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ESPNcricinfo previews Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2012

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Apr-2012

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They have one of the world’s fastest bowlers (Brett Lee); they have the most destructive batsman behind Chris Gayle in world cricket (Brendon McCullum); they have the most dependable batsman in all formats (Jacques Kallis); they have the world’s best allrounder in ODIs (Shakib Al Hasan). And they are one of the most popular teams in the IPL, run by owners who rarely intrude on the team management. Probably, Kolkata are most balanced team in the IPL.After the controversies and shenanigans in the initial years involving Sourav Ganguly’s stubbornness and John Buchannan’s radical coaching methods, Kolkata appeared more settled last year with a new captain in Gautam Gambhir. Dav Whatmore has left to coach Pakistan, and a fellow Australian Trevor Bayliss has come in as replacement. Rudi Webster has been hired as a mental skills coach to help youngsters in dealing with high-pressure situations that are frequent in the Twenty20 format. Essentially Kolkata possess the perfect package which could help them progress from the fourth position – their best in the IPL – they finished at last season. The time has come for Kolkata to shed the pretender’s role.Probably they can learn from Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, the state where the franchise has its home base. Banerjee is known for her ruthlessness, her radical decision-making and her daring – qualities that the team can imbibe if it wants to win the title.

Key players

Jacques Kallis: Consider this: Graeme Smith is South Africa’s top run-maker in Twenty20 internationals with 982 runs in 33 matches. Kallis has played half that number (17) but already has 573 runs. In fact, Kallis has more fifties in all-time Twenty20 history barring Brad Hodge – 23 against Hodge’s 29. After the franchise bought him at the auction last year, Kallis repaid the owners by finishing as the team’s highest run-maker. At 36, Kallis plays with the hunger of a rookie. His durability at the top of the order, his gift to combine patience with aggression, along with his nifty medium-fast bowling, make Kallis not only a go-to man but also one of the most dangerous players.Gautam Gambhir: Gambhir’s Test career as an opener might be facing a crisis, but in the shorter formats Gambhir is a force to reckon with and is India’s top scorer in Twenty20 internationals. Last year, Gambhir was uncertain about opening along with Kallis, and might face the same problem with the inclusion of Brendon McCullum, but he could be the perfect No.3, a position from where he can not only anchor the innings and give it a right direction for the big-hitters to flourish at the end. The stakes are high for Gambhir: after being deposed as India vice-captain, he would like to let his performances catapult him back into the leadership role.Yusuf Pathan: The IPL website has an illustration depicting Yusuf diving forward to take a catch while a banner floating on his back reads (the Pathan palanquin). Indeed, Yusuf’s broad shoulders and broad bat can carry his team’s burden without breaking much sweat. But last year, Yusuf’s influence was barely visible considering he would walk in at the fag end of the innings. He was then out of the Indian team due to poor form. Just like Gambhir, it is redemption time for Yusuf – to come out and play the role of the impact player and elevate himself back into the national reckoning.

Big names in

Brendon McCullum: It was McCullum who lit the IPL dynamite in 2008 with a blitzkrieg century (158 not out) in the tournament’s inaugural match in Bangalore. He was bought by the now defunct Kochi franchise last year, but McCullum – Twenty20 international cricket’s highest scorer (in fact he is the third highest run-getter in Twenty20 history) – is back to Kolkata and is likely to double up as a wicketkeeper in addition to walking in as an opener.Trevor Bayliss (coach): Bayliss was Sri Lanka’s coach in the 2011 World Cup when the team lost in the final to India and has replaced fellow Australian Dav Whatmore, who is now Pakistan’s coach. Unlike the previous two Australian coaches with Kolkata, Bayliss’ strengths are he remains low-key and virtually inconspicuous in the media. That way he can put in all his energies into the cricket, allowing players to make the headlines.

Big names out

There remains a question mark over the availability of Australia wicketkeeper batsman Brad Haddin, who has decided to take time off cricket to resolve some personal issues.

Below the radar

Sunil Narine Sunil Narine turned heads last year when he came to India with the Trinidad & Tobago to play in the Champions League Twenty20. The talent, the trickery in his offspin made coaches and teams wanting him on their roaster. Kolkata paid a handsome $700,000 to buy Narine in a stiff competition with rival franchises. Narine, who bowled impressively under pressure in the two Powerplays in his debut ODI against India last year in Ahmedabad (the only match West Indies won on their tour), finished as the highest wicket-taker in the recent drawn ODI series at home against Australia. Kolkata would hope Narine brings his current form against Australia to the IPL when he lands in May. Iqbal Abdulla Abdulla won the IPL award for the best young bowler with his allround skills. A left-arm spinner, Abdulla was utilised smartly by Gambhir during pressure situations and the Mumbai player did not disappoint. Coupled with his good fielding and thrifty batting skills, Abdulla can once again play a leading role for Kolkata.

Availability

The only problem for Narine could be his availability with the first half of the IPL clashing with West Indies’ Test series against Australia.

2011 in a tweet

New beginning, new energy, but fell painfully short of a top-3 slot

Bangladesh officials have assured the West Indies team ‘state-level’ security during their World Cup quarter-final clash against Pakistan in Mirpur on March 23

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2011Bangladesh officials have assured the West Indies team ‘state-level’ security during their World Cup quarter-final clash against Pakistan in Mirpur on March 23. The extra precaution is an effort to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing incident on March 4, when angry locals pelted stones at the West Indies team bus following their thumping win against the home side at the same venue.”The West Indies are our valued guests and we will ensure the highest state-level security to them,” Dhaka police commissioner Benazir Ahmed told AFP. “They can be assured of fool-proof security. It’s a state-level commitment. We shall make sure that there is no crowd along the key parts of the road to the stadium.”Ahmed said the same security arrangement was provided to the South African team when they took on Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla Stadium on Saturday. Bangladesh slumped to another huge defeat in that game, bringing an end to their World Cup campaign ahead of the knockouts. This time, however, there was no angry reaction from the fans.Bangladesh’s early exit could have an impact on the attendance at the Shere Bangla Stadium, which will also host the quarter-final clash between New Zealand and South Africa on March 25.

New South Wales will look to Stuart Clark and Nathan Bracken to drive their bowling attack in 2010-11 after the pair was cut from Australia’s contract list

Cricinfo staff08-May-2010New South Wales will look to Stuart Clark and Nathan Bracken to drive their bowling attack in 2010-11 after the pair was cut from Australia’s contract list. Clark is being considered as a full-time captain and Bracken will also have a mentoring role as the Blues aim to develop their exciting young talent.The fast bowler Trent Copeland, 24, has also been elevated to a full state contract following a record-breaking debut season. He joins a batch of young pacemen that includes the promising Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Moises Henriques.”The return of Clark and Bracken will greatly assist the development of our younger players,” New South Wales’ chief executive Dave Gilbert said. “New South Wales has the all-round depth to challenge in all three domestic competitions next year.”Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan has a Twenty20 contract while the senior players Dominic Thornely and Grant Lambert have been cut from the outfit. New South Wales have named a squad of 33 that includes their nine Cricket Australia-signed stars.New South Wales contracts Nathan Bracken, Mark Cameron, Beau Casson, Stuart Clark, Burt Cockley, Trent Copeland, Peter Forrest, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Phil Jaques, Usman Khawaja, Peter Nevill, Stephen O’Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Tillakaratne Dilshan (Twenty20 contract).

Cricket Australia contracts Doug Bollinger, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.

Rookies Tim Armstrong, Luke Doran, Nic Maddinson, Joe Mennie, Timm Van Der Gugten, Adam Zampa.

India spinner pleased with return to starting XI in Super Eight after sitting out first round

Melinda Farrell22-Jun-20241:23

Kumble: Kuldeep broke the back of the opposition in the middle overs

After spending the group stage waiting in the wings, Kuldeep Yadav continued his run as Super Eight specialist, taking 3 for 19 in India’s comprehensive victory over Bangladesh in Antigua.Kuldeep has now taken five wickets across India’s two Super Eight matches, after picking up 2 for 32 against Afghanistan on Thursday in Barbados.India held Kuldeep back for the Caribbean leg of the tournament in the belief the pitches would suit his left-arm wristspin more than those in the USA. And, while he admitted he was keen to play in the group stages, he knew once he returned to the islands where he made both his white-ball debuts for India, during the 2017 West Indies tour, his experience would be called upon.Related

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• Hardik and Kuldeep lead India to their second win in the Super Eight

“I was helping out the team-mates and carrying the drinks [in the US]. That is more like playing,” joked Kuldeep. “I would have loved to bowl there. But it’s more like an Australian sort of wicket. But here I made my T20 [and] ODI debut back in 2017. I knew the conditions very well, just the length and trying to vary my pace. So it’s perfect for spinners to come here and bowl.”While there was a sound reason to bring Kuldeep into the side on Caribbean surfaces, having a bowler play their first competitive match so late and at such a crucial stage of a T20 World Cup is unusual. But Kuldeep said he didn’t feel any added pressure playing for the first time in the tournament at the Super Eight stage.Kuldeep Yadav was at the top of his game•CREIMAS

“It’s very important to play every game, take every game as a normal game. Now obviously we playing at Super Eight, obviously we have a lot of pressure as well. We’re going to play Australia in a couple of days’ time. The wickets are good for spinners, as you have seen in the last few games as well. Nothing changes. I’ve got four overs to bowl and that was my plan. Just sticking with the length and varying my pace. For me it’s nice.”Bowling in the middle phase, Kuldeep went wicketless in his first over but struck in each of his next three. He flummoxed Tanzid Hasan with a fizzing googly that jagged back in and cannoned into the front pad before foxing Towhid Hridoy with a straight one that struck the back pad. After Shakib Al Hasan slog-swept a looping delivery for six, Kuldeep tossed another one up as a tempter, but the slower pace and extra bounce drew a top edge and a third wicket.Kuldeep bowled his four overs from the Sir Andy Roberts End, which gave assistance to left-handed batters hitting into the wind on the leg-side and help to right-handers outside their off stump. But while the stiff cross breeze posed challenges, he said it was important not to overthink its effect.”It was difficult from this end as a spinner because my rhythm is like, not like running rhythm, it’s more like a one step and then aggressive. I didn’t think about the wind, just the length matters. And obviously reading the batter what they are expecting from me, just reading one step ahead, what they are thinking. So just keeping this in mind and changing the line and length, and obviously they were targeting the windy side, and just reacting to what they are doing.”When the other team needs 10 runs or 12 runs per over and the batter’s going against you my plan is to just stick with the length, and obviously when they try to attack you, if you have a proper plan against them and you are bowling in probably the better length, you have maximum chances of getting the batter out. So that is my thinking, not thinking I have to get him out, just the length.”

Hosts wrap up 3-0 whitewash as England suffer slide of 5 for 28 during closing stages

Mohammad Isam14-Mar-2023Bangladesh handed England only their second 3-0 loss in a T20I bilateral series with the 16-run win in the third game in Dhaka. The hosts, despite it being a dead rubber, fought back superbly by engineering a batting collapse after the visitors were 100 for 1 after 13 overs, chasing 159 to win.The crux of England’s batting collapse saw them lose five wickets for 28 runs in five overs, which pushed their required run rate from eight to 12 per over. Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler had put them in the driver’s seat with their rapid second wicket partnership, but once Mustafizur Rahman broke their stand, England slid quickly.Earlier, Litton Das struck his ninth T20I fifty to help Bangladesh to a middling 158 for 2 total in 20 overs. Litton and Najmul Hossain Shanto added 84 runs for the second wicket, but they couldn’t quite press on in the last five overs, scoring only 27 runs for the loss of Litton. England’s bowlers fought back well, which was nicely helped when their batters gave them a strong start to the chase.

Malan bookends tour with runs

England lost Phil Salt in the first over when Tanvir Islam, who became the fourth Bangladesh spinner to open the bowling in T20Is on debut. Salt’s struggle against left-arm spin continued on this tour, having got out to the type of bowling five times across six innings in two formats.Malan however bookended the tour with important knocks. He made the unbeaten 114 in the first ODI on March 1, the innings that took England to a hard-fought victory. Malan made 53 in this game, hitting six fours and two sixes in his 47-ball stay. He struck his sixes hoicking over long-on and sweeping over fine leg, adding fours from a few sweetly-timed flicks and cuts, as well as the cover drive.Buttler aided him with faster scoring. He struck balls straight, hitting a six and two fours down the ground, apart from two fours through midwicket. England were cruising till the 13th over with the second-wicket pair together, and an easy chase looked in the offing.

Wickets bring back the hosts

But it all changed when Mustafizur had Malan caught behind, to pick up his 100th wicket in T20Is. He is the second Bangladesh to reach this landmark, after Shakib Al Hasan. When Buttler was run out next ball, the home side sensed a comeback. Mehidy Hasan Miraz struck the stumps from point, and then ran off towards long-off to celebrate.Taskin Ahmed then struck twice in his last over, the 17th of the innings, when he removed both Moeen Ali and Ben Duckett, England’s last recognised batting pair. Moeen holed out to the deep midwicket boundary where Mehidy took a simple catch. Taskin then sent Duckett’s off-stump for a ride, as England lost 5 for 28 runs in 31 balls.Litton Das brought up a quick half-century•BCB

Litton raises the tempo

Finally Litton got his much-awaited big score in white-ball cricket. His last significant knock in T20Is was the sparkling 60 against India in the T20 World Cup. He didn’t do much in the ODIs against India and England, particularly disappointing after his stellar 2022. But over the last five years, a big score from Litton has always looked around the corner. And so it happened in Dhaka in the last game.Litton stamped his authority in the 55-run opening stand with Rony Talukdar. His older partner, Rony, flashed away to get 24 off 22 balls, including a shocking dropped catch by Rehan Ahmed at short third man. Litton got into the flow after the halfway stage, first hitting Chris Jordan for two fours, pulled and lofted over mid-off.Ben Duckett dropped him on 51 at deep midwicket, after which he got two boundaries off Jofra Archer, one a top edge and another a pulled six. The crème de la crème was his inside-out loft against Adil Rashid in the 15th over. Bangladesh were motoring along at this stage, and looked like getting a 175-plus total at this stage.

England rein back the scoring

Litton and Shanto added 84 runs for the second wicket, but around the time of Litton’s dismissal, England had brought back the scoring rate for about two-and-a-half overs. Shakib was struggling to time the ball, and suddenly along with Shanto, the pair started to look for more percentage shots rather than using the full face of the bat.Credit to the England fast bowlers who scrambled through their variations very well. Jordan, Archer and Sam Curran brought back the visitors by conceding just 27 runs in the last five overs.Shanto, who looked in ominous form before Litton’s dismissal with a couple of sixes, struck the only boundary during this phase, but couldn’t find further boundaries in the remaining overs. Shakib too couldn’t press on despite the great base. Perhaps the pitch slowed up but the England fast bowlers really brought their A-game in the death overs. But their batters couldn’t get the job done.

In the other semi-final, Tamil Nadu will be up against Saurashtra on December 24

Hemant Brar22-Dec-2021Services have qualified for their first-ever Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final, thumping Kerala by seven wickets in Jaipur. The victory was set up by Diwesh Pathania, who picked up 3 for 19, and Ravi Chauhan, whose 95 off 90 balls ensured Services reached their target of 176 in just 30.5 overs.After electing to bowl, Pathania removed Mohammed Azharuddeen and Jalaj Saxena off successive balls to leave Kerala on 24 for 2 in the seventh over. Rohan Kunnummal and Vinoop Manoharan tried stabilising the innings by adding 81 in 105 balls before offspinner Pulkit Narang broke the stand by dismissing Manoharan for a 54-ball 41.Kunnummal took the side to 135 along with Sachin Baby, but once Baby fell, Kerala lost their last six wickets for 40 runs and were bowled out for a mere 175 in 40.4 overs. Only three of their batters could reach double digits, with Kunnummal top-scoring with 85 off 106 balls.Services didn’t have a great start either; Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan reduced them to 12 for 2 after two overs. But Ravi Chauhan and captain Rajat Paliwal dented any hopes of a Kerala comeback with a 154-run stand for the third wicket. By the time Chauhan got out, Services needed only ten more to the win, which they knocked off in the next six balls.The other quarter-final, between Saurashtra and Vidarbha, also followed a similar script. After being put in, Vidarbha were bowled out for 150 and Saurashtra chased that down in 29.5 overs with seven wickets in hand.Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya’s new-ball spells had Vidarbha reeling at 9 for 3 in the eighth over. Faiz Fazal and Akshay Wadkar staged a brief recovery and took the side past 50. However, both Fazal and Wadkar fell in quick succession, and when Dharmendrasinh Jadeja dismissed Lalit Yadav and Yash Thakur off successive deliveries, the scoreboard read 86 for 8.That Vidarbha could still reach 150 was because of Apoorv Wankhade’s 72 off 69 balls, which included five fours and as many sixes. Along with Akshay Wakhare, Wankhede added 64 for the ninth wicket, in which Wakhare’s contribution was only 5. Legspinner Yuvraj Chudasama, though, picked up the last two wickets in the same over to deny Vidarbha a competitive total.It was not smooth sailing for Saurashtra, though. Aditya Thakare removed their openers Vishvaraj Jadeja and Harvik Desai cheaply, and when Sheldon Jackson, too, didn’t last long, making it 35 for 3 for his side, Saurashtra might have had some jitters.Prerak Mankad and Arpit Vasavada, however, allayed those fears with an unbroken 116-run stand to see the side home. Mankad struck 77 off 72 balls; he now has 339 runs in the tournament at an average of 113 and a strike rate of 114.91. Vasavada played the anchor’s role with a 66-ball 41.On Tuesday, Vinay Galetiya’s 3 for 19 rocked Uttar Pradesh before Prashant Chopra’s 99 anchored their 208-run chase to script a five-wicket win for Himachal Pradesh. In the second quarter-final, N Jagadeesan’s 102 and Shahrukh Khan’s unbeaten 79 off just 39 balls helped Tamil Nadu trounce Karnataka by 151 runs.Himachal Pradesh will now face Services in the first semi-final, while Tamil Nadu will be up against Saurashtra in the other. Both matches will be played in Jaipur on December 24.

Essex seamers thrive in challenging conditions as Lord’s stages first first-class match of season

George Dobell23-Sep-2020Somerset 119 for 4 (Byrom 51*, Davies 19*) v EssexIt’s one of the great ironies of the season that the first-class competition should be named in honour of Bob Willis.While Willis was, without doubt, a passionate supporter of the game in England, he wasn’t necessarily a supporter of the county game. There were, he thought, too many first-class counties, playing too many games. He had long recommended a significant restructuring.So it may prove a fitting legacy if this year’s competition provides the precedent for change. Certainly it appears as if next year’s competition, which will be recognised as a county championship, is set to feature three conferences instead of the two divisions to which we have become accustomed over the last couple of decades. This final, and the Bob Willis Trophy, may well become a fixture of the summer.You suspect, however, that Willis would think such change did not go far enough. And as his face smiled down on Lord’s throughout much of the first day of this match – the scoreboards here featured a picture of him whenever rain intervened – you could almost imagine him passing judgement on what he saw. “Unacceptable, Charles. Of course it’s raining. It’s winter.”This was not, it must be admitted, a vintage day of cricket. Rain flirted throughout and the temperature was so low a polar bear wouldn’t go out without a muffler. And while this season of all seasons, it is hard to criticise – this competition has been an elegant solution to a horrendous challenge – the game has some thinking to do if it continues to plan for showpiece events at this time of year. We are, it might be remembered, still 10 days away from Finals Day at Edgbaston.That Somerset have a foothold in the game is largely due to Eddie Byrom. Perhaps, had the likes of James Hildreth been fit and Tom Banton available, Byrom might have missed out. He went into this match averaging 17 in the competition this season, after all, and with a top score of 30. He had not made a Championship half-century since June 2018.But here he looked compact, patient and, having played himself in, surprisingly fluent. After taking 25 balls to make his first 11 runs, he hit six fours in 17 balls as Aaron Beard, in particular, strayed just a little full and just a little towards the leg stump. His ninth four, the one which brought up his half-century – a glorious straight drive that flew back past Sam Cook – was the shot of the day. He resumes on day two just five short of career-best score against a first-class county; his two centuries have come against Cardiff MCCU and Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers.Essex will be the happier of the sides, though. While there was just a little assistance from the overcast conditions and this fresh surface – they are playing on the pitch last used for the 2019 Ashes Test; the one where Steve Smith sustained the blow to the neck from a Jofra Archer bouncer – it was relatively benign by comparison with many of the tracks used in the competition this season.Against an attack featuring Sam Cook and Jamie Porter, Somerset’s challenge will be no easier on day two. While neither are blessed with great pace, they bowl an immaculate line and length and, in conditions offering just a fraction of assistance, test the technique and temperament of any batsman. Here both men delivered six maidens each and conceded just over two an over. The pressure on the batsmen rarely relents.The best example of this came with the wicket of George Bartlett. Five maidens in succession saw Bartlett, with 12 runs from his first 46 balls, tempted by one outside off stump which he might have been best to let go. Instead he attempted a drive which resulted in an edge to first slip; Sir Alastair Cook made no mistake.By then, Sam Cook had already dismissed both openers. Tom Lammonby, playing across a full one which may have swung a fraction, fell to Cook’s third ball before Ben Green was bowled through the gate by one that may have come down the slope a little.That left Somerset in some trouble at 52 for 3, with Tom Abell’s promising innings ended by an outstanding catch by Essex keeper, Adam Wheater. Diving down the leg-side, Wheater clung on to the ball millimetres above the grass after it appeared to brush Abell’s glove and thigh on its way.”When me and Porter bowl in tandem we like to keep it tight,” Cook, who took his 100th first-class wicket with the dismissal of Lammonby, said later. “Especially on days where there might not be much assistance in the pitch.”It is important to build pressure through the run-rate and force the batter to make false shots. We set out to keep the run rate below 2.7 an over and we did that well.”Earlier Somerset had stuck with the side that secured their place in the final with victory at New Road, which meant no place for Dom Bess in his final match before departing for Yorkshire. Essex, meanwhile, recalled Nick Browne in place of Feroze Khushi. Bowling first was the obvious choice for either side winning the toss, with Tom Westley the lucky captain.After play, Ben Green reasoned that 250 was probably a par score. But you suspect that Essex batting line-up may think it is somewhere higher. Seven of this Essex side average in excess of 35 in first-class cricket; only one of those to have played more than 10 first-class games in the Somerset side averages even 33. Byrom has kept his side in the game, but they have some batting ahead of them if they are to give their admirable bowling attack a fighting chance.

De Villiers also opens up about retirement, hinting at “deeper reasons” for his decision to quit South Africa duty

Liam Brickhill18-May-2019AB de Villiers has revealed that he urged current South Africa captain Faf du Plessis not to take up a second stint in county cricket after du Plessis’ Kolpak contract with Lancashire expired in 2010.In an interview on Indian web show Breakfast with Champions, de Villiers explained how he told du Plessis that he was “pretty close” to national selection at the time he was considering taking up a second deal in England.”There was a moment when he was thinking of signing for one of the English counties,” de Villiers said. “He did call me up, and said what do I think about it? I said listen, not a long time from now there will be a few retirements, a few guys will step down, and you’re pretty close. And the coaches and the team are talking about you, so just hang in a little bit longer. And finally the breakthrough came. I’m not taking credit for that, but we did have that conversation. And I’m very happy I was straight up with him.”De Villiers and du Plessis had been childhood rivals, playing for different primary schools, but when they both attended Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool – also known as ‘Affies’ – in Pretoria as teenagers they became team-mates and friends. A prodigious talent, de Villiers made his Test debut against England in December 2004, before his 21st birthday. Du Plessis’ call-up would only come almost seven years later, against India in 2011, after he had topped the domestic one-day run-charts.ALSO READ: We just want to focus on enjoyment – du Plessis“He waited a bit longer,” de Villiers said of du Plessis. “It happened quite quickly for me. A couple of doors opened up, and I put my hand up at the right time. The path he walked was a different one, but it set him up perfectly for international cricket. I think he was mentally in a great space when he finally made his debut.”De Villiers also opened up on his 2018 retirement, which came as a shock to many South African fans – especially as the World Cup was only a year away. De Villiers said that he wanted to play in the World Cup, but he cited a desire to spend more time with his family and a general weariness with international competition as reasons for his decision. He also said that he “felt cornered” by expectation and criticism, and hinted at other, “deeper reasons” for his departure.”I was keen to play in the World Cup, but I left, I retired,” he said. “So it was a very sensitive situation. For the last three years of my career, I was labelled as a guy who is picking and choosing when I was playing and when not. So I got quite a lot of criticism from back home, which also played a role in me retiring. And it was difficult for me to then go ‘hey, but I’ll still play the World Cup’. It’s that picking and choosing thing again, and it’s quite arrogant to do something like that. But as they say, you can’t have your bread buttered on both sides.”I felt cornered. It’s always been about the team, it’s never been about myself. But I found myself in a position where I had to make a decision where it’s going to look like I’m just thinking about myself.”There’s a lot of reasons I had to move on. Family’s definitely a big part of it. And the longevity of my career, I played for 15 years and I was just tired of the whole international scene. It’s quite busy. Very stressful. And the mental game, the doubts you have as a person and as a player, it wears you down. And being captain of the Proteas for a long time also took its toll. And then there are a few deeper issues that might have to be discussed when I’m 50, one day.”There’s a part of me that will always miss it. Everything that goes with it. I wish I could have pushed on longer, but it was time. I had a great run. I had so much fun, I really did, and more dreams came true than I could ever imagine. And there was lots of heartbreaks as well along the way, and that’s the great ride that we all go through.”

Suresh Raina scored his third successive 50-plus score after Baroda opener Urvil Patel smashed 96 runs off 54 balls

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2018Umang Sharma’s 47-ball 95 and captain Suresh Raina’s 56 off 47, his third successive 50-plus score, powered Uttar Pradesh to a seven-wicket win over Baroda in Kolkata. Set a target of 193, UP romped home with eight balls to spare and completed their fifth win from six games.Electing to bowl, UP’s bowlers were put to the sword by Baroda openers Kedar Devdhar and Urvil Patel. They put on 74 runs in 9.3 overs before Devdhar was dismissed for 37 off 32 balls off left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan. Devdhar, who is listed for a reserve price of INR 20 lakh in the IPL auctions, had a good run in the inter-state leg of the tournament where he made scores of 100 and 62* earlier this month. He also scored 77 off 53 against Delhi on Monday.Urvil, 19-years old, went on to put on 92 runs for the second wicket with captain Deepak Hooda, who smashed a 25-ball 45. Hooda has played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past and has set his reserve price at INR 40 lakh. He is expected to have takers at the auction for his middle-order biffing. Urvil eventually finished with a smashing 54-ball 96, including 12 fours and four sixes. Almost every UP bowler went for plenty of runs, with Praveen Kumar conceding 45 runs in three overs. While Mohsin picked up two wickets, Amit Mishra was the most economical with figures of 0 for 28 from four overs.Baroda had a good start with the ball, too, as left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, expected to be a major draw at the auctions, bowled Shivam Chaudhary with the first ball of the innings. UP, however, rallied spectacularly with Raina and Umang putting on 160 runs for the second wicket in 15 overs. Both batsmen were dismissed in the space of six balls, but Rinku Singh’s 11-ball 26* ensured UP were home without much difficulty. They are now on top of the Group B standings in the Super League.

Australia have named uncapped allrounder Hilton Cartwright in their squad for next month’s ODI series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-20161:45

Awesome to get chance to experience Australian set-up – Cartwright

Hilton Cartwright, the Western Australia allrounder, is in line for his ODI debut after being named in Australia’s 14-man squad for next month’s Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series. Cartwright is the only uncapped member of the group, which also includes fast bowler Pat Cummins, who has not played for Australia since September last year, and recalled allrounder Glenn Maxwell.The three-match series against New Zealand slots in between Australia’s two Test campaigns this summer and will take place in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne on December 4, 6 and 9. Interim chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, said the panel had been interested in the progress of Cartwright, a 24-year-old who was born in Zimbabwe, for some time.”Hilton bowls useful aggressive medium-pace and is a very good striker of the ball,” Hohns said. “He is an exciting young prospect for Australian cricket and we have been watching him at the pathway level for some time now.”Cummins missed the 2015-16 season due to a stress fracture of the back, but performed strongly during the Matador Cup in October, when he collected 15 wickets at 18.60. He was the equal leading wicket taker in the tournament.”It is fantastic to see Pat back in Australian colours again,” Hohns said. “It has been a frustrating period for him but we are certainly excited to have him fit and firing ahead of this series.”Maxwell has been named in the squad having been dropped from the ODI side during Australia’s tour of the West Indies earlier this year, and then left out entirely from the ODI squad that toured Sri Lanka.Australia ODI squad David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith (capt), George Bailey, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.