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“In many ways, I had already retired as a cricketer, but hadn’t been able to make a formal announcement”

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2021Harbhajan Singh has announced his retirement from all formats of the game. In a video message on Twitter, the former India offspinner said that “in many ways, I had already retired”, but because of his commitments with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, he was forced to delay the announcement.”There comes a time in your life when you must take some tough decisions and move ahead. I have been meaning to make this announcement for the last few years, but I was waiting for the right moment to share it with all of you: today, I am retiring from all formats of cricket,” he said. “In many ways, I had already retired as a cricketer, but hadn’t been able to make a formal announcement.”I haven’t been an active cricketer for a while. But I had a commitment to Kolkata Knight Riders, and wanted to spend the (2021) IPL season with them. But during the season itself, I had made up my mind to retire.”Harbhajan last turned out for India in March 2016, in a T20I against UAE in Dhaka in that year’s Asia Cup. Harbhajan, now 41, made his international debut back in March 1998, in a Test match against Australia in Bengaluru, picking up two wickets in an eight-wicket defeat. He went on to play 103 Tests, for a haul of 417 wickets – still the fourth-highest for India – at an average of 32.46, with an innings best of 8 for 84 and a match best of 15 for 217, both recorded in India’s two-wicket win over Australia in the Chennai Test of 2001, which gave them a 2-1 win in an iconic series. In the previous Test in Kolkata, made famous due to VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s batting all day while following-on – Harbhajan had played a major role too in India’s stunning come-from-behind win, bagging 13 wickets in the match.Harbhajan also turned out in 236 ODIs from 1998 to 2015, taking 269 wickets at 33.35 and an economy rate of 4.31. He played 28 T20Is, taking 25 wickets at an average of 25.32 and an economy rate of 6.20. His overall tally of 707 international wickets is the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble’s 953.Harbhajan has had great success in the IPL too, taking 150 wickets in 163 matches, fifth on the all-time list. Harbhajan also took 20 wickets in 22 Champions League T20 matches, leading Mumbai Indians to victory in the competition in 2011. Harbhajan’s longest association with a franchise was with Mumbai Indians, who bought him in the 2008 auction and retained him ahead of the mega auctions in 2011 and 2014. Released ahead of the 2018 mega auction, Harbhajan had two years with Chennai Super Kings before finishing up with Knight Riders.”It has been a beautiful journey over 25 years, right from the of Jalandhar to becoming the Turbanator of India,” he said in the statement. “Nothing has been more motivating for me than stepping out on the field while wearing the India jersey.”Like every [Indian] cricketer, even I wished to bid goodbye in an India jersey, but fate had something else in store for me. Irrespective of the side I represented, I have always given my 100% commitment to ensure my team finishes on top – whether it was India, Punjab, Mumbai Indians, CSK [Chennai Super Kings], KKR or the county teams of Surrey and Essex.””My first real happiness was the hat-trick I took in Kolkata”•Hamish Blair/ALLSPORT

Harbhajan had plenty of success across formats, including being part of two World Cup winning teams with India – in 2011 and in 2007 for the inaugural T20 World Cup. His greatest achievement, arguably, remains the performance in the series against Australia in 2001, where he bagged 32 wickets in three Tests, where no other Indian bowler took more than three wickets. Harbhajan’s feat included taking a hat-trick in Kolkata.”If you ask me about my cricket career, my first real happiness was the hat-trick I took in Kolkata, becoming the first Indian bowler to do so in a Test match. I also got 32 wickets in the three Tests in that series, which is still a record,” he said. “Following this, the T20 World Cup win 2007 and the [ODI] World Cup win in 2011 were most important for me. Those were moments that I can neither forget nor express in words as to how big that happiness was for me.”As for the future, Harbhajan said that he has “no idea” what he would do, but indicated that it would be connected to the game.”Cricket was, is and will always be an important part of my life. I have served Indian cricket for years, and will continue to strive to serve them in the future,” he said. “I have no idea about the future, but whatever I am today is because of cricket. I will be immensely happy if I can be of help to Indian cricket in any role in the future.”Now I begin a new chapter in my life, which starts with its own challenges. Believe me, your Turbanator is ready for the examination! Just keep showering your love on me.”

With a tough away series in India to follow, it is crucial for Australia to maximise their points in their home series this summer

Alex Malcolm29-Nov-20221:16

Usman Khawaja focused on West Indies first

When Australia won the T20 World Cup in 2021, there was feeling that they had finally secured that one global trophy that had long eluded them. But the reality is there is another trophy, albeit newly created, that quite literally slipped through their fingers in 2021.Australia missed the 2021 World Test Championship final because they were docked points for slow over-rates. Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, admitted on the eve of the first home Test of a new summer – and the first of nine Test matches leading into the 2023 WTC final – that his side didn’t realise what they had missed out on at the time.”I think being new, it probably didn’t hit us until the game was actually played and you saw over there New Zealand did well and you wish you were there,” Cummins said on Tuesday in Perth. “So it feels like second time around it’s got a little bit more on it. It felt like a big missed opportunity that first one. So it certainly gives a bit more context to every series now, something big to play for.”While there is a general malaise about Australian men’s cricket right now for a variety of reasons, with fears the Perth public are unlikely to turn out in droves to watch the first Test played in this city since 2019, every Test match has meaning now for this Australian team.Related

• Race to the WTC final: Australia in pole position; India and Pakistan bank on home advantage

• Warner eyes Test retirement within a year

• Australia's Test return to Perth likely to prove a tough sell

• Pat Cummins: There are no cowards in the Australian team

“The big series, say Ashes or India series where you play four or five Test matches are obviously big battles, whereas the more common series where you play two or three in a series, it gives them a bit more global context and something a bit extra to play for,” Cummins said.The Australian public may not fully realise it, still yearning for a clash with the West Indies of old, but this two-Test series has a lot riding on it. Australia currently leads the World Test Championship table and are in pole position to make the final in England next year.For the first time too, Cummins and a few of his teammates have begun talking about the significance of the next eight months of Test cricket for a group of players that are closing in on the end of their Test careers.It could be the last shot at Test Championship glory for this group of seniors•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

David Warner, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood are all in their 30s, with Warner, Khawaja and Lyon on the other side of 35, having formed the backbone of the Australian Test side over the past 10 years. Alex Carey and Marcus Harris, who are also in the squad, are also 30 plus, while Cummins will be 30 in May next year.Warner has already hinted this could be his final 12 months in Test cricket, although he walked those quotes back in the lead-up to the Test in Perth, while Khawaja admitted the team would head into a transition phase sooner rather than later, something Cummins hoped would be later but confirmed was on the horizon.”In the next six or seven months we have got 15 Test matches, hopefully, there won’t be any turnover before that but of course, it is coming,” Cummins said. “To be honest it is the most stable team I have played in ever. You could probably have picked the side 12 months ago. I feel like we are in a good spot.”An eight-month stretch of Test cricket, featuring 15 Tests against West Indies and South Africa at home, India and England away, and the WTC final if they get there, is a golden opportunity for a group that hasn’t collected as many major Test trophies as perhaps their collective talent warrants, despite being ranked No.1 in the world at present. There is a sense that those 15 Tests could cement a legacy as a great Australian team.”I think it is such an exciting opportunity for our group, to play four of the biggest series you are ever going to play as an Aussie Test cricketer within six or seven months, that is a once a career opportunity,” Cummins said. “That’s all ahead of us, that’s exciting. Obviously, a home summer is always big, with a World Test Championship, that’s something big to play for. We get a few wins here it pretty much guarantees our spot in London. We have all come here fresh. We know it’s a big block of cricket and we are excited for it.”But they cannot afford any slip-ups as they did in 2021. They have already let moments slip in Test cricket this year that could have put them in an even stronger position on the WTC table. They failed to close out the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney in January, as England survived nine-down, and did likewise in Karachi in March when they dropped a number of catches as Pakistan survived 171.4 overs in the fourth innings. They also lost by an innings in Galle, having been 204 for 2 on day one against Sri Lanka after winning the toss.Anything short of winning all five Tests at home this summer against West Indies and South Africa could leave them vulnerable to missing the WTC final again, given they have a tough four-Test tour of India to negotiate in February and March, having won only one Test there in 14 since the 2004 series triumph.Neither opponent at home will be easy to navigate, with West Indies undefeated in Test cricket in 2022 while South Africa sits second on the WTC table despite losing their last two Tests in England midyear.Australia are acutely aware of the opportunity that presents itself. They now must take it with both hands.

He will be returning to competitive cricket during the BPL in January

Mohammad Isam27-Nov-2023Tamim Iqbal will ‘wait till January’ to make a decision about his future in international cricket.”After the World Cup, I felt that there should be a decision about my international future,” Tamim said during a press conference on Monday. “Throughout my career, I have always kept myself away from indecision. I have always been very open and clear about whatever decision I have taken in my life. I was not in the country for quite some time, so this meeting [with BCB president Nazmul Hassan] was due.”We held the meeting today because we had to postpone it yesterday too. Today is actually not a great day to do all this. The Test match [against New Zealand] starts tomorrow. Since we had to do the meeting today, a statement afterwards was always forthcoming, so I apologise that I am doing this the day before the game. It is important for me and the Bangladesh team that there’s no impact of this in the game.”Related

• Shanto wants Tamim 'available in all formats' for Bangladesh

• How Tamim Iqbal's un-retirement unfolded

• Tamim hits out at BCB; claims he would've been fit for World Cup

• Shakib: Tamim 'childish' and 'not a team man'

Tamim had retired from international cricket last July, only to reverse his decision after meeting Bangladesh’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina the following day. A month later, he also resigned from ODI captaincy. Tamim then played two out of three ODIs against New Zealand in September, even as his successor Shakib Al Hasan had later criticised him for leaving the captaincy at the time. Tamim is yet to respond to Shakib.Tamim said that he was holding back the announcement about his future at Nazmul’s request, adding that he will be returning to competitive cricket during next year’s Bangladesh Premier League in January.”I don’t want to keep things hanging for a few more months. I don’t want to stretch it unnecessarily,” he said. “After discussing a lot of things with the president and the board, I want to respect their decision and wait till January. I could have told you my plan today, but let me play in the BPL, and then we will have another discussion for sure.”Nazmul, meanwhile, said major discussions regarding the issue with Tamim will be done only after national elections – where Nazmul has got the ticket from his home district alongside Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza – in January.”There wasn’t enough time [to discuss matters with Tamim],” Nazmul said. “He said some stuff. But he came at a time when I didn’t have enough time for him. I have the elections in a month. I spend most of my time in my constituency. I told him I will listen and speak to a few more people after the elections. I want to know where the problem is. I want to go into its depth.”

Opener makes 85 as visitors give themselves hope of securing first-innings lead

ECB Reporters Network13-Apr-2024Keaton Jennings put behind his disappointment at missing out on England’s Test tour to India by beginning his Vitality County Championship campaign with a half-century.Opening batter Jennings impressed as part of the England Lions squad acting as support for the Test squad in the sub-continent this winter, but was not considered for the main event, with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley remaining Ben Stokes’ and Brendon McCullum’s preferred opening pair.He totted up 85 with only one dropped catch as a blemish in an otherwise authoritative innings, with his opening partner Luke Wells reaching 55.Lancashire ended the day on 233 for four, 134 runs behind Hampshire’s first innings total on a placid Utilita Bowl pitch.Having bowled the hosts out for what felt like an about-par 367, Wells and Jennings made hay in good batting conditions.Mohammad Abbas’ battle with Wells was intriguing, with the Pakistan fast bowler sending down 16 challenging dot-balls before the batter could manoeuvre himself off strike.And from that point, the former Sussex opener slowly put himself on top of the home side’s bowling attack to rush towards his first half-century of the season.He found straight driving particularly profitable as he needed just 65 balls to reach the milestone – the 68th fifty of his career.Wells fell to end an 87-run partnership, of which he had notched up 55 when he clipped Abbas to Tom Prest at short midwicket – in doing so becoming the fifth batter to 50 but not 100.Jennings was far less aggressive in his approach but never looked in too much danger as the Kookaburra ball quickly went soft.His main approach to the lack of pace in the pitch was to bat further and further out of his crease, with Lancashire’s general tactic of hitting down the ground in opposition to Hampshire’s square domination.Jennings was dropped at point on 36 by Nick Gubbins, who lost his trousers in the process, before slowly closing in on 57th first-class half-century – which eventually arrived in 122 balls.Josh Bohannon made 30 out of 38 with Bohannon before chopping James Fuller onto his own stumps, after a big build-up of pressure from the Pavilion End – started by Kyle Abbott and continued by Fuller.Jennings then teamed up with George Balderson in an 86-run stand which appeared to be never-ending until Balderson recklessly slogged to deep midwicket for 38, before Tom Bruce was brilliantly caught at first slip by Liam Dawson to give Holland two wickets in two balls to turn the momentum.George Bell narrowly avoided edging the hat-trick ball before surviving to the close with Jennings.Earlier, Hampshire added 62 runs to their overnight score as they extended their first innings by an hour and a half, with three batting points pocketed.Dawson had gone to bed on 61 having begun his season in the sort of form that 2023 was remembered for, and continued to tick along with Ian Holland and James Fuller in 38 and 45-run partnerships.Barring a little scamper to reach 350 in plenty of time – which included Dawson pulling Will Williams for six – there was hardly any deviation from a placid tempo.Holland fell leg before to Williams before Fuller edged a drive off Wells to a helmeted Jennings at first slip, while Dawson fell for an innings-high 86 by a smart catch behind off Tom Bailey. It meant none of Hampshire’s four fifty-makers were able to convert to three figures.Nathan Lyon completed the innings when Kyle Abbott was caught at long-on by Jennings – the Australian ending with three for 110 from a backbreaking 38.1 overs.From then on in, Lancashire bedded in and made the most of a pitch and ball that was suited for patient long-form batting.

Sanju Samson and Phil Salt will hope to get back among the runs as the series nears its climax

S Sudarshanan30-Jan-20252:30

Ten Doeschate: ‘Suryakumar a couple of shots away from regaining form’

Big picture: Series alive, using contrasting methods

The five-match series between India and England was expected to be a high-scoring one. A battle of sixes if you will. But three games in, this hasn’t been the case, but the series has by no means been devoid of thrills.It’s 2-1 going into Friday night in Pune, and it’s the bowling attacks that have stood out, in contrasting ways. While India have stacked their side with as many as four spin options, England have primarily relied on hitting the short-of-good lengths and undoing India with high pace: Mark Wood and Jofra Archer have tried to soften up the batters in the powerplay before handing over to Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton to pound the hard lengths through the middle overs.Related

• Left-right combination the reason behind Jurel batting at No. 8, says ten Doeschate

• Shami back without a bang, but it's still a big deal for India

• Adil Rashid's simple trick to wreck India's batting

India have fielded just the one frontline quick – Arshdeep Singh in the first two games and the returning Mohammed Shami in the third – and used every type of spin at their disposal. England have not really found a way past them, but remain alive in the series thanks to their great escape in Rajkot led by Adil Rashid, who bowled a wily spell of legspin following a last-wicket rescue act alongside Wood.With the track in Pune also likely to favour spin, Rashid could revel once again, but it will only present Varun Chakravarthy and his spin colleagues another chance to get at England’s struggling batters.

Form guide

India LWWWW
England WLLLWSanju Samson will hope he can find answers to Jofra Archer and Mark Wood•PTI

In the spotlight: Sanju Samson and Phil Salt

Last October, Sanju Samson was given the chance to claim ownership of a top-two slot in India’s T20I line-up. And he set about it in fine fashion, scoring three centuries in five outings. One of them was in Johannesburg on a bouncy surface against the likes of Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen. But Samson hasn’t quite mastered the pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer in this series. He has scores of 26, 5 and 3 so far, and has tended to get dismissed while being late on his shots. This may not yet be a cause for alarm for Samson or the India team mangement, given the next T20 World Cup is a fair distance away. But runs in a game India need to win to seal the series could go a long way towards raising both Samson’s and the team’s confidence.Having given blazing starts to champions Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, Phil Salt was expected to set the tone for England on his first tour of India since. His last international series was also a productive one, bringing him an unbeaten 103 and a 55 against West Indies in the Caribbean. But his three outings in this series have yielded 0, 4 and 5, even if he hasn’t really looked out of touch. Can Salt overturn this run of scores as England look to push the series into a decider?

Team news

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Rinku Singh batted on Thursday and is fit. This could mean Dhruv Jurel misses out. India could also look at an additional seam-bowling allrounder in Shivam Dube or Ramandeep Singh instead of Washington Sundar.India (probable XI): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar/Ramandeep Singh, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.England did not train on the eve of the match. Jamie Smith had walked off in the third T20I with a stiff calf, so there could be a straight swap with Jacob Bethell, whom he had replaced in Chennai. England could also look at giving either Wood or Archer a break and play Saqib Mahmood.England (probable XI): 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jos Buttler (capt), 4 Harry Brook, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jamie Smith/Jacob Bethell, 7 Jamie Overton, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Adil Rashid.Adil Rashid has enjoyed an excellent series with the ball•Associated Press

Pitch and conditions

Evenings in Maharashtra have been on the cooler side with temperature in Pune expected to be in the late teens through the duration of the game. Teams batting first have tended to win more matches at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium: 35 times in 64 men’s T20 matches. The pitch is generally a black-soil one that favours spinners. Mitchell Santner picked up 13 wickets in a Test against India in October 2024, and then the only Ranji Trophy match here this season saw spinners take 34 of 39 non-run-out wickets.

Stats and trivia

• India’s run-rate in the middle overs (7 to 16) in T20Is since the start of January 2024 is 9.45, the best among Full-Member teams.
• India have picked up 30 first-over wickets in T20Is since the start of 2022, the most by any team. They’ve done this over 91 innings, which means they’ve struck in the first over almost once every three innings.
• England have lost the only previous T20I they’ve played in Pune, while India have won two and lost two at the venue, including their previous one against Sri Lanka in 2023.
• Only two of Mohammed Shami’s 24 T20I appearances, including the outing in Rajkot, have come in India

Quotes

“Regardless of how it went, it is so happy to see him playing for India again. It’s been a long time since he has played. He has been such a performer for the team. I thought he bowled well, apart from maybe that full-toss. Nice to see him build up in training again tonight.”
“We are moving in the right direction. I am really happy with the style we are trying to play and continuing to be aggressive and taking the shots on.”

Defending champions’ “crisis” lasted all of five days before victory over Bangladesh got them back on track

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Oct-20232:54

Trott wants his Afghanistan team to display ‘more consistency’

Big Picture

Much like gap year students, England left Dharamsala having found themselves, arriving in the sprawling metropolis of Delhi on Wednesday with a self-regard more in step with their white-ball dominance over the last eight years.Their “crisis” lasted all of five days. A nine-wicket battering at the hands of New Zealand led to much introspection, but an equally dominant victory over Bangladesh has eased more than just Net Run Rate woes.Reece Topley regarded the result as “a step in the right direction”, one he facilitated with 4 for 43 after being drafted in to replace Moeen Ali. Throw in strong starts from Dawid Malan and Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow ticking and Mark Wood back up to speed, and things are beginning to look more balanced and settled for the defending champions.They will be the first to tell you this is a marathon, not a sprint. South Africa, India and New Zealand may have charged out in front, but England’s seasoned vets know the drill. Tapering is the name of the game, in a format that allows the odd misstep. It also helps that bitter rivals Australia are flunking, making that route into the top four a little less crowded.Related

• ODI World Cup digest: Pakistan's record chase; Malan mauls Bangladesh

• Jasprit Bumrah and spin do the trick as India hand Pakistan another World Cup beating

• Trott hopes Rashid & Co bring 'joy and happiness' to post-earthquake Afghanistan

• What's holding back Rashid Khan, the ODI bowler?

England did not need to experience defeat in their opener to narrow their focus, but it does mean they will not take Afghanistan lightly. Whether Ben Stokes makes his first appearance of the campaign – the signs in training have been encouraging, though he is likely to be kept in cotton wool – this represents another opportunity to tune up, especially for a middle order that has yet to flex their wares, Jos Buttler included.All that is far from ideal for the tenth-placed side, who have shown flashes of their best selves among two broadly ineffectual displays. Rashid Khan’s failure to launch, not helped by being used questionably by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, has given a usually sparkling line-up a dour complexion. Below-par scores batting first has also meant exciting left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi has had little to work with, particularly at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Wednesday when India made light work of their 273 target, knocking it off with 15 overs to spare.These failings have been put into perspective by matters at home. Around 1,000 Afghans have lost their lives after earthquakes hit the west of the country this week, with thousands more injured. Beyond donations of match fees to help those affected is a sense of duty to lift spirits with an upturn on the field. The healing power of sport only extends so far, but Sunday is an opportunity to offer emotional relief for both fans and the players themselves.This will be only the third meeting between these two teams in the format, both previous occasions coming in World Cups. Eoin Morgan’s 17 sixes at Manchester in 2019 blasted England to a score of 397 for 6 batting first, a total they threatened to better against Bangladesh last time out before stumbling through the back end of their 50 overs. They will fancy something similar if they get first dibs on one of the best batting decks in the competition.Dawid Malan is all smiles after reaching yet another ODI century•Getty Images

Form Guide

England WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan LLLLL

In the spotlight: Adil Rashid and Mohammad Nabi

It has been a quiet start for Adil Rashid, the kind that makes idle minds wonder. The 35-year-old has so far managed a solitary wicket – that of Bangladesh’s Mahedi Hasan – from 17 overs that have cost 89 runs. He arrived in India as something of an injury doubt, after a tight hamstring kept him out of all but the first of four ODIs against New Zealand in September (taking 1 for 70 in eight overs). Not to mention a long-term right shoulder issue requiring constant management. He was noticeably slower against Bangladesh with 32 per cent of his deliveries below 80kph, compared to 10 per cent versus New Zealand, suggesting a change of tact, though he did have more runs to play with. A notable haul on Sunday would be welcome for a player expected to sign off from ODIs next month.Mohammad Nabi is another at the back end of his career but is not exactly wearing his advancing years lightly. Scores of 6 and 19, aligned with 0 for 18 and 0 for 32 speak of a wider downturn in form. He has just one ODI half-century in his last 21 innings, a period that stretches over the last three years, and is averaging 39.70 with off-spin lacking its usual guile. At 38, his status as a trailblazing cricketer is secure, but some vintage Nabi would be a neat reminder of how he earned that status, and help Afghanistan avoid the wooden spoon.Mohammad Nabi took time to get going against india•ICC/Getty Images

Team news

Chris Woakes missed Friday’s training session due to a stomach illness but was back with the group on Saturday evening. Nevertheless, England may use this as an opportunity to give David Willey his first appearance of the tournament and could also be tempted to hand Gus Atkinson a start to rest Mark Wood. Stokes netted for around half an hour at the final training session, though only faced sidearm throws rather than bowlers.England: (possible) 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece TopleyJonathan Trott was tight-lipped about potential changes. There is an outside chance left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmed is drafted in, but that would require a major rebalancing of the XI given how little he offers with the bat. They are expected to go in unchanged.Afghanistan: (possible) 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), 5 Azmatullah Oarzai, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Najibullah Zadran, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pitch and conditions

There is fresh, live grass on the surface, which suggests plenty of pace and carry. Both teams are anticipating another belting track, akin to the one last week which South Africa used to great effect, setting a World Cup record of 428 for 5 against Sri Lanka.

Stats and trivia

• England and Afghanistan contested the first T20i at this venue during 2016’s World T20. Afghanistan were on the cusp of an upset, reducing England to 85 for 7 before Moeen Ali and David Willey put on a 57-run stand, then combined for three wickets as England triumphed by 15 runs.
• Ramat Shah is set to earn his 100th ODI cap.
• Mohammad Nabi is set to pick up his 150th ODI cap.

Quotes

“We don’t want to look at what could go wrong: we’ll look at what we can do right and how we can affect the game in the right manner. That’s how we’ll prepare. It’s about going in and delivering that.”
“I don’t think Rashid needs the conditions to suit him to cause mayhem. I can’t speak highly enough about the guy and the way he performs and his passion for playing for the side. I know that he puts a lot of pressure on himself to perform and to lead the attack.”

Bell twice on a hat-trick as she and England team-mate claim seven wickets between them

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2023Lauren Bell took 4 for 37 as the Southern Vipers routed the South East Stars by 158 runs in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Beckenham.Bell was twice on a hat-trick as she wiped out the Stars’ top order, before Charlie Dean then took 3 for 18 to bowl the hosts out for 129.Earlier Ella McCaughan hit 67 and Maia Bouchier 59 in an opening stand of 117, before Georgia Elwiss came in and made 59 to set a stiff-looking 287 for 6.Alice Davidson-Richards had the best figures of the Stars’ nine bowlers with 2 for 30, but it was a chastening afternoon for the home side after last week’s emphatic 131-run win at the Thunder.The Stars had lost all six of their previous 50-over games with the Vipers, including last September’s Eliminator at Beckenham, but any hopes their opponents might still be reeling from last Saturday’s shock defeat to the Sunrisers were ephemeral.The Vipers chose to bat and took full advantage of both a benign wicket and a sub-optimal display by the Stars with the ball, which included 27 wides. They offered few chances and when they did the hosts couldn’t take them.Bouchier was on 42 when she pulled Alexa Stonehouse to mid-wicket and was dropped, while McCaughan survived a difficult stumping chance off Bryony Smith when on 34.Paige Scholfield finally broke the partnership when she bowled Bouchier, who played on and Scholfield then caught McCaughan off Ryana MacDonald-Gay in the covers.Davidson-Richards was the ninth bowler the Stars used, but she struck in her first over when she had Danni Wyatt caught at backward point by MacDonald-Gay for 22.At that point the Vipers were 170 for 3, which was the closest they came to a wobble. Elwiss and Adams responded with a stand of 76, the latter bringing up the 50 partnership with a six off Tash Farrant.Farrant subsequently had Adams lbw for 31 and Dean made four when she chipped Freya Davies to Phoebe Franklin, before Elwiss hit the penultimate ball of the innings, from Davidson-Richards to Smith on the mid-on boundary.The Stars made a bright start to the chase, racing to 26 without loss, only for Bell to strike twice in as many balls. She hit the top off Alice Capsey’s off stump to bowl her for 18 before getting MacDonald-Gay lbw for a golden duck.Smith flicked the hat-trick ball to square leg for two but was out in Bell’s next over, the victim of a brilliant tumbling catch by Dean at extra-cover for 7.Bell found herself on a hat-trick for the second time in the match when Davidson-Richards edged her to Bouchier in the slips but Kira Chatli blocked her next delivery. It was a short-lived reprieve for Chatli, who was caught by Linsey Smith for 20 off Alice Monaghan.Scholfield and Farrant hung around for a while but the former was bowled by Adams 31 and Dean then began to mop up the tail.The end was nigh when she beat Farrant in the flight for 21, beating her in the flight and bowling her leg stump. She then had Alexa Stonehouse caught by Adams for a duck and Franklin snared by McCaughan for nine and the victory was sealed when Freya Davies holed out to Monaghan and was caught by a diving Adams at long off.

Fast bowler kept in cotton wool until third Test at Headingley after limited build-up

Matt Roller27-Jun-2023Ben Stokes has revealed that England “wanted to play Mark Wood” in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, starting on Wednesday, but doubts over his durability meant they were forced to select Josh Tongue for his second cap instead.Tongue is the only change from the side that lost by two wickets in the first Test at Edgbaston last week, replacing Moeen Ali as England field an all-seam attack on a pitch that retained a healthy covering of live grass the day before the game.Stokes said that Moeen’s spinning finger, which he cut on his return to first-class cricket last week following 21 months away, had “recovered really well” but a combination of conditions at Lord’s and concerns that he might re-open the wound led to the selection of a fourth seamer.Related

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Wood was England’s leading wicket-taker on the 2021-22 tour to Australia and remains their fastest available bowler, but has not played a red-ball game since England’s tour to Pakistan in December and has not played a competitive fixture since his most recent IPL appearance on April 15. Fitness-permitting, England will unleash him in the third Test at Headingley next week.”We wanted to play Mark Wood,” Stokes said. “We felt that he could definitely start the game but with conversations, we felt the extra week with build-up and getting his loads up would give him a better chance and an opportunity to play a full part from Leeds onwards.”And we brought Tonguey into the team as a like-for-like with Woody. We turned up here at Lord’s and saw there was quite a lot of grass on the wicket, a bit of green. Traditionally, Lord’s has offered more for the seamers and with how Mo’s finger was last week… we just thought we would get more out of our fourth bowler being Josh Tongue this week.”Stuart Broad and Mark Wood kick a football around•PA Images/Getty

Stokes said that Wood had spoken candidly to him after bowling in training on Monday. “Me and Mark are great friends,” he said. “We go back a long way. I spoke to him how I’d want him to operate in this game and he was very honest with me.”He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to give what he’s known for throughout this Test match. So the decision was made to allow him to keep building his body up to give himself the best opportunity to go out, from Leeds onwards, to play a full part.”Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, would not be drawn into speculation about Wood’s fitness, but noted that Josh Hazlewood – whose appearance at Edgbaston had been his first Test in five months – had similarly benefited from sympathetic handling within the Australia set-up.”Over the last six months, everything was to give [Hazlewood] the best chance as possible to be right for this series,” Cummins said. “It’s really rare to have a full squad that’s fit and we are in a really lucky position. Some of that is probably luck, but a lot of that is also the incredible support team who you only really hear about when things go wrong, but they’ve been fantastic to get everyone fit.”Tongue, the 25-year-old Worcestershire seamer, is a surprise inclusion despite the success he enjoyed on this same ground on debut against Ireland earlier this month. He claimed second-innings figures of 5 for 66 to set up a ten-wicket win, and provided a point of difference to England’s attack on a slow pitch that proved difficult for creating wicket-taking opportunities.He has been picked ahead of Chris Woakes, who has a remarkable record at Lord’s but appears to have slipped some way down England’s pecking order, as well as Matthew Potts, who has been released to play for Durham in the County Championship.Stokes suggested that Tongue would continue to be used as an enforcer in an attack that also features James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson. “Broady, Jimmy and Robbo will tell you it’s always nice having someone who can bowl at 90mph doing it,” Stokes said. “Just having that versatility as a bowler this week is going to be very useful.”The only thing that’s different is the occasion for him. He’s had his first Test match, his debut game, which he’s had huge success from. Coming in and being able to use him in a fourth seamer role is something that I’m very much looking forward to him being able to do and I think he’s really looking forward to the challenge as well.”Stokes said Root’s bowling has “gone from strength to strength”.•PA Photos/Getty Images

This is the first time that Stokes has gone into a Test as captain without a frontline spinner in his side, with Joe Root – who bowled 22 overs of offspin at Edgbaston, returning match figures of 1 for 58 – his only part-time option.”He’s gone from strength to strength,” Stokes said of Root’s bowling. “The more responsibility I’ve given him with the ball has brought out another side to Joe. It’s great having someone like that who also averages 50 with the bat – that’s always nice.”Stokes also said that he hopes to “play even more of a part with the ball” in the second Test, after bowling 14 overs at Edgbaston. “I’ve recovered really well,” said. “Last week was a huge confidence boost for me. In all the build-up it was in a controlled environment around just training without having to stand in the field or back days up.”His fitness has been in question throughout the summer and he has bowled with heavy strapping on his left knee. “Being able to bowl that longer spell on the last day was another confidence boost for me,” Stokes added. “At the moment, things are looking good and hopefully I can play even more of a part with the ball in this game.”England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Ollie Robinson, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 James Anderson.

He says the bubble life hasn’t taken a toll on India’s players

Varun Shetty03-Feb-20213:42

Rahane explains his responsibilities as India vice-captain

India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is pleased at Virat Kohli’s return to the team and is gearing for his normal and “easy” role as deputy, one he says he enjoys best by being in the back seat.Rahane took over as stand-in captain, when Kohli left on paternity leave after the first Test of the Australia series, in Adelaide, and led India to a historic series victory that involved two Test wins and a draw. Rahane had only led India on two occasions before the Australia tour, but remains unbeaten as a Test captain.”See, my job is to take a back seat and help Virat,” Rahane said during a virtual media conference on Wednesday. “There are too many things on a captain’s mind, so as a vice-captain you have to visualise a situation, think about what can happen in the game, and then if captain asks you for suggestions then you should be ready. So my job is really easy. I take a back seat. Whenever required I go and tell him…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him. That helps us a lot. For me, personally, I generally take a back seat when I’m vice-captain.”Related

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Even so, Rahane’s likely to have had a slight responsibility as the leader of the team during the Australia series win: that of grounding the team and helping them move on to focussing on the upcoming home series against England.”Australia was really special for us. We did enjoy our victory, especially that night in Brisbane and also when we came back home. But we are in the present now,” Rahane said. “What we learnt from Australia was, after losing a match in Adelaide, how we came back. So it’s all about staying in the moment. We respect the England team as well. We’re not going to take them lightly. For us, what’s important is playing a good brand of cricket, what we’ve been playing since the last two-three years. And play as a team and play as a unit. We’re not taking anything for granted. It’s all about taking one match at a time.”Ajinkya Rahane: “Whenever required I go and tell him (Virat Kohli)…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him”•BCCI

The cancellation of the series between Australia and South Africa this month has meant that New Zealand have become the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship final, with India being strong favourites to face them in the final at Lord’s later this year. Rahane said New Zealand were deserving of the spot but said that the Indian team is only looking as far as this week’s game in Chennai, reiterating that complacency was not an issue.”We know every series, every game is really important, especially in the Test championship. What happened in Australia was really special but that is the past. We’re thinking of this series, this game particularly, and taking it one game at a time,” he said. “I don’t think we have to think too much about complacency. We know what’s our strength. We’re still respecting the England team, they did really well in Sri Lanka. So basically we have to play good cricket, back our strengths and play as a team here.”Rahane was tight-lipped about team combinations and pitch conditions, saying we’d have to “wait and see” about both, while hinting that Hardik Pandya was working hard as “a batsman and a bowler” in the nets. The return of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer to the English team – both of whom were former team-mates of his at Rajasthan Royals – would not, he said, give England too much of an advantage.”We play IPL with them but Tests and IPL are completely different,” Rahane said. “We know how their bowlers come here and bowl, but like I said, lengths are completely different in the formats. It’s not like we tell them everything [about strategy]. That’s very important. IPL and Tests are completely different.Several of India’s players have been in a bubble since late August, just before the IPL began, and will likely have little time outside of bubbles any time soon, with the IPL shaping to be held in its regular March-April window. But, at the moment, Rahane said, there has been no mental faitgue.”We are not mentally tired at all,” he said. “We are really tough mentally. We are a unit, a family. We are enjoying each other’s company here. We are spending time in the team room. Our families are here which is really important. So we are not at all tired”

An Afghanistan women’s cricket team, consisting of refugees who now live in Australia, will play a T20 match at the Junction Oval on Thursday

Alex Malcolm27-Jan-20252:01

Amiri: If Afghan women can play sports, they can study as well

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has described Thursday’s exhibition match featuring an Afghanistan Women’s XI in Melbourne as the first small step towards playing international cricket saying it is a ‘real beacon of hope’ that should spark conversations globally.An Afghanistan women’s cricket team, consisting of refugees who now live in Australia, will play a T20 match between against a Cricket Without Borders XI at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Thursday morning ahead of the opening day of the day-night Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG that starts in the afternoon.It is the first time they have been able to come together as a group since leaving their country following the Taliban takeover, with half of the group settling in Canberra while the other half settled in Melbourne.Related

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Hockley spoke alongside two of the Afghanistan XI players, Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri, on Monday at the Junction Oval, with Sapan announced as the captain for the match. Cricket Without Borders Chair Clare Cannon, Director Ken Jacobs and Australia’s Federal Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts were also present as the organisation of the match has been a joint effort between, CA, Cricket Without Borders and the Australian government.Hockley was hopeful that this match will be the first of many playing opportunities for the Afghanistan women in the future and indicated that the England and Wales Cricket Board were keen to help promote their cause after captain Heather Knight met the exiled Afghanistan female players in Melbourne earlier this month.”I think this is a first step,” Hockley said. “We’ve got colleagues from the ECB coming out for the women’s Ashes, and there are conversations happening to support from England as well as from Australia. So I think the first piece is awareness. But I think it’s going to be such an exciting day on Thursday, and my hope is that promotes lots of conversations, that this becomes an annual thing and then ultimately, that this team were able to compete on the international stage as is their want.”I don’t think any of us can comprehend what they’ve been through moving to a new country in such difficult circumstances, not speaking the language. I’m just inspired by their resilience, their love for the game and hopefully this game just raises awareness, a real beacon of hope.Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri speak to the media ahead of the Afghanistan XI match in Melbourne•Getty Images

“I was privy to a moment where they got to see their playing shirts for the first time with their names and numbers on the back, and you can just see how much it means to them. So I really hope this is kind of the first step of a really successful journey for this group, but also that this match shines a light on the fact that in places around the world not every woman and girl has a chance to play.”Sapan has been playing club cricket in Melbourne for Carnegie while Amiri has been playing for Dandenong. But both players were overjoyed at the opportunity to play in an Afghanistan Women’s XI.”It’s really special for us, especially for Afghan women because this is a very historic moment for all Afghan women,” Sapan said. “We have a big hopes for this match, because this match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport and future. We don’t want this to be our first and last match. We want more matches. We want more support.”Amiri, who has been a prominent voice for the Afghanistan female cricketers, was thrilled that the team can come together for the first time.”We are going to represent millions of Afghan women that they are in Afghanistan and denied for their rights,” she said. “And also it’s very special for all of us to get back together after three years, leaving everything and losing everything back home in Afghanistan”It’s going to be very exciting for all of us to play together. We had couple of camps together, but it’s going to be our first match. We’re looking for a win.”Australia currently do not play Afghanistan in bilateral fixtures but continue to face them in ICC events and are in the same group for next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.