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Kevin Pietersen’s chances of being reconciled to the England set-up and winning a place in their World Twenty20 squad appear to have receded

Alan Gardner15-Aug-2012Kevin Pietersen’s chances of being reconciled to the England set-up and winning a place in their World Twenty20 squad appear to have receded after the ECB and Andrew Strauss confirmed that further discussions between the parties were needed, despite Pietersen’s apology for sending “provocative” texts.Strauss, England’s captain and the subject of the allegedly derogatory texts sent by Pietersen to members of the South Africa squad, said “underlying issues on trust and respect” had to be addressed but that this was unlikely to take place until after the third Test against South Africa, for which Pietersen has been dropped. The deadline for England to submit their World T20 squad is Saturday, the third day of the Test, suggesting that Pietersen will not be recalled, as he desires.After the ECB confirmed the receipt of Pietersen’s apology, Strauss said that there were “broader issues” to be dealt with. He called the selectors’ decision to leave Pietersen out “brave and very correct”, saying that the batsman’s presence at Lord’s would have been “untenable”.”The truth is a lot has happened over the last seven days,” Strauss said. “The England team has been in the news for the wrong reasons. We all want to move forward but there are some underlying issues on trust and respect that don’t get dealt with over night and it’s going to take quite a long time to overcome those. My personal point of view is that I prefer those issues to be dealt with in private, away from the media, without the help of PR companies and press releases and that is certainly the way I’ll be approaching it going forward.”The apology is a first step, definitely, but there is a lot more to investigate with all of this and in truth if there is a way forward those issues regarding trust and mutual respect have to be dealt with and it is not just a one-way process and we need to deal with those behind closed doors.”It’s been hanging over us since Kevin’s press conference after the Headingley Test match. There was a certain amount of relief on Monday that a decision had been made and we can focus on Test. The challenge this week has been to not let it affect us on the field.”Discussions have been ongoing between the ECB and Pietersen’s representatives after the batsman was omitted from the England squad for the third Test against South Africa. Pietersen was dropped for refusing to apologise for the texts, which he has now admitted sending, despite the ECB demanding it as a condition of his selection for the third Test.In a statement, England managing director, Hugh Morris, said: “We are in receipt of Kevin’s apology, but further discussions need to take place to establish whether it is possible to regain the trust and mutual respect required to ensure all parties are able to focus on playing cricket and to maintain the unity of purpose that has served us so well in recent years. Critically, those discussions should take place behind closed doors, rather than in the media spotlight.Kevin Pietersen has apologised for sending “provocative” texts to South Africa players•Getty Images

“A successful conclusion to this process is in everyone’s best interests and is required for Kevin Pietersen’s potential selection in all forms of the game to be considered. At the moment we have an important Investec Test match to focus on and therefore ECB will make no further comment until such time as is appropriate.”South Africa have publicly described the text interactions as “banter”, a word Pietersen echoed in his apology, whilst acknowledging the “upset and tension” the situation had caused.Pietersen said: “I did send what you might call provocative texts to my close friends in the South Africa team. The texts were meant as banter between close friends. I need to rein myself in sometimes. I apologise to Straussy and the team for the inappropriate remarks at the press conference and for the texts. I truly didn’t mean to cause upset or tension particularly with important games at stake.”Strauss has seen the build-up to his 100th Test overshadowed by the Pietersen imbroglio but was diplomatic about having to become involved. Pietersen has been in negotiations over his international workload with the ECB for some time – leading to his now-reneged retirement from limited-overs internationals earlier this year – but until his outburst in the wake of the Headingley Test, Strauss had not been party to the process.”I wasn’t involved in Kevin Pietersen’s dispute with the board in any real way but once the players got involved it was very important that I got involved for the very reason that the feelings in the dressing room, the way the players interact with each other, the values we have as a group, are of vital importance to me and I’m not willing to turn a blind eye to that.”It’s going to be a long process. It is not the sort of thing that happens overnight. Unfortunately we have to address this issue. It is not one that we can sweep under the carpet. In order to move forward we need to address these issues head on and try and find some resolution to those.”It is a broader issue than just the text messages. A lot has happened over the last week or so. It’s about trust and mutual respect and any team that operates successfully needs to have that. And that is something we need to work on. It is not between me and him, particularly. The text messages sound like I was involved with it, but it is a broader issue, it is about the team and Kevin and how we interact with each other.””He is a world-class player, I don’t think anyone would deny that, and when he is playing well and everything is happy in the dressing room he is a great asset to the side but that is not where we are right at the moment and I think the selectors made a brave and very correct decision for this particular Test match that he didn’t play because without the resolution to the issues that we need to resolve things would be a bit untenable in the dressing room for this game.”England must win the third and final Test of the series in order to defend the No. 1 Test ranking and Strauss admitted the side’s preparations had not been ideal.”It’s going to be testing,” he said. “As England captain things are sometimes thrown your way in a way that you have not necessarily been prepared to deal with.”We have to look at the best way of moving forward and quite frankly for the next five or six days it is not going to be in the forefront of my mind. I have to concentrate on my batting and leading the side out in the middle and we will address these issues come the end of the Test match.”Adversity can bring you slightly closer together. We have seen that before with us on a number of occasions. That is going to be the test of us this week. I have got every confidence that we can win this Test match. This is a great opportunity for us to show some strength and resolve and come through.”

Rahul Dravid has said the selectors’ decision to appoint Virat Kohli as India’s vice-captain for the Asia Cup is a just reward for the Delhi batsman

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2012Rahul Dravid has said the selectors’ decision to appoint Virat Kohli as India’s vice-captain for the Asia Cup is a just reward for the Delhi batsman, who was the only India player to hit a century on the tour to Australia – he had scored one hundred apiece in the Test and one-day series. At the same time, Dravid pointed out that Gautam Gambhir, who was earmarked as a future captain by the selectors in the past, should not be discouraged by Kohli’s elevation.”He [Kohli] has had a great tour of Australia. He has done incredibly well in the Tests and in the ODIs. The selectors have given him a bit of reward,” Dravid said in Mumbai, at an event organised by his IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals. “Having said that, Virat is the first to recognise that he has got to establish himself to go a step further. I think we know from the past that by just being the vice-captain, you are not going to be the next captain. [And so] I feel people like Gautam shouldn’t feel left out. But at the moment Dhoni is doing a good job, so you don’t need to look anywhere else.”Dravid, who was a part of the two teams that suffered whitewashes in the Test series in Australia and before that in England, said that the poor results were “really tough” on the players, who always entered the field with just one thought: “to win”. “First England and then Australia – we suffered that string of losses on both the tours and believe me, we feel very deeply about it,” Dravid said.The lack of big innings from Sachin Tendulkar was not a concern, Dravid said. Tendulkar, for the first time in five tours to Australia, did not score a ton, leading to much speculation regarding the pressure on him as he continues to search for his 100th international century. He has now gone 32 innings without a hundred, the last time he got to the landmark being against South Africa in the World Cup a year ago.”Having shared the dressing-room with Sachin, I don’t think Sachin himself is thinking about it [scoring the 100th century],” Dravid said. “Every time, a batsman wants to go out and score a century to help the team win. It [the landmark] will happen.Edited by Nikita Bastian

A round-up of the semi-finals of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup 2011

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2011Rawalpindi Rams brushed aside Lahore Lions by 47 runs in the first semi-final of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup in Faisalabad.Choosing to bat, Rawalpindi put on 186 for 4, on the back of quickfire half-centuries by Jamal Anwar and Sohail Tanvir. Rawalpindi were in a spot of bother at 66 for 3 in the eighth over, but the pair steered them to an imposing total with a 111-run fourth-wicket stand. Lahore were behind in the chase from the outset, losing wickets regularly to be 96 for 9, before a late blitz from Adnan Rasool carried them to 139. Opening bowler Mohammad Rameez and left arm-spinner Raza Hasan were the pick of the Rawalpindi bowlers, picking up two wickets apiece in tight spells.In the second semi-final, Karachi Dolphins beat Sialkot Stallions in a high-scoring encounter, setting up the final clash against Rawalpindi on Friday.Batting first, Karachi lost opener Shahzaib Hasan cheaply. There was no success for the bowlers for a while after that though, as Asad Shafiq and Rameez Raja (2) muscled 164 off 13.3 overs at a run-rate of 12.14. Raja, who was striking at 215.55, fell three short of a hundred, but Shafiq batted through, finishing 91 not out off 55 balls. Set a massive 239 for victory, Sialkot lost a couple early before launching an attack. Going at over ten runs per over for much of the innings, they still fell 42 short. They lost wickets at regular intervals in pursuit of quick runs, and were bowled out for 196 with seven balls to spare. Fast bowler Sohail Khan was easily the best of the bowlers, claiming four Sialkot wickets and conceding just 18 off four overs, while all his team-mates went at over 11 runs an over.

Botswana captain Akrum Chand is confident that his aggressive approach will help his side as they host the World Cricket League Division 7

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2011Botswana captain Akrum Chand is confident that his aggressive approach will help his side as they host the World Cricket League Division 7.Chand, who previously captained in 2006, feels his experience will also be important for the side. “I wasn’t able to travel to Jersey in 2006 due to injury nor did I travel to Singapore for Division 6 in 2009 but I have captained the side previously and I’m looking forward to leading them again in this event,” he said.”I believe in being aggressive when it comes to our game – it will be about being on the offensive and not defensive when it comes to our matches.””We’ve been working very hard ahead of this tournament with the side dedicating the last six months to preparing for the event. We’ve been to Zimbabwe and South Africa for camps and I feel as a side we’re well prepared for the event.”The team is a mixture of youth and experience with a few players coming up from the under-19 side. Part-time wicketkeeper-batsman Karabo Motlhanka, all-rounder Waseem Tajbhay as well as fast bowler Segolame Ramatu are all good prospects in the side while we’ve experience in the likes of James Moses who has been playing for Botswana for over 10 years and knows what the team is about and how to guide the players if needs be.Kuwait and Germany are the new sides in the division and Chand conceded they will be an unfamiliar challenge. “We don’t know huge amounts about the promoted teams for this event,” he said. “But our coach Arjun Menon has worked with some of the other sides in the tournament and has given us some good background to help us prepare. When it comes down to it we will be focusing on our own game and see what we have on day of the games.”Chand admitted the rain in Botswana is a little bit of a concern at the moment but he is confident conditions will be fine come the event. “Although it has been raining a bit this week, I think we should be ok for when the tournament begins. We’re playing on AstroTurf so we can probably expect the ball to bounce and skid a little while the outfields are looking great. One bonus is we’re moving into winter so the temperature is a lot better for playing cricket, around 27 degrees rather than the usual 45!”

The fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s is at the centre of a police investigation into spot-fixing

Cricinfo staff28-Aug-2010The fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s is at the centre of a police investigation into spot-fixing following the arrest of a 35-year-old man, Mazher Majeed, who was allegedly caught claiming to have bribed Pakistan’s bowlers to bowl no-balls on demand.According to a report in The News of the World, Majeed accepted £150,000 to arrange a fix involving Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, whom he allegedly asked to bowl no-balls at specific moments of the match. The paper also alleges that the team captain, Salman Butt, and the wicketkeeper, Kamran Akmal, are involved, along with three other unnamed cricketers.Cricinfo understands that the players named were questioned about sums of money found in the rooms, though it is thought that those were made up of the daily allowances players are given while on tour. The man arrested, Majeed, is believed to have contacts with the team though until now it was assumed he was acting as an agent for players, helping them secure sponsorship and kit contracts.Officials from the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit are currently flying in from Dubai, and in a statement, the ICC confirmed that the allegations were being taken seriously.”The International Cricket Council, the England & Wales Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board have been informed by the Metropolitan Police that a 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers,” read the statement.”The Metropolitan Police have informed the ICC, ECB and PCB that their investigations continue and ICC, ECB and PCB, with the involvement of the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, are fully assisting those enquiries. No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident and the fourth npower Test match will continue as scheduled on Sunday. As this is now subject to a police investigation neither ICC, ECB, PCB, nor the ground authority, the MCC, will make any further comment.”A Scotland Yard spokeman added: “Following information received from the News of the World we have today [Saturday, August 28] arrested a 35-year old man on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.”In a video secretly recorded during the NOTW investigation, a man alleged to be Mazher is clearly heard predicting that Amir would bowl the first over of the England innings, and that he would deliver a no-ball from the first ball of the third over – which as Cricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary noted: “was an enormous no-ball, good half a metre over the line.” The man also appeared to correctly predict a no-ball from the sixth ball of the tenth over, bowled this time by Asif.Pakistan’s team manager Yawar Saeed confirmed that the allegations were being investigated, with police turning up at the team hotel in Swiss Cottage at 7.30pm, shortly after the close of an eventful third day of the Lord’s Test, in which Pakistan were left on the brink of defeat after losing 14 wickets in the day.According to Sky News reporters outside the team hotel, police officers were seen leaving the building with two bags at around 11pm, while an unidentified man in a Pakistan training top was understood to have been taken away in an unmarked police car from the back of the building, although the team manager denied that any arrests had been made within the squad.Even allowing for their disastrous on-field performance, Pakistan left Lord’s with unusual haste after the third day’s play, with the team bus departing barely 20 minutes after the close of play, before any member of the squad had taken part in the mandatory post-match press conference.

Lalit Modi has reacted strongly against parties that have questioned the security arrangements for the IPL, including Ricky Ponting, FICA and other players’ associations

Cricinfo staff24-Feb-2010Lalit Modi has strongly criticised parties that have expressed concern over the security situation at the IPL, including the Federation of International Cricketers Association and Ricky Ponting.”We will not be dictated by players associations where to play. DLF IPL will be played in India,” Modi posted on his Twitter account, in reaction to safety concerns raised by an independent report commissioned by the players’ unions in England, South Africa and Australia, which suggested moving the IPL outside India.The report, written by the England team’s security adviser Reg Dickason, said there was a credible terrorist threat to the IPL. The Australian Cricketers’ Association had decided to formulate a set of security demands for IPL organisers, following a meeting between Australian players in which Ricky Ponting had apparently clashed with IPL regulars Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchist and Shane Warne.”[I’ve] been told Ricky Ponting is pressuring players not to come. Maybe it’s due to the fact he was dropped from KKR,” Modi tweeted.Modi said that individual players could choose to stay away from the IPL, but such a move could risk their future association with the event. “We will allow replacement for those who decide not to show up. They risk being in future IPLs. The call will be theirs. If a few players play into the hands of the FICA and not show up, no issues.”We allow only four international players per team. [If a] few miss, no issues. We have great talent in each team. More opportunity for replacement to others. We have 98 players on the waiting list eager to get called in for replacement.”Modi refused to recognise the FICA and was critical of the various players’ associations that were bringing up security concerns to “arm-twist” the IPL. “I have been sent messages through various quarters to entertain FICA president Tim May. Unfortunately we do not recognise FICA or any agents,” Modi tweeted.Modi cited examples of sports events currently being hosted in India, such as the India-South Africa series, the hockey World Cup and the upcoming India-Australia series that have not come under security threats like the IPL has.”South African players are touring India as we speak – security is fine for them now as provided by the Indian government. Australia tour India in October – will the Australian Cricketers’ Association dictate them not coming then? Doubt it,” Modi tweeted.

Scott Boland is the reserve fast bowler in a 13-player squad to face India in Perth

Andrew McGlashan09-Nov-20242:20

Malcolm: ‘McSweeney could be a future captain if he finds his feet’

Nathan McSweeney will open the batting for Australia in the first Test against India in Perth having won the race to partner Usman Khawaja while Josh Inglis has been included as the reserve batter in a 13-player squad.McSweeney had firmed as the favourite for the vacant role in recent weeks and though he couldn’t convert two starts against India A at the MCG – where he made 14 and 25 on a tricky pitch opening for the first time his first-class career – he has been preferred ahead of specialist openers including Marcus Harris who does not even make the squad.Related

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“I’ve been able to perform pretty consistently over the past couple of years in Shield cricket. I feel like my game is constantly getting better and improving,” McSweeney said. “I feel like I’m playing probably the best cricket I have. It’s nice to spend some time in the middle against India A in Mackay and here at the MCG and feel like my game’s ready.”McSweeney was only given the word by national selector George Bailey after the end of the second A game at the MCG. “There’s been a lot of talk about it, didn’t really know until I finally got the word, still probably hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” he said. “Getting a lot of nice messages. Very lucky and grateful for the opportunity.”One of those messages was from Marnus Labuschagne, who has been a mentor to McSweeney from his days with Queensland and with who there are often comparisons.”That was a nice phone call to Marnus last night as well. He’s super chuffed for me, and I’m thankful for his knowledge and the way he’s helped me through the start of my career,” McSweeney said. “At times I probably look similar, and I like to think I’ve got my own way of playing, but definitely using Marnus as a resource, that’s been very helpful for me.”Despite just one match at the top of the order, there is confidence McSweeney is ready for the role. “He’s a player whose growth is on a great trajectory, a very organised, composed player at the crease who has a game that will suit Test cricket,” Bailey said.For McSweeney, very little changes. “Other than walk out one position earlier than I normally do, my prep is the exact same,” he said. “I trained with the new ball batting at three, and you can be in there in the first over of the game.”As expected, Scott Boland takes his place as the back-up quick bowler behind captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood for the first Test at Optus Stadium which begins on November 22.The decisions taken by the selectors follows their recent mantra of picking the best six batters rather than focusing too heavily on the positions they traditionally occupy. The vacancy at the top of the order arose after the decision to move Steven Smith back to No. 4 following his four-Test stay earlier this year after the retirement of David Warner.Overall in first-class cricket McSweeney averages 38.16 with six centuries in 34 matches but over the last two years that average rises to 43.44 with all his hundreds coming during that period. In a sign of his standing among the selectors he was handed Australia A captaincy before he led his state, South Australia.Harris looked to have made a strong case for selection with a hard-fought 74 in the first innings against India A in Melbourne but it wasn’t enough to return him to the Test fold. Sam Konstas sealed victory in the match with a fine innings at No. 4 but after early-season excitement with his twin hundreds against South Australia it has been decided it is a little too early for the 19-year-old. Cameron Bancroft’s horror run of form meant he drifted well out of contention but Bailey insisted he and Harris remained in the selectors’ thoughts.”It’s a tough one because whenever the information is first given it potentially feels hollow that they’ve been overlooked again,” Bailey said. “But as I said its just to be really clear to them that not being selected is not us saying that we don’t think you aren’t a good player, we just have to make a decision on who is going to fit the role best and at the moment we think that’s Nathan.”Inglis’ selection is something of a left-field decision but rewards him for being one of the most in-form players this season with two Sheffield Shield hundreds. His credentials were lauded by New South Wales Greg Shipperd last month who said he should be in contention to open. Bailey played that down but did say he could play a role this season and that opportunity is now a step closer. He also provides wicketkeeping back-up for Alex Carey.Inglis will captain Australia for the first time later on Sunday in the deciding ODI against Pakistan and then in the three-match T20I series meaning he will link up with the Test squad after those matches are complete.

Australia squad for 1st Test vs India

Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc

He believes this West Indies unit includes a number of match-winners who can bring home another world title

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Jun-2024After two disappointing T20 World Cups, where they failed to qualify for the semi-finals in 2021 and progress past the first round in 2022, Nicholas Pooran believes that West Indies are now ready to “redeem” themselves. With this year’s edition being co-hosted by the West Indies, Pooran said that the squad is hungry to rekindle that “special feeling” Daren Sammy’s men had experienced when they won the title in 2012 and 2016.”Coming back in here after two years, everybody wants to get that special feeling we had when we won those two T20 World Cups,” Pooran told ESPNcricinfo from his home in Trinidad. “I feel like everybody wants that moment again. They want to be a part of that winning feeling. Doing it in front of our fans is even more special.”Pooran replaced Kieron Pollard as West Indies’ white-ball captain in May 2022, but by November he had stepped down, a decision Cricket West Indies took as part of a review immediately after the 2022 World Cup failure. Rovman Powell leads them now. At the 2022 T20 World Cup, which was played in Australia, West Indies won just one of their three matches in the first round, crashing out as Zimbabwe and Ireland progressed ahead of them.Related

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Pooran, 28, said both him and several members of the current squad have moved on since. “We all have grown as players, as team-mates as well,” he said. “When we played in Australia where we didn’t qualify, everyone was hurt. I resigned [from] captaincy after that as well. Everyone was hurt. But we are no longer that group of guys.”We all know what’s at stake here. We all know that we have an opportunity to obviously redeem ourselves, make our cricket fans in the Caribbean and our cricket fans all over the world proud of us [and] happy. This time around we are much better players as well. Most of our guys that play franchise cricket, they understand what is needed to be a professional as well.”Pooran was among half-a-dozen players from West Indies’ World Cup squad of 15 that didn’t feature in the recent three-match T20I series at home against South Africa, which they won 3-0 under the captaincy of Brandon King. The other five players who had missed that series were Andre Russell, Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph and Sherfane Rutherford.Pooran was impressed with how West Indies, despite the absence of the senior players, were “fighting” to perform and win.”If you just look at the series we played against South Africa, a few guys were missing, but we were able to win that series 3-nil,” Pooran said. “You saw the performances, you saw that guys are fighting and that’s really important. We may win, we may not win, but what’s more important for me, as a senior player as well, is that we need to give it 100% on and off the field.”It’s not about us, it’s about our team, 100%. It’s important for me to continue to share that message: that it’s not about me or ourselves. It’s not about us at all. It’s all about what we can do for this team to be successful in the end.”Rovman Powell and Andre Russell lend depth to West Indies’ line-up•Getty Images

‘West Indies have numerous match-winners’

While announcing West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad in early May, batting great Desmond Haynes, who is presently the chief selector, pointed out that they were capable of winning the title. Sitting next to Haynes, the head coach Sammy said West Indies had 15 X-factor players. Along with Sammy, this current West Indies unit has two players – Russell and Johnson Charles – who were part of the T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016. West Indies are now looking to become the first team to win a T20 World Cup at home.While Pooran will clearly be one of the key batters in the middle order, West Indies have more firepower with the likes of Powell, Russell, Hetmyer, Rutherford and Shepherd making them one of the most destructive batting line-ups in the tournament. Russell, in particular, comes into this in top form – both with bat and ball – having helped Kolkata Knight Riders win their third IPL title.Pooran said the presence of Russell, who had returned to the West Indies T20I fold last December after a long hiatus, would no doubt sprinkle positivity across the dressing room. “He’s a winner. He wins T20 games,” Pooran said. “He wins tournaments and whenever you have that experience in the dressing room, it helps a lot, especially in a World Cup. Experience is key.”West Indies, however, are not just about Russell. Pooran stressed that West Indies had a number of other match-winners.”We have Rovy [Powell], we have Hetmyer, we have Rutherford, we have Sheppy [Shepherd],” Pooran said. “These guys have been doing brilliantly for themselves and for their franchises and for West Indies in the last 12 months. And I even think that takes a lot of pressure off Russell as well. It definitely takes a lot of pressure off me.”Pooran cited the example of the third and final T20I against Australia in Perth this February which West Indies won by 37 runs, despite losing wickets in a heap in the early exchanges.”I remember that last game in Perth. We were struggling, we were probably 70 for 4 [79 for 5],” Pooran recalled, “and we scored 215 [220 for 6]. Russell and Rutherford scored 70 apiece [71 and 67 respectively]. They just tore Australia’s bowling apart. Just to have these guys … makes you not worry that much.”In saying that, every single individual still has to do their jobs. But the beauty about our team is that we have players that, on their day, they can win a game for you in T20 cricket. That’s what you want. We have numerous match-winners on our team.”

Things appear to be coming together nicely for England but a couple of selection questions remain

Andrew Miller13-Oct-2022

Big picture

Momentum is loosely aligned to confidence, but it’s a broadly nonsensical concept in professional sport – after all, if you’ve allowed yourself to live by it, presumably you’ll be obliged to die by it too. Sure, winning is all very well, but sometimes knowing where you went wrong is every bit as important. Take Aaron Finch’s blunt post-match comments in Canberra, where he pinpointed Australia’s “sloppy” fielding for the eight-run defeat that left them 2-0 down going into what is now Friday’s dead-rubber against England.Who knows where that momentum would be headed now, had Australia’s butter-fingers not offered up three clear-cut chances in the midst of Dawid Malan’s and Moeen Ali’s crucial 92-run stand for the fifth wicket. Or if Tim David hadn’t walked across Sam Curran’s leg-stump yorker with the game at his mercy in the 18th over of the chase.So with just over a week to go until the start of their respective T20 World Cup campaigns, here we are – with England’s rebooted white-ball team now boasting back-to-back away series wins after a blank home summer, and Australia seemingly in a scramble for their own readiness after a pair of untimely setbacks.Related

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And yet, as the Aussies know all too well from their own exploits in the UAE 12 months ago, history is bunk, especially in the T20 format. On that occasion they went into the World Cup with a troubling litany of setbacks stretching back five series and 18 months, through losses to England, India, New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh – and even then they got panned by eight wickets, and with 50 balls to spare, by a Jos Buttler masterclass in the group stages in Dubai. What happened thereafter, however, rather scotched any notion of prep.Certainly the team that Australia put out for the Canberra defeat was not far from the side that they would wish to take into their opening fixture against New Zealand on October 22. Ideally they’d like Glenn Maxwell to find a semblance of form, and for their big-three seamers – Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood – to prove a touch more incisive than their collective analyses of 2 for 110 in 12 overs, but there’s not a lot that they would seek to improve personnel-wise, even after this latest loss.It is England, by contrast, who still have a few key decisions to nail down. In particular, the Ben Stokes question, which looms over every aspect of their build-up. He’s scraped together a grand total of 17 runs from 20 balls across two innings, and his dismissal on Wednesday – a wild heave at Adam Zampa in a match situation that probably afforded him time to build into his innings – did little to dispel the swirling doubts about his role.But then, up he popped with an economical display in a rare new-ball role, followed by a first-ball breakthrough at the start of his second over, and by the time he’d pulled off the evening’s most startling feat of athleticism – a stunning one-handed boundary-save at long-off – his thirst for the action was once again self-evident. If finding a place for a man like Stokes is your major concern … well, it’s the proverbial “good problem to have”, isn’t it?

Recent form

Australia LLWWL(last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

England WWWWLGlenn Maxwell walks off after another low score•Getty Images

In the spotlight

So, momentum eh… what does Glenn Maxwell make of that phenomenon? He barely played a shot in anger at the last T20 World Cup – at least, not until the final, when his unbeaten 28 from 18 balls powered Australia over the finishing line against New Zealand, after he had contributed a grand total of two boundaries to their previous six tournament fixtures. Such are the reasons to believe he’ll be alright on the night this time around too, even though his slump in the past few months has been every bit as eye catching. He’s managed 51 runs in 61 balls since the start of June, and a gruesome 16 from 33 in the past month – in which his 8 from 11 against England on Wednesday was his highest, joint-longest and fastest-paced knock in six attempts. As Stokes might attest, No. 4 can be a tough berth to nail in this format, but unless Steven Smith gets a final chance to find his own form, Maxi’s pedigree may yet be trusted to tough this one out.Twelve months ago, Sam Curran was sitting in the Sky Sports studio, watching his team-mates pursue glory without him while he nursed a stress fracture in his back – an injury that was still hanging over him at the start of the English season when he was limited to 10 overs in his first three Championship matches of Surrey’s season. Now, with a love of the limelight that he has previously displayed for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Curran has pounced on an opportunity to be England’s missing link in the middle order – a bowler with deceptive versatility who has sent down 31 of his 32 available overs in Pakistan and Australia this winter, for a world-class haul of 12 wickets at 19.33 and an economy rate of 7.48. His left-arm line has always been a challenge, particularly his deceptively steep bouncer, but Curran seems to have added extra pace since his injury – his game-changing yorker to Tim David was timed at 137kph. His batting hasn’t yet fired, but the threat he poses is undeniable, and his place in that first-choice XI is surely now indisputable.

Team news

The XI played on Wednesday was widely considered Australia’s starting side for the World Cup. They may give them another run, but also there’s a chance they will rotate again. Although he passed his concussion test, David Warner may be given the night off after his heavy landing near the boundary on Wednesday. Kane Richardson could be worth another outing before the real thing starts – his cutters may suit a somewhat sticky Canberra surface – Josh Inglis has not played since the India tour and there remains some uncertainty over the status of Ashton Agar.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood/Kane RichardsonChris Jordan lost his central contract earlier this week, and – whisper it – maybe he’s close to losing his banker status as England’s go-to death bowler. Curran’s death overs in recent weeks have been exceptional, as have Reece Topley’s, while Chris Woakes – who is likely to get another warm-up outing here – offers a wise head at the crunch too. With Mark Wood also itching for another trot before the main event, it will be instructive to see if Jordan gets another chance to find his form on Friday, as he battles back from his long-term hand injury. On the batting front, Liam Livingstone must be nearing full fitness after his ankle injury, and while England originally earmarked this week’s Pakistan match as his comeback game, there may be a temptation to test-drive him sooner, especially with Stokes not yet firing, and with the series already in the bag.England (probable) 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 David Willey, 11 Adil Rashid.

Pitch and conditions

The surface wasn’t a road for the opening game with free-flowing strokeplay not easy from the outset. It made the quality of Malan’s innings stand out and also David’s striking. The weather forecast isn’t promising with heavy rain set to sweep through the capital, although there remains some hope that it will clear through in time for the game. There shouldn’t be problems with drainage.

Stats and trivia

• Moeen Ali, who will be playing his 65th match, needs 13 runs to reach 1,000 in T20I cricket.
• Glenn Maxwell (still) needs one six for 100 in T20Is. His last six in the format came in Pallekele on June 11

Quotes

“We are probably ready to go, I think. Maybe just in a holding pattern now for another two games. Sort of feels that way in the camp. We know our game pretty well in Australia.”
“When the big games come, he’ll score runs and that’s what you want from your gun players. Ben offers so much even if he’s not scoring runs: he opened the bowling [in the second T20I] and bowled really well and he was brilliant in the field.”

The India Test captain is back to reclaim his spot in the XI for the Mumbai Test, but who will sit out? He isn’t telling just yet

Sidharth Monga02-Dec-20215:11

Kohli: ‘We are not playing in normal times’

Virat Kohli is back in international cricket after a break, during which he skipped the T20I series against New Zealand completely and then essentially chose to step off the treadmill and spend time working on his game rather than jump right back into Test cricket. While India played the Kanpur Test, Kohli worked with former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Mumbai, which is where he lives.

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Kohli is now back refreshed and recharged, and emphasised on the need to look after one’s mental well-being in this bio-bubbles era of cricket. “It is very important to understand that it is crucial to refresh yourself mentally,” Kohli said a day before the Mumbai Test. “When you play so much cricket at a certain level for so long, it gets taken for granted that you will keep turning up series after series and perform with the same intensity in every match.”Since the situation has changed [with bio-bubbles being introduced as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic], a lot of people have spoken about how difficult it is in bubble life. Our players’ understanding and management’s communication is good, we have spoken a lot about how to manage the workload. More than workload, giving them mental space.Related

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“From my personal experience, I can tell you that practising in an environment where you were not in a structured environment and there weren’t 50 cameras trained at you… we could do that previously, we would have windows where you could step aside and individually work on your game or take some time off where you are not doing the same thing every day. That makes a lot of difference.”To maintain the quality of cricket, to maximise the ability of the cricketers, to keep them in a good space, it is very important to consider this. Not just our team, but across the world, players are in the mindset to manage the workload, more from the mental point of view rather than physical.””When you play so much cricket at a certain level for so long, it gets taken for granted that you will keep turning up series after series and perform with the same intensity in every match”•AFP/Getty Images

Kohli has now gone two years of international cricket without a century. This period has included the break because of the pandemic and his paternity leave, but 12 Tests and 15 ODIs is the longest he has had to wait for a century. Was there anything specific he felt he needed to work on during this week spent away from the spotlight? No, said Kohli.”It was just to stay in the rhythm of playing red-ball cricket,” he said. “The idea was to get repetition and volume, which is important in Test cricket. It is just about getting into the mould of switching in-between formats, something that I have always tried to do. Whenever I get the opportunity to get some time to work on setting up for different formats. It is more so mentally than doing anything technique-wise. The more cricket you play, you understand your game more. It is just about getting into that headspace that you want to play in a certain way in a certain format. It was purely based on that.”There is no soft landing for Kohli. Straight off the bat, he has to make a tricky call on who should make way for him in the XI. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have had low returns for a while now, and Shreyas Iyer has amplified that with a century and a half-century on debut. Kohli didn’t give any information on what changes to expect, but spoke on dealing with such tough calls on a human level, mainly handling the person who is left out.2:12

Agarwal or Rahane: Who will sit out when Kohli is back?

“You have to obviously understand the situation of where the team is placed,” Kohli said. “You have to understand where individuals stand at certain stages during the course of a long season. So you have to obviously communicate well. You have to speak to the individuals, and approach them in a way where you explain things to them properly. Mostly it has been combination-based whenever we have done changes in the past.”We have explained it to the individuals, and they have understood the mindset behind going in with a certain combination. It is not a difficult thing to do when there is collective trust and belief in the group that we are working towards the same vision. Along the line, there are ups and downs, and we understand that as cricketers and sportspeople in general.”It is never a thing that you say that I am absolutely okay or happy about being told that the combination doesn’t allow me to play. That is the dynamic of team sport, and we prioritise the team first, and making sure we take care of individuals along the way. That’s something we have done consistently as a Test team.”We have backed the set of players that have done the job for the Indian team the last five-six years. We maintain and continue to maintain they are the integral part of the larger scheme of things, of the core group of the Indian Test team. They have always been players we have relied upon on many occasions. And they have done the job. It is upon realising and being aware of what’s happening, and then we find the right space and the right way to approach people. Obviously with the management, the coaching staff, discussions happen in a rounded manner.”