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He has been given a two-year contract by the Odisha Cricket Association

PTI14-Jul-2021Former Test opener and domestic veteran Wasim Jaffer was on Wednesday named chief coach of the Odisha senior side for the upcoming domestic season.”He [Jaffer] will be the head coach. He has been given a two-year contract,” Subrata Behera, Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) CEO told PTI.The decision was taken following a meeting of OCA’s Cricket Advisory Committee as Jaffer would replace former state captain Rashmi Parida, who was at the helm for two seasons.Related

• BCCI postpones Ranji Trophy start date to January 5 in revised domestic calendar

• Ranji Trophy returns as BCCI announces full 2021-22 season

• Indian cricketers wait for upswing after lost year

• Jaffer denies reported 'communal' allegations

• Sheldon Jackson set to return to Saurashtra

“Besides development of cricket across all age-groups, he [Jaffer] will also be a part of coaches development programme across the state,” OCA secretary Sanjay Behera said in a statement.This will be Jaffer’s second stint as the head coach of any state team. Following his retirement in March 2020, Jaffer, who is the leading run-scorer in Ranji Trophy, had coached Uttarakhand but he later resigned following a fall-out with the association.Jaffer, who played 31 Tests and two ODIs, is also the batting coach of the Punjab Kings in the IPL.The Mumbai stalwart later played for Vidarbha towards the end of his illustrious career winning back-to-back Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup.Odisha had last reached the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals in the 2019-20 season when they lost out to Bengal after a draw.The camp for the senior team is slated to begin from July 25, subject to the state government’s approval keeping in mind the Covid-19 guidelines.The BCCI announced the return of the Ranji Trophy recently, to be played from November 16, 2021 to February 19, 2022.

The Bangladesh spinners gobbled up eight wickets to bowl West Indies out for 114 and secure an eight-wicket win in the first Youth ODI in Mirpur

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2016
ScorecardNazmul Hossain Shanto and Saif Hassan took Bangladesh Under-19s to victory•BCB

The Bangladesh spinners gobbled up eight wickets to bowl West Indies out for 114 and secure an eight-wicket win in the first Youth ODI in Mirpur.Left-arm spinner Saleh Ahmed Shawon took four wickets while offspinners Sanjit Saha and Saeed Sarkar took two each as West Indies were knocked over in 39.2 overs. Opener Gidron Pope made 31 off 41 balls with two fours and three sixes and Emmanuel Stewart added 30 off 66 balls, but seven of their team-mates fell for single-digits.West Indies’ hopes flickered to life when Bangladesh opener Pinak Ghosh fell in the second over to Obaid McCoy but Saif Hassan and Nazmul Hossain Shanto added 70 runs together in an unbroken third wicket stand and finished the game off in the 21st over. Saif made an unbeaten 39 off 68 balls with five fours and a six while Shanto’s 41 not out came off just 36 balls with six fours and a six.

Former England batter won title with Perth Scorchers in 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2021Ian Bell was a Big Bash champion with Perth Scorchers in 2016-17 but returns to the league five seasons later hoping to inspire Hobart Hurricanes to the title.Bell retired from professional cricket at the end of the English domestic season in 2020 and has moved into coaching: he worked with England Under-19s as a batting coach across the 2019-20 winter and was part of Birmingham Phoenix’s coaching staff during their run to the inaugural men’s Hundred final this summer.He has now been appointed as one of two assistant coaches at the Hurricanes ahead of their BBL season opener on December 8 against Sydney Sixers, the defending champions, and has arrived in Australia following a stint with Chennai Braves in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.”I’m so excited to be joining up with the Hurricanes and working alongside Adam Griffith,” Bell said. “The Big Bash is without doubt one of the best competitions in world cricket, and having previously taken part as a player, I can’t wait to get stuck in as a coach.”Bell captained Warwickshire in their T20 guise as the Birmingham Bears during the 2016 Blast, during which Matthew Wade, the Hurricanes’ captain, was one of their overseas players, while two of the Hurricanes’ three international recruits – Jordan Thompson and Harry Brook – are compatriots.”I already know a great deal about the team having either played with them before or having admired them from afar, and I’m certain we have got some serious talent in there,” Bell said. “I was fortunate enough to win the BBL as a player and I would love nothing more than to be a small cog in a winning team but this time as a coach.”

Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal has been working closely with the team’s video analyst as he prepares to target the opposition’s batsmen in the Champions Trophy

Umar Farooq 06-May-2013Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal has been working closely with the team’s video analyst as he prepares to target the opposition’s batsmen, including Chris Gayle, in the Champions Trophy in England. Ajmal said he was expecting batting pitches during the tournament but said his variations would be effective during the tournament.”I know they [teams] plan against me,” Ajmal told reporters on the fourth day of the training camp in Abbottabad. “And I am also planning against them. Although I haven’t added any new variation this time, I am looking at their videos and planning accordingly. Spinners have an important role in all formats of the game and those like me, who bowl in death overs, have to work extra hard to counter the batsmen.”We are targeting players like Chris Gayle, who plays so well in Twenty20,” Ajmal said. “He [Gayle] may be a good batsman but I am also the number one spinner (in ODI rankings) and look forward to dismissing him quickly and seizing the advantage.”The specialist batsmen skipped the fourth day of the camp while the bowlers had an extended batting session. The batsmen, instead, opted to have physical training sessions at the Army PT school within the Pakistan Military Academy, where the team is currently staying. At the ground, Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Abdur Rehman and Mohammad Irfan had individual batting sessions in the nets with assistant coach Shahid Aslam.”Tail-enders weren’t given a proper run with the bat in the past but now coaches insist on giving bowlers ample training so that they can stay at the crease,” Ajmal said. “In case the top order collapses, a tail-ender must have the ability to score 20-odd runs and share a stand of at least 70 to 80 runs.”The PCB has developed different types of pitches, including a grassy one at the Abbottabad Stadium, to give the batsmen a look into the conditions during the Champions Trophy. Ajmal also said that Pakistan were preparing for different kinds of tracks, in spite of the fact that most limited-over tournaments featured batting pitches.”I think 90% of the pitches in the world are batting tracks while green tops are only 10 to 15%,” Ajmal said. “We are preparing ourselves for everything. This will be the last Champions Trophy and hopefully we can win this.”

Gregory plays aggressor during 98-run stand as Middlesex let winning positions slip

Matt Roller11-Apr-2021A nerveless, unbroken stand of 98 in 19 overs between George Bartlett and Lewis Gregory took Somerset to an improbable win at Lord’s, as they chased down their target of 285 with four wickets to spare.Victory had appeared unthinkable, both when they fell to 89 for 9 in their first innings and when Middlesex had compiled a lead of 254 with seven second-innings wickets in hand, but two spirited fightbacks – with Jack Leach at the centre on both occasions – set up an attainable target under cloud cover and floodlights on the third afternoon. Tom Abell’s fluent half-century laid the foundation before bad light and drizzle brought an early close, and once he had found his rhythm again under blue skies on the final morning, Somerset became favourites for the first time in the match.

Cricket to pay respect to Prince Philip

Play in the County Championship next Saturday will pause between 2.50pm and 4.10pm, to coincide with the funeral of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The ECB has also recommended that play in recreational cricket stops between 3pm and 4pm, enabling players to observe the one minute’s silence at 3pm.

Then, a twist. Ethan Bamber took two wickets in 13 balls – Abell edging behind, Steven Davies trapped lbw by an in-ducker – to peg the chase back, and when Tim Murtagh induced the thinnest of edges from Craig Overton on the stroke of lunch as the clouds began to roll in, it seemed that the chase would prove too steep even for Somerset’s long batting line-up.But Gregory, fresh from a first-innings five-for, strode out after the interval and realised after poking defensively at his second ball, which jagged past his outside edge, that there was nothing to be gained from hanging in while Murtagh was nibbling it around. Instead, he used his considerable limited-overs experience to thrash 62 not out off 72 balls, dominating the seventh-wicket stand alongside the more reserved Bartlett. Gregory crashed Bamber through the covers to level the scores just as the drizzle returned, then clipped him behind square on the leg side to draw a guttural roar from the Somerset balcony.Bartlett has prevailed in tough situations before in his Somerset career, most memorably in another successful chase at Edgbaston two summers ago, but this innings – which spanned nearly four hours – was one of his best. It was not always pretty – plenty of his runs came through third man – but his support role in partnership with Gregory was vital. He was particularly strong cutting and pulling against the change bowlers, and vindicated the decision to pick him ahead of Eddie Byrom.Defeat would have left Somerset stuck in the red, following the rollover of their eight-point pitch penalty into the 2021 season, but instead they will head into their local derby against Gloucestershire on Thursday feeling bullish. “We tried not to read too much into it [the points deduction],” Abell said afterwards, “but this has done our confidence the world of good.”We speak about it quite often: it’s one thing being good as front-runners, but it’s another thing when your backs are against the wall, coming from behind in games and still getting results. The mindset was really positive, with the way we’d got ourselves back into the game. We let ourselves down in the first innings – I don’t think that was a true reflection of the wicket or how good we are as players – and we wanted to put that right.”Related

• Rob Keogh hundred sees Northamptonshire to safety in high-scoring draw with Kent

• Jack Leach discipline, Tom Abell dash keep Somerset in the hunt

• McManus stumping controversy overshadows Hants win

Abell’s own innings in the cold had set things up overnight, in a 79-run stand with Tom Banton for the second wicket, and with Gregory finishing things off with his counterpunch after lunch, all three of Somerset’s Covid contingent made significant contributions despite their abbreviated pre-season following three weeks in solitary confinement. “When we were in the field yesterday and it was freezing cold, I said to Lewis, ‘It could be worse – at least we’re not in hotel isolation in Karachi’,” Abell said. “We’re so happy to be back playing for Somerset – it’s very special to be back with the group, and to get the first win is even sweeter.”For Middlesex, this was a chastening loss. Stuart Law had dished out some hard truths in the dressing room on Saturday night, but all five of their bowlers conceded more than three runs an over across the third innings and struggled to keep a lid on the scoring rate. Leach’s success in the holding role served to highlight the lack of a spinner in the Middlesex attack – though Thilan Wallawawita might well have played if he had been fit – and Stevie Eskinazi, the stand-in captain, was not proactive enough on the final day, particular when Gregory was seizing the initiative after lunch. He will be relieved to hear that Peter Handscomb should be out of quarantine in time to lead the side in the Surrey fixture on April 22.Since Law took over at the start of the 2019 season, Middlesex’s five first-class wins have all been relatively comfortable – four by 78 runs or more, and one by five wickets. Their title win in 2016 featured close wins at Taunton and in the decider against Yorkshire at Lord’s, and they prevailed in a number of tight games in the two difficult seasons that followed, but on this week’s evidence, that killer instinct seems to have deserted them.

Teams head for Lord’s on Monday all-square after rain wrecks intriguing final day

George Dobell08-Aug-2021Joe Root says England were confident they could have “created nine chances” on the final day at Trent Bridge had rain not intervened.India had nine wickets in hand going into that final day, requiring another 157 runs to win, and there is no doubt they were favourites. But rain forced a complete washout, meaning the first LV= Insurance Test was drawn.But while Root, who was named Player of the Match after making a half-century in the first innings and a century in the second, accepted India were “in the driving seat”, he felt that the pressure of the situation could have played in England’s favour.India were twice bowled out for under 200 in the fourth innings of Tests on their tour of England in 2018. At Edgbaston, where they were set 194, they succumbed to a 31-run defeat, while at Southampton, where they were set 245, they fell 60 short.”At one stage it looked like we could have potentially had 40 overs and I think in that period, it felt like we would have been able to create nine chances on the surface like that,” Root said. “I’d be lying if I wasn’t to say that India weren’t in the driving seat going into today, but we know on a wicket like that, a couple of wickets in a cluster and of course that game can turn on its head.”With the pressures of batting on a fifth-day wicket, things could very quickly have fallen in our favour and we certainly believed that we’d have been able to create nine more chances.”If we’d have been good enough in the field and taken those then we could have been sat here one-nil up, but unfortunately the weather has won. In many ways, the weather’s robbed us all of a fantastic final day of Test cricket, which is a slight shame.”James Anderson is likely to play at Lord’s after his workload was reduced by the final-day rain•AFP/Getty Images

It was intriguing to hear Root use the word “if” in connection to taking chances in the field. England dropped three catches in India’s first innings as well as missing four run-out opportunities to sustain an increasingly modest record in the field. While accepting that such errors were costing England, Root felt the secret to improvement was “calm and belief”.”We certainly put the practice in,” Root said. “We catch a lot of balls in practice. It’s about trying to have an element of calm and trust and belief in your own ability. That can be hard in pressure situations. As a player, you just need to make sure you’re not panicking. You need to remind yourself that you’re doing all the hard yards and making sure that, when the next opportunity comes around, you’re giving yourself the best chance.”Fielding at slip it is such a mental thing. If you can find a way of staying relaxed and trusting your technique, then you’re certainly in a better place to take the next opportunity.”Root was reluctant to discuss selection ahead of the second Test and suggested that Covid protocols could render it tricky to bring in players ahead of Thursday’s start at Lord’s. But Ollie Pope, who is close to full fitness after recovering from a quad strain, could well win a recall, with Dan Lawrence and Zak Crawley both sitting uneasily in the side. Haseeb Hameed could also push for selection.As for players outside the current squad, there is a case for recalling Moeen Ali as a spin bowling all-rounder. England didn’t play a spinner at Trent Bridge but they could include Moeen, who has made five Test centuries and claimed almost 200 wickets, to help balance the side. Chris Woakes, who has an outstanding record at Lord’s, is unlikely to be considered as he recovers from a heel injury but is expected to be available for the third Test in Leeds.Related

• Chris Silverwood tells England batters around Joe Root to 'step up'

• Root ton, Bumrah five-wicket haul set up intriguing final day

• Jasprit Bumrah-led pace attack leaves India on strong footing

• Joe Root has shouldered his burden magnificently

• Virat Kohli: 'Certainly felt like we were on top in the game'

With England’s seamers having enjoyed a relatively light workload – there were only 14 overs bowled in India’s second innings – there are no obvious reasons to rest and rotate ahead of the Lord’s match, so it seems James Anderson and Stuart Broad will retain their places. It was noticeable, however, that Root often preferred Ollie Robinson to Broad at key moments and he subsequently hailed his new seamer’s performance as “brilliant”.”I thought Ollie bowled extremely well,” Root said. “He’s got a unique set of attributes. He has a very high release point and he makes things happen. He makes the ball nip around and his accuracy in this game was exceptional. He managed to do a brilliant job. He showed what he is very capable of doing at this level. In two Tests he has shown everyone how skilful he is.”With none of his colleagues having managed a score higher than 32, however, Root accepted there was “a lot to work on” ahead of the next game.”After our first innings, we were well below par,” he said. “250 on there would have been par. There’s a lot to work on. We know there are areas we need to be better: we need to take our chances in the field and we need to make big first-innings runs.”Both sides travel to London on Monday and are expected to train at Lord’s on Tuesday.

In the increasingly intense fight for the play-offs, Mumbai Indians joined Rajasthan Royals at No. 2 hours after the latter had broken away with a win of their own

The Report by Sidharth Monga07-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
In the increasingly intense fight for the play-offs, Mumbai Indians joined Rajasthan Royals at No. 2 hours after the latter had broken away with a win of their own. And the win came easy against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders. It was the kind of win that coaches love: almost everything went to plan. They won the toss, batted first, Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik got them a target, and their superior attack shut Knight Riders out. Only a faulty light tower and some good fielding towards the end of Mumbai’s innings posed any resistance.It was all one-way traffic from the moment Tendulkar smacked Ryan McLaren for five successive fours, all to different areas of the ground, in the fourth over. By the time the power failure countered the Tendulkar blaze, he had reached 29 off 17 balls. Despite Dwayne Smith’s struggle to get going at the other end, Mumbai were headed in the right direction.The lights came back on for Tendulkar to score 19 more off 11 more balls. Smith failed to reach a run a ball, but by the time they fell, Mumbai had reached 99 in the 14th over. Some good fielding – Eoin Morgan’s catch at deep midwicket, lobbing the ball up, stepping over the boundary and coming back in to complete the catch; and two run-outs – reduced Mumbai to 144 for 6 in the 19th over.Karthik, though, kept scoring from one end. Most striking was his unsettling of Sunil Narine. He used sweeps to hit Narine off his length, and took 20 off the 11 balls he faced from Narine. Mitchell Johnson, as if to give a sample of what was to follow, smacked the last ball of the innings for a straight six.Ten minutes later, he began swinging the ball at a high pace. An inside edge saved Manvinder Bisla first ball, and then next hit him high on the thigh pad. Two balls later, Gautam Gambhir played for the non-existent swing, and was bowled for a duck. Jacques Kallis and Bisla looked to revive the chase, but Pragyan Ojha had Bisla stumped just after the Powerplay.Kallis soon fell to Harbhajan Singh, who had dropped him earlier. And when Eoin Morgan sliced Abu Nechim to point in the 13th over, the game was virtually over, just like Knight Riders’ campaign.

Preview of the first Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare

The Preview by Mohammad Isam16-Apr-2013

Big Picture

April 17-21, Harare
Start time 1000 (0800 GMT)Mushfiqur Rahim goes to Zimbabwe knowing it has always been a tough place to tour for Bangladesh captains•AFP

Big Picture

If these two teams were geographically closer, their running battles over the years would have gathered more edge and may have prompted a nickname for their matches. As nations, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are only tied together by their placing in international cricket, right down at the bottom of the Test-playing countries pile.In this year’s battle of prestige, the visitors have their noses ahead after an impressive last 18 months. Bangladesh have learned the harsh lessons in their last tour to Zimbabwe where they lost the one-off Test and also went down in the ODI series. It brought about major changes in the side, the biggest of them being the sacking of Shakib Al Hasan as captain and the subsequent appointment of Mushfiqur Rahim. The change at the top has made Bangladesh a more stable line-up, reflecting in their results.After completing their most successful tour of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh should be mentally a stronger side. They have a few more confident batsmen, which ensures a middle-order less prone to collapse. An offspinner has emerged while players with more experience have fought their way back into the team. The pace attack is worrisome, but the biggest hole in the team’s psyche remains their lack of knowledge of winning a Test match, the last of which came almost four years ago.Zimbabwe on the other hand had won that game against Bangladesh in 2011, a confidence-boosting victory as it was their first Test on return from self-imposed exile. But they have not enjoyed success since, and theirs is a side mired in disputes and injuries. They have managed to recover mostly unscathed from what looked like a dire situation surrounding player payment, Craig Ervine being the only player who didn’t sign the contract. But injuries have wrecked havoc: Christopher Mpofu (lower back), Tino Mawoyo (groin) and Regis Chakabva (finger) are out, leaving the team without one experienced seamer and two batsmen.The hosts have named a 21-member squad just in case, but their bigger worry is the quiet confidence of the opposition. An interesting contest is ahead, over the weekend, if Zimbabwe can take full advantage of home advantage, but Bangladesh’s previous experiences in this country have fitted them with pragmatism.

Form guide

Bangladesh: LDLLL (most recent results first)
Zimbabwe: LLLLL

Players to watch

Kyle Jarvis burst onto the scene in his debut Test two years ago against the same opponents. He would be expected to spearhead the attack this time, having gathered some experience during this period. Apart from a strong action, Jarvis can be expected to swing the ball in favourable conditions.Nasir Hossain‘s first international foray came against Zimbabwe; he will have happy memories of scoring 63 on ODI debut there. His current form should help him continue his good work from the previous visit, as he remains an important batsman coming in at No. 7 for a team that is prone to a collapse.

Team news

Zimbabwe will have to make a number of changes, with Mpofu, Mawoyo and Ervine unavailable for their various reasons. To lengthen the batting line-up, captain Brendan Taylor could give the wicketkeeping gloves to Richmond Mutumbani. They are likely to continue with the spin duo of Graeme Cremer and Prosper Utseya, but the pace combination could see Bangladesh’s tormentor from the last tour, Brian Vitori, sit out.Zimbabwe (probable) 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Timycen Maruma, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), 5 Malcolm Waller/Sean Williams, 6 Richmond Mutumbami, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Keegan Meth, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Tendai ChataraBangladesh have a problem in balancing a line-up that could see Shakib Al Hasan in only a limited bowling role. After a shin problem, Shakib is working on a rehab programme. While he will definitely play as a batsman, it’s still 50-50 on whether he will bowl. Tamim Iqbal’s thumb injury hasn’t healed enough, while the form of Mahmudullah is another concern. Mominul Haque could make way for Shakib, while Enamul Haque jr could play alongside Sohag Gazi.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Jahurul Islam, 2 Shahriar Nafees, 3 Mohammad Ashraful, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 6 Mahmudullah/Mominul Haque, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Sohag Gazi, 9 Enamul Haque jr, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Robiul Islam.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is not considered to be too lively, because of the mild weather conditions during this time of the year. It has good, fairly consistent carry, and is likely to be flat.

Stats and trivia

• This will be only the second Test at the Harare Sports Club in the month of April. The previous occasion was in 2001, also against Bangladesh
• Out of three Bangladesh captains to tour Zimbabwe, Naimur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan lost their jobs after losing Test series there

Quotes

“We have had hard moments but we still have our smiles and we still keep going. Life goes on. It’s just one little blip and we come back and we play cricket.”
“I have tried to find a way that works with the players and give them freedom. At the same time we want to have a disciplined environment, and we want to have fun. We just have a team focus and ensure that everyone steps up for the team.”

Babar Azam offers no excuses after his side loses to Zimbabwe, while Shoaib Malik asks for an international white-ball coach

Umar Farooq23-Apr-2021Pakistan’s struggles with middle order were laid bare in Harare on Friday as the team slumped to a 19-run defeat, with Zimbabwe bowling them out for 99. Wobbles in the middle order had been a worry for much of Pakistan’s tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe, but the side had, by and large, escaped paying for it until now. Pakistan captain Babar Azam was sufficiently alarmed by Pakistan’s showing with the bat to warn solutions had to be found swiftly, with time running out before this year’s T20 World Cup.”It’s a very painful performance,” Azam said. “In South Africa, we had chased down 200; similarly here, we should have won this game comfortably. But unfortunately, we played poor cricket and continued to struggle in the middle order. Today, it was not just the middle order but our batsmen right through couldn’t perform the way we expect them to. It was a collective collapse and we lost as a group. But credit to Zimbabwe who came back so strongly today.”Zimbabwe beat Pakistan for the first time in T20I cricket in their 16th attempt, registering their first T20I win at home since 2016. The three-match series is currently level at 1-1, with the final game being played on Sunday.Pakistan have tried Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, and Haider Ali in the middle order since the South Africa tour, but none of them has had the desired impact. With the top order doing much of the scoring of late, opportunities to put the middle order to the test had been few and far between, though it was notable they had struggled whenever put under pressure.Azam refused to make excuses for the defeat. “The wicket was similar to the other day but it was suitable [for batters] and that is not an excuse anyway. As a professional, you adapt to every condition but I think we as openers didn’t give a good start from the top and then our middle order was struggling to step up. The World T20 is closing in and we have to sort this out as soon as possible. The next game we will come back and make a good combination.”With the middle order under scrutiny, Shoaib Malik is one of the prospects for the slot but has not played for Pakistan since the England tour last year. His name has often been floated in the media as a possible answer to Pakistan’s woes, but the selectors have so far opted against picking him. That Malik would like to make a return is well known, with the veteran playing in T20 leagues across the world during this time. After Pakistan’s defeat, the normally reserved 39-year-old took to Twitter to express his opinion.”Unacquainted decision makers need to take a step back; Babar and chief selector need to call the shots,” Malik tweeted. “In my opinion, we need an international white ball coach who understands cricket inside out & grooms our captain whilst giving clarity to our players for coming time. When your management relies on likes & dislikes especially when your cricket is just in surviving mode, then what else do expect as a nation? On top of that, when you don’t let your captain take decisions this is bound to happen.”There has been no official reaction from the PCB to Malik’s tweets yet, but as the fallout from Pakistan’s defeat grows, there are signs a man who made his debut in 1999 may yet be relevant to them in 2021.

England quick marks BBL debut with four wickets inside the first three overs of Thunder’s defence of 196

AAP19-Dec-2021
Saqib Mahmood made BBL history before Brisbane Heat’s tail saved some face as Sydney Thunder won by 53 runs at the Gabba.On debut for Thunder, English quick Mahmood became the first man in the BBL and only the 10th person in T20 cricket anywhere in the world to take four wickets inside the first three overs of an innings.Mahmood couldn’t believe his luck when Jimmy Peirson clipped one to deep fine leg, giving him 4 for 9 from just 11 balls after his first delivery was sent to the boundary by Chris Lynn.Lynn, Ben Duckett and Sam Heazlett all fell though, with the chase of the Thunder’s 7 for 196 looking all but over.A horror run-out added to Heat’s misery, the hosts sinking to 5 for 15 inside the first three overs, before bowlers Xavier Bartlett and Mark Steketee combined for a BBL record 79-run eighth wicket stand.That pair’s partnership came too late for Heat to even salvage the Bash Boost point, Steketee eventually falling just as a miracle comeback victory was being entertained.Sam Billings (64 off 27) had earlier powered the Thunder’s innings, the English wicketkeeper hitting five sixes and five fours as he swept both spinners and pacemen over the rope. His innings came after Alex Hales and Jason Sangha had set the tone, leaving Heat a huge chase if they were to win a second straight game.It could have been an even steeper task if not for Mitchell Swepson bowling Sangha around his legs. Bartlett also took two wickets but went for 45 from his four overs, while Steketee also grabbed two wickets on his return from national duties where he was briefly called up to bolster the squad after Pat Cummins’ Covid close contact drama.Thunder held back the in-form Alex Ross until the final over despite him coming off three unbeaten knocks, his last a whirlwind 77 off 49.Ross thought he’d found a boundary, but his lap sweep was well caught by wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson. He had deflected the ball past his off stump towards fine leg, but Peirson reacted incredibly well to pouch the catch in his left hand.Tom Cooper entered the game as the Heat’s X-factor sub, in for Tom Abell after he jammed his hip while attempting an outfield catch in the second over.