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Pepper, Lawrence hit rapid fifties but Eagles still need favour from Somerset in late game

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2023Feroze Khushi hit the last ball of the match for six, despite Chris Jordan trying to flick a catch back to Jamie Overton as he went over the boundary rope, as Essex dramatically gave themselves a chance of clinching a Vitality Blast quarter-final place.Their progression was confirmed later in the day when Somerset held off Kent at Taunton, giving extra significance to Khushi’s 35 not out from 26 balls, which ensured they did not waste an Essex T20 record stand between Michael Pepper and Dan Lawrence as they chased down Surrey’s 195 for 6 to win by three wickets in a thrilling finish.Khushi and Shane Snater had taken five singles from the first five balls of Sean Abbott’s final over, to leave Essex needing three to win from the last delivery. Khushi swung hard and high, Jordan sprinted round from long-on to grab the ball as his momentum took him over the ropes but Surrey’s captain could not throw it back infield for Overton to complete the catch – and Essex celebrated.Pepper and Lawrence certainly deserved to be on the winning side, smashing 140 for the second wicket from just 11 overs in a blitz of boundaries that featured nine sixes and 11 fours.Sunil Narine had earlier blasted six sixes and seven fours in a 38-ball unbeaten 78 but then both Pepper and Lawrence produced hitting of similar ferocity to score 75 from 39 balls and 58 off 32 balls respectively.By the 10-over mark Essex were totally in control at 130 for 1 as Pepper, who struck five sixes and six fours, and Lawrence, with four sixes and five fours, entertained a 15,000 crowd in exhilarating fashion.Surrey’s bowlers looked incapable of stopping the carnage, and even West Indies mystery spinner Narine – one of the best T20 bowlers in world cricket – conceded 19 from his first over, the eighth of the innings, as Pepper reverse-swept and straight-drove him for sixes and also swept him conventionally for four.Lawrence, who has signed to play for Surrey from next April, reached his fifty from 26 balls to Pepper’s 24 and launched Narine for one final six from the first ball of the 12th over before falling two balls later to a catch at long-off.But Pepper fell attacking Jordan in the next over, and Surrey fought back as Paul Walter, Matt Critchley – brilliantly run out by Jason Roy – Daniel Sams, who did swing Sam Curran for six, and Simon Harmer all fell cheaply while Khushi kept chipping away at the runs required. Twenty off three overs finally became eight off the last over – and the 24-year-old Khushi, at the last, prevailed.Narine also struck seven fours in his own superb exhibition of clean hitting while Roy made 28 from 24 balls on his return to action after almost two months on the sidelines with a calf injury.Surrey were 57 for 2 after the six-over powerplay, after Essex had chosen to field, with Roy clubbing Sam Cook for a six and two fours – the first an extraordinary scoop past short fine leg – in the fifth over.Laurie Evans went cheaply, flicking Aaron Beard to deep square leg, but Will Jacks drove the same bowler high and wide of mid-off for four and pulled him for six before being yorked by Cook for 23.Sam Curran fell to Harmer for only 3 but Narine warmed to his task by smearing the offspinner over the deep midwicket ropes and then lofting Snater straight for another six.Overton took two sixes in an over off Sams during a quickfire 23, before being caught in the deep, and Narine went on his merry way by thumping Walter’s left-arm seamers straight into the Pavilion and then over wide long-on into the Bedser Stand.Narine finished the innings in style by hitting Sams over the long-on boundary and then clipping the last ball of the 20th over off his stumps to the fine leg ropes.Essex’s reply began badly with Adam Rossington mishitting Sam Curran to mid-on but the England allrounder’s next over, the third of the innings, went for a remarkable 31 runs as Pepper began and ended it with sixes and took two fours besides. With a wide, two free hit no-balls and a Lawrence boundary thrown in, the Eagles were suddenly 41 for 1 after just three overs and flying.Gus Atkinson was then struck for two straight sixes by Lawrence, the second of them from a full toss no ball, as both he and Pepper did as they pleased with the Surrey attack.

The deal covers the broadcast of 14 international events across men’s, women’s and Under-19 World Cups

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2023The ICC has signed a four-year deal with Willow TV and Digital in the USA and Canada, giving Willow digital and broadcast rights for all men’s and women’s major events till the end of 2027.The first direct live TV contractual relationship between the ICC and Willow will cover the broadcast of 14 international events across men’s, women’s and Under-19 World Cup and T20 World Cup competitions. All the senior men’s and women’s ICC events will receive TV coverage, beginning with the men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, scheduled to be held in the USA and the West Indies.Related

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“USA is an important strategic market for the ICC and the direct partnership with Willow will provide us with a number of exciting opportunities to strengthen engagement with fans in the region,” Geoff Allardice, the ICC CEO, said.The ICC had invited bids for media rights to global cricketing events over the next four (or eight) years for the Australian, US, Caribbean and Canadian markets last September.This is the first time the ICC has unbundled its media rights, choosing to sell them territory by territory. In August last year, the ICC sealed a deal in the Indian market for an undisclosed sum. That winning bid, thought to be in the region of just over US$ 3 billion, came from Disney Star* and covers both television and digital rights to men’s and women’s global tournaments between 2024 and 2027. Days after the winning bid was announced, Disney Star announced it would in turn be licensing part of the rights to Zee Entertainment Enterprises in another landmark deal.In January this year, the ICC struck an eight-year deal with Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, giving them access to broadcast all World Cups between 2024 and 2031.

Under-16 tournament for women, last staged by Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) in 2006, also brought back

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2022The BCCI is set to bring back the Duleep Trophy – in a zonal format – and the Irani Cup to a full-fledged 2022-23 senior men’s domestic calendar that is set to begin in early September. The board has also added a number of women’s competitions this upcoming season, most significantly an Under-16 tournament.The Ranji Trophy, which is tentatively slated between December 2022 and February 2023, is likely to follow both the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s (October-November) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy (November-December). India’s premier first-class competition will revert to its old format of having four elite pools and a plate division, with an elite team likely to get at least seven group games.For the first time ever, the Ranji Trophy had to be completely abandoned in 2020-21 because of the impact of Covid-19. It returned the next season but was held as a truncated tournament, with Madhya Pradesh beating Mumbai in the final to win their first championship.Related

• Refreshed Ajinkya Rahane eyes domestic season 'to start from zero again'

• Irani Cup returns after three years, Saurashtra to face Rest of India from October 1 to 5

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• SC to hear case on tenure of Ganguly-led administration on July 28

India’s domestic calendar for 2022-23 – accessed by ESPNcricinfo – was presented by Abey Kuruvilla, the BCCI general manager, to the operations team at the apex council meeting in Mumbai on Thursday. This is still a tentative schedule with a final call on it expected soon.Meanwhile, the Under-16 tournament for women that was last staged by the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) in 2006 has been brought back now in preparation for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Under-19 World Cup to be played in the T20 format in January 2023 in South Africa.”The under-16 is a very important tournament,” India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said. “I remember when I was 10-11 [years old] and trying to make it to the Under-19s, I was told I was too young.”A lot of girls in the age group have started to play cricket, and there is an opportunity now for them to play in the Under-16s and then graduate to the Under-19s. That way they have two tournaments to prepare themselves for the U-19 World Cup.”Equally significant is the reintroduction of the women’s zonal competition – in both T20 and 50-over format – for the seniors after a five-year gap. There is also a T20 and 50-over competition for the Under-23s to ensure players who miss the bus at the Under-19s have another level to aim for.”I personally enjoyed playing in the zonal competition; this is amazing news,” Mandhana said. “I have great memories of playing for West Zone. It helped me improve as a cricketer.”We had zonal tournaments both at the Under-19s and at seniors, where having just five teams after going through the full domestic season elevated the standard of cricket. I’m happy that it is coming back.”The addition of several new tournaments to the women’s calendar will also help the BCCI test the waters further as they build towards a Women’s IPL, work for which is underway according to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. The matter is likely to come up for discussion at the BCCI Annual General Meeting in September.

Sam Hain’s 63 off 39 balls rescued Rockets from 54 for 5 against Southern Brave

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2023Defending champions Trent Rockets kicked off their Men’s Hundred campaign with a six-run victory over 2021 winners Southern Brave in a low-scoring contest at Trent Bridge, Daniel Sams and Lewis Gregory taking three wickets each.Sam Hain’s 63 off 39 balls rescued the Rockets from 54 for 5 with support from Imad Wasim – a last-minute substitute after Rashid Khan’s 11th hour withdrawal – but with Chris Jordan’s 3 for 18 the stand-out performance in a solid bowling display, 133 from 100 looked below par.Yet, on a slow pitch that was offering the bowlers some help, it was too much for Brave, who were 41 without loss from 37 balls but lost five wickets for 32 in the next 28, a position from which they never recovered, despite some late heroics with the bat from Jordan, bowled out for 127 from 99 balls.Related

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Asked to bat first, Rockets lost their top three batters for 25 inside the powerplay. Alex Hales miscued Craig Overton to mid-wicket and Dawid Malan sent up a steepler off the same bowler that James Vince had plenty of time to get under. In between, George Garton produced a beauty to bowl Tom Kohler-Cadmore.Neither Colin Munro nor Gregory fared any better at imposing themselves, the former skying one from Tymal Mills that was comfortably caught at mid-off, with skipper Gregory hit squarely in front by Jordan to perish for two as Rockets reached the 50-ball mark at a miserable 54 for 5. Scoring chances were generally scarce as the Brave attack kept their discipline, backed up for the most part by some excellent fielding.Hain at last gave a subdued home crowd some excitement when Overton returned for his final set to be hit for three boundaries in a row, the middle one a falling-over scoop that carried over the rope and he and Imad were able to put together something of a recovery.They added 78 in 49 balls – 48 of them in the last 25 – before both fell in a dramatic finale to the innings that saw Jordan run out Hain then bowl Imad and Matt Carter with his next two deliveries before Luke Wood survived the hat-trick ball.The priority for Brave in the chase would have been to lose no early wickets and though they were merely level with Rockets for runs after their opening 25, the difference was that the wickets fallen space on the scoreboard still showed zero.Things looked much less comfortable at halfway. Devon Conway’s top edge off Gregory pinged off his helmet to point, then Imad entered the attack with two wickets in eight balls. His first delivery did for Vince, stumped going down the pitch to one that spun away, before Finn Allen, who had looked the man most likely to carry Brave home, holed out to long-on, leaving Brave 51 for 3 from 48 balls.As panic set in, Garton skewed Matt Carter to short fine leg and Tim David, looking to ease the pressure, picked out Hales at long-on, before another slightly freakish delivery saw James Fuller caught behind off glove and pad to leave Brave six down for 89, needing 45 from 22 balls.Leus du Plooy was caught behind in a scoop attempt, Jordan pulled Wood for six, was dropped at short third on 16 – a gallant one-handed effort by sub fielder John Turner – but was yorked by Sams for 22 off 11 with nine needed from three before Overton was run out and Mills leg before.

Role of former club chairman called to account at DCMS hearing in Westminster

Andrew Miller25-Jan-2022Colin Graves, the former ECB chairman, has been told to “put up or shut up”, and accept an invitation to testify before the parliamentary select committee investigating racism in English cricket, after being accused by the committee chair of “substantial and ongoing interference” in the running of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.The Graves family trust is owed approximately £15 million by Yorkshire following a bail-out in the early 2000s which saved the club from bankruptcy, and according to Roger Hutton – the former chairman who resigned in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s damning allegations of institutional racism at the club – Graves’ continued role behind the scenes has been a significant “roadblock” in Yorkshire’s delayed response to the crisis.Yorkshire launched an investigation into Rafiq’s claims in September 2020, but it wasn’t until Rafiq’s appearance before the department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee, more than a year later in November 2021, that the findings of that investigation were finally put into the public domain. By that stage, the club’s failure to take action had led to the mass withdrawal of the club’s sponsors, including Nike and Emerald, amid a swathe of damaging revelations about the dressing-room culture.Opening the proceedings at the latest DCMS hearing in Westminster, chairman Julian Knight MP noted that Graves had declined an invitation to testify at the hearing – he is currently in Barbados, where England’s cricketers are taking on West Indies in five T20Is – but criticised him for “putting his head above the parapet” in an interview last week with the Yorkshire Post, in which he had insisted that the club’s inaction had been down to weak leadership from Hutton rather than interference from the trustees, before telling Knight that, if he wanted to run English cricket, “he should apply for the job of ECB chairman”.In response to Graves’ remarks, Knight read out extracts from a letter from Hutton to the committee: “What was happening on a weekly basis is it sometimes appeared to me as if Mr Graves was influencing the trust and sometimes spoke as if he was,” Hutton was quoted as saying.”Mr Graves expressed concern at how the investigation [into Rafiq’s allegations] had taken place some of which I empathised with. But his views on Azeem Rafiq, the finding of the report and how the club should respond to those findings are were different from mine.”Shortly after that meeting, I was contacted by the trust’s independent observer. He explained very clearly that I should not consider the trust an ordinary secure creditor. He also told me, though it proved to be incorrect, that the trust could remove me if they didn’t like what I was doing and that I should listen to what they say.”The trust summoned me to a meeting where they asked me to listen to Mr Graves and others in the club whose views differed to non-executive members of the board but were more closely aligned to those of Mr Graves. I formed the view that some of his opinions were very similar to those of the executive board and others in the club.”Responding to the DCMS committee on Yorkshire’s behalf, Lord Kamlesh Patel insisted that he had not encountered any interference from the Graves Trust since succeeding Hutton as chairman in November, but added that the club was taking steps to ensure that there could be no such issues going forward.Related

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• Azeem Rafiq: 'Time is right' for Yorkshire to get back right to host international cricket

• English cricket must 'clean up its act' on racism, concludes DCMS report

“When you have a financial agreement with those added extras, that has an observer on the board, you could veto in theory the appointment of a person,” Patel said. “That wasn’t used while I was there and I don’t believe was used before. We are currently drafting up legal documents to make sure all those powers are removed, and those will be presented at the AGM.”I’ve seen some correspondence where I believe the trusts were raising questions, in a proper manner linked, to the finances of the club,” Patel added. “To have that potential, or perception that someone does have power in a place, is not helpful for anyone going forward.”Yorkshire currently remains suspended from hosting international fixtures, pending the outcome of an ECB inquiry, and though Patel reiterated his concerns that the club cannot be “financially viable” unless its Major Match status is restored, he stated that the county’s governance review was due to be completed on Wednesday, and that they expected to get clarity on this summer’s scheduled Test against New Zealand and ODI against South Africa by the end of next month.”We’ve made immediate priorities and we’re making immediate actions now,” Patel said. “We will submit all our evidence by the end of this month that we will present to the ECB on February 1, and then we will await the decision by them to see if we’ve met the criteria.”

Update comes six months after he had accused Baroda captain Krunal Pandya of “bad behaviour”

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jul-2021Deepak Hooda has joined Rajasthan as a professional for the 2021-22 Indian domestic season after severing ties with Baroda, his home team. Hooda, who had been banned for the 2020-21 season in January by the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) for “indiscipline”, wrote to the BCA on July 12 asking to be “relieved” with immediate effect so he can “explore” professional opportunities with another team.In his letter to the BCA, Hooda said his time with Baroda gave him some of his most “memorable years”, but that he wanted to move on with an aim to “furthering my growth in my career and also I feel that my professional services can be utilised in a better manner”.Related

• Irfan Pathan wants resolution to Hooda-Pandya dispute

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Former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi, the BCA’s chief executive officer, told ESPNcricinfo that Hooda had been asked in early June to join the conditioning camp comprising 45 probables for the men’s senior team. In an e-mail to the BCA apex council, Hattangadi said that Hooda had been picked for the conditioning camp by the state selection committee on June 25, and while the player was duly informed, on June 30 the selectors informed Hattangadi that Hooda had not joined the camp. On the same day, Hooda sent an email to the BCA president and Hattangadi saying that he would join the camp on July 10.”We received a mail on the 13th of July from Deepak Hooda requesting for an NOC to allow him to play elsewhere (team not mentioned),” Hattangadi said in the email to the apex council. “We have granted him an NOC signed by the Secretary, and have informed the Selection Committee and the coach of the development.”The development came six months after Hooda moved out of the team hotel on the eve of the Baroda’s first match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this January, alleging that Baroda captain Krunal Pandya’s “bad behaviour” including using abusive language and “bullying” had made him “depressed, demoralised and under pressure” and forced him to walk out. Recently speaking on , the podcast hosted by the , Pandya said that he had always believed in putting the team the first and the reason he had been silent on the issue was to maintain his “dignity”.”There have been a lot of allegations,” Pandya said on the podcast, aired in June. “I’ve gone through a lot of hate messages on social media. It doesn’t bother me that much. I’ve never spoken on that from my side and have maintained that dignity because I’ve (got) very, very high respect for the institution that I play [for]. Obviously there have been campaigns running against me, to portray me in a particular way.”Till now I’ve not said anything, which is not because I’m wrong but because I have respect for the association, I have that respect for the sport and I have the respect for my team-mates. I’ve never come out and said my side of the so far, it’s only one side of the story [that has come out]. And I’ll maintain my dignity.”What the other person did in this incident was going out in public and saying his own side of the story and gaining sympathy. From my side I’ll say that I and Hardik have always, always played this sport as a team sport and we have never ever kept ourselves first. As a leader it was my responsibility that it’s a team sport and if one individual can be so indisciplined and can be so careless that he’s troubling or not maintaining the decorum of the team. I always stand for things that are right, without agenda and Hardik is also the same in this case. I will stand always for the team and for the players. Our intention has always been to help more young players, our focus has lately been to bring more talent from Baroda and to help the youngsters.”Hooda, 26, is originally from Haryana but started his first-class, List A and T20 careers with Baroda, turning out first in a T20 game in March 2013 before the other formats. Overall, Hooda played 42 first-class matches for Baroda, making 2718 runs with a highest score of 293* at an average of 43.14, including eight centuries and 15 fifties. In List A cricket, Hooda made 1428 runs from 40 matches at 42, with two centuries and 10 fifties. In T20 cricket, where Hooda is known as a power-hitter, he played 51 matches for Baroda, scoring 993 runs at a strike rate of 138.1 with a century and six fifties.

Pakistan left-hander takes season tally to 826, Conners five-for helps bowl Worcestershire out for 368

ECB Reporters Network13-May-2022Derbyshire 274 for 4 (Masood 113, Guest 77) trail Worcestershire 368 (Haynes 133, Ali 88,Conners 5-109) by 94 runsShan Masood scored his third century of a remarkable season to stay on course for 1000 runs before the end of May as Derbyshire dominated the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Worcestershire at Derby.The Pakistan left-hander made 113 from 132 balls to take his tally to 826 with a possible three more innings to come before the end of the month.Brooke Guest scored 77 with Derbyshire plundering 172 runs in 36 overs between lunch and tea before Worcestershire hit back in the evening session to leave the home side on 274 for 4, trailing by 94.Fast bowler Sam Conners took four wickets in the morning to complete a five-wicket haul as Worcestershire lost their last five wickets for 42 to be bowled out for 368.The day had promised much more for the visitors but after subsiding to Conners they felt the full measure of Masood’s elegant strokeplay.Ed Barnard and Ben Cox represented Worcestershire’s best chance of passing 400 but they both fell in the same over to Conners, Barnard driving loosely to cover and Cox lbw to a ball that looked to be missing leg stump.Conners made it three in seven balls when he found lift and away movement to remove Josh Baker before nightwatchman Adam Finch, after 22 overs of determined resistance, pulled Ryan Sidebottom to deep backward square.Sidebottom immediately left the field with a calf injury but Anuj Dal pulled off another stunning catch at point to quickly end the innings and give Conners his fifth wicket.Derbyshire set the tone for what followed by scoring 30 in seven overs before lunch and the afternoon became one to remember for Masood and one to forget for Worcestershire.Although they are missing three frontline bowlers through injury, there was no mitigation for the way runs were leaked on both sides of the wickets with the bowlers unable to exert any pressure.After Billy Godelman got an inside edge onto his leg stump, Masood and Guest cruised along at almost a run-a-ball against indisciplined bowling and increasingly ragged fielding.Masood’s timing and placement was exemplary but Worcestershire helped him along the way, Barnard spilling a chance at backward point off Ben Gibbon on 67 and then fluffing a run out chance 10 runs later.Inevitably, he moved to his third century in seven innings from 115 balls but Worcestershire regrouped after tea with Gibbon claiming the prized wicket of Masood during an impressive 11-over spell from the City End.The 21-year-old beat Masood’s attempted drive in the first over after the interval, the first of three wickets to fall for only 27 runs in 15 overs which reflected Worcestershire’s improvement.Guest lost his concentration and edged a big drive at a wide ball from Barnard and Wayne Madsen was lbw trying to work Baker’s left-arm spin to leg.Gibbons was unlucky not to make further inroads but Leus du Plooy and Luis Reece saw Derbyshire through to the close although Worcestershire have the prospect of a second new ball early on day three.

Commanding day’s batting as Foxes build on confidence from first-round victory

ECB Reporters Network13-Apr-2023Leicestershire 243 for 2 (Ackermann 79*, Hill 75*, Budinger 72) vs Derbyshire Half-centuries from Sol Budinger, Lewis Hill and Colin Ackermann saw Leicestershire lay the foundations for a big first innings score after being put in on a shortened first day of their LV Insurance county championship fixture against Derbyshire.Bowling first was an understandable decision on the part of Derbyshire skipper Leus du Plooy after play could not start until early afternoon due to a wet outfield at Grace Road.But although Leicestershire lost Rishi Patel for just 8, caught at second slip by Wayne Madsen after edging a Ben Aitchison delivery that may have bounced slightly more than the batter expected, Budinger had already shown there were no demons in the pitch.The former Notts batter hit three fours in the first over he faced and continued to go for his shots, thumping eleven fours and a six in going to a first-class best 72 before top-edging an attempted pull to mid-on.Hill, playing rather more circumspectly, was then joined by Ackermann in putting together an unbroken partnership of 141 for the third wicket, offering no chances as the visitors toiled in a bitterly cold wind.Both sides could be said to have come into this match with something to prove. Leicestershire that their remarkable win against Yorkshire last week – the county’s first first-class victory at Headingley since 1910 – was a genuine indication of progress, as opposed to the flash in the pan cynics suggested: Derbyshire that their unexpected defeat at Worcestershire was a consequence of over-confidence as much as under-performance, and therefore correctable.A wet – in some places close to muddy – outfield meant that although the morning was dry and sunny, no play was possible throughout the morning session. Umpires Tom Lungley and Neil Pratt eventually decided play could commence at 2.15, and though rain clouds skirted the ground throughout the rest of the day, 63 overs proved possible.Budinger, playing only his ninth first-class innings, hit the ball wonderfully cleanly from the off, and with Hill playing an anchor role at three, Ackermann also unfurled a series of fine drives and cuts, passing 50 for the third time in as many innings this season.With Peter Handscomb, Wiaan Mulder and Rehan Ahmed – who before play received his full Leicestershire cap, the first Foxes player do so after being capped for England – among those to come, the home side will already be hoping to build a big enough score to bat only once in the match.

Marsh confirms he is not ready to play yet but should be right for Australia’s World Cup opener “barring any setbacks”

Alex Malcolm02-May-2024Australia’s new T20I captain Mitchell Marsh has confirmed his recovery from a hamstring “is on track” despite initially taking longer than expected, although he admits he can’t afford a setback in the build-up in Australia’s first World Cup match against Oman on June 6 in Barbados.Marsh has not played since his last appearance for Delhi Capitals in the IPL on April 3 due to a right hamstring strain. He was flown home from the IPL to Perth on April 12 to do his initial recovery with Australia team physiotherapist Nick Jones, who is also based in Perth.Two weeks later, Capitals confirmed he would miss the remainder of the IPL after Marsh’s initial recovery from the injury had taken longer than anticipated.Related

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Speaking in Perth on Thursday after being confirmed as Australia’s captain for the World Cup, Marsh said he was still working back to full fitness but was confident he would be right for the World Cup.”The hammy is good, it’s coming along really well,” Marsh said. “It’s pretty much exactly where we want it to be. It’s one of those things. Just got to get it right over the next three weeks and get on the plane.”If we had to play tomorrow, I would be in a bit of trouble. Still a couple of weeks away, and the timing probably sits perfectly barring any setbacks.”Marsh’s hamstring concern is part of the reason why Cameron Green has been included in the 15-man squad ahead of the in-form Jake Fraser-McGurk. If Marsh needs to play as a batter only or needs to be managed early in the tournament and anything were to happen to the other injury-prone pace-bowling allrounder in Marcus Stoinis, Australia would not have had a pace-bowling option to bat in their top seven.”Anytime there’s a World Cup team picked, there’s only 15 and some guys have to miss out,” Marsh said. “But I think we’ve got a really great squad that we’ve picked, we’ve got a lot of versatility, a lot of experience. And that brings a lot of excitement.”Australia T20I captain Mitchell Marsh poses in their new jersey for the T20 World Cup•Cricket Australia

Australia are holding two separate training camps in Brisbane across each of the next two weeks for the players who aren’t playing in the IPL. Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar, Josh Inglis and Marsh will head there to get some nets and fitness preparation done before heading to the Caribbean. Marsh is a chance to be at both camps but would likely be on light duties for the first one. Others who missed out on the squad but could still be taken as a travelling reserve, including Xavier Bartlett, are also likely to be involved. Bartlett is set to head to England for the T20 Blast at the end of May.Australia’s other major fitness concern heading to the World Cup is David Warner, who is still recovering from some deep bone bruising in his finger after copping a blow on the hand while batting against Lucknow Super Giants on April 12. He missed a game and then returned to play against Sunrisers Hyderabad but was still experiencing soreness and hasn’t played since. It is understood he could return to batting later this week but Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey was unsure when he would be pain-free again.”It’s still causing him a fair bit of discomfort,” Bailey said on Wednesday. “So obviously we’ll monitor that. Hopefully, he can get back and play a couple more games in the IPL to finish off, but I think it’s just one of those ones, just some deep-seated bone bruising and is going to take a little bit of time.”But I don’t think anyone’s going to be able to give him a really definitive answer on how long that’ll be.”Marsh has backed Warner to be a vital cog in Australia’s campaign in what will be his swansong from international cricket after retiring from Test and ODI cricket earlier this year.”It’s been a long last hurrah, hasn’t it for Davey?” Marsh said. “We’re always really excited to have him in the team. Just the experience that he brings. I think if we look back at his career. There’s been so many big moments that you need your big experienced players to stand up and Davey has always been one of those. So we’re lucky to have him.”

He says the Dhaka Test against South Africa – which is still awaiting CSA’s security clearance – will be his last

Mohammad Isam26-Sep-2024Shakib Al Hasan has said that the Dhaka Test against South Africa in October will be his last. Speaking to the media ahead of the Kanpur Test against India, he also said the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was in June, was his final T20 assignment for Bangladesh, meaning his only international appearances going forward will be in ODIs.The series against South Africa is still tentative, with Cricket South Africa yet to give it security clearance after inspections of the venue earlier this week. That follows on from the unrest in Bangladesh in July and August in which several hundreds of people were killed. Shakib was a member of parliament of the Awami League-led government, against whom the protests were directed. Since the fall of the Awami League-led government on August 5, Shakib has faced complications and has not been in the country.”I am available for the South Africa series but since there’s a lot happening back home, naturally not everything depends on me,” Shakib said. “I have discussed my plans about Test cricket with the BCB. Especially this series and the home series. I was thinking that it could be my last Test series.”I have told [BCB president] Faruque [Ahmed] and the selectors. If there’s a chance and if I can play, my last Test will be in Mirpur. The board is trying to ensure that I can play and feel safe, at the same time that I can leave the country without a hitch.””I am a citizen of Bangladesh, so I shouldn’t have any problem going back to Bangladesh,” he said. “My concern is my safety and security in Bangladesh. My close friends and family members are concerned. I hope things are getting better. There should be a solution to it.”If the South Africa series does not go ahead, this Test in Kanpur, starting on Friday, will be his last – but the South Africa Tests are expected to go ahead.Shakib said that the recent weeks have been difficult for him, particularly when a murder case was filed against him. “It has been tough for me. Only Allah knows how I am focused on the game. Even I don’t know. There is a case against me. Everyone has the rights. You all know what type of case it is or where I was and what I was doing at that time. I don’t want to talk much about it.”Shakib however said that the decision to quit Tests and T20Is wasn’t an emotional one. He said that he discussed the matter with BCB president Faruque Ahmed and the Gazi Ashraf Hossain-led selection committee in recent days. He said that this, at age 37, is the right time for him to leave the two formats.”I am not hurt or disappointed. I think it is the right time to move on, and create a place for the new players. I have also informed the selectors and board president that I should move on from T20Is as well. I think I have played my last T20 in the World Cup [in June]. I won’t be playing the upcoming T20 series [against India and West Indies] where the new players have opportunities.”It is the best chance to take a look at new players. It will be a good move to build the team towards the 2026 T20 World Cup. We have taken this as a collective decision.”I am happy with the decision. I don’t have any regrets in my life. I have enjoyed my cricket career. I think it is the right time for me and Bangladesh cricket. The board president and selectors feel that it is the right time too.”Shakib leaves behind a rich legacy in both formats. He is the only cricketer in T20Is to score more than 2,500 runs and take 100-plus wickets. At the time of his retirement, he is the third-highest wicket-taker in the format.Shakib’s Test numbers have been invaluable to Bangladesh. He has 242 wickets and 4,600 runs in his 70 Tests leading into Kanpur. Currently he is among five cricketers – Jacques Kallis, Kapil Dev, Daniel Vettori and Ian Botham being the others – with 240 wickets and 4,500 runs.He was the No. 1 allrounder in both formats for many seasons too, and captained Bangladesh in both.Shakib will continue playing T20 franchise leagues.