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Australia allrounder available for conclusion of Blast and up to three Championship games

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2022Hilton Cartwright, the Australia allrounder, has signed on a one-month deal with Derbyshire. He will provide cover for Shan Masood for the remainder of the Vitality Blast and up to three LV= Insurance Championship matches in July.Masood was recently called up for Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka next month, having been in prolific form for Derbyshire. He is currently the leading scorer in Division Two of the Championship, and the only player in either tier to pass 1000 runs, as well as second on the Blast run-scorers list.Related

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“Following Shan’s call-up to the Pakistan Test squad for their series next month, we wanted to act quickly to bring in international-quality cover and Hilton will do just that,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, said.”He’s a very talented cricketer and his Sheffield Shield record is one of the best for an allrounder in Australian cricket right now. He’ll come straight into the mix this week and I’m looking forward to working with him during what is a key part of the season for us.”Cartwright, who has previously played county cricket for Middlesex, has scored 3613 first-class runs at 35.77, and helped Western Australia to lift the Sheffield Shield earlier this year. In T20s, he averages 28.65, with a strike rate of 124.37.He will link up with Derbyshire ahead of their T20 tour match against India on Friday, and feature in the Blast against Durham on Sunday, with the club looking to secure a top-four North Group finish, and a place in the quarter-finals.”This is a great opportunity for me to test myself in the English domestic game again and work with one of the best coaches in the world,” Cartwright said. “The club’s had a great start to the season and as it’s getting to a crucial stage of the summer, I’m hoping to contribute with bat and ball to keep the momentum going that the lads have created.”Cartwright, 31, is also due to appear in the Hundred with Oval Invincibles in August.

Left-arm spinner opens up about his struggles after picking up 29 wickets in his first three Tests

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Jul-2022A little over three weeks ago, Prabath Jayasuriya was not in the Sri Lanka squad, let alone the XI. But when Lasith Embuldeniya was dropped following a poor Test against Australia, and Praveen Jayawickrama got Covid-19, Sri Lanka needed fresh spinners in the camp, and captain Dimuth Karunaratne insisted on Jayasuriya.The two had played together at domestic level, for both the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), and for the same National Super League (Sri Lanka’s four-day competition) side. What Karunaratne wanted was Jayasuriya’s experience – he’d played 62 first-class matches at the time, even if he’d never been part of the Test squad. And tied to that experience was the control Jayasuriya offered.Related

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Unlike the Sri Lanka spinners who had failed to maintain sufficient pressure on Australia’s batters in the first of the four straight Galle Tests, Karunaratne wanted a bowler who would continue to probe even when hit for boundaries.Now, three Tests into his career, Jayasuriya has played a leading role in winning two of those. He’s taken 29 wickets in six innings, at an average of 20.37, with four five-fors. The control he brings is reflected in his economy rate of 2.73, but even Karunaratne might not have imagined he could be such a consistent wicket-taking threat.Having taken eight wickets in Sri Lanka’s series-leveling win against Pakistan, Jayasuriya reflected on his path to the top level.”It hasn’t been an easy journey. It was tough to come to Colombo for cricket [from the inland town of Matale, just north of Kandy], because I had no family there and I was alone. Lots of people helped me. Coach Dinesh Weerasinghe helped me, and I played for Colts and SSC.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“But it was tough. I had financial problems as well. I had to balance all that, and didn’t want to put pressure on my family either. I had opportunities to play outside the country, but my motivation was to play for my country and play Tests. I gave my everything towards that goal and have some success now.”Where Jayasuriya has excelled, is through his straighter delivery, which as for many good left-arm spinners, brings lbw and bowled dismissals into play. On day five of the second Test, he broke the big third-wicket stand with that delivery, rattling Mohammad Rizwan’s off stump as the batter shouldered arms, expecting the ball to turn. After that dismissal, Sri Lanka required a little over 23 overs to get the remaining wickets.”I’ve been taking wickets from school level with my arm ball,” Jayasuriya said. “On any pitch that turns, you can often get a lot of wickets with the ball that’s hitting the stumps. The batter is looking for the one that turns, and you’ve got a big opportunity to get him with the straighter one. You can’t bowl it all the time. You’ll get more out of the straight one if you show the batter how much it spins first, and put that doubt in their minds. Then you can use the straight one.”With that Rizwan delivery I came close to the wicket to bowl it. Usually I have been bowling wide of crease. When I pitched it wide of him, he probably figured that it was going to turn away but it didn’t.”Where offspinner Ramesh Mendis had had a modest outing with the ball in the previous Test, he was a much greater threat in the second, taking nine wickets himself. Aside from the run-out of Fawad Alam, Mendis and Jayasuriya had taken all the Pakistan wickets to fall in the second innings.”What he and I talked, with the coach and the captain, was to make sure we keep the pressure on from both sides. When that happens an end opens up. If you’re leaking boundaries from one side, it’s tough to get wickets. I think we kept the pressure on really well, and when Ramesh was getting wickets, I made sure to bowl tightly.”

The left-arm spinner now has 14 days to respond to the charges, which include failing to report a corrupt approach

Umar Farooq13-Sep-2022The PCB has suspended Asif Afridi under its anti-corruption code, after charging the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa left-arm spinner for two breaches including failing to report a corrupt approach. Asif had missed most of the ongoing National T20 Cup, and he cannot take part in any cricket-related activity until the conclusion of the case that is currently under the PCB’s anti-corruption unit.The PCB has not shared the specifics of the charges, but it has confirmed that Asif has been suspended with immediate effect, under article 4.7.1 of its constitution, which allows the board to use its discretion in circumstances “where it considers that the integrity of the sport could otherwise be seriously undermined”. Asif now has a maximum of 14 days to respond to the charges against him.Asif, 35, played a solitary T20 game for KPK in the National T20 Cup on August 31, in Rawalpindi against Central Punjab, and has not found a place in the XI since. In his only appearance, he scored one run off one ball and returned figures of 2 for 24 in his four overs.Earlier this year, Asif had earned a call-up to the Pakistan side for the home series against Australia, but did not make the XI. He had been rewarded for an impressive PSL season during which he picked up eight wickets in five matches for Multan Sultans while returning an economy rate of 6.5, and was selected as cover for Mohammad Nawaz, who had missed a part of the PSL with an injury.In the recent past, the PCB has been dealing with a number of cases of alleged corruption. Most recently, it banned the batter Umar Akmal for not reporting spot-fixing approaches made to him before the start of PSL 2020. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his ban from 18 months to 12 months, but the PCB issued a condition that his reintegration was subject to Akmal paying a fine of PKR 4.25 million and taking part in a rehabilitation program.In similar cases in the past, Mohammad Irfan served a six-month ban, while Nawaz was given a two-month suspension in 2017. Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif received bans for spot-fixing in the PSL while opening batter Shahzaib Hasan was also slapped with a ban after being deemed guilty of failing to disclose corrupt approaches.

Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes ensure tourists finish series on top

Tristan Lavalette14-Oct-2022Under pressure Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell fell cheaply, but Australia avoided a clean sweep against England after the T20I series finale in Canberra was abandoned due to rain.After two rain delays in England’s innings reduced the match to 12 overs a side, Australia were in a major hole at 30 for 3 chasing a revised target of 130 before inclement weather ended proceedings with seven deliveries still needed for a result.England skipper Jos Buttler earlier scored his second half-century of the series in another confidence boost.An impressive England have started their T20 World Cup preparation in style after winning the opening two games, played in Perth and Canberra, in mirroring eight-run victories, while Australia have unresolved questions ahead of a title defence.Buttler fires again, Stokes’ late cameoExpected rain caused havoc in England’s innings, totalling 90 minutes, and a truncated match ensued. After being sent in for the third straight match, England were 73 for 2 in the 10th over when the second rain delay hit.On resumption, with their innings almost over, Buttler and Ben Stokes knew they had to go all-out attack. Stokes, who had endured two failures in this series since being backed to bat up the order, didn’t waste time with a pulled six off Maxwell’s first ball back in an indication of what was ahead.Player-of-the-Series Buttler then took over with an assault on quick Josh Hazlewood in the penultimate over, smashing 22 runs to punctuate his brilliant return from injury.In better signs, Stokes was more fluent with 17 off 10 balls although he had a brain fade on the final ball when he smashed Maxwell down the ground and didn’t run thinking he had hit a boundary. But Steve Smith cut it off in the deep forcing a flustered Stokes to scamper for a single amid a near run out in a farcical end to England’s innings.Steven Smith came into the XI for David Warner•AFP/Getty Images

Woakes tears through Australia Chris Woakes returned to the England XI and made the most of his opportunity before rain intervened again. He had two wickets before you could blink by removing Finch first ball of the innings then Mitchell Marsh next ball with a sharp delivery caught at short third off a leading edge.Woakes was denied a hat-trick but picked up Maxwell shortly after to cap his stunning opening burst of 3 for 4 off 2 overs. With competition for England’s quicks fierce, with Sam Curran having starred in the opening two games before being rested, Woakes issued a reminder that he’s arguably England’s best new ball bowler.Australia’s batting continues to misfireWith David Warner resting after a neck injury sustained while landing awkwardly in the field in game two, struggling Maxwell joined Finch at the top. Both batters failed once again with Maxwell’s rut now extending to 24 runs in his last seven T20I innings.Through his all-round talents with ball and in the field, which he showed off with a masterful sliding save in the deep late in England’s innings, Maxwell is an almost certain starter for Australia’s opening T20 World Cup clash against New Zealand but pressure is building.Smith, who earned a reprieve and replaced Warner, would have rued the inclement conditions as he tried to push his claim for a place. He was on 7 from eight balls when the match was finally abandoned.

After a camp in Kandy, Shanaka’s team is reaching Australia well in advance to work on skills and plans specific to the conditions on offer

Madushka Balasuriya01-Oct-2022Roughly around this time last year, Dasun Shanaka was gallantly bigging up his side’s chances at the T20 World Cup – though, in reality, it was a sentiment borne more out of hope than any real confidence. “If our guys perform to their strengths I feel they can go a long way in this tournament,” he had said back then. It didn’t end too well for them.Just a month and a bit ago, Sri Lanka had been soundly beaten by Afghanistan in the 2022 men’s Asia Cup curtain raiser, and were on the verge of elimination. That story ended on a fairy-tale high. Fast forward to the present, and Shanaka’s words have scarcely changed, yet the sense of belief in them could hardly be more different.Related

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“If we make the right decisions on the day and execute our plans, I’m certain we can come out victorious,” he told a packed media room at the Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters on Friday, in the final press interaction prior to the team’s departure to Australia for the 2022 T20 World Cup. “The confidence level is definitely higher [than at the last World Cup], but my concern has always been the process. Even at the last World Cup, I felt we had the talent to at least make the semi-finals. The important thing is your ability to play and deliver on the day.”The Sri Lanka squad is heading out to Australia two weeks before their opening World Cup first-round game against Namibia on October 16. They were at a skills-intensive training camp in Kandy in the last week of September. Both point to the level of preparation this Sri Lanka side is undertaking.This extra game time – crucial time – in Australian conditions can only help. Head coach Chris Silverwood, who could hardly have dreamt of a better start to his term in the job after taking charge some six months ago, outlined how he hoped to use this period to work on skills that would be of particular use in Australia.”With the bowling we’re still working on yorkers, to make sure we can be successful on Australian wickets, to make sure we have the skills to back our plans up,” he said. “We have a couple of warm-up games before the Namibia game. We’ll play match scenarios amongst ourselves before that to make sure we can control the environment that we’re training in.”We’re actually very specific about what we’re trying to train. For example, we did a Super Over up in Kandy, which is all in good fun, but it highlights where it can be a bit chaotic in the Super Over. It happens very quickly, and we have to make sure we keep a level head.”Then the dimensions of the grounds in Australia – they have some big grounds – we’ll have to learn to cope with them. We have to make sure we get the distance right off the boundary to cut the angles down and get the guys used to doing that.”The first step to building on the Asia Cup success is identifying the areas that still need improvement. Much of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup win was built on a platform of winning the toss and chasing, and despite setting a total and defending it in the final, it’s not quite in their comfort zone.”There’s always going to be areas to improve – I think setting totals, something we did really well in the final [of the Asia Cup] but something we haven’t done a great deal of,” Silverwood said. “So it’s something we’re going to have to think of.”While success leads to self-belief, it also brings expectation. And after a long time, a Sri Lankan team heads to a major tournament backed by genuine excitement and, whisper it quietly, optimism.”I tend to look at it differently. There are expectations obviously back here at home in Sri Lanka. But I think the energy that we’re gaining off the fans is superb, and I think the boys are feeling it. I think we can use that as a real positive,” Silverwood said. “The fact that everybody’s behind us, the nation is behind us, and we’re out there trying to bring a smile back to everybody’s faces, for me it’s a positive. Something we can use as energy, and something we have used as energy in the dressing room already.”For Shanaka, it’s a matter of resetting from the high of the Asia Cup win and refocusing on the fundamentals that got them there.Chris Silverwood couldn’t have hoped for a better start with the Sri Lanka side•SLC

“Winning the Asia Cup was good, but it’s just one tournament,” he said. “We’re not thinking about that anymore, that’s in the past. Because if we keep focusing on that then we can’t look forward and perform as we need to.”In the camp [in Kandy] every player put in a good effort. I was worried that there would be some guys who’d be a bit relaxed after winning the Asia Cup, but it wasn’t like that. Everyone practiced with even more intensity than usual, and I’m confident that we can put in good performances at the World Cup.”Among those present in the camp were fast bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara, who along with the young Dilshan Madushanka make up the quickest trio of fast bowlers Sri Lanka have ever had at a major tournament, with each capable of speeds above 140kph. While the fitness of the first two had been of some concern, Shanaka confirmed the pair had come away from the camp in fine fettle.”Both Lahiru and Dushmantha were a part of our camp, and they both managed to complete their bowling quotas without an issue,” he said. “I think they’re well prepared ahead of the World Cup.”On the whole, the mood in the Sri Lankan camp is understandably as high as it’s been in quite some time, with Silverwood particularly pleased by the camaraderie between players, as well as their willingness to “learn, adapt and try new things”. “I hear a lot of people talking about how together the guys are and you can really feel that from the inside as well.”And it’s that feeling that has made this Sri Lanka side heading out to Australia, while far from the finished article, one that seems to be gradually evolving into something more than the one that went to the UAE both last year and last month.

Both sides have had their moments, but have reached a stage where they are dependent on other results to figure out their future

Mohammad Isam05-Nov-20223:17

Moody: It will be interesting to see what Pakistan will do with their top order

Big picture

So competitive has this year’s T20 World Cup been, that heading into the final day of the Super 12s, five out of six teams in Group 2 remain in contention for two semi-final slots. The story in Group 1 was also equally gripping.Bangladesh and Pakistan face off in Adelaide on Sunday with their fate in their own hands, though only to a certain extent – Pakistan are more likely semi-finalists than Bangladesh. Neither of them might eventually make it, but a win will go some distance for two teams that have been inconsistent so far.Related

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Bangladesh might be still smarting from their five-run defeat to India, which was followed by fake-fielding accusations against Virat Kohli. Having started the chase on a blistering note and come agonisingly close to victory, it’s fair for Bangladesh to feel hard done by, though they haven’t thrown excuses around.Irrespective of the result, there was improvement for Bangladesh in that game. Litton Das finally came out of his shell to get a superb half-century, Taskin Ahmed bowled an economical four-over spell with the new ball where he tested India’s top-order batters, and Mustafizur Rahman seemed to be in his groove at the death. Taskin and Nurul Hasan even smashed India’s bowlers around in the dying stages of that game, but ideally, Bangladesh’s middle order needs to do that job.Pakistan will be aware of these gaps in Bangladesh’s make-up. They recently met in Christchurch in a tri-series designed as a build-up for the World Cup; Pakistan beat Bangladesh both times, although they had to fight for the wins on either occasion.For Pakistan, there are worries, especially because of the low returns from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan: across four games in this World Cup, their opening stands have given Pakistan 1, 13, 16 and 4. Babar has been dismissed for single-digit scores each time. Fortunately for them, their middle order – especially Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan – have shown big-hitting abilities in crucial moments.Shadab Khan has shown the ability to adapt to different situations•Getty Images

Allrounders Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim have contributed regularly, too, and, not to forget, Pakistan have impactful fast bowlers who have the potential to knock over Bangladesh, who often struggle against pace and bounce.It could, however, be all for nothing. Both sides have floundered in crucial moments in the Super 12s stage: Pakistan against India and Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh also against India. While those results cannot be changed now, both Pakistan and Bangladesh have one final opportunity to pull things back their way.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWLWL
Pakistan WWLLW

In the spotlight

Shadab Khan‘s maiden T20I fifty couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for Pakistan. His knock of 52 from just 22 balls against South Africa took them from a difficult position to one of safety. Later, his two wickets in one over turned the game around for Pakistan. Shadab has quickly become a high-impact player, with an aggressive approach as a batter and accurate, stump-to-stump lines as a legspinner, apart from being a gun fielder. He has shown the ability to adapt to different situations, too, particularly in the batting order.It has not been a great World Cup so far for Nurul Hasan. He has made only 41 runs in four innings despite coming out to bat with 9 and 9.4 overs remaining in two of those. He has looked like he has pulled the trigger too early in his innings, or premeditating his shots. Nurul has also made errors as wicketkeeper, with the missed stumping against Zimbabwe standing out. He showed signs of class and ability with the bat against India, though, and Bangladesh will hope for more of that.

Team news

Babar and Rizwan haven’t fired, but with their other batters, allrounders and fast bowlers all showing good form, they are unlikely to change the side that beat South Africa in Sydney.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Mohammad Haris, 4 Shan Masood, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Mohammad Wasim, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Naseem ShahBangladesh could retain the same set of fast bowlers against Pakistan•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh, too, are likely to retain the same side – including the same set of fast bowlers – from the India game for this one.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 2 Litton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 4 Afif Hossain, 5 Nurul Hasan (wk), 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Yasir Ali, 8 Taskin Ahmed, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Hasan Mahmud

Pitch and conditions

Three out of four matches at the Adelaide Oval have been won by the side defending a total, with the average score batting first in those matches being 179. Teams have been helped by the short square boundaries too. A full game is in the offing as no rain has been forecast for Sunday.

Stats and trivia

• Mustafizur needs four wickets to get to 100 T20I wickets, while Shadab is five away from the same milestone.
• This will be Pakistan’s first T20I in Adelaide, though they have played five Tests and 19 ODIs there.
• Mohammad Wasim has taken ten wickets against Bangladesh in the last five T20Is between the two sides.

Quotes

“We believe we can beat Pakistan. Qualifying for the semi-final is not in our hands, unfortunately.”

Former allrounder wishes to concentrate on T20 franchise roles instead

Firdose Moonda09-Jan-2023Lance Klusener has withdrawn his application to become South Africa’s next white-ball coach. ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that Klusener was among the six candidates interviewed by Cricket South Africa three weeks ago but has chosen to pull out of the process and concentrate on T20 franchise roles instead. Klusener is currently the coach of the Durban Super Giants in the SA20 tournament, which starts on Tuesday.That leaves CSA with a choice between current interim coach Malibongwe Maketa, former national assistant coach Adrian Birrell, experienced franchise and under-19 coach Shukri Conrad, former Titans coach Rob Walter and former West Indies director of cricket Richard Pybus for the job.South Africa’s head coach role will be split in two, with one person taking over the Test team and keeping involved in the country’s first-class cricket and the other heading up the ODI and T20I sides. Klusener, who played 49 Tests and 179 ODIs, had applied for the latter post. The 51-year old former allrounder was an important member of the South Africa squad between 1996 and 2004, hitting great heights during the 1999 World Cup when he nearly took the team all the way to the final in one of the greatest games ever played. Klusener retired with a reputation for being one of the fiercest hitters of the ball, a talent that fetched him 3576 runs in ODIs at an average of 41.10 and a strike rate of 89.91.Related

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CSA is expected to make an announcement by the middle of January with the new white-ball coach set to take charge for the three ODIs against England later this month. Klusener was understood to be the frontrunner for the position, having previously worked with the Dolphins in domestic cricket and with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in international cricket. Conrad was tipped to take over the Test side.Klusener’s withdrawal potentially opens the door for Maketa, who was temporarily put in charge of the Test side for South Africa’s tour to Australia that ended on Sunday, to continue in the national job. Maketa has put his name forward for both positions, but indicated a preference for the red-ball job. CSA is also looking to fill the position of High Performance Manager, with long-standing coach Vincent Barnes set to retire later this year.

Australian holds UK passport but will be registered as an overseas signing for 2023

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2023Northamptonshire have announced the signing of Western Australia opening batter Sam Whiteman on an a season-long deal for the 2023 summer.Whiteman, who was player of the final in WA’s 16th Sheffield Shield title in the 2021-22 season and is their current acting captain, will be available for the County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup. Though he possesses a UK passport having been born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, he will be registered as an overseas signing.The 30-year-old has 4,652 first-class runs at an average of 37.90, with 10 centuries. He is currently Western Australia’s second top scorer in the ongoing campaign, which they lead, with 390 at 43.33, and scored a career-best 193 against South Australia in November.As a white-ball cricketer, Whiteman’s returns are comparatively weak – averages of 23.51 and 17.55 in List A and T20, respectively – though he was part of a successful Perth Scorchers outfit in the Big Bash League, and is now representing Sydney Thunder in the ongoing season. He has not yet been capped by Australia, having represented the country at “A” team and Under-19 level. This will be the left-hander’s first taste of professional cricket in the English system.Speaking on his deal with the Division One county, Whiteman said: “I’m really excited to have signed with Northamptonshire for the 2023 season. It’s always been an ambition of mine to play first-class cricket in the UK so to get that opportunity for a large chunk of the campaign is really pleasing. I’m looking forward to joining up with my new teammates in April.”Head coach John Sadler was delighted with Whiteman’s signing, as Northants look to build on their sixth-place in the County Championship and second-from-bottom finish in Group B of the Royal London Cup last year.”Sam comes very highly recommended and is someone we’ve watched closely in recent times.” Sadler said speaking to the club website. “I’m very confident that not only will he score plenty of runs, he’ll add value to us as a group in many ways both on and off the field.”Northamptonshire’s new Championship captain Luke Procter was also excited for what Whiteman could bring: “I’m really looking forward to having Sam with us this season.”He’s a quality bat but he’s also got that leadership experience with WA, they’re flying in the Shield so far so I’m sure he’ll bring a lot value on and off the field too.”

Four-wicket haul on second day keeps Robinson’s Test average below 20 and clinches first-innings lead

Vithushan Ehantharajah17-Feb-2023On the day James Anderson and Stuart Broad took their tandem wicket tally to 1,001, level with the great Australia duo of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, it was Ollie Robinson who ensured England retained their advantage in the first Test against New Zealand.Robinson is far from off-broadway, already on equal billing with two active legends as he showcased with 4 for 51 on day two at Bay Oval. It was a haul that takes him to 64 dismissals after just 28 innings, keeping his average under 20 (19.60) in his 16th Test. And more importantly, his efforts kept New Zealand behind after their first innings before England were able to extend their lead from 19 to 98 by stumps.It is clear Anderson and Broad see something special in Robinson. Beyond making their jobs a little easier, the speed with which he has become ingrained into their company and conversations speaks of a recognition that he is on their level.As such, Robinson carries the air of the anointed one, assume the roles of Anderson and Broad once they are done combining or adding to their individual tallies which sit at 679 and 567 wickets, respectively. And it speaks of his confidence in his ability that he is not daunted by the idea of inheriting their mantles.”They’ve been very open and honest with me since I’ve come into the environment, which has been amazing for me. Hopefully I can be a worthy bearer of the baton, if you like.”Robinson gets up close and personal with Daryl Mitchell•Phil Walter/Getty Images

The 29-year-old made inroads at crucial times: Tom Latham under lights on the first day after England declared on 325 for 9 before following up with Daryl Mitchell and lower-order hitters Scott Kuggeleijn and Tim Southee. Ever since his first cap at the start of the 2021 summer – against New Zealand, no less – he has earned a reputation of dismissing key batters, something which Brendon McCullum has urged him to carry forward.”Baz is always saying to me try and be that partnership-breaker,” he said. “When the game’s drifting along, try and be that guy to break the partnership so it was important for me to do that and kept the game in our favour.”The removal of Mitchell was the icing on the cake for a couple of reasons. Back in 2022, Mitchell averaged 107.60 in England thanks to hundreds in each of the three Tests. Here, he was sent on his way with a 10-ball duck – the first of his Test career – leaving a ball that jagged in and clipped him on the front pad. Mitchell opted against a review and replays showed a predicted impact right into the top of off stump. Since Robinson’s debut, he has dismissed seven batters through misjudged leaves on their part, more than any other bowler in the world.”It’s the one I’m trying to bowl, yeah,” he says of the ball that nips back into the right-hander off the straight. “It doesn’t always move. I learnt it off Jimmy a little bit, tilting the seam slightly differently to how you would hold a conventional outswinger. It’s a bit of luck though, really. I’m just trying to get any seam movement that I can, bowl some more wobbles and go from there really.”I’m trying to present it as an outswinger and get it to wobble back in or hold. I’ve naturally always brought the ball back in, I think I’ve just grown with it a little bit, got more accurate with it and more skilful with it.”Related

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As he says, it is a trick he has had in his armoury for some time, undoing batters in the County Championship while playing for Sussex long before the high profile occurrences, notably castling Pakistan’s Babar Azam in Multan in December.That he was able to translate that from the red to a less willing pink ball is a testament to his talent. There is, however, a new edge to it which he credits to England’s new four-figure double act.”I think a big thing for me is use of the crease that I’ve learnt from Jimmy and Broady, probably more than anything coming to England,” Robinson said. “In county cricket you sort of run up and bowl from mid-crease – it’s quite generic – whereas in international cricket, the batters are that much better you have to be more on it and use the crease and use your skills to get more out of it.”

Ace legspinner has two and a half days to recover before Lahore face Multan in the playoffs on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2023Having already qualified for the play-offs, Lahore Qalandars rested their captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and lost their final league game to Karachi Kings but that won’t worry them so much as the fact that Rashid Khan had to retire hurt, having been hit on the helmet. Qalandars are due to face the big-hitting Multan Sultans in the Qualifier on Wednesday and they’d really prefer going into that game with their ace legspinner in fighting form.Far removed from those concerns though, the Kings were able to celebrate just their third win of the tournament, which took them off the bottom of the points table. Muhammad Akhlaq, after a poor first two seasons in 2021 and 2022, struck his first PSL half-century. An innings of 51 off 36 balls that set the Kings up for the final flourish provided by the captain Imad Wasim (43 off 31) and Ben Cutting (33 off 14). They were able to put up a total of 196 for 7 after choosing to bat in Lahore, with Tayyab Tahir also contributing a sprightly 40 off 23 balls at No. 3.The Qalandars’ chase went nowhere as they lost their top order inside the powerplay and continued to collapse. They were 79 for 7 when Rashid had to retire hurt at the end of the 15th over. He’d got hit in the 14th, trying to pull a James Fuller bouncer, but continued batting after receiving medical attention. Things seemed okay, especially when Rashid was able to hit the first ball after taking the blow, for an emphatic boundary over square leg. But he couldn’t go on for much longer.The Kings’ bowlers enjoyed as good a time as their batters with Imad, Akif Javed, Mohammad Umar and Imran Tahir all picking up two wickets a piece.