Pakistan will be boosted by Shoaib Malik’s availability, while Australia expect a better show from a top-order quartet that is the envy of T20 franchises around the world

The Preview by Danyal Rasool25-Oct-2018

Big picture

If not for Usman Khawaja’s patience, Australia’s tour of the UAE would have been considered every bit of the car crash it has turned out to be since. Since his heroics in the first Test, Australia have showed themselves to be as substandard as they habitually are whenever they have reached Asian shores in recent times.It couldn’t have been much different this time, particularly since they arrived with a weakened side for reasons everyone knows about by now.But Justin Langer, and those higher up the pecking order Down Under, will be alarmed by the lack of fight shown by their side in the format that arguably gave them the best chance to be competitive. It is true, of course, that Pakistan are on a scarcely believable run in T20I cricket for the past two years, but this very Australian side matched them in Zimbabwe just a few months ago. You wouldn’t have guessed it by the limp performance they offered on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, especially in the Powerplay, where six Australian wickets fell and killed the game. Of those six, only one didn’t fall under the category of “given away”, so abysmal was the shot selection and decision making.Aaron Finch was rightfully scathing of his side’s performance after the game, calling it “embarrassing”, but even the wiliest spin doctor couldn’t have come up with an assessment too dissimilar to the Australia captain’s. Australia do know they can perform much better than they did, and their effort in the field had a lot going for it. Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake bowled particularly well and never let Pakistan off a somewhat short leash, and their collective figures of 8-0-45-6 on the day would rarely end up on the wrong side of a drubbing.They would have been frustrated to see all that lost in the batting chaos that followed.But at the same time, Pakistan know they can play much better too. On track for 180 towards the tail-end of their innings, Pakistan experienced a dramatic collapse of their own that seemed set at one stage to prove decisive to the outcome of the match. Five wickets were lost in ten balls for three runs, and it was only three lusty blows from Hasan Ali in the final over that took them past 150. With a middle order that’s set to welcome Shoaib Malik back, Pakistan will have an ideal anchor through the later overs to prevent the sort of slide that nearly cost them in the first game. Their bowling, though excellent, was barely tested, too, and will be raring to press home the advantage.

Form guide

Australia LWLWL
Pakistan WWWWL

In the spotlight

Shadab Khan was peripheral to Pakistan’s victory in the first T20I, which isn’t a word one would use to describe the 20-year-old too often. That’s for good reason; he’s been a huge part of Pakistan’s T20I form ever since he burst into the limelight with three and four wickets in his first two T20Is, and has since risen to become one of the best limited-overs spin bowlers in the world. His economy rate – 6.61 – is exceptional, and he has gone wicketless in the shortest format just four times in 24 innings. However, since those opening two games, he’s never been able to take wickets in clumps and he’s yet to take more than two wickets in a game. It’s down to no obviously apparent reason, and it seems the legspinner is due another day in the spotlight. It could just be tomorrow.A top order comprising D’Arcy Short, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and Chris Lynn doesn’t sit too comfortably with the perception Australia have been forced to field a weakened T20I side. The quartet is the envy of T20 franchises around the world, and the pride and joy of those fortunate enough to lay claim to their services. Their strike rates in T20Is are 131, 160, 160 and 134 respectively, but it won’t do their side much good if all four are back in the pavilion long before the Powerplay is done. That was the case yesterday, but Australia have to expect a better showing with an order like that. These players have delivered for sides all over the globe, and while none of them have played franchise cricket in the UAE, performances in the next two games could see that change as early as next year’s Pakistan Super League.

Team news

Shoaib Malik’s availability means it is likely Pakistan will make at least one change, but it isn’t yet certain who he would come in for. Pakistan didn’t need the bowling services of either Hussain Talat or Mohammad Hafeez in Abu Dhabi, and those two could be among the likeliest to sit out.Pakistan: 1 Babar Azam, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Mohammad Hafeez , 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Asif Ali, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Shadab Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Shaheen AfridiAaron Finch said there may be a number of changes after the disappointing performance on Wednesday, so Australia’s line-up is anybody’s guess.Australia (possible): 1 Aaron Finch, 2 D’Arcy Short, 3 Chris Lynn, 4 Ben McDermott/ Mitchell Marsh, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Andrew Tye, 11 Billy Stanlake

Pitch and conditions

Dubai has traditionally seen higher scores than Abu Dhabi, and under the lights tomorrow, batting first may not be an unwelcome prospect. The weather, like Abu Dhabi, will be hot and dry.

Stats and trivia

• The Dubai International Stadium hasn’t hosted a T20I between two Full Members since September 2016, when West Indies took on Pakistan. Pakistan have a mixed record at the ground, with 10 wins and 10 losses. The only tie here came in a match between Pakistan and Australia, with Pakistan winning the Super Over.
• Five of the top ten T20I run-scorers for Pakistan are in the squad for this series. Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman are all expected to play tomorrow.
• D’Arcy Short has reached double figures in 10 consecutive T20Is before the Abu Dhabi T20I. His only other single figure score in his career came on debut, when he was dismissed for 4 against New Zealand.

Former Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof experienced issues with her vision before and after the operation but has recovered to play a part for Pakistan at the Women’s World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2018Bismah Maroof, Pakistan’s former captain, has revealed she had doubts she would ever play cricket again after undergoing surgery for a sinus problem earlier in the year. Maroof experienced issues with her vision before and after the operation, but has recovered to play a part in Pakistan’s Women’s World T20 campaign in the Caribbean.It was after suffering from blurred vision during training in July that Maroof was told she needed an urgent operation. Because the sinus attack was related to her brain, doctors said the problem could be life-threatening; and even after the four-hour operation went to plan, she faced complications.”It was quite challenging,” Maroof told the ICC’s website. “After the surgery, I was on a high dosage of medicines. My eyes got affected, so it took time for me to return to playing.””I was quite depressed. Lying there, at one point I couldn’t imagine that I could get up and play again. But they say that whatever plan is made for you is for the good.”Having been initially told she could not play cricket, Maroof’s condition fortunately improved and she was able to return to the Pakistan set-up during the T20 series against Australia in Kuala Lumpur last month.Although she has been replaced as captain by Javeria Khan, Maroof remains a key part of the set-up. She is her country’s leading run-scorer in women’s T20Is, and the second-most capped player in the format – experience that came to the fore in her innings of 53 in Providence on Sunday, helping Pakistan to their highest T20 total against India. She also took the crucial wicket of opener Smriti Mandhana,It was not enough to set up victory, however, and with Pakistan also beaten in their opening match, against Australia, they face a struggle to qualify from Group B. They have an opportunity to notch a first win against Ireland on Tuesday but, it seems, whatever the game throws at her and her team, Maroof will be ready.”It’s important now to prioritise my health. It has been a stressful time,” she said. “I have learnt that you shouldn’t plan too much. All your life plans can be turned upside down. So I will not plan again!”

Zazai struck five sixes and three fours in his 36-ball 57 before Shakib’s 3 for 18 reduced Titans to 87 all out to hand Dynamites a 105-run win

The Report by Mohammad Isam08-Jan-2019How the game played outHazratullah Zazai’s second fifty in as many games blew away Khulna Titans as Dhaka Dynamites romped to a 105-run win in Mirpur. Zazai struck five sixes and three fours in his 36-ball 57 as Dynamites reached 192 for 6 batting first. Khulna were woeful in the chase, slumping to 87 all out in 13 overs, with their No. 11 batsman Ali Khan, who pulled his hamstring while attempting a catch, absent hurt.Zazai became the first batsman in the tournament to make a half-century batting first in a day game. Paul Stirling removed Zazai and Shakib Al Hasan in the 12th over, but Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell did not let it slip from there, as the pair put on 55 runs for the fifth wicket in the next 5.3 overs.In the chase, Titans were reduced to 35 for 3 in 4.1 overs by Sunil Narine and Shakib. It all went down for the visitors after their captain Mahmudullah was dismissed in the eight over – they lost last four wickets in the space of nine balls.Turning points

• Dynamites’ impressive top order: Dynamites openers Zazai and Narine added 67 in the first 5.1 overs, following which Zazai brought up a 43-run stand with Rony Talukdar, who made an 18-ball 28.
• Dynamites retaliated quickly after Stirling’s two wickets in the 12th over through Pollard and Russell’s partnership
• Titans’ 193-run chase went awry after Junaid Siddique, who struck three sixes and a four in his 16-ball 31, fell in the fifth over

Star of the dayZazai, who struck seven sixes in his 41-ball 78 against Rajshahi Kings in the first game, struck four out of his five sixes down the ground this time. He went after left-arm paceman Shoriful Islam, blasting him for four sixes, and the fifth was a flat-batted hit over midwicket off Mahmudullah.The big missDavid Wiese dropped Zazai on 12 despite diving forward at mid-on in the second over.Where the teams stand It is Dynamites’ second win in as many games, while the Titans have lost both their matches.

A guide to what is expected from Thursday’s hearing, which could decide the fate of the board and its state associations, which are yet to fully comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Jan-2019Why is this hearing significant?This hearing has the potential to end the bizarre situation where the BCCI has not carried out the Supreme Court’s orders on reforms. On July 18, 2016, the court approved the reforms recommended by the RM Lodha Committee and directed that they be implemented by all state associations; it subsequently amended certain reforms at the request of several state associations. To date, though, not a single member association of the BCCI, nor the parent body itself, has implemented the recommendations in toto.The CoA has now recommended that the BCCI conduct elections within 90 days from the court’s ruling and has requested, in its status report, that the court approve a timeline for elections.Why has the BCCI failed to hold elections?To conduct the elections, the states and the BCCI first need to comply with the new constitution, which was registered last August. That means they have to agree unconditionally to all reforms. Not one of the 34 state associations of the BCCI was fully compliant at the time when the CoA submitted its status report on October 27 last year. The CoA identified seven states as being “non-compliant”, while the rest fell under the “partially compliant” and “substantially compliant” categories.ALSO READ: CoA asks Supreme Court to suspend voting rights of non-compliant statesWhat are the contentious reforms?Although the state associations have set the ball rolling, many have dragged their feet on key reforms such as the cooling-off period, disqualification criteria, and selection panels. The most significant reform that BCCI members want the court to re-examine is the nine-year tenure limit set for office bearers in the new constitution. The members have suggested that as per the original order of the court in 2016, the office bearers’ tenure at BCCI and state associations was distinct, giving office-bearers a potential cumulative life of 18 years. However, under the new constitution, that limit has been reset to a cumulative nine years – whether at state level or at the BCCI or both.What can the court do to enforce its order?Follow the CoA’s recommendation of barring errant state associations from their voting rights in the BCCI elections and also withholding their funding.Diana Edulji and Vinod Rai emerge from a CoA meeting•Getty Images

Anything else the BCCI members want to pursue?Several BCCI members want the CoA’s reign to be brought to end. But that will only happen if they conduct elections. Nonetheless, the members want to make the court aware of the deep divisions and distrust within the two-member CoA comprising Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller & Auditor General of India, and Diana Edulji, the former India women captain. Their motive? Some members feel that would allow them to regain control of the BCCI despite being forced to implement reforms unconditionally.The issues that have split the CoA
The Rahul Johri sexual-harrassment allegations
The hiring of the India women coach
The Hardik Pandya-KL Rahul chat show controversyHow does the divide in CoA really matter?It matters because the CoA’s squabbles have now spilled over to the cricket arena and are in danger of affecting India’s World Cup preparations. Take the controversial TV-show comments of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul: Rai and Edulji agree the players ought to be penalised, but have differed strongly on how to go about it. Both players have now been suspended and are out of the ongoing ODI series in Australia and are set to miss the limited-overs tour of New Zealand as well. The BCCI’s legal team recommended that the players be suspended pending an inquiry with the Ombudsman being the final adjudicator. Both Rai and Edulji want the court to give directions on the appointment of an Ombudsman, a position the BCCI has not filled since late 2016.Any other matter of interest?The court is also likely to hear a petition, filed by whistleblower Aditya Verma, to make public the findings of the ad-hoc committee that handled the sexual misconduct allegations against BCCI CEO Rahul Johri. The CoA will submit the findings in a sealed envelope but Verma has petitioned the court to ask the CoA to make the findings public.And, finally, who is conducting the hearing?At least three chief justices have presided over the case stretching back five years. On Thursday the bench will comprise Justices SA Bobde and AM Sapre.

Pace bowler admits he is “one of the guys under threat” by the qualification of Archer for England

George Dobell in Barbados 23-Feb-2019Mark Wood has admitted he is “one of the guys under threat” by the qualification of Jofra Archer as an England player.Wood has been one of the success stories of England’s tour of the Caribbean. After an explosive return to Test cricket in St Lucia, where he claimed his first five-wicket haul and was timed at 94.6mph, he has bowled with similar pace in the ODIs (touching 91.6mph in the first and 93.9mph in the second) offering his side an edge that has sometimes been lacking.But Wood, and most of England’s other seamers, know that Archer’s qualification could threaten their hopes of cementing a World Cup spot. Archer qualifies in about a month and, while his selection for the World Cup squad remains unlikely, it is clear his all-round skills and, in particular, his pace with the ball are likely to earn him a significant international career. In the short term, that could end the hopes of one of the seamers in England’s current 15.”I think I am one of the guys under threat,” Wood said. “Obviously he [Archer] is a world-class performer. I’d be stupid to think that if I didn’t put in the hard yards that my place wouldn’t be up for grabs. He bowls quick as well.”It is not really talked about in the dressing room or anything like that. I wouldn’t say that night and day I’m up worried about Archer’s role. I’m just going to continue with this bit of confidence I’ve got and half-decent form to push my own case.”I feel higher in the pecking order in Test match cricket, but I’m not so sure in ODIs. We’ve got such a good squad. I was left out most of the time in Sri Lanka so to come back in and put in two fairly decent performances with the newer ball is pretty pleasing.”While Eoin Morgan, the England captain, stopped just short of confirming Wood had done enough to cement his place in that World Cup squad – “he’s bowled quickly and accurately,” Morgan said, “which is all you can ask, but there’s a long way to go before selection” – he has certainly done his chances a power of good in recent times.Having fallen behind a host of other candidates in Sri Lanka – Wood played only one ODI, with Olly Stone among those preferred to him – the rediscovery of the pace that attracted England to him in the first place is likely to prove persuasive. And while he has taken only one wicket in the series so far, his speeds and ability to gain reverse swing have made him look the most dangerous member of the attack.Mark Wood during a net session•Getty Images

“I’d have liked a few more wickets,” he said. “My wickets-to-games ratio is still down so I’d like to improve that. I don’t think I have fulfilled the role that I would like to.”But Joe Root keeps saying little things to me. In the second ODI he said to me ‘well bowled’ after my spell and then he said ‘don’t worry the wickets will come, right now you’re getting wickets for other people.'”So there is more to it than just me trying to get five wickets every game. I think trying to help people at the other end and creating pressure for others to feed off is what I’ve done well over the past couple of games. I feel like I’ve had decent rhythm. If I keep doing the right things then more wickets will come.”As thing stand, England’s first-choice opening pair may well be Wood and Chris Woakes. Which means the likes of David Willey – who looks dangerous with the new ball – Liam Plunkett, and Tom Curran could be fighting over the final place in the side.That presupposes everyone is fit, though. And the decision to rest Woakes from the second ODI underlined both how important England see him to their plans and how fragile his knees have become.”He could have played but his risk of being injured would have been quite high,” Morgan said. “We don’t have to play two games in three days in the World Cup.”England’s bowling has not been at its best in this series. They bowled 13 wides in the second ODI to add to the 15 they bowled in the first ODI. They also delivered their first front-foot no ball in 45 ODIs and something like 11,000 deliveries. There were two more no-balls in the second ODI, from deliveries reaching the batsmen above waist height. In a game decided by a margin of 26 runs, such moments were crucial.”The wides you can forgive,” Morgan said. “But hopefully we’ll see a change in Grenada.”England flew to Grenada on Saturday. The third and fourth ODIs take place there on Monday and Wednesday.

South Australia were consigned to the bottom of the table little more than an hour into the third day at the Gabba

Daniel Brettig13-Mar-2019Queensland wrapped up a tense, low-scoring victory over South Australia to consign the Redbacks to the bottom of the Sheffield Shield table little more than an hour into the third day at the Gabba after 37 wickets fell over the first two days.Resuming at 7 for 94 in pursuit of 175, the visitors had placed much of their hope in Jake Lehmann, unbeaten overnight on 41. But in the third over of the morning, he was deemed lbw to Michael Neser, in the same over as he had been dropped in the slips by Marnus Labuschagne.The Bulls celebrated this wicket with relish, but still had to sweat through another 13.1 overs as SA’s last two wickets scrapped another 36 runs. The critical breakthrough was made by the spin bowler Mitchell Swepson, not previously used in the match, who coaxed Joe Mennie to slap a catch to cover. Luke Robins fell to Cameron Gannon shortly after to leave the Bulls victorious.

Smith struck an unbeaten 89 in the second match against a New Zealand XI as he continues to prepare for his international return at the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2019Australia coach Justin Langer said he “slept a lot better” after Steven Smith showed some of his best form since returning from elbow surgery with the unbeaten 89 in the second match against the New Zealand XI on Wednesday.Smith dominated the back-end of the Australian innings, collecting 39 off his last 17 deliveries with increasingly dominant strokeplay including four sixes, three of them lofted drives and the other a pull, as he continued his recovery from the operation he had in January.Smith found form during the latter part of his IPL stint with Rajasthan Royals, hitting three half-centuries in five innings, before making 22 in the opening match in Brisbane batting at No. 4 before his eye-catching display at No. 5.”I certainly slept a lot better, it warmed my heart to be honest,” Langer told . “I watched him on the weekend, he had a nets session on Sunday night and I was sitting with a couple of coaches and I just said ‘How good is this kid’. We’ve seen the statistics and we know the stories but when you see him first hand…[The 89] was a tutorial in batting. It’s great for the team.”There remain a few question marks over Smith’s ability to throw at full tilt due to his elbow, but a diving catch he took in the first match suggested progress is being made. He has also impressed the management with his general fitness levels since returning to national colours for the first time since his ban.There were fewer form-related questions surrounding David Warner heading into the pre-tournament camp following is prolific IPL with the main debate surrounding the position he will bat. He was at No. 3 in the first match before opening with Aaron Finch in the second and Usman Khawaja in the third as all the combinations were tried.Langer said the “obvious” choice was that Warner would open but did not go as far as to confirm that would happen following the success of the Finch-Khawaja pairing in Australia’s run of eight consecutive wins against India and Pakistan.”The obvious thing is we should [open with Warner],” Langer said. “But I think he’s quite an adaptable player, too. What I’ve loved is the partnership between Finchy and Usman Khawaja as well. They gel really well and in the past Finch and Warner gelled really well. I’m not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, but we’ve got really good options there.”The other question that still needs to be decided around the batting line-up is which player misses out presuming that Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis will take the five and six positions. It could be that Shaun Marsh, who scored four centuries in eight innings against England, South Africa and India does not find a spot in the side.

Derbyshire stay on course for knock-out stages with five-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2019An unbeaten 119 from Wayne Madsen steered Derbyshire to a five-wicket victory over Warwickshire to keep them on course for the knock-out stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup.Warwickshire had to win to have any chance of emerging from the North Group and half-centuries from Alex Thomson and Alex Mellor took them to a competitive 288 for 7 with Mark Watt taking 2 for 32.But Madsen was dominant and, although Thomson followed his unbeaten 68 with 3 for 57, Alex Hughes made 69 as Derbyshire won with 21 balls to spare to eliminate Warwickshire.Warwickshire had to win to stay in contention but they were struggling when they lost three wickets for 15 runs to slump to 113 for 5 in the 22nd over.Ed Pollock top-edged a return catch to Logan van Beek and Dominic Sibley edged the last ball of the first Powerplay before Luis Reece took the key wicket of Sam Hain.Hain had scored an unbeaten 161 in the previous game and looked set for another significant innings until he tried to cut Reece and was caught behind for 34 in the 17th over.With Watt’s accurate and disciplined spell accounting for Will Rhodes and Liam Banks, the innings stalled until Thomson struck the first boundary for 10 overs.He pulled Ravi Rampaul for a six and two fours in an over to give Warwickshire renewed momentum which increased when Mellor twice drove Critchley for six in an over which cost 19.Mellor top-edged a pull but Thomson and George Panayi added 58 before Henry Brookes drove van Beek for six in the last over to give Warwickshire a challenging total.Billy Godleman drove and cut Brookes for three consecutive fours but was bowled by Thomson for 40 and Reece was caught at slip when he cut the spinner onto the wicketkeeper’s thigh.Tom Lace miscued a pull at Jetan Patel’s first ball but Warwickshire’s bowling was too inconsistent to apply any sustained pressure and Madsen played with authority from the start.He drove Patel for two consecutive fours to reach 50 from 43 balls and, with Hughes, took the game away from Warwickshire.Hughes drove Thomson for six and repeated the shot in his next over before he drove Patel back over his head in the 33rd to take the target below a hundred.Patel was Warwickshire’s best hope but Madsen never allowed him to settle, driving him for six and the stand was worth 134 in 22 overs when Hughes was well caught at mid on off Thomson.Madsen completed his fifth List A 100 from 92 balls and sealed Derbyshire’s third victory with his fourth six in the 47th over.

Opener gives Bangladesh another injury concern ahead of opening World Cup fixture against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2019Tamim Iqbal has given Bangladesh another injury concern ahead of Sunday’s opening World Cup fixture against South Africa at The Oval, after being struck a blow on the left wrist while batting in the nets.Tamim left the field immediately after the incident to be assessed by the Bangladesh team physio, and went for a precautionary X-ray. Although no fracture was detected*, the bruising and swelling could still make him a doubt to play.”It’s too early to say anything specific but we will have an X-ray and if there is a fracture, then he won’t be available,” selector Habibul Bashar said before the results were kn. “But if that is not the case, then we can hope he will be available for the opening game.”The loss of Tamim would be a grievous one for Bangladesh. The opener has been the bedrock of their batting since the 2007 World Cup, and has been in superb form in all formats in recent series, including a brace of half-centuries en route to their tri-series ODI win in Ireland earlier this month.What is more, his aggressive batting style is particularly suited to English conditions, where he averages 50.71 in seven ODIs (and 67.00 in Tests), including scores of 128 and 95 in his first two matches of the Champions Trophy in 2017.Bangladesh are also monitoring the fitness of Mohammad Saifuddin, who is recovering from a back problem, along with Mashrafe Mortaza (hamstring), Mustafizur Rahman (calf) and Mahmudullah (shoulder). Shakib Al Hasan suffered a back spasm recently but is expected to be back to full fitness.*1900 BST – This story was updated with X-ray results

Fast bowler calls for final to be available “to as many people as possible” as interest grows ahead of knock-outs

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2019Liam Plunkett has taken to Twitter to clarify his comments about free-to-air access to the World Cup, after appearing to call for the final to be shown on terrestrial television if England make it through next week’s semi-final in Edgbaston.Plunkett’s recall for the past two matches against India and New Zealand helped England to overcome a wobble in the group stages, and seal their progression to the last four of the World Cup for the first time since 1992. They will face either India or Australia in the second semi-final on July 11, with the final at Lord’s following three days later on July 14.Speaking in the wake of England’s 119-run win over New Zealand at Chester-le-Street, Plunkett was asked by the BBC’s 5 Live Breakfast Show whether he would support calls for the final to be made available on free-to-air, given that the World Cup has been overshadowed in terms of viewing figures by the women’s football World Cup – England’s semi-final against the USA on Tuesday drew 11.7 million viewers, making it the BBC’s biggest television audience of the year. England’s World Cup cricket fixtures, by contrast, have drawn an average of 450,000.
“I’m not sure they’re going to do it, but it would great for everybody to be able to watch that,” Plunkett said. “Playing for England, you’re the pride of the country and you want people to be able to access that and watch that. I’m not sure it’s going to happen but for the guys, you want as many people to watch it as possible.”Although the ECB is understood to have held talks with Sky about the status of the World Cup final, it is now unlikely that the match will be made available beyond Sky’s own subscribers. There is a possibility that it will be shown on Sky One, which is estimated to reach half of the households in Britain, and one-off subscriptions may be also made available through Sky’s Now TV platform.”It’s always nice to be on a bigger platform,” Plunkett added. “Hopefully people tune in to watch that game. It would obviously be great to have as many people watching as possible, we feel like we’ve built something special here as a team. It would be nice to go all the way and to have big numbers watching that final if we get through and win, that would be huge.”A proportion of free-to-air cricket access is set to be reinstated from next year onwards, with the advent of the ECB’s new 100-ball competition, after Sky agreed to cede some of its exclusivity to the BBC as part of a new £1.1billion rights deal from 2020-2024.Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive who brokered the deal, recently described Sky as “cricket’s best friend” – the broadcaster has been involved in cricket since 1990 and has been the exclusive partner for home internationals since 2006 – and Plunkett later tweeted to clarify his remarks.”Sky Cricket are an incredible partner for the game and have been for the past 20+ years,” he wrote. “I was asked a question & I never said that it should be on FTA. My words have been twisted & the headline is misleading. The whole country is behind us. Keep believing.”