Tag Futebol

The decision to use a stand-in coach for the India ODI tour is a mirror of Australia’s plans in 2013, when Lehmann remained in Australia ahead of the home Ashes series

Daniel Brettig10-Mar-2017Australia’s assistant coach David Saker will stand in for Darren Lehmann on the ODI tour of India that takes place later this year, but admits the fact that he has not played international cricket will count against him in calculations to replace Lehmann after the head coach’s contract expires in 2019.Lehmann has previously indicated that the conclusion of his current deal, following the double of the World Cup and an Ashes tour both in England, is highly likely to be the end of his tenure as coach of the national team. Saker returned to Australia from England and coached Victoria to the Sheffield Shield in his first season before being named as Lehmann’s assistant last year.While not shying away from saying that he would be more than capable of being Australia’s head coach, Saker conceded that a first-class career as a swing bowler for Victoria that did not feature any international cricket would likely count against him in Cricket Australia’s calculations.The Western Australia coach Justin Langer and the Adelaide Strikers coach Jason Gillespie – both of whom stood in to mentor the Australian Twenty20 team last month alongside Ricky Ponting – are commonly considered the most likely successors to Lehmann.”It’s a huge honour to be even considered to be a coach of an Australian team and to be given the opportunity is fantastic. I’m going to look forward to it a lot,” Saker said. “My ambition is to coach Australia but I know not playing cricket for Australia makes it a little bit harder. But I think I’ve been involved in Test cricket, one day cricket and Twenty20 cricket a lot. I’ve seen a lot of cricket so I think I could do the job without a doubt.”Saker’s frank assessment of international cricket being a factor in his chances is not mere opinion. Lehmann and by extension CA have emphasised the importance of international playing experience in the coaching staff over the past four years, to the point that playing the game at the top level as a player is believed to be a factor in areas such as coach’s contract length and level of remuneration.The decision to use a stand-in coach for the India ODI tour is a mirror of Australia’s plans in 2013, when Lehmann remained at home ahead of the home Ashes series alongside several members of the Test team including David Warner, Michael Clarke and Steven Smith. The touring team were instead led by George Bailey as captain and Steve Rixon as coach, and gave a good account of themselves until an in-form Mitchell Johnson was sent home ahead of the series deciding final game.India went on to win the last match to take a high-scoring series, but the result was to be little remembered in the aftermath of Australia’s subsequent 5-0 sweep of England on home shores. Saker was then a part of England’s support staff – he will be hoping this time to aid the hosts in regaining the urn, both by his guidance in India and in the Ashes Tests that follow.

The ODI series between South Africa and England will be decided by the final match in Cape Town after South Africa won an enthralling penultimate game by one wicket with 16 deliveries to spare

The Report by George Dobell12-Feb-2016 South Africa 266 for 9 (Morris 62, Rashid 2-38) beat England 262 (Root 109, Hales 50, Rabada 4-45) by one wicket

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe ODI series between South Africa and England will be decided by the final match in Cape Town on Sunday after South Africa won an enthralling penultimate game by one wicket with 16 deliveries to spare.After losing the first two matches in the series, South Africa have now won two in a row with Chris Morris justifying his recall for this match – and his lofty IPL price tag – with a match-clinching innings under pressure.By the time South Africa lost their eighth wicket, they still required 53 to win and looked as if they were going to succumb to the sort of defeat that would do nothing to rid them of the tag of chokers.The top three were all bowled by good deliveries – Stuart Broad, in his first ODI since the World Cup, persuading Hashim Amla to play on in the first over – but then AB de Villiers was run out responding to a panicky call for a single from JP Duminy – Chris Woakes capping a fine recall with a brilliant pick-up and throw off his own bowling – and the middle order were exposed for their lack of calm.While Farhaan Behardien and David Wiese could probably be forgiven their inexperience, Duminy – not for the first time, befuddled by a spinner – looked oddly unsettled for a man playing his 150th ODI. But then Morris, driving fluently and picking up the short ball with impressive power, thrashed a maiden ODI half-century in just 30 balls to set-up the finale at Newlands.Four times he seized on deliveries pitched fractionally short – one from each of England’s seamers – to pull enormous sixes and suggest that perhaps the management of Delhi Daredevils (who bid $1m for his services a few days ago) are a better judge of a player’s value than the South Africa selectors.When he fell, beaten by a fine googly from Adil Rashid, the scores were level and Imran Tahir was able to cut his first delivery for four to clinch the victory.In truth, South Africa should probably have won this game far more easily. At the halfway stage of the England innings, they had reduced them to 108 for 6 before a brilliant innings from Joe Root – and some far-from-ruthless captaincy – saw a partial recovery.On a decent batting surface, the only quality South Africa were required to demonstrate in their run chase was calm. But, despite their talent, they succumbed to 210 for 8 against some impressive England bowling before Morris intervened.AB de Villiers was left on his knees but South Africa stayed standing to level the series•Getty Images

Indeed, England may well feel they squandered a great opportunity to wrap up the series. They wasted two chances to be rid of Morris early – once on 14, when he was dropped by Adil Rashid off Reece Topley at mid-off, and once, on 16, when Eoin Morgan failed to hit the stumps from very close range.Duminy, on 1, was also reprieved by Alex Hales, at second slip off Woakes, while de Villiers, on 9, was put down by Jason Roy at point off Broad. Jos Buttler also missed a stumping off Rashid when the Behardien had 15.But England should reflect that they lost the game far earlier in the day. Having progressed to 87 for 1 in the 18th over, they suffered a dramatic collapse from which they never fully recovered.It was, ironic though it sounds, the quality of the batting track that played a part in England’s downfall. So aware were the top order of the need to push on and set a defensible total on a surface where something in excess of 300 might have been considered par that they were drawn into a series of highly aggressive strokes which cost them their wickets.The turning point was the wicket of Hales. For the fourth time in the series, Hales made a mature half-century with his natural positivity tempered by enough restraint to give himself the best chance of success. But then, despite the presence of a man on the midwicket boundary – by far the longer of the square boundaries – he played a slog-sweep off Tahir only to see the ball carry unerringly to the fielder.It precipitated a collapse that saw England lose five wickets for 21 runs in seven overs; a passage of play that defined the match.Perhaps, if we admire the boldness of an England side that can make 400, we cannot carp if they sometimes fail in pursuit of such targets. They have certainly developed into an entertaining side. But England have become, in Blackjack terms, the team that says “hit me” in every situation. Maybe the more experienced gambler realises that sometimes 17 is enough to beat the house. Had they eked out another 10 runs in their final overs – rather than going down fighting with 13 deliveries of their innings unused – it may well have proved enough.Defeat was poor reward for another masterful innings from Root. With his second century of the series and the eighth of his ODI career, Root added 95 for the seventh wicket with Woakes in 16.4 overs to resurrect England. With Adil Rashid also contributing a swift 39, England’s lower order more than doubled the score.Unafraid to hit in the air and skipping down the pitch often to enable him to get under the ball, Root put the quality of the surface into perspective with an innings that leaves only Kevin Pietersen (nine from 123 innings) and Marcus Trescothick (12 from 122) with more ODI centuries than him of England players. This was Root’s 63rd ODI innings.He survived being given out on 95 – his use of the DRS showed an inside edge on the ball from Tahir that that had been adjudged to have trapped him leg before – and a top-edge on 55 that fell between fielders but, those moments apart, this was another excellent performance from Root.Perhaps they benefited from de Villiers’ decision-making. With England apparently there for the taking, de Villiers used his support bowlers to get through some overs rather than calling on his new ball men to finish their job. It allowed England a recovery which almost – but not quite – proved enough to snatch the game.

Virat Kohli hit his 15th ODI century as India easily hunted down 229 to defeat Zimbabwe in the opening encounter

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran24-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli and Ambati Rayudu ensured a hassle-free victory for India•AFP

Usually, Indian cricketers ply their trade in packed and raucous concrete bowls and have to deal with a large media contingent. The Harare Sports Club, in contrast, features vast grass banks, rudimentary stands and is ringed by trees. Only a couple of Indian journalists have made the trip to Zimbabwe to cover the series.If that wasn’t enough to ease the pressure on an Indian squad filled with understudies, the cool weather on a sunny day, the toothless Zimbabwe bowling and a benign pitch made them feel all the more comfortable. With the schooldkids dancing in the stands and plenty of fans having a leisurely lunch near the pavilion, the match seemed more like a casual afternoon game in the park, rather than an international encounter.The intensity of the contest particularly dimmed once Virat Kohli took charge of yet another chase. Over the past three years, Kohli has developed into one of the leading batsmen in one-dayers, a reputation forged on the back of several big centuries when hunting down targets, but today’s hundred – his 15th in ODIs, drawing him level with Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Yousuf – could well have been his easiest in international cricket.The chase revolved around a 159-run stand for the third wicket between debutant Ambati Rayudu and Kohli. Rayudu first came to national attention a decade ago, when picked as a 17-year-old for an A tour of the Caribbean and was touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket. However, a tussle with his state association and a dalliance with the unofficial Indian Cricket League combined to keep him out of the India team for years. The friendly conditions were the perfect setting for Rayudu to make his debut, and he helped himself to an unbeaten half-century.Rayudu and Kohli came together after India’s opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma departed fairly early – Dhawan after failing to control a hook, and Rohit after nicking a wide, amiable delivery to the keeper. Kohli was fluent right from the start, highlighted by a controlled drive through extra cover and a superbly timed flick to the midwicket boundary. With the asking-rate well in hand, Rayudu took his time early on to settle any nerves, mainly dealing in singles – he hit just two fours till he reached his half-century.With the pitch having dried out, and Zimbabwe’s spinners not getting much purchase, Prosper Utseya’s late double-strike wasn’t much more than an opportunity for the crowd to cheer.The gulf between the two sides was clearly in evidence, though it was widened considerably by India winning the toss. The only time the pitch encouraged the bowlers was soon after the 9am start, and India’s new-ball bowlers, Vinay Kumar and Shami Ahmed, had the ball swerving around though they couldn’t separate the dogged Zimbabwe opening pair of Sikandar Raza and Vusi Sibanda. The openers, well aware of the early danger, concentrated on keeping wickets in hand, not bothering about the scoring rate which remained below three in the first hour.Raza, the Sialkot-born batsman, shrugged off an indifferent start to his international career with a watchful 82 that held the innings together. The camera frequently panned to a man wearing a ‘Team Raza’ t-shirt, and Raza didn’t disappoint his fans. The run-rate may have been wanting, and it wasn’t until the 32nd over that he reached his half-century, but he then showcased his repertoire of strokes, highlighted by two sixes in the Powerplay – one a stunning straight hit over Vinay’s head and the other a muscular swat over midwicket for six more.India’s spinners kept the pressure on Zimbabwe’s top order. Jadeja continued to be in top form, with his steady spin fetching him 10-3-33-0 while legspinner Amit Mishra, playing his first ODI in more than two years, got three wickets. His googly was going to be a big weapon against a team that hasn’t faced him too often, and it provided India the first breakthrough, as Sibanda was lbw in the 22nd over.The disciplined bowling meant that Zimbabwe struggled to lift the scoring rate. It was only around the batting Powerplay, when Raza and Brendan Taylor – Zimbabwe’s best batsman, who walked out as late as the 34th over – piled on 43 runs in five overs, that the home side finally got a move on. After Taylor departed, Raza followed, falling for 82 as he missed a short ball from Mishra. He walked off dejected, and though Elton Chigumbura reeled off a series of boundaries in an unbeaten 43 off 34 balls to lift the target to 229, it didn’t prove much of a challenge for India.

Varun Aaron, the India fast bowler, has suffered a recurrence of a back injury that had ruled him of India’s tour to Australia last year and is likely to be out of cricket till at least September

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2012Varun Aaron, the India fast bowler, has suffered a recurrence of a back injury that had ruled him out of India’s tour to Australia last year. He told ESPNcricinfo that he was targetting a return during the Champions League T20 in October.Aaron, whose last international game was in December in an ODI against West Indies in Visakhapatnam, returned to competitive cricket during the IPL. He played eight games for his franchise, Delhi Daredevils, and picked up eight wickets.”There was a slight niggle, but I was still good enough to bowl at my best during the IPL,” Aaron told the . “But as soon as I experienced the pain again, I returned to the NCA some five weeks back.””The back injury must have relapsed after the IPL,” TA Sekar, Daredevils mentor, said. “He was 100% fit during the matches he played and he even bowled at 145 kmh-plus in them.” Sekar said it was only after putting Aaron through the franchise’s rehab schedule that Daredevils decided to play him; Aaron played his first game only midway through the tournament.”Ideally the board should have sent him to Australia for treatment in December itself, especially since they had a qualified physio in Evan Speechly with them,” Sekar said. “The two-month delay really cost him.” Aaron was sent to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for his rehab after he was ruled out of the Australia tour.Aaron, who has played one Test and five ODIs for India, has had a history of back trouble, having suffered two stress fractures soon after he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Jharkhand in the 2008-09 season. He first played for India during the ODI series against England last October and made his Test debut the following month against West Indies. He was picked in India’s Test squad for Australia, but once the stress reaction in his back was diagnosed, he was replaced by Karnataka seamer R Vinay Kumar.

Openers Alex Hales and Riki Wessels both hit half-centuries as Nottinghamshire Outlaws took another step towards the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 by thrashing Lancashire Lightning by 53 runs

26-Jun-2011
ScorecardOpeners Alex Hales and Riki Wessels both hit half-centuries as Nottinghamshire Outlaws took another step towards the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 by thrashing Lancashire Lightning by 53 runs.The pair put on 85 for the first wicket before Hales was bowled for 60 – his fourth 50 of the competition – off 38 balls with seven fours and two sixes, but Wessels went on to make 76 from 49 balls with five fours and four sixes in a total of 184 for 4.That proved enough for the hosts to extend their lead at the top of the North Group as Lancashire were bowled out for 131 in 18 overs, Andre Adams taking two for 19 in his first appearance in the competition this season. Steven Croft’s 55 off 28 balls was the only Lancashire highlight, but after he fell to former Lancashire all-rounder Steven Mullaney, the visitors slipped quickly to their fifth defeat in 10 matches.Hales was the faster of the two Notts batsmen out of the blocks as he hit two fours off the first over of the match from Simon Kerrigan, before taking three consecutive boundaries off Junaid Khan’s second over. He also pulled Sajid Mahmood for six and hit Stephen Parry for a straight maximum before the left-arm spinner got his revenge, bowling Hales in the 11th over.Wessels had just been dropped by Stephen Moore having scored 21 and went on to make the visitors pay for their miss. Adam Voges drove Parry to long-off for 17 and although Khan yorked Wessels in the 18th over, the damage had already been done.Lancashire’s hopes took an immediate dent when Moore was brilliantly caught by wicketkeeper Chris Read, flying to his right for a catch off Darren Pattinson. Croft kept Lancashire up with the required rate but could not find a partner to stay with him as Tom Smith and Farveez Maharoof were both caught off miscued shots.And when Croft himself failed to clear extra cover, the rest of the Lancashire batting collapsed, Mullaney claiming 2 for 23 and Graeme White 2 for 26.

Ahead of their first meeting with interim IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, a number of franchises have told Cricinfo they are against player retention and playing fewer matches next year

Tariq Engineer23-Jun-2010Ahead of their first meeting with interim IPL chairman Chirayu Amin tomorrow, a number of franchises have told Cricinfo they are against player retention and playing fewer matches next year, and would like to see more transparency and accountability in the way the league is run.Following the suspension of Lalit Modi as IPL commissioner and the addition of two new franchises, a number of issues concerning this year’s player auction and next season’s tournament are still to be resolved. Chief among them is the issue of player retention. There have been debates over whether the original eight franchises should be allowed to keep any of their current players. Sachin Tendulkar has suggested teams be allowed to retain eight players – four Indian and four international – but the four franchises that spoke to Cricinfo felt all players should go back into the auction pool.”The practical thing to do is let them go and bid for the players you want in a transparent manner,” one franchise official told Cricinfo on the condition of anonymity.As a potential compromise, an official from another franchise suggested giving each team two “cards” for the auction. The cards would give the teams the first right of refusal for one Indian player and one foreign player from their team. So if the maximum bid for a player, say MS Dhoni, was set at $2 million, then Chennai could use the card to bid $2 million and automatically retain him even if another franchise bids the maximum amount.In case Chennai choose to bid less than $2 million for Dhoni, and that bid is matched by one or more of the other franchises, then Chennai would have the first right to break the tie and take the player, using the card. “[That way] everything is decided on the auction table,” the official said.In the wake of India’s disastrous World Twenty20 campaign, many observers blamed IPL fatigue for the team’s poor performance, leading to speculation that fewer matches will be played next year. The IPL governing council is reportedly studying a proposal that recommends the teams be split in two groups, with a total of 68 matches. Under the current format, 94 matches are set to be played next year.However, none of the franchises Cricinfo spoke to were in favour of shortening the tournament. They argue that their decisions are based on a particular business model and certain projections. “The number one reason for adding teams and having more matches was having more revenue. If the number of matches is reduced, it doesn’t work for me,” a franchise official said. “We can address the problems [player fatigue] arising out of that; there is a solution. But reducing matches and the reduction of revenue is not on.”One proposed solution was to limit the Indian players to 14 matches each, but there were reservations about how acceptable that would be, considering the large sums of money being paid for them.Other issues of concern are the maximum permissible size of teams and a salary cap that includes players bought outside the auction. As things stand, teams will be allowed to spend $7 million each on players at the auction. But there is no limit to how much money can be spent on players outside the auction, or how many players a team can buy. This gives franchises with deeper pockets an advantage; hence a cap to level the playing field.”We will ask for a cap on the spend,” a franchise official said. “We will ask for a cap on the number of people a team can hire. Nobody should have a squad of more than 25 or 30.”The teams would also like a larger voice in the running of the IPL. Among the suggestions is that the governing council should include a franchise representative, who would pass on information to the franchises in a timely way, allowing them to plan their operations more efficiently. Ultimately, clarity and communication are what the franchises want most to get on with the business of running their teams.

The trend of low scores continued in New York as India’s attack defended a total of 119 against Pakistan

Alagappan Muthu09-Jun-20241:18

Kumble: Bumrah creates pressure on any surface

One team had Jasprit Bumrah. The other didn’t. And that was that. That was the difference. His legend is littered with incredible displays. But this will feel sweeter, not merely for the fact that it came in a T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, but for the fact that without his intervention this game would have almost certainly had a different ending. India defended 119. Pakistan lost after being 80 for 3. The finalists of the 2022 tournament are in serious danger of an early exit.

Boom in Blue

Pakistan need 40 runs off the last 36 balls with seven wickets in hand. ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster gave them a 93% chance of victory then. Poor thing. It’s been left on the fritz. Bumrah’s discipline, his calmness under pressure, his extraordinary skill, not just in delivering the right ball but in understanding what the right ball is, confounded man and machine alike In New York.Ironically, all this happened because Bumrah refused to go searching for wickets. He just bowled what he thought would be unhittable – which was the back of a length delivery – and by doing it consistently he made Pakistan desperate. He forced them into a corner, which to be fair is their happy place in World Cups, but that wasn’t the case here. Here, there was only panic.Related

• Kirsten's warning to Pakistan's senior pros: evolve or get left behind

• Rohit, Bumrah and the art of defending

• Old debate, simple answer: Pakistan's batting just not very good

• Rohit on Bumrah: 'He's a genius with the ball'

• Babar: 'We were not up to the mark'

Mohammad Rizwan was made to believe that a full length ball was there to play a cross-bat shot. His stumps paid the price. Soon after knocking it back, Bumrah spread his arms wide and broke into a smile. That’s his usual celebration. But he didn’t stop there. He roared. And over 30,000 people at the ground roared with him. He punched the air. Millions joined him. This was the opening that India could build on. This was the crack that would cause the collapse. Rizwan, the set batter, fell for 31 off 44. Bumrah, who had accounted for Babar Azam earlier, also took out Pakistan’s final hope, Iftikhar Ahmed, in the 19th over. Of his 24 balls, 15 were dots. Somehow, even his full tosses proved game-changing.Bumrah’s mastery carved out a piece of history: 119 is the joint-lowest total ever defended in men’s T20 World Cups.

The support act

India waited until the third over to deploy their super weapon. Then they had to wait until the 15th to bring him back. In between, they relied on others to keep the pressure up and two people in particular did that with aplomb. Hardik Pandya and his short-of-a-length offerings were always going to be a threat on this New York pitch with uneven bounce. He stopped Fakhar Zaman before he could play the kind of cameo that would kill chases like these. And then he took out Shadab Khan. Both times the batters were surprised by how high the ball was when they made contact with it. Hardik wasn’t. He just shrugged, as if to say, yeah, I do that. No big deal.Axar Patel was the other unsung hero, bowling the first of the death overs and somehow keeping it to just two runs even though he was up against a left-hand batter with the short boundary on the leg side. Imad Wasim was never allowed to win the match-up as he was fed a diet of non-spinning deliveries that were angled across him and kept bouncing over his cut shots. Bumrah produced the biggest swing in momentum towards India according to Forecaster, 44% at the end of the 19th over. Axar produced the second-biggest swing, his defensive skills earning a 13% bump.Rishabh Pant used his luck and played some creative shots•Getty Images

Pant doing Pant things

This was the best pitch to bat on in New York so far. But even that had its perils. Largely in the form of the ball not coming on, and occasionally with uneven bounce. Rizwan and Arshdeep Singh took blows to the hand.A bit of luck is required in these conditions. Pant got that when he survived three catching opportunities in three balls and later survived an inside edge that could have gone onto the stumps. A bit of bravery helps. Pant showed that when he smashed Haris Rauf over extra cover. A bit of imagination doesn’t go amiss either. Pant epitomised that with a flick shot that he played while falling to the floor because that was the only way he knew how to get under a good length ball and put in the gap at fine leg. Later, to Imad’s highly accurate left-arm spin, he brought out the standing reverse sweep.It was tough to bat out there. Pant’s unorthodox methods made him successful; made him stand out. He made 42 off 31 at a strike rate of 135. The rest of India made 70 off 84 at a strike rate of 83.It’s all blue in New York•Getty Images

The footnotes

In the game against USA, Mohammad Amir was all over the place. In this one, he was spot on. Eight of the first 12 deliveries he bowled produced false shots. Early on with the new ball, he beat the bat three times in a row. Later on, with the old one, he was on a hat-trick. Pakistan demoted him to first-change and by the time he came on, India had already lost their two best batters, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli caught off balls that stuck in the pitch, a theme that would continue for the rest of the innings. Amir had a soft entry but he made the absolute most of it. His best work coincided with the best phase of the game for Pakistan, when they strung four overs together between the 12th and the 15th where only eight runs were scored and four wickets were taken. India went from 89 for 3 to 96 for 7. At the halfway stage, Pakistan were ahead. Twenty overs later, they were facing elimination, in part because they weren’t the team with Jasprit Bumrah.

Yousuf had been named interim head coach on March 13, but that decision was changed just a day later

Umar Farooq22-Mar-2023Mohammad Yousuf, who had been appointed the interim batting coach of the Pakistan men’s team, has withdrawn from the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah citing personal reasons. As a result, Abdul Rehman, the interim head coach, has taken over the batting coach’s responsibilities too.Yousuf had been announced as the interim head coach on March 13, but that changed within a day when Najam Sethi, the PCB chairperson, tweeted a list of support staff that were different from the earlier lot. The PCB clarified that the announcement about Yousuf was erroneous and that he would continue as the batting coach.But hours before the team’s departure for the UAE on Wednesday afternoon – the series starts on Friday – Yousuf pulled out.Pakistan haven’t had a formal head coach since Saqlain Mushtaq’s contract ended. The PCB made interim arrangements by picking coaches from the domestic set-up, and elevated Rehman to the main role. Umar Gul came in as bowling coach, while Yousuf and Abdul Majeed continued as the batting and fielding coaches, respectively.

Pakistan name touring party before finalising coaching staff

As for the squad for the series, it was named on March 13, a day before the staff was announced. The squad was named by the Haroon Rasheed-led selections committee and had wholesale changes: Imad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf have been recalled, while Shadab Khan has been named captain, and big PSL 2023 performers Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah have received call-ups for the first time. The core of the squad, meanwhile, has been rested – Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Afridi don’t figure in the list.”I understand the coaching staff was named after the squad because it’s a temporary job,” Rehman said on Tuesday. “Had there been a permanent staff, this question should have been more relevant, but since I have been given an interim job, my role is just to try and win the series.”Rehman was also asked about heading a team with many senior coaches, and he said, “I am doing this job for the last 15 years. It’s not like I will be dictating terms to them. In fact, having them with me gives me confidence. It’s a privilege to work with them; we have to work together and I have to take advantage of their experience.”Umar Gul is a big name in T20 cricket, Mohammad Yousuf is a big name, who has done big service for the country, and it’s a blessing that you have such people with you in the dressing room. It’s a team job and we will be working together. Every decision regarding the team will be taken after discussion within the team.”The first T20I will be played on March 24, followed by two back-to-back games on March 26 and 27. This will the first bilateral series in any format between the countries.

Sri Lanka looked a batter short in the second ODI, with the Zimbabwe quicks triggering a collapse

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jan-2022

Big picture

On Tuesday, two significant weaknesses in Sri Lanka’s XI were exposed. On flat tracks, even with Dushmantha Chameera in the side, the bowling attack lacked for penetration through the early and middle overs, with only legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay claiming wickets in the first 35. Then, while chasing 303, the top order’s fragilities were laid bare. Against testing but hardly unplayable bowling, Sri Lanka were 31 for 3 inside eight overs, and 63 for 4 inside 15. Although captain Dasun Shanaka’s maiden international hundred kept Sri Lanka in the hunt, you don’t come out on top of many chases with the kind of start they had.Their strategy has come under serious review with that loss; perhaps they are a batter short. With Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka capable of contributing overs, could they perhaps push Chamika Karunaratne down to No. 8? And it is possible they did not use their better bowlers enough. Vandersay had one over unbowled; Karunaratne, who had taken a wicket and gone at only four an over, delivered only six of his possible ten.Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will be thrilled at their own bowlers’ performances. Blessing Muzarabani was the standout on Tuesday, as he, Tendai Chatara and Richard Ngarava produced arguably the defining period of the game – the early overs of Sri Lanka’s innings. In fact, such was the dominance of those three quicks, and the control of left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza, that Zimbabwe didn’t even need Sikandar Raza to bowl his offspin at any stage. The attack also held its nerve when the match seemed headed for a tight finish.A victory in the final match would give Zimbabwe their first series win of this inaugural Super League cycle after also tying a series against Ireland. And it would be the second successive ODI series they would have won in Sri Lanka, having done the same back in 2017, which amounts to serious bragging rights.

Big picture

Sri Lanka LWWLW (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
Zimbabwe WLLWLDasun Shanaka’s maiden ODI hundred was his first excellent innings since taking over as white-ball captain•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

In the four years that Blessing Muzarabani has played ODIs for Zimbabwe, he has had a substantial impact. Away from home, his numbers are excellent: 25 wickets from 16 matches at an average of 27.32. And what is more, since late 2020, he is on a pretty serious run of form despite the infrequency with which Zimbabwe play. In his last nine ODIs, he has gone wicketless only once. Tall, sharp and accurate, he will likely be a menace again come Friday.While Dasun Shanaka did not have the best night as captain, perhaps mismanaging his bowling resources, he will at least be pleased that he produced his first excellent innings since taking over as Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain last year. His form had been a concern right through the last few months, and was perhaps the greatest sticking point in his captaincy so far. Another good innings will help shore up his leadership.

Pitch and conditions

Another flat surface is expected in Pallekele. The weather is not forecast to interrupt.

Team news

Offspinning allrounder Ramesh Mendis is likely to come into Sri Lanka’s XI in order to target Craig Ervine and Sean Williams, the two left-handers in Zimbabwe’s middle order, as well as to bolster the hosts’ batting. Maheesh Theekshana, who has been economical without being a major wicket-taking threat, is likeliest to make way.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamindu Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Chamika Karunaratne, 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Nuwan PradeepZimbabwe were unchanged in the second ODI, and will probably see no need to switch things up for this game too.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Regis Chakabva (wk), 2 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 3 Craig Ervine (capt), 4 Wesley Madhevere, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Blessing Muzarabani, 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Richard Ngarava

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe have now won four of their last seven ODIs in Sri Lanka. Before 2017, they had never won a match on the island.
• In 12 innings in 2020, Shanaka averaged 22.45 with a strike rate of 71. But thanks to Tuesday’s knock, he averages 112 and strikes at 106 across two innings so far this year.
• Despite their modest overall ODI record, Sri Lanka have won three of their last four bilateral ODI series at home, defeating Bangladesh, West Indies and South Africa since 2019.

All the buzz from the IPL 2020 game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bangalore

Deivarayan Muthu03-Oct-2020