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India’s preparation for their tour of South Africa continues unimpeded

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Nagpur26-Nov-2017When the Nagpur Test began, an unfamiliar sight greeted followers of Indian cricket. As Ishant Sharma began running up to bowl the first ball, Cheteshwar Pujara stood at first slip. Pujara’s last stint in the slips came in 2012-13; since then he’s usually fielded in the outfield to the fast bowlers and at short leg or silly point to the spinners.Pujara marked his return to the slips with an excellent catch to send back Sadeera Samarawickrama, diving forward and to his left to complete a low grab. On Sunday he hinted that he is likely to continue at first slip when India go to South Africa in January to begin a long sequence of away tours.”Most probably,” he said, at the end of the third day’s play. “Going forward I think, especially in overseas conditions, all the batsmen should be ready to field in the slips, where we’ll have at least three slips and a gully throughout the day. So we are trying to have all the batsmen who can field at the slips whenever needed.”We’ll take a call about my slip fielding once we reach there, but most likely I might be there at first slip. I’ve been doing close-in fielding for the Indian team for quite some time. For spinners I’ve been fielding at gully. Slip fielding is something I’ve done in the past even for Saurashtra. I enjoy fielding at slips, so going forward, if I’m fielding at first slip I’ll definitely enjoy and try and take many catches.”Another difference in Pujara’s game, right through this series, has been his eagerness to push for quick singles. Troubled by knee injuries early in his career, Pujara has never been the quickest runner, but during the course of his 143 in Nagpur – and also his half-century in the first Test in Kolkata – he has been noticeably keen on pinching quick singles for himself and his partners, and there were plenty of twos and threes as well, particularly during his partnership of 183 with Virat Kohli, one of the fleetest athletes in the team.”See, since last one-and-a-half, two years, I’ve been working on my fitness,” Pujara said. “Luckily there haven’t been any injuries, and injuries are something I’ve gone through and that is in the past. Now I’m fully fit and that is the reason I’m able to take all the quick singles and even doubles.”Even my recoveries are much better now, because of my fitness. When it comes to batting I don’t think there’s anything I’ve changed, but fitness has helped me a lot, and when it comes to recovery and playing Test cricket, especially, if you want to be there on the field for all five days, you need to have a lot of stamina and your fitness has to be on the top.”Pujara spent 362 balls at the crease in Nagpur; on a pitch that he felt was “on the slower side”, he scored his runs at a strike-rate of just under 40. He felt the pitch, on day three, had begun to show signs of wear, and that Sri Lanka would be in for a difficult time in their second innings.”Kolkata was a different wicket altogether, where there was a lot of assistance for the fast bowlers, especially in the first innings. Coming back to this wicket, I think it was difficult to score runs, because this wicket was on the slower side, so it wasn’t very easy to get boundaries. So we had to rotate the strike, and in between, whenever we got some opportunities, we tried to play some shots.”But overall I think it was a tough pitch where, as a batsman, you might not get out, but at the same time it was difficult to score runs. I think, going forward in this game, the ball has started turning, so we’re hoping that on day four our spinners will come into play, and at the same time there’s variable bounce for the fast bowlers, so Ishant and Umesh [Yadav] also will come into play.”Cheteshwar Pujara walks off to a standing ovation•BCCI

Despite the slowness of the pitch, Virat Kohli still managed to score 213 at a strike rate of close to 80. Pujara put this down to his form and confidence.”He’s the kind of player who performs well in all the formats of the game, and the way he started off – if there was any other batsman, I don’t think someone else could have started the same way. I think it’s his confidence and the way he’s batting recently in the last 2-3 years. The way he was timing the ball – if there was any other batsman it was a bit difficult to score with such a strike rate.”Pujara will head to South Africa with runs behind him, but perhaps not a whole lot of preparation in South African conditions. With India playing six limited-overs games against Sri Lanka after this, they will arrive in South Africa with only enough time for one two-day warm-up game before the first Test. Pujara, who is not part of India’s limited-overs squads, hoped the Test specialists would be able to land in South Africa early.”See, as far as practice games are concerned, I’m not someone who should be commenting,” he said. “It also depends on the schedule, and the way BCCI plans its tours. But going there little bit early – maybe say about a week or 10 days early – and then practising on those pitches is important.”But at the same time it also depends on the way the Indian team is playing in other formats. So if there are some matches scheduled before we either go to South Africa or England, then you can’t help it. As an individual you need to be prepared, and even if we are in India, we need to try and replicate the wickets which might be there in South Africa or England, and try and practise here.”If Saurashtra qualify for the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, Pujara could get some match practice before heading to South Africa, but having been there twice before with the Test team, he felt he had gleaned enough knowledge of the conditions.”I’ve been there in 2010 and again in 2013, so that experience will definitely help me,” he said. “Apart from that, as soon as this Test series gets over – it also depends on whether Saurashtra qualifies for the Ranji quarterfinals – but at the same time I think we’ll have enough time – especially the players who are part of the Test team – because the first Test starts on [January 5].”Before that there is plenty of time to prepare. Personally, county experience and playing in South Africa in the past will definitely help me, because I have improved my technique, especially playing in overseas conditions. Overall I’m very confident with the kind of form I’m going through.”Ajinkya Rahane, meanwhile, has been going through a lean patch of late, particularly in home conditions, and on Sunday was out for 2, slicing Dilruwan Perera to point. Pujara said there was no reason to worry about Rahane’s form.”I think Ajinkya Rahane is someone who is a class player,” he said. “This is the time where he’s not scoring some runs, but he’s someone who will be back in form very soon. His work ethics are remarkable, and I’m very sure that, going forward, he’s just one innings away, where the moment he gets a big score, he will be back in form and he’ll be quite a useful player for the Indian team.”

New Zealand’s stand-in captain Ross Taylor felt conceding a 100 plus lead hurt his team’s chances of trying to level the series in Kolkata

Sidharth Monga in Kolkata03-Oct-20162:41

‘We were beaten by a better team’ – Taylor

If it is not your day, it is likely it won’t be your evening either. On the first day of the Kolkata Test, New Zealand woke up to the news that Kane Williamson’s illness had not subsided, and that he was not going to play. Some fans might have thought a new captain might at least win the toss. The new captain, Ross Taylor, thought he had, but reality struck immediately. Match referee David Boon told him Virat Kohli had. “It was a commemorative coin,” Taylor said suggesting he didn’t quite get the “head” and “tail” on the coin right. “Thought I’d won it. Then Boonie said Kohli had won.”For a while it did seem like a good toss to lose as the bowlers picked up early wickets, but once the Indian lower order took them across 300, it was always going to be a losing battle for New Zealand. The toss here didn’t play that big a part, though. Taylor agreed. “[Would have been] nice to bat first but don’t think that would’ve had made too much difference,” Taylor said. “They put us under pressure at times, and we weren’t able to sustain it with the bat.”India’s first-innings score gave them a 112-run lead, which meant New Zealand couldn’t afford to attack for too long even when they had India down at 43 for 4 and 106 for 6 in the second innings. “I’d hark back to being 100 runs behind in that first innings,” Taylor said when asked of a third straight failure to run through India’s tail. “In hindsight it would have been nice to score a few more runs and if India were 3 for 40 and their lead wasn’t as much. Any time you are playing catch up from that far behind, there is a lot of what-ifs.”We could go through every session. At the end of the day we were beaten by a better side. Our pacemen were definitely positive and even the way [Mitchell] Santner and Jeets [Jeetan Patel] bowled. Jeets coming in, wasn’t easy [for him] after only being in the country for a day and a half. To bowl as well as he did in that first innings and score some valuable runs, [without which] we could have been even further behind the eight ball. Yes we are disappointed, we’ve got to take the positives and hopefully we can play better in the next match.”One of the positives was their bowling, which improved from Kanpur. “The bowlers fought throughout and that’s something we can take to Indore,” Taylor said. “It was pretty hot and humid out there. I liked the way they kept trucking in asking for the ball and the hostility they bowled with sometimes. We’re seen as a friendly team and still are, but as a fast bowler you need a bit of mongrel. So for Henners [Matt Henry], who hasn’t played for a while, to come and get six wickets on that wicket was good. We’re still fizzing to go for Indore, hopefully we can play some fear-free cricket to put India under pressure.”Taylor rued not being competitive for long enough. “Winning key moments was important,” Taylor said. “The way Saha came out in both innings when the game was in balance, those two fifties put us on the back foot. Rohit’s innings was outstanding but full credit to our bowlers running in. A similar wicket would be good and hopefully Kane can win the toss.”There was at least that bit of good news for New Zealand. Williamson came to Eden Gardens on the fourth day, and has shown signs he might be ready for the Indore Test, which begins on Saturday. “Anytime you have your skipper and best player out it is disappointing,” Taylor said, “but there has been times when Kane hasn’t played one-day internationals and this probably isn’t going to be the last time, with injuries; the team has to step up.”We can’t rely on Kane all the time. It was good to see him walking about [today]. I’m sure he’ll be a bit lethargic over the next couple of days; it’s still pretty tiring losing a few kilos and being stuck inside. But there are positive signs he’ll be ready for the next match, and it will obviously be good for the team to have our skipper back.”Losing a few kilos is not just Williamson’s concern. He might have been down with fever, but the others have never played Test cricket in such heat and humidity. These are some of the earliest Tests in an India season. The summer temperatures have hardly started to go down. It has taken a toll on New Zealand, which can partly explain some of their failures to get the tail out.”Definitely up with hottest test series I’ve been part of,” Taylor said. “A lot of their bowlers and batsmen were tired too. Pretty hot and humid. [In an] ideal world, [we would] send players [early] and get exposure. Comes down to funding but lucky some players come into IPL who mix and mingle with the stars of today to get knowledge.”Kohli says it’s cooler in Indore so I’m happy.”

Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi brought about a collapse in which Sri Lanka A lost nine wickets for 80 runs, paving the way for New Zealand A’s eight-wicket victory at Hagley Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo – George Worker top scored for New Zealand A with 83•AFP

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner and legspinner Ish Sodhi brought about a collapse in which Sri Lanka A lost nine wickets for 80 runs, paving the way for New Zealand A’s eight-wicket victory at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.Having chosen to bowl, New Zealand A faced some resistance from the visitors’ top order. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka made 57 and added 95 for the second wicket with Kithuruwan Vithanage, who top scored for Sri Lanka A with 59. The slide began once Gunathilaka was lbw to Sodhi, who also dismissed Vithanage four overs later.From 134 for 1, Sri Lanka A slipped to 202 for 5, and collapsed in a heap after that, losing their last five wickets for 12 runs. Santner cut through the middle order, and the visitors were dismissed for 214 in 45.3 overs.New Zealand A were never in trouble during the chase. Hamish Rutherford scored 43 off 35 balls out of an opening stand of 52 with Michael Pollard to provide early momentum, and then Pollard, who made 59, put on 117 with George Worker for the second wicket. Shehan Jayasuriya dismissed both the openers but Worker remained unbeaten on 83 to finish the chase with 63 balls to spare.

Rangpur Riders returned to semi-final contention, riding on Shamsur Rahman’s sixth half-century in this season of the BPL

The Report by Mohammad Isam11-Feb-2013
ScorecardShamsur Rahman hit his sixth half-century of the season as he moved to the top of the runs chart•Bangladesh Cricket Board

Rangpur Riders returned to contention, riding on Shamsur Rahman’s sixth half-century in this season of the BPL. They beat a weakened Duronto Rajshahi by 19 runs, and replaced them in fourth place on net run-rate.Without Tamim Iqbal (rested after being advised by BCB) and Chamara Kapugedera (also rested according to team owner Mushfiqur Rahman Mohon), chasing nine runs an over was always going to be difficult. Though the decision to give Tamim a break can be justified considering the BCB request, it was bizarre to drop Kapugedera, who had been captain of the side, at such a crucial stage of the tournament.As a result they hardly had a go at the 180-run target, losing their top-half in the sixth over before Mukhtar Ali and Ziaur Rahman hit some big ones to keep some interest towards the end. They added 71 runs for the sixth wicket, but both fell in the 14th over to Abdur Razzak. Ziaur was unlucky to be run-out at the non-striker’s end when Mukhtar’s drive struck Razzak’s boot and hit the stumps. Next ball, Mukhtar edged on to the stumps to end all Rajshahi hopes.The Riders’ bowlers gave little away but during the Mukhtar-Ziaur partnership, newcomer Saju Dutta and Danza Hyatt looked helpless. Kevin O’Brien took three wickets while Razzak and Dutta took two.Shamsur’s 51 helped him take over as the highest run-getter with 418 runs. He continued to give the Riders a brisk start at the top, hitting seven boundaries in his 36-ball knock, and forging important partnerships.He shared a fast 88-run stand for the first wicket with Junaid Siddique before falling in the 13th over to a catch at long-on off Mukhtar. The pace of the Riders’ innings stuttered in the second half as they couldn’t force the pace and lost wickets.Mukhtar chipped in with three wickets, perhaps inspired by being made the captain for the game. But in a side increasingly mired in off-field trouble, he failed to inspire the rest. Abul Hasan, brought back into the side in place of Ben Edmondson, gave away 20 runs in his only over while Isuru Udana, Monir Hossain and Taijul Islam all leaked runs as Riders put up a total which proved too tall for Rajshahi.

England batsman Kevin Pietersen has transferred to Delhi Daredevils from Deccan Chargers for the 2012 season of the IPL, the IPL has confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2012England batsman Kevin Pietersen has transferred to Delhi Daredevils from Deccan Chargers for the 2012 season of the IPL, the IPL has confirmed. Pietersen is the third player to switch teams during the transfer window, after Dinesh Karthik and R Sathish.”We are pleased to add Kevin to our line-up. He brings rich experience and an explosive quality to our batting and can be a more than handy offspinner as well,” said TA Sekhar, GMR Sports’ Head (Cricket). “We are sure that Kevin will help us to be very competitive this season and the Delhi Daredevils fans will enjoy this addition.”Pietersen was earlier part of Royal Challengers Bangalore and had captained the team for a few games in 2009. He was acquired by Deccan Chargers during the 2011 player auctions but could not play as he was recovering from a double hernia.Pietersen, currently in the UAE for England’s away series against Pakistan, said he was looking forward to the challenge of being part of a new setup. “I am looking forward to a wonderful time with the Delhi Daredevils,” Pietersen said. “It will be a great experience to be playing in the same squad as Sehwag.”The first window for trading between IPL franchises closes on January 20. There will be another short window for trading after the February 4 auction in which the players of now terminated franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala will be sold. The tournament will run from April 4 to May 27, 2012.

Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, has said the exclusion of Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas from the final squad was taken after looking at all options to select the best possible 15 for the World Cup

Sa'adi Thawfeeq08-Jan-2011Aravinda de Silva, Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, has said the exclusion of veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas from the final squad was taken after looking at all options to select the best possible 15 for the World Cup.”We were not going to waver from that and looking at individuals as such because we wanted the best team to ultimately go out there and represent the 20 million people in Sri Lanka,” De Silva said yesterday. “That was the only reason why they were left out. Unfortunately not only them but it was a very hard decision and emotional thing for the four selectors also to leave out two great cricketers like that as they would have been looking forward to saying goodbye after a World Cup. But that’s how life is. To be fair by everyone, those two cricketers have done so much for Sri Lanka cricket and we can never forget that.”De Silva said that it was entirely up to the two players to decide whether they wanted to continue playing. “I guess they have got a great future ahead to contribute towards Sri Lanka cricket and I hope they will do so. Through their experiences I am sure they will come back and help Sri Lanka cricket in the future. But if they want to continue playing they are most welcome to do so. I am not the one to decide when they are going to finish their careers.””At the same time, Suraj Randiv has not done anything wrong to be out of the squad but it was unfortunate because he didn’t fit into the combinations which we needed in the 15. Those are the three guys whom I really feel for at this moment.”Vaas however has a thin chance of playing in the World Cup if there happens to be an injury to Nuwan Kulasekera. “We consider Vaas as a new ball bowler but with Lasith Malinga and Kulasekera there he can only come as first change. When he does that he doesn’t have the same effect as when he bowls with the new ball. Vaas had direct competition with Kulasekera. If Kulasekera gets injured we will have to consider someone like Vaas because he is the next best new-ball bowler in Sri Lanka. If we are playing Vaas we must have the maximum advantage of using him as a new ball bowler. The way Kulasekera has performed in the past one to one-and-a-half years, it is difficult to keep him out.”Dilhara Fernando was selected as a back-up bowler for Lasith Malinga, De Silva said. “What we have to understand is why we pick certain players and what we expect of them. Dilhara is a guy whom everyone might feel goes for runs on most occasions and sometimes bowls no-balls when he loses rhythm. But ultimately what we expect of him is to be a strike bowler and to replace someone like Lasith. In case of an emergency we need someone in the squad if Lasith doesn’t play. Dilhara has got that extra bit of pace to hurry a batsman and with a bit of life and bounce on a wicket we would opt for him in the final XI.”On left-arm spinner Rangana Herath’s inclusion, De Silva said, “We got two offspinners (Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis) and with Randiv we would have had three. The combination we were looking at was three spinners and we wanted some variation in the spin attack. We thought the best left-arm spinner in the country is Rangana so we had to opt for him. He’s played only nine ODIs but we felt he is the best left-armer we got so we had to go with a bowler whom we can depend on.”Mahela Jayawardene, who has fared well as an opener whenever he has been given the opportunity, would be the third opener in the side after the regular pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga.”We decided to go with Mahela in case we required a third opener because we are playing only eight games and we don’t want to bring in an extra player and upset the combination of the squad,” said De Silva. “If it comes to a real push we will have to look at someone like Mahela at that stage or maybe someone else who is batting way down the order as an experiment.”De Silva said that they picked the squad very early (the ICC deadline is January 19) in order to give the selected players the opportunity of playing in the inter-provincial limited-overs tournament which starts on January 11. “That’s a tournament which I want the players to be relaxed and enjoy playing some cricket with free minds.”De Silva also stated that he hopes to give maximum exposure to the selected World Cup squad of 15 during the upcoming three-match one-day series against West Indies. The matches are due to be played on January 31, February 4 and 6 at venues yet to be finalized.

Yorkshire have snapped up Daryl Tuffey, the New Zealand fast bowler, as cover for their overseas player, Australian bowler Ryan Harris

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2010Yorkshire have secured Daryl Tuffey, the New Zealand fast bowler, as cover for their overseas player, the Australian Ryan Harris, who will be busy with the IPL during the early part of the county season.”It’s a great opportunity to develop my game,” Tuffey said. “I haven’t played county cricket before and it’s always something I’ve wanted to do. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.”Tuffey, 31, has a decade of international experience, having played 25 Tests and 85 ODIs. He regained his regular spot in the New Zealand team in both Tests and one-dayers last July after a two-year absence due to his stint with the unofficial ICL.Tuffey will be part of the Yorkshire set-up until early May, when Harris will land in England after finishing the IPL. This will be Tuffey’s first county stint.”We felt it was important to have an experienced overseas bowler at the club in the period before Ryan Harris joins us,” Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon said. “We have a young bowling attack and the knowledge and wickets that Daryl can provide us with will be vital if we are to get off to a good start in the County Championship.”

Kundai Matigimu picked up the ball in his follow through and hurled it at batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius, “hitting him at close range on the wrist”

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2025Kundai Matigimu, the Zimbabwe quick bowler, has been fined 15% of his match fee and handed a demerit point for “inappropriate and dangerous” conduct during the ongoing second Test against South Africa in Bulawayo.The incident in question took place on the first day of the Test match, in the 72nd over of South Africa’s first innings. Matigimu fielded the ball in his follow through and hurled it at the batter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, “hitting him at close range on the wrist”, as an ICC statement put it.It was a breach of Article 2.0 of the ICC’s code of conduct for international cricket, which penalises throwing “a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner”. Matigimu admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction from match referee Ranjan Madugalle, ruling out the need for a formal hearing.This, being Matigimu’s international debut, was his first demerit point.Zimbabwe have been on the back foot for the most part in the game. By the end of the first day, South Africa had reached 465 for 4 on the back of captain Wiaan Mulder’s 264 not out, which he subsequently took to 367 not out before declaring the innings on 626 for 5. They then bowled Zimbabwe out for 170 in their first innings, setting up a possible innings win.Matigimu was one of Zimbabwe’s more successful bowlers, returning 2 for 124 from 21.3 overs, with Pretorius and Dewald Brevis his victims.

Brathwaite, Greaves and Hodge each passed fifty but there was a late collapse

AAP10-Jan-2024West Indies’ batting frailties were exposed after stumbling against an inexperienced Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide. One week out from the first Test against Australia, the tourists’ batters made several starts but all failed to go on with it on a dry Karen Rolton wicket.Made up entirely of players without a Big Bash League contract, the CA XI attack did not feature any players with Test experience for the three-day match.Related

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West Australian Liam Haskett took 3 for 57, while rising New South Wales talent Jack Nisbet finished with 2 for 50 and Victorian spinner Doug Warren claimed 2 for 47. Between them, the three bowlers have played a total of nine first-class matches.There were some positive signs for West Indies, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite showing fight with his 52 after impressing in Australia last summer.Kavem Hodge and Justin Greaves also did their hopes of a Test debut no harm, scoring 52 and 62 respectively.But there were also concerns for the tourists. Top-order batters Kirk McKenzie and Alick Athanaze were both bounced out, in dismissals that will no doubt catch the attention of Australia’s quicks.Equally worrying was Brathwaite’s dismissal. He was caught trying to paddle-sweep Warren in a half-hearted shot that capped a collapse of 3 for 3.Another collapse of 4 for 8 came late in the day around the second new ball, after Hodge and Greaves had got the tourists to 223 for 4.There are genuine concerns over the form of the once-proud team from the Caribbean headed into the two-Test series. They will field at least three debutants in next Wednesday’s first Test in Adelaide, with seven uncapped players in their 15-man squad.Former captain Jason Holder opted out of the tour before it began to play in the ILT20, while allrounder Kyle Mayers is playing in the IPL-backed SA20 for Durban.West Indies were beaten convincingly in two Tests in Australia last summer, with only five players from that tour returning.

Scotland’s left-arm spinner says he is provided footage that helps him understand the “strengths and weaknesses” of each batter

Matt Roller18-Oct-20220:49

Watt: ‘Though we beat WI we haven’t played our best cricket yet’

Mark Watt, by his own admission, is “not a massive turner of the ball”. But Scotland’s left-arm spinner is an earlier contender to become the 2022 T20 World Cup’s cult hero, thanks in part to the crumpled sheet of A5 notepaper that he pulled out of his pocket during his spell of 3 for 12 against West Indies.Before each game, Watt sits down to go through the footage and information he is sent by his team’s analyst in detail, preparing a “cheat sheet” with a few key nuggets to remember about each batter. Ahead of the World Cup, he has been working with Scotland’s analyst George McNiel, who spent the 2022 season with Warwickshire.”He’ll provide all the footage, the strengths and weaknesses of each batter,” Watt explained. “And I’ll take it upon myself to look at all the videos and try to think about where I want to bowl, what plans I want to go with, [and] what fields I want to set. It’s quite a tedious process, but it’s something that I feel like I have to do so I know what each batter does.”Related

• Report: Scotland bowlers script huge upset against West Indies

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On Monday night in Hobart, Watt studied his notes at the top of his mark before bowling his trademark “24-yarder” to Brandon King, a ball which he delivers from behind the bowling crease to disrupt batters’ rhythm. The ball skidded into the top of King’s off stump, giving Watt the first of his three wickets in a miserly four-over spell as Scotland turned the screw.”It makes it all worth it,” Watt said of King’s dismissal. “At the time, it can be quite boring – and it’s quite tough looking at players hitting sixes out of the ground against left-arm spin. But it’s something that I have to do, and something that I’ll keep on doing.”Watt’s regular glances at his notes may also help him glean a psychological advantage. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Germany’s goalkeeper Jens Lehmann pulled a similar crib sheet out of his sock which featured notes on Argentina’s likely penalty-takers during a shoot-out, which he studied closely when midfielder Esteban Cambiasso walked up to take his kick.”Lehmann could find no indication on his note of how Cambiasso would shoot,” Sönke Wortmann, a director who was making a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the German team, recalled in the book . “And yet the piece of paper did its job because Lehmann stood looking at it for a long time.” Lehmann saved Cambiasso’s penalty, and the crib sheet was later sold for €1 million.Watt’s cheat sheet is unlikely to fetch a similar sum, but he too is focused on outwitting opposition players. “I’ll always try and keep the batter guessing as much as possible with all the variations that I use,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t even know what I’m going to bowl next ball; if I [myself] don’t, the batters definitely won’t know.”