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Here are some key points after the announcement of the fixtures for a tournament that needed a shot in the arm after an underwhelming 2018-19 edition

Andrew McGlashan25-Jul-2019Shorter regular seasonAfter much criticism of last season, the home-and-away part of the season has been cut down from 54 to 42 days, beginning December 17 and ending on January 27 across the Australia Day holiday weekend. It will mean more double-header match days and some busy periods of playing and travel for teams – often with two games in three days – but the new timeframe keeps the majority of the league stage within the school holidays and should help stop the tournament drifting.New finals structureAs part of keeping the regular season alive with fewer dead games, five of the eight teams can now reach a new-look finals stage that gives the teams finishing in the top two a second chance to make the finals. After the competition expanded to a full home-and-away season last year it was clear that there wasn’t enough reward for consistency across the season with the team finishing fourth having the same route to winning the tournament as the side that tops the table. Playing 56 matches to lose just three sides is a lot although the teams in the 4th v 5th match would need to win four consecutive matches to take the title. The new format will also allow a little more time to market and prepare for the final with one of the hosts known a week before it takes place.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Christmas Eve night game ditchedThere have been some minor tweaks within the regular season, among the more significant being scrapping the evening game on Christmas Eve which last season was held at the Sydney Showground featuring the marquee Sydney derby but attracted a very modest crowd. The popular afternoon fixture on the same day – which will be Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades – has been retained, but after that it will be about wrapping those last minute presents. For now, Christmas Day also remains clear of a match although that could be something reassessed in the future.BBL v India-Australia ODIAfter the New Year Test against New Zealand at the SCG, Australia’s men’s team won’t be in action on home soil again during the BBL. They are, however, playing a one-day series in India and one of those matches – the third on January 19 – will go head-to-head with the Brisbane Heat facing Melbourne Renegades at the Gabba. There are BBL matches on the days of the other two ODIs, but they are afternoon matches that precede the games in India for television audiences, while there are plenty which follow a day of Test cricket as has been standard.Regional venues retainedThe tournament is again being taken away from the major centers in attempt to spread the game. The Hurricanes will play their first ‘home’ game of the season in Alice Springs against Sydney Sixes – last year’s match at Traeger Park was moved away at the last minute due to an unfit outfield – while the Heat play two games on the Gold Coast over the Christmas/New Year period (December 20 and January 1). The Stars will also play the Hurricanes on the Gold Coast on December 27. There are four fixtures with venues to be confirmed: two for the Thunder who played in Canberra last season, one for Melbourne Stars, which is expected to be Moe in regional Victoria, and one for the Sixers in regional New South Wales.No easy answer to big name overseas starsIt is hoped that by shortening the regular season by 12 days and the whole tournament by a week that it will help attract overseas players who were put off by the length of last season. However, that was only part of the problem and budgets remain a key stumbling block to getting A list stars involved. When AB de Villiers’ signing was mooted, before he pulled out, it would only have been possible with funding from additional sources. There is, though, the chance that Australia’s international players will appear a little more often – those in the ODI squad to travel to India could be available for the final two regular season matches and the final, while any Test-only names who are wanted by BBL clubs will be free after early January.

Pattinson missed the entire last season because of a back stress fracture and will start bowling again this winter

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2018Australia quick James Pattinson has signed a two-year deal with Brisbane Heat for the Big Bash League. Pattinson, who had been with Melbourne Renegades between 2013 and 2017, missed the entire last season because of a back stress fracture – the fourth such time he had been diagnosed with the injury in more or less exactly the same spot in his back.He subsequently underwent a surgery in New Zealand late last year, the same procedure that helped prolong the careers of former New Zealand quick Shane Bond, and current players Matt Henry, Hamish Bennett and Corey Anderson.”I’m feeling very good physically after the surgery and I’m looking forward to getting back into some bowling during the winter,” Pattinson said. “The facilities at Allan Border Field are second to none so that will also be very helpful as I build towards the coming season.”Pattinson hasn’t played a competitive match since July last year but Daniel Vettori, the Heat coach, believed that his workload could be managed like how his former New Zealand team-mate and former assistant at the Heat, Shane Bond’s had been done.”Knowing how Shane and other bowlers have managed their career in similar circumstances will help us provide the right environment for him to deliver his best,” Vettori said. “As a senior player, James will also have the chance to do likewise and mentor some of our up-and-coming bowlers.”I’m sure the Heat fans will make him very welcome when he arrives and we’re looking forward to some more exciting matches with James in our squad.”Pattinson bolsters a pace attack that includes Mark Steketee, Brendan Doggett, and allrounder Ben Cutting. Pattinson said he was feeling “very good physically” and that he was looking forward to return to action.

Calum MacLeod and Richie Berrington put on a record partnership of 127 runs against Hong Kong, setting up Scotland’s 24-run in the first match of the inaugural Desert T20 Challenge

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Abu Dhabi14-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCalum MacLeod brought up his fifty as part of a Scotland T20I record stand of 127 with Richie Berrington•Peter Della Penna

Scotland claimed victory honours in the opening match of the inaugural Desert T20 behind a record partnership by Calum MacLeod and Richie Berrington to romp past Hong Kong on a windy day at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong were punished for a sloppy fielding display as captain Kyle Coetzer and George Munsey motored their way through a 61-run opening stand and Scotland faced few problems from Hong Kong’s attack.Offspinner Ehsan Khan produced a double-strike in the eighth over to remove the openers, but it was a minor speed bump as MacLeod and Berrington generated a record T20I stand for Scotland by adding 127 runs for the third wicket.Hong Kong got off to a brisk start in the Powerplay but with only two men allowed outside the circle, both Nizakat Khan and Babar Hayat managed to pick out a man on the boundary to fall by the end of the sixth over. In stark contrast to Hong Kong’s effort in the field, Scotland were catlike in pouncing on haphazard running between the wickets to produce a pair of run-outs, the second of which accounted for Anshuman Rath at the start of the 14th over to put the game out of reach.Orthodox vs unorthodoxBerrington and MacLeod ended up scoring 60 runs apiece – Berrington unbeaten on 39 balls, MacLeod dismissed after facing 34 – but each took different paths. Berrington mainly pursued a classical approach with a bit of brawn mixed in. His first six was struck from the Pavilion End in the 16th over, muscling it through the wind over long-off. Two balls into the 19th over, he used the wind to hit towards the pavilion for another six over long-off to bring up his half-century off 35 balls.Munsey had set the tone earlier in the match for MacLeod’s knock with a series of reverse sweeps and once MacLeod arrived, he continued to frustrate Hong Kong’s bowlers by unfurling more of the same in addition to some switch hits. His first reverse sweep had a bit of good fortune, going off the top edge over short third man for four. After bringing up his fifty with a heave over midwicket, he used the final over to practice more of those switch hits, sending consecutive fours over third man before he fell trying the shot a third time.After the game, MacLeod reasoned in the press conference that the switch hit was actually a high percentage shot from the Pavilion End because the wind was blowing to an orthodox third man. Despite not trying it for “a few years” he made it look relatively easy.Record partnershipBy the time Man of the Match MacLeod fell with one ball left in the innings, he and Berrington had set a new mark in T20Is, for any Scotland wicket. The previous best was set by Matt Machan and Michael Leask on the same ground in November 2013 against Netherlands at the World T20 Qualifier. It’s only the third time Scotland have had a century partnership in T20Is. However, Scotland’s Twenty20 record stand was a 130-run effort by Coetzer and Fraser Watts against Uganda in Nairobi in 2010.Beyond Scotland, the MacLeod-Berrington partnership was the joint second-best for any wicket by an Associate in T20Is, behind only a 131-run stand by Micky Swart and Ben Cooper for Netherlands against Nepal in 2015. It was also the joint sixth-best third-wicket stand in T20Is overall, with the highest coming from Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan at the 2014 World T20 against Sri Lanka, when they added 152 after coming together with the score 0 for 2.The windWhen Coetzer flipped the coin at the toss, the wind was already so strong that it carried the coin over his head and landed three feet away from the pitch. Conditions were relatively calm on the eve of the tournament but teams may need to keep an eye on the breezy weather and factor it into their plans over the next three days.

Marvan Atapattu has admitted that his ten-day stint as Zimbabwe’s batting consultant will be a challenge, but said he was looking forward to working closely with the team’s head coach Dav Whatmore

Mohammad Isam in Khulna16-Jan-2016Marvan Atapattu has admitted that his ten-day stint as Zimbabwe’s batting consultant will not be enough to bring about major change, but said he was looking forward to working closely with the team’s head coach Dav Whatmore. Atapattu arrived in Khulna on January 14, the day before the first T20 against Bangladesh, after being appointed in his new position on January 12 for the Bangladesh series.

‘Start matters a lot in T20s’ – Sabbir

Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman has stressed on the importance of racing out of the blocks in T20 cricket, saying he will keep trying to start well in the rest of the series. Sabbir made 46 off 36 balls in the first match, with four fours and a six, batting at No. 3.
“The start matters a lot in T20s,” Sabbir said. “I can finish well if I can start well. The first six ball I face depends on the match situation. Whatever I need, a four, a six or even a single. I always try to start well so that I can make up later on. I think a difference of 15-20 between balls faced and runs scored is quite good.”
“I have done well at No 3 in the past. I am trying to take on the pace bowlers and be free by the time the spinners come to bowl in the middle-overs. I have no regrets about the half-century. I want the team to win and I want to make a contribution.”

“It is a challenge to start with,” Atapattu said. “I will be here with these guys till the end of this series, and try to work with Dav [Whatmore] who I have known for years. I have to see if I can help them tactically and technically in the coming days. We are playing a very good side who are on top of their game. They have played a lot of T20 cricket in the past.”There’s not a lot you can do in ten days. But as I said, I will be working very closely with Dav who has been with them for the last one year. It is a privilege to work with him. I will have to see what I can do as a coaching unit. I think I have been in the circuit for quite some time in the sub-continent and I have bit of an idea of what’s going on. How individuals play their game overall. The experience helps.”There is a chance Atapattu could succeed Andy Waller as Zimbabwe’s batting coach. Currently, Atapattu is only a consultant, but according to a Zimbabwe Cricket report, his “contract will be reviewed after the Zimbabwe tour of Bangladesh, with a view to entering into a longer relationship”. Atapattu, however, did not comment on his future with the Zimbabwe team, saying he was happy with the current deal.”I resigned from Sri Lanka thinking that I need to give time for my family, which I haven’t done for the last 25 years. It is my priority now so I am happy with what I am doing. I don’t want to be away from the game for too long. This is the game that I love and know best.”Atapattu felt Zimbabwe had lost the first T20I in the penultimate over of their innings, bowled by Mustafizur Rahman, who removed the big hitters Elton Chigumbura and Luke Jongwe in consecutive deliveries. Zimbabwe took just one run in that over, and it ruined their final push as they had to settle for 163 for 7 in 20 overs.”[A total of 163 runs] was certainly not enough,” he said. “We were beaten in the 19th over. Obviously we were in a position to probably have at least 20 runs more in our total. But unfortunately we didn’t get that due to good bowling and not so much when it comes to smart batting. We will try to rectify it and we will try to do better in the next game.”

Khawaja, Hughes, Smith and Ahmed failed collectively as Gloucestershire rounded up Australia A for 111 in their second innings, before a strong batting performance left them sniffing at an unlikely win

Daniel Brettig in Bristol22-Jun-2013
ScorecardPhil Hughes, after being promoted to open, managed only 11 runs•PA Photos

Driving to Bristol for a round of pre-Ashes preparatory talks with a strong overnight score in their minds, Australia’s coach Mickey Arthur and the team performance manager Pat Howard could have been forgiven for expecting more encouraging developments on their arrival. Instead the sunshine and good cheer of day one was to be replaced by far grimmer stuff – and not just because the weather in Bristol had turned from balmy to a chill wind and grey sky.Having rounded up the remainder of the Gloucestershire first innings for the addition of only 18 more runs, Australia A folded quite heedlessly for 111 in the second innings after declining to enforce the follow-on. This offered the hosts an unexpected window into the match, one left well and truly open by a stumps score of 162 for 3 in pursuit of 321.Arthur and Howard have a few issues in front of them, but the form of the batsmen to join the Ashes squad in Taunton on Monday is a mounting one. As far as Ashes preparations were concerned, this was a far from satisfactory day. Usman Khawaja and Phillip Hughes were unable to register scores of any note, while the likely first reserve batsman Steve Smith edged the seaming ball to be out for a duck. The trio had been promoted to Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the batting order in an effort to give them some quality batting time, but none was to be had by anyone.Even Nic Maddinson, so impudent during his first-day 181, was cut down to size, flicking a catch down the leg side to depart first ball. Maddinson was one of four wickets for Will Gidman, who capitalised on the more generous allocation of swing and seam provided by overcast skies and a pitch freshened by overnight moisture.Gloucestershire were also aided by a pair of run-outs, each a direct hit from James Fuller, who roamed the deep and caught, first Khawaja and then Jordan Silk, short of their ground. Such charity from the visitors will not have pleased the bowlers, who soon found themselves defending a smaller advantage than had seemed possible when Smith chose to have another bat.So poor was Australia A’s innings in fact that the top score went to Matthew Wade with 28, his runs scored either side of a painful blow to the groin that forced the wicketkeeper to his haunches for several minutes. Ashton Agar was next best with 27, demonstrating, albeit briefly, that his languid athletic talent is not limited to slow left-arm spin. Nonetheless, a scoreboard reading 88 for 8 and then concluding on “Nelson” does not bode well for numerologists nor Australian Ashes optimists.To be in the field again within 35.1 overs of dismissing Gloucestershire the first time did not appear to agree with several of the Australia A bowlers, who with few exceptions had been much sharper when the day began. Ryan Harris induced an outside edge from Gidman in the first over of the morning, before Fawad Ahmed offered evidence of his legspin’s bite by having Benny Howell pouched at slip, then fizzing his next ball past Tom Smith’s outside edge.Neither Harris nor Ahmed would be quite so compelling in the afternoon, which also provided a lesson for Chadd Sayers, the South Australian seam and swing operative. Having nipped out two wickets in his first over of the day to claim the handsome figures of 5 for 24, Sayers looked considerably short of rhythm and accuracy when he returned. He did improve later on and added the wickets of Chris Dent and Dan Housego, but Gloucestershire were by then growing in confidence.They reached the close with Gareth Roderick accompanied by Dan Christian, who appeared intent on getting the better of his countrymen while sprinting to 40 from 42 balls in the final hour. He took a particular liking to the spin of Ahmed, taking 35 runs from the 31 balls he faced. As they pondered whether to expand the size of the Ashes squad by one or two on Sunday, that was yet another reason for Arthur and Howard’s brows to furrow.

Middlesex built a big lead against Sussex and can push for victory on the final day

David Lloyd at Lord's01-Jun-2012
ScorecardOllie Rayner scored 69 to put his old county under pressure•Getty Images

The pitch was panned by some from south of the river when Surrey were pipped in early season while the victory over Worcestershire only came about after the captains had collaborated following some serious weather interference. But if Middlesex manage to engineer a third championship win from four games at Lord’s this season then it will be all down to their own hard work.Last year’s Division Two champions, tipped by many to make a quick return to the second tier, are currently looking up, rather than down, and success here tomorrow would leave them sitting comfortably in the higher reaches of Division One.A home victory is far from certain and Sussex ought to be able to bat their way out of difficulty, despite surrendering a first innings lead of 208, because there is no real pace or spite in this surface. But Middlesex have given themselves a chance – by doing significant damage with the new ball on the first morning and then, today, battling their way up to within touching distance of 500 despite no batsman reaching three figures.They had not totalled 400, home or away, before this game but when Toby Roland-Jones, batting at No 10, became the fifth member of the line-up to pass 50, Sussex were looking fairly bedraggled. Worse was to come for the visitors with Steve Finn having Ed Joyce caught in the gully shortly before bad light ended play a dozen overs early.Finn, who could resume his Test career next week if England’s selectors decide to rest a bowler or two for the final Test against West Indies, will be keen to put in a big performance tomorrow. But, as has been shown throughout this game, Middlesex are heavy on individuals ready, willing and able to make important contributions for the team.The script for today suggested that Chris Rogers and Eoin Morgan would be the batsmen to take charge. But, despite resuming on 93 and 52 respectively, neither made it to the hundred mark. Rogers was perhaps unlucky to lose a leg before decision to Luke Wright while the second new ball did for Morgan, who edged one from Steve Magoffin that was angled across him.At that stage, Sussex were well in the contest with the scores just about level. But John Simpson was then dropped in the slips by Mike Yardy off James Anyon, who bowled with real fire and precious little luck. That chance was one of five to go begging throughout the innings and Middlesex slowly but surely pulled away.Simpson made only moderate use of his good fortune – having two of his three stumps uprooted by a full, swinging delivery from Naved Arif. But, almost inevitably, Ollie Rayner made life painful for his old county by scoring 69. Rayner bats well (he made an unbeaten 143 against Notts last week after being forced into night-watchman duties), catches flies in the slips and now has the chance to develop as an off-spinner after being second in line at Sussex behind first Mushtaq Ahmed and then Monty Panesar.Here, Rayner and Gareth Berg plundered 41 off seven overs to earn Middlesex a fourth bating point. That was slowcoach stuff, though, compared to the 71 runs taken off 51 balls that made sure the innings finished with a real flourish.Rayner did his bit but it was Roland-Jones who seriously deflated Sussex by biffing 52 off 63 deliveries. The visitors need to pick themselves up tomorrow but the force may be with Middlesex.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL 2011 final between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore

The Preview by Nitin Sundar27-May-2011

Match facts

Saturday, May 28, Chennai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Chris Gayle could well be standing between MS Dhoni and another victorious campaign•AFP

Big Picture

It’s taken 73 games, but we’re finally here. . Chew on that number for a moment. The IPL has had 50% more games than World Cup 2011, which was faulted for being too long. It’s had 16 games more than the first three World Cups combined. The IPL has tested viewer appetite and player endurance to the limit, in the process turning the less-is-more norm on its head. The audience has spoken: there is only so much cricket India can take. The players have started breaking under the strain: several overseas signings flew home early, the India squad going to West Indies is severely depleted. Seventy-three is a big number.The verdict, though, can wait until No. 74 is out of the way. An exciting knockout phase is capable of glossing over all the faults of a bloated tournament, and IPL 2011 has been fortunate on that front – Bangalore’s hammering of Mumbai in the virtual semi-final notwithstanding. The impact of a good, well-contested final can be even more far-reaching. The success of the most recent World Cup, and the equally resounding failure of the one that preceded it, are quite closely linked to the manner in which the final moments of the respective events panned out. For three years running, the IPL final has been a closely fought game. Can 2011 continue the trend?Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore are opponents capable of producing that gripping denouement. Going by where they finished in the league table, they are the two best sides in the tournament. Both sides have been incredibly consistent, which is a considerable achievement in a tournament that goes on forever. Skeptics will point at Bangalore’s dependence on Chris Gayle, and Chennai’s dependence on home advantage. The former is a disservice to Virat Kohli and Bangalore’s well-rounded bowling attack, while the latter betrays a poor grasp of the roller-coaster ways of Twenty20 – winning seven games on the trot at the same venue in this format is no mean achievement, regardless of the conditions.Chennai and Bangalore have a storied Twenty20 history: in the one season when Chennai did not make the final (2009), it was Bangalore who stopped them in the semis. Chennai returned the favour in Champions League 2010, hustling their South-Indian neighbours out of contention. This year, they have traded blows three times already, with Chennai leading 2-1.IPL 2011 has thrown everything at us, and the feeling at the end of it all is one of gluttonous excess. A cracking final, witnessed by a full house, and featuring good cricket (and that doesn’t always mean scores of 200 from both sides) might be a good way to sign off. A Super Over finish will be “just what the doctor ordered”.

Form guide (most recent first)

Chennai Super Kings: WLWWW
Bangalore Royal Challengers: WLWLW

Team talk

If Chennai go into the final with an unchanged XI, they will set a new IPL record for the maximum number of successive games without a replacement (six). The only uncertainty is over R Ashwin’s availability, but indications are that he has fully recovered from the sickening blow he took on the head in the play-off. Chennai’s combination has worked well in the lead-up to the big game, and even the weakest link – Wriddhiman Saha – has pulled his weight. The presence of Albie Morkel and Dwayne Bravo provides the side with immense depth, both with bat and ball. The one area they will want to improve on is their batting in the first six overs, where they either lose too many wickets or score too slowly.Bangalore have looked under-strength in the lower-middle order right through the season, but it doesn’t seem to affect them. Instead of worrying about it, they actually chose to drop a batsman for Syed Mohammad’s left-arm spin against Mumbai, and it worked when he accounted for Sachin Tendulkar’s big wicket. Saurabh Tiwary is due a big performance, but both he and Bangalore will hope they don’t need it on Saturday.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team Selector.

In the spotlight

Zaheer Khan and big finals have an interesting relationship. In World Cup 2003, bad Zaheer turned up, bowled a horror opening over and India never recovered. In World Cup 2011, though, he cracked the game open with three exemplary opening overs – all maidens. Zaheer, who was playing for Mumbai in 2010, will remember messing up a crucial catch in that IPL final, allowing Suresh Raina to take Chennai to an eventually match-winning score. Will it be Dr Zaheer or Mr Khan turning up for revenge on Saturday?The final is a good time for Suresh Raina to take stock of his career. It was the IPL’s first edition that gave him a second chance at the India side, and he’s never looked back since. Raina’s IPL dominance is not founded upon any single watershed season. He has topped 400 runs in all four editions of the IPL; no one else has managed it even three times. Raina will, however, know that there is tougher work ahead. He will soon be leading a depleted ODI side in the West Indies, and after that might be required to stand up to the seaming and bouncing red ball. A strong finish to the IPL will set him up for the challenges to come.S Badrinath will march out on Saturday with his head held high, looking back with a smile and satisfaction at a season of toil that has borne fruit. He’s scored runs in every avenue available to an Indian domestic batsman, and in the IPL, he has been one of the few incentives for the purists tuning in. Before he leaves for the Caribbean, will he lean forward with assurance, drive through the line, brandish the high elbow, and end a memorable season in copybook style?

Prime numbers

• MS Dhoni has led teams to four major limited-overs titles – World Twenty20 2007, IPL 2010, Champions League 2010 and World Cup 2011. On each occasion, his campaign included one tied match. IPL 2011 has not had a single tie.
• Chris Gayle has picked up six Man-of-the-Match awards this season, the most in a single IPL. The stat is further embellished by the fact that he’s done so in just 11 games.
• S Badrinath has scored the most half-centuries (five) this year. Gayle has passed 50 five times too, including two centuries.
  

  The chatter

  “We have been playing well throughout and deserve to be in the final. Once we lost against Chennai, we were pumped up to see them in the finals.”
  “It is nice to be back at home. If we wanted to play final, it is certainly at home … Back-to-back games will be tough to play in Chennai.”

Bangladesh have called up batsman Mohammad Ashraful, allrounder Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain to their squad in England

Andrew Miller at Trent Bridge08-Jul-2010Bangladesh have called up batsman Mohammad Ashraful, allrounder Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain to their injury-hit squad in England. Their first-choice keeper Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out for a week after taking a blow in the face and their top-scorer in the first ODI at Trent Bridge, Raqibul Hasan, is out for the rest of the tour after fracturing his toe.Mushfiqur was struck in the face while standing up to the left-arm spinner Faisal Hossain and had to be stretchered off the field. X-rays showed there was no fracture, but he is being kept in hospital for observation. Raqibul, meanwhile, was struck on the boot by a James Anderson yorker and run out without facing another ball for 76 after his recall to the side following “retirement” earlier in the year.It is the loss of Mushfiqur that will be the biggest blow to Bangladesh’s hopes, however. He is one of the lynchpins of their side – reliable with the gloves and combative with the bat, as he showed with two big sixes off Anderson towards the end of the Bangladesh innings. With no reserve keeper in the squad, Bangladesh face the prospect of having to use Jahurul Islam, who missed the Trent Bridge match with illness, at Bristol if Saghir doesn’t arrive in time for Saturday’s game.”Ashraful left home this morning while Naeem will also fly out on the next available flight as Raqibul and Mushfiqur will not be available in the remaining two matches of the series,” chief selector Rafiqul Alam told . “Saghir will join the squad as soon as possible subject to visa approval. Until he reaches England, batsman Jahurul Islam will handle the job of wicketkeeper.”Bangladesh have not won a single international match in 2010, and morale in the squad is low, a fact that Mashrafe Mortaza did not try to disguise on his return to the captaincy for the first time in 12 months. “I think we need some belief, definitely,” he said. “Hopefully we will find it next game.”It’s very difficult to beat a team like England in England,” he added. “They beat Australia and they are in really good form. Also, we have lost two key players in the side so it’s not easy. Hopefully the boys that are are experienced will show some good batting. But the team is definitely under pressure now. We have lost 20 games in a row, and as a captain I have to lift the other 14 guys.”

Kane Richardson and Marcus Harris will also take part in the Darwin event which included eight teams

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2024Josh Brown and Will Sutherland have been included in the Melbourne Renegades Academy squad for the Top End T20 series in Darwin while Australia quick Scott Boland will be part of Melbourne Stars Academy.Sutherland, who made his ODI debut against West Indies last season, will captain Renegades. He has spent the winter recovering from another stress fracture of the back which ruled him out of a second consecutive county stint having lined up a deal with Somerset.Brown, meanwhile, was one of the big off-season moves after he was lured away from Brisbane Heat having lit up last season’s BBL with some spectacular innings include a stunning 140 off 57 balls against Adelaide Strikers. While the much-anticipated pairing with Jake Fraser-McGurk will have to wait for the BBL in December, the Top End tournament will be Brown’s first outing with his new club.Renegades have also included Kane Richardson and Victoria opener Marcus Harris who does not currently have a BBL deal. Harris made one appearance for Perth Scorchers last season, in the Eliminator final, having been signed as a late replacement.Meanwhile, Boland will have a dual role for Stars having been included in their academy squad for the tournament where he will also serve as a bowling coach. Should Boland play it will be his first competitive cricket since April when he had a county deal with Durham cut short by a heel injury.Stars have also included the experience of Hilton Cartwright who is part of their BBL squad.Alongside the Stars and Renegades academy sides, the Top End T20 features Northern Territory Strike, Adelaide Strikers, Perth Scorchers, Tasmania, ACT Comets, Pakistan A and a Bangladesh High Performance side.Jake Weatherald (Tasmania and Adelaide Strikers) and D’Arcy Short (Western Australia and Strikers) will play for NT Strike.

All the squads for the Top End T20 series

Northern Territory StrikeJacob Dickman, Lachlan Bangs, Harshtik Bimbral, Connor Carroll, Isaac Conway, Coby Edmonstone, Matt Hammond, Hamish Martin, Cadell McMahon, Tom Menzies, D’Arcy Short, Charlie Smith, Caelan Maladay, Jake WeatheraldMelbourne Stars AcademyAustin Anlezark, Max Birthisel, Scott Boland, Dylan Brasher, Liam Blackford, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Elliott, Jaga Koduru, Reiley Mark, Joe Medew-Ewen, David Moody, Arjun Nair, Connor RutlandMelbourne Renegades AcademyWill Sutherland, Tom Brooks, Josh Brown, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Matt Hennig, Jai Lemire, Blake MacDonald, Fergus O’Neill, Tyler Pearson, Kane Richardson, Callum StowAdelaide StrikersLiam Scott, James Bazley, Jordan Buckingham, Hamish Case, Josh Kann, Ryan King, Harry Manenti, Harry Matthias, Tim Oakley, Tom O’Connell, Lloyd Pope, Sam Rahaley, Jake WinterPerth ScorchersSam Fanning, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Baxter Holt, Luke Holt, Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Lucas Martin, Declan Power, Jhye Richardson, Matthew Spoors, Josh Vernon, Corey Wasley, Teague WyllieTasmaniaGabe Bell, Lachlan Clark, Zac Curtain, Nick Davis, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott. Rafael MacMillan, Jack Montgomery, Will Prestwidge, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, James Scott, Louis Smith, Charlie Wakim, Tim WardACT CometsTyler van Luin, Scott Murn, Nick Allen, Nic Broes, Kai Brunker, Tom Hogan, Zak Keogh, Tyler Hays, Hanno Jacobs, Zac Maron, Mikey McNamara, Esam Rahman, Jake Smith, Hayden WatlingPakistan AMohammad Haris, Abdul Faseeh, Arafat Minhas, Arif Yaqoob, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Imran, Mubasir Khan, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan.Bangladesh High PerformanceTanzid Hasan, Jishan Alam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Ariful Islam, Akbar Ali, Wasi Siddiquee, Rakibul Hasan, Al Islam, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, Abu Hider, Mukidul Islam, Ripon Mondol, Maruf Mridha

Gladiators have replaced him with Qais Ahmed thus far, but are open to finding other replacements

Umar Farooq21-Feb-2023Wanindu Hasaranga will not be joining Quetta Gladiators this PSL season as Sri Lanka look to manage his workload. Hasaranga was partially available, having been scheduled to play in six games before leaving on March 3, but the franchise confirmed he has been ruled out of the league altogether and they are now looking to find a replacement.Hasaranga was supposed to join the team at the start of the PSL and after his stint, Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmad was slated to take over. But Hasaranga’s absence has forced Gladiators to play Qais in two games, though they remain open to finding a replacement for Hasaranga with seven of their group stages games still remaining.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo that Hasaranga “wouldn’t ask” for a No-Objection Certificate, as he had domestic commitments with the National Super League, as well as international series to play in New Zealand. Even though neither SLC nor Hasaranga’s management mentioned it outright, there is also the IPL coming up, which given his success last year and the money he earns at the tournament, is likely to be a priority. Essentially, the issue comes down to workload: the IPL and national duties are an inevitability, and there is significant domestic pressure to play in SLC’s local tournaments, even the four-dayers, leaving the PSL lower down the priority list.Related

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Gladiators came into this season in poor form, having lost six games last season. Over the last three seasons, they have the fewest number of wins (10) of all franchises, having not made it into the play-off since 2020. They were edged out last season on net run-rate (-0.708) by Islamabad United (-0.069). They have already lost two games out of the three they played this season.Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis – who was signed up to replace Jordan Cox by Lahore Qalandars – is also now unavailable. Mendis is part of Sri Lanka’s Test outfit, and as such has officially been part of Sri Lanka’s red and white-ball preparations for that tour. His not being part of the PSL despite having been picked by a franchise are clear cut – there is a clash with his international commitments.” Qalandars have found a replacement for Mendis in West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope.This is the second time that Hasaranga has been denied the opportunity to play in a franchise league in the last eight months, after he had to withdraw from his Hundred contract with Manchester Originals at short notice.