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Pakistan's players must buy into the team culture

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Pakistan will need every player to throw themselves into their fielding; every player to commit to a more positive approach with the bat; every player to remember they’re playing a team game

George Dobell in Birmingham06-Jun-2017It’s amazing how one defeat can change plans.Going into Pakistan’s opening match in the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur remarked: “We have a lot of faith and a lot of confidence in our opening pair. The two guys that we’ve been working with have done exceptionally. We’ve worked massively on our ball rotation, on our strike rates. It’s something we’ve prioritized in our preparation.”So what’s changed? Why is that, just one game later, Pakistan have abandoned that opening partnership? Or half of it, anyway, with Arthur confirming on Tuesday that Ahmed Shehzad would not feature in the game against South Africa.The answer is, in part, the nature of the defeat against India. So crushing was it, so overwhelming, that it left no room for doubt: something has to change in the manner in which Pakistan play ODI cricket.But it’s more than that. It’s also because of the way Shehzad played. It wasn’t just that he didn’t come off with the bat and mis-fielded a few times with the ball – these things happen – it was that he didn’t seem to have bought into the team culture.Maybe, at the start of the game, Shehzad was nervous. Maybe that explains why he was so slow to get down to the ball at point when Shikhar Dhawan punched his first delivery in that direction. As a consequence, the batsman was able to get off the mark immediately – something any batsman will tell you helps them settle – and, as Arthur put it later, the “tone was set”.Putting aside the fact that Shehzad seemed rattled by the big-match atmosphere – a worry in itself since it was his 79th ODI, meaning only two men in the side had played more – it was a forgivable error. Even the best fumble at one time or another; you don’t drop someone on such flimsy evidence.

It wasn’t just that Ahmed Shehzad didn’t come off with the bat and mis-fielded a few times with the ball – these things happen – it was that he didn’t seem to have bought into the team culture

But it wasn’t a one-off. Later in the innings, Shehzad failed to back-up a throw. He simply hadn’t moved into position and didn’t seem to be following the run of play in the detail you might expect. As a consequence, another run was conceded. It wasn’t an error as much as it was sloppy. It demonstrated not just human fallibility, but a lack of care. And that’s a lot harder to ignore.On both occasions, the unfortunate bowler was Imad Wasim. That’s relevant not just because it took a bit of the gloss off his figures, but because Pakistan’s team management was criticised for opening the bowling with Imad.Was the tactic wrong or was it the execution? Had Shehzad pounced on that first delivery, as he should have done, might Pakistan not have had a better chance of applying a bit of pressure on the India batsman? It was the only run scored off the bat that over, after all. But with Pakistan’s fielding porous as a colander, they had no hope of building pressure.Shehzad didn’t impress with the bat, either. While there was much pre-match talk about Pakistan’s new-found aggression, Shahzad barely played a shot in anger in his 22-ball stay. After cutting his second delivery for four, there were just eight singles before he departed at the end of the ninth over. The strut you see in training was replaced by an alarming timidity.Compare that to Azhar Ali.Azhar Ali is a trier in ODI cricket•Getty ImagesAzhar may well not have Shehzad’s inherent talent in this form of the game. He might not have his range of stroke or his easy timing. But you can feel Azhar trying to improve; you can feel him buying into Arthur’s desire to show more aggression at the top of the order. To see him driving Jasprit Bumrah, on the up, over mid-on or upper cutting him for four, or skipping down the pitch to Hardik Pandya and attempting to hit him over the top, was to see a man who has been prepared to develop his game; a man who was prepared to risk his wicket for the good of the team; a man who had bought in to everything his coach and captain had asked of him. He’s not the ideal ODI opener – of course he isn’t – but he’s trying his best. Coaches and captains respect that. Spectators, too.So disillusioned are Pakistan by Shehzad’s performance that he is to be replaced by an older man who has never played an ODI. Fakhar Zaman averages 50 in List A cricket, but it is asking a great deal of him to bring that form into an international match against the world’s top-rated ODI side.But if he buys into the team culture, if he is utterly committed in the field, if he risks his own average in a bid to make an important contribution for his side, he will be a man worth further investment. Pakistan’s limited-overs cricket has to change and if the likes of Shehzad won’t be part of that process, it’s hard to see how there will be room for him in the side.This being Pakistan, we cannot say he is at the end of the road yet. He is young, he is talented and, with the likes of Sharjeel Khan and Nasir Jamshed currently sidelined, he isn’t facing the competition for his spot he should be. But he’s been given a pretty clear warning about what is expected of him with this omission.We might have seen the last of Wahab Riaz•Getty ImagesThis may prove the end of the road for the injured Wahab Riaz, though. He is 32 later this month and, for all the pace, for all the excitement he generates, he takes few wickets and concedes too many runs. Since the World Cup his ODI bowling average is 47.08; in his most recent 14 ODIs – a period that dates back to November 2015 – it is 84.44 and he has conceded 6.47 runs per over. Pakistan may well look to younger men now.There is some reason for hope ahead of the South Africa game. With poor weather compromising pitch preparation, it has been decided not to use the fresh surface originally planned for this match and instead revert to the track utilised in the first two games at Edgbaston. As a result it is possible, just possible, that Pakistan’s spinners (and they will play four of them) will get just a bit out of the surface.They will also have Mohammad Amir in their side. Just for a moment, when he was hit on the shoulder while batting during training, it looked as if he was in trouble. But the team management insists the blow was not serious and he is expected to take his place in the side.With such players, an upset is always possible. But Pakistan will need every player to throw themselves into their fielding; every player to commit to a more positive approach with the bat; every player to remember they’re playing a team game. If they do that, they’ll have a chance. And they’ll be making progress.

Hardik Pandya's hat-trick habit

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The key stats from the Indian innings in Chennai, which was highlighted by Hardik Pandya’s blistering 83, and MS Dhoni’s late charge

Bharath Seervi17-Sep-20172:43

Gambhir: A long way to go before comparing Pandya and Stokes

The key partnership 118 – The partnership between MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya, which came at a run rate of 6.10 in 19.2 overs. They lifted the innings from 87 for 5 to 205 for 6. 83 – Pandya’s contribution to the partnership, off 66 balls, at a strike rate of 125.75. Dhoni’s share was 29 off 50 balls, striking at 58.Pandya’s goes big228.57 – Pandya’s strike rate off his last 21 balls, after being 35 off 45. He began with 23 runs off Adam Zampa in the 37th of the innings, during a period when India took 50 runs off four overs. 4 – Number of times Pandya has hit three consecutive sixes in international cricket this year. He did it in the two matches against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, off Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan, against Sri Lanka’s Malinda Pushpakumara in a Test, and Adam Zampa in this match.ESPNcricinfo LtdA Dhoni special 161.53 – Dhoni’s strike rate – he scored 42 off 26 balls – after Pandya’s dismissal. Dhoni hit his first boundary off his 67th delivery and then hit another five in his last 20 balls. 100.25 – Dhoni’s average in ODIs in Chennai – 401 runs from six innings including two not outs. He has two centuries and a fifty at the venue.ESPNcricinfo Ltd 8 – Sixes hit by Dhoni off James Faulkner in ODIs – the most he has hit off any bowler. He has six sixes against Tillkaratne Dilshan and Shane Watson. No other batsman has hit Faulkner for more than five sixes in ODIs. Dhoni has scored 182 runs off Faulkner at strike rate of 134.80 with two dismissals. In today’s game Dhoni hit 30 from 27 balls off Faulkner, but this is pretty tame compared to how he handled him in the 2013 series: in the Mohali ODI in that series, Dhoni piled on 53 from 34 balls off Faulkner, while a couple of games later, in Bengaluru, he struck 27 off 15. Unlike those two games, Faulkner did eventually manage to dismiss Dhoni in Chennai. 241 – Unbeaten runs scored by Dhoni before getting out in this innings. He was not out in each of his last four innings, against Sri Lanka. He has got out only twice in his last nine ODI innings.

Sri Lanka's first-innings feast, second-innings famine

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Statistical highlights of Sri Lanka’s third-innings collapse in Dubai against Pakistan

Bharath Seervi09-Oct-2017The Sri Lanka batsmen put in contrasting performances in both innings in their first ever day-night Test in Dubai. After putting up 482 runs in 159.2 overs in the first innings, they were bundled for just 96 in 26 overs in the second innings. This was only the sixth instance in Tests when a team was bowled out for under 100 after posting a 400-plus total in their first innings. Sri Lanka were involved in the previous instance as well, with scores of 400 and 82 against England in Cardiff in 2011. No other team has done this after 2000.The difference in Sri Lanka’s totals was 386 runs, which is their highest ever difference in totals of two innings in a Test. Their previous highest was 383 against Australia in Colombo (SSC) in 1992. It was also the first instance of any team having a difference of over 350 runs in their totals in a Test against Pakistan. Sri Lanka had a lead of 220 in the first innings. Their second-innings total of 96 is the lowest for any team after gaining a first-innings lead of over 100 runs. The previous lowest was South Africa’s 99 against Australia in Durban in 1950 after having a lead of 236.ESPNcricinfo LtdSri Lanka’s second innings lasted just 26 overs. Only three times have they had a shorter innings when they have been bowled out. The longest Sri Lanka went without losing a wicket in the second innings was six overs, for the second wicket. They had only three partnerships in double-digit figures and the highest was 35, for the eighth wicket between Kusal Mendis and Rangana Herath. In the first innings, they had five fifty-plus stands for their first six wickets.

Shortest all out innings for Sri Lanka

Score Overs Result Opposition Venue Date103 24.2 lost Australia Melbourne 26-Dec-1282 24.4 lost England Cardiff 26-May-1173 24.5 lost Pakistan Kandy 03-Apr-0696 26.0 – Pakistan Dubai (DSC) 06-Oct-1797 27.3 lost New Zealand Kandy 09-Mar-84Three of Sri Lanka’s four shortest Test innings have come this decade. No other team has been bowled out within 30 overs in this decade more than twice. They were bowled out in 24.2 overs at the MCG in 2012 and 24.4 overs in Cardiff in 2011. Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan have been bowled out twice within 30 overs in this decade.Despite their collapse, Sri Lanka set Pakistan 317 to level the series. The highest successful chase in the UAE is 302 by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 2013-14, while the highest in Dubai is only 137. If Sri Lanka win the Dubai Test, they would become the only side in the last 100 years to win a Test after being bowled out for less than 100 in the third innings. Overall, there have been three such instances, the last of which was in 1902.

Markram braces for another trial in captaincy run

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Before the ODI series began, Aiden Markram wasn’t even sure of a place in the side, but in the span of five matches, he has gone from being touted a future captain to now battling for a permanent spot after SA return to full strength

Sidharth Monga in Centurion15-Feb-20181:22

Cullinan: Haven’t seen the value in Markram’s appointment

Five months ago, Aiden Markram was believed to have turned down offers to play overseas. Markram was the captain and the Man of the Tournament when South Africa won the Under-19 World Cup in 2014. His team-mate Kagiso Rabada made much more rapid strides into international cricket, while Markram played for the less-fancied Northerns, and then Titans, where he was behind Heino Kuhn, Dean Elgar and Theunis de Bruyn in the queue. There was already a sense that Markram, all of 22, was losing out.Markram was even asked, last September, by Rayder Media, if he would consider going Kolpak if things didn’t work out in South Africa. “I’d never move overseas, I love South Africa far too much,” Markram said. “I would enjoy doing a gig, wherever it might be in the world, to learn how to play in different conditions… (but) my heart and soul live in South Africa, and I would struggle to leave this country.”The world outside wondered who this prodigy was. One day, he is being touted as the man to lead South Africa into the future – somewhat in the way Virat Kohli was after his U-19 World Cup success as captain – and the other day, people have fears that he might choose clubs overseas. There were indeed offers, as Titans CEO Jacques Faul told in September 2017.Five months later, we have already reached a stage where the decision-makers in South Africa are wondering if they handed over the national captaincy to him too early. Comparisons with Graeme Smith abounded when Markram was appointed the captain in the absence of the injured Faf du Plessis. Ahead of Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and David Miller. And he was not given the job for just two matches, after which AB de Villiers would come back. This arrangement was going to be for the whole series.So, basically, Markram was preferred to de Villiers, Amla, Duminy and Miller, or possibly one or more in that list didn’t want to take that responsibility. Markram had played two ODIs by then. Four matches later, Markram is the first captain to have lost a bilateral home series of any format to India. This is only the third time South Africa have lost a home ODI series of five matches or more. While Markram shouldn’t have to take the blame for the thankless job of leading a severely depleted side – missing three gun players in two matches, two in two and one in one – his batting came in for comment from coach Ottis Gibson.”Aiden Markram has been asked to captain and has shown glimpses,” Gibson said. “I don’t know if the whole responsibility around captaining has been too much for him. It’s something I will have to review myself. But it seems he is trying to bat in a way that is not the Aiden Markram I saw in September. I’ve spoken to him about that.”Gibson is right too. Markram has batted like a man wanting to impose himself. There have been periods – he has had scores of 32, 22 and 32 – when he has looked the part as an ODI opener, but he has made mistakes. Twice, he has fallen at crucial junctures. A low-percentage attempted flick got him out moments before players went off for rain in Johannesburg, the wicket increasing the revised DLS target. In Port Elizabeth, they had a great opportunity to, for the first time in the series, go to spin with two batsmen already used to the pace of the pitch. In the last over of the Powerplay, though, Markram holed out to mid-on, looking for his sixth boundary in 32 balls.BCCIIt is a bit like being in the field. His biggest imprints have been two sensational catches. When it comes to changing fields, Markram is seen relying on inputs from de Villiers and Amla. That decisiveness is not yet there. Almost as if he is not yet sure of himself, as if he wants to command that leader’s role through domineering performances. It is understandable too. You want to earn captaincy, no matter how many leadership qualities you have shown at junior levels, no matter how many times you have been identified as the future captain. You don’t want the job by default, and if you do, you can be overeager to show you deserved it.A closer view of Markram’s captaincy comes from Amla. “I’ve been very impressed with Aiden on the field,” Amla said. “He is very composed, and has a good idea of what he would like. As a captain, if you don’t score runs, then the first thing that gets attributed to you is, ‘Oh, the captaincy has affected your batting.’ It certainly happened when I was captain, and I’ve seen the same cliche for other guys. Aiden is still young in international cricket. He’s a world-class player. He’s got starts, and I have full confidence that the more he captains, the easier it will get for him.”Markram’s face does a good job of hiding any emotion, but it must be a confusing, uncertain time for the debutant-too-late to captain too soon. Before the ODIs began, he wasn’t even sure if he would get a game. Even when de Villiers got injured, he was in direct competition with Khaya Zondo for a middle-order slot. That Markram, a top-order batsman, was chosen ahead of a natural middle-order batsman says a lot about how South Africa’s leadership regards Markram. They will go out of their way to give him a chance.And now they are wondering if the responsibility was too much for him to handle. While it was a rare admission from decision-makers at that level, Gibson doesn’t want to revisit the call. “This was a decision for the future, not a decision for now,” Gibson said. “Aiden has shown all the hallmarks of someone who is going to be a good leader, and with Faf out, we thought we could give him that opportunity. Looking back, I think it was the right decision. I’m not going to second-guess myself.”Gibson doesn’t make any guarantees that allowances will be made for this unusual circumstance when the next selection is made and everyone is fit. On Friday, Markram will walk out to his home ground, also where he took over captaincy, with one last chance to impose himself, unsure if he is going to be part of the next ODI squad if South Africa are back to full strength. It’s not a dead rubber for Markram.

Cricket's new league: Ashes yes, India-Pakistan no

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Structured as it may seem, theTest Championship still hinges on individually crafted bilateral calendars

Osman Samiuddin21-Jun-2018The first World Test Championship (WTC) begins July 2019 with an Ashes series, an Indian tour to the Caribbean and New Zealand touring Sri Lanka.The Championship is the centerpiece of the new Future Tours Programme (FTP), made public by Full Members on Wednesday. It is the culmination of a long, complex process, driven by member countries, and facilitated and managed by ICC, who arranged and oversaw a number of meetings and workshops to hammer out these details.As the FTP currently stands, the second WTC, which will run from July 2021 to June 2023, has not been formally identified; that is expected to happen soon.There is enough to glean from the first WTC, including the overwhelming conclusion that this is a collective league structure being forced upon an unwieldy, individually crafted bilateral calendar – it doesn’t quite fit right.19 ≠ 13 ≠ 22
On the surface, this looks like a league. Every side plays six series over two years. Every side plays three of those six at home and three away. But the number of Tests they play varies to quite a degree. England, for instance, will play 22 Tests in this period, while Pakistan plays just 13; Australia play 19 and Bangladesh 14; only England, New Zealand and Bangladesh play an equal number of Tests home and away. Which means…Datawrapper/ESPNcricinfo Ltd? points for a win, ? points for a draw, ? points for a home or away win
Because of this inequality, any points system assumes immense significance. Details of it have been thin, though it does seem that points will be awarded for matches and not series.But how can it be devised so that sides like Pakistan and Sri Lanka don’t lose out to sides like Australia and England simply because they couldn’t arrange more Tests? Or so that the results of a West Indies side that plays six Tests at home and nine away, can be compared equally with, say India which plays 10 Tests at home and eight away?Path to the final
Australia’s last series before the scheduled WTC final is in South Africa, a tough ol’ ask at the best of times . And they would have hosted India for four Tests just before that. England end their league run with a five-Test series in India and the last time that happened, they lost 4-0. England start their campaign with a five-Test Ashes series, which means nearly half their WTC Tests will be played in just two series.By contrast, New Zealand’s run isn’t too bad, finishing off with five Tests against West Indies and Pakistan at home. Plus, they don’t play South Africa or England at all.ESPNcricinfo LtdWho doesn’t play whom
A league system works when everybody plays everybody. At the end, the winning side is a true winner because they have faced every other side in all kinds of conditions. Full Members love this system so much that it is how the next two World Cups are structured.No such luck for the WTC. India don’t play Pakistan, of course, but neither do they play Sri Lanka (not that anybody will complain). England just lost a series in New Zealand but they don’t play against them in the WTC. Australia were humbled on their last trip to Sri Lanka but they don’t play them in this league. The uncomfortable truth? The first winner of the WTC will not be able to say they have overcome every single challenge Test cricket throws at them.Two is the magic number
It became evident early on that the bedrock of the new FTP would be the two-Test series. In the entire FTP, from May 2018 to May 2023 there are 39 two-Test series, compared to 34 in the five-year period to May 2018.The WTC is underpinned by it. Over half of the total series in the first WTC will be two-Tests (15 out of 27). Pakistan and Sri Lanka play five two-Test series out of their six; England play only one and Australia two. Only eight series will be three Tests, hitherto the cornerstone of the calendar. As points are likely to be awarded per match rather than series, the two-Test series is perhaps not as unfulfilling a prospect as it might have been.Datawrapper/ESPNcricinfo LtdRemember that league?
Australia play a WTC Test in Bangladesh at the end of February 2020. They don’t play another until the end of November that year. Ditto India. West Indies don’t play a WTC Test from August 2019 to June 2020. Some sports fit an entire league campaign in these gaps where, effectively, the WTC goes into hibernation for some countries. Context is the mantra behind this schedule, but given how many sports vie for the average fans’ attention, remembering context might be the battle.The endgame
More or less halfway through March 2021, all WTC match-ups will be over. Un-ideally, the final will be played more than two full months later. And because league commitments don’t all finish at the same time – another basic rule of leagues – we could end up with a number of, ahem, ‘interesting’ scenarios. New Zealand, for example, finish their WTC commitments by January 2021. South Africa and Australia begin a three-Test series in mid-February.What if all three are in contention for spots in the final? Depending on what the points system looks like, it could be that it becomes advantageous to both South Africa and Australia to draw their series and make the final. Imagine the uproar then.At least sides will not be able to manipulate pitches too heavily to squeeze out results when needed: under new playing conditions for the championship, poor pitches could be punished by points losses.And finally
According to the FTP, in October 2019 England visit New Zealand to play a two-Test series. It is not marked down as a WTC series but it does take place during the WTC cycle. It is the only bilateral Test commitment between two sides in the league that is not part of the league. Which sums up, in its own way, this league.

Who's hot and who's not for South Africa after quadrangular failure

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Despite winning only one of six matches on the tour of India, South Africa do have positives to draw from it as they build towards the 2019 World Cup

Deivarayan Muthu30-Aug-2018Second ready for the second wicketkeeper’s spot?
There’s a lot to like about Knights’ wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second: he not only displayed the tightest defensive technique among the South African batsmen in the four-dayers but also latched onto the loose balls. Having racked up the runs in the domestic competitions at home, Second pressed his case further for a national call-up by making a pair of 94s that nearly hauled the South Africans to a remarkable come-from-behind draw at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.While he came in at 93 for 4 in the first innings and launched a counterattack, he kept dead-batting India A’s bowlers along with Shaun von Berg in the second dig. They held off the Indian bowlers for more than 50 overs on a fourth-day pitch before Yuzvendra Chahal and the seamers broke through their resistance and secured a tense win for the hosts, with seven balls to spare.Second was also impressive behind the stumps, taking five catches and effecting a stumping in the four-dayers. He also showed excellent footwork in the subsequent quadrangular series. Case in point: when Khaya Zondo pitched a full ball on middle and got it to turn down the leg side, Australia A’s Marnus Labuschagne flubbed a sweep and lobbed it off the thigh, with Second niftily moving to his left, diving full length and collecting the ball.Quinton de Kock is the first-choice keeper in the national side, but Second has done enough to narrow the gap between himself and Heinrich Klaasen, who is currently the reserve wicketkeeper-batsman.Batting: a mixed bag
In contrast to Second, the rest of the batsmen reached out for balls outside off like a stalker chases its prey, particularly in the first four-dayer. No less than 14 South African wickets in that match were caught by the keeper or in the cordon. While the South Africans fared better in the second four-dayer in Alur, the one-day line-up suffered collapses against Australia A as well as in the third-place contest against India A.A part of this is because South Africa don’t have a meticulous A-team structure like India or Australia do, but there were still some positives on the batting front. Twenty-three-year-old Cobras batsman Zubayr Hamza, who was on his first tour to India, made an unbeaten 104 in the warm-up fixture and followed it with a brace fifties in the four-dayers.Zubayr Hamza cuts the ball•BCCIZondo, the captain, struck a fine hundred around a batting meltdown against Australia A and showed he could be a middle-order option for the senior team that will be without Faf du Plessis for the upcoming limited-overs series against Zimbabwe.The second-string spinners need more fine-tuning
Legspinner von Berg, offspinner Dane Piedt and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy had previously been part of spin camps in India, but they struggled with their lines and lengths. It is fair to say that the Chinnaswamy pitch was more South African than Indian, but the spinners couldn’t plug the flow of runs either. Each of the three spinners went at four or more runs an over in the first innings in the first four-dayer.The spinners’ struggles seeped into the one-day series, too, and it was compounded further by a back injury to left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, who played only two out of four matches in the quadrangular series.Frylinck, Paterson lend more variety
You might wonder what a 33-year-old – who doesn’t look like an athlete – has to do with an A team. Go and watch his knuckle ball that dipped sharply on Shreyas Iyer and rattled his stumps. Go and watch his yorkers at the death. Having made his T20I debut against Bangladesh last year following a stint with Trinbago Knight Riders in CPL 2017, Robbie Frylinck is seen as that two-in-one player, who could bowl the tough overs and smash the ball in the lower order.Dane Paterson is four years younger than Frylink and brings similar skills. The 29-year-old has finished T20 matches at home and banks on an assortment of variations in the end overs. It is for these skills that Bloem City Blazers forked out USD 135,000 (approximately R1.8 million) for him in the Global T20 League that was eventually scrapped. With national selector Hussein Manack and performance analyst Prasanna Agoram in attendance in Bengaluru, the seamer bagged his maiden five-wicket haul in List A cricket and showed he could be effective in one-dayers as well.Behardien, the finisher: yay or nay?
Farhaan Behardien was the fourth-highest scorer in South Africa’s one-day competition, with 437 runs in 11 innings. He thrived in the 20-over tournament as well, hitting 234 runs in seven innings, including six not outs, at a strike rate of 165.95. His role in India was to tackle tricky situations as a finisher. But when his captain Zondo needed his company to repair a faltering chase against Australia A, Behardien fell in bizarre fashion: going for a non-existent leg bye after surviving an lbw appeal. In the last two games against India A, he flickered briefly and finished with 18 not out and 38 not out. Behardien’s tally of 103 runs in four innings is anything but great, but his experience could be handy as South Africa build towards Vision 2019.

Rory Burns has earned the chance to do it his way

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Having barged the selection door open, Burns has an opportunity to stand unfazed on the face of immense scrutiny and pressure

George Dobell in Colombo28-Oct-20182:15

‘Brilliant’ England can win in the subcontinent – Sangakkara

Ask any of England’s recent Test caps what struck them most about the experience, and chances are, they will tell you the same thing.As challenging as Australia’s pace attack, as challenging as the turning ball in Asia, as challenging as trying to find the edge of Virat Kohli’s bat, is the scrutiny that comes with promotion to international cricket.It’s not just the microphones and cameras that are suddenly thrust in your face. It’s just getting used to your boyhood heroes dissecting your technique on TV as if you were a diseased fish. And it’s not just getting used to having strangers tell you they love you or hate you on social media. Or even having every word you utter analysed and amplified.It’s learning to deal with the self-doubt.You want some examples? How about Gary Ballance. Despite making 1000 runs in his first 10 Tests, it suddenly became received wisdom that he could not play top-class swing bowling, especially of the left-arm variety. It didn’t matter whether it was true or not – no doubt there was an element of truth; who does look comfortable with top-class, fast swing bowling? – it eventually became self-fulfilling. So instead of trusting what he was doing, Ballance began to doubt it. And once that happens, the battle is as good as lost.Much the same could be said about Nick Compton. Having won selection on the back of his solid game, he was suddenly confronted by a barrage of opinion that insisted solidity wasn’t enough any more. Batsmen needed to push on. They needed to be positive. So instead of trusting his own method, he strayed into news area and started trying to impress. And, as the pressure and doubts mounted, the runs and results fell away.Now, you could argue that the media criticism of them was accurate. And that’s fine. The point is, players have to learn to deal with the seeds of doubt they plant. And it takes a special sort of person – either magnificently talented or magnificently unintrospective – to do that. And while there is always room for improvement, it is a huge risk to change everything that earned their selection once they have exposure to the highest level.The good thing for England on this tour is that their squad contains, alongside the experienced cricketers, some experienced men. So Joe Denly and Jack Leach have both, to some extent, confronted their demons already – Denly when he came to terms with being dropped by England the best part of a decade ago and Leach when he was told his action was illegal – and come back stronger, wiser men. Sink or swim, they seem well-equipped to deal it.The same appears to be true for Rory Burns. If he wins a place in England’s Test line-up in the coming days – it is almost impossible to predict what England’s team will look like at this stage – he knows his method will attract scrutiny. He knows many doubt him. He has, after all, had to work long and hard for this opportunity. Almost every other opening batsman with a pulse and bladder control has already been tried by England. Burns isn’t quite ‘the last man standing, but he could be forgiven for feeling that way.Getty ImagesBut Burns has long had to fight for what has come easily to others. He progressed to the edge of international cricket via the scenic route. Unlike some of the abundantly talented cricketers, he emerged alongside in the Surrey system — such as Jason Roy, with whom he played in the Surrey Under-15 side – he didn’t graduate to the professional game in his late teenage years. Instead he went to university – he is the latest success story from the MCCU system (and the admirable Cardiff MCCU in particular) – where he was given time to mature, as a cricketer and young man, and work out what works for him. Despite the years of run-scoring, it took until midway through the 2018 for him to win a first Lions cap.Maybe that will prove no bad thing. Along the way, he has developed a resilience. And, it would appear, a sense of personal responsibility. He isn’t looking for approval or hoping to win awards for artistic merit. Having just led the club he supported as a boy to the County Championship title and become engaged, he may feel, on some levels, fulfilled and content. He is still desperate for success – he reckons he has dreamed of a Test debut since he was two – but he is, perhaps, a little less desperate than some others.His method is a little unusual. He squats in his stance as if ‘mooning’ the square leg fielder and, to ensure his left eye is trained on the ball – he is a left-handed batsman and says he is left-eye dominant – appears to glance towards midwicket as if the fielder there has just said something appalling about him just before the bowler delivers the ball. There is also a little flurry of the hands that he says relaxes them.It’s not especially pretty but, seeing as he has scored a thousand first-class runs in each of the last five English seasons, it does seem to be pretty effective. He was, by a country mile, the most prolific batsman in the Championship in 2018 – he scored almost 300 runs more than the second-highest run-scorer, Ian Bell, who played in the lower division – and before anyone accuses him of filling his boots on the relatively flat Oval surface, it should be acknowledged he averaged 87.90 in away matches. He is good off his legs, has a pleasing drive and seems to know where his off stump is. He might never have been here before – the closest he has come is playing in the UAE – but he has earned this chance.And, having earned the chance doing things his way, he isn’t going to change now.”I don’t think you can prepare for the scrutiny fully,” Burns says. “I am expecting a certain level of media scrutiny but I’ll just try to remain strong between my ears and go about my business as I have for Surrey. Probably the weight of runs I’ve scored in county cricket will help me do that as I’ve got that little bit of self-belief.”My trigger movement might get commented upon but it’s not going to change. It’s just one of my nuances. It’s a rhythm thing. It’s just a feel thing for me as I get prepared to face the ball.”It’s just about taking the opportunity and doing it your way when you get your opportunity. I’m just trying to replicate what I do for Surrey and trust my own way of going about things. I’m going go about things the way I have in county cricket.”While those players – and coaches – involved in Saturday night’s T20I were given the day-off, Burns was among the England players who trained at Nondescripts Cricket Club in Colombo on Sunday. The entire Test squad will be there again on Monday before two, two-day games start on Tuesday.There are no guarantees for Burns and co, but by sticking to his guns, by doing it his way, by trusting himself, he is giving himself the best chance.

Reactions: 'Bumrah, bowling equivalent of the 360-degree batsman'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

What they said about Jasprit Bumrah’s unplayable slower ball to Shaun Marsh

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2018

Bumrah’s Test debut in January 2018 now feels like a long time ago, doesn’t it?

Bumrah’s moment of magic brought back references to comments from the host broadcaster on day 1.

The drift and length from Bumrah to Marsh took the MCG pitch out of the equation.

On our ball-by-ball commentary, meanwhile, readers were comparing Bumrah’s ripper to Shaun Marsh with other memorable deliveries.The scene after Mitchell Starc shattered James Vince’s off stump from around the wicket•Getty ImagesYatin: “After Mitchell Starc to James Vince, this has taken some while coming, but simply brilliant by Bumrah! “Praveen: “Remembering Harmison’s delivery to Clarke in that Ashes !”Here’s this delivery with Mark Nicholas line from the 2005 Ashes.

Rohit: “That was Malinga-like. His mentor would be proud.”

Beefy's day, Imran's day, New Day

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Nostalgia is par for the course when you’re a cricket writer covering the World Cup in England

Sidharth Monga30-Jun-2019June 9
“A large town in Somerset,” Wikipedia says of Taunton. Can do whole place in one 5k run. Quiet, old, positively small town. Welcome brief change after London’s hubbub. Takes two quid off each pint. Everybody knows everybody in the local pubs. Startle patrons in one by furiously typing out an interview transcript. Stop typing to join conversation. Memories of Somerset team of the 1980s – Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner – still alive in the pubs of Taunton. Patrons here have seen them play, party, get up to mischief. Too small a town for the trio. One man says he was offered thousands of pounds by a London tabloid to speak things about Botham that are still unpublishable. Also tells of local photographer Alain Lockyer, whom the three invited to the dressing room for a photo before their last game at the club. He could have lived off royalties from that famous picture alone.June 10
County Ground in Taunton. Somerset cricket museum shut. Not-for-profit museum; relies on volunteers to operate, and they are busy with preparations for the World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan. At least the Somerset merchandise shop is open. Lovely stuff, including maroon Somerset hats and cable-knit sweaters. Shame they won’t be able to offer these products on match days because the ICC won’t let them.Pakistan train for their game against Australia. Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq here with his two sons. Both play on the sidelines, then wait in stands as Inzamam talks to team. Their phone goes off with the theme tune. Show title could perhaps be taken as Inzamam’s reply to calls for quick singles back in the day.June 11
Back at local pub. Hottest topic right now is BBC withdrawing free license to people over 75 other than those on the poorest pensions. Vocal protest from son of second World War veteran. Others generally unhappy with London. Capital allegedly out of touch with smaller towns where average age is high and TV often only form of entertainment for the aged, who are not that mobile. Stark difference between demographics of London and Taunton. London young and bustling – many flats without lifts, not suitable for aged people. Taunton slower; bigger houses – better for the old, but fear they might be left alone here.Even younger lot not happy with London, though. Woman left her job feeling unsafe. Man blames Londoners for not helping out the gay girls assaulted recently in a bus in the city. “All la-di-dahs, pretending to read.”Angry letters in the condemning the BBC’s decision to withdraw free TV licences for those over 75•Sidharth Monga/ESPNcricinfo LtdJune 12
David Warner scores his first century back from the ball-tampering ban to help Australia beat Pakistan.In press box, ask Waqar Younis to confirm nicked-chain story from last diary. Vaguely remembers losing chain, remembers being angry, but not that clearly bowling bouncers in fading light. Show him another unrelated old photo, of him with Aaqib Javed and Saleem Malik, tweeted this morning by someone, and he remembers the long hair clearly. “,” he says wistfully. Ah, crazy youth.June 14
Walk around The Oval in London to try to find out what happens in the iconic gasholder structure now. End up finding out a bit of music history. Now closed pub The Cricketers Pub & Venue, sandwiched between The Oval and the gasholder. One of many small music venues in the 1970s and 1980s. Capacity 200. Some folk musicians even lived there for stretches. Roy Harper and Ralph McTell were among the big names who played regularly. Happy Mondays’ first London gig was here.Promoter Jim Driver, who lived and worked here for a few years, feels it was Margaret Thatcher’s Beer Orders of 1989 that rang the death knell for such small pubs and venues. On paper meant to decrease the power of big brewers, it ended up resulting in brewers losing interest in keeping small pubs running. Instead, small pubs were redeveloped into houses and markets. This one wasn’t. It went to a retired Jamaican policeman, who ostensibly believed he had bought a piece of cricketing history, only to have to sell within a year. Nothing happens there now. Its beer garden has a mural of a cricket match on its wall. Must be the Jamaican owner’s work.Plans afoot to turn the plot into a 21-house residential complex. Similar plans in place for gasholder, but its status as a heritage-listed building prevents that from happening. Locals say don’t be so sure. Loopholes will be found.The Cricketers Pub & Venue, which might make way for a residential complex, and the iconic Oval gasholders that are staving off the same fate, for now•ICCJune 15
Walk into The Oval and find iconic photos of streets visited yesterday. Milkman standing on top of his cart to watch cricket over a short boundary wall in 1933. Schoolboy atop a streetlight relaying score to about ten of his friends below back in 1938. Children in proper shirts and pants playing cricket beneath gasholder in 1953.All those charms of free cricket gone with tall boundary walls. Paid cricket has you wishing you hadn’t paid when Sri Lanka sneak up on Australia before fizzling out. Performance and campaign reminiscent of Pakistan.June 19
Needing to win to keep their campaign alive, South Africa melt down against New Zealand, dropping catches, missing a run-out, failing to review a wrong decision. This is Edgbaston, where 20 years and one day ago Lance Klusener and Allan Donald were involved in run-out. Faf du Plessis heartbroken. TV in press conference room plays clip of Herschelle Gibbs dropping Steve Waugh. Du Plessis doesn’t notice. Just as well. Has enough ghosts from this campaign to deal with.ALSO READ: ‘Ello from BrizzleJune 22
Is there a better approach to a cricket ground than the one to Old Trafford? Lazy ten-minute tram ride on first really sunny day of World Cup. Off the tram and into the ground. Have seen on previous trip Lancastrian Michael Atherton take the same route. Just behind Joel Garner this time as he has his accreditation scanned. Curtly Ambrose in press box. Overhear him tell somebody, “You do that Twitter-thing…”Carlos Brathwaite nearly pulls off a crazy chase. Modern improvement on the famous and possibly apocryphal story of George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes: “We’ll get them in singles.” Carlos will do it in sixes. Reminded of his equally crazy chase in Kolkata in the World T20 final in 2016. Brathwaite himself reminded of two failures, against Afghanistan earlier in that T20, and against Australia in this World Cup. One haunts him, he says. The things we remember.Taunton, you ready to rumble?•Sidharth Monga/ESPNcricinfo LtdJune 25
Edgbaston. Spot pair of excited eyes looking at me. One of the schoolkids with whom New Zealand will play cricket shortly as part of a charity initiative. “Booty Os,” kid shouts. It’s the New Day t-shirt I have on.”Becauuuuuuuse,” I go.Two others join the kid and start clapping their hands: “New. Day Rocks. New. Day Rocks.”June 26
Things have begin to fall in place for Pakistan miraculously. Not just when they are playing, but when others are too. On the field they get the better of New Zealand. The similarities with (Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi for “92”) are getting more uncanny with each passing day. Bazid Khan, former Test cricketer, son of Majid, now a commentator, remembers what it was like in . Pakistan were down in the dumps back then but the players couldn’t believe how Imran Khan never accepted results. Before team meetings he would still talk like he was certain of winning the World Cup. “,” they would say. “This old man has gone mad.”

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