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Haryana secure first-innings lead in Lahli; Parvez Rasool sparkles with bat and ball in Jamshedpur

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2017Priyank Panchal’s 145 – his 14th first-class hundred – helped Gujarat post a robust response to Saurashtra‘s 570, as they went to stumps on 304 for 4 in Rajkot. Gujarat, however, still trail Saurashtra by 266 runs. Resuming on 45 for 0, Gujarat lost captain Parthiv Patel in the third over of the day after he was caught by wicketkeeper Snell Patel off left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat. Panchal then added 54 runs with Bhargav Merai before the latter was dismissed by left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Three balls later, Dharmendrasinh struck again to remove Manprit Juneja as Gujarat slipped to 109 for 3.Panchal, however, took charge and put on a 179-run stand with Rujul Bhatt (75*). During the course of their partnership, Panchal, who had made half-centuries in his last two games, brought up his hundred before tea. He struck 20 fours before he was cleaned up by Unadkat. Dharmendrasinh and Unadkat finished with two wickets each.Haryana secured the first-innings lead against Rajasthan after bowling out the visitors for 150 in Lahli. Haryana then finished the day on 179 for 5 in their second innings and stretched their lead to 252.In the morning, Rajasthan had done well to eat into the deficit after resuming on 74 for 7. Rajasthan’s recovery was thanks to a 61-run alliance between Tajinder Singh (38) and Deepak Chahar (27). However, after Chahar was removed by Ajit Chahal the innings unravelled quickly. While Chahal finished with three wickets, captain Amit Mishra and seamer Ashish Hooda picked up two apiece.Haryana started shakily in their second innings, losing their first three wickets for 62, with seamer Aniket Choudhary accounting for the openers Guntashveer Singh and Shubham Rohilla. The recovery was helmed by Shivam Chauhan (65) and Rajat Paliwal (35). But, their dismissals left Rohit Sharma and Mishra needing to steer the team towards stumps with no further damage.Jammu & Kashmir secured the first-innings lead against Jharkhand after the latter declared their first innings on 292 for 9 at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur. J&K then extended their lead to 330 runs after they went to stumps on 246 for 7 in their second innings.Resuming on 220 for 5, Jharkhand’s push to secure the first-innings lead suffered an early setback after overnight batsman Ishan Kishan was caught behind by Punit Bisht off Mohammed Mudhasir. Kumar Deobrat (34) and Sunny Gupta (31*) played useful hands, but Jharkhand fell behind. Left-arm spinner Aamir Aziz claimed four wickets while Mudhasir and captain Parvez Rasool picked up two and three wickets respectively. Rasool had a pivotal role to play with the bat in J&K’s second dig, as his 74-ball 70 rescued his team from 110 for 5. Along with Owais Shah (50), whose innings comprised three fours and three sixes, he raised a stand of 119 runs. J&K, however, suffered a late jolt when both Rasool and Shah fell just before stumps.

The current trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the pace trio of 2013, according to Ryan Harris

Daniel Brettig07-Nov-2017Ryan Harris rates Australia’s Ashes pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins as superior to the trio he formed with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle to inflict a 5-0 sweep on England in 2013-14, but believes both teams face potential trouble in the form of unsettled batting line-ups.In a judgement some may find surprising, given the older group combined for a total of 627 Test wickets, including 75 in that Ashes series alone, Harris said that this summer’s combination boasted a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the one he was a part of, starting with Hazlewood’s greater height.”I think so. Hazlewood’s probably doing the job that I did and he’s quicker than me, and he gets more bounce,” Harris said in Adelaide when asked if the current attack was better than his own. “And you’ve got Starc who can definitely do a Johnson role, and you’ve got Cummins so you’ve probably got an extra bit of pace.”Cummins on his day, he’s fast as well. Obviously we did a good job last time but the key is going to be working as a team, as a bowling unit. That’s what we did well last time and obviously got the results.”Australia and England each enter the series with doubt swirling around their batting line-ups – for the visitors at the top of the order and the hosts in the middle order. Then there is the uncertainty around the possible participation of Ben Stokes – pending a police investigation and an ECB internal investigation – after his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub during the northern season. Harris said these issues raised the potential for a closer series than four years ago.”I think both squads are a bit unsettled, more on their batting line-ups, which I think brings them closer together,” Harris said. “I think Australia have got a pretty good idea of who they want to pick but having unsettled feelings going into that first Test – the bowling line-ups are fine – but I think they’re on even par with their batting line-ups.””[Stokes missing] it’s huge. He’s the one that if England lose wickets at the top he is the one that comes out and steadies or counter-attacks. It’s a big hole for England to be honest. I’m sure Australia will be happy he’s not here but they’d also want him here because you want to play against and win against the best. I guess time will tell whether he comes but I think it’s a big hole for them.”Joe Root’s tourists are in Adelaide preparing for a four-day floodlit fixture that will give them a first look at the conditions in which the inaugural day-night Ashes Test will be staged in early December. Harris is coaching a Cricket Australia XI that lacks bowlers of the sort of velocity expected from Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood, but he still expected the adjustment to be a challenging one for England.”The ball will probably swing early around start time, it may stop swinging in that sort of 30-45 overs and then when it gets to dusk the grass seems to stand up and it zips around,” he said. “We saw in the Shield game the other week that Starc got it to talk a bit around that time when the sun goes down.”Talking to a couple of boys they find it tough to bat around that time so that’s where we’ll try to make it as hard as we can for them. Hopefully we’re not batting around that time, that’s my plan. But they’ll have to get used to that real hard seeing time, and we’ve got some good bowlers here. We haven’t got the pace of Starc or Cummins or Hazlewood, but they’ll have to get used to it.”As for the possibility that the moving pink ball would provide an advantage for England, Harris said he saw bowling attacks as the strong suit of each team. “The bowling line-ups are world class and I think they’re going to have a big say on each Test match,” he said. “With the ball moving around, it’s been well documented that we’ve had trouble with that, but we’re in our own conditions.”But Anderson and Broad – I’m not sure about England’s third quick, probably Woakes – but those two blokes can destroy games and destroy line-ups and they’re proven good bowlers over here. Anderson’s gotten better in these conditions, it’s pacey and Broad likes
the pace.”Having met with the national coach Darren Lehmann before venturing to Adelaide, Harris said the invitational side was not planning to “bat for four days” but would endeavour to make life difficult for the tourists, while also keeping a close eye out for any information that might be useful once the Test matches start.

A round-up of the last group-stage games of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge 2017, where Titans, Dolphins, Cape Cobras and Warriors finished in the top four on the points table

Firdose Moonda11-Dec-2017Results summary
The group stage came to an end this week with the four semi-finalists confirmed. Titans, Dolphins, Cape Cobras and Warriors will face off on Wednesday and Thursday to determine who will play in the final, with Lions and Knights bowing out.
While Titans were on a good run from the start (which became bumpy in the final week) and were expected to qualify, Dolphins finished second on the points table despite three washouts in succession. Cobras lost their first three matches but had a mid-campaign surge and it took Warriors until midway through the competition to put their first winning points on the board but they snuck into the final four.Last week, Cobras started well when they beat Knights by five runs, defending 156 in Kimberley. Temba Bavuma’s move to the top of the order proved successful – he top-scored with 46 off 39 balls and shared a 56-run third-wicket stand with JP Duminy to resist a sustained Knights’ pace attack. Ryan McLaren (2 for 31), Shadley van Schalkwyk (3 for 27) and Mbulelo Budaza (4 for 32) all enjoyed impressive returns. Cobras’ Dane Paterson went better than all of them with 4 for 24 as he reduced Knights to 6 for 2 in the second over and inflicted mid-innings blows on them, removing David Miller, who scored 59 off 32, and McLaren. Knights remained in the contest until the end and needed 11 runs off the final over, bowled by Ferisco Adams. A run-out and the wicket of Duanne Olivier helped Cobras prevail.On Friday, Cobras were victorious in another tense affair. They beat Titans, who were undefeated up to that point, off the penultimate ball and successfully chased down 133 with Adams again the finisher, this time with the bat. He hit the winning runs off Chris Morris, after Titans’ internationals-laden attack struck repeatedly. Cobras were 88 for 6 at one point but Adams, helped by Rory Kleinveldt and George Linde ensured they did not squander their own good work with the ball. The trio, along with Paterson, kept Titans pretty quiet, dismissing Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram for single figures while ensuring only Henry Davids (30) and Farhaan Behardien (43) made more than 20 runs. Titans’ total of 132 for 9 was their lowest batting first this season.The weather on Friday night affected the other games – both of which were reduced. In Bloemfontein, Dolphins were on the receiving end of more rain and had to take on Knights in a 17-over affair. Knights scored at just under 10 runs to the over with Miller’s 46 off 23 balls and McLaren’s 48 off 24 balls accelerating matters for them as they finished on 168 for 4. Imran Tahir’s 2 for 23 was the only respectable return from Dolphins’ bowlers. Dolphins’ chase was almost derailed at 36 for 2 in the 6th over but Morne van Wyk’s 70 off 43 and Dane Vilas’ 51 off 22 took them close before Robbie Frylinck’s 27 off 14 finished things off.In Potchefstroom, Warriors batted for 17.1 overs and were 133 for 4 when the heavens opened. Wayne Parnell, on loan from Cobras, opened the batting and was stumped for 1 but Jon-Jon Smuts found form with 69 off 52 balls. Lions faced a reduced target of 97 in 10 overs and Reeza Hendricks’ 41 off 28 took them close. He had little support, though, and Lions ended five runs short on 92 for 7.Knights and Lions both needed a win to sneak an outside chance of making the semi-finals but their Sunday match only lasted one over before a Highveld storm washed the game out.At Kingsmead, Dolphins bowled Titans out for 79 to hand them their second defeat. Titans were playing a largely second-string XI, without de Kock, Markram, AB de Villiers, Morris, Dale Steyn and captain Albie Morkel but did have Morne Morkel in their ranks. Morkel took 2 for 25, but only he and David Wiese (1 for 23) conceded at less than seven to the over as Dolphins scored 168 for 7. Van Wyk’s 67 off 41 was his third half-century in three matches and the top-score. Then, Dolphins’ attack applied sustained pressure, with everyone chipped in and Titans were skittled. Dolphins played three spinners – Prenelan Subrayen, Tahir and Keshav Maharaj, and they picked up two wickets each.The victory for Dolphins, and Cobras loss to Warriors, gave the Dolphins a home semi-final in Durban while Cobras missed out on hosting their playoff in Cape Town. Like Dolphins, Warriors posted 168 but only lost five wickets and enjoyed contributions from Smuts (48) and Colin Ingram (41). Cobras made a fist of the chase and were 90 for 2 just after the 10-over mark but the dismissals of Hashim Amla and Duminy in the space of two overs made them wobble. Ingram took 2 for 18 and Warriors won by 18 runs. Cobras did have some good news, though, in the form of Vernon Philander.Reeza Hendricks top-scored with a 64-ball 43•Sivaraman Kitta

International incidents
Morne Morkel made an unexpected return to action after spending the last two months recovering from a side strain. Morkel was initially diagnosed as needing four to six weeks on the sidelines but, his brother, Titans’ captain Albie, had earlier told journalists he didn’t think Morne would be back to play in this tournament but he was wrong. Morne bowled his full quota of four overs so, irrespective of whether or not he plays in the knockouts, he has now fulfilled the requirement of playing a domestic match in order to be considered for international selection.Paterson’s impressive response after he was dropped mid-campaign by Cobras continued. He took eight wickets in three matches this week, with figures of 4 for 24, 3 for 28 and 1 for 30. He now lies joint-top of the wicket-takers’ list with Tabraiz Shamsi and has claimed 12 scalps at 17.16.Tahir enjoyed his best return of the tournament so far, with 2 for 20 for Dolphins against Titans.Wayne Parnell was dropped by Cobras three weeks ago and has been trying to find form for Western Province semi-professional side with mixed results. After scoring 65 and taking 2 for 40 against North West, he managed only 1 and 0 for 23 in his next game against Eastern Province. That fixture took place in Parnell’s original home-town Port Elizabeth and five days later, in Potchefstroom, his outing for Warriors, did not go too well. In a single appearance, he managed just one run, opening the batting and bowled one over, which cost 14 runs. Parnell did not play in the final round of fixtures and it remains to be seen if he will feature in the knockouts. South Africa move into a domestic one-day cup in 10 days’ time, where he may feature more regularly as the national report for duty against Zimbabwe and India.Domestic dreamers
Again, very little to report on this front, adding to ongoing concerns that the gap between domestic and international cricket remains substantial. Hendricks though can be pleased with his returns. At the end of the group stage, he is the top run-scorer with 361 runs, five more than JP Duminy, including a century and two fifties.Beyond the boundary
Cricket fans will remember this week for being the one in which de Villiers’ return to Test cricket became a reality. De Villiers was named in the South African Invitation XI to play a three-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe next week, with a view to making a return in the Boxing Day Test. And it seems de Villiers is saving himself for the longer format. He has not played in Titans’ last three matches but may return for the business end this week.

Mark Chapman was left out of the 15-man squad, after he made himself unavailable for selection due to his commitments with Auckland in New Zealand’s domestic competitions

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2018Babar Hayat will lead Hong Kong at next month’s World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, while batsman Mark Chapman was left out of the 15-man squad, after he made himself unavailable for selection due to his commitments with Auckland in New Zealand’s domestic competitions. Anshy Rath was named vice-captain.

Hong Kong squad

Babar Hayat (capt), Anshy Rath, Nizakat Khan, Scott McKechnie, Simandeep Singh, Ahsan Ali Abbasi, Ehsan Khan, Aizaz Khan, Tanwir Afzal, Ehsan Nawaz, Nadeem Ahmed, Tanveer Ahmed, Christopher Carter, Shahid Wasif, Waqas Barkat
Reserves: Haroon Arshad, Kyle Christie, Waqas Khan, Kinchit Shah, Raag Kapur

Chapman, who has not played for Hong Kong since the 2016 World T20 in India, recently missed out on selection for New Zealand’s T20I squad against Pakistan and Australia. After strong performances in the Super Smash T20 competition, Chapman smashed 117 off 104 balls on Sunday against Wellington in the Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s 50-overs competition.The squad leaves for South Africa next week, where they will play in a quadrangular tournament with Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland, starting on February 14. Thereafter, the team will proceed to Zimbabwe, where they play the tournament’s opening match against Scotland on March 6.Hong Kong coach Simon Cook said he was pleased with the squad’s “balance”, and that those selected were rewarded for their performances over the past 12 months. With four Test teams – Ireland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and West Indies – playing in the World Cup qualifiers, Cook said that the team will look to embrace the challenge following their third-place finish in the recently-concluded World Cricket League championship.

The 36-year-old batsman has said he is still enjoying his cricket, and that he is still driven by the desire to play for India

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2018Playing for India still remains a motivation for Yuvraj Singh, who has also insisted he has “two or three IPLs” left in him. Yuvraj, 36, also said he could have had a successful Test career and played around 80 matches had it not been for a combination of factors, including a rare form of germ-cell tumour that kept him out of the game for nearly a year. Yuvraj, though, doesn’t want to leave the game with any regrets, “thinking I should have played for some more years.”Yuvraj came back into India’s ODI side in January 2017, after a gap of more than three years, and played 11 matches – including all of India’s matches during the Champions Trophy in England in June – before being left out again after an ODI series in the West Indies. The selectors didn’t pick him for any of the squads for the Duleep Trophy in September, which sent a signal that his international career could be over. Still, Yuvraj hasn’t given up on another India comeback. For now, he has the IPL to look forward to, with his “home” franchise Kings XI Punjab, who signed him for USD 312,000 in January’s player auction.”I want to go when I feel it is the right time to go, when I feel I have done my best and I could not have done any more than this,” Yuvraj told . “I am still playing because I am enjoying playing cricket, not just because I have to play for India or I have to play the IPL. The motivation is definitely to play for India. I feel two or three IPLs are left in me.””I have been a fighter, taking on tough situations. I like being a pillar of strength to people, for those suffering from cancer or going through other issues in life. I want to be known as someone who never gave up. Whether I play for India or not, I will give my 100 percent on the field. Cancer [YouWeCan Foundation] is going to be my area of work in the future. I love supporting young kids, I like interacting with the younger generation. Coaching is in my mind. I would identify underprivileged kids and focus on their sport and education.”Yuvraj said he had always been keen on playing more Test cricket given how his success in the longer format invariably rubbed off on his ODI and T20I performances. “When I was growing up, I played a lot of two-day and three-day cricket,” he said. “I also looked forward to playing more and more Test matches, because I always felt that every time I did well in Test cricket, one-day cricket and (later) T20 cricket looked easier. That was the reason I wanted to play more Test matches. But the competition was so high.”I was always trying to find a slot in competition with Sourav [Ganguly] and [VVS] Laxman. I opened the innings in one Test against Australia in Chennai in 2004. I got out early in the first innings [for 8], and then in the second innings I was batting on 7 when the game was rained off. So that opportunity too was wasted. Later I was brought into the middle-order. I eventually won a slot only when Sourav retired. And then, unfortunately, I was diagnosed as suffering from cancer at the peak of my career. I was 29. Had I continued I would have played 80 Test matches or more. But I really have no regrets.”Since his last international appearance, Yuvraj hasn’t played for Punjab consistently in domestic tournaments this season, turning up for only game in the Ranji Trophy. He has had a middling run in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament as well as the Vijay Hazare Trophy 50-overs tournament, where he is leading the side. While admitting that motivational levels could drop while playing in front of empty stadiums in domestic cricket, he said in the same breath that motivation had to come from within.”For someone like me, motivation comes from within and not necessarily from the spectators. I am discovering this because I have had to start my cricket again, literally from scratch; I am going through the grind of domestic cricket,” he said. “You do like the applause from the galleries but the motivation has to come from within. Let me also tell you that it is not always easy playing in front of some of the spectators we encounter at different venues. I was able to make a comeback only because I did not miss the chance to play domestic cricket.”In recent times, Yuvraj has been intent on achieving peak fitness. He even recently cleared the yo-yo test, the current benchmark that India’s selectors and team management have set for a player’s fitness. Yuvraj felt the emphasis on fitness was an extension of captain Virat Kohli’s own rigorous work ethic.”Obviously, he’s very different from MSD [MS Dhoni], who is calm and composed. Virat is a bit aggressive. The results have shown that he is doing very well as captain,” Yuvraj said. “It’s a different generation too. MSD had very experienced players, match-winners. It was a very set team when he got the captaincy. The team has transformed under Virat. Being so fit himself, he emphasises on fitness. The players now are much fitter than the previous generation because the game too has become more demanding. Virat is taking the team in the right direction with his fitness and diet discipline, keeping in mind the 2019 World Cup.”

The Delhi Daredevils batsman said Ponting’s aggression has already helped the team build a mindset around winning T20 games

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2018Delhi Daredevils coach Ricky Ponting’s aggression and urge to win has already given “goosebumps” in the team camp, according to batsman Shreyas Iyer.”He’s very aggressive and has a positive frame of mind,” Iyer said on Monday during the team camp. “When he gave a speech to all of us on the first day, it gave us goosebumps. His frame of mind was naturally about winning, everyone comes in and we talk a lot about process. When he came in, he had just one mindset at the time: that to win and he elaborated a lot on that.”He asks us to play our own game and not necessarily change our technique or skill. He has his way of preparing youngsters. It has just been three or four days since he has come in, we will get to learn a lot.”Iyer said Ponting’s approach to T20s was in stark contrast to that of Rahul Dravid, Daredevils’ former mentor. “Dravid is calm and cool, he likes to follow the process and nurture the kids. Ponting is opposite, but their frame of mind is the same. Both are equally good in their own way.”Iyer said the younger players would also benefit from the “tremendous experience” of their captain Gautam Gambhir. “It would be helpful to the team, since he has won two IPL titles,” Iyer said. “He’s really good in building the rapport with the youngsters. It will be a great learning experience to play under him.”On his own form, Iyer said having played a tournament in Mumbai prior to the IPL helped him find his tempo to a T20 innings. “It really helped me in terms of how to plan and build my innings,” Iyer said. “Considering the side we have right now, it will help me personally. I hope I will be able to carry forward the same experience in the IPL as well.”

Just 17 balls were possible on the third day at Eden Park as steady rain and a damp outfield forced the umpires to call play off at 6.45 pm, five hours after the first shower

The Report by Nikhil Kalro24-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOnly 17 balls were possible on the third day at Eden Park, as steady rain and a damp outfield forced the umpires to call play off at 6.45 pm, five hours after the first shower. New Zealand scored four runs in those 2.5 overs, stretching a substantial first-innings lead to 175. Henry Nicholls raised his sixth Test fifty. BJ Watling was unbeaten on 18.Bleak weather in Auckland over the last two days – only 26 overs were possible in total on days two and three – could force New Zealand to declare on a total of less than 300 for only the sixth time in their history. They still maintain firm control of the day-night Test, having bowled England out for 58 on the first morning. The forecast for the final two days remains promising, albeit with a chance of showers in the afternoon on Sunday.”The position we’re in now is a good one,” New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee said after the third day was washed out. “The rain has been frustrating, but the work we put in on day one has made that frustration a little bit easier to swallow.”We had the first use of the wicket and we probably got our lengths right, but we’ve seen throughout when England have bowled, there have always been challenging times, and our batters have done a pretty good job so far. Being caged up for a couple of days, it’s important when we do go out and bowl, that we hit our areas from the start.”

Gloucestershire face an uphill battle to stave off County Championship defeat on Monday after they were made to follow on against Middlesex at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network13-May-2018
ScorecardGloucestershire face an uphill battle to stave off County Championship defeat on Monday after they were made to follow on against Middlesex at Lord’s. Visiting captain Chris Dent, who had struggled for form with the bat, top scored with 66 but it was not enough to prevent his side being bowled out for 210 in two sessions.Middlesex’s Australian allrounder Hilton Cartwright returned career-best figures of 4 for 33 in the first innings, with Tom Helm taking 3 for 48. That left Gloucestershire 245 behind at the start of their second innings and, although the West Country side reduced the deficit by 66, they go into the final day with just eight wickets standing.Middlesex bowled well in the morning but initially without any reward as both Dent and James Bracey found the gap between slips and gully all too frequently. Dent – who averaged just 8.5 coming into this match – survived what looked a strong lbw shout from Steven Finn, while Sam Robson spilled an edge from Bracey at first slip.The opening pair put together a stand of 72 before Cartwright made the breakthrough, persuading Bracey to attempt a cut that saw him caught behind off the bottom edge.Gareth Roderick lasted just four balls, falling leg before to Cartwright for a duck, and Ollie Rayner reduced the visitors to 90 for 3 when his first delivery accounted for Graeme van Buuren. Jack Taylor struck a breezy 22 before Finn pinned him lbw in the fifth over after lunch – and Helm then took centre stage with a three-wicket burst to drive home Middlesex’s advantage.Helm’s spell of 3 for 16 included the scalp of Dent, who was caught prodding outside the off stump, and a simple return catch to remove former Middlesex allrounder Ryan Higgins.Benny Howell, who came in down the order after a stomach upset had kept him off the field the previous afternoon, showed some resistance with a gritty knock of 47 from 87 balls. But Cartwright’s second spell earned him the wickets of Craig Miles and Daniel Worrall and he finished off the innings just before tea, taking a skier at mid-on to remove Howell.With Middlesex skipper Dawid Malan enforcing the follow-on, Howell was soon back at the crease alongside Dent and the pair made a solid start to their second innings. Malan rotated his bowlers without success until Howell lost his wicket for the second time in less than two hours, chopping James Harris on to his stumps.Harris was unlucky not to pick up Dent as well, within Rayner putting down a chance at second slip – but the Gloucestershire captain departed soon afterwards for 35 as Helm found his outside edge.

Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj are the two main spinners in the squad, which also features the uncapped Reeza Hendricks and Junior Dala

Firdose Moonda18-Jun-2018

South Africa ODI squad

Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Junior Dala, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi
IN: Junior Dala, Reeza Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder
OUT: AB de Villiers, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Chris Morris, Khaya Zondo

Imran Tahir, South Africa’s top-ranked ODI bowler at No.6 in the world, has been rested from the ODI squad to play Sri Lanka in July-August as the country gears up for Vision 2019. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who has played two ODIs, and left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi have been included in the 15-man squad in Tahir’s place.The series, which will consist of five ODIs and a one-off T20I, is the first of five in South Africa’s build-up to the 2019 World Cup, and the first since AB de Villiers announced his international retirement. The uncapped Reeza Hendricks, wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram are the three players in contention for de Villiers’ middle-order spot.Faf du Plessis returns as captain, after missing five of the six ODIs against India earlier in the year with a broken finger, and Junior Dala, who has played three T20s, comes in as an option in place of the retired Morne Morkel. Wiaan Mulder is the only other addition from the group that played against India, and replaces Chris Morris, who is recovering from a back injury sustained during the IPL. Morris is only expected to be fit for the South African home summer, which starts against Zimbabwe in late September.The decision to rest Tahir is surprising, given that the legspinner has not featured for South Africa since February and has only had game time in the PSL and IPL since then. He will next play for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, which takes place from August 8 until September 16, and clashes with the fourth and fifth ODIs in Sri Lanka and the one-off T20I. But Tahir is not the only South African player taking part in that tournament with Hashim Amla, David Miller and Junior Dala also involved, so that is not the reason for his omission.Instead, South Africa’s convener of selectors Linda Zondi explained that leaving Tahir out had less to do with him and more to do with the other spinners in contention for the World Cup squad, and confirmed Tahir is still set to be premier player in that department. “We have taken the strategic decision to rest Imran Tahir so that we can get a clearer picture as to who our best second spinner is to back him up at the World Cup. Imran will be our first- choice spinner at the World Cup but, if we play him against Sri Lanka, it is unlikely that we will be able to play both Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj,” Zondi said. “By taking this route, we will be able to play the two of them together.”Shamsi was the leading wicket-taker in the one-day cup with 26 wickets from nine matches at 14.84 and was named the domestic one-day and T20 cricketer of the year at CSA’s annual awards. He would appear to be ahead of Maharaj, who has only played two ODIs, but who the selectors are keen to see more of in white-ball cricket.”Tabraiz has been the outstanding bowler in franchise white ball cricket this past season,” Zondi said. “Keshav has been outstanding for us in red-ball cricket and we need to give him the opportunity to show us what he can do at international level in the ODI format.”The same chance has not been extended to Dean Elgar, who has reeled off three successive fifties for Surrey in the Royal London One-Day Cup, and has made clear his desire to be considered. Elgar told reporters at the CSA Awards that he was “very much available” for ODI cricket for South Africa but was “sick and tired” of having to prove himself every year. Despite coach Ottis Gibson confirming Elgar would “come into the conversation”, he has not been considered at this stage.Neither has Dale Steyn, who made his return from a heel injury for Hampshire in a List A game earlier this month, and will continue to play for the county this season. Steyn was named in South Africa’s Test squad to Sri Lanka and it seems the selectors want him to focus on the longer format rather than have an eye on the World cup.South Africa’s attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, with Dala, Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder as third and fourth seam options. Between them, the quintet have 78 ODI caps, and 48 of those belong to Rabada. Experience is to be found in the batting line-up, where Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock bring a familiar feel to the top order and du Plessis, JP Duminy and David Miller make up the middle order, but that is by no means set in stone as the shape South Africa will take at the World Cup.At the end of last summer, Gibson said South Africa would continue to experiment with their ODI squad and would start to refine their World Cup choices as they get closer to the tournament, in the beginning of 2019. South Africa have 21 ODIs scheduled – five in Sri Lanka, three against Zimbabwe, three in Australia, five against Pakistan and five more against Sri Lanka at home – before the World Cup, leaving ample time to tweak their XI. The ODI squad that travels to Sri Lanka will also play in the one-off T20I.The selectors have also named South Africa A squads that will travel to India for a triangular series featuring India A and Australia A, and two unofficial Tests against India A. Khaya Zondo, who was part of the ODI squad that played against India but has been left out of the group to play Sri Lanka, will captain both sides. Temba Bavuma, Farhaan Behardien and Theunis de Bruyn are some of the notable batting names that could be eyeing the World Cup squad while allrounder Dwaine Pretorius and fast bowler Dane Paterson could also push for places.South Africa A squad for triangular series: Khaya Zondo (capt), Temba Bavuma, Farhaan Behardien, Gihahn Cloete, Theunis de Bruyn, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, Sisanda Magala, Pieter Malan, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Rudi Second, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Malusi Siboto.South Africa A squad for four-day series against India A: Khaya Zondo (capt), Sarel Erwee, Zubayr Hamza, Beuran Hendricks, Pieter Malan, Senuran Muthusamy, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Anrich Nortje, Duanne Olivier, Dane Piedt, Dwaine Pretorius, Rudi Second, Rassie van der Dussen, Malusi Siboto, Shaun von Berg.

Sixteen years after he steered India to the historic tri-series final win at Lord’s, the former India batsman called time on his playing career

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2018Mohammad Kaif, 37, retired from all forms of cricket on Friday, 16 years after he steered India to one of their most memorable victories in ODI history – beating England by chasing down 325 at Lord’s in the NatWest Series final.Kaif ended a two-decade long first-class career that began in 1997-98. He played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs in an international career that spanned six years (2000-2006), his last game for India coming more than 12 years ago, during the tour of South Africa in 2006. He also captained India to their first Under-19 World Cup win, in 2000.”I am retiring today as it’s been 16 years since the historic Natwest Trophy win in which I was glad to play my part, and I’d like to remember that as I bow out,” he wrote in a letter to the BCCI. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have worn the India cap, and to have gone on to play 125 ODIs and 13 Tests for India, and for several other moments.”A domestic stalwart who played for three sides, Kaif’s association with his home state Uttar Pradesh was the most prominent, having led them to a maiden Ranji Trophy title by beating Bengal in 2005-06. Renowned for being a gritty batsman and an excellent fielder, Kaif finished with 10,229 runs in 186 first-class matches at an average of 38.60.Kaif quit Uttar Pradesh in 2014-15 and moved to Andhra as a professional for two seasons. In 2016-17, he led new entrants Chhattisgarh in their maiden Ranji Trophy season. He continued to play a key role as a member of their support staff the following season, even though his appearances as a player were sporadic.Post-retirement, Kaif hoped to be involved in a coaching or mentoring role. He was assistant coach of the now erstwhile Gujarat Lions in the IPL and wants to play a similar role in domestic cricket. Apart from short-term coaching assignments, Kaif is also keen to pursue media interests and hindi cricket commentary.