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The board has also been stripped off all administrative duties with regards to hosting the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup

Peter Della Penna02-Oct-2022USA Cricket’s worsening administrative situation has led to the organization receiving multiple reprimands from the ICC, including a temporary suspension of funding as well as losing all administrative duties with regards to hosting the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.Atul Rai, who was recently named interim board chairman to replace the outgoing Paraag Marathe, following Rai’s win in the recent USA Cricket general elections, sent a letter to all stakeholders late Friday evening to highlight the perilous state of affairs ahead of the next USA Cricket Annual General Meeting, which has been announced for October 9.”I have been engaging with the ICC and Cricket West Indies to start a dialogue on the broader engagement and partnership for USA Cricket with regards to the 2024 World Cup hosting,” Rai wrote. “I strongly believe that USA Cricket should be the co-hosts for the World Cup, along with Cricket West Indies.”Though no prior formal statement has been issued by either USA Cricket or Cricket West Indies (CWI) on the matter, multiple sources have stated that a letter was sent by the ICC over the summer to USA Cricket informing them that due to ongoing governance issues, USA Cricket was being stripped of all administrative co-hosting duties for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.Related

• USA Cricket discloses $650K in debts, confirms cancellation of men's national championships

• USA Cricket commercial partner deeply concerned over board's financial situation

• Atul Rai, Kuljit-Singh Nijjar win election to USA Cricket board

• USA Cricket Committee member criticises board for financial issues

• USA Cricket tables $300K payment to avoid lawsuit threat from ex-CEO

However, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice subsequently visited with USA Cricket administrators in California and Texas during the summer to inspect potential venues for use during the event. ESPNcricinfo sources have stated that though all administrative duties in terms of a local organising committee for the event are now being handled solely by CWI, the intention is for a percentage of matches to still be staged on American soil.Beyond the issue of the 2024 T20 World Cup, USA Cricket has been mired in ongoing issues with regards to their finances and governance. The election which saw Rai return to the board took place after a delay of 17 months. Meanwhile, USA Cricket has been in serious debt ever since the cancellation of three ODIs last December against Ireland, which resulted in a loss of sponsorship and TV revenue that had been anticipated to be received after the matches had been played. However, the fixed logistical costs for staging the series remained even when the matches did not occur, triggering major debt for USA after they lost approximately $250,000 for attempting to stage the matches.”Soon after assuming the office, we were informed that the Q2 Financial report that was due at the end of June 2022 was never submitted,” Rai said in the letter. “In addition, the 2021 audited financial report that was also due on June 30th was not submitted despite several deadline extensions provided by ICC. The report also required the minutes of the 2021 AGM that was never conducted. You may recall that the 2020 AGM was held in May 2021. Consequently, ICC has suspended our 3rd quarter funding for noncompliance.”Former USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins had played a part in the country getting to initially co-host the 2024 T20 World Cup•Peter Della Penna

Rai went on to update members on several other longstanding financial issues which have previously been reported by ESPNcricinfo but have shown little signs of being improved in recent times. These include the contentious issue of player salaries not being paid on time while at the same time the board – under Marathe’s control – had approved a $300,000 payment to former CEO Iain Higgins in order to avoid facing legal action. According to Rai, it is not just player salaries but many other administrative staff salaries that have not been paid on a regular basis.”The current cash flow situation of USA Cricket is critical, as we have defaulted on employee salaries and USA players’ salaries,” Rai wrote. “In addition, there were more than $200K of pending invoices from previous non-budgeted expenditure that was overdue, and we are planning for them to be paid, having paid a significant portion of it already.”Rai also states that no progress has been made to hire a new CEO to replace Higgins after his resignation in November 2021. Rai cites USA Cricket’s ongoing financial issues as a reason why and that until these are resolved, the organization will not be hiring anyone to replace Higgins. It effectively means that Rai will be positioned as the chief decision-maker for USA Cricket going forward.Paraag Marathe was replaced by Atul Rai as interim chairman following Rai’s win in the recent general body elections•Getty Images

Another issue raised by Rai is the strained relationship between USA Cricket and ACE, their commercial partner who holds the rights to launch a franchise T20 competition – Major League Cricket – due to begin in 2023. USA Cricket board member Venu Pisike had previously told ESPNcricinfo earlier this year of USA Cricket’s dissatisfaction of the initial terms signed by both parties in May 2019, which were then reinforced in April 2021 according to Rai.As part of that agreement, ACE keeps 95% of all cricket-related commercial revenue – including TV broadcast rights, sponsorship agreements and gate ticket sales – generated for USA Cricket while USA Cricket holds on to 5%. The agreement provides a minimum annual guaranteed payment to USA Cricket from ACE – listed at $399,000 for 2022. It means USA Cricket would need to generate $8 million in revenue for the calendar year before they would receive anything beyond the minimum $399,000 disbursement guaranteed by ACE.USA Cricket had issued a press release in the days after Pisike’s statements were made to ESPNCricinfo in May 2022, refuting Pisike’s words and claiming that they were his own views and did not reflect the views of USA Cricket. However, Rai’s letter, which was formally issued through a USA Cricket press release, now reiterates the position espoused by Pisike that USA Cricket is unhappy with the current arrangement and wants to renegotiate the ACE contract. This is in spite of the fact that both Rai and Pisike voted in favor of the original May 2019 agreement – Rai previously served on the board from August 2018 to February 2020 – when it was initially presented the board three years ago.”Mr Paraag Marathe, who was the chair then, informed the board that this was a temporary agreement and that it was going to be fixed soon,” Rai wrote. “Unfortunately, that never materialised. In April 2022, USA Cricket sent a notice to ACE asking clarifications on their investments and practices, and at this time, a long form agreement is pending, and we will work towards a long form contract that is fair to USA Cricket and works for all parties.”

Duo combine for second year running at Derbyshire to set their side’s season off right

ECB Reporters Network09-Apr-2023Jake Libby and Azhar Ali combined for the second year running at Derbyshire to give Worcestershire a winning start to the season in the LV=Insurance County Championship.The pair shared a century stand at the Incora County Ground last season to save the match and this time their partnership of 139 from 191 balls set up an eight-wicket victory.Azhar made 62 and Libby celebrated back-to-back hundreds at Derby with an unbeaten 104 from 140 balls to take Worcestershire to their target of 192 with 25.4 overs to spare.Derbyshire’s chances of setting a more testing target were undermined by Josh Tongue, who took three of the last four wickets to fall, leaving skipper Leus du Plooy unbeaten on 95 from 138 balls.Du Plooy and Zak Chappell had frustrated Worcestershire’s hopes of wrapping up the innings quickly by batting through the first 15 overs of the morning.After Chappell narrowly avoided being run out off the first ball, they took the lead past 150 with du Plooy driving Ben Gibbon straight and through the covers for boundaries.Chappell had demonstrated his batting credentials in the first innings and he again showed good judgement to help his captain set a challenging target.The stand was worth 89 from 137 balls when Chappell was undone by a smart piece of work from Gareth Roderick who brought off a leg-side stumping to give Joe Leach a third wicket.Leach should have had a fourth in his next over but he spilled a straight-forward return catch offered by Ben Aitchison although it did not prove costly.Aitchison chipped Tongue to mid on in the next over and the fast bowler took his second wicket of the innings when Sam Conners edged a drive to first slip.It was now a case of whether du Plooy could get to his hundred but he was five short when Suranga Lakmal was beaten by a swinging full length ball from Tongue.Ed Pollock came out intent on giving his team a fast start, driving Lakmal for two fours in the first over, but Aitchison angled one across him to have him caught behind off what became the last ball before lunch.Pollock’s departure did not alter Worcestershire’s approach as Libby and Azhar played positively from the restart with Libby leg glancing Conners for four to bring up the 50 stand off 60 balls.Although the occasional ball kept low, there was little in the pitch to encourage Derbyshire’s bowlers with Libby and Azhar moving serenely towards victory.The century stand came off 130 balls before Azhar turned Matt Lamb to fine leg for his fifth four to complete his fifty, his third at Derby in two seasons.Chappell pinned Azhar lbw with a full length ball on the stroke of tea but the target was now down to 36 and Libby wasted no time in sealing victory.He launched Lamb for a straight six and after completing his eighth first-class hundred for Worcestershire, dabbed Anuj Dal to the third man boundary for the winning runs.

The hosts have confirmed an unchanged XI while Australia, looking to win a series in England for the first time since 2001, are likely to recall Todd Murphy

Andrew McGlashan26-Jul-2023

Big Picture

And so, to the final act. We were on the brink of the ultimate decider which would have been the biggest Test in this country since the corresponding fixture in 2005, and perhaps ever. Sadly, the Manchester weather put paid to that and Australia were able to cling onto the urn as puddles formed on the Old Trafford outfield.It remains to be seen how well England can rouse themselves in a bid to level the series having played almost the perfect match last time out when the weather allowed. From 2-0 down, a drawn series would be a laudable outcome but, regardless of Ben Stokes saying he will never have regrets, there will surely be nagging thoughts of what could have been, particularly at Edgbaston.Related

• Cummins: 'To go home winning the urn will be phenomenal – it's a final thing to tick off'

• Anderson: 'There are no thoughts about retirement'

• England named unchanged XI for Oval Ashes finale

From Australia’s point of view, however, this remains a crucial five days having not won a series in England since 2001. They had it within their grasp at Headingley and, unless the weather intervenes significantly again, only 3-1 will allow them to categorically say they have been the better team. They are back at the scene of where the tour began with the World Test Championship victory over India. A lot has happened since then.But barring the injuries to Nathan Lyon and Ollie Pope, both teams have come through the rigours of the condensed schedule remarkably well to the extent there could be just one change for the final outing – a return for Todd Murphy.Across the two sides, this will likely be the final Ashes outing for a significant number of players. Many of the leading stars of the series are well into their 30s. There have been rumours of retirements on both sides, but it appears there won’t be any definite announcements at a ground that has farewelled many stars.Until the two days of rain in Manchester this had been a series that had lived up to all the hype. It deserves a memorable finish even if the urn is no longer up for grabs.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
England DWLLW
Australia DLWWWSteven Smith has only managed one significant score in the series•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Ben Stokes and Steven Smith

Ben Stokes may not play another Ashes Test. The 2025-26 tour down under is probably touch-and-go given the state of his body. He insists he doesn’t have any regret over decisions he has made during the last six weeks, although asked to pick out one moment he would like to have over again he singled out the dropped catch off Lyon when 37 were still needed at Edgbaston. Having put himself through a 12-over spell at Lord’s he has not bowled in the last two matches. With England not playing Tests again until January, and him having retired from ODIs, there may be a window to consider any longer-term options to try and repair the damage, although the team have found a way to accommodate him as a batter-captain. He has led a revolution in England’s Test cricket but the Ashes has proved agonisingly out of reach.This series has been a far cry from 2019 for Steven Smith. It was going to be a tall order to scale those 774-run heights, but this time he has passed fifty just once in eight innings – his very fine century at Lord’s. At Old Trafford, he fell twice to the pace of Mark Wood and throughout the series England have found ways to combat him better than any other time. But The Oval brings him back to a venue where he has a phenomenal record: an average of 91 and a century in his last outing against India early last month. Can he sign off Ashes cricket in the UK with a standout performance?James Anderson will line up for an unchanged England•Getty Images

Team news: Same again for England; Murphy likely for Australia

England have confirmed an unchanged XI which means another outing for James Anderson despite a series where he has had very limited impact. Chris Woakes has pulled up okay after his quad issue at Old Trafford and Wood will play three Tests in a row.England 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonAustralia will likely bring back offspinner Murphy after he missed out at Old Trafford. There had been question marks over Mitchell Marsh (soreness) and Mitchell Starc (shoulder) but both appear to have recovered. It means Cameron Green looks set to lose his place.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Todd Murphy, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

Two days out, Pat Cummins thought the surface looked “pretty similar” to the one rolled out for the World Test Championship final against India. “Maybe not quite as firm as the final,” he added. “A little bit of grass. Not heaps. Looks like a pretty good wicket.” Eyes will again be on the weather forecast, although not to the same extent as Old Trafford. There are showers of varying degrees expected on Thursday, Saturday and Monday.

Stats and trivia

• England’s series run-rate of 4.68 is the highest for any team in a series where at least four matches have been played
• Stokes needs one catch to 100 in Tests: he would be just the third player to score 6000 runs, take 100 wickets and told 100 catches after Jacques Kallis and Garry Sobers
• Entering what is likely to be his final Ashes encounter, Anderson has not won an Ashes Test since 2015.
• With Stuart Broad again playing all five Tests in the series, it means he has not missed a home Ashes match since he first played in 2009.

Quotes

“Coming into this series I felt like six [Tests] was going to be really busy. But it’s all been good. Obviously there have been some challenges, some moments when you scratch your head, but I feel in a really good place physically and in terms of the captaincy. I feel like I’m learning new things every game, and it’s been manageable.”

He says he feels amazing leading ‘such phenomenal talented players’

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-20241:40

Gill: Coming back from 1-0 down was remarkable

Shubman Gill believes that captaincy brings the “best out of him” because it brings out a side of him where he really enjoys being out on the field.”It is something that I definitely enjoy,” Gill said about captaincy after leading India to a 4-1 T20I series win over Zimbabwe in Harare. “I think it brings out the best in me when I am out there because I look to be involved in the game. It is something that really brings out the side of me which I enjoy being on the field.”With most of the senior players rested, Gill was asked to lead the Indian side for the first time in his career. His stint started on a tough note with India going down in the opening game of the series, but he quickly found his stride as the visitors posted comfortable wins in the next four games.Related

• Onus on India's present to link their past and future in T20s

• No-holds-barred Jaiswal typifies the new and aggressive India

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Gill admitted there was pressure but the satisfaction of overcoming that and helping India finish on the right side of the results was “immense”.”There was pressure, I wouldn’t say extra pressure but obviously even when you are playing just as a batsman when you don’t perform there is a certain kind of pressure that comes along with it,” he said. “But I think that’s the fun part of it. You kind of feel so many different emotions. Pressure is one of them. And when you get out of that, the satisfaction that you feel is immense.”India had gone with a relatively inexperienced squad to Zimbabwe with a lot of the players still very new to international cricket. Gill himself was just 14 T20Is old coming into the series but said the chance to lead a young side with “such phenomenal talented players” was amazing.”To be able to lead such phenomenal talented players who I have had the pleasure to play with or against at some stage in age-group cricket or Under-19 or at the India level, it just feels very amazing.”When you have played against or with so many of the players… I think almost with everyone I have played against or with at some age-group level, it definitely makes my job easier because I understand them at a player level and I understand them as a person as well.”So many talented players, so many players coming up and it is really fun to be able to play alongside them when I am at the non-striker’s end,” Gill said.But what went wrong in the first T20I where India chasing 116 were bundled out for 102 in 19.5 overs? Gill said that India “failed to assess the conditions” properly in that game.”I think that is the mistake we did in the first T20, the score wasn’t that big but I think we didn’t assess the conditions as early and we lost too many wickets in the powerplay and then once you are under pressure, then you are always behind in the game,” he said.Gill did not single out one particular captain that he idolises in international cricket but said that Rohit Sharma was someone he really looked up to.”You can take qualities from Rohit or even Mahi (MS Dhoni) , Virat (Kohli) , Hardik (Pandya) , all of them,” he said. “All of them have great qualities. I have played the most under Rohit , so he is someone who I look up to and really enjoy playing under.”

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.

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

• ICC to formally support Afghan women cricketers

• 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.

Rohit says changing conditions will be a big challenge for India as they travel to nine different venues for their nine league games

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-20231:58

Kumble: KL Rahul looks like he’s back to his original self

Twelve balls into India’s pursuit of 200, KL Rahul found himself at the crease. He was batting at , and he had just kept wicket through a muggy Chennai afternoon for almost 50 overs. It was all a “bit of a rush”, as he said three hours later, after having batted through the rest of the chase to get India over the line against Australia with six wickets to spare.Asked at the post-match presentation – while he picked up the Player of the Match award – what the conversation was with his batting partner Virat Kohli was when he came out to bat in that precarious position, he offered a smile and said: “Quite honestly, not a lot of conversation. I was just trying to catch my breath as I just had a shower. I thought I would get a good half an hour – [or] an hour’s – break, put the feet up and just rest up. But I was out there in no time, so there was a bit of rush. I was just trying to get my breath back.”On a more serious note, Kohli, he said, reckoned the pair would have to do some Test-match batting for a while to get India back on track on a trying Chepauk pitch, where India’s spinners had dictated terms before Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer – that is, three of India’s top four – bagged ducks to Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.”Virat said there’s big help in the wicket, and [we] just have to play proper shots and play like it’s Test cricket for some time and see where it goes,” Rahul said. “That was mostly the plan, and happy that we could do the job for the team.”Related

• Smith: 'We can learn a bit from this game'

• Rahul, Kohli guide India home after early scare on tricky track

How tough exactly was it to bat on this pitch, then? Tricky, till the dew came in, Rahul said. “There was a bit of help for the fast bowlers with the new ball when we bowled. And later on the spinners came in and they had a lot help from the wicket.”But I think towards the end – in the last 15-20 overs – the dew played a bit of a part for them; while they were bowling, they changed the ball as well. Once that happened, it did come on a little better.”But it was still two-paced, and wasn’t a great wicket to bat on; nor was it too difficult. It wasn’t a flat wicket, nor was it too helpful for the bowlers. I think it was a good cricket wicket, and that’s what you get in the south of India. But a bit excited that we could get the win today.”Virat Kohli and KL Rahul put on 165 runs together•Associated Press

India captain Rohit Sharma, speaking at the post-match presentation, admitted to being nervous himself while India had their unprecedented meltdown to 2 for 3 – it was the first time in men’s ODI cricket that three of their top four were out for ducks, and no team had previously gone on to win an ODI after losing three wickets with as few runs on the board.”You don’t want to start your innings like that when you are chasing that kind of a target,” Rohit said. “But you’ve got to give credit to the Aussies – they bowled pretty well. Some loose shots there as well [from India], but that happens. When you have that kind of a target, you want to get off the mark as quickly as possible; try and score as many as possible in the powerplay.”But hats off to Virat and KL – how they stuck in the middle out there and created that match-winning partnership.”This will be the first and last time India play at Chepauk at the World Cup though, and next up they move to Delhi, where South Africa and Sri Lanka combined to break the record for the most runs aggregated in a World Cup game just last night.The difference in conditions will be stark, and that will be one of India’s big challenges as they travel to 10 different venues for their group games (they will be the only team to not play twice at one venue in the round-robin stage), Rohit said. “That is going to be our biggest challenge as a team moving forward, because we are going to play on different pitches and in different conditions as well. So you might have to change your combination a little bit as well depending on what sort of conditions we play in. But as a team we are prepared to do that. It is something we have been talking about in our group – whoever suits the conditions needs to come and do the job for us.”

Former SA captain has signed a two-and-a-half month contract with Sunrisers

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2023Dane van Niekerk will play regional cricket in England this summer. The former South Africa captain, who retired from international cricket earlier this month, has signed for Sunrisers on a two-and-a-half-month contract that will see her play in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Van Niekerk was re-signed by Oval Invincibles in the inaugural women’s draft for the Hundred on Thursday evening, and her deal with Sunrisers – the regional hub based around London and the East – means she will be in England for the majority of the summer.She was controversially left out of South Africa’s squad for the recent T20 World Cup on home soil after failing to meet a two-kilometre time trial benchmark, having struggled with injuries over the previous three years, and confirmed her retirement from international cricket last week.”I’m very excited to join up with my Sunrisers team-mates,” van Niekerk said. “I look forward to this new chapter and contributing to the overall success of the team. [I am] so grateful for the backing and can’t wait to get on the field to start playing.”Sunrisers have been the weakest of the eight English regional teams since the domestic system was revamped ahead of the 2020 season. They have only won once in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, the domestic T20 competition, and have never won a game in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.They have a new coach for this summer in Andy Tennant, the former Scotland international, while Northants’ assistant coach Chris Liddle has also been brought in over the winter to work with the squad’s seamers.”This is an extremely exciting time for Sunrisers, and having the ability to bring in Dané speaks volumes of the work that has been going on behind the scenes at this club,” Tennant said. “We all know exactly what Dané is capable of, and the experience that she will bring to our group of players is invaluable.”We made sure that the current squad were aware throughout the whole process, and Eva [Gray] and Mady [Villiers] have always spoken so highly of her after spending so much time together during the Hundred. She’s both a brilliant player and a brilliant person, and we can’t wait to welcome her into the Sunrisers family.”Van Niekerk’s deal with Sunrisers runs until the end of July, when she will link up with the Invincibles squad ahead of their opening Hundred fixture on August 2.

ESPNcricinfo’s experts, and Sunrisers’ marauder-in-chief himself, both agreed Jasprit Bumrah should have been bowled much earlier given Sunrisers’ explosive opening

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-20243:16

Moody baffled by Mumbai’s use of Bumrah

Were Mumbai Indians tripped up by their focus on holding Jasprit Bumrah back for Heinrich Klaasen? After bowling the fourth over of the innings, Bumrah did not deliver another ball till the 13th over, by which time No. 5 Klaasen was batting on eight off three balls and Sunrisers Hyderabad were already well on their way to a record-breaking score. With almost no pressure, the experienced pair of Klaasen and Aiden Markram saw Bumrah off before lifting Sunrisers to 277 for 3, the highest score in IPL history.On ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut analysis show, former Australia allrounder and Sunrisers head coach Tom Moody said it was “extraordinary” that Mumbai did not course correct earlier. After plundering 81 runs in the powerplay, Sunrisers had raced to 148 for 2 in ten overs and 177 for 3 in 12 before Bumrah returned for his three remaining overs.”When you’ve got the best bowler in the world in this format – if not all formats – and for him to only bowl one over in the first ten overs… to bowl his second over in the 13rd over is extraordinary,” Moody said, analysing the innings alongside former India opener Wasim Jaffer and New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan. “By then, the game’s gone, the game’s totally gone.”I totally get if they want to use a couple of swing bowling options in the first or second over, I understand that. But Jasprit Bumrah has to bowl two overs in the powerplay purely because of what he brings to the table. One of the priorities in powerplay cricket is wickets and he is your best wicket-taker, and he always will be your best wicket-taker. And for him and Mumbai to be starved of that opportunity to try and stem the flow of this onslaught is crazy. It just doesn’t seem right.”Related

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By the time Bumrah arrived for his second spell, Sunrisers’ left-hand duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma had already set the platform for a massive total with fifties in 18 and 16 balls respectively. Their domination of all Mumbai bowlers, bar Bumrah, had led to four 20+ run overs inside the first ten overs of their innings. Still Mumbai held Bumrah back, the damage the big-hitting Klaasen could inflict clearly on their minds.”That’s the issue,” Moody said. “They would have been planning around a number of challenges for today’s match but the biggest challenge around the batting side would’ve been ‘how do we keep Klaasen quiet?'”And they had it stuck in their head that they’ve got to make sure they’ve got overs in the bank from Bumrah when Klaasen comes to the crease. But you have to be flexible with your plans. Every chance that Klaasen may not have batted today the way Sunrisers were going at the top.”2:25

Should Hardik have reassessed his plans?

McClenaghan felt bowling Bumrah up front to negate Head could have proven just as good a strategy as Bumrah vs Klaasen. “Even with match-ups and knowing your biggest threats, you know Travis Head, and you know how Travis Head is going to play. Jasprit Bumrah moving the ball away from Travis Head was a very, very good match-up,” McClenaghan said.Besides, could Mumbai not have adapted their plans midway, especially with strategic time-outs to reassess?”That was the issue. At six overs [first time-out], they were 81,” Moody said. “[As a coach, at the time] you are having a conversation with your captain and key seniors, and you need to say ‘we need wickets. Who is our wicket-taker?’ You go ‘No. 1 Jasprit Bumrah, No. 2 someone else.'”[For the] next two overs minimum, those two bowlers [should’ve bowled] and the priority should’ve been wickets. ‘[As coach you say] forget about runs, let’s just take wickets. Let’s set the fields, let’s bowl the lines, let’s bowl the different paces and the right lengths to get back into the contest.'”Klaasen, who spoke to the broadcasters after his unbeaten 34-ball 80, said Mumbai “missed a trick” in the powerplay by using Bumrah for only one over and credited the Sunrisers top order for the platform he had. He also confirmed that the runs up top helped him face Bumrah without any pressure.”They didn’t bowl their best bowler in the powerplay… that was our plan,” Klaasen said while collecting the orange cap. “They missed a trick up front. We’ve got incredible strikers up front in our batting line-up. They just set the tempo so our work was basically done.”

Deficit still 149 but hosts given hope by Clarke’s first ton since 2021

ECB Reporters Network13-Jun-2023Joe Clarke posted his first century in first-class cricket since September 2021 but Warwickshire remain favourites to complete the fourth win of their LV= Insurance County Championship season and stay in contention for the Division One title.Nottinghamshire were following on after being bowled out for just 155 in reply to Warwickshire’s 571 for 9 declared but despite Clarke’s impressive performance they remained 149 runs behind at the close of the third day at 267 for 4 and a second new ball available to the visiting bowlers after just two more overs.Clarke finished unbeaten on 119 from 178 balls, having batted for almost four hours and not given a chance, picking up 22 boundaries. Skipper Steven Mullaney was not out on 37 in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand worth 81 yet even with the pitch flattening out, Warwickshire will be disappointed not to turn their dominance over the first three days into a victory.Earlier, Pakistan quick Hasan Ali had taken three for 30 and Will Rhodes and Chris Rushworth two wickets each as Nottinghamshire were dismissed in 56 overs to trail by 416 on first innings.Having left the field to rumbles of thunder and lightning flashes on Monday evening, Nottinghamshire emerged in glorious sunshine for day three having been urged to fight for their survival, despite being five down for 82, still 489 runs behind. Yet 24 overs and two balls later, they were being asked to follow on.Mullaney, not out with Tom Moores overnight, was well caught at short midwicket at the end of the fifth full over of the day, a third victim for Hasan. Moores and Calvin Harrison attacked defiantly before departing in consecutive overs. Moores was bowled driving loosely – a first wicket of the season for skipper Rhodes – and Harrison, somewhat inevitably after being tempted by several short deliveries on the leg side, miscued one to long leg.Rhodes picked up his second when Jake Ball fended a short ball to first slip and one over of spin from Danny Briggs was enough to tempt last man Dane Paterson to put one down the throat of long-off.There was an argument for Rhodes not enforcing the follow-on, given the rising heat and the effort put in by his bowlers to staunch any threat of a Nottinghamshire recovery. If discussed it was rejected, although he might have thought about it again as openers Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed put on 61 without too many alarms.But as in the first innings, the introduction of Hasan changed the picture. Hameed, misreading a ball angled in by the Pakistan quick, lost his off stump offering no shot. Two balls later, new man Matt Montgomery was hit in front, beaten for pace.Clarke, patient at first, hit three lovely straight drives to the boundary off Rhodes but just as it seemed he and Slater might assert themselves and get the innings back on an even keel, the captain brought Briggs on for Hasan at the pavilion end and Slater, perhaps misjudging the bounce, spooned the ball tamely to short midwicket.Responsibility now sat heavily on Clarke, who passed his first test alongside Lyndon James by ensuring Nottinghamshire reached tea with no more casualties. By then he was on 53 and though 40 of them had come in boundaries he had taken them without unnecessary risk.James, by contrast, was content simply to block, and the combination worked well as Clarke – helped by four boundaries in one over off the medium pace of Rhodes – moved into the 80s for the first time this season until James, having tucked one away nicely through midwicket for only his third boundary in an hour and three-quarters at the crease, was drawn into playing a ball from Rushworth that took the edge and had him caught at first slip. The fourth-wicket partnership had added exactly 100, easily the biggest of the match for Nottinghamshire, although the deficit remained a daunting 230 runs.Clarke, who had gone past fifty eight times since his 109 against Yorkshire in the final fixture of the 2021 season without being able to convert, picked up a couple more boundaries off Oliver Hannon-Dalby to move into the 90s but looked nervous as he edged closer to three figures and when he drove Hasan through extra cover to reach the milestone with his 19th boundary it prompted no more than a low-key celebration, perhaps acknowledging that his side still had much to do to save the game.