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Defeat for either side will spell the end of their involvement in the Champions Trophy

Andrew Miller25-Feb-20253:01

How will England replace Brydon Carse?

Big Picture: Politics takes back seat in high-stakes match-up

For several febrile weeks at the turn of the year, it was impossible to ignore the political mission-creep of England versus Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy. And yet, it’s not impossible that a cricket match will be allowed to take centre stage, after all, in Lahore on Wednesday. A potentially fascinating one, too.To deal with the frivolous keep-politics-out-of-sport top line first, this is now a must-win clash for the two winless sides in Group B. Australia’s washout against South Africa in Rawalpindi has changed little in that regard, except that it guarantees that, if either team loses in Lahore, they will now be sunk without a trace, rather than relying on snookers and net run-rates when they play the table-toppers later this week.And, before we get bogged down in the baggage that this contest has acquired, there’s plenty of recent on-field intrigue to drill down into too. Afghanistan’s historic victory in Delhi at the 2023 World Cup has seen to that. It wasn’t the result that ended the reign of the 2019 champions – the tournament’s drawn-out itinerary meant no swift end to their humiliation – but it did unquestionably show them up as plodding, timid and past their collective sell-by date.Eighteen months on, similar concerns endure for England, even as they embark on their white-ball Bazball reboot. On the one hand, their five-wicket loss to Australia was a game of fine margins, none more galling than Jofra Archer’s glaring miss in the deep at a pivotal juncture of the chase. On the other hand, they put an apparently hefty 351 on the board yet still got steamrolled with almost three overs to spare. Not even Ben Duckett’s tournament-record 165 could suffice for a side whose reticence runs deep, no matter what positive messaging may have been carried across from Brendon McCullum’s Test dressing-room.Ben Duckett produced the goods in Lahore – but England still went down•Associated Press

On balance, therefore, would you rather be in England’s shoes – confused as to why your best is still not enough and, in the case of their captain Jos Buttler, vaguely cognisant of the implications of another early tournament exit – or Afghanistan’s – fresh from a shoddy display against South Africa that was so far from the new standards that they set themselves that the only way, surely, is up?Afghanistan’s 107-run loss in Karachi was studded with shoddy fielding, including a glaring missed run-out, and capped by a batting effort that was sunk inside the first 15 overs. Rahmat Shah showed the requisite mettle with a 92-ball 90, but Rashid Khan’s breezy 18 from 13 balls at No. 9 was their second-best score. After their march to the T20 World Cup semi-finals, not to mention four wins at the 2023 World Cup which secured them their Champions Trophy berth, this squad expects better of themselves these days.Cue England, then, the perfect opponents for teams in need of a little extra incentive to raise their games.In truth, the protests about this fixture have dissipated in recent weeks, but that’s not to say there won’t be more discussion as the contest gets underway, or that the underlying issues are no longer worthy of airtime. On the contrary, when the Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi wrote to the ECB protesting the “sex apartheid” of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, on whose watch women’s sport has effectively been banned since 2021, she was merely articulating the same unease that many individual boards were already feeling – including both England and Australia, who had previously pledged to suspend bilateral ties while the Taliban remain in power.That letter had been signed by a cross-party group of 160 British MPs, but the UK prime minister Keir Starmer echoed the ECB’s line, that this is a matter for the ICC as a collective body, not for individual boards. And that, broadly speaking, has been the final word on the matter for now. Certainly it’s a far cry from the situation that Nasser Hussain’s World Cup squad found themselves in back in 2003, when – amid similar political posturing – it was left to the players themselves to debate, and ultimately carry out, a unilateral boycott of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.Besides, as Buttler reiterated on the eve of the game, there is still a place for sport as “a source of hope and enjoyment” in tough times … much as was the case on the eve of the 2023 clash, in fact, when Afghanistan’s own aim had been to bring a bit of joy back to their country after a devastating earthquake in Herat had killed several thousand people. The issues may be different, but the underlying truth remains the same. When there are forces beyond your control, whatever they may be, all you can do is produce your best and hope it contributes to the greater good.

Form guide

England: LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan: LWWWL

In the spotlight: Mark Wood and Rashid Khan

To judge by its early showings, white-ball Bazball is distinctly Route One. Stack the side with the rawest pace imaginable, and let guile and subtlety go hang. It’s a policy that you can imagine being utterly explosive on its good days, but these have been all too infrequent so far in McCullum’s tenure. Mark Wood‘s display against Australia epitomised this. His ferocious powerplay spell featured barely a delivery below 150kph, and landed the key early wicket of Steven Smith. But by the back end of Australia’s 352-run chase, Glenn Maxwell was making room to leg with impunity, safe in the knowledge that any sort of connection would go the distance. Eight of Wood’s ten ODIs since the start of the 2023 World Cup have now come in ICC events. Nine wickets at 58.44 and an economy rate above 6.5 imply that the Aussies aren’t the only team who are ready for what he’s being primed to unleash.Rashid Khan has memories of success against England to fall back on•Afghanistan Cricket Board

England’s struggles against high-quality spin have been protracted across formats, and few spinners come more highly rated than Afghanistan’s gun leggie Rashid Khan. Last week, he was knocked off the top of the ICC’s ODI rankings by Maheesh Theekshana, largely due to inactivity, and though he went wicketless in Afghanistan’s opening Group B loss to South Africa, he has happy memories of his most recent outing against England: figures of 3 for 37 in that famous World Cup encounter in Delhi included the winning moment itself, a slider to Wood that sealed a 69-run success, their first over England in any format. As Adam Zampa demonstrated in Australia’s high-scoring win in Lahore on Saturday, stump-threatening wristspinners can unlock even the flattest conditions.

Team news

Brydon Carse had been one of the breakthrough bowlers of England’s winters, but his battered toes contributed to an untimely breakdown against Australia, as his seven overs were dispatched at a tick below ten an over. He has now been ruled out of the tournament, with Jamie Overton the likeliest like-for-like replacement – and if Lahore’s conditions remain as true as in the first match, this might even include the impact that his powerful lower-order hitting has often promised, but rarely delivered.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jamie Smith (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt), 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark WoodHashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan’s captain, hinted that the same XI that tripped up against South Africa would take the field in Lahore – unsurprising in light of his pointed but uncontroversial observation that “the England team struggles a bit against spinners”. In Rashid, Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad, they will have to negotiate 30 overs of the finest, and most varied, slow bowlers in subcontinental conditions, although they will at least be spared a reunion with their chief destroyer at the World Cup, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who has been managing injury in recent months and is not currently involved in the 50-over format.Afghanistan: (possible) 1 Ibrahim Zadran, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pitch and conditions

England got a clear idea of Lahore’s run-laden conditions in their tournament opener, and more of the same is in prospect on a pristine new surface. The weather, however, could be decidedly cooler. There’s been rain around on the eve of the contest, and while it is not expected to be a factor during the match, the cloud cover could remain in situ … a possible boon for England’s pace-dominant attack.

Stats and trivia

• England have lost five ODIs in a row, their joint-worst run since losing six in a row in their home ODI series against Australia in 2009. Auspiciously, they followed that performance with an improbable semi-final place, weeks later, in the Champions Trophy in South Africa. (Although they did then get crushed by the eventual champions, Australia, once more…)
• Rahmat Shah, who made 90 in defeat against South Africa, needs 41 runs to become the first Afghanistan batter to reach 4000 in ODIs.
• Rashid needs two more wickets to become the first Afghanistan bowler to reach 200 in ODIs.
• Duckett, England’s centurion in defeat against Australia, needs four runs to reach 1000 in the ODI format. Phil Salt isn’t far behind, on 968 runs, while Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone are both in the 900s too.

Quotes

“We are cricket players, we are sportspersons, we are sportsmen. So, we control what we can do inside the ground. We don’t worry about what’s happening out of the ground.”
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi plays a straight bat to the political chat“Any time as an England captain you want to perform well, and you want to lead your team to winning games of cricket. We haven’t been doing that enough in the recent past. But as soon as you catch yourself thinking about any negative things, you try to completely flip that and focus on all the positive things that could go right, and where you can take the team. I’m very much focused on that.”

With Amazon Warriors needing 11 from the last over, Naseem Shah held his nerve to concede just five

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2025In what was a must-win game for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Mohammad Rizwan and the bowlers helped them get the better of Guyana Amazon Warriors by five runs in a last-over finish in Providence.Chasing a mere 150, Amazon Warriors needed 11 from six balls with three wickets in hand. Naseem Shah held his nerve and had Keemo Paul caught at long-on with the first ball. For the rest of the over, he mixed slower balls into the pitch with yorkers to give away just five. While the result ended Patriots’ three-match losing streak, their playoff chances still look bleak. They need nothing less than a win in their last league match, against Barbados Royals on Friday, but also other results to go their way.Earlier, Patriots did not have a great start and were 26 for 3 inside five overs with Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers and Leniko Boucher all falling in single digits. But Rizwan’s 85 off 62 balls steered them to 149 for 6.Rizwan stabilised the innings with Rilee Rossouw and took the side to 64 for 4 at the end of ten overs. He was on 36 off 30 at that point but scored 49 off the next 32. In all, he hit eight fours and three sixes and was responsible for Patriots scoring 45 in the last four overs.Patriots’ Pakistani stars Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah celebrate the big wicket of Shimron Hetmyer•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Amazon Warriors had a much better start, reaching 41 for 1 after the powerplay. But they could not build on that, losing two wickets in the next four overs to be 67 for 3 at the halfway mark. Patriots pegged them back further by dismissing Hassan Khan and Shai Hope in successive overs. Dominic Drakes had Hassan caught and bowled and Navin Bidaisee castled Hope with a slider that kept low.After 15 overs, both sides were 100 for 5. But while Patriots had a set better in Rizwan, Amazon Warriors did not. With 50 needed from the last five overs, Dwaine Pretorius tried to take on Waqar Salamkheil but perished attempting a slog sweep. On the very next ball, Salamkheil could have had Romario Shepherd caught behind but Rizwan was not sure if there was bat involved. Replay showed a clear outside edge.Shepherd rubbed it in by pulling the last ball of the over for a six. Paul did the same against Naseem in the following over but could manage only a leg bye from the other five deliveries.With 21 needed from ten balls, Jason Holder had Shepherd caught at long-on with a short ball. Quenton Sampson hit two fours off the next three balls to bring it down to 11 needed from the final over. But Naseem denied them.

England’s 2019 World Cup-winning coach will not return in 2025

Matt Roller03-Dec-2024Trevor Bayliss has left his role at London Spirit in the Hundred after his men’s team finished bottom in 2024. Bayliss replaced the late Shane Warne as men’s coach ahead of the 2022 season, when Eoin Morgan captained them to the play-offs, but his team have won only three games and lost 11 in the last two years since Morgan’s retirement.Bayliss’ side were particularly poor in 2024, losing seven of their eight matches with a scrappy three-wicket win over Welsh Fire the only exception. Their top picks at the draft, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell, managed 216 runs between them, and Dan Lawrence was unable to get them out of a rut as captain.The Spirit’s struggles in the men’s Hundred were only emphasised by the success of their women’s team, who won the title for the first time under Heather Knight and Ashley Noffke. Noffke has since signed an extension for the 2025 edition, though has lost assistant Ali Maiden to Birmingham Phoenix.”We’d all like to thank Trevor for his considerable efforts across the last three seasons,” Fraser Stewart, London Spirit’s general manager and the MCC’s head of cricket, said in a statement. “He initially joined us in difficult circumstances and led the side to a strong finish in 2022, but the team hasn’t been able to replicate that success since.”As a group, we’re desperate to see London Spirit competing at the right end of the table and we think a new approach may be of benefit to our chances. Trevor leaves Lord’s with our best wishes and our gratitude.”Related

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Bayliss’ stock has fallen as a coach of late, five years on from his England side’s triumph in the 2019 50-over World Cup. He was replaced as Punjab Kings coach by Ricky Ponting earlier this year, though has been retained as Sydney Thunder coach for the upcoming Big Bash League season despite overseeing their last-placed finish in 2023-24.London Spirit have already advertised for Bayliss’ replacement, with a first-round deadline of December 11. James Foster and Paul Collingwood are both potential contenders, having spent time working under Bayliss as assistant coaches, and an appointment appears likely to take place before the completion of the Hundred’s ongoing sales process.The second-round deadline for bids from private investors (for 49% stakes in the Hundred’s eight teams) is December 9, with London Spirit expected to attract the highest offers. Interested bidders for the Spirit are understood to include at least two IPL franchises in Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, as well as the Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer.

The decision means he is now eligible to lead Sydney Thunder in the BBL

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan24-Oct-2024David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban has been overturned after six-and-a-half years following a review by Cricket Australia’s Conduct Commission. It means he is now eligible to captain Sydney Thunder in the upcoming BBL having not been allowed to lead any team in Australia after the ban was imposed following the sandpaper incident in Cape Town in 2018.CA released the findings from the independent Conduct Commission review on Friday with the three-person panel unanimously deciding that Warner had met the necessary criteria to have ban lifted following changes to the code of conduct in 2022.”In its decision the panel noted ‘the respectful and contrite tone of his [Warner’s] responses, as well as the content impressed the Review Panel and led it to the unanimous view that he was sincere and genuine in acknowledging responsibility for the conduct and in his statement that he had extreme remorse for his conduct’,” CA’s statement said.”The panel also considered references citing ‘the contribution that Mr Warner has made, and can make in the future, towards the development of young cricketers in Australia if they were given the opportunity to be led by Mr Warner, his important continuing role in fostering interest in cricket especially with the South Asian community in Australia and generally’.”In his submission to the panel Warner acknowledged that he had “let every single person down” in 2018 and said that he “100 percent regretted the actions that were taken and am extremely remorseful.”Pat Cummins, Andrew McDonald, Greg Chappell, Lisa Sthalekar and Kane Williamson all provided character references for the hearing.In Cummins’ submission, he said: “Since 2018, he has acknowledged his responsibility to the game and future generations and stepped up his engagement with communities who play cricket. David was instrumental in supporting the Australian Cricket Team undertaking the most recent tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. During these tours his upholding of the spirit of cricket and his respect for the opposition as did his
understanding of the importance of those tours for the game. These higher considerations transcended the matches we played in and were felt by the cricket-loving public in those nations.”Warner is now firmly in the conversation to be the Thunder captain for the BBL where he will be available for an entire season for the first time.”The fact he can be on the table as a captaincy option is definitely going to be spoken about,” Trent Copeland, the Thunder general manager, said. “Internally, the chats have already happened in terms of assessing if that will be a good decision. I think that’s a no-brainer. Everyone who knows Davey and has watched him over the years has seen him be a great captain and leader, particularly with the bat in hand.”However, Copeland, who was involved closely with the process which concluded with a hearing last Thursday, said that it was about more than purely whether he could lead a side again.”This is far bigger than a cricket captaincy role,” he said. “It’s leadership in a lifelong context. This was about him, his daughters in particular, the legacy he wants to leave for his family. This is about Davey, his family and ultimately in our belief what is right at this point in time.”If that’s a lifelong ban, it’s still over him when he’s 50, 60. It just would never go away. It [what happened in 2018] may not ever go away, but I think at least this gives it a shot.”On whether the ruling provided closure for Warner, New South Wales chief executive Lee Germon said: “You’d need to ask David that question…but through that process David has expressed great regret and remorse and think his actions since that ban has shown that he does regret that, so I imagine it does provide some closure for him in that regard.”Warner had previously angrily withdrawn from the an attempt to have his ban overturned in 2022. Copeland termed that process a “train wreck” and said that part of the latest outcome being a success had been keeping the process out of the spotlight until the verdict was delivered.It had long been a source of frustration for Warner that he had been banned from leading any team in Australia while Steven Smith, who was the captain in the Cape Town Test and was also banned from playing for a year for his involvement in the scandal, has since returned to captain both the Australian Test and ODI team and remains the current Test vice-captain.Warner had been allowed to captain teams around the world since his playing ban, having led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL. He had also hoped to get the chance to captain Australia’s T20 side late in his international career, before retiring from all formats following the T20 World Cup in June.CA chief executive Nick Hockley said he was pleased Warner’s ban had been overturned.”In 2022 we updated the Code of Conduct to ensure there was a fair and rigorous process in place for all players and player support personnel to have long-term sanctions reviewed,” Hockley said. “I am pleased David has chosen to have his sanction reviewed and that he will be eligible to take up leadership positions in Australian Cricket this summer.”

Ravindra Jadeja and Khaleel Ahmed, meanwhile, had memorable outings with the ball

Shashank Kishore23-Jan-2025

Rohit’s big miss on Ranji return

Rohit Sharma’s Ranji Trophy return after nearly 10 years wasn’t as memorable as he’d hoped it would be. His 19-ball vigil brought him 3, and he was out caught off the leading edge while attempting a half-nudge, half-pull into the leg side off a rising delivery from Jammu & Kashmir’s Umar Nazir. It was reminiscent of two recent Test dismissals for Rohit: against Pat Cummins at the MCG, and against Matt Henry at the Wankhede Stadium.Rohit’s dismissal quickly followed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s after Mumbai opted to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, and Shreyas Iyer also managed just 12 and 11 respectively in a first innings that lasted just 33.2 overs with Mumbai bowled out for 120. But excellent work with the ball means Mumbai have a chance of limiting their deficit to under three figures.Related

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Rohit’s return to the domestic set-up comes on the back of the BCCI’s new guidelines, which have come into force since India’s 3-1 reversal in Australia earlier this month. Rohit’s Test future hangs in the balance after he opted out of the Sydney Test, but he has reiterated that he hasn’t retired and is still hopeful of leading the team in Tests.

Gill and Punjab collapse against swing and seam

In Bengaluru, Shubman Gill’s outing was equally forgettable, not just with the bat but on the field as captain too. Punjab, who were missing Abhishek Sharma, were bowled out for 55 with Gill managing just 4 before nicking behind as swing and seam bowlers ruled on a greenish deck at the Chinnaswamy. By stumps, Punjab were so far behind in the game that they’ll probably need a Gill special to even salvage one point from the match.Gill’s return to domestic cricket presented an opportunity for him to get some match time and confidence back following underwhelming returns in Australia where he featured in just three of the five Tests, while aggregating 93 runs in five innings. His returns outside Asia since the 2021 World Test Championship final have been in particular focus – he averages 17.64 across 18 innings.File photo – Ravindra Jadeja picked up his 35th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket•AFP/Getty Images

Pant misses out; Jadeja takes five on Rajkot turner

In Rajkot, Rishabh Pant lasted just 10 deliveries as he was out to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Pant’s dismissal was part of Delhi’s top-order collapse against spin. Ravindra Jadeja, a formidable threat on turners, thrived in conditions tailor-made for him as he picked up his 35th first-class five-for as Delhi were bowled out for 188.In reply, Saurashtra were adrift by 25 at stumps but had lost five wickets, including those of Cheteshwar Pujara and Jadeja, who has top-scored so far with 38. Pujara, who isn’t part of India’s Test plans, made just 6. Apart from the 234 he made against Chhattisgarh, Pujara has endured modest returns so far this season, managing scores of 16, 0, 2, 3 and 14 in his other innings.

Siddarth Desai misses perfect 10

Gujarat left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai picked up nine wickets in the very first session of play against Uttarakhand in Ahmedabad, and was in with a chance of becoming the second bowler – after Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj – to record a perfect 10 this season. That chance ended when Vishal Jayswal picked up the final wicket.Desai ended with 9 for 36, the best figures in first-class cricket by a Gujarat player, bettering the record held by Jasu Patel who picked up 8 for 21 against Saurashtra in 1960-61. Desai who scalped a match haul of nine wickets on debut, against Kerala back in 2017-18, has emerged as Gujarat’s front-line spinner since Piyush Chawla left to return to his home state Uttar Pradesh.

Khaleel takes maiden five-for

Eight years after he made his first-class debut, Khaleel Ahmed has picked up his maiden first-class five-for. This included key Vidarbha wickets including those of Karun Nair who was in prolific form at the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His figures read an impressive 15-5-37-5.Khaleel’s performance coincides with his being on the fringes of the national team, especially with the selectors keen on looking for left-arm seamers, a style of bowler India’s Test attack has missed since Zaheer Khan’s exit. This is only Khaleel’s 17th first-class fixture – three of them have come in the current Ranji season (including this game), and two in August in the Duleep Trophy, in which he took nine wickets at 21.66.

In the last five years, batting averages there have diminished as the game has progressed, with spinners having taken more than 100 wickets each on days three and four

Mohammad Isam16-Jun-2025Bangladesh batters are eager to cash in on the Galle pitch before it starts responding to spinners, according to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. The visitors begin their Sri Lanka tour with the Galle Test starting on Tuesday, with recent performances putting both batting units under pressure.Shanto had scored his maiden Test century in the first game during Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2021 – he scored 163 in Pallekele, which remains his highest Test score. This time around, Bangladesh will be playing only their third Test in Galle, the last of which was back in 2017.In the last five years, batting averages in Galle have diminished as the game has progressed – from 45.64 on the first day to 35.61, 28.53, 28.31 and 20.65 in the subsequent days. Spinners have taken more than 100 wickets each on the third and fourth days of Tests in Galle during this period.Related

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“I have some good memories in Kandy, but I want to take the opportunity in Galle,” Shanto said. “Playing spin may be challenging, but there’s also a lot of runs in the first two or three days in Galle. We want to take that opportunity. There will be challenges for the batters as spinners take a lot of wickets in this venue. We have to bat well. We are enjoying each other’s company despite all the challenges.”Shanto said he is pleased with the combination of players he has in the current Test squad, although Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who reportedly has a fever, remains a doubtful starter against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh will take a last-minute call on the playing XI after confirming whether Mehidy is available.”Mehidy is still under observation, but his health is improving. A lot depends on his availability,” Shanto said. “If he is in the team, we can go into the Test with a good combination. I don’t want to reveal where I am going to bat in the Test match. I don’t want my opponent to know. We still have a few things up in the air. Miraz is still not fully well.”I am happy with the Test squad. I think it is also quite positive that we all could agree on this combination. It is a balanced side with enough options for batting and bowling. We can pick the XI depending on the opposition and conditions. We also have to execute our plans by playing good cricket.”Earlier this year, Bangladesh levelled the Test series against Zimbabwe after defeat in the first Test•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh’s batting struggles are often attributed to the absence of their batting heavyweights, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. While Tamim has retired from all formats, Shakib could be available just for ODIs. In Tamim’s absence, Bangladesh are yet to settle on an opening pair, while Shakib’s role as a batter hasn’t been totally replaced either. Shanto, though, is hopeful that the current Test players can do their jobs in Sri Lanka.”They are not in the team for the last two or three years; Shakib and Tamim served Bangladesh cricket for a long time,” Shanto said. “But we don’t want to think about the past. We have some experienced cricketers in the squad. They will do well here. I hope those in the team will take the team forward.”Bangladesh will be looking to bounce back after having won just two out of ten completed matches across formats so far this year. In February, they exited the Champions Trophy in the group stage, before going down to Zimbabwe in the Sylhet Test in April. Bangladesh then lost back-to-back T20I series against UAE and Pakistan in May-June. Shanto, however, said that the team will take inspiration from their drawn Test series against Zimbabwe, where they bounced back in Chattogram after the defeat in Sylhet.”We don’t want to think too much about the Zimbabwe series. We came back well in that series,” Shanto said. “It will motivate the team. We are playing in conditions that many of us have played in the past. We have to play good cricket, especially the batters.”We have good memories in Sri Lanka, which will be helpful but every series is a new beginning. The top order has to provide the team with a good start. We have a good squad here, so it will be a great opportunity to do something special here.”

Top-order collapses before Hughes, Ibrahim come together in fourth-wicket stand

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) and 115 for 3 (Hughes 56*, Ibrahim 50*) trail Yorkshire 545 for 9 dec (Revis 152*, Lyth 115, Wharton 85) by 208 runsAll-rounder Matthew Revis continued his sparkling run-scoring form in the Rothesay County Championship, posting his third hundred in as many matches to help Yorkshire press for a crucial victory over Sussex at Scarborough.Dating back to late June, in Yorkshire’s last four Division One fixtures, Revis – 23-years-old – has posted scores of 93 not out, 150, 110 not out and a career best 152 not out.He hit the 150 in a victory over Essex at York, 110 not out in last week’s draw here against champions Surrey and now this 188-ball effort with 14 fours and two pulled sixes against spin.Yorkshire declared on 545 for nine midway through the afternoon, leading by 323 with 44 overs remaining in the day, and then restricted Sussex to 115 for three at close. Opener Daniel Hughes gave the visitors something to cheer with an impressive rearguard 56 not out from 131 balls.It would now be a significant surprise if Revis is not selected to tour Australia with the England Lions this winter. Another man who could be on that tour is George Hill, with whom Revis shared an entertaining seventh-wicket partnership of 140 either side of lunch.Fellow all-rounder Hill contributed a season’s best 75 off 93 balls. He has already had Lions exposure this summer, courtesy of his near 40-wicket campaign with the ball.For Sussex, off-spinner Jack Carson plugged away with three for 150 from 43 overs. But he was swimming against the tide.Revis, who started the day on 22, drove handsomely down the ground before pulling a couple of sixes off Carson just before Yorkshire declared minutes before 3pm.Before lunch, Hill lofted Carson over long-on for six and out of the ground at the Trafalgar Square End.Revis reached his fifty off 77 balls and his fifth career first-class century off 137, the latter on the stroke of lunch. Sandwiched in between, Hill’s fifty came up in 65 balls.Sussex started the day nicely by removing Harry Duke and Will Sutherland, leaving Yorkshire 320 for six in the 97th over, the day’s seventh.Duke was caught behind for 21 against an out-swinger from Fynn Hudson-Prentice – Sussex having taken the new ball immediately at the start of play – before Sutherland was bowled by his fellow Australian Gurinder Sandhu for two.Sutherland is playing his last match of the season for Yorkshire this week and had been surfing in the North Sea at the end of day two.Revis and Hill advanced Yorkshire’s cause in entertaining fashion. The aforementioned Hill six off Carson even landed in the back yard of the Air BnB which the county’s live streaming team are using this week.Revis became the first Yorkshire player to score three hundreds in successive first-class matches since Gary Ballance did it back in 2019 and the first non-capped White Rose player to achieve that same feat in 80 years.Unfortunately for Sussex, further trouble was around the corner at the start of their second innings.They faced 12 overs before tea, where they reached at 29 for three.New-ball pair Jack White and Matt Milnes struck once apiece added to the run out of Tom Alsop courtesy of a direct hit from Imam-Ul-Haq at the striker’s end from cover.White had Tom Haines caught and bowled off a lead edge and Milnes got James Coles caught at fourth slip for a golden duck the ball after Alsop had fallen in the sixth over.But just when all seemed lost, left-handed Australian Hughes stood firm with the help of fourth-wicket partner Danial Ibrahim.Hughes was understandably watchful but drove, cut, pulled and deflected 10 boundaries en-route to a 114-ball fifty. The pair have shared an unbroken 95, with Ibrahim 50 not out.Ibrahim reached 50 off 111 balls with the day’s final delivery. But the pair have plenty more work to do on a pitch which is showing increasing signs of turn.

Allrounder worried his career could be in trouble once again after experiencing pain in his left knee during a tour game against Pakistan last week

Cricinfo staff27-Nov-2009New Zealand allrounder James Franklin is worried that his injury-hit career could be in trouble once again after he experienced pain in his left knee during a tour game against Pakistan last week.”It’s come like a bolt out of the blue, so naturally I’m pretty nervous because my knees have never been the greatest,” Franklin told the . “The last thing I want to do is spend a long time out of the game again, especially as I’m really enjoying my cricket at the moment. I’ve been happy with my form over the last little while so I don’t need a potential setback like this.”Franklin had patella-tendon surgery on his right knee in November 2007, followed by nine months of rehabilitation. This time, he may have injured the patella tendon in his left knee and ultrasound tests confirmed inflammation in the tendon. Franklin was prescribed a series of blood injections into the tendon to help speed up his recovery. In the past he has been through the same routine for his right knee, but the injections were administered too late to prevent surgery in that case.New Zealand are still recovering from the loss of allrounder Jacob Oram, whose retirement from Tests was forced by injuries. After two years on the sidelines, Franklin made a comeback to the New Zealand Test side in the home series against West Indies late last year. He tried to re-establish himself as an allrounder and scored a fifty against India in Napier.”I haven’t given up hope. I might even try and have a bat in the next day or so and if that goes well I might be able to squeeze a game in for Wellington, possibly just as a batsman, and then go from there,” Franklin said.

“We’ve been able to keep ourselves in Test matches on the back of our bowling,” Coley says ahead of Test series in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2025″It’s a new series, a new opportunity,” West Indies Test coach Andre Coley said ahead of the two-match series in Pakistan.The last series between the two sides, in Kingston in 2021, was drawn 1-1, but West Indies have not won a Test in Pakistan since November 1990. It’s also true that there haven’t been too many of these – only seven since that game – but the best West Indies have done since that 1990 series is a draw, in Multan in November 2006.As such, the series is part of the World Test Championship cycle, but doesn’t mean much for either team in terms of context: South Africa and Australia have qualified for the final, while Pakistan and West Indies bring up the rear, eighth and ninth respectively on the nine-team table. It’s also a chance for Coley to sign off on a positive note before Daren Sammy takes over.Related

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“Once you play a series or a match there’s an opportunity in itself,” Coley said at a press interaction on Tuesday. “It’s not about us creating history, it’s about using the learnings from 2024 and that consistency that was inserted for the last 12 months, being more set around the brand of cricket we want to play.”Different people in the squad who would have missed out on opportunities before can use this as an opportunity to do better and do it in conditions that could be different in some instances.”When you talk about Test cricket, it’s not only the opposition’s skill that provides tests, but the different conditions, different environments, and different game situations provide those tests. And that’s why you want to play at this level and in this format, to test yourself over four-five days. The game could change so rapidly.”The magical eight-run win, scripted by Shamar Joseph, against Australia in Brisbane in January was by far West Indies’ best result in Test cricket last year, but it was one of only two wins for them in the entire WTC cycle so far. And Coley pointed to the inconsistencies of the batters for the team not being able to build on the work by the bowlers.”Obviously, Jayden [Seales] back to full fitness, Shamar Joseph making his debut in 2024, Alzarri Joseph… Kemar Roach has been a standout in terms of his leadership, on and off the field, with his skill and mentorship. [Gudakesh] Motie and [Jomel] Warrican have been consistent when given an opportunity,” Coley said, counting off his main bowlers, of whom the two Josephs are not in Pakistan. Anderson Phillip is, and Kevin Sinclair is the third spinner.”We’ve seen a couple of innings where our batters have… Kavem Hodge scoring his first hundred, Alick Athanaze missing out on at least three; there have been instances where we have had significant partnerships from a batting perspective. But they haven’t really been very consistent and put ourselves in match-winning totals.”The standout has been that we’ve been able to keep ourselves in Test matches on the back of our bowling, and what the young bowlers have done. It’s time, going forward in 2025, that the batsmen now, having been given certain opportunities to test their skills, to learn and translate those into performances.”The first Test will be played in Karachi, from January 16, and the second in Multan, from January 24, with West Indies playing a three-day tour game in Islamabad from January 10 to get used to the conditions.

Bangladesh haven’t won a game in the last four T20 World Cups, and the skipper wants to end that streak

Mohammad Isam24-Sep-2024Nigar Sultana wants Bangladesh to beat Scotland in their opening match of the women’s T20 World Cup on October 3 and set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Beating Scotland would be a “huge achievement”, she said, since Bangladesh haven’t won a match in their last four World Cup appearances, and have won just one game in five editions.Nigar, however, clarified that Bangladesh were not taking Scotland lightly. “We want to win the first match,” she said. “It will be a huge achievement for the team. The team will get into a flow when that happens. We can then dream of something bigger. We are hungry for it.”Scotland, though, are playing good cricket. Generally teams arrive at the World Cup with a lot of expectations. They won’t let you win easily. They don’t give up without a fight. We are mentally prepared to face those challenges.Related

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“I have played four World Cups but we have never won a game in those editions. The last time we won was in the 2014 tournament [against Sri Lanka]. We have played well in previous editions but playing well only means something when you can win.”Nigar and Bangladesh are dreaming big. They want to challenge England, West Indies and South Africa, the others in their group in the first round, and are hoping to get into the semi-finals.”To play in the semi-final, we have to win against those three teams, too,” Nigar said. “We have different plans against each team. If we can execute our game-plan, then it will good for us. We have defeated South Africa in T20Is [twice in 13 completed matches]. We rarely meet England, only in World Cups, so it might be difficult for them, too. We all know that we have a good spin attack.”The tournament was initially supposed to be held in Bangladesh, but following political unrest in the country in July-August, the ICC relocated it to the UAE.”For a long time, we prepared with the understanding that the World Cup will be held at home,” Nigar said. “It is not in our control, so there’s no point thinking about it anymore. We played in Abu Dhabi in 2021, where the wickets were nice. Sharjah is a new venue for us, but we will play two practice matches, which will give us some idea.”Other teams will face similar challenges, so the faster we can adapt to those challenges, it will help us play better in the tournament’s main matches.”Young Rabeya Khan has been a revelation for Bangladesh in recent times•BCB

Batting a concern for Bangladesh

Bangladesh haven’t done well with the bat in their last two home series, against India and Australia, and also lost to India and Sri Lanka in the women’s Asia Cup earlier this year.Giving Nigar confidence, though, are newcomers like Shathi Rani and the uncapped Taj Nehar, who was picked ahead of the more experienced Rumana Ahmed.”Batting is definitely a concern but we saw some improvements among the batters during the ‘A’ team tour [of Sri Lanka],” she said. “We still believe that we can do well as most of our players have also done well in the domestic tournaments. I hope they continue their form in the World Cup.”We included Taj for the middle-order, although she doesn’t have experience. We saw her in the league [Women’s National Cricket League] where she showed good approach and intent. She can play the big shots. If you have followed our recent international matches, we failed in showing intent. Shathi was the highest run-getter in the league. She can go after the bowling, and you can see those in some of her innings. She can use the powerplay quite well. She has proved herself to come at this stage.”Bangladesh have a strong spin attack that includes left-arm spinner Nahida Akter and 19-year-old legspinner Rabeya Khan. Nigar paid a glowing tribute to young Rabeya, who is the team’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year [14 wickets in 12 games]. “Rabeya is one of our finest bowlers. She has taken our team to a different level through her contributions in both formats. She is a great fielder. She is good with the bat too but doesn’t take batting seriously. She is maturing slowly. If there’s someone I rely with the ball in tough situations after Nahida, it is definitely Rabeya.”