Tag Futebol

Ireland batsman Jeremy Bray has announced his retirement from international cricket.

Cricinfo staff12-Jan-2010Ireland batsman Jeremy Bray
has announced his retirement from international cricket. The left-hand opener, who played 15 ODIs and two Twenty20s for his country, was part of the squad for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.”I’m not getting any younger, and it’s hard to get up to the levels of fitness now required for international cricket,” the 36-year-old Bray said. “The team has an incredibly demanding schedule over the next few years, and I couldn’t commit myself fully to that programme.”I have had some wonderful memories and will always be grateul to Ireland for giving me the opportunity. I’d like to thank Adi Birrell for the faith he showed in me, and Phil Simmons for giving me the chance to make a comeback after being out of the side for two years.”The Irish fans are superb, and I’ll never forget the atmosphere of the World Cup in the West Indies.”The Australian-born Bray represented New South Wales and Australia Under-19s before moving to Ireland. He held the record for the highest first-class score by an Ireland batsman with his 190 against UAE in the 2005 Intercontinental Cup until Eoin Morgan surpassed that with his double-century against the same opponents two years later. Bray scored 401 runs in ODIs at an average of 28.64, including two centuries. One of those was his unbeaten 115 in a tied match
against Zimbabwe in the World Cup.He was the Man of the Match in the 2007 Intercontinental Cup final against Canada, scoring 146 in an opening stand of 202 with William Porterfield as Ireland won by an innings. He was also involved in the second-highest partnership in Irish cricket history, when he added 304 with Niall O’Brien in 2005 against the UAE.

England aim for 2-0, while India look for a turnaround with only one Test win in their last nine outings

Karthik Krishnaswamy01-Jul-20251:48

Prasidh Krishna or Mohammed Siraj for Edgbaston?

Big picture: What selection decision do India take?

India have won just one of their last nine Tests. You have to go back a decade to find a nine-Test sequence this barren. From Southampton 2014 to Galle 2015, India didn’t win any of their nine Tests.That period was one of transition. So is this one. Both have featured matches where India failed to capitalise on promising or even dominant positions. The 2014-15 sequence culminated in India losing a seemingly unlosable contest in Galle. The ninth Test of the current sequence was last week’s loss of a seemingly unlosable Test at Headingley.So many similarities.But we’re looking back at 2014-15 from a decade’s distance, and we know what happened next. We know that India bounced back from 1-0 down, beat Sri Lanka 2-1, and began their most successful decade in Test cricket.We’re looking at 2024-25 while we’re living through it. We don’t know the next chapter of this story.Whatever that chapter is, it will begin at Edgbaston. India have never won here, in eight previous attempts, the most recent of which was three years ago when they seemed on the cusp of a 3-1 series win only for fourth-innings centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to drive England to a thrilling victory.Related

• India to make the Bumrah call 'at the very last minute'

• How Ben Stokes got his bowling mojo back

• India's bogey venues: Can they break the duck at Edgbaston?

• Gill wants top order to take 'more responsibility' after Leeds loss

That Test was England’s fourth win in their first four Tests under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. There have been bumps in the ride since then, but Bazball has built, along the way, a compelling body of evidence that this way of playing Test cricket puts oppositions under immense pressure, particularly when conditions suit the strengths of England’s players.It’s instructive that England’s most telling defeats in this era have come when their opponents have had control of the conditions, sometimes to the extent – as in Pakistan last year – of tweaking them to an extreme, out-of-character degree.India cannot control the pitch or the weather at Edgbaston, and they cannot control the way the Dukes ball is made. They can, however, control their selection – at least to a large degree. Whether they include Jasprit Bumrah – who is expected to play only two of the four remaining Tests – and whether they are bold enough to forsake batting depth and pick Kuldeep Yadav, the other world-class wicket-taker in their squad, remain to be seen.Kuldeep’s introduction, at the cost of an allrounder, played a significant role in India turning things around after they went 1-0 down to Bazball at home. They put other considerations aside, and forced England to try their approach against India’s best bowling combination.The same sort of thinking underpinned much of India’s success after that barren nine-Test run of 2014-15. After a similar run of results, what sort of thinking will the India of 2025 adopt?

Form guide

England WWLWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
India LLLDL1:23

Harmison backs Woakes despite lukewarm first Test

In the spotlight: Stokes and Sai Sudharsan

Ben Stokes the bowler is back. Fitness concerns restricted him to a batting-only role during the tour of India last year, and that hampered England’s balance severely on their way to a 4-1 defeat. He’s bowled regularly since then, though, and has sent down at least 35 overs in two of his last three Tests – in Hamilton against New Zealand and at Headingley last week. Headingley was also his first five-wicket match haul since 2022. With the bat, though, Stokes showed signs of an issue that had dogged him right through last year’s India tour: a seeming lack of trust in his defence against spin. His reverse-sweep-everything approach brought him a fluky 33 in the fourth innings, but it will also have given India an idea of what and how to bowl to him.At Headingley, B Sai Sudharsan became the first India batter to make a men’s Test debut with a sub-40 first-class average since another Tamil Nadu left-hander, WV Raman, in January 1988. He showed why the selectors had picked him despite that – and trusted him to bat at No. 3 – meeting the ball right under his eyes while scoring 30 in the second innings, but his dismissals in both innings to half-volleys on or outside leg stump showed he may still have work to do to hold his own against the planning and ruthlessness of Test-match attacks.

Team news

With Jofra Archer’s long-awaited return to Test cricket deferred by at least one match, England have named an unchanged XI for Edgbaston.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 Shoaib Bashir.Shubman Gill was non-committal on India’s selection in his pre-match press conference. Bumrah is “definitely available”, but it’s unclear if he’ll play, and India will take a final call on their combination after having “a final look” at the conditions at Edgbaston. Gill felt India may have missed a second spinner in the second innings at Headingley, and indicated that they could pick one here, but did not say if it would be the wicket-taking wristspinner Kuldeep or the offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Shubman Gill (capt), 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Karun Nair, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Jasprit Bumrah/Arshdeep Singh/Akash Deep, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna.

Pitch and conditions

The series began at Headingley, where the team batting second won for the seventh Test match in a row. It now shifts to another bowl-first ground; the team batting second has won each of the last four Tests at Edgbaston – this includes England’s win over India in 2022, when they pulled off their highest-ever successful chase.The warm summer that the UK has enjoyed could potentially even things out a little for the team batting first – as it can be argued it did even at Headingley where India were on top at many points – with the dry look of the pitch prompting India to suggest they will most likely play two spinners.For all that, though, this has not been a happy hunting ground for spinners in recent years. Of the seven English venues to have hosted Test cricket in this decade, Edgbaston has been the third-worst ground for spinners as well as fast bowlers, but while the quicks have averaged 30.00 here, spinners have taken their wickets at 44.45.Will we have a full five days of Test cricket? Maybe, maybe not. The forecast for Birmingham has rain in it, particularly on days four and five.

Stats and trivia

• Six of England’s 17 successful chases of 250-plus targets in their Test history have come in the Bazball era.
• Joe Root is 73 runs away from becoming the first batter to score 3000 against India in Test cricket.
• Since the start of the 2024-25 Australia tour, Jasprit Bumrah has picked up 29 Test wickets at an average of 16.75. Their other bowlers have taken a combined 46 wickets at 47.22.
• Kuldeep Yadav has the best strike rate (37.3) of all spinners in Test history to have taken at least 50 wickets.

Quotes

“[India] always fight hard, come hard. Very passionate team. I think it’s pretty clear that there’s always pressure on the shoulders of international sportsmen. But playing for India, especially in cricket, there’s probably a bit more of it than any other nation. So, yeah, look, very proud nation. Don’t take anything for granted from last week. As I said, we start at 0-0 again. We tried to put in a performance there. Hopefully, we can put one in here that take us to 2-0 this week.”
“In these conditions, the ball isn’t swinging much after 30-40 overs. The wickets are also good for batting. If fast bowlers are not able to create too many chances, we feel a second spinner, on these kind of wickets, even if he doesn’t create chances, he will at least help you contain runs until the second new ball is available. After the last match, I feel that if the wicket is going to be similar, a second spinner won’t be a bad option.”

Pooja Vastrakar was the other Indian star on the third morning, as she ripped through the England top order with three big wickets

Valkerie Baynes16-Dec-20234:54

Review: Positives, shortcomings, and everything else

Dominated with the bat and destroyed with the ball by the third morning, England didn’t make it past lunch as India, led by Deepti Sharma – again – and Pooja Vastrakar, completed a record 347-run victory at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.While Deepti’s remarkable 5 for 7 had sent England into a tailspin on the second day, it was Vastrakar who sparked their downfall on Saturday after India declared overnight on 186 for 6. Deepti finished them off, taking nine wickets in all to add to her first-innings half-century for Player-of-the-Match honours.Related

• How Vastrakar killed the game on a turning track

• Finger fracture puts Shubha Satheesh out of action

• Muzumdar: Deepti is the 'Ben Stokes of the team'

Given that the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in women’s Tests is Australia’s 198 for 3 to beat England in Sydney in 2011, to call it a 479-run “target” seemed trite and Vastrakar’s early inroads ensured that.It was India Women’s first Test win at home against England in six attempts, the margin of victory the largest by runs in women’s Tests, and was all wrapped up in an extended morning session on the third day.After Renuka Thakur plucked out Tammy Beaumont with a ball that held its line to beat the outside edge and peg back off stump with just 27 runs on the board, Vastrakar had an out-of-sorts Sophia Dunkley slicing straight to gully and easily taken by substitute fielder Harleen Deol, on for Shubha Satheesh, who scored 69 on international debut in India’s first innings but didn’t bat in the second because of a broken finger.That put England in familiar territory in this match (they were 28 for 2 when bowled out for 136 in their first innings to concede a lead of 292) at 37 for 2. And, on the very next ball, Vastrakar removed Nat Sciver-Brunt – the only England batter to offer any resistance in the first innings – with a beauty that nipped back in from a perfect length outside off, went through the gate and crashed into the stumps.It was the Deepti Sharma show all the way•BCCI

When Vastrakar got one to hold its line from outside off and draw an outside edge from Heather Knight, England slumped to 68 for 4.Deepti then orchestrated the procession, flummoxing Danni Wyatt with a fantastic offbreak taken at slip and removing Amy Jones via a loose pull to midwicket to get at the England tail. She removed Kate Cross with one that turned ferociously from outside off to peg back leg stump and lured Lauren Filer down the pitch with the flight on one that kept low after turning in and pinged middle stump.In between whiles, Rajeshwari Gayakwad bowled Sophie Ecclestone, then had Lauren Bell caught simply by Jemimah Rodrigues at silly point, the last wicket to fall. The latter sparked wild celebrations for the home side, who will be looking to bottle this feeling – and form – for use in their next Test, starting against Australia at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

His career came to a controversial end when he was named in the IPL spot-fixing scandal

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2022Asad Rauf, the former ICC elite panel umpire from Pakistan, has died following a cardiac arrest in Lahore. Rauf was 66 years old. He officiated in 64 Tests (49 as on-field umpire and 15 as TV umpire), 139 ODIs and 28 T20Is.Rauf was one of Pakistan’s most prominent umpires in the mid-2000s, having been elevated to the ICC’s elite panel in 2006. He had officiated in his first Test the previous year, and been on the ODI panel since 2004, having stood in his first ODI in 2000. He was a popular figure on the circuit who, alongside Aleem Dar, did his bit in improving the reputation of Pakistani umpires before the neutral umpires era. But his career came to an abrupt halt in 2013 when he was named as a “wanted accused” by Mumbai police in their investigation into the IPL spot-fixing scandal, where Rauf had been umpiring. Rauf left India before the end of that IPL season and but was withdrawn from the Champions Trophy that followed by the ICC and later that year would be dropped from the ICC’s elite panel, though the ICC insisted it wasn’t because his name had come up in the investigations.Rauf protested his innocence throughout and said he would be happy to cooperate with the ACSU. In 2016, the BCCI banned Rauf for five years on four charges of corruption and misconduct.Rauf had a substantial first-class career as a middle-order batter before he turned to umpiring, appearing for National Bank and Railways, averaging 28.76 from 71 first-class matches.

Abid Ali also gained for Pakistan, while Regis Chakabva and Blessing Muzarabani advanced for Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2021Pakistan bowlers Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi andNauman Ali have achieved their career-best rankings in the ICC men’s Test bowling rankings after their match-winning performances in the second Test against Zimbabwe, when they became the first trio from the country to take five-fors in the same match.Right-arm quick Hasan advanced six places up to 14th position after picking up 5 for 27 in the first innings, while left-arm pacer Afridi’s 5 for 52 helped him jump nine places up to 22nd and left-arm spinner Nauman getting 5 for 86 – both of them in the second innings – pushed him up to 46th position from 54th, as Pakistan completed a 2-0 sweep in Harare.Related

• Stats: Hasan, Nauman and Afridi enter record books

It was the first time three players registered five-wicket hauls for Pakistan in a Test and also just the sixth instance of three players from the same team picking up five-fors in a Test.Among batters, Pakistan opener Abid Ali’s 215 not out in the first innings helped him move 38 spots to 40th, while Azhar Ali vaulted to 16th position after his 126. Nauman, who hit 104-ball 97, also gained in this list, moving 35 places to 116th spot.Regis Chakabva, Zimbabwe’s best batter in the match, moved 16 places up to 81 after scores of 33 and 80, while his team-mate Blessing Muzarabani’s 3 for 82 helped him advance to 51st position in the bowlers’ list.

Dates of the Under-19 World Cup clash with Pakistan’s yet-to-be-confirmed Test series against Bangladesh

Umar Farooq25-Dec-2019Sixteen-year-old Naseem Shah’s participation in the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa early next year is not certain yet, with the senior team management not in favour of releasing him for age-group cricket. The junior team management, understandably, wants the star fast bowler freed up for the World Cup, as originally planned.ESPNcricinfo understands that the Under-19 team is waiting for Shah, who was named in the World Cup squad on December 6 after making his Test debut in Australia last month, to link up with his team-mates, who have been at a preparatory camp in Lahore since November 25.The issue at the moment is the senior team’s next assignment: a multi-format home series against Bangladesh, which is far from confirmed yet given the visiting team’s stated unwillingness to play Test cricket in Pakistan. If the Test matches – the only format Shah has played so far at the international level – do take place, they must be in early February. The last T20I against Bangladesh is scheduled for January 27, and the PSL begins in the third week of February. The Under-19 World Cup, meanwhile, runs from January 17 to February 10.”I don’t mind if they play him against Bangladesh in Tests, but if the series isn’t happening, then I would very much want Naseem in the squad for the World Cup,” Ijaz Ahmed, head coach of the Under-19 team, said. “He is important not just because he played Test cricket, but he was always the first-choice bowler for us in the World Cup. He was named in the squad and even the PCB chairman had given a clearance on his name. Having him in the squad will give our squad a major boost and the hype having him around us will give other boys a motivation.”I had requested Misbah [ul-Haq to release him if he is not playing the Tests against Bangladesh] and he, too, understands the importance of the World Cup and we are in discussion to sort this out once and for all. But if this isn’t go according to the plan, then we have reserve players on the bench who are with us from the last 25 days and very much part of our preparations. So I do have a plan B, but if it’s not Tests and only T20I against Bangladesh, then I think they [the senior team] have plenty of options to pick from and can easily release Naseem.”Pakistan, like the other teams, can make changes to their squad till January 10 without worrying about an ICC approval. After that, players can be replaced only on fitness grounds and will require the approval of the ICC’s event technical committee.Naseem Shah celebrates a wicket•AFP

As far as workload management is concerned, the senior team management had charted a course for Shah’s holistic development much before his international debut. To that end, he has been asked to skip the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where his side, Central Punjab, take on Northern from December 27 in Karachi. He is firmly in Pakistan’s plans for the England tour next year, too.Shah’s rise through the ranks has had its share of ups and downs. On Test debut, he dismissed Australia opener David Warner for 154 but was dropped in the next Test because of a niggle in his knee, which is understood to have hindered his rhythm in the nets.The teenager, however, emerged as an automatic selection for the home series against Sri Lanka that followed, taking seven wickets in the two Tests, including a second-innings five-for in the second game. The earned him the distinction of being the second-youngest bowler – behind compatriot Nasim-ul-Ghani in 1958 – to take a five-wicket haul in the longest format as Pakistan completed a 1-0 series victory.Shah’s Test debut in Australia was largely an experiment, with him having played only seven first-class matches prior. He had created quite a buzz even before landing in Australia, with footage of his express pace from the domestic circuit going viral. He was named in the starting XI in the tour game against Australia A, too, but didn’t bowl in the first innings following the death of his mother. He, however, made quite an impression with an eight-over burst in the second innings, picking up the wicket of Marcus Harris.

The former Australian legspinner was unimpressed by the words and catchphrases unveiled around Australian cricket this week

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2018Shane Warne was unimpressed by the new buzzwords and catch phrases in Australian cricket, saying it was “verbal diarrhoea” and that “it makes you vomit,” as the administration and team attempt to recover from the fallout of the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands in March.”Can I cut to the chase here? They need to find the best captain, find who’s going to be the best captain for each form of the game and say ‘guys, run with me’,” Warne said while commentating for during the first ODI against South Africa in Perth, where Australia suffered a heavy defeat. “Forget all the words, forget all the verbal diarrhoea and all that sort of stuff. That’s all rubbish, seriously, it makes you vomit.”Warne’s comments, which won’t come as a huge surprise, came after a week of tumult in Australian cricket, following the release of a team and culture review. A 38-word Player Pact was unveiled, and on the eve of the Perth ODI, photos revealed words such as “patience”, “pressure” and “elite honesty” emblazoned in the Australian dressing room. “Elite honesty,” in particular, came under a lot of scrutiny on social media.”You can write your 200-page document, you can have sports science and high performance and all that other ridiculous stuff,” Warne said. “I think some of the stuff they’re worrying about is trying to look like they’re doing the right thing. You can’t forget what Australians are, their DNA, and that is hard, aggressive, positive cricket and then play fairly.”At the end of the day you’ve got to play cricket, it’s a simple game and it’s a performance-based game. You’ve got to perform on the field. All these words and everything, it’s all about actions and I think it’s all about basics. The captain and vice-captain lead the way and the rest come after you. You inspire, inspire from within with your performances and the way you perform on the field.”None of this writing words, 200-page documents, just get out and play better.”

A BCCI official confirmed that the board would approach the court “very soon”

Arun Venugopal11-Aug-2017The BCCI is set to appeal against the Kerala High Court judgement that had ordered the board to lift the life ban on fast bowler Sreesanth for his alleged involvement in the 2013 spot- fixing scandal in the IPL. Confirming the development, a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo that the board would approach the court “very soon”.In its judgement on Monday, the Kerala High Court had, according to media reports, observed that the BCCI’s refusal to lift the ban was a violation of natural justice. After Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals bowlers – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – were arrested for alleged fulfilling of promises made to bookmakers in May 2013, they were banned for life by the BCCI.The court’s observations factored that in 2015 Sreesanth had been exonerated of spot-fixing charges by a Delhi trial court due to insufficient evidence under the MCOCA act, a special law passed by the Maharashtra state government to tackle organised crime syndicates and terrorism.The BCCI, however, has consistently detached its decisions from the outcome of any legal proceedings. Following the board’s investigation in 2013, conducted by the BCCI’s then anti-corruption unit chief Ravi Sawani, the BCCI maintained that its decisions “independent to any criminal proceeding” and “based on its independent disciplinary action, shall remain unaltered.”Consequently, Sreesanth’s request for a no-objection certificate to play league cricket for Glenrothes CC in Scotland was shot down in January. However, soon after his ban was lifted by the court, the Kerala Cricket Association, Sreesanth’s home body, wrote to the BCCI requesting the board to allow his return to active cricket in the forthcoming domestic season. Sreesanth last played official cricket during IPL 2013.”Sreesanth had met me a day after the judgement and communicated his availability for Kerala,” KCA secretary Jayesh George told ESPNcricinfo. “So, we wrote to the board asking it to consider the matter favourably and allow him to play domestic matches this year. The BCCI hasn’t replied to the letter yet.”For his part, Sreesanth said he was overwhelmed by the support from the cricketing community. “Since 2015, once I got the clean chit a lot of support has been coming, especially from the cricketers, first-class as well as international, but then especially from yesterday they have been bit more public and I am very happy that people are coming out in open and supporting me,” he told . “Everybody is looking up to me to perform and get back to the squad. That’s a great sign. All the first-class cricketers especially in Kerala and some international cricketers too have messaged me and motivated me saying ‘We always had faith in you and it’s just a matter of time, hope you have not put on weight.'”

Mohammad Amir has said he is “terribly lucky” to be back in the Test set-up, having served a jail sentence and a five-year suspension from the ICC for the 2010 spot-fixing case

Umar Farooq18-Jun-20161:02

Quick Facts – Amir set to play Tests again

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has said he is “terribly lucky” to be back in the Test set-up, having served a jail sentence in the UK and a five-year suspension from the ICC for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing case. Coincidentally, Amir is set to resume his Test career next month at Lord’s – the scene of the fixing scandal.Ahead of the Pakistan team’s departure for England on Saturday, Amir also said he had “unfinished business” and sought a fresh start to help Pakistan win the four-Test series.”To be honest I never thought about my comeback and I feel terribly lucky to be back to play Test cricket again,” Amir told ESPNcricinfo. “I was all excited for Test cricket because that is where my career was held back and I still can’t believe that this is happening. You call it a coincidence or whatever, but to me it is a blessing that I am starting right from where I stopped in 2010. That tour was marred by the controversy and that left me with unfinished business. My only aim is to be the best bowler of the series, get Pakistan to win the series, and sign off with fresh memories.”Amir was successfully reintegrated into Pakistan’s limited-overs team this year, but he has not played a Test since 2010. The fast bowler conceded he hasn’t forgotten the past, but he hoped to overcome it and put his name on the Lord’s honours board again.Amir, only 18 then, was the youngest player to find a place on the honours board when he claimed 6 for 84 on his first tour to England in 2010. He was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in the four-Test series with 19 at an average of 18.36, and ultimately shared the Player-of-the-Series award with England batsman Jonathan Trott. He and Mohammad Asif were then convicted after deliberately bowling no-balls at Lord’s.”I might have registered my comeback months ago, but Test cricket is the actual cricket, and playing it again is what I was looking forward to, and this is my real comeback,” Amir said. “I won’t say that I have forgotten my past, as my memory still holds those ugly moments from 2010, but I want to perform well. I want to get my name on the honours board at Lord’s once again to win back the love and support in England. I am looking at this tour positively as I want to supersede my past with a better future.”Amir’s reintegration had met internal opposition, with ODI captain Azhar Ali and former captain Mohammad Hafeez choosing to stay away from Pakistan’s training camp in December, before the New Zealand tour. The side has moved on since, and Amir said he was “stronger than before”, having learnt his lesson.”As a bowler I always try to be different every day and want to come hard to take a step towards improvement,” he said. “You will see a different Amir this time in England as a bowler, as a person with new refreshing thoughts. See I have gone through a lot of tough times, which actually taught me a lot of good lessons, and now I am much stronger than before. With every passing day I am getting mature, and maturity comes with time and experience. I got enough in my life to stand strong and look for a positive future ahead.”Mohammad Amir unleashed a scorching spell during his 3 for 18 against India at the Asia Cup in Mirpur•AFP

Amir also felt that his case would be an example for other players, and called for a life ban if anyone is found guilty of fixing.”This fixing in cricket should not be allowed and anyone caught should be banned for life,” he said. “If anyone still hasn’t learned a lesson from our cases, then he will be the biggest fool. Whatever happened with us and the way our careers went down, I think this is the biggest example for everyone. Imagine what we could have achieved in those lost years. I had missed five of the best years of my life and if I was still playing, everyone would know where I would have been standing right now.”If this [corruption] is still happening it is really alarming and there is a serious problem in the dignity of the player. I think the player must alone be blamed and nobody can help this. Neither the home board, nor the ICC nor the parents can help if the player doesn’t want to be honest. I think players themselves have to be honest. I fully back what [Alastair] Cook has said the other day, that fixers should be banned for life.”Although England captain Alastair Cook and fast bowler Stuart Broad expressed no concerns about facing Amir, who had served the punishment handed down to him, again, the Pakistan fast bowler was wary of sledging and hostility from the crowd. During the side’s tour to New Zealand earlier in the year, Amir was taunted by the Westpac Stadium announcer Mark McLeod, who had played a cash register sound effect during one of the bowler’s spells on his comeback. Pakistan’s team management had also claimed there was a spectator who flashed money and jewellery at their players during the first ODI in Wellington.”I always believe that as a professional you have to be ready for any kind of situation,” Amir said. “The crowd sometimes gets nasty but you are a professional only if you handle all kinds of situations wisely. In the ground the crowd shouts wherever you go, but as a professional it’s my duty to focus on the game and if you are not doing it, you are not into cricket. So naturally when I am on the ground, my utmost focus is on cricket and this is what I will be doing in England as well. Sledging is a part of game and it isn’t new in cricket and I have this in my mind. But I don’t want to lose my focus; I would rather think about my performance. With a positive frame of mind, such negative things will be irrelevant.”Amir has shown sparkling form since his return to cricket. He picked up 14 wickets in nine games in the Bangladesh Premier League at an average and economy rate of 12.64 and 5.56. He followed that with seven wickets in seven matches in the inaugural Pakistan Super League, including a hat-trick. Amir then took five wickets in two ODIs and 11 wickets in as many T20 internationals in 2016, including a sensational 3 for 18 against India at the Asia Cup in February.There have been a few questions about Amir’s fitness for the longest format, but he stated that he was ready for Tests. “The recent training camp in Kakul enhanced my fitness level,” he said. “I had never experienced such an intense training session and I really enjoyed that. I can clearly see a big difference in my fitness level after finishing the camp. I am completely ready for this form of the game and I have always been in love with five-day cricket. I am desperately waiting for it.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between England and New Zealand in a series where runs have come at an astonishing rate

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan13-Jun-2015

Match facts

June 14, 2015
Start time 10.30am local (0930GMT)3:14

Can lightning strike three times in a row?

Big Picture

Two matches, 1369 runs at 7.72 an over, three hundreds – the slowest off 87 balls – and 42 sixes. Who’d be a bowler? Only one of them, Trent Boult, is currently going at under a run-a-ball after two ODIs of mayhem from the batsmen.The (expensive) bottom line is that the series is all square with three to play after New Zealand clung on to secure victory at The Oval in the third-highest scoring ODI of all time. For a while, as Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler added 96 in 10.3 overs, then Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett refused to yield before the rain, England were make a terrific fist of what would have been the second highest successful chase after the Johannesburg gluttony of 2006.Both batting line-ups, with just the occasional exception, have kept up the charge from the start to the end and almost damn the consequences. In many ways, given the records of trying to chase vast ODI totals, England’s pursuit in the second match was the most impressive of the four innings even though they fell short.If the contests are to return to something of an even balance – and those enjoying the entertainment may not be bothered in the slightest at the dominance of bat over ball – then the bowlers need to find some answers. Boult has been head-and-shoulders above the other quicks, although Steven Finn has had his moments. New Zealand’s attack is very different without the calming presence of Daniel Vettori while England’s inexperienced bowlers are learning the hard way. And, if the trend continues, it is unlikely to get any easier.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LWWLL
New Zealand WLLWW

In the spotlight

The bowlers are having it tough so they need as much help as they can get from the fielders. It does not matter how big the scores get, the odd boundary saved here or there, or the extra run out pulled off could be the difference. Boult and Tim Southee combined for a piece of brilliance on the boundary edge to remove Rashid which finally ended England’s charge; relay catches, palming the ball back from the boundary, are now a regular part of practice. Incidences like that show why.Whither the yorker? This is, of course, not a new debate, but two matches like we have just witnessed brings the debate firmly back into focus. It is a mighty difficult delivery to bowl accurately, a smidgen wrong either away and it is a half volley or a full toss – both of which go the distance these days. But what has a bowler got to lose by trying a few more? When Chris Jordan nailed one at The Oval he had Grant Elliott lbw; the flip side is that batsmen of the ilk of Buttler have perfected the scoop. Also, if a captain knows his bowler is trying for full and straight he can at least set a field accordingly.

Teams news

Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett have been ruled out of the series with side and thigh injury respectively. Craig Overton had been drafted into the squad early on Saturday, while David Willey and Mark Wood are the other seam-bowling options in the squad.* The batting order is likely to remain the same unless England decide to swap out Sam Billings for an additional bowling option.England (possible) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Sam Billings, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey/Craig Overton, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Steven FinnWith Corey Anderson having been ruled out of the series – and no decision taken on a replacement – New Zealand’s options are a little restricted except for juggling their pace-bowling pack. Mitchell McClenaghan has gone at more than eight an over in the two matches and there may be a temptation to give a debut to fellow left-armer Ben Wheeler.New Zealand (possible) 1 Brendon McCullum (capt), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

Sorry, bowlers, but you are unlikely to get much relief at the Ageas Bowl. It has become a ground renowned for batting-friendly conditions in one-day cricket. However, the forecast is for a cloudy day which may offer the hope of some swing.

Stats and trivia

• Just in case in the batsmen needed any further confidence boosting, last time New Zealand played at this ground they racked up 359 for 3 with Martin Guptill making an unbeaten 189 which was his country’s individual record until he broke it himself with 237 not out in the World Cup quarter-final against West Indies.
• Among ODI venues in England and Wales (to have staged a decent sample size of matches), the Ageas Bowl has the second highest run rate – marginally behind Cardiff.
• New Zealand’s victory at The Oval was their 300th in ODIs. They are the eighth team to achieve this milestone. They’ve taken 684 games to get there, which is the most among these eight teams. South Africa got to 300 ODI wins the fastest – in only 483 matches, while Australia (519) and West Indies (540) are next.

Quotes

“We’re enjoying this brand of cricket and certainly having the guys in the changing room to play in that way naturally – not making it such a big deal.”
Eoin Morgan wants England to keep going with the flow“It’s been a difficult series for the bowlers so far, I think they’re looking forward to a pitch with a little bit more help at some stage. But it is something we need to keep working on, I think we made improvements from Edgbaston. England came very hard at us last night, harder than at Edgbaston but the boys got the job done.”
*9.10pmBST: the story was updated with news of Plunkett’s injury