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“We are not used to catching the pink ball, bowling with the pink ball, and as batters, playing against the pink ball”

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Mar-20221:56

Bumrah lays out the challenges while moving from red to pink balls

The pink ball. It can come on to you faster. It moves more in the evening than during the daytime. It’s weird to track and catch. Oh, and you’ve also got to change your body clock for day-night games.These are some of the challenges teams face when switching from a standard red-ball day game to a day-night Test, according to Jasprit Bumrah. Ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka, in Bangalore, India are making these adjustments, he said.”There are mental changes you have to make,” Bumrah said. “Growing up, we haven’t played a lot with the pink ball. We are not used to catching the pink ball, bowling with the pink ball, and as batters, playing against the pink ball. Whatever little games we’ve played we’re trying to get feedback from those games – certain ways the ball behaves under the lights, and how to adjust to you. We’re still very new in this format. We’re playing a pink-ball Test after a long time.”Related

• Karunaratne wants Sri Lanka to 'reverse a little pressure' and put plans 'in motion' during pink-ball Test

• Axar returns to India squad for Bengaluru

• Nissanka out of second Test with back injury

• The anatomy of Virat Kohli's century drought

India have played three day-night Tests so far – in Kolkata, Adelaide and Ahmedabad. They won two and lost one. Sri Lanka too, have won two out of their three day-night Tests (in Dubai, Bridgetown and Brisbane). Although morning sessions are generally the toughest for batters in red-ball cricket, the post-dinner sessions have been more difficult when the pink ball is in use.”As professional cricketers, it is our job to adjust as soon as we can. Sometimes the pink ball reaches you sooner than you expect,” Bumrah said. “The timing is different. In a normal Test match the ball swings more in the morning session. Here maybe the ball won’t do much in the afternoon, but in the evening it could probably swing more. There are many such small pointers.”We haven’t played many day-night matches, and whatever we have done have been in different conditions. We are just trying to work on whatever little we have noticed in our limited experience.”Where the first Test of the series began at 9.30am, this one starts four and a half hours later, meaning cricketers have to be at their peak at a completely different time of the day. The teams did, however, have an extra two days to prepare for this Test, because India won the first match inside three days. Both sides had trained with the pink ball even while they were in Mohali.”Of course the times are different. We practise in the evening. While playing a [red-ball] Test match you practise early morning because the sleep pattern is usually like that. These are adjustments you have to make – you play till late at night, so you have to practice at night. This is part of our journey.”

Seamer backs himself to adapt well despite batters trying to anticipate his variations

Hemant Brar16-Jun-20220:36

Harshal -‘Playing consistently on pitches like Delhi can hamper your confidence’

India seamer Harshal Patel is not worried that batters have started anticipating his variations. In the first T20I, Rassie van der Dussen had smashed Harshal for three sixes and a four in an over to turn the game around. After the match, van der Dussen had said that post the first two sixes, he knew Harshal would turn to his slower balls.”People have been trying to anticipate for the past two years,” Harshal said on the eve of the fourth T20I against South Africa. “To be very honest, with every bowler, the longer they play, the more the opposition will realise what their strengths are, what the patterns are, and try to adapt to it. But as a bowler, my job is to stay one step ahead of batters.”At the end of the day, you can have 15 different plans, but on a particular day, in a pressure situation, if you don’t go out and execute with confidence, everything doesn’t really fall in place. So my focus has always been on how to read the game better in that particular moment and how to execute the best possible delivery at that point in time.”Related

• India seek to extend fightback as de Kock return looms

• Anrich Nortje 'not 100% there yet' but hopes he is on the right path

Harshal is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series, with six scalps in three games. In the third T20I, the Visakhapatnam pitch was on the slower side, which suited Harshal’s style of bowling, and he duly picked up 4 for 25 in 3.1 overs.”Although there was not a lot of variable bounce or lateral movement from the pitch, it was definitely slow,” he said. “So that allowed us to bowl hard length and slower balls into the pitch. It was difficult to clear the boundary from those lengths.”I would certainly prefer playing on slower pitches because it allows you a bit of fighting chance. If you consistently keep playing on pitches like Delhi, it can hamper your confidence a little bit. We also have world-class spinners in the team, who can bowl well on any pitch, but it does bring them a little more into the game when we have slightly slower pitches and slightly bigger ground dimensions.”From head coach Rahul Dravid to stand-in captain Rishabh Pant, everyone has spoken about how the team has been building towards the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia in October-November. Harshal said while that is true, they are also focused on winning this series.”To be honest, you cannot play your cricket thinking too much about the future or past. Like everyone has said before as well, the World Cup is at the back of our minds and we are trying to work towards that goal. But at the same time, we are 2-1 behind in the series, so the focus is on how to win the next two games. After that, we are going to Ireland, so things will move towards that direction but at this point, our focus is on how to win this series.”

Lead spinner Keshav Maharaj has also recovered from a groin injury to make the cut

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2022Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma make their return to South Africa’s Test side for the three-match series against Australia starting on December 17 in Brisbane.There is a new face in the 16-man squad as well with Gerald Coetzee earning his maiden red-ball call-up on the back of topping the wickets charts for Knights in the four-day franchise series last season. The 22-year-old fast bowler had also made waves as a teenager in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, finishing as South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker.South Africa’s batting will come under the scanner, especially after the performance in their most recent Test series, where they ended a tour of England by being bowled out twice in two days. Bavuma (elbow) and van der Dussen (finger) regaining full fitness should ease some of those concerns, but they will have to find a way to compensate for losing Keegan Petersen.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With Aiden Markram omitted again – like he was at the Oval in September – that burden may fall on the shoulders of Khaya Zondo and Theunis de Bruyn, the Titans batter who hasn’t played any international cricket since 2019. De Bruyn comes into this squad on the back of an important hundred in first-class cricket playing for the same side as Test captain Dean Elgar.First-choice spinner Keshav Maharaj has recovered from the groin injury he sustained during the T20 World Cup and has been cleared to play on in Australia. Simon Harmer will continue to be his back-up.

Australia vs South Africa schedule

Dec 9-12: Tour game in Brisbane

Dec 17-21: 1st Test in Brisbane

Dec 26-30: 2nd Test in Melbourne

Jan 4-8: 3rd Test, Sydney

All three matches are part of the World Test Championship

South Africa squad changes

In: Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen

Out: Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Ryan Rickleton, Lutho Sipamla

The fast bowling attack picked itself. Kagiso Rabada will have fond memories of playing Test cricket in Australia. In his first ever series there, with South Africa losing Dale Steyn to injury mid-match, he upped his game and inspired them to a famous series victory. Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman and young Coetzee will be on hand as support with Duanne Olivier and Lutho Sipamla left out.Back-up wicketkeeper Ryan Rickleton has injured his ankle, prompting the selectors to bring in Heinrich Klaasen, who hasn’t played a red-ball match in international cricket since his debut in 2019.South Africa depart for Australia on December 1. They are currently No. 2 on the World Test Championship table but face stiff competition in the race to the final to be played in England in June 2023.National Convenor of Selectors Victor Mpitsang said: “We are pleased with the group of players that have been assembled for this tour. I think the selectors now have a core group of Proteas that has been built and it is just about building on what we have.”Overall, all the players selected undoubtedly have the ability to play at the highest level, and evidence of that is our standing on the ICC World Test Championship table. We are confident that if they play to their ability, we can challenge Australia in their conditions.”

High-octane duel anticipated as two-time champions go head-to-head in Super Eight

Andrew Miller18-Jun-20243:29

Bishop: Confidence the key for West Indies at the business end

Match details

West Indies vs England
June 19, St Lucia, 8.30pm local time

Big picture:

After the angst they endured in the group stage, England have floated down to St Lucia on a wave of exhalation. Whatever happens in their T20 World Cup defence from hereon in, their avoidance of a humiliating first-round exit might yet prove to be as much of a fillip as four rousing wins from four. Their campaign can begin in earnest now, which is just as well, because they are about to bump into a team with no such concerns to weigh them down.England and West Indies are each competing for an unprecedented third T20 World Cup title, and the events at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Beausejour – a venue named in honour of the man who delivered the hosts those first two titles – could go some way towards confirming the readiness, or otherwise, of these two very real contenders for the crown.West Indies are fit, focused and firing on all cylinders. They come into this contest on an eight-match unbeaten run, and if there were a few early-tournament nerves on show in an anxious pair of Group C victories over Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, then their unmitigated thrashings of Uganda and a highly-rated Afghanistan have assuaged them in uncompromising fashion.Quite apart from the power of their recent victories, the range of West Indies’ match-winners has propelled them firmly into the title mix. From Andre Russell’s 71 from 29 balls against Australia in Perth, to Brandon King’s 79 from 45 against South Africa in Jamaica, via Roston Chase and Johnson Charles, and all the way through to Sherfane Rutherford’s innings-salvaging 68 not out against New Zealand and Nicholas Pooran’s ballistic 98 from 53 balls against Afghanistan, they’ve time and again showcased a batting line-up with complete faith in each other’s attributes, and an ability to stand up when called upon.Only the captain, Rovman Powell, has been short of recent runs, even though a 24-ball fifty in a warm-up match against Australia is sufficient proof that his eye is still firmly in. With Sammy ensconced as head coach, and instilling the same spirit of collective responsibility that powered their twin titles in 2012 and 2016, England know there’ll be no room for lapses if their mini-resurgence is to be translated into vital Super Eight points.There were certainly a few of those on show in their timid display against Australia in Barbados, most particularly in a middle-order that found it impossible to cut loose once the powerplay fielding restrictions had been lifted. At times in their trudge to a deeply one-sided 36-run loss, it was like watching their formless performances at the 50-over World Cup in India, a campaign that Jos Buttler had tried to pretend never happened in some notably terse media engagements at the start of this trip.The disjointed nature of England’s build-up is a partial excuse – after two wash-outs on home soil against Pakistan and three matches against Scotland, Oman and Namibia that saw them bat for a total of 13.2 overs, time in the middle has been a rarity, especially with Buttler and Phil Salt in a solid vein of form at the top. But these big-match players should have visualised enough scenarios in their time to make light of such straitened circumstances. They were spared a soggy exit by that break in the clouds in Antigua. Now’s the time to prove that they are worthy of the reprieve.

Form guide

West Indies: WWWWW
England: WWLWW

In the spotlight – Phil Salt and Gudakesh Motie

Go hard or go home. That has been Phil Salt‘s mantra throughout his T20 career, and right now, his unrelenting approach at the top of England’s order has never been more valuable. After flitting around the periphery for several seasons, Salt’s international breakthrough came against this same West Indies team back in December, when his back-to-back centuries in Grenada and Trinidad carried the attack back to the world’s most aggressive batting line-up, and reminded England of the fearlessness that they had so clearly mislaid in their 50-over World Cup defence. Given the truncated nature of their 20-over campaign to date, it’s hard to judge exactly how the middle-order is tracking, which means that impetus at the top could be all the more important as they seek their first major scalp of the campaign.In a power-packed line-up, there’s something unassuming about Gudakesh Motie‘s left-arm offerings, but as England discovered in December – and as seven wickets at 11.85 amply attest now – his relentless flight and guile has the ability to apply a handbrake to all manner of free-flowing teams, particularly ones quite as stacked with right-handers as England’s. In his first T20I encounter with Jos Buttler’s men, in Grenada six months ago, he returned the remarkable figures of 1 for 9 in four overs, then capped that impact with 3 for 24 in the series decider in Trinidad. Straightening the ball at the stumps from round the wicket might not seem the most complex of modus operandi, but if there’s an iota of assistance in a used surface in St Lucia, he’s likely to exploit it.

Team news

Not a lot of concerns for West Indies after a dominant display against Afghanistan, although they do have a handful of selection conundrums. Roston Chase and Shai Hope are competing for the same middle-order berth, while Romario Shepherd missed the last match for paternity leave, but is due back with the squad in good time for the match. He could slot back in ahead of Obed McCoy.West Indies (possible): 1 Brandon King, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Shai Hope/Roston Chase, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sherfane Rutherford, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Obed McCoy/Romario Shepherd.England mixed it up a touch after the showers in Antigua had reduced their Namibia match to 11 overs, with Sam Curran and Chris Jordan both included to offer a wider range of death-bowling options. Both could keep their places, with Jordan’s death bowling and extra batting giving him an edge over Mark Wood. Will Jacks also seems likely to come back into the XI, potentially down the order at No. 6, with Liam Livingstone missing training due to a sickness bug – but having recovered from the side niggle he suffered against Namibia.England (possible): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Will Jacks, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Mark Wood/Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

This will be another outing for the belter of a surface on which West Indies racked up 218 for 5 against Afghanistan on Monday, so a high-scoring contest is in prospect. The dimensions are a touch lop-sided, 63 metres on one square boundary, compared to 72 metres on the other, but the prevailing wind tends to blow to the longer side, so the big hitters can expect some bang for their buck.

Stats and trivia

• England and West Indies duked it out in an entertaining T20I series in December, with West Indies winning 3-2 thanks to a four-wicket win in the decider in Trinidad.
• Moeen Ali and Obey McCoy each need one wicket to reach 50 in T20Is, while Akeal Hosein needs two more for the same milestone.
• England have played three previous T20Is in St Lucia, and have never yet lost a game. Two of those came during their triumph World T20 campaign in 2010, including a crushing semi-final victory over Sri Lanka. Most recently they beat West Indies by four wickets in March 2019.
• West Indies themselves have played in ten of the 21 T20Is at the venue, winning six of those, including five of their last six.

Quotes

“It’s good that we’re starting here and actually we play one game on it, before the start of the Super Eight. We’re a little bit accustomed to the bounce and accustomed the wicket. Hopefully that would suit us a little bit more than the Englishmen.”
“I think maybe the West Indies would be hopefully trying to get their own back for our fans that were so incredible… they’ll try and rally them and create this cauldron of an atmosphere tomorrow night. It’s going to be incredible.”

“When, as a batsman, you start taking pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, that’s when you know you’re playing good cricket”

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2025Virat Kohli cut through the tension in yet another crucial chase to confirm India’s spot in the final of the Champions Trophy. His 84 off 98 in Dubai helped them chase down 265 against ODI World Cup holders, Australia, on a tricky pitch.”This game is all about pressure, especially big games like semis and finals, and if you go deep into the innings, and you have enough wickets in hand, the opposition usually gives in, and the game becomes easier,” Kohli said after picking up the Player-of-the-Match award. “It’s very important to control your impulses while the game is going on.”For me, what’s important is to know the number of overs and the number of runs left, even if the gap’s 25-30 and it comes to six an over, I’m not bothered if we have seven or six wickets in hand, because then you know, two set batters and we can turn the game around. The opposition can only come into the game with wickets. That was the plan out there.”Related

• Agar: An in-form Kohli can leave bowlers massively frustrated

• 'Grow up' – Gambhir takes aim at 'perpetual cribbers'

• Kohli's 84 sends India into Champions Trophy final

• India's astonishingly poor luck at the toss; Varun gets Head first ball

• Shami vs Connolly: A different kind of six and out

Kohli went out to bat in the fifth over with India on 30 for 1. His 91-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer, followed by 44 and 47 with Axar Patel and KL Rahul respectively, took India close, before Rahul and Hardik Pandya applied the finishing touches.Fifty-six of Kohli’s 84 runs came in singles, and his 98-ball knock included just five fours and no sixes. Kohli, who had steered the chase against Pakistan at the same venue earlier in the tournament, said that the conditions dictated his approach.”It was pretty similar to the other day against Pakistan. That was about seven fours when I got to the hundred. For me, it’s about understanding the conditions, preparing my game accordingly, just rotating strike because partnerships – on this pitch – are the most important thing,” he said. “My only effort that day and today was to string in enough partnerships. It’s all dependent on the conditions; the pitch tells me how the cricket needs to be played and I just switch on and play accordingly.”And so Kohli didn’t go chasing the boundaries, up until the 43rd over, when he backed himself to deposit Adam Zampa’s wrong’un beyond long-on but found the fielder.”My timing, the composure at the crease, I wasn’t feeling desperate,” Kohli said. “I was happy knocking ones around. When, as a batsman, you start taking pride in hitting those singles into the gaps, that’s when you know you’re playing good cricket, and you know you’re in for a big partnership, settle the nerves down a little bit, and head towards chasing the total down. That, for me, in the game against Pakistan and today, was the most pleasing thing for me.”Now India will wait on the winner of the New Zealand-South Africa semi-final, which will take place in Lahore on Wednesday. On Sunday, they will meet the winner of that bout in the final in Dubai.

Trent boult found some form to lead the dismantling of Sri Lanka in Bengaluru

Madushka Balasuriya09-Nov-20231:30

Harmison: Excellent display of fast bowling from Boult, Southee

New Zealand all but booked their place in the World Cup semi-final against India with a dominant five-wicket win – with 160 balls to spare – against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. The result took them to ten points, and a net run rate (NRR) of 0.743, leaving Pakistan needing to beat England by 287 runs, while Afghanistan need an even more fantastical 438-run win over South Africa, if they are to surpass New Zealand’s NRR.If Pakistan were to chase, they would have no chance of qualifying.As for Sri Lanka, the margin of defeat against New Zealand left them languishing in ninth place, thus out of qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy. They now need one of England or Bangladesh to suffer defeats – while Netherlands also need to lose to India – to the extent that their respective NRRs drop below Sri Lanka’s.New Zealand’s win was the product of an all-round performance with bat and ball. While the threat of rain in Bengaluru ultimately proved to be a red herring, winning the toss and putting Sri Lanka in seemed to be the most prudent way to ensure both an NRR-boosting victory as well as hedge against any rain interruptions and DLS interventions.And so it proved. Despite the loss of some late wickets, Sri Lanka’s total of 171 was comfortably dealt with, as Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell all pitched in with forties.On a pitch that proved even better to bat on under lights, Ravindra and Conway put on 86 to break open the chase, before Mitchell’s 43 off just 31 balls rammed home the result. All three fell before the finish, but the win was never in doubt.Kusal Perera counterattacked for Sri Lanka amid plenty of early blows•AFP/Getty Images

That it was so easy in the end was down to a solid bowling effort and a haphazard outing with the bat for Sri Lanka. New Zealand shared the wickets around, with Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner and Ravindra picking up two apiece, though Trent Boult’s 3 for 37 was what had set his side up at the top of Sri Lanka’s innings – and earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.Such was New Zealand’s dominance that they won so comfortably despite dropping three catches. The first was of Kusal Perera without scoring, as Tom Latham grassed a straightforward caught behind. Latham got his shot at redemption a ball later though, with Pathum Nissanka nicking through for an even more simple chance.Kusal Mendis fell a few overs later, splicing a leading edge to deep third while looking to hit over midwicket, with Sadeera Samarawickrama following soon after edging through to Mitchell at first slip. Both those wickets were grabbed by the excellent Boult, taking him past 50 wickets in World Cups – he ended the game with that tally on 52.But even as wickets fell at one end, Perera functioned as a one-man army, finding boundaries all around the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and punishing New Zealand for that early drop. Two picked-up sixes over long-on off Tim Southee were the highlights of some belligerent ball striking, as he brought up his 50 off just 22 deliveries – the joint second-fastest by a Sri Lankan in ODI World Cups.Trent Boult went past 50 World Cup wickets•ICC/Getty Images

An over later, though, Charith Asalanka was adjudged lbw off Boult after a well-taken review, before Perera fell a few deliveries later, getting under a delivery from Ferguson that was not full enough to drive and slicing it to cover.Sri Lanka were in free fall at 70 for 5 in the tenth over, before Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva put up mild resistance. Dhananjaya was reprieved too, courtesy Latham’s second drop of the game, a tough chance off Santner during that stand of 34. Santner’s guile, control and subtle variations in pace, however, were eventually too good for the pair.Mathews was the first to go in what might have been his last World Cup innings – perhaps even ODI innings – lunging forward at one that was floated up and then dipped. He failed to get to the pitch, and the bounce and turn did the rest, grazing the outside edge to Mitchell at slip. It was a similar story for Dhananjaya, after another flighted delivery with some added bounce found its way into Mitchell’s hands.Maheesh Theekshana batted for 91 deliveries•ICC/Getty Images

Chamika Karunaratne, making just his second appearance at this World Cup, did not fare any better, edging behind Ferguson. A swift end to the innings seemed imminent but Maheesh Theekshana, in partnerships with Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madushanka, showed the resistance that was lacking throughout the rest of the innings.In facing 91 deliveries, Theekshana played more balls than all of Sri Lanka’s frontline batters combined. Even Madushanka’s 48 balls were more than what any other batter faced apart from Theekshana.Theekshana remained unbeaten on 38 – the second-highest scorer of the innings – as the ninth and tenth wicket stands, despite only contributing 58 runs, spanned 139 deliveries. Sri Lanka lost their eighth wicket in the 24th over, but it wasn’t until the 47th that New Zealand dismissed them, with Ravindra finding Madushanka’s edge for Latham to complete a sharp take.It took a while for New Zealand to get there, after winning their first four matches and then losing their next four, but this victory has all but ensured a fifth consecutive ODI World Cup semi-final.

The former U-19 bowler is hopeful of regular game time to secure a deal in South Africa for next season

Firdose Moonda12-May-2023Mondli Khumalo will travel to the UK on Friday to rejoin North Petherton Cricket Club in Somerset less than a year after an assault in which he suffered bleeding in the brain.The attack left Khumalo, a former South Africa Under-19 bowler, with his cricket career hanging by a thread. But he has now been cleared to play by a neurosurgeon and is hopeful of regular game time to secure a deal in South Africa for next season.He is no longer on the books of Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland, the provincial team based in Pietermaritzburg who were promoted to Division One for the 2023-24 season. “Getting game time under his belt in the UK is an important part of his preparation for the next SA summer,” Rob Humphries, Khumalo’s agent, told ESPNcricinfo. “He is buzzing to get back on the field.”Related

• Mondli Khumalo 'fit and strong' after successful final round of surgery

Khumalo has been out of action since last May, when he was attacked while celebrating a team win outside a pub in Bristol. He was unconscious at the scene and received emergency medical treatment which required him to be put into an induced coma for four days. Khumalo’s brain injuries were serious enough to require four operations, three to relieve pressure on the brain and a final one to replace the piece of skull that had been removed to help with other procedures, and remained in the UK until November last year. A crowdfunding campaign was launched to assist with costs, including getting flights for his mother and uncle to travel from South Africa to be at his side.Throughout his time in recovery, Khumalo remained committed to making a comeback to the game. Ten days after being hospitalised, Khumalo was able to stand unaided and his club team-mate Lloyd Irish shared a video of Khumalo catching a sponge ball. On his return to South Africa, Khumalo was a regular attendee at Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland games. In February then, he suffered a seizure that threatened to set back his return, but he recovered quickly.Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland released their squad for the upcoming summer earlier this week and it includes the acquisition of left-arm seamer Mbulelo Buadaza from the Knights, who were relegated, and Thando Ntini from the Dolphins, which has left no room for Khumalo at this stage. ESPNcricinfo understands that if no opportunities arise in South Africa for the season ahead, Khumalo could look at playing club cricket in Australia, where several clubs have expressed interest in him after hearing his story.A 27-year-old man was arrested in connection with Khumalo’s assault and will go on trial in October.

After the schedule tweak, Pakistan will be playing 19 T20Is between now and the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2023Pakistan’s home series of two Test matches and three T20Is against West Indies has been pushed back from January-February 2024 to January 2025, and has been replaced by an away series of five T20Is against New Zealand.With the tweak in the Future Tours Programme, Pakistan will be playing 19 T20Is between now and the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, to be held in the West Indies and the USA in June 2024, ten of them against New Zealand alone – five away and five at home – and the rest against Netherlands (three), Ireland (two) and England (four).A separate series in New Zealand, of three ODIs and five T20Is, has been pushed back from January 2025 to April 2025. It also means that Pakistan have an entire home season later this year without a single Test in it. They tour Australia for a three-Test series at the end of the year – their first Tests after the current series against Sri Lanka – and then will not play any Tests until August 2024, when they host Bangladesh for two Tests.

Pakistan’s T20I tour of New Zealand

Jan 12 – 1st T20I, Auckland
Jan 14 – 2nd T20I, Hamilton
Jan 17 – 3rd T20I, Dunedin
Jan 19 – 4th T20I, Christchurch
Jan 21 – 5th T20I, Christchurch

This was on the cards, as reported last month by ESPNcricinfo, since the PSL is slotted for February and March. As things stand, Pakistan will play three Test matches in Australia between December 2023 and January 2024, and the clutter in early 2024 has been reduced somewhat with the five-match T20I series in New Zealand to be held in January. After completing the Tests in Australia, Pakistan will fly directly to Auckland to play the T20Is. In April, after the PSL, the teams will play a reciprocal five-T20I series in Pakistan.The PSL now runs for 34 days. And because of the holy month of Ramadan, the available window is only from February 12 to March 10.Related

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• ECB offers to host Test series between India and Pakistan

The PCB has also requested the Emirates Cricket Board to pull back their ILT20 by ten days to avoid overlapping with the PSL. It is likely that the PCB will not object to its players signing contracts with ILT20 teams, which it had done in 2023, the inaugural edition of the tournament.The discussions between the PCB and the Emirates Cricket Board were conducted during Najam Sethi’s tenure as PCB chairman, but is expected to stand despite the change of guard at the PCB.

Pakistan men’s revised FTP for 2023-2025

The 2023-24 season
July: Pakistan in Sri Lanka (two Tests)
August: Pakistan in Afghanistan (three ODIs)
September: ODI Asia Cup in Pakistan and Sri Lanka
October-November: ODI World Cup in India
December-January: Pakistan in Australia (three Tests)
January: Pakistan in New Zealand (five T20Is)
April: New Zealand in Pakistan (five T20Is)
May: Pakistan in the Netherlands (three T20Is), in Ireland (two T20Is), and in England (four T20Is)
June: T20 World Cup in the USA and the West IndiesThe 2024-25 season
August: Bangladesh in Pakistan (two Tests)
October: England in Pakistan (three Tests)
November: Pakistan in Australia (three ODIs and three T20Is)
November-December: Pakistan in Zimbabwe (three ODIs and three T20Is)
December-January: Pakistan in South Africa (two Tests, three ODIs, three T20Is)
January: West Indies in Pakistan (two Tests)
February: New Zealand and South Africa in Pakistan (ODI tri-series)
February-March: Champions Trophy in Pakistan
April: Pakistan in New Zealand (three ODIs and five T20Is)
May: Bangladesh in Pakistan (three ODIs and three T20Is)

Sydney Sixers have said they will file an appeal against the sanction

Tristan Lavalette21-Dec-2023England allrounder Tom Curran has been banned for four BBL matches after being found guilty of intimidating an umpire in a pre-match altercation, but Sydney Sixers will appeal the sanction.Curran was charged with a Level 3 offence under Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct for an incident before Sixers’ match against Hobart Hurricanes on December 11 in Launceston.According to CA, Curran completed a practice run-up and ran on part of the pitch during the warm-up before being verbally instructed by the umpire not to do so again.CA said Curran moved to the other end of the pitch to complete another practice run-up forcing the umpire to take position next to the stumps in an attempt to block him.”[The umpire] gestured to Curran to move away from the pitch,” CA’s statement said. “Curran was seen in the footage gesturing to the umpire to move away from the pitch.”Curran then attempted to perform a practice run-up and run at pace straight towards the umpire who stood in the bowling crease facing Curran. The umpire stepped to his right to avoid the risk of collision.”