Fit again captain Kieron Pollard says his team has “put in the effort to get it right” for the T20Is, after the ODIs loss

Shashank Kishore15-Feb-2022For a while when West Indies trained on Tuesday, the men designated to put up sponsor boards around the edges of the first tier above the dressing rooms waited and watched to see if the batters would stop hitting the ball in the direction. After a while, it became amply clear this was part of a skills-specific training routine. They stopped and enjoyed a power-hitting show for a good 40 minutes, before they got to work again.Big hits routinely flew off the blade, one after the other. If Nicholas Pooran tried to hit them 80 meters, Odean Smith went 85. Romario Shepherd gunned for 90. The white-ball destroyers who’ve thrilled audiences around the world surfaced. Balls were disappearing into the empty stands routinely.After a while, Kieron Pollard walked out with his weapons and whacked them big. Over the past week, he’s worked on repairing his ankle that was sore due to fluid accumulation. On match-eve, he declared himself fit, and even proved it by not just flexing his muscle in hitting big but also completing regular drills. If the weekend was about relaxing and soaking in multi-million-dollar bids at the IPL auction, the last two days have been about training hard and ironing out areas they want to focus on. Two long sessions later, West Indies are confident heading into the series opener on Wednesday.”It’s down to execution,” Pollard asserted. “That’s the conversation we’re having. Being precise in what to do and being as accurate as possible. We’re clear and have worked on specific things in the nets. Skill-sets of the group are different. One thing you can be rest assured of, we have put in the work to get it right.”Related

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Barring Kyle Mayers, Dominic Drakes and Shepherd, the allrounders, the rest of the squad have had a taste of conditions in India, either from earlier or during the ODIs. They may have been thumped in the ODIs, but Pollard insisted every bit of learning has been taken onboard and there are no hangovers from the IPL auction euphoria.”Every time you get an opportunity to represent your team, you want to do well,” he said. “The IPL auction is done and dusted. To be selected there, you should have done something great on the field. When the IPL comes, we will deal with that. For now, it’s about representing the West Indies and putting our best foot forward. From a one-day perspective, it didn’t go how we wanted it to. Come tomorrow, hopefully we can deliver the plans we have.”West Indies have now lost back-to-back ODI series, to Ireland and India, but go into the T20Is with the confidence of having beaten England 3-2 at home. Pollard termed it “confidence boosting”, but felt there were weaknesses they got away with.”For us, it’s about consistency,” he said. “We had a good series against England. A couple of times with the bat and at the back end of the innings, we could have been better at executing. Our fielding performance, we can take it up a notch. That is an area we need to improve. And try to be as consistent as possible from a batting perspective. We have not been consistent at all. That’s a fact. We want to put it right in the limited opportunities in the shorter format of the game. It’s about continuing to improve in all facets and executing to the best of our ability.”Kieron Pollard trained and did all his fitness drills•Associated Press

Pollard hinted at continuity at the top, which means Mayers could line-up to open alongside Brandon King. Mayers, who made his mark in a record-breaking Test match chase in Chittagong last year on debut, is just four T20Is old, but brings multi-dimensional skills with his ability to chip in with a few overs of medium pace.”I’m very impressed, he’s aggressive in nature and is doing tremendously, and has improved a lot from the first time I interacted with him in the 2013 CPL,” Pollard said of the 29-year-old. “He’d done well in the Test arena, in a couple of T20s too. We want that to continue, for him to give that impetus. He is clear what he has to do for the team. We look forward to consistent performances. We know he can give us a few overs with the ball as well.”Some captains don’t like talking about individuals, particularly if they aren’t chosen. Pollard is the exact opposite. He was asked what it would take for Shimron Hetmyer to make a comeback. The big-hitting Guyanese batter was signed for INR 8.5 crore last weekend by Rajasthan Royals, but finds himself out of the white-ball setup on fitness grounds. Coach Phil Simmons has made it clear he will only return if he passes the required parameters.”I think the coaches have spoken on their assessment of Shimron,” Pollard said. “I miss Shimron when he is not around. He is a young player and a superstar in his own right. He will get it right and get back to the West Indies squad pretty soon. I will be looking forward to having him. We know what he can do as an individual and he has a bright future. You can never write off a guy who is 25. My love for Shimron is paramount, and he knows that, and we all know that. It is a matter of time for him to do all that is necessary to get back to the team. We will welcome him with open arms.”What about Pooran, another big name with a big reputation, but with the kind of returns that may make you tear your hair out. “He is still trying to find his foot to become consistent and perform as an individual before thinking about leadership,” Pollard said. “He is in a good space. We have had a lot of conversations. He has got different opportunities at different times. We can see what he can do, and that is exciting.”The T20 set up has long been about the Gayles, Pollards, Russells, Bravos and Narines. Pollard, however, sees big things going forward with what he terms an “exciting group” that is ready to step up and take over the mantle.”What I see is that these guys are all wanting to do well,” he said. “Odean Smith, Drakes, Hetmyer, Romario – these are the guys we look to, to take our cricket forward. Some of the guys are selected in IPL and if they can use that experience to enhance their cricket, and get some expertise from the coaching staff, it augurs well for us in that aspect. They will be soaking in the knowledge, so it is exciting times for us going forward.”

Half-centuries for both openers as well as captain Joe Root underpin solid start to tour

Cameron Ponsonby01-Mar-2022A glimpse of the future? Or another false dawn? At the close of play on day one of England’s warm-up against the CWI President’s XI, the card read 251 for 4. But crucially, next to the names of England’s latest opening pair, runs.Alex Lees, 65 off 214, and Zak Crawley, 62 off 104. A Tale of Two Sixties to lead England into their spring of hope after suffering a winter of despair. There was also a half-century for the captain, Joe Root, as well as decent time in the middle for Dan Lawrence, handed an opportunity at No. 4. Ben Stokes fell cheaply but provided encouragement about his all-round fitness by bowling during the lunch interval.The new opening pair is one for the traditionalists. Two players of sound, orthodox technique, with one batter right-handed and one left. Aesthetically, it’s in stark contrast to what has come before and it will warm the hearts of all those who consider the MCC manual their holy book.Their first outing together produced a century stand. Crawley in particular looked in the type of touch that only he is able to produce. Blessed and cursed with the ability to make the game look easy, he raced ahead of Lees in the morning session to reach his half-century before lunch.”I felt in decent touch,” Crawley said at the close of play. “I was thankful to bat with a left-hander at the top. Sometimes you get a couple of loose ones.”I think it does help [having a left-right combination]. You get a few more balls on your legs or a bit wider if they’ve been bowling at the lefty for a little bit. Leesy puts them under pressure a little bit in slightly different ways to what I do so it works quite well.”If Crawley’s sixty was one reached at a canter, Lees’ came at a leisurely stroll. Both were as in control of their game as the other.”I’ve always rated Alex,” Crawley said. “Always thought he was a really good player. He’s got a great temperament for this level, doesn’t seem like much fazes him. He’s really good to bat with in the middle, really calm and up for quite a chilled atmosphere. I think he’ll do well at this level.”It was a sentiment that rang true on the evidence of the day’s play. Even when Lees was only on one run off his first 36 deliveries he appeared in total control. He was a man very calmly walking up the wrong side of an escalator. Completely comfortable. Just not going anywhere.Lees’ lack of movement on the scoreboard was also extended to his trigger. Or more to the point, his lack of one. Lees’ doesn’t trigger. At all. He is completely still upon delivery aside from his bat gently wafting in the air. It is serenity where England fans have been trained to expect carnage.But that’s not to say that Lees doesn’t have any of his own quirks too. Before each delivery he turns his head to have a long look at his bat to check all is well and aligned before returning his attention to the bowler. What a beautifully normal thing to do. Crack on, Alex.Of course, Rory Burns did exactly the same thing. But instead of turning his head left and looking at his bat, he turned it right and looked at midwicket. For this quirk, and others, Burns was deemed beyond the pale.That’s not to criticise or undermine Lees. He batted very well in his first appearance in an England shirt and deserves praise for it. But a reminder that our praise should be reserved for the result and not the process. If Crawley and Lees turns out to be the answer to England’s opening woes, it will be because of how many runs they score. And not how they get them.

Keeper set for permanent Wantage Road exit with contract up at end of season

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2022Adam Rossington has left Northamptonshire following his removal from the club captaincy, signing for Essex on an initial season-long loan.Rossington, who is in the final year of his Northants contract, was replaced as their County Championship captain by new head coach John Sadler following the club’s pre-season tour to Potchefstroom last month. A club statement confirming Ricardo Vasconcelos had been appointed to lead the four-day team made no mention of Rossington, who was then described as “unavailable for selection” as Northants brought in Lewis McManus on loan from Hampshire.Northants said in a further statement on Monday morning that Rossington had “requested time away from the squad after a change in the club’s leadership group”, while confirming his move to Chelmsford for the 2022 season. “The cricket committee were happy to support this and maintained a conversation throughout, but unfortunately could not come to an agreement,” the statement added.Rossington took over as club captain in 2019, after Alex Wakely stepped down, and led Northants to promotion that season. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my eight years at Northamptonshire and was looking forward to leading the lads in Division One this season,” he said.”I wasn’t expecting a change so I’m sad to be leaving, but the club will always hold a special place in my heart. We’ve created some wonderful memories in that dressing room that I’ll take with me and I’d like to say thank you to my team-mates and the supporters as well.”Related

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Ray Payne, Northants’ chief executive, said: “It’s disappointing Adam doesn’t see his future with Northamptonshire, but everyone at the club truly wishes him well for the future and we thank him for his fantastic service over the past eight years and as captain most recently.”Adam did a brilliant job as captain after taking over in difficult circumstances in 2019 and the cricket committee had Adam as a central part of our plans moving forward. Conversations around keeping him here had been ongoing since the end of last season so it’s a shame he won’t be with the squad as they take that place in Division One.”Rossington arrived at Chelmsford on Monday morning ahead of Essex’s pre-season media day and will be available for their Championship opener against Kent which starts on Thursday. With his Northants contract up at the end of the season, Essex will be favourites to sign him permanently if he impresses this season.”I’m delighted to bring someone of Adam’s quality to the club ahead of the new season,” Anthony McGrath, their head coach, said. “The signing will give us more options over the course of a busy summer of cricket and create some healthy competition for places which is an important factor to improving as a group and achieving success.”He was Northants’ captain up until recently so will also bring those leadership qualities and added experience to the group, which is important, especially following the departures of experienced squad members last year.”

“I oversaw his work for two games. After that, I insisted that he take his own decisions and bear responsibility for them”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-20225:26

Vettori: ‘Probably comes down to Jadeja not enjoying the captaincy’

Back in his first game as Chennai Super Kings captain since giving up the role at the start of IPL 2022, MS Dhoni has suggested that the pressure of leading a side had taken a toll on Ravindra Jadeja, and that it had “burdened his prep and performances”.Speaking to the host broadcaster Star Sports after Super Kings clinched a 13-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhoni said that the plan had always been for Jadeja to take over as captain this season, and that while he had lent his support, he did not want to actively interfere with Jadeja’s decisions.Related

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“I think Jadeja knew last season that he would be captaining this year,” Dhoni said. “For the first two games, I simply oversaw his work and let him be later. After that, I insisted that he take his own decisions and bear responsibility for them.”Once you become captain, it means a lot of demands come in. But it affected his mind as the tasks grew. I think captaincy burdened his prep and performances.”So it was a gradual transition. Spoon-feeding doesn’t really help the captain, on the field you have to take those crucial decisions and you have to take responsibility for those decisions.”Once you become the captain, we have to take care of many things and that also includes your own game.”Dhoni hoped that with Jadeja freed from the pressures of captaincy, it would reignite the allrounder’s form, particularly on the field, where Super Kings have been sloppy, dropping several straightforward catches.”Even if you relieve the captaincy and if you are at your best and that’s what we want. We were also losing a great fielder, we are struggling for a deep midwicket fielder, still we have dropped 17-18 catches and that’s a matter of concern.”These are tough games and hopefully we will comeback strong, important to communicate with the bowlers.”Dhoni also credited his bowlers, particularly the spinners, for applying the brakes on Sunrisers during their chase of 203.”The phase that really worked for us was when the spinners were bowling after six overs. We have had quite a few good batting performances, but we have also given a couple of overs that went for 25-26 runs, and even when you score 200, it really comes down to 175-180 in 19 overs.”It’s important to try something different as a bowler. I always told my bowlers, you may get hit for four sixes in an over, but the two balls that you save – ultimately in a high-scoring game – those are the two deliveries that will help you win the game. Because a lot of bowlers, after getting hit for three or four sixes, they will be like let’s get it done with it, but that one boundary or even instead of sixes if you get hit for two fours, that will help you in a game. I don’t know if they believe in that theory, but it really works.”

Visitors struggle after being inserted before unbroken century stand helps seal chase

ECB Reporters Network31-May-2022Michael Pepper smashed his T20 best as Essex Eagles demolished Hampshire Hawks by eight wickets in their Vitality Blast clash at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford.Pepper dispatched four sixes to go alongside eight fours to crash a 42-ball 75 – bettering his previous best of 55 not out. Matt Critchley pummelled 45 in a 100-run stand with Pepper as the Eagles chased down Hampshire’s below-par 150 with 37 balls to spare to secure their first home T20 victory over Hampshire since 2017.Essex have won two from three in the competition, while the Hawks are winless. The only other time they have lost their first three Blast fixtures they finished second from bottom in the South Group.Will Buttleman was caught and bowled off his glove and Adam Rossington was starved of the strike before Nathan Ellis kissed his leg stump. But Pepper dominated from then on.He showed power with conventional shots but mixed it with some inventive flicks. The shot to bring up his half-century, however, was the combination of the two – a ramp shot with some added wrist to take the ball the distance.Pepper, Eagles’ top run-scorer in the Blast last season, wasn’t finished at a fifty as he dispatched Liam Dawson for back-to-back sixes over midwicket and then into the Hayes Close End gardens. Mason Crane was his victim in the following over with another straight six, while Critchley went somewhat under the radar for his 24-ball 45 – which included two huge maximums.Earlier, Essex won the toss and elected to bowl first – their previous six victories all coming when chasing in this format – and after a 25-minute delay due to rain they stifled Hawks in the powerplay. The visitors only managed to get to 33 with the departure of Aneurin Donald, yorked by Sam Cook.Cook was the main architect of the strong start with a boundary coming off his first delivery and then 11 dot balls – with his second over a wicket maiden.James Vince and Ben McDermott – on his 100th T20 appearance – both fell as Hampshire laboured to 59 for 3 after 10.1 overs, but Joe Weatherley, Ross Whiteley and James Fuller made sure they had a total to defend. Weatherley swept both sides of the wicket in his 37, while Whiteley and Fuller used brute force to clear the shot boundaries; both striking two sixes each.Curiously Essex’s two best bowlers Cook and Simon Harmer only bowled three of their allocation, both with identical figures of 2 for 16. Critchley’s miserly 1 for 20 was also exemplary.

Could England breach 500? With Jos Buttler in world-beating mood, more carnage is on the cards

Alan Gardner18-Jun-2022

Big picture

Well, how do you follow that? The logical answer – if logic has anything to do with what happened in Amstelveen on Friday – is that England will aim to top 500. And on the back of a record-breaking display, headlined by Jos Buttler’s berserker 162 off 70 balls, few would bet against them racking up a similar score in the event that they again bat first.There was an element of Stick Cricket about the way Buttler dismantled the Dutch, sixes punched into the trees around the ground as if casually tapping away at a keyboard. If only office work was this fun.Coming off the back of a prolific IPL, and given licence to unleash at No. 4, it was easy to see why he was described by Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, as “the best white-ball cricketer in the world at the moment”.Related

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England’s white-ball revolution is now so deeply seeded within the ranks of the domestic game that the two men who joined Buttler in reaching three figures were both doing so for the first time in ODIs. Dawid Malan has long been involved across formats, of course – and became only the second England men’s player to score hundreds in all three – but Phil Salt was making just his fourth appearance, and did a decent Jonny-Bairstow-impression at the top of the order.Liam Livingstone’s 17-ball fifty, meanwhile, was his first in ODIs, as well as another England record. Those involved in the Test squad – including Bairstow, Joe Root and the captain, Ben Stokes – won’t be worrying about their places in the pecking order yet, but it serves as a reminder of the depth available to England in white-ball cricket. (As did another record total in the Blast later on Friday.)To be fair to Netherlands, aside from a couple of dropped catches that might have stalled England’s rampage, they did not do too much wrong. Although the captain, Pieter Seelaar, may not opt to insert the visitors again. “Getting Jason Roy out was a good moment,” he laughed afterwards, recalling the early dismissal that left England 1 for 1 in the second over. All bar one of the 26 sixes hit (another record) cleared the boundary-riders comfortably.In the face of such an unprecedented chase, Netherlands did well to bat through the overs, bar two balls, and make sure that the margin defeat was not similarly record-breaking.Without some of their best players, who have opted to remain playing in county cricket, there was clearly a gulf in talent. But the core of this Netherlands side – players such as Seelaar, Max O’Dowd, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards and Logan van Beek – have plenty of experience at bouncing back from adversity. “This will make us better cricketers in the future,” Seelaar added, and the Dutch will be hoping to prove that straight away.Max O’Dowd has become a banker at the top of the order, averaging 45.61 in ODIs•ICC via Getty

Form guide

Netherlands: LLLLL
England: WWWWW

In the spotlight

Despite the carnage visited upon the VRA ground by England’s batters, it was a Netherlands player who landed the KNVB with a repair bill for smashing a window pane to go with the estimated €1,000 hit for lost balls. Max O’Dowd gave a glimpse of his range during a run-a-ball 55, which included some Shane Watson-esque clumping down the ground. The Auckland-born opener has become a banker at the top of the order, averaging 45.61 in ODIs. He is also the only man to have scored a T20I hundred for Netherlands – and might need to tap into that mindset if England are going to be challenged.Centre stage. Name in lights. Place booked in the hall of fame. Jos Buttler will have harder day’s work, but there is no doubting he is currently in his pomp as a white-ball batter. Without sounding like a broken record, there were several he narrowly missed out on – a 47-ball hundred was one slower than his best; getting to 150 in 65 balls was also a single delivery behind AB de Villiers; with 14 sixes, he was three short of the high-water mark in ODIs. But if England continue to deploy him at No. 4, having cottoned on to his brilliance, then there may be further chances to go above and beyond.

Team news

Netherlands seem likely to stick with the spin-heavy strategy, but could bring in either Tim Pringle – the slow left-armer whose dad Chris played for New Zealand – or 19-year-old legspinner Shariz Ahmad. If keeps his spot, it will be an important test of character for Philippe Boissevain, who conceded 108 from his ten overs.Netherlands (possible): 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Musa Ahmed, 4 Tom Cooper, 5 Bas de Leede, 6 Scott Edwards (wk), 7 Pieter Seelaar (capt), 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Shane Snater, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Philippe Boissevain/Tim Pringle.Brydon Carse might come on if Sam Curran is given rest•Getty Images

Morgan is usually reluctant to rotate for the sake of it, and has previously suggested he will try to play all three games despite recent injury problems. Sam Curran, who bowled nine overs on Friday, is perhaps likeliest to get a rest, with Brydon Carse primed to come in and offer some right-arm variation to the seam-bowling department.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jos Buttler (wk), 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Brydon Carse/Sam Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

As evidenced by England’s world-record 26 sixes, the Amstelveen boundaries are eminently clearable – although the same pitch will be used as for Friday’s run-fest, which might slow down some of the scoring. An even bigger crowd is expected, but they may also have to contend with some rain interrupting proceedings.

Stats and trivia

• England’s 498 for 4 was a new high in ODIs (you may have heard). They are now responsible for the top three scores in the format. England also became only the second team to have three centurions in an innings after South Africa, who have done so twice.
• Amstelveen has regained the record for the highest ODI total, which it previously held for Sri Lanka’s 443 for 9 against Netherlands in 2006, before England twice eclipsed that score at Trent Bridge.
• During the course of the destruction, Buttler became the tenth Englishman to 4000 ODI runs.
• Roy is set to play his 100th ODI. Cooper needs one more run for 1000 in ODIs.
• Two Netherlands milestones are in sight for Seelaar. His 58th cap will draw him level with Peter Borren for most appearances; and he needs one more wicket to replace Mudassar Bukhari as Netherlands’ leading bowler in ODIs.

Quotes

“You can’t drop the best batsman in the world twice in one over. Phil Salt was [also] dropped on 30 or 40. I’m not going to say it would be a completely different game, but you probably won’t be looking at 498.”
“We don’t take days like this for granted at all. We earned the right to give it a nudge today, that doesn’t mean that on Sunday or Wednesday we’ll not be up against it. We’ve worked incredibly hard to earn days like today.”

She combined in a third-wicket stand of 135 with Meg Lanning before Megan Schutt claimed her 100th T20I wicket

Andrew McGlashan21-Jul-2022Four times Tahlia McGrath has batted in T20Is, and four times she has been player of the match. Her extraordinary start in the format, having only debuted last October, continued against Ireland in Bready as she and captain Meg Lanning combined to set up a convincing Australia victory.The pair added 135 for the third wicket, a record for Australia, as they overcame a slightly sluggish start against some tight Ireland bowling to pile up 182 which the home side did not come close to challenging.When McGrath was dismissed in the final over it gave her a T20I batting average for the first time – the small matter of 247. She had struck 11 boundaries in her 45-ball stay having arrived in the fifth over when Beth Mooney clubbed a loopy full toss to mid-on after the early dismissal of Alyssa Healy lbw playing across a straight delivery.Australia had been held to 39 for 2 from the powerplay but the eighth over marked a change of gear when Lanning twice picked up Arlene Kelly over the leg side for six. Seven out of the next eight overs went for double figures while overall Australia managed 100 from the second half of their innings.Lanning and McGrath matched each other: the captain’s fifty came from 31 balls with McGrath’s coming off 30 deliveries, having at one stage been 11 from 12 balls.”It was good fun batting with Meg,” McGrath said. If there was one shot I could steal off anyone, it’s that flick off the legs for six. It’s incredible. She was so calm at the crease, she makes things happen so it’s very nice batting with her.”Megan Schutt struck in the first over of the chase when Rebecca Stokell skewed to point and later in the innings would become the second Australian to 100 T20I wickets when she removed Mary Waldron.Jess Jonassen had success in her first over of the tour, getting Gaby Lewis caught at cover, after missing the opening two matches having tested positive for Covid before leaving Australia. Meanwhile, Alana King continued her wicket-taking form with another two scalps.However, Australia’s wide count was again high as they conceded 15 meaning their tally for the three matches is now 47 runs from wides.”I think we’re shaping up really well,” McGrath said. “There’s a little bit of fine tuning to go [like] tidy up our fielding a bit, a few too many extras, but we’re always striving to improve and we’re on the right track.”They have one more match left in the series, against Pakistan on Saturday, which will likely determine who finishes top of the table.

The fast bowler knows her career does not have long to go, but there remains a big prize to focus on

Valkerie Baynes05-Aug-2022Katherine Brunt has a lot to think about at the moment.You wouldn’t necessarily know it watching her rip opposing players’ poles from the ground in true, vintage Brunt fashion. But with the spectre of retirement looming larger as England draw closer to their goal of winning a Commonwealth Games medal on home soil, this isn’t exactly the Brunt of old.Brunt hasn’t set a date for her retirement, publicly at least. But, having declared that she had played her last Test during the Ashes in January, she recently told ESPNcricinfo that, whether she calls time on her international career after the Commonwealth Games or presses on to next year’s T20 World Cup, the end would be “very soon”.”Everybody has ebbs and flows,” Brunt said, touching briefly again on the difficulties she faced while struggling with her action during England’s tour of Australia and then New Zealand for the ODI World Cup.Related

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“I’ve had a lot of questions for myself and I’ve worked exceptionally hard in the last three months before this tournament. So it is funny because I’m feeling good, playing well, and it’s hard to walk away from stuff like that. So yeah, a lot going on in my head right now.”She was speaking after claiming two wickets for just two runs in her first two overs to pound New Zealand into submission as they posted just 71 for 9 from 20 overs during their final group game. England won by seven wickets with 50 balls to spare to secure top spot in Group B and avoid favourites Australia in the semi-finals. New Zealand will face Group A leaders Australia in Saturday’s second semi-final, to be played in the evening UK time, after England take on India in the day game.
Brunt has enjoyed an excellent tournament so far. She ended Thursday night’s match with 2 for 4 from three overs, while she took 1 for 16 and scored an unbeaten 38 from 23 balls in a 26-run win against South Africa and claimed 1 for 8 from three overs as England beat Sri Lanka by five wickets.Her fourth ball against New Zealand was an offcutter that sent Sophie Devine’s leg stump cartwheeling, a ball she added to her arsenal under previous England Women’s coach Mark Robinson.”He challenged me to get better as a player,” Brunt said. “He’s seen a lot of 30-year-olds not be able to up their game at that stage. You either fizz out or you step up.”It was a challenge and I wanted to prove him wrong, step up, so I gained a couple of balls and that’s my banker, and I bring it out when I need to against who I need to. I’m really happy for having picked that up in such a late stage of my career.”Issy Wong continues to shine as part of England’s new generation•Getty Images

Brunt’s eighth delivery was similar but faster and pinged the top of Amelia Kerr’s middle stump as New Zealand slid to 10 for 2. Then Issy Wong, the 20-year-old quick representing England’s next wave of seam bowlers, took 2 for 10 from her three overs, including the tournament’s leading run-scorer, Suzie Bates, to have New Zealand in dire distress.Brunt was full of praise for the likes of Wong and left-arm seamer Freya Kemp, who is just 17, as is Alice Capsey, who sits second behind only Bates on the tournament run-scoring chart. All three England youngsters made their international debuts in the bilateral series against South Africa immediately before the Games and have taken to the task with ease, seeming to revel in the atmosphere of a 10,000-plus crowd at Edgbaston.”I know for a fact they love it, and they’re not intimidated,” Brunt said. “They’re very confident people and you can’t play international sport without confidence and arrogance in a healthy way.”It’s like boxers isn’t it? They talk a good game. They say they’ll never lose, they’re the best ever, and that’s the kind of arrogance you’ve got to have because it takes a lot to step out into a crowd like that and put yourself out there in front of thousands of people. I’m glad they’ve got it because I feel like that’s been a key ingredient for myself in my career.”Devine, the New Zealand captain, joked that the end of that illustrious career couldn’t come quickly enough.”To be perfectly honest, me and Suze [Bates] said we can’t wait till she retires,” Devine smiled. “She’s been pestering us for 15-odd years. She’s just outstanding. She defies her age and her skill is unbelievable, so full credit, to still be able to run in and bowl the way that she does.”She’s a really wily player. She probably isn’t as quick as she used to be, she’ll be the first to admit that… I hope so, because otherwise she’s probably going to send me a few beamers. But a really smart bowler and she leads that team well. She will leave a massive hole when she does retire, which is hopefully very soon.”

“A team could still lose if they have performers. But if we have more impact, chances are, we will win more games.”

Mohammad Isam14-Sep-2022Bangladesh’s technical consultant Sridharan Sriram believes ‘impact’ in T20 cricket trumps everything else. Even performance.

In his first press conference in Dhaka, Sriram – essentially brought on board for the T20I side – said that he believes a good performance can even be detrimental to a side, unless it has a direct influence on the outcome of a T20 game.”I am looking for impact, not performance,” Sriram said, just moments after Bangladesh announced their T20 World Cup squad. “Bangladesh will win if seven or eight players make an impact. A 30 or 25, off 17-18 balls is impact for me. A small example of this is the way Mosaddek [Hossain] went after [Wanindu] Hasaranga in the over after Mahmudullah got out [at the Asia Cup]. That’s impact. I think performance is overrated in T20 cricket. A team could still lose if they have performers. But if we have more impact, chances are, we will win more games.”Related

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Sriram said that Bangladesh’s struggles in closing out games from tight situations as an area that needs improvement. In nine T20Is this year, Bangladesh have lost seven matches, following on from doing poorly in the T20 World Cup last year in the UAE. Sriram believes that it could be a lack of skill or mentality, or both, that is holding the team back.”We want to win critical moments in the game. Bangladesh have lost a lot of close T20 games. The overall results would have looked a lot better had we won half of these games. Why we are losing close games is something I am really keen to understand.”We need to have critical-moment awareness. If we win small moments, overall we can string those results together. Chances are, we will win close games. It could be skills, execution or it could be mental as well. What is he thinking in those situations? These conversations are ongoing with the leadership group of the team. We do one-on-one and also small groups too,” Sriram said.Sriram is also keen to work with Bangladesh’s returning batters. Litton Das, Nurul Hasan and Yasir Ali missed the Asia Cup due to injuries, but Sriram believes that they have the right skills to take the team in the right direction come the World Cup.”Litton Das is an established cricketer and Nurul has good knowledge of his own game,” Sriram said. “I am quite eager to see more of Yasir. He has the power that Bangladesh lacks as a T20 team. Somebody who can clear the ropes and find the boundaries. I think Rabbi [Yasir] is a very exciting prospect.Sriram shot back at a suggestion that a good performance by Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup, in Australia next month, will give him a contract extension. Rather, he said, that he wanted to focus on the positives from the Asia Cup, where he felt that the team showed fighting qualities despite losing to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.”I am not here to extend my contract. I am here to do my job to the best of my ability for the time I am contracted,” Sriram said. “Thinking of an extension is not the right way to operate. I will do the best for Bangladesh. I wear heart and soul for this team.”There was a huge positive in the way we played in the Asia Cup. We needed to win both games but it doesn’t mean we didn’t play good cricket. I please request everyone not to be results driven. Results are everything in sport but there needs to be a process and plan in place. As long as we have that direction, that’s all I am accountable for.”

BCCI “obligated” to get ICC a tax waiver on the event; if that doesn’t happen, the BCCI’s share of the ICC’s central revenue pool will take a hit

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Oct-2022The BCCI stands to lose between US$58-116 million from its share of the ICC’s central revenue pool as a result of the tax imposed by the Indian government on the global cricket body for hosting the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India. The marquee event is scheduled to be played in India in October-November next year.”It is to be noted that any tax cost incurred by the ICC for the 2023 event in India will be adjusted with the BCCI’s share of revenue from the ICC,” the BCCI said on Thursday in an update sent to its state associations. In the two-page document, seen by ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI outlined the estimated financial hit it is likely to incur in the absence of the ICC securing a full tax exemption from the Indian government for staging the tournament in India, the first men’s global cricket event in the country since the 2016 T20 World Cup.Related

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The tax exemption has been part of the host’s agreement the BCCI signed with the ICC in 2014, when three men’s events were awarded to India: the 2016 T20 World Cup, the 2018 Champions Trophy (later changed to 2021 T20 World Cup, which was moved to the UAE and Oman) and the 2023 ODI World Cup. As per the agreement, the BCCI was “obligated” to help the ICC (and all its commercial partners involved in the tournament) secure the tax waiver.The tax waiver has been a contentious issue every time a global cricket event has been held in India. In 2016, the BCCI said in the note, the ICC deducted “nearly $23.5 million” from the central revenue pool after the Indian government had charged Star India*, which owns rights for ICC events, 10.92% in taxes.The BCCI has challenged the ICC on that at the global body’s disputes tribunal. Even as it awaits a final decision from the tribunal, the BCCI has said it had opened discussions with India’s finance ministry to “deliver a tax exemption or a tax solution” for the 2023 World Cup.The BCCI was originally meant to secure such an exemption 18 months before the event. It said that it had asked ICC to extend the deadline to May 31 this year from April, which was the original timeline.”At the start of this financial year, the BCCI had advised the ICC that in line with the tax order for the 2016 event, it was expected that a 10% (excluding surcharges) tax order could be obtained as an interim measure for the 2023 event within the required timeframe,” the BCCI said in its update. “The ICC has now received a 20% (excluding surcharges) tax order for its broadcast revenue for the 2023 event from the tax authorities in India.”In the note the BCCI listed the ICC’s broadcasting income from next year’s World Cup in India at an estimated $533.29 million. The BCCI said the “financial impact” it would suffer for a 10.92% tax order on that would be around $58.23 million (the BCCI’s note listed the figure as $52.23 million, which appears to be an error given the percentages listed), which would more than double to roughly $116.47 million if the tax component were to be 21.84%, as desired by the Indian government.This amount, whatever it finally is, will be deducted from the BCCI’s share of ICC’s central revenue pool, which over the course of the current rights cycle (2016-2023) amounts to roughly $405 million based on ICC’s overall earnings for the period estimated at $2.7 billion.The BCCI said it remained “hopeful” of a solution as it is engaging at the “highest level” in the Indian government. “The BCCI is currently working with the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and have represented against this 20% (excluding surcharges) tax order at the very highest level and are hopeful that a 10% (excluding surcharges) tax order would be forthcoming shortly.”*