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The batsman argued that the circumstances were such that they did not merit reporting

Umar Farooq27-Apr-2020Umar Akmal’s troubled cricket career has hit its biggest roadblock yet, with the PCB handing him a ban from all representative cricket for three years after he failed to report details of corrupt approaches made to him ahead of this year’s PSL. During the hearing on Monday, Akmal accepted that the incidents which formed the basis of the two charges pressed against him by the PCB had taken place, but pointed out that the circumstances were such that they did not merit reporting to the board.The PCB had formally charged Akmal with two breaches of its anti-corruption code for two unrelated incidents on March 20. The charges come under Article 2.4.4, which deals with: “Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code”.Akmal represented himself at the hearing, while the PCB was represented by lawyer Taffazul Rizvi. ESPNcricinfo understands that Akmal told Justice Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, the disciplinary committee chairman, that the two incidents did take place, the conversations he had were questionable, as were the individuals present at the time, but he had his own reasons to not report them to the PCB. Rizvi argued, saying that Akmal was trying to deploy the “heads-I-win-tails-you-lose” approach, which is not acceptable in any court of law*.Akmal’s case had gone directly to the PCB disciplinary panel after he opted to forego the right to a hearing before the anti-corruption tribunal, where he could have pleaded his innocence and contested the charges. His decision not to do that meant, in effect, that he would accept whatever sanctions Justice Chauhan imposed on him.Afterwards, a PCB statement said that Akmal had been heard “at length” before the verdict was passed.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Lt Col Asif Mahmood, PCB’s director of anti-corruption and security, said, “The PCB doesn’t take any pleasure in seeing a promising international cricketer being declared ineligible for three years on corruption charges, but this is once again a timely reminder to all who think they can get away by breaching the anti-corruption code.”The anti-corruption unit regularly holds education seminars and refresher courses at all levels to remind all professional cricketers of their obligations and responsibilities. And even then, if some cricketers decide to take the Code into their own hands, this is how things will pan out.”While Akmal has never before been sanctioned for breaching any anti-corruption codes, this might not be the first time he had faced a corrupt approach. In 2018, he claimed in a TV interview that he had been offered money to spot-fix at the 2015 World Cup, separately claiming that he had also been made an offer to skip certain key matches against India. It wasn’t clear whether Akmal had reported these alleged approaches to anti-corruption authorities, but he has never before faced sanctions from either the PCB or the ICC for the same.The ban comes as the most significant setback to 29-year-old Akmal, whose career has been littered with ups and downs. Repeated incidents of indiscipline since his debut in 2009 have meant that he has been fined and suspended, and an inability to stay fit has led to penalties as well. Recently, in September 2017, he copped a three-month ban for publicly criticising then Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur, and earlier this year, he was reprimanded by the PCB for misbehaving after failing a fitness test, reportedly exposing himself to a trainer in frustration at one point.However, his quality as a batsman meant that Akmal stayed in contention despite the issues. When it seemed like Arthur had sidelined him for good, he was handed a surprise call-up for a home T20I series against Sri Lanka last year, in what was Misbah-ul-Haq’s first assignment as head coach. He was dropped again after consecutive golden ducks, but strong domestic performances meant the possibility of another call-up was never far away.

Northern Territory Cricket hopes to help the rest of the country with a return of the sport

Andrew McGlashan18-May-2020Darwin is set to see the resumption of cricket in Australia for the first time since the sport was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic and Northern Territory Cricket (NTC) is open to being a testing ground for how the game needs to adapt.The Darwin and District Cricket Competition, which would have normally begun in April, will now start with a T20 tournament over the Queen’s Birthday weekend from June 6 before a one-day competition begins and runs until a final on September 19.Darwin is currently one of the most open places in Australia, having significantly loosened Covid-19 restrictions in recent weeks. NT Cricket has worked closely with Cricket Australia on the guidelines that will be in place including areas such as not sharing kit and how to maintain the cricket ball which is an issue that reaches the top level of the game.ESPNcricinfo revealed earlier this month that the ICC is debating allowing forms of legalised ball-tampering at international level to avoid the need to use sweat and saliva on the ball. Ball manufacturer Kookaburra has since come out with plans for a wax-applicator – although rival Dukes have said their ball does not need artificial aids to shine – and NT Cricket are open to trailing any solutions if they are available.”We are very open-minded and we’d be quite happy to work with someone like Kookaburra to trial a new wax applicator to shine the ball,” NT Cricket CEO Joel Morrison told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve played a similar role in the past with a new T20 cricket ball they wanted to introduce. Whether it’s Kookaburra or anyone else who would like trial something and we can play a role in testing that for the rest of Australian cricket – or even global cricket – we are more than happy to do so.””Hopefully [playing cricket] is a ray of hope, not only for the cricket community in Australia but around the world to show that things are starting to get better albeit the risks always remain with Covid-19. If we do the right thing and follow the advice, then there is the ability to get back playing sooner rather than later. Hopefully to see a cricket ball bowled here in Darwin in a couple of weeks’ time gives hope to those playing across Australia.”The other key part of the Top End summer – the NT Strike League – remains uncertain to take place due to border restrictions. Two seasons ago the Strike League saw David Warner and Cameron Bancroft take part during their ball-tampering bans.Darwin was in line to host international cricket for the first since 2008 in August, for the visit of Zimbabwe for a limited-overs series, but that is now a major doubt with the borders still shut to international and domestic travel meaning anyone arriving (barring a few exceptions) needs to quarantine for 14 days. However, Morrison said the Northern Territory government was open about working with elite sport around major events if suitable plans are in place.”Darwin in particular is still very much open for business in that sense of hosting major events,” Morrison said. “We’ve spoken to CA and offered our support in whatever way they require to bring that series to life if they are in a position to do so. Obviously that series is one of a number of considerations for CA moving forward, if there’s a way we can help support that series they know we are open to working with CA and the NT government to explore all options.”

The former CWI president has “serious concerns” about the allegations of financial mismanagement during his term

George Dobell20-May-2020Dave Cameron, the former president of Cricket West Indies (CWI), has threatened legal action against the board unless they hand over a copy of an audit critical of his period in office.The audit, requested by Cameron’s successor and conducted by PKF, suggests a lack of financial control posed a threat to “the board’s long-term sustainability” and left “a massive hole” in the board’s finances. Cameron, who was president of CWI (previously WICB) from March 2013 until March 2019, is singled out for criticism several times in the report.Cameron insists he first became aware of the report when contacted for comment by ESPNcricinfo in April. He is now demanding that he is provided with a copy of it from CWI within 48 hours in order that he can “respond fully” to the “allegations made by PKF.”ALSO READ: ‘Massive hole’ in Cricket West Indies finances, says reportA letter from Cameron’s lawyers, Thomas, John & Co, to Johnny Grave, the chief executive officer of CWI, states: “Our client maintains that that he has serious concerns about the credibility of this report, which involved the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee selected and/ or appointed by the President or Board.”In the circumstances, and having regard to the basic principles of fairness and the right of our client to protect his reputation, our client demands, without prejudice to any rights he may now have, a full copy of this report within 48 hours, and the right to respond fully to all of the questions, comments or allegations made by PKF, and statements made by Mr Holding and the President within 21 days.”Should CWI whether by way of the Board or management or otherwise seek in the meantime to publish the report, or refuse to meet our client’s demands for a copy of the report and time to respond, our client will have no alternative but to seek the appropriate orders and remedies from the High Court.”While very little of the entire report has so far been published, extracts are beginning to appear in publications across the region. Notably, the former West Indies fast bowler, Michael Holding alluded to a couple of sections not published by ESPNcricinfo in various interviews – though he has not mentioned Cameron by name – while Ricky Skerritt, the current CWI president, acknowledged in a media statement that the report “uncovered some illustrations of questionable executive standards and practices.” As a result, both men have incurred the wrath of Cameron.”The President’s statement and especially the use of the word “uncovered” carries the imputation that PKF uncovered previously hidden and unknown material, which justified or warranted the making of serious questions, comments or allegations directed at or against our client as the President of CWI,” Cameron’s lawyers continue.”There is no question that Mr Holding believed that the contents of one part of this PKF report raised the real prospect that the offence of money-laundering either occurred, or may have occurred, and/ or exposed CWI to the risk of involvement in money-laundering. At all material times our client was the President of CWI. These allegations have now gone viral throughout the region and elsewhere.”As indicated above, our client has not seen the report, nor has he been given any opportunity to respond to it, either by PKF or CWI. In fact, at no time did PKF seek to ascertain any fact or comment from him. However, the report or parts thereof were made known to ESPNCricinfo and Mr Holding.”At the time of writing, with the 48-hour deadline having passed, it is understood the report has not been passed on to Cameron.

West Indies coach says issues highlighted in global movement “motivate us all the time”

Andrew Miller06-Jul-2020Phil Simmons, West Indies’ head coach, has said that his players will decide by Monday night whether to take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter before the start of the first Test against England, but stressed that the issues that have been brought to prominence by the global movement were ones that “motivate us all the time”.Simmons, who last month revealed that he had been the target of racist abuse during his days in English league cricket in the late 1980s, said that the decision to incorporate the BLM logo on the collar of the West Indies Test shirts – a move since followed by the England squad – was just a “start”. He also insisted that the recent political interference that followed his attendance of a family funeral would not detract from the team’s focus on defending the Wisden Trophy, and bidding for a first series win in England since 1988.”We’ve spoken about it a bit,” Simmons said of BLM. “It means a hell of a lot to all the players and all the staff on the tour. But it’s not just about now, it’s about life on the whole, and I think we as a group don’t need to say this is going to motivate us. It motivates us all the time, it’s been a natural part of life.”While West Indies’ expanded squad has put on a united front during their bio-secure build-up to the series at Emirates Old Trafford, that sense of regional unity was dented last week when Conde Riley, the president of Barbados Cricket Association, called for the sacking of Simmons, a Trinidadian, after he had been given permission to leave the team environment to attend his father-in-law’s funeral.And while Simmons described Riley’s criticisms of his actions as “sad”, adding that “not much surprises me in life anymore”, he denied that the controversy had had any impact on the wider squad’s preparations, or that the overarching message of BLM was required to help keep his players focused on what is at stake in the coming weeks.ALSO READ: ‘Kemar Roach is a genuine great’ – Courtney Walsh“I think there’s rivalry between the islands all the time,” Simmons said. “But as far as I am concerned, 97% of the time that I’ve been with a West Indies team, whether playing or coaching, we’ve been together as a unit, as a team.”So it doesn’t take the Black Lives situation to bring us together as a team. All the teams that have been with, we’ve been fairly united in the struggle that we have, to go out there and win Test matches. It doesn’t matter what we’ve been against, we have to go out and win Test matches, and that’s what we’ve got into these guys here.”Wednesday’s Test at the Ageas Bowl will be the first to have taken place since the global lockdown in March, and Simmons said that the ECB deserved huge credit for devising a “blueprint for how cricket can move forward” in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, adding that several aspects of the team’s preparations in recent weeks would be worth retaining when “life gets back to what we consider normal”.In particular, Simmons said he was “extremely happy” with the use of an extended squad for West Indies’ two warm-ups at Old Trafford. The matches left a few issues unresolved, not least the form of West Indies’ batsmen in general and their captain Jason Holder in particular, who has been short of both runs and overs since arriving in England.But with Shannon Gabriel proving his fitness following an ankle injury, West Indies will go into the Tests with a full complement of fast bowlers, all of whom are gunning to repeat their feats in the Caribbean 18 months ago, when England were outgunned in the first two Tests of the series in Barbados and Antigua.”It’s an exciting group of fast bowlers and the reserve group has made for an exciting four weeks for us as coaches,” Simmons said. “We know that Kemar [Roach], Shannon and Jason are our top bowlers but [Alzarri] Joseph has been bowling so well that I think that he will have a lot to do with the outcome of this series.”I’m not concerned about the batting,” Simmons added. “The batsmen have worked very hard on getting to where they are now, and all that it takes now is for their mindset to be right for the Test match.”The key thing for us is that we play proper cricket in all three facets of the game. We keep talking about the batting, and the bowling has been strong, but we must field well and catch well also to give ourselves that chance. Our frame of mind is that we have to play well in all three facets of the game in order to beat England.”Holder appeared to be nursing an ankle injury in the early weeks of the tour, but Simmons insisted there was “no concern” about his captain – a player who is currently ranked as the No. 1 allrounder in Test cricket, ahead of Ben Stokes at No. 2, the man who will also be his opposite number as he stands in for Joe Root in the first Test.”Jason has played enough Test cricket now to know what he’s working on and, mentally, he’s where he wants to be,” Simmons said. “He might not have scored runs up in Manchester, but he’s been hitting the ball well.”Of Stokes’ lack of experience as captain – he has never before led a team in his professional career – Simmons warned that it might not be an issue that his side would be able to exploit.”I think that it’s going to be a toss-up between these two allrounders and hopefully Jason can do what’s necessary to get on top of Ben in this first Test,” he said. “Ben is one of them who leads from the front. That’s been shown by all his exploits before in cricket, [so] we will have to make sure that we get on to him very early, because he likes to do what is necessary for his team.”You have to be careful how you use an advantage because, with Root not being there, you have some youngster who wants to make a name for himself. And sometimes that’s even harder than the players you know, so you have to be very careful about saying that it’s an advantage.”Ben has not had that time [as captain] but they’ve had a successful team for a while, and that helps,” he added. “With the experience that he has behind him – Jimmy [Anderson] and Broad and people like that, there’s a lot of experience to help him on the field if he comes a cropper. But it’s hard to really say if that’s a big advantage.”

Friday was the last date for potential sponsors to submit their Expressions of Interest to the BCCI

Press Trust of India14-Aug-2020Multinational conglomerate Tata Group has submitted its ‘Expression of Interest’ to become IPL title sponsor this year, joining education technology company Unacademy and fantasy sports platform Dream11 in a bid to replace Chinese mobile phone company Vivo for one season.Friday was the last date of submission of ‘EOI’ to the BCCI. The IPL will be held from September 19 to November 10 in the UAE this year and the winning bidder will hold the rights for four months and 13 days.Tata Group’s entry into the fray makes the bidding war on August 18 very interesting as BCCI is expecting that the winning bid will not be much lower than Vivo’s Rs 440 crore annual contract even though the rights period is of a short duration.”Yes, Tata Group has submitted their Expression of Interest to buy IPL title rights,” a group spokesperson told PTI.A source in the BCCI earlier confirmed the submission of EOIs from the other two companies.”The EOI doesn’t have to mention the bid amount. It will be sent on August 18,” the official said.”Post the delivery of the EOI, BCCI shall inform the rights, product categories and entitlements to the interested third parties. The final bid should be sent to [email protected] between 11 am to 1pm on August 18, 2020,” the BCCI has already stated.Patanjali and Jio Communications are also reportedly in fray but no immediate confirmation was forthcoming from the BCCI on these two names.The Board has made it clear that the highest bidder might not get the title sponsorship unless the parent body is satisfied with its plan for the high-valued brand.”A lot of times, some unknown organisations can bid insanely and then you might find there are questions regarding their credibility. Also what if a company, with sizeable Chinese investment, bids?”Then the whole postponement of partnership with Vivo will look very stupid,” a veteran official said.Vivo and BCCI postponed their partnership for one year due to the prevailing Sino-India border stand-off.

England didn’t do much wrong, but they didn’t do enough right against a formidable foe

George Dobell11-Sep-2020There’s a key reason performances against Australia remain the barometer of health for England sides.It’s not just history or tradition. And it’s not just that there’s no such thing as a dead encounter involving a side which appears to have a love of beating England in their DNA.It’s that, however much it may be unpalatable to many, the base level of cricket in Australia is, nearly always, a bit higher than England’s. Almost however you judge it: the strength and athleticism of juniors; the standards of club (or Grade) cricket (though this may be changing); the long-term records in global tournaments and in rankings tables. Australia have been, almost always, formidable opponents. And when they do have dips, they are rarely as deep and seldom as long as England’s. It’s been this way, more or less, since 1880.If that sounds like hyperbole, consider the respective records in World Cups. It’s not just that Australia have won five of the things (compared to England’s once), it’s that even in years when they are not expected to challenge – such as 2019 – they manage to reach the semi-finals. England had a couple of decades where they aspired to semi-finals and tended to have to settle for a drubbing at the hands of Pitcairn Island.So, when England beat Australia, they know they are in good condition. And when they lose to them, well, they are given an insight into the standards required.The point of all this?England came into this game full of confidence. For the first time in their ODI history and against their oldest foe, they were the world champions. They had nine of the team that played in the final involved here and they won the toss.ALSO READ: Billings century in vain as Australia seal 19-run victoryYet Australia provided the harshest of wake-up calls. It’s not that England played poorly. It’s more that Australia were, in several respects, simply better than them. Their fielding; their new-ball bowling, their resilience in fighting back from 123 for 5 in the 24th over of their innings. There were moments in this match when they looked unstoppable.Josh Hazlewood, in particular, was magnificent. He hit the pitch hard, gained the same sort of seam movement that renders him such a fine Test bowler and claimed two important wickets – and conceded just five runs – from his first six overs. It was brilliant stuff.But every state in Australia seems to have a dozen fast bowlers built like Hazlewood. Sure, they may not be quite as consistent or quite as skilful. But they’re just as broad and tall and robust and quick. In England, fast bowlers like this come along rarely. And when they do, they tend to be broken or ruined by the time they’re 25.But the biggest difference between the sides, and not for the first time, is in the fielding. While England’s currently appears to be in something of a dip – it’s been modest in all formats all summer, really – Australia seem to punish every mistake by England’s batsmen.Marnus Labuschagne stoops for a brilliant catch off Jos Buttler•Getty Images

Compare, for example, Tom Banton’s dropping of Maxwell on the midwicket fence when he had 10, here, and Steven Smith’s catch to dismiss Moeen Ali in the final match of the T20I series. They weren’t identical, by any means. And it’s probably harsh on Banton to even characterise his semblance of a chance with a drop.But the fact is, Smith utilised every millimetre of the playing area to give himself the best chance of clinging on to the desperately tough catch, while Banton was a few yards off the boundary – possibly intentionally – and therefore not in position to take the chance. Much the same could have been written about Sam Billings’ dropping of Mitchell Starc here with Hazlewood’s catch to end Bairstow’s resistance. Australia, it might be noted, did not drop a chance during the T20I series; England dropped three.Maybe England’s openers, in top form, would have been able to hit the bowlers off their lengths. Maybe, had Ben Stokes been available, England would have had the seam-bowling support they required to capitalise on reducing Australia to 123 for 5 in the 24th over of their innings. Maybe he would even have been able to pull off another miracle with the bat, too. And maybe, if Liam Plunkett were still in the team, that sixth-wicket stand of 126 between Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh could have been snuffed out before it turned this game. Plunkett’s record as a mid-innings wicket-taker is extraordinary, after all. There is no obvious replacement for him.That’s not to say Plunkett should have been here. He hasn’t played a match this season, for a start. And while it was brutal of England to move on from him quite so quickly after he had done so much to help them win the World Cup, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was wrong. Plunkett is 35, after all. Is he really going to be a force in the next World Cup in India?The point is, this result wasn’t so much a reflection of what England did wrong as much as it was a reflection of everything Australia did right. Strange though it may sound, the No. 1 side in the world in ODI cricket could learn a few things from the No. 5 side.There is an encouraging aspect to all this for England. For a start, England showed impressive resilience in pushing Australia all the way here. At one point, after 22 overs, they had scored 48 runs fewer than Australia at the same stage. To go within 20 represented something of a comeback. The second half of Billings’ innings was exceptionally good and suggested he could yet carve out a future for himself at this level.But more than that, it’s quickly overlooked now but, earlier in the World Cup, Australia inflicted another heavy defeat on England. On that occasion, Aaron Finch scored a century and Jason Behrendorff claimed five wickets as Australia won by 64 runs. Yet three weeks later, England were back at Lord’s having thrashed Australia in the semi-final. And we all know how the final finished.So England can come back from this. Of course they can. But, boy, they’re going to have to play well.

Two wickets in an over from Jackson Bird had given Tasmania hope of forcing victory

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2020Travis Head batted throughout the final day against Tasmania, in front of his Test captain Tim Paine, to salvage a draw for South Australia after they were in danger of starting their Sheffield Shield season to back-to-back heavy defeats.Head finished unbeaten on 171 when he shook hands with Paine in the final session having taken his team to safety alongside young allrounder Liam Scott. Jackson Bird had put life back into Tasmania’s victory push with two wickets in an over when South Australia still trailed by 40 in mid-afternoon.However Head, who was among the more culpable of batsmen on the final day against Western Australia when South Australia could not save the game, flashing a top edge after reaching a half-century, stood firm as new Redbacks coach Jason Gillespie watched on having completed his quarantine earlier in the match.South Australia lost just one wicket in the first half of the day as Head resumed his rescue mission which had begun the previous evening. Peter Siddle produced an excellent delivery to clip Henry Hunt’s off stump before the experienced duo of Head and Callum Ferguson joined forces in a fourth-wicket stand of 129 which spanned 40 overs during which Head reached his century from 120 deliveries – a good clip given the match-saving scenario.Then, however, Ferguson played around a full delivery from Bird who followed up in a lively over by having Harry Nielsen caught behind to leave South Australia on 5 for 258. Head and Scott, who is highly regarded, got through to tea and the Redbacks’ tensions started to ease when they wiped out the deficit. Nathan Ellis produced a sharp late spell to try and crack things open for Tasmania but it was not to be.

Three fast bowlers provided spine-tingling entertainment from both sides, but Capitals won the final overs battle

Alagappan Muthu14-Oct-20202:47

How did Rajasthan manage to lose?

There was spine-tingling entertainment in the powerplay thanks to three unbelievably fast bowlers. There was shot-making of the highest quality from both top-orders. But in the end it was a battle between which team could win the final overs.Delhi Capitals let the game go back in the balance as they managed only 32 for 4 in their last five against Jofra Archer and company. ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster said Rajasthan Royals were favourites (55%) for the chase but they crumbled against Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, making only 25 for 2 in their final five overs.The speed demon and the savioursFor 12 balls, the batsmen were helpless. For 12 balls, they couldn’t touch him. Jofra Archer was bowling thunderbolts. He wrecked Prithvi Shaw’s stumps first ball and finished the powerplay with unbelievable figures of 2-0-5-2. His team-mates, though, surrendered 42 runs from their four overs.Shikhar Dhawan faced only one ball of that furious spell. But he loved feasting on the others. When he hit Kartik Tyagi for an on-the-up cover drive – a shot that is a point of pride – and the ball singed the turf on its way to the fence, it was clear he meant business. Dhawan got to fifty off 30 balls, his fastest while batting first in the IPL.At the other end, Shreyas Iyer concentrated on settling in. On 20 off 23, he decided he was good and hit a no-look, one-handed, flat-batted, straight four off Ben Stokes. It was a free hit so the batsman was always going to go, but to do that to ball coming up to his throat…Making amends Capitals were 132 for 4 in the 16th over. They were ready to launch. But it never happened because because the Royals support act finally turned up. Tyagi dismissed Iyer for 52 and then nailed his yorkers – wide or straight. Archer returned and, apart from one jaw-dropping cut for six from Alex Carey, his menace was intact. Jaydev Unadkat closed it all off with his slower balls, and for all their efforts, the Capitals crashed to the lowest final-five overs aggregate in this year’s IPL – 32 for 4.Robin Uthappa is cleaned up by a searing yorker•BCCI

A hell-raising powerplayNot to be outdone, Rabada and Nortje cranked the pace up too, both bowlers hitting 150 kph. They were seething.
Jos Buttler took another step towards the AB de Villiers level of 360 batting by nonchalantly scooped a 156 kph ball in line with his stumps to the fine leg boundary. At 22 off 8 balls, he was beginning to look villainous.But then came a decisive blow. Nortje, still bowling 155 kph, wrecked the opener’s stumps and set a theme for a rollicking powerplay.
Stokes began charging the bowlers. So Capitals took the pace off and brought on R Ashwin. Their battle never took off, but the offspinner did completely deceive Steven Smith with a ball that held in the pitch and had him caught and bowled for 1.Six overs of outrageous shots, incredible bowling and adrenaline-fuelled cricket yielded 50 for 2.The extra tense endingStokes (41) held the innings together, using his power to break free and provide a steady stream of boundaries. But he fell in the 11th over to debutant Tushar Deshpande, and Sanju Samson followed him eight balls later to leave the Royals at 96 for 4.Robin Uthappa, who is yet to get used to his middle-order role, then ran out Riyan Parag and the equation started looking troublesome: 47 off 36 balls with only five wickets in hand. Nortje turned that untenable when he returned at the death, put Uthappa out of his misery and even ensured there wouldn’t be a Rahul Tewatia miracle.

He also expects the timing of declarations to play a crucial role in the day-night Test in Adelaide

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2020It’s almost inevitable now that the build-up to a Test series involving Australia will heavily feature Steven Smith and the challenge of bowling to him. Smith has himself spoken of the possibility that India will look to bowl persistently short at him – a method that brought Neil Wagner success when New Zealand toured Australia in 2019-20 – but Sachin Tendulkar has suggested a different approach.Tendulkar wants India’s fast bowlers to bowl in the fifth-stump channel to Smith, shifting to that wider line to account for his pronounced shuffle across his stumps.”Smith’s technique is unconventional… Normally, we tell a bowler in Test matches to bowl on and around off stump or maybe fourth-stump line,” Tendulkar told . “But for Smith, because he shuffles, maybe that line moves further away [from off stump] by four to five inches.”One has to aim between [an imaginary] fourth and fifth stump for Steve to nick one. It’s just a mental adjustment of line, more than anything else.”Smith, I read, said he is ready for the short-pitched stuff… probably he is expecting bowlers to be aggressive up front with him. But I think he needs to be tested on and around that off-stump channel. Keep him on [the] back foot and induce that early mistake.”The first Test in Adelaide will be a pink-ball, day-night game. The change in conditions around twilight could make the timing of declarations crucial, Tendulkar said.”Probably due to difference in timing, you have to score those quick runs in the first session of the day which is afternoon, when the pitch will be flat. The pink ball starts seaming around in twilight and that’s the ideal time to bowl,” Tendulkar said. “So pacing the innings and the timing of declaration becomes very critical. Suppose you have a decent score on board and you are eight down at the sunset, you should declare rather than going for an extra 20 runs.”Put the opposition in during that twilight hour and take two to three wickets straight up. That will be more valuable than those 20 runs.”Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah share a laugh•Getty Images

Tendulkar contended that the help for the new ball during twilight – observed in a number of pink-ball Tests that have taken place so far – was probably due to the grass on the pitch cooling down, before another change in conditions caused by the onset of dew.”Get the top order out when the grass cover on the pitch is cool but not wet,” Tendulkar said. “If the grass is cool then there will be seam movement but if it’s wet, then it will go straight and just skid through the surface.”Once the outfield gets wet and if some dew is on offer, then it will be easy for batsmen.”Over the last few years, India’s bowling attack has been able to consistently bowl oppositions out in Test matches abroad. But in Australia, Tendulkar said it would also be crucial for India to have holding bowlers to build pressure by keeping the scoring down.”As I have always said, we have one of the best and most balanced bowling attacks India has ever had. Eventually, you have to pick 20 wickets to win Test matches. But 20 wickets shouldn’t be too expensive either.”… along with our attacking bowlers, we should also identify bowlers who can hold one end up on unresponsive pitches, bowl those continuous maiden overs to build the pressure.”

Leach takes immunosuppressants to manage his Crohn’s disease which make him more vulnerable to infection

George Dobell07-Jan-2021Jack Leach has admitted he has feels “vulnerable” to Covid-19 and said there have been moments when he questioned whether his health issues would prevent him ever playing for England again.Leach has not played Test cricket since he was forced home from New Zealand due to illness at the end of 2019. On that trip he suffered a flare up of Crohn’s disease – a condition which leads to a diminished immune system – which eventually saw him hospitalised with a bout of sepsis that left him fearing for his life.Although he was subsequently recalled to the squad that went to South Africa, he again struggled with his health and was sent home early to concentrate on making a full recovery. He has now been informed by the UK government that he is medically vulnerable to Covid-19, a scenario he described as “scary”.Related

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“I do [feel] a little bit [vulnerable],” Leach told on BBC Radio 5 Live. “The medication I’m on does weaken my immune system and I had some illness last winter. Looking back at the symptoms I had in South Africa, I do wonder if that was coronavirus. Obviously, from the little stuff I do know, that doesn’t mean I couldn’t get it again.”I did get texts at the start [of the pandemic] from the government telling me I’m in the vulnerable category, which was hard to deal with because I felt like I was healthy. I didn’t feel ill or anything. That was a little bit scary.”But I feel fit and healthy other than my Crohn’s. I have to, through my diet and supplements, keep my Crohn’s as well as it can be. It’s always going to be there. I was very ill in NZ with sepsis, which makes me feel like if I did get coronavirus, I’d be able to fight it off.”While Leach admitted that there are moments when such concerns play on his mind, he said he was grateful for the support put in place to prevent both mental and physical health issues and insisted that he is focusing on the more positive aspects of his imminent return to action in Sri Lanka. He also hinted that the protocols on that tour seem more robust than those in South Africa, where England’s white-ball squads toured in December for a T20I series and three ODIs which were ultimately postponed.”I’ve had some really good support from doctors and psychologists,” he said. “It’s something the ECB have taken really seriously. We have James Bickley [a chartered clinical psychologist] from Changing Minds with us. He’s helped a few of the guys in the past. On previous tours we might have had a sports psychologist for a few days, but it has been ramped up for this situation. I’m certainly very grateful for that.”When Moeen Ali had a positive test, with that comes uncertainty. It’s important we all get around each other, even if it’s just over FaceTime or WhatsApp. We’re getting a lot better at that. Men in general can be pretty poor at that, but I feel like we have a good, open group, who are prepared to say when we’re struggling. It’s been reinforced to us to get help if we’re struggling, or if we really need to go home that is an option to us. That eases the pressure on it. It feels like showing insecurity is OK and you can use your team-mates to help you through.Leach made only two first-class appearances in 2020•Getty Images

“Speaking to the guys, there were mistakes made over there [in South Africa]. The bubble created was maybe not as secure as it should have been. From how strict it is here [in Sri Lanka], it has definitely been ramped up. We have a Covid officer. There are checks on social distancing and masks. Lessons were learned from that series. You want to create an environment where if someone does unfortunately get Covid, we can continue to play cricket.”With everything going on back at home, we feel very lucky to be out here, getting the opportunity to play cricket and do what we love. I try to focus on what an amazing opportunity it is to play for England and there have been times when I’ve wondered if that would happen again. [In] the last year or so there have been lows for me and you question if that opportunity will come again.”That opportunity should come shortly. Leach was England’s joint top wicket-taker (with Moeen Ali) when they won in Sri Lanka in late 2018, and is expected to play alongside Dom Bess in the first Test. He played only two first-class games in 2020 after spending most of the summer as a reserve in the Test bubble, but has suggested that he is an improved bowler after working hard in the nets.”There are great memories [in Sri Lanka] from last time,” he said. “I’m very excited about the possibility of playing, but there are also some great options out here, so I’m not presuming anything. I want to put myself in as good a shape as possible for the first Test. If picked, I’ll try to do the same again.”