Former quick joins from South African provincial side Easterns, taking over from Dimitri Mascarenhas

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2019Essex have appointed former South Africa international Andre Nel as their assistant head coach as well as bowling coach. Nel, who joins from South African provincial side Easterns, takes over as Anthony McGrath’s second-in-command from Dimitri Mascarenhas, who left after one season in the job.Nel, a distinctive on-field presence with his competitive streak and “Gunther” alter ego, played more than 100 times for South Africa, before retiring in 2013 and moving into coaching. He turned out for Essex between 2005 and 2008, as well as having spells in county cricket with Northamptonshire and Surrey.In addition to coaching Easterns, since 2016 Nel has worked with South Africa’s National Cricket Academy during the winter months. He will join up with Essex for the club’s pre-season tour of the UAE.ALSO READ: Championship opening round features Root v Broad“I’m really thrilled to be joining Essex as assistant head coach and bowling coach,” Nel said. “It’s a great opportunity and I’ve only ever heard good things about Anthony McGrath as a coach, and I can’t wait to start working alongside him and the rest of the team out in Abu Dhabi this week.”As a former Essex player I know it’s a fantastic club to be involved with and since leaving I’ve always followed from afar. I’m really eager to get working with such a talented group of players and contribute to the future success of the club.”Nel claimed 123 Test wickets for South Africa during a seven-year international career, as well as a further 106 in ODIs. His experience will be brought to bear on a promising group of homegrown pace bowlers at Chelmsford, led by Jamie Porter and including the likes of Sam Cook, Aaron Beard and Paul Walter.”It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to bring Andre to Chelmsford,” McGrath said. “Andre played cricket at an elite level throughout his entire career and brings with him a huge wealth of cricket experience and knowledge. Being a former Essex player, he also has a good understanding of the club, our fans and the ethos.”I know our bowlers are especially happy he’s on board and are looking forward to working with him, and the whole squad will profit from his technical and tactical knowledge.”

Blow to the helmet from Stuart Broad can’t deter England captain as Yorkshire secure a comfortable draw

David Hopps at Trent Bridge08-Apr-20190:28

Root admits his ego was dented after Broad hit

Joe Root, struck on the helmet, first ball by Stuart Broad. It did not auger well for Yorkshire. It did not feel all that great for Root. But that was the lowest point of the day for England’s Test captain as unbeaten hundreds of considerable resolve by Root and Gary Ballance enabled Yorkshire to secure a draw against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge without further alarm.Nottinghamshire had declared overnight with a lead of 446 and accounted for Yorkshire’s opening pair in the space of 11 overs, but light faded from their challenge as the day progressed and a draw was agreed at five past five with Yorkshire 277 for 2.Most of the attention will rest with Root, who was making one of his rare Championship appearances for Yorkshire and who initially seemed intent on collecting enough injuries to complete a Box Set. An injured finger while fielding on the third evening was followed by a rattled helmet on the fourth morning as he ducked into a bouncer that failed to get up.That entailed an eight-minute delay while Root awaited a helmet and was checked for concussion. Time also to reflect on the nature of a moribund but slightly uneven pitch and how to adjust his technique to combat it. He joked that he was unhappy that Broad did not follow up with a volley of abuse.On one of those two-temperature sunny days in early Spring in which youngsters wear t-shirts and those of greater years still don winter coats and sweaters, Root and Ballance then batted out the rest of the day in a manner that justified the optimism of their coach, Andrew Gale, on the previous evening that a draw was well within their grasp.The closest they came to being split in a stand of 253 in 67 overs was when Ballance misjudged a single into the off side but Jake Ball failed to follow up a good stop by throwing down the stumps. Root also survived a big appeal for 46 for a catch down the leg side as he hooked at Paul Coughlin.A burst of three successive boundaries then took Root past 50, Nottinghamshire’s slips disappeared with an air of resignation, and runs came with growing ease. Nottinghamshire’s deep-set fields by the end even hinted that they half imagined Yorkshire might have a tilt at a ten-an-over run chase. Instead, a draw was agreed upon completion of Ballance’s hundred.On such a placid surface, Nottinghamshire resorted to a regular supply of short balls, something that Root felt was a good lesson for county bowlers so often reliant on seaming pitches. “It’s nice now to see bowlers exploiting a different plan, and to go short. I’m sure we will see a lot more of that if the surfaces stay the same and it will be great for the development of the next generation, and the players who are just below the current England team.Joe Root raises his bat on reaching a century•Getty Images

“You want to set the example and try and use your experience to your advantage, but I think I did ride my luck on occasions. It’s always hard to say it’s one of your best knocks when you’ve not won the game. I took a few painkillers just so it didn’t distract me from what was important but the head feels fine and the hand feels fine. The only thing that was hurting when Broady hit me was my ego.”Root carries a nation’s hopes for the Ashes; Ballance, by contrast, although only 29, has fallen out of favour and appears to have played the last of his 23 Tests – against South Africa on this ground nearly two years ago. Yet in first-class cricket Root and Ballance reach fifty in a higher percentage of innings than any other current English-qualified batsman, better than one in three. And when it comes to the percentage of hundreds, Ballance is unsurpassed.Steven Mullaney had declared Nottinghamshire’s second innings overnight on 329 for 5, leaving Joe Clarke stranded on 97 not out, three runs short of becoming the youngest player to make two hundreds in a match for the county – and on his debut for the county, too. Team needs above all other considerations had been strictly applied and adherence to such a principle should not be lightly dismissed.”It was my decision,” Mullaney said, “but I spoke to Joe and he was the first one to come up to me last night when he wasn’t out and he said whatever is best for the team and if you want to declare. That’s the sort of bloke he is and the sort of team that we want to build.”Ball took both wickets to fall, having Harry Brook caught at third slip for 2 and Adam Lyth played on for 21. Root has one more Championship match for Yorkshire, at the Ageas Bowl; Ballance is around all season and ultimately it will be his form, as much as anyone’s, which will determine Yorkshire’s season.

The Australian batsman is having a run to forget in T20 having failed to score in five consecutive matches including four golden ducks

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2019Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers, BBL, Adelaide: lbw b Laughlin7.2 LBW! Two in three balls! This was 132kph, full and straight, he was caught on the crease, maybe thinking a slower ball was coming, he was hit on the knee roll infront of middle and it wasn’t a tough decision. That was plumb.India v Australia, 1st T20I, Visakhapatnam: b K Pandya16.2 96.6 kph, and they are only going to get louder! Is there a way back for India still? Turner shuffles across and looks to sweep him fine, not the best idea against a wicket-to-wicket bowler like Krunal, and he is cleaned upKings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals, IPL, Mohali: c Miller b M Ashwin16.3 duck on IPL debut! This, strangely enough, is a slow, tossed up legbreak, possibly because Ashwin thinks he can bait the big hitter into a false shot. And bait him he does. The equation makes Turner go for it. The turn on the ball makes the shot go to long-off when he is looking to go dead straight. Miller runs in and takes the catch and Royals are in a mess againRajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians, IPL, Jaipur: lbw Bumrah18.1 make that 0, 0, 0, 0. Bumrah’s deadly inward angle and skiddiness does in another batsman. Turner’s front leg moves half-forward and across the stumps, and he ends up playing around his front pad looking to work it into the leg side. The angle beats his inside edge, and it’s the plumblest of lbw decisions thereafterRajasthan Royals v Delhi Capitals, IPL, Jaipur: c Rutherford b Ishant16.4 GONE AGAIN! Slower ball, outside off, and he was looking to get towards covers, but just popped it up towards Rutherford at cover. Third golden duck in a row! Somewhere, you just know Ajit Agarkar is watching and smiling

Ashantha de Mel, the team manager, has written to the governing body, but says he hasn’t received a reply yet

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2019Sri Lanka team manager Ashantha de Mel has complained to the ICC about the “unfair” pitches he feels Sri Lanka have had to play their matches on, as well as the less-than-ideal training facilities and accommodation. The ICC has strongly denied the accusation that there has been favouritism.Although their two most-recent matches were washouts in Bristol, Sri Lanka had begun the tournament on two green decks in Cardiff, where they lost to New Zealand and narrowly beat Afghanistan. In the approach to their match against Australia at The Oval – a venue that has seen high-scoring games thus far – de Mel believes Sri Lanka have been saddled with another green track. As seaming conditions will ostensibly aid Australia, de Mel is unhappy.”What we have found out is that for the four matches we have played so far at Cardiff and Bristol, the ICC has prepared a green pitch,” he told . “At the same venues, the other countries have played on pitches are brown and favourable for high scoring.”The pitch being prepared for our match against Australia on Saturday here at The Oval is green. It is not sour grapes that we are complaining. But it is very unfair on the part of the ICC that they prepare one type of wicket for certain teams and another type for others.”There have been other inconveniences too, according to de Mel, which he said he has officially brought to the ICC’s notice.The Sri Lankans haven’t been too thrilled with their training facilities•Getty Images

“Even the practice facilities provided at Cardiff were unsatisfactory. Instead of three nets they gave us only two, and the hotel we were put up at Bristol did not have a swimming pool, which is very essential for every team – for the fast bowlers, especially, to relax their muscles after practice,” he said. “The hotels that Pakistan and Bangladesh were put up at Bristol had swimming pools.”We wrote to the ICC listing all these shortcomings four days ago but so far we have not had any response from them. We will continue to write to them until we get a reply.”The ICC has since provided an official response, pointing out that pitches are overseen by an independent advisor.”We employ an independent pitch advisor to work with the host curators at all ICC events and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 is no different,” an event spokesperson said. “We are happy with the wickets that have been produced across the event so far in English conditions.”As part of the four year planning process to deliver this event, we have liaised with all teams to ensure they are happy with their set up and are available to work with them should any issues arise that have not been previously anticipated. At the heart of our planning is the philosophy that all ten teams are treated equally to enable them to have the best possible preparation for the event.”Although Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne would not be drawn into the matter of unsatisfactory hotels and training facilities, he did express disappointment with the green surfaces. Both he and coach Chandika Hathurusingha had already said they would prefer to play on batting-friendly surfaces, and Karunaratne reiterated that on the eve of the match at The Oval.”I have already said that people expect entertainment from ODIs,” Karunaratne said. “They want 100-over games. If you take today’s game – between England and West Indies – it is a flat wicket, it is white in colour. If you take this Oval wicket, it is green. These are the things we weren’t expecting. Every wicket should be white-top. We want fair wickets. That’s all we want.”

England’s plans of qualifying for the final four hang in the balance after a second successive loss, this one by 64 runs

The Report by Daniel Brettig25-Jun-2019As it happenedAustralia played Test match cricket in miniature to get the better of England and a set of conditions at Lord’s that were not really in the blueprint for Eoin Morgan’s side ahead of a tournament in which they now face the tightest of ropes to qualify for the semi-finals. Australia, meanwhile, are now in the final four, the first team to get there.The cut and thrust of this Lord’s ODI was a world away from the virtual home run derby of Trent Bridge a year ago. That day, England tallied a gargantuan 481 and seemingly set the tone for the way this World Cup would be played. Yet, in the crucible of a global tournament played in the damp of an early summer beset by rain, Australia’s more deliberate plans, built on a stable, steady top order and a collective of pace and class with the ball have held up; the fireworks of Nottingham might as well have taken place on Mars.Australia captain Aaron Finch deservedly claimed the match award for a century that represented not only leadership by example but also a personal triumph over technical troubles that had made him so susceptible to the ball seaming into him. It would have been hard to imagine conditions more conducive to such a risk than these, but Finch overcame them with help from David Warner to set up a platform that, if not fully exploited, was enough to take the Australians to the sort of score they have commonly defended in recent months.They did so via a bowling attack chosen specifically for England. Jason Behrendorff had played only once before this game, and Nathan Lyon not at all, but they gelled beautifully with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis to unbalance England at the start and then snuff out any subsequent rearguards before they assumed troubling proportions.Behrendorff’s swing and guile, if revelatory to Lord’s observers, were no surprise to those who know his best days for Western Australia. Starc’s speed and swing up front, then his late swerving yorker afterwards, were exactly what Finch required. In all this and another sublime fielding display, the Australians continued their march to a peak of performance at the definitive end of this World Cup. A sixth title is now closer than many, perhaps, expected before the tournament.Buckets of overnight rain drenched St John’s Wood and there was some question over the start time, but the weather cleared enough to allow for the scheduled toss, though not after Jofra Archer had required a fitness test to play. That interlude did not dissuade Morgan from bowling first on a green-tinged surface when calling correctly, although Finch admitted he had been somewhat more equivocal having called up Lyon and Behrendorff as replacements.Memories of Australia’s twin collapses to the moving ball in Birmingham and Nottingham in the 2015 Ashes are still fresh, and Warner was a victim of both. But, alongside Finch, he was to carve out an opening stand that confounded the expectations of an overcast morning, aided by English imprecision when choosing their length of attack. Too often short of a length if not outright short, they also saw numerous Australian edges avoid going to hand or falling short, meaning 44 for no loss was the tally after ten nervy overs for both sides.Acceleration followed, both Warner and Finch finding the boundary and the captain also clearing it twice, as English brows furrowed in the middle and in the stands. Warner looked as fluent as he has all tournament and it was a surprise when, having crafted a third century stand with Finch for the Cup, he was fooled by a Moeen Ali offbreak that held in the pitch and ballooned to Joe Root, running around from backward point.Aaron Finch’s second century of the World Cup took Austalia into the semis•Getty Images

Usman Khawaja was chosen to accompany Finch, and together they lifted the Australians to an imposing 173 for 1 after 32 overs – a platform from which a score of 350 was plausible on paper, if less likely in the prevailing conditions. Khawaja’s fall only succeeded in bringing Steven Smith to the middle with plenty of overs to spare, and when Finch went to his hundred via a Chris Woakes misfield at fine leg it appeared the Australians were well on top.But Finch chose the wrong moment to try a hook, top edging straight to Woakes the very next ball and reproaching himself with all the fury of a captain who knew he had done exactly what he has asked teammates not to – squander an opportunity to turn a century into a monument. His anguish was to be intensified by the decline that followed, as Glenn Maxwell followed two memorable blows off Archer with a wafty edge behind off the rapid Mark Wood, Stoinis was run out over a disputed second run with Smith, and the former captain lost his timing and his wicket while trying to get runs around the corner.It all added up to the loss of 6 for 86, and at 259 for 7 England may have been chasing as little as 270. However, some late salvaging by Alex Carey, including 11 from Ben Stokes’ final over of the innings and a boundary from the final ball, inched the total up to 285. A defendable total is all Australia’s bowlers have asked for this tournament, and there was a small but discernible nod from Ricky Ponting on the Lord’s balcony as Carey and Starc jogged off for the change of innings.If some surprise greeted the sight of Behrendorff limbering up to deliver the first ball of the England reply, there was slack-jawed shock in the Members Pavilion when his second ball curled fiendishly late to knock back the middle stump of an overcommitted James Vince. Behrendorff mixed swing and angle with skill and experience of his methods to provide an ideal counterpoint to Starc, who at the other end accounted for Root and then Morgan in the manner of his 2015 World Cup pomp.Root was pinned on the crease and in front of all three stumps by a ball that swung back just enough at pace, before Finch moved long leg finer and Starc delivered with a fast bouncer that Morgan could only sky off top edge and glove to Cummins, who made good ground to the catch. Having already retreated outside leg stump to try to drive Starc, Morgan’s brief innings will remain in the Australian memory bank.An attempt at recovery by Jonny Bairstow, speckled with some attractive strokes, was ended when he hooked unwisely at Behrendorff and was also held by Cummins, this time on the midwicket fence. A better outfield catch was to follow when Jos Buttler, just getting himself going, swivel-pulled Stoinis towards square leg and Khawaja did not break stride in taking a catch he might have struggled to reach before admirable fitness and fielding work in the year since Justin Langer became head coach.Even then, with Buttler out of the picture, Stokes harboured some hope of delivering England to victory, for he had shrugged off a calf ailment to climb to his highest score in a Lord’s ODI, and by helping England to 22 in two Cummins overs seemed set for a thrilling finish. This, however, was to reckon without Starc, called back by Finch for the late-innings clean-up job. He certainly did a job on Stokes, conjuring a 145kph yorker that screeched under the set allrounder’s bat to send the bails zinging and more or less end the match. Stokes, for his part, dropped his bat and kicked it away in exasperation.The rest of the game passed as if according to script. Behrendorff was able to complete a five-for at Lord’s, finding a beauty to leave Moeen then aided by the most composed boundary-line double-act catch from Maxwell to Finch. Starc, fittingly, took the last wicket, leaving Australia atop the Cup table and safely into the semi-finals. England, having waited so long for this day, must now play some of the best cricket of their lives to make the finals, let alone win them.

Rawlins 56 not out after partnership with David Wiese closes the gap

Paul Edwards25-Jun-2019
Early on the second morning of this game Stiaan van Zyl dived to stop a ball on the fine leg boundary. He failed but managed to cake himself in mud, a legacy of Monday night’s heavy rain. Van Zyl’s embarrassment greatly amused Ben Brown and Chris Jordan but they would have chuckled less freely had they been told it was a portent of Sussex’s day. Or rather, of much of their day.Sussex supporters will tell you that one of the frustrations of following the county has been its occasional tendency to lose matches when simple victory beckons and win them when undertakers are parked outside the ground. They do not quite mean what they say. Sussex’s inconsistency also gives their supporters a frisson of excitement. That emotion was felt by some on the second evening of this game when the batting of Delray Rawlins took a day Durham had dominated and gave his own county’s supporters something to cheer after a grim couple of sessions.Had it not been for Rawlins’ unbeaten 56 and his eighth-wicket partnership of 109 with David Wiese, the day’s honours would have been claimed by Brydon Carse, whose four wickets were a just reward for 14 accurate overs. Perhaps they still should be; after all, Sussex have not yet saved the follow-on and the visitors are in the ascendant. But after watching Rawlins strike the ball clean and long through a perfect Hove evening Sussex supporters may have gazed into the gull-strewn sky and not known whether to curse or bless their loyalty.When Rawlins joined Wiese twenty minutes after tea Sussex were 110 for 7 and 284 runs in arrears. Gradually the 21-year-old adjusted to his task and began to hit the ball with more assurance. His second four, an on-drive off Ben Raine, was as sweet as anything we saw. Two balls later he stroked Raine easily for six in the same direction and followed that in the next over with a straight drive off James Weighell. Rawlins was beginning to enjoy himself and Wiese, too, batted with greater certainty, sweeping Liam Trevaskis for six and reaching his own fifty before falling leg before when attempting a reverse sweep. Aaron Thomason became Carse’s fourth victim a couple of overs later but by then Rawlins had reached his fifty off 88 balls with a huge six over long-on.It was intriguing as Rawlins was applauded to recall Sussex’s travails earlier in the day. The morning’s cricket, for example was divided into two very unequal parts. In the first Cameron Bancroft and Ned Eckersley extended their overnight partnership to 282, a sixth-wicket record for Durham in first-class cricket; in the second Durham lost their last five wickets for 12 runs in 32 balls, three of the wickets falling to the left-arm spin of Rawlins, a bowler who had never previously taken more than one wicket in a first-team game.Bancroft and Eckersley batted competently but needed to do little more. Thomason seemed to require more evidence Bancroft can play the pull shot; the evidence was duly provided and the ball smacked into the advertising hoarding. The session continued in similar fashion for nearly two hours. The collapse began when Eckersley, having registered his maiden century for Durham, drove too early at a ball from Luke Wells and was caught and bowled for 118. Two balls later Bancroft was lbw for 158 when sweeping a full toss from Rawlins. One wonders why long partnerships are so often the prelude to both partners getting out in quick succession. Is it a form of trivial bereavement, the second batsman being unable to carry on without his long-time colleague? Simple destabilisation is probably a better explanation. Either way, it never seemed to unsettle Bradman.Such thoughts did not trouble Rawlins. He carried on giving it a tweak and had picked up two more wickets and a career-best 3 for 19 before Will Beer wrapped up an untidy session on the stroke of tiffin. All the same, 384 seemed a decent score and an even better one when Sussex were 3 for 2 twenty minutes into the afternoon session.Their favourites’ rapid decline did not surprise the regulars in the Sharks stand. One declared he had never seen anything like it. (He probably had.) Another that: “We’ll be batting again by tea.”(They weren’t.) But Sussex, whose top-order batting is flaky at the moment, were five down at tea, two of their early wickets having been taken by Chris Rushworth, who struck with the fourth ball of the innings when Wells’ weak defensive push only edged a catch to Alex Lees at first slip. Will Beer, whose place as opener indicates a willingness to help rather than unsuspected competence, was then leg before to a full length ball from Carse, and Harry Finch was then trapped in front by one from Rushworth which nipped back down the hill.Subsequent recoveries beguiled supporters in the Spen Cama Pavilion but ultimately deceived them. Laurie Evans made 20 before being caught down the leg side off Weighell. Van Zyl batted carefully for 34 but played down the wrong line to Gareth Harte’s fourth ball of the day. That wicket fell a few minutes before tea; two balls after the resumption Brown made to whip Carse through midwicket but only gave a catch off the leading edge to Rushworth at mid-on. By now Wiese was at the crease and four overs later he was joined by Rawlins. Sussex supporters could have given up the day as a bad job but instead they opted to stay where they were and watch this young lad Rawlins for a while.

Falling short of usual standards a “positive sign we can get better” argues Lyon

Daniel Brettig at Lord's15-Aug-2019If there was any doubt as to the high standards Australia’s cricketers were holding themselves to on this Ashes tour, a blunt reminder came in the form of Nathan Lyon’s critique of day one of play at Lord’s following a washout on the Wednesday.While Lyon was glowing in his praise of Josh Hazlewood’s return to the team, and also Pat Cummins’ aggressive use of the bouncer in the afternoon, he indicated that the overall performance was short of expectations despite bowling England out for 258 and peeling 30 of those runs off for the loss of David Warner by the close.Lyon, who in claiming three wickets of his own drew level with Dennis Lillee on 355 Test wickets for Australia, reckoned that the dropping of three catches ad also allowing England to form a pair of pesky stands between Joe Denly and Rory Burns then Chris Woakes and Johnny Bairstow undid much of Hazlewood’s precision work with the Dukes ball.”If you look at today I don’t think we’ve had the best day if I’m being brutally honest,” Lyon said. “I think Josh Hazlewood was absolutely exceptional and the spell from Pat Cummins after tea really set the tone for us. For our standards I don’t think we were good enough for long periods of time.ALSO READ: ‘Cherry ripe’ Josh Hazlewood brings peak precision“But in saying that it’s still a good day for Australia, we’ve won the toss, we’ve created more than 10 chances, we haven’t played catch today. We can get better, and that’s exciting but we still were able to bowl England out for 258 on a day one wicket. There’s still a lot of work to do, we’re happy with the day but we know there’s a lot of improvement to be done.”Asked to explain where he thought he day went wrong, Lyon felt that the period in between Hazlewood’s early work and Cummins’ short pitched assault was a little too generous to the hosts. “I think we can always keep learning about the game, but the Dukes balls tend to go a little bit soft and the wicket’s quite slow as well, which makes … I think the quicks nicked about six and they bounced a good metre in front of our slips,” he said. “That’s generally a sign of the pace in the wicket and how soft the ball is if the nicks aren’t carrying.Tim Paine chats to Peter Siddle as Australia search for another breakthrough•Getty Images

“It’s one of those ones where the short bowling is used as a tactic, and we saw it in the [2013-14] Ashes when Michael Clarke was captain. They’re totally different wickets but I thought the way Tim and Pat and others came to a plan and I think the way Josh stuck to his nagging length was exceptional.”We’re playing Test cricket, playing against the best players in the world, there’s going to be partnerships here and there, that’s where it comes back to us bowlers hanging int here and doing the basics for long periods of time. I don’t think we did that well enough for Australian standards, our standards we have in our bowling cartel, and in that change room. It’s a positive sign we can get better.”As for Hazlewood, Lyon indicated that his fellow New South Welshman had plenty more days like this one, where he nipped out England’s first three wickets and troubled everyone, lay ahead. “I think Josh has been a world-class bowler for a long period of time and I don’t think he’s got the rewards that he’s deserved as yet,” Lyon said. “I think they’re to come. In my eyes Josh is up in the top three best bowlers in test cricket in my personal eyes. I think his control of hitting that nagging length but having the skill to go both ways in and out.”Then he’s got a pretty strong bouncer as well and it’s always usually on the money. I think Josh has been outstanding, I know he was disappointed to be left out of the first Test but to come back and bowl the way he did today, hats off to Josh, I thought he was the pick of our bowlers.”

Broad warns there will be no respite in England’s attempt to discomfort Smith on his return

George Dobell in Manchester02-Sep-2019Stuart Broad is excited to see the resumption of the “awesome” competition between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer when the Ashes resumes in Manchester on Wednesday.While Broad welcomed the return of Smith after the worrying injury he sustained at Lord’s, he warned that Test cricket was a “brutal sport” and there would be no respite in England’s attempt to discomfort him.Smith was obliged to miss the Leeds Test after sustaining a delayed concussion injury when hit on the neck by an Archer bouncer at Lord’s. While Smith resumed his innings after a short period off the pitch, he appeared somewhat skittish and soon fell leg before having left a straight ball. Underlining his confused state, he called for a review of the decision but then walked off before it was confirmed.Also read: ‘We felt a bit like we got the Ashes stolen’ – LangerBut while some have suggested he may be somewhat nervous when facing Archer, Smith has pointed out that the bowler has not actually dismissed him in the series. All of which has left Broad looking forward to another gripping passage of play between the pair.”Firstly, it’s great that Steve is ok and coming back into Test cricket,” Broad said. “No one wants to see anyone miss cricket through a head injury. It was a nasty hit. It’s great to have him back.”But Test cricket is a brutal sport. Sides go hell for leather against each other. So I’m sure that, when Steve comes in, Jofra will be in Joe Root’s ear wanting the ball. And I’ll be excited when he does.”It was a really tasty bit of cricket at Lord’s. Smith was on 70 or 80 and playing beautifully, but suddenly Jofra went from bowling 84mph to bowling 95mph. He was really charging in. That’s the intensity – the theatre – Test cricket brings.”That sort of cricket is awesome to watch on the telly or from the stands but when you’re stood at mid-on it’s pretty special. Hopefully we can have a battle like that again.”The dream is someone nicks him off first ball and Jofra doesn’t get to bowl at him. But Smith does average 60-something. So there will probably be a period in this game where those two come together again and, touch wood, I’m on the pitch to view it.”Jofra Archer bowls during a net session at Old Trafford•PA Images via Getty Images

Broad has had his own experience of trouble against the short ball. He was memorably struck in the eye while batting against India at Old Trafford, the scene of this week’s Test, in 2014. Top-edging his attempted pull off Varun Aaron, he sustained a badly broken nose and admitted he suffered nightmares as a consequence. He used psychologists to help recover but, before the injury, he averaged 23.95 with the bat in Test cricket with one century and 10 half-centuries. Since then, he has averaged 13.18 with just two half-centuries.While he believes Smith is unlikely to suffer such extreme consequences, it has left Broad grateful for the improved protection offered by modern helmets.”Smith has a bit more skill than me with the bat so it probably won’t affect him,” Broad said. “I don’t think I’ve ever played in a series where so many people have even hit in the head. I can’t even describe why. Obviously both sets of fast bowlers are bowling well and looking in good rhythm. The pitches have maybe played slightly untrue and a bit two-paced: one will skid through and one will slow down. It feels like the doctors are running out every 10 overs.”But it’s part of Test cricket. You bowl a bouncer not to hit someone in the head, you bowl a bouncer to maneuverer footwork and change momentum of bodyweight. But your best bouncer is directed over leg stump and at the head, unfortunately. But fortunately the helmets are much better now.”While Archer’s confrontation against Smith may gain the headlines, Broad’s private competition against David Warner has been just as absorbing. Broad has dismissed him four times in the three Tests and feels he is reaping the rewards for bowling a fuller length. But he warned that the pitches for the final two Tests could be better for batsmen and praised Warner’s batting in the first innings in Leeds.”It’s been a great battle so far,” Broad said. “I’ve really enjoyed it. I had to look quite closely pre-series as, until this series, he had probably had the better of me.”I’d always focussed on his outside edge thinking that running the ball across him would bring in the slips. But the bloke has incredible hand-eye coordination, so if you miss your line at all it seems to disappear through the covers.”I had a change of mindset in this series and have tried to bring the stumps into play more against him. I’ve looked to nip it back onto off-stump and then, if the ball holds its line, it brings the outside edge in and that actually limits the scoring options slightly.”Also, the pitches have been in our favour with the new ball. I don’t want to take too much credit that I’ve out-thought him or anything. It’s been a really good time to bowl with that new ball.”But Test cricket always moves on and this pitch will be very different to Lord’s or Headingley. And on that first morning at Headingley it was probably as good a time to bowl as you’ll ever get in Test cricket: cloudy, heavy, swinging, seaming. He might have played and missed a lot but he got through that period and got a pretty crucial fifty. He’ll take confidence from that.”

He hopes to build a team culture that promotes fearless cricket and intelligent decision-making under pressure

Danyal Rasool in Lahore18-Oct-2019It is a fact universally acknowledged that things change dramatically in Pakistan cricket, but the symmetry of the latest development coming out from the PCB is so neat it might have been considered too corny for fiction. In January 2017, after a 4-1 ODI series thumping in Australia, Azhar Ali was asked to relinquish leadership of the ODI side – which he did – handing the role to Sarfaraz Ahmed.Almost three years on, a week before Pakistan are due to fly to Australia for three T20Is and two Tests, Sarfaraz was asked by the PCB to
give up the captaincy on Thursday. He refused, forcing the PCB’s hand. The Test replacement? Azhar, of course.ALSO READ: Sarfaraz sacked as Pakistan’s Test and T20I captainA beaming Azhar called the appointment a “huge honour”, terming Test cricket the sport’s “best format”, saying he relished the opportunity to
“leave a legacy” in the sport. The 34-year old had captained Pakistan’s ODI side in 31 games, and stepped in as leader of the Test team for one match when Misbah was unavailable. He said he would prioritise a culture that would encourage positive, exciting cricket and heaped praise on his predecessor.”There could be no greater honour,” Azhar said. “This is an opportunity for me to leave a legacy. The amount of cricket I have played for
Pakistan, the next four-five years are very important for me both as a player and a captain.”The Test Championship is coming up, and that’s like a World Cup for Test cricket. Right now, we are No.7 in the rankings, so we have a fair
distance to travel. The teams we’ll play in the Test Championship will almost all be higher ranked than us. So there are many challenges, but
it’s also a great opportunity to play fearless, exciting cricket and get the desired results.”Secondly, I’d like to thank Sarfaraz. The way he’s led Pakistan, and the services he’s provided Pakistan with, are excellent. I spoke to him after today’s announcement and my full support lies with Sarfaraz.”Azhar Ali looks on after playing a square drive•Getty Images

With Sarfaraz’s diminishing form – particularly in ODI and Test cricket – a subject of increasing media scrutiny, and speculation about his future rife in the wake of the 3-0 T20I series defeat at home to Sri Lanka, Azhar was considered the top contender to take over Test captaincy. The former ODI captain, however, said he had not formally been spoken to by the PCB until yesterday, but admitted media reports had helped him be mentally prepared for the role.”I was only spoken to yesterday but the media had sort of prepared me over the last few days,” he said. “I had spoken to senior cricketers and the elders in my household, and sought their advice. It wasn’t a difficult decision, therefore, and I took this great opportunity.”I aim to bring players through under my captaincy that can serve Pakistan cricket for many years to come. This is what I mean by leaving my legacy. I want to transfer my experiences to them, and help them learn how to play fearless, positive cricket. So winning is very important, but building a
positive culture is my top priority. As you know, I have prioritised Test cricket, because it is the best format of the game, and the format that
sees the players’ best skills come out. My priority will be to have my players focus on red-ball cricket, because white ball cricket will take care of itself.”Azhar revealed the PCB had handed him the captaincy on a long-term basis as opposed to reviewing the role series-by-series, as had, at least officially, been the case recently with Sarfaraz. It was the condition upon which Azhar said he accepted the captaincy, and was excited by the opportunity it presented to foster a culture that prioritised intelligent decision-making.”The way your team is built affects the way you captain, and that changes according to conditions. But we need to build a team culture where we take the right decisions under pressure and stay calm. We need to take positive options and empower players to take their own decisions. This is something that I’ve learned from my own cricket, and I’ll try to do better. Sarfaraz has done a fabulous job, but life has to move on. We can’t dictate
everything to the players, so we should teach them to take better decisions.”I specifically asked whether my appointment will be short term or not. I got full support from the board that my appointment is not a short-term
thing, which is why I accepted it. There’s no set timeframe they’ve given me, but I’ve been assured there’s enough time for me to prove myself and
implement my own ideas on the team.”When there’s a lot of pressure on you and the results aren’t coming, as happened when I captained the last time, then sometimes change can be
good. It doesn’t mean that you’ve given up.”Azhar doesn’t do giving up. He left Australia in 2017 as captain, and now, when the team returns to those shores next month, it is he who will lead
them out in whites once again. If you didn’t know any better, you might have assumed nothing much had happened in those intervening three years.
Plenty has, however, and as Azhar looks to leave his defining legacy for Pakistan cricket, he finds his destiny in his own hands once again.

The reverse sweep is the foundation of the left-hand batsman’s strokeplay

Peter Della Penna in Dubai30-Oct-2019The premise of scoring runs in cricket is simple: hit the ball where the fielders are not placed. When there is nobody behind square on the off-side boundary to a spin bowler, the reverse sweep is a very high-percentage one.It can hardly even be called a gamble anymore for George Munsey. It is the foundation of the left-hand batsman’s strokeplay – he won’t hesitate to play it from the very first ball of the match – and it’s one which few teams have found an answer for in the men’s T20 World Cup qualifier. The UAE bowlers were the latest to be reverse swept away on Wednesday afternoon as Munsey used the stroke to eliminate the hosts from the qualifiers and punch Scotland’s fourth trip to the event.”George is obviously a very talented player,” Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer said of his star of the match in the post-match press conference. “He can hit a golf ball a mile, he can hit a cricket ball a mile. He’s not very good at football, unfortunately. But he does have the ability to hit the balls 360 [degrees] on the cricket field. So he’ll use the reverse sweep when he needs to but he’s also capable of hitting the ball to the leg side if he needs to or back over the bowler’s head. “He can probably understand that it’s a challenge for bowlers at times. George is in a great place at the moment with his cricket and he is playing extremely well. He’s going to go a very long way in his game. He keeps his head down and makes sure he gets his performances. We also have a number of guys who can play 360 but George is the one who is at the top of the game at the moment.”UAE captain Ahmed Raza said he was aware of the plan used in the previous match by Netherlands’ Pieter Seelaar to foil Munsey – putting a deep-backward point in place, which resulted in his dismissal on the second ball of spin he faced, from Colin Ackermann. Raza opted to have his bowlers bowl a cramped line to Munsey’s body, not allowing him to free his arms for the shot rather than put in funky fields.It almost worked in the first over bowled by left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed with several mis-hits and one ball clanging off Munsey’s grill. But by the third over, Munsey had found his timing and sent Sultan twice over the backward-point boundary for sixes. Munsey showed he was equally adept at playing the shot against pace bowling too, audaciously reverse-sweeping Zahoor Khan over third man for six in the 13th over towards the tail-end of his knock.”We had set plans for that and we’ve played enough against him,” Raza said. “A few of my team-mates have played with him in the GT20 as well so we had our plans. If you look at the first over, he got one hit on the helmet, he got one inside-edge, he hit one over the keeper; so he got lucky with that as well.”The two boundaries he hit off Sultan in that [third] over, but he didn’t reverse sweep until the later stages. He hit one over third man but when someone’s hitting that to a fast bowler who is bowling over 135kph then you can be only in awe of that shot at that point.”Coetzer also credited Munsey for providing the scoring options for him at the other end.With the confusion the shot causes in terms of field settings and trying to cover up gaps, it has made for a fruitful partnership at the top of the order, one which may cause further mayhem 12 months on in Australia.”George has the ability to find the boundary, possibly easier than some others, during his innings,” Coetzer said. “It certainly helps me. We’ve got a pretty good record as an opening pair. He’s got skills which I wish I could have and he helps me along. The partnerships we put on often helps us put the foundation, where George tends to be the main guy causing the destruction.”