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Royals are grappling with the form of Rahane and their pace attack; Knight Riders are flying high after their Bengaluru conquest

The Preview by Sreshth Shah06-Apr-20197:24

Tait: Royals have to find room for Turner

Big picture

Rajasthan Royals can once again start to believe, having opened their account this season. The bad news is they will run into a side with the ability to chase down any total.The visiting Kolkata Knight Riders handed Royals three defeats last season. Less than 48 hours after their Bengaluru conquest, they’ll step into the Sawai Mansingh Stadium looking to occupy the top spot in the points table. The presence of Andre Russell, who has scored 207 runs off 77 deliveries this season, adds to an air of intimidation around them.Their seam bowling, however, remains a concern. Their economy (10.00) is the highest among all teams this season and their average of 1.75 wickets per game the lowest. Harry Gurney, the left-arm T20 specialist, could get a look-in instead of Lockie Ferguson, but Knight Riders are known to be frugal with their changes.

Form guide

Rajasthan Royals: Beat Royal Challengers by 7 wickets, lost to Super Kings by 8 runs, lost to Sunrisers by 5 wickets (recent matches first)
Knight Riders: Beat Royal Challengers by 5 wickets, lost to Capitals via Super Over, beat Kings XI by 28 runs

Royals, though, have their own problems in the pace department. Their highest-paid player, Jaydev Unadkat, was benched for their last game, but his replacement Varun Aaron went for 16 in his only over. Their pace-bowlers’ economy of 9.98 is second only to their opponents and they don’t quite possess the quality of spin Knight Riders have.K Gowtham has been off-colour, and while Shreyas Gopal’s three-wicket haul from the last match does infuse some confidence, they’re up against an Indian middle order who have chipped in adequately for Knight Riders.If Royals win the toss, they’d be better off chasing. The only game Knight Riders have lost is while batting first, where they failed to gauge a good-enough total despite Andre Russell’s half-century. Royals’ win over Royal Challengers Bangalore showed that everyone in their top order – barring captain Ajinkya Rahane – is in solid touch. Samson’s availability could give them a lift.Dhawal Kulkarni and K Gowtham celebrate Kedar Jadhav’s dismissal•Getty Images

Eventually, Royals’ chances depend on whether they can hold their nerves in the big moments. Their three losses so far could’ve all easily been wins on different days, and if they’ve followed Knight Riders’ games against the other teams, they’ll know one missed opportunity could cost them the contest.

In the news

Ashton Turner joined the Royals last week, and could be match-ready after a few days of acclimatisation. There are still question marks over Samson’s availability. For Knight Riders, their first XI remains fit, especially after their five-day break before the Bangalore game.

Previous meeting

They met in the Eliminator last year, where Knight Riders recovered from 51 for 4 on the back of rapid knocks from Russell (49*) and Dinesh Karthik (52) to post 169. After that, Knight Riders cut the boundaries with the ball, with Royals falling 25 short despite losing only four wickets.

Likely XI

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler (wk), 2 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Rahul Tripathi, 7 K Gowtham, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Shreyas GopalKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Chris Lynn, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Shubman Gill, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk, capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harry Gurney, 11 Prasidh Krishna

Strategy punt

• Rahul Tripathi could be used by Royals as a floater, even batting as high as No. 3. He scores at a strike-rate of 166.67 against Sunil Narine, 242.90 against Kuldeep Yadav and 285.70 against Prasidh Krishna, and been out only once to either of them. The reason he shouldn’t open is his two dismissals in seven deliveries to Knight Riders’ new-ball spinner Piyush Chawla.
• Shreyas Gopal should be conserved for Nitish Rana. The left-handed batsman has scored at a strike-rate of 159.43 this season, but at only 88.50 against right-arm legbreak. He’s been out to legspinners thrice already. Gopal could also be used at the death; he’s conceded only 14 runs in 19 balls between overs 16-20, at an astonishing economy of 4.40.

Stats and trivia

• Among all batsmen since IPL 2018, Ben Stokes has the lowest batting average, has hit the least number of boundaries (27), and at 14.3 deliveries lasts the least number of balls per innings (minimum 200 balls)
• Between overs 7-15 this season, Nitish Rana has scored the most runs (136) by any batsman and has the second-highest strike-rate (170). Only Chris Gayle (209) scores faster in the middle overs.

South African seamer should be available for seven County Championship matches and entire Royal London campaign.

George Dobell21-Feb-2018Derbyshire have signed Duanne Olivier as an overseas player for the first half of the 2018 season.The 25-year-old South African seamer should, subject to final clearance from Cricket South Africa, be available for the county’s first seven County Championship matches and the entire Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.”We identified new-ball bowling as an area we wanted to strengthen, especially for the first half of the season in red- and white-ball cricket,” Cricket Advisor, Kim Barnett said. “He is a tall, quick bowler who is keen to prove himself and he will give us another quality option with the ball. He comes highly recommended and will offer further depth to our seam attack.”While Olivier has struggled to command a settled place in the South Africa side – a reflection, in part, of their depth of seam bowling talent – he has played five Tests and claimed his 17 wickets at an impressive average of just 23.11 apiece. His first-class record – he has taken 284 wickets at an average of 22.04 – is excellent and, while he is still learning his trade in white-ball cricket, he has claimed the two best List A figures of his career this year.”I’m looking forward to joining up with Derbyshire and getting straight into bowling overs and contributing to success for the club,” Olivier said. “The club is clear in its drive to keep improving and I’m excited to be a part of an ambitious dressing room. There is a strong bowling attack at the club and I hope to play my part, both on and off the field.”Derbyshire have previously announced the signing of Mitchell Santner as an overseas player for the T20 competition and the second half of the Championship campaign and the release of several young players.

Weekend rain had seeped through the covers and rendered the practice pitches unusable and there is a chance both teams’ training sessions on Tuesday will be affected

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Firdose Moonda09-Jan-2017Sri Lanka were forced to train indoors at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday, after weekend rains had seeped through the covers and made the outdoor practice pitches unusable.Though there was no rain, overcast conditions did little to aid the drying of the surfaces on Monday, and there is a chance both teams’ training will be affected on Tuesday as well. The South Africa squad does not officially convene till Tuesday, and as such, have not trained yet in Johannesburg.”Our guys are working on it,” Greg Fredericks, CEO of the Lions, the franchise based at the Wanderers, told ESPNcricinfo. “We had a lot of rain from Friday and through the weekend but we are doing our best.”Groundstaff did provide a centre track for Sri Lanka’s bowlers to train on – no one batted there – and will also aim to provide one for South Africa on Tuesday. Additionally it is hoped one of the practice pitches will have dried sufficiently to conduct a nets session on.Sri Lanka were briefly dismayed at the prospect of training indoors on surfaces they felt may be slower than the outdoor practice pitches, and indeed the Test-match surface. But after talking to groundstaff they are hopeful facilities will improve in the approach to the game.

New Zealand retained the out-of-form duo of Martin Guptill and Mark Craig as they pruned their Test squad from 16 to 12 for the two-match home series against Sri Lanka that begins on December 10

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2015New Zealand retained the out-of-form duo of Martin Guptill and Mark Craig as they pruned their Test squad from 16 to 12 for the two-match home series against Sri Lanka that begins on December 10. Opening the batting on their just-concluded tour of Australia, Guptill made a highest score of 23 in his six Test innings, while the offspinner Craig picked up eight wickets at an average of 64.12 while conceding more than five runs an over.Out of the squad that toured Australia, New Zealand left out fast bowlers Matt Henry and Mitchell McClenaghan, back-up wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi and back-up opener Hamish Rutherford. Allrounders Corey Anderson and James Neesham, who are both nursing back injuries, were not available for selection.”Mark and Martin didn’t perform to the level they would have liked over in Australia, but both have shown in the past what they’re capable of and we’re confident they’ll make valuable contributions in the upcoming series,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said.Left-arm seamer Neil Wagner and allrounder Mitchell Santner, who made his debut during the day-night Test in Adelaide, also kept their places in the squad. Wagner didn’t play any of the Tests in Australia, but picked-up a five-wicket haul in a tour game against a Western Australia XI.”The level of composure Mitchell showed on debut was very impressive and he certainly displayed how exciting a player he is with both the bat and ball,” Hesson said. “His ability to bat in the top six and bowl good overs gives us options and assists the team balance. We’re looking forward to watching Mitchell’s continued development. Neil impressed in Australia and not only showed that he’ll run in hard all day, but was swinging the ball again.”Wagner has also been included in the New Zealand Board President’s XI, which will take on the Sri Lankans in a three-day warm-up match that begins on December 3.Test squad Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane WilliamsonPresident’s XI: Ryan McCone (capt), James Baker, Joe Carter, Joel Harden, Shawn Hicks, Tim Johnston, Ken McClure, Matt McEwan, Glenn Phillips, Bharat Popli, Ben Smith, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner

Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen made a defiant half-century but late wickets put Sussex in charge after Shivnarine Chanderpaul went cheaply on his 300th first-class appearance.

15-May-2013
ScorecardWayne Madsen made a valuable half-century•Getty Images

Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen made a defiant half-century but late wickets put Sussex in charge after Shivnarine Chanderpaul went cheaply on his 300th first-class appearance.Chanderpaul struggled for 87 minutes for 20 before he fell to Australian paceman Steve Magoffin, who took 2 for 37, and with Madsen falling for 63 just before stumps, Derbyshire were 158 for 6 at the end of a day when 40 overs were lost to the weather.After so much rain overnight and during the morning, it was no surprise when Sussex captain Ed Joyce put Derbyshire in on a green pitch after Madsen lost the toss for the sixth time this season. There was bad news for the home side before a ball had been bowled, with key batsman Wes Durston ruled out with a back injury, while Magoffin returned to the Sussex side after missing the previous game with a sore knee.The overcast conditions and the appearance of the pitch suggested it was a good toss to win but Sussex tended to bowl too short against a team that had lost three of their previous four Championship matches and were bottom of Division One.Billy Godleman twice drove Anyon straight and through the covers for four and Chesney Hughes hooked him over square leg and into a communal garden but both openers also left the ball well until Hughes tried to drive Magoffin and edged high to third slip, where Joyce took a sharp catch above his head.Madsen joined Godleman and they took the total to 71 before Godleman lost patience and chased a wide ball from Chris Jordan and Luke Wells at second slip made no mistake.With Durston missing, even more rested on Chanderpaul who joined Madsen to take Derbyshire to 94 for 2 at tea but it was hard work against an attack which had found a more consistent line. After a brief stoppage for rain, Anyon had a loud appeal for a catch behind against Chanderpaul turned down and he star also played and missed several times at Magoffin.But it was Magoffin who got the wicket Sussex most wanted when Chanderpaul drove tamely to substitute fielder Andy Miller at short extra-cover.Dan Redfern took a painful blow in the box from Anyon and two balls later he was lbw playing across the line to leave his team in trouble on 128 for 4. It was important for Derbyshire that Madsen remained but he got a vicious lifter from Jordan and was caught behind after 196 minutes at the crease. Monty Panesar then trapped nightwatchman Ally Evans lbw with what was the last ball of a day that had swung Sussex’s way.

Sachin Tendulkar has scored his 100th international century, in India’s Asia Cup ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur

Siddarth Ravindran at the Shere Bangla Stadium16-Mar-2012Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to make a 100 international centuries, getting to the milestone against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla stadium in Mirpur at 5:05pm local time on March 16, 2012. It ended a year-long wait for one of the most discussed landmarks in cricket history, and was his first ODI hundred against Bangladesh, completing his set of centuries against every Full Member country in both Tests and ODIs.He reached the 100th hundred in the 44th over with a nudge behind square leg, one of his favoured strokes to reach a century. Despite the huge amount of hype surrounding the landmark, which has shown little sign of abating during the prolonged wait, there was no over-the-top celebration. The helmet came off and there was a wave of the bat, he looked up at the sky, as he usually does on reaching a hundred, and he acknowledged his team-mates by raising his helmet towards the dressing room. Several of the Bangladesh fielders congratulated him, even as the decibel-level in the packed stadium reached new highs.It was not one of Tendulkar’s most swashbuckling innings, more about efficient accumulation early on, before slowing down further as he neared the century, finally completing it off 138 deliveries. Tendulkar’s achievement might have come against one of the weaker teams and in the league game of a low-key competition, but he still had to brave a raucous and partisan crowd. Once he reached the eighties, every dot ball he faced was loudly cheered. The Bangladeshi chant expressing displeasure, Bhua bhua, also rang out from sections of the stadium as he batted.The stadium had been less than half-full when the match started, but as Tendulkar’s innings progressed, more and more people came in and by the time he completed his hundred there weren’t too many empty seats. There were frantic phone calls from reporters in the press box, back to their bosses, discussing long-ready tribute packages and whether the innings should replace the national budget as the front-page lead.Unusually cautious play from Tendulkar suggested the weight of the coming milestone was affecting him. The holiday crowd, excited at the prospect of a terrific “I was there” anecdote to boast about, was egged on further by an enthusiastic DJ. He belted out several local hits, and that familiar background sound at the cricket these days, the bugle, ensured the stadium was a cauldron of noise.The Mexican wave made its way around the ground, and the bouncing fans were rarely more thrilled than in the 34th over, a maiden by Mashrafe Mortaza. First, Tendulkar had to scramble back after attempting a single to mid-off, then a solid push towards mid-on went straight to the fielder before a slash landed just short of backward point. Sensing the batsman’s discomfort, and possible nervousness, the crowd amplified the pressure with loud roars of approval after every delivery. He was nearly run out soon after, trying to pinch a single to backward point.A lofted drive over extra cover in the 40th over and several singles took him to 99, which was when the crowd began to support Tendulkar, standing up and cheering in anticipation. Though India were past 200 with only two wickets down, Bangladesh tried to stifle Tendulkar by keeping seven fielders in the circle. The single to square leg finally brought up another mark of the longevity of the man who already has the most runs and has played the most matches in Tests and ODIs.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

The Warriors and the Cobras have the advantage after the first leg of the Pro20 semi-finals after both teams won their matches on their home grounds

Firdose Moonda28-Feb-2011The Warriors and the Cobras have the advantage after the first leg of the Pro20 semi-finals after both teams won their matches on their home grounds.In Port Elizabeth, the Warriors restricted the Dolphins to 128 for 5. Rusty Theron and Makhaya Ntini strangled the Dolphins top order, allowing only 18 runs to be scored in the first five overs and with that control from them came frustration for the opposition.Loots Bosman, Devon Conway and David Miller all fell to Ntini as the Dolphins were reduced to 29 for 3 in the Powerplay. Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Ahmed Amla shared a 63-run fourth wicket stand to keep their team above water. Both scored at more than a run a ball, with Amla hanging around to bring up a half century. Justin Kreusch and Nicky Boje kept a stranglehold during the middle overs to ensure that the Dolphins only posted an average score.Yasir Arafat gave the visitors an early wicket when he had Ashwell Prince trapped lbw for 5, but he went on to bowl costly overs to concede 41 runs in 23 balls. Although the Dolphins attack, and Jon Kent in particular, kept making dents in the Warriors batting, they needed a little more to defend. Davy Jacobs made 27, Mark Boucher hit 20 and 22 off eight balls from Craig Thyssen saw the Warriors canter to victory with more than over to spare.The Cobras also had a relatively uneventful chase against the Titans on Sunday, after bowling first and keeping the Titans to 141 for 6. The Titans innings was not a disaster by any description but not one of their batsmen managed anything more than a start. Jacques Rudolph and Henry Davids with 20 and 24 respectively laid a good platform but it was only built on slightly. Albie Morkel’s 25 off 18 balls added some impetus at the end. Michael Rippon was the only Cobras bowler who conceded less than six runs and over.Richard Levi and Herschelle Gibbs virtually ended the contest with the first-wicket stand of 72 in seven overs. Half the job was done with plenty of time left. Levi fell to Davids but Owais Shah joined Gibbs with an attitude of equal intent. Roelof van der Merwe was the bowler to suffer as his three overs cost 40. When Gibbs departed, Justin Ontong finished the job with Shah.The second legs will be played next week in Durban and Centurion.Bowler of the week: He is rolling back the years with each game, getting better and better as the competition goes on and earns this award for the second week in succession. Makhaya Ntini tore through the Dolphins top order and helped set up the victory for the Warriors.Batsman of the week: Also a blast from the past, Herschelle Gibbs had yet to produce an innings of authority in this season’s campaign but he did it at the right time. His 54 off 42 balls was well paced and as he performed the role of both anchor and the aggressor for his team.

Brett Lee is gearing up for the IPL which starts on March 12 and regards the tournament as the first step towards making the Australian team for the World Twenty20 and the ODI World Cup in 2011

Cricinfo staff02-Mar-2010Brett Lee, who retired from Test cricket last month, is gearing up for the IPL which starts on March 12 and regards the tournament as the first step towards making the Australian team for the World Twenty20 and the ODI World Cup in 2011. Lee had missed the entire Australian summer due to an elbow injury, but is confident of returning to full fitness during the course of the IPL.”I’ve been working very, very closely with Patrick Farhart — he’s been my physio for 16 years — and he’s happy with the way it’s progressing,” Lee, who has been named in Australia’s 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20, told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I’m looking to be up to full pace within a couple of weeks.”Lee added his retirement from Tests had not diluted his ambitions, for he had much to achieve in the limited-overs format. “It was . . . a lifestyle choice through having a young son. I don’t want to be away 11 months of the year,” Lee said, speaking from Dubai at the opening of a training centre for the Kings XI Punjab franchise. “There are many things I want to achieve in the shorter form of the game. One, the Twenty20 World cup for Australia; and two, the 50-over World Cup for Australia in India. I want to be a part of that.”Lee played four matches in the IPL’s inaugural edition, taking four wickets at 28 and followed that up with five wickets in five matches the next year, at 22.20. He was more successful in the Champions League Twenty20. His all-round effort in the final against Trinidad and Tobago won New South Wales the competition, and he was also named Player of the Tournament. The experience of recovering well from injury and succeeding at the highest level, Lee said, was reason to be confident of a strong comeback in the IPL.”Just like anything, experience [matters],” Lee said. “Unfortunately or fortunately — whichever way you look at it — I’ve had a few operations now so I really know what you’ve got to do after it. If it was the first one then I’d be a little bit nervous but I’ve been through it before so I know what I have to do. It doesn’t make it [physically] any easier but it just makes the mental side of things a little bit more relaxed.”In the event of a failure to return to his desired level of fitness during the IPL, Lee said he would opt out of the World Twenty20 but added the possibility was unlikely. “You’ve got to be bowling well and bowling fast. If I can’t get back and bowl the way I want to, whether it’s through [bowling with] pace or through pain, I won’t play. But I don’t think that will be the case, I’m confident my body will stand up to it,” he said.”I’ve got nothing to prove, I’m no out there to prove that I’m bigger and better than ever. I’m just going to keep trying to bowl quick and if I can do the business on the field and still enjoy my cricket that will make me very proud.”

Jitesh Sharma will lead PBKS, who have only two overseas players available

Hemant Brar18-May-2024

Match details

Sunrisers Hyderabad (third) vs Punjab Kings (ninth)
Hyderabad, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)

Big picture – SRH, rusty or rejuvenated?

A washout in their last game against Gujarat Titans means SRH are no longer in control of their fate. Even if they win against PBKS on Sunday afternoon, a top-two finish is not guaranteed. For that to happen, Rajasthan Royals will have to lose against Kolkata Knight Riders later in the day.Before the GT game, SRH’s previous outing was on May 8, against Lucknow Super Giants, when they chased down 166 inside ten overs. That means they will be in action after a gap of ten days. It needs to be seen if they will be rusty or rejuvenated.PBKS were ruled out of the playoffs race long back, and most of their overseas players have returned home for various reasons. Kagiso Rabada left with an infection in his lower limb; Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow and Sikandar Raza for national duties; Chris Woakes for family reasons.Jitesh Sharma, who will lead the side on Sunday, has only two overseas players available: Rilee Rossouw and Nathan Ellis. With nothing to lose, this opens up an opportunity for domestic players to make an impression.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Punjab Kings WLLWW

Previous meeting

When these two sides met earlier in the season, SRH found themselves on 39 for 3 inside the powerplay after being sent in. But Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 64 off 37 balls lifted them to 182 for 9. In response, PBKS also suffered a collapse before Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma revived them. Eventually, they fell short by two runs.

Team news and impact player strategy

Sunrisers HyderabadWill SRH bring back Aiden Markram for Sri Lankan legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth? Without Markram, the batting looks a bit thin but Viyaskanth impressed with figures of 4-0-27-0 against LSG. Another option is to draft in either Mayank Agarwal or Rahul Tripathi for allrounder Sanvir Singh.Abhishek Sharma could be their Impact Player if they bowl first and T Natarajan if they bat.Probable XII 1 Travis Head, 2 , 3 Mayank Agarwal/Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, 12 Punjab KingsIn the absence of Curran and Bairstow, Rishi Dhawan and Atharva Taide could get a chance. Prabhsimran Singh and Arshdeep Singh are likely to be their Impact Player options.Probable XII 1 , 2 Atharva Taide, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Shashank Singh, 5 Jitesh Sharma (capt, wk), 6 Ashutosh Sharma, 7 Rishi Dhawan, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Rahul Chahar, 12

In the spotlight – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel

Bhuvneshwar Kumar started IPL 2024 with figures of 0 for 51 and 0 for 53. A few games later, he had 0 for 60 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But after just four wickets in the first eight games, he has picked up seven in the last four. As usual, he has been at his best in the powerplay – ten of his 11 wickets have come in this phase, the most for any bowler this season.Harshal Patel has turned it around after a poor start to the season•BCCI

Harshal Patel, too, did not have a great start to the season. He went for 44 or more in each of his first four games. But after that, he turned it around and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the season with 22 scalps. His economy has also come down to 9.51. With Rabada and Curran unavailable, he will have to shoulder extra responsibility if PBKS are to end on a positive note.

Stats that matter

• Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Prabhsimran three times in 11 balls while conceding only 15 runs.
• Rossouw has scored only five runs in ten balls (no dismissal) against Bhuvneshwar and 14 runs in 12 balls (one dismissal) against Pat Cummins.
• Abhishek has hit Arshdeep for 34 runs off 23 balls without getting out even once.
• Harshal has dismissed Heinrich Klaasen three times in 30 balls while giving away only 38 runs.
• Reddy has enjoyed batting against Harpreet Brar: 38 runs in 16 balls, no dismissal.

Pitch and conditions

Hyderabad has been a high-scoring venue this IPL, with an average first-innings score of 203. Only the Arun Jaitely Satdium (10.69) has seen a higher run rate than Hyderabad’s 9.94. However, the weather could play spoilsport once again as there is a 30% chance of rain.

Quotes

“I am someone who is never happy [with his performance] but I love it when the team wins. I agree I have been a bit up and down but my intent was very good, my intention was very good. I think I had good learnings this year and because now I have seen this phase, it’s better for me in future.”

The Pakistan board is still searching for a coach to take over from Saqlain Mushtaq

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2023Mickey Arthur will not be returning to Pakistan cricket, after talks with the PCB failed to find a way to make any arrangement work. The PCB had been in discussions with Arthur for a new stint as head coach over the last few weeks. But the PCB announced on Tuesday that Arthur’s long-term contract with Derbyshire meant he couldn’t take the head coach role right away. Both sides had conversations over a looser, consultancy role but the PCB said that proved “difficult to materialise for various reasons on both sides.”The PCB said they would continue their search for a coach to replace the incumbent Saqlain Mushtaq, whose contract runs out at the end of February. Saqlain has been coach of the side since September 2021 and has seen Pakistan reach the semi-finals and then final of two successive T20 World Cups. But a poor home season, especially in Tests, has increased scrutiny on his impact. With a new board regime in charge under Najam Sethi and keen to stamp their authority on the team, Saqlain’s time is effectively up.An Arthur return would’ve been a popular one, at least within the team where a number of current players blossomed during his first stint from 2016 to 2019. It was Arthur’s faith in and work with current captain Babar Azam that proved instrumental in his subsequent rise. A number of other key players, including Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed all flourished during Arthur’s tenure. Under his charge Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy and also reached the No. 1 position on ICC’s T20I rankings; in the first Test series he took charge in, Pakistan became the top-ranked Test side as well (though much of the work to that rise had occurred before he took over).But he was replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq, who had been captain under Arthur’s coaching, after Pakistan’s fifth-place finish at the 2019 ODI World Cup. They narrowly failed to make the semi-finals, despite a stirring turnaround after a heavy early loss.On December 27, ESPNcricinfo reported that Sethi, in effect the head of the current administration was in talks with Arthur over returning to his previous job. Arthur was previously coach during Sethi’s previous stint. Both sides, it is believed, tried hard to find a way through especially with a consultancy role, with a schedule drawn out as to how such a role might work around Arthur’s four-year deal with Derbyshire.The PCB said that “some top names are in consideration” as they continue their search.