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The trio of Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha snared all 20 wickets against Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam25-Mar-2024Thirty-eight years had passed since a Sri Lanka pace trio snared all 20 wickets in a Test. Then, it was achieved by Ashantha de Mel, Ravi Ratnayeke and Kosala Kuruppuarachchi, against Pakistan in Colombo in 1986.And against Bangladesh on Monday, the modern-day trio of Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha repeated the feat for Sri Lanka. They took full toll of the Sylhet pitch, which had a pronounced green tinge. However, this was an away side taking advantage of a rare instance in which a Bangladesh venue offered pace and bounce.Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva was pleased with how their plan to pick three pace bowlers worked out. The visitors completed the 328-run victory with a day-and-a-half to spare. It would give extra time off for the pace trio, which could be crucial ahead of the second Test in Chattogram, traditionally Bangladesh’s batting featherbed. Dhananjaya said that the fast bowlers used the new ball very well, and was proud of the way they kept their shape despite the Sylhet pitch slowing down as the Test progressed.Related

• Shakib boost for Bangladesh in spin-friendly Chattogram against buoyant Sri Lanka

• Shakib returns for second Test against Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka's new chief Dhananjaya showcases his leadership chops

• Rajitha five-for leads Sri Lanka to 328-run demolition of Bangladesh

“When we saw, it looked like a fast-bowling wicket, [so] we went with three seamers,” he said after the win. “It paid off at the end of the day. The game is going on day by day, so the wicket was dying. The pace was getting less for the fast bowlers. I am very happy with the way they bowled in this game.”We play with three seamers back at home [too]. I think if you can get the new ball moving on any wicket, that’s [going to provide] the wicket-taking options for the captain. Rather than going with the spinners, I am happy with to go with the fast bowlers.”It was also a Test worth remembering for Dhananjaya himself, who, along with newcomer Kamindu Mendis, struck twin hundreds. They also added 150-plus partnerships in both innings, which are also rare achievements in Tests. Dhananjaya was pleased with the patience Mendis has shown to get into the Test team, and then made the most of the role provided to him.”What I’m really happy with regard to Kamindu is how he’s come back,” he said. “He was knocking on the door of the national side for quite some time, and I think he’s made the most of the opportunity he’s been given. Also, the No. 7 slot is somewhere I’ve batted in before as well, so I think that role suits him. His technique is solid; he has power, [and] he is very smart. So I don’t think we made a mistake in picking him.”Both Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva hit twin tons in the Test•AFP/Getty Images

The captain scoring twin hundreds in a Test is also a first for Sri Lanka. Dhananjaya told he is enjoying the extra responsibility, with experienced leaders in the side helping him out. Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal have all captained Sri Lanka in Tests before, while Kusal Mendis is the current ODI captain. But Dhananjaya isn’t not planning too far ahead at the moment, and hence not really eying the World Test Championship points table yet, where Sri Lanka are placed sixth.”I have been captaining the A side and clubs in Sri Lanka. It is not new to me,” he said. “Three ex-captains and the ODI captain are in the team, so they also support me. The management [supports] as well. It is not a burden for me; it is an opportunity. I am having a good time.”More than looking at the rankings, I mainly look at things from a match-by-match perspective. Now that this match is over, I’m looking at what we can do in the coming game. I’m only planning on how to win that game. Beyond that, any movement in the rankings will happen as a result of that. But we’re simply planning for one match at a time.”Sri Lanka were reduced to 57 for 5 in the first innings and 126 for 6 in the second before Dhananjaya and Mendis dug them out of trouble. The captain thus pointed to their top-order batting as a facet they need to work on ahead of the Chattogram Test.”As a captain, I’m very happy, but at the same time there are areas for improvement as well,” he said. “[There are] things that we need to discuss with the coaching staff and fix quickly. There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to the batting, so it’s important that we look into those weak areas before the next tour.”

“There are quite a few players who have never beaten India in a Test series. It’s quite astounding,” Hazlewood said

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-20242:42

Why they said it – “It’s been ten years of unfinished business”

Nathan Lyon hopes to make use of the knowledge gained from England’s Tom Hartley during his spell with Lancashire when he comes up against India later this year as Australia look overcome a decade of “unfinished business” against them.Australia have not held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2014-15 when they won 2-0 and that period includes consecutive series defeats on home soil. In 2020-21, India came from 1-0 down after being bowled out for 36 in Adelaide to take the series with famous wins at the MCG and Gabba alongside a stirring draw in Sydney.Related

• Why Australia vs India is Test cricket's premier rivalry

• Pant and Bumrah hold the key to India's fortunes in Australia

• Hayden: Hard to say who has the edge in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

• Smith: Would be cool to be part of LA 2028 Olympics

• Ponting tips Australia to beat India 3-1 in Border Gavaskar Trophy

A series victory over India is a major missing piece for this generation of the Australia side, with current captain Pat Cummins among those yet to hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, although they did claim the World Test Championship (WTC) title in the one-off contest at The Oval last year.”It’s been ten years of unfinished business, it’s been a long time, and I know we’re extremely hungry to turn things around especially here at home,” Lyon said. “Don’t get me wrong, India is an absolute superstar side and extremely challenging but I’m extremely hungry to turn things around and make sure we get that trophy back.”Feel like we are a different team to a couple of years ago, we are on a journey of becoming a great Australian cricket team. We’re definitely not there but we are along that journey and have been playing some decent cricket.”1:38

Cummins explains why he will miss the September tour to England

Lyon lauded India’s ability to continue to find world-class players, and singled out opener Yashasvi Jaiswal among the newer names. But the offspinner has made use of his time in county cricket this winter to pick up some intel.”I haven’t come across him [Jaiswal] yet, but that will be a massive challenge for all us bowlers,” he said. “The way he played against England, I watched that quite closely and thought that was quite amazing. I had some really good chats with Tom Hartley about different ways he went about it to different guys which I found quite interesting.””I love talking about cricket, so if I can talk to someone who has played Test cricket I might be able to pick up something I’m not aware of. There’s so much knowledge floating around this game that we can always tap into.”Lyon knows that could also work in reverse for next year’s Ashes, but asked if he thought the conversations about India would prove valuable, he added: “If the plans we’ve spoken about come to true, then I think it will be.”Along with Lyon, Josh Hazlewood is another survivor from the 2014-15 series and conceded Australia’s recent results against India was a significant hole in their record.Tom Hartley and Nathan Lyon have a chat in the field•Getty Images

“There are quite a few players who have never beaten India in a Test series. It’s quite astounding to say that,” he said. “That’s one we need to tick off, definitely, in particular at home – we should pretty much win every series here at home.”That last series we obviously bowled them out for 36 in Adelaide and we thought here we go, [we are] back at home [and] confident on these grounds. People say we played India B in that last Test, but they can sometimes be stronger than the best team. They’ve got unbelievable depth in all formats and we are starting to see that now.”The five Tests against India will also be key in shaping the race for the WTC final at Lord’s in June 2025 with Australia aiming to defend their title and it’s something that has extra significance for Hazlewood who missed last year’s final.”It’s always in the background, we have the table up [to see] where we are sitting and what we need to tick off,” he said. “For me, it’s a big one because I didn’t get to play the last one in England so that’s a burning one for me.”Hazlewood will be part of the upcoming T20I and ODI tour of the UK. He is then looking at playing one Sheffield Shield match before the first Test against India. Lyon, meanwhile, is earmarking up to three Shield outings for New South Wales early in the season.

With neither team facing elimination and both featuring star-studded line-ups, the first qualifier between Dhaka Dynamites and Comilla Victorians is set to be a cracker

The Preview by Mohammad Isam07-Dec-2017

Big picture

Dhaka Dynamites are a team filled with T20 superstars. Comilla Victorians are much the same, their hefty batting line-up and proficient bowling attack helping them finish as the top team in the league stage. So, who will blink first in the first qualifier?Comilla will rely heavily on their experienced players Tamim Iqbal, Shoaib Malik and Marlon Samuels to complement the youthful brigade of Hasan Ali, Mohammad Saifuddin and Mahedi Hasan. All six have performed admirably.Mahedi, the 22-year old uncapped offspinner, has been the biggest surprise, matching accuracy with big-match temperament. Hasan, the Pakistan sensation, has gone from strength to strength to cap off a stunning 2017. Saifuddin has a bit of distance to go but the seamer has shown the ability to bounce back from a bad show.Dhaka are bookended by the big-hitting prowess of Evin Lewis in the opening slot and Kieron Pollard down the order. You cannot go wrong with these two in good form, particularly with Lewis taking his innings deep. Dhaka’s spin trio – Shakib Al Hasan, Shahid Afridi and Sunil Narine – have taken a wicket roughly every 14 balls, which means that they can take up to eight wickets in a game if it is their day.

Form Guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Dhaka Dynamites: WWLWLComilla Victorians: WLWWWEvin Lewis swats one away during his blitz•BCB

In the spotlight

Lewis has had a tremendous BPL campaign, having made 334 runs at an average of 37.11 and a strike rate of 160.57. He has given Dhaka fast starts on a regular basis and has even shepherded them into the slog overs before the others took control.Comilla would expect Malik to keep his excellent form going. Coming in down the order, he has helped set up big finishes batting first and second and he already has a half-century against Dhaka this year.

Team news

Dhaka would have to sacrifice Mohammad Amir if they opt to go for batting stability at the top. Also, spin-bowling firepower is important so they may opt for both Narine and Afridi, in addition to Shakib.Dhaka Dynamites (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Joe Denly, 3 Sunil Narine, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Jahurul Islam (wk), 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Kieron Pollard, 9 Nadif Chowdhury, 10 Mohammad Saddam, 11 Abu HiderComilla will have to choose between fast bowler Dwayne Bravo and legspinner Graeme Cremer, depending on the type of pitch and the amount of dew.Comilla Victorians (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Liton Das (wk), 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Jos Buttler, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Graeme Cremer/Dwayne Bravo, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mahedi Hasan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Al-Amin Hossain

Pitch and conditions

The pitch for this game will be first used for the eliminator between Rangpur Riders and Khulna Titans in the afternoon, so there will be far more help for the spinners in the second contest.’

Stats and trivia

• Dhaka’s Afridi, Narine and Shakib have combined to take 41 wickets at 14.9 in this tournament.
• During this BPL, Hasan Ali became the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul with all batsmen out bowled.

The two-match Test series between these two teams which was originally scheduled for this year will now be played in 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2024Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series in May, with one eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup. This comes days after the BCB announced that the team will be touring the USA for three T20Is in May, ahead of showpiece event that will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies from June 1.The first three T20Is, from May 3, will be played in Chattogram, while the last two matches will be held in Dhaka.The BCB also said in a release that the two-match Test series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh which was originally scheduled for this year will now be played in 2025. It will be the first Test series between the sides since 2018.Related

• Bangladesh set to tour USA for three T20Is ahead of World Cup

The last time the two teams played against each other in a bilateral T20I series was in July 2022 in Harare, when Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh 2-1. Overall, Bangladesh hold a 13-7 win-loss ratio against Zimbabwe in the shortest format.Bangladesh will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 8 against Sri Lanka scheduled in Dallas. They are part of Group D along with Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe fixtures

• 1st T20I: May 3
  2nd T20I: May 5
  3rd T20I: May 7 (first three games in Chattogram)
  4th T20I: May 10
  5th T20I: May 12 (last two games in Dhaka)

Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Uganda and Namibia advancing from the Africa leg of qualifiers for the 20-team event. They had also failed to make the cut for the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups, but will be part of the 2027 ODI World Cup as co-hosts.

Stokes backed for return to form in New Zealand with short turnaround between tours

Matt Roller27-Oct-2024Brendon McCullum, England’s coach, said that Ben Stokes is “hurting” after struggling to make an impact in their 2-1 series defeat in Pakistan, but has backed his “tough bugger” captain to return to his best in New Zealand next month.Stokes returned from two months on the sidelines with a torn hamstring ahead of England’s second Test in Multan last week but failed to contribute as Pakistan staged their comeback. He apologised to his players for losing his temper following a string of fielding lapses in the second Test, bowled 10 wicketless overs in the series, and made 53 runs in four innings, with two slapstick dismissals.After England’s nine-wicket defeat in Rawalpindi, Stokes said that the last three weeks had “felt like a very long tour” due to his intense rehabilitation, which McCullum suggested had inhibited his performance both as a batter and as a captain.Related

• 'No excuses' says McCullum as England succumb to Pakistan's spin cycle

• Captain Stokes loses his sheen as Rawalpindi return ends in flat defeat

• Stokes bullish after defeat: 'We've got the best top six in England'

“That injury was quite a significant injury,” McCullum said. “He had to work incredibly hard to get back. As the driven athlete he is, he’s all in when he does something. He had to put in a lot of graft there, and subconsciously, it can… not cloud things, but maybe you’re not quite as screwed down as you can be in terms of decision-making.”That’s natural, as long as you learn from that and make sure next time you’re presented with that situation you’re able to block out the noise and stay crystal clear in the moment. He’s disappointed, but he’s our skipper and we know he’s a tough bugger. He’ll make sure he’ll come back and it’s our job to make sure we wrap our arms around him and help him along the way.”The series defeat was only England’s second since Stokes took over from Joe Root as captain two-and-a-half years ago, but both have come in the subcontinent this year. The first, a 4-1 loss in India, prompted McCullum to call for “refinement” ahead of England’s home summer, but this time there is only a short turnaround before their three-match series in New Zealand.Ben Stokes could not exert his usual influence, despite winning the toss in Rawalpindi•Getty Images

McCullum said it would be his own responsibility to ensure that England’s management are consistent in their messaging. “We all know how competitive and driven the skipper is,” he said. “He’ll be hurting right now, with how the series has unfolded. It’s my job to make sure I’m there to support him, and make sure we still remain on-task with what we are trying to do as a collective, and our messaging to the group about how we want to keep playing cricket moving forward.”Sometimes as leaders, if you do suffer a little bit of disappointment yourself, it can be very easy to allow that to permeate through in your messaging to the group. But since Stokesy came on board as captain, he’s been very clear and precise about how he wants his team to play.”What’s really important is to never flinch with that and stay true to it, even if you’re struggling yourself. You’ve still got to keep using the same messaging. He’ll be better for the run, no doubt: a couple of weeks off, freshen up and back to conditions which are a bit more similar to back in England. It’s another opportunity for us.”England have lost six of their eight Tests in Asia this year, and are not due to return to the subcontinent until a two-match series in Bangladesh in February 2027. McCullum said the team would look back with “disappointment” and this tour and that their method in spin-friendly conditions needed to be “a little bit better” than it has been”If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ve had opportunities to put up a better record than that, so it’s disappointing,” McCullum said. “You don’t get too many opportunities to nail down big series in the subcontinent. We’ve had those chances, and we weren’t quite good enough.”I know we don’t come back to the subcontinent for a couple of years, but there’s still times even in other countries when we’re presented with spinning wickets, and we’ve got to make sure our approach is a little bit more screwed down, a little bit better than it is. That will be some of the conversations we have.”It’s a matter of trying to get that environment to a place where it’s confident, it’s clear and the messaging is very simple. With failure, sometimes it brings about a little bit of deeper thought and that’s something we’ll have to do over the next little while.”We’ve also got a very quick turnaround for the New Zealand series, but we have to make sure we’ve learned some lessons from this and be better when we get the chance. That’s the nice thing: we do get an opportunity, and it would be nice to bounce back in New Zealand.”

Her 128-ball innings lifted the hosts to 270 for 6 in East London

Firdose Moonda09-Apr-2024No result Tazmin Brits’ second ODI century was scored in vain as the first ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka was washed out in East London.After a delayed start from a wet outfield, Sri Lanka were set a target of 271 but only faced 6.5 overs before rain forced the fixture to be called off. Sri Lanka were 23 without loss at the time.Brits and Laura Wolvaardt were off to a strong start and put on 94 for the first wicket, largely unthreatened by a Sri Lankan side that chose to bowl first. Brits was the early aggressor, kept the bulk of the strike and allowed Wolvaardt to find her tempo. They posted 55 in the first Powerplay and Sri Lanka looked uninspired, with the ball and in the field.Brits reached 50 off 56 balls and the partnership grew to 94 when, against the run of play, Wolvaardt was caught behind off Kavisha Dilhari. Anneke Bosch, playing in her 17th match, was in at No.3 and shared in a 70-run second wicket stand with Brits and brought up her third highest ODI score in her 17th match.Her dismissal brought the struggling Sune Luus to the crease and she scored 22 off 30 balls before being caught and bowled by Sugandika Kumari and sparking a mini-late collapse. South Africa lost 3 wickets for 28 runs, with Chamari Athapaththu creating pressure at one end and the offspinners Kumari and Oshadi Ranasinghe benefitting with wickets at the other. In that time, Brits brought up her 100 off 118 balls, her second this summer after a maiden century against Bangladesh, and was also dismissed which meant she could not finish the innings off.Before the match, Wolvaardt stressed the need for South Africa to push past totals of 170 into the 200s and Nadine de Klerk, having now embraced her role as a finisher, took that to heart. She scored 34 off 22 balls, including the innings’ only six to push South Africa to 270.That meant Sri Lanka had to pull off their highest successful ODI chase to win, after a previous best of 257 for 7 against India in 2018. They were steady in pursuit and saw off Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka’s opening spells and did not have the opportunity to test themselves against South Africa’s change bowlers. The second match takes place on Saturday in Kimberley, where conditions are expected to be drier.

Her late onslaught with the bat changed the mood of the game after Stars’ bowlers had been on top

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2023Charli Knott produced a decisive all-round contribution as Brisbane Heat confirmed their standing as the early-season pacesetters in the WBBL with victory over Melbourne Stars to make it four wins from four.Knott gave a stuttering Heat batting performance, which had included just eight runs off the two power surge overs, a late boost with 31 off 14 balls. She dominated a stand of 43 alongside Georgia Voll that enabled 51 runs to come from the last five overs.Opening the bowling, she then gave Heat the ideal start as a viciously-spinning offbreak ripped through Sophia Dunkley to leave the England batter perplexed at what had happened.Heat’s spinners had a major say in the chase with Knott, Sarah Glenn and captain Jess Jonassen taking six wickets between them.Glenn claimed the huge wicket of Meg Lanning when she missed a sweep while Jonassen removed Maia Bouchier with a low caught-and-bowled opportunity. Knott’s second wicket came courtesy of a stunning running catch at deep square leg by Nicola Hancock to haul in Nicole Faltum’s powerfully struck sweep.While Alice Capsey remained there was hope for Stars, but when she was stumped off Jonassen for a 43-ball 52 there was too much left to do despite Kim Garth’s best efforts.Heat had made a strong start with the bat and reached 49 without loss in the sixth over before Ellie Johnston, playing in place of the rested Georgia Redmayne, top-edged a short ball from young quick Milly Illingworth having pulled her for six earlier in the over.Grace Harris couldn’t quite find her stride before playing across a full delivery from the impressive Annabel Sutherland. Stars continued to chip away with the ball and at 99 for 5 in the 16th they were on top, but Heat’s late flourish changed the complexion.

Tom Bailey took 3 for 24, Will Williams and Luke Wood picked up two wickets each with Robson not out 56

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2023Middlesex’s Sam Robson batted over four hours for an unbeaten 56 but could not prevent Lancashire having by far the best of the first day of the LV= County Championship Division One match at Emirates Old Trafford.By the time a combination of rain and bad light had shortened play by 38 overs, Robson’s relegation-threatened side had struggled to 132 for 8 and their problems were in sharp contrast to the prosperity Kent were enjoying at Canterbury, where Zak Crawley’s century had helped Kent make up three of the seven points between the sides at the bottom of Division One.However, Middlesex supporters could be grateful their plight was not worse. Their close-of-play position represented a recovery from 19 for 5, the score when Ryan Higgins joined Robson to put on 64, the only substantial partnership of the innings to date.Lancashire’s bowlers, on the other hand, enjoyed a fine day. As though keen to capitalise on their opponents’ decision to bat first under cloudy skies, Tom Bailey took 3 for 24 from 16 overs, and both Will Williams and Luke Wood picked up two wickets.Predictably, perhaps, Middlesex’s innings began dreadfully. Mark Stoneman was out for nought in the third over when he edged Bailey to the safe hands of Tom Hartley at fourth slip and nine balls later Joe Cracknell was bowled for one when Williams brought one back from outside off stump to defeat his loose drive.Robson and Jack Davies then defied the Lancashire seamers for 45 minutes but that was merely the prelude to the fall of three wickets in 16 balls. Davies was caught by Phil Salt off Wood for four when he gloved an attempted pull down the leg side; Max Holden was out first ball when his hesitant push to a good ball from Wood merely edged a catch to George Bell at first slip; and then, having made just a single, the normally reliable John Simpson nicked a George Balderson delivery to Salt.Ryan Higgins joined Robson and the sixth-wicket pair effected modest repairs either side of lunch with Higgins’ committed strokeplay a refreshing change from the indecision that had gone before. Seven overs after the resumption, though, he was bowled by Williams for a 50-ball 41 and by the time rain arrived to interrupt play for 90 minutes Josh de Caires had also departed, caught at first slip by Bell off Bailey for 14.Play resumed under cloudy skies and with five slips posted but the next wicket fell in unconventional fashion when Jayant Yadav marked his Middlesex debut by pulling Bailey straight to Luke Wells at slip and departing for four.The visitors’ hopes of making a competitive first-innings total now rest on Robson, the only batter to have made a first-class century this season for a team that has gained just two batting bonus points in 12 innings.

Sachin Tendulkar sends across 13-point response to BCCI ombudsman, asks for Vinod Rai and Rahul Johri to be called to ‘clarify their position’

PTI05-May-2019Sachin Tendulkar has rejected the BCCI’s observation that the conflict-of-interest charges against him fall in the “tractable category’, holding the board “responsible for the situation”. The issue arose because of his dual role as member of the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and an icon with Mumbai Indians.In his 13-point response to BCCI ombudsman and ethics officer Justice (Retd) DK Jain, Tendulkar has requested for Vinod Rai, the chief of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, and Rahul Johri, the BCCI CEO, to be asked to “clarify their position” on the matter.According to clause 38 (3) (a) of the BCCI’s constitution: “Tractable conflicts are those that are resolvable or permissible or excusable through recusal of the individual concerned and – or – with full disclosure of the interest involved.”All three CAC members – Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – were served notices by Jain for alleged conflicts of interest, and all three denied the charges in their initial affidavits.ALSO READ: Allegations ‘baseless’ as CAC not permanent body – LaxmanWhat seems to have angered Tendulkar is Johri’s letter (in consultation with CoA) to Jain where – as with Ganguly – the issue has been termed as a case of “tractable Conflict of Interest”.The key areas where Tendulkar has provided strong rebuttals are Points 10, 11 and 12.”Without prejudice to the aforesaid, the Noticee submits that it is surprising that the BCCI, being the very authority responsible for the Noticee’s empanelment to the Cricket Advisory Committee (“CAC”), is presently taking a position that the Noticee is exposed to an alleged conflict of interest,” Tendulkar wrote in his reply.Sachin Tendulkar speaks to Kieron Pollard while Rahul Chahar looks on•BCCI

“It is reiterated that, the Noticee was declared as the Mumbai Indians ‘ICON’ post his retirement in 2013, which was much prior to his appointment to the CAC in 2015.”Like Laxman, Tendulkar stated that neither the BCCI CEO nor the CoA had ever clarified the terms of reference vis-à-vis his appointment in the CAC. “The Noticee (Tendulkar) has time and again sought clarification from the BCCI on the scope of his role in the CAC – but has not received a response from BCCI till date. BCCI is aware that the CAC merely performs an advisory / recommendatory role – and therefore, the Noticee’s role as a Mumbai Indians Icon (which in fact has always been in the public domain) cannot, in any practical way, conflict with his involvement in the CAC.”In Point No. 12, Tendulkar wrote: “The Noticee fails to understand how the BCCI (after having appointed him to the CAC) can now maintain its current stand that he is in a position of ‘tractable’ conflict of interest. The BCCI Response does not clarify this variance in its stance and the Noticee requests the Hon’ble Ethics Officer to call upon BCCI Officials, Mr. Rahul Johri and Mr. Vinod Rai to clarify this position.”Tendulkar also pointed out how he had recused himself from the recruitment process of the national Under-19 selection committee as his son Arjun was a contender in the team.”It is critical to note that the Noticee had specifically written to the BCCI in respect of the potential conflict of interest that could have arisen in the aforesaid scenario,” he wrote.”The Noticee has served the Indian cricket team for more than 2 decades and accepted empanelment with the CAC to help and contribute towards the growth of Indian cricket. It is unfortunate that the Noticee has to clarify the questions raised in the Complaint and BCCI Response.”The Noticee repeats that BCCI is responsible for the situation created in terms of the Noticee’s honorary empanelment to the CAC even though he was a Mumbai Indians Icon at the relevant time. The BCCI shall be called upon to clarify the issue.”

South Africa will be looking to seal their qualification against the lowest-ranked team in the ICC Champions Trophy

The Preview by Danyal Rasool06-Jun-2017

Match facts

June 07, 2017

Start time 13.30 local (12.30 GMT)
3:14

Tait: Without Wahab, Amir needs to show authority

Big Picture

South Africa and Pakistan are cricketing opposites in every conceivable way at the moment. South Africa are the highest-ranked team in the Champions Trophy, Pakistan the lowest. South Africa hammered Sri Lanka to kick off their tournament, while Pakistan were at the end of a pasting – against arch-rivals India, no less. South Africa’s power-hitting stocks are the envy of virtually every other side in the tournament, while seemingly the only power-hitter in all of Pakistan has been suspended on charges of corruption during the Pakistan Super League. South Africa are favourites to win this game, Pakistan are not.Pakistan have traditionally gone into big tournaments believing their bowling to be their biggest asset, but anyone who took a look at their performance during the game against India would begin to seriously wonder if that was the case this time around. In any case, the top-two ODI bowlers according to the ICC rankings are South African – Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir – so their opponents certainly have the edge in that department.What other ways can we compare Pakistan and South Africa? Batting? What about (if only for amusement’s sake) fielding?South Africa did indeed lose the last series they played, but they got better with each game, culminating in a demolition of England in the final ODI. They continued that upsurge with a comfortable win over Sri Lanka, a game in which they were by no means excellent. It was a mark of their quality that victory never seemed to be in doubt, except for a brief period at the start of the second innings when Sri Lanka got off to a flyer. Hashim Amla scored a hundred, Quinton de Kock is perhaps the world’s best young batsman, Tahir was Man of the Match. You could run through all the other names, without finding any real chink in the armour.Pakistan can take inspiration from recent history. These two sides were similarly mismatched when they last took each other on at the 2015 World Cup, and South Africa were on course for a routine victory chasing a below-par total, before a few quick wickets derailed the chase and had Pakistan snatch an unlikely win. Eight of the XI that started for South Africa in the opening game of this tournament also played in that contest, so Pakistan may harness hopes of reopening old wounds.

Form guide

South Africa WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWLL

In the spotlight

David Miller is the sort of player Pakistan are crying out for: an explosive middle-order player who can have a devastating impact towards the close of an innings. He isn’t just a slogger, though; it’s just that South Africa’s top order is so reliable he doesn’t often get in before the 35th over. He’s fresh off a 51-ball 71 in a thrilling ODI against England not too long ago, and though it couldn’t get South Africa over the line, it highlighted the value Miller provides as a stable No.5 to a superb top order. Pakistan’s death bowling was clueless against India, and it has been that way against the better teams for a while now. Miller should be licking his lips at the very prospect of facing them tomorrow.Besides Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan was the only Pakistan bowler who could claim a passing grade from their game against India. The 18-year-old legspinner held his own against a daunting Indian batting line-up, ensuring the batsmen couldn’t target him in a tournament where spin bowlers’ chances haven’t been fancied. Fifty-two runs came off his ten overs, and he even provided the opening breakthrough, deceiving Shikhar Dhawan in the air. He might be expected to perform a similar role against South Africa, who will be aware of the damage quality legspin can do, what with Tahir’s heroics against Sri Lanka.

Team news

South Africa may be tempted to stick with the side that beat Sri Lanka so comprehensively, although that would mean they miss the transformation target – a minimum of six players of colour on average over a season – two games in a row. Phehlukwayo might be given a start, and in such an eventuality one of Chris Morris and Morne Morkel could make way.South Africa (possible): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel/Andile Phelukwayo, 11 Imran TahirWahab Riaz has been ruled out of the tournament, and Junaid Khan will take his place in the side. Sarfraz Ahmed also confirmed that Fakhar Zaman will open the batting, replacing Ahmed Shehzad.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Azhar Ali, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid Khan

Pitch and conditions

There has been some drama surrounding the Edgbaston pitch. This game was scheduled to be played on an unused pitch, but it has gone soft due to the amount of rain. As a result, the match will be played on the same pitch that was used previously this tournament. As for weather, rain is expected to stay away for most of tomorrow, and a full game is expected.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have lost six successive Champions Trophy matches, a run that stretches back to 2009
• Hashim Amla became the quickest batsman to 25 ODI centuries with a hundred against Sri Lanka on Saturday. He needed 151 innings to get to the mark, overtaking Virat Kohli who took 162

Quotes

“Yes, definitely.”
“We have tried to lift the team’s spirits, and the mood in the camp is very good now.”