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Even though Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup in Australia and a few years ago won the annual triangular there by beating West Indies 2-0 in the finals, Australia as a cricket venue has rarely delivered a happy end game for the Pakistanis in one-day cricket. In the inaugural one-day tournament they played there in 1981-82 Pakistan were eliminated from the finals in the last match when Faoud Bacchus held firm to get the West Indies past a rain reduced target of just 100-plus; in 1983-84 they again failed to reach the finals and in 1985 in the mini-world cup there they lost to India pathetically in the final. Similar was the case in 1989-90 when Australia hammered the hides off them in both the finals after Pakistan managed to get there mainly due to a then inexperienced Sri Lanka being the third side. And last year Australia again edged through in the finals despite Pakistan doing well in the earlier matches against them and India.The reason for most of these last minute hiccups has, in my opinion, been lack of selfbelief and sticking to a planned strategy when there has been one. In fact all through the history of our cricket, especially the one-day chapter, we have fumbled within sight of victory. Whether it was the matches against Australia and West Indies in the first World Cup, the semi-final against the West Indies in the second, the quarter final of the sixth and the final of the seventh, Pakistan has been a case of nerves. In my view, even though Miandad was no doubt one of the game’s most astute thinkers and planners, Pakistan has always looked a side to win whenever it played the world’s best under Imran Khan. He has had his share of disasters, none more poignant than the Lahore defeat in the 1987 World Cup, but the team has always looked charged and visibly presented a positive mental attitude. Perhaps it was because the guys knew that worse comes to worse Imran himself will bail out the team. Or maybe he had that ability to instill pride and selfbelief in youngsters by showing them hope and a vision. No doubt it was because he never took a collapse lying down and hung in there with the typical determination that seemed to say "we are no less human than the other guys".After a long time I have seen this spirit in the current Pakistan side under Waqar Younis and the current team management. Again, there seems to be a charged atmosphere in the youngsters. In the last couple of years they have seen Waqar get them out of corners by coming out fighting. They bowled out England to win the Lord’s Test against expectations and came back in Sharjah against Sri Lanka a year back.The pessimist will say that Pakistan has been winning against opposition that has not truly tested them. Even though Bangladesh and West Indies have presented a fight stretching from the mediocre to the moderate, a cricket game still needs to be won on the field. All books on personnel management make it a point that there is no better a time for men to achieve beyond their abilities than when they are riding a crest. So even though some will say that Inzi got his triple hundred on a flat pitch against ordinary bowling and that Shoaib and Co. reaped the wickets against West Indies and NZ because of inexperienced and technically weak batsmen, it has nevertheless given our key players a high note on which to approach Australia.I also believe that Waqar, Mudassar and Yawar Saeed are all experienced campaigners who are aware of the aspects of the team they need to work on. They will know that on the bouncier track of Australia, the long absence of Saeed, Afridi’s penchant for driving on the up and the youthful enthusiasm of Nazir is more likely to be a risk than an asset. They also will be aware that Shoaib Malik, though immensely gifted in his off spin, is not the artful dodger that is Saqlain nor does Azhar bowl with the honed accuracy of Razzak, both of whom are plying their wares half way across the world.The optimism stems from the form and confidence of Pakistan’s pace attack. Man to man they are in another league when compared to the Aussie pace attack, even though the home side has McGrath and Lee. Lee has not really been up there in the one-dayers and did not start the seven match series in South Africa as first choice. He has the tendency to bowl short and wide on the off stump and seasoned batsmen like Saeed, Youhanna and Inzimam can pick his pace. Shoaib’s maturity, on the other hand, has been a revelation; a lesser man would have been reveling at the speed record. Shoaib continues to tell everyone he meets that he is happier that he has achieved the accuracy and swing he always strived for.And while McGrath offers the miserly runs per over rate in his one-day record the Pakistanis are aware that he primarily bowls offor outside off-stump and has not the variety that Wasim can juggle up. Many seasoned commentators of the game that have seen bowlers from Lindwall to Walsh believe that he is perhaps the only bowler who can bowl six wicket-taking deliveries in one over. Likewise, Waqar is a born-again swing bowler and his swinging in-dipper still makes him a study for missile trajectory scientists.Australia continues to place their faith in Shane Warne but is already realizing that he has been losing it in the last two years. At one time perhaps the most dangerous bowler in one-day cricket he has been picked easily for runs since his shoulder injury and has been seeing the ball dispatched mostly to the mid wicket fence. Youhana and Inzamam are perhaps two of the most gifted players of spin and Waqar and Mudassar will be banking on these two to build the innings for the team.Nevertheless Australia has advantage in the batting. They are stronger mentally and physically. In Ponting, Gilchrist and Maher they have attacking batsmen while Bevan remains the master of the end game. On top of that they are playing on home territory and all have experience of playing in the indoor arena, having played the inaugural one-day series there in August 2000 against South Africa. Only Bichel, Hayden, Lehmann, Maher and Watson among the 13 chosen for the three-match series have yet to play under the roof.For the entire Pakistan team however, playing indoors will be a new experience. When Australia first played there a little under two years ago even some Australian players took time to get used to the atmosphere, going by their own words. The Colonial Stadium is basically for Australian Rules rugby. It stretches 170 meters long by 140 meters wide and can seat a cricket audience of 48,000. It remains an awesome arena. In such places the echo factor accentuates the crowd’s noise.The outfield is not exactly as pristine as some of the cricket grounds in Australia as it is subjected to a grinding from the rough tackling that symbolize rugby. The pitch should not be a problem as it is going to be airlifted and placed at the centre. The enclosed conditions will resemble the overcast skies of England and as such Wasim and Waqar can expect the ball to swing and Azhar has a great chance to apply what he has recently learnt in England’s early summer, not too different from the conditions at the Colonial. At the same time Shoaib and Lee cannot expect the wind to be behind their thrusts. But they are such class acts that absence of this one factor should not inhibit their skill.I feel confident that Pakistan remain one of the top three one-day sides and have the never-say-die attitude to come out punching when thrown against the ropes. Their track record against Australia makes reasonable reading: They have won 24 of the 60 ODIs, losing 33 with one match tied.The strategy for Pakistan should be to attack Gilchrist and Ponting; they are stroke players who rush into a challenge. Since long they have not faced genuine pace and swing. They have four left-handers in the top six, so Shoaib Malik can look forward to some exciting times. Pakistan’s batsmen nevertheless need to deliver on their technique and maturity. McGrath needs to be seen off and Warne needs to be challenged more from down the wicket.With both Australia and Pakistan on a high, it promises to be a truly sensational affair. Australian writers, even former one-day captain Steve Waugh, have said that Pakistan remain a dangerous team anytime, a point not lost on the chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, who said: "In recent years Pakistan has proved to be a tough opponent in one-day international level, so we had to think long and hard about choosing the squad that will help us win this series."Coming in these tense times for the sub-continent, perhaps this sort of excitement is just what is needed for all the millions of people of this area and a study in how two varying styles can enjoy themselves under one roof.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today confirmed that Surrey CCC were mistakenly attributed a penalty of 0.25 points in respect of a slow over-rate in the Frizzell County Championship match against Lancashire that concluded on Saturday 11 May.No over-rate penalty should have been applied. Surrey have therefore gained 16 points from the match, and not 15.75 as previously stated.

Warwickshire piled up the second-highest total in their history to put Durham under serious pressure in their Vitality County Championship Division One tussle at Edgbaston.The home side, led by Alex Davies’ maiden double-century, amassed a mammoth 698 for three declared to leave Durham needing 549 even to avoid the follow on.The visitors closed the second day on 178 for three with Alex Lees (94 not out, 171 balls) leading the resistance but with a huge amount of work still to do to dig his side out of trouble.A combination of placid pitch, Kookaburra ball, short boundary and injury-affected and rusty bowling attacks has delivered batting heaven in Birmingham. Warwickshire captain Davies took most advantage to amass 256, his maiden double-century, from 311 balls while Rob Yates (a glittering 191 on the first day), Will Rhodes (178 not out from 234 balls) and Dan Mousley (an unbeaten 55 from 53) also filled their boots.It has proved a bracing return to Division One for newly-promoted Durham whose scheduled opening game, at home to Hampshire last week, was washed out without a ball bowled. Callum Parkinson, on his debut, harvested the most expensive analysis by a Durham bowler in first-class cricket – two for 206 – while three of his team-mates also conceded more than 100 runs.Warwickshire resumed on the second morning on 490 for one and spent the morning milking a resigned-looking Durham attack which was without Scott Boland. The Australian overseas signing bowled 13 overs on the first day but, nursing a heel injury, stayed off the field for treatment, sensibly spared the ordeal of flogging himself further in such gruelling conditions.Former Lancashire opener Davies advanced implacably onwards and it was a surprise when, after 445 minutes at the crease in which he struck 28 fours and three sixes, he was beaten in forward defence and bowled by Parkinson.The spinner then made it two wickets in three balls when he produced a beauty to bowl Ed Barnard, but the theme of batting domination was soon restored. Mousley hoisted his third ball into the crowd at the City End for six and settled in alongside the relentless Rhodes to add an unbroken 132 in 22 overs before the declaration arrived half an hour into the afternoon session.The pitch continued to offer the bowlers little but, after Durham eased to 42 without loss, Warwickshire’s seamers manage to prise two superb deliveries from it in nine balls. Scott Borthwick edged a brute of a lifter from Olly Hannon Dalby behind and Colin Ackermann nicked a perfectly-shaped outswinger from Craig Miles.Lees and David Bedingham knuckled down to add 94 in 25 overs before off-spinner Yates, given his longest spell in first class cricket so far, had Bedingham (49, 70) caught at short mid-wicket. Lees’ concentration remained absolute (he closed the day on 9,998 first-class runs) and, with Ollie Robinson, saw out the last 16 overs of the day but Durham are still in the foothills of the mountain they have to climb.

India’s head trainer Nick Webb has informed the BCCI he will not extend his contract beyond the upcoming T20 World Cup due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in his home country New Zealand.Webb has been India’s strength and conditioning coach since 2019, taking over the role from Shankar Basu, whose stint ended after the World Cup that year. Webb had previously worked with the New Zealand women’s team and domestic side Central Districts. Prior to his involvement in cricket, he had held similar positions with Warriors, the Auckland-based rugby league team.During his tenure, India qualified for the inaugural World Test Championship final at the Rose Bowl against New Zealand. Notable highs in his two-year stint included a famous overseas series win in Australia, as well as victories at Lord’s and the Oval during the recent tour of England.Announcing the news on his Linkedin page, Webb, who has been with India on the road since that WTC final loss in June, said that it was “unsustainable” for him to potentially spend up to eight months a year away from his family.”For the past two years, I have had the privilege and honour of representing India, the BCCI and team India,” he said. “We have achieved and grown a lot as a team during this time. As a team, we created history, we won matches, and we lost matches. But how we continually responded and adapted in the face of many challenges along with everyone’s willingness to compete every single day are things that make this team special.”This has not been an easy decision, but ultimately I must put my family first. The current Covid-19 restrictions for New Zealand citizens wanting to enter New Zealand is the primary reason. I am not sure what the future holds for me at the moment, but I am excited. One thing I am certain of is that I will be doing everything I can to guide our Indian cricket team men to the big dance at the T20 World Cup.”India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on October 24, with a high-profile clash against Pakistan in Dubai.

Stumps Joe Root made his fourth century at Lord’s, and stretched it past 150 like he had the first three times, as a near-perfect display on Day 3 helped England take a slender lead against India. He was left stranded on 180 with England being bowled out off the last ball of the day. The 27-run lead capped off a gradual comeback from England in the match, which had begun by first bowling India out early on Day 2 and then battling through to stumps on a difficult evening. Exactly two days and two innings now remain for the teams to force a result.Almost as if it were a reward for their work on Friday evening, England came out to the best batting conditions of the match so far on Saturday – bright sunshine and a flat pitch that they put to good use, starting with overnight batters Root and Jonny Bairstow. The pair put up their third century stand of the year, but this one was of a different flavour, with Bairstow playing a more prominent role. His most prominent role in two years, in fact, as England’s No. 5 brought up his first Test fifty since 2019.Bairstow took the lead early in the day, finding his groove especially on either side of the 50-over mark. England were striking at more than four an over at that stage and Bairstow’s confident driving in the V started it all off. He then brought up boundaries through point and gully and his favoured square leg region and pretty soon India were already thinking conservatively.Joe Root is all smiles after bringing up his century•PA Photos/Getty Images

That meant only two fielders in the cordon and a sweeper point fielder through most of the first session, alongside the early introduction of Ravindra Jadeja, India’s go-to bowler for a defensive strategy. Every bit of that helped Root, who has been something of a one-man army for England lately. He ambled along, solid as ever, in what would turn out to be a flawless innings offering no clear chances to India.For the most part, it was a typically delicate sort of innings from Root, punctuated with nudges and glances, and a handful of flicks through square leg. Not until the very end of the day did he attempt any overly aggressive strokes; when he did, they came off: a reverse ramp over the cordon, and a slog sweep to deep square’s left off consecutive deliveries from Mohammed Siraj with England nine down. In the first two sessions, England scored at nearly 3.5 an over, and despite ending up 18 fours in a score of 180, Root finished the innings with England’s best strike rate.He continued being the one to hold England together as well, first with the 121-run stand alongside Bairstow, and then by adding 54 and 58 with Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali respectively. Those phases of play blunted any chance for India to turn the game around with the second new ball and ultimately helped England close in on the lead.For India, it was Siraj who finished highest wicket-taker, but it was Jasprit Bumrah who had looked their best option when the day began. Bumrah would end up wicketless, but was the first to make Bairstow rethink his game. Bumrah had him hurriedly walking across the stumps, trying to protect both his stumps and his outside edge, as the scoring rate dropped down heading to lunch.Mohammed Siraj wheeled away all day•Getty Images

Then, India brought out a short-ball strategy against which Root was comfortable enough, but not Bairstow. After a few misses on the pull, he ended up going too early at a Siraj bouncer from around the wicket, offering a simple catch to Virat Kohli at first slip. With eight balls to go before the second new ball and England 135 behind, it was India’s biggest chance to pry the innings open. But that wouldn’t materialise as they battled both challenging conditions as well as their own indiscipline – in general, they erred too straight, or too short.There was none of the ingenuity that they showed on Friday evening, apart from going back to the short-balls from time to time, as the strategy became plainly about making sure England didn’t run away with the game. Eventually, that did pay off. Ishant Sharma, who had bowled a trademark nip-backer to hit the top of Buttler’s off stump, managed to get Ali and Sam Curran off consecutive deliveries with England only 23 shy of the lead. The two left-handers fell identically, fencing at away-going deliveries in the corridor, and once again the prospects of a collapse opened in this Test.But once again, there was a delay – if not downright resistance – because of the lower order. Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, and James Anderson all survived about half-an-hour each for a combined 11 off 61 balls as their captain endeavoured to give them more to bowl at. India’s extras helped – 33 in total, 17 no-balls – and it all added up to 50 runs for the last three wickets before Anderson, who was struck multiple times on the body through a nine-ball Bumrah over, was bowled off the last ball of the day.

Somerset maintained their push for a top four finish in the Vitality Blast South Group with a five-run win over Middlesex under the DLS method at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts were bowled out for 152 in 18.1 overs after losing the toss, crashing from 97 for 3 at the halfway point. Devon Conway hit 45 and Will Smeed 33, while Blake Cullen picked up 4 for 32 and Steve Finn 2 for 16.Middlesex had replied with 114 for 6 off 16 overs when rain prevented further play. Nathan Sowter was unbeaten on 37, while Craig Overton had claimed 3 for 28. A seventh defeat in 11 group games ended the visitors’ hopes of reaching the knock-out stage.Already without four key players, Somerset were dealt another blow when skipper Lewis Gregory pulled out with a calf injury in the warm-up. But, despite the early loss of George Bartlett, the home side prospered in the powerplay. Conway looked in great touch from ball one, which he cover drove for four.The New Zealander uppercut a six off Tom Helm, while Smeed collected a maximum off Mujeeb Ur Rahman as they took the total to 53 for 1 after six overs.Smeed then dispatched Cullen over mid-wicket for six before the the ninth over saw Conway was run out by Stevie Eskinazi’s throw, sent back attempting a second run following Smeed’s pull to the mid-wicket boundary.Conway’s impressive knock had come off 26 balls and his dismissal proved a major turning point. The next over saw Smeed caught at deep mid-wicket off Cullen, having faced 23 deliveries, and suddenly Middlesex took a grip.From 95 for 2 in the middle of tenth over, Somerset lost eight wickets for 57 runs Cullen leading the way by removing Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green and Marchant de Lange.Overton, captaining his side for the first time in the absence of Gregory, fell for a first-ball duck, but atoned in the opening over of the Middlesex reply by scattering Eskinazi’s stumps.Soon it was 15 for 2 as Max Holden skied an attempted pull off Jack Brooks, to Conway, keeping wicket following Tom Banton’s call into the England one-day squad.Overton and Brooks shared the first six overs, which ended with Middlesex 45 for 3, Overton having removed Joe Cracknell.Marchant de Lange, Ben Green and Tom Lammonby then provided excellent support as Daryl Mitchell, John Simpson and Luke Holman perished to aggressive seam bowling on a pitch with plenty of pace.Sowter did his best to revive Middlesex hopes, hitting a six off Max Waller and 4 fours before the rain intervened. But Overton had led his troops shrewdly and passionately to mastermind an important win.

Virat Kohli is undergoing treatment after suffering a strain in his right shoulder on the opening day of the Ranchi Test and is expected to continue playing the Test, the BCCI has said. The board also stated that “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.Kohli suffered the injury in the 40th over of the day, when he chased a drive from Peter Handscomb off Ravindra Jadeja. Sprinting from mid-on towards the long-on boundary, Kohli dived to pull the ball back before it reached the rope, tumbled, and landed on his right shoulder as he did so.He went off the field immediately, and did not return for the rest of the day, with Ajinkya Rahane standing in as captain. Kohli watched the rest of the day’s play from the dressing room with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder.Given that the injury is an external one, India have been told that Kohli can bat at any position he chooses to.The ICC’s playing conditions state that if a player is absent from the field for longer than eight minutes, the player, “shall not be permitted to bat unless or until, in the aggregate, he has returned to the field and/or his side’s innings has been in progress for at least that length of playing time for which he has been absent or, if earlier, when his side has lost five wickets.”However, the clause does not apply if the player has suffered “an external blow (as opposed to an internal injury such as a pulled muscle) whilst participating earlier in the match and consequently been forced to leave the field. Nor shall it apply if the player has been absent for very exceptional and wholly acceptable reasons (other than injury or illness).”Soon after the day’s play ended, India’s fielding coach R Sridhar had said Kohli had suffered a shock on the shoulder after landing badly and he was rested as a precautionary measure.”Virat Kohli’s injury, the exact status of it will be known by tomorrow morning,” Sridhar had said at the time. “He’s going to undergo some scans later today and we’ll know the exact status of it tomorrow morning and what happened today is that we took a precaution to make sure he doesn’t aggravate that injury.”And as far as the technique of the dive is concerned I think it was quite an intense chase to the boundary line and in his intent to save that one run he stopped the ball and landed on his right shoulder when he rolled over. Impact was quite heavy because of the momentum he was carrying and so there was a shock on his right shoulder. That is the current status.”

After the double blow of losing Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw to Kolpak deals, South Africa can console themselves with Russell Domingo’s assurance that offspinner Dane Piedt is not looking to go the same way.Piedt has lost ground to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj in South Africa’s Test plans and according to his agent Francois Brink was, “considering all options including Kolpak” a few weeks ago but Domingo denied that despite Brink saying that he had not stopped the search altogether.”He said by no means was he ever signing Kolpak,” Domingo said. “He said he felt Cricket South Africa (CSA) have been really good to him.”Piedt has played seven Tests between August 2014 and 2016, a period of time during which he also suffered a serious shoulder injury. He was out of action for several months but when he regained fitness was considered for national selection again and Domingo said Piedt was happy with the way he had been treated. “He was injured for a long period of time and we told him to go on an SA A tour, play well and then he will make it into the national side. He has done that,” Domingo said.But he has not stayed there, prompting suggestions he may look for opportunity elsewhere. Piedt was not picked for the tour to Australia last November – left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi also went ahead of him as the second spinner – and was not considered for the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, primarily because the selectors feel he is too inconsistent. His average of 36.04 is one measure of that, Maharaj’s ability to tie up an end is another – he has an economy rate of 2.81 – but Domingo stressed that Piedt understands why he was left out and what he needs to do to get back in.”He has done okay without setting the world alight and we just feel right now that Keshav is the guy that we are looking at. But he is very comfortable where he is.”Piedt was named interim captain of his franchise, Cobras, who have undergone an overhaul in the last week. Their season began with players calling for Paul Adams to be removed as coach because they were unhappy with his handling of the team but the board backed Adams. Cobras did not win any of their first five first-class fixtures and several players, including Piedt, were sent on loan to other franchises in the T20 campaign, where they fared slightly better. Piedt was given to Titans but only played two matches for them and that is when talk of his exit started.Cobras have since redeployed Adams to a role in high performance and appointed Ashwell Prince as caretaker coach. Piedt has returned, along with batsman Omphile Ramela, who was captaining the first-class side in the first half of the season, but has handed over the reins. As far as Domingo is concerned, Piedt’s focus remains on getting the franchise back on track and trying to stake a claim for an international recall.”He has got a good challenge with the Cobras captaincy and he knows he is one of three or four options for us in the spin bowling world. As far as I know, he is not signing Kolpak.”Piedt’s agent, though, has not had any firm communication to stop looking for a deal in the UK but admitted they were not having much luck anyway. “I haven’t spoken to him about what the effects of him being made captain at Cobras will have on his mindset but he hasn’t instructed me to stop looking,” Brink told ESPNcricinfo. “We haven’t had any enquiries in a while. He understands that it’s difficult for an offspinner to get a deal in England.”Should Piedt stay, that would be a victory for South Africa’s administrators, who recognised that he needed an incentive and provided one. But it is not a reason for them to stop searching for ways to prevent other players from leaving. Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association, joined Faf du Plessis in calling on CSA to provide more certainty – be it financial, contractual or something else – to the country’s players.”It’s disappointing to lose players of the calibre of Kyle and Rilee, but you can’t blame these players, or any of the Kolpak players, for going this route. They are going to environments where they believe they will be more secure in their careers,” Irish said. “The global cricket landscape offers alternative markets for players these days and this is a reality we must deal with. We need to look more critically at how we can make players more secure in the South African environment. This is not just about money but also about other issues that matter to players. Our top players are scarce resources in which CSA has invested and we have to look at a more effective retention strategy for them in South Africa.”

Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan have earned the right to decide when to leave the game, according to Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur.The senior batsmen were dismissed in the space of five overs on a rain-shortened first day of the Boxing Day Test, leaving Pakistan on 142 for 4 when play was stopped shortly before tea.Younis underwent a stern examination by Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird, the former thinking he had Younis lbw when he was on 3, only for the decision to be overturned on review. Another lbw appeal four overs later was turned down, as Younis went through a 26-ball scoreless spell. He settled after the afternoon drinks break, only for Bird to find a gap through his defence to dismiss him for 21.Misbah fell to the same bowler, a brief 13-ball stay which was difficult to present as any kind of a form guide.The dismissals continued a run of low scores for both; Younis now averages 12.75 from his last eight innings and Misbah 22.43 from his last seven. Both have a solitary half-century in that run, and Younis’ did come in his last innings in Brisbane.Given their ages, however, pressure will mount quickly on both, especially if results do not go Pakistan’s way.”Only they would know [what the future holds],” Arthur said. “But we back them massively in the dressing room. That’s all I can say. Ultimately they will decide when they think the time is right.”But within our dressing room they are held in such high esteem and we back them every time they go out and play. There’s no doubt in our dressing room about Younis and Misbah.Younis Khan was bowled between bat and pad for 21 at the MCG•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Arthur said the pair had earned the right to go when they felt it was time. “One’s been an inspirational leader for the last six years and the other guy is closing in on 10,000 Test runs. They’ve earned the right in a massive way. And again the esteem they are held in within the dressing room is second to none.”The situation Pakistan want to avoid is both leaving at the same time. The conversation about Misbah’s future, in particular, has been going for some time. Though he has refused to be drawn on whether this is his last series, Pakistan are not scheduled to play another Test series until March next year, when they travel to the West Indies. Misbah will be nearly 43 then.Younis, 39, has not spoken of his future plans in any definitive sense. He has often expressed his ambition to become the first Pakistan batsman to 10,000 Test runs, a landmark that remains 235 runs away.Arthur said, in an ideal world, he would want them to stagger their exits so that the impact on younger batsmen in the side can be more carefully managed. The pair has had a significant influence on the progress on more junior partners, including Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq.”Yeah, I mean in an ideal world, you will,” Arthur said about staggering their exits. “But ultimately that decision rests with them. They’ve earned the right so if they want to continue, fantastic, because that’s what we want as a cricket team. If they don’t, we feel we are starting to make enough ground in terms of bringing other players through.”I want to reiterate there’s no doubt surrounding those two whatsoever. They are still model professionals and they train, they are fit, they practice and they are inspirational around the dressing room. The longer they can be around that dressing room the better it is for the Sami Aslams, the Babar Azams, the Azhar Alis, the Sharjeels, the young guys who are with us.”

Stephen Cook will be in the spotlight in the second Test against Australia in Hobart as the only South African batsman still to prove himself on this tour. Apart from Amla, Cook was the only other member of the line-up who did not get a score over 20 in the first Test in Perth. Fellow opener Dean Elgar believes Cook will be desperate to set that straight.”I’m sure if I was in that position I’d be a bit frustrated because as a player in this environment you want to make a contribution. And I know a guy who’s just started his international career wants to make a big play for South Africa,” Elgar said. “Everybody shares his frustrations. As his opening partner, I share his frustrations with him. I am frustrated on his behalf. Hopefully he can feed off the good form of us winning the first Test and make a big play for us in the second Test.”Cook’s problem is not so much the lack of runs as it is the method of dismissal. In the first innings, he fronted up to a hostile opening over from Mitchell Starc and was caught in the slips off the fourth ball. In the second, he lasted an hour and 13 minutes before pulling a bouncer to short midwicket.Starc exploited a weakness that has showed in Cook’s game throughout this tour. In the two warm-up matches before the series, too, Cook was dismissed caught behind, prompting work on his trigger movement and foot positioning. Neil McKenzie, South Africa’s batting consultant and a long-time team-mate of Cook’s at the Lions domestic franchise, worked with the opener on staying on the ball of his front foot, so that he would splay the foot, open the back hip and not get caught playing down the wrong line. Cook was unable to rectify that in time for Perth but is likely to get another chance in Hobart, despite the presence of Rilee Rossouw in the squad.Rossouw’s fine form in the one-day series at home against Australia – he scored 311 runs in five matches – earned him a spot in the Test touring party but it is unlikely he will play unless there is an injury. “Rilee is a different dynamic player. He’s a bit more of a middle-order player. He’s not really an opening batsman. His role is a lot different to Cookie,” Elgar said. “He will bring in another dynamic of aggression. That’s the way he approaches his cricket. I don’t think Rilee is going to be needed just yet.”Another option before South Africa is to push Quinton de Kock up and use Rossouw in the middle order but they may be wary of adding to de Kock’s workload or making a rash decision on Cook. The 33-year old waited more than a decade to play international cricket and has only played in four Tests. After a century on debut, he also scored fifty against New Zealand in August and is likely to be given a longer run to show what he can do.It helps that Elgar has cemented himself in the role and has graduated to some level of seniority. No longer seen as the new kid, he has even earned the respect of the Australia side after his Perth hundred. Josh Hazlewood called him “a bit of a grinder and very patient” and put him in the category of batsmen whose wicket you have to work for. Elgar will take that. “That’s just my nature, to try and irritate the opposition. I’m not practising it. It just comes naturally,” he said. “If that’s the way they feel about it, it’s not a bad thing.”