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Two Caribbean Premier League squads will play warm-up fixtures against the USA men’s team in the build-up to this year’s pair of CPL double-headers in Florida

Peter Della Penna21-Jul-2017Two Caribbean Premier League squads will play warm-up fixtures against the USA men’s team in the build-up to this year’s pair of CPL double-headers in Florida on August 5 and 6.The first fixture will involve USA and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots on August 2 while Jamaica Tallawahs will play USA on August 3. Both games will take place at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill.The fixtures follow up efforts made by CPL organizers in 2016 to include USA national team players as part of the week’s festivities in Florida. A USA XI played a CPL Developmental XI in an exhibition T20 game during the four-day CPL tour of Florida last year. Each of the six CPL squads also included two USA players in their training squads throughout the week.Several first-choice players will be unavailable for USA, primarily because five players are contracted with CPL franchises during the tournament. Allrounder Timroy Allen is in his second year with Jamaica Tallawahs. Akeem Dodson is in his inaugural season with Barbados Tridents, as is legspinner Timil Patel with St Lucia Stars. Ali Khan returns to Guyana Amazon Warriors for his second year while USA captain Steven Taylor was drafted by Amazon Warriors earlier this year after spending the previous two seasons with Tridents.

A round-up of the fourth day’s action at ICC World Cricket League Division Five in Jersey

Peter Della Penna in Jersey 25-May-2016Guernsey left-arm spinner Max Ellis teamed with Thomas Kirk at first slip for four dismissals on the way to bowling out Nigeria for 99, setting up a ten-wicket win at St Saviour on Tuesday. Kirk also claimed another catch at slip for medium pacer Luke Nussbaumer to take five grabs in a stellar individual fielding effort. All ten wickets for Nigeria were either bowled, lbw or caught between first slip and gully as they lasted just 34 overs after choosing to bat first on a sunny and cloud-free morning.It could’ve been even worse for Nigeria with No. 3 batsman Salako Abdulazeez put down on nought by wicketkeeper Jason Martin, diving to his left across Kirk to spill a one-handed effort in the third over off Newey. Abdulazeez wound up making 20, one of three players to reach double-figures while three deliveries down the leg side that went to the boundary for five wides were part of Guernsey’s 22 extras conceded, joint second-highest score of the innings behind opener Joshua Ayannaike’s 26.Ellis entered in the 18th over and struck with his fourth ball, clipping the edge of Leke Oyede for 3 and continued to rip out the middle and lower order to finish with figures of 4 for 9 in nine overs including five maidens. It followed on from Nussbaumer’s incisive spell that wiped out the top order and resulted in 3 for 13 off four overs.Matthew Stokes and GH Smit began cautiously in pursuit of the target, especially after both were dropped in the slips on 9 and 1 respectively inside the first six overs off opening bowlers Okpe Issac and Chimezie Onwuzulike. They were going at barely above three an over through the first 12 before Stokes started to come out of his shell with a pair of sweeps to the square leg boundary against spinner Sesan Adedeji in an 11-run over to take the score to 48 after 13.Smit cracked three boundaries in the 16th and Stokes did the same in the 18th to take the score to 98. A sliced two past gully five balls into the 19th by Smit ended proceedings ahead of the scheduled lunch interval as Smit finished on 38 with six fours while Stokes walked off unbeaten on 48 with eight boundaries. Stokes has 126 runs so far in three innings at this tournament and has been dismissed just once.Hosts Jersey defeated Tanzania by 85 runs at St Clement behind an unbeaten century and two wickets from left-arm spinning allrounder Ben Stevens. Jersey captain Peter Gough opted to bat first at the toss and struck 47 in an 87-run opening stand with Nat Watkins before making way for Stevens in the 18th over. Stevens teamed with Cornelis Bodenstein and later Corey Bisson for a pair of half-century stands on the way to making 103 not out off 88 balls.The left-hander brought up his first fifty off 61 balls – with his fourth boundary in the 42nd over – then accelerated dramatically to club 51 off his next 27 deliveries, with only four dot balls in that stretch. On 93 at the start of the final over, Stevens struck his third six and then followed it with a two to bring up three figures as Jersey ended on 273 for 5.Tanzania posted their highest score of the tournament so far in reply, batting out all 50 overs to end on 188 for 8, but scoring at three per over through the first 35 overs they were never a serious chance of overhauling the target especially once star allrounder Kassim Nassoro fell to Ben Kynman for a top score of 42 to make it 106 for 5.Stand-in captain Shaheed Dhanani, deputizing for the omitted Hamisi Abdallah, also made 42 before being bowled by Charles Perchard, one of two wickets for the medium pacer in the final over of the match.At St Martin, Oman cantered to victory over Vanuatu by nine wickets with 9.2 overs to spare. Zeeshan Maqsood followed up his half-century against Jersey on Monday with an unbeaten 130 off 138 balls to spearhead the chase of Vanuatu’s respectable total of 204 for 7 after the Pacific islanders opted to bat first.Vanuatu did themselves no favours in the field though, dropping Maqsood twice in the slips in the opening three overs off Nalin Nipiko and Callum Blake before the allrounder had reached 15. They entered the day already behind the eight ball with leading pace bowler Patrick Matautaava ruled out with a left quadriceps injury and things got worse later on when Nipiko, who took the new ball in Matautaava’s place, walked off halfway through the innings with a left groin injury. Both Matautaava and Nipiko remain in doubt for Vanuatu’s final two fixtures against Tanzania and Nigeria.Earlier, Nipiko made a valiant unbeaten 93 off 108 balls, but Vanuatu struggled to maintain momentum – their best partnership was 44 runs for the fifth and eighth wickets – with Oman’s attack taking wickets at regular intervals at the opposite end. Rajeshkumar Ranpura took 2 for 37 to lead the attack with Munis Ansari having a rest day following his career-best 5 for 27 against Jersey.Tuesday’s results moved Guernsey to 3-0 and they’ll take on 2-1 Jersey on Wednesday at St Martin in a pivotal showdown that could determine promotion berths for Division Four a day ahead of the end of the group stage. Wins by Guernsey and Oman, who face Tanzania at St Saviour, would clinch promotion to Division Four for both sides.A Jersey victory over Guernsey though could leave the door open for a three-way tie between the three sides at 4-1 if Guernsey goes on to defeat Oman on the last day of group play paired with a Jersey win over Nigeria. In such a scenario, the tiebreaker to decide the two teams promoted would be decided by net run rate. After three rounds of play, Guernsey holds a +0.141 advantage over Oman and a +1.099 advantage over Jersey. Vanuatu and Tanzania sit at 0-3 and have already been eliminated from contention for promotion while Nigeria at 1-2 is also a threat of being relegated.

Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland batsman and former captain, has been added to the squad for the 2016 World T20 qualifier starting next month, following batsman Freddie Coleman’s withdrawal

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2015Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland batsman and former captain, has been added to the squad for the 2016 World T20 qualifier starting next month, following batsman Freddie Coleman’s withdrawal due to personal circumstances. Coetzer was not a part of the 15-member squad announced on Monday and, on Wednesday, Cricket Scotland sought to clarify his earlier omission, stating the board initially believed the decision was in the player’s “best interest”, to allow him to concentrate on securing his future in county cricket.According to Cricket Scotland, the board had spoken with Coetzer before the squad was submitted to the ICC last Friday. The board said that Coetzer believed he would be a part of the squad if he was unable to secure a county deal through July. Coetzer has scored 31 runs in three first-class matches for Northamptonshire this season in Division 2 of the County Championship.”The organisation initially believed it was acting in Kyle Coetzer’s best interest by not selecting him for the WT20Q and allowing him to concentrate on securing his future in county cricket,” Cricket Scotland said in a release. “This was based on a number of conversations that were had with the player before the squad was submitted to Dubai last Friday, as to meet the ICC deadline requirements.”Having since discussed this with the Kyle, he clearly believed that if he was unable to secure a county loan deal through July, he would be included in the squad for the competition. Cricket Scotland has met with Kyle in the last 24 hours and clarified the situation. Both parties will now move forward and wish to state that there is no rift between the player and the organisation.”Coetzer, 31, was part of the World Cup earlier this year and finished as Scotland’s leading run-scorer with 253 runs at 42.16 including 156 against Bangladesh in Nelson. In 20 T20Is he has scored 442 runs at 23.26 with a strike-rate of 101.14.The World T20 qualifier begins on July 9, with co-hosts Scotland scheduled to play their opening game against UAE in Edinburgh. The top six sides from the 14-team tournament will join the 10 Full Members for the 2016 World Twenty20, to be held in India from March 11 to April 3.

Jacques Kallis will play in the third Test in Perth if he is fit enough to bat and field, although he will definitely not bowl

Firdose Moonda at Adelaide Oval26-Nov-2012Jacques Kallis will play in the third Test in Perth if he is fit enough to bat and field, although he will definitely not bowl. South Africa called up allrounder Ryan McLaren as cover but are hopeful Kallis will be ready to bat at No.4, even after it was revealed that he would have exacerbated his hamstring injury by batting in both innings to help save the Adelaide Test.Kallis batted nearly two hours in the first innings for 58, and for two and a half hours in the second to make 47. He came in at No. 9 and No. 7 and had match-saving partnerships with Faf du Plessis on each occasion.Not one to show much emotion, Kallis was in discomfort throughout his time at the crease and battled to run between the wickets. Still, he told team-mates the injury did not cause him even a fraction of the pain he had suffered during a century with a side strain against India in January 2011. Kallis was on the physiotherapist Brandon Jackson’s bench for many hours of this Test and will spend more time there in the next three days.”I know he [Kallis] is working hard with Jacko and I know he wants to be a part of Perth,” Graeme Smith said after his team drew the second Test. “He is definitely not going to bowl but he could play as a batter.”If Kallis plays purely as a batsman, South Africa’s strategy would be different to the one Australia employed with their allrounder Shane Watson. A calf injury had ruled Watson out of the first Test and team management had indicated he would be recalled for the second only if he could bat and bowl.South Africa also have top-order batsman Dean Elgar in the squad as a possible replacement for Kallis, but Smith said they had not made a decision about who will step in if necessary. “If he [Kallis] is not fit, we will deal with it in the same way we have dealt with the other things that have dealt us a curve ball in the series,” Smith said.South Africa had suffered a major blow when they lost JP Duminy to a ruptured Achilles’ tendon after the first day of the Brisbane Test. They had to play with ten men for the rest of the match and were short a spinner in the attack. They were dealt a less severe blow when Kallis left the field after bowling 3.3 overs in Adelaide. Although he could not bowl, Kallis was cleared to bat in both innings.The Kallis injury occurred a few hours after Vernon Philander had been ruled out of the second Test with lower-back spasms that he sustained overnight. Philander was expected to recover in time for the Perth Test but given the bad luck South Africa have had in Australia, Smith was reserved about clearing him to play. “He is bowling and we expect him to fully fit for Perth. When we toss the coin, I will tell you if everything is fine.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the third Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Sharjah

The Preview by Nitin Sundar02-Nov-2011

Match Facts

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, November 3-7, Sharjah
Start time 1000 (0600 GMT)Umar Gul and Junaid Khan have made sure there has been no dip in the skill levels of Pakistan’s new-ball operators, despite the loss of the Mohammads Asif and Amir•AFP

Big Picture

Two days after the Southwark Crown Court’s landmark verdict in the spot-fixing investigation, Pakistan’s players will have to forget about their former team-mates and focus on five days of hard Test cricket. They play at a venue favoured by their predecessors but much has changed since those heady days of the 1980s. In 2001 the Indian government banned the national side from playing there but Pakistan’s exile as a cricketing venue has given the Emirates a fresh lease of life in recent years, and Sharjah is set to host its first Test in nine years, and fifth overall.The Pakistan side that takes guard on Thursday will also be unrecognisable from the flashy crowd-pullers that used to grace this venue back in the day. More tellingly, they have little in common with the outfit that sizzled with the ball and floundered with the bat in England last summer. The last time Pakistan lined up for Test cricket in Sharjah, they were handed two ruthless hammerings by Australia, including the ignominy of being bowled out for 59 and 53 in the same match. Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Taufeeq Umar were a part of that series in 2002, and each of them would disappear into Pakistan’s fringes before re-emerging, stronger than ever. The trio lends the Pakistan line-up a look of steel that was last seen when Inzamam-ul-Haq was still playing. The bowling line-up has lost the Mohammads Asif and Amir but Junaid Khan has already replicated their ability to hoop the ball each way – that too under an unrelenting sun and on unresponsive tracks.While Pakistan have blended their innate flair with discipline to take a 1-0 lead, their opponents continue to regress inexplicably. Muttiah Muralitharan’s absence has left the bowling hamstrung, but that is only one half of the story. The lack of bowling nous has put Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene under such intense pressure that it has affected their productivity with the bat. The captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan, is going through a horror run of form as well – he has scored 177 runs in his last nine outings, 83 of those coming in one innings against Australia. A turnaround in his personal fortunes will help his team get back on track.There’s plenty riding on this match for Pakistan. A 2-0 series scoreline will take them ahead of Sri Lanka to fifth in the ICC Test table, and within touching distance of Australia. That’s not too bad for a side that plays all its games away from home, in the absence of a bunch of potential first-choice players who are either ignored, banned, or facing jail terms.

Form guide (completed games, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: LDDDL
Pakistan: WDWWL

In the spotlight

Sri Lanka’s batsmen are accomplished players of spin, and most of them have had the fortune of honing their skills against Muttiah Muralitharan in the nets. Saeed Ajmal posed a different style and trajectory to Murali, and worked his way to 11 wickets in the first two Tests. Sri Lanka would have done their homework in the interim, and will have plans for him in Sharjah. Can Ajmal still manage to slip his doosras through their defences?Mahela Jayawardene seldom lets a full series go without a hundred. So far in the series, Ajmal has out-thought him twice, while the seamers have got him nicking into the cordon twice. Jayawardene is too good to repeat such errors, and Pakistan should be on high alert when he walks out to bat in the decider.

Team news

Playing two spinners in a four-man attack worked well for Pakistan in Dubai, and the indications are that they will stick to the same combination.Pakistan (likely): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Umar Gul, 9 Abdur Rehman, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid KhanSri Lanka are mulling the possibility of benching Lahiru Thirimanne and promoting Dilshan back to the opener’s slot. Seamer Kosala Kulasekara’s name is also doing the rounds, as Sri Lanka seek to make their attack more incisive.Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Tharanga Paranavitana, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kaushal Silva (wk), 7 and 8 Two of Dhammika Prasad / Suraj Randiv / Kosala Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Chanaka Welegedera, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

Maximum temperatures of about 31 degrees will provide the teams with welcome respite, though the humidity will continue to sap them. The Intercontinental Cup fixture hosted here between Afghanistan and UAE unfolded in classic Test-match style, with batting getting progressively difficult, as the visitors held on grimly for a draw on the final day. The one-dayers that followed were also low-scoring affairs, with spinners dominating the proceedings.Dilshan noted the presence of a grassy cover on the strip, but it remains to be seen if the grass makes it to the match morning. Misbah expected it to be a “normal Sharjah pitch” that will assist the batsmen.

Stats & Trivia

• Mahela Jayawardene is 105 runs away from becoming the ninth batsman and the first ever Sri Lankan to score 10,000 runs
• Kumar Sangakkara is eleventh in the all-time list, and 28 runs away from reaching the 9000-run mark
• Misbah-ul-Haq has led Pakistan in five Test series including the current one, none of which they have lost

Quotes

“We know which areas we have to improve on, and if we play our brand of cricket then it gives us a good chance to level the series. I am not feeling any pressure but I am worried about my batting. I have worked hard and have confidence that I can come out and score big.”

“Sri Lanka are a very good side and they are fighters so we are ready for it but our focus is to do the basics well and play like we have done in the last year and a half.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the 2nd ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom

The Preview by Liam Brickhill 16-Oct-2010

Match Facts

Sunday October 17, Potchefstroom

Start time 10:00am (0800 GMT)Zimbabwe will continue to rely on Brendan Taylor’s good form as they strive to keep the one-day series alive•AFP

The Big Picture

This series is still alive, but unless Zimbabwe can pull together to fight in unison South Africa’s superior batting firepower will continue to prove the difference between two sides whose bowlers have collectively been made to toil hard on a succession of featherbeds. Where Zimbabwe have provided promise, South Africa have more often than not delivered on their potential and played more effectively as a team; their shots travelling that much further, their seamers’ lines that much tighter.That is to take nothing away from the quality of some of the individual efforts from the visitors. The past history of Zimbabwe cricket’s voyages south of the Limpopo is littered with a succession of one-sided whompings, and while the most recent excursion is still winless there has been far less embarrassment this time round.South Africa’s batting, in the absence of Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, is in a state of flux as a generational changing of the guard takes hold. But the results so far suggest good health – notwithstanding the disappointingly weak nature of the opposition’s attack – and that department’s future seems to be in good hands.The back-up bowlers have been less convincing, however, and the fielding is still carrying a tinge of early-season rustiness. Some hard work is no doubt being put in to rectify these issues, but conditions in Potchefstroom are likely to favour the batsmen once more and the hosts’ relatively inexperienced seam attack will continue to feel the pressure. South Africa’s bowlers remains a cut above Zimbabwe’s, however, and if their batsmen continue to dine on the visitors’ tame offerings then the series may well be decided on Sunday.

Form guide

South Africa WWWWW

Zimbabwe LLWWL

Watch out for…

In the midst of his defiant century at Bloemfontein, Brendan Taylor took his tally of international runs in the last 12 months past 1,000, across formats. That knock was his third ODI hundred in 24 games during that time – suggesting that Taylor is in a rich vein of form – and if he and one or two of Zimbabwe’s batsmen can perform in the same game then South Africa could face their sternest test of the series.Earmarked early in his career for his destructive potential, Albie Morkel has had a quiet time in international cricket of late. His last 10 ODIs have yielded just 147 runs – including 50 in one innings against Zimbabwe last November – and he shone only briefly in the midst of a disappointing South African campaign at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean earlier this year. However, his bowling in Bloemfontein was steady, if unspectacular, and if Morkel can settle at the crease his undoubted ability could lead to a demolition of Zimbabwe’s unproven seamers.

Pitch and conditions

Even this early in the season, a day game in Potchefstroom means just one thing: runs. The ground will also hold bad memories for Zimbabwe as the last time these two sides met here South Africa racked up an enormous 418 for 5, Mark Boucher spanking 10 sixes in an unbeaten 68-ball 147. It could also be a hot day in the field for both sides, with sunny, clear skies expected.

Team news

South Africa are likely to retain the same XI that won on Friday. The one change they may think about is bringing in fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe in place of Charl Langeveldt.South Africa (possible) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 JP Duminy, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Johan Botha, 8 Ryan McLaren, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Rusty Theron 11 Lonwabo TsotsobeSean Williams’ place could be under the scanner after his indifferent performance in the first ODI, with Craig Ervine a possible replacement. Ed Rainsford could also make the final XI, in place of Chris MpofuZimbabwe (possible) 1 Brendan Taylor, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Chamu Chibhabha, 4 Sean Williams/Craig Ervine, 5 Grant Flower, 6 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 7 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Prosper Utseya, 10 Shingirai Masakadza, 11 Chris Mpofu/Ed Rainsford

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have never lost a ODIs at Potchefstroom. In six matches, the closest they came to a defeat was a tie against Australia in 2002.
• Grant Flower is Zimbabwe’s second highest ODI run-getter and is 237 runs short of his brother Andy’s tally.
• Hashim Amla’s one-day average of 56.96 is the second highest among all batsmen who have played a minimum of 20 innings
• In the last 12 months, Brendan Taylor has averaged 48.15 in one-day cricket, scoring 963 runs including three hundreds and six fifties.

Quotes

“At the moment we don’t have [Steyn and Morkel], but it’s an opportunity for guys to still get their skills right. When those guys are back and fit these guys will be looking to stake claims, so it’s important that they show their worth.”
“When we arrived here we wanted to be positive and take our cricket to the next level, and we’re moving in the right direction.”

Pakistan’s captain Younis Khan says that his team were more interested in focussing on their game

Cricinfo staff02-Nov-2009Pakistan’s captain Younis Khan sought to put aside talk of revenge from their loss in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final to New Zealand, saying his team were focussing on their game.”It’s not a revenge series but all the players have it in their minds to beat New Zealand,” he said. “In sport, there is no revenge but we will not forget that [Champions Trophy] loss. It’s not going to be easy beating New Zealand. They are a closely-knit team, they play as a unit and they did very well in the Champions Trophy.”Moreover, since it’s a neutral venue the conditions will be similar for both sides, so there will be no advantage or disadvantage for any team. It’s important we play as a team.”Younis said his team needed to sharpen their fielding, an area of play that let them down in the Champions Trophy – especially a dropped catch by Younis off Grant Elliot in the semi-final. “This is one area where we need improvement as New Zealand have a clear edge on us in this department. We suffer a lot because of fielding but the boys have shown an inclination to improve and I am sure this series will see them field well.”One of Pakistan’s most potent weapons could be Mohammad Aamer, the teenage left-arm fast bowler, around whom there has been much hype of late. Younis, though, said he was staying calm. “Sometimes if you have a young guy and he achieves everything so soon then he can get out of his focus,” he said. “But he is more focused and I think what he needs is some more muscle as he’s a thin guy and he’s working with (fitness trainer) David Dwyer to achieve that.”He spoke on Pakistan’s other young talent. “Everyone knows about Mohammad Aamer and (batsman) Umar Akmal but we have a couple of other good youngsters in our team. “In batting we have Khalid Latif who scored a double hundred and a hundred in recent matches – he’s a guy you’ll be seeing soon, and we also have Wahab Riaz, another left-arm fast bowler.”These four are our future and hopefully they’ll become regulars in our team.”It has been a whirlwind month for Younis, who resigned from the captaincy against suspicions of match-fixing raised in the aftermath of that semi-final loss to New Zealand and murmurs about factions in the team and management. He initially said he was keen to stop what, according to him, was a flawed search for answers every time the side failed to win, but subsequently he resumed the captaincy.Shahid Afridi, the vice-captain, recently quashed rumours about an ongoing rift with Younis, and the captain again found himself doing the same. “This team is not anyone’s personal property and we are all playing for one country,” Younis said. “Our aim is common, and that is to ensure victory for Pakistan.”After the limited-overs series in the UAE Pakistan move to New Zealand for three Tests, after which they head across the Tasman to Australia for three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20.

Pakistan will kick off the tournament against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2024India will play their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the UAE. The decision, though widely expected, was finalised after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met with Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior UAE minister and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board.”The PCB has picked the UAE as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said.The Pakistan vs India league match will be played on February 23, a Sunday. Apart from Pakistan, the other two teams in India’s group are Bangladesh and New Zealand. India will face Bangladesh on February 20, and New Zealand on March 2. All these games are likely to be held in Dubai.

Champions Trophy 2025 groups

Group A – Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and New Zealand
Group B – Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa

Pakistan, the defending champions, will kick off the tournament on February 19, against New Zealand in Karachi. Pakistan’s last league match, against Bangladesh, will be played in Rawalpindi on February 27.The second group has Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa. The matches for both groups – apart from the India games – will be played across Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.The two semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 (without a reserve day) and March 5 (with a reserve day). The final on March 9 also has a reserve day. The first semi-final, if India make it to that stage, will be played in the UAE. If India don’t qualify, the game will be held in Pakistan. The final is slotted for Lahore, with the provision of holding it in the UAE if India make it that far.The hybrid model was finalised after the parties involved agreed that, in return, Pakistan’s matches at ICC events hosted by India till 2027 will also be at a neutral venue. In all instances, knockout games such as the semi-final and the final will also be held at neutral venues.The agreement begins with the Champions Trophy, and will apply to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India, and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It will also apply to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next events cycle that has now been awarded to Pakistan.

New chief selector accuses player of going back on his word, but it is understood that Rauf views the exchange differently

Danyal Rasool20-Nov-2023Chief selector Wahab Riaz has launched a withering critique of Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf, claiming he had backed out of being a part of the Test squad for the tour of Australia and that it would “hurt Pakistan cricket”.At his first press conference since being appointed to the role, Wahab announced Pakistan’s 18-member squad, but almost instantly, shifted focus towards Rauf’s non-selection, accusing the player of going back on his word. It is a claim that, a source close to Rauf told ESPNcricinfo, the player vehemently denies.”We spoke to Haris Rauf for this tour,” Wahab said. “When we spoke to him two days ago, he gave his consent to play Test cricket for Pakistan. But last night he changed his mind, and now he doesn’t want to be part of this Test series. I’m revealing this because we should be honest with officials, team-mates, and the public. We spoke to Haris and he was worried about his body and fitness, as well as his workload. Mohammad Hafeez and I sat with him and tried to facilitate him in every way. We told him even if he didn’t perform well there, we would accept it.Related

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• 'The priority is Pakistan' – Hafeez stresses international-first policy for contracted players

• Explainer – Making sense of Babar Azam's unexpected resignation as Pakistan captain

“Our physio spoke to him and said he wouldn’t expect any issue or injury. Of course there’s fatigue, but we were sure we could have managed that very well. But he pulled out at the last moment and he made himself unavailable. I think this will hurt Pakistan cricket.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Rauf views his exchange with Wahab very differently. A source close to the player revealed that Rauf had never committed to playing the Test matches in Australia, and confirmed his non-availability the previous night. He told Wahab he hadn’t played much red-ball cricket in the build-up, and wanted to work on his white-ball game as well as his fitness.Wahab also mentioned about the other talking points around the selection of the first Pakistan squad since Babar Azam quit captaincy, but repeatedly found himself drawing back towards Rauf.”I just told you a short version of what Haris and I spoke about,” he said. “We spoke to the captain and coach, and we said we view Haris Rauf as an impact bowler. We weren’t demanding more than 10-12 overs a day. The only issue is when you say you’re available for Pakistan, especially at a time when our three main high-pace bowlers, who can bowl over 140 [kph] other than Haris are unavailable. At some point, you need to sacrifice to play for your country. Haris was committed to us, and pulled out after two days.”In his first press conference as Pakistan chief selector Wahab Riaz faced a barrage of questions•Associated Press

That Rauf’s absence provoked such a strong reaction is something of a surprise for cricketing reasons, too. Rauf has only ever played one Test match, the first against England in Rawalpindi last year. He got injured after bowling 13 overs in the first innings, and did not bowl thereafter. He was not a part of Pakistan’s squad for the away series in Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won 2-0. But the conditions in Australia, coupled with the unavailability of Naseem Shah and Ihsanullah, means Wahab appears to have felt strongly about having Rauf on tour.”I’ve played with most of these boys and I have a great relationship with them,” Wahab said. “But when it comes to professionalism, we have to look at what’s best for Pakistan. Haris was unavailable after the England series and not a part of any other Test series. When you are a centrally contracted player, it is your duty to serve Pakistan. I’m not disappointed, but the same players will later complain they weren’t given the opportunity, and people will ask why such and such player wasn’t selected.”Wahab did say it wouldn’t affect his inclusion in Pakistan’s T20I and ODI sides, though, but that he would “respect and value the players who want to be a part of red-ball cricket. Playing red-ball cricket makes you a better player.”The conflict between player and selector sets up a fascinating showdown ahead of the Big Bash League in Australia. Rauf is considered a marquee player for the Melbourne Stars. The league starts on December 13 and runs until February 4, overlapping with all three Tests in Australia, and would have hindered his availability had he been a part of the Pakistan squad.However, ESPNcricinfo also understands there is no guarantee of the PCB issuing a No-Objection Certificate for Rauf to play the BBL while relations between the chief selector and Rauf remain strained. Pakistan’s centrally contracted players did sign recent contracts that saw the PCB agree to permitting players to take part in two foreign T20 leagues, but how that plays out in practice remains to be seen.

Pair put on mammoth 248-run, fifth-wicket stand to take contest away from Durham

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2022Derbyshire 283 (du Plooy 122, Dal 90, Rushworth 7-44) and 320 for 6 (du Plooy 134, Guest 116, Rushworth 4-44) lead Durham 296 (Mackintosh 51, Pettman 3-40, Thomson 3-48) by 316 runsCenturies from Leus du Plooy and Brooke Guest worked Derbyshire into a match-winning position on day three of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Durham.Du Plooy and Guest combined for a mammoth stand of 248 for the fifth wicket to take the contest away from the home side, recovering from the loss of two early wickets that had put the visitors in trouble at 36 for 4 in the first hour of the day.The two Derbyshire batters were outstanding as Du Plooy scored his second century of the game, while Guest passed three figures for the third time of the campaign to leave their side in command at the close at 329 for 6 with a lead of 316 and the potential of an overnight declaration.After reducing the visitors to 19 for 2 in the evening session on day two, Matt Salisbury ramped up the pressure on Derbyshire by pinning Luis Reece lbw for 12 after the opener opted to leave a straight delivery. Rushworth then claimed his 10th wicket of the game by ousting Wayne Madsen for nine, leaving the visitors in a precarious position with a lead of only 23.The visitors were in dire need of a partnership to calm proceedings, and Guest and Du Plooy rose to the occasion in sublime manner. They ushered Derbyshire into the lunch break to stem the tide and force Durham captain Scott Borthwick to alter his plans.After the break, Guest and Du Plooy reached their half-centuries in the same Liam Trevaskis over and continued to lay the foundations of a match-winning position. Guest had been stymied in the morning session, but moved through the gears against a toiling Durham attack in the afternoon under the baking sun at Chester-le-Street. The bowlers found no life in a flat pitch, and it allowed Guest and Du Plooy to capitalise to great effect, turning the momentum of the game in the favour of Derbyshire.Du Plooy was unfettered and continued his fine form from the first innings, offering nothing to the home side in a controlled knock. For the second time of the partnership, both men reached their milestones in the same over as Du Plooy became the 19th Derbyshire player to score two hundreds in a match. Guest followed his team-mate to three figures from 216 balls, securing his third ton of the campaign along, pushing their partnership past 200, Derbyshire’s highest for the fifth wicket against Durham.Du Plooy’s outstanding innings was finally ended by Rushworth with the new ball finding the outside edge, but only after the left-hander notched his highest score of the campaign. Guest soon followed for 116 lbw to Salisbury, but the visitors were already entrenched in a dominant position before Anuj Dal and Hilton Cartwright worked their lead past the 300-run mark at the close.