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Luke Ronchi and Martin Guptill combined to give the New Zealand team management a selection headache sooner than they would have anticipated

The Report by Sidharth Monga in Delhi18-Sep-2016
Scorecard1:21

‘My game plan is to get off strike’ – Ronchi

In the second innings of their warm-up match against Mumbai, Luke Ronchi and Martin Guptill combined to give the New Zealand team management a selection headache sooner than they would have anticipated. While Guptill followed his first-innings failure with a duck, Ronchi scored a blistering century on a last-day pitch that had begun to misbehave.It would be a dramatic move if a batsman who has opened only three times in first-class cricket replaced an opener in whom New Zealand have invested, but if there ever was a time and a place to do so, this might be it. Guptill averages 29.59 in Tests, which drops to 20.68 in Asia. He may be sensational in limited-overs cricket, but Tests and spin have not been his best friends. Concurrently, there is no better place than Asia for a non-opener to think about converting. It is often the best time to bat, before the ball begins to turn, reverse swing or gets too soft to travel.Ronchi got his crack at a top-order spot in the second innings, much like his previous three forays playing for Western Australia before he moved to New Zealand. Mumbai declared immediately after Siddhesh Lad’s century – the third of their innings. Then, out walked Ronchi alongside Guptill, the only specialist batsman who did not get a long hit in the first innings. With it being the third day of the game, the flat pitch had dried out and was offering turn and variable bounce, enough for Mumbai to open with the left-arm spin of Vishal Dabholkar.But Guptill can’t blame the pitch for his dismissal. In Dabholkar’s first over, the batsman edged a half-volley, seemingly playing inside the line of the ball and giving the slip fielder an easy catch. Ronchi looked in much better control, and displayed more scoring options against spin and the slow nature of the pitch. He swept with authority, drove the quicks with power, found gaps repeatedly and was difficult to pin down at one end for the pressure to build.”My game plan is to get off strike,” Ronchi said after the match. “If the field is in, I go over the top. [A] couple over the top, then a few gaps, and get off strike. That’s the way I go about it. If it works, fantastic. Doesn’t work all the time, but the best way to bat sometimes is to be at the other end. If you can get yourself off strike, it is a good thing.”Even if New Zealand were to stay conservative and don’t open with Ronchi, he might be quite useful in the middle order. Almost all of his 107 runs came in the company of bowlers. The New Zealanders used the final day of the game to give chances to those who didn’t get them in the first innings. Guptill and Henry Nicholls were the only specialist batsmen repeated before they had no choice but to send others in. Ronchi put on 23, 64 and 47 runs with Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult respectively. Batting with the tail could prove crucial on raging turners; Ravindra Jadeja frequently gave India the match-tilting runs from around 120 for 6 in the series against South Africa.Asked if he might have staked a claim for the opening position, Ronchi said: “Maybe, but it’s just the position I was given in the second innings – to go out and open. [I] just wanted to sort of have a hit and do as best as I possibly could. If it comes up I certainly won’t say no, but you never know what Hess [Mike Hesson] and Kane [Williamson] are thinking. So I will just go about my business and do the best I can for my team whenever given the chance, I guess.”I have no idea [what role they have in mind for me]. It’s up to them. Whatever they say, I will try to do my best. If given a chance, that is. If I am not playing, I am not playing. If I am playing and batting at 11, I am more than happy. Whatever role they ask me to perform, I certainly won’t say no.”If New Zealand do want Ronchi in, Nicholls may in danger of going out. He scored 1 in the second innings, but was undone by a ball that jumped out of the rough. If Nicholls does play the first Test in Kanpur, as a middle-order batsman, he would have to face one of the most difficult spin environments without any prior experience. Going into that with 30 runs from two innings would not make him feel good.This is when just one warm-up match on such a tough tour becomes unfair. A batsman needs time out in the middle to develop the methods and confidence to play spin. As another example, Santner jumped out of the crease to try to get to the pitch of a ball, and was stumped off Lad. He bats in the lower order for New Zealand and his runs could be very crucial. If selected for the Test, and having failed against a part-timer in a practice match, will he have the confidence to run at R Ashwin or Jadeja?The odd misbehaving delivery aside, New Zealand batted relatively comfortably through the rest of the day. They were bowled out for 235 in the fourth of the mandatory 15 overs in the last hour of play, but Mumbai did not take up the chase of 96 in nine overs.

Gloucestershire claimed their first limited-overs trophy in more than a decade after tightening like a vice during the last third of Surrey’s innings to suffocate the run chase and triumph in a thrilling finish

The Report by Alan Gardner at Lord's19-Sep-2015
ScorecardJack Taylor was Man of the Match after scoring 35 of 26 balls and taking three wickets•Getty Images

Gloucestershire claimed their first limited-overs trophy in more than a decade after tightening like a vice during the last third of Surrey’s innings to suffocate the run chase and triumph in a thrilling finish. After losing their talisman, captain Michael Klinger, to the third ball of the match and then being cleaned up for 220 by Jade Dernbach’s hat-trick, this was a remarkable triumph from a Gloucestershire side who refused to give in against seemingly mighty opposition.When Kumar Sangakkara and Rory Burns were compiling a century stand for the third wicket, there was little to trouble Surrey, but spinners Jack Taylor and Tom Smith sparked a dramatic comeback as the shadows lengthened at Lord’s. Only Sam Curran, the youngest player on the pitch in only his seventh List A innings, seemed to possess the required nerve but his poise cruelly deserted him at the end.It came down to seven runs being required off the final over with two wickets standing, after James Burke was run out from the final ball of the penultimate over as Curran tried to steal a single to mid-on. But Curran fell to the next delivery, attempting to hit David Payne over long-on and picking out the fielder.Dernbach, whose 6 for 35 were the third-best figures in a Lord’s final, could only watch from the other end as Gareth Batty then pulled the ball to deep square leg without adding to the total to confirm Gloucestershire’s victory with three deliveries remaining.Fittingly it was Taylor who took the catch. The offspinner, who finished with 3 for 43, also struck a vital 35 from 26 balls in Gloucestershire’s innings to be named Man of the Match.At 143 for 2, Surrey looked as if they would ease to victory, only for Taylor and Smith to turn the screw. The asking rate hovered around a run a ball throughout the last ten overs but wickets fell regularly: Gary Wilson caught at midwicket, Azhar Mahmood stumped, Tom Curran lbw attempting a reverse-sweep – to a ball that may well have missed leg stump.Gloucestershire, playing their first Lord’s final in over a decade, came into the match as underdogs and many feared what would become of them if Klinger failed. Those fears were sharpened when Klinger was dismissed for a duck in Dernbach’s opening over and Gloucestershire required a dogged fifty from another veteran in Geraint Jones, playing in his final match before retirement, to drag them towards respectability.It was hardly an imposing total against a Surrey batting order that has been rampant in this competition, their top three of Jason Roy, Steven Davies and Sangakkara behind only Klinger in the run-scoring list. James Fuller’s hugely impressive opening spell accounted for Roy and Davies but Sangakkara did not offer a chance until mis-hitting a Taylor full toss to mid-on with 78 still needed.On a slow pitch and with what seemed like a majority of the crowd urging them on, Gloucestershire kept themselves in the contest by strangling the scoring. The required rate rose from less than five at the start of the 35th over, before Sangakkara’s dismissal, to more than six as Taylor and Smith wheeled away.It should have been a day to savour for Dernbach – recently described by his captain as “the most complete seamer in England in one-day cricket” – as he became the third man to a hat-trick in a Lord’s final, emulating James Averis and Ken Higgs. After the darkness of 2012, when the death of Tom Maynard had a devastating effect on Dernbach and several of his team-mates, this would have been a cathartic victory.Dernbach’s final wicket came courtesy of an extremely poor umpiring decision but the yorker to clean up Jones after he had reached a 64-ball fifty was a brutally effective piece of death bowling. Craig Miles then inside-edged a drive through to Wilson before umpire Rob Bailey gave last man Payne out lbw after he was hit on the body ducking into a full toss – though replays suggested the ball was missing leg stump by some distance.The 40-year-old Mahmood, only in the side as a seasoned replacement for the injured Zafar Ansari and playing his first List A game in over a year, returned immaculate figures of 2 for 28 from ten overs as Surrey took charge. Gloucestershire only managed one fifty partnership and might have struggled to get past 200 but for the efforts of No. 9 Taylor, which included consecutive leg-side sixes off Tom Curran in the 45th over.Surrey had batted first in every one of their previous Royal London Cup matches this season, winning eight out of nine but this time Batty decided to chase. Maybe it was a psychological ploy: get Klinger in and have a go at him early. The sun was shining and the skies were clear in north London, which is not often the case this late in the season, but still Batty chose to insert on winning the toss. Klinger, the leading run-scorer in the competition and the man many felt was Gloucestershire’s best – even – chance of winning, was offered centre stage.A Lord’s final was once a prime opportunity to persuade the England selectors of a player’s case. Klinger, into his 36th year, still hopes to catch Australia’s attention but this was not to be his moment: attempting to impose himself against Dernbach, he was caught behind forcing a cut. The time it took for Nick Cook’s finger to go up was enough for Gloucestershire hearts to sink into their boots.Surrey had carried out their hit while barely getting their hands dirty; Gloucestershire sensed the wall at their backs already. It seemed like a mortal blow.Victory would be all the sweeter for the manner in which it came but the recovery was slow. Gareth Roderick and Chris Dent put on 40 for the second wicket, the latter dropped when Sam Curran grassed a catch off his own bowling.Dent was on 13 at the time but looked in good touch, only to drill Dernbach straight to mid-off for 22 off 20. Hamish Marshall, one of only two Gloucestershire players with international experience, was next to fall, stumped off a leg-side wide from Batty. His first ball had disappeared down to fine leg for five wides but, an over later, Marshall walked past a similarly errant delivery, beaten by some turn, and Wilson completed a smart bit of work.Mahmood then reeled off ten overs of wicket-to-wicket thriftiness, only slightly blemished when Jones clouted a slower ball beyond the ropes. Benny Howell was bowled through the gate and Roderick played on but Tom Smith combined with Jones to add 52 for the sixth wicket. Taylor then added further impetus but, with 250 still a possibility, he carved a Dernbach full toss to backward point.Gloucestershire needed early wickets and Fuller, bowling in the high 80s mph and making use of a short leg, provided hope by removing both openers inside 12 overs. Roy toe-ended an aggressive swipe to cover while Davies seemed beaten for pace by one that reared back into him and could only play on. Gloucestershire believed but it was much, later until everyone else did.

Mohammad Ashraful will see a doctor in Galle for an eye allergy that has recurred several times in the last eight years

Mohammad Isam in Matara05-Mar-2013Mohammad Ashraful will see a doctor in Galle for an eye allergy that has recurred several times in the last eight years, ahead of what is now certain to be his first Test match in more than a year. The problem hasn’t affected his batting so far, but Ashraful wanted it checked as a precautionary measure, rather than ride on luck as he has done during the home season.It wasn’t good fortune, however, that brought him a century in Bangladesh’s tour game in Matara. Ashraful worked hard to reach his second first-class hundred this season, this one being as crucial as the one in Bogra a few months ago.Ashraful had recently said playing in that Bangladesh Cricket League game was lucky, because he had been woefully out of form and was almost on the verge of giving himself a break from cricket. He later scored a hundred in the BPL too, which he also believed was due to luck. One would imagine that his last-minute inclusion in the Test side for Sri Lanka was also fortunate, after Shahriar Nafees suffered a freak accident at home.There was little luck, however, during his 102 against the Sri Lanka Development Emerging Team. He steadily built an innings that looked un-Ashraful like, but was more effective than the blitzes he is famous for. His effort helped his team score 479.”I wanted to build an innings,” Ashraful said after the game had ended in a draw. “I tried to leave a lot of balls, kept my eye on making sure we have a partnership. Sometimes when the
bowling is good and you are not settled, the best place to bat is at the non-striker’s end. I tried to do that today, especially at the start of the innings.”Ashraful averages 22.60 in 57 Tests, but he believes a second coming is possible. He also picked a role model in a bid to bring his faltering career back on track.”I am trying to resurrect my career like [Tillakaratne] Dilshan did since 2009. I would play in the same way, but I want to bat in the top order and take it from there. I think I am at an age when I want to have a second coming, and from the top order, I think I can target that. I haven’t had a great career so far, so I want to grab this opportunity.”Dilshan had changed position as a batsman, turning himself into a destructive opener in the 2008-09 season, and has been more consistent compared to when he was an allrounder batting lower in the order.Ashraful’s humility about an unfulfilled career could make a difference in the next two weeks.

Pakistan’s spinners gave their team a chance of avoiding a whitewash by taking advantage of a wearing surface to leave England’s pursuit of 238 in the balance

The Report by Andrew McGlashan21-Feb-2012
ScorecardKevin Pietersen scored his second consecutive hundred as England wrapped a 4-0 series win•Associated Press

What a difference a few days makes. It was suggested that Kevin Pietersen had the last two matches of this series to save his one-day international career and less than week later he has back-to-back hundreds to his name – the second a career-best 130 – a spring in his step and a strut at the crease as he guided England to a whitewash against Pakistan with four balls to spare.Pietersen became the second England batsman in the series, following captain Alastair Cook, to hit consecutive hundreds and it was the second time Pietersen had achieved the feat, following the South Africa series in 2004-05 at the start of his career. It’s long been a criticism of England’s one-day game that there aren’t enough individual three-figure innings so it will provide huge satisfaction for Andy Flower and Graham Gooch, shortly to become the full-time batting coach.The series, too, is a huge feather in the caps of Flower and Cook. The 4-0 scoreline is England’s first whitewash against anyone other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe since they beat Australia before the 1997 Ashes. That was one of many false dawns for England’s one-day side and there needs to be more evidence to find out how this unit develops, but having lost 5-0 in India last October this has been the ideal response.This was a better display from Pietersen than his hundred on Saturday and it was also his longest ODI innings. Early on his lost regular partners – Cook fell second ball of the innings – and the pitch, used for the second time in three days, was worn and a touch slower. Pakistan packed their side with five spinners and just one quick but only Saeed Ajmal, who removed Eoin Morgan and the debutant Jos Buttler in the space of three balls to leave England wobbling on 68 for 4, posed a significant threat.Pietersen’s main moment of concern came when he was saved by the DRS on 80 after getting into a horrid tangle trying to scoop Abdur Rehman over his shoulder. He was given out lbw by umpire Zameer Haider but replays showed he’d been struck outside off stump. Last week Pietersen spoke about DRS being his biggest challenge; here it was his biggest saviour. The review system made an important intervention when Samit Patel, on 5 and with England needing 44 off 40 balls, was given lbw by Haider but had also been struck outside the line. It wasn’t a great evening for the umpires with Cook earlier given not out before Pakistan reviewed.

Smart stats

• Kevin Pietersen’s century is his second in consecutive matches. This is the first time he scored two consecutive centuries since his debut series in 2004-05 against South Africa.

• Pietersen’s hundred is his ninth in ODIs and is also his highest score. He is now second behind Marcus Trescothick on the list of England batsmen with the most ODI centuries.

• Pietersen’s 130 is the fourth-highest score by an England batsman against Pakistan and the third-highest outside England after Graham Gooch’s 142 in Karachi in 1987 and Alastair Cook’s 137 in this series.

• England’s 4-0 series win is their first ever series whitewash in ODI series of four or more matches against top teams (Zimbabwe and Bangladesh excluded). Their only previous such series results have come against Zimbabwein 2001-02 and 2004-05.

• The 109-run stand between Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter is the second-highest fifth-wicket stand for England against Pakistan after the 138 between Andrew Flintoff and Graham Thorpe in 2000. It is also joint seventh on the list of highest fifth-wicket stands in the UAE.

• Jade Dernbach returned his career best bowling figures of 4 for 45 in his 14th match surpassing his previous best of 3 for 30. It is also the sixth-best bowling figures by an England bowler against Pakistan outside England.

• The 111-run stand between Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali is the third-highest second-wicket stand for Pakistan against England in ODIs. The highest is 167 between Rameez Raja and Saleem Malik in Karachi in 1987.

Patel, on the day he was given an ECB incremental contract, played a calm hand after Craig Kieswetter – who produced his first substantial innings in the middle order – had been run out to end the crucial stand of 109 that turned the chase around. Pietersen went to 99 with a pulled six off Junaid Khan but the hundred was celebrated in far more subdued style than the first. He was aware the victory hadn’t been sealed and proceeded to rubber-stamp the result with a flurry of boundaries off Junaid and a straight six off Ajmal. He couldn’t quite finish the game, skewing a drive to point with two needed, but the process of restoring a reputation was well advanced.Again, England had shown the value of one player getting a hundred. In contrast Pakistan’s brittle batting line-up again cost them the game, failing to make the most of a solid base provided by Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq, the future of Pakistan’s batting, who added 111 for the second wicket. England’s reshuffled bowling attack, including debutant Danny Briggs and the recalled Jade Dernbach, stifled the middle order with Misbah-ul-Haq left to gather what he could.It was another tale of Pakistan’s batsmen failing to build on starts as four of them passed 20 but none bettered Shafiq’s confident 65. On a surface being used for the second time in three days it was difficult for new batsmen to force the pace straight away, demonstrated by the way the innings fell away. England rested James Anderson and Stuart Broad while Graeme Swann had a minor calf strain, which gave the chance to Briggs claim a commendable 2 for 39 and Dernbach 4 for 45. The latter cleaned up the lower order with Pakistan losing their last six wickets for 35 runs.Dernbach had a difficult tour of India, where his obsession with variation worked against him, and then had a tough experience in Australia’s Big Bash League where he was dropped after two games for Melbourne Stars. Consistency still proved an occasional problem for Dernbach but he also maintained the happy knack of picking up wickets, including Mohammad Hafeez second and Azhar for a stubborn 58.Shafiq had the perfect opportunity, against a weakened attack, to score his maiden ODI hundred but chopped on against Bresnan in the 23rd over. From there life became much tougher for Pakistan. Umar Akmal was promoted to No. 4 with the chance to build an innings couldn’t gathered momentum and provided Briggs with his first international wicket when he lofted a catch to long-off. Briggs showed calmness and control in his first appearance, quickly recovering himself from a couple of loose deliveries against Azhar.The scoring rate had seized up as Azhar approached his maiden ODI fifty and Shoaib Malik struggled to time the ball. The sense with Azhar, albeit in the very early stages of his career, is that he doesn’t have a range of gears to move through in the one-day game. Malik does not have the excuse of inexperience to fall back on and his return to Pakistan colours has not been a happy one in this series. Having used up 33 deliveries for 23 he missed a sweep against Briggs in the spinner’s last over. When a team can win without three of their main bowlers it bodes well for the future.Edited by Alan Gardner

Leicestershire continue to feel the effects of a tumultuous 2010 and have announced a loss of £404,862 for the year to September 30

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2011Leicestershire continue to feel the effects of a tumultuous 2010 and have announced a loss of £404,862 for the year to September 30. The county was beset with problems last summer, with the resignations of chief executive David Smith, senior coach Tim Boon and chairman Neil Davidson.”The results are bad but we have known for some time that costs have not been controlled and income from membership and Twenty20 was way down on budget,” said recently appointed chief executive Mike Siddall.”In almost every area costs are either over budget or income targets have not been achieved. The club needs rebuilding from the bottom and although we have a tough job on our hands it is far from an impossible task.”So far we have replaced our kit supplier, caterer, legal adviser and physiotherapy services provider and desperately need to upgrade our IT and financial systems.”The losses have had a detrimental effect on the club’s cash flow and Siddall added: “The position is serious and in order to guarantee the bank overdraft, the club needs to increase its commercial income significantly. We are continuing our discussions with Leicester City Council to see what can be done in order to relax the covenant the council has over the Grace Road ground. I am optimistic that a solution can be found to enable us to offer sufficient security to cover the facilities we require.””The board has been completely revamped and we have appointed a new company secretary,” added chairman Paul Haywood, who took over when Neil Davidson resigned in October. “Expertise has been brought in to help increase sponsorship and membership income. Costs are now under control and we have set a budget which should return the club to profit.”I am very optimistic for the future. Sponsors, including main club sponsor The Oval Group, are backing the club and sales of attractively priced membership packages have been good. We finished last season on a very positive note and skipper Matthew Hoggard and the team are really looking forward to the new season.”

Daniel Christian is in line to become the second player of Aboriginal heritage to play an international for Australia

Cricinfo staff17-Feb-2010Daniel Christian, the South Australia allrounder, is in line to become the second player of Aboriginal heritage to play an international for Australia after being selected in the Twenty20 squad to face West Indies. Christian will join Jason Gillespie, the former fast bowler, on the list if he appears in either of the games in Hobart on Sunday or Sydney on Tuesday.Michael Clarke leads the team that will also include the pace trio of Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes, which upset Pakistan during a tight victory last month. The selectors have been impressed by Christian’s power with the bat and effective medium pace in the domestic Twenty20 competition and picked him in a 14-man squad.”We continue to look at various options and the balance of the team leading into the World Twenty20,” the panel chairman Andrew Hilditch said. “We see Dan as an explosive allrounder who could have a good impact for us in Twenty20 internationals.”In three seasons of domestic Twenty20 action Christian has 230 runs at a strike-rate of 148.38 and taken 13 wickets in 16 games. He has also been in strong form for the Redbacks in the other competitions and last week took nine wickets and scored 71 in a Sheffield Shield win over Western Australia.Christian grew up in New South Wales and is a graduate of Cricket Australia’s indigenous cricket programme. He captained the national indigenous development squad during a tour of England last winter and is due to help them again later this year when they play Papua New Guinea.”I’m an Aboriginal man from the Wiradjuri tribe in New South Wales, that’s all through my Dad’s side of the family, and they’re all born and bred from down there,” he said in Adelaide. “I’ve grown up in that environment, and I’m an Aboriginal man … it is what it is.”Australia Twenty20 squad Shane Watson, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White, David Hussey, Travis Birt, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Daniel Christian, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait.

A slow Colombo pitch could bridge the gap between the two teams but only slightly

Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-20252:40

Australia exude an attitude of ‘we know how to win this’

“We have an edge on this wicket. We’ve played two games here. Australia has not played any. But they have a lot of experienced players who have played cricket in most countries. The way they assess the game is better.” It was a pretty telling statement from Sidra Amin, ahead of Pakistan’s World Cup clash against Australia – an opponent they’ve never beaten before.While Pakistan have lost both matches they’ve played in Colombo, to Bangladesh and India, the prevailing school of thought is that the slowish conditions – ones that Australia are yet to experience at this tournament – might help bridge the gap between the two teams. But only slightly.”They have played all over the world. They know the conditions better,” Amin said. “They play the WBBLs and the Hundreds, and come and play in Asian conditions as well. They take preparation very seriously. I’ve heard they prepare for Asian conditions with indoor sessions with the temperature up to 35-40 degrees [Celsius]. So they can train that way as well.”Related

• Winless Pakistan have uphill task of facing near-invincible Australia

While women’s cricket has grown dramatically over the past few years, it’s grown faster for some than others. This discrepancy, in part, stems from the calibre of competition each side gets to face.In the three and a half years since the 2022 World Cup, Australia have actually played two fewer ODIs than Pakistan – 32 compared to 34. However, of those 32 games, 15 have come against India and England – among the tougher challenges in world cricket. Pakistan have played only four games against those two – seven if you include Australia themselves.Ellyse Perry: I think we all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive•ICC/Getty Images

Beyond this, once you dive into the importance of a strong domestic structure, you begin to see clearly how Australia have evolved over the years. A point not lost on Ellyse Perry who, having debuted in 2007, has been part of two ODI World Cup-winning sides and has seen first-hand the fruits of investing in the women’s game.”I think we’re incredibly lucky,” she said. “We’ve got wonderful support back home in terms of the programmes that we’ve got. We’ve got a full-time domestic structure that breeds great depth in Australian cricket. We’re a cricket nation too that loves playing the game. So we’ve always, throughout history, had wonderful players.”And I think as a group, we love the challenge of continuing to find new ways to get better. You know, there’s so much competition in the global landscape now. I think all the advent of the franchise leagues around the world has just grown the depth of women’s cricket.”In that context, the confidence that Perry gave off when analysing how an aggressive batting unit such as Australia’s would play on a not-so-batting-friendly surface like the one in Colombo was unsurprising.”I think we have a conversation with our batting group, which we’re quite fortunate to have some depth in. So for us, and it’s something that we’ve discussed a lot over the last 12 months, is how we use that depth. It’s never going to be everyone’s day on the same day. Quite possibly it might just be one person’s day.”But I think we all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive, but also really adaptable and smart to whatever the game’s presenting, whether that’s conditions or the opposition. I think there’s a blueprint there that applies to anywhere that you play, and then you’ve just got to be adaptable all day.”

Ashwin blames India’s “cinema culture” for the treatment meted out to Hardik at various grounds this season

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2024R Ashwin has come out in strong support of Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, blaming India’s “fan wars” and “cinema culture” for the vehement booing Hardik has been subjected to at various grounds this IPL season.Hardik, who took over the Mumbai captaincy from Rohit Sharma this season, was given a hostile reception by the fans in Ahmedabad last week when he faced his former team Gujarat Titans, whom he had led to successive IPL finals including the title in 2022. The booing continued when Hardik faced Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, as Mumbai began their campaign with back-to-back defeats.Answering a question from a viewer on his YouTube channel on whether Mumbai should issue a statement to diffuse the situation, Ashwin said that the onus lay with the fans, not the team, to “get our act together” and put an end to such “ugly” scenes.Related

• Hardik's wait to win over Mumbai hearts continues

• Relaxed Rohit Sharma eases himself into Wankhede gig

• Can slow starters Mumbai Indians kick into gear at batting paradise Wankhede?

• The People vs Hardik Pandya – why, what, and the way out

• Smith to Hardik on crowd abuse: 'Block it out, it's all irrelevant'

“People should remember which country these players represent. It’s our country, ” Ashwin said. “Fan wars should never take such an ugly route. I’ve said it many times, this is cinema culture, that happens only here.”I know there are many things like marketing, branding, and positioning. I don’t deny it, but have you seen these fights happen in any other country? Have you seen, for instance, Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans have a fight? Or Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fight? It’s crazy. Do you see Steven Smith fans fighting with Pat Cummins fans in Australia?”Ashwin brought up examples from the past, when several Indian greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid all played under each other’s captaincies, with minimal fuss or backlash from the fans.”I don’t understand. If you don’t like a player and boo him, why should the club come out and issue a clarification? We act like this has not happened before.”Sourav Ganguly played under Sachin Tendulkar and vice versa. These two have both played under Rahul Dravid. These three have played under Anil Kumble and all of them have played under MS Dhoni. When they were under Dhoni, these players were cricket (giants). Dhoni too played under Virat Kohli.”Ashwin said he believes that all fans have a collective responsibility to “correct ourselves” before blaming others, explaining that cinema can’t be compared directly to sports.”You know what the issue is? We all happily sit inside our houses and look at the trash outside. We expect someone else to pick it up instead of doing it ourselves.”This is real-time sport. Sport has real players with real emotions, nothing is scripted. Hero and hero worshiping is great, but sport should never be compared to cinema. How we go beyond that, counter it and find balance to play cricket is what this is all about.”You are free to enjoy what you like about your favourite players or team, but not at the cost of putting another player down. This is one thing I’d love to see disappear from the face of the earth in our country.”Mumbai will play their first home game of the season against Ashwin’s Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede on Monday.

Shadab Khan, Glenn Maxwell among retentions for 2023 season

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2023The Hundred’s retention window closed on Tuesday night, following weeks of negotiations between players, agents, coaches and general managers.In the women’s competition, each team was able to retain four players from their 2022 squad, with a maximum of three ‘marquee’ players – either two overseas players and one England-contracted player, or vice versa.In the men’s competition, they could retain up to 10 players at a mutually-agreed salary band, plus their allocated England centrally-contracted player.As ESPNcricinfo revealed this week, several leading Australian women will skip the 2023 tournament, while a number of high-profile men’s players will return to the draft.The drafts for both competitions will be held on March 23, with the tournament taking place from August 1-27.In full: Women’s retentions•ECB/The Hundred

In full: Men’s retentions•ECB/The Hundred

Birmingham Phoenix

RetainedWomen: Amy Jones (£31.75k), Ellyse Perry, Issy Wong (both £25k), Emily Arlott (£15k)
Men: Chris Woakes (central contract), Liam Livingstone (£125k), Moeen Ali, Shadab Khan (both £100k), Adam Milne, Benny Howell (both £75k), Will Smeed, Kane Richardson (both £60k), Tom Helm (£50k), Chris Benjamin (£40k), Dan Mousley (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Deepti Sharma, Eve Jones, Gwen Davies, Abtaha Maqsood, Ria Fackrell, Phoebe Franklin, Sterre Kalis, Davina Perrin
Men: Jack Leach, Matthew Wade, Timm van der Gugten, Ben Dwarshuis, Brett D’Oliveira, Imran Tahir, Miles Hammond, Graeme van Buuren, Henry Brookes, Tanveer Sangha, Sol Budinger, Olly Stone, Matt Fisher, Tom AbellShadab Khan did not feature in 2022 but has been retained by Birmingham Phoenix•Getty Images

London Spirit

RetainedWomen: Heather Knight (£31.25k), Amelia Kerr (£25k), Charlie Dean (£18.75k), Dani Gibson (£15k)
Men: Mark Wood (central contract), Glenn Maxwell (£125k), Nathan Ellis (£100k), Liam Dawson, Dan Lawrence (both £75k), Zak Crawley, Jordan Thompson (both £60k), Mason Crane, Adam Rossington (both £50k), Chris Wood, Ravi Bopara (both £40k)ReleasedWomen: Chloe Brewer, Beth Mooney, Megan Schutt, Freya Davies, Sophie Luff, Jess Kerr, Amara Carr, Naomi Dattani, Grace Scrivens, Natasha Wraith, Alice Monaghan, Grace Ballinger, Nancy Harman
Men: Kieron Pollard, Josh Inglis, Eoin Morgan (retired), Daniel Bell-Drummond, Ben McDermott, Toby Roland-Jones, Brad Wheal, Jamie Smith, Blake Cullen, Riley MeredithGlenn Maxwell could replace Eoin Morgan as London Spirit captain•ECB/Getty Images

Manchester Originals

RetainedWomen: Sophie Ecclestone (£31.25k), Deandra Dottin (£25k), Emma Lamb (£18.75k), Ellie Threlkeld (£15k)
Men: Jos Buttler (central contract), Wanindu Hasaranga, Phil Salt (both £125k), Jamie Overton, Tom Hartley (both £75k), Richard Gleeson, Paul Walter (both £60k), Josh Little (£50k), Wayne Madsen, Tom Lammonby (both £40k), Mitchell Stanley (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Lizelle Lee, Kate Cross, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, Cordelia Griffith, Hannah Jones, Ami Campbell, Georgie Boyce, Phoebe Graham, Laura Jackson, Grace Potts, Mahika Gaur, Erin Burns, Daisy Mullan
Men: Andre Russell, Laurie Evans, Tristan Stubbs, Matt Parkinson, Sean Abbott, Ashton Turner, Colin Ackermann, Fred Klaassen, Calvin Harrison, Daniel Worrall, Ollie RobinsonKate Cross has been released – but Originals could keep her in the draft by using their Right-To-Match card•Getty Images

Northern Superchargers

RetainedWomen: Alyssa Healy (£31.75k), Linsey Smith (£18.75k), Hollie Armitage, Bess Heath (both £15k)
Men: Ben Stokes (central contract), Adil Rashid, Harry Brook (both £125k), Adam Lyth (£75k), Adam Hose, Brydon Carse (both £60k), Matthew Potts, David Wiese (both £50k), Wayne Parnell (£40k), Callum Parkinson (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt, Jenny Gunn (retired), Alice Davidson-Richards, Heather Graham, Beth Langston, Katie Levick, Katherine Fraser, Liz Russell, Lucy Higham, Rachel Slater, Bethany Harmer, Gaby Lewis
Men: Dwayne Bravo, David Willey, Faf du Plessis, Wahab Riaz, Jordan Clark, John Simpson, Roelof van der Merwe, Michael Pepper, Ben Raine, Saif Zaib, Craig Miles, Luke WrightFaf du Plessis captained Superchargers in 2022 but has not been retained•ECB/Getty Images

Oval Invincibles

RetainedWomen: Marizanne Kapp (£31.25k), Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill (£25k), Tash Farrant (£18.75k)
Men: Sam Curran (central contract), Sunil Narine, Will Jacks (both £125k), Jason Roy, Tom Curran (both £100k), Sam Billings, Saqib Mahmood (both £75k), Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson (both £50k), Danny Briggs (£40k), Nathan Sowter (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Dane van Niekerk, Shabnim Ismail, Mady Villiers, Suzie Bates, Aylish Cranstone, Dani Gregory, Grace Gibbs, Kira Chathli, Emily Windsor, Eva Gray, Sophia Smale, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Kirstie White, Emma Jones
Men: Pat Brown, Rilee Rossouw, Reece Topley, Hilton Cartwright, Mohammad Hasnain, Matt Milnes, Jack Leaning, Jack Haynes, Rory Burns, Carlos Brathwaite, Peter HatzoglouMarizanne Kapp will stay at The Oval•ECB/Getty Images

Southern Brave

RetainedWomen: Smriti Mandhana (£31.75k), Lauren Bell (£18.75k), Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp (both £15k)
Men: Jofra Archer (central contract), James Vince, Chris Jordan (both £100k), Tymal Mills (£75k), Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton (both £60k), Finn Allen, George Garton (both £50k), James Fuller, Alex Davies (both £40k), Joe Weatherley (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkey, Anya Shrubsole, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tahlia McGrath, Molly Strano, Carla Rudd, Georgia Adams, Tara Norris, Jo Gardner, Paige Scholfield, Ella McCaughan
Men: Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Paul Stirling, Jake Lintott, Tim David, Ross Whiteley, Dan Moriarty, Michael Hogan, Beuran Hendricks, Sonny BakerWhich England opener will Brave RTM at the draft?•ICC/Getty Images

Trent Rockets

RetainedWomen: Nat Sciver-Brunt (£31.75k), Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Alana King (both £25k), Bryony Smith (£18.75k)
Men: Joe Root (central contract), Rashid Khan (£125k), Dawid Malan, Alex Hales (both £100k), Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood (both £75k), Colin Munro, Sam Cook (both £60k), Daniel Sams, Samit Patel (both £50k), Matt Carter (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Kim Garth, Mignon du Preez, Sarah Glenn, Elyse Villani, Kathryn Bryce, Abbey Freeborn, Marie Kelly, Sophie Munro, Alexa Stonehouse, Georgia Davis, Ella Claridge, Emma Marlow, Meg Lanning
Men: Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ian Cockbain, Marchant de Lange, Steven Mullaney, Luke Fletcher, Tom Moores, Ben MikeTom Kohler-Cadmore will be available at the draft•ILT20

Welsh Fire

RetainedWomen: Tammy Beaumont, Hayley Matthews (both £25k), Annabel Sutherland (£18.75k)
Men: Jonny Bairstow (central contract), Joe Clarke (£100k), Ollie Pope (£75k), David Payne (£60k), Jake Ball (£50k), George Scrimshaw (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Rachael Haynes, Fran Wilson, Katie George, Nicla Carey, Alex Hartley, Claire Nicholas, Fi Morris, Georgia Hennessy, Alex Griffiths, Sarah Bryce, Hannah Baker, Lauren Filer, Nicole Harvey, Maddy Green
Men: Tom Banton, Adam Zampa, Ben Duckett, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Sam Hain, Leus du Plooy, Noor Ahmad, Ryan Higgins, Matt Critchley, Jacob Bethell, Josh Cobb, Naseem Shah, Ish SodhiWelsh Fire have retained Tammy Beaumont•ECB/Getty Images

Spinner looking for “as many games as possible” having not played home Test since 2019

Alan Gardner31-Jul-2021Jack Leach has spoken of his frustrations at being left out of the Test side against New Zealand earlier in the summer, as well as a bit-part role in the England set-up that has only seem him play five home Tests since his debut during the winter of 2017-18.England were beaten 1-0 by New Zealand – their first Test series defeat at home since 2014 – after relying on a four-seamer attack supported by Joe Root’s part-time offspin. With England’s main seam-bowling allrounder options, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, either injured or not considered for selection after returning from the IPL, the question of how to balance the side at Lord’s and Edgbaston meant Leach sitting out on both occasions.Having been England’s most-successful bowler over the winter, taking 28 wickets at 31.14 in Sri Lanka and India, he returned to the sidelines back in home conditions. Leach also missed out on selection last summer, with Dom Bess preferred in the spinner’s role, and it is now almost two years since his last Test appearance in England, during the 2019 Ashes.England’s stated aim under Chris Silverwood, who took over at head coach in 2019, has been to play more of their home cricket on true surfaces, in order to improve performances overseas. But Leach has had little opportunity to practice the holding role that would then enable a more attacking brief later in the game.”I think I said to Spoons it was frustrating, because I want to be playing as many games as possible at that level,” Leach said. “I guess the thing I’ve struggled with over the past couple of years has been that momentum of playing games, and feeling like you’re learning from those experiences. You can do as much as you want in the nets, but you want to put that into a game situation. There are things you don’t get in the nets that you only get in games.”That was the frustrating thing. I understood it from a team point of view, in terms of the balance of the team. If it had been three seamers and a spinner, that would have been the first time I’d have played in that balance of team. Even at Somerset we’re playing with four seamers, and even a batter who bowls seam, Tom Abell, or Tom Lammonby, who bowls left-arm seam. My experience hasn’t been in that balance of team, so having not done that before, it would have been a huge challenge which I’d have loved to do, but I understand why they want four seamers, especially in England.Related

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“From the point of view of just playing games, I was frustrated not to play, and they were wickets I felt I could have had a positive impact on the game.”Although Leach conceded that he was unlikely to see surfaces as helpful as those encountered in Galle, Chennai and Ahmedabad, he said he enjoyed bowling in England and that pitches “generally are quite dry actually”, thanks to improved drainage. With five Tests scheduled against India in August and September, he stands a good chance of a return in the coming weeks – albeit Stokes’ withdrawal from the series will further complicate selection.But with the height of the summer now dominated by white-ball cricket – there were just two rounds of the Championship scheduled between June 6 and August 30 – he conceded it had been hard to get himself into rhythm ahead of the first Test, starting next week at Trent Bridge.”That has been the hardest challenge for me mentally: feeling like I’m getting enough overs in games. I think even in the first block of Championship games in April/May, I was playing on some quite seam friendly wickets so actually the amount of overs I bowled, even though I was playing, was not that many. And I had to do some isolation which meant I missed a Championship game and the day after I was playing at Surrey.”Mentally it has been a bit hard trying to work out where I get enough game overs and get that confidence. It was nice to play at The Oval against Surrey and take some wickets. That gave me some confidence and finish off this white-ball period then we are into the Test matches. I feel good [but] it is always that challenge to get enough game time as you go along.”Leach was overlooked earlier in the summer•PA Images via Getty Images

Of Stokes’ decision to take time away from the game, Leach said: “All the lads are behind Ben and supporting him where we can. He has shown courage and bravery to prioritise his mental health. He is a focal part of our team and we will miss him.”His priority is to take some time out from the game to get better. We can’t wait to welcome him back in the near future and winning games of cricket for England.”Leach has not played a Test this summer, but he did make his T20 debut, a day after turning 30, taking 5 for 60 across two Blast outings for Somerset. Having been on the end of a brazen Rishabh Pant assault in the first Chennai Test back in February – he conceded 71 off just seven overs before coming back to finish with 2 for 105 in India’s first innings – he said that greater involvement in white-ball cricket was more than just a way of passing time.”It’s kind of a game I didn’t have much connection with really, in terms of not being involved at all in previous years, and something I wasn’t sure I was capable of doing, and I was intrigued to see whether what I do in the longer format could work. So, yeah, it was nice to play and win both games, and I took a few wickets, which was good.”The nice thing was I was coming in on wickets they thought might spin, so I haven’t had to experience the flat ones yet in T20 cricket. But, yeah, it’s given me confidence that I can play that format. And also I probably feel like I’ve got nothing to lose in that format, and it’s picking up skills and reading batters when they come after you, and using that to help you even in the Test match game.”In that first game in India when Pant was coming after me, I experienced that and felt like if I’d played more one-day cricket, I might have a little bit more nous in those situations. I’ve had a focus this summer on being around those white-ball teams, and at least practising white ball in the nets and experiencing batters coming after me. Gaining a few more skills that way. I think it can help me in all formats.”