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Steven showed he was ready to slot into England’s team if the call came but his team-mate Tim Murtagh was equally, if not more, impressive

David Lloyd at Lord's30-May-2012
ScorecardSteven Finn took three wickets in front of national selector Geoff Miller•Getty Images

Steven Finn made enough of a mark on the first day of this contest to indicate he is ready, willing and able should England decide to rest a fast bowler or two and make changes ahead of next week’s final Test against West Indies. But if Middlesex go on to win this game then the new-ball burst of Tim Murtagh may prove to have been the crucial element.Sussex, with barely time to draw breath following Monday’s Championship loss to Nottinghamshire, were staggering horribly inside the first hour after winning what appeared to be a good toss on a bright, sunny morning. Murtagh, hitting the seam instantly while Finn searched for his radar following a week on international 12th man duty, soon had them 16 for 3.The visitors recovered pretty well, with 70s from both Ed Joyce and Ben Brown and a more than useful 38 by Naved Arif, to finish in touching distance of 250, but Middlesex look to have the edge.Murtagh is one of those too often unsung county stars – a bowler who rarely delivers a bad spell but does not often pick up a stack of wickets. And, when he does, a ‘bigger’ name usually puts him in the shade.Today, understandably, most eyes – including, presumably, those of watching national selector Geoff Miller – were on Finn. And the big lad could not be faulted for effort, pace or menace once he found his range. Finn finished the day with 3 for 65 from 23 overs but, quite properly, Murtagh outdid him with 4 for 41 from 20.The way this match began we might easily have been back in April when wickets were tumbling here, there and just about everywhere and, horror of horrors, Surrey boss Chris Adams was being highly critical of the Lord’s pitch used for his side’s nerve-tingling three-run defeat. We might have been back in April, but we were not.For a start, there was real warmth coming from this morning’s sun. And, regardless of what may or may not have happened at HQ a month or so ago, the five wickets which Sussex lost before lunch, can be put down to a mix of skilful new-ball bowling, poor shot selection and leaden-footed stroke-play.Certainly, Sussex were happy enough to bat first after winning the toss – especially their bowlers, most probably. Given that the domestic season starts in early April and runs through to mid-September, there seems no real excuse for any team to have to play on nine out of 10 days, starting with a day-night game.They looked to be in a bit of a trance, for sure, although the in-form Chris Nash could argue that he would do well to survive the beauty he received, second ball up, from Murtagh whenever or wherever he received it. Lifting and leaving the right-handed Nash late, it brushed the outside edge.That set the tone, really. While Finn had a bit of trouble with his direction early on, Murtagh regularly hit the seam and drilled a challenging line on or just outside off stump. Add some less than sparkling batting – Mike Yardy played a horrible shot away from his body before Luke Wright drove ambitiously without much foot movement – and Sussex were in all sorts of bother at 66 for 5 after 90 minutes or so.Thanks to opener Joyce, playing against his old county, and Brown, meltdown was averted with a stand of 81. But both eventually fell to Finn (Joyce caught down the leg-side and Brown edging a fast, full delivery to slip) and it needed Arif’s contribution to prevent Sussex from falling away again.As always, it will be a lot easier to judge how much of a foothold the visitors have given themselves once both teams have batted once, but – for now – they are just about hanging in there.

The batsman’s residency status is causing issues but the coach is in no doubt he is a Test player

Andrew McGlashan02-Apr-2021New Zealand coach Gary Stead is hopeful that issues around Devon Conway’s ability to leave and return to the country in the prevailing Covid-19 border restrictions will be sorted in time for him to be part of the Test squad to travel to England in May.The tour includes two Tests against England and then the World Test Championship final against India at the end of June. Conway, who qualified for New Zealand last August, has yet to make his Test debut but after a stellar season in limited-overs cricket, he has made an almost irrefutable case for a place in the squad, although how he gets into the XI remains a puzzle for the selectors.Under current New Zealand government border regulations, only permanent residents of the country can leave and return because of the Covid-19 processes involved. Although Conway qualified for national duty last year, his residency application remains to be completed – with the pandemic adding to the delay – so either that needs to be fast-tracked or an exemption will need to be gained.Related

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“Think it’s still in the pipeline but my understanding is Devon has been spoken to and is hopeful everything will be in place before [the tour],” Stead said. “You’ve all seen how Devon’s played this year; think I want him part of that Test squad, definitely.”I knew he was a good player, guess at times you can be pleasantly surprised how people make that adjustment. Devon looks like he’s got all the skills of being an amazing player. We are very fortunate that we’ve had people in our squad like Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson and you see someone like Devon Conway come along and you think here’s another guy who could be in that class.”New Zealand will take a large squad of 20 players on the England tour•Getty Images

New Zealand will take a squad of 20 to England – the group will be named next Thursday – so there is plenty of room for Conway, but there isn’t an easy answer for who he replaces in the XI if he is to make his debut. Will Young was preferred as the next-in-line batsman earlier in the season against West Indies.Apart from captain Williamson, Taylor, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls would appear to be locked in. But with an average of 29.75 in his last nine Tests, the spotlight could come on Taylor, which potentially leaves one batting slot unless the balance of the side is changed to leave out an allrounder.There could be a short-term opening for the first Test against England, which starts June 2, if Williamson is unavailable because of his IPL commitments, but that would only kick the longer-term decision down the road.Tom Blundell has been Latham’s most recent opening partner (Young replaced him for one Test this season when Blundell took the gloves) but although Conway averages over 60 at No. 3 in first-class cricket, opening would not be his natural position.New Zealand have rotated their No. 7 between Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner this season, depending on conditions, and if they feel able to go into a Test with just four specialist quicks, Conway could play as another batsman.The early part of the England tour is likely to be a bit of a juggling act for New Zealand. There is the potential for IPL players to arrive at various stages depending on when their teams are knocked out, and then their availability would be based on any quarantine required, although at this stage Stead expects everyone to be available for the second Test. The initial 20-man squad will then be trimmed to 15 for the WTC final.”It’s an interesting time at the moment because there’s a whole heap of different moving parts. We’ve selected what we think our XI is likely to be – or 12-13 depending on conditions – then looked that we have cover for each of those spots as well,” Stead said of picking the larger squad. “They’ll still be people disappointed to miss the squad and again think that’s the great thing about the depth we are showing at the moment.”The final round of the Plunket Shield takes place this weekend with some New Zealand players involved then those on contract will have two or three weeks off before a series of training camps are arranged ahead of the England trip with the squad due to depart mid-May.

Yorkshire’s match with Hampshire fizzled out on the final day as rain ensured a draw

Myles Hodgson at Headingley19-May-2012
ScorecardMitchell Starc made his first appearance for Yorkshire while on duty as 12th man•Getty Images

Yorkshire may well have made a public declaration of their desire to play attacking cricket in the aftermath of last week’s stunning victory at Bristol but sometimes even the most cavalier of intentions are defeated by the weather and their draw against Hampshire resulted in a more old-fashioned finish.As final days go, there could not have been a bigger contrast between the thrills and spills of Yorkshire’s successful chase of 400 and the sedate close to play at Headingley, with both sides seeming to accept little chance of a positive result almost as soon as bad light and drizzle delayed the start until 12.30pm, losing 24 overs from the day’s allocation.The time lost ensured a traditional final-day’s fare without the prospect of either county winning, and both sides were happy to go through the motions once Hampshire resumed 49 runs ahead on 21 for 1. Yorkshire did make some impression on the scoreboard, Iain Wardlaw finding Jimmy Adams’ edge shortly after a delayed lunch, but otherwise both teams played out time.Hampshire grumbled about the timing of Yorkshire’s declaration the previous day, with captain Adams claiming: “It could have kept more options open if they had declared earlier, but we had to concentrate on our own game to bowl them out and, unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that.” What sort of target Hampshire would have been comfortable setting after the pyrotechnics of Bristol is also open to speculation.Yorkshire were happy to rotate their bowlers, and indeed used seven in total during a day’s play which must have been frustrating for the handful of spectators, who at least had the chance to witness Jonny Bairstow’s maiden Test innings from the Long Room as a result of the delayed start.Once play did resume, Michael Carberry set the tone by taking 35 minutes to hit his first runs of the day and batting for nearly three hours to finish unbeaten on 61, when both sides accepted the draw with Hampshire 219 runs ahead on 191 for 2.At least those present got their first chance to see Mitchell Starc, the Australia left-arm fast bowler, in a Yorkshire sweater for the first time. Denied the opportunity to make his debut earlier through a visa irregularity, he made his first appearance on 12th-man duties having been discounted from making his debut in this match after a gruelling spell of 14 flights in 12 days.”Mitchell has been training and we just thought it was too much of an ask to play him against Hampshire after all the issues and the amount of travel he’s done,” Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s head coach, said. “It wouldn’t have been fair to the lad to come in when you want to try and impress for a new team. I don’t think picking him for this match would have given him the best chance to succeed.”He’s a great lad who works incredibly hard and brings that X-factor. He has genuine pace and he can bowl 90mph and swing the ball and anyone who bowls that pace and swings it is going to be a dangerous customer.”Instead, 22-year-old Starc will make his debut in Sunday’s CB40 match against Derbyshire Falcons at Headingley – the first of three such matches in the next week – before making his first Championship start at home to Northamptonshire in a fortnight.Yorkshire are still to determine how long Starc will be at their disposal following his call-up to the Australia A squad to tour England later this summer. Assuming he is not also required for a pre-tour training camp, Starc will definitely miss three Championship matches, up to four CB40 games and a T20 quarter-final, should Yorkshire qualify, so he is keen to maximise his involvement with Yorkshire while he can.”It’s been a bit of back and forth but I’m glad to be here now,” Starc said. “I’ve had a few sessions with the seconds and hopefully I can get out there and play a bit of cricket tomorrow. When I finally got here and got settled the sleeping patterns weren’t too bad. I’m a little bit fatigued but sleeping wise I’m pretty good. I’m just glad to be here, running around and I’m raring to go.”

Nottinghamshire will resume their second innings on 49 without loss against Championship winners Warwickshire, having wiped out their first innings deficit

12-Sep-2012
ScorecardNottinghamshire will resume their second innings on 49 without loss against Championship winners Warwickshire, having wiped out their first innings deficit.The Bears were bowled out for 204 on a day shortened by rain, with Andy Carter leading the way for the hosts to finish with four wickets for 55 runs, Warwickshire allrounders Rikki Clarke and Ian Blackwell both making 37. Notts openers Neil Edwards and Sam Kelsall then put on 49 inside 13 overs before rain wiped out the rest of the day shortly after lunch.The day’s action means that the match has effectively becomes a single innings shoot-out, with Notts aiming for their first win since May to boost their chances of a second-placed finish in Division One.Warwickshire resumed their first innings on 139 for 6, with Blackwell and Clarke looking to increase their 42-run partnership for the seventh wicket. But Blackwell only added nine to his overnight score of 28 before he got a thick outside edge to a cut shot off Ben Phillips that was held at head height by Steven Mullaney at second slip.Clarke then offered no stroke to be bowled by Carter four overs later, with the lanky fast bowler softening up new batsman Chris Wright with a couple of venomous short deliveries. That paved the way for Paul Franks to have the tailender caught behind driving outside off stump, before Franks wrapped up the innings by having Jeetan Patel caught at first slip.While Edwards and Kelsall had been faced with batting in testing conditions at the start of the first day, the pitch seemed to offer less assistance to the Warwickshire seam attack second time around. The pair proceeded without real alarm and both had hit three fours when rain ended play, Kelsall on 25 not out and Edwards unbeaten on 16.

It’s taken him time to get to international cricket, and on Sunday, he showed that he belonged there

Danyal Rasool08-Nov-2020Usman Qadir just couldn’t get an international game. Until this series. Until today. This second T20I against Zimbabwe might be the occasion Qadir looks back on as the one that made him a serious spin option for the national team in short-format cricket.there was a brief period where the possibility of representing that side didn’t appear unrealistic; his international prospects in Pakistan seemed bleak at any rate. That soon petered out, though, and last year, out of nowhere, seemingly, head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq brought him in from the cold to tour Australia. He never got a game, though, and when he was picked for the third T20I against Bangladesh in January, it was rained off before the toss could be had. On that rain-soaked day, Qadir’s drought continued.When Shadab Khan was ruled out of the ODI series against Zimbabwe because of an ankle injury, it looked like that would be the format Qadir would make his debut in. But Pakistan went with Imad Wasim as the spin frontman, and just the pacers for the final ODI. Finally, belatedly, when he was handed his Pakistan debut in the first T20I, figures of 3-0-24-1 barely caused any ripples.ALSO READ: My father wished I would wear the Pakistan star – Usman QadirOn Sunday, it began inauspiciously enough, when Wesley Madhevere pounced on a long hop to dispatch him to cow corner off his first ball. But that was the only time Qadir put a foot wrong all day.Qadir didn’t concede another run to Madhevere all over, and should have had him lbw with a perfect googly that spun sharply to crash into his pads; replays showed it would also have crashed into leg stump. But the umpire remained unmoved and Pakistan puzzlingly didn’t review. Qadir, however, seemed to have found the zone where his confidence and talent were in perfect harmony, and, over the next 18 balls, begun to weave a web Zimbabwe had no clue how to untangle.Sikandar Raza lasted just two balls against him, hopelessly defeated in the flight as he charged the bowler, the googly knocking back his stumps. “That Sikandar Raza dismissal was my favourite moment,” Qadir later told the PCB’s media channel. “He charged me and I bowled the wrong one that he missed and got bowled off it. I enjoyed myself a lot. This is international cricket, and only if you perform will you stay in the side. In T20 cricket, if you look aggressively for wickets, that helps you out a lot.”ALSO READ: Usman Qadir, Pakistan’s new legspinning hopeThat is precisely what Qadir did. Unafraid of tossing the ball up, of daring the batsmen to attack him, he found great balance between aggression and discipline. He bowled the googlies liberally, but didn’t overdo them. He continued to give the ball air, but was perfect with his line and length, so there weren’t many opportunities to hit him. And he wasn’t to be denied Madhevere’s wicket in the end, drawing him into a sweep the batsman failed to execute. It caught his pads once more, and this time, the umpire raised his finger.Even when Elton Chigumbura seemed like he had got the measure of the legspinner, hitting through the line back over his head for six and swiping the next ball for four, Qadir was determined to have the last laugh. The final ball of his spell was a picture-perfect legspinner, tossed up enough to coax the batsman out of his crease, and spinning sharply enough to leave him stranded. It gave Mohammad Rizwan the easiest stumping and Qadir his third wicket – giving him figures of 4-0-23-3 all told.”When I played the first match, I was a little nervous, as one can get before playing their first match. I was told I bowled well though and was backed by the team, just told not to repeat the mistakes I made during the first match,” he said. “So I worked on them. The management and the captain gave me confidence during the second match so I felt I bowled with a lot more maturity today. I felt my googly was spinning, even though the legbreak wasn’t doing as much. I’ll continue this performance level in future hopefully.”It was a performance Shadab would have been proud of. Indeed, it might have left a certain Abdul Qadir beaming, too.

Cameron Green will play his first day-night first-class match at the SCG on Friday

Andrew McGlashan09-Dec-2020Adam Gilchrist believes the Australia selectors should rubberstamp Joe Burns’ place in the Test line-up before the pink-ball warm-up game against India at the SCG to allow him to play with a freedom that may help break his run drought.It is a conversation that may well already have taken place and Burns has had plenty of backing in recent weeks from selectors and team-mates, but two more low scores at Drummoyne Oval for Australia A – caught behind trying to leave a ball and then dragging on a drive – left him with a tally of 61 runs in seven innings for the summer.The subsequent concussion suffered by Will Pucovski and the groin injury that has ruled out David Warner have added to the question marks over the opening positions for the day-night Test in Adelaide.The wording of national selector Trevor Hohns’ remarks on Wednesday – where he said Burns had enjoyed “excellent” preparation and that the second Australia A match would “round it out nicely” – did not suggest a player about to be jettisoned.ALSO READ: David Warner ruled out of first Test against India“It may be the sensible thing to do, say don’t worry, you are going to walk out there in Adelaide now gain some exposure against Bumrah and whoever the Indians serve up under light,” Gilchrist said at a Fox Cricket BBL launch event.”That would be a good sensible approach to clear any doubts out, that he has the backing, he’s not playing a trial game, he’s just having a practice game to sharpen up for Adelaide.”Nothing ever seems to be a perfect science. You can get nicked out and go into the Test a big negative of mind because you haven’t got the runs, but 10 balls into your Test innings you can that’s what it feels like and you are away.”The selectors have yet to add any batting reinforcements to the squad but it is expected that Marcus Harris, who will open with Burns for Australia A, will be added as cover for Pucovski. However, they may need to consider more than one extra batsman given that very last-minute additions are still not possible under the Covid-19 protocols for the tour.That could open the door for an experienced player such as Usman Khawaja although there was no indication that he was about to leave the Sydney Thunder BBL squad currently in Canberra.”If you went to Khawaja, I don’t think he’d see it as just one game, he’d say he’d make it hard to drop me now and eye a few more years in the Australian team,” Gilchrist said. “Marcus has had some Test experience, done a lot right in the Shield season. I don’t think we are bereft of strong options, just working out which is the correct one.”The second Australia A match will also be another chance for Cameron Green to impress in what will be his first experience of pink-ball cricket. It remains unlikely he will force his way into the Test side for Adelaide, but his unbeaten 125 and a brace of wickets at Drummoyne continued to mount his case. He will likely be facing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami as they prepare for the Test series.”I’ve never faced it [the pink ball] before, for whatever reason I keep dodging the day-night games in domestic cricket, so I’ll have a training session today and that will be the first time I’ll face it or bowl with it so that will be pretty interesting,” Green said. “There’s a lot of guys in the team who have played pink ball before so will try to bounce as many ideas off them as I can.”I’ve spoken to a few guys, they say if you are batting at night but you are already in it seems okay, just when you are new to the crease it’s very tough to get yourself in.”From the India attack he faced in the first game, he picked out the “world-class skill” of Umesh Yadav as the most challenging of the bowlers. “He was bowling down breeze on a wicket that had a bit in it so that was incredibly tough,” he said.Bowling-wise, Green said he was on track with where he and the coaching staff had hope he would be as he continues to be limited to a handful of four-over spells. He expects that level to be maintained for at least another couple of weeks before any increase is considered.

Chigumbura – who has past personal success in Pakistan to draw from – also says Super-League points are on Zimbabwe’s mind

Danyal Rasool21-Oct-2020For much of the first decade of his career, Elton Chigumbura was among the first names on the Zimbabwe team sheet. Known for his power-hitting at a time when Zimbabwe lacked players with that attribute, and crucial to balancing the side thanks to his ability to bowl medium pace, Chigumbura seemed to be the full package. But, over the past five years, people’s patience with the 34-year-old, no matter how decorated his CV, has seemingly begun to run thin.There was forensic scrutiny in Zimbabwe after Chigumbura kept his place in the side for the upcoming tour to Pakistan. For one, he’s no longer a bowler, just a middle-order batsman. And one who has scored a grand total of one half-century in ODI cricket in the past five years, and managed a T20I score higher than 35 in just one innings since May 2015.Speaking to the media after the Zimbabwe team landed in Pakistan to play three T20Is and three ODIs, and having begun a six-day quarantine period, Chigumbura said injuries had played a part in the drop in his performance, but he was raring to go once more.”I have struggled with my form,” he said. “I had a couple of injuries that put me away for quite some time. So it was down to my injuries I was out for almost a year, not playing international cricket. And when I came back again, I got another injury, for which I had to go and get surgery done. Right now, I’m looking forward to this series, hopefully to get back to where I was. And these wickets in Pakistan are good wickets to bat on. So hopefully I can carry on from last time when I was in Pakistan.”I am fully fit now. I got an Achilles injury last year. When I was about to just start playing again, then the Covid-19 pandemic happened. So I’m happy to be back in the squad. Hopefully we get a chance to enjoy every moment.”Chigumbura has reason to be optimistic about his prospects in Pakistan. When Zimbabwe became the first side to visit the country after the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team, the-then 29-year-old was the star of the visiting side. He struck a career-best 54 in the first T20I, before going on to smash a 95-ball 117, also a career high, in his only ODI innings as the visiting side posted 334 in their 50 overs. He would carry on that form, making it back-to-back hundreds by hitting an unbeaten 104 against India six weeks later. He was in the form of his life, before it all suddenly slipped away.But when you’re around the Zimbabwe set-up for as long as he has been, you’ll likely have seen enough rough times to understand there is a way to come out of it.Elton Chigumbura winds up for a big hit•AFP

“We have to try and start winning games. Everyone is really focused. It’s not just the series that will determine our future – every game that you play in the [ODI] Super League is very important for the team so that we qualify for the next World Cup overseas. And we take it one game at a time, but everyone in the team is very ready and eager to go.”It’s important that we have to play to win, not to just compete. So all those mindsets are things that we have spoken about in training and everyone is aware of what we need to do as a team and as individuals when it comes to these international games. And hopefully we start on a good note.”I believe we can be competitive. We came here to win. Everyone, they’re willing to go out there and express themselves. Everyone is raring to go, especially after being out of cricket for almost six, seven months.”Chigumbura insisted the absence of their head coach, Lalchand Rajput, would not have an adverse effect on the side. Rajput, a former Indian cricketer, pulled out of the tour of Pakistan after the Indian High Commission in Zimbabwe wrote to Zimbabwe Cricket requesting he be exempted from touring Pakistan. As a result, bowling coach Douglas Hondo took over full coaching duties for the tour, and Chigumbura said the side would be in regular touch with Rajput online.”Nothing’s going to change. The same system, same system coaches that were under him are the ones that are leading the team. So all the values of the team are still the same. We’re having a meeting over a conference call and I’m sure he’ll be part of the strategy. So it’s just a matter of us as players to carry on and make sure that we implement what he always emphasised to us.”Chigumbura said the mood in the camp this time was worlds removed from when they last visited in terms of Zimbabwe’s outlook on security in Pakistan. “Obviously it’s good to be back in Pakistan. The first time we came here five years ago, everyone was a bit scared. But I think the way they hosted us last time, we are confident that we are in safe hands and so far everyone is comfortable. And after having our first training session today, we are looking forward to the matches.”Much has changed in Pakistan and elsewhere in the five years since Zimbabwe arrived on these shores in May 2015. But when he steps out in the middle, Chigumbura will be hoping things go back to the way they were when he last felt ball on bat in Pakistan.

“It can be quite tough because you are surrounded by four walls the whole time and that can be a factor mentally”

Firdose Moonda23-Nov-2020South Africa’s cricketers are gearing up for a summer inside “luxury prisons” as they move from one biosecure bubble to the next for series against England, Sri Lanka, Pakistan (away, potentially, and at home) and Australia. Although Kagiso Rabada expects it to be difficult, he hopes the squad can keep perspective about their privilege.”It can be quite tough. You can’t interact. You’ve basically lost your freedom. It’s almost like luxury prisons we are in. But we have to remind ourselves that we are fortunate,” Rabada said. “People have lost their jobs, people are struggling at the moment, so we must be grateful for the opportunity we have been given to make some money and to do what we love.”And we don’t get treated too badly. We stay in great hotels. We get the best food. It’s like a spoilt kid not getting what they want at the candy store. It can be quite tough because you are surrounded by four walls the whole time and that can be a factor mentally. But just remind yourself of all the good things that are happening and once we start playing, it will take away from the desolate times.”ALSO READ: Kagiso Rabada 100% in support of BLM movement – but South Africa won’t be kneelingRabada has just returned from the IPL, where he was in a bubble for 11 weeks, having spent the previous six months in some form of lockdown imposed by the South African government to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The extended period of isolation did not appear to have any adverse effects on his game. In fact, one could argue the opposite. Rabada finished the IPL as its top wicket-taker, raising questions over how much he needed a break, and how he will fit in more time off in the future.”The break helped to refresh the body and to take the mind off of a lot of things,” he said. “But I don’t know if long extended breaks will happen in future because cricket is getting more and more. I’m not sure how much of it is due to a long break, but I don’t think it will happen a lot in the future. I don’t think we will get breaks that long unless we get Covid-20.”The bad joke aside, with a packed schedule on the horizon, Rabada hopes to work with the national management team to ensure he gets regular time off to stay at his best.”When I first got in, I just really wanted to play every game and it’s not that that ambition has gone but now it is about being smart with it,” he said. “You have to realise there is a long career ahead, there is a lot of cricket and it’s about how can I stay fresh. It is going to take some good communication between myself, coach, fitness trainer and medical staff. I definitely do have a say [in when I get time off]. It’s about me taking advice from the medical staff and medical staff hearing me out.”But it is also about making sure playing cricket stays fun. Rabada put down some of his excellence at the IPL to the nature of the tournament, which is both sexier and not as “serious” as international cricket.”There’s a lot more superstardom hype,” he said. “There are big media and content creation teams. There’s a huge following. International cricket is more serious. Although we do have fun in international cricket because you are with guys that you know and we have jokes in the team, it’s a lot more serious. The IPL has a bit more fun to it, without saying that there is no fun in international cricket. Of course there is, but I think international cricket is held in a higher prestige.”What both forms of the game – T20s’ extravaganza and international cricket – have in common for now, is that they are being played behind closed doors which Jofra Archer said takes away some of the enjoyment. Rabada agreed but seemed to suggest that spectators did not have a real impact on results.”The crowd plays its role. A big role. We have our supporters and they add to the drama. But at the end of the day, if I am running in to Joe Root, or whoever, it’s a contest between me and him,” Rabada said. “The crowd can get you going but at the end of the day, no one is bowling the ball for you.”Still, the closed doors and long stays in hotel rooms all make for a “quite bizarre” situation where team-mates don’t see each other, socialising is limited and everything is sanitised. “We have to train in groups now. There’s a group of non-contacts and a group of close contact,” Rabada said. “The team is doing well at sticking to the strict rules that have been set in place. It’s challenging and really bizarre.”And for South Africa, things have already got complicated. Two players returned positive for Covid-19 test results since arriving in Cape Town, causing their intra-squad practice match to be cancelled. Another round of tests will take place in the lead up to Friday’s series start, which will mark a return of international action in the country for the first time since March. Let the summer of luxury prison-time begin.

Tim Southee hopes New Zealand will build on their hammering of Zimbabwe and get to celebrate many more Test wins

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2012In Hobart last December, after winning a Test in Australia for the first time in 26 years, New Zealand celebrated their achievement in a new way. The players strolled out to the pitch in their whites, sang a team song, and settled down to enjoy a few drinks to mark the moment. They did it again in Napier after hammering Zimbabwe. Tim Southee said the acting-captain Brendon McCullum was the brains behind the celebration and that New Zealand wanted to make it an often-repeated ritual.”It’s a pledge which has been around a long time,” Southee said. “Brendon McCullum has been driving it. It’s something we will make a tradition as Test wins keep coming.”Of their four Tests this summer, New Zealand have won three, and Southee hoped victory would become a habit for this team. “It’s a great thing to win Test matches. It’s an amazing feeling and we are slowly making a bit of a habit of it. Hopefully we can have this group of guys together for a long time and keep that winning feeling.”In each of those victories, New Zealand displayed a different aspect of their recent development: strong temperament in tight game in Bulawayo, the ability to beat some of the best in Hobart and ruthlessness in Napier. The innings-and-301-run victory at McLean Park could have been more emphatic if most of the second day had not been washed out.”If the rain hadn’t come it could have been all over in two days or two and a half days,” Southee said. “It was a dream day. Days like that are what you play Test cricket for. It was a great to have a win, and to win so convincingly and build on that game from Hobart.”Like they did at Bellerive Oval, New Zealand played four fast bowlers in Napier, on a pitch that assisted the quicks. Seventeen wickets fell to pace, eight of them to Chris Martin, as Zimbabwe were dismissed twice in a day. “We went with the four-seamer attack again. In the first innings everyone chipped in,” Southee said. “But, in the second innings, it was just an outstanding individual performance by Chris. The way he bowled showed there’s still a bit of kick in the old boy yet.”With Martin guiding the young bowlers such as Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, Southee said New Zealand had a good balance. “The experience of the older guys and the excitement of the young guys mixed in is great. We are very excited about what the future holds.”The immediate future holds three ODIs and two Twenty20s against Zimbabwe before the series against South Africa, which Southee calls “the key of the summer,” starting with three T20s and three ODIs. The glut of limited-overs cricket means New Zealand will have to make a speedy adjustment to the format, and Southee was confident they would. “It wasn’t that long ago that we had a white ball in our hands and it shouldn’t take too long to adapt back to that,” he said. “It will just be a narrowing down of skills and practicing death and slower balls, change of pace and things like that.”New Zealand’s first ODI against Zimbabwe is in Dunedin on February 3.

Saeed Ajmal is facing disciplinary action after launching a scathing assessment of the ICC’s attitude towards illegal bowling actions

George Dobell05-Nov-2015Saeed Ajmal is facing disciplinary action after launching a scathing assessment of the ICC’s attitude towards illegal bowling actions.Ajmal, the Pakistan spinner, was forced to re-model his bowling action after testing in September 2014 suggested he exceeded the legal limits by some distance.While he was cleared to return to the professional game in February, his new action appears to provide him with little of the devil his bowling had previously. He has not played international cricket since April and missed his country’s 2-0 series victory over England in the UAE, opponents against whom he claimed 24 wickets at 14.70 on their previous visit in 2012.Now Ajmal has accused the ICC of double-standards, claiming that off-spinners have been unfairly targeted in the purge of illegal bowling actions and suggesting that the players of some countries – notably Pakistan – are more likely to be reported than those from some others. In particular, he delivered an unflattering – and perhaps slanderous – assessment of Harbhajan Singh’s bowling action.The PCB quickly responded by issuing Ajmal with a show notice, while it is possible that legal action could also follow from Harbhajan, whose success in remodelling his bowling action having twice been reported was recently hailed as “fantastic” by ICC chief executive, Dave Richardson.”Why just target the off-spinners?”Ajmal asked in interviews with Zainab Abbas on Dunya News and with Geo Super. “Why not the left-arm spinners, legspinners or fast bowlers?”I can tell you that I have been through this bowling assessment process so many times and have watched and studied this issue so closely that I can vouch that if tests were carried out, there would be many other bowlers whose bowling actions would exceed the 15 degrees extension limit.”I don’t want to take names but there are still bowlers, including fast bowlers, who are violating the new rules but no one is looking at them.”If they put Harbhajan Singh through a proper bowling assessment test now, I can safely tell you he will exceed the 15 degrees limit.”Richardson, speaking at a launch event for the World Cup about 12 months ago, said of Harbhajan: “now there is no question mark about the way he bowls”.Ajmal also questioned the timing of the reports, hinting that he felt it was motivated by a desire to destabilise the Pakistan team.”Just before the World Cup they ruled me and Hafeez out,” he said.”I find it strange that Bilal Asif plays his first two ODIs and doesn’t take many wickets, so no one reports his action. As soon as he takes five wickets, his action is reported by the umpires. They find fault with just two deliveries. I find this a joke.An ICC spokesman, however, insisted that bowlers of all types and of all nationalities were treated equally.”We have a robust and transparent process to test bowlers,” the spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “It is consistent to all countries and all types of bowlers. Indeed, a fast bowler has been reported and players from various nations have been reported.”We have five ICC accredited testing centres around the world in which members of ICC Panel of Human Movement Specialists conduct tests using the ICC Standard Analysis Protocols. These protocols are the same for anyone who undergoes assessment of his bowling action. As a result, following assessments, some bowlers have been cleared to continue bowling; some have needed to re-model their actions.””Furthermore, a player can within seven days after receiving the independent assessment report seek a review of any procedural aspect of his case, but no player has done so.”