Comilla continued to stay on top of the table, while Dhaka are now in second place

Mohammad Isam01-Feb-2022How the match played out
Minister Group Dhaka broke Comilla Victorians’ winning streak, beating them by 50 runs in Chattogram on Tuesday afternoon. Comilla lost their last eight wickets for 49 runs, collapsing from 82 for 2 to be bowled out for 131 in the 18th over, in response to Dhaka’s 181 for 6. Despite the loss, Comilla stayed top of the six-team table with three wins from four games, while Dhaka moved up to second place after their third win in six outings.Andre Russell changed the course of the match, which was in the balance, in the 11th over – his first – when he removed captain Imrul Kayes and the set Mahmudul Hasan Joy off the first and last balls.Cameron Delport was run-out in the next over, before Karim Janat, Ariful Haque and Nahidul Islam fell in the space of four balls. The last two wickets were mere formalities as Comilla fell well short.Big hit
Dhaka’s innings was built around a good start from Tamim Iqbal and an innings of controlled aggression from Mahmudullah, who top-scored with an unbeaten 70 off 41 balls. While Tamim missed his fourth 50-plus score of the tournament by just four runs, Mahmudullah got to his first in this BPL season, and his tenth overall fifty in the competition.Tamim got going in a style reminiscent of the time he scored a century against Sylhet Sunrisers, hitting a couple of sixes when he swung the ball over backward square-leg, a couple of fours through the covers, and a blast over long-off.Mahmudullah, too, hit his fours and sixes in his favoured zones, flicking two sixes over fine-leg, carving Nahidul Islam for a six over extra-cover, and another one over midwicket. Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam took two wickets for Comilla, having Tamim caught at short midwicket, apart from clean bowling Russell.But Russell had a good outing with the ball, claiming three wickets. Legspinner Qais Ahmad and Ebadot Hossain took two each. Rubel Hossain, who bowled just the two overs, removed Litton Das in the first over to kick things off for Dhaka.Big miss
Not for the first time in the tournament, Comilla’s batters came up short, especially after Litton, Faf du Plessis and Delport fell cheaply. Even though captain Imrul got to 28, it was his wicket that triggered the batting collapse.

West Indies toil during unbroken 193-run second-wicket stand but rain cuts further time from the game

Valkerie Baynes11-Mar-2022Joe Root looked genuinely impressed by what he was seeing. As Zak Crawley drove Kemar Roach down the ground for a boundary – not exactly sweetly struck but with the momentum of his considerable levers behind it – the England captain met him in the middle of the pitch for a couple of fist-bumps and approving nods, chattering away in encouragement and eliciting a broad grin from his young charge.Given that it was boundary number eight of 16 and counting for Crawley, who was compiling the second Test century of his career, the exchange may not have been unusual but in the circumstances, it stood out.After a dirty day three when Root more commonly wore a look of anguish as his attack failed to capitalise on prior opportunity, not to mention a tumultuous start to the year, England turned the tables on West Indies with an unbroken second-wicket stand in Antigua worth 193, a century and fifty so far to its protagonists and a 153-run lead heading into the final day.Related

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The hosts failed to make further inroads after Roach removed debutant opener Alex Lees, lbw in single figures for the second time in the match, to put the tourists at 24 for 1, still 40 runs in arrears.On a pitch that had admittedly offered nothing for the bowlers all match, the West Indies bowlers leaked runs, Veerasammy Permaul particularly expensive in conceding 51 off his 10 overs.Fellow left-arm spinner Jack Leach, meanwhile, had been one of the brighter lights for England, bowling 20 maidens – almost half his overs – as he took 2 for 79, including West Indies’ last wicket with the third ball of the day as the hosts took a 64-run first-innings lead.Quick Jayden Seales was the man dismissed, and he did not enjoy much more success with the ball, 12 wicketless overs costing 51 runs.But Roach, who was getting considerable swing with the new ball on the fourth morning, set Lees up with a series of deliveries that moved away from the left-hander before banging one in full and straight to beat the inside edge and slam into the front pad. Lees reviewed, perhaps in hope after seeing Crawley successfully overturn an lbw decision from umpire Gregory Brathwaite in the first over, only to have it confirmed that the ball was crashing into leg stump.Crawley was yet to score when he was reprieved the first time, with Hawk-Eye showing the ball was missing leg stump by some way. He had moved to 18 when West Indies burned a review shortly after Lees’ dismissal, Crawley adjudged not out to a Roach inswinger that hit him high on the back leg outside off stump.He had to wait out a 10-minute rain delay and Alzarri Joseph maidens either side of it on 49 before he regained the strike from Root and flipped Roach off his hip for a single to bring up his fifty off 100 balls. Crawley peeled off his next fifty from 81 balls as he and Root hit full flow and West Indies floundered for ideas despite trying seven different bowling options.Joe Root celebrates his half-century•Gareth Copley/AFP via Getty Images

Caught behind off Seales for just 8 in the first innings, Crawley tightened up his defence but played expansively where it was warranted, pulling the short ball with authority, cutting anything wide and finding the boundary with the sweep and drive also.Root raised his half-century late in the afternoon session with a four off Permaul through third, and Crawley survived a hearty shout by West Indies, thinking he’d been caught at slip off the spinner, but for replays to show he had edged the ball into the pitch before it bobbed up to the fielder.Having scored 267 against Pakistan at Southampton in August 2020, his eighth Test, Crawley had made 12 single-figure scores – including two ducks – in 21 innings since.Called back into the side for the first time since the English summer for the last three Ashes Tests when England initially dropped Rory Burns and then Haseeb Hameed, Crawley scored a second-innings 77 in Sydney and survived the post-series clear-out, which also saw Lees called up to accompany him at the top of the order.Just like 19 months before, Crawley again lived up to the potential that put him there as he and Root gave England something to smile about before the intermittent rain that had punctuated play briefly a few times set in.

Jason Sangha and Chris Tremain gave New South Wales hope of saving the follow-on

AAP17-Mar-2022Some inspired seam bowling from Western Australia’s Matthew Kelly and Joel Paris produced a stunning New South Wales batting collapse at Bankstown Oval to turn a near-certain draw into a possible Sheffield Shield win for the visitors.With both teams vying for a spot in the final, the middle-session on day three of this rain-affected penultimate-round fixture may prove to be pivotal in the course of the season.Kelly picked up wickets in three successive overs leaving the home side limping their way to tea at 5 for 55, as a hitherto benign pitch seemingly turned into a minefield.Kelly’s swing firstly undid Blues’ skipper Kurtis Patterson without playing a shot before Jack Edwards and Hayden Kerr were also sent packing.At the other end Paris started the rot by picking up the crucial wicket of opener Daniel Hughes caught at second slip.Jason Sangha’s lone knock kept the innings together with the 22-year-old digging in to end the day unbeaten on 66.An injured Moises Henriques, who came in at No. 8, led a brief revival only to tickle a catch down the leg side off the bowling of rookie spinner Corey Rocchiccioli on 23.Chris Tremain swiped three sixes late in the day to reach 41 not out, and lift the home side closer to the follow-on mark of 207 in an unbroken stand of 67 with SanghaThe two sides are among five states with five wins apiece vying for a spot in the March 31 season decider.After the entire day two was lost due to rain, Western Australia resumed at 3 for 231 and continued on comfortably enough before closing their innings half an hour after lunch.Hilton Cartwright looked set for a ton but his watchful 209-ball innings ended on 81 when he was caught hooking a Tremain delivery while seeking to up the scoring rate.Tremain’s second wicket came a day and a half after his first with day two lost due to ongoing showers.
Cameron Bancroft had top-scored for WA with 117, before he was dismissed by Tremain late on Tuesday.The hard-hitting D’Arcy Short was the only Western Australia batter who failed to reach double figures when he was caught and bowled by Kerr for 1.Aaron Hardie remained unbeaten on 37, while allrounder Edwards was the pick of the Blues’ attack returning 3 for 58 off 21 overs.

Hosts’ last four wickets add 198 runs to make Lancashire bat again for ten-wicket win

Paul Edwards17-Apr-2022Just after eleven o’clock this morning there were, perhaps, a few dozen spectators on the Spitfire Ground. Whatever the stone-faced cynics might conclude, their presence was explained by more than free admission and blind loyalty. Some, to be sure, were Lancashire supporters who wanted to see their side complete a victory that was surely certain; others were hoping that since Kent clearly could not rescue a miraculous draw, they might, at least, bat nobly enough to take the day into, say, a second hour; others, again, were happy to observe the duels of which any cricket match is composed.By the time the game ended over six hours later, all three groups of supporters were satisfied yet their objectives had been achieved in a manner more glorious than any of them could have envisaged. For rather than submit quietly to what had seemed inevitable defeat, Kent’s last four wickets had added 198 runs this Easter Sunday and had ensured Lancashire would have to bat again.But this was one of those rare games in which individual achievement can be ranked alongside the outcome. For on this extraordinary afternoon, Ben Compton had completed his second century of the match and his third in succession for his new county since moving from Nottinghamshire. And only when an exhausted Compton was leg before wicket for 115 when attempting to pull George Balderson’s eighth ball after tea did the outcome of it all become clear. That was fitting. Only when Compton was out could Kent be defeated.Compton’s dismissal prevented him becoming only the seventh batter in history to carry his bat through both innings of a first-class game. But the combined statistics of his three centuries this season still boggle the mind. In 11 days he has made 345 runs, faced 918 balls and batted for 20 hours 35 minutes, all, more or less, when trying to secure draws against high-quality attacks. Over the past week or so Kent diehards have watched Compton bat much as couch potatoes binge on TV box sets. And do not mistake it; these have been innings in which his grandfather would have taken pride.But Kent had a best supporting actor on another day that said much for their prospects in the First Division. His name was Hamidullah Qadri and without his contribution, Compton’s efforts would have been merely extraordinary instead of truly heroic… But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let us return to this Sunday morning in Canterbury. In the cathedral, the Archbishop is about to begin his Easter Day service; at the Spitfire Ground, Compton and Matt Milnes are going out to bat; in the Frank Woolley Stand a scattering of spectators are living in hope…At first, things went as Glen Chapple, Lancashire’s head coach, might have ordained. Milnes fell to the sixth ball of the day when his forward lunge did not prevent him being given lbw to a ball from Matt Parkinson that barely spun at all. That, however, was both the first and final breakthrough of Lancashire’s morning. Compton and his eighth-wicket partner, Qadri, batted with growing assurance for 33 overs until lunch. There were false shots but no obviously near things or spilled catches. Times beyond counting, Lancashire cricketers shouted “Here we go, boys,” but the problem was that Kent’s eighth-wicket pair wouldn’t go. Inevitably, someone extolled a bowler to go “Bang, bang” but this smacked of greed, given that, with luncheon approaching, Lancashire would certainly have settled for a solitary bang and let the other two look after themselves.Compton batted much as he has done in his three innings this season. Displaying exemplary concentration, he defended immaculately, worked the ball square on either side of the wicket and smacked any dross to the boundary. Qadri, meanwhile, played his shots so freely that he caught up his seemingly immovable partner early in the afternoon session. He brought up his maiden fifty with a boundary to third man off Balderson but was almost immediately dropped at second slip by Steven Croft off Hasan Ali. Lancashire’s fielders probably consoled themselves they would get another chance but by mid-afternoon, the stand between Compton and Qadri had gone far beyond irritation. Suddenly it occurred to home spectators that this great thing could be done and that what had begun as an act of loyalty was turning into something near to memorable witness.The pair set an eighth-wicket record for Kent against Lancashire when their partnership passed the 92 put on by Darren Stevens and Matt Coles at Old Trafford in 2010. The game drifted towards the scheduled tea interval and a wicket did not look like falling, this despite the best efforts of Hasan Ali who sprinted in as though escaping the tax man. And Kent were only 25 runs shy of avoiding the innings defeat when Hasan burst one through Qadri’s defences and bowled him for 77. His previous best first-class score was 30. As he returned to the pavilion something over a hundred people rose to applaud.Now, at last, Lancashire smelt blood. Compton tried to farm the strike but sharp fielding by Balderson prevented him. Left to face an over from Hasan, Nathan Gilchrist survived one ball before being bowled when barely playing a stroke at the second. One wicket to go.But even then, Kent were not done. Last man Jackson Bird batted with good sense and helped Compton take their side into the lead. Phil Salt missed a stumping when Compton was on 110 and at least four of Dane Vilas’s fielders threw themselves to the ground as if unable to cope with the pain of the moment. Parkinson completed his 47th over of the innings and his 78th of the match. Tea came and went. Kent supporters wondered if their side could possibly escape with another draw. Balderson bowled to Compton and it became clear they couldn’t.Lancashire knocked off the 33 runs they needed in 7.1 overs but it was a limp aftermath to the great drama of the day. And even when the match was done, people sat and mused about Compton. They marvelled at his achievements and the game he plays. Come the autumn, they will be marvelling still.

Bangladesh team director feels that the players shouldn’t be allowed to pick and choose the formats as they wish

Mohammad Isam07-May-2022Khaled Mahmud, the Bangladesh team director, feels Mustafizur Rahman should not have been allowed to pick and choose the formats he wished to play, as it has led to a fast-bowling vacuum in the Test side. Mustafizur is currently playing in the IPL for Delhi Capitals, having taken eight wickets in as many matches this season.Ahead of this year’s IPL, the BCB gave Mustafizur the clearance to play in the tournament even when Bangladesh were playing Tests in South Africa.It wasn’t a topic of particular interest at the time because Bangladesh had already won the ODI series, and they still had Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam around. While there has been debate about who decides on the format, the BCB president Nazmul Hassan has been saying since mid-2021 that the centrally contracted Bangladesh players will be allowed to pick and choose their formats, regardless of their experience.It started as a verbal promise last year, and the players have since signed the 2022 contracts by providing their choice of format in some cases. Mustafizur was given the IPL No Objection Certificate (NOC) this season after the Bangladesh selectors didn’t pick him in the squads for the South Africa and Sri Lanka Tests. Mustafizur has not played a Test since February last year, having taken just four wickets in the last four years.”(BCB president Nazmul Hassan) Papon said that the players can discuss which format they want to play but this was only applicable to the senior players, not all players,” Mahmud said in a press briefing at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.”Would it be okay if (Mahmudul Hasan) Joy said that he doesn’t want to play Tests? How old is Mustafiz? How long has he been playing for? He is not Shakib, Tamim, Mashrafe or Mushfiq. These players have provided service for many years. I don’t know why Mustafiz doesn’t want to play Tests. The board should decide which format a player plays.”Shakib and Tamim are 34-35 years old. They deserve breaks. But Litton Das doesn’t need breaks. When he becomes Shakib or Tamim, I will say that he deserves rest. Mustafiz must play Tests. It is his peak time. I am not saying he should play all the Tests but he should definitely be available for six to eight matches per year. I used to hear that he doesn’t want to play due to bio-bubbles, but now things have changed so that can’t be an excuse anymore. If Taskin and Shoriful can play (Tests), he should too.”Capitals are currently just outside the top four with four games remaining in the league stage, so Mustafizur will be available for them till May 21 at the very least. There’s still no movement from the BCB or the selectors to bring him into the Test side, but Mahmud said that with Taskin Ahmed already out of the Sri Lanka series due to a shoulder injury and Shoriful Islam’s availability still subject to a fitness test, the home side are missing out on their best bowler, regardless of the format.”With Taskin injured, one of our main bowlers is out. Shoriful could be injured any time soon. Both Taskin and Shoriful are injury-prone bowlers. In that case we need Mustafiz who, when you consider his experience, skills, technique and tactics, is Bangladesh’s best fast bowler. Mustafiz would have provided balance to the side.”There’s a lot of cricket in the three formats so everyone needs time off. Taskin and Shoriful also deserve rest. When we have enough bowlers, we probably won’t need Mustafiz in this format but till then he should provide support. He is dangerous in white-ball cricket but I also know that he can be a handful with the red ball too.”Mahmud came down strongly on Mustafizur’s commitment towards red-ball cricket and Bangladesh, but also felt that someone should have gotten in touch with him to clarify the situation.”He might get two or four crores in the IPL, but isn’t cricket bigger than the money? Isn’t the country bigger than money? We never played for money. Now a cricketer needs the BCB’s help when he is dying. (Mustafizur) won’t need the BCB (in that situation). They can themselves help others (financially). Why won’t I want to play for Bangladesh?”Cricket board means Mustafiz, and Mustafiz means the cricket board. They are both in the same place. There’s no distance. Maybe nobody spoke to him.”

Sunrisers never recover after leaking 81 runs in wicketless powerplay

ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2022Bryony Smith struck a belligerent half-century as defending champions South East Stars headed into Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day on Saturday with a comfortable 56-run win over Sunrisers at Guildford.Smith pummelled exactly 50 from just 30 balls, sharing an opening stand of 87 with Aylish Cranstone as the hosts rattled up 183 for 9, their best score in the competition and just short of the overall record of 186 set by Thunder last season.The Stars’ skipper then returned 2 for 17 while Kalea Moore took 2 for 16 as Sunrisers were bowled out for 127 in reply despite 31 from Amara Carr for the visitors.Victory means Stars top the group ahead of Central Sparks who they will meet in the playoff game to start final’s day at Wantage Road.
Smith chose to bat on winning the toss and the allrounder and the tournament’s leading run-scorer Cranstone gorged on some loose powerplay bowling from Sunrisers.Related

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Smith swept viciously and played the pull shot to great effect to clear the ropes four times, while Cranstone hit four fours off the second over bowled by Naomi Dattani.The hosts reached 81 without loss in the powerplay and Smith raced to 50 before spooning a catch to Scarlett Hughes off the bowling of Kelly Castle.It was the beginning of a frugal spell from Castle of 2 for 14, during which she also caught and bowled Kira Chathli and Sunrisers’ skipper was sharp in the field too, running out Alice Capsey for nought with a direct hit from mid-off.Cranstone perished when she mishit an attempted scoop off Dattani to wicketkeeper Carr, but Emma Jones hit one six clean out the ground in a whirlwind 33 from 17, as, despite a late flurry of wickets, Stars posted a huge total.Sunrisers made the worst possible start when Hughes hit the first ball of their reply from Moore to Cranstone at cover and the spinner struck again in her next over, trapping Grace Scrivens lbw.The in-form Dattani also didn’t detain for long, skying a ball from Alexa Stonehouse to Capsey, leaving the visitors 23 for 3.Carr cleared the ropes to top score, but neither her enterprise or Mady Villiers’ cameo of 22 were enough to redress the balance and when Mia Rogers holed out in the deep off Phoebe Franklin the game was up for Sunrisers.

Visitors target back-to-back series win in Asia; Hosts drop Lasith Embuldeniya, with four others out after contracting Covid-19

Andrew McGlashan07-Jul-2022

Big Picture

There has been plenty of Test cricket recently that you don’t want to take your eyes off. England are changing the way people think of the game by charging their way to fourth-innings targets as though it was the most normal thing ever; while in Galle, the first match of the series was over in less than two days’ playing time as Australia adapted to conditions far better than the home side.The type of match we saw in the first Test was not a complete surprise – it was always likely the game would move quickly – but the way Australia bossed proceedings when it had been a pretty even contest on the second day, and barely 24 hours later secured victory, was somewhat unexpected.If they can do it again over the next few days – no one believes the second Test will go close to five – it will complete significant back-to-back triumphs in the subcontinent after the win in Pakistan, and set them up well for the challenge of India next year.Related

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Sri Lanka have plenty of problems to solve, and their difficulties have been exacerbated by a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad which has ruled out four players, although Angelo Mathews, the first case, is available again. Their bowling attack will look considerably different, although that may have been the case anyway after the spinners were unable to keep any control of Australia’s batters.But they also need their senior batters to step forward. There is no lack of experience in the top order but it was collectively a very poor performance in the opening Test, even though coach Chris Silverwood was not critical of their second-innings approach as conditions became even tougher, having also been able to bat first when conditions were, relatively speaking, at their best.The bare facts would suggest Australia have Sri Lanka’s number and should be comfortable favourites to take the series 2-0, but the nature of the pitch – if, as expected, it is anything like the opening game – means that form, perhaps, does not play the role it often does. One spell, one collapse, and things can change quickly.

Recent form

(Last five matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka LWDLL
Australia WWDDW
Can Travis Head now contribute with the bat?•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Travis Head left a mark on the opening Test… but with the ball. He bagged 4 for 10 in the second innings to hasten the game to its swift finish. When batting, he got a leading edge back to Dhananjaya de Silva early on the second day to continue a run in the subcontinent where he is the one member of the batting order yet to make a significant contribution after not getting going in Pakistan.Head acknowledged the technical mistake he had made, but is confident he can rebound. “I’ve played well on spinning pitches in Australia,” he said after the first Test. “These are different, I’ve never played on a wicket like that. So it’s another one to take into consideration over the next few days. Talking to the people closest to me, I just need to keep doubling down on that plan, and keep backing it in and try to execute it. When you second-guess yourself or try to change things for the next Test, you get yourself in more trouble.”With Lasith Embuldeniya dropped and Praveen Jayawickrama out with Covid-19, there appears a strong chance of a debut for 19-year-old Dunith Wellalage, the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series where he showed impressive composure and caused plenty of problems for Australia’s batters.There is also the intriguing prospect of a debut for Maheesh Theekshana, who has played just three first-class matches – all of them in 2018 – as Sri Lanka search for a way of controlling the run rate. It would be a fascinating look at how important first-class experience is when conditions are at the extreme end, and how specialist white-ball skills – much like Theekshana’s – can translate.Dunith Wellalage could make his Test debut•AFP

Team news

Dimuth Karunaratne said that the Sri Lanka squad had to get through round of rapid antigen tests before they would know who was available. There will be at least four changes and they will be hoping the Covid-19 outbreak doesn’t go further. Dhananjaya de Silva, Asitha Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay and Lasith Embuldeniya – with the latter dropped – are out for certain. Although Oshada Fernando was Angelo Mathews’ Covid sub last week, allrounder Kamindu Mendis, who is an ambidextrous bowler, could come into the middle order to cover for Dhananjaya’s spin. There remains uncertainty over the combination of frontline spinners they could choose with Lakshan Sandakan and Prabath Jayasuriya also being considered.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Oshada Fernando/Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dinesh Chandimal, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Maheesh TheekshanaAustralia have kept the option open of bringing in Glenn Maxwell at No. 8 as another spin-bowling option in place of Mitchell Starc. But that will be decided on the morning of the game. That should be the only change.Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Glenn Maxwell/Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Mitchell Swepson

Pitch and conditions

More of the same – a turning pitch, of course – is expected, unless there is a significant change of heart from the home side. There is again the chance of storms interrupting play, but given the speed the game is likely to move at, it shouldn’t impact the prospect of a result.

Stats and trivia

• Pat Cummins needs two wickets to reach 200 in Tests.
• Nathan Lyon, who has moved in the top ten of the all-time wicket-takers, needs seven wickets to go above R Ashwin (442), which would leave him only behind Muthiah Muralidaran as a fingerspinner.
• The last time Australia won three consecutive Tests in Asia was in 2004, when they beat Sri Lanka and India in four successive matches. And between 2002 and 2004, they had won seven in a row.

Governing body to be placed in special measures after 448 racist incidents are revealed

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2022Cricket Scotland is to be placed into special measures at least until October 2023, and could stand to lose public funding worth £460,000 a year from , following the publication of a damning report into institutional racism within the sport.A total of 448 examples of institutional racism were revealed in the Changing the Boundaries report, carried out by consultancy firm , while Cricket Scotland failed in 29 out of 31 tests used to measure the scale of the problem – and barely met the required standard in the remaining two.On Sunday, in anticipation of the report’s findings, the board of Cricket Scotland resigned en masse, with an apology to those affected by institutional racism, notably Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, the two former players whose allegations of victimisation had set the review in motion, but also with an acknowledgement that the scale of the problem was beyond the scope of the sport’s existing governance.Plan4Sport’s investigation took in the testimony of nearly 1000 participants across all areas of Scottish cricket, and outlined 68 individual concerns that have been referred for further investigation, including 31 allegations of racism against 15 different people, two clubs and one regional association.Some of these have also been referred to Police Scotland as hate crimes, including one incident that has already resulted in a court appearance.The allegations outlined include racial abuse, inappropriate language, favouritism to white children from public-school backgrounds and a lack of transparency in selection for non-white players.A survey conducted during the investigation found that 62 percent of respondents had experienced, seen or received reports of racism or other forms of discrimination.The report also found that the lack of diversity within Scottish cricket meant there was no consistent process for handling racist incidents, and that people who did raise issues tended to be “sidelined or ignored”. This was the fate that Haq encountered after being sent home from the 2015 World Cup, after which he never added to his then-national record of 54 ODI appearances.Louise Tideswell, MD of Plan4Sport and Stewart Harris, CEO of Sportscotland at the launch of a report into racism in Scottish cricket•Getty Images

Cricket Scotland’s interim CEO, Gordon Arthur, described the report’s findings as a “watershed” moment for the sport, and issued a “heartfelt apology to all those who have been the victims of racism and discrimination in Scottish cricket”.”The racism and discrimination that has taken place in the sport that we all love should never have been allowed to happen, or to go unchallenged for so long,” Arthur said. “We recognise the impact this will have had on individuals and their families. We hope the report provides them with some reassurance that their voices have been heard, and we are sorry this did not happen sooner.”This report is a watershed moment for cricket in Scotland and taking its recommendations forward is the top priority. It’s clear that significant cultural change must happen and it must happen quickly. The immediate priority must be to get the independent referral process agreed and implemented so the investigations into the referrals can start.”Louise Tideswell, the managing director of Plan4Sport, praised the bravery of those who had come forward with their stories, and condemned Cricket Scotland’s leadership for failing to recognise the problems and thereby “enabling a culture of racially aggravated micro-aggressions to develop”.”I also want to add that whilst the governance and leadership practices of the organisation have been institutionally racist, the same should not be said for cricket in Scotland. There are many outstanding clubs and individuals delivering local programmes which truly engage with diverse communities.”Stewart Harris, the chief executive of Sportscotland, described the findings as “deeply concerning and in some cases shocking”, and added that they should serve as a “wake-up call for all of Scottish sport”.”Racism is a societal problem and it is no longer good enough to simply be non-racist, Scottish sport must now be actively anti-racist,” Harris said. “We will keep all options on the table as we hold Cricket Scotland to account on all of the recommendations contained within this report.”One of the key recommendations of the report is that future recruitment to the board should involve no more than a 60-40 gender ratio either way, including a minimum of 25 percent of members should come from minority ethnic backgrounds.In addition, an urgent review is to be held into the governance of Western District Cricket Union – one of Scotland’s five regional associations – which will be placed in special measures by Cricket Scotland, and suspended from overseeing disciplinary measures in the competitions under its auspices.

Netherlands took the match to the final over, courtesy fifties from Vikramjit and Cooper, but failed to prevent a 3-0 sweep

Danyal Rasool21-Aug-2022Pakistan nearly paid the price for extreme caution with the bat, but standout bowling performances from Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim spared their blushes as they eked out a nine-run win in the third and final ODI in Rotterdam and sealed the series 3-0.For a large part of the chase, it seemed that Netherlands would topple Pakistan, particularly during a 71-run fourth-wicket partnership between Vikramjit Singh and Tom Cooper. But with the pressure at its most intense, Naseem and Wasim bowled with a composure that belied their inexperience, taking nine wickets between them to close out the game. Naseem registered career-best figures of 5 for 33, with Wasim backing him up with 4 for 36.Earlier, a miserly bowling performance from Netherlands saw Pakistan bowled out for 206 in 49.4 overs, handing the home side a golden opportunity to nab a win. Pakistan were exceptionally conservative with the bat for much of the innings; by the end of 30 overs, they were 105 for 3. Bas de Leede, Netherlands’ best player of the series, was once again exceptional with the ball as he ran through the middle order, striking thrice to prevent Pakistan ever really breaking away. Only Babar Azam, who scored a steady, if sedate, 125-ball 91, was able to keep the innings together, but in the absence of a supporting cast or an injection of impetus, a modest total was all that Pakistan could muster.Netherlands sniffed an opportunity, but they were abundantly cautious early on, and Naseem, as he had done all series, continued to punch holes in their batters’ defences. Max O’Dowd played at one that nipped away to cap an indifferent series before Naseem cleaned up Musa Ahmad with a ball that held its line from around the wicket. Wasim, who replaced the somewhat less potent Shahnawaz Dahani, took up the mantle from the other end, sending de Leede back after he nicked one through to Mohammad Haris.But with the target relatively low, the hosts were never out of the game, and one big partnership was enough to give Pakistan a real fright. Vikramjit and Cooper began to rebuild after the early blows, the former’s three successive boundaries off Wasim a clear signal of intent. The duo looked comfortable against most Pakistan bowlers.Pakistan needed a breakthrough fast, and for that, Babar turned to Wasim once more. In the second over of his new spell, he sent Vikramjit packing. Naseem, of course, was not to be outdone, removing Scott Edwards in his first over back with a dream delivery that beat the outside edge of the bat and crunched into off stump.But Netherlands rebuilt with Cooper and Teja Nidamanuru, a 56-run stand taking them to within 35 of the target. At that stage, the asking rate was under seven, and Netherlands were turning the screws once more.Aryan Dutt had Babar Azam caught and bowled on 91•KNCB/Gerhard van der Laarse

But the Naseem-Wasim duo refused to give up, combining in a scintillating death-overs display to remove the pair in the space of six balls and burrow into the tail. From thereon, it was an uphill task for Netherlands against two bowlers in top form and, while Pakistan were made to sweat, victory always seemed a touch out of their reach. Wasim rattled Aryan Dutt’s stumps to finish off the game, and Pakistan just about got away with one.In the morning, Pakistan made four changes to their side, bringing in Abdullah Shafique as opener for his ODI debut, as well as Haris in place of Mohammad Rizwan. After they opted to bat, Shafique had the opportunity to impress straightaway, but Vivian Kingma struck early once again.Kingma and Dutt kept things tighter than a taxman’s purse, never allowing Pakistan any freedom to accelerate. The fielding was lively, and with the batters finding the fielders with most shots, Pakistan began to feel suffocated. Neither Fakhar Zaman nor Babar could truly break away, and even when there were changes in the bowling, a change in fortunes for Pakistan did not accompany them.The pressure finally got to Fakhar, who went for a huge heave against Logan van Beek, only to be beaten by the pace and have his off stump rattled. Netherlands only squeezed harder, with the run rate continuing to snail along well under four.Babar was curiously passive through the innings, and the failure of the inexperienced middle order to capitalise made his wicket even more valuable. It didn’t come until fairly late in the innings, but his failure to break free meant he couldn’t inflict much damage anyway. It was Dutt, the pick of the bowlers, who got rid of him for the second time this series, taking a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling. Dutt had deserved it more than perhaps any other bowler, his figures of 10-1-34-1 a just reward for a sensational showing.The final few overs saw Pakistan trying to accelerate, only for Netherlands to shackle them further. The odd four or six gave hopes of a change in momentum, but it was swiftly followed by wickets. No. 10 Zahid Mahmood struck a six in the penultimate over, but Kingma returned to help Netherlands get the final two wickets.At that stage, Netherlands looked on track for their first home win of the summer. They might well have reached there but for two young Pakistani fast bowlers.

The six franchises have signed between two and five players already, and can have a maximum of 17 players in their line-up

Firdose Moonda31-Aug-2022CSA’s new franchise-based T20 league has been named “SA20”, Graeme Smith, the tournament commissioner, announced in a press interaction on Wednesday. He also confirmed that the player auction for the inaugural season, to be played in January-February 2023, will be held on September 19.The six teams – all owned by groups that own teams in the IPL – have already signed between two and five players apiece from a pool of marquee players as part of the direct-acquisition process. The franchises have an overall purse of US$2 million and can buy as many more players as they can, or want, with the maximum squad strength set at 17.Related

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The money available to them at the auction will be based on what is left of the purse after acquiring the pre-auction players [the five included a maximum of three overseas players, one a South African international, and one an uncapped South African player]. In total, franchises will be permitted to sign up to seven international players and ten South Africans, with a view to fielding an XI with a maximum of four internationals and seven South Africans, the same format as in the IPL.The tournament’s fixtures will be revealed soon and will comprise 33 matches, with each team playing the others home and away, two knockout matches, and a final. Sub-Saharan African broadcasters , who own a 30% share in the tournament, also have the rights to broadcast it on the African continent but CSA are in the market for international broadcasters. They are also in discussions to ensure South Africans who only have access to free-to-air television will have some way of keeping in touch with the event, with everything from radio coverage to delayed television broadcasts up for discussion.The league is currently working through player registrations and will present the franchises with a shortlist of candidates ahead of the auction.Smith said they had received an “immense amount” of interest from players, both local and overseas, despite the calendar congestion. The SA20 will clash with both the Australian BBL and the UAE’s ILT20 as well as the BPL in Bangladesh. While the ILT20 will rely on a majority of internationals, the BBL has a similar structure to the SA20 [with a maximum of three internationals in each XI]. Player overlaps between tournaments might become inevitable.To deal with clashing contractual obligations, Smith met with organisers of the ILT20, and the two players signed to both the BBL and SA20 – Liam Livingstone and Rashid Khan – have made themselves available for only part of the BBL, because they had signed with CSA first.”The Big Bash has created a different structure where they have allowed players to play for a portion of the Big Bash. The players that have signed for our league will be there [Australia] for the first couple of days of January and then they will come across to South Africa,” Smith said. “They will be here when their team owners require them in South Africa. They will be available fully for the South African league.”The headlines have obviously been grabbed by the big international names, but the CSA’s focus is also on developing local players.”We’ve been able to attract some big international names to our league. You can see in the pre-signing with Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and the like. We’ve got some real quality but the difference for us is that we focus on South African talent as well,” Smith said. “There will be 60 or 70 SA players on a global platform with their storylines. We’ve seen how that’s benefitted Indian cricket in the IPL and it’s gone to benefit their all-format cricket. We are hoping we will be able to create the same in South Africa.”The SA20, however, has been cited as one of the main reasons for CSA downscaling on Tests in the next FTP, in which South Africa play no Test series of three or more matches in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle.With the prime summer period in January-February now occupied by the SA20, and the IPL due to start in mid-March, South Africa’s Test – and by extension their first-class – window will have to be earlier in the season, in September-December. And concerns around the quality of the red-ball game have already been expressed.However, Smith, also South Africa’s most successful Test captain, does not see the league as having a negative effect on the longer format.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“These are things everyone grapples with in the international game – the growth of T20 and trying to understand how all the formats fit in. It’s an interesting debate and discussion going forward,” he said. “Every year, South Africa has played a T20 tournament. Now it’s just got to a level that elevates it to a standard that we see across the world.”It will bring a lot of expertise into our game. It’s going to bring financial support that hopefully will benefit all forms of the game in South Africa and keep us relevant in the international game. We don’t see it as an issue for Test cricket. We see it as an issue of growing South African cricket and keeping it strong.”CSA will try not to have any international matches when the SA20 is on, but in the first year, it will coincide with three ODIs against England. The matches were postponed from late 2020 and form part of the World Cup Super League. South Africa lie outside the automatic qualification zone and will forfeit points to Australia in January 2023 – they are not playing those matches because it would clash with the league. So they cannot afford not to host England.In subsequent years, the FTP sees some fixture clashes with the SA20, such as an England tour in early 2026, but schedules may be tweaked to allow CSA to keep the league window free.CSA also intends to launch a women’s version of the SA20 in the future, but have not been able do it from the outset because of the T20 World Cup, which will be held in South Africa in February 2023. “It’s 100% in our plans,” Smith said. “In year one, with the Women’s World Cup starting directly post the new league, it wasn’t viable. It’s definitely in our plans to begin one as soon as possible.”