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The 22-year old right-arm fast bowler has taken 17 wickets in 18 T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2022Mohammad Hasnain has been called up to replace the injured Shaheen Shah Afridi in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup.Related

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Having burst on the scene as a teenager known for his ability to bowl at high pace, Hasnain has made steady progress, playing 18 T20Is for his country and picking up 17 wickets in them. He has also earned acclaim overseas with stints in the Big Bash League, the Caribbean Premier League, English county cricket and the Hundred, where he is currently playing for the Oval Invincibles. The 22-year old already has a hat-trick in T20Is.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Hasnain has had some struggles as well. In February, he was suspended from bowling in international cricket after it was found that his action was suspect. Hasnain has since been able to correct it and was fully cleared to bowl again but, earlier this month, Marcus Stoinis appeared to question the fast bowler’s release.Pakistan begin their Asia Cup campaign on August 28 against India. They had been hopeful of Shaheen being able to recover from his knee injury by then – he sustained it in July and had since been kept under wraps by the team management. He still stayed with the squad and even went on tours – he was part of the ODI squad in the victory over Netherlands – but did not play any of the three games. Eventually it became clear that Shaheen needed four-six weeks rest and as a result he was ruled out of both the Asia Cup and the seven-match T20I series against England next month. He faces a race against time to be fit for the T20 World Cup in October as well.

“There is less pressure when you have guys like Pollard, Narine, Pooran and Russell in the dressing room,” head coach says

Deivarayan Muthu09-Sep-20222:07

Abhishek Nayar: Akeal Hosein will serve WI in all formats for a long time

Abhishek Nayar isn’t feeling additional pressure in his first stint in the CPL, as Trinbago Knight Riders’ head coach, and likens the experience to overseeing a “state or a country side”, thanks to the presence of a number of senior players. Nayar, the former India allrounder, is also part of Kolkata Knight Riders’ support staff as assistant coach and is often credited for unlocking Dinesh Karthik’s potential as a finisher in T20s. CPL 2022, however, is his first high-profile head-coach job on the T20 franchise circuit.”I can assure you that I’ve enjoyed it [the head-coach role] a lot,” Nayar said during a virtual media interaction. “There is less pressure when you have guys like Polly [Kieron Pollard], Sunny [Sunil Narine], [Nicholas] Pooran and [Andre] Russell in the dressing room. There is less pressure because they handle most of it. You know when you have a bunch of experienced cricketers and people who have played at the highest level for a long time and have been great performers, I think it’s just about making sure you give them what they need to perform.”When you’re part of a franchise, you just want to make sure that the players get what they want to perform and that’s a mindset as a coach and it continues to be so [for me]. So, in terms of pressure, not [much] really, but there’s a lot of excitement and for me personally, it has been absolutely enjoyable because it’s a great bunch of boys and I almost feel like I’m working not with a great franchise but a state or a country side that plays together all the time. You don’t have to worry about getting the guys together or team bonding. Everyone has bonded and the mood in the dressing room is absolutely electric, funny and [we have] a lot of laughs all the time.”In their most recent game – a rain-hit one in St Lucia – Knight Riders lost seven wickets in seven overs during their pursuit of 195 and eventually lost the game by 80 runs via DLS method to the table-topping Barbados Royals. Nayar brushed that aside as an off day and said that he would take such a defeat now rather than during the knockouts.”I look at it as one bad day that came at the right time,” Nayar said. “I feel you rather have a game like that early in the tournament and I believe that when you have a bunch of professionals who are legends in their own right, sometimes a wake-up call early in the tournament is better than later on. We always believe in a tournament that is so long in a period of a month, you want to peak at the right time and I feel that the way things are going we will end [well].”There is less pressure when there are senior players like Andre Russell in the dressing room, Nayar says•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Earlier this week, Knight Riders women had clinched the inaugural women’s CPL title after beating Royals in a low-scorer. Nayar said the men’s side hasn’t had a discussion on doing the double this season, but believed that Pollard and co. have the experience and pedigree to do the job.”I think we are a very process-driven franchise and yes the eventual goal is to always win the championship,” Nayar said. We’ve always been a team that has played for gold. The mindset is to win, but like I said it’s a process and it’s a long process and you just to focus game-by-game and day-by-day and see what we need to do to get the guys in great space and eventually win the title. We haven’t spoken about it, but it’s something that everyone is determined to do for sure.”Nayar also said Akeal Hosein, the fingerspin-bowling allrounder, is on the road to recovery after he had injured his groin while diving in the infield during Knight Riders’ opening fixture, against St Lucia Kings. Hosein has since missed Knight Riders’ next two games, but Nayar hinted that he could return to action soon.”Akeal Hosein is recovering well. He had a very minor strain on his groin. Hopefully he will be fit soon. We’re trying to get him some time at the nets before he is match-fit after his injury. He is looking good and he’s in great shape and should be back on the field.”Not sure yet [about his availability for Knight Riders’ next match]. Because of the rain we haven’t been able to practice yet and he hasn’t tested himself yet on the field post his injury, so hopefully we can get a good session in and we can assess from that.”Abhishek Nayar is also part of Kolkata Knight Riders’ support staff in the IPL•BCCI

Nayar was particularly enthused about Hosein’s rise as West Indies’ premier spinner – with or without Narine – and predicted that he would be a long-serving all-format player. Hosein had first attracted Nayar’s attention when had travelled to the Caribbean in 2019 along with Karthik, who was the captain of KKR at the time, to scout for talent. Nayar then worked with Hosein at Kolkata Knight Riders, where the latter got a gig as a net bowler.”I think it [Hosein’s growth] has been terrific,” Nayar said. “I remember coming here in 2019, prior to Covid when Baz [Brendon McCullum] took over. “I remember Khary [Pierre] being our lead left-arm spinner then and Akeal got a game or two towards the end and the following year is when his resurrection started. I feel he’s grown leaps and bounds not only as a bowler but also as a batsman. I think he’s become a very capable allrounder now for West Indies.”I think a lot of credit needs to go to the way he has carried himself and his will to become a better cricketer. I think the one thing that stands out about Akeal is his determination and his willingness to learn. That shows in how he’s grown as a cricketer through and through and I have no doubt that in the future he will be someone who is going to serve West Indies for a really long time in all formats.”Nayar also said that USA quick Ali Khan has been sidelined from the entire CPL with injury and that Sri Lanka mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana is still awaiting a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to link up with Knight Riders after the ongoing Asia Cup in the UAE.”In terms of Ali Khan, he has been unfortunately ruled out and had a minor surgery,” Nayar said. “He [Theekshana] still hasn’t received his NOC, so we’re kind of hoping for the board to eventually give his NOC and then we will have further updates on that.”

UAE play Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Namibia in the first round, aiming to qualify for the tournament proper

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2022UAE have dropped former captain Rohan Mustafa – their most-capped player across formats – from the T20 World Cup squad. The team will be led by CP Rizwan, who was named UAE’s T20I captain only last month. Ironically, Mustafa had hit the winning runs for UAE against Ireland in the final of the qualifying tournament for the World Cup.Mustafa’s axing means he cannot achieve his target of becoming the first from his country to play three World Cups, having earlier represented UAE at the T20 World Cup in 2014 and the ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand the following year. His last appearance for UAE came only a few weeks back, while playing Kuwait in the T20 Asia Cup Qualifier.UAE squad for T20 World Cup 2022•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“It was the dream for me, as it would have meant me becoming the first UAE player to play at three World Cups,” Mustafa was quoted as saying by The National News.”It will be a sad moment for me, and I feel like they are going to miss me a bit. I felt like I had been doing well in T20Is, and was No 8 [in ICC’s allrounder rankings in T20Is] before I stopped looking at these things. I will miss them – and do believe they will miss me too – but I will definitely sit down and watch their matches and pray for them to win.”Vriitya Aravind will be Rizwaan’s deputy for the World Cup, where UAE will compete in the First Round, the precursor to the tournament proper. Aravind was the leading run-scorer in the qualifiers held in February this year, with 267 runs at an average of 89 and a strike rate of 154.Related

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“This team has a solid representation of experience and youth,” Robin Singh, Director of Cricket and National Teams’ Head Coach, said. “To represent your country is of great pride, and our [coaching] team has complete belief in the maturity and skills of this group of players, and we expect them to surprise a few teams with their performances.”UAE have been placed alongside Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Namibia in Group A of the First Round, from where the top two teams – alongside the best two from Group B – will make the main round. They play their first match against Netherlands in Geelong on October 16, the opening day of the event.UAE will also play Bangladesh in two T20Is on September 25 and 27 in the build-up to the World Cup.UAE squad: CP Rizwan (capt), Vriitya Aravind (vice-capt), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, Basil Hameed, Aryan Lakra, Zawar Farid, Kashif Daud, Karthik Meiyappan, Ahmed Raza, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Sabir Ali, Alishan Sharafu and Aayan Khan

Keshav Maharaj has entered the top ten among bowlers after his twin two-fors in India

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-20221:42

How do you bowl to Suryakumar Yadav?

Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning rise in the men’s T20 batters’ rankings continued through the home series against South Africa, where he hit 50* and 61 in the first two games before finishing the series with an innings of 8. While that hasn’t led to a change in positions at the top of the pile, he has moved to within 16 rating points of Mohammad Rizwan, who has held on to the No. 1 spot but only just, after being rested for the sixth T20I at home against England and then scoring 1 in the final game.Babar Azam remained in third place after the latest update, but is now 37 ratings points behind Suryakumar, who is on 838 compared to Rizwan’s 854.

Full rankings tables

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At the end of the India vs South Africa and Pakistan vs England T20I series, there were some other big movers too. KL Rahul jumped seven spots to 14th after scoring 108 runs from two matches, while Quinton de Kock (up eight spots to 12th), Rilee Rossouw (up 23 places to 20th) and David Miller (up ten spots to 29th) gained too.Dawid Malan rose one spot to fifth after scoring 26 and 78* in the past week, while Ben Duckett (up eight spots to joint 24th) impressed too.There have been some changes in the bowling list too. While Josh Hazlewood held on to the top spot, Tabraiz Shamsi and Adil Rashid have both slipped three spots each, meaning a rise for Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga and Adam Zampa.Meanwhile, Keshav Maharaj’s two-wicket hauls in the last two T20Is in India have given him a boost, taking him from No. 17 to No.10, R Ashwin has jumped 28 places to 20th overall after miserly – though wicketless – performances against South Africa, and Reece Topley has gone up nine spots to 14th following five wickets from four matches.

“I try to just embrace it, but it isn’t something that sits that comfortably with me to be honest”

Andrew McGlashan20-Nov-2022A hugely significant career in Australian cricket came to end at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.When Rachael Haynes lofted a catch to mid-off, she walked off to a standing ovation. At the end of the game both teams, and players from Sydney Sixers who had remained from their earlier match, formed a guard of honour as she carried her son, Hugo.Related

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Watched by her family, her team-mates had allowed her to run on first when their fielding stint began and Adelaide Strikers applauded her as she came into bat with Foo Fighters’ playing around the ground.”I try to just embrace it, but it isn’t something that sits that comfortably with me to be honest,” Haynes said of her farewell. “I’ve probably spent most of my career trying to avoid the limelight. But really appreciate all the effort and really grateful for the players sending me off, it’s very kind of them.”Haynes had announced her retirement in September, ending an international career that had tallied six Tests, 77 ODIs and 84 T20Is and a domestic career that started 17 years ago. She was a key member of the great Australian team that has dominated the sport in recent years. However, one of the common themes since her retirement was announced has been the impact she has had on others.”I’ve always just tried to do the right thing by people, the right thing by the programmes I’ve been part of and tried to prepare the best I could and set a good example for others around me,” she said. “When you are doing all those things you are probably a bit oblivious to the impact it’s having, but there’s been quite a few people who have reached out this week and said, ‘good luck, well done’, and it’s definitely meant a lot to me.”Everyone wants to succeed and do well, but what binds groups together and brings them back together is the success you share on field. I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to experience that both domestically and internationally.”Rachael Haynes walks back with her son, Hugo, as she receives a guard of honour•Getty Images

Haynes wanted to complete this campaign for Sydney Thunder having not been able to play last season, but the WBBL did not turn into the farewell tour she had hoped for. Thunder ended with just one win in 14 matches and Haynes could not hit her stride with the bat.”It’s an interesting one,” she said. “I clearly didn’t have the season I’ve had in the past. I suppose [upon] reflecting [that] you just lose a bit of that competitive edge and it’s something I’ve never had to be consciously aware of in the past, I’ve always just been up and 100% on it, and I reckon this year there were probably times when I wasn’t at that same edge that you need to have at this level.”Haynes leaves an outstanding legacy to the game, with her career covering multiple eras as the sport became fully professional in Australia. Her own time in international cricket was split into two parts. It looked as though she could be done when she spent four years out of the side before returning in 2017 and shortly after captained the Ashes series in place of the injured Meg Lanning.From the point of her recall she averaged 45.07 in ODIs and 33 in T20Is with a strike rate of 126.15. Her final international match was Australia’s gold-medal victory against India at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham having added 160 for the first wicket with Alyssa Healy in the ODI World Cup final earlier in the year. She has previously picked out her innings against Sri Lanka, at Perth, during the 2020 T20 World Cup as her best.”I had mixed emotions coming into the ground today,” she said. “It’s strange, I announced it six weeks ago now and towards the end of this week when it was starting to become a bit more real, I definitely noticed myself going through different waves of emotion and being a bit teary. By the same the token I know I’m ready to walk away. But walking away from something that’s been such a big part of my life for a long time is also challenging.”She has yet to decide what comes next. There will be some WBBL commentary during finals week and then she will take the rest of the year off. But if she so chooses, Haynes has plenty more to offer cricket.

BCCI has formed a panel of its own doctors who are in touch with the doctors at Dehradun’s Max Hospital

Sidharth Monga02-Jan-20230:48

Hardik Pandya: ‘Our love and prayers are all with Rishabh Pant’

Rishabh Pant is out of the ICU, but the extent of injuries on his knee, toe and ankle is not yet known as he is still not in shape to go through MRI scans.Pant was on his way from Delhi to see his mother in Roorkee in Uttarakhand when his car crashed into a road divider on December 30. He miraculously escaped without life-threatening injuries even as the car went up in flames.After immediate emergency care in Roorkee, Pant was moved to Max Hospital in Dehradun where he currently awaits discharge in a private ward. The BCCI has formed a panel of its own doctors who are in touch with the doctors at the Dehradun hospital. The line of treatment is being determined by both panels in unison.Related

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Preliminary scans were done on December 30 to eliminate brain and spine injuries, but the scans on the knee and foot were held back because of the pain and swelling. Also, plastic surgery was performed to treat lacerative and abrasion wounds and facial injuries. However, the pending MRI has not yet been performed.The BCCI is hopeful Pant gets discharged and is fit to travel in the coming two to three days so that its panel of doctors can start determining the extent of the two suspected ligament tears as early as possible. It is not yet known if the injuries will require a surgery or just rehab. It is too early to think of a timeframe in which he can come back to athletic activity first and then top-flight cricket. He hasn’t started walking yet.Rishabh Pant’s car was severely damaged after a crash•PTI

Hardik: Pant ‘would have made a big difference’ against Sri Lanka
“What happened is very unfortunate, no one has control over it. As a team we wish him all the best, our love and prayers are always with him,” Hardik Pandya, India’s captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka which starts on Tuesday, told reporters. “Wish him a speedy recovery. Obviously, he was a very important part of the team, now everyone knows the situation and lot of other people can get opportunities.”Yes, Pant, if he was also there, he would have made a big difference because of the player he is, but now he is not there so we can’t control it. We will see what the future holds for us.”India’s three big assignments in 2023 are the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (Tests against Australia) in India in February-March, a possible World Test Championship final in England in their summer, and the ODI World Cup in India’s early winter.Pant’s chances of making it to the first of these are slim although it can’t quite be ruled out. The other big event for Pant will be the IPL where he captains Delhi Capitals.

Behrendorff starred with three wickets to restrict Heat to 155

Tristan Lavalette11-Jan-2023Veteran quick Jason Behrendorff took three wickets then Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie blasted half-centuries as Perth Scorchers continued their stranglehold over lowly Brisbane Heat with an eight-wicket victory in Brisbane.After captain Ashton Turner elected to bowl on a batting-friendly Gabba surface, Behrendorff led a typically disciplined Scorchers attack to thwart the return of Australia Test players Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw.Inglis and Hardie then chased the sub-par total of 156 with ease in a brutal 132-run partnership as defending champions Scorchers claimed their second win over Heat in four days.

Behrendorff claims 100th BBL wicket

For the second straight game against Heat, Scorchers were thrashed early and Turner decided to use returning left-arm spinner Ashton Agar in the third over.It failed to do the trick with Agar, who usually bowls after the powerplay, as he conceded 13 runs.Scorchers would have been in worse trouble if not for Behrendorff, whose in-swinging deliveries targeting the leg stump were kryptonite for rampaging opener Josh Brown.The left-arm seamer bowled five dot deliveries in a row at one point before dismissing Brown, who unluckily played on in a tangle much like David Warner against Tim Southee at the recent T20 World Cup.Behrendorff then dismissed Labuschagne and Renshaw with help from superb catches from Stephen Eskinazi and Andrew Tye.He impressively mustered all his experience to limit Heat during the power surge as Behrendorff joined Tye as the only Scorchers bowlers to have claimed 100 BBL wickets.Jason Behrendorff celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Bryant overshadows returning Test players

Struggling Heat needed a tonic and the return of captain Khawaja, Labuschagne and Renshaw fitted the bill. But switching formats just three days after the third Test against South Africa proved difficult amid an underwhelming Heat display in favourable conditions.Khawaja opened in his debut for Heat after crossing from Sydney Thunder on a multi-year deal. He struggled early and was hit in the helmet after attempting a scoop shot. He also survived a confident shout for caught behind off Behrendorff that wasn’t reviewed. Khawaja then built a platform but couldn’t convert and so too Renshaw.Labuschagne, who sports an underwhelming BBL record, entered at No.3 and started sedately before holing out to deep cover.It was left to big-hitting Max Bryant, who smashed three sixes to lift Heat to respectability, but it proved well short. Once part of a devastating opening partnership with Chris Lynn, Bryant has struggled this season but might have found a niche batting at No.6.

Inglis has point to prove

Scorchers were in trouble at 25 for 2 after the powerplay, but the pressure was released when Khawaja gambled by using part-time spinner Labuschagne in the fifth over.Inglis smashed a six off his first ball then struck consecutive boundaries in a momentum-changing over. He was in sweet touch and showcased his deft use of the feet by counterattacking spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, including one gorgeous six over cover.Wicketkeeper-batter Inglis notched his third half-century of the BBL season and this would have been particularly satisfying, having earlier in the day missed out on Australia’s upcoming Test tour of India.He combined superbly with Hardie, who started with an elegant drive to the boundary en route to his second straight half-century against Heat. Scorchers passed the target with 22 balls to spare, with Hardie sealing the deal with a six.

Johnson menaces on BBL debut

Heat had a new-look attack without fringe Test bowlers Mark Steketee and Mitchell Swepson. It didn’t change their fortunes, but towering quick Spencer Johnson grabbed his opportunity in an eye-catching BBL debut.The left-arm quick bowled particularly sharply, with one delivery clocked at 147kmph, as his great height extracted considerable lift from a benign surface.The 27-year-old had played in the 50-over Marsh Cup previously for South Australia and was on Adelaide Strikers’ list last season. For many, however, it was the first time they had watched Johnson in action and he showed enough to warrant a sustained run with Heat.

“We certainly value contributions of people who’ve been there, and if they’ve missed out due to injury, they deserve the right to come back in”

Karthik Krishnaswamy15-Feb-202310:51

Dravid: ‘Nagpur is done, but we need to keep playing tough cricket’

Shreyas Iyer is set to return to India’s side for the second Test against Australia in Delhi, which begins on Friday, if he passes his fitness assessment on the eve of the match. Iyer missed the first Test in Nagpur with a back injury, and rejoined the squad in Delhi, where he had a long stint batting in the nets on Wednesday.India coach Rahul Dravid has said Iyer will “walk straight into the side” if he feels fine after batting on Thursday as well.”We’ll take a call after a couple of days of training,” Dravid said. “He’s had a long session today in terms of training today, we’ll assess it tomorrow as well, once he comes in for a light hit, and see how he feels in the evening. But certainly, if he’s fit and ready to go and ready to take the load of a five-day Test match, then it is without doubt that his performance means he will walk straight into the side.”Related

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Ever since scoring a century on Test debut against New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021, Iyer has been a key middle-order batter for India especially in Asian conditions, and has been involved in several rescue jobs. Apart from his ability against spin, Dravid identified Iyer’s temperament and ability to find solutions under pressure as assets he brings to India’s line-up.Dravid took the examples of the innings Iyer played in pressure situations in both innings of his Kanpur debut, and the match-winning partnership with R Ashwin in Dhaka last December, which came after India were 74 for 7 in a chase of 145. He indicated that Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 8 in India’s only innings in Nagpur, where he made his debut, would probably make way for Iyer.”Without it being written in stone and without it being a rule, we certainly value contributions of people who’ve been there, and if they’ve missed out due to injury, they deserve the right to come back in, if they’ve performed, irrespective of what has happened in the time that they’ve been injured,” Dravid said.”So yes, it’s something that I can’t answer for everyone, but it’s certainly the outlook of the team management [in this case]. And yes, Shreyas has played well against spin, but what’s really stood out has been his temperament. We’ve been in quite a few pressure situations with Shreyas around, right from the first Test match that he played, his debut game in Kanpur.”We’ve been in some tough situations, and he and Rishabh [Pant] and [Ravindra] Jadeja, really, have been the ones who’ve been bailing us out and playing those critical knocks. His temperament in Bangladesh, when we were under pressure, along with Ashwin. That’s something that’s a really good sign, obviously along with his skill of playing spin really well.”He’s spent a lot of time in domestic cricket before getting in, so he obviously understands how to get runs, but I think at this level, also what really counts is your ability to deal with those pressure situations, that temperament, that ability to find solutions and find answers when we’re under pressure, and from the little sample size that we have, he’s been very good at that.”It’ll be nice to have him back, and he certainly has been one of our better players, he deserves it, and people in the team understand that as well. They know that if they are replacing someone who is injured, that person will probably come back, and the same thing will be followed for them as well – if they get injured, hopefully we’ll be able to give them the same treatment as well.”

Coach Chandika Hathurusingha wants his players to bat like they do in the BPL

Mohammad Isam08-Mar-2023On the eve of the first T20 international against England, several Bangladesh batters were gathered around one of the centre wickets at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. There was laughter, shouting, and balls flying in different directions. The acoustics of the Chattogram venue lets you hear what is being said in the middle from the sidelines, and it became apparent the players were taking part in a game where the batter had to keep hitting sixes to continue batting.As Shakib Al Hasan hit one towards the long-on boundary at the media centre end, the rest of the group comprising Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Towhid Hridoy and Rony Talukdar burst into laughter and rushed towards their captain. They were saying that Shakib had failed to clear the boundary and so had to let the next batter have a go. Shakib was having none of it, waving them back and smiling sheepishly. You can’t really win against Shakib on a cricket field, can you?That fun exercise was part of Bangladesh’s larger endeavour to become a more proactive and big-hitting T20 unit. They haven’t succeeded yet, but with the next T20 World Cup a little more than a year away, they have the time to do it. Their new coach Chandika Hathurusingha joined in the action in the middle for a while to observe what was happening, and said later that he wants the players to bring what they do in the BPL to the international stage.”I am very open to see what we can do,” Hathurusingha said. “I expect players to do the same thing that got them selected. So go and show in the international level against the world champions, for them to understand where they are at, and for us to understand whether we are better than them in our conditions or they are better than us. Good opportunity for us to see our skillset in T20s.”Towhid Hridoy and Rony Talukdar were among those who impressed Hathurusingha in the nets, but he wants to see what they do in match situations.”I have seen Rony before. I remember he played one game against South Africa. I can’t remember if he got injured or some other people started doing well,” Hathurusingha said. “I am actually very interested to see what he can do.”Hathurusingha, who re-joined Bangladesh as head coach last month after a six-year gap, , said he had observed an overall improvement in the team, despite losing the ODI series to England 2-1.”It is a good start. I was impressed with certain areas. The fast bowlers did well in not so helpful conditions. Their discipline and understanding of the game, especially Taskin and Ebadot, stood out. I was happy with the fielding effort. I think we out-fielded England. I have observed a few things that we can get better at in batting.”We have to be the best fielding side in Asia. We can’t compare with others, but we know where we need to get to. Young legs on the field definitely helps fielding. They are faster, energetic. Hridoy is one of the really exciting fielders.”Still, T20 cricket is mostly about runs, and Bangladesh are still a long way from being a legit big-hitting side. Hathurusingha believes a lot depends on physical power – an area Bangladesh have traditionally struggled with – but batters can develop a good swing and base to improve their hitting ability.”Power is a big factor,” Hathurusingha said. “But you need to have good mechanism like good swing, good base. You can get little better but if you have power, it gives you a head start more than others.”Bangladesh play England in the first T20I in Chattogram on Thursday, followed by two game in Mirpur on March 12 and 14.

Vithushan Ehantharajah witnesses stunning collapse after Lawrence century, Roland-Jones seven-for

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Apr-2023Essex 266 (Lawrence 105, Roland-Jones 7-61) lead Middlesex 170 (Higgins 70, Simpson 63, Porter 6-35) by 96 runsVisitors to Lord’s will notice that there are now two replay screens above the Allen Stand next to the Pavilion. Opulence, perhaps, but in an UltraHD era, the crispness of those letters and digits were a recognisable example of a traditional sport moving with the times. And yet there was a moment at about 2.50pm on Good Friday, when all within the ground strained between blinks as they tried to register what both screens displayed.Middlesex’s top four all had noughts to their names, all dismissed, yet four runs had been amassed by virtue of two front-foot no-balls. Jamie Porter had figures of 3 for 2 – Sam Robson was lbw to the first ball of Middlesex’s innings before Pieter Malan was bowled with the third, then Stevie Eskinazi was caught down the leg side with the 16th – just after Sam Cook got in on the act with Mark Stoneman caught behind.Four for Four. And not just any four for four; the first time in 48 years No.1, 2, 3 and 4 had all been dismissed for ducks in the County Championship.All that was missing was the sitcom record-scratch accompanied by the usual “You’re probably wondering how we got here?”. The answer to that in itself was more than enough to get your head around at the start of a Bank Holiday weekend. Dan Lawrence completed a measured yet engaging century, but with Toby Roland-Jones taking 7 for 61 in response, Essex, having begun day two on 162 for 3, were limited to 266 all out under bright blue skies.What advantage they had ceded was quickly re-established with the ball. It took 4.4 overs for Middlesex to get their first run off the bat, a frantic tip-and-run from Max Holden drawing ironic cheers from the stands. He was the next to fall – 20 for 5 – when Porter nabbed a fourth thanks to a smart low catch by Simon Harmer at second slip.A period of breath-catching followed with a127-run stand between Ryan Higgins and John Simpson. But it only delayed the inevitable of a sizeable Essex first-innings lead – 98 – and Porter’s first five-wicket haul of the summer. The 29-year-old finished with six for 35, with Harmer’s 3 for 33 – beginning with bowling Higgins through the gate to break the sixth-wicket partnership – keeping the tail honest. That Essex were able to remove the last five Middlesex wickets for just 23 at the end of a session pushing three hours was a testament to their red-ball dominance established well before this day.It felt like an age since Lawrence had resumed on 74. It was a whole different game with a very different story when he was ticking off the remaining runs to a 13th first-class century with the same patience, sound judgement and the odd flash of brilliance he showcased on Thursday. He marched at Tim Murtagh to pull him for six – a second of this knock – and went from 99 to 103 with an on-drive for four. The stroke was greeted with a skip and punch of the air at the climax of a cursory jaunt to the non-striker’s end.Dan Lawrence celebrates reaching his hundred•Getty Images

Lawrence is not usually a big celebrator, but the personal value of this knock after a 2022 summer of struggle – just 420 runs at 21.20 – was high, and not just because this was a first hundred at Lord’s. He knows this is a huge summer as far as international credentials are concerned.Unlike last summer, when he drifted away from the Test set-up under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum despite a valiant showing in the Caribbean under different interim management, Lawrence looks more at ease. He may have only carried drinks in New Zealand, but was left with a far better idea of where he stands and what he can do to move forward.”I think the general messaging for me was I score quickly enough anyway,” Lawrence explained about the nuggets he had been offered from Stokes and McCullum. “So I don’t need to change that much. It was probably more the other way for me; I’m trying to hone my defence a little bit more and then have the odd calculated gamble where I’ll take someone on when I feel like I need to. And it paid off this week.”The game changed considerably when Lawrence departed. He was the first of four wickets to fall for just 30 runs, the last three to Roland-Jones, bringing up the seamer’s 25th five-wicket haul. The first came as the culmination of a 12-over period in which Essex managed just 14 runs. Helm, Higgins and Luke Hollman kept things quiet until the new ball, before the skipper stepped in to finish things off.Adam Rossington, formerly of this parish, flicked straight to square leg before Roland-Jones bagged Simon Harmer (lbw) and Shane Snater (bowled via an inside-edge) in consecutive deliveries, the latter giving him five in the match and a 500th first-class dismissal. The hat-trick ball was a naff half-volley on leg stump put away by Ben Allison with ease. A more appropriate delivery to a No.9 eventually came after lunch – the 35-year-old seaming one into the front pad after Allison had committed early to a forward defence.Matt Critchley was watching calmly at the other end, like a Parisian dining alfresco amid a riot. His calm indifference to the collapse unfolding was characterised after lunch when he struck four fours in the 89th over off Helm, including a gorgeous straight drive to remind Middlesex a frontline batter had been playing possum.Critchley moved to 50 from 98 – a third score of fifty or more for Essex since joining from Derbyshire at the end of 2021 – but greeted the milestone with a shake of his head. He had exposed the No.11 Porter to five deliveries of a Roland-Jones over in taking that single. Ironically, he would be the man to fall to the Middlesex skipper, lured into attacking the short boundary and skying a pull that was smartly taken by Simpson.Barely 30 minutes after the catch, Simpson was back out there tending to the wreckage of Middlesex’s top-order. He was the one to walk out on 4 for 4, for so often the designated firefighter this side of London, heading towards the danger once more. Higgins was more of the aggressor in their stand – a half-century from 72 balls, whereas Simpson’s came from 151 – and Simpson’s failed attempt to take matters into his own hands further spoke of Essex’s chokehold on the game.Essex could have had Simpson for just 5 had Rossington reacted better to a nick off Porter. That would have made it 15 for 5 and perhaps increased the likelihood of Middlesex not passing the follow-on target of 116. Nevertheless, the hosts have plenty to do to avoid a chastening defeat in their first match back in Division One.