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While it’s a shoulder injury that sees Nortje out of the IPL, CSK will miss Ngidi due to a side-strain picked up during South Africa’s ODIs against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2019In another blow for Kolkata Knight Riders, South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the 2019 edition of the IPL because of a shoulder injury. His national team-mate Lungi Ngidi, too, will miss his stint with Chennai Super Kings, after South Africa’s team manager said that Ngidi picked up a side-strain injury during the ODI series against Sri Lanka.Nortje’s absence weakens the Knight Riders’ pace reserves further, with the young Indian duo of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi already on the sidelines, and of the two replacements, only Sandeep Warrier a fast bowler. KC Cariappa, the other replacement, is a wristspinner.The 25-year-old Nortje, who was set for his maiden IPL season, had been picked by Knight Riders at his base price of INR 20 lakh at the auction in December, despite having missed part of the Mzansi Super League with an ankle injury. In the three matches he did play for Cape Town Blitz, however, he took eight wickets and hit speeds of 150kph, catching the eye of Knight Riders’ coach Jacques Kallis, himself a Cape Town local.Nortje earned a call-up to South Africa’s limited-overs sides and earlier this month made his international debut in the home ODIs against Sri Lanka. He has taken eight wickets in four matches in the format so far.For Ngidi, the 2019 season would have been his second season with defending champions CSK. He was bought for INR 50 lakh before the 2018 season, taking 11 wickets in seven games for CSK, at an economy of 6 and a strike-rate of less than 15. In the 5th ODI against Sri Lanka, Ngidi felt discomfort while bowling at Newlands and immediately stopped bowling. Further scans revealed a Grade II muscle strain which, his team manager says, “will need up to four weeks of rest followed by a rehab programme” leading up to the World Cup.Both Knight Riders and CSK are yet to announce a replacements for Nortje or Ngidi.

A string of drink-driving offences and a serious knee injury rocked Bracewell’s career, but Northants have given the New Zealand seamer a chance to put that behind him

David Hopps26-Jan-2018Northamptonshire have given Doug Bracewell a further opportunity to rehabilitate his cricketing career after a troubled year that included a third drink-driving offence and identified him as one of cricket’s most untamed characters.Bracewell’s career is on the up again after he was restored to the New Zealand side for an ODI against West Indies in Whangarei in December, seeking to put behind him a period in which he suffered a serious knee injury and undertook 100 hours of community service after he was found guilty of driving more than three times over the legal limit.Bracewell told Hastings Crown Court last March that he had driven home from a function when his girlfriend called him in distress after their cockatoo had been killed by dogs she was looking after for a friend.At 27, he still has the opportunity to resurrect his career and will join Northamptonshire in time for the start of the Championship season, stepping in for the veteran South African Rory Kleinveldt who will arrive in time for the start of the Steelbacks’ Royal London One Day Cup campaign in mid-May.Bracewell’s strong-willed, seam bowling style should be perfectly suited to an English spring and Northamptonshire, who have a good track record in unearthing value signings, will gamble that his gratitude for an opportunity will show through on and off the field and help them mount a second division promotion campaign.He has appeared in 27 Tests, taking 72 wickets with best figures of 9 for 60 in Hobart, leading New Zealand to their first Test win in Australia in 26 years. He also has a handy record with the bat, making 2914 runs in 82 games with a high score of 105.Head Coach David Ripley said: “Doug is highly skilled and vastly experienced, with plenty of international experience under his belt, and he will give us the additional firepower we need alongside an already high quality attacking unit. We’re delighted to be getting him over.”Bracewell responded: “It’s a great opportunity to challenge myself in different conditions and I am hoping to improve as a player but also make a difference at the club while I’m there.”Northants will be well aware that Jesse Ryder, another Kiwi with a tarnished reputation, made a great impact at Essex, contributing to the promotion of a side that then went on to win the Championship in his absence last summer.Early in his career, Bracewell twice suffered penalties after drinking incidents with Ryder. He was also ruled out of the Dunedin Test against England in 2013 when he stepped on glass while cleaning up after a house party and gashed his foot.But by going where some counties would definitely fear to tread, Northants, who have recruited shrewdly in recent years on a tight budget, have given themselves a chance of a strong start to the season.As yet there is no suggestion that Ben Duckett, who has also attracted a headline or two recently, has been appointed Bracewell’s minder. But with Northants you never can tell.

Steve Waugh has indicated a willingness to consider the role of selector after it emerged that the panel’s chairman Rod Marsh will vacate his post at the end of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2016
Steve Waugh, the former Australia captain, has indicated a willingness to consider the role of selector after it emerged that the panel’s chairman Rod Marsh will vacate his post at the end of the season.Series defeats in Sri Lanka and South Africa have renewed focus on the Australian team’s performance, and there is tension in the air as Steven Smith’s team look to rebound by winning at home.Marsh’s decision not to seek a contract renewal was announced after the South Africa ODI series ended in a 5-0 defeat, and he will not be the only man under pressure, should results go badly this summer.Pat Howard, the head of team performance, is also out of contract next year, and will be looking to recast the selection panel before that time. Darren Lehmann, the national team coach and selector, has had his contract renewed until 2019.Waugh, whose twin brother Mark has been a selector since 2014, said he would be open to joining the panel. “I’d listen to it if the opportunity came up, but there are a lot of things you’ve got to throw into the mix and see whether it’s the right time,” Waugh told the . “I think there are a lot of good cricket brains in Australia. No one has asked me, but I’d listen to it.”Aside from a brief chat during the 2015 World Cup, Waugh has seldom been seen near the Australian side since his 2004 retirement, but has remained a respected voice and was a member of the Argus review panel in 2011, alongside fellow former captains Mark Taylor and Allan Border.Waugh perceives 2016-17 to be a pivotal summer for Smith in particular. “You always have a honeymoon period. The first six to 12 months, everything is fantastic. You make all the changes and they work,” Waugh said. “Then, the reality sets in and it’s a bit harder than that.”I think losing that series in Sri Lanka probably was a bit of a shock to the system. I thought our fielding was very poor, which is unlike Australia, and that sort of set the benchmark for the rest of their cricket.”[Smith] will be having a good look at himself, his captaincy style and which players he wants in the team. These six Tests in Australia could well define his captaincy going forward. I think if they have a good series in Australia and the team stays stable, and they respond to his leadership, then it’s great for him, but if things don’t go well, it will be a challenging time for him, particularly after the last few losses. But, as a captain, the one thing about Steve Smith is he’s amazing in the way he responds when things are down.”Waugh also noted Smith’s recent comments about the “quiet” nature of numerous members of the Test team and wanting to see a more boisterous group.”That’s when he’s got to get together with the selectors and say ‘this is the type of player I want in the side’,” Waugh said.
“I’m sure he’ll be talking to Rod Marsh and the selectors, saying, ‘look, we need a bit more life, a bit more talk and attitude and a bit more Aussie Way’. That may define some of the selections in the first Test. If he wants more talk out there, he’s definitely got to get it.”

No bowler has taken more wickets than Mitchell Starc in 2015, and the seamer said he was hoping to sustain his fine form over a six-Test home summer against New Zealand and West Indies

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane03-Nov-20151:14

‘Kane Williamson NZ’s mainstay’ – Starc

There is not a bowler on the planet who has more international wickets this year than Mitchell Starc. His tally of 75 puts him well in front of the second-placed Yasir Shah. Extend it to the combined first-class, List A and T20 formats, and Starc is even further in front: his 138 wickets across those forms have come at the remarkable average of 16.07, and John Hastings is next with 108 wickets.In short, Starc is in the form of his life. Player of the Tournament in the World Cup, he last month annihilated almost every team in the Matador Cup with 26 wickets at 8.11, then topped off his Test preparation with eight wickets with the pink ball in last week’s Sheffield Shield round. Now it is back to the red ball to see if that recent form translates.It has not always. In fact, with Starc, something has always seemed to get lost in translation between the white ball and the red. It meant that the first three years of his Test career resembled the hokey-pokey: Australia put their left-armer in, they put their left-armer out, they put their left-armer in. Now it’s time for him to shake it all about.He made a good start to a red-ball resurgence during the Ashes, when he was Australia’s leading wicket taker, and now the challenge is to sustain that same form over a six-Test home summer against New Zealand and West Indies. It was against New Zealand at the Gabba that Starc made his Test debut four years ago, but it is only now that he is starting to make himself a consistent Test bowler.”The last 12 to 18 months, to play a lot of cricket I think has been the best thing for me,” Starc said. “There’s only so much you can learn and work on in the nets. I guess I’ve had a bit of an extended run with the white ball and whether it be through form or through injury I haven’t had that with the red ball. To have a bit of that in the last six months has been nice and I think that’s probably shown in getting better with the red ball.”Starc played every Test during this year’s Ashes in England and was his country’s leading wicket taker, an achievement that encouraged not only Starc but the Australian coaching staff as well. Coach Darren Lehmann said that although there were times in England that Starc lacked consistency, he expected a big summer from him back home.”He’ll be fine, I think it’s just experience and confidence,” Lehmann said. “He’s had some really good spells for us over the last 12 months with the red ball. It’s probably about being really consistent with what he wants to achieve, getting the lengths and lines right. He was very good at stages in England and then sometimes he leaked too many runs. I expect him to bowl really well with the red ball [at home].”Starc’s form is so impressive at the moment – particularly his mastery of the fast, inswinging yorker – that plenty of Matador Cup batsmen must have wished the Bangladesh Test tour had gone ahead last month and he had not been let loose on them in Sydney. Cricket Australia insisted he rest from one of the matches, against Queensland, but he told them that he otherwise just wanted to keep bowling.”I had a bit of input, so I wanted to play a lot,” Starc said. “I didn’t want to rest that Queensland game but they got that one over the line – resting’s not going to do anything for my body. I just want to be available for every game, as long as I’m fit enough and bowling well enough.”Australia will hope that New Zealand still carry some of the scars from the World Cup final in March, when Starc’s inswinging yorker rattled the stumps of Brendon McCullum in the first over of the match, setting the tone for Australia’s win. Starc took 2 for 20 in that game, as well as 6 for 28 in the earlier group match against New Zealand in Auckland, and he hopes they remember.”We’ll definitely be reminding them that we’ve bowled them out for 150 and 180 on very good wickets,” he said. “It’s one-day cricket, it’s something we can look back on and take a bit of confidence from but it’s a different challenge and nice to be playing in Australia and taking on guys that probably haven’t played too much cricket in these conditions.”New Zealand opener Martin Guptill said it was important he and his team-mates prepared for Starc’s yorker, but did not let it dominate their thoughts.”He’s got a very quick yorker and it does swing, but you don’t want to just be preparing for that,” Guptill said. “He’s got other balls in his arsenal as well. You’ve just got to watch the ball and play each ball as well as you can. I’m just trying to go out there and do my processes, and if I get a yorker I try and clamp down on it.”

Adam Wheater has bought himself out of his contract with Essex and will move to Hampshire with immediate effect.

George Dobell01-Mar-2013Adam Wheater, the highly-rated wicketkeeper batsman, has bought himself out of the final year of his contract with Essex and will move to Hampshire with immediate effect on a two-year deal.Wheater, 23, has been looking for other opportunities for some time. ESPNcricinfo revealed in September that he was in talks with Hampshire, among other clubs, but Essex were refusing to let him leave before the end of the 2013 season.He was expected to start the season in Essex’s side as a batsman but had become the county’s third choice wicketkeeper behind long-standing James Foster and England Lions’ keeper Ben Foakes.Wheater feels he will have a much greater opportunity to take the gloves at Hampshire and is expected to displace Michael Bates.If that is the case, Bates, 22, may consider himself unfortunate. While the 22-year-old is a batsman of modest ability – first-class average of 19.66 – he is an exceptional wicketkeeper. He played a pivotal part in Hampshire’s CB40 success last season, taking the final ball stood up to the stumps against the pace of Kabir Ali. He has taken 102 catches in 33 first-class games.But Hampshire manager Giles White insisted Wheater would have to earn his place: “No assurances or promises have been made to Adam but we are delighted that he has chosen to pursue his career at Hampshire.”He will add competition with the gloves and comes with an impressive first-class batting average. We have experienced, first-hand, that he is a young player with great ability and we hope that he is able to fulfil his potential and build on what has been a bright start to his career.”Wheater, who attended Millfield School in Somerset, scored 462 first-class runs from the middle order at 35.35 in 2012.”Over the winter months, Adam made it very clear that he would like to progress his wicketkeeping,” Essex head coach, Paul Grayson, said. “It is always sad to lose a player you have nurtured from a young age but we understand that to progress his career in his preferred role in the team he will need to change club.”

A round-up of the latest round of matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2012South ZoneBangalore’s Rajinder Singh Institute Ground witnessed an epic chase, as Andhra overhauled Goa‘s 383, incredibly, with eight balls to spare. It was the sixth-highest match aggregate – 768 – in List A history. The match included three centuries – 139 by Goa’s Rohit Asnodkar, and 115 and 104 by the Andhra pair of Venugopal Rao and AG Pradeep respectively.Opting to bat first, Goa were carried by the third-wicket partnership of 144, off 23.2 overs, between Asnodkar and Reagan Pinto. Asnodkar hit 20 fours and a six before he was dismissed by Sneha Kishore. Goa continued scoring at breakneck speed, especially the eighth-wicket pair of Shadab Jakati and Robin D’Souza, who added 77 off the last four overs. Sneha Kishore was the only bowler to return with an economy rate of less than six (he took 1 for 59), while S Srinivas conceded a century – 2 for 103 off his ten overs.The Andhra openers, Prasanth Kumar and Syed Sahabuddin, gave the team the launch pad with a stand of 112 off 11.1 overs. Four quick wickets put the game in Goa’s control, but the stand of 195, off 23.4 overs proved to be a massive shock to the system for Goa. Venugopal and Pradeep scored at over eight an over, and when Pradeep was dismissed, Andhra needed just 44 off 52 balls. Pradeep hit four sixes in his 104, off 69 balls. Venugopal and Bharat Reddy finished things off in the penultimate over. Ganeshraj Narvekar was the only bright spot for Goa’s otherwise sorry bowling effort, finishing with 4 for 56.The other team from the state of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, wasn’t so lucky though. In another high-scoring game, at the Jain International Residential School Ground, the hosts Karnataka piled on 343 for 7, led by Robin Uthappa’s 120 and Ganesh Satish’s 90. Coincidentally, Uthappa and Satish also added 144 off 23.2 overs, just like Asnodkar and Pinto did in the other match. The Karnataka duo’s second-wicket stand laid the groundwork for a massive score. Satish and Abhimanyu Mithun added a quick 48 for the fourth wicket. Andhra managed only 240 in their reply, because the batsmen couldn’t give their captain Ravi Teja enough support. Teja’s 110 went in vain, and the next-highest score in the innings was BP Sandeep’s 38. Karnataka’s find of the tournament, Ronit More, followed up his six-wicket haul on debut with 5 for 31 to keep Hyderabad to 240.Tamil Nadu recorded their third win in the tournament, beating Kerala by 61 runs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. S Anirudha’s 82 set the platform for Tamil Nadu to score 284 for 8. KB Arun Karthik hit a quick 56 off 50 balls at No.3, before the lower order, led by K Vasudevadas, took the team to a competitive score. For Kerala, Robert Fernandez hit 86 off 94 balls but the middle order failed to give him enough support. The seam-bowling duo of R Jesuraj and C Ganapathy took four wickets each to give Tamil Nadu a comprehensive win.East ZoneAt Eden Gardens, Jharkhand‘s 280 for 6 was barely enough to test the hosts Bengal, as Laxmi Ratan Shukla plundered 151, off 96 balls, to guide his team to a seven-wicket win with nearly 12 overs to spare. Jharkhand’s Ishank Jaggi, coming in at No.3 as early as the second over, stayed till the end to hit 129, off 144 balls. Shami Ahmed, East Zone’s star in the Duleep Trophy final, took four wickets but conceded a whopping 86 off ten overs. He was supported by Saurabh Tiwary and Kumar Deobrat, who both compiled 40s. Like the Australians found out at Hobart today, a score of 280 wasn’t enough. Shukla smashed eight sixes and 16 fours in his knock before he was bowled by Shahbaz Nadeem in the 31st over. Wriddhiman Saha and Anustup Majumdar then added an unbeaten 74 off 7.4 overs to seal the chase.Orissa recorded a comprehensive 95-run win at the Jadavpur University Complex in Kolkata against Tripura. Biplab Samantray played a captain’s knock for Orissa, top scoring with 78, He was supported by Govind Podder, who made 55, to help push the score to 291. Rana Dutta took four wickets, but leaked 74 off his ten overs. The Tripura batsmen failed to make starts, the highest score being 42 by the opener Samrat Singha. The left-arm spinner Paresh Patel was the best bowler for Orissa, taking 4 for 30.Central Zone
An unbeaten century by Udit Birla helped Madhya Pradesh beat Rajasthan in a tough chase at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur. In their pursuit of 225, MP were struggling at 60 for 4 in the 19th over but Birla stepped up and saw his team through. He struck nine fours in his 129-ball knock, and was supported by Harpreet Singh, who made 33 in a 78-run stand. Then Ankit Sharma assisted Birla, scoring a quick 30 in a stand worth 74 which ultimately won the game for MP. The ton was Birla’s first in List A cricket.In the Rajasthan innings, Jalaj Saxena was the chief wicket-taker, taking 4 for 40, including the wickets of the two half-centurions Robin Bist and Puneet Yadav.Vidarbha sealed a five-wicket win over Uttar Pradesh in Nagpur. A series of steady and useful contributions took UP to 229 for 7 in their 50 overs. Mohammad Kaif made 40, Ali Murtaza made 46 in a slowish innings and captain Piyush Chawla provided the surge in the late overs, smashing 69 in 43 balls, striking five fours and four sixes. However, his effort was in vain.Opener Akshay Kolhar led the way for Vidarbha in the chase, making 73 and put his team on course after the loss of two early wickets. He added 86 with Hemang Badani (40) and though the hosts were reduced to 151 for 5 at one stage, Vidarbha were able to claw their way out of the difficult position. Apoorv Wankhade (48 not out) and Urvesh Patel (30 not out) put together 83 at better than a run-a-ball and saw their team through with 31 balls to spare.North Zone
Delhi continued their good run in the tournament, beating Himachal Pradesh by eight wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla to register their third straight win. A collective bowling effort helped them skittle out HP for 103. Parvinder Awana led the way with three wickets and Pawan Suyal, Pradeep Sangwan and Rajat Bhatia picked up two each. The highest score in the HP innings was 24 by Vikramjeet Malik. HP were reduced to 88 for 8 at one stage but the tail helped them get beyond the 100 mark. The win was secured with ease, opener Shikhar Dhawan making an unbeaten 55 to seal the game in the 26th over.Haryana overcame Services by 52 runs at the Palam B Ground in Delhi, despite an unimposing albeit competitive score. The Haryana innings was littered by steady contributions but they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Persistent strikes meant that Haryana were left struggling at one stage, at 105 for 6, but Kuldeep Hooda rescued them with an unbeaten half-century. He added 54 with Mohit Sharma and found good support from Jayant Yadav, with whom he added an unbeaten 74. That partnership took Haryana to 223, a score they successfully defended.Yadav picked up three wickets in the chase and Hooda and Harshal Patel took two each to rattle Services. The only significant resistance came from Sanjeev Mishra, who scored a half-century but there was little support from the other end. Though opener Tahir Khan, and Narender Singh and Suraj Yadav in the lower order, got starts, the batting couldn’t measure up to what the Haryana bowlers offered. Services were bowled out for 171.Jammu and Kashmir put up a fight but could not overcome Punjab at the Palam A Ground in Delhi. Their bowlers, particularly Ram Dayal and Raman Dutta, had done a good job to bowl out Punjab for 224, picking up three wickets each, but the batsmen failed to scale it down. For Punjab, half-centuries from Chandan Madan and Amitoze Singh proved crucial in taking their team to a competitive score. J&K, in the chase, were very much in it, reaching 109 for 3 in the 28th over but they began to slip from there on. Rajwinder Singh took three wickets and Bipul Sharma chipped in with two; J&K were reduced to 113 for 7. Parvez Rasool kept the team afloat with a half-century at No.9 and a half-century stand with Dutta for the final wicket but all J&K could manage in the end was 205 for 9.

Mitchell Johnson wants umpires to call no-balls immediately after Australia were the victims for the second consecutive Test when a front-foot decision was referred by an official

Peter English at the SCG04-Jan-2011Mitchell Johnson wants umpires to call no-balls immediately after Australia were the victims for the second consecutive Test when a front-foot decision was referred by an official. Michael Beer was celebrating Alastair Cook as his first Test wicket when Billy Bowden asked for – and then received – confirmation that the debutant spinner had over-stepped.”If the umpires know it’s a no-ball I think they should call it, instead of waiting to call it,” Johnson said. Bowden had a hunch Beer had gone over but he waited for the catch to be taken at mid-on before requesting a replay.”Everyone’s going to have different opinions on it,” Johnson said. “I suppose it’s not a bad thing, but it can be frustrating. I suppose you’ve just got to get your foot behind the line.”Johnson was the one who transgressed last week when Matt Prior edged on 5 at the MCG before making the hosts pay by finishing with 85. Cook was 46 when he miscued today and was unbeaten on 61 at stumps.It was a tough entry to the elite level for Beer, who bowled steadily during his nine overs, and his team-mates made an effort to cheer him up. What it shows is that Beer has learned one of the attack’s bad habits very quickly. The Australians have always struggled with no-balls and it is common practice for them to go over the line by a long way at training.”We always have this argument between batters and bowlers,” Johnson said. “We always try to find a way to get behind the line. We all try and do it. Whether you feel enclosed with the nets being there, I don’t know what it is. I still bowl half a foot over in the nets but I don’t know how we’re going to fix that.”James Anderson said the no-ball referrals represented “good cricket” because the right decision was made. “I think they should do it more often, I don’t think they use it enough,” he said. “A no-ball is a no-ball. You should get the correct decision when he’s bowled one.”England’s approach to over-stepping with David Saker, the bowling coach, is much more meticulous than Australia’s sloppy method under Troy Cooley. “We think it’s a very important part of our job to stay behind the line – even more so in one-day cricket,” Anderson said.”We try and practise it in the nets, and I hope we can replicate that out there.”The practice certainly seems to be working, as England have bowled just seven no-balls in the series, while Australia’s tally stands at 19.

Mohammad Yousuf has said that there was one player responsible for disrupting the team’s unity during the disastrous tour of Australia

Cricinfo staff10-Feb-2010Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan’s Test and ODI captain for the New Zealand and Australia tours, has targeted one player in the aftermath of the disastrous tour for being a particularly disruptive influence. Though he gave broad hints during a lengthy TV interview, he stopped short of revealing the name of the player.”There is no doubt there is only one player in the team who is disturbing team unity and other players. I spoke to coach Intikhab Alam and other management about it and they agreed with me,” Yousuf told . “I will only disclose his name to the chairman of the board, Ijaz Butt.””Intikhab Alam (coach), Abdur Raqeeb (manager) and [Shahid] Afridi know who the player is and we discussed it as well several times,” Yousuf added. “From New Zealand onwards Intikhab was telling me to be wary of him, but I wanted to see for myself. I saw in Australia how his body language was and we dropped him from the Tests. We decided in Australia during a meeting that we had to do something about him.”Pakistan lost the Test series 3-0 in Australia, were whitewashed 5-0 in the ODIs for only the second time in history, and lost the final game of the tour as well – a Twenty20 international at the MCG.Though Yousuf was widely appreciated as a leader of the group off the field, his on-field captaincy came in for much criticism, in particular from the last day of the Sydney Test onwards. His cause wasn’t helped by a statement from the board chairman midway through the tour – denied eventually – that the captaincy would change hands once the tour ended.Yousuf said the statement had an effect on the side. “I don’t know when the statement was made, but when it was, suddenly everyone in the team changed. Six or seven players started to see themselves as captains all of a sudden. At the start of the tour in New Zealand, the players were cooperating with me, but as the tour went on I felt they weren’t because they knew I wouldn’t be captain in the next series.”Yousuf defended his leadership, arguing that nobody wanted the job when the toughest challenges presented themselves. “I don’t have natural leadership qualities in me but I have tried hard to do a good job of the responsibility given to me,” he said. “It is unfair to compare me with Ricky Ponting as far as captaincy is concerned because he is far more experienced. I accepted the captaincy in the best interest of my country.”If you look around the world every country’s top performing player is the captain. If in Pakistan a youngster becomes the top performing player in the side by all means make him captain. I did it at a difficult time when nobody was prepared to do it.”

Invincibles kept in check by spin trio of Kirstie Gordon, Ash Gardner and Alana King

ECB Media21-Aug-2025Trent Rockets 113 for 4 (Scrivens 34, Wellington 1-15, Capsey 1-16) beat Oval Invincibles 109 for 7 (Lanning 45, Gardner 2-10, Gordon 2-21) by six wicketsTrent Rockets won a must-win game against Oval Invincibles at The Kia Oval to keep alive their slim qualification hopes in The Hundred.Both teams were coming into the match off the back of defeats and a loss would have spelled the end of Rockets’ campaign but, having won the toss and elected to bowl first, they’d have been delighted at the break to have limited the hosts to just 109 for 7.It was a curious innings for the home team who seemed to struggle to adapt to the surface, never able to kick on in terms of run-rate and kept in check throughout by the Rockets’ spin trio of Kirstie Gordon, Alana King and Ash Gardner.Meg Lanning top-scored with a 35-ball 45, and she put on 47 for the second wicket with Alice Capsey (15), but Rockets would have been the happier of the two teams between innings.They got off to a strong start in their run chase with Bryony Smith and the recalled Grace Scrivens putting on 51 for the opening wicket, and despite a few blips – losing Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Gardner – they were comfortable enough in hauling in Invincibles’ total with 16 balls to spare – Jodi Grewock and Heather Graham adding a late flourish to finish the game in a hurry.Rockets’ next game is at bottom-placed Welsh Fire, a huge chance to keep their qualification hopes alive, while for Oval Invincibles they’ll need to reverse their slump at Headingley on Saturday to keep themselves in the fight.Meerkat Match Hero Scrivens said: “I’m happy to get the win. I was really glad to be back in the team and to help contribute. Obviously, I would have liked to have finished it off, but I’m happy.”I think Bry played her [Marizanne Kapp] really well. She obviously sat deep, used the bounce and the wicket and the square, so I thought it was a really good option for her. I thought it was a really good pitch, I thought they were under-par, and I was happy when we chased them.”

Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf are part of the training camp as well

Danyal Rasool25-Mar-2024UAE’s Pakistan-born top-order batter Usman Khan has been called up to Pakistan’s training camp with the army in Kakul. In a clear sign of Pakistan’s desire to lure him to play international cricket for the country of his birth, Usman was named alongside 28 other players for the camp, which runs from March 26 to April 8.There is, however, no word yet from the PCB concerning Usman’s inclusion, or any official change to his status as a UAE player. Over the past month, he played in the PSL as a registered overseas player, racking up the second-highest run tally in the tournament. Before the PSL, Usman also played in the ILT20, which is the UAE’s own franchise T20 league, and the Abu Dhabi T10 just before that, both as a local player for the UAE.And earlier this month, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Usman had appeared to downplay his chances of featuring for Pakistan in the near future, citing his determination to instead complete the residency period to qualify for the UAE. However, another 14 months still remain before he becomes eligible to represent UAE.Related

• UAE investigating Pakistan-bound Usman Khan for breach of contract

• Mohammad Amir comes out of retirement for T20 World Cup

• Imad Wasim comes out of retirement for T20 World Cup

• PCB chief hints Pakistan could get a new T20I captain

Usman had pointed to the uncertainty in Pakistan, as well as the ease of procuring no-objection certificates from the Emirates Cricket Board, as reasons to switch allegiances. But given he has not yet played for the UAE, Usman can still switch back to Pakistan without any waiting period. However, with the speed with which developments have taken place at the PCB’s end, it seems almost certain that Usman will be included in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, with a firm eye on the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in June.

Imad, Amir and Rauf also part of the camp

Pakistan’s training camp also marks the return of two players who recently reversed their decisions to retire, and declared ambitions to play for Pakistan anew. Imad Wasim, whose success in the PSL and whose track record in the CPL makes him an enticing prospect for Pakistan, came out of retirement over the weekend. He was followed by Mohammad Amir, who said he still dreamed about playing for Pakistan, and was thus making himself available.Haris Rauf, who is currently recovering from a shoulder injury, is also included after his central contract was reinstated by the PCB.

Pakistan training camp members

Aamer Jamal, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Haseebullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Irfan Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan