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Chris Gayle sent out a stern warning to the rest of the playing field with a blazing unbeaten 92 that flattened the already demoralised Chittagong Vikings in Mirpur on Wednesday

The report by Mohammad Isam in Mirpur09-Dec-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Gayle smashed four successive sixes of Jeevan Mendis as Barisal won in a canter•BCB

Chris Gayle sent out a stern warning to the rest of the playing field with a blazing unbeaten 92 that flattened the already demoralised Chittagong Vikings. The eight-wicket win consolidated Barisal’s position in the top half of the BPL standings as they moved to 12 points.Gayle struck nine sixes and six fours in his unbeaten 47-ball knock. But the big hitting was triggered by Mehedi Maruf, who slammed Bilawal Bhatti, before the Jamaican took over by slamming Maruf for 18 in the fifth over of the innings. There was more carnage as Gayle slammed Asif Ahmed for 19 courtesy three fours and a straight six.The six-hitting spree didn’t stop there as Naeem Islam and Tillakaratne Dilshan also came under fire, as Gayle brought up his 53rd T20 half-century in just the 13th over to put Barisal in cruise control mode. From there on, it was simply one-way traffic. With 21 needed to win, Gayle struck Jeevan Mendis for four sixes over long-on to end the game within the bat of an eyelid.However, there was controversy in the first over of the Barisal chase when Dilshan bumped into Rony Talukdar, who was trying to take a quick single. The collision meant Talukdar was well short of the crease when Dilshan picked up the ball and threw it to the wicketkeeper Anamul Haque, who removed the bails instantly. Both Talukdar and Gayle discussed the matter with the umpires but ultimately it was given adjudged run out.Earlier in the day, there wasn’t much drama, but there was inconsistency that has hampered Chittagong time and again this season. Their makeshift captain Dilshan had a new opening partner in Anamul for the first time in the tournament after Tamim Iqbal pulled out due to a groin niggle. They put on 52 for the first wicket before Dilshan fell. His 22-ball 28 was courtesy ith two fours and two sixes, which he hit in the same Al-Amin Hossain over.Anamul also struck two fours before Sohag Gazi, playing in his first BPL match this season, had him bowled. The offspinner finished a fine four-over spell in which he conceded only 17 runs.Kevon Cooper had Yasir Ali caught at point in the tenth over before Mendis got into a tangle trying to play a reverse-sweep and was given out. Mohammad Sami then got into the act, first dismissing Umar Akmal after being hit for a six, and then Asif Ahmed in the last over. On both occasions, the batsmen had just changed their bat before the delivery. As far as these performances were handy in restricting the final total, none of it could match the might of Gayle on the night.

The Queensland quick is the current leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield

AAP14-Nov-2021Queensland skipper Usman Khawaja has likened team-mate Mark Steketee to South Africa great Dale Steyn, labelling the quick’s current form as career-best.Steketee is among a host of fast bowlers fighting for advantage in the pecking order behind Australia’s Test trio Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.Although Queensland went down in the Sheffield Shield to Western Australia by seven wickets on Saturday at the Gabba, Steketee again performed strongly with 4 for 74 and 2 for 21.The 27-year-old, who picked up career-best figures of 7 for 44 against South Australia last month, tops the Shield wicket-taker list this season with 18 at 15.72.Related

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“[He] has been around the Aussie thinking [and] the next fast bowling crop for a while now,” Khawaja told reporters. “This year, the way he’s been bowling is as good as I’ve seen him bowl. He’s got gears too, you can tell he’s experienced now. He can read the conditions.”When he was younger he just used to try and bowl 100 percent. He’s got the skills and the gears now to take it back a bit and then ramp it up, much like Dale Steyn used to and learnt throughout his career.”Australia is expected to soon name an extended Ashes squad, with an intrasquad practice game early next month looming as a key shootout ahead of the first Test against England on December 8.Steketee, Queensland team-mate Michael Neser, experienced Victorian Scott Boland, WA quick Jhye Richardson and New South Wales allrounder Sean Abbott are among the next crop of quicks.Richardson, who has two Tests to his name, starred against the Bulls with 3 for 38 and 5 for 23 and hit a valuable 35 with the bat. Neser picked up a hamstring injury in his side’s loss but is expected to be fit by the start of the Ashes. National selectors could opt for a rotation policy with the five-Test series being squeezed into six weeks.Khawaja, himself in top touch with the bat and pushing for a return to the Test side, indicated Steketee should be at the top of the pack.”He’s bowling beautifully right now. He’s been the pick of our bowlers all season,” he said. “The bounce and the kiss he’s getting off the wicket, we feel in the game every ball.”

Neil Wagner removed Steven Smith again but Australia were miles ahead in the game

Report by Andrew McGlashan28-Dec-2019
Pat Cummins put further daylight between him and next-most prolific bowlers of 2019 with another display of supreme pace bowling as he claimed 5 for 28 to help dismantle New Zealand on the third day at the MCG. James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc shared the other five as Australia took a huge 319-run before opting to extend that rather than enforce the follow-onCummins was on a hat-trick at the start of his second over of the day when he removed Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls and Pattinson’s first blow left New Zealand 5 for 58 with the only question being how huge the deficit would be. In the end they were bundled out for 148, the first time they had been dismissed for under 200 since 2012*. Only Tom Latham, who faced 144 balls, passed 20 with a half-century of significant guts and determination but the rest of the New Zealand batting could not withstand the pace and consistency on display as their hopes of at least keeping series into Sydney all but vanished. To compound their woes, Trent Boult was ruled out of the final Test after suffered a fractured hand when hit by Starc while batting.The rest of the day was a curious display from Australia who steadily increased their lead without showing much intent. There was a moment of huge personal satisfaction for Neil Wagner who claimed his 200th Test wicket – the second-fastest New Zealander to the mark behind Richard Hadlee – by removing Steven Smith for the fourth time in four innings when Smith helped a short ball off his hip to backward square leg. It will not make a difference to the result, but it’s a tale Wagner will be able to tell for years to come.New Zealand’s ambitions at the start of the day rested on Latham and Taylor but that lasted just 12 balls as technique and ticker was tested with every delivery. The first ball of Cummins’ second over drew Taylor into a flat-footed drive with the thick edge flying quickly to Marnus Labuschagne at third slip where it was parried into the air and settled comfortably for Joe Burns at first. Next ball, Cummins came around the wicket to Nicholls and pinned the left-hander lbw with the review from Nicholls showing it would have hit the top of leg stump.With the roar of the MCG crowd behind him, Cummins ran in for his hat-trick ball but BJ Watling was able to keep it out. However, having managed to get onto the front foot a couple of times, Watling was not able to survive much longer when Pattinson, who was equally impressive on home soil, produced a beauty that bounced from short of a length and took the shoulder of the bat to first slip.The bleeding was momentarily stopped by Latham and Colin de Grandhomme – helped by a surprising over for Matthew Wade which cost 13, four more than Cummins conceded in his initial five-over spell – as Latham continued to show great composure in the face of the onslaught. de Grandhomme was less convincing and it was not a huge surprise when he fended an edge to gully off Starc.Two balls later Starc, and the rest of the Australians, became convinced they had another when Mitchell Santner fended a bouncer to leg gully. It was given not out on the field by Marais Erasmus and Tim Paine reviewed. As more replays came through the Australians become more sure, and with good reason, that it had brushed the wrist band before coming off the arm guard but eventually third umpire Aleem Dar said there wasn’t conclusive evidence to overturn. Paine was far from impressed and had a lengthy discussion with Erasmus.It did not have much of a material impact on the proceedings as Santner managed 3 off 32 balls as he was peppered by the short ball, a working over which ended when he edged a full delivery from Pattinson. By then Cummins had halted Latham’s dogged display when the opener’s concentration lapsed for a moment, chasing a ball with some width, and he completed his five wicket haul when Tim Southee provided Paine with his fifth catch.There was some merriment in the final-wicket stand as Wagner stood up to the short ball and Boult showed various techniques not in the coaching manual, but there was a heavy price to pay for Boult before he was bowled by a Starc yorker.After just 55 overs, New Zealand’s seamers were asked to strap on the bowling boots again. Australia were not too fussed about pressing the accelerator which led to soporific period either side of tea although whenever Wagner had the ball it was good viewing. David Warner tried to get a move on but slapped a short ball from Wagner to cover, Labuschagne was run out from short fine leg and, after briefly opening his shoulders with crisp straight six off Southee, Burns edged behind off Santner.Wagner was immediately brought back to bowl at Smith and all it took was four balls. Admittedly Smith had indicated that he was looking to press on, but there was a look of anguish and disappointment when he found the fielder. Teams around the world will have taken note, but whether they can pull it off as effectively as Wagner remains to be seen. That head-to-head battle has gone New Zealand’s way, but the team one is emphatically with Australia.*December 29: The statistic about consecutive innings under 200 was corrected

Cricket Australia informs CSA that it had been left with no choice but to reschedule the tour

Firdose Moonda and Andrew McGlashan02-Feb-2021Australia’s three-Test tour of South Africa, scheduled to start in March, has been postponed, with Cricket Australia informing Cricket South Africa that the Covid-19 situation in South Africa has left it with “no choice” but to reschedule the travel plans.”Due to the public-health situation in South Africa, which includes a second wave and new variant of the virus, and following extensive due diligence with medical experts, it has become clear that traveling from Australia to South Africa at this current time poses an unacceptable level of health and safety risk to our players, support staff and the community,” Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s interim CEO, said.Former chairman of CSA’s interim board, Judge Zak Yacoob, had said on January 21 that the tour was likely to be rubber-stamped in late January, even though he had warned that the ever-changing situation with the pandemic could result in a rethink. At the time, South Africa was experiencing over 10,000 positive cases every day, with a peak of 21,980 on January 8. Numbers have since dropped to an average of 5000 per day, but with Variant 501.Y.V2 now rampant, and possibly spreading more easily than Covid-19, even CSA’s best efforts were not enough to persuade Australia to tour.Related

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“We acknowledge the significant amount of work by CSA in planning for the tour, during which we made it clear that CA was prepared to take on additional cost and effort to make the series happen,” Hockley said. “This decision has not been made lightly and we are extremely disappointed, especially given the importance of continuing international cricket at this time, our valued relationship with CSA, and our aspirations to compete in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (final).”However, we have been consistent since the start of the pandemic that the health and safety of our people is always our number one priority and unfortunately despite best efforts to agree a bio-security plan, the risks are simply too great at this time. As difficult and disappointing a decision as this is, especially for Justin [Langer, the Australia head coach], Tim [Paine, their captain] and the team, we have a duty of care to our people and their health and safety can’t be compromised.”Australia had toured England in August-September last year for a set of ODIs and T20Is, when the Covid-19 numbers in England were low, before some of their players went to the UAE to take part in the IPL.Restrictions in South Africa had eased as of Tuesday morning. While the country remained at Level 3 of its lockdown (with Level 5 being the strictest), public parks and beaches were open, and the curfew had been eased – from 11pm to 4am as opposed to 9pm to 5am as was the case through January. Social gatherings, including spectators at sports stadiums, continue to be prohibited and the president, Cyril Ramaphosa, warned that the level of transmission remained relatively high.It was through these rising infections that South Africa hosted Sri Lanka over the festive season, when the lockdown tightened during the Boxing Day Test. The two teams were housed at the Irene Country Club in Centurion and the tour took place without incident. CSA were planning on using the same venue for the Australia series.Matches were slated to be played at SuperSport Park and the Wanderers, with the Test series due to start on March 3 and finish on March 25. The country club is considered a “lifestyle” hotel, with access to a dam, driving range and various outdoor activities. ESPNcricinfo understands that Cricket Australia was also in talks to build an additional makeshift gymnasium on the property and both CSA and the country club were doing all they could to accommodate the touring party’s requests.The rescheduling of this series is a major financial blow to CSA, which has already lost money after England pulled out of their white-ball tour in November, with the ODI series yet to be played. Concerns over the integrity of the bio-secure environment in Cape Town, where the England series took place, arose after three South African players and two hotel staff tested positive for Covid-19. Two members of the England camp also returned positive tests that were later clarified as false positives, by which time England had opted to return home. CSA had to forego US$ 1.5 million in television rights as a result. The Australia series will result in losses to the tune of Rand 30 million (US$ 2 million) to Rand 40 million (US$ 2.6 million), further adding to CSA’s woes. Their forecast losses for the current four-year cycle hover between Rand 654 million and Rand 1 billion (US$ 43.7 million and US$ 66.9 million).The Tests were also an opportunity for both Australia and South Africa to make gains on the World Test Championship table, with Australia aiming to finish in the top three and challenge for a place in the final and South Africa hoping to settle on a new Test captain and move into the top half. “While disappointing for both playing groups and cricket lovers all over the world, this is a prudent decision considering the prevalence and virulence of the Covid-19 strain in South Africa,” Joe Connellan, Australian Cricketers’ Association interim CEO, said.Connellan said the player body would work with CA and CSA in “exploring new options for this series to be rescheduled”.

Milinda Siriwardana’s unbeaten 105 from 149 deliveries was the highlight of the third and final day of the West Indians’ drawn warm-up encounter against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Oct-2015Milinda Siriwardana’s unbeaten 105 from 149 deliveries was the highlight of the third and final day of the West Indians’ warm-up encounter at the SSC. Siriwardana is in line for a Test debut on Wednesday, when the first Test begins at Galle. Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI finished their first innings on 455 for 6, at which time the match was called off.The practice outing was a difficult one for the West Indians, who had earlier been bowled out for 209 in their first innings. They did, however, have tougher conditions to bat in. The pitch had slowed down and flattened out by the second day, when the President’s XI began their innings.A debut was always likely for Siriwardana, as the selectors had chosen only eight batsmen for the Test squad. This performance makes it almost a certainty. He hit 18 fours in his innings, and was involved in a 68-run stand with overnight centurion Udara Jayasundera and a 93-run stand with Angelo Jayasinghe.The West Indian bowlers gave away 222 runs and took three wickets in the 48.2 overs that were bowled in the day. Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel and Marlon Samuels claimed one apiece. Perhaps of concern to the visitors may be their spinners’ inability to return good figures on a track that Presidents’ XI offspinner Suraj Randiv had taken a five-wicket haul on – particularly as spin is always expected to feature at Galle.As this practice game had been postponed by a day, the West Indians only have two clear days in which to recover and prepare for the Galle Test.

Southampton treat paves the way for another enthralling contest as second Test begins at Old Trafford

The Preview by Valkerie Baynes15-Jul-2020

Big picture

What a comeback that was for Test cricket. After the world was plunged into chaos and uncertainty became the only certainty, we wondered if it would even happen this summer. But it did happen – and how! So the first Test wasn’t the hands-to-head-in-disbelief nail-biter of last year’s Ashes contest at Headingley, although in fairness, not many are. No, England vs West Indies at the Ageas Bowl was a slow-burner with myriad storylines woven together to create a classic.The Jason Holder v Ben Stokes contest, Shannon Gabriel’s transformation from recovering reserve to nine-wicket contributor to West Indies’ victory, Jofra Archer’s fiery return to Test cricket after injury and Jermaine Blackwood’s fulfilled promise (on the second attempt) to change his ways and bat long leading to a crucial innings, all combined to make the first international cricket match in nearly four months entirely gripping. Now turning to Emirates Old Trafford, West Indies are a big step closer to securing their first Test series victory in England since 1988.Just be careful how you describe the significance of West Indies’ position to Holder, their captain, who took issue in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday with one journalist using the word “unbelievable” when asking about the prospect of breaking a 32-year drought. There is, understandably a reluctance within the West Indies camp to focus too much on history, with Holder and head coach Phil Simmons acknowledging that there is plenty of work to do. However, Simmons put the situation in context when he said: “You don’t want to have to chase England in England. So the chasing is from their point of view now.”So the focus turns to England and the big (though not unexpected) news that Joe Denly has been dropped. He makes way for Joe Root, who returns from paternity leave to resume the captaincy from stand-in Stokes and the No. 4 spot in the order from Denly, who made his Test debut during West Indies 2-1 series triumph in the Caribbean 18 months ago. Unconvincing returns since then and young Kent team-mate Zak Crawley’s impressive second-innings 76 batting at No. 3 in Southampton made Denly’s position untenable.Gabriel’s five-wicket haul in England’s second innings, which came after he had been elevated to the Test squad having travelled as a reserve following ankle surgery, was instrumental in West Indies’ success. So too was Blackwood’s ability – after a failing in the first innings – to suppress his aggressive instincts as a batsman and guide his side a long way to their second-innings target of 200 for victory with a considered 95. But the fact that England’s batsmen only managed 204 in the first innings – when Holder took a career-best 6 for 42, went a long way to ensuring the hosts’ undoing.Jason Holder on the eve of the second Test•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)England LWWWL
West Indies WWLLL

In the spotlight

With England’s batting falling short, the next man under scrutiny will be Jos Buttler. With selectors having finally dropped Denly – many would argue not before time – it can also be said that Buttler has been given ample opportunity to make an impact with the bat. Buttler clearly has the faith of the England hierarchy, with Root on the eve of the second Test expressing confidence he is not far away from transferring his limited-overs prowess to the longer format. Root drew on Buttler’s first-innings 35 off 47 balls, but his second-innings 9 and the fact that he averages 31.46 with a solitary century from 42 Tests has raised questions over whether he should be regarded as a white-ball specialist. With every innings that falls short of expectation, and England not short of wicketkeeping talent, the pressure mounts on Buttler.Similar to England, it is West Indies’ batting that has found to be more wanting than the bowling. Shai Hope travelled to England in the spotlight after his twin centuries at Headingley in 2017 and the gaze has only intensified given that they remain his only Test hundreds. Scores of 16 and 9 in Southampton mean the eyes on him are now glaring. Like Root with Buttler, however, Holder has said he believes a big score is imminent for Hope. Joshua Da Silva thrust his name forward during West Indies’ intra-squad warm-up matches but he remained on the sidelines for the first Test. Without weight of runs – Hope has managed just two fifties from his last 34 innings – he is in need of a big knock.ALSO READ: Why Hope’s Headingley opus may not sustain him much longer

Team news

In a dramatic turn of events, Jofra Archer has been dropped from the team following a breach of the ECB’s bio-secure protocols, and while he goes into self-isolation for five days, the state of England’s bowling stocks is suddenly in a bit of flux. Archer had produced a jaw-dropping seven-over spell of pace and bounce on the final day in Southampton and had been set to retain his place with both Mark Wood and James Anderson being rested. That situation is unlikely to change, so with Stuart Broad raring to go after being left out at the Ageas Bowl, England may need to choose two from Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson – who earned his first call-up to the senior squad – and left-arm seamer Sam Curran. While there’s no like-for-like replacement among that trio, Robinson’s performance in the warm-ups suggest his time may have come, although Curran’s recall would add welcome depth to the batting.England (possible): 1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Zak Crawley, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Dom Bess, 10 Sam Curran/Ollie Robinson, 11 Stuart BroadJohn Campbell has pulled up a little sore but “as well as we would like”, according to Holder, after suffering a bruised, as opposed to broken, toe when he was struck by a yorker from Archer and retired hurt in West Indies’ second innings at the Ageas Bowl. Campbell did return after Blackwood’s place-sealing innings and hit the winnings runs. Both are in line to play. Kemar Roach looked distraught at one point after going wicketless for the match but his fortitude in the second innings – he did not leak runs and kept the pressure on – means he has little to worry about. In fact, with cloudy conditions forecast for Manchester, Roach could be the tourists’ go-to bowler for this match. Depending on the pitch, there may be a temptation to bring in offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall.West Indies (possible): 1 John Campbell, 2 Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Shamarh Brooks, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

With overcast conditions forecast for the first two days, followed by rain on Saturday and then some sunshine breaking through, there could be plenty of fun to be had for the seamers. The pitch has been covered for the past two days due to the rain, but Root managed to take a peek on Tuesday and said: “It was a nice brownish colour, it looked a good wicket. I’m expecting it to be just that.”The Old Trafford pitch looked a fair bit quicker than the Ageas Bowl in the warm-ups and you would expect it to produce more runs. The fact that it’s been under cover for a good amount of time could present another tough decision at the toss. It may feel a little chilly, with temperatures in the high teens or low 20s expected but, having spent the best part of a month based at the ground before re-locating to Southampton for the first Test, the touring team will be fairly accustomed to Manchester climes. For the England side, well, that’s just summer, isn’t it?

Stats and trivia

• Joe Root’s average at Old Trafford is 85.00, his best among home venues where he has played more than one Test.
• England have a 9-1 win-loss record at Old Trafford in the last 12 Tests, their only loss was against Australia last summer.
• In the last five Tests in Manchester, going back to 2013, seamers have averaged 28.44 (121 wickets) to 43.44 by spinners (36 wickets).
• After going past 100 Test wickets in West Indies’ last home Test, against India in Jamaica last summer, Jason Holder needs 83 runs to reach 2000 in Test cricket and become only the third West Indies player behind Sir Garfield Sobers and Carl Hooper to achieve the feat.
• Kemar Roach needs seven more wickets to become the first West Indian fast bowler since Curtly Ambrose to reach 200 in Tests.

Quotes

“It’s a matter of time before we see some of those special innings that we’ve seen in white-ball cricket, his performances in that arena, transfer across.”

Joe Root has faith in Jos Buttler.“I don’t like the word you use in terms of ‘unbelievable’ but if that’s the word you choose to use, then fair enough.”
Jason Holder takes umbrage at an assessment of his side being on the verge of a first series victory in England for 32 years.

Mandhana overtook Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning while Amy Satterthwaite displaced Mithali Raj from fourth place

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2019India opener Smriti Mandhana has topped the ICC’s women’s ODI rankings for batsmen after scoring 196 runs in three ODIs against New Zealand women recently. Mandhana moved up three places and displaced Ellyse Perry from the top, who is now second, followed by her team-mate and captain Meg Lanning. New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite jumped up 10 spots to be ranked fourth, followed by India ODI captain Mithali Raj, who was earlier in fourth place.Mandhana struck her fourth ODI century in Napier before scoring an unbeaten 90 in Mount Maunganui when India won the ODI series 2-1 as part of the ICC Women’s Championship. It extended Mandhana’s stellar run in ODIs which has seen her as the highest run-scorer since the beginning of 2018. In 15 innings during these 13 months, she has scored 865 runs with two centuries and eight half-centuries at an average of 72.08 and strike rate of 93.11. She has relied heavily on boundaries in this time, scoring 57% of her total runs with 102 fours and 14 sixes – both also the highest during the above time frame.Mandhana had also been named the ODI Player of the Year when the ICC announced its awards for 2018 recently. In June last year, she was named the best international cricketer among Indian women when the BCCI announced its awards for 2017-18.Satterthwaite struck four half-centuries in this time, two of those against India recently. Allrounder Suzie Bates, who stepped down from captaincy for Satterthwaite to take over, rose up a spot to sixth place after an unbeaten half-century against India in Hamilton. Jemimah Rodrigues, who has played only seven ODIs, broke into the top 100 by climbing 64 places to reach 61st spot after an unbeaten 81 in the first ODI.Among the bowlers, Jhulan Goswami went up one place to No. 4 and spinners Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma broke into the top 10 to reach eighth and ninth places respectively after jumping five places each. Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht reached No. 13 after going up nine spots.

The 18-year-old opener, who became youngest India player to make a century on Test debut, dedicated his 154-ball 134 to his father

Alagappan Muthu in Rajkot04-Oct-20181:26

‘Was trying to dominate the bowlers’ – Prithvi Shaw

Prithvi Shaw has been a part of India’s roster ever since the fourth Test in England at the end of August, and although he felt he was “ready to play” even then, the opportunity didn’t quite come. It took until the home series against West Indies for him to make the step up to international cricket and he made it count, scoring 134 runs off only 154 balls.”It’s up to the coach and Virat [Kohli] to decide on when to play me. But I was ready for the England series as well,” Shaw said, at the end of the day’s play. “So I would have tried my best to perform well. Here I got an opportunity and I am happy about it.”There were “nerves at the start”, but after spending “10-15 overs” in the middle, he felt set and from there on it was about following both the team’s advice and that of the man he dedicated his innings to, his father.”My dad doesn’t know that much about cricket, but he has watched so many years of it,” Shaw said. “He was like just go there and play how you play in your first-class games, just go and enjoy your debut. No pressure at all.”Shaw has had a terrific 2018 so far. It began with him going to New Zealand as captain of India’s Under-19 team and winning the World Cup. An IPL debut followed and now, after becoming the youngest India player to make a century on Test debut, he has staked a claim to be one of the team’s first-choice openers.”It’s been a really good year, but I’m not thinking of it like that. I’m just taking it match by match. It wasn’t a case of me thinking about international cricket after winning the World Cup. Whatever games came my way, I tried to give my best, do whatever I could to win matches for the team, be it at the Ranji Trophy level, India A, IPL, this was always on my mind.”I want to dedicate this hundred to my dad, he has made a lot of sacrifices for me, he is still doing it. He has been very helpful throughout my journey. He has always been there, whenever I have been nervous or have gotten out early. I can’t list it out all but he has done a lot.”Throughout the innings, Shaw showed great composure, and he put that down to how his team-mates have made him feel at home in a new environment. “It was nice sharing the dressing room with so many seniors who have already played 5-10 years of international cricket. They got the experience, they used to share with me. Because of all these things everyone is like my friend in the team. We enjoy off the field, on the field we are together, [it] feels great.”They made me very comfortable, it was not like a senior-junior [thing]. Ravi [Shastri] sir and Virat always told, ‘there is no senior or junior in the team. If you are playing for India, you are among us.’ That made me really confident and a bit out of pressure.”It took him a while to feel like that out on the field on Thursday, but once he felt he had the measure of the West Indies bowlers, there was only one thing he wanted to do.”Obviously I was nervous, this was my Test debut. But after ten overs, I was hitting the ball well and I was getting the boundaries. I got the confidence and I didn’t feel the pressure. I wanted to dominate them as much as I could. I like dominating the bowlers and I was trying that. I was waiting for the loose balls and they bowled many boundary balls. So I was trying to balance it out between playing the ball on its merit and attacking the loose balls.”

PCB chairman’s statement comes at the closing ceremony ahead of the PSL 2019 final at Karachi’s National Stadium

Umar Farooq in Karachi17-Mar-2019All matches of the next edition of the PSL could be held in Pakistan, and not around UAE, with PCB chairman Ehsan Mani saying at the closing ceremony ahead of the PSL 2019 final at Karachi’s National Stadium, “Next year we look forward to welcome you back with all the PSL matches in Pakistan.””Today for Pakistan, especially for Karachi, it’s a historic day. Since PSL is in Karachi, over 200,000 spectators witness the games at the stadium and millions witnessed on TV and digital platform,” Mani said at the National Stadium, where over 30,000 spectators are attending the final of PSL 2019, between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi.”We should always remember that cricket is the one game that brings happiness and light in life and this lesson shouldn’t be forgotten.ALSO READ: Before and after Lahore 2009 – Pakistan’s cricket in numbers“The biggest reward should be given to the people of Karachi, the way you people have supported and embraced PSL 4 here in your city. The love and support was extraordinary.”Finally, I would like to say that all overseas players, officials and technical support teams, you have seen yourself the passion and love for cricket in Pakistan. Next year we look forward to welcome you back with all the PSL matches in Pakistan.”Darren Sammy and Sarfaraz Ahmed pose with the PSL 2019 trophy at Mazar-e-Quaid•Pakistan Super League

Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who attended the PSL final, hoped Karachi would continue to play a significant role in the return of international cricket to Pakistan. “Two years ago, I promised that we will bring the PSL matches to Karachi,” Shah said. “Last year, we hosted the final and this year we staged eight matches here. I salute the fans of Karachi who despite all problems helped us stage the final.”The government of Sindh will strive for the return of international cricket in Pakistan and that too will start from Karachi. I thank all the foreign players for visiting Karachi and, in the end, I would say whoever wins the final, cricket will be the winner, people of Karachi will be the winner and Pakistan will be the winner.”For the PCB, the PSL, now coming to the end of its fourth season, has been a platform to try and bring top-drawer cricket back to the country. The final of the 2017 edition was held in Lahore, followed by the last four games, including the final, in 2018. This year, the last eight games have been held in Karachi.Alongside, international limited-overs series against a World XI, West Indies and Sri Lanka have also been held in the country over the past couple of years with considerable success.The ongoing PSL started in the UAE, where 26 games were played, before the action shifted to Pakistan. Originally, three of the eight games were scheduled to be played in Lahore, followed by five in Karachi, but all games were moved to Karachi because of logistical concerns.Earlier this month, Pakistan completed ten years since the country became a no-go zone – with rare exceptions – for international cricket teams, following the armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore. The PCB was forced to make UAE their home away from home and, before the recent tours, the only top-tier team to visit Pakistan were Zimbabwe, in 2015, for a limited-overs series in Lahore.A short tour of three T20Is by an ICC-supported World XI in September 2017, in which a number of high-profile cricketers from around the world took part, led to a change of heart on the part of many visitors, to an extent. It was a key step for the PCB in its efforts to convince teams that the country is ready to host top-flight international cricket again.This year, all overseas players involved in the PSL made the trip from the UAE to Karachi, including the usually reluctant Australian star Shane Watson, raising the profile of the tournament.

Porterfield captained Ireland 253 times, spanning two 50-over World Cups and five World T20s

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2019William Porterfield has stepped down as Ireland’s captain after 11 years in the role. Andrew Balbirnie, the middle-order batsman, will replace him as Test and 50-over captain, while Gary Wilson will continue in the T20 job.Porterfield led Ireland in 253 games after taking over from Trent Johnston in 2008, captaining in two 50-over World Cups – which saw memorable wins over England and West Indies – and five World T20s, as well as their first-ever Test match, against Pakistan at Malahide in 2018. He intends to continue playing international cricket.”It has been an incredible journey, and a fantastic honour to have captained my country over the past 11-and-a-half years,” Porterfield said. “There have been many highs, along with a few lows along the way, but I can honestly say that it has been thoroughly enjoyable. To have been able to lead Ireland out at various World Cups, through to our first Test against Pakistan, and again at Lord’s in the summer, have been but a few of these highlights. I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have done so.”I feel, and in consultation with Cricket Ireland, that now is the right time to hand over that mantle. With the ODI league starting in the summer it will allow ‘Balbo’ [Balbirnie] time to get into the swing of things. I feel that the selectors have made a great choice in appointing ‘Balbo’ and that it has come at a great time for him personally being on top of his game, and with more to come. Having spoken to him, I know how honoured and excited he is to get going. I’m looking forward to helping and supporting Balbo in any way I can, and seeing him lead Ireland forward.”Balbirnie, 28, becomes Ireland’s second Test captain and fifth ODI skipper. He has been capped 123 times since his debut in 2010, and has led the A team and Ireland Under-19s in the past.”To be asked to captain my country is an absolute honour and one that I am very excited about as we move into a busy new year,” Balbirnie said. “It’s a proud moment not just for me but also for my family and everyone who has been there on my cricket journey so far – especially my coaches, team-mates and friends at Pembroke Cricket Club.”Since 2008, William has been an amazing leader on and off the field, not just to me but anyone who has been lucky to represent Ireland. Taking over from our greatest captain will certainly be a hard act to follow but one I’m looking forward to getting into. William still has a huge role to play in this team going forward and I look forward to working with him over the next couple of years.”We are very lucky that we are entering arguably the most exciting period to be an Irish cricketer, so to be able to lead the guys into this will be a great honour and challenge, and one that I’m looking forward to immensely.”Andrew White, the chair of national men’s selectors, said: “William has been a remarkable captain, and we have been fortunate over such a long period to have his skills and experience to draw on. His leadership abilities on the field have been clear for all to see, but what is, and always has been, his greatest quality is his off-field leadership and support that has benefitted numerous coaches and players over a long period of time.”‘Porty’ has also been integral to the development of the national pathway system in Ireland, helping to shape and advise on what is now a comprehensive programme that is starting to bring through local talent and mould that next generation of Irish cricketer.””However, there comes a time when that baton is handed over, and in the Test and ODI formats we had identified the leadership potential in Andrew early on. Succession planning in international sport is so important these days, and Andrew has certainly developed and grown in confidence and stature over recent years. It is often said that the weight of captaincy can weigh heavy on some players, but we believe Andrew is someone who has the instincts and resolve to carry that weight and excel.”Over the past two years we have been on a process of transition, and with our new Test member status, entry into the Future Tours Programme, and combined with being on the cusp of entering the new ICC Cricket World Cup Super League in 2020, we believe this is a good time to for Andrew to begin his captaincy journey and we wish him well.”Balbirnie’s first outing as captain will come in the Caribbean, where Ireland play three ODIs and three T20Is at the start of next year.