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ESPNcricinfo presents plays from the India-Pakistan World T20 game

Mohammad Isam and Abhishek Purohit21-Mar-2014The run-out
Pakistan were involved in some comical running early on. In the second over, Kamran Akmal tried to rush a leg-bye as the ball rolled away close to the pitch. Ahmed Shehzad responded eagerly, and in an instant, the two were within hand-shaking distance, Akmal having covered some more ground. Suddenly, Shehzad decided he was running to the danger end, and abandoned the run. An astonished Akmal stopped in his tracks, turned around and tried to regain his ground but to his misfortune again, Bhuvneshwar Kumar found the stumps with a direct hit.The near run-out
Shehzad decided to make amends the very next ball by enthusiastically charging up the pitch as this one rolled fine down the leg side. Mohammad Hafeez was having none of it. This time it was Shehzad’s turn to apply the brakes and double back. He scrambled and dived, and MS Dhoni’s throw missed the stumps.The late reaction
Mohammad Shami had sent down a superb over and had taken his position at the long-leg boundary when Shahid Afridi had one of his almighty swings at Bhuvneshwar. Shami possibly did not think it would travel behind square, or he just did not pick it, or he was plainly caught napping. Whatever be the case, by the time he did and set off to his left, there was no way he was stopping the boundary.The half-attemptShoaib Malik was timing the ball inconsistently and at the end of the 15th over, his swipe caught a top edge and swirled towards Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But the fielder was in two minds, first rushing forward and, when the ball started to die towards him, pulling out only slightly. It was enough for the ball to drop short, and slip into the boundary.

Dean Elgar was probably wondering why the step into Test cricket had proved so easy for Faf du Plessis. Now he has his own Test hundred at only the third time of asking

Firdose Moonda at St George's Park12-Jan-2013

How the century-makers saw it

Dean Elgar: “The message before tea was to hurry up because Graeme Smith wanted to declare so I tried to have a go. But when I got to tea, Graeme told me I had time to get my hundred and I am pretty grateful for that. It was a celebration of relief when it came and Rory Kleinveldt actually picked me up. My debut didn’t go to script so I am glad to have redeemed myself. I didn’t feel as though I was lagging behind Faf du Plessis in Australia – that was Faf’s tour. But now I have proved to myself that maybe there is something I have here.”
Faf du Plessis: “It’s nice to get my first hundred in South Africa. In Australia, it was a lot different because it was all about the team. This hundred was more about my own performance and it was nice to be able to go through that. With the top four we have, they give us consistency so the rest of us can just go in and play our game. It’s important, especially for the younger guys that we don’t always come in under pressure. There hasn’t been once when I come on and we are 10 for four or something.”

Test cricket should be tough for rookies. Even rookies who have cruised through seasons of domestic cricket, destroying all in their path. Even rookies who look as though they were born with an international shirt number embroidered on their soft baby skin. It should require fumbling, falling flat and making mistakes.Dean Elgar was probably given to wondering why it was all so easy for Faf du Plessis. Du Plessis was South Africa’s saviour on debut when he turned a potential Test defeat into a morale-boosting draw which led to a series win in Australia. Michael Clarke was officially named as man of the series, but Du Plessis’ team-mates triumphantly hailed him as their own choice.Crucially, du Plessis looked like he belonged. He had the temperament to make the step up. Under extreme pressure, du Plessis was able to defend tirelessly in Adelaide and attack cautiously in Perth. His start suggested that the changes he made to his game by moving up the order for his domestic franchise and turning down a T20 deal with Somerset to captain South Africa A in unofficial Tests had paid off.If du Plessis could make the transition so easily, Elgar must have thought as he sat on the sidelines in Adelaide, then surely I do the same? Elgar’s first-class record has been consistently better than du Plessis over the last three seasons and he has played more matches. Over the last three seasons Elgar averaged 50.11 in franchise cricket in 32 matches (not accounting for other matches for teams like South Africa A) while du Plessis played half that number and averaged 40.47.They both played in the June matches against Sri Lanka A and both contributed heavily to South Africa’s victory. Elgar top-scored with 171, du Plessis made 144. Given Elgar’s form in first-class cricket, it was thought he would be picked for South Africa in the longer format first but instead he was chosen to play in the one-day series against Sri Lanka. Du Plessis was already in the set-up at limited-overs level.Before any cricket began, Elgar sustained a serious knee injury that kept him out of cricket for the rest of the summer. Du Plessis went on to score an important 72 in South Africa’s win in Bloemfontein and their paths went in opposite ways. Du Plessis was picked as a replacement in England, Elgar was part of the one-day set up where he fared modestly and both were taken to Australia knowing they would only be called into action if something happened to JP Duminy or Jacques Rudolph.That something happened first for du Plessis when he took the place of the injured Duminy and he made everything of it. Something also happened when Rudolph’s rope ran out and Elgar was inserted into his spot. The difference was that Elgar did not look comfortable at all.His pair alone did not suggest that. Many rightly pointed out that Graham Gooch and Marvan Atapattu were among the batsmen to have gone run-less in their first Test and built impressive careers after that. Elgar could simply have got unlucky but he did not.He was worked over by Mitchell Johnson on that Test debut in Perth. The left-armer started with bouncers in the first innings, hurrying Elgar into shots as he searched desperately for his first Test run. Then, Johnson began to pitch them up and just when everyone but Elgar was expecting a short ball, Johnson delivered one and he was caught off the glove, hooking.It took Johnson even fewer balls to get the same result in the second innings when he followed up three bouncers with a length ball and Elgar padded up to it. For a batsman who had handled bounce around South Africa for years to have been so conclusively rattled by it was surprising. Welcome, international cricket said to Elgar, you’ve fallen into the gap.Gary Kirsten’s way is to give players sufficient chances and Elgar was informed he would keep his place for the less challenging task of facing the New Zealand attack. Even then, in the first Test in Cape Town, Elgar did not look like he fitted in.Coming in after a century from Alviro Petersen and 60s from Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla, Elgar had a stable platform from which to launch. He scored a run off his first ball but still did not look entirely sure of himself. His footwork was uncertain, his early drives nothing but tentative prods and he seemed to lack the confidence to play outside the off stump. He struggled to bring his bat down straight. Suddenly, despite a reputation for possessing one of the tightest techniques in South Africa, Elgar looked out of his depth.The early parts of his innings in Port Elizabeth were similar. He was nervous, drove loosely, pulled uncertainly. After three attempts at the shot, he got it right and controlled the ball well to the mid-wicket boundary. That was the first sign that Elgar could step up.As the innings progressed, Elgar straightened his bat and began to time the ball well, especially on the drive. He displayed some patience and much skill, living up to his classy domestic reputation. Bearing in mind that Elgar is usually an opening batsman, adjusting to the lower middle order was perhaps always going to take some extra time. By his own admission, he had to develop an understanding of how to handle batting with the bowlers.But he had them to thank for being able to get to his first Test hundred. Despite wanting to declare at tea, Graeme Smith sent out the lower order to allow Elgar to bring up the milestone and it was not a gratuitous concession. Although cricket remains a team game, with the amount of time left in the game to leave Elgar nine short would have denied him the opportunity of a confidence booster.Now, a Test hundred to his name, he feels as though he has done something to prove he has a Test career ahead of him. Du Plessis’ phenomenal rise will always serve as a reminder that some people were just born to play Test cricket but it’s the lesson Elgar teaches that is more notable. Most players do not learn to bat and bowl before they learn to crawl, walk, talk, scrape their knees and fail on the way to success. Elgar has walked that road now. And it is still only his third Test.

You’ve got to have the stomach for Delhi – in more ways than one

Peter English18-Nov-2010Two weeks in Delhi was both too long and nowhere near enough. It’s that sort of city. Or cities, new and old. At the same time, the place is maddening, inspiring, suffocating and unforgettable. To Westerners it’s most famous for its severe treatment of visiting bellies; for locals it’s a place of historical wonderment that has become a bit busy. Like much of India, a traveller’s experience depends on what he wants to see.From the sixth floor of a simple hotel next to the chaotic station, it was possible to view a huge chunk of the city. Emotional conflict was a feature of the trip. Some moments I couldn’t stop looking at the slums, full of hungry people, living next to rubbish and with the mind-altering soundtrack of hundreds of nimble auto-rickshaws. Then, peering further away, there was a magical mosque, with its bulbs and minarets almost floating towards the clouds. A beautiful building, literally breathtaking, whatever your religion – and it wasn’t on any sightseeing list.One of the things Delhi does best is buildings. For travellers, arming yourself with a copy of William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns is a good start. Head to the Red Fort, the centrepiece of Old Delhi, and stare. It was here that the Australians posed for their World Cup team photo in 1987, the front row sitting up tall, with hands on knees, in front of the mighty sandstone walls. Attempting a two-man version of the shot didn’t feel that silly.Once inside, stay there for a day. Laze, gaze and read. If you stay towards dusk, when the haze creeps back in, the colours of the walls change and the shadows broaden from the structures that used to house harems, royal meetings, riches and battles. My biggest regret of the fortnight there was being at the fort for less than an hour because we had to go to dinner at the Australian embassy.Bird fly around the Jama Masjid•AFPLike in London, Paris or New York, stunning buildings are everywhere. The auto-rickshaws offer excellent viewing with their open sides, and the bouncy seats of the Ambassador taxis help raise you that little bit higher. Ask the driver to slow down when nearing the Presidential Palace and India Gate, which were both designed by Edwin Lutyens, the English architect. The roundabout of Connaught Place is always worth a couple of circles, on the inner and outer rings.My favourite structure of them all was Qutub Minar in south Delhi, a 72m tower built around the 12th century. Originally put up for protection, it now stands in a quiet garden, protected by its world heritage listing, and visited by locals and tourists who wonder how such a perfect structure could have been built so long ago. If you hire a driver – or you go with a local mate – it’s possible to do Qutub Minar, the Lotus Temple, and the Red Fort in a day, although most travel in Delhi is measured in hours.It is an exhausting city – tiring and polluted, yet rewarding. The Lotus Temple is a domed building that has similarities to the Sydney Opera House and is home to followers of the Bahai faith. Raj Ghat, which is not far from the cricket ground, is the memorial to Gandhi, and translations of his outlook are signposted in many languages.With all this amazing architecture, the Feroz Shah Kotla is a huge letdown. Delhi was my base for a fortnight, with stays in bustling Karol Bagh, the more relaxed Green Park, and the accommodation near the station. There were also visits to the other world of the team’s hotel, an oasis of luxury. It was a shame to spend six of those days at the Kotla, as it’s known locally.Built on a fortress – it’s virtually impossible for touring teams to succeed there as well – the ground is surrounded by some ruins, but is not enchanting. It’s a hotch-potch of stadiums, some not facing directly at the pitch, much like the Gabba before its redevelopment. Entry was via a dirt path with hessian barriers, giving the feel of a music-festival trek at the end of a weekend, and then past the back of the stands and through many security checks. By the end of the game my knees were bruised from bumping against the seat in front.A plane flies over the world heritage site of Qutub Minar•AFPThe pitch, traditionally helpful to the spinners, has been poor recently too. (It was here that Anil Kumble dismissed all ten Pakistan batsmen in 1998-99.) The Australians don’t like the venue much either, having won only one Test there, in 1959-60, and two ODIs in 1998 (one of those was against Zimbabwe). Usually they get to spend a long time in the field, like when Cameron White was the No.1 spinner in 2008 and Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman posted double-centuries.If you’re fortunate you’ll get to watch with a friend, and you’ll be even luckier if that person is a local. Stay close and get taken to the restaurants with the best , or eat with them at home. That sort of experience is a travel treasure, and I still remember the midnight feast spent discussing India’s literature beyond Aravind Adiga and Arundhati Roy.As a western tourist, some days the beauty of Delhi is moving, and other times the harshness is hard to stomach. But just like the athletes and visitors who opened their eyes and minds during the Commonwealth Games, there is plenty to enjoy in a city of contrasts.

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.

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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  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.

Crystal Palace are reportedly exploring a sensational move to bring Conor Gallagher back to Selhurst Park, with talks already held with Atletico Madrid over a potential deal. The England midfielder, who starred during his 2021-22 loan spell with the Eagles, could return either on loan or permanently, depending on Atletico’s stance in the coming weeks.

• Crystal Palace open talks with Atletico for Gallagher return
• Midfielder played 50 games in debut season in Spain
• Atletico prefer permanent sale, Eagles exploring loan option

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fabrizio Romano reports that Crystal Palace have approached Atletico Madrid over a deal for Gallagher. As confirmed by The Athletic, the Premier League side are weighing up the possibility of a loan move, while Atletico would prefer a permanent sale. Initial talks have been held, but no formal bid has been made yet.

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  Gallagher enjoyed a hugely successful spell at Crystal Palace in 2021-22 on loan from Chelsea, scoring eight goals and winning their Player of the Season award. He moved to Atletico in 2024 from the Blues, but has struggled for consistent game time. Palace’s midfield options are stretched, with injuries forcing Oliver Glasner to rotate heavily at the start of the season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 25-year-old played 50 games in his debut season at Atletico but was often used from the bench after Christmas. He started their opening game of this season but was subbed at half-time and featured as a substitute against Elche last weekend. Gallagher is also part of England’s setup, with Thomas Tuchel set to name his next squad this week.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GALLAGHER?

  Crystal Palace are expected to monitor Atletico’s stance closely before deciding whether to formalise their interest. Gallagher remains tied down on a long-term contract until 2029, meaning a deal may be complicated. With two weeks left in the transfer window, developments could accelerate quickly.

يبدو أن لاعبي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، ما زالوا على رادار الأندية السعودية خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية التي تنتهي هناك آخر شهر أغسطس الجاري.

وبالفعل هناك تطورات جديدة بشأن مستقبل النجم الدولي المالي أليو ديانج، لاعب خط وسط الأهلي، في ظل عدم تجديد عقده حتى الآن.

عقد ديانج ينتهي مع الأهلي، في يونيو 2027، وقضى الموسم الماضي معارًا إلى صفوف الخلود السعودي، قبل العودة عقب نهاية الإعارة.

طالع..  هل طلب أليو ديانج مليون و800 ألف دولار مقابل التجديد لـ الأهلي؟

وعلم بطولات، أن المالي أليو ديانج، لاعب تلقى ثلاثة عروض سعودية، للانتقال إلى أحدها حال الرحيل عن القلعة الحمراء.

ويأتي نادي الخلود من بين هذه الأندية الراغبة في التعاقد مع ديانج، حيث لعب النجم المالي له معارًا لمدة موسم وأبلى بلاءً حسنًا.

ولم يحسم أليو ديانج موقفه حتى الأن مع الأهلي، مع العلم أن عقده ينتهي آخر الموسم المقبل، في ظل عدم التوصل إلى اتفاق مع مسؤولي القلعة الحمراء حتى الآن.

ويستعد أليو ديانج مع الأهلي لمواجهة بيراميدز المرتقبة، غدًا السبت، في الجولة الخامسة من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

حقق فريق مودرن سبورت الفوز على نظيره الاتحاد السكندري بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم الخميس في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

واستضاف الاتحاد السكندري نظيره مودرن سبورت على ملعب استاد الإسكندرية ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع.. موقف الأهلي من طلب حكام أجانب لمباراة بيراميدز في الدوري  افتتح محمد هلال، لاعب مودرن سبورت أهداف المباراة في الدقيقة الخامسة من عمر اللقاء عن طريق ركلة جزاء.

وفي الدقيقة السادسة من الوقت بدل الضائع في الشوط الأول تمكن محمود رزق من تسجيل الهدف الثاني من صناعة علي فوزي.

وقلص فادي فريد، مهاجم الاتحاد السكندري الفارق في الدقيقة الأولى من الوقت بدل الضائع من الشوط الثاني لينتهي اللقاء بفوز مودرن سبورت.

ورفع مودرن سبورت رصيده إلى 4 نقاط في صدارة جدول الترتيب مؤقتًا بينما تجمد رصيد الاتحاد السكندري في المركز 21 بدون نقاط. أهداف مباراة مودرن سبورت والاتحاد

Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghanistan captain, dedicated his side’s seven-wicket win over Netherlands to the thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan who are facing the prospect of being deported back to Afghanistan.Shahidi was speaking after a comfortable win in Lucknow, Afghanistan’s third in a row and one which sees them move to eight points and closer to a semi-final spot, albeit with two games left to play against Australia and South Africa.”Right now, a lot of refugee peoples are in struggle so we are watching their videos and we are sad for that and we are with them in this tough time,” Shahidi said after the game. “I dedicate this win to those refugees that are in pain and also to all country peoples back home.”Nearly two million Afghan refugees that Pakistan says are in the country illegally had been told by the government to leave by November 1 or face either deportation or arrest. This week many thousands have rushed to the border between the two countries, trying to beat the deadline but worried about facing an uncertain future in Afghanistan, which has been governed since August 2021 by the Taliban.Related

• Nabi the hustler sends Netherlands spinning

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Pakistan has a long history of taking in Afghan refugees, dating back to 1979 when the former Soviet Union came into Afghanistan in a new front of the Cold War with the US. A lot of the players from Afghanistan’s earliest cricket sides had grown up and learnt the game in refugee camps in north-west Pakistan. There has been another sizeable influx of refugees into the country after the Taliban took control two years ago. But the order for the refugees to leave Pakistan comes amid tense political relations between the two countries.The issue has been close to the hearts of the cricket team. Following their eight-wicket triumph over Pakistan in Chennai last week, Ibrahim Zadran also dedicated the win to refugees being forced to leave.”I think the players are attuned with everything that’s going on back home, whether it’s an earthquake and other things,” Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan’s coach, said on Friday after the Netherlands win.”So they realise, and I think they’re enjoying the joy that they’re giving to the Afghan people and the smile that they currently have on their face in the changing room, but also the smiles that’s giving everybody else. That’s the great thing about sport and being able to touch people far further afield than just here in the stadium or in this country, but back home as well.”Afghanistan are now fifth on the points table, outside the top four on net run-rate but with the same points as New Zealand and Australia. They take on an in-form Australia in Mumbai first, on Tuesday, and then a rampaging South Africa in Ahmedabad, among their toughest tests.”I think you’ve got to definitely prepare and have a look at how the opposition are going to play, but the thing is with us, I certainly feel that if we worry, we just focus on how we play and what makes us the side that we are,” Trott said.”We’ve got to make sure that we don’t look at the opposition too much and forget about what we’ve got to do well. So that’ll be it and obviously we’ll prepare for Australia, a very good side along with South Africa but right now we’re focused on Australia and what we can do to beat them.”

Ben Stokes has emerged as an injury doubt for the opening match of the World Cup between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Stokes, the Player of the Match in the 2019 final between the same teams, came out of ODI retirement in August despite a long-standing knee injury and is not expected to bowl a ball at the World Cup, having made himself available only as a specialist batter.But he did not feature in England’s warm-up game against Bangladesh in Guwahati on Monday due to a left hip complaint. Ahead of their final training session before Thursday’s curtain-raiser against New Zealand, England’s captain Jos Buttler said that they would not “take big risks” with players’ fitness early in the tournament.”He’s got a slight niggle with his hip,” Buttler said when asked about Stokes’ non-involvement against Bangladesh. “But fingers crossed that it’ll be good news for us. We’ll see. He’s working hard with the physios, and we’ll know more when the guys arrive for training today.Related

• Buttler dismisses 'defending champions' tag: 'It's irrelevant to me'

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• Topley looks to make up for lost time after warm-ups

“We’ll make the right call. If he’s not fit to play, he’s not fit to play. If he is, we can make that decision. It’s not the time to take big risks on someone at the start of the tournament. Nearer the end, maybe you do take more of a risk with people’s injuries, but it’s going to be a long tournament.”Stokes scored 182 against New Zealand at The Oval in mid-September in just his third innings on his return to ODI cricket. He was rested for the final game of that series at Lord’s, and was not due to play in either of England’s warm-up games in Guwahati; the first, against India, was washed out after they had named a 13-man side at the toss.England were due to select their playing XI for the opening match after training at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday night. “We’ll see how the guys pull up here at training today – and post-training – and then we can make our decisions,” Buttler said.But Stokes was a peripheral figure, wandering around the outfield while his team-mates kicked a football around. He trained in the gym, but did not bat in the nets during England’s session under floodlights.If Stokes is not deemed fit enough to feature on Thursday, he is likely to be replaced at No. 4 by Harry Brook, who batted in that position in the warm-up against Bangladesh, and is the designated spare batter in England’s squad. Brook has only played six ODIs – and has scored just 123 runs – but England are confident he can convert his Test and T20 success into the 50-over format.”We all know what a fantastic player he is,” Buttler said of Brook. “He’s at the start of an international career that’s been outstanding in T20 cricket and the Test format. He’s not played loads of ODI cricket, but it’s a format that should suit him perfectly.”It’ll allow him to bat for a long time and make big runs, and that’s something he enjoys doing. He’s got all the shots, and we know from Test cricket that he can play big innings. It’s a format that should suit him really well.”