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Even in the final match of the tour, Pakistan’s concern was the same as in their first match: the batting was not up to standard

Firdose Moonda in Benoni24-Mar-2013Even in the final match of the tour, Pakistan’s concern was the same as in their first match: the batting was not up to standard. This time it was not the fault of the pitch or the bowlers. Despite the inconsistent bounce, the return of Morne Morkel, the fire of Dale Steyn, the discipline of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and the committed fielding of their opposition, Pakistan’s line-up still conspired to entangle themselves.Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat fell to a plan but everyone else from Kamran Akmal to the tail caused their own downfall. Either they picked out fielders, like Shahid Afridi did, or they chanced an arm like Akmal and Shoaib Malik.”That’s the one area which really let us down,” Misbah-ul-Haq said. “When you look at the scorecard, everybody got starts like 20s or 30s but no-one converted and made that into 70s or 80s. If the six main batsmen keep doing that, the team can’t do well. The way we started, we felt 250 would have been a good total but the shot selection was not good and there were a lot of irresponsible shots. We can only blame ourselves. The way we batted was unacceptable.”For a while, especially during the Test series, Misbah explained the batting collapses by making reference to the conditions. He said Pakistan’s line-up had not been exposed to pace and bounce in a while and that they needed a longer period of adjustment. He was not simply making excuses.Pakistan had not faced a challenge as tough as South African pitches since they played in England in 2010 so he made a valid point. They had only one tour match before starting the Test series, which obviously was not enough, and they made noticeable improvements as that went on.The same strips are not as tough a prospect as the Test matches but with two new balls and late-season surfaces which can go up and down, they still require some analysing before a batsman settled in. That’s why in the final throes of the tour, Misbah still harked back to the difficulties of “adjusting to conditions, especially for the batsmen.”It was a rare occurrence when someone gave themselves time to assess and play themselves in. Misbah himself did it twice, Kamran showed glimpses, Younis Khan tried and mostly failed and Hafeez could not even try because the bowlers had his number.Younis, and Hafeez in the opening role are two points of debate that came up throughout the series. Indications are that Younis, despite his 7,000 one-day runs, will be forced to make way for a younger batsman like Asad Shafiq and may have played his last match in coloured clothing for Pakistan.Similarly talk is rife that Hafeez will be asked to bat at No. 3 and more will be invested in Nasir Jamshed to partner Imran Farhat or Kamran Akmal at the top. Misbah would not be drawn on whether those are two of the changes Pakistan would consider ahead of the Champions Trophy but he hinted something would have to give before then. “We will have to go and look at conditions, which teams we are going to play, all of those things and then see what we need for the future.”One thing that does not need tampering with, according to Misbah, is the team’s culture. Despite their return of just three wins from nine matches across all formats on the tour, Misbah could draw some positives from the outing. “We started poorly in the Tests but we tried to come back. We made mistakes like we did today, especially in batting but the team showed some character.”They showed that even when they are down they can fight back so overall there were some positives. In South African conditions, with such a tough opposition, the team did well especially in T20s and ODIs.”

The Bangladesh delegation sent to inspect security arrangements in Pakistan is “satisfied” with the infrastructure and the BCB president has said he is keen to send the Bangladesh team on a tour

Umar Farooq in Lahore04-Mar-2012The Bangladesh delegation sent to inspect security arrangements in Pakistan is “satisfied” with the infrastructure and BCB president Mustafa Kamal has said he is keen to send the Bangladesh team on a tour of Pakistan. Now, both boards are seeking consent from the ICC to go ahead with the tour that is proposed for April this year.”After seeing all the security arrangements all of us agree and are satisfied that the security infrastructure is in place,” Kamal said at a press conference in Lahore. “Now it is my responsibility to convince my government to allow the tour and also request the ICC to approve the tour. Since the ICC governs and regulates the game we have to take this issue to them and must bring it to their notice that we want to send a team.”A nine-member delegation, headed by Kamal, had been sent on a two-day visit to Pakistan to observe a demonstration of the security plan for the proposed series. Kamal had said he was positive about the tour after a meeting in which the security plan was explained on Saturday. On Sunday, there was a full demonstration in Lahore, which involved more than 500 policemen being deployed between the Pearl Continental hotel, where the players will stay, to the Gaddafi Stadium. The Bangladeshi delegates, along with members of the PCB, including chairman Zaka Ashraf, were transported from the Pearl Continental hotel to the ground by a bus that was surrounded by two police jeeps, a police truck and several motorbikes.There were two helicopters patrolling the sky at the stadium, and a mock evacuation via helicopter was also carried out to demonstrate how players or spectators could be rescued in case of an incident. The officials observed the same security protocol that would be in place should an international match be hosted by the stadium.”We are here for three objectives,” Kamal said, “One is to see the infrastructure, second to get information about the security plan and third to see the capability to execute the plan, and definitely all of us agree that all the segments were in place.”There has been no international cricket in Pakistan since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by terrorists on March 3, 2009, following which Pakistan were also stripped of the matches they were to host during the 2011 World Cup. Kamal said the ICC might have a different outlook this time since they were being directly approached by another member board.”We will be approaching the ICC and telling them that we are keen to come to Pakistan. Here lies the difference: earlier nobody approached them, this time we will be approaching them in a positive way. We must get them engaged; we must get their consent. It is the beginning of the process [to return international cricket to Pakistan], which was stalled for the past couple of years.”There were two choppers patrolling the sky at the Gaddafi Stadium•AFP

The ICC has not sent any representatives to Pakistan for a security assessment of the proposed tour yet but will do so before it agrees to send its match officials for any games in Pakistan.Zaka Ashraf said he was optimistic that the ICC would give their consent since both countries’ boards had agreed to the tour. “I have personally met with the ICC chief; they want to see international cricket return to Pakistan, and were supportive, but the only concern was security,” Ashraf said. “Now that we have the Bangladesh security team here and they are satisfied, the ICC’s role is important.”There are two itineraries proposed for the tour, one of which includes a three-match ODI series, and the other a series of two ODIs and one Twenty20 international, to be completed in one week in April. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and Karachi’s National Stadium are the venues expected to host the matches.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Kane Richardson ripped out Queensland’s top order to help South Australia take the honours in this bottom-of-the-table clash

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2011Kane Richardson ripped out Queensland’s top order, Aaron O’Brien made sure there would be no revival with three middle and lower order wickets, as South Australia took the honours in this bottom-of-the-table clash. South Australia made a steady start, reaching 1 for 75 after their first 20 overs, and Richardson quickly made sure they would not be seriously threatened by their opposition.He had James Hopes caught second ball for a duck in his second over and followed that up with a double-strike in his fourth. Andrew Robinson holed out for 8 off the first ball before Corey Barsby edged one to the wicketkeeper off the last ball. When Nathan Reardon was bowled by Ben Edmondson for 4, Queensland was all but dead and buried at 4 for 26.Aiden Blizzard returned to complete his half-century, his 58 being the backbone of South Australia’s total of 217. Left-arm spinner O’Brien then joined the party, dismissing Joe Burns and Jason Floros in the same over and adding Michael Neser to his trophy case four overs later. Last man Luke Feldman threw his bat around to make 28 from 13 balls and shrink the margin of defeat, but after Richardson’s opening spell, that was the only variable.

Eric Simons, India’s bowling coach for the South Africa series recently, will return to India as assistant coach for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Mar-2010Eric Simons, India’s bowling coach for the home series against South Africa, will return to India as assistant coach for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. Simons, who will assist Greg Shipperd, fills the position left vacant by Australia’s David Saker, and will focus on working with the large bunch of young bowlers in the Delhi squad.”He is a very valuable resource, and has a lot to offer to our performance,” Amrit Mathur, Delhi’s chief operating officer, told Cricinfo. With Glenn McGrath deciding against returning to the IPL, Delhi’s fast bowling department will be led by the left-arm pair of Ashish Nehra and Dirk Nannes. Delhi bought Wayne Parnell, another left-arm pace bowler, at last month’s auction. But the rest of the Delhi fast bowlers are short on experience at the highest level.Simons served as South Africa’s head coach from 2002-2004 and later held various capacities at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. He also has some coaching experience in the IPL, having worked as a consultant with Ray Jennings last year for Royal Challengers Bangalore when the tournament moved to South Africa.Another reason that might have necessitated Simons’ appointment was the exit of TA Sekar, who was in charge of the bowling department for Delhi for the first two years of the IPL. Sekar, more famous for his long association with Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation, moved to Mumbai Indians after last year’s IPL.”We have Umesh Yadav, Aavishkar Salvi, Pradeep Sangwan, Yo Mahesh, Jesuraj – bowlers who require special attention in terms of their growth,” Mathur said.

South Africa are expected to play the first two T20Is in August here

AAP12-Mar-2025Darwin is on the verge of hosting international cricket for the first time in 17 years, with Cricket Australia pencilling in two T20Is against South Africa for August.Officials are expected to announce dates for the winter series later this month, with South Africa set to tour for three T20Is and as many ODIs. It is understood that the tentative plan is for Darwin to host the opening two T20Is, before a T20I and ODI are played in Cairns and the final two ODIs are held in Mackay.The schedule is not yet entirely locked in, and the matches at TIO Stadium are subject to deals being finalised. But if confirmed, it would loom as a massive boost for Darwin, which has not hosted senior international cricket since two ODIs against Bangladesh in 2008.Local officials remain hopeful the matches can be locked in.”I’ve been clear from the moment I arrived in 2023 that we’re driven to bring international cricket back to the Northern Territory,” NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dovey told AAP. “The last time we hosted international cricket was 2008 and that’s simply far too long.”The game has changed a hell of a lot since then. Just look at the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy or its return to the Olympics in LA 2028 for an example of its power and scale.”The games would also mark the first men’s T20Is played in the Northern Territory, with 107 having been played in Australia to date. In the time since Darwin last hosted an international, 536 men’s and women’s fixtures across all formats have been played in Australia at 27 different venues.Darwin has made significant moves in the late-winter window in recent years, with the growth of the Top End T20 league to include multiple BBL franchises and overseas sides. The August window also has the potential to be more appealing for international cricket in coming years, with a two-Test series against Bangladesh to be moved to the period in 2026.The north of Queensland would be expected to host at least one of those Tests, but Darwin could loom as an option for another. White-ball cricket in the window during future cycles could also help declutter the summer, and ensure no clash with the BBL.”We have an incredible winter cricket window that offers enormous benefits for both Australian cricket and the Northern Territory,” Dovey said. “We know Cricket Australia is interested in leveraging that.”We also know the NT Government sees the economic value a global sport like cricket offers, as well as the positive impact having international cricket superstars here on the ground can have on inspiring the community. Hopefully we can make this happen. It would be amazing to think we could start the international cricket summer here in Darwin.”

Manish Pandey made 42 in 31 balls after walking out at No. 7 to take KKR to a total they defended well

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-20242:02

Was sending Pandey as impact sub the right call?

Manish Pandey had been waiting for an opportunity to have a say for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2024 and finally got his chance on Friday.A top-order collapse after KKR had been asked to bat meant he went out as an impact player and scored a 31-ball 42 – it might not mean much in an IPL as high-scoring as this one, but played a huge role on the night, as KKR beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by 24 runs at the Wankhede.Pandey walked out at No. 7 with KKR tottering at 57 for 5 and his 83-run stand with Venkatesh Iyer, who top-scored with a 52-ball 70, took KKR to 169 before they bowled MI out for 145.Related

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“Certainly this impact-player rule it has specifically helped us in this game, and Manish, he’s been eyeing for an opportunity right from game one but today he got one and he capitalised on it,” KKR captain Shreyas Iyer said on the official broadcast after the game.”It was fantastic to see him go out there and basically build on the partnership with Venky, who has been phenomenal on this wicket and, yeah, we got to a commendable total. All I had to say to the boys [was] that if we have got here, we can defend it with our bowling lineup and that’s what we did.”Venkatesh, the Player of the Match, said that it was important for him and Pandey to rebuild, even if the scoring rate wasn’t much, to save the likes of Andre Russell for the death.”This is the fourth or fifth time where Manish has padded up, but this time he eventually got to bat,” Venkatesh said. “Yeah, that’s the plan obviously. With the impact-player rule, if you see a collapse, you can get a batter in, and he can add to the score.”Asked if giving up the impact-player option within the first quarter of the game was wise, Venkatesh said, “It was very important at that time. With Russell and Ramandeep [Singh] coming in a situation where they don’t play, it was better for someone like Manish to come in and accelerate. And he did well as well.”Initially, I told him it will take time to adjust to the wicket. The ball was holding up, and it was a two-paced wicket. So I told him we have the cushion of time and he is an experienced candidate. He was the one guiding me throughout the innings, how to face the bowler, which bowler to attack, [in] which situation to be aggressive – that communication was very good.”It was Venkatesh’s second half-century of IPL 2024, and his best score by far, leaving behind the 30-ball 50 he scored in KKR’s win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) early in the tournament.”I try to be a smarter cricketer,” Venkatesh said about his approach to the innings. “Everyone has the skillset but if you are smart, you can make those decisions.”It would be very easy for me to go after someone like Piyush Chawla or maybe fast bowlers, just hit them because Wankhede is known as a six-hitting ground. But the team needed me to be there till the end and I’m really happy for that.”

Lakmal, Bopara tried their best to give Colombo Kings the crown, but it wasn’t to be

Madushka Balasuriya24-Dec-2022The Jaffna Kings were crowned LPL champions for the third time in as many seasons, as yet another Avishka Fernando fifty anchored a tricky chase against a dogged Colombo Stars.He was ably assisted by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sadeera Samarawickrama – albeit in disparate styles. Gurbaz came first, bludgeoning everything in sight, but once he fell – and Afif Hossain shortly after – Sadeera took over, accumulating runs and ticking things over. It was this partnership that in end broke the spine of the chase. So much so that even a spate of late wickets couldn’t halt Jaffna’s charge.At the halfway stage though it might have been the Stars who would have been the happier of the two sides, after a late Ravi Bopara salvo had boosted his side to a competitive 163 for 5. His was a much-needed knock for Colombo, after the youthful spin pairing of Dunith Wellalage and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth had throttled the innings in the middle overs, in the process nipping in the bud a threatening stand between Dinesh Chandimal and Charith Asalanka.Stars to their credit fought every step of the way, but the two-wicket margin of victory perhaps masks to an extent Jaffna’s control over proceedings.Thisara Perera once more led the side well, and Jaffna once again seemed to be the side with the most balanced look about it. They may have lost star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, but the likes of Wellalage and Viyaskanth have stepped up while new faces such as Samarawickrama and Binura Fernando have been yet more astute picks. Credit for which should go to Thisara as well as head coach Thilina Kandamby.Asalanka and Chandimal set the toneAfter four ducks in a row, Stars had little choice but to remove Niroshan Dickwella from the starting XI, but his replacement Nishan Madushka, only brought in at the knockout stage, fared little better. On Friday, he fell off the fourth delivery of the game. But fortunately for Stars, in Asalanka and Chandimal, as well as Bopara and Angelo Mathews, they have one of the more established middle orders in the tournament. And so it proved again, as they took the attack to Kings with Chandimal and Asalanka taking apart each of Kings’ seam options, be it Thisara, Binura Fernando or Zaman Khan. It wasn’t long before Kings realised that pace-off was the way to go on a sticky surface.Wellalage and Viyaskanth pull it backEnter Wellalage and Viyaskanth, the youngest members of the Jaffna squad, whose introduction ushered a period in which just two boundaries were scored between the 6th and 15th overs. It meant Stars were forced to go after the likes of Maheesh Theekshana, with the crucial wicket of Mathews a result of this very circumstance. Aged 19 and 21 respectively, against seasoned campaigners such as Chandimal, Mathews and Bopara, the pair showed maturity and game nous that belied their years.Bopara finishes with a flourishBut in Ravi Bopara, admittedly in the twilight of his career, Stars had a very experienced campaigner. Aware that Kings would have to find a few overs at the death from somewhere after Binura had strained a muscle in his lower back while fielding, Bopara waited for his moment. As it turned out, Binura would return to bowl at the death, though his pronounced grimaces after each delivery were a dead giveaway he wasn’t at a hundred percent. Bopara would show no sympathy however, taking him for 16 in the 18th over, before hitting 12 off Theekshana in the next. He was ably assisted by Mohammed Nabi, who would also launch Binura down the ground at the start of the 20th over. Binura would succumb to the pressure with a series of wides outside off, as Stars took 17 off the final over and 61 off the final five.Gurbaz goes bangIf Stars’ innings had the manner of a side figuring things out as they went along, Kings came out with a clear game plan, exemplified by Gurbaz’s early blitz. He may have been around for only 18 deliveries, but his 36, replete with four boundaries and two sixes, would shed any nerves Kings might have head in approaching a tricky chase. The explosive Afghan would go straight after Kasun Rajitha in the very first over, before punishing Stars’ hesitancy in replacing the injured Seekkuge Prasanna mid-over; the leg spinner would bowl only two deliveries on one leg, but Gurbaz plundered them for 10 runs. By the time Gurbaz fell, the required rate had dropped to seven an over, and while this would fluctuate throughout the innings, mentally the Kings knew then it was their game to loseAvishka and Sadeera steer the chaseAfif followed Gurbaz, but his brief stint in the middle was one crying for a merciful end. When it eventually did come, in walked Sadeera – Kings’ man for every occasion. While Avishka hunkered down happy to rotate the striker, Sadeera took it upon himself to find at least a boundary each over. Whether it was cheeky dabs down to third man, delicate paddle sweeps, or scything pulls to deep midwicket, Sadeera proved adept at finding runs when needed. He would fall with still 36 to get off 30, but by then the target was well in hand – a fact not even a flurry of wickets at the death could alter. Sadeera would fittingly cap off the evening by taking home the player of the series award. As for Avishka, it’s a second LPL final in a row he’s starred in, and with 339 runs it was no surprise he was adjudged player of the tournament as well.Viyaskanth’s momentVijayakanth Viyaskanth has had to wait patiently for his big break. Yes, there was excitement when he was drafted to play for Jaffna in the inaugural LPL – after all a player from the north of Sri Lanka was something many a fan had been eagerly looking forward to following the end of the civil war – but Viyaskanth would barely get a game over two seasons, stuck behind none other than Wanindu Hasaranga. But when Hasaranga departed to Kandy Falcons ahead of this season, Viyaskanth was finally handed his chance. Thirteen wickets and an emerging player of the tournament award later, safe to say, he’s more than grabbed it. And while he would go wicketless in the final, it was fitting that it would be the boy from Jaffna Central College was at the crease when the winning runs were scored.

Lenham is the fourth frontline spinner in the Brave squad but is in contention to make his debut against Invincibles

Matt Roller16-Aug-2021Southern Brave have signed Archie Lenham, the 17-year-old Sussex legspinner, as a last-minute replacement for the injured Liam Dawson and included him in the squad for their winner-takes-all fixture against Oval Invincibles on Monday night.Earlier this summer, Lenham became the first player to make an appearance in the T20 Blast who was born after the competition’s inception in 2003 and went on to take ten wickets in nine group games with an economy rate of 7.71. His father, Neil, and grandfather, Leslie, were both former Sussex players.Lenham is the fourth frontline spinner in the Brave squad after Danny Briggs, Jake Lintott and Max Waller – who was unavailable for their last game against Welsh Fire after becoming a parent – but is in contention to make his debut against Invincibles as a surprise late pick.Dawson was ruled out of the competition last week after fracturing a finger on his right hand when Phil Salt hit a ball straight back at him during the no-result against Manchester Originals at Emirates Old Trafford. “Hopefully back to normal in 4-6 weeks,” he tweeted.The winner of Monday night’s game will join Trent Rockets and Birmingham Phoenix in the knockout stages of the men’s competition, with the loser eliminated.

Challenged to retain their fitness during lockdown, they resolved to give themselves a target and a motive

George Dobell02-Jul-2020England’s first-class umpires have set themselves the target of walking to Lahore and back – virtually, at least – before the county season begins.Challenged to retain their fitness during lockdown by Chris Kelly, the umpires’ manager at the ECB, they resolved to give themselves both a target and a motive. They eventually decided, therefore, to walk between them the equivalent distance from the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester and back. That is 9,436 miles.They also hope that effort will inspire people to make charitable contributions. The three charities benefiting from their efforts are the British Asian Trust, Prostate Cancer UK and the Professional Cricketers’ Trust.There are 33 umpires involved – that includes those on the ICC’s elite and international panels, as well as those on fulltime ECB contracts and the reserve list – with Hassan Adnan, who is currently averaging around 90 miles a week and is approaching 350 miles in total, leading the way at present. David Milnes, on 226 miles, is in second place. In the 28 days since the exercise started, they have walked 4,537 miles. For more details, please visit The First-Class Walk’s Facebook page”GPS data and heartrate monitors from the 2015 season suggested we walked about 10,000 miles between us in a season,” one of the umpires, Paul Baldwin, told ESPNcricinfo. “We were challenged to ensure we were ready for the season and this came about.”We’re on course to complete our target on July 27 – a few days before the season begins – but we’ve now decided to carry on throughout August and see how far we can go.”The first on-field data was added last week when Michael Gough and Alex Wharf, the umpires for the West Indies’ warm-up game in Manchester, contributed 31.89 miles in three days.”Meanwhile, the former Surrey keeper, James Knott, is embarking on a challenge of his own to raise funds for charity. Knott, who is now head of cricket at Stowe School and whose father Alan is generally regarded as one of the best keepers in the history of the game, is aiming to walk every minute of play during the first Test of the England v West Indies series in the hope of raising funds for the PCA Trust and the NHS Covid-19 appeal. Details can be found here.

Batting coach admits to his side being taken aback by Sri Lanka’s relentless attack with the ball

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Port Elizabeth22-Feb-2019South Africa were “complacent” heading into this Sri Lanka series. This is not the opinion of reporters, fans, or commentators, but that of the team’s own batting coach Dale Benkenstein, after he watched his team collapse to 128 all out on the second day in Port Elizabeth.Right through the series, South Africa have been modest with the bat, recording a highest-score of 259 across four completed innings. No South Africa batsman has hit a hundred, and only Faf du Plessis, Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock have managed half-centuries.”We came in a little bit complacent,” Benkenstain said. “We addressed that, but it’s still very important to have the right attitude coming into a series. We say all the right things, but when you go in thinking we’ll probably have enough to beat the Sri Lankan side, I think it’s a dangerous place to be. We had two days in between series. It’s a full-on summer so you don’t have time to prepare. You can’t change what is really inside you.”Benkenstein praised the Sri Lanka attack, whom he said had bowled with skill, and whom South Africa have repeatedly said they have been surprised by. But although Benkenstein thought some of South Africa’s dismissals were the result of good opposition bowling, there were plenty that weren’t he said.”We have not been at our best – after a pretty disappointing first game as well – against a side that we did not know a lot about. There wasn’t a lot of footage with which to analyse them. You have to give credit to the Sri Lankan bowlers. They’ve shown good skill, but we’ve given them soft wickets at crucial times. I keep thinking that it will be sorted out in the next innings.”We’ve been pretty strong mentally, we came up against some very good bowling attacks and we scored enough runs to win those series. So I can’t really put my finger on what’s gone wrong now, but it’s been a long, full-on summer and the guys are only human, there may be a slight lack of energy.”On what will almost certainly be the final day of the series, on Saturday, South Africa are now in a position where they must take eight wickets (possibly only seven, if the injured Lasith Embuldeniya does not bat). They haver 137 runs to defend.”The game is still on the line and if we can have a good hour first thing tomorrow morning (Saturday) then we could make it hard for them to get the runs. There’s a little bit still there in the pitch and we have good bowlers. Sri Lanka have fought hard and put us under pressure, but overall the cricket has not been good, especially the batting – from both teams.”