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The weather, however, promises to be better on the fourth and fifth days, with no rain forecast

Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2021The third day of the Dhaka Test lived up to its very rainy forecast with a full day washout. The covers never came off the Shere Bangla National Stadium, and Bangladesh and Pakistan players didn’t come to the ground, as the country’s capital bore the brunt of a depression at the Bay of Bengal.Play was called off at 2pm local time, a foregone conclusion, though it could have happened much earlier. Match officials usually cling on to the hope of rain relenting. Even in that case, it takes an hour to clear the water off the ground and the covers. None of that was required on Monday.The last time a full day’s play was lost in a Test in Bangladesh was in July-August 2015, when South Africa toured the country.Only 30 minutes of play was possible on the second day, when Pakistan resumed their first innings for just 6.2 overs. It was enough time for Azhar Ali to move from his overnight 39 to his 34th Test half-century and then to 52 not-out. Babar Azam struck a few boundaries to move to an unbeaten 71.Babar started the day with an easy boundary off Khaled Ahmed, before Azhar brought up the 100-run stand. He then struck two fours off Ebadot Hossain to reach his fifty, off 126 balls. The pair have so far added 118 runs for the unbroken third-wicket stand.Earlier on the first day, visitors made an unsurprisingly strong start, with Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique adding 59 for the opening stand. It was Pakistan’s fourth successive 50-plus stand for the first wicket, equalling the same feat from 2002. Taijul Islam removed both Abid and Shafique, but Azhar and Babar remained solid.The weather, however, promises to be better on the fourth and fifth days. There is no more rain in forecast, but it might take a while for the ground staff to rid of the excess water even when the sun comes out.

Anrich Nortje, who has been ruled out of the series because of a hip injury, has undergone a bone scan

Firdose Moonda27-Dec-2021Duanne Olivier was forced out of the Centurion Test against India because of the lingering effects of Covid-19, which he tested positive for a few weeks ago, and a hamstring niggle.”Duanne Olivier is healthy and well, but did return a positive Covid-19 test result a number of weeks ago, which forced him to quarantine and took time away from his training ahead of the current Betway Test series against India,” Victor Mpitsang, the convenor of selectors, told ESPNcricinfo on Monday, the second day of the Test. Mpitsang had not given out details on Sunday when contacted by us.Related

• Persistent rain washes out day two at Centurion

• Olivier: 'I think my nerves will be shot through the roof'

• Did SA get their selections and strategies right?

“This [Covid-19] did take place while he was away with the intention to spend time with his family and his workloads were not where the selection panel would have wanted them to be by the time he entered the team bubble ahead of the first Test match,” Mpitsang added. “He picked up a hamstring niggle during the two-day, inter-squad match at the start of the camp and the selectors did not want to risk him unnecessarily when there are two more Test matches to think about.”Olivier, the 29-year-old quick who was tipped to get into the South Africa XI in the absence of Anrich Nortje, is the leading wicket-taker in South Africa’s domestic first-class competition this season, with 28 wickets at an average of under 12.In his absence, Marco Jansen, the 21-year-old left-arm seamer, made his debut. “Statistically, Marco Jansen was the standout performer with the ball against India A in their recent tour to South Africa and the selectors backed him to take on the senior India team and do well,” Mpitsang said. “Every player who has been selected for this Proteas team is believed and backed to be capable of representing the national team and give a performance of the highest level. The absence of one player does not take away from the quality that another brings to the setup.”Jansen was joint fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers in the A series overall, and South Africa’s third best. Lutho Sipamla, who is not in the Test squad, and Glenton Stuurman, who has lower-limb fatigue, were both ahead of him.It has also been learnt that Nortje, who was ruled out of the series with a hip injury, has undergone a bone scan.

While ICC’s match officials had a word with the Indian team management, there was no official code of conduct breach charge levelled against India

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-20229:37

Newsroom: Weakest link in DRS is the human bit, because it’s prone to error

Virat Kohli and his India team-mates have been spoken to about the DRS bust-up on the third day of the Newlands Test by the ICC match officials, although no formal charge has been filed against any player.ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC’s match officials had a word with the Indian team management cautioning them about their conduct after DRS had reprieved Dean Elgar from being given out lbw, but there was no official code of conduct breach charge levelled against India.Related

• Elgar on DRS drama: 'India forgot about the game and that played into our hands'

• India's Newlands nemeses: Risky full length, SA's height and home edge, the Jadeja void

• 'I am lost for words' – Mark Boucher on 'tough nut' Keegan Petersen's showing against India

• 'Very disappointed' Kohli bemoans India's batting collapse: 'There's no running away from it'

• South Africa seal come-from-behind series win as India fall apart

Kohli himself in his post-match press conference after the third Test, said that while he wouldn’t comment about the stump mic picking up what he and his players said – sometimes directly speaking into it and addressing the host broadcaster SuperSport – he didn’t think his team got carried away and ceded any advantage to the South Africans.”We understood what happened on the field, and people on the outside don’t know exact details of what goes on in the field, so for me to try and justify what we did on the field and say we got carried away is wrong,” Kohli said.”If we had gotten charged up and picked up three wickets there, that would have probably been the moment that changed the game. The reality of the situation is that we did not apply enough pressure on them for longer periods of time throughout the course of the Test match and hence we lost the game. That one moment seems very nice and very exciting to make a controversy out of, which honestly I’m not interested in making a controversy of it at all. It was just a moment that passed and we moved on from it, and just kept focusing on the game and trying to pick up wickets.”In the final session of the third day’s play, Elgar was adjudged lbw on the field to R Ashwin. Elgar reviewed it however, and the projection from HawkEye – an independent body – showed Ashwin’s delivery going over the stumps. That led to an outburst by several players, with a visibly annoyed Kohli going up to the stump mic and seemingly addressing SuperSport, saying, “Focus on your team while they shine the ball. Not just the opposition. Trying to catch people all the time.”Vice-captain KL Rahul added, “It’s the whole country against 11 guys.” And Ashwin seemed to be addressing the broadcasters directly when he said, “You should find better ways to win, SuperSport.”Dean Elgar got the on-field decision overturned on review•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Elgar’s reprieve came in the 21st over of the innings, with the South Africa captain batting on 22 and the team 60 for 1, chasing a fourth-innings target of 212. The Indian players were not the only ones who didn’t agree with the decision. Marais Erasmus, who gave Elgar out on the field, could be seen shaking his head as the pictures played out on the screen at the venue, and was heard saying, “That’s impossible”.Not everyone agreed with the Indian players’ discontent and them pulling up the host broadcaster though. Among them was the pair of Sanjay Manjrekar and Daryll Cullinan, ESPNcricinfo’s expert panel for the series. Manjrekar said he did not agree with the Indian camp’s “insinuation” against the host broadcaster while Cullinan was more blunt, stating Kohli’s behaviour was “unacceptable” and he had got away for “too long”.South Africa would end the over in which Elgar was reprieved on 60 for 1, but the next six overs brought 35 runs with a flurry of boundaries.Elgar eventually fell to what turned out to be the last ball of the day, glancing Jasprit Bumrah behind. However, Keegan Peterson’s 82 led South Africa to a seven-wicket victory to seal the Test, and the series by a 2-1 margin, on the fourth day

Netherlands lost their last eight wickets for just 64 runs, costing them the opportunity to level the series.

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2022A century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and four wickets for Mujeeb Ur Rahman helped Afghanistan beat Netherlands by 48 runs to wrap up a series win with an ODI to spare.In the second of three matches in Doha, Afghanistan batted first after winning the toss, and despite the early loss of Usman Ghani, got off to a solid start thanks to an 83-run partnership between Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah. The Dutch bowlers found wicket-taking a challenge, and that stand was followed up by 106 runs added for the third wicket, with Hashmatullah Shahidi scoring a half-century.Once Shahidi was bowled by debutant Ryan Klein, Afghanistan struggled to tee off, but cameos from Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan meant they managed to get up to 237. Fred Klaassen and Phillippe Boissevain took two wickets each.The chase began with the early loss of Musa Ahmed and Colin Ackermann. A 90-run stand between Scott Edwards and Bas de Leede pushed Netherlands up to 125 for 3, but once that stand was broken, Afghanistan began to take control again.Pieter Seelar’s run out saw the lower middle order come in, but strikes from Rashid and Mujeeb meant Afghanistan were burrowing deep inside the Dutch tail. Once Edwards fell for 86, there was little resistance from the rest, and by the time Mujeeb bowled No. 11 Vivian Kingma, Afghanistan had wrapped up a comfortable win. The Netherlands lost their last eight wickets for just 64 runs, costing them the opportunity to level the series.

Can Tamim Iqbal’s men win their first ever ODI in SA, or will Temba Bavuma’s team hold on to a proud 20-year record?

Mohammad Isam17-Mar-2022

Big picture

South Africa haven’t allowed Bangladesh even a whiff of a chance in 20 years of cricket at home. But as Tamim Iqbal said before leaving Dhaka, and Russell Domingo two days before the first ODI in Centurion, they are here with more than just hope.Bangladesh will always take inspiration from the miracle of Mount Maunganui and though it was a Test win, they will try to condense that calm and confidence and push harder than ever before in order to secure their first ODI win in South Africa.The home side will take heart from their series win against India in January, which followed an indifferent period for them in the 50-over format. Last year, South Africa lost to Pakistan at home, drew an away series in Ireland and then lost to Sri Lanka.The hosts will be at full strength. Many of their first-choice picks are part of IPL squads and even though the tournament starts on March 26, they will only depart once this series is over. South Africa, who have only won three matches out of 10 in the ODI Super League, will need all the talent they have at their disposal to make the climb up the table.Bangladesh are at full strength too after a jaded Shakib Al Hasan was convinced to make the trip. It allows Tamim to stick to a tried-and-tested combination with five frontline bowlers. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Afif Hossain will add depth to the batting line-up at Nos. 7 and 8, something Bangladesh have often wanted when touring bowler-friendly places like South Africa.Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim’s rich vein of recent form adds to the sense of Bangladesh optimism. The fast bowlers too are exciting, particularly Taskin Ahmed, who has started to bowl well in the middle overs, and Shoriful Islam, who is back in the country where he powered Bangladesh to their maiden Under-19 World Cup title two years ago.Tabraiz Shamsi has been leading South Africa’s spin attack with aplomb•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

South Africa WWWLW (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWWW

In the spotlight

Having had very little experience against left-arm unorthodox bowlers in general, Bangladesh will find Tabraiz Shamsi quite the handful. The 32-year-old’s last international outing was against India in January, but he has been excellent in the domestic circuit since then (17 wickets) and will be upbeat about the challenge ahead.Outside the four highly experienced cricketers in the visitors’ ranks, South Africa will be wary of the Litton Das factor. He got important runs in Bangladesh’s last three assignments against Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan, effortlessly tailoring his game to suit all three formats. The 27-year-old will be facing another test of his temperament over the next several days but he certainly looks up for it.

Team news

Sisanda Magala misses this series due to injury. Kagiso Rabada will take his place with South Africa having full access to their best XI.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Lungi NgidiUnless they want to play a batter light, Bangladesh will go into the first game with the same XI that played the third ODI against Afghanistan on February 28.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Litton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Yasir Ali, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Going by the last six completed ODIs at SuperSport Park, batting first isn’t a very popular decision. Four of those teams have lost the game after choosing to put runs on the board. Weather forecast is mostly dry.

Stats and trivia

• Aiden Markram is 101 runs short of 1,000 runs in ODIs.
• Mushfiqur Rahim is the only Bangladeshi to score a century in South Africa.

Hero of England’s 2017 World Cup triumph will continue to play domestically

Valkerie Baynes14-Apr-2022Anya Shrubsole has announced her retirement from international cricket, calling time on her career at the top level after 14 years.Shrubsole, the hero of England’s 2017 World Cup triumph, was awarded an MBE after bowling her side to a famous and dramatic victory with a record 6 for 46 in the final against India at Lord’s. Aged 30, she is a two-time Women’s World Cup champion and two-time Ashes winner.Having started her domestic career for Somerset, she played 173 games for her country across all formats, claiming 227 wickets. She is fourth on the list of England’s ODI wicket-takers, and is England’s current top T20I wicket-taker.She will continue to play domestic cricket in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Hundred.”I feel immensely privileged to have been able to represent my country for the past 14 years,” Shrubsole said. “To have been involved in women’s cricket at a time of such growth has been an honour but it has become clear to me that it is moving forward faster than I can keep up with, so it is time for me to step away.”Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be lucky enough to play for England for so long, I’d have been happy with one game. There have been many ups and downs along the way but it was all worth it to be able to lift the ICC Women’s World Cup at Lord’s in 2017.”There have been so many people who have supported me along the way and I want to thank them all for everything they have done, but most of all I couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of my family. They have been with me every step of the way and I simply couldn’t have done it without them.”Shrubsole captained her country once, and in 2018 became the first woman ever to appear on the front cover of the .After a 2021 home international season curtailed by injury, Shrubsole was part of England’s Ashes campaign in Australia at the start of this year, and her last appearance for England was during the 2022 Women’s World Cup final in New Zealand, when she took 3 for 46 and was the last batter out in a 71-run defeat at the hands of Australia on April 3.Clare Connor, ECB managing director of women’s cricket, described Shrubsole as “the most tremendous servant to English cricket, and to women’s cricket specifically”.”For 14 years she has given everything for the team so it is fitting that her reasons for retiring are so selfless,” Connor added. “In her last game for England – the ICC Women’s World Cup final in Christchurch – Anya was the team’s stand-out performer with the ball, just as she was on that magical day at Lord’s in 2017 when England Women lifted the World Cup.”Her longevity, skill and impact with the new and old ball are testament to her work ethic and commitment over so many years. Aside from her genius with the ball, Anya was the perfect team-mate – selfless, dedicated, thoughtful and kind. She has already dedicated 14 years to England Women’s cricket and I know that she will continue to have a huge impact on the game post-playing.”Anya loves the game as much as anyone I’ve ever met and we look forward to retaining her expertise and passion as she embarks on her next chapter.”

Sixers have missed finals for the past three seasons and finished bottom last season

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2022Former England captain Charlotte Edwards has been named Sydney Sixers’ new WBBL head coach as the club looks to turn around three seasons of poor results.Edwards, who is also coach of Southern Vipers in county cricket and has been an Adelaide Strikers assistant coach for five seasons, replaces Ben Sawyer who has been in charge of Sixers’ since the start of the WBBL and is now full-time with the Australia women’s team.Sixers have missed the finals for the last three seasons – including finishing last for the first time in 2021-22 – having previously been back-to-back champions and twice runners up.”I’m extremely excited to be offered the role with the Sixers who are one of the most successful women’s domestic teams in the world,” Edwards said. “The vision for the Sixers is to bring back trophies for the club.”More importantly is the way we do that, and I think the way we do that is to play a really exciting and entertaining style of cricket that hopefully the fans are proud of and want to come and watch. That means a lot to me and the group.”New South Wales’ head of female cricket, Leah Poulton, paid tribute to Sawyer while welcoming the new era for the Sixers.”Ben has been a wonderful leader over many years at the Sixers and he’s done a fantastic job developing a generation of players,” Poulton said. “We are proud not just of Ben’s achievements but also of the way in which he worked so hard to build a culture within the team and a connection with our members and fans.”Charlotte brings with her extensive leadership experience and a reputation for bringing out the best in those around her. She has already demonstrated a clear vision for the team, it’s an exciting brand of cricket which I’m sure will appeal to our fans.”Edwards will remain head coach of Vipers and resume her role with them after the WBBL season is complete. The tournament runs during October and November.Sixers have seven of their WBBL list contracted including Australia stars Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner with Ellyse Perry expected to re-sign. The contracting embargo for the league has recently been lifted so deals can now be completed.Last season’s overseas players were India duo Shafali Verma and Radha Yadav. Verma struggled as she was shuffled around the order and averaged just 17.36. Left-arm spinner Yadav collected nine wickets with an economy rate of 6.81.

New Test call-up’s 60 not out off 27 balls seals win as Worcestershire fade after bright start

David Hopps25-May-2022Yorkshire 175 for 3 (Brook 60*, Lyth 40, Root 35*, Malan 33) beat Worcestershire 172 for 9 (Haynes 61, D’Oliveira 32, Thompson 3-35) by seven wicketsTwo trophyless appearances at Finals Day are the paltry sum of 20 years of T20 cricket for Yorkshire, as if somehow their illustrious history inhibits them in the shortest format of the game. You can imagine the ghost of Wilfred Rhodes emerging from behind the Howard Stand, whenever they set their minds free, chiding: “We don’t play this game for fun.” Perhaps this will be the year they put all that behind them, emerging from a troubled winter with a new outlook. A seven-wicket win with 11 balls to spare was a good way to start.Harry Brook certainly is playing it for fun, the joy he is bestowing enough to soften an old ghost’s heart. Every time he comes out to bat this season, he is living a fantasy of unimagined success. He was in ridiculous form at Headingley, as he has been all summer, transferring his prodigious Championship season – 840 runs at 140 – to the start of the Blast. His unbeaten 60 took 27 deliveries, his array of shots expertly chosen, his domination apparent from the first ball he faced.Related