All posts by n8rngtd.top

Those who harboured fears that Alastair Cook would descend into a sea of despond upon conceding the England Test captaincy can rest easy

David Hopps at Taunton16-Apr-2017
ScorecardThose who harboured fears that Alastair Cook would descend into a sea of despond upon conceding the England Test captaincy can rest easy. He is not that sort of man. An unflustered century, following quickly upon his half-century in the first innings, provided an immediate statement in his first match since that his appetite for runs remains as strong as ever and contributed sizeably to Essex’s authoritative eight-wicket win against Somerset with more than a day to spare.On a surface where 18 wickets fell on the second day, only two were taken on the third as Essex, 10 without loss overnight, ticked off their target of 255 with an air of total authority. The break-time larks in the classroom had been stilled the moment the head teacher appeared on the scene: Cook exuded quality from the outset.By the time he fell, on 110, Essex’s victory was as good as assured. Somerset’s recourse to desperate measures saw their young captain Tom Abell turn to the occasional left-arm spin of Dean Elgar. His second ball was a long hop and Cook yanked it obligingly to James Hildreth at midwicket. When your first game in charge turns so markedly against you, you probably welcome any luck going.That apart, as Cook shared stands of 82 with Nick Browne and 134 with Tom Westley, his awkward moments were rare. A missed cut at Jack Leach saw the ball have a nodding acquaintance, no more than that, with his off stump, and, on 95, he played and missed twice in succession at a third left-arm spinner, Roelof van der Merwe, but generally he was at his most orderly, nudging singles square of the wicket, working the leg-side boundary and even unveiling a consummate drive down the ground against Craig Overton – proof that his game was in a good place.Somerset’s task was made harder by a pitch that behaved more genially than on the second day, the loss of pace affecting pace bowlers and spinners alike. “I was quite surprised by the change in the wicket,” said Matthew Maynard, Somerset’s director of cricket. “It was like taking air out of the ball.”Leach has embedded his reshaped action well enough, but he found little turn or guile; he will hope for that as the season develops. At least he laid down a marker. Dom Bess, the offspinner who impressed alongside him late last summer as Somerset pushed for the title, would arguably have been a more adventurous choice than van der Merwe.It says much about Cook’s equilibrium that he has adjusted to his role back in the ranks so smoothly. He spoke honestly about the transition earlier this month, saying: “It has good days and bad days. It’s such a big thing to give away. It’s been time to move on as a person and a player.”But a man who does not overly care for the fripperies and the attention that went along with the role of England Test captain can adjust more easily than some as a new county season begins. South Africa lie in wait in July and there is another Ashes series to consider. In the meantime, he will approach each county innings as diligently as ever.He averaged 91.85 in seven Championship matches last summer, with three centuries, when his England responsibilities also detained him. Essex, back in Division One for the first time since 2010, would accept that as the foundations for their survival.Not that Essex are embarrassed by his presence, far from it. Their top seven can acquit itself as well as any side at this level. Browne played soundly alongside him until he cut at a short, wide one from Jamie Overton and was done by the bounce. Westley’s dapper unbeaten 86 suggested that he can also prosper. Then there is the youthful promise of Dan Lawrence, not forgetting Ravi Bopara, a wonderful law unto himself, who absent-mindedly left his kit at the hotel. He didn’t need it; perhaps he knew something we didn’t.Westley, not without England hopes himself, will keep making highly-impressive runs under the Cook shadow. While Cook chose to leave the ground quietly, Westley, not for the first time, satisfied media needs with typical loquaciousness and intelligence. “There are probably not enough words to describe how impressive Cooky is as a person,” he said. “He is a phenomenal cricketer. He is relentless as well. He is hungry to score many more runs.”One Cook shot stood out. Jamie Overton, supposedly a potential England fast bowler, tried to rough him up with a bouncer. He caressed it to deep square off his nose end and had so much time that he could have read a copy of Farmers Weekly before he did so. If he has time on his hands these days, that’s the sort of time that he will relish most of all.

Upul Tharanga’s century for Sri Lanka went in vain as Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson smashed 17 fours and nine sixes to help New Zealand chase down the 357 target with 23 balls to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball updatesNew Zealand, led by Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson, overhauled Sri Lanka’s target of 357 with ease to complete a six-wicket victory in both teams’ final warm-up game at Edgbaston.Guptill smashed 10 fours and five sixes in his 76-ball knock of 116 while Williamson followed that up with a 60-ball 88. Both batsmen subsequently decided to retire out – Guptill in the 29th and Williamson in the 32nd – but by then New Zealand were 101 runs away at a required run rate of less than six.Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka’s batsmen fielded a batting-heavy outfit that posted 356 runs in their 50 overs. Upul Tharanga started the onslaught at the top, smashing 13 fours and three sixes to notch up a century. Kusal Mendis, at one drop, hammered seven fours and a six in his 50-ball 57 while Dinesh Chandimal – at two down- hit a quickfire 55.It took Sri Lanka 15 overs to get to 100, another 15 to get to 200 and only 12 more to get to 300. That they managed to keep scoring at breakneck speed could well be attributed to their batting line-up. Of the nine batsmen used by them, only Nuwan Kulasekara’s primary skill was that of a bowler. New Zealand, too, used nine bowlers but only Corey Anderson (0-39) and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (0-34) went for less than six an over. Despite taking two wickets, Trent Boult leaked 47 runs in his five overs.Tom Latham (44) was instrumental in providing New Zealand a brisk start alongside Guptill with the pair adding 78 for the first wicket. Guptill and Williamson then took over, scoring 157 runs in 94 balls for the second wicket. Ross Taylor replaced Guptill with New Zealand at 235 for 2 in 29 overs, after which Neil Broom (37*) and Anderson – who reached his fifty with a six to finish the match – steered them home with 23 balls to spare. Of Sri Lanka’s seven bowlers, only Seekkuge Prasanna’s legspin managed to pick up any wickets. He finished with figures of 2 for 63 off his ten.

The BCCI has announced that the tender process for the next cycle of IPL television and digital rights will commence on July 17. The rights will be awarded for five years

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2017A day before the end of IPL 2017, the BCCI has announced that the tender process for the next cycle of IPL television and digital rights will commence on July 17. The rights will be awarded for five years after the current rights expire at the end of this edition of the tournament.Presently, Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) holds the television rights, while Star India is in possession of the digital and overseas media rights. The BCCI had opened the tender process in September last year, but the process then stalled as the tussle between the Lodha Committee and the board continued.The IPL governing council, according to a BCCI release, finalised the timelines for various tender processes for the IPL at a meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday, “after due deliberation with the concurrence of the Committee of Administrators [CoA]”. “I’m pleased that both the governing council and CoA members have finalised the timelines for the next rights period,” IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said. “The early announcement will also help the prospective bidders/service providers to prepare well.”Vinod Rai, the chairman of the CoA – which was appointed by the Supreme Court of India in January to supervise the BCCI till it fell in line with the Lodha recommendations – also expressed confidence about “the process” and said he “would like to assure all prospective participants the highest level of transparency and accountability”.As opposed to this arrangement of a five-year contract cycle across media platforms, the media rights tender opened in September had offered television rights for a period of ten years while digital and overseas media rights were awarded for five years. BCCI CEO Rahul Johri had said then that the BCCI wanted to continue with the existing model, by which SPNI held the television rights from 2008 to 2017. “In our country, television is very well established,” he had said. “If you look at most cricket tenders, eight years-ten years have been the norm. That’s why we went for ten years. The area where trends are changing very fast is digital. That’s why we have reduced digital to five years.” At that point, major non-television entities such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Reliance Jio were among the 18 companies that had shown interest in the rights.Now, the governing council also announced that the invitation to tender for the title sponsorship of the IPL will begin on May 31. The two-year agreement of Vivo, the current title sponsor, will come to a close at the end of the ongoing edition of the IPL. The governing council members also decided to float the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the IPL Event Services contract on June 12.

Derbyshire Falcons celebrated a second win in 24 hours when they beat Yorkshire Vikings by three runs in a thrilling NatWest Blast T20 match at Chesterfield.

ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2017
ScorecardImran Tahir tied Yorkshire in knots [file picture]•AFP

Derbyshire Falcons celebrated a second win in 24 hours when they beat Yorkshire Vikings by three runs in a thrilling NatWest Blast T20 match at Chesterfield.The Vikings were chasing 166 but came up short at 162 for 7 needing 18 from the final over despite an excellent 68 from Adam Lyth.Wayne Madsen made 42 from 28 balls and Daryn Smit an unbeaten 30 from 20 to carry the Falcons to 165 for 8 and they bowled and fielded superbly with Imran Tahir taking 3 for 18.The Falcons had won chasing at Northampton the previous day but they elected to bat in front of a sell-out 4,500 crowd at Queen’s Park and were soon in trouble.David Willey squared up Billy Godleman who was caught at point in the third over and after Ben Slater pulled and drove Tim Bresnan for consecutive fours, he was bowled by Steven Patterson for 14.Azeem Rafiq kept up the pressure by striking twice in successive overs from the pavilion end with Luis Reece top edging a reverse sweep before Gary Wilson sliced a drive to point.At 48 for 4, the Vikings were in control but Matt Henry and Madsen revived the Falcons by launching an attack on the spinners that brought 33 from two overs.Henry lifted Rafiq deep into the crowd at midwicket and then drove him into the pavilion while Madsen cut England leg spinner Adil Rashid for consecutive fours.Henry pulled Matthew Waite for another six but next ball sliced a drive to cover and in the following over, Madsen fell to an excellent running catch by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at wide mid-off.Alex Hughes pulled Rashid for six but then failed to clear deep midwicket and it was left to Smit to take the Falcons beyond 150 by sweeping and pulling Willey for two sixes as 19 came from the penultimate over.The Vikings chase started dramatically with Kohler-Cadmore bowled second ball driving at Madsen who delivered a wicket-maiden before Willey pulled Henry for four and six to take 20 from the fourth over.Lyth was dropped on five at cover by Wilson off Madsen who was dispatched for a huge six by Willey in his final over but Tahir struck in the eighth over when Willey skied to cover.Hardus Viljoen claimed a big wicket in his first over when Shaun Marsh miscued a pull to mid on and after 10 overs, the Vikings needed another 101.Lyth injected some momentum by pulling Hughes over a leaping deep midwicket fielder for six and swept Matt Critchley for another before driving the leg spinner for four.The opener was moving through the gears and reached a 42 ball 50 with a four off Viljoen to third man but Tahir defeated Peter Handscomb’s big swing and then trapped Jack Leaning lbw to swing the game towards the Falcons.With 35 needed off three, the Vikings needed a big over and although 12 came off the 18th from Henry with Lyth driving the New Zealander for six, when he failed to clear long off 18 were needed off six balls.Tim Bresnan set up a thrilling finish but only found the hands of Reece at cover trying to hit Henry for what would have been a winning boundary off the last ball.

Brett Hutton took the spotlight away from Mark Footitt with a five-wicket haul that put Nottinghamshire in control of the match against Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2017Brett Hutton claimed a five-wicket haul•Getty Images

Brett Hutton took the spotlight away from Mark Footitt with a five-wicket haul that put Nottinghamshire in control of the match against Derbyshire at Derby. Hutton full vindicated Chris Read’s decision to bowl first by returning his best figures of the season – 5 for 52 – as Derbyshire were dismissed for 220 with Alex Hughes top scoring with an unbeaten 55.Footitt claimed 2 for 49 in his first game back with Nottinghamshire on his return to Derby and Jake Ball took three wickets before the Division Two leaders replied with 93 for 2 before bad light ended play early.All the attention at the start of play was on Footitt who enjoyed his best years with Derbyshire before he moved to Surrey at the end of the 2015 season. The fast bowler had taken 7 for 71 and 10 wickets in his last game at the County Ground but he had to wait until after lunch for his first success as Derbyshire fought hard in testing conditions in the morning.Ball struggled for a consistent line and was driven for three fours by Ben Slater before the opener became Hutton’s first victim when he edged low to second slip. The England paceman did better when he switched to the City End, finding some late movement to uproot Billy Godleman’s off stump before Wayne Madsen was caught behind down the leg side.Luis Reece had done well to come through the first session but he fell to Footitt in the third over of the afternoon playing across a full length ball which opened the door for Hutton to demolish the lower order. He was twice on a hat-trick as Derbyshire slumped to 172 for 9 before Hughes and Ben Cotton added 48 in eight overs to secure a batting point before Footitt bowled Cotton for 32.With conditions favouring the bowlers, Derbyshire had a chance of getting back in the match but they did not help their cause by conceding 26 extras, 28 per cent of Nottinghamshire’s runs.Hardus Viljoen claimed his first Championship wicket by having Jake Libby caught behind down the leg side and Tony Palladino trapped Brendan Taylor lbw but Steven Mullaney and Samit Patel showed good judgement to survive before play was called off with 14 overs still remaining.

The pair have not been included in the initial squad of nine named by coach Mike Hesson, with six players set to be picked from the New Zealand A squad currently touring India

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2017Allrounder James Neesham and batsman Neil Broom will not be a part of the New Zealand side for the upcoming limited-overs tour of India in October. The pair were left out of the initial squad of nine announced by coach Mike Hesson on Sunday. Six players will be picked from the New Zealand A squad currently touring India.

NZ’s initial ODI squad for India

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor

Both players were part of the Champions Trophy side earlier this year but did not fare too well, even as New Zealand failed to advance to the knockout stage, not one of their three matches yielding a win. Neesham scored 47 runs in three innings, with a highest of 23, and went wicketless in his seven overs in the tournament. Broom, meanwhile, scored 61 runs, averaging 20.33.Hesson was specific in his critique of the areas that Broom and Neesham needed to improve. In Broom’s case, Hesson pointed out that he would have to work on the skills required of a batsman at No. 5, given the third and fourth spots in the line-up are already settled.In 15 innings following his comeback to the ODI side, Broom batted at No. 3 and 4 five times, racking up 329 runs with one century and two fifties. His stint at No. 5, however, has been more subdued: 273 runs in ten innings with two fifties.”It will be disappointing for James and Neil, but we’ve talked through the areas that we’d like to see them work on and if we see development, they’ll certainly both come into the reckoning come the home summer,” Hesson said.”Neil was really effective for us batting at three or four last season, but we have quality, established batsmen in those positions and we’d like to see Neil develop his game further to show he has the skills to bat at five.”The mandate for Neesham, meanwhile, is dominant performances in domestic cricket and greater consistency across skills. The allrounder had made his international comeback during New Zealand’s tour of India last year, having been out of the game for a significant period before that due to a back injury. While his batting returns since then have been steady lower down the order – 573 runs in 22 matches at an average of 30.15 – he has not been consistent with the ball, taking 14 wickets in 19 innings with an economy rate of 6.65.The allrounder recently turned out for Kent in the Natwest t20 blast, finishing as the side’s second-highest wicket-taker with 14 dismissals, while accumulating 203 runs.”Jimmy needs go back and really dominate domestic cricket with both bat and ball. We know Jimmy is a talented player, but we’ve spoken with him around improving the consistency in all areas of his game.”Hesson said that with New Zealand A playing in India, it made sense to pick a squad in parts, and believed the open places would spur competition among the A squad. The trial for the wicketkeeper’s slot is already underway – New Zealand A have taken three wicketkeepers, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips and Tim Seifert, on the India tour and Tom Latham has returned early from county duties with Durham to undertake specialist wicket-keeping training.”The nine we’ve picked have made up the core of our ODI team for a while and all of them have experience playing in India,” said Hesson.”With a number of our top guys already playing in India, it’s helpful to be able to select the squad in two parts. With six spots left, there’s an obvious incentive for the players in New Zealand A to perform and put their best foot forward.”The series against India gets underway next month, with the first ODI in Mumbai on October 22, while the T20I series will be played between November 1 and 7. The team is set to depart for India on October 12.

BCCI likely to bring groundsmen and curators under the anti-corruption code in the future

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Oct-2017Groundsmen and curators will likely be brought into the anti-corruption education loop in the future, as investigations into the Pune pitch controversy intensify. In a sign of how seriously it is treating the matter, the ICC has sent additional officials from its anti-corruption unit (ACU) in Dubai to assist with investigations.Hours before the second ODI between India and New Zealand on Wednesday, the BCCI “dismissed” Pandurang Salgaoncar, the head groundsman, for alleged “malpractice” that was captured by two undercover reporters from an Indian television network.This is the second time in recent years the ACU has investigated a groundsman. In January 2016, the ICC suspended former Sri Lankan player Jayananda Warnaweera, who was the curator at Galle International Stadium, for three years for failing to cooperate with an ACU investigation.Bir Singh, the ACU officer travelling with the Indian and New Zealand teams, is understood to have already started his probe and has been joined by Steve Richardson, the ACU’s coordinator (investigations). That investigation will be carried out independently and will not involve the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit. In addition to Salgaoncar, the ACU is likely to also speak to the undercover reporters that carried out the sting., which carried out the sting operation, has said the reporters shot the video with Salgaoncar over two days (October 23 and 24) before the game, but a BCCI official said only the ACU probe would be able to confirm that. In the video, Salgaoncar is seen telling the reporters that the pitch would be full of runs. “It is very good. It will garner 337 runs. And 337 will be chaseable.”In the game itself, New Zealand were restricted to 230, a target India chased down with four overs to spare on a pitch that slowed during the latter part of the match.Though it is not yet clear what charges Salgaoncar could face, a BCCI official said that in apparently allowing what appear to be unaccredited personnel into the ground and onto the pitch, there is a case for “misconduct”. According to the anti-corruption code, no unaccredited personnel can be on the ground, let alone the pitch, days before an international match. “He had no business giving them access or information about the pitch,” the official said.The BCCI has since alerted groundstaff at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur, which hosts the series’ decider on Sunday, to not allow any outsiders onto the ground. Only authorised staff can go near the pitch and media will not be allowed onto the ground. All the gates at Green Park have been locked and security personnel have been asked to only allow groundstaff and Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (the ground’s host) officials entry.Once its investigations are wrapped up, the ICC’s ACU is likely to point out to the BCCI the lack or absence of anti-corruption information available to curators and local groundstaff across India. The BCCI has only made it mandatory for the players and coaches to adhere to the anti-corruption code. With just one ACU officer present at the ground, and usually manning the players and match officials area, it is often difficult to widen his gaze and keep an eye on groundstaff as well.”The curators and groundstaff should be brought under the ambit of the anti-corruption education programme to develop the awareness,” the board official said. “They should be careful who they speak with including the media. And if any approach is made they should immediately report the matter and follow the same protocol that is followed by the players. That is the main takeaway.”A senior Indian curator welcomed the suggestion. “We should not disclose anything on the pitch to anybody including media. We are not authorised and any communication should go from the BCCI. So educating the groundstaff is a good idea.”But the curator also pointed out that Ramesh Mahmunkar, the member of the BCCI’s grounds and pitches committee, was present in the ground when Salgaoncar was speaking with the reporters on the pitch – Salgaoncar, in fact, is seen referring to him in the video when telling the reporters that protocol does not allow them to be on the pitch. Usually, however, it is the head groundsman – in this case Salgaoncar – who holds control of the ground and makes sure that only authorised personnel can enter the ground and go near to the pitch.The MCA, too, is in favour of educating the groundstaff. “Because some times people talk very loosely,” an MCA official said. “They have to monitor what is said and to whom.”

The Zimbabwe opener revived his team with Peter Moor, who was “quite surprised to be in the XI” after Sean Williams pulled up unwell

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo29-Oct-2017Hamilton Masakadza and Peter Moor’s 142-run stand revived Zimbabwe on the first day of the second Test in Bulawayo, but while Masakadza was pleased to finally convert a good start, Moor was surprised to be batting at all.”It was great to manage to convert,” Masakadza said, who made scores of 42 and 57 in the first Test. “I had been thinking about those starts [in the previous test], and I was just hoping that if I did get another start I would push through. I’m happy to still be out there.”Moor only found out that he was playing when he arrived at the ground, coming in to the team for Sean Williams, who was reportedly “unwell”.”To be honest, this morning when I pitched up I was quite surprised to be in the XI,” Moor said. “So, everything caught me a bit by surprise. I just knew that I’ve got a chance now, I’ve got to try to make the most of it. I think maybe that’s why I was a bit more reserved today. Trying to fight for that position and get a more regular spot.”The situation required me to be a little bit more reserved,” he said. “And Hamilton was scoring much faster than I was, so that took some of the pressure off.”Moor may also have benefited from watching the way West Indies’ batsmen went about their work in the first Test, displaying both patience and a penchant for keeping his shots in the V. “Definitely [watching West Indies helped] in terms of hitting a lot straighter. We played a lot of cross-bat shots, and I know that’s the way we play, but in my mind I was thinking let me try and play a bit more straight. And it worked for me.”Moor also had the advantage of batting with a veteran of 262 international matches at the other end to offer advice. “We spoke about tactics, discussing what the bowlers were trying to do, what we were trying to do to counter it,” Masakadza said. “I actually had quite a bit of fun batting with PJ today, because he brought a lot of energy and he was very positive. I fed quite a bit off that. Between overs I had to stay calm, and keep us both focused.”Masakadza was fortunate early in his knock, when he was caught off a Shannon Gabriel bouncer, but reprieved by a no-ball. Masakadza had started to walk when West Indies asked for a review, despite being given not out.”The boys were laughing at me in the changerooms for that,” Masakadza said. “As it hit me, when it looped up I said to myself ‘please don’t carry’. When I saw it carry to the fielder I said to myself ‘please don’t give it’. When they didn’t give it, I was saying ‘please don’t review’. And then when they reviewed I thought, ‘ah, they’re obviously going to see it on TV, I might as well go’.”Masakadza’s continued contribution on the second day will be vital to Zimbabwe’s hopes of levelling this series. “I’ll try and build another partnership with Raza and see how deep we can take it,” he said. “It’s going to be very important to get whatever amount of runs we can get in the first innings, so without looking too far ahead I think anything over 350 will be good for us. I think it is still going to turn, much like the last Test, so it’s going to be very important to score big in the first innings.”

Sheth and Meriwala, yet to make a mark in their first-class careers, took a giant leap towards recognition by skittling the 41-time champions across 35.2 overs

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai09-Nov-2017Not many had turned up at the Wankhede Stadium to watch Mumbai in action on the opening day of their 500th Ranji fixture. The few that did – scattered across the Sunil Gavaskar Pavilion – were in with the hope of watching the Prithvi Shaws and Ajinkya Rahanes make a statement of Mumbai’s fabled supremacy on their home turf. Much to their dismay, as that of most in the media box, it was two unheralded Baroda bowlers who stole the thunder from a Mumbai side that reeled under a masterclass of swing bowling.In 10 prior Ranji appearances at the ground, Mumbai had never been bowled out for a sub-200 score in the first innings. On Thursday, a combined 35.2 overs from Atit Sheth and Lukman Meriwala is all it took to dismiss the line-up that returned only one half-century and two other 20-plus scores.Leading the charge was Sheth, whose first-class credentials boast 36 wickets from 13 innings with three five-wicket hauls and as many three-fors, coupled with 337 runs at an average of 37.44. In the ongoing season alone, he’s already made a century and two unbeaten 50-plus scores, while bagging 11 wickets from the preceding three games. As he rattled through the top order on a green top, he showcased his ability to move the ball both ways and did so with aplomb from either side of the stumps.”This season has been good. I have been taking wickets and scoring runs. This match, especially against Mumbai in Mumbai… I wanted to do well in this game, and carry on the good season. They have good players in their ranks, so doing well against Mumbai gives you a good platform,” Sheth, a former Under-19 Youth ODI player, said after his five-for.The two deliveries that perfectly encapsulated his control over the lateral movement also fetched him what was in his assessment the “most important wickets.” In the first two overs of his opening spell, he burst through Shaw’s gate with an inswinger and elicited an edge from Rahane with one going away – both fixed by the driveable length offered.”They have been in form, [Rahane] is a Test player. The plan was to not give their batsmen width as they like attacking. The ball was moving, it was a green wicket, and [I] wanted to take advantage of that. It had to be pitched up, because there was movement on offer from there.”Perfectly complementing Sheth’s onslaught was 25-year-old left-arm pacer Meriwala, whose earliest encounters with cricket began some 90 kms off Baroda, as a 12-year old. Located in the Bharuch district of Gujarat, Sarnar village has been home to Meriwala since his birth and had been the incubator for his cricketing aspirations. The son of a farmer, with a younger brother and a homemaker mother and a wife making up the family of five, it was only at the behest of an acquaintance in the neighbourhood that he moved to Baroda, nearly 90 kms from his native place.”An uncle in my village took me to the city after my parents realised how much I wanted to give cricket a try. I’ve never had any coach per se; it’s been only the training I got at the Baroda Cricket Association that I ever had.”On a day when he made deft use of angles – the crowning glory being the one bowled around the wicket to have Siddesh Lad poke at one that moved away late – Meriwala conceded he hasn’t had to look beyond his immediate environment to give wings to dreams of showcasing his swing-bowling skills at ” cricket” (higher-level cricket). He attributes much of his learnings to the Pathan brothers – Irfan and Yusuf – the former he regards as one of his idols, and another fellow quick bowler, Munaf Patel, from a nearby town of Ikhar in Bharuch.”Irfan has backed me since my early days in Baroda. Whenever he comes to practice [at BCA], we discuss a lot of cricket. I have always held him in high esteem, even when he’s not around, he shares his inputs with me over the phone.”Yusuf advises me on batsmen and the kind of deliveries I should be bowling against particular shots. Munaf Patel lives some 25-30 kms from my village, and he too helps me with my bowling. Their guidance has had a big role to play in getting me to this stage. Going forward the target would be to bowl as few loose deliveries as possible. With my action and swing, I’m sure if I keep things tight, a wicket is never too far away.”Exuding a warmth and shyness he ascribes to his humble upbringing, Meriwala says he wants to cash in on the season to further his India ambitions via the IPL route. He acknowledges Baroda coach Atul Bedade for his friendly disposition, which, he says, has been integral to helping him familiarise himself with ways of the city.”He is like a friend to us; even if I make mistakes, he explains all that with a lot of patience. For a lifelong village-dweller like me, an approach like that helps unhindered communication.”Bedade, a former India and Baroda batsman with 13 ODI and 64 first-class appearances, has been coaching the side for the past three years, after a two-season stint with the Under-19 side from 2014-16. He describes Meriwala as a “blank canvas” whose humility and hunger to learn complements the hard work he is ever-willing to put in.”His is what we usually call ‘raw talent’. Baroda being a small family, we try and help each other out in every way possible. There’s an inherent reticence in Lukman, but is always on the lookout to learning something new.”Bedade was equally effusive in his praise of Sheth, who, he believes can be an asset to any team he’s part of. “He moves the ball both ways. A bowling allrounder who can contribute to the team’s cause with handy knocks. With the kind of all-round talent he has, I’m sure his skills will come to better use at a bigger stage.”

Mohammad Amir and Azhar Ali are back in the 15-member squad while Ahmed Shehzad has been left out

Umar Farooq23-Dec-2017

Pakistan ODI squad

Sarfraz Ahmed (capt&wk), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees
In: Azhar Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir
Out: Ahmed Shehzad, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Usman Khan

Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad has been dropped for the five-ODI series in New Zealand next month, with Azhar Ali returning to replace him. Left-arm quicks Usman Khan (stress fracture of the back) and Junaid Khan (stress fracture of the foot) are also out of the 15-man squad.A knee injury has ruled allrounder Imad Wasim out of the tour too. Mohammad Amir, meanwhile, returned to the squad, after recovering from an injury that kept him out of the ODIs against Sri Lanka in October.The left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Mohammad Nawaz, who last played an ODI in January, came into the squad as a like-for-like replacement for Imad, while the seam-bowling all-rounder Aamer Yamin, who hasn’t played an international game since November 2015, is also back in the squad.The PCB had initially called up 18 probables for a fitness test before finalising the squad. Apart from the ODI squad members that played against Sri Lanka, batsmen Umar Amin and Sohaib Maqsood and Yamin were also called up for the fitness test, though only Yamin made the final cut. Both Azhar and Mohammad Hafeez are currently playing the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, and had underwent fitness tests earlier this month, while legspinner Shadab Khan is playing for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League in Australia. All three were picked in the squad.”The team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions and the recent performances of some players in the domestic tournament,” Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector, said. “Azhar Ali makes a comeback to the ODI squad after being rested in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He is making a comeback, having regained full fitness.”Junaid Khan has been ruled out of the ODI squad due to a fracture in his right foot and doctors have advised him to rest for six weeks. Aamir Yamin comes in to replace the left-arm pacer in the squad. Imad Wasim is again feeling discomfort in his knee, and has been told to work on his fitness in the NCA.”Yamin, 27, emerged into national contention when he scored 700 runs at 58.33 and took 32 wickets at 24.18 in the 2013-14 season. Yamin then impressed in the national T20 tournament when he struck 45 off 20 balls for Multan Region against Karachi Blues in the semi-final in 2015 and was subsequently picked in Pakistan’s ODI side for the Zimbabwe tour. He wasn’t as impressive in international cricket, but continued to make steady progress in the domestic circuit.Maqsood was a potential candidate to break into the squad, having scored 287 runs at an average of 41 for Faisalabad in the National T20 Cup, but was eventually left out because of fitness concerns. However, Inzamam did say that he could be in contention for the T20 series.The first of five ODIs will be played in Wellington on January 6.