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Patil and Reddy shared five wickets among them to restrict Pakistan to just 105

S Sudarshanan06-Oct-2024India’s net run rate (NRR) ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 game against Pakistan was -2.90. They had to win and win big against Pakistan for that to become positive and move up in the points table. On a hot afternoon in Dubai, though, India achieved only one of those tasks – beating Pakistan by six wickets to earn two points and open the account with a sluggish chase.The win was set up by Arundhati Reddy and Shreyanka Patil, who combined for five of the eight wickets Pakistan lost. Pakistan huffed and puffed to 105 on the back of Nida Dar’s 28. But on a slow, spin-friendly surface, Pakistan also used their spinners well and denied India the launchpad: they eventually got home in the 19th over with only five fours hit – three by Shafali Verma and one each by Harmanpreet Kaur and S Sajana, playing for the injured Pooja Vastrakar. Back at her familiar No. 4 spot after being promoted to one-down in the opening game, Harmanpreet was the only India batter with a strike rate over 100, in the top six.Pakistan show early intentOn the eve of the contest, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana spoke about using the power game to hit hard at their rivals. The openers tried to use their feet in a bid to walk the talk after Pakistan opted to bat. Gull Feroza tried to use her feet to counter Renuka Singh’s swing but was undone in the opening over. Muneeba Ali also used the crease so much that the runs hardly justify those. She used even the slightest of width to go over the in-field, like she did twice against Renuka inside the powerplay.Richa Ghosh took a stunner to dismiss Fatima Sana•ICC/Getty ImagesReddy-powered India ‘turn’ the tideIn the absence of Vastrakar, who was out with a niggle, Reddy had to shoulder additional seam-bowling responsibility and was brought on in the fourth over of the game. Immediately she induced a false stroke, with Sidra Amin chipping one towards mid-off. In her next over, Reddy delivered the perfect blow, getting Muneeba to scoop one straight to short fine leg only for S Asha to grass a sitter. A couple of balls later, though, Reddy struck by having Omaima Sohail miscue one to mid-off.A few quiet overs saw Muneeba being stifled, and Patil pounced on the chance to get among the wickets. Anticipating a charge from the Pakistan opener, she threw one wider outside off, past which Muneeba walked and Richa Ghosh did the rest. Dar found it slightly tough to keep the scorecard ticking on her own and losing partners regularly did not help.Reddy first trapped Aliya Riaz in front – the DRS not coming to the Pakistan allrounder’s aid after Hawk-Eye showed it to be clipping leg – before Patil dismissed Tuba Hassan for a three-ball duck. Sana showed a bit of intent and struck successive fours off Asha but fell to a terrific catch by Ghosh. She looked to slog the legspinner out of the ground but Ghosh dived to her right to pluck a one-handed stunner. Reddy then bowled Dar to pick up her third.India’s strange chaseFor India to get their NRR in the positive, they had to overhaul the 106-run target in 11.2 overs. However, India endured a boundary-less powerplay, with Shafali and Smriti Mandhana struggling to put away spin. Mandhana hit some crisp strokes but found the fielders in nine of the ten balls leading to her dismissal. In a bid to break free, she chipped one tamely to backward point.On cue, Sana kept spin on for 13 of the first 15 overs. They frustrated Shafali with lack of speed, as a result of which, she missed putting some of the juicy full tosses away. India ended their boundary drought in the eighth over when Shafali welcomed Tuba with a pull through midwicket. She hit a couple of more fours before holing out to long-on.At the other end, Jemimah Rodrigues – batting at No. 3 ahead of Harmanpreet – kept manoeuvring the field and helping India inch closer. However, boundaries were hard to come by and, when India lost her and Ghosh off successive balls, it seemed Pakistan could do the unthinkable. Harmanpreet then almost saw India home in the company of Deepti Sharma. However, she sprained her neck while turning awkwardly to avoid being stumped and walked back retired hurt. Sajana then came out to hit the winning four that helped India maintain their upper hand over Pakistan in women’s T20Is.Reddy reprimandedIndia fast bowler Reddy has been reprimanded for breaching level one of the ICC Code of Conduct in the game on Sunday. She was found guilty and as a result, handed a demerit point.Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”The incident occurred in the 20th over of Pakistan’s innings, when Reddy, after dismissing allrounder Nida Dar, gestured in the direction of the pavilion.

ECB also confirms first women’s Test at Lord’s when India return in 2026 summer

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2024

England and India shared the series trophy in 2022•Associated Press

England have announced their home fixtures for next season, with the men’s and women’s teams taking on India during concurrent series in the middle of summer. The ECB has also confirmed that Lord’s will host its first women’s Test when India return for a one-off game in 2026.The 2025 season will see a joint visit by West Indies men’s and women’s teams, while England Men will face Zimbabwe in a one-off Test before finishing the summer by hosting South Africa for ODI and T20I series.The international season commences at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury on May 21, with England Women playing West Indies in the first of three T20Is, to be followed by three ODIs.The men will begin with a four-day Test against Zimbabwe – their first international meeting since the 2007 World T20 – to be staged at Trent Bridge from May 22-25, before the white-ball teams play three ODIs and three T20Is against West Indies.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

England Men’s five-Test series against India will kick off at Headingley on June 20, before back-to-back games at Edgbaston and Lord’s, followed by Old Trafford and The Oval.At the same time, England Women will take on India in five T20Is, the first of which will be at Trent Bridge on June 28, followed by a three-match ODI series that will also see the teams play at Lord’s.With the Hundred likely to take up much of August, England Men’s international programme will conclude with six white-ball games against South Africa before travelling to Ireland for a three-match ODI series.”Staging England Men’s and England Women’s series alongside each other has been popular with fans and supported the continued growth of the women’s game, with both the Ashes last year and the Pakistan series earlier this year proving successful,” Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive officer, said.”I’m excited we’ll be doing the same again for the West Indies and India series next year. Cricket fans are in for a real treat, and I hope they’ll be out in force to support both men’s and women’s sides.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“India touring is always a big draw and a highlight of any cricket summer. The last men’s Test series here was a nailbiter and I’m sure next year’s clash will be just as exciting, while our women’s series are always fiercely competitive. I’m delighted we’ll also be welcoming both West Indies teams back again for white-ball series, following this year’s men’s Test series.”To be welcoming Zimbabwe back for a men’s Test Match will be a historic moment, more than 20 years since their last visit. Test cricket is so beloved in this country, and we know that we have an important role to play in supporting developing Test-cricketing nations so that this format of the game thrives long into the future.”I’m also delighted we can confirm that India Women will return in 2026 to take on England Women in the first-ever women’s Test match at Lord’s. It will be a truly special occasion, and one of real significance.”England home international fixtures 2025England Women vs West Indies Women
1st Vitality T20I – May 21, Canterbury
2nd Vitality T20I – May 23, Hove
3rd Vitality T20I – May 26, Chelmsford1st Metro Bank ODI – May 30, Derby
2nd Metro Bank ODI – June 4, Leicester
3rd Metro Bank ODI – June 7, TauntonEngland Men vs Zimbabwe Men
Only Rothesay Men’s Test – May 22-25, Trent BridgeEngland Men vs West Indies Men
1st Metro Bank ODI – May 29, Edgbaston
2nd Metro Bank ODI – June 1, Cardiff
3rd Metro Bank ODI – June 3, The Kia Oval1st Vitality T20I – June 6, Chester-le-Street
2nd Vitality T20I – June 8, Bristol
3rd Vitality T20I – June 10, SouthamptonEngland Men vs India Men
1st Rothesay Test – June 20-24, Headingley
2nd Rothesay Test – July 1-6, Edgbaston
3rd Rothesay Test – July 10-14, Lord’s
4th Rothesay Test – July 23-27, Emirates Old Trafford
5th Rothesay Test – July 31- August 4, The Kia OvalEngland Women vs India Women
1st Vitality T20I – June 28, Trent Bridge
2nd Vitality T20I – July 1, Bristol
3rd Vitality T20I – July 4, The Kia Oval
4th Vitality T20I – July 9, Emirates Old Trafford
5th Vitality T20I – July 12, Edgbaston1st Metro Bank ODI – July 16, Southampton
2nd Metro Bank ODI – July 19, Lord’s
3rd Metro Bank ODI – July 22, Chester-le-StreetEngland Men vs South Africa Men
1st Metro Bank ODI – September 2, Headingley
2nd Metro Bank ODI – September 4, Lord’s
3rd Metro Bank ODI – September 7, Utilita Bowl1st Vitality T20I – September 10, Cardiff
2nd Vitality T20I – September 12, Emirates Old Trafford
3rd Vitality T20I – September 14, Trent Bridge

Half-centuries from Kashif Ali and Adam Hose led Worcestershire to a six-wicket win against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside, their first win of the Vitality County Championship season.Ali (76 not out) and Hose (50) came together when the visitors were 65 for three and combined for a partnership worth 129, which took the game away from the hosts, who will be left scratching their heads after they were firmly in the ascendancy prior to the lunch break on day three.Worcestershire wrapped up the Durham second innings early on, with the Pears needing 231 to break their winning duck.Gareth Roderick batted positively early on and set a platform for Ali and Hose to guide the visitors to a vital win in the Division One relegation battle.Ali, a graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy, has been a bright spark in a difficult season for Worcestershire and picked up his second half-century of the match to give his side that all-important first win of the season, while Hose, who has now got fifties in back-to-back matches, was also imperative to the win.For Durham it is a first home defeat in the County Championship since April 2022, but it drags them back towards the bottom end of the table, with the North East county now just 11 points ahead of today’s victors, who occupy the second relegation spot.Resuming on 148 for nine, the job for Bas De Leede and Ben Raine was to get as many runs as possible for the hosts, but they only added four to the total, as Ben Allison got De Leede for three when the Dutch international edged to second slip.Beginning their chase of 231, the Pears’ opening duo of Roderick and Jake Libby had the job of giving the visitors a good start with a difficult chase on their hands, as the pitch had given the bowlers plenty of assistance in the previous two days.While Roderick initially struggled against Raine, he started to go through the gears and punched one from Matthew Potts down the ground for four, which was followed by a glorious cover drive in Ben Stokes’ opening over.Despite the visitors making a good start to their chase, there was a sense that a wicket was coming as Libby survived an LBW appeal from Peter Siddle and Roderick nearly chopped a Stokes delivery onto his stumps.Durham then made the breakthrough with Stokes getting Roderick for 38, as he attempted a pull shot from a short ball but he feathered it through to Ollie Robinson behind the stumps.Wickets came like buses for Durham as a second arrived soon after as Libby went for 19 after he whipped a Siddle ball to mid-wicket to swing the momentum back to the hosts. Stokes then dismissed Rob Jones with an absolute beauty as he bowled him for one to leave Worcestershire 65 for three.First innings top scorer Ali and Hose then came together and saw the visitors through to lunch without further loss.Ali and Hose looked to consolidate after lunch and withstanded a lot of short-pitched bowling from the Durham attack.The pair then took 12 from a De Leede over to reach the 50 partnership, with Ali taking a liking to the all-rounder’s bowling.The number three then followed this up with a perfect cover drive for four from a Potts ball and then former Warwickshire man Hose played a great straight drive for four.Ali survived an LBW shout on 33 as Siddle was convinced he had his man, but the umpire thought there was an inside-edge, while an erratic over from Stokes went for 15 to only add to Durham’s woes.Hose continued to cash in on the England captain’s bowling and got back-to-back fours including a delightful cover drive.Ali then reached his half-century from 77 balls, with Hose reaching his milestone soon after from 86 balls.Raine finally broke the partnership when Hose was caught behind for 50, but the excellent Ali finished unbeaten on 76 and guided his side home.

Moeen Ali has called on England to “throw the first punch” and be “ruthless” in their remaining two Group B games as the defending champions aim to keep their T20 World Cup 2024 hopes alive.Saturday’s heavy defeat to Australia left England fourth in Group B, with all sides having played twice, and potentially in a battle to qualify for the Super 8s on net run rate. Having taken just a point from their washed-out opener against Scotland, victories by significant margins over Oman and Namibia may be required if Jos Buttler’s side are to avoid a second ignominious World Cup exit in eight months.Scotland play Oman on Sunday knowing that victory will put them on five points, which is the maximum England can achieve. They will then have the advantage of playing Australia after England complete their group fixtures, thereby knowing exactly what sort of result would be required to put them through.Speaking after a chastening afternoon at Kensington Oval, Moeen said England needed to avoid dwelling on results so far and get back on the front foot – albeit a similar mantra failed to produce a turnaround in India during last year’s failed ODI World Cup defence.”Net run rate is huge and there’s been quite a few tournaments when I’ve missed out on net run rate, so it’s huge,” Moeen said. “If we get the chance in those next two games we’re going to have to win by quite big margins.”We’ve got the team to do that. I know in this World Cup big teams are losing but we’ve got to go into these two games and almost throw the first punch and just keep going from there.Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali must try to turn England’s World Cup around•ICC via Getty Images

“When you lose a game, especially [against] Australia, the camp is never positive. But you can’t get too down and go into our shells and say ‘What if this happens?’ We’ve just to be really ruthless in those two games playing our best cricket otherwise we’re going home.”Buttler has been unwilling to talk about the ODI World Cup, where England lost six of their first seven games to crash out in the round-robin stage, during the build-up to the T20 version, but faces would could be a make-or-break week for his captaincy.Moeen, Buttler’s deputy, preferred to draw on the team’s experience at the previous T20 World Cup, in 2022, when England suffered a shock defeat to Ireland during the Super 12s, followed by an abandonment against the hosts, Australia, before winning four games in a row to lift the trophy.”India was different because it’s a different format, you have to play proper cricket, closer to Test matches and your technique is exposed and all that. I think this situation it’s more like when we lost to Ireland in Melbourne and we had to win every game and run rate was important as well then so we can take experience from that.”I think we’re better at T20s, I just think today Australia were better than us. Even in the last World Cup when we won it, we had to win every game so we’re kind of used to this with our backs against the wall. My own personal thing is I don’t care about the 50-over World Cup, that’s done but I think in this World Cup we ca do a lot better.”The first game being rained off is unfortunate and then losing today is not great so we’re going to have to win those next two games.”It’s about being calm and not letting the outside noise or whatever it is affect us. We need to be more aggressive without being reckless, not overthink things and take those two teams down.”

Tottenham Hotspur are set for a very intriguing first Premier League season under new manager Thomas Frank, but not everyone will be along for the ride.

Players who could leave Tottenham after Thomas Frank arrives

The Dane has officially taken over from Ange Postecoglou, with Frank agreeing terms on a move to Spurs earlier this week after the club triggered his £10 million release clause (Fabrizio Romano).

Tottenham to open talks for "role model" forward signing after Frank request

The Dane is about to become Spurs’ new manager.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 11, 2025

Frank is seemingly braced for a completely different challenge away from the expectations of mid-table Brentford, as Spurs gear up for a 2025/2026 campaign back in the Champions League and fresh off winning their first major trophy in 17 years.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

The 51-year-old has big shoes to fill as well, with Postecoglou earning popularity among the Spurs squad and many speaking out publicly in defence of the now-unemployed tactician.

Frank is likely to have a major influence on the club’s transfer activity as Tottenham’s latest head coach, with some reports suggesting he has already urged Daniel Levy to keep Mathys Tel (TEAMtalk).

His stance on certain other squad members is yet to be made clear, but we’ll find out in due course, as a fair few of them face uncertain futures.

Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil are surely likely to be sold this summer, after spending 2024/2025 on loan at Leeds United and Girona respectively, while uncertainty also surrounds the long-term future of Richarlison amid interest from Everton (Sky Sports).

A lot of noise is centered around star defender Cristian Romero right now too.

Romero is a top target for Atlético Madrid, and some reports suggest that the 27-year-old is equally keen on joining Diego Simeone’s side, despite Tottenham’s qualification for the Champions League (Marca).

Alongside Romero, another big name in long-serving £190,000-per-week captain Son Heung-min could also make an emotional departure.

The Telegraph first broke news that this year could be Son’s last at Spurs, with clubs in Saudi Arabia said to be expressing an interest.

Son Heung-min exit from Tottenham on the cards as agents hold Saudi talks

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to The Boot Room, Saudi Pro League sides have held talks with the agents of Son, who may well leave Spurs 10 years after signing from Bayer Leverkusen.

Bailey goes on to say that Son may well have played his last game for Tottenham, even if his exit isn’t exactly nailed on just yet.

“Son could very well have played his last game for Tottenham, and well, if it was the Europa League final, it would be fitting,” said Bailey.

“I am told he still believes he is more than capable of recapturing his best form – but Spurs are ready to make moves this summer and Son leaving could materialise.”

The 32-year-old’s contract expires in 2026 after Levy took up the option to extend it by a further year, but it is now or never for them to make any money off Son’s sale.

That being said, a player of his experience and quality would be invaluable to have around for Frank’s first season at the club, so this comes as an extremely tough decision. Son’s also been called the most “underrated” player in England during his time in N17.

Leeds United and the 49ers Enterprises have now made a transfer decision over the future of a £90,000-a-week Everton player, according to a new report.

Leeds' plans for the Premier League are underway

The Whites secured the Championship title on Saturday in the final game of the league season, and now the focus will be turning towards next season, as they are once again back in the Premier League.

Leeds can seal stunning Solomon repeat by signing £30m Premier League star

Leeds United could look to replicate the success of their Manor Solomon deal by signing this attacking star.

1 ByKelan Sarson May 6, 2025

Signing a new striker appears to be high on the list of targets for Daniel Farke this summer, as Leeds have already held internal talks over signing Troy Parrott from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. Parrott has been in fine form this season, and given his experience in the Premier League with Tottenham, Leeds are interested in a potential deal, which could cost them more than £20 million.

As well as looking at Parrott, the Championship title winners are keeping their options open, as they also hold an interest in two other strikers. TEAMtalk have reported that the Whites are pursuing a deal to sign Jamie Vardy, as he is set to become a free agent once he leaves Leicester City.

Meanwhile, Leeds are also seriously interested in signing Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town. The forward is said to have a relegation clause in his contract at Portman Road, but the Tractor Boys are hoping to get around £26-£30 million for his services, given they are heading back to the second tier.

Leeds make decision over Jack Harrison's Elland Road future

These potential arrivals may mean the Whites and the 49ers have to balance the books and move some players on, and according to a new update from Football Insider, Leeds have decided that Jack Harrison is unlikely to return to Elland Road should his stay at Everton not be extended.

The winger is currently coming to the end of his two-year loan deal at Everton, and David Moyes has yet to decide whether to keep Harrison on a permanent basis or not.

The 28-year-old, who earns a weekly wage of £90,000, has still got three years left on his contract at Elland Road, but that hasn’t changed the minds of the club chiefs, as if a permanent move to Everton doesn’t work out, he will have to look for a move elsewhere.

One reason for that is because the Whites are already stocked in the wide positions, and they are planning to add to those options with the addition of two new wingers.

Apps

70

Goals

5

Assists

4

Harrison has played 31 times for the Toffees this season in the Premier League, 22 of which have come as a starter. However, he has struggled to make an impact in front of goal, netting just once and grabbing just one assist, which could be another reason why Everton may not be interested in a permanent deal and Leeds don’t want the player to come back to Elland Road.

And if that doesn’t work either, you’re better off building a death ray and hoping it will somehow fly with ICC regulations

Alan Gardner28-Oct-20251:51

Mithali: Australia ‘less invincible’ than they used to be

There are some problems that have left humanity stumped for the longest of time. To the list that includes cold fusion, Fermat’s Last Theorem and why toast always lands buttered-side down, we can add another: how to beat Australia Women in an ODI?There is a working hypothesis that it can be done, but the results are almost impossible to reproduce in laboratory conditions. Over the last five-and-a-bit years, Australia have played 58 times in the format, and won 52 of them. Go back further, to the start of the 2017 World Cup, and the figure is P87 W78, which includes their world-record winning streak of 26 ODIs in a row.Such is their level of dominance that it even puts the Australia Men’s team of the 2000s in the shade. To take a random sample, between the start of the 2003 World Cup (which they won) and the end of the 2007 World Cup (which they won), Ricky Ponting’s side played 136 ODIs, winning 102 and losing 28.Related

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• There are legspinners, and there is Alana King

Very impressive, but a win/loss ratio of 9.750 it isn’t.For this Australia Women’s team, defeat is a once-a-year event – and they’ve already had their one scheduled blip for 2025.The losses are cosmic outliers, little more than confirmation of the randomness of the universe. They either come via Spandex-tight margins – three runs, two wickets, two wickets – or require inspirational performances from the opposition’s talisman: Harmanpreet Kaur in Derby; Nat Sciver-Brunt in Taunton; Marizanne Kapp in North Sydney; Smriti Mandhana in New Chandigarh.In World Cups, the permutations become even more head-scratchingly confounding. Since their defeat in the semi-final of the 2017 edition, Australia have won 15 ODI World Cup games on the bounce. They waltzed through the tournament unbeaten in 2022, and are on track to do so again after six wins from seven in the group stage.The one side to escape during that run was Sri Lanka, who abandoned science and invoked the unquenchable thirst of the Colombo rain gods. That or they capitalised on some truly abysmal scheduling during the monsoon, but it amounts to the same thing.Is there any stopping the Australian juggernaut at this World Cup?•ICC/Getty Images

Stopping the irresistible force

Back in the dark ages, learned folk spent much of their time trying to discover a substance that could turn base metal into gold. You would too, right? If it were in any way real. For the alchemists of antiquity, read the analysts of today anxiously flicking through their data points whenever Australia occupy the opposition dressing room.Signs of weakness are few and far between. When they slipped to 76 for 7 in their group game against Pakistan, one of the great World Cup upsets was in the offing. Instead, Beth Mooney – who looks, and plays, like she could be one of Bradman’s Invincibles – made a granite-hewn hundred as part of a century stand for the ninth wicket. Australia ended up winning by 107 runs.

“Time and again, teams have scrapped and sweated over the magic formula that will help them get one over on the canary-yellow juggernaut. Almost without exception, every time they hold their discovery up to the light it turns out to be fool’s gold”

India might have felt pretty pleased with themselves after posting 330 (at the time their highest-ever World Cup total) in Visakhapatnam; Alyssa Healy responded with a searing 142 off 107 balls to set up a three-wicket win. England must have thought they were in with a sniff when reducing Australia to 68 for 4 chasing 245; Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner disabused them of this notion with an unbroken 180-run stand.The England game finished with Gardner blocking balls in order to try and get Sutherland to her hundred, which is a pretty brutal summation of where it had got to as a contest.Time and again, teams have scrapped and sweated over the magic formula that will help them get one over on the canary-yellow juggernaut. Almost without exception, every time they hold their discovery up to the light, it turns out to be fool’s gold.Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth walk off after Australia sealed the highest chase in women’s ODI history•Getty Images

Can a new champion emerge?

We at ESPNcricinfo decided to take up the challenge, too. After crunching the numbers, consulting the experts and triangulating every possible weakness, we came up with this devastating statistic: since the start of 2024, between overs ten and 20, Australia have lost the third-most wickets among all teams (33). At this World Cup, the tally reads nine, behind only South Africa and Pakistan.Read it again and weep, sisters.Okay, you’re saying you need more? Well, Ellyse Perry is averaging 24.50 for the tournament. Not so flashy, eh. Similarly, new-ball stalwart Kim Garth has only taken four wickets in five matches – three of which came during Pakistan’s capitulation. And in the field, they produced a distinctly un-Aussie performance when shelling six chances against Bangladesh (although, yes, they still went on to win by ten wickets).In case it wasn’t already clear, for the three other teams still in with a theoretical chance of winning this World Cup, the omens are not good. But for those of you who made it this far, here’s our three-point plan to stopping Australia from winning this World Cup:Be India. Handy news for Australia’s semi-final opponents. India’s record of four ODI wins over Australia in the last ten years is as good as anyone’s – and, crucially, that includes being the last side to actually beat them at a World Cup. They are the host nation, they are captained by the hero of Derby, and they ran Australia the closest in the group stage.Make sure someone scores a hundred. Preferably a big one, like Harmanpreet’s Derby piece de resistance. Since the start of the 2017 World Cup, 13 individual centuries have been scored against Australia; three times in a winning cause. That’s nearly a 25% chance, people! Although Sciver-Brunt (four hundreds, including 148 not out in the 2022 World Cup final, only one of which came in a victory) can tell you first-hand, it’s no guarantee.Beware the legspinner. Alana King is very good, as figures of 7 for 18 – the first seven-wicket haul at Women’s World Cups – in her last outing attest. Top tip: go back and look at the footage of how South Africa played her. Then do the opposite.If none of the above works, then you’re best off building a death ray and hoping that will somehow fly with the ICC playing regulations. Good luck!

Former captain pledges to be available for England tour after prioritising home T20 World Cup

Matt Roller20-Dec-2023Jason Holder says that his decision to make himself unavailable for West Indies’ Test series in Australia next month was prompted by his desire to focus on T20 cricket ahead of a World Cup on home soil in June 2024.Holder, who captained in 37 Tests between 2015 and 2020, does not feature in the 15-man squad named by Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Wednesday, which includes seven uncapped players, and for which Alzarri Joseph has been named as Kraigg Brathwaite’s deputy.Instead, Holder will be playing in the ILT20 in the UAE during January’s Test series, but has spoken extensively with the board in recent months and has made clear his desire to play Test cricket again after the World Cup.”By no means is this me turning my back on Test cricket,” Holder told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s not curtains for me in Test cricket by any means. It’s my first time going through something like this and I felt that it was necessary to be as honest and as open with CWI as I possibly can. It was a very difficult decision: I just feel as though this is the right cricketing decision for me at this time.”It was a difficult one. But as much as I love Test cricket, I want to give myself the best chance of playing in that World Cup. I felt it was probably best to prioritise and focus on playing as much T20 cricket leading up to that as possible. I will probably sleep a little bit better knowing that I’ve given myself the best opportunity to do that.”CWI told players that, in order to be considered for World Cup selection, they needed to make themselves available for both the ongoing series against England and February’s T20Is in Australia. In doing so, Holder compromised his availability for the Big Bash League and will miss the end of the ILT20; playing the Test series in Australia on top of that would have ruled him out of the entire competition.Holder was an 18-year-old fan the last time that the Caribbean hosted a men’s ICC event, the 2010 World T20: “To see it unfold, particularly in Barbados, was a major spectacle for me,” he said. It is the prospect of featuring in the same tournament 14 years later which he identifies as the reason underpinning his decision to turn down January’s Test series.Holder has been in action for West Indies during the ongoing T20I series•Getty Images”I’ve never played a World Cup at home: I really, really want to be a part of it because I love playing in front of the fans in the Caribbean,” he added. “I think we’ve really got a good chance of lifting the trophy… the cricket that we’ve been playing in the last couple of months gives us real encouragement that we can go there and do something special. Why wouldn’t I want to give myself the best chance to be a part of it?”I’ve been an all-format player for probably the last eight or nine years. If you look at the current scope of the sport in general, it’s now a more common trend based on the dynamics of world cricket: everything is constantly evolving. There are leagues popping up here, there and everywhere and there are quite a number of options for players.”It all depends on what a player wants in terms of his career. It’s a profession, and there’s a massive window in terms of franchise cricket early in the year. The main part of my decision is to prioritise playing as much T20 cricket as I can leading up to the T20 World Cup – and of course, in doing so, there is also the opportunity to maximise your earnings.”The launch of the ILT20 and South Africa’s SA20 – which Holder featured in earlier this year – has contributed to January becoming saturated with T20 leagues, along with the BBL and the Bangladesh Premier League. Johnny Grave, CWI’s chief executive, believes that it represents a fundamental shift in the global game.Related

• Meet West Indies' new names: the seven uncapped players in Australia

• West Indies include seven uncapped players for Australia Tests

• Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph to return home early from ODI World Cup qualifier

• Holder: 'T10 is here to stay, so if you can't adapt, you'll always struggle'

• Andre Russell recalled to West Indies T20I squad after two-year absence

“That month has gone from being a southern hemisphere international window to now a very key month, with leagues fighting to get the best players,” Grave told ESPNcricinfo. “When you look at what’s on offer for five weeks’ work, it’s become a really compelling option for players at a certain stage of their careers.”CWI and Holder have been in open discussions about his availability in recent months, and the board announced last week that, along with Kyle Mayers and Nicholas Pooran, he had turned down a central contract for 2023-24. “I was disappointed that we couldn’t reach a common ground in me signing a central contract, but I understood why that wasn’t an option in the end,” he said.Holder’s decision gives other players the chance to perform in the Test series in Australia. Grave cited the example of West Indies’ tour to Bangladesh in early 2021, when a number of players opted out: Mayers – who, like Holder, will miss the Australia Tests – made his international breakthrough as a result. “Nobody is guaranteed a spot, and we want that competition for places,” Grave said.”We accept that players have to make choices and we hope that players understand that we also have to make choices. We’re not going to change the philosophy that we can’t guarantee any players selection for any international series. We’re certainly not moving on from Jason Holder, but him not being in Australia will create an opportunity for someone else to perform.”But Holder still hopes to be part of their three-Test tour of England in July and the two-match home series against South Africa that follows: “I will do everything possible to make myself eligible for those Test series and have spoken to the coach and selectors to reiterate that,” he said. That will include playing first-class cricket in the West Indies Championship – and, after going unsold in Tuesday’s IPL auction, potentially in England’s County Championship.Both Holder and Grave stressed that their conversations had been transparent, and CWI’s administration are conscious of the sport’s evolution “We’re not going to deny NOCs [No Objection Certificates] or get into public spats with players,” Grave said. “If they choose not to play for West Indies, we’re not going to try and punish them. We’ve moved on from those days.”West Indies squad for Australia Tests: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Alzarri Joseph, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

Based on their showing against Pakistan, it’ll take a brave man to predict a better fate for the top four in New Zealand

Mohammad Isam08-Dec-2021Shaheen Afridi toyed with Shadman Islam. He got him to jump around the crease and then sent him out with a full delivery that rammed into his pads.Hasan Ali got one to scissor between debutant Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s defence. Then, he had Bangladesh’s captain Mominul Haque, with a full and fast delivery he couldn’t get bat to.Having roughed Bangladesh up with full deliveries, Afridi then adopted the short-ball trick to great effect as Najmul Hossain Shanto lobbed a simple catch to one of the two gullies stationed for just that.Related

• Bangladesh's crumbling home advantage

• Stats – Pakistan and Sajid Khan set new benchmarks in Dhaka

On the fifth morning of the second Test, Bangladesh’s top four were dismissed in no time after they had been asked to follow-on. And it’s Pakistan’s takedown of their brittle line-up in each of the four innings this series that was crucial to the 2-0 sweep.The 7.62 Bangladesh’s top-four batters averaged is the worst when they have batted in at least 16 innings in a Test series. Yet, all considered, they were about 20 minutes away from securing a draw, mainly due to Shakib Al Hasan and the lower-order resistance – and all the time lost to the weather earlier. But when the top four cave in as easily as they have, it doesn’t help.What contributed most to the top four’s meltdown was Mominul having his worst Test series to date. He made only 14 runs, the least he has scored in any series in which he batted at least four innings. His previous lowest across four innings was the 94 he made against England in 2016.

Shadman, Mahmudul, the uncapped Mohammed Naim and Fazle Mahmud are the opening options in New Zealand. Can they cope with the green in New Zealand? Against Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner? It will be tough, that’s for sure.

While the top four have been poor, it’s also important to factor in their inexperience. Shadman and Shanto are playing their tenth and 11th Tests respectively, while Saif Hassan, who missed the Dhaka Test because of a fever, is just working his way up having made his debut last year. Mahmudul, meanwhile, is an absolute rookie.They are all considered to be in the list of the country’s next-in-line batters, who have all made at least one century in the season’s first-class tournament. But how much is that really worth?In Chattogram, Russell Domingo had said that the domestic structure doesn’t prepare young players to make the transition to the highest level. It was a bold statement from a coach, who himself has often found himself at odds with the board bigwigs. “There’s some exciting young players coming through but they are a long way off from where they need to be as international batsmen and bowlers,” Domingo had said. “The more cricket they play at the domestic level or ‘A’ team tours, the better will be for the national side.It’s clear that Bangladesh aren’t the same side without Tamim Iqbal, but he is still some way from match fitness•AFP/Getty Images”Right now, the step up from domestic to international cricket is a massive step. It is something BCB needs to look at to make sure they impact the game and not take a long time to find their feet.”What would be most worrying for Domingo – and other stakeholders of the game in Bangladesh – going into the New Zealand series is the number of balls that the top four have faced in this series. It is the lowest for Bangladesh when they have batted at least 16 innings in a Test series, roughly one-third of the 854 balls that they face on average in a home series.It’s clear they aren’t the same side without Tamim Iqbal, who scored four Test half-centuries in a row this year. His attacking salvo derailed Sri Lanka a couple of times in the Test series in April. Since his debut in 2008, Tamim is the fourth-highest scorer among Test openers. It’s an understatement when we say Saif, Shadman and the new lot of batters coming in have big boots to fill.Tamim is still a while away from returning to competitive cricket – he has multiple fractures in his thumb – which means Shadman, Mahmudul, the uncapped Mohammed Naim and Fazle Mahmud are the opening options in New Zealand. Can they cope with the green in New Zealand? Against Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner? It will be tough, that’s for sure.

NEW YORK — Shane Bieber looked around the other day and realized something shocking: Eight years into his career, with nearly 900 innings pitched and a Cy Young award on his mantle, he is a rookie compared to his fellow Blue Jays starting pitchers.

“He’s 30!” says his 41-year-old rotationmate Max Scherzer with a laugh. “He’s a young buck! We should make him wear a pink backpack.”

Indeed, in an era of flamethrowers who are too young to turn on the stove, Toronto’s rotation looks closer to retirement than to retiring hitters. Scherzer; Bieber; Chris Bassitt, 36; Kevin Gausman, 34; and José Berríos, 31, make up the only contingent in the majors with no one in his 20s. Their average age, 34.4, would outlast nearly five generations of blue jays.

Entering Thursday, the Blue Jays have received 103 starts from pitchers 31 or older, the most in the majors this season and on pace for the most by a division winner since at least 2019. The only current team with a similar number of gray hairs is the Rangers, who employ 37-year-old Jacob deGrom, 36-year-old Patrick Corbin and 36-year-old Merrill Kelly, with 35-year-old Nathan Eovaldi on the shelf with a strained rotator cuff—but 29-year-old Jacob Latz and 25-year-old Jack Leiter help keep them youthful. And yet the Jays’ 31-plus starters have a 4.18 ERA, right in line with league average.

Scherzer famously pitched for the 2019 Nationals, who got 65 starts from 31-plus-year-olds and called themselves . He says he does not look back at that nickname and chuckle at his naivete. “I was old in ’19!” he says. “When you're 36 in the game, that’s when you’re old. That’s when all the GMs start looking at you funny.” (Perhaps that was a senior moment: Scherzer was 34 in 2019.) That club won the World Series on the back of its horses. But most teams these days value young studs who can spin the ball for five and a third innings, then turn it over to a bullpen full of even younger studs who can spin it even harder.

Have the Blue Jays noticed that many of them are more suited for an old-folks’ home than home plate?

“Man, you’re so blunt,” says Gausman with a laugh. “I’ve definitely noticed we’re not young.”

General manager Ross Atkins puts it more delicately. “I’m aware of our experience,” he says.

Most of them use that word. “The majority of young guys now, they have the stuff,” says Gausman. “They can make a ball move 22 inches horizontally, vertically, in whatever direction. But where they lack is the experience on the field. They’ve thrown all the bullpens imaginable. They know the metrics. They know the axis on pitches. They can throw a pitch in-game, and you’ll see guys in game literally throw a pitch and look at the metric [on the scoreboard]. ‘All right. I need to turn my wrist a little bit more.’ It’s crazy. But where they lack is: All right, I threw this pitch for a strike. Now I need to throw this for a ball. Now how does this pitch play off this next pitch? How does my miss set up this next pitch?”

Those are the discussions they say they are having in the dugout. “It’s not trying to dummy down a conversation, so you don't overwhelm somebody,” says Bassitt. “It’s a lot more intricate than a normal conversation.”

And a lot less kind. “We don’t gotta be gentle,” he adds with a grin.

“[Scherzer] will say, straight up, ‘Why did you throw that pitch? That was stupid,’” says Gausman. “‘You shouldn’t have thrown that pitch.’ And things are just so easy for him. So you talk to him after an outing and you’re like, ‘Well, I was trying to throw this pitch down and away. I missed my spot by two feet.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, why didn’t you just throw it down and away?’”

They also value the same things. In early September, Bieber gave up five runs in a 35-pitch second inning to the Reds. He then allowed one baserunner over the following four frames as the Blue Jays came back to win. A week later, they’re all still raving about the job he did.

“Almost every single pitcher in the big leagues either loses that game or doesn’t go six—or both—and now we’re really in trouble,” says Bassitt. “That was one of the most impressive outings of the year for us.”

He adds, “We’re talking pitching. We’re not talking movement. We’re not talking how hard you’re throwing. We don’t care if Bieber’s throwing 95 [mph] or 91. It’s more so when to throw a chase pitch 1–0, knowing what pitch to do that, and understanding sometimes going 2–0 is better than trying to go 1–1, things like that. Small things that the young group has never been brought up like that. This is stuff that was getting screamed at us. You weren’t allowed to advance past High A if you weren’t throwing six innings. We came up in a very different environment, and it’s five guys that have the exact same mindset.”

They also enjoy not having to worry about monitoring anyone else’s workload or shutting down a major contributor during the stretch run. They know how to take care of their bodies—even if that gets harder every year. 

“I think we definitely kind of push each other,” Gausman says. “Like, And honestly, it makes it fun. You know, it’s constant bitching and moaning, not really feeling too good.”

And Atkins dismisses the idea that calling up a young starter can sometimes provide the rest of the team with energy. “I think the thing that’s the most real is outs,” he says. In fact, Gausman says he derives energy just from watching Scherzer’s bullpens. “His competitiveness is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Gausman says. “To have that at 41 when you’ve kind of checked every box—that’s impressive to me that he still pitches like some of these young guys, with that fire. I don’t think I’ll be like that at 41. I definitely won’t be pitching at 41.”

Scherzer shrugs. Really the only downside of aging, as far as he's concerned, is his bald spot. So he'll keep going—if only for the chance to work at a job that requires him to wear a hat.