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ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Port Elizabeth

The preview by Alex Winter10-Jan-2013

Match facts

January 11-15, 2013

Start time 1030 local (0830 GMT)

Big Picture

Brendon McCullum has the ability to turn his side around quickly•AFP

Having been advised to stay at home by some commentators, New Zealand did little in the first Test to rubbish that suggestion. They have another chance to prove their presence in South Africa was better for international cricket than not.To give South Africa a game, New Zealand have to find some runs. Many teams would have been bowled out for 150 on the opening day in Cape Town, but being dismantled for 45 was an injustice to the ability that remains in the New Zealand order, even with all their absentees. Dean Brownlie showed the way in the second innings, and Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson can build similar innings.And if they can put a score on the board, they have the bowling to create problems for their opponents. Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell have won Tests in Hobart – when New Zealand only scored 150 in the first innings – and Colombo in recent times. And just over 12 months ago, South Africa were being rolled over by Sri Lanka in Durban. They will also be adjusting to a venue they have not played at for six years, and the fact that New Zealand are considering playing two spinners suggests conditions are different to Cape Town.It has been five years since South Africa swept a major nation at home, when they won both Tests of the two-match series against New Zealand, and they will be keen to dismiss the same opponents 2-0 and avoid any disturbance to their preparation for the Pakistan series.The task has become a little more challenging with the withdrawal of Vernon Philander, but his absence gives Rory Kleinveldt his third Test. Developing depth in their bowling attack will be important if South Africa are to enjoy a long stint at No. 1.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
New Zealand LWLLL
South Africa WWDDW

In the spotlight

Brendon McCullum is the last man standing from the older crop of players. But he has not made a Test century since 2010. Thrust into captaincy, he desperately needs to supply his side with a bright start. A player of his ability and experience needs to deliver if his side are going to be competitive. In the manner of Virender Sehwag, he can quickly change the mood of his team and New Zealand need a boost badly at the moment.Robin Petersen finds himself back as the No. 1 spinner after Imran Tahir’s decline in Australia. South Africa saw Tahir as the attacking spinner to finally complete their attack but have sent him away to regain his form. Petersen will hope to prove he is more than a stop-gap solution to the spinner’s void, and that his ability with the bat and left-arm spin can be the best permanent fit in the side.

Team news

One change is confirmed for South Africa. Rory Kleinveldt replaces Vernon Philander because of an injury to his left hamstring. The rest of the XI stays the same.South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Dean Elgar, 7 Faf du Plessis, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Rory Kleinveldt, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne MorkelNew Zealand have no room for manoeuvring their batting line up so the only changes they have made are in the bowling attack. James Franklin has a hamstring injury, so Colin Munro will make his debut. Neil Wagner replaces Chris Martin for his third Test and first since the West Indies tour. They may also play two spinners with Bruce Martin, an experienced slow left-armer, in the 12.New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Dean Brownlie, 5 Daniel Flynn, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Colin Munro, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Jeetan Patel, 11 Neil Wagner/Bruce Martin

Pitch and conditions

The pitch in Port Elizabeth should be slow and low as usual. No rain is forecast, but serious winds, and if it’s the South Easter, it will come off the sea and will increase moisture around the ground. That’s expected on the second day.

Stats and trivia

• This will be the 24th Test played at St George’s Park but the first since December 2007 when West Indies won by 128 runs.
• South Africa have lost their last three Tests on the ground. Their last victory came in 2000 with a seven wicket win over New Zealand.
• That was one of three Tests New Zealand have played at St George’s, they also lost on their first visit in 1950 but won by 40 runs in 1962.

Quotes

“At home, it’s easy to slip into the mould of this is what we do in South Africa but Port Elizabeth is slightly different and we need to be able to shift the mindset.” “We’ve learnt some lessons from what happened to us in the first Test, and we want to improve on that performance.”.

Andrew Flintoff, the former England captain and allrounder, has revealed that he went through a phase of depression during the 2006-07 Ashes in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2012Andrew Flintoff, the former England captain and allrounder, has revealed he went through a phase of depression during the 2006-07 Ashes in Australia, where, as captain, he was at the receiving end of a 5-0 whitewash. Flintoff admitted he wasn’t aware then of what exactly he was suffering from, but the illness drove him to drink and lose his love for the game.A year earlier, Flintoff was the toast of the nation for helping England regain the Ashes after 18 years.Flintoff is now among several high-profile cricketers, particularly from England, who’ve been plagued by the illness during their playing careers. Flintoff, who quit the game in 2009, will explore the problems suffered in private by sportsmen in a BBC 1 documentary: .”I was having a quiet drink with my dad Colin on Christmas Eve 2006 and as we made our way home I started crying my eyes out,” Flintoff told the . “I told him I’d tried my best but that I couldn’t do it any more, I couldn’t keep playing. We talked and, of course, I dusted myself down and carried on. But I was never the same player again.”I was captain of England and financially successful. Yet instead of walking out confidently to face Australia in one of the world’s biggest sporting events, I didn’t want to get out of bed, never mind face people.”Flintoff took over the captaincy from the injured Michael Vaughan after the 2005 Ashes win and enjoyed mixed results. He helped England square the Test series in India in 2006 and the expectations grew when England landed in Australia at the end of the year. It was also the same series in which his team-mate Marcus Trescothick suffered a breakdown at the start of the tour due to depression and separation anxiety and never played for England again after that.After leading England to a come-from-behind win in the one-day tri-series in Australia, Flintoff handed the captaincy back to Vaughan before the World Cup. Flintoff was stripped of the vice-captaincy after a drunken night out following England’s defeat against New Zealand in a World Cup match in St Lucia, which culminated in falling off a pedalo.”The whole time I was on the field and throughout that World Cup all I could think about was that I wanted to retire,” Flintoff said. “I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I knew when I got back to my room I couldn’t shut off, which is why I started having a drink. It got to the stage where I was probably drinking more than I should.”All I wanted was for the doctor to tell me what was wrong but no one suggested it was depression.”He said his condition was so serious that even victory meant nothing. “There’s a certain sense of shame when I remember sitting in the dressing room after winning a one-day international in the West Indies,” he said. “The lads were celebrating and I didn’t want to be a part of it, I didn’t want to do anything but sit on my own in the corner.’Cases of depression in modern sport aren’t uncommon and Flintoff admitted that he wasn’t as aware of the problem as he should have been. “Because sporting stars earn high salaries and have a privileged life compared to the majority of people, there’s a perception that they can’t possibly suffer from mental health issues. They don’t want to seem ungrateful or whingeing and may be hiding their suffering rather than getting help for it.”Besides Trescothick, other England players who’ve admitted suffering from depression include Flintoff’s close friend Steve Harmison, Michael Yardy and Matthew Hoggard. New Zealand players Iain O’Brien and Lou Vincent have also suffered similar problems.

Clint McKay, the right-arm bowler, is out of contention for the World Cup after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2011Clint McKay, the right-arm bowler, is out of contention for the World Cup after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot. McKay, who grabbed 27 wickets at 19.59 for Australia in 2010, requires an operation and faces a 10-week recovery.The news is another blow for Australia, who still hold the No.1 ranking in ODIs and are aiming for their fourth World Cup in a row at the tournament starting next month. Australia’s final 15-man squad for the event will be named next week.McKay, 27, was Man of the Match in Australia’s last one-day international, taking 5 for 33 against Sri Lanka in November, and he collected three wickets in the Big Bash game for Victoria in which he felt pain in his foot.”Obviously his workload over the past two years has been a lot higher – he’s played for Australia, he’s played some cricket in England as well – but he’s been good considering the workload he’s had,” Victoria’s physiotherapist Thihan Chandramohan said in The Age. “It’s the first major injury that’s put him out for a long period … and it’s one that’s hard to prevent because it’s just related to the bone not handling the load that’s going into it.”McKay is hoping he can be fit for the start of the IPL in April, although that might be a little too ambitious. He was signed to Mumbai Indians for $US111,000.

Shane Warne has accused Andrew Strauss of showing a lack of respect to Test cricket by resting for England’s tour of Bangladesh, and has questioned whether Alastair Cook is up to the task of leading the team in his absence

Cricinfo staff08-Feb-2010Shane Warne has accused Andrew Strauss of showing a lack of respect to Test cricket by resting for England’s tour of Bangladesh, and has questioned whether Alastair Cook is up to the task of leading the team in his absence.”When I heard that Andrew Strauss is being rested it just doesn’t sit right with me,” Warne told journalists at the launch of the Royals 2020 franchise at Lord’s. “When I am captain I want to get the best out of my players. Maybe that means putting an arm around them or maybe it means giving them a kick up the backside.”Alastair Cook might be completely different. He might want to treat everyone the same way. If I am captain of a side I want to stop my authority on a side.Warne also questioned the timing of Cook’s appointment, suggesting that following his encouraging return to form during the recent tour of South Africa, he would be better served concentrating on his batting and spared the burden of captaincy. Instead, he is likely to be opening alongside the debutant, Michael Carberry, who could prove to be a rival in the long-term if he enjoys a productive series.”I think he has been under pressure for his place in the side,” said Warne. “He’s suddenly found himself, he’s made a hundred and now he is captain. What happens if Michael Carberry gets three hundreds and Alastair Cook gets a couple of runs? What happens then? Do you drop an England captain?I hope they [England] are not taking Bangladesh too easy because they can be quite strong,” he added. “What if they win the first Test? Does Strauss fly out for the second? I hope it’s not the start of a trend. It’s a lack of respect for Test cricket.”It’s disappointing that the captain of England decides to have a rest from a Test series, I can’t comprehend that. Any time you represent your country it’s special and I cannot understand how you can rest your captain.”

Shafali’s 75 went in vain but India still won the T20I series 3-2

Valkerie Baynes12-Jul-2025England 168 for 5 (Wyatt-Hodge 56, Dunkley 46, Deepti 2-31, Arundhati 2-47) beat India 167 for 7 (Shafali 75, Dean 3-23, Ecclestone 2-28) by five wicketsThree wickets for Charlie Dean and Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s half-century in her 300th match for England set up a consolation victory for the hosts, who then held their nerve to pull off the highest successful run-chase in women’s T20Is on their home turf in another last-ball thriller against India, who won the series 3-2.Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley put on a 101-run opening stand, which allowed England to reel in a target of 168, set largely by Shafali Verma’s 75. Once they fell, however, England’s pursuit grew tougher and they needed six off the final over, which yielded two wickets for Arundhati Reddy but Sophie Ecclestone held her cool to take England over the line.Shafali wrapped up her comeback in T20Is with her best innings of the series at Edgbaston, a 41-ball knock which rescued India from 19 for 2 in the third over and helped them to a respectable total of 167 for 7 despite none of her team-mates reaching 25 and only three joining her in double figures.England put on an improved performance in the field, an area that has had them under fire since the T20 World Cup, and managed to keep India’s batters under some pressure, thanks to a regular stream of wickets. Em Arlott and Linsey Smith struck early before Charlie Dean claimed 3 for 23 with an economy rate of 5.75 and Ecclestone took 2 for 28.Em Arlott struck in her first over to remove Smriti Mandhana•Getty Images

England on top early

Arlott and Smith returned to the England attack for the first time since the second match in Bristol as the hosts rested seamers Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer ahead of the ODIs.Smriti Mandhana, the leading run-scorer for the series, struck back-to-back fours off Arlott in the opening stanza, over mid-off and pulled in front of deep backward square leg, but her cut off the final ball of the over sailed into the hands of Smith at point.Smith entered the fray in the third over and struck with her third delivery, a pinpoint-accurate ball which kept low as Jemimah Rodrigues stepped back to cut, missed and heard the stumps rattle.Shafali Verma struck 75 off just 41 balls•Getty Images

Shafali shines bright

After being dropped following India’s group-stage exit from the World Cup last October, Shafali was recalled for this series and had been making progress with scores of 20, 3, 47 and 31. She played a big part in lifting India to 47 for 2 at the end of the powerplay and shifted into another gear thereafter.Issy Wong conceded 20 off her second over, the seventh of the match, which Shafali opened with a four and finished with a thunderous six down the ground. She then pulled wide of midwicket and struck through a desperately diving Wong on her follow-through.Shafali dug out a full Ecclestone delivery and advanced, then retreated when she realised wicketkeeper Amy Jones was in a position to gather, an umpire review confirming the batter had recovered her ground before the bails were removed. She lofted Ecclestone’s next ball over extra cover to bring up her fifty off just 23 balls, drawing level with Mandhana as the second-fastest Indian woman to the milestone behind Richa Ghosh’s 18 balls against West Indies last year.Charlie Dean returned 3 for 23•Getty Images

Dean directs traffic

Shafali brought up India’s 100 with an emphatic four back over Arlott’s head and it took a brilliant catch from Maia Bouchier to remove her – and dim the memory of Bouchier sitting on her haunches with her head bowed as one of the many culprits in England’s poor fielding display against West Indies that saw them exit the T20 World Cup before the knockouts. Shafali skied a Dean delivery towards cow corner and Bouchier ran round to her right, timing her dive to perfection to take the ball cleanly just inside the rope.Dean had already bowled Harmanpreet Kaur for 15 and she picked up her third when she trapped Deepti Sharma lbw. Bouchier took another calm catch in the deep to remove Richa and give Ecclestone a second wicket after she had pinned Harleen Deol’s back leg directly in front, attempting to sweep. It was a welcome return for Bouchier, who was dropped after the Ashes in January and only recalled partway through India’s visit as injury cover for captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.

Wyatt-Hodge celebrates 300 in style

Wyatt-Hodge’s 66 at The Oval in England’s only other win of this series – also secured off the last ball – had broken a run drought going back to the Ashes in January.Opening partner Dunkley smoked a six over long-on off Arundhati, followed immediately by four down the ground. Their partnership passed fifty at the start of the sixth over and at the end of the powerplay, they were 57 without loss. Wyatt-Hodge accessed all areas with a quartet of fours off Arundhati’s second over. That put her on the cusp of her half-century, which she brought up off 30 balls with a pull through the deep midwicket region for two.Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley added 101 runs for the opening wicket•Getty Images

Down to the wire

Dunkley and Wyatt-Hodge fell to spin within eight balls of each other, Dunkley within one strike of her half-century when she was bowled by Radha Yadav and Wyatt-Hodge advancing to Deepti, sending a leading edge to Rodrigues at mid-on.Charani put down a sitter at short third off Amy Jones at the end of the 18th over, bowled by Arundhati, who had been expensive, conceding 41 off three overs. England needed six off the final over and when Arundhati sensationally claimed two wickets in the first three balls, they needed five off three. She took the pace off to bowl Beaumont with her first delivery of the 20th and Radha took a screamer off Jones at deep midwicket.Ecclestone and Paige Scholfield scampered three after Ecclestone sliced through backward point and a single to Scholfield meant they needed one off the last. With the pressure high, Ecclestone pushed to mid-on, where Mandhana pounced but her throw to the non-striker’s end missed and Ecclestone was home.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been left out of the T20I squad while mystery spinner Al Islam earns maiden call-up

Mohammad Isam13-Feb-2024Shakib Al Hasan’s eye condition has kept him out of Bangladesh’s ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. However on the same day that the selectors announced the squads for the Sri Lanka series, Shakib struck a whirlwind 31-ball 69 for Rangpur Riders in a BPL game in Chattogram.Shakib had reportedly said that batting was an issue for him – he demoted himself down the order for Rangpur before returning to the top three in the recent games.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin, who will be relieved of his duties from February 28, selected his last squads of his eight-year stint. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the vice-captain of the T20I side, was left out among six changes. Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud and Rony Talukdar were also left out.Instead Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed were brought back. Mystery spinner Aliss Al Islam, who is currently in action for Comilla Victorians in the BPL, earned his maiden call-up to the national side.Mahmudullah returned to the T20I side after more than a year, having scored two fifties so far for Fortune Barishal in this BPL season. Mahmudullah, though, has been a regular in the ODI team, having only missed the New Zealand tour last December. Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed were also back in the T20I squad. However, there was no room for Rakibul Hasan, Afif Hossain and Hasan Mahmud. Rakibul is a young left-arm spinner while Afif and Mahmud lost their places in both white-ball sides.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on March 4, 6 and 9. The ODIs will be held in Chattogram on March 13, 15 and 18.

Bangladesh T20I squad

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Litton Das, Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Tawhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Aliss Al IslamIn: Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Aliss Al IslamOut: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Rony Talukdar (wk)

Bangladesh ODI squad

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur RahmanIn: Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Taskin AhmedOut: Rakibul Hasan, Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud

Opener reaches third hundred of Championship season as visitors eye vital victory at Gloucestershire

David Hopps20-Sep-2022Dom Sibley could have been a guardsman at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. He has that sense of duty about him. He is an upright sort who knows how to stand perfectly still. He can march in time as the pitch instructs him, never too slowly, never too fast. Indomitable, someone called him, and he was precisely that. Just what you need at a time of crisis.He reached his third Championship hundred of the season, and 18th of his career, as the light faded over Bristol, 15 minutes from the close. There was no excess – there had been none throughout the day – merely a workaday clip through wide mid-on against the left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, the sort of functional shot he can play in his sleep and probably does. Gohar held Gloucestershire together, bowling 32 overs on a pitch offering gentle first-day turn to finish with 4 for 59. They would have been bereft this season without him.Sibley imagined that Warwickshire, at 255 for 8, had a slight edge. He deserved that thought because he had to work hard for his runs, but Bristol pitches have a tendency to ease. Whether they ease in September remains to be seen.Sibley does not score hundreds as much as logs them away. It is surprising that he has not made more than 18; a surprise, too, that, he is only 27, because he seems to have been wearing down attacks for a long time. He was dropped off Tom Price on 14 at backward point by the substitute Dom Goodman, a ball that reared at him from a length and brought much discussion and pitch-tapping before the game could resume. As for Goodman, he made a hangdog departure after the over concluded.Dutiful airs are not really in vogue. As long as the Stokes / McCullum axis holds sway, he appears unlikely to add to his 17 Test caps. He is returning to Surrey at the end of the season to form an opening partnership with Rory Burns: two top-order batters wondering if England opportunities have passed then by. Perhaps London will get him noticed again.His immediate task is to save Warwickshire from relegation. Champions last season, they lie equal second bottom with Kent with two matches to go. In their final match, they play Hampshire. If Kent pull off a shock win at the Ageas Bowl then at least Hampshire may lose impetus in the final week. So many permutations.Victory against the bottom club, Gloucestershire, who are virtually relegated, is essential. At 138 for 6, they were in the mire before Danny Briggs, with an adventurous 68 in easing conditions, made far and away his top score of an unproductive summer. Briggs was dropped too, another expensive miss, this time by Jack Taylor at first slip off Ajeet Singh Dale.How has it come to this for Warwickshire? Perhaps they overachieved in 2021 when they won the Championship, playing a grinding style of cricket in which every player gave no quarter. In the midst of the Covid crisis, it was perhaps a serious mood for its time. They must adjust, too, to the departure after four years of their director of cricket, Paul Farbrace, at the end of the season. Olly Stone and Adam Hose are on their way too.Rob Yates, who made such an impact at the top of the order, is down on runs this season, but the most obvious difference has been in the bowling returns where Oliver Hannon-Dalby is again in credit, but this time with less support, particularly from the former Gloucestershire pair, Liam Norwell and Craig Miles, who have either been injured or out of form. They have won only once, against Essex at Edgbaston – and that was back in mid-April.We have reached the climax to the Championship with seven of the nine counties harbouring either title ambitions or relegation fears, the chance for the premier club competition in the country to reassert its significance in the fabric of English cricket, except that many think differently these days. The ECB, in its perpetual undermining of the competition over the past generation, has gradually done untold damage. Andrew Strauss will make a pronouncement on Wednesday about his high-performance review. There will doubtless be much talk about the need to serve England’s needs and very little about the need for holistic solutions. There is only one realm to be served these days and it has many foot soldiers.As September spreads itself, and the pitches seam once more, cricket writers of a certain vintage traditionally turn to Keats and trot out the reference to a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Quoting Keats’ extolling of autumn during a cost-of living crisis is highly inadvisable, liable only to bring a look of suspicion and advice to put another sweater on.But it was warm in Bristol and layers were being dispensed with. By the time Sibley had his first towel-down of the day, Warwickshire were two down. Yates, edging to first slip, and Alex Davies, driving an inswinger, both played with haste. By contrast, Sibley’ first boundary, a hunched on drive, was a study in circumspection, his tone set for the day. The approach was also adopted by Sam Hain, who managed only a single in his first 45 balls, deposited Singh Dale for his only boundary and fell in the following over (10 from 74 balls) as an inside-edge to short leg brought Gohar his first wicket.Sibley and Will Rhodes promised reconstruction. Sibley’s half-century was announced on the PA system in sonorous tones, but Rhodes fended the next ball, from Tom Price, to his brother Olly at second slip. Sonorous tones were heard again as he crossed the boundary rope and this time there appeared to be the merest undertone of celebration. Gloucestershire, still without a win, had known few days like this all season.But Gloucestershire, not for the first time this season, could not finish the job. Zafar removed Briggs with one that turned, which just left time for a comedic final wicket: Singh Dale, struck by cramp at the end of his run, stretched his left leg uncertainly, ran it gingerly and delivered a wide long hop which Henry Brookes cut straight to third man whereupon Singh Dale fell to the turf, exultant, for further treatment.

Allrounder left out of Championship clash with Hampshire after losing non-overseas status

Matt Roller22-Apr-2021Graeme van Buuren, the South African-born allrounder, has been ruled out of Gloucestershire’s County Championship fixture against Hampshire after the complications of Brexit lost him his status as a non-overseas player.Van Buuren, 30, was born in Pretoria and played for Northerns and Titans in South Africa early in his career. He has been playing for Gloucestershire as a local player since 2016 through his wife’s British passport, and has become a first-team regular in all formats.However, the UK’s departure from the European Union led to a change in the ECB’s eligibility and registration regulations on December 31, 2020. In September, Alan Fordham, the operations manager for first-class cricket, wrote to the counties outlining the changes, including the removal of “the rights of so-called ‘Kolpak’ players to be registered as a ‘qualified cricketer'” and the cancellation of the registrations of players qualifying as locals through EU passports or family or ancestral visas, unless they had evidence of having settled or pre-settled status under the government’s settlement scheme.In van Buuren’s case, he had applied for indefinite leave to remain in the UK as a pathway to British citizenship, but delays in processing his paperwork have left him in a state of limbo. As a result, he has only been able to play as an overseas player, and with Daniel Worrall and Kraigg Brathwaite filling Gloucestershire’s two permitted spots in their fixture against Hampshire this week, van Buuren has been left out of the side, two weeks after hitting a match-winning 110 not out off 98 balls against Surrey.It is understood that van Buuren would have been able to apply for indefinite leave to remain through a fast-tracked service, but the logistical complications caused by Covid-19 have taken that option away from him.Related

• David Bedingham thrives on post-Brexit discomfort to power Durham once more

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• Glenn Phillips signs Gloucestershire deal for Vitality T20 Blast

• Ryan Higgins: The Ben Stokes injury replacement hiding in plain sight

Gloucestershire do not know how long the delay will take, but do not anticipate it being a long-term issue. Van Buuren is still registered as a player – clubs are able to register three overseas players for the two spots in their side – and may be rotated into the side in later rounds of fixtures, given Gloucestershire have not fielded a frontline spinner in his absence.”Graeme van Buuren, having been a Gloucestershire player and Bristol resident for the last five years, has to date been playing cricket in the UK as a non-overseas player,” a club statement said. “He has built a life in the UK, is married to a British citizen, and is settled in Bristol with two young children born in the city during his time at the club.”Earlier in the year, having completed the requisite five years in the UK, Graeme started the process of applying for his “indefinite leave to remain” as a pathway to British Citizenship. This was anticipated to allow him to play, under recently changed regulations, as an England-qualified player from the early part of this season. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in delays in the UK government processing his paperwork and the impact of Brexit means that the rights previously afforded to him are no longer available in the UK.”Graeme has played a huge part in the two victories of the 2021 season so far and is an integral member of the Gloucestershire cricket family. The club, along with the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA), continue to support his application and the speedy resolution of what is a very difficult period for Graeme and his family.”

The hosts can match India’s batting with power, but but it is in the bowling that India continue to be a superior side

The Preview by Sidharth Monga25-Jan-2020

Big Picture

New Zealand actually had a fairly decent game with the ball – their plans were good, execution not always but spot on but more on than off – but they still lost comfortably to India in the series opener. This tells you two things: when India are chasing, you need to put on an above-par score, and Jasprit Bumrah always stands in the way of such an endeavour. In an innings that New Zealand kept nudging at 10 an over, looking for a final kick to push them past 220, Bumrah conceded just 16 runs in overs 18 and 20, three overthrows included.New Zealand can match India’s accomplished batting line-up over 20 overs with power and innovation, but it is in the bowling that India continue to be a superior side. In the second of the double-header at Eden Park, the hosts will have to find a way to hurt India’s bowling to give their bowlers a chance. Expect Shivam Dube and Yuzvendra Chahal to be put under more pressure and not be allowed to go at eight an over on such a small ground.India’s batting remains good as gold in chases, but if they lose the toss, their newfound intent – and they have shown it when batting first against West Indies and Australia in both T20Is and ODIs recently – will be tested when setting a target on the small ground.

Form guide

New Zealand LLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWLThe not-often-seen orthodox straight drive from Colin Munro•Getty Images

In the spotlight

New Zealand openers gave them a start in the first T20I, but they ended up with strike rates of 140 and 158. They will want at least one of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro to score at near two runs a ball to get a score big enough for this venue.Five overs for 42 runs and two wickets, Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube will have pleased India no end with their performance in the first match. That there are two allrounders eases the pressure on both of them. If they can keep delivering similar results, India will be closer to finding a plan for the T20 World Cup.

Team news

New Zealand might think of the odd change but they will know it was not in the choice of the personnel that they lost the first game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.),4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Tim Seifert (wk) 7 Mitchell Santner/ Daryl Mitchell, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Blair Tickner, 11 Hamish BennettNow that they have preferred Manish Pandey to Rishabh Pant in the middle order, India are expected to give him a decent run. Expect only one change in the Indian XI: Navdeep Saini in for Shardul Thakur.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Shivam Dube 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

The first T20I featured some dew, which will be on the minds of captains at the toss. Other than that, expect a lot of runs and no stoppages.

Stats and trivia

• Ish Sodhi needs one wicket to become the fourth New Zealand bowler to take 50. Mitchell Santner had reached the landmark on Friday.
• Only one of the last six matches at Eden Park has resulted in a win for the side batting first.

Quotes

“We had great support. We had 80% India fans here, and the atmosphere was great. You need that in a 200-plus chase, they help us go further, be braver.”
“Every time we play India, whether it is a home game, away game or a neutral venue, they’re always very well supported. I am not sure what the numbers were today. There’s probably 20,000, and probably 12,000 were Indian supporters.”

Pakistan have never beaten New Zealand in a bilateral ODI series in UAE, and they’ve got their backs to the wall again

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan08-Nov-2018

Big Picture

Pakistan have problems when they switch between the two limited-over formats. Give them 20 overs to play, and they are unstoppable. They can defend low scores, chase tricky targets, go ballistic at the top, and inflict collapses. Ask them to go a little longer, for 50 overs, and all of a sudden, their batsmen are scratching around. Straightforward targets seem like insurmountable mountains. And the batting is more susceptible to collapses than blocks in a game of Jenga. It’s almost as if they forget all the elements that enable them to succeed in the shortest format.How else does one explain this paradox, really? Pakistan are the No. 1 T20I side. They are unbeaten over their last nine matches in the format. Just as recently as last week, they blanked New Zealand 3-0 in the T20Is. And then, the ODIs came around. And it took Trent Boult three balls to rip through them and seal their fate.Returning after the birth of his child, Boult exposed Pakistan’s familiar frailties: loose play outside off, flashing away from the body, and playing across the line when the ball swings. Each of these factors would presumably play a decisive role in the World Cup in the swing-friendly environs of England next year. With about seven months left for that, Pakistan need to act on these issues with urgency.The flip side of Boult’s performance, however, was that it tapered over some of New Zealand’s own issues. They fell back on Ross Taylor to bail them out with the bat. Apart from Taylor, Kane Williamson is the only reassuring presence they have. George Worker is still finding his feet, which puts the onus on Colin Munro, his opening partner, to take additional responsibility. Munro has the flair and confidence, but New Zealand need more runs from him.As if their existing issues weren’t enough, it seems Pakistan, once again, have to deal with increased scrutiny around Mohammad Hafeez’s action. That did not deter Sarfraz Ahmed from bowling him for six overs, however, and, in any case, Pakistan have enough cushion when it comes to the bowling. It’s with the bat that they need to find a way to sustain the effectiveness they’ve shown in T20Is over longer periods. New Zealand have never lost a bilateral ODI series to Pakistan in the Emirates, and, barring a quick remedy to their batting, Pakistan risk suffering the same fate again.

Form guide

Pakistan LLLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)New Zealand WLWLL

In the spotlight

Mohammad Hafeez‘s action coming under the scanner is an unwelcome headache for Pakistan, but one they need to deal with nevertheless. While it would be an overstatement to say that Taylor’s act has soured the series, it certainly drew the ire of the Pakistan captain. Hafeez’s action was cleared only as recently as May this year. But he remained in focus, calling out the ICC’s procedure for identifying suspect actions and subsequently escaping punishment for his comments. Hafeez has endured a tumultuous year, spending it in and out of the side. His international career appeared to be winding down after months of being overlooked, before he was thrown a lifeline when he was named in the Test squad for the Australia series. He was then called back to the ODI squad as well, after being left out of the Asia Cup earlier this year. Now, with the fuss around his action, every move of his will be magnified.Colin Munro has undoubted potential and he has shown that in flashes. But the big hundred has eluded the opening batsman after 37 innings in the format. A big innings from him would reinforce the power New Zealand possess at the top of the order, give the newcomer Worker some time to settle in, and make Williamson and Taylor’s job of building the innings through the middle overs more effective by giving them a solid platform to launch from.

Team news

Hasan Ali is going through a rough patch, and it seems increasingly likely that Pakistan may soon turn to a replacement. Faheem Ashraf wouldn’t be a bad choice if they do choose to do so. And with the circumstances surrounding Hafeez, Faheem gives Pakistan that extra all-round option.Pakistan (probable XI): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Hasan Ali/Faheem Ashraf, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Junaid KhanLegspinner Todd Astle has returned home without playing a single game on the tour to have his right knee examined. Astle’s absence, however, shouldn’t have much of an effect on a New Zealand team that won’t likely be swayed into making any changes.New Zealand (probable XI): 1 George Worker, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

Five out of the six ODIs in Abu Dhabi this year have been won by the team batting first. Pakistan barely scraped through in a chase of 258 in the other game. And besides, with the prickly afternoon weather, most teams would prefer being on the field after the night sets in. Surfaces in the UAE have shown a tendency recently to not favour extremely high scores, so a total of 250 or thereabouts should prove competitive.

Stats and trivia

• Sarfraz Ahmed needs 120 more to complete 2000 career runs, and four more catches to complete a 100 of them in ODIs.
• Fakhar Zaman has a dismal record in home ODIs. In 11 innings, he has 205 runs, is yet to cross fifty, and has an average of 18.63, which pales in comparison to his career average of 56.10.