Justin Langer hopes it will provide a genuine contest between bat and ball, but there is no guarantee it will prove much livelier than the one that was rated poor last year

Melinda Farrell at the MCG24-Dec-20182:06

‘Won’t be like Perth, but will have pace’ – MCG curator

Australia coach Justin Langer is hopeful the MCG pitch will provide a genuine contest between bat and ball, something he believes could secure the future of Test cricket.The nature of the MCG pitch is under intense scrutiny ahead of the Boxing Day Test, with a distinctly green tinge two days out, giving some hope but no guarantee it will prove much livelier than the dull surface that was rated “poor” after last year’s draw against England.”It’s great to see some grass,” Langer said. “I’ve played Shield cricket here over last six or seven years, seen the Test here, and I’ve said forever the most important thing in Test cricket – international cricket – are the pitches.”If you have great pitches you’ll have contest between bat and ball, then Test cricket will be alive and well. If we play on flat wickets then it becomes a really boring game and that’s from someone who loves Test cricket.”Hopefully it’s a contest between bat and ball because it’s really important, not just for this series but also for world cricket.”ALSO READ: Don’t judge MCG pitch by its grass cover – Marcus HarrisAfter the Ashes Test last summer the MCG curator, Matt Page, oversaw some changes to the block, including the addition of a layer of sand to allow better drainage of moisture and encourage the pitch to become more spin friendly on the later days of the Test.But Marcus Harris, who made 250 for Victoria at the MCG in a Sheffield Shield match, had earlier told ESPNcricinfo he expected any early liveliness provided by the grass would give way to a slow scoring surface that largely held together.Meanwhile, Langer, a native of Western Australia who played much of his domestic cricket at the WACA ground, claimed the pitch used for the second Test was the quickest he had ever witnessed in Perth.The ICC rated the Perth Stadium pitch as “average”, a decision that puzzled the Australia coach.”I was really surprised actually,” Langer said. “I guess a couple stayed low. But I thought it was such entertaining Test cricket – that was the fastest pitch I’ve ever seen in Perth and I’ve been there a long time.”I thought it was really exciting Test cricket, got a result on the fifth day. From a personal point of view I love seeing cricket played like that.

The pair batted all of the fourth day and 12 overs on the fifth before weather intervened to give Sri Lanka a draw that didn’t look possible at 13 for 3

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Wellington19-Dec-2018They had less than half a session to see out due to rain on day five, but Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews stayed firm as they had all through Thursday, playing out 12 wicketless overs, to secure a draw.Through the course of the morning’s play, which had begun 90 minutes after the scheduled start time, the pair were largely unbothered by Tim Southee and Trent Boult’s fuller lengths, and even less troubled by the shorter stuff which they have negotiated with supreme confidence right through their partnership. Rain later returned to wash out the remainder of the day.

Watch LIVE on ESPN+

Readers from the US can also watch the match LIVE here, on ESPN+

During the roughly 52 minutes of play that was possible, though, Mendis fetched himself 25 further runs. He struck four boundaries – two of them sublime straight drives – and moved eventually to 141 not out. Mathews, who seemed intent on remaining in stonewall mode, added only three runs to his overnight score, and ended on 120. The partnership was ultimately worth 274, and Sri Lanka were only nine runs in arrears, when the rains returned.There were very minor scares for each batsman. Mathews was pointedly beaten outside his off stump by a good-length Boult delivery that curved away slightly before pitching. Mendis was close to gloving a waist-high Southee short ball down the legside. But so de-fanged is this surface now, that the bowlers barely had the opportunity to capitalise on those slight errors. Almost immediately, the ball began finding the middle of the bat again, and normal service resumed.The most exciting exciting period of the morning came when Mendis hit 19 runs in the space of seven deliveries, hitting two fours apiece off both Boult and Southee – a period that featured those two straight drives, in addition to a glorious pull to the square leg fence. That flurry of scoring prompted Kane Williamson to bring Neil Wagner and Ajaz Patel into the attack, but although a couple of maidens followed, there was no visible toruble for the batsmen.

Despite having won eight out of their last ten Tests, England’s selection problems seem as persistent as ever

George Dobell in Antigua30-Jan-2019It is amazing how quickly things change. Just over a week ago, Trevor Bayliss said it felt as if England had made progress nailing down positions in their side that had looked problematic for some time.His optimism seemed justified, too. England were ranked No. 3 in the world, after all, and had won eight of their last nine Tests, including a series victory over the No. 1-rated team, India, and a rare clean-sweep in Sri Lanka. It looked, very much, as if things were on an upward curve. But one defeat can cast a different light on things. Well, one defeat of the magnitude inflicted by West Indies in Barbados, anyway.Suddenly, it appears as if England have made very little progress over the last few years. Suddenly it appears as if they are in a state of something approaching chaos.If that seems over the top, consider this. There is every chance two men who played in the Barbados Test – Keaton Jennings and Adil Rashid – will not play Test cricket again. Meanwhile the seam attack is reliant upon a 36-year-old who has now bowled more deliveries than any seamer in Test history (and his 32-year-old sidekick), while the man who scored his first five Test centuries at No. 6 or 7 is now at No. 3; the man who was brought in to bat at No. 7 is at No. 6; and the man who looked so good at No. 6 has been moved to No. 5. Oh and the No. 9 thinks he’s a batting allrounder but was asked to open the bowling in Barbados. All are out of position. All are compromised because of it.Meanwhile the search for an opening batsman seems to have gone on since the dawn of time. England have now taken a punt Joe Denly, who hasn’t opened in three-and-a-half years in the Championship and has played most of his recent cricket in Division Two. He is, for sure, a talented player who may prove a useful legspinner, too. But he faces a huge challenge trying to negate Shannon Gabriel and company.Interestingly, while previous openers have been assured they will have several Tests in which to prove themselves, Joe Root made it clear Denly had until the end of this series. Realistically, if he can make 200 runs across those four innings, he has an excellent chance of playing in the Ashes.We have to keep the Barbados result in perspective. It was one game, after all. And it came from the first match of a series for which England might not have been perfectly prepared. Perhaps Antigua will provide a more accurate reflection of their abilities. They have never won here, though, and do not have the best record on the flat surface anticipated.Tom Harrison and Ed Smith, ECB chief executive and selector•Getty Images

But every new day seems to brings news of an England side’s defeat from somewhere in the world. Whether it’s the Lions, the Young Lions or the senior side, this vital year has started with a barrage of reminders of England’s struggles against spin bowling, fast bowling and touring.Again and again, we are given cause to ponder whether our own domestic first-class game – now largely played in spring and autumn in conditions which will rarely be replicated in international cricket – is providing the best environment in which cricketers can develop. It can’t be, can it, if it has struggled to provide opening batsmen for so long?That England, with such issues, are No. 3 in the Test rankings speaks volumes for the challenges faced by other cricket boards around the world. Almost wherever we look, we see countries struggling to sustain the domestic red-ball competitions which breed Test teams. Almost wherever we look, we see young players developing outrageous limited-overs skills, but failing to develop the more prosaic skills – the discipline, the denial, the technique – that could serve them well in the first-class game. Almost wherever we look, we see the shorter formats favoured and the longer format compromised. Players such as Cheteshwar Pujara, with his old-school approach, have become fantastically valuable.So, might England be No. 3 because the decline in the standards of county cricket is slower than the decline in the standard of domestic first-class cricket in other parts of the world? It seems quite possible.Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by the result in the first Test, anyway. West Indies have won three of the five most recent Tests between the sides (including two of the last three) and have been beaten once in a series by England in the Caribbean in the last half-century. In that context, the result in Barbados – where England have won twice in the last 80 years – does not seem such a shock.It also leaves West Indies’ insistence that they remain underdogs a bit hollow-sounding. Certainly there was nothing fortunate about their victory, with the depth of their batting – Jason Holder became just the third double-centurion from No. 8 in the order – complementing a seam attack that was both skilful, unrelenting and, at times, hostile. And if Roston Chase was flattered a little by his eight-wicket haul, it is only because he was the beneficiary of the pressure built up by his team over the previous days.Either way, the first Test result sets up the series intriguingly. If West Indies can repeat their Barbados performance, we might finally be able to believe that Caribbean cricket is on an upward curve. And if England repeat theirs, we may have some indication of the true progress they have made in recent months.

New Zealand will be buoyed by the return of Guptill from injury and the 2-1 T20I series win over India

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Napier12-Feb-20190:57

We have a point to prove against Bangladesh – Astle

Big picture

Bangladesh have never lost to New Zealand in ODIs at home since 2010 while New Zealand have never lost to Bangladesh at their backyard. In their previous ODI, at a neutral venue in Cardiff in 2017, Bangladesh stunned New Zealand with an epic come-from-behind win.

Watch NZ v Ban live

Followers in the United States can watch New Zealand v Bangladesh live on ESPN+

Ahead of the ODI series opener in Napier, many felt that this was Bangladesh’s best chance to win games in New Zealand. However, Shakib Al Hasan’s injury has created a gaping hole in the line-up.But nonetheless, it promises to be an exciting contest. New Zealand themselves have a few holes to plug after their 4-1 series defeat against India. The only game they won was when they bowled out India for 92 in Hamilton, but in the other four games they couldn’t sustain the pressure for longer periods.Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham were among the runs while Trent Boult and Matt Henry had one good outing each during the ODI series against India. The home side will also be buoyed by the 2-1 T20I series win over them.Tim Southee hasn’t found much swing in white-ball cricket, but New Zealand can fall back on the extra pace of Lockie Ferguson. How Bangladesh tackle New Zealand’s pace attack could have a big say in which way the series swings. If Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das can complement Tamim Iqbal, it will ease the pressure on Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah in the middle overs. Can Sabbir Rahman then fulfill his potential and finish the innings?Bangladesh pace attack, too, will have to step up. Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin will all have to play key roles, particularly in the slog overs. In the absence of Shakib, there is extra pressure on the inexperienced spinners Mehidy Hasan and Nayeem Hasan.

Form guide

New Zealand: LWLLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: WLWWW

In the spotlight

Matt Henry‘s four-wicket haul in the last ODI against India could help him retain his spot for the series opener against Bangladesh, who haven’t been comfortable against rapid pace away from home.Soumya Sarkar‘s unbeaten 80 against West Indies, in Bangladesh’s last ODI in Sylhet, ensured that they won the series in style. Now, he has to adapt to quite different conditions as he looks to put behind a tough BPL campaign

Team news

Martin Guptill is fit again, and is set to open with Henry Nicholls. Colin Munro has been left out of the squad for the first two matches.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Todd Astle, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent BoultBangladesh may be tempted to bring in Mohammad Saifuddin instead of Rubel Hossain, particularly in Shakib’s absence.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Liton Das, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The home side will be wary of the Napier pitch, having been bowled out for 157 by India, in the previous game here last month. Weather-wise, it is likely to be a pleasant day in McLean Park.

Stats and Trivia

• Bangladesh have lost both their previous ODIs in Napier, by big margins, during the 2007 and 2010 tours.
• Ross Taylor is 109 runs short of becoming the second New Zealander to 8,000 ODI runs.

Quotes

“We know it is going to be difficult in New Zealand but we like being the underdog. I think New Zealand know they have to play very good cricket to beat us.”
“Bangladesh are a quality side and they showed it in the Champions Trophy when they beat us in that last game.”
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill

Sunrisers Hyderabad coach says the opener, who is returning from his ball-tampering ban, had spent time preparing “mentally more than technically” for his return

Sidharth Monga in Delhi03-Apr-20192:56

David Warner has ‘unquenchable thirst for the game’ – Tom Moody

It’s like he was never gone. The most consistent batsman of the IPL, David Warner, has returned to the tournament after serving his one-year ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal like a man possessed. His first three innings back have been 85, 69 and an unbeaten 100 at an average strike rate of 176.22. In the process he has also strung together three consecutive 100-run stands with bitter Ashes rival Jonny Bairstow. His extremely emotional reaction after reaching the hundred against Royal Challengers Bangalore, in front of a doting home crowd, said a lot.Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody expected nothing less, especially when Warner had a point to prove. “[He has been] in a very good place [mentally],” Moody said. “He has come back full of enthusiasm, full of determination, and with a lot to prove. One thing David Warner – and I think all top players are the same – they have got an unquenchable thirst for the game and to have success in the game. That thirst certainly hasn’t been withdrawn by any means.”It seems the thirst has only grown in the time Warner has spent outside competitive cricket. “Yes he has had to sit out of top-flight cricket, international cricket for 12 months,” Moody said, “but David Warner has been preparing for six months for his comeback. He has played a couple of franchise tournaments over that 12-month period, he has obviously played club cricket in Sydney as well.”Okay it is not the same standard but he has been preparing more mentally more than technically. His game technically is relatively sound, so it is just a case of getting himself sorted mentally. He welcomed the start of the tournament and [a chance] for him to get back on the horse so to speak.”Moody said Warner has managed to stay positive, as always. “He has always had a very positive mindset,” he said. “He is a very determined and a resilient individual. To endure what he and [Steven] Smith and [Cameron] Bancroft have had to endure over 12 months, there has to be a lot of mental toughness, there has to be a lot of resilience, and having also a very positive mindset because you can very easily find yourself down for long periods of time.”Warner’s presence has also helped Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is leading the side in the absence of the injured Kane Williamson. “His leadership is always there and present,” Moody said. “Someone that has his experience and his knowledge around captaincy but more importantly around playing IPL cricket is invaluable.”Smith, Warner and Bancroft were banned – the first two for a year and Bancroft for nine months – for their roles in the infamous Newlands Test in March 2018, when Bancroft was caught on camera hiding yellow sandpaper in his pants. Though the ICC’s penalties were not harsh, Cricket Australia decided to take strict action and the players accepted their punishment without protest.While Smith and Bancroft have since done interviews – Smith has done an advertisement too – Warner has stayed away from public appearances. It appears he has spent the time preparing for his return.

The Mumbai Indians captain also said the team was open to resting Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya if needed, but the players preferred to keep playing

Deivarayan Muthu in Hyderabad12-May-2019With the World Cup starting on May 30, 18 days after the IPL final, workload management has been a major talking point throughout the season. Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma reckons that the demands of the IPL will help players build towards the showpiece event in England and Wales, rather than lead to burnout.Rohit cited the example of India winning the Champions Trophy in June 2013, which started about ten days after the end of the IPL that year. Rohit was in top form across both tournaments, following up his 538 runs in 19 innings for Mumbai Indians in their maiden run to the IPL title with 177 runs in five innings in the UK, helping India secure that title as well.”Once the IPL started, we knew this was the window – March and April or April and May – because of the elections,” Rohit said. “In 2013, we played the IPL and went on to play the Champions Trophy and in fact we went on to win the Champions Trophy. I feel the guys who play IPL and go play big tournaments right after that, they’re very much in touch with their game.”Rohit also said that Mumbai were open to resting key India players – fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and allrounder Hardik Pandya, who had just recovered from a back injury ahead of the IPL – at various points during the league, but the players opted against it and were instead keen to keep playing.Bumrah and Hardik are among six players to have featured in all of Mumbai’s 15 games so far this season. While Bumrah is their leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 6.84, Hardik found form – both with bat and ball – after being sidelined from the India side with multiple injuries and off-field troubles earlier this year.Hardik had missed India’s most recent ODI series against Australia, but hit the ground running this IPL. He has been Mumbai’s premier power-hitter, making 386 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 193. And he has smashed 28 sixes – only Kolkata Knight Riders’ Andre Russell (52) and Kings XI Punjab’s Chris Gayle (34) have hit more sixes this season. He has elevated his batting to an all-new plane, so much so that he can now hit yorkers – or near-yorkers – for sixes by deploying the helicopter shot.Hardik has also been at it with the ball and in the field, claiming 14 wickets and taking 11 catches.”We spoke at the start of the tournament that we will assess each one of players, see where they are at and what they feel about their bodies,” Rohit said. “It’s more an individual thing than [what] we decide for them.”In the case of Jasprit, he’s someone who likes to play games to make sure he’s in good rhythm. At the start of the tournament, we spoke that at any given stage if he feels he needs to rest, we were open to that. But our physios and trainers have monitored him quite well and there was constant feedback from Jasprit as well about he’s feeling. So far, we haven’t had issues with Jasprit and Hardik, so we continued to play them.”Before the IPL if they weren’t in great form, this is the time they can get back to form. Hardik is the best example. Before the IPL, he didn’t have a good time, was injured, and missed a few games as well. But he has been tremendous for us – both in batting and bowling. So, yeah it’s [IPL’s] a big tournament and you can judge yourself where you’re at before a big tournament like the World Cup.”

If the rain stays away, two of the best bowling units may be able to coax the ground away from its high-scoring ways

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu12-Jun-20195:04

Agarkar: Vijay should slot in at No. 4

Big Picture

Well, we won’t be seeing a repeat of that warm-up game. For one, the weather’s being a pest. The UK Met Office predicts at least 50% chance of rain in Nottingham on Thursday.But just for a moment, let’s dare to dream. We know Trent Bridge no longer entertains outlandish notions like an even contest between bat and ball. So maybe it’s a good thing that the forecast is for grey skies. It’ll add even more spectacle to what Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah can already do. This World Cup has offered some tasty cricket, especially when conditions are tilted in favour of the bowlers. And both these teams have batsmen capable of standing up to such a test.ALSO READ: Mitchell Santner – the X factor is in his instinct and his braveryIndia’s top order has been an immense strength for them but it’s been in a bit of flux heading into this game with Shikhar Dhawan injured and KL Rahul expected to take his place.That’s no big advantage to New Zealand because their opening partnership has been among the least productive since the 2015 World Cup. They rely on their middle order for most of their runs, but even there India have them beat because they have the better quality hitters. Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni are perfect to build on the typically good starts that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli give them.So, to even things out, let’s have a grey, gloomy, non-rainy, bowler-friendly day and watch who can rise above.Shikhar Dhawan and Trent Boult are in high spirits•IDI via Getty Images

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WWLLL
New Zealand: WWWWW

In the spotlight

KL Rahul has started to become an all-purpose fix-it kind of player. At Kings XI Punjab this IPL, he was given the role of anchor. For the same team in the previous IPL, he was asked to forget about everything and just go berserk. For India, he’s the back-up opener, but then showed he has the game to be their No. 4 bat. That really is the thing here. Rahul has the game – when he’s switched on he can even find a way through those nasty inswingers that keep getting him out and that’s why he’s able to adapt to all the roles given to him. Just a question of staying switched on.ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra on what India need to do to beat New ZealandTom Latham might understand those sentiments. He too is an opener by trade but has had to take up a middle order position because New Zealand needed stability there and he’s got the skills to tackle the kind of bowling most No. 5s usually face – spin, spin and more spin. Plus, he’s taken on wicketkeeping duties as well and has become a very safe presence behind the stumps.

Team news

The only question around the Indian team is who will come in at No. 4. Vijay Shankar was the first batsman to hit the nets. Is that enough of a hint that he’ll make his World Cup debut?India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Dinesh Karthik/Vijay Shankar, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahHardik Pandya plays a drive•Getty Images

Colin Munro was worked out the last time these team teams played against each other, so there may be a case of having Henry Nicholls back as opener. Plus, seeing as Tim Southee is fit, he could make a return to the XI, if only because of his record against Kohli: 188 runs, 179 balls and five dismissals.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro/ Henry Nicholls, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Colin de Grandhomme, 9 Tim Southee/Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

This game will be played on a fresh strip, one that is more centrally located and therefore helping even out the boundary distances. They’ll still be short though and that’s why most teams prefer chasing here. But if you truly do prefer setting a total, just know that, since July 8 2015, the average first innings score that’s resulted in a win is 390. #GoooooodLuck

Strategy punt

• Hardik goes at a strike rate of 114 in his first 20 balls. Out of all the batsmen that have scored at least 500 runs since the last World Cup, that is the absolute best and that is why he is so dangerous. He hits from from ball one; hits any kind of bowling from ball one. But New Zealand might just have a way to get the better of him. His head-to-head with Trent Boult reads 32 runs in 35 balls and three dismissals.
• Attack Kane Williamson with spin. He’s got a very modest record against all the options India might consider throwing at him: 53 runs in 69 balls and two dismissals against Yuzvendra Chahal, 18 runs in 25 balls and two dismissals against Kuldeep Yadav and 64 runs in 81 balls and two dismissals against…. drumroll please… Kedar Jadhav.

Stats and Trivia

• Kohli needs 57 runs to complete 11,000 in ODIs. And considering he’ll only be playing his 222nd innings, he will be the quickest to the mark, beating Sachin Tendulkar who took 276 innings to get there.
• Ross Taylor has been New Zealand’s best ODI player for the past couple of years – average 79 – and he’ll be ultra-crucial against India because of his record against spin: 87 runs in 101 balls and one dismissal against Chahal, 42 runs in 47 balls and no dismissals against Kuldeep

The restricted version of the DRS, however, will not comprise Hawk-Eye and UltraEdge, the two key elements of the system used in international cricket

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2019To reduce umpiring errors, the BCCI has decided to utilise what it calls “limited DRS” during the Ranji Trophy knockout matches from this season. This restricted version of the DRS will not comprise Hawk-Eye and UltraEdge, the two key elements of the system used in international cricket.Saba Karim, BCCI’s general manager of cricket, confirmed the development saying several captains and coaches had complained to the board about the “howlers” committed by the on-field umpires that could be avoided. “Last year, in some of the knockout matches, there was some flak on umpires because there were some terrible howlers,” Karim told ESPNcricinfo. “So we want to avoid all that and use whatever help we can get. For the knockouts in Ranji Trophy matches, we will utilise all the technology available to us as a means to apply the limited DRS to help the on-field umpires make the correct decision.”The decision to implement this limited version of the DRS was approved by the Committee of Administrators, the supervisory authority of the BCCI, in June. The CoA was told that “grievances” were raised over the umpiring standards in domestic cricket at the Captains and Coaches Conclave recently and it was felt that the limited DRS could “reduce the occurrences” of bad decision-making.One example of such controversial decision-making occurred during the last Ranji Trophy semi-final between Karnataka and Saurashtra in Bengaluru when Cheteshwar Pujara got reprieved twice – once in each innings – and that eventually cost the hosts a spot in the final.Karim said he would have a “brainstorming session” with the match officials, including umpires and referees, along with the board’s broadcasting team to understand the “extent” to which the available technology can be used.According to Karim, 18-20 cameras are used during the broadcast of a match on TV or on the digital platform, and these would be utilised wherever possible to help the match officials adjudicate on debatable on-field umpiring calls.”We are just trying to use it as an experiment just to see how much it can be useful to domestic cricket,” Karim said. “We will use whatever cameras we can use to come to the right decision.”

An SLC security delegation to Lahore and Karachi has returned ‘very positive’ feedback, opening up the possibility of Test cricket returning to Pakistan after a decade

Umar Farooq17-Aug-2019Test cricket might just return to Pakistan later this year. Sri Lanka could be open to playing at least one Test in the country, after a security delegation visited Lahore and Karachi, and gave SLC “very positive feedback”. If everything goes to plan, Pakistan could host its first Test match since the Lahore attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in March 2009.The series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s first of the World Test Championship, was originally supposed to be played at a neutral venue, but the PCB made SLC an offer to play in Pakistan. With the offer in mind, SLC sent a security delegation headed by Mohan de Silva to assess security arrangements.The security report, ESPNcricinfo understands, was tabled on Friday in Colombo. “The feedback we got from the security team was very positive,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said. “We’ll be talking to the PCB about some alternatives before we arrive at a decision. The government will be consulted as well.”The biggest concern is understood to be obtaining the players’ consent to tour Pakistan. A Sri Lanka team played one T20I in Lahore in October 2017, but did so without a number of its prominent names. Sri Lanka’s then T20I captain, Upul Tharanga, pulled out, along with Lasith Malinga, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal and Akila Dananjaya. The team was captained by Thisara Perera, and the then SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala and sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara accompanied the side to Lahore. The brief tour was successful, and was a major stepping stone that paved the way for PCB to convince teams to play more international cricket in Pakistan.If Sri Lanka do play Test cricket in Pakistan, it will be a reciprocal gesture of sorts. The PCB was the first board to send a team to Sri Lanka following the April 21 bombings in Sri Lanka this year, a Pakistan Under-19 team touring the island a month after the attacks.A fleet of brightly decorated autorickhaws ferried the World XI players inside the GaddafI Stadium•AFP

There was no top-rung international cricket in Pakistan for six years, following the 2009 Lahore attack, but since 2015, the country has hosted limited-overs games featuring Zimbabwe (2015), World XI (2017), Sri Lanka (2017) and West Indies (2018) apart from a number of Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches. A number of high-profile players have been part of these tours; the World XI side, for instance, was coached by Andy Flower and included five players from South Africa – including Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla – three from Australia, two from West Indies and one player each from England, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.These matches have made some headway towards changing the perception of Pakistan among potential visiting teams, and recently the PCB managing director Wasim Khan presented the country’s case before the MCC World Cricket Committee. He emphasised the importance of bringing international cricket back to Pakistan, and invited the MCC to visit.”It was a very positive meeting with the MCC,” Wasim said. “Shane Warne, Kumar Sangakkara and Mike Gatting, the chair of the committee, were present there. They wanted to me to present on the current security in the country, along with what impact playing no international cricket here has had, and what can be done to restore it.”I am very, very confident that we will have an MCC team touring us in the near future. But, there are some matters related to security that need to be covered before they send their team. We will work very closely with the MCC to make sure that the tour happens.”The MCC World Cricket Committee, headed by Gatting, expressed its support to see the resumption of tours to the nation after 10 years, and said the MCC would be interested in sending a touring team of its own by way of re-opening the door – final security checks pending as ever.

Gavaskar felt Pant must work on his shot selection, but said the young player should not let outside opinions affect him too much

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2019Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes India could send Rishabh Pant in at No. 5 in limited-overs cricket to allow the wicketkeeper-batsman to play his aggressive, natural game. Pant was the subject of a debate last week, after India’s newly appointed batting coach Vikram Rathour said the wicketkeeper-batsman was among a set of young players who needed to be more disciplined in their game plan. Rathour pointed out that “there is a fine line between fearless cricket and careless cricket”.The day after Rathour’s comments, Pant’s discipline and shot selection were in the spotlight again, in the second T20I against South Africa in Mohali, where he deposited a leg-stump short-of-a-length ball into the hands of short fine leg.

Watch cricket on ESPN+

India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune into the third T20I and three Tests.
Sunday, Sep 22, 9.20 am ET on ESPN+: India v SA, 3rd T20, Bengaluru)

In Mohali, Pant came in at No. 4, a position the Indian team management placed him at even during the World Cup. In the semi-final against New Zealand, Pant heaved the ball to cow corner just as he was in the middle of building a partnership with Hardik Pandya after India’s top-order slump.Gavaskar believed playing Pant at No. 5 could release the pressure on the young batsman. “Giving him a bit of breathing space by slotting him at No. 5 could also help, for at that number he will invariably come in to bat where his aggressive batting is needed from the start rather than when he has to build his and the team’s innings,” Gavaskar wrote in . “Just like a little tweak in the grip can make a world of difference to a player as a bowler or as batsman, so also a little tweak in the batting order could change the fortunes of a player.”Like Rathour, Gavaskar felt Pant had to work on his shot selection, but said the young player should not let outside opinions affect him too much. “In Pant’s case, it’s more of a case of wrong shot selection than anything else. People talk about him getting out to the first ball in Trinidad [in India’s previous series] but those same people were [praising] his audacity in hitting the second ball he faced for a six in his debut innings [in Tests]. So the young man has to bear in mind the fickle nature of the Indian fans and play the way he knows.”With experience he will be better at shot selection and will be more consistent but right now he needs a hand around his shoulders rather than a public dressing down. The most important thing for the young man to understand is that he has to play according to the situation and not according to the expectations of the public.”Former India opener Gautam Gambhir echoed Gavaskar’s thoughts in his column for the . All the debate over his batting will just leave Pant insecure, Gambhir, who was Pant’s captain at Delhi in domestic cricket, cautioned. “It is disappointing to see the team-management using words like ‘from fearless to careless,'” he wrote. “This is no way to handle a young human resource.”What I do know is that the boy is now playing for survival rather than scoring runs. From the outside it seems that his mindset is all over the place. Someone needs to put an arm around his shoulder and tell him that he is wanted in the team.”According to Gavaskar, Pant is experiencing “second-season blues”, much like a mystery spinner whose wizardry has become predictable over time. “The talented young man is going through the second-season blues which most players go through. In the first season there’s not that much information about the player and so he can sail through without much difficulty but by the time the second season starts, there is more data and info available not just through the recorded matches but also through the cricketing grapevine. So the opposition is better primed.”