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Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, has said he is firmly in support of whatever measures are taken to improve cricket in the country despite the uncertainty over his future

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2011Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, has said he is firmly in support of whatever measures are taken to improve cricket in the country despite the uncertainty over his future because of the recommendations made in the Don Argus report.”The review’s been done with the sole purpose of improving and getting Australian cricket back to where we want to be, at No.1, and that’s what we’re all about as a team and especially in my role as coach, that’s what I’m all about,” Nielsen said in Colombo on the eve of the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka. “I’m supportive of this process; I just need some time to ensure that we go through this process and get all the information before we start making too much comment.”The Argus report recommended that the coach’s role be expanded to make him the leader of the overall coaching strategy for Australian cricket. The coach, along with the captain, will also be part of the five-member selection panel. However, it is not certain that Nielsen will be the man to fill the expanded role. Jack Clarke, CA’s chairman, said “in a restructure, you don’t just give someone the job in a new role” but added that Nielsen was welcome to re-apply for the role.”I think the most important thing is it’s been an exhaustive look at how we’re going to get Australian cricket back to where it wants to be, No.1 in all forms of the game,” Nielsen said. “You don’t do that by skirting around the edges and having nice, feel-good looks at things and hoping you’re going to fix things up by doing them the same way. We are 100,000% behind Australia being the best cricket team in the world and we’re going to start that process by winning again tomorrow and pushing on from there.”Michael Clarke, Australia’s Test and ODI captain, said that one of the major aspects of the Argus report was its emphasis on the necessity for an improvement in communication. “The positive from that is it allows the communication between selectors and players to be very clear now,” he said. “It allows me to give the player the consistent feedback the player is probably searching for and to let him know the reasons for his selection or non-selection. It certainly makes me more accountable now and I look forward to the challenge.”Another fallout of the Argus report was the removal of Greg Chappell, the national talent manager, from the selection committee. According to the , Chappell was banned from the Australian dressing room while the team was batting, because he was a disconcerting influence. Clarke, however, said he had no problems with Chappell.”My communications with Greg have been fantastic. He’s been open and honest with me and I’ve been able to do the same back in return,” he said. “My relationship with all the selectors has been fantastic and I’m certain that will continue.”

Heavy monsoon rains in Ahmedabad have submerged the playing surface of Motera, the venue for the first Test between India and New Zealand in November

Cricinfo staff10-Aug-2010Heavy monsoon rains in Ahmedabad have submerged the playing surface of Motera, the venue for the first Test between India and New Zealand in November, raising fears of severe damage to the stadium.Motera had more than 25cm of rainfall over two days, which left the ground water logged.”The entire ground is filled with over six feet of water,” Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), Rajesh Patel, told . “There are seven heavy-duty pumps removing water from the stadium. We don’t know when the water would be cleared. It is estimated that it would take one more day.”Patel said the loss incurred could amount to between Rs 50,00,000 and Rs 60,00,000. “However, the exact figure could be made only after the water is cleared,” he said. The stadium was refurbished in 2010 after Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi became the GCA president.

Lancashire skittled before hitting back with ball, but visitors have final word with Jennings dismissal

ECB Reporters Network17-Sep-2024Twenty-one wickets fell on the first day of the Vitality County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford where title-chasing Somerset earned just a six-run first-innings lead over Lancashire, who probably need to win this game to avoid relegation.Replying to Lancashire’s 140 on a seam-bowler’s pitch, Somerset made only 146 but then took the vital wicket of Keaton Jennings for 4 as the home side ended a bizarre day on 16 for 1, giving them a lead of ten runs.In the first three hours of of play, Lancashire were dismissed for 140 in 40 overs with Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory picking up four wickets apiece and the only substantial resistance being offered by the home side’s skipper, Jennings, who made 56.However, Lancashire’s seamers operated just as effectively, George Balderson taking 4 for 50 and Tom Bailey 4 for 37 as Somerset took a seemingly paltry lead.Having opted to field, Somerset’s quicker bowlers made good use of an olive-coloured pitch on the edge of the square to take four wickets in the first session. The first batter dismissed was Harry Singh, whose maiden Championship innings ended on 7 when he edged Overton to Tom Lammonby at third slip.Four overs later, Josh Bohannon followed for just 4 when he was beaten by a fine ball from Overton and nicked a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew. Rocky Flintoff was bowled for 7 when he inside-edged an attempted off drive to a ball from Kacey Aldridge into his middle stump and the same bowler took his second wicket in similar fashion when Jennings’s front-foot slash only diverted the ball into his stumps.Three balls previously, Jennings had reached his fifty and three runs off the next delivery from Brett Randell saw him reach 1000 Championship runs for the season. However, his dismissal for 56 left Lancashire on 85 for 4 and Somerset might have been reflecting that things would have been even better for them had not Aldridge dropped Jennings at slip off Overton’s first ball of the game.Things declined rapidly for the home side early in the afternoon session as they lost their next four wickets for one run in 24 balls and their last six for 33 runs in less than an hour’s cricket. Gregory dismissed four of the batters to finish with 4 for 50 and Overton picked up two more to return figures of 4 for 32 from 15 overs.Despite losing Andy Umeed, caught by Jennings off Tom Bailey, to the first ball of their innings, Somerset added 58 runs in relatively untroubled fashion until they lost three wickets in 13 balls just before tea.Archie Vaughan, who made 21, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were both caught behind off Balderson and those dismissals sandwiched the departure of Lammonby, who pushed forward to Will Williams when he had made 36 and nicked a catch to George Bell at slip.Things got no better for Somerset immediately after tea when Rew became the third batsman to be caught behind by Matty Hurst off Balderson and Rew’s dismissal for 4 was quickly followed by that of Aldridge, who lost his off stump to Balderson when he had made a single, to leave Somerset on 83 for 6.Gregory and Tom Abell inched their side towards Lancashire’s total with a 34-run partnership for the seventh wicket but Bailey had Abell caught behind for 22 and then dismissed Overton and Randell, both leg before wicket, in the space of three deliveries, Overton falling to an outrageous slower ball.Jack Leach then helped Gregory put on a priceless 25 for the last wicket before he was caught behind off Anderson Philip for 13, Hurst taking his fifth catch of the innings.Five overs before the close, Jennings edged Gregory to Andy Umeed at slip and the day ended with Singh and nightwatchman Williams defending stoutly against the Somerset attack.

Greg Barclay has acknowledged that exposure gained from playing top teams regularly has made Associate teams more competitive

Firdose Moonda08-Jul-2023Following Netherlands’ stunning run to the 2023 Men’s World Cup, there are calls from both the Dutch and the ICC for a continuance of the World Cup Super League (WCSL) in some form. The world’s top 13 ODI sides featured in the first edition of the WCSL, which gave Associate teams such as Netherlands the chance to pit themselves against top opposition regularly. Netherlands’ performance in the World Cup Qualifier, as also those of other Associate teams, notably Scotland, has been seen as proof of the WCSL having made these sides more battle-hardened.”I don’t think there is any doubt that the Super League was hugely helpful in terms of a pathway to Associate countries,” Greg Barclay, the ICC chairman, said at a press conference in Harare on Friday. “The fact that you are seeing some of the performances from the Associate members over here, in large part, was due to the fact that they have had the experience of playing teams ranked above where they are.Related

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“It’s a work on. It’s no secret that T20 is in a pretty good place, Test cricket has had a shot in the arm [with the World Test Championship] but maybe we’ve lost our way a little bit in the 50-over format. We need to address both context and relevance and the experience around that. Is that a re-creation of the Super League or something equivalent? I don’t know but I suspect that the answer to that will be yes. We need to do something.”As things stand, the WCSL will not be played during the 2023-2027 ODI cycle, with the participants for the 2027 World Cup to be decided based on rankings. This means there is no imperative for teams to play a set number of ODIs in the next four years (the World Cup Super League made provision for 24 ODIs, in eight series of three matches each), Associate teams are not guaranteed 50-overs cricket against Full Members, which has increased the volume of questions surrounding the relevance of bilateral ODI cricket, which the ICC acknowledges.”We need to make sure one-day cricket continues to have a following,” Barclay said. “It’s running the risk at the moment of having a lot of irrelevancy in terms of the bilateral arrangements that are made.”But how this will be fixed remains unclear. From the information ESPNcricinfo has to date, the Super League is not on the agenda at the ICC’s AGM, which will take place next week, even though the Associate boards will be present and eager to discuss the way forward. Barclay, too, believes that they have a case, especially after the Netherlands’ Qualifier success. “If we accept that we are keeping all three forms of the game then we have got to give the next tier of countries, mainly those high-performing Associates, the opportunity to make sure that they then perform at the top table when they are performing at world events,” he said. “We’ve got 14 teams [qualifying for the World Cup] in the next cycle, so we’ve got to make sure they are competitive and prepared when they get to those events.”A case in point are the Dutch themselves, who, had they not qualified for the World Cup, would have had no fixtures scheduled from the end of the Qualifier until the start of the new World Cup Cricket League 2 next February. Their success at last year’s T20 World Cup, where they advanced to the Super 12s and finished fourth in their six-team group, means they do not have to play in the European Qualifiers for the 2024 T20 World Cup. That means that in peak European summer, Netherlands have an empty calendar and no indication of when they play competitively before or after the ODI World Cup.’If we didn’t play that Super League, we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are’ – Max O’Dowd•ICC via Getty Images

Opening batter Max O’Dowd described Netherlands as “gutted” at the discontinuance of the WCSL. “It’s just the tough reality that we live in as Associate teams,” he said. “I don’t like the word Associate but us, in that boat, we just don’t get the same cricket. We’re all extremely gutted that the Super League is gone because you can see where we’ve come from to where we are now.”Netherlands won only three of their 24 Super League matches (two against Ireland, who finished 11th, and one over Zimbabwe, who were 12th) and ended the WCSL in last place. But the value they took from playing against Full Members informed how they went about this Qualifier – particularly their approach against spin – and taught them how to build winning habits.”The playing experience was massive. If we didn’t play that Super League, we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are,” O’Dowd said. “We were in situations so many times where we actually should have won games and then, we created a culture where we gave ourselves permission to win these games. In the past, we were quite happy just getting close against big sides. And now, we know that if we are in a winning position, we should be winning. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against. That’s been massive for us. The Super League has boosted so many guys’ confidence.”The game against West Indies in June 2022 is one example. Netherlands were 164 for 1 in the 30th over, chasing 309, and lost 9 for 124 to fall short by 20 runs. They were particularly conservative against Akeal Hosein and Hayden Walsh in that game; they rethought their strategy against spin shortly afterwards. Since then, they have developed confidence in their sweep shots, and memorably beat West Indies in this Qualifier.Now, Netherlands will have the opportunity to play against nine other Full Members at the World Cup albeit without knowing when their next chance to play against them will be. Asked what they hope their journey to India will offer other Associates, O’Dowd hoped it could serve as an example that the game should continue growing.”It shows the strength of Associate cricket. The gap between Associate cricket and Full Member nations is dwindling. Three Full Members have missed out on the World Cup,” he said. “I don’t want to sit here and say to other Associates to work harder and all that kind of stuff because I feel that’s a bit degrading. These guys are quality and they know what they need to do to win games. I just hope they can take a bit of inspiration from what we’ve been able to achieve and hopefully going forward, they can do the same.”

The former South Africa spinner says he had “no intention” of singling out Boucher at the SJN hearings last year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2022Paul Adams, the former South Africa wristspinner, has confirmed that he will not testify against former team-mate Mark Boucher at the upcoming CSA disciplinary hearing from May 16 to 20. Boucher, the current head coach of South Africa’s national side, is slated to appear before senior counsel advocate Terry Motau, where he faces charges of gross misconduct for his handling of racial issues, both as a player and as a coach.Adams, at CSA’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings last year, had alleged multiple instances of racial discrimination in the South African side in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which included being nicknamed “brown s***” by his team-mates. Adams, at that time, had identified Boucher as one of the players who used the phrase, mostly in a team song, with Boucher later apologising for his behaviour.Related

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Boucher was heavily criticised at the SJN hearings and charged with “serious misconduct” by CSA, who will argue for his dismissal in the upcoming hearings.However, Adams insists he had “no intention to single out Boucher” at the SJN hearings and does not want that to be the focus of attention during the hearing.”In my testimony, I said that during my time in the national team, there was a culture within that environment, that felt it was fine for a derogatory nickname given to me, to be sung during fines meetings in the changing room, by my fellow team-mates,” Adams said in a statement he posted on social media.”I indicated, upon reflection and after discussing with my wife (my girlfriend at the time) that I felt humiliated by the song. Not at any stage did I mention any player’s name who may have initiated the song.”The only time I confirmed a name, was when the panel asked if I addressed Mark Boucher personally regarding the nickname, and I replied that he was part of a broader group that sang the song and that I never addressed the matter within the team environment at the time. Not at any stage did I go in there with the intention to single Mark Boucher out.”Adams, who played 45 Tests and 24 ODIs for South Africa between 1995 to 2004, said that it was not his job to find out if Boucher was guilty and that he shared his story to help CSA find a way to “make cricket a winning and binding game for all”.”I was young and naive at the time, trying to fit in and represent my country as best I could,” Adams said.”It is not my job or desire to find Mark Boucher guilty or not guilty and to be cross-examined and turned into the main focus of attention. Therefore I will not be testifying at Mark Boucher’s upcoming disciplinary hearing.”I spoke my truth of what happened to me as a young player, as per the process adopted by CSA on a serious issue in the game. The feelings articulated by myself and three dozen other senior players and coaches last year will hopefully help CSA find a new way in making cricket a winning and binding game for all. Again, my wish is that the same environment that existed when we played, must never repeat itself. If changes are made and situations such as these are learnt from, then my purpose of telling my story at the SJN has been achieved.”The SJN commission’s final report, in December last year, had concluded that CSA had in the past unfairly discriminated against players on the basis of race while mentioning that former captain and CSA director of cricket, Graeme Smith, Boucher and former national captain, AB de Villiers had all engaged in prejudicial behaviour.Smith was recently cleared of racism charges in an independent arbitration process.

Without Kohli, an unsettled opening pair, and a stand-in captain, India are now comparable to the 2018-19 Australian team

Varun Shetty25-Dec-202012:31

‘Australia have obvious holes that India can still exploit’

Big picture

When India last played a Test series in Australia and sealed a historic win, an inevitable caveat was attached – Australia were without their key players Steven Smith and David Warner, and a team with a new captain and a shaky batting line-up.Without Virat Kohli in the middle, an unsettled opening pair, and a stand-in captain with some existential questions of his own, India are now comparable to that Australian team on the follow-up tour.It is one thing that India knew of Kohli’s exit and had planned for it, quite another that it followed a historic low. Not much was needed for a smooth handover to Ajinkya Rahane: a closer contest in Adelaide, a game that lasted deeper than two nights and half a day, might have done it, even if India had lost. A few tweaks in the batting order, a little oiling of the machine, and there would still be enough time to force a series result.Yet here Rahane is – the last match of a year that’s been relentless in many other ways – tasked with trying to keep the series alive with the ghosts of 36 all out and, without one half of the fast-bowling duo that was going to anchor this tour, potentially having to try and plug the gaps with a couple of debutants.In the other camp, Tim Paine is a much more relaxed man, and Australia a much different team. There is still no Warner, and it’s far from a solid batting line-up. But they hung on, in a match of two Steven Smith runs, long enough for their bowling attack to work its magic. Both openers found runs by the end of the last match, the wunderkind debutant looked like he belongs, and they know a softened Indian team cannot win the series if it becomes 2-0 at Melbourne. You won’t catch them worrying about caveats.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)

Australia: WWWWW
India: LLLWW

In the spotlight

Steven Smith is always in the spotlight against India. Before the first Test, he had a fifty-plus score every alternate innings on average against India. After scores of 1 and 1*, he still averages 79.5 against them. Australia will be itching to have Smith in the middle with a decent score on the board, on a drop-in pitch, against a line-up with some scars. There is only one way this tour can get worse for India, and that is if Smith finds his hands again.He is perhaps the most skilled bowler in the Indian line-up, but Jasprit Bumrah has never been the singular senior fast bowler before. Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami have both been around for the entirety of Bumrah’s Test career so far, sharing responsibilities in a strong bowling attack. Umesh Yadav is experienced but not a regular, and there a debutant in Mohammed Siraj. Bumrah is regarded for having a steady head, and for becoming progressively better within matches and series. Can he continue to do that as the de facto leader of the bowling?Australia are not thinking about how to fit Warner in until they absolutely have to•Getty Images

Team news

Paine has backed both Matthew Wade and Cameron Green ahead of this match, and said Australia are not thinking about how to fit Warner in until they absolutely have to. There are no indications of any changes in the line-up.Australia (probable): 1 Joe Burns, 2 Matthew Wade, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan LyonIndia have dropped Prithvi Shaw and handed debuts to Shubman Gill and Siraj, who both had decent outings in the practice games before the series. Rishabh Pant got a hundred in the second of those games, and he is in the side to replace Wriddhiman Saha as the wicketkeeper. Those are the like-for-like changes. Ravindra Jadeja who missed the first Test with concussion and hamstring issues will be the fifth bowling option.India: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 5 Hanuma Vihari, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

Melbourne’s forecast suggests some major fluctuations through the Test. Pleasant weather on the first day is expected to be followed by a 33-degree-celsius high on the second, which is also the only day with a rain forecast. The last three days are expected to be drastically cooler than that.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won all six Tests they’ve played since the end of last year’s Ashes. This is Paine’s best streak since taking over as captain.
• Since 2001, India have played two debutants overseas only on two occasions before – Virender Sehwag and Deep Dasgupta in 2001 against South Africa, and Kohli, Abhinav Mukund and Praveen Kumar in 2011 against West Indies.
• This will be the 100th Test between Australia and India – Australia have won 43 and lost 28 of those, and there has been one tie.

Quotes

“The moment we take out foot off the pedal and think we are going all right, we saw in England in that fifth Test, that we can come unstuck pretty quickly. So, a huge focus of ours since that fifth Test in the Ashes has been winning after winning and our attitude towards the next game. The last week we have been fantastic in the way we have prepared for this game. We know that some of the players they are talking about coming into their side, like a KL Rahul or a Rishabh Pant, are dangerous players who like to take the game on and will play positively. If we give guys like that an inch, they will take a mile.”

In the many recriminations and deliberations that followed the Newlands scandal, there was little doubt that Bancroft had the hardest road back to regaining a place in the Australian team

Daniel Brettig27-Jul-2019Seventeen months ago, Cameron Bancroft sat in a room at the WACA Ground, flanked by the state’s chief executive Christina Matthews, and conveyed his greatest disappointment about the Newlands ball tampering scandal in which he had been a pivotal figure.”Through the last few days, sitting in my own company, the thing that breaks my heart the most is that I have given up my spot in the team for somebody else for free,” he said. “People know that I’ve worked so hard to be able to get to this stage in my career, and to know that I have just given somebody an opportunity for free is devastating for me.”In the many recriminations and deliberations that followed the scandal, there was little doubt that Bancroft had the hardest road back to regaining a place in the Australian team. For while Steven Smith and David Warner were acknowledged as world class talents, Bancroft was a batsman still making his way, struggling as much as thriving in his first eight matches against England and South Africa. Countless others had the chance to bar Bancroft from returning through their own performance.Yet Bancroft never lost sight of his goal – keeping his baggy green cap in full view at home in Perth, then carrying it with him to a county stint with Durham. Through runs there, and then by wearing numerous blows to the body in making the unbeaten 93 on a fiendish Southampton pitch, Bancroft convinced the selectors he was worthy of a return, foiling the likes of Joe Burns, Kurtis Patterson, Peter Handscomb and Will Pucovski in the process. He’s got his spot back, and has no intention of giving it away “for free” again.”It’s good motivation isn’t it, to look at it and go ‘yeah i’m playing cricket but there’s something bigger I eventually want to be able to get back to’,” Bancroft said of his cap. “I guess it was good motivation to keep working hard, keep training. yeah. whenever that happened, it was out of my control. it was just a bit of inspiration and motivation to keep my goals and keep focused.”At home it’s got its little spot that it sits in outside my bedroom. yeah I kept it there . It’s something you’re obviously very proud of it. it’s a very prestigious item to have and you take good care of it because it means something to you. So that’s kind of how I dealt with that and being able to see that is obviously really good to focus your goals and where you want to be going.”Definitely times when I was challenged a lot. but like anything, you go through those moments the best you can. You learn a bit about what you need to do to keep moving forward, and just take it day by day really. If you ask me 18 months ago if I’d be sitting here, it was probably the last thing from my mind.”Ask Bancroft about Australian cricket culture since Newlands, and the response is instructive. He focuses not on fitting in around others, but on doing the right things in his own mind. Through the tribulations of the past year or so, including the loss of his contract with Durham for 2018, reinstated this year, Bancroft also learned to be somewhat less obsessive about the game. “One of the big lessons that I learnt last year was about being true to yourself,” Bancroft said.Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft could end up in the same Australia XI once more•Getty Images

“There is no doubt that I wasn’t as true to myself as I could have been at times. You learn from those mistakes that you make and you try and be better moving forward. At the end of the day, what you do and your actions is completely up to you. I made a mistake and I’ll learn from it and move forward and get better.”I think being serious about cricket is important but I think it’s also about being able to realise the game is just a game of cricket. There’s certainly other parts of your life that you can value, that are important too. I definitely connected with more of that last year and certainly opened up new avenues that I hadn’t done before. They’ve brought a lot of enjoyment and happiness to my life, so for that it was a good experience and i’d like to think it’s helped me enjoy cricket in a different way.”Those avenues included meditation and yoga, accompanied by running plenty of kilometres (about 35 a week) to maintain the fitness and strength that helped make Bancroft one of the most durable batsmen in the Australian system. All these things helped build resilience, not only to the ball hurled down at him, but the volleys of abuse he faced with Durham that will doubtless be multiplied during the heat of an Ashes series in England.”Sure, there were times when people booed or what not, or ask you to sign pieces of sandpaper, stuff like that. But it doesn’t faze me. I just get on with it,” Bancroft said.”It doesn’t bother me too much. It is what it is. People will react how they want to react. Hopefully I can use it if people want to be like that, to give you energy to perform well. I can’t control that. I guess the journey that I’ve been through over the last 18 months, you get exposed to things like that. I’ll just deal with it and keep moving forward.”I think how people want to feel about that and react, I guess, is really how they want to deal with that. For me it’s just about playing good cricket. That’s kind of where I’m at right now. That’s definitely the thing that I can change and impact on moving forward, so that’s certainly where my focus will be right now.”Dealing with a moving ball was something central to Bancroft’s desire to return to Durham, and the lessons of the stint were writ large across his Southampton innings. Playing the ball late, judging the whereabouts of his off stump, leaning gently, head over the ball, into his drives, Bancroft combined physical toughness with the light touch required to avoid edges, pads and stumps being exposed to quality bowlers.Cameron Bancroft plays through the off side•Getty Images/NurPhoto

“I’ve worked on a lot of parts to my game, where my bat comes down, my back-foot play, how I move my feet, everything,” Bancroft said. “You’re just fine-tuning all those details to be a better cricketer. I’ve had a lot of time to be off the park and in the nets to do that and I guess each time you play is an opportunity to make that a part of your batting. That learning process is never ending and I’ll keep working hard.”Certainly up in Durham, dealing with sideways movement is part of batting up there. You don’t always feel like you’re 100% on top of the bowling or the game but you just do the best you can while feeling a little bit uncomfortable out there, not feeling in complete control. I think they were the conditions in Southampton and it was nice to be able to do that and I’m sure I learned a lot at Durham. There were times out there when i felt like ‘I’ve seen this before, this is like batting at the Riverside a little bit. That’s learning i guess.”I’d certainly much rather get hit than get out at times, so yeah. It was just – there’s certainly a bit of luck involved. No doubt about it on a pitch like that – and I had my fair share of luck, no doubt about it. You just stick to a game plan you think’s going to be successful out there and as much as the ball was going up and down – frighteningly at times – the ball just nipping back and being able to attack your stumps, for me was far more dangerous than worrying about the ball was that bouncing a bit. But they’re potentially conditions we could face at some point in the series and I guess you learn from the past and that helps you in the future.”As for his reunion with Smith and Warner, Bancroft agreed that all had taken paths that were lonely at times, on their way back to the national team, its pressures and rewards. “For all three of us, really, our journeys were all different,” Bancroft said.”We all fought battles that were very personal and very different. But I think understanding each other and what each other was going through was certainly something that happened. It’s nice to be back in the side, it’s nice to see Dave, it’s nice to see all the boys, not just him. I guess as you connect closer together as a team, you build that good culture the Australian cricket team has been looking to improve.”

New blow ends realistic hopes of World Cup recall, and raises questions about fast bowler’s future

George Dobell06-Jul-2018Reece Topley has been ruled out of the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a recurrence of a stress fracture in the lower back.Only days after it emerged he had come close to a recall to the England limited-overs squad – the selectors considered him (and Yorkshire’s Matt Fisher) as a replacement for the injured Tom Curran in the T20I squad facing India – the 24-year-old Topley experienced pain in his back while bowling for England Lions on Monday and was sent for a scan. The results show the fracture that he suffered last year has returned.He will see surgeons next week and is expected to undergo an operation shortly afterwards where a titanium pin will be inserted to strengthen the spine.From a personal perspective, the news is catastrophic for Topley. Aged 24, his highly promising career has been plagued by back injuries. Having worked long and hard to come back from the last setback, this new blow not only ends any realistic hopes of earning a recall to the England squad ahead of the World Cup campaign, but raises questions about his future in the game.It is his fifth stress fracture – all in L3 and L4 lumbar vertebra – in six seasons as a professional cricketer. Out of contract at Hampshire at the end of the season, clubs are likely to prove highly cautious over future contract offers.Topley is the third bowler on the fringes of the England squads – Toby Roland-Jones and Mason Crane are the others – to have suffered a recurrence of a stress fracture this season. That’s a situation which is bound to prompt some reflection on the treatment of such injuries at the ECB. Both Roland-Jones and Topley also spent time on the ECB’s recently discontinued pace programme.The news realistically ends a relationship between Hampshire and Topley that never really took off as expected. Signed amid great hope and competition, he managed only three Championship matches in three years and was disappointed to be left out of the side playing in the Royal London Final at Lord’s on Saturday.He impressed the England management as recently as last week, however, in bowling with pace and skill in a Lions match at Northampton – he claimed 4 for 16 – and revived hopes he could add to his tally of 10 ODI and six T20I caps.

Bangladesh are 1-0 up going into the decider in Colombo and are confident of upsetting the hosts, who have lost all six of their most recent completed ODIs

Mohammad Isam31-Mar-2017

Match Facts

April 1, 2017
Start time: 0930 local (0400GMT)Kusal Mendis, who hit his maiden century in Dambulla, has shown signs of his desire to be a leading batsman in world cricket•AFP

Big Picture

Sri Lanka would have felt hard done by after rain ruined the second ODI, when they put up a total of 311. No team had ever won a 50-over game on the island after being set a target over 300.But after taking Sri Lanka’s last six wickets in the final five overs, Bangladesh must have thought they were in the contest. Taskin Ahmed’s hat-trick would have charged them up even further and considering they had made their highest total away from home in the first ODI – 324 – things had been shaping up brilliantly before the weather intervened.Bangladesh may be 1-0 up and eyeing a series win, but with Kusal Mendis living up to his promise and the rest of the Sri Lankan line-up batting around his maiden hundred Tuesday, the hosts would feel like they have got their menace back. Upul Tharanga made an eye-catching half-century as well, but the team management would want him to play a longer innings, while also hoping Thisara Perera’s 9 in Dambulla was a one-off low score. The big-hitting allrounder made 55 off 35 balls only a week ago and another such display could help them end a six-match losing streak.With the action moving to the SSC, and its slow and dry surfaces, Bangladesh would have an easier time putting behind their bowling performance from the last game. They can expect grip for Mustafizur Rahman’s cutters and turn for Mehedi Hasan’s offbreaks. So should the weather hold up well, a contest with a lot of context is on the cards.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WLLLL

In the spotlight

After his Test century in Galle earlier this month, Kusal Mendis had said that he wanted to be a leading batsman in world cricket and his 107 off 107 balls in Dambulla was another reminder of this young batsman’s ambition. He was very much on-side dependent but that was mostly because the Bangladesh bowlers preferred to attack his stumps. Sri Lanka would expect more runs from their No. 3, especially in a crunch situation.He didn’t get going in the first ODI but Mushfiqur Rahim had a pretty good day behind the stumps, despite missing one stumping. He held a fine running catch to dismiss Danushka Gunathilaka, helped in the Tharanga’s run-out and then produced direct hits to end Dilruwan Perera and Thisara Perera’s stay in the middle. All he needs no are some runs.Mehedi Hasan and the rest of the spinners will look to extract purchase from a usually-response SSC pitch•AFP

Team news

Sri Lanka made three changes to their XI in the second ODI but while their batting clicked, the newly-formed bowling attack couldn’t be tested. They are likely to remain unchanged, but there is a chance Seekkuge Prasanna will enter the XI.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga (capt), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Asela Gunaratne, 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Nuwan Kulasekara, 11 Nuwan PradeepBangladesh have Imrul Kayes, Rubel Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Subashis Roy and newcomer Sunzamul Islam on the bench but it is unlikely that they would break their winning combination in the third ODI.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

An ODI hasn’t been played at the SSC in six years, but in the interim, it has hosted plenty of List-A games. The average score for the team batting first those games is a remarkably low 146. Sri Lanka’s cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha said he expected this particular track to be batting friendly. Chandika Hathurusingha was slightly surprised that the pitch looked underprepared even two days before the ODI. Weather in Colombo could be troublesome on match day too, with chances of a late-afternoon shower.

Stats and trivia

• The last ODI played at the SSC was before the 2011 World Cup, while Bangladesh’s last ODI here was in 2005.
• The rained-out second ODI hurt Bangladesh more as they lost the chance to go up to No. 6 in the ICC ODI rankings. The two teams will retain their places at on the table – Sri Lanka at No. 6 and Bangladesh at No. 7 – regardless of the how the third ODI pans out.

Quotes

“The seniors have responded to [the responsibility of getting a big score] really well. It comes with the belief and maturity of the players. They are really confident in their preparation now.

Fast bowler Peter Siddle faces an uncertain future after being diagnosed with stress fractures in his back that will require “a significant amount of time away from the game”

Brydon Coverdale25-Feb-2016Fast bowler Peter Siddle faces an uncertain future after being diagnosed with stress fractures in his back that will require “a significant amount of time away from the game”. Siddle played the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington and was an important figure in the first innings, collecting 3 for 37, but he suffered back spasms in the second innings and was ruled out of the second Test in Christchurch.At the Basin Reserve, Siddle became the eighth man in Australia’s Test history to reach the double of 1000 runs and 200 wickets, testament to his consistency over his 61-Test career. However, at the age of 31 and with no shortage of fast-bowling depth in Australian cricket, regaining the fitness and form required to press for further international selection will be an enormous challenge for Siddle.”Peter returned to Melbourne on Monday and had scans following the bout of back pain he suffered during the first Test in Wellington,” David Beakley, the Cricket Australia physio, said. “Unfortunately those scans have indicated a stress fracture in his lower back. He will now require a significant amount of time away from the game with a lengthy rehabilitation process.”Whilst he is laid off with his current back injury, we will take the opportunity for Peter to have exploratory surgery on his left ankle to investigate and treat the cause of his ongoing ankle pain. Once that surgery is complete we will have a better idea of his prognosis and likely rehabilitation time frame.”In Siddle’s absence, James Pattinson returned to the Test team in Christchurch and collected six wickets in Australia’s victory, while Jackson Bird finished with seven victims for the match. Josh Hazlewood was the leading wicket taker among Australia’s fast bowlers this summer with 33 at 31.13, and when Mitchell Starc returns from injury, Australia will have plenty of options.Starc began the Test summer in fine form, with 13 wickets at 23.23 in what was effectively two and a half Tests against New Zealand, before suffering an ankle injury that required surgery and ruled him out of the rest of the season. Starc will miss Australia’s World Twenty20 campaign in India next month but Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann is hopeful of having him available for June’s one-day tri-series in the Caribbean.”We’re hoping he’ll be available in the West Indies, part of the one-day tour there, and then full tilt at Sri Lanka [in July-August]. That would be the goal for us and the medical team. He’s going pretty well at the moment.”The absence of Starc for more than half the summer, as well as the retirement of Mitchell Johnson during the home series against New Zealand, tested Australia’s bowling depth and Lehmann was especially pleased that others were able to stand up well enough to help the team regain the No.1 Test ranking. Allrounder Mitchell Marsh’s bowling developed strongly over the summer, and Nathan Lyon was the leading wicket taker with 33 victims at 26.84 in the eight Tests.”It’s certainly a reflection on the depth of bowling,” Lehmann said of the No.1 ranking, regained after the win over New Zealand at Hagley Oval. “We’ve picked a side with the conditions in mind here, and we’ve got a fair few guys injured at the moment. That’s a good sign for us going forward, when we start to get our full quality quicks to pick from. That will put pressure on them as well, coming back. They’ve got to perform to play. That’s a good thing for us going forward.”I think just the consistency from 1 to 11 has been really good for us. Lyon has been exceptional again throughout the tour. His Test match bowling is second to none. Really pleased for all the blokes who have worked hard. We’ve lost a big chunk of our side in one hit. But they changed around pretty quickly, we took a punt on a couple of players and they did well.”