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Maharaj was set to be in the XI for the first ODI against Pakistan but limped off just before the toss

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2024South Africa have been left sweating over the fitness of Keshav Maharaj ahead of their last two Tests of the ongoing World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Maharaj was seen limping off during warm-ups ahead of the first ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday because of a groin strain. It is understood that Maharaj was in the XI before he sustained the injury right before the toss and was replaced by Andile Phehlukwayo. He will have a scan on Wednesday.After the three-match ODI series, South Africa face Pakistan in two Tests, needing just one more win to be assured of a top-two finish to qualify for the WTC final next year. Maharaj is a key component of South Africa’s Test side, often their lone specialist spinner in the XI, with Aiden Markram offering support with his part-time offspin. Maharaj bowled them to a win against Sri Lanka in Gqeberha earlier this month, returning 5 for 76 on the last day to trigger a collapse.Related

• WTC final scenarios – SA need one more win for guaranteed top-two finish

• Fractured toe puts Anrich Nortje out of T20Is against Pakistan

While the severity of Maharaj’s injury is yet to be ascertained, this adds to the long list of injured South Africa bowlers. Anrich Nortje was ruled out with a fractured toe ahead of the T20Is against Pakistan; Gerald Coetzee and Lungi Ngidi are out until January with groin and hip issues respectively; Nandre Burger has been ruled out of the summer with a stress fracture of the lower back; Wiaan Mulder is in a race to be fit for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan after breaking a finger against Sri Lanka.Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy are the spinners in contention for the Boxing Day Test, if Maharaj is ruled out. Batting allrounder Neil Brand, who bowls left-arm spin, and legspinner Shaun von Berg also made Test appearances this year for South Africa. Left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, who last played first-class cricket in 2021, could be in with an outside chance.

New Zealand’s bowling coach was pleased with the efforts of the left-arm quick, who took three important wickets on day four at Hagley Oval

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch29-Dec-2018Pitches in New Zealand tend to flatten out after a roaring start, but even though opposition teams struggle to get wickets in the second innings, New Zealand’s own quicks are generally capable of bowling their team to victory. Why? Because they hunt as a pack, according to their bowling coach Shane Jurgensen.There was evidence of that teamwork as they removed four Sri Lanka batsmen on day four – three of those wickets falling to Neil Wagner. The performance left New Zealand four further wickets from victory, with day five to play. In fact they may only need three wickets, if the injured Angelo Mathews does not bat again.”It’s awesome, because I think the bowlers actually bounce off each other,” Jurgensen said after play. “They all get on with each other – they’re really good mates. You’ve got the two left-handers in Neil and Trent Boult, and then you’ve got Tim Southee and Colin de Grandhomme, when there’s a bit more on offer in terms of seam and swing. You’ve got those four guys – two lefties and two righties. Neil’s ability to bowl those bouncers, it just adds another string in the bow for the group.”One of the big things with our bowling is we want to bowl in partnerships and put pressure on from both ends. I think that’s what we did in the first innings and that’s we needed all our bowlers to do in the second.”Having arrived in New Zealand only six days before this series started, following their three Tests in the UAE, New Zealand’s bowlers have also had to contend with a huge workload, having earlier spent six months without any international cricket on their schedule. Boult – New Zealand’s quickest bowler – has played in all five of those Tests, and Tim Southee has played four.”Trent is really fit,” Jurgensen said. “I think that’s what I’ve been really impressed with our bowling group – it’s our fifth test in six-and-a-half or seven weeks, and it’s a testament to their fitness during the winter, how hard they’ve worked, to still keep trucking in. Neil just provides that extra punch that we need, particularly at the back end of the game, and you saw another example of that today. He’s been doing it for a while now for us.”Perhaps the best on-field battle of day five was Wagner v Dinesh Chandimal. In the past, teams have targeted Chandimal with the short ball, on account of his reputation for being an impulsive hooker. Aware of this potential weakness, New Zealand and Wagner bowled a lot of bouncers at Chandimal, without much success for the first two sessions, with Chandimal routinely ducking or swaying out of the way.It was Wagner who eventually got his wicket. Early in the third session, Chandimal could not get out of the way of a delivery headed toward his throat, and ended up fending at it with his gloves, sending an easy catch to short leg. Wagner was ecstatic at having taken that wicket, letting out an almighty scream.”I was a good battle between them,” Jurgensen said. “Dinesh batted very well, he applied himself fantastically. His hook shot is certainly something that we’ve targeted. But one of the things that I was mentioning in the dressing room is that I don’t think he’s playing the pull or hook shot today, so maybe we need to change our fields slightly to suit that. Eventually Neil got him.”

Bangladesh come into the series as the more settled side despite missing a few big names, but they’ve never won an ODI at the Premadasa Stadium

The Preview by Madushka Balasuriya25-Jul-2019

Big picture

While all eyes will rightfully be on Lasith Malinga ahead of his final ODI, the Sri Lanka quick’s swansong also brings into the focus the journey both these sides have been on over the last several years.In 14 ODIs against Bangladesh, Malinga has tasted defeat just three times, and remains probably the last member of the Sri Lanka squad, barring maybe Angelo Mathews, to remember having played Bangladesh when a Sri Lanka victory was considered a mere formality.For the rest of the squad, though, these games have been much feistier affairs, spurred on by disputes over celebratory taunts, shattered dressing-room doors, and coach swaps.The last six completed ODIs between the two sides, meanwhile, have been evenly shared – which is why it was such a shame their game at the World Cup was washed out. As such it’s safe to say that this series is set to be the most competitive bilateral contest, ever, between the two nations.Even so, Sri Lanka come into the game with more problems than the visitors. A chronic inability to pick up wickets in the middle overs has left the team management with their fingers perennially crossed over the return to form of Akila Dananjaya, while the batting order’s instability has long been a point of contention. Malinga’s imminent retirement only deepens their woesBangladesh, on the other hand, despite their underwhelming finish in a World Cup that began with so much promise, have by far the more settled side. Even without stars such as Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza and Liton Das, they have built enough strength in depth to put out arguably the stronger of the two teams, and while captain Tamim Iqbal was keen to avoid the favourites tag in the build-up, the fact that the team will be disappointed with anything other than a win shows how far they’ve come.

Form guide

Bangladesh: LLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LWLWL

In the spotlight

Shakib Al Hasan was unarguably Bangladesh’s star performer of the World Cup, but with him ruled out, Mohammad Mithun has a golden opportunity to stake his claim for a spot in an otherwise settled batting line-up. Likely to take up the coveted No. 3 role, Mithun could give Sri Lanka’s bowlers a tough time if he carries on the form he showed in the warm-up match.Lasith Malinga picked up 13 wickets at the World Cup, more than twice as many as any other Sri Lankan bowler. In his final game, expect him to push his ageing frame to the limit, and attempt to give himself a fairytale farewell.Mohammad Mithun gets creative•Getty Images

Team news

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya De Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Nuwan Pradeep, 10 Akila Dhananjaya, 11 Lasith MalingaBangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mohammad Mithun, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Mossadek Hossain 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Rubel Hossain

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the Khettarama has the reputation of being high-scoring with ball coming on to bat, with teams putting up an average first-innings total of 313 in the last five matches here, of which four have been won by the team batting first. However, there’s an 80% chance of rain in the afternoon and evening, something the team winning the toss will have to take into consideration.

Stats and trivia

• Tamim Iqbal is 129 runs away from becoming the first Bangladesh cricketer to score 7000 ODI runs.
• No player taking part in this series from either side has scored a century at the R Premadasa Stadium. The highest score remains Angelo Mathews’ 97 not out.
• In eight attempts, Bangladesh are yet to win an ODI at the R Premadasa stadium.

Quotes

“Not too long ago we were in a similar situation and Sri Lanka came to our country and played a beautiful series. In cricket we’re like a family, and we need to help each other when these sort of things happen. Nobody in our team thought about not coming. We’re feeling very comfortable, and we’re only thinking about our cricket.”
“To be very honest I just heard from him just now, that’s the truth. So I haven’t even thought about it yet.”

Both teams are playing their first T20 World Cup, in a match that has plenty of sub-plots to look forward to if the rain stays away in Dallas

Hemant Brar01-Jun-2024

Match details

United States of America vs Canada
Dallas, 7.30pm local

Big picture – USA start as favourites

In a way, it’s fitting that cricket’s oldest international rivalry will kick off its biggest World Cup, comprising 20 teams. Long before Australia and England played the first-ever Test in 1877, USA and Canada locked horns in a three-day game in 1844. In that match in New York, Canada came out on top by 23 runs.One-hundred-and-eighty years later, the same two teams will come face to face in the T20 World Cup 2024 opener in Dallas. Coincidentally, it is the first T20 World Cup for both sides. USA qualified by virtue of being the co-hosts and Canada by winning the Americas Qualifier.Related

• USA vice-captain Aaron Jones on rivalry with Canada: 'Has been going on for years and years'

• T20 World Cup is coming to America… but is America aware?

• Dallas dreams of cricket

• The oldest international contest of them all

Saturday’s game will be the first T20I at the Grand Prairie Stadium. But there is hardly any buzz in Dallas, which means the 7000-seater may not be packed to capacity. Moreover, a thunderstorm could play spoilsport, as it did during the warm-ups for both sides at this very venue.Nevertheless, USA will be the favourites on Saturday. While they have played only seven T20Is since the 2022 T20 World Cup – all in the last two months – that was enough to show their pedigree. They first beat Canada 4-0 before stunning Bangladesh 2-1, both times playing at home.If the rain stays away, Corey Anderson, the former New Zealand allrounder who now plays for USA, will become the fifth player to represent two teams at the T20 World Cup. Former India Under-19 World Cup winner Harmeet Singh, once touted as the next Bishan Bedi, is also expected to play a key role with bat and ball.In left-arm seamer Kaleem Sana, Canada have got someone who once dismissed Babar Azam in a first-class game in Pakistan. They also have 37-year-old Jeremy Gordon, one of the fastest bowlers in associate cricket.Among other sub-plots, Canada coach Pubudu Dassanayake was previously with USA in the same role, and batting-allrounder Nitish Kumar, who now plays for USA, was with Canada till 2019.

Form guide

United States of America LWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Canada LLLLW

In the spotlight – Corey Anderson and Aaron Johnson

Corey Anderson made his T20I debut for USA in April. He started with scores of 28 and 55, but at the same time, he looked a bit rusty. In five T20Is he has played for USA till now, he has struck at 112.30. Once upon a time, he held the record for the fastest ODI hundred. Can he turn the clock back to those days?Originally from Jamaica, Aaron Johnson is a powerful opening batter who loves playing no-look shots. The 33-year-old made his T20I debut for Canada in 2022. In 16 games so far, he has scored 713 runs at an average of 50.92 and a strike rate of 166.58. He has five fifties, two hundreds and 48 sixes in the format.Aaron Johnson has five fifties and two hundreds in 16 T20I innings•Getty Images

Team news

In Steven Taylor, Monank Patel and Andries Gous, USA have a solid top order. Ali Khan and Saurabh Netravalkar will lead the pace unit. Harmeet, their main spinner, can also provide late-order hitting.United States of America (probable XI): 1 Steven Taylor, 2 Monank Patel (capt, wk), 3 Andries Gous, 4 Aaron Jones, 5 Nitish Kumar, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Harmeet Singh, 8 Shadley van Schalkwyk, 9 Jasdeep Singh, 10 Ali Khan, 11 Saurabh NetravalkarCanada will rely a lot on their bowlers. Apart from Gordon and Sana, they have Dilon Heyliger in the pace attack. Captain Saad Bin Zafar and Nikhil Dutta know how to keep batters quiet with their spin variations.Canada (probable XI): 1 Aaron Johnson, 2 Navneet Dhaliwal, 3 Rayyan Pathan, 4 Nicholas Kirton, 5 Pargat Singh, 6 Shreyas Movva (wk), 7 Saad Bin Zafar (capt), 8 Nikhil Dutta, 9 Dilon Heyliger, 10 Jeremy Gordon, 11 Kaleem Sana

Stats that matter

• Taylor and Patel have six 50-plus stands in the 12 T20I innings in which they have opened together for USA. Their partnership run rate is 9.65.
• Since the last T20 World Cup in 2022, only two batters have scored 700 or more runs at a 50-plus average and a 150-plus strike rate: India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Canada’s Aaron Johnson.
• Across all T20s, Johnson has taken Netravalkar for 50 runs in 30 balls while getting out only once.
• Aaron Jones has smashed Heyliger for 23 runs in 11 balls for one dismissal. But Saad has had the wood over him: two dismissals in 23 balls for just 15 runs.
• Saad is the only bowler to have registered four maidens in a T20I, a feat he achieved against Panama in 2021 when he finished with figures of 4-4-0-2.
• So far, only four players have represented two different teams at the T20 World Cup: Roelof van der Merwe (South Africa and Netherlands), Dirk Nannes (Netherlands and Australia), David Wiese (South Africa and Namibia) and Mark Chapman (Hong Kong and New Zealand). Anderson could join them on Saturday.

Pitch and conditions

Of the four warm-up games scheduled here, only one saw some action. Batting first in that, Canada posted 183 for 7. In response, Nepal were all out for 120. There is a 40% chance of rain on Saturday, though.

Quotes

“I will say fearless cricket, positive cricket, smart cricket. I think that’s what we’re really and truly trying to do. We don’t want to regret anything. We want to leave everything out there on the park. And then, obviously, if we come out on top, it’s great. If we don’t come out on top, that’s how cricket goes sometimes. But we don’t want to regret anything.”
“At the national level, we are rivals because we are from the same region. We tend to play against each other a lot. Most of the time it’s in qualifiers where there’s a lot on the line, whether it’s the ODI status or the T20 World Cup qualification. But at the same time, we do play a lot of tournaments and franchise cricket in the North American region. So there’s a lot of friendships between the two countries as well.”

LSG’s CEO confirmed as much after Mayank bowled just the one over against Gujarat Titans on Sunday night

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2024Mayank Yadav will have his workload managed over the coming week as a “precaution”, according to Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) CEO Vinod Bisht.Mayank, the tearaway quick who’s been turning heads so far at IPL 2024, walked off after bowling just one over against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, leading to questions about his fitness.”Mayank felt soreness in lower abdominal area and as a precaution we are managing his work load over next week,” Bisht said on Monday. “We hope to see him soon in the field.”Mayank’s pace was down on Sunday night, and he was hit for three boundaries in the fourth over of Titans’ eventually unsuccessful chase.9:56

The Mayank Yadav story – A 21-year-old boy from Delhi with express pace

Following LSG’s win, Krunal Pandya, who had starred with figures of 3 for 11 in his four overs, shrugged off concerns about Mayank. “I don’t know what is happening but I did have a brief couple of seconds’ chat [with him] – he seemed okay, which was quite a relief for us,” Krunal had told the broadcaster.”A bright prospect, I’d been watching him from last two years. He used to [be a] gun in the nets,” Krunal added. “Last year, unfortunately, missed it [due to injury]. But again, whatever conversation I have had, what I see is that he has a good head on his shoulders as well.”After four games, LSG sit at No. 3 on the points table with three wins. They host Delhi Capitals in Lucknow for their next match, on April 12.

England haven’t lost a Test series since Stokes and McCullum took over but that could change in Ranchi

Hemant Brar22-Feb-20241:11

Manjrekar: Resting Bumrah shows India’s confidence

Big picture: Joe Root looks to bounce back

England have not lost a Test series in the Bazball era. Of the seven completed series in this period, they won four and drew three. However, that could change over the next five days as India – after trouncing England by 434 runs in Rajkot – go into the fourth Test in Ranchi with a lead of 2-1.At various points in the series, India’s batting line-up has looked shaky. But with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill back among runs, and Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel making impressive debuts, it no longer seems to be an issue.Their bowling line-up in Ranchi, though, could be their weakest until now. They have rested Jasprit Bumrah, the most influential bowler with 17 wickets at 13.64 in the first three Tests. Perhaps to offset that, they have prepared a pitch about which Ben Stokes said: “I have never seen something like that before.” But more on that later.Related

• England's young spin trio feel the love on toughest tour

• Stokes unfazed by Bazball backlash as England brace to go again

• Jadeja, the batter – mundane but magnificent

• Robinson, Bashir recalled for Ranchi Test; Wood and Rehan miss out

• How will India replace Jasprit Bumrah in Ranchi?

As far as England are concerned, their middle order needs to fire. So Bumrah’s absence should bring some relief, especially for Joe Root; Bumrah has dismissed him nine times across 13 Tests, including three times in this series. As a result, Root has scored a mere 77 runs in six innings so far on this tour, and his average of 12.83 is the second-worst for him in a Test series.Another positive for England is that Stokes seems ready to resume bowling. Given the England captain’s ability to provide breakthroughs, the prospect must be mouthwatering, but the visitors will be wary of plucking the fruit before it is ripe.

Form guide

India WWLWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
England LLWWD

In the spotlight: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jonny Bairstow

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been head and shoulders above all other batters in this series. In six innings, Jaiswal has smashed 545 runs at an average of 109.00. Ben Duckett, with 288 at 48.00, is a distant second. And it is not just the runs but also how Jaiswal scored them. He has batted at a strike rate of 81.10, and his 22 sixes are already the most by a batter in a bilateral Test series. If England are to level the series, they need to find a way to stop him.Jonny Bairstow was bowled shouldering arms to Ravindra Jadeja in the first Test•BCCI

Jonny Bairstow has been at the opposite end of the spectrum. With Ben Foakes taking over the wicketkeeping duties, he was expected to bat without any worry. But so far in the series, he has managed only 102 runs at an average of 17.00. The team management is not worried, though. According to head coach Brendon McCullum, they want to “keep on giving him confidence and block out a lot of the external noise”. It is up to Bairstow now to repay their faith.

Team news: England bring in Robinson and Bashir

The only question for India is who replaces Bumrah. With three spinners already in the XI, they are likely to go for either Mukesh Kumar or uncapped Akash Deep. Mukesh should be the frontrunner even though he missed the optional practice session on Thursday, where Akash did a lot of batting and fielding.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Sarfaraz Khan, 6 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Mukesh Kumar/Akash DeepEngland have made two changes. Ollie Robinson replaces Mark Wood and will play his first Test in India, while offspinner Shoaib Bashir has been preferred over Rehan Ahmed for his high release point.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Tom Hartley, 9 Ollie Robinson, 10 James Anderson, 11 Shoaib Bashir

Pitch and conditions: Rain in the air

The Ranchi pitch far more spin-friendly than any of the previous ones in the series. Stokes described it as “very dark and crumbly”. Ollie Pope noted that one half – if you cut it vertically – had significantly more cracks than the other. More grass was shaved off on Thursday. On the weather front, there is a forecast for showers on the third and fifth days of the Test.Brendon McCullum and Co have a close look at the pitch•Associated Press

Stats and trivia: Anderson on the cusp of 700

• James Anderson is only four away from 700 Test wickets. Only Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708) have taken more.
• Stokes is three short of 200 Test wickets. When he reaches there, he will be only the third allrounder after Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis to complete the double of 6000 runs and 200 wickets.
• Bairstow is 94 away from 6000 Test runs, and Rohit Sharma 23 from 4000.
• Ravindra Jadeja, who completed 3000 Test runs in the previous game, is closing in on 300 Test wickets as well. He needs 13 more to become the seventh Indian to get there.

Quotes

“We have been having a lot of conversations with him [Rajat Patidar]. One thing he needs to understand is that this is how this game goes. He has been batting really well, he has scored a lot of runs to get into the team, and he doesn’t become a bad player after two games. He has had a few tough games, awkward dismissals where the ball has stopped on him, which can happen – this is how this game goes. But I have absolutely no doubt that he is a good player and on his day he will come up with a very impactful innings.”
“There is going to be assistance for the spinners, but also the seam [bowlers] because of the dryness and cracks in the wicket. The way Jimmy [Anderson] and Robbo [Robinson] operate, zoning in on an area consistently, Robbo’s release point, I think we’re giving ourselves a good chance if it is spinning; we also have the chance to take wickets with the quick bowlers if there is some variable bounce.”

Selectors name 15-man squad featuring Forde and Rutherford, with Hope as vice-captain

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2023Andre Russell has been named in West Indies’ T20I set-up for the first time since the 2021 T20 World Cup, as part of a 15-man squad to face England in next week’s five-match series in the Caribbean.Russell, 35, has spent the past month in the UAE, where his Deccan Gladiators team lost to New York Strikers in the final of the Abu Dhabi T10 on Saturday. He will link up with the squad in Barbados this week, with the first T20I getting underway at Bridgetown on Tuesday.Matthew Forde, the uncapped 21-year-old allrounder, has also been named in the squad after his maiden call-up to the ODI set-up this month, while Sherfane Rutherford is also back in the T20 reckoning for the first time since 2020.Gudakesh Motie, who impressed with his left-arm spin in the second ODI against England in Antigua, has been recalled to the squad after missing the recent India tour through injury. Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder, both of whom have been unavailable for 50-over selection in recent months, also return.The five-match series against England, the defending T20 World Champions, is an important staging post for West Indies ahead of their co-hosting of the next T20 World Cup, alongside the USA, in June and July 2024.Shai Hope, West Indies’ captain and stand-out batter in the ongoing ODIs, has been named as vice-captain to Rovman Powell, while Johnson Charles, Obed McCoy, Odean Smith and Oshane Thomas all miss out on selection having featured against India in August.”This will be the final home T20I series for the West Indies in 2023, as they prepare to be one of the two host teams for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June 2024,” Desmond Haynes, CWI’s lead selector, said.”We have selected a squad that we think gives us the best chance of success in that tournament. We will continue to assess in the lead up to the competition.”The selection panel has the opportunity for squad adjustments ahead of the final two matches of the series, in Trinidad on December 19 and 21.West Indies squad Rovman Powell (capt), Shai Hope (vc), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder,Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

SACA claims the cricket board has violated terms between the two bodies

Liam Brickhill13-Apr-2019The South Africa Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has refuted Cricket South Africa’s claim that it was consulted about the sweeping changes proposed to restructure domestic cricket in the country.Presenting a united front at its second press conference in a week, CSA insisted that SACA had been brought up to speed with the details of the domestic revamp. Corrie Van Zyl, the head of cricket pathways, even went to the extent of saying, “I sat personally with SACA and consulted on the restructuring.”SACA, however, remains adamant that it had not been adequately consulted, stating further that the cricket board had ignored agreements between the two bodies. It further countered CSA by citing its chief executive Tony Irish’s ban from attending a meeting while the restructuring was being discussed.SACA’s words contradict CSA’s statements to the media. According to van Zyl, SACA has been engaged by CSA in the formulation of the strategies it will implement in the face of massive forecasted financial losses.”I sat personally with SACA and consulted on the restructuring, explained what it would look like, and in principle they supported that and understood where we are going,” van Zyl said. “But they did also say that they need to understand a lot more.”They were also part of other interactions – a joint financial committee, and also a cricket committee which SACA is part of – where we discussed the restructuring again, and at that stage no objection was raised to the restructuring. So we have consulted, and secondly we have been working together to make sure that we come up with a sustainable restructuring exercise.”Irish, however, argued that the Memorandum of Understanding signed by CSA and SACA last year contained clear guidelines on how the consultation process on a matter such as the restructure should happen, but that CSA “has simply ignored that agreement”.”I wish to again confirm that CSA has not properly consulted with SACA on the domestic restructure,” Irish said. “The fact that I was present at certain meetings when the issue of possible restructure was raised does not constitute consultation.”There has been no discussion with us on how any restructure would actually work and I have consistently stated to CSA that SACA cannot make any decision on this at least until we understand the financial position and the ‘human impact’ on the players.”Omphile Ramela, the domestic veteran and president of SACA, also confirmed the body hadn’t received a reply from CSA over concerns raised. “We have addressed our specific, constructive concerns to CSA in writing but have still had no reply,” he said. “The statements made have given us no further clarity on this. SACA has yet to agree to any restructure.”CSA stated yesterday (Friday) that it will continue to engage SACA going forward, yet SACA’s CEO was at the same time banned from a meeting of CSA’s Chief Executives Conference, of which he is a member, when the domestic restructure was being discussed.”While SACA is clearly at loggerheads with CSA, chief executive Thabang Moroe insisted that CSA had the full backing of the key stakeholders for the revamp. Moroe said, “We’ve just had a very successful two-day workshop with our CEOs, and all of the CEOs have asked me to quote them in saying that they are in full support of the plans that Cricket South Africa has put in place.”

West Indies coach Stuart Law said the lack of bounce in Bridgetown was “heartbreaking”, given his side’s fast-bowling talent

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2017West Indies coach Stuart Law is deeply disappointed with the Bridgetown pitch, on which his team registered a stirring 106-run victory against Pakistan this week. The track, Law said, suited Pakistan more and left him “heartbroken” for his quick bowlers. Praising his side for winning convincingly despite that, he said the victory came as a result of the hard work they put in but do not often get credit for.”I wasn’t expecting what we turned up to see,” Law said. “If we can’t get a good coverage of grass in a tropical climate, there is something wrong. It wasn’t the sort of pitch we would have liked, I know that Pakistan were licking their lips when they saw it because it was a bit like a Pakistani pitch.”Day two when we were bowling, bouncers were landing five metres short of the keeper. We’ve got boys who bowl 90 miles an hour, and to see the ball do that is heartbreaking, particularly on day two. You expect it on day four, day five, no problem. But to get through the game the way we did, in those conditions, which suited the opposition more so, very proud of the effort.”West Indies’ victory brought the series level at 1-1, with one Test left to play. In the first Test, they fell to a seven-wicket defeat after collapsing in their second innings to 152. Here, they conceded the first-innings lead, before a second-innings seven-for from legspinner Yasir Shah left Pakistan chasing 188. Shannon Gabriel, with help from 20-year-old Alzarri Joseph and captain Jason Holder, made sure they did not get close.Law said the work Gabriel puts in behind the scenes to be fit and ready for the games needed applauding. “He just improves every time he goes out there. Not [just] his effort on the field, that’s unquestionable, but behind the scenes, which people don’t see. He goes to lengths to see he’s right and in perfect physical condition every time he goes out on the field.”He has had injury problems, but physio CJ Clarke is working tirelessly with him. Even away from the Test-match scene, he gets in early, works hard with him. And Shannon is very diligent with his preparation. When you’ve got a guy who can bowl 90+, you want to make sure you’re looking after him, and then he produces like he did this Test, that was just outstanding work.”Much like Gabriel, Law said many in the team put in a lot of hard work away from the public eye. He said there was no shortage of talent, but improvement would only come with more exposure to Test cricket – of the playing XI in Bridgetown, only Kraigg Brathwaite has played more than 30 Tests. “They’ve got the talent, that’s for sure. It’s one thing having talent, but when you couple that with experience, you become a formidable opponent. At the moment there’s not a lot of experience in our dressing room.”The experience is coming. We’ve seen in difficult conditions, playing against the best legspinner in the world [we won]. He got seven wickets but a lot of boys coped with him pretty well. To keep him out for as long as we did, I think [it] shows that we are learning.”From the first Test match we changed a few technical things with our batsmen, it seemed to work for the right handers. The work ethic…if someone says the West Indies boys don’t work hard enough, they don’t know what they’re talking about. The boys are pretty proud of their effort, leading up to this Test match and during it, to strive for that perfect game, to strive for errors to be eradicated… We’re going in the right direction.”The series decider will begin on May 10 in Dominica.

Back-room role with one-day squad has helped 2005 Ashes legend in recovery from near-fatal accident

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Sep-2023Marcus Trescothick says he has been buoyed seeing Andrew Flintoff “grow back into Freddie” during his stint with the limited-overs squad, and hopes to see more of his former England team-mate in a coaching capacity in the future.Flintoff, 45, has been working as an unpaid assistant coach for England’s men during their one-day series against New Zealand and Ireland, as part of his recovery from a near-fatal accident while filming an episode of last December. His presence within the dressing-room proved hugely popular with the World Cup-bound players who featured in the New Zealand series, many of whom grew up idolising him, especially during the 2005 Ashes, and his stint was extended to take in the current series against Ireland, for which a separate 13-man squad was chosen.There are no concrete plans to extend Flintoff’s working relationship with the ECB after the third ODI in Bristol on Tuesday, which concludes the international summer. However, both sides have an appetite for more involvement going forward after the last few weeks. Having attended a few days during the Ashes with the encouragement of Rob Key, director of men’s cricket and a long-term friend, Flintoff has become a more visible presence around England training sessions, taking the mitt to the bowlers, and offering advice to those who seek it.His command of a room has also been noteworthy behind closed doors. He was given the floor to speak at The Oval after Jos Buttler’s side had beaten New Zealand, stating his admiration for what he felt was one of the best England environments he had been privy to. On Saturday at Trent Bridge, Flintoff was given the honour of presenting Tom Hartley, a fellow Lancastrian, with his maiden England cap ahead of the second ODI.Speaking to The Telegraph, Ben Stokes said “you can picture him being involved as a full-time coach”, adding that Flintoff “grew more confident within himself” as he became more familiar with the group. Those sentiments are echoed by assistant coach Trescothick, a fellow 2005 hero and international team-mate of Flintoff’s on 133 occasions between 2000 and 2006, though he also joked there would be a drawback in having someone he knows so well in the set-up.”It’s been hard actually because he hammers me more than anyone else,” Trescothick said. “I’m the first target for his banter at the moment, but having him around has been superb, it really has.Flintoff has proven popular in his role with England’s back-room staff•ECB via Getty Images

“Seeing him grow back into Freddie and getting back into the cricket…obviously he’s been away from cricket for a long period of time. But this is where it all starts and where it belongs for him. The guys have really taken to him.'”He’s been brilliant. A couple of times he’s spoken in the changing-room it’s been like, ‘wow’. You can see the difference, and I’ve seen the progression of him as a character; the way he talks and delivers messages to players has been superb. To have him sprinkling a bit of gold dust around the team and having the younger players working with that has been invaluable, really. You can’t put a price on it.”It was during the first ODI against New Zealand at Cardiff that Flintoff was first spotted as part of the staff. This happened to be his first public appearance since he had been left with facial scars following a crash at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome while shooting an episode for ‘s 34th series.As a legend of English cricket, and a key personality in the lineage of talismanic allrounders now carried forward by Stokes, Trescothick was particularly enamoured with how Flintoff has grown into his role. While he has been around the game recently, having worked with England’s Under-19s and frequent visits to Emirates Old Trafford given his sons Corey (17) and Rocky (14) are part of Lancashire’s age-group sides, he was understandably wary ahead of this opportunity with the national team.”I think he was a little bit nervous coming into the environment,” Trescothick said. “He doesn’t know many of the people so, from where he was coming in first at Cardiff to where he is now, he’s grown massively.”He’s back into the person you expect to be around cricket because that’s what I’ve seen for so many years and it’s been great, really good. He’s really enjoyed the opportunity and the team have taken to him being around. Hopefully, we’ll see more of him in the future.”Trescothick, like Flintoff, knows all about cricket’s ability to aid recovery. His mental-health struggles, especially when on tour, meant his international career ended in 2006, at the age of 30. With the help of those within the game, Trescothick has begun to take on more overseas trips in retirement. He returned to Pakistan for England’s Test tour last winter for the first time since 2005, a series which he believes triggered his depression, and he will be assisting England at the upcoming World Cup in India.”You become more comfortable, don’t you?” Trescothick said, recognising how cricket had helped Flintoff as it had helped him. “This is what we know, this is what we’ve grown up with for so many years. Once you come to your comfortable environment, you know what goes on and you understand the place, people have respect for what he has done and enjoy seeing him improving.”That’s really good from our point of view. If we as players and squads and cricket in general keep doing that for people who have fallen on tougher times, then great, we’re doing something right.”