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Babar, Rizwan add 150 for first wicket, before Shaheen Shah Afridi stars with three wickets

Valkerie Baynes16-Jul-2021Liam Livingstone scored England’s fastest T20I century in vain as Pakistan won a thrilling contest by 31 runs to go 1-0 up in their three-match series at Trent Bridge.Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan guided Pakistan to their highest T20I total of 232 for 6 with a 150-run opening partnership, Pakistan’ssecond-highest for any wicket in this format.It meant England had to better their highest T20I score while chasing and Livingstone did his utmost to try and get them there, his 42-ball hundred beating Dawid Malan’s 48-ball century against New Zealand in 2019. But with his dismissal, they fell short, bowled out for 201. Livingstone struck nine sixes and six fours but, after Pakistan had reduced England to 48 for 3, their bowlers continued to take wickets at regular enough intervals to dent the hosts’ run-rate, which had been superior for significant periods. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 30 off 3.2 overs and he was excellent in the field.Pakistan didn’t get off to a blazing start. On the contrary, by the end of the powerplay, they were 49 for 0 and it wasn’t until the 12th over that they struck their first six. They went on to score 12 in all, equalling Pakistan’s record against Bangladesh in 2007.Rizwan was still scoring at a run a ball by the end of the eighth over but the 12th over – when he and Azam each struck sixes off Matt Parkinson in the space of three balls – signalled an acceleration. Pakistan ended up scoring 152 runs of the last 10 overs, their middle order maintaining the momentum even after Azam fell for a 49-ball 85 and Rizwan for 63 from 41.

Azam on a roll

His 158 had set Pakistan up to avoid being swept 3-0 in the ODI series before James Vince and Lewis Gregory trumped his effort, and Azam continued his fine form. He struck three consecutive fours off David Willey in the third over of the match, steering him through the covers before advancing down the pitch to send the ball over long-on and then flicking through midwicket with imperious timing. On the last ball of the over, he survived an England appeal for lbw and their subsequent review when he was given not out, replays showing the ball was missing leg stump.Eoin Morgan brought Livingstone on in the ninth over, but it backfired when he conceded 11 runs, including back-to-back fours to Rizwan. The 12th over, bowled by Parkinson, went for 18, Azam cracking a shot over the midwicket boundary and Rizwan going flat and hard in the same direction. Azam went over the fence at long-on twice more, off Parkinson and Gregory, amid a total of eight fours. He finally fell swinging at a wide, full delivery from Willey which Jonny Bairstow took behind the stumps. Initially given not out, England’s review was successful when UltraEdge revealed a clear spike for bat on ball.Sohaib Maqsood contributed 19 runs off seven balls, Fakhar Zaman 26 off just eight – including three sixes off Saqib Mahmood in the 18th over – and Mohammad Hafeez 24 off 10 to keep Pakistan tracking in the right direction.

Catches, winning matches and all that

England were well ahead of the required run-rate at the end of the powerplay, having scored 20 more runs than Pakistan to that point, but wickets were the problem and some excellent fielding from the visiting side was responsible.Afridi’s gem of a return catch sent Malan packing for just 1, as he dived forward on his follow-through to grab the ball low to the ground. Imad Wasim’s take to dismiss Bairstow, also off Afridi, was straightforward in comparison, but then came Haris Rauf’s miraculous effort at cow corner to remove Moeen Ali. Having skied Mohammad Hasnain in that direction, Moeen could only watch as Rauf – and Maqsood – were lucky not to be injured as they both ran for the ball. Rauf ended up in Maqsood’s lap as he leapt with two hands and both fell to the ground, Rauf crucially holding the ball to leave England wobbling on 48 for 3.

Livingstone lights it up

Jason Roy looked the man most likely to go big for England, racing to 32 off just 13 balls as wickets fell around him. But when Roy was out edging Shadab Khan to Azam at deep point, Livingstone stepped in. Playing just his sixth international T20, Livingstone raced to a half-century off just 17 balls, England’s fastest fifty in T20Is.His striking was immaculate and power immense as he pummelled nine sixes in all. Having seen Hasnain tip his leading edge off Rauf over the rope at third man, he then sent Rauf into the stands over deep square leg. Livingstone punished a couple of Shadab long-hops before punching him down the ground twice more. His drive into the stands at cow corner off Rauf took him to 97 off 41 and within reach of the England record. Livingstone’s almighty drive over long-on off Shadab to bring up his hundred was to be his last. He skied the very next ball in the same direction but picked out Afridi on the boundary’s edge. Needing 44 off the last three overs, the task proved too much for the England tail.With Eoin Morgan having said that England would use this series to assess fringe players ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year, Livingstone showed there is nothing “fringe” about him.

Worcestershire have pulled off a significant coup by securing Moeen Ali on a new five-year deal

George Dobell25-Oct-2017Worcestershire have pulled off a significant coup by securing Moeen Ali on a new five-year deal.Moeen was of interest to several other counties – notably Warwickshire – but Worcestershire’s long-term loyalty to him, the promise of their young players and their presence back in Division One of the County Championship have convinced him to stay.While Worcestershire supporters may see little of Moeen over the next couple of years – not only is he established in the England sides in all three formats but he is expected to enter the next IPL auction – the decision to sign such a long-term deal suggests he is happy to spend the rest of his career at the club.And, even though transfers between counties are increasingly prevalent in county cricket, such a long-term deal will deter other clubs and ensure Worcestershire are well compensated.”We’ve had some fantastic wins this season and this is one of them,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said.”Moeen is our England player and it’s important for us to have an England player. It’s also important for our dressing room, our players, our staff and our members and supporters and everyone involved at the club.”It sends a message to other clubs that our better players don’t feel the need to be elsewhere. They want to be on this journey to success and in Moeen’s case, he has stayed loyal to the club in signing this longer deal.”He is in such a rich vein of form internationally and on the back of a wonderful season, he is turning himself into one of the best allrounders in the world in international cricket. For us to sign someone of that ilk for five years is a real credit to all we do at Worcestershire. Whenever he comes back, it gives a big lift to the place.”Moeen is the 12th Worcestershire player to sign a new deal this year. So, while the club were disappointed to lose Tom Kohler-Cadmore to Yorkshire, they are delighted to have retained the services of such highly rated young players as fast bowler Josh Tongue (who signed a new four-year deal and won a place on the England Lions tour), Ben Cox and allrounder Ed Barnard.Worcestershire will hope Moeen’s commitment might also play a part in persuading Joe Clarke to stay. Clarke, another man who won selection to the Lions squad, is out of contract at the end of 2018 and, with his wicketkeeping opportunities blocked by the excellence of Cox, might be persuaded to try his luck elsewhere. As one of the most promising batsmen in the county game, he is unlikely to have any shortage of options. Worcestershire are understandably keen for him to stay and will hope Moeen’s example – proving England selection can be won while playing for the club – may play a part.”Moeen is such a loyal guy,” Rhodes continued. “He knows we were the vehicle that gave him the opportunities to impress people and get selected for England in the first place.”In his previous contract, the way we sold it to him was that you are batting three in the Championship, you are opening in the one-dayers and you are our number one offspinner and our vice-captain, you are doing everything.”Now it will be down to you putting in the performances. We will give you the opportunities to do that and because we did that, and he took those opportunities, he got selected by England, I think he feels loyal to Worcestershire.”Moeen said: “To commit my future and probably the rest of my career to Worcestershire is a fantastic feeling. It’s happy days.”I’ve been part of this club now for a very long time. We have some brilliant young players, probably the best young English players in the country.”It is a fantastic club and they have always been good to me and supported me and I’m delighted to sign. We are in Division One now and I don’t think we are far off now in all competitions and the young players are gaining more and more experience.”Steve Rhodes is a massive reason for me signing. He has always been good to me, he has always supported me and looked after me and even when I am away with England he is always sending me messages.”

A day after becoming only the second Indian umpire to be included in the ICC’s elite panel since its inception in 2002, S Ravi believes the “perception” of Indian umpires will now change

Gaurav Kalra05-Jun-20156:43

‘Perception of Indian umpires will change’ – Ravi

A day after becoming only the second Indian umpire to be included in the ICC’s elite panel since its inception in 2002, S Ravi believes the “perception” of Indian umpires will now change. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo from his hometown Chennai, Ravi said his elevation would convince the cricketing world that “Indian umpires are capable enough to officiate in Test matches and ODIs and get on to the elite panel.””I was working hard for this,” Ravi said. “I was expecting it because I was on the emerging panel of ICC and after having a good World Cup I thought I should be there and I got the nod from the selectors.”Last month, Ravi, 49, umpired in England for the first time in his six-Test international career, officiating in both games of New Zealand’s tour. He described the experience as “challenging” but rewarding.”It was a great experience,” he said. “The conditions were very challenging for me. When you go to England, you have to expect tough weather conditions, the ball seams and swings throughout the game, it is a tough ask for us. I was prepared for that and I thought I did reasonably well.”On the third day of the second Test in Leeds, Ravi gave an official warning to England’s leading bowler James Anderson for running onto the pitch in New Zealand’s second innings. ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary noted at the time that “‪Anderson isn’t impressed. Fuming is probably the correct term,” but Ravi said he had “no issues” with players from either side.”I am just implementing the laws of the game, that’s all,” he said. “Whether it is X player or Y player, the law is the same. I am there to conduct the match within the framework of the laws. That’s it, very simple.”Ravi is among four Indian umpires- Vineet Kulkarni, C Shamshuddin and Anil Chaudhary being the other three – who are serving on the ICC’s international panel of umpires, the level immediately below the elite panel. He is now convinced that more people can make the grade up, and credits the experience of officiating in the IPL over the last few years as the reason for improved umpiring standards.”In the last five-six years, the standard of Indian umpires has gone up because of our umpires standing in the IPL, which is an international standard tournament,” he said. “They get to work with elite umpires and referees from different countries. They get to interact with international players, coaches, support staff and other stakeholders. All these things have made Indian umpires better. I am sure in the near future at least one or two more will make it to the elite panel.”A couple of them (Indian umpires) are now nominated for the World T20 qualifiers in Scotland and Ireland next month. That’s a big tournament for them. If they do well, they can get on to the emerging panel and move up the ladder.”Ravi has also officiated in 12 T20Is and 24 ODIs since 2011, including three matches in the recently-concluded World Cup. The experience gained from these high-profile assignments has made him realise that intense scrutiny comes with the territory.”As umpires, who are umpiring at the highest level of the game, we are bound to be scrutinised by the media, the players, and the captains.” he said. “We should be prepared for that. If you make an error, it will be highlighted, technology will expose you at some stage or the other. You should be prepared for that, learn from that error and move on. You can’t do much about it.”Ravi credits former Australian umpire Simon Taufel, who has worked with him as an advisor and mentor to the BCCI’s elite panel of umpires, for his rise. According to Ravi, Taufel, who was the ICC umpire of the year for five consecutive years from 2004 to 2008, has helped him understand the mindset needed to succeed in the job.”I have been working very closely with Simon for the last three years almost,” he said. “I have learnt a lot from him; right from preparation to getting into the game, decision making, handling big players, match management skills, the man-management skills, how to get out of setbacks. All those skills have helped me to become a better umpire. I am very thankful to Simon, it is because of him that I have achieved this dream.”While Ravi says Taufel is his idol, the other umpire he has a lot of “respect and regard” for is England’s David Shepherd, who passed away in 2009, having officiated 92 Tests and 172 ODIs over his two-decade career.”He was a great umpire and great personality,” Ravi said. “The way he conducted himself and interacted with the players, had a good relationship with the players is something fantastic. “A keen cricketer himself, Ravi represented Madras Universities and played in the senior division league in Chennai for many years. Umpiring, he explains was the best way to “keep in touch” with the game. But due to such commitments, he will now need more time off from his day job as Special Assistant at the Reserve Bank of India, where he has worked since 1989.”The bank has been kind to me so far,” he chuckles when asked if they are happy to let him take time off to go on umpiring duties. He also says his family will “have to cope” with the additional travel required as part of the 12-man elite panel. And what about his dream assignment now that he finds himself among the world’s top umpires?”An Ashes Test match at Lord’s.”

A strong all-round performance helped United Arab Emirates secure a crucial 46-run win over Canada in a World Cricket League Championship match, lifting them to the fourth place on the table.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShaiman Anwar’s century led UAE to a comfortable win from a potentially dangerous situation•Eddie Norfolk

A strong all-round performance helped United Arab Emirates secure a crucial 46-run win over Canada in a World Cricket League Championship match, lifting them to the fourth place on the table.Put in to bat, UAE staged a strong recovery from a precarious 54 for 3 in the 12th over to finish at 269 for 4. Shaiman Anwar anchored the innings, posting a 68-run fourth-wicket partnership with Swapnil Patil and then staging an unbeaten 147-run fifth-wicket stand with Rohan Mustafa. Mustafa and Anwar began cautiously but accelerated in the last 10 overs, scoring 96 runs off 60 balls to lift UAE to a challenging total. Anwar brought up his third List-A hundred off the last ball of the match with a four off Cecil Pervez and his innings included nine fours and three sixes. Mustafa scored an unbeaten 68 off 61 balls, which included five fours and two sixes.Canada’s batsmen couldn’t replicate UAE and their chase suffered for a lack of big partnerships. They had just one fifty-plus stand between Ruvindu Gunasekera and Usman Limbada for the fourth wicket. Both batsmen eventually scored fifties but the loss of regular wickets hurt Canada. Pacer Mohammad Naveed and offspiner Nasir Aziz did most of the damage, picking up four wickets each.

West Indies’ horror of a match against India on Friday has not only been an eye opener for them, but also opened up the tournament

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran06-Jul-2013

Match facts

Sunday, July 7
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)West Indies need their top order to set the base•Associated Press

Big Picture

West Indies’ horror of a match against India on Friday has not only been an eye opener for them, but has also opened up the tournament. India’s chances of qualifying for the final looked bleak after two consecutive defeats, but they trounced the hosts by a big enough margin to pick up a bonus point. West Indies are still on top with nine points and a game to play, and a win against Sri Lanka on Sunday will guarantee their spot in the final. A defeat will still give them a chance at qualifying, but it could come down to a three-way net-run rate scenario if the teams are tied on nine points. A win for Sri Lanka on Sunday will tighten the screws as it will at least put them on par with the hosts. It will also make things tougher for India, who are currently on five points with a game to play.While West Indies are not yet in grave danger of being knocked out, concerns remain. For starters, they will be without their captain Dwayne Bravo, who has been suspended for a slow over-rate. In all likelihood, Kieron Pollard will take over for the second time in three matches. Nothing went right for West Indies on Friday. If looks could deceive, the pitch certainly did. The grass looked inviting enough for both captains to have a bowl, but the decision to insert the opposition backfired on Bravo as his seamers failed to pick up early wickets. The opening partnership was allowed to develop and the West Indies’ death bowling was exposed by Virat Kohli. The batting suffered a bigger meltdown than the bowling, and while the afternoon rain may have spiced up the pitch for the Indian seamers to exploit, the hosts were struggling to get the start they wanted even before rain struck. Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo fell to poor strokes and the loss of two early wickets piled the pressure on the middle order, which looked just as inept. Perhaps the hosts lost the game in the mind after conceding 311. Perhaps batting first might not be a bad option if given the chance, going forward.Sri Lanka have two more games to play, are tied on points with India but have a superior net run rate. They peaked in all three departments in their previous game, losing just one wicket on their way to 348 and all their five bowlers contributed in bundling out India for less than 200. It remains to be seen if they will change their batting order and give players like Lahiru Thirimanne more time in the middle.

In the spotlight

The over-rates in the last two games have been costing the captains and players, literally. On Tuesday, India overshot by 20 minutes leading to Kohli being fined and on Friday, West Indies were worse by one more minute. It was costlier for West Indies, with Bravo now suspended. Changing captains during a tournament could upset a side’s rhythm and West Indies especially can’t afford too many stop-gap arrangements, at a time when Bravo is establishing himself as a full-time ODI captain.Sri Lanka’s new opening pair of Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga was formed after Tillakaratne Dilshan’s pre-tournament pull-out due to injury and that combination could stay at least until Dilshan returns. The question is whether Sri Lanka will be tempted to persist with it in future series, after their 213-run stand against India. Jayawardene has had success as an opener, but he hasn’t been a regular at that position; Dilshan is most comfortable at the top and Tharanga will be hard to ignore after his 174. With Kusal Perera earmarked for the future, Sri Lanka might find it hard to settle on one pair, once Dilshan returns. It’s a good headache to have.

Team news

Lendl Simmons, the opening batsman, was called in to the squad on Saturday as a replacement for Bravo.* West Indies could either play him or bring back Devon Smith.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Devon Smith/Lendl Simmons, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Tino BestSri Lanka may retain their winning combinationSri Lanka (probable) 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Lahiru Thirimanne, 8 Sachithra Senanayake, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Lasith Malinga

Stats and trivia

The 11,337 people who showed up at the ANZ Stadium tonight in western Sydney were treated to the Chris Gayle Show

Alex Malcolm23-Dec-2011
ScorecardThe 11,337 people who showed up at the ANZ Stadium tonight in western Sydney were treated to the Chris Gayle Show. In a brutal display of power hitting, Gayle clubbed an unbeaten 100 off 54 balls to help Sydney Thunder chase down 156 against Adelaide Strikers. The West Indian smashed three fours and 11 sixes, breaking his own record for the number of sixes hit in an Australian domestic T20 innings.In reality the match was a tough sell. The Strikers travelled without their biggest star Kieron Pollard, out of the tournament with a hamstring injury, while the Thunder’s captain and first match centurion, David Warner, is away on national duty.The Strikers did cause some concerns though. Gayle faced just six deliveries between the 12th and 16th overs. The Strikers removed Ben Dunk for 8 when he holed out needlessly off Johan Botha with 59 needed from 45 balls. Craig Philipson then faced eight deliveries for just two runs, seven of them consecutively. Such was the demand for Gayle, that Philipson was booed by his own crowd when he could not get off the strike.Eventually, Philipson was bowled by Aaron O’Brien, the left-arm orthodox spinner, who took 3 for 26 in an impressive spell. But the 15th over was O’Brien’s last.By the conclusion of the 16th over, Strikers captain Michael Klinger had a problem. Both O’Brien and Kane Richardson were bowled out, whilst Botha and Alfonso Thomas each had only one over left. Klinger’s fifth bowler, Bryce McGain had conceded 21 in two earlier overs with Gayle smashing him into the stands three times.Klinger instead gambled with the very part-time offspin of Cameron Borgas and Gayle made him pay. He smashed three consecutive sixes, one which travelled 105m, to take the required run-rate from nine-an-over down to five, and the victory was a mere formality from there. Klinger looked helpless, probably wishing he could have placed fielders in the stands.All that was left was for Gayle to bring up his first Twenty20 hundred in Australia, and his sixth in the format worldwide.Given Gayle’s performance it was unlikely that any target the Strikers set would have been defendable, however, 155 was never going to be enough.Adelaide slumped to 4 for 52 in the ninth over and never really recovered. A brief salvage effort was mounted by Botha (41) and Borgas (24) so help steer the Strikers to a middling total. But they struggled to conquer a versatile Thunder attack. Teenager Sean Abbott was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 20 while Fidel Edwards generated good pace collecting 2 for 35.In the end though, the night was all about one man.

Rahul Dravid believes day/night Test cricket can be part of the future having experienced first-hand MCC’s experiment with pink balls in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2011Rahul Dravid believes day/night Test cricket can be part of the future having experienced first-hand MCC’s experiment with pink balls under floodlights in Abu Dhabi. Dravid hit 106 in the second innings against Nottinghamshire and was impressed with his first sighting of the different coloured ball as MCC continue their trials into floodlit first-class matches.Dravid’s first attempt ended with a second-ball duck on the opening day when he was trapped lbw by Luke Fletcher but he had much more success second time around. It was a valuable experience for Dravid, who is also part of the MCC World Cricket Committee which is pushing for day/night Tests.”There is definitely a future for day-night Test and first-class cricket,” Dravid said. “I think there are a few further tweaks that need to be made, and it would be beneficial to play some more trial matches at different venues and in different conditions, but as with any new innovation administrators and the players will need to take a leap of faith at some point.”When the pink ball was first used in the corresponding fixture last year there was criticism about the colour of the seam which has been modified by the manufactures Kookaburra. Dravid said for the most part he had no problems picking up the ball although, a little like day/night one-day cricket, the twilight period was a little tricky.”The 30-40 minutes when the natural light starts to fade, and the lights begin to take effect are challenging, and batting does become a little bit more difficult – but once you get through this period sighting the ball is quite easy,” he said. “If you are established at the crease it is not such a problem, and for a new batsman starting his innings, it is really just something to keep in mind. With practice players will learn to adapt to the challenge, and tactics will start to come into play, which can only add interest.”

James Anderson hopes his return to the England team can help turn around their poor one-day form which has left them in a must-win situation heading into the fourth ODI at Adelaide

Andrew McGlashan in Adelaide24-Jan-2011James Anderson hopes his return to the England team can help turn around their poor one-day form which has left them in a must-win situation heading into the fourth ODI at Adelaide. Anderson arrived back in Australia at the weekend following a post-Ashes break back home that left the visitors with a second-string attack.Along with Anderson’s absence for the first three matches, Stuart Broad is also out injured while Graeme Swann hasn’t played the last two games due to a knee problem and has also suffered a back spasm. Tim Bresnan has now been forced out of the series with a calf strain so Anderson’s return will be a timely boost for the squad. However, he still has to show he’s over the effects of another long journey before taking his place.”To be honest we’ll just see how the next couple of days go,” he said. “I’ll practice tomorrow [Tuesday] and if I come through practice I’ll certainly be putting my name forward for selection.”I’d like to think I bring some energy with both my bowling and fielding. I don’t think we are that far away having seen the first three games. We aren’t far away from a win and turning the momentum around.”Energy has been a buzzword for England in this series. It’s one of the reasons Matt Prior was recalled to the World Cup squad because of the part he plays in the fielding unit and it was noticeable on Sunday, at the SCG, how Paul Collingwood, who replaced the injured Kevin Pietersen, tried to get under Australia’s skin.The end result, though, hasn’t proved very effective although the depleted bowling attack has done a reasonable job only to be let down by some poor batting in the last two matches. But despite the scoreline, and the prospect of conceding the series very early, Anderson insists the squad are as buoyant as when he departed in the afterglow of the Ashes.”I know we are 3-0 down but the dressing room seems just as positive as when I left,” he said. “They are still in good spirits. We know we are just one game away from turning the momentum around. We are looking to Wednesday to be a good all-round performance with both bat and ball.”Anderson has twice benefited from England’s rotation policy, firstly last winter when he missed the tour of Bangladesh and now this latest break. He was the stand-out bowler during the Ashes, sending down 213 overs in the five Tests for 24 wickets, so was grateful of the down time and believes the current injury problems show how important it is to factor in these periods of rest.”It was nice to get a break. My body certainly needed it after the Test series,” he said. “As you’ve seen we’ve got a couple of injuries at the minute. It’s crucial that we go into the World Cup with a full-strength squad. The management have made good decisions in the past resting players so I’m sure they are going to do exactly the same leading up to the World Cup.”England will again have to consider the balance of their side at Adelaide because, for two matches running, they have not had the ideal attack for conditions. In Hobart they were a quick bowler short then they strengthened that department on a slow pitch at the SCG where James Tredwell could have been useful.Spin is likely to play a role in this match, but Anderson has fond memories of what a swing bowler can do following his Test performance. His first-morning burst when he removed Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke to leave Australia 3 for 2 set England on their way to victory. They are desperate for something similar again from their leading bowler.

David Warner, meanwhile, credits Pakistan’s bowling attack for bowling “unbelievable channels”

Danyal Rasool26-Dec-20234:16

How good were Pakistan bowlers on the day?

The scorecard might not suggest too much reason for optimism, but Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali has always tried to look at the brighter side. And on a gloomy Boxing Day in Melbourne where Pakistan toiled hard for the reward of just three wickets in 66 overs despite prodigious swing and several passages of play where Australia’s batters looked shaky, 187 for 3 isn’t exactly the scoreline Pakistan will have wished for after winning the toss and inserting Australia under grey skies.Hasan, though, felt Pakistan’s discipline and ability to keep Australia shackled meant they retained the upper hand. “We are a bit ahead of them right now,” he said at the post-match press conference. “Honestly, it was a good day as a bowling unit. We are a bit unlucky we haven’t got enough wickets, but the best thing is we have not given them enough runs. We’re looking forward to tomorrow, and restricting them to the minimum possible score.”Pakistan captain Shan Masood had effectively thrown down the gauntlet to Hasan and his fellow fast bowlers. After narrowing down the squad for the Test to XII a day earlier, his Pakistan side had made the decision to cut their sole specialist spinner Sajid Khan from the starting XI, thus fielding an all-seam attack for the second consecutive game. Winning the toss and choosing to bowl was a sign he wanted them to do a job for him.Related

• Labuschagne holds fort as Pakistan make inroads on rain-hit Boxing Day

Hasan, left out of the first Test for the uncapped pair of Khurram Shahzad and Aamer Jamal, could argue he did exactly that. Coming on as Pakistan’s first-change bowler, he locked the scoring rate down just as Australia’s openers had begun to cut loose slightly. The helpful overhead conditions saw him generate movement through the air, and coupled with prodigious seam movement, he threatened both of David Warner’s edges.Post lunch, Hasan – and Pakistan – kicked the intensity up a notch. With ominous clouds threatening an interruption any moment, Pakistan began to recover from a wayward final half hour or so before lunch, tightening their lines and squeezing Australia’s run rate. Usman Khawaja had looked the most comfortable of the batters until that point, but a slightly audacious shot against a moving ball from Hasan found second slip, and Pakistan had two in quick succession, bookending the lunch break with the wickets of both openers.”There are certain times when the bowlers are a bit wayward as [we were before lunch], or the bowlers have different plans,” Hasan said. “But there is always a chance to come back. After lunch, we had a small discussion, and we were especially good in that period. We just gave them about 20 runs in that session.”It was the period in the game – indeed, in the series – that Pakistan looked most self-assured. Khawaja’s wicket saw an extended spell of Pakistani bowling dominance over Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, clogging up nearly all scoring opportunities. The 63 balls they survived after Khawaja’s wicket saw just seven runs scored, with every Pakistan bowler who came on probing and prodding, giving little away.Frustratingly for them, they got little back in return, too. Arguably, Australia’s two most stubborn batters saw off that period, and much of an extended session after the weather interruption, thus shielding themselves from the worst of the damage. Even Warner, who had almost chastised Pakistan’s bowlers for being bullied off their lines early on in Perth, gave them credit for “bowling beautifully”.David Warner was dropped on 2 by Abdullah Shafique•AFP/Getty Images

“Credit to the way that Pakistan bowled,” he said. “They bowled unbelievable channels. I think the way that [Mir] Hamza bowled around the wicket and pretty much at the end, it was almost like he was bowling with a Duke ball. He actually used his skills very, very well. Made the boys play and put the ball in the right area. I think going into tomorrow, we’re in a pretty good position. We’re going to have to bat well and try to set up for our bowlers.”If you’re not bowling quick in Australia, you have to have some skill base to actually hit that line and length area to actually create something. I think with these guys, they have actually been very, very good. I think they’ve been outstanding. They came back last Test match after lunch, and bowled a great line and length. With Shaheen Shah Afridi doing his job – and he bowled well today with not so much luck [but] when he’s up and about, I think the rest of the guys follow him – I think they’re fine.”There was, of course, the customary “what if”. Warner shouldn’t have been in the position to notch up a 90-run opening stand, because when he was on 2, Afridi drew an outside edge that floated to Abdullah Shafique at first slip. There was no mitigating factor for the drop; he wasn’t unsighted and no one else distracted him. But as has happened far too often in Australia – and far too often against Warner – Pakistan gave him a chance, and deprived themselves of the opportunity to make an early breakthrough.”If we’d caught it early, maybe the situation would have been different; but this is a part of the game – you drop some catches and you take others,” Hasan ruefully said. However, Pakistan didn’t let it define their day, and Hasan’s attitude suggests they will refuse to let the inability to take the wickets they felt they deserved define this Test, too.

Seamer remains optimistic about playing a part in England’s 50-over World Cup defence

Matt Roller26-Jul-2023Olly Stone has been ruled out of the Hundred with a hamstring injury but remains optimistic about his chances of being fit to play a part in England’s 50-over World Cup defence in India in October-November.Stone hoped to feature in England’s Ashes squad this summer but has been limited to a single appearance since May 4 due to a hamstring injury, suffered while playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.He made a comeback in the T20 Blast on June 30, during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, with the intention of playing some part in the fourth or fifth Tests. But he lasted only three balls before walking off the field midway through an over, and has not played since.Stone was signed on a £100,000 contract by London Spirit in March’s draft for the Hundred but has been forced to withdraw from the competition. ESPNcricinfo understands that Dan Worrall, the Australian seamer who qualifies as a local player in English domestic cricket, has been signed as a replacement.Related

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Stone’s injury is not thought to be as serious as the one that ended up ruling him out of the Ashes, but it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for England’s white-ball series against New Zealand, which starts on August 30. Instead, he may target the three-match ODI series against Ireland from September 20 for a potential return.He has only played eight ODIs and one T20I, but as an out-and-out fast bowler who can regularly reach speeds in excess of 90mph/145kph, Stone is seen as an important part of England’s white-ball plans – particularly in the context of a gruelling World Cup schedule.Meanwhile, a number of New Zealand players are negotiating short-term replacement deals in the Hundred. New Zealand will tour England for four T20Is and four ODIs in August-September and NZC announced last week that Matt Henry, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are due to be involved in the Hundred immediately the series starts.Neesham is expected to play for Oval Invincibles as a short-term replacement for Heinrich Klaasen when he is playing for South Africa against Australia, while Sodhi is likely to replace Rashid Khan at Trent Rockets during Afghanistan’s fixtures against Pakistan. Santner is expected to join Southern Brave on a short-term basis.Their deals will be confirmed later this week by the ECB. The involvement of five New Zealand men’s players – Finn Allen, Devon Conway (both Southern Brave), Adam Milne (Birmingham Phoenix), Daryl Mitchell (London Spirit) and Glenn Phillips (Welsh Fire) – has already been announced publicly.