The left-arm quick has been an integral member of the Karachi Kings side in the Pakistan Super League for the last two years, and was retained by the franchise for the third season of the tournament

09-Oct-2017Pakistan have called up left-arm fast bowler Usman Khan to replace the injured Mohammad Amir for the five-ODI series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.Amir, who has been an automatic selection for Pakistan in all three formats since his return, picked up a stress-related injury of his right shin during the ongoing Test in Dubai. He went off the field towards the end of the first evening of the second Test, halfway through his 17th over. He returned to bowl next day, only to break down again, visibly discomfited. He was sent for an MRI scan, which revealed the extent of his shin injury. He was subsequently advised to rest for three weeks, ruling him out of the ongoing Test and the ODI series that follows.Usman Shinwari has been on the selectors’ radar for the last two years, having made his T20I debut in 2013. He announced himself with a memorable spell against a Misbah-ul-Haq led SNGPL in the final of the departmental T20 Cup at Gaddafi Stadium in 2013, picking up five wickets for nine runs in 3.1 overs, helping his side Faysal Bank crush SNGPL by 78 runs.He has played four T20Is for Pakistan, during one of which he sustained a back injury, missing a major chunk of the 2014-15 season. Since his return, the quick has taken 44 wickets in 12 first-class matches, becoming a prominent name on the domestic circuit. He has been an integral member of the Karachi Kings side in the Pakistan Super League for the last two years, and was retained by the franchise for the third season of the tournament. However, he is yet to play ODI or Test cricket.The ODI series begins on October 13, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The middle-order batsman was seen trying a few reverse-sweeps and reverse-laps against spinners ahead of the first Test in Kolkata

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Kolkata14-Nov-20170:46

Important to improve and evolve day by day – Rahane

On Monday, with three days to go for the start of the Test series against Sri Lanka, Ajinkya Rahane walked into the spinners’ net at Eden Gardens and began reverse-sweeping roughly every fourth ball. Every time Kuldeep Yadav floated one a little wide of off stump, down Rahane would go, lithely, onto his back knee to reverse-slap him square or reverse-paddle him fine.He didn’t always connect, and when he did he didn’t always connect cleanly, but this was a clear, concerted effort to practise the shot.”It’s important to improve your game day by day,” Rahane said on Tuesday. “When you’re practising in the nets, it is important to evolve and I am just practising. I just want to improve. I always think that if I improve one shot in the nets session, I’ll be better off during the game – if the opportunity comes in the game, I am 100% confident of playing a particular shot.”I am just practising – reverse-sweep, sweep, paddle sweep. Just an option.”The reverse-sweep isn’t a shot Rahane is known to play all that much, but neither was the orthodox sweep, until a few months ago, when he used it with great effect to disrupt Nathan Lyon’s line in a match-turning second-innings partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara in Bengaluru.Asked if he was comfortable enough with the reverse-sweep to bring it out against Sri Lanka, Rahane said it was a question of feeling confident about it in the middle.”I am comfortable,” he said. “For me, it is important to give my 100% in the nets. If I am comfortable and confident in the game, I’ll play that shot.”Ever since Rangana Herath bowled Sri Lanka to a come-from-behind win in Galle two years ago, India have looked to blunt his threat by going after him at every opportunity, more often than not by using their feet to him. It has worked: since that Galle Test, Herath has averaged 53.61 against India, taking 13 wickets in four Tests and giving away 3.58 runs per over. Rahane might just throw in the odd reverse-sweep to further India’s aggressive approach against him.

England’s women cricketers have been recognised in the New Year Honours following their World Cup victory at Lord’s this summer.

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2017England’s women cricketers have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours following their World Cup victory at Lord’s this summer.Heather Knight, the captain, and Mark Robinson, the head coach, have both been awarded OBEs, while Tammy Beaumont, the player of the tournament and Anya Shrubsole, whose six-wicket haul sealed a pulsating final against India, have been awarded MBEs.In addition, Clare Connor, the ECB’s Director of England Women’s Cricket, has been awarded a CBE in recognition of her role in the remarkable growth of women’s cricket in this country. The former England captain, who won the Ashes in 2005, has previously been awarded an MBE and an OBE.”Our sincere congratulations to Heather, Tammy, Anya, Mark and Clare on their inclusion in today’s New Year’s Honours List,” said Colin Graves, the ECB chairman. “It’s fitting recognition for the way in which the team’s magnificent achievements this summer captured the imagination of the sporting public.”Winning the World Cup in front of a capacity crowd at Lord’s was a truly game-changing moment not just for the team, but for the wider women’s game.Clare Connor said: “I am immensely proud of our England players and staff for their incredible hard work, dedication and passion which came together this summer to create something very special.”The memory of Anya Shrubsole claiming the final Indian wicket, arms out-stretched and screaming in celebration to the sky, will stay with us all for a long time. And for that moment to have been seen by a full Lord’s cricket ground and by a television audience of 180 million around the world is testament to the vast progress our sport has made.”

India’s captain hopes his team can take inspiration from past deeds at the Bullring, particularly the Test match they dominated for large periods on their 2013-14 tour of South Africa

Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg23-Jan-2018The Wanderers, intimidating when full with its Bullring feel, can be an intimate place when empty. The team bus brings players right up to the back entrance of their dressing rooms. The front balcony looks out onto a grass bank, and then the field of play. From behind the balcony they can walk to the nets. The press conference room is just around the corner.This is where, in December 2013, in India’s first Test without Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli sat, having scored a century on day one of the series, aware of the presence of South Africa bowling coach Allan Donald in the room as he waited for Kohli’s press conference to finish. Kohli drove the knife in, mocking a caption the host broadcaster had used for an analysis package, calling the South Africa bowlers non-threatening.This time, though, Kohli the captain comes in fighting to avoid a whitewash. After a particularly scrappy press conference in the aftermath of the defeat in Centurion, Kohli was subdued in his answers. Make no mistake, he will be just as feisty on the field, and will look at the last Wanderers Test for inspiration.”Definitely the things that worked for us last time we’ll focus on that,” Kohli said. “Although there is more grass on the wicket this time. The pace and bounce will probably be similar to what it was in 2013 also. Their bowling attack is slightly different but [Morne] Morkel and [Vernon] Philander are playing, which was the case last time also. Look we have to take the positives from that Test, what worked for us, what other things we have to repeat again to be able to perform in this game or this venue.”Yeah, we’d love to have another situation where we can capitalise and this time around actually consolidate on it and bring the Test towards us rather than let it slip away again. As a team, we are looking to correct all the mistakes that have happened. Wanderers has been a special venue for us, hopefully we can play the same kind of cricket.”India won the World T20 final here in 2007, and are yet to lose a Test in Johannesburg. They had a day and a half to win the last Test in, but couldn’t finish the job. “It was a very exciting Test for everyone to be involved in,” Kohli said. “For both the teams as well as the crowd, the last day being a really see-saw day. We came back sometimes, then we thought we were going to lose, and then it ended up being a draw. Yeah it was a very memorable Test match for me personally and for us as a team. Because we gave South Africa a total and forced them to play their best cricket to go for it.”I always love playing at this stadium, it’s a great vibe, I feel really good when I walk into this ground. The last time’s Test match was very special and hopefully we can have as exciting a cricket as we had last time this time too.”How nice the vibe would have felt had Kohli come here with the series alive. His coach Ravi Shastri said better preparation would have helped the side, but Kohli insisted preparation was not an issue. Asked if he was going to follow up on what Shastri said and make sure the mistake is not repeated on future tours, Kohli said: “I personally don’t feel that we didn’t feel prepared starting this series. I won’t sit here and point that out after losing a Test series. We had a week to prepare ourselves, five days because one day we were travelling. So we had that, and we went ahead with that.”We are not going to sit and think of outside factors that made us lose. It was our errors, our mistakes of not capitalising on situations that led us to the result being 2-0 so far. I am not pinpointing anything else, I think those talks are left for later planning for future.”One of the errors, Kohli said, was the batting, and that every batsman has been working on it. “Everyone has been spoken to individually,” Kohli said. “The discussions have happened as to what went wrong, what happened, why it happened and the guys have taken it well. And as I said, any time you step on to the field, you have an opportunity to correct your mistakes, and that’s how you progress at the international level. I am sure everyone is looking forward to rectifying those mistakes, and then if they are in the same positions, consolidating those positions.”Kohli also said the fielding needed to improve. “They have fielded better than us and it’s visible and not a question of having numbers attached to it,” Kohli said. “That is something we definitely need to step up because fielding I feel is a bit of a controllable on the field. It depends on an individual’s attitude. Batting, I would still say, there’s always a bowler involved who has his skills as well and same for a bowler up against a batsman.”From the batting point of view, I’ve mentioned it’s a personal responsibility and from the fielding point of view, it’s just a mindset of wanting to make a difference for the team every ball that you are standing on the park. Definitely these two things we have to take into consideration going into this Test match.”

Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year

Daniel Brettig12-Feb-2018Australia’s leading allrounder Ellyse Perry has joined a select group in becoming a multiple winner of the Belinda Clark award as the nation’s women’s cricketer of the year.With 116 votes, Perry finished comfortably ahead of her nearest challenger Beth Mooney, at the end of a season in which she was a pivotal part of a successful Ashes campaign against England despite a shoulder surgery ruling out captain Meg Lanning. In doing so, Perry joined Lanning, Shelley Nitschke, Lisa Sthalekar and Karen Rolton as players to have secured the award on more than one occasion.The centrepiece of Perry’s year was a monumental, undefeated 213 in the Ashes Test match at North Sydney Oval , which secured a draw and all but ensured Australia would preserve the series lead they had established during the ODI component of the contest over the final Twenty20 matches. Perry’s all-round abilities were amply demonstrated by the fact she not only led all run-makers during the voting period but also finished third behind Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen among the bowlers.The other major women’s winner of the night was Beth Mooney, who was named the domestic player of the year for an extremely consistent contribution with the bat over the voting period. Georgia Redmayne, the 24-year-old Hobart Hurricanes representative, was handed the Betty Wilson award as the young female player of the year.Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year, racking up a combined 1468 runs at 52.43 across Sheffield Shield, domestic limited overs and Big Bash League games over the voting period, including a trio of centuries. This was a significant effort in response to his dumping from the Australian limited-overs team in December 2016, and an example to other mature-aged players (Bailey is 35) trying to improve their games.In reference to his now trademark closed stance, with his front leg and backside facing the bowler, Bailey joked that it had been a case of misunderstanding. Saying he had been devastated to lose his international place, and looking for advice, Bailey said he had been told by his father to “turn the other cheek” to the selectors. The unusual batting stance, Bailey deadpanned, had been the result.

Dipendra Singh Airee was front and centre on this historic occasion, claiming 4 for 15 to knock the opposition over for 114 and then leading the chase with a 58-ball half-century

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2018
ScorecardNepal have claimed ODI status for the first time with their six-wicket win over Papua New Guinea. Dipendra Singh Airee was front and centre on this historic occasion, claiming 4 for 14 to knock the opposition over for 114 and then leading the chase with a 58-ball half-century. Paras Khadka’s men had to thank Netherlands though, whose defeat of Hong Kong, meant that they will now be playing with the big boys.Nepal’s win over PNG and Hong Kong’s loss to Netherlands secured them ODI status•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There were several notable events that studded this triumph for Nepal, not least of which is the fact that their cricket board is currently suspended by the ICC. Their arrival to the World Cup qualifier was also a spectacular story, with the team claiming several nail-biting last-over finishes. A team that was in Division Five in 2008, alongside Afghanistan, have now risen to the top-tier of international cricket.Papua New Guinea, who lost all four of their group games in the tournament prior to the consolation bracket loss to Nepal, have lost their ODI status along with Hong Kong. Both teams have now been demoted to WCL Division Two, but they do have one final chance to play an ODI (at least until 2020) – the ninth-place play-off on Saturday.There was very little that Nepal could do wrong in this match. They won the toss and put the opposition in. Their 17-year old legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane took 4 for 28 in eight overs to break the PNG middle order and Airee knocked over the tail. With only 115 need to win, all Nepal needed was one batsman to bat around and Airee took on that responsibility, coming in at No. 4 and sealing the game with a six with 27 overs to spare.

Former South Africa cricketers weigh in after Australia coach labels Newlands crowd behaviour “disgraceful”

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town24-Mar-20181:59

Noise, grumbling and chatter: Everything that’s taking the sheen off a great series

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith and veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, have hit out at Australia coach Darren Lehmann and his team for calling the Newlands crowd “disgraceful” following the second day’s play of the third Test in Cape Town.At the end of the second day, during which Australia opener David Warner was confronted by a fan as he returned to the changeroom, and 12 other spectators were ejected from the ground for singing distasteful songs about Warner’s wife Candice, Lehmann said the fans had “gone too far,” and had made personal remarks about the Australian players’ partners and wives. Cricket Australia lodged an official complaint with Cricket South Africa, who beefed up security in response.

Zero tolerance to anti-social behaviour by fans – Sutherland

James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, said the chairman David Peever had confronted his opposite number Chris Nenzani over crowd behaviour at Newlands.
“We are extremely disappointed that a small number of fans have directed such offensive and inappropriate behaviour towards our players and members of their families,” Sutherland said. “Our Chairman David Peever, who is in Cape Town, has taken the matter up directly with relevant CSA officials, including President Chris Nenzani.
“We acknowledge that CSA is taking steps to ensure incidents like those yesterday are not repeated and we have encouraged the strongest possible action in response to such behaviour. People who behave in such a manner should not be welcome at cricket grounds anywhere in the world, and together with the ICC and all member countries, we strongly endorse a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour by fans.”

The only reaction from the South African camp so far was fast bowler Morne Morkel urging fans not to “get out line,” but Smith and Boucher have taken on Lehmann, effectively saying Australian crowds were the same, if not worse.”Correct Darren! Fully agree! But… start cleaning up in your own country first! The personal, racial abuse I’ve witnessed in Aus was ridiculous. U guys don’t live in a glass house! Why the fuss all of a sudden? Seems fine when the shoe is on the other foot,” Boucher tweeted in response to a clip of Lehmann posted by cricket.com.au, an account run by Cricket Australia.Smith responded to Boucher, pointing to the Australia team as a whole. He tweeted: “Absolutely right, and I don’t condone any of it… But blimey I have never seen an Aussie team whinge and whine like this!”Former South Africa spinner Paul Harris also added his voice, tweeting, “I cannot repeat what I was called numerous times in Aus. The personal and racial abuse was really out there. Shouldn’t throw stones in a glass house I say.”
South African players have been subjected to abuse from Australian crowds on several occasions in the past with Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Garnett Kruger and Shaun Pollock all complaining of racial abuse in 2005-06. On South Africa’s most recent tour to Australia in November 2016, a spectator called Hashim Amla a terrorist in graffiti written on a fence at Bellerive Oval. The fan was banned from all Australian grounds for three years. In contrast, none of the fans involved in any incidents during the ongoing Cape Town Test, including the man who confronted Warner, have been banned, and though they were removed from the ground at the time of their indiscretion, they will be allowed back in.Some of the criticism of Lehmann stems from his own history in egging on crowds to act as a 12th man. In 2013, Lehmann said
said his players had called Stuart Broad “everything under the sun,” and hoped “the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole summer and he cries and goes home,” after Broad did not walk when nicking off during the first Ashes Test that summer. Lehmann also called Broad a cheat and was fined 20% of his match fee.Earlier in this series, Quinton de Kock was disciplined – 25% of his match fee and one demerit point – for saying something inappropriate, when he made a comment to Warner about his wife during the Durban Test. De Kock was responding to hours of being sledged by Warner on-field and his jibe prompted an aggressive response from Warner, who had to be physically restrained by his team-mates on the stairwell leading to the players’ changeroom. Warner was charged with and found guilty of a Level 2 offence; he earned three demerit points and was fined 75% fee for his actions.At the time, both captains said the sledging had got personal, though they disagreed about what constituted a personal sledge. For South Africa, comments about physical appearance and weight – which Warner made to de Kock – fall into the category, while Australia regard anything to do with family as personal.Some sections of the South African fan-base have latched onto the idea of shaming the opposition’s other halves and wore masks bearing the face of Sonny-Bill Williams, the rugby player with whom Candice Warner had a liaison several years before marrying Warner, during the St George’s Park Test. Two CSA officials posed with the fans and have since been suspended. The masks have not made an appearance at Newlands, but a Sonny-Bill banner was confiscated on day one and people singing songs about Williams were removed from the stadium on day two.

It is not clear why Amir’s visa was issued later than the rest of the squad’s, but his arrival will no doubt boost an inexperienced pace attack

Osman Samiuddin24-Apr-2018Pakistan will not have to wait long to be reunited with Mohammad Amir, after the fast bowler’s UK visa was issued on Tuesday. The PCB confirmed that Amir will fly out to join the rest of the squad – who flew earlier this week – on Wednesday morning. That should place him in contention to play Pakistan’s first game on the tour, a four-day game against Kent in Canterbury that starts on April 28.It is not clear why Amir’s visa was issued later than the rest of the squad’s. Speculation centred on an application he has made for a longer-term UK visa, on the basis that he is married to a British citizen, but that was denied by the PCB.He faced a similar delay when Pakistan toured England in 2016, and the PCB had to ultimately engage the ECB for support in the process. It could be linked to the time Amir spent in jail in the UK after he admitted his guilt in the spot-fixing scandal on the 2010 tour.His arrival will be a boost to Pakistan and especially to a relatively inexperienced pace attack. Even though he has played just 30 Tests, he is by far the most experienced of the four specialist fast bowlers in the squad. Rahat Ali, who is returning after a spell out of the Test side, is the next most-experienced with only 20 Tests.Mohammad Abbas, who has made an impressive start to his Test career and is already playing county cricket for Leicestershire, has played just five Tests while Hasan Ali has just two.

The meeting was significant as it suggests that Kirsten is looking for a local coach to be involved in the set-up

Mohammad Isam22-May-2018Gary Kirsten, as part of his internal audit of the Bangladesh team, met with coach Mohammad Salahuddin on Tuesday morning in Dhaka. Salahuddin is a former Bangladesh assistant coach with much domestic success, including a BPL title with underdogs Comilla Victorians in 2015.The meeting was significant as it suggests that Kirsten is looking for a local coach to be involved in the set-up; once he is done with the audit, Kirsten is to offer his recommendations for the appointment of a full-time Bangladesh head coach.Kirsten also had sessions with Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman and the national selectors on the second day of the audit.More than the domestic trophies his teams have won, Salahuddin’s reputation and effectiveness with big-name players that sets him apart. Shakib Al Hasan is one of many Bangladesh cricketers who regularly take inputs from Salahuddin on technical and mental aspects. Once, during an IPL, Shakib returned to Dhaka to work on his batting for two days with Salahuddin. Last year, Mominul Haque took batting sessions with Salahuddin to deal with his struggles against against offspin.It has long been considered that Salahuddin is essential in the Bangladesh senior team’s coaching set-up. Last year, the BCB asked Salahuddin to join as a batting consultant but when he had arrived to complete formalities, he was told that the board had changed its mind.This is the first time since then that Salahuddin has been involved in any senior team matters. He said Kirsten asked him about the game in Bangladesh in general, and a little about himself too.”It was a pleasant experience meeting him but I don’t think he was meeting me as a coach. He was more of an administrator during our meeting,” Salahuddin told reporters at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel. “He had told me to come here today. He asked about Bangladesh cricket, our cricketers and he also asked about me.”

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.