Australia’s captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning jointly contacted Cricket Australia to ask that the board respect the Australian Cricketers Association as the players’ collective bargaining agent

Daniel Brettig15-Feb-2017Australia’s captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning jointly contacted Cricket Australia to ask that the board respect the Australian Cricketers Association as the players’ collective bargaining agent, and stated that further attempts to the deal directly with the players would be a distraction from the performances of the national teams.As the board and the ACA attempt to work through drastically divergent positions over an MOU due for renewal in June, ESPNcricinfo has learned that Smith and Lanning felt compelled to write to CA chief executive James Sutherland, in a letter co-signed by their deputies David Warner and Alex Blackwell.The correspondence, delivered between the Brisbane and Melbourne Test matches against Pakistan last December, after talks between the two parties broke down, asked Sutherland that CA deal with the ACA as the players’ representative and called for ending attempts to go around the association by communicating directly with the players. The ACA confirmed the existence of the letter when contacted by ESPNcricinfo.It followed the invitation of Smith and Warner, alongside national team coach Darren Lehmann, to a dinner with the CA board directors and executives two days before the Melbourne ODI against New Zealand on December 9. That was trailed by a series of emailed communications from CA to all national and state-contracted players in Australia that sought to explain the board’s position.These included CA’s full initial submission, which stated among other things that only the top male contracted players deserved to continue to earn a fixed percentage of Australian cricket revenue. By contrast, the ACA are seeking, in a unified agreement for men and women, to expand the revenue-sharing model to include all players and also an expanded definition of that revenue. The MOU has not previously included female players.A subsequent email from team performance manager Pat Howard to the players sought to clarify the board’s pregnancy clause after it became the subject of heated argument during the Gabba Test against Pakistan. That email, in which Howard reiterated his view that he did not want to see the players become “the meat in the sandwich”, was a catalyst for the national team’s leaders to indicate to Sutherland that they were feeling quite the opposite.Earlier that week, CA had suspended negotiations with the ACA on the premise that the public slanging match between the two parties had begun to use oxygen that would otherwise be occupied by the Test matches and the Big Bash League.”Cricket Australia is committed to a negotiation that is conducted in good faith between the two parties,” CA said in a statement at the time, “but will not take part in a process which seeks to draw its players into a public dispute. Players deserve the opportunity to focus on the game, rather than being distracted by a negotiation that should be conducted in a professional and confidential manner.”Sutherland had previously kept at arm’s length from MOU negotiations, leaving them largely to CA’s head of strategy and people Kevin Roberts, head of team performance Howard, and David Peever, the CA chairman. Peever, an advocate of industrial relations reform when he was managing director of the mining giant Rio Tinto, has also involved his own IR advisor Ken Bacon.Smith and Lanning’s letter confirmed beyond doubt that the players were not wavering in their stance alongside the ACA, and that they wished to see negotiations resume in a more constructive manner. When Sutherland next spoke publicly about the breakdown in talks, he offered the most conciliatory words from the board in some weeks.”I think the facts of the matter are that both organisations have a lot more in common than they have not, and from that perspective, it’s all in the interest of the game, ensuring the game’s better,” Sutherland told ABC Radio during the Boxing Day Test.This week, Sutherland said the two parties still have an enormous amount of ground to cover. “I don’t think we’re close to a resolution,” he said. “We’ve got to work through a process of discussion on all sorts of different issues, there’s an agreement with a whole lot of different components to it.”Perhaps a little more complicated than it has been before where we’re wanting to professionalise the women’s game even more and to make sure there’s one collective agreement for men and women, so all those things need to be stepped through. We’ve got plenty of time, but at the same time, there are plenty of things to discuss. We’re down to it and we’ll progress, I’m confident of that.”

Marlon Samuels has called on the WICB to “compromise” in their selection policy after he was omitted from West Indies’ ODI squad

George Dobell23-Feb-2017Marlon Samuels has called on the WICB to “compromise” in their selection policy after he was omitted from West Indies’ ODI squad, and suggested he could accept a Kolpak deal in county cricket if an agreement cannot be reached.Samuels, twice man of the match in World T20 finals, was left out of West Indies’ 15-man squad after electing to miss games in the Super 50 competition – the Caribbean regional List A tournament – in order to play in the more lucrative Pakistan Super League. Current WICB policy is that no player will be considered for the international team unless they have made themselves available for the entire regional competition in that format.But Samuels, who claims he was offered double the value of his previous West Indies retainer contract (worth $135,000) to appear in the BPL, argues that the WICB could learn from the example of the boards of New Zealand and England, who allow their players to appear in overseas T20 leagues without it rendering them ineligible for international cricket. Late last year, Samuels was one of the three players – along with Darren Bravo and Carlos Brathwaite – to decline the WICB retainer. It is understood that Samuels was offered a Grade C contract worth $115,000, demoting him from the previous Grade B.”Why can’t I play some games in the PSL and come back and play against England?” Samuels asked in an interview with , a Jamaica-based television network. “I’m not 20. You’re still telling me to miss out on everything. Why can’t you compromise?”The rule they have doesn’t make any sense. You have to compromise. Eoin Morgan, the England captain, is playing in the PSL and then he goes to the Caribbean. Why can’t I do the same? Why play hard ball in everything?”While there is some logic in the WICB stance – they insist that, to retain the strength of their regional competitions, their best players must participate – the reality of the policy has been to deny them many of their best players. Players such as Samuels, who is aged 36, and aware of the diminishing opportunities he may have to earn for his retirement, can earn far more on the T20 circuit than the WICB can afford to pay in retainers. Sunil Narine, ranked third in the ICC’s ODI bowling rankings, is another who has been deemed ineligible.The ECB, by contrast, has actively encouraged some players to take part in the IPL during the county season – they have even allowed the likes of Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes to skip two ODIs against Ireland – reasoning that the benefits of the experience will outweigh the negatives of the dilution of their own domestic product. There might also be an acceptance that the value of central contracts cannot keep pace with the escalation in T20 fees and that, as a result, compromise is required.While Dave Cameron, the president of the WICB, recently stated the board’s selection policy could be reviewed, the selection of the ODI squad to play England suggests there has been no change in the short term.Samuels has not played for West Indies since the Pakistan tour in the UAE last year, and was dropped for the tri-series in Zimbabwe. He was especially surprised at his omission from the three-match ODI series against England given WICB’s recent investment in him when the board paid for his travel to England for his bowling action to be tested. That trip proved fruitful as the ICC cleared Samuels to bowl in international cricket once again.”I didn’t pay for my bowling. ICC didn’t pay for my bowling .The West Indies Cricket Board paid for my bowling. So they invested in my bowling for me to come back to bowl against England. Now I’m going to hear that I’ve to stay and play all the Super50 games.”Incidentally, Samuels ended up playing just one match for Leewards Islands in the Super50 before he left to play in the PSL.Samuels also revealed that he has been offered a three-year Kolpak deal by Derbyshire worth up to £130,000 a season, fuelling concerns that West Indies could be hit by a spate of international retirements of the sort that recently shocked South African cricket. While it is understood he has indicated a reluctance to accept the deal – he would prefer a deal as an overseas player in county cricket, thereby sustaining his hopes of playing international cricket – he has suggested it remains on the table.Samuels asserted that, for him, it is loyalty to West Indies that comes first, which was evident in his 17 years’ service in Caribbean cricket. “I’ve got a Kolpak deal on my plate which I’m contemplating,” he said. “It’s a three-year deal with Derbyshire. Worth probably £120,000-130,000 a year. The money is not the issue at the moment, I’ve been playing international cricket the last 17 years so have set myself the right way. This is about principle, about being loyal. I’ve been a loyal soldier for West Indies cricket and continue to play. I showed some loyalty, so I expect a bit of loyalty. I’m only the one from 2000 still here, sticking round and playing for the West Indies.”Samuels said he was in “no rush” to sign the Derbyshire deal as, after the PSL, he would travel to play another league in Hong Kong and had a “few other deals” in the bag.Samuels is unlikely to be the only Caribbean player attracting interest from England’s first-class counties. Darren Bravo, whose relationship with WICB would appear to be in tatters following a public falling-out with Cameron, is one who is certain to be snapped up if he decides to go that route, while fellow Trinidadian Denesh Ramdin is also understood to be of interest.Ravi Rampaul, the second highest wicket-taker in this year’s Super 50, is already on a Kolpak deal with Surrey, while former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was second in the batting averages, has recently signed a similar deal with Lancashire. Fidel Edwards is also signed to Hampshire as a Kolpak, Other players such as Jofra Archer, Keith Barker and Chris Jordan have also chosen to pursue their careers in England when they could have been eligible for West Indies.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the second day of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and New South Wales in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Ed Cowan was in the runs yet again•Getty Images

Ed Cowan and Daniel Hughes made half-centuries as New South Wales chipped away at Western Australia’s hefty first-innings score, but the Warriors remained on top at the close of the second day in Perth. Both teams remain in the hunt for a place in the Sheffield Shield final against Victoria, but for Western Australia to jump into the decider from fifth place would be an especially fine effort.The Warriors began the day on 5 for 360 and the retiring Adam Voges raised a half-century, as did wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, before Western Australia lost three wickets with the score on 406. Voges was caught behind off Harry Conway for 72, Inglis was bowled by William Somerville for 54, and Cameron Green also fell to Conway for a duck with no addition to the total.Having declared at 9 for 436, Western Australia had to watch on as Cowan and Hughes put on 113 for the second wicket, each reaching 69, before Cowan was lbw to allrounder Hilton Cartwright to end the stand. Hughes fell to Simon Mackin and the loss of Peter Nevill for 33 in the last over of the day left Moises Henriques unbeaten on 35, with the Blues on 5 for 242 and trailing by 194.

Reece Topley is in Hampshire’s squad to face Yorkshire in the Championship and could bowl in first-class cricket for the first time since 2015

George Dobell20-Apr-2017Reece Topley has admitted there have been “some dark days” in his long journey back to fitness and described the prospect of returning to action on Friday in Hampshire’s match against Yorkshire as like a second debut.Topley, the left-arm swing bowler, has not bowled in a first-class match since July 2015 and a succession of injuries has meant that, 18 months since a high-profile move to Hampshire, he has yet to bowl for them in competitive cricket.He was in the Hampshire side that played Warwickshire at the start of last season but, a few hours into the first day, he suffered a broken hand while batting against Boyd Rankin that ruled him out for several weeks. While recovering from that injury, he discovered he also had a stress fracture in the lower back. Then, in January of this year, he learned that he required shoulder surgery as the result of ligament damage caused by diving in the field in a T20 against South Africa in Cape Town in February 2016.Now, at last, he is ready to return. He has been included in the squad to face Yorkshire at the Ageas Bowl and, while he could yet miss out to the legspinner Mason Crane, it seems a return is imminent.”It can seem there is no light at the end of the tunnel when you’re in the gym on your own, day after day, week after week,” Topley told ESPNcricinfo. “And there have been some dark days.”I never thought I wouldn’t play again, or anything like that. But it’s frustrating to see other people taking their chances and moving ahead of you. And I’ve felt bad for Hampshire who have shown such faith in me and I haven’t been able to repay it.”It is not hard to see why the England management rate Topley. Tall, left-arm and blessed with a good armoury of skills – not least the ability to swing the ball – he has already played 10 ODIs and six T20Is and, but for the injuries, might well have been in the shake-up for England’s Champions Trophy squad.His fitness is a worry, though. He suffered two stress fractures in the lower back while at Essex (the second probably because he returned from the first too early) and a third in a slightly different spot (though still in the lower back) after the move to Hampshire.Topley has played just 32 first-class games in a career that is now entering its seventh season and there must be a concern that, like Tymal Mills who broke through at Essex at pretty much the same time, he simply does not have the body to support the rigours of first-class cricket. What sometimes looks to be the world at his feet at other times appears to be fragments of his vertebrae.”Of course I want to play for England again,” he said. “I know a return isn’t imminent, but hopefully I can get some overs under my belt now and go from there. I’m probably a better white-ball bowler at this stage, but I’ve aspirations in all forms of the game. I think I’ve added some pace since the last time I played and I can’t wait to get out there and show what I can do.”I’ve very excited. A bit nervous, too. Hampshire have been very good to me throughout this period and I’m desperate to repay that by helping them win some games.”

A round-up of the final day of first-round matches of the Dhaka Premier League on May 21, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2017Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club beat Mohammedan Sporting Club by one wicket with two balls to spare at the BKSP-3 ground in Savar. Dhanmondi Club chased down their 340-run target, a List A record for the highest-successful chase in Bangladesh, when No. 11 Shahadat Hossain struck the winning four after they needed three runs from the final over.The record for the previous highest chase was held by Chittagong Division, who made 333 for 6 against Rajshahi Division in 2007. Dhanmondi’s chase was also the highest second-innings score in List A games in Bangladesh, bettering Mohammedan’s 339 for 9 against Abahani earlier this season.Both Dhanmondi Club and Mohammedan made it to the Super League phase of the Dhaka Premier League, alongside Gazi Group Cricketers, Abahani Limited, Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club and Prime Bank Cricket Club. But it was Dhanmondi Club’s chase that stole the show on the final day of the first round.Their fast start was upended when they lost their first two wickets by the seventh over. Then, Prashant Chopra, their Indian recruit, and Sohag Gazi added 96 runs for the third wicket. Chopra’s dismissal for a 60-ball 86 was followed by that of Rajin Saleh for a duck six balls later, in the 20th over. When Gazi fell for a 64-ball 89, Dhanmondi Club slipped to 233 for 6 in the 33rd over.The chase was revived through an 87-run stand between Tanbir Hayder and Elias Sunny. Hayder struck six fours and a six in his 72-ball 77 while Sunny’s cameo ensured the lower order didn’t capitulate quickly. Sunny ended unbeaten on 39 off 45 balls. Mohammedan pace bowler Mohammad Azim took four wickets for 70 runs.Dhanmondi Club’s brilliant chase overshadowed centuries from Shamsur Rahman and Rony Talukdar as Mohammedan were asked to bat. Shamsur struck seven fours and as many sixes in his unbeaten 144 off 152 balls, which was his highest List A score. Talukdar’s 110 came off 99 balls and was his third List A century.Gazi Group Cricketers finished as table toppers at the end of the Dhaka Premier League’s first phase despite slipping to their second successive loss. Prime Bank Cricket Club trounced them by seven wickets in Fatullah and finished on 16 points to draw level with Abahani Limited and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club while Gazi Group were on 18 points.Batting first, Gazi Group made only 214 for 9, with Mominul Haque (79 off 106) and Jahurul Islam (66 of 84) consolidating the innings after they were 3 for 2. But Gazi Group slumped again, losing their last five wickets for 16 runs after the 149-run stand between Mominul and Jahurul was broken, with Nazmul Islam finishing with three wickets. Zakir Hasan and Abhimanyu Easwaran set up Prime Bank’s chase by adding 95 runs for the second wicket. The formalities were completed by Al-Amin who was unbeaten on 41.Kalabagan Krira Chakra kept themselves firmly afloat in the Dhaka Premier League after their five-wicket win against Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity at the BKSP-4 ground in Savar.Having finished tenth in the points table, Khelaghar now have to take part in the relegation playoff matches with Partex Sporting Club and Victoria Sporting Club. Only one of these three teams will remain in the DPL next season while the bottom two will be relegated to the Dhaka First Division League.Khelaghar were restricted to 204 for 7 as No. 5 Rafsan Al Mahmud top-scored with 71 off 98 balls while No. 7 Arifurzaman Sagor made 46. Saad Nasim, the Pakistan allrounder, finished with 3 for 34 in his 10 overs.After adding 50 runs for the opening stand with Tasamul Haque, Jashimuddin (89) added 104 runs for the second wicket with Mohammad Ashraful (56). Even though Kalabagan lost five wickets, the chase was completed by Muktar Ali and Mehrab Hossain jnr with 13 balls to spare.

Former Australia legspinner Stuart MacGill has reached an out-of-court agreement over a pay dispute with Cricket Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2017Former Australia legspinner Stuart MacGill has reached an out-of-court agreement over a pay dispute with Cricket Australia.MacGill originally launched his writ in January 2015, claiming that Cricket Australia had failed to pay him more than $1.6 million in match payments and prize money, and also claiming more than $984,000 in interest.On Monday, MacGill had represented himself in the Victorian Supreme Court, where he had sought court-ordered mediation.The two parties agreed to terms on Friday. Cricket Australia confirmed that the case had been dismissed but commented no further on the outcome.MacGill played the last of his Tests in the West Indies in 2008; he announced his retirement during that tour.

Alex Hales smashed the highest score in a one-day final at Lord’s as Nottinghamshire successfully hunted down a target of 298 to leave Surrey defeated at the last for the third successive year in the Royal London Cup

Alan Gardner at Lord's01-Jul-2017
ScorecardAlex Hales’ 187 not out was the highest-ever List A score at Lord’s•Getty Images

Alex Hales smashed the highest score in a one-day final at Lord’s as Nottinghamshire successfully hunted down a target of 298 to leave Surrey defeated at the last for the third successive year in the Royal London Cup. Hales’ extraordinary innings of 187 not out accounted for 63% of his side’s runs, eclipsing an accomplished, unbeaten 144 from Surrey’s Mark Stoneman earlier in the day, as well as Geoffrey Boycott’s previous mark of 146, made during the 1965 Gillette Cup final.Boycott’s innings for Yorkshire came in a 60-over innings, just two years after the advent of one-day county cricket. While he might bridle at the suggestion it should have been surpassed before now, Boycott would surely approve of his record being taken by a player of Hales’ calibre in limited-overs cricket, a man already in possession of the highest ODI and T20 scores for his country.”Incredible, one of the best days I’ve had in cricket,” Hales said. “The game went from one side to the other, they were on top to start with, we fought back really well with the ball, they took wickets early on and then we fought back as well, so it’s a great feeling to win the trophy.”As remarkable as the scale of Hales’ contribution was the ease with which he – and Stoneman – batted on a surface that was never quite as true as it appeared. Chris Read’s bustling 58 was the third-highest score in the match, as the Nottinghamshire captain, who retires at the end of the season, kept Hales company in a stand of 137 that lifted them from a troubled 150 for 5 to the brink of comparatively comfortable victory in the afternoon sunshine.Hales finished with the highest List A score ever made at Lord’s and the highest for Notts as the county claimed their second limited-overs title in four years. Read, who lifted YB40 trophy here in 2013, will play in an exhibition match at Lord’s for MCC against Afghanistan next week but could not have wished for a better finish on his last visit with Notts.Surrey’s 297 for 9 was the most substantial score in a one-day final since Durham made 312 for 5 ten years ago, but the fact it did not feel out of reach was reflective of the new realities of the game in England. Having chased 371 to beat Essex in their semi-final – after scoring 429 for 9 at Taunton a few days earlier – Notts were unlikely to be intimidated. Only Warwickshire, who hauled in a target of 322 over the course of 60 overs in 1993, had successfully chased more in the final of a one-day cup.Hales certainly wasn’t backwards in coming forwards during a majestic innings of controlled aggression, replete with crunching drives and scything pulls. He was dropped on 9, a rasping shot off Sam Curran that burst through the hands of Ollie Pope at cover, but quickly progressed to a 35-ball fifty – by which time he had lost opening partner Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels lbw for single-figure scores – and then his century from 83.He had amassed 82 out of Notts’ first 100 and 144 out of 200 and was still contributing two-thirds of the total by the time Read provided a belated support act. Hales peppered the boundary with 20 fours and four sixes – no other batsman managed to clear the ropes – and when he raised his 150, from 120 balls, Surrey could sense the game had gone for the third year running. Such was the power of his mojo, had it come a week earlier, Hales might have ended the day headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.”I definitely wanted to attack the Powerplay, I thought they batted really well in it, looked like you got good value for decent cricket shots on a quick outfield,” he said. “That was my plan, obviously losing a few wickets meant you had to alter that a little bit but the way Ready played – we had our backs against the wall, to come out and score at a run a ball, when they had their tails up in the field and with the ball was a great effort. So, a special win.Told he had passed Boycott for the record in a final, he dissolved into giggles: “In a one-day game? That’s surprising… I didn’t know that but any chance you get to set a record is amazing.”While Hales motored smoothly, the throttle coughed and spluttered at the other end. Samit Patel, in such purple form going into the game, hooked Ravi Rampaul wastefully to fine leg before Jade Dernbach had Brendan Taylor caught behind. Hales just needed someone to hang around but Steven Mullaney, who had earlier delivered a pivotal spell of 9-0-50-2, became the fifth wicket to fall when Sam Curran won another lbw decision.This was the first Royal London final to be played in July, although the slightly grey start to the day and a middling crowd initially made it seem much like the faded September showpiece of recent seasons. Despite a firm surface and a magnificent effort from Stoneman, who had to rein himself in as wickets fell around him, Surrey were still somehow undone by a combination of spin and medium-pace nibble in the fashion of so many sides batting first at Lord’s on slow, late-summer pitches.Stoneman, overlooked by England when the Test squad was announced in the morning, was like Hales given a life when, on 32, an uppish drive presented Mullaney with a simple catch in the covers, only for the ball to squirm free. Notts had already seen Jason Roy dropped off the first ball of the match, a shocker from Wessels at slip, and Surrey, having chosen to bat after Gareth Batty again won the toss, must have hoped their luck in Lord’s finals had turned. Notts’ fielding remained somewhat ragged throughout, though it was Pope who would have most cause to regret his lapse.After an opening stand of 83 in 11 overs had given Surrey an excellent platform, Patel struck with his first delivery; Mullaney this time accepted the opportunity with alacrity, Roy getting a leading edge to cover as the ball gripped a little.That brought in Kumar Sangakkara, author of two Royal London hundreds this season (plus six more in the Championship). “If Sanga doesn’t come off, we’re stuffed,” opined one Surrey supporter on the way down Wellington Road before the game. Successive defeats in the final of this competition in 2015 and 2016 had clearly taken a psychological toll.Sangakkara began with his usual coiled intensity, walking into crisp forward defensives and nurdling singles before striking his first shot in anger from his 25th ball – a stroll down to flay Stuart Broad over mid-off’s outstretched arm for four. Two more boundaries followed in Broad’s next over, flicked to fine leg and then glided to third man with watch-maker’s precision, but then came the minor misjudgement that precipitated a major crisis for Surrey.Mullaney, who played a part in each of the first five wickets to fall, claimed the one every county bowler wants this season when he induced a thin nick to the keeper. Sangakkara’s 30 would turn out to be the second-highest contribution for Surrey, as they lost 4 for 39, Mullaney and Patel combining for an old-school knackering of a gleaming middle-order, full of young talent but unable to provide Stoneman with any substantial support. For Surrey, it was deja vu all over again.

Sana Mir has responded to the head coach’s criticism of her alleged “negative approach” during Pakistan’s winless campaign in the 2017 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2017Pakistan women’s captain Sana Mir has responded to criticism from Sabih Azhar, the team’s coach, saying she had “fought” to play a young bowler contrary to the allegations against her. She also said she did not “intend to continue” under the current circumstances.In a report, Azhar had described Mir as “self-centered, egotistical and being wrapped up in oneself” during the course of the team’s winless campaign in the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England.He had said newcomers were discouraged in the team’s set-up, and that 25-year-old Kainat Imtiaz was dropped from the playing XI against West Indies without his knowledge. Among the matters which Mir and Azhar didn’t agree upon was the selection of 21-year-old Diana Baig, the fast bowler who picked up seven wickets in five matches. Mir wrote on Facebook of this: “My coordination with the coach suffered when I insisted on playing Diana Baig, who was in absolutely great form. That was our major disagreement. Diana is talented and was in great form in the WWC 2017.”My fight was to play a youngster in the team who is ready for international cricket. I don’t regret it. Moreover, we suffered defeats in this World Cup as spinners with the new ball penetrated our top order consistently in each game, specially left-arm spinners. We are also still short of players who can perform under pressure.”Much of the focus of the report fell on the leadership of Mir. In turn Mir, who relinquished her T20 captaincy last year, said she did not want to carry on in this set-up. “I would have preferred not to have had this conversation through the media but since a confidential report by the coach, and comments by GM Women Wing and Chairman PCB have been making headlines, I feel obliged to give a short response to clarify some issues from my point of view.”I want to make it clear I don’t intend to continue in the future with the current set-up of the Women’s Wing in any capacity. I would still be sharing a detailed report with all of you to improve women’s cricket once I get back by the end of August.”Mir had previously hinted on various occasions that she would step aside after the 2017 World Cup. Having made her international debut in 2005, Mir was appointed captain in 2009 and has led Pakistan to 26 wins each in 76 ODIs and 65 T20Is.

A total of eight ODIs and six T20Is are to be played over the course of a little under two months

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2017A confirmation of India’s home season fixtures arrived on Thursday with the BCCI releasing the schedule for eight ODIs and six T20Is to be played against Australia and New Zealand starting September 17.

India v Australia

• Sept 12 – warm-up game, Chennai

• Sept 17 1st ODI, Chennai

• Sept 21 – 2nd ODI, Kolkata

• Sept 24 – 3rd ODI, Indore

• Sept 28 – 4th ODI, Bengaluru

• Oct 1 – 5th ODI, Nagpur

• Oct 7 – 1st T20I, Ranchi

• Oct 10 – 2nd T20I, Guwahati

• Oct 13 – 3rd T20I, Hyderabad

As reported earlier on ESPNcricinfo, India will take on Australia in the season opener in another ten days in Chennai before moving on to Kolkata (September 21), Indore (September 24), Bengaluru (September 28) and Nagpur (October 1) for the remainder of the ODIs. Ranchi (October 7), Guwahati (October 10) and Hyderabad (October 13) have been lined up to host the T20I series. The visitors will have a warm-up game ahead of the series on September 12.New Zealand too will have the chance to acclimatise themselves with Indian conditions with two practice matches at the CCI stadium in Mumbai before the first ODI in the same city on October 22. The second ODI is scheduled in Pune on October 25 and the third and final 50-over game will be held in Kanpur on October 29. Then both teams will shift their focus to the shortest format with three T20Is to be played in Delhi (November 1), Rajkot (November 4) and Thiruvananthapuram (November 7).

India v New Zealand

• Oct 17 – 1st warm-up game, Mumbai

• Oct 19 – 2nd warm-up, Mumbai

• Oct 22 – 1st ODI, Mumbai

• Oct 25 – 2nd ODI, Pune

• Oct 29 – 3rd ODI, Kanpur

• Nov 1 – 1st T20I, Delhi

• Nov 4 – 2nd T20I, Rajkot

• Nov 7 – 3rd T20I, Thiruvananthapuram

Both teams had visited India during the 2016-17 season as well, Australia for Tests, which they lost 2-1 and New Zealand for Tests and ODIs, although they too were beaten in each series.India had introduced three new Test venues last season – Rajkot, Indore and Visakhapatnam. This time they have got clearance to host international matches at Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram. It is understood there were delays in securing these clearances, which perhaps played a part in the BCCI announcing the official schedule less than two weeks before the opening match of the season.

Matt Coles admitted he had a “heavy heart” about leaving Kent but felt the opportunity to play Division One cricket was too good an opportunity to miss

George Dobell19-Oct-2017
Matt Coles has swapped Kent for County Champions Essex on a two-year deal.Coles, something of an unfulfilled talent, admitted he had a “heavy heart” about leaving Kent but felt the opportunity to play Division One cricket and “push myself to be as good as I can be” made this too good an opportunity to miss.For Essex, his addition adds competition for places and depth in all formats.A former Lions allrounder, Coles emerged through the Kent youth system and academy. He made his first-team debut in 2009 and has represented the club more than 200 times across formats. He had a year remaining on his Kent contract.He did briefly leave Kent once before. At the end of 2013 he joined Hampshire on loan and subsequently signed with them. But despite a decent 2014 season, he struggled to settle away from home and returned to Kent.”It is with a heavy heart that I leave Kent,” Coles said. “It’s been my home and family for most of my life and career.”But I have a great opportunity to move and play Division One cricket with the County Champions. It feels right, and I want to push myself to be as good as I can be. Essex’s vision for the future is really exciting and I’m looking forward to playing a significant part.”Coles has flirted with notoriety for much of his career – he and Ben Stokes were sent home from a Lions tour in early 2013 after one too many nights out, while he was left out of Kent’s Championship fixture against Derbyshire in June 2016 following a drink-related incident and was suspended by the ECB for two further Championship matches after being found guilty of throwing the ball in a dangerous manner during their victory against Glamorgan in May. However, he is a well-respected player who performed well enough to earn selection for the first series of North-South matches at the start of the year.Aged 27 and with his chances of England recognition having receded sharply over recent years, the move might be considered a defining moment in his career.”It is important that we continue to improve the squad and not rest on our laurels,” Essex Head Coach Chris Silverwood said. “We feel Matt offers excellent attributes with both his batting and bowling across all formats. He will strengthen competition in red-ball cricket but also offer destructive batting and bowling in white-ball cricket so it is an excellent signing for the club.”The news leaves Kent’s seam-bowling resources looking a little thin ahead of the 2018 season. It is understood the club are among several keen to tempt Morne Morkel into a Kolpak deal and are also making enquiries about several other county seamers who either out of contract or out of favour at their current counties.