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England are supposed to arrive in South Africa on November 17 and will spend 10 days in quarantine

Firdose Moonda16-Oct-2020Cricket South Africa (CSA) are waiting on the home affairs ministry to give the England squad permission to enter the country for three ODIs and three T20Is in November-December. South Africa is still in a “state of disaster,” in response to the coronavirus pandemic and is currently at the most lenient stage of lockdown – stage 1 of 5 – which means most activity has been able to resume and borders are open in limited capacity. Anyone who wants to enter the country requires a rubber stamp from home affairs with particular focus on those from high-risk countries, which include the United Kingdom.”We have received the request from Cricket South Africa but it has not been processed yet,” Siya Qoya, a spokesperson from the ministry of home affairs told ESPNcricinfo. “We will communicate with CSA once a decision has been finalised.”Qoya confirmed that decisions “do not take too long” to be made and that some individuals from high-risk countries have been allowed into South Africa. Should approval be given, England will arrive in South Africa on November 17 and will spend 10 days quarantined at a hotel in Cape Town, while being able to train at Newlands. The South African squad will stay in the same hotel – creating a bio-bubble – with matches to be played at Newlands and Boland Park in Paarl, behind closed doors.The series will be the first for the South African men’s national team since they returned home from India in March, when the coronavirus pandemic hit. They have had series in Sri Lanka and West Indies postponed and have been unable to host India for three T20Is, which would have provided CSA with a much-needed financial shot in the arm. For now, the England tour will fill the gap, with CSA estimated to earn R70 million (US$4.2 milllion) from the series. CSA are expected to pay for all accommodation and transport fees for a touring party of about 50 members, the ECB have agreed to carry the costs of a charter flight.If the England series is given the go-ahead, it will take place under the cloud of sports minister Nathi Mthethwa’s intent to intervene in CSA’s affairs unless CSA can provide him with a reason not to by October 27. On Wednesday, Mthethwa issued a statement in which he said he had been left no choice but to act according to the National Sports and Recreation Act on allegations of mismanagement, because CSA had refused to comply with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee’s (SASCOC) request for the board and executive to stand down while an investigation is held. Mthethwa has the power to no longer recognise CSA as the governing body for cricket in South Africa. CSA have been in administrative crisis throughout 2020, and are currently operating under an acting CEO, an acting president and postponed their AGM from September to December.Apart from the England tour, no other international fixtures are confirmed for the season. Domestic cricket in South Africa is set to get underway on November 2, but the schedule has been reduced as a cost-cutting measure. The six franchises will only play seven first-class matches (instead of their usual 10) and a single-round T20 tournament (rather than matches home and away), with the Mzansi Super League cancelled for this summer.

Glamorgan stay in line for promotion as Worcestershire resist the chase

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2019Glamorgan 449 and 246 for 5 dec (Labuschagne 100, Selman 58) drew with Worcestershire 370 (D’Oliveira 103) and 143 for 1 (Ferguson 70*, Mitchell 64*)Marnus Labuschagne soon reached the ten runs he needed for his second century of the match and fifth of the Championship season, but Glamorgan’s meeting with Worcestershire crawled to a draw as the visitors made no attempt to chase down their target of 326 in 66 overs at Sophia Gardens.Worcestershire ended on 143 for 1 in glorious sunshine. Ever since the first morning when Joe Leach inserted Glamorgan, his team were on the back foot and, apart from Brett D’Oiveira’s splendid all-round performance, his team lacked confidence and will need to improve if they have any hopes of a return to Division One after this season.At tea, the visitors needed a further 219 from the remaining 34 overs, and with Glamorgan employing attacking fields and the explosive Rikki Wessels next in, there were hopes that Worcestershire might have a go, but the tactics remained unchanged and the supporters – some from over the border – began to drift away disappointed with what they had seen.Glamorgan had added 109 runs during the morning session and were 325 runs ahead at lunch when David Lloyd declared.Labuschagne failed to add to his hundred when he swept D’Oiveira to deep square leg, and after Nick Selman had completed two fifties in the game, and Lloyd went for 12, Dan Douthwaite struck a brisk 40 before departing shortly before lunch.Worcestershire lost Josh Dell for 1 in Lukas CareGlamorgan Head Coach Matthew Maynard said “I thought it was an excellent cricket wicket although it didn’t break up as much as I thought it would. I thought we had a chance, but Worcestershire weren’t interested which was a bit surprising as they had some quality batsmen to come.With five championship games to go we stand a good chance of promotion, but after Middlesex it will be all T20, and after that back to red ball cricket”.y’s second over, but Daryl Mitchell and Callum Ferguson soon settled into their productive partnership against a Glamorgan attack that had minimal assistance from a placid pitch.Ferguson reached his fifty from 75 balls, but Mitchell failed to show any attacking intent and faced 24 more balls than his partner to reach a painstaking fifty.Glamorgan gained 13 points from the game to remain unbeaten and stay in contention at the top of Division Two, while Worcestershire took 10 points ahead of next week’s game against Derbyshire at Kidderminster.Glamorgan head coach Matthew Maynard said: “I thought it was an excellent cricket wicket although it didn’t break up as much as I thought it would. I thought we had a chance, but Worcestershire weren’t interested, which was a bit surprising as they had some quality batsmen to come. With five Championship games to go we stand a good chance of promotion.”

Muslim Uddin’s camp for women cricketers in Bogra, run out of a toilet converted into an office and storeroom, has produced international cricketers such as Khadija Tul Kubra, Ritu Moni and Sharmin Akhter

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2018A local coach has found an innovative way to deal with the lack of funds and support for women’s cricket in Bangladesh. Muslim Uddin, who runs a training camp at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, a district town situated 200km north of Dhaka, has settled upon a toilet in the stadium to be his office and equipment storeroom.Muslim, an assistant coach under the Bogra Sports Association, has been running this camp for the last 11 years. The camp was initially backed by the district women’s sports body but after they pulled out of the programme, such was his commitment that he continued the training camp on his own volition. And with some success too – he has so far produced international cricketers such as Khadija Tul Kubra, Ritu Moni and Sharmin Akhter.Women’s cricket is still in its nascent stages in Bangladesh, with only a handful of districts like Bogra, Khulna, Rangpur, Gaibandha and Jessore thought to be serious about it. Dhaka, the capital, also has a few women’s cricket training academies. Bogra stands out, mainly because of Muslim.The toilet, as described in a report earlier this week, is about 35-40 square feet in area. It has three stalls and a couple of sinks and mirrors. Bats, balls, stumps, nets and pads rest on top of the toilet seats while a vase adorns the flush tank. Pictures of cricketers hang on the wall. The sink is filled with cricket balls.”We had another room which we had to give up,” Muslim told . “I asked for this toilet as it wasn’t being used. My players and I really did a good job organising this room. We have been keeping our things here for the last three years.”Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, BCB’s high performance manager now in charge of women’s cricket, said characters like Muslim were making a difference in the development of women’s cricket in Bangladesh.”I know Muslim personally,” he said. “Thankfully, he is not externally motivated, but internally motivated. He is happy at seeing his players develop into club-level and international-level cricketers.”Habibul Bashar, the Bangladesh selector who was on duty in Bogra during a first-class match last week, said Muslim’s ingenuity at making catching bats and nets and other equipment for batting training was impressive.”What he has so thoughtfully produced is very useful,” Bashar said. “I am surprised to see that these can be made locally. I don’t see much of a difference between what he has made and what the international teams even use.”It is estimated that currently around 300 female players take part in at least some training at all levels in Bangladesh, with 22 clubs in Dhaka running a two-tier league system. The BCB also has an eight-team division-level competition, and is now hoping to begin an Under-18 programme at the division level to create a pathway for budding cricketers.

England eased to a 117-run victory in their first warm-up match in West Indies, but the batting was more impressive than the bowling

George Dobell in St Kitts25-Feb-2017
ScorecardBen Stokes was in the runs, but the bowling wasn’t quite so successful•Getty Images

What a great leveller this game can be.A few days after becoming the most expensive overseas player in the IPL’s history, Ben Stokes saw his only complete over of England’s first warm-up match in St Kitts thrashed for 23 by a 20-year-old playing only his eighth List A game.To be fair to Stokes, who had earlier made a half-century, the 20-year-old is some talent. Shimron Hetmyer, the former captain of the West Indies side that won the Under-19 World Cup, timed the ball beautifully and, having clipped Stokes’ first ball for six over square leg, laced a couple of boundaries through the off side before finishing the over with a pull over mid-wicket for another six. Two wides and a no-ball completed the picture and meant that, at that stage, Stokes’ last 10 deliveries in an England shirt against Caribbean opposition – going back to Carlos Braithwaite’s four sixes – had cost an eye-watering 47 runs.Under normal circumstances, none of this would warrant much attention. Even the best endure bad days, after all, and warm-up days like this exist to help brush off the rust. All recent evidence suggests that, come the big occasion, Stokes will be the man England rely upon.But coming, as it did, a few days after Stokes’ auction success, it demonstrated the pressure that he will be under every time he steps on to a pitch these days. He can no longer be considered a promising allrounder in the developmental stage of his career; he is a world star whose every move will be studied and followed. There will always be great expectation; there will always be scrutiny. His life has changed and it may not all be for the better.Still, with four of their top five making half-centuries and a final victory margin of 117 runs, Stokes’ tough over was a minor blip in a generally satisfactory day for England.It showed how far they had come since they last visited St Kitts. At that time, less than two years ago, they were still reeling in the aftermath of their wretched 2015 World Cup performance. During their match against a St Kitts Invitational XI, it was announced that Paul Downton, the managing director of the England teams, had been sacked and the coaching staff were informed, ominously as it transpired, there would be no further changes “while they were on tour.” Peter Moores was subsequently sacked the moment England returned.They are a much-changed white ball side now. It’s not just the personnel that is different, though the absence of the top run-scorer and wicket-taker in their ODI history (Ian Bell and James Anderson respectively) is notable, but that the mentality has changed. Remarkably, given how poorly they performed in the most recent global ODI event, several bookies make them favourites for the Champions Trophy to be played in June. It seemed unthinkable in April 2015.Chadwick Walton made 121 in the run chase•Getty Images

It’s not hard to see what their resurgence has been built upon. Their uncompromisingly aggressive batting helped them race to 239 for 2 at the 30-over mark here and, with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan well set, it appeared a world record List A score might be achievable. Only one side in history (Surrey against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007) have ever reached 450 in a List A game and there seemed every chance England could become the second.As it was, they scored a relatively modest 140 from the final 20 overs of the innings despite nearly 100 in the final 10. With the balls softer and the pitch slowing, timing the ball became more difficult and it took some muscular late hitting from Stokes, who was dropped three times in an innings that become more fluent as it progressed, and Liam Dawson to take them above 350.Still, with Jason Roy looking in sublime form – he did not field due to a hand bruised by a succession of tough fielding drills but is not a serious injury concern – and runs for Root and Morgan, England could be well satisfied with this work out for their batsmen.Only Sam Billings, who was brilliantly caught at point, and Jos Buttler, who played-on attempting to force the pace, missed out but both are likely to have another chance on Monday. Billings, in particular, probably needs to take every chance with Alex Hales potentially returning imminently.The bowling was less impressive. While Steven Finn, who had not taken a wicket in any form of cricket since September despite having racked up some air miles, all but ended the match as a contest with wickets from the second and fourth balls of the second over of University of West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s XI reply, there were times when Morgan seemed to lack the options required to stem the flow of runs.Not for the first time, the edge offered to the side by the extra pace of Mark Wood was sorely missed. Chris Woakes (rested) and David Willey (injured) were also missed, but it may be upon Wood’s seemingly fragile ankle that England’s Champions Trophy hopes rest.That the UWI side made over 250 was largely due to the excellence of Chadwick Walton. A good enough player to have represented West Indies in two Tests – albeit during the Floyd Reifer period of captaincy when the best players were unavailable due to a disagreement with the board – he was also part of a record Caribbean List A score only a couple of weeks ago when he made a century as Jamaica amassed 434 against Trinidad and Tobago in the Super 50 competition. He has played a few ODIs, too, and made it into a full strength Test squad as a reserve keeper.At one stage, he thrashed Dawson (who was otherwise admirably frugal) for three successive sixes, while Liam Plunkett was hit for the shot of the day: a straight driven six that thundered back over the bowler’s head.Such things will happen in limited-overs cricket. As Jermaine Levy, the latest man to concede 100 in a List A match, will tell you: modern white-ball cricket is very much a batsman’s game.

Women’s cricket will never lose its longer form components under James Sutherland’s watch, despite murmurings beneath him at Cricket Australia about exploiting the commercial gains of the inaugural WBBL by making the female game an exclusively Twenty20 af

Daniel Brettig24-Jan-20163:37

Brettig : Women cricket needs two format to be strong and vital

Women’s cricket will never lose its longer form components under James Sutherland’s watch, despite murmurings beneath him at Cricket Australia about exploiting the commercial gains of the inaugural WBBL by making the female game an exclusively Twenty20 affair.ESPNcricinfo has learned of discussions that open up the possibility of the 50-over and Test match formats being phased out altogether. There has been talk of phasing out the state-based Women’s National Cricket League after the 2017 World Cup, following on from previous discussions that the city-based WBBL teams should replace, not just complement, well established state identities.These ideas have not been taken to the ICC, nor are they on the table of other boards such as the ECB or BCCI. Nevertheless, they do represent the opinions of some senior CA executives, who have seen the commercial potential of the WBBL in grasping of an impressively strong television audience when aired on the Ten Network – pulling larger audiences than for the WNBA, among other global competitions.As chief executive of CA, Sutherland must balance commercial concerns with those of Australian cricket in total, and spoke out strongly in favour of retaining at least two formats for women when asked about the possibility of a T20-only future. Chief among his points was the value of the WNCL as a way to expose and develop the players who are now starring in the WBBL, the final of which is being played on Sunday afternoon at the MCG.”Our strategy does talk about the Twenty20 format being the most obvious vehicle to drive growth in the women’s game, participation and public interest, but at the same time we’re not at all interested in the concept of turning our back on the 50-over format,” Sutherland told ESPNcricinfo.”Domestic cricket is not just about learning who the champion team is, it’s about creating opportunities for people to develop as players so they can walk into international cricket and be able to cope with it. That development aspect is really important and we need to make sure the WNCL is a really strong and competitive environment for women in the one day format.”We see that it’s an integral part of the women’s game, it’s really important in terms of the development of skills, and also variety in terms of the way the women play, both at club level but also international level. We’re absolutely committed to two women’s formats of the game.”Australia’s female cricketers are overwhelmingly in favour of ensuring the WNCL keeps its place as the prime breeding ground for cricket talent, in much the same way as the Sheffield Shield underpins the men’s game. While it is unlikely that Test matches will expand beyond their current place as a single component of the multi-format Ashes, diversity of experience is viewed as essential to developing the best possible cricketers.Sutherland said there would be discussions about whether this season’s early finish of the state competition would be changed, and reiterated that there was no rush to push women’s cricket in the most commercially expedient directions. More important to him is growing the game as a popular option for women and girls.”We will reflect on this current summer, the first time we introduced the WBBL and had the WNCL earlier on, whether we’ve got the balance right in terms of the number of games – the balance between the two formats is something that we’ll review,” Sutherland said. “I’ve heard varying views and opinions on that, but we need to sit down in the cold, hard light of day and get some feedback and just work out how it has worked.”The BBL is starting to wash its face as a commercial proposition, but the strategy behind the men’s Big Bash League and the WBBL is very different. We don’t necessarily have short or even medium term aspirations for the WBBL to be a huge commercial proposition. The priority for us is all about demonstrating that cricket is a sport for girls too, and to send that message in a really positive and proactive way in the community to inspire girls to play the game.”Sutherland’s words echoed those of Belinda Clark, the manager of the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. “Our intention is to continue to support two formats of the game domestically,” she said last year when the WBBL was launched.”That means making sure the Women’s National Cricket League still has a really meaningful place in the women’s calendar. There’s a number of models put forward so far to make sure that Australian cricket remains really dominant in the one-day format as well as T20.”

Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar and Ben Stokes joined up with England’s squad for practice at Lord’s ahead of the second Test

George Dobell16-Jul-2013If Steven Finn required any reminder that his place in the England side was in jeopardy, he received it with the sight of Chris Tremlett joining the England squad for training at Lord’s on Tuesday.While Tremlett has not been called into the England squad, his appearance did underline his continuing interest to the selectors and was another step towards a potential return. Tremlett last played for England in the UAE in January 2012 but was forced home from that tour through injury. Since then he has twice undergone surgery and, after a modest start to the season with Surrey, has just started to bowl at something approaching his best form.Finn endured a chastening final day of the Trent Bridge Test. Trusted to bowl only 10 overs in Australia’s second innings – that is three fewer than James Anderson bowled in one spell on the final day – Finn was hit out of the attack in two overs on Sunday and missed a tricky, but potentially crucial, chance in the field.Monty Panesar, the Sussex left-arm spinner, and Ben Stokes, the Durham allrounder, also trained with the England squad on Tuesday, with Tremlett bowling Jonathan Trott in the nets. The nephew of Bermuda’s Dwayne Leverock, Kamau, who is currently playing with Horsham, was also involved.It might be wrong to read too much into the appearance of any of the three players. None of them are currently required by their county sides while others jostling for England places, the likes of Warwickshire’s Boyd Rankin and Kent’s James Tredwell, are currently involved in games. It was also an optional net, with only Finn, of the England bowlers utilised at Trent Bridge, opting to bowl.

The thousands who made their maiden trip to the brand new Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in the outskirts of Pune got their money’s worth as Pune Warriors pulled off a comprehensive 22-run win against Kings XI Punjab

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran08-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMarlon Samuels helped Pune Warriors post a competitive 166•AFP

The thousands who made their maiden trip to the brand new Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in the outskirts of Pune, proudly and loyally filling the stands with blue, got their money’s worth as Pune Warriors India pulled off a comprehensive win against a struggling Kings XI Punjab. It was an all-round performance, led by an 81-run partnership for the third wicket between Robin Uthappa and Marlon Samuels which set them to a competitive 166 before a combined bowling effort sealed the game.A score of 166 is normally considered slightly above par in these conditions, but Warriors made it a winning total by creating opportunities by sound ground fielding, effecting two early run-outs and not giving Kings XI any leeway. Warriors recorded their second win in as many games and now share the top spot with Rajasthan Royals.Warriors made the right move at the start, promoting the experienced Samuels to No.3. However, some circumspect running, and a subsequent run-out of an out-of-sorts Jesse Ryder gave Kings XI early control.Samuels combined well with Uthappa to boost the scoring after Warriors were 43 for 2 after seven overs. The eighth over went for ten runs and the 10th, bowled by the left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma, went for 13.With the more experienced Praveen and Dimitri Mascarenhas proving more difficult to score off with their restrictive stump-to-stump lines, also with the keeper up to the stumps, the pair took to Bipul. Both used their feet, clearing long-off for sixes, one of which just beat David Hussey’s desperate leap at the edge of the rope. The duo also studied the field well, using the pace of the ball to fetch a couple of boundaries off deft touches to third man, with the fielder within the circle.Uthappa fetched an audacious six, off one hand, over long-off but the bowler Harmeet Singh got the better of Samuels in the same over, bowling him off a slower delivery. Harmeet’s following over yielded just a run and the wicket of Callum Ferguson, but his next was bitter-sweet. After bowling Uthappa with another slower delivery, Harmeet had to be taken out of the attack for bowling two full tosses above waist height. Bipul completed the over, which produced three massive hits over the on-side thanks to Manish Pandey and Steven Smith.The 19th over produced 27 runs, and from that point, Kings XI found it hard to bounce back. The chase never took flight for a sustained period to threaten Warriors. The short of a length deliveries from Ashok Dinda and Ashish Nehra skidded off the surface, making strokeplay difficult. Smith’s fielding created the opportunities to derail the top order with two run-outs.Paul Valthaty sacrificed his wicket for the experienced Adam Gilchrist. Following an lbw appeal, the ball deflected to the off side but Gilchrist’s anxiety to get back on strike caused a communication mishap and Valthaty helplessly ambled out of his crease before the bails were broken at the non-striker’s end. The sacrifice didn’t help as Gilchrist himself was run-out the following over, failing to beat an agile pick-up and throw from Smith at short midwicket.Kings XI were poking around at 13 for 2 after five overs, with just one boundary. The drought had extended to 26 balls before Mandeep Singh cut Rahul Sharma to the deep point rope. However, even Mandeep failed to set a base and fell for 24, nicking Ryder to the keeper in an attempt to force the pace.Kings XI also lost the game tactically by not promoting Hussey, a batsman capable of turning a game. Hussey, Abhishek Nayar and Piyush Chawla all made starts, but the fact that none of the recognised batsmen scored more than 24 summed up what was a sorry batting performance. Late hitting by Bipul only reduced the margin of defeat.Edited by Abhishek Purohit

Chris Gayle has said that the way he had been treated by the WICB had left him with little choice but to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the 2011 IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2011Chris Gayle has said the way he had been treated by the West Indies board (WICB) had left him with little choice but to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the 2011 IPL and miss the home series against Pakistan. A day after the WICB said it was disappointed at how Gayle had handled the IPL issue, the batsman has hit back, claiming the board had not checked on his rehabilitation from injury after the World Cup, and that he had been “stunned” to learn from the media of his omission from the squads for the Twenty20 and the first two ODIs against Pakistan.In a hard-hitting interview with KLAS Sports, a radio station in Jamaica, Gayle also poured scorn on the role of the West Indies coach, Ottis Gibson, dismissing him as a “user”, and blaming him for wrecking the confidence of his fellow veteran batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan during the World Cup. “The coach messed up the man mentally,” he said. “The players were not in the right frame of mind. Sarwan was batting without a free mind. Players told me they lost confidence. A player speaks his mind in team meetings openly… The player said his piece… After that, he never play another World Cup match. But me talk with my mouth and me talk with my bat.””A group of players were selected for a training camp in Barbados, and I never got a call, nobody spoke to me, and I decided to leave it alone,” Gayle said. “I continued my training programme, and I came to find out via the media that a Twenty20 squad was announced, and a one-day international squad was announced, and I was stunned when I saw a big headline in the newspapers, ‘Gayle, Sarwan, Chanderpaul dropped’.”Gayle said no one from the WICB had contacted him before the squads had been named. “The only communication I have had with anyone connected with the WICB was when I sent a text message to (team physio) CJ Clark, and gave him an update about how I was doing,” he said. “I told him I was feeling good, the progress I was making; I was running, I was in the gym, and working. His only response was that he would send a fitness programme, which I did not receive until the IPL offer had presented itself.””I wanted to get back on track as quickly as possible. I wanted to play and represent West Indies. This was my ultimate goal, since I did not have a contract, but I was forced into this decision because teams were picked, I was not informed about what was happening, and I did not know what the future would hold. The matches could be played, and other players do well, and I could still be sitting on the sidelines, so I had no other choice.”I have served West Indies for many years, but I was disrespected a lot, and I have been playing under a lot of pressure. I can’t sleep properly. I need to get this off my chest. I want everybody to print what I said, I want to clear the air and I want them to ease up. WICB… back up offa my back.”Gayle’s explanation, however, was at odds with what the WICB said in a release soon after it granted him the no-objection certificate, clearing his participation in the IPL. The board claimed it had been in communication with Gayle.”At the conclusion of the cricket World Cup, Gayle underwent a medical examination in the UK,” the WICB said. “Following Gayle’s consultation with a UK doctor it was determined that he would require at least two to three weeks of rest before returning to training.”The WICB medical personnel had been communicating with Gayle on the status and management of his injury since his return to Jamaica following the Cricket World Cup, this included arrangements for his rehabilitative programme. Gayle was undergoing rehabilitative work with an appointed physiotherapist and had already attended ten sessions. The next phase was to include sport-specific training along with a running programme.”After the resumption of training the WICB team management would have organised a fitness test to assess Gayle’s fitness and decisions would have then been taken about his selection to the West Indies team to face Pakistan. It is clear that there was no way that Gayle could have been considered for selection for the first two ODIs given the facts outlined above.”The WICB said it was surprised to learn that Gayle had been making arrangements to play cricket in India when it was under the clear impression that he was undergoing rehabilitation work and about to resume training. “In discussing his application for an NOC, the WICB has repeatedly informed Gayle that he is expected to resume training after which he would be required to undergo a fitness test and once passed fit, he will be considered for selection for the remainder of the Pakistan series.”

Zimbabwe cricket is taking small but important steps back to normalcy, and their participation in a major global event is an important part of that process

Liam Brickhill01-May-2010

Overview

Zimbabwe will rely on their spinners to bog the opposition in helpful conditions•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Zimbabwe cricket is taking small but important steps back to normalcy, with several former players opting to return to a revamped domestic competition under a board that is keen to present itself as amiable and open to progress. Their participation in a major global event is an important part of that process, especially after they were forced to miss the last edition of the tournament in England last year.There were positive signs on their tour of the region six weeks ago, although the team unravelled against a resurgent West Indies as the series wore on. With the national coaching position in limbo at the time, Zimbabwe suffered through unimaginative team selections and their lack of batting depth was also exposed on occasion, as when they sank to 104 all out in the third ODI with the series in the balance.New coach Alan Butcher will be hoping to make a difference to their fortunes and instill a positive attitude as quickly as possible, but Zimbabwe are sure to struggle against New Zealand and Sri Lanka’s experienced campaigners.However, as Butcher recently remarked, one inspired performance can be enough to turn a game in this format. With their victories over Australia at the 2007 tournament and in the warm-ups for this competition, and against West Indies last month, a shock win cannot be ruled out.

Twenty20 pedigree

Zimbabwe are relative novices in the format, having played just eight internationals in four years. They did not take part in the last World Twenty20 tournament in England, and will have to draw on the experience gained in their domestic Twenty20 competition and familiarity with West Indian conditions as they hope to spring a surprise. They will be buoyed by the fact that they are playing both of their group games at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, where they beat West Indies in the first match of their recent ODI series and pushed them in the second.

Strengths and weaknesses

Given the likelihood of a slow, low wicket, Zimbabwe’s game plan will revolve around their spin-bowling department. Ray Price took the new ball in several games on their tour of the West Indies in March, and may very well do so again in this tournament, while with Prosper Utseya, Graeme Cremer, Greg Lamb and Timycen Maruma in their stable, Zimbabwe have plenty of spin-bowling depth. Their batting line-up, on the other hand, is notoriously brittle and will no doubt struggle against their opponents’ experienced attacks.

Key men

Zimbabwean wickets tend to fall in heaps, and so while Hamilton Masakadza’s contributions at the top of the order will be important, quick runs from Elton Chigumbura at the tail end of the innings will be vital to paper over the cracks in the middle order. He was Zimbabwe’s leading run-scorer in the West Indies in March, and, as the most experienced seamer in a spin-heavy attack, he also picked up six wickets at a touch over 24 in the series.

X-factor

Andy Blignaut has trod an unconventional path in his cricket career, but amid the controversies, disputes with the administration and a brief dabble in male modelling, there have been telling performances with bat and ball. Tailor-made for Twenty20 cricket, Blignaut announced his comeback with a match-winning unbeaten 63 against the Mountaineers in Zimbabwe’s domestic competition and could form an explosive pairing with the hard-hitting Chigumbura in the lower order.

Vital stats

The renovation work could impact the Test against England in Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2024The PCB is confident that Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Stadium in Karachi will be ready in time to host the Champions Trophy next year, though ongoing work could continue to impact their bilateral commitments this season, including the Test against England in Karachi.The board has already moved the second Test against Bangladesh, originally scheduled in Karachi, to Rawalpindi. Speaking to reporters on Monday in Lahore, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, acknowledged that “matches [during the season] may move back and forth but the main target is that these stadiums are ready before the Champions Trophy”.England play their second of the three Tests in Karachi, from October 15-19. In announcing the switch of Bangladesh’s Test to Rawalpindi on Sunday, the PCB did not exactly nail down Karachi as a venue for England.Related

• Gaddafi redevelopment picks up pace as Champions Trophy nears

• Pakistan women miss out on daily allowances at training camp

• Pakistan vs Bangladesh Test moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi

“At this stage, we will not like to speculate on the hosting of the second Test in Karachi from 15-19 October and will continue to work closely with the architects and construction experts on the safe and secure hosting of the match, while keeping the England and Wales Cricket Board updated,” the statement said.The fluidity of the situation is evident in how the switch in venues for Bangladesh occurred. Two days after posting ticket prices online, the PCB announced the Karachi Test would be played behind closed doors with no spectators. Then on Sunday they announced they were moving it to Rawalpindi, because they wanted to ensure the renovation work went on uninterrupted and that hosting a game while such major work was being undertaken could have an impact on the game.Naqvi confirmed on Monday the reasons for the move. “Our calculation was that we could do matches without crowds, but various security institutions and the police said that even if there are people working inside, you shouldn’t host a match.”That talk with journalists has led to some reports that Naqvi implied a change in venues or dates for the Champions Trophy from the draft schedule the PCB has submitted to the ICC. In a statement on Tuesday the PCB emphatically denied that was the case.”During the media talk, which is available on the PCB’s official YouTube channel, the PCB chair clearly stated that the redevelopment and redesign of the three designated stadia would be completed on schedule, ensuring readiness to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB chair also mentioned that while some domestic matches may need to be shifted to facilitate uninterrupted construction work, this in no way pertains to the ICC Champions Trophy, which remains a priority for the PCB as a premier eight-team international event.”During that media talk, Naqvi did point to the pressing need for this renovation work. “Our stadiums and those abroad, there is a massive difference,” he said. “In no way were our stadiums international-standard stadiums. None of our stadiums could qualify internationally. Not the seats, not bathrooms, and a view that looks like you are watching from 500 metres away. If I want to stay in a 1980 model then great, but the world has gone far ahead.”Naqvi pointed out that while both stadiums in Lahore and Karachi are eventually undergoing total upgrades, partial renovation between now and early next year will mean they are ready in time for the Champions Trophy.”Right now we have five months,” he said. “In that time, definitely the two enclosures on either side [in the Gaddafi stadium] and the main building [will be ready], that is the focus for now.”The stadiums will be totally upgraded. Not just this but we plan to have a new stadium in Islamabad, in Abbottabad, we want to work on that as well. A few stadiums that we don’t operate – we’ve written to the local authorities that either you upgrade it or hand it to us so we can host domestic and even international cricket there. These stadiums will be 100% upgraded but in the next five months, the target we have, we hope to complete that.”The New York stadium [for the T20 World Cup] was completed in the last 10-15 days. We will be ready well before that timeline.”