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Hampshire are in talks with the West Indies cricket board over the possibility of joining the Twenty20 Calypso Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2010Hampshire are in talks with the West Indies Cricket Board over the possibility of joining the Caribbean T20 and are waiting on assurances from the board.Hampshire missed out on the Twenty20 Champions League after winning the Friends Provident t20 because the tournament clashed with the end of the Championship season. Playing in West Indies’ domestic tournament would be their first chance of international competition.The club are yet to commit, however, because they are waiting on news from the WICB. “We have yet to commit as there are financial implications,” Hampshire chief executive Glenn Delve said. “Financially it needs to stack up and we have yet to receive assurances from the West Indies cricket board.”The inaugural Caribbean T20 was held in July this year with Guyana emerging triumphant and earning a spot in the Champions League Twenty20. The Calypso Cup, another Twenty20 tournament planned for January 2011, has been postponed indefinitely due to “ongoing financial challenges” faced by the board. The tournament was meant to include four domestic teams from the Caribbean, three English counties and one overseas team.Hampshire’s presence would help raise the profile of the tournament, which is scheduled for January.Hampshire were previously linked to the Royals franchise but sought to distance themselves when Rajasthan Royals were expelled from the IPL, with chairman Rod Bransgrove telling reporters when the news broke that “the club has not yet signed final documentation in relation to the proposed commercial partnership with the Rajasthan Royals.”

A round-up of the second day’s play of the third-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Plate League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff18-Nov-2009

Group B

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The contest between Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala in Jammu has proved a closely-fought one. A four-wicket burst from Abid Nabi helped the hosts bowl out Kerala for 133, and gain a lead of 31. Raiphi Gomez (39) and Sachin Baby (32) provided some resistance but Kerala couldn’t capitalise after having bowled out the opposition for 164 on the first day. Though they fought back well in J&K’s second innings, the hosts still held the edge at stumps. An unbeaten 57 from Hiken Shah steered J&K to 157 for 6 at stumps – Sony Cheruvathur took three wickets an increased his match tally to nine – and took the lead to 188.
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There was no play possible as rain played spoilsport on the second day of the game between Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha in Vijaywada.

Group A

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Assam reached a position of advantage against Jharkhand in Guwahati. First, their bowlers, led by Sairaj Bahutule’s 5 for 53, bowled out Jharkhand for 261; then their batsmen responded by notching up 149 at stumps with the loss of just one wicket. Jharkhand will rue the fact that their middle-order batsmen failed to consolidate on starts. Five reached double-figures, while three – Saurabh Tiwary, Rajeev Gupta and Shahbaz Nadeem – reached 30-plus scores but didn’t press on. Assam, in response, were boosted by opener Parvez Aziz’s 85 and an opening stand of 128. Dheeraj Jadhav is still there, unbeaten on 49, and will look to take his team to a substantial lead tomorrow.
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Goa, buoyed by Swapnil Asnodkar’s century, reached a dominant position against Rajasthan in Margao. They began the day on even terms, on 149 for 4, but a 128-run stand between the two overnight batsmen, Asnodkar and Rahul Keni, tilted the balance in Goa’s favour. Fast bowler Pankaj Singh bagged 4 for 92, but Goa had posted a competitive 338. In reply, two quick wickets from Saurabh Bandekar dented Rajasthan in their innings and left the visitors in a precarious situation at stumps.
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The first day of the game in Nagpur was washed out, but the hosts were pegged back on the second as Tripura limited them to 217 for 9. The Vidarbha score could have been much worse had it not been for a 59-run sixth-wicket stand between Ravi Jangid (45) and Himanshu Joshi (38). The lower order stepped up with some important contributions but Wilkin Mota, who grabbed 3 for 39, ensured Tripura stayed ahead of the eight-ball. Tripura used nine bowlers in the innings, and Mota was supported well by the rest in keeping the opposition in check.

Codi Yusuf will be the third debutant for South Africa, who play a Test against Zimbabwe for the first time since 2017

Firdose Moonda27-Jun-2025

Big Picture: A first for South Africa in over a decade

South Africa have not even had the time to take the mace on tour and they’re headed off on their next assignments, though it is not a part of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. They’re hopping across the border, without seven of the XI that won the WTC final less than two weeks ago (though Lungi Ngidi will join them for the second Test), to visit neighbours Zimbabwe, where they have not been for 11 years.Indeed, the two countries haven’t met in a Test since December 2017, and that was an experimental affair. It was South Africa’s first (and to date, last) dalliance with pink ball Tests and lasted a little more than a day. Of those who played in that fixture, only Keshav Maharaj, Craig Ervine and Blessing Muzarabani will feature in this one – a sign of how much things have changed.Maharaj will captain an inexperienced South African side after Temba Bavuma was ruled out, still nursing the hamstring injury that he batted, and battled, through in the WTC final. Three debutants – Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis and Codi Yusuf – will start the first Test and there is the possibility of two others – Lesego Senokwane and Prenelan Subrayen – being used for the second as South Africa mine their depth with an eye on the future.Related

• Ahead of Test debut, T20 star Brevis wants to be 'the same guy that plays all formats'

• Glimpse into South Africa's future: Young squad set for Zimbabwe challenge

• Conrad confident Maphaka can be 'main dog' in SA pace attack

Ervine leads Zimbabwe and will do so during their busiest period. They have already played five Tests this year and are due six more, all at home, and will also host a white-ball series against Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup Qualifiers.The volume of matches has not caused a reversal in results, with Zimbabwe still struggling for wins, though they pulled off their first in four years when they beat Bangladesh in April.Muzarabani, the other 2017 survivor, is their headliner but there’s lots of other talent on offer. They have a good mix of youth and experience across the team including the longest serving active international in Sean Williams and newcomers Brian Bennett and 19-year-old left-arm seamer Newman Nyamhuri.Blessing Muzarabani is one of the bigger names in the Zimbabwe team•AFP/Getty Images

Still, on paper, you’d be forgiven for reading this as a mismatch of the biggest kind. South Africa are world champions, with not as much Test cricket as they’d like to have, while Zimbabwe don’t even compete in the WTC, much as they would want to. But the countries share a border, and a vision for the 2027 World Cup, they will co-host with Namibia and this is the start of closer relations.Zimbabwe are even rumoured to be planning a celebration for South Africa, to congratulate them on their WTC win and perhaps bask in some of the glory.

Form Guide

Zimbabwe: LLWLL
South Africa: WWWWW

In the spotlight: Brian Bennett and Dewald Brevis

Bennett, who spent a year at South African school Kingswood, has had a dazzling start to his Test career. In seven matches, he has two centuries, one in Bulawayo and one in England, which was Zimbabwe’s fastest in the format, and two half-centuries, both in Bangladesh. Though he has been up against Josh Tongue, Sam Cook and Gus Atkinson, South Africa’s pace attack will likely be the quickest he has faced and could present him with his sternest challenge and/or his biggest opportunity. Bennett likes to take the ball on, and is particularly confident against the short stuff and with South Africa announcing an XI with four quicks, he maybe licking his lips at the prospect of cashing in.It is finally time for Brevis, regarded as a prodigy on the South African scene since he topped the run-charts at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, to strut his stuff on the big stage. Brevis has had a stellar summer, finishing second on the first-class run-scorers’ list with a strike-rate of 88.69 alongside good returns in the domestic one-day cup (also the second-highest run-scorer), SA20 (sixth-highest) and IPL. Coach Shukri Conrad is most impressed by the maturity Brevis has shown since first making his international debut (in T20Is) two years ago and then facing questions over his readiness to step up. Conrad also sees him as offering them a bowling option with “not-so-filthy” legspin and is being primed for a big role in future.Dewald Brevis caught everyone’s eye at the 2022 U-19 World Cup•ICC via Getty Images

Team News: Three debutants for SA

Ben Curran’s broken finger has opened the door for Bulawayo’s own Prince Masvaure to make a return after a year on the sidelines. Nick Welch, who missed the outing in England as Zimbabwe opted for an extra spinner, should return to No. 3 to shore up the batting line-up. With Richard Ngarava injured, Muzarabani and Tanaka Chivanga could make up the seam contingent and they will likely have three spin options in Wellington Masakadza, Vincent Masekesa and Wessly Madhevere.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Brian Bennett, 2 Prince Masvaure, 3 Nick Welch, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Craig Ervine (capt), 6 Wessly Madhevere, 7 Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Vincent Masekesa, 10 Tanaka Chivanga, 11 Blessing MuzarabaniSouth Africa will hand out three new caps to Pretorius, Brevis and Yusuf, who was preferred over Subrayan in an XI that will include four quicks. Wiaan Mulder, who batted at No. 3 in the WTC final, will do so again in this series and form part of a pack that includes Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka and Yusuf.South Africa: 1 Matthew Breetzke, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Wiaan Mulder, 4 David Bedingham, 5 Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Codi Yusuf, 11 Kwena Maphaka

Pitch and Conditions: Low and slow

Pitches at Queens’ Sports Club are known to be hard work for both batters and bowlers, with runs coming at 3.34 to the over, with spinners slightly more effective than seamers. In five Tests since 2023, spinners have taken 85 wickets at 29.62 and seamers 71 at 34.74. What has yet to be tested is the threat that out-and-out pace will pose, which may become evident in this series. The weather is set fair for the next few weeks but mornings will be chilly with temperatures in single-figures Celsius.Craig Ervine, who is one of three players who played the last South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test, will lead his country•AFP

Stats and Trivia: Sean Williams on top of the world

• Zimbabwe have not won a Test in Bulawayo since beating Bangladesh in 2001. Since then, they have played 20 Tests at Queens and lost 15. They have also not won a home Test since 2013, when they beat Pakistan in Harare. They have hosted 17 matches since then, lost 13 and drawn four.
• South Africa are currently on an eight-match winning streak, one fewer than their longest run of nine Tests, between 2002-03. A series sweep in Zimbabwe will give them their longest winning run.
• Williams, who has been playing international cricket for two decades, has the highest batting average among players who have scored more than 1,000 runs since 2020.

Quotes

“I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to captain the side once again and in my favourite format of the game. It’s a privilege. I’m a very laid-back captain. I’m always open to advice, but I also allow the bowlers to come up with their own plans because I always believe in growth. I am someone that if I need to put my foot down, I will. I just want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable so that they can execute their skill best on the field.”

Hasan Mahmud, Hasan Murad and Shahadat Hossain Dipu have earned their first call-ups to the Bangladesh Test squad

Mohammad Isam18-Nov-2023Najmul Hossain Shanto has been named Bangladesh Test captain for the two-match series at home against New Zealand starting later this month. Shanto was elevated after Litton Das, who was captain for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Dhaka in June, was granted paternity leave for a month. Shakib Al Hasan, who Litton had replaced at the helm, is out with a fractured finger.”Litton has been granted leave for one month, he is not available for the two Tests. He wants to spend time with his new-born baby,” Jalal Yunus, chairman of the BCB’s cricket operations committee, said. “We had requested him to play at least the second Test match but he insisted on [being away for] the whole series. That’s why we granted him leave. As a result, Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain the side in these two Tests.”Shanto has played 23 Tests so far, and averages 29.83 with four centuries, but hasn’t led Bangladesh in the format prior to this. He has, however, captained them in three ODIs, including twice at the 2023 ODI World Cup when Shakib was out injured for the games against India and Australia.Related

• Hathurusinghe wants Bangladesh youngsters to step up in 'exciting' transition period

• Bangladesh batters too easily satisfied, says S Sriram

• Confused and chaotic – picking through Bangladesh's World Cup

Shakib’s immediate future in international cricket – including as the ODI captain for the series in New Zealand next month – remains unclear. There is the finger injury, of course, plus there was the TV interview before the World Cup, where he had outlined his retirement plans. Yunus said that the BCB hasn’t heard directly about his plans to leave the captaincy after the World Cup.As for Tamim Iqbal, who missed the World Cup after a dramatic sequence of events, Yunus said that the BCB will meet the player on November 22. Tamim has been out of action since the ODI series against New Zealand at home in September.

Three uncapped players in 15-man Test squad

Hasan Murad, the 22-year-old left-arm spinner, has earned a first call-up to the Test squad, just two years after making his first-class debut. It’s been an impressive first-class career for him so far, though, with 121 wickets from just 25 matches.The other new faces have both played in other formats internationally: Hasan Mahmud, one of the brightest young fast bowlers in Bangladesh, has played 20 ODIs, including at the World Cup, and 17 T20Is, and has 44 wickets from 15 first-class games so far; top-order batter Shahadat Hossain Dipu has three T20I appearances to his name, and has a first-class batting average of 35.02 from 21 games.Bangladesh Test squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Naeem Hasan, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Hasan Murad

Changes in Bangladesh coaching staff

Corey Collymore and David Hemp have been appointed on a temporary basis as the national team’s fast-bowling and batting coach, respectively.Collymore, who will fill in the void created by Allan Donald’s departure after Bangladesh’s World Cup campaign, and Hemp are part of the BCB’s high-performance coaching set-up. As for Jamie Siddons, the batting coach till the World Cup, he is out of contract at the moment. Siddons could return to the position if his department, BCB’s Bangladesh Tigers, decides to renegotiate with him next year.Spin-bowling coach Rangana Herath and fielding coach Shane McDermott will continue in their capacities till the end of their contracts on November 30 and December 31, respectively. Chandika Hathurusinghe, meanwhile, will continue as head coach, though S Sriram, the technical consultant till the end of the World Cup, has left.

The Sri Lanka batter is enjoying a revival in his career after working on his fitness

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2022You have a supremely-talented batter who isn’t the modern-day definition of fit – so what do you do as coach? It’s possible that Chris Silverwood has pondered the Bhanuka Rajapaksa question a few times.But four months since becoming Sri Lanka’s coach, Silverwood doesn’t have to worry about the issue anymore, and for that Rajapaksa deserves some credit. A concerted effort to improve his fitness – with weight loss being one of the by-products – has led to a revival in his career.At 30, an age where cricketers at the crossroads begin to wonder if opportunities will bypass them, Rajapaksa is enjoying a new wind in his young career. This change didn’t seem possible when he retired in a huff, citing differences with then coach Micky Arthur over the prescribed fitness standards, but sanity prevailed and he un-retired with a commitment to work on his fitness.Related

• Shanaka questions batters' preparation after demoralising loss to Afghanistan

• Asia Cup battles: Babar takes on Rashid, Kohli goes up against Hasaranga

• India's training session – Kohli-Babar bromance, and intense nets

• Chandimal makes a comeback in Sri Lanka's Asia Cup squad

• Calf injury puts Dushmantha Chameera out of Asia Cup

At the IPL this year, Rajapaksa showed his power-hitting skills for Punjab Kings, even if he couldn’t sustain his aggressive tempo over long periods. His abilities have now earned him a deal in the UAE’s International League T20 with Dubai Capitals, who also run Delhi Capitals in the IPL.As Rajapaksa returns to a familiar venue, one where he began last year’s T20 World Cup with a match-winning half-century against Bangladesh, he is looking forward to carrying the confidence from the IPL and his recent T20 success into the Asia Cup.”For me, the experience I bring after playing in the IPL will create good energy for the side,” Rajapaksa said. “One of the best chats I had with Liam [Livingstone] was when he said, ‘If it’s in the V, make sure the ball is in the trees’. He’d just be that aggressive. Proper slam-bang player.”Coming back to the Sri Lankan side, I have brought in a lot of positivity after speaking to a lot of the IPL players, like Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal and KG [Kagiso Rabada]. I don’t think I have the time to explain in detail the talks we had, but there were a lot of positive vibes. I’m hoping we can take that same brand of cricket to the world.”As Rajapaksa spoke of the “brand of cricket” Sri Lanka want to play, Silverwood, sitting beside him, chuckled. He knows all too well the kind of adjustments England made to become the white-ball powerhouse they are today. Sri Lanka have a long way to go, but having an attacking mindset is a good place to start.It isn’t something Silverwood can instantly make happen, though. He’s barely had any time to settle in as coach. Soon after his arrival in May, Sri Lanka played two Tests against Bangladesh at home, and then played Australia and Pakistan in two intense series.The Asia Cup is going to be tough too, with Sri Lanka in the tougher group along with Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Silverwood, though, is happy with how the team is shaping up during his short tenure.”My experience with Sri Lanka has been excellent,” he said. “I’ve found the guys are open-minded, willing to learn. They want to learn and want to move forward. From a coaching perspective, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the team.”It would’ve been lovely to play [the Asia Cup] in Sri Lanka, but unfortunately it’s not happening there. We’ve embraced the fact that we have to play it here [in UAE]. Our mindset is very much focused on what we need to do to compete and be successful in the UAE. A lot of the guys have the experience of playing here anyway, so we will use that. We’re here to do our best to win the tournament.”While Sri Lanka begin the Asia Cup by playing Afghanistan in the tournament opener on Saturday, the spotlight is already on Sunday’s game – with India playing Pakistan. Silverwood said that flying under the radar could be exactly what Sri Lanka needs.”I think every game is must-win, but if people are talking about something else, you can go about your business [normally], so it is an advantage, absolutely, ” he said. “But at the same time you have to meet these teams [India, Pakistan] at some point. We’re busy working behind the scenes to ensure we’re well prepared, equally we’ll be watching every game with interest to see what to do.”

Sri Lanka’s captain also had words of praise for Ramesh Mendis, though he felt he could improve his lines and lengths

Andrew Fidel Fernando03-May-2021Praveen Jayawickrama was on Test debut, and had played only ten first-class matches before that. Ramesh Mendis was playing just his second Test. The pair combined to take 17 wickets in the match, against Bangladesh, bowling Sri Lanka to a commanding victory in Pallekele – the team’s first win against World Test Championship opposition since August 2019.Jayawickrama, 22, was especially impressive, claiming match figures of 11 for 178, which are not only a record for a Sri Lanka debutant, but the tenth-best by any Test debutant. It was his accuracy that his captain Dimuth Karunaratne was especially impressed with.”Praveen does the simple things well,” Karunaratne said after the match. “He pitches the ball in the right spot. That’s something we saw from Rangana Herath as well. He makes the batsman play, and gives the ball a chance to do something. When you play at this level, you have to have that consistency in line and length. He did his job 100%, and played like a bowler who had more than his ten first-class matches. It’s a great sign for the future of our Test cricket.”The seniors just gave both bowlers confidence. Some players can panic at times when they come into the Test arena, because they try a lot of things. What we tried to tell them was to play as if they would a regular first-class game, and to handle the pressure that way. Praveen absorbed pressure really well.”Dimuth Karunaratne made a double-century in the first Test, and followed it up with scores of 118 and 66 in the second•AFP/Getty Images

Mendis’ match haul was 6 for 189, and he was particularly effective in the second innings, claiming the wickets of Bangladesh’s most senior batters – Tamim Iqbal (caught behind), Mominul Haque (bowled off an inside edge), and Mushfiqur Rahim (caught at leg slip). While Mendis has been a batting allrounder at the lower levels, Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur even before this series had identified his bowling as a potential asset to the Test side.”At a time when we didn’t have anyone experienced, both bowlers came and bowled like experienced players,” Karunaratne said. “I think Ramesh also gave Praveen a lot of help from the other end, in terms of building pressure. That bowling partnership was good, and they had an understanding because they also play for the same club [Moors Sports Club].”Ramesh can improve a little bit more in terms of his lines and lengths, but it’s also his second Test, and when he gets to 15-20 Tests, he’ll be able to get the hang of all that.”Karunaratne also praised Sri Lanka’s batting line-up, which put up an imposing 493 for 7 in the first innings, with Karunaratne himself and Lahiru Thirimanne hitting hundreds, before Oshada Fernando made 81 and Niroshan Dickwella produced 77 not out. For Karunaratne, this was a continuation of the progress the batters had made in the West Indies, where Sri Lanka played out two draws.”In the West Indies we did a lot of good things. It’s not an easy place to bat, with the Dukes ball being used. But we fixed our mindset and worked on our temperament and patience. I think that’s why we were able to make big scores in this series – Dhananjaya de Silva’s 166 [in the first Test], and Thiri’s 140. We knew that we needed a big score on the board in the first innings to win a match, so that was playing on our minds. We took responsibility.”

Potential culprit contacted fast bowler on Instagram followring incident at Bay Oval

George Dobell25-Nov-2019Authorities in New Zealand believe they may have identified the individual who is thought to have shouted racial abuse at Jofra Archer.Archer, the England fast bowler, heard the abuse after he was dismissed in England’s second innings at the Bay Oval. He reported the comments to stewards and team security at the time.While authorities continue to scan CCTV footage and have appealed for other spectators to come forward with more information, it is understood by ESPN that someone believed to be the culprit later contacted Archer by direct message on Instagram. As a result, authorities are confident of being able to identify him.Meanwhile, Ashley Giles, England’s director of cricket, said that the team would rally round after after what he described as a “serious incident” that had left their New Zealand hosts very concerned about spectator behaviour.”It’s really unfortunate,” said Giles. “It’s a shame that sort of thing is still in our society. There was something said from the crowd, from the scoreboard area, which was offensive. Jofra reported this to the steward immediately as he came off. He also reported it to our security as he got back into the changing-rooms. The sense was that it was a racist abuse.”We’re working closely with New Zealand Cricket. They are incredibly concerned that this has happened on their patch. We believe it’s an isolated incident but we’ll know more once the investigation is finished.”The tweet that went out [from Archer] was obviously emotional. It hurts. We fully support Jof – there is no place for racism in the game and Jof is part of our team. Whatever the abuse, we’re right behind him.”Our team will rally round him but it’s a serious incident. He’s a young man making his way in the game and we don’t need this sort of thing. I’m hopeful they [NZC] will find out who did it. They’re working very hard to find the culprit.”It’s a problem in sport still, clearly, and it’s terrible that in this day and age this sort of thing is still happening and when it does happen that person isn’t identified much quicker by the people around him.”It’s a good series and played in the right fashion and one person should not ruin that but it’s a shame that sort of thing is still in society.”

One of the first things Tim Paine did after finding himself cleaning up the mess post-Newlands was to make it a point for his team to shake hands with the opposition

Osman Samiuddin in Dubai06-Oct-2018To shake hands or not to shake hands is perhaps not the most important conversation Sarfraz Ahmed will have this week. But to Tim Paine and this new Australia, as they move on from that era to this, what Paine called, “bit of a new one”, it is slightly more important.The two teams will shake hands before the Test begins, it was decided in a conversation between the two captains in between their press conferences that lasted about as long as a good, sturdy handshake.Sarfraz was slightly bemused by the request, asking only when and how it would happen (after the team photographs, before play, in case you were anxious to know).”Yes definitely, why not?” Sarfraz said later when asked whether he would take up Paine’s offer. “We have no issues. We actually talked about it just before the press conference. So we have no issues with shaking hands. It’s a very good sign. No issues.”One of the first things Paine did after finding himself cleaning up the mess post-Newlands was to make it a point for his teams to shake hands with the opposition, a practice generally restricted to football.”There’s no doubt this Test series is about winning,” he said. “We’re playing international sport so its the highest level and I think players will be judged on how many games we’ve won,” Paine said. “That’s certainly really important, but on the flip side of that, the image of Australian cricket is also really important to me and Justin and the rest of our team, so we’re going to be going about things in a really professional, really respectful manner and we’ll continue to do that for the foreseeable future.”That practice continued during their ODI series with England, the handshake becoming the clearest sign that this Australia would be better behaved on the field and more respectful towards their opponents than previous sides.But the pre-game handshake was absent from the last time Pakistan met Australia, in a T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe over the summer, where Aaron Finch was leading Australia.In fact, after the final of that series TV cameras clearly captured Glenn Maxwell not shaking Sarfraz’s hand as the Pakistan captain offered it after his side’s win. Maxwell later clarified it had been an oversight and “not the way I play the game”. Sarfraz and Maxwell had been at each other verbally during the game when Sarfraz was batting, and also right after the winning runs had been scored when Sarfraz ran on to celebrate.

Kiran Ashar, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper, died in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon after a prolonged illness

Arun Venugopal27-May-2017Kiran Ashar, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper, died in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon after a prolonged illness. He was 69. Ashar had been hospitalised since last December, following a brain hemorrhage, and also suffered from heart and kidney-related ailments. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.Ashar, a former India schools player, played seven first-class matches and scored 306 runs, including a century. He made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the 1968-69 Irani Cup, after replacing regular wicket-keeper Sharad Hazare. However, he sustained a groin injury while keeping to left-arm spinner Padmakar Shivalkar and didn’t play for Mumbai again until the 1976-77 Ranji Trophy season.Ashar was recalled for the semi-final against Tamil Nadu in Mumbai where he scored 86 and 4* in his team’s 10-wicket win. He went on to play only one more season of first-class cricket. In local cricket, Ashar turned out for Sunder CC, a club founded by his father Pratapsinh Ashar, a cricket enthusiast. He also represented CCI for two seasons, and toured Australia with the team in 1981-82.Once his playing career wound down, Ashar took to coaching youngsters. Clayton Murzello, group sports editor at and Ashar’s friend for several years, remembers him as a passionate coach who trained underprivileged children for free. “I remember how he had once fallen and hurt his head, but still went ahead with his coaching,” Murzello told ESPNcricinfo.Murzello recalled an incident when Ashar coached St. Mary’s ICSE to a win over Shardashram Vidyamandir in the final of the famous Giles Shield inter-school tournament. “It is very rare for Shardashram to lose a big game,” Murzello said. “This team featured Sachin Tendulkar and Amol Muzumdar, and I think Tendulkar got out to a left-arm spinner for 4.”

Gujarat Lions guaranteed themselves a top-two finish on the IPL league table after a 96-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina set them up for an six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Bravo’s end-overs bowling played a key role in restricting Mumbai Indians to 172 in excellent batting conditions•BCCI

Bravo fined 50% of match fee

Dwayne Bravo has been fined 50% of his match fee for breaching the IPL code of conduct during Gujarat Lions’ match against Mumbai Indians on Saturday. Bravo has admitted to the Level 2 offence of “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player in the course of play during a match”.
While the IPL’s media release did not detail Bravo’s code violation, the incident may have occurred during the 14th over of Mumbai’s innings, when Bravo, after fielding a defensive shot off his own bowling, walked up to the batsman, Kieron Pollard, and shoulder-bumped him.
“Ridiculous outcome…!! Again I have seen worst happen obscenities used no outcome but @DJBravo47 fined,” Pollard tweeted, in response to news of the fine. “It’s slowly turning into a robotic game.. No emotions no actions nothing …2020 = entertainment !! Rigorous battles !! Evrything is a fine”.

Gujarat Lions guaranteed themselves a top-two finish on the IPL league table, and earned themselves two shots at a place in the final, after a 96-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina set them up for a six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. Lions ended the league stage on 18 points while Mumbai finished on 14. To make the playoffs, Mumbai will need Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils – who also have 14 points each – to lose their matches on Sunday, and lose by big enough margins for their net run rates to dip below Mumbai’s -0.146.Rohit Sharma noted, after Raina chose to bowl, that the Green Park pitch wasn’t as green as it had been on Thursday when Lions had restricted Knight Riders to 124. It wasn’t just less green. It was even-paced, with the ball coming nicely on to the bat, and Mumbai’s total of 172 proved well short of challenging as Lions, given a strong platform by Raina and McCullum, and a sure finish by Dwayne Smith – who swapped places in the batting order with Aaron Finch – cruised home with 13 balls remaining.Mumbai got off to an excellent start with the bat, with Rohit enjoying the batting-friendly conditions to move to 30 off 16 balls, with four fours and two sixes, before pulling Dhawal Kulkarni straight to deep square leg in the fourth over. Nitish Rana walked in and pulled his first ball for four.Dwayne Smith had picked up four wickets on Thursday, and Raina tossed him the ball at the start of the fifth over even though the conditions were rather different this time. Martin Guptill, invisible till then, glanced his second ball for four, and should have put away his third one as well. It was shortish, and offered plenty of swinging room for Guptill to flat-bat it anywhere he pleased; he ended up dragging it to mid-on.With Smith’s deceptively quick bouncer consuming Krunal Pandya in the same over, Mumbai were forced into rebuilding mode. Rana and Jos Buttler only scored 27 runs in the first 30 balls of their partnership, and Mumbai were 72 for 3 at the halfway stage.Fifteen came off the 11th, as Rana slogged Ravindra Jadeja over long-on and Buttler chopped him to the backward point boundary. Rana began the 12th over with a four and a six off Smith, and Mumbai were back on track.Rana favoured the pull and the slog-sweep, and those strengths, and his left-handedness, was probably the reason Raina only used Jadeja for one over. Rana hit Shadab Jakati, Lions’ other left-arm spinner, for a six in the 13th over, and three fours – two in the midwicket region – in the 15th.Fourteen came off that over, and with Rana past the half-century mark, Mumbai were nicely placed going into the last five. They had lost Buttler to a reflex caught-and-bowled from Dwayne Bravo, but at the crease was Kieron Pollard, in the kind of situation he enjoys batting in.Rana clubbed another leg-side six off Dhawal Kulkarni in the 16th, going deep in his crease to shorten the length of the ball, but he miscued to deep square leg when he tried the same shot off Bravo in the next over. Pollard cleared long-on with a top-edge in the 18th before swatting a full-toss from Kulkarni straight down long-off’s throat. Suddenly, Mumbai had two new batsmen at the crease with only two overs to go.They would only get 12 from the last two, as Bravo and Praveen Kumar, both going around the wicket, either speared it too full for Hardik Pandya and Harbhajan Singh to get under, or dangled it too slow to line up perfectly. Both batsmen fell in the final over as Mumbai finished on 172 for 8. They had only scored 27 in the last four overs.Finch fell in the first over of Lions’ innings, victim to his tendency to get stuck on the crease early in his innings, but McCullum and Raina quickly got the chase into gear. Bowlers tend to attack Raina’s rib cage early on, but Mitchell McClenaghan overused the short ball in the third over, and the batsman pulled, slapped and uppercut three fours, having already picked up a boundary when Hardik let a drive slip between his legs at cover point.McCullum hit Krunal for two fours and a pulled six in the fifth over, and Lions were already past 50. With the field still in, Raina’s chancy slogs off Jasprit Bumrah’s slower balls proved quite productive in the sixth over – one went to the third man boundary off the top edge, and the other, not quite middled, sailed over deep midwicket. Rattled, Bumrah fed McCullum on his pads and then gave him width; 19 came off that over and Lions’ required rate dipped to 7.35.With the spinners, Krunal and Harbhajan Singh, routinely dropping short, Lions were racing home. This being the IPL, there was a small wobble, as McCullum, Dinesh Karthik and Raina fell in the space of 19 balls to leave 51 needed from 46. Smith, though, conveyed cold authority right from the time he flat-batted the second ball he faced back over Bumrah’s head, and he steered Lions home with a calm, unbeaten 37 off 23.