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Luke Pomersbach has been given a chance to resume his troubled Australian career after Queensland signed him on a one-year contract

Brydon Coverdale04-Jul-2012Luke Pomersbach has been given a chance to resume his troubled Australian career after Queensland signed him on a one-year contract. The Bulls have become the first state to finalise their squad for 2012-13 with Pomersbach, Usman Khawaja and Nathan Hauritz the major inclusions, while several regular state players including Ryan Broad and Ben Dunk lost their deals.The recruitment of Pomersbach from Western Australia is a gamble, because despite his prodigious talent he has made more headlines for his actions off the field than on it. He was suspended four times by the WACA, and was serving one of those suspensions when he was unexpectedly called up to play for Australia in a Twenty20 in 2007 when Brad Hodge injured his back shortly before the game.In 2009, Pomersbach escaped a jail sentence when he admitted to assaulting a police officer and drink driving, but his problems didn’t end there. Before the start of last season, he missed a practice match following a drinking binge and subsequently announced that he would take the summer off from representing Western Australia in an effort to address his issues.Most recently, he was charged with assault in India this year when a US national alleged that Pomersbach, who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL, assaulted her and her fiancé in their room at a Delhi hotel. The case was withdrawn after an out-of-court settlement. Trevor Hohns, the Queensland chairman of selectors, said the state would provide Pomersbach with plenty of support.”Everyone knows the history behind Luke – that’s been well documented,” Hohns told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday. “It’s very easy to discard people but we are here to help. We will back our environment to bring out the best in him. The staff here are all right behind him and I trust his management who encouraged him to come to Queensland will play their part to keep him on the straight and narrow.”Despite his many problems, Pomersbach, 27, has shown glimpses of his talent on the field and averages 40.59 in first-class cricket. The Bulls have decided to hand him a career lifeline after he moved to Brisbane last summer to play club cricket while still contracted to the Warriors, and he is one of 25 men who will make up the Queensland core group next summer, including rookies.The Bulls have locked a number of players in for two-year deals, including Khawaja, Hauritz, Peter Forrest, Joe Burns, Nathan Reardon, Chris Lynn, Cameron Boyce, Ben Cutting, Cameron Gannon, Alister McDermott, Michael Neser, Chris Hartley and the captain James Hopes. However, there was no room for the opening batsman Broad or the wicketkeeper Dunk, both of whom have captained Queensland in the past two seasons.Also gone from last year’s list are Scott Walter, Steve Paulsen and Alex Kemp, while Chris Swan and Steve Magoffin have both retired from Australian cricket. But Hohns said players who had missed out on contracts would still be in contention for selection and for playing deals if they performed during the summer.”One thing that we as a selection panel, and as a coaching group, have been very strong on is that the performances will be rewarded, whether you are a contracted player or not,” Hohns said. “Form in grade cricket and competitions like the KFC T20 Challenge earned several players selection for Queensland last season and we are very comfortable going down that path again.”A number of good players were not contracted for the coming season but they will still be considered if their form and performances warrant selection. We are very pleased with the quality of the playing group that has been assembled.”Queensland squad James Hopes (capt), Cameron Boyce, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Luke Feldman, Jason Floros, Peter Forrest, Matthew Gale, Cameron Gannon, Chris Hartley, Ryan Harris (CA contract), Nathan Hauritz, Usman Khawaja, Chris Lynn, Alister McDermott, Michael Neser, Luke Pomersbach, Nathan Reardon, Andrew Robinson, Wade Townsend.Rookies Corey Barsby, Nick Buchanan, Ronan McDonald, James Peirson, Nick Stevens.

West Indies have dropped their vice-captain Brendan Nash and have recalled Kirk Edwards for the second Test, which begins on June 28 in Barbados

Sriram Veera25-Jun-2011West Indies have dropped their vice-captain Brendan Nash and recalled Kirk Edwards for the second Test against India, which begins on June 28 in Barbados. Marlon Samuels, who missed the first Test in Jamaica, is likely to play in the middle order instead of Nash.Nash came into the Test side without match practice and made 1 and 9 at Sabina Park, where West Indies lost by 63 runs. He has scored only 53 runs in his previous six innings and been dismissed in single digits five times.”It is clear that Brendan has been struggling for form for some time and we want to give him a chance to take some time away from international cricket and work on his game,” Clyde Butts, the chairman of selectors, said. “Brendan is a mentally tough cricketer and we are sure that he will be able to overcome the challenges he is now facing and come back strong.”Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler and commentator, told ESPNcricinfo he wasn’t surprised by the axing, though he thought Nash might have got one more chance.”It’s difficult for Brendan. It’s been a like that for a while now. Nash doesn’t play the ODIs and doesn’t get much cricket in between,” Bishop said. “I know he is a hard worker, very professional and will definitely go to the nets and work on his game. I suspect it will be Samuels who will play and not Edwards. Samuels has shown that he can make a contribution to this team. There might be also an option of playing five bowlers on that Barbados track. Time will tell.”In the absence of Chris Gayle, and now with the exit of Nash, the responsibility on Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan increases. “Shiv has the ability … I won’t say he was careless in getting out in the Test match. One bounced on him and one hit a crack. He will go back and work hard and will lead this West Indies batting line-up. He is the one guy who can play the Dravid-type innings.”Good teams have a senior core, who set a trend. Chanderpaul and Sarwan have to set that trend, particularly Sarwan. He is still relatively a young player and at the prime of his career.”MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, didn’t want to comment on the continuing absence of Gayle. “I think that’s a situation for the selectors to decide who they can pick for their team,” he said. “I won’t say this West Indian side is a weaker side. If you look at the talent they have in their top six or seven batsmen, then they are equally matched with the current Indian team you know, who all are over here”.West Indies squad : Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh (wk), Darren Sammy (capt), Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach, Kirk Edwards.

South Australia are resigned to being without the powerful allrounder Kieron Pollard for the Champions League in South Africa in September

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2010South Australia are resigned to being without the powerful allrounder Kieron Pollard for the Champions League in South Africa in September and are still waiting to learn whether Shahid Afridi will be available. Pollard and Afridi were key components in the Redbacks qualifying for the lucrative Twenty20 event, but they were not part of the state’s 20-man preliminary squad for the tournament.Pollard’s IPL side Mumbai Indians are also in the competition and he will have a third option if his home side Trinidad and Tobago win the domestic series in the West Indies next month. Afridi’s calendar has become complicated by his new leadership duties with Pakistan and a South Australian spokeswoman said they were unsure whether he would be available.The offspinner Dan Cullen has been given hope that his career with South Australia is not over after being named in the outfit. Cullen, who played a Test in 2006, was cut from the Redbacks’ contract list along with Mark Cosgrove after the summer, but remains in their plans even if he doesn’t make the final 15-man squad.South Australia will test out their new leadership team at the event, which they qualified for by finishing runner up to Victoria in the 2009-10 Big Bash final. Michael Klinger is the new captain and his deputy is Callum Ferguson, who did not play at all last summer due to a knee reconstruction.The squad will be boosted by Shaun Tait and Daniel Christian, who are currently playing in England’s domestic Twenty20 competition. Tait is with Glamorgan while Christian, a non-playing member of Australia’s World Twenty20 squad, is at Hampshire.South Australia squad Daniel Harris, James Smith, Michael Klinger (capt), Cameron Borgas, Aaron O’Brien, Graham Manou (wk), Daniel Christian, Gary Putland, Peter George, Callum Ferguson, Kane Richardson, Michael Cranmer, Jake Haberfield, Tim Ludeman, Shaun Tait, Tom Cooper, Chris Duval, Joel Davies, Cullen Bailey, Daniel Cullen.

She represented New Zealand 61 times, including at the T20 World Cup final in 2009

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2024Sarah Tsukigawa, the former New Zealand allrounder, has been appointed their new national selector for women’s cricket. She played 42 ODIs and 19 T20Is over a five-year international career which began in 2006 and ended in 2011.Tsukigawa will be working with the New Zealand’s head coach Ben Sawyer. Her role will include selecting players not only for the national team but also to those just below that level in the women’s cricket pathway. New Zealand are preparing to host Australia in two weeks and then head over to the UAE for the Women’s T20 World Cup. The squads for both those assignments will be announced on September 10 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.”I’ve always wanted to get back involved in women’s cricket and give back to the game that has given me so much,” Tsukigawa, who was captain, and later assistant coach and selector, at Otago, said. She held the latter two positions while continuing her career as a teacher in Dunedin.Related

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Tsukigawa was part of the New Zealand team that played the 2009 T20 World Cup final. She also represented them in the ODI World Cup that same year. “Clear communication is an important part of selection and I feel I can bring that, along with my experience as a player,” she said in an NZC release. “I’ve got a lot of belief in this current group of White Ferns and the pathway that is being developed to produce future White Ferns.”NZC Head of Women’s High Performance, Liz Green, explained the women’s national selector would be responsible for the identification of talent across the women’s pathway and succession planning – which could come into play immediately with Sophie Devine’s decision to step down as T20I captain following the upcoming World Cup. Devine, however, wishes to keep the leadership role in ODIs.”Sarah has a clear passion for talent identification and development,” Green said. “She has a unique skillset with her experience both as a player and a selector, so she brings an understanding of the selection process from both points of view.

Odds were in Foxes’ favour but determined half-centuries turn tide hosts’ way

ECB Reporters Network20-May-2023Worcestershire 83 (Wright 5-32, Davey 3-26) and 274 for 7 (Hose 84, Roderick 59) beat Leicestershire 173 (Ackermann 52, Waite 3-17) and 180 (Hill 49, Leach 5-41, Waite 4-21) by three wicketsAdam Hose and Gareth Roderick played major roles in Worcestershire achieving a three-wicket win over Leicestershire with a day to spare in the LV=Insurance County Championship encounter at New Road.The odds were in the Foxes favour after Worcestershire lost two wickets for two runs yesterday evening on a pitch of variable bounce after being asked to chase a 271 target – the highest of the game.But Hose struck a fluent 84 and Roderick dug in for more than five hours to make an equally crucial 59. Then club captain Brett D’Oliveira, who battled away for 137 deliveries to score an unbeaten 41, and Adam Finch saw Worcestershire home.Wiaan Mulder did his best to pull the game out of the fire for Leicestershire with four wickets to add to his five-fors against Derbyshire and Sussex in the previous two games.Ultimately a see-saw third day was a superb advert for Championship cricket with first one side and then the other appearing to be in the ascendancy.Worcestershire showed immense character, determination and skill to fight back in superb fashion from being bowled out for 83 in just 21.1 overs on the first day.Their bowlers set the tone by bowling out Leicestershire for 180 in their second innings with Joe Leach and Matthew Waite sharing nine wickets.Then their batters showed tremendous application in attempting to chase down a testing target on a still difficult pitch.Hose made the switch from Warwickshire to New Road on a three-year deal during the winter, partially because he felt he would have a greater chance of playing red ball cricket.He had not played a Championship game for three years since the end of the 2019 season and has spent the past year impressing in T20 cricket. He was the third highest scorer in last year’s Vitality Blast and then made a significant contribution for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League and earned praise for his calming influence from Head Coach Jason Gillespie.Hose had scored his capabilities in Championship cricket by making 59 and 41 in the previous home game against Sussex when England’s Ollie Robinson had bowled superbly to pick up 14 wickets.Here he produced a knock worthy of a century given the challenging conditions in making 84 and was given excellent support by Roderick.
He had been a top-five batter during his time with Gloucestershire but has spent the bulk of his time at New Road in the middle order.Here he was promoted to No.3 for this game and provided rock solid support for Hose in dropping anchor at the other end.Worcestershire resumed on 26 for 2 on a pitch still offering plenty of encouragement to the bowlers with its unpredictable bounce.Loan signing Josh Davey made the first breakthrough of the day when Jack Haynes was adjudged lbw to a delivery angled back in. The England Lions batter smacked his bat in frustration before leaving the crease.Roderick was joined by Hose, who was fortunate when a delivery from Davey popped up onto the offside. But he was soon into his stride in straight driving Chris Wright for four and then pulling Davey for six.The former Warwickshire batter looked in good touch but Roderick’s contribution was also invaluable. The 50 stand came up in 13 overs but there was still threat of a delivery misbehaving and Roderick edged one delivery from Tom Scriven high over the slips and keeper to the boundary.A straight drive by Hose brought him his eighth four and enabled him to complete an excellent half century from 66 balls.The third-wicket pair had extended their stand to 92 by lunch and the century partnership came up shortly after the resumption from 168 balls.Wright came back into the attack after lunch and Roderick flicked him off his legs for a boundary. Hose went into overdrive with a flurry of boundaries which took him into the 80s and brought the target to within realistic proportions.But after adding 131 in 37 overs with Roderick, Hose’s superb knock came to an end when he pushed forward to Wiaan Mulder and was caught behind. His two-and-a-half-hour knock spanned 117 balls and contained one six and 14 fours.Roderick was dropped at slip off Wright on 49 in the same over as he completed a 185-ball half-century.The scoring dried up after Hose’s dismissal and D’Oliveira needed 53 deliveries to collect his first boundary.Roderick’s patient knock ended on 59 when Colin Ackermann held onto a chance at second slip off Mulder.The second new ball was taken at 206 for 5 and Matthew Waite made a quickfire 22 before the former Yorkshire all-rounder and Joe Leach both went lbw to Mulder. But D’Oliveira and Finch held their nerve to settle the issue in favour of the home side.

Legspinner, Player of the Match in Bangladesh’s win over Pakistan, is hoping her team gets to play the likes of Australia, England and New Zealand more

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2022Legspinner Fahima Khatun was brought back for her second spell in the 40th over of the Pakistan run chase. At that stage, Pakistan needed 72 in 66 balls with eight wickets in hand. After a quiet first over, Fahima dismissed Omaima Sohail, Aliya Riaz and Fatima Sana in the space of four deliveries, and that turned the game, decisively, in Bangladesh’s favour.”When I bowled, I was happy to repay the faith the captain and other senior players had placed in me,” Fahima said. “She [Nigar Sultana, the captain] is very involved. When she brought me in today, she said that she believed in me, and that she expected good things from me. (She) just asked me to play normally.”I just wanted to bowl in the right areas and bowl as many dot balls as possible, and the wickets would come. If the scoreboard pressure is there, they will give us wickets. The asking rate was 6.5-7 when I came to bowl (in the second spell). So I just had to bowl normally, and I was successful.”Pakistan fell short by nine runs in their pursuit of 235, handing Bangladesh their first win in a World Cup match in what is also their debut in the tournament. The collapse, from 183 for 2 to 225 for 9, was triggered by the two legspinners, Fahima (3 for 38) and Rumana Ahmed (2 for 29).”I was confident that the batters would not be able to hit me for over-boundaries,” Fahima, who won the Player of the Match award, said. “I was trying to bowl in the blockhole in the second spell, so they couldn’t hit me over the field. I was trying to mix it up. They needed six-seven runs per over, so I was trying to give away two-three runs.”Related

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Bangladesh came into the game visibly high on confidence. While their openers got going against the seamers before falling to spin, Fargana Hoque and Nigar kept them going with a 96-run third-wicket partnership. Even when Pakistan openers Sidra Ameen and Nahida Khan had set up the chase with a 91-run opening stand, Bangladesh kept their cool. After all, they had won three of the last four matches the two sides had contested.”I have said this before and will say it again, that I, and everyone else, we are always very hungry to play well against Pakistan and beat them,” Fahima said. “We have always said that our bowlers win matches for us, and the batters don’t contribute so much. But at this World Cup, the batters have contributed a lot and the bowlers are doing a good support job. If there is a good stand at the start, and the pressure builds, it is a cause for concern.”But we wanted to keep the run-pressure on them even though we weren’t getting wickets. We didn’t panic, even though we dropped some chances and missed a couple of run-out opportunities. We bowled well, and did well on the field, which is why we won.”Nigar Sultana and Fargana Hoque set the base for a strong total•ICC via Getty Images

At the World Cup, Bangladesh are playing teams they aren’t too used to playing in ODIs. While they went down to New Zealand, whom they played for the first time, they will later face Australia and England, new opponents for them.”We haven’t played much against England and Australia and New Zealand. So we are also unknowns to them, like they are to us,” Fahima said. “This is the first time we have qualified for the World Cup. I am hoping we would get more chances going forward. Our average age and experience are low. But all of us can bat, right down to No. 10, all of us are allrounders. We have played Pakistan and India, and South Africa (before).”After wrapping up the game, the Bangladesh players, led by Fahima and Nahida Akhter, were seen celebrating with a gig.”We always try to do something special when we pick up wickets… it lifts us,” Fahima said. “I feel that this win, the winning habit, is good for us for the future. Since it’s our first World Cup, we want to take back some good memories. We have worked very hard to get here. I hope this has a big impact on women’s cricket in Bangladesh.”

“I have been very fortunate I haven’t been smacked around yet, but that’s going to come unfortunately”

Shashank Kishore24-Oct-20207:36

Has Chris Morris fixed RCB’s death bowling issues?

Six weeks into IPL 2020, Chris Morris has been hailed as the change Royal Challengers Bangalore needed. He provides spark with the new ball, cleans up lower orders at the death, gives them an imposing presence on the field with his rocket arm, and brings with him the potential to be a finisher. To understand why he has been such a key part of the jigsaw, let us rewind to December 2019.It is the build-up to the mini-auction in Kolkata. The Royal Challengers want Morris at any cost. At each of their mock auctions, the price for him has shot through the roof. However, Mike Hesson, the director of cricket, keeps going. It isn’t out of desperation, but because of their innate belief on an X-factor player.Forget about having someone of the skillsets Morris has – 140kph plus, can turn up at the death and nail yorkers, besides hitting big from the outset. The Royal Challengers have struggled to just have a consistent allrounder in their set up. In 2016 and 2017, they had Shane Watson. Then in 2018 and 2019, they had Marcus Stoinis. Neither thrived, for a variety of factors – not least being the chop-and-change policy they’ve since shelved for consistency. Kolkata Knight Riders have Andre Russell. Mumbai Indians have Kieron Pollard. Chennai Super Kings have Dwayne Bravo. There’s a reason the Royal Challengers want him.On auction day, the Royal Challengers enter the bidding at INR 1.7 crore, and go right through to the end. They even discuss among themselves the prospect of placing a next bid after raising the paddle at INR 10 crore. Mumbai Indians back out, Hesson and Katich quietly celebrate. They’ve got their man.Fast-forward to September 2020. Royal Challengers have just finished their mandatory quarantine, and are training at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Morris is among the last to turn out to bat, after an exciting first net session with the ball. As Morris swings hard, he feels a pull in his stomach and immediately knows something is off. A precautionary scan reveals a strain to the stomach muscle. It’s just week one, and while there’s three weeks to go for the tournament to begin, Morris isn’t part of much of the build-up. But because he’s such an integral member of the squad, they’re giving every opportunity to put himself back on the field.Chris Morris celebrates a wicket with Isuru Udana•BCCI

Sending him home after spending tons and tons of hours of time and energy at the mock auction, real auction, over numerous zoom sessions Hesson and Katich conducted in preparation for the season – both in March and August – individually to ensure all their players are up for it mentally, wasn’t even an option. It’s this sentiment of being made to feel wanted that seals Morris’ bond with his new franchise, his fourth in the IPL after the Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils.”Give me somebody who doesn’t like the feeling of being wanted – whether in sport, in a relationship or just in life in general,” Morris asks. “It’s just nice to feel important. The medical staff were incredible. For them to get me back on the park was really good. I’ve never had that type of injury before. It was a new thing for me.”The Royal Challengers’ physio office in their hotel wing is open at 7am every day. Players zoom in and out for their sessions, and Morris is regular. Six weeks of exercises, rehabilitation, rest – where he doesn’t try to risk himself to the extent of having a swing on the golf simulator – is all worth it. Morris is fit, and the Royal Challengers are readying themselves to bring him into the competition five games in. It may seem all good now in hindsight that they waited on him, but Morris himself was full of apprehension as he raced against time to be fit.”I didn’t know what to expect or how long it was going to take,” he says. “We worked really hard. It was a tough four and half weeks for myself and the medical team. We grafted in the gym, we grafted on treatment tables. It was day-in, day-out. I had the machine in my room treating myself throughout the night. Literally, I would wake up every two hours and ice myself throughout the night. It was a hard graft and here we are. We are happy to be playing. As a medical team, they were all happy I can get back on the field and start playing.”Morris immediately impressed in his first outing, against his former team Super Kings, by opening with 3 for 19 off his four overs. Since then, he has delivered one telling performance after another. So far, he has nine wickets in six outings. More than 50% of his 120 deliveries so far have been dot balls. His powerplay economy is an outstanding 4.5, with his death-overs economy pegged at 6.38.Chris Morris has been a valuable addition to RCB•BCCI

His Smart Economy of 3.67 is second-best to team-mate Washington Sundar. This component factors in the match economy, the phase of the game where he bowled and the pressure on his team after he bowled his overs. All of this points to something having worked for him lately. For Morris, this isn’t about the technical adjustments he has made. It’s mental. And it revolves around the philosophy that the next ball is the most important ball he’ll bowl.”Ah, I think I’m in a blessed position, to be honest,” he says. “So, there are high pressure points that you want to be in as a cricketer. That’s where you want to get tested as a cricketer. You get to bowl fast, bowl yorkers and smash sixes (laughs). What more do you want? I have been very fortunate. I haven’t been really smacked (around in IPL) yet, but that’s going to come unfortunately. That’s the nature of the beast — the IPL.”I just have to keep my clarity. The moment you lose clarity of what you want to do, that’s when everything gets side-tracked. The bounce-back ability needs to be good. As a new-ball and death bowler, you are going to get hit for six, you will get inside-edges for fours. It is about how you fix the next ball. If the next ball gets hit for a six, then just bowl the next, keep repeating, give your best. You have to continue to get better. Like I said, I’ve been very lucky, I have got wickets, I haven’t been hit for runs. I hope it continues, if it doesn’t it is about how you limit it. It is a tough game, but I enjoy doing it.”Morris agrees all the change in thought process has taken a while coming. A forced break due to Covid-19 somewhat hampered his plans. At 33, he’s more than past the halfway stage of his career, but Morris isn’t on the lookout to make up for lost time. Having been injured at various times in his career, experience, he says, has taught him to look at every opportunity as a blessing and how not playing with the fear of injuries and with a clear thought process of what he wants to execute in every game helps him balance out the good days with the bad.Chris Morris dives forward for a brilliant catch•BCCI

“I haven’t had muddled messages coming around,” he says. “It’s like ‘this is what I want to do’, ‘this is how I want to do’, and then you execute. If something goes wrong, you then go on to Plan B, because we have a Plan B. Or else, Plan C. What has worked for me is a lot of clarity and what the execution needs to be. We do a lot of homework. Everything that happens behind the scenes, we work so hard that by the time we get to the game, we know what we want and then it’s up to us to execute. Our plans are very clear.”Once you’re clear about what you need to do, it’s a lot more easier for Virat (Kohli) to worry about field placements and stuff because most of us know what to do by the time we get to the top of our mark. Playing under Virat is very good. The biggest thing for me is he expects excellence, he expects you to put the work in because he puts the work in. Like I said, behind the scene we’re putting all the work in. We’re thinking about the game even before we get into the game. So it’s been really good to play under him. He just exudes that energy that he wants to win all the time, like just want to get into the game. That’s what his attribute to the team is apart from performance. “Clear plans, hard work and fitness aside, Morris is soaking in the experience of mentoring young Indian fast bowlers. In an age where ‘mentorship’ is loosely thrown around every senior player, the Royal Challengers have walked the extra mile in ensuring senior members of their squad spend time with their paired-up juniors. It doesn’t necessarily revolve around just skillsets or fitness. It can be life lessons too, chats about what makes them tick, what doesn’t. How their life is back home outside of cricket. Incidentally, these were the lessons Morris says he learnt from “legend” Dale Steyn, who he now can call a friend. Morris couldn’t have imagined, when he was growing up in the diamond town of Kimberley, wanting to bowl fast, that he could even have a conversation with Steyn. Today, he has shared dressing rooms with him at South Africa and now at the Royal Challengers.Chris Morris had a big impact in his comeback match•BCCI

“Dale is a legend. Why I have been lucky is because he is not just a mentor, he is actually one of my friends,” he says. “I pinch myself every now and then and say, Dale is my friend. We love to spend time and do things together. We are also very similar in our interests of sport. We also have similar music tastes. So, we click very well and we speak a lot of rubbish together. I’m very lucky not just to have him in the change room but also as my mate. His inputs have been so important and valuable. For me, more important for me with Dale is not the stuff that we talk on the field but more the stuff the stuff we talk about off the field, in life in general. For a guy who’s been playing since he was 20 and to almost being 47 now, I’m joking. For him to be 38 and still do what he does is incredible. The stuff that we talk about and the stuff he brings to the team is invaluable.”What about life in a bubble? Surely that would’ve been challenging in the midst of a demanding tournament?”It’s been different, at the beginning I honestly thought it’ll be a lot worse, I will get bored and lose my mind, but luckily we’ve got a good bunch of guys,” he says. “The RCB management have been unbelievable by putting together that team room. That has been amazing. We’ve got a pool to ourselves, we’ve got a private beach. We had a barbeque [last week], all of us outside. It was awesome with cricket on the big screen. We’ve got a golf simulator, so we have got everything that we want. We’re lucky with the way RCB has spoilt us players, and all the effort they have put in to keep us happy and comfortable has been incredible. So for us, the bio-bubble has been really cool, a lot of fun and hopefully if we get to spend an extra week, hopefully we do, it’ll be quite nice.”

Bairstow follows Michael Vaughan spat with century as England defeat India

Melinda Farrell at Edgbaston30-Jun-20190:40

Vettori: Rohit, Kohli need a complementary batsman

Jonny Bairstow admitted it had been a difficult week leading into England’s crucial match against India and said his comments about the public’s attitude towards the England team were misinterpreted. Bairstow was embroiled in a public spat with former England captain, Michael Vaughan, who branded the opener’s comments as a sign of a “pathetic and negative mindset” on Twitter.”Yes it has been a difficult week,” said Bairstow. “In the week it was a fantastic day with Yorkshire Tea representing National Cricket Week. It was a brilliant morning at a school. We had a really good round-table interview, then quotes get sent out and misinterpreted in so many ways. At no point have I said the public is not behind us. The interview had taken place with 6-8-10 journos around in a very jovial, relaxed manner. To read how it was taken was very disappointing. There’s nothing you can change about the past… yesterday’s news is today’s fish and chip paper, that’s the saying isn’t it?”Bairstow responded to the imbroglio with a Player-of-the-Match performance against India, his century and 160-run partnership with Jason Roy paving the way for England’s 31-run victory. There is a theory that criticism brings out the best in Bairstow but when asked if the brouhaha had spurred him on, he demurred.Watch on Hotstar (India only): Bairstow’s century“I’m not saying I want everyone to come out and abuse me!” said Bairstow with good humour. “There are different ways you can look at it. Along the way people question things so it’s important to recognise different scenarios where you are trying your best. You always go out trying to make a hundred and sometimes it comes off and sometimes you nick one or it doesn’t work out. I was pleased with my performance today.”As the Bairstow and Vaughan story drew heat, both Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan poured cool water over any suggestions that the England camp felt unsupported. Buttler spoke about the forces of “external pressures”. At Edgbaston those pressures resulted in a diamond of an innings from Bairstow and after the match Morgan added weight to the theory that Bairstow punches hardest in the face of adversity.”He does tend to get fired up a lot, and that suits him regardless of what’s happened during the week, any week, injuries or not,” said Morgan. “He likes a bit of fire in his belly, and I don’t mind that when he comes out and plays like that and feels like the way he did. I think it’s outstanding. It’s definitely a match-winning knock. So we’re delighted for him.”This was Bairstow’s first century of the World Cup and he rated it as one of his most important innings.Jonny Bairstow celebrates his hundred•Getty Images

“I was pleased to get over the line in a World Cup,” said Bairstow. “There’s only so many times you get the chance to make a century in a World Cup and I was very disappointed when I got 90 a couple of weeks ago. It was definitely up there, with the speculation and everything and the position we found ourselves in. It was great to go out there and contribute to what was a very big win today.”‘It’s a game that keeps us in the World Cup and keeps our fate in our own hands rather than rely on others around the country. The way the guys went about it was truly outstanding.”

The matches in question in Al Jazeera’s documentary are the England-India Test in Chennai in December 2016, and the Australia-India Test in Ranchi in March 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-20183:05

Watch – Alleged spot-fixing in the India-Australia Ranchi Test

Cricket Australia and the ECB have said there was no “credible evidence” linking Australian and English Test players to spot-fixing, as alleged by TV channel Al Jazeera in its documentary, which focuses on various forms of corruption in the sport.The Tests in question are the England-India Test in Chennai in December 2016, and the Australia-India Test in Ranchi in March 2017. Al Jazeera’s allegations are that during certain periods of the game some England and Australian batsmen scored at a rate specified by fixers for the purposes of betting.Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, said the “limited information” the board had was discussed with “all the England players” and they “emphatically deny the allegations, have stated categorically that the claims are false and they have our full support.”CA requested Al Jazeera for raw footage and un-edited material to assess the allegations and determine whether an investigation was necessary. The BCCI said they were working closely with the ICC.

ICC wants ‘un-edited and unseen evidence’

. “The ICC has now had the opportunity to view the documentary into corruption in cricket and as we have previously stated, we are taking the contents of the programme and the allegations it has made extremely seriously,” Alex Marshall, the ACU’s general manager, said in a statement. “A full investigation led by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, working with full cooperation from all Member countries identified in the programme, is now underway to examine each claim made.
“We have been in ongoing dialogue with the broadcaster which has refused our continual requests to cooperate and share information which has hampered our investigation to date. The content of the programme, is of course useful to the investigation, but I would now urge the production team to provide us with all un-edited and unseen evidence they are in possession of, to enable us to expedite a thorough investigation.”

In the documentary, a person Al Jazeera identified as Aneel Munawar, an Indian national who is said to work for crime syndicate D Company, is seen naming three England players and two Australian players to the undercover reporter as being part of the fix.The names of the cricketers were edited out in the documentary but Al Jazeera said it would pass on information to the relevant authorities. The channel said the two Australians named by Munawar had not responded to the allegations; while the three England players “categorically denied the allegations” through their lawyers, stating that they were “made by a source who is a known criminal,” and that the likelihood of a batting team fixing scores “to within such degree of precision as alleged is highly improbable, if not practically impossible.”Al Jazeera, however, claimed that the information passed by Munawar to the undercover reporter about run-scoring in a certain passage of play was accurate in both Tests. The instruction, the channel claimed, was for the batsmen to score slowly so that the actual runs scored would be lower than what the illegal betting market was placing bets on.The channel said there was no evidence to indicate any other England or Australia players had been involved or aware of the alleged plot.CA said it had not yet had the opportunity to view the raw footage containing the allegations, and requested Al Jazeera for the same. “Together with the ICC, we are aware of the investigation by Al Jazeera into alleged corruption in cricket,” CA chief executive James Sutherland said in a statement. “Although not having been provided an opportunity to view the documentary or any raw footage, our long-standing position on these matters is that credible claims will be treated very seriously and fully investigated.”Neither the ICC or Cricket Australia is aware of any credible evidence linking Australian players to corruption in the game. We urge Al Jazeera to provide all un-edited materials and any other evidence to the ICC investigation team, so, if appropriate, a full and thorough investigation can be conducted.”A similar message emerged from the ECB. “There is nothing we have seen that would make us doubt any of our players in any way whatsoever,” Harrison said. “Neither ECB nor the ICC is aware of any credible evidence connecting any England players to any form of corruption. ECB had been aware of the planned Al Jazeera documentary for some time but have not been given the full content. There have been repeated requests for any evidence and unedited materials to be shared with the ICC so they can fully investigate.”We, like other member Boards, are disappointed that Al Jazeera have not been more cooperative and responsible when making such serious allegations.”A BCCI statement said: “The BCCI has a zero-tolerance approach to any activity or act that brings the game of cricket to disrepute or mars the integrity of the game. The BCCI anti-corruption unit is working closely with the ICC anti-corruption on the alleged claims by a television channel.”

The winner of this clash will advance to the 2018 Test challenge, a four-match series against the bottom-ranked Test side

The Preview by Peter Della Penna27-Mar-2017

Match facts

March 28-31, 2017
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)Ed Joyce (in pic) needs 84 runs to reach 1000 runs in the Intercontinental Cup.•ICC/Saleem Sanghati

Big picture

When the Intercontinental Cup was initiated by the ICC as part of their global development programme, the concept of an Associate using the competition as a vehicle to vie for Test status was a pipe dream. Thirteen years on, it’s a prospect both Afghanistan and Ireland are faced with; the winner of the current Intercontinental Cup edition will take another step closer to cricket’s ultimate dream.Much discussion recently have pegged a double bump up for both sides, but that will depend on ICC’s reforms being approved, a long-drawn process if history is any indication. For now, only the champion of the Intercontinental Cup will advance to the 2018 Test Challenge, a four-match series against the bottom-ranked Test side, currently Zimbabwe.As such, the stakes remain high in the four-day showdown in Greater Noida, particularly since the format has undergone a slight tweak. Unlike previously where the top two sides met in a final at a neutral venue, the group topper after seven rounds will be declared the winner this time around. Therefore, it’s fair to say this clash will have plenty riding on it, perhaps more than any of the six previous finals have.If Afghanistan claim the full 20 points – six for a first-innings lead and 14 more for an outright win – they will sneak past Ireland by a point into the tournament lead. Their final two games are against Hong Kong and UAE, currently placed last. An Ireland loss would mean they’d be in an uphill battle to surge past Afghanistan since they arguably have the toughest remaining slate of any team in the competition – against Netherlands and Scotland.A full 20-point for Ireland win though would put them in a virtually unassailable position, up 39 points with only 40 left on offer for Afghanistan in the final two rounds. Ireland may also be content to play for a draw away from home, a result that would give them a minimum of three points to maintain their lead on the overall table.Though currently second and 19 points behind Ireland, momentum is on Afghanistan’s side. A thumping 10-wicket demolition of Ireland in the final of the Desert T20 Challenge has been followed by a 3-0 T20I sweep and a 3-2 ODI series win this month over the same opponent. In between the Desert T20 and hosting Ireland, they had another 3-2 ODI series win over Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe.Ireland, who have won four of the last five Intercontinental Cups, have been consistent in the tournament at least. This time around, they have stormed not only to four wins in four matches, but have also claimed full points including a pair of wins by innings margins. All set then for a cracker.

Form guide

Afghanistan LDWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland WWWWW

In the spotlight

Rashid Khan has never taken the field for Afghanistan in the I-Cup. However, he took 12 for 122 on his first-class debut against England Lions in December to dispel any doubts over his capabilities in long-form cricket. Rashid was the leading wicket-taker in both the T20I and ODI series ahead of this with nine and 16 respectively across eight matches.Ireland’s Ed Joyce is the leading scorer in the competition with 592 runs in six innings. The bulk of that output came in a pair of double-century knocks against UAE and Namibia in June and October 2015. He kept up that form in limited-overs cricket against Afghanistan in the summer of 2016, finishing as the leading scorer in the home four-ODI series with 339 runs. However, he’s had a much leaner run since arriving in Greater Noida, making just 137 runs in five ODIs.

Team news

Zahir Khan, the left-arm wristspinner who is tied with George Dockrell for most wickets in the tournament, is one of several expected changes from the limited-overs leg as Afghanistan may produce a three-pronged spin attack: Zahir, Rashid and Mohammad Nabi.Afghanistan (probable XI): 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Javed Ahmadi, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Nasir Jamal, 5 Asghar Stanikzai (capt.), 6 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Dawlat Zadran, 10 Yamin Ahmadzai, 11 Zahir KhanIreland’s lack of depth will be further tested by the absence of Kevin O’Brien, who flew home after suffering a hamstring injury in the fourth ODI. Boyd Rankin missed the T20I and ODI series with a back problem he has battled since the Desert T20 in January. If Rankin can’t go, Ireland may opt for offspinning allrounder Andy McBrine rather than specialist legspinner Jacob Mulder or medium pacer Peter Chase. That would leave Tim Murtagh and Craig Young as the two seam options.Ireland (probable XI): 1 William Porterfield (capt.), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 John Anderson, 5 Niall O’Brien (wk), 6 Andy Balbirnie, 7 Gary Wilson, 8 Andy McBrine/Jacob Mulder, 9 George Dockrell, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 Craig Young/Boyd Rankin

Pitch and conditions

Afghanistan’s spinners took 16 of the 20 wickets in an innings and 36 run win over Namibia in the only I-Cup game at this venue. Spinners dominated throughout the just completed ODI series, highlighted by Rashid and Paul Stirling taking 6-fors in the same match. Slow bowlers are expected to continue prospering. Fitness levels will be tested with temperatures expected to hover around 40 degrees.

Stats and trivia

• Ireland captain William Porterfield needs 47 runs to pass Andrew White as his country’s all-time leading scorer in the I-Cup. Porterfield has 1506 runs in 21 matches, which puts him seventh overall behind Kenya’s Steve Tikolo (1918 runs).
• Ed Joyce needs 84 runs to reach 1000 runs in the Intercontinental Cup. He’d be the second-fastest to the mark if he gets there. Ryan ten Doeschate took just seven matches to cross 1000 I-Cup runs for the Netherlands.
• Mohammad Nabi needs three more wickets to surpass Hamid Hassan for the most by an Afghanistan bowler in the I-Cup. Nabi has 53 in 17 games. Three wickets will also take him into 10th position for most wickets by a bowler in the tournament’s history. Former Ireland captain Trent Johnston is number one with 91 wickets in 25 matches.

Quotes

“I feel this will be the best and most important game in the entire Intercontinental Cup league as both teams can top the league. Our strength is spin bowling and most of our batsmen are in good form. It’s a matter of performing well on the day.”
“It will be a big test for us – the conditions, the turning surface against a side that has a lot of spinners. We’ve been here for three or four weeks, played a lot of cricket on the same ground, so we could not have asked for better preparation.”