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Among India’s uncapped players to keep an eye on are Kiran Navgire, Sujata Mallik and V Chandu

Annesha Ghosh22-May-2022Kiran Navgire
Kiran Navgire scored a record-breaking 162 off 76 in a domestic T20 recently•Kiran NavgireThe buzz around the 27-year-old batting allrounder from Maharashtra is that the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge could be what the 2019 edition was for Shafali Verma and women’s cricket in India: as much an advertisement of individual big-hitting abilities as of the collective world-class talent pool waiting to be discovered in the country.Not one bit of the burgeoning weight of expectations around Navgire, as with Shafali three summers ago, is misplaced. Last month, Navgire’s 76-ball 162 in Nagaland’s opening game of the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy etched her name in records books as the first Indian to score more than 150 in a T20.Related

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Granted, the opposition were Arunachal Pradesh, a fledgling domestic side like Nagaland who debuted only in the 2018-19 season, but Navgire’s 35 sixes and 54 fours in seven innings in her chart-topping 525 runs in the tournament provided a measure of the power-hitting potential the former athletics medallist carries.If Navgire can replicate some of her batting pyrotechnics for Velocity – she has already been showcasing plenty of it at training, confirmed captain Deepti Sharma on Saturday – the MS Dhoni fan is sure to make heads turn.Alana King
Alana King took 3 for 64 in the World Cup final last month•ICC via Getty ImagesThe Australia wristspinner’s breakout year just keeps getting better. Impactful international debuts across formats in an Ashes-winning campaign in January-February. A maiden World Cup appearance that culminated in Australia reclaiming the 50-overs champions’ throne. Elevation to the country’s top 15 roster that saw her break into the central contracts pool last month. And, now, a return to the country of her Anglo-Indian parents’ birth as the sole representative from Australia across the three squads.The 26-year-old could be a handful on the MCA Stadium’s black-soil surface, which has traditionally assisted spinners. That, provided she gets the nod ahead of Sune Luus, the second overseas frontline legspinner in Supernovas led by Harmanpreet Kaur, who ranks with more established batting credentials.The joint fifth-highest wicket-taker in WBBL 2021-22 and Australia’s standout bowler with 3 for 64 in their rout of England in the ODI World Cup final last month, King majorly relies on variations in trajectories and imparting the ball a good rip. Her tandem with England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone could be a winning combination for two-time champions Supernovas.Sujata Mallik
The medium pacer from Bhubaneswar is one of the two Odisha players, alongside offspinner Priyanka Priyadarshini, in Smriti Mandhana’s Trailblazers. A four-season East Zone campaigner and a veteran of over 12 years for her state’s senior side, Mallik was the second-leading wicket-taker in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, where Odisha lost to eventual champions Railways in the semi-final.The presence of India internationals Arundhati Reddy and Renuka Singh might consign the uncapped Mallik, who opens the bowling for Odisha, to the bench in the Women’s T20 Challenge. That’s down to the make-up of the competition, which allows for a maximum of two matches for each side in the round-robin stage. But the 28-year-old’s red-hot form, her knack for swinging the ball away from right-hand batters, keeps her in contention for a match or two.At the highest level of cricket she has been selected for, an unlikely place in the defending champions’ starting XI could, as Mallik tells ESPNcricinfo, be the “doorway to a brighter and more stable future after years of toil and struggle as the breadwinner” of her family.Sophia Dunkley
Sophia Dunkley hit 18 fours and three sixes in her unbeaten 123 recently•FairBreak GlobalThe batting allrounder has established herself as a key cog in England’s wheel in the past year. Having made her international debut in 2018, Dunkley has gone from strength to strength since a breakout performance in the longer-formats leg of the multi-format home series against India last summer.She was the highest run-getter for Southern Brave in the inaugural Hundred that followed soon after and showcased her ability to switch gears during her vital 60 in a century stand with Danni Wyatt in the ODI World Cup semi-final against South Africa. In the recently concluded FairBreak Invitational T20 tournament in Dubai, she struck a blistering 73-ball unbeaten 123 in the third-place playoff, stealing the thunder from Deandra Dottin’s 53-ball 111.Her part-time legspin fetched her six wickets in seven innings in that tournament, and it won’t be a surprise if her Trailblazers captain and Brave team-mate, Mandhana, deploys Dunkley’s all-round skills in what is the 23-year-old’s maiden bow in the Women’s T20 Challenge.V Chandu

The right-arm offspinner topped Karnataka’s wicket chart at the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, with eight strikes, a five-for included, in five innings at an average of 14.97 and economy rate of 6.69. She has been a regular on the state team since the 2014-15 season and often shoulders new-ball duties.Daughter to a ward boy and a housemaid, 27-year-old Chandu, like India internationals Veda Krishnamurthy, Vanitha VR, and Karuna Jain, is a product of the Karnataka Institute of Cricket. Her selection in the Supernovas squad comes on the back of a consistent run across limited-overs cricket in the domestic circuit.In the Senior 50-over Challenger Trophy last December, the India B bowler finished as the leading wicket-taker. A month earlier, she was joint second on the wicket-takers’ list in the Senior One Day Trophy, guiding Karnataka to a runners-up finish with 14 strikes in six innings, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick in her five-for against Saurashtra in that tournament.Natthakan Chantham
Natthakan Chantham will play in her second Women’s T20 Challenge•FairBreak GlobalThailand’s first-ever half-centurion in a World Cup was relegated to the No. 9 position in the batting line-up in her former side Trailblazers’ title-clinching win against Supernovas in 2020. Yet, Chantham left an indelible mark on that edition with an astonishing, four-saving cartwheel-like fielding exhibit at the boundary.In her second Women’s T20 Challenge season, Chantham gears up to turn out for Velocity, with her former Trailblazers team-mate Deepti leading the side. She carries impressive nick into the tournament thanks to her 163 runs, a fifty included, at an average of nearly 33 in six innings for semi-finalists Spirit at the FairBreak Invitational.A memorable outing for Velocity should make more fulfilling what’s set to be an extended stay in India for the 26-year-old top-order batter, for she will link up with her Thailand team-mates and Indian national coach, Harshal Pathak, for offseason preparatory camps in Pune and Puducherry after the Women’s T20 Challenge.

The challenges facing the competition were an undercurrent, but it made for a fascinating process

Andrew McGlashan30-Aug-2022The overriding view of the eight clubs after the BBL draft was that they got what they wanted. But did the BBL get what it wanted? That is less clear-cut.Left on the sidelines from the platinum pool were 41,127 T20 runs between the five players not selected, and 1288 wickets from Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard (with all due to respect to the 50 taken by Faf du Plessis and one by Jason Roy).It was always likely that some of the platinum names would not be taken, but for it to be those five may have had a few of the executives both inside and outside Cricket Australia moving a little uneasily.Availability was a watchword – the looming presence of the new South Africa and UAE leagues was an undercurrent – but it was not the only factor. Except for David Willey and Shadab Khan, the five platinum players not selected would have been available for largely the same period as those who did get picked. Meanwhile, Melbourne Renegades, for example, are willing to need replacements all three of draft signings.It was a fascinating part of the whole event. The teams were there to build squads they believe can win the BBL. That is how coaches, list managers, and captains are judged. If it were only about getting those players perceived as the biggest crowd pullers, then it would be difficult to ever sack someone for losing.After 11 seasons with Sydney Thunder, Usman Khawaja signed with Brisbane Heat for the upcoming BBL•Queensland CricketWhile not directly linked to overseas players at the time, there was a telling comment when Brisbane Heat parted ways with Chris Lynn earlier this year. “This is a sign that Brisbane Heat are going more to winning than entertaining,” Ian Healy, a Queensland Cricket director who was part of the decision, said. “That gives a lot of pleasure to fans. I don’t think the winning part has come easily for us.”Significantly, too, the supporters of each club are only a fraction of the audience the BBL wants to attract. It’s TV money and viewership that pays the bills and, in that area, the shift will certainly be towards names first, results second. Finding the right balance is the (multi) million-dollar question. Although, having watched a lot of sport during Covid with limited or no crowds, it was a reminder that the people in stadiums are vital to the TV product as well.Russell was the name most commonly mentioned as each team’s turn came up, followed closely by du Plessis who had been one of the earliest nominations in the draft when it was launched. There was a thought that Melbourne Stars might bring Russell back, but instead, they went for Trent Boult. Heat had been expected to show interest in du Plessis, but they went with Sam Billings.It is also worth saying at this point, in case it gets lost with a focus on a few big names who did not get selected, that 24 very fine cricketers were signed up on Sunday evening. They can all be entertainers, some can build their names on a wider stage and a few new stories can start to be told.Related

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There was plenty of logic in the decisions the teams made, even the platinum-round pass from Perth Scorchers which had been widely expected. The BBL will see Liam Livingstone, one of the finest T20 batters in the world, and Boult, one of the finest left-arm quicks ever, this coming season. Of course, Rashid Khan is back with Adelaide Strikers, if only for eight games.It is hard to see the BBL moving out of its December-January window which covers the school holidays, so the issues that have become more significant this season aren’t going away, but whether anyone steps back and assesses the 14-game competition that means the cricketing season is extended by almost two months is another question.Not insignificantly, Willey, the one platinum player with full availability, turned down an offer from the South Africa league to commit to the full season in Australia because it is a better fit for his family situation. The BBL will hope that it is a view that can be shared.Still, the tournament will need more money. Salary caps could reach AU$4million under the next MoU, up from the current AU$1.9million with top Australian players set for hefty increases. There is also a push, and not just from CA, to encourage the UAE league to shift its dates a little later into January.Another broader question is whether it is time to throw the entire BBL open to a draft process (it made for engaging viewing) with some built-in loyalty programme along the line of the retention option. That may happen only if the league was ever to privatise, a model that has been brought back into the spotlight in recent weeks.As far as this season goes, the draft brought immediate accountability to teams as decisions were made because it was clear who they did not pick. That will now extend through the tournament. How will the calls made on an August evening in Melbourne play out by the BBL final on February 4? For the teams themselves, holding the trophy aloft will be all that matters. As it should be. Whether that is enough for the league is another issue.

No active fast bowler in New Zealand domestic T20 cricket has a better economy rate than Ben Lister since he made his debut

Deivarayan Muthu26-Jan-20230:29

Conway: ‘Ben Lister does different tricks with the ball’

Around the time Trent Boult could be in action for MI Emirates in the ILT20 in Sharjah on Friday, Benjamin Lister might make his international debut for New Zealand in Ranchi. Boult’s decision to hand back his New Zealand central contract has somewhat accelerated Lister’s path into the New Zealand side, as they begin their search for the next world-beating left-arm seamer.Lister, 27, has been among the most promising bowlers in the Super Smash, New Zealand’s premier domestic T20 competition, in the recent past. His economy rate of 8.06 is the second best among fast bowlers who have bowled at least 800 balls in the tournament since his debut for Auckland in December 2017. Only Hamish Bennett is ahead of Lister on this front, but Bennett is no longer an active player.

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Okay, the Super Smash isn’t quite on par with the other elite T20 tournaments in the world, but such control on the easy-paced pitches and small grounds in New Zealand should count for something. Lister also has an assortment of variations, including the cutter, the bouncer and the yorker, which has grabbed the attention of New Zealand’s team management.”Ben has really moved his game forward really nicely,” Gavin Larsen said after selecting Lister in the New Zealand squad for the T20I series in India. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve watched him closely. With his performances for Auckland, we feel he has really advanced his game and ready for selection.”In terms of selection, you’re always looking for a broad mix of skillsets. So, in your pace department you want your genuine quick bowlers, you want swing bowlers – right and left-armers. Someone like Boulty – his record speaks for itself. He’s been absolutely world-class and he’s been one of our greatest ever. Ben is his own man. He’s a new addition. Yes, he bowls with his left-arm as well, which is handy. He bowls with some pace and he swings the ball. We’re excited about what that brings to our mix.”Devon Conway, who has seen Lister’s progress in domestic cricket, talked him up as a left-arm trickster, ahead of the T20I series opener in Ranchi.Ben Lister in his delivery stride•Getty Images”Ben is this very skilful bowler,” Conway said. “You know he’s this left-arm seamer who does different tricks with the ball, which is so exciting to see. Hopefully, if he makes his debut, it will be a good opportunity for him. He’s put in a lot of performances for a long period of time and so, yeah, it’s great to have him in the group. He’s a lovely guy too and we certainly look forward to the T20 competition.”The last time Lister toured India in 2022, with the New Zealand A side, he ended up in a hospital with pneumonia. Larsen, who was New Zealand A’s manager for that trip, has now given Lister another chance to showcase his skills in India. And Lister is relishing the prospect of bowling to India’s IPL superstars in front of huge crowds.”The last tour with New Zealand A didn’t go as planned,” Lister recalled. “[I] ended up in a hospital. It’s a pretty surreal feeling [to have been called up to the New Zealand squad]. Not many get the opportunity to play India in India. So, it will be a tough challenge but look I’ll just soak it up and enjoy each moment.”Larsen lauds Lister for getting himself back in shape after the illness and putting up performances on the domestic scene.”I spent a bit of time myself sitting next to Ben in his hospital room [in India],” Larsen said. “So, that was really unfortunate because that was a massive opportunity for him. And to his absolute credit, he has come home and has rehabbed really well. He has hit the ground running and he has moved his game forward. And we give him full accolades for that.”With Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Matt Henry and Ben Sears still on the sidelines, this is Lister’s chance to shine on the big stage against the big boys.”[It] has been a dream to be part of the New Zealand side for as long as I remember to be honest,” Lister said. “Having grown up watching the Black Caps and now to be called into the squad is a pretty cool moment.”An impactful performance or two could make it even cooler and potentially pique the interest of IPL scouts. Who knows?

The 20-year-old’s range of shots, and her fearlessness in executing them, has impressed stalwarts such as Devine and Perry

Shashank Kishore15-Mar-2023″I’d like to give myself some credit, because I’ve put in the effort.”In an age where young players are coached to say the right things, Shreyanka Patil, 20, is different. There’s an unmistakable confidence about her as she speaks about her rise up the ranks.Patil was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore on the back of an excellent domestic one-day tournament, where she was the second-highest wicket-taker for Karnataka. Five games in, she has been one of the bright spots in what has largely been a disappointing campaign for her side.In her first WPL game, she immediately impressed with 23 off 15 balls from No. 8 against Mumbai Indians. Her range of shots and the fearlessness in executing them received plaudits from stalwarts such as Sophie Devine and Ellyse Perry. In her second outing, she performed with the ball, picking 2 for 32 against Gujarat Giants. That she got the opportunity to bat at No. 6 in her most recent outing, against Delhi Capitals, was further validation of her batting potential.Related

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“Players like Shreyanka, she is no doubt going to play for India in the years to come,” Devine had said after her WPL debut. “Seeing what she can do with the ball and how she struck the ball, I think I need to go to her for six-hitting guide.”Patil is an offspinner but gushes about having the mind of a fast bowler who can bowl yorkers on demand. She has a small build but doesn’t let that come in the way of hitting big sixes. As a fielder, she has a lively presence inside the ring. All these attributes are much welcome in any T20 outfit, but Patil doesn’t want to be “any player”.”X-factor player,” Patil says with a grin. “That’s what I want to be. That’s what I train for. That’s what I’ve been taught to be. You have to be different, right? That’s how you get noticed.”It is this “being different” that convinced Patil’s father, Rajesh, that she was talented. He noticed her unwavering concentration while playing with a hanging ball for hours together at the cricket academy he ran, where she played for five years.She had a penchant to time the ball but grew up hearing about the need to have a second skillset to complement her game. She tried her hand at fast bowling, legspin and wicketkeeping, but finalised on offspin only because there weren’t too many of that variety in her set at the Karnataka Under-14 trials.”Essentially, I took up offspin and got picked immediately. That’s when I became serious about it,” Patil chuckles. “Also, getting picked was a kind of realisation for dad that I was serious about the game. He decided I needed to go to a bigger set-up.”Patil has a small build but doesn’t let that come in the way of hitting big sixes•BCCIPatil began training at the Dravid-Padukone Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Arjun Dev, her coach there, would become her mentor. Their working relationship was so strong that when Dev moved on to begin his own academy three years ago – NICE Academy – Patil also moved with him and became the academy’s first female cricket trainee.But moving to a new set-up brought its own set of challenges.”I realised I spent far too much time commuting to the academy,” she says. “In a city like Bangalore, it can get to you. Four hours of commute up and down every day didn’t help. I decided it was time to focus on those four hours and use them better.”Patil, unlike several others in the WPL, was fortunate to have the means and support of her family to move homes. She found herself an apartment a hop away from the academy and moved in to live by herself so that she could train and focus better.”That’s one of the best decisions I made,” she says. “More than having quality training, I feel it has changed me as a person. You learn to be independent, you learn to think for yourself, [and] have time for yourself.”Growing up as kids, you kind of take your parents for granted, but actually being away in that sense was an education for me. It helped that they supported me. My mom was initially against the idea, but once she saw the benefits of the move, she bought into it wholeheartedly.”Patil is still four months short of turning 21, but she has already established herself in the Karnataka set-up. However, only a year ago, she was benched for the T20s. It’s then she acknowledged that it was important to work extra hard, even if it meant spending eight or nine hours at training across two sessions. That is when she realised the decision to live closer to her training facility was a massive boon.Patil is still short of turning 21 but has already established herself in the Karnataka set-up•Shreyanka Patil”She had the skills; it was more about helping her understand her game,” Dev says. “She bowls at a quick pace for women’s cricket. Initially, she would be dubbed as this expensive bowler. For me, most of the coaching was around making her understand [that] pace is her speciality, not a weakness.”In women’s cricket, if you watch domestic tournaments especially, you will see legspinners and left-arm spinners mostly bowl to 6-3 fields. Offspinners also bowl 6-3 because they don’t turn the ball that much. We told Shreyanka, ‘You’re too good to do just that. You have something different, go down that route. You may not be appreciated at the moment, but eventually your time will come.’ Her returns at the one-day tournament were a validation. That played a big role in her WPL call-up.””I think my biggest learning has been to think for myself and develop plans,” Patil elaborates this point, “and then fine-tune it with people I trust – like Arjun sir. I realised I can’t be spoon-fed. That doesn’t help anyone. When Mike [Hesson, Royal Challengers’ director of cricket] told me after our first session how he was impressed that I had come fully prepared, it was a kind of vindication of my own beliefs and plans had worked so hard on.”Patil aims to play for India by 2025. It’s a goal she charted out once cricket resumed after Covid-19. And while she has had an impressive start to her WPL stint, she knows there is a long way to go, and goes by a simple mantra: “Stick to your plans, keep pushing the boundaries, and the rewards will come. It’s that simple for me.”There can’t be more clarity than that.

Remarkable spectacle proved a winning tactic, though few at Lord’s will want to see it reenacted

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Jul-2023Having been undone by a desire to hook anything and everything in their first innings, England had a bright idea. Why not try and tempt Australia to be just as foolish?On the face of it, the reasoning was deeply flawed. Australia arrived on day four with the match situation very much in their favour, resuming their second innings on 130 for 2, with an overnight lead of 221. They had no reason to play (short) ball, no obligation to do as England had in chaotically flailing with cross-batted shots to relinquish their strong position. They had already seen England jam their hands in the toaster – there was no need to burn themselves in similar fashion.And yet, they did. Not straight away, mind. This was more a reluctant, slow-burn set of brain fades. All of their final eight batters succumbed to a nonstop, at times nonsensical, barrage of short-pitch bowling, seemingly out of boredom.Related

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The results were broadly similar, and arguably more impactful from England’s perspective as a usually unflappable Steven Smith swung Josh Tongue to Zak Crawley at backward square leg. A dismissal all the more surprising given Travis Head had been dropped the ball before. Even with the wake-up call to switch back on still ringing in his ears, the most switched-on batter in world cricket was dozy.Australia’s decision of when they might let England bat was taken out of their hands with mistimed pulls, the odd hook and a few pop-ups to close catchers. All for the addition of just 149 runs across 56.1 overs.This was very different to Australia’s more calculated approach with the ball. Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson and Tongue dealt almost exclusively in deliveries pitching on their side of the pitch (James Anderson only bowled two overs after his regulation opening foray). Pretty much every ball after lunch was banged in – 98% according to Sky’s coverage – and it continued even when a lame Nathan Lyon hobbled out to the middle and was clearly going to struggle with anything aimed at his stumps.In total, England bowled 302 “short” balls, including those adjudged no balls and wides. An entire ODI innings (and change) trying to strike oil through the very middle of Lord’s. Absurd, frankly. By stumps, the gloss of that effort had been chipped by a fuller Australian approach which left England four down with 257 still to get.Nevertheless, it was remarkable to see an English attack shedding a lifetime of fuller lengths, nip, swing, wobble for this modern Bodyline remake. The effort put in, particularly by Anderson, Broad and Robinson, suggests three days will not be a long enough turnaround to replenish their energy levels ahead of the third Test at Headingley which begins on Thursday. They will have gone to bed very sore.None more than Ben Stokes. A 12-over spell after lunch was something of a throwback, albeit with the very new proposition of doing it on one knee. The discomfort ramped up with each over, and in turn the worry if such an approach was feasible considering he possesses the best bouncers of the group. But part of his captaincy has been about never asking his players to do something he wouldn’t. So here he was, tearing in and, as a result, tearing himself apart. The wicket he pocketed of Josh Hazlewood was momentary relief.It was sore on the eyes, too. There were large passages of impasse, particularly during a 20-over stand between Alex Carey and Cameron Green which produced just 42 runs. At times, as balls were either collected down the leg side by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow or missed as they arrived to him on the bounce, you wondered if this was doing the image of Test cricket more harm than good.”I don’t know,” answered an honest Marcus Trescothick, England’s batting coach, when asked if he thought it was good viewing.He observed both sides had taken different approaches to facing the barrage and it was hard to say at this juncture which way was best. Granted, England’s errors were more high profile, with Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook careless as they contributed to a nosedive from 188 for 1 to 325 all out. Could Australia have committed a bit more and in turn given England a stiffer chase than 371?

“When the ball gets old and the pitch gets so flat, you might see a lot more of it in future times to come. And how that will adapt Test cricket, I have no idea at this point”Marcus Trescothick

“We lost wickets to the short ball, of course we did,” Trescothick said. “But I think over the course of today, let’s put that in context: when Australia were batting, they didn’t take on the short ball as much but they still lost wickets and didn’t score as many runs.”As Australia’s second innings wound down, the conflicting emotions about whether any of this was good, interesting, helpful or even legal – given at times there were more than two shoulder-height balls per over – raged on. But one thing Trescothick was certain on was this was a tactic he expects to see more and more. England were able to control the run rate and make inroads on a surface seemingly conducive to neither, certainly not at the same time.”It might change the way the game is played,” Trescothick said. “When the ball gets old and the pitch gets so flat, you might see a lot more of it in future times to come. And how that will adapt Test cricket, I have no idea at this point. But it was very, very different in comparison to what we see. We could be seeing something that might need to be understood or adapted in the future. Because it was different, and not Test cricket as we generally know it.”It’s worth pointing out that, well, bowling short on quiet decks has been a thing since forever. Neil Wagner has made an entire career out this, and it was only back in February that his pitch-pounding efforts inspired New Zealand to that famous one-run win in Wellington.For those keeping track, add “bouncers” to “outswingers” and “scoring boundaries” as the latest things this England side are taking credit for. In all seriousness, there was something admirable about such back-breaking pragmatism from a group of bowlers who are not getting much help from their batters.Trescothick anticipated Australia will move to the short ball at some point on day five, and he is not wrong about that. But they will do so with a bit more nuance, even if they know England are trigger-happy hookers. Their extra pace, as evidenced by a second bouncing out of Root – Cummins with successive rising bumpers that first shocked England’s best batter before sending him back with one he was powerless to avoid – gives them a far greater edge. And, frankly, it is eminently more watchable.Therein lies the main takeaway. England did what they had to do and did it well. But for all who were there watching the self-proclaimed entertainers hammer the middle of the pitch, the prevailing hope was for better pitches going forward so we never have to sit through this again.Until Sunday, of course, when England will have to face down the short ball again. They will need to exercise more caution and suspicion, and Ben Duckett may consider himself lucky to still be there after his wayward swish to Mitchell Starc at deep third for a controversial end to one of the more surreal days of Test cricket. Otherwise, they will find themselves nursing a 2-0 deficit in an Ashes that may be remembered as a series in which they gave so much and achieved so little.

The rapidly changing global T20 landscape leaves England’s domestic offering on an uncertain footing

Alan Gardner16-Jul-2023How do you like them apples? Somerset’s cider boys finally ended their Finals Day hoodoo to cap one of the most-dominant seasons in the history of T20 (no team anywhere in the world has won as many as 15 games in a single campaign), providing a feelgood story in the middle of another English summer in which discontent about the schedule is impossible to ignore – even after 12 hours of getting bladdered in the Hollies Stand.The T20 showpiece remains one of the domestic game’s great days out. Where else can you see three thrillingly contested 20-over fixtures and a conga in the crowd led by a fancy-dress giraffe? Saturday at a packed Edgbaston felt like a triumph of elemental proportions, too, as the groundstaff – who began their day at 3.30am following hours of heavy rainfall in Birmingham – kept the show on the road even as stormy weather repeatedly threatened to trigger the use of a reserve day for only the second time in the competition’s 20-year history.T20 is a fickle game, as more than one participant from the four teams involved reflected – except Somerset’s unstoppable form suggested quite the opposite. They were the first team ever to win 12 games (out of 14) in the Blast group stage, and then in all three of their knockout encounters successfully fought back from losing positions.Related

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• Somerset seamers soar as Surrey stumble out in semi-final

Key to their success was a cutting edge with the ball. Somerset had the competition’s two leading wicket-takers – Matt Henry overtaking Ben Green with his four-for in the final to finish on 31 for the season – and claimed an almost unbelievable 151 out of 170 wickets going. Only one team in the South Group avoided being bowled out by Somerset this summer and that was Sussex, who played them once (and made 183 for 8 in a five-wicket defeat). Essex were on the receiving end three times.With the bat, the big guns at the top of the order are all England candidates of varying merit – Tom Banton, Will Smeed and Tom Kohler-Cadmore scored almost 1500 runs between them at strike rates of 150-175 – and yet their hero on Saturday was journeyman pro Sean Dickson, whose 53 in the final was the joint top-score of his nine-year T20 career.Somerset’s head coach, Jason Kerr, has been involved with the club since 2006, a time that encompassed seven fruitless trips to Finals Day. He said afterwards that his overriding emotion had been one of relief.”I genuinely believe you get what you deserve, and I genuinely believe we’ve been the best team in the competition this year,” he said. “But we had to go out there and demonstrate that, and that’s what we managed to go out there and do.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”We’ve been building as a side. We’ve been to Finals Day for the last three years, and last year we didn’t turn up at all. We didn’t do ourselves justice, so I was adamant that we were going to do that this year. I think Lewis [Gregory] has led the group immensely well, but it really has been a team performance throughout the campaign, and that has shown with glory today.”Gregory, Somerset’s captain, called the experience “pretty damned good”. This was not, however, the first time he had held a T20 trophy aloft, despite having spent his entire county career at Taunton. That is because Gregory is also the captain of Trent Rockets, the reigning champions in the men’s Hundred, whose campaign to defend their trophy gets underway in just over a fortnight’s time. Another T20 showpiece, anyone?When the counties voted to create a second, city-based short-format competition back in 2017, the inevitable result was the Blast having to live in the shadow of a shinier, better-resourced competitor. But the global T20 landscape has shifted a huge amount in the intervening period and both English tournaments now find themselves hemmed in on all sides – by the behemoth that is the IPL at the start of the season and an increasing number of competitors in the middle of the year: the CPL, Major League Cricket and the Global T20 Canada.Surrey, defeated by Somerset in the second semi-final, felt the knock-on effects directly in the farrago of Sunil Narine’s non-appearance – despite the club believing they had an agreement for the West Indian spinner to fly back for Finals Day between his commitments to LA Knight Riders in the MLC. And speaking on BBC radio at Edgbaston, Glenn Maxwell, the Australia allrounder who joined Birmingham Bears straight from the IPL but recently opted to pull out of a planned stint at the Hundred for workload reasons, underlined the difficulties facing the ECB and the county game.The umbrellas were in regular action on Finals Day but only 10 overs were lost•Getty Images”I think now the Major League Cricket tournament’s come in, that’s going to affect the Blast really badly,” he said. “When you’ve got an opportunity to go over to America for two weeks, compared to 14 games here with a stressful schedule where you’re travelling all over the place. There was one week where we played on a Tuesday in Durham, Thursday in Leeds and then Friday here in Birmingham – that’s three games in four days with a day’s travel in between.”It can really drain you, your body and mentally. I found that very tough this year and I think with the Major League being a lot more attractive, bigger crowds, I think there’s eight [six] overseas players per team, the excitement of a new tournament, it’s only two weeks long. Less of a burden on your schedule. I think it’s going a lot more attractive to some overseas players.”Maxwell also pointed out the absurdity of England running its entire 50-over competition in parallel with the Hundred, with the result that the some of the country’s best white-ball players have barely played any List A cricket (a format which, unlike the Hundred, is played internationally and features a World Cup every four years). “I would say it does the same thing as T20 cricket but it’s not relevant to the international schedule,” he concluded.That is almost a whole other conversation, none of which really helps the Blast. There are signs that the competition has bounced back a little post-Covid, with the ECB reporting a 15% increase in advanced tickets sales and overall attendance expected to be in the region of 800,000 – similar to 2022 but down on the pre-pandemic high of 920,000. Edgbaston can still throw a party like no other in T20 but the logistics are more challenging than ever.Rumours about the Hundred being wound up have persisted, despite public denials from the ECB management and a broadcasting deal that runs until 2028. And even then, as Maxwell alluded to, an 18-team system is hardly the optimum starting point for a competition to achieve cut-through in an ever-more crowded market.Somerset’s success this weekend, after an 18-year gap since winning the third edition of the Twenty20 Cup in 2005, was a story that will resonate with many beyond the heartlands of county cricket. But whether the Blast will look the same in 18 months – let alone 18 years – is at the crux of the challenge for those running the game.

Johnny Grave opens up about co-hosting the T20 World Cup with the USA, lessons from the 2007 ODI World Cup, and what West Indies will gain from the tournament

Firdose Moonda15-Jan-2024This year’s men’s T20 World Cup has one goal: expansion. With 20 teams, it’s the largest field at a cricket World Cup to date and with the USA as one of the host countries, it’s also the most substantial step into what the ICC has identified as its biggest growth market.From a cricketing perspective, too, there’s plenty of big things going on. West Indies did not qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup, did not make it to the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup, and have been a fading force in general. But they are aiming to use the home T20 World Cup – they are co-hosts with the USA – to put themselves front and centre of the cricketing world again.ESPNcricinfo spoke exclusively to CWI and T20 World Cup CEO Johnny Grave about the preparations, what will make this event different from others, and what the measure of success will be.What was the thinking behind co-hosting this tournament with the USA and what are the challenges of hosting a World Cup in multiple countries?
We strategically decided to bid for the men’s T20 World Cup, rather than any of the other opportunities that there were between now and 2031, jointly with the US because we wanted to grow the sport in our time zone, which we believe is crucial to our long-term survival. As West Indies, we’ve got a huge diaspora in North America and with the USA being the most developed sports market in the world, the more we can reach out to it, the more we are likely to attract high-value sponsors and broadcasters. We believe we made a good decision. But it’s been a challenge to keep to the spirit of our initial partnership with USA Cricket due to the lack of established international venues they currently have… as we sit now, we have exhausted every potential opportunity.Related

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• ICC confirms New York's Eisenhower Park will not host international games before T20 WC

• India, Australia and England boards should do more for Test cricket – Johnny Grave

Are you happy with the venues you’ve ended up with, particularly those in the USA?
What we’ve now come up with is two fairly low-risk venues, in Florida and Dallas, and one that I would define as a very ambitious project in Nassau County in New York. At Fort Lauderdale in Florida, we’ve got a long and successful history of working with both the Central Broward Regional Park, the county, and everyone else when we play international cricket there. And then Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas gives us another state to take matches to. Major League Cricket (MLC) developed that venue and operated it last year and one expects it will be enhanced for a World Cup, but I think they had plans to enhance it anyway for the second edition of MLC.When we originally agreed our joint bid, we had envisaged a one-third/two-third split of matches between us and the USA. We are not quite there but it would have been very easy for West Indies cricket to say we’ve spent a year looking at venues in the USA and it’s becoming more and more problematic so therefore we will just play all the matches in West Indies. But that would not have been aligned to our bid or the ICC strategy to grow the game and it also wouldn’t have been aligned to our long-term strategy.

“In the West Indies, there is a way of watching cricket and that way should also be respected. People should be able to come in with their cooler boxes, their flags, their horns and their drums, and enjoy and watch the cricket the way they want to. And we want to create the atmosphere that travelling fans also want – which is to watch with loud, noisy West Indian fans”

Let’s specifically discuss New York, which you’ve called an ambitious project. We know that a temporary cricket stadium will have to be constructed at Eisenhower Park, and that there is still much work to be done. But it will have to be ready for matches including the marquee clash between India and Pakistan. How confident are you that it will be up to standard for this event?
I am confident that the plan is in place. We’ll have a drop-in wicket and drop-in-wicket technology was in use at the last World Cup in Australia and has been used extensively in both Australia and New Zealand. We’ve probably got one of the best people in the world leading on it, with Damian Hough, the lead curator at the Adelaide Oval, overseeing it and LandTek, who are an established turf firm in the United States, also working on it. We’re not doing anything new – Miami is converted into a Formula One destination in a weekend, all using modular stands – but what we’re doing for cricket is completely new. Therefore, in a sense, what we’re doing is very ambitious and one of a kind, but I don’t think any of us would be going forward with it if we didn’t think we could deliver on it. For cricket fans, it is completely unique and will hopefully surpass all expectations of what any of us could imagine. I am quite optimistic that when we all go to New York and see it, we will be blown away by the scale and size of what we see in a park in New York.What about the six Caribbean nations? Are there any specific areas of focus for them?
The number one priority for us is to get the cricket right: making sure the teams come in smoothly and safely, that logistics work and they are given the best possible facilities to train and practice so that they can execute their best skills come match day. If we can get that right, then the cricket will take care of itself because the players will be in the best frame of mind with the best preparation in order to put on the best show. It should be a real spectacle. The other challenge is to learn from the 2007 World Cup, which I think we have done.What do you mean by that?
The biggest thing that people feel went wrong in 2007 was that it didn’t embrace the local communities and local fans enough. We want to be as compliant as we have to be with all the ICC regulations and policies but also defend the position that in the West Indies there is a way of watching cricket and that way should also be respected. People should be able to come in with their cooler boxes, their flags, their horns and their drums, and enjoy and watch the cricket the way they want to. And we want to create the atmosphere that travelling fans also want – which is to watch with loud, noisy West Indian fans who are passionate and don’t necessarily sit in their seats and give a quiet cheer and clap every now and then. The main thing in terms of the 2007 lesson is to make sure we are loyal to our fans and consistent in the way that we allow fans to attend, and make it affordable and make sure when they do turn up, it’s an environment that they are used to and how they want to watch their cricket.The 2022 Under-19 World Cup was the last global event in the West Indies•ICC/Getty ImagesWest Indies have hosted three ICC events since then: the 2010 T20 World Cup, the 2018 women’s T20 World Cup, and the 2022 Under-19 World Cup. Do you feel the fan experience has improved over time?
Kind of. And we also have the CPL. It is a fantastic product, the average age of the fans is young and there are probably more females than males. We are very focused on playing those games at night, when our fans can attend. For this World Cup, there will be some morning matches during the week but we see this as an opportunity to extend free tickets to school children, so that they can experience World Cup T20 cricket too.In terms of the last two events, we feel as though no-one remembers the role we played in 2018 when we successfully hosted the women’s World T20 with big crowds. We sold out Antigua for the final, between neutral teams [Australia and England]. And with the last Under-19 World Cup – we had 16 teams come in and play for a whole month and were just coming out of Covid. It was run very smoothly and the feedback from teams was really positive. You’ve spoken a lot about your own fans and how you hope to create an experience that is tailored for them, but do you expect a big international contingent?
We hope it becomes the biggest and most important World Cup ever in terms of traveling fans. We still think this is the best place in the world to watch and play cricket. Hopefully now that we are fully out of Covid, this will have the biggest number of traveling fans attending a World Cup since 2019. And hopefully because it’s T20, we can surpass that. We know it can be expensive to get here but one of the advantages to hosting the tournament in June is that it’s not peak [tourist] season so hopefully it does become more affordable to fans once they are here.What would you consider a successful tournament?
If you’re hosting, it’s about legacy and about short-term maximisation of the opportunity financially. We are looking at this T20 World Cup as a catalyst for change. If you look at what New Zealand had in 2015, that gave them the financial catalyst for a lot of improvements on and off the field. We probably won’t host another major men’s ICC event for a decade. But it’s also a fantastic opportunity for us to promote our purpose, that small Caribbean countries can unite and come together, take on the best in the world, and win. So, for us, off the field, it’s legacy, smooth operations and pride. From a team perspective, the focus and what’s at the forefront of everyone’s minds is on winning. Everything we are doing is trying to ensure that we win the third title at Kensington [Oval, in Barbados] in June.

Three batters, two quicks and two spinners who could light up the business end of the Under-19 World Cup

Firdose Moonda30-Jan-2024India, Australia and Pakistan have emerged as frontrunners at the men’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and are all unbeaten after the group stage. These three teams take maximum points into the Super Sixes (four each), with India boasting the highest net run-rate.The numbers are important for the next phase, where the teams that have advanced will each play two matches against sides who did not finish in the same position as them in the group stage. Essentially this means that, for now, India have avoided a clash with Pakistan and Australia will not have to face hosts South Africa. But there are still some marquee clashes on the cards in the Super Sixes as India take on New Zealand, Australia face off against England, Pakistan play Bangladesh, and South Africa have a showdown against Sri Lanka to determine who will compete in the final four. With new stars being born and the Super Sixes looming, here are seven of the brightest twinklers.Uday Saharan
India’s captain has made the most of his time in South Africa with a century in the pre-tournament triangular series, two half-centuries in two warm-up games and two more in India’s first two matches. He has also been part of two of India’s three match-winning century stands, has used himself briefly – and successfully – as a bowler, took a good running catch at point in the final group-stage match, and has led the side astutely. Saharan’s use of his bowlers, particularly Saumy Pandey in the powerplay, has been impressive and we can expect his all-round ability to be on display as the tournament nears its business end.Related

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• Under-19 WC Super Six: 12 teams, two groups, and why there is no India-Pakistan clash

Shahzaib Khan
The leading run-scorer from the group stage, Pakistan opener Shahzaib Khan has earned two player of the match performances for his century against Afghanistan and his unbeaten 86-ball 80 against New Zealand. The latter was particularly notable and came in a 10-wicket demolition job in which Pakistan chased 141 inside 26 overs. Shahzaib appears strong on the off side and square of the wicket and has shown the temperament to pace an ODI innings well. His challenge will come from Pakistan moving away from the coastal city of East London and to livelier surfaces in Potchefstroom and Benoni and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts his game.Steve Stolk smashed a 37-ball 86 against Scotland•ICC/Getty ImagesSteve Stolk
At just 17 years old, the strongly-built Steve Stolk has all the makings of a modern white-ball batter, most notably strength. He is South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer so far, with two half-centuries to his name and one significant record. Rishabh Pant’s 18-ball fifty in 2016 was the fastest in this format until Stolk smashed a half-century off 13 balls against Scotland, including 34 off one over to get South Africa off a rollicking start as they went after a table-topping win. They chased 270 in just 27 overs and leapfrogged both West Indies and England in Group B. So far, Stolk has the highest overall tournament strike rate of 158.16, (among batters who have scored more than 50 runs) and has also struck the most sixes with nine.Callum Vidler

Not only is Australia’s leading wicket-taker Callum Vidler quick but he has also found movement on a usually placid Kimberley pitch. Against Namibia, he kept his lengths full, generated late swing, shattered the stumps twice and found the edge to take four. Against Sri Lanka, he extracted good bounce for his three wickets. Having adjusted to conditions at the venue, he will be best placed to exploit them when Australia play their two Super Six matches there and the pace will keep coming. As he said in an interview with the ICC: “My job is to bowl fast and if anyone ever tells me to slow down, I don’t listen to that.”Vishwa Lahiru
Left-arm spinner Vishwa Lahiru has been a consistent threat in the group stage with at least two wickets in each of his matches. He has bowled with good pace and found turn and, with Sri Lanka using him as a wicket-taking option in the powerplay, has taken out top-order players in all three group stage matches. Of spinners who have taken at least seven wickets in the tournament so far, Lahiru’s economy rate of 2.50 is only bettered by Pandey.After he took five wickets, Matt Rowe was called upon to hit the winning runs in a nervy game against Afghanistan•ICC/Getty ImagesMatt Rowe
Another seamer enjoying South African surfaces is New Zealand’s Matt Rowe, who took 5 for 21 against Afghanistan to register one of his country’s three best hauls in the tournament’s history behind Trent Boult and Tim Southee. He also hit the winning runs in what turned into a nailbiter to show some nerve at the end. Overall, his six wickets have come at an average of 15.50 and an economy rate of 4.22. Among seamers who have taken six or more wickets at the tournament so far, only Australia’s Vidler and Mahli Beardman have been more miserly. New Zealand move to Bloemfontein for their Super Six matches where there has been some assistance on offer for the quicks early on and Rowe’s performances there could prove well worth watching.Tazeem Chaudry Ali
The most successful legspinner in the Super Sixes, England’s Tazeem Chaudry Ali has been effective in dismantling middle orders and did so against both South Africa and West Indies. His googly has proved difficult to pick and he has used it well so far. Despite missing his team’s opening match against Scotland, his six wickets make him their leading wicket-taker in the group stage and an economy rate of 3.00 is nothing to scoff at.

“It’s going to take them [the team] a long time to get over this because it just takes so much out of you,” say former players who’ve been through the emotional wringer before

Firdose Moonda30-Jun-20240:53

Markram: ‘For the time being it just hurts a lot’

It didn’t even take half an hour after South Africa lost the T20 World Cup final for the first genuinely funny inside joke to be made.”Now we don’t have a trophy or a cabinet,” Mandy Wiener, one of the country’s best-known news journalists, posted on X.June 29 was exactly a month since South Africans went to the polls for the country’s seventh democratic elections, and the first one in which the African National Congress did not win an outright majority. The make-up of the new government has captured national attention and continued to do so this weekend.Related

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“It’s a done deal,” was the front-page headline on the and that wasn’t someone prematurely going to press with the cricket result. It was about what the future parliament will look like.Just underneath was a photograph from the Wanderers fan park, of a supporter on his knees, his national flag dragging behind him like a discarded cape, his head resting in his interlaced hands and a look of disbelief in his eyes. Around him, some of the 5,000 people that made their way to the country’s premier cricket ground, were standing in beanies, down jackets and even sleeping bags. They braved the Highveld cold in the hope that they would witness history being made in Bridgetown. They did, just not the kind they will want to remember.South Africa have not won a cricket World Cup, despite an unbeaten run through the tournament and an almighty fight for most of the match that mattered most. Of course, there will be what-ifs that can be what-iffed over forever. Should Quinton de Kock have played the shot he did when a fielder was put at fine leg for exactly that? Should Heinrich Klaasen have used his feet when he reached for the wide delivery that he ended up nicking? Was the boundary rope where it should have been when Suryakumar Yadav took the wonder catch that ended David Miller’s innings and South Africa’s dream? And none of those things matter. It’s over. No one can go back. Nothing can be undone or redone.The South Africa players wait for the presentation ceremony after the final•CREIMASOnce the whirlwind of emotions passes, the real question is how, not if, South Africa will move forward because they have no choice but to find a way. And in the immediate aftermath, minutes after the game, an emotionally exhausted but excellently articulated analysis by former coach Russell Domingo, former captain Hashim Amla and former allrounder Chris Morris signposted the way in three clear paths: sit with the sadness, deal with the dips and look for the light.”It’s going to take them a long time to get over this because it just takes so much out of you,” Domingo, who was South Africa’s coach during the 2015 World Cup semi-final (another nerve-wracking affair) and now coaches the Lions domestic team, said on SuperSport. “You’ve given everything for two or three years leading to this event and one or two things just don’t fall into place, so to get back up and step into the arena again is going to be a challenge and there might be a little bit of a drop-off in terms of intensity. They’ll get there eventually, but it might take a little bit of time.”Domingo knows what he is talking about because he lived it. South Africa did not play any cricket for 103 days between the semi-final in March 2015 and a July tour of Bangladesh. There, they won a T20I series 2-nil but lost the ODIs 2-1 before a washed-out Test series. The real downer came later that year when they toured India and lost a four-Test series 3-nil – their first away series defeat in nine years. It began a slump that saw them drop as low as seventh on the Test rankings and become the first team to bow out of the 2019 World Cup, which was their worst tournament showing in their history.

“You’ve given everything for two or three years leading to this event and one or two things just don’t fall into place, so to get back up and step into the arena again is going to be a challenge and there might be a little bit of a drop-off in terms of intensity. They’ll get there eventually.”Former SA coach Russell Domingo

This time, they have less time but more resources. There are 39 days between the T20 World Cup final and the Test series in the West Indies, where they are under a different coach and have a significant proportion of different personnel. With the continued separation of red and white ball set-ups, they can treat that series as completely unrelated to this tournament, even though it’s the same place. Their next limited-overs assignment is three T20Is in the West Indies followed by a white-ball series in Ireland, which starts in late September, and the focus will be on 50-over cricket, with the 2025 Champions Trophy in mind. While no substitute for a World Cup, the Champions Trophy can, at the least, be used as preparation for the home World Cup, in 2027, which is already being built up as “the one”.Although South Africans should probably have a conversation with themselves about creating cricketing expectations, Amla believes there’s reasons to be hopeful for 2027 and beyond. “I feel quietly optimistic of what’s to come, [with this team] having gone past the hurdle of a semi-final,” he said. “Guys like [Tristan] Stubbs, [Aiden] Markram and the exposure they’ve had with IPLs, with our SA20, with our domestic system – we’re seeing these youngsters come in and they’re straight into the game, whereas maybe before it took a little bit longer to get into international cricket.They’re getting into it very quickly and we’re seeing the performances coming.”Amla assessed South Africa’s pipeline as strong and producing players of quality who can stand up in high-pressure situations. This team has already proven him right, with wins in six out of seven close matches and a dominant showing in the semi-final, where they have historically stumbled. While there is space for the argument that South Africa should have won the final when they needed 26 runs from 24 balls with six wickets in hand and that not doing so was a choke, there should be equal room to recognise how outstandingly well Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh bowled at the end, and how spectacular Suryakumar’s catch was. That’s just sport.While Rohit Sharma spoke of destiny, Amla has always taken the pragmatic approach to something as variable as luck. “Nobody deserves anything in this game. That’s one of Hash’s famous throwaway quotes,” Domingo said. “And he’s spot on. You’ve got to earn it. And you’ve got to make sure you do the right things.”But now, to the one player who may feel differently: David Miller.David Miller was inconsolable as the South Africans saw another dream go bust•Getty ImagesFourteen years ago, Miller made his debut in the West Indies and already had a reputation for big-hitting and natural flare. Until the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, where he scored a hundred in a losing cause, he was regarded as a player who had not quite lived up to his potential at international level. After that innings he said he felt “a bit hollow”, and since then has taken it on himself to shoulder more responsibility. As South Africa’s most-capped player at this World Cup, that makes sense. It was Miller who was caught on the boundary on the final over, aiming for the six that could have turned the tide. The expression on his face afterwards told a story of someone who felt they had let their team and themselves down, and who may not get another chance to put that right. Miller is 35 now and, though he has not indicated his career is over, another World Cup may be a bridge too far and he could join generations of others who were never able to win a World Cup.”For a guy like Dave, that’ll hurt,” Morris said. “Dave’s such a good dude. He’s a team man. He’s been a flipping stalwart for South African cricket. And as Russ [Domingo] said, you think someone from the top would look down and go, ‘It’s your turn to win something.'”But none of Domingo, Amla, Morris and perhaps none of South Africa held on to that though for too long. This is a country with too many real problems to dwell on the disappointment of a World Cup defeat for too long. Instead, the television trio acknowledged the fitting end to Virat Kohli and Rohit’s T20I careers, the immense comeback of Rishabh Pant from a near-death experience and the redemption of Hardik Pandya. “Everybody’s got a backstory. All the heroes have got a backstory,” Amla said. “We know what adversity they had to get over to achieve the success they have. And South Africa have a very big backstory. This is another blockbuster in the backstory. We’ve had to wait for the final and now we have to wait for a trophy. The final has come now; the trophy’s coming next.”But the best news for South Africans, is that cabinet is expected to be finalised this week. And life goes on.

Shreyanka Patil, Phoebe Litchfield and Seshnie Naidu are just some of the rising stars set to shine in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2024

Australia

Phoebe Litchfield
Litchfield will be playing in her first world event having only debuted for Australia in 2022. As recently as late September she was unsure if she would make Australia’s best XI but a stunning half-century in a nervy chase against New Zealand all but secured her place in Australia’s middle order. She is one of the most exciting and innovative young batters in the world and she will have an important role as one of the few left-handed batters in Australia’s line-up.

Bangladesh

Shorna AkterThe legspin allrounder doesn’t have the power game but can clear the gaps and keep the scorecard moving at pace. She was part of the Bangladesh side at the Under-19 World Cup last year and finished as the team’s top scorer, striking at 157.73. That earned Shorna a call-up to the senior team at 16 and she was straightaway added to the T20 World Cup squad. A 22-ball 31 against New Zealand at No. 5 made her presence felt on the international circuit. Later that year, she stunned South Africa with 5 for 28 to add a glorious chapter in Bangladesh Women’s cricket. Recently at the Asia Cup, she blazed a 14-ball 25 against Sri Lanka, at No. 8. Though she can be a bit expensive with the ball, Shorna’s batting approach is a refreshing change in a line-up that struggles to score quickly.

India

Shreyanka Patil
She may be only 12 T20Is old, but Patil, 22, has quickly established herself as one of the key cogs of India’s spin attack despite making her international debut only last December. It is no secret that she thrives under pressure and is adept at bowling across phases. Her ability to bat lower down the order only adds to her value. She hasn’t got enough chances to bat for India yet but has shown glimpses of what she can do with the bat in the WPL. She could be just the bowler batters would not want to come up against in conditions in the UAE.

New ZealandFran Jonas
The 20-year-old left-arm spinner already has an ODI and T20 World Cup under her belt having featured in the 2022 and 2023 events. She was also part of the Commonwealth Games so has considerable experience for someone so young. The results have been promising, too, with her career-best 4 for 22 coming against England at Lord’s earlier this year. There is every chance she forms a frontline spin trio with Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson. “I’ve been really impressed with a lot of the work our spinners have done,” captain Sophie Devine said ahead of the Australia series. “They are going to have a big role moving ahead…in the UAE so for us Fran Jonas, Eden Carson will play critical roles for us.”

Pakistan

Syeda Aroob ShahAroob offers hope for Pakistan’s future. The legspinner was only 16 when she made her international debut across formats, in 2019. She soon lost her place in the senior side the following year after playing just five T20Is, which included a stint at the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia. However, she proved her worth in domestic tournaments and was part of Pakistan’s emerging team last year. She was then made the Pakistan captain at the 2023 Under-19 World Cup and a few months later, was also brought back into the senior team after three years. Despite limited success with the senior side, Aroob’s conventional legbreak and a good flipper can trouble batters.

South Africa

Seshnie Naidu
Good legspinners are among the most valuable players in the game and South Africa have found a specialist in Naidu, who is 18 years old, completing her final year of high-school and already has significant big-tournament experience. Naidu played at the under-19 World Cup last year and for the South African Emerging Side at the Africa Games, where took five wickets at 11.00. She was uncapped when she was selected in the T20 World Cup squad and made her debut in Pakistan, where her first act of note was to take a blinder of a catch at short fine leg before she got a wicket off her second ball in international cricket. The early signs are that she backs her variations, even if she gets hit, and as part of a dynamic attack, she could be the missing piece.Seshnie Naidu made her T20I debut in Multan•Pakistan Cricket Board

Sri Lanka

Kavisha Dilhari
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Dilhari is among the most improved allrounders in the women’s game this past year. There was no doubt over her utility as a bowler; she has been constantly among the wickets with her offspin. She picked up wickets in each of the T20Is in England last year, and in each of Sri Lanka’s T20I wins in South Africa this year. But by stepping up with the bat she has given the middle order a boost. She helped see off the chase against India in the Asia Cup final, hitting her first two sixes in T20Is. Against Ireland, she brought up her maiden half-century in the format and has begun to show the mettle which made her one of ESPNcricinfo’s 20 picks for women cricketers expected to dominate the 2020s.

West Indies

Zaida James
The teenage allrounder from St Lucia has always done things long before she was expected to. She was 14 when she was called up to the Windward Islands senior team and the youngest woman to do so, and 16 when she was part of a West Indies training camp in Antigua in 2021. Now, 19, she already has major accomplishments to her name. James was the standout performer for West Indies at last year’s under-19 World Cup; their highest run-scorer and only player to score more than 100 runs and also their highest wicket-taker. She made her senior debut in the same month and, although she didn’t make the World Cup squad then, fast-forward 18 months and she has played 12 ODIs and 14 T20Is and seems to have a bright future ahead of her.Zaida James has shown a skill for exceeding expectations•ICC/Getty Images

England

Freya Kemp
Talented allrounder Kemp made a splash in 2022 against India when she became the youngest England player, female or male, to score fifty in a T20I, aged 17 years and 145 days. But a back stress fracture later that year ruled her out of the 2023 T20 World Cup. A flare up of the injury at the end of last year further delayed her return to bowling her left-arm seam until New Zealand’s visit in July. A quiet Hundred led England to select her for the recent tour of Ireland while the majority of the World Cup squad trained in Abu Dhabi and there she found some good form in three ODIs with a 47-ball 65 and taking 2 for 7 from three overs in the second game. To complete her comeback with a strong World Cup debut would no doubt mean a lot to Kemp, and England’s prospects.

Scotland

Rachel Slater
The leading wicket-taker from the Qualifiers, 22-year-old left-arm seamer Slater was crucial to Scotland’s maiden appearance at a Women’s T20 World Cup, taking 11 wickets at 13.81 and with an economy rate of 7.60. That included a career-best of 5 for 17 against Uganda. Slater took 12 wickets for Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and five wickets at an economy of 6.51, including bowling England star Nat Sciver-Brunt, during her nine appearances for Oval Invincibles in the Women’s Hundred. Having played top-level cricket in England should stand her – and her team – in good stead on the big stage in the UAE.