All posts by h716a5.icu

Instances when a player or a team stood out for performing way above, or below, the mean

Anantha Narayanan10-Dec-2022What is an outlier? A fairly acceptable definition is: “a data point that differs significantly from other observations”. However, I am going to use the definition with a little more freedom in this article. I will look for performances that stood out in an ODI, and also performances that stood out across the many years during which the game has been played.Let it not be forgotten that an outlier can be a positive one (a standout performance that shone among mediocre ones) or a negative one (a forgettable performance in a collection of good ones). I will feature both – often within the same table.

The conditions in Chattogram should bring spin into the contests more, but the match timings might not be ideal for the fans

Mohammad Isam26-Mar-2023Bangladesh’s enviable home runBangladesh have a strong record at home; apart from the ODI hiccup against England at the start of March, they were at a different level, knocking off world champions England 3-0 in the T20I series and carrying that confidence to the ODIs against Ireland. In conditions that were rather un-Bangladeshi, they posted huge scores – 338 for 8 and 349 for 6 – on the occasions they batted first. When they bowled first, they bowled Ireland out for 101, with the fast bowlers taking all ten wickets. The spinners took a backseat for a change, bowling the lowest number of overs in a home series.The home team’s fielding has improved too, perhaps their most attractive aspect in recent times. It is not spectacular catches or effective dives but basic fielding that has often escaped this team. This month, they have done that right, giving their bowling attack an extra bit of cushion.Ireland’s best format to shineIreland don’t have form on their side, losing their only T20I series so far this year, going down 1-2 against Zimbabwe in January. But they beat West Indies and England in the T20 World Cup last year, giving them some good memories to work with.Related

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And at the current moment Ireland will take anything positive they can get their hands on, even if it is merely good memories. They have had a difficult time on this tour so far, getting hammered in the ODIs. In the two innings they batted, they couldn’t get to 160. It wasn’t even spin that got them, it was Bangladesh’s impressive fast bowling attack in conditions that were nearer to what Ireland usually play in.Chattogram Bangladesh’s haven, but what about the match timings?The Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur hosts most of the T20Is and T20s in Bangladesh, being the premier venue in the country. But the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram boasts arguably the best batting pitches. Often, they provide relief for the Bangladesh batters, and the spinners too will have more of a say on pitches that are going to be slower than what was on offer in the ODIs in Sylhet.Legspinner Rishad Hossain to Bangladesh’s squad, although he has only bowled five overs in domestic cricket this season. The selection might be daring, but there are choices to fall back on with Shakib Al Hasan, Nasum Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz also around.The 2pm start time should also offer the batters the best batting conditions in Chattogram, and the spinners will not have to worry about dew. Whether these timings will bring in the crowds, though, remains a concern. The matches are being played during Ramadan and end just an hour before time, with the stadium located at the backend of an industrial area; it will be tough for most ticket-holders to return home in time to break fast.Bilateral T20Is after 11 yearsBangladesh won the only bilateral series between the two sides in 2012. Ireland’s only win over Bangladesh in this format was in the 2009 T20 World Cup. So there’s not much history to this series, but both teams will have motivation enough: Bangladesh so they don’t lose their white-ball momentum, and Ireland so they have something to show for their travels.

We also break down how Capitals could sneak past Mumbai into the top spot

S Rajesh17-Mar-20236:40

Giants win and spice up qualifying scenarios

Are Delhi Capitals through to the playoffs?
Capitals are currently on eight points from six games, with matches coming up against Mumbai and UP Warriorz. If they lose those two matches, it is possible that Warriorz and Gujarat Giants can catch them on eight points. However, Capitals are so far ahead on net run rate that they are certain to finish among the top three.Currently, they have an NRR of 1.431, compared to -0.196 for Warriorz and -2.523 for Giants. For Capitals to finish fourth, their NRR will have to drop below both their rivals. While it is possible for Warriorz to go past Capitals on NRR, it is almost impossible for Giants to overcome the huge deficit in just a couple of games.If, for instance, Capitals lose their last two games by a combined total margin of 200 runs (chasing 160 each time), their NRR will only drop to -0.311. Giants will then have to win their two games – against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Warriorz – by a combined total margin of around 235 runs to go past Capitals’ NRR. Apart from such margins being almost impossible to achieve, a huge defeat for Warriorz will also adversely impact their NRR, which they will then have to make up through big wins against Mumbai and Capitals.Thus, it’s safe to infer that Capitals are almost certainly through to the playoffs. Their best case, though, will be for Mumbai to lose their last three games so that they can somehow sneak the top spot.1:12

Team mentor Sthalekar believes Warriorz have the best spin attack

Can Royal Challengers Bangalore qualify?
Giants’ win against Capitals has made it tougher for Royal Challengers, since four teams can now get to eight points. The best case for them will be for Warriorz to lose their remaining games and stay on four points, and for Giants to beat Warriorz and move to six. Then, if Royal Challengers win their last two, they can get to six points and take the third place ahead of Giants on NRR, since their current NRR of -1.55 is better than that of Giants.If they lose on Saturday then they are out of the tournament.What about the qualification chances of Warriorz and Giants?
Both these teams are locked on four points, though Warriorz clearly have the advantage, with an extra game in hand and a much better NRR. Both teams play on Saturday – Warriorz take on table-toppers Mumbai while Giants face bottom-placed Royal Challengers. Even if Warriorz lose, they’ll still be in the mix, but if they win and Giants lose, it’ll almost certainly be the end of the road for the latter.

She went unpicked in March’s draft but then returned to Superchargers as Heather Graham’s replacement

Matt Roller02-Aug-2023The leading women’s cricketers in the world still want to play in the Hundred, despite salaries paling in comparison to those on offer in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India. That is the view of Jemimah Rodrigues, the Indian batter who will represent Northern Superchargers for a third consecutive season.The first WPL auction, which took place ahead of the inaugural season in March, saw players signed on contracts worth up to INR 3.4 crore (£340,000) for four weeks’ work – far outstripping the top salary of £31,250 available to players in the Women’s Hundred.A handful of players – Rodrigues included – are due to earn barely 10% of their WPL salary in the Hundred this year, but have signed up for the competition regardless. Among that category is Smriti Mandhana, the highest-paid player in the WPL, who was retained by Southern Brave and top-scored in the opening game on Tuesday.Leading Australia players are conspicuous by their absence, with Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry withdrawing at short notice through injury and Tahlia McGrath and Ash Gardner among those who decided not to enter the draft in anticipation of a draining Ashes series immediately before the competition.”For us as players, it’s not about the money,” Rodrigues told ESPNcricinfo. “All of us love playing in the Hundred. It’s a different format, it’s exciting, and the way the ECB organises it – getting the crowds and kids involved – is something different. We love coming to England for it.”Each league has its own place… every country’s league is different: the WPL, the Hundred, the WBBL. If the end goal is to improve women’s cricket, then all three leagues are equally important – and so are all the other leagues in the world.”It’s very exciting that I’m getting the opportunity to experience them. Everyone has different cultures but it’s cricket that unites us and gets us together. I’m lucky that I’ve got this experience at a pretty young age.”Rodrigues says that the crowds have been the best thing about the Hundred. “I was there for the first season, and I think it has come a long way. More than anything, I love seeing little children coming in those oversized jerseys – like they’re floating in it – and asking for autographs.”You speak to their parents and they’re like, ‘My daughter wants to play.’ And it’s not just girls – it’s young guys getting inspired to play cricket through watching a women’s game. That’s the most exciting part for us, about playing in the Hundred.”Rodrigues was “a little bit disappointed” that she went unpicked in March’s draft, having been released over the winter, but was approached with an opportunity to return to Superchargers while touring Bangladesh with India last month. She has replaced Heather Graham in their squad and arrived in Leeds on Saturday.Jemimah Rodrigues has rejoined Northern Superchargers in the Hundred•Getty Images”It’s good to be back, especially with a team I’ve spent a lot of time with,” she says. “Whenever I come here, I feel like I’ve come back home. I have a lot of friends here; it’s like family to me. I love being in Leeds and the thing I love about the Superchargers is they always have a good time; they like to have fun.”Before joining Superchargers two years ago, Rodrigues previously played for Yorkshire Diamonds in the Kia Super League. There, she learned about the trans-Pennine rivalry – and was therefore as baffled as anyone when Kate Cross, Manchester Originals’ captain, was signed by Superchargers in the draft.”She was the first one who reached out to me. She said, ‘I can’t wait to play with you,’ and I was like, ‘Same here.’ And my next message was, ‘Isn’t it going to be weird for you to play against Manchester?!’ We know the rivalry that Yorkshire and Lancashire have – but it’s going to be fun for her.”Rodrigues arrives after a challenging tour for India in Bangladesh, one which culminated in a controversial tied ODI. After a quiet WPL, she found form in the ODI series in a new role at No. 5 – though is looking forward to playing in more batter-friendly conditions over the next four weeks than those encountered in Dhaka.”I was so happy: the first ball I middled in the nets, I was like, ‘This is heaven!’ England is a place where you get good value for your shots and I love the ball coming onto the bat. The wickets here are a little faster compared to back in India and I love that. It’s great to be back.”Superchargers will play their first game of the season on Thursday, against Birmingham Phoenix at Headingley – though after back-to-back washouts in the women’s competition, the game is at the behest of the weather. “I’m going to pray the rain stays away,” Rodrigues says. “I can’t wait for the season to start.”

Listen in as the former South Africa speedster bares it all in this chat with ESPNcricinfo

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-202344:21

Stump Mic podcast – Acting, skateboarding and taking wickets: Punk-rock cricket with Dale Steyn

How can fishing teach you about waiting for a catch at slips? Was it difficult to choose between cricket and skateboarding? What music does a fast bowler listen to?Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn joins Kaustubh Kumar and Karthik Iyer to discuss everything from his acting with Adam Sandler in Hollywood and his travels around the world to that iconic Grant Elliott photograph from the 2015 World Cup semi-final.

A long and difficult journey to Ranchi culminated in a memorable first day of Test cricket for the fast bowler

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Feb-20243:14

Akash Deep: ‘I dedicate this performance to my father’

There was something weirdly familiar about this sight. Something about the bowler’s thinning crown, his energy through the crease, his follow-through. Something about the batter’s harried movements, feet going nowhere, hands going where they shouldn’t. And something about that off stump, sent spinning out of its moorings and bounce-landing halfway to where leg slip might have stood.It was – or was meant to be – the 11th ball of Akash Deep’s Test career. It could have been a ball pulled from a Mohammed Shami highlights reel.The no-ball siren cut short Akash’s celebrations, but he’d have his man soon enough, and the aesthetic appeal of Zak Crawley’s actual dismissal would be on par with that of his near-dismissal. If you’re the kind of cricket fan that prefers the inducker that flicks the off bail out of its groove to the one that punches the off pole in the gut, you might even rank it higher.Related

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Later in the day, Crawley described the feeling of facing Akash: “Skiddy bowler. More pace than what I thought he had. Ran the ball back in with variable bounce. It was tricky as he was getting it to nip. It was tough.”Skiddy. Quicker than you think. Getting it to nip.India began this fourth Test in Ranchi with one change to their combination from the third one in Rajkot, with this skiddy debutant replacing Jasprit Bumrah, their most influential player of the series and their greatest-ever fast bowler by every measure other than longevity.Within the first hour of play, the debutant had cut through England’s top three. He went round the wicket to the left-handed Ben Duckett, and nicked him off with a ball that straightened in the corridor. He went wide of the crease and speared one into the advancing Ollie Pope’s front pad, honing in on the batter’s vulnerability to the inward angle. He bowled Crawley twice.All this happened before he’d completed his sixth over in Test cricket.If it was a giddy rush for the viewer, imagine how it must have felt for Akash, all this coming at him so quickly, with no time for reflection, after he’d traversed such a long and complicated path to get to this place. Poignantly enough, this place, the venue of his Test debut, is located roughly halfway between Sasaram, where he grew up, and Durgapur, where he went to pursue his cricket, covertly at first, defying his parents’ admonishments, and then with a sense of desperate purpose after he lost both his father and his brother in the space of six months.”When you lose two family elders in one year, you don’t have anything left to lose,” Akash said at the end of the day’s play. “This was the thought I left my home with. I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.”Like Shami, like Mukesh Kumar, Akash is not from Bengal but is very much of it. They’re part of a long tradition of successful cricketing migrants – other prominent examples include Dilip Doshi, Arun Lal and Rohan Gavaskar – but they’ve also sparked off a tradition of their own. They’ve moved to Bengal from the mighty Gangetic states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and they all bowl nagging lines and nip it around off the seam.Mukesh, capped three times in Tests so far, and Akash were competing for one bowling slot here in Ranchi, and it was Akash India turned to. It didn’t take long to see why. The pitch at the JSCA Stadium had plenty in it for the new ball on day one, with movement and uneven bounce waiting to be extracted from its patchy grass and uneven spread of cracks. Mukesh could have got something out of it too, but Akash is just that little bit quicker and skiddier, and his lines and lengths that little bit likelier to harass the top of the stumps.Akash Deep’s sizzling spell left Zak Crawley castled•BCCIThe side-on replay that confirmed the no-ball to Crawley also revealed a possible source of Akash’s ability to rush batters. At the point where he touched down with his front foot to complete his delivery stride, his right arm had only just begun its final rotation. When bowlers look to gain a yard of pace, one tweak they often make is to change their load-up in order to delay the bowling arm’s rotation and generate greater arm speed – as Andrew Tye explains here. Mitchell Starc, who probably didn’t have to try too hard to bowl fast, is noted for his delayed bowling arm.Akash isn’t a 145kph tearaway, but on Friday showed he can consistently operate in the high 130s and occasionally slip into the low 140s, and do this while hammering away on that awkward, bail-bothering length. That combination of pace, length and skid off the pitch meant he often left batters pinned to the crease. Even the Pope dismissal was, in a weird way, an example of this. Pope walked out of his crease, but Akash’s length and inward movement left him in a position that’s often seen in batters trapped on the crease: front leg braced rather than bent, head falling over to the off side.All of Akash’s wickets could have been Shami wickets, and Akash bowls like he grew up watching and idolising Shami, but this wasn’t exactly the case.”In my childhood I didn’t even know cricket,” he said. “There was no cricket where I come from. I started playing tennis [-ball] cricket in 2007, and began to learn about the game in 2016, when I left home to play cricket. Since then, I have been watching Shami and following him, and [Kagiso] Rabada.”When he figured out what was working for him on this pitch, Akash kept things simple – another echo of Shami. He realised early on that going wider on the crease was the way to go on the day, and he stuck to it.”When I tried 2-3 balls from close to the stumps, there wasn’t much help, and it wasn’t swinging either, after the first three overs,” Akash said. “I started bowling from the edge of the crease, trying to bowl outswing, but it was pitching and seaming in. Everything was coming in.”It was notable how much uncertainty Akash kept causing even though he was moving nearly everything in one direction. It was enough, with the element of uneven bounce thrown into the mix when the ball was hard and new and there was a bit of moisture in the surface, enough for Akash’s first spell in Test cricket to end with figures of 7-0-24-3.As the moisture evaporated and the ball aged and softened, the pitch seemed to become something else entirely, slow and low and hard work for bowlers of all kinds.Akash Deep got cracking on his first day of Test cricket•BCCI”This wicket has always been slow,” Akash said. “There was help for fast bowlers when the ball was hard and new but after lunch when the seam wasn’t very prominent and the wicket had dried up, there was no pace in the surface. And even if it was seaming, the batters were getting inside edges and managing. So the option for us was to keep runs to a minimum. We know England play cricket with a different formula, so if they have made [302] runs in 90 overs, it means that we have bowled in good areas.”Akash’s new-ball efforts have also helped India take seven wickets to go with the control of the scorecard, putting them in a reasonable though by no means secure position at the end of day one. More work remains to be done, but Akash will be more than pleased with a terrific first day in Test cricket.He’ll also reflect on every step of his journey here, and every face that was part of it.”I dedicate this to my father, because it was his dream that his son achieves something in his life,” he said. “I wasn’t able to do anything when he was alive, so I dedicate this performance to him.”

Head coach Jon Lewis challenges his players to dominate the Hundred as T20 World Cup looms

Valkerie Baynes18-Jul-2024After an undefeated home summer, England’s greatest challenge will be keeping the good thing they’ve got going during what head coach Jon Lewis describes as a “tricky” time before launching their T20 World Cup campaign.England won 13 of their 14 fixtures – with a wash-out the only exception – against Pakistan and New Zealand during a home international season which is already over in mid-July, illustrating the volume of cricket on a 2024 international schedule featuring men’s and women’s T20 World Cups.Just as England men begin – they are one match into a Test series against West Indies with Tests against Sri Lanka and two white-ball series with Australia to follow – the women have finished, their only competitive cricket left before the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October being the Hundred and a tour of Ireland which is unlikely to feature many, if any, tournament squad members.”My preference would be we get on the plane tomorrow,” Lewis admitted at Lord’s, after his side’s 20-run victory secured a 5-0 sweep of the T20Is against New Zealand on Wednesday. “But we don’t. We’ve got eight weeks between now and then. That’s a tricky period for us to manage.”I’ve just spoken to the players there in the dressing room and talked to them about my desire for them to go out and dominate the Hundred and actually show what brilliant players they are. Having a different captain, a different coach, a different coaching team giving different messages and then trying to make sure that they’re able to continue to do the things that we’ve been working on as well at the same time is really tricky for the players.”Related

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Lewis couldn’t put his finger on exactly what had clicked between England’s sometimes scrappy wins against Pakistan, whom they beat 2-0 and 3-0 in T20s and ODIs respectively, and their more clinical displays against the White Ferns, who also lost the ODI series 3-0.It could be a simple case of eradicating some winter rust and building confidence as individuals and as a team. There has also been marked improvement in consistency among the batting line-up and skill level in the field.England’s world-class spin attack of Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn, the player of the series with eight wickets at an average of 6.87 and economy rate of 4.34, have imposed themselves on the opposition while the seam ranks are starting to see the benefits of Lauren Bell’s remodelled action, Lauren Filer’s growing experience and Freya Kemp’s return from a back injury.Back to playing her allrounder role, Kemp also impressed with the bat, particularly during the pivotal 3rd T20I in Canterbury where she supported fellow teenager Alice Capsey’s unbeaten 67 with an eight-ball cameo of 16 not out as England took an unassailable lead in the closest match of the series.”We’ve batted 360 degrees of the ground during this series and hit boundaries all around the ground and most of our players can access all the areas of the ground, I want that to continue,” Lewis said.”Our fielding has improved. I think New Zealand came over here and when they started this, in the 50-over series, were a better fielding side than us and over the course of the last three or four weeks we’ve really improved our fielding, from probably quite unlikely places, places that you wouldn’t expect.”People like Sarah Glenn for example, when I turned up here, we were hiding her in the field and now she’s making an impact, taking diving catches and diving stops all over the place. That’s someone that really has been able to shift their game forward in the field, but also our athleticism and our physicality is getting better. That happens when you have a group of young players and they’re all developing really fast.”All our bowling attack is pretty much, with the exception of Nat [Sciver-Brunt], 25 and under. We had two teenagers finishing the game off at Canterbury the other day, which it is really exciting. I feel that English cricket is in really safe hands for a long period of time to come.”Legspinner Sarah Glenn was player of the T20I series against New Zealand•PA Photos/Getty ImagesBut Lewis has also noticed a sense of calm and growing confidence within a group that he says is playing more intelligent cricket than before. “The hardest job for now is that the players will leave us for a four-week period and they’ll go into situations that are the same but different and so at times their confidence can go up and it can go down,” he said.”What we hope is we get back a group of players that are as confident as they are now leaving us when they come back to us. That’s not guaranteed. We’re going to have to work really hard when they come back to us to try and rebuild some people, but also to keep some people level and calm.”We know that there’s bigger challenges ahead. The conditions will be the biggest challenge in Bangladesh and understanding how to play those the best. The team that plays the conditions the best over in Bangladesh will win that tournament.”To teach that sense of calm and how to deal with different conditions, Lewis told his squad he was going to try and disrupt them during New Zealand’s visit. England played around with selection, rested experienced players – including captain Heather Knight in Canterbury – and altered batting and bowling roles to keep players on their toes.But for the most part, Lewis believes it was the fear of the unknown that was most valuable. “I just told them there would be distractions: that’s a distraction in itself,” he said with a grin. “They’re waiting, ‘what’s going to happen?’ They’re not sure what’s going to happen, so that creates pressure, it creates anxiety, creates thinking.”I didn’t really do too much to be honest, apart from telling them that. If you sow the seed then people generally overthink things… We got stuck on the bus today. I didn’t plan that. That in itself is a distraction. People were talking about getting off the bus and getting the tube to get here to make sure they can get their practice in before the game.”You just try and raise the level of anxiety within the group to a place where they were able to bring themselves back into a calm place and communicate well with each other and talk their way through situations.”The Hundred, starting on July 23, looms as another distraction. How players navigate it could go some way to informing how England show up for the World Cup.

Amid a babble of storylines emerges the narrative of Archer playing his first international game in Barbados

Melinda Farrell04-Jun-2024Yes, this is the start of the defending champions’ campaign. Yes, this is the first time England and Scotland will meet in a T20I. Yes, the last time these two sides met, in an ODI, Scotland humbled England with a six-run victory. Yes, the fact that it was six years ago, when they share a common border, is both astonishing and pretty sad.A babble of storylines demands attention in the Barbados fixture and yet the narrative of Jofra Archer’s first international match in the country where he was born and raised will surely be front and centre at the Kensington Oval.Sport loves personal connections, whether a curious coincidence or deeper links, and a homecoming tale has always captured attention, from Lassie to E.T.Related

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In Archer’s case, the connection is pronounced; a child of Barbados who took England to the top of the world in a Super Over in 2019. A Bajan export who bowled one of Test cricket’s most memorable and thrilling spells in an Ashes series, the contest that looms largest in English cricket lore.His story has been oft told, his English father, his Barbadian mother, his move across the Atlantic after drifting out of the local system, his accelerated rise through the ranks of Sussex to the glories of the summer of 2019.The interest in Archer is not purely inspired by the romance of his tale. It’s always been about what he is rather than where he is from; a sleek and mesmerising human catapult equally capable of felling the best batters in the world or zeroing in on their stumps.For a while, his plot veered into the what-could-have-been genre, as the injuries mounted and kept him off the field for lengthy periods; the elbow stress-fracture chapter of 2020, its recurrence in 2021 along with a bio-bubble breach and a freak fish-tank-cleaning hand injury, the lower-back stress fracture that struck the following year, more elbow woes in 2023.His latest comeback had checkpoints in the two countries that have moulded him: a match-winning performance for the Wildey Club in Barbados in early April followed by a six-over spell in a Sussex second XI match in May. The subsequent series against Pakistan was merely an appetiser; this T20 World Cup 2024 is the highly-anticipated main course.Beach bums: Both Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan were born in Barbados•Getty ImagesBut while the focus has often been on his past, Archer’s future path is far fuzzier. He chose a two-year deal over a three-year central contract. His reasonings remain as enigmatic as the man himself; might he feel his value will increase, as Ben Stokes does? Perhaps, more likely is the suspicion that next summer, with India’s tour of England, and a shot at the Ashes in Australia might prove to be his last Test hurrahs before the troublesome elbow claims him as its victim. A world of lucrative T20 offers awaits. Perhaps Archer already knows where he is heading. Perhaps he doesn’t.Archer’s past and future may be background noise for England’s opening match, but his importance to the present campaign will take the spotlight as soon as he takes the ball. His breathtaking pace and ability to create uncertainty for the batter and break sides apart will be key to England’s chances.Throughout Barbados, there are metaphors for his attributes. The brooding intensity of the oppressive humidity echoes the menace he builds with each delivery. The storms that strike suddenly trigger relief and dismay as sweaty tourists find respite from the clammy heat but have their sunbathing sessions ruined; whether you are overjoyed or disconsolate by an Archer blow depends on which side you’re supporting.The morning traffic that snakes along the azure coastline summons the frustration of those lengthy layoffs; the chill of the locals in dealing with them reflects Archer’s own laid-back demeanour.And one wonders if a young Archer honed his skills at any of the nondescript cricket grounds passed on the way to the Kensington Oval, where he will run in from the top of his mark in England colours for the very first time.The occasion will undoubtedly be poignant for Archer and those who are there to support him; many here still claim him as one of their own. His past will be present but the present is everything in England’s mission.His own future? It remains a mystery.

Instant gratification is all that matters to success-starved team, as spinners seal first win in seven

Danyal Rasool18-Oct-2024The food in Pakistani press boxes can vary, both in cuisine and quality, but as the media lined up after lunch on the first day, it was clear a dessert popularity contest would be rather one-sided. One journalist piled his plate high with , ping-pong ball-sized impossibly sweet milk and dough balls, before contentedly sitting down at the nearest table. Pakistan is the land of the sugar hit.Looking across the glass window and onto the field, Pakistan cricket had decided they wanted in on the action, too. Sticking to a long-term plan, putting themselves through pain, never quite knowing if their goals would be realised had begun to take its toll. Pakistan had lost six Test matches in a row, and the benefits of consistency in selection and a long-term plan appeared increasingly illusory. They had slipped to the bottom of the World Test Championship table, and their impassioned supporters were merely feeding off scraps. They didn’t need a lecture on caloric restriction; they wanted a session of comfort eating.And so they delivered (Pakistan’s version). They had the ingredients already in the pantry for whatever they were trying to rustle up, even if they had to recycle and reheat. The pitch had already been prepared, with four-and-a-half days of cricket under its belt. The spinners had been assumed to be past their sell-by date, but they’d had a look at the packaging, and they were just about usable. Pakistan would need to go shopping again, soon, but crucially, not today.Related

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Makeshift Pakistan find a way to turn a corner in Multan

Pakistan drop Shaheen, Naseem alongside Babar for next two Tests

It was time to start cooking. They glanced at the time; it was already getting a bit late. No one quite knows what time the gas supply cuts out in Pakistan these days; the only surefire way to know is to turn the knob and see what happens. They flipped that coin; it landed correctly, and the stove burned up. Pakistan knew much of their work was already done.Perhaps it’s churlish to belittle the rest of the game at the expense of that moment, but even captain Shan Masood acknowledged the value of that toss. It was the moment they were handed the key to unlock a style of play they had deliberately locked away, almost because they believed it was somehow morally wrong to win a game this way. They had spent the last year looking for success in a manner they felt did justice to the legacy of their charismatic fast-bowling forebears. They invested in young quicks Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah and their perfect hairlines, while older, balding spinners sat willing to do the job at a fraction of the price.In football, such pragmatism has made devoted heroes out of Jose Mourinho and Thomas Tuchel, whose laser focus on results override any concessions to style. Pakistan, particularly in its current, dysfunctional set-up should theoretically make the strongest case for a similar approach, if perhaps at Sam Allardyce or Sean Dyche’s level instead. Most journalists in this country have, after all, rolled their eyes as they sit through the unveiling of the latest chairman or coach as they talk about their long-term vision, and the structural long-term changes they are going to make, knowing they’ll be sitting there in a few months or years hearing the same talking points from another recycled face. None of those grand plans will come to fruition, and any progress made will be discarded as the loop repeats.The day four pitch in Multan … on day nine, if truth be told•Getty ImagesIn a brief moment of lucidity last week, this is an epiphany the PCB seems to have had. Masood had gone 0 in 6, and his job was under threat. The captain and the coach, having talked up consistency in selection, were omitted from the selection committee altogether. A new selection committee, one that took the selector count over the last three years to 26, had just been announced. Some of the players they had invested in over the Test summer weren’t that keen to play, others needed a rest for their own sake. Pakistan didn’t need a long-term plan; they needed a win.The culmination of no long-term plan is 20 wickets for two spinners who haven’t held a red-ball since January. This Test – that final innings in particular – tells us no more or less than we already knew about Masood’s captaincy. There were no bowling changes at all, and fielding changes were generally limited to switches for a left-handed batter, or the addition of an extra fielder to a close catching position. No one quite knows what Pakistan are thinking of come December when they go to South Africa; indeed Masood already understood what they’d just managed would be difficult enough to replicate as early as Rawalpindi next week.But the selectors have already arrived in Rawalpindi; the curators were there a few days earlier to work out a bespoke plan for a ground that has never traditionally taken spin. The cricket team finally appears to be on the same page as everyone within the cricket board, entirely focused on surviving the next day, and worrying about the distant future later.As the morning unfolded, it became immediately clear the 297 England needed to win was academic. Sajid and Noman romped through an opposition with a ruthlessness Pakistan had believed they were no longer unable to muster. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread around the sparsely populated ground. With every ball threatening, many in the press boxes got carried away, exclaiming “out!” every time a ball hit a pad or whizzed past an edge. When Ben Stokes danced down to Noman, losing control of his bat as it flew high behind fine leg, there were delighted cackles.When Noman got Shoaib Bashir to take his eighth and finally complete the web Pakistan had spun around England, several loudly applauded, and had to be sternly shushed by the others.Perhaps it was the.