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Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu said Lasith Malinga’s lack of penetration, and the bowlers’ failure to execute plans has paved their path to decline, though the plans themselves remain robust

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo23-Jul-2015Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu said Lasith Malinga’s lack of penetration, and the bowlers’ failure to execute plans has paved their path to decline, though the plans themselves remain robust.Sri Lanka had run hot in the first six months of 2014, winning all of their limited-overs tournaments, including an Asia Cup, a World T20 and an ODI series in England. However, they have been much poorer since January this year, losing bilateral series against New Zealand and now Pakistan, in addition to losing a quarter-final at the World Cup.

‘Shehzad played exceptionally’ – Azhar

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali lauded the consistency of his batsmen, as they chased down 252 with ease, to win their first ODI series in Sri Lanka since 2006. Pakistan’s top order has made runs all through the series. On Wednesday, Ahmed Shehzad hit 95 and Mohammad Hafeez scored 70.
“Shehzad played exceptionally,” Azhar said. “He played very positively and put the bad balls away. When Hafeez came, he played a crucial knock as they were putting a lot of pressure on us. He played like a senior player would play. We had a 100-run stand between them.”
Pakistan’s batsmen have also scored quickly throughout the series, notching run rates higher than six in each of the last two innings. “Once you have confidence that all the batsmen are in good form, you suddenly have a leverage to play fluently and take a few risks as well.”
The victory had been set up by Pakistan’s bowling, which has consistently been menacing through the tour. “When we got wickets we knew they lack a little bit of experience after Mathews – they didn’t have a lot of in form batsmen,” Azhar said. “When the wickets did come we knew that we can keep them to about 250 or 260.”

The team’s strategy has been brought into question through their limited-overs forays in 2015, as they have persisted with a substantial number of allrounders instead of fielding specialist bowlers. In this series, Pakistan’s bowlers have claimed 33 wickets to the Sri Lanka attack’s 15. Malinga, meanwhile, averages 37.50 this year.”I don’t think there’s a hell of a lot of issues with our planning and what we want to do with the ball,” Atapattu said. “Executing under pressure is something that concerns us. Plus we have played on good wickets. We’ve played on really good tracks starting in January this year when we started playing New Zealand in New Zealand.”We got six wickets in Kandy, but we haven’t got the wickets quite regularly as you would expect from Lasith Malinga. That’s something that we have missed. That’s one of the reasons we’ve lost the series.”Sri Lanka hit 252 for 9 batting first in the fourth ODI, but the ease with which Pakistan chased this total down suggested the target was at least 20 runs light. Atapattu said the absence of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara had left a considerable void in the side, but urged the young batsmen to begin converting their chances.”A lot of the batsmen getting starts and not going on to get a big score on basically flat wickets is disappointing. Most of them got starts and we needed a big one off one of them to get a big score or chase a big score. We got one when Kusal Perera got a 50 off 17 balls in Kandy. We haven’t had that frequently, and that is something people have to be responsible at the top of the order.”The exit of the two senior players has not just impacted the team’s batting, Atapattu said. “Missing two knowledgeable experienced players like that is going to be a bit difficult at the start, but life goes on. The young players have to take responsibility. Their capabilities and their thinking only surfaces when players like Mahela and Sanga leave. It’s a learning curve in terms of tactics and so on, but they are the ones who have to take Sri Lankan cricket forward. “Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep bowled only 2.2 overs on Wednesday, before leaving the field with a hamstring complaint. He will be assessed before the team can decides on whether to draft another player into the squad, Atapattu said.

Hiken Shah’s third century in Ranji Trophy in as many games has helped Mumbai set Bengal a stiff target at the Brabourne Stadium

The Report by Siddhartha Talya at Brabourne Stadium03-Dec-2012
Scorecard
During a Ranji season in which Ravindra Jadeja has hit the headlines with another triple-century, Jiwanjot Singh has had a dream debut and a couple of players on the fringes of the Indian Test side have drawn the most interest, Hiken Shah has quietly gone about developing an insatiable appetite for runs. His nought in the first innings was a striking aberration in a prolific season, and his century today, which helped Mumbai set Bengal a stiff target, was his third in as many games.Mumbai gave themselves a good shot at a first outright win this season, declaring more than an hour before stumps with a whole day to play. The narrow gap in points between themselves and six other teams in their group, and a winless tournament thus far, has infused their campaign with some urgency, prompting them to declare instead of batting out and collecting three points. Bengal are desperate for a win themselves, after having lost two, and it’ll be interesting to see if they press for victory at the risk of forsaking a point should they lose.Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, said it was important the openers Rohan Banerjee and Arindam Das continue to bat positively on the third morning, as they had done in the final hour when they took their team to 47 without loss at stumps. “These guys are playing well, [taking advantage of] loose balls,” Tiwary said. “The wicket has eased out and if we continue the good start till lunch, we can see that their guys can be defensive in the field as well. And if I step out onto the field then, even I can take that decision on what to do.”Mumbai began the day with a lead of 102 and they initially progressed cautiously, as the Bengal seamers probed them often, beating the edge, with the ball nipping off the pitch. It didn’t do much when Wasim Jaffer shouldered arms to Shami Ahmed early in the day, however, and the ball just clipped the bails. His opening partner Kaustubh Pawar was well set but fell when part-time offspinner Abhishek Jhunjhunwala was introduced into the attack, driving him straight to midwicket. Rohit Sharma continued to have a poor game with the bat, failing to capitalise on a reprieve at slip first ball to be bowled, at the stroke of lunch, through the gate while reaching out to defend an incoming delivery from Laxmi Shukla.Shah was well set by then, and Tiwary’s persistence with Jhunjhunwala, with a spread-out field that included five fielders in the deep, made the batsman’s job much easier. He went on to add 158 runs with Abhishek Nayar, and in quick time, thus setting the platform for a formidable lead, but he had a couple of close shaves along the way. There was an edge between the keeper and slip and a big appeal for lbw from Shukla that was turned down, prompting a discussion between Tiwary and the umpire.Shah, who said he devoted some time to doing yoga during the off-season to prepare himself mentally, was harsh on anything short outside off and there was plenty of that from Jhunjhunwala, who was repeatedly cut through point. The first ball after lunch was crashed through extra cover, and he brought up his half-century by slashing seamer Veer Pratap Singh past point. Singles were readily available for Shah and Nayar with a defensive field, and they still managed to find the boundary to score at over four an over before tea, adding 119 in that wicketless session.Both scored off Veer Pratap, down the ground and through the off side, and stepped up further when they began to sweep and reverse sweep Jhunjhunwala. Nayar reached his half-century with a flat six over square leg before tea, and Hiken did an AB de Villiers to reach his fifth first-class ton shortly after the break, reverse-paddling Jhunjhunwala for a boundary behind point. In a spell that yielded 92 in 14 runs, Jhunjhunwala was smacked over midwicket for another four by Hiken before the batsman finally fell for 118. His scores this domestic season before this knock, across all cricket, were 105, 105, 107, 92, 140, 156, and 0.Mumbai wicketkeeper Aditya Tare walked in and smacked the ball around for 19 runs, and his team declared immediately after he holed out. The Bengal openers had been separated in the first innings by a run-out. They were solid on the third evening, enduring some nervous moments when the odd ball kept low or beat the bat, but were largely secure. Bengal have depth in their batting and the final day promises to be a test of their determination to revive a disappointing run wrought by several missed opportunities.

A round-up of the fourth day’s play from the Ranji Trophy Plate semi-finals

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2011On a closely-fought and tense final day in Nagpur, Hyderabad qualified for the knockouts based on a better run-rate against hosts Vidarbha. Hyderabad began the day in a good position, at 216 for 3, but both teams would have entertained hopes of going through. The determination of Hyderabad’s batsmen won out in the end, and they batted out the day. Though they didn’t gain a first-innings lead, they also didn’t get bowled out and their score of 486 for 8 in 166 overs came at a rate of 2.92 an over, marginally more than Vidarbha’s 2.77 for their 531 in 191.1 overs.The stars for Hyderabad on the final day came from their middle and lower order. Arjun Yadav, unbeaten on 91 overnight, progressed to make 128 and his partner Bavanaka Sandeep finished with 78. The pair fell within 47 runs of each other, and at 297 for 5, Vidarbha had the upper hand and were in with a chance of bowling out Hyderabad. But the batsmen fought on.Syed Qadri contributed 99 and was run out, agonisingly, short of a century. In the company of wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel, he added 130 for the sixth wicket and played a critical role in steering Hyderabad towards safety. The pair went about their work slowly, however, and things got difficult for Hyderabad when they lost Qadri, Khaleel and Mohammed Khader in quick succession. 427 for 5 became 449 for 8, and with more than five overs still left in the day, Vidarbha had regained control. But, on a day of twists and turns, Hyderabad prevailed. Batting at No.8, Pagadala Naidu made a quickfire, unbeaten 29, off 28 balls, and added an unbeaten 37 off 32 balls with No.10 Lalith Mohan, who made 17 in 19. The duo took Hyderabad to the close, at a rate superior to that of their opponents, and in to the knockouts.Maharashtra booked their place in the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, qualifying to the knockout phase based on a first-innings lead against Himachal Pradesh in Pune. Having bowled out HP for 236 on the third day and stretched the lead to 215, Maharashtra went about continuing their dominance in the contest and batted out the final day.HP’s only hope would have been to trigger a dramatic collapse that would give them an outside chance of a win, but that didn’t happen. The opening combination of Harshad Khadiwale and Chirag Khurana led the way for Maharashtra, adding 166. Khadiwale’s had a quiet season thus far and his first century this Ranji Trophy should give him plenty of confidence heading into the knockouts. The only consolation for HP on the final day was a four-wicket haul for offspinner Gurvinder Singh. Maharashtra finished with 288 for 5 and sealed their place in the top eight.

Mumbai middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane is the only uncapped player to be included in India’s 30-member World Cup longlist.

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2010Mumbai middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane is the only uncapped player to be included in India’s 30-member preliminary World Cup squad. Cheteshwar Pujara, who made a promising half-century on Test debut against Australia, has also been picked, as have opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, legspinner Piyush Chawla and allrounder Yusuf Pathan. There was, however, no place for Yusuf’s brother Irfan, who has missed the initial stages of the Ranji Trophy with an injury.The list, which will be trimmed to 15 players by January 19, also included three wicketkeepers in addition to MS Dhoni – Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik and Wriddhiman Saha. Karthik used to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper as a back-up for Dhoni, but he was left out of the recent one-day series against New Zealand, where Saha took over for the first three matches. Parthiv was handed a couple of games as well – when Saha left early as a part of the Test squad for South Africa – and scored two half-centuries, making use of his first chance at the highest level in six years.Yusuf forced his way back into the reckoning when he won the fourth one-dayer against New Zealand with a brutal 123 off 96 balls after India were reduced to 188 for 5 chasing 316. Ravindra Jadeja, who was the preferred all-round option for the majority of last season was also included in the squad. Irfan’s absence from the list, however, highlighted just how far he has fallen in the eyes of India’s selectors.While the one-day side has looked settled in recent times, Dhoni has said a few places are still up for grabs, including one for a fast bowler and another for either an allrounder or a big-hitting lower-order batsman. India have not yet selected their side for the one-day series against South Africa, and with the first game to be played on January 12, the make-up of that squad should be an indication of the composition of the final 15 for the World Cup.Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the selection committee, said it was a team without surprises and expected a strong performance in home conditions. “This is a probables team and everyone selects himself,” Srikkanth said. “There is one more month to go to select the final team and we will sit down and think calmly before finalising the team. They have been doing well in one-day cricket. The World Cup is happening in the subcontinent and I am confident that the team will do well.”Preliminary squad: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Saurabh Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, Dinesh Karthik, Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Cheteshwar Pujara, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar

Australia’s cricketers have expressed reservations over the ICC’s recently introduced Umpire Decision Review System

Alex Brown22-Dec-2009Australia’s cricketers have expressed reservations over the ICC’s recently introduced Umpire Decision Review System and proposed day-night Tests. Although 87% of state and international players surveyed by the Australian Cricketers’ Association said they were in favour of the UDRS, 92% said they wanted to see better technology used to assist umpires in the decision making process.The UDRS proved a major talking point throughout the recently completed Frank Worrell Trophy series in Australia – right up until the final dismissal of Kemar Roach in Perth – and it has polarised opinion within the Australian playing ranks. Precisely half of the surveyed Cricket Australia contracted players described the system as either successful or very successful, with 43 % unsure and seven % labelling it unsuccessful.”Players would like to see the technology have the ability to definitively determine whether or not a batsman is out,” Paul Marsh, the ACA chief executive, told Cricinfo. “Whilst players are supportive of the concept of using technology, they are yet to be convinced of the effectiveness of the current technology being used.”It’s human nature to expect technological tools to be foolproof and there’s no doubt the new system is experiencing some teething problems. Now that the game has gone so far down the path of allowing technology to assist in on field decision making, the players would like to see the game invest in the technology being used so it’s as good as it can be.”A week after David Morgan, the ICC chairman, suggested twilight Tests would be staged within the next two years, the ACA survey found 57% of state and international players were opposed to the concept, up substantially from the previous year. Almost 30% of CA contracted players said they would be amenable to day-night Tests if an appropriate ball was developed, with another 21% willing to consent only for matches against minor Test playing nations. But with the majority against the concept, the ICC and CA could be facing a tough sell.”The game does need to find an appropriate balance between the commercial and cricketing considerations,” Marsh said. “Many players don’t want to entertain day-night Test cricket because of the traditions of the game and the fundamental changes required. Others are more open-minded to it, however this is only on the proviso that the game isn’t compromised by doing so.”The most significant issue is whether or not a ball can be developed that can be used at night time. If an appropriate solution can be found I’m confident players and the ACA will be supportive of introducing day-night Test cricket. However, it does concern us that in some quarters there is talk of compromising the quality of the ball in order to introduce day-night Test cricket.”Meanwhile, the majority of surveyed Australian state and international players said they harboured some degree of concern over the World Anti-Doping Agency’s controversial “whereabouts” clause, which was rejected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India earlier this year. Fifty percent of players said they were worried about the divulging of personal information to the drug testers, with another 13% unsure.”Australian players wholeheartedly support the fight against drugs in sport and accept the need for an anti-doping policy,” Marsh said. “The whereabouts requirements under the new WADA code are, however, onerous and have created concerns for players around the world.”Having to advise the drug testing authorities as to your whereabouts for an hour a day, three months in advance isn’t an easy task and we have contended that international cricketers are accessible enough for nearly all of the year given their current playing and training commitments. The ACA and players have, however, taken a pragmatic approach to this issue and will comply with the code in the interests of the overall fight against drugs in sport.”

Bumrah and Mandhana take top awards, while R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last year, received a special award

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2025Sachin Tendulkar has received the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI’s annual awards ceremony in Mumbai. Jasprit Bumrah won the Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer (men) for 2023-24 in the men’s category and Smriti Mandhana the corresponding award in women’s. Mandhana was also awarded for being the highest run-getter in women’s ODIs during the 2023-24 period.Tendulkar became the 31st recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was instituted in 1994 in honour of India’s first Test captain CK Nayudu. Tendulkar retired from international cricket having played for more than two decades after debuting as a 16-year-old against Pakistan in 1989. His 200 Test and 463 ODI appearances are the highest for any player in the game’s history, as are his runs tally in both formats: 15,921 in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs. He also played one T20I, India’s first ever, against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006. Bumrah, who was also named the ICC Cricketer of the Year earlier this month, was India’s standout bowler in the awards period. He played a pivotal role in the team lifting the T20 World Cup in June, taking 15 wickets in eight games at an economy of 4.17. Apart from that, he was also instrumental in India’s Test series win against England at home.Mandhana, who was named the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024, was India’s best woman batter across formats. Apart from scoring 149 against South Africa in the one-off Test in Chennai, she notched up 117, 136 and 90 in successive ODIs against the same opponents.

Ashwin receives special award

R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024 as India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, was given a special award. Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 and played a lead role in India’s 12-year domination in the longest format at home wherein they won 18 series on the trot.Sarfaraz Khan was picked for the Best International Debut (Men) for his quickfire fifty against England in the Rajkot Test in February 2024. Among women, Asha Sobhana won it for her 4 for 21 against South Africa in the first ODI in Bengaluru in June 2024.Deepti Sharma was awarded for being the highest ODI wicket-taker among women during 2023-24.The Indian team that won the men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA last June was also felicitated for the achievement.

Former World Cup winning captain backs Buttler and Mott as captain-coach combo to lead England’s defence in the T20 World Cup next year

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2023Eoin Morgan has described the idea he should replace Matthew Mott as England’s white-ball coach ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup as “a bit far-fetched” and said that Mott should be given the chance to put things right at next year’s tournament.Morgan, who captained England to their first men’s ODI World Cup in 2019, has been working on the 2023 tournament as a broadcaster, either side of a trip home for the birth of his child. Since returning to India last week, he has been highly critical of England’s performance, which has left them on the brink of elimination after five defeats in six games.Mott coached England to the T20 World Cup last year and on Sunday, he denied Morgan’s implication that there are issues in the dressing room. He has come under growing scrutiny from the English press and after England’s 100-run defeat to India in Lucknow, one column in the argued that Morgan should take over in the event that the ECB decide Mott’s time is up.Related

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• Matthew Mott dismisses Eoin Morgan suggestion of squad rift as England hit rock-bottom

Speaking on Sky Sports, Morgan said that the column was “a bit far-fetched” and said that he had no intention of becoming a coach in the near future. “Everybody’s entitled to interpretate [sic] my comments,” he said. “I was very clear in what I thought might be a cause to the performance that the England team have produced throughout this World Cup.”Nobody in the changing room – captain or captain, any of the players – can explain the situation that they find themselves in. But I’m very happy and cemented, hopefully, in what I’m going to do for the future. I spend a lot of time at home now with my young family, which is great, and I love watching on.”Eoin Morgan: “The players have to look at themselves and take a bit of responsibility”•Getty Images

Morgan believes that the short turnaround before next year’s T20 World Cup in June will play in Mott and captain Jos Buttler’s favour. “I actually think talk of replacing captain and coach is not a good idea at the moment, simply because of the high turnover of World Cups,” he said. “They’re double world champions for a reason: they’re not a bad team by any stretch.”Matthew Mott is going through his biggest challenge of his England coaching career at the moment, and it’s one that he should be given time to put right, certainly towards the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA,” he added.Mark Wood became the latest England squad member to defend Mott on Wednesday, saying that the players themselves need to take more responsibility for their underperformance. Asked by the BBC if there is still support for Mott among the players, Wood said: “For a [T20] World Cup-winning coach? Support for a World Cup-winning coach? Absolutely.”As a player you have everything you need… you cannot pin everything on the coach. Sometimes, the players have to look at themselves and take a bit of responsibility. I have not performed well enough in this World Cup… I don’t think you can pin it on the captain or the coach. Sometimes you have to look at yourself and say you haven’t been good enough.”England still have plenty to play for in their final three group games, starting against Australia in Ahmedabad on Saturday before fixtures against the Netherlands and Pakistan next week – not least qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The ICC confirmed last week that hosts Pakistan will be joined by the other seven-highest finishers at this World Cup, and England sit 10th as things stand.Morgan said that failure to reach that tournament would leave the ECB and men’s managing director Rob Key in a difficult position. “If the England team don’t qualify for the Champions Trophy, the likes of Rob Key and the board at the ECB will come under increasing pressure surrounding his [Mott’s] job,” he said.

“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.”

Shubman Gill, Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj are new entrants, while Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur have earned promotions

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2021Wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who were a crucial part of India’s white-ball plans in the lead-up to the 50-over World Cup in 2019, have suffered demotions in the BCCI’s list of centrally contracted men’s players for the October 2020 to September 2021 period.Kuldeep was among the core group of Grade A players in the 2019-20 contracts list, while Chahal featured in Grade B. Both have now dropped down to Grade C.Shubman Gill is one of three new players on BCCI’s men’s contracts list for 2020-21•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A spate of injuries has also led to a demotion for Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Grade A to B), while Hardik Pandya (B to A) and Shardul Thakur (C to B) have earned promotions in the new contracts list.Shubman Gill, Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj, who made impressive Test debuts during the 2020-21 season when India overcame an injury crisis to beat Australia 2-1 away and England 3-1 at home, all entered the contracts list as Grade C players. Patel returns to the contracts list for the first time since 2017-18, when he was a Grade C player, while Gill and Siraj have been contracted for the first time.Kedar Jadhav and Manish Pandey, who have lost their place in India’s white-ball squads over recent months, have dropped out of the contracts list.India captain Virat Kohli, white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma and fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah remain the only three players in the Grade A+ category. Apart from Pandya, the Grade A players include wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, fast bowler Mohammed Shami, Test specialists R Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma, and white-ball openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul.There is no change in the pay structure for the players, with the Grade A+ players earning INR 7 crore per year, Grade A earning INR 5 crore, Grade B INR 3 crore, and Grade C INR 1 crore.The demotions of Kuldeep and Chahal coincide with fallow periods in both players’ careers. Since the end of the 2019 World Cup, Chahal averages 37.12 in ODIs and Kuldeep a worrying 58.41, with both returning economy rates north of six an over. Kuldeep has played only three T20Is since the World Cup, while Chahal has only picked up 16 wickets in 17 games while conceding 9.13 runs per over.Kuldeep’s Test-match stocks have fallen away too. Talked up by India coach Ravi Shastri as their No. 1 overseas spinner in Test cricket after the 2018-19 tour of Australia, he has only played one Test match since.

Buttler says England must learn from New Zealand’s approach to first Test

George Dobell in Mount Maunganui24-Nov-2019Jos Buttler believes England must learn from New Zealand’s approach in the first Test in Mount Manganui.While England were kept in the field for more than 200 overs as New Zealand amassed more than 600 runs, Buttler felt it was England’s batsmen who had most to learn from New Zealand’s disciplined approach to the game. England were dismissed for 353 in their first innings; a score that looks ever more below par the longer the match progresses.”If we’re really critical, it’s the first-innings runs with the bat [which have cost us],” Buttler said. “New Zealand played a very patient game with the bat. They showed the value of that patient game of batting on flat wickets and setting your sights very high. BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner really set their stall out and batted for a long time. They put a lot of overs into our legs and built that score.”We have to learn to be able to do that. You look at the top sides around the world on flat wickets and they get very, very big scores and bat for a very, very long time.”That’s a big learning point for us. With the bat, just when you think you’re getting to a place where you need to be, there’s a lot more hard work to come to build those big scores.”You can’t fault the bowlers’ efforts. I thought the effort of everyone was outstanding.”Also read: Watling knock raises questions on England’s gameWhile Buttler accepted England had struggled to adapt from the “fast-forward cricket” played in England in recent times, he rejected the suggestion the Kookaburra ball should be adopted in Championship cricket. Instead he insisted the Dukes ball, which generally provides bowlers with more assistance, created more entertaining cricket but suggested the pitches in county cricket should be improved.”Test cricket with a Dukes ball in England is fantastic,” he said. “It’s very watchable. It’s a good contest between bat and ball. I think most people talk about introducing a Dukes to the rest of the world as opposed to the other way around.”The product we have with Test cricket in England is up there with the best product in the world so I wouldn’t want to tamper with that very much.”One thing potentially we can do in England is play on better batting wickets. The Dukes ball still offers the bowlers enough, especially in England if you get the overhead conditions. But we could look at playing county cricket on better batting wickets.”But we have played a lot of Test cricket in different conditions over the past year where it’s been fast-forward cricket. We have to be adaptable. There’s some education for all of us as batters.”What had looked a docile pitch when New Zealand batted suddenly looked full of danger when England began their second innings. But Butter suggested that was a reflection of the match situation and the pressure England were under as much as it was anything to do with the pitch. And, he said, it was another area England had to learn from New Zealand.”We have to learn about scoreboard pressure as well,” he said. “If you have got those runs on the board, if you have put miles into the legs of batsmen who have to field for 200 overs, it puts those guys under a lot of pressure when they come out to bat 10 minutes later.”Scoreboard pressure is massive. If we had made 450-500-plus in the first innings, it would have been a completely different outlook for the team batting second.”Buttler also defended Jofra Archer from any criticism, providing a reminder that he is only five Tests into his career.”I think you all forget Jofra is very new to international cricket,” he said. “It’s his first overseas tour and the first time he’s bowled with a Kookaburra ball. He is a very special talent but he is only five games into his Test career. You can’t ask too much of him too soon.”He’s a very special talent and we’ve got to look after him. He’s a fantastic guy and has a great attitude as well. He’ll learn from this and he’s a great attribute to us.”