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Australia captain thrilled by strong crowds in England and looks forward to next T20I at Lord’s

Valkerie Baynes06-Jul-2023Australia may be looking to arrest a run of two flawed performances, but for their captain Alyssa Healy, it’s far from panic stations after conceding defeat to England in their second T20I before a huge crowd at The Oval.While Australia managed to scrape a four-wicket victory with one ball to spare in the opening match at Edgbaston on Saturday, a sub-par fielding performance by their lofty standards, and a batting collapse from 59 without loss to 96 for 5 on Wednesday, allowed England to keep the Women’s Ashes series alive.”It felt like we were slightly off in every facet of the game again – and we mentioned that after the last game – but we were probably a little bit worse again tonight,” Healy said. “I guess it’s some sort of comfort to know that we didn’t play our best and still only lost by four runs. We’ll just pinpoint it over the next day and a half, and hopefully put it all together for Lord’s [for the third T20I].Related

• Danni Wyatt and spinners keep England alive in the Women's Ashes

“We’re allowed to lose games of cricket. England also came out at the start of the series and said this is their strongest format. So you’ve got to potentially think they’re going to challenge you at some point, and they did tonight. It’s the game of cricket. You win some, you lose some. Fortunately for us, we haven’t lost a lot. But in saying that, hopefully we learn a lot more out of the loss tonight.”Australia still lead the Ashes by six points to two, with one more T20I and three ODIs – each worth two points – remaining. And they nearly recovered to chase down a target of 187 at The Oval, thanks to Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 51 off only 27 balls, after Danni Wyatt’s 76 had led England to 186.It was the second-highest total conceded by Australia in the format, behind the 187 in December against India, who won that match in a Super Over, Australia’s only other T20I defeat in their past 25 completed matches as England prevailed by three runs on this occasion.”We spoke about what [are] some areas that we needed to improve on for the last game, and I think we improved in some of them,” Healy said. “But we’re still sort of letting ourselves down in some little one percenters in the game – whether it be the fielding or execution with bat and ball – so there’s not much you can do about it.”You can train all you like but ultimately if you turn up with a ruthless attitude and a want to win, you can get yourselves over the line. I’m not saying that’s what the issue, is but we just [have to] reset, refocus.”Just as they have set the standard as reigning T20I and ODI world champions, Healy believed this series was doing the same for the Women’s Ashes, with bumper crowds attending ahead of the next fixture at Lord’s on Saturday, only the second time England Women have played there since their World Cup victory in 2017.Some 20,328 fans had packed into The Oval to roar England to victory, their first against Australia in any format since February 2020, when they had won in a Super Over in Canberra during the tri-series also involving India. The crowd figure surpassed the 19,527 at Edgbaston for the first T20I after 23,207 attended the Test over the course of five days at Trent Bridge.”It was a great game of cricket at one of the most iconic grounds in England, which was a great showcase for women’s sport. And you see what you can do when you play on a good ground with a good wicket – people want to turn up and watch,” Healy said of The Oval. “We [have] set our sights on what is going to be an amazing occasion at Lord’s on Saturday night. This Ashes series has been such an amazing one so far.”We’re playing at some of the biggest grounds in the country, and people are wanting to turn up and watch because they know what they’re going to get. So to tick Lord’s off, it’ll be a really a special occasion for the girls who get that opportunity. But I’m sure that the girls that aren’t playing, there’s going to be plenty more opportunities in future Ashes series because they’ve set the benchmark now, which is really exciting.””Some of us are emotional because it’s been a long time coming,” Sarah Glenn on England’s win in the second T20I•Getty Images

For England’s part, Sarah Glenn, who took two wickets and shared an important 31-run stand for the eighth wicket with fellow spinner Sophie Ecclestone, said the victory in the second T20I was an emotional one, having pushed Australia during stages of the Test and in the previous T20I.”Oh God, so many emotions. Really happy,” Glenn said. “Some of us are a bit emotional just because it’s been a long time coming. We’ve had lots of really close calls, and we’ve always known we can beat them. It’s just actually [about] getting over the line against a top line-up, who have had momentum for a long time.”We really improved from the last game, but I think there’s still a lot to come from us as well. We will celebrate the win definitely, but with a top-class side, they’ll just come back just as hard or even harder. So I think we’re just going to prepare for the next couple of days, how we can try and get over the line again, and just keep that momentum with us.”

Amite Hasan sets a new record; Ebadot Hossain makes comeback after 16 months out; Farhad Hossain finishes up after 161 matches

Mohammad Isam12-Nov-2024Amite Hasan’s maiden double-hundred kept Sylhet Division unbeaten in the NCL after they drew against Khulna Division at the academy ground in Cox’s Bazar. According to ESPNcricinfo’s records, Amite’s ten hours and 38 minutes at the crease is the third-longest individual innings in first-class cricket in Bangladesh.Amite struck 18 fours and a six in his 455-ball stay, as he continued on an impressive conversion rate in first-class cricket. He shared a 251-run fourth wicket stand with Asadulla Al Galib, who also scored his maiden century. The end of the partnership, however, became viral content.Late on the second evening, the ball slipped out of offspinner Mahedi Hasan’s grip. Galib advanced towards it as it parachuted down from well above the eyeline, but then he lost balance and mistimed the hit right down long-on’s throat, much to the amusement of the Khulna fielders. It was one of Mahedi’s four wickets. Zia ur Rahman took three.Khulna replied with 273 in their first innings, with captain Anamul Haque and Afif Hossain hitting fifties. After being asked to follow on, the veteran Mohammad Mithun struck his 16th century. Anamul, Imrul Kayes and Nurul Hasan also scored fifties to get Khulna to safety, as they finished the game on 296 for 3. This was also the match in which Ebadot Hossain returned to competitive cricket after July 2023, as he rehabilitated from a long-term injury.Rangpur Division beat Rajshahi Division by 101 runs to take themselves to second position on the points table.Farhad Hossain finishes his 161-match first-class career•BCB

Batting first, Rangpur were bowled out for 189 runs with Ariful Haque’s unbeaten 103 the top score. It was the allrounder’s ninth first-class century. Rajshahi’s Sabbir Hossain took a six-wicket haul. But Rangpur fought back by bowling out Rajshahi for the same score.Rangpur then posted 262 runs in their second innings with captain Akbar Ali making 77. Rajshahi, however, were bowled out for 161, with Ariful this time starring with the ball, taking three wickets.This was also Farhad Hossain’s final first-class match as he announced his retirement. The 161-match veteran made 26 and 9 in his final outing.Chattogram Division picked up their first win of this season when they beat Barishal Division by eight wickets at the main stadium in Cox’s Bazar. Nineteen-year old Ashraful Hasan Rohan took ten wickets in the match, becoming the youngest from the team to get a ten-for.Batting first, Barishal made 318 runs with fifties from Moin Khan and Tasamul Haque. Left-arm spinner Ashraful took four wickets while Enamul Hoque picked up three.In reply, Shahadat Hossain’s century got Chattogram within five runs of Barishal’s total, finishing on 313 all out. It was his third century, as he struck ten fours in his 249-ball stay. Chattogram could have had two centurions in the innings but Yasir Ali got out on 99. The pair added 176 runs for the fourth wicket.Ashraful Hasan took a ten-for against Barishal Division•BCB

Ashraful then took six wickets to complete his ten-for, as Barishal were bowled out for just 77 in their second innings. Chattogram took just 11.3 overs to complete the 83-run chase.Defending champions Dhaka Division salvaged a draw against Dhaka Metropolis in Sylhet. Dhaka Metro came within two wickets from a victory, but Ripon Mondol and Nazmul Islam survived at the end of the fourth day.Batting first, Dhaka Metro made 304 all out with fifties from Shamsur Rahman and wicketkeeper Tahjibul Islam. Anamul Haque and Shuvagata Hom took four wickets each.Dhaka took an 11-run lead as they reached 315. Hom and Rony Talukdar made fifties, while Abu Hider took three wickets.Dhaka Metro then were bowled out for 267 runs with Aminul Islam scoring 82. Anamul completed his ten-wicket haul with 6-81. Dhaka then just about survived after 43 overs. Left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan took four wickets while Abu Hider took three.

Royals bowler wonders why the ball was replaced during CSK’s innings of the “umpire’s accord”, and calls for decisions to be “standard” through the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-20232:04

Ashwin: Some of the umpiring decisions in this year’s IPL have left me flummoxed

R Ashwin has come out strongly against what he considers to be irregular decision-making from the umpires, asking why the ball was changed during Chennai Super Kings’ chase against his Rajasthan Royals side without the bowling team asking for it.”I’m quite surprised the umpires changed the ball for dew on their own. It’s never happened before and I’m quite surprised,” Ashwin said at the post-match press conference. “Some of the decisions in this year’s IPL on the field have left me a little flummoxed, to be honest. It left me flummoxed in a good or bad way because what you need is a little bit of balance. We’re going as a bowling team and we’re not asking for the ball to be changed. But the ball was changed on the umpire’s accord. What reason – I did ask the umpire but he said we can change it.”So I hope every time there’s dew they can change it – every single time going forward in this IPL. You can do whatever you want but you need to be standard.”

Ashwin penalised

R Ashwin was fined 25% of his match fee for an IPL code of conduct breach. Ashwin was deemed to have breached Article 2.7: public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in a Match or any Player, Team Official, Match Official or Team participating in any Match, irrespective of when such criticism or inappropriate comment is made.

The ball was changed at the fall of Shivam Dube’s wicket, with Super Kings on 92 for 3 in the 12th in a chase of 176. Ashwin had pinned Dube lbw, in a spell in which he had also accounted for a charging Ajinkya Rahane. Royals would go on to snatch victory by three runs at Chepauk, despite a late burst from MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.File photo – R Ashwin finished with figures of 4-0-25-2 against Chennai Super Kings•BCCI

Both the laws of cricket and the IPL’s playing conditions allow for the umpires to change the ball when they see fit, with Law 4.5 and playing condition 4.4 saying: “If, during play, the ball cannot be found or recovered or the umpires agree that it has become unfit for play through normal use, the umpires shall replace it with a ball which has had wear comparable with that which the previous ball had received before the need for its replacement. When the ball is replaced, the umpire shall inform the batters and the fielding captain.”Related

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But Ashwin is not the first one to question the irregularity of the umpires’ decision-making this IPL. Punjab Kings’ Sam Curran was seen having a discussion with the umpires during his side’s five-run win over Royals in Guwahati on April 5. When asked what the discussion was about after the game, he told the broadcasters: “I found it a little bit strange how they changed their ball in the first innings when it was a little bit wet and I was trying to get our ball changed because it was like a soap. I don’t really get how that works when they can change their ball and we can’t, so we had to get on with it.”Umpires KN Ananthapadmanabhan and Saidharshan Kumar were in charge of that game, while Vinod Seshan and Virender Sharma stood officiating at Chepauk.

‘Phenomenal from Sandeep Sharma’ – R Ashwin all praise for his team-mate

At the press conference, Ashwin also lauded seamer Sandeep Sharma, who faced up to Dhoni in the final over of the chase and held his nerve to take Royals home despite the batter smacking him for consecutive sixes.Sandeep Sharma held his nerve in an extremely nervy final over•BCCI

Super Kings had begun the over needing 21 and Sandeep began with two wides, before a pin-point dot-ball yorker to Dhoni. He got the next two wrong, and Dhoni duly dispatched the resulting full tosses for six, six. Those hits left Super Kings needing seven off three balls, but Sandeep finished off with a wide length ball and then two yorkers that Dhoni and Jadeja could only manage singles off.”I really enjoy his commitment and attitude. He’s someone who’ll fight, doesn’t get flustered,” Ashwin said. “Even when we walked up to him at three balls seven [required], he was okay. He was relaxed. He had his own plan. He wanted to deliver what he could deliver at best.”I feel going full to MS Dhoni at that stage is not the best option but any bowler would think that – you have 20 runs, you want to shut down two-three balls. Going forward it’s a lesson learnt. But I think it was phenomenal from Sandeep, I really enjoyed the composure he showed.”

Pakistan are set to tour the West Indies for eight matches – two T20Is, three ODIs, and three Tests – beginning on March 31 in Trinidad & Tobago

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2017West Indies will host Pakistan for a seven-week tour beginning at the end of March, comprising two T20Is, three ODIs and three Tests spread across five venues in the Caribbean. It is the first Pakistan tour of the West Indies since 2013 – when Pakistan won a five-match ODI series 3-1 and swept a pair of T20Is – and their first Test series in the Caribbean since a drawn two-match series in 2011.

Pakistan tour of WI 2017

1st T20I, March 31, Port of Spain
2nd T20I, April 2, Port of Spain
1st ODI, April 7, Providence
2nd ODI, April 9, Providence
3rd ODI, April 11, Providence
Tour game, April 15-17, Trelawny
1st Test, April 22-26, Kingston
2nd Test, April 30-May 4, Bridgetown
3rd Test, May 10-14, Roseau

However, there was no announcement regarding any agreement for West Indies to travel to Pakistan to play a pair of T20Is in mid-March, despite recent discussions being held between the WICB and PCB regarding a possible visit to Lahore. Such an agreement would need approval from the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) as well as a security clearance, something that may be problematic after a report issued by FICA regarding player safety and security strongly discouraged players from going to Lahore for the Pakistan Super League final, confirmed for March 5.The Pakistan tour begins in Trinidad & Tobago, where the pair of T20Is will be played at Queen’s Park Oval from March 31. According to multiple sources, the WICB had explored the possibility of staging the T20Is at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, the same Florida venue where West Indies played a pair of T20Is against India in August. Central Broward Regional Park officials confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they had been contacted by the WICB regarding availability for dates toward the end of March but in the end the WICB opted to keep all matches for Pakistan’s tour at Caribbean venues.Guyana will be the host country for all three ODIs beginning on April 7. The ODIs will be crucial heading into the September 2017 cutoff date for 2019 ICC World Cup qualification. Pakistan are currently ranked eighth on the ICC ODI rankings table, the last automatic-qualification spot, with 89 points while West Indies are three points behind them in ninth position with 86 points.If West Indies fail to get into the top eight spots by September, they must participate in the 2018 ICC World Cup Qualifier. That tournament is currently scheduled to be held in Bangladesh, although that may change if Bangladesh – currently ranked seventh with 91 points – gains an automatic qualification.Pakistan will have a three-day warm-up match at Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica starting on April 15 before the first of three Tests begins at Sabina Park on April 22. There is a three-day gap before the second Test begins at Kensington Oval in Barbados on April 30, while the final Test is scheduled to be played at Windsor Park in Dominica starting on May 10. As per the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), four Tests had been originally slated for this series.Pakistan defeated West Indies in all three formats last year on West Indies’ tour of the UAE. West Indies were in turmoil from the start of the tour after coach Phil Simmons was sacked on the eve of the team’s departure to Dubai. Pakistan went on to sweep both the T20I and ODI series by identical 3-0 scorelines before taking the Test series 2-1. It was Kraigg Brathwaite’s 142 not out followed by a 60 not out that helped West Indies to a five-wicket win in the final Test in Sharjah.

After suffering a knockout at the hands of England, Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann denied that the ongoing pay dispute involving Cricket Australia and the nation’s cricketers played any role in his team’s performance

Brydon Coverdale11-Jun-2017Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has denied that the ongoing pay dispute involving Cricket Australia and the nation’s cricketers played any role in his team’s early exit from the Champions Trophy. Having had their first two group matches washed out, Australia needed to win against England on Saturday to progress, but instead suffered a 40-run defeat via the DLS method.Australia will now head home to begin preparations for their tour of Bangladesh later this year, but they will do so against the backdrop of employment uncertainty. CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association have until the end of this month to reach a consensus on a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or risk an ugly situation in which players may find themselves uncontracted.The pay standoff has been going on for many months now and Australia’s vice-captain David Warner last week expressed his disappointment that CA had distributed an information video stating their case for MoU changes while Australia’s players should have been focusing on the Champions Trophy.Warner said at the time: “If CA were trying to help us win, I don’t think they’d be trying to release videos like that”. However, after the loss to England in Birmingham on Saturday, Lehmann said he did not believe the pay dispute had played any part in Australia failing to progress to the Champions Trophy semi-finals.”No excuses from our point of view on the MoU,” Lehmann said. “That’s going on behind the scenes – it can probably come to the forefront now that we’ve finished. They’ll get down to that and sort that out. No excuses from our end on the MoU.”It’s always there. It’s the elephant in the room. It’s always going to be talked about. But from a playing point of view, you’re out there, surely you’re not thinking about the MoU when you’re batting or bowling. I wouldn’t think that would have affected the players’ performance at all.”Australia’s preparation for the tournament was not helped by a washed out warm-up game, and their first two matches against New Zealand and Bangladesh were also rained out – they were on track to beat Bangladesh in the second game when it started pouring heavily, but New Zealand had the upper hand in the first match. Lehmann said Australia’s preparation had been adequate, but they had not been up to the task in the critical match.”We were just outplayed,” Lehmann said. “We were probably 30 or so short with the bat. We needed some of those guys to go on and get hundreds. [Aaron] Finch and [Steven] Smith played well, but we needed the top four to get a hundred. And then we bowled pretty poorly after the rain break. Disappointing result.”Just disappointing, I think we lost 5 for 15 at one stage. Credit to England, they bowled well, but I think we helped them a bit in the back end of our innings. We were sitting reasonably well at one stage but once you lose wickets you’re always in a bit of trouble. I think it was 4 for 240 odd when Maxi got out. You’d hope to get close to 300, but we didn’t.”Australia’s cause was not helped by a let-off for England captain Eoin Morgan, who was dropped down the leg side by Matthew Wade early in the chase. Morgan was on 12 at the time, and pressed on to make 87.”It was disappointing. He should grab them, but nobody means to drop them, either,” Lehmann said. “Disappointing part of the game, especially at that time. But again, they played really well. Morgan and Stokes were very good today.”Australia’s own batting set-up did not work as they hoped, with the addition of Moises Henriques at No.4 proving ineffective. Henriques scored 18 and 17 in his two innings in the tournament, and his presence in the side meant there was no room for fellow allrounder Marcus Stoinis, who struck a stunning 146 not out in an ODI in Auckland earlier this year.”We’ll have to sit back and have a look at that, moving forward, what we do there,” Lehmann said. “Marcus was very good in New Zealand so it’s a tough selection call. You take advice from everyone and you make a call and the skipper was quite keen for him to bat four. He [Henriques] looked good but probably didn’t capitalise.”Lehmann said Australia would need to find a way to return to the “brave” style of play that they displayed at the 2015 World Cup. It is an approach that he believes England and New Zealand have now adopted, and Lehmann bristled somewhat at the suggestion that Australia could learn something from the way England and New Zealand were currently playing in the ODI format.”I think England and New Zealand took the way we played in the last World Cup,” he said. “We played with bravery and we smashed every side, bar obviously New Zealand in Auckland. They’re starting to take the way we played, not vice-versa. When they win a World Cup, then we can take the way they play.”We certainly want to get back to playing brave cricket. I don’t think we were brave enough or smart enough in this tournament. I would have liked us to play with a lot more freedom or bravery.”

The visitors could only make 132 as Queensland registered their fourth win of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2022Queensland made short work of ACT as they raced to victory with more than 26 overs to spare. Georgia Redmayne’s brisk half-century led the chase after the home side had put in an impressive bowling and fielding display.The tone was set in the fifth over of the day when captain Jess Jonassen plucked a one-handed catch above her head at mid-on to remove Rebecca Carter. When ACT’s leading batter, Katie Mack, cut to point and Matilda Lugg clipped to square leg they were 3 for 31.They were unable to mount a recovery as the Queensland attack chipped away. Jonassen would finished with figures 2 for 5 from seven overs which included three maidens. There was some resistance in a ninth-wicket stand of 33 between Holly Ferling and Chloe Rafferty which was ended when Georgia Voll held a stinging return catch as all seven of Queensland’s bowlers got among the wickets.Voll, who made 145 in the opening game of the season against New South Wales, then helped Redmayne skip out of the blocks in a first-wicket stand of 83 in 15 overs.The victory means Queensland have started their season with four wins from four while ACT have four losses.

He’s hopeful recovery from broken leg will hold him in good stead ahead of IPL, the Blast, the Hundred and ODI World Cup

Alex Malcolm23-Feb-2023Glenn Maxwell admits he is not as far advanced in his recovery from a broken leg as he thought he would be, but believes his slower build-up will have long-term benefits ahead of a massive year that includes the IPL, the T20 Blast, the Hundred and the ODI World Cup.Maxwell was named in Australia’s 16-man squad for the three-match ODI series against India starting on March 17 in Mumbai. He has not played international cricket since breaking his leg in a freak accident just after the T20 World Cup last year.”It probably hasn’t happened as fast as I would have liked,” Maxwell said on Thursday. “I probably would have liked to be playing cricket a little bit earlier. But I think the fact that I knew the timeline for the one-day side – and that was probably the realistic goal – I was able to manipulate my rehab program to fit the timeline that I was racing against.Related

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“Having not played for three-and-a-half months, I made a conscious decision to make sure I filled up my calendar with cricket to lead into that World Cup at the back end of the year. Obviously there’s the one-day series which is going to be a big series, especially with the World Cup in India at the back end of the year.”It will be a good opportunity for us to try and work out some things and get our game plan ready for the back end of the year, as well as having the IPL straight after it. [It is about] getting used to the Indian conditions again and spending a lot of time working on my game over there, which will then lead into to the Blast and the Hundred.”As a result of the injury, Maxwell missed Australia’s last ODI series against England in November, and the entire BBL that followed. He returned to play club cricket in Melbourne, and also the Sheffield Shield cricket for Victoria this week, but will not be playing in Victoria’s 50-over Marsh Cup game against South Australia on Sunday. He will instead play club cricket for Fitzroy-Doncaster on Saturday, where he hopes to bowl for the first time in a match, having built up his bowling loads steadily.Maxwell is yet to bowl in the two games he has played, having pulled up sore after his first bowl in early February. And though he was available to bowl at the back end of the Shield game, he was not required. Maxwell has opted not to play in the Marsh Cup this week because 50-over cricket requires some higher-intensity running. But he is edging closer to being able to handle that, and expects to be right for the ODIs against India.”Even just looking at the data from the last day of the Shield game, I started to get back to what a full one-day game looks like,” Maxwell said. “So that time on my feet, that speed back up, it’s all heading in the right direction. I always said I was building towards that one-day series in the back of my mind. So now I’m sort of closer to that workload that I need to be at. It’s about trying to maintain that, get the pace back up, and then hopefully, in a couple of weeks’ time be 100%.”Maxwell revealed he is also not quite where he needs to be mentally from a batting perspective, having registered scores of 5 and 0 in his first first-class game since 2019. But he is confident that will come with more time in the middle.”Probably, mentally, batting in that position, I’ll probably wasn’t quite there,” Maxwell said. “In the nets, you can do all the hard work, but to try and get that mental application back in a game is obviously a different thing. So that’s probably something I’m working on over the next few games – club cricket on Saturday and the Shield game as well. A few more hits out there, and just try and build up that match intensity.”

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming, meanwhile, thinks matches are taking so long they are ‘defeating the purpose of the short game’

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2019Are IPL games taking too long to finish? The coaches of two franchises certainly think so, and one of them, Tom Moody of Sunrisers Hyderabad, even has a suggestion as to how to improve over rates, borrowed from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).In its 2018 season, the CPL introduced a novel penalty for slow over rates, mandating that 0.05 points be deducted from a team’s net run rate if it fails to complete its overs within the allotted time frame. Moody wants the IPL to follow suit.Currently, the IPL only hands out monetary fines for over-rate offences. Two captains have copped fines of INR 12 lakh so far this season: Rohit Sharma for Mumbai Indians’ slow over rate against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali, and Ajinkya Rahane for Rajasthan Royals’ tardiness in their away game against Chennai Super Kings.Moody doesn’t think fines are enough of a deterrent.”Simple solution, forget monetary fines, deduct from teams net run rate,” he tweeted, in response to a complaint from the former England captain Michael Vaughan that IPL games were taking too long to finish. “Works in the @CPL, players quickly recognise the value of NRR when it comes to qualifying for playoffs!”Stephen Fleming, the Chennai Super Kings coach, also thinks teams need to get through their overs quicker.”It’s too slow,” Fleming said, in his press conference after Super Kings’ defeat to Mumbai Indians on Wednesday night. “I think it’s got to be a collective shift from everybody – players as well as on-field monitoring. I think there’s a little bit of broadcasting [at play] as well, there at times when you’re waiting to come back. So collectively, the whole thing could be sped up.”The moisture [because of dew] does play a part. We’ve had a couple of games which have been very dewy. Wiping the ball is a consideration. But I think cricket in general is played at a pace below where it needs to be. So I’d love to see all forms of the game increase the pace, even if it puts pressure on captains and bowlers, then so be it.”Well, how do you do that? You manage a little bit more strictly on the field and also ask captains and bowlers to be a little bit surer of their plans. I think we are reaching up close to four hours, defeating the purpose of the short game.”

Following his heroic efforts in the Sharjah Test, West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich has been drafted into the ODI squad scheduled to play in the tri-series in Zimbabwe later this month

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2016Following his heroic efforts in Sharjah, which helped West Indies to a rare away-Test win, wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich has been drafted into the ODI squad to play in the tri-series in Zimbabwe later this month. Fast bowler Miguel Cummins was also brought into the 15, with the two being left out at their expense being the experienced batsman Marlon Samuels and teenage fast bowler Alzarri Joseph.Dowrich has played eight Tests but is yet to play an international limited-overs game. While not always at his best with the gloves, he scored 47 and 60 not out in Sharjah after West Indies had been five down and in trouble in both innings. In 26 List A games, he has 344 runs with a high score of 48, and 21 catches and eight stumpings.Cummins has played just the one ODI, against Ireland in February 2014. He debuted in Test cricket this year, and has 10 wickets from five matches. He has played only five List A games as well.Samuels had an average run against Pakistan in the Tests, scoring a half-century in the first Test but failing to get past 30 thereafter.West Indies had also left out senior players in wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and allrounder Kieron Pollard for the tri-series, which also includes hosts Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The series is set to begin on November 14 in Harare.

Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka seamer, has announced his retirement from Test cricket to concentrate on his limited-overs career

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2016Nuwan Kulasekara, the 33-year old Sri Lanka seamer, has announced his retirement from Test cricket.”I would like to retire from playing Test cricket with immediate effect,” he was quoted as saying in a Sri Lanka Cricket press release. “After much thought I believe it is the right time to retire and I hope it will allow me to better prepare for ODI and T20 cricket, which I would like to continue playing for Sri Lanka subject to good performance and selection”Kulasekara played 21 Tests and picked up 48 wickets since making his debut in April 2005. Though pace wasn’t his strong suit, he had the ability to move the new ball and was known for his accuracy. Among his standout performances were the two four-wicket hauls he took against Pakistan in Colombo in 2009 to finish with a match-winning 8 for 58 in 28.4 overs.Kulasekara played his last Test in June 2014 at Lord’s, where Sri Lanka clung on for a nail-biting draw. He was not in the XI at Headingley, though, where Sri Lanka beat England to seal a landmark series win.Kulasekara is an asset in limited-overs cricket – he has played 173 ODIs and was ranked as the No. 1 bowler in March 2009 – due to his nagging lines and seam movement but was unable to reprise the same threat in Tests. As a result, he could only play 21 matches in 11 years.