England coach Matthew Mott warns captain won’t be risked in fifth T20I

Matt Roller26-Sep-2022England will not take any risks with Jos Buttler’s fitness during the Lahore leg of their Pakistan tour as they look to ease him back from a calf injury sustained playing in the Hundred last month.Buttler was never in contention to play in the first four T20Is in Karachi and, even with the series level at 2-2, he will not be considered for selection in the fifth game on Wednesday, the first of three at the Gaddafi Stadium.He has played an active role at training on the tour and acted as 12th man during Pakistan’s three-run victory on Sunday night, and clarified upon arrival in the country that he felt it was important to travel “whether fit to play the games or not”.”With regards to Jos, he’s still a while off,” Matthew Mott, England’s coach, said on Sunday night. “He’s not a player we want to take a risk on at this stage, so close to a World Cup, and it was a reasonably significant injury that he had.Related

• England T20 squad living in the now with an eye on the future

• Haris Rauf closes out a thriller as Pakistan square series in three-run win

• Batting order, bowling chaos, as clash of ideologies creates a classic encounter

• Fast, just fast: Rauf stirs Karachi's primal instincts

“He’s champing at the bit for a game but we’ll just try and see how we go: maybe in the last game or two, he might be a chance.”England’s last-gasp defeat on Sunday night meant that the series is squared heading into the Lahore leg of the trip – both teams travelled on Monday afternoon – and Mott added that playing in “high-pressure situations” would serve as ideal preparation for the World Cup next month.”We couldn’t ask for better preparation than games like tonight [Sunday] where it’s all on the line with a couple of overs to go and players are under pressure. To play in high-pressure situations in front of a big crowd that was right into the game [is great].”Yes, we would love to have won, but I think when you head into a World Cup, you want to play against good opposition in tough games and it’s been every bit of that.”

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.

Crucial decision goes against Pakistan as umpire’s soft-signal comes under scrutiny again

Danyal Rasool12-Dec-2022Ollie Pope’s diving catch down the leg-side to dismiss Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel cost Pakistan and shouldn’t have been given out, according to Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Speaking after Pakistan succumbed to a 26-run defeat in Multan that confirmed a series loss to England, Babar said it appeared as if the ball had touched the ground”The Shakeel dismissal cost us,” he said. “It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire’s decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded.”Related

• Mark Wood feels the ache of satisfaction after providing the speed that England need

• Mark Wood makes the difference as England seal the series in 26-run thriller

• England seek to sweep away the mystery

• Abrar: come for the mystery, stay for the legspin

• Pakistan, and the curious case of collapsing on flat tracks

Shakeel’s dismissal came at a vital juncture in the match, with lunch approaching and Pakistan reasonably positioned to pull off their second-highest fourth-innings run-chase. Pakistan required another 64 runs to win when Shakeel – six runs away from a hundred – pulled at a short ball outside leg stump, getting a tickle on it. Pope dived to his right to snare it low off the ground, although the replays suggested significant uncertainty as to whether the catch was clean.Part of the frustration of Shakeel’s dismissal was down to the manner in which the decision was reached, with Aleem Dar sending a soft signal of “out” to third umpire Joel Wilson. Wilson ended up sticking with it to confirm the dismissal.Despite discussions among the ICC Full Members around the protocols surrounding the on-field soft-signal, there has been no change to the playing conditions itself (the IPL has scrapped the soft-signal). The regulations continue to state that in the event of “inconclusive replay evidence, the on-field decision communicated at the start of the consultation process shall stand”.The TV umpire does review the footage and has complete authority to make his/her decision independent of the soft signal. Increasingly the trend among match officials has been to offer clarity to any decision and one way they have agreed to do that is to avoid using language that reflects that – so words such as ‘conclusive’ or ‘inconclusive’ referring to evidence have been removed from the radio communication between the TV and on-field umpires and instead, the former simply conveys his own decision as either out or not out.The issue is likely to be on the agenda of the ICC’s cricket committee when it next meets in March.”I think it’s for the umpires to decide [if the soft signal should be done away with],” Babar said. “Like I said, we felt the ball was grounded.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Pakistan dressing-room’s reaction was one of disbelief after Shakeel’s dismissal was upheld, revealing both surprise and a sense of the importance of the moment. Control of the match switched hands once and for all, with England taking the final three wickets with Pakistan still well away from the target.England captain Ben Stokes was more equivocal in his view. Immediately after the match, he said he felt there weren’t any doubts about the ball carrying, but also pointed out those sorts of decisions could end up going either way.”I don’t think [there were any doubts about the catch], personally,” he said. “The only thing where you start worrying is when it gets looked at for a long period of time because that’s when you start having doubt in your own head. I’ve been part of games before where I’ve been on the team who’s been on the receiving end of those decisions and you’re always like, ‘that’s not carried’.”You see a lot of lot of those decisions and those type of catches in cricket. You could say the similar thing was when Rooty got caught at short leg – you could say that might have touched the floor. But you’ve just got to go with what the umpire’s decision is. It went our way but I’ve been involved in a few decisions where stuff like that has gone against us. But you can’t change that.”The man at the centre of the controversy was certain the ball had reached him on the full but admitted that, after that, it was hard to be sure.”I knew it had carried,” Pope said. “I didn’t think it had bounced before. As a keeper when you’ve got the gloves on you honestly can’t tell. I didn’t think it had touched the ground after. When you have gloves on you feel it go in but that’s it.”

Hardik to lead in Rohit’s absence; no changes in the red-ball squad for the remaining two Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2023Rohit Sharma will miss the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia because of family commitments. In his absence, vice-captain Hardik Pandya will lead the side in Mumbai on March 17. This will be the first time Hardik will captain India in ODIs.There were no changes to the red-ball squad for the last two Tests of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where India have retained the trophy after taking a 2-0 lead. However, the selection committee, currently without a chairman after Chetan Sharma’s resignation, did not name a vice-captain; KL Rahul was Rohit’s deputy for the first two Tests but there have been concerns over his form. In his last five Tests, Rahul has 117 runs at an average of 13, with a best of 23.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jaydev Unadkat, who was released ahead of the second Test for the Ranji Trophy final, is back in the squad. Earlier in the day, Unadkat led Saurashtra to their second Ranji title in three seasons. There was more good news for him: he found a place in India’s ODI side as well. He will be competing with Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik and Shardul Thakur for a slot in the playing XI.Unadkat played the last of his seven ODIs back in 2013 but he has been on the selectors’ radar for quite some time now. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the selectors were impressed by his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy recently, where he was the highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps from ten games, and helped Saurashtra win the title.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ravindra Jadeja, who made a dream comeback to Test cricket after a five-month layoff following a knee surgery, also returned to the ODI fold. So did Shreyas Iyer, after missing the ODIs against New Zealand and the first Test against Australia with a back injury. That meant there was no place for Shahbaz Ahmed and Rajat Patidar who were part of the ODI squad for the New Zealand series.Jasprit Bumrah continued to miss out as he recovers from his back injury.India’s Test squad for third and fourth Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev UnadkatIndia’s squad for ODIs against Australia: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Jaydev Unadkat

Pakistan’s batting struggled again against the discipline of the home attack

Tristan Lavalette18-Jan-2023Quick Darcie Brown led a disciplined attack then fellow teenagerPhoebe Litchfield hit another half-century as Australia thrashed Pakistan at the Allan Border Field to wrap up the three-match women’s ODI series.Electing to bat in Brisbane’s sunny conditions, Pakistan struggled to fire in a must-win game two after losing the series opener by eight wickets in a rain-affected contest reduced to 40 overs per side. They were bowled out for just 125 after 43 overs with Brown snaring three wickets to lead a well-balanced attack.In reply, Australia powered to an effortless 10-wicket victory inside 20 overs with impressive 19-year-old Litchfield smashing 67 off 61 balls and Beth Mooney finishing 57 not out.Coming off her 78 not out on ODI debut, Litchfield struggled early against probing bowling from quick Fatima Sana before getting off the mark in style with a sweet cover drive.She was dominant from there and played mostly orthodox, but unleashed several scoop shots to showcase her range of strokes.Having made just one run in the series opener, Mooney was keen to make amends and started in style with a boundary off the first ball. She didn’t need to take risks and toyed with Pakistan’s struggling bowlers.Mooney was mostly overshadowed by Litchfield, who played with a maturity beyond her years to become the first Australian women’s batter to compile consecutive half-centuries in their first two ODIs.It was a major disappointment for Pakistan, who are still seeking an elusive victory against all-conquering Australia in any format.The series will conclude at North Sydney Oval on Saturday before a trio of T20Is to wrap up Pakistan’s first bilateral series in Australia since 2014.It was an improved performance from Australia’s quicks, who were notably wayward in the opening game in a push for extra swing.Seamer Kim Garth made her ODI debut for Australia and replaced Megan Schutt, who has a niggle with her knee and is being managed ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup.Garth opened the attack and bowled a maiden first up in an exceptional start. She continued to bowl a back of a length and found late swing during a tidy five-over spell during the first powerplay. Garth finished wicketless, but conceded just 13 runs from eight overs. She played 34 ODIs for Ireland from 2010-2018 before moving to Australia seeking full-time opportunities.Pakistan were unable to build partnerships with a number of their batters failing to capitalise on starts much like in game one.After opener Sidra Ameen fell in the second over, Muneeba Ali started slowly and had a reprieve when Litchfield dropped a chance at second slip before hitting Brown for a couple of powerful boundaries.Moving around the crease trying to disrupt the bowlers, Muneeba’s aggressive approach backfired when she miss-hit spinner Ash Gardner to cover point.Pakistan’s bid for a competitive total nosedived when skipper Bismah Maroof was trapped lbw to seamer Annabel Sutherland for 21.The burden again fell on veteran Nida Dar, who top-scored for Pakistan in game one with a half-century, and she had a reprieve on 16 when Brown dropped a return catch. But Dar’s luck ended on 24 when she was run out at the non-striker’s end after a touch from Garth in her follow through deflected onto the stumps.Pakistan fell away as their barren run against Australia continued.

Healy, McGrath fifties go in vain as Mumbai continue winning run with fourth win in four games

Zenia D'cunha12-Mar-20235:58

What was the ‘double review’ all about?

Who can stop Mumbai Indians in the WPL?At the halfway point of the league stage, the answer is: No one. Yet, at any rate.UP Warriorz were the only team not to have played, and therefore not to have lost, to Mumbai and the set was completed on Sunday at a packed Brabourne Stadium.Mumbai have now played four and won four with the following margins: 143 runs (Gujarat Giants), nine wickets (Royal Challengers Bangalore), eight wickets (Delhi Capitals), and eight wickets (Warriorz). Comprehensive, each of them.But don’t let this latest lopsided-looking result fool you. The win over Warriorz was not as straightforward as it might seem. Harmanpreet Kaur (53 off 33 balls) stood tall and produced a remarkable knock that made a tricky chase look easy, but it could well have been tougher. That it wasn’t, when Mumbai were finally tested, was down to their captain and their other trump card, the purple-cap holder Saika Ishaque.The match, and Mumbai’s prowess, might perhaps be best summed up with the tale of two overs. One bowled by Ishaque, one faced by Harmanpreet.Two overs. Two players who are on the opposite sides of the spectrum of Indian cricket. Two (more) reasons why Mumbai have been unstoppable.Saika Ishaque starred with three wickets•BCCI

Saika Ishaque takes out Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath

In the first innings, Warriorz were cruising at 138 for 2 after 16 overs, and looking good for a big total, with Alyssa Healy past fifty and Tahlia McGrath almost there. Ishaque then came in for her last over, having been at the receiving end of Healy’s aggression a fair bit earlier.”Bowler , wicket (I am a bowler, I am here to take wickets),” she had famously said when she got the purple cap for the first time this season. It’s exactly what she did.
On the third ball, she dismissed Healy lbw for 58. Two balls later, she got McGrath stumped for 50. Cool as you please.She finished her spell with figures of 3 for 33, ensuring the purple cap remains firmly with her. Warriorz could only manage 159 in the end, a gettable target.Harmanpreet Kaur upped her scoring rate after a cautious start•BCCI

Harmanpreet Kaur amps it up

Then Mumbai were in a spot of bother at 72 for 2, after an uncharacteristically slow 17-ball 12 from Hayley Mathews and Yastika Bhatia falling after a good start (42 off 27). Warriorz’s spin, which had set up their previous win, was working well on a pitch that had started aiding turn, Harmanpreet and Nat Sciver-Brunt were yet to get off the mark, and the asking rate was climbing.It was still on Mumbai’s side at 88 needed from 60 balls, but Harmanpreet had taken six balls to get off the mark. She then got a stroke of luck when she was on seven. Anjali Sarvani bowled a slower one on leg stump, which seemed to graze the stumps, the bail lit up, but stayed put.Harmanpreet rode this luck to play a knock to remember.It was the 16th over, McGrath’s first. After the first ball, Sciver-Brunt was checked for concussion. One has to wonder what was discussed in the brief break because when Harmanpreet took strike again, she completely changed the game in just four balls with a four, six, four, four sequence, the six over cover such an effortlessly clean hit that it will go down as a shot-of-the-tournament contender.She took six balls to get off the mark, but got to her fifty is 31 balls. She scored 36 runs in the last 12 balls she faced. Sciver-Brunt (45 off 31) and Harmanpreet ensured that Mumbai had yet another big win in the bag, and one foot straight in the final.Just Harmanpreet things. Just Mumbai Indians things.