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While Edulji wants Ramesh Powar to continue, Rai appoints ad-hoc committee to shortlist new coach

Sidharth Monga and Nagraj Gollapudi 11-Dec-2018The question of the coach for the India women’s team, itself a highly divisive matter within the side, has become the latest flashpoint in the two-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), with Diana Edulji taking strong exception to the “unilateral” decision taken by Vinod Rai over the process of appointing a new coach.The war of words between the two surviving members of the CoA, which has been reduced from four following the resignations of two other original members, also reopened the role played by Virat Kohli in the controversial departure of Anil Kumble as the head coach of the India men’s team last year.

Powar reapplies for India women coach role

Ramesh Powar, whose tenure as the interim coach of the India women’s team ended on November 30, has reapplied for the position.
“I can’t let the girls down, especially Harman, Smriti for showing the support for the hard work we put together for three months,” Powar told ESPNcricinfo. “Whatever happens next is not in my control. Their backing gives you that much satisfaction that they recognise your hard work, their own hard work, the hard work we put together to qualify [for the World T20 semi-finals] after eight years, winning 14 games in a row, no matter whether it was beating Australia A or beating Australia. I thought about it for a week, discussed it with my friends and family. I felt I should do what’s in my control – to reapply – especially to respect their support and the hard work we put in together in such a short time which took us to the semis.”

Despite Edulji’s insistence on retaining Ramesh Powar, who had been India women’s interim coach till the World T20, Rai had signed a BCCI media release, which stated that an ad-hoc committee was formed to shortlist and finalise the new coach. The panel, comprising Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shanta Rangaswamy, will conduct interviews on December 20.Rai said he was “constrained” to give the final instructions to appoint the ad-hoc committee in the “best interests” of women’s cricket. “We can’t extend uncertainty,” Rai said in an email sent to Edulji and the BCCI hierarchy, including the three office bearers.Edulji, who was disappointed with Rai’s decision, told ESPNcricinfo that “this committee has not been approved by me”. She strongly disagreed with Rai, saying he could not take “unilateral” decisions, considering the Supreme Court had given her equal authority.”As chairman he can’t take any unilateral decisions as there is no casting vote for chairman,” she said. “It is strange that in a democratic set-up of the CoA only views of one person are considered and the views expressed by other member who was also appointed by the Supreme Court along with you don’t matter.”The divide between the two CoA members surfaced as soon as the BCCI opted against renewing Powar’s contract, which had expired on November 30. Powar was appointed as the interim coach from September 1, replacing Tushar Arothe, who had to resign after senior players had told the BCCI that they did not agree with his coaching style.In a long trail of emails exchanged with Rai, which have been accessed by ESPNcricinfo, Edulji stressed that Powar should “continue” as coach because India’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana had requested he do so.Edulji reminded Rai that the precedent of listening to the player’s view had already been set last year during the controversial resignation of Kumble, who was told by the BCCI that Kohli had differences with his style of coaching. Edulji told Rai that he had accepted Kohli’s word despite Kumble having the backing of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), the three-member selection panel that had appointed him as coach.”The captain [Harmanpreet] and vice-captain [Mandhana] have requested their choice, so why can’t we respect their choice for this tour till we get clarity on the committee,” Edulji said in an email on Tuesday. “We can go ahead and continue with the same coach. The views of the two senior players must not be ignored.”Virat did not accede to Kumble continuing inspite of CAC saying so, then why not these two players get what they feel is best for the team.”Rehab mates: Harmanpreet and Mandhana, captain and vice-captain of India’s T20I team, spent quality time with each other while recovering from injuries at NCA•Annesha Ghosh/Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In response, Rai argued that although Kumble had “stepped back” due to the “differences” with Kohli, players had not sent emails to CoA or the BCCI. Rai told Edulji that a head coach could not be picked by asking for the players’ votes. “Yes- there were differences between Virat and Kumble,” Rai said. “As a consequence of that Kumble stepped back. More importantly, the team did not send emails. The team must realise that that coaches are not decided on team votes.”Edulji responded saying there was “nothing wrong” with Harmanpreet and Mandhana recording their opinions about the coach saga in emails because “they were truthful in expressing their views.” Despite earning the backing of a majority of the Indian players, Powar could not earn similar respect from the team’s senior-most player and ODI captain Mithali Raj.Raj was included in only three out of the five matches India played in the World T20 and was dropped for the semi-finals against England. In a scathing email to the BCCI management, Raj said Powar wanted to “destroy” her career. In response, Powar said Raj threatened to walk out of the WT20 and retire if she was not allowed to open.Edulji also accused Rai of keeping her away from discussions when he met Raj and Harmanpreet in Delhi recently to resolve the differences between the pair and seek their views on the appointment of coach. The next day, Powar received a shot in the arm after Harmanpreet and Mandhana had sent out separate emails urging the CoA and the BCCI to continue with Powar, who they said had a positive impact on the players. As for the differences between Powar and Raj, both players insisted these could be sorted amicably. “In my absence, you had a meeting with the two women cricket captains and when I enquired on the same; you replied saying they wanted to meet you, so you met them. Once again, you have failed to understand that I have an equal say in all matters of BCCI as CoA with equal rights not less not more.”Edulji also wanted the CAC comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman to conduct the interviews and shortlist the names for the women’s coach. The CAC members had informed the BCCI that they were not available to be present at such short notice, but given a “defined role” and adequate time they would be happy to help. Edulji suggested India could travel with Powar continuing as the interim coach for their tour of New Zealand in January, allowing CAC to do their job.However, Rai was in no mood to oblige. “We cannot now withdraw and say that we will continue with our ad-hoc coach of three months – who has been the reason for such bad blood in the team. This chapter has to be closed and the earlier the better.”Rai said that he could not understand why Edulji and the senior players were against hiring a new, experienced head coach, who could possibly help them crossover the “plateau” they keep hitting in big-ticket tournaments like the World Cup.Rai asked Edulji to instead “persuade” the Indian women players to “grow out of micro issues” and see the “macro” picture.” “What I cannot understand is why some members of the team, or any other person advising them, is against having an internationally acclaimed coach. Don’t we seek to upgrade the team from the plateau that they keep hitting in international games?

The protective headgear – part helmet, part face mask – is designed to protect Warren Barnes from a possible injury due to his unique follow-through

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2017Batsmen and wicketkeepers have worn helmets for decades now, and with the evolution of power-hitting, especially in the T20 format, a few umpires and bowlers are also exploring the option of protective headgear to guard against injury. In Hamilton on Saturday, it was the turn of 25-year-old Otago fast bowler Warren Barnes to trial protective headgear while bowling against Northern Districts in a Super Smash T20 match.The headgear – part helmet and part face-mask – has been designed by Barnes and Otago coach Rob Walter, to protect the bowler from injury due to his unique follow-through. Barnes’ head goes down in his follow through, meaning his eyes are off the ball after release, which makes him vulnerable to straight drives hit back by the batsman. The headgear partially covers Barnes’ face but protects the crown of his head.Barnes is looking to avoid the kind of injury that Nottinghamshire bowler Luke Fletcher suffered during a Natwest t20 Blast match earlier this year. Fletcher was struck on the head in his follow-through, by a ferocious straight hit from Birmingham batsman Sam Hain. He was concussed, but did not lose consciousness and was attended to by para-medics in the dressing room before being taken to a Nottinghamshire hospital for further examination. Fletcher was ruled out for the remainder of the season and earlier this month was cleared to resume full training.

ESPNCricinfo previews the first T20I between India and England in Pune

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria19-Dec-2012

Match facts

India would hope for change in fortunes with the change in format•Getty Images

December 20, 2012
Start time 1900 (1330 GMT)

Big Picture

Only three days ago, the two teams were part of a draining battle in the Test series in which things went from bad to worse for India while England rose in confidence and three days later, they are ready to take on each other for a couple of Twenty20s. Of the two, India need a win, any win.For India, it is a strange situation. First, they fell in their own trap in the Tests and now they need to find the motivation to come out of the slump and play positive cricket. It doesn’t help that the nucleus of their T20 squad is still the same as the Test side. MS Dhoni, whose leadership has been under fire, needs to arrest the slide and switch gears for a format, which appears, suited to the Indian team – hard-hitting batsmen, restrictive bowlers and a wait-and-watch style of captaincy. The reality, though, is that India haven’t really dominated on the international level even in T20s.Unlike India, England’s T20 side bears a completely different look. The architects of the series win are already back in England for Christmas, but they have left a scarred Indian team for their T20 generation to feast upon. Most in the side, captained by Eoin Morgan, have been in India for some time now and would have spent time getting used to the spinning conditions. So on paper, England have again been methodical in their preparations. That doesn’t directly translate to success – if pitches take spin, the young side could again appear like rabbit in headlights. But it points to one clear difference between the two sides – one fighting their demons, the other ignoring theirs.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
India WWLWW
England LWLLW

In the spotlight

Yuvraj Singh may have flopped in the Tests, but he remains a dangerous limited-overs player. His inclusion in the T20 squad three months back appeared driven by emotions, but since then, Yuvraj has spent a considerable amount of time in the middle. He has scored a couple of hundreds at the first-class level and although he appeared inept in the Tests, he would prefer England’s new-look bowling attack to stamp his authority.Eoin Morgan has been a regular in England’s limited-overs sides and in Stuart Broad’s absence, he has been awarded with the captaincy. Morgan, one of England’s best players against spin, will not only be the lynchpin in the middle order, he will have the responsibility of mentoring the inexperienced players. His IPL experience will come in handy for England to draw up plans against the Indian players.

Team news

Ten of the 15 players in India’s squad also took part in the Test series. Ambati Rayudu, who replaced the injured Manoj Tiwary, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the two new additions apart from the regulars but could find it hard to make it to the XI. Parwinder Awana could make his international debut after L Balaji and Vinay Kumar were withdrawn from the squad due to injuries.India: (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (capt), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Ashok Dinda, 11 Parwinder AwanaEngland lost Stuart Broad to a heel injury and was replaced by the Middlesex seamer James Harris. However, he is unlikely to make it to the XI with Tim Bresnan, Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker ahead of him. Joe Root, who was not part of the original T20 squad, could find a place after his impressive showing in the Nagpur Test.England (likely) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Michael Lumb/Joe Root, 3 Luke Wright, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Jos Buttler, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Jade Dernbach, 11 Stuart Meaker

Stats and trivia

• This will be the first international match at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune.
• England have played 53 T20Is to India’s 41. Their win-loss record is 27-23, which is similar to India’s 22-17.
• The two teams have met each other only five times, with England winning three. MS Dhoni is the only player to have played in all five matches.
• Of the players in the two teams, Jade Dernbach has the most wickets in T20Is – 18.

Quotes

“It’s a completely different format. I don’t think there is anything carrying forward from the Test series.”

India have come out as major beneficiaries of the new Future Tours Programme, which was ratified by the ICC board at its annual conference in Hong Kong

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2011India have come out as major beneficiaries of the new Future Tours Programme, which was ratified by the ICC board at its annual conference in Hong Kong. As reported first by
ESPNcricinfo on June 25, India, England and Australia will feature in most Tests among the Full Members, and India will play the top teams more frequently than they have in recent years. Also, the Champions League Twenty20 has an official annual window in September, while the IPL seems to have an unofficial one, with few international series scheduled in April and May, allowing most players to participate in it.India, currently No. 1 in the ICC Tests rankings, will play 102 Tests between now and April 2020, including the current Test in Bridgetown. One-fifth of those matches (21) will be against England. In fact, India will travel to England twice to play a five-match series in 2014 and 2018. Apart from the Ashes, no other Test series involves five matches. In the next eight years, India will play Australia twice at home and twice away – all four-match Test series – and South Africa in four three-Test series.Another significant detail in the FTP is that Pakistan are scheduled to tour India for three Tests and five ODIs in March-April 2012. If the tour goes ahead, it will be the first Test series between the two countries since 2007, after which political relations between the two countries were strained in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.The FTP has accounted for the Test championship play-offs to be played in England summers in 2013 and then in 2017.In what is likely to come as respite for some, there are far fewer match-ups between India and Sri Lanka. The two subcontinent neighbours played each other in nine Tests, 30 ODIs and four Twenty20s between July 2008 and the 2011 World Cup final, which was deemed monotonous by critics. India will play just 12 Tests against Sri Lanka in the next nine years, and there will be only two bilateral ODI series between the two teams. As reported earlier, India will not host both Bangladesh and Zimbabwe for either Test or ODIs, though they will tour Bangladesh twice, in 2014 and again in 2015, and Zimbabwe twice, in 2013 and 2016.England and Australia will play 109 and 107 Tests respectively between now and April 2020, with five Ashes series planned – three in England and two in Australia. South Africa will play just 82 Tests and have long winter-breaks. New Zealand will contest in 80, Sri Lanka 88 and West Indies 84. Pakistan, who have had to play their home series at neutral venues in recent times due to security concerns in their own country, will host Bangladesh and Australia in 2012, and South Africa in 2013. They will play 88 Tests in total till April 2020.

On an opening day full of twists and turns, it was fitting that Railways’ choice of opener – Murali Kartik – caused much surprise

Abhishek Purohit24-Dec-2010On an opening day full of twists and turns, it was fitting that Railways’ choice of opener caused much surprise. Baroda, who had chosen to field, were startled to see India left-arm spinner Murali Kartik walk out with Shreyas Khanolkar, in place of regular opener Faiz Fazal.”We had planned this move, it’s not that we went ahead with it just like that. We wanted to have a left-handed opener in the absence of Fazal (who opted out for his sister’s wedding), and Kartik has done the job before as well. I have used him as an opener in my time as captain, and he played some beautiful shots today,” Abhay Sharma, the Railways coach, told ESPNcricinfo. And the plan was executed ably by Kartik, who hammered nine fours and two sixes in making 57, his 17th first-class half-century.Munaf Patel had got the big wicket of Railways captain Sanjay Bangar for 2, but to Baroda’s consternation, Kartik consolidated in the company of young Prashant Awasthi to take the score past 100 from 25 for 2. “I thought they put Kartik in to negate Munaf, who nevertheless beat him on numerous occasions. But yeah, he did the job for his side,” Mukesh Narula, the Baroda coach, said.Yusuf Pathan and Munaf struck right back, taking five wickets for 16 runs as Railways plummeted to 125 for 7. But the visitors refused to give in, and a recalled Yere Goud, playing in place of Fazal, led a recovery along with JP Yadav and Nileshkumar Chauhan as Railways finished on 241 for 8.Abhay admitted they were around 50 runs short of a good total on a wicket where the ball is coming on to the bat. “Around 300 would be a decent score. The wicket looks like it might spin, and there is also some bounce.” Railways are certainly expecting turn, having gone in with three spinners, contrary to expectations.”After the first session when it was nipping around, the wicket seems to have settled down. It should be good for batting tomorrow,” Narula said. “I think 350 would be a par total. I doubt it will spin a lot, even if it does, the turn should be slow.” Narula thinks Baroda have the game under control. “I believe we have the upper hand now, despite their late recovery.”

Round-up of the second day of the semi-final round of the Ranji Trophy Plate League

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2010Madhya Pradesh took the crucial first-innings lead against Andhra at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, and are now favourites to make it to the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals. Andhra’s 230 had started to look a lot bigger when they reduced MP to 19 for 3. But captain Devendra Bundela and Harpreet Singh got the hosts out of trouble with a 178-run partnership for the fourth wicket. After Bundela was caught behind off seamer P Vijaykumar for 48, the 19-year-old Harpreet got his maiden first-class century. MP ended the day at 299 for 7, 69 ahead. Andhra’s opening bowlers had given them some hope in the morning. Vijaykumar dismissed Jalaj Saxena for a duck in the second over, and then Doddapaneni Kalyankrishna took two quick wickets. But Bundela and Harpreet took the game away from Andhra who will need to effect a turnaround and look for a win to qualify for the quarter-finals.
A double-century by Aakash Chopra took Rajasthan to a huge total against Maharashtra at the Golf Club Ground in Nasik. The visitors finished the second day at 551 for 6 with Chopra still unbeaten on 262 – his highest first-class score. Rajasthan had set the base on the first day, getting to 293 for 2 with Chopra batting on 145. They continued to torment Maharashtra on Thursday. Robin Bist got to 81, which was surprisingly only Rajasthan’s second half-century after Chopra’s massive score. Maharashtra’s bowlers had only themselves to blame as they gave away 74 runs in extras – 25 of those coming from no-balls. With a first-innings lead good enough to take either side in to the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, Rajasthan may not be in a hurry to declare on Friday.

Cricket Australia chair says, “the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working on it”

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2024The Gabba in Brisbane has played host to plenty of iconic Test moments – the 1960 tie, Ian Botham’s last great Test innings, Shane Warne’s career best, Peter Siddle’s birthday hat-trick, India’s famous 2021 heist and Shamar Joseph’s heroics to pick out a few – but there are now major questions over its future as an international venue.On Sunday it was confirmed that the Queensland government had only signed a two-year hosting agreement with Cricket Australia which means beyond the upcoming India Test and next year’s men’s Ashes fixture there is great uncertainty when, or if, the famous ground will be back on the schedule.The Ashes encounter in 2025-26 will be the 49th consecutive season of Test cricket at the Gabba, but there will be no half-century with it not having one of the four New Zealand Tests the following year. There are, however, discussions ongoing about white-ball internationals with England due to visit that summer for ODIs and T20Is.Related

• Gabba to be demolished after 2032 Olympics, cricket to get new home in Brisbane

• 'Where does Australian cricket play?' Queensland Cricket renews talks over Gabba future

• Ashes 2025-26: CA schedules Brisbane day-night Test after Perth opener

• 'He can be successful as an opener' – Watson thinks Smith should stay put

• MCG to host one-off Australia-England Test in 2027 to mark 150 years of Test cricket

The Gabba is coming towards the end of its viable working life in 2030. Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics and initially, there had been plans to completely rebuild the venue, but that was ditched by the Queensland government due to costs and instead, there is expected to be a renovation along with other stadiums in the city.While a complete rebuild would have taken the stadium out of commission for a number of years, there is still uncertainty over whether it will be usable during a renovation.In an open letter, the chair of Queensland Cricket Kirsten Pike and chief executive Terry Svenson outlined the organisation’s frustrations and concerns for cricket in the state.”The State Government’s decision to not progress with its commitment to rebuild the Gabba and downgrade its proposed Olympic role has resulted in direct and indirect changes to how we proceed with our business,” they wrote.”It is deeply disappointing that the 2026-27 Gabba Test has become a casualty of the uncertainty around the infrastructure planning and development ahead of the 2032 Olympic preparations, specifically around the Gabba.”…and while not being unduly alarmist, the potential outcome of this continuing uncertainty could have a significant impact on participation statewide and fan engagement across men’s and women’s cricket.”The future of the Gabba is under threat by new stadiums around the country, including a proposed indoor venue in Hobart•Tasmania Government

Speaking last week, former Australia and Queensland captain Allan Border called for a new multipurpose venue to be built in the city.”It’s sad, but they [Cricket Australia] have got to have some certainty, probably over the next four years, if they can use the Gabba or not,” he told the . “I’d be knocking down the Gabba and building a new venue from scratch at Victoria Park. A brand new 60,000-seat stadium suits rugby, cricket, Aussie rules and the Olympics, and the Gabba becomes housing.”Whatever the future of a major cricket venue in Brisbane, there could be a potential challenger on the horizon with Tasmania having ambitions to host indoor Test cricket in the proposed new Hobart stadium which is set to be ready in 2029. However, Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said it was hard to envisage a future where Brisbane was not part of the regular Test schedule.”That’s hard to imagine, but we have to have the facilities and a ground that supports it,” he said. “We want the fans to have the best experience as they come and see the world’s best players.”What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution. We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”The Queensland Cricket letter added: “We remain hopeful that Test cricket will return to the Gabba after the summer of 2026-27 despite the current lack of detail and uncertainty surrounding the upgrades to the Gabba.”Queensland does have other smaller international venues. Allan Border Field in Brisbane regularly hosts the women’s team and Australia A and the Gold Coast hosted a T20I against West Indies in 2022. In regional Queensland, Mackay is used while Townsville and Cairns hosted the T20I and ODI series respectively against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in 2022.The men’s Future Tours Programme has some winter home cricket on Australia’s schedule in the coming years which could open the door for venues such as Cairns and Townsville. South Africa are due to visit for ODIs and T20Is in August 2025 while Afghanistan have a Test and three T20Is allocated in July 2026 although those would appear unlikely to happen given Cricket Australia’s current stance on bilateral series with Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s hopes slip further after a heartbreaking loss while Bangladesh and Netherlands aim to keep their tournament alive

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-20231:24

Pujara: South Africa seem to lack a clear game plan while chasing

—Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament Index

Top Story: South Africa rise to the top by the barest of margins in thriller

As Keshav Maharaj exploded into celebration, having swung Mohammad Nawaz to the fine-leg boundary for the winning runs with the No. 11 for company, waves of relief washed over his team-mates watching from the dressing room. South Africa had thrown off the yoke of the choke by the barest of margins against Pakistan in Chennai to chase successfully for the first time in their World Cup 2023 campaign.The one-wicket win took them level with India on ten points at the top of the table, but ahead on net run rate, though they have played an extra game.The victory was set up by their bowlers – Tabraiz Shamsi and Marco Jansen in particular – who dismissed Pakistan for 270 in 46.4 overs despite them having been well placed at 225 for 5 in the 40th. And when Aiden Markram – who overtook Virat Kohli to become the second-highest run scorer of this World Cup during his innings of 91 – and David Miller were putting together their 70-run stand for the fifth wicket, a South African win looked comfortable. All that changed when Miller edged Shaheen Shah Afridi behind in the 34th over, with the target still 65 runs away.Click here to read the full report

Match reaction: Maharaj caps unlikely World Cup comeback with cathartic winning role

South Africa’s last pair – Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj – rejoices after sealing a one-wicket win•AFP/Getty Images

Keshav Maharaj was just having dinner around the time when Pakistan’s concussion substitute Usama Mir pinned Rassie van der Dussen lbw for 21. South Africa were 121 for 3 at that point, needing a further 150 runs off almost 30 overs. Given South Africa’s gun middle-order – Aiden Markram at No.4, Heinrich Klaasen No.5 and David Miller at No.6 – Maharaj might have felt like he could just put his feet up during the chase, having put in a shift with the ball in Chennai’s oppressive heat.But it eventually came down to him scoring the winning runs for South Africa with No.11 Tabraiz Shamsi at the other end, lifting the lid on what had become a cauldron of immense tension at Chepauk.Read the full piece from Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai

Must Watch: Urooj Mumtaz on Mohammad Rizwan

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Urooj: Rizwan was a massive letdown

News headlines

• Pakistan brought in Usama Mir as a concussion substitute for Shadab Khan during their World Cup match against South Africa in Chennai on Friday
• Pat Cummins has insisted there are no issues with Steven Smith batting at No. 4 despite the batter reiterating his preference for No. 3

Match previews

Australia vs New Zealand, Kolkata (10.30am IST; 6.00am GMT; 4.00pm AEDT)6:06

Bond: Top-order partnerships will prove critical for both NZ and Australia

Attention in New Zealand might currently be focused on another World Cup, with their beloved All Blacks on the cusp of regaining the Webb Ellis Cup. But the cricketers have started this tournament particularly strongly with only another Virat Kohli chasing masterclass denting their unbeaten campaign.Despite that, New Zealand can almost lock in a semi-final berth – defying predictions of many pundits – with a victory over Australia in another intriguing Trans-Tasman contest. But it won’t be easy with a rejuvenated Australia finally looking like the serious title contender expected of them after a shaky start to the tournament.Team newsAustralia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Steve Smith, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Marcus Stoinis/Cameron Green, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodNew Zealand (probable) 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultBangladesh vs Netherlands, Kolkata (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEDT)The World Cup has arrived in Kolkata, where Bangladesh can expect a fair bit of support at Eden Gardens when they take on Netherlands. There are supposed to be at least 2000 fans on their way from Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh for this match, with the cultural connection with Kolkata and good travel options between the two making it a popular destination for Bangladeshis.Bangladesh come to Kolkata following a 149-run defeat against South Africa in Mumbai. Moreover, Netherlands’ inspiring performances issue a warning.Click here for the full previewTeam newsBangladesh (probable) 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nasum Ahmed/Towhid Hridoy, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanNetherlands (probable) 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Bas de Leede, 6 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 7 Teja Nidamanuru, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Roelof van der Merwe, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeren

Feature: Sitting down with Trent Boult and Tim Southee

2:01

Trent Boult and Tim Southee: ‘We hope that kids want to pick up a ball one day and bowl fast’

New Zealand’s old fast-bowling firm of Southee and Boult amble down memory lane, with the occasional pause to poke each other in the ribs”I remember hitting him for a six when we were about… how old were we then?” Boult has his head down. He’s probably just thinking but it looks like he wants to forget. “That would’ve been 15-16.”Read the full interview from Cricket Monthly

The two will also train at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and be part of Queensland Bulls’ pre-season preparations

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2022Chetan Sakariya and Mukesh Choudhary will headline the overseas presence at the KFC T20 Max series in Queensland next month. They will also train at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and be involved in Queensland Bulls’ pre-season preparations, as part of the old exchange programme with the Chennai-based MRF Pace Foundation, which had been paused because of Covid-19.Sakariya, 24, made a name for himself during IPL 2021, playing for Rajasthan Royals, and has turned out in an ODI and two T20Is so far while also playing for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022, while Choudhary was impressive in his debut IPL season, this year, for Chennai Super Kings, picking up 16 wickets in 13 games. The two will be joined by three Papua New Guinea internationals: Norman Vanua, Chad Soper and Charles Amini.Related

• How 'systematic', 'quiet' Choudhary made it from Bhilwara to CSK

• Meet Sakariya – who overcame personal tragedy to make it to the IPL

Sakariya will play for Sunshine Coast, while Wynnum-Manly will have the services of Choudhary. Sandgate-Redcliffe have all the three PNG players – regulars with their national side, which finished third at the recent World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe – in their ranks. Vanua and Soper are medium pacers, while Amini is a legspinning allrounder.There will also be a strong list of current or recent BBL players, some of them internationals, in the mix too: Jordan Silk, Beau Webster, Cameron Boyce, Ben Cutting, Liam Guthrie, Nick Larkin, Clint Hinchliffe, Josh Lalor, Nick Hobson, Jake Lehmann, Arjun Nair, Chris Sabburg, Nick Bertus, Ryan Gibson, Spencer Johnson and Nathan McSweeney.In a note on its website, Queensland Cricket said, “Due to the popularity of the concept and a surge in the number of players expressing interest, Queensland Cricket today updated the competition rules to allow each Premier club to sign an additional interstate or international recruit, moving from three players per club to four.”Several regionally based players have already brokered arrangements with teams, while contracted Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat players will be available for selection as part of their pre-season preparations.”The tournament will be played over three weeks, from August 18 to September 4, at the club grounds as well as at the refurbished Allan Border Field, under lights.Exchanges between the MRF Pace Foundation, founded in 1987, and Australia began in 1992, when the academy opened its doors to players from beyond India’s shores.Among the first to come and train under Dennis Lillee, then the director at MRF, was Glenn McGrath, who later took up the directorship once Lillee retired after a 25-year stint in 2012. Fast bowlers from many other countries, including Mohammad Asif (Pakistan), Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka), Heath Streak (Zimbabwe), and premier quicks from Australia like Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, have all trained at the academy over the years. Similarly, young Indian quicks have been given the opportunity to spend time in Brisbane as part of the programme. The last of these, in 2019, were Prasidh Krishna, who has since played ten ODIs for India, and Mukhtar Hussain, the 23-year-old right-arm quick from Assam.

It has also been learnt that Ravindra Jadeja will remain with the team as a player

Nagraj Gollapudi20-May-20223:36

Shastri: Dhoni ‘unbelievably fit’, has ‘enjoyed his cricket this year’

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings have not had a happy IPL 2022, but they have a leg-up for the next edition: MS Dhoni will be with the team as a player next season and, importantly, is going to be their captain too. The main reason to play, as Dhoni explained, is to bid adieu to his supporters in Chennai and the rest of India.Asked by Ian Bishop on Star Sports about his future before Super Kings’ match on Friday evening against Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni said, “Definitely [I will play IPL 2023]. It’s a simple reason: it will be unfair to not play in Chennai and say thank you [to the fans]. Mumbai is one place where, as a team and as an individual, I have got a lot of love and affection. But it wouldn’t be nice to the CSK fans.”And also, hopefully next year there will be an opportunity where the teams will be travelling so it will be a like thank you to all the different places where we will be playing games at different venues. Whether it will be my last year or not that’s a big question, because you know we can’t really predict about something two years down the line. But definitely I’ll be working hard to come back strong next year.”Related

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As reported by ESPNcricinfo almost an hour before the toss, Dhoni, now almost 41 years old, has told the Super Kings team management that he will be available for the 2023 IPL and will lead the team too. In another shot in the arm for the four-time IPL champions, it has been learnt that Ravindra Jadeja, who left the Super Kings camp following an injury, will also be in the mix for the 2023 season. This debunks the perception that Jadeja had fallen out with Dhoni and the team management after the captaincy swap a little more than halfway into Super Kings’ 2022 season.The developments are significant for Super Kings, whose game against Royals is their final match of the ongoing season. With just four wins so far in 13 matches, Super Kings are ninth on the points table, just above Mumbai Indians.It was on May 1, ahead of Super Kings’ ninth league match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune, that Dhoni returned as the team’s captain. This, after Jadeja had decided to step down, having taken the reins from Dhoni at the start of the season.At the toss, when Danny Morrison asked Dhoni whether he would be seen in action in 2023, Dhoni had given a cryptic answer: “You’ll definitely see me in the yellow jersey – whether it’s this yellow jersey or some other yellow jersey you will have to wait and watch.”The issue of the Super Kings’ captaincy has been in the news right from the beginning of the season; when, just two days before the first game of IPL 2022, it was announced that Jadeja would be leading them; when a run of losses kept Super Kings in the bottom two of the points table; when the decision was made to return the captaincy to Dhoni and then Jadeja abruptly exited the competition.5:26

Vettori: ‘Probably comes down to Jadeja not enjoying the captaincy’

After winning the first match on his return to captaincy, Dhoni had spoken about the circumstances that forced him to take back the captaincy. He explained that captaincy was “having an effect” on Jadeja’s game, and that the team management had eventually decided that they needed Jadeja the player more.”What is important is once you become the captain, you have to take care of many things,” Dhoni had told Star Sports after the Sunrisers match. “And that also includes taking care of your own game. And with him, his mind was working a lot.”It’s not easy to control your mind, it’s the strongest feature… body, physiques, all of those things are fine, but once your mind starts working and it wants to contribute more: okay, what’s the combination I can play with; okay, who can bowl at what point of time. It doesn’t really stop. So, what really happens is the individual is not able to relax – even when he closes his eyes and wants to sleep, the mind is still working.”So what I felt was, it was having an effect on his game also. When he was going in to bat, or when it comes to his preparation, is putting this [extra] burden affecting his game? Because I would love to have Jadeja as a bowler and batter and fielder. Captaincy, fair enough. Even if you relieve [him of] captaincy, and if he is at his best [as a player], that’s what we really want because we were also losing a great fielder. We were struggling [to find] a deep-midwicket fielder.”They will be there, in the Super Kings ranks, next year too•BCCI

Dhoni, the Super Kings captain right through their journey in the IPL – bar the two years the franchise was banned following the spot-fixing scandal of 2013 and the first few matches of the ongoing season – and Jadeja were both part of the quartet retained by Super Kings ahead of the 2022 players’ auction. While Jadeja was retained as the first pick at INR 16 crore, Dhoni was the second player retained at INR 12 crore.Dhoni, who will be close to 42 by the next IPL, is already the oldest player in the tournament. Though he is one of the fittest players around as well as one of the most astute captains, the question about Super Kings’ next captain has been posed often to both Dhoni and the Super Kings management over the past few years.Last October, immediately after Super Kings won the 2021 IPL, N Srinivasan, the Super Kings’ owner, said that Dhoni would always be “part and parcel” of not just the franchise, but also the city of Chennai and the state of Tamil Nadu. “There is no CSK without Dhoni and there is no Dhoni without CSK,” Srinivasan had said.A month later, while felicitating Dhoni and the team for winning their fourth IPL title, Srinivasan had reiterated, “People keep bugging him, ‘are you going to continue?’ , he’s there, I say. He’s not gone anywhere. Why don’t you understand the fact that he’s there. He’s still there. With us.”