Tag Futebol

The BCCI said “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Mar-2017Virat Kohli is undergoing treatment after suffering a strain in his right shoulder on the opening day of the Ranchi Test and is expected to continue playing the Test, the BCCI has said. The board also stated that “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.Kohli suffered the injury in the 40th over of the day, when he chased a drive from Peter Handscomb off Ravindra Jadeja. Sprinting from mid-on towards the long-on boundary, Kohli dived to pull the ball back before it reached the rope, tumbled, and landed on his right shoulder as he did so.He went off the field immediately, and did not return for the rest of the day, with Ajinkya Rahane standing in as captain. Kohli watched the rest of the day’s play from the dressing room with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder.Given that the injury is an external one, India have been told that Kohli can bat at any position he chooses to.The ICC’s playing conditions state that if a player is absent from the field for longer than eight minutes, the player, “shall not be permitted to bat unless or until, in the aggregate, he has returned to the field and/or his side’s innings has been in progress for at least that length of playing time for which he has been absent or, if earlier, when his side has lost five wickets.”However, the clause does not apply if the player has suffered “an external blow (as opposed to an internal injury such as a pulled muscle) whilst participating earlier in the match and consequently been forced to leave the field. Nor shall it apply if the player has been absent for very exceptional and wholly acceptable reasons (other than injury or illness).”Soon after the day’s play ended, India’s fielding coach R Sridhar had said Kohli had suffered a shock on the shoulder after landing badly and he was rested as a precautionary measure.”Virat Kohli’s injury, the exact status of it will be known by tomorrow morning,” Sridhar had said at the time. “He’s going to undergo some scans later today and we’ll know the exact status of it tomorrow morning and what happened today is that we took a precaution to make sure he doesn’t aggravate that injury.”And as far as the technique of the dive is concerned I think it was quite an intense chase to the boundary line and in his intent to save that one run he stopped the ball and landed on his right shoulder when he rolled over. Impact was quite heavy because of the momentum he was carrying and so there was a shock on his right shoulder. That is the current status.”

Australia’s batsmen will be tested by New Zealand’s bowlers and will have to successfully negotiate any swing on offer if they are to spoil Brendon McCullum’s farewell party

The Preview by Daniel Brettig11-Feb-2016

Match facts

February 12-16, 2016
Start time 10.30 local (21.30 GMT)6:37

Coverdale: Moving ball Australia’s problem for years

Big Picture

More than five years after their last cricket contact outside of ICC events, Australia and New Zealand resumed Test combat late last year. If a slow start by the tourists is discounted due to their ordinary preparation – including the Blacktown abandonment – then it was a keenly fought contest, curtailed somewhat by a dead pitch in Perth but enlivened under the lights of Adelaide Oval. That match arguably turned on one contentious umpiring decision in favour of Nathan Lyon, meaning Australia’s 2-0 margin was nowhere near as comfortable as it appeared.Now the tables are somewhat turned. New Zealand are at home, with the benefit of local knowledge. Australia are out of their comfort zone, and with a weakened bowling attack. There is also the considerable sub plot of Brendon McCullum’s final series and his 100th Test (in Wellington, he is set to become the first player to play 100 Tests in a row), and all of New Zealand will be baying for the most fitting possible farewell – a first series victory over Australia since 1986. By way of assistance to the hosts, the Basin Reserve pitch has plenty of grassy coverage, and in Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell, New Zealand have a bowling attack capable of exploiting it. They will hope that some of the recent ODI form lines – notably the free-spirited batting of Martin Guptill – flow into the Tests.For Steven Smith’s side there is the lure of picking up the No. 1 Test ranking with a series victory, not at any sort of World Championship but before the “annual cut-off” currently deemed prestigious enough for the game. But more broadly Smith, the coach Darren Lehmann, the selectors and the players will all have atonement for last year’s Ashes misadventures on their minds. Unable to choose Mitchell Starc, they have opted for a seam-bowling attack that would not have looked out of place at Trent Bridge, but it is the batting order that needs to stand up. Oodles of runs on the roads of Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Melbourne will have little relevance here, but the improved display at The Oval after the Ashes were gone just might. Helpful memories, of course, are all the Australians have – zero practice matches have left them unsure of where they stand.

Form guide

New Zealand: WWLDL (last five completed matches, most recent first)


Australia: DWWWD

In the spotlight

Not quite at his best during the Australia tour, Trent Boult has regained much of his rhythm and swing in the intervening weeks, and was a consistent threat during the ODIs. Alongside Southee, Bracwell and Corey Anderson he should expect more sustained movement through the air and off the pitch, more akin to Adelaide’s pink-ball environment than those of Brisbane or Perth. The New Zealand bowling attack has been widely lauded as the nation’s most capable since the days of Sir Richard Hadlee, and it will take a strong performance from Boult to help deliver the sort of series wins of which Hadlee was a major part.There were few superlatives left for Usman Khawaja by the end of the home summer. A stack of centuries and other scores nearly as significant left most to conclude he was batting better than anyone else in the world right now, and his uncertain limited-overs place was a source of some disquiet. But there was one thing missing from Khawaja’s summer, and also his international career. With the exception of an outlier display at the Wanderers in 2011, Khawaja is yet to show himself an adept player on seaming pitches. Since that time he has moved to Queensland, and some of his Gabba experiences will help. Proving himself in New Zealand climes will go a long way towards securing the series for Australia.

Team news

Henry Nicholls debuts at No. 4 in place of the unfit Ross Taylor, while Corey Anderson and Mark Craig are in for Mitchell Santner (foot injury) and Neil Wagner (left out).New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt), 6 Corey Anderson, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Mark Craig, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultJackson Bird was chosen ahead of James Pattinson as the third seamer, while Peter Siddle resumes, having missed the Sydney Test against West Indies.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Josh Hazlewood, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jackson Bird

Pitch and conditions

The Basin Reserve pitch was verdant green two days out from the match, and even if its colour may not denote as much seam movement as it appears, the ball will be kept in good condition by the surface and should swing.

Stats and trivia

• Australia’s last Test series in New Zealand in 2010 resulted in a 2-0 series win for the visitors, including the first Test at Basin Reserve
• Steven Smith, then uncapped, is the only member of that touring squad to be in the team this time around
• Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee are the remaining New Zealand players
• Australia will attain the world No. 1 Test ranking with a series win

Quotes

“I’m looking forward to finishing these next two Test matches. It’s going to be a great series, two very evenly matched teams I think, and what better way to go out?”
“We haven’t been good enough with the bat on wickets that have been doing a bit in the last year or so. The wicket here looks like it might do a bit so we’ve got a bit to prove and we’ve got to adapt accordingly, a lot better than we have in recent times.”

New Zealand’s six major associations have completed their contracting process for the 2013-14 season, handing out 14 contracts each

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2013New Zealand’s six major associations have completed their contracting process for the 2013-14 season, handing out 14 contracts each. The associations had already handed out 11 to 13 contracts each on July 26.Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who turned down a national contract due to uncertainty over his recovery from surgery on his Achilles tendon, has not been included in the list for Northern Knights.Allrounder Jacob Oram will also be without any contract this season. Oram had given up his national contract in December last year, after reaching an agreement with New Zealand Cricket. He had said he could no longer make “a full-time commitment to NZC” due to various factors including his age and the then impending birth of his second child, but would continue playing Twenty20 cricket for Central Districts and in various competitions around the world.Veteran allrounder Scott Styris was among those to benefit from the final round of contracting, being added to Northern Districts’ squad.The contracts come into effect on October 1, 2013.Full squads

Auckland: Dean Bartlett, Michael Bates, Craig Cachopa, Lockie Ferguson, Tipene Friday, Colin de Grandhomme, Donovan Grobbelaar, Gareth Hopkins, Anaru Kitchen, Tim McIntosh, Robert O’Donnell, Matt Quinn, Jeet Raval, Bhupinder Singh
Added: Robert O’DonnellCanterbury: Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Brad Cachopa, Andrew Ellis, Matthew Henry, Roneel Hira, Simon Keen, Ryan McCone, Matthew McEwan, Henry Nicholls, Rob Nicol, Shanan Stewart, Logan van Beek, George Worker
Added: Simon KeenCentral Districts: Carl Cachopa, Greg Hay, Jamie How, Adam Milne, Andrew Mathieson, Tarun Nethula, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Ajaz Patel, Dean Robinson, Bevan Small, Ben Smith, Kruger van Wyk, Ben Wheeler, William Young
Added: Ajaz PatelNorthern Districts: Graeme Aldridge, James Baker, Jono Boult, Anton Devcich, Cameron Fletcher, Daniel Flynn, Tony Goodin, Jono Hickey, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Ish Sodhi, Scott Styris, Anurag Verma, Brad Wilson
Added: James Baker, Tony Goodin, Scott StyrisOtago: Nick Beard, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Mark Craig, Derek De Boorder, Jacob Duffy, James McMillan, James Neesham, Aaron Redmond, Iain Robertson, Jesse Ryder, Blair Soper, Sam Wells
Added: Blair SoperWellington: Brent Arnel, Josh Brodie, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Andy McKay, Iain McPeake, Stephen Murdoch, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Michael Pollard, Luke Ronchi, Ili Tugaga, Henry Walsh, Luke Woodcock
Added: Iain McPeake

Kapil Dev, the former India captain, has cut off his association with the unofficial Indian Cricket League opening the door to work again with the BCCI

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2012Kapil Dev, the former India captain, has cut off his association with the unofficial Indian Cricket League, which is now defunct, opening the door to work again with the BCCI. He also stands to be awarded his benefit of Rs 1.5 crore ($270,000) and possibly his pension arrears.”Mr Kapil Dev has informed the Board that he has resigned from the Essel Sports Private Limited/ICL,” the BCCI said. “He has also stated in the letter that he has always supported the BCCI, and will continue to do so in the future.”The BCCI acknowledges Mr Kapil Dev’s immense contribution to Indian cricket, and looks forward to a fruitful association with him in the years to come.”Kapil spoke briefly to reporters after the meeting. “The BCCI is like a parent and we are like its children. I have contributed to the welfare of cricket and cricketers during my earlier association [with the BCCI] and aim to do so even now.”Speaking to the BCCI’s website, Kapil was all praise for the Indian board and its president, N Srinivasan. “There can be misunderstandings at times, but as part of Indian cricket, I’ve always had respect for the organisation more than the individuals [that form it]. I love my cricket board and I’m so happy to be back here. I’m proud to be part of one of the biggest sporting organisations in the world.”He [Srinivasan] is a wonderful administrator and has shown his worth. I was so delighted to hear from him. He’s a man with endless passion for Indian cricket and that’s what I admire the most about him. There are people who are only interested in name and fame, but few work sincerely for 25 to 30 years for the betterment of the game.”This ends a long and bitter battle between the board and Kapil, which began with the birth of the ICL in 2007 in the aftermath of India’s disastrous World Cup campaign in the West Indies. The ICL, promoted by the Zee group, pre-empted the BCCI’s own IPL and was promptly declared unofficial, its players barred from all forms of the game in India and eventually globally. Kapil himself was sacked as chairman of the National Cricket Academy and there followed a series of events, court cases and failed negotiations that led to the ICL’s closure; the league’s last competitive match was in November 2008.Kapil spent the next five years on the margins of the game as a television talking head and a newspaper columnist, his relationship with the official side of Indian cricket remaining rocky. However, he held centrestage at the official silver jubilee celebration of India’s 1983 World Cup win and, two years later, was inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame.In April 2008 the BCCI announced an amnesty scheme for all involved with the ICL, with a May 31 deadline to cut off all ties with the rebel league. On June 2 it announced an amnesty for 79 players, 11 former players and 11 officials. Kapil Dev was not on that list but his rehabilitation has now been completed.The BCCI will tick July 2012 off as a month of restoration: first came the Indo-Pak cricket ties, then Kiran More was returned to the fold, and on Wednesday, it was time for reconciliation with the biggest fish of them all, Kapil Dev. A five-year cold war over the ICL has ended in a warm embrace of cordiality and bonhomie. The BCCI has kindly recognised Kapil’s “immense” contribution to Indian cricket and Kapil has called the BCCI his “parent”. Behind all this are two simple truths: one, that the BCCI’s financial clout is very hard to resist, and two, fighting words from Kapil Dev are to be taken as seriously as crackpot news television. This is the same cricketer who had threatened to go on a hunger strike if the ICL’s younger players were ignored by the BCCI.The BCCI’s first response to Kapil joining the ICL was to sack him as head of the National Cricket Academy and cut off his monthly pension. Devastating for a cricketer of small means, much less so to someone with Kapil’s hefty financial earnings. Then the BCCI tried to snub him by not inviting him to a few functions and, as he was India’s only World Cup-winning captain until 2011, that only made them look small. The master move came two months ago when the BCCI announced one-time benefits to former cricketers; Kapil was omitted, losing about Rs 1.5 crore ($270,000 approx). The BCCI’s pound of flesh was in the form of written assurances of loyalty from former players who have had sterling careers for India. In an angry newspaper column, Kapil, though, drew himself up to his impressive height and said: “Not all cricketers are answerable to the board.” On Wednesday, he put himself in the category of cricketers who are affordable.
Sharda Ugra

The USA Cricket Association’s series of Town Hall meetings for its eight member regions received mixed reviews

Peter Della Penna25-Jun-2011The USA Cricket Association’s series of Town Hall meetings for its eight member regions concluded earlier this month and while the concept behind the meetings was met with praise, the subject matter – specifically how USACA should spend any potential revenue from its stake in Cricket Holdings America – received a mixed response.”It’s a good thing to meet and talk to leagues. This is the first time something like that has happened,” Ganesh Sanap, who is the president of the Northern California Cricket Association and took part in the Town Hall conference call for the Northwest region, said. “I’m glad it is happening. The leagues are able to hear from the president and the treasurer. But USACA didn’t need to have only a Cricket Holdings America Town Hall. It could have happened way before when the AGM is held or before the AGM. At least once or twice a year, these people need to get together and at least let people hear your voice.”The meetings featured a slideshow outlining a plan for distributing USACA funding in 2012 and 2013. Even though the communication was appreciated, Southwest region women’s coordinator Sandra Ibarra was skeptical of how it will all pan out.”It was basically a Powerpoint presentation that was introducing to all the regions what Cricket Holdings America is all about,” Ibarra, a former USA women’s national team player, said. “I guess it was a way of trying to say, ‘We’re working on something’, but it still doesn’t specify what they’re working on and how it will help cricket in America. How [the money] is going to be distributed, how they’re going to go about reviewing these proposals for money and who is going to be approving and denying them, that’s where I think we’re going around in circles and some people will feel disappointed.”USACA Treasurer John Thickett was the driving force behind organising the meetings and said having an open dialogue for this topic is a positive step forward for USACA. He also said this will not just be a one-off and that as Sanap hoped, more meetings will be planned for later in the year.”I’m very excited that we’re having these Town Hall meetings. We’re planning some different themes for later in the year,” Thickett said. “To get the opportunity to reach out to the top 100 stakeholders, league presidents and boards is important.”But Krish Prasad, the New York regional representative on the USACA board, is having a hard time agreeing with one of the messages put forth in the meetings by Thickett. The treasurer has advocated that 20% of the $2 million in annual funds that USACA is due to receive from CHA should be given directly to individual leagues rather than to the entire region to manage, something Prasad says will encourage corruption.”I don’t think money should be given to the leagues period,” Prasad said. “There are a lot of concerns about that because it’s election time and money is being given to leagues. It makes it look like USACA are trying to buy votes.”Sanap believes the strategy to give money to leagues is only a political tactic and that there’s a good chance the money will never come through.”I don’t think that anybody is going to see that money,” Sanap said. “It’s election-time talk. USACA has never given any money to anyone so why would it give it now? What exactly is USACA’s interest in all these leagues other than votes? I’m calling it as I’m seeing it.”Another concern that others have is that if leagues are given money directly, it could encourage “kitchen-table” leagues to pop up. Paperwork would be filed in order to receive money but no games would actually be played. Thickett concedes that there may have been some dishonesty in the past regarding proper documentation from around the country, but says that anyone who receives money from USACA will be held accountable to demonstrate how the money has been used.”They’re legitimate concerns and I encourage people to raise them. I don’t think people are paranoid for raising them,” Thickett said. “I have a theory that virtually all of the leagues do not fully comply with the constitution. I don’t think there are many leagues that have a women’s or youth cricket mandate. It fascinates me how many leagues have exactly eight teams.” The USACA Constitution states that a league must have a minimum of eight teams in order to become a member.”Part of the presentation talks about compliance. We’re going to start asking regions for budgets, reviews. We’re a non-profit organization. If people have taken money to install a turf wicket and don’t do it, they can go to jail. It’s a pretty serious offense to take money from a charity and not do what they say.”Rather than try to suspend leagues that are not compliant, Thickett hopes that administrators will help them take the correct steps to fall into line.”It’s clearly a rampant part of USACA culture to accuse a league of not existing. Let’s say a league is not compliant. It’s not a good idea to throw them out. It’s better to encourage them to become compliant. Is it worth throwing them out? No.”Despite the objections and concerns raised by some people, Thickett says it is just part of the process and that the initial proposal for how to use the funds is by no means final. He says he will wait for regions to submit formal feedback on the content of the meetings before planning the next step in how to budget the money USACA gets from CHA.”The whole reason to have these meetings is to say this is up for discussion,” Thickett said.

Headingley produced another of the extraordinary days that has littered its history as Australia were blown away for a paltry 88 before Pakistan built a lead of 60 with seven wickets in hand

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan21-Jul-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMike Hussey was lbw to Umar Gul on a dramatic first morning at Headingley•Getty Images

Headingley produced another of the extraordinary days that has littered its history as Australia were blown away for a paltry 88 before Pakistan built a lead of 60 with seven wickets in hand. Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, who was on a hat-trick straight after lunch, were again outstanding with devastating late movement, and were well supported by Umar Gul, after Ricky Ponting decided to bat first. In reply Pakistan moved to 148 for 3 when bad light ended play.Four days after having to install a new captain following Shahid Afridi’s shock Test retirement, the new man handed the debatable honour, Salman Butt, probably made his best move of the day by losing the toss. Ponting took a brave call after torrential overnight rain, and with heavy morning cloud cover, putting faith in his top order to weather the challenge. But the gamble backfired in startling fashion as Australia crumbled to their seventh lowest first-innings total of all time.Headingley is another venue where, like Lord’s, overhead conditions are as important as the surface and Pakistan’s frontline pace trio were often unplayable as they made the ball move late off the seam. In scenes reminiscent of the days of Wasim and Waqar, the bowlers didn’t need much help from the fielders with seven wickets either bowled or lbw as Australia failed to combat Pakistan’s full length.Conditions remained favourable for bowling throughout, but Australia looked shell-shocked when they took the ball barely halfway through the second session and Pakistan’s openers virtually wiped off the measly total with a stand of 80. Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson were erratic, but Hilfenhaus – who dropped Butt on 42 – eventually made the breakthrough when he swung one between his bat and pad three runs later.Shane Watson returned to make two late incisions with Imran Farhat (43) beaten by late swing and Azhar Ali (30) sending a thick edge to Tim Paine as the light started to fade, but Umar Akmal gave a indication of Pakistan’s mindset in the final over of the day by slogging Steven Smith’s legspin over long-off for six. The lead has already grown and Australia will need some Sydney-style inspiration to turn this game around.The initial six overs of Australia’s innings were a false dawn and the opening stand of 20 would remain the best partnership of the innings. Simon Katich departed when his strength became a weakness as he shuffled across the crease against Aamer and Watson followed in the next over when he was plumb in front to Asif. Ponting and Michael Clarke were often playing at fresh air as they tried to rebuild with both batsmen regularly squared up by late movement.Aamer was rested after a five-over opening burst but his replacement, Gul, maintained the pressure and he quickly located a full length. He ended Clarke’s struggle when the vice-captain played all round a straight delivery after beginning the over with two flat-footed wafts.Asif was given an extended spell and the move paid huge dividends when he nailed Ponting lbw for the second time in a row. He found late movement into Ponting, who lunged onto the front foot, and the ball was heading for middle and leg as Pakistan’s bowlers continued to leave the fielders redundant.Mike Hussey has rescued Australia from many a hole – often against Pakistan – but this time he was powerless to arrest the slide as Gul brought one back into his front pad, although subsequent replays showed Rudi Koertzen, standing in his final Test, had erred on this occasion and leg stump would have been missed. Even at 41 for 5, Australia would have expected someone in the lower order to haul them beyond three figures, as happened in Sydney earlier this earlier, but this time Pakistan refused to release the pressure.A fielder finally became involved when Kamran Akmal gloved an excellent catch to remove Marcus North as Umar Amin’s introduction proved a masterstroke from Butt. Amin had only six first-class wickets to his name, but his gentle medium-pace found North’s outside edge and the dismissal summed up the early fortunes of both teams.Australia’s hopes of reaching anything like a respectable total were ended with the first two balls of the afternoon session when Aamer produced his latest impression of Wasim Akram with a brace of cracking deliveries. The first, to Smith, snaked back between bat and pad but the next was even better as Johnson lost his off stump to one that curved away past his outside edge.To compound Australia’s woes Hilfenhaus was run out from third man by Amin before Paine’s wild thrash at Asif ended the innings. Paine’s top score of 17 was the joint fourth-lowest highest individual effort in a completed Australian innings and the lowest since the 19th century. That statistic alone sums up the remarkable nature of the demise.

The boundary dimensions in Adelaide mean that a bouncer ploy could prove expensive

Tristan Lavalette05-Nov-2024Pakistan’s insistence on bowling short on a fast and bouncy MCG pitch almost produced a famous heist, but the tactic may not be as successful in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval.In a low-scoring thriller that evoked the heyday of the 50-over format, Pakistan’s pace attack led by speedster Haris Rauf troubled Australia with vicious short-pitch bowling on a surface that stayed true throughout.A sizzling spell from Rauf had the pro-Pakistan crowd in raptures and turned Australia’s chase of a modest 204 on its head before captain Pat Cummins once again calmly lifted his team over the line as the home side claimed a two-wicket victory.Related

• Australia's ODI questions: Opening 'fireworks', filling Green's spot and the back-up quicks

• Cummins denies Pakistan a heist to remember as Australia go 1-0 up

• Rauf rues 'untidy mistakes' as MCG ghosts continue to haunt Pakistan

While the approach clearly shook up the Australian batters, with Rauf accounting for Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell in consecutive deliveries as he ramped up his speed, those fireworks are unlikely to be replicated at the traditionally batting-friendly Adelaide Oval on Friday.Bouncers can prove risky on a ground renowned for its short boundaries square of the wicket in a major contrast to the vast expanses of the MCG.”We saw Pakistan’s tactics [in Melbourne] bowling pretty short,” Australia opener Matt Short told reporters on Tuesday. “But I think they may have to change that a little bit at this ground with the shorter square boundaries which are the complete opposite to the ‘G. It’s always a nice ground to bat on.”After making just one run before top-edging Shaheen Shah Afridi, Short will relish returning to his BBL home ground where he has dominated in recent seasons for Adelaide Strikers.”It’s going to feel quite comfortable down there opening the batting, that’s for sure,” Short said. “It’s my favourite ground in the world to play at, and I’ve played there quite a number of times, so I should be pretty familiar with it.”It was not the start to the series envisioned for Short, who is vying to be the permanent replacement for David Warner in the 50-over format. He had entered the series with the inside running after opening in three of the last four ODIs in England and making a match-winning 30-ball 58 in the series-decider in Bristol in a performance that showcased his big-hitting capabilities.Australia had to fend off plenty of short stuff in Melbourne•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

“I came into this series with high aspirations to try to cement my spot in the team,” Short said. “I’m going to go out there and keep trying to be positive and play aggressive cricket. It should pay off at some stage.”With regular opener Travis Head on paternity leave, Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk have formed a new opening duo although both fell inside the first four overs in the first game.Fraser-McGurk, who also has his eyes set on the vacant opener’s spot, made 16 off 14 balls in a whirlwind befitting his ultra-aggressive style. While there may be some belief that Short should rein in his approach to complement his brash opening partner, Australia’s hierarchy are backing all-out attack at the top of the order”The coaching staff give us both the licence to be free and play our shots,” Short said. “Batting with Travis Head as well, if he goes [off] then I let him go and I do my thing.”It’s similar with Jake. It probably didn’t come off last night for him, like myself, but if he is seeing and hitting them well then I probably won’t say much to him and just let him go. And just focus more on myself.”The more important thing in a partnership is that if he is struggling a bit then working through whatever the issues are. It’s really exciting to bat with him…nice to watch from the other end.”

What is the draft order and how was it decided? Can overseas players be retained?

Alex Malcolm17-Jul-2023The second installment of the BBL overseas draft is set to place on September 3 alongside the inaugural WBBL overseas draft. Both drafts will follow very similar rules to last year. Here is everything you need to know.What is the overseas draft and where will it be held?
BBL and WBBL teams no longer recruit their three overseas players privately. The BBL held an overseas draft for the first time last year and the WBBL will hold a draft for the first time this year. They will select a minimum of two or a maximum of three overseas players from the drafts that will be held back-to-back in Melbourne on September 3. The draft will only be for overseas players. Domestic players will be contracted in the same way they always are although there has been a new marquee rule in the BBL introduced for CA contracted players.Will the overseas draft be televised?
Both drafts will be televised on Foxtel and streamed on Kayo. The draft will take place at NEP studios in South Melbourne where it was held last year. The WBBL draft is likely to take place in the afternoon followed by the BBL draft in the evening.Related

• Perth Scorchers WBBL retention decision over Kapp and Devine likely to shape the draft

• Knight and Ecclestone among England stars in WBBL draft

• Pooran could return to BBL after nominating for overseas draft

• Harmanpreet, Devine among the first nominations for the WBBL overseas draft

• Thunder and Stars win WBBL and BBL draft lotteries

How do overseas players nominate?
Players get to nominate their price category and their availability in terms of the number of games they can play. The BBL is now a 10-game season plus finals and not all overseas players will be available for the whole competition due to both international commitments and other leagues, as has been the case previously. The WBBL is a full 14-game season plus finals but the women are more likely to be available for the entire season. There is a nomination process that is currently open and ends on August 20. Players will be put into four categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The players themselves can choose to enter the Gold, Silver, or Bronze band. Platinum players will be decided by Cricket Australia based on the nominations.Liam Livingstone, Rashid Khan and Andre Russell were Platinum players last year•Getty Images

What is the money involved?There has been an increase in the men’s BBL overseas salary bands after the salary cap was increased from AUD 1.9 million to AUD$3 million. Platinum players are now set to earn AUD$420,000, up from $340,000 last year although there are caveats for the Platinum players this year. They will only earn the full amount if they are available for the entire season including finals, which runs from December 7 to January 24.If they are only available for 10 matches, they will earn AUD$400,000. If they can only play nine matches the price will be AUD$380,000. Anyone only available for eight matches or less in the Platinum category will earn AUD$360,000 regardless of whether they play one game or eight. Gold players will earn AUD$300,000, Silver AUD$200,000, and Bronze AUD$100,000 with no minimum matches required for those players. There are no match payments in the BBL, as players are contracted with set retainers. All overseas salaries are to be paid by the clubs from within the salary cap.The categories only relate to price, not to availability. So players can nominate to be available for the whole tournament in the Bronze category, or for half the tournament in the Gold category. Their availability is their currency and teams will have to decide whether a Platinum player with limited availability is worth selecting.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the WBBL, Platinum players will earn AUD$110,000 to be paid by the clubs from the AUD$732,000 salary cap. Gold players will earn AUD$90,000, Silver AUD$65,000 and Bronze will earn AUD$40,000.What is the draft order and how was it decided?
CA held a private weighted lottery to decide the order in both the BBL and WBBL, as they did last year. This year’s BBL draft order is as follows: pick 1 – Melbourne Stars, pick 2 – Adelaide Strikers, pick 3 – Hobart Hurricanes, pick 4 – Melbourne Renegades, pick 5 – Sydney Thunder, pick 6 – Sydney Sixers, pick 7 – Brisbane Heat, pick 8 – Perth Scorchers.The three teams who missed the BBL finals last season – Stars, Strikers and Hurricanes – entered a lottery for the first three draft picks. Stars, who finished last, got three chances to get the first draft pick, Strikers two and Hurricanes one. Here’s another way to think of it: there are six balls in the first lottery and three of them are Stars’ giving them a 50% chance of first pick, whereas Hurricanes, with one ball, only have 16.66% chance.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The order of the next five picks were selected from a second pot featuring the finalists from last season. Again, the lottery was weighted. Fifth-placed Thunder got five chances to get the fourth pick, Renegades four, Sixers three, Heat two, and two-time defending champions Scorchers got one.The WBBL draft order was decided via the same method except there were two pots of four due to a different finals system. This year’s WBBL draft order is as follows: pick 1 – Sydney Thunder, pick 2 – Melbourne Renegades, pick 3 – Perth Scorchers, pick 4 – Melbourne Stars, pick 5 – Hobart Hurricanes, pick 6 – Brisbane Heat, pick 7 – Sydney Sixers, pick 8 – Adelaide Strikers.In both drafts, the first two rounds of the draft will run in order from one to eight. Round three will run in reverse order, so team eight will get two selections in a row (pick 16 and 17). Round four will run in normal order again. So team one will get two selections in a row (picks 24 and 25).How does the draft work?
There will be four rounds of the draft with each team getting one pick per round. Clubs can pass if they don’t want to pick in certain rounds but must pick a minimum of two or a maximum of three players by the completion of round four. Round one is for Platinum players only. In round two, teams can pick Platinum or Gold players. In round three, teams can select Gold or Silver players. In round four, teams can pick Silver or Bronze players. Teams do not have to select a Platinum player but they must then select a Gold player. Teams can select two Platinum players, but only one in each round. If they choose two Platinum players, they cannot select a Gold player, they can only select a Silver or Bronze. The same rule applies if a team chooses two Gold players in rounds two and three. They can only then select a Bronze player in round four.Can overseas players who are currently connected with BBL clubs be retained?
Yes, they can. But only one. This could be coined the “Rashid Khan rule”. Rashid was the first player retained under this rule last year. Stars selected him as a Platinum player ahead of Strikers’ first pick. Strikers took the option to use their retention pick to keep him. Strikers had to pay the same amount of money and use their pick in the first round to retain him. Stars then got the opportunity to pick again and took Trent Boult. Scorchers had the option of retaining Colin Munro last year when Heat selected him first but opted not to use the retention pick. There is also an addition to the retention pick rule this year. Players that were previously drafted or contracted to the club but weren’t available to play can be retained.This specifically applies to Liam Livingstone, who was the No.1 pick in the inaugural BBL overseas draft last year by Renegades but was unavailable for the whole season after he was unexpectedly called up to England’s Test squad for the tour of Pakistan. Under the new rule, Renegades can use their retention pick Livingstone, even though he hasn’t played for the club and has only previously played for Scorchers in the BBL. Scorchers could have a challenge in the WBBL with their retention pick, potentially having to make a choice between star allrounders Sophie Devine and Marizanne Kapp if another team selects both of them first.Will Sophie Devine be retained by Scorchers?•Getty Images

Are there swapping of picks?
There is pick trading this season for the first time. There was no swapping of picks in last year’s draft but CA have added pick trading to the two drafts this year but it comes in a limited capacity. Teams can only trade picks within each round. So a team with pick 8 who doesn’t want a Platinum player cannot trade pick 8 for pick 9 to ensure both clubs got two picks in the same round. Trades of picks will need to be completed by August 20, the same day the nominations close, and all trades need to be approved by CA’s technical committee.What about replacement players?
Each team can contract up to four replacement overseas players (or five if they have only taken two players at the draft) if their picks in the draft become unavailable due to injury or international duty. Clubs can have no more than seven overseas players in total on any list including primary and replacement players. Teams can’t tell overseas players privately not to nominate for the draft and then contract them as replacements. They must have been available to all teams initially in the draft before being available as a replacement. Platinum players can be replacement players as was the case last year. Faf du Plessis and Andre Russell were both not selected as Platinum players at the inaugural draft but du Plessis ended up playing seven games for Scorchers as a replacement player for Phil Salt while Russell played four games for Renegades as a replacement for Livingstone.

Six Pakistan players were in action for their counties this week. Here’s how they got on

Osman Samiuddin18-Apr-2022The second round of the 2022 County Championship concluded on Sunday, with another strong showing from the Pakistan representatives. Here we take a look at how they got on.

Division One

Mohammad Abbas

As good as Hampshire looked in the first round against Somerset, so they looked ordinary in the second; an innings win followed by an innings defeat. Mohammad Abbas took six cheap wickets in that win; he took zero in this defeat. He was still very Abbas though, tidy as ever (economy rate of 2.16) and forever probing around those areas batters feel least comfortable with. There were chances, one edge falling short of slip – an Abbas leitmotif – and another that went through second slip’s hand, but no tangible reward.Hasan Ali

If anyone of Pakistan’s vast contingent in county cricket needs a bit of a reset and a refresh, it is Hasan Ali. For most of 2021, he was second only to Shaheen Afridi as Pakistan’s best bowler. But since the T20 World Cup – and admittedly mostly in white-ball cricket – he has seemed out of sorts. An injury picked up in the PSL, allied to a range of flat pitches, meant he was quiet in the Tests against Australia and immediately questions began to surface about his position in the side. Hasan has always been a bowler of streaks: irresistible when he’s on a good one, ordinary when he’s on a bad one. Match figures of 5 for 94 in a 10-wicket thumping of Kent is a good sign for the county, and a better sign for his country. Most pleasing will be reports that his in-dipper was in good working order: he is a different bowler when he’s getting the ball to move about. The bonus is that he may come out of it having learnt something from the maestro himself, Jimmy Anderson. He’s keen to, not least the wobble-seam (a nice full circle that one, given Anderson picked it up watching Mohammad Asif in 2010).Haris Rauf

Of all Pakistani hook-ups with county cricket, none is more intriguing than Haris Rauf at Yorkshire, and that’s not even considering the off-field significance of a Pakistani Muslim player at Headingley. Rauf is due to play six first-class games, which means that if he plays them all, he will have played more first-class games this season for Yorkshire than in his entire career before arriving here. And though he was part of Pakistan’s Test squad against Australia, this is really the first time he’s going to be seen as a long-form bowler. First impressions? It’s going to be a ride. He was quick through the game on a slow surface in Bristol – the quickest in the game, hitting James Bracey twice with bouncers. He was expensive too, going at over five an over in the first innings and 3.55 in the second. Three wickets in each innings played a part in a six-wicket win, but he was also box-office viewing. On the first day, as Rauf’s radar struggled against Gloucestershire’s left-handers, he also bowled one over in which there were two dropped catches off successive balls and two wickets off successive balls. A sign of his freshness in this format: he bowled 27 overs in the second innings, the most he has ever bowled in a first-class innings and only the second time he’s bowled more than 20.Zafar Gohar

Zafar Gohar’s game began by getting stumped for a duck in the first innings, jumping out to Dom Bess, and ended by going at over six an over as Yorkshire chased 211 to win. In the middle, though, the least high-profile of Pakistan’s contingent did what he so often does: contribute. He was the most economical of Gloucestershire’s attack in the first innings, before partnering with Bracey in the second and putting on 104 for the sixth wicket. That helped Gloucestershire set Yorkshire a decent – but not, alas, impregnable – target.

Division Two

Shan Masood
Shan Masood is the leading first-class run-getter in England after two rounds of the County Championship: now there’s a thing. Masood added to an encouraging start at Derbyshire with the first double-hundred of his career against Sussex. It was against a weakened attack – Steven Finn apart, the rest of the frontline bowlers (two pacers and a left-arm spinner) had played 23 first-class games between them before this one, with a combined age of 57. But first-class runs are first-class runs and tellingly, for what it says about Masood’s recent form, they came at a good clip: at lunch, he was 74 off 88 and at close he was unbeaten on 201, still striking at over 74. He remains in Pakistan’s Test plans but the more runs he scores here, the more likely that he will, before the year is out, be back in Pakistan’s Test XI.Mohammad Rizwan

Serious question: is there a better cricketer in the world right now than Mohammad Rizwan? Probably, but not that many and not by much. Which is why Sussex will be one of the better-followed teams (outside of England) this season. In acquiring both Rizwan and Cheteshwar Pujara, they’ve pulled off somewhat of a coup. There’ll be plenty of focus on an Indian and Pakistani in the same side county side, a bit of a throwback to the 70s county circuit when Bishen Bedi and Mushtaq Mohammad turned out for Northants together. Rizwan was unspectacular on debut, 22 and four catches – Pujara, meanwhile, ground out a match-saving double-hundred – but it’s inconceivable that he won’t have greater impact as the season continues.

And the non-combatants …

Naseem Shah sat out this round of games, with Gloucestershire saying they were managing a “minor shoulder injury”. Azhar Ali will next be in action at home to Sussex on Thursday, with Worcestershire not in action this week. And Shaheen Shah Afridi is likely to make his Middlesex debut in the same round of games, when they take on Glamorgan in Cardiff.

The left-arm spinner is leading wicket-taker in the domestic T20 competition

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2020Adelaide Strikers have completed their international signings for the BBL by bringing in English left-arm spinner Danny Briggs who is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the T20 Blast.Briggs, 29, has taken 172 wickets in English domestic T20 from 152 matches for Hampshire and Sussex with an economy rate of 7.16. He played seven T20Is for England but the last of those came in 2014.He has recently moved from Sussex to Warwickshire but built a strong association with Strikers coach Jason Gillespie at his former club.”Briggsy is a calm head; an experienced campaigner. He can bowl in every phase of a T20 game. He’s very versatile and very adaptable,” Gillespie said.”To have Briggsy to complement the leg spin of Rashid Khan, plus we’ve got the off-spin of Travis Head and Matt Short. We feel that Danny will add another dimension to our bowling attack should he get a surface that suits multiple spin options.”He is a fantastic guy. He’s very calm, a gun fielder but he also has that experienced head and he will crack in and do his job. He will fit in wonderfully well; the boys will enjoy his company.”Briggs joins Khan and Phil Salt, the Sussex batsman, as the Strikers’ overseas players with the trio all available for the full duration of the tournament.Current Strikers squad Danny Briggs (Eng), Travis Head, Rashid Khan (Afg), Michael Neser, Harry Nielsen, Matthew Renshaw, Phil Salt (Eng), Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Jon Wells, Daniel Worrall