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Javeria Khan, the Pakistan offspinner, has been reported for a suspect bowling action, during the match against Sri Lanka at St Kitts in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 on Thursday

Cricinfo staff07-May-2010Javeria Khan, the Pakistan offspinner, has been reported for a suspect bowling action, during the match against Sri Lanka at St Kitts in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 on Thursday. She was reported by the on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Marais Erasmus as well as third umpire Shahvir Tarapore.”We believe that Javeria Wadood straightens her arm during her delivery and appears to be more than the allowable 15 degrees,” the umpires stated in their official report. “It is in all deliveries not one specific delivery. We therefore request the necessary action be instituted to deal with this matter.”Javeria will be required to undergo an independent analysis of her action by a member of the ICC panel of human movement specialists, appointed in consultation with the PCB. This analysis and report must take place within seven days of the report being received by the board. If she is reported again during the independent analysis she will then be suspended from bowling until she undertakes remedial action and is reassessed.

The wicketkeeper was capped 11 times by South Africa before she relocated to New Zealand, for whom she played 38 internationals

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2024New Zealand wicketkeeper Bernadine Bezuidenhout has announced her retirement from international cricket. She played four ODIs and seven T20Is for South Africa before switching over to New Zealand, whom she represented in 16 ODIs and 22 T20Is.”It’s been such a great ride,” Bezuidenhout said in a New Zealand Cricket statement.”Playing for the White Ferns has been a huge privilege and honour and it’s left me with the fondest memories. The journey has taught me so much and I’ll be forever grateful to everyone who has been on the path with me.”Related

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Bezuidenhout made her international debut for South Africa in 2014. She relocated to Christchurch in 2015 and was first picked for New Zealand in early 2018 after the expiration of a two-year residential stand-down in August 2017. She played the T20 World Cup later that year, where New Zealand were knocked out in the league stage.Bezuidenhout was diagnosed with RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) and was out of the game for two years, making a comeback to New Zealand’s squad for the T20 World Cup in 2023. She has founded the non-profit, social enterprise The EPIC Sports Project Charitable Trust that aims to use sport to inspire hope and belonging in young people in high-deprivation communities and break barriers to participation in sport.”I’m at peace with this decision but it wasn’t an easy one to make,” Bezuidenhout said. “I’ve struggled to find a balance between my work and playing career for a while now, and after a lot of thought and reflection I feel that it’s the right time to pivot and put my full focus on The EPIC Sports Project.”Bezuidenhout played five of New Zealand’s six white-ball games at home against England earlier this year before being ruled out due to a hamstring injury in the final ODI.”I want to thank Bernie for the contributions she’s made to the White Ferns on the field, and for the caring qualities she brought to the group off the field,” Ben Sawyer, the New Zealand head coach, said. “We’re proud of the work that Bernie does outside of cricket and I have no doubt she’ll continue to make a positive impact on the lives of many.”Bezuidenhout will continue to play domestic cricket for Northern Districts.

Mitchell Starc continued to battle through injury while the visitors donated further run outs

Firdose Moonda29-Dec-20221:20

Elgar: “The negatives outweigh the positives, it was a pretty weak performance”

Australia 575 for 8 dec (Warner 200, Carey 111, Smith 85, Green 51*, Head 51) beat South Africa 189 (Jansen 59, Verreynne 52, Green 5-27) & 204 (Bavuma 65) by an innings and 182 runs Australia claimed a first home series win against South Africa since the 2005-06 summer with a crushing triumph in the Boxing Day Test. The result meant South Africa’s streak of three successive series victories in Australia cannot become four and they go to Sydney with their World Test Championship (WTC) final hopes hanging by a thread. They must win the final match of the series to stay in contention for the final.On the evidence of their batting so far, that seems a long shot. They avoided being dismissed for under 200 for an eighth successive Test innings but were bowled out inside 69 overs in the second innings at the MCG. Temba Bavuma was the only batter to reach a half-century and his 63-run fifth wicket stand with Kyle Verreynne was the only partnership that grew to over 50. No other South African scored more than Verreynne’s 33.Nathan Lyon enjoyed the most success among the Australian attack and finished with 3 for 58. Scott Boland was among the wickets against and finished two but mention must be made of Pat Cummins’ strangling effort – he bowled 16 overs and only conceded 20 runs – and his use of the DRS. Australia reviewed the decisions to remove Sarel Erwee and Marco Jansen successfully, which proved crucial in hastening the final outcome.So too, a word for Mitchell Starc’s bravery. Starc bowled with a damaged middle finger and repeatedly had to mop up blood from his opening wound. As a result and despite being without Cameron Green, Australia only required two overs from Steven Smith’s part-time legspin. It was he who finished the match, bowling Lungi Ngidi, to end the Shane Warne Test in fitting style.South Africa would be particularly disappointed with their two run-outs and the number of soft dismissals. Even to the uncritical eye, there were several batters who could have made better choices in shot selections or stance and the means by which they were removed suggests the deep-set problems in technique and mindset in the line-up remain.Dean Elgar was the first to be dismissed, on the third evening, when he chased a Cummins delivery off his hip down leg and edged behind. That was the second time in the series Elgar had been dismissed in the same fashion.Sarel Erwee has also been guilty of going out the same way: most often by driving loosely outside the off stump but appeared tighter in the second innings. He worked his way to his highest score of the series – 21 – before he was hit on the toe by a Starc yorker in front of middle and leg. Cummins reviewed and ball-tracking confirmed the delivery would go on to hit the stumps which gave them their first wicket of the morning.Scott Boland appeals successfully for the wicket of Kyle Verreynne•Getty Images

At the other end, Theunis de Bruyn was unconvincing as the new No. 3. He inside-edged Cummins short of Alex Carey, outside-edged Starc short of Smith at second slip and nicked Boland short of third slip. His luck ran out when he slashed Boland over the slips before his luck ran out. He was kept on the back foot and edged a back of a length Boland delivery to second slip, where Smith took the catch despite Marnus Labuschagne diving across him.It was up to Bavuma and Khaya Zondo to rebuild but they struggled to get going and frustration got the better of their stand. They scored just three runs from 29 balls between them when Bavuma called Zondo through for a single after pushing Cummins to mid-off. Zondo responded but Travis Head’s throw to the striker’s end was quick and accurate and found him well short of his ground.South Africa’s last recognised batting pair – Bavuma and Verreynne – took them to lunch and presented the best opportunity to push back. Verreynne brought out his shots immediately and was off the mark with a reverse sweep off Lyon while Bavuma was strong on the cover drive and the sweep. Australia could have removed Bavuma in the over after lunch when he edged Cummins short of first slip but instead got rid of Verreynne in the next over. He was hit on the knee roll by a Boland ball that nipped back into him and was given out lbw, only to review in vain.Jansen was also dismissed lbw when he missed a Lyon ball and was hit on the back pad and it took a well-judged review by Cummins to confirm the ball would go on to hit the top of leg stump.With only the lower-order to bat with, Bavuma was involved in another mix-up when he and Keshav Maharaj attempted to run three off a Starc delivery that Maharaj pushed into the covers. Bavuma was hesitant to take the third run but Maharaj was committed and was halfway down the track when Starc fired in a throw at the non-striker’s end to run him out. In the next over, Bavuma slog swept Lyon to the right mid-wicket where Marcus Harris, the substitute fielder, took a simple catch. If there was a shot that served as a metaphor for South Africa throwing in the towel, that was it.Kagiso Rabada also fell to a slog, when he hit Lyon to mid-on. Ngidi had a bit of fun and slammed his first six in Test cricket when he smoked Lyon over midwicket and then brought up the South African 200 when he found the gap past long-on. While he and Anrich Nortje pushed South Africa into an extended three tea session, they were never going to last too long and Ngidi was bowled five minutes before the interval would have been taken.

A thriller on paper looks a touch less impressive on close inspection, as 716 spectators attest

George Dobell29-Jul-2021Warwickshire 303 for 6 (Lamb 119*, Yates 72, Brookes 63) beat Leicestershire 296 for 9 (Patel 118, Swindells 69) by 7 runsA few years ago, before Andy Murray, it seemed that if you owned a pair of trainers and a tennis racket, there was a fair chance you’d be ranked in the British top ten and given a wildcard to Wimbledon.It’s probably a bit unfair to suggest the same thing is currently happening in county cricket. But it does seem fair to observe that some young cricketers who, a few weeks ago looked nowhere near their county first teams, are winning opportunities in the Royal London One-Day Cup.Opportunity is a funny word. On the surface, it looks like an unmitigated positive thing. But it sometimes comes in fancy dress: ‘we’d like you to consider opportunities elsewhere’, for example. Or ‘how would you like an opportunity to be single?’; ‘how about you give me your wallet?’ That sort of thing.And it’s true that, in recent days, some young players at Scarborough or Guildford or Taunton (among other places) have taken an opportunity to show what they can do. That has to be celebrated.They’ll have benefited from the chance, too. To see Matt Lamb (the third Warwickshire player to record a maiden List A century in successive games) and Rishi Patel register their first List A centuries was to see talents blossoming. There’s a lot to like about that.But too much ‘opportunity’ can also pose a threat. And as you looked at the team lists from this match, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that this was dangerously close to a second XI match masquerading as first-team cricket. It was hard not to wonder whether spectators will continue to pay; sponsors will continue to invest and even whether List A statistics should still be appropriate. It’s not so long since university cricket lost its first-class status, is it? These things can happen.Related

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Take Warwickshire’s opening attack, for example: it consisted of Jordan Bulpitt and Karl Carver. Both of whom have been signed by the club for a few weeks to provide cover for a club suffering from a spate of absentees. The rest of the attack included a 17-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old playing his third List A game. One member of the playing staff missed this match because he was cramming for his A Levels, which are almost a year away. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. It’s probably very sensible. But it does underline the view that this has become a developmental competition sometimes featuring players who, in other circumstances, might still be playing for their clubs and schools.That’s not meant to sound harsh. Many of those on show here (not least Rehan Ahmed, who is just 16 years of age) are talented youngsters who could have a future in the sport. But it’s entirely possible to hold both views – to celebrate the opportunity provided here but worry for the repercussions – concurrently. This was a fun game. But you do worry what value preparation it will provide for facing Mitchell Starc in a World Cup semi-final. And if the premier domestic 50-over competition isn’t doing that, isn’t it struggling to justify its role?Perhaps this is why only 716 spectators made it to Edgbaston on Thursday. For a ground with a capacity of somewhere around 25,000, it at least ensured few difficulties with social distancing. Maybe there is a lesson here. On smaller grounds, the likes of Guildford, a crowd of 3,000 can provide the feel of a vibrant festival. Perhaps there is a case for looking at hosting such games on outgrounds.As it happened, this game developed into something of a slow-burning classic. Despite seeming to have it won twice, Leicestershire somehow managed to fall short by seven runs. Their head coach, Paul Nixon, described himself as “distraught”; he looked it, too.The short story is this: requiring 87 more for victory, with eight wickets and more than 15 overs in hand, Leicestershire capitulated. Inexperience played its part, no doubt, but from the moment Patel hit a long-hop into the hands of deep midwicket, Leicestershire lost seven wickets for 70 runs. On an outstanding batting track and against an attack greener than the outfield, it felt like a missed opportunity.There were heroes in the Warwickshire side, of course. Will Rhodes, their captain, showed the benefit of his experience with a career-best spell of bowling that at least forced Leicestershire to search for runs, while keeper Michael Burgess, sometimes standing up to even the seamers, ensured they felt the pressure and pulled off a couple of nice catches.But Leicestershire will know that too many of their batters, not least Arron Lilley (batting at No. 6 despite a career-average of 11) and George Rhodes played unnecessarily aggressive strokes when a calm head might have been more appropriate. The wicket of Marcus Harris – run-out after dawdling for the first half of a sharp single – was also completely unnecessary, while Patel, for all his excellence, will know he should have seen his side home. George Garrett picked up two wickets when tailenders tried to scoop him; there had to be an easier way.One of those, Dieter Klein, suffered what appeared to be a significant hamstring injury attempting a sharp run. While he continued with a runner after treatment, he was bowled next ball. For a 32-year-old who is out of contract at the end of the season, it was a worrying setback.”Words fail me,” Nixon said. “They were soft dismissals. We had the game won and we’ve thrown it away. Every middle-order player has had a soft dismissal. It was unprofessional and it was soft. I’m devastated.”The other opportunity Leicestershire had to seal this match came when Warwickshire, despite another impressive contribution from Rob Yates at the top of the order, slipped to 121 for 5 in the 24th over of their innings. Such a precarious foundation forced Lamb and Ethan Brookes to take a cautious approach to the start of their stand but, over time, they prospered to the extent that their sixth-wicket stand of 153 represents a record for Warwickshire in List A cricket. Lamb, in particular, played some impressive shots but Brookes, who took 28 balls over his first 11 runs, also became markedly more fluent and took Warwickshire to a total that might be considered only a little below par.Patel and Harry Swindells appeared to have put Leicestershire will on the road to success with an opening stand of 159 in 25 overs. But when Swindells missed a long-hop and Patel seemed to lose concentration once his century was achieved, nobody else could contribute more than 16. Kids, eh?

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.

Pakistan’s composure crumbles with victory in sight after brace of centuries on slow Dubai deck

The Report by Danyal Rasool29-Mar-2019If there is a better way to go about a chase of 278 on a slow, sticky wicket after one opener has been dismissed for a duck, it has yet to reveal itself. A century from Abid Ali – his 112 was the highest score by a Pakistan player on debut – and one from Mohammad Rizwan put Pakistan in cruise control of a chase they bossed for the best part of 45 overs.When all that was required was the final flourish, however, their nerves betrayed them. With 49 required off the final seven with seven wickets in hand, the ability to find boundaries suddenly deserted the hosts, the lack of experience finally beginning to show.Imperceptibly, the asking rate crept up on them before they realised what Australia were doing. All of a sudden, the middle order lost their heads as the wickets began to tumble, leaving Rizwan fighting a line hand, thrust into a position he had no business being in. When Rizwan holed out to deep square, the game finished with a whimper, Australia having completed a remarkable heist by six runs.It was just the second time in Pakistan’s history they had scored two centuries in a chase, with Rizwan and Abid putting their side in what looked an almost invincible position. They put on 144 for the third wicket – another Pakistani record against Australia, milking the spinners with ease with Aaron Finch running out of ideas even for containment, let alone a wicket. The asking rate and the runs required dwindled as Abid batted like a man who had been in this situation dozens of times instead of one making his debut, while Rizwan at the other end proved to be an ideal supporting partner.Abid’s confidence had been apparent from the moment Pakistan came out to bat. Undeterred by Shan Masood’s loss off just the fifth ball of the innings, he attacked the Australian fast bowlers from the start. He timed the ball cleanly and was comfortable both sides of the wicket, finding gaps in the infield with regularity and guiding Pakistan out of troubled waters.Rizwan played in the same vein, though as a man in form – this was his second hundred in three games – it was less surprising. He got off the mark with two sweeps off Nathan Lyon that went to the boundary, before taking Finch to task in the over that followed, smashing him for two fours and a six as Pakistan wrested back the momentum that Haris Sohail’s wicket had given the visitors. It was after the wicketkeeper joined Abid that the latter slowed down, his innings morphing from a have-a-go cameo into an epic that looked set to win his side the game.Even after a tiring Abid holed out in Adam Zampa’s final over, Pakistan never looked in any danger. There was plenty of batting to follow, and the asking rate was under seven. But from that moment, Australia sensed a chance, and a pair of tight overs from Glenn Maxwell followed by two equally impressive ones from Nathan Coulter-Nile saw Pakistan begin to tighten up. Umar Akmal lost his shape completely as Saad Ali fell trying to slog, leaving Rizwan suddenly needing to fetch 16 off the final over; what should have been a stroll was suddenly a cack-handed scramble. Even after he holed out, Usman Shinwari was good for one six over mid-on that briefly raised Pakistan’s hopes, but by then, they were raging against the dying of the light.Glenn Maxwell flicks through midwicket•AFP

Earlier, a sensational knock of 98 from Maxwell had lifted Australia to 277, 11 more than the score that proved more than enough in the third ODI in Abu Dhabi. He finished two runs short of a well-deserved second ODI career century, while Alex Carey scored a maiden ODI fifty, the pair combining for a hefty 134-run partnership. Usman Khawaja’s sensational form continued, his 62 taking him to the top of the leader board among ODI runscorers in 2019.Unlike the previous games, Pakistan controlled the middle overs here, with Yasir Shah enjoying his best game by far. There was even a collector’s item – a Yasir googly which actually spun – which undid Marcus Stoinis off just his third ball of the innings. Soon after, he would bring about Khawaja’s end as the left-hander looked to sweep once too often and found himself bang in line of middle stump, giving the umpire an easy decision.Mohammad Hasnain brought up his first ODI wicket too. It was the big fish in Finch after the opening partnership had accumulated 56 hard-fought runs, but to say the teenager bowled well would stretch the truth to breaking point. Hasnain was once more all over the place with his lines and lengths, his inexperience showing when the batsmen attempted to attack him. He has both pace and variety, but at the moment not quite the sharpness to know when to use which, and as a result ended up being Pakistan’s most expensive bowler.When Khawaja had been dismissed, Australia had lost half their side in 28 overs with the score standing at just 140. Imad Wasim may have been hoping to clean up the visitors for under 200 at that point, with Pakistan perhaps one more wicket away from converting that ambition to reality. The chance presented itself early on with Maxwell on just 10, one ball after he had deposited Yasir over long on for six. It wasn’t the sharpest chance, in truth, with the ball taking just a slight deviation from the outside edge of the bat as the batsman shaped to cut. They are the chances Rizwan, or indeed any international keeper, can ill-afford to miss, back-up or first-choice.It wasn’t the end of the generosity, however. With the partnership standing at 101, Usman Shinwari cleaned up Maxwell’s middle stump, thanks to a furious extra burst of pace. But instead of seeing the batsman walk back to the pavilion, the big screen showed Shinwari overstepping, the resulting free-hit deposited for four through cow corner. It was the extra life Maxwell needed to inflict further damage as he continued to attack without regard for a personal milestone, selflessly run out on 98 with just four balls to spare.It might have been hard to believe the game had yet to witness two three-figure scores at that point, and harder still to accept that the side which scored them would end up second best. The likes of Abid will be better players for the experience, but this won’t be an especially good time to tell them that.

USA’s head coach is optimistic as they prepare to take part in West Indies’ regional limited-overs tournament ahead of theT20 qualifiers and ICC WCL campaigns later this year

Peter Della Penna12-Jan-2018USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake has labeled USA’s upcoming tour of the Antigua for the West Indies Regional Super50 tournament as the team’s “most important preparation” for their upcoming tournaments this year, including the start of the qualifiers for the World Twenty20 in 2020, and the ICC WCL Division Three.”When you are playing those kind of tournaments, you have to play proper cricket and learn from those 20 days and you don’t get that opportunity for Associate players all the time,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo following the news last week that USA will be a part of the ten-team competition this season.”If you take Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands especially, they benefited from being a part of the English system. Namibia continuously played in the South African first-class system. Afghanistan players individually have gotten to play in the Pakistan first-class system.”All of these things have really contributed for those countries. When we’re trying to develop as a country, neighbouring Full Member countries are important. If you can be a part of their first-class system, that’s the fastest way to develop a country,” Dassanayake said.Since the team returned in early December from their tour of the UAE and Oman, Dassanayake has been holding weekend camps with subgroups of the USA squad in Chicago as well as at his home base just outside of Toronto, with players traveling into Canada to meet him in preparation for the upcoming trip. Though the overall results were not great – USA beat Nepal but then lost four matches to Kenya and Oman – Dassanayake focused on the silver lining of building more cohesion and identifying more defined roles as a playing group while in the Middle East.”I’m happy about the bigger picture where we are playing as a team,” Dassanayake said. “I liked some of the plans that the captain and the bowlers are using. We have confidence slowly building on our fielding. We know if we put runs on the board then we are competitive at that level. [The batting] is an area we need to work on for the coming tour.”Dassanayake coached the combined ICC Americas squad at last year’s Super50 tournament which included players from USA, Canada and Bermuda. The idea behind a combined squad was to have strengthened quality by picking the best from each country. However, the squad lacked chemistry and Dassanayake says it was a challenge juggling selection at times taking into consideration the sensitivity of satisfying each country’s development interests.”We were not competitive because of the dynamic of the team with three countries’ players playing but of course it was a good experience for the individuals,” Dassanayake said. “There’s always pressure to give everybody opportunities because its three different countries, but the best performers were given opportunities to continuously play. The rotation was happening mainly with players who were not performing. But I was obligated to give opportunities to everyone.”Dassanayake also felt that the dangling carrot for squad members, a chance at being one of six players drafted by a CPL franchise team through good performances, was good for individual players but at times undermined team results. Even though it was a 50-over tournament, Dassanayake felt that the lure of the CPL draft, however well intended, influenced some players to play in T20 mode with an eye toward future opportunities rather than stay focused on the task at hand. It’s another reason why he feels being in charge of just the USA squad this time around will lead to better results.”When you get a combined team, to have the focus being on the team rather than a future with a T20 cricket [franchise] – it wasn’t easy,” Dassanayake said.”More than anything what hurt [team results] was that mainly the players were taking the tour as an entry for the CPL and the focus was on T20-type cricket [to get drafted], and we were not really looking to play as a team to win games and be more competitive. We got through games and were able to win one. I thought we could have won two or three more if we had been playing basic cricket right. But I think going as the USA team is going to have big value especially when we can play as a team.”USA’s squad for the Super50 is expected to be named over the weekend. They will depart for Antigua in the last week of January for four to five days of preparation locally ahead of their first match on January 31 against Leeward Islands.

Cheteshwar Pujara has said he and Virat Kohli improved their understanding between the wickets after having a chat at lunch

Alagappan Muthu in Visakhapatnam17-Nov-2016Sometimes two wrongs do make things right. At least that was the case for Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in Visakhapatnam. In the first session, soon after drinks, with India already two down, they gave England the chance to break their partnership not once but twice in a single over.First, Kohli nudged to the right of Joe Root at midwicket and called for a single that probably wasn’t on. Pujara, who isn’t the quickest across 22 yards, had to put in a big dive despite the throw being a bit wayward. A ball later, Kohli refused a second run after Pujara’s dab to point had been parried by the fielder Stuart Broad towards the man rushing in from sweeper cover. Having come halfway down the pitch, and losing his bat to add to the drama, Pujara was forced into another big dive to keep his wicket safe.On a first-day pitch that was offering very little help to the bowlers, with the team depending on them to fight back, a run-out might have had the same effect on India as… well, the three catches they dropped in the first session in Rajkot.”I think we didn’t judge the singles well, especially in the first session,” Pujara said at the end of the day’s play, after he had scored 119 and put on 226 with Kohli, who was not out on 151 at stumps. “But once there was a lunch time, we had a chat of how we want to go in the next session and if you look at the time between the lunch and tea sessions, we didn’t miss many singles and the way we were running between the wickets in the second session was much much better”Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli had a couple of mix-ups in the first session, before having a chat at lunch and improving their understanding between the wickets•Associated Press

Kohli and Pujara collected 118 runs off only 170 balls in the middle session. There were spells of play such as from the 43rd to the 53rd overs when they went at more than six an over. Even this period began with a mistake from an Indian batsman – Ben Stokes could have had Kohli caught at long leg – which was then followed by swift and effective corrective measures.”There was one error, where he [Kohli] didn’t control the pull shot well,” Pujara said. “But after that, I think the way he was batting and the way I was judging the bounce, we felt that if we continued rotating the strike, continue batting the way we’ve been batting, there wouldn’t be any trouble. It was just one shot where he didn’t control it well.”Kohli was circumspect against the short ball thereafter, and recorded his third 150-plus score in five months. Pujara made his third century in as many Tests and his 119 was vital in taking India to stumps at 317 for 4. A big first-innings total is likely to have considerable bearing on the outcome of the match with the pitch at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium likely to offer increasing assistance to spinners.”On day one in India, we mostly see that it’s always good for batting. Even if we see in the last Test match, Rajkot, day one it was really good to bat on, even day two was good to bat on in Rajkot,” Pujara said. “I don’t know how it will shape up starting from tomorrow but we are expecting it to turn a little more than what it did in Rajkot. So if we bat well, looking to put up a good total on the board and let’s see how it turns up on day three.”

Zimbabwe’s national selectors have recalled legspinner Graeme Cremer and wicketkeeper-batsman Regis Chakabva for the upcoming limited-overs matches against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2015Zimbabwe’s national selectors have recalled legspinner Graeme Cremer and wicketkeeper-batsman Regis Chakabva for the upcoming limited-overs matches against Bangladesh. A ZC release confirmed that Elton Chigumbura will lead the 16-member squad for both the three ODIs and the two T20Is, starting November 7.Brian Chari, Kevin Kasuza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi and Christopher Mpofu, who were all part of Zimbabwe’s limited-overs squad which lost at home to Afghanistan, were omitted from the national team, but will join the Zimbabwe A squad for a home series against Bangladesh A.Chakabva was included in the team on the back of a strong performance for the A team against Ireland in Harare, where he scored a century in both innings. Cremer made the squad after recovering from an ankle injury. He last played for Zimbabwe earlier this month, during the home series against Pakistan, taking four wickets from four matches.Mashonaland Eagles’ captain Tinotenda Mutombodzi will lead Zimbabwe A for the three one-dayers, with Matebeleland Tuskers’ captain Godwill Mamhiyo deputising, while the two players will swap roles for the four-day matches.”We have picked a senior national squad that we believe will quickly recover from the disappointing series against Afghanistan and go to Bangladesh to show that we are a competitive nation,” Kenyon Ziehl, the convener of the national selection panel, said.”It’s also exciting to have the A side playing concurrently with the senior team as this will give us a clear picture of our depth. We hope the players included will make the most of this opportunity to play against a Bangladesh A which will be a quality side.”Zimbabwe squad: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Tendai Chisoro, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Neville Madziva, Wellington Masakadza, Richmond Mutumbami, Taurai Muzarabani, John Nyumbu, Tinashe Panyangara, Malcolm Waller, Sean WilliamsZimbabwe A one-day squad: Tinotenda Mutombodzi (captain), Ryan Burl, Brian Chari, Trevor Garwe, Kevin Kasuza, Godwill Mamhiyo, Prince Masvaure, Peter Moor, Tapiwa Mufudza, Natsai M’shangwe, Christopher Mpofu, Victor Nyauchi, Kudzai Sauramba, Donald Tiripano, Brian VitoriZimbabwe A four-day squad: Godwill Mamhiyo (captain), Brian Chari, Trevor Garwe, Joylord Gumbie, Roy Kaia, Hamilton Masakadza, Prince Masavaure, Peter Moor, Tapiwa Mufudza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Natsai M’shangwe, Victor Nyauchi, Vusi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Brian Vitori

Jim Allenby remains committed to Glamorgan after considering leaving the county having been stripped of the T20 captaincy for 2013 in favour of Marcus North.

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2013Jim Allenby, the Glamorgan allrounder, remains committed to the club after considering leaving the county.Allenby, 30, was stripped of the T20 captaincy for 2013 in favour of Australian overseas player Marcus North after leading the side in just five matches last season.He and Mark Wallace, the four-day captain, had shared the one-day captaincy in 2012 but now North will take on the role in both T20 and YB40 cricket.”Initially I was extremely disappointed,” Allenby told the “I felt after only captaining for five games I was not given a proper run at it. I would be lying if I said I had not considered my future and whether my ambitions might be met elsewhere.”But these things happen in sport where decisions are made which you don’t agree with. I have accepted the decision and completely moved on and I am 100% behind Mark and Marcus. I am absolutely committed to Glamorgan.”In a campaign ruined by the weather, Allenby only had five matches to make his mark as captain. Glamorgan lost three matches but did manage to do the double over Warwickshire. But he is keen for another crack at leadership.”It has been an ambition of mine for a long time to captain sides because I enjoy the role and feel I am good at it,” Allenby said, having missed the club’s preseason tour to Potchefstroom with an ongoing medical condition. “Whether I am a future Glamorgan captain we will have to wait and see who is making the decisions. But I still have those ambitions and feel the experiences I have had over the last couple of years will stand me in good stead.”Allenby was the leading allrounder in first-class cricket last season and was named Glamorgan’s player of the year. But he is is out of contract at the end of the season and a move away from Cardiff could be his next step.Since joining from Leicestershire, initially on loan in August 2009, only in 2010 – when Glamorgan missed out on Championship promotion by five points – have Glamorgan been challenging for honours.”I have a mortgage and only one career which I am in the middle of,” Allenby said. “I have spoken with the club this year and last year and told them my ambitions are to win trophies and play at the highest level I can. This has not changed and I would love for at least one of those things to happen here and all problems would be solved.”I will be playing my cricket where I think I can achieve those goals. I have made no secret of that and will tell anyone who asks me. I want to fulfil my goals here but if it is not we will look at things again. We will see how the next few months go.”