All posts by n8rngtd.top

Callum Ferguson’s century goes in vain as the Redbacks collapsed chasing 345 for victory

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2019A five-wicket haul from Matthew Kelly helped Western Australia to a thrilling victory over South Australia at the WACA with just seven balls left in the game.Following a century from Shaun Marsh earlier in the day and then 123 from Callum Ferguson in the sensational chase of 345 – in 70 overs – a collapse left South Australia needing to survive 44 balls with two wickets in hand in fading light. Adam Zampa and Joe Mennie survived 31 deliveries before Mennie edged Joel Paris behind. Then, with just eight balls left, Zampa inexplicably hooked David Moody with two men catching in the deep behind square, and Paris held on to the catch.South Australia had looked on track to win at 3 for 255, needing just 90 from 91 balls. Ferguson played magnificently as he had done against WA in their last Marsh Cup meeting and threatened to steal the show. His 123 featured 20 glorious boundaries and came from 150 balls after he had entered at 1 for 1 following Henry Hunt’s fall to a stunning one-handed catch from Ashton Agar at point.Ferguson shared a 130-run stand with Jake Weatherald, who made 63, and then a 91-run partnership with Tom Cooper to put South Australia in control.But when he fell to Kelly, chipping a catch to midwicket, the game swung completely. South Australia lost four wickets for just 18 runs with Kelly taking three of them to take his fourth first-class five-wicket haul. The Redbacks abandoned the chase with Mennie and Zampa at the crease but despite Zampa’s 37, they fell seven balls short of escaping with a draw.Earlier in the day, Marsh continued his stunning form, posting his second century of the Shield season and his third in all formats following his match-winning unbeaten hundred in the Marsh Cup final against Queensland.WA were chasing quick runs trying to set up a declaration but needed to be careful not to be bowled out after losing Cam Green and Josh Inglis in quick succession. Marsh had some fortune with a couple of edges finding the boundary but also played some trademark strokes. He got superb support again from Agar, who made 45 not out. WA declared shortly after Marsh reached his 28th first-class century to give their bowlers 70 overs. They only needed 68.5 to take ten wickets.

Sophie Devine’s blazing half-century helps Wellington make it a double by winning the women’s title

Deivarayan Muthu19-Jan-2020
Wellington did the double at Basin Reserve on Sunday, with both the Firebirds (men’s team) and the Blaze (women’s team) securing the 20-over Super Smash titles. The Firebirds are also the reigning 50-over Ford Trophy champions, having defeated Otago in Dunedin in 2018-19.Fast bowler Hamish Bennett, who had starred in that final, was at it in the Super Smash final, his 3 for 34 thwarting Martin Guptill and helping the Firebirds defend 168. Bennett, who now holds both domestic white-ball titles, could well make his T20I debut against the visiting India side next week.Auckland Aces’ New Zealand internationals Guptill and Colin Munro had given their team a sound start in pursuit of 169 by adding 33 for the opening stand in four overs. But one run and three balls later, Bennett had Munro tickling one behind, and TV umpire Ashley Mehrota ruled the opener out although Munro wasn’t pleased with the decision, suggesting that he hadn’t touched the ball.Then, immediately after the powerplay, Jimmy Neesham marked his return from a quadricep injury when he had Glenn Phillips dragging a catch to deep square-leg for a run-a-ball 7. Neesham combined with left-arm fingerspinner Rachin Ravindra and Netherlands international Logan van Beek to pin down the middle order. All three bowlers conceded just one boundary each, sharing five wickets between them.Guptill, though, stood tall even as the Aces sank to 104 for 5 and then 113 for 6. Guptill, who was on 23 off 22 balls by the end of the powerplay, set his focus towards taking the chase deep. He brought up a 45-ball half-century in the 16th over, when he slapped seamer Ollie Newton behind point four.Auckland now needed 59 off 29 balls, with the in-form Bennett still with one over in his bag. Van Beek, too, did some significant damage, getting three wickets, including two in one over. Guptill gave Auckland more hope when he lined up the returning Bennett in the 18th over and thumped him over midwicket for six. However, Bennett responded strongly, getting Guptill to hole out for 60 off 53 balls. Van Beek produced a game-changing moment, pulling off a stunning hokey-pokey catch at the edge of the deep-midwicket boundary. A fierce whip from Guptill seemed destined to fly over the boundary… until van Beek himself took flight and caught the ball at the edge of the rope. He then lost his balance and jumped beyond the rope, but had the presence of mind to toss the ball into play and retrieve it in the end.It was only fitting that Bennett and van Beek closed out the game for the Firebirds. The two men had moved north from Canterbury, playing crucial hands in the Firebirds’ third T20 title victory.Earlier, it was Black Cap-in-waiting Devon Conway who had set up the win, with a 37-ball 49 at the top. Conway lit up the Basin by crunching beanpole quick Kyle Jamieson for three fours in the first over of the game, including a drilled cover-drive. Michael Pollard, the other opener, wasn’t as fluent at the other end, and was dismissed by left-arm quick Mitchell McClenaghan.Conway continued on his merry way and lashed left-arm fingerspinner Mark Chapman for back-to-back boundaries to push the Firebirds to 80 for 2 in ten overs. McClenaghan then returned to the attack and had Conway splicing one to extra cover, where Craig Cachopa pulled off a blinding one-handed catch. Conway capped the season as the top run-getter, with 543 runs in 11 innings at an average of 67.87 and strike rate of 145.18.The South Africa-born top-order batsman will qualify to play for New Zealand soon, just before the T20 World Cup, but coach Gary Stead is already so impressed by him that he called him into New Zealand’s winter camp last year.Jamieson nailed his yorkers and mixed it up his hard lengths at the death while Munro gave little away with his cutters and rollers as the Firebirds’ innings threatened to spiral out of control. However, charming cameos from a fit-again Neesham (22 off 13 balls), captain Michael Bracewell (23 off 17 balls), and van Beek (15* off eight balls) ensured they reached 168. Van Beek, in particular, was the only Firebirds batsman to get the measure of McClenaghan, taking him for 11 off four balls. Bennett and van Beek then made that total look a whole lot bigger with the ball and in the field, thrilling the home crowd.Sophie Devine set up the victory with a quick half-century•Getty Images

Sophie Devine sets up victory in seven-over shootout
Sophie Devine was in complete control after poor weather meant only a seven-overs-a-side contest would be possible in the women’s final.Devine and Rachel Priest dealt in boundaries to start with, the first 20 runs coming in fours, to take Wellington to 20 after two overs. Once Priest fell, Devine switched to smashing sixes, hitting three in the fourth over of the innings, bowled by Anna Peterson, and reached her half-century in just 22 balls. She couldn’t carry on, though, Bella Armstrong sending her back for a 23-ball 54. Though only eight runs came off the final over, Wellington had a strong 81 for 2 on the board thanks to their captain.Devine came back to bowl a fine first over, conceding just five runs, and that set the tone for the Auckland reply, as they struggled to find the boundaries, lost wickets, and could only manage 45 for 5, going down by 36 runs.

Agreement reached after weeks of talks between board and players’ association

Firdose Moonda07-Feb-2020The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has withdrawn its ongoing court case against CSA, which related to a proposed restructure of the domestic game. The parties have agreed to a joint consultation and review process, to be completed by the end of June 2020, following the Members’ Council decision to rescind the plan to eliminate the six franchises that formed the premier tier of domestic cricket and revert to a 12-team provincial set-up, as was the case pre-2004-05.As reported by ESPNcricinfo last month, the Members’ Council, a body made up of 14 provincial presidents who form CSA’s affiliates, backtracked on their plan, which SACA claimed would cause up to 70 cricketers to lose their jobs. The Members’ Council initially proposed a more streamlined set-up as a way to cut costs, with CSA projecting substantial losses – their own estimates were R654 million (US$43.3m) but SACA put the amount closer to R1 billion (US$66.2m) – in the next four-year cycle.Currently, CSA financially props up a two-tier domestic system, which includes six franchises playing four-day first-class cricket and 14 semi-professional teams, who play three-day first-class cricket. All 20 teams receive CSA grants. The Members’ Council believed that culling the franchises would save CSA money. However, SACA argued it would lead to job losses and a decrease in the quality of domestic cricket.The players’ body also claimed it was not consulted about the plan to alter the domestic landscape and, in May last year, launched a case in the Johannesburg High Court asking CSA to show-cause for the restructure. CSA only filed answering papers seven months later, in November. In between, the relationship between the two organisations hit an all-time low, as CSA delayed payments of commercial rights fees and excluded SACA officials from high-level meetings.In December 2019, CSA underwent a major overhaul, which included the suspension of CEO Thabang Moroe. Jacques Faul was appointed acting CEO and one of his most pressing tasks was to repair the relationship with SACA, which hinged significantly on the domestic restructure. Weeks of meetings resulted in CSA and SACA agreeing to work together and the bodies released a joint statement on Friday afternoon confirming their new-found consensus.SACA’s president, Omphile Ramela, called it a “good day for cricket in South Africa”, while Faul said he hoped it would stop the talent drain. “This confirms that we have got our partnership relationship with SACA back on track and it will give everybody, especially our players, certainty and security on the road ahead,” Faul said. “It is an important part of the process to encourage them [the players] to stay in our system rather than seek opportunities abroad.”Exactly what this means for the 2020-21 season is yet to be revealed. With player contracts due to expire in April it will need swift work if a change in the structure is to succeed. ESPNcricinfo understands that one of the options being considered is an eight-team franchise structure, with provincial teams returning to amateur status.The future of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) will also be a key consideration with CSA running the tournament at a loss of more than R100 million (US$6.6m) in each of its two editions so far, following a failure to sell television rights. CSA has been holding talks with pay-television producers SuperSport in recent weeks, and although their broadcast deal will only be renegotiated next year, the MSL is understood to be an important point of discussion between the parties.

After scoring 176, Das said he had not thought of reaching a double-hundred in a rain-curtailed match

Mohammad Isam07-Mar-2020When Liton Das crossed 158 in the third ODI against Zimbabwe on Friday with the crowd in Sylhet having a party, Bangladesh’s highest individual score in ODIs was his property now. He got a big hug from Tamim Iqbal, the man who had set the record just two days ago. But it was also Iqbal, according to Das, who reminded him around the 120-run mark that the record was for his taking, and he shouldn’t leave the chance. Das went on to finish on 176 off 143 balls that helped the hosts amass 322.Das said that twice during their record 292-run opening stand, Iqbal’s words motivated him greatly. The first was when they struggled to find singles for a brief period and Iqbal calmed down Das. And then when Das was on 120, Iqbal charged him up.”When I was batting on 80, the bowlers were going through a good time,” Das said after the game. “Neither of us could find the singles. Tamim said that we can overcome this situation. We will get the runs and the boundaries, our batting will become normal. This was before my hundred. When I was around 120-122, I was going after the bowling. Tamim reminded me that this was my chance to cross his highest score. ‘Do something that will last for a long time’, he told me.”Das said that despite the big-hitting finish to his innings, the thought of reaching a double-hundred never crossed his mind. He just reacted to the situations, particularly after the rain break when Bangladesh were 182 for 0 in the 34th over, and the match was reduced to 43 overs a side. Das scored his last 76 runs off just 29 balls, with the help of eight sixes and three fours.”The double-hundred was never on my mind,” Das said. “I wanted to bat till the 30th over but after the century the momentum of the match changed. I had to play my shots, and I was successful. There became a bit of a chance. As a batsman, I have the belief that if I can bat for 30 overs, I can get a hundred.”It is one of my best knocks. I always performed at the domestic level, but there were problems at the international level. My playing style was different. I am working on it, but I am sure that I can do better in the future.”Liton Das and Tamim Iqbal pinch a run•BCB

Mashrafe Mortaza, the outgoing captain who always banked on a good opening stand but had to work hard to find a better partner for Iqbal throughout his captaincy, said that Das is certainly reaching his peak as a batsman.”I always love watching Virat Kohli and Liton Das,” Mortaza said. “There’s a lot of great players but as long as these two are at the wicket…I have told Liton for a long time. I believe that Liton can change the momentum of an innings, he can play an anchor role, and he can also play a big innings.”I think that he has picked the momentum. He understands his game now. He has played for four years, and this is his peak time to score runs. His hundred in the Asia Cup final was his natural game.”Mortaza said that the first time he found confidence speaking to Das was couple of years ago in the West Indies when the young batsman was struggling to break into the playing XI. Mortaza had decided to give Anamul Haque a fair go to open with Iqbal, but Das stuck to his guns, and only wanted to open. It impressed Mortaza.”Liton told me once, in West Indies when Bijoy (Anamul Haque) opened in all three games and he didn’t get a game, that he wanted to bat in his best position. He had made runs in the practice game but we decided to stick with Bijoy in that whole series.”Naturally, Liton was disappointed. But he told me that he if he fails at his preferred batting order, he would take the responsibility. We spoke for about 30 minutes, and it gave me confidence in him.”I saw a young player taking responsibility, so I told him that next time whenever you bat for Bangladesh, I will make sure you open the innings.”A captain perennially worried about his batting line-up, and in particular the opening pair where only Iqbal has been consistent, Mortaza will be satisfied that by the time he finished as captain, Bangladesh at least had an exciting opening pair, and one that comes with a lot of promise.

Key points from the government’s guidance as sport comes to terms with a ‘new normal’

George Dobell13-May-2020The return of international cricket came a step closer on Wednesday, as the UK government outlined its plans for a resumption of training as the nation comes to terms with its ‘new normal’. In the hope of both minimising the risk to players and support staff as well as attempting to minimise the pressure the return of elite sport could place on the wider community and the healthcare sector, in particular, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has, in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) and various sports governing bodies, issued protocols – “recommended minimum practice,” as they put it – that must be observed. Here ESPNcricinfo examines the main points in the document.The guidelines are split into two steps. As a first step, training will consist of “a return to a level of organised individual programme training in a defined performance facility while adhering to the government social distancing advice.” That means individuals will be expected to train either on their own or, more realistically, in the same net area or gym but while observing current social distancing.It is understood players will be expected to report to their nearest county ground – travel to training venues is permitted under this step – where they will meet (at a safe distance) one coach and one medic, equipped in full personal protective equipment (PPE).A progression to step two will only occur when Public Health England (PHE) decide it is safe to do so. At this stage, it is unwise to try and put a firm date on that, but it could well be the start of June.This step will be characterised by the allowance of ‘social clustering’ within the training environment where small groups of athletes and staff will be able to interact in much closer contact. In football this is understood to include tackling, so it is reasonable to conclude that, in cricket terms, it will include fielding in close formation – such as slip catching – and closer contact with the coaching team.ALSO READ: Reservations about playing during pandemic ‘won’t be held against you’ – ButtlerThe ECB (and any venues used as training centres) will be expected to appoint both an Accountable Officer and a Covid-19 medical officer who will take the lead in managing the sport’s adherence with government guidelines. The medical officer will also be expected to oversee the return to training of anyone who has either had or had symptoms of the virus.A risk assessment – and risk mitigation plan – must be completed before the resumption of first-step training. Among the issues to be included in this is ensuring all players and support staff are “formally appraised of the risks and all mitigating steps being taken” while “a clear position” must be defined on how those “deemed vulnerable” or in a household with vulnerable members, interacts with the training environment.Additionally, this assessment will have to outline how Covid-19 screening will take place before each entry to the training environment. This will include “a questionnaire and temperature check as a minimum.”Protocols on managing anyone who “becomes symptomatic at the venue” will also be required, as will the supply of full PPE for the relevant medical staff.And while the ECB will be expected to ensure an “appropriate level of medical staffing” and access to emergency assistance, they will also be expected to reduce the risk of burden to the National Health Service. These plans will also need to detail how equipment will be suitably disinfected.Joe Root heads out to bat in the nets•Getty Images

Other factors to be included are measures to maintain “social distancing and appropriate hygiene measures” in the training environment, determining maximum capacity levels and how the area will be cleaned between uses.The ECB (and host venues) will also be expected to brief players (and support staff) thoroughly ahead of any return to training and then allow them to opt out without any consequences.The ECB are also expected to communicate any updates on protocols in a timely and clear manner. These support staff are understood to include drivers, caters, cleaners and security officers. Written consent will need to be provided to confirm that all involved have actively opted into involvement in the process.If a known or suspected case of Covid-19 should occur in the training environment, the individual in question will be placed in isolation. Anyone who has been in contact with them will also be expected to isolate in line with government advice. At present, that states that anyone displaying symptoms should isolate for at least seven days even if those symptoms do not reoccur or worsen and that, if you have been in close contact with someone displaying the symptoms, you should “stay home” for 14 days.Anyone deemed “clinically extremely vulnerable” should not engage in training – or any support activity – outside their own home. Nobody beyond the players and those staff deemed essential will be allowed to enter the training site.Meanwhile, venues utilised for training centres must not compromise any ongoing usage of their facility by the NHS (or other key workers) in an attempt to facilitate the resumption of training. The venues will require deep cleaning before the arrival of players or staff and before and after each session they are present and between sessions if more than one team is in attendance. All cleaning staff will require appropriate levels of training and PPE.A single liaison officer will need to be appointed by each venue, each day to ensure a single interaction point between teams and venues. Interaction should be kept to an essential level.

The chief executive has come under increasing pressure for the handling of the Covid-19 fallout

Daniel Brettig15-Jun-2020Desperation to end more than two months of instability for Cricket Australia is expected to lead to the exit of its chief executive Kevin Roberts, as the board reconsiders earlier plans for deep staff cuts to the governing body in light of a rapidly improving outlook beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.A major round of redundancies, perhaps consuming up to 20% of CA’s staff, was planned to take place this week, but this scenario is believed to have been undergoing revision in recent days amid a raft of good news about the outlook for sport next summer, including the opening of state borders and allowances for crowds at matches.CA is facing rumblings of discontent from the broadcasters Fox Sports and Seven, who are eager to renegotiate their six-year, A$1.18 billion deal signed in early 2018. Unlike the AFL and NRL, however, there has not yet been any content lost, leaving only the Covid-19 crisis signalling of CA itself as the potential trigger for talks about a fee reduction.It had already announced a full international schedule for the summer, with four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is against India as the centre-piece, with the Big Bash League schedule’s announcement set to be imminent also. However, the unrest among CA’s state associations, the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) and also within CA’s staff about stand downs and cuts already made across the country have left the board searching for a circuit-breaker to allow the game to move forward.Last week the New South Wales chairman John Knox wrote to his CA counterpart Earl Eddings, asking for a collective meeting of the state and ACA chairmen to forge a fresh path out of Covid-19, a request that Eddings accepted in principle. But the mere fact that most effective communication over the past 10 weeks has been taking place on a state, ACA and CA board level, rather than involving Roberts, spoke volumes for his weakening position.Roberts, who took over from James Sutherland in October 2018 after his predecessor served for nearly 18 years as one of the most respected CEOs in Australian sport, has lasted little more than 18 months, about halfway through the original three-year term of his contract.Reservations about Roberts’ ability to handle relationships with a broad array of stakeholders were first raised when he led unsuccessful negotiations with the ACA over their collective bargaining agreement in 2017, ultimately sidelined for Sutherland to thrash out a compromise with his opposite number Alistair Nicholson with international cricket looming.Kevin Roberts chats with Tim Paine•Getty Images

However, this was not enough to change the former chairman David Peever’s view that Roberts was the right man to succeed Sutherland, with the change announced in June 2018. Peever was himself compelled to resign as CA chairman later in 2018, after Knox and NSW withdrew support in the wake of a damning cultural review of the organisation.Working alongside a new chairman in Eddings, Roberts attempted to improve relationships while also watching the national team pick up from the lows of the Newlands scandal to perform creditably on the dual World Cup and Ashes tour of England last year. A winning home summer was capped by the victory of the women’s T20 team in a stunning World Cup final in front of 86,000 spectators at the MCG, before the looming Covid-19 crisis threw Roberts and his board into a state of self-preservation.Based on forecasting done at the height of uncertainty in March, a team including Roberts, Eddings, fellow directors Paul Green and Michelle Tredenick, chief operating officer Scott Grant and acting chief financial officer Paul Reining mapped out a plan to cope with 50% revenue shortfalls for next summer. It called for deep reductions in state grants, cuts to player pay and stand downs and eventually redundancies for a major portion of CA staff, while also securing a A$100 million credit facility from the Commonwealth Bank.They were not to be dissuaded from that path, even as the states argued for their cutbacks to be reduced – NSW and Queensland have still not signed on – and the ACA and staff questioned the thinking and forecasting upon which the cuts were based. As recently as the first week of June, Roberts was informing states and the ACA of forecasts that appeared to still account for a summer without a tour by India, despite previously announcing the schedule and indicating the tour was a “nine out of 10” chance of occurring.In the vacuum, five of the six state associations have made piecemeal cuts in a hodgepodge of different areas, amounting to more than 150 staff losses. At the same time, Roberts and CA were drawing up their own plans for redundancies, but the process appears to have been brought to a grinding halt following last week’s government announcements about borders re-opening and crowds returning to live sport on an incremental basis.

He also said hosting the tournament won’t be a risk with regards to spread of Covid-19

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2020Keith Rowley, prime minister of Trinidad & Tobago, believes hosting the CPL will not be a risk with regards to the spread of of Covid-19 as the tournament will be played in a biosecure environment.The entire tournament, from August 18 to September 10, is scheduled to take place in T&T across two stadiums and behind closed doors to ensure proper protection against the pandemic.”The CPL games are quite different, that’s a bubble,” Rowley said. “Everything that will go on around the CPL will go on in a bubble that does not interact with the local population.”They will come into the country under the protocols of entry, all having tested negative before. When they come here they are confined to the Hilton Hotel and that becomes a bubble for them. Then they will go to a venue to play the game where they will not interact with the population and so the CPL is a bubble that has nothing to do with what goes on in the country.”T&T has recorded a total of 169 cases and eight deaths until July 31st, and there are 29 current active cases, according to government data.As per the agreement between the CPL and the T&T government, all the participants – squads and team management of the six franchises, the organisers and the rest of the crews – will need to self-isolate for two weeks before they board their flights, and for two weeks upon arrival in T&T.All the overseas participants will be tested for Covid-19 before departure and then upon arrival followed by two more tests – seven days and 14 days after their arrival.Rowley also said that breaching of biosecurity protocols by players and staff will strictly not be tolerated. “Don’t play you can come out from that protocol and decide to take a drink down the road or whatever, we’re not tolerating that,” he said.”The same way we opened factories and keep them open, we opened the stores selling cloth…the CPL is just another business aspect in the country, in this case it’s cricket, it’s televised, the benefit we get from it is that we promote the country. We’ve established very strict protocols.”

A number of big-name players are currently off contract ahead of a season of huge challenges

Andrew McGlashan01-Sep-2020The Big Bash contract embargo has been lifted with clubs now set for a hectic period of completing their lists ahead of a season full of uncertainty and with the league facing significant pressure from broadcasters amid concerns over a lack of star names.There had been plans to hold a first BBL player draft this year but that has been shelved due to the complexities created by Covid-19 meaning that squads will be completed in the traditional way of individual signings.However, a report in Nine Newspapers has said that consideration is being given to a central pool of funds to help clubs attract big-name overseas players in an attempt to balance the likely absence of more Australian players due to the need for larger international squads in hubs.That was one of the major issues at the centre of heated remarks by Channel 7 CEO James Warburton last week when he threatened to walk away from the broadcast deal if the BBL was stripped of a large number of big-name players.CA has occasionally helped bulk up the pay of major names in the league previously with a marketing element to their contracts, as was the case with AB de Villiers at Brisbane Heat last season and Kevin Pietersen in the past. However, this latest plan would be for the benefit of the all the clubs. Last month, CA brought onboard T20 specialist Trent Woodhill to work alongside BBL boss Alistair Dobson on reshaping the league and attracting players from around the world as the tournament prepares for its 10th edition and attempts to regain its sweet spot which came prior to expanding into a full home-and-away season.This year’s tournament is currently scheduled to be longest in terms of duration, penciled in to start on December 3 and finish on February 6, although changes are expected to the schedule with the likelihood that it will be played in hubs.”In terms of players wanting to play in it and its standing in the world game I think it does just sit behind the IPL,” Woodhill said from the Australia camp in Southampton where he is an assistant coach on the tour. “Every tournament has got to have an aspect of wanting to improve and I saw that in 10 years of IPL.”Being around the international stage and being all over the world, people love the Big Bash. People love the colour, love the entertainment, they want to tune in and watch it and overseas players want to come play in it, domestic players love it. It’s a great sense of fun but we also find it’s a stepping stone for others as well to push for IPL, push for [the] Hundred and international call-ups.”Adam Zampa was pumped after removing Steven Smith•Getty Images

Although there remains significant uncertainty over the international schedule later in the year as countries continue to map out a return to action amid the pandemic, it could be that there is less cricket – and competing T20 leagues – being played than would traditionally be the case meaning more players available for the Big Bash.The league is confident overseas players will be able to take a full part in the tournament – they are also expected to feature in the WBBL which is due to start in mid-October – despite the various travel restrictions around the world and quarantine requirements in Australia.”There’s constant dialogue,” Woodhill said. “We are really excited for the tournament and I’m really excited about overseas players wanting to participate.”Various in-play tweaks are also expected to be introduced for the new season which could include free hits for wides, bonus points and substitutions although Woodhill declined to go into any detail about changes while on Australia duty in England. “I think this season you will see some great innovation,” he said.While the lack of a player draft reduces the chance of a major overhaul of which teams players are based at, there are a number of high-profile names currently out of contract including Alex Carey, Rashid Khan, Peter Handscomb, James Pattinson, Sandeep Lamichhane and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

“If it looked like there was a lack of respect there, that certainly wasn’t the intention of our team”

Daniel Brettig15-Sep-2020Australia’s coach Justin Langer has admitted that the national team did not commit enough time to understanding and learning about the Black Lives Matter issue before choosing not to take a knee prior to their first game since the movement entered the cricket world in a big way earlier this year.Following blunt criticism from Michael Holding, Langer said that as Cricket Australia went through its own extensive process of reflection about how inclusive it has been for people of colour, the team should have found more time to contemplate taking a knee before the opening match of the T20I series in Southampton.”In terms of the taking a knee, to be completely honest we could’ve talked more about it perhaps leading up to that first game; there was so much going on leading up to us getting here, maybe we should’ve thought and talked a bit more about it,” Langer said. “What we do talk about in the team is we want to have a response that is sustained and powerful and it can go, not just in one action, but sustained periods, not just throughout this series, throughout our summer, but throughout time.ALSO READ: Holding ‘doesn’t know anything that’s going on’ – Archer“We’re looking at ways, I know there’s a lot of talk going on within our group about how we can, I know there’s a lot of talking going on about the Australian women’s team as well, about how we can have a sustained and powerful response to Black Lives Matter. It’s incredibly important, and I just hope and certainly from Mikey’s point of view I hope if it looked like there was a lack of respect there, that certainly wasn’t the intention of our team.”We’re very aware of it, and when Mikey says what he says, then it’s certainly worth listening to and we’ll be doing that.”Prior to the game, Australia captain Aaron Finch had explained that “education around it is more important than the protest”, in reference to the symbolic gesture made by a succession of sporting teams around the world in recent months.Holding had bridled at this attitude. “Now Australia come here and I see another lame statement from the Australia captain who is saying that he and the England captain have spoken and they decided not to take a knee,” Holding had said on “I would hope that anyone who gets involved in something like this [does it] because they want to get involved.”So I would hope that people who are joining in, and are still willing to accept that things need to change and need to send a signal, will voluntarily do what they think is right.”Langer, who has overseen a reinvention of the Australian team’s image since the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in 2018, conceded he and others had been stopped in their tracks by Holding’s words.”Michael Holding is one of the great people of world sport, and certainly our game,” Langer said. “He’s a person who I personally have great admiration, great respect, great love for, and we all watched his presentation, his heartfelt thoughts at the start of the summer. When someone like Michael says something like that, it is certainly important we all listen to it.”It was a powerful statement by Mikey, as it has been consistently from him and from others throughout the summer, and because of that, it was a powerful message.”

The eight-team women’s T20 competition will begin on July 29 and will be contested over eight days at Edgbaston

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-20200:50

Alyssa Healy: Maybe label 2022 as ‘International Women’s Year’

The eight-team women’s T20 competition, a new entrant in the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, will be held over eight days at Edgbaston, starting July 29, the opening day of the multi-sport event.As per the official daily schedule published by Birmingham 2022 on Friday, the Games, where cricket will make a reappearance for the first time since 1998, will feature a total of 19 sports contested over 11 days, between July 29 and August 8. The last of the medal events in the women’s cricket tournament, one of the three new sports along with beach volleyball and para table tennis to be added to the programme, will be held on August 7.Cricket, in the form of a 50-over men’s competition, was last played at the Games during the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur. Sixteen teams contested, with South Africa, featuring the likes of Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis, beating a strong Australia side, boasting of the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and the Waugh brothers, in the final to clinch gold. The matches, however, were only accorded List A, and not international, status.ALSO READ: ‘Two World Cups and a Commonwealth Games won’t happen again in cricket’s lifespan’A banner for Birmingham’s bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games•Getty Images

In June, the organisers had announced that the Games would start a day later than originally scheduled, with the Opening Ceremony now due to take place on July 28.Aside from the Commonwealth Games, the women’s international cricket calendar for 2022 will feature an ODI World Cup in New Zealand, a T20 World Cup in South Africa, and the Ashes in Australia. Given the inaugural women’s Under-19 World Cup, scheduled for January next year in Bangladesh, is also likely to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it remains to be seen if the ICC slot it in an already crammed 2022 calendar.In a media release published in August last year, the ICC described the addition of the women’s T20 competition as a “truly historic moment for women’s cricket and the global cricket community.””Fast and exciting, the T20 format is the perfect fit for the Commonwealth Games and offers another chance to showcase women’s cricket on the global stage as part of our ambitious plans to accelerate the growth of the game, whilst inspiring the next generation of cricketers,” said chief executive Manu Sawhney