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Thinks his side’s semi-final finish at the Women’s Asia Cup will help grow the game back home; happy with the spirit shown after early defeats

Mohammad Isam13-Oct-2022You couldn’t fault the Thailand contingent for being excited despite their 74-run loss in the Asia Cup semi-final against India. There was hardly any buzz in the atmosphere at the Sylhet International Stadium, but Thailand’s excitement was infectious. After the match, the two teams posed for a group photo, while some of Thailand’s players sought out their Indian counterparts for selfies.There were many reasons to be happy. Thailand didn’t really make a fist of things on their big day, but restricting India to 148 for 6, and then batting out the 20 overs was a big step for them. For the 12th ranked T20I team in the world, the performance, according to coach Harshal Pathak, was a big deal.Related

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• 'We played cricket with happiness' – Chaiwai after defeating Pakistan

He said the team’s effort will have a dual effect on the game back home. The team won’t be given a parade, but there will be a lot of appreciation among the few who follow the game. The bigger influence, though, will be on those who dream of playing for Thailand in the future.”There will be more awareness among the public after the team does well. If you think about the focus group of new cricketers, obviously they will be inspired,” Pathak said. “They are looking up to someone like [Naruemol] Chaiwai, Natthakan [Chantham] and Chanida [Sutthiruang].”Pathak said that after a short break, he will speak to the team about this Asia Cup experience, and how they can grow from it. “We will really evaluate what we have done well, what we want to achieve and how we are going to go about it. We have faced a lot of high-quality bowlers in different situations. We have to understand how we can play dominating cricket.”After crushing defeats at the hands of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Thailand shot back with a four-wicket win over Pakistan. This was followed by wins over UAE and Malaysia, putting them above Bangladesh on the points table. After Bangladesh, the defending champions,lost to Sri Lanka and had their last game rained out against UAE, despite being routed by India to end their round-robin stage Thailand could celebrate at their team hotel in Sylhet with a semi-final spot in the bag.”I expected a little more at the start of the tournament. I was targeting going to the final. But I am very happy with the way the team bounced back after the two [early] losses,” Pathak said. “They have shown character. Adjusted and adapted well.”We had better intent today compared to the first game against India. We got back into the game in the last ten overs with the ball. We took control after they got off to a good start. The bowlers did well, and [the captain] put some really good field settings. We had very good plans today.”He said that his coaching method is also evolving according to the needs of the team. When he joined four years ago, Pathak had said he had to get into a lot of details when explaining things to the players. But now things are different.”Cricket is not the main game in Thailand. In India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, cricket is a religion. You pick up the game by watching around you, and the knowledge base keeps growing as you go through the system. Coaches need to tell the players about plans or fine-tune the mindset.”For a developing [cricket] country like Thailand, a coach has to go quite deep to explain things. At the start of my stint with Thailand, I used to go into a lot of details. Now I have confidence that they can do a lot of things on their own. Now we have to take it to the next level.”

Essex completed a comprehensive victory over Derbyshire in their Championship Division Two match by an innings and 188 runs to boost Chris Silverwood’s chances of landing the job as head coach

ECB/PA11-Sep-2015
ScorecardRavi Bopara picked up four second-innings wickets to hurry Derbyshire to defeat•Getty Images

Essex completed a comprehensive victory over Derbyshire in their Championship Division Two match by an innings and 188 runs to boost Chris Silverwood’s chances of landing the job as head coach.Silverwood has made it clear he wants to succeed Paul Grayson, who left the club two weeks ago, and this professional performance at Derby can only help his application. Essex were always likely to wrap up victory inside three days given the injuries to Tony Palladino and Shiv Thakor, which prevented them batting, and they sealed a maximum points haul 10 minutes before lunch.Ryan ten Doeschate was the catalyst, taking three wickets for one run in nine balls, as Derbyshire subsided tamely to 182 after skipper Wayne Madsen and nightwatchman Ben Cotton had kept Essex waiting 47 minutes for a breakthrough. But once Ravi Bopara had Cotton pouched at first slip, the end came swiftly leaving Silverwood to reflect on an impressive three days’ work.”It was a fantastic team performance,” the acting head coach said. “We are getting first-innings runs and the bowling attack stuck at it. We did exactly what we said we were going to do and we got the rewards.”I will be putting my hat in the ring and see what comes but first and foremost for me was to see us through the last games and do the best we can. We said next season starts now and we want to set the bar high.”Derbyshire’s season is in danger of disintegrating after they were largely outplayed in this game and Madsen admitted: “We are not trying to make any excuses, this is just not good enough and we’ve got to find solutions to compete in games and stay in them longer. It’s very disappointing the way that we played. There’s no consistency to our play, you need everyone chipping in over the course of the season and we haven’t had that this year.”Madsen and Cotton, who dug in for just short of an hour, at least showed some fight to raise hopes of Derbyshire taking the game deep into the day but Bopara tempted Cotton into a flash that was held above his head by Jesse Ryder.James Foster’s decision to turn to ten Doeschate at the Racecourse End proved inspired as the allrounder had Madsen caught behind down the leg side for 38 and then saw Scott Elstone edge a drive to second slip. When Tom Poynton played back and was lbw, Essex sensed they could finish it before lunch and Footitt’s sliced drive left Wes Durston high and dry with Palladino and Thakor remaining in the pavilion.Derbyshire now have one last chance to win a Championship home game this season when they play Leicestershire the week after next. “We’ve got to perform well in the last game of the season. We don’t just owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the supporters and everyone at the club,” Madsen said.

Travis Dean completed the most memorable of debuts to guide Victoria to a first-up Sheffield Shield victory over Queensland with his second century of the day-night match

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2015
ScorecardTravis Dean completed the most memorable of debuts to guide Victoria to a first-up Sheffield Shield victory over Queensland with his second century of the day-night match.Only Arthur Morris among Australians had made a hundred in each innings of his state debut, in a non-Shield fixture during the Second World War, and only six batsmen had done the trick in all first-class matches.Dean’s performance was bettered by the fact he was on the field for every minute of the match, making 154 not out in the first innings then finishing unbeaten on 109 as the Bushrangers eased past a fourth-innings target of 229.That chase had been set up by an opportunistic declaration from the Bushrangers captain, Matthew Wade, who closed the hosts’ first innings 125 runs behind and then watched his bowlers rush through Queensland for 103 under the MCG lights on the third evening.Dean, 23, and Rob Quiney had negotiated the difficult 15 overs before stumps that night, before finding the job to be much more straightforward on Saturday afternoon. After Quiney was lbw to Ben Cutting for the second time in the match, Dean maintained his comfort at the crease in the company of Marcus Stoinis, and the target was whittled down quickly.For a panel of national selectors still searching for organised, prolific batsmen the likes of who shape international teams, Dean’s performance will be of considerable note. He was chosen ahead of Aaron Finch, a more conspicuously talented batsman who has nonetheless failed to become a consistent Shield run-maker.Over the past 12 months, Dean has been a dominant figure in second XI matches, amassing scores of 217*, 116 and 187* in his three most recent games before his Shield call-up. Many in Australian cricket will be hoping to see him maintain that sort of form.

Pakistan’s formidable record in Tests at Abu Dhabi make them strong favourites in conditions that will test England’s resolve to the limit

Andrew McGlashan in Abu Dhabi11-Oct-2015A fast bowler making an impression on his first-class comeback from a five-year spot-fixing ban; an allrounder who is unable to bowl due to a suspect action; a player recalled after a five-year gap in his Test career; a 41-year-old captain who may be about to play his final Test series; an offspinner who has had his action reported after taking a five-for in his second ODI.That’s just the last few weeks of Pakistan cricket. They are rarely without some drama or controversy. Yet amid everything, their Test side has become a relative beacon of calmness and solidity. They start the series against England as strong favourites.The two teams are neck-and-neck in the Test rankings – just a point separates them in third and fourth – but Pakistan have their home-from-home advantage, the far superior spin attack and a batting line-up that knows how to gorge themselves on the surfaces in this region even though they have been weakened a little for the first Test by Azhar Ali’s foot problem.It is a mighty six months for England, still buoyed by an Ashes victory and a high-octane summer which helped move the game on from a horrid year-and-a-half. The challenge of South Africa, the No. 1 Test side, is on the horizon but it was more than just a sportsman maintaining a focus on the here-and-now when Ben Stokes said “UAE will be the most challenging one”.Stokes’ assessment wasn’t intended as a slight on South Africa. However, those will not be conditions in which England historically struggle. It is likely to be a style of cricket more akin to that which was witnessed during the Ashes; in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, however, an England cricket team is out of its comfort zone. The possibilities for self-improvement are vast, the obstacles similarly so.Factor in, too, that only once in the last decade – against Bangladesh in 2009-10 – have England won the opening Test of an away series. With Pakistan’s formidable record in Abu Dhabi, where they have not lost a Test, a draw would be a result to accept.Neither have Pakistan lost a Test series in the UAE since it became their surrogate home in 2010. There have been wins against Sri Lanka, England and Australia and they drew 1-1 with South Africa.Arguably, last year’s series against New Zealand was the one that got away. They were 1-0 up after a resounding 248-run win in Abu Dhabi but New Zealand, on the back of a free-wheeling double hundred from Brendon McCullum, levelled in Sharjah. Perhaps not for the first time this year, New Zealand will provide an template to follow even if replicating McCullum’s 202 off 188 balls is surely a step too far for either of England’s openers.Trevor Bayliss and Ben Stokes take a break during training•Getty Images

The New Zealand series is the only one of Pakistan’s last four that they have not won, away victories in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka continuing the upward trend. The series in Sri Lanka had a remarkable conclusion, Pakistan bouncing back from a seven-wicket defeat to chase down 378 – the sixth-highest chase of all time – to win by seven wickets despite being 13 for 2.It means a record of 10 Tests, six wins, two draws and two losses since last October – the joint-most victories in the period, alongside Australia, and fewer defeats than anyone bar Bangladesh and South Africa. That 12-month timeframe also coincides with the disappearance of Saeed Ajmal from the side, something which could have so easily debilitated the team.Yasir Shah’s emergence as a world-class legspinner has been a key reason why that hasn’t happened, but Misbah-ul-Haq has also been an impressive leader. He has scored three hundreds – all in Abu Dhabi where he averages a stratospheric 120 – but just as importantly he has cajoled the best out of his team more often than not.Against Australia last year, the platform was set in two prolific Tests in which the top order made nine hundreds between them, and that is before you factor in the wicketkeeper, Sarfraz Ahmed, who is averaging 50 at No. 7. Alongside Yasir v England’s spinners, Sarfraz v Jos Buttler is one head-to-head which starts significantly in Pakistan’s favour based on recent form.In many ways, the greater unpredictability of late has not been with Pakistan, but England. Throughout 2015, they have immediately followed strong victories – in Grenada, at Lord’s and in Cardiff – with insipid defeats, and though they broke that trend to regain the Ashes at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, they then resumed their erratic record with another heavy loss at The Oval.Still, in beating Australia, England have confounded expectations already this year and despite the Ashes success, England’s finest hour under Alastair Cook remains the 2012-13 series victory in India. Cook played a monumental role, as did the now-departed Kevin Pietersen, while it was England’s spin twins – Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar – who triumphed.What Cook would give for just one of those two spinners now (it adds to the sadness of Panesar’s situation as he tries, once again, to keep his career afloat) but he has to play with the hand he has been dealt. Cook’s batting, as a fine player of spin, will again be crucial – England can’t rely on Joe Root alone – and he will have to be at his most cunning as a captain.Moeen Ali bats in the nets ahead of the first Test•Getty Images

It will be fascinating to see how Pakistan play Moeen Ali. Should they work him around and test his endurance, or follow Australia’s lead in trying to attack him with an attitude bordering on the disrespectful (an approach which, ironically, often played into Moeen’s hands)? If Pakistan are able to stop Moeen bowling long spells Cook’s task could become forlorn.However, if England are to win, against the odds, it will be a miracle if their spinners play the decisive role. In 2012, James Anderson and Stuart Broad were England’s outstanding bowlers but that series took place in the UAE’s winter – January – as opposed to the oppressive late summer this time. They were also three years younger.The relative whipper-snappers, Mark Wood and Stokes, with their skiddy pace and ability to find reverse swing, will have to help make up for the lack of a proven matchwinning spinner while Steven Finn’s four wickets in the second warm-up match have provided a late conundrum, or a nice headache, for Cook and Trevor Bayliss.But the bowling won’t matter much without runs on the board. Since England last visited the UAE and contrived to lose after bowling Pakistan out for 99 in Dubai, the lowest first-innings total to win a Test in the region is Pakistan’s 341 against Sri Lanka in 2014, a game in which they chased down 302. In the last 12 months, in the same number of Tests, England’s top seven have scored nine hundreds against Pakistan’s 24.The recall of Shoaib Malik, with a Test average of 33, suggests the future may not be quite so rosy once Misbah and Younis Khan, who is on the verge of becoming Pakistan’s leading Test run-scorer, depart the scene. However, in the immediate future, it represents quite a gap for England to bridge.

A journalist covering the Bangladesh-South Africa series was assaulted by security personnel at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Saturday

Mohammad Isam04-Jul-2015A journalist covering the Bangladesh-South Africa series was assaulted on Saturday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. He was charged with loitering without an accreditation card but the BCB had not issued the cards at the time. The two security personnel who assaulted the journalist didn’t have accreditation cards either.Sekandar Ali, cricket reporter of Bengali daily , was waiting at a walkway regularly used by journalists, watching the Bangladesh players practise their fielding, when a security person asked him for his accreditation. Since it hadn’t been issued, he showed them his office ID and said he was a journalist who covers Bangladesh cricket. Not satisfied by his explanation, the security personnel assaulted him, at one point shoving him onto a metal grille and hurting the reporter’s hand in the process.The BCB, when informed of the incident, apologised. “We are sorry that such an incident occurred,” Jalal Yunus, the BCB media committee chairman, said. “It is certainly unexpected and we will ensure that there is a permanent solution and there is no such occurrence in the future.”Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh captain, also regretted the incident and said that previous security breaches, particularly at the end of the third ODI between Bangladesh and India when a large number of people entered the ground – with some even venturing into the dressing room’s viewing area – should also be looked into.”There is a protocol for everything,” Mashrafe said. “We all have accreditation cards even when entering the dressing-room. It is quite unfortunate that someone was physically assaulted. It is not desirable.”At the end of our last match, a lot of people came inside the ground, possibly from outside. Foreign players will feel insecure if such things keep happening. I saw it happen in the last series. I am sure those in charge of the security will look into it. All of us should maintain discipline. Everyone would want such things to end through discussion, before the series begins.”Incidents such as these have been a regular feature of international cricket in Bangladesh in recent years. Most prominent among these was during the 2006 Chittagong Test* against Australia, when several journalists were beaten up by the police for protesting the assault on a photographer on the morning of the first day.*July 5, 1147 GMT The story had incorrectly said the incident occurred during the 2006 Fatullah Test

Anwar Ali, Pakistan’s No. 9 batsman, waltzed into the belly of a baying Premadasa with 66 required from 35 balls, and produced a cataclysmic 46 from 17 balls, to help prise stunning victory from the clutches of almost-certain defeat

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Aug-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:20

By the Numbers – Anwar Ali a lethal No. 9

Anwar Ali, Pakistan’s No. 9 batsman, waltzed into the belly of a baying Premadasa with 66 required from 35 balls, and produced a cataclysmic 46 from 17 balls, to help prise stunning victory from the clutches of almost-certain defeat. He brought the chase of 173 to sudden life when he plundered two sixes and a four off debutant Shehan Jayasuriya in the 17th over, before treating Thisara Perera and Lasith Malinga with almost as much disdain to send Pakistan to within eight runs of victory.Malinga had Anwar caught behind in the penultimate over, and another wicket would also fall two balls later, but Imad Wasim was on hand to provide the finish. Binura Fernando had the task of defending six runs in the final over, but Mohammad Irfan pinched a single first ball, then Wasim socked the next delivery over the wide long-on rope to spark celebrations in the Pakistan camp.Long before even Anwar’s innings, Pakistan appeared to be tumbling to a heavy loss at 40 for 5 in the eighth over. It had been Shahid Afridi’s brutal 22-ball 45 that lit the flame that Anwar stoked into the inferno that devoured Sri Lanka. The hosts have now lost all three series in this tour, though in mitigation, they were fielding six players with two T20 international caps or fewer, in this match.Perhaps it was the inexperience that saw Pakistan gain a foothold in the match. Afridi kept making room against the spinners early in his innings, but instead of darting it at his body, Milinda Siriwardana sent two balls at the stumps, which Afridi swung away for a four and a six to get his assault in motion, in the tenth over.More huge strikes would follow from Afridi’s blade soon after. Malinga was tonked over deep square leg in the eleventh over, and Jeffrey Vandersay was blasted over the leg-side rope twice. Sri Lanka may have felt they had quelled the Pakistan surge when they got rid of Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan within five deliveries, and the required rate had crept up to 12, by the end of the 15th over, but Anwar had the measure of the pitch and the bowling almost from the beginnings of his innings.His fifth ball, from Jayasuriya, was swatted over cow corner for six, another slog-sweep carried the ball over deep square leg, before the over was finished with a searing drive to the long-on fence. Next over he walloped two Thisara Perera full-tosses to the fence. Then with 20 runs needed from 12 balls, he carted the first three balls of Malinga in the 19th over for 12. Only towards the end of this barrage did victory even seem possible for Pakistan. They ended up getting there with four balls to spare.All this after the young Sri Lanka bowlers, backed by an enlivened, youthful fielding unit had gutted Pakistan’s top order. Binura dismissed the openers, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal were run-out thanks to some sublime work in the field, and an advancing Shoaib Malik was beaten comprehensively by Siriwardana, in his first T20 international over.Sri Lanka will feel 172 for 7 was a score they should have defended on a slow surface. Earlier, Chamara Kapugedara eased years of frustration and sent a packed Colombo crowd into raptures as he blasted 48 not out from 25, after Sri Lanka had themselves been in some bother at 90 for 5 in the 13th over.Kapugedara built gradually to the crescendo, missing an attempted glide to third man first ball, before squeezing a few runs into the outfield to get himself to 11 off 13 balls. His charge began in the 17th over when he skipped down the track to send a Sohail Tanvir delivery over the long-on rope first, before repeating the stroke off Anwar Ali next over.He hit Irfan for a four and six successively, but saved his most winning shot for the final over. Anticipating a ball on the stumps from Tanvir, Kapugedara shuffled across to the off side and whipped the full-length delivery high over deep square leg for his fourth six of the innings. Though he didn’t quite manage a fifty, he left the field bat raised, soaking in rousing applause.The rest of the Sri Lanka innings had mostly been built piecemeal by the young batsmen. Jayasuriya’s 40 from from 32 balls was the most substantial top-order contribution. Siriwardana capped a fine first international tour with a useful 23 off 19.Pakistan’s one-wicket victory places them third on the T20 rankings. Sri Lanka, who are still top-placed, have some difficult issues to grapple with. Malinga’s depleted menace after surgery is chief among them.

At least six debutants are expected to feature in South Africa’s first Test in over seven years

Firdose Moonda17-Jun-2022Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee and Sinalo Jafta have all been included in South Africa women’s squad to play their first Test in more than seven years, against England later this month. The trio missed out on the white-ball tour to Ireland – Kapp after contracting Covid-19 for the fourth time – but have been named in both the Test and ODI squad for the England series. The T20 squad, along with the group for the Commonwealth Games, will be named next month.South Africa last played a Test against India in Mysore in 2014 and four of the members of that XI – Kapp, Trisha Chetty, Lizelle Lee and Chloe Tryon – are in the current squad. Only one other current South African player has featured in a Test – Shabnim Ismail in 2007 against Netherlands – which means South Africa will field at least six debutants against England in Taunton. Chetty is the only player to have two Test caps.Related

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Dane van Niekerk, the other current South African women’s player who has played a Test, remains unavailable for selection as she continues to recover from the ankle injury that has sidelined her since January. She has returned to training with the aim of being available for the T20Is and Commonwealth Games. Masabata Klaas, who injured her shoulder at the World Cup, is also unavailable. Tazmin Brits, Raisibe Ntozakhe, and Delmi Tucker, who are involved in the ongoing series against Ireland, will return home.South Africa will play a red-ball warm-up match next week, in preparation for the Test.”With the red ball, the main thing is to find our feet as a team again in the format and we take it one day at a time, then we can only progress into it and players can have an opportunity to go into a three-day prep,” coach Hilton Moreeng said. “Those that haven’t had the opportunity when we were back home can also start getting their aim of the red ball. Post that we know we are heading into ODI cricket and T20Is to build up into the Commonwealth Games.”South Africa beat Ireland 2-1 in the T20I series and lead the one-day series, which is part of the ICC Women’s Championship, 2-nil. Their matches against England do not form part of the Women’s Championship (South Africa are due to host England for Women’s Championship matches) but are an opportunity to solidify their strategy as a squad.”We are happy that we could come to Ireland and be able to play in these conditions which are similar to where we are going to. It has been very good and the exciting thing is that the crop of youngsters have started to put in the right performances. Now that we are going to England, we know that we are going to start with a format that most of them haven’t played in a while other than the preparation that we had, so it is exciting times, especially as a young cricketer in the squad,” Moreeng said.”We are up against a very competitive team, a team that plays well in their conditions. It’s going to be tough as we go along but at the end of the day, we are excited with the group that we have and we now have an opportunity against the hosts to be able to win a series in England.”South Africa squad for England tour (Test and ODIs): Anneke Bosch, Trisha Chetty (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus (capt), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Andrie Steyn, Chloé Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt

SA’s white-ball captain says they don’t want to rush 19-year-old Brevis into international cricket

Firdose Moonda31-May-2022South Africa will tap into the confidence of IPL champion David Miller when they kick off a busy 2022-23 season with five T20Is in India next week.Miller, who was the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL 2022, had his best IPL showing in 10 years and was particularly successful against spin, which has often been a weak spot in South Africa’s batting.”It’s always nice to see guys in form. A guy like David lifting the trophy with the Gujarat Titans – the confidence that he will bring into the team, we look forward to that,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s white-ball captain said on the eve of the team’s departure to India. “David has performed exceedingly well at the IPL and I’m sure that will do a world of good for his confidence.”Related

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• No strict bio-secure bubbles for India vs South Africa T20I series

• 'I feel extremely backed' – Miller explains his success at Gujarat Titans

Milller’s most notable improvement at the IPL was the way he dealt with spin. He went from scoring 226 runs at a strike rate of 98.68 against spin between 2016 and 2021 – which was the second-worst return in that five year period – to scoring 206 runs at a strike rate of 145.07 this year. He was one of only five batters to average over 100 against spin this IPL.But there are also other reasons for his prolific run. Miller said he felt “extremely backed,” by Titans, indicating that it wasn’t always that way at other IPL franchises. But what about the national side?”The conversations that I have had with David, he has never expressed those types of feelings to me,” Bavuma said. “As far as I know, David is still an integral member within our team and we trust his performances will continue well into the future.”While it’s never been expressed whether Miller feels his role in the South African set-up is secure, it’s often been a talking point that he doesn’t get enough time in the middle and that, as is the case with many finishers, a lot rests on him at the end. But, by Bavuma’s own admission in a wide-ranging upcoming interview with ESPNcricinfo, South Africa’s top order has not always done their bit, and as they look to improve their combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup, they may consider using Miller differently.While Miller has mostly batted between No.5 and No.6 for South Africa, he consistently batted at No.5 for Titans and may want to make a case for a permanent role at that position for the national side too. Bavuma indicated that South Africa would consider it, if it brings the best out of Miller.”In terms of him batting a bit longer, that has always been the conversation over the years when David has done well,” Bavuma said. “He understands where he fits in within the team. If he feels he can add more value within a different position, a conversation can be had in that regard. There is no way we are going to stifle him or restrict David in any manner. That’s how we try to treat all the players. We try to set them up in positions where they can succeed and make strong plays for the team.”‘Brevis should be given time and space to hone his game’
The same applies to those who are not in the team at all. Dewald Brevis is the only South African from this season’s IPL who was not selected for the T20I squad, despite setting the Under-19 World Cup alight.Bavuma explained that South Africa did not want to rush the 19-year-old into international cricket and hoped to see him perform well in the domestic set-up this summer. Brevis has been contracted to the Titans (the Centurion-based South African domestic franchise) for the next two seasons.”In all fairness to him, he hasn’t played a first-class game,” Bavuma said. “In terms of expectation but also allowing the boy to grow within his game, it would be fair to allow him to play a couple of first-class games where he can really get an understanding of his game. It will be a lot of pressure to throw him into the international set up and expect him to make plays. He will be treated like any other exciting young prospect that comes onto the scene. He will be looked after as well as he can. He should be given time and the space to hone his game within the system and ease into the international side of things.”

Rajiv Shukla has resigned as IPL chairman, following the scandal over alleged corruption in the league

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2013Rajiv Shukla has resigned as IPL chairman, following the scandal over alleged corruption in the league. His decision to stand down comes less than 24 hours after the resignations of two top BCCI officials, secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke, and on the eve of a crucial BCCI working committee meeting in Chennai, where the future of N Srinivasan as board president is expected to be decided.On Saturday evening, Shukla told : “I have decided to quit as IPL chairman. It is a decision that I was pondering over for some time. I think it is time to step down. Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke resigned in the best interest of Indian cricket. I thought this is the right time.”Shirke, responding to news of Shukla’s resignation, said the challenge now lay in how to move forward. “It is his decision. He’s in the eye of the storm, he must have realised the gravity of what he felt,” Shirke told . “It is never too late, the question is what are the steps being taken from now on to restore the faith and restore transparency. No one is able to pinpoint the faults and what steps should be taken.”Shukla took over as IPL chairman at the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting in September 2011, from Chirayu Amin. The tenure is for a year, but can be extended at the board’s AGM. Shukla, who was reappointed as chairman in 2012, had gone on record saying he would not extend his term at this September’s AGM.IPL 2013 has been plunged into controversy over the past two weeks, following the arrests of three Rajasthan Royals players for alleged spot-fixing, and Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan – the the son-in-law of board president N Srinivasan, who is also the managing director of Super Kings’ owner, India Cements – for alleged betting.Apart from Shukla, the IPL’s governing council comprises Arun Jaitley (Delhi District Cricket Association), Anirudh Chaudhary (Haryana Cricket Association), Amitabh Chaudhary (Jharkhand CA), Sanjay Patel (Baroda CA), Ganga Raju (Andhra CA), MP Pandove (Punjab CA), and former India Test cricketer and current television commentator Ravi Shastri.Meanwhile Jagdale, who resigned as BCCI secretary on Friday, said a “massive clean-up job” is necessary following the controversies. “The spot-fixing and betting scandal has badly dented the image of cricket. A massive clean-up job is required to overcome this,” he said. “But this will take time as the damage done is very big.”It is very difficult to stop fixing in cricket and BCCI has its own limitations, but the the board can strengthen its surveillance and curb the menace of fixing. At the same time, the BCCI will have to take strict action against cricketers who are found guilty. To earn the faith of fans, the BCCI administrators will have to show determination and work as a unit.”Whether Srinivasan, under mounting pressure, will step aside as board president – at least temporarily, until the inquiry into Gurunath, India Cements and Rajasthan Royals’ owners is complete – is likely to be answered on Sunday, following the BCCI’s emergency meeting. Jagdale said he would not consider returning to the BCCI even if Srinivasan resigned: “I am not even looking at the possibility of coming back into the BCCI’s fold. I think I am done with my innings.”

Lancashire have signed Neil Wagner as their overseas player for the majority of their 2016 first-class season

George Dobell15-Jan-2016Lancashire have signed Neil Wagner as their overseas player for the majority of their 2016 first-class season.Wagner, the New Zealand left-arm seamer, will be available from the start of the County Championship season and will feature primarily in that competition. He will be available until at least the end of July and could be available for the entire season if not required for New Zealand’s tour of South Africa.He has currently taken 67 wickets from his 18 Tests. He has previously had a brief spell in county cricket with Northamptonshire – he came into a struggling side in 2014 and took only 10 first-class wickets in five matches at a cost of 72.80 apiece – and has also played club cricket in the region for Ormskirk in 2008. He claimed five wickets in an over while playing for Otago against Wellington in April 2011.His aggression, stamina and commitment should render him a useful addition to a Lancashire side that was promoted back to Division One at the end of last year. With the top division almost certain to shrink to eight teams (from nine) at the end of 2016, Lancashire will have little opportunity to consolidate.”We are delighted to have brought in Neil Wagner to strengthen our bowling attack,” Lancashire coach, Ashley Giles, said. “Neil is a world class bowler with a tremendous pedigree and having him available for such an extended period will give our Division One campaign a real boost.””I am extremely excited to play for such a great club,” Wagner said. “I have always admired Lancashire, ever since playing in the Liverpool Lancashire league for Ormskirk in 2008.”