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Australia have spun a major selection surprise by including the 19-year-old Ashton Agar, a Western Australian left-arm spinner, in their XI for the first Ashes Test

Daniel Brettig at Trent Bridge10-Jul-2013Australia have spun a major selection surprise by including the 19-year-old Ashton Agar, a Western Australian left-arm spinner, in their XI for the first Test against England at Trent Bridge.Glenn McGrath’s presence in the Australian team huddle a little less than an hour before the toss suggested a change to the team, and Agar emerged wearing his baggy green cap, presented on the strength of only ten first-class matches. His selection appears geared towards exploiting England’s phalanx of right-handers, while also opening up a familiar wound for Kevin Pietersen.However, it is a major blow to the career of the offspinner Nathan Lyon, who took nine wickets in his last Test match against India in Delhi. The selection also recalled events of the last Ashes series in Australia, when the previous selection panel dropped Nathan Hauritz on the eve of the series for Xavier Doherty, a move made with Pietersen in mind.Unlike Doherty, Agar is a capable batsman and also a fine fielder. His inclusion leaves the tourists with a team that can be said to bat all the way down to No. 11.”The main reason for the selection is taking the ball away from all their right-handers and we think this is a really important weapon in particular for this Test match on that particular wicket,” the coach Darren Lehmann said. “In the tour match Michael [Clarke] felt he had good drift and straightened the ball nicely so that’s just the way we have gone with the selectors in this Test match and we’re looking forward to him playing really well.”Agar was not included in the initial Ashes squad, but after Lehmann’s naming as coach he was upgraded to a place on tour, much like Steve Smith, the other notable inclusion in the team.Smith’s selection reflects a desire to have another right-hander and capable player of spin in the middle order, while also forcing David Warner to earn his spot back after poor form and a suspension for punching Joe Root during the Champions Trophy.In one of the more convoluted paths to keeping a place in the team, Smith was initially left out of the Ashes squad but named vice-captain of the Australia A tour that served as a prelude. He was also on standby should an extra Ashes batsmen be required, an event that came to pass due to Warner’s suspension and Michael Clarke’s back trouble early in the tour.Having battled gamely during his two India Tests, Smith went on to impress Rod Marsh and Lehmann – before he was appointed coach – on the Australia A tour, notably making a century against Ireland on a difficult first-day wicket in Belfast. He was then included for the final tour match against Worcestershire and played a pair of sprightly innings.Smith is being groomed for leadership roles in the future by Cricket Australia, and was set to lead the A team to South Africa later this month before his Ashes tickets were upgraded. He will now have the opportunity to demonstrate how much he has developed since being a figure of some ridicule during the 2010-11 series, when his technique did not appear that of a top six batsman.The rest of Australia’s batting order was more or less as expected, Clarke moving to No. 4 having batted there in every innings so far on tour, Ed Cowan moving down to No. 3 and the pace attack comprising James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle.Australia: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Chris Rogers, 3 Ed Cowan, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Phillip Hughes, 6 Steve Smith, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 James Pattinson, 11 Ashton Agar.

Only 57.4 overs could be played and Northamptonshire have set themselves up nicely to pass Yorkshire’s first-innings total

Jon Culley at Northampton02-Aug-2012
ScorecardAdil Rashid, here during his only other appearance of the season, believes he is finding form again•Getty Images

On the face of it, this was not a helpful day in Yorkshire’s pursuit of promotion. Only 57.4 overs could be played and Northamptonshire have set themselves up nicely to pass Yorkshire’s first-innings total, thanks to an unbroken partnership of 69 between Stephen Peters and Rob Newton. But in a season during which they have spent almost as much time in the changing rooms as on the field, they are used to finding a positive nuance in an unpromising script.On this occasion, they did not have to look very far. Adil Rashid, whose prowess as a legspin bowler had waned so severely he was dropped from the Yorkshire team before these sides met at Headingley in May, has been recalled for only his second Championship match since. In what was, in effect, his first proper bowl in that time – he had just one over in a rain-wrecked contest at Colwyn Bay in June – he looked in surprisingly good order.In two spells totalling nine overs, he gave the ball a loop, found some turn, conceded only one boundary and claimed only his 10th wicket of the season with a delivery that spun and bounced and had Alex Wakely caught at second slip. If lack of confidence had been a problem to him during a difficult 12 months, it did not seem to be a handicap this time.Indeed, he confirmed afterwards that something of the old Rashid, the one that was picked to tour India with England in 2008, was beginning to resurface.”I felt good, my areas felt good, I felt I was threatening, I didn’t bowl many bad balls,” he said. “There is still a long way to go and I need to get a lot more overs under my belt to get some real rhythm but once I get a few wickets I will come back into my own again.”Rashid’s form had been on the slide since early last season, when an 11-wicket haul in the opening match against Worcestershire proved something of a false promise. By the end of the summer he had taken only 28 more in first-class games. This season, he has found no momentum at all.”It has been difficult to get that confidence back and the lack of bowling has not helped,” he said. “And when I have come back into the side I have put myself under a lot of pressure.”But they have told me to relax, to see my role as a wicket-taker, and that if it goes round the park, so be it. And that mindset helps take the pressure off me.”I can only take one match at a time but I felt as good today as I have in a while. I have been out of the side for a couple of months so I have had a long time to work on my action and on the mental side of things and now I just want to have the match practice and basically to bowl and bowl.”It is getting there slowly and hopefully I can get more overs under my belt in the next month or so. With where we are in the season it would be a good time to get back into form.”Every player, even the best players in the world, go through bad patches. I’ve been up and down and hopefully I can come back on a high.”An effective Rashid would clearly be a boon to Yorkshire in their efforts not to blow their chance of going back up at the first attempt following last summer’s relegation from Division One.If there are question marks over whether they have what it takes, they concern their bowling. Steve Patterson, their leading wicket-taker in the Championship with 29, has been asked to carry a heavy burden of responsibility and has done so pretty well but the support for him has been a little lightweight.Richard Pyrah is a solid, well-organised seamer but has no history of bowling sides out. Strike bowler Moin Ashraf and offspinner Azeem Rafiq, meanwhile, are young men with their best years ahead of them. Ryan Sidebottom will be back soon, assuming his recovery from a calf muscle injury is not set back when he plays for the second XI next week, but it would be useful and timely if Rashid could re-emerge now as a force.His first priority, along with Patterson and company, is to ensure Northamptonshire do not build a substantial advantage from the platform built by Peters and Newton. Rafiq, into the attack in the first hour, had Kyle Coetzer well caught at backward point cutting, and Pyrah found the edge to have David Sales taken at second slip by a tumbling Adam Lyth just before lunch, but the fourth-wicket pair looked well set when rain swept in at tea.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s one-day captain, said that his team had considered filing a police complaint against Jonathan Trott after his altercation with fast bowler Wahab Riaz

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2010Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s one-day captain, has said that his team had considered filing a police complaint against Jonathan Trott after his altercation with fast bowler Wahab Riaz in the nets before Monday’s fourth ODI at Lord’s.His version of events, however, drew a strong response from Angus Porter, the chief executive of the PCA, who told ESPNcricinfo that the incident had been “six of one, and half a dozen of the other”, and that to portray Trott as the sole aggressor was inaccurate.In a visible sign of the tensions existing between the two teams in the wake of Ijaz Butt’s allegations against the England team, Trott and Wahab squared up on the nursery ground before the start of play, with the two players eventually being separated by the England batting coach, Graham Gooch.Although the details of the incident were sketchy at the time, Afridi later gave his version of events to the Pakistan news channel, Geo TV. “When Riaz was returning after warming up Trott called him a ‘match-fixer’ and that he [Riaz] was up to harming Test cricket and hit his face with the pad,” Afridi was quoted as saying. “It could have been a police case because it is a crime to hit someone. But we showed a big heart and did not press for it.”Afridi also confirmed that Pakistan had considered a making a protest in the wake of the confrontation. “There was talk of not going in for the toss because of the incident,” he said. “But better sense prevailed because we wanted to play the match and we want this series to end properly.”The match referee [Jeff Crowe] called both players and Trott apologised for his remarks and the matter ended there as far as we are concerned.”Porter, however, did not wish Afridi’s take on the incident to go unchallenged. “It is not only unfortunate that Shahid Afridi spoke out on a matter that the match referee described as minor, but we wish to place on record that his version of events is not one that we subscribe to,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “A line has now been drawn under the incident, but that does not mean we do not wish to set the record straight. Afridi has attempted to come across as magnanimous, but that is not how we understand the issue to have played out.”Riaz is one of four Pakistan players, along with Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, to have been interviewed by police following the allegations of spot-fixing that arose during the Lord’s Test last month. The ECB chief executive, David Collier, described the incident as “regrettable” but “fairly minor in nature”.

South Africa Academy finally sustained their effort through the full course of a game to emerge deserving winners in a close encounter against BCB Academy in Bogra

Cricinfo staff07-May-2010
ScorecardKeshav Maharaj poses with his richly-deserved Man-of-the-Match award•Bangladesh Cricket Board

South Africa Academy finally sustained their effort through the full course of a game to emerge deserving winners in a close encounter against BCB Academy in Bogra. The win was set up by a fine opening burst from opening bowler Keshav Maharaj who reduced the chase of 238 to shambles, picking four wickets in his first five overs. BCB were down and out when they lost their fifth wicket with the score on 20, but Shuvagoto Hom and Nasir Hussain had a script of their own. The pair struck classy 80s, and added 143 in 21 overs, taking little note of their side’s precarious position. Hom went on the offensive, launching three sixes and seven fours in his 69-ball 84, while Nasir was relatively more patient.Cobus Pienaar separated the pair just as threatened to go through with their back-door heist, getting rid of Hom. Nasir kept the fight going, with the tail but BCB had lost too many wickets in the opening exchanges. Wiann van Zyl kept his wits about him despite coming in for tap, taking three late wickets including the big scalp of Nazir’s. BCB eventually folded 15 short, with 3.2 overs left.South Africa’s innings featured a number of threatening knocks that failed to go to the next level. The top three raised a solid base, despite taking their time, and at 140 for 3 in 37 overs, South Africa looked set to finish with a flourish. Khayelihle Zondo partially capitalized on the base, hitting an unbeaten 90-ball 73 to lead the late charge. Nasir and Nazmul Islam bowled tight spells to ensure that the innings never went into overdrive, picking two wickets apiece in their economical spells. Mangaliso Mosehle and van Zyl struck solid blows towards the end as South Africa reached 237. In hindsight, it proved enough, but only just and only thanks to Maharaj’s fine return.

India spinner talks about his recovery from a serious knee injury last August that eventually needed surgery

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2023Ravindra Jadeja “hadn’t felt the sun for about five months” during his long recovery from a knee injury and surgery that had sidelined him since August last year, a period that he said was “tough” and “frustrating”.Jadeja returned to action just in time for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, which begins on February 9 in Nagpur, successfully testing his fitness in a Ranji Trophy game for Saurashtra. He bowled 41.1 overs against Tamil Nadu and took eight wickets, including a seven-for, and made scores of 15 and 25.”When I went to the ground on the first day, it felt weird,” Jadeja told BCCI.tv. “I hadn’t felt the sun for about five months because I was training indoors and in the gym. I wondered if my body would sustain 90 overs out in the sun on the first day.Related

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“The first day was very tough, especially in the Chennai heat. But my body got used to it eventually on day 2 and 3. Then I felt that I was fit, and I could play four-day or five-day cricket. That game went well, and I picked up wickets, too. A player needs such confidence ahead of a big series, and luckily I got that. I feel good about coming back after preparation, and touchwood, whatever happens hereon will be good.”Jadeja injured his right knee during the Asia Cup last August, and said he had to take a decision on when to have surgery.”I was struggling with my knees and had to get a surgery done. I had to take a decision whether I had to do it before the [T20] World Cup or after the World Cup,” he said. “The doctor suggested I get it done before the World Cup because even if I had not got it operated, chances of me playing in the World Cup was very less. So I made up my mind and went under the knife.”

Jadeja: ‘The two months after injury was very tough’

Jadeja had surgery in early September, and said his recovery period was “a bit up and down,” as he missed the T20 World Cup and all of India’s subsequent fixtures.”It is frustrating to be away from cricket for five months, and I was waiting eagerly to get fit and play for India,” he said. “The period after surgery was tough – I had to undergo a lengthy rehab and training. There were thoughts about when I will get fit.”When you watch matches on TV, I was imagining myself there and realising what I was missing and wished I was there. Those things, though, motivate you to get fit quicker by undergoing rehab and training, strengthen my knees and make a comeback.”Jadeja spent a lot of time at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where he underwent most of his rehab. “The physios and trainers at NCA worked a lot on my knees, and gave me enough time. NCA used to be shut on Sundays but they used to come down for me and especially help me out.”I used to shuttle between the NCA [Bengaluru] and home [Rajkot] every two-three weeks to keep my mind fresh and help me recover soon. But the two months after injury was very tough, because I was unable to walk and neither could go anywhere. My friends and family helped me in that critical phase.”In fact, the trainers at NCA also boosted my confidence. Whenever I used to complain about the pain and put it off, they used to tell me, ‘Do it for the country, not for you’. I felt good that they were very serious about my knee and wanted me to get back on the field soon.”Jadeja is now poised to made his comeback for India in the first Test against Australia, where he could line up alongside R Ashwin and Axar Patel if India choose to play three spinners in Nagpur.

The infrequency of India-Pakistan games, however, makes it a fascinating contest

Sidharth Monga27-Aug-20228:40

Dinesh Karthik or Rishabh Pant? Cheteshwar Pujara has his say

Big picture

Every time there is an Asia Cup around, its relevance is brought into question. Is it not enough that it brings together India and Pakistan for an actual game of cricket outside the World Cup and Champions Trophy? This edition has the potential of as many as three matches between them. It is not the case but even if the rest of the tournament is a facade to just find a way to have these teams play, it is worth it.

Watch live on ESPN+

If you are in the USA, you can watch the India-Pakistan game live on ESPN+, both in English and Hindi.

Since their last bilateral engagement in the first week of 2013, the two sides have faced each other only 12 times, four of them in the Asia Cup. Among Full Members, they have played only Afghanistan and Ireland less frequently in this period.To have them play frequently is important because the more India and Pakistan play each other, the less jingoistic the fans’ reaction becomes, the less the chances of a repeat of what Mohammed Shami had to face the last time these two teams played.Among the players themselves, distance has made their hearts grow fonder. Just look at the concern India’s players have for the fitness of Shaheen Shah Afridi, their wrecker the last time they played, in the video that has gone viral.Related

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Since that match, India have shed a lot of their inhibition with the bat. Pakistan have shed some ageing batters, but they are still anchor-heavy, which works only in great bowling units. And their bowling is not the same as the last time around. Apart from Afridi not being there, Imad Wasim is missing, and Hasan Ali is back at the last minute only because Mohammad Wasim got injured. That points to the ordinary form of Hasan.India, too, will be missing Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, but they still look more settled coming into the Asia Cup. They are tactically much more switched on than they were earlier. However, come match day in T20 cricket, these things can all be blown out of the park. Especially when you play each other as infrequently as these teams do.

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWWW2:51

A brief history of India vs Pakistan at the Asia Cup

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. We don’t yet know if they are peas from the same pod but the spotlight is sure to follow them wherever they go. Kohli has bought into the team philosophy of taking more risks even though he has himself not been getting the runs. Forget the external noise, it can be silenced, but is the trust the team is putting in him despite an extended dry run now becoming a bit of pressure?Babar continues to be the run machine but does he trust the batters after him sufficiently to play a more enterprising game? It will be in sharp focus now that their bowling attack doesn’t look as strong as it did last year. Especially if Pakistan are sent in to bat first at a chase-friendly venue.

Team news

It is incredible that India could be going into the match with the same top seven as last year but still hold a completely different outlook and threat. It is not likely that they take a player of Kohli’s stature into the squad and then make him sit. That leaves Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik for one slot. Pant is a more all-round batter and is the only left-hand batter in the top six; Karthik is a specialist finisher. Tough choice.The bowling is not at full strength with only Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal as the certainties. Arshdeep Singh, the only left-arm quick in contention for the World Cup, should get in. The final spot will likely be decided between Avesh Khan and R Ashwin.India (probable): 1 KL Rahul 2 Rohit Sharma (capt) 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 R Ashwin/Avesh Khan, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Arshdeep SinghPakistan’s top seven is more or less settled, leaving some debate over the bowlers. With Shadab Khan being the vice-captain, it is unlikely they will be going for two wristspinners, so Mohammad Nawaz is likely to pip Usman Qadir. With Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah providing high pace, they could pick the control of Shahnawaz Dahani over Mohammad Hasnain.Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Asif Ali, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz/Usman Qadir, 9 Shahnawaz Dahani/Mohammad Hasnain, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Naseem Shah

Pitch and conditions

The World Cup last year and all the IPLs in the UAE, where matches began at 6pm, are a clear indicator that Dubai tilts the scales heavily in favour of the chasing side. There is some tackiness early on, and there is dew to contend with for only one side, as opposed to both teams in case of late starts.Other than that, keep an eye out for the oppressive heat. Even during the night, the temperatures are expected to hover around 35°C.

Stats and trivia

• India lead Pakistan 8-5 on head-to-head in the Asia Cup, both formats put together. They are on a three-match winning streak.
• This will be Kohli’s 100th T20I, making him only the second player after Ross Taylor to play 100 international games in all three formats.

Quotes

“When there is an opportunity to try different combinations, we will try. Along the way, if we make mistakes or face difficulties, we’re okay with that. We have spoken about it as a group, and there is nothing to fear.”
“Honestly, that [last World Cup] game is a thing of the past now. It won’t have an impact on Sunday’s match. I am completely focused on tomorrow’s game. The teams are kind of different, the conditions are different. Although as a side we are confident, we won’t talk big ahead of the game. We wish to prove it on the field.”

Opener’s 136 single-handedly holds Notts together for first win of Blast

David Hopps13-Jun-2021If you are England, then you habitually look away now. But perhaps the time has come when you shouldn’t. Joe Clarke, who has been easy to ignore since his career went off the rails, played one of the finest T20 innings ever produced in England, an innings so mellow in its destruction that birds might have fallen from the sky, or traffic outside the Northampton ground come to a halt in supplication.Clarke’s 136 from 65 balls, with 11 sixes and six fours, was the eighth-highest T20 score in England and the best by a Notts batter. His 11 sixes have only been surpassed by three players – Graham Napier and Cameron Delport, both for Essex, and Chris Gayle for Somerset. Gayle might have possessed more awe, but surely none of them played with Clarke’s sweetness of touch. In this sort of form, very few do: he is the best England-qualified batter without an international cap in the country.He single-handedly took hold of Notts’ stuttering start to the Blast and guided it into winning territory at the third time of asking. Northants’ innings was the undercard, but they can feel good about getting within 14 runs.They retained slight hopes of chasing down Notts’ 214 for 7 with 87 needed off the last seven overs, and Josh Cobb on 55 from 24 balls, and going long at every opportunity, but then Cobb yanked a hamstring, the offspinner Matt Carter, who was excellent throughout, reasserted control, and from then on it was just a matter of how close they could get.It is worth reminding ourselves after Clarke’s gentle demolition of Northants’ attack that there is not one England batter who is but two. Alex Hales, he of the Johnny Ringo moustache, is the sharpshooter who will probably never escape those “Wanted: Alive or Dead” posters, and appeals for clemency are regularly lodged on his behalf. But Clarke, too, was once England’s golden child, only for his magical adventure to turn into the Golden Child, Eddie Murphy style, a mess of a film which ranks at 22% on Rotten Tomatoes.He does not make light of his mistakes, as he made clear in a revealing interview in ESPNcricinfo last year, and he saw a psychologist last summer to help him further understand that phase of his life and how to respond to it. More pertinent for his batting career, though, might have been a discussion with Peter Moores, Notts’ coach, who told him he was sort of a messed-up version of Marnus Labuschagne.By his own admission, he has missed out on a couple of Championship hundreds that were in the offing this summer, but If the ego of a talented youngster has finally given way to the substance that is found in true quality, then the runs may be about to flow. And England are not exactly drowning in that commodity, not in Test cricket at least. Forgiveness is given most readily to those who are most needed – that’s just the desperate way of the world.Cold statistics illustrate how much Clarke dominated Notts’ innings. His 136 came off 65 balls at a strike rate of 209. The rest of Notts’ batting line-up managed 67 off 57 at a strike rate of 117. Clarke hit 11 sixes; the rest mustered only two more. It was a supreme one-man show.From the second ball, it felt as if he meant business as the left-arm spinner Graeme White was treated to the gentlest of inside-out blows over extra cover, a shot played as if he was carrying out an MOT on his timing. Dropped on 29, he exacted mean punishment. White and the swing (non-existent on this occasion) of Ben Sanderson were most harshly dealt with, with Sanderson conceding three sixes in succession in the 16th over.The first of these blows left Sanderson with hands on hips, as he exchanged a few words of despair with the non-striker, Steven Mullaney. A shimmy across his stumps, followed by the laziest six over midwicket, left Sanderson with hands on knees. The next ball, with the bowler by then disorientated, was a full toss which was deposited over long-on. By then Sanderson didn’t know where to put his hands – or put the ball.Only the South African Wayne Parnell, the one bowler of international quality, escaped punishment – or sixes – and, suitably, he almost pulled off a return catch, on 125, although he was probably just grateful he escaped with his hand intact. He was also caught off Brandon Glover’s waist-high no-ball on 127, a second blemish which saw Glover removed from the attack. He fell in the last over, a nine iron down the ground against Tom Taylor.The rest of Notts’ much-vaunted batting line-up failed to fire, although Peter Trego, promoted up to No. 3 in the absence of Ben Duckett, who did not travel to Northampton as a Covid precaution, did share in an 82-run stand before he became one of a succession of batsman to slog to deep midwicket.Clarke marked his hundred with a beating of his chest – although he did not appear to follow up with some appropriate verses from St Luke about requesting God to be merciful because he was a sinner. It is time for England to be merciful though and to contact him to state, in the clearest terms, that runs are now all that matter.

Ness Wadia, co-owner of Kings XI, is even preparing for the possibility that the tournament doesn’t take place at all

Vishal Dikshit and Nagraj Gollapudi14-Mar-2020The BCCI and the IPL franchise owners have decided to adopt a wait-and-watch approach over when and how to hold the IPL. They want to give health and safety of the players and people involved in holding the IPL priority and are likely to discuss its schedule again after two-three weeks, depending on how the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) situation unfolds in India, where, as of Friday, two lives have been lost because of it.The BCCI top brass met top executives of all eight franchises at its headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday, including Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani, Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia, among others, after the board had deferred the start of the tournament until April 15. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said that now that two weeks of the schedule was lost, there was no option but to hold a “truncated” IPL, and the board would “assess and monitor” the situation in the country on a weekly basis. Whether the IPL will be truncated in terms of days or matches remains to be seen.”If it is [postponed till] April 15, then it in any case 15 days are gone, so it has to be truncated one,” Ganguly said. “How truncated, how many games I can’t say at the moment.”Wadia said that the BCCI, the franchise owners and host broadcaster had decided to prioritise people’s health and that they were not concerned by any monetary downsides. Wadia even said he was prepared for the possibility of the IPL not happening at all if the situation did not improve. ESPNcricinfo understands that a few other scheduling options, including a truncated IPL, came up for discussion during the meeting but it was too “premature” to take the discussions forward right now.ALSO READ: Overseas players’ visas and double-headers – things IPL franchises would want clarity on
“The meeting was to discuss the possible scenarios. Number one, most importantly, everyone in India and the world must understand, the BCCI, nor the IPL nor Star is here to gain monetary benefit by having the IPL,” Wadia told reporters after the meeting. “All the stakeholders, especially the BCCI and owners and Star, feel that it is incorrect to think about even one rupee. So we are not interested in money, we are not interested in having any gain from this situation and trying to hold the IPL without a clear understanding of the situation. Having said that, number one is the health and safety of everyone is looked after.”Number two, we will follow whatever the government direction is.”From a third perspective, no one is in a position to say when it’s going to start. We will review the situation after two-three weeks and hopefully by then the [coronavirus] cases will reduce. We should be clear that the most important thing is health and safety, not [financial] gain at the moment. We are not here to earn money, we are here to serve and protect the people.”Public sentiment needs to be considered too – Shah Rukh Khan
ESPNcricinfo understands all eight franchises had held a teleconference on Friday to discuss issues that needed the IPL to address at Saturday’s meetings. The main points of discussion were: would the owners want to go ahead with the tournament, should it be played behind closed doors?It was agreed that they did not have much of an option other than following the BCCI and government directive.Among the owners present during that conference was Shah Rukh Khan, who stressed that the public’s feelings must assume top priority. “Whatever you do, the common man should not get a feeling that we are pushing for the IPL. It is their sentiment that needs to be considered, too, before any call is taken,” a franchise executive, who was present on the call, said of the point Shah Rukh had made.A day later, Shah Rukh reiterated that stance to the BCCI. “What has to be borne in mind is firstly how does the (common man) see it? What is their feelings? That has to be looked at along with the other aspects,” is what Shah Rukh is supposed to have said, according to a franchise’s CEO who was present at Saturday’s meeting.Back-up options
Before deciding to defer IPL 2020 as well as rescheduling the India-South Africa ODI series the BCCI’s top brass, led by its president Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, met with Uday Shankar, head of Star India, the host broadcaster, in Mumbai on Friday. In 2017 Star had paid a record sum of USD 2.55 billion to get the global broadcast rights for the IPL until 2022.One of the points for discussion was stretching the tournament past May 24 – according to the original schedule, the final was slated to be held on this date. Keeping in mind the onset of monsoon in the first week of June, the latest cut-off date was set as June 5. At Saturday’s meeting, the franchises were told that tournament could be played until first week of June if need be.The other options, as reported by ESPNcricinfo on Friday, included the possibility of more double-headers. One other option discussed on Saturday was in the case there would be a government clearance to go ahead with IPL in April, it could be played at limited venues to curtail travel, something many countries are banning people from doing amid the growing outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.The participation of the overseas players was another concern for franchises and the BCCI agreed that in case no players from outside India could feature, then the tournament might not go ahead. However, with the situation in flux, all stakeholders agreed that it would be prudent to not rush into any decision and instead wait for the BCCI to update the franchises periodically.Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan at the BCCI headquarters•PTI

When asked if any back-up options of rescheduling the tournament were discussed in the meeting that lasted around 90 minutes, Wadia said: “That’s hypothesising. This is not a situation to hypothesise. This is a serious pandemic. Thousands of people have died across the world, luckily only two in India.”As far as your next question is, ‘will the foreign players come or not?’, I don’t know. There is a [visa] ban till April 15th and then we’ll see. So if IPL happens, great; if it doesn’t, so be it.”Parth Jindal, co-owner of Delhi Capitals, said the BCCI will “probably” call for another meeting with the owners in the coming weeks after “watching” the situation as the board keeps in touch with the Indian government. The central government placed several travel restrictions for people going in and out of India, cancelling all visas until April 15. The government had also said sporting organisations would need to adhere to the health ministry’s guidelines to avoid mass gatherings which had prompted the BCCI to think about holding IPL matches in front of empty stands.”We are committed to IPL, we would like IPL to happen but we have to wait and watch based on the virus and how it progresses.,” Jindal said.The coronavirus has struck over 100 countries globally, leading to over 5000 deaths and forcing cancellation and rescheduling of all international and domestic cricket. Soon after the IPL was deferred on Friday, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa announced the rescheduling of the remaining two India-South Africa ODIs that were to be played on March 15 (Lucknow) and 18 (Kolkata). The first Australia-New Zealand ODI happened in front of empty stands at the SCG on Friday and the remaining two ODIs as well as the subsequent three-match T20I series were also cancelled on Saturday after the New Zealand government imposed travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Soumya Sarkar and 17-year-old offspinner Nayeem Hasan were the other inclusions in the Bangladesh Test squad that was trimmed to 13 players

Mohammad Isam17-Nov-2018
Shakib Al Hasan will lead Bangladesh in the first Test against West Indies, ending speculation about his finger injury. Shakib returned to training earlier this week after a month-long rehabilitation programme, following complications with the injury that he sustained in January this year.

• IN: Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Nayeem Hasan

• OUT: Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Abu Jayed, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Islam

Shakib, Soumya Sarkar and 17-year-old offspinner Nayeem Hasan were the inclusions in the Bangladesh Test squad that was trimmed to 13 players from the 15-man squad that had been named against Zimbabwe. Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Abu Jayed, Shafiul Islam and Nazmul Islam were all dropped.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that Shakib was fit but needed game time under his belt, while Soumya was picked to resolve Bangladesh’s Test opening conundrum, with Tamim Iqbal still recovering from a side strain.”He has no physical problems currently, but he is short of match fitness. But since he is a senior player, we think that he is ready,” Minhajul said. “Soumya has done well in the NCL. Our openers have failed in Tests, so we want to give him a chance. Soumya plays fast bowling quite well.”Soumya effectively replaces Liton who showed glimpses of form in ODIs but has struggled in Test cricket this year. Shanto, Jayed, Shafiul and Nazmul have all been dropped, according to Minhajul, because the selectors wanted a smaller Test squad. These players will be playing in the Bangladesh Cricket League, the first-class tournament which is scheduled to begin next week.It is, however, particularly chastening for Jayed, who was Bangladesh’s standout bowler July in the West Indies, but is suddenly behind Khaled Ahmed in the selectors’ pecking order.”[Abu Jayed] Rahi is not really dropped. We may go with one seam bowler, so there’s no point keeping him around the squad. The same goes for [Najmul Hossain] Shanto, Shafiul [Islam] and [Nazmul Islam] Apu,” Minhajul said.Nayeem, who was a surprise choice in the Bangladesh Test squad last January, has been picked this time for topping the wicket-takers’ charts in the NCL, the first-class tournament that concluded last week. Soumya meanwhile last played Tests more than a year ago.Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Naeem Hasan

Players from Pakistan, the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were among those who went under the hammer in the highest-profile auction yet for Afghanistan’s domestic T20 league, the Shpageeza Cricket League, in Kabul on Thursday

Danyal Rasool28-May-2017Players from Pakistan, the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were among those who went under the hammer in the highest-profile auction yet for Afghanistan’s domestic T20 league, the Shpageeza Cricket League, in Kabul on Thursday. Among the big international picks were Babar Azam, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Tamim Iqbal and Hamilton Masakadza, who will turn out for six franchises in the fifth edition of the tournament in July. The most-expensive buy was Afghanistan allrounder Gulbadin Naib, who was bought by Boost Defenders for USD 108,000.The other five teams include Band-e-Amir Dragons, Mis Ainak Knights, Kabul Eagles, Speenghar Tigers and Amo Sharks. All the franchises are owned by leading Afghan business groups.Pakistan pacers Sohail Tanvir and Rumman Raees were not far behind the most expensive buy, signed up by Band-e-Amir Dragons and Boost Defenders respectively for USD 105,000 approx. Other notable buys included Bangladesh’s Imrul Kayes and Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams. Salman Butt, who featured in the tournament last year, remained unsold this time.”All matches will be held in Kabul, between July 18 and July 28,” Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Shafiq Stanikzai told ESPNcricinfo. “The ICC has sanctioned this event, and is sending its own match referee to oversee the tournament. In addition, we will have one on-field umpire from the ICC panel.”The league will be broadcast on television in Afghanistan, and Stanikzai said the board is in talks to have it reach a wider audience. “It will be broadcast locally on one channel,” he said. “The production company is Indian, but we are thinking of getting it on air in India and Pakistan as well. We are currently in negotiations, we haven’t finalised the deal yet.”Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan and allrounder Mohammad Nabi, who had earned contracts with the IPL this year and impressed in the league, boosted Afghanistan’s cricketing profile around the world. With Afghanistan now set to showcase its own T20 tournament, they hope it will announce their arrival on the big stage. “This tournament will be a mega-hit and will take Afghanistan cricket to new heights,” ACB chairman Atif Mashal said. “This tournament will prove that we are the new cricketing force in the world.”The ACB tweeted the full squads for all the franchises after the auction, and they are as follows:Band-e-Amir Dragons, full squad•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Kabul Eagles, full squad•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Mis Ainak Knights, full squad•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Speenghar Tigers, full squad•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Boost Defenders•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Amo Sharks•Afghanistan Cricket Board