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Either Shakib Al Hasan or Trent Boult is likely to replace the Australia fast bowler as Kolkata Knight Riders look to reclaim the top spot

The Preview by Sreshth Shah25-Apr-2017

Match facts

Rising Pune Supergiant v Kolkata Knight Riders
Pune, April 26, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:56

Hogg: Tahir at his best with old ball

Form guide

• Rising Pune Supergiant (fourth): defeated Mumbai Indians by three runs, defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets, defeated RCB by 27 runs

• Kolkata Knight Riders (second): defeated RCB by 82 runs, lost to Gujarat Lions by four wickets, defeated Delhi Daredevils by four wickets

Head to head

OverallKolkata Knight Riders chased 66 (D/L adjusted target) and 161 to win both at home and away against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016.

In the news

Knight Riders will be without Nathan Coulter-Nile, who in their previous game took three wickets to bowl Royal Challengers Bangalore out for 49, which is the lowest total in IPL history. The 29-year old seamer has not travelled with the team to Pune, with captain Gautam Gambhir citing workload management as the reason.Coulter-Nile’s absence means either Shakib Al Hasan or Trent Boult could return to the team. Colin de Grandhomme hasn’t fired with the bat but his three-wicket haul on Sunday has boosted his chances of retaining his place.

The likely XIs

Rising Pune Supergiant 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Jaydev UnadkatKolkata Knight Riders 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Trent Boult/Shakib Al Hasan, 11 Kuldeep Yadav

Strategy Punt

• Overall in the IPL, Sunil Narine smashes spin at a strike-rate of 233 but pace at only 126. But this season, with his promotion to opener, he has smashed fast bowlers for 93 runs off 53 deliveries. So perhaps there is a case for Rising Pune to take pace off the ball and use Imran Tahir or Washington Sundar against him.

Stats that matter

• MS Dhoni has struggled against Sunil Narine in T20s. He has managed only 27 runs off 54 balls.
• Manoj Tiwary has scored 139 runs off 82 balls, at a strike-rate of 167.07. He has been dismissed only three times in his last nine T20 innings, and has been hitting a boundary every four balls.
• Ajinkya Rahane has smashed Umesh Yadav for 54 runs in 38 balls without ever being dismissed in the IPL.
• Knight Riders have taken 28 wickets between overs 7 and 15, ten more than their closest rivals Sunrisers Hyderabad. Six KKR bowlers have taken three or more wickets during the middle overs, with Woakes’ tally of six being the highest.
• KKR’s quicks have been the most productive in the league. They have taken 34 wickets at an average of 19.82. On the other hand, Rising Pune’s seamers have managed only 24 wickets at an average of 32.54.
• Spinners have been more effective than seamers at MCA stadium this season. They have given away only 6.97 runs per over, taking a wicket every 19.42 runs. Seamers have leaked 9.50 runs an over, taking a wicket every 42.61 runs.

Central Zone lifted the Bangladesh Cricket League title – their second after their triumph in the inaugural edition in 2012-13 – following their drawn game against North Zone in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam17-Mar-2016Central Zone sealed their second Bangladesh Cricket League title, following a drawn game against North Zone in Mirpur.Central Zone had won the inaugural BCL tournament in the 2012-13 season, before South Zone won it in the following two seasons – 2013-14 and 2014-15.Central Zone, who were on top of the points table at the start of this game, became champions despite ending the match with nine points as opposed to North Zone, who collected 11.North Zone were bowled out for 378 batting first, with Farhad Hossain making 131. Mohammad Sharif took 6 for 105.

List of BCL champions

• 2012-13: Central Zone

• 2013-14: South Zone

• 2015: South Zone

• 2015-16: Central Zone

In reply, Central Zone were bowled out for 306, with Raqibul Hasan (63) and Shuvagata Hom (51) scoring fifties. Left-arm pacer Shafaq Al Zabir, right-arm medium pacer Ariful Haque, and offspinner Mahmudul Hasan took three wickets each.North Zone declared their second innings on 293 for 8. Nazmul Hossain Shanto made 55, while Jahurul Islam was unbeaten on 83. Tanveer Haider took 4 for 66.Marshall Ayub finished off the first-class season with an unbeaten 101 as Central Zone made 257 for 2 on the final day. Ayub finished as tournament’s highest run-getter with 562 runs at 56.20.East Zone, who were second on the points table, ended up drawing their game against South Zone.Alok Kapali’s third hundred of the tournament lifted East Zone to 442 after they elected to bat. Liton Das, Mominul Haque, the captain, and the No. 10 Iftekhar Sajjad struck fifties. Moynul Islam took 4 for 83.South Zone replied with 601, with Mosaddek Hossain’s 152, and a power-packed 146 from Sohag Gazi, leading the charge. Opener Shahriar Nafees missed out on a century by 10 runs, while Farhad Reza made 72. Kapali took 3 for 63.In the remaining 41.3 overs, Liton struck an unbeaten 103, while Irfan Sukkur made 75 not out as East Zone ended the game on 189 for no loss.

Faf du Plessis, who captains South Africa’s Twenty20 side, believes he is not yet ready to lead the team in ODIs

Firdose Moonda27-Aug-2013Faf du Plessis has admitted that his ODI form must improve if he hopes to take over as the ODI captain in the future. Du Plessis already leads South Africa’s Twenty20 side, and has been widely tipped to eventually succeed AB de Villiers, who has been burdened with the role of skipper, senior batsman and wicket-keeper. However, du Plessis does not see himself as a suitable candidate just yet.”My performances need to be better if I want to be considered as ODI captain. In Sri Lanka, I was under pressure to score runs and I knew that,” he told ESPNcricinfo.In the last 12 months, Du Plessis has managed only two half-centuries in the 21 matches he has played – an unbeaten 62 against Netherlands in May, and a 72-ball 57 against New Zealand in January.His lean patch extended to the shortest format of the game as well, but du Plessis ended the drought with an assured 85 in the last T20 on South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka last month. “It meant a lot for me to score runs in that last T20,” he said. “I needed them badly.”His own showings aside, du Plessis achieved something bigger when he became the first captain to take South Africa to a series win in Sri Lanka. After a below-par ODI showing in which they were defeated 4-1, South Africa clinched the three-match T20 series 2-1. A notable difference in the two series was in the leadership. While de Villiers struggled in his decision-making and was often behind the over-rate, du Plessis made crucial bowling and fielding changes, appeared in control most of the time, and admitted that he was enjoying his job.”I love captaining and adding value in that way,” he said. “I like giving the talks that a captain gives and dealing with the high pressure times. I even like taking the flak of making decision myself, like when it comes to bowling changes. The captain needs to make tough decisions and I don’t mind making them.”Du Plessis was a captain at school level and occasionally in the domestic set-up. So despite his relatively young age when he was promoted to T20 captain in November last year, he was deemed to have had the required skills to cut it at the top. He had only played four T20s when he was handed the role, but immediately set about trying to establish a style of leadership and earn the confidence of his team.”If you’re honest with players, they respect you,” he said. “Everybody knew we were experimenting a bit and we will try a experiment a little more because we need have our best combinations.” The World T20 and 2015 World Cup are only six and 18 months away respectively, but South Africa are still toying with new combinations and strategies under the new coach Russell Domingo.Through the process of settling on a line-up, du Plessis is hopeful that his own ODI showings will get better, if only because he will have some stability to get into a rhythm. Currently, he has been stationed at No.4 in the line-up, between JP Duminy and de Villiers, and Domingo has indicated he will keep those positions, even as Jacques Kallis makes himself available for more ODI cricket.Du Plessis, for one, can see the benefit of a definite plan. “It’s nice to have a more stable role because before I was batting everywhere and now I am able to get used to a role,” he said. The only person du Plessis thinks can float is de Villiers who he said “has to bat at the most crucial part of the game,” because “he is just the best in every situation.”With de Villiers identified as South Africa’s gun player, it would not be too surprising to see him relieved of the extra duty of leading in the near future, although du Plessis would not be drawn on how his long-time friend feels about leadership. “AB and I are different captains and we use each other, when it comes to discussing things. I’d love to captain the ODI side but I know it’s not going to happen at the moment,” he said. “The captain needs to be the first name on the team sheet, so I have to make sure I am there.”A format du Plessis feels he does not have to worry about his place in is the longest one, which South Africa will resume with two Tests against Pakistan in the UAE in October. After his match-saving hundred in Adelaide against Australia last November, du Plessis thinks he has “done enough,” to be a certainty in the starting XI despite JP Duminy, the man who du Plessis replaced, returning to fitness.Duminy has made a full recovery after rupturing his Achilles’ on the tour Down Under, and has been reintroduced into first-class cricket through South Africa A in order to force a Test comeback. He was the top-scorer in last week’s unofficial Test against India A and also contributed with three wickets, to show his value as an all-rounder.Du Plessis expects Duminy to make a comeback, but not at his own expense. “JP has done brilliantly since coming back and having him in the team only makes it stronger,” he said. “He would slot right back in.”That implies Dean Elgar, who has played in six Tests since Perth last year, would find himself out in the cold. “But if Graeme (Smith) does not recover in time, Dean can just slot in at the top,” du Plessis said. Smith is expected to be fit for the series after a lengthy time out of action with an ankle problem but if there is a setback in his rehabilitation, South Africa may have to turn to Elgar, who is an opener by trade.There’s no doubt that the management will do everything they can to ensure Smith is part of the squad, as South Africa will play the Tests in conditions that have already got the better of England. Although South Africa beat Pakistan 3-0 at home earlier this year, du Plessis expects the going to be much tougher in the Emirates.”You just have to look at England and how easily they were beaten to know it won’t be easy,” he said. “Spin will obviously be the biggest challenge and that’s what we will be working on.”

Wayamba United roared back after a poor start to record their second win in as many matches in the SLPL, beating Uva Next by 20 runs in Pallekele

The Report by Andrew Fernando17-Aug-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsUva’s Jacob Oram, bowling at the start of the Wayamba innings, finished with figures of 3 for 6•Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS/SLPL

Wayamba United roared back after a poor start to record their second win in as many matches in the SLPL, beating Uva Next by 20 runs in Pallekele. Kamran Akmal’s 32-ball 36 helped Wayamba United recover after they had slipped to 44 for 4 from 5.3 overs, before late hitting from Milinda Siriwardene and Kaushal Weeraratne lifted them to 147 for 9 from their 20 overs. The Wayamba United bowlers also overcame a poor start, to strangle the Uva Next innings after the opposition openers had made a rapid start.Wayamba United stacked all four of their overseas players in the top five, and the move almost backfired when Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal were all dismissed cheaply, with Mahela Jayawardene also contributing only 9. Kamran Akmal rebuilt alongside a unhurried Dinesh Chandimal however, taking runs to the outfield rather than attempting a counterattack – though the big shot did come occasionally, usually to the square boundary on the off side.At their demise at 82 for 5 and 90 for 6 Wayamba United were still threatening a small total, but entertaining 20s from Siriwardene and Weeraratne ensured the bowlers would have something to defend, as the exploited poor lengths from the opposition bowlers to put on 41 from 24 balls.In the chase, Dilshan Munaweera clobbered three fours and a six in his 26, and he alongside Shivnarine Chanderpaul took Uva Next to 30 from 2 overs, but none of the other batsmen were able to eclipse his score as they continued to lose wickets in close proximity.Akila Dananjaya was again impressive for Wayamba United, conceding only 20 from his four overs and taking two wickets in the process. Batsmen were not always fooled by his variations, but his turn and flight remained a threat throughout his spell and ensured few risks were taken against him. Isuru Udana also bagged two cheap scalps, while Chathuranga Kumara took three wickets for 33 from his four.

Pakistan’s season-opening domestic Twenty20 tournament has been shifted to Lahore after the stadium at Rawalpindi was deemed unfit to host the event

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2011Pakistan’s season-opening domestic Twenty20 tournament has been shifted to Lahore after the stadium at Rawalpindi was deemed unfit to host the event. The tournament was scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi from September 16, but after the local authorities could not complete renovation on the dilapidated stadium in time the event has been shifted to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where it will begin on September 25.After the huge success of the Faysal Bang Super Eight T20 Cup in Faisalabad, the PCB had said they would host their next domestic Twenty20 tournament in another small city. However, with Rawalpindi unable to host the tournament, Twenty20 cricket will return to the bigger centre of Lahore, which hosted last year’s edition of the tournament.The delayed start means the players in the national side will have returned from their tour of Zimbabwe and will be available to participate for their local teams. The Twenty20 tournament will feature 14 teams as opposed to last year’s 13; a team from Afghanistan will take part in the tournament for the first time, meaning the format may be shifted to two groups of seven teams.The other teams participating are Karachi Dolphins, Karachi Zebras, Lahore Lions, Lahore Eagles, Sialkot Stallions, Islamabad Leopards, Abbotabad Falcons, Rawalpindi Rams, Multan Tigers, Quetta Bears, Faisalabad Wolves, Peshawar, Panthers and Hyderabad Hawks.

Azhar Ali, one of the rookie Pakistan batsmen selected for the tour of England, is hoping to make his Test debut at Lord’s

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2010Azhar Ali, one of the rookie Pakistan batsmen selected for the tour of England, is hoping to make his Test debut at Lord’s where they face Australia in the first of two Tests starting July 13. The right-handed batsman from Lahore was in the reserves for the Asia Cup and this is his first tour with the senior team.Azhar is among three new faces in the Test squad and if picked for the first Test, he could be the first Pakistan batsman to debut at Lord’s after Shadab Kabir in 1996.”I have always dreamt of making my debut for Pakistan at Lord’s and as luck would have it, our opening Test is at Lord’s,” Azhar told . “I really hope that I am given the opportunity to debut at Lord’s, as it’s a ground steeped in tradition and history.”Azhar, 25, believes his patience and willingness to occupy the crease for long periods will help his cause.”I like to play long innings and have no problems in being patient at the crease,” Azhar said. “I know the opposition will be tough in England, but I am confident that I can provide Pakistan with stability and a degree of calmness and assurance at the top of the order. I have experience of conditions in England having played league cricket over here, so hopefully I can use that experience to my advantage”.Azhar added that he got useful advice on batting from former captain Javed Miandad during a camp last month. “Javed was watching the batsmen at the emerging players camp and he came over and talked to me about the importance of crease occupation, not letting the opposition bowlers force you out of your comfort zone and playing each delivery on merit,” Azhar said. “I think he liked what he saw in my batting and I will always be grateful for the advice he gave me”.Azhar was picked after scoring 445 runs in ten games with a personal best of 153 for Khan Research Laboratories in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Queensland have notched their first win of the Sheffield Shield season following match-winning bowling displays from Mitch Swepson and Mark Steketee

AAP08-Dec-2024Legspinner Mitchell Swepson has boosted his hopes of being picked for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka after weaving his magic to lead Queensland to a thrilling 23-run Sheffield Shield win over Victoria at the MCG.Chasing 273 for victory, Victoria were bowled out for 249 late on day three despite the best efforts of Peter Handscomb who made a fighting 78 off 139 balls.Swepson was the key player on Sunday, snaring 4 for 88 from 30 overs to ensure Victoria’s run chase spluttered. Mark Steketee then finished the job, claiming the final two wickets to finish with 3-46.With Australia set to take multiple spinners for the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in January and February, Swepson’s performance was timely. He was spinning the ball so much on the turning pitch that one crowd member even yelled out, “Is that Shane Warne?” after one particularly impressive delivery.Queensland resumed play on day three at 195 for 8 and boasting a lead of 244. The Bulls added 28 before being bowled out for 223, with Steketee reaching 53 but only able to add five runs to his overnight score.Mark Steketee celebrates the winning wicket•Getty Images

Victoria’s chase didn’t start well. Star opener Marcus Harris was out for a two-ball duck when bowled by Tom Straker, and it was 26 for 2 when Jonathan Merlo edged Steketee behind.Campbell Kellaway (30) steadied the ship somewhat, but was clean bowled when Swepson got a delivery to turn sharply out of the foot marks. Swepson nabbed his second scalp when he bowled Tom Rogers for 14, and it was 115 for 5 when Sam Harper fell to Jack Wildermuth.Mitchell Perry became the third player to be bowled by Swepson, and Victoria’s hopes appeared over when Swepson found an edge from Handscomb to leave the home side 183 for 7.But there were more twists and turns to come, with Victoria bravely fighting to 246 for 8 as Sam Elliott (30), Xavier Crone (28) and Fergus O’Neill (13) added handy runs.Victoria needed 27 more runs for victory with two wickets in hand, but when Steketee had O’Neill caught at gully and then trapped Crone plumb in front a short time later, it sparked wild celebrations among the Bulls.Steketee was named man of the match for his scores of 44 not out and 53 to go with his bowling returns of 3 for 32 and 3 for 46.

Brook was a surprise omission from squad coach repeatedly describes as “provisional”

Matt Roller05-Sep-2023England have dropped their clearest hint yet that Harry Brook will be drafted into their World Cup squad. Matthew Mott, their white-ball coach, repeatedly emphasised on Tuesday that the 15-man squad they have submitted to the ICC is “provisional” and that “there’s a lot of water under the bridge” before they play New Zealand in Ahmedabad on October 5.Brook was a surprise omission from the squad selected for England’s upcoming four-match ODI series against New Zealand, which doubles as their provisional World Cup squad. He responded with the only century in the men’s Hundred days later, and started England’s T20I series with scores of 43 not out and 67 – though managed only 8 and 4 in the third and fourth matches.Mott explained that Brook’s initial omission was due to England’s “loyalty” to players who have underpinned their ODI side in recent years, but suggested that most teams in the World Cup would consider “tinkering” with their provisional squad before the ICC’s firm deadline on September 28.Related

• Brook added to England's ODI squad to set up World Cup shoot-out

• Brydon Carse makes his mark on debut as England power to seven-wicket victory

• Harry Brook quietly makes his case as England brace for World Cup buyer's remorse

• England keep eyes on prize with World Cup(s) on horizon

Brydon Carse, who was drafted into England’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series – which starts on Friday in Cardiff – as seam-bowling cover is another bolter who could stake a claim for inclusion in the final 15, having started the T20I series with four wickets in six overs while bowling at high pace.Jos Buttler, England’s limited-overs captain, previously declined the opportunity to rule Brook out of contention, saying during the Hundred: “There’s still a long time before everyone is meant to get on the plane, so we’ll wait and see what happens.”But Mott’s comments before Tuesday’s fourth T20I at Trent Bridge were the clearest indication yet that Brook’s recent form has prompted a rethink. “I don’t think anyone doubts Harry’s ability,” Mott told Sky Sports. “He’s an incredible player and he’s shown that.”What I’ve been most impressed by is his response since missing out and that’s what great players do. There’s a lot to play out before we pick that first XI against New Zealand in India and we’ve always said it’s a provisional squad. Everyone will get a really good opportunity to show what they’ve got.”While Brook has only played three ODIs and has not featured in a domestic List A game for four years, he has been hugely impressive in both Test and T20 cricket for England since making his international debut in early 2022.There is no immediate like-for-like batter in England’s squad: Jason Roy, Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone are the most vulnerable players, but Roy and Malan are both top-order batters while Livingstone offers England a spin-bowling option. They could also change the balance of their squad by leaving out a seamer, such as Gus Atkinson, Reece Topley or David Willey.”Harry has not played a lot of one-day cricket over the last few years,” Mott said. “He’s been exceptionally good in Test cricket and T20 cricket and in leagues around the world, but the guys that we did pick have done a great job for England over the last few years. It’s always harder to get into sides than it is to get out of them and we’ve played that card there.”As I’ve said, it’s a provisional squad. Every team will be tinkering before that World Cup and everyone – whether they’re in that 15 or outside it – should be determined to try and put their best foot forward.”Mott added: “I find it hard, when you look at that 15, to think that anyone doesn’t deserve that spot. When you’re picking teams that are that strong, there’s always going to be a story. If any one of those guys miss out, it’s a story. As I’ve said, there’s time between now and the World Cup.”In an ideal world, we probably don’t have to play our hand until a little bit later but those are the cards we’re dealt. We had to get the squad out before this series. A lot can change: there’s a lot of water under the bridge before we get to that first game against New Zealand.”

“Fortunate to play in some of the best competitions against the best players. The more you put yourself under pressure situations, the better”

Alan Gardner15-Jun-20226:35

#PoliteEnquiries: CARNAGE!

Those who have questioned whether England encouraging players to participate in the IPL could ever do anything but harm to the fortunes of the Test team may have to think again. That was the message delivered by Jonny Bairstow in the wake of his stunning assault at Trent Bridge, an incendiary 92-ball 136 that turned what could have been an anxious fifth-day chase against New Zealand into a cake walk.Bairstow only arrived back in the UK a few days before the start of the series, having spent eight weeks cracking the white ball to all parts with Punjab Kings. He had not played a first-class innings since late March, on England’s tour of the Caribbean, but brought all of his skills as a limited-overs juggernaut to bear in the decisive final session in Nottingham, repeatedly and deliberately targeting the stands as a potentially tricky requirement of 160 in 38 overs was wiped off with a full 22 overs to spare.The innings, as well as England’s full-blooded approach during a Test that saw almost 1700 runs scored at breakneck pace, is likely to serve as a manifesto for how England want to play the game under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, with multi-format players given licence to play to their strengths.Bairstow was in no doubt that his innings, the second-fastest hundred by an Englishman in Tests, had been squarely founded on the ability to deal with high-pressure situations that are commonplace when competing in the IPL, the most high-profile T20 league in the world.”There was a lot of people that were saying I should not be at the IPL and I should be playing county cricket,” Bairstow said. “That’s part and parcel of the game. Decisions are decisions and if I could say what I wanted to then… But there’s also elements to it where you are playing against the best in the world at the IPL. So being able to have those gears, to be able to go and switch them up, switch them down is important.”Yes, people say it would be fantastic if you had four games of red-ball cricket under your belt. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen in the current scheduling of everything around the world. And we’re very fortunate to be able to play in some of the best competitions against the best players in the world. So when it comes to pressure situations, the more and more you’re able to put yourself under those pressure situations, the better.”Because it’s those situations that you’ve gone through in the past – whether that be in the IPL, whether that be in one-day cricket, whether that be in red-ball cricket previously that you’re able to call upon evenings like that. And they’re the bits that those opportunities and environments, whether they be for good or bad, [mean] you’re able to produce performances like we as a group have done this game, last game and hopefully going forward.”But also I’m incredibly proud of the way in which I went about that innings, because it wasn’t just going from ball one, I was 12 off 28 balls [12 off 24] or whatever it was. It wasn’t just a case of let’s go gung-ho. It was right, pick your times, pick your moments and then try and change the game.”Going out and trying to “change the game” has been the simple instruction from McCullum; at Lord’s, where Bairstow also came out firing with England chasing 277, the message from England’s new Test coach afterwards was, “if you’d batted like that for another 20 minutes, then you break the back of it”. And although the challenge of hauling in a target of 299 in 72 overs was ostensibly daunting on a fifth-day pitch, Bairstow said England were unfazed.”It wasn’t too agonising – we needed four an over and that has been the rate throughout the game so if you actually break it down and go well we need four an over, then it’s very manageable and very chaseable,” he said. “We managed to chase it with 22 [overs] left which is a different commodity but it was great fun.”The sense of enjoyment under England’s new regime has been pervasive, but Bairstow was keen to offer mitigation for the former captain, Joe Root, and coach, Chris Silverwood, saying that a factor in the sudden recent improvement – this was only their third win in 19 Tests – was a return to something like normal life following the pandemic.”I’m excited for the next journey with Ben and Brendon, but also I’ve said numerous times we’ve also got to take into account how tough a job Joe and Chris had to deal with throughout Covid. Not having potentially the best team that they wanted to pick due to bubbles, due to different squads, due to white-ball/red-ball scheduling, everything Covid. So we’ve also got to be mindful of that. I’m extremely excited about what vision Ben and Brendon have, the way in which we’re able to go about our cricket, the enjoyment that everyone’s having on the field. But that also comes with going back to a slightly more normal way of living and way of life.”This latest innings, Bairstow’s ninth Test hundred and his first at home since 2016, extended a career renaissance in the format, following centuries over the winter in Sydney and Antigua. Both of those innings came with the side in trouble – England were 36 for 4 at the SCG but managed to draw the game, and 48 for 4 in the opening Test in the Caribbean – and his match-sealing contribution at Trent Bridge was clearly a source of great personal satisfaction.”The amount of pride that it gives me to play Test cricket for England, first and foremost, is huge,” he said. “And then to make the contributions that have done, especially when you can say backs are against the wall, or it’s tricky periods of play, or however you guys want to write it up. I’m hugely proud of the fact that sometimes when the chips are down, you have to stand up. That might be something that you’re born with, it might be something that you have deep down that springs out of you at those moments. But yeah, me as a cricketer, that’s something I’m very proud of.”

Appointment comes just days before Vijay Hazare Trophy after wrangling between CIC and MCA

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Feb-2021A day before the squad is picked for the forthcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day tournament, Mumbai have appointed a new head coach in former allrounder Ramesh Powar.Powar, the former Mumbai and India offspinner, replaces former Mumbai batsman Amit Pagnis, who resigned a month after taking charge citing the team’s “poor performance” during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where the 41-time Ranji Trophy champions failed to make the knockouts having lost four of their five matches during the group stages.Sanjay Naik, the Mumbai Cricket Association secretary, confirmed Powar’s appointment and said it was until end of March. “The Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) has recommended Powar as the head coach. The MCA has appointed him for this season,” Naik told ESPNcricinfo.Powar, who won the Ranji title six times with Mumbai, said he took up the challenge as he wanted to restore the dominance enjoyed domestic giants in the past. “I am looking forward to create healthy and positive atmosphere in the dressing room. We want to create a brand of cricket which Mumbai was known for in the past,” Powar said.Powar, who is 42, retired from in 2015, was until last September a spin bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Before that he served as interim head coach of the Indian women’s team, a stint that included the 2018 Women’s World T20 where India reached the semifinals.Recently, the Mumbai selection committee, lead by former India fast bowler Salil Ankola, had named 100-plus probables for selection trials. A final squad, Naik said, would be picked on Wednesday, which would then travel to Jaipur where Mumbai are part of the Elite Group D in the Vijay Hazare Trophay, which includes Delhi, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Pondicherry.Some of key players that are likely to be part of the final squad include Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Dhawal Kulkarni, Aditya Tare, and Sarfaraz Khan. Barring Iyer, the rest of these players were part of the Mumbai squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where Yadav lead the team. In his resignation, Pagnis had said inadequate preparation was the key reason behind Mumbai’s inability to make the knockouts.Powar acknowledged that his primary task would be to create a cohesive unit and help players understand the legacy of a team that once was invincible in Indian domestic cricket. “We have lot of good players. Individually they are very good, but as a team we need to gel together and play well and complement each other and help them perform their roles. All these players are good, but why then are we not able to become a team that is invincible? That is my challenge.”Amol Muzumdar, not Powar, was MCA’s choicePowar’s last-minute appointment follows a chaotic set of developments involving differences between the CIC and MCA. According to Naik, after Pagnis stepped down, former Mumbai captain Amol Muzumdar had informed the MCA informally that he was available in case he was needed.It is understood that the CIC, which comprises former India and Mumbai cricketers Lalchand Rajput, Raju Kulkarni and Sameer Dighe recommended Powar after the latter wrote to the MCA in January stating he was interested in taking charge as head coach. On January 18, the CIC checked with the MCA whether Pagnis had indeed stepped down and what should be the recruitment process to find a replacement.On February 1, the CIC sent another email suggesting steps to facilitate the team’s preparation for the Vijay Hazare tournament including conducting practice matches. The CIC also sought clarity on the coach appointment process. On February 5, the MCA responded to the CIC stating it had “appointed” Muzumdar as the head coach of the Mumbai team keeping in mind the “limited time” available.The CIC is understood to have expressed “surprise” over Muzumdar’s appointment in its response. As per the MCA constitution, the CIC said it had the powers to appoint both the selectors and coaches for Mumbai teams. The CIC also pointed out that it had no knowledge of Muzumdar officially applying for the job. The CIC stated that though Muzumdar was “capable” of doing the job, Powar was its final choice as he had the “credentials” and experience. The CIC left the final decision to the MCA president Vijay Patil.On Tuesday it is understood the MCA informed the CIC to appoint Powar.