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Hashim Amla explains his evolution as an international cricketer, the challenges of leading a side, how he deals with doubt and answers whether he can actually get angry

Interview by Mohammad Isam29-Jul-20152:47

‘Test cricket is not for the faint hearted’ – Amla

Captaincy came to you a year ago and you have made a good start. How do you see your development?
I have been playing international cricket for almost 11-12 years. The first ten years have been under Graeme Smith. He is probably the best captain that I have played under. He was not the only captain that I played under. There were guys like Dale Benkenstein, who was captain in my domestic team [Dolphins] and a few other guys along the way. I think, from a personal point of view, it is only natural for me to learn from everybody with whom I was involved. Last year the captaincy came up, and I was fortunate to be captain of this team.

During the age-groups, for some reason, I found myself in the captaincy position. I think that type of upbringing almost forces captaincy never to leave

Captaincy itself is not something that you can finish, like you read a book and finish and you know everything. I am sure if you asked great captains of the world they will tell you that you will keep learning as your career progresses. It has only been one year, seven Test matches. For me it has also been a learning experience. I have inherited a very well-polished Test team that has been doing well. Last year we managed to put in some good performances, notably Sri Lanka which is a difficult place to play. But we did exceptionally well. I think we exceeded expectations especially after losing Smith and Jacques Kallis.On this tour you are seeing, for the first time, the real effects of having lost three big guys – Smith, Kallis and Alviro Peterson. Now when you look at our Test team you see a lot of new faces. Many people around the world will probably put the TV on and say Simon Harmer, who is that? Dean Elgar, he’s played a couple of games; Stiaan van Zyl, who’s that? Temba Bavuma, who’s that? It is a very, very new team and in Test cricket when you have new faces, it is actually a big change. It is not as big a change in one-day cricket and T20s.Since we had such a settled Test team over the last eight-nine years, we are now in a bit of a transition phase. The challenge for us is to try and maintain winning performances and nurture these guys so that when we leave, they can keep going.You have led in age-group cricket and for Natal at the age of 21. Did it come naturally to you?
During the age-groups, for some reason, I found myself in the captaincy position. I think that type of upbringing almost forces captaincy never to leave. Even when Graeme was captain, I found myself giving him ideas many times. It is just what happens: the mind never stops thinking on the field. Before taking the captaincy last year, I resisted it. I was vice-captain for the ODI team. Graeme’s retirement was a surprising one, most of us didn’t expect it. And something in me said why not? This may be a good time to explore this avenue of my career.It certainly makes the game very exciting; lot more to think about and few issues to deal with, which at this stage of my career [I can handle] having [had] the experience of a batsman for 10 years. If there’s any value I would like to add as a captain, I would like to add it.I certainly wouldn’t like to leave South Africa cricket with a feeling in my heart that I have not given all that I have to offer. And I don’t know what I have to offer. As the years progress probably, it will become clearer to me and the team and hopefully we have a successful tenure from now on until I finish.Hashim Amla said batting has an element of luck involved, and the only thing he can do is concentrate on preparing himself as best as he could to take advantage of it•AFPYou refused captaincy in the New Zealand series. What was the thinking behind that?
I was vice-captain. I just felt like I didn’t want anything to do with captaincy. There were moments when, I remember, AB [de Villiers] who was captain didn’t play because he was banned or he was injured. I felt at that stage that ‘No, I didn’t want to take captaincy.’ Then it was a real thing. If AB gets banned again, you want somebody to take over, who is willing to take over. At that stage I wasn’t willing to be the captain. Now things have changed.How much has your batting evolved since the start of you career?
International cricket is a tough environment. I was 21-years-old when I started playing international cricket. Even now, I can’t imagine what I was thinking back then. It was 11 years ago. There’s no doubt that the longer you play international cricket, and if you have an open mind and a good support structure, it makes the transition from domestic cricket easier. I felt at that stage that the most difficult adjustment was not the cricket. It was understanding how things worked outside the cricket and how you fit in to a different team environment.Once I started working that out, my cricket also started to improve. As a batsman you will always learn when you are at the highest level. Your cricket will naturally improve because you are playing with guys who are wonderful cricketers like Kallis and you are playing against great cricketers like Tendulkar, Dravid and Ponting. Naturally you will improve.Batting has evolved because it is just a natural thing that happens in international cricket.You are one of the best at No. 3 for South Africa, and in history too. You’ve converted a lot of your fifties into hundreds. How does that work?
[Laughs] Batting is about just trying to stay at the crease and scoring runs. It is really such a simple thing. To implement it is the difficult part. You need a lot of things to go your way in a sense, that opportunities will fall on your lap and they won’t fall on somebody else’s lap. Those sort of things don’t bother me too much.What I can have some element of influence on is how I train and the mental energy I put into my batting. That’s what I concentrate on. Everything proceeds from there. I am grateful I have managed to get some runs in international cricket.Certainly at the age of 16 when I played my first first-class game, I never imagined that I will play for South Africa for 11 years. So I just try and conduct myself and my cricket in such a way that it gives me the best chance to succeed.But from the outside it looks like when you cross 50, you are certain to score a 100. What is the secret?
It gets easier, as you get more comfortable. Certainly, the more you do something, it gets more comfortable. Most cricketers have breakthrough knocks or something that happens that turns a switch in their head. I had, maybe, two. I think the first was when I got back into the team after being dropped. So this was my fourth Test match and I managed to get a hundred against New Zealand in Cape Town. It managed to sustain me in international cricket for a couple of Tests.I went through a tougher time after that. I felt I was in the verge of getting dropped again. Then thankfully New Zealand were touring us again (laughs), and I managed to get another hundred. Two hundreds in succession and from that moment, it snowballed. You have to have a lot of belief that you can play at this level. And like I said, understanding how to deal with success and failure as well.

I felt at that stage that the most difficult adjustment was not the cricket. It was understanding how things worked outside the cricket and how you fit in to a different team environment. Once I started working that out, my cricket also started to improveHashim Amla on the lessons he learned early on in his career

You have so many records in ODIs, you are the only South African to score a triple-century and you have also been Wisden’s cricketer of the year. Which one gives you more pleasure?
Which ones give me most pleasure? I think those that are Test-related give me a lot more satisfaction. Growing up, playing Test cricket was the dream almost. A real ambition. So I think being involved with a winning Test team for the last 5-6 years, is extremely satisfying. We have had big tours to England and Australia in 2012 and 2008. Not many teams can say that they have done what the South African team has done. So up until now those team achievements, I would consider as the highlights.You have surpassed Sir Viv Richards in ODI milestones. How do you feel about that?
Sir Viv will always be, to anybody who has watched him even remotely, the master blaster. I don’t think anybody can come close to him. I am quite happy to forfeit all my records and he can just keep his name on the top because that is what he deserves. One-day cricket has been wonderful. I was very fortunate I have played one-day cricket after playing quite a few Test matches. It helps having that international experience. When you play one-day cricket, you are a lot more settled in a team and in your thinking. One-day cricket is really enjoyable.There was once when people had doubts over your ability to bat in ODIs. But did you think you could break so many records in ODIs?
One of the things I was talking about in understanding international cricket, is that people will always doubt you. In South Africa, there’s a good chance people will doubt you even more. So when it comes to people having doubts about my one-day potential, you will never know until you play. I think growing up you can understand that it is not about people. It is about you and the cricket ball and whether you can sideline various issues, other people’s opinions and apply yourself as best as possible to be successful. That’s what I have tried.Does Hashim Amla get angry?
[Laughs] Of course you get angry. You get disappointed, sad, upset. Anger is a harsh word. I think everybody gets at some stage.I don’t get angry at players. There’s no need to get angry at them. You have 15 guys in the team who I have no doubt want this team to win and want themselves to do well more than anything else. I find it absurd to get angry at anyone who I know is giving their best. You will get disappointed at losing and not performing, but everybody is trying their best.You had your ODI debut against Bangladesh. How do you see their evolution?
Certainly Bangladesh has improved over the years that I have played against them. It shows in their results, especially at home. Their challenge will be, and I am sure they will acknowledge it, results away from home. But the fact that they are winning at home is a great improvement for them.They have players in the Bangladesh ODI team who have a lot more experience than myself and the guys in our own team. If you look at the matches played, there are way more. As was my first point, the more you play international cricket it is only natural to improve and that’s what is happening. Now you see some of the players are maturing and understanding the game. I guess that’s why you are seeing them winning at home.

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2015McCullum found good company in Ross Taylor before the latter was undone by Josh Hazlewood for 26•Getty ImagesThe New Zealand captain powered to 80 but was wrongly given out caught at slip by umpire Nigel Llong•Getty ImagesDoug Bracewell then fell the next ball to Mitchell Marsh…•Getty Images… but a frustrating last-wicket stand of 46 held off the hosts before Mitchell Starc put the seal on the win by removing Trent Boult for 15•Getty ImagesWarner and Lyon celebrated with their kids after the big win•Getty Images

England cricket’s disregard for his ODI retirement says much about the country’s attitude towards the format

Tim Wigmore03-Sep-2015A few days after the end of the Ashes Ian Bell confirmed he wanted to extend his Test career. Nestled among his words, almost an afterthought both to Bell and those who reported it, was news of his retirement from one-day internationals.The announcement that England’s highest ever ODI run scorer would never play again dropped with barely a murmur: a window into England’s historic disregard for the format and, perhaps, the sense of benign indifference many feel towards Bell.England had already moved on, their embrace of modern ODI cricket, simultaneously decisive and long overdue, arriving when they topped 400 against New Zealand in June. Only three months before then, Bell played his last ODI, marking an easily forgotten World Cup dead rubber with an even more easily forgotten unbeaten half-century on a damp Sydney day that was emblematic of a tournament that had left England behind. Somehow it all felt rather apt.So there will be no laments for the passing of Bell’s one-day career. “It is a little bit harsh on him but he’s got a lot to be proud of,” says the England selector Angus Fraser.Indeed Bell does. His career was among the most distinguished any English batsman has enjoyed in limited-overs cricket. Bell ended up with 5416 runs at 37.87 apiece, with a strike rate of 77.16, from his 161 ODIs: a better average and higher strike rate than Paul Collingwood, Graham Gooch, Graeme Hick, Alec Stewart and Graham Thorpe.

As a one-day player Bell was easy to caricature as a victim of the move from one age of ODI cricket to another. Yet he was not incapable of adapting

Bell’s achievements are more significant for the unthinking way in which he was moved around the order: he batted everywhere apart from Nos. 8 and 10, even if No. 11 was when he was injured and came out to try and help England over the line with a broken foot against Bangladesh in Bristol. Bell’s lack of a settled position was “synonymous of a team trying to find the right formula,” Fraser admits.His Warwickshire coach, Dougie Brown, said: “He was a victim of his own success – he is such a flexible, talented player that he can change his role. It may have been more suitable to him just to hold down one role, but he’s a real team man and he’ll just do the job that’s been asked of him. Maybe that’s been to his long-term detriment.”England envisaged Bell as an opener in the model of Mark Waugh, piercing the infield with timing and finesse. Entrusting Bell to open would surely have been the most productive use of his talents. His record at the top of the order – an average of 42.49 from 76 innings and a strike rate of 79.50 – is testament to as much. Yet since striking 77 from 90 balls opening in a World Cup match against Australia in 2007, Bell opened in just 68 of England’s 181 ODIs until the end of the 2015 World Cup.The appointment of Alastair Cook as ODI captain in 2011, a position for which Bell unsuccessfully applied, was particularly unfortunate. Cook’s adhesiveness seemed to demand being accompanied by a hefty top order player, and so rendered Bell’s undemonstrative approach less attractive.Bell chips over the infield on his way to his top score of 141. It was a shot he added to his armoury in the latter stages of his career•Getty Images”The feeling is that white-ball cricket has moved forward and you are looking for a more destructive batsman at the top of the order. With Alastair being in the side too, it’s been difficult to fit three people into two positions,” Fraser explains.As a one-day player Bell was easy to caricature as a victim of the move from one age of ODI cricket to another. Yet he was not incapable of adapting. After Kevin Pietersen’s first ODI retirement in June 2012, Bell was recalled in his stead as opener. “He had adjusted his game slightly,” Fraser says.Indeed he had: Bell became increasingly adept at lifting the ball over the infield. His second coming as an ODI cricketer – 2182 runs at 45.45 with a strike rate of 83.66, with 17 sixes in 53 innings (after 15 in his previous 104) – revealed a player trying, with considerably more success than he was given credit for, to adjust to the modern incarnation of ODI cricket.These are impressive numbers. Often they contributed to England victories, too: his sparkling 126 on his ODI recall in 2012; 91 to set up England’s victory against Australia in the 2013 Champions Trophy; innings of 85 and an unbeaten 113 underpinned two ODI victories in India in January 2013. None of these, though, quite amounted to a defining ODI innings. It seemed oddly fitting that his top score, a high-class 141 against Australia in the CB Series this January, came in defeat.Instead a more fitting embodiment of Bell in ODI cricket came in the World Cup this year. Ostensibly Bell enjoyed a fine tournament – 262 runs at 52.40 apiece. But two innings in England’s crunch matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh told a story. Twice Bell began fluently during the Powerplay, became increasingly becalmed afterwards, and then fell lamely, playing on to a half-volley against Sri Lanka and then flashing behind against Bangladesh.

In his own way Bell became a fine barometer of England in ODI cricket: quietly formidable in England, he was too often too lightweight abroad

Innings of 49 and 62 certainly did not make him the culprit for these defeats, but twice he was primed to help England avert ignominy and squandered his starts. These were no anomalies, either: four centuries in 127 ODI innings in the top three was a paltry return.In his own way Bell became a fine barometer of England in ODI cricket. Quietly formidable in England, where his ODI average of 42.46 was outstanding, he was too often too lightweight abroad. However much his game was repackaged – Bell added paddle sweeps, powerful hitting down the ground and an impish upper cut to make his game more ODI-friendly – the pieces always added up to something curiously underwhelming.This is one explanation for why news of his ODI retirement has not registered in the consciousness of English cricket. It is a reflection, too, of ODI cricket itself – how transient it feels and how devoid of context it seems. More fundamentally it is a reflection of how the English have felt about ODI cricket. Bell played in three World Cups and two Champions Trophies. English cricket should feel something – frustration, gratitude, or even a sense of good riddance – at his ODI departure. Anything, in fact, except the cold apathy that marked his departure.Doubtless Bell will not mind. His low-key ODI retirement was in keeping with the tone of a man who eschews the limelight, in itself a factor in the way English cricket collectively disregarded the news.To most English cricket fans it’s not really a goodbye from Bell at all. Outside his home ground at Edgbaston, there is a huge picture of Bell, in pristine white, his arms aloft and face beaming, celebrating a moment of Test Match triumph. It is the image of Bell that England have always cultivated. And it goes a long way to explaining England’s dire performances in ODI cricket since 1992.

Mark Footitt is eager for an opportunity at Centurion, knowing that chances of a Test debut do not come along all that often when you have had your 30th birthday

George Dobell20-Jan-2016Had a stranger wandered into England’s net session in Centurion on Wednesday, they could have been forgiven for concluding that Mark Footitt was the outstanding bowler in the squad.Footitt, bowling with pace and skill, made life torrid for all the batsmen. Jonny Bairstow, arguably England’s man of the series, was twice drawn into edges, while James Taylor was beaten like a snare drum. The rest of the bowlers, despite habitually overstepping – a habit that might be best stamped out, even in such sessions – were unable to match his hostility.But you have to be careful with training sessions. While the more established bowlers know not to expend their energy two days before a game, those on the periphery know that is a rare chance to impress. And Footitt knows that, with Steven Finn unavailable due to injury, he is rivalling Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes for a call up. He must fear that the Test in Pretoria might offer a last chance for him.Footitt is a fine bowler. Since the start of the 2014 season, he has claimed 162 first-class wickets at an average of 21.46. While the vast majority of those have been taken in Division Two of the County Championship, where the standards of batting and pitches is not the highest, they are still impressive figures.With his left-arm pace, his new-found control and an ability, at his best, to shape the ball back into the right hander, he has developed into a dangerous, consistent bowler. Graeme Welch, the Derbyshire coach who had notable success with Keith Barker, Chris Wright and Rikki Clarke while bowling coach at Warwickshire, deserves some of the credit.Footitt was a little wayward in the warm-up matches. But some nerves were understandable and he has now had a couple of months in which to settle into the England environment. Moeen Ali would doubtless appreciate the footmarks he would cultivate if he played, too, while the variety would give the attack a fresh look.But Footitt is 30 years old and has recently moved from Derbyshire to Surrey. He will find the pay outstanding at The Oval but the pitches heartbreaking. Just ask Stuart Meaker or Chris Tremlett. With younger men – the Currans, the Overtons, David Willey, Reece Topley et al – breaking through and a winter in Asia beckoning at the end of 2016, it is hard to see where future opportunities may lie.England’s recent history would suggest that Woakes is the likely beneficiary of Finn’s injury. Quite rightly, he is highly thought of within the management team and bowled well without reward in Durban. He is the more likely to retain control – his career economy-rate is 3.05 compared to Footitt’s 3.50 – and his first-class record – 358 wickets at an average of 25.42 – has generally been earned in Division One of the County Championship. He has the ability to move the ball both ways in the right conditions and is a good enough batsman to have made eight first-class centuries: he made his Test debut at No. 6.The management of this team is relatively new, however, and may not judge “bowling dry” quite as importantly as previous regimes. And with Moeen Ali at No. 8, the batting of the third seamer should not be a priority.To the naked eye, Footitt looks the quicker bowler. But perhaps that is just due to the tangle of arms and legs you see just before he delivers. Hawkeye would suggest that Woakes, measured as the fastest bowler on either side during the Durban Test, is every bit as quick.But batsmen do tend to say that Woakes, with his smooth, straight action, is easier to pick-up than some, even if he has started to hide the ball in his run-up in the manner of James Anderson or, before him Zaheer Khan. He seems relatively unloved on social media but very highly rated by his fellow professionals.Chris Woakes bowled well without luck in Durban•Getty ImagesYou could make an argument that Footitt is a more convincing like-for-like replacement for Finn. It is true that both are aggressive bowlers who are liable to concede a few more runs than the dependable Woakes, who might be seen as a more like-for-like replacement for Anderson. But Woakes, effectively the man in possession after playing in Durban, is the one seen as having a future at this level. It would be a surprise if he did not play.There is another option, but it is an unlikely one. England could leave out James Anderson – not ‘drop,’ just leave out in the knowledge that the series is won and they need to keep an eye on the future – and play both Woakes and Footitt. Given Anderson’s workload following this game, however – he will not bowl again in anger until April at least – and his admirable desire to represent England on every possible occasion, it seems almost unthinkable that he will be asked to sit this one out.One man that Footitt did not beat in the nets was Nick Compton. Compton admitted that he had been perturbed enough by Trevor Bayliss’ comments following the first Test – comments which suggested that he would, in an ideal world, prefer a more free-scoring batsman at No. 3 than Compton – to seek clarification from his coach. Upon reflection, and after a couple of odd innings, it seems Compton will be content to revert to the sheet anchor role.”I had a chat with Trevor about it, but there was no inference that was the way he wanted me to play,” Compton said. “He just wanted to make it clear that’s in an ideal world. But I’ve been selected for the reasons that I do what I do and he’s been very clear about me doing that role as well as I can.”It would nice to whack it like David Warner or de Villiers. Wouldn’t we all like to do things differently and better? But having done a bit of that as a youngster and tried different things, I’m settled on what I do.”There’s probably been times when I’ve been frustrated at how I’ve got out, I have perhaps got just a little bit ahead of myself and chased one too many balls.”I’m proud of what I do and I feel strongly that I have qualities and attributes that yes, might not be as glamorous as others at this time and place in life, but still have a big part to play. We know big hundreds and batting for long periods of time is what’s important in Test match cricket.”We know the new ball is a tough place to bat but, if I can get in and stay in, then I’m doing a good job for the guys. From a personal position, hopefully you get in and you cash in.”Compton, at least, is all but certain to win another chance to show what he can contribute at this level. It is an opportunity Mark Footitt might never have.

While the response has been encouraging in the UAE, what Pakistan fans really want is for the tournament to be held in Pakistan

Charles Reynolds15-Feb-2016″Afridi! Afridi!”The chants begin to build, just audible over the already enthusiastic shouting and cheering of the crowd. Pakistan’s favourite son strides towards the wicket, arms outstretched, windmilling a couple of times, bat in hand.The number 10 on his back feels appropriate. Like Diego Maradona, he is part-sportsman, part-showman and by the time he has taken his guard the noise levels in the Dubai stadium have gone up several notches.With the stands approaching somewhere near full capacity, it is the loudest the ground has been, and after nearly a decade worth of false starts, a moment when it feels like the Pakistan Super League has well and truly arrived.

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“I am very happy that we now have PSL, so everyone will see Pakistan players against the best in the world,” said Ramiz, who is originally from Islamabad but has lived and worked in the UAE for the past five years – one of many expats who have turned up in force for the double-header on the competition’s second day. “Hopefully the PSL can one day be as big as the IPL – it will be good for all Pakistan. But I hope one day it can be played in Pakistan”He is not alone in that sentiment. Najam Sethi, chairman of the PSL, has made that hope one of the stated aims of the competition, seeing the PSL as “a gateway to Pakistan”. Before the tournament began, he told ESPNcricinfo: “If we are successful in holding a league here which creates a degree of excitement, if our security situation continues to improve, as it is improving by the day, I see no reason why we can’t persuade foreign players to play one match in Karachi and one match in Lahore next year. Then maybe in the third year, we could bring the whole league back to Pakistan. That is the short-term objective.”

This bodes well for Pakistan’s cricketing future, with a whole new generation of players set to be exposed to high-intensity cricket from a comparatively young age

It would certainly be the best thing for the competition, which saw attendances dwindle sharply after the initial excitement of the opening two days – a brief glimpse of what could be, before the more sobering reality of a tournament in exile that was to follow.On day two of the competition the fans flocked to the ground, among them Pakistani political royalty, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, who had helped open the tournament the night before and was back at the stadium to see Mohammad Amir’s headline-grabbing hat-trick in Karachi’s convincing win over Lahore.The young fast bowler’s return to cricket, following his spot-fixing ban, is one that divides opinion in the sport, although admittedly perhaps less so among those who gathered on that particular day. Mohsin, proudly wearing a Karachi Kings shirt, was one of that number: “I’m pleased to see Amir again. He made a big mistake, that is for sure, but he is exciting for Pakistan’s future.”He, perhaps unsurprisingly, lives for the most part in Pakistan’s largest city, but, for reasons that get somewhat lost in translation, had business in Dubai and was watching the day’s events unfold from one of the stadium’s plush-looking boxes.”This [the PSL] is something for my country to be proud of. India has not allowed Pakistan players in the IPL but now this will not matter, we have our own league.”Given Pakistan’s relationship with its main neighbour, which might generously be labelled as a little dysfunctional, it is not perhaps the biggest shock that this idea of the tournament as a rival to the IPL is a popular one. While it seems highly unlikely that the PSL, or indeed any other global franchise tournament, will ever manage to outstrip India’s all-singing, all-dancing competition, there has at least been huge interest in the tournament back home in Pakistan – an incredible estimated 55% of the country’s television audience tuned in for the match between Karachi and Lahore.Fans have had the chance to catch the world’s best T20 players in action•PCBBut what, though, of the potential audience in the UAE? Can the competition ever appeal to a more mainstream audience, or is the feeling that cricket is mainly the sport of migrant workers in the region inescapable? On the evidence of the fairly dismal attendance figures that followed the busy first two days of the tournament, the PSL has some way to go on this front. Although things did improve a little when the games moved to Sharjah.”Do you like cricket?” I asked a member of the ground security team, who, rather eccentrically it seemed, was wearing a thick woollen balaclava despite the blazing Dubai sun. “Slightly…” he replied rather enigmatically, before adding a bit sheepishly, “but I prefer football.”There is, however, still a sizeable community of expats from a host of cricketing nations that the PSL should appeal to, as witnessed by the crowds during the early action. “We are are here to see Shakib [Al Hasan]!” said a man in a Bangladesh ODI shirt, who was swept away before our conversation could go any further by a noisy group of similarly attired compatriots.Two others watching that day – who, even from quite a considerable distance, were unmistakably English – were work colleagues Ed and Dan, both fairly recent arrivals to Dubai. “We took the afternoon off work,” said Ed. “Well, it is Friday…”It’s great to have this in Dubai. I’m hoping to see Chris Gayle smack it about a bit.””And Ravi Bopara!” added Dan enthusiastically, although perhaps not altogether seriously, seemingly another devoted member of the cult of Ravi.Sadly, the pair will have been disappointed on both fronts, with Bopara not needed to bat and Gayle holing out to long-on in the first over. The Jamaican, in fact, has not enjoyed a good tournament, out first ball in his next match and slightly mysteriously missing the next two through a reported combination of injury and then illness.

“The PSL is something for my country to be proud of. India has not allowed Pakistan players in the IPL but now this will not matter, we have our own league”Mohsin, fan from Pakistan

In truth, while there have been some notable feats from overseas players – Luke Wright in particular – where the PSL has been a real success is in the performances of young Pakistani players: Mohammad Asghar, Rumman Raees and Mohammad Nawaz in particular; the latter two earning themselves spots in Pakistan’s World T20 squad.While it is only early days, this bodes well for Pakistan’s cricketing future, with a whole new generation of players set to be exposed to high-intensity cricket from a comparatively young age.

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Afridi ended up playing an innings that bordered on self-parody, smashing a couple of meaty shots to the boundary before blasting one straight up into the night sky for Andre Russell to catch. Boom, boom and bust as ever.Ultimately, though, the crowd were not too heartbroken. They saw their hero in action after all, and after so long they have a franchise competition to call their own. And while the PSL remains some way off Wasim Akram’s claim to being the biggest thing to happen in the country’s cricket history, it is an all-important start – and if it leads to top-level cricket being played in Pakistan again, then who knows, it just might be.

Ross Taylor’s batting position has been pushed down because of a powerful top order, but New Zealand will be hoping that his experience can help provide some defining contributions

Sidharth Monga29-Mar-2016There has hardly been a New Zealand press conference in this World T20 where their interviewees haven’t been asked about how they are coping without Brendon McCullum, the inspirational captain, the flamboyant leader. The loss of the most experienced batsman, however, is not talked about a lot because McCullum didn’t always bat like experienced batsmen do, in the orthodox sense. That job was Ross Taylor’s, and in this tournament the burden has only increased.In a way, it is down to the absence of McCullum the batsman. He was the power house at the top, which is crucial on slow Indian pitches where scoring runs after the Powerplay is an effort. Colin Munro coming out and switch-hitting in the first over of the opening clash of this World T20 might have seemed a little rash, but the plan for New Zealand is to promote the big hitters to do all the scoring while the ball is new and while mis-hits are likelier to clear the infield and run away for fours on quick outfields. Corey Anderson follows Munro in the batting order.All that has left Taylor in an unfamiliar territory. He likes to build his innings before he can go big. At times, batting at No. 5, he doesn’t have the time to do so. Coach Mike Hesson explained the move in Mohali. “Our middle order has probably lacked a bit of power in the past, and we think here we need a bit more power at the top,” Hesson had said. “Colin Munro and Corey provide that, and also provide a good left-right combination. Also, we feel as the ball slows up we need a bit more experience through the middle. To have Ross, Grant and Luke Ronchi come out at key times in the game, that’s where we think we need that experience.”When Taylor was asked about the move earlier in the tournament, he joked it was not his decision, but this team is full of players happy to move out of their comfort zones for the good of the team. “It is definitely easy to score upfront,” Taylor said. “But you still have to play fearless and aggressive cricket but smart cricket as well. Martin Guptill and Munro’s job is to get us off to a flying start. Some days it will come off and some days it won’t. But this team bats right down to 8 or 9, still have the confidence to go out there and play shots.”League games done, we might have a body of work to analyse how the move has worked. Taylor’s own 57 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 118.75 might be an unfairly harsh assessment. For one this has been a tough tournament for No. 5s. Glenn Maxwell scored 109 runs there at a strike rate of 129.76, the best effort at that position. JP Duminy scored 83 at 172.91, but he got only two innings there.Moreover the starts made by New Zealand need to be looked at. At the end of the Powerplay in these three matches, they were 33 for 2 against India, which was above par, 58 for 0 against Australia, and 55 for 0 against Pakistan. The quick starts, a possible result of the freedom derived from knowledge that Taylor is there in the middle order, proved crucial to all three wins.Taylor himself has had a better tournament than the number of runs scored by him suggest. Against Pakistan, his 36 off 23 gave New Zealand the final impetus that took the game out of Pakistan’s reach. Against India and Australia he struggled to get going, but he has always looked a cover drive on the walk or one sweetly-timed slog sweep away from hitting form. In the dead rubber, against Bangladesh, he was moved to No. 4, but that might have more to do with the fact that the second wicket fell in the ninth over, and also perhaps to give Taylor some time in the middle before the knockouts.While the world is wondering what next New Zealand will pull out of the bowling hat, where Taylor bats and how he bats is just as important a decision. The move seems to have worked so far, but Taylor would have wanted to make a more defining contribution. He has had the opportunities too. The knockouts are not a bad time to do so.

Pakistan thrilled one and all in their first Test at Lord’s since 2010, giving their fans the experience of a lifetime

Fram Hansotia18-Jul-2016Choice of game
I was extremely keen to watch Pakistan, and Mohammad Amir, return to Lord’s six years after the 2010 Test was clouded by controversy. Resuming at 214 for 8 on day four, the significant Pakistani contingent at Lord’s hoped the tailenders would flay the English bowlers around on Sunday morning, setting up an insurmountable target in the process. However, the tail rolled over in ten minutes, setting up a much-edgier chase of 283 instead.Team supported
As an optimistic Pakistani, I hoped to watch the English batsmen succumb to our bowling by the end of day four.Key performer
Rahat Ali’s spell of 3 for 36 off eight overs prevented England’s top order from setting up a solid base for the middle order to capitalise on. Two hundred and eighty-three was not an impossible target, but it was widely acknowledged that in order for England to win, Alastair Cook or Joe Root needed to play a big innings. It was Rahat, the least-lauded member of the Pakistani attack, who produced the goods when Amir, Wahab Riaz, and Yasir Shah were relatively ineffective. A match-winning spell.Crowd favourite
Yasir Shah’s figures of 4 for 69 in the second innings, and 10 for 141 in the Test might lead one to assume that the pitch aided spin. That was not the case. On a frustrating day where Yasir found it difficult to repeat his first-innings success, he toiled tirelessly for 31 overs on a pitch that offered very little support. 79% of the balls he bowled were dot balls, evidence of his ability to maintain his accuracy and build pressure across long spells. Yasir’s most endearing quality is the spirit he plays the game in. Whether he has just beaten the bat, or been hit for six, he will look down the wicket with the same grin on his face, making him a firm crowd favourite.One thing I would have changed
Despite Pakistan’s success, my main frustration was that the slip cordon did not recognise that the ball was not carrying to them regularly. It seemed like countless chances fell short, yet they did not have the presence of mind to adapt and move closer to the batsman. Yes, this would have marginally reduced their reaction time if the batsman edged the ball, but it would have increased the opportunity to take wickets. I believe that doing so may have resulted in more wickets during the extremely frustrating, tedious period of play after lunch.Face off I relished
I had hoped for a competitive, high-quality contest between Cook and Root and Amir and Yasir. Unfortunately, both Amir and Yasir were rather ineffective against the top order, with Rahat eventually accounting for the pair.Wow Moment
The Pakistani celebrations at the fall of the final wicket are what will remain etched in the memory of all those watching, especially those lucky enough to be present. With the fifth ball of the 76th over of the England second innings, Amir penetrated Jake Ball’s defences, sealing Pakistan’s first Test victory at Lord’s in 20 years. He spread his arms in celebration and was mobbed by his team-mates; Lord’s, the ground where Amir was an 18-year-old co-conspirator in the spot-fixing scandal that plunged Pakistan cricket to its lowest depths. It seemed fitting that Amir took the wicket that provided so much joy, just six years after being at the centrestage of one of the biggest controversies to rock cricket. He has been reintegrated into the national team, and seems to be slowly getting back to the level he used to perform at. The team is talented, united, and has a good leader. It is an exciting time to be a Pakistani cricket fan!Shot of the day
In a game that ebbed and flowed, the first ball of Rahat’s second and third overs could not have been more different. The former accounted for Cook, while Root drilled the latter through the covers to inject urgency into England’s innings. The delivery was just short of a length and a fraction outside the off stump. Root met it on the up with the full face of his bat, and bisected the fielders with a flick of his wrists. In the midst of a disappointing innings, it was a timely reminder of his talent.Crowd meter
As always, the crowd at Lord’s was knowledgeable and respectful, particularly to Amir. Being a Sunday, the ground seemed to be close to capacity, with a large pockets of Pakistani fans spread across the stands. The Pakistani contingent galvanised the team with regular chants of , particularly when Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes’ 56-run partnership brought the target down to below 100, and gave England a glimpse of the finish line.Towards the end of the match, with the result all but confirmed, there was a bit of gallows humour. A boundary struck by Steve Finn led him to be heralded as the “Greatest Batsman Ever” by a group of English fans, determined not to let the inexplicable failure to bat out the day ruin their Sunday.Overall
The collapse of the Pakistani tail, an excellent spell of fast bowling by Rahat Ali, the resistance of the English middle and lower order, and the eventual success of the Pakistani bowling unit all contributed to a day of Test cricket that swung from a period of attrition to a thrilling conclusion. Pakistan won by a convincing margin, Yasir Shah took ten wickets, and the team’s celebrations were as hilarious as they were heart-warming.Marks out of 10
9.5

On a crucial day, Kusal Mendis used his immaculate technique to find success where his team-mates failed, and it gave Sri Lanka some reason to celebrate after a recent bleak period

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Jul-2016Kusal Mendis’ first run after lunch takes him to 87. It is 13 short of a hundred. It is the number men in the opposition will say is unluckiest for a batsman. But Mendis doesn’t know that. Or at least, he doesn’t play like he does.Soon, he squirts a single to square leg. Soon after, he puts a Josh Hazlewood ball through midwicket with that homespun punch-pull. When he sweeps Nathan Lyon for six in the following over, he has moved clean through the nineties in eight balls. He owns 72% of the team’s runs. He is living out the fantasy of anyone to have held a bat. If at the time Mendis knows that, he doesn’t celebrate like he does.The defence has been immaculate since his amble to the crease. To the spinners, he pushes feet forward, sticks bat close to body, watches and waits. Here is a player who drags his feet at the non-strikers’ end. Who lets his blade trail along the ground when strolling to his partner, mid-pitch. In so much of his demeanour, he is the team’s kid brother – he is the youngest man on the field. But if a ball is to be blocked, Mendis is the Michelin-starred joint just as doors open for dinner service. He is the Special Forces unit, awaiting orders to move in.”He’s one of our guys who really has a technique,” coach Graham Ford had said of him last month. How rare that is in a nation where pure technique is a breakthrough, rather than a birthright. There were at least seven years in international cricket before Kumar Sangakkara worked out a set-up that satisfied him. Aravinda de Silva needed a summer with Kent to unlock his gifts. Yet, seven Tests in, and 21 years old, Mendis sees through the dip and away-spin from Steve O’Keefe in the morning. He milks the turn into his body from Lyon. He pushes away and picks off Hazlewood’s full length. Then in the afternoon, when the ball begins to reverse-swing, the drives come fresh and flowing, like a scent on the breeze. Hazlewood is drilled past his right foot. The straight drive off Mitchell Starc is more delicate, but as delectable – teasing fielders who nearly collide, and give chase all the way in vain.Only in the stroke to get to a hundred, and in one other shot in the day, was there violence. Starc had venom for him all morning, of the verbal variety as much as with ball in hand. But when the bowler went wide, Mendis upper-cut him behind point. Next ball, the overcorrection skidded past fine leg.Late in the day, there is that lofted on-drive flick too – the one that had the crowd sitting up and taking notice on a bleak afternoon in Leeds. Yet it was not Headingley, but Hyderabad that made a man of Mendis. Having led an unsuccessful Under-19 World Cup campaign in 2014, Mendis breezed to 156 in the little-loved Moin-ud-Dowlah three-day tournament last year, then suddenly found himself in the Test XI against West Indies, just one first-class hundred and a fifty to his name.If he has layered improbability upon improbability in producing this innings – defusing the spinners where others have lunged and groped, scoring quickly off the fast men who have had team-mates prodding and jerking, it is because he has stacked improbabilities all his life. The son of a Moratuwa three-wheeler driver, Mendis became Sri Lankan cricket royalty when he was named 2014’s Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. Two years later, today, he put a three-hour frown on the captain of the world’s top Test team. He threaded balls through the gaps of a five-man leg-side infield. He turned the Test in a new direction, and along the way, the opposition’s mouthy spearhead into a mute.”Angelo told us that they come at you very hard in the first few spells and the main thing is to get them bowling into their third and fourth spells,” Mendis said after play. “So we stuck at the wicket in the best way we could. During the last couple of hours, they came with a plan to have more fielders on the leg side. We also knew that, and played the situation well.”By the time he went to stumps on 169*, the team 196 runs ahead, Sri Lanka fans had begun to hope Mendis is the man they have been waiting for. Following perhaps the bleakest seven months for this team since the turn of the century, there is a reason to fry up the fish cutlets in celebration, to break out the arrack for joy (Mendis brand, why would you even ask?).As composed after the day, as he was against O’Keefe, or Lyon or Starc, Mendis didn’t know he was playing one of Sri Lanka’s great innings. Or at least it didn’t seem like he does.

Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between South Africa and Australia in Port Elizabeth

Daniel Brettig09-Oct-2016The moving ballIn a series dominated so far by batsmen, a fresh morning in Port Elizabeth and a new bowler in Kyle Abbott provided the sort of early movement seldom seen previously. Aaron Finch was nowhere near an outswinger that cut back sharply to pluck off stump. In his next over, Abbott stung David Warner with another break back, this one swinging and then seaming in the same direction to go between bat and pad and flip off the bails.The confrontationAustralia’s poor start with the bat did not stop Matthew Wade from bringing a typically pugilistic attitude to the batting crease. He met his match in Tabraiz Shamsi, the pair squaring off in a series of verbal exchanges that culminated when Wade ran down the wicket for a single. He ran very close to the general vicinity of Shamsi and conspicuously declined to tuck in his elbow. Faf du Plessis complained to the umpires and Nigel Llong subsequently had a word to both combatants. It remains to be seen whether the match referee Chris Broad will want to have a word too.The sitterAustralia’s bowlers put in their best shift of the series defending a meagre total, and managed to sustain periods of pressure on the South African batsmen. One of these passages led to a du Plessis skier that floated above Adam Zampa, appearing to drop down for the easiest of catches. But Zampa lost track of the ball’s flight and let his hands get too low and far apart, leading to a spillage that caused brows to furrow all round. The error looked uncharacteristic – Zampa had claimed a good catch in the deep to remove Quinton de Kock.The chit-chatA further feisty episode took place when Wade was accompanied by David Warner at slip at the start of a Zampa over to Farhaan Behardien. Warner offered up plenty of noise, to the point that the next ball started to be delayed. Once again Llong was seen to get involved, counselling Steven Smith to keep his men under control. For his part, Behardien responded by striking a full-toss to the cover boundary, which rather summed up the day.

South Africa outdid Australia in the fast bowling department, the lower middle-order contributions and the number of centuries scored

S Rajesh28-Nov-201621.64 The bowling average for South Africa’s fast bowlers in the series, compared to 29.77 for Australia’s pace attack. Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott and Vernon Philander accounted for 40 of those 42 wickets, at 20.30. Australia’s pace attack had a combined average of 29.77. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s leading fast bowlers, had a combined tally of 31 wickets at 25.71. Each team’s spinners took seven wickets collectively, at 50-plus averages (52.42 for Australia, and 58.14 for South Africa). Fast bowlers accounted for more than 85% of the total wickets for each team.82 Total wickets taken by the fast bowlers in the series. There have been only three three-Test series in Australia in which fast bowlers have taken more wickets, and all of them were between 1979 and 1982; two of those featured West Indies.

Most wkts for fast bowlers in a three-Test series in Aus

Series Wickets Average Strike rate 5WIWI in Aus, 1979-80 89 27.41 56.2 2Eng in Aus, 1979-80 88 22.25 58.4 5WI in Aus, 1981-82 85 27.12 60.8 6SA in Aus, 2016-17 82 25.60 50.4 4NZ in Aus, 1980-81 80 21.61 53.1 5SA in Aus, 2008-09 80 35.55 68.8 45 Hundreds for South Africa, out of the six in the series. Australia’s only centurion was Usman Khawaja, while five batsmen got hundreds for South Africa – Dean Elgar, JP Duminy, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and Stephen Cook. (Click here for South Africa’s batting and bowling stats, and here for Australia’s.)

Series stats for South Africa and Australia

Team Runs scored Bat ave Run rate 100sSouth Africa 1617 34.40 3.32 5Australia 1361 25.67 3.06 141.25 The average partnership for South Africa’s fifth to eighth wickets; for Australia, the average for those wickets was only 17.15. In 20 partnerships for these wickets, South Africa’s batsmen scored 825 runs, with de Kock being the key contributor: he scored 281 from five innings, and received fine support from Temba Bavuma and Philander in these middle and lower-order partnerships. In contrast, Australia managed only 343 runs in 20 such partnerships. The difference in these partnership numbers was a key reason for South Africa’s series triumph; for the first four wickets Australia had a marginally higher average – 37.82, to South Africa’s 34.05.

Partnership stats for each wkt for South Africa and Australia

South AfricaAustraliaWicketRunsAverage100/50 standsRunsAverage100/50 stands1st9118.200/ 029549.161/ 22nd12124.200/ 110617.660/ 13rd32464.801/ 034757.831/ 34th14529.000/ 112224.400/ 15th18537.000/ 16813.600/ 16th25751.401/ 110120.200/ 17th17434.801/ 08917.800/ 08th20941.800/ 28517.000/ 09th287.000/ 09919.800/ 110th8327.660/ 0499.800/ 0100% Success rate for Richard Kettleborough with DRS appeals made against his decisions in Hobart and Adelaide, the two Tests in which he was the on-field umpire in the series. In all, 11 of his decisions were challenged, but none of his calls were overturned. In contrast, the success rate was only 50% for Aleem Dar (six out of 12), and 68.75% for Nigel Llong (11 out of 16).5 Number of times Hazlewood dismissed Hashim Amla in this series, the most times a bowler got a batsman out. The next highest was Starc’s four dismissals of Cook, conceding only 43 from 134 balls. Elgar struggled against Starc as well. There were five instances of a bowler dismissing a batsman three or more times in the series, and they were all by Starc or Hazlewood.97 Runs scored by de Kock against Nathan Lyon, the most by any batsman against a bowler in the series. Lyon didn’t dismiss de Kock even once, though he had him in some trouble in Adelaide. There were only two other instances of a batsman scoring 50-plus runs against a bowler without being dismissed – Warner against Rabada, and Bavuma against Starc.

Key head-to-head numbers from the series

Batsman Bowler Runs Balls Dismissals Average Hashim Amla Josh Hazlewood 29 52 5 5.80Stephen Cook Mitchell Starc 43 134 4 10.75Dean Elgar Mitchell Starc 38 97 3 12.66Quinton de Kock Josh Hazlewood 60 99 3 20.00Faf du Plessis Mitchell Starc 87 106 3 29.00JP Duminy Josh Hazlewood 61 105 1 61.00JP Duminy Mitchell Starc 52 67 1 52.00Usman Khawaja Kyle Abbott 48 116 1 48.00Usman Khawaja Kagiso Rabada 57 126 1 57.00Steven Smith Kyle Abbott 55 77 1 55.00David Warner Vernon Philander 63 105 1 63.00Temba Bavuma Mitchell Starc 63 106 0 -Quinton de Kock Nathan Lyon 97 115 0 -Quinton de Kock Mitchell Starc 40 72 0 -David Warner Kagiso Rabada 67 60 0 –