All posts by n8rngtd.top

His numbers since his international comeback are eye-watering: “it’s been a long journey but it’s not finished yet, hopefully”

Andrew McGlashan27-Oct-20223:46

What makes Rossouw so good against spin?

It has been a remarkable return to international cricket for Rilee Rossouw. After six years away, during which he took up a Kolpak deal in county cricket that did not go down well with CSA, he has now compiled back-to-back T20I centuries, alongside an unbeaten 96, in just seven innings.His numbers for the year are eye-watering: 340 runs at 68 with a strike rate of 184.78. In a way, those figures are made more extraordinary given he made two ducks against India. He has been given the pivotal No. 3 slot and has made it his own.Related

• Rossouw ton, Nortje four-for help South Africa demolish Bangladesh

All five of his T20 hundreds have come since 2019. In that time, he has averaged 38.55 with a strike-rate of 156.88; up to the start of 2019, the corresponding figures were 26.16 and 131.07. He is a player transformed in this format.He had come within one blow of a century in the second innings of his comeback, against England. But, against India in Indore, shortly before this tournament, he crunched a 48-ball hundred. Now, less than a month later, he has done it again and there was plenty of emotion on show at the SCG, a ground that had been good to him before. He has batted three times here for South Africa and passed fifty on each occasion.”I’m a very passionate man and getting across the line meant a lot to me, meant a lot to my family back home,” he said. “It’s been a good rollercoaster ride just to play for South Africa again, it’s been amazing. You know sometimes things go your way and this year has been like an unbelievable rollercoaster ride for me. So happy, so proud to be sitting here. Never thought about it in a million years.”It did not take him long to get going, any joy Bangladesh felt about removing Temba Bavuma in the first over quickly evaporating [that issue is not going away for South Africa]. On his eighth ball, Rossouw deposited Hasan Mahmud straight down the ground for six; in the next over there were two more, swept this time, off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.”If I get a boundary early in my innings I kind of feel like, okay, I could be on here today, and then I just grow from that confidence,” Rossouw said.A brief stoppage for rain did not really disrupt the flow, although there was some brief consolidation after the powerplay with Rossouw not finding the boundary in consecutive overs. Things got particularly ugly for Bangladesh in the 11th over, when Shakib Al Hasan, who had held himself back, was probably left wishing he hadn’t brought himself on when he was twice put into the stands over the leg side – the second off a huge no-ball full toss. To make matters worse, Bangladesh were penalised five runs when the wicketkeeper, Nurul Hasan, took a step back on the free hit, thus changing the field, which is not allowed.”I thought he played it well, played his cards [as he] could,” Rossouw said of Shakib’s decision to not bowl early on. “If I was in his shoes, I also probably wouldn’t want to bowl to myself or Quinton de Kock. He was hoping he could maybe get a breakthrough from one of the other bowlers… the longer it took for him to come into the game, the more attacking we were going to be.””So every moment you’ve got to cherish playing for your country”•ICC via Getty

Rossouw’s play against spin is among the best in the world: since 2021, only he, Alex Hales and Marcus Stoinis have averaged 35-plus and struck at 150 when facing spin. The amount of league and franchise cricket he has played around the world during his international absence played a key part, developing skills, notably a full range of sweeps, that can often not come naturally to batters brought up in South African conditions.”I think it’s somewhere I’ve definitely improved because I’ve played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent,” he said. “So I feel more comfortable now than what I used to maybe when I was in my 20s. You’ve got to expose yourself to that type of environment. And I’ve been fortunate enough in the last six or seven years of my career to be in that position, and it’s just made me a better player.”Rossouw sped into the 90s with three boundaries in four balls against Taskin Ahmed; the first of them highlighting terrific placement through point, the second brute power down the ground. He was within range of beating his 48-ball effort just a few weeks ago. In the end, the final five runs took a little bit longer – part of a wider slowdown in South Africa’s innings – but a dab into the off side got the run he most wanted. There was time for an eighth six before he found a fielder.”When you give up your right to play for your country, you expect, ‘okay, that’s just going be my last chance’,” he said. “So every moment you’ve got to cherish playing for your country. It’s been a long journey but it’s not finished yet, hopefully.”Rossouw missed out on what could have been a number of his best years at international level, but he’s doing all he can to make up for lost time.

Newly demoted player says, “hopefully, white-ball cricket can get recognised as Test-match cricket does”

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2022Dawid Malan has described the ECB’s process for awarding central contracts as “a slightly strange system” after he was demoted to an incremental deal.Malan had a full central contract for the year October 2021-September 2022 but lost his place in the Test side after England’s 4-0 defeat in the Ashes in Australia. As a result, he has been shifted to an incremental contract for the year October 2022-September 2023, meaning the ECB will top up his recently-renewed Yorkshire contract rather than acting as his primary employer.”There’s obviously a slightly strange system with the contracting system,” Malan said after hitting 82 off 49 balls in Canberra to help England take an unassailable 2-0 lead in their T20I series against Australia. He questioned the emphasis placed on Test cricket within the contract system and suggested that losing his contract might put him in “tough situations” later in the winter.Related

• Report: Malan relishes return to No. 3 as Curran ices England victory

• Malan demoted in ECB contracts; Livingstone, Foakes earn full deals

• Dawid Malan backs Strauss review as 'winner for English cricket'

“It seems heavily led towards red-ball cricket when you have players that play one or two formats of the white-ball game,” Malan said. “They are decisions that I don’t make but ultimately, it puts you in tough situations if you’re not contracted and you’re losing finances playing in tournaments in the winter.”England’s contracting system had increasingly rewarded performances in Test cricket above white-ball cricket, recognising the number of earning opportunities that white-ball specialists have outside of international cricket through the proliferation of short-form tournaments during the English winter; of the 18 players awarded full contracts this winter, only three – Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid – appear unlikely to play Test cricket over the next 12 months.Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, had said when the contracts were announced: “I feel we have rewarded those players who have made a significant impact over the previous 12 months and those we expect to be part of England’s plans over the next period.”Malan is due to play for Sharjah Warriors in the new ILT20 in the UAE from January 6 to February 12, a tournament which clashes directly with England’s rescheduled ODI series in South Africa at the end of January. “Those are hurdles that we’ll get to when it gets to it,” he said.Chris Jordan, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is, missed on a contract altogether after holding an incremental deal last year, while Malan suggested that his own sustained success in that format should have been recognised with a full central contract.”Hopefully, white-ball cricket can get recognised as Test-match cricket does,” he said. “You have players here who have been leading wicket-takers for England that don’t have a contract, but those are decisions that I don’t make. Keysy and I have had that chat already.”As players, we’d like to be rewarded for our performances for England. You’d guess that’s what contracts are for; and if you’re ranked top five in the world for three years, you’d hope you’d get recognised with a white-ball contract, but that’s just how it works. It’s still an honour to play for England, and you want to play and win as many games as you can for England.”Malan started the winter slowly and admitted he “had no rhythm” at the start of England’s series in Pakistan. But he has reasserted his credentials in the last ten days, hitting 78* off 47 balls in the decider in Lahore and adding another fluent half-century in Canberra on Wednesday night.He had slipped down the order during England’s first game in Australia, pushed down to No. 7 after Jos Buttler and Alex Hales’ bright start, but denied that he had been left with anything to prove as a result of that decision.”I feel like I’ve proved my point a hell of a lot before,” he said. “The situation of the game just changed. We were flexible in the last World Cup: I batted No. 5 in one of the games [against South Africa] and didn’t bat in the first game [against West Indies] either because they wanted to get the run-rate [up].”It is what it is; we’re all flexible. As soon as we get a good start, the whole team pretty much pads up and waits for a nod.”Malan had earlier been presented with his 50th T20I cap by England’s new assistant coach Mike Hussey, and became the 11th man to reach that landmark for England. “He’s been one of my idols growing up, Mr. Cricket, so to have him present my cap and the words that he said was an incredibly proud moment for myself,” Malan said.

Seamer switches counties after successful stint with Lancashire last season

Matt Roller24-Nov-2022Hasan Ali has signed for Warwickshire for the first four months of the 2023 county season. His contract covers the duration of the T20 Blast, including the knockout stages, and Warwickshire’s County Championship fixtures until the end of July.Hasan played five games for Lancashire in the early stages of the 2022 County Championship and thrived, taking 25 wickets at 20.60 including two five-wicket hauls, but the club did not pursue a renewal.He has been a regular in Pakistan’s squads across formats over the last six years but was dropped ahead of the T20 World Cup and has also lost his place in the Test squad ahead of England’s tour next month.If recalled to the limited-overs set-up, his availability could be limited by Pakistan’s home white-ball series against New Zealand which runs from April 13-May 7, as well as potential involvement in the World Test Championship final.”I’m delighted to sign for Warwickshire as they are an ambitious club and Edgbaston is a ground I’ve always enjoyed playing at,” Hasan said. “I hope I can help the team with my experience and contribute to some wins – maybe even a trophy.”Related

• Hasan Ali six-for leads Lancashire fightback as James Anderson makes low-key return to fray

• Hasan Ali helps Lancashire overcome Gloucestershire rearguard in dramatic finale

• Pakistanis in the County Championship: Abbas runs through Gloucestershire, Azhar scraps his way into form

• Hasan Ali dropped from Pakistan squads for Asia Cup and Netherlands ODIs

Mark Robinson, Warwickshire’s head coach, said: “Hasan made a real statement at Lancashire with some match-winning performances. It was his first spell in English county cricket but he settled in seamlessly and that experience will undoubtedly help him going into a second season.”He’ll play a major role for us in both the Championship and the T20 Blast with his stay running from the start of the season and ending at the end of July. He’s an established international bowler and a fantastic addition to our attack giving us something different to what we already have.”Warwickshire were Blast quarter-finalists last year but narrowly escaped relegation on the final day of the Championship season and have lost Dom Sibley (Surrey), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Adam Hose (Worcestershire) and Matthew Lamb (Derbyshire) from last year’s squad.Hasan is the latest addition to their seam attack, with Ed Barnard (Worcestershire) and Chris Rushworth (Durham) arriving earlier in the winter, while Moeen Ali will return to the club in 2023 and play a prominent role in the Blast.Elsewhere, Gloucestershire have re-signed Zafar Gohar on a two-year contract while Wiaan Mulder has signed a new two-year deal at Leicestershire.

He feels Australia’s bowling pecking order is in place and that new options will keep everyone on their feet

Andrew McGlashan02-Jan-20233:27

McDonald backs Agar skillset despite lack of first-class cricket

Josh Hazlewood is confident Australia’s pace-bowler hierarchy remains intact despite him only playing three Tests since the start of the last home season but admits it’s been a frustrating period during what should be his prime years as a fast bowler.Through a combination of two side injuries in consecutive seasons alongside the conditions presented on the tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Hazlewood has only had a bit-part role since the beginning of the 2021-22 Ashes.Related

• Australia confident in Hazlewood's fitness despite side soreness

• Hazlewood marks return to Australia XI with 'vintage' performance

• With Labuschagne as third seamer, there's a very un-Australian Australia at the SCG

• Australia set to rotate Pat Cummins' ODI captaincy stand-ins

• Hazlewood vs Boland: is Australia's bowling hierarchy about to change?

He suffered a side strain at the Gabba in the opening game of that series which ended his Test summer, with history repeating itself this season when he picked up a similar injury against West Indies in Perth. Hazlewood withdrew himself from contention for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne when he did not quite feel ready to return, but is now primed for a comeback in Sydney.However, while he is expected to line up on his home ground, in an attack missing the injured Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green, the emergence of Scott Boland means it is perhaps not quite the obvious decision it once would have been when Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were the locked in big three and now all have more than 200 Test wickets.
“I still feel like it’s in place,” Hazlewood said of the bowling pecking order. “It’s always good to have pressure and every time Scotty’s played, he’s done remarkably well. With the Ashes coming up as well, it’s a big one that he’s looking at and he’s a similar bowler to myself and Pat – we could potentially all play there together on a wicket that might seam and swing. It’s great to have options and it keeps you on your toes.”Added into the equation at the SCG is that Australia may want to find room for uncapped quick Lance Morris to cover for the absence of Starc, although answers to key selection questions remained uncertain with the nature of the pitch creating some head-scratching amid continued intrigue as to whether two spinners will be selected for the first time since 2016-17.Even if Hazlewood does return on Wednesday, how long he remains in the XI could depend heavily on the fitness of Starc come the India tour if, as expected, Australia play two frontline spinners at most stages during that tour. In Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it was Starc, Cummins and Green as the pace options.Josh Hazlewood has played just three Tests since the start of the last home season•Getty Images

Longer term, Hazlewood will also take a look at his workloads and how he prepares for Test cricket as a multi-format bowler in an attempt to avoid further injury blows. However, he did lament that the side injuries have only amounted to a few weeks on the sidelines, but have hit in the middle of the season.”It’s frustrating, definitely,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’ve been injured much…it just happens to be at the wrong time of the year, after the first Test. The Test matches are so close together now. Apart from that, [for] the rest of the 24 months I’ve been fit and firing. So it’s frustrating when you think about it like that.”There remains a degree of uncertainty over how strong of a link there is between the two side strains – which have been described as different injuries – with medical teams due to investigate further when the Test summer is complete.”They’re a little bit in a different position,” he said. “We’d probably have to dig into it when we have a bit more time. There’s been a lot going on in the last few weeks and they (medical staff) have focused on the guys on the field a lot. Behind the scenes there’s chats…just through is there a link here or there, or what it could be. I think it’s just part of fast bowling that it’s a strength issue at times and it’s a workload issue at times. Nothing too much to worry about, just little things I’ll need to tick off in the future.”However, Hazlewood may look into how he builds into a Test series, especially when there is white-ball cricket in the lead-up, even if it means slightly over-cooking training at the expense of being in prime condition for a limited-overs match. The current schedules rarely allow for Sheffield Shield cricket while some of the fast bowlers have said they are actually more comfortable preparing outside of match scenarios as it allows more control of how much they bowl.”I’ve thought about it a little bit over the last few weeks,” Hazlewood said. “If you have to focus on either a strength period or bowl a few more balls at training when you are playing with the white ball, at the detriment of maybe not being 100 percent for those games, then it puts you in a better place for a Test series that follows. Just little things like that we’re talking about with coaches or medical staff. That will be something I’ll look to do in the next little period.”

Dewald Brevis was not part of the 16-man group, with the selectors saying they would look to introduce him via T20 cricket

Firdose Moonda18-Jan-2023Fast bowler Sisanda Magala has made a comeback to South Africa’s ODI team after a year when he was named in the 16-man squad for the upcoming three-match series against England at home in January.There was no room in the squad for the hard-hitting 19-year old Dewald Brevis, who is currently third on the SA20 run-scorers’ list. Earlier in the week, Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket, said Brevis would likely enjoy a David-Warner-like introduction to international cricket by moving from the T20I squad upwards and selection convenor Victor Mpitsang confirmed he would be considered for the series against West Indies in March.At the time of the squad announcement, Brevis and Magala were in action in the SA20 game with the latter accounting for the former’s wicket for six. Magala is the joint third-highest wicket-taker at the SA20 and was the leading wicket-taker in this season’s domestic one-day cup. Despite his form, Magala was left out most of last year, because he struggled to pass CSA’s two-kilometre time trial in the fitness test. He has now made the 8:30 mark and is therefore eligible for selection.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Sisanda has been a good performer in the last few years. We have had some fitness issues with him in the past and that’s the only reason he was left out,” Mpitsang said. “His consistency has been the reason why he has been selected.”The squad will be coached by Shukri Conrad, who was named as South Africa’s Test coach on Monday, will take charge of the ODI squad in this series while new white-ball coach, Rob Walter, finishes his commitments with the Central Stags in New Zealand. Walter will be in consultation with Conrad throughout. Malibongwe Maketa, the interim coach who took South Africa’s Test squad to Australia, has not been retained.Temba Bavuma keeps his place as captain, although it is understood that the leadership in red and white-ball cricket will be up for discussion under the new coaching set-up. Bavuma is not part of the SA20 and had a disastrous run as T20I captain at the World Cup in Australia but is understood to have enjoyed a break and is ready for action. “He is in a good space. In the one-day format, he has a good record. We are quite happy with where he is at the moment,” Mpitsang said.The rest of the squad includes familiar names such as Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, SA20 leading run-scorer Heinrich Klaaasen and David Miller, as well as the first-choice bowling attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and allrounders Marco Jansen and Wayne Parnell. But a notable absentee is domestic one-day cup leading-run-scorer Ryan Rickelton.Rickelton missed the Test tour to Australia because he requires ankle surgery. Rickelton has opted to delay going under the knife in order to play this summer but could not travel for the Australia series because of the risk of worsening the injury and the travel time required to secure a replacement. Mpitsang confirmed he is available for selection in home internationals and could come into contention when South Africa play West Indies in February-March.”Ryan has performed really well in the last summer,” Mpitsang said. “It’s about where does he fit in at the moment. He is an opening batter. He has got good numbers. In a squad of 16, we just couldn’t get him in. We have had a conversation before we pick the squad and the medical team made it clear that the risk is not as high as when we travel abroad.”The series is the penultimate World Cup Super League encounter for South Africa and is crucial to their chances of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. South Africa are out of the automatic qualification zone and lie 11th on the points table. They must win at least three of their remaining five matches (three vs England, two vs Netherlands) if they are to leapfrog Sri Lanka and West Indies and avoid the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June.The three-match series will be played over six days, with the first match in Bloemfontein starting on January 27.All of the squad, except Bavuma, are involved in the SA20, which takes a break from January 25 to February 2 to accommodate for the white-ball series. South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen.

Former England captain questioned by ECB counsel during Yorkshire racism hearing

Osman Samiuddin03-Mar-2023Historic tweets from Michael Vaughan took centre stage on the third day of the ECB’s racism hearings, as the former England captain denied having made the statement that forms the core of the ECB’s charge of bringing the game into disrepute.As he has done publicly before, Vaughan emphatically denied ever having said, “There’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that” to Azeem Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad at a T20 game in June 2009. The ECB’s charge stems from Rafiq’s recollection of the remark which was, on Thursday, supported by the testimony of Rashid.Vaughan, appearing at the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) hearing in London, said of the day in question that he had “a very clear mind about back in 2009” and that he knew he did not say what had been alleged. He added that he would never have gone on to the field and said something to team-mates that could “put them in a bad state of mind” before the game.Related

• Moeen: Vaughan must 'step up' in cricket's fight against racism

• Yorkshire plead guilty to data deletion in wake of racism allegations

• ECB lays out case against Yorkshire defendants as CDC hearing begins

• Adil Rashid denies feeling pressure to confirm Michael Vaughan's 'you lot' comment

“Knowing me in 2009, that’s not the sort of thing I would’ve said.”Vaughan was questioned by the ECB’s lead counsel Jane Mulcahy KC for nearly 90 minutes, during which she argued that some historical tweets of his were “remarkably similar in tone” to the alleged remarks.The tweets she referenced were from 2010 and 2017. In one he tweeted, “Not many English people live in London…I need to learn a new language”. The other was his response to a Piers Morgan tweet calling for Muslims “to expose, name and shame radicalised members of their communities…” , to which Vaughan tweeted: “Totally agree.”Vaughan said the tweets were unacceptable and that he had apologised for them before and would continue to do so. But he disagreed with the suggestion that they were similar in tone. Mulcahy pointed out that both Rafiq and Rashid claimed Vaughan likely made the alleged comment as a “bad joke” and said the tweet was similar in tone because it was “lighthearted but offensive”.Asked if he agreed, Vaughan said: “No.”Vaughan said he was “disgusted” with the tweets. “I apologised for them. I put myself on an online course, Inclusion. I wanted to lead the game in knowing how to lead in modern times. The tweets are disgusting, awful, and other words you could use. But the most important thing is I have said sorry and I am learning from them. As I say, if I get things wrong in my life, I stick my hands up.”He went back to his recollection of the day of the game – which he has written about in his memoir – that he “could not have been more proud [of] four Asian players, three of whom had come through the system.”Vaughan was also questioned about his meeting with Rafiq in November 2021 saying he felt the need for it because “the whole situation was escalating out of control”. Vaughan said he was apologetic in the meeting with Rafiq because he was “disgusted” by what Rafiq had to go through at Yorkshire but did not accept he made the alleged comment.

Vaughan: ‘Team-mates fighting it out terrible for game’

Vaughan said that the CDC hearing was a “terrible look” for cricket. “It’s not been easy for anybody. This is not the right process to deal with word-against-word comments from 14 years ago. Ex-team-mates fighting it out over hearsay is a terrible look for the game and a really bad look on how cricket has dealt with this situation.”Earlier in the morning, scrutiny fell on the ECB’s scope in the investigation of the incident as well as the rigour deployed, with Meena Botros, its director of legal and integrity, facing a three-hour grilling from Christopher Stoner, Vaughan’s lawyer.The line of questioning took in a recent interview with Lord Kamlesh Patel, the outgoing Yorkshire chair, in . In it the claim was made that the ECB had “urged” Lord Patel to “get rid of people” at the county when he took over. Talking about his role, Patel said: “I was asked by the ECB to meet a set of criteria that most people would have winced at, would have thought there’s no way we can deliver this, and I delivered it.”I was asked by the ECB to work with them to create a framework and an environment where we would prove to the world that we want a non-racist institution, and I did all that. I was asked by the ECB to ensure some people who were there from the previous regime did not take part in that governance process, very clear about that.”Stoner suggested those comments showed that the ECB was “actively involved” in the Yorkshire investigation, in breach of the process as described in Botros’ witness statement, that the ECB remained independent of action being taken by one of its counties in such matters.Botros said he couldn’t talk about what Lord Patel had said but insisted that Stoner was “mistaking” the ECB’s regulatory function in getting involved, from its other roles in such cases. Stoner pointed to Botros’s witness statement which read: “In its capacity as a regulator, the ECB must remain independent of action being taken by one of its member first-class county clubs.””That’s just not what happened, is it?” Stoner asked.Botros replied: “It is what happened.”Stoner then zeroed in on the day Vaughan is alleged to have made the remark, questioning whether the ECB could and should have gone further in its investigations of events. He confirmed with Botros that the only players the ECB had spoken to about the incident were Adil Rashid and Ajmal Shahzad.Stoner asked why all Yorkshire players that day weren’t spoken to. Botros said the ECB “did speak to the individuals where we were able to” but that “certain individuals either didn’t want to take part or engage”, or that the ECB “weren’t able” to get contact details for others.Stoner also asked Botros why the on-field umpires that day had not been contacted by the ECB for their version of events.”There is no suggestion that the umpires were close enough to hear it,” Botros replied. Botros added that if it was such an important point, Vaughan’s team could have taken it on themselves.The hearing is scheduled to end next Tuesday.

Batter Will Young will be released to play in the Plunket Shield between the Tests

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Mar-2023Neil Wagner has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a bulging disc in his back and a torn right hamstring. The recovery time for the injuries is around six weeks.Wagner had left the field late in the third session on day three of the ongoing Test in Christchurch, feeling serious discomfort in his back and leg. He failed a fitness Test before play on day four on Sunday but will be available to bat if required.In December, Wagner signed a deal with Yorkshire to play the first ten games of the County Championship season, though now appears unlikely to be fit for their opening fixture against Leicestershire on April 6.New Zealand, meanwhile, have called up seamer Doug Bracewell into the squad.”We all know how much playing Test cricket for New Zealand means to Neil and we are all disappointed to see him side-lined like this,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “The fact he was still hoping to play on, carrying these injuries shows you just how determined he is to try and give his all for the team.”Doug is a skilful bowler who has been in strong form for the Central Stags across formats this season. We believe his skills will complement the rest of the bowlers we have in the group going into the next Test.”Bracewell, 32, had last played a Test in 2016. In addition to the three fast bowlers still playing the first Test – Tim Southee, Matt Henry, and Blair Tickner – New Zealand also have right-armer Scott Kuggeleijn in the squad. Where Kuggeleijn only made his Test debut last month, Bracewell brings substantially more experience, having played 27 Tests where he has bagged 72 wickets.Will Young, who is part of the Test squad, will be released to play in the next round of the Plunket Shield. He will return before the second Test starts on Friday.”We think it’s important for Will to keep getting cricket under his belt,” Stead said. “With the timing of this round and the next Test we thought it was a good opportunity to get him on the park and have time in first-class match conditions.”

The RCB batter and the LSG mentor got into an altercation at the end of a tight game in Lucknow

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2023Following a fractious end to Monday night’s IPL game, with Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir having to be separated from each other, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batter addressed the situation in a video published by his team on YouTube.Captured candidly as he was celebrating with the rest of the players, Kohli was seen saying, “That’s a sweet win boys. A sweet win. If you can give it, you got to take it. Otherwise don’t give it.”RCB came from behind to beat Lucknow Super Giants in a low-scoring tussle, which bore striking resemblance to a grudge match. The two teams had already been involved in previous game that also turned out to be an emotional roller-coaster when LSG secured a last-ball, one-wicket victory in Bengaluru.Related

• Kohli-Gambhir altercation takes away sheen from RCB win over LSG

• Bowlers do the job as RCB defend 126 to go fifth

• RCB bring in Jadhav as injury replacement for Willey

• LSG receive injury blows to Rahul and Unadkat

In celebrating that win, Gambhir was seen shushing the Chinnaswamy crowd, a gesture which Kohli reprised at Ekana stadium.Back in the dressing room, and speaking directly to the camera, Kohli added, “It was a really important win for us. The fact that we got more support from the home crowd is an unbelievable feeling. It tells you all about how much we are liked as a team and how people come out and back us. It’s a very sweet win. Feels very good for many reasons but most importantly for the kind of character we showed defending that total [126]. I think everyone had the belief that we could do it and we were on the winning side which is great.”The IPL took note of the altercation and fined both Kohli and Gambhir 100% of their match fees. They were found to be in breach of article 2.21 of the tournament’s code of conduct, which covers all type of conduct that brings the game into disrepute, including unruly public behaviour.While the players were shaking hands after the game, there seemed to be words exchanged between LSG bowler Naveen-ul-Haq and Kohli. Naveen was fined 50% of his match fees.RCB director of operations Mike Hesson admitted that some of the needle stemmed from the two teams’ first meeting at this IPL. “I guess after the last match at the Chinnaswamy, where we lost off the last ball, it always felt like we were really desperate to get this one. So I think you probably saw a little bit of that boil over tonight.”The RCB captain had no problems with the spectacle. “That’s the best version of Virat, isn’t it?” Faf du Plessis said. “To see him pumped up like that. That’s when he’s at his best. It’s really awesome to be a part of it. My job is to keep things calm on the field, which I thought we did really well.”

Hetmyer continues to miss out; the squad for UAE series includes four uncapped players

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2023West Indies have named allrounder Keemo Paul and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie in the squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe as well as the three-match series against UAE before that. Both Paul and Motie last played an ODI in July 2022 and were forced to miss the subsequent New Zealand series with injuries.Shimron Hetmyer, meanwhile, did not find a place in either squad.The roster for the UAE series, which will form part of the preparations for the qualifiers and will be played in Sharjah, also includes four uncapped players – left-hand batter Alick Athanaze, as well as allrounders Kavem Hodge, Dominic Drakes and Akeem Jordan.Paul had recently returned to domestic cricket, scoring 53 runs and taking five wickets for Guyana against Trinidad & Tobago in the four-day West Indies Championship in March. He is currently with Lucknow Super Giants as a net bowler in the IPL.”Paul is a three-dimensional player, who can bowl the new ball effectively, he is dynamic in the outfield and he can also make vital runs,” lead selector Desmond Haynes said. “He is now fully recovered from injury and with his skill set, we see him as a potential match-winner for us.”Motie was excellent in the Test matches in Zimbabwe earlier this year, where he took 19 wickets, and we anticipate similar conditions for the qualifiers. We believe he will again relish the chance to bowl in those conditions. He is also a capable batsman and good in the outfield.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Shai Hope will lead the side in both assignments. Brandon King will be his deputy for the UAE series, with Rovman Powell, who is currently playing in the IPL for Delhi Capitals, taking over for the World Cup Qualifier.Apart from Powell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd and Paul are the others from West Indies’ IPL contingent who are part of the World Cup Qualifier squad. All of them have been given permission to return to the Caribbean for a short break before arriving in Zimbabwe.”We see this as a crucial tournament as we look to secure one of the two places left in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India,” Haynes said. “Therefore, we have selected a balanced team which we believe is well-equipped to get the job done in the conditions we anticipate in Zimbabwe. It will be a challenging tournament, it will be intense and competitive, there is no doubt about that. In speaking to the players, they are fully aware of the job at hand. We are happy with the preparations and the mindset of the players, and everyone is clear about their roles in the squad.”For the matches against the UAE in Sharjah, this presents a chance for some other players who are not in the squad for the qualifiers to get an opportunity at the international level as we look to expose more players.”Squad for UAE series: Shai Hope (capt), Brandon King (vice-capt), Alick Athanaze, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Dominic Drakes, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith, Devon ThomasSquad for World Cup Qualifier: Shai Hope (capt), Rovman Powell (vice-capt), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd

England A did well to restrict the visitors to 285 before responding positively with the bat

AAP16-Jun-2023Beth Mooney cemented her spot as Australia’s opener for the women’s Ashes Test after scoring a dominant century against England A.Mooney scored 107 from 133 balls at Leicester on Thursday, as Australia were all out for 284 and had their English rivals 2-135 in reply at stumps on day one.With Meg Lanning out of the tour with illness and Rachael Haynes having retired since their last red-ball match, Australia gave their strongest indication yet of their line up for next week’s Test in Nottingham.Captain Alyssa Healy moved down the order to No. 5, after indicating last month she did not want to shoulder the load of wicketkeeping and opening.That prompted Phoebe Litchfield and Mooney to open, in an entirely new-look combination after Healy and Haynes opened in Australia’s last Test.Litchfield fell for 19, but still looks likely to earn a Test debut at the top of the order at Trent Bridge next week.Mooney, however, had no such trouble ahead of the one-off Test against England that kicks off the multi-format series. She was dominant square of the wicket and punished an England A attack that was sometimes too wayward.Mooney has opened previously in Test cricket, but has traditionally batted at No. 3 or in the middle order before Haynes’ retirement. Her score was the only Australian one above 40, as others fell to loose shots around her.”I seem to do that in warm-up games and not transfer that to the real thing,” Mooney said. “Hopefully next week I can. The first few days in England it’s nice to hit a few off the middle.”Kim Garth then pushed her case for a Test debut for Australia as she took 2 for 24 late in the day. Veteran seamer Megan Schutt was not used, with Australia likely to leave her out of the Test attack and play former Irish international Garth instead.”Kimmy G is a ripper, she has contributed hugely to this group off the field and it’s nice to see her getting some games on the field,” said Mooney. She presents a real threat to the England top order, so it’s nice to see her get a couple in this game.”