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Legspinner admits ability to bowl his variations had been hampered but now hopes to be “back to his best”

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-20195:31

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It was a delivery that not only claimed Australia’s fifth wicket, but confirmed the sense that England were on their way to the World Cup final. Adil Rashid’s googly to trap Marcus Stoinis lbw was a fine example of England’s legspinner going about his craft as well as an indication that he is getting “back to my best” after a shoulder injury that hampered his performance earlier in the tournament.Rashid has been managing a problem with his right shoulder that required an injection and limited his ability to deliver his variations. The dismissal of Stoinis was his first wicket from a googly at this World Cup, and he followed up later in the innings by also removing Pat Cummins with the delivery on the way to figures of 3 for 54.He admitted afterwards that he had been searching to “find that snap” with his wrong’un again after recovering from the injury.ALSO READ: England ‘won’t listen to favourites chat’ – Bayliss“Probably not bowled them as much,” he said. “The main reason was because of my shoulder because I’ve got a bit of a shoulder problem. But I knew that [the googly] is a big weapon for me, that’s one of my big weapons, my variations, looking to create stuff. My shoulder had that little bit of problem and I know I still had to bowl it even if I was in a bit of a pain. Knowing that’s my strength, that’s why I get wickets. Today and the previous two days of practice I’ve done was for that as well.”It’s been good for a while. But in terms of variations, googlies and stuff, it’s been a bit different to what it was pre-shoulder problem. Before the shoulder [injury], I was confident bowling everything. Once you have a niggle it becomes a bit harder with the rotation – the arm gets a bit lower and you don’t find that snap. The previous two net sessions I’ve done it’s come out well.”While he said he had been forced to deliver his googly differently for a while, Rashid was hopeful that problem had now been resolved and said that the dismissal of Stoinis provided further encouragement.”It has been [different]. But now I can get it back to my best. That would come by maybe having that confidence to do it regardless of whatever happens and knowing that I need to do it because that’s my best strength.”It was nice to make a batsman go for a cut on the back foot and spinning it back in that he doesn’t pick, that’s a nice feeling as any spinner that bowls a variation [knows], that a batsman doesn’t pick and gets a wicket. That just gives me more confidence to make sure I keep sticking to my strengths, don’t go away from that regardless of how I feel, knowing if I stick to that things will happen.”Adil Rashid took two wickets in one over to halt Australia’s recovery•Getty Images

Rashid’s performance also included breaking Australia’s fourth-wicket partnership, having Alex Carey caught on the midwicket boundary, before he struck against Stoinis three balls later. He now has 11 World Cup wickets at 44.27, but those figures could have been better had other chances stuck – notably the drop of Mohammad Hafeez at Trent Bridge and a missed stumping against Usman Khawaja at Lord’s – and Rashid suggested he was happy with his bowling.”I reckon there’s been a few times I’ve bowled better but not got the rewards. But that happens in cricket, sometimes you bowl well and don’t get wickets. You don’t bowl as well, you get wickets. That’s cricket and that happens to everybody. For me personally, I want to keep striving, keep looking to work hard and keeping looking to deliver my skills and be confident in that.”Having become a central figure in the first England team to reach a World Cup final since 1992, Rashid was quick to praise Eoin Morgan as “100%” the best captain he had played under.”100%, Morgs. He knows my game now inside out. Been with him for four years, through good times and not so good times. He knows my strengths, what I’m capable of and vice-versa as well.”Me and him have that communication. We have that trust as well. If he senses a feel, we’ll go by it. If I sense a feel, we’ll go by it – what plans we want or how we should bowl. It’s very easy like that. We’re easygoing like that. I 100% trust him in decisions he makes.”As for their progress to the final against New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday, Rashid said the realisation was beginning to dawn that they could become the first England team to lift the trophy.”At the beginning of the tournament I couldn’t believe it. It’s been a good journey in the World Cup. The ups, the downs as well. Some interesting times. We’ve played good cricket the past three games and now to be in a position where we can win it, it’s a good feeling.”

Virat Kohli will focus attention on England’s professional circuit with a month-long deal at Surrey ahead of India’s Test series in England

David Hopps03-May-2018Surrey have confirmed the signing of India’s captain Virat Kohli for the month of June so ending months of anticipation that he would use the county circuit to warm up for the Test series against England in August.Kohli will become the fourth Test-eligible Indian player in county cricket this year with fellow batsman Cheteshwar Pujara currently at Yorkshire and seamers Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron representing Division Two clubs Sussex and Leicestershire respectively.Although there have been a few voices decrying the fact that Surrey have given Kohli useful acclimatisation ahead of India’s Test series in the country this summer, the vast majority of followers of England’s professional circuit will welcome the additional publicity and status it is bound to bring.Kohli will be available for all Surrey cricket throughout the month, beginning with Royal London Cup 50-over matches against Middlesex – an opening match at Lord’s for India’s captain – and Glamorgan and three Championship matches against Hampshire (which will feature a match-up with Dale Steyn), Somerset and, finally, Yorkshire where there will not be a guest house room to be had in Scarborough.”It has long been an ambition of mine to play county cricket and I am thankful to Alec Stewart and Surrey for allowing me the opportunity to join them during their 2018 season,” Kohli said. “I can’t wait to get to the Kia Oval.” His presence in county cricket owes much to the attitude of India’s Committee of Administrators, headed by Vinod Rai. Rai had prepared the ground for Surrey’s announcement by confirming that India players would not be forced to play in a one-off Test against Afghanistan against their wishes.”Afghanistan is playing versus India and not Virat Kohli. No player (Cheteshwar Pujara especially) will be called back from UK to play versus Afghanistan. Priority is England and to do well there, so, whatever it takes,” Rai said.A five-Test series which begins at Edgbaston on August 1 is now confirmed as Kohli’s priority as he seeks to conquer the challenge of English conditions. His record against the red Dukes ball in English conditions is the one blot on his cricketing CV. He had a sorry time on India’s tour in 2014, scraping only 134 runs from 10 innings as India lost the series 3-1.England will hope that Kohli’s presence will also signal a general softening of India’s resistance to their leading stars playing professional cricket in England if and when the opportunity arises.Stewart, Surrey’s Director of Cricket, said: “We are thrilled to have signed the biggest name in world cricket for the month of June. Playing and training alongside Virat will be a massive benefit for our players who will have the opportunity to learn so much from him.”At a time when there is much discussion around the future of county cricket, the arrival of Virat should give our domestic game a massive boost and positive exposure around the cricketing world which in turn can benefit every county.”Stewart had enquired about Kohli’s availabilility as long ago as March, only to be told that the prospect was highly unlikely because of India’s Test against Afghanistan and Twenty20 commitments in Ireland.Surrey, the wealthiest professional club in England, are making a habit of such marquee signings. Kumar Sangakkara had an outstanding summer in 2017, averaging 106.50 as he made eight centuries and three half-centuries in 13 innings.

Punjab run out of steam, Kaushik Gandhi carries Tamil Nadu into the quarter-finals – a round-up of the final day action from the ninth round of Group A matches

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2016Shreyas Iyer ended his season with a century as Mumbai put up 227 for 4 after being asked to follow on by Punjab at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Though they conceded first-innings points, Mumbai finished on top of the table, while Punjab missed out on a berth in the quarterfinals, finishing fourth with 21 points.Mumbai had been bowled out 185 in reply to Punjab’s 468 before ending the third day on 94 for 2 in their second innings. Iyer, who resumed on 59, struck 123 off 209 balls with 14 fours and a six. Mumbai’s batsmen put up a stoic resistance. Punjab got their first breakthrough in the 28th over of the day when Vishal Dabholkar was trapped lbw by Siddarth Kaul for 16 off 117 balls. Iyer was caught behind off left-arm spinner Rajwinder Singh having spent over five and a half hours, after which Suryakumar Yadav (27* off 157) and captain Aditya Tare (22* off 115) prevented further inroads.At the Palam Grounds in Delhi, Bengal took just 19 balls to take the final two Madhya Pradesh wickets and collect first-innings points. The day had begun with MP on 363 for 8, trailing Bengal by 112 in the first innings. Ankit Sharma added just four more to his overnight score to fall six short of a maiden first-class century, while Naman Ojha who was not out on 40, added just three more. Sayan Ghosh, the right-arm medium pacer, took a career-best 5 for 94 as MP were bowled out for 370.Bengal’s top-order came good in their second innings. Abhishek Raman (91) and Prasanjit Das (72) put on 155 for the first wicket. After the duo were dismissed, Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, struck an unbeaten 50, and along with Abhimanyu Easwaran (33*), took Bengal to 261 for 2 before stumps were drawn. Bengal finished on fifth position with 21 points, while MP trailed them by a point on sixth.A run glut between Tamil Nadu and Gujarat laboured to a draw at the KSCA Stadium in Belagavi. TN declared on 580 for 6 in their first innings in response to Gujarat’s 307 before stumps were drawn. Though TN took first-innings points, both teams are through to the knockouts.Overnight centurion Kaushik Gandhi not only went past 150 for the third time in the season, but also raised his maiden double century in first-class cricket. Vijay Shankar, who resumed on 35, also hit a century. Vijay retired hurt before he returned to complete his ton. Gandhi fell with the score on 496 when he was bowled by Hardik Patel having batted 538 balls for his 202. Vijay retired hurt a second time, having struck 102 with the help of 13 fours. B Aparajith stayed not out on 54.Centuries from Shivam Chaudhary and Akshdeep Nath highlighted the final day’s action in Nasik where Uttar Pradesh ended their campaign with first-innings points against Baroda.The day began with UP on 117 for no loss in their second innings, after they had already taken a first-innings lead of 23. They struck an even 300 in just 73.1 overs on the final day to end on 417 for 3 – their second 400-plus total of the match. After a century from Chaudhary, Nath made his start count to finish unbeaten on 107. UP ended on seventh place with 13 points, while Baroda finished a rung below with 10 points.

Sri Lanka Cricket has agreed to release seven high-profile cricketers to play in the Bangladesh Premier League, in an about-turn from their previous stance

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Nov-2015Sri Lanka Cricket has agreed to release seven high-profile cricketers to play in the Bangladesh Premier League, an about-turn from their stance last week.A desire to maintain a good relationship with the BCB, and the one-week postponement of Sri Lanka’s domestic one-day tournament have led to the change of heart. SLC’s desire to see foreign cricketers – including those from Bangladesh – participate in its own city-based T20 league, may have also influenced the decision.

List of players to be given no-objection certificates

• Jeevan Mendis

• Ajantha Mendis
• Tillakaratne Dilshan
• Chamara Kapugedara
• Thisara Perera
• Sachithra Senanayake
• Seekkuge Prasanna

Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sachithra Senanayake and Ajantha Mendis are among those who will now be allowed to play in the BPL.SLC had been opposed to issuing no-objection certificates to its centrally contracted players largely because their absence would have diluted the quality of the forthcoming Premier Limited Over Tournament. That tournament was originally scheduled to begin on November 20, but it now appears likely to be put off until around November 27, thanks to prevailing bad weather in Colombo.As the BPL runs from November 22 to December 15, the cricketers leaving to Bangladesh will miss several rounds of the Premier Limited Over Tournament in any case. However, SLC officials said the home clubs had agreed to release these seven centrally-contracted players, and some players themselves had made appeals to be allowed to play in the BPL. The players had argued that BPL experience would stand them in good stead come the Asia Cup in February next year, which will also be played in Bangladesh. All seven players released are likely to be in contention for Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup squad, and indeed the World T20 to follow.SLC has also said it would like to have overseas cricketers participating in the inaugural Elite Championship T20, which is set to begin towards the end of January. That tournament would appear more attractive to sponsors and broadcasters if two foreigners featured in each of the five teams. Given the current international schedule and the money that is likely to be on offer, SLC believes cricketers from Pakistan and Bangladesh are most likely to be drawn by the Elite Championship T20.In addition to the seven centrally-contracted players, two other Sri Lankans had already been confirmed to participate in the BPL – Kumar Sangakkara, who had been awarded a central contract but is now retired from international cricket, and Dilshan Munaweera, who does not have a central contract.

The SLC are to hold a meeting to consider recalling out-of-form Sri Lanka players in the IPL so they can participate in a triangular series held in Sri Lanka from May 12 to 20, as preparation for the Champions Trophy tournament in England in June

Sa'adi Thawfeeq04-May-2013Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will hold a meeting next week to decide whether it should make a request to the BCCI to release some of the under-performing Sri Lankan cricketers in the ongoing IPL so that they can partake in preparations for the Champions trophy. Nine of the ten Sri Lankan players playing in the IPL are part of Sri Lanka’s 15-member squad for the Champions trophy.”We have been discussing this issue recently but have not taken a firm decision,” Nishantha Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, said.Sri Lanka have arranged a limited-overs triangular tournament at Pallekele as preparation for the Champions trophy in England. The three teams in the preparatory tournament, Sri Lanka Rest (team selected for England), SLC Combined XI and Sri Lanka ‘A’, are due to play a total of seven fifty-over matches from May 12 to 20.”We know a lot of them are not faring well in the IPL, and we are worried about their form,” Ranatunga said. “We thought it would be better for these players to return home and play in the 50-over triangular rather than sit on the bench without playing a match in the IPL.”Former Sri Lanka captain and current captain of Delhi Daredevils Mahela Jayawardene is the only Sri Lanka player to have appeared in all the matches for his IPL team. The others have either been dropped from their respective sides due to poor form, to provide balance to the side, or simply were unable to play in Chennai due to political tensions. Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, stepped down as the captain of Pune Warriors early this week.Ajantha Mendis is the only Sri Lankan player in the IPL who is not part of the Champions trophy squad.

Based on the evidence of two days in Barbados, the adjustment to life on Caribbean pitches will take rather more time for Australia’s batsmen than it has for the bowlers

Daniel Brettig in Barbados03-Apr-2012
ScorecardNathan Lyon showed he was a quick learner by improving on his first innings display•Getty Images

Based on the evidence of two days in Barbados, the adjustment to life on Caribbean pitches will take rather more time for Australia’s batsmen than it has for the bowlers.Michael Clarke’s top six stuttered notably in their first longer form examination on a bone-dry surface at the Three Ws Oval, before the fast and slow men showed they were adapting swiftly to the demands of the region by routing the WICB President’s XI.It was a source of some interest that the two batsmen not expected to play in the first Test, Peter Forrest and Peter Nevill, offered the most accomplished innings, while Clarke and Ricky Ponting stayed only briefly.Ed Cowan and Shane Watson had been accounted for on the first evening, while David Warner, Michael Hussey and Matthew Wade will play at Kensington Oval after being rested here.The spin of Ryan Austin and Nkrumah Bonner posed numerous problems, an omen for the West Indies’ likely tweaker Devendra Bishoo, and from 81 for 2 the visitors subsided to 214 for 9 in reply to 201 when Clarke declared. Bonner’s leg breaks are not of the same standard as Bishoo’s, which were hidden from Australia’s view during the limited overs matches.That left Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon to carve up the hosts between them for 98 in the afternoon. Lyon’s spell was among the more telling passages of the day, showing how quickly he was capable of learning after an indifferent first innings and likely heading off any claims Michael Beer had on the spin berth.Bowling a little more quickly than on the first day but not lapsing into anything too short or flat, he had the ball spitting treacherously from the surface and nabbed four wickets after Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson had snipped the top off the batting order.Ponting and Clarke had resumed comfortably, and a few crisp strokes in the first half-hour, not least the captain’s punched pull shots from Nelon Pascal, suggested a languid day. However Clarke would then fall victim to a tidy spell from Kevin McLean, who tucked up both batsmen then offered a wider delivery that Clarke swished at and edged behind.The left-armer Delorn Johnson’s action makes little use of his leading arm, but he did not appear to need it in a sturdy stint at the bowling crease that accounted for Ponting, snicking a ball angled across him to depart for 13. The wicketkeeper Nevill demonstrated the compact technique that had served him well over the domestic summer, adding 49 with Forrest in a combination that not so long ago would have been a common sight at a NSW second XI fixture.Nevill’s stay was ended when he tried to cut a leg break from Bonner and touched it on the way through to Baugh, who gathered the chance at the second attempt. Bonner and Austin weaved something of a web around the middle order and tail, varying their degree of turn while maintaining an accurate line on the dustiest of strips.Peter Siddle was lbw to Bonner on the sweep, Harris went the same way propping forward, before James Pattinson and Hilfenhaus succumbed to off breaks from Austin. At the other end Forrest was playing a neat, unhurried innings after negotiating a handful of short balls early on, and with the last man Lyon he took the tourists into the lead.Hilfenhaus wasted little time when the Australians bowled again, finding Kieran Powell very lbw when the ball failed to bounce as he expected. No. 3 Bonner was undone by a lack of pace off the pitch, closing the face of his bat too early and deflecting to backward point where Cowan held an athletic catch.Pattinson rumbled in after tea and removed Devon Smith’s off stump as the batsman played around a fast delivery, and Lyon made a useful start to his stint by coaxing Devon Thomas into a wild dance down the pitch that ended with the stumps being tilted back.Lyon’s fourth over would reap two more wickets, Kyle Corbin miscuing a sweep to Clarke running across from slip, and Dwayne Smith squeezing a catch to short leg when an off-break jumped at him. Hilfenhaus was denied the wicket of Jason Holder when Ponting claimed a low catch but the umpires indicated a bump ball off the bat.Ponting’s visible frustration was assuaged as the final four wickets went down rapidly, Hilfenhaus on a hat-trick when he whirred successive deliveries into the pads of McLean and Johnson, only for Pascal to play and miss at the next. Siddle claimed him, leaving Cowan and Watson to collect 30 of the 86 runs required for victory.

Tendai Chatara and Donald Tiripano ran through Mid West Rhinos’ batting line-up twice in a day as Mountaineers beat them by an innings and 96 runs and cemented top spot

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2011
ScorecardMountaineers cemented their place at the top of the Castle Logan Cup table with a crushing innings-and-96-run victory over second-placed Mid West Rhinos at the Kwekwe Sports Club. Their new-ball bowlers Tendai Chatara and Donald Tiripano ran through Rhinos’ batting line-up twice on the third day, bowling them out for 61 in the first innings and then 88 in the second. It meant the match was over in two days, since the first one had been almost completely washed out.Most of Mountaineers’ batsmen struggled on the second day, but there were two standout innings: a gutsy 52 by opener Tino Mawoyo and a 108-ball 105 by 19-year-old Gary Chirimuta. Those two scores helped Mountaineers get to 245 in their first innings. Rhinos seamer Justin Lewis picked up six wickets, but it was the Mountaineers’ quicks who did the telling damage. Tiripano struck on the second day itself, leaving Rhinos 14 for 1 at stumps, but it was just a precursor for the carnage the seamers were to unfold on Monday. Tiripano took five in the first innings, while Chatara took three. They then exchanged roles for the second innings, with Chatara taking the five-for and Tiripano chipping in with two scalps. Rhinos batsmen were hapless, with only two getting to double figures in the first innings and three in the second.

Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler who was ruled out of the national side for the World Twenty20 in the eleventh hour, revealed that he had voluntarily opted out of the squad owing to fitness concerns

Cricinfo staff20-Apr-2010Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler who was ruled out of the World Twenty20, revealed he had voluntarily opted out of the squad owing to fitness concerns arising from the bowling-shoulder injury he picked during the pre-tournament training camp.”I am 70 to 80% fit at the moment but I do not think that is enough to play in an international event which demands 100% fitness,” Gul told the . “Everyone including the coaching staff was keen to have me on the team considering the fact that my bowling was of some help during the previous two editions of the World Twenty20. Majority of the stakeholders believed that I can regain fitness in ten to fifteen days but that is something that was entirely based on hope.” he said.Gul, the world’s leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 internationals, felt going into the tournament with a question mark over his fitness would have been risky. “I knew very well that it was a big opportunity for me to bag some more wickets. But it was a risk that I think the country and the team was not in a position to afford. I think you can only stake a claim when you feel you are in a position to deliver. I may be able to regain fitness or could never have been in a position to bowl a single delivery in West Indies. That would have been a blow to the team’s chances,” Gul said.Gul was prescribed three weeks of rest before resuming action. “I even have bowled four overs on Sunday but it is the comfort level that is more important. I do not think I was feeling all that relaxed and tension-free while delivering the ball. If that is the case, it means you need rest and some weeks off from training,” he said. “I think I would be ready to offer my services for the England tour. The specialists are taking care of my injuries and hopefully I would be back in action in less than a month.”Allrounder Yasir Arafat was the other injury casualty during the rigorous training camp. After some amout of confusion, the PCB had named Mohammad Sami and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman as the replacements.

“At the IPL, no one really complained about 270 plays 270. Now the bowlers are getting conditions a little bit more in their favour”

Firdose Moonda06-Jun-20242:03

Flower on New York pitch – ‘Bordering on dangerous’

Batters will have to learn to “suck it up,” and accept the difficulties of run-scoring at Nassau County, according to one of T20s most prolific run-scorers: Heinrich Klaasen. The South African middle-order batter, who is reputed for his six-hitting ability, put aside his personal preferences and stuck to the team line that they “don’t mind,” having a little spice in the surface for bowlers, especially their seamers.After South Africa bowled Sri Lanka out of for their lowest T20I total – 77 – at the first T20 World Cup match played in New York, and took 16.2 overs to chase the score, Anrich Nortje said he didn’t “think there’s anything wrong with the wickets,” and that they are just “different,” to the kinds of surfaces players have become used to in the recent past, especially at the last IPL. Klaasen agrees.”At the IPL, no one really complained about 270 plays 270. Now the bowlers are getting conditions a little bit more in their favour, so I think it’s just getting the balance right,” Klaasen said from New York, where South Africa will play three of their four group matches. “The batters need to suck it up as well. It’s not always going to be a 200 wicket, and you have to play a little bit smarter cricket to get over the line. We don’t mind if the bowlers got something in it; that makes some good entertaining cricket and you have to use your cricket brain a little bit. It’s just getting the balance right, too flat and too bowler-friendly. That’s obviously why the groundsman gets paid the big bucks.”But at this early stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, with two matches played in Nassau County and six to come, the curator has got more criticism than anything else for a surface with inconsistent bounce that Andy Flower told ESPNcricnfo’s Timeout is “bordering on dangerous.”The pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York have been the subject of debate•ICC via Getty Images

Flower, the former Zimbabwe captain and former England coach, was speaking in between innings as India dismissed Ireland for 96 and two of their batters, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, were hit by Irish quick Josh Little in response. “You saw the ball bouncing from a length, both ways, so skidding low occasionally but in the main bouncing unusually high and striking people on the thumb, the gloves and the helmet and making life very, very difficult for any batter,” Flower said.Klaasen conceded that the strip South Africa played Sri Lanka on was “a little bit too much on the bowler’s side,” but regards it “part of the game,” which players have to adapt to. “Sometimes you get the wickets too flat, and now it’s just as bad and you need to suck it up a little bit. Hopefully we get a better wicket in the next game.” The other concern is the outfield. It is heavy and sandy, which meant even balls that were timed well didn’t always travel very far.Related

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There are four drop-in pitches at the ground and it is still unclear whether moving will produce a more even contest. While Klaasen said the pitch used for the India-Bangladesh warm-up match last week facilitated a “decent” score in the first innings (182), it didn’t when India met Ireland on it on Wednesday. Whichever surface they get, Klaasen is convinced South Africa can fare better because they have some idea of what to expect. “We’ve got experience playing in these types of conditions now, so we just need to go back into the memory bank and take some responsibility that it might not be a wicket that we can just tee off and hit boundaries,” he said. “We need to play some clever cricket and need to make peace with that.”All that said, Klaasen still thinks it’s possible to clear the ropes. “You can still hit boundaries. If you play on one side of the field it’s not that big and so you can still hit boundaries.”But not, perhaps, boundaries the size of what the South Africans saw on an excursion to Yankee Stadium. “That’s quite a big hit. We worked it out and it’s 120 metres. It’s a long hit, but we as batters had a nice chat and we reckon we can give it a go. We will find a batting cage somewhere and try to see what we can do.”The upshot from their visit was Klaasen’s conclusion that baseball batters are doing something “completely different to what we do,” and that he thinks “cricket is more entertaining than baseball,” even though those who enjoy higher totals may disagree.South Africa’s next match is against Netherlands – who have beaten them in their previous two World Cup meetings – on Saturday in New York.

Adverts featuring him and 22Bet India have been geoblocked for users in New Zealand

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Apr-2023The ECB is “exploring” a possible breach of their anti-corruption rules by Test head coach Brendon McCullum regarding his relationship with bookmaker 22Bet India.McCullum’s deal with the Cyprus-registered company was announced in November 2022, six months after he was appointed to his current role with the England men’s side. However, over the past few weeks, adverts on YouTube and posts from the 41-year-old’s social media feeds have come under scrutiny, particularly in New Zealand.In response to McCullum’s relationship with Bet22 India, the ECB released the following statement: “We are currently exploring the matter, and [are] in discussions with Brendon around his relationship with the Cypriot-based betting company, 22Bet. We have rules in place around gambling, and will always seek to ensure these are followed.”The ECB’s anti-corruption code states “participants” are prohibited from “directly or indirectly enticing, persuading, encouraging or facilitating any other party to enter into a bet in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any match or competition”.Last week, New Zealand’s Problem Gambling Foundation filed an official complaint to the country’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). In response, the DIA confirmed 22Bet’s adverts are misleading because “they are not a registered New Zealand sports bookmaker, nor are they licensed or regulated in New Zealand by the DIA”.As a result, adverts featuring McCullum and 22Bet India have been geoblocked for users in the country. The Problem Gambling Foundation also contacted the ECB.In the adverts, McCullum encourages betting on the IPL. In a video posted on Facebook, he says: “The IPL is coming, and I think all cricket fans are excited for this big event. My friends at 22Bet are ready to make your IPL experience even more fascinating. 22Bet India guarantees the best odds.”McCullum’s agent, Simon Auteri told the Times newspaper in a statement: “We are speaking to the ECB about this. I am not going to comment on anything. We are working through it.”Since taking over as head coach, McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have led the Test side to ten wins out of 12, an upturn on their previous run of just one win in 17. McCullum is currently back home in New Zealand, and is due to return to the UK next month, ahead of England’s first Test of the summer against Ireland at Lord’s, which begins on June 1.