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Pakistan opening batsman Imran Nazir, who was omitted for the ICC World Twenty20 and the ongoing Asia Cup, has said his early initiation into international cricket, at the age of 17, has done more harm to his career than good

Cricinfo staff16-Jun-2010Pakistan opening batsman Imran Nazir, who was omitted for the ICC World Twenty20 and the ongoing Asia Cup, has said his early initiation into international cricket, at the age of 17, has done more harm to his career than good.Nazir made his Pakistan debut in 1999 as a dashing opening batsman and an electric fielder, but over the years he wasn’t able to cement his position in the Test and ODI side. Nazir was regarded more as a one-day specialist, but in his 79 ODIs so far has averaged only 24.61. He played the last of his eight Tests back in 2002.”The truth is I was not ready for international cricket at that time, my technique was faulty and I didn’t have the mental strength or understanding of the game,” Nazir told . “Now that I have began to understand how international cricket needs to be played I have been dropped from the national team.”Nazir’s international career came to a standstill in 2008 when he joined the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League along with several Pakistan players. He was among the leading performers for the Lahore Badshahs but his stint lasted just one season after he and the league’s players returned to the official fold.He made a comeback to the one-day squad during the tour of Sri Lanka last year, but in five ODIs since his return , he has scored only 111 runs, with no fifty. He scored a half-century in a Twenty20 against New Zealand in Dubai, but in the two-match Twenty20 series against England in the UAE, he scored just 2 and 4 and was dropped for the World Twenty20.His aggressive approach has often cost him his wicket, and Nazir has admitted that he needs to reassess his style of play.”I am a more mature batsman now and if I get a chance to play again for Pakistan I will play in sensible fashion and cement my place in the team,” Nazir said. “I am ready to curb my natural instincts to play again for Pakistan.”But now after a lot of ups and downs in 11 years of international cricket I realise a batsman with limited range of shots cannot survive. Plus your shot selection has to be sensible, you must have the patience to wait for the bad ball to hit, not try a slog every ball as I used to do previously.”The Pakistan selectors have, traditionally, blooded several young players in their teens, including Hasan Raza, who at 14 was the world’s youngest Test cricketer. Nazir feels it’s always beneficial to give a player a decent run in domestic cricket before rushing him.”I would say a player must be given time in domestic cricket before he is blooded in international cricket. Give him time to adjust and understand the game.”

Sears, who made his Test debut against Australia earlier this year, is suffering from a knee injury

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2024Ben Sears, one of four frontline fast bowlers in New Zealand’s Test squad for their tour of India, will not be taking part in the three-match series because of a knee injury. Jacob Duffy, uncapped in Tests, has been called up as Sears’ replacement, and will leave for India on Wednesday morning, the first day of the first Test of the series.”Sears experienced pain in his left knee while training during the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and underwent scans in New Zealand last week,” a New Zealand Cricket statement on Tuesday morning said. “His departure to India was delayed after scans revealed a tear to his meniscus, and the first available medical consultation was sought in the hope that he might have been cleared.”However, following the medical advice, the decision was made to rule him out of the series. A plan on the best course of treatment and rehabilitation for the injury will be advised in due course.”Related

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In Sears’ absence, and without Duffy reaching India in time for the first Test, New Zealand will have to make up their fast-bowling attack from among Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke. Among frontline spin options, they have Ajaz Patel as their primary bowler, allrounders Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell, and the handy part-time spin of Glenn Phillips. New Zealand can also call upon the pace-bowling services of Daryl Mitchell if required.”We’re obviously disappointed for Ben, who made a strong start to his Test career during the home summer, and offers a genuine pace option,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said of Sears, who made his Test debut – his only appearance in the format so far – against Australia in Christchurch in March this year, and picked up five wickets in the game.”It remains to be seen how long we’ll be without him for, but we’re hopeful his road to a full recovery will be a short one. It’s an exciting opportunity for Jacob, who has been around Test the squad before. With three Tests ahead of us, he has every chance of making his Test debut.”Duffy, 30, has played six ODIs and 14 T20Is so far, and has 299 first-class wickets to his name.”Jacob’s recent experience playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship certainly pushed his place,” Stead said. “His performances in white-ball cricket for the Black Caps have always been impressive, and we’re confident he’ll be able to contribute if called upon.”New Zealand’s tour of India begins with the first Test in Bengaluru, before the series moves on to Pune and Mumbai.

Handscomb will still lead Victoria’s one-day team; Todd Murphy has been withdrawn from the Australia A squad

Alex Malcolm08-Sep-2023Will Sutherland has been named Victoria’s new Sheffield Shield captain and is also set to lead Australia A in three 50-over matches against New Zealand A in Queensland starting on Sunday.But his Australia A side won’t feature Test and Victoria offspinner Todd Murphy, who has been withdrawn from the series because of a niggle, which is understood to be minor.Sutherland, 23, led Victoria in four Shield matches late last season in the absence of long-time captain Peter Handscomb, who was touring with Australia’s Test side in India.His elevation as captain of both Victoria and Australia A is a sign of how highly he is regarded within the game. He has been named Australia A’s 50-over skipper ahead of Ashton Turner, who is also in the squad, despite Turner captaining Western Australia to the last two Marsh Cup titles and Perth Scorchers to the last two BBL titles.Victoria have made the last two Shield finals under Handscomb but have fallen short twice against WA. Handscomb, who will continue to lead Victoria’s 50-over Marsh Cup team, believes it is the right time to hand over the Shield role.”Will is a tremendous leader and has all the right attributes to succeed as a captain,” he said. “I have absolutely loved leading Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, but it’s now Will’s time to take our side forward.”I’m still excited to be captaining our one-day side and will be doing everything I can to support Will and the rest of the squad, both on and off the field.”Sutherland was full of praise for Handscomb and thrilled to get the opportunity to lead his state.”Pete has been a fantastic captain for us and has been incredibly supportive of me taking on this responsibility,” Sutherland said. “It’s an honour to captain Victoria. I loved the chance I had to captain the side last season while Pete was in India and am looking forward to taking on the challenge this season.”Knowing I have the support of Pete, Chris Rogers and the rest of the coaching and playing group fills me with a lot of confidence and I can’t wait to get started.”Meanwhile, Caleb Jewell has been added to the Australia A 50-over squad to face New Zealand A following his stunning 131 in a losing cause in the second four-day game against New Zealand A in Mackay.Melbourne Renegades fast bowler Tom Rogers has also been added to the squad. Wes Agar (back), Ben Dwarshuis (back) and Murphy (general soreness) have all been ruled out.Agar was due to play in the four-day matches but was ruled out with a back complaint and has not recovered in time. Dwarshuis injured his back during the second four-day game in Mackay.Murphy had been training with Victoria, having not played since the final Ashes Test in July, but suffered a slight niggle in the lead-up to travelling to Queensland and is understood to have been withdrawn as a precaution.Australia A 50-over squad: Will Sutherland (capt), Ollie Davies, Liam Hatcher, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Tom Rogers, Gurinder Sandhu, Matt Short, Mark Steketee, Ashton Turner

The former fast bowler had held a similar role when Sri Lanka visited Australia for a T20I series in February

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2022Lasith Malinga, the former fast bowler and captain, has been appointed Sri Lanka’s bowling strategy coach for the white-ball leg of the team’s home series against Australia, which gets underway on June 7 in Colombo.”Malinga, during the tour, will support Sri Lanka’s bowlers, providing tactical insight and technical expertise to help the on-field execution of strategic plans,” SLC said via a press release.Malinga had held a similar role when Sri Lanka visited Australia for a five-match T20I series in February this year. While Sri Lanka lost 4-1, the bowlers did manage to keep a lid on the scoring to an extent. The highest total that Australia could manage across five games was 164 for 6.Related

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“Sri Lanka Cricket is confident that Malinga’s vast experience and renowned death-bowling expertise, especially in the T20 format, will help the team immensely going into this all-important series,” the release added.Malinga, one of the greatest limited-overs fast bowlers Sri Lanka has produced, retired from all forms of the game in 2021. He was the leading wicket-taker in T20Is at the time with a tally of 107 in 84 outings, before being overtaken by Shakib Al Hasan.Malinga served as bowling mentor of Mumbai Indians, back in IPL 2018, and more recently, was Rajasthan Royals’ fast-bowling coach, in 2022. The Sanju Samson-led Royals reached the final of the tournament for the first time since winning the trophy in 2008 but lost to Gujarat Titans by seven wickets. Through the course of the season, several Royals players, including the likes of Trent Boult, praised Malinga for his ability to simplify the art of T20 bowling.Sri Lanka will host Australia for three T20Is, five ODIs and three Tests. Cricket Australia had been monitoring the ongoing unrest in the island, sparked by an economic crisis, but they were always confident the tour would go ahead as planned.Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwanidu Fernando earned maiden call-ups for the T20I series, while there was no place in the team for allrounder Dhananajaya de Silva or wicketkeeper batters Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella, all of whom played a key role during Sri Lanka’s 1-0 win in the two-Test series in Bangladesh last month.Pathirana, 19, earned a call-up on the back of an impressive stint with Chennai Super Kings, in the IPL. While he played only three matches, his unorthodox action turned a lot of heads.

Ben Dwarshuis, who was out with a groin injury, included in Sydney Sixers squad, but might not be ready for action yet

Matt Roller12-Jan-2021Daniel Sams is set to return to the Sydney Thunder side in their derby fixture against the Sydney Sixers on Wednesday night in Canberra following a break because of concussion. Sams missed the Thunder’s last two games after being subbed out of the defeat against the Brisbane Heat under concussion protocols, but has been added to an enlarged 19-man squad for Wednesday’s game at Manuka Oval.”He’s tracking really well,” Callum Ferguson, the Thunder captain, said. “He felt like he was really good and ready to play within a day or two of copping the head knock, but protocols don’t allow that. Obviously his health is the most important thing; not just now but in the long-term future.”Ben Dwarshuis has also been included in the Sixers’ 18-man squad after missing the win against the Heat with a groin injury he picked up against the Perth Scorchers, though stand-in captain Daniel Hughes said that he was a doubt for Wednesday’s fixture.”I think tomorrow might be a bit of a stretch but we’re not sure yet,” Hughes said. “He’s probably more likely to be ready for the game on Saturday against the Scorchers.”Related

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Meanwhile, the Heat have applied to add Morne Morkel to their squad ahead of Thursday’s game against the Melbourne Renegades, but have lost Mujeeb Ur Rahman to international duty earlier than expected.They had hoped Mujeeb would be available for the Renegades fixture before flying to the UAE ahead of Afghanistan’s series against Ireland, but a change in travel plans means that he has played his final game of the BBL season.”Unfortunately, he had to leave a little sooner than we had both anticipated and we will miss him,” Darren Lehmann, the Heat head coach, said. “But he has been excellent, and we wish him all the best with representing his country and for his cricket this year.”Morkel, a Sydney resident, signed a deal to play as a local in this season’s BBL but is yet to make an appearance after a prolonged period of rehabilitation following an ankle injury. Joe Denly has been cleared of a fracture after dislocating his finger against the Sixers.For the Renegades, leading run-scorer Shaun Marsh will return to the side after missing two games when he went on paternity leave. English allrounder Benny Howell could return to the squad with Mohammad Nabi on international duty and Rilee Rossouw injured, though coach Michael Klinger hinted that he would prioritise giving opportunities to young players with qualification for the finals in jeopardy.”Getting games into these guys now is going to develop them even quicker,” Klinger said. “With the injury to Rilee Rossouw and now with Nabi being away, these guys are going to keep getting opportunities. If they can be involved in winning teams it’s going to be huge for them.”Thursday night’s game will be the first of the season staged in Melbourne. Victorian public health officials have capped attendance at 15,000 for games in the city, at both the MCG and Docklands Stadium.

England captain warns not to expect too much too soon from spearhead after incisive maiden Test series

Alan Gardner at The Oval15-Sep-2019Joe Root has admitted he is still learning how best to handle Jofra Archer and cautioned against expecting too much of England’s newest fast-bowling talent, after a debut series in which Archer collected 22 wickets from four Tests while showcasing both searing pace and impressive control.Archer helped set up victory at The Oval with a first-innings 6 for 62, as England came from behind to secure a rare drawn Ashes series. Although he finished wicketless in the second innings, his high-intensity duel with Australia centurion Matthew Wade, who was peppered with short balls during a spell in which Archer’s pace topped 95mph, was an arresting spectacle that helped lift the crowd as England pursued a breakthrough on the fourth evening.His rise to becoming an integral part of England’s planning has been almost as rapid as his bowling. Having delivered the Super Over that led to England claiming their maiden World Cup at Lord’s in mid-July, Archer went on to make a memorable Test debut on the same ground, landing a concussive blow on Australia’s leading batsman, Steven Smith, before claiming six-wicket hauls in each of England’s victories.There have already been concerns about his workload, however. He bowled 44 overs in his first Test outing and sent down 156 across the series – behind only Pat Cummins, Stuart Broad (who both played a Test more) and Josh Hazlewood, among pace bowlers.”He’s come in and been fantastic,” Root said. “Four Test matches, two six-fors. He has a way of having a huge impact on the game, you saw his spell here, it just changed the whole atmosphere of the ground, was incredible really. For someone right at the beginning of his career to have such a gift is entertaining, it’s great to be able to captain that and I’m very much looking forward to the rest of his journey.”When I faced him in the nets against the red ball, it was clear he was going to be something special. [But] we’ve got to be careful of expecting too much of him. He’s a young guy at the start of his career, playing in three formats, and he’s still learning. I’m still learning how to get the best out of him as captain.”But one thing you can expect is he’s going to entertain and make things happen. At times he’s not going to bowl at 90mph, but he’ll go at two-and-a-half an over and create chances. I think making sure we don’t expect him to average 12 is something really important, while also knowing he’s got that ability to turn a game.”ALSO READ: ‘Jofra thought he could rip my head off’ – Matthew WadeArcher’s stamina has been as notable as his speeds – his contest with Wade, which often saw Archer end his followthrough a few yards from the batsman, lasted for eight adrenalin-fuelled overs after tea – but Trevor Bayliss, England’s outgoing head coach, suggested it would be wise to allow him to deliver “thunderbolts” more sparingly as his career develops.”I think maybe in Test cricket, I know Joe had relied on him to go with some longer spells this series, but I think looking forward it might be a case that he comes in a little bit shorter spells,” he said. “Four or five overs. Come on, bowl a few thunderbolts, and have a rest and then come back on a little bit later.”Winning the final Test saw Root avoid a second consecutive series defeat against Australia as captain, and allowed him to look forward with a greater degree of confidence than had seemed likely after last week’s loss at Old Trafford, which extinguished English hopes of reclaiming the urn.”It looks a hell of a lot better than 3-1, that’s for sure,” he said of scoreline. “I think it’s probably a fair result over the whole series. People might disagree with that, but you look at Lord’s and things could have been very different after that game. You can look at ifs and buts – if Jimmy [Anderson] was still playing things might have been slightly different.”We didn’t do enough to win it back but we’ve certainly put in a performance this week, which meant a huge amount. To level this series I think it was really important for us as a side, and we’ll take a lot from it moving into the winter.”Root laughingly described Smith as “a pain”, after his series tally of 774 runs proved the difference between the sides, and also took some satisfaction in his final dismissal (though it would be hard to call England’s tactic of positioning a leg slip a success). “It was nice to see a plan come together finally, even though it was what we started with at Edgbaston right at the start of things. Finally one went to hand.”He added that a demanding summer, in which England had narrowly failed to win back the Ashes alongside lifting a first World Cup, should be viewed as “a huge success” for the English game and an opportunity to nurture interest in the years to come.”That World Cup was incredible, for it to finish how it did and across the board there were some fantastic contests. To be backed up by such an evenly matched Ashes series, again we were blessed with brilliant support throughout but the cricket itself was gripping – quite hard to be involved in at times, especially when you were on the wrong end of it. But what a summer of cricket it’s been, I think a huge success for English cricket and we’ve got a great opportunity now to spring the game forward in this country.”

Seven of South Africa A’s eight wickets were pouched by the wicketkeeper or the slip cordon, on a day when India A’s pacers dominated at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru04-Aug-2018
Rajneesh Gurbani in action•PTI

While India were locked in a riveting contest with England at Edgbaston, fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini made inroads for the A team against South Africa A in a less-intense setting at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The two quicks swung the new ball and later Rajneesh Gurbani seemingly reversed the old one, but the South African batsmen kept stabbing at wide deliveries and continued nicking behind. Seven of the eight batsmen who were dismissed on day one were either caught by wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat or pouched in the slips.However, Knights’ wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second, who has been a prolific scorer in the Sunfoil domestic competition, repaired the innings with a sprightly 94 off 139 balls and hauled his team from 93 for 4 to 246 for 8 at stumps.Unlike his team-mates, Second largely played close to his body and when he shaped to drive, he ensured his front foot met the pitch of the ball. He was compact against spin too, often stretching forward to smother whatever little turn Yuzvendra Chahal extracted from the day-one pitch. Fifteen minutes before the close of play, though, Second himself threw his bat at a Siraj offering that finished possibly wider than a set of stumps outside off and handed Bharat his fourth catch.Siraj’s wickets, however, weren’t as eye-catching as the inswinger that stormed through the defences of Alastair Cook in Worcester. “Getting a world-class batsman like Cook gave me the confidence that I would dismiss any batsman,” Siraj said after play. “My plan there was to just keep bowling dot balls and make the batsman commit a mistake. Even today there was movement with the new ball and I just wanted to bowl in the right areas.”As for Chahal, who was playing his first red-ball match since the Ranji quarter-final against Jharkhand in 2016, he showed signs of rust in the first two sessions before settling down after tea. In his second over, he bowled a knee-high full-toss to Sarel Erwee and watched the ball disappear into the midwicket boundary, where his coach Rahul Dravid was overseeing the action. He then bowled two front-foot no-balls, the second of which was cracked to the extra-cover boundary by Second. Chahal, ultimately, got the breakthrough in the 72nd over when a sharp legbreak duped Shaun von Berg. Axar Patel, the second spinner, who was picked ahead of Jayant Yadav, barely found turn and toiled for figures of 17-3-35-0. He was the only Indian bowler who did not take a wicket.Siraj, however, was the standout bowler for India A. He had been the pick of the bowlers in the four-dayers in England as well, bagging 15 wickets against West Indies A and England Lions, and moved up the pecking order further with his 3 for 56 on Saturday. He made his first incision when he moved the ball off the seam and drew the outside edge of opener Pieter Malan in the fifth over. In his next over, he removed Zubayr Hamza in similar fashion for a duck. Siraj later returned with the second new ball to nip out Second.Saini had also generated seam movement and was rewarded with the wickets of captain Khaya Zondo and allrounder Senuran Muthusamy. Both were jittery throughout, flashing the ball over the cordon or the infield before their edges were also snaffled. Muthusamy faced 17 dots before getting off the mark with a top-edged boundary that sailed over long leg. He then hung on for a 59-run stand – the highest of the innings – with Second.Second rallied the middle and lower order after Erwee had scored 47 around the top-order wobble. Second was particularly strong through the off side, driving Gurbani off either foot through extra cover. He also laced Axar in front of square and dared to foray down the track against Chahal, proceeding to his 29th first-class fifty off 71 balls. Moments later, he was reprieved on 60 when Hanuma Vihari shelled a low catch. Second added 34 runs to his tally before being the last man to be dismissed on day one.Meanwhile, Gurbani, who played only the four-dayer against West Indies A in Taunton, gave a good account of himself by venturing wide of the crease and nipping the ball against the angle from over the wicket. He claimed the only non-caught behind wicket when he pinned Dane Piedt in front for 5 in the 79th over.

The BCCI has struck a measured and conciliatory tone on how it is likely to approach the matter of the proposed new ICC constitution in future

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2017Days after sending a detailed response to the ICC about its concerns on the proposed new constitution, the BCCI has struck a measured and conciliatory tone on how it is likely to approach future discussions on the matter. Speaking to media on Wednesday, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) currently running the Indian board stressed that it wanted to balance its own interests with the need to develop the game globally. In light of the difficult relationship the game’s governing body has had with its most powerful constituent over the last decade, this message amounts to a distinct change in tone from the BCCI.Alongside Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Indian board was a notable objector to the draft constitution, passed in principle by seven Full Members at an ICC Board meeting in February. The key disagreement is over a substantial reduction in the BCCI’s revenues from ICC events from the previous financial model, but, as the BCCI’s email earlier this week detailed, there are other areas of concern, including over membership and the role of the ICC chairman.”There’s a fine balance between being democratic, getting enough revenues, what we deserve, and at the same time contributing to world cricket,” Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, said in Delhi. “We will get what we deserve, but it’s a decision we will take to contribute to help other nations at a lesser level as far as cricket is concerned.”According to Rai, it was the responsibility of bigger member countries like India to contribute to the growth of Associates like Afghanistan and Ireland – the new constitution envisages both countries graduating to play Test cricket and has earmarked a portion of ICC revenues for each. But that will not be done at the expense of divesting the BCCI’s financial interests. “We’ll contribute to upgrading cricket skills in those nations. I’m not getting into specifics. The issues are two-fold. You spoke of democracy and revenues. We have to bring about a balance. You can’t sacrifice your interests to help someone else.”Although the response to the ICC was signed by Rahul Johri, BCCI’s chief executive officer, it had been prepared in consultation with the four-member CoA. The response backed the stance first taken by Vikram Limaye, a member of the CoA, and the BCCI representative at the ICC’s February meeting: Limaye had argued that there was no formula underpinning the ICC revenues set to be earned by the member countries.The CoA had conveyed more or less the same message to Shashank Manohar, the former ICC chairman who stepped down from his position abruptly last week. The day before resigning, Manohar had met Rai, Johri and Limaye in Mumbai. “When we met with Manohar, we tried to understand the logic behind the financial model,” Rai said. “We were new to it. We discussed with people inside BCCI who were privy to these meetings earlier. We tried to understand from him because he has seen from both the BCCI and the ICC point of view. Whatever he could explain to us, we understood. We put forward our position and he was appreciative of it.”The CoA made it clear to Manohar that the board would not step back from its objections, but Rai said this should not be misinterpreted defiance. “We don’t want to be confrontationist. Certainly not. We had a very good [meeting]. We have our reservations on it. We have to put forward our interests. We just explained our concerns.”Stonewalling, confrontation and other pressure tactics have often been used by past BCCI administrations at the ICC. And though the CoA has made clear its approach will be different, Rai did warn that if other Full Members wanted to play politics, the BCCI would not hold back. “Interests of BCCI will be protected totally. We are not interested in playing politics, but if politics needs to be played we won’t be found wanting.”

Bangladesh Under-19 captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz has praised his “unbelievable” team-mate Zakir Hasan for providing him with a calming influence, after the pair’s 117-run stand guided the hosts to the semi-final

Mohammad Isam05-Feb-2016When Bangladesh Under-19’s captain Mehedi Hasan and wicketkeeper-batsman Zakir Hasan came together in the 29th over against Nepal Under-19, it was amidst much tension in Mirpur. The home side were 98 for 4 chasing 212 with a place in the semi-final on the line. Thankfully for Bangladesh, the pair did not panic and took the game away with their 117-run unbroken stand.The partnership was not completely smooth-sailing; only after the pair had batted together for 13 balls did Mehedi smash one through the in-field and get his first boundary. Singles were not missed at any opportunity, but the run-rate kept rising, and by the time the next four came, at the start of the 35th over, Bangladesh needed 86 off 15.5 overs. For the next 7.2 overs, Mehedi and Zakir only picked singles and twos. Finally, in the middle of the 43rd over, Zakir’s swept four off Dipendra Airee gave Bangladesh a release.From the 42nd to 45th over, the pair took six, eight, 12 and 10 runs, which reduced the target from 63 needed off 54, to 27 needed off the last 30 balls. In one instance, they ran three and then took twos off the next two balls before taking a relaxed single. This was in the same over in which Mehedi lofted Sandeep Lamichhane over extra-cover for a boundary. Some of the pair’s running between the wickets looked risky but their overall maturity proved much of it was calculated.Mehedi said that it was Zakir who came up with the calming influence by giving him a plan and then chiding him when the Nepal captain Raju Rijal missed his stumping in the 38th over.”He [Zakir] was unbelievable today,” Mehedi said. “He got back to runs after a long time with this fine innings. It was great timing for the team, as we really needed him today. There was some pressure when we started our partnership. Zakir told me that we will just play on singles, rotate the strike. We won’t go for fours or sixes. His words worked quite well for us.”When the stumping incident happened, I had lost a bit of focus at that moment. The mid-off was up so I tried to hit it over him. When I had settled down after the miss, Zakir told me it is no time to relax. ‘We have to bat long,’ he said. I was fine from that point.”The fifth-wicket partnership was also the coming together of two young men who made it to professional cricket through contrasting circumstances, about 480km apart. When he was growing up in Khulna and falling in love with the game, Mehedi’s father opposed the idea of his son taking up cricket seriously. But Mehedi would sneak out to play matches, and often get caught. However, after winning an award for Best Batsman in an Under-14 tournament, it became easier for Mehedi to convince his father that cricket was where his passion really lied.It was different for Zakir while growing up in Sylhet. Although there was some pressure on him to take studies more seriously, his elder brother brought news that BKSP were holding a trial nearby. Zakir was selected for the sport institute’s branch in Dinajpur, about 568km from his hometown.Mehedi and Zakir came together for the Under-19 national camp during the 2014 World Cup, and are one of five players to play a second World Cup. But despite spending the last three years together in training camps, hotels and cricket grounds, their understanding frayed at times during their fifth-wicket partnership. Nerves were evident from the beginning as the non-striker, whether it was Mehedi or Zakir, continued to get too far out of his crease even when a single was not on offer.There were plenty of close calls as Nepal missed the stumps on at least five occasions with the batsman short of his crease. Mehedi offered an explanation, suggesting that his team was not accustomed to the dimensions of the Shere Bangla National Stadium”The ground is slightly different, sometimes we didn’t understand where the ball was. Say, when we defended the ball we couldn’t at times tell if it went into the gap or not. The ground is quite large too. But we have good understanding, and there can be one or two mistakes. I don’t think it is a major problem,” he said.Mehedi and Zakir were possibly confused by the pronounced slope in Mirpur, which sometimes makes the ball hard to spot when it goes 15-20 yards from the pitch on either side. No matter, they have to get used to this ground quickly for the semi-final against either Pakistan or West Indies, on February 11.

England’s bowling attack, led by James Anderson and James Tredwell, set up a comprehensive victory completed by Jonathan Trott to secure a place in the Champions Trophy final

The Report by David Hopps 19-Jun-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJonathan Trott made sure England had no problems during their chase•Getty Images

England and South Africa had not met in a major ICC semi-final since the World Cup in Sydney in 1992, a match which AB de Villiers admitted before the start of play ended with him “crying myself to sleep.” Grown man now or not, after the mess South Africa made of this tie, he could be forgiven for repeating the experience.De Villiers is no longer an innocent child, he is captain of a South Africa one-day side which throughout his lifetime has repeatedly flattered to deceive in ICC tournaments. So it proved once more. England rampaged through the top order as eight wickets fell for 80. It was a muggy morning at Kennington Oval, England won a favourable toss, and for once the white Kookaburra swung, but South Africa contributed immensely to their downfall.David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt did at least regain a measure of respectability. A record ninth-wicket partnership for South Africa of 95 in 16 overs took them to 175. But all that did was provide Jonathan Trott with a prolonged opportunity to bat much as he wished, seemingly oblivious to the pressure of a Champions Trophy semi-final. He finished with a spritely 82 not out from 84 balls, a seven-wicket win done and dusted with more than 12 overs to spare.Trott’s rate of progress is constantly pored over, his displays routinely regaled by some, condemned by others. As England lost their openers, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, with 41 on the board, and de Villiers shuffled his bowlers impatiently, looking for a magic trick, no England supporter was carping. They yearned for his stability.Let me watch in peace, they urged him, build your bubble, do it your way. South Africa wanted his wicket more than any other, but Trott and Root, one imperturbable, the other full of vim, confirmed England’s place in the final with a stand of 105 in 20 overs. Root left cursing himself, bowled behind his legs by JP Duminy for 48, but Trott remained productive to the end, completing his ritual post-match scratching of his guard even as Eoin Morgan tried to offer his congratulations.The match was essentially settled by the 23rd over. South Africa batted skittishly, as if 300-plus and the sooner the better, was essential. Critically, they lost their most influential batsman, Hashim Amla for a single and the reverberations of that were felt deep into the order. The coach, Gary Kirsten, voiced what many were thinking. “We choked,” he said. To some extent it was a traditional exercise in self-flagellation because this was not a hugely strong South Africa side from the off.England’s mood was set by the connoisseur of swing bowling, James Anderson, whose opening spell of 2 for 11 was extended to seven overs as his captain, Cook, sought to break South Africa early while the conventional swing persisted.Wickets in the first two overs of South Africa’s innings got England moving. Anderson can cut a serious, brooding figure, but the closeness of the morning left him full of smiles before the start. He removed Colin Ingram for nought with his fifth ball, outswinger followed by inswinger and an lbw verdictSteven Finn has been stalking around the Champions Trophy, none too happy about his omission from the side, but Tim Bresnan’s absence, to be with his wife Hannah with their baby imminent, gave him his first appearance of the tournament. Cook gave him the new ball and challenged him to channel that anger and his fourth delivery brought England the prize wicket of Amla as he failed to withdraw from an outswinger, the first of six catches behind the stumps for Jos Buttler.Even in the early overs, England were planning for the possibility of reverse swing on a dry square later in the day. Stuart Broad began to bowl cross seam, to encourage wear on the ball, as early as the 10th over – and it brought him a wicket, too, as de Villiers was out without scoring, lashing at a wide one and caught at the wicket off an under-edge.Peterson’s appearance at No. 3 encapsulated South Africa’s confusion. He was a pinch hitter in inappropriate conditions. If his left-handedness was perceived as an advantage, Anderson revels against left-handers when the ball is swinging. It was an unconvincing ploy. He acquitted himself better than most, taking three boundaries off a wayward over from Finn before Anderson had him lbw.But this was not just a story about quick bowling. South Africa were so destabilised that a few overs of routine, if intelligently-delivered, offspin by James Tredwell caused further havoc. Tredwell, who was substituting for Graeme Swann, had 3 for 19 in his seven overs as well as causing the downfall, run out, of Ryan McLaren. The bounty that fell upon him was recognised with the man-of-the-match award.No batsman summed up South Africa’s failures more than Duminy. He was all at sea during his 11-ball stay. He survived a first-ball nought when he reviewed an lbw decision for Broad and was reprieved as replays showed the ball had pitched outside leg stump. He then should have fallen lbw third ball but Tredwell, with everything in his favour as Duminy was beaten on the back foot, politely refused a review as if offered a second piece of lemon drizzle cake. Duminy soon chopped on against Tredwell in any case.Tredwell’s success did not end there. Faf du Plessis, who had been as secure as anyone, fell for 26 when he flashed at a quicker, flatter ball and was caught at the wicket.The wicket, though, that brought hearty applause from Swann in the England dressing room will not appear against his name. It was the run out of McLaren who was so unhinged by flight and turn that he ran several paces down the pitch. Trott, who caught the ball at first slip, had the presence of mind to throw down the stumps to effect the run out.At 80 for 8, South Africa’s one consolation was that they batted deep. They at least avoided the lowest one-day score ever made at The Oval batting first, New Zealand’s 158 against West Indies in 1975.They immediately took the batting Powerplay, which Miller greeted by smashing Finn over long-on for six. Miller unveiled his T20 one-legged slash over point, Broad disappearing for six more, and Kleinveldt slugged away when Cook finally felt obliged in the 30th over to introduce his weaker bowlers in tandem.Broad finally ended the recovery with successive short balls to dismiss Kleinveldt and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, first ball. All that remained for England was a regulation dose of Trott, the finest suppressor of panic disorder on the market.