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Australia are likely to name the in-form top-order batter in Fraser-McGurk and a batting all-rounder in Short rather than any spare bowlers

Alex Malcolm20-May-20242:05

How Jacks, Fraser-McGurk have set the IPL alight

Australia are set to take two travelling reserves to the T20 World Cup with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short likely to be named as the 16th and 17th squad members who will join as cover in case of a tournament-ending injury to one of the first-choice 15.Australia’s chair of selectors George Bailey had suggested that Australia would carry just one reserve to the Caribbean when the provisional squad was announced, but they are likely to add a second with the in-form Fraser-McGurk set to be named alongside Short.Related

• Fraser-McGurk did 'turn heads' in T20 World Cup selection debate

• McDonald confident Marsh will be fit to bowl for start of the World Cup

• Takeaways: Why Fraser-McGurk and Smith missed out on T20 World Cup selection

• Stead leaning on 'experience' of NZ squad in absence of official warm-ups ahead of World Cup

• Fraser-McGurk and Smith left out of Australia's T20 World Cup squad, Marsh to captain

They have elected not to add a third frontline spinner as a travelling reserve. Legspinner Tanveer Sangha was with the squad as a reserve at the ODI World Cup last year when Australia had just one specialist spinner but this time Ashton Agar is included in the 15. Sangha is also understood to be managing a hip flexor issue and therefore wasn’t in contention. Left-arm orthodox Matthew Kuhnemann trained with Australia’s non-IPL players in Brisbane in the two camps held over the past fortnight but is yet to play a T20I for Australia despite playing Test and ODI cricket over the past two years.Fraser-McGurk’s omission from the main squad caused a stir given his stunning IPL form with many in Australia and overseas believing he should have been included. He has yet to make his T20I debut and has only played two ODIs. He was not selected in the main squad on the basis that Australia have an established top three in David Warner, Travis Head and captain Mitchell Marsh and that the selectors needed players with more versatility to fill roles outside the first-choice XI. Fraser-McGurk will likely provide cover if one of the top three gets injured during the tournament.Jake Fraser-McGurk made a stunning entrance to the IPL•Associated Press

Short was also unlucky to miss out on a spot in the final 15 having appeared in nine of Australia’s last 14 T20Is and also played in multiple batting roles. He opened in five games having been BBL player of the tournament in back-to-back seasons as an opener but batted at No. 3 once and No. 6 twice as Australia looked to build some middle-order depth. He only bowled his part-time offspin in four of those matches including an over in the powerplay in three of them. He is likely to provide cover for a number of different roles in the squad.Australia have opted not to carry another fast bowler in their reserves as there may be times in the tournament they only play two of the four they selected in the squad. They have the capability of playing two spinners or the extra all-rounder in Cameron Green to lengthen the batting line-up down to No. 8.Spencer Johnson, Xavier Bartlett and Sean Abbott will all be in the UK playing in the T20 Blast during the World Cup and can be flown into the Caribbean more easily than anyone remaining in Australia.Australia’s squad members not involved in the IPL finals will fly to the Caribbean on Thursday for a training camp in Trinidad that will include two practice matches against Namibia and West Indies on May 28 and 30 respectively. There is a potential that Australia will have limited numbers available for those matches with Head, Green, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell set for a delayed arrival due to the IPL playoffs not being completed until May 26.But while New Zealand opted not to play any practice matches due to the logistical challenge of having chunks of their squad arrive at different times into the Caribbean, Australia are prepared to play the warm-up games with limited numbers to choose from.A number of their players including, Marsh, Warner, Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Matthew Wade, Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis have either played no cricket since the end of the Australian domestic summer in March or have played very little cricket in the IPL. Under ICC rules, only players named in the 15-man squad can play in the warm-up fixtures.Marsh, Hazlewood, Inglis, Zampa and Agar have all trained in Brisbane over the past fortnight along with Short. Marsh is understood to have recovered from his hamstring injury but he is still yet to bowl.

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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• Ben Stokes: England's win-or-bust mentality is opening game up to new fans

• Ben Stokes: 'The game I love should be enjoyed without discrimination'

• Switch Hit: Sparks fly as Lord's awaits

• Cummins and Australia will stay true to their approach

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.

Jamie Smith joins Ben Duckett in sitting out T20Is with World Cup just six months away

Matt Roller08-Sep-2025England will go into their T20I series against South Africa without both Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith this week, prompting head coach Brendon McCullum to concede they must learn how to cope better with their busy international schedule.Duckett, Smith and Harry Brook have been ever-present for England across their 15 international fixtures to date this summer, and all spent August playing in the Hundred. All three players will miss next week’s brief tour to Ireland, and McCullum has prescribed an additional week’s rest for his ODI openers so they can “freshen up” ahead of a busy winter away.It means that Duckett and Smith will miss consecutive T20I series less than six months out from a World Cup in the format, when better planning would have seen them skip the ODIs instead. In their absence, Phil Salt – who missed England’s most recent T20Is on paternity leave – looks set to open the batting alongside either Tom Banton or Will Jacks.Related

• South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

• ECB chair says crammed Hundred schedule is 'short-term issue'

• Bethell admits he 'probably should have played more' this summer

• Bethell, Root tons, Archer four-for see England hand out record thrashing

England face a tight turnaround between the Ashes and the T20 World Cup this winter, interspersed with white-ball tours to New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Rob Key, England’s managing director, claimed last year that their upcoming schedule was “easing” when expanding McCullum’s role to cover white-ball cricket but it shows few signs of doing so.A one-day gap after the Hundred final meant that England’s players did not train together as a full squad ahead of Tuesday’s first ODI in Leeds, in which they were thrashed by seven wickets. ECB chair Richard Thompson acknowledged the crammed fixture list was an issue on Sunday, but admitted that it is unlikely to change significantly within the ongoing broadcast rights cycle.”The scheduling isn’t ideal,” McCullum said after England’s consolation win in Southampton. “That’s just the way it is and it’s not going to change, so we’re going to have to find ways to deal with it… We’re just going to have to find ways to be able to hit the ground running a bit quicker than what we did in this one.”I spoke to [Duckett] and I said, ‘I think you need to freshen up. You’ve played so much cricket and you’re such an influential player for us over the next few months.’ He’ll have a decent break at home, as will Jamie Smith… It gives the other guys opportunities, and it’s exciting, too. If we just rely on 11 players, then we’re not really going to be competitive.”One of those “other guys” is Sam Curran, who will bat in the top six against South Africa after winning a recall through his performances for Surrey and Oval Invincibles. McCullum has never previously picked Curran for one of his teams, and told him in an “honest conversation” over breakfast earlier this summer that he needed to “bang the door down” as a batter.”The message to Sam was that a lot’s come to you quickly and you’ve had a lot of success and a lot of fame, and a lot of things have fallen your way,” McCullum said, “but, of late, your performance had just tailed off a bit… With us resting both Jamie and Ben, it gives us the opportunity to bring Sam in and he’ll get his chance to bat in the top six.”England are expected to stick with the spin-heavy strategy they trialled against West Indies in June for this week’s series as they prepare for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Curran will likely be their third seamer, with Jacob Bethell and Jacks supplementing Adil Rashid and either Liam Dawson or Rehan Ahmed as spin options.Bethell and Jacks acted as England’s fifth bowler in the ODIs against South Africa but their combined 10 overs in a tight defeat at Lord’s were hammered for 112 runs. McCullum said it was “really hard” to balance the side without a genuine allrounder, but has already spoken to Brook about how to give his part-time options “slightly more in their favour”.”We’ve just got to be a bit smarter with it… Utilising the big side of the ground, or also trying to set slightly more defensive fields,” McCullum said. “They don’t need to take 3 for 30 off 10 overs. They’ve just got to find a way to be able to create pressure and hold for a period so that our attacking guys can come in.”We won’t always be married to that [balance] but at the moment, we want to make sure that we’ve got that familiarity within our batting group – particularly in the middle order, as they adjust to some new roles so that they get more and more comfortable with how each of them is going to play.”McCullum said that England’s record 342-run thrashing in Southampton had provided them with “an incredible blueprint” in ODIs during an “oscillating” series. “We got hammered in the first one, we were within one blow in the second, and we dished out a pretty good performance in the third… It shows that there’s not a huge gulf between the two teams.”

Qais Ahmad of BBL fame and Azmatullah Omarzai, who was part of the U-19 squad which made the 2018 semi-final, are also in

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2020Shapoor Zadran’s time away from the game comes to an end having been named in the Afghanistan squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against Ireland. The 32-year-old left-arm fast bowler is one of the most recognisable faces in Afghanistan cricket, gaining cult-hero status when he starred in their first-ever World Cup win back in 2015. But he hasn’t played for them since March 2019.That too was a game against Ireland – an ODI, though Zadran’s career, over the last five years has largely been limited to T20I appearances. He sticks to the shortest format in domestic cricket as well and was a notable performer in the final of Shpageeza Cricket League in October 2019. He picked up 4 for 31 for Amo Sharks but ended up on the losing side. Zadran then played T10 cricket in Abu Dhabi in November, picking up three wickets in six matches for Karnataka Tuskers. That was his last piece of top-flight action.Afghanistan will face Ireland over three T20Is to be played in Delhi on March 6, 8 and 10 with Asghar Afghan back as full-time captain across formats.The Afghanistan captaincy hot potato•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There are a couple of new faces in the squad as well. Qais Ahmad, the 19-year-old legspinner who shocked Andre Russell with a bouncer and subsequently took the Big Bash League by storm, gets a chance to play T20 internationals. So does Azmatullah Omarzai, who was part of the Under-19 team that made the semi-finals a couple of years ago. The 19-year-old seam-bowling allrounder has not played any T20 cricket since October 2018, but he has been moving up the ranks in regional 50-over cricket. In the September tournament, he emerged as Speen Ghar’s leading wicket-taker with eight strikes at an average of 17.50.Afghanistan T20I squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Najib Zadran, Asghar Afghan (capt), Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq, Shapoor Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Azmatullah Omarzai, Samiullah Shinwari, Usman Ghani.

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.

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.”

Will they bring in Ngidi or Hazlewood instead of Bravo to handle the KKR allrounder?

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Oct-20206:43

How should Kolkata utilise Sunil Narine?

Big picture

Their batting looked short of power and inspiration through their first four matches of the season, but something clicked into place for the Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. Yes, nothing masks problems like a 181-run opening stand, but that wasn’t the only encouragement the Super Kings took out of that game. With Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo back from injury, their line-up just looks a whole lot healthier, and with three No. 8s at Nos. 9, 10, and 11 – in Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Piyush Chawla – they have the sort of depth few other sides in the IPL can match.This isn’t to say the Super Kings have turned into a world-beating outfit overnight, or even that they can consistently beat the IPL’s heavyweights. Kings XI didn’t aim high enough with the bat, and their bowling attack is one of the weakest in the tournament. The Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to present the Super Kings a far stiffer challenge.The Knight Riders haven’t quite found their groove yet this season, with Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik looking off-colour and with Andre Russell and Pat Cummins not quite hitting peak form just yet. The law of averages, however, suggests at least one of them will come roaring back into form in the very near future, and the Super Kings will hope they aren’t at the receiving end when that happens.

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Piyush ChawlaKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rahul Tripathi, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 10 Shivam Mavi, 11 Varun ChakravarthyMS Dhoni has a discussion with Andre Russell and Sunil Narine•BCCI

Strategy punt

• The one thing that makes all three of the Knight Riders’ big overseas hitters – Narine at the top of the order, and Russell and Eoin Morgan lower down – uncomfortable, to varying extents, is fast, short-pitched bowling. Unlike the Mumbai Indians or the Delhi Capitals, however, the Super Kings don’t have anyone in their first-choice attack who can bowl in that manner. Just for this reason, they might think of bringing back either Lungi Ngidi or Josh Hazlewood, in place of Dwayne Bravo. It wouldn’t be an easy change to make, given that Bravo, apart from his death-bowling skills, adds real heft to their lower order, and just his presence helps free up the batsmen playing above him. But if there’s one opposition that calls out for including at least one out-and-out fast bowler in your attack, it’s the Knight Riders.
• This becomes even more imperative when you consider how destructive Russell has been against the Super Kings in recent seasons. Since 2018, he’s scored 98 runs in the slog overs (16-20) against the Super Kings without being dismissed. And why leave out Bravo? Maybe because Russell has hit him for 78 runs in 30 balls across four innings in the IPL, without being dismissed.
• Why bowl fast and short to Russell? Well, since the 2018 season, fast bowlers have dismissed him significantly more times while bowling short (9) than any other length, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, with the traditional good length (4) a distant second. His control percentage against short balls (53.25) is his lowest against any length, and his strike rate against short balls (170.13) is the second-lowest behind yorkers (110.53). Yorkers come with very little margin for error, though, with Russell striking at 228.95 against full-tosses and 337.50 against full balls. Short balls have a greater margin for error, with Russell striking at 175.32 against short-of-good-length balls.
• The key wicket for the Knight Riders, meanwhile, could be Shane Watson. The Australian opener has made ten 40-plus scores for the Super Kings, and nine of them have come in wins. How can the Knight Riders rein Watson in? Narine hasn’t been the force he used to be with the ball, but he has excellent numbers against Watson: 28 balls over six innings, conceding just 29 runs and dismissing him four times. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to hand Narine the new ball.

Stats that matter

• In Sam Curran, the Super Kings have a genuine lower-order asset they could look to promote more often. Of all batsmen who’ve faced at least 60 balls in the IPL since the 2019 season, Curran’s strike rate of 197.29 is the third-highest behind Jofra Archer (198.46) and Russell (197.87). Even more impressively, Curran’s strike rate of 177 over the first 10 balls of his innings is better than anyone else in IPL history.
• MS Dhoni has famously never hit a boundary off Narine in the IPL. That run of no fours and sixes extends to 12 meetings, which have produced 29 runs off 59 balls, and one dismissal.
• Dhoni needs one six to reach 300 in T20 cricket.
• Russell needs two wickets to reach 300 in T20s.
• Pat Cummins needs one wicket to reach 100 in T20s.

Mumbai are still ahead by 251 runs but MP’s strong start hangs final in the balance

Shashank Kishore23-Jun-2022Madhya Pradesh slowly chipped away at the runs and have built a base camp from which they will look to scale Mumbai’s first innings score of 374 as the Ranji Trophy final is delicately poised going into the third day in Bengaluru.Having taken a wicket off the second ball to have Mumbai 248 for 6, they saw Sarfaraz Khan rally with the lower order to make his fourth century of the season. However, MP hung in there and made a solid beginning to their own innings, finishing on 123 for 1 at stumps, trailing Mumbai by 251.Yash Dubey, out to two somewhat debatable calls in the semi-finals, was unbeaten on 44. He was overshadowed by Shubham Sharma, who battled a lot more positively to keep the scoreboard moving along, thereby giving Prithvi Shaw and co something to think about as an all-out attacking field slowly spread out as the final session progressed. Towards the end, Dubey managed to even overtake Shubham as their partnership was worth 76.All said, Mumbai still have the runs to play with but MP won’t be too disappointed either, given they are also playing an extra batter in debutant Parth Sahani. Their stonewaller Himanshu Mantri would be disappointed, though, missing out on a start as he fell for 31 in the first over after tea as he played all around a full Tushar Deshpande delivery to be trapped lbw. It broke a stubborn 47-run opening stand to lift Mumbai after the fast bowlers probed away without much luck prior to the tea interval.After tea, Dubey and Shubham raised a half-century stand off 89 deliveries. Just as they were beginning to look increasingly at ease, a change of ball in the final session seemed to make a difference as Deshpande and Mohit Avasthi forced the batters to shut shop by delivering a probing spell of reverse swing bowling as stumps loomed.Reverse swing aside, Avasthi, the first-change bowler, impressed in short bursts, occasionally getting the ball to rear up to make Dubey uncomfortable, but he couldn’t sustain it for long enough. As spin came on, both batters kept milking runs. Shams Mulani, easily Mumbai’s best bowler so far this season with 37 scalps at an average of 15.64, was particularly picked off with ease. He conceded 46 runs in 11 wicketless overs. More than the runs, that he couldn’t even cause a flutter would worry the team management.The morning entirely belonged to Mumbai as Sarfaraz bailed the team out with the lower order. He found some staunch resistance from Dhawal Kulkarni as he got to a well-constructed eighth first-class century. It took him 152 balls to get to a half-century, and only 38 more for him to complete the hundred. He was particularly severe on the spinners as he used the full-blooded sweep to good effect.The first eight overs produced just 10, but Sarfaraz was happy to play himself in and temper his game to give bowlers the first hour. He reined in his shots, resisted temptation to try and pick off cheeky boundaries like he usually does, focused fully on playing orthodox cricket.After Mulani was out second ball, Tanush Kotian barely survived, pushing, and prodding against the fast bowlers before an unplayable delivery got him when Gaurav Yadav bowled him with a superb away-swinger to flatten his off stump. Yadav, who wheeled away without any luck on the opening day, had four wickets to show for his efforts by the end.Kulkarni’s stonewall for a better part of an hour allowed Sarfaraz to play big shots. He got to a century with a lofted hit down the ground off Kumar Kartikeya’s left-arm spin. His animated celebration thereafter had the sparse crowd, national selectors and his team-mates give him a standing ovation. He added 34 runs more but eventually fell playing one big shot too many. By then, Mumbai were in an excellent position, leaving MP to do all the running to try and remain in the game, which they have.

The Sheffield Shield leaders were blown away in the night session after Bartlett had also made vital runs

AAP25-Nov-2025Queensland quicks Xavier Bartlett and Gurinder Sandhu starred with bat and ball to secure a seven-wicket win over previously undefeated Victoria.Bartlett struck a bold and brisk 72 off 91 deliveries, his highest first-class score, before bowling with venom and control to claim 4 for 35 on day three of the day-night pink-ball clash at the Gabba.Related

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Player of the match Sandhu, who had made 33 in a 69-run eighth wicket stand with Bartlett, bowled a magnificent spell highlighted by three wickets in one over where he removed the dangerous Matt Short and then Fergus O’Neill and Will Sutherland for ducks.The tall right-arm seamer got the ball to talk under lights and his 5 for 23 was just reward for what was a lethal exhibition of pace in the top of the table Sheffield Shield showdown.Queensland resumed day three on 352 for 7 before a fierce storm took the players off. They were all out for 430, a first innings lead of 112, before ripping through Victoria for just 143.Victoria were 114 for 4 before Bartlett and Sandhu ignited a collapse with the last six wickets falling for just 29 runs.The drama wasn’t over as Queensland lost three quick wickets before reaching their target after the umpires extended play beyond 10.30pm (AEST). That was after an hour had already been added for the rain delay.  The match finished at 10.46pm, the latest Queensland officials could remember in the past 20 years.Bartlett was full of appreciation for Sandhu after the win.”He’s obviously a seasoned campaigner and knows how to keep his cool. That was probably one thing that sticks out when we were batting and bowling together,” Bartlett told AAP. “It was an amazing spell from him, the triple-wicket maiden was unbelievable.”I love bowling with him. He always keeps the scoreboard down and creates pressure and that makes my job at the other end easier. I love my batting too and try and add wherever I can in all facets of the game, so I want to keep improving that.”Burgeoning allrounder Bartlett, fresh from scoring 50 against Western Australia, struck seven boundaries and one towering six over midwicket in an innings that justified his No. 7 position in the batting order.He made 57 in the corresponding day-night match against Victoria last season, displaying the batting acumen that he has fine-tuned in club cricket for Gold Coast Dolphins, where he has scored centuries.It was with the ball that Bartlett fired up after he was the last man out. He dismissed Campbell Kellaway with a leg-side strangle before a cracking late swinging delivery trapped Peter Handscomb in front.His opening spell of 2 for 10 off seven overs, with four maidens, showcased the high quality seam that has made him one of Australia’s standout performers in ODI and T20Is.Victoria slumped to 11 for 3 in the twilight zone when batting was at its most difficult. Marcus Harris summed up how tough batting was when he went to the short break on 2 from 47 deliveries. He was given a working over by Sandhu, who eventually dismissed him for a torturous 14.

All ODIs that end in a tie should feature a Super Over, time and conditions permitting, as per the ICC’s playing conditions

Nagraj Gollapudi & Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Aug-2024The match officials involved in the tied first ODI of the recent Sri Lanka-India series made the mistake of not taking the game to a Super Over as per the ICC’s playing conditions.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Raveendra Wimalasiri, along with the match referee Ranjan Madugalle, TV umpire Paul Reiffel and fourth umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge, internally acknowledged having misinterpreted the ODI playing conditions, which state in case of a tie teams will contest a Super Over to procure a result. While in this case there was some confusion over whether the Memorandum of Understanding between SLC and the BCCI for this tour allowed for a Super Over to be played, it has since become clear that all ODIs that end in ties will feature a Super Over, time and conditions permitting.Related

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While the umpires brushed off the bails to signal the end of the match after the tie, neither team enquired about the absence of the Super Over, with the players shaking hands immediately. Questions, though, quickly started to pile up n social media.The latest edition of the ODI playing conditions, released by the ICC in December 2023, says this: “If the teams’ scores are equal after both innings have been completed, then a Super Over shall be played. If the Super Over is a tie, then unless exceptional circumstances arise subsequent Super Overs shall be played until there is a winner. Should it not be possible to play or to complete the Super Overs needed to determine a winner, the match shall be tied.”It is understood that Madugalle, Wilson and Wimalasiri did not immediately discuss any specific reason behind not having the Super Over. Following later discussions, though, the match officials decided they would activate the Super Over in case there was another tie in the remaining two ODIs of the three-match series, which was eventually won by Sri Lanka 2-0.In the match in question, India needed five runs from the final three overs, with two wickets in hand, to chase down the target of 231. Shivam Dube managed a four, before India lost consecutive wickets in the 48th over, delivered by the hosts’ newly appointed captain Charith Asalanka, resulting in the tie.