Former PCB chairman appointed to board of governors by Pakistan’s Prime Minister

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2023Former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has taken a step closer to regaining the post once again after he, along with Supreme Court lawyer Mustafa Ramday, was nominated by the country’s Prime Minister to join the PCB’s board of governors.The development occurred the day after Najam Sethi, who is heading the interim management committee that runs the PCB until June 21, withdrew from the running to become the board chairman.Traditionally in Pakistan cricket, it is the Prime Minister’s appointment to the PCB board of governors who usually becomes the board chairman for a three-year term, and Ashraf is the overwhelming favourite to be elected, with the election process usually a formality.While announcing his withdrawal on Twitter, Sethi had said: “I don’t want to be a bone of contention between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif. Such instability and uncertainty is not good for PCB. Under the circumstances I am not a candidate for Chairmanship of PCB. Good luck to all stakeholders.”Sethi’s tweet was referencing the political horse-trading over the chairman’s seat. Shehbaz Sharif is the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, and also the PCB patron. Asif Ali Zardari, a former Pakistan president with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), is a prominent coalition partner in the current government, and Ashraf is thought to be his party’s man for the post.Ordinarily, the PCB chairman would be a pick of Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) party. But over the last couple of weeks, the PPP has insisted that as they are the ones in charge of Pakistan sports, through the ministry for inter-provincial coordination (IPC), it maintained the right to nominate a candidate of their choosing.Ashraf’s return after a period of nine years ends – for now at least – a repeat of the tussles that had marked the tug of war between him and Sethi between 2013 and 2014. The pair were involved in a protracted legal battle for the chairmanship at the time, with the position switching hands several times. That issue was seemingly settled when former prime minister Nawaz Sharif – Shehbaz’s elder brother – finally ousted Ashraf and brought in Sethi. But after days of intense mediation between both parties, Sethi was compelled to make way for Ashraf.Sethi has been running the PCB on an interim basis since Ramiz Raja was removed as chairman, and the board’s 2019 constitution was scrapped last December. Sethi’s committee was initially given 120 days to bring back the 2014 constitution under which the PCB was run, and also reinstate the regional and department structure in domestic cricket. The committee was also given a mandate to form a board of governors and elect a chairman.That meant the dismissal of the six-team provincial model for domestic cricket which was formed with the backing of former premier Imran Khan. The domestic structure will now be based on 16 regions, marked by a return of departments. Among them, four regions and four departments are set to be given a board seat at the PCB for a term of three years.The 2014 constitution also requires the PCB to form a board of governors comprising ten members: four out of the 16 regional representatives, four representatives of services organisations, and two members directly nominated by the PCB patron.Over the last six months, Sethi’s management committee has also overseen the hiring of a predominantly overseas coaching staff for Pakistan, with former head coach Mickey Arthur appointed part-time director of cricket.One of the thornier issues that occupied Sethi during his short stint was Pakistan’s hosting of the Asia Cup and its link to Pakistan’s potential participation in the World Cup, scheduled to be held in India in October-November this year. Three days back, Sethi was talking about Pakistan’s participation at the event being subject to the approval of the Pakistan government. That will be one of the more pressing issues for Sethi’s successor to deal with.

Guest’s 80*, Scrimshaw’s career-best 5 for 49 and rain keep Sussex at bay after posting 402

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2023Derbyshire 212 for 3 (Guest 80*, Shipley 2-64) trail Sussex 402 (Hudson-Prentice 63*, Scrimshaw 5-49) by 190 runsAn unbeaten 80 by Derbyshire’s wicketkeeper-batter Brooke Guest frustrated Sussex on the second day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Hove.Guest, who has yet to score a century this season, came in during the third over and was still there when bad light forced the players off at 5.45pm, with his side 212 for three from 60 overs in reply to Sussex’s 402 and trailing by 190.In the context of the game, it was an important contribution from the 26-year-old who has so far shared a fourth-wicket stand of 70 with Leus du Plooy, the second-highest run-scorer in Division Two. He has contributed 32.With rain forcing the team off for an hour during the afternoon it was a frustrating day for Sussex, who have moved back into second place in the table as a result of Leicestershire’s inactivity against Glamorgan by claiming five bonus points so far, but are desperate to claim a second win of the season and enhance their promotion prospects.The hosts, dismissed earlier in the day for 402, had to be patient on a slow pitch with little sideways movement.Harry Came, having taken three boundaries off Henry Shipley in the first over of the reply, was caught at square leg off a mistimed pull in the New Zealander’s second over, but Guest and Luis Reece progressed carefully either side of lunch as Sussex employed five seamers and off-spinner Jack Carson in search of a breakthrough.Reece had his share of luck. On three a thick edge off Shipley dropped just short of third slip and then on 20 Ari Karvelas, diving forward at fine leg, couldn’t hold on to a mis-timed pull. But after adding three more runs he drove at Shipley’s away-swinger and edged to slip.Either side of an hour’s delay for rain in mid-afternoon Wayne Madsen accumulated busily and when he reached 23 he passed Denis Smith to become Derbyshire’s second highest run-scorer in all formats on 20,520. Kim Barnett’s club record of 36,212 looks safe for a while yet.But two balls after reaching fifty for the fourth time this season, Madsen was out in unlucky circumstances when a full-blooded sweep at Carson bounced off short leg Dan Ibrahim’s pads and rebounded to Karvelas, who took a simple catch in the covers.With the floodlights on and the light poor Sussex would have fancied making further inroads but Guest, who has so far faced 176 balls and hit 12 fours and a six, and du Plooy stood firm before the players went off with 22 overs not bowled.Earlier, Sussex had been dismissed for 402 with beanpole seamer George Scrimshaw picking up the last three wickets to finish with a career-best 5 for 49 as he took the 1000th five-wicket haul by a Derbyshire bowler.Karvelas was caught in the gully and Carson edged his second ball to second slip with Sussex still 20 runs short of a fourth batting point.But last man Shipley hit a six with the ball lodging on the pavilion roof to bring up the 400 before he was caught at point to give Scrimshaw his fifth wicket. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was left unbeaten on 63, his fifth half-century of the season.

Pair won two Championship titles together for Yorkshire in 2014-15 before Lees joined Durham

ECB Reporters Network26-Jul-2023Former Yorkshire opening partners Adam Lyth and Alex Lees shone for their respective counties on day two of this LV= Insurance County Championship fixture at Scarborough as Durham responded in kind to the home side’s commanding first-innings 340 all out.Lyth made his way from 75 not out overnight to 111 off 188 balls before fellow left-hander Lees dominated after tea with 65 not out in Durham’s reply of 106 for 1 from 33 overs.The pair won two Championship titles together for Yorkshire in 2014 and 2015 before Lees fell out of form and left his home county for Durham to reignite his career in 2018.He has since played Test cricket for England and is currently on a run of four hundreds in his last five Championship innings. Number five could follow on day three.Lees, 30, is the only player to have topped 1,000 runs in either division of the Championship this season, while Lyth is now inside the top 10 scorers in Division Two with 757.Like Lees, Lyth is in fine form having scored back-to-back Championship centuries. He was the cornerstone of Yorkshire’s 340 and was supported in thrilling fashion by Jordan Thompson’s 54 off 52 balls, including four fours and as many sixes.As Yorkshire advanced from 142 for 2 overnight, new-ball pair Matthew Potts and Ben Raine finished with 4 for 111 and 4 for 93 respectively. Raine claimed three of his wickets on day two.Lyth just loves batting at North Marine Road. Having grown up in Whitby, he learnt his craft on this ground, playing for the juniors and the seniors. He last played league cricket for them 10 years ago this coming September. Such is his fondness for Scarborough that he once went to Perth in Western Australia to play a winter of grade cricket for a coastal club of the same name.Lyth drove particularly well, especially on day one, and brought up his century off 157 balls.Durham clearly had more success with the ball during day two, claiming eight wickets. But they will have been frustrated at dropping a couple of slip catches, and Yorkshire will have been delighted with their work having been inserted.Just when it looked like Durham had created an opening, the lower order frustrated them.Raine trapped Ryan Rickelton lbw as Yorkshire reached an early lunch on 211 for 3, with rain preventing play between 12.35pm and 2pm. He then had Lyth caught behind cutting before wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson also helped Potts remove Matthew Revis, but at the second attempt after steepling bounce.And when Jonny Tattersall dragged a pull at Bas de Leede onto his stumps, Yorkshire were 236 for 6 in the 69th over having lost three wickets for 24.But a trio of handy contributions, led by Thompson, helped Yorkshire reassert their authority as another 104 runs were added.Ben Coad made 19 and Matthew Fisher 24, ably supporting Thompson’s freewheeling innings. He crashed four leg-side sixes off de Leede and Raine, one of them going out of the ground into the gardens surrounding this venue.Thompson was the last wicket to fall, caught at long-leg on the stroke of tea pulling against Potts.In truth, neither bowling performance has been anything to write home about, and we could now be set for the first Championship draw played at Scarborough since June 2013.Lees is doing everything he can to add to the 10 Test Matches he played last year. He hit all of his first seven boundaries down the ground or through cover off front and back foot, added to a lofted straight six off Coad’s seamers.Having lost opening partner Michael Jones caught behind off Thompson, leaving the score at 42 for 1 in the 10th over, he went on to reach his latest fifty off 64 balls. He shared an unbroken 64 for the second-wicket with captain Scott Borthwick, who will begin day three unbeaten on 29.

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.”

Kohli and Iyer lifted India to an above-par 326 for 5 and in return South Africa could manage just 83

Deivarayan Muthu05-Nov-20231:29

‘Ridiculous!’ – Anil Kumble marvels at Virat Kohli’s ODI numbers

Virat Kohli gifted himself a record-equalling 49th ODI century and India their eighth successive victory in this World Cup, on his 35th birthday. When Kohli drew level with Sachin Tendulkar, with a punched single in the penultimate over of India’s innings, a crowd of 60,000 at Eden Gardens celebrated with Kohli and made it a memorable birthday bash.Kohli, who walked out to bat in the sixth over after Rohit Sharma had won the toss and challenged India to bat, batted till the end of the innings, lifting India to an above-par 326 for 5. He ended up outscoring South Africa who could manage just 83 in 27.1 overs. Ravindra Jadeja bagged career-best figures of 5 for 33 to wreck South Africa’s chase and consign them to their joint second-lowest total in ODI cricket.Most of Kohli’s centuries in recent times have had an air of inevitability about them. Sunday’s innings was anything but. The conditions in Kolkata were challenging and even Kohli had struggled to get the old ball away. South Africa’s left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi also challenged Kohli with drift, dip and turn.Related

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In his very first over, Maharaj had knocked Shubman Gill (23) over with a ripper that beat his outside edge to trim the off bail. When Maharaj bowled a similar delivery to Kohli, the ball missed the outside edge. Having run away to a fast start – he was on 17 off 13 balls at one point – Kohli slowed down against spin, but he navigated that passage of play to pick the seamers away. When Lungi Ngidi was brought back into the attack in the 35th over, Kohli jumped out of his crease and shovelled him away for four.Maharaj’s boundary-less spell – 10-0-30-1 – was a throwback to ODIs in the 90s. Even Shreyas Iyer, who is arguably India’s best player of spin, couldn’t throw Maharaj off his lines and lengths. Iyer instead lined up Shamsi for four boundaries and allowed Kohli to bat deep into the innings. After being on 12 off 35 balls, Iyer zoomed to 77 off 87 balls.Quinton de Kock wears a dejected look after being bowled out in the second over of the chase•ICC via Getty Images

With no batting insurance in the form of Hardik Pandya, who has now been sidelined from the rest of the tournament, Kohli refused to take any undue risks. Suryakumar Yadav (22) and Jadeja (29) took such risks at the other end, ensuring that India passed 300.It was Rohit who had laid the foundation for the 134-run third-wicket partnership between Kohli and Iyer. The India captain dashed out of the blocks in the powerplay, cracking 40 off 24 balls. He dismantled Marco Jansen, the most prolific bowler in the powerplay in this tournament, and Ngidi, South Africa’s enforcer in the absence of Gerald Coetzee.Jansen ended up conceding 94 in 9.4 overs for just one wicket. As for Ngidi, he left the field two balls into the final over of India’s innings with an injury scare.South Africa’s troubles then seeped into their batting. Quinton de Kock chopped Mohammed Siraj on in the second over while Temba Bavuma was bowled by Jadeja, who got the new ball to rag away past the outside edge.Things were only going to get tougher against the older, softer ball. Jadeja and Mohammed Shami overpowered South Africa’s middle order. Jadeja removed Henrich Klaasen and David Miller while Shami bested Aiden Markram with Test-match line and length. After bringing a pair of deliveries back into Markram from over the wicket, Shami had one to leave the batter and kiss the outside edge.At one stage, it appeared like India might not even need Kuldeep Yadav, their premier spinner, with the ball. But Jansen and the tail wagged long enough to prompt the introduction of the left-arm wristspinner. Kuldeep kept them guessing by turning the ball both ways and came away with two wickets. Jadeja claimed his second five-wicket haul in ODI cricket; he also became the second Indian spinner, after Yuvraj Singh, to take a five-for in World Cups.

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

The format has changed, with teams advancing from the groups going into a Super Six stage before the knockouts

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2023The next edition of the Men’s Under-19 World Cup, which was shifted from Sri Lanka to South Africa, will be held from January 19 to February 11 next year, with the final taking place in Benoni.The four groups are the same as they were announced earlier: India, Bangladesh, Ireland and USA are in Group A; England, South Africa, West Indies and Scotland in B; Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Namibia in C; and Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal in D.Two games will be played on the first day – Ireland vs USA in Bloemfontein and South Africa vs West Indies in Potchefstroom – and defending champions India will begin their campaign the following day, with a game against 2020 champions Bangladesh in Bloemfontein.