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Dale Steyn could still make an appearance in South Africa’s ongoing Test series against England, which he is currently sitting out of with a shoulder injury

Firdose Moonda14-Jan-2016Dale Steyn could still make an appearance in South Africa’s ongoing Test series against England, which he is currently sitting out of with a shoulder injury. Steyn posted a picture on Twitter of himself in a hyperbaric chamber, which he is using to speed up his recovery.
“Boring, but healing,” Steyn posted, along with a collage of photographs including Scar Tissue, the autobiography of vocalist Anthony Kiedis, which he is reading during sessions.Steyn initially posted that he would spend a fortnight in the chamber, which would rule him out of the fourth Test, but then corrected himself and confirmed he would only need a week of treatment. That period ends on the eve of the Centurion game, which begins on January 22. Steyn will not have much time to get overs in the legs before the game, but he should be bowling fit by the time the ODIs start, on February 3.
Should Steyn not recover in time for the SuperSport Park Test, he would have missed six of South Africa’s eight Tests this season. In the two he played, Steyn broke down both times, first with a groin injury in Mohali, which kept him out of the remaining three Tests in India, and then with a shoulder injury in Durban which forced him out of the New Year’s Test and the ongoing Wanderers Test.South Africa have had to search their reserves in Steyn’s absence and have given two debuts to two bowlers in their last two games. Chris Morris was capped at Newlands and Hardus Viljoen at the Wanderers.

Ian Bell termed Alastair Cook’s display on the third day in Abu Dhabi a “masterclass” and said he had been an inspiration for him during his own struggles

Andrew McGlashan15-Oct-20151:22

Cook did exactly what we want to do as a batting unit – Bell

Ian Bell has called Alastair Cook’s display on the third day in Abu Dhabi a “masterclass” and said how his performances throughout the year have provided inspiration for him during his own struggles.Cook is now the leading global run-scorer in 2015, having started the year trying to break a century drought that stretched back two years. A hundred came in Barbados, followed by a marathon effort in the second innings against New Zealand at Lord’s to set-up a remarkable victory but this innings stands out.He finished the day unbeaten on 168, flicking the final ball to deep square leg then taking the generous congratulations of every Pakistan player, having faced 329 deliveries in more than seven-and-a-half hours at the crease.There was a tight lbw review off Zulfiqar Babar on 101 and he was dropped once, top-edging a sweep off the same bowler on 147, but other than that handled the spin with utmost skill, heeding the pre-series advice of Paul Farbrace and Mahela Jayawardene to use the sweep judiciously.”He’s so organised,” Bell said. “When I watch him against spin his defence is incredible. He executed the sweep today as well as I’ve ever seen him through a day of Test cricket. The way he works out his angles, for left-handers the rough outside their off stump can be tricky, but it was a masterclass today: how to defend, how to come down occasionally to chip over midwicket but also sweep from a full length.”This is the fourth year Cook has passed 1000 runs – equalling the England record held by Kevin Pietersen – and he is now second, behind Jacques Kallis, in runs scored by non-Asian batsman in Asia. Bell said Cook’s durability to fight through the tough times was a reminder to make the most of the days which go your way, which left Bell frustrated he had fallen for 63.”To play the amount of Test cricket he has, you aren’t always going to be at your best but you have to show some character at times to get through them,” he said. “What he’s done well, especially last few months, is when he gets in he makes scores like this. They do cover your bad days. What he’s been through, and what I’ve been through a little as well in the last few months, he’s a good role model to watch. When you get days like this, cash in, and he does that as well as anyoneBell was 1 off 35 balls, a period which had included a drop catch and tight shout for lbw, and it was not until he reached double figures that he started to look more secure.”It’s difficult to start, we know that from last time here. In the subcontinent, your first 40 to 50 balls are tough and if you get through that it will get easier,” he said. “It was nice to bat long, but I was gutted not to go on – or certainly be there overnight with Cooky – I know that on a pitch like that you want to get in, make the most of it and get a big one.”Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s bowling coach who worked with England until 2014 so has witnessed previous Cook epics from the opposite dressing room, also lauded the innings.”He’s got a great record in Asia, he played it beautifully,” he said. “He has a lovely temperament and the way he played took the pressure off the other batsmen. He killed the zip of the spinners and seamers nicely. It was a brilliant innings once again.”Cook’s career best of 294 – made against India at Edgbaston in 2011 – is still some way off but he may never get a better second chance for that maiden triple hundred.

Somerset slump to 55 for 7 before salvo of late hitting takes them past west country rivals

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2022Roelof van der Merwe was the match-winner as Somerset recovered from a shock start to win a rain-affected Vitality Blast clash against arch-rivals Gloucestershire by three-wickets (DLS) at Bristol.After the visitors had won the toss, Miles Hammond smote four sixes off the opening over of the game, bowled by Tom Lammonby, on his way to making 29 off just 12 balls. By the time rain interrupted play after five overs, Gloucestershire had raced to 61 for 1. A resumption at 8.45pm saw the game reduced to ten overs per side and the hosts went on to post 101 for 5.Somerset’s revised target was 112. They slumped to 55 for 7 before van der Merwe hammered an unbeaten 48 from 15 balls, with four sixes and four fours, to see them to an unlikely victory with three balls to spare.It was an extraordinary end to a game Gloucestershire had dominated. With a very short boundary on one side of the ground, the last thing Somerset could afford was to bowl too straight from the Ashley Down Road End. Left-arm seamer Lammonby erred in that respect and saw his second, third, fifth and sixth deliveries effortless lofted over the leg side by left-hander Hammond.Hammond and James Bracey took the score to 46 off 3.5 overs before Josh Davey made a breakthrough, having Hammond caught at short third man off an edged drive. Bracey was undeterred, taking a boundary off Siddle’s opening delivery of the fifth over, which also saw new batsman Ian Cockbain strike two fours.When rain sent the players off, Bracey was unbeaten on 21 from 14 balls. He added only a single to his score before being caught at cover off a leading edge in the first over of the resumption, bowled by left-arm spinner van der Merwe.Somerset opted for spin at both ends. Lewis Goldsworthy’s first ball was dispatched for a straight six by Cockbain, who fell to the second, caught at deep cover to leave Gloucestershire 72 for 3.Jack Taylor hoisted Goldsworthy for another straight six. But van der Merwe completed two canny overs for 14 and when Glenn Phillips skied a catch to wicketkeeper Tom Banton off Lewis Gregory, Gloucestershire were 90 for 4. Gregory’s over cost just five runs. The final one was delivered by Ben Green, who sent back Taylor, caught at deep midwicket in conceding only a further six.Now it was Gloucestershire bowling with a wet ball. David Payne used it to good effect, having Banton caught a short third-man off his second delivery in an opening over costing eight. When Rilee Rossouw was caught in the deep attempting to pull Josh Shaw over the longer square boundary and Tom Abell tamely cut Zak Chappell to backward point, Somerset were 15 for 3 in the third over.Will Smeed skied a Shaw full toss to be caught on the leg side and Gregory drove Benny Howell to long-on where Hammond took a fine diving catch.Lammonby had quickly cleared the ropes twice, the second time with an audacious reverse scoop off Shaw. But when he tried to reverse sweep Tom Smith and guided the ball straight to extra cover it was 50 for 6. Smith accounted for Green in the same over. But van der Merwe kept things interesting by hitting the left-arm spinner for 6-6-4, in the eight over.Somerset needed 27 off the final two. That became 12 off the last when van der Merwe hit Payne for a six and a four.Ryan Higgins, bowling for the first time in the innings, saw his first ball swept for four by van der Merwe. The second, a slower delivery was dispatched over deep square for six and the third through the off side for four.

Allrounder flew home before T20I leg of multi-format series in England for family reasons

Valkerie Baynes26-Jul-2022Marizanne Kapp, South Africa’s in-form allrounder, has been ruled out of the Commonwealth Games after cutting short her participation in the tour of England for family reasons.Kapp returned home before the first of three T20Is last Thursday after her brother-in-law suffered serious injuries in an accident which left him in intensive care.At the time, Cricket South Africa said her availability for the Games, starting in Birmingham later this week, was yet to be confirmed and, as expected, head coach Hilton Moreeng confirmed that she would not return to England for the tournament immediately after the hosts had won the third T20I in Derby on Monday night to win that leg 3-0 and seal a 14-points-to-two victory in their multi-format series.Kapp’s absence is another blow on a difficult tour for South Africa, whose only points from the series came in the rain-affected drawn Test last month, when Kapp scored 150 and 43 not out to keep her side in the contest. She also posted half-centuries in two of the three ODIs, with England also sweeping that leg of the series 3-0.After the Test, South Africa lost explosive batter Lizelle Lee, who stunned the side by announcing her international retirement amid a spat over the granting of an NOC for her to play in the Hundred. Shabnim Ismail, their key pace bowler, took just two wickets for the entire series, one in each of the last two ODIs, after missing the Test with a calf-muscle injury, not playing in the first ODI and then going wicketless in the first two T20Is before sitting out Monday night’s 38-run defeat with a back problem.Sune Luus, South Africa’s captain, also missed the final match in Derby through illness, and she hasn’t bowled since two warm-up games against England Women A in the first week of July – between the Test and the ODIs – because of a finger injury.Moreeng said that Luus and Ismail would be fit to bowl when South Africa open their Commonwealth Games campaign against New Zealand on Saturday.”It’s a precaution from medical to make sure they are 100 per cent for that game and ready for the first game,” Moreeng said. “Yes, they’ll be 100 per cent.”She’s recovering very well, Sune, and she definitely will be able to bowl, yes. Regarding Marizanne, she will be out of the Commonwealth [Games].”Related

• Marizanne Kapp provides bedrock of quality to reap her due rewards

• Marizanne Kapp: Lizelle Lee's retirement has been 'mentally tough' for South Africa

• Lizelle Lee says CSA threatened to deny her an NOC for the Hundred

• Marizanne Kapp leaves England tour for family reasons, in doubt for Commonwealth Games

• Sophie Ecclestone shows the way for youthful England in 3-0 series sweep

Moreeng denied that the absence of several senior players during the course of the tour had been a disruption to the rest of the squad.”It’s sport,” he said. “These kinds of things happen. Sometimes you have plans as a team, as coaches, as an organisation and then players feel that on certain days they’ve had enough.”You have to respect and celebrate the times that they had with you because they were incredible cricketers and these kinds of things happen because when you look at where they are in their lives, the different stages of their lives, they have to make at times decisions that are good for them, as people first, before they can worry about anything else.”So we respect their decisions but at the end of the day it gave opportunities to youngsters to be able to put up their hands. We’re very excited by what we’re seeing. Yes, the results aren’t there yet but we’re taking a lot of things, a lot of homework to be done, because bilateral tours like this give you an indication of where you are as a squad.”We also are a squad in transition, we’re not going to lose sight of that. If you look at our bowlers, the ages they’re at, youngsters are going to start coming in. They’ve given us good years.”Tazmin Brits, the 31-year-old top-order batter who was called up to the squad following Kapp’s departure and into the team to replace Luus when she fell ill ahead of the final T20I against England, top-scored with 59 off 57 balls, her third-highest score in 24 matches in the format. Meanwhile, Nonkululeko Mlaba, the 22-year-old left-arm spinner playing her 19th T20I took career-best figures of 3 for 22.But there was a sense from the tour of England that the current South Africa squad had peaked at the ODI World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year, where they defeated England by three wickets in the group stage, only to lose their semi-final against the same opponents by 137 runs.On this tour, England have looked a cut above, and the sides will once again be pitted against each other at the Commonwealth Games in Group B along with New Zealand and Sri Lanka. England open their campaign against Sri Lanka, also on Saturday after favourites Australia kick off the tournament against India, followed by Pakistan versus Barbados on Friday.

James Anderson has been ruled out of the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge but is hopeful of being fit for a possible decider at the Oval, which starts on August 20

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2015James Anderson has been ruled out of the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge but is hopeful of being fit for a possible decider at the Oval, which starts on August 20*. Anderson did not take any further part in the Edgbaston Test after being forced off the field with a side strain on the second day.Anderson was two balls into his ninth over of Australia’s second innings when he felt some pain on his left side. He bowled another one after that and ran in for the fourth but pulled up to then leave the field. The ECB had called the injury a “tight side” which was to be “assessed overnight”.Speaking after England had secured an eight-wicket win, Anderson said: “I’m not going to play the next game, unfortunately, but I’m hoping I can get myself fit for the Oval. It’s a bit sore, I felt something on one of the deliveries yesterday and Stuart Broad, who’s had experience of that sort of injury, said ‘Don’t bowl another ball and risk it’. I set off for another one and then thought, he’s right.”I’ve never had that sort of injury before. I felt a bit stiff, I just put it down to that and the next ball I could feel something so I came off.”The last 24 hours has been talking to the medical team and trying to figure out if it is realistic,” he said, of his chances of playing at The Oval. “They were pretty happy with me this morning, checked me over and were happy it didn’t look too serious, so that’s what I’m aiming for.”Mark Wood, who missed out at Edgbaston with an ankle niggle, might be considered first in line to replace Anderson for Trent Bridge. Liam Plunkett and the uncapped Mark Footitt could also come into consideration. Chris Woakes, who was in the Test side last summer, has been working his way back from injury, while Chris Jordan has not played since suffering a side strain in June.England captain, Alastair Cook, said it would be an opportunity for someone to come into the side and impress.”It’s obviously a huge miss because Jimmy is outstanding but it gives an opportunity,” Cook said. “We had an opportunity, at 1-1 in the series, to grab it and we’ve done it as a side, now it will give whoever is selected that opportunity to fill Jimmy’s boots. Yes, it’s going to be hard but it’s and opportunity for someone to stand up.”Anderson took a six-for on the first day at Edgbaston and was instrumental in restricting Australia to 136 to lay the platform for England to take a 2-1 lead. In the second innings he removed the top-scorer David Warner for 77 to finish with 1 for 15 from 8.3 overs.Whoever is selected will have a job to emulate Anderson’s impressive record at Trent Bridge, which reads 53 wickets in eight matches at an average of 19.24. He picked up a 10-wicket haul in the last Ashes Test there, in 2013, and has six five-fors overall. In his last Test at the ground, against India in 2014, he also scored 81 at No. 11, his maiden fifty, in a record stand of 198.*5pm BST – This story was updated with Anderson’s quotes

All future bilateral series between India and South Africa, including South Africa’s forthcoming tour of India, will be called the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela series

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2015All future bilateral series between India and South Africa, including South Africa’s forthcoming tour of India, will be called the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela series, the two boards have announced. The Test series, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa said, will be played for the Freedom Trophy.”BCCI, on behalf of every citizen of our country, is able to pay tribute to these great leaders by naming the series after them, and appeals to each and every citizen of our country to imbibe their ideals and follow the path advised by them,” BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.CSA chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, said that naming the series after Gandhi and Mandela was “eternal news for our people and cricketers”. “For the people of both our countries there is no greater duty than to uphold the ideals of both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela,” he said. “As cricket-loving people we must fight hard to win on the field of play but never forget to do battle in the spirit of these two great men.”Gandhi was the leader of India’s non-violent freedom struggle, and had a South African connection as well, having practised law in the country. Mandela spearheaded the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, and was the country’s president from 1994 to 1999. The announcement is significant in the context of ICC chief executive David Richardson’s recent concerns over the relevance of bilateral series that don’t have an “iconic, traditional status”.India will host South Africa for three T20Is, five ODIs and four Test matches between October and December this year.

The match had almost all the ingredients of an absorbing Twenty20 match

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShane Watson gathered pace towards the end to finish unbeaten on 98•BCCI

The match had almost all the ingredients of an absorbing Twenty20 contest. Sunrisers Hyderabad lost their top order in a cycle-stand collapse, before Darren Sammy led a lower-order revival to push the score to 144. On a pitch assisting the seamers, Rajasthan Royals had to deal with a testing opening period of swing and seam, which the experienced duo of Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson negotiated. Watson, coming off a century in Chennai, paced his innings and powered Royals home with a blistering unbeaten 98.Watson wasn’t the only Australian making waves at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. James Faulkner demolished the Sunrisers’ top order during a five-wicket haul, the first of IPL 2013. Faulkner and the innocuous Ajit Chandila reduced Sunrisers to 29 for 6, raising expectations of early finish. The top six registered scores of 2,0,4,4,6,4 – leaving much responsibility on Sammy.Kumar Sangakkara had dropped himself for three games owing to his indifferent form, but his return made no difference as he joined the early procession of wickets. After Akshath Reddy fell off a leading edge against Chandila, Sangakkara chased a wide delivery from Faulkner and edged to second slip for 4.Though the pitch gave a lot of assistance to the seamers in terms of movement and bounce, the shot selection by the Sunrisers was poor. Shikhar Dhawan slashed straight to backward point and Karan Sharma, walking in unexpectedly at No.5 – just as Amit Mishra did in Chennai – succumbed to the pressure of needing quick runs by top edging Faulkner to fine leg. Thisara Perera perished to a one-handed slog down to long-on before Hanuma Vihari gloved Kevon Cooper down the leg side. It was the first time Royals had managed so many wickets in the Powerplay.Sammy and Amit Mishra scripted Sunrisers’ recovery with a stand of 58. Sammy made room against the seamers to clear cover and shoveled the ball over midwicket to give the innings some impetus. He hit the first six of the innings in the 13th, a pull off Siddharth Trivedi over deep midwicket. He celebrated his fifty – his first in T20s – in unique style, pulling out a baby pacifier tied around his neck sucking at it, for his baby daughter.The seventh, eighth and ninth wickets added 115, giving the Sunrisers bowlers a fighting total to try and defend.Watson and Dravid, however, used their experience to counter the swing and prevent the loss of early wickets. Several deliveries came back into the right-hander, but Watson ensured he played the ball late, dabbing it down to third man and behind point. He did offer some chances, though. On 16, an outside edge off Perera just beat a diving Sangakkara, and another just dropped short of Sammy at slip.Royals had progressed to 53 for 1 after ten overs, with the asking rate passing nine. The partnership gathered pace in the second half of the innings, Dravid launching Royals’ march with a six over long-on. A costly Ishant Sharma over, which leaked 20, included three fours and a six by Watson. The next, off Perera, went for 15 and hastened Royals’ march to the target. Three powerful blows to deep midwicket, by Watson off Karan Sharma, sealed a clinical win.

A slip-up against du Plessis’ side could cost the defending champions a playoff spot

Srinidhi Ramanujam03-May-20222:55

Who should CSK’s overseas players be? Is batting letting RCB down?

Big picture

Good planning and clarity of roles can often bring confidence and favourable results for sports teams. Nine games into their IPL 2022 campaign, Chennai Super Kings finally look like they know what they are doing – though the sample size is just one match – and it has coincided with the return of their 2:29

Vettori: Kohli innings had too many dot balls and singles between the boundaries

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Moeen Ali/Dwayne Bravo/Mitchell Santner, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Simarjeet Singh, 11 Mukesh ChoudharyRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Mahipal Lomror, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Strategy Punt

Relieved of captaincy duties, Ravindra Jadeja bowled in tandem with Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the middle overs and conceded only 15 runs from his 18 balls against Sunrisers. He will be crucial especially against Glenn Maxwell. Jadeja has dismissed Maxwell seven out of the 13 times they have met in the IPL, with the Australian averaging just 10.1. Jadeja has also removed Kohli thrice in 16 T20s and has brought his strike rate down to 108.

Stats that matter

• Dhoni has hit 46 sixes against Royal Challengers over the years, the most by a batter against them.
• du Plessis has been dismissed by pacers eight times in his ten matches this IPL.
• Kohli has scored 949 runs against Super Kings in the IPL, the most against an opposition for him.

Both sides were still mulling the balance of their attacks as rain hit the build-up

Alex Malcolm03-Mar-2022

Big Picture

Australia’s arrival in Pakistan for their first Test tour of the country in 24 years has been billed as a momentous occasion for world cricket and it is certainly important. However, they are the sixth nation to tour since 2019 and the fourth to play Test cricket behind Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa.It is perhaps just as significant that Australia have not played Tests overseas since mid-2019, due to the impact of Covid, prior to Pakistan’s first home Test in a decade against Sri Lanka. Since then, Australia have had 14 Tests at home while Pakistan have only played five at home and 12 away. Pakistan have won seven of their last eight Tests including two at home against South Africa early last year. Australia are coming off an Ashes series where they thumped England 4-0, with Sydney’s rain the only thing preventing a whitewash.Australia are at full strength but outside of Usman Khawaja, David Warner and Steven Smith, the rest of the batting group has very little first-class experience in Asia. Pakistan are missing some key contributors from the side that was very successful in 2021 with Abid Ali still recovering from a heart problem, while Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Haris Rauf are all absent at least for the first Test.Australia look stronger on paper but that could be neutralised in the conditions and with a very limited preparation. They only arriving in Pakistan at the start of the week and rain wiped out their last training session on Thursday.Related

• Australia, depleted Pakistan prepare for dive into the unknown

• A chance for Pakistan cricket to make the most powerful off-field statement

• Cameron Green's international education gets first overseas test

• Nathan Lyon: 'My mindset is to win 3-0 in Pakistan'

• Mohammad Wasim Jr in line for Test debut as Pakistan ponder five-man attack

Form guide

(Last five matches; most recent first)
Pakistan WWWLW
Australia WDWWW

In the spotlight

Shaheen Shah Afridi looms as one of the key men in this series and he will have to shoulder the load of leading the attack without Hasan alongside him. He was the leading quick bowler in Test cricket during 2021 with 47 wickets at 17.06 and has faced Australia before in two Tests in Australia where he bagged just five wickets for the series as Warner and Marnus Labuschagne plundered four scores of 150 plus between them in two Test matches, with Warner making 335 not out in Adelaide. But Shaheen is now far more experienced and Australia showed some vulnerability against the pace of Mark Wood in the Ashes. Late left-arm swing at high pace either with the new or old ball could rekindle memories of Wasim Akram.Steven Smith was Bradman-esque on Australia’s last overseas Test series in the 2019 Ashes and he also starred on the 2017 trip to India, scoring three centuries in a four-Test series. However, since facing England in 2019 he has averaged 36.86 from 14 Tests and is coming off a home Ashes series where he passed 30 just twice in eight innings and failed to make a century. The batting surfaces were challenging during that series and he will likely enjoy the pitches in Pakistan far more. But his latest concussion is also another concern having not faced fast bowling in the nets until two days ago since he knocked himself out in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. If Australia are to succeed in the subcontinent over the next 12 months they will need large contributions from Smith. He will want to make an early statement.Shaheen Shah Afridi will be vital to Pakistan’s attack•AFP/Getty Images

Team news

Pakistan have a lot to ponder. Firstly one of Shan Masood or Imam-ul-Haq will open alongside Abdullah Shafique in the absence of Abid Ali. The absence of Ashraf upsets the balance and the damp weather on Thursday has left them weighing up the extra bowler or extra batter. If they go for the former, it could mean a Test debut to Mohammad Wasim Jr.Pakistan (possible) 1 Shan Masood/Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Mohammad Wasim Jr, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Sajid Khan, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Naseem ShahAustralia’s top seven is settled but Pat Cummins said they are debating whether to play three quicks or two spinners and will wait for the toss although the extra pace bowler would seem the likely option. There were some questions over which three quicks it would be, but Scott Boland is likely to miss out with the return of Josh Hazlewood. Australia did not confirm which of the two back-up spinners is in the frame. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson has long been the understudy to Lyon and the likely man to partner him but Ashton Agar’s left-arm orthodox is tempting for the selectors if the surface is slow.Australia (possible) 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 David Warner, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

The pitch was under covers on Thursday with rain preventing both sides from training but they got a good look at it on Wednesday and it appeared flat and excellent for batting. The cooler weather in Rawalpindi also means the surface is unlikely to break up. In the last three Tests played here since 2019, the fast bowlers have been very successful. The forecast is good for the opening day but rain could be a factor later in the game.

Stats and trivia

• Since Test cricket returned to Rawalpindi in 2019, Shaheen has the most wickets at the venue taking 12 at 19.83 just ahead of Hasan Ali with 10 at 11.40 in the only Test he played there.
• In seven Tests against Pakistan, David Warner has made 1084 runs at 108.40 with five centuries and two fifties. Only one of those centuries has come outside Australia though, in the UAE in 2014.
• Australia faced Pakistan in the UAE in 2018, but the last Test they played on the subcontinent was in September 2017 against Bangladesh. Darren Lehmann was the coach, Smith was captain and Australia played one fast bowler, three spinners and two allrounders.

Quotes

“There could be times when the scoreboard is only ticking over at two runs an over and for our batting group we’ve just got to be prepared to bat and bat and bat. If there are certain stages where you feel it will speed up be brave enough to take on those opportunities.”
Pat Cummins on Australia re-learning the rhythms of playing Test cricket on the subcontinent“We know the significance of Australia coming to Pakistan and we are excited about it. They are one of the best sides in the world and we can’t take them easy. They are quite an experienced side and we have planned accordingly so there will be good cricket.”

Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott believes Bangladesh’s impressive series win over India is not enough “to send waves through the cricket world” since it has come in home conditions

Vishal Dikshit23-Jun-20152:48

Boycott: Don’t get carried away with Bangladesh’s win

Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott believes Bangladesh’s impressive series win over India is not enough “to send waves through the cricket world” since it has come in home conditions. Boycott reckons Bangladesh, who had never beaten India in a series earlier and currently lead 2-0, need to win matches abroad, especially Tests against teams like Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and England.”They’re not quite minnows anymore, they’ve had one or two good performances but I think we are getting carried away a little bit,” Boycott told ESPNcricinfo’s . “Beating India occasionally, and Pakistan or Sri Lanka, doesn’t send waves through the cricket world. Sorry, I don’t want to put a damper on your excitement for Bangladesh but nearly all Bangladesh’s good performances are at home. That doesn’t make the world of cricket sit up until you go to Australia or South Africa or New Zealand, and beat them in their countries…that will be a huge step and we will all take notice.”Bangladesh have now won 10 ODIs on the trot at home, including series wins against Zimbabwe (5-0) and Pakistan (3-0) before hosting India. During the World Cup they qualified for the quarter-final for the first time by knocking England out with a 15-run win. They had finished fourth in Group A with three wins out of six and one match, against Australia, washed out.”I accept that one of their very best performances was beating England in Adelaide in the World Cup,” Boycott said. “I was there, Bangladesh were superb, I enjoyed their cricket and it’s the best I’ve seen from them. But Bangladesh can’t live on just an occasional or odd one-day performance win. They need to go abroad and start winning Test matches against the big boys. As I said, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England have all got much better Test sides in them in their countries. You’ve got to go and do that a bit.”Boycott emphasised that the one big advantage Bangladesh have is the hefty ICC funding they have been receiving, that other teams did not when they started out, and the television revenues they earn from the broadcasters. The Bangladesh Cricket Board sold its worldwide media rights to Gazi TV last year for US $20.02 million for a period of six years, and recently sold the team sponsorship rights to Top of Mind, a media planning company, for over $385,000.”Cricket lovers want Bangladesh to succeed, no doubt about that, but you’ve got to accept that lots and lots of ICC money has been poured into Bangladesh cricket for many years now,” Boycott said. “And quite honestly, we, the cricketing nations of the world, need to see more from them. Bangladesh have a huge cricket-mad population and I realise it takes time to be able to match the big countries. It’s always happened like that – it took time for West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan after partition, even India were not able to match England or Australia on equal terms in the early days. Now they are.”But none of these countries received a financial help or clout that Bangladesh have had over the years. They’ve had loads of money. These countries had to make a lot on their own, there wasn’t money around, there wasn’t television revenue for ICC, or whoever run world cricket, to pour in to India, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies when they were in their infancy.”And Sri Lanka, let me tell you. I’ve forgotten them but I shouldn’t because they’ve been wonderful…they’ve won a World Cup. I want them (Bangladesh) to enjoy their success but I don’t think you need to get carried away, you need to keep it in perspective because more is required. An occasional one-day is lovely but we need more.”