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Suresh Raina has been ruled out of the second ODI in New Delhi as he still continues to recover from viral fever that kept him out of the series opener in Dharamsala

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-20161:13

Suresh Raina did not get enough time to recover for the second ODI after missing the first match in Dharamsala

Illness will keep Suresh Raina out of the second ODI as well, against New Zealand in Delhi, after he missed the opening match in Dharamsala. The team’s medical staff said there was insufficient time for Raina to recover from a bout of viral fever. No replacement was named for him.Raina was also unable to bat while captaining Uttar Pradesh in the first round of the Ranji Trophy on October 6.Raina last played and ODI in October 2015, having not been picked for the ODI series in Australia and was not part of a second-string team that toured Zimbabwe. He was not chosen to play the T20Is against West Indies in Florida either. He was recalled for the home series against New Zealand on the basis of his ability to also provide some part-time spin, since R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were rested.

Fast bowler Rusty Theron has retired from South African domestic cricket following continual knee problems, but he remains available to play in T20 leagues

Firdose Moonda08-Oct-2015Fast bowler Rusty Theron has retired from South African domestic cricket following continual knee problems, but he remains available to play in T20 leagues.* Theron played four ODIs and nine T20s for South Africa between October 2010 and March 2012 and was a senior member of the Warriors franchise. He played his last game for them in February.”After the CPL this year and a bothersome knee, I decided to focus on my studies for now. I will still be looking to forward to the CPL, IPL and some cricket in the UK as of next year when I have had some time to work on and settle the niggles that have bugged me for the last while,” Theron told ESPNcricinfo.Theron’s hand was forced during the Caribbean Premier League this year when he suffered a knee injury from which he did not think he would recover in time to honour his deal with the Warriors. Theron was only due to turn our for them in the twenty-over competition but withdrew to concentrate on his studied in the USA and allow his knee to settle.Theron had a reputation for being a skillful death bowler, and earned a national contract before he even played a game for South Africa. He was contracted in February 2010, after a season in which he played a major role in the Warriors winning their first, and to date, only trophies in the franchise era. They lifted both the forty-over and twenty-over cups and Theron was their leading wicket-taker in both competitions. In the forty-over tournament, he was the leading bowler overall with 21 wickets from nine matches at 18.80 and in the twenty-over event, he was third overall with 11 wickets from eight matches at 19.27.Theron took 12 wickets in 50-over cricket at 14.41 and 12 again in T20 cricket at an average of 21.75, which included series against India and Australia. However, he struggled to establish a regular place for himself in a career that was plagued by injury.A stress fracture kept him out of cricket for almost a full season in the 2012-13 summer. Trouble with his knee meant he did not play any first-class cricket last season too. Theron has relocated to the USA where he is studying English and hopes to go into teaching on his return home.Theron’s retirement has left the Warriors without an international seamer after Wayne Parnell moved to the Cobras over the winter. They have some experience in the form of Basheeru-Deen Walters and will bank on the likes of Simon Harmer, who is part of South Africa’s Test squad, to mentor a young attack.*14.00GMT, October 8: This article was updated after Rusty Theron spoke to ESPNcricinfo.

Nasir Hossain was pleased to have reached his maiden Test century, after squandering a couple of chances late last year

Mohammad Isam in Galle11-Mar-2013Bangladesh finished their most productive innings in Test cricket with three centuries in Galle – the first time they had achieved that. Nasir Hossain was the last of the three centurions, but his performance was as important to the team as those of their captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Ashraful.Nasir scored 100 and helped Bangladesh pass Sri Lanka’s 570 for 4. His 106-run stand with Mushfiqur helped the captain worry less about the scoring rate as he approached his double-hundred, the first by a Bangladesh player. The pair batted at 3.87 runs per over, and by the time their stand ended, Bangladesh were dictating terms.Nasir also added 31 and 37 for the seventh and eighth wicket, with Sohag Gazi and Abul Hasan. His maiden century came on the back of scores of 96 and 94 in the last two Tests, against West Indies at home. On both occasions he was the ninth batsman out, though he spent just five and two balls in the nineties respectively in those two innings. So he took extra care this time, but he did offer a chance when his lofted on-drive just missed the fingers of mid-on. That shot took him from 90 to 94. He took only singles in the next ten deliveries to reach the milestone.”I am very happy that I could see it through this time,” Nasir told ESPNcricinfo. “It wasn’t a great feeling to be dismissed in the 90s. I got out just before tea in one of the innings, so it was really important that I got a hundred when I had another opportunity today.”Tamim bhai was telling me that you could have had three centuries if you had scored those hundreds. I was telling myself that yes, it could have been three hundreds on the trot. But everything happens for a reason.”During his short career of six Tests before this game, Nasir has had to curb his natural instincts by playing to the situation. Chief selector Akram Khan, after picking him for the first time in 2011, said that was Nasir’s strength.On this occasion, Nasir padded up on the third morning, when Mushfiqur and Ashraful got together, and sat like that for an entire day. On the fourth morning, he was called into action after 17 minutes, when Ashraful fell. Coming in to bat with the team on 444 for 5, it is easy to slip into a casual mindset. Nasir, however, made it a point to enjoy the challenge.”We have some very good batsmen in the top and middle order. I enjoy batting at this number. But it is not without its challenges,” he said. “I am presented with different situations every day. I sometimes have to face the second new ball, adjust between old and new balls and also sometimes I have to make runs quickly.”Nasir has bigger challenges to face this year and in the future. His biggest advantage is his ability to withstand pressure, and though it is just his seventh Test, such traits often help in the most difficult situations.

Runs from Gary Wilson and Ed Joyce combined with some tight bowling at the death helped Ireland sneak a two-run win over Kenya and wrap up the Twenty20 series 3-0

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2012
ScorecardRuns from Gary Wilson and Ed Joyce combined with some tight bowling at the death helped Ireland sneak a two-run win over Kenya and wrap up the Twenty20 series 3-0.With 13 balls of the innings remaining, Kenya had six wickets in hand and only 11 runs required for victory. But after Tanmay Mishra was dismissed for 37 off the final delivery of the 18th over, Ireland ruthlessly strangled the lower order. George Dockrell removed Ragheb Aga and conceded just four off his final over, leaving John Mooney to defend seven: he leaked four, and had Alex Obanda caught, to seal a nail-biting win.Kenya had failed to defend the same total in the first T20 on Wednesday but looked to be well set for a consolation victory at 59 for 2 in the 13th over. However, Boyd Rankin’s dismissal of Collins Obuya for 42 checked the hosts’ progress and despite a 35-run partnership between Mishra and Aga, Ireland held their nerve.The tourists’ effort had been built on solid middle-order contributions from Wilson and Joyce but they were the only Irishmen to reach double-figures on another spin-friendly pitch. Slow left-armer Shem Ngoche claimed his best T20 figures of 4 for 14 but in the end the 55-run stand between Wilson and Joyce provided the central plank of Ireland’s victory.

Lord MacLaurin, the former chairman of the ECB, has laid into the “crazy” schedule that England’s cricketers have been subjected to in Australia this winter, but believes it will have little bearing on their performance in the World Cup

Andrew Miller07-Feb-2011Lord MacLaurin, the former chairman of the ECB, has laid into the “crazy” schedule that England’s cricketers have been subjected to in Australia this winter, but believes that their 6-1 thrashing in the one-day leg of a four-month tour will have little bearing on their performance in the forthcoming World Cup.The England team arrives back in the UK on Tuesday afternoon, almost exactly a month after retaining the Ashes in style with an innings-and-83-run victory in the fifth and final Test at Sydney.At the time, the achievement was rightly hailed as one of the most meticulously planned successes in the history of English cricket, with the ECB’s planners and the team’s back-room staff earning as much credit for their efforts as the players themselves. However, in the wake of their one-day drubbing, the team’s welcoming committee is unlikely to be as rapturous as might have been the case in the immediate aftermath of the Test series.What is more, the players themselves are unlikely to be particularly high-spirited either, seeing as they will be reconvening at the airport on Saturday after just three days with their families, ahead of their departure for Dhaka and a further seven-week stint at the World Cup. England’s coach, Andy Flower, voiced his own frustration at the end of the Australia tour, and called for a greater say in the team’s future plans.”I think it’s a crazy itinerary,” Lord MacLaurin told ESPNcricinfo. “You are asking a load of guys to go out to Australia for 100 days, and concentrate on a Test series in which they did extraordinarily well, so I’m sure they would say that the one-day series is after the Lord Mayor’s show. Do you really want to go into seven ODIs when you’ve been at high-pitch Test cricket for a number of weeks, especially when they did supremely well?”During his tenure as the first chairman of ECB from 1997 to 2003, MacLaurin was credited with a number of initiatives that transformed the standing of English cricket, including the standardisation of the team’s uniform and a better presentation of the players when at home and on tour. In many ways, the 2010-11 Ashes was the ultimate statement of the team’s new-found professionalism – however, no-one has been able to legislate for an itinerary that has been designed to exhaust.On the morning after the series win in Sydney, the players were sent on a long-distance coach trip to Canberra to prepare for the ODI series, and amid an itinerary that included a further eight internal flights, they have succumbed to a host of injuries – the most recent of which is the broken finger that now jeopardises Eoin Morgan’s participation in the World Cup.”I think we’d all agree that the past seven matches have been a bit futile, and I don’t think anybody’s learnt too much about each other from that,” said MacLaurin. “The Ashes campaign was a magnificent effort from all concerned – it was very, very well planned and all credit to them – but I wouldn’t worry about the one-day defeat, to be quite honest with you. I think the team needs a bit of a break, and I think they will do reasonably well at the World Cup.”The situation mirrors that which England encountered in the winter of 1995-96, shortly before the start of MacLaurin’s tenure as ECB chairman, in which they went to an Asian World Cup on the back of a tiring Test series in South Africa and a subsequent 6-1 ODI defeat, and were humbled by Sri Lanka in a seminal quarter-final in Faisalabad.While MacLaurin maintained that, ultimately, the volume of international cricket was an ICC concern, he believed that the professionalism of the current squad was such that they would be more than capable of rising to their next challenge.”I think the whole thing is better managed these days,” said MacLaurin. “I don’t think anyone particularly wanted these seven matches, but I’m sure there’s a lot of steel in this side, a lot of determination, and a lot of very good leadership, and we probably didn’t have that all those years ago – in fact I’m sure we didn’t have it.”Mike Atherton, England’s captain during that 1996 campaign, reiterated MacLaurin’s faith in the current set-up. “This squad is better able to cope with the itinerary, because they have been very successful over the last two years,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Beating Australia in the Tests, actually hammering them, will give them a deep well of confidence going into the World Cup.”A pounding in the ODIs is not ideal, but they are better able to come back from that, for a number of reasons,” Atherton added. “They are far more experienced in the subcontinent than our squad was, and these days, they are playing a style of game all year round, in England and abroad, in which they go out and try to whack it from ball one. You just feel it’s not going to affect them as much as it would have done ten or so years ago.””I have huge confidence in the abilities of Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, and all those associated with the ECB,” added MacLaurin. “I’ve been vocal about one of two things about the ECB since I left office, but you have to give credit where credit is due, and the set-up there now is good, and to win the Ashes is a huge, huge achievement. I still think we might surprise a few people in the World Cup, and I wouldn’t take too much notice of this last 6-1.”

A round-up of the third day’s action in the fifth round of matches of the 2009-10 Regional Four-Day Competition

Cricinfo staff15-Feb-2010The final day at the Guyana National Stadium promises to be gripping after tournament leaders Jamaica and Combined Campuses & Colleges played out an engaging third day. From 37 for 2 Jamaica crashed to 164 to leave CCC a target of 206; by stumps they were 91 runs away at 115 for 4. Kavesh Kantasingh’s four wickets did most of the damage for Jamaica, who were indebted to Donovan Pagon’s second half-century of the match. Three wickets down the order to the legspinner Gavin Wallace further dented Jamaica, who failed to cash in on a first-innings lead of 41. CCC’s openers Omar Phillips and Jamal Smith put on 62 before Tamar Lambert, Jamaica’s captain, picked up 3 for 18 from 16 overs. The match remained interestingly poised with CC captain Floyd Reifer’s presence on 25.Omari Banks continued to be the main player for Leeward Islands against Windward Islands at the Bourda. After snaring a career-best seven-wicket haul on day two, Banks hit a half-century to help Leewards reach a poor score of 198. With a lead of 143 overnight, Leewards – yet to win a game this season – collapsed in 63 overs. Banks’ 93-ball 57 was crucial and he added 82 for the fifth wicket with his captain Steve Liburd (48). The other men to reach double digits were Kieran Powell (29), Mali Richards (20) and Montcin Hodge (19) as Nelon Pascal and Rawl Lewis shared the spoils. Pascal picked up 4 for 4 and the veteran Lewis 3 for 39. That helped set Windwards a target of 320 and they were 128 for 4 at the close with
Andre Fletcher (46) and Pascal (11), sent in as nightwatchman, at the crease.Barbados remained on top of Guyana at the Albion Sports Complex despite a fightback from the hosts on day three. Guyana, chasing 329 to win, were 59 for 3 at stumps to give Barbados hopes of their third win of the season. Devendra Bishoo’s 5 for 45 – making it ten in the match – was followed by a declaration with Barbados 154 for 9; soon afterwards Guyana lost three wickets for 18 runs. Tino Best, who picked up six wickets earlier in the day, struck first when he dismissed the struggling Guyana captain Sewnarine Chattergoon caught at square leg for 20. Sulieman Benn and Pedro Collins then struck as Guyana fell from 35 for 0 to 53 for 3.Guyana had resumed play on 189 for 7 and were bowled out for 229 to give Barbados a lead of 174, with Best in good form with 6 for 65 and Ryan Hinds claiming 3 for 49. Barbados’ decision not to enforce the follow-on surprised many and there was not much to speak of from the batsmen apart from a cameo 36 from Veerasammy Permaul. Bishoo’s five game him match figures of 10 for 120, the first such instance in his career, and Chattergoon brought himself on and bowled 28 consecutive overs either side of lunch for figures of 2 for 35.

Travis Head returns to add more batting power but South Africa are able to call on Kagiso Rabada

Andrew McGlashan09-Aug-20252:34

The best of Cameron Green from the West Indies series

Big Picture: International cricket returns to Darwin

There was a little more riding on the outcome when these two teams met a couple of months ago at Lord’s, where South Africa wrote a new chapter in their history by claiming the World Test Championship title. This series is very much a stepping stone to the next global tournament: February’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Both sides are in T20 mode. Australia have recently completed a 5-0 sweep of West Indies where their batting power stood out – and it’s been strengthened further for this series by the return of Travis Head – while South Africa were part of a tri-series in Zimbabwe where they fell short in the final against New Zealand with an experimental side.Related

• Rabada ruled out of Australia ODI series with ankle inflammation

• Rickelton 'won't change' approach as he looks to make T20I opening spot his own

• Should Nathan Ellis be a first-choice Australia T20I bowler?

• Rabada excited by the new generation of South African players

A few key names have returned for this trip, notably captain Aiden Markram and pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, but it also continues to be an exploration of South Africa’s depth and potential options ahead of the World Cup alongside getting further games into the likes of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka.”Zimbabwe [T20I tri-series] was a valuable exercise and we obviously want to build on the good things in particular the form of our two young batters and someone like Kwena as well to continue to grow his stocks in T20 cricket,” coach Shukri Conrad said.Australia are staggering the return of their all-format quicks with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc continuing to rest ahead of the home summer, while Josh Hazlewood is back, although he is likely to have his workload managed. However, Nathan Ellis’ performances are raising the question as to whether it’s time to permanently split up the big three in this format.The other significant aspect of the opening matches of this series is that it sees a return of international cricket to Darwin in Australia’s Top End for the first time since 2008, when Bangladesh were the visitors. The opening match is a sellout with the second on Tuesday heading that way, too. The city is a likely host of a Test match against Bangladesh next year as Australia’s home season extends into the northern summer.

Form guide

Australia WWWWW
South Africa LLWLW

In the spotlight: Mitchell Marsh and Dewald Brevis

Australia’s batting order came together impressively in the West Indies, but captain Mitchell Marsh was the one player to not make a significant contribution, with 81 runs in five innings. It won’t be a major concern with plenty of T20Is ahead for Marsh to hit his stride – and he’s locked in at the top alongside Head – but it would be an unwanted distraction should Marsh remain short of runs, especially given the plethora of top-order options available.South Africa have clearly earmarked Dewald Brevis as a likely World Cup player in the middle order•SA20

There were some promising signs for Dewald Brevis in the Zimbabwe tri-series as he finished as South Africa’s leading run-scorer with 133 at a strike rate 187.32, although he couldn’t quite see them home in the final. Those were Brevis’ first T20Is since his debut, which came against Australia in 2023, a year after he flayed an astonishing 162 off 57 balls in the domestic one-day competition. South Africa have clearly earmarked him as a likely World Cup player in the middle order.

Team news: Hazlewood likely to return, Pretorius may miss out

Matt Short continues his recovery from the side strain he picked up in the West Indies, and will miss the first two games of the series which partly eases the batting squeeze for now. Marsh confirmed he and Head would open – and are set to be the duo for the World Cup – which will see Glenn Maxwell return to the middle order and Mitchell Owen potentially being as low as No. 7. Hazlewood will strengthen the pace attack, although he may not play every match. Matt Kuhnemann is part of the squad should an extra spinner be needed.Australia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Cameron Green, 5 Tim David, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Mitchell Owen, 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodSouth Africa’s top order is bolstered by the return of Markram and Ryan Rickelton, which may see 19-year Pretorius squeezed out of the XI. Left-arm spinner George Linde took on an allrounder’s role at No. 6 in Zimbabwe and could continue in that capacity.South Africa (possible): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 George Linde, 7 Prenelan Subrayen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Lungi NgidiMitchell Owen could bat as low at No. 7•AFP via Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

Given Darwin is effectively starting again as an international venue after such a long gap, there is some uncertainty over what the conditions will be like, although there shouldn’t be anything untoward in the surface. The forecast, for both matches, is good with mild, dry evenings.

Stats and trivia

• The last time Darwin hosted an international, Australia were captained by Michael Clarke.
• These two teams have not met in T20Is since 2023, when Australia came out 3-0 winners in South Africa.
• Maxwell needs four wickets to reach 50 in T20Is. He will become just the fourth men’s player to score 2500 runs and take 50 wickets in the format.
• Since the start of 2024, Australia have the highest batting strike rate in T20Is.

Quotes

“They’ve some young guys that have, I guess, burst onto the scene over the last couple of years. That’s always exciting for international cricket, and provides us with a different challenge, but certainly looking forward to coming up against them.”
.”You can see these guys are raring to go. It’s great having the experience back – Aiden’s leadership and then obviously the leadership roles that someone like Kagiso plays. So, really excited about this next couple of weeks. We know it’s going to be a great challenge.”
.

The table toppers will fancy their chances against a Mumbai attack that, barring Jasprit Bumrah, has largely looked toothless

Srinidhi Ramanujam21-Apr-20243:33

How can Mumbai address their bowling issues?

Match details

Rajasthan Royals (P7 W6 L1; 1st) vs Mumbai Indians (P7 W3 L4; 7th)
Jaipur, 1930 IST (2pm GMT)

Big picture – Mumbai bowlers need to chip in

After losing three games in a row, Mumbai Indians bounced back with three wins in their next four matches. However come Monday, against the high-flying Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance alone might not be enough to guarantee a win.Table-toppers Royals have won six of their seven games with Sanju Samson (276 at a strike rate of 155.05), Riyan Parag (318 at 161.42) and Jos Buttler (250 at 147.92) contributing 844 runs. Up against a strong batting side, Mumbai will need other bowlers to chip in as well if they are to move up in the points table from sixth position.For the visitors, Bumrah has led the attack with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 5.96. Their new-recruit Gerald Coetzee has been inconsistent in this IPL, but he stepped up against a spirited Punjab Kings with 3 for 32. Though guilty of leaking 9.92 runs per over in his first IPL season, he has accounted for 12 wickets in seven games, joint-second in the wicket charts.Related

• When Head and Abhishek caused carnage at Kotla

• 125 in 6 overs: Head and Sunrisers shatter T20 powerplay records

• IPL 2024, a turbo-charged, batter-dominated season like no other

• Bumrah: 'You want to make an impact early on when the ball does something'

However, barring the two seamers, Mumbai’s bowling has disappointing. Their overall economy of 10.11 is the third worst among the teams and they average 31.67 with the ball.Hardik Pandya and Akash Madhwal bowled in five games, both conceding more than 11 runs an over for a combined nine wickets. Shreyas Gopal replaced Piyush Chawla in the spin department, but has not found his feet yet. The under-utilisation of Mohammed Nabi has also hurt Mumbai – the Afghan spinner has bowled just six overs in four matches, with no wickets to show.On paper, Royals start as favourites and would look to end their final game in Jaipur on a high.

Form guide

Rajasthan Royals WWLWW (last five matches, most recent first)Mumbai Indians WLWWL

Previous meeting

Earlier in the competition, Royals beat Mumbai by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in a low-scoring game. Trent Boult’s 3 for 22 rattled Mumbai and they were restricted to 125 for 9. In reply, Parag’s unbeaten 54 off 39 helped Royals chase down the target inside 16 overs.

Team news and impact player strategy

Rajasthan Royals
One of Yashasvi Jaiswal or Jos Buttler will sub out when the team is bowling, with seamer Kuldeep Sen coming in as an impact player. It is still not clear if Sandeep Sharma will be available for the game.Probable XII 1 , 2 , 12 Yuzvendra Chahal.Mumbai Indians
Since Suryakumar Yadav’s comeback from injury, he has been used as an impact sub, with seamer Akash Madhwal replacing him when the team bowls. Mumbai could continue with the same approach in Jaipur also.Probable XII 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 , 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Tim David, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Shreyas Gopal, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Gerald Coetzee, 12 2:51

Do the results justify Ashwin’s promotion in the batting order?

In the spotlight – Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gerald Coetzee

Yashasvi Jaiswal had an impressive season in the IPL last year, scoring 625 runs at an average of 48.07 and a strike rate of 163.61. More than half of those runs came inside the powerplay where he scored 361 runs. However, in this IPL, he has been going through a lean patch, having scored 121 runs at an average of 17.28 and a strike rate of 145.78. Though Parag, Samson and Buttler have shouldered the bulk of the responsibility in batting, Royals would hope Jaiswal gets his mojo back.Gerald Coetzee has ramped up his performance in the recent times, to be the second highest wicket-taker for Mumbai behind Bumrah, with 12 scalps. In an otherwise misfiring bowling unit, Mumbai will depend on him and Bumrah to keep Royals at bay.

Stats that matter

• Jaiswal has been dismissed six out of seven time inside the powerplay this IPL.
• Bumrah and Coetzee combinedly have taken a total of 25 wickets so far in IPL 2024.
• Parag has hit 20 sixes in seven innings, the most for a Royals batter.
• Buttler’s strike rate drops to 95.38 against Bumrah in IPL. The Mumbai fast bowler has dismissed him two out of eight times, for 62 runs off 65 balls.
• Yuzvendra Chahal has picked up a wicket in each of his seven matches. In Jaipur, he has seven wickets from four games thus far.
• Royals have the third-best average of 27.79 and second-best economy of 8.73 with the ball, behind Chennai Super Kings.

Pitch and conditions

Sawai Mansingh Stadium has hosted four games so far and when Royals had batted first in three of those, they posted scores of 193, 185, 196. It has been a batting-friendly venue with some assistance for spinners. The final game in Jaipur is also expected to be a high-scoring one.

Spin-bowling allrounder expected to play majority of 2023 Blast season

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2022Michael Bracewell has signed a contract with Worcestershire for the Vitality Blast, effectively replacing Moeen Ali in their T20 side.Moeen has joined Warwickshire on a three-year contract and his departure left a hole in Worcestershire’s top order for a left-handed batter and offspinner.Bracewell, the late-blooming allrounder who has made his New Zealand debuts in all three formats this year, has signed a contract that will see him play county cricket for the first time in the 2023 Blast.Worcestershire did not specify his availability but he is expected to be available for the majority of the tournament. He is likely to spend April and May in the subcontinent – either in Pakistan for a white-ball tour, or in India if he is picked in Friday’s IPL auction – with Worcestershire’s first Blast fixture on May 24.Alan Richardson, Worcestershire’s head coach, said: “It’s always good to have someone of his calibre, but the fact he is a true allrounder means we are really getting two players.”Michael’s international white-ball cricket record is outstanding, but he also has a very healthy first-class record and will offer great experience.”Bracewell will extend a recent relationship between Worcestershire and New Zealand players, with Colin Munro, Hamish Rutherford, Martin Guptill, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner among the Kiwis to have spent time at New Road in recent seasons.Worcestershire will hope he can play a part in reviving their T20 fortunes. They were champions in 2018 and losing finalists the following season but struggled badly in 2022, finishing rock-bottom with two wins in 14 group games.”I’m really looking forward to my first experience of the Blast, a competition in which Worcestershire [have] had a lot of success in recent times,” Bracewell said. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about Worcestershire from a lot of New Zealand players who have recently played there, and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to join up with the group next summer.”

Pandey, Gowtham, Kishan and Deepak Chahar also ruled out of the last two T20Is against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2021Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Yuzvendra Chahal, K Gowtham, and Deepak Chahar are the eight players identified as close contacts of Krunal Pandya, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Although all eight have tested negative for the virus, they have still been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka.The BCCI didn’t announce the names of the eight players in a media release sent out on Wednesday, but their identities became obvious once head coach Rahul Dravid told the host broadcasters that the Indians had been left with only 11 players to pick from in the main squad, and all 11 would be playing the second T20I, which had originally been scheduled to take place on Tuesday but had to be pushed back on account of the disruption caused by the pandemic.”It was felt medically that some of the guys who were his (Krunal’s) close contacts shouldn’t be participating in the series,” Dravid said. “We’ve got 11 to choose from, and all 11 are playing! Brilliant. (laughs)”Dravid, however, emphasised that he didn’t buy the arguments that India caps were being handed out easily, contending that anyone who came on tour with the team was there as potentially a part of the playing XI.”Truly I think when I look at the squad, and look at the 20 guys that have been selected here, each one of them has got here through sheer weight of performances,” he said. “It’s not easy in India, there are a lot of people playing cricket, there are lot of very good performances. People earn the right to come here. It’s not every time you’re going to be able to give every one of them a chance, but it’s really nice to be able to give as many as you can a chance if possible. Due to various reasons we’re probably able to do that this time.”They are earning their India caps. I don’t get that argument… what do you mean by ‘earning’ your India cap? Like I said, if you are selected in a team of 15, obviously with Covid now it’s become 20, you are selected keeping in mind that you may need to play in the XI at any given point of time. Could be because of injury or lack of form to any other player. So you’ve certainly earned the right to get that cap. It’s up to you to take the opportunity and you know, perform. I truly believe everyone who is here has earned it.”The Indian selectors also added the five reserve bowlers who had been taken to Sri Lanka into the main squad, upon request from the team management. The five reserve bowlers are Ishan Porel, Sandeep Warrier, Arshdeep Singh, R Sai Kishore and Simarjeet Singh.The XI that took the field for India in the second T20I had six bowlers. Only five batters were available for selection with Bhuvneshwar Kumar slated at No.6. Dravid acknowledged that the balance of the team was compromised, but reiterated his faith in his men.”To be very honest, I don’t think there’s any need to be sorry for us,” Dravid said. “The squad’s great, like I said everyone deserves to be in the XI. Our balance might be a bit compromised this game, but it’s a Twenty20 game and I truly believe we have the quality to really put up a good show.”Question marks over Shaw and Suryakumar’s England trip
The development puts a question mark over whether the pair of Shaw and Suryakumar will be eligible to travel to England to join India’s Test squad. Both batters, who were added to the Test squad as replacements, were scheduled to fly out to the UK after the Sri Lanka series, which ends on Thursday with the third and final T20I. The BCCI stated that the entire Indian squad, out of of Krunal, had returned negative tests on Tuesday, but the eight close contacts of Krunal would “continue to remain in isolation” at the team hotel. How long the isolation period will be remains unclear.Recently Sri Lanka assistant coach Grant Flower and the team analyst who had both tested positive for Covid-19 upon returning from England tour had to isolate for 10 days. Those that had been identified as the pair’s close contacts had to isolate for a week.