All posts by n8rngtd.top

Saurashtra are looking for their second 50-over title, while Maharashtra are in the final for the first time

Shashank Kishore01-Dec-2022

Big Picture

Saurashtra’s previous Vijay Hazare Trophy success came in the pre-IPL era, around the time Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja were beginning to make a mark in domestic cricket following their success at the India Under-19 level.Current captain Jaydev Unadkat, who hails from Porbandar, a town remembered by history as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, was inspired by their heroics as he took to cricket. Both Pujara and Unadkat would make their Test debut two years after that Hazare triumph to put Saurashtra firmly on Indian cricket’s map.Related

• Gaikwad smashes List A record with seven sixes in 43-run over

• Maharashtra to take on Saurashtra in Vijay Hazare Trophy final

Pujara and Jadeja have gone on to have stellar India careers and Unadkat has established himself as a bona-fide domestic legend, spearheading a revolution in Saurashtra. In 2020, they won their maiden Ranji title with Unadkat picking up 67 wickets in the season, one short of the all-time record. It was the result of several years of trying and being blown away at the final hurdle, most notably twice against Mumbai.When red-ball success was achieved, Saurashtra decided to rewrite their white-ball template. A team that didn’t have a full-time fitness trainer until the start of this season vowed to become better tuned to the one-day game. Players who would take the safe option were told to be bold, while receiving unequivocal backing.Where teams struggle to have one seam bowling allrounder, Saurashtra have unearthed and nurtured two – Prerak Mankad and Chirag Jani. Unadkat too has reinvented himself as a handy lower-order hitter. In between, they’ve helped wicketkeeper Harvik Desai, who played a crucial part in India’s Under-19 World Cup win in 2018, by backing him ahead of some tried and tested options. On top of all that, Sheldon Jackson is back.Saurashtra were unlucky at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, where they dominated the group phase before enduring a final-over heartbreak against Mumbai in the quarter-finals. Here, in the 50-over tournament, they have set the record straight, comprehensively beating two white-ball giants Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.Standing in their way is Maharashtra, fuelled by Ruturaj Gaikwad’s glut of runs and their itch to win a maiden List A title. They may be in uncharted territory, but Maharashtra are riding a wave of confidence like never before, overcoming stiff competition from Mumbai and Bengal to come through the group stage unscathed.File photo – Ruturaj Gaikwad comes into the final in red hot form•Maharashtra Cricket Association

Where Saurashtra have had different players step up and deliver, Maharashtra have relied almost solely on Gaikwad and Ankit Bawne’s power-packed show at the top of the order. Bawne has hit 571 runs in eight innings. Gaikwad is a shade behind with 552 in just four games, including a record-breaking 220* where he hit seven sixes in a single over. They are third and fourth on the top run-getters list this season.Like Saurashtra, Maharashtra too are punting big on a young allrounder – Rajvardhan Hangargekar. A success story from India’s Under-19 World Cup campaign, the 20-year-old brings with him the heady cocktail of lively pace and big muscles lower down the order. These have translated into two impact performances in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, apart from winning a game out of nowhere in the group stage when he hit the six Maharashtra needed off the last ball against Bengal.On Friday, one of them will walk away champions. If Saurashtra do, it will be another step towards becoming a formidable force across formats. If Maharashtra win, it’ll be the first step towards a larger goal of reclaiming their glory days of the past.

Form guide

Saurashtra WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Maharashtra WWWWW

In the spotlight

Sheldon Jackson has had a disappointing tournament by his standards. In nine innings, he’s managed all of 164 runs with a solitary half-century. He’s also been released from his IPL contract by Kolkata Knight Riders. With franchises keeping a close eye on the action, it’s a chance for him to once again prove that even at 36 he has what it takes. Oh, and the India selectors, whom he’s been sounding out time and again, will be watching too.Left-arm swing bowler Mukesh Choudhary has had a breakthrough year. Having made waves in the IPL under MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings, he would’ve been expected to spearhead the Maharashtra attack with some degree of success. That hasn’t been the case so for – he has only six wickets in six matches – but the final is another chance for him to deliver a knockout blow.File photo – Sheldon Jackson has had a disappointing campaign so far•PTI

Team news

Pujara, who was available for the group stage, won’t be playing the final. He’s with the India A team in Bangladesh preparing for a Test series. Saurashtra also won’t have the services of left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya, who is nursing a finger injury he picked up in the quarter-finals against Tamil Nadu.Saurashtra (probable): 1 Harvik Desai (wk), 2 Sheldon Jackson, 3 Jay Gohil, 4 Samarth Vyas, 5 Prerak Mankad, 6 Arpit Vasavada, 7 Chirag Jani, 8 Jaydev Unadkat (capt), 9 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, 10 Parth Bhuth, 11 Kushang PatelMaharashtra, meanwhile, won’t have the services of Rahul Tripathi, who is also away on national duty. He is one of two uncapped players part of India’s ODI squad for the three-match series in Bangladesh beginning December 4.Maharashtra (probable): 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 2 Pavan Shah, 3 Satyajeet Bachchav, 4 Ankit Bawne, 5 Azim Kazi, 6 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 7 Kaushal Tambe, 8 Shamshuzama Kazi, 9 Saurabh Nawale (wk), 10 Mukesh Choudhary, 11 Manoj Ingale

Pitch and conditions

With the match beginning at 9 am, the team winning the toss could claim the advantage of bowling on a moisture-laden surface. A red-soil strip will also aid good bounce and carry. It’s all set up for a fascinating contest between a fantastic Saurashtra seam-attack and a marauding Maharashtra batting line-up.

Stats and trivia

• When Gaikwad and Bawne hit their 11th Vijay Hazare Trophy century in the semi-final against Assam, they equalled Robin Uthappa’s tally for most centuries in the tournament’s history.
• Saurashtra have conceded an opening stand in excess of 35 just once in nine innings this tournament – the 214 against Hyderabad in the group phase.

They are the only team without a win in the World Cup so far, having lost their first three games

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2023Allrounder Angelo Mathews and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera will join Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad as travelling reserves.They are expected to link up with the team on Friday, ahead of Sri Lanka’s fourth league game against Netherlands in Lucknow on Saturday, but can only be drafted into the squad in case of an injury to a player. Fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana had missed their previous game because of a shoulder niggle.Sri Lanka are presently at the bottom of the points table, having lost their first three games against South Africa, Pakistan and Australia; they are the only side without a win in the tournament so far.Their captain Dasun Shanaka has already been ruled out of the tournament with a quadriceps tear, an injury that needs a recovery period of around three weeks, and he was replaced by allrounder Chamika Karunaratne. Kusal Mendis captained Sri Lanka against Australia in Shanaka’s absence.Chameera, 31, would have been a first-choice pick in Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad but was not fit enough for selection by the deadline. He last played for Sri Lanka in June against Afghanistan and in the warm-ups of the World Cup qualifier. After that, he was initially out with a torn pectoral muscle, which he suffered ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe. And, after recovering from that, he injured himself again in the Lanka Premier League in August.Mathews has not played an ODI since the first game of the home series against Afghanistan in June, and he last played for Sri Lanka in the Colombo Test against Pakistan in July. Sri Lanka are also without legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who was ruled out of the World Cup with an injury.

Glamorgan closing in on big win after claiming three second-innings wickets

ECB Reporters Network31-Aug-2024Leicestershire’s international pair Ajinkya Rahane and Peter Handscomb battled hard to give their side a chance of saving the game, after Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram had continued his batting masterclass.Rahane was 47 not out and Handscomb unbeaten on 33, Leicestershire 144 for 3, trailing by 155, when bad light stopped play with 21.2 scheduled overs remaining.Both the Indian and Australian were dropped by Glamorgan legspinner Mason Crane, two of his three dropped catches coming off his own bowling, in moments which may come back to haunt the home side as they chase victory on the final day.That was after Glamorgan had declared on 550 for 9, with a lead of 299, Ingram unbeaten on a personal best 257, Crane getting his day off to a better start with 49 runs to his name.Glamorgan started the day in a strong position and soon set about building on those solid foundations, with Colin Ingram carrying on as he had done over the previous two days.Having already notched his first ever double century, the fastest Glamorgan player to 1,000 runs in a season, he notched his first ever 250, confidently progressing in serene fashion.He had good support from Crane who was one short of a well deserved half century when he was dismissed in one of the most unfortunate ways possible.Ingram hit the ball firmly back down the ground, bowler Rehan Ahmed got a fingertip to the ball which went on to hit the stumps at the bowler’s end before Crane could regain his ground.New Zealander Fraser Sheat hit a breezy 34 while Ingram mainly watched on, Ned Leonard had one nice boundary before the declaration came just before lunch with Glamorgan nine down, 299 runs ahead on the first innings scores.Ingram was 257 not out, having been on the field for all but one ball of the match, batting just three minutes short of ten hours, as Glamorgan added 119 runs to their total during the morning.Leicestershire had a mountain to climb when they came out to bat, with their opening bowler, Ian Holland, also opening the batting.Both sides needed patience and Rishi Patel and Holland withstood an impressive opening salvo from Timm van der Gugten and Fraser Sheat.It was Dan Douthwaite who made the breakthrough, nipping one back to trap Patel LBW. Ned Leonard got the ball to nip back even more sharply to bowl Leicestershire captain Lewis Hill.Van der Gugten got in on the act with one which lifted outside off stump and Holland tamely lobbed it to point where Billy Root to the catch.That brought Indian Ajinkya Rahane and Australian Peter Handscomb together, who were always likely to form the nub of the resistance.Glamorgan had their chances as Rahane gave two caught and bowled opportunities to Mason Crane when on 32, but the leg spinner put them both down, the first low to his left and the second sharp to his right.Handscomb was on 26 when he pulled Sheat firmly in the air to midwicket where once again it was the unfortunate Crane who spilled the chance.There was confusion over bad light at the end of the day, but the early finish was inevitable after the umpires tried to come back on for 10 balls only to be forced to call events off in the growing gloom.

ECB defend “thorough and rigorous” process as sale prepares to get underway this week

Matt Roller28-Jan-2025Prospective investors in Hundred franchises have expressed their frustration with the ECB’s sales process, which will be determined by final bids in the next two weeks. Bidders fear that the efforts they have put into building relationships with potential partners over the past five months may have been wasted, with the process ultimately determined by “pure financial factors”.The ECB invited bids for 49% stakes in each of the eight Hundred teams in early September, in a sales process being run by the US-based Raine Group and Deloitte. The board said that the process has the dual aim of attracting “strategic partners” for the Hundred’s future success while ensuring the “long-term financial sustainability” of English domestic cricket.The final round of the process will start on Thursday, as ESPNcricinfo revealed, after each host venue chose a shortlist of potential partners to run their franchise as a joint-venture. The highest bidder from each shortlist will enter into a period of exclusivity following either sealed bids (if two bidders remain) or an auction (if three or more remain).Some prospective investors have raised their frustrations that the final stage of the process will be determined by a straightforward financial offer. This has come as a surprise to some bidders, who believed that host venues would consider all final-round offers and choose their preferred partner based on the extensive discussions they have held over the past five months.”It’s coming down to the highest number wins,” an associate close to a bid team told ESPNcricinfo. “If that’s been the case from the start, then such a drawn-out and confusing process could have been avoided. We, like many, have a compelling case that goes beyond pure financial factors.”The bidders in this process are very successful people both from the sporting and business worlds. But the whole thing has been unpredictable, and has changed throughout, which has been concerning. This is such a crucial moment in time for the game in England: let’s hope all things have been considered with regards to partnerships versus financial gain.”

ECB defend ‘thorough and rigorous’ process

The ECB denies that the sales will simply be a case of the highest bidder winning, and defended their process as “thorough and rigorous”. They argue that the first two stages of the process saw more than 100 initial expressions of interest cut down significantly in collaboration with the eight host venues, depending on their preferences, with some lucrative offers counted out.Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, has previously dismissed criticisms of the process, describing it as investors trying to “negotiate through the media”. An ECB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo: “This has been a thorough and rigorous process, with each host venue choosing its own shortlist of potential partners based on who they would like to work with, not making purely financial decisions.”Our aims have always been to attract interest from a diverse range of parties with relevant skills and expertise to help the Hundred continue to grow, and to maximise value for the whole game. We have had a huge amount of interest and engagement from a wide range of interested parties, and we recognise that this leaves a number of disappointed parties who will not be successful.”The ECB also insisted that all remaining bidders in the process have submitted bids at each stage of the process. Several prospective investors have queried the recent emergence of a bid from a Silicon Valley tech consortium – led by Nikesh Arora and including the CEOs of Google, Microsoft and Adobe – but the board insisted there have been no late entrants since the initial first-round deadline of October 18.Another member of a bid team told ESPNcricinfo that they have found the process “complex” and that they feel miscommunication has led to “confusion” among prospective investors. But they added: “I respect what the ECB are doing. They are trying to maximise what they can get from this. They have to do everything they can on that front.”Related

• Surrey to retain majority stake in Oval Invincibles as negotiations with Reliance begin

• Ends justify the means for ECB as Hundred's millions prepare to roll in

• Tom Brady stardust comes to cricket with Birmingham Phoenix acquisition

• Mumbai Indians owners win bid for 49% stake in Oval Invincibles

• Investors face live auction for in-demand Hundred franchises

Richard Thompson, the ECB chairman, referred to a minimum target of raising £350 million through the sales process in November. ECB sources have indicated this relates to an early benchmark set for the minimum value of 100% of the eight franchises. Proceeds from the 49% stakes sold will be split among the 18 first-class counties, MCC and the recreational game in England and Wales.Thompson has also ruled out an “IPL takeover” of the Hundred. The owners of at least five Indian franchises – including CVC, the private equity firm who run Gujarat Titans – are understood to be in the final round of bidding, but several US-based investors are also in contention, including Sanjay Govil, the owner of Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket, and Avram Glazer, the co-chair of Manchester United.Gould said last month that the funds raised would safeguard county cricket’s finances for the next “20 to 25 years” The ECB is putting “guard-rails” in place to ensure that the counties spend the money in a sustainable way: paying off debt, building reserves or investing in long-term projects.

Holland had been a chance to play the first Test but an injured finger halted that

AAP02-Jul-2022Ashton Agar’s hopes of an Australian Test recall in Sri Lanka are over after failing to recover from a side strain.Agar was ruled out of the second Test on Saturday morning with Australia bringing Jon Holland into their 17-man squad.He had been considered a serious chance of playing in the series in Sri Lanka despite not featuring in a Test since 2017. He was hurt in Australia’s opening one-day international three weeks ago.Related

• Australia could play Maxwell at No. 8 in second Test

• Left-arm spinner Jon Holland in the frame for shock Test recall

• Australia's rare high with spin, Sri Lanka's shortest innings

• Adaptable Australia make further strides on subcontinent mission

Agar’s absence means Mitchell Swepson will likely keep his spot when the second Test starts on Friday. Legspinner Swepson claimed three wickets in the first innings of the opening Test and two in the second as Australia posted a 10-wicket win.”I was really happy with Swepo,” Australia’s captain Pat Cummins said. “A couple of key breakthroughs in the first innings and then [on Friday], top order wickets. Really valuable.He controlled the tempo of the game, he had some batters come really hard at him. I thought he bowled beautifully.”Holland’s inclusion in the squad comes after a finger injury. Also rated a chance to play in Galle as part of the wider touring party, Holland was not considered as he battled discomfort. His injury has healed, leaving him some chance to play his first Test since 2018 in the series finale.

India offspinner also raises concerns over the quality of the white Kookaburra ball used for bilateral series and IPL, as compared to the ones used in ICC events

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2023R Ashwin was almost certain that India would win the World Cup on November 19. But the “tactical brilliance and tactical execution” of Australia captain Pat Cummins meant India finished as runners-up, as Australia won their their sixth World Cup. This was Ashwin’s review of the final, which he spoke about vividly on his YouTube channel this week.”Pat Cummins was struggling as an ODI bowler heading into the World Cup. But in the last four or five games leading into the final, nearly 50% of the balls he bowled were cutters,” Ashwin said.”In the final – I don’t know how many people explained it on TV – Cummins bowled to a four-five leg-side field like an offspinner, bowling the stump line. But he bowled only three balls in the six-meter mark or further up on the pitch in his entire ten-over spell. [He] knocked off crucial wickets in the final. The five fielders on the on side were square leg, midwicket, mid-on, deep square leg and long leg, and he bowled his ten overs without a mid-off.”Related

• Rohit: 'It was not so easy to just move on' from World Cup final defeat

• India vs Australia T20I series: Suryakumar and Head in the spotlight

• New format, new teams, a bit more India vs Australia

• Cummins: An Aussie World Cup winning captain like no other

Despite having a predominantly leg-side field without a mid-off in place, Cummins did not concede a single boundary and finished with figures of 2 for 34. The two wickets were those of Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli; Iyer was done in by the low bounce on a length ball while Kohli played one on while trying to steer a back-of-a-length ball to deep third. Those strikes went a long way in restricting India to 240 in Ahmedabad.”Cummins’ execution should be applauded,” Ashwin said. “It is easy to plan to bowl to a leg-side field. It is easier to bowl that way in a Test match because the umpires will not call a wide even if you bowl a couple of balls down leg.”But to not bowl a wide down leg in an ODI, execute the plans with that field and not allow batters to drive the ball is brilliant. In my experience, I have seen bowlers go for at least one or two fours with such a field.”It was the first time I saw a fast bowler bowl to an offspinner’s field without a mid-off in a one-day game. Tactical brilliance, tactical execution. They had us there.”Cummins’ decision to bowl first in the final caught many by surprise•ICC via Getty Images

Why Australia put India to bat

A key factor behind Cummins and other Australian fast bowlers deploying the cutters was the slow pitch for the final. The strip had already hosted the India-Pakistan match on October 14, and Australia, on the eve of the final, had feared it would help the Indian spinners. Having called right at toss, Cummins elected to field, leaving everyone surprised.Ashwin would later understand the exact reason behind Cummins’ decision when he ran into Australia chief selector George Bailey at the halfway mark.”I was looking at the pitch in mid-innings break when Bailey came around. I asked him why they chose to bowl first when Australia generally bat first in finals,” Ashwin said. “[Bailey] said, ‘we have played IPL for many years, toured here for bilateral series. As per our experience in India, red soil disintegrates but black soil becomes better to bat under lights. It is tough [to bat] in red soil under lights, too.”In Lucknow against South Africa, the pitch was a red soil one. Under lights, the ball not just seamed but also spun. Even dew does not have much impact on red soil whereas on black soil, the ball turns in the afternoon but becomes (flat) like concrete [under lights]. That is our experience’.”

‘Need same Kookaburra balls in bilateral series and IPL like in ICC events’

Ashwin also raised concerns over the quality of the white Kookaburra ball used for bilateral series and IPL as compared to the ones used in ICC events. He said that the ones used in bilaterals and IPL lost shape easily and also absorbed moisture unlike the ones in ICC events.”I have observed in ICC events that whether the spinner rotates it or whether a fast bowler bowls, the ball lands on the seam and goes on. Whereas in bilateral series or IPL, the ball [loses shape and] becomes like a round vessel, a lemon or even an egg.”Sometimes when the ball is kept in a storeroom, it catches a lot of moisture and soaks water and changes shape and changes quality [easily]. If the ball is given in the same quality [as in ICC events] in bilateral series and IPL, it will make a difference, because selections are based on performances in these bilateral series and the IPL. It will be the right test for batters and bowlers.”

Head coach believes new regime shouldn’t carry the can for racism scandal

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2023Ottis Gibson, Yorkshire’s head coach, has questioned the logic of punishing the club’s new regime for past failings, after the ECB recommended a £500,000 fine and points deductions at Tuesday’s hearing of the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC).Gibson, the first Black head coach in Yorkshire’s history, was appointed in January 2022 following the sacking of 16 members of the club’s back-room staff, including his predecessor Andrew Gale and the director of cricket, Martyn Moxon.That decision was taken by the since-departed chairman, Lord Kamlesh Patel, whose own appointment had come in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s explosive testimony before a parliamentary select committee in November 2021, at which he had laid out his experience of institutional racism at the club.The fall-out from the scandal left Yorkshire facing bankruptcy, with the ECB suspending their major-match hosting status (a move since reversed), while a swathe of leading sponsors also severed ties with the club – including Emerald, Headingley’s title sponsors, and Nike, the kit suppliers.And while Gibson acknowledged that some form of punishment was inevitable, he described the proposed sanctions as “harsh” – not least because the club, currently in the bottom three of the County Championship but in contention for a knock-out berth in the T20 Blast – has already played a significant portion of the season while knowing that their fate had yet to be decided.Given that promotion back to the top flight of the County Championship already seems unlikely, the ECB’s proposed hit of 48-72 points might not affect the club’s status much beyond prize money. However, the proposed 4-6 point deduction for the T20 Blast would almost certainly prove the difference in the race for the quarter-finals. Yorkshire are currently fifth on 13 points, just one point behind their arch-rivals Lancashire in second place, whom they play on Friday.Related

• Yorkshire fined £400,000, handed points deductions following racism charges

• Colin Graves withdraws from running to become Yorkshire chair

• Colin Graves insists he witnessed no racism during his tenure at Yorkshire

• English establishment must listen and learn in wake of ICEC report

• ECB requests £500,000 fine, points deductions in Yorkshire racism case

“If you remember when I came here in March last year and this whole investigation was going on, I said, ‘It would be nice of them to let us know before the start of the season what sanctions there were going to be’,” Gibson told the ECB Reporters Network.”We’re sat here the following June and we’re still not sure what it is or isn’t. It’s frustrating because a lot of change has taken place here at Yorkshire, including myself being here.”I feel like when this thing all started many years ago, long before I got here, the club was stripped of international cricket because of what had gone on.”Then the ECB said, ‘If you want international cricket back, you have to satisfy us that you’re doing these things’. They gave the club a list of things, and Lord Patel came in and made some tough and uncomfortable decisions I would imagine.”We got our international cricket back, which would seem to me to suggest that we’d satisfied the ECB and done the things they asked us to do in the first place.”So to sanction a group of people who are trying to move the club forward doesn’t seem to me to make sense. It would be naive to think that we’re not going to get some sort of punishment, but it does seem a bit harsh.”That’s my position as the coach of a fairly new group of players.”

A comprehensive all-round performance helped Pakistan clinch the low-scoring encounter

Danyal Rasool02-May-2024Pakistan secured their first win of the tour, beating West Indies by eight wickets after a comprehensive all-round performance. It came thanks to a clinical all-round performance after the visitors won the toss and batted first, with Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar taking three wickets each to skittle West Indies out for 84. There were no real jitters in the chase despite the manner of Pakistan’s defeat in the third T20I, and, spearheaded by Ayesha Zafar, they eased to victory with 21 balls to spare.A day after Pakistan named a near-unchanged squad for the upcoming tour of England, the players repaid that faith with what was by far the most impressive performance of the tour. Despite the series having slipped out of Pakistan’s reach, they began with a sharpness and urgency that belied how little was truly on the line.Qina Joseph was caught out of her crease off Iqbal and stumped first ball to set the tone. But it was the wicket of Hayley Matthews, West Indies’ talismanic captain and the outstanding performer of the series, that gave Pakistan true belief. After an uncharacteristic struggle, she was caught off Fatima Sana’s bowling after managing just a run in nine balls.Shemaine Campbelle was the only batter who scored runs and pushed the run rate up but was run out at an inopportune time after a 20-ball 26. The dismissal opened the floodgates as Pakistan took complete control thereafter, with four wickets falling for as many runs towards the death overs as West Indies stuttered along to 84 for 9.Pakistan had made hard work of an eminently gettable target late on in the third T20I, but there appeared no such danger today right from the outset. A breezy cameo from Sidra Ameen set the tone early, and when she and Muneeba Ali fell in quick succession, Zafar and Gull Feroza took complete control. Zafar in particular was in great touch finding the gaps and the occasional boundary to keep the score ticking over. Some sloppiness leaked into West Indies’ game as two relatively simple catches were put down off Matthews’ bowling, but in truth, the game was a foregone conclusion by then.Appropriately, the game ended with one of the shots of the day from Zafar, who lofted a half-volley over mid-on for an elegant boundary to make the win official.

Pakistan’s IPC ministry asks for “immediate termination of services of all heads of institutions appointed on political basis”

Danyal Rasool23-Aug-2023Political developments could make their impact felt on the PCB yet again after Pakistan’s Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) ministry sent a note to the Prime Minister’s office that places the spotlight on the future of PCB head Zaka Ashraf.The letter references guidelines issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, asking to “ensure immediate termination of services of all heads of institutions appointed on political basis and to send all such cases to the commission for approval of termination or otherwise”. Ashraf is highlighted as the first such case worthy of consideration, denoting him as a political appointee with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).The letter was signed off by the secretary of the IPC, Ahmed Orakzai, on August 15, and was addressed to the caretaker government, but only came to light a week later. The caretaker Prime Minister, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, was appointed the day before the communication was written. It is worth noting that the IPC, the ministry which sent the note to the PM’s office, does not currently have a sitting minister and in such cases, the PM assumes temporary charge of the ministry; effectively, Kakar is head of the ministry that issued the letter, as well as the one that received it.While caretaker governments have historically shown little desire to interfere with the workings of the PCB, there are reasons to believe it could be different this time around. The primary task of caretaker governments in Pakistan is to facilitate conditions for elections to be held within 90 days. But days after the caretaker government was set up, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced that elections scheduled for no later than November would be postponed by several months. That means this caretaker government could take on the role of a regular government, and make decisions on a wider remit of things beyond just election preparations.While the note was issued over a week ago, serious ramifications have not yet been felt at the PCB. The board officials are confident that Ashraf’s position remains safe, and ESPNcricinfo understands that the government had offered the current PCB setup assurances they were not looking to bring about changes at the top. A PCB source criticised what it called “the recent campaign against the PCB’s head” as “malafide”, and said it was intended “to destabilise Pakistan cricket”.It has been pointed out that Ashraf resigned from the PPP on June 19, and therefore could not be considered a political appointee. It was also pointed out that the PCB has never played any part in Pakistan’s national or federal elections, and thus no caretaker government had any cause to make changes at the board.Ashraf was approved as head of a management committee by former PM Shahbaz Sharif to take charge at the PCB for a period of four months in July, after Najam Sethi resigned from the position. At the time, the political implications of the move were significant, with Sethi specifically citing a desire not to cause a rift between the PML(N)’s leader Shahbaz Sharif, and the PPP leader Asif Zardari, with the latter preferring Ashraf to Sethi as PCB head.In the coalition between the two parties, the sports ministry was held by Zardari’s PPP government, who insisted that meant they had the right to appoint a PCB head of choice. Two weeks later, Ashraf assumed charge at the helm of the PCB.

From coaching badges to Steve Smith bunny memes, seamer reflects on how far he’s come

Matt Roller24-Jul-2023Josh Tongue would have spent the 2023 summer coaching but for a specialist diagnosing a nerve problem in his shoulder last year. Instead, he has made his England debut, played an Ashes Test and been sent memes depicting Steven Smith as his bunny.”I don’t think it’s really sunk in at the minute,” Tongue said. “Being out for so long with my shoulder, having two operations on it, not knowing what I was going to be doing and maybe retiring, then getting that call-up for the Ireland Test, words can’t really describe how I felt. Now, being in the Ashes squad, it just feels so surreal.”Tongue qualified as a Level 2 coach early in his career and, if the shoulder issue which kept him out of the game for 14 months between June 2021 and August 2022 had not been resolved, he would have quit the professional game and followed a different career path.Related

• Josh Tongue: 'I needed a change at this stage of my career'

• No regrets for Stokes but Old Trafford draw will hurt

• England name unchanged squad for Oval Ashes Test

“I would have gone into coaching,” he said. “I’d have kept doing my badges.” He suggested he would have tapped into “a few contacts” at his old school, King’s Worcester, or worked with the former Worcestershire batter Gavin Haynes, whose son Jack has played alongside Tongue at the county and for England Lions.”It’s a bit different: doing a bit of coaching or playing for England in an Ashes series. It’s very weird. I don’t think it’s really sunk in at the minute. It’s just crazy: where I was two years ago to now. Obviously as a young kid, I dreamed of being in an Ashes series. Now I’m in one, it’s just an amazing feeling.”Tongue grew up watching James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowling; now, he is in contention to replace one of them in the fifth Test at The Kia Oval, starting on Thursday. “It’s just amazing to be in the training, training with them and learning from them,” he said, speaking before the fourth Test at a #Funds4Runs session organised by LV= Insurance at Stockport Georgians Cricket Club.”The first couple of weeks in the squad, I was trying to find my feet, not asking too many questions as the new kid on the block. I feel like now I’m getting to know everyone, getting a bit more confidence with everyone in the squad, I can ask those questions.”It’s different when you’re in competition. There’s not much training between each Test match, so I try and take as much out of it as I can. Being on the pitch with Jimmy and Broady at Lord’s, them being at mid-on and mid-off, [I tried to] just tap into anything they can offer.”Josh Tongue at a #Funds4Runs session at Stockport Georgians Cricket Club•LV= Insurance/#Funds4Runs

Tongue finished the Lord’s Test with figures of 5 for 151 in the match, bowling a prolonged spell of bouncers on the fourth day and dismissing David Warner and Steven Smith in both innings. “I didn’t think I’d play at Lord’s and that first day, coming through the Long Room and hearing the national anthem, I thought, ‘Wow! I’m actually playing in the Ashes.'”Having earlier trapped him lbw in a County Championship game, Tongue has dismissed Smith in three innings out of three this summer. “I did see a little picture of him in the corner, me, and then a rabbit – something like that,” he said, laughing. “I have seen some funny stuff on Twitter.”The one at Worcester, I did a bit of analyst work against him and tried to mix up the angles. He does draw you in and goes off his stumps. I tried not to play to his strengths which is obviously when you try to bowl straight, he’ll clip you through the leg side.”I feel like bowling that fourth or fifth stump and trying to bore him and force him to do something wrong [is the way to go] and obviously that happened in the first innings. Then, in the second, he was bumped out. It’s just so good to bowl against him, really.”Tongue generally bowls in the mid-80s mph but has touched 90mph/145kph at times this summer, and has enjoyed the novelty of looking up at his speeds on big screens. “I was trying not to look too much but you naturally look sometimes and it was great to get up to that sort of speed,” he said.”It’s a nice feeling. Growing up as a kid, you want to bowl as fast as you can so getting up to 90mph is a nice little achievement. I’m a big rhythm bowler: when I’m bowling at my best, I don’t try too hard. My skills, my height, my bounce, my pace… when I don’t try to bowl too quick, and my attributes kind of sink in.”He has only played at The Oval once before, in a high-scoring draw in 2018, but fresh from a five-wicket haul in Worcestershire’s win against Leicestershire, Tongue is confident that he can make an impact there if selected this week. “From Lord’s, knowing I bowled nicely there, I’ll take confidence for maybe playing at The Oval.”Josh Tongue was speaking on behalf of LV= Insurance, title sponsors of this summer’s LV= Insurance Ashes Series. Head to https://www.lv.com/gi/cricket to find out more