Champions League window in confirmed FTP

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.

Tasmania promoted to WNCL

Tasmania will join the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) for the 2010-11, taking the competition to seven teams

Cricinfo staff15-Jun-2010Tasmania will join the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) for the 2010-11, taking the competition to seven teams. The Tasmanian Roar joined the women’s national Twenty20 competition last summer and will take the final step by being added to the 50-over tournament.The WNCL gained a sixth team last season with the addition of the ACT. James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia the acceptance of Tasmania into the WNCL was testament to the efforts of Cricket Tasmania to develop women’s cricket in the state.”The team produced some encouraging performances in the interstate Twenty20 competition last year and regular exposure to matches at this level will help drive women’s cricket participation in Tasmania,” Sutherland said.”Female cricket participation in Australia has risen dramatically in recent years and today’s announcement, along with the continued success of the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars, will only inspire more young girls to pick up a bat and ball.”

Hancock and Parsons star as Australia A make it 2-0

Tahlia Wilson and Tahlia McGrath ensured a comfortable chase for the home side

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2024In a show of the player depth on offer, legspinner Grace Parsons and quick Nicola Hancock both starred on their Australia A debuts as the home side claimed the T20 series against India A with an eight-wicket victory.The pair had come into the Australia A side in place of Maitlan Brown and Tayla Vlaeminck and combined to finish with 7 for 44 from eight overs. Tahlia Wilson then made it back-to-back half-centuries to control the chase which was completed with ten deliveries to spareFor Parsons, the 20-year-old who is part of Brisbane Heat’s WBBL squad having missed out on a chance to play last season due to injury, it was her T20 debut having only previously featured for Queensland in the WNCL. She bagged four wickets, including the key scalp of Priya Punia who had played superbly in the opening match and top-scored in this innings with 29 off 26 balls. Parsons then closed out her spell with two more wickets in the space of three balls.”I’ve never actually played a T20 before, apart from at [my] club so today was very nerve wracking,” Parsons said. “But my plans don’t change too much.”It was pretty special. I’m always nervous at the start, especially when I haven’t played cricket for quite a few months, but it was nice to get the first game out of the way and take a few wickets. It was a pretty special thing to get the call up into the Aus A team and then to be playing today, it’s pretty awesome.”Hancock, who was a late addition to the squad when Courtney Sippel was ruled out through injury, had claimed the first wicket when she had Shweta Sehrawat taken off a top edge – Nicole Faltum taking an excellent running catch – and conceded just 14 from her three overs.The regular loss of wickets meant India A struggled for momentum and at one stage lost 3 for 10 between the 11th and 13th overs.The target didn’t stretch Australia A despite the early loss of Katie Mack as Wilson continued her impressive early-season form. Captain Tahlia McGrath, who had fallen first ball in the opening match, helped her side speed to target with a flurry of boundaries in an unbroken stand of 69.

Phil Salt sprinkles touch of class as Lancashire secure home quarter-final

Northants struggle with bat before knockout hopes ended by six-wicket defeat

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2023Lancashire made it through to the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a comfortable six-wicket victory that also ended Northants Steelbacks’ qualification hopes.Phil Salt smashed a 51-ball 74 as Lancashire chased down the Steelbacks 138 for seven with twenty balls to spare. The result means the Lightning will return to Emirates Old Trafford next Friday, where they are now unbeaten in 21 home games, to host their quarter-final tie against Surrey.Northants struck two early blows as the hosts set off in pursuit of their target, Jos Buttler cracking a short ball from David Willey to Saif Zaib on the cover boundary for 11, immediately after he had hit the bowler for six and four from consecutive deliveries. Steven Croft swiftly followed after top edging Tom Taylor to AJ Tye for 5.That left the Lightning ending the powerplay on 43 for 2 but Salt picked up the scoring with a six off Freddie Heidreich during a 35-run partnership in five overs with Liam Livingstone.Livingstone, the stand-in Lightning skipper, went for 11 slicing Taylor to Ricardo Vasconcelos at gully as Lancashire reached halfway on 74 for 3 but Daryl Mitchell was quickly into his stride driving Taylor for six into the pavilion seats.Salt continued to score freely as the hosts reduced their target to a-run-a-ball 44 before a mix-up saw Mitchell run out for 17. Undeterred, Salt reached a 40-ball half century by smashing Tye for six over long-on, and then took four, six, four off Justin Broad in the fifteenth over as the Lightning raced towards their target.The opening bat ended the contest in style with six off Taylor in the seventeenth over to finish unbeaten on a Lancashire-best 74 alongside Dane Vilas.A fine opening spell of 2 for 14 from three overs by Wood, after Livingstone had put the visitors in to bat, had Northants quickly on the back foot at the start of their innings. Vasconcelos was brilliantly caught for 12 by wicketkeeper Buttler diving to his left, followed by Emilio Gay who chipped the left arm quick to Luke Wells at mid-on two balls later.Northants then suffered a big blow when Willey departed for 10 attempting to hit Livingstone over midwicket to leave the Steelbacks struggling on 47 for 3, midway through the seventh over.Chris Lynn led an initial fightback launching Livingstone for consecutive sixes in the ninth over but he was then bowled for 35 aiming a big heave at Wells with the visitors on 74 for 4, one ball into the 11th over.Zaib pulled Mitchell to Wells at fine leg for 12 and the Steelbacks only managed to get any impetus into their innings during a 40-run partnership for the sixth wicket between McManus and Broad. McManus hoisted a slower ball from Tom Bailey into the hands of Wood at long-on having made 22 while Broad smashed a six over midwicket in his unbeaten 34 off 26 balls.Wood returned to bowl Tye for 1 as Northants closed on 138 for 7.

KKR dropping Varun Chakravarthy can be 'catalyst for improvement' – Daniel Vettori

Ian Bishop “not surprised” by KKR’s call, given the situation they find themselves in in the tournament, but believes the spinner can still turn it around

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-20226:12

What has gone wrong for Varun Chakravarthy?

Daniel Vettori, the former New Zealand and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, believes Varun Chakravarthy “needs a Plan B very soon”. His lack of a counter against top-quality batters who have figured out the methods that previously brought him much success could be one of the reasons for his massive dip in form this IPL season, Vettori said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out.On Thursday, Knight Riders left Chakravarthy out of their XI, replacing him with the uncapped seamer Harshit Rana for the match against Delhi Capitals. The change came even as Knight Riders were desperately trying to find form and get a move on on the points table; as on Wednesday, they were eighth on the table.”The numbers aren’t there. It looks like he hasn’t been deceptive like he has been in the past,” Vettori said. “He isn’t a big turner; it doesn’t look like he’s turning the ball as much. It looks like batsmen feel comfortable taking him on. Those factors may have pushed KKR towards taking this decision [to drop him].”Maybe they’re trying to provide a catalyst for him around improvement, around finding his game plans. It just seems like he isn’t the bowler he was last year. It just felt like he wasn’t the bowler who was destructive like in the past.”Chakravarthy’s numbers are telling: four wickets in eight matches at an economy of 8.82. Chakravarthy has been wicketless in each of the three previous matches, while also not completing his quota of overs. He has an economy of over 12 in this period.This is in sharp contrast to his form at IPL 2021, where he picked up 18 wickets in 17 matches, and was a key to their stunning turnaround in the second half of the season that culminated in Knight Riders making the final.”I’m being brutally honest. I’m not totally surprised,” former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop, who was also part of T20 Time Out’s panel of experts, said. “He’s been going for 12 an over for the last three games or so. Four wickets in eight games, and it has come down to a point where KKR have less wriggle room.”Six points [so far] this season. They have to put out the best team at Wankhede to try and get two points. These two points are critical. It’s not quite now or never yet, but it’s kind of getting very close. So, I’m not totally surprised with Varun, in the conditions they’re going to play today.”Bishop feels surfaces haven’t slowed down as much as expected so far, which could be one of the reasons for Chakravarthy’s effectiveness. As such he isn’t a big turner of the ball but depends on minute variations and grip off the decks.”I don’t ever give up on a player. I always feel that at some point, even if it is at an advanced stage of your career, you can learn something. So, while we’ve seen (Yuzvendra) Chahal and Kuldeep (Yadav) do some good things, I still don’t think some of the pitches have offered [much to] Chakravarthy, who doesn’t spin the ball a lot anyway,” Bishop observed. “The ball deviates just that much, so he perhaps needs a little more grip than some of the surfaces [are offering] to be at his very best.”Maybe he’ll come back in at some point later in this tournament itself if the conditions and his confidence and form are right, provided he’s not injured. I won’t give up on him. Maybe they’re giving him a break to say ‘mate, take some time to refresh yourself’, there’s a possibility to come back now or next season.”Vettori also believes the axe could just be temporary and may be a way to revive him, provided it is communicated as much by the team management. Having coached Royal Challengers in the IPL and Brisbane Heat at the BBL, Vettori has had to take similar decisions in the past, like dropping Harshal Patel in 2017 before he returned to win the Player of the Match award.”I subscribe to the theory that when you’re in poor form, there’s a time where you’re waiting to be dropped,” he said. “When you keep playing and playing and playing, you don’t get a chance to work out what’s going wrong. Therefore, if you do actually leave a player out and give them strong communication, they can almost reset themselves.”Like Bish said, you don’t ever want to give up on a player, particularly a retained player, particularly a player with that skillset, how effective he can be at his best. This just may be a reset, he can go away a little bit, work with the bowling coach, work with coaches outside of the KKR setup and just see where it gets him to. He’s also a fresher, so when he goes back into the team, it won’t be about how bad he’s been. He’s had a break, fresh start, let’s see what he’s got.”

England defend use of coded signals to send messages from analyst to field

ECB says trial ‘intended as a live informational resource captain may choose to use or ignore’

Valkerie Baynes02-Dec-2020Lottery numbers, shoe sizes and dancing competition scorecards – England players and the ECB have been quick to make light of their use of coded signals sent from the dressing room to the field during their T20 series against South Africa.England team analyst Nathan Leamon could be seen placing cards on the dressing room balcony showing a combination of numbers and letters during the third T20I at Newlands on Tuesday. England won the match by nine wickets after Dawid Malan’s stunning 99 not out in a record 167-run partnership with Jos Buttler overhauled a huge target of 192.Buttler, who scored an unbeaten on 67, joked after the game that the cards showed lottery numbers, before making a more serious comparison with tactical time-outs in the IPL.”The lads were checking their Euromillions numbers,” Buttler told Sky Sports with a smile. “Eoin [Morgan] works closely with Nathan to work on the match-ups. In the IPL, you have two tactical time-outs for suggestions from analysts, but you have to be careful how you use it, there has to be an instinctive, intuitive side to the game.”ALSO READ: Malan reaches 915 points, the highest ever for batsmen in T20I rankingsThe ECB said the signalling system was being trialed and was “intended as a live informational resource that the captain may choose to use or ignore as he wishes”. It added: “They are not commands or instructions and all decision-making takes place on the field.”The practice drew mention of South Africa’s use of earpieces to relay messages from the dressing room to the field during their 1999 World Cup match against India. At the time, the ICC said using earpieces did not break any rules but deemed it unfair and subsequently banned the use of such devices.It’s not the first time that Leamon has used such methods to pass information from the boundary’s edge. After teaming up with Andy Flower at Multan Sultans for this year’s PSL, he set up a similar system with the on-field captain, Shan Masood – a practice which Flower later told ESPNcricinfo was about “maximising information”.”Match-ups over a shortened game are very important, and so is getting your field and your bowling tactics right,” Flower said. “That sort of information would be covered pre-game, but that’s a lot of information for a captain, and obviously he won’t retain it all. [Favourable match-ups] would be an example: a gentle reminder of the flow of the game, the resources you have left in the attack, and just putting the right chess pieces in place at the right time.”There is no suggestion England’s use of written codes breached any rules, although it did raise questions over whether it was ethical or in the spirit of the game. Mark Wood, the England quick, said the team had “cleared it with the match referee first”.”Maybe this is part of the new way of cricket,” Wood said. “We’re always looking for ways to improve so maybe this is it, the analyst gets a hold of a scorecard like [Strictly Come Dancing judge] Craig Revel Horwood and then we’ve got a got a new game show.”Speaking to the media via Zoom on Wednesday, Wood – who is hoping to feature in the three-match ODI series against South Africa starting at Newlands on Friday after being overlooked for the T20Is – played down the importance of the coded signals.”I thought shoe sizes at one point,” Wood said. “I think it wouldn’t honestly bother me. Until this morning, I honestly didn’t even know about it. That’s how much notice I took.”I think it’s good for the captain to have. Morgy’s a very instinctive captain anyway, so I’m not sure he needs that much but it’s great to have the information there. Nathan does a good job. So any little bit can help, but I’m not sure I’ll be taking that much notice of it, too busy worrying about other things.”

Imad Wasim joins Nottinghamshire for Vitality Blast stint

Spin-bowling allrounder becomes fifth Pakistan international to sign up for tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2019Imad Wasim, the Pakistan spin-bowling allrounder, has signed for Nottinghamshire as an overseas player for their Vitality Blast campaign. He will be available immediately, going into the squad for Friday night’s game against Derbyshire.Ranked second among T20I bowlers by the ICC, Wasim has been an integral figure in Pakistan’s rise to the top of the team rankings in the format, and has an economy rate of just 6.28 in T20 cricket over the course of his career.”With the nature of the international schedule, it’s a very difficult market in which to sign overseas players – far more difficult than it used to be,” Nottinghamshire director of cricket, Mick Newell, said. “With Imad becoming available on the back of the World Cup, we acted as quickly as possible to secure him.”The paperwork and clearances have taken a little bit of extra time, meaning we’ve had to start the tournament without him. But it’s good to now be welcoming him into the squad ahead of the next fixture against Derbyshire.”He brings an additional spin-bowling option that we think we can benefit from and he’ll strengthen our middle-order batting as well. With the venue we’ve got here at Trent Bridge and with the level of support we get here now, we are an attractive proposition to overseas cricketers.”Imad joins compatriots Faheem Ashraf, Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir and Fakhar Zaman to become the fifth Pakistan international with a contract for the Blast this season, though Zaman’s Glamorgan debut was delayed by visa issues and Amir has still to feature for Essex due to a similar issue.Nottinghamshire, who won the competition in 2017, were the favourites for the title this season, but started their campaign with a defeat against holders Worcestershire and a washout against Yorkshire before getting back on track with victory over Northamptonshire.Imad will fill the club’s second overseas slot, alongside captain Dan Christian. Notts had previously suggested Christian would be their only overseas signing for the Blast, but a serious knee injury to allrounder Steven Mullaney meant they swooped for reinforcement.”I can’t wait to represent the Outlaws in T20 cricket,” Imad said. “Trent Bridge is a wonderful ground with fans who are passionate and knowledgeable.”They were a generous audience during the One-Day International earlier this year and Trent Bridge under floodlights looked amazing.”My aim is to contribute to the Outlaws going all the way. They did it in 2017 and we have an exciting squad with lots of international talent that’s capable of doing it again.”This will be Imad’s first stint in the county game, though he has previously played club cricket for several different teams in England, including Papplewick, Burnley and Bradshaw. He will be available for the whole of the Blast, barring a two-game break at the end of August for his upcoming wedding.He was only picked in six of Pakistan’s eight World Cup games, but ended the tournament with 162 runs at a strike rate of 118.24, and was his team’s most economical bowler.

Reece Topley's comeback gathers pace with decisive four-wicket haul

James Vince struck a half-century as Hampshire secured a five-wicket win to move closer to the knockout stages

ECB Reporters Network30-May-2018
ScorecardReece Topley bowled Hampshire to the brink of the Royal London Cup’s knockout stages as they beat Middlesex by five wickets at Merchant Taylors’ School.Topley, who committed himself to white-ball only cricket over the winter as he makes another injury comeback, made Middlesex regret their decision to bat first in bowler-friendly conditions following a delayed start.His 4 for 40 ensured the hosts were restricted to just 199 for 8 in their 45 overs, a target the South Group leaders made comfortably, despite a mid-innings wobble, led by 56 from England discard James Vince.Eyebrows were raised when Middlesex skipper Steven Finn opted to bat after winning a toss delayed for an hour by early morning rain.Deprived of club captain Dawid Malan on Test duty and England one-day skipper Eoin Morgan, ruled out with a cracked finger, much depended on openers Paul Stirling and Nick Gubbins. However, Gubbins perished early, caught in the gulley for 9 giving Topley his first wicket.Under murky skies and with an outfield too wet to afford batsman value for their shot-making, even Stirling with two centuries already in the competition struggled to break the shackles.He did hoist Topley for one huge six into the car park but trying to repeat the shot he fell to the next delivery, holing out at mid-off.This left Max Holden, making his List-A debut for Middlesex and the barely more experienced Stevie Eskinazi needing to entrench.The pair kept the scoreboard ticking but save for a huge straight six from Holden boundaries were scarce in a third-wicket stand of 62 ended by Vince who trapped Eskinazi lbw for 42.Topley then returned to the attack to have Holden caught behind for 38 just as the hosts were attempting to accelerate.
Overseas player Hilton Cartwright and wicketkeeper John Simpson attempted another rebuild before the former had his furniture rearranged by former Middlesex man Gareth Berg.And when Simpson lofted Mason Crane into Topley’s clutches at mid-off just three overs later Middlesex were 158 for 6.A few lusty blows from Tom Helm got Middlesex to the brink of 200, but Topley bowled him to complete his four-wicket haul.In reply, Rilee Roussow was caught behind to a reckless swipe off Finn, who also had Alsop caught by Eskinazi at short cover.But with Joe Weatherley providing solid support for the free-flowing Vince the visitors were seemingly cantering inexorably towards victory with even the competition’s leading wicket taker Ravi Patel – back on his old schoolground – unable to unsettle them.Vince’s 50 came in 64 balls, but with his team in cruise control the England man needlessly took on mid-on fielder James Franklin who promptly ran him out.When Weatherley holed out to Finn at mid-off from the bowling of Sowter six balls later, Middlesex briefly had hope.Sowter had Bradley Taylor caught behind for 11 to crank up the tension, but Jimmy Adams and Lewis McManus’ 60-run stand eased Hampshire home with 26 balls to spare.

Edwards assists in USA women's qualifier preparations

Former England Women’s captain Charlotte Edwards is giving the USA Women’s squad a leg-up in their preparation for the ICC Europe this summer by visiting Texas this week to run a women’s coaching camp.

Peter Della Penna14-Apr-20173:20

‘There’s a real hunger in USA for female coaching’ – Edwards

Former England Women’s captain Charlotte Edwards is giving the USA women’s squad a leg-up in their preparation for the ICC Europe T20 Qualifier this summer by visiting Texas to run a women’s coaching camp.”Part of what I’m over here for is to help prepare them, talk to them about T20 cricket,” Edwards told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve had a little bit of a chat with the girls around the strategy behind it. I’m just trying to help them as much as I possibly can in preparation for that tournament, which is huge for them.”Edwards arrived in Texas last Saturday and worked the next day with six players of the women’s squad who were invited to join the USA men’s team at a high-performance camp last weekend at Moosa Stadium in the south Houston suburb of Pearland. She has remained in Pearland to conduct a four-day camp that began on Thursday and is specifically targeted for 30 women’s squad players to train during the Easter holiday weekend.This isn’t the first interaction Edwards has had with the USA women’s squad. She was part of the inaugural MCC women’s tour to North America in September and played a couple of matches against USA women in Philadelphia, including one at the historic Merion Cricket Club. At the time, Edwards had said she would be interested in making future visits to stay involved with the USA women’s programme and has followed up on her pledge by coming to Texas this week.”I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the MCC here in Canada and the United States,” Edwards said. “For me, I just saw a passion for learning and wanting to be better and I think there was just a hunger here for obviously some female coaching. I’m a person of my word and I said I’d come back.”Back in September, that opportunity wasn’t there then and it’s great. Once I heard that they’ve got that opportunity to play in a T20 Qualifier, it’s enormous.”Edwards says she has already noticed improvements in the women’s players since her first visit and is hoping to do what she can on this trip to enhance their tactical skills and match awareness, identifying those as key areas for improvement. She believes women’s players in the USA are disadvantaged in tactics simply by lack of match opportunities at club level – there are approximately 100 women’s players registered nationwide – to be able to test out methods and learn from experience.”There’s many things I kind of want to help with,” Edwards said. “I think growing their awareness of the game and obviously having played a lot myself, hopefully I can pass on a lot of advice and experiences that I’ve been through. Upskilling them, that’s always important. Working on their skill development, giving them options especially in terms of the batting. I think that’s where probably I’m hopefully going to be a real asset to them.”We’ll be doing a lot of scenario work. They obviously don’t get that much chance to play cricket so we’ve got to create that as much as we can over the four-day camp which I’m really excited about.”Charlotte Edwards arrived in Texas last Saturday and worked the next day with six players of the women’s squad•Peter Della Penna

USA women’s captain Nadia Gruny said she was eager to work with Edwards again after their initial meeting in Philadelphia last year. Gruny was one of the six women’s players invited to the men’s camp last weekend and said that Edwards had already begun to make a difference from day one of her interactions with the half-dozen members of the USA Women’s squad, offering unique insights on the women’s game that the players were unable to get from other coaches.”We worked with her last September and seeing her again in April, it’s quite a lot of months, but at the same time it feels like there is some continuation; it doesn’t feel like it was a long time ago,” Gruny said. “Having Charlotte with us, we’re able to relate to her a lot better because she’s a woman player and she understands many of the nuances of the women’s game that may be different to the men’s game.”For example, women that haven’t as much strength as most of the men, the pace of the spinners, what to expect from the bowlers in a typical women’s game. So just being able to relate to us with our game specifically has been a big help.”When asked about the possibility of joining USA’s coaching staff in a formal capacity for the T20 Qualifier, which is scheduled for August 12-20 in Scotland, Edwards said she would have to decline due to her commitments in England’s Kia Super League. But she is keen to pass along whatever she can before then, starting with this week’s camp in Texas. The eagerness of the players to soak up tips is a major reason why Edwards said she is offering her support to the USA Women’s team.”I think they’re just growing in confidence the whole time,” Edwards said. “I think the opportunities they’re now getting in terms of being [at the men’s national camp] for the week, they’ve loved it. They’re relishing all the opportunities they’re getting and they’re improving.”What stood out to me is we were doing a really good fielding session with Trevor Penney and just their resilience, their real hunger to want to be better and I think that’s something you can’t coach. Them willing to take stuff they’re learning in the nets into the match situations. I just think they’re growing in confidence all the time which, hopefully, they’ll just continue to do that.”

Hazlewood, Smith in umpiring controversy

Josh Hazlewood has pleaded guilty to breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct after showing dissent at the result of a decision review during New Zealand’s second innings

Brydon Coverdale in Christchurch23-Feb-2016

Umpire Ranmore Martinesz was subjected to questioning by the Australians•Getty Images

Josh Hazlewood has pleaded guilty to breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct after showing dissent at the result of a decision review during New Zealand’s second innings in Christchurch. Hazlewood, who was fined 15% of his match fee for the incident, along with captain Steven Smith was part of an ugly confrontation with umpire Ranmore Martinesz in the last over before lunch.The incident occurred after the Australians appealed for lbw from a near yorker that Hazlewood delivered to Kane Williamson, and Martinesz ruled not-out. Smith immediately asked for a review from third umpire Richard Illingworth, who saw a small Hot Spot mark near the bottom of Williamson’s inside edge and instructed Martinesz to stay with his not-out decision.The Australians, who had seen the replays on the big screen at Hagley Oval, appeared to be furious with the review, indicating to Martinesz that they thought the Hot Spot was the result of Williamson’s bat hitting his boot. Smith walked towards Martinesz to remonstrate and Hazlewood was heard on the stump microphone to say: “Who the f*** is the third umpire?”Their reaction drew immediate criticism from the TV commentators on air at the time, Mark Richardson declaring the actions of the Australians as “intolerable” and Ian Smith saying that Martinesz “does not deserve a grilling out there”. Hazlewood also appeared to express frustration as the players walked off at the lunch break, speaking to New Zealand batsman Corey Anderson.”I didn’t actually hear anything, I got told that he was saying something to me,” Anderson said after play. “But I’m actually deaf in my left ear, so he could have been on my wrong side. Whether he said something or not, I’m not too concerned. You hear a little bit every now and then when you’re out there, but you’re so focused and consumed by what you do, you end up blocking most of it out.”One factor in the drama appeared to be that the replays shown on the big screen at Hagley Oval, which the players saw at the time, were less clear than those seen by TV viewers at home. Anderson said Williamson had been “unsure” whether he had nicked the ball or not, and that it was sometimes not until the players saw replays in the change-rooms that they understood the process.”It was one of those ones where it’s so close you don’t know sometimes whether you’ve whacked your foot or if you’ve whacked the ball,” Anderson said. “I know from the big screen there’s a few bits and pieces that are harder to tell. I know there was one yesterday with Joe Burns that we thought nicked the glove and it was turned down. Once you go back in the sheds and see what has actually happened, it’s a lot clearer.”It’s always one of those things. We’ve been on the end of those where you want a wicket so badly and you want something to happen in the game and it doesn’t quite go your way. It’s part of it. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again.”The incident occurred near the end of a session in which Australia had failed to take a wicket, despite a dropped catch, an edge that fell fractionally short of wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, and another lbw review that also showed an inside edge. Jackson Bird, who eventually finished with a five-wicket haul, said frustration had played a part in the response of the Australians.”We bowled pretty well in the first session and we probably thought it was out,” Bird said. “But those 50-50 calls, they either go your way or they don’t. So it was probably the frustration of the whole session. We’d bowled pretty well and hadn’t got a wicket. We’d been pretty close a couple of times. So you know – it’s one of those things. We couldn’t quite tell what was going on. It didn’t go our way but that’s how the game goes sometimes.”However, the Australians were unhappy at the fact that Hazlewood’s comment – “who the f*** is the third umpire?” – was broadcast. Stump microphones are not supposed to remain live when players and umpires are conversing.”Yeah it is a little bit [disappointing],” Bird said. “We’re all for having technology in the game, and all the new technology that comes out every year is great and great for the viewers at home. But I don’t see why the stump mics need to be broadcast to the whole world. I’m not sure why they were.”

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