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“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.”

India’s head coach talks about his vision for the team after being reappointed to the post

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-20192:09

‘Ravi Shastri was the unanimous choice’ – Kapil Dev

Overseeing a “smooth transition” and integrating youngsters into the national team is among Ravi Shastri’s primary objectives as he looks ahead to the next 26 months of his coaching tenure.On Thursday, Shastri was appointed for a second successive term, with the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) headed by Kapil Dev deeming his international experience, track record and vision for the team superior to those of his nearest challengers Mike Hesson and Tom Moody.”The [goal] for the next two years is to see a smooth transition happening. You will get a lot of youngsters coming in, especially in the white-ball set up,” Shastri told in Antigua, where India are preparing for the two-Test series against West Indies starting August 22.ALSO READ: Why India chose to stick with Ravi Shastri“There will be youngsters coming into the Test match set-up as well. We need to identify another three-four bowlers to add to the pool, those are the challenges so that the team at the end of my tenure in 26 months is in a happier place.”The game has taught us to never back away from a challenge, you want to embrace it, that’s our mental framework. Look at it straight in the eye, go out and compete. We believe wherever we play, it is home, just go and think in that fashion.”This is Shastri’s fourth stint with the Indian team, since he first took on duties as a cricket manager in 2007, immediately in the aftermath of Greg Chappell’s resignation following a first-round exit from the World Cup.AFP

He joined India’s backroom staff as team director during the 2014 tour of England, and remained director in the absence of a head coach, when Duncan Fletcher’s tenure ended after the 2015 World Cup. Shastri was out of the set-up when Anil Kumble became head coach in June 2016, but returned as head coach after Kumble’s resignation a year later.Since then, Shastri has overseen Test match wins in South Africa and England, and a maiden Test series win in Australia, in 2017-18. Under Shastri, India most recently reached the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in the UK, topping the round-robin table before exiting with a loss to New Zealand. Now, he wants to carry forward from there to establish a legacy for teams to emulate.”The reason why I came in here because I had the belief in this team, that they could leave a legacy that very few teams have left behind in years to come,” he said. “Not just for the moment, but also at the end of it all, the kind of legacy other teams going down decades will want to try to emulate. That is the desire, we’re on track, there’s always room for improvement, and with youth coming in through the ranks, it’s a very exciting time.”Over the last four-five years, the biggest improvement has been the fielding, and the endeavor is to make this the best fielding side in the world. It is a clear diktat to whoever wants to play for this team, the standard of that particular player will have to be of the highest standard, especially in white-ball cricket.”

Malaysia suffered a nine-wicket defeat – their third straight loss in the tournament – after managing only 36 for 8 in 20 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2018Sornnarin Tippoch hits her delivery stride•Getty Images

Thailand romped to their first win of the 2018 Asia Cup by consigning hosts Malaysia to a nine-wicket defeat after restricting them to 36 for 8 in 20 overs. Offpsinner Wongpaka Liengprasert’s 2 for 10 headlined Thailand’s victory, while opener Naruemol Chaiwai’s top score of 20 helped them seal the chase with 11 overs to spare.For the third time in a row, Malaysia scored under 50 runs in all, as none of their batsmen got into a double-digit score. Having elected to bat, Malaysia lost a wicket off the very first ball of the match, and their highest partnership amounted to only 12 runs. Liengprasert’s two strikes and two run-outs propped up an overall disciplined bowling performance by Thailand, where five of the six bowlers snared at least one wicket.The only hitch during Thailand’s chase came via Malaysia’s leading wicket-taker of the tournament, medium-pacer Sasha Azmi, who trapped opener Nattakam Chantam in front for a 12-ball 6 in the fourth over. An undefeated 21-run, second-wicket stand between Chaiwai and Sirintra Saengsakaorat thereafter took Thailand to 37 for 1 in the ninth over.

Zimbabwe have now plugged their gap in the international calendar by scheduling a tour of Scotland for two ODIs in Edinburgh

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2017After hosting Afghanistan for five ODIs in February, Zimbabwe have now plugged their gap in the international calendar by negotiating a tour of Scotland for two ODIs this summer. Before the Afghanistan ODIs, Zimbabwe were looking at a six-month hiatus.This will be the first bilateral series between Zimbabwe and Scotland. Their only meeting so far was at the World T20 in India in 2016, when Zimbabwe won by 11 runs. The two matches in this series will be played at the Grange in Edinburgh on June 15 and 17.”Securing home international matches against a Full Member nation is something we have all worked tirelessly on over the past 18 months so I am delighted we have managed to make these matches a reality,” Cricket Scotland CEO Malcolm Cannon said. “The squad will relish the opportunity to put in some winning performances in front of a passionate home crowd.”Zimbabwe are also slated to visit Sri Lanka in June. With only the hosts and the top seven sides earning a direct entry to the 2019 World Cup, these matches will give Zimbabwe, currently ranked eleventh, a chance to gain significant game time ahead of the World Cup qualifiers set to be held in March-April next year.

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.

Mason Greenwood has given a rare insight into his life in Spain by showing off his £23,500 trainer collection.

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Greenwood boasts trainer collectionPlayer owns £9,000 diamond-encrusted NikesAttacker on loan at Getafe from Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

Greenwood took to Instagram on Tuesday to share photos of his rare and expensive footwear. One of the photos showed £9,000 platinum Cactus Plant Flea Market Pure Platinum Nike Dunk Lows – covered in Swarovski crystals – and £2,113 Desert Moss trainers. Both pairs were spilling out of a Chrome Hearts Cemetery Cross Duffle Bag worth £4,600.

AdvertisementTHE GOSSIP

Greenwood is currently on loan at La Liga side Getafe from Manchester United. There were reports that United were planning to reintegrate the 22-year-old into Erik ten Hag's squad after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges of attempted rape and assault in February before he was shipped out following the conclusion of an internal inquiry. There have been rumours that Greenwood wants to make his move to Spain permanent, but also that United are considering bringing him back.

DID YOU KNOW?

Greenwood is under contract at United until 2025, with the option to extend by a further year. It isn't yet known whether the Red Devils will look to sell the attacker next summer or loan him out again.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

Greenwood has made a solid start to life in La Liga, scoring one goal and providing three assists in nine league outings. He'll be back in action on Saturday when Getafe take on Almeria.