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Cricket South Africa has admitted to being “caught by some surprise” by the South African sports minister’s decision to ban it, along with three other national federations, from bidding for major global tournaments as punishment for the slow pace of trans

Firdose Moonda19-May-2016Cricket South Africa has admitted to being “caught by some surprise” by the South African sports minister’s decision to ban it, along with three other national federations, from bidding for major global tournaments as punishment for the slow pace of transformation. The sanction was announced last month and this weekend CSA will meet with the ministry to discuss what more the cricket board can do to meet transformation targets, to which it remains committed.”We believe firmly in the need for transformation strategies. We were caught by some surprise by what the minister announced a few weeks ago. It’s something which we will understand better when we meet on Saturday,” Haroon Lorgat, CSA’s CEO, told at the announcement for a new sponsor on Wednesday. “Across the board we are held up as the market leaders in so far as good governance, transformation and world-class administration. We’ll engage [with the government] and try to understand better why we were short on some of our dimensions.”CSA only fell 5% short of the ministry’s target of 60% players of colour in men’s national teams but was lagging behind in black-African representation. Only 9% of South Africa’s national men’s team is black African, which translates to one player in every starting XI. The ministry has not made public what they want this number increased to but may discuss that with CSA over the weekend.While CSA remains adamant that there is no quota for national teams, its most recent squad – the ODI group to tour West Indies for a triangular series in June – comprises eight players of colour [out of 15], including two black Africans, and indicates a shift in composition. All three players dropped from the previous ODI squad are white while all the new inclusions are of players of colour. Domestically, CSA has not announced any change to the targets that all franchise and provincial teams must field at least six players of colour [which does not meet the 60% requirement], including at least three black Africans.The ministry’s ban does not affect CSA too much because it is not due to host any ICC senior events until at least 2023, with only an Under-19 World Cup in 2020 on the calendar. Lorgat said CSA hoped to use that time to meet the ministry’s requirement and have the punishment lifted.”We haven’t set our sights on specific events just yet,” he said. “There are some conversations happening but it’s very early days at the ICC with future events. I have no doubt South Africa will be a sought-after venue and I’m sure by that time we will have completed our engagements with the minister, finding out where we were short and committed to making things right. The fundamental point is that none of us differ that we need to transform. We know where we want to get to. We’ve been aggressive in our own way to get ourselves transformed. There’s no doubt we’ll be able to align ourselves with the minister.”

Quinton de Kock was pleased to score runs on the subcontinent, but disappointed in finishing on the losing end of the Super Over against Otago Volts

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2013Lions batsman Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten 109 was not enough to prevent a heart-breaking Super Over loss to Otago Volts, and their subsequent ouster from the Champions League. De Kock was chiefly responsible for putting Lions in a strong position, and smashed a four and six in the Super Over when 14 was required for victory. However, off the final ball, he failed to take an apparent second run which would have taken them to victory, and keep their tournament hopes alive.”Yeah, it is difficult,” de Kock said after the loss. “I mean I came here and I tried to do my best for the team. I feel bad for the team. Yeah it is sad to lose especially after getting some runs.”De Kock’s century was an innings of two parts. His first 50 runs were a rather scratchy affair, with some ill-timed shots around the wicket. However, once he passed fifty, he started to open up and take advantage of some poor bowling from Otago Volts, who bowled a number of short deliveries which de Kock accepted gleefully.This innings was a landmark for de Kock, who has not enjoyed the best of times in the subcontinent of late. He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in this year’s auction for his base price of $20,000, and did not do too much after, with a duck on debut, scoring only 6 runs in 3 innings. He was duly dropped from the side and did not feature for the rest of the campaign, despite Sunrisers reaching the final four. Following that, he endured a torrid ODI tour of Sri Lanka, scoring only 55 runs in three innings.”Yeah I finally scored some runs in the subcontinent. I have been working hard on my game, especially here on these kind of wickets. Yeah, let’s hope that my hard work has paid off now.”His captain, Alviro Petersen, had praise for his young ward. “Yeah he is a good player,” Petersen said. “We know he is a special talent, we have played together and every time he seems to score some runs and put us in a good position.”When queried about the loss, Petersen was most critical of the bowler’s performance. “I am more disappointed in the way we bowled. It is the worst I have seen the Lions bowl so it is something we need to work on, and it’s something we have to go back to the drawing board and come back stronger.”Petersen was also upfront about the lack of experience his players had in these conditions. “Most of our team hasn’t played in the subcontinent. We don’t have a lot of international players. We are a team that relies on every single player to perform well, you know, and we just came together here so we are disappointed but we need to keep our heads high.”

The preview of the Australia v South Africa Super Eights match, in Colombo

The Preview by Firdose Moonda29-Sep-2012

Match facts

September 30, 2012
Start time 1530 local (1000 GMT)Which slot will AB de Villiers occupy in the batting order?•Associated Press

Big Picture

Another classic encounter beckons for this group as the “best of enemies,” as they were once called meet. South Africa and Australia history at major tournaments needs only one number to get blood boiling: 1999.But there are others. In the 2007 World Cup, South Africa lost twice to Australia, once in the group stage and once in the semi-final. Australia have had the better of South Africa in major tournaments since Sydney 1992, when South Africa beat them by nine wickets.This time, the contest is no more insubstantial. Australia could seal their place in the semi-final with a win and ease their passage to a trophy they have yet to lay claim on. If that happens, South Africa could be looking for the exit signs of yet another major tournament. If it does not, South Africa will live to fight another day, something they have promised to do in pursuit of silverware.Even without the history, the match-ups are compelling. Both George Bailey and AB de Villiers are in the process of proving themselves as captains, South Africa have an experienced pace attack in Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, Australia a youthful one with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc leading their charge. Richard Levi was talked about as having the power of David Warner, but lacks the consistency and Jacques Kallis and Brad Hogg are two of the oldest men at the event who will no doubt take bragging rights from whoever makes a more athletic save in the field.Although the tournament itself has been livened up since the group stage, South Africa and Australia have never disappointed when it comes to thrills. Theirs could be some of the bigger ones of an already big event.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWWLW
Australia WWWWL

Watch out for

Although Colombo is not a quick bowler’s favourite place Pat Cummins may have other reasons to be excited for this encounter. Cummins announced himself as an international cricketer in South Africa last year when he impressed with his speed and sensible strategising and had some of the South African batsmen in fear. Who can forget how he worked over Jacques Kallis and the contest could be resumed in this match.Once shaky but now solid, JP Duminy has become a go-to man for South Africa and one of their most reliable presences on the field. Duminy’s problems against spin are a thing of the past, his level head has helped steady the batting in everything from a Test match in England to the T20 against Pakistan. He also took a crucial wicket and an athletic catch and his all-round presence is an important one for South Africa if they hope to go all the way this time.

Team news

Dale Steyn, who took a blow to the ankle against Pakistan, is likely to be fit after the injury was revealed to only be a bruising. Although South Africa struggled with the bat against Pakistan, AB de Villiers did not forsee any changes to his XI but did say they would “look at a few things.” Faf du Plessis may be brought into the top three in place of the misfiring Richard Levi and will also offer an additional spin option, as would Justin Ontong. If Steyn is unable to play, Lonwabo Tsotsobe or Wayne Parnell could take his place.South Africa (probable): 1 Richard Levi, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Albie Morkel 8 Johan Botha 9 Robin Peterson 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Dale SteynAfter outclassing India in all departments on Friday, Australia could go in with the same XI.Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Mike Hussey, 4 Cameron White, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Dan Christian, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Pat Cummins, 11 Mitchell Starc

Pitch and conditions

Colombo’s slow turner is not the kind of surface South Africa and Australia usually do battle on. Far from the pace of the WACA or the Wanderers, it will not have much in it for the fast men. Instead the likes of Robin Peterson, Glenn Maxwell, Johan Botha and Brad Hogg will be looking to make names for themselves that Allan Donald and Glenn McGrath made in previous rivalries between the two. Run scoring has proved difficult as well with totals of around 150 considered par. Another hot day is expected, with high humidity and, as always, a chance of rain.

Stats and trivia

• David Warner is one of only five batsmen to have scored more than 1,000 T20 runs. South Africa’s closest to that mark is Graeme Smith, who has 982 runs but is not in the World T20 squad.
• Albie Morkel is the only bowler to have taken a wicket without conceding a run in a T20 match. He has done it twice, both times against England.

Quotes

“If we play better cricket, we will go through to the semi-finals and there won’t be any choking there, that’s for sure.”

“We have got our fingers crossed that they will play AB de Villiers as low as they possibly can. That will work in our favour.”

The IPL franchises have emerged as the clear winners when it comes to players deciding between playing for them or their home sides in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2011The IPL franchises have emerged as clear winners when it comes to players deciding between playing for them or their home sides in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20. Eight players were originally nominated for two squads and were given 48 hours to decide which team they would play for before the final squads were announced today.Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger and Brett Lee have all chosen to play for their respective IPL franchise over New South Wales; Warriors have lost Jacques Kallis and Davy Jacobs to IPL teams; Trinidad & Tobago will be without the services of Dwayne Bravo, who will play for Chennai Super Kings, and Kieron Pollard, who is in the Mumbai Indians squad; and Aiden Blizzard has chosen Mumbai over the South Australia Redbacks.Eleven of the thirteen teams have now announced their squads for the tournament, with the English counties who reach the Friends life t20 final to confirm their squads on August 27. The qualifying round for the Champions League begins on September 19, with the main tournament scheduled for September 23-October 9.All the franchises have announced full-strength squads, which means there will be no rest for the India players, who only finish their tour of England on September 16.Gautam Gambhir, who suffered a concussion during the ongoing Oval Test, is in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad while MS Dhoni will lead Chennai Super Kings and Sachin Tendulkar will lead Mumbai Indians. Munaf Patel and Suresh Raina are the other players in the current India Test squad who will be involved in the Champions League. Mumbai have also included Harbhajan Singh, who pulled out of the England tour after the second Test with an abdominal muscle strain.One big-name player missing from the squads was Andrew Symonds who was not named in Mumbai’s XV. New South Wales chose to leave out the upcoming Pakistan-born batsman Usman Khawaja, who was granted a visa to India after initially being denied it.Cape Cobras: JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Richard Levi, Johann Louw, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander,
Andrew Puttick, Michael Rippon, Owais Shah, Dale Steyn, Dane VilasWarriors: Johan Botha, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Andrew Birch, Colin Ingram, Justin Kreusch, Lyall Meyer, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Ashwell Prince, Jon-Jon Smuts, Kelly Smuts, Rusty Theron, Craig Thyssen, Lonwabo TsotsobeMumbai Indians: Aiden Blizzard, Yuzvendra Chahal, James Franklin, Davy Jacobs, Dhawal Kulkarni, Suryakumar Yadav, Lasith Malinga, Ali Murtaza, Munaf Patel, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, T Suman, Sachin TendulkarRoyal Challengers Bangalore: Mayank Agarwal, S Aravind, Raju Bhatkal, AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle, Arun Karthik, Virat Kohli, Mohammad Kaif, Abhimanyu Mithun, J Syed Mohammed, Dirk Nannes, Asad Pathan, Saurabh Tiwary
Daniel VettoriChennai Super Kings: R Ashwin, S Badrinath, Doug Bollinger, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni, Michael Hussey, Shadab Jakati, Albie Morkel, Suresh Raina, Suraj Randiv, Wriddhiman Saha, S Anirudha, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, M VijayKolkata Knight Riders: Iqbal Abdulla, Shakib Al Hasan, L Balaji, Rajat Bhatia, Manvinder Bisla, Gautam Gambhir, Brad Haddin, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Eoin Morgan, Yusuf Pathan, Shami Ahmed, Ryan ten Doeschate, Manoj Tiwary, Jaidev UnadkatNew South Wales Blues: Stuart Clark, Patrick Cummins, Nathan Hauritz, Josh Hazelwood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Nic Maddinson, Steve O’Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane WatsonSouth Australia Redbacks: Cameron Borgas, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Daniel Harris, Michael Klinger, Nathan Lyon, Tim Ludeman, Aaron O’Brien, Gary Putland, Adil Rashid, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, James Smith, Shaun TaitAuckland: Andre Adams, Jimmy Adams, Michael Bates, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Gareth Hopkins, Anaru Kitchen, Bruce Martin, Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Colin Munro, Daryl Tuffey, Rob Quiney, Lou Vincent Trinidad & Tobago: Samuel Badree, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Kevon Cooper, Rayad Emrit, Daren Ganga, Sherwin Ganga, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Mohammed, Dave Mohammed, Sunil Narine, William Perkins, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl SimmonsRuhuna: Mahela Udawatte, Dinesh Chandimal, Sanath Jayasuriya, Janaka Gunaratne, Milinda Siriwardana, TM Sampath, Yashodha Lanka, Shihan Kamileen, Amal Athulathmudali, Arosh Janoda, Shalika Karunanayake, Omesh Wijesiriwardene, Alankara Asanka Silva, Chinthaka Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

An exciting final day is in prospect at Cheltenham where Gloucestershire are
well placed to win their first County Championship game at the College Ground
since 2001 against Worcestershire

06-Aug-2010
ScorecardAn exciting final day is in prospect at Cheltenham where Gloucestershire are
well placed to win their first County Championship game at the College Ground
since 2001 against Worcestershire.Despite a century from Daryl Mitchell, Worcestershire could make only 278 in
their first innings and conceded a deficit of 202 runs.With the pitch threatening to break up, Gloucestershire skipper Alex Gidman
decided against enforcing the follow-on and saw his side crash to 136 all out in
their second innings, Shakib Al Hasan taking 5 for 23 – his best figures for
Worcestershire – and Alan Richardson 4 for 57.But that still left the visitors needing an unlikely 339 to win. They closed
the third day on eight without loss and will need to bat very well to achieve
even a draw.Worcestershire had begun on 126 for 2 in reply to 480 and looked capable of a
decent first-innings reply while overnight batsmen Mitchell and Moeen Ali were
together. But once Moeen fell to Anthony Ireland for 59, including nine fours, only
Mitchell offered much resistance. Gemaal Hussain finished with 4 for 30 to
take his wicket tally for the season to 53.Mitchell was sixth man out with the total on 258, having faced 254 balls and
hit 16 fours. It was a solid effort by the opener on a pitch that began to
respond to spin in the latter stages of the innings and on which the home
seamers bowled well.Gloucestershire were no doubt planning on building a lead beyond 400 before a
declaration, but it never looked like happening as the out-of-form Jonathan
Batty was bowled by Matt Mason for three.First-innings centurion Will Porterfield hit a breezy 33, but Hamish Marshall,
Alex Gidman and James Franklin could make only 30 between them, perishing in the
quest for quick runs. Worryingly for Worcestershire, it was left-arm spinner Shakib who did most of the damage.Chris Taylor made sure the second innings was not a total disaster for the home
side by hitting 45 off 56 balls, with seven fours, but the last four wickets
fell without a run being added.Worcestershire will still feel they are in with a chance, but if
Gloucestershire fail to take this opportunity they may start to think they will
never win another four-day game at Cheltenham. Their spell without a victory there stretches back 15 Championship games.

Gillespie is due to head to South Africa in the coming days for the two-match Test series

Danyal Rasool12-Dec-2024Pakistan Test head coach Jason Gillespie is considering his options after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided not to renew his assistant coach Tim Nielsen’s contract for Pakistan’s upcoming Test tour of South Africa.Nielsen, who was appointed in August this year, officially designated as the “high-performance red-ball coach”, had seen his contract run out; it was up for renewal after Pakistan’s tour of Australia, and he had been waiting to hear about a decision on an extension. He told ESPNcricinfo he felt he was “making good progress” with the team and was fully committed to the Test series against South Africa and West Indies, but that the PCB had told him his services were no longer required.It is understood that PCB did not inform Gillespie ahead of time he would no longer have his assistant coach by his side in South Africa, a decision that has left him extremely unimpressed. That he wasn’t consulted beforehand appears to be the most significant catalyst for his irritation, and fits in with a wider pattern of Gillespie’s roles and authority being steadily eroded over the last few months.Related

• Gillespie and PCB involved in financial dispute

• Gillespie frustrated by lack of clear communication in role as Pakistan coach

• Aaqib Javed set to replace Jason Gillespie as Pakistan head coach

• PCB says Gillespie will remain head coach for South Africa Tests

In October, he was removed from the selection panel for the Test side and said he was now merely a “matchday strategist”. There was limited communication between the player and the board since the end of Pakistan’s white-ball series in Australia, where he coached the side on an interim basis after Gary Kirsten quit.Gillespie’s anger is understood to partly stem from what he felt was a great rapport Nielsen had developed with the players, a point he had made more than once in public. It is believed both Gillespie and Nielsen consider the fact that Nielsen is not based in Pakistan as the reason his contract hasn’t been extended, though, as Nielsen confirmed, he would have been available for the upcoming two tours in their entirety.While it is understood the PCB has not yet made a decision on any potential replacement for Nielsen, the current administration has sought to replace overseas coaches it appointed earlier in the year with Pakistan-based ones. The PCB has, in the past, attributed not spending enough time in Pakistan as a reason for their dissatisfaction with overseas coaches, most notably in the case of Gary Kirsten, who quit in October. Gillespie, though has always maintained he has met his contractual obligations in that regard.Aqib Javed, who was part of the selection panel, and retains his place on it, was appointed head coach of the white-ball side on an interim basis until the Champions Trophy last month. The PCB did initially ask Gillespie to take up that role, but without an accompanying financial offer to reflect the increased scope of his role. It was another factor that led to relations between the board and the head coach being strained, with the latest development bringing those simmering tensions to a boil.Jason Gillespie’s future in the role was already in doubt after he was removed from the selection panel•Associated Press

While it is understood Gillespie has not ruled out the possibility of walking away before the series against South Africa, the terms upon which his stint at the PCB ends remain crucially important in what happens next. If the PCB decides to sack him, they could potentially be on the hook for paying out the vast majority of what remains of his contract, which runs till mid-2026. Should he resign of his own accord, that payout is significantly lower.ESPNcricinfo reported last month on the uncertainty surrounding Gillespie’s future. The PCB put out a statement denying his job was under immediate threat, reaffirming that Gillespie would be Pakistan coach for the two Test matches against South Africa, but pointedly declined to commit to stating that he would see out the remainder of his contract.Gillespie is scheduled to travel to South Africa from his home in Australia on December 13. Pakistan play the first Test in Centurion on December 26, with the second in Cape Town starting on January 3.ESPNcricinfo has reached out to the PCB for comment, but has not received a response.

This is the first ODI squad Nepal have announced since Gyanendra Malla’s retirement

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2023Uncapped offspinner Mousom Dhakal has been called up to Nepal’s squad for the Asia Cup. The squad also includes the batter Sundeep Jora, who missed out on Nepal’s campaign at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June.Batting allrounder Rohit Paudel, who has led Nepal to 17 wins in 27 ODIs so far, will continue to captain the side.Dhakal is yet to play top-level international cricket but he played for Nepal recently at the ACC Men’s Emerging Cup, picking up two wickets in their only win of the tournament, against UAE A. Jora also played that match, contributing a 15-ball 24 to Nepal’s successful chase of 158.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Fast-bowling allrounder Sompal Kami also played the Emerging Cup after recovering from the hand injury that forced him to pull out midway through the World Cup Qualifier. He is expected to lead Nepal’s pace attack at the Asia Cup alongside Karan KC.This is the first ODI squad Nepal have announced since the retirement of their former captain Gyanendra Malla earlier this month.Nepal have been drawn in Group A of the six-team Asia Cup, alongside Pakistan and India. They are scheduled to face co-hosts Pakistan in Multan on August 30, and meet India in Pallekele on September 4.Nepal men’s ODI squad: Rohit Paudel (capt), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Mousom Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud

Two new teams – Pamir Zalmi and Hindukush Stars – have joined the league, making it an eight-team competition this year

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2022Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran are among the eight premier Afghanistan players to be retained by their Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL) teams ahead of the upcoming eighth season of the tournament.In the players’ draft for the tournament, conducted on June 10, a total of 142 players, national and uncapped, were drafted in five categories by the franchises, now numbering eight after the addition of two new franchises.The players retained ahead of the draft – apart from Rashid (Band-e-Amir Dragons), Gurbaz (Kabul Eagles, the defending champions) and Najibullah (Speenghar Tigers) – were Mohammad Shahzad (Mis Ainak Knights), Darwish Rasooli (Amo Sharks) and Samiullah Shinwari (Bost Defenders), while the two new teams, Pamir Zalmi and Hindukush Stars, picked Shapoor Zadran and Hamid Hassan as their retained players respectively.Of these players, Shahzad was retained in the highest category, Icon, as were ten others: Mohammad Nabi (Kabul Eagles), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Bost Defenders), Hashmatullah Shahidi (Pamir Zalmi), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Hindukush Stars), Usman Ghani (Speenghar Tigers), Hazratullah Zazai (Hindukush Stars), Asghar Afghan (Mis Ainak Knights), Karim Janat (Band-e-Amir Dragons), Ihsanullah Janat (Amo Sharks) and Noor Ali Zadran (Pamir Zalmi).In addition, two players have been drafted in the Diamond category by each franchise, three in Platinum, four in Golden, and six in the Silver category.The Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement that “it’s fine to note that the SCL2022 is expected to be conducted from July 15 to August 2 in Kabul”. Kabul Eagles beat Mis Ainak Knights in the final the last time the tournament was played, in 2020, making it their second title, after 2016. Mis Ainak Knights and Speenghar Tigers have also won the tournament twice apiece, while Band-e-Amir Dragons have won it once.

WV Raman and support staff contracts extended, possibility of crowds at 40-50% being explored

Annesha Ghosh26-Feb-2021Nine days out from the start of India Women’s first assignment in a year, against South Africa at home, the squads for the five-match ODI series or the three T20Is, the venue or the tour itinerary itself, have not been publicly announced yet by the BCCI, the hosts. CSA, too, has not announced the South African squads yet. The only official statement so far confirming the scheduling of the series has come from the host state body, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which said in a recent release that all eight matches will be held at the Ekana International Stadium in Lucknow, starting March 7.Related

• India women just lost a year, but not all the blame goes to Covid

• India women: a year of cricket lost while other major teams played

• The curious case of Shikha Pandey and other talking points as India face South Africa

• India women's team to play South Africa women in Lucknow

• Army recruitment drive forces India Women's series against South Africa to move out of Kerala

While official word from the Indian board remains elusive, the Indian contingent assembled in Lucknow on Thursday. ESPNcricinfo understands that they are currently serving a five-day quarantine and all members of the Indian touring party will have to clear two Covid-19 tests during this period before they can begin training. South Africa, meanwhile, who are due to enter India via Mumbai late Friday evening, will undergo a six-day quarantine upon arrival in Lucknow in the early hours of Saturday. South Africa will take part in their first training session on March 5, two days before the ODI series gets underway.ESPNcricinfo has also learnt that the UPCA is in talks with the BCCI to explore the possibility of allowing crowds up to 40-50% capacity for the best part of India’s eight-match assignment. A final decision is likely to be arrived at during the weekend. This is the first time a women’s international fixture will be played at the Ekana International Stadium, which has a capacity of 50,000. The stadium, built in 2017, hosted its first international match in 2018, when India took on West Indies in a T20I. The Afghanistan men’s team used it as their third home ground in India, after Dehradun and Greater Noida, playing a series apiece across formats against West Indies in 2019.In another development ESPNcricinfo is privy to, it is understood that India head coach WV Raman’s contract, the two-year term of which ended in December last year, has been extended. Long-time team manager Trupti Bhattacharya and physio Tracy Fernandes, whose contracts had expired at the end of the T20 World Cup in March last year and not been renewed during the one-year hiatus, are also back in the fold.As for the make-up of the Indian squads for both the ODIs and T20Is, it is learnt that are a number of experienced regulars do not feature in them. Several new faces, some of whom had travelled to the UAE in November last year for the three-team Women’s T20 Challenge, have received maiden national call-ups.South Africa will enter a six-day quarantine when they arrive in Lucknow•Getty Images

The ODI series opener against South Africa will mark India’s return to action after a year. They last played international cricket on March 8, 2020, going down to Australia in the T20 World Cup final at the MCG. The only competitive cricket that the Indian players took part in during this period was the Women’s T20 Challenge held in the final week of IPL 2020, in Sharjah in November 2020. In the past year, a tour of England scheduled in July 2020 was cancelled, while a tour of Australia scheduled for January 2021 was deferred.Both South Africa and India have earned direct qualification for the rescheduled 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand, and will look to use the bilateral series to kick-start their preparations for a busy next year, which will also see women’s cricket make its debut in the Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham, in the shortest format. In 2023, South Africa will host the T20 World Cup, which was deferred by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The India vs South Africa series were originally supposed to be held in Thiruvananthapuram, but the Kerala Cricket Association informed the BCCI about its inability to host the games as the ground has been “made available to the Indian military for a recruitment drive, without the KCA’s prior knowledge”, and it doesn’t have a venue with “appropriate broadcast facilities”.International cricket in India resumed on February 5, with the Test series against England, of which the first two Tests were in Chennai. Crowds up to 50% capacity of the MA Chidambaram Stadium were allowed for the second Test last week. Up to 55,000 spectators could attend the third Test at the newly renovated Sardar Patel International Stadium (renamed Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday) in Ahmedabad.The Indian government last month revised its guidelines pertaining to spectators at outdoor sports in the country. “For outdoor sports events spectators will be allowed to full seating capacity,” the Indian ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said in a circular updated on January 29. The circular, titled ‘Standard Operating Procedures for opening up of Stadia for sports events’, revised the ministry’s previous guidelines issued on December 26, which had stated spectators can be allowed at 50% capacity for outdoor sports.

The events that triggered the player strike in Bangladesh and how it was all organised

Mohammad Isam22-Oct-2019At 12.45pm on Monday, Bangladesh’s cricketers decided to hold a press conference in Mirpur. They arrived near the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s indoor facilities around 2.30pm, and then walked around the back to reach the Academy ground. They lined up, and asked the reporters and cameramen to gather themselves quickly. They had a lot to say.This was the moment of truth that some of Bangladesh’s top cricketers had strenuously prepared for the past three weeks, and a press conference at least two decades in the making.Naeem Islam, who played eight Tests and 59 ODIs between 2008 and 2014 before becoming a domestic stalwart, began with the word “respect”.It is a big word, and it is something that every athlete craves, perhaps more than money or fame. But it has been in short supply in Bangladesh cricket for a very long time. This is common knowledge and it was the cause of, and the common thread in, their 11-point list of demandsThe BCB’s decision last month to do away with the BPL’s franchise-based model for the 2019-20 season meant that, automatically, the domestic players’ earnings from the T20 league was reduced drastically. The reason behind the decision was flimsy: Shakib Al Hasan’s move from Dhaka Dynamites, which is owned by the company which employs the BCB chief Nazmul Hassan, BPL secretary Ismail Haider Mallick and board director Khaled Mahmud, to Rangpur Riders.The decision also undid the transfers of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shane Watson and, with the reduction in pay, the axing of the franchise-model hugely affected domestic cricketers. Keep in mind, the BCB had already reduced their earning capacity by putting in place a draft for the Dhaka Premier League for the last several seasons.Then came the board’s decision to allow, in the NCL, only those cricketers who passed an enhanced fitness test – which, for good measure, was announced only two weeks before the league began. This upset the players – they felt it could have been communicated during the pre-season and perhaps they could have been given more facilities to reach the required fitness levels.So around two weeks ago, discussions began in earnest about how best to tackle their issues. The players’ outrage at the board’s treatment slowly gave way to more organised thinking, as they noted down the several points that needed to be addressed.Their initial plan to announce the strike on October 16 was postponed as Shakib had to play the CPL final, which delayed his return to Dhaka. Had the strike started that day, they would have boycotted the October 17 NCL matches and a no-show would have meant utter chaos.They used the three extra days to get more organised. Shakib meanwhile delivered stinging interviews to local newspapers that sent tongues wagging but didn’t really draw a reaction from the cricket board. It seemed they had no idea of what was coming.They planned the press conference to be a complete surprise, giving the media two hours to gather in Mirpur and, by the time the BCB officials got wind of something happening, the players were well on their way to the Academy ground as a group.The press conference lasted only 13 minutes, but it contained more truth than any other from the past. While the headline points were the demands for enhanced salaries, there was a wider one being made: the need for systemic changes.They wanted fresh elections in CWAB, the players’ body, which has been run by the same committee for the last ten years. Naimur Rahman is its president, Khaled Mahmud its vice-president and Debabrata Paul the general secretary. All of them are very much part of the BCB. Naimur and Mahmud are board directors while Paul is employed as the match referees’ coordinator.The players brought to attention the debilitating effects of biased umpiring in the lower rungs of the Dhaka league system. This is another open secret in Bangladesh cricket, but no one has dared to speak about it because many of these beneficiary clubs are run by powerful BCB directors. The players said such one-sided, pre-fixed matches would ruin the cricketers’ pipeline.They mentioned the need for improved facilities across the country, especially in venues where first-class sides are based. They also wanted increased money for food and travel. These are among the most basic things that a cricket board must do for its players.The players also said that women cricketers, groundsmen, local coaches, umpires, physios and trainers were also under their umbrella, making their call for strike even stronger.