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Fractured thumb cuts short Ferguson's Sri Lanka tour

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New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the ongoing T20 series against Sri Lanka with a fractured thumb. Ferguson sustained the injury at training on Friday, while fielding. X-rays revealed a “small fracture to the middle joint”, according to an official release.”It’s a shame for Lockie to have to miss this series, especially coming off the back of such an impressive World Cup campaign in England,” said head coach Gary Stead. Ferguson had been the second-highest wicket-taker in the series, with 21 dismissals.”The thumb has been put in a splint and is expected to take four to six weeks to recover; so we’re optimistic he’ll be available for the five-game T20 series against England, which starts on November 1.”While New Zealand don’t have a spare fast bowler on tour – Tim Southee, Seth Rance and Scott Kuggeleijn the only frontline quicks in the 14-man squad – the team will not name a replacement for Ferguson, Stead said.New Zealand play three T20s against Sri Lanka in all, on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. There are no ODIs on this tour.

Edulji, Rangaswamy join selectors in questioning support staff appointments

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Former India women captains Diana Edulji and Shanta Rangaswamy have pulled up the BCCI management over the appointments of ad-hoc assistant coaches for the Indian women’s team, which they pointed out were done without the consent of the women’s selection committee.On Friday, both women sent separate e-mails to BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri objecting to the process involved in appointing the support staff. While Edulji called the process a “sham”, Rangaswamy questioned why there were no women being appointed.Edulji is part of the committee of administrators (CoA), which is the supervisory authority of the board till a fresh elected administration takes charge. Rangaswamy will be part of that new administration after being elected as one of the two representatives from the Indian Cricketers’ Association to sit on the Apex Council.The development comes a day after the women’s selection committee sent an email to Johri asking why the five-woman panel was not consulted before Narendra Hirwani was appointed the bowling coach and T Dilip was installed as the fielding coach for India’s forthcoming tour of West Indies.The Caribbean trip comprises three ODIs followed by five T20Is between November 1 and 20. The head coach of the team is former India opening batsman WV Raman, who was shortlisted by an ad-hoc cricket advisory committee that incidentally featured Rangaswamy.According to the , the email to Johri was sent by Hemalata Kala, the chairman of the senior women’s selection committee, and was signed by the four other selectors comprising Sudha Shah, Anjali Pendharkar, Shashi Gupta and Lopamudra Banerjee. Kala and her colleagues wanted to know why they were not consulted before the BCCI management finalised the support staff including the appointment of a trainer, as well as renewing the contract of the physiotherapist.Diana Edulji and Vinod Rai emerge from a CoA meeting•Getty Images

Incidentally, the selectors were asked by the BCCI management to conduct interviews on Friday for the post of the video analyst that would travel for the West Indies series. However, in her email to Johri, Edulji pointed out that Pushkar Sawant, who works as an analyst at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), had already been booked on the flight to the Caribbean after he was chosen by Saba Karim, BCCI’s general manager of cricket.”I am shocked reading the article quoting the email from Women Selectors to you regarding the sham process being followed for selection of the video analyst,” Edjulji said in her e-mail, seen by ESPNcricinfo. “It is even more worrisome that the person Mr Pushkar Sawant, wanted by Saba and NCA is already booked on the flight to West Indies. The whole process looks like an eyewash.”Although Johri is at the top of the BCCI management tree, women’s cricket falls under the purview of Karim, the former India wicketkeeper and former national men’s selector. It is understood that on October 1, the coaching and support staff appointment for the women’s team was discussed at a meeting of the committee of administrators (CoA) along with Karim and Johri. Also present at the meeting was former India captain Rahul Dravid, who is director of cricket at the NCA.According to one of the officials present at the meeting, Dravid agreed with the BCCI management viewpoint that ad-hoc assistant coaches for the women’s team were fine as they could be picked based on the conditions. However, Edulji argued that the BCCI rules dictate that only the selection committee could appoint any support staff. It is believed that Dravid then said that the process should be followed.Edulji noted that Karim had defied “repeated instructions” because he wanted to “place” people in positions without “due process.” Edulji said Karim’s actions amounted to “insubordination” and said that rules had to be followed. If not, Johri was equally “culpable” she pointed out. “This is the National Indian Team that is travelling and such shabby treatment is being doled out to them. I wonder if you would do this to the men’s team.”Edulji also told Johri she had received the email Rangaswamy had sent him overnight saying “established practices” concerning coaching and support staff appointment were being bypassed “deliberately by the powers that be” to “accommodate” the people they had shortlisted.Rangaswamy told ESPNcricnfo that she was forced to write that email after she had a word with Kala on Thursday. “The selectors were not even aware of the appointments,” Rangaswamy said. “It seems they did it purposely to accommodate person(s) of someone’s choice.”Rangaswamy said she also wanted to understand the policy of BCCI appointing men to take lead coaching roles of various women’s teams. “Are they averse to women in coaching? As far as possible they must encourage the women (coaches) with the women’s team. If you don’t have sufficient women capable of handling, but when they are equipped and willing why are we not giving them the opportunities?”Rangaswamy presented two examples of women coaches leading India successfully. In 2005 Sudha Shah, who is on the senior women’s selection panel currently, was the head coach when India finished runner-up at the ODI World Cup. Then former India batsman Purnima Rau was the head coach when the Indian women won the one-off Tests in England (in July) and then at home in November against South Africa. Rau was also in charge when India beat New Zealand to win the ODI series at home in 2015.Rangaswamy said she had nothing personal against any individual in the BCCI. She reiterated that stance when Karim and Johri spoke to her on Friday, assuring her that the process set in the BCCI constitution would be followed.Johri was not available for comment, but it is understood that the management wanted the best qualified hands to oversee the Indian women teams. One official said that as much he agrees with the point that women coaches need to be given exposure, one could just not blindly allow former women players to take key jobs without due consideration.Rangaswamy said that players like Neetu David and Nooshin al Kadeer, who had enough experience and pedigree, could be part of the system and given some coaching roles including at the NCA. “Let them train under Raman or at the NCA zonal camps.”

Sarah Taylor retires from international cricket

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Sarah Taylor, one of the most talented wicketkeepers in the history of the game, has announced her retirement from international cricket, having struggled in recent years with a long-term anxiety issue.Taylor, 30, made her England debut as a 17-year-old in 2006, and went on to make 226 appearances all told. Her tally of 6,533 international runs places her second on England Women’s all-time list of run-scorers, behind her long-term captain, Charlotte Edwards.In the course of her career, Taylor played key roles in some of England Women’s most memorable triumphs, including the World Cup and World T20 triumphs in 2009, and the unforgettable home World Cup win in 2017, in which she produced key innings of 54 and 45 in England’s semi-final and final victories over South Africa and India respectively.However, Taylor will undoubtedly be remembered primarily for her work behind the stumps. Her tally of 232 dismissals across formats is a record for women’s internationals, but the style and skill of many of her takes have marked her out as one of the most naturally gifted wicketkeepers of any gender and any era.The speed of her glovework was matched by her instinct for where the ball was going, not least when pulling off leg-side stumpings, a mode of dismissal which became her trademark when standing up to England’s seamers.But in recent years Taylor’s anxiety has affected her ability to enjoy the game, and having taken an extended break after England’s semi-final defeat at the World T20 in India in 2016, her appearances had been carefully managed – with her belated recall for the 2017 World Cup offset by her absence from last year’s World T20 in the Caribbean.”This has been a tough decision but I know it’s the right one,” said Taylor. “For me and for my health moving forward. I can’t thank my team-mates enough, both past and present, and the ECB for being supporters and friends along my journey.ALSO READ: Taylor interview: ‘I couldn’t handle being the best because the only way was down'”Playing for England and getting to wear the shirt for so long has been a dream come true and I have been blessed with so many great moments throughout my career. From making my debut in 2006, to Ashes wins, and of course the World Cup final at Lord’s, to name just a few.”I’ve also been blessed with travelling the world and making lifelong friends along the way.”Taylor’s final international appearance came during this summer’s drawn Ashes Test at Taunton, when she scored 5 in her solitary innings before withdrawing from the T20 leg of the series to manage her anxiety issues.England’s disappointing showing in the Ashes – they lost the points-based series 14-4, with a solitary win in the seven matches – led to the resignation of Mark Robinson, the hugely respected head coach who had been so integral in helping Taylor balance her priorities in overcoming her anxiety.Nevertheless, Taylor’s integral role in helping to grow the profile of women’s cricket, not least through her unique and stylish talents, cannot be understated.”To be right in the thick of women’s cricket as it’s gone from strength to strength – not only in England, but across the world – has been an amazing experience,” she said, “and I can look back on what women’s cricket has achieved with great pride at playing some small part in it.”The England girls are role models on and off the field, and they have undoubtedly inspired – and will continue to inspire – so many young people to take up the game, girls and boys. I can’t wait to see the heights that this team can reach.”I am extremely proud of my career. I leave with my head held high and with excitement for what my future holds and what my next chapter brings.”Clare Connor, ECB Managing Director of Women’s Cricket, said: “Sarah can be immensely proud of everything she has achieved in an England shirt, and of everything she has done for the women’s game.”She is someone that young people can look up to, for her achievements and talent on the pitch – but also for her bravery and resilience off it. She has come through significant adversity and performed on the world stage for her country.”We are very grateful to Sarah for her contributions to English cricket over the last 13 years. She has become a powerful voice within women’s sport and I’m sure she will make a success of the next stage of her professional life. We all wish her the very best.”

Karnataka's winning streak ends at 15

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Sialkot Stallions, 25 wins, 2006-10
Competition: National T20 CupLong before Shoaib Malik became a sought-after allrounder in T20 leagues around the world, he was a serial match-winner for his regional T20 side in Pakistan: Sialkot Stallions. Stallions’ stunning streak comprised five consecutive National T20 Cup titles, a feat unlikely to be bettered given how competitive the circuit has become in modern times. If the low-profile nature of a domestic T20 competition makes it sound like a mean feat, its superlative nature is emphasised by the fact that no other T20 side has come anywhere close in the decade since then.With a core comprising players who featured in Pakistan’s run to the inaugural World T20 final in 2007 – Malik, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Asif and Abdur Rehman – they were clinical in dispatching all comers through that five-year run. A significant part of their winning streak came under Nazir’s leadership, when they won all 13 of their games between 2006 and 2009. Stallions’ streak made them the first Pakistan side to be invited to the Champions League, in 2012, where they did not make it past the abbreviated qualifying stage. They would go on to win the 2011-12 edition under Malik, but that was the end of their golden age.Karnataka, 15 wins, 2018-19
Competition: Syed Mushtaq Ali TrophyIt is rare in any T20 competition these days for a side to go through an entire tournament without being beaten, but that’s exactly what Karnataka did in the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 competition, away from the glitz and hype of the IPL. While they are blessed with a number of players who have made the step up to India colours, it was Karnataka’s youngsters who stepped up through the tournament. The tournament’s top run-getter Rohan Kadam and their highest wicket-taker V Koushik were both stars from the local Karnataka Premier League, while big names like Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair stepped up in big games towards the business end.The 2019-20 edition of the tournament kicked off on Friday, and there was no change in the team’s attitude – ruthless and clinical – as they ran out nine-wicket victors in Visakhapatnam. Abhimanyu Mithun and Shreyas Gopal picked up two wickets each to stop Uttarakhand at 132 for 6, and Kadam, continuing his own streak, hit 67 not out and Devdutt Padikkal, another promising youngster, hit 53 not out to seal the chase in 15.4 overs. Luck ran out against Baroda, though, as captain Kedar Devdhar’s quick half-century and left-arm quick Meriwala’s five-wicket haul trumped Karnataka.Otago, 15 wins, 2012-13
Competitions: New Zealand Domestic T20 (HRV Cup), Champions League T20Otago, led by the vastly experienced Derek de Boorder, were a cut above the rest of the teams in the six-team competition at home, starting with a 24-run loss to Northern Districts but then recording nine consecutive wins in the league stage and then topping Wellington by four wickets in the final.That took their streak to ten in a row, which they extended to 15 after reaching India later in 2013 for the Champions League T20 tournament.They started in the qualifiers. First up, Brendon McCullum hit a 65-ball 83 not out to give them victory against Faisalabad Wolves, then came a Ryan ten Doeschate starrer, as he picked up two wickets and then smashed 64 in 32 balls in a big win over Kandurata Maroons, and the other McCullum, Nathan, then led a brilliant bowling display to give Otago victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad.All those games were played in Mohali, and Otago made it 14 when they beat Perth Scorchers in Jaipur in the main competition next, Neil Broom’s 117 not out in 56 balls leading their cause. It could have been tricky for them had their match against eventual champions Mumbai Indians – before the one against the Scorchers – not been washed out, but they did go on to win the one-over eliminator against Lions to get to 15 after that before going down to Rajasthan Royals.Kolkata Knight Riders, 14 wins, 2014
Competitions: Indian Premier League, Champions League T20Kolkata Knight Riders were down and out in IPL 2014 with four points after seven matches when the tournament’s most storied winning streak began. Away from their familiar home conditions at Eden Gardens till the 47th game of the tournament, thanks to the 2014 parliamentary elections, they struggled to get going, first in the UAE and then at different makeshift venues around the country. Robin Uthappa, shifted up to the top of the order, smashed his way to the top of the run chart, Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav led the pace attack, while the spinners – Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Piyush Chawla – starred with the ball to revive their winning formula.If they were unstoppable in the latter stages of the IPL, their continued dominance in the Champions League makes the case for this to be the most comprehensive winning streak in T20 franchise history. They beat the champions of Australia (Perth Scorchers), Pakistan (Lahore Lions) and South Africa’s second-best team (Dolphins) on their way to the final, where Chennai Super Kings ended their run at 14 games.

Buttler, Stokes and Archer back for South Africa T20Is, no room for Root

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England have named four uncapped players in their ODI squad to face South Africa, while recalling the likes of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer for the T20I series to follow. Moeen Ali and Jason Roy return in both white-ball formats after being rested for the New Zealand tour, but there was no room in the T20I squad for Joe Root.Tom Banton, Pat Brown, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson have all been picked in 50-over cricket for the first time – though only Brown and Parkinson retained their T20I spots. Of the group that beat New Zealand 3-2 last month, Sam Billings, James Vince and Lewis Gregory also miss out.The three-match ODI series, starting on February 4 at Cape Town, will be England’s first involvement in the format since lifting the World Cup in July. Eoin Morgan remains as captain, with Dawid Malan winning a recall after his excellent T20I form and Chris Jordan and Sam Curran also included, having last won ODI caps in 2016 and 2018 respectively.The squad contains eight members of the World Cup-winning group. Mark Wood is also rested, alongside Buttler, Stokes and Archer; Liam Dawson has once again been overtaken by Joe Denly as the spinning allrounder; and England appear to have moved on from Vince and Liam Plunkett.The four new faces were all involved, to varying degrees of success, in New Zealand. Banton scored 56 runs in three innings, at a strike rate of 164.70, Parkinson claimed a four-wicket haul in his second game, while Brown and Mahmood picked up three wickets each. In List A cricket, Banton scored two hundreds as Somerset won the 2019 Royal London Cup; Lancashire’s Mahmood was the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 28 at 18.50.England will also play three T20Is in South Africa and they have prioritised the shortest format ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. The absence of Root suggests his chances of involvement are receding, with England well-stocked for top-order batting options.”These two squads were selected with an eye on the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020,” England’s national selector, Ed Smith, said. “In the T20s, a number of players who were rested for the successful 3-2 victory in New Zealand return to the squad: Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Jason Roy.”We want to expand the pool of players who can perform successfully for England, while also helping the team to peak for major tournaments.”England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matthew Parkinson, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Chris WoakesEngland T20I squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood

India thrash Japan inside 30 overs, Scotland lose again

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ScorecardIndia took under two hours to bowl Japan out for 41, the joint-second-lowest total in the history of the Under-19 World Cup, and then took just 29 balls to chase the target down and secure their second win in Group A and virtually confirm their place in the quarter-finals.Legspinner Ravi Bishnoi, who was recently bought by Kings XI Punjab for IPL 2020, took 4 for 5, including two wickets in his first two deliveries, to wreck Japan’s middle order. Right-arm seamer Kartik Tyagi also took three wickets, of which two came with the new ball. Left-arm pacer Akash Singh collected two lower-order wickets while Vidyadhar Patil, playing his first game of the tournament, had one as the Indians were all over Japan.The highest contribution to Japan’s total – 19 – came from extras, of which 12 were wides as India’s new-ball bowlers looked for the yorker but erred in line, making wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, the birthday boy, to dive and scramble time and again.Opener Shu Noguchi and No. 8 Kento Dobell top-scored for Japan with seven apiece while five batsmen were out for ducks.Bishnoi was clearly the pick of the Indian bowlers, using his wrong’uns frequently and clean bowling two top-order Japanese batsmen in similar fashion.Tyagi and Singh initially bowled outside off, looking to get some movement, but seeing that the Japan openers weren’t to be tempted, soon changed their line to full and straight. That paid off for Tyagi, whose yorker knocked over Japan captain Marcus Thurgate. He then welcomed No. 3 Neel Date with another yorker and the batsman was trapped lbw for a duck. The total of 14 for 2 soon became 14 for 4 after Bishnoi’s introduction, and by the time Japan reached 19 they had lost seven wickets. A 13-run partnership between Dobell and No. 9 Maximillian Clements (5) took Japan past what is the lowest-ever Under-19 World Cup score [22, for Scotland against Australia in 2004], but then Singh and Tyagi returned to finish the innings for the same total that Canada managed against South Africa in 2002.Kumar Kushagra, who also played his first game of the tournament, opened the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal during the reply. Jaiswal struck five fours and the game’s only six in his 18-ball 29 while Kushagra chipped in with 13 in 11 deliveries. Shashwat Rawat, the other India player appearing in his first game, ended up playing no major part in the match.Rakibul Hasan ran through the Scotland lower order•ICC via Getty

ScorecardAnother poor batting performance meant another heavy defeat for Scotland in Group C of the Under-19 World Cup, as they lost by seven wickets to Bangladesh in Potchefstroom, the same margin as their loss to Pakistan earlier.Batting first after winning the toss, like they had against Pakistan, Scotland again got off to a wobbly start, losing four wickets for just 21 runs before fighting back a bit through Uzzair Shah and Daniel Cairns. Uzzair was the dominant partner in the 31-run stand, with Cairns contributing just 7 runs in 37 balls, but it helped Scotland hold Bangladesh off for a while.Uzzair continued till the 28th over before becoming the ninth man out for 28, but by then left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan, the Player of the Match, had started to weave his magic, tying the batsmen up in knots and running through the lower order. Jamie Cairns did hit a quick 17, but there was no stopping Hasan as he returned 4 for 20 in just five-and-a-half overs.The reply from Bangladesh wasn’t all smooth, as they lost Tanzid Hasan off the first ball of the innings, caught behind off Sean Fischer-Keogh, who went on to pick up all three wickets to fall in the chase. But there wasn’t a lot of penetration from the rest of the bowlers, and Parvez Hossain (25 in 15 balls) and Mahmudul Hasan (35* in 48) made sure Bangladesh earned full points, finishing the job in 16.4 overs.

Babar Azam and Umaid Asif put the royal seal on Karachi Kings' victory

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In the hunt for what would have been just the fourth successful 200-plus chase in PSL history, Darren Sammy and Liam Livingstone nearly got Peshawar Zalmi over the line. But excellent death bowling from Umaid Asif in the final over ensured that Karachi Kings held on for a thrilling 10-run win at the National Stadium on Friday afternoon.The Kings’ victory was set up by a brilliant 97-run partnership between Babar Azam and Imad Wasim. They got together after Cameron Delport fell in the ninth over to a sharply turning googly from Mohammad Mohsin and supercharged the Kings innings. It took an excellent piece of hustle from Tom Banton to run Azam out and break the stand in the 18th over. But by then, the home side had 170 on the board and Iftikhar Ahmed blasted a four and two sixes off the only three balls he faced to put an even more emphatic stamp on proceedings.Babar Azam turns into the leg side•Associated Press

Chris Jordan struck a pair of early blows in the chase, getting Banton lbw on review and yorking Haider Ali three balls later. But Kamran Akmal led a revival with 43 off 26 balls before handing the keys over to Livingstone in the 10th over. Zalmi already needed to score two runs a ball at that stage, but Livingstone and Sammy somehow kept up with the rate.Then, needing 16 to win off the final over, with Sammy on strike, Zalmi’s boundaries dried up as Asif kept the batsmen off balance with an array of slower balls and cutters bowled into the pitch.Turning pointAsif produced a phenomenal effort in the final over, culminating in a sensational return catch to dismiss Sammy.After a pair of singles and a two brought the equation down to 12 off 3 balls, he banged one in short and outside off. The batsman skied an attempted pull over short midwicket. Asif stopped in his follow-through, changed direction, circled back 20 yards to his right, then lunged forward to complete a very difficult catch.On strike for the penultimate ball, needing a pair of sixes to win, Livingstone flubbed a knee-high full toss tamely into the covers for a single to effectively seal victory for the Kings.Star of the dayAzam played a special knock to lead the Kings’ recovery after they had been sent in to bat. He was especially fluent through the off side, finding a majority of his seven fours and two sixes there, including perhaps the shot of the day, a blistering six over extra cover off Hasan Ali in the 15th over.When Wasim started to accelerate alongside him, Azam was happy to rotate the strike and would almost certainly have carried on to reach three-figures if not for Banton’s excellence.The big missBy umpire Richard Illingworth. Banton has been a rampaging menace on the T20 circuit over the last year. But Jordan had him foxed with a clever offcutter two balls into the fourth over which the batsman swung over the top of to be trapped deep in his crease and in front of middle stump. Jordan flew into an appeal and was borderline apoplectic when Illingworth turned it down. Wasim wasted little time in calling for a review and DRS showed the delivery taking out middle stump three quarters of the way up, allowing the decision to be corrected.Where the teams standKings moved level with Quetta Gladiators at the top of the table on two points after two games. Zalmi joined Islamabad United on zero points, alongside Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars who are set to play their opening games later on Friday.

Shafali Verma's stunning 49 off 28 outshines Ashleigh Gardner's 93

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A stunning innings by the 16-year-old wunderkind Shafali Verma launched India Women on the way to a dramatic victory over the T20 World Cup favourites Australia. In doing so they announced their genuine candidacy for the global tournament and also ensured the hosts need to beat England at the Junction Oval on Sunday to qualify for the final of the triangular series that is proving to be a bruising warm-up for the event.Verma’s 49 off 28 balls, combined with a calming 55 off 48 from her opening partner Smriti Mandhana, were the difference as India ran down Australia’s 5 for 173 with two balls to spare. The hosts had appeared well-placed at the innings break after Ashleigh Gardner’s powerful 93 off 57 balls with support from Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney, but a halting last few overs proved costly as India went on the charge from the very first over of their chase.With Verma batting fearlessly and Mandhana providing key support, there was further support from Jemimah Rodrigues, before captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma helped India to their highest successful chase in the format. With two losses in three T20Is, this is the first time the Australians have struggled to this extent since 2017 when they lost four out of five.Gardner builds after first over dramasLate-comers to the Junction Oval missed a dramatic start to the afternoon as Alyssa Healy’s survival of a missed stumping cost India precisely one ball. Deepti’s offbreak lured Healy down the pitch out of what seemed idle curiosity as much as intent to score, and a lack of turn saw the ball pass the bat. But Taniya Bhatia was unable to collect the ball cleanly, allowing Healy to scramble back into her crease and reset – for a moment.The very next delivery was dragged down short, only to be tugged straight to midwicket by Healy as India celebrated their good fortune. Gardner walked out to join Beth Mooney, and there were a few more nervy moments as a few lofted shots landed just out of reach of the fielders. These near-misses soon gave way to cleaner blows as Gardner unfurled her power game in the fashion that has prompted Australia to use her at No. 3. Mooney was content to rotate the strike, and when she perished to a Harleen Deol full-toss, Meg Lanning offered similar support, albeit speckled with a few more boundaries.Haynes, Perry splutter at the finishIndia’s fielding display was far from the standard required, exemplified by the missed stumping to start with and several other clear missed chances besides. Gardner made merry as a result, piling up 11 boundaries and three sixes while adding 62 in 47 balls with Mooney and then a whip-cracking 79 in 42 balls with Lanning. That stand meant that the Australians looked ready to launch at 2 for 141 with 29 balls remaining, but the exits of Lanning for 37 and then Gardner, much to her chagrin, for 93, signalled a loss of acceleration.Ashleigh Gardner plays a cut•Getty Images

Ellyse Perry and Rachael Haynes added 22 together but took 19 balls to do it, even with one mighty six from Perry in the final over bowled by Rajeshwari Gayakwad. They also survived another Indian fielding muck-up, this time a comedy of errors when it appeared easier to run out one of Perry or Haynes than neither. In the end, Perry was lbw when she moved too far across the stumps on the penultimate ball of the innings.Verma’s shots heard round the worldOn what had dried out into a beautiful batting pitch, the tourists had a chance provided they got a swift start. “Swift” proved to be too mild an adjective for the hurricane that was Verma, who took a hyper-aggressive approach from the very first over of the chase and was rewarded with a series of boundaries. The opening overs read like a list of cricket teams and squads: 11, 12, 11, 14 and 14 meaning the powerplay was to be worth 70 and the target drastically reduced.Verma’s fearlessness and sharp eye were complemented perfectly by Mandhana, who found her own occasional boundary in between plenty of singles and alert running between the wickets. Some formidable Australia bowlers – Jess Jonassen, Megan Schutt and Perry – were momentarily humbled by Verma, and captain Lanning was left looking far and wide for bowling options. No fewer than seven bowlers were to be tried, but it was Perry who snared Verma for a breathless 49 from 28 balls to pull Australia back into the contest.Tourists hold nerve for victoryIn Verma’s slipstream, Rodrigues kept scoring at the required tempo with her own sparkling contribution, adding 37 with Mandhana with only a slight dip in the run rate after the opening stand of 85 in 50 balls. When Rodrigues did err, offering a thin edge behind to Healy off Schutt, Harmanpreet provided plenty of experience and poise to the pursuit as Mandhana reached a meritorious half-century.With 16 still required off 12 balls, a tight over from Nicola Carey could have turned the game towards Australia. But although she managed to win an lbw verdict against Mandhana, two fours including one swatted between mid-on and midwicket by Deepti off Carey’s final ball meant only four remained to be collected from the final over. Harmanpreet and Deepti kept their heads for a rousing win. The World Cup race is widening by the day.

Could IPL 2020 take place overseas?

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IPL 2020 has been suspended but already offers have started to come in for hosting it outside India. Simon Katich, the head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore, isn’t averse to the possibility of it being held in Australia or South Africa, and Sri Lanka have also reached out to the BCCI with a solution.”Whether it would be in Australia [or elsewhere], that’s an interesting topic of conversation,” Katich told . “There would be a few teams – us in particular at RCB, we’d be very happy for it to be played abroad, because a number of our overseas players are Australian and South African, who really would enjoy these conditions in Australia. It would be interesting to see if that would eventuate but obviously it’s one of many scenarios that’s being discussed.”Katich, who was due to fly to India a few days after international travel was severely limited, said that he had “no doubt” the IPL’s organisers would do everything they could to host the 2020 edition of the tournament in some form.”It’s obviously the biggest T20 tournament in the world and the people there love their cricket,” he said. “But I think they’re also realistic to know that they have to sit tight and wait like everyone else in the world, and ride this out however long that takes.”There is a huge economic side to this in terms of what the IPL generates, not only for the Indian economy but also for the franchises as well, and for the BCCI. I guess the thing that has to be weighed up is … there’s probably a little bit of a difference in terms of the IPL.”Because of the amount of eyeballs that are on the IPL in India when it’s on in April and May, it is a scenario where it is potentially still very commercially viable being played with empty stadiums, so that’s something no doubt they’ll be weighing up.”In the past there’s been talk of ratings figures of 80 million people watching games. At the same time, there’s obviously a lot of health regulations that need to be followed to make sure that no-one’s endangered, whether that’s the public or the players and support staff.”Getty Images

An option closer to home could emerge, however, if Sri Lanka is able to avoid the worst of the pandemic. At present, Sri Lanka’s lockdown is even more severe than that in most parts of India, with a curfew has prevailed in the island for almost four weeks. However, the Sri Lanka government has been optimistic about eliminating the virus from the island, and it is likely if this goal is achieved that Sri Lanka becomes a viable option as an IPL venue. Even in the best-case scenario for SLC, though, the tournament is likely to require government clearance.”Apparently it will cost the BCCI and its stakeholders more than $500 million to cancel the IPL,” Shammi Silva, SLC president, told Sinhala daily . “So perhaps they can minimise those losses by hosting the tournament in another country.”If they play it in Sri Lanka, it’s easy for Indian audiences to watch the games on TV. There’s precedent for this because they’ve played the IPL in South Africa before. We’re waiting for the Indian board to respond to our proposal.”If the Indian board does agree to play the tournament here, we’re ready to provide facilities in line with the requirements and recommendations of medical professionals. It would be a substantial source of income for Sri Lankan cricket as well.”Katich bats for new T20 World Cup windowThe other high-profile event increasingly under the scanner is the T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin mid-October in Australia. Katich suggested that it could be pushed back towards the end of the Australian summer if the crisis made it impossible to hold the tournament within the planned window.He said that while Australia seemed “pretty blessed” compared to other parts of the world in terms of the virus’ spread, the tournament is still “a long way off”.”Potentially there’s a chance to host it later in the summer, like the [recent] Women’s T20 World Cup, and whether that’s an opportunity to re-jig things… it’ll be interesting to hear those discussions [which are] probably taking place at the moment and whether that’s logistically possible with the FTP the way it is.”But I’m sure that a T20 World Cup is a priority for all the organisers at the moment, to try and make sure that goes ahead at some point in the Australian summer given that we’re hosting it.”Katich also admitted that it may be sensible for the inaugural season of the Hundred, the ECB’s new 100-ball competition, to be delayed until next year.He is due to coach the Manchester Originals in the tournament from July, but doubts have been cast over whether it will be possible to stage sporting fixtures that soon with the UK’s confirmed death toll recently passing 12,000.”There has been a lot of speculation about the Hundred given that it’s a new tournament, that it probably doesn’t make any sense for it to be played in front of empty stadiums [even] if it was OK in that July window.”So there has been speculation about it potentially being delayed to start until next season, which I’ve got no problem with, and a lot of people would probably think that’s the way to go if things keep tracking the way they are in the UK.”

PCB chief Ehsan Mani wants to attract foreign talent in domestic cricket

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Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, believes inviting foreign players would make country’s domestic structure more robust and competitive. While it’s still unclear if a new ruling is being worked out, there are existing provisions to invite and register guest players with teams in the circuit.While financial viability has been seen as a hindrance for teams when it comes to signing overseas talent, there have been a few exceptions over the years. In 2011-12, 14 Afghanistan players featured for Afghan Cheetahs in the Faysal T20 Cup. Yamin Ahmadzai, the Afghanistan fast bowler, played five first-class games in Pakistan in 2016-17. Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza played in the National T20 Cup that same season.
“One of the things we are going to do with our first-class cricket is to encourage one or two overseas players to come and play,” Mani said in a podcast with Peter Oborne and Richard Heller on . “It is great for our players to be playing with the international players and that’s not going to happen overnight. We are working to take our first-class cricket to a complete different level and have it so competitive and so attractive for overseas players that they wish to be part of it.”Over the last few years, the PCB have made hosting matches in Pakistan a priority. In the last one year alone, they’ve hosted a PSL season at four venues and two Test sides – Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. An MCC team also toured the country for the first time in 47 years.
“The big stumbling block was a travel advisory,” Mani explained of the challenges they faced earlier. “When you get schools and you get parents looking at that, they get nervous. Now that that’s been dealt with, it’s definitely something certainly that we’ve been we’ve been looking at seriously. Wasim Khan, our chief executive who was with Leicestershire county, has been already in discussion with a couple of counties to see whether they will come. I think people contact is what is so important.
“The MCC has been absolutely brilliant, very supportive of cricket in Pakistan, We’re also very fortunate that we have in Pakistan a high commissioner,Christian Turner, who was Theresa May’s national security adviser. So he understands the dynamics of the country. He understands Pakistan. And he’s been very important, in fact, pivotal in getting the travel advisories to Pakistan changed. And that that has made a big difference.”Last year, Pakistan overhauled their domestic system and introduced a five-category grade-based system of monthly retainers, apart from the match fees for all 192 players. They also abolished departmental format and brought in just the six provincial teams to streamline the structure.Presently, there are over 700 staff who are directly employed or contracted by the PCB in different capacities. However, the domestic restructure has meant over 300 players are out of jobs. Mani felt the key was to decentralise power and multiply opportunities for every association,”As soon as the cricket associations are functional, a lot of these people would be delegated to those six cricket associations,” he said. “These are people like ground staff, curators, coaches, school trainers, people who go to school to give basic coaching. People like that are all on PCB payroll at the moment.”And I’m pushing them down into the cricket associations with the clear instructions. There’s a lot of talk about people losing jobs. I’ve worked out that with the six cricket associations. They’re playing cricket with 3000 clubs. We are going to create more jobs for the former players. It’ll take time.It has started to happen overnight, but in a structured way, you’d want to make sure that every city has coaches for their schools. The city associations themselves will have coaches, coaching staff and everything from training young kids on how to behave on anti-corruption issues and understanding what the game of cricket is about.”