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The embrace he shared with batting partner Samit Patel after lofting a ball from Jeetan Patel over the infield for his 19th boundary told something of the relief being felt at that moment by Nottinghamshire’s Michael Lumb

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge16-May-2016
ScorecardMichael Lumb sweeps•Getty Images

The embrace he shared with batting partner Samit Patel after lofting a ball from Jeetan Patel over the infield for his 19th boundary told something of the relief being felt at that moment by Nottinghamshire’s Michael Lumb.It completed his 20th first-class hundred, the most pertinent fact attached to which is the time elapsed since the 19th, some two years and eight months, the toughest of times for the former England batsman, who turned 36 in February this year.It encompassed a long lay-off following surgery on a torn forearm tendon, keeping him out of action for the best part of six months until June last year, and then a broken thumb, after which the form that had seen him make almost 2000 runs across all formats in 2013, and then score a century on his ODI debut for England in February 2014, seemed to belong to another player.”It has been a strange couple of years,” he said. “I had problems with the arm for a while, lots of trouble and little niggles, and all the time I was playing through the pain I was doing more damage until it came to the point that the tendon just tore away from the bone.”The surgeons did a great job but it was a long time to be sidelined and when you come back from a long-term injury you find yourself chasing the game, trying to get back into form. It is just a matter of time but there are always little demons in your ahead when things are not going your way.”So there was a lot of relief today. When you do all your rehab and the hard work in the nets, when you do finally get over a line after a long period without scoring runs, and against a good attack who are bowling well, it feels good.”Lumb’s form began to return in Australia, during his fifth Big Bash stint with the Sydney Sixers. There would be no final this time, after finishing runners-up in 2014-15, but Lumb was the pick of their batsmen, scoring 253 runs at an average of 31.62.He found fluency from the outset here, following on from his 78 against Middlesex at Lord’s last week, even if he did have a slice of luck at the start, before he was off the mark, edging a ball from Keith Barker which Tim Ambrose, diving across first slip for a low chance, could not hold.That moment apart, he looked in exceptionally good touch, completing his first half-century from just 48 balls and advancing to 75 from 73, despite the loss of a partner who had also looked in good rhythm when Steven Mullaney was strangled down the leg side by Chris Woakes for 56.Mullaney’s departure changed things somewhat. Warwickshire’s bowling began to find some consistency, with Rikki Clarke delivering an exceptional spell, backed up by Chris Wright and then Jeetan Patel. Brendan Taylor and Riki Wessels, neither of whom has found his best form so far, found the going much harder and the scoring rate slowed almost to a halt.It took Lumb another 81 deliveries to reach 100, with suddenly very few easy runs on offer. It took some discipline to be so circumspect, given how much he wanted to make the most of his form, but ultimately the graft paid off. His last first-class century, against Derbyshire, had been on September 24, 2013.Samit Patel will feel he wasted his chance, making a reasonable start but then misjudging a pull against Clarke and giving first slip Varun Chopra an easy catch, but Chris Read and Brett Hutton added a potentially valuable 49 for the seventh wicket before Read followed a ball from Woakes to be caught behind.Clarke and Barker finished the day with identical figures, Clarke playing a role too in the dismissal of Lumb to Patel, who induced a catch to first slip off bat and pad.

Despite India’s 10-wicket victory in the second T20I, Zimbabwe have a strong opportunity to register their first series win, comprising two or more matches, in the decider on Wednesday

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro21-Jun-2016

Match facts

Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Start time 1300 local (1100 GMT)

Big Picture

If Zimbabwe had a time machine, they would rewind to Saturday, June 18, 2016. Amid the adversity of non-engaged spectators and their prior 3-0 thrashing in the ODI series, Neville Madziva gave Zimbabwe’s supporters a reason for song and dance. Even interim coach Makhaya Ntini couldn’t stop himself from busting out a celebratory jig after his side won the first T20I of the three-match series.Two days later, Zimbabwe slumped to their fourth collapse in five limited-overs matches against India this month. To “compete with the big boys” in the series decider on Wednesday, Zimbabwe will have to strive for positive consistency, at least in performance if not results. Despite India’s ten-wicket victory in the second T20I, the hosts have a compelling opportunity – they are yet to win a T20I series of two or more matches.All to play for then? India wouldn’t mind finding themselves in such a situation. “It is a good learning curve for the youngsters, providing they’re learning out of it. When some of these players play for India consistently, they will feel the pressure and that is where a game or tour like this will help,” MS Dhoni said at the post-match conference after the first T20 which India lost by two runs. On the only occasion India have been challenged on this tour, the batsmen failed to chase.After India handed five caps in the first T20I, they handed two more to Barinder Sran and Dhawal Kulkarni and both bowlers set the tone for the side’s largest win in the format. In the process, India adopted arguably their best bowling combination in this squad. India’s settled batting line-up meant Zimbabwe had to find another day and another way to get through them. Will Wednesday be different?

Form guide

Zimbabwe: LWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WLLWW

In the spotlight

With the bat, Sikandar Raza has propelled Zimbabwe’s innings on numerous occasions with an intent that forces bowlers to fiddle with their lengths. In his last 12 T20Is, however, he has scored 92 runs at an average of 7.66, with a highest of 20. A significant contribution could go a long way towards setting Zimbabwe up for a grandstand finish.India’s seamers Barinder Sran, Dhawal Kulkarni and Jasprit Bumrah claimed combined figures of 8 for 53 in 12 overs on Monday. A discernible pattern – swinging the newer ball followed by a variety of slower offcutters and wide yorkers towards the end – left Zimbabwe defenceless.

Team news

Richmond Mutumbami’s hip injury meant Peter Moor came into Zimbabwe’s XI as designated wicketkeeper for the second match. He top-scored with 31. The management could contemplate dropping allrounder Tinotenda Mutombodzi, who has scores of 3 and 0 in this series.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Peter Moor, 4 Sikandar Raza, 5 Malcolm Waller (wk), 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Tinotenda Mutombodzi/Timycen Maruma, 8 Graeme Cremer (capt), 9 Neville Madziva, 10 Taurai Muzarabani, 11 Donald TiripanoWith the series on the line, India are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination.India (probable): 1 KL Rahul, 2 Mandeep Singh, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Dhawal Kulkarni, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Barinder Sran

Pitch and conditions

For both T20s so far, the boundaries were brought in significantly at the Harare Sports Club. If Zimbabwe’s top order fires, the series decider could be a high-scoring encounter.

Stats and trivia

• Jasprit Bumrah needs three more wickets to equal Dirk Nannes’ record for most T20I wickets in a year. Nannes took 27 in 2010. Bumrah has 24 from 18 matches this year.
• The decider will be Masakadza’s 50th T20I. He will become the first Zimbabwean to play 50 or more T20Is.
• India had never won a T20I by ten wickets before the second match.

An overthrow off the last ball, with South Africa needing three, resulted in a heartbreaking loss for Ireland in the first of two women’s T20Is in Dublin

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Mignon du Preez top-scored for South Africa Women with 55•ICC/Getty Images

An overthrow off the last ball, with South Africa needing three, resulted in a heartbreaking loss for Ireland in the first of two women’s T20Is in Dublin.South Africa, chasing 141, needed 22 off the last two overs, with five wickets in hand. Dinesha Devnarain took the onus after Mignon du Preez’s dismissal for 55. Her unbeaten 11-ball 20, including a crucial boundary in the penultimate over, helped the visitors secure a thriller.Clare Shillington made the early running with a 31-ball 30 after Ireland were sent in to bat. They moved along to 61 for 1 in 10 overs before Sune Luus’ double-strike in the space of five deliveries lifted South Africa.She first clean bowled Shauna Kavanagh and then had Jennifer Gray trapped lbw as Ireland slipped to 63 for 3. When Shillington fell off the next over, Ireland had lost momentum.It took an unbeaten 61-run stand between Isobel Joyce and Kim Garth to lift Ireland to 140 for 5, their second-highest T20I score. Joyce was particularly aggressive, hitting three fours and a six in her unbeaten 31. Ireland pillaged 51 off the last six overs.In reply, South Africa lost experienced opener Trisha Chetty in the third over, but kept chipping away at the runs, even as the asking rate crept up, courtesy Laura Wolvaardt and du Preez. The pair had added 45 in seven overs before Joyce had Wolvaardt caught by Garth to leave the visitors needing 83 off 57 balls.Du Preez, the former captain, brought her experience into play, milking the runs even as wickets continued to fall, before laying into the bowlers; her successive boundaries in the 17th over reduced the equation to 33 off the last three overs.The dismissal of du Preez in the 18th over tilted the game in Ireland’s favour, but Devnarain’s cameo, in Lara Goodall’s company, kept South Africa’s hopes alive. When Goodall was run out in the final over, delivered by 16-year-old medium-pacer Lucy O’Reilly, South Africa were left needing four off the last two balls. That soon became three off the last ball. O’Reilly and Klaas ran two but got four more, courtesy a misfield and an overthrow. With the win, South Africa took an unassailable lead in the series.

Sri Lanka Cricket has earmarked Rs 200 million for the construction of two new cricket stadiums in the Northern and North Central Provinces

Sa'adi Thawfeeq06-Sep-2016Sri Lanka Cricket is investing in the development of cricket in parts of the country less exposed to the game by earmarking funds for the construction of two new cricket stadiums in the Northern and North Central Provinces.The executive committee of SLC has given its approval for the two projects to go ahead. The projects, on which work is due to begin in the near future, are expected to cost Sri Lankan Rs 200 million (approximately 1.38 million USD).”We have allocated Rs 100 million each for the construction of a cricket stadium at Polonnaruwa and one at Jaffna,” Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Mohan de Silva, said. “The projects are due to begin very soon.”De Silva said plans for the Polonnaruwa stadium have been finalised and that work would commence soon. The stadium would be part of a larger sports complex that is being constructed in the area. In the case of Jaffna, SLC is still searching for a suitable site close to the main road so that people would have easy access to the stadium.”There is tremendous enthusiasm generated by the Tamil diaspora for a cricket stadium in the north,” de Silva said. “The Jaffna District Cricket Association is taking all steps to make it a reality.”We will initially construct the two stadiums as first-class cricket venues and later develop them into hosting international cricket matches. We want to develop cricket in the north and east and enhance the quality of the game in those areas.”Cricket in the north was hit very badly by the 30-year civil war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. Since the end of the war, seven years ago, there has been large-scale development in the region, with sports being one of the key areas.

R Sridhar is set to return as India’s fielding coach for the three-Test series against New Zealand

Arun Venugopal13-Sep-2016R Sridhar is set to return as India’s fielding coach for the three-Test series against New Zealand. Sources confirmed Sridhar, who is currently in Australia with the India A team, will replace Abhay Sharma, and join the team in Kanpur for the first Test. The details of his contract, however, are understood to not have been finalised yet.It is learnt India coach Anil Kumble was keen on re-appointing Sridhar, whose contract came to an end in April after the World T20. “Kumble contacted Sridhar immediately after he took over as coach and advised him to wait till he came back from the West Indies and took a call [on Sridhar’s appointment],” a source familiar with the developments told ESPNcricinfo. “The BCCI sent an e-mail to the India A team manager late last evening asking Sridhar to report in Kanpur ahead of the first Test. Sridhar might have to leave midway through the second four-day Test between India A and Australia A from September 15 to 18.”While Abhay travelled with the team for the Zimbabwe and West Indies tours in a stop-gap capacity, BCCI president Anurag Thakur had said full-time appointments would be made before September 15. Sanjay Bangar, who went on both the tours, will continue as batting coach, while no bowling coach is expected to be appointed at least until the end of the New Zealand series.Sridhar and Bangar had begun their first stints as assistant coaches to Ravi Shastri, who was brought in as team director, during the limited-overs leg of the England tour in August 2014 after India had lost the Test series. Their contracts were first extended until the end of the World Cup in 2015, before they were renewed till the end of the World T20 the following year.

Sussex seamer Steve Magoffin reached 50 wickets for the fifth successive season before Worcestershire fought back on an entertaining first day at Hove

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2016
ScorecardBen Cox bolstered Worcestershire’s total•Getty Images

Sussex seamer Steve Magoffin reached 50 wickets for the fifth successive season before Worcestershire fought back on an entertaining first day at Hove.Both sides are eyeing runners-up prize money in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship and when Sussex took four wickets in 22 balls in the afternoon to leave Worcestershire on 178 for 7 they looked to have stolen a march on their rivals.But skipper Ben Cox led an excellent counter-attack by Worcestershire’s lower order which saw 128 runs scored in 24 overs for the last three wickets with Cox last man out for an excellent 69 in a total of 306.They then made inroads into a frail Sussex line-up which, in the absence of the injured Ed Joyce and Luke Wells, contained just four specialist batsmen, three of whom are uncapped.Miguel Cummins removed two of them – Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Craig Cachopa – for ducks and then had nightwatchman Ollie Robinson leg before in the final over of the day. Chris Nash was trapped on the crease by Joe Leach as Sussex stumbled to 50 for 4 at stumps to trail by 256.Magoffin’s enduring excellence was one of the highlights as the Australian finished with 5 for 38 in 19 overs to take his tally for the season to 54.His landmark 50th victim Tom Fell was claimed in only his third over when Fell was leg before for a duck playing across a straight one.Worcestershire had already lost Brett D’Oliveira to a catch at slip in Chris Jordan’s first over but from 11 for 2 skipper Daryl Mitchell and Joe Clarke fought back against Sussex’s five-man seam attack in a stand of 97 either side of lunch.Jordan made the breakthrough after lunch when Clarke flashed fatally outside off stump but Mitchell and George Rhodes added 57 for the fourth wicket before Worcestershire collapsed.Mitchell was caught behind trying to dab Magoffin through the off side and in the next over Tom Kohler-Cadmore endured his third successive Championship duck when he offered no shot to an arm ball from left-arm spinner Danny Briggs.Magoffin then struck twice in successive overs as Rhodes gloved a lifter and Leach was taken low down at slip before Cox led the recovery.With Ed Barnard giving him solid support, they plundered 48 in six overs after tea with Cox striking Briggs for three sixes down the ground. After adding 75 in 15 overs, Barnard was held on the mid-wicket boundary but Cummins muscled 25 off 20 balls including an outrageous flat-batted six back over the head of bowler Jofra Archer.Magoffin was belatedly brought back into the attack and completed his fifth five-for of the season with the second ball of his spell when he bowled Cummins. Cox was last out for 69 from 87 deliveries, which also included nine fours, when he was well caught by the diving Archer at mid-on two deliveries after David Wiese had taken the second new ball.

South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi and Australia’s Matthew Wade have both been fined 25 percent of their match fees after a verbal exchange and subsequent physical altercation during the fourth ODI

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2016South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi and Australia’s Matthew Wade have both been fined 25 percent of their match fees after a verbal exchange and subsequent physical altercation during the fourth ODI at Port Elizabeth on Sunday.The incident occurred in the 17th over of Australia’s innings when Wade pushed a single to long-on off the South African spin bowler. The pair, who had a verbal exchange earlier in the over, made physical contact as Wade ran down the pitch for a single. After the run was completed, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis complained to the umpires after which on-field umpire Nigel Llong spoke with both Shamsi and Wade before play continued.Both the players were found to have breached Article 2.1.1 of the ICC code of conduct which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Adrian Holdstock and Nigel Llong, third umpire Joel Wilson and fourth umpire Shaun George.Wade admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by ICC match referee Chris Broad. However, Shamsi pleaded not guilty and, as such, a formal hearing took place in the team hotel in which video evidence was also used.In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Shamsi and Wade’s disciplinary records. If either of the two are given four demerit points within the next two years then that will be converted into at least two suspension points which carry a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20 internationals, depending on the fixture schedule.

Haseeb Hameed has been urged not to rest on his laurels following the impressive start to his Test career

George Dobell01-Dec-20163:08

Compton: Root should be a permanent No. 4 for England

Haseeb Hameed has been urged not to rest on his laurels following the impressive start to his Test career. While praising Hameed’s “remarkable” second-innings half-century in Mohali, Joe Root also encouraged his young colleague to respond to his early success by working ever harder.Having received widespread acclaim at the end of the Mohali Test – not least from India’s captain, Virat Kohli – Hameed now returns to England for an operation on his hand following a serious break of his little finger. But any danger that he might let the praise go to his head – and, to be fair, it doesn’t seem as if there was much danger – will have been dispelled by Root’s gentle words of warning and encouragement.”The only advice I gave was, make sure you don’t go back to county cricket at the start of the summer and rest on your laurels,” Root said. “Don’t think: I’m a Test cricketer now.”It’s an opportunity to prove to everyone in county cricket that you are there for a reason. You have opportunities to make some really big scores, to keep learning and to keep improving. He has the opportunity to put the good work he has done in India into his game and continue to develop the way he has done.”Root’s words are both well-intentioned and wise. As he found after an encouraging start to his own career, Test cricket is hugely demanding and the pain of being dropped at the end of the Ashes tour of 2013-14 continues to motivate him.So while Hameed’s start has been exciting, Root wants him to be ready for the challenges ahead and to know there is much, much more to achieve. He also warned that more will be expected of Hameed now and that will bring different challenges.Still, Hameed returns to England having made an excellent impression. It is not so much the runs he scored – two half-centuries in six innings does not look so special, after all – but the composure with which he batted under pressure and in conditions in which his colleagues have struggled. Aged 19, he already looks one of the more composed batsmen in the side.”The way he played with a broken hand the other day was remarkable,” Root said. “For such a young lad to show composure, to manipulate the strike and also hit some of the best spinners in the world for boundaries was very, very impressive.”For a 19-year-old lad to come into this environment and be so composed and mature… You watch him practice, and you would think he had played 60 or 70 games. It’s great to see someone come in with that attitude and hopefully, that stays with him for a long time.”He will have different expectations in the future and that might be a different challenge. But he has got a very good head on his shoulders and he should be proud of what he has done so far. Now it is about managing those expectations and being realistic: it’s going to take time to keep developing and it might not always go how he wants. But sometimes you have to have those little tumbles to get right to the top. I’m sure that if he does have some hard times, he’ll get through it.”It is revealing to study Hameed’s dismissals. Of the five of them, one was a run-out (for which he was largely blameless), one came as he tried to up the pace in a bid to set up a declaration in Rajkot, one came when he was the victim of a shooter in Vizag – a truly unplayable ball – and another came when he received a delivery that reared off a length in Mohali. There were one or two signs of weakness, mainly against the short ball, but his figures do not flatter him. He looked assured, elegant and ready.The ECB undertook some research a few years ago that underlined the impression that players who do well do so at the start of their Test career.There are notable exceptions either way, of course – Graham Gooch suffered a ‘pair’ on debut; David Lloyd had an average of 260 after two Tests – but it might be telling that, of the last England side to reach No. 1 in the Test rankings, four of the batsmen (Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior) made centuries on debut and two others (Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell) made half-centuries. One of the bowlers (James Anderson) took a five-for on Test debut, too, while another (Graeme Swann) too two wickets in his first over.The confidence of those early experiences may well have laid the path to subsequent success. Whichever way you look at it, Hameed would appear to have a bright future.

The Australian spearhead looks forward to playing in his first Boxing Day Test, having missed all opportunities since his debut back in December 2011

Brydon Coverdale23-Dec-20162:39

Maddinson should get another chance – Starc

Four years ago this week, Mitchell Starc received cricket’s equivalent of a lump of coal for Christmas. He was rested for the Boxing Day Test. Not dropped. Rested. Starc was 22 at the time, and was entering what team management called a “danger period” due to his heavy workload. “We don’t want a high-risk strategy,” chairman of selectors John Inverarity said at the time. Australia’s then coach, Mickey Arthur, said Starc “took it very well”.Perhaps Starc was just a good actor, because that decision still irks him. Four years on, Starc is the leader of Australia’s attack, the No.6-ranked Test bowler in the world, and the owner of 136 Test wickets. And he is still waiting for his first Boxing Day Test. He enters this year’s Melbourne Test having sent down 56 overs in Australia’s win over Pakistan at the Gabba – his highest workload in any first-class game – but don’t expect Starc to rest this time.”It’s happened before. He’s in the other camp now, I think,” Starc said in Melbourne on Friday, referring to Arthur, now the coach of Pakistan.It is perhaps surprising that Starc has not played a Boxing Day Test, for it feels that he has been a fixture in the side for many years. But in 2012 he was rested; in 2013 he missed the whole home Ashes due to a stress fracture of the back; in 2014 he was dropped from the XI that beat India in Brisbane to accommodate Ryan Harris, who was returning from injury; and in 2015, Starc missed the second half of the summer due to an ankle injury.”There’s a few of us in the rooms that are yet to play one,” Starc said. “Personally, as a kid growing up watching the Boxing Day Test, it’s always been a dream of mine to play in front of a full house at the MCG on Boxing Day. If I get the chance this week I’ll tick that one off and it’ll be a fantastic experience to walk out and sing that anthem. To play a Boxing Day Test will be pretty special.”The heavy workload of Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Brisbane – Hazlewood also bowled 56 overs, his highest tally in a first-class match – has led Australia’s selectors to include uncapped allrounder Hilton Cartwright in the squad. There is a chance they could bring Cartwright in at the expense of No.6 Nic Maddinson to ease the burden on the fast men, although Starc said he felt fine after the Gabba Test.”Whether we’ve got three quicks and a spinner or three quicks, an allrounder and a spinner, there’s going to be times when we have high workloads and times when we dont” he said. “So I guess it comes back to us and making sure we can take ten wickets quicker than 130 overs, and then no one’s asking that question. Whichever way they go this week, we’ll prepare to bowl a lot of overs if we need, and if not, perfect.”The last ball I bowled in that Test match, which was in my 56th over, was 149 clicks, so no issues on my end. I can only speak for myself. You’d have to ask the other quicks if they’re any different. A Boxing Day Test just gets everyone up and ready to go.”Should the selectors decide not to change their winning XI, it will mean another chance for Nic Maddinson, who has made 0, 1 and 4 in the three innings of his fledgling Test career. Starc knows all too well how difficult it can be to gain traction as a Test cricketer without being given a decent run in the side – for the first few years of his career he was often in one Test and out the next – and he hopes Maddinson is given another chance.”I guess I’ve been in a similar position in a way, where I’ve been in and out quite often through the start of my career,” Starc said. “There were some times when I was back more and given more of a chance and a longer run of cricket, where my performances started to pick up and I got that consistency in my game.”I definitely think ‘Maddo’ should get another chance. In the end it’s up to the selectors, but continued cricket at this level can only help him. It would be a great opportunity for him on Boxing Day after we’ve had a couple of wins together as a unit, so it would be nice to stick together.”It would also give Maddinson a chance to prove his credentials against the red ball, for so far he has played only pink-ball Test cricket, against South Africa in Adelaide and then against Pakistan in Brisbane. Starc is pleased to be returning to the red-ball game, with the pink Kookaburra having proven hard work for the fast bowlers at the Gabba.”We won’t have to worry about a pink one for the rest of the summer, thankfully,” Starc said. “I think they’ve come a long way with the pink ball where it’s improved a lot since they first introduced it, but it still doesn’t wear like a red ball. It’s a ball that’s really hard to get to go reverse because the leather is different. When it wears it sort of cracks and splinters off, whereas the red one scratches and creates a rough side where you can reverse it.”I still think there’s a way to go where they’re very similar. But look, Kookaburra are working really hard and I’m sure they’ll get there eventually. And the product is a fantastic thing, when you see the numbers and the spectacle that is day-night cricket. It’s definitely here to stay. The ball’s just got to catch up.”

Andrew Flintoff has urged the ECB to resist the introduction of new teams into the domestic T20 tournament and rely instead on a restructured tournament involving the current 18 first-class counties

George Dobell10-Feb-2017Andrew Flintoff has urged the ECB to resist the introduction of new teams into the domestic T20 tournament and rely instead on a restructured tournament involving the current 18 first-class counties.Flintoff, the former England captain and current PCA president, believes some supporters will be “alienated” by new team identities, especially if they named after cities, and warns that the charm of the game will be diminished if players’ loyalty towards their local side is abandoned.”I wanted to play for Lancashire all my life,” Flintoff told former England team-mate, Rob Key, in a Sky Sports podcast. “I didn’t want to play for Manchester. I’d play for Preston, don’t get me wrong. But Manchester doesn’t have that same thing for me. You look at Yorkshire: are you going to play as Leeds and alienate everyone from Barnsley? If you call it Manchester, you’re going to alienate the Scousers.”You turn it into a football scenario. Loyalty goes out of the game. You just go to the highest bidder. Year in, year out, you’re playing for a different teams.”This is where cricket is separated from the likes of football. Look at the top football teams: you’re telling me Sergio Aguero, as a kid, wanted to play for Man City?”Why does it matter? Because I find in football, the fans are the most loyal people. Not the players or the managers or anybody else. In cricket, we still have an element of loyalty. You played your whole career at Kent; I did the same at Lancashire. The Yorkshire lads are the same. There’s a real pride in playing for your county. I wouldn’t want that to be lost. It’s something that is quite charming about cricket.”Claiming the standard of the Big Bash League was no better than the NatWest Blast – he has appeared in both in recent years – Flintoff cautioned against applying the Australian model in England.”Everyone looks at the Big Bash and says ‘this is brilliant’ and ‘this is what we should do in England’ but I don’t think the standard is any better,” Flintoff said. “The pitches are a lot better.”But the worst thing you can do is compare the Big Bash. Let’s get ours right. The Big Bash has been six years in the making and has started making a profit in the last two years. Before that it was running at a loss.”And, 9pm on Friday at Old Trafford: if you’re watching Lancashire or Manchester, it’s still going to be cold. The weather isn’t going to be any better.”Flintoff did suggest that some aspects of the Big Bash League could be copied, though. But while he appreciated the briefings from commercial teams about the importance of the players understanding the need to reach out to a new audience, he still concluded that a system of promotion and relegation involving all 18 first-class counties would serve English T20 better than a new team competition.”Before we bowled a ball at Brisbane Heat, the commercial department came in and told us what was required of us on and off the field to grow the fan base,” he said. “I’ve never done that with Lancashire. They sat us down and told us about all the interviews we would be doing and what we were expected to do. All the players bought into it. I’d never had that in the county system. Nobody had ever told me what they expected beyond a few runs and wickets.”Why do you need city cricket? I don’t think the NatWest Blast has been done as well as it could. Let’s get the NatWest Blast right, let’s get the format right and put a load of energy into that rather than worrying about a new tournament. Play it in a block. Two divisions, up and down.”Northamptonshire won last year. But will Northants, the best team in the country, be one of the cities? Will they heck. And another thing: you’ll have 200 lads, during the summer, not playing cricket. What are they going to do?”I don’t know if they’ve done this, but they should go to Surrey and see what they’re doing. They play in front of packed houses week in, week out. You see a Surrey game on TV and there’s life and atmosphere and they get full houses.”While Flintoff is a bit loose on a few details – the ECB are looking more at regional rather than city identities for the new teams and those players not involved are scheduled to play a 50-over tournament instead – his words will strike a chord with many traditional cricket lovers. That is not the audience the ECB is targeting with the new team competition, however, and it seems all but inevitable that the new tournament will be launched in 2020.It must also be noted that the company that manages Flintoff is chaired by Surrey chairman Richard Thompson. Surrey have been the strongest opponent of the new team competition among the counties.