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Alastair Cook has admitted that he had “been to the well” too many times to carry on as England captain, as he spelled out his reasons for stepping down after a record 59 Tests in charge
Speaking at Lord’s on the day it was confirmed that Cook, 32,

Andrew Miller07-Feb-20171:57

Dobell: Cook served England with distinction

Alastair Cook has admitted that he had “been to the well” too many times to carry on as England captain, as he spelled out his reasons for stepping down after a record 59 Tests in charge.Speaking at Lord’s for the first time since his resignation was confirmed, Cook admitted that he had been left drained by a tough winter campaign in the subcontinent, which culminated in five Test defeats in England’s last six matches, including a maiden Test defeat against Bangladesh and a 4-0 series loss to India.”It was an incredibly tough decision to make,” Cook told Sky Sports. “I’ve loved every minute as England captain, but it’s a job you have to commit 100% to, and there’ve been certain times throughout my four or five years in the job when I’ve been to the well and dug pretty deep.”And coming back from India, the way I felt then, I didn’t think I had it in me to do it again, because this isn’t a job where you can operate at 95%.”When I looked in that mirror, I felt it was time. It was sad in one way, because I’ve loved the honour and prestige of all of it. I’ve been leading some great men and had some great moments as England captain, but I do think it’s the right time for me and for the team.”Cook’s career included some notable high points, not least his maiden series as full-time captain in 2012-13, when he led England to a stunning 2-1 series win in India, and last year’s away win in South Africa. But the low moments were particularly bruising, not least the Ashes whitewash in 2013-14, which presaged the most testing period of his tenure – the sacking of Kevin Pietersen ahead of the 2014 home season.Cook was present at the ECB meeting that signalled the end of Pietersen’s England career, and he bore the brunt of much of the fall-out for the rest of that summer. “I think we all have regrets over how it was handled,” he admitted. “I was part of that decision, I wasn’t the be-all-and-end-all of it, but what followed was part of the responsibility I had as England captain.”The fallout wasn’t great for English cricket, we were in the headlines for the wrong reasons, especially when our job as players is to promote the game as best we can, so it was not the best six months. But things have moved on, and since Andrew Strauss has come in [as England director], he’s done a great job and made it clear that the side has moved on.”While insisting that his tenure wasn’t “all doom and gloom”, Cook did single out England’s supporters for particular gratitude, not least those who gave him an ovation at the Ageas Bowl during the 2014 home series against India, when Cook was enduring some of the worst batting form of his career.”I’ll never forget Southampton, the warmth I had there in 2014,” he said. “That kept me going, and of course my family and friends who mean the world to me and stuck with me through the tough times.”Asked if he would have any advice for his younger self, or for that matter the player who is appointed to succeed him, Cook – a famously stubborn individual – was revealingly candid.”The advice I needed was to make sure you don’t always do it your way,” he said. “There are a lot of great people out there who watch a lot of cricket who know probably more than you do. So use that advice and be open to it. Ultimately you have to make the decision out there yourself, but use as much as you can. A lot of people want you to do well, because people love seeing England win games of cricket.”It is a challenging job, you don’t know what will be thrown at you at certain times. But I have loved it, and that is what has made the decision quite hard, because I knew what I was giving away. I look forward to the next part of my career, supporting the next guy as best I can, and hopefully scoring some runs as well and being part of England’s success.”

Lahore and Multan to host a total of four matches; Colombo the other venue in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-20230:45

Rahul Dravid: Would be ‘fantastic’ if India meet Pakistan thrice in Asia Cup

The 2023 Asia Cup will kick off in Multan with Pakistan taking on Nepal on August 30, a day earlier than originally planned by the Asian Cricket Council. The first-round Pakistan-India game will be played in Kandy on September 2, and if both teams make it to the Super 4s, the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will be the host for that game.Lahore is the other venue in Pakistan that will host the matches. The final is scheduled in Colombo on September 17, with the provision of a reserve day.The original draft schedule, prepared by the PCB (the hosting board), went through several iterations, mainly because of the six-nation tournament being played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka based on the hybrid model approved by the ACC recently.As per the original draft, Pakistan were meant to host four matches in just one city. However, Multan was added as the second venue after a new PCB administration, under new chairman Zaka Ashraf, took over this month.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In all, 13 matches will be played in the tournament across four venues. Pakistan are grouped with India and Nepal in Group A while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4s with the top two teams in this phase advancing to the final. The Asia Cup, which will be played in the 50-overs format this time, is essentially a preparation run for five of the six teams – barring Nepal – for the ODI World Cup, which begins on October 5 in India.Bangladesh are slotted to play Afghanistan on September 3 in Lahore followed by Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan at the Gaddafi Stadium on September 5. Regardless of where they finish in the first round, Pakistan will remain A1 and India A2, while Sri Lanka will be B1 and Bangladesh B2. In case Nepal and Afghanistan qualify for the Super 4s, they will take the slot of the team knocked out (Pakistan or India in Group A, and Sri Lanka or Bangladesh in Group B).The only Super 4s match listed to be played in Pakistan is on September 6 in Lahore, between A1 and B2.

England batter admits to “little blow-up” in dressing room after dismissal with 21 needed

Matt Roller09-Jul-2023Harry Brook described a three-wicket victory against Australia at his home ground Headingley as his best Test win for England, after his innings of 75 off 93 balls underpinned their successful run chase on the fourth day.Having batted at No. 3 in the first innings, deputising for the injured Ollie Pope, Brook returned to his customary No. 5 spot in England’s second innings. They needed a further 158 runs to win with seven wickets remaining when he walked out, but the loss of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow either side of lunch left him as the last specialist batter standing.Brook added 59 in 73 balls in partnership with Chris Woakes, bringing up a 67-ball half-century and surviving a short-ball barrage from Australia’s seamers. He did eventually fall to a bumper, top-edging Mitchell Starc to cover, then watched anxiously from the dressing room as Mark Wood joined Woakes to drag England over the line.Related

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Asked on Channel Nine how England’s win compared to previous victories he had been a part of, Brook said: “I think that tops it to be honest. To do it in the Ashes, at home on my home ground as well, it was very good… it hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but I’m sure it will after a few drinks.”He admitted to having “a little blow-up” in the changing room after his dismissal, with 21 runs still required, but only had to wait 14 balls for Woakes to hit the winning runs through cover-point and give England their first victory in a men’s Ashes Test since 2019.”It’s a lot more nerve-wracking when you’re sat up there than in the middle,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m not one to blow up when I get in the changing room but I had a little blow-up today. I like getting us over the line and yeah, it was annoying that I didn’t today, but I’m happy we won.”Everybody [in the dressing room] erupted. We only needed about 20 runs, and I had complete and utter faith in Woakesy and Woody. It was tense for a little while but when Woody hit that six, we kind of knew it was on.”He added: “Me and Woakesy were just trying to build a partnership there, just trying to go down in fives: we got it down to 40 and we said, ‘Let’s try and get it down to 35’; then, ‘Let’s try and get it down to 30.’ Then obviously I got out, which made it a bit more nerve-wracking.”[Woakes] has been a phenomenal player for England. Obviously, he hasn’t played as much in the last couple years but to have him back in the side and play a vital part like he has done there is really good.”Brook played tentatively in the first innings, edging Pat Cummins to second slip for 3, and said his dismissal caused him to recommit to his attacking instincts in the second innings. “In the last couple of innings, I feel like I’ve got out being stuck on the crease a little bit,” he said. “I feel like I’m at my best when I’m looking to score and put pressure on the bowler.”I was trying to be a bit more aggressive today. I hate it when I nick off when I get stuck on the crease, so I’d rather get caught at second slip playing a massive drive to be honest, but I’m glad I got a few.”His return to No. 5 owed to Moeen Ali, who approached Brendon McCullum and asked to be promoted on the third evening. “He came up to Brendon and said, ‘I want to have a crack at No. 3 and take these guys on,'” Ben Stokes explained. “It wasn’t necessarily a free hit for us but I loved that, in the pressure of a chase, he wanted to go out and deliver for the team.”Brook admitted that he preferred the switch, though Stokes hinted that it is unlikely to be a permanent solution. “I’ve batted No. 5 for the last four or five years of my career, whether it’s with England or Yorkshire, so I probably feel most comfortable there,” he said. “But I’m happy to just be in the XI.”He has played for Yorkshire since Under-13 level and has spent many years compiling a strong record at Headingley, but this was Brook’s first international match at his home ground in any format. “That’s probably the best part, to be honest,” he told Sky Sports.”I’ll know a lot of people out there in the crowd and to have done it in front of the home crowd is really nice. It always is [loud], whether it’s a T20 Blast game or an England Test match. They’re always good here. But that is the worst part about being a professional cricketer: every single person messages you asking for a ticket.”

Kraigg Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich struck unbeaten fifties to complete a memorable five-wicket win in clinical fashion on the fifth morning in Sharjah

The Report by Sirish Raghavan03-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Kraigg Brathwaite became the first opener to be unbeaten in both innings of a Test, as he led West Indies to an absorbing five-wicket win over Pakistan in Sharjah – their first Test win outside the West Indies and Bangladesh since 2007. It was also West Indies’ first win in 14 Tests and their first under the captaincy of Jason Holder.Yet, resuming on 114 for 5, with 39 runs to win, overnight batsmen Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich showed no sign of letting the occasion get to them. Brathwaite opened proceedings with a crisp drive to the cover boundary off Wahab Riaz on the first ball of the day. Dowrich smacked a half-tracker from Yasir Shah to the midwicket boundary in the next over. That set the tone as the pair took just 7.5 overs to knock down the target in clinical fashion on the fifth morning.While neither batsman looked to force the pace, they were not afraid to put away bad balls either. Late cuts and drives through the off side featured prominently as the pair glided past the finish line with minimum fuss. Dowrich sealed the win, slashing a short ball from Mohammad Amir towards the third-man boundary for the sixth four of the morning.Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to create any pressure on a pitch that was still rather placid. Neither Wahab nor Amir got much swing or movement off the surface, and Yasir was ineffective and inconsistent in the two overs he bowled. The batsmen seemed to have little trouble in keeping the straight ones out and punishing anything that was too short or too wide.It was all a far cry from West Indies’ wobble the previous evening, as they slid to 67 for 5 after a rather shaky 29-run opening partnership. But Brathwaite and Dowrich scored unbeaten half-centuries, combining for a nerveless 87-run stand to steer their side to a memorable victory and finish a tough tour of the UAE on a high.

London Spirit forced to look for late replacements as tournament struggles to attract top names

Matt Roller04-Jul-2023Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh have been withdrawn from the Hundred by Cricket Australia, in the latest blow to the competition’s standing.Maxwell and Marsh were both due to play under Trevor Bayliss at London Spirit on £125,000 (US$160,000) contracts but have been told to pull out in order to manage their workloads ahead of Australia’s build-up for the 50-over World Cup in India and next year’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US.”In discussions with both players it was agreed that with a long campaign ahead, including two World Cups, it’s in their best interests to be physically refreshed and at their best for the one-day World Cup and beyond,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “Both are also coming from recent injuries.”Related

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It leaves Spirit chasing two replacement overseas players in the month before the tournament starts, and several potential alternatives have already committed to other leagues – the Global T20 Canada, the Caribbean Premier League or the Lanka Premier League – during the Hundred’s window from August 1-27.The Hundred has struggled to secure leading overseas players for the full tournament across its first two seasons and teams have again prioritised availability over star quality ahead of the 2023 edition. The women’s competition has attracted a higher standard of overseas players.While the Hundred is relatively lucrative for men’s players, competition for talent is fierce. Top-earners in the Hundred earn £125,000 for four weeks’ work, while the majority of top overseas players in Major League Cricket – which finishes immediately before the Hundred starts – are earning comparable amounts for a two-week competition.Wanindu Hasaranga, another £125,000 signing, is also expected to withdraw from the competition due to the clash with the LPL. Usama Mir, who has impressed for Worcestershire this summer but is uncapped by Pakistan in T20Is, has been lined up as his replacement for Manchester Originals.Michael Bracewell, the New Zealand allrounder, was due to play for Northern Superchargers on a £75,000 deal but has withdrawn after rupturing his Achilles. Matthew Short, the leading run-scorer in the most recent BBL season, is understood to be a contender to replace him.The ‘wildcard’ draft for domestic signings was held remotely on Tuesday morning, delayed by an hour as at least one team attempted unsuccessfully to force through a replacement signing straight before the draft.John Turner, the 22-year-old seamer who has enjoyed a breakthrough season for Hampshire, was the first man picked, signed by defending champions Trent Rockets.Jafer Chohan, the 20-year-old Yorkshire legspinner, also earned a deal, signing with Southern Brave as back-up for their first choice wristspinner Rehan Ahmed.Notable omissions in the wildcard draft included Matt Parkinson, who took 11 wickets as Manchester Originals reached the final last year, when he was also in England’s T20I side.Ben Green, the Somerset allrounder who is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Blast this season, and Warwickshire’s left-arm wristspinner Jake Lintott were also overlooked.

Hundred wildcard draft signings

Trent Rockets: John Turner, Tom Moores
Manchester Originals: Max Holden, Fred Klaassen
Oval Invincibles: Tawanda Muyeye, Zak Chappell
London Spirit: Matt Critchley, Daniel Bell-Drummond
Welsh Fire: Luke Wells, Chris Cooke
Northern Superchargers: Ollie Robinson, Saif Zaib
Birmingham Phoenix: Jacob Bethell, Henry Brookes
Southern Brave: Jafer Chohan, Matthew Fisher

The Australia fast bowler, who was omitted from the ODI squad to face India, said his back soreness should not have been enough to leave him out

Andrew McGlashan06-Jan-2019Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile has criticised poor communication from the Australia selectors over his omission from the one-day squad to face India, saying the back soreness that was given as the official reason should not have been enough to exclude him.When Australia’s squad was named, Trevor Hohns, the national selector, said Coulter-Nile, who has a history of back problems, could not be risked in the 50-over format. The following day, after the ODI group had been named, a scan cleared him of any problems and he claimed 3 for 25 for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.”I didn’t take [the news] the best, to be honest,” Coulter-Nile told ABC Radio. “I think it was communicated to me really poorly.”I won’t go into it, but I don’t think soreness is really any excuse for not playing cricket. In fairness, I hadn’t had a scan yet. I had had back soreness and back history, but I hadn’t had a scan to see what was wrong. I had one when I got home and it was all clear.””They picked the team before I had a scan to know what was wrong with my back, that’s just when the team was picked to come out.”Coulter-Nile played just one of the three ODIs against South Africa last year, sending down a wayward opening over when given the new ball in Perth, and will now have to hope he can earn a recall for the series in India next month in order to push his World-Cup claims.ALSO READ: Chaotic selections put Australia’s World Cup at riskHe understands that there will always be a cautious approach taken to fast bowlers with a history of suffering back problems but said he wanted to be aware of the full picture. It is understood that the selectors maintain their view that it would have been too great a risk for Coulter-Nile to play 50-over matches.”I was getting some mixed messages about what was happening – that’s just the way it is,” he said. “I have no issue with being dropped, I just like to get a clear message about why – I was told it was because I had a sore back.”JL [coach Justin Langer] asked me when they were selecting the team, I said I have a sore back but I haven’t had a scan yet. With my history, it was just better off to check it. I think communication used to be a little bit better – from everyone.”The subject of communication between selectors and players was also highlighted by ACA president Greg Dyer amid the ongoing debate about potential being given more sway than performance.”I think from time to time we hear of disquiet around the logic behind particular selections,” Dyer told SEN Radio. “You hear a lot of disquiet around ‘I just don’t understand what it is that I did or what I didn’t do or what is the basis for what’s happening’.”In a more positive view of how the selectors and players work together Peter Handscomb, who has been in and out of the Test side during this series and has been asked to make technical changes, said he always knew where he stood in discussions.”They’ve all been open and honest conversations, which has actually been really good. I’ve been able to push my case with them with some really, really good conversations and they tell me where I stand whether what I need to improve or how they see me in the Test side.”

Australia had asked the VCA Stadium ground staff if they could leave the centre wicket and training pitches untouched for players to train on Sunday afternoon

Alex Malcolm12-Feb-20233:35

Smith: Don’t think our first-innings 177 was enough

Australia’s training plans for the day after the Nagpur Test ended have been scuppered after the ground staff at the VCA Stadium watered the centre and practice pitches overnight despite a request from the visitors to use the facilities on Sunday.Australia’s team management asked the VCA ground staff if they could leave the centre wicket and training pitches up in order for players to train on Sunday afternoon. But the ground staff were watering the centre wicket on Saturday night after the team had left the ground. Australia had planned to have an optional session with five players in the squad set to head to the stadium on Sunday afternoon but those plans were cancelled with the practice pitches having been watered too.Related

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ESPNcricinfo contacted the VCA for comment but was simply told both teams would train tomorrow.The cancellation of training is a blow to Australia as they scramble to find a way to get back into the series with their batters needing to find a method to handle Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin after the pair scythed through the visitors in both innings to bowl them out for 177 and 91.Head coach Andrew McDonald identified that Australia’s batters needed to be more proactive after a host of players got caught on the crease during the second innings collapse.”We felt as though we probably weren’t as proactive as what we needed to be in the extreme conditions,” McDonald said on Sunday. “In Galle [last year] we showed that in Test match one [against Sri Lanka] where we were really proactive. And in this instance, we probably weren’t and that showed up in the second innings.”If you stand still and look to defend for long periods of time against that quality spin line-up you’ve got pretty much a ball with a number on it and unfortunately, we weren’t able to get into the method that we wanted to apply.”We saw very little sweeping which is something that we valued leading in as well. So we’ll review why that was the case. And there’s no doubt that when you’re under extreme pressure like that, and you’re behind the game sometimes you narrow in and we need to be more expansive than that.”I thought Steve Smith summed it up really well after he came off and said we’re going to have to be brave, take some risks, take the ball down the ground, push some fielders out and give ourselves the ability to rotate the strike. They were able to crowd us, swarm us and we weren’t able to push the fielders back. You look at the way they played, they were able to push the fielders back, they took calculated risks. So you can always learn from the opposition, but you don’t want to be them in the same instance as well. We’re going to have to do it slightly differently.”

‘Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc back on the selection table’

Australia are also considering whether to make changes for the second Test with Queensland left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann flying in to join the squad for the second Test in Delhi as Mitchell Swepson flies home for the birth of his first child.Mitchell Starc is also likely to be available after flying into Delhi yesterday. Cameron Green is pushing to play the second Test but it might be a stretch as continues to recover from his broken finger while Josh Hazlewood remains unavailable due his Achilles issue.But McDonald was wary of making wholesale changes after one defeat.”If you feel as though your preparation was good and the way you want to go about it is good then you re-commit to that,” McDonald said.”If you shift and try to change too much that’s when you get lost as a touring team. We’ve seen teams come to Australia and try to do the same. We need to be committed to what we want to achieve.”Will there be changes? Potentially, we have Green and Starc back on the selection table so that will totally change the balance of how we want to go about things. However, we feel as though when we came here we had a clear vision of how to play, how we want to go about it and we need to reinvest into that.”We feel as though it can work and the players within the changeroom are very capable for the challenges ahead. We had a slight setback in the first Test match, we got behind in the game. We clearly know where we need to improve. If we improve those areas the margins will narrow very quickly.”

Shadab Khan to lead 15-man side, which includes breakout PSL stars Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah

Umar Farooq13-Mar-2023Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf have all been rested from Pakistan’s squad for their upcoming series of three T20Is against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Imad Wasim has been recalled, while Shadab Khan has been named captain, and star PSL 2023 performers Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah have all received call-ups to the national team for the first time.The new PCB selection committee for the national senior men’s team, headed by Haroon Rasheed, has formed a new policy on managing workloads and player rotation. With the series against Afghanistan not a part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, it gave the selectors a chance to try out their new plan.”Afghanistan series is the training ground to test our youngsters,” Najam Sethi, the PCB chief, said in a press interaction on Monday. “I am not worried about winning or losing to Afghanistan – if we find few talented youngsters, it will serve the purpose. The series is largely about blooding our new talent and developing them.”Babar will remain our captain in all the three formats. I have taken all the senior players into confidence and they all will be part of the team in future, there’s no question about this. Shadab Khan has been the vice-captain and an automatic choice to take captaincy in Babar’s absence, so he will lead the side. He is a wonderful allrounder, scoring runs, taking wickets and showing great temperament leading Islamabad United [in the PSL]. So he is the right man to lead the young side.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

ESPNcricinfo had earlier reported that the workload management of top players was a major point of discussion at a recent selection committee meeting, as they looked ahead to a year that has both an ODI Asia Cup and an ODI World Cup. Each player’s workload was assessed in terms of matches played over the last two years, and Babar, Rizwan and Haris were highlighted as three players who had played a lot of cricket.Since January 2021, Rizwan has played 150 matches across formats (international and domestic cricket) – the most after Rashid Khan’s 157 – while Babar has played 127 and Rauf 125.”The selection committee has followed the standard rotation policy by resting the leading performers and providing high-performing domestic performers with opportunities to demonstrate their talent and potential at the international level,” Rasheed said after announcing the squad. “This will also allow us to test the temperament and abilities of these players and helping us to strengthen our pool of players as we look forward to building and preparing a formidable side for next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.”But we also have ensured that we select a side that is equally strong and capable of winning the series against a strong Afghanistan side for whom Sharjah is like a second home. And to achieve that, we have retained seven players from the last series, recalled four experienced cricketers and clubbed them with four uncapped players to make the 15-member side truly a mixture of youth and experience.”

Star PSL performers Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah rewarded

Among the new faces, Ayub has been the most impressive this PSL, scoring 309 runs in ten matches for Peshawar Zalmi at a strike rate of 167.02.Tayyab Tahir has shown glimpses of becoming an explosive T20 batter, hitting 137 runs at strike rate of 144.21 for Karachi Kings. This after scoring 413 runs at a strike rate of 138 at the National T20 Cup.Multan Sultans have brought out a fast-bowling sensation in Ihsanullah, who has 20 wickets in the ongoing PSL season, while Lahore Qalandars’ Zaman Khan has taken 12 wickets so far and has made a name as a specialist death bowler.Of the more familiar names, Abdullah Shafique has made an impression in the PSL too, with 193 runs at a strike rate of 144.02; Faheem Ashraf has returned after playing match-winning knocks for United this season, and has 210 runs at a strike rate of 147.88; Imad’s return follows his 404 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 170.46 (plus nine wickets) for Kings.Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan: Shadab Khan (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan

They gave the hosts a 93-run first-innings lead, which Pakistan grew to 202 courtesy Shan Masood’s fifty

Danyal Rasool18-Jan-2025Noman Ali and Sajid Khan put on a spin-bowling masterclass on a surface they found to their tastes, taking nine of the ten wickets to skittle West Indies out for 137 in less than a session. Either side of that, Pakistan fared better with the bat, putting up 230 in the first innings despite a collapse after Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan’s 141-run stand was broken.But they pulled away from the visitors in the final session with a commanding second-innings show with the bat. That was spearheaded by their captain Shan Masood, whose half-century drove Pakistan’s lead to 202 with seven wickets still in hand. The dominant story of a day when 19 wickets fell, though, came in the middle session, where West Indies had little answer to Noman and Sajid, who bowled all but 14 deliveries of their innings.Sajid started the dismantling in just his second over when he dismissed Mikyle Louis and Keacy Carty off successive balls, even as Carty fell thanks to a superb slip catch from Mohammad Hurraira. By the end of his third over, Sajid had four wickets as West Indies floundered, unable to either defend or attack against an unerringly accurate spin duo.Noman joined the fun, getting drift and turn to clip the edge of Justin Greaves’ off stump. It was the first of five wickets for the left-armer, who was beginning to get huge rip off the barely formed footmarks.As the innings proceeded, West Indies began to adopt a more bellicose outlook, trying to swindle some runs along the way. But there was limited success as multiple batters dragged it on to their stumps, before the final two partnerships flourished. Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican began to play belligerent shots, with Warrican utilising the back of the bat while playing the reverse sweeps a handful of times.Shan Masood was adept against spin bowling•AFP/Getty Images

From 66 for 8 at one stage, West Indies added 71 for the last two wickets. After Motie and Warrican had a partnership of 25, it was only during the last-wicket stand between Warrican and Jayden Seales when West Indies dominated the spinners. Both batters connected cleanly as they hit the spinners over cow corner for multiple sixes.That forced Pakistan into bringing on Abrar Ahmed for the first time. Eventually, Abrar did end the partnership, but only after the pair had plundered 46 runs off 21 balls. Seales failed to pick up a googly and miscued it straight up, as Rizwan took the catch and ended the punchy counterattack.If West Indies thought that their collapse against spin meant they too would be among the wickets in the final session, Masood and Hurraira soon disabused them off that notion. Seales, whose pace and seam movement had made him the surprise pick of the bowlers on the first day, reprised his potent threat but without the wickets that would reflect this in the scorecard.Masood, meanwhile, was proactive in his use of the feet, and adept against spin bowling, eager to attack and expand the lead even further before the day was done. Some untidiness crept into the bowling; there were 12 byes as the spin became as tricky to handle for the bowlers as it was for the batters. But Warrican was dangerous with the one that carried on with the arm, and got both his wickets that way – Hurraira at first, before Babar Azam played for the spin and found himself rapped in front of middle.West Indies were unfortunate not to snare Kamran Ghulam too when a miscued sweep struck him on the arm as he got down low. The umpire raised the finger, although HawkEye, incongruously, projected the ball to be rising well above the stumps.Jomel Warrican took three wickets in the first innings, before hitting 31* with the bat•PCB

As if to compensate, West Indies were gifted the wicket of Masood. He called for a run and didn’t quite realise that Ghulam was well down the pitch in response, and found himself stranded in the middle of the pitch. Thus, Masood was left with little chance of getting to the non-striker’s end, before Warrican whipped the bails off.Earlier, during the morning session, West Indies took four wickets for 13 runs to trigger a Pakistan collapse. That started by breaking the stand between Shakeel and Rizwan, leaving West Indies two wickets away from wrapping the hosts up. Shakeel and Rizwan had begun with the same authority with which they had ended the first day. But once Kevin Sinclair snared Shakeel 16 short of what would have been his fifth Test hundred, Pakistan’s resistance melted away.Only a punchy rearguard partnership between Sajid and Khurram Shahzad prevented West Indies from running through the innings even sooner, but Pakistan were still bowled out for 230 on the stroke of lunch.West Indies had begun the day by sticking to disciplined and tight lines, at one point conceding six runs in seven overs as Seales and Warrican locked in. But neither batter offered up chances during this time, and when Pakistan negotiated the first hour without loss, West Indies were in danger of being shut out of the game.Saud Shakeel fell 16 short of what would have been his fifth Test hundred•AFP/Getty Images

But the first ball after drinks brought joy for West Indies. Sinclair lured Shakeel forward before getting the ball to grip, and then taking his edge. As if it had been forgotten, the pitch suddenly began to remind everyone how hostile it could be to batters against quality spin, as the ball hissed and spat off the surface.Salman Ali Agha was deceived in the flight from Warrican to drag on before Pakistan imploded. A bizarre mix-up between Rizwan and Noman saw the former turn his back on Noman to leave him unsuccessfully scrambling to return to the non-striker’s end. But an attempted reverse sweep off the next delivery ended Rizwan’s own innings, as a sharp review from West Indies finished Rizwan’s innings on 71.It was only an entertaining stand from Sajid and Shahzad that saw a few more runs flow for Pakistan, before the innings petered out. Sajid launched Sinclair over cow corner for six amid a little flurry as Pakistan added 25 quickfire runs. But Warrican returned to fold the innings, making short work of both, as West Indies took the last six wickets for 43 runs in a session of two halves. It was a harbinger for the rest of the day, when the wicket-taking continued unabated.

Coach wants England to “call on good experiences” in bid to reclaim the urn from Australia

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Dec-2022Brendon McCullum admits next summer’s Ashes series is “a big carrot” for his new and improved England men’s Test side, as thoughts turn to next year’s challenges after a remarkable end to the 2022 campaign.On Tuesday in Karachi, England closed out a convincing 3-0 win over Pakistan to give McCullum a third series victory as head coach. Since taking over at the start of the summer, he and captain Ben Stokes have overseen nine victories in 10 matches.The scale of the red-ball resurgence over the last seven months is such that the scars of a horrendous run of one win in 17 before McCullum and Stokes took over seem to have disappeared. That stretch included a demoralising 4-0 defeat in Australia last winter which led to plenty of introspection in the domestic game – not least the publication of Sir Andrew Strauss’ High Performance Review.Now, however, there is a belief among the England team they are more than a match for all comers in all conditions. Thus, the prospect of beating Australia for the first time since 2015 is a tantalising one.McCullum has been reticent to look far ahead and has not been afraid to express his frustration at England’s Ashes obsession: “You guys do this all the time, eh?” he said when asked about facing Australia on the Karachi outfield. Nevertheless, with just two Tests against New Zealand in February and then a single home Test against Ireland before the five-match series starts at Edgbaston on June 16, he admits the challenge Australia will pose has entered the management’s thoughts.Related

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McCullum believes efforts to reclaim the urn next season will rely on the experiences banked in Pakistan, which England will need to call on against a fierce adversary. “From our point of view, we will have loose plans about that stuff,” he said, when asked about the Ashes. “It is a big carrot down the line.”At the same time, I want the guys to enjoy what we have been able to achieve here. Just like the summer the message is not look too far ahead. Let’s live in the here and now of what we have achieved. Let that sink it. It will take some time to sink in.”I think it is the same with the success this team has had. We have to allow that to sink in because there will be tough challenges in time. And if you have not banked those good experiences, what have you got to call on?”Since England began making headlines with their aggressive approach while talking up how they are looking to change Test cricket, there have been a few back-and-forths with their rivals Down Under. The ‘Bazball’ moniker for the style of play they have adopted has been a source of amusement in the Australian dressing room, with the team putting up a ‘Ronball’ sign in their dressing room during their recent Test match against West Indies [their head coach Andrew MacDonald is nicknamed ‘Ron’, after Ronald McDonald].On Tuesday, Australia’s assistant coach Daniel Vettori credited his friend and former teammate McCullum for the turnaround he has instigated: “That’s Brendon’s nature,” he said. “There is positivity in everything he does.” He also anticipates an intriguing contest between a heavy-hitting batting line-up and a strong Australian bowling attack, who could provide Stokes’ charges with their toughest challenge yet.Vettori expects England to “give it a go” when he faces his friend McCullum in the Ashes•BCCI

“They are going to give it a go, it looks like,” Vettori said. “I think that is what everyone is excited about: that aggressive nature versus an exceptional bowling attack.”Many sceptics are waiting for England’s Test bubble to burst, and predictions of coming unstuck in Pakistan were categorically trumped. However, an Australia bowling line-up with all bases covered could do just that, especially given the manner in which a strong South African pace attack inflicted England’s only defeat under McCullum and Stokes at Lord’s in July.But Mark Wood, the fast bowler who was crucial to securing victory in the second Test in Multan, believes England will relish the opportunity to continue to prove their doubters wrong.”It’s more the fact people keep doubting us,” Wood said, when asked about the anticipation for England trying out their new brand of cricket against Australia. “You can’t go to Pakistan and do that. You’ll never be able to do that against India. Or against New Zealand.”So it’s about [trying to] keep breaking records, keep trying to prove people wrong, play this way and show that, hopefully, other teams will take notice and think they have to be on their ‘A’ game to take on this England team.”