Sanjay Manjrekar has his say on day one of the Delhi Test, where India ended the day on 231 for 7 despite being 139 for 6 at one point

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2015’Pitch crumbly, but not as vicious’With all the focus on pitches since the beginning of the Test series in Mohali, Feroz Shah Kotla fielded a track Manjrekar called the ‘best so far in the series’ as their appears to be something for the batsmen too.1:49

Manjrekar: Pitch crumbly, but not as vicious

‘Pujara getting bowled despite solid technique’India got off to a cautious start after winning the toss but No. 3 Cheteshwart Pujara was bowled again. Manjrekar believes Pujara might be taking his eyes off the ball, thinking too much about the outcome instead.2:10

Manjrekar: Pujara getting bowled despite solid technique

‘Will be tough for Rohit to retain his place’The familiarity with Indian batsmen’s dismissals continued as Rohit Sharma holed out to long-on with an unnecessary heave. Manjrekar said if Rohit doesn’t score big in the second innings, he will find it tough to retain his place in the Test side.1:58

Manjrekar: Will be tough for Rohit to retain his place

‘Uncomplicated action helps Piedt’s accuracy’From South Africa, the day belonged to offspinner Dane Piedt. He took four of the seven wickets and Manjrekar said it’s the bowler’s smooth and uncomplicated action that helps him even though he does not give too many revolutions on the ball.1:34

Manjrekar: Uncomplicated action helps Piedt’s accuracy

‘Tahir struggles to fit in Amla’s plans’The other spinner – Imran Tahir – bowled only seven overs compared to Piedt’s 34. Manjrekar believes Tahir finds it difficult to fit in Hashim Amla’s plans of stifling the opposition batsmen.1:39

Manjrekar: Tahir struggles to fit in Amla’s plans

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2016Hamilton Masakadza then came in and started rebuilding Zimbabwe’s innings•Chris WhiteoakHe was joined by Peter Moor to add 101 for Zimbabwe’s third wicket•Chris WhiteoakTimely strikes from Afghanistan’s bowlers helped them pull things back in the middle overs•Chris WhiteoakThat, however, did not stop Masakadza from racing to his fourth ODI century•Chris WhiteoakZimbabwe’s momentum was slightly thwarted in the death overs, and Afghanistan were left staring at a target of 249 to seal the series•Chris WhiteoakMohammad Shahzad creamed five fours early on, but was unable to make good on his start, getting bowled for 25•Chris WhiteoakLuke Jongwe, who took a five-for in the third ODI, once again got among the wickets, his triple-strike reducing Afghanistan to 66 for 3•Chris WhiteoakHashmatullah Shahidi led a recovery, scoring a crucial 32 and put up 55 for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Nabi•Chris WhiteoakBut both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession, once again tipping the contest Zimbabwe’s way•Chris WhiteoakEnter Gulbadin Naib•Chris WhiteoakNaib, who last played an ODI 11 months ago, stunned Zimbabwe by hammering six sixes during a 68-ball 82 to steal a two-wicket win for his team•Chris WhiteoakThe win not only secured the series for Afghanistan 3-2, but ensured the team stormed into the top 10 of the ICC’s ODI rankings. The players marked their memorable achievement with wild celebrations•Chris Whiteoak

Stats highlights from the second ODI in Wellington where Australia levelled the series 1-1 against New Zealand

Bharath Seervi06-Feb-2016282 Target successfully chased by Australia – their highest in ODIs in New Zealand. They have not won chasing 250 or more even once in the past. Overall, this is Australia’s third-highest successful run-chase against New Zealand.5 Man-of-the-Match awards for Mitchell Marsh in ODIs since his debut. Only Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc have more such awards (6) in this period. His unbeaten 69 in the second ODI is his first half-century while chasing, with his previous highest score being only 17.4 Number of fifty-plus scores for Kane Williamson in ODIs at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, most for him at any venue. He has scores of 55, 88, 54, 9*, 33 and 60 in the six innings at this venue.25.71 Steven Smith’s batting average outside Australia in ODIs, in 29 innings including in this game. He averages 56.91 in ODIs in Australia in the same number of innings.86* Unbeaten stand between Mitchell Marsh and John Hastings – Australia’s second highest for the seventh-wicket in successful chases. Highest was the unbroken 91-run stand between James Faulkner and Adam Voges against India in Mohali in 2013-14. Hastings’ 48 not out is also the second-highest in wins for Australia at No.8 while chasing; highest was Faulkner’s 64 not out in the Mohali ODI of 2013-14.0 Previous instances of a New Zealand player scoring 45 or more and taking three or more wickets in an ODI against Australia. Mitchell Santner scored unbeaten 45 and took 3 for 47 in this match. There has been only one other similar all-round performance against Australia in the last ten years – 70 and 4 for 38 by Ben Stokes at the WACA in 2013-14.2013 Last time Australia’s Nos.3, 4 and 5 were dismissed for single-digit scores in ODIs – against Sri Lanka at the Gabba. In this match, Steven Smith scored 2, George Bailey 0 and Glenn Maxwell 6. Last such instance for them outside Australia was also at this same venue, Westpac Stadium in Wellington.7 Number of New Zealand batsmen who hit at least one six in this match – the most for them in an ODI. There have been five ODIs where six of their batsmen hit at least a six, including the first ODI of this series in Auckland.122 Runs added by the opening pair David Warner and Usman Khawaja – Australia’s joint third-highest opening stand in ODIs in New Zealand. The top two were by the same pair at the same venue – Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.0 Dismissals in the 90s for Warner in International matches till the last year in 206 innings. He has got out twice – 93 and 98 – in seven innings this year; both of those in ODIs. He is only the fourth Australia batsman to get out twice in the 90s in ODIs in a calendar year, and the last to achieve this feat was Mark Waugh in 1997.

He is capable of moving the new ball consistently and limiting the batsman’s scoring opportunities, which have helped India maintain an unbeaten streak at the Under-19 World Cup

Vishal Dikshit05-Feb-2016You would expect two teenage room-mates to collaborate over dinner orders and movie options. But at the Under-19 World Cup, Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed have been tasked with bringing down opposition batting line-ups and they’ve been doing so well that India have cruised into the quarter-finals.The scorecards may tell you that two run-outs jolted Ireland early on. That one bowler single-handedly scripted the downfall of New Zealand. And that Nepal lost early wickets for lashing out a bit too much in their third game of the tournament. The real reason behind these wickets has been the chemistry between Avesh and Khaleel.”We always plan things out and like to build pressure,” Avesh said. “Sometimes I get wickets sometimes he gets. We say things like ‘You have to build pressure if they attack me and I will build pressure if they attack you’. In the starting ten overs we try to not let the batsmen hit out. If wickets don’t come we try to give less runs.”Avesh has stifled all three of the oppositions he has met with a barrage of dot balls. He has the pace to be effective off that length, gets extra bounce and is quite accurate. Nine wickets at an astonishing average of 10 and economy rate of 3.21 per over indicate his tactics have worked.Avesh choked Ireland’s openers in a stiff chase of 269 that they had to look for risky singles and were eventually run out. His opening spell read 5-1-15-0 and he picked up two wickets in the death.India bowled second against New Zealand as well, which meant no early moisture for Avesh to work with. It didn’t seem to matter because he snapped up four wickets in his opening spell, again backed by excellent fielding from his team-mates. He creates a bit of angle, gets a bit of swing, provides limited run-scoring options and finally lures the mistake. All four wickets were caught behind by the wicketkeeper or the slips.Avesh’s real strength is in putting the new ball in that off-stump corridor and then nip it around. He has a habit of angling a few into the batsmen to find the edge or the stumps. He is sharp too – according to television footage he had bowled one at 139.8 kph against Pakistan in the last World Cup.”The team’s plan is to bowl dots in the beginning if we aren’t getting any wickets,” Avesh said. “We want to give as little runs as possible in the first 10 overs. With the help of that plan only we get wickets. I try to bowl according to the batsman. These are slow wickets so if I offer too much pace to the batsmen, it will make things easier for them.”His first spells have done the trick so far, but in case they don’t, Avesh comes back with the older ball and some variations – the bouncers, cutters and some length adjustments.”I try to vary my pace and focus on bouncers too. I try offcutters, legcutters, slower balls and not the kind of length balls I try with the new ball.”Avesh Khan dismissed New Zealand’s top four in his opening spell•ICCAvesh is one of the three India players, along with Sarfaraz Khan and Ricky Bhui, who played the last World Cup in the UAE. Seventeen then, Avesh played two matches and claimed only one wicket. Now, he has returned as the leader of the attack with first-class experience and a lot of advice from seniors.Avesh made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in December 2014 and shared the new ball with “Ishwar [Pandey] “. “I wasn’t that experienced in 2014,” Avesh said. “Now I have played in Ranji [Trophy] and have spoken to some big players, so this time I’m more confident and I’m feeling positive. I’m backing myself this time to do well.”According to Avesh’s childhood coach Amay Khurasiya, the main things he has learned from first-class cricket was how to handle pressure and adjust his lengths.”Good thing about first-class [performances] is that it tells you where you stand immediately at the higher level,” Khurasiya told ESPNcricinfo. “For a 17-year-old boy to bowl in first-class cricket was a big thing. He bowled many overs but he was never taken apart. He withstood the pressure and picked wickets. That was very important for him because wickets give you confidence. Not going for too many runs also means you are bowling to a plan and he learnt to keep the ball a little more up. The transition from Under-19 to Ranji can take quite a lot of toll out of you. This boy is good at handling pressure.”Avesh was first spotted by Khurasiya as a 13-year-old at an MPCA trial. Avesh, then part of the Indore Colts Cricket Club, had been one of 500 other aspirants and got to bowl only two-odd overs.”He bowled around 12-15 balls in that particular net session and most of them were outside leg or way outside of,” Khurasiya reminisced. “When he was being asked to bowl outside off it was way outside off. But as a 13-year-old kid he was very nippy and got good bounce. So he could surprise with whatever balls he could keep on the stumps, which were very rare. I could see that there was huge potential in him to be a quick bowler. Only Avesh made it to the academy and from thereon he has worked very hard.”In 2015, Avesh started opening the bowling for India Under-19s and raised some eyebrows in a tri-series match against Bangladesh in Kolkata. He picked a wicket in each of his first four overs and finished with magical figures of 6-3-4-4. The Bangladesh batting line-up that shone against Nepal on Friday had scores of 0, 1, 7, 9 and 0.India’s third medium-pacer Rahul Batham is also from the MPCA Academy and coached by Khurasiya. Batham has been India’s most economical bowler so far by conceding only 36 runs from the 12 overs he has bowled in two matches. With so much familiarity breeding in India’s pace bowlers, Namibia will have their task cut out pulling off a second upset on Saturday in Fatullah.

Carlos Brathwaite’s stillness, the smooth flow of his bat, the ball struck sweetly beyond the ropes – again and again and again. Four balls that wiped out all that had gone before

Sidharth Monga at Eden Gardens03-Apr-20160:57

‘Ben Stokes is an absolute legend’ – Brathwaite

Twenty20 matches are more often won or lost in the 19th over. Fielding captains bowl their best bowler in the 19th so that during the chaos of the 20th they have more to defend.Chris Jordan has had a great tournament with his yorkers. He has a wet ball in his hand. England have 27 to defend. Jordan bowls an ordinary first ball, which goes for four, but comes back superbly, conceding just singles off the next four balls. For West Indies’ sake, they need a boundary off the last ball because they don’t want to find themselves needing three sixes off the last over. Marlon Samuels, 85 off 65, is on strike. He has been brutal on everything that has been not a yorker of late. Jordan – 3.5-0-36-0 – has to secure this match for his team right now. He runs in, Samuels backs away as he always does to open up the off side, and Jordan slips in a wide yorker.This is a dot. The next best thing to a wicket. Now England have a last over at Carlos Brathwaite, in his eighth Twenty20 international. It’s simple: they have to deny West Indies three boundaries. Even if they get three boundaries at least one of them has to be a six. Michael Hussey chased 18 in the last over against Saeed Ajmal in the 2010 World T20 semi-final. In the 2014 World T20, James Faulkner made it difficult for West Indies with two dots at the start of the 20th over, but Darren Sammy took the required 12 off the next two balls with sensational, brutal sixes.This is different, though. This is the World T20 final. The final. West Indies are playing this for much more than just the final. They need three boundaries, at least one of them has to be a six, and they have a rookie on strike, against an allrounder who will be one of the best of this era. He has won England Tests and ODIs, but this is the World T20 final. The final. Also, like Faulkner, West Indies just don’t like Ben Stokes.Written word will never be able to do justice to Sammy’s narration of that final over, so it is over to him.Bowling his first over of the night from the High Court End, Stokes has three men on the leg-side boundary. Long leg, deep midwicket, long-on. The idea is to cramp him. Bowl yorkers. Stokes runs in, Samuels is not backing up, there can be no mankading, there are to be no pinched singles. Stokes fails to execute the plan. He bowls length, and on the pads. Brathwaite doesn’t hit the ball hard. He just flicks it. In the air. All night England have been running their boots off after balls hit in the air or along the ground. You look at Moeen Ali at midwicket. He doesn’t move. He knows it. Long leg doesn’t move. He knows it. The ball has bisected them. It has gone for six. Just six. Not a big six. Doesn’t even go into the stands, but does the job. Samuels goes and hugs Brathwaite. Later he says he told Brathwaite Stokes is a “nervous laddie”, that he will err.Over to Sammy again.Stokes now knows the plan is right, but not the execution. He needs to execute it better. Just bowl the yorker. Don’t let Brathwaite get under it. But Brathwaite has also shown earlier that he is capable of playing the cute ramp over short fine so he can’t get too full on the yorker.Those who know MS Dhoni say one of his tricks in final-over heists is to send the first or second ball for a six. Not just a six. A huge six. It doesn’t matter where the ball goes because the bowler doesn’t look behind to see where it has gone. It has to sound big off the bat. That sound has to completely demotivate the bowler. A flick doesn’t make that sound. For that you need a straight six. Brathwaite hasn’t done that yet.Now Stokes runs in. Brathwaite stands still. The front leg cleared slightly. He holds the bat high. He doesn’t move. Nothing to tell what he was going to do. Bowlers look for that sign, and perhaps bowl a bouncer or a slower ball. There is nothing here. So Stokes tries the yorker. This is not quite a yorker, but if a batsman is moving forward there is no way he can get under it. This is that full.Brathwaite is expecting this, he is deep inside his crease, and when the ball dips on him, it is like everything has slowed down. You don’t know if Stokes hears the demoralising sound, because this is not a powerful hit. This is just a caress. The long powerful arms of Brathwaite hold the bat right at the top of its handle, giving him leverage to lift these balls high. The long-on is in place. There has never been a fielder more redundant. This lands in the crowd. Samuels comes and hugs Brathwaite again. Ian Bishop says on television commentary: “You think he will be a player in the future, Carlos Brathwaite. You think he has talent. It ain’t over yet, but this is a glimpse into the future.”Kidding us, Bish. He is the present. And this is over bar the shouting.Over to Sammy.Stokes will continue to win matches for England, but you can see it on his face. He even looks at the ball sail away. Brathwaite’s job is done. Bowlers usually just turn up to take their punishment after two such hits from these modern bats. Stokes has some life in him yet. He runs in with the same plan, looking for that yorker again. The length is similar again. He has erred but not by a lot. But Brathwaite stays beautifully still. The high back lift, waving the bat about chest high.And everything slows down again as the ball dips on him. The high grip on the bat, the bat coming down in a smooth motion but with the momentum from such a high back lift. He has timed this perfectly even though it looks like just a slice. The only difference is, unlike the last ball which he took from outside leg, this is on middle and off. This time he clears long-off. None of the sixes has drawn a wild reaction from the press box. It is the largest “ho ho ho” ever in unison. There is marvel at the cleanness of the strikes, the lack of nerves, the brutal but smooth execution.Stokes is down on his haunches. He has tears in his eyes. Samuels, who has been sledged by him earlier, is giving it to Stokes now. He is also running circles around Brathwaite. A match that is lost is almost won back.Over to Sammy.It is not over yet. Even before we evoke Bangladesh, there is a small matter of separating Samuels and Stokes, and retrieving the ball. The ball has to be changed. For a while, as they wait for the ball, the fielders don’t come in to defend the single. For a while it seems that England, just like India against Bangladesh, are going to play on the hero factor. They don’t think West Indies will look to nurdle a quiet single. That can perhaps explain the lack of urgency in the fielders moving in. But as the ball is replaced, the field moves up.There is no reason now to not end it with a six. Why? Because you can. Without stretching yourself. Stokes runs in again, he errs a little again. Bowls the line outside leg. In slow motion again Brathwaite lifts this over long-on. “Carlos Brathwaite,” goes Bish. “Remember the name.” Only now does Brathwaite let out a roar.Stokes is inconsolable. Kumar Dharmasena leaves his cap on his shoulder. The celebrations are wild. Twenty20 is brutal on the vanquished, but these are four of the most non-violent sixes you might ever see in a cluster. The absolute stillness, the smooth flow of the bat, the timing, it is enough to make you forget a messed-up chase. The party has begun. West Indies have risen again. Like a raging fire.

Tony Cozier encouraged me to pursue a career in journalism and was a source of motivation and support all through

Firdose Moonda12-May-2016″The thing about Rihanna,” Tony Cozier said to me, “is that she just can’t stop calling me.”Just as I was about to take him seriously, he started to chuckle.”Come on, kid, it’s a joke.”I was in my early twenties and had just landed my first proper job. I was a production assistant for a company that worked on live cricket coverage for South Africa’s public broadcaster, SABC. It was the summer of 2007, West Indies were touring and Cozier was the guest commentator. My responsibilities included arranging his travel and accommodation, letting him know when he would be on air and with who, passing him any statistical titbits, and just generally being around to help. My ring tone was Rihanna’s smash hit “Umbrella” and it gave me an immediate connection to Mr Cozier, who insisted I call him Tony. So Tony it was.In spare moments during that series, I would often find myself talking to Tony. I wanted to become a print journalist and I wanted his advice on how to go about it. Tony told me about his father’s newspaper, how he got his first gig at 15, and his degree from Ottawa. He advised me to do the same – get some extra education – and to be as persistent as I could. He also showed me pictures of his granddaughters, whom he loved dearly.Once, after a lunch in which I wolfed down a pasta and Tony ate only fruit salad because “I can’t eat in the day time when it’s this hot”, he gave me what I considered an endorsement, especially as he had seen some of my earliest work. “Keep asking, keep writing and have a bit of fun along the way. That’s the important thing. Have some fun.” We ended the afternoon with a Bacardi Breezer and a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.When Tony said goodbye at the end of that summer, he bought me a gift – Rihanna’s first album – and advised me to do my journalism honours degree, keep trying to get published and change my ringtone. I did all three.Tony was one of the first people I emailed when I wrote my first story for ESPNcricinfo, two years after that. He followed my career, often emailing me when he thought I had written something that caught his eye.In 2011, after a longer-than-usual break in communication, Tony told me he had been ill but was “on the improve” after having his gall bladder removed. By 2012, he talked about being “just about fully back to normal”, and even told me there was a chance we would cross paths at the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Tony bought me a gift – Rihanna’s first album – and advised me to do my journalism honours degree, keep trying to get published and change my ringtone. I did all three

Although I had seen Tony on television before that, when I saw him in Cardiff, at the match between South Africa and West Indies, I was taken aback by how different he looked. “You’ve lost so much weight,” I remember telling him. “So have you,” came his sharp reply. We had promised to make a plan to have dinner but with the schedule the way it was, we never did.When West Indies toured South Africa in the 2014-15 season, I expected to see Tony again but he said he would not be making the trip. Although he was pleased with how my career was progressing, he had also had enough of watching West Indies’ decline. “I look forward to more of it [your work] during the West Indies series,” he wrote to me. “Let me rephrase that. I dread what depressing news you’ll bring during the West Indies series.”Tony advised me to try and interview Kragg Braithwaite and Jason Holder, both members of his club, Wanderers, in Barbados. “They are two really good lads,” he said. “Tell them you’d been in touch with me.”I got to do a proper piece on Holder a few months later, at the 2015 World Cup, when I was analysing him as a young leader. I emailed Tony for some information and he began his reply with what I consider some of the finest praise I have ever received: “Whenever I turn on my computer, you’re all over it, video and audio reporting and interviewing and on the byline of articles. I’m not complaining! It’s good to see, hear and read you and know that you’ve so successfully pressed on since 2007.” I knew if it hadn’t been for Tony, I might never have got to that point. I thanked him for believing in me.The last time I heard from Tony was earlier this year, when he told me he was “as fine as could be expected for someone for whom the years are passing by far too quickly”. Something was different about his tone.When I heard yesterday that Tony was in hospital, I sent him an email, in hope. Communication with friends in the West Indies soon led me to realise it was unlikely Tony would ever read it. A few hours later I heard the news of his passing. I lost my grandmother a little over a week ago and today, it felt like I lost a grandfather. I will listen to that Rihanna CD in his memory.

Sri Lanka’s lead spinner must feel like a bus driver in charge of a spluttering vehicle as the hosts strive to challenge a strong Australian side

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Jul-20162:09

Fernando: Sri Lanka need spinners to do something special

The series has not even begun, and, oh dear, Darren Lehmann has called Muttiah Muralitharan a f******** c****. This was in no sense a slur – the likes of which a now-contrite Lehmann used once to refer to Sri Lanka cricketers. Yet his appraisal of Murali as a “fantastic coach” has been received in the vein of a dirty phrase by some. With the island’s greatest cricketing weapon now trained on its own team, consternation has been widespread enough for several Sri Lankan MPs to give voice to their umbrage in parliament. Perhaps we should listen to the politicians for a change, because on the subject of switching sides for the right price, these are people who know a thing or two.Murali can’t take all the credit for Steve O’Keefe’s ten-wicket haul in Australia’s tour match, but thanks at least in part to his work, Sri Lanka now have a second spinner to fear, in addition to Nathan Lyon, one of the best pace attacks in the world, an opposition captain averaging 60 with the bat, a middle-order batsman averaging 96, and an opener for whom boundaries flow from the bat almost as prodigiously as abuse from the lips.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are still mired in their ever-lengthening transition, and worse, their frontline attack is mostly in triage. This will be the third consecutive Test series without Dhammika Prasad’s hit-the-deck intensity, thanks to a shoulder complaint. They will also have to do without Dushmantha Chameera’s bouncers and bony limbs. Shaminda Eranga has been suspended for an illegal action. And legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who it was hoped might make a Test debut in this series, remains unavailable through a finger injury.Yet, though the team vehicle appears to be spluttering on the bumpy road to stability and competitiveness, there does appear to be mild optimism for Sri Lanka. Fittingly, it is the cricketer most shaped like a bus driver on whom much of this rests. Rangana Herath had green, unresponsive pitches to work with in England, but now, having shed the multiple jumpers, made appearances for his bank, attended a wedding or two, and spent some time with his family, he prepares to derail his sport’s No. 1 team on more conducive home tracks.Herath was dismayed that, through a quirk of this tour’s scheduling, he cannot conspire with his beloved Galle pitch to deliver Sri Lanka the initial series advantage he so often provides. But all international pitches in the country offer turn, and, for Australia, even the seam-friendly Pallekele deck may turn into a dustbowl. For a sidekick, Herath will have Dilruwan Perera, who with his classical action, modest spin and devious smarts, is virtually Herath’s offspinning mirror image, right down to the being deprived of chances into his thirties because a senior spinner is already holding court.Dry decks and twin spin is the strategy the hosts will likely deploy in this series, in light of Australia’s failures in India and the UAE, but unlike for the other South Asian sides, the tactic is fraught with danger for Sri Lanka. Perhaps they can be excused for capitulating last year to Yasir Shah, as he is now the top-ranked bowler on the planet, but in the past 13 months, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra and even Kraigg Brathwaite have had Sri Lankan batsmen writhing on their own soil as well.Perhaps it is because Australia sense this is a series they are expected to win that their standard pre-series insult mill has, this time, been oddly inert. Often, they seem to arrive in each new country with a pre-prepared sheet of sledges to be rolled out systematically in press conferences through the tour. In Sri Lanka, only Mitchell Starc has fired a single, underwhelming shot, claiming that Angelo Mathews is “under pressure after the English tour” and that “as a captain, he’ll have to go through that pressure and perform”. The thing is, though, Mitchell, Mathews can only be under so much pressure, because there is no alternative choice for the captaincy, and he remains the team’s best batsman. So why bother with the jibes, I guess, when reality paints an even bleaker picture? Sri Lanka have just one victory against Test-playing opposition this year, across all formats.As a result of this terrible run, Sri Lanka’s fans have cooled their cricketing passions, and the board has begun a concerted campaign to woo them back. There have been pleas for support from players and PR folk, some rebranding here, a little publicity stunt there. Nothing, of course, will inspire the fan-base like a series victory but, until that comes, the die-hard supporters will have to cling to the hope that rests in Herath, and at least no one can say there isn’t enough of him to cling to.

Less than two sessions to bat with nine wickets in hand, it was a chance for Pakistan to secure a draw. In the space or 23 balls it all came crashing down

Jarrod Kimber07-Aug-2016Mohammad Hafeez is opening for Pakistan. Playing the first attacking shot of the innings, after five and a half overs of good cricket. It’s a poor imitation of Brian Lara’s back-of-a-length swivel pull that sails high and handsome, straight to the only man within 50 metres of it. Hafeez stares down at fine leg as if it is the first time he has ever seen that position before. His pure disbelief in hitting a ball in the air to an area that is covered on almost every cricket ground in the world is incredible.He is out, and embarrassed. But Pakistan have ten more men. They will stand up.The sun is out at Edgbaston. Cricket wisdom says this is a good thing. The pitch looks like a second-day pitch; it has barely a scar of battle. And it plays much the same way; flat, safe, lifeless. It hasn’t seamed or swung much all day.England look frustrated. Four overthrows are followed by three of their bowlers looking sullen at once. Steven Finn is still wicketless. Moeen Ali knows much is expected of him in a series he has mostly been hidden. And England know that The Oval may help Pakistan a fair bit.Then there is Sami Aslam, a man who was running drinks for Shan Masood a week ago, who is now batting like a ten-year Test match opener. Azhar Ali is in even better form than his first innings hundred. Behind them are two of the all-time greatest batsmen in Pakistani cricket. And two quality players at No.6 and 7. Not that they are needed with Aslam and Azhar in complete control. This is Pakistan’s time.Every wicket should be England prying it from their vice-like grip. They cannot afford one more Hafeez-type wicket.At lunch something changes. England goes from patient, to persistent. Stuart Broad bowls probing stuff, Moeen finds tricky drift. This is England’s time.Pakistan want to be No. 1, the undefeated at home, the warriors who travel, this is the match you need to save. Perhaps their chance of winning is gone, but the real teams, they fight like dogs to make sure they are not beaten. A day like this will have one moment when it will look impossible. It will be hard, but it is supposed to be hard to be the best, you are supposed to struggle.Azhar is the first to feel the pressure. He leaves a ball from Broad that he should have left, but England moan and he worries. A few balls later he plays the same kind of ball and misses. Then he does get an edge and it doesn’t reach Alastair Cook at slip. Now Moeen is beating him as well. It was his innings that looked steady as a rock; now it looks like a bunch of pebbles being thrown up in the air. He nervously pushes at a well-flighted ball from Moeen, his hand comes off the bat, and the wheels come off Pakistan’s batting line-up.

This team won’t be together forever; you only get so many chances. Their chance to fight lasted 23 balls

It is only one wicket, only two in over a third of the day, but it doesn’t feel like only that, it feels like Pakistan has Hafeezed two wickets and the rest are entering a fire. England expect more. Aslam has gone from a stoic crease warrior to an endless worrier, hitting the ball into his pads, playing and missing and barely getting away with jabbing down on a yorker. At the other end the Younis Khan impersonator continued to hop around until he lunged at a ball he didn’t need to be anywhere near, and he was the third Hafeez.At this time the tiny amount of reverse swing that Broad had found had started to go even further for James Anderson. It is Test cricket, on the final day, and it is tough, even with the many things in their favour, nothing is easy. But that is what was always going to happen. There was always going to be a period when the English team got it, they worked out the pitch, found spin, or made the ball talk, and when Pakistan had to stand tall. This should have been their time, and instead, they cowered and hoped it would go away.Misbah-ul-Haq, the one man who usually stands up, is pushing at everything. It is Finn’s best spell of the series; Misbah is taken. This is not how Hafeez would have been dismissed, as he simply wouldn’t have been that close to the ball in the first place. But without Misbah, who cares?Asad Shafiq is a flurry of movement at the crease, all the poise he has shown in the series is completely non-existent. His batting, his referring, his general aura, is all confused. Sarfraz Ahmed brings his natural energy to the crease, chases a wide one and leaves. And then Aslam, the young man who had set up the platform, who had tamed the moving ball, who had survived the panic, leaves a dead straight ball.Not all their batsmen played a Hafeez shot, but the entire batting line up went the full Hafeez. When they needed to be at their absolute best, when they needed to prove they could be No. 1, when they needed to believe, they lost 4 for 1. They were at their absolute worst, they proved they couldn’t be No. 1, and they showed they already knew it.These men, the Hafeez clan, then sit on the balcony and watch their tailenders, the worst of them, handle the bowling, the pitch, the pressure, for longer, and better. They saw 67 balls from Rahat Ali, and his back-foot drives, and Sohail Khan, with his legs side slogs, as it all got easier, and they weren’t there to use it. This team won’t be together forever; you only get so many chances. Their chance to fight lasted 23 balls.They are out, and embarrassed. But Pakistan have one more Test. They must stand up.

South Africa’s management would still welcome an inquiry into the team’s performance, after an independent review was abandoned earlier this month

Firdose Moonda30-Jun-2016South Africa’s management would still welcome an inquiry into the team’s performance, after an independent review was abandoned earlier this month. The initial investigation was due to look into the men’s, women’s and Under-19 sides’ results last summer but was called off after CSA could not agree with terms relating to the scope and cost of the operation.That meant the South Africa men’s team head coach Russell Domingo travelled to the Caribbean without the pressure of an investigation into the side’s shortcomings, but they might not be let off the hook easily. “Annually, whether the team is winning and doing well or going through a tough period like we are now, it’s important to constantly review and refresh, whether it’s the management team, coaching staff or other personnel,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager said.”Like many of you in your line of business, you constantly look at how to improve and make things better, that’s what CSA wants to do. There are ongoing discussions and we are awaiting feedback from CSA board and management if and when the review will be reconstituted.”If South Africa are aiming to do an analysis, they will have to do so in the next six weeks before the 2016-17 season starts with two Tests against New Zealand. A busy six-month period follows, which includes 11 Tests, and South Africa will want to ensure they are ready to climb the rankings after tumbling from No.1 to No.6 earlier this year.Chief among their concerns would be to analyse why they remain stuck in a transition phase that started more than two years ago when Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis retired. South Africa are struggling to compensate for the experience lost in their batting line-up, the allrounder role and the leadership, which has changed hands twice since Smith stepped down.Hashim Amla was named Smith’s immediate successor, after taking a u-turn on an earlier insistence that he did not want to captain, and despite AB de Villiers’ vociferous interest in the job. Amla led the Test team in 14 matches, and started well with a series win in Sri Lanka, but his fortunes changed during South Africa’s tour of India in late 2015. After winning four, losing four and drawing six matches, Amla stepped down mid-series against England, opening the door for de Villiers to get the job. De Villiers has since been confirmed as both Test and ODI captain even as questions are raised about his tactical suitability for the roles.Having never captained at any level before international cricket, it appears to be the one thing he hasn’t come to grips with. Criticisms have mostly centered on his management of bowlers and not the impact on his own form, which dipped noticeably in the Caribbean. Despite that, South Africa’s coaches are as convinced de Villiers is the right man for the job as he is that the team management is “the best in the world”, although calls for Domingo’s head have increased. “AB is the right guy to lead us forward,” Adi Birrell, South Africa’s assistant coach said. “He has got the full backing of every player and every member of staff.”With the players and management in mutual support for each other, the only other area to look at is the structures, which include the domestic set-up. For that, CSA have a separate and ongoing review, which will examine whether the franchise system is producing enough in personnel in quality terms, to provide depth.”We need to try and get the best possible structure to get players coming through,” Birrell said. “There are a lot of players getting opportunities now and hopefully those players will come through with some experience under their belt.”South Africa have rigorous A team and Under-19 schedules, which would see players touring through varying conditions. The A side is set to travel to Zimbabwe and Australia next month while the Under-19s are currently in Sri Lanka – but the bulk of their international stars do not rub shoulders with these players. South Africa’s senior players rarely play in the franchise set-up as a consequence of a packed international schedule. Instead, they often play domestic tournaments in other countries, be it in T20 leagues or the county set-up, which Domingo had already cited as a key reason for the current slump. Whether a review can solve that problem, or more drastic action needs to be taken, remains to be seen.

It was all going so well for Jonny Bairstow on the second day at Lord’s as he moved to a career-best 167, but once again his glovework was left as the talking point

George Dobell at Lord's10-Jun-2016When Jonny Bairstow succumbed to the virus that afflicted most of the England team during the tour of South Africa, it was memorably suggested by one observer that it was the only thing he had caught all tour.It was harsh, of course. And incorrect. But the devil has the best lines and, after a succession of spills, Bairstow had gained a reputation for fallibility that he may find hard to shed.His miss on the second day here was horrible. Yes, the ball dipped before it reached him. And yes, on a more action-packed day, it might not have become such a topic of conversation. But it was, by the standards of Test cricket, unusually poor and will inevitably revive the debate on whether Bairstow is the man who should be keeping wicket for England. The sight of him struggling to take a succession of throw-ins from fielders in the final session was painful.Bairstow is improving as a keeper. He went into this match having taken 17 catches in the first two Tests and requiring six more to beat Amal Silva’s record of 22 dismissals (21 catches and a stumping) by a keeper in a three-match series. He suggests that, having worked on his “alignment” – where he stands when the ball is delivered – he is better positioned to take edges and better balanced to move sharply when required. A good leg side catch of Steven Finn went some way to proving the point.But the number of dismissals in this series is at least as much a product of the helpful seam and swing conditions in which the first Test and-a-half were played and the experience and skill of England’s two opening bowlers as it is any improvement in Bairstow. And if he has improved… well, Titanic probably bounced a little when it hit the ocean floor. It wasn’t a cause for celebration.Bairstow missed six chances in the four-Test series in South Africa and has dropped three catches and missed one stumping in the two-and-a-half Tests so far this series. Potential chances, such as the inside edge that Finn won off Kusal Mendis that evaded Bairstow by some way do not go against him.But whichever way you look at it, there is a pattern emerging. And it’s a pattern that sees the ball on the grass and the bowlers with their heads in their hands.All keepers miss chances, of course. Even Alan Knott and Jack Russell. Matt Prior, struggling with an Achilles injury, endured an awful final Test on this very ground two years ago.But they don’t miss this many. And they don’t miss them of this simplicity.Chris Woakes, the unfortunate bowler, said all the right things in the press conference after play. But his reaction at the time – disbelief mixed with fury – told a different story. He knows that such moments might not only cost England a Test, but endanger his career. It was the third relatively straightforward chance Bairstow had put down off him in four Tests. On a flat pitch on which all four of England’s seamer bowled admirably, Bairstow may have missed the chance that could have unlocked the game.The seeds of this problem were sown long ago. Always seeking to compensate for the absence of a true allrounder, England have long sought to bolster their batting by picking a keeper good enough to score Test centuries. For a while, with the likes of Alec Stewart and Matt Prior excelling the role, it was a compromise that reaped a decent reward.But, since England were wrong-footed by the injury-induced retirement of Prior, the balance has tipped too far towards batting and left them dangerously exposed behind the stumps.They selected Jos Buttler as Prior’s replacement in full knowledge that he was not the completed article with bat or gloves. Having done that, they might then have been expected to have struck with him through the inevitable slumps that followed.Instead he was discarded – arguably, with his confidence shattered, for his own good – and has not played a first-class game since. It is therefore illogical to think of him as a potential replacement now: he has not shown he has corrected the faults that were responsible for his dropping.Chris Read, while still a fine cricketer, has declined since his peak and was out-kept in a Championship match between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire by Bairstow a few weeks ago. Besides, he is currently injured. James Foster, rated by Russell as the best keeper he has ever seen, is soon to retire and Steven Davies, who might be in the England side now but for a change of heart over whether he wanted to keep wicket a couple of years ago, is currently unable to win back the gloves for Surrey.The reason for that might be the source of England’s solution. In Ben Foakes, Surrey have the most promising keeper in England. He is half way through his first full season as first-choice wicketkeeper so is not, with gloves or the bat, the completed article. In an ideal world, he would undoubtedly benefit from a longer period learning in county cricket.But England are not in an ideal world. And with two tours of Asia looming, it is essential they find someone who is more convincing standing up to the stumps than Bairstow. If he reprieves Virat Kohli or Cheteshwar Pujara – and nobody can be surprised if he does; we have seen plenty of warning signs – it could cost England the game. There are other contenders, notably Ben Cox (currently of Worcestershire but perhaps about to move) and John Simpson (of Middlesex) among them. But Foakes is also a fine player of spin bowling and really could develop into a top seven batsman in Test cricket.Even if he wasn’t, it is time for a change. With allrounders such as Woakes, Ben Stokes, and Moeen Ali already in the side, England do not so desperately need to compromise over their keeper. And Bairstow, now established as a first choice batsman, does not need the extra baggage this on-going struggle to prove himself with the gloves has become. It remains bizarre that a man who has such time with the bat appears so hurried when standing 20 yards further back with the gloves.There is no faulting his hard work or commitment. But if hard work was enough, many of the thousands watching at Lord’s today would be on the pitch.