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After failed negotiations with the Emirates Cricket Board, the PCB has formally approached Qatar to host its domestic Twenty20 league in Doha in February 2016

Umar Farooq01-Aug-2015After failed negotiations with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), the PCB has formally approached Qatar to host its own Twenty20 league in Doha, in February 2016. ESPNcricinfo understands that a formal proposal is being sent to the Qatar Olympics Association, asking to upgrade the only cricket stadium in the country.The PCB had initially planned to host the franchise-based T20 league in UAE, Pakistan’s virtual home since 2009. However, when the board approached the ECB to secure the venues during the third week of June, they learned that the organisers of the Masters Champions League – a tournament for retired international cricketers – had already booked the stadiums for the February window. The MCL was unveiled at the Burj Al Arab on June 3, with former cricketers Brian Lara, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram all in attendance as icon players.The ECB, which is the sole regulator of cricket in the UAE, refused to lease out the three stadiums to Pakistan, given the MCL had already locked the deal. Zafar Shah, the chairman of the MCL, independently tried to chalk out a way to accommodate both the leagues within the February window, but the dates could not be worked out.It is likely the PCB will wait another month before going forward with Doha as the alternative venue for the inaugural version of the league. It is understood that Pakistan even see Doha as a potential venue to host their Under-19, Women and A games on a long-term basis.The PCB has been floating the idea of hosting their own T20 league for the last five years, though the talks never really materialised into anything substantial. Logistical issues led to an indefinite postponement of the league in 2013, and while there was an attempt to revive the tournament in 2014, with the PCB inviting various parties to acquire rights for the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the quality of the bids meant that the board put their plans on hold again.The PCB’s chairman Shaharyar Khan and executive committee head Najam Sethi have both been at loggerheads in public over the tournament, but the board recently defused the situation by issuing a press release stating that both men were supporting each other. The PCB is racing against time, but the board said it was “determined” to host its first league involving high-profile players from around the world.During Zaka Ashraf’s regime, the PSL business model – unveiled in January 2013 – was expected to fetch the PCB “in excess of $100 million”. The PCB had also announced the base prices of players for a proposed auction, though they did not reveal the pool of players who had signed up for the tournament. The current design of the league is based on the draft system, according to which the distribution of top players among the five franchises will be equally managed.

Australia were grateful for the 29 balls given up by Pakistan as the latter half of their innings collapsed, using them to secure a meritorious victory in the first ODI in the heat of Sharjah

The Report by Daniel Brettig28-Aug-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc followed up his four-for against Afghanistan with a five-wicket haul•AFP

Australia were grateful for the 29 balls given up by Pakistan as the latter half of their innings collapsed, using them to secure a meritorious victory in the first ODI in the heat of Sharjah. The frenzied conclusion of Pakistan’s innings contrasted with the composure shown by Michael Clarke’s team, who took a major step towards preserving an unbeaten record against the subcontinental side that has lasted since 2002.While Clarke played a critical role, notching a fluent 66 when all around him looked fraught in the face of Pakistan’s spin, it was equally heartening for the Australians that the less seasoned George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell supplied the game-clinching stand. Maxwell perished to an impetuous reverse sweep with the win in sight, but Dan Christian kept Bailey company until the final runs were collected, with four wickets and 10 balls to spare.Australia owed much, too, to Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson, who snipped the top off the Pakistan innings with the new ball then strangling the middle order in the batting Powerplay on the way to rounding up Misbah-ul-Haq’s men for 198 in 45.1 overs.This had seemed a good toss for Pakistan to win but, apart from an energetic stand of 61 between Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal, it was the batsmen who did the wilting in the early evening. Starc followed up his four wickets against Afghanistan with five here for his best ODI figures, while Pattinson claimed three and conceded little more than two runs per over.They were the beneficiaries of some abject Pakistani batting, as a succession of players succumbed to the pressure applied by the pace bowlers in concert with the constricting fields set by Clarke. The tourists’ sole specialist spinner, Xavier Doherty, had been deemed surplus to requirements as Clarke chose to lean heavily on his pacemen, and the strategy was justified by how effectively Pakistan’s strokemakers were neutralised.By contrast, Misbah wasted little time using the tweakers at his disposal, handing Mohammad Hafeez the new ball for the second over. He soon defeated David Warner, aiming an ambitious swing and missing by miles, and played a large part in softening up Matthew Wade for Shahid Afridi, who had the wicketkeeper caught from a skied slog sweep attempt. Both Australia’s openers have some thinking to do.Michael Hussey is usually an accomplished player of spin but even he struggled, playing for more turn than was offered by the surface perhaps due to the sharply turning surfaces prepared for the Australians at their pre-season camp in Darwin. The crafty Saeed Ajmal pinned Hussey lbw on the back foot with his first ball, the batsman wasting his team’s one review on a ball that was going on to hit middle.David Hussey fared no better, struggling to read Ajmal’s doosra and eventually edging one to Misbah at slip, a fate that might also have befallen Clarke until he adjusted to the wiles of his opponent. Bailey struggled mightily through his first handful of deliveries, and Clarke had to survive a review for a concerted caught behind appeal when Ajmal floated the ball across him from round the wicket.Slowly, however, Clarke and Bailey built a stand that crept the tourists closer. Bailey gathered surety if not momentum, while Clarke continued to punch the ball about with confidence and purpose. In the end it was something of a surprise when Clarke did fall, caught on the crease to be lbw to Hafeez, but his wicket re-opened the contest.Maxwell is the kind of batsman who answers to the description “brazen”, and he proved it by attempting to reverse sweep his first ball from Ajmal. He showed a prominent bottom hand and an array of more considered strokes the longer he batted with Bailey, who demonstrated an ability to fight through a situation even when faced with opponents more talented than him.Misbah tried all his regular options, plus the part-time spin of Azhar Ali. There was one edge from Maxwell that might harshly be deemed a chance to Kamran Akmal, and another pull into the outfield that Asad Shafiq narrowly failed to hang on to. But Bailey and Maxwell played with calmness, allowing the equation to whittle down without undue haste, and making the most of their full quota of overs.The Australians would have briefly contemplated a far larger target in the opening overs of the match, with Pakistan making an aggressive start as Pattinson and Starc strained for early swing by pursuing a very full length. Starc twice appealed for LBW against Hafeez, only to be denied by each ball pitching a fraction outside leg stump – the second also costing Australia their lone decision review.Pattinson’s penchant for landing the ball on the seam was to be rewarded when one such delivery stopped a little, causing Hafeez to pop a catch to short cover. Azhar fell in similar fashion, chipping to mid-on, but Nasir Jamshed was victim of a snorter from Starc, who coaxed sharp bounce from an otherwise moribund surface to offer Wade a sharp chance behind the stumps.Though Christian’s change-up had Misbah undone, Umar Akmal’s aggression in Shafiq’s company had Pakistan placed neatly enough at 159 for 4 when they took the batting Powerplay. Having played with no little intelligence to that point, Shafiq could not resist the temptation to try to pierce the field, and an ugly swish at Starc had his stumps splayed.Kamran Akmal could not get comfortable, and in the last of the Powerplay overs he spooned a catch to mid-on. Clarke’s knack for astute field placings was to be rewarded the very next ball with the prized wicket of Afridi, edging Starc low to the captain at slip. The Powerplay had thus reaped three wickets at a cost of 16 runs and the rest of the innings petered out, wasting that critical 29 balls.

James Anderson showed no discomfort and said he felt “really good” after delivering 22 overs and picking up the wicket of Luke Pomersbach on the first day of England’s tour match

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2010James Anderson showed he was fully recovered from his fractured rib as he delivered 22 impressive overs on the opening day against Western Australia in Perth and claimed the wicket of Luke Pomersbach.It was his first full day of competitive cricket after suffering the injury during England’s pre-Ashes camp in Germany, but Anderson insisted it was no longer a worry. “To be honest, I haven’t really been thinking about the ribs for a while now, since I got back into training,” he said. “It’s just as though it never happened.”To break a bone in your body is a bit of a worry and I was a bit worried the first week after it happened – it was quite sore – but once I got training again and running again I didn’t feel it so I was pretty confident that I’d be fine.”While Stuart Broad led a dramatic start with two wickets in his first over, Anderson delivered a miserly opening spell, giving away just eight runs from his first nine overs before lunch. He finished with figures of 1 for 49, while Broad picked up 3 for 47. With Steven Finn, Paul Collingwood and Graeme Swann also chipping in with a wicket apiece before Western Australia declared at 8 for 242, Anderson lauded a patient performance from England’s attack.”It went pretty well, it was a pretty tough pitch to bowl on because there’s not a great deal there after the ball gets softer,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a patience game over here when the ball gets old. The first 10 or 15 overs are going to be crucial with that new ball. Reverse-swing might play a part somewhere down the line. On a lush outfield like this we’ve just got to be patient. I think we showed pretty good patience today.”I think, in general, we’re pretty happy. I think Swanny got better as the day went on, Broady bowled brilliantly up front, I was pretty happy with the way I bowled and Finny showed glimpses of some form. It was a great start and I think it showed the intent we’ve got on this tour.”The one worry for England was Finn’s inconsistency as he struggled to find the right length, but Anderson suggested that the young bowler would quickly learn. “I’m not sure how much he’s bowled in Australia before,” he said. “He might take a couple of spells, a couple of good spells, to get used to the length he’s got to bowl out here, which might be slightly different to the one he bowls in England. It might take him a couple of games, but we’re confident he’ll be fine. He showed enough form today to be right in the Test squad.”After Alastair Cook’s early dismissal to Steve Magoffin, Anderson was back on the field as nightwatchman and gave the England camp a minor scare when he was struck on the body while batting. But he dismissed any worries that his rib injury had been aggravated. “It was the wrong side, it hit me in the armpit,” he said.

Zimbabwe have forfeited their Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland after the two sides couldn’t agree a venue

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2010Zimbabwe have forfeited their Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland after the two sides couldn’t agree a venue following Scotland’s decision not tour the country and with the Zimbabwe board declining to use a neutral location.It means Scotland will now face Afghanistan in the final in Dubai during November after the ICC reluctantly accepted Zimbabwe Cricket’s (ZC) decision although warned against it happening again in the future.”We wanted this fixture to go ahead and we did everything possible to facilitate an agreement between the two sides. We were happy for the match to take place anywhere in the world but the sides could not agree,” said Dave Richardson, chairman of the event technical committee and ICC general manager of cricket. “It is disappointing for us and the ICC Intercontinental Cup that these two sides could not agree when or where to play their fixture and, for the integrity of the competition, these circumstances must not be allowed to happen again.””However, taking into account all of the circumstances that have been presented to the technical committee in this case, we are prepared to accept ZC’s unequivocal and unqualified statement of forfeiture and declare the match as being forfeited.”Zimbabwe took part in the tournament – the first-class event for Associate nations – as part of their route back to Test cricket although their decision to forfeit means they won’t be faced with the potential embarrassment of losing in the final despite still being funded as a Full Member.”We feel that the Intercontinental Cup is a significant competition in Scotland’s development and therefore important that it gets the full benefits associated with playing in it,” Ozias Bvute, the ZC managing director, said. “Moreover, given the limited playing opportunities available to them, it would be unnecessarily counterproductive to rob them of their right to participation or reduce their chances of reaching the final.”Zimbabwe has no dispute with either Cricket Scotland or the ICC. Instead, we seek only a solution that will ultimately allow for fair participation by all, as such, ZC has decided to forfeit the match in favour of Scotland. ZC wishes it to be noted that our development side has enjoyed its participation in this competition and we wish Cricket Scotland and their team the best as they now progress to the final.”Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith added: “Cricket Scotland notes the decision of the event technical committee. We are glad a conclusion has been reached on this issue and we are now very much looking forward to participating in the final. It will be a great opportunity for our young, talented side to experience the big-match environment of an ICC final.”

A disciplined performance by the Delhi Daredevils bowlers and a blistering innings from Virender Sehwag inflicted a dispiriting defeat on Rajasthan Royals, their second in as many games, in Ahmedabad

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya15-Mar-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outVirender Sehwag bludgeoned his way to 75, sealing a second consecutive win for Delhi Daredevils (file photo)•AFP

A disciplined performance by the Delhi Daredevils bowlers and a blistering innings from Virender Sehwag inflicted on Rajasthan Royals their second defeat in as many games. A battling half-century from Abhishek Jhunjhunwala lent Rajasthan’s total some respectability but it was a woefully inadequate one to defend given Sehwag’s onslaught.Rajasthan were made to regret their poor batting in the first over of the chase, as Sehwag blazed away, swinging Dimitri Mascarehnas over square leg and mid-on for two boundaries. The seamers bowled either too full or offered him the desired width to break free – Shaun Tait was cut fiercely through point, and Munaf Patel was dispatched over long-off for a six and past mid-on for a boundary in the third over.There were a couple of moments of hope for Rajasthan. Mascarenhas returned in the fourth over to snare Gautam Gambhir, who mistimed a slower one to mid-on, and got one to move away to produce an outside edge from Tillakaratne Dilshan the next ball. The wickets made no difference to Sehwag’s approach – nor, ultimately, to Rajasthan’s fortunes – as he skied Mascarenhas when on 41 only to be dropped by Tait while running back from short fine leg – another low on what’s so far been a poor IPL for the Australian.Having smote Mascarenhas for 10 runs off two deliveries, Sehwag proceeded to target Amit Uniyal’s medium-pacers, walloping him for six over long-off, upper-cutting him wide of third man to reach his half-century and striking through the line of a length delivery to dispatch it over long-on. The parting shot before being caught brilliantly by Graeme Smith at mid-on was a thunderous six over the bowler’s head; Delhi were 99 for 3 when he fell in the 10th over, and Dinesh Karthik, with the luxury of a set platform, saw his team through.Rajasthan, who wore black arm-bands in memory of the victims of a bus accident in Sawai Madhopur district, had begun positively after Gambhir had put them in. But they were dented by a testing first spell from Dirk Nannes and the early introduction of Amit Mishra, leaving an inexperienced middle order to contend with a determined display from the rest of Delhi’s bowlers who gave little opportunity to open up.The conditions in Ahmedabad were hardly favourable with the dust from the parking lots surrounding the stadium kicking in, and adding to the haze from the floodlights. The surge of moths, flying across the pitch as well as the outfield, proved another irritant.Swapnil Asnodkar and Smith, cashing in on some overpitched bowling from Farveez Maharoof, smacked two boundaries off the first three balls of the match. Nannes, like against Kings XI Punjab, continued to trouble the batsmen with his ability to generate bounce, even from bowling on a good length. He got rid of Asnodkar with his second delivery, which was sliced towards Dilshan who took a good low catch, and followed up with two snorters to Naman Ojha, one striking him on the shoulder.Ojha, who had some success while opening the batting for Rajasthan in the previous IPL, resumed the attack after a momentary lull, thrashing Maharoof over mid-on and edging him over the slips. He reserved special treatment for Mishra, brought on in the fourth over, cutting and sweeping him for two boundaries and launching him into the stands over long-on. But Mishra undid him with his first variation of the over, slipping in the googly to bowl him through the gate as he tried to loft him over the covers.With Yusuf Pathan lasting just five deliveries, failing to pick a slower delivery and holing out to long-on, and the experienced Smith following soon after to make it 50 for 4, Rajasthan were starting at a bleak prospect.Paras Dogra, who had partnered Yusuf during his ruthless ton against Mumbai, and Jhunjhunwala, returning from the ICL, saw off a quiet phase during a nagging couple of overs from Pradeep Sangwan and Sarabjit Ladda; Rajasthan, at one stage, had played out 38 deliveries without a boundary. Replacing Yo Mahesh, Ladda varied his pace well, often surprising the batsmen with the quicker delivery but had his figures disturbed when the pair had stepped up, both hammering him for two sixes in a 17-run over.Delhi saw to it they didn’t give too much away, with the run-outs of Dogra and Mascarenhas in successive overs. Jhunjhunwala, though, struck two boundaries off Nannes in the final over, reaching his fifty, to give his bowler’s more than an outside chance. Sehwag, however, ensured it was washed away.

Imad-Malik’s epic stand in vain as Kings go down by two runs in big chase

Danyal Rasool14-Feb-2023By the final delivery, Karachi Kings needed nine to win, but you still wouldn’t believe Peshawar Zalmi had triumphed until it was officially over. Not until a heroic Imad Wasim smashed a six over square leg that confirmed his side would finish two runs short despite an unbeaten 80 from their captain could Zalmi really celebrate. For, despite posting 199 and reducing the Karachi Kings to 46 for 4 and seemingly moving out of sight several times, Zalmi kept letting Karachi back in. There were dropped catches, no-balls and free hits, missed run-outs and a slow over rate that deprived Zalmi of a boundary fielder. A 131-run stand between Imad and Shoaib Malik ensured the Kings took it much deeper than expected, but they had left themselves a shade too much to do, and succumbed to an agonising defeat.For three-fourths of the game, it looked to be a hammering rather than a heartbreaker. Zalmi were inserted and began fluidly, but the early dismissal of their young stars Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub set them back. It would set the stage for the game’s other sensational partnership, one between Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Babar Azam. It saw Zalmi amass 139 in 81 balls, with Kohler-Cadmore taking the role of aggressor-in-chief. At no point was this more evident than the final powerplay over, when the English lofted Imad for three successive sixes in a momentum-shifting over that leaked 23.He blitzed along, but Babar was catching up, too. After a slash against Imad – who conceded 42 in his three overs – brought up Babar’s 50, he took the attack to Andrew Tye, plundering 16 off the 15th over before holding out against Imran Tahir.That this game went so deep was partially down to a resilient fightback with the ball from Kings, who dominated the final five overs with the ball. Zalmi could score just 43 in this period, punctuated by regular wickets, and even Kohler-Cadmore lost his touch slightly. Seemingly nailed on for three figures, he ultimately found the square leg fielder against Ben Cutting in the final over, finishing a breathtaking innings with 92 off 50.Wahab Riaz struck with his second ball, removing Sharjeel Khan for a golden duck, and despite sloppiness early on, the wickets continued to tumble. Jimmy Neesham removed Matthew Wade with his first delivery, with Salman Irshad putting paid to Haider Ali’s brief stay off his first. Qasim Akram also fell to Neesham, and when Malik and Imad linked up, they looked like Kings’ best hope.But what a resistance it was. Early on, they only appeared to inject respectability into the scoreline, but when Shakib Al Hasan was carted for 21 in an over, the chase suddenly felt plausible. What followed at the death wasn’t necessarily high quality, with unforced errors in the field largely keeping Kings alive, but what it lacked in class it made up for in drama. The final three overs each saw a no-ball, two dropped catches and a missed run-out. By now, Malik had fallen and Cutting couldn’t quite find his touch right away, leaving it all down to Imad. He would keep going valiantly until the bitter finish, but in a clash that was as much about Babar vs Imad as it was Zalmi vs Kings, it was the Pakistan captain who tasted the sweet elixir of victory.

Kane Williamson, who is yet to recover from his elbow injury, will sit out the two-match series

Sruthi Ravindranath07-Feb-2022Cam Fletcher and Blair Tickner have earned their maiden Test call-ups, while Colin de Grandhomme and Hamish Rutherford have been recalled for New Zealand’s upcoming first Test against South Africa in Christchurch.”Cam has been excellent across the three formats for Canterbury over the past couple of seasons, producing consistent and often match-winning performances for his team,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “Blair’s been a consistent performer in the Plunket Shield over the past few seasons, and we felt his pace, bounce and aggression covered our bases should we lose a pace bowler to injury.”It’s pleasing to see Colin back in the Test side, having proved such an influential member before his foot injury last season. His form of late shows he’s clearly benefited from simply getting back on the park consistently, and it’s great to have his allround skills and experience to call on. It’s a really exciting time for Hamish to be back in the Blackcaps after a long time away, and I know he’s absolutely buzzing at the opportunity ahead.”New Zealand squad for first Test against South Africa•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Wicketkeeper-batter Fletcher, who has been called up as a cover to Tom Blundell, has been Canterbury’s highest run-scorer in the ongoing Plunket Shield with 344 runs in four games. Meanwhile, Central Stags right-arm quick Tickner, who will provide back-up for the other pace bowlers, has taken 14 wickets in four matches in the current season. This is Fletcher’s first international call-up, while Tickner has appeared for New Zealand in eight T20Is since his debut in 2019.Rutherford has earned a recall to the Test side for the first time in seven years, having played his last match in 2015 – against Sri Lanka in Wellington. He has scored 371 runs in four matches for Otago this season, and was also the second-highest scorer with 588 runs in eight matches last season. The 32-year old has so far played 16 Tests after his debut in 2013, having scored 755 runs with a highest score of 171.Allrounder de Grandhomme had missed much of last season with a foot injury. He had opted out of India Tests last year due to bubble fatigue, and had been subsequently dropped for the Tests against Bangladesh.Hamish Rutherford last played for New Zealand in 2015•Getty Images

Regular captain Kane Williamson, who is yet to recover from his elbow injury, will sit out the two-match series, while Tom Latham will continue as captain in his absence. Trent Boult will miss the first Test as he awaits the birth of his third child, while Ajaz Patel could be added for the second Test depending on the conditions as well as his recovery from a left-calf injury.Stead was hopeful Williamson will be ready for the white-ball series against Netherlands at home in March. Williamson last played in the first Test against India in Kanpur last November, following which the recurrence of the elbow issue ruled him out for at least another two months.”He was desperate to be fit for the series but with the amount of loading required for Test cricket, we had to make the tough call for him to sit it out and focus on returning for the white-ball matches against Netherlands in March,” Stead said. “Kane loves playing for the Blackcaps – and especially in Test cricket – so it was a particularly hard call. However, the priority has to be trying to get the injury right and having him available long term.Related

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“It’s important to remember this squad is just for the first Test so we do have flexibility to make changes as required, with the likes of Trent and Ajaz potentially available for the second. We’re conscious the second Test pitch may differ from the first, so we’re keen to have the option of adding Ajaz if required. He’s targeting a return for the Stags in the Ford Trophy on February 20 to prove his fitness and availability.”According to an NZC release, the 15-member squad “will allow the selectors to better cover their options while mitigating the health-risk associated with bringing players into the team environment at short notice, should there be any injuries.” It also stated that NZC is currently working through the Covid-19 health framework for hosting some fans at the matches at the Hagley Oval.The first Test is scheduled to begin on February 17, with the second one to follow on February 25 at the same ground.

Spinner admits to “overthinking” and says best is yet to come

Andrew Miller27-Jun-2020Given his health ordeals in New Zealand and South Africa this winter, the inclusion of Jack Leach in England’s plans for their return to Test cricket against West Indies next month might initially have come across as something of a risk.This is, after all, a player who admitted fearing for his life when he contracted sepsis in Hamilton in November, and then fell so ill during England’s early weeks in South Africa that he still wonders whether he and his team-mates were early victims of the Covid-19 pandemic, before the global severity was known.”I guess we’ll never know,” Leach told reporters via videolink from England’s camp at the Ageas Bowl. “If you had those symptoms I had in South Africa now, you’d say this is definitely coronavirus. But I feel healthy and fit, and I want to stay that way as much as possible.”But in the current circumstances, with the UK bracing for a second wave of Covid-19 cases following the government’s lifting of lockdown restrictions, the logic of Leach’s inclusion suddenly makes more sense.After all, there can be few places in the country safer than England’s bio-secure training camp at the Ageas Bowl, especially for a man who has suffered since the age of 14 from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition that can require immunosuppressant medication to keep it under control.”It’s definitely more strict here than Bournemouth beach,” said Leach, after a week of soaring temperatures resulted in more than half a million sun-seekers descending on the Dorset coast. “It’s exactly that, a bubble, with social distancing and masks. We’ve been spending lots of time in our rooms but we started training [on Thursday] which was great, getting back out there and keeping our distance.”There’s nothing I can do about what happened in the winter,” he added. “It’s just the way it is, but I’m quite lucky my Crohn’s is under control. There are people who suffer a lot worse than me. I don’t feel sorry for myself, I want to play as much cricket as possible and stay fit and healthy.”The government’s initial advice had been for “extremely clinically vulnerable” people to shield at least until the end of June, a categorisation that had raised some doubts about Leach’s involvement in the series. However, rather than dwell on the nature of his illnesses in New Zealand and South Africa, Leach said that he and his consultants actually took comfort in the full extent of his recovery.”The medication that I’m on puts me a little bit of a higher risk, but actually what I came through in the winter suggests that I can fight things off quite well,” Leach said. “The fact that I am fit, and reasonably healthy apart from that, gives me a good chance as well.ALSO READ: Amar Virdi hoping to jump to front of England spin queue“I’ve been doing everything I need to do to stick by the rules, as has everyone else around me, but I’m not too nervous. I feel safe here in a bio-secure environment.”The ECB last week announced a clean bill of health for both England’s camp at the Ageas Bowl and West Indies’ at Emirates Old Trafford, with a total of 703 Covid tests among players, management, hotel staff and other key workers coming back as negative. And though the squad will continue to train in two groups of 15 for the time being, with little interaction even at mealtimes, those results mark another crucial step towards the return to competitive action.And for Leach, the first step will be to reclaim his role as England’s first-choice spinner. Dom Bess stepped up impressively in South Africa, while the return of Moeen Ali for the first time since last summer’s first Ashes Test at Edgbaston provides another big rival for what tends in England to be a solitary position.”We’ve got five really good spinners,” Leach said, with Matt Parkinson and Amar Virdi also involved in the 30-man squad. “It feels like there’s everything to play for. There’s lots of competition throughout the squad and spin is no different. It’s about us all working together to be at our best. It’s up to the selectors and not up to us who takes that spot, but I’m so glad to see Mo back as well. When he’s at his best, he’s an unbelievable player.”Jack Leach is one of five spinners in England’s 30-man training group•Getty Images

With 34 wickets at 29.02 in his ten Tests to date, Leach has proven to be a steady performer with the ball for England. However, he knows full well which of his feats have truly captured the public’s imagination to date – his twin innings of 92 against Ireland, scored as a nightwatchman opener after England had crumbled to 85 all out in their first innings at Lord’s last year, and of course, his crucial 1 not out in partnership with Ben Stokes in the Headingley thriller last summer.”I’m going to tell people in the pub when I’m older that I opened the batting for England, so I don’t care how I’m remembered,” he said. “I pride myself on my bowling, because that’s why I’ve been picked in the team – I want to be bowling teams out on the last day, and remembered for that – but obviously everyone wants to talk about Headingley, and it’ll be hard for people not to remember that.”I probably overthink at times, and that’s a mental thing that I’ve been working hard on. In my best moments, there hasn’t been a lot going through my mind. I think back to when I was out there with Stokes, and how focused I felt. It was a simple focus on what I was trying to do, and I want to apply that to my bowling as well – find that headspace where I can give my absolute best.””It is a little bit strange, but I guess those moments make you want to stay in the team,” he added. “I’ll be in the team longer if I bowl well, but if I keep getting remembered for batting innings, I’ll take that because I’ll be doing something right if I’m playing a lot.”

Karnataka make it five in five after Vinay Kumar’s heroics, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai go down

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2019Saha rediscovers batting touch
On a comeback trail following rehabilitation for a shoulder injury, Wriddhiman Saha struck a 62-ball 129 for Bengal against Arunachal Pradesh in Cuttack.This was only Saha’s second T20 century; his first was for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL 2014 final in Bengaluru, which Kolkata Knight Riders won. Saha, who opened the batting, struck 16 fours and four sixes as Bengal posted 234 for six, with Vivek Singh’s 18-ball 49 giving them some lower-order muscle.In reply, Arunachal could manage just 127 for four.Vijay hits form but Tamil Nadu lose
Across in Surat, Himachal Pradesh beat Tamil Nadu by seven wickets, chasing down a paltry 138 for nine with an over to spare.TN failed to produce a batting performance of note, with only M Vijay, playing his second game of the competition, making good runs. Opening the batting, he top-scored with a 58-ball 77, hitting ten fours and a six in his innings. Prashant Chopra made an unbeaten 68 in the chase to see his side through. TN now have two wins and two losses in four matches.Karnataka hang on for win, Mumbai upset
The big boys had anything but easy outings.It needed a cameo from former Karnataka captain R Vinay Kumar to see them over the line against Chhattisgarh. Walking in at No. 7 with Karnataka needing 62 off 30 balls, Vinay smashed an unbeaten 14-ball 34 courtesy four sixes as Karnataka chased down Chhattisgarh’s 171 for three with four balls in hand. The result meant Karnataka are now unbeaten after five matches.ALSO READ: ‘I will do anything to make a comeback’ – Wriddhiman SahaStar-studded Mumbai didn’t have much luck as they slumped to their first loss of the competition, against Railways. Chasing 176, their top three – Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer – were dismissed inside five overs for a combined total of 26 runs. Suryakumar Yadav’s 38 was the highest of the innings that lasted 18.1 overs. Mumbai were bowled out for 118 to lose by 57 runs, with fast bowler Ashish Yadav picking up four wickets. This was Mumbai’s first loss in five matches.Uttar Pradesh top Group E after Rinku special
Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 37-ball 56 from No. 6 proved to be the difference as Uttar Pradesh pipped Services by one run. This helped them top Group E with four wins in five matches, with Maharashtra marginally behind on net run-rate.Rinku’s knock allowed UP to consolidate after opener Samarth Singh did the early running with 70, while Suresh Raina managed just 3 in the team’s total of 138 for five. Services were cruising at 68 for two in the tenth over before a middle-overs stifle. Left-arm spinner Shiva Singh conceded just 20 off his four overs for one wicket. That Services made a late dash was down to Vikas Hathwala’s unbeaten 33, but they eventually fell short.
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Jason Roy hailed the strength of England’s ODI batting after he completed a stunning return to form following a difficult 2017 with a “special” innings at the MCG

Daniel Brettig14-Jan-2018Confidence in the men behind him was crucial in Jason Roy’s fearless approach to an innings that grew into the biggest-ever ODI century by an England batsman, guiding the tourists to the highest successful chase in a match at the MCG.Roy teed off early on against Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, showing a willingness to “chance his arm” in the words of the Australia captain Steven Smith that epitomises the daring of England’s limited overs set-up since they started from scratch in the aftermath of a dire 2015 World Cup campaign.From a half-century that took only 32 balls, Roy settled in alongside Joe Root to surpass Alex Hales’ previous England best of 171, and said he was able to do so because of how firmly England’s batsmen believed in each other. Also important was the resolve of England’s limited-overs players to bring positive vigour to the touring team after the trials of an Ashes series lost 4-0.”I think the main thing is knowing how good each other is,” Roy said. “Knowing our middle order is incredibly special and talented and can win games from anywhere. To have that behind you gives you so much confidence at the top of the order. Knowing each other’s roles is important and everybody knows their own roles. That’s something we’ve built on and got a good foundation now. But it’s one win, four more games to go.”It was an absolute honour to be out there on the MCG and to get a score like that, to win our first game of the series is incredibly special. There’s not many words right now but I’m sure in the next couple of days I’ll have a bit more. It is extremely special, especially after the Test series.”It was obviously quite tough, we knew the boys were going to be a bit down and it was our task to come in and lighten up the mood, bring the positivity and get the boys going. I think we’ve done it and there’s a lot more smiles going on now. It’s a good start to the series but it’s by no means finished, we want to be as ruthless as possible.”Roy’s call-up to England more or less coincided with the change in approach that accompanied the emphasis of Andrew Strauss, Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace on a more proactive brand of limited-overs cricket, aided by the leadership of Eoin Morgan. He was dropped from the side during the Champions Trophy, after his form tailed off during the first half of 2017, but the enforced absences of Ben Stokes and Alex Hales created an opening that he has charged back through in recent months.”It’s been a while coming, I had a very tough year in 2017 … being dropped from the side and then being brought back into it towards the end of the year,” Roy said of his personal turnaround. “It kind of gave me a bit of a kick to recognise where I’m at, where my preparation is and start building up a platform to get ready for internationals. It has turned round incredibly quickly, that’s the nature of this game – especially in one-day and T20 cricket.”I haven’t been doing too many things too differently, I had a long net session yesterday with a couple of the coaches and was playing the ball a lot later but other than that all my routines have been pretty similar since I’ve started. I think cricket tests you and you start questioning yourself and start questioning your preparation and how you’re playing the ball and all this sort of rubbish, and it was just a case of clearing my head.”I’ve got 50 overs to bat and if I bat 50 overs on good pitches in Australia I’m going to get to a good score, and that was my mentality. I didn’t go out there thinking I’m going to go all guns blazing, I went out there and started as I’ve started every other net session since I’ve been in Australia, trying to play the ball late, playing strong shots and all these cliches, but it was just a case of finding the gaps. Some innings you hit them straight to fielders, some innings you don’t.”Roy now owns two of England’s four highest ODI innings, including 162 against Sri Lanka at The Oval in 2016, while Hales’ innings took place against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in the same summer. Robin Smith’s unbeaten 167 against the Australians at Edgbaston in 1993 had long stood as the high water mark, but Roy said 200 was no longer out of the question. “Yeah I hope so,” he said. “I think we’ve got ourselves closer and closer, we’re edging ourselves towards the 200. It’s by no stretch of the imagination impossible for us.”Never in his ODI career had Roy batted for more than 40 overs, and he said he had been able to mentally reset in the aftermath of the moment on 91 when he was given lbw to an Adam Zampa googly. Roy successfully referred it after conferring with Root, and had his ears stung by a liberal offering of unsolicited advice from the Australian fielders.”I kind of turned away because I did feel I might’ve been outside the line,” Roy said. “Then I heard them cheering and saying a few things and I was like ‘you’re kidding me’ and then looked at Rooty and was like ‘come on mate, surely it’s outside the line’ and he’s like ‘yeah outside the line 100%’. Then they started going on about me if I’m actually playing a shot and all this sort of stuff and there was a bit of that, but I think that kind of switched me into another innings, got me motivated to go big and go long.”Though they ended up needing to chase more runs than had ever been successfully run down in a match at the MCG, England were given a collective spring in their step by the early venom shown by Mark Wood, fit again after his latest injury problems. David Warner’s early exit to a vicious rising ball, and several other deliveries that tested the reflexes of Steven Smith and Aaron Finch, showed that the England ODI team were going to go after the hosts.”Yeah too right, a bit of their own medicine was quite nice,” Roy said when asked about whether it had been helpful to see Austrlaia’s batsmen discomforted by speed. “Obviously the boys have copped it a bit over the last month or so and to see Woody coming in and doing that is a huge positive for us and he’s a massive asset I think.”