Tag Futebol

Chris Gayle has said he plans to treat the 2011 World Cup as his last and believes the West Indies have the “fire power” to emerge triumphant on the subcontinent

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2011Chris Gayle has said he will treat the 2011 World Cup as his last and believes the West Indies have the “fire power” to emerge triumphant on the subcontinent.”This is my third World Cup,” he told reporters in Colombo. “I played in South Africa in 2003 and in the Caribbean four years ago. I don’t know what the future holds and I don’t want to sit back and wait for the next World Cup in four years time.”I am sure we have the team to get the job done for the people of the Caribbean. We have the fire power – the bowling combinations are good, and we have good allrounders and quality in our batting.”How far the West Indies eventually go will depend in part on the starts the explosive Gayle can provide his team. Over the course of his career, the 31-year-old has amassed 7,917 runs at an average of 39 and a strike-rate of 83.74. He also boasts 19 ODI centuries, tied with Brian Lara for the most by a West Indian.”The West Indies have a legacy of winning and I want to give my best to win matches for us,” Gayle said. “Whenever I cross that boundary rope I won’t leave anything on the field. I’m going to give it my all, give it my best shot. I am looking to try and dominate the World Cup,”The team have had a patchy lead-up go the tournament. Their five match-ODI series in Sri Lanka was first postponed due to bad weather, then shrunk to three matches, one of which was, again, rained out. They also haven’t won an ODI against a Test team since beating India in June 2009, but Gayle said they will take it one game at a time while targeting a quarter-final place as a preliminary goal.”We will look to build strength from the early stages and develop as we move along. It won’t be an easy task but it has to be done and we as players have to do it.”He expects the pitches to favour the batsmen and that the proliferation of Twenty20 cricket means most teams “are learning much better how to execute – especially in the Powerplay overs. Ultimately we will have to just wait and see what happens, and as I said before, the team which does the better job on the day will win.”

The PCB has received evidence from the ICC regarding the involvement of Pakistan players in match-fixing. Ijaz Butt, the chairman of PCB, said the evidence concerned old cases

Osman Samiuddin26-Feb-2010Pakistan cricket plunged itself into wholesale confusion as the sniff of match-fixing rolled around once again, this time as a particularly nasty smell. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially seemed to indicate that two players from the current squad were involved in match-fixing, but later insisted that the players, cases and incidents were old ones and that nobody from the current squad was involved. An ICC spokesperson though, told Cricinfo, “The ICC is unaware of the existence of any such reports.”The day began with a report in the , a Pakistan daily, that a player from the current squad was being investigated by a six-man inquiry committee over allegations of match-fixing on Pakistan’s recent tour to Australia. Ijaz Butt, the board chairman, was asked about the story at a press conference in Lahore later in the afternoon. Butt said that he would only comment once the inquiry committee had completed its report and presented its findings.Having sensed something, journalists began to throw match-fixing questions at Butt. To one query, asking whether he believed match-fixing was now eradicated, he said, “I don’t say match-fixing is over or is not happening. I just said that it is very difficult to prove.”Butt then talked about two players against whom the ICC had provided the PCB with definitive proof that they had been involved in match-fixing, without specifying whether they were from the current squad or not. Despite persistent queries he refused to provide further details.One of the journalists, thinking the players were active ones, asked whether the board would take action against them. “You think we haven’t taken action against them?” Butt responded, the implication that the players were current ones, seemingly lost on him. “When we took action, the public accepted that and from my friends sitting around here, no one commented on it.”However, when contacted by Cricinfo, Butt categorically denied that the players and cases he was referring to were current ones. Butt said by bringing up the cases, 10-12 years old, he was merely trying to clarify how the ICC procedure on incidents of match-fixing works between the body and boards.”I was telling them of the procedure the ICC has evolved about how such cases work,” Butt said. “I was telling them that proving match-fixing charges and allegations can be very difficult. One of our friends in Islamabad made allegations against Younis Khan without any proof and look how that has destroyed his career almost.”If there is any match-fixing allegation you can ask the ICC about them and we did verbally. They communicated the two names to us and showed us incontrovertible proof of it. But I can confirm that the players are not from the current squad. The cases I am referring to are old ones and they didn’t happen under our administration.”There remains no clarity on whether the present administration asked the ICC for proof – and thus what sparked the need for such a query – or whether this is an old report sent to a previous PCB administration.The last nine months in Pakistan have witnessed persistent rumours of match-fixing. They first surfaced during Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka last year, where the team – or members of it – were allegedly seen in the company of suspected bookies who were in the same hotel, albeit inadvertently. Pakistan’s spectacular batting collapses, resulting in two Test losses from positions in which it looked difficult to lose, fuelled the speculation.Then, after returning from a semi-final loss in the Champions Trophy in South Africa, Jamshed Dasti, a member of parliament and head of a committee on sports, levelled allegations against Younis Khan and his team, summoning them to a meeting in which Younis handed in his resignation.Speculation has since continued, centering more often than not around the Sydney Test loss in January and a few other performances in Australia. And just recently, Butt made the same revelations – though about two officials, not players – at a senate committee hearing, though that wasn’t as widely reported at the time.

Tasmania allrounder set for a middle-order role in ODIs after being called into Australia’s squad to face South Africa following his successful debut T20I series

Alex Malcolm04-Aug-2025Mitchell Owen says he will not change anything about his batting approach as he prepares to make his ODI debut for Australia later this month following a stunning debut T20I series in the Caribbean.Owen, 23, was an eye-catching inclusion in Australia’s new-look ODI squad for the three home ODIs against South Africa to be played in the northern Queensland towns of Cairns and Mackay starting on August 19. The ODI series follows a three-match T20I series against the same opponents in Darwin and Cairns starting next week, with Owen remaining in the squad following a successful debut series against West Indies where he made scores of 50, 36 not out, 2 and 37, striking at a phenomenal 192.30 batting at No. 6 across the series.Despite his BBL success opening the batting, Owen’s power and poise in the middle and death overs in the Caribbean, as well as his ability to chip in with some medium pace, saw him added to the ODI squad as Australia begins their build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa in the aftermath of the retirements of Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis following the Champions Trophy.Related

• Owen earns ODI call-up to face SA, Labuschagne retained

• Marsh says 'depth is a privilege' as Australia make T20 statement

• Nerves with the ball, calm with the bat, Owen happy with dream debut

Owen revealed he had not been given any indication of where he will bat in the ODI team if he gets a chance, but he said his approach won’t differ from what he showcased in the Caribbean.”If I am opening the batting or if I’m batting down the order, not much will change,” Owen said in Hobart on Monday. “Not much really changes in any form of my cricket. I just try and hit the ball and I feel like if I sort of think ‘defend’, I go into my shell a little bit and it just doesn’t work. So yeah, I’ll be keeping that same mindset.”Owen has only played 17 List A matches for Tasmania. He batted at No. 7 in his first 10 with a highest score of just 16. Tasmania, with the same coaching staff as Hobart Hurricanes, shifted him to open in the Dean Jones Trophy (Australia’s domestic one-day cup) last summer, partly in preparation for him making the same move in the BBL.It was post his BBL success where he really found another gear in 50-over cricket, smashing 48 off 19 and 149 off 69 to set up two winning chases against eventual finalists Victoria and South Australia respectively to end the season.However, as was the case with his T20I debut, Owen is highly likely to get his ODI opportunity in the middle order despite his domestic success at the top. The loss of Maxwell in particular robs Australia of finishing power given Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey are set to retain their middle-order roles. Australia will need to re-jig their top four with ODI acting captain Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green returning after missing the Champions Trophy through injury. Matthew Short also returns to the squad after missing the semi-final against India through injury having made a vital 63 off 66 while opening alongside Travis Head in Australia’s record chase against England in Lahore. Cooper Connolly opened the batting in the semi-final but has not been retained in either the T20I or ODI squads for the South Africa series.There will be a squeeze on for spots in Australia’s T20I side with Head and Short returning after missing the Caribbean series. Australia will likely start to bed their best available top seven against South Africa ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. It means Maxwell, who opened in four of the five T20Is in the Caribbean will return to the middle order as he forecast, with Head likely to partner Marsh at the top while Josh Inglis looks set to remain locked at No. 3 unless Short is trialed there which would change the balance of the middle order.Mitchell Owen has a strike rate of 145.53 in his 17 List A matches•AFP via Getty Images

Green was the Player of the Series at No. 4 while Tim David made a century at No. 5 in St Kitts and Owen looked a ready-made T20I No. 6. With Maxwell being added into the mix, Australia look primed to have a power-packed middle order but who bats where in their first-choice combination remains to be seen. Stoinis is not in the squad for the South Africa T20Is just as he wasn’t in the Caribbean, in part due to his Hundred commitments, but he too is understood to still be in consideration heading towards the T20 World Cup with Australia set to play two more T20I series in October against New Zealand and India where some Test batters like Head and Green might be rested at different stages.Owen will join the squad in Darwin on Wednesday after a rare few days in his own bed. Since the start of April, Owen has played 26 T20s in five different countries across the PSL, IPL, MLC and his international debut.He said he has learned a lot about his own game after experiencing the T20 franchise merry-go-round for the first time in his career.”What I learned was that I have to find my own process and my own training methods to get ready for each game, because you don’t have those chunks of training time to upskill your game, or try new things,” Owen said. “You’ve got to be ready to play every couple of days. So for me, I learned a lot about that and a lot about what I need to get ready. And then obviously, on the different wickets, sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to get, but I think going to the subcontinent for Pakistan and India that held me in good stead for some of the wickets in the MLC and some of the wickets in the West Indies. It’s all just experience and knowledge that I’ve been able to sort of bank.”

The MoU plans to achieve parity in various ways by October 1, 2027

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2024Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) have signed a “historic” four-year MoU to promote gender pay equity within West Indies cricket. A media release said that the MoU “outlines plans to achieve parity in international and regional match fees, international captain’s allowances, international team prize money and regional individual prize money for all West Indies cricketers by 1 October 2027.”The MoU aligns the performance grading criteria for international women’s and regional men’s contracts with the established standards for international men, ensuring a uniform evaluation process across domestic and international cricket from October 1, 2024. Calling it a “groundbreaking development,” the release further said CWI wishes to create a more equitable playing field and an environment where “talent is valued irrespective of gender”.The MoU is for the period between October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2027 and includes all agreements in respect of player remuneration, and updated terms and conditions across the West Indies system.Some of the important features agreed upon in the MoU are:

• Significantly increased team prize money and new individual player rewards
• Full match fees for players in the starting XI and 80% for reserves (effective 1 October 2024)
• All retainers on hold once an NOC is issued for an overseas domestic franchise tournament (effective October 1, 2024)
• The potential for CWI and franchises to award multi-year retainer contracts (up to three years);
• Increased international and regional match fees and ICC tournament fees for all women’s cricketers, to achieve parity by October 1, 2027
• Align international women’s contracts and regional men’s contracts with the performance grading that has been established for the international men

“This is a historic day for West Indies cricket,” Dr Kishore Shallow, president of CWI, said. “As we overhaul the compensation structures and align performance grading, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and progressive cricket framework. This step reflects our unwavering commitment to gender equality and acknowledges the immense contributions of female players to West Indies cricket.”In the preceding year, we undertook substantial enhancements to our travel policy, mandating that the West Indies Senior Women’s team travel business-class on all extended international flights and are accommodated in single rooms during international assignments. This aligns seamlessly with the established policy for West Indies Senior Men’s tours. Today, with the signing of this MOU, we take another significant stride in narrowing the gender gap within our cricketing community.”The release further stated that the “MoU also introduces opportunities for compensation enhancement for both international and regional men, and new team and individual incentive bonuses for the top performers in the system. The top contract band values for men at international and regional level have also been increased, underscoring the commitment to fostering a culture of player growth, improvement and high performance.””Achieving gender parity and equity has always been a strategic objective of our players’ union, and we’ve certainly done so with our female members,” Wavell Hinds, president and CEO of WIPA said. “Without a doubt, this is a truly historic and exciting time for our membership as the MOU addresses most levels of our pay scale. As we operate within a very fluid cricketing landscape, we are duty bound to conscientiously reward our regional and international players within the constraints of CWI’s budget and agree on policies that will produce and promote world class performances.”

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

• How Sri Lanka won an Asia Cup they shouldn't have

• Chameera and Kumara in Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup squad

• Shanaka: 'If you can control your emotions, you can go very far'

“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.

Spinner claims seven to limit Northants’ lead to 12 as tense contest heads for showdown

David Hopps05-Jul-2021This is a high-pressure match as far as the Championship is concerned, but don’t talk to Dom Bess about pressure. He experienced what pressure really means in India during a deeply unsettling England winter. The sort of pressure that does not just have a cricket match at stake but which tears at your very soul.It is something to celebrate therefore that when expectations focused on him as much as at any time this season, his rehabilitation at Yorkshire looked well underway as he turned in career-best figures of 7 for 43 on a used Northampton pitch, the sort that turned just enough for spin bowlers to take centre stage but demanded resilience if they were to succeed.If there was not much turn for Bess on a surface that had previously been used for three T20 fixtures, he bowled with impressive consistency to make use of what variations there were and held Yorkshire together in the face of a stiff Northants challenge.Bess was contentiously dropped by England after taking 17 wickets at 22 runs apiece in three Tests in Sri Lanka and India. His return for the final Test in Ahmedabad was an unhappy one and, although England called him up as cover for the second Test in New Zealand in the Spring, a restorative season was clearly needed.Progress until now has been solid rather than spectacular, but he had reason for satisfaction after working through the Northants order in methodical fashion. Jeetan Patel, England’s spin bowling coach, was on hand and will have been encouraged by what he saw.Yorkshire sneaked past Northants by one run at Headingley in early May, but they have entered their final two Group 3 matches with Northants and Lancashire also contesting the top-two finish required to qualify for Division One in the climax of the Championship season later this summer. With Yorkshire 147 ahead at the close of the second day, with four second-innings remaining, another tension-wracked finale is eminently possible. They would grab a 200-run lead with open arms.The muse was also with Harry Brook once again as unbeaten 76 followed up Bess’ performance with the ball. The leading run-maker in the Blast, he has also had his best Championship season to date, averaging not far short of 40, but is still to add to his two first-class hundreds.Related

• Harry Brook 91*, Lockie Ferguson hat-trick seal Yorkshire spoils on night of Roses drama

• George Hill fits bill as substitute opener helps save face for Yorkshire

• James Anderson's magnificent seven leaves Kent playing catch-up on historic day

• Colin de Grandhomme makes the grand statement with career-best 174 not out

There is a meditative quality to his game, which is based on timing not power, which brings occasional reminders of Michael Vaughan. As he has grown into the season, his little tics and twitches appear to have lessened. Regularly blazing it for four can have that effect.He played with minimal risk, his first half-dozen boundaries coming from deflections or routine punishment of the strayest deliveries. His next boundary, on 57, was his one heartstopping moment as he pulled Ben Sanderson just beyond the dive of Emilio Gay at deep backward square.Yorkshire’s attempt to shore up a weakened batting line-up with a two-match loan deal for Sam Northeast has not paid dividends here at least – he still has next week’s Roses match at Headingley left to make an impression. He has made 3 and 2 here, his second-innings dismissal a frustrating one as Simon Kerrigan turned one past his defensive push and his back foot was deemed not to be behind the line.Kerrigan’s left-arm spin has 4 for 31 in 20 overs to date. George Hill, the main source of resistance in the first innings, and Harry Duke were bowled through the gate, looking for turn, and he then turned one a shade to have Gary Ballance leg before.Spin bowling might be dominating but many wickets have fallen to the one that didn’t turn rather than the one that did, or might have done.Northants, 61 for 2 at the start of the second day, were essentially three down as Luke Procter was absent for a day at least because of a family bereavement. One of those wickets was Kerrigan, a nightwatchman, and Yorkshire’s advantage was only 97.Bess dominated the morning. Brought into the attack for the fifth over, he persisted until the end of the innings, taking six of the seven wickets to fall.For nine overs, Northants’ overnight pair, Ricardo Vasconcelos and nightwatchman Gareth Berg, made Yorkshire sweat and it smacked of unnecessary risk when Berg sought to hit Bess over the top and holed out at mid-on. Bess’ total lack of celebration communicated that, in his mind, this was just the start of a process he felt he had to deliver.He struck twice more in his next three overs. He found Charlie Thurston’s outside edge, pushing forward, for Duke to take the catch, and Yorkshire’s 19-year-old keeper also held on for the prize wicket of Vasconcelos, for 55, clutching the ball to his chest at the second attempt after Vasconcelos had been cramped up, trying to cut.At the Wantage Road End, Duanne Olivier drew occasional inconsistent bounce. That did for Rob Keogh, who fended a lifter to second slip. At 110 for 6, still 48 adrift, Northants needed a partnership and it came from Tom Taylor, the one batter to play with occasional freedom, and Saif Zaib, who laboured for 40 balls over his first three runs before he tried to break Bess’ shackles and just cleared mid-off.The tension was evident when Olivier was refused a catch at the wicket when Zaib was on 2. Adam Lyth, from second slip, provided the histrionics, but presumably Olivier provided the verbals. Certainly, something caused umpires Billy Taylor and Tom Lungley to call up Patterson and Olivier for a dressing-down, enough to take Lyth’s gesticulating into a second act.Bess took a hand immediately after lunch, having Zaib lbw, caught on the crease, and removing the left-handed Wayne Parnell in the same manner in his next over. A few late blows from Taylor took Northants into the lead, but Bess limited the damage to a 12-run advantage on first innings when Ben Sanderson was caught at slip. All is still to play for

Ticket sales stopped at Lucknow and Kolkata after the Indian government’s directive

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Mar-2020The remaining two ODIs of the ongoing series between India and South Africa will be played to empty stadiums. The development comes in the wake of the Indian government directing the BCCI and other national sporting federations including the Indian Olympics Committee on Thursday to “avoid” mass gatherings at sporting events as it takes steps to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Lucknow will be hosting the second ODI on March 15 and Kolkata the final ODI on March 18.Officials at the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and Cricket Association of Bengal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they had received the advisory issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports earlier in the day.The sports ministry’s advisory read: “To deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories and advised the state governments to take appropriate action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897.”You are advised to adhere to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of the people, including spectators.”The UPCA, its secretary Yudhveer Singh said, consulted the BCCI once it had got the government advisory. “Once we received the note from the government we checked with BCCI and then decided to conduct the match without spectators,” Singh said.Former Bengal player Snehasish Ganguly, who is now the CAB secretary, too, said ticket sales were instantly stopped earlier on Thursday. “We have got a clear circular form the central government saying spectators not to be allowed for the matches in the stadium,” Snehasish, who is the elder brother of the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, said. “We stopped the ticket sales as soon as we got the government circular. We had sold 10,000 tickets on . We had also started selling tickets to the [CAB] clubs from Wednesday, but that has also been stopped. The gate sales were scheduled to commence from tomorrow, but that will not happen now.”Snehasish said that financially the staging associations would be affected but the CAB understood these were “sensitive” times and it would comply with the directives.Later on Thursday evening, the BCCI sent out a statement saying it was “working closely with the Government of India along with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare” and after holding discussions with both ministries, it decided that the remaining two ODIs “will be played without any public gathering, including spectators”.For the first ODI in Dharamsala, a decent crowd turned out on Thursday despite the spectre of the pandemic as well rain threat looming large. In the end, the match was washed out without a ball being bowled.

The series is now level at 1-1 after the team’s revival from 46 for 5 in the 11th over

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2019Dipendra Singh Airee spared Nepal’s blushes with an unbeaten 47 as Nepal snuck past UAE by four wickets in a low-scoring thriller at ICC Academy in Dubai.Dipendra helped rescue the side after a top-order collapse left Nepal at 46 for 5 in the 11th over chasing a target of 108. But a crucial 55-run stand with Pawan Sarraf took the game into the final over. Sarraf fell off the first ball of the 20th, caught at long-on, but Dipendra crossed with the ball in the air to be on strike for the following delivery. He promptly drove the bowler Zahoor Khan for six down the ground to level the scores before a slash over backward point clinched victory with three balls to spare in front of 1000 roaring Nepalese supporters.Victory seemed assured for Nepal at the innings break but they nearly threw away the opportunity to level the series with several loose shots. Captain Paras Khadka miscued a drive to cover point off the second ball of the chase to fall for a golden duck to Mohammad Naveed. Pradeep Airee then cut Amir Hayat to the same region in the following over to make it 9 for 2.Vice-captain Gyanendra Malla fell defending down the wrong line to left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed before two more sloppy dismissals put Nepal in a further hole. Karan KC, promoted to No. 3 as a pinch-hitter, did a reasonable job clubbing two fours and a six to reach 20 before he was bowled slogging Imran Haider’s legspin. Sundeep Jora, who had scored his maiden half-century on T20I debut a day earlier, drove Sultan to long-on for 1 on the first ball of the 11th to put half of Nepal’s line-up back in the dugout.But Dipendra held firm and found a willing ally in Sarraf. UAE had an opportunity to break the stand at 59 for 5 in the 14th when Sarraf turned down a single to backward point, but a rushed throw missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end by a long way with Dipendra still five yards short. On 15 at the time, UAE paid dearly as Dipendra saw Nepal home.The low target for Nepal was set up after another exceptional bowling effort spearheaded by Sompal Kami. The fast bowler struck twice in the space of four balls in his opening two overs, getting Ashfaq Ahmed to sky a catch to Malla running in from mid-off before Ghulam Shabber’s attempted cut resulted in a caught behind.Sandeep Lamichhane was on a hat-trick after striking on the final two balls of the Powerplay, getting Shaiman Anwar driving to point before Muhammad Usman edged his first ball to slip to make it 35 for 4. Seamer Abinash Bohara also produced a solid spell with his whippy action to take three wickets in the middle overs to keep UAE pinned back. Opener CP Rizwan battled until the 19th over to make 44 off 43 balls, but only two others reached double-figures for UAE.The two sides play the third and final match of the series at ICC Academy on Sunday.

Thisara Perera is the seventh man to captain Sri Lanka in 2017, a year in which the team has suffered three ODI whitewashes

Madushka Balasuriya29-Nov-20172:57

Arnold: Thisara as captain is exciting

Thisara Perera will lead Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20I teams in India next month*, replacing Upul Tharanga. It is yet another change in leadership for Sri Lanka this year, and as the appointment is only for this series, it is hardly a stabilising long-term appointment.Nevertheless, it will be the 28-year old allrounder’s first experience of the role in 50-over international cricket; he was in charge of a depleted T20I side that took on Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium last month. Thisara is the seventh different man to captain Sri Lanka in 2017, following Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Dinesh Chandimal, Tharanga and Chamara Kapugedera, who have borne the responsibility in one format or the other.”All teams go through tough patches, it’s upto each of us to get past our mental barriers and perform best for our country,” Thisara said after his appointment on Wednesday. “The goal for each one of us is to bring glory to our country. This must be clearly stated. I can confidently say that although India are currently best in the world in all three formats, if you compare each player of our team with any player in the world [not only India] we are on par with the best of the best.”My policy as captain is to stop dwelling on the past and failures, and to march forward together with my team, with our eyes firmly planted on the goal of bringing glory to our motherland,” Thisara said. “I believe that if each player can perform to his individual potential, we can easily win this series.”Thisara’s captaincy, for the time being, is only guaranteed for the India series, as the role of captain will be evaluated on a series-by-series basis going forward until a long-term appointment can be made. With Mathews having relinquished captaincy duties and Chandimal’s position in the limited-overs unit a persistent doubt, the unusual stance taken by SLC to not name a long-term captain with the World Cup less than two years away speaks towards Sri Lanka’s lack of outright leaders in the camp.SLC, however, was impressed with Thisara’s commanding of a young outfit when several first-choice players expressed reluctance to travel to Lahore, with SLC CEO Ashley De Silva noting that it was Perera’s “aggressive” captaincy that had caught their attention.”The selectors noticed that he got a lot of support from the players during the T20 series in UAE and Pakistan, and we expect the same support and cooperation to be extended by the players,” de Silva said. “We felt that he carried out his duties very effectively, and he was also a very aggressive captain. So I think when it comes to ODIs and T20s, that is what is required and the selectors have identified his capabilities.”Chairman of selectors Graeme Labrooy further said: “We are keen to implement our selections policy across the board in all aspects of the game, and Thisara’s appointment is one such move. We believe this is the leadership skillset the team needs right now, and have made this decision specifically with our long-term goals in mind.”Thisara, while acknowledging his poor run of form in limited-overs cricket, pointed to his success in franchise T20 cricket as well as his recent exploits with the World XI for reasons behind his selection. He also expressed hope that the added responsibility of captaincy would signal an upturn in form and consistency going forward.”Even though I’ve played less than half of the limited-overs matches the team has played in 2017, I’ve played a lot of cricket abroad in that time. It’s with those performances in tow that I returned to play for Sri Lanka. Yes, my performance level has been low, and I have been in and out of the team. But now as captain, I am a permanent member of the team, so I hope that means I’ll be able to perform better going forward.”Thisara, who made his debut in December 2009, has played 125 ODIs, with a formidable strike-rate of 108 but an average of only 17. As a bowler, he has taken 133 wickets at 32.62 apiece. His form in recent series, though, has come under some scrutiny. Thisara made only 91 runs – at 18.20 – and picked up a mere four wickets in the ODIs against Pakistan and followed that with 19 runs and three wickets across three T20Is.Sri Lanka’s limited-overs cricket has undergone plenty of upheaval this year. They lost an ODI series for the first time to Zimbabwe, which prompted Mathews to resign. Tharanga was then appointed captain, but under his watch Sri Lanka were whitewashed 5-0 at home by India and 5-0 away by Pakistan.The team was beaten 5-0 in South Africa as well, when Tharanga had been a stand-in captain. His batting form, however, was one of the few bright spots during this period. Tharanga carried his bat, scoring 112 not out against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, and also flayed 119 off only 90 balls against the South Africa attack in Cape Town.Speaking on Tharanga’s role in the team, Labrooy said: “Quite contrary to the baseless speculation on social media sites, Tharanga had not failed us in any way. We want him to keep making big scores and want him to concentrate on his game without burdening him with the captaincy. This is merely a strategic move, and we have discussed it with Tharanga too, who being the 100% team player he is, understands our reasoning and requirement.”We are keen to implement our selections policy across the board in all aspects of the game, and Thisara’s appointment is one such move. We believe this is the leadership skillset the team needs right now, and have made this decision specifically with our long-term goals in mind.”*1345GMT The news was updated after Sri Lanka Cricket issued an official release

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.