December that an occupancy rate of 60-65% was the minimum expectation, and that anything above that mark would represent a success for the competition. The governing body has previously denied downplaying attendances at the T20 Blast, the existing short-form tournament contested by the 18 counties, and tickets for that competition go on sale at the start of March.While it seems that there will be few problems shifting tickets at the London grounds, games elsewhere could be a harder sell. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, some venues fear that the decision to stage games on every day of the week could cause them problems, although ticket prices are generally lower for games on Mondays and Tuesdays.To take Cardiff as an example, Glamorgan’s seven games at the venue in last summer’s T20 Blast attracted a total attendance of 31,266 – an average of 4,467 at a 16,000-seat stadium – and while the county stressed that clashes with other sporting fixtures in the city and poor weather had affected their crowds, the fact that Welsh Fire’s men’s side will play two home games on Sunday evenings and another on a Tuesday is a cause for concern.The most expensive ticket for a men’s game at Cardiff is currently £22. Men’s fixtures at Lord’s and The Oval are the costliest, with the most expensive tickets currently priced at £35. That figure will rise after April 22. Tickets for children aged 6-15 are £5 each, while children under five are free with an adult. All standalone women’s fixtures have a maximum ticket price of £10.”We are pleased the competition has been met so positively by sports fans,” Sanjay Patel, the Hundred’s managing director, said. “Our ambition is always to grow cricket and bring new audiences into the game.”Our priority will now be in managing the strong demand for tickets alongside our desire to see large numbers of young families attending. Despite a busy summer sport schedule, the Hundred is clearly being viewed as an unmissable summer event.”

England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has enthusiastically backed cricket’s “brilliant” newest format after turning out for Kerala Knights in the T10 League in Sharjah

Liam Brickhill05-Dec-2018England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has enthusiastically backed cricket’s “brilliant” newest format after turning out for Kerala Knights in the T10 League in Sharjah. Morgan suggested that T10 is the closest cricket will get to baseball, and that the format might even play a role in the sport’s Olympic aspirations.”The T10 format is brilliant,” Morgan told reporters after arriving in South Africa to join the Tshwane Spartans’ Mzansi Super League campaign. “It’s probably the closest cricket will get to baseball.”It exposes a different aspect of cricket. It also attracts a different fan as well in the sense that you’d probably find a lot of people there who wouldn’t go to a normal cricket match. It’s so easy to understand because it’s arguably as simplified a cricket match as there possibly could be. I’m a huge fan.”The simplicity of T10 enhances its appeal with children, Morgan suggested, adding that tailoring cricket towards the young is vital to growing the game. It’s something he also likes about England’s go at a new format, The 100.”The more you can tailor cricket towards kids, the more you can grow the game,” Morgan said. “Cricket’s scoreboard has a million different things going on. If you’re trying to explain that to a kid and you’re a parent who’s never played cricket, this is a solution. It’s 100 balls and you need to score as much runs as you can. The parent becomes a coach.”Morgan also reiterated his feelings that T10 could provide cricket’s path to the Olympics.”You can start and finish an eight-to-ten-team tournament within 12 days. You can’t do that in T20 cricket, it’s not feasible,” he said. “If we can grow the game in this manner, I’m all for it.”

South Africa have recalled Wayne Parnell to the 13-member man squad for the Potchefstroom Test match, pending a fitness test

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2017Opening batsman Aiden Markram is set to make his international debut in the first Test against Bangladesh, which starts from September 28 in Potchefstroom. South Africa have also recalled seam-bowling allrounder Wayne Parnell to the 13-member squad for the first match, pending a fitness test, with Vernon Philander, Chris Morris and Dale Steyn all ruled out due to injury.

SA squad for first Test

Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wk), Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj , Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Duanne Olivier, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada

Markram and allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo were the only two uncapped players in the format in the squad. Both were part of the Test side during South Africa’s tour of England earlier this year but did not get a game.Makram was picked for the England tour as cover for Faf du Plessis, who missed the first Test because of the birth of his child, but remained with the senior team to gain experience. He then captained South Africa A in the two four-dayers against a touring India A side, scoring two half-centuries in a series tally of 194. Markram, who captained South Africa to victory in the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, had a breakthrough domestic season in 2016-17. He was the third-highest run-getter in the Momentum One Day Cup, scoring 508 runs in nine innings with two centuries, including one that helped Titans clinch the title. He was consistent in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition, too, with two centuries and two fifties in a run tally of 565 at an average of 51.36.Nineteen-year-old Lions allrounder Willem Mulder was invited as cover for Parnell, who will undergo a fitness test next week. Parnell had missed the opening round of first-class fixtures this week after suffering a groin strain in training. He last played competitive cricket at the Caribbean Premier League. If Parnell is fit, Mulder will return to the Lions team for the Sunfoil Series. Parnell last played a Test for South Africa in the home series against Sri Lanka in January. He was included in the squad for the New Zealand tour in March, before being dropped for the England tour.Linda Zondi, the convener of CSA’s selection panel, lauded Markram’s maturity and said that Phehlukwayo and Parnell were picked to give the team balance.”Aiden has been knocking on the door for some time now,” Zondi said. “He gained valuable insight into the Proteas team culture during the tour of England and he has shown maturity beyond his years, having captained South Africa to victory in the Under-19 World Cup and as captain of the South Africa A four-day side.”The inclusion of Andile and Wayne provides the necessary all-rounders to give options as concerns the balance of the starting XI. The selection of some younger players is part of the process to build for the future and at the same time maintain our hard core of experience.”