Since last year, Mumbai Indians have won only four out of nine matches at the Wankhede Stadium

The Preview by Ankur Dhawan09-Apr-20196:41

Will Punjab beat Mumbai for the second time this season?

Big picture

Kings XI Punjab return to a venue where KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya brought the jersey swapping ritual to a cricket field. Before that game, Kings XI were in control of their own fate, but defeat that night meant they fell into the proverbial lottery of the IPL, having to depend on other teams to ensure progress into the playoffs.The Wankhede Stadium itself can be quite a lottery, exemplified by Mumbai Indians’ inconsistent record here. Since last year, they have won only four out of nine matches in Mumbai.

Question mark over Rohit’s fitness

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma had an injury scare ahead of the match against Kings XI Punjab. While training on the match eve, at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit fell on the ground near the square boundary because of what looked like a hamstring or thigh issue with his right leg. He was immediately tended to by the team physio Nitin Patel, before he got up and gingerly walked back to the pavilion with Patel. The injury did not look very serious though; Rohit walked up the stairs to the dressing room without any support.

Both teams beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous fixtures, but where Mumbai wrought a comeback out of thin air, Kings XI nearly did the opposite, before Rahul held his nerve to take his team home.After battling form for most of last year in India colours and losing his place in the Test and ODI set-ups, Rahul has emerged as King’s XI’s highest run-getter this season. Furthermore, he averages an incredible 94.5 against Mumbai playing for Kings XI.4:09

‘Alzarri Joseph bowling better than he did at U-19 WC’ – Ishan Kishan

But while the visitors can celebrate the form of their top order, a largely untested middle order will be a worry. Their other concern at a high scoring venue where the fingerspin of R Ashwin – their highest wicket-taker so far – might be nullified by the conditions, is the lack of a sixth bowling option. David Miller loyalists since 2012, will Kings XI leave him out for Moises Henriques to attain the desirable balance for the venue?Conversely, Mumbai are so well balanced that they are often accused of not utilising some of their players. So far, their middle order has come to the fore, as has their bowling. The openers are yet to fire, but perhaps it’s an ominous sign for oppositions that Mumbai are healthily placed in the table without a major contribution from Rohit Sharma or Quinton de Kock.

In the news

Lasith Malinga continues to live two lives. Having led his side Galle to a win in the Super Four Provincial Limited Over Tournament three days back, Malinga was back training at the Wankhede on the eve of the match. A little snag: his replacement Alzarri Joseph produced the best bowling figures in IPL history on debut in the last match. As a result, Malinga’s mere availability is unlikely to guarantee him a place in the XI.KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya have a chat after the game•BCCI

Previous meeting

Mumbai faltered with the bat towards the end in Mohali, managing just 56 runs in the last seven overs, despite wickets in hand. On a flat pitch, their eventual total of 176 was gunned down by a strong top-order performance which included forties from Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal – the player of the match – and an unbeaten 71 from KL Rahul.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Rahul Chahar, Alzarri Joseph, Jasprit Bumrah, Jason BehrendorffKings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller/Moises Henriques, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahaman, Ankit Rajpoot

Strategy punt

• R Ashwin has been flexible with his own introduction into the attack. During the last match at home, he came on once the field was spread. But he faces a curious dilemma in Mumbai, where dew could play a part. If it does, he may want to get some tight overs out of the way with the new ball, a move also merited by the presence of the left-handed de Kock. But if they stick with Mujeeb ur Rahman in the XI, then the Afghan can get the Powerplay out of the way, and Ashwin can target coming on during the middle overs, in particular to have a crack at Kieron Pollard, whom he has dismissed four times in 39 balls, going at a little more than seven an over.
• Contrary to conventional wisdom, Mumbai Indians have a far better record defending totals at home in the last two years, than chasing them. They have won five of the eight times they have batted first at the Wankhede in the last two years, as opposed to suffering five losses in the nine matches they have chased in this period. Will they stick to their strength or let the reputation of the venue for being a tough defending ground, dictate terms?

Stats that matter

• Of all the bowlers to have bowled 90 or more balls to Rohit Sharma in T20s, Ashwin (and Piyush Chawla) has dismissed him the least number of times: one. While he has taken Chawla for 146 in the 113 balls he has faced from the leggie, against Ashwin, Rohit has been watchful, explained by a strike-rate well under a hundred. In fact, among all bowlers to have bowled 50 or more balls to Rohit, Ashwin has the best economy rate of 5.12, having conceded just 82 from 96 balls.
• Even though both Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga have kept Chris Gayle tied down, they have collectively dismissed him only thrice in 147 balls. Curiously, Ben Cutting has dismissed Gayle four times, the most for any Mumbai bowler. Cutting, however, has been taken for 63 in 37 balls as well.
• Before losing by three runs to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede last year, Kings XI had won three on the trot at the venue, having batted first on each of those occasions. On two of those occasions, Kings XI posted scores in excess of 220 – 226 against Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 playoffs, and 230 against Mumbai Indians in 2017.

Six centurions and 1390 runs scored in drawn Cardiff match

ECB Reporters Network14-Apr-2019
Northamptonshire have criticised the Glamorgan pitch which yielded 1390 runs, six centurions and 19 wickets as “shocking” and “poor” following their drawn County Championship match.It might have been shocking to watch, but it did not stop Glamorgan’s Kiran Carlson scoring a century in a session as the home county gained five batting points in the 92nd over.The final day descended into farce with Glamorgan using 10 bowlers, their two spinners – Carlson and Billy Root – bowling medium pace, while Northants’ only objective to was break as many records as they could.They achieved the highest score made at Sophia Gardens of 750 and their highest against Glamorgan, but that would have been of little interest to the handful of spectators left.After resuming on 522 for 4, Rob Keogh and Adam Rossington shared a partnership of 169 for the fifth wicket, but Keogh should have been out on 74, when Lloyd dropped him off Michael Hogan at slip. Rossington made 70, before he swatted a full toss to mid-wicket from Marnus Labuschagne’s leg spin.Keogh went on to score 150 before he too fell to Labuschagne, who was signed by Glamorgan largely as a batsman and ended up taking 3 for 122 from his 44 overs.West Indies captain Jason Holder made just three runs before he was bowled through the gate by Charlie Hemphrey’s off-spin.Nathan Buck then slogged away at the end of the innings, scoring his maiden first-class fifty before he fell lbw to Root.Nick Selman, the Glamorgan opening batsman used as their 10th bowler, captured his first Championship wicket when he had Ben Sanderson out, edging to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke for 18.There were 33 overs remaining at the end of the day, and despite losing Selman to Josh Cobb’s gentle medium pace, Hemphrey and Labuschagne avoided any further alarms, with the umpires mercifully ending the game at 5.00pm with 17 overs left, and Glamorgan 70 for 1.Ricardo Vasconcelos top scored in the run-fest with 184 for Northamptonshire.Northants opener Rob Newton described the pitch as “shocking”, while captain Alex Wakely was also critical of the surface.”I thought it was a very poor pitch and, as you saw, very difficult for the bowlers to take wickets,” Wakely said. “Our bowlers had a long bowl in the last game against Middlesex and in the first innings here, and it did them good to have a rest. It was difficult to score quickly and we weren’t prepared to declare.”Despite Northants’ record total, Glamorgan Head Coach Matthew Maynard was delighted with his team’s efforts and disagreed with the visitors’ assessment of the pitch.”The batsmen batted aggressively on a good pitch, the bowlers were disciplined and had we taken the five chances in the field, then things might have been different,” Maynard said. “We can’t comment on the way Northants played, but had we been in their position, we would have certainly attacked more, declared and had a go at winning the game.”

The latest round-up of how the Australians are performing in the IPL and county cricket as the World Cup and Australia A tours edge closer

Alex Malcolm30-Apr-20192:54

Tait: Sunrisers a special team for David Warner

Who’s in form and who’s notAnother week brought another stack of runs for David Warner. He finished his IPL campaign with 81 from 56 balls against Kings XI Punjab last night. In 12 innings overall, he made 692 runs at 69.20, striking at 143.86, with a century and eight fifties. He made half-centuries in six of his last seven innings, including two in the last week. He is in red-hot form heading to the World Cup.Marcus Stoinis has found some touch after getting to spend a bit of time in the middle in the last two games for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was part of an outstanding unbeaten 121-run stand with AB de Villiers in a win over Kings XI. Stoinis took 20 off the last four balls of the innings to make 46 not out from 34. He then bowled frugally, taking 1 for 13 from two overs including the key wicket of Mayank Agarwal. He bowled well again in the loss to Delhi Capitals, conceding just 24 from three overs. He made 32 not out from 24 balls having walked to the crease with 77 runs needed from 42 balls in the chase, but Kagiso Rabada’s yorkers proved mightily difficult to get away.Steven Smith made 2 and 22 in his last two innings for Rajasthan Royals, but the 22 was important in a victorious chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad, coming off just 16 balls with three boundaries. He also took a spectacular catch running back with the flight of the ball to remove the in-form Warner in a significant moment in the match. He plays his last IPL match against Royal Challengers, and hopes to finish with a flourish.David Warner has made 500-plus runs every season he’s played for Sunrisers•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Glenn Maxwell was starved of opportunity in his last two 50-over matches in England before heading home, mainly due to Lancashire’s dominance. He bowled ten overs for 60 against Northants before the chase was reduced to 164 due to rain. He made 20 not out at No. 3 following an opening stand of 130. Against Leicestershire, he bowled five overs and took 1 for 9 and didn’t get a bat as Leicestershire were all out for 80. He is being replaced in Lancashire’s 50-over team by South Australian Jake Lehmann.Jason Behrendorff has not played in the last fortnight for Mumbai Indians. Cricket Australia’s medical staff will be pleased that he got enough cricket in the IPL without putting a strain on his lower back and he should be fresh for the training camp and warm-up games against New Zealand.Chris Lynn made a blistering 54 from 29 balls in Kolkata Knight Riders’ high-scoring win over Mumbai. He has not been at his absolute best in this IPL. He failed to score against the Royals in his previous game but has posted four half-centuries in his last seven innings.#AsheswatchThe Royal London One-Day Cup continued in England this week as the County Championship remains on hold with World Cup preparations ramping up. Although 50-over white-ball form may not carry as much weight towards Ashes selection, there were some noteworthy performances for the Australian selectors to ponder.James Pattinson showed some great signs playing three games in five days for Nottinghamshire and contributing with bat and ball. He made 33 off 25 and then took 2 for 22 from seven overs against Warwickshire. He made 13 not out from seven balls including a four and a six against Leicestershire too, before taking 1 for 46 from eight over. He bagged 2 for 42 from ten overs, with a maiden, in Notts’ fifth straight win over Yorkshire.Peter Siddle back in the wickets for Essex•Getty Images

Peter Siddle had a good week for Essex. He was the standout bowler in a heavy loss to Somerset. He took 4 for 60 in a lone hand as Somerset made 5 for 353 at Taunton. He was even better at Chelmsford on Sunday against a talent-laden Hampshire side, taking 2 for 18 from ten overs as Essex won easily.Cameron Bancroft’s stunning form for Durham stalled with scores of 20 and 3 before making 45 from 65 balls in a successful run chase against Derbyshire. He is also keeping for Durham, on top of captaining the side, and has taken six catches in the last three games.Matt Renshaw didn’t get the chance to bat last week as his only game for Kent was washed out. Marnus Labuschagne was 27 not out for Glamorgan when rain ended the match without a result. Labuschagne had been sent back to Glamorgan’s 2nd XI prior to that innings to find some form, but he only made 8 against Somerset’s 2nd XI. He missed out again over the weekend against Surrey, trapped lbw for 5 by Morne Morkel. But he did bowl ten overs for just 51 as Glamorgan comfortably defended 323.Did you see?Steven Smith’s spectacular catch to get rid of Warner in their IPL meeting proved how valuable his agility in the field is ahead of the World Cup. Warner sliced a ball over cover and Smith ran back from the circle and took the chance diving at full stretch.Ashton Turner finally broke his string of ducks in T20 cricket against Sunrisers. Again he walked out in a tough scenario but managed to survive to make 3 not out to help team-mate Sanju Samson guide the side home.Injury listThere were some concerns about Smith’s injured elbow after he landed on it while completing the catch. But he was able to bat later that night without issue and there were no concerns post-match.Performance of the weekWarner had claims to this title every week but his ninth 50-plus score of the IPL on Monday was another exceptional display. He destroyed the spin of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and R Ashwin in making his third 80-plus score of the tournament. He struck seven boundaries and a six but once again his supreme running between the wickets was a feature post the Powerplay onslaught, running 11 twos and a three.

Bangladesh coach unhappy with ICC’s policy for league stages; Karunaratne sees logistical issues

Mohammad Isam in Bristol11-Jun-2019″We put men on the moon, so why can’t we have a reserve day, when actually this tournament is a long tournament,” Steve Rhodes asked in jest after Bangladesh were forced to split points after a washout against Sri Lanka in Bristol on Thursday.Rhodes was reacting to a question on the number of rained out matches – three so far in this edition alone, and the second straight day of no results. This left Bangladesh precariously placed, with a win and a washout after four matches. No other edition has seen these many rain-affected matches in the tournament’s history.Rhodes, who hails from Worcestershire, also felt there was a case to fit in reserve days as most sides had at least “two to three days” between matches. Bangladesh, for example, have a five-day gap before their next game against West Indies in Taunton.”I know logistically it would have been a big headache for the tournament organisers,” Rhodes began at the post-match press conference. “I know that it would have been difficult, but we have got quite a lot of time in between games, and if we have got to travel a day later, then so be it.”The games are spread out. I would say that it’s disappointing for the crowd, as well. They have got tickets to see a game of cricket, and you know it would be up to them if they can get there the day after.”Dimuth Karunaratne, the Sri Lanka captain, didn’t think Rhodes’ suggestion was feasible. “If they could put a reserve day it would have been fine. But it’s a major tournament and we’re all playing nine games. I don’t know if they can keep a reserve day for us,” he said.”The next day you have to travel to a different venue, so it’s not easy. If they can put a reserve day, though, it’s going to be good for the all the spectators and everyone.”

George Dobell12-Jul-20195:31

#PoliteEnquiries: Roy v Dharmasena, Psychic Jofra, is MS Dhoni finished?

Trevor Bayliss has reminded the England team they “have not won anything yet”, in spite of the euphoria surrounding their crushing semi-final victory over Australia.Although Bayliss admitted England’s eight-wicket victory at Edgbaston was “extra special”, he was keen to keep his squad’s feet on the floor and their eyes focused on the prize. So the team had “a good chat” in the dressing room after the game on Thursday and were reminded there is “one big match to go”.”We can’t listen to the outside noise whether it’s good or bad,” Bayliss told the BBC. “We’ve still got a job to do and one big match to go.”We had a chat in the changing room after the game and realised we have not won anything yet. There is going to be a lot of noise around ‘you guys are the favourites’ but we can’t listen to any of that.”We have just got to concentrate on the way we have gone about our cricket over the past four years and what has got us to this point. We have to go through our process. If we do that, we know we will play good cricket and the opposition will have to play even better to beat us.”We’re full of confidence, but we’re not too over the top. Four years ago, after the last World Cup which was not good for England, we set out with plans to hopefully win the 2019 edition. It feels great that now we have a chance to fulfil those dreams.”Watch on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of England’s eight-wicket win over AustraliaEngland will go into the final – their first World Cup final since 1992 – as favourites, having defeated New Zealand by 119 runs in the group stages of the competition. But New Zealand were also finalists in the 2015 tournament, during which they thumped England by eight wickets in one of the most crushingly one-sided World Cup contests of all time.With that in mind, Bayliss remains respectful of a side that contains the likes of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Trent Boult and feels the match is a “50-50″ encounter.”New Zealand have proved they’re a very good team,” Bayliss said. “Anyone can win the final. On the day it’s a 50-50 call.”Bayliss also welcomed the decision to show Sunday’s final on free-to-air television – Channel 4 will share Sky’s feed from 9am on the morning of the match – with England’s coach suggesting it was a chance to “influence another generation of young cricketers”.”It’s a fantastic gesture from Sky,” he said. “Any more fans we can get watching the game is fantastic for our sport. This provides an opportunity for more people to win the World Cup and that means we have the chance in England to influence another generation of young
cricketers. That’s great.”The England squad travel from Birmingham to London on Friday and will have a light training session on Saturday morning.

Tim Paine suggests Australia won’t go far from plans that succeeded in first Test as team moves on to London

Daniel Brettig09-Aug-2019Australia’s captain Tim Paine and his touring party ventured from Worcester to London on Friday with a fierce resolve to play to the strengths that they showcased at Edgbaston, even if it means again spelling Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood at Lord’s for the second Ashes Test.Starc and Hazlewood both had their moments in a match curtailed on the final day by rain that fell overnight and then returned in early afternoon, signalling an early end to the fixture but also a chance for the Australian tour bus to beat the heaviest of the traffic on the trip back to the British capital.Paine, who did not keep wicket in the game, suggested that his men were intent on maintaining a sense of control on proceedings that did not give up the search for wickets but instead kept it in balance with restricting the flow of runs on fast-scoring English grounds – something Starc and Hazlewood did with mixed results against Worcestershire.ALSO READ: Hazlewood dares England to dish out greentops“We’re always bowling to a plan to get batsmen out, but I think sometimes perhaps we’ve set slightly more defensive fields than we have when we’ve come here in the past,” Paine said. “There’s a balance between doing that. We don’t want to have everyone out on the fence and have no fielders in positions where we think we can get batsmen out.”So it’s about trying to find a balance between attacking their weakness and also controlling their strengths and also where they can score quickly. In England, with the grounds being a bit smaller and the outfields being a bit faster the game can get away from you a little bit quicker.”I thought that was one of the pleasing things that we did in the first innings at Edgbaston, is that we controlled the scoreboard and if you can do that, when you do get a bit of run-on or a little change in weather when the ball starts to swing you can get well ahead of the game. So there’s certainly an element of control but we still want to be making sure that we’re working to get their batsmen out all the time as well.”To that end, Paine stressed that Worcester was less a selection trial for Starc, Hazlewood, Michael Neser and company than a chance for them to keep engines revving at a pitch that would see them ready if needed. That need will depend very much on the character of the Lord’s pitch, which will be the source of plenty of mystery to England as much as Australia after results so far this year.”Mitch has obviously come in off a World Cup so it was good for him to get another red-ball bowl,” Paine said. “As Josh said, it seems every time he’s bowled [he’s improved]. He has had a pretty long layoff with his back injury, so every time he’s bowled on this tour he has got better.
“I thought his first spell here – both their first spells here were really, really good. So we know the high-quality bowlers they are, Michael Neser the same – we know if he gets the right
conditions in England with the Dukes ball he can be a real handful.”So as we’ve said all tour, it’ll be conditions based. They’ll play a part in the Ashes if and when the conditions suit. We weren’t looking at Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc thinking ‘gee I hope they bowl well’. We know how good they are. We know what they can do.”Having spent most of the tour match observing things from mid-off or the team viewing area – he did not bat – Paine mounted a cogent counter-argument to the long held view that wicketkeeper captains had it tougher than their batting contemporaries.”I didn’t really enjoy it, it was a bit boring,” Paine said. “It’s different because you don’t see what the ball is doing. People have said in the past that being a wicketkeeper and a captain might be a disadvantage. Now that I’ve done it a bit more, I see it as more of an advantage. I can see ball movement, I can see or feel when a bowler’s getting tired from the way he’s hitting my gloves.”And I can see exactly where a batsman is moving to, or what mark he’s batting on and stuff like that. So I found it a little bit harder in this game, when you can’t see exactly what’s happening. You’re relying on other people’s information a lot, I found. It was nice to have a bit of a spell from wicketkeeping but I’m looking forward to getting back behind them.”In London, the Australians will reconnect with their most indispensable batsman, Steve Smith, refreshed by a few days away and doubtless eager for a few thousand more throwdowns to regroove his game for Lord’s. Paine received talk of fresh English plans for Smith with precious little discomfort.”Steve Smith averages over 60 in Test cricket, so I think the beauty of Steve is you can come up with a plan but he’s good enough to adapt really quickly,” Paine said. “I’ve seen him do it between balls, I’ve seen him do it when guys have targeted him from one end a certain way and a completely different way from the other end. I think that’s what makes him the best player in the world, his ability to adapt to any plan that is thrown at him. I think he processes it quicker than other players and adapts on the spot.”Resuming at 92 for 1, the tourists played out only another 13 overs before the rain returned. Marcus Harris got as far as 67 before his exit, but Cameron Bancroft is expected to retain his opening spot alongside David Warner for Lord’s.

Head coach, as well as other support staffers Grant Flower, Azhar Mahmood and Grant Luden, to be discarded next week

Umar Farooq and Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2019Mickey Arthur’s time as Pakistan’s head coach will end next week with the PCB deciding against renewing his contract. The board’s decision means that nearly the entire coaching staff – batting coach Grant Flower, bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, and fitness trainer Grant Luden – will not have their contracts extended.According to a statement released by the PCB on Wednesday, the board will be “immediately undertaking a robust recruitment process” to fill these roles ahead of Pakistan’s next international commitment, a Test series against Sri Lanka in October.With the contracts of Arthur, Flower, Azhar and Luden all scheduled to end on August 15 anyway, none of the coaches has been sacked per se. But Arthur, certainly, had expressed an eagerness to continue: in an exhaustive review conducted by the PCB after the World Cup, Arthur asked for a chance to present his report, which was widely seen as a chance for him to defend his record and make a case for an extension.The decisions were arrived at following a five-hour PCB cricket committee meeting on Monday, in which Arthur was grilled about his performance with the team over the last three years. He was keen to continue, and ESPNcricinfo understands that he asked for two more years at the job.Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, said in a statement: “I am thankful to the PCB Cricket Committee for submitting their recommendations following an exhaustive and detailed review process. The committee comprised of individuals who possess tremendous acumen, experience and knowledge. The unanimous recommendation of the Committee was that it was time for new leadership and a fresh approach. I am happy to accept their strong recommendations.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“On behalf of the PCB, I want to sincerely thank Mickey Arthur, Grant Flower, Grant Luden and Azhar Mahmood for their hard work and unwavering commitment during their tenures with the national men’s team. We wish them every success in their future endeavors.”This means five key people will be out of the set-up following Pakistan’s fifth-place finish at the World Cup, with chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq having earlier decided against contract renewal once his stint ended in July. The only survivor from the coaching staff is fielding coach Grant Bradburn, whose contract runs until September 2021.Bradburn’s continuation underscores the PCB’s stated position that no one has been removed, their contracts just haven’t been renewed. However, with the men leaving interested in staying on, it’s really a distinction without a difference.Arthur was appointed as head coach in May 2016 after Pakistan’s disappointing performance at the World T20 in 2016 ended with Waqar Younis’ stint coming to a close. Arthur immediately adopted a tough stance on the fitness and fielding standards of the players and brought in Steve Rixon as fielding coach. Several players were cast aside – Umar Akmal, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Khan for example – for not being at the levels Arthur wanted, while Pakistan’s fielding numbers soared under Rixon’s watch; in the 12 months before he left in June 2018, Pakistan were a better fielding side than South Africa and Australia.Will there be changes among the players too?•Getty Images

Under Arthur, Pakistan reached the top spot in the T20I rankings and, following a 2-2 series draw in England in 2016 – his first assignment as head coach – they rose to the top of the Test rankings. That didn’t last long, though, as Pakistan endured a disappointing run in the format after that, losing nine of the following 11 matches they played, including a 2-0 loss at home to Sri Lanka. It was Pakistan’s first Test series loss in the UAE since it became their home away from home. Overall, Pakistan won 10 and lost 17 of the Test matches played under Arthur, by far the most disappointing aspect of his coaching record with the side.But there were also concerns that his robust, high-intensity methods, and no-nonsense headmasterly style of coaching was beginning to wear out his players. There was a high-profile falling out with Umar Akmal in 2017, following which the player was sidelined for over a year, only to play in a five-match ODI series where Pakistan rested half-a-dozen frontline players. Then, in South Africa last year, Arthur had a go at several players following a second-innings collapse in Centurion, and also had tough words for Babar Azam following a loss against England in a five-match ODI series in May this year. Babar had scored a hundred in the game, but Arthur felt his strike rate was a contributing factor to the defeat.Flower’s departure, meanwhile, means Pakistan have let go of the longest-serving member of the coaching staff. Flower, who ESPNcricinfo understands was also willing to continue, was appointed in May 2014, and it was during this time that Sarfaraz Ahmed emerged as Pakistan’s No. 1 wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket, and players like Babar, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman all broke through.The highest point for the team, of course, was winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, when everything came together brilliantly. Arthur was the motivator as Pakistan turned a thumping early loss to India around with four wins on the trot. The top-order batting clicked in semi-final and final thrashings of England and India, while the pace bowling in those two games was exquisite. The fielding still hadn’t touched the heights it would in the 12 months to follow, but there were signs that a corner was being turned.Now, they have chosen to try and turn another corner and they will have to do it with a whole new group of people for company and guidance.

However, it is unclear whether the team still needs the senior batsman with the focus firmly on the T20 World Cup six months away

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2019Mithali Raj remains committed to playing T20Is for India, making herself available for the home series against South Africa in September. However, it is unclear whether the team still has space for the 36-year-old batsman.Mithali was at the centre of a great deal of controversy at the last T20 World Cup, where she claimed she was unfairly excluded from the XI for the semi-final, which India lost. India’s coach at the time, Ramesh Powar, had said that she had gone as far as to threaten retirement if she wasn’t allowed to open the innings.Things, however, did calm down with time and she was picked for each of India’s last two T20I series, against New Zealand and England. But there is increased focus on her role now with the team looking to groom players for the next T20 World Cup, which is six months from now.”I am definitely available for the T20 series next month but, at the moment, haven’t really thought about the T20 World Cup. I usually take it series by series,” Mithali told when asked about her plans for the shortest format.The selectors are set to meet in Mumbai on September 5 to pick India’s squad to play South Africa. That series, in Surat, will be followed by three ODIs in Baroda.Harmanpreet Kaur led the team to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup last year. But since losing that game to England, India have hit a slump, losing each of their last six games.”As a team, we still have a lot to catch up on the T20 format,” Mithali said, “But we do have youngsters coming in and with the exposure of T20 leagues around the world they will get more experience and mature faster.”Genetically we can’t be like other teams [and power hit to victory] but we can be more smart in our planning and shot selection. We worked very hard on our fitness in the recent camp in Bangalore and you can see the girls are much fitter on the ground and that reflects in their drills.”

Pakistan will play a three-match ODI series against Netherlands in July before visiting Ireland for two T20Is

Umar Farooq in Lahore03-Oct-2019Netherlands are set to host Pakistan for the first time in 2020. Comprising three ODIs, to be played between July 4 and 9 in Amstelveen, the series will be their longest against a Full Member – outside of the newly promoted Ireland and Afghanistan. Pakistan will then visit Ireland for a two-match T20I series before moving on to England to play three World Test Championship games from July 30 to August 20.

Fixtures

4 July – 1st ODI v Netherlands, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen
7 July – 2nd ODI v Netherlands, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen
9 July – 3rd ODI v Netherlands, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen
12 July – 1st T20I v Ireland, Venue TBA
14 July – 2nd T20I v Ireland, Venue TBA

“We have a long and strong relationship with KNCB [Netherlands Cricket Board] and Ireland Cricket and I think it’s important that we provide these countries much-needed opportunity to compete against Full Members,” a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “We had an empty window and there isn’t a better way to support them in their growth by playing them more frequently. The PCB has a long history of helping and encouraging Associate Members and the tour to the Netherlands is part of that tradition.”On our previous trips, we have received tremendous public support who have thronged the stadia to not only watch cricket but also appreciate and encourage the players. I am confident the upcoming tours will further strengthen the bonding and service the purpose.”Pakistan have never played a bilateral series against Netherlands, though the two teams have met in the ICC events – the 1996 and 2003 World Cups and the 2002 Champions Trophy. Pakistan won all three games comprehensively.”Pakistan is one of the most exciting and followed teams in the world and they will add further flavour and context to our domestic season,” Betty Timmer, chair of KNCB, said. “This series will contribute significantly in our endeavours to put together a strong and formidable side for the 13-team ICC ODI League, which commences next year. It will provide the much-required exposure and experience to our talented men’s side and will also help in the promotion and development of the game in our part of the world.”Pakistan’s T20Is against Ireland will be played on July 12 and 14. The two teams have previously featured in a one-off T20I, with Pakistan winning the game by 39 runs on their way to lifting the 2009 World T20 in England.The two teams have already been woven together in history after Ireland – a team that was an Associate in 2007 – beat the former champions in a World Cup game and knocked them out of the tournament. Since then, Pakistan have toured Ireland for bilateral series and had also invited them over in 2014, but just as that tour was coming close to reality, Ireland had to pull out following a terrorist attack at the Karachi airport. Subsequently, Pakistan toured Ireland for the home side’s maiden Test match, which they won by five wickets.”Ireland and Pakistan have a close affinity, both across men’s and women’s cricket, and we are delighted to welcome the top-ranked T20I side to Ireland for what will be an action-packed series,” Richard Holdsworth, performance director at Cricket Ireland, said. “This year we have seen a number of great performances by Ireland and some exciting young talent emerge in the T20 squad. The way to further improve our players is to pit ourselves against the world’s best, and in Pakistan we have that opportunity. The fixtures will be part of a big home season for Ireland, where we are hosting a number of Full Member teams. It is yet another big year to look forward to in Irish cricket.”

India’s captain has praised the Australia allrounder for his willingness to open up about his mental-health issues and take time away from the game

Varun Shetty in Indore13-Nov-20191:50

Decisions to take a break from the game should be respected – Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has come out in support of Glenn Maxwell following the allrounder’s withdrawal from Australia’s recent series against Sri Lanka for mental-health reasons. Kohli called Maxwell’s openness about his issues “remarkable”, and said he was “absolutely for” players asking for time away from the game in such situations.Maxwell’s withdrawal was met with public backing from Australia coach Justin Langer, captain Aaron Finch, and many other voices that revealed a healthy culture around mental health as an issue. Shortly after Maxwell, the 27-year-old batsman Nic Maddinson also withdrew from the Australia A team, the second such instance in Maddinson’s professional career.Kohli’s words on the issue are among the few originating from the subcontinent, where discussions on mental health are rare, both within and outside cricket circles. Kohli said he experienced this when he was struggling for runs during India’s tour of England in 2014, and didn’t have anyone to confide in.”I’m absolutely for it,” Kohli said on the eve of the first India-Bangladesh Test. “To be very honest, you guys have a job to do, we have a job to do, and everyone is focused on what they need to do. So it’s very difficult for anyone to figure out what’s going on in another person’s mind.”I’ve gone through a phase in my career where I felt like it was the end of the world. In England 2014, I didn’t know what to do, what to say to anyone, and how to speak and how to communicate. And to be honest, I couldn’t have said I’m not feeling great mentally and I need to get away from the game. Because you never know how that’s taken.Getty Images

“So I think these things should be of great importance. Because if you think that a player is important enough, for the team or for Indian cricket to go forward, I think they should be looked after. When you get to the international stage, every player needs that communication, that ability to just speak out.”And I think what Glenn has done is remarkable. And [he has] set the right example for cricketers around the world that if you’re not in the best frame of mind – you try, and try and try, but as human beings you reach a tipping point at some stage or the other. And you need time away from the game. Not to say you give up, but just to gain more clarity.”Numerous Australian cricketers have spoken publicly about mental-health-related issues recently, which follows the noteworthy precedent set around mental health in cricket in England. Moises Henriques, Nicole Bolton and Will Pucovski have all taken time out from the game over the last two years, and England’s Sarah Taylor, one of the biggest stars in modern cricket, retired aged 30 earlier this year after struggles with a long-term anxiety issue.Apart from Kohli’s thoughts on the issue, mental health has not been a widely discussed topic in Indian cricket. The associated taboos and insecurity act as major deterrents against players either coming out or asking for breaks. Kohli said players should be encouraged to be open and seek help when needed.”[…] In my opinion, [a break] is quite acceptable.” he said. “And quite nice to do when you’re not able to carry on any more. So I think these things should be respected and not taken in a negative way at all because this is happening at a human level, it’s got nothing to do with what you do on the field. It’s just not having the capacity any more to deal with things, which I think can happen to any person in any walk of life. I think it should be taken in a very positive way.”