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Keegan Petersen, Temba Bavuma helped South Africa take a slender lead before India moved ahead again

Hemant Brar04-Jan-2022Stumps Shardul Thakur’s seven-wicket haul couldn’t stop South Africa from taking a 27-run first-innings lead but India started their second innings positively and were 85 for 2 – ahead by 58 – at stumps on day two of the second Test in Johannesburg.With Mohammed Siraj not looking 100% fit, Thakur stepped up with the ball and finished with 7 for 61, the best bowling figures for India against South Africa. However, a 38-run stand for the eighth wicket between Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj took South Africa past India’s total.Both Jansen and Maharaj took the attacking route, hitting three boundaries each in their respective 21s. Jasprit Bumrah, for a change, failed to nail his yorkers and even ended up bowling a beamer to Jansen but eventually pegged Maharaj’s off stump back to end the partnership.Two balls later, Bumrah hit Duanne Olivier on his left arm as the batter took his eyes off against a raring delivery. Jansen then tried to keep the strike to himself and even struck two fours in Bumrah’s next over, but Thakur dismissed him and Lungi Ngidi in the space of four balls to wrap the innings up.In response, India lost KL Rahul early, with the opener edging Jansen to second slip where Aiden Markram took a low catch. The on-field umpires referred it upstairs with the soft signal out; the third umpire didn’t find any conclusive evidence to overrule that decision.Mayank Agarwal was looking fluent, having hit five fours in his 23, but an error in judgement resulted in his wicket. He didn’t offer a shot to an Olivier delivery that nipped back off the surface to trap him lbw.Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, though, ensured India didn’t lose another wicket. Pujara finished the day on 35 off 42 balls with the help of seven fours, two of which came in the final over of the day, while Rahane was batting on 11.Earlier in the day, Keegan Petersen and Dean Elgar kept India at bay despite a probing first hour of bowling. Bumrah and Mohammed Shami tested the duo – Bumrah with a bit of wobble in the air and Shami with the movement off the seam – but neither was successful in providing a breakthrough.Bumrah got one to come back in to Petersen after a string of awayswingers. The batter shouldered arms and, luckily for him, the ball went over the stumps.Keegan Petersen hit his maiden fifty, but India came back strongly•AFP/Getty Images

A few overs later, Elgar edged one off Bumrah and Pant took it low, which the on-field umpires referred upstairs with the soft signal as out. The third umpire concluded that it was a bump ball. In the next over, Shami cut Petersen in half but on this occasion, too, the ball sailed over the wicket.Rahul then turned to Siraj. The seamer had left the field after hurting his hamstring in the penultimate over of the first day but on Tuesday, he was on the field right from the start. He started with a shorter run-up and was down in pace as well. Petersen took advantage of that, hitting two boundaries in his first over of the day.Elgar, meanwhile, was stuck on his overnight score of 11. It took him 32 balls to score his first runs of the morning – at one point, he had faced 47 dots in a row. He broke that sequence with a flicked boundary off R Ashwin.It was Thakur who brought India back in the game, by picking up three quick wickets. Elgar and Petersen had added 74 in 35 overs when he had Elgar caught behind for 28. Petersen reached his maiden half-century with a boundary off Shami and celebrated it with two more fours in the over, but a rare loose shot outside off against Thakur cost him his wicket.And then, in the last over before lunch, Thakur found Rassie van der Dussen’s inside edge, which hit his thigh and lobbed behind the stumps. The batter walked back, but replays showed that the ball had perhaps bounced just in front of the diving Rishabh Pant. That meant South Africa slipped from 88 for 1 to 102 for 4.Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne revived the innings after lunch. They added 60 for the fifth wicket in what was South Africa’s third 50-plus stand of the series. But just like the last two times, it was Thakur who broke it, trapping Verreynne lbw with the one that came back in sharply.In his next over, Thakur had Bavuma caught down the leg side for 51 to complete his maiden five-for in Test cricket. Bavuma, who reached his half-century off just 59 balls, hit six fours and a six during his knock, the most eye-catching being an on-drive against Bumrah.From the other end, Shami got Kagiso Rabada mistiming a drive to mid-on. At 179 for 7, it looked like India could even take a lead but South Africa’s lower order didn’t let that happen.

Justin Langer confident in Australia’s fast-bowling depth if reinforcements are needed

Andrew McGlashan04-Dec-2021Cameron Green’s role with the ball shapes a crucial part of Australia’s Ashes plans both in terms of the workload of captain Pat Cummins and whether rotation of the other quicks will be needed during the series.It is, though, unlikely that Australia will field the same fast-bowling trio through all five Tests meaning that Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc could be in line for a break during the series.Last season, it was felt that the quicks had run out of steam by the final match against India although the first two games had been over in less than three and four days respectively.Cummins’ position, as a rare fast-bowling captain, will be in the spotlight but he has shown remarkable durability since returning to Test cricket in 2017 and has missed just two matches.Related

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Green was wicketless in his debut series against India last season while sending down 44 overs and his bowling numbers have blown out since having stress fractures of the back. However, even if he is not striking regularly, the ability to bowl 12-15 overs a day and not let the run rate get away will be vital – Green conceded 2.68 runs per over against India – while Marnus Labuschagne could also have a part to play.”[Cummins] will be fine strategically, it will just be maintaining the balance of everything else that goes with his bowling load and then captaining and all the other commitments that come with it. So we’ll keep an eye on that,” Justin Langer said. “Cameron Green is going to be important there with his extra bowling that he can give. Marnus bowling some as well.”Cameron Green is waiting for his first Test wicket•Getty Images

Cummins has acknowledged that knowing when not to bowl himself, or to end a spell, could be among his tougher decisions. “I think that’s going to be one of the main things that I have to be aware of,” he said. “There’s a lot of experience in the side. Sometimes I might need to listen to what they’ve got to say more than what I’ve got to say myself.”Langer, who said he knew the XI for the Gabba but would keep it under wraps, did not commit to the need to rotate the quick bowlers outside of injury problems but was confident in the depth in the squad. Jhye Richardson has been in impressive form this season for Western Australia with 23 wickets at 13.43 while Michael Neser is on track after a hamstring injury. Sean Abbott and Mark Steketee are also part of the Australia A squad.”Last year there was a lot of discussion at the end of the India series,” Langer said. “We had some criticism that we used the same bowlers, but you can turn that on its head and say it’s actually a real credit to the bowlers who are so fit and the support staff that guys can get through four Tests and not break down. We’ll work through it. What I do know is we have a lot of talent and we keep seeing that.”Jhye Richardson is in great nick, he’s bowled beautifully in Shield cricket. Michael Neser is coming back from his hamstring and he’s one of the heartbeats of the team.”Asked whether Labuschagne’s medium pace, which has become more frequent in domestic cricket, could make an appearance, Langer said: “I’m very happy to see him bowl legspin at the moment…you never know, Matthew Wade bowled a few overs of seam up, but I like to see his leggies.”

Liam Plunkett also ‘gutted’ after being overlooked for South Africa tour

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2019Sam Billings will not put his name forward for any T20 franchise action this winter after missing out on England’s white-ball squads in South Africa, but says that his disappointment will provide an opportunity to “freshen up” ahead of the new English season with Kent.Billings has endured a chastening year on the fringes of England selection. He had been a frontrunner for a World Cup berth this summer, but was cruelly ruled out of contention after dislocating his shoulder during his first appearance of the season.Then, in the absence of a number of senior players including Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, Billings was named vice-captain for last month’s T20 series in New Zealand –  a huge vote of confidence – but was unable to make his presence felt with just 34 runs in five innings, albeit with three not-outs.Billings will now turn his attention back to Kent where, as captain, he returned to action in August and impressed in the closing rounds of the County Championship, scoring three hundreds in consecutive innings, including two in the match against Yorkshire at Headingley – form that might yet lead to a role with England Lions when they head to Australia in the New Year.Away from England duty, he chose not to put his name forward for next week’s IPL auction after being released by Chennai Super Kings back in November. He has previously featured in the Pakistan Super League for Islamabad United, and for Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash. “All the best to the lads heading to South Africa,” Billings wrote on Twitter. “Huge amount of depth esp in the white ball game atm. Of course disappointed not to be involved but wish the boys all the best. Will be working hard to get back in the mix (in all formats) in the near future!”On a personal level, I have chosen to pull out of any franchise cricket this winter as well to focus/freshen up for a big year with @KentCricket. Very fortunate to have played all over the last few years & a break from the game to refresh I feel is the best decision.”Another man on the sidelines this winter is Liam Plunkett, England’s unsung hero of the World Cup final – which, at the age of 34, may now prove to have been his final match in international cricket.Having been overlooked for a central contract in September, Plunkett possibly anticipated his omission from both squads, but nevertheless took to Twitter to register his disappointment.”Gutted not to be involved in the England odi squad,” he wrote.

Sophie Molineux will be gently brought back to the international fold via Australia A’s matches with a chance she could be called up later in the Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2019Burgeoning allrounder Sophie Molineux has not recovered from a shoulder surgery in time to be named in Australia’s women’s Ashes squad to tour England this year, though she has been offered an indirect path back to selection via the Australia A group who will be touring in parallel with the senior team.Following a strong domestic season in which she was part of the Melbourne Renegades side narrowly beaten by the Sydney Sixers in a thrilling WBBL season four semi-final at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney, Molineux went in for surgery with the hope of being fit in time for the Ashes.However, her recovery is still progressing, meaning Molineux will be gently brought back to the international fold via Australia A’s matches against the England Women’s Academy and also a tour game against the England senior side, ahead of the one-off Ashes Test at Taunton from July 18 to 21.Tayla Vlaeminck, the 20-year-old quick bowler who has played one ODI and one T20I, has been included after overcoming injury. She had missed the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year as did Nicole Bolton, who had opted to take a break due to personal reasons and has been included in the Ashes squad. Meanwhile, Lauren Cheatle – who returned to the national fold during the New Zealand – has been left out.”We’ve been able to name a reasonably stable squad which is really important with Sophie Molineux the only player to miss out from Australia’s most recent series against New Zealand,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “Sophie has been doing everything she could do prove her fitness having had a shoulder reconstruction back in February, but she still needs a bit more time to make sure she’s 100% [fit], so she’ll travel to England with the Australia A side.”Tayla was also under an injury cloud but she’s back bowling and has had a terrific off-season up in Brisbane, so we’re really excited to see what she can do in English conditions. We’re fortunate to be able to take an Australia A side to England as well which will give us flexibility with the squad as we move through the various formats.”The Ashes is arguably Australia’s biggest bilateral series and one that is always a really tightly fought contest. As holders of the Ashes it’s going to be a big challenge for the team to bring the trophy back to Australia, but we believe the side has the right mix of talent and the depth to do exactly that.”The tour will follow the same aggregate format used in recent times, with points accumulated over three ODIs, the one-off Test, and then three T20Is. Molineux will be hopeful of resuming her place in the national team by the time the shortest of the three formats rolls around in late July.One name of note in the Australia A squad is the 17-year-old Annabel Sutherland, making her first international tour after appearing for the Governor-General’s XI against the touring New Zealand side late in the home summer.Australia will depart for England on June 21, and will play two 50-over warm-up matches against England Women’s Academy in Loughborough on June 26 and 28, and a three-day red-ball game in Swindon from July 11-13. The one-day leg of the Ashes begins on July 3.Australia Ashes squad: Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Georgia Wareham, Tayla VlaeminckAustralia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Josie Dooley, Heather Graham, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

It means the country’s prime minister has no power to dissolve the board or remove the chairman, with that clause being removed completely

Umar Farooq21-Aug-2019The government of Pakistan formally notified the new PCB constitution with certain amendments, toning down the powers of its own patron-in-chief. This is the fourth time in the last 12 years that the PCB constitution has been redrafted. This latest change means the patron-in-chief, who is also the country’s prime minister, has no power to dissolve the board or remove the chairman, with that clause being removed completely, effectively making the PCB an independent body.According to the new constitution, the prime minister of the country is still a patron of the board, but his power to dictate to it has been curbed. Earlier, his general policy directions were compulsory to implement, but will now, constitutionally at least, only be up for consideration. “The Patron may, from time to time, give to the Board general policy directions for its consideration,” clause 5.3 reads.The patron earlier had the power to dissolve the PCB, with this once igniting an embarrassing crisis for the board when former patron Nawaz Shariff dismissed the then-chairman Zaka Ashraf and dissolved the board of governors. Sharif formed a management committee to pick the new PCB chairman from among its eight members, which ultimately brought Najam Sethi to power.Changes of government have always rung changes at the PCB because the prime minister has held absolute power with the board. This has hindered the PCB’s ability to push through a long-term vision, with the board beholden to the desires of its incoming patron every few years. But the new constitution makes a significant tweak that eradicates the ability of the patron to dissolve the board of governors altogether.When Imran Khan won a general election in 2018, Sethi’s future became the subject of intense speculation, with the two of them having a famously poor relationship. With the prime minister allowed – according to the then PCB constitution – to change the PCB chairman if he so desired, it seemed unlikely Sethi would be able to stay on beyond Imran formally taking charge. In what was widely seen as an anticipation of his impending removal once Imran became prime minister, Sethi tendered his resignation just before Imran was due to take office, leading to Ehsan Mani being ushered in.Until now, chairmen had the authority to act as executives of the board who tried to implement policy they had proposed themselves, which according to Mani was a conflict of interest. The new constitution tackled governance loopholes related to the administration of cricket and the functioning of its governing body, bringing it in line with the best practices of corporate governance.The patron’s role is now more narrowly worded in Clause 32.5, giving them only oversight authority and the ability to launch an audit if they believed financial mismanagement may have taken place at the board. “Notwithstanding anything contained in this clause, the Patron in his exclusive discretion to be exercised, for reasons to be recorded in writing, after being reasonably satisfied that there is sufficient evidence of financial mismanagement within the Board, may direct conducting of a special audit of the Board’s accounts. The audit report shall only be submitted to the Patron for his consideration,” the clause reads.To many, this change might seem a calculated political ploy by the current patron-in-chief, with Imran already having made one intervention which resulted in Mani becoming chairman of the PCB. But whether the constitution, and indeed the institution that is the PCB, is sturdy enough to withstand a future patron-in-chief looking to shake things up at the PCB once more, only time will tell.

Uncapped Kamran Ghulam has been called up to replace Azhar Ali, who retired after Pakistan’s last Test

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2022Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Hasan Ali and picked uncapped middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand at home. Shaheen Shah Afridi continues to miss out as he recovers from a knee injury he picked up in the 2022 T20 World Cup final.Naseem Shah, who missed the last two Tests against England with a shoulder injury, has also returned to the squad after being declared fit. But Haris Rauf, who had also picked up an injury on debut in the first Test against England and did not play in the next two matches, is still recovering, and has been left out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ghulam, 27, had also been picked for the Bangladesh Test series a year ago but didn’t get a game then. He has played 44 first-class matches and averages 47.36, having struck 10 centuries and 18 half-centuries for his 3268 runs. He replaces Azhar Ali in the squad after the senior batter’s retirement. Ghulam had scored a record 1249 runs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2020-21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and was part of the victorious side in the same tournament last season. He is in fine form these days as well, having scored 92, 0, 123* and 98* in the one-day format in the Pakistan Cup this month. In the QeA Trophy before that, he scored 597 runs from 14 innings to average 42.64.Hasan returns to the squad after being dropped for the series against England, which the visitors swept 3-0. His last Test was against Sri Lanka in Galle in July.Fast bowler Mohammad Ali and bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, who were in the squad for the England Tests, have both been excluded for the upcoming series and advised to participate in the ongoing Pakistan Cup, the PCB said in its statement.The series will start on December 26 in Karachi and then move to Multan for the second game starting January 3. That will be followed by three day-night ODIs back in Karachi from January 10 to 14.Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Zahid Mehmood

Omission from provisional squad shows strength of white-ball set-up, says England captain

Matt Roller25-Aug-2023Jos Buttler has hinted that Harry Brook could yet force his way into England’s final World Cup squad after his 41-ball century in the Hundred this week, but stressed that Ben Stokes’ return to ODI cricket as a specialist batter “changed the dynamic” for selection.Brook was a surprise omission from England’s 15-man squad last week and responded by hitting 105 not out from 42 balls for Northern Superchargers at Headingley on Tuesday night. He walked in at 10 for 3 after 20 balls, and the next-highest score was just 15.As things stand, he is likely to travel to India as a reserve but England are allowed to change their provisional 15-man World Cup squad until September 28. Four years ago, they made two late changes to their squad, with Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson replacing Joe Denly and David Willey.Brook is part of England’s squad for a four-match T20I series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday, and Buttler entertained the idea he could still force his way into the squad through performance alone. “There’s still a long time before everyone is meant to get on the plane, so we’ll wait and see what happens,” he said.Harry Brook hit a 41-ball century on Tuesday night•ECB/Getty Images

“We all know Harry’s a fantastic player and we saw what he can do the other night,” Buttler added. “It’s not like it’s a surprise: we know what a brilliant player he is, he’s just the unfortunate one at the moment to not be in that squad at the moment.”Of course, Ben Stokes coming back and being available just as a batter sort of changes the dynamic a little bit. Ben’s a fantastic player to be able to welcome back, so it’s a really tough selection.”Several members of England’s provisional squad have had quiet tournaments in the Hundred – including Liam Livingstone, perhaps Brook’s nearest equivalent as a power-hitter – but there is no obvious like-for-like switch which would maintain the balance of the squad. Livingstone’s ability to bowl both off- and leg-spin could be crucial to England’s chances on India’s pitches.”There’s been [a lot of] players performing really well over a period of time,” Buttler said. “That’s where we’re at the minute.”Buttler, who will captain Manchester Originals in the knockout stages of the Hundred this weekend, said that the calibre of players England could afford to leave out should be framed as a positive: “We’re blessed with a lot of strength in depth, and talent.”[There are] excellent players not in that provisional squad at the moment. It’s been the nature of England squads in the white-ball teams over the last few years really, which is a great sign for us. They’re good problems to have.”Related

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Buttler is the only batter in the tournament who has outscored Brook, leading the run-scoring charts with 298 in eight innings. He has scored at a strike rate of 143.26, occasionally playing within himself in order to negate the early swing that has been a feature of the tournament.”I’ve been feeling pretty good and enjoying my batting,” he said. “It’s certainly swung about a little bit more than sometimes it does, so I’ve been just trying to adapt. I’m a pretty experienced player now. You always want to get off to a fast start and take advantage of the Powerplay, but some days it might be that that’s the hardest time to bat.”Even in such a short game, there’s still time to do that. In a Test match, it might be [that you] soak it up for an hour or something, but in a T20 or the Hundred, it might be just three or four balls that you need – and that’s okay. Something I’ve learned over time is you can still have those little phases of getting in.”Buttler missed the end of the Hundred last season with a calf injury, but will play against Southern Brave in the eliminator on Saturday and is relishing the prospect of leading Originals into the knockout stages of a tournament he believes has gone “from strength to strength”.”These are the games that you want to be involved in: a chance to try and get into the final,” he said. “It’s going to be a great night at The Oval, sold out. We’ve played some really good cricket to earn the right to be in this position and now it’s about trusting that again to play with the same freedom, even though it’s an eliminator match.”

Glamorgan’s 174 for 4 shown to be inadequate after Australia keeper blasts 23-ball fifty

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2019A blistering half-century from Australia’s Alex Carey at the top of the innings, with useful support from the middle order, enabled Sussex to easily overcome Glamorgan’s challenge and remain at the top of the South Group. Glamorgan, meanwhile, have yet to win a game this season, and have just the final game, at home against Hampshire on Friday, to redeem themselves.Sussex, needing to score at more than 8.5 an over, were without their captain and opening batsman Luke Wright who had damaged his wrist whilst fielding but Carey proved a capable deputy by destroying the Glamorgan attack in the opening overs.Marchant De Lange was struck for 33 in his two overs as Carey raced to 50 from 23 balls, and after six overs Sussex were 72 without loss – 27 runs ahead of Glamorgan after the Powerplay. Andrew Salter then dismissed both openers, Phil Salt bowled heaving across the line, then Carey feathering a catch to the wicketkeeperSalter took his third wicket in the 12th over when Delroy Rawlins swung across the line, but Sussex remained in control, needing 55 from the remaining eight overs. With David Wiese hitting arguably the biggest six seen at the ground – the ball striking the wall of the media centre – and Laurie Evans also punishing some loose bowling, Sussex strode home with 19 balls to spare.Glamorgan, who opted to bat first, made a steady start with Nick Selman, playing only his third game in the competition this season, and Shaun Marsh scoring 45 from the Powerplay overs with Selman punishing Jason Behrendorff for 17 in his third over.The opening pair had put on 72, with Selman scoring 40 from 23 balls, which included five fours and two sixes. They were separated in the 10th over, when Selman was caught on the long-off boundary in Will Beer’s second over.Following Selman’s dismissal, Marsh began to accelerate, reaching his fifty from 44 balls, with Glamorgan reaching 100 in the 13th over. He added a further two runs before was caught on the square-leg boundary for 52, with four fours and two sixes.Glamorgan were 164 for 2 with two overs remaining, but Ingram, after a lean season by his standards, scoring only one fifty in the opening game, reached a half-century from 39 balls, before departing to the first ball of the 18th over where Ollie Robinson held on to a well-judged catch on the extra cover boundary. A couple of lusty blows from David Lloyd and Chris Cooke enabled the home team to post a competitive total.

Jalal Yunus, BCB’s cricket operations chairman, non-committal about Tamim’s future as Bangladesh ODI captain

Mohammad Isam11-Jul-2023Tamim Iqbal will be travelling to Dubai and the United Kingdom later this month to have his back injury checked, BCB cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus has confirmed. Tamim, whose retirement-unretirement drama hogged headlines in Bangladesh over the past few days, has been given a six-week break to recover from the injury. His back injury is now thought to be more of a serious concern, as he is seeking medical advice from overseas.”Tamim will be going to Dubai. He will then travel to the UK on July 25 or 26. He has two appointments in London. He will update me from there. We have to name the primary squad of 25-26 players [for the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup] soon, so we need to know his situation. Everyone else will be resting till July 30. Some will go to play abroad. We will restart with a conditioning camp,” Yunus told reporters after the third ODI against Afghanistan in Chattogram on Tuesday.Yunus, however, was non-committal on the captaincy issue – Tamim was the ODI captain before the goings-on over the past few days. “Let him come back first. We will discuss it with him. There’s a matter of his fitness. He said he will talk to us after he returns to the country.”Related

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Some of the developments around Tamim were connected to BCB president Nazmul Hassan questioning Tamim’s professionalism in a newspaper interview on July 5, where Hassan had also said that head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe had been dissatisfied with the lack of clarity around Tamim’s injury.Did Hathurusinghe overstep his mark by going to Hassan?”I don’t think so,” Yunus said. “We all have discussions. We talk about a lot of things. In his capacity, he can speak to the president at any point. We discuss things regularly. He informs Shahriar Nafees, the cricket operations manager, and the board president and I are in the loop.”Yunus also said that the BCB is open to discussing Mashrafe Mortaza’s role as a team mentor during the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup, something Tamim reportedly suggested to prime minister Sheikh Hasina during their meeting on Friday. “The board will decide. He [Mashrafe] is a member of parliament. He is a former captain. He is a good leader. If he comes to us officially, we will discuss it,” Yunus said.

The home side finished the Karachi leg of the tournament with a night to forget

Danyal Rasool06-Feb-2022
The PSL is halfway through, and Karachi Kings have one foot out of the tournament. The side that’s hosted the first leg slumped to it’s most spineless defeat in their final home game this season, with Islamabad United walloping Babar Azam’s men by 42 runs. On a pitch that wasn’t quite as free-scoring as most of the others on show so far this season, Islamabad United posted 177, thanks to a number of cameos from the top order.At the time, it seemed as if the Kings might have a chance of running it down, but United, and the Kings’ own self-destructive spirit, had other ideas. A couple of run-outs up top and regular wickets meant the Kings were swiftly out of the contest, before the undisputed player of the tournament Shadab Khan stepped up with the ball to rip the heart out of the middle order. His 4 for 15 added insult to injury, and the Kings finished tamely with 135.For just the second time in 38, United opted to bat first after winning the toss, capitalising on the recent trend of defending scores. While they didn’t quite get off to the whirlwind starts Paul Stirling and Alex Hales have made customary, it was swift enough to keep momentum on their side. Imad Wasim went for 12 in the first over largely at Stirling’s hands, and Chris Jordan’s first over was greeted by the openers with 16. By the time Imad returned to prise Hales out, United had added 66 in 7.3 overs.Stirling fell soon after and, for a while, the bowlers appeared to have a hold over the game. Shadab, though, was playing a delightful little knock, finding regular boundaries to keep the run rate up even as Colin Munro struggled at the other end. A fine running, tumbling catch by Babar – he would sparkle once more in the field with a sensational one-handed grab running back to see the end of Asif Ali – brought an end to Sadab’s knock, but true to brand, United just kept swinging. Another wayward Jordan over at the death and some crunching drives from Azam Khan brought 25 off the final two overs, and that took United to a total that looked slightly above par.The chase began disastrously for the Kings, with a mix-up between Babar and Sharjeel seeing the latter run out in the second over. Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim, Mubasir Ahmed and Waqas Maqsood took turns bowling during the powerplay but each maintained a stranglehold over the Kings’ batters, who managed just 21 in the first five overs. By this time, an off-colour Babar had been cleaned up by Mohammad Wasim, and the asking rate had soared above 10.Imad Wasim, promoted to five, was involved in another bit of calamitous Kings’ running, with Sahibzada Farhan finishing up at the same end as him.By this point, things had deteriorated into a farce for the Kings, and the feeling they wanted to be put out of their misery was inescapable. Shadab was the man for the job, an incisive four-wicket spell putting the home side on the brink of defeat. There was flight that deceived Lewis Gregory, the wrong ‘un that did for Imad and Jordan, and the full flat ball to trap Mohammad Taha in front. It was the Shadab show for a while, with Karachi cast in the role of sidekick.There was mild entertainment for the home crowd when Mohammad Nabi and Umaid Asif cut loose at the death, they way you do when there’s no pressure because all is doomed anyway. Mohammad Wasim was tonked for 20 in an over and Nabi smashed an entertaining unbeaten 28-ball 47 to see off the game, but all that provided was an illusion of competition in a game that contained very little of it.