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Tillakaratne Dilshan cast aspersions on the conduct of former and present team-mates -particularly Angelo Mathews – soon after his final ODI, against Australia on Sunday

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Aug-2016Tillakaratne Dilshan cast aspersions on the conduct of former and present team-mates -particularly Angelo Mathews – soon after his final ODI, against Australia on Sunday. Prompted to speak on the challenges faced in his 10-month stint as Sri Lanka captain between April 2011 and January 2012, Dilshan suggested he did not have the support of some team-mates. He also said he had been hurt by his sudden removal as captain, following the year-end tour of South Africa, in which Sri Lanka lost both series, but won a Test in South Africa for the first time.Dilshan had been named captain after Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had both resigned from that post. It was Jayawardene who eventually replaced him after the South Africa tour.”I didn’t actually plan to take the captaincy, but the SLC president asked me to take over for six months until we find someone else,” Dilshan said. “Unfortunately, we had also lost two bowlers. Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] had retired. Nuwan Kulasekara was injured. Ajantha Mendis was injured. I didn’t have great resources.”Angelo Mathews had a calf injury for a year that stopped him from bowling. That must be because of my misfortune, because after I had stepped down, we went to Australia after a week. In that week, Mathews started bowling. That must be because of Mahela’s good fortune.”Mathews did bowl during Dilshan’s captaincy, but had a reduced workload. He did not bowl in nine of the 20 ODIs under Dilshan, and never delivered more than five overs in a match. This workload did see a substantial increase when Jayawardene resumed captaincy.In Tests, Mathews did not bowl in 12 of the 16 innings under Dilshan, though at the time, he was not an integral part of the Test attack. Mathews had also suffered leg injuries even prior to Dilshan’s captaincy, most notably when he missed the 2011 World Cup final due to a quad strain, and has managed his own bowling load carefully since he became captain.Though Dilshan said the manner of his ousting did cause hurt, he insisted he did not let “personal issues” affect his cricket. Sri Lanka’s first assignment after the South Africa tour was the 2012 tri-series in Australia. Dilshan top-scored in that tournament, hitting 513 runs at an average of 51.30.”At the end of that South Africa series, I put everything aside. I went to Australia, scored 500 runs, and became Man of the Series. It didn’t matter to me who was captain. I wasn’t concerned about who ousted me as captain. I always play for my country. I didn’t worry about those personal things, but I was hurt.”Dilshan’s own first assignment as captain had been Sri Lanka’s tour of England, but broke his finger during his 193 at Lord’s in the second Test. He suggested it had been with some reluctance that Sangakkara took on the captaincy for one Test, after that injury ruled Dilshan out for the game at Southampton.”There actually wasn’t anyone who was willing to be captain. Everyone resigned after the 2011 World Cup. In England a ball hit my hand and I broke my finger, and the former captains were asked to lead, and they said no. After that only when it was talked about that someone like Sanath Jayasuriya or Thilina Kandamby be made captain that someone presented himself to be captain. But I guess there’s no point talking about those past things anymore.”But I am proud that it is players that I brought into the team at the time who are winning matches now. About six or seven of the players today are cricketers who I’d given a chance to. At the time it was a problem for me, because people asked me why I was giving young players so many opportunities. But today, we should look at players like Dinesh Chandimal.”Dilshan still has two more T20 matches to play before he becomes an ex-cricketer across formats. He said the decision to retire had been spontaneous.”I hadn’t planned to retire, before the series,” he said. “Whether someone tells me to keep playing or stop playing, that’s not what’s important. What is important is what I feel. I started the series thinking that I’ll play for another year – at least in T20 cricket. But when I woke up on the 25th I felt that it was time to go.”To be honest I could easily play for another year or two. But we have to look to the future. If I play for another two years and leave, there’s only 18 months before the next World Cup and that’s unfair to the team. A young player could be blooded in that time. Since I started opening six years ago, we haven’t found a permanent partner for me. I’ve opened with about 10 people – so that’s a problematic area for us. If I keep playing we won’t be able to get two batsmen settled in that place. I’ll be able to get some rest.”

Ireland have come “a long way” since famous victory in Bangalore, says allrounder

Matt Roller29-Jul-2020Kevin O’Brien knows that no matter what he does in this week’s ODI series against England, he will ultimately be remember for one thing. His name is inextricably linked with his 50-ball hundred in the 2011 World Cup, which sealed a famous Ireland victory against their oldest rivals in Bangalore, and he is all too aware that there is no escaping that fact.”It’s coming on 10 years now,” he laughs. “It’s a little bit frustrating. It’s obviously a very proud thing, and to talk and think about it does give me goosebumps. But I’d like to think I’ve had some performances since then to not just go back to one game.”Whether my scores show it or not, I think I’m a better cricketer now: more rounded, with more experience under my belt. I’m certainly in a better space now; a more comfortable space with where I am mentally and physically.”While England’s team from that night at the Chinnaswamy bears no resemblance to the one that has led the way in ODI cricket over the past five years, O’Brien is one of six men from that Ireland XI currently at the Ageas Bowl ahead of Thursday’s series opener. If that is a reflection in part of the teams’ respective talent pools, it speaks too of the importance of O’Brien’s generation to Irish cricket.ALSO READ: Ireland name Tector, Campher in 14-man squad for series openerBut when the selectors named their 14-man squad for the first ODI, two of those six – George Dockrell and Gary Wilson – were only among the reserves. Nine years on from that win, a new batch is emerging in Irish cricket, with a group of young players coming through simultaneously for the first time in a long while.”There’s four or five players all around a similar age,” O’Brien says, “and for them it’s a great opportunity to write their own legacy and write Irish cricket’s next chapter. The hunger’s certainly there with the young guys to get better, train hard, and be the best players that they can be.”Ultimately it’s up to them to bring Cricket Ireland forward when myself and a few of the older boys hang up the boots. We’ve brought it as far as we can, and it’s up to the younger guys to bring it even further.”It’s certainly something that I’ve taken notice of over the last 14 or 15 weeks, over lockdown – a few areas that I need to improve on to stay a step ahead of the younger guys. That’s great to have for me as an individual, and from the team’s point of view if we’re all trying to be better than each other, ultimately the team should be in a better place going forward.”The competition for places is crucial and it’s important that we have as much depth as we can. People are only going to experience that by being thrown in at the deep end and playing games like this and learning on their feet.”In particular, there are positive signs with two young batsmen: Gareth Delany and Harry Tector. Delany’s ultra-aggressive style, with high hands and impressive power, have catapulted him from club and provincial cricket into the national set-up, and he looks set to open the batting with Paul Stirling in this series.”He hits the ball as clean as anyone that I’ve ever seen in an Irish jersey,” O’Brien says. “Fifty-over cricket’s a different game and a little bit more structured, and he’s still learning. Being a young guy he’s only going to get better. Plus he’s a useful legspin bowler and a good fielder, so he’s a three-in-one cricketer: that’s something that we’re crying out for, people who can do all three.”Tector, meanwhile, is in line for an ODI debut in the middle-order after impressing in T20Is. “He was all the way through, all the underage teams and was captain of the U-19s a few years ago,” O’Brien says. “He’s been earmarked. Harry’s a very technically correct batsman: he can score quickly, and he’s got most if not all the shots in the book.”O’Brien made 126 not out in Ireland’s intra-squad warm-up•Getty Images for ECB

Despite that talent, O’Brien is under no illusions about the scale of the task facing Ireland. He hit a quickfire hundred in the intra-squad warm-up game, after feeling in “good nick” since returning to training last month, but if there was any suggestion that the absence of some key players would hurt England, that was shot down by the practice match against the Lions on Sunday.”I didn’t need any reminders of how England would play against us,” he says. “The depth in their squad is probably the strongest in world cricket, with the talent on display the other night.”We always have a chance. We’ve got match-winners in our squad with both bat and ball as we’ve since in the last six or seven months. When we play well, we’re a good team – we’ve just got to put in a performance for 100 overs, or as many of those 100 overs as we can. We know if we’re not on the ball against England they’re going to capitalise. We’ve got to be positive with everything we do and take them on. That’s the only way we’re going to compete with them.”Cricket Ireland has come a long way since 2011. Test status and being a full member brings other responsibilities. On the field, we’re just trying to get better every time we train and every time we play.”Playing this type of game against arguably the best team in the world is going to make us better cricketers and a better team as a unit. We’ve just got to focus on what we do best and any obstacles we can overcome over the next three games.”

He is the fourth board chairman to vacate the role, voluntarily or otherwise, since Chris Nenzani left office as CSA president last August

Firdose Moonda27-Jan-2021Judge Zak Yacoob, the chairman of Cricket South Africa’s interim board, has stepped down following the publication of a telephone conversation between him and a South African journalist, in which Yacoob used language that was abusive.He is the fourth board chair to vacate the role, voluntarily or otherwise, since Chris Nenzani left office as CSA president last August, and has done so with less than a month to go before the board’s term is up.The recording, between journalist Tiisetso Malepa and Yacoob is of an interview in which Malepa asks Yacoob about allegations made by suspended acting CEO Kugandrie Govender that the judge had treated her unfairly and offered her money to seek legal counsel. Yacoob called Malepa “a dishonest, irresponsible idiot,” and said Malepa had “no right to ask me those questions.” The newspaper made the full recording available on their website at the weekend.On Tuesday, Yacoob “apologised unreservedly,” in a statement issued by the interim board but by Wednesday he stepped down “to protect the integrity of the board and in the best interests of cricket.”The country’s sports minister Nathi Mthethwa, who imposed the interim board on CSA last November following months of administrative upheaval, confirmed he had taken “time to engage with the judge to agree on the best way forward on the matter. By mutual agreement, it was felt that the judge should recuse himself from chairing the interim board.”Dr Stavros Nicolaou will chair the board for the remainder of their tenure – due to end in mid-February – by which time CSA should have convened an AGM and have a framework to elect a new, mostly independent board. “Whilst the minister still awaits a formal update on progress made by the Interim Board, he remains optimistic that the final report will contribute positively to the process of reforming South African cricket. He also hopes that the recommendations made will enable CSA to convene their delayed AGM, where a new Board will be elected,” a statement from Mthethwa’s office read.The judge’s departure comes on the eve of Govender’s disciplinary hearing, which is set to get underway on Thursday and further deepens the leadership crisis at CSA. The organisation currently has its third acting CEO in the last six months after Thabang Moroe was fired last year.Incidentally, among the charges that detailed Moroe’s misconduct was bringing CSA into disrepute for revoking the accreditation of five journalists during the 2019 Mzansi Super League (MSL), as well as excessive expenditure on alcohol and misinforming the board about the contracts CSA had entered into, in which service-providers did not fulfil their obligations despite being paid.CSA can embark on the process of appointing a new CEO after a permanent board is put in place.

PCB chairman Shahrayar Khan has said that the decision to play India in a bilateral series rests with Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif

Umar Farooq & Nagraj Gollapudi20-Nov-2015PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said that the decision to play India in a bilateral series now rests with Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. Speaking on the sidelines of the fourth ODI between Pakistan and England in Dubai, Khan pointed out that he had travelled to the UAE specifically to watch the match and not meet BCCI president Shashank Manohar.”I have come to watch this match,” Khan said. “I have come for no other reason. I heard that Shashank is also coming. He has not reached yet. If he asks me for meeting, I will hear him out.”Khan reiterated that Pakistan’s stance of not playing in India had not changed, but now the Pakistan government will take a final decision on the issue. “We have made it clear that we will not play in India and we have cited our reasons. But importantly the India-Pakistan series has now become political. So the directive that we have got from the Pakistan government and Pakistan’s prime minister is he would take the decision,” Khan said. “We have stated our stand in front of the prime minister as well as the BCCI. Our last hope is with the Pakistan government.”Khan also clarified that the BCCI had not yet told the PCB the exact reasons for not allowing India to play in the UAE. “He is coming here so you can ask him,” Khan said when asked about whether the BCCI had offered a reason. “But I would like to point out that, as all of you remember, last year they played the IPL here [in the UAE] and it was successfully conducted.”According to Khan, ECB president Giles Clarke, too, had tried to mediate between the boards, highlighting the importance of India-Pakistan series. “Giles Clarke spoke to me yesterday and said that the series should happen for the interest of cricket. He told me the Pakistan-India series are vital for cricket,” Khan said. Clarke had headed the ICC task force on Pakistan, which had looked into how the PCB could fulfill its commitments under the Future Tours Programme given the security issues following the Lahore attack on the Sri Lanka team bus. In his report, Clarke had stressed on the significance of India-Pakistan cricket, saying: “It [the severed bilateral ties] is hurting the sport, particularly in Pakistan and the PTT sees no reason why this great sporting rivalry should not be restored as soon as possible, even if on neutral soil.”However, Khan reiterated, the PCB would not go out of its way for the series to go ahead. “We have always wanted to play the series. But if India does not want to agree to the MoU signed [to play Pakistan in the UAE] we can’t do anything. To expect that we will bend down on our knees due to the existing deadlock, it is not right. They have not played us for many years now. If they don’t play for one or two more years, we will survive.”

“We have concerns when the smoke is around because it is a challenge on those two metrics: visibility and breathing,” CA’s head of cricket operations said

Andrew McGlashan23-Dec-2019Cricket Australia is preparing for the possibility that play in the New Year Test in Sydney could be halted by smoke from the bushfires that are devastating vast areas of New South Wales.On Saturday, the BBL match between the Sydney Thunder and the Adelaide Strikers in Canberra was abandoned when heavy smoke drifted across the Manuka Oval with the game four balls short of being a result. The initial reason for the suspension was the reduced visibility caused by the smoke although the poor air quality was also an issue.Sydney has suffered a number of days of thick smoke shrouding the city and earlier this month the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland was completed in a heavy haze which produced an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 170 which sits in the ‘unhealthy’ band.An AQI of 300 and above falls in the ‘hazardous’ level and is when ICC guidelines say umpires can consider suspending play.”We hope not, but potentially,” Peter Roach, CA’s head of cricket operations, said of the Test being possibly halted. “What we’ve seen in Sydney and Canberra is that it comes to a point where it becomes a challenge. Rules are in place, like rain, to add time for suspended play.”What we are finding is that it can come in quick, but it can also go quick so it’s unlikely it will be there for a full day. We might see some challenges across that day, but we’ll play it like rain or adverse weather. What we’ve seen is about one day in ten is proving a challenge, we hope it won’t come during the Test but we also understand that it might.”We have concerns when the smoke is around because it is a challenge on those two metrics: visibility and breathing.”After the Sheffield Shield match, NSW spinner Steve O’Keefe said: “That air quality was shocking. The doctor was all over it and speaking to us about it, and the fact the game wasn’t going to go all day was considered, but in the future they need to look at it because it’s not healthy – it’s toxic. It got to the stage we weren’t going to come off for quality, it was more about visibility. It was getting hard to pick the ball up. I’m sure they’ll address it. It’s a bit left field to have something as severe as this.”Peter Siddle, playing for the Strikers, was on the field when play was suspended in Canberra. “I’m feeling alright…the smoke was thick, we’d dealt with it the night before at training, as you could see from TV it came in quickly – into that fifth over it changed dramatically,” he said. “If you sit next to a camp fire, just imagine that, that’s what it felt like in the field.”In statement issued at the weekend, CA said: “CA, alongside relevant state cricket associations and BBL Clubs, is closely monitoring the air quality and visibility in areas impacted by bushfires.”In line with ICC, Australian Institute of Sport and relevant government guidelines, we are maintaining vigilance on the ever-changing air quality in locations where games are impacted by poor air quality.”As the safety of players, fans and staff is our number one priority, the guidelines state what needs to be measured and looked for. We will constantly monitor the situation and be prepared on the ground in the case of any circumstance, as we know conditions change very quickly in these scenarios.”At BBL games played in areas impacted by bushfires, a discussion and assessment about air quality will be added to the pre-match medical briefing hosted onsite 60 minutes prior to the scheduled match time.”In November a T20I between India and Bangladesh in Delhi was severely impacted by smog which led to an AQI of over 400.

However, the Cricket West Indies president was personally quite satisfied by security arrangements in Lahore for the final match of the World XI series

Umar Farooq16-Sep-2017Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron said it was a “challenge” to convince the West Indies players that it was safe to visit Pakistan. Cameron was on a two-day trip to the country to watch the final T20I of the World XI series, an event which the PCB hopes will convince other nations to send their teams for international tours.”I have enjoyed my two days in Pakistan,” Cameron said in a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. “As Najam [Sethi, the PCB chairman] said, we’ve been talking about this for some time and have our own challenges back in the West Indies. We’re only 5 million people, and as you heard there was recently a hurricane passing through our islands as well. But my challenge is to convince the players that it’s safe enough. It’s our duty to help as well. I felt that if I came over here to show that it’s safe enough that would go some way in convincing the players. InshAllah [God-willing] in November, we’ll be here.”This is the second time PCB has approached West Indies to tour, after they refused to travel to Pakistan in March upon receiving security advice from the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA). In the report then, FICA warned that the risk level in Pakistan remained “at an extremely elevated state” and that “an acceptable level of participant security and safety cannot be expected or guaranteed”. It had also discouraged players strongly from travelling to Lahore for the Pakistan Super League final.But things have improved since, as ICC’s chief executive officer David Richardson noted at a press conference on Wednesday. The security arrangements were overseen by international security consultants. The ICC bore the cost of the security advisors and have agreed terms to assist the PCB for every series they host in Pakistan from hereon in.But Cameron also explained that the matter may not necessarily be in his hands, with the board not having the final say over whether its players tour a particular nation. “We’ve had the security team here for the final of the PSL and they’ve seen these matches as well,” he said, when asked if FICA could be convinced. “Here, Pakistan’s board makes decisions [regarding where to tour]. My board’s a little bit different, with the WIPA [West Indies Players Association] also having a big say. We have to respect their decision.”We want to ensure that when the players come over, everyone actually wants to come and enjoy the experience, and we don’t want to be seen to be forcing anyone. We’ve had Darren Sammy here and Samuel Badree and they’ve loved it. Sammy’s on his second trip and I think that will also convince the players that it is safe to come.Cameron also gave the security arrangements in Pakistan a personal vote of confidence. “From what I believe I’m very convinced. The hospitality has been great, and the security has been first-class, and from where I stand right now, everything looks good.”

Narine claimed 2 for 10 even though he was bowling with an injured finger

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu06-Oct-2019
Defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders launched CPL 2019 with four wins in a row, but they suddenly cooled off, going winless in their last six games in the lead-up to the playoffs. Their slump coincided with the recurrence of a finger injury for Sunil Narine. But, in the eliminator against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Providence Stadium, Narine – injured finger and all – marked his comeback with 2 for 10 in his four overs to limit Patriots to 125 for 7 on a sluggish track under overcast skies to set up the win. During a sideline interview, Patriots’ coach Robin Singh was critical of his batsmen, saying, “You can’t let a guy who has a broken finger end with 2 for 9 [10] in four overs.”Patriots’ bowlers then briefly made their total look bigger than it was with clever pace variations and despite Lendl Simmons’ stop-start half-century – his fifth this season – Knight Riders fell behind the asking rate on a pitch where stroke-making was difficult.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

When Simmons holed out for 51 in the 16th over, Knight Riders still needed 48 off 27 balls. Enter captain Kieron Pollard. He had injured his quadricep in the outfield in the first innings, but he shook that off to smash 26 off nine balls to lead his side into the second qualifier, scheduled at Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, the same venue where they had won back-to-back titles in 2018.ALSO READ: Khary Pierre, Trinbago Knight Riders’ master of thriftBeware of the wounded spinner
Nursing an injured index finger, Narine didn’t put enough revs – and body – into the ball, but he still found enough turn and bounce on a helpful pitch to trouble Patriots’ line-up. He didn’t concede a single run off the bat in his first two overs and continued to straitjacket the batsmen.He struck in his second over when he slowed down a stock ball and had Evin Lewis chipping a return catch for 9 off 17 balls. And later, when Laurie Evans and Devon Thomas were in rebuilding mode, he snapped the 51-run partnership – the highest in the match – by trapping the wicketkeeper-batsman with the last ball of his spell. Despite obvious pain, Narine sent down as many as 19 dots and returned 2 for 10.Narine’s comeback also solved Knight Riders’ puzzle at the top. He opened with Simmons and cracked two fours before holing out to deep square-leg.Evans evens up proceedings
When Evans walked out to bat, Patriots were 30 for 2 in the sixth over. While the Sussex batsman didn’t take any undue risks against Narine, he found a way to pick off runs against left-arm spinners and childhood buddies Khary Pierre and Akeal Hosein. He jumped outside leg, narrowed down the angle, and regularly launched them inside-out over extra-cover. All told, Evans hit 33 runs from 21 balls off Pierre and Hosein.Evans also went after Chris Jordan and raised his fifty off 44 balls with a nifty leg-side clip for four. Just when it looked like Evans would crank up the tempo further, he scythed USA seamer Ali Khan to sweeper cover for 55 off 47 balls in the penultimate over of the Patriots innings. Jordan then got rid of Fabian Allen in the final over and pinned down Patriots with his accurate yorkers.Barring Evans, no other Patriots batsman passed 20. Keron Cottoy scrambled a brace of fours, but could not get his side in the range of 140, which the team was looking for.Simmons, Pollard save the day for TKR
After Alzarri Joseph dismissed Narine, Sheldon Cottrell stormed through the weak defences of Colin Munro and brought out his trademark salute. Then it was 31 for 3 when Darren Bravo swung slower-ball specialist Rayad Emrit to Cottrell at deep square-leg – the only man in the outfield on the leg side.Simmons got going with a lusty club over extra-cover off Joseph, but the clatter of wickets around him forced him to shelve some of his aggression. Denesh Ramdin, the vice-captain, neither found the gaps nor the boundaries in the early exchanges, and by the end of the tenth over, Knight Riders were 43 for 3, and Patriots’ slower bowlers kept hiking the asking rate.Simmons raised his fifty off 46 deliveries when he smeared Carlos Brathwaite for a mighty six over the midwicket boundary. But, when he attempted an encore the next ball, he picked out long-on.Pollard then snatched the momentum with a shovelled six over square leg and then, as if a switch had been flicked on, Ramdin too unleashed some big blows in an 18-run over off Cottrell. From 13 off 30 balls, Ramdin moved to 32 not out off 38 balls, but it was Pollard who sealed victory with a hat-trick of boundaries.Pollard dominated the celebrations, too, raising his hands towards his ears and staring at the Guyana crowd, as if to say, “Yeh Guyana talk nah.”

Reducing a CWI President’s XI with six Test players to 203 for 19 represented a fine effort from an admirably ruthless England

George Dobell at the 3Ws Oval16-Jan-2019WI President’s XI 203 for 19 (Anderson 4-12, Broad 4-19) drew with England XI 317 for 10 (Root 87)

ScorecardStuart Broad’s hat-trick was the highlight as England claimed 19 wickets in a day against the CWI President’s XI.You could be forgiven for looking at the scorecard of this match and dismissing it as a nonsense. And it is true, in these two-day warm-up games, a certain level of scepticism does have to be applied. The match does not carry first-class status and none of these statistics will be incorporated into any of the players’ career records.But this opposition contained six men with Test experience and one more, in John Campbell, who will make his debut next week. So to reduce them to 203 for 19 – yes, you really do have to be sceptical about these statistics – represents a fine effort from an admirably ruthless England. The sad news about Olly Stone’s stress fracture apart, they will have been delighted by this first match.That odd-looking scorecard is testament to a couple of other things, too. Firstly, this was a poor pitch. Neither the pace nor the bounce were even and no batsman, with the exception of Joe Root, looked comfortable upon it. The original plan was to freshen it up with some water and use it again for the two-day warm-up game that begins on Thursday. It may prove wiser to dig it up and plant potatoes.The other factor, as well as England’s fine bowling and the substandard surface, was some painfully loose batting. To see Jermaine Blackwood – who made an eye-catching maiden Test century against England not so long ago – thrashing around like a drowning man was painful. Twice in the day he was caught in the cordon – he also survived an edged boundary over the slips – as he threw his hands at the ball.This was a chastening experience for Campbell, too. He knows he will make his Test debut against England next week, so to be dismissed twice in the day for a combined total of two runs was hardly the confidence boost he required. If being beaten by a direct hit from Joe Denly at long-off as he attempted to complete a second run was unfortunate, his first dismissal, wafting at one in James Anderson’s second over, was naive.There were periods of resistance. Vishaul Singh, in particular, showed determination in both innings – he batted for more than two hours before charging down the wicket to Moeen Ali – but in general there was an alarming lack of application from the President’s XI. The fact that Root claimed three wickets with his mix of offspin and legspin did not flatter them.On the face of it, Broad was the biggest beneficiary. After a wicketless opening spell, he claimed four in five balls, including dismissing Nos. 9, 10 and 11 for his hat-trick, as the President’s XI tail declined to wag. Three years to the day since he took a six-for in Johannesburg, Broad looked in good rhythm using his new, shorter run-up, and found movement away from the right-handers on a good length.”Those five or six overs in the afternoon were as good as I have felt for a long time,” Broad said. “The important thing was the new run up. I have slightly shorter strides and hit the crease hard. The first spell was just about getting used to it out in the middle.”Anderson was the pick of England’s seamers. Generating decent pace and movement, he claimed 4 for 12 – all four top-order batsmen – in 11 immaculate overs. While he occasionally required treatment on the boundary edge, he remained on the pitch throughout the day and looks in good shape heading into the Test series.How relevant Sam Curran sharing the new ball with him was remains to be seen. But Curran, preferred to Broad as Anderson’s opening partner by virtue of his ability to swing that new ball, also claimed two wickets in his first spell, including a beauty to account for Sunil Ambris.
This Dukes ball – slightly different to the UK version – appears to stay harder for longer and swing for most of the day. It may be there is no need for Curran to be used so early.Moeen was probably the pick of the spinners. He finished with two wickets, while Jack Leach managed just one and was the only bowler to concede anywhere near four an over. It may well be revealing that he will not play in the second warm-up match.Adil Rahid, Joe Denly and Jos Buttler all come into the side for that game, with Joe Root – who has a heavy cold – and Anderson also sitting out. England will bat first in that game.Meanwhile, back in London, it emerged that Chris Haynes, the ECB’s director of communications, is to leave the organisation. Suffice it to say that, after a year in which details of the ECB’s new competition, The Hundred, emerged in a series of leaks, spurts and rumours, the divide between the counties and the board sometimes appeared larger than ever, and the ECB chief executive did not give a single in-person press-conference to cricket journalists, the news does not come as a complete surprise.

How the players felt after winning their fourth World title

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2018.The captain Meg Lanning
“We obviously haven’t had the success we would’ve liked over the last couple of years. The last two World Cups really hurt and we made sure we learnt from those tournaments. We had to change a few things and I think the group has really embraced that fact that we need to move things forward and play a little bit differently and it showed tonight. I think this is a very satisfying win given the tournaments that we’ve had in the last coupe of years.”We probably didn’t have our best day in the field. Our bowlers did a great job. I thought they really tied them down and we were able to take wickets throughout. We didn’t have our best day but we were able to continue on and make sure it didn’t affect the rest of the game. Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux are quite young players but I thought Georgia Wareham was outstanding with that direct hit. She’s a great fielder and she really showed that today and I thought her control with the ball was excellent as well. [Australia’s review to get Lauren Winfield out after a couple of missed chances] I heard a noise. That was what I thought was pad first. So I went up to Wareham [the bowler] and said did it hit the pad and she was like, ‘Oh there was something going on there’ and so I called for it and it worked out pretty well.Meg Lanning punches off the back foot•ICC/Getty

[Loss to India before the knockouts] We came up against a really good side. We knew we could change a few things and learn from that and then we could carry on in the tournament. A couple of years ago, it might have rocked us, but we’re a very calm group at the moment and I think we showed that tonight. I thought the girls who didn’t play a lot of cricket in this tournament have been outstanding. They supported the group excellently and I think that really is very important in a big tournament like this. All the support staff have done a great job. We’re very lucky with everyone we’ve got and they make it so easy for us to go out and just play cricket. I’d also like to thank the Aussie crew who are here supporting us. They’ve travelled a long way and we just love their support. My Mum and Dad are in the crowd so it’s special to have them here. It was great. Ash said to me, just before that, no silly singles and I was like I’m just running as quick as I can. There was a lot of emotion out there. As I said, the last couple of World Cups haven’t gone our way and we were ready to finish the job tonight.”Player of the Tournament Alyssa Healy
“Lucky I brought my golf bag. I didn’t play any golf but it might fit some extra stuff. I’m really bad watcher of cricket on the sidelines. The girls played beautifully tonight. Just really proud of the team’s effort. [How are you in such good form?] I wish people would stop asking me that question. I still haven’t come up with an answer to that question. Just really enjoying the top of the order, the freedom up there. Our batting line-up just really enables us to play freely and play that fearless cricket that we keep talking about and I knew it’d come off eventually and it seemed to come off in the last six weeks. So I’m looking forward to going home and playing in the Big Bash and seeing if it can continue.”We’ve worked really hard on that sort of culture over the last 12-18 months. Win, loss or draw tonight, we’re really proud of where the group’s at. And we came away with the win and I’m really proud and here’s to many more with the team that we’ve got. The 2010 World Cup here in the Caribbean is still my favourite but this one might top it. Might just enjoy the next couple of days before we fly home and we’ll see if we can experience a bit more of the Caribbean and see if it can top that last one. It’s an amazing place to tour. It takes you three days to get here but once you’re here, it’s thoroughly enjoyable. The beaches here are amazing. The people here are really friendly and the crowd comes out to support which is amazing.”Ellyse Perry celebrates her 100th T20I wicket•ICC/Getty

The allrounder Ellyse Perry
“Very special. This has been a long 24 months of working really hard and putting together a really awesome plan, and to have it come off tonight was absolutely awesome. But it’s been a wonderful tournament, we’ve had so much fun. It’s been a pleasure watching Meg [Lanning] bat throughout the tournament but everyone across the board has contributed. It’s been a great time, and lovely to get the result tonight and hopefully inspire lots of boys and girls back home to play cricket.”I don’t think it’s been tough at all, it’s actually been a huge pleasure to take on this challenge, we’ve done a lot of things to improve our game and take on a different brand of cricket, and hopefully it’s been really inspiring to people watching it. We’ve got the easy job, going out and enjoying ourselves on the field with a great group of girls who are all really good friends.”Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner
“There was obviously a lot of nerves. But we could take a lot of confidence, obviously, out of our semi-final with the performance that we put up on the board. It’s pretty amazing that we got the win. I don’t think I had to stray too far away from my stock ball. Just trying to bowl into the wicket and trying to deal obviously with the wet seam. And I think every single bowler did a good job today. Obviously I didn’t have the tournament that I probably would’ve liked. And tonight was pretty hard batting, obviously. I was 5 off about 20 balls and then thankfully later in my innings I got some balls in my zone and I was fortunate enough to hit the boundaries and it was bitter-sweet being out there at the end to get the winning runs with Meg. I had been out there for enough balls and obviously I was seeing them okay and as soon as the bowler tossed it up, I thought, yeah this is the one and yeah just went through with the shot. I’m speechless to be honest. It’s just amazing.”

Rajasthan Royals will be rooting for Mumbai Indians on Thursday night. Here’s why

S Rajesh02-May-2019Ahead of the Mumbai Indians-Sunrisers Hyderabad game, here is a look at how the result of that match will impact the two teams and others as well.Mumbai Indians are on 14 points with two to play, and their net run rate (NRR) of 0.347 is the best among the top-three teams. A win on Thursday will take them to second spot, level on points with Delhi Capitals but with a superior NRR. Obviously, their chances of finishing in the top two will then depend on how things pan out in the last round of matches for all teams.If Mumbai Indians lose on Thursday, they will have to win their last match, against Knight Riders, and then depend on other results going their way to finish in the top two. For a start, Capitals will have to lose their last game against Rajasthan Royals so that they stay on 16. Then, Sunrisers will have to lose to Royal Challengers Bangalore so that they don’t finish on 16 as well, since Sunrisers have a much better NRR than Mumbai Indians.If Mumbai Indians lose both games, then their qualification chances could be in jeopardy all together if Kolkata Knight Riders win both their matches. Currently, Knight Riders’ NRR is 0.1, but if they win both their matches and Mumbai Indians lose theirs, then Knight Riders’ could move ahead on NRR.A win for Sunrisers will pretty much seal their qualification spot. That’s because they will move up to 14 points, and even if they lose their last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, their superior NRR should see them through to the top four. They will also have a chance to finish second, if they beat Royal Challengers and if Capitals lose their last game against Royals.If Sunrisers lose, they will still have a chance to seal a qualification spot with a win against Royal Challengers. Even if Knight Riders win their last two matches by handy margins (say, 50 runs each), Sunrisers’ will still have a superior NRR if they lose to Mumbai Indians by 40 runs and beat Royal Challengers by 5 runs.For the other teams in the hunt for a playoff spot, a Mumbai Indians win will mean that they will still have a chance to qualify without NRR coming into play, as Sunrisers will stay on 12 if they lose their last game as well. Both Knight Riders and Kings XI will still have a chance to grab the last playoff berth if they win their last two. Royals will be in the hunt too, if Sunrisers lose their last two, and Knight Riders and Kings XI win no more than one of their last two matches.If Sunrisers beat Mumbai Indians, Royals will be knocked out of the tournament.