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Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah relives his success at Lord’s and talks about what it’s like to be acclaimed as the world’s best spinner

Interview by Kamran Abbasi22-Jul-2016What was the secret of your success at Lord’s?
I thank Allah for what I achieved. It was a dream come true. My aim was to contain the batsmen and support our fast bowlers. I bowled my first three or four overs tightly, without conceding many runs, and bowling the ball in the same area. But when I realised I was getting help from the wicket – some balls were going straight on and others were turning – I decided to attack. Luckily I was successful.Your first experience of bowling in a Test in England – what was it like?
I’m used to bowling in Asia, and you have to be patient there and bowl with great heart. The wickets are slow. You need to push the ball through. I’ve played here for a few years in league cricket, and I learnt that the wickets are a little quicker and the ball naturally bounces more. That means you need to bowl a little slower here. So I prepared for these wickets, and I think that brought me success.In UAE, the wickets are slow. Batsmen have time to play even a fullish ball on the back foot. You need to bowl with a little more power and speed so that the batsman doesn’t have time to go back, or so that the ball can skid on. If a batsman does go back to a full ball, you’ve got a chance of the ball skidding on and you can get him bowled or lbw. You need to bowl with a little more zip. It’s different here – the wickets are faster and greener. Legspin bowling is different on these wickets because you need to bowl with more flight and with loop. You’re more successful that way.Practice is very important for a legspinner. You need to practise every day and that’s how you get control. Also, you need a repeatable action. If your action doesn’t fall away, you bowl in the same area, contain the batsman and make life more difficult for him.You seemed to be more dangerous from the Pavilion end at Lord’s.
When I saw the wicket, and the slope from the Pavilion end, I tried to bowl in the same area. I thought if I bowl ten overs in the same place, I’ll pick up at least a couple of wickets. That’s what I tried, and thankfully I ended up with many more wickets.

“When I went to the press conference, the first question was: ‘Shane Warne has tweeted about you, what do you think?’ I was surprised. ‘What? Shane Warne is talking about me?’ It was like a dream come true to be praised by your favourite bowler”

Did the slope help you?
The effect of the slope was that when the ball lands on the shiny side it goes down the hill, and when it lands on the seam it turns. It puts the batsman in two minds – he doesn’t know if it’s going to land on the shiny side or on the seam. That’s why the batsman ends up confused as to whether to play for a legbreak or a ball that goes down the hill.Shane Warne said he’d sent you some advice before Lord’s.
Yes, we do stay in touch on Twitter, Messenger and Whatsapp. We were in touch before the Lord’s match, and he said he wouldn’t be there for most of it, but he arrived the day after I took five wickets. He’d been asking me how my bowling is going, how I was coping with the Dukes ball. I said it’s harder with the Dukes ball but our camp in Southampton helped me a lot.The camp helped with my fitness, but I also got accustomed to the pitches. I worked first on my grip, since the Dukes ball is a little more slippery than a Kookaburra. It’s the first time I’ve played a Test match with a Dukes. Did Warne give you any specific advice about bowling at Lord’s?
No, there was nothing specific but when we met in Sharjah during the England series he did give me advice, including about how to use the crease. I tried to do as he said and it’s been very helpful to me, especially in English conditions.He’s always been my favourite bowler ever since I was a little boy. When I played my first Test match I took four wickets against Australia, and he tweeted about me. When I went to the press conference, the first question was: “Shane Warne has tweeted about you, what do you think?” I was quite surprised. “What? He’s tweeted about me? Shane Warne is talking about me?” I couldn’t imagine that would happen. It was like a dream come true to be praised by your favourite bowler. We stayed in touch after that.You also played your part with the bat at Lord’s. How did you come to be promoted up the order?
I was No. 10 in the first innings but we sent in Rahat Ali as a nightwatchman. That moved me down to No. 11. In the second innings Misbah just told me I was going in earlier, and I said fine. But my whole effort was to allow my partner to play on. I wanted to fight until the final ball. If the captain needs me to bat in any position, I’m ready.”Legspin bowling is different on these [English] wickets because you need to bowl with more flight and with loop”•Getty ImagesYou’ve arrived on the international scene quite late.
I made my first class debut in 2003. I played a couple of first-class matches and then I didn’t play for three years. I played Grade 2 club cricket instead. The reason was that when I played first-class cricket, my bowling wasn’t what I thought it should be for a first-class bowler. It wasn’t properly first-class standard. That’s why I played Grade 2. I was 16 years old and I wanted to improve my bowling and my performance.After that I played first-class cricket for Customs, and I think I took 34 wickets in five matches. In 2011 I played against Zimbabwe when Waqar Younis was the coach. I took two wickets in a one-day match, and I also played T20s.I saw the standard of international cricket and I started working harder. I was out of the team and my plan was that when I returned, I’d be a regular player and a major player. That was my ambition and it made me put in more effort.How did you start out in cricket?
When I started to go to games in the sixth grade at school, I was very small and I was only allowed to field. I loved watching Jonty Rhodes at the time, and I’d dive everywhere. That’s why they got me to field. Then I started to bowl in the nets. When I bowled my first ball it don’t reach the other end of the net, so I started bowling from halfway down. From there, I worked and gradually improved.I was supported a great deal by my cousin in every way, including financially. When he moved to Bradford in 2002, he started to send me videos of Shane Warne bowling.What was your experience of playing league cricket in England like?
From 2009 to 2012 I played league cricket in Middlesborough. It was quite an experience. In my first game, a crowd gathered to watch the new club professional. It was very cold. I’d just arrived from Pakistan two days earlier. The first ball bounced twice. I thought, okay, my hands are cold, it happens. The next ball did the same thing. The third ball did that too. The next one was a wide. My hands were cold, the ball was different, and they’d asked me to bowl the first over in the match. All the English people watching were laughing. But thankfully, after that I bowled a couple of decent overs and then took five wickets. Once my balls started landing, that was it.Would you say your career was helped by Saeed Ajmal’s ban?
Yes, but I was very sorry we lost Saeed Ajmal. He was our leading spin bowler and he was a big player for us. Whenever a player of that calibre is ruled out, the team is weakened. We really felt his loss, even though I was playing. Also, if we’d played together he could have helped me. But I still got lots of support from the other seniors like Hafeez, Misbah, Younis and Waqar. Waqar motivated me a great deal.

“You need a repeatable action. If your action doesn’t fall away, you bowl in the same area, contain the batsman and make life more difficult for him”

You took 50 Test wickets fairly quickly. Was there anything in particular that you did?
There was a camp before my debut series against Australia, and we worked hard on my action. Mushtaq Ahmed worked with me and told me I needed a repeatable action. He said, “If you keep bowling in the same area in a Test match you’ll pick up a lot of wickets.” He motivated me and worked very hard on my action in the nets.I also have a great desire to perform well for Pakistan in every match. I make a separate plan for each game, and I play every match like it’s my last one. You can’t take it easy. Cricket is such a game that you can be knocked down at any point. It’s a game you have to respect.How successful are your variations?
My legbreak is working fine but I try to learn something new every day. I’m working on my topspinner but my googly is improving and I’m starting to land it more consistently. I used to avoid bowling a googly in a match and it was hard with my action, but I’ve worked on it and it’s improved. All the variations are important for a legspinner, so you can bowl a ball when you want and a batsman will then find you hard to hit.This is your first Test back after a ban. Was it hard being out of the team?
I felt miserable. You blame yourself for what happened, and for when things go wrong with the team. I watched the World T20 match against India and it was a spinner’s wicket. R Ashwin bowled the first ball and it turned alarmingly. I felt so bad that I couldn’t sleep all night. I was blaming myself, but you learn from these mistakes.Can you believe what has happened to you? A couple of years ago you were almost unknown and suddenly you’re being acclaimed as the best spin bowler in the world.
I’ve worked hard, and I’ve been blessed. I’ll keep working hard, and do my best to perform for Pakistan. It might seem sudden but behind this is the result of 12 or more years of effort. If I’d lost heart whenever I lost my place, I wouldn’t have got anywhere. Whenever there was a disappointment I decided to work harder and perform better. I hope the performances continue to improve and help Pakistan.”I’m working on my topspinner but my googly is improving”•AFPIf I think there’s something wrong with my performance, I try to work on my mistakes and weaknesses. Even in my home, in Swabi, I make a video of my practice sessions to watch my action, my arm and wrist positions. Our local coach, Maqsood Ali, has done his Level 2 coaching and he’s a great help to me.I’ve been helped by Mushy. Shane Warne, too. I’ve been to Abdul Qadir’s academy in Lahore several times. Whenever there’s a problem, he lets me know what it is and offers his advice.Waqar Younis helped me while he was coach. Mickey Arthur is excellent and I have a good understanding with him because we worked together in the PSL. He gives me advice on how to plan for different situations and helps me understand my role in the team. Before a match, all the bowlers sit together and watch videos of the batsmen we will face and assess their strong and weak points. We try to develop a plan for each batsman. England have plenty of good players, especially Cook and Root, and we try not to bowl to their strengths and focus on their weak areas.What are your ambitions?
To keep playing and to remain fit. To keep performing as well as I can. However long I play, I want to play for Pakistan’s pride and help Pakistan win. I’m very happy my name is on the honours board at Lord’s, and I’m confident we can keep performing well and keep winning in England.

Looking back at the wit and bowling of Max Walker

Ashley Mallett29-Sep-2016In my mind’s eye I see him. Boldly he approaches, arms and legs flailing, his body jerking madly to and fro like a human pinball machine. Then the strength through the crease and his trademark “right arm over left ear hole” delivery. They called him Tanglefloot, Tangles or Tang. No ordinary bloke commands three nicknames.Time stood still when I heard the sad news of Max Walker’s passing. Some people seem bulletproof, invincible.Tangles, who had successful Test cricket and VFL football careers, then a lengthy spell on television, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell, Bill Lawry and Tony Grieg, was a man who reinvented himself through his career.He was born in West Hobart, Tasmania on September 12, 1948. At Hobart High School he opened the batting, once hitting a century for Tasmania Colts.I played in Tangles’ debut big game, the second Test against Pakistan at the MCG in December 1972. Despite his gangly action, he was strong at delivery, and his powerful hand whipped down the right side of the ball to deliver legcutters that tended to move in towards the right-hander and then cut away to telling effect.He had to bowl a good deal on that placid MCG pitch. Pakistan amassed 574 for 8 before mercifully declaring. After 24 overs Tangles had to settle for a modest return of 2 for 112. He bowled beautifully in the second innings, taking 3 for 39 off 14 overs. In the wake of their three run-outs and Walker’s haul, Pakistan fell for exactly 200 – a 92-run loss. Next day the local paper ran the banner heading across the top of its back page: “PANIKSTAN.”In the next match, the third in the series, Pakistan needed 159 for a victory. Max bowled with the hostility of a fast bowler and the guile of a class spinner to destroy the visitors, taking 6 for 15 off 16 overs, and the game went to the Australians.A great tour of West Indies followed, where he took 26 wickets at 20.During the first Test of that series, at Sabina Park in Kingston, Lawrence Rowe was giving the Australians a pasting. At one point he hooked Dennis Lillee high to fine leg, where Max ran in in his ungainly way, arms and legs all over the place, until he got to the stage where he had to dive in the general direction of where he thought the ball might land. Thereupon he brought off a near-impossible catch, rolled over gleefully, jumped to his feet and held the ball aloft to the rum-soaked section of the crowd he had been entertaining all morning. His great moment was shattered when Ian Chappell yelled, “Tangles, throw the ball back. It’s a no-ball – they’ve already run three.”I was also in the side the day Tangles took a career-best 8 for 143 for Australia, against England at the MCG in 1974-75. Two incidents stand out. One memory is of how he brilliantly caught and bowled England captain Mike Denness. And the other is of him bursting out laughing when the pop singer Shirley Bassey came into the Australian dressing room, sat down with the players and joyfully announced, “Glad to see you chaps are winning.” There was silence before the famous singer’s confidant whispered, “Ma’am, I don’t think we are in the England dressing room.”We won that Ashes series 4-1. The MCG Test was the one that got away.Tangles played a big part in the next series, against West Indies again, helping Australia beat Clive Lloyd’s men 5-1, though he only played in three of the five Tests.He turned out for Australia in 34 Tests in all, and perhaps his finest period on the big stage was as back-up to Lillee and Jeff Thomson during the 1974-75 summer.Tangles had a “Roman” nose, big moustache and infectious smile. He was always telling stories, and was known to embellish them in such a way that the most mundane tale suddenly developed a life of its own. Even the Queen couldn’t help but grin when she met Max on the field during the afternoon interval on the penultimate day of the 1977 Centenary Test match at Tangles’ beloved MCG. As he shook hands with Her Majesty, he replied to her general enquiry as to how he was feeling in the heat and with England piling up the runs: “Geez, ma’am, I’m bloody hot!” The Queen was introduced to the side in alphabetical order, and she had already faced a delivery from Dennis Lillee further back in the line, who had produced an autograph book when Greg Chappell introduced him. “Not now,” the Queen smiled graciously.In 1975, Tangles accompanied Ross Edwards and yours truly to a dinner at John Arlott’s Southampton home. Arlott battled to get a word in. Max had arrived with an avalanche of stories and he intended to deliver them – all of them. The great English raconteur did manage to wax lyrical about the virtues of SF Barnes, but the only time there was silence was when a small woman tripped into the room, said nothing, sat at the end of the table and lit up a corncob pipe. That was the only occasion I ever saw Tangles lost for words.After cricket, he worked tirelessly on radio and television. He was ever on the lookout to create and earn. Opportunities were there for the taking. Once, he offered advice about getting on the public speaking circuit: “Rowd, don’t wait for the phone to ring. It never will. Be proactive.” Be it bowling, writing or speaking, he made things happen. He had a winning formula.

Up on high, Tangles will bowl to Trumper and Bradman, talk architecture with Christopher Wren, and no doubt catch up with fellow TV commentators Benaud and Grieg

He wrote over a dozen books, including and . Collectively they sold in excess of a million copies. Tangles self-published and promoted them personally, loading up his car with copies of his latest title and taking off to all parts of Australia, including little country towns, selling his books in the wake of brilliant after-dinner talks.He did a number of memorable ads, including one for Aerogard, an insect repellent. In the ad, his co-star, a little boy, asked: “What annoys you most as a bowler?””Batsmen… and flies,” Max answered.At the end of the ad the little boy uttered a line that pretty much became part of folklore in the 1980s: “‘Aveagoodweekend, Mr Walker.”Max made many televisions ads, often in league with the legendary Doug Walters. In one, they sat drinking cans of Tooheys low-strength beer in the middle of a lake. The idea was, the boat would capsize. Doug thought trick photography was the way to go, and when he mentioned that to the film crew, Tangles winked. Next thing, Doug was floundering about in the icy water, with Tangles roaring his delight. After a thorough drenching, Walters was looking for more than a “Tooheys or two”.Back in 1985 I asked Sir Donald Bradman if he would launch a book for me at the SCG. Sir Donald wasn’t available, but he later said: “I think you have made a good choice in having Max Walker launch your book on Victor Trumper. He is a real humorist and presents a happy medium between the conservatives and the Chappells.”Up on high, Tangles will bowl to Trumper and Bradman, talk architecture with Christopher Wren, and no doubt catch up with fellow TV commentators Benaud and Grieg.God love him. We are going to miss him.

Hypothetically, Parthiv Patel should have become the most capped wicketkeeper in Test history in India’s next Test in Mohali

Shiva Jayaraman25-Nov-2016Had Parthiv Patel figured in each of the Tests India have played since his debut in 2002, the Mohali Test would have been his 148th and he would have gone past Mark Boucher’s tally of 147 matches to become the most capped wicketkeeper. However, his inability to establish himself as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman has meant that Parthiv has played only 20 Tests.In the 14 years since his debut, Parthiv has missed 127 Tests, which is among the most a player from any team has missed for his team during the span of his career. Only five other players have missed more Tests than Parthiv – England’s Brian Close leads this list, having missed as many as 222 Tests during his career. The closest any India player comes to Parthiv in this category is Piyush Chawla, who has missed 71 matches for India – 22 since his last Test in 2012, and 49 in the time between that and his second Test in 2008.ESPNcricinfo LtdParthiv last played in the final Test of India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2008 and should he play the Mohali Test, he would have missed 83 consecutive Tests for India. This is the tenth-highest number of consecutive matches missed by any player for his team. The first India player on this list, currently, is Chawla who missed 49 straight matches. Parthiv himself is second on this list, with 43 Tests missed between his last two appearances.Should Parthiv play the Mohali Test, he would have waited for 14 years and 111 days to get his 21st cap from the day his debut Test started. Only three other players have waited longer. Among players whose career wasn’t affected by the war*, Brian Close, once again, leads this list – it took him 26 years and 331 days since making his debut to play his 21st Test match.ESPNcricinfo LtdAn early Test call-up – Patel is the youngest keeper ever to make his Test debut – and some consistent performances at the first-class level have allowed him a third crack at Tests at 31 – an age by which one is considered past the sell-by date in India’s setup. While late call-ups are rare in Indian cricket, it’s also true that the last three India players who did manage Test debuts after turning 31 have all been wicketkeepers.* 03:00 GMT This wasn’t mentioned at the time the piece was published. Has been added since

Once the BBL’s main issue was the cost of getting started. Now it is making the most of the boom without allowing it to cannibalise Australian cricket

Daniel Brettig19-Dec-2016Trying to rescale Everest – the general managerNick Cummins says Sydney Thunder are going to try to repeat their BBL-winning 2015-16 season by telling themselves it never happened. After all, it is that attitude of aspiration that inspired Thunder to pick themselves up from a position of being the league’s greatest underachievers.”We have to maintain the mindset of being the team that finished last so we remain hungry and driven rather than thinking that we’ve reached the peak of the mountain,” Cummins says. “In mountaineering parlance, if you’re trying to scale Everest it’s a more dangerous descent than the climb, because all the planning goes into getting to the peak and not thinking about how you stay there or get back. We really need to be mindful of that.”There will be a couple of major absentees from Thunder’s campaign this time. Michael Hussey, captain and cornerstone of the team, is now a consultant rather than a cricketer. Usman Khawaja, pivotal to the team’s strong finish, may or may not be around. For the first couple of games the calf-stricken Shane Watson certainly won’t be. Cummins is looking to see more young players emerge after the fashion of last year’s unexpected star turn – Chris Green – and has high hopes for Kurtis Patterson in particular.”One of the upsides of the veterans moving on is guys like Kurtis Patterson, Ryan Gibson and Jake Doran who’ve been waiting in the wings and now given their opportunity to shine,” he said. “There’s only so much they can do training, and at some point like Chris Green last summer you’ve got to put them into the furnace and see how they go.”Kurtis started at the Thunder the same time I did in BBL03, and the team he joined and the level of responsibility he was expected to shoulder four seasons ago were a lot greater than should have been expected for someone of his experience. Three years down the track he’s a much more mature and accomplished player. The expectations of Kurtis are a lot higher as well as a result of that.”There are quite a few players in the team who may have been part of the squad but weren’t part of the XI that won the BBL last year so the desire to be part of that is very high for guys on the bench last year through injury or selection. The guys who’ve tasted success are really driven to go back and win again. Winning becomes addictive and once you have had that experience the feeling is how do we do that again, that was amazing.”This applies as much to the team off the field as the players on it. Early signs are, too, that Thunder are going to keep growing as the club of Sydney’s west, starting with a sold out Sydney derby against Sixers on Tuesday night.”Apart from the first game, the Brisbane Heat game is 100% up on the year before, double the number of tickets 12 days out. Melbourne Stars is next and that’s 50% more tickets than the same time last year and the final game against the Strikers is abut 400% more than last year. Needless to say the level of interest is very high!”‘Walk around Adelaide now and you’ll see Strikers tops everywhere, more than the Australian cricket team.’•Getty ImagesA squad, a city, a tribe – the coachThe first time Jason Gillespie laid eyes on the BBL was as a studio expert for Sky on its television coverage of the tournament for the UK. “It started about 7am in the UK and all the feedback I got was people getting up, making their cup of tea and toast and turning the tele on,” he said. “Everyone I spoke to in England absolutely loved it around Christmas time and New Year. And I loved it too, watched every ball. It was very popular in the UK.”After finishing up with South Australia in 2007-08, incidentally the summer before the start of the IPL, Gillespie ventured to Zimbabwe then England as a coach, finding success with Yorkshire. Those intervening years meant he found something very different on his return to Adelaide: a redeveloped oval, a professionalised South Australian Cricket Association, and blue Adelaide Strikers shirts – everywhere.”I came back from living overseas for a number of years and Adelaide Oval’s completely different,” he said. “Yes the ground’s been redeveloped but there’s a different feel around the office, the staff. I’ve been so impressed with the SACA – I can honestly say towards the end of my playing career I wasn’t completely impressed with what was going on, but coming back after being away for a time, basically they’ve got it together.”There’s good people, they’ve got the best interests of the players and our supporters at heart, and that’s the core of any cricket organisation. It’s a different town to when I lived here a few years ago. We have the highest average crowd in Australia and genuinely believe we have the best fans in the BBL – numbers would suggest that we do. Walk around Adelaide now and you’ll see Strikers tops everywhere, more than the Australian cricket team or anything else.”I’ve seen more in the last few days, shirts and caps than even football stuff the Crows and the Power. People have embraced it.”Last summer Gillespie and Strikers rode a wave of close finishes, including last ball wins conjured by Travis Head and Jake Lehmann. An injury to Jon Holland and the unavailability of Adil Rashid have necessitated a change in tactical tack too, relying more on pace than spin – namely the powerful England seamer Chris Jordan. The West Australian legspinner Liam O’Connor and the NSW offspinner Will Somerville are in contention to replace Holland if required.”My first year here we made the semis, the year before we made the semis as well, so we’d like to go one step further and we’ve got to find a way to do that,” Gillespie said. “With guys like Travis Head we feel with them and Kieron Pollard we can get some overs out. Spin plays a big part, we don’t deny that, but when we were looking for a replacement for Adil Rashid it wasn’t that easy to find someone available for the full tournament.”We had options on a couple of guys to come in for one or two games but we decided that’s not what we were about. When we found out Jordan was available for the whole group stage of the tournament we jumped at him. I said to the lads we’ve got a slightly different looking team and we’re just going to have to play a slightly different game. That’s the game, you’ve got to adapt, and we need to find a different way to win.”As for England, Gillespie does not doubt more will be sitting up early with their cups of tea this time around, as the ECB contemplates its own move towards a city-based tournament. “There’s a lot of resistance from counties, and there’s some merit in that, because it is different,” he said. “In Australia we’re very centralised in our major cities, England not so much. Somerset is a good example – they sell out every T20 Blast game – so their argument is if we sell out every game we play, what’s wrong.”I get that, but the bigger picture is with the population England have, they could create something so brilliant that in the future people look back and say that was a great decision. The counties have a stake in the game and I love county cricket, but T20 is about entertainment and getting bums on seats, and I genuinely believe England have a great opportunity here. The window’s open and that window is now.”‘Great to see full crowds at the Gabba, 40,000 people is something I’ve never played in front of.’•Getty ImagesInto the arena – the playerOver the past five years, Marnus Labuschagne has been an enthused spectator at BBL time.His chief memories? “Watching Travis Head’s innings in Adelaide when he got that hundred to win the game last year was pretty spectacular,” he said. “Lynny playing at the Gabba and Ryan Duffield bowling Glenn Maxwell as well a couple of years ago, that was pretty cool to watch. There’s so many good things coming from it and very good players going around.”This time, having emerged as one of the players of the domestic limited overs tournament that kicked off the season, 22-year-old Labuschagne is now going to be part of it with Brisbane Heat. “I try to be as all-round a player as I can be with my fielding, batting and bowling as well,” he said. “My role when I get the opportunity to play will be somewhere in the middle order, running hard, getting a lot of twos and improvising at the end.”There’s a lot more hype for the BBL, great to see full crowds at the Gabba, 40,000 people is something I’ve never played in front of and it’ll be a great experience when I get the opportunity.”So far, Labuschagne has been an attentive listener at the feet of the captain Brendon McCullum, the coach Daniel Vettori and also the much-travelled spinner Samuel Badree. This learning has been twofold – not only helping Labuschagne develop his own nascent spin but also thinking about how to make spin bowlers uncomfortable when batting against them.”You learn so much from these international players both coaching and players,” he said. “Learning about what Samuel Badree’s thinking when he’s bowling and what he’s trying to make the batsman do, and in how much detail he’s thinking about his bowling, for myself as a spinner it’s great to think about that. Playing this format you need to know about the wind and what you’re trying to get the batsmen to do.”Then as a batsman you’re just trying to change his game and make him do something different. He’s so crafty and bowls such a good length, watching the BBL the last couple of years he’s been very effective bowling at the start of the innings. Definitely talking to him is helping both my bowling and my batting.”Importantly, Labuschagne is now about to learn about switching gears from one format to another – the essential skill of the 21st century game and its endless variations. “You see how the Australian guys have to do it so frequently between Test cricket T20s and one-dayers,” he said. “It’s quite similar in the Shield and Matador Cup then the BBL, quite short turnovers. You need to work out how to adjust as quick as you can for each level.”‘Clearly what we’re doing is working, that’s not to say there’s any complacency, but we’re playing the long game here.’•Getty ImagesKeeping the genie in the bottle – the bossAsk Anthony Everard about the possibility of the BBL out-rating and out-attending the international season and be ready for a very studied response. “It’s not something we commit a lot of thought to,” he said. “To be honest we try to take a broader view of the Australian summer of cricket.”If you do that and look at crowds, the combination of international cricket and the BBL last year contributed to the highest ever attendance to Australian cricket in a summer. I think we had 1.7 million people coming to the cricket. The combination of the two, having a really strong international product and a strong domestic product as well that’s only five years old, puts cricket in a really strong position and is our competitive advantage.”The way those two elements can work together is the key and what we’re seeing is that evolving. It will continue to evolve in the future but we absolutely see a role for both.”Everard may be Cricket Australia’s head of the BBL but he is very conscious of maintaining its role within a wider context – as the vehicle by which more fans are brought to the game, ultimately progressing from TV viewership, to attendance, to club involvement, to the potential of a serious career. While the BBL is open to some innovation – like the possibility of a Christmas night fixture in future – others like the expansion of team numbers will only happen if they are seen to help that objective.”Clearly what we’re doing is working, that’s not to say there’s any complacency, but we’re playing the long game here and we want it to be a long-term, sustainable competition for many years to come,” he said. “While there might be temptations around expansion or innovations, we just need to make sure it goes back to the strategy and the long-term interests of the BBL and Australian cricket more generally.”The television deal cut with the Ten Network in 2013 added AUS$20 million a season to CA’s coffers, and Everard said that all the BBL clubs will be projecting a profit for this summer. The amount of money they require from CA to function is also going down each season. “All clubs were profitable last year and all are budgeting for a profit this year,” he said.”Within the financial model the clubs operate under, there is still a degree of central funding that CA provides, and that was always the intention from day one to provide establishment funding to get them up and running. The positive for us is the reliance on central funding has decreased from year to year.”It was around the high 60% in the first year and for BBL05 it was around 45%, so that’s an encouraging trend for us. We’d expect to see that trend continue as the clubs become more self-reliant.”Self-reliant, of course, is not the same as independent. CA’s formal ties to each state association and in turn each team means there are no conflicts with private owners, and no money being lost to the game. All part of the strategy, of course.”We’ve been able to be really singleminded and play the long game in terms of league and club operations and finances,” he said. “We can be pretty focused in terms of our decision making, and if that means having to make particular investments over a period of time that may or may not have direct financial returns, that’s a good position for us to be in.”Let the sixth edition of the BBL begin.

Path-breaking performances, consistency across the season and ability to deliver at crucial times were given equal weightage in ESPNcricinfo’s 2016-17 Ranji Trophy XI

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2017Abhinav Mukund (Tamil Nadu) – 849 runs, 10 matches, average – 65.30Had he scored one more run in Tamil Nadu’s game against against Gujarat, Abhinav Mukund would have finished with five centuries and equalled Priyank Panchal’s record of most tons this season. Abhinav’s knocks played a big part in Tamil Nadu qualifying for the knockouts. The Tamil Nadu captain led by example in outright wins over Baroda and Railways, and also made a hundred in the semi-final against Mumbai, albeit in a losing cause. He also became the first player to aggregate 800 or more runs in four Ranji Trophy seasons.Priyank Panchal (Gujarat) – 1310 runs, 10 matches, average – 87.33His previous best season tally was 665, in 2015-16, “far from enough” by his standards. This season, he nearly doubled that, courtesy five centuries, the most by a Gujarat batsman. Panchal became Gujarat’s first triple-centurion in first-class cricket when he made an unbeaten 314 against Punjab. On a seaming track in Nagothane, against a quality Madhya Pradesh attack, he made a defiant 62. He missed out on a century in the quarter-final, but top-scored with 149 in the semi-final against Jharkhand in Nagpur. Scores of 4 and 34 in the final meant he fell 105 short of VVS Laxman’s all-time record for most runs in a season, but by then he had left his imprints on a historic season.G Rahul Singh (Services) – 945 runs, nine matches, average 72.69The middle-order batsman had a memorable debut first-class season as he finished as the fifth-highest run-getter. The 21-year-old left-hander, who made his List A and T20 debut four years ago, had no fifties from his first three innings before hitting a purple patch that brought him six consecutive 50-plus scores, including two hundreds. He then followed that effort up with three fifties in successive games to cap off a fruitful season.Ishank Jaggi (Jharkhand) – 890 runs, 10 matches, average – 59.33One of Jharkhand’s two driving forces with the bat, Ishank Jaggi’s best-ever Ranji season played an integral part in his team making their first semi-final appearance in 12 years. Jaggi’s season kicked off with single-digit scores, but he soon morphed into Jharkhand’s go-to man with three centuries and two fifties in six innings. Further, Jaggi demonstrated his ability to deliver in crunch situations. His 129 in the semi-final helped Jharkhand recover from early losses and take the first-innings lead. Unfortunately for him and his team, that did not suffice as Jharkhand were beaten outright by the eventual champions.Rishabh Pant became the third-youngest Indian to score a first-class triple century•Prakash ParsekarRishabh Pant (Delhi) – 972 runs, eight matches, average – 81After dazzling at the Under-19 World Cup early last year, Rishabh Pant built on the gains to become one of the finds of the season. Pant grabbed eyeballs with his ability to get big hundreds at astounding speed. His triple-century against Maharashtra, which he struck at nearly 95 runs per 100 balls, provided the perfect encapsulation of his season. With twin centuries against Jharkhand, Pant showed his grit and hunger for runs. Pant’s 49 sixes are also the most ever in a Ranji season. Deservedly, the performances earned him a call-up to India’s T20I squad for the England series.Parthiv Patel (Gujarat) – 763 runs, eight matches, average 58.69 In a season where he made a comeback to the Test side after more than eight years, Parthiv’s composed 143 in a chase of 312 in the final, made him the first captain to lead his team to domestic titles in all three formats. In a season where many wicketkeepers impressed, the knock and the manner in which he pulled his team through meant he walked into our XI as captain and wicketkeeper. What the knock may have also done is given the national selectors a big headache when they sit down to pick India’s squad for the one-off Test against Bangladesh in February. How can you ignore a man, possibly, in the form of his life?Abhishek Nayar (Mumbai) – 588 runs, 10 matches, average 45.23, 25 wicketsMumbai’s crisis man – a tag that sits well on his broad shoulders – made a combative 91 in the second innings in the final despite severe cramps, fever and chest infection that had him in hospital early on the morning of the final. His contribution in the final wasn’t a one-off. He picked up nine wickets in the quarter-final against Hyderabad, made a vital half-century that helped Mumbai take a lead and set themselves up for a win in the semi-final over Tamil Nadu. At different times in the group stages, he rallied with the tail to either set up totals or hang in and secure leads. At No. 7, he not just scored runs, but absorbed pressure at vital times in a season where Mumbai’s top order didn’t perform at their best.Vinay Kumar (Karnataka) – 29 wickets, seven matches, average 16.24Vinay’s failures at the international level – particularly his Test debut in Perth in 2012 when he was ripped apart by David Warner – continue to hang like Colderidge’s albatross around his neck. But in the Ranji Trophy there is no better seamer than him, at least statistically. His third five-wicket haul of the season – 5 for 46 – in Karnataka’s ten-wicket rout of Maharashtra saw him move past Madan Lal’s tally of 351 scalps to become the leading wicket-taker among seamers in the history of the Ranji Trophy. That he achieved the feat after missing the start of the season because of a calf injury was a major highlight in an abrupt exit for Karnataka.Shahbaz Nadeem was the highest wicket-taker this season•KCA/Ranjith PeralamShahbaz Nadeem (Jharkhand) – 56 wickets, 10 matches, average 25.60During the course of the season, Nadeem, the left-arm spinner, became only the second man in Ranji history to top 50 wickets in a season twice, having taken 51 in 2015-16. He emulated Kanwaljit Singh, the former Hyderabad offspinner, who had also accomplished the feat in consecutive years, getting 51 wickets in 1998-99 and 62 wickets in 1999-00. These aren’t just cold stats. The numbers amounted to Jharkhand’s first ever semi-final entry in the tournament’s history, his 11-wicket haul in the quarter-final going with an unbeaten 34 to seal the qualification. That he picked wickets at neutral venues made it all the more satisfactory for him, although it wasn’t enough to merit a national berth, one he has been eyeing for the last three seasons.K Vignesh (Tamil Nadu) – 37 wickets, nine matches, average 22.10A tall fast bowler with a smooth action and an ability to swing the ball both ways, Vignesh was at the forefront of Tamil Nadu’s resurgence. He began the season with a match haul of nine wickets against Mumbai and in the process became the first bowler from the state to pick up a five-wicket haul on debut in the last decade. He never looked back – his marathon spell of 12-1-43-4 shocking Karnataka in the quarter-finals.Chama Milind (Hyderabad) – 35 wickets, nine matches, average 22.17Before this season, Chama Milind, 22, was known as an effective short-format bowler. This time around, he was one of the architects of Hyderabad’s journey to the quarter-finals. The left-arm seamer even played a role with the bat: along with B Sandeep, he put on 267 runs – the highest eighth-wicket partnership in Hyderabad’s history – in his team’s ten-wicket win over Services. Milind, who is part of the Delhi Daredevils squad in the IPL, claimed a match haul of seven wickets against Mumbai in the quarter-final, including a five-for in the first innings. He picked up seven wickets in Hyderabad’s last league game, against Andhra, as well.

Another season of cricket’s most popular T20 league went by. How closely did you follow?

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2017

A look at the various team and their prospects ahead of the WCL Division Five tournament beginning on Sunday

Peter Della Penna02-Sep-2017The start of the 2023 World Cup Qualification cycle begins on Sunday when eight Associates will battle for two promotion berths at the World Cricket League (WCL) Division Five tournament in South Africa.It may seem like a long way away from achieving a World Cup dream, both in terms of the six-year lead-in for a fresh cycle and each team’s current world rankings, but Afghanistan and Oman may provide these teams the inspiration to stay focused on the goal of achieving promotion to Division Four. The journey from Division Five in 2008, has culminated in Test status for Afghanistan nine years later.Oman are no less of a dramatic story, having used a maiden berth at the World T20 in 2016 as a springboard for 50-over success, achieving three straight promotions from Division Five in 2016 to Division Two scheduled for early 2018, putting them within striking distance of the World Cup Qualifier for the main event in 2019.Unlike most six-team WCL events, which feature a five-match round-robin stage, the margin for error in this eight-team Division Five is slimmer. The teams have been divided into two four-team groups, with each team playing three group games in the round-robin stage. The top two from each group advance to the knockout stage. The pair of winning semi-finalists will secure a spot in next year’s Division Four alongside Denmark, Bermuda, Uganda and Malaysia. Here’s a look at how each team shapes up ahead of the first day of play in Benoni.Group AMatthew Stokes was the Player of the Tournament in the last edition•Peter Della PennaGuernseyA side that possesses discipline without any explosive gamechangers, Guernsey rely on building pressure to achieve success. Like their Channel Island rivals Jersey, they feature several players who have had county experience.Among them is William Fazackerley, the 19-year-old batsman who made his first-class debut with Leicestershire earlier this summer. Matthew Stokes was the Player of the Tournament at the last Division Five held in Jersey in May 2016, after his superb batting displays at the top of the order. But Guernsey’s failure to gain promotion was mainly down to a lack of support in the middle order, a shortcoming that needs to change.ItalyA talented but ageing side, they have struggled to maintain their status in the WCL ladder after getting as high as Division Three in 2013. A pair of narrow losses – by one wicket and three wickets to USA and Jersey, respectively – saw them being relegated from Division Four in Los Angeles last year.The urgency of stopping their decline is highlighted by the return of one of the World Cricket League’s finest allrounders, Peter Petricola. The 34-year-old Melbourne-based star has not appeared in a WCL event since Division Three in 2013. He hasn’t played in any event for Italy since May 2015, but has answered an SOS for this tournament to help the country rediscover their past. Big-hitting allrounder Carl Sandri, who once played for Sydney Thunder, was one of the few to come away with his reputation intact after their relegation, and needs to have another big tournament for Italy to make the semis.QatarThe Gulf nation will make their World Cricket League debut, after upsetting Saudi Arabia in a virtual final at the ICC Asia Qualifier in Thailand. Tamoor Sajjad was one of the batting heroes on that day and the middle-order batsman, their finisher, ended that tournament with 230 runs at 57.50.On the bowling side, Mohammed Nadeem is a force to be reckoned with. The left-arm spinner took a tournament-best 20 wickets in six matches in Thailand and is expected to be a handful once again in a tournament where most teams typically struggle against slow bowling.Cayman IslandsThe Caribbean side possess one of the most lamentable records in WCL history, having been relegated four times in five tournaments after once maintaining a place in Division Three in 2009 alongside Afghanistan. The only team with a worse record is Argentina, who essentially rode the relegation train with them until both were jettisoned back to Americas’ regional qualifying.Under the guidance of new technical director Peter Anderson, Cayman Islands defeated Argentina in a head-to-head playoff series earlier this year to be the Americas representative in South Africa. Traditionally one of the oldest sides in world cricket – Pearson Best didn’t hang up his boots until 2012 when he was 48 – they have a slight injection of youth in former U-19 star Sacha de Alwis.Group BBen Stevens will play a key role for Jersey•Peter Della PennaJerseyThe strongest side in the weaker half of the draw, Jersey are strong favourites for promotion back into Division Four. At full strength they were good enough to beat Oman last year, a side which has since risen to Division Two. They suffered a key blow ahead of Division Four in the USA last October, when star allrounder Ben Stevens was ruled out due to a medical condition.The 25-year-old Stevens has been cleared to play again in a side featuring Sussex-contracted Jonty Jenner and newly-appointed captain Chuggy Perchard, who took over from Peter Gough following the team’s relegation. Gough forms a solid one-two punch at the top with allrounder Nat Watkins.VanuatuThe Pacific Islanders don’t have the overall depth of Jersey but compensate with individual talent capable of devastating opponents. Seaming allrounder Nalin Nipiko is the team’s best player and, even though he’s only 21, boasts seven years of experience in the senior team.Medium-pacer Patrick Matautaava has continued to develop in recent years thanks to an overseas league stint in Newcastle, England with his batting improving to the point that he can also claim allrounder status after a match-winning 54 not out against Fiji in a de facto final at the East Asia-Pacific regional qualifier. Captain Andrew Mansale continues to provide balance and experience as a spinner.GermanyThe last time Germany participated in Division Five was in 2008, in Jersey, when they finished one game short of the semi-final. However, both losses in the group stage were lopsided – to USA and Nepal – and as a result they fell back to Division Eight. They were never able to climb higher than Division Seven before the bottom three Divisions were culled from the tournament structure altogether in 2015.However, Germany dominated the ICC Europe regional qualifier last June in the Netherlands, on the back of the heavy scoring of Mudassar Muhammad, who scored 355 runs including two centuries. Muhammad also took nine wickets and shoulders a good portion of the bowling responsibilities alongside Shahil Momin.GhanaLike the Germans, Ghana had never made it past Division Seven in 2013 before they were jettisoned back to regional competition. They re-enter Division Five after dominating the ICC Africa regional tournament in April. Though they are heavy underdogs to reach the semis, they do have the advantage of having played their regional qualifier on the same venues being used for Division Five – in Benoni.Ghana’s hopes are tied to the Ateak brothers. 23-year-old Simon Ateak finished as the leading scorer in April’s qualifier, with 173 runs at 57.66, while 20-year-old Vincent Ateak provides discipline with the ball. He took 12 wickets in 45.3 overs, including 15 maidens against regional opponents at Benoni.

Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi tried to fox the India captain the same way Vernon Philander had done at Newlands but he left balls outside off and survived the ones that nipped in

Firdose Moonda in Centurion14-Jan-2018Kagiso Rabada wanted Virat Kohli to reach out. His first delivery post-tea seamed away from the Indian captain who, filled with the intent he has been talking about since arriving in South Africa, could not resist a jab. Kohli did not make any contact.Rabada wanted Kohli to reach out again. His next delivery was full and wide but Kohli, who spoke about also leaving with intent in the lead-up to the match, took a big stride forward and watched the ball go through to Quinton de Kock. That’s how you do it, evidently.Rabada made the next ball easier for Kohli to see off, a short ball that was safely out of reach, before he wanted Kohli to reach out for a third time. As far out as a second set of stumps may have been. Kohli just watched the ball, no intent necessary.And then Rabada wanted to trap Kohli. The fifth ball of his over angled into the stumps and Kohli played around his front pad but managed to flick the ball to deep square leg for a single.Rabada had to wait for the next over to try again, and try he did. The first ball of his next over was so wide it may have been outside off of a third set of stumps. Kohli left. The next ball was short and Kohli swatted it away to get off strike, leaving Rohit Sharma to see off the temptation of balls outside off. Four times Rabada tried to lure Rohit into playing, and three times Rohit left.It was the more of the same in Rabada’s third over after tea. Full, outside off to Kohli, length outside off, bouncer and then the one that came back in. Kohli was surprised by the last of those. He was hit on the front pad and drew a big appeal, but had shuffled far enough outside the line not to result in a review.The fourth over was the one Kohli told Rohit would be Rabada’s last in that spell. The stump mic picked up the captain’s attempts to reassure Rohit he only needed a little more persistence to see Rabada off. The quick asked the same questions outside off, again, but he got no answers, again.But Rabada was not quite ready to rest and returned for a fifth over. After the customary three balls outside off followed by the bouncer, he got one to nip back in to Rohit, who had not moved across as much as Kohli. Rabada beat Rohit’s inside edge and had him lbw.Rabada’s plan worked but it wasn’t quite the wicket he wanted.He bowled a sixth over in search of Kohli’s scalp before Lungi Ngidi took over from the Hennops River End to begin the plan anew.Same same, but different.Ngidi didn’t bother with the set-up. His first ball dipped in on Kohli, who had again walked across for the flick and appeared to be out. South Africa reviewed but UltraEdge showed faint contact. Later in the over, Ngidi beat Kohli’s outside edge, as he chased the ball away from his body.While Rabada bowled a similar pattern in each of his overs, Ngidi relied on pace to hurry the batsmen. He produced a 151kph delivery in the next over and got a bouncer to fly past Parthiv Patel’s shoulder. Had the ball not whizzed past Parthiv, it may have taken the edge as he attempted a hook. Ngidi did not have to wait long to find Parthiv’s bat. In his next over, he got one to angle in and Parthiv was caught behind.Ngidi’s plan also worked but then again it wasn’t quite the wicket he wanted.South Africa spent much of the day trying to fox Kohli the same way Vernon Philander had done at Newlands – by taking him fishing and then trying to reel him in. They got the first part right but Kohli would not take the bait. He still played with the “intent,” that has become his signature but was not undone by the ball that came back in.So what do South Africa expect will change tomorrow, when they will have to go at Kohli again? The short answer is nothing. The long answer is that exactly the same thing. “We’ll keep playing the patience game. We bowled it in that fifth-stump line over and over again.” And so it will go on the third day.

The lowest total for a visiting side in New Zealand, Pakistan’s losing streak, and other statistical highlights from the third ODI in Dunedin

Shiva Jayaraman13-Jan-2018A new low for a visiting sidePakistan succumbed to their joint third-lowest total in the third ODI against New Zealand in Dunedin. Their lowest ODI total is 43, which they made against West Indies in Cape Town in 1992-93. They barely managed to avoid the lowest ODI total in New Zealand – 73 – by the home team against Sri Lanka in 2006-07. However, their 74 is the lowest total for a visiting side in ODIs in New Zealand.ESPNcricinfo LtdAt 32 for 8, Pakistan seemed like they would set a new record for the lowest-ever ODI total, which belongs to Zimbabwe, who were dismissed for 35 against Sri Lanka. Before today, there were only five other instances in ODI history where teams had lost eight wickets for fewer runs. Pakistan themselves were eight down for 25 against West Indies in Cape Town in 1992-93, which is the lowest score by any team at eight down. Pakistan’s horrid streakThis was Pakistan’s ninth successive loss to New Zealand in ODIs – their joint second-worst streak against any team. They had lost 14 consecutive matches against South Africa between 1995 and 2000. They endured a similar nine-match streak against West Indies in 1992-93. Pakistan’s last win against New Zealand came in Sharjah in December 2014. Their last win against them in New Zealand came in 2011 in Hamilton. Since then, they have lost eight matches in a row to the home team. Pakistan have now lost four successive bilateral ODI series to New Zealand. Their last series win against New Zealand was in 2010-11, when they prevailed in a six-match series 3-2. Boult’s purple patch in ODIsTrent Boult ripped through Pakistan’s top order, reducing them to 2 for 3 in the fourth over of the chase. Boult’s final figures of 5 for 17 are the best by a New Zealand bowler in ODIs against Pakistan. Matt Henry’s 5 for 30, in Abu Dhabi in 2014-15, was the previous best. Boult’s five-for in this match ranks among the most economical five-wicket haul by New Zealand bowlers in ODIs. Only Daniel Vettori’s 5 for 7 against Bangladesh and Shane Bond’s 6 for 19 against India have come at a lower average than Boult’s. Boult has been prolific in his last two ODI series, taking 18 wickets at just 11.44 runs apiece and striking every 16.1 deliveries. He took ten wickets in the previous series, against West Indies, at an average of just 10 runs per wicket.Pakistan’s top-order woesPakistan’s top-seven batsmen have struggled for runs this series, with none barring Fakhar Zaman – who has scores of 82 not out and 2 from two innings – averaging above 30. As many as 13 of the 21 scores by their top seven in this series have been single digits, four of them being ducks. Their collective average of 17.10 is the second worst in any bilateral series with a minimum of 20 innings. Incidentally, their worst such performance had also come in New Zealand, in 1992-93, when their top seven averaged just 16.66.

The home team are playing an ODI after four years, while the visiting side are playing their first ever ODI

Peter Della Penna in Amsterdam31-Jul-2018Four years ago in Bangladesh, Nepal and Netherlands arrived at the World T20 seemingly walking on diverging paths.Nepal were playing in a major ICC championship for the first time, marking their status as an Associate team on the rise. Netherlands on the other hand had the makings of a team in decline, their streak of three straight World Cup appearances broken by virtue of being knocked out before the Super Sixes of the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand which resulted in a crippling loss of ODI status, not to mention reduced ICC funding.”We weren’t sure of what was ahead of us,” current Netherlands captain Pieter Seelaar tells ESPNcricinfo. “We were out in the dark for a bit, not knowing whether we were going to play representative cricket ever again.”Nepal ended up with two wins in three matches of the opening round, knocking off Asian Associate rivals Hong Kong and Afghanistan while also giving Bangladesh a decent workout. Netherlands also notched two wins in the opening round, and how. Needing to chase a target of 190 in 14.2 overs if they wanted to overtake Ireland and Zimbabwe on net run-rate for a spot in the main draw, a dreamlike Dutch display followed as they secured the target with three balls to spare.In different ways, the results showed that the future still had so much to offer both countries, in spite of the obstacles in front of them. Nepal have had administrative difficulty that has left them under ICC suspension. For Netherlands, it was competing to draw level with and eventually overtake other Associates who had access to more funding by virtue of ODI status.The fruits of four years of hard work since that World T20 in 2014 will be showcased at the VRA Ground in Amstelveen on Wednesday at the start of a two-match ODI series. It’s a celebration for both the hosts Netherlands, who will play their first ODI in more than four years, as well as for Nepal, who will play their first ever ODI.Paras Khadka gives thanks for the unyielding fan support Nepal has received on their journey to ODI status•Peter Della PennaEach team slogged arduously to get an opportunity to play this historic ODI against each other. Netherlands did it through discipline and consistency, losing just twice over two and a half years to win the World Cricket League Championship, clinched with a match to spare against Namibia in Dubai last December.”It was probably the only time I’ve seen Peter Borren shed a slight tear,” Seelaar says of the now retired former Dutch captain. “It was pure happiness first followed by the thoughts and deeper feelings where people had to sit down and take a step back before we had a pretty good night celebrating what was a memorable tournament. 2009 at Lord’s [where Netherlands beat England in the World T20 opener] was a great achievement, but it was a moment itself. Over the course of three years, winning the competition, regaining ODI status back, it was probably after Lord’s the best feeling I’ve had on a cricket field.”Nepal did it through guts and resilience. After being relegated from the WCL Championship in December, they responded with a series of heart-stopping wins at WCL Division Two in Namibia. Then after starting off with three straight losses at the World Cup Qualifier, Nepal fought back once more in a pair of must-win games to outlast Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea, snatching away ODI status from them in the process. All of this was done while their governing body, Cricket Association of Nepal, has been under ICC suspension.And so it is that Nepal and Netherlands are playing what is classified by status as their highest standard of Associate cricket. Yet paradoxically, Wednesday’s historic encounter comes with arguably far less pressure tied to it – as a bilateral series – than anything either has experienced over the last several years in the promotion and relegation sphere of the World Cricket League.”Because of ODI status, you are at least secure for four years,” Nepal captain Paras Khadka says of the freedom his squad now enjoys. “We know coming through the World Cricket League system, every game you had to go out there and win. One bad day, we as players thought, ‘Was it the end of our careers? Yes? No?’ I mean we’ve gone through all the ups and downs and we are here today playing our first ODIs. Obviously it is special for us.”If the results don’t work in your favour, you can again go back to the drawing board and work things out and come back stronger. The pressure is not as big in terms of relegation and promotion but in terms of our first ODIs, we would like to start off with a couple of wins. That would be fantastic. It’s a historic occasion for sure.”But even the locals acknowledge this match is drawing extra attention because of the visitors. Anywhere from 500 to 1000 fans are expected to show up tomorrow, the majority of them Nepalese. Meanwhile, Kantipur TV channel in Nepal has paid 4.5 million NPR (approx. USD 40,000) according to sources to simulcast a KNCB produced video web stream onto TVs in homes throughout Nepal. It means the KNCB are hoping to at least break even, maybe even pocket a little bit of money, by hosting the matches, a rarity for an Associate series.Netherlands enter the two-match series as the favourites and the higher ranked side by virtue of their status as the 13th team in the ODI League set to begin in 2020. However, Nepal are not shy about reminding observers that they handed Netherlands one of their only two defeats in the 2015-17 WCL Championship cycle.Sandeep Lamichhane roars a strong appeal for lbw•Peter Della Penna”The last 50-over game we played here, we beat them,” Khadka says. He should know better than most having top-scored with 84 in Nepal’s total of 217 that was defended by 19 runs. “Fond memories, but it’s part of history. Coming to Netherlands, we’ve always liked it here. It’s good playing conditions.”At least 16 players will be making their ODI debuts on Wednesday, possibly as many as 18 depending on who makes up Netherlands’ starting XI. For Seelaar, it highlights the bittersweet nature of a number of stars who made major contributions from 2014 to 2018 to help get Netherlands their ODI status back but won’t necessarily reap the rewards, least of all Borren but also Ahsan Malik, Mudassar Bukhari and Michael Swart.”I’ve played a lot of cricket with those guys and I think lately you tend to forget the guys who have also contributed quite a lot in those four years,” Seelaar says. “I guess it’s the nature of playing sport at the highest level that people will fall out and new people will come in. That’s just the way sport works.”It’s a shame that those guys who were obviously very good players and did a lot for Dutch cricket are not able to get those rewards. But in the end it creates new opportunities for new guys who work as hard and are about to leave their own legacy and hopefully we’ll do those guys proud by making some good contributions to Dutch cricket in the years to come.”However, Seelaar says he’s not at all preoccupied with all the pomp and circumstance that may be happening with various new cap pre-match ceremonies. When asked what he’s looking forward to most tomorrow, the Dutch captain was very straightforward.”Winning the game of cricket,” Seelaar says, underscoring his side’s focused preparation on the eve of the first match. “Whether it’s an ODI or not, it shouldn’t matter much. Whether it’s a List A game or you just play a friendly so to speak, it shouldn’t matter because we’re here to win every game of cricket we play.”I think we’re in a very good frame of mind altogether. We’re starting to work our new style of play rather than what we have been playing over the last few years. People are starting to feel that a bit more. Also we haven’t played a lot of 50-over cricket as a team lately because we’ve been focusing on T20 for the next year’s qualifiers. So it should be nice to play 50-over cricket again with the boys and what I look forward to most is winning our first ODI back.”