Suranga Lakmal will captain Sri Lanka in Chandimal’s absence, as he did during the two-Test series against South Africa earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2018Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been ruled out of the second Test against England in Pallekele. Chandimal suffered a groin injury during the defeat in Galle and will be out for two weeks, which could also make him a doubt for the third Test, in Colombo, starting on November 23.Suranga Lakmal, the team’s senior pace bowler, will captain Sri Lanka in Chandimal’s absence, as he did during the two-Test series against South Africa earlier this year, when Chandimal was serving a ban.Uncapped batsman Charith Asalanka has been called up to the squad, which also includes Roshen Silva. Asalanka, who scored an aggressive 68 in the second warm-up match against England, comes in ahead of Lahiru Thirimanne and Kusal Perera, who were the two batsmen on standby.Sri Lanka will also have to make a change to their bowling attack for the second Test, with Malinda Pushpakumara expected to come in for the retired Rangana Herath, while the news that Akila Dananjaya faces his action being tested – although he will still be eligible to play in Pallakele – is another headache.Meanwhile, team manager Charith Senanayake has resigned the position for personal reasons. Jeryl Woutersz, who has previously fulfilled the role, has been named as Senanayake’s replacement with immediate effect.

It is likely the pair will miss the remainder of the Australia tour and the upcoming limited-overs tour of New Zealand

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Jan-2019Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul have been suspended from all forms of cricket pending an inquiry into their controversial comments on a recently aired TV show. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) that is overseeing the functioning of the BCCI has sent fresh show-cause notices to the players, asking them for a response within seven days “as to why they should not be proceeded against for misconduct and indiscipline under Rule 41 of the BCCI Constitution”.The pair will return to India and miss the remainder of the Australia tour and the upcoming limited-overs tour of New Zealand. The selectors are expected to name their replacements in due course.”You are aware that the enquiry and proceedings against you for misconduct and indiscipline have been initiated under Rule 41 of the BCCI Constitution and the same are presently pending,” the show-cause notice, which ESPNcricinfo has accessed, read.”In terms of Rule 41(6) of the BCCI Constitution, you are hereby suspended with immediate effect from participating in any matter whatsoever in any match or function or event or activity that is authorized, organized, sanctioned, recognized or supported in any way by the BCCI, the ICC or any State Association, until final adjudication of the matter.”The CoA has taken on board the recommendation of the BCCI’s legal team that Pandya and Rahul be suspended pending an inquiry. This was the procedure the BCCI followed when its CEO Rahul Johri faced sexual harassment allegations last October.The recommendation has the support of the CoA member Diana Edulji, a former India women captain, and the BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary,”Based on the legal opinion and till the time the final procedure is laid down to address this issue, will recommend that a communication be sent to the concerned players and the team immediately,” Edulji said in response to the legal team’s email on Friday morning, which has been accessed by ESPNcricinfo.”It will be imperative that the players be put under suspension till a further course of action is decided for this misconduct as was done in the case of CEO when he was sent on leave in the sexual harassment matter.”Choudhary agreed with Edulji’s view in a separate email.In reply to the first show-cause notice issued by the BCCI earlier this week, both Pandya and Rahul had apologised for their conduct.Both Pandya and Rahul have been part of India’s practice sessions in Sydney leading up to Saturday’s first ODI. On Friday, India captain Virat Kohli said their comments were not acceptable.This latest controversy, coming immediately in the wake of India’s triumph in the Test series in Australia, has once again split the BCCI and the CoA. Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, had initially recommended a two-match suspension for the players, while Anirudh Chaudhry, the BCCI treasurer, had called for stricter sanctions. Acting secretary Choudhary wanted the pair suspended “immediately”.At Edulji’s behest, the BCCI’s legal team gave its inputs as to the way forward, and whether and how the players could be charged under the board’s new constitution, which came into effect in August 2018. The legal team ruled out charging Pandya and Rahul for violating the BCCI’s Code of Conduct, which applies strictly to on-field actions.As per the new BCCI constitution, the power to sanction players for indiscipline or misconduct is to rest with the BCCI’s Apex Council. The constitution specifies that the BCCI CEO seek an explanation from the players through an initial show-cause notice and the CEO’s report is to be forwarded by the Apex Council to an Ombudsman, who determines what sanctions are binding.The BCCI, pending fresh elections, does not have either an Apex Council or an Ombudsman. The legal team has suggested that the CoA, as the authorised head of the BCCI currently, could substitute for the Apex Council. The legal team also pointed out that CEO Rahul Johri’s initial show-cause notices to Pandya and Rahul had not included specific rules under which the pair could be charged subject to an inquiry.The legal team suggested that Johri send fresh show-cause notices to both players and that he submit his final report within 15 days. The team also recommended that an ad-hoc Ombudsman, meeting the criteria set by the BCCI constitution, be appointed to adjudicate on the matter within the maximum prescribed period of 6 months from the date the player is charged.”Considering that the inquiry process against the concerned players has commenced and is pending, it is open for the COA to suspend the concerned players (along with their privileges and benefits) pending enquiry and proceeding into the charges of misconduct until final adjudication,” the legal team said in its email to the CoA, the office bearers and the BCCI’s professional management.

Acting BCCI president doesn’t want the careers of both players to be put in a limbo

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2019CK Khanna, BCCI’s acting president, doesn’t want the careers of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya to be “kept in a limbo” and has urged the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) to lift their suspension until the court issues a directive.”I suggest that pending inquiry we reinstate both the cricketers in the Indian squad immediately and allow them to join the team in New Zealand at the earliest,” he wrote in an email, as reported by ‘They made a mistake, and they have already been suspended and called back from the series against Australia. They have also submitted an unconditional apology. We must not keep their careers in a limbo.”Hardik and Rahul were recalled from the tour of Australia after the Test series for their comments on a TV chat show that was aired on January 6. Since then, both players have pleaded guilty to the charge of indiscipline and misconduct imposed on them by the CoA.ALSO READ: Hardik Pandya and the man in the mirrorHaving missed the ODIs in Australia, their hopes of an imminent return were dashed when the Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing pertaining to Lodha reforms. The fate of Hardik and Rahul is one of several issues that are due to be resolved, but can only be done after the appointment of an amicus curiae to replace Gopal Subramanium, who left that post recently after holding it for several years.The disciplinary issue of the two players is tied to the appointment of a BCCI ombudsman, the board’s final adjudicating authority under its new constitution. The post has been vacant since Justice AP Shah finished his term in late 2016 and the Committee of Administrators has asked the court for directions on a new appointment.

The game ended before the scheduled close of play, when the two teams mutually agreed on a draw with Vidarbha only 11 runs away from an outright victory

Sreshth Shah in Nagpur16-Feb-2019Character, that’s the word used by Vidarbha captain Faiz Fazal to describe his team’s attitude after they beat Rest of India on first innings lead in Nagpur to become only the third Ranji Trophy winners to also defend their Irani Cup title.Speaking to the media after their triumph over an RoI side that had three current Indian Test players in Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari – and a middle order comprising of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan – Fazal said it’s that ‘character’ which has defined the team’s success over the past two seasons in domestic cricket. He also said that the way the team’s younger batsmen played in the fourth innings, was a performance beyond their years.”The target they had set was a sporting total,” Fazal said. “But the way we played, the way we approached the innings was credible. The boys showed their character.”It was important to show the character because such targets in such wickets is not easy. The way we approached the game was very good. I was out for a duck yesterday, so I think the way the youngsters adapted around Satish Ganesh, who played really nice innings was commendable.”R Sanjay played nicely, as did Atharwa Taide. They played a very matured innings. We need players in the team who show character. That’s how you build teams. That’s the reason why we are so consistent for last two years.”The game ended before the scheduled close of play, when the two teams mutually agreed on a draw with Vidarbha only 11 runs away from an outright victory. The decision surprised people in some corners. Fazal, however, defended his decision to end the game at that stage.”You’re right, we could’ve gone for the win, but it’s more important to lift the trophy,” Fazal said. ” But actually we were waiting for Ganesh’s 100. Unfortunately, it did not happen.”The wicket was turning, so maybe a new batsman would’ve gone out trying to go for those 11 runs, and our innings would’ve been spoilt. That said, we weren’t thinking negatively, but we were already satisfied having secured the cup by that stage.”Fazal also heaped praise on Vihari – who became the first batsman to hit hundreds in three consecutive Irani Cup innings’ – and Rahane, whose 229-run partnership with Vihari on the fourth day gave RoI an outside chance of winning the contest. He said that the way the two senior India batsmen played in that situation was a tutorial for Vidarbha’s batsmen.”Hats off to those guys. To be 30-40 [46] for 2 and then the way they made a comeback and the kind of innings they played, it was like a schooling for us,” Fazal said. “It was a learning process for us. They played extremely well. The technique with which they batted, they played very straight – no risk. I think we learnt a lot and that showed in our innings.”Fazal, however, said that there were still areas where Vidarbha could improve, come next season, especially in the batting department, but commended the sole centurion from his team, Akshay Karnewar for his effort. His 102 in the first-innings helped Vidarbha reach 425 in response to RoI’s 330 in the first innings.”There are a lot of areas we still need to work hard, like we need to get big scores like Hanuma got in both the innings, the way even Ajinkya played,” Fazal said. “Karnewar, the way he played in the first innings is a top innings from him and I think that’s why he got the Man of the Match as well. I think there are a lot of areas to work, and we will be working on it.”That’s the good sign of a team when you still want to learn and still want to improve. Those are very good signs to be consistent next season.”

Royals are nearing a point of no-return, and with Buttler and Stokes set to leave next week, their task only gets tougher

The Preview by Shashank Kishore in Jaipur19-Apr-20197:01

Dasgupta: Mumbai have all their bases covered

Big Picture

Rajasthan Royals love to flick switches midway through the season, when everyone but them see the obvious. Their decision to bat Jos Buttler in the middle order in 2018 had many chuckle in disbelief. In seven innings, he managed just 120 runs at a strike rate of 126.30. When they decided to open with him, Royals had already slumped. But Buttler almost single-handedly steered them to the playoffs by making 428 runs in the next six innings at a strike rate of 165.9.Now, midway through 2019, they are in another slump, needing to win at least five of the remaining six games to have a shot at making the playoffs. Buttler has opened right through, but he is only going to be around for another five days. They have flicked another switch now out of desperation, trying out options to possibly fill the Buttler void when he leaves. In the previous game, Ajinkya Rahane dropped down the order, and Rahul Tripathi opened, a position where he’s had most of his IPL success at, albeit under Steven Smith at Rising Pune Supergiant two years ago.

Form Guide

Rajasthan Royals: Lost to Kings XI by 12 runs, beat Mumbai by four wickets, lost to Super Kings by four wickets
Mumbai Indians: beat Capitals by 40 runs, beat RCB by five wickets, lost to Royals by four wickets

A question they have to address, though, is about Rahane’s position. Can they have him at No. 4, a spot with a complex job description? Especially when their opponents – Mumbai Indians – are trying to find ways to bat Kieron Pollard higher up the order? Currently, he simply can’t get enough batting time despite playing the most impactful knock of the tournament till date. Steven Smith, around whom their retention strategy was formalised last year, sat out the last game, and Sanju Samson batted at No. 3. Is that a formula to take forward?There are many questions, and very few answers, and Royals will need to do something very quickly before mathematical possibilities, too, dry up. The issues with the batting run so deep that the bowling seems to be the least of their worries at the moment. And only time will tell if they’re starting to run out of patience with their costliest signing, Jaydev Unadkat, whose five wickets in six games have come at 46.20 and an economy rate of 11.Mumbai, meanwhile, are cruising. The big concern for them prior to facing Royals is perhaps the lack of rest as they will take the field in a little over 36 hours following their victory over Delhi Capitals. The perennial slow starters have started to roar and look unstoppable at the moment. At this rate, they may even be able to offer Jasprit Bumrah some rest once they enter the safe zone, but for that they need at least two more wins. On form, and on paper, that could come on Saturday.Kieron Pollard lifts one over the off side•BCCI

In the news

For Mumbai, Ishan Kishan will be back in contention after missing Thursday’s game because of the flu. Doubts remain over Jason Behrendorff. If he continues to sit out, it could mean more time for Ben Cutting or a re-entry for Mitchell McClenaghan. Ben Stokes is likely to return for Royals after missing the previous game because of an illness.

Previous meeting

Buttler’s scorching 43-ball 80 against his former franchise helped Royals offset another poor death-bowling show, as they chased down 188 with three balls to spare. Jofra Archer’s three-for was their highlight with the ball.

Likely XIs

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Sanju Samson (wk), 4 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Ashton Turner, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Shreyas Gopal, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Dhawal Kulkarni Mumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Kieron Pollard, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Suryakumar Yadav, 8 Rahul Chahar, 9 Jason Behrendorff, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Lasith Malinga

Strategy punt

• Mumbai’s Powerplay run rate is the second-best this season, while they top the chart in the death overs. However, in the middle overs, they have been among the worst. There’s definitely a case for Pollard to bat a spot higher, considering he’s playing as a pure batsman. This could mean leaving out Suryakumar Yadav or dropping him down the order. Considering they have the Pandya brothers to follow, this may not be a bad call. Note: when Pollard scores fifty, Mumbai win three out of four games.
• Three Royals bowlers (Dhawal Kulkarni, Stokes and Unadkat) feature in the top five for bowlers with the poorest economy rates at the death. Can Royals use Archer and Shreyas Gopal, who concedes at just 4.7 in this phase, instead? He is yet to concede a boundary too across 6.1 overs in this period.

Stats that matter

• Legspinner Rahul Chahar’s dot-ball percentage of 58.3 in the Powerplay is the fourth best in IPL 2019. Archer tops the list with 69.20%. Chahar also has the third-best dot-ball percentage – 46.2% – for all spinners in IPL 2019.
• Tripathi has faced fewer dot balls in the first 20 balls than Rahane, and has the fourth-best IPL strike rate since 2017. Rahane, in fact, has a dot-ball percentage of 47.60 for the first ten balls (since 2015), while the corresponding number for Tripathi is 39.70.
• The in-form Hardik Pandya needs two more wickets to reach 100 in T20s. He needs just 52 more to clock 2000 T20 runs as well.
  

A collective bowling display on a slow-and-low Feroz Shah Kotla surface led Sunrisers to victory in a low-scoring game

The Report by Vishal Dikshit04-Apr-20195:46

Need to learn to be better at home than the opposition – Ponting

As opposed to using their batting might to win their last two matches, Sunrisers Hyderabad took the top position in the points table with a collective and clever bowling display on a low and slow Feroz Shah Kotla pitch. Right from the beginning Delhi Capitals didn’t look like setting a big total and were restricted to 129 for 8, which Sunrisers crossed with an over-and-a-half to spare.Capitals had botched their last two chases with forgettable collapses and would have been eager to change the trend when they were asked to bat, but they struggled to stitch partnerships against Mohammad Nabi’s spin and a pace attack that used its speed variations smartly. Capitals’ best stand scored 22 runs off as many balls, whereas Sunrisers began the chase with a 64-run opening stand in 41 balls. The hosts managed to strike a few blows late in the chase but the total they had put up wasn’t big enough to give Sunrisers a scare.Mohammad Nabi in his follow-through•BCCI

Sunrisers’ Powerplay strangleBhuvneshwar Kumar and Nabi did what they’ve been doing well for some time in the IPL – strangle batsmen early on. After being driven for a four off his first ball by Prithvi Shaw, Bhuvneshwar swung one in to knock back Shaw’s off stump. Nabi went around the wicket to left-handers Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Rahul Tewatia and kept cramping them for room, using his classical offspin and dip.Nabi accounted for Dhawan, who top-edged a sweep to short fine leg for 12 off the last ball of the Powerplay, in which Capitals only hit two fours and a six. Capitals were then 36 for 2 and their run rate dipped further thereafter. Bhuvneshwar bowled nine dots in his first two overs and Nabi finished with 3-0-18-1 in the Powerplay to set the tone for Sunrisers’ domination.Sharp catching and the slower deliveriesHaving judged the nature of the pitch, Shreyas Iyer and Pant relied on singles and twos before Nabi’s return, and an attempted big hit from Pant, broke the stand.Sunrisers’ bowling was well complemented by their fielding efforts too: first a composed Deepak Hooda pouched Pant at the long-off boundary, and a few overs later Manish Pandey swooped low to his left from point to get his hands under a Colin Ingram cut, leaving Capitals 75 for 5 in the 14th over.Sandeep Sharma used his knuckle ball frequently, and one of them stopped so much on Tewatia, who was promoted to No. 5, that he checked his follow through to balloon a catch to extra-cover. Pant, Ingram and Tewatia had all fallen for five runs each.All this time, Iyer used soft hands to nudge and dab the ball around in a largely run-a-ball innings. He was beaten a few times when he tried reading Rashid Khan off the pitch and was eventually bowled by a wrong’un in the 17th over for 41. At 115 for 7 with six balls to go, Capitals found a late lift courtesy two final-over sixes from Axar Patel.Jonny Bairstow lofts one over midwicket•BCCI

Sunrisers hold their nerve after the Bairstow showDavid Warner was on 6 off 11 at the end of the Powerplay, but Sunrisers were coasting at 62 for no loss. This was down to Jonny Bairstow’s audacious shots against the spinners, and his use of the pace offered by Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada to collect 16 and 14 runs in their respective first overs. By the time they began varying their pace, it was too late.Bairstow swept the first ball he faced, from Sandeep Lamichhane, for four and two overs later struck him for a six and a four off successive balls to make his intentions clear. In between, Axar put down a tough chance off his own bowling when Bairstow was on 5. Bairstow continued his attack against the quicks, and by the time the Powerplay was done, the asking rate was under five an over.Tewatia finally trapped Bairstow lbw for a 28-ball 48 with one that straightened, and even though the batsman reviewed it instantly, ball-tracking suggested the ball would have hit leg stump.Seven balls after Bairstow departed, Warner found mid-off to depart for 10 before Vijay Shankar steered Sunrisers past the 100 mark. Capitals would have had their tail up when Pandey, Vijay and Hooda gave their wickets away in the space of three overs, and Sunrisers slipped to 111 for 5. But the effect of Bairstow’s walloping had been such that Sunrisers needed only 19 off 24.Rabada ran in with steam in his last two overs, Morris changed his pace and a Yusuf Pathan edge fell short of long-on, but Nabi collected boundaries off both of them in consecutive overs and sealed the chase with a six over third man.

A target of 203 proved beyond Kings XI’s reach despite aggressive knocks from KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran

The Report by Danyal Rasool24-Apr-20192:23

AB de Villiers breaks another IPL record

It was the sort of game that exemplified both why Royal Challengers Bangalore can be so dangerous, and exactly why they find themselves struggling the way they are. A knock of ferocity from AB de Villiers – an unbeaten 82 of 44 – led the side to a 17-run victory over Kings XI Punjab, their fourth win in five matchesto keep their playoff hopes alive. Royal Challengers had been behind the eight ball for most of the first innings, after R Ashwin had put them in to bat, but de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis savaged 64 off the last three overs, and out of nowhere they had surged to 202 and taken charge of a game that had till then been controlled by Kings XI.A middle-overs collapse, three wickets falling for the addition of ten runs, had set Royal Challengers back before de Villiers and Stoinis put on 121 for the fifth wicket, aided by Kings XI losing their discipline as the carnage amplified in intensity.Lost control was a major theme for a disappointed R Ashwin at the end, with Kings XI clinical in their approach to the chase in the first nine overs, only for two quick wickets to send the asking rate surging once more. From that point on, getting to the target always seemed a bridge too far. Nicholas Pooran’s five sixes gave Royal Challengers one last fright, but de Villiers’ brilliance had ensured his side had plenty of runs to play with, and plenty of momentum going into the final three games.AB de Villiers heaves one into the stands•BCCI

Devastating de VilliersThe only weakness of de Villiers’ game is that he showcases his ability so often that it doesn’t quite carry the novelty that it would with a player less divinely endowed. Cherish it now, though, or repent at leisure. Even with the hyperinflation in the currency of T20 run-scoring, it’s likely to be a while before such an audacious, improbably gifted cricketer comes along to treat cricket fans the way this South African has been doing for over a decade. He may have hung up his international gloves but with Royal Challengers, de Villiers has been a rare bright spark in a difficult season. He came in today and watched the Royal Challengers dig themselves into a hole – don’t they often? – before launching a counter-offensive so lethal it made Kings XI forget the basic rules of T20 death bowling.They fed him the ball in the slot, they threw in full-tosses both low and high, and they pitched the ball on a good length. It was meat and drink for de Villiers, with Mohammed Shami and Hardus Viljoen bearing the brunt of the bombardment as the Kings XI leaked an eye-watering 64 runs in the final three overs. In comparison, Kings XI managed a paltry 14 runs in their own final three overs, and in the absence of a freak like de Villiers, that 50-run disparity was simply too large to overcome.The extra bowling optionsYesterday, Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered for want of a sixth bowler, and Royal Challengers demonstrated the value of extra options to turn to. Kings XI had amassed 101 in the first nine overs, and with nine wickets still in the bag appeared odds on to gun down 203. But with his frontline bowlers struggling, Kohli had the luxury of turning to Marcus Stoinis and Moeen Ali. Stoinis struck with the first ball of his second over, getting rid of Mayank Agarwal, who along with Chris Gayle and KL Rahul had been responsible for the flying start Kings XI made.The very next over, Moeen dismissed Rahul with his first ball, bringing two new men to the crease. It coincided with a rising asking rate that would never quite go back down to pre-bowling-change levels, and with seven bowlers in their arsenal, Royal Challengers had enough saved for their frontline bowlers at the business end.R Ashwin’s misfortuneThere were several Kings XI players – mostly batsmen – who ill-deserved to be on the losing side today, but none can be as disappointed as the captain R Ashwin. In a game dominated by the big hitting of de Villiers, Stoinis, Gayle and Pooran, Ashwin kept his figures tighter than the taxman’s purse. Sure, three of the overs he bowled came in the middle as Royal Challengers looked to rebuild following a mini-collapse, but he didn’t go for a single boundary in his entire spell, and got rid of Moeen Ali with a magical arm ball that slammed into middle stump.It exposed the home side’s lower middle order, and Ashwin was brave enough to save himself for a final over towards the end just when de Villiers might be warming up. He returned for the 17th over, giving away just five as RCB’s innings looked to peter out. He might have given away just 15 in his four, but the 64 that came off the following three more than undid all his good work.

According to the England allrounder, friendly competition to score the quickest centuries and hit the biggest sixes is driving the team during the World Cup

George Dobell in Headingley20-Jun-20193:04

Swann: England truly believe that 500 is possible

Friendly competition to score the quickest centuries and hit the biggest sixes is driving England’s batsmen during the World Cup, according to Moeen Ali.

Furthest six-hitting distances from England at World Cup

Jason Roy, 97m against Bangladesh
Moeen Ali, 93m against Afghanistan
Eoin Morgan, 92m against Afghanistan
Joe Root, 91m against Afghanistan
Jonny Bairstow, 86m against Pakistan
Jos Buttler, 85m against Bangladesh
Chris Woakes, 84m against Bangladesh
Liam Plunkett, 79m against Bangladesh

Eoin Morgan set a new ODI record by hitting 17 sixes in his innings in Manchester last week. But while he may have hit the most, his team-mates left him in no doubt that theirs were bigger and that his 57-ball century was “a bit slow” by comparison to their own. Three men in England’s top seven – Moeen, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler – have hit quicker ODI centuries.And that competition – combined with plenty of hard work – is rendering England “almost unstoppable” according to Moeen.”We were a bit surprised by the numbers the other day,” Moeen, who once made a 53-ball century against West Indies, said. “We were like ‘that’s a lot of sixes’. But I told him I hit the biggest. The first one off Rashid Khan was the biggest.”When players go past 53 balls then I can always say ‘yeah, it’s a great knock but still a bit slow for my liking.’ I’m always hoping they don’t push me further down the list.Moeen Ali steers one through the off side•Getty Images

“We always talk about stuff like that. Jos came back after scoring 120 and I told him I’d hit the shot of the day. We have a bit of banter about it.”We’re just having a lot of fun and ripping each other all the time. We get stuck into each other about everything: about the football or about Fifa. Anything. It’s all part of team bonding. It’s all very natural.”While the team may good-naturedly compete for such accolades there is, according to Moeen, an acceptance that one man stands out.”Buttler is the biggest hitter,” Moeen says. “With ease. Some guys – like Jonny Bairstow – are brutal. Jason Roy is absolutely about power and Morgan does hit big sixes.”In the nets, Joe Root hits the most sixes. He tries to take us down all the time. I think everyone is capable of hitting big sixes and I think I’m the best of all of them. But Jos is the one guy that everyone knows is out front. Jos is power with timing.”But the serious side is that we work hard on it. You can’t just rock up and start hitting sixes for fun, you have to practice it and work on it.”As a team, once we get going, I’m sure everybody thinks that we’re almost unstoppable. When Jos, Morgs, Jason… we have some many players, almost everybody in the top eight. Who can do it. Once they get going, it’s almost unstoppable. That’s the great thing about the team.”

BCB president Nazmul Hassan says Hathurusingha could become candidate for the job after Sri Lanka-Bangladesh series

Mohammad Isam and Madushka Balasuriya24-Jul-2019Chandika Hathurusingha’s return as Bangladesh’s head coach is closer to becoming reality after Nazmul Hassan, the Bangladesh Cricket Board president, said he could become a candidate for the job after the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh ODI series. Khaled Mahmud will be the coach of the team in an interim capacity for the Sri Lanka series, after Bangladesh parted ways with Steve Rhodes at the end of their World Cup campaign.Hathurusingha had been Bangladesh coach between 2014 and 2017, and the only thing that seemingly stands in the way of his return to that position is the manner of his exit from the Sri Lanka set-up, which remains unclear. Hassan, one of Hathurusingha’s biggest supporters during his Bangladesh stint, said the BCB is unable to talk to Hathurusingha and some of their other candidates right now, as they are involved in their current jobs. The BCB president also said the board would prefer a coach with previous experience of working with a subcontinent team.”We have started the process to find a head coach, a fast-bowling coach and a physio,” Hassan said. “Since the ODI series is about to begin, we are not allowed to talk to Hathurusingha. He will become a candidate when there’s a break after this series, if he expresses his wish to come. We want a coach as soon as possible. We are in talks but some of the coaches are still involved in their present jobs.”My first preference is that the coach must have national team coaching experience. We are also looking for someone who has previous experience with subcontinent teams. We are looking for coaches outside those who applied [for the coaching position] too. Top coaches have to be contacted through agents, so we are pretty much using all our avenues.”Hathurusingha still has around 16 months to go in his contract with Sri Lanka Cricket, the early termination of which is understood to come with a hefty severance package. Last week matters came closer to a resolution, when Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry handed SLC a written directive demanding the resignation of the national team’s coaching staff.SLC CEO Ashley De Silva was tightlipped on the matter, simply stating that the board would have to comply with any directive by the sports ministry, as per Sri Lanka’s sports law.”We have to abide by the sports law, and when the sports minister gives a directive we’re compelled to abide by those directives,” De Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “So this is something we’re looking at, we’ve had discussions about it internally, and our executive committee will need to have a discussion with the minister about how to proceed and take it forward from there.”We know there will be a lot of speculation until then, but since it’s a very sensitive area we don’t want to make a statement until a final decision has been made. We don’t know if Hathurusingha is okay with resigning, we’ll only know after we speak to him. He’s aware of the current situation, but we haven’t had a discussion with him as yet, so we just have to wait and see.”When questioned on the matter earlier this week, Hathurusingha kept his cards close to his chest. “As far as I am concerned, I haven’t heard from anybody relevant to me that there’s going to be a change in the coaching staff,” he stated on Monday. “I have to just wait for what they’re going to tell me and then I will make my decision.”Hathurusingha remains a favourite for the BCB president Hassan, though, who said that he likes coaches who have a win-at-all-cost attitude. “Everyone has a different coaching technique, style and thinking. We also have a thinking. I don’t want to say much but some coaches feel that there’s no point being serious about a game. But we also had coaches who wanted to win at any cost,” said Hassan, who also came down heavily on Rhodes’ tenure.

Will Somerville and Colin de Grandhomme took a wicket each for New Zealand on a day that saw only 36.3 overs

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu22-Aug-2019
Dimuth Karunaratne led Sri Lanka’s slow but steady progress on a rain-drenched first day at the P Sara Oval in Colombo. The Sri Lanka captain blunted the new ball and grew more fluent against the old one, making an unbeaten 49 off 100 balls, on a truncated day that saw only 36.3 overs. This, just three days after he had broken into the top ten in the Test batting rankings.A persistent drizzle had wiped out the entire morning session before returning to delay the start of the final session of the day. Although it relented, fading light resulted in early stumps on the opening day.ALSO READ: Williamson and Karunaratne, two ends of the control spectrumAfter Sri Lanka had opted to bat, both Tim Southee and Trent Boult found swing and seam movement on a grassy track, but their lengths weren’t full enough. It was offspinner Will Somerville who provided New Zealand with the breakthrough, when he extracted turn and bounce to have Lahiru Thrimanne, the other opener, spooning a catch to short cover for a skittish 2 off 35 balls.Karunaratne, much like Thirimanne, had been uncertain when the ball was pitched up, and threaded the cordon twice when he reached out outside off in the early exchanges. However, when Boult erred short, Karunaratne rose on top of the bounce and crunched him between point and cover for a brace of fours.Karunaratne’s defensive technique was tighter against Somerville and Ajaz Patel although he faced only eight balls of spin. Somerville’s tussle with Thirimanne was more intriguing as the offspinner challenged the edges with fuller lengths. Somerville could have had Thirmanne with his third ball when he drew a bottom edge, but wicketkeeper BJ Watling wasn’t quick enough to close his gloves around the ball.Moments after being dropped, Thirimanne cracked under pressure and loosely drove Somerville to Williamson in the 15th over. Kusal Mendis then played a few lively shots and upset Somerville’s lengths, but he was largely circumspect against the seamers. He contributed 32 to a 50-run second-wicket stand with Karunaratne before Colin de Grandhomme landed the ball on the seam and had him nicking off in the post-tea session.New Zealand had broken up their three-man spin attack and picked seam-bowling allrounder Colin de Grandhomme in place of Mitchell Santner, who not too long ago was their No.1 spinner. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, recalled a fit-again Dilruwan Perera in place of Akila Dananjaya, who risks suspension after being reported for suspect action for a second time in ten months.