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The India batter has confirmed his availability for Delhi’s next match starting on January 30

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2025Virat Kohli will train with the Delhi team on Tuesday ahead of what will be his first Ranji Trophy appearance since 2012. Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh confirmed that Kohli will join the squad, having confirmed his availability last week for their final group fixture against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from January 30 to February 2.Kohli had opted out of Delhi’s previous match citing a neck injury. His participation in this round comes after the BCCI had issued guidelines to contracted players following India’s 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, one of which was to play domestic cricket.Over the last couple of days, photos and videos have emerged on social media of Kohli working with former India and RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar.Related

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The final round of Ranji Trophy group games will end four days before India’s first ODI against England in Nagpur on February 6. Kohli is part of the ODI squad for the three-match bilateral series in the lead up to the Champions Trophy from February 19.

Rahul named in Karnataka squad

KL Rahul has been named in Karnataka’s squad for their must-win Ranji Trophy fixture against table-toppers Haryana in Bengaluru later this week. He was included subject to fitness but ESPNcricinfo understands he has been cleared by the BCCI medical panel after an elbow niggle kept him out of the previous match against Punjab.Rahul’s return means Karnataka will be at full strength with Devdutt Padikkal and Prasidh Krishna, who were both part of the Test squad in Australia, also part of the squad.This will be Rahul’s first first-class appearance for Karnataka in nearly five years, since the the 2019-20 semi-final against Bengal at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Jadeja to play for Saurashtra

Ravindra Jadeja will also play in Saurashtra’s final game against Assam in Rajkot. He had taken a ten-wicket haul in Saurashtra’s win against Delhi in the previous round.The fixture will also feature Riyan Parag, who was declared fit to play after recovering from a shoulder injury. He will lead Assam against Saurashtra.Mohammed Siraj will also turn out for Hyderabad in their group game against Vidarbha. Incidentally, the last time Siraj played a Ranji Trophy game was also against Vidarbha in February 2020. Vidarbha are the current Group B table-toppers while Hyderabad are in fourth place with two wins, two losses and two draws. Siraj recently played all five Tests against Australia in BGT 2024-25 where he bowled the second-most overs of all bowlers – 157.1 – only behind Pat Cummins.Rishabh Pant is not part of the squad for Delhi’s next group game against Railways. Pant played the previous match against Saurashtra where he managed just 1 and 17 as Delhi went down by ten wickets.

NGO’s letter to ICC also asks if it would be prepared to recognise the Afghanistan women’s national team in exile, allowing it to train, compete and receive ICC financial support

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-20252:01

Firooza Amiri: If Afghan women can play sports, they can study as well

Human Rights Watch has called on the ICC to suspend Afghanistan’s membership and ban the Taliban-run nation from competing in international cricket.
The request came via an email addressed to ICC chair Jay Shah, dated February 3 and made public on March 7, with the subject line: “Suspending the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Implementing a Human Rights Policy”.Human Rights Watch describes itself as an independent, international, non-governmental organisation that conducts research and advocacy on human rights abuses by states and non-state actors around the world.”We are writing at this time to urge the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Taliban-run Afghanistan from ICC membership, and from participating in international cricket, until women and girls can once again participate in education and sport in the country,” the email said.Related

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• Exiled Afg women players to men's team: 'Be the voice of the girls'

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• Rashid, Nabi plead for restoration of Afg women's right to education

“We also urge the ICC to implement a human rights policy based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”We note that you have pledged ‘to allocate more resources to women’s cricket’ during your tenure at the helm of global cricket and ‘champion the ICC’s mission further by allocating more resources and attention to women’s cricket’.”However, since retaking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed a long and growing list of rules and policies that bars women and girls from exercising their fundamental rights, including to freedom of expression and movement, many forms of employment, and education beyond sixth grade. These affect virtually all their rights, including to life, livelihood, shelter, health care, food, and water.”The email went on to say that the ICC’s anti-discrimination policy for international cricket states that it is committed to ensuring that wherever cricket is played, it can be enjoyed by all participants regardless of their respective backgrounds. It pointed out that the policy also strives to ensure all participants can enjoy sport without being subjected to intimidating conduct on the basis of – among other factors – sex, gender, marital status and/or maternity status.The email also argued that while payments to Afghanistan’s Women’s team were suspended in 2021, the country’s men’s team continues to receive financial and logistical support, apparently in contravention of the ICC’s own anti-discrimination rules.Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri speak to the media ahead of the Cricket Without Borders match in Melbourne in January•Getty Images

“By not allowing women and girls to play cricket, and not allowing a national team for women and girls to compete internationally, the Afghanistan Cricket Board is failing to abide by this Anti-Discrimination Policy,” Human Rights Watch said.”We note that cricket has been included as a sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, and yet the Taliban’s ban on women and girls participating in the sport is a severe violation of the Olympic Charter’s guarantee that ‘the practice of sport is a human right’.”Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, women have been forced to adhere to an increasingly restrictive range of laws barring them from most areas of public life, including sport. Shortly before that, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had agreed to contract 25 women’s players, most of whom now live in exile in Australia.In July last year, former members of the Afghanistan women’s national team, no longer recognised as such by the country’s Taliban rulers, wrote to the ICC asking to be recognised as a refugee team.Several of those players united in an Afghanistan Women’s XI for an exhibition match against a Cricket Without Borders XI at Melbourne’s Junction Oval in January.A protest outside Lord’s on the eve of the Afghanistan-England Champions Trophy match in Lahore in February•PA Photos/Getty Images

Around that time, the ECB came under pressure from a group of British MPs to boycott their recent Champions Trophy fixture against Afghanistan – who knocked England out of the competition – while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the ICC to “deliver on their own rules”.England and Australia have opted not to play Afghanistan in bilateral games, while agreeing to face them at ICC events, with ECB chief executive Richard Gould calling for a “co-ordinated, ICC-led, response” rather than unilateral action from individual countries.The issues of banning or boycotting the men’s team is complex, with some of the formerly contracted Afghanistan women’s players telling ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast that they didn’t want to see their male counterparts prevented from playing because they offered hope, but they did want them to do more for the women and girls who were being denied the same rights.Afghanistan fans settle down to watch their team play England in Lahore•Getty Images

Human Rights Watch asked for a timely response from the ICC to a number of questions, including what steps the governing body is taking towards developing a human rights policy, why it hasn’t suspended the ACB from playing international cricket until women and girls have access to education and sport and, would it be prepared to recognise the Afghanistan women’s national team in exile, allowing it to train, compete and receive ICC financial support.It also asks what steps the ICC has taken or plans to take to “pressure the Afghanistan Cricket Board to include women and girl players in their competitions” and what funding or other support has been or will be provided to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.”The International Cricket Council should follow in the steps of other sport governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, by calling on the Taliban to include Afghan women and girls in sport, and committing to a human rights frame work,” the email concluded.The ICC has been contacted for comment.

Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Eshan Malinga and the injured Wanindu Hasaranga have been left out of the squad

Madushka Balasuriya28-Aug-2025Vishen Halambage, the 20-year-old batter, has earned a maiden national call-up as Sri Lanka named their T20I squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.Halambage is among five changes to the squad that faced Bangladesh last month and one of three new batters, with Nuwanidu Fernando and Kamil Mishara also drafted in, alongside legspin-bowling allrounder Dushan Hemantha and seamer Dushmantha Chameera. Making way are Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Eshan Malinga and the injured Wanindu Hasaranga.All three of Halambage, Nuwanidu and Mishara had impressed at the recent SLC T20 League, a three-team invitational tournament designed to help the selectors finalise squads ahead of the Asia Cup and this Zimbabwe tour.Related

• Taylor's return, SL's love for allrounders, Zimbabwe's ODI form in focus

• Rathnayake and Nuwanidu called up for SL's tour of Zimbabwe

The three picks inform how the selectors are looking to shape the T20I team more in line with modern, intent-driven batting. Both Halambage and Mishara struck a tournament-high six sixes at the domestic T20 tournament. The others to reach that total were Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, while only Niroshan Dickwella (20) managed to better Mishara’s total boundary count of 19.Mishara’s strike rate of 172.72 was impressive too, second as it was only to Nissanka’s 190.24, with Halambage’s 140.32 not far behind. Nuwanidu struck at a more modest 124, but his 155 runs across four innings were the highest in the tournament, as was his average of 77.50 – courtesy two unbeaten knocks. With Sri Lanka’s No. 4 slot up for grabs following the exclusions of both Avishka and Chandimal, Nuwanidu has been earmarked as a potential long-term replacement, a claim aided by his stellar recent performances across formats domestically and with the Sri Lanka A team.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

One player who might count himself unfortunate to have missed out is Dickwella, whose 134 runs came at a rate of 161.44 and included two fifties. But with those performances coming at the top of the order, where Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have locked down their positions, and the selectors likely looking to pick for the future, it seems a pathway for the now 32-year-old seems limited.On the bowling front, Hemantha’s inclusion as Hasaranga’s replacement ahead of the likes of Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Vandersay seems to have come down to the former having a more rounded skillset.Viyaskanth picked up five wickets in the tournament as compared to Hemantha’s four, while Vandersay was not even invited to play – signalling early that the selectors perhaps didn’t see a future for him in T20Is. While Viyaskanth was the more impressive legspinner across the tournament, Hemantha is a more accomplished fielder, while he is also capable of clearing the boundary with the bat – two facets to his game that are likely to have swayed the selectors in his favour.Eshan Malinga had an excellent IPL 2025, but hasn’t been too hot since•BCCI

Malinga’s exclusion, meanwhile, can be put down to the heated competition for places in Sri Lanka’s seam-bowling department. Malinga had only just made the squad for the Bangladesh tour on the back of an impressive IPL 2025, but his exploits both domestically and with the national side since have left observers underwhelmed.In the domestic T20 tournament, he picked up four wickets – all in a single innings – but leaked 164 runs across four innings at an economy rate of 11.71, making him the most expensive bowler overall at the tournament. Chameera, by comparison, conceded 85 runs at 8.5 an over for his four wickets, while the likes of Chamika Karunaratne went for just 5.5 runs per over and topped the wicket-taking charts with eight strikes.The rest of the squad shapes up as expected, led by skipper Asalanka. Following the two ODIs over the coming weekend, the T20I series will begin in Harare on September 3.

Sri Lanka squad for Zimbabwe T20I series

Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Vishen Halambage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando

Aaqib Javed will take over as interim coach for the two-match Test series against South Africa

Danyal Rasool12-Dec-2024Jason Gillespie has resigned as head coach of the Pakistan Test side, according to the PCB. This was officially confirmed after a few days of lingering uncertainty, culminating in Gillespie refusing to board his flight to join the Pakistan Test team in South Africa. Gillespie’s scheduled flight to South Africa was at 6AM Adelaide time on Friday, but he informed the PCB he had no intention of boarding it, deciding instead to walk away as relations between the coach and the board hit an all-time low. Aaqib Javed will take over as Test coach on an interim basis for the series in South Africa; he is currently the interim coach of both white-ball sides.ESPNcricinfo had first reported that Gillespie’s days as head coach of Pakistan were done last month, and that Aaqib would take over across formats. At the time, the PCB responded by refuting that story, insisting Gillespie would be coach for the two Tests against South Africa, while pointedly declining to commit to stating that he would see out his contract. However, the relationship between the board and the coach only went from bad to worse, and Gillespie would not take charge of another Test for Pakistan again.As ESPNcricinfo first reported, Gillespie was left particularly angered after the PCB decided against renewing high-performance red-ball coach Tim Nielsen’s contract, and had been left considering his options. Gillespie was offended he wasn’t consulted, or even told, before that decision was taken, and is understood to have left a lack of respect on part of the PCB. Nielsen told ESPNcricinfo he was happy to continue, and fully available for Pakistan’s Test series in South Africa and at home against the West Indies next month, but he was informed his services would no longer be required.Related

• Gillespie: I was 'completely and utterly blindsided' by the PCB

• Ramiz on Kirsten's departure: 'Not going to be easy for Pakistan to hire international talent'

• Aaqib Javed set to replace Gillespie as Pakistan head coach

• Kirsten resigns as Pakistan's white-ball coach

This appears to have been the final straw for Gillespie. ESPNcricinfo understands he communicated his intention not to travel under present circumstances to the board. Whether the PCB have made contact with him to persuade him to travel is unclear; a source close to Gillespie said the PCB had made no contact with him over the past day.Either way, a relationship which has continually fractured over the past few months reached breaking point. Gillespie was hired by the PCB to great fanfare alongside Gary Kirsten in April, with chairman Mohsin Naqvi saying his “stellar track record” preceded him. But since October, the board has cooled on the Australian, initially removing him from the selection panel for the Test side. It left him believing he was merely a “matchday analyst” pointing out it wasn’t what he signed up for. He is believed to have had negligible input on the selection of the Test squad for the tour of South Africa, and was out of the loop for the decision not to extend Nielsen’s contract.There was limited communication between Gillespie and the board since the end of Pakistan’s white-ball series in Australia, where he coached the side on an interim basis after Kirsten quit. The PCB did initially ask Gillespie to take up that position until the Champions Trophy, but without an accompanying financial offer to reflect the increased scope of his role. It was another factor that led to relations between the board and the head coach being strained.Gillespie’s anger is understood to partly stem from what he felt was a great rapport Nielsen had developed with the players, a point he had made more than once in public. It is believed both Gillespie and Nielsen consider the fact that Nielsen is not based in Pakistan as the reason his contract hasn’t been extended, though, as Nielsen confirmed, he would have been available for the upcoming two tours in their entirety.While it is understood the PCB has not yet made a decision on any potential replacement for Nielsen, the current administration has sought to replace overseas coaches it appointed earlier in the year with Pakistan-based ones. Aaqib, who took over the white-ball teams on an interim basis next month, now becomes the all-format coach, and is also on the selection panel.Gillespie resigning potentially spares the PCB from paying out the entirety of the remainder of his contract, as they would have needed to if they had decided to sack him. It was believed to be a consideration in Gillespie’s initial reluctance to quit, even as it became clear the PCB no longer wanted him there.Pakistan play the first Test in Centurion on December 26, with the second in Cape Town starting on January 3.

Left-arm quick joins Renegades on a three-year deal after he was not guaranteed a contract with Perth Scorchers

Alex Malcolm28-Jan-2025Jason Behrendorff has become the first major free agent signing in the BBL’s new player movement window with Melbourne Renegades securing the left-arm seamer on a three-year deal after Perth Scorchers were not able to guarantee him a contract.Behrendorff, who turns 35 in April, has won four BBL titles with Scorchers over a 13-year 106-game career. He had an excellent 2024-25 BBL season, making the team of year for the first time as the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets at 17.41 and an economy rate of 7.55. Only Mark Steketee had a better economy rate among the top 10 wicket-takers this season.It is understood that Behrendorff was hopeful of being a one club player in the BBL, having played his entire domestic career in Western Australia since moving from Canberra as a 19-year-old, and is second behind AJ Tye on Scorchers’ all-time leading wicket-takers list with 140.Related

• Marsh and David set to re-sign as BBL, WBBL contracting embargo ends

• Behrendorff ends 16-year WA career with state retirement

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• Beau Webster returns to Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL

But with Scorchers missing the finals for the first time in five seasons and only the third time in franchise history, the BBL’s most successful club had some decisions to make around the future of their list with Behrendorff, Tye and Mitchell Marsh all coming out of contract.Scorchers decided not to contract any of them among the maximum of 10 players they could lock in prior to the player movement window opening on Tuesday. Scorchers did something similar with their list back in 2019 when they last missed finals with Scorchers’ title-winning veterans Shaun Marsh and Nathan Coulter-Nile departing as the squad was regenerated before winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.Mitchell Marsh could still end up returning to Scorchers but it is understood that he is taking some time before making any contract decisions after losing his place in Australia’s Test side during the summer and opting out of Scorchers last three BBL matches to mentally and physically refresh ahead of the Champions Trophy.Renegades approached Behrendorff with a three-year deal that offered him security given he is now a freelance franchise player having stepped away from his state contract with WA last winter.Behrendorff, who is currently in South Africa playing for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, took to social media to explain his decision in detail, saying that he left Perth with a heavy heart.”The Scorchers will always have a special place in my heart, I had always thought I would finish my BBL career in orange however that is not meant to be,” Behrendorff said. “I leave the club knowing I have given my all, I have seriously enjoyed my time as an individual player and as a teammate. As a team we worked so hard and because of that we have been able to enjoy a lot of success, being a part of 4 BBL trophy’s has been a career highlight.”To all the players, it’s been so much fun boys. We have achieved so much together. I have so many wonderful memories that I’ll never forget.”Thank you to all of the staff, what an amazing group of people you all are. No one knows more than I do how hard you work behind the scenes and to help me be match fit, some seasons more than others.”To the fans, without your support playing the game wouldn’t be the same. The noise inside the Furnace when the team is on a roll is something to behold. I appreciate those of you who came along to fan days and stayed behind after games, getting to meet you and talk to you has been a privilege. Your support is something I certainly haven’t taken for granted and you really are some of the best fans in the league.”Moving to Melbourne has been something Juvelle [Behrendorff’s wife] and I have talked about as a goal whenever the end of my career happened so to be able to continue my career and play cricket in a city we both love is a blessing. I am really excited for what the next chapter holds for myself with the Melbourne Renegades but just as importantly for my family too.”Behrendorff’s deal with Renegades could also open the door to him playing for the Cricket Victoria run Major League Cricket franchise San Francisco Unicorns.

New Zealand have won four out of four matches, while South Africa are yet to settle on a combination

Firdose Moonda25-Jul-2025

Big Picture: Battle of new coaches

The match we already knew was going to happen a week ago is upon us after South Africa and New Zealand both qualified for the tri-series final when Zimbabwe were knocked out last weekend. The teams have even had a dress rehearsal, when they met in a match on Tuesday, and New Zealand have a clear upper hand.They are unbeaten in this event, with four wins from as many games, and have put in a quartet of clinical performances even as they have rotated through their squad. South Africa are yet to beat New Zealand in this competition, and are yet to settle on a combination with an inexperienced squad. The biggest issue is that they have routinely appeared a batter light, amplified by a struggling top order, and will need to put that right in the final.Both teams are looking for their first trophy under a new coach, which has been the subplot to this contest. Both, South Africa’s Shukri Conrad and New Zealand’s Rob Walter, worked for the same side not long ago as Walter was South Africa’s white-ball coach as recently as March. He took South Africa to the 2024 T20 World Cup final. But Walter’s record in bilateral series, especially T20Is, was poor, and when he resigned, Conrad was given the all-format job.Related

• Conrad confident SA players will prioritise nation over T20 leagues

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• Markram, Bavuma return for SA's white-ball tour of Australia

South Africa won only one out of eight T20I series under Walter, and he always explained that as being because he did not have a full-strength squad available to him. Conrad was confident he would not face the same challenge, but in his first few matches in charge, has had to be without several regulars – including the captain Aiden Markram – and has had similar results. Though South Africa beat Zimbabwe twice, they were unable to get over the line against New Zealand. Conrad has a stronger playing group for his next assignment in Australia, but for now, he will want to get one over New Zealand to show what’s possible with the country’s next best.Walter has not had it all his way with New Zealand so far either. Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson and Kane Williamson were unavailable to play this series, and then Finn Allen had to withdraw with a foot injury. But Walter also used the opportunity to test depth and the waters in his first stint in charge. So far, he will be the happier of the two coaches with the results, but the final will determine who leaves with the biggest bragging rights.

Form guide

South Africa: LWLWW

New Zealand: WWWWWLhuan-dre Pretorius has a lot to prove at the international level•Zimbabwe Cricket

In the spotlight: Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Jacob Duffy

After topping the SA20 run-charts last summer, big things were expected from Lhuan-dre Pretorius at the international level. But 32 runs in four T20Is must feel like a tough start for him. Pretorius started out opening the batting, and moved down No. 5 in the last round-robin match in what Conrad called an “experiment because I want to expose him to all sorts of situations and conditions”. Conrad has retained Pretorius in his squad for the Australia tour next month, and will be keen to see how he copes with changes in pace, which have undone him thus far. For his part, Pretorius will not want to play any reckless shots, which he has done twice in four innings, and show he has the temperament to succeed at the highest level.Jacob Duffy might struggle to get into New Zealand’s XI if Jamieson or Ferguson were available. But with the pair not in the squad, Duffy has been able to step into the spotlight. He is the only bowler who has generated noticeable extra bounce from the Harare surfaces, and has used the short ball to his advantage. All five of Duffy’s wickets have come against South Africa, and three with absolute snorters – the one to Gerald Coetzee in the fifth match was particularly memorable – and with an economy of 6.36, he has also been difficult to get away.

Team News: Conway could open

With Reeza Hendricks dropped from South Africa’s white-ball sides to tour Australia, the final could be an important opportunity to show what he can do ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. Pretorius should join Hendricks at the top of the order. South Africa like to use allrounders, so Senuran Muthusamy, George Linde and Corbin Bosch could all play, while a decision will be made on whether to go with an extra spinner in Nqaba Peter or seamer in Kwena Maphaka.South Africa (probable): 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), 3 Rassie van der Dussen (capt), 4 Rubin Hermann, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Senuran Muthusamy, 7 George Linde, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Nandre Burger, 10 Nqaba Peter/Kwena Maphaka, 11 Lungi NgidiDevon Conway could be back to open•Zimbabwe Cricket

Devon Conway could be back to partner in-form Tim Seifert at the top, while Bevon Jacobs might lose out to Daryl Mitchell. With their seamers all in good form, New Zealand could likely pick four of Zakary Foulkes, Will O’Rourke, Matt Henry, Adam Milne and Duffy.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Seifert (wk), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Mark Chapman, 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 Mitchell Santner (capt), 8 Zakary Foulkes, 9 Will O’Rourke, 10 Matt Henry/Adam Milne, 11 Jacob Duffy

Pitch and conditions

In five of the six matches (apart from the last one between Zimbabwe and New Zealand on Thursday), the captain who has won the toss has chosen to chase. Batting against the new ball in the early afternoon has proved tricky, and seamers have found that bowling just back of a length is most effective. It has been difficult for spinners to get among the wickets, and for batters to score as quickly – as has become the norm in the T20 game. Expect a run rate of around eight an over.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa and New Zealand have met 17 times in T20Is, with South Africa holding an 11-6 advantage. Before this series, South Africa had also beaten New Zealand in all four of their matches in multi-team tournaments. So far, though, New Zealand have won both matches against South Africa in this tri-series.
• New Zealand scored both the highest total of the competition, 190, in their victory over Zimbabwe on Thursday, and the highest powerplay score of 57 for 1 in the same match. They also have the series’ two highest wicket-takers in their ranks.

Quotes

“The final on Saturday will give us a really good idea of where everybody’s at. I’ll be disappointed if we didn’t put up a bold showing, and try and get one over New Zealand. It’s been exciting on a personal level. Just in the blink of an eye, the game’s finished, you’ve got to pack your bags, and go back to the hotel. It’s certainly not as drawn out as a Test match.”
South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad is settling into the white-ball role“Throughout this series, we’ve done a lot of good stuff. Different guys stepping up at times is always a good thing, and does give us a bit of a selection headache.”
New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner was all smiles after they finished the group stage with the maximum points

Ben Duckett praises Ollie Pope’s courage under pressure at No. 3

Matt Roller21-Jun-20252:22

Duckett: Bumrah the best in the world

England’s players were “pretty clear” well before the Headingley Test that Ollie Pope would bat at No. 3 against India despite Jacob Bethell’s emergence. That is according to Ben Duckett, who said he had “goosebumps” watching Pope celebrate his ninth Test century after putting on 122 with him for the second wicket.Bethell’s success at No. 3 in his maiden series in New Zealand heaped pressure on Pope, who batted at No. 6 and kept wicket on that tour, and fuelled speculation ahead of this summer. That only intensified when Ben Stokes inadvertently suggested that Bethell would come back into his side to face India, having missed England’s win over Zimbabwe while at the IPL.Stokes sought to assure Pope, his vice-captain, that his comments had been misinterpreted, but even after he had piled on 171 at Trent Bridge, Rob Key declined the opportunity to confirm he would bat at No. 3 earlier this week. He was eventually locked in when England named their team on Wednesday, and was 100 not out at the close of the second day’s play.Related

• Ollie Pope's century buys him the summer at No. 3

• India's gaffes overshadow Bumrah's jaffas, Pope ton makes it England's day

• Stokes blames media 'agenda' for pre-match pressure on Pope

“There’s noise outside of a dressing room, but there’s no noise in it,” Duckett said. “We’re not having discussions in the dressing room about who’s going to play. It seemed pretty clear coming into this Test match [that] if a bloke scores 170 a few weeks ago, he is going to play this game.”Stokes said on the eve of the match that it would have been “remarkable” to leave Pope out after his hundred against Zimbabwe and that it showed “how well he’s handled that extra scrutiny”. But Pope’s visceral celebration proved that he had felt the pressure, which Duckett attributed to his “courage” and the dressing room’s support.”If someone needs you to get around him, we’ll do that; if someone needs to be left alone, we’ll do the same,” Duckett said. “What’s been going on through Popey’s head for the last few weeks, I don’t know. But to be told two or three days out that you’re playing is probably a good thing… The way Popey’s dealt with it has been superb and just sums up and proves why he’s England’s No. 3.”Duckett himself scored 62 before inside-edging Jasprit Bumrah on to his stumps, and heaped praise onto India’s spearhead.”He is the best bowler in the world,” Duckett said. “He’s extremely hard to face. He’s good in any conditions; he’s good in India on the flattest pitches ever and when he’s coming in down the hill [at Headingley] with the lights on and it’s swinging both ways.”I feel like we minimised the damage early on. It could have been a lot worse today… He is just a world-class bowler, and you can’t let someone like him just bowl; he’s too good for that. You’ve got to still try and put him under pressure, and try to put the bad balls away.”

A round-up of the second day’s action from the sixth round of matches from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2009

Group A

Pakistan International Airlines reached a dominant position in Faisalabad, as they gained a 121-run lead against National Bank of Pakistan. NBP began the day in a precarious position, at 55 for 5. Some resistance from the lower order, chiefly wicketkeeper Amin-ur-Rehman (36) and Wasim Khan (27), took them to 170, giving PIA a nine-run advantage on the first innings. Seamers Anwar Ali and Ali Imran grabbed four wickets each to hand PIA the edge after a disappointing performance with the bat on the opening day. In their second innings, PIA were boosted by an unbeaten 49 from opener Agha Sabir, who steered them to 112 for 2.Habib Bank Limited gained the upper hand on a truncated second day against Sui Southern Gas Corporation in Rawalpindi. Bilal Asad top scored with 45, but Habib Bank kept chipping away with regularity at the opposition, reducing them to 116 for 6 at stumps. Seamer Fahad Masood took 2 for 21, and was supported well by the rest of the bowling line-up.Karachi Whites, led by opener Naved Khan’s unbeaten 108, snatched the advantage against Lahore Shalimar at the Gaddafi Stadium. Naved was assisted in a 151-run third-wicket stand by Atif Ali, and the pair helped Karachi reach 233 for 3 at stumps, only 24 adrift of Lahore’s first-innings score. Naved played a patient knock, eating up 253 deliveries, and striking ten fours. Atif, too, took his time but ensured a foundation for a substantial lead was laid.Fourteen wickets fell on the second day of the contest between Pakistan Customs and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Islamabad, making amends for the absence of any action due to rain on the first. SNGPL held a slight advantage at stumps, having bowled out Pakistan Customs for 169 and reaching 77 for 4 in reply. Their bowling effort was a collective one. Medium-pacer Rizwan Akbar grabbed 3 for 44, while three others grabbed two wickets each. Tahir Mughal dented PIA in their response, bagging three wickets but Ali Waqas is going strong with an unbeaten 39.Water and Power Development Authority, boosted by important contributions from almost all their batsmen, amassed 446 for 8 in their first innings against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in Gujranwala. Opener Adil Nisar made 104 and was backed up by half-centuries from Aamer Sajjad and Ahmed Said as WAPDA built on the strong platform they had laid on the first day. For ZTBL, Kashif Daud and Mohammad Khalil bagged three wickets each. At stumps, ZTBL were 16 without loss.

Group B

Seventeen wickets fell on a extraordinary day at the Abbottabad Cricket stadium as the home side took first-innings points against Peshawar. Abbottbad began the day on 34 for 3, but were bowled out for 111, courtesy twin five-fors from fast bowlers Nauman Habib and Riaz Afridi. More drama was to follow as left-arm fast man Junaid Khan stole the show for Abbottabad with 6 for 43. Barring opener Haroon Ahmed (46), none of the Peshawar batsmen managed to reach double figures as they folded for 81 in 32.4 overs. The Abbottabad openers brought a calm end to the day, guiding them home to 16 for no loss at stumps.Right-arm fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed ensured table-toppers Karachi Blues took first-innings points against bottom-placed Lahore Ravi at the National Stadium in Karachi. His five-for helped bowl out the opposition for 190, as none of the Lahore batsmen managed a defining innings. With the lead of 107, Karachi were pegged back by Junaid Zia before Asad Shafiq and Asim Kamal guided them safely to stumps at 102 for 4.A well-composed hundred from left-hander Naved Yasin helped Multan extended their domination against Hyderabad at the Niaz Stadium. Resuming on 127 for 1, Multan went past Hyderabad’s first-innings total of 194 with ease. Yasin then put Multan in pole position hitting 10 boundaries during his 192-ball 111. With Rizwan Haider looking in good touch with an unbeaten 47, Multan may fancy an innings win as well.Faisalabad‘s No. 8 batsman Zulqarnain was in terrific form as Quetta failed to capitalise on their overnight advantage in the basement battle in Sargodha. Resuming on 234 for 7, Zulqarnain smashed six fours and two sixes during his 146-ball 77 to strengthen Faisalabad, lifting them to 350. He then provided them with the first breakthrough during Quetta’s reply, sending back opener Shoaib Khan jnr early. Quetta went on to lose two more wickets to finish nervously 64 for 3.The Rawalpindi batsmen found Rauf Akbar’s pace too hot to handle as they managed 218 for 8 against Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground. After the first day’s play was washed out, Rauf gave Islamabad a flying start after they opted to field. He sent back the openers in quick time before a 92-run partnership for the third wicket between Zahid Mansoor (37) and Adnan Mufti (79) held up the charge. He returned to remove them both to finish with 4 for 78, with a five-for very much on the cards.

Mumbai started the tournament with a close loss against Delhi Capitals and will be itching to open their account

Himanshu Agrawal17-Feb-20255:08

Deol, Dottin could pose a threat to Mumbai

Who’s playing

Gujarat Giants (GG) vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, February 18, 2025, 7.30pm IST

What to expect: GG look to break MI jinx

The last time MI and GG met, Harmanpreet Kaur cracked 95 off 48 balls as MI pulled off a heist and booked a playoffs spot last moment. That meant MI have a 4-0 record against GG so far.Related

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But unlike the previous two seasons, GG have started WPL 2025 on a much stronger note. While it took them five attempts to win their first game in 2024, their first victory this time came in their second match, when they beat UP Warriorz (UPW) comfortably. But ineffective death bowling continues to be a concern for GG. RCB took them for 79 runs off the last 4.3 overs, while UPW smashed 26 runs off the final eight deliveries of their innings. With the bat, GG’s captain Ashleigh Gardner will be looking for more support from the top order, as their top three tallied only 22 runs between them against UPW.Meanwhile, MI started this season with a close loss against Delhi Capitals after three contentious run-out decisions. MI stuttered their way to 164 after Nat-Sciver Brunt (80*) and Harmanpreet (42) had given them a blazing start. Four of MI’s remaining top-seven batters fell for single-figure scores, and MI will hope things change against GG.

Team news and likely XIs

GG have played the same XI in both matches so far after handing out four debuts in the opener against RCB. But Sayali Satghare’s six overs across those two games cost 64 runs, and she struck only once. D Hemalatha, on the other hand, managed scores of only 4 and 0. So GG will hope they are back in form before it gets too late.Can Deandra Dottin help GG get their first win against MI?•BCCI

Gujarat Giants (probable): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Laura Wolvaardt, 3 D Hemalatha, 4 Ashleigh Gardner (capt), 5 Harleen Deol, 6 Deandra Dottin, 7 Simran Shaikh, 8 Tanuja Kanwar, 9 Sayali Satghare, 10 Priya Mishra, 11 Kashvee GautamMI have played only a solitary game so far this season, and are unlikely to panic despite their batters under-performing. But they will want Saika Ishaque, their second-highest wicket-taker in the WPL, to put behind a disappointing outing against RCB, as she leaked 43 runs in three overs.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 S Sajana, 7 Amanjot Kaur, 8 Sanskriti Gupta, 9 Jintimani Kalita, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Saika Ishaque

Players to watch

Deandra Dottin made her WPL debut only this year, but has already left a mark. She walked out to bat in the 12th over in both matches, and struck at a rapid pace, scoring 25 off 13 while batting first against RCB, and then an unbeaten 33* off 18 in a tricky chase against UPW to ensure GG hunted down 144 with two overs to spare. GG will hope Dottin’s run continues, and helps them break their MI jinx.Harmanpreet Kaur had played a massive role the last time these two teams met•BCCI

Nat-Sciver Brunt may not have scored a lot in the recent Ashes but she showed her class in MI’s opening game. Batting at No.3, her 80 off 59 balls, which included 13 fours, formed the bedrock of MI’s total. That is nearly half of the 172 runs she managed in nine innings last WPL, and her form will be a relief for MI, whose batting otherwise mainly rests on Harmanpreet’s shoulders in the middle order.

Key stats

• Four of the top six wicket-takers in the WPL are from MI: Hayley Matthews (25 wickets), Ishaque (24), Amelia Kerr (24) and Sciver-Brunt (21).
• Only four players have achieved the double of scoring at least 300 runs and taking 20 wickets in the WPL. Three of them are from MI (Sciver-Brunt, Matthews and Kerr), and one from GG (Gardner).

“In the last particularly 12 months, we’ve had a fairly stable group and some really amazing young talent emerge as mainstays,” Ellyse Perry says

Andrew McGlashan09-Sep-2025It hasn’t quite been a case of having too much of a good thing, but a key plank of Australia’s build towards their ODI World Cup title defence in India and Sri Lanka has been instilling the belief to make the most of their enviable depth.No team has gone back-to-back in the women’s ODI World Cup since Australia’s hat-trick of titles between 1978 and 1988, but few would be surprised if this side achieved the feat. They have lost just three matches in the format since defeating England in Christchurch in the 2022 World Cup final to complete their redemption arc from the semi-final exit of 2017.But two of those losses came in the 2023 Ashes when Australia were exposed across both white-ball formats. While not as seismic as what happened in the 2017 semi-final against India, coupled with their semi-final exit at last year’s T20 World Cup it was a moment when the team challenged itself to remain ahead of the pack.Related

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• Gardner: India a 'huge threat' in World Cup

“We’re really conscious of the fact that we’re incredibly fortunate to have some huge depth in our side, both batting and bowling,” Ellyse Perry, who will be playing her fifth ODI World Cup, said at a sponsorship announcement for Chemist Warehouse ahead of the team’s departure to India.”So, from that aspect, I think we’ve made a really conscious shift towards wanting to take the game on from the very start and probably keep our foot down for as long as we can. Obviously, you’ve got to adapt to conditions and certain circumstances, but it just feels like there’s a real ethos within the group to make sure that we can utilise everyone’s talent on the day.”It’s going to be one person’s day most of the time, not everyone’s, but if we can kind of really be consistent with that, we’ve got a good chance of being successful more often than not. I think that’s been a big shift for us.”Staying ahead of the chasing pack is not just focused on batting and bowling, either. “The development of the women’s game has been really incredible in the last couple of years,” Perry said. “From an athletic point of view, we’re very conscious of making sure that we’re dominant in that space. We want to run hard between the wickets, be really good in the field, and I think looking at some of our bowling options, [we have] some of the quicker bowlers in the world as well. Hopefully we’re a dynamic side and hopefully that’s successful for us.”Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield have emerged as fulcrums in the batting order•Sportsfile/Getty Images

Three major names from the side that emerged from the heartache of 2017 into one of the most dominant sporting teams in history – with a record winning run of 26 ODIs – won’t be in India: Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes have retired, while Jess Jonassen has not been able to regain the spot she lost nearly two years ago, an example of the riches available to Australia.”[There’s been] some fairly big changes to our group over the last four years,” Perry said. “But in the last particularly 12 months, we’ve had a fairly stable group and some really amazing young talent emerge as mainstays as well, contributing consistently in every match. From that perspective, [it’s] definitely a slightly different-looking team, but I think still a really stable and established team.”The likes of Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland have emerged as fulcrums in the batting order, while Georgia Voll had a breakout first year in international cricket. Voll may struggle to start the World Cup but will keep the incumbents on their toes. Perhaps the slight unknown, and potentially a factor at last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, is the pressure of knockout cricket.Speaking last week when the squad was named, captain Alyssa Healy said, “I had to watch something on the 2022 World Cup and just how much our team support staff and our squad has changed in that period of time, I think no one’s probably noticed that as much simply because of the way that players have had opportunity over the last couple of years.”1:24

Gardner on using the Hundred to gauge the opposition

Last season, there was a subtle shift in the batting order with Sutherland promoted to No. 5 and Tahlia McGrath moved to a finishing role at No. 7. Sutherland’s development into a world-class allrounder had almost demanded the move but it felt a significant nod to the next generation; she responded with back-to-back centuries against India and New Zealand. Nothing in elite sport is certain, but she’s the type of player who could shine at this World Cup.”Annabel’s been absolutely superb for the last 12 months, probably before that,” Perry said. “And to think that she’s only still so young is quite incredible. Obviously, she won the Belinda Clark Medal last year, and she’s been such a big contributor to our team in the last little bit.”I think her coupled with Phoebe Litchfield, the way that she’s been playing, Georgia Voll as well, since she’s had an opportunity at an international level… there’s some really, really special young players that we’ve got in the group. I think they balance out the experience that we have as well.”I’m sure Annabel’s going to have a wonderful tournament. She works exceptionally hard at her game. She’s never standing still.”Australia fly out to India on Wednesday ahead of their three-match series with the hosts before the World Cup. “It feels like with the women’s game, every World Cup just gets a little bit bigger, more competitive, and there’s more on the line,” Perry said.