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Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s teenage legspinner, believed “100%” that his team were on course for victory over England after they had claimed six wickets in the first 10 overs of their contest at Delhi. Instead, England recovered to post 142 for 7 and close out a victory that confirmed Afghanistan’s elimination from the tournament.”We thought we had our game at 100%,” Rashid said. “But they played good cricket at the end, and that’s why they took the game away from us.”After selecting four spinners and a solitary quick bowler in Shapoor Zadran, Afghanistan had designs on keeping their opponents to below 100. England had slipped to 57 for 6 and 85 for 7 before Moeen Ali and David Willey revived the pre-match favourites with an unbroken 57-run stand, allowing them to survive going toe-to-toe with Afghanistan.”We planned to play simple cricket and see what happened,” Rashid said. “On that time, we thought we have to restrict them to under 100, we tried our best to restrict them under 100, but unfortunately they played good cricket, especially Moeen Ali, so they made it to 140.”In reply, Afghanistan stuttered to 13 for 3 after three overs, which included the dismissal of their star batsman Mohammad Shahzad, for 4. Despite losing regular wickets, they still managed to take the game to the wire, Shafiqullah’s unbeaten 35 from 20 balls capping a spirited fightback that meant England could not be sure of victory until the final few deliveries.”We didn’t start well, but we did well in the middle, we took responsibility,” said Rashid, who was promoted to No. 5 and made 15 in only his fourth T20I innings. “It was a good game, a close game, we will learn from it and in the future we will not repeat the same mistakes.”Afghanistan may not be able to qualify for the semi-finals after three defeats from three in Group 1 but they will have one more chance to finish the tournament with victory over a Full Member when they take on West Indies in Nagpur on Sunday.

ScorecardChris Rogers was back churning out runs for Middlesex at Lord’s•Getty Images

Chris Rogers may have only made 21 runs for Australia in the Lord’s Test but nothing seems to disturb his serenity batting here for Middlesex. As some welcome September sun descended on the Home of Cricket, Rogers provided a reminder – if one were needed – that his game remains in fine working order ahead of the return Ashes series.Rogers didn’t play any particularly memorable shots, but then why would he need to? He has a method that works; his brain and body perfectly in sync as he goes about accumulating. But, rather like Justin Langer, Rogers may have the feel of a prodder but often has the strike-rate of a dasher. The 67 he has so far compiled here, off only 111 balls, are another case in point. His quick judgment of length means Rogers is able to score quickly without any discernible effort.With Sam Robson playing with the caution of a man who has not passed 30 in his last eight completed innings, Middlesex’s openers combined to suggest this game will be consigned to a draw. Only when Robson attempted a harum-scarum single did Nottinghamshire look like snaring a wicket.But, as rewarding as Rogers found his day with the bat, his day captaining must have been deeply frustrating. That two quick bowlers – James Harris and Gurjit Sandhu – both went for over 4.5 an over spoke of an attack lacking a little control. For Gareth Berg the problem was more one of luck: his seamers repeatedly passed the edge, including of Patel on several occasions, and he wasn’t flattered by figures of 2 for 78. On the sort of wicket that could be designed with producing a five-day Test in mind, how Middlesex would have benefited from the venom of Steven Finn.The result was that Notts added 269 runs in 60.4 overs – double the rate at which they had scored on the first day. But, for all the big names in their middle order, it was Andre Adams who provided the day’s biggest entertainment.Promoted above Chris Read in a bid to get Nottinghamshire to 350 in time to collect their fourth batting bonus point, Adams promptly backed away to leg and hoiked his first ball over long-on for six. There is no great subtlety to Adams’ batting but his death-or-glory approach was perfectly tailored to his side’s need. Five times the Lord’s boundary was made to look inadequate, until he was snared on the long-off boundary attempting a sixth maximum. But his work had long since been done: Adams had secured the fourth bonus point in the nick of time and, in taking Notts to 430 for 7 declared, to a position of apparent impregnability.After Steven Mullaney had advanced to a technically assured 125 – his second century of the season – Samit Patel and David Hussey both contributed perky knocks. Patel was playing with his customary languid assurance – a couple of straight drives elicited purrs of approval from the members – and it was a matter of considerable surprise when he fell to an outstanding slip catch from Ollie Rayner’s outstretched hand.Hussey had fallen short of his usual exemplary standards this season but made 67 that bristled with intent. It always seems a wonder, given all the travails of the Australian middle-order, that Hussey never earned a Test cap. He did earn 108 international appearances in the two shorter formats, and enjoyed the chance to bat in one-day mode here. By the end of the day, it was another Australia who was to the fore.

WV Raman, the former India opener, has been appointed assistant coach of Kings XI Punjab. This will be Raman’s first assignment in the IPL, and he will work with head coach Darren Lehmann, who oversaw the now defunct Deccan Chargers last season.Raman, who played 11 Tests and 27 ODIs for India, has plenty of domestic coaching experience, having been in charge of Tamil Nadu for four years and is currently the coach of Bengal.”We are pleased to have WV Raman as the assistant coach of our team for IPL 2013,” Kings XI Punjab’s COO Arvinder Singh said. “Given his vast experience as an ex-Indian player and his coaching stints over the years, I am certain that he shall bring another dimension to our coaching staff and help our players perform to the best of their abilities.”Raman said he looked forward to his new assignment. “Kings XI Punjab has the right mix of experienced as well as young players supported by a world class coaching staff and I shall do my best to get the best out of the players.”

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has suggested the idea of having a franchise-based Twenty20 league in Pakistan to groom young talent in the absence of any international cricket.On his return from West Indies after featuring in the Caribbean Premier League for St Lucia Zouks, Misbah stated that a T20 league would help youngsters as it would give them an opportunity to play with international cricketers. “Though PCB is doing its effort to bring international cricket back [to Pakistan], in my opinion, we also should have our own [T20] league,” he told reporters in Lahore. “It is necessary to have it either in Pakistan or in Dubai as it will allow our youngsters to play with international stars.”Our players are not properly groomed because of no international cricket, and other countries get their young players groomed by having leagues where they get a chance to play with international stars. India is the biggest example where they are holding the league and getting their players well groomed.”Pakistan have been deprived of international cricket since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. Since then, Pakistan have mostly been playing their home series in the UAE. Bilateral series for the youth teams, A team and academy level are on hold, which hinders the development of upcoming players.During Zaka Ashraf’s regime, the PCB was desperate to bring international cricket back to the country, but failed to convince any team to tour Pakistan. The board then launched a franchise-based Twenty20 tournament called Pakistan Super League, but it had to be postponed indefinitely due to logistical issues.Before 2009, Pakistan used to organise reciprocal tours around the world at all levels, apart from national bilateral series, but the practice has been put on hold as junior teams are also reluctant to visit Pakistan due to security issues. Though the board has managed to host international teams outside Pakistan, it has failed to afford a similar series for junior teams due to the lack of sponsors.Pakistani players featured in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League but have been ignored since relations between the two countries took a dive in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. Pakistan’s domestic T20 teams had also been ignored for the Champions League T20 until 2012.

Sunil Narine will rejoin Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday evening after a brief visit back home to Trinidad and Tobago following the death of his father. Narine will be available for selection for Knight Riders’ second fixture on Wednesday, against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens.Narine, who opted out of the 2016 World Twenty20 to work on his remodelled action, underwent testing at the ICC-accredited centre in Chennai before joining his IPL team-mates in Kolkata, but had to rush back home on April 3. His action was deemed legal by the ICC on April 7, two days before the start of this year’s IPL.Brad Hogg, Knight Riders’ other lead spinner, who addressed the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, insisted a change in action has had little impact on Narine’s control and mastery. “It is good having Sunil V 2.0,” Hogg said. “It is just a confidence thing with Sunil. I remember taking some balls from him.”I struggled to pick it from the hand. He was bowling the or I thought it was going the other way and I looked like a complete idiot as the ball went to the boundary past me,” Hogg said rolling his eyes to the left to indicate the ball sliding down the leg side. “His action was perfect. And he was still bowling the balls we see out in the middle. We know that he can do it legitimately.”Hogg, who took three wickets in Knight Riders’ nine-wicket win in their tournament opener against Delhi Daredevils, said Narine’s return would mean a tussle for spots, but insisted it was a healthy rivalry.”We put pressure on each other with the ball. It is competitive and respectful competition between us,” he said. “He is a class bowler. He has been sorely missed. As individuals we train hard. We want to be able to be on the park. But it is a team. If I am not playing and he takes my spot, I have to create the energy which I quite have in the change room to make sure everyone is up for the challenge.”

Brendon McCullum is not the sort to shirk a challenge so when New Zealand’s wicketkeeper, BJ Watling, was ruled out of the second Test at Headingley because of injury, he wasted little time in deciding to take up the gloves that he supposedly relinquished for good in Test cricket nearly three years ago.McCullum kept for part of England’s second innings at Lord’s – without pads on day three – after Watling injured his left knee attempting to run out Joe Root with a dive. Watling left the field and speculation began over who would take the gloves at Headlingey.Watling seemed to come through practise on Wednesday reasonably well to most observers, which begs the question whether New Zealand viewed his bruised knee as an injury of convenience after what McCullum himself described as their “hour of madness” – the collapse to 68 all out as England forced an abrupt victory in the opening Test at Lord’s.Watling’s absence allows New Zealand to slot in Martin Guptill, who has extensive experience in English conditions with Derbyshire, as an extra batsman at No. 6, rather than as an opener in place of Peter Fulton whose tour of England has so far brought 34 runs in five knocks.Captain, wicketkeeper and New Zealand’s most pugnacious batsman: McCullum will not be short of roles when the second Test begins in Leeds on Friday. All this with a back complaint which puts him under strain whenever he returns to the keeping role.McCullum announced that he would only keep wicket for New Zealand in limited-overs cricket after the IPL in 2010. In New Zealand’s next Test against India in Ahmedabad, Gareth Hopkins deputised and in 24 subsequent Tests, the role has passed between Hopkins, Reece Young, Watling and Kruger van Wyk. Watling has been the only one to suggest he might make a long-term go of it and he can expect to return after this series.Such heavy demands upon McCullum make it almost inevitable that Dan Vettori, a former New Zealand captain, will make his Test comeback for the first time for almost a year’s absence with Achilles trouble. McCullum, an “ideas” captain, likes to keep lines of communication open with his bowlers, but he feel less need for endless dashes up and down the pitch in the middle of an over if he sees the familiar figure of Vettori fielding.One of the New Zealand bowlers to recognise the advantage of that was Neil Wagner. He is a garrulous sort – a refreshing change in the sanitised media conferences of today – and it was all he could do to stop himself pronouncing that Vettori would definitely get the final place ahead of Doug Bracewell and an all-seam attack. These days at Headingley, the temptation to rely on pace bowling alone should be resisted because the pitches can show extremes of character and are just as likely to go flat if the clouds lift. Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner, took five wickets in the second match of the season at Headingley, so it should not automatically be assumed that a spinner has no role here.”Brendon’s back has been playing up a bit, but he is going to grit his teeth and do a job for the team, that’s just the sort of guy that Brendon is,” Wagner said. “There is going to be quite a bit of running up and down because he likes to talk to the bowlers about plans but having the opportunity maybe to have Dan at mid-on and mid-off and pick his brains and pass on messages will be pretty awesome.”It’s exciting seeing Dan around the changing room and training with us again. He is just one of those guys you can always rely on. He brings a good spirit into the team, and brings in humour in tough situations sometimes, but he also has such massive experience. If as a bowler you want to pick someone’s brain, he is going to be the one you want to talk to.”Vettori will be a like-for-like replacement for his fellow left-arm spinner, Bruce Martin, who has left the tour because of a calf injury he picked up at Lord’s. That will at least stop the England fans wondering – as they have for the past three months – why nobody is clobbering him down the ground.Vettori, veteran of 112 Tests, bowled for half-an-hour, had a bat against some throw-downs and took some high catches on a middling Leeds morning, dry and largely overcast. Mike Hesson, New Zealand’s coach, then rejected requests to speak to him, leaving the bowling coach, Shane Bond, to indicate that Vettori himself would be trusted to make the call on his fitness.”He’s the sort of guy who will know whether he can do it or not,” Bond said. “He’s got that experience and he knows how he’s going physically. Either way I’m sure the right decision will be made.”Vettori’s last Test came against West Indies in Antigua last July. After an inactive time in the IPL, even a long-haul flight from New Zealand could not disguise the feeling that he was itching to play again.Vettori would join an attack that has come close to breaking England’s batting on several occasions over the four Tests stretching back to March, something Wagner takes comfort from.”We have come close a couple of times so it has been a bit frustrating for us as a bowling unit,” he said. “At Lord’s we got ourselves into a perfect position and then two guys came out with serious class and bowled unbelievably well.”Jonny Bairstow at the moment is trying to find his feet a bit. Nick Compton played a bit of a rash shot in the first innings after showing a bit of patience. Matt Prior hasn’t got a run in two innings. There is stuff we can thrive on.”

Three of the four Associate qualifiers for this year’s World Cup descend on Dubai on Thursday for some much needed fixtures ahead of the main event. Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland would probably prefer to get some pre-World Cup opportunities against Full Member opposition instead of playing amongst themselves. Yet, they can be grateful for the fact that they now have a bit of a leg up on preparation over Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, both of whom are starved of ODIs from December 1 through the start of the World Cup.Each team arrives in Dubai with their World Cup 15 already chosen, so the main objective of the tri-series for the three Associates will be to establish their best eleven by the time they leave the UAE, so that they land in Australia and New Zealand next month ready to stir the pot with as many upsets as possible. Here’s a look at each team’s approach for the double round-robin series, which begins with Scotland taking on Afghanistan at the ICC Global Cricket Academy on January 8.Afghanistan
The de facto hosts won four of eight contests on their pre-World Cup tour to Australia and New Zealand in September and October, but had their confidence dented by a humbling 3-1 ODI series defeat in November at the hands of fellow World Cup qualifiers UAE. Former captain Nawroz Mangal has been superb since moving to the top of the order but his opening partner is yet to be confirmed. Both Javed Ahmadi and Usman Ghani will be eager to present their respective cases to join Mangal.The team management will be keeping its fingers crossed that fast bowler Hamid Hassan can make it through the series injury-free. Hassan took 5 for 45 against UAE on December 4, in only his second match back since pulling up lame in Afghanistan’s Asia Cup win over Bangladesh in March.Afghanistan’s chances of excelling in both the tri-series and the World Cup will be greatly enhanced if Hassan remains on the field instead of in the physio’s room. New bowling coach Andy Pick will be licking his lips at the chance to work with Hassan and the rest of Afghanistan’s pace troupe, including Shapoor and Dawlat Zadran.Squad: Mohammad Nabi (capt), Javed Ahmadi, Aftab Alam, Mirwais Ashraf, Izatullah Dawlatzai, Usman Ghani, Hamid Hassan, Nasir Jamal, Nawroz Mangal, Gulbadin Naib, Hasmatullah Shaidi, Samiullah Shenwari, Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk)Ireland
The darlings of the last two World Cups had a hit and miss autumn tour of Australia and New Zealand. The team suffered collectively due to the absence of Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce and Tim Murtagh, and it showed in the results.A silver lining on the batting side was that the absence of Stirling and Joyce offered an opportunity for Andy Balbirnie to seize an opportunity to force his way into the World Cup squad. The former Ireland Under-19 captain made three fifties in his last four matches on tour then followed it up a month later with a century against New Zealand A in Dubai. The challenge now for Balbirnie is to force his way into the starting eleven, now that the first-choice players have returned.On the bowling side, youngsters Craig Young and Peter Chase started off their acclimatisation tour down under with promise, but ended it with mental scars at the hands of opening onslaughts from Ronnie Hira and Jesse Ryder. Young claimed a five-for on ODI debut in September against Scotland and will be happy to see them again in an effort to rediscover the form he had at the end of the northern summer. The return of Murtagh should also ease pressure off the younger parts of the pace unit.Squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andy Balbirnie, Peter Chase, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andy McBrine, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien (wk), Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig YoungScotland
Despite coming away with just two wins on their September tour down under, Scotland turned in some encouraging performances including a nail-biting one-run loss to a virtually World Cup strength New Zealand XI. Scotland’s improved depth over the past year was evident in the fact that they nearly chased down New Zealand XI’s 263 despite Kyle Coetzer and Preston Mommsen scoring no runs on the day.Aside from that blip, the decision to switch the captaincy from Coetzer to Mommsen has continued to have a positive impact for both players. However, Scotland needs more incisive contributions from their fast bowlers.The last time a Scotland pacer took four or more wickets in an innings in an ODI was Iain Wardlaw’s 4 for 43 against Kenya in June 2013. They will struggle to beat their fellow Associates, let alone Full Members, unless big hauls are taken on a more regular basis.Squad: Preston Mommsen (capt), Richie Berrington, Kyle Coetzer, Freddie Coleman, Matthew Cross (wk), Josh Davey, Alasdair Evans, Hamish Gardiner, Majid Haq, Michael Leask, Matt Machan, Calum MacLeod, Gavin Main, Safyaan Sharif, Rob Taylor, Iain Wardlaw

Benoni’s Willowmoore Park’s status as an international venue could be under the microscope after a domestic one-day cup match between Titans and Knights was abandoned because of a dangerous pitch. This is the second time in five years a fixture has been called off at the venue, meaning CSA’s board can recommend that the ground not be included in the roster of international matches in the season that follows.According to CSA’s administrative conditions clause 5.3, if a playing surface is deemed unsuitable for play, “CSA would have a range of options available to deal with its findings on the pitch in question, including the deduction of points from the home team, the imposition of a fine not exceeding R150,000 or both. A further option available is a recommendation to the Board that the ground in question be excluded from the next season’s roster of International and/or Test matches.”Titans, who use Willowmoore Park as one of their two home grounds, have already been punished with points for the game awarded to Knights. Play was stopped after 19 overs with Titans on 45 for 3. At that stage, the umpires had already seen at least four incidents of inconsistent bounce and, in consultation with the match referee and captains, opted not to continue with the game.”The new balls were jumping up and rearing quite badly and then it just got worse. By the 13th over, it was really bad,” Barry Lambson, the match referee, told ESPNcricinfo.Lambson went on to describe how medium-pacer Malusi Siboto hit both Henry Davids and Heino Kuhn on the arm before the first drinks break. “The umpires consulted but we carried on,” Lambson said.”After drinks, Theunis de Bruyn got a ball at about ankle height and then the next ball just took off. The same thing happened to Dean Elgar – one kept low and then the next one he had to swerve out of the way. The umpires consulted again and we decided it was too dangerous to continue. Someone could have been badly injured and we didn’t want to wait for that. Bowlers who are not that quick where getting it to rear up. Imagine what Marchant de Lange could have done later.”Lambson has compiled a report which will be submitted to CSA – the board will decide on further action.Under consideration will be that the groundsman informed the officials that he prepared the pitch in the “normal way”, according to Lambson, and that little more than a fortnight ago Willowmoore Park hosted a fist-class match on what Lambson described as a “great wicket”.However, the venue has been problematic in the past too. In 2009, a four-day match was called off after seven overs because of unsuitable pitch. On that occasion, it was found that the surface had been overwatered and the bowlers were creating dents in the pitch. The points for the match were shared, which Titans coach Rob Walter would have preferred to see happen this time as well.”If we’re affected from a points point of view, that would be unfair. We just rocked up to play a game of cricket,” he told journalists in Benoni. “The four-day wicket was great, and a few days later this happens.”While Willowmoore Park is not a regular host of international matches, with its last men’s ODI played in March last year, it a common venue for practice matches for touring teams. Last year, unseasonably high rainfall meant it could not stage India’s practice match.It is not due to host any international games this summer but is scheduled for a significant number of domestic cricket games and one fixture involving an international side, which organisers will want to ensure it is properly prepared for. The ground will see two domestic twenty-over matches staged on November 21 and 26, the warm-up match between a South African Invitation XI and the touring West Indians in December, two domestic four-day games next January and March, and another one-day cup match on February 1.

USACA put on notice

Cricket’s ongoing power struggles in the United States have resulted in USACA being placed officially on notice for failing to meet the ICC’s membership criteria. Disputes between USACA and the American Cricket Federation mean the former body cannot claim to be the sole organisation representing the game in the USA. This has resulted in a warning that the board could be suspended if the matter is not cleared within the year.
“They are up to be put on notice, however that issue is going to be discussed at the governance committee meeting and by the ICC board on Thursday before the annual conference,” ICC global development head Tim Anderson said. “USACA have been suspended in the past but these criteria weren’t in place then. This is a new process that hasn’t been tested yet. That’s one of the things the governance committee has to talk about.”

Wally Edwards and Giles Clarke turned on the charm at the MCG on Tuesday as they attempted to reassure Associate and Affiliate nations that the “Big Three” will lead cricket with more benevolence than belligerence.Edwards and Clarke spoke on behalf of the boards of Australia and England at an informal meeting ahead of the official Associates & Affiliates gathering in the Jim Stynes Room. Alongside India’s BCCI, they have hatched plans for the game’s strongest nations to lead the rest.The third member of their triumvirate, the barred BCCI president and yet ICC chairman-elect N Srinivasan, was not at the MCG, relying instead on his colleagues to articulate the new landscape they have created together, stressing meritocracy and closer bilateral links between nations.Edwards told members that the path was now open for cricket’s second- and third-tier nations to earn their way up the ladder through success on the field and sound governance off it. Tim Anderson, the ICC’s head of global development, said the management of the governing body in Dubai had grown more at ease with plans for the next eight years after working at turning broad resolutions into more detailed blueprints.”ICC management didn’t have a large role in the proposals when they were first put up four or five months ago, but as we’ve moved through this phase we have been able to get more involved and talk to our full members about what’s important, and as far as I can gather a lot of that’s been taken on board,” Anderson said.”I’ve had conversations with CA, ECB and the BCCI over the past couple of months along with our own development committee, and all of those discussions have been really positive about what the future might look like. I feel pretty good about the future even though there are some changes to come. The fact that our full members seem to be engaging more and more with other countries is a very good thing.”Among the major concerns raised by Associate and Affiliate members are changed financial modelling, which will offer nations a reduced percentage of ICC revenues when lined up against the previous plan, even if the next set of television rights is set to fetch an appreciably larger price and thus an increased injection of cash for all.According to an insider, the ICC is showing a “lack of care for Associate cricket,” underlined by their narrower focus on the tier below Test members. The High Performance Program will, for the next few months, concentrate on the four teams participating in next year’s World Cup – Ireland, Scotland, Afghanistan and the UAE – leaving the rest wondering how they will keep cash flow going and whether their teams will get sufficient game time.They have managed to attain some certainty in terms of the new financial model. Associate and Affiliate members will receive a total amount of US$225 million but it will be divided according to a new model. Half of that money (US$112.5 million) will go to top performing Associates but it is yet to be decided who those teams will be while. The other half will be shared among the rest. There is also the possibility of another tier of Associate countries who will be classed as high-performing countries, who may not benefit from the high performance program but will receive additional financial support.”Change is difficult at any stage, and we go through a process of change every eight years given our new rights and events cycle, different structures and funding models come through,” Anderson said. “I think what’s been good for this group today is Wally Edwards and Giles Clarke came in and spoke to them this morning and talked to them about the background of some of the changes.”Some of them who were involved in our committees have a broader understanding of what’s been happening, but this has really helped get their head around what’s going on and maybe more why it’s happening. I think they understand that the rights for world cricket are going to be sold very well, the international game’s in a good place and we expect our media rights will go for significantly more than they have in the past, which will mean more money will flow down.”I would imagine that coming into this meeting there would have been uncertainty, but now there’s a bit more comfort with what’s going on.”Also a source of disquiet is the plan to reduce the number of competing teams at the World Cup from 14 to 10 from 2019, though two qualification places will still be open. “One of the things they are perhaps understandably worried about is the World Cup and why are we going from 14 teams to 10 teams,” Anderson said. “As a member that’s a fair enough question, and in isolation I can understand where they’re coming from – you don’t want to lose something because you don’t want to lose something.”As a package though if you look at the opportunities coming in T20, opening up Test cricket and a big shift is the fact that up until now Full Members have by right received an automatic spot in the World Cup. At 2019 that won’t happen anymore. If they play well at the next World Cup they can put forward a case to say it should probably be more than 10, and if I were them I’d do the same thing.”Thirdly the game’s smaller nations have wondered aloud about a wider philosophical shift from expansion to consolidation, with Edwards, Clarke and Srinivasan eager to improve the performances of numerous existing Full Members. However Anderson suggested that targeted expansion into cricket’s major untapped markets – namely China and the USA – was now more likely than before.”There might be more of a focus on that moving forward as opposed to having a wide strategy to try to grow everybody, to really target some of those key countries and say ‘We really want to have a go there because we think they’ll make a big impact moving forward’,” he said. “Even though there’s been a lot of talk about China and the USA, there hasn’t necessarily been a huge amount of investment or events haven’t been put in those places.”I’m not sure the action has backed up some of the words, but moving forward I think that’s one of the things that’ll probably happen.”The three Associate and Affiliate positions on the ICC board will be taken up by Imran Khawaja of Singapore, Neil Speight from Bermuda and Francois Erasmus of Namibia. There was no room for Keith Oliver from Scotland which is believed to have caused consternation among the European Associate and Affiliate members who were lobbying for Oliver to get a position on the board. Oliver was instrumental in winning the right for Associate nations to have a pathway to play in international and many Associate members believed he would continue to champion their cause.The day was rounded off by the first installment of the two-day Chief Executives Committee meeting, at which recommendations from the cricket committee’s discussions in Bangalore were to be discussed. The Associate and Affiliate nations also discussed their situation with regard to the Big Three administrative and revamp of the ICC and arrived at the conclusion that “rebellious” postures would not help their cause at a time when “logical” thought was required.

Eoin Morgan is a man who revels in inscrutability, but as he strode from the nets at the Wankhede Stadium, it was possible to detect a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. The project of which he has been at the helm for little over a year now embarks on its acid test at 7.30pm on Wednesday evening. Whatever the outcome, few doubt that England, finally, are ready to fizz.On his way to the changing rooms, Morgan paused to pose with a giant England flag bearing a range of good luck messages from fans who sense that something is changing in their country’s attitude to limited-overs cricket. The misery of England’s eviction from the 2015 World Cup is a sufficiently recent memory that few would dare to get too carried away. And yet, there’s no doubt that something is stirring. And, clearly, not before time.”I think this feels different because we’ve a different group of players,” Morgan said. “It’s a new energy, it’s an exciting time for English cricket given the talent that we have in our group, and the attitude in taking the game to the opposition. It certainly feels different in that regard.”The most fundamental shift, Morgan added, is that his post-World Cup England team has offloaded the reticence of the former regime and is now brave enough to “play with no consequences”. It’s an attitude that, as he has previously intimated, could go some way to surmounting their lack of experience in Indian conditions. And to that end, he insists that defeat against a hugely experienced West Indies team would not be the “be-all and end-all”.”Going into any tournament, it’s not about getting out of the traps early and playing your best game first up,” he said. “It’s about pacing yourself and picking up confidence and putting in performances when they really matter. [But] the first game is a tough game – I do agree with that.”West Indies, with wearying familiarity, come into the World T20 to a back-beat of politics and infighting, and yet, with the exception of the injured Kieron Pollard and the blacklisted Sunil Narine, all of their big guns are back out in force for one last tilt at a title that they won in some style only two editions ago.No fewer than eight of the West Indies squad are IPL veterans (compared to the solitary figure of Morgan in England’s camp), and in Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, West Indies possess two of the most established matchwinners the format has ever known. That is sufficient reason for Morgan to embrace the role of the underdog, and his dead-batted lack of interest in his opponents’ recent issues merely reinforced that position.”They have a number of dangerous players,” Morgan said. “West Indies have been a strong side in the past. They have a number of individual players who are very strong. It’s important for us as a young talented side to focus on what we do best and execute that as part of anything. There are plans in place, but ultimately it’s how we execute them.”Those plans, on what for the moment remains a green-tinged Mumbai surface, look set to revolve around a four-pronged pace attack, with the allrounder Ben Stokes creating wriggle-room in England’s bowling options. Reece Topley is sure to take the new ball and Chris Jordan is set to continue his death-bowling duties following the success of his Yorkers in England’s warm-up matches. Which leaves a toss-up between the height and pace of Liam Plunkett or the left-arm wiles of David Willey for England’s final slot.”You can keep guessing,” Morgan joked. “If you could guess me a few winners at Cheltenham today that’d be great as well.”Of the two, it is Willey who has had the more impact in the course of England’s preparations. His hat-trick while playing for the opposition down the road at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday provided a late varnish to figures that had been somewhat dented at the top of the innings. Plunkett, by contrast, has bowled four overs in two games, and was dumped for 19 in his solitary effort against New Zealand, although his hostility could be vital if the Wankhede pitch has any sort of pace and carry.”Wills swings it up front, comes back into middle and bowls change-ups,” Morgan added. “He has a canny knack of taking wickets, which is something that we’ve struggled doing for a while. But given the circumstances of any pitch, whether it’s two-paced or quick, [Plunkett] is an important player in the squad, with his extra bit of height and different trajectory to everyone else.”If there is one area in which England appear to have an edge over their opponents, it is in the skill and confidence of their legspinner Adil Rashid. His huge development at Adelaide Strikers during the Big Bash is both a boon to England’s prospects of going deep into the tournament, but also a warning that all too few of their players have been similarly exposed in franchise tournaments. But, with Narine’s career in turmoil following the ICC’s clampdown on illegal actions, Rashid’s mystery in the middle overs could prove vital.”It’s a very touchy subject,” said Morgan, a former team-mate of Narine’s at Kolkata Knight Riders. “I know Sunil and I’m not pleased to see what he’s going through, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. He’s bowled the same way since he was 15-16 years old, and the fact that he’s got to this stage of his career and it’s only being looked at now is probably disappointing from his point of view. But there are set rules in place that are being deployed.”As for Rashid, Morgan was happy to back his man to continue his impressive form, but warned that his most significant role might come later in the campaign. “Adil’s come a long way in the last couple of years,” he said. “I know in the nets we find him very hard to pick, let alone play, and I think given the conditions, he and Moeen [Ali] can play a big part, though here I’m not quite sure. It might not turn as much as it does in Delhi.”It’s normally a pretty good batting surface here. Again, it’s another challenge for the bowlers to try to emphasise taking wickets and halting momentum throughout the innings. It’s a challenge we’ve come up against in the past, and will continue to do so in Twenty20 cricket.”