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Eighteen wickets fell on the first day at Old Trafford but it was contrasting half-centuries from Liam Livingston and Dean Elgar that will live in the memory

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford21-Apr-2017
Scorecard1:42

County Championship Round-up: England hopefuls make their case

Recollections of a grey and rather heavy Manchester day on which 18 wickets fell should, one would think, be dominated by the exploits of bowlers. To be specific, we should laud the achievement of the Somerset seamers in dismissing Lancashire for a plainly inadequate 109 and then offer our congratulations to the home attack in limiting Somerset’s lead to a mere 44 runs, albeit that the visitors have two wickets in hand and the excellent Dean Elgar still at the crease.Yet while both sets of pace bowlers performed nobly on a testing pitch which nevertheless scarcely justified the fall of wickets with a frequency matched only by Italian governments, it will, perhaps, be two contrasting innings which spectators will remember when they reflect on a manic day at Emirates Old Trafford. The first of these was played by Lancashire’s stand-in skipper Liam Livingstone, who batted with exemplary responsibility when partnered by established batsmen before lunch and then glorious freedom when accompanied by the tail in the afternoon.Mind you, not too many of the top order hung around for long to admire their leader’s discipline. When Livingstone arrived at the wicket in the fourth over both Haseeb Hameed and Alex Davies had already been dismissed for ducks by fine balls from Josh Davey, Hameed edging the fifth delivery of the match to the wicketkeeper, Steven Davies, and Alex Davies being taken by Marcus Trescothick at slip.Nor was there any prolonged halt to the grisly procession of Lancashire batsmen. Having threatened to post inadequate first-innings totals in their previous two matches only to think better of it and mount remarkable recoveries instead, Lancashire finally did the job properly on the opening day of this game. As if to justify the darkest fears of their supporters, many of whom were watching their first cricket of 2017, Livingstone’s side put together their miserable total in 41.4 overs, less than a session and a half’s cricket.That said, Somerset’s attack offered a tough examination on a pitch which seemed to retain early moisture. Craig Overton bowled with pace and proper aggression to remove Luke Procter, Rob Jones and Dane Vilas in successive overs and when Ryan McLaren nicked Tim Groenewald to Elgar at slip the home side were 42 for 6. Time to check the record books and visit Old Trafford’s black museum, some thought, but Livingstone and Jordan Clark stopped the worst of the rot by adding 22 runs in 45 minutes of self-denial before lunch.After the interval, though, the tumble resumed, Clark miscuing Overton to Tom Abell at extra cover and Parry giving one of Instow’s finest his fifth wicket with a tame return catch. At which point Livingstone moved his batting up from second gear to fifth and he did so with a rapidity befitting one of cricket’s classiest young marques. Having used the wreckage of his team’s innings to show that there is far more to his game than short-form salvos, Livingstone tore into the Somerset bowling wherever possible scoring 40 runs off 32 balls in the afternoon session.Liam Livingstone played some acrobatic shots in his 68•Getty Images

Moreover, it might be noted that this innings of two halves against Somerset was watched by the national selector, James Whitaker. Livingstone is taking the careful plan of progression drawn up for him and tearing it up, a task he is achieving as much by his cricketing intelligence as by raw ability. It was thrilling to see him come down the wicket and smack Overton onto the first balcony of the Old Trafford pavilion; and it was remarkable to observe his ability to move from orthodoxy and the coaching book to ramps, scoops and other such exotica, albeit that by the time he was the last man out, caught at deep square leg by Jack Leach, Lancashire had not achieved a par total.Elgar’s effort, though, was quite as praiseworthy as Livngstone’s. The Somerset opener lost his partner when Trescothick had edged a fine ball from McLaren to the wicketkeeper but Elgar remained for the rest of the day, facing 151 balls and taking 214 minutes over his 66 not out.The South African excepted, Somerset’s batsmen found batting a tortuous business, especially against McLaren, who ran in with an obvious will and made the most of any help offered by the pitch. Lancashire’s overseas allrounder removed Tom Abell for a single and later accounted for both Peter Trego and Craig Overton in an evening session which seemed at one stage to offer the prospect of the home side batting again.Trego’s 52-run stand for the fifth wicket with Elgar had seemed to avert that possibility only for Procter to revive it by taking the wickets of Lewis Gregory and Davey with successive deliveries. When Overton’s wicket was taken by McLaren, seven overs were left in the day but Leach partnered Elgar calmly to close of play, when both players and spectators probably welcomed the chance to draw breath.

Ireland maintained their flawless run in the current edition of the Intercontinental Cup, once again claiming the maximum 20 points with a 146-run win over Papua New Guinea

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Kevin O’Brien set up Ireland’s second innings declaration with 75 off 95 balls•Getty Images

Ireland maintained their flawless run in the current edition of the Intercontinental Cup, once again claiming the maximum 20 points with a 145-run win over Papua New Guinea. Niall and Kevin O’Brien each scored key half-centuries to underpin victory in stifling conditions at Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, Australia.Niall’s 63 off 168 balls in a first innings total of 289 came after Ireland was sent in following a delayed start due to morning rain on the opening day of play. Every member of the top eight reached double-figures but with the exception of Niall no one passed 50 as PNG’s bowling unit, led by seamer Norman Vanua’s 5 for 59, held Ireland’s scoring rate in check. It was Vanua’s maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.PNG’s reply showed the value of Niall’s knock as they struggled to combat a revamped Irish pace unit bolstered by the return of Boyd Rankin following his English sojourn. Assad Vala scored almost two-thirds of PNG’s first-innings total of 188, registering his second first-class century with 120 before he was last man out to hand Ireland a 101-run lead and six first innings points. Rankin took 3 for 21 in 18 overs across a series of short spells that were capped at four overs. Tim Murtagh also shined in knocking over the top order before dismissing Vala to end the innings with 4 for 33.Despite a half-century from Ed Joyce, Ireland were in trouble at 129 for 5 when Kevin teamed with Andy McBrine for a crucial 115-run sixth-wicket stand. The speed of the partnership, in particular Kevin’s 75 off 95 balls in a match where the overall scoring rates were slow, enabled Ireland to declare with an hour left on day three and a lead of 346.By the end of the third day, Murtagh had dislodged Lega Siaka to break the opening stand and then returned the final morning to nab the key scalp of Vala in the first half-hour of play to give Ireland a victory springboard. PNG had slim hopes of holding on for a draw midway through the post-lunch session with the score 167 for 5 and two set batsmen in Sese Bau and captain Jack Vare.Wicketless in his first three spells of the fourth innings, Rankin returned three overs after a drinks break to start the 64th and struck with his second ball to bowl Bau for 45. When Rankin had Vare trapped in front for 31 to start the 68th, Ireland could breathe easier and three balls later he put the finishing touches on a match-seizing spell by claiming Vanua for a duck. George Dockrell and Craig Young finished off the rest of the tail to seal the match just before the final tea break.The result puts Ireland back into first place on the Intercontinental Cup table with 60 points, 14 clear of Netherlands. Meanwhile, PNG sits tied for sixth place with Namibia at 20 points. The tour continues on Saturday with the first of three T20Is between the two sides as part of Ireland’s preparation for next month’s ICC World Twenty20 in India.

Ian Bell conceded that England were “disappointed” to lose three late wickets to surrender a strong position towards the end of the first day

George Dobell at Lord's18-Jul-2013Ian Bell conceded that England were “disappointed” to lose three late wickets to surrender a strong position towards the end of the first day of the second Investec Ashes Test at Lord’s.England were progressing smoothly at 271 for 4 when Bell, having made a high-class century, edged a leg-break in the first over from part-time spinner Steve Smith. Bell’s dismissal precipitated a decline that saw England lost three wickets for 12 runs and sees them start the second day with no specialist batsmen remaining.But Bell also suggested that England had recovered well from a poor start – they were 28 for 3 within the first 40 minutes – and that they probably would have settled for a total of 289 for 7 by stumps at that stage.Bell, with the 19th Test century of his career, was the mainstay of the revival and, after centuries in the final Test of the previous series between the sides at Sydney and in the first Test of this series at Trent Bridge, became just the fourth England batsman to register centuries in three successive Ashes Tests. The others are Jack Hobbs, Wally Hammond and Chris Broad.”It was disappointing to lose those wickets but it wasn’t a bad day,” Bell said. “We would have taken that at three down early on.”The important thing is to win the first hour in the morning. We could do with getting to 350 and we do have a bit of batting to come, but it is a bit disappointing to lose those wickets to the late strikes.”It’s very satisfying to play a big innings. It’s what I have wanted to do over the last couple of years and you need as big a first-innings score as we can on a that wicket. I had to leave as well as possible early on and then try to cash in as the day went on.”I’ve only just found out about the record. It’s incredible; a real honour to be with those names. Lord’s is a special place and to go back into the dressing room and see that the lads have put your name in tape on the honours board is really special. The innings came at a time that was important for me and the team.”While Bell was understandably dismayed to lose his wicket to a spinner who, before this game, had only four Test wickets and had all but given up bowling, he could see the silver lining in his dismissal.With Smith getting a leg-break to turn sharply and take the edge of Bell’s bat on the first afternoon, he felt that Graeme Swann may also find some assistance later in the game.”It’s a good sign there’s a bit of spin from straight,” Bell said. “That’s nice. He took one wicket with a full toss and then bowled a couple of good deliveries but it’s a good sign to have a bit of spin from straight. I’m a little bit surprised by the amount of turn. It usually skids on more at Lord’s.”It’s a lot drier than a normal Lord’s pitch and looks much different. It’s difficult to know what a par score is but the longer we get this weather it will be very dry and hopefully there is more pace by the time we get to the fourth or fifth day.”If England fall below 400 in their first innings, they will have failed to reach that total for nine innings in succession, stretching back to Wellington. While Bell could provide no explanation for that run of form, he felt England’s batsmen were “not far away” from a collective return to form.”Sometimes it happens like that,” Bell said. “The work ethic is always there with his group. It’s been my turn to get runs, but in the past our top three have been outstanding at setting a platform. We’re not far away and when it does happen we’ll find ourselves in a good position.”

Mark Boucher has received positive news from his surgeon, Shuaib Manjra, in Cape Town, which suggests he may regain sight in his left eye after Monday’s freak on-field accident in Taunton

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2012Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher has received “positive” news from his surgeon, Shuaib Manjra, in Cape Town, which suggests he may regain sight in his left eye after Monday’s freak on-field accident in Taunton that fast-forwarded his decision to retire.Manjra told the that there was “no obvious detachment of the retina which is very positive.” Boucher can recognise hand movements and identify the direction of light in the injured eye but will still have to undergo more exploratory surgery and months of other procedures to determine the exact severity of the damage and make a recovery.In the immediate term, Manjra, and the medical team, are still exploring the exact cause of the injury, which Boucher thinks had something to do with the ball. “He’s still convinced that the ball hit him,” Manjra said. “The amount of damage is not commensurate with simply a bail hitting him, unless there was a freak angle or freak speed and it hit him in a vulnerable spot. In other words, everything just went wrong for him on that day.”Manjra said Boucher remained in good spirits and had continued to “ask a lot of questions because he wants to get a full picture of what happened.” His recovery is being aided by his mother, Heather, and girlfriend, Carmen Lotter, who have both moved into his home in Claremont, Cape Town.It is too early to tell if Boucher will play cricket again, although there have been suggestions that he is interested in representing his franchise, Cape Cobras. Meanwhile, the South African Cricketers’ Association has begun the process of assisting Boucher in claiming disability insurance.

Rahul Dravid gave a resounding reminder of his value to the side with his 32nd Test century that put India on top in Jamaica

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran22-Jun-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outRahul Dravid relied on slow-and-steady cricket•AFP

On a Sabina Park track with plentiful turn and unpredictable bounce Rahul Dravid gave a resounding reminder of his value to the side with his 32nd Test century that put India on top in Jamaica. After his painstakingly constructed innings left West Indies an exacting target of 326, the home side’s openers began the pursuit with an exhilarating flurry of strokes before a pair of superb catches slowed West Indies’ charge. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo resisted for the final hour to keep the home side’s hopes alive.Dravid, the oldest active Test cricketer, put together a masterclass reminiscent of his 2006 heroics, silencing any murmurs about his place in the side being in doubt after a barren South African tour and the emergence of a slew of youngsters. Darren Sammy captured four wickets, but he will probably still be regretting the simple slip chance he put down when Dravid had made just 6.In an innings where the next highest scorer was No. 10 Amit Mishra with 28, Dravid prospered with the method that has worked so well for him over the past 150 Tests: playing old-school defensive cricket, shelving the fancy strokes and grinding down the opposition.India got an early sign of the troubles ahead for the batsmen when the second ball of the day shot through, barely rising off the ground. Later in the day, a delivery from legspinner Devendra Bishoo bounced viciously, forcing the wicketkeeper to jump and try to collect it overhead.Dravid was patient as ever in the morning session, making only 23 in two hours, even his defensive shots ending with an exaggerated freeze of the bat. A couple of milestones came up through fours past gully, both controlled glides – the first brought up his half-century, and the next pushed India’s lead past 200.His overnight partner Virat Kohli didn’t last long on the third morning, gloving a short ball down the leg side to the keeper. Suresh Raina, confident after his first-innings 82, hung around longer. He wasn’t at his most assured though, edging one between second slip and gully, as the West Indies bowlers kept probing away.A sore knee delayed the introduction of Bishoo, who made an immediate impact, inducing Raina to swipe at a ball spinning down the leg side. It was unclear whether there was any bat or glove involved but umpire Daryl Harper was convinced there was after the ball ricocheted off the wicketkeeper’s thigh pad to leg slip.That brought in MS Dhoni, who seemed a man in a hurry, clouting Bishoo for a straight six. He had moved to 16 off 15 balls before slashing Bishoo to point moments before lunch. Replays showed that Bishoo had cut the return crease when delivering the ball.Soon after lunch, India lost a third batsman to a dicey decision, when Harbhajan Singh was given lbw with the ball likely to have sailed over the stumps. Expect more UDRS headlines.When Praveen Kumar was bowled by Sammy for a second-ball duck, India were eight down with the lead 256; a quick end to the innings would have raised West Indies hopes. Instead they were flattened by a dogged Dravid, who added 56 vital runs with Mishra for the ninth wicket. Dravid shielded the tailender at times though Mishra was rarely in too much discomfort.

Smart stats

• Rahul Dravid’s 112 is the sixth century by an Indian batsman In Jamaica. The highest remains Dilip Sardesai’s 212 in 1971.

• Dravid surpassed Sunil Gavaskar to become the highest run-getter among visiting batsmen in the West Indies. He now has 1412 runs at 70.60 with three centuries and ten half-centuries.

• The 56-run stand between Dravid and Amit Mishra is the seventh-highest ninth-wicket stand for India against West Indies and their third-highest in the West Indies.

• Devendra Bishoo’s 4 for 65 is his best bowling figures in Tests surpassing his 4 for 68 against Pakistan in Guyana in 2011.

• Darren Sammy’s 4 for 52 is his fifth four-wicket haul and best bowling figures in Jamaica.

• If West Indies manage to chase the target successfully, it will be the sixth time that a 300-plus target has been chased in Tests in the West Indies. While West Indies have done so on three of the five previous occasions, India and Australia have also successfully chased 300-plus targets in Tests in West Indies.

Soon after Dravid reached his century with a single to the off side, Mishra swung a few boundaries before holing out to third man attempting a flamboyant hit. A rare sight then followed, a six from Dravid in Tests – only his 19th in 261 innings. Another Dravid attempt to mow the ball only reached mid-on, closing the innings and giving Bishoo his fourth wicket.India were in command at that stage, but instead of being demoralised by the large target, West Indies’ openers, Adrian Barath and Lendl Simmons, unleashed a counterattack that would have pleased the onlooking Chris Gayle. Barath was the leader, crashing two sixes in an over that ended Ishant Sharma’s spell. Simmons was unbothered by being beaten by a perfect Praveen outswinger, powerfully square cutting the next ball for four.With the boundaries flowing, the pair sprinted past 50 in the 10th over. Soon after, Praveen induced an edge off Barath to the vacant third slip. Dhoni strengthened the cordon and in the same over another nick flew to third slip where Raina plucked a sharp, overhead catch. Three deliveries later, Virat Kohli latched on to an even tougher chance, throwing himself to his left at gully to extend Ramnaresh Sarwan’s miserable run.When Ishant cleaned up Simmons with a terrific delivery that straightened, West Indies had slid from 62 for 0 to 80 for 3. Another familiar collapse seemed to have begun, but Bravo and Chanderpaul scrapped till stumps. Both had some anxious moments – Bravo chancing his luck by cutting deliveries too close to his body and Chanderpaul facing some loud lbw shouts – but the pair persevered, adding 51 runs to set up an intriguing fourth, and likely final, day.

Former Zimbabwe coach Walter Chawaguta will begin his duties as coach of the national Under-17 side as they prepare for a tournament in Benoni, South Africa, from August 6 to 10

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2010Former Zimbabwe coach Walter Chawaguta will begin his duties as coach of the national Under-17 side as they prepare for a tournament in Benoni, South Africa, from August 6 to 10. The 15-member squad named for the trip is yet to work together as a group, but Chawaguta is not overly concerned.”We have picked a squad to work with specifically for this assignment,” Chawaguta said. “We haven’t met as a team as yet but I am hoping to work with the players on an individual basis because they are not available at the moment. The cricket season is taking a break at the moment and some of the players are engaged in other sports at their schools and this makes it difficult to assemble. So we hope to work with them on individual basis.”After competing well in the late nineties and early 2000s, Zimbabwe cricket slumped in the aftermath of political turmoil in the country and they lost their Test status. Things have started looking up in recent times, with the national side doing well in the recent tri-series against Sri Lanka and India. Chawaguta was aware of the importance of age-group cricket in ensuring a robust cricketing structure in the country.”We will have more trials for the side because we have to come up with the real Zimbabwe Under-17 team by the end of the year. This is a very important age-group because most of the players in this team are the ones who are going to play at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup. So we need to be thorough in our activities,” he said.Squad: Alistair MacLeod, Salman Khan, Malcolm Lake, Michael Torr, Deven Bell, Rhett Wallbridge, Ryan Burl, Andre Odendaal, Charles Kunje, Odicious Mhanje, Luke Jongwe, Joylord Gumbie.Reserves: Matthew Wicks, Bryan Majoka, Shane Musekwa.

Mitesh Velani spent a decade working for the English rugby union club

Matt Roller30-Aug-2024Yorkshire have appointed Mitesh Velani, who left Saracens as part of the fall-out from their salary cap scandal, as their new chief financial and operations officer.Saracens, the London-based rugby union club, were fined over £5 million and docked 35 points in 2019 after they were found guilty of breaching the English Premiership’s salary cap across three seasons.Mitesh Velani, who will join Yorkshire in a newly-created role on September 16, spent a decade working for Saracens. He was the club’s finance director from 2010 until 2017, before taking over as chief executive – initially in an interim capacity – until 2020. He was replaced as chief executive in January 2020, initially moving into a consultancy role before leaving the club soon after.Velani was mentioned repeatedly in the independent disciplinary panel’s report detailing the charges against Saracens, and was the principal witness when the club attempted – unsuccessfully – to make the case that the league’s salary cap was anti-competitive.Related

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The panel found that Velani’s witness statement had “largely been copied verbatim” from one made by his predecessor, Ed Griffiths, in a previous disciplinary case. The panel’s report said it was “regrettable” that Velani did not “make clear the extent to which his written statement simply reiterated Mr Griffiths’ earlier statement and addressed matters on which he had no first-hand knowledge”.Yorkshire mentioned Velani’s experience with Saracens in a club statement announcing his appointment, but did not address the salary cap scandal, instead saying that he had “brought transformation and innovation to the operating of the club during a decade of sustained success both on and off the field”.Velani said it was “an honour” to join Yorkshire. “I am looking forward to using everything I have learned to help support Yorkshire at this exciting time,” he said. “Working alongside the Board I am determined to help deliver success at Headingley and produce exceptional results, underpinned by robust commercial foundations and our vision to make Yorkshire Cricket a place for everyone.”Colin Graves is planning to demutualise Yorkshire•Getty Images

Velani’s appointment comes at a time when Yorkshire are in transition on and off the field. They are recruiting for a new director of cricket – with Essex’s Anthony McGrath considered the favourite for the role – and a new head coach, with Ottis Gibson stepping down at the end of the season.Colin Graves, Yorkshire chair, will ballot members in November as he seeks to demutualise the club, which would require a 75 percent vote from a minimum 50 percent turnout. “If people don’t vote for demutualisation, then unfortunately, Yorkshire’s going to fall into these financial problems time and time again,” Graves told the last week.Graves said that he has been speaking to IPL franchises and American investors about the prospect of buying stakes in the club, while Yorkshire will soon be gifted a majority stake in Northern Superchargers by the ECB. “They will not even consider investing in Yorkshire as a members’ club – that is fact,” Graves said.Yorkshire also announced on Friday that Sanjay Patel, the main architect of the Hundred, will become their interim chief executive when Stephen Vaughan leaves the role next month.Sanjay Patel is Yorkshire’s interim chief executive•Getty Images

Patel was the ECB’s chief commercial officer from 2015 and took charge of the creation of the Hundred from 2018, acting as the tournament’s managing director until the end of last summer. He has been a member of Yorkshire’s board since February, when Graves returned to the club as chair.”I am delighted to be joining Yorkshire County Cricket Club,” Patel said. “The board have been extremely open with me, sharing their learnings and challenges over the past few years, and importantly their bold and ambitious goals for the future. Together as an organisation, we will do the best we can for the members and supporters aiming to move forward in all areas.”Vaughan, who joined the club in late 2022, said that he was “very proud” of Yorkshire’s achievements during his tenure: “Yorkshire Cricket has faced some significant and well documented challenges that needed to be faced head on, and the club is now in a much better place and ready to continue its journey back to sustainability and success on and off the field.”It has been a real team effort, and I’d like to thank all of the staff that have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, often in extremely challenging circumstances for their support and dedication.”Velani and Yorkshire have been contacted by ESPNcricinfo for comment.

Having come close to taking his side over the line in Sunrisers’ last match, Samad proves that he is “worth the investment” with a last-ball six

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-20232:13

Moody: Samad reminds me of a young Yusuf Pathan

A last-ball six to overhaul a target of 215 and keep Sunrisers Hyderabad’s play-off hopes alive could be “the turning point” in Abdul Samad’s young career, according to his ex-coach Tom Moody.Samad is only 21 but is already in his fourth IPL season, and has found himself in and out of the Sunrisers team this year. By his own admission, he “got lucky” when Sandeep Sharma’s overstep on what should have been the last ball of the game granted him a second chance, but he took full advantage in drilling the free hit back over his head for six to clinch a win for his side.Related

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Thirty-one games into his IPL career, Samad is averaging just 18.63 but has scored his runs at a strike rate of 136.67. He is also among a rare group of players who have hit more sixes (21) than fours (20) in the league – a statistic which underlines his power.”What Abdul Samad has got as a young, emerging player is a rare ability to hit the ball out of the ground,” Moody, who worked with Samad in 2021 and 2022, said on ESPNcricinfo’s show. “He reminds me of a young Yusuf Pathan. He’s got that strength, power, and it’s a very hard role to play.”I hope that it gives the management and the franchise confidence that they have got the right person, because that is the hardest part. Forget about the player having confidence, you need the organisation – wherever you are – to have confidence in you, and I think if you look at his erratic selection over the last two years, I think that hopefully this is the turning point for him.”Samad was unable to get Sunrisers over the line in their narrow defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday night, falling in the final over of the game for 21 off 18 balls. Hemang Badani, Sunrisers’ batting coach, said that Samad had taken responsibility for the defeat and “stayed strong” in the aftermath.2:31

Hemang Badani: ‘The win will give confidence to players like Samad’

“Let me start off by saying I have to give full marks to Samad,” Badani said, “because he was the first one to come up to me after the previous game and said, ‘I should have finished the game.'”He took ownership of it, and said with nine off six balls, more often than not, batters in the middle would finish games for their side, and he didn’t finish it and he was a little unhappy about it. He had a similar instance with the game against Mumbai [Indians]; that again was a game that he felt he could have finished.”And he was hurting, to be honest. He was hurting. He was like, ‘I’ve been around with SRH, this is my third [fourth] year, I’m a retained player and I really want to make it count. I really want to try and show them that I am worth your time and I am worth the investment.’ I think he’s ensured that he’s stayed strong.”Samad hardly reacted after his winning shot, which Moody said fitted his character. “He’s not charging off with his bat in the air; he’s a very humble, quietly-spoken guy,” he said.”But behind all that is someone that works extremely hard at his craft and is constantly trying to improve on his game in a role that is exceptionally hard to play. More often than not, you see your mature players playing in those roles, not a 21-year-old.”Abdul Samad’s 21, and we are judging him on his history as a 21-year-old. Let’s judge him on his history when he’s 28, and then make judgement on whether he’s consistent in one of the hardest roles to play.”Badani, meanwhile, said that Samad – and Sunrisers – would take confidence from their victory, which still leaves them in ninth place but with the points table incredibly tight.”It’s a great win, because it gives us momentum,” he said. “It will obviously give us confidence. It will obviously give a lot of belief for guys like Samad, because Samad would have felt that he missed out a couple of times.”To have done it here, the next time he comes in to bat, the next time he’s in a situation like this, he’ll be a lot more different to what he was in the past.”

Bangladesh’s ODI captain was all praise for the allrounder’s decision to stay back for the third ODI in the face of a family emergency

Mohammad Isam24-Mar-2022Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal has praised Shakib Al Hasan for showing “big heart” by staying back in South Africa and playing the third ODI despite several members of his family back home being in hospital.Shakib took the evening flight out of Johannesburg on Wednesday evening, shortly after Bangladesh clinched the ODI series 2-1 in Centurion. He is scheduled to land in Dhaka on Thursday. Four members of his family including his two children, his mother and mother-in-law are all in hospital with different ailments.”It takes a very big heart to endure what Shakib is going through,” Tamim said. “Not many people could have done it. There would be nothing wrong to want to be with one’s family in such a situation. For me his performance wasn’t important. But the dedication that he showed, it was the most important thing. I am telling you. Four or five members of his family are in the hospital. He is still playing and smiling with the team. It takes a big heart.”Shakib initially planned to miss the third ODI and fly home early after hearing about the seriousness of his family’s situation. But after his air ticket was confirmed, Shakib changed his mind and stayed back to play the decider.Shakib took two wickets and later hit the winning runs as Bangladesh won with 141 balls to spare.The allrounder is reportedly in talks with the Bangladesh team management for a possible return to South Africa in time for the second Test. The first Test of the two-match series is scheduled to run from March 31 to April 4 in Durban, and the second from April 7 to 11 in Port Elizabeth.

“This time around the competition will be good; they have brought in experienced players and you will see different cricket”

Umar Farooq29-Oct-2020Babar Azam vowed not to overcomplicate things as ODI captain, saying he would try to apply the same mindset which fetched him positive results in T20s. Pakistan start as firm favourites against Zimbabwe, and Azam said they would test their bench strength during the series, but at the same time, he asked his players not to take the opponents lightly.This is Azam’s first ODI series as captain despite being given the role over a year ago. Pakistan have not played an ODI since a three-match series against Sri Lanka in October 2019, and in that time, he has led his side in eight T20Is, with three wins and as many losses. His form as a batsman shows no sign of waning, but Azam is yet to truly stamp his mark as a captain.”I have learned a lot in the last year and it is a continuous process,” Azam said on the eve of the first ODI. “It didn’t affect my batting much because with the bat I only focus on what I am doing in the middle. But as a captain, there are a lot of things going on my mind so I try to cover every aspect as captain while enjoying the game. The ODI cricket is played with a different mindset but whatever made me successful in T20 cricket, I’ll try and replicate that to get good results.”Zimbabwe’s 20-man squad has a mix of youth and experience. While new faces like Faraz Akram, Wesley Madhevere and Milton Shumba are part of the side, there are also seven players who visited Pakistan in 2015. Pakistan, meanwhile, are playing with a full-strength squad and go into the series as firm favourites, having won each of their last six ODIs against Zimbabwe.”This time around the competition will be good; they have brought in experienced players and you will see different cricket,” Azam said. “We will try to dominate and play according to our strengths and try and get a clean sweep. You can’t take them lightly and we will try to play with a combination of seniors and juniors and give chances to players like Khushdil [Shah], Usman Qadir and Zafar Gohar. We will try to shuffle during the whole series and test our bench strength.”Whatever the team you are up against you can’t afford to take it easy,” he said. “We plan to have the same level of focus and planning. We have to give Zimbabwe respect and play at our full potential. I have given the same message to the boys in the dressing room not to be relaxed and play your natural game.”