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That Bangladesh have made it through to the quarterfinals of the Under-19 World Cup by finishing second in Group D may surprise most people, but it hasn’t surprised them

George Binoy in Townsville18-Aug-2012That Bangladesh have made it through to the quarterfinals of the Under-19 World Cup by finishing second in Group D may surprise most people, but it hasn’t surprised them. They are a competitive team at this level and neither the captain Anamul Haque nor coach Sarwar Imran considered beating Sri Lanka to book their places in Townsville, where they will face Australia on Sunday, to be an upset.”We are a capable Under-19 team,” said Anamul after arriving in Townsville on Friday afternoon. “At Under-19 level, we aren’t very different from other teams. We’re equal. We beat Sri Lanka, it’s not a big deal. We are capable of beating any other team.”Bangladesh were pooled in perhaps the toughest group of the tournament along with South Africa, Sri Lanka and Namibia. They played four warm-up matches in the lead-up to the group games and had positive results. Led by Anamul’s century, Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in the first group match but lost comprehensively to South Africa. They then swept past Namibia to book their tickets out of Brisbane and relegated Sri Lanka to the Plate Championship.They’ve got to Townsville by overcoming ongoing challenges both on and off the field. It hasn’t been uncommon to see players carrying bags of groceries to their rooms during this tournament and that’s largely due to the difficulty they’ve had in eating the unfamiliar breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. For all but one – Noor Hossain – of the Bangladesh players, this is their first trip to Australia and they took a while to adjust to the cold weather in Brisbane, the food, having to cook meals and do their own laundry. These may sound like menial concerns but every bit of discomfort is accentuated when you’re in the environment of a global tournament for the first time. Some of them still haven’t adjusted entirely, said the coach Imran, but they’re getting there.The higher hurdle has been the cricket and to their credit the Bangladesh players haven’t let their off-field issues affect their performances too much. They knew the conditions in Brisbane, a world away from those in Mirpur, Chittagong and Fatullah, would demand that they adapt techniques and approaches.”I’m happy we’ve reached the quarterfinal. The wickets we’ve played on, it hasn’t suited us,” Imran said. “The bounce is more in Brisbane; we don’t have the kind of pace bowlers [to exploit it]. We aren’t as good as the others as a pace bowling team. Some of the pitches had no turn, it was easy to go on the back foot even to good length balls [against spinners]. Here [Townsville] it is hot, and that might help us.”The Bangladesh batsmen were instructed too, to temper the approach they use at home. “On a subcontinent wicket, we go for power play in the first 15 overs, but in this tournament I said you play 50 overs,” Imran said. “We told them to leave the ball early, when it is swinging. You keep wickets in hand as much as possible and go for it in the last ten overs. They did that against Sri Lanka.”Apart from the game against South Africa, a couple of top-order batsmen have performed. Anamul made a hundred against Sri Lanka, while Asif Ahmed scored a half-century, and the opener Liton Das made 70 against Namibia. Imran said Anamul, Das and Soumya Sarkar, who made a double-century against Qatar in the Asia Cup, could play the short ball well. But Sarkar, in his opinion, has a penchant for playing one shot too many, and hasn’t performed in the group stages.Anamul holds his team to high standards. According to him, Bangladesh were better than they had been. “Not too happy with batting, two or three batsman are scoring, but not everyone,” he said. “I’m not fully happy with spinners, they try hard but are not yet up to the mark. Everyone can improve.”Against Australia, however, the responsibility of steering Bangladesh to a competitive total, or controlling a chase, will rest largely on Anamul. He is their most experienced batsman, having been part of the senior team during the Asia Cup and the tour of Zimbabwe, although he did not play. He’s also had the experience of playing international bowlers in the Bangladesh Premier League, where he plays for Dhaka Gladiators.”I am very positive, I go for big runs, I like to play long innings,” Anamul says when asked how he approaches his innings. “I’m very confident and have a strong mind.”Stuart Law, who coached Bangladesh before taking up his present role with Australia’s Under-19 side, knows Anamul and said he’d been one of his favourite players. “He’s wonderfully talented, he made a big impression during the Bangladesh Premier League last year,” Law said. “He’s one to watch. He got a hundred in the first game against Sri Lanka, so he’s definitely a player of class.”That compliment, however, will mean Australia’s bowlers – and there are four fast ones – will go hard at Anamul, looking to strike the body blow early in the contest. Bangladesh have had one day to come to terms with Townsville, while Australia played all their group matches here, as well as a quadrangular series in April. If Bangladesh should get past Australia, it will most certainly be an upset.

Dav Whatmore: “Can’t do any more than to win two out of two, but it’s good to have the experience of the Super Over leading up to the World Twenty20”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2012Dav Whatmore, the Pakistan coach, is pleased with his team’s performance in the Twenty20 series against Australia so far, after they won the first two matches to make the third and final T20 on Monday a dead rubber. Pakistan routed Australia in the first game, bowling them out for 89, but the second game was a much closer affair, with Pakistan prevailing off the final ball of the Super Over.”I am very much delighted,” Whatmore said. “Can’t do any more than to win two out of two, it was an exciting finish (in the second T20), different from that I thought it would be, but it’s good to have the experience of the Super Over leading up to the World Twenty20. We haven’t played too many Super Overs, so that was good.”The current series was a chance for Pakistan to prepare for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka later this month and Whatmore said his side were where they wanted to be going into the tournament. “You want to have some confidence going into it, no point entering a big competition without having some wins under your belt. Where we are in the world standard, there is a world ranking but it is still difficult to gauge. I think it boils down to who can play their best cricket over a small period of time.”Whatmore wanted Pakistan to win Monday’s final T20 and sweep the series. “You cannot say it is as big a game as if the series was 1-1, but it still important for us,” he said. “The pressure is off, we will be a bit more relaxed. There will be a change or two in the team, it is an opportunity to look at one or two other players but to remain as competitive as possible as winning is important.”Whatmore also said allrounder Shahid Afridi is unlikely to play on Monday as a precautionary measure, and that offspinner Saeed Ajmal had recovered from his shoulder problem. “Afridi has an impact injury (on his left hand), I reckon he might be close to playing, but I don’t think we will risk that. Another knock on that left hand might put him back another couple of weeks, which will be very bad for us. Saeed has a recurring problem with that left shoulder, but I am confident that he will play.”

Australian cricket will be in search of a new Test match sponsor ahead of the 2013-14 Ashes series, after Vodafone announced it would end a union that has lasted 11 years

Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2012Australian cricket will be in search of a new Test match sponsor ahead of the 2013-14 Ashes series, after Vodafone announced it would end a union that has lasted 11 years and furnished the game with more than Aus$10 million in financial support. The telecommunications company will end its relationship with Cricket Australia following the end of next summer’s series against South Africa and Sri Lanka.Vodafone first chimed in as Australia’s major Test-match backer when Ansett Airlines collapsed just weeks ahead of the 2001-02 home summer, and has promoted the brands Orange, Three and Vodafone in turn over more than a decade. However the company’s recent series of network and customer service problems in Australia has prompted a change in focus; the network is also withdrawing its presence in Australia’s V8 motor racing competition.”Like all sports’ sponsorships, there comes a time when the sponsor achieves its partnership objectives and moves on with new strategic priorities,” CA’s commercial general manager, Mike McKenna, said. “We understand that Test cricket has helped Orange, Three and Vodafone become Australian household names, and we look forward to continuing to work with Vodafone next summer in what will be the final season of our successful relationship.”Our partner, via these brands, has helped us promote Test cricket and the sport is better for their long-term support.”While McKenna stressed CA’s view that “the Australian team playing Test cricket at home is possibly the most valuable sports’ sponsorship asset in Australia”, the search for a new major sponsor may yet prove vexing.CA is already heavily reliant on alcohol and fast food sponsorship to maintain the corporate slice of its revenue, and Twenty20 Big Bash League teams all complained last year of the difficulties in finding new sponsors in an increasingly competitive and financially frugal marketplace.However the lure of a home Ashes series in 2013-14 to begin the new partnership is CA’s ace in their pursuit of a new name to emblazon on the Test shirts of its players and sight screens of the country’s grounds.

Ravi Bopara failed, as did the rest of his England team-mates, as South Africa’s bowlers made good use of a slow, turning pitch

The Report by David Hopps08-Sep-2012
ScorecardJP Duminy shared a match-winning stand with Jacques Kallis•PA Photos

This was a flaccid England batting display which will fill them with misgivings ahead of World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Ravi Bopara’s batting, at least, suggests that he remains scarred by his recent emotional upheavals and the ability of younger batsmen to succeed on turning pitches will be further doubted after the way they were dismantled by a confident South Africa.South Africa’s pursuit of 119 on northern England’s version of a slow turner was a stroll in the park and, even though England’s new-ball attack created some ersatz excitement by taking 3 for 29 in reply, it did not last long.The one they needed was Jacques Kallis and, with a single to his name, he edged Steven Finn just short of Alex Hales at first slip. He never faltered again. Kallis and JP Duminy quietly assembled South Africa’s highest fourth-wicket partnership in T20s against England in a stand of 90 at a run a ball and a seven-wicket win meandered into view in textbook fashion with an over to spare.Kallis’ timing of the chase was impeccable, one lazy despatching of Jade Dernbach’s slower offcutter pronouncing: “I have logged your variations and have now programmed my response.” Duminy, drawing confidence from Kallis’ presence, ducked and carved alongside him. They won to barely a murmur.South Africa rested Hashim Amla and his replacement Faf du Plessis, on debut, made only 4 before he was lbw to Finn. There were two wickets for Dernbach, too. But England were roundly outplayed. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the dispute involving Kevin Pietersen, and the issue has not been short of analysis, this England team is weaker for his absence.If selecting Bopara in his current state is adamant, for him to bat at No. 3 looks increasingly delusional. He took time off last month as he was beset by relationship problems and since his return his batting has been clouded by self doubt. He does not look in a good place.England are desperate for him to succeed as his bits-and-pieces bowling balances their side, but his troubled batting run continued as he managed only 6 from 11 balls. South Africa brought Dale Steyn into the attack added a slip and Bopara, with a lack of foot movement, edged to first slip. It was adventurous captaincy by AB de Villiers to bring in a slip outside the Powerplay overs, although as Bopara has been repeatedly edging it in this direction for weeks it was perhaps less daring than it appeared.South Africa’s domination did end at Bopara. Presented by a slow Chester-le-Street turner, not too far removed from the surfaces they may encounter in Sri Lanka, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha did not disappoint. They dared to bowl slowly, turned the ball and were backed up by solid fielding.England’s surfeit of one-day internationals against three different opponents this summer had attracted criticism for overkill, but a three-match T20 series had obvious relevance. South Africa are ranked No. 1; England are defending champions with a good recent record. Even the losers in this NatWest Series will feel happier than Australia who now find themselves ranked beneath Ireland.Craig Kieswetter and Hales are beginning to have the feel of a settled opening partnership for an England side which once famously changed combinations on a whim, but they are still some way from an understanding between the wickets if Hales’ run out in the fourth over is any guide.His enthusiasm for a leg side single as Kieswetter got a thick inside edge was not shared by his partner and Jacques Kallis lumbered in to pick up and hit the non-striker’s stumps direct. Hales left the field distraught in his last T20 international when he was dismissed for 99 against West Indies at Trent Bridge. On this occasion he was cursing.There had been some spin in the preceding women’s match – England beating West Indies by eight wickets – but Botha still spun his introductory delivery enough to surprise Kieswetter, who fell lbw.Kieswetter’s six over wide long on against Lonwabo Tsotsobe had been one of the few invigorating moments for England as they reached midway at 64 for 3 and Botha defused their most explosive batsman, Eoin Morgan, as he tried to sweep and dragged on one that kept a little low.What followed smacked of naivety. England have great faith in Jos Buttler’s potential but it is yet to be rewarded. He has had few opportunities and when they do come along, such as on this occasion when half the overs were still unused, he has flattered to deceive. Like Hales, he is unproven against spin and Peterson, bowling markedly slowly, drew him down the pitch and bowled him with ease. Nine England T20s have now brought 36 runs and that is no sort of preparation for a world cup.Jonny Bairstow, needing to up the pace, plonked Albie Morkel into Botha’s hands at deep midwicket and Samit Patel fell in similar fashion against Peterson as Kallis thundered in for a good, low catch at long-on. Only some spirited late forays by Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, as England took 34 from the last five overs, gave England anything to bowl at. As for Dale Steyn, his four overs conceded only 13.The limited-overs matches mount up, but once again entertainment was in limited supply at the end of a long season. South Africa rested Hashim Amla and his replacement Faf du Plessis, on debut, made only 4 before he was lbw to Finn. There were two wickets for Dernbach, too, the straightforward approach of Richard Levi silenced at first slip and de Villiers, after two glorious boundaries, edging a little carelessly to the keeper.Swann’s offspin, delayed until the eighth over, at 50 for 3, was chipped around cautiously and the tyro slow left-armer, Danny Briggs, had not been selected. He may be more fortunate at Old Trafford.

‘I’m sure a few New Zealand coaches there have got their eye on him’

Deivarayan Muthu07-Jan-2021Everyone wanted a piece of Kyle Jamieson in New Zealand’s international home summer, with the Bay Oval crowd even standing up to sing ‘Happy birthday’ to him when he turned 26. While he had a dream first year in Test cricket, Jamieson also made his T20I debut this home summer, taking three wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 7.75. So, do the IPL franchises want a piece of Jamieson as well?Gary Stead, who has overseen Jamieson’s progress from his domestic side Canterbury to the national team, reckoned that the presence of New Zealand coaches in the IPL might be “one of the advantages” for him. Brendon McCullum, the Kolkata Knight Riders head coach, and Stephen Fleming, the Chennai Super Kings head coach, have also commentated on the 6ft 8in quick for Spark Sport. Meanwhile, Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand coach, works with the Royal Challengers Bangalore as their team director.Related

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“See, I’m not sure. Maybe they [the franchises] will [come knocking at his door] and maybe they won’t. Sometimes, it’s a bit of the luck of the draw with the IPL and how you get in there,” Stead said of Jamieson’s IPL prospects. “I guess one of the advantages is a few New Zealand coaches that are head coaches there as well that I’m sure have got their eye on Kyle as well as other people in our set-up as well.”Earlier this season, Jamieson’s team-mate Tim Seifert, the wicketkeeper-opener, had also caught the attention of Fleming who told Spark Sport: “There’s a team in yellow [Chennai Super Kings] that might have a look at you as well. Not just Brendon’s [Brendon McCullum’s] team, there are other teams out there!”Even before Jamieson made his T20I debut, Shane Bond, who is part of the Sydney Thunder and the Mumbai Indians backroom, foresaw an IPL opportunity for him.”I’m looking forward to see how he goes in T20, and there’s always opportunities in the T20 game as well,” Bond had said. “With another IPL around the corner, who knows what can happen. Things in this game can change pretty quick, so looking forward to seeing what he can do.”Jamieson’s USP is his towering frame that enables him to bounce out batsmen, but he has shown that he can be just as threatening by pitching the ball up and swinging it both ways. In all T20 cricket, he holds the record for the fifth-best figures, having claimed 6 for 7 for Canterbury Kings against Auckland Aces in January 2019. All up, he has 49 wickets in 33 T20s at an average of 19.81 and economy rate of 7.96.Jamieson said after the Christchurch Test that he had honed his inswinger during the winter, and the day after that game, Stead delivered a glowing appraisal of him, saying “the world could be his oyster”.”I mean it’s just keeping him grounded as well. We all know he’s got some great attributes and some great skills and who knows the world could be oyster his with what’s ahead and what’s coming up,” Stead said. “But, at the end of the day, he’s still a cricketer and he’s one of our boys when he gets together with us and we treat him that way. He’s got everything there in front of him, but hopefully he stays fit and he will be a big part of New Zealand cricket I’m sure.”

Allrounder has been key to Sydney Sixers’ middle order in one of his best BBL campaigns

Andrew McGlashan29-Jan-2021Dan Christian has not shut the door on representing Australia again after hitting what he believed was career-best form for the Sydney Sixers.Christian joined the Sixers from the Melbourne Renegades, whom he had helped win the title in the 2018-19 season. Although run tallies in the BBL are skewed by the growth of the competition, his average of 36 this campaign is his second best after 2013-14. Christian’s strike rate of 186.66 is far and away his highest in any edition of the tournament and his second best for any league behind the 194.05 he struck at in the 2018-19 Mzansi Super League.Christian, 37, last played for Australia in 2017, a career that includes 19 ODIs and 16 T20Is. Having been overlooked for the expanded squads of the Covid-19 era, his time would appear to have gone; but he believes he as “a lot of cricket left in me”.Related

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“For sure, I’d still love to be playing in that Australian side,” he told reporters in Canberra. “If the opportunity arises, great. But one of the things I’ve focused on is just win games and competitions. That’s the currency for playing at the next level. If you are doing that, you will get noticed. Certainly found that in my days at Victoria when we were winning all those Sheffield Shields.”Christian has enjoyed the new challenge after changing clubs, also taking 13 wickets alongside the runs he has scored following a lean last season with the Renegades. When asked if he’d ever played better, he said: “Probably not, it’s hard to remember… particularly in the Big Bash, I’ve had similar runs of form in other competitions – particularly in England – but over here probably been my best ones.”I didn’t look at changing anything, was probably more the fresh start and confidence of being in a new group. Still feel I have a lot of cricket left in me despite being 37.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“I’ve been playing really well in England in the last few years, and the great thing about being in this Sixers side is I’m playing a very similar role – that bowling role in the middle, a bit at the death, then batting-wise coming in around 10-12th over and finishing off things. Feel that’s where I play my best cricket so nice to do that for the Sixers.”Christian will be part of the Sixers side taking on the Perth Scorchers in the Qualifier final in Canberra on Saturday with the prize being a direct route into the final on February 6.He hopes that conditions at the Manuka Oval, which will host the match due to the ongoing border restrictions impacting Sydney, are similar to when the two sides met a couple of weeks ago when Christian took 2 for 22 from his four overs to pull back a rapid Scorchers to the extent that the chase was a cruise.”Hopefully it plays pretty similar to what it did last time,” he said of the pitch at the Manuka. “Generally how we’ve played a lot of our stuff, pace off from our spinners and our medium pacers have been really successful, as long as it’s different to what they have at the Optus [Stadium in Perth] because they are brilliant on the fast, green wicket.”

N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, said that the concerns surrounding the participation of Sri Lankan players in the IPL were an “operational issue” and would be handled

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2013N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said the concerns surrounding the participation of Sri Lankan players in the IPL was an “operational issue” and would be handled accordingly.Political tensions in India, especially in Tamil Nadu, over the treatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka had resulted in the Sri Lanka Players’ Association raising concerns over the safety of Sri Lanka players in India during the IPL. Thirteen Sri Lankan players have been contracted with different franchises, including Chennai Super Kings who have Nuwan Kulasekara and Akila Dananjaya as part of their squad.”India is a safe place,” Srinivasan said in an interview to . “Every state in India is safe for playing cricket. I cannot predict anything, but these are operational matters. We have an event manager, IMG, who will deal with local issues as and when they arise. I believe the government of Tamil Nadu is extremely capable of handling any situation and there is absolutely no problem of law and order or anything of that kind here. And the IPL is still some time away. These are issues which, I think, will get sorted out.”Srinivasan also said that he was unaware of requests made by IPL franchises to shift games but said the board and the IPL would discuss the situation if needed.Srinivasan expressed his happiness with India’s 4-0 series win against Australia but refused to comment on the future of Sachin Tendulkar, who will turn 40 next month. In the home series against England, Tendulkar scored 112 runs at an average of 18.66, and he made 192 runs at an average of 32 against Australia. Having already retired from one-day internationals in December last year, and with India’s next Test series several months away, there has been speculation about Tendulkar’s Test retirement.”I don’t think anyone of us can talk about Sachin,” Srinivasan said. “He is possibly the greatest cricketer India has produced. I don’t think it is for us to sit and analyse his performance series-wise. Sachin is different from others. This is a personal view. I distinguish between selection and my view. If you ask my view, if you ask me what I feel, I think every Indian will say that Sachin is different from others.”

“Being able to produce the kind of freedom in my performance was the biggest thing for me”

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2020For Glenn Phillips, who has had a stop-start international career, smashing a 46-ball century – the fastest in T20Is by a New Zealand batsman – against West Indies was “absolutely massive”. No, it won’t make him believe his future with the national team is all sorted out, but “you don’t get those very often, so I am going to enjoy it”.”That’s just an incredible day. You don’t get them very often… make the most of it,” Phillips said at a media interaction after New Zealand beat West Indies by 72 runs in the second T20I to go 2-0 up in the three-match series. “My whole thing is to try and be an entertainer for the crowd and, in that moment, having the crowd’s back, I wanted to give them something special, the whole team wanted to give them something special. It was amazing for me personally, (that) I could be part of it.”ALSO READ: Stats – Phillips hits fastest T20I ton by a New ZealanderPhillips and Devon Conway got together at 53 for 2 in the seventh over, but they didn’t really pick up pace till the last ball of the tenth over, when Phillips smacked Kieron Pollard for six. Then came the drizzle, overs that netted them 18, 11 and 24 runs, and then a rain delay. The big hitting continued after that as the two put together a 184-run stand, Conway ending on 65* from 37 balls to Phillips’ 51-ball 108.”Big part of our game plan is communication, reading the situation, adjusting to it. So, for me and Devon, we’ve never played with each other before, the communication side of things is even more crucial,” Phillips said. “We’ve both played a lot of T20 cricket, and when you lose two quick wickets, you don’t want to lose three or four. Especially on a ground like this where it’s hard to get going again, on a pitch that’s a little bit two-paced.”So we decided to give ourselves a couple of overs and by the time we both got going, it was 11-12 overs, and we have a very deep batting line-up, so that death phase can start much earlier, especially with the wind being an absolute hurricane in one direction. So making the most of that side and hitting with the wind and basically getting the momentum going. And then even when the rain came, just carrying on from where we started.”We’ve always been a team that’s big on our running between the wickets, especially on a big ground like this, which, I feel we adapted to very well after playing at Eden Park, which is so small, and twos are hard to come by. We said to each other ‘the moment we hit the ball, we’re going to run and look for two, no matter what’. He’s quick between the wickets, I am quick between the wickets, so we might as well use that asset especially when you’re not necessarily in the power-hitting mode.”Phillips, 23, made his international debut in a T20I in February 2017, but has only played 13 matches in the format now (along with one Test).”I had to go back, work on things, and took a step back to be able to move forward again. Then I had the opportunities in the Caribbean (Premier League), which slowly worked my confidence back and I was able to have a couple of good performances, being able to come out against these boys has had a massive part of play in that,” Phillips said. “And be able to produce the kind of freedom in my performance was the biggest thing for me – and, yeah, I was absolutely ecstatic. You don’t get those very often, and I was going to enjoy it.”The stint with Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL – he top-scored for them with 316 runs at a strike rate of 127.41 from ten innings this season – have helped in a big way, Phillips said, especially learning to play smartly against spin: “The problem is not necessarily being able to find the boundary, the problem is finding the ones in between and not put myself under pressure.”Phillips, however, isn’t looking too far ahead. “There’s guys that are established and still having to come back. And there’s players that are higher up in the rankings than myself. All I can do is, when I am given the opportunity, do the best that I can possibly for the team, because if the team’s winning, then everyone’s happy,” he said. “Whether I am playing here or I am playing for the Tallawahs, or the (Auckland) Aces or my club back home, just being able to play the role that I need to play for that team and take it one day at a time.”

Misbah-ul-Haq says cricketers who have lost livelihoods shouldn’t be left “deserted” by the PCB and the government

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2020Umar Gul and Misbah-ul-Haq have added their voices to the motion to revive department cricket in Pakistan. A year after the entire structure was revamped, there are now voices from within the Pakistan Cricket Board seeking a re-evaluation, with Gul being a PCB cricket committee member and Misbah the head coach and chief selector of the senior men’s team.The PCB has been criticised for the move to abolish departmental cricket, with the move having rendered hundreds of cricketers jobless at a stroke, and both Gul and Misbah have urged the board and the government to set up a plan for players whose livelihoods have been affected. In its new structure, the PCB had constituted six associations from each province in Pakistan, with 192 cricketers given an annual contract. Replacing the old structure with the new one was a decision driven by the current prime minister Imran Khan, who is also the patron-in-chief of the PCB, and who had rejected an earlier domestic model the board proposed that included departments.”The salary I used to receive from the department was sufficient to cover my monthly expenses. But now, honestly speaking, what we are earning from domestic matches, which includes match fees and a monthly retainer, is not enough to cover the needs of my family,” Gul told .”The players felt secured in departmental cricket but that is no longer the case. We need departmental cricket back, even if it is in grade two, and I will continue to raise my voice in this regard as a member of the cricket committee.”Elaborating on the shape department cricket could take, Gul said, “Even if it’s a grade two tournament, it can be with three-day cricket for 10 to 12 departments. In previous meetings, we talked about finding a window for it so that players who lost their livelihoods can get back to their lives.”There had been a possibility of departmental teams returning to Pakistan’s domestic circuit earlier this year when the Iqbal Qasim-led PCB cricket committee tasked the then director of cricket, Haroon Rasheed, to try and find a window to potentially squeeze in a new tournament. But the idea never materialised, leading Qasim to resign from his post in protest and calling the committee toothless.Most departments have already suspended contracts they had with cricketers. Those who were permanent employees were asked to pick desk jobs, effectively ending their cricketing aspirations. These were players hired mainly for their cricketing skills, and given their lack of qualifications for other jobs, they have had to pick non-executive jobs with lesser pay.Earlier this week, after the national side’s return from England, Misbah had also stressed on the livelihoods that had been affected.”The cricket board is trying to have an alternative for the players,” Misbah said. “You obviously don’t want cricketers playing in the system to have their livelihoods fully abolished, or have a shortage of players, or that they face financial losses. We have spoken about this, but unfortunately, this issue hasn’t progressed properly. One of the reasons are circumstances around Covid-19 when everything was shut down and it took over three months [to normalise]. And now the season is upon us and the board didn’t get time to do much about it. But in my opinion, I think they should think about this. I did tell the PCB and the government and they should make a thorough plan on how to involve these cricketers and not leave them deserted.”Domestic cricket in Pakistan has been played among departments and regions since the early 1970s, when Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan’s first Test captain and later the PCB chairman, encouraged organisations like HBL, Sui Southern Gas Corporation, WAPDA and others to provide employment opportunities for players. Since then, top players have been contracted by the departments in question and been given full-time jobs. The role of these departments in helping Pakistan cricket and cricketers has been significant, but it also ended up depriving regional sides of their top players.

Rashid also played his part, taking 3 for 12, as Sunrisers climbed to third on the points table

Alagappan Muthu08-Oct-2020Support acts. They’re not talked about often in an IPL game. But that was the difference between the two teams in Dubai. Jonny Bairstow walloped 97 off 55 balls, with his opening partner David Warner chipping in with 52 off 40 himself, to lift the Sunrisers Hyderabad to 201 for 6.The Kings XI Punjab had Nicholas Pooran in breathtaking form, but his 77 off 36 was an aberration on the scorecard… because their next highest score was 11. Sunrisers’ bowling was just too good for them.The domino effectThe Kings XI had a good plan. Load up on powerplay specialists to attack a top-heavy opposition. If only their execution was as good. There were five wides in the first over. Full tosses caressed for four in the second. Worst of all, they gave Warner room early in his innings. The Sunrisers captain hit five boundaries from his first 14 balls and cruised to his 50th IPL fifty. He brings up one of those every 2.64 (!) innings.Heeeeeeere’s JonnyPower. Bairstow has so much of it that it sometimes doesn’t matter what you bowl. The Kings XI tried to use Sheldon Cottrell’s left-arm angle to snag the outside edge, but all that did was offer room to be whacked over the off side. Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s mystery spin didn’t work because the batsman played him like a medium-pacer, sitting back in his crease and cross-batting him away. Ravi Bishnoi was hit for 6, 4, 6 in his first over.Bairstow went to fifty shortly after that, celebrated it by thumping Maxwell for 4, 6, 6 and showed no sign of stopping. Perhaps the best illustration of his form tonight is that he went from 29 to 81 in the time Warner went from 29 to 50. Sure, he had more of the strike but that too was a recognition of his quality. It takes a lot to make Warner play second fiddle.The redemption of Kings XIBefore taking their first wicket in this game, Kings XI had gone 219 balls without one. In that time, they’d also carefully gift-wrapped 408 runs to the opposition. Most worryingly, their death bowling has been awful this season, giving up 15 runs an over in the last four.But as soon as Warner fell everything changed. It felt like there was too little time for even a team like Sunrisers with such a brittle middle order to mess up, but they lost five wickets in four overs to two uncapped Indians – legspinner Bishnoi (3-29) and left-arm yorker specialist Arshdeep Singh (2-33). After being 160 for 0, in the 16th over, Sunrisers finished 201 for 6, with only five boundaries in the last 38 balls.King of KingsWhen Pooran sent the 17th ball he faced into the second tier in Dubai, he brought up the fastest fifty of this season’s IPL. And coolest thing about that is, he had told everyone it was coming.Pooran got to his landmark as he hit legspin-bowling allrounder Abdul Samad for 6, 4, 6, 6, 6, 0. At the time, he had a strike-rate of nearly 300. The rest of his team, meanwhile, managed 33 runs off 35 balls at a strike-rate of 94.How long can one man resist a whole team though, especially one working double-time to win? Priyam Garg had one stump to aim at to run Glenn Maxwell out and he nailed it. Rashid Khan was stringing together overs that cost no more than three each. Plus, his googly may well be cricket’s version of a hieroglyph. Very few are capable of reading it. It earned him a double-wicket maiden in the 15th over.Kings XI slipped from 91 for 3 in the ninth over to 126 for 6 in the 14th. There was no recovering from that.