All posts by csb10.top

The investigators looking into allegations of racist behaviour in Scottish cricket have denied they “exonerated” anyone after referrals that have so far led to a series of “learnings” but no disciplinary action against alleged perpetrators.Two legal firms, Harper Macleod LLP and Bishop Lloyd Jackson Solicitors, and the race inclusion charity Sporting Equals have been investigating over 50 referrals – individual complaints of alleged racist behaviour – over the last year, stemming from the independent review in July 2022 that found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist.On Friday, the team issued its first public statement. Although no individuals were mentioned, it was in response to John Blain’s statement earlier in the week, in which the former Yorkshire and Scotland fast bowler said he had been cleared of allegations of racist behaviour earlier this year. Blain called for a “full and transparent inquiry” into those running cricket in the country.Related

• Cricket Scotland under renewed fire after alleged racism cover-up

• Cricket Scotland board resigns before publication of 'devastating' racism report

• Cricket Scotland revealed to be institutionally racist in damning independent report

• Former Cricket Scotland chair attacks 'fatally flawed' racism report

• John Blain calls for Cricket Scotland inquiry after being cleared of racist behaviour

Blain said the investigation’s findings “fully exonerate me” and also made public a letter from Cricket Scotland’s interim CEO Pete Fitzboydon from January, informing him that the allegations against him were “unfounded” but requesting that he kept that information confidential to allow time for the complainers to be informed of the outcomes. Cricket Scotland’s subsequent “delay and prevarication” in going public, Blain said, forced him to release his statement, five months after receiving the letter.In its response, however, the investigating team insisted that its role had not been to “make findings of fact, nor to pronounce guilt, nor to exonerate or pronounce as innocent any person against whom allegations had been made”. As a consequence, it was stated that they had neither “exonerated” any individual in any of their reports, nor reported “in any way to the Board of Cricket Scotland to suggest that an individual was “exonerated” or equivalent”.Instead, the investigating team insisted its role was to identify “learning lessons”, of which, it said, there have been over 250 across 51 referrals so far. Cricket Scotland has been making some of these learnings public on its website, as and when batches of referrals have concluded over the last year.The investigators, having engaged with over 170 people and witnesses so far, acknowledged the difficulties in looking into these complaints, some of which were from nearly two decades ago. The nature of allegations of discrimination – “having to consider competing accounts” – made it “universally a complex task”.That no disciplinary proceedings had taken place so far, the investigators said, did not diminish the allegations but only served to illustrate the difficulties involved in such investigations; including issues of a lack of governance and processes; the historic nature of some breaches; incidents that were outside Cricket Scotland’s jurisdiction; and some cases in which disciplinary action had already been taken.Any action stemming from the referrals, the investigators made clear, was for Cricket Scotland to take.John Blain, during his playing days in at the 2007 World Cup•Getty Images

The 2022 “Changing the Boundaries” report, which led to the Cricket Scotland board resigning en masse, has come under criticism from, among others, Tony Brian, a former board chairman. Brian has repeatedly raised concerns about how the review was conducted and its findings, calling it “fatally flawed” and demanding a government inquiry into how it was put together. Brian was chair from 2015 to 2022, a period during which some of the allegations made by former players Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh – whose testimonies led to the review – took place.But the investigation team unequivocally backed the report, saying that its own investigations “echoed” findings in “Changing the Boundaries”.”Evidence of poor governance, poor and/or absent policies and procedures to handle complaints of racism, inappropriate and/or a lack of support for whistleblowers and/or complainers, and failings in the delivery of appropriate diversity, equity and inclusion policies were all evident to the Investigation Team. These factors all unquestionably contributed to the subsequent number and breadth of complaints made, where race was spoken to as a factor in the allegations made.”The investigators urged the game’s stakeholders to acknowledge the recommendations the report had made, as well as its own recommended learnings, and to acknowledge that the game had been exclusionary for too many people who faced “unacceptable behaviours” and had no recourse to complain about it.The resurfacing of tensions around the investigations comes as the national men’s team prepares to take on Australia in St Lucia in the T20 World Cup with progression to the Super Eight stage in their own hands. Anything other than a defeat on Sunday evening will see Scotland through, even if England succeed in beating Namibia on Saturday.But the fact that the investigators felt compelled to issue a public statement will only add more pressure on Cricket Scotland, who were also criticised last week by Haq and Sheikh for their role in the events that led to Blain’s statement. It will also increase scrutiny over its January communication to Blain who was told by Fitzboydon: “As advised, these allegations have not been founded, and there is not any case to answer, and so this matter is now considered closed.”In response to Blain’s earlier statement, the board had said it would “continue to respect that independent process [of investigations], with the welfare of all involved as a priority, in order that we can reach a conclusion that enables our sport to move forward with unity.”Further comment, the board said, would come at the end of the investigative process.

Suryakumar Yadav has been confirmed as India’s new T20I captain, ahead of Hardik Pandya who was the vice-captain of the squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June.Suryakumar’s first assignment is the three T20Is in Sri Lanka on July 27, 28 and 30, which is also the first assignment of India’s new coach Gautam Gambhir. It’s also seen as the first step towards building for the next T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026. While Hardik is part of the T20I squad, Shubman Gill has been named vice-captain.Gill had captained India in the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe that followed the T20 World Cup.The need for a new captain arose following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is after winning the World Cup. Though Hardik was Rohit’s deputy at the T20 World Cup and is a more experienced captain – he has led India in three ODIs and 16 T20Is, apart from leading Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL – it is understood fitness concerns and workload management may have been factors in the decision taken by the selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Hardik had suffered an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup last October-November and was out of action until the start of IPL 2024, when he returned to lead MI. Hardik has played in just 46 of the 79 T20Is India have played since the start of 2022.Suryakumar, meanwhile, has captained the Mumbai state team in the domestic circuit. More recently, he led India to a 4-1 win over Australia in a T20I series last November, followed by a 1-1 series draw in South Africa.Suryakumar was not named in the ODI squad for the Sri Lanka tour, while Hardik, too, is taking a break from 50-over internationals.

Big Picture: West Indies, South Africa look to go back to winning ways

That competitive edge we were hoping for in the series opener showed itself on the last day of the rain-affected match, where both teams did all they could to avoid a draw. In the end, too much time was lost to rain and they had to settle for Test cricket’s first draw in 28 matches. The teams will want to get back to winning ways in Guyana.Happily, the elements are not expected to have as much of an impact and more play should be possible. Both teams have plenty of things to work on. At the outset: getting a batter (or two) to convert a start into a three-figure score will be top of mind. Three South Africans – Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs – and one West Indian – Alick Athanaze – scored half-centuries in Trinidad and there were nine other individual scores in the 30s, which suggests that getting in was less of an issue than staying in. The placidity of the pitch aside, batting in this series appears to be a test of patience and the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite and David Bedingham, who are known for their ability to hold vigils in the middle, could be among those to watch out for.For bowlers, the challenge of Test cricket is always time-based as they seek to stay disciplined for long periods. This series appears to demand more than most as Jayden Seals – who bowled eight spells in South Africa’s first innings in Trinidad – and Keshav Maharaj – who sent down 40 successive overs in West Indies first innings – showed. We’ve seen excellent examples of persistence and quality of skill which should continue into the second Test, where there’s plenty at stake.Keshav Maharaj put in long shifts during the first Test•AFP/Getty Images

West Indies remain rooted to the bottom of the World Test Championship points table and are seeking their second win. Their next assignments are against Bangladesh in the Caribbean followed by a tour to Pakistan, and they will want to maximise all the home advantage they can. The drawn first Test means South Africa will face each of their next seven Tests in this World Test Championship cycle as a must win. If they manage a perfect record, their chances of qualifying for the final will be almost certain. If they slip up somewhere, they could still get to Lord’s but will have to rely on other results, among teams who play far more than they do, to go their way.

Form Guide

West Indies: DLLLW ()
South Africa: DLLLW

In the Spotlight: Alick Athanaze and Kyle Verreynne

Alick Athanaze fell eight runs short of a first Test hundred in Trinidad, helped save the Test and looked comfortable against the short ball, and used the sweep shot well. His composure against South Africa’s more experienced players – Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada – was also impressive. He has already been identified as a key cog in the revival of West Indies’ long-format fortunes and could underline that with another big performance at a place in which he has historically done well: Guyana. Athanaze has played two first-class matches in Providence and crossed fifty three times. He scored 66 against Guyana in 2019, and 81 and 97 against Jamaica in March 2023.Kyle Verreynne will hope to find form in Guyana•AFP/Getty Images

If South Africa want the option of playing only six batters, they will have to believe Kyle Verreynne can score big runs when needed. He’s had a stop-start time in the Test squad, was dropped for the now-retired Heinrich Klaasen, and faces some competition from Ryan Rickelton. So, Verreynne will want to make use of the opportunities he gets quickly, he has not gotten past 39 in his last five innings. But he will want to draw from his first-class success, where he averages almost fifty, to find form in Tests.

Team News: Burger, Shamar likely to return

It would seem amiss not to play Shamar Joseph at home, especially as he is yet to play an international at Providence. After Gudakesh Motie went wicketless in Trinidad, Shamar may be in, leaving Jomel Warrican as the primary spinner.West Indies (Probable XI): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Jayden Seales, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shamar JosephSouth Africa were comfortable going into the first Test a bowler short but with the series on the line, they may have to sacrifice the length of their line-up to equip themselves with enough firepower to push a win. That could mean benching Ryan Rickelton and choosing between left-armer Nandre Burger or an extra spinner in Dane Piedt to give them a 6-5 split.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 David Bedingham, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder/Dane Piedt, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Nandre Burger

Pitch and Conditions: Tough outing for the batters?

With only two Tests played at this ground, and the last of those 13 years ago, there is scant data to go on for what to expect here, but the first-class numbers may tell us something. In 2023, it hosted three red-ball matches and the average first-innings score of 206, which suggests that batters are in for another tough outing. The venue seems to offer enough for both seam and spin with quicks taking 67 wickets in 2023 at 20.20 and an economy of 3.35 and spinners 49 wickets at 21.20 with an economy rate of 2.55.There are some afternoon thunderstorms forecast throughout the match, but the outlook is mostly sunny and dry. The players may need a few extra drinks breaks, though as temperatures will hover in the upper-30 degrees range but with humidity above 90%, so the real feel will be closer to 40 degrees.

Stats and Trivia:

• There have only been two Test matches played at Providence before and West Indies have a 1-1 record. They lost to Sri Lanka by 121 runs in 2008 and beat Pakistan by 40 runs in 2011.
• Aiden Markram had never been part of a drawn Test before the Trinidad match. He was part of a 37-game streak in which games have either been won or lost by South Africa.
• Kagiso Rabada needs five wickets to get to 300 in Tests. If he gets there in this Test, he could be the fastest South African to reach the landmark by number of balls. Rabada has bowled 11,596 balls in Tests so far. Dale Steyn, the quickest South African to 300 wickets by number of matches, got there in 12,605 balls. That gives Rabada 168.1 overs to get to 300 quicker than Steyn.
• In 15 home Tests between 2018 and 2021, Jason Holder took 64 wickets at an ave of 16.4. Since 2022, in six home Tests, he has seven wickets at 58.85.

Quotes

“On the previous game, there was obviously a little bit of frustration. We felt that with a little bit more time, a result could have been possible. Games ending as draws are few and far between and it wasn’t the case of both teams playing super well over five days. I’m yet to be in that situation. It would be nice to be involved in a test where both teams play at their best and at the end of the day, you can’t get a winner. Test cricket has become attacking. That’s an obvious thing because of T20 cricket. But in these conditions, I think it can be a bit tough to be overly attacking in slow wickets.”
“Batting-wise, in the first innings we could’ve put more runs on the board. I think that’s a big focus of ours and bowling-wise, the pitch didn’t offer much, especially the fast bowlers. They [the bowlers] didn’t get much spin in the first innings as well, but we were quite disciplined.”

Travis Head produced a brutal display of hitting, scoring the most individual runs in a powerplay and hitting a record-equalling 17-ball fifty, as Australia raced to a seven-wicket victory with more than 10 overs to spare in the first T20I in Edinburgh after the bowlers had pulled back a bright start from Scotland.The home side came out of the blocks with good intent, led by George Munsey, and were promisingly placed despite shipping wickets in their attempt to keep up a high early run rate. However, from 101 for 3 in the 12th over they lost 6 for 44 with the changes of pace from Australia’s quicks proving effective on a slightly two-paced surface alongside two wickets from Adam Zampa.Any notion that 154 may be close to competitive was put to bed in an extraordinary display of powerplay hitting by Head and Mitchell Marsh after Jake Fraser-McGurk had fallen for a duck on his T20I debut. At one stage 14 consecutive deliveries were boundaries as Australia finished with the second-highest powerplay total in T20Is of 113 for 1 of which Head had 73 himself, beating Paul Stirling’s 67 runs against West Indies in 2020.

Head’s onslaught (and some Marsh)

Given how much he has been spoken about this year, it was easy to forget that Fraser-McGurk was making his T20I debut. But he couldn’t leave a mark on his first innings as he faced up to the somewhat unexpected sight of Brandon McMullen’s medium pace with the new ball. Looking to pull his third delivery, he miscued into midwicket where Charlie Cassell took a superbly judged catch.But any thoughts of a wobble for Australia vanished in a cavalcade of boundaries. Head, who was player of the tournament in the MLC in July, took three fours of Brad Wheal’s first over and giving McMullen a second over didn’t pay off as it cost 20. But the real carnage was saved for Jack Jarvis in the fifth as he was taken for 30 with three sixes by Marsh. Scotland’s bowlers had no response with multiple deliveries going into the trees.Off the first ball of the sixth over, Head went to a 17-ball fifty to equal Marcus Stoinis’ record as the fastest for Australia in T20Is during the run of 14 consecutive deliveries being either a four or six.

Munsey’s powerplay promise

The early peppering of the boundary had come from Scotland opener George Munsey as he produced repeated whip-pulls over the leg side to ensure Australia were under some pressure with the ball in the powerplay as McMullen also played his part.In the fifth over Munsey sent consecutive deliveries from Riley Meredith, playing his first T20I since 2021, for six and followed that with another boundary as 18 came off it. Munsey brought up Scotland’s fifty in the next over, but then fell to an excellent catch by Josh Inglis who dived to his left to collect a thick outside edge.Adam Zampa picked up a couple of wickets•AFP/Getty Images

Scotland’s fade

Scotland’s progress was further dented when McMullen was taken at deep cover shortly after the fielding restrictions ended. There were signs of captain Richie Berrington starting to get settled but his dismissal, caught at long-off against Zampa, proved a turning point in the innings. From there Scotland struggled to regain any momentum. Consecutive overs from Stoinis and Cameron Green went for just four apiece as the combined four overs from the two allrounders cost only 22 runs.Meredith, Xavier Bartlett and Sean Abbott closed out the innings strongly with only a brace of handsome sixes by Jack Jarvis and Mark Watt offering much in response.

Watt’s long ball

While most attention in the chase had been on Head, Marsh helped himself to 39 off 11 balls before falling to Watt’s first delivery with the left-arm spinner held back to outside the fielding restrictions when perhaps he could have been used earlier.By that stage the result was inevitable, but there were a couple of interesting moments as Australia knocked off the remaining runs with Watt’s long ball – delivered from well back from the bowling crease – twice seeing batters pull away very late. The first occasion was Inglis’ opening delivery and the ball took the leg bail then it happened again when Stoinis was on strike. By the wording of the Law (20.4.2.5) the umpire was correct both times, but it could well provide a talking point in the next two matches when Scotland will hope to be more competitive.

Will Rhodes struck his third century of the season to steer Warwickshire to safety in their hard-fought Vitality County Championship draw with local rivals Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.The result leaves Worcestershire and Warwickshire 40 and 36 points respectively ahead of second-from-bottom Lancashire and both are strongly placed to ensure another campaign of top-flight cricket.Former Warwickshire captain Rhodes is ending a seven-season association with the Bears at the end of the campaign to join Durham on a three-year contract.He showed his quality in defying the home side’s push for victory after Warwickshire had followed on and were still eight runs in arrears with three second wickets down at the start of the final day.Rhodes cover drove Logan van Beek for his 15th four to reach three figures off 198 balls.When a heavy downpour post lunch ended play, the 29-year-old was unbeaten on 121 and needing just 46 more runs to complete 1,000 in a first-class season for the first time.Rhodes was given excellent support by 18-year-old Hamza Shaikh (33 not out) in only his second Championship match.Shaikh clearly enjoys batting at New Road as last month he scored 91 for England Lions against Sri Lanka in the tourists’ only warm-up match before the Test series against England.He helped Rhodes add an unbroken 83 as Warwickshire went through the play possible on the fourth day without losing a wicket.But Worcestershire can reflect on plenty of positives after defying their lengthiest injury list in living memory in virtually guaranteeing another season of Division One cricket after last summer’s promotion.Away triumphs over Durham and Essex, after being firmly behind the eight-ball in both games, were evidence of their fighting spirit and belief.Warwickshire resumed on 171 for 3 after being asked to follow on, still eight runs in arrears, with Will Rhodes unbeaten on 72.Tom Taylor, who yesterday had achieved career best figures of 6 for 28, and Matthew Waite settled into a steady rhythm and beat the bat on several occasions.Rhodes leg glanced Taylor for four to steer Warwickshire into the lead and then on drove Waite to the boundary.There was no nervous 90s for Rhodes who straight drove and cut Waite to the ropes and brought up three figures off 198 balls with a cover drive for his 15th four off Logan van Beek.The fourth-wicket pair were relatively untroubled although the second new ball brought a moral victory for Taylor when Rhodes on 119 edged just short of Brookes at second slip.But Rhodes and Shaikh safely negotiated the morning session without being parted and added 75 runs in 31.4 overs.There was only time for six more runs to be added at the start of the afternoon session before the heavens opened and play was abandoned at 2.20pm.

Washington Sundar, who scored a century for Tamil Nadu in their ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Delhi, will join the India squad for the second and third Tests against New Zealand.The BCCI’s selectors have added Washington to India’s Test squad as its 16th member, without making any other changes.On Sunday, New Zealand completed an eight-wicket win in the first Test in Bengaluru, their first Test win in India since 1988. The second Test is scheduled to start in Pune on October 24, and the final Test in Mumbai on November 1.Related

• Pant and Gill likely to be fit to play Pune Test

• Washington Sundar: 'I consider myself a top-order batter'

Washington has been part of India’s white-ball squads in recent months, but has not played Test cricket since March 2021. He was, however, part of their squad as a replacement for the injured Ravindra Jadeja during the home Test series against England earlier this year, and is viewed as a long-term prospect as a spin-bowling allrounder.He has played four Test matches so far, all in the 2020-21 season, when Jadeja, their leading spin-bowling allrounder, was out injured. In those four Tests, Washington scored 265 runs, including three half-centuries, at an average of 66.25, and took six wickets with his offspin at 49.83. On debut, he played a key role in India’s famous win at the Gabba in January 2021, picking up three first-innings wickets and following it up with crucial lower-order innings of 62 and 22.At the end of the 2020-21 season, during which he also impressed in the 3-1 home-series win over England, India’s then head coach Ravi Shastri told ESPNcricinfo that Washington would be India’s “premier allrounder across all three formats” in the future, and advised him to work on his fitness – his career has been interrupted by numerous injury breaks – and to bat up the order in domestic cricket.In the Ranji match against Delhi, Washington batted at No. 3 and made 152, his second first-class century, in Tamil Nadu’s first innings. He said the team management had made the decision to promote him, and said he considers himself a top-order batter.Washington Sundar scored 62 from No. 7 in his debut Test innings•Getty Images

It is as yet unclear what role India have in mind for Washington in the Tests against New Zealand. They played three frontline spinners in Jadeja, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav in Bengaluru, with Axar Patel in reserve. Jadeja, Ashwin and Axar are all allrounders.It is possible Washington has been selected primarily as top-order cover rather than for his bowling. Going into the second Test, India have fitness concerns over their first-choice No. 3 Shubman Gill, who missed the Bengaluru Test with a stiff neck, and Rishabh Pant, who batted twice and scored 99 in the second innings but did not keep wickets for most of the match after taking a blow to his right knee.Pant had undergone surgeries in both his knees after the life-threatening car accident in December 2022, and Rohit explained that Pant had been kept away from keeping duties “just to be a little careful about where he is at and what he is to us”.

India squad for the second and third Tests against New Zealand

Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.

Jhulan Goswami, the former India and Bengal fast bowler, will have a stand named in her honour in the ‘B’ Block of Eden Gardens in Kolkata, following a proposal by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).A proposal to rename the ‘B’ Block in honour of the highest ODI wicket-taker in women’s cricket has been placed before the apex body of the CAB. It is expected to be unveiled during the India-England men’s T20I on January 22 next year.”I never imagined something like this would come to fruition. I would definitely love to watch a match from there,” Goswami said. “For any cricketer, the ultimate dream is to represent her district, state or country, but receiving an honour like this is truly monumental.”A dedicated stand is a huge, significant honour, and it’s only possible because of the CAB’s vision to promote women’s cricket. Words can’t do justice to this recognition.”Goswami finished her international career with 44 wickets in 12 Tests, a world-record 255 wickets in 204 ODIs, and recorded another 56 dismissals in 68 T20Is. With 355 wickets, she also has the record for the most wickets in women’s international cricket.Eden Gardens also has stands named after former India captain Sourav Ganguly, and former international cricketer Pankaj Roy. There are also stands named for two former BCCI presidents, Jagmohan Dalmiya and Biswanath Dutt.

Fakhar Zaman is “100% certain” he will play for Pakistan again and is gearing up for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19 and will be hosted in Pakistan and Dubai.”A 100%, I will play for Pakistan (again),” Fakhar, 34, told the . “Actually, many people do not know about that, but after the T20 World Cup I got sick and because of the medical condition I was not fit, so I was not a part of the team.”But now I [have] recovered 100%, and you will see me in the next white-ball series which Pakistan play.”Related

• Saim Ayub to travel to London for ankle fracture treatment

• Champions Trophy 2025: Dubai to host all India matches, including the knockouts if India qualify

• PCB issues Fakhar Zaman show-cause notice after post in support of Babar Azam

Fakhar, once an integral part of the Pakistan white-ball setup, has not played international cricket since the 2024 T20 World Cup last June in the USA and West Indies, where Pakistan were eliminated in the group stage. He last played an ODI in the 2023 ODI World Cup but is hopeful of returning for the Champions Trophy at home.Incidentally, it was in the 2017 Champions Trophy that Fakhar shot to prominence with a title-winning 114 against India in the final at The Oval in London. “My plan has been around the Champions Trophy,” he said. “I did not play in the Australia tour or in the South Africa tour, so my whole plan was just to play in the Champions Trophy, to make myself available and to be fully fit for the tournament.”That was in the back of my mind, and I am thankful, and I am lucky to be fit right now. I started from the Champions Trophy 2017 and that went really well for me and now I am very excited for the next edition also. I talked to the selectors, the head coach, and everyone wanted me to play in the Champions Trophy.”Fakhar Zaman is currently in the UAE for his maiden ILT20 stint•Associated Press

Fakhar had high praise for 22-year-old opener Saim Ayub, who has become a regular across formats for Pakistan. Ayub has had a sensational start to his ODI career, with three centuries and a fifty in nine innings, which includes hundreds in Australia and South Africa. However, an ankle fracture sustained during the first morning of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town has put his Champions Trophy campaign in jeopardy.”I hope and I believe that he will recover quickly, and I was thinking yesterday to call Saim just to talk to him about this injury,” Fakhar said. “Believe me, he is such a great player that if he continues to play for the next four to five years, he will be at the top and he will be amongst the top three players in the world.”While Fakhar wants to open the batting for Pakistan, he may not find a slot there, with Ayub, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan already at the top of the order.”In Pakistan, we have three of the best players in the world in Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub, so sometimes I feel lucky to be in the team even if I am not able to make my place in the team as an opener,” Fakhar said. “If the team has faith in me and they want me to bat at number four or five, that totally makes sense, because for me the team is always first and I play wherever the team wants me to play, but I always prefer to open.”Fakhar is currently gearing up for his maiden ILT20 stint where he will feature for the 2023 runners-up Desert Vipers. “There are many Pakistani players who have played for the Desert Vipers including Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Azam Khan and Mohammad Amir and they talk really highly about this team, the environment, the management, the way they play the cricket and the way their mindset is,” Fakhar said. “So when I got the offer, without any discussion with anyone, I said ‘yes, I would love to play for this team.'”The ILT20 begins on January 11, with the Dubai Capitals taking on MI Emirates in Dubai.

On a blustery Wellington day, an Antarctic chill blowing in with the southerly, New Zealand’s home advantage may have played a role in their victory. This is what Matt Henry thinks, after his 4 for 19 led the demolition of Sri Lanka’s batting order. Bowling first on a green pitch, New Zealand rolled Sri Lanka over for 178. And yet Sri Lanka’s seamers were unable to exert similar pressure, New Zealand winning by nine wickets, inside 27 overs.Though this is midsummer in New Zealand, the temperature was around 15 degrees Celsius in the morning. And as almost always at the Basin Reserve, there was an end at which the bowlers had to work against a substantial wind. New Zealand understood how to harness these conditions, Henry said.Related

• Henry, Young give New Zealand thumping win in series opener

“It’s probably about understanding ends,” he said. “The wind plays a huge part here at the Basin. That’s the home advantage – knowing what it looks like to attack from both ends, and using the bounce that’s usually available here as well. Thankfully we were able to force some errors and take some wickets.”The first ten overs, at the end of which New Zealand had Sri Lanka 23 for 4, were the definitive period of this match. Henry claimed the first wicket – that of Pathum Nissanka – and Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith also took wickets in their first spells.Jacob Duffy knocked over Kusal Mendis in the first powerplay•Getty Images

“The way we started with the ball, we were able to create pressure at both ends, and take wickets throughout, which is our key objective as a bowling group,” Henry said. “Any time you get the new ball you want to have an impact on the game. It’s nice to have that success, but you don’t have that without the guys doing the job at the other end as well. Starting with the new ball down-breeze, the way Duffy started and Smith as well – that’s how chances come as well. I thought it was a great team performance.”New Zealand also produced an outstanding fielding effort, with Mark Chapman in particular electric in the point region. The highlight of the fielding performance, however, was Mitchell Santner swooping on a ball from cover to fire in an underhand throw as he dived forward, to hit the single stump he had to aim at. This ran out Kamindu Mendis in the 10th over.”We pride ourselves on our fielding,” Henry said. “With these windy conditions, you can get lost out there. The engagement was brilliant, and we were taking our chances when they came. To have a run-out in the first 10 overs through Mitch Santner, with a great bit of fielding, it really puts a team under pressure and puts momentum in your favour. Little moments like that have a huge impact on the game.”Henry himself has entered a new phase in his career – one in which he makes all three New Zealand teams. For much of the last 10 years, he’d been in the shadows of the likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Neil Wagner. With all three now retired, Henry is the senior-most bowler around.”It’s great to have that continuity. Playing for New Zealand in all forms is something I’ve wanted to do. I’ve been involved with this group for 10 years now. I love playing for New Zealand.”And though playing all three formats could pose fresh challenges to a fast bowler’s body, Henry is unconcerned.”That’s the beauty of the strength and conditioning coach, who does a great job. We play all year round now, and it’s something that I’ve always done. I’ve played a lot of county cricket as well. It’s probably about understanding your body and how to stay fresh.”

Pakistan had to wait for nearly three decades for a global tournament to return to their country, but New Zealand spoiled their party on the opening day of the Champions Trophy, handing the co-hosts a 60-run loss in Karachi. In a short, sharp tournament, where each team plays just three group-stage games, a defeat like this might jeopardise Pakistan’s chances of making the semi-finals. Will Young and Tom Latham were the architects of their team’s victory, both batters scoring outstanding hundreds to set up the dominance that followed but there was also a little bit of luck.Two balls into the game, Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury while chasing a cover drive from Young and was forced off the field for large parts of the first innings. As result of the time spent off the field, Fakhar, whose big hitting is exactly what was necessary for a big chase, could not open the batting in their pursuit of 321. And when he came out to bat at No. 4 – Pakistan were 22 for 2 in ten overs at the time – he was visibly hampered while running between the wickets. New Zealand’s offspinners, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips, kept hiding the ball away from his reach and made life even more difficult for him. Fakhar’s tortured stay eventually ended when Bracewell bowled him with a non-turner for 24 off 41 balls.Just like Fakhar, most of the Pakistan batters failed to get out first gear, including Babar Azam who needed 81 balls for his fifty. New Zealand’s attack was depleted by the injuries to Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, but their spinners made up for that on a pitch that offered turn and variable bounce. The spinners were so good that New Zealand didn’t need Nathan Smith, their third seamer, until the 31st over. By then Pakistan’s asking rate had almost touched ten an over.New Zealand were also depleted by the injury-enforced absence of Rachin Ravindra, but Young and Latham scored tone-setting hundreds before Glenn Phillips provided an electric finish. In all, New Zealand plundered 113 off their last ten overs to finish with 320.That total, however, had looked so far away when New Zealand were reduced to 40 for 2 in the ninth over and then 73 for 3 in the 17th over. That’s when Young got together with Latham to repair the early damage and then boss the middle overs.Young has spent much of his international career on the fringes. He might not have played this game had Ravindra been fit and despite his maiden international hundred away from home, he might make way for Ravindra once the allrounder recovers. In Kane Williamson’s absence, Young had emerged as the Player of the Series in New Zealand’s historic 3-0 sweep of India in India but was left out for Williamson in New Zealand’s very next Test against England at home. However, whenever Young gets an opportunity, he’s ready to take it, like he demonstrated once again on Wednesday.After Devon Conway was undone by a carrom ball from mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for 10 and Williamson fell for his first single-digit ODI score in six years, in the next over, Young reined himself in and saw off challenging spells from Abrar and Naseem Shah.Tom Latham and Will Young paced their centuries perfectly•Associated Press

Young brought up his third fifty-plus score in nine innings in Pakistan and converted it into a century. He got there in 107 balls in the 35th over, with Ravindra warmly applauding him from the dressing room.As for Latham, he rattled off his own hundred off 95 balls and remained unbeaten on 118 off 104 balls. It capped a remarkable turnaround for him after he had come into the tri-series final on the back of three ducks, stretching back to the Auckland ODI against Sri Lanka in January. After being assisted by multiple reprieves on his way to 56 in the tri-series final against Pakistan, Latham reminded the world of his full range. He played a variety of sweeps, including the reverse, off a variety of lengths to disrupt Pakistan’s spinners. Fifty-two of his 118 runs came square or behind square on the leg side.After Young holed out for 107, Latham forged 125-run partnership with Phillips for the fifth wicket off just 74 balls. Having been on 10 off 18 balls, Phillips surged to his fifty off his next 16 balls. He had launched Shaheen for back-to-back sixes and then when he shaped to ramp Haris Rauf over short third, he ended up toe-ending it to the fielder for 61 off 39.Phillips wasn’t done though. He produced the play of the day when he leapt to his left from point, stuck out one hand above his head and held onto a screamer to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan for 3 off 14 balls on the last ball of the first powerplay. Will O’Rourke had already dismissed Saud Shakeel, the makeshift opener in place of Fakhar, for 6 in the fourth over. Matt Henry, who had missed the tri-series final with a knee niggle, also kept it tight in the first powerplay, which yielded Pakistan only 22 for 2.It was Pakistan’s lowest score in the first ten overs since March 2019 and third lowest in the history of the Champions Trophy. There would be no way back for them, despite late blows from Khushdil Shah, who hit 69 off 49 balls, and the lower order. Pakistan were ultimately bowled out for 260 in the 48th over.In his first match at a global event as New Zealand captain, Santner came away with three wickets though he took some tap at the end. For the third time in a space of two weeks, New Zealand put Pakistan away with ruthless efficiency and embellished their status as title contenders.