Cricket Updates: August 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Pandey century in vain as Australia A clinch thriller

Sanju Samson's dynamic 74-ball 87 and Manish Pandey's fighting century went in vain as Australia A managed to clinch a one-run win over India A at the Ray Mitchell Oval, Harrup Park, Mackay on Tuesday (August 30).

A decade ago, Ian Bell, England's precocious top order batsman, copped a verbal volley from legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne that has become part of sledging folklore.

Ian Bell, the 118-Test veteran for England, will play for Perth Scorchers in the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL).

Deandra Dottin, the explosive West Indies' batter, signed up for Brisbane Heat for the second edition of Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), the franchise announced on Tuesday (August 30).

Shaun Marsh has been ruled out of the remainder of the Sri Lanka tour with a broken finger, Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday (August 30).

John Hastings, Australian paceman, admits he's a "touch underdone" but that hasn't stopped him from grabbing an unexpected opportunity in Australia's One-Day International team in Sri Lanka.

Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire head coach, announced on Monday (August 29) that will end his association with the County club at the end of the 2016 domestic season. Understandably, Liam Plunkett was saddened with the decision, while he was full of praise for Gillespie when he fronted the media ahead of the third One-Day International (ODI) against Pakistan.

Imad Wasim, Pakistan's all-rounder, has said that the visitors are determined to prove their mettle in the 50-over format after they slipped to defeats in the first two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) of the five-match series against England. Pakistan are presently placed at a lowly ninth position in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) ODI rankings.

Days after England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed England's tour of Bangladesh in October, Liam Plunkett has stated that he is yet to make the decision if he would get on the flight for it. Bangladesh has witnessed a spate of terrorist attacks in the recent past, with Australia deciding against sending their Test team for a two-match series last October and following up by withdrawing their Under-19 team for the World Cup in January-February this year.

MS Dhoni, India's limited-overs captain, disagreed with his counterpart Carlos Brathwaite's statement that certain sections of the outfield didn't show any discernible improvement after an incessant 15-minute thunderstorm resulted in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) played at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill to be called off, with the visitors well placed at 15 for 0 in chase of 144.

After Gautam Gambhir (51*) and Mayank Agarwal (53*) strung together an unbeaten 105-run stand for the opening wicket for India Blue against India Red, play was called off due to incessant rain at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground on Monday (August 29).

Pace trio leave New Zealand on backfoot

Two reviews were taken by South Africa and two decisions overturned in their favour as New Zealand, despite Kane Williamson's determined graft, were reduced to 118 for 6 at Lunch on Day 3 of the second Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Monday (August 29).

Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire head coach, will end his association with the county club at the end of the 2016 domestic season and return back to his native, Australia.

Nathan Coulter-Nile, the Australian pacer, returned home early from the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka with a back injury. An MRI scan revealed a lumbar bone stress injury on his lower back.

It is not the first time that the Western Australian has been ruled out of action. However, the latest injury is expected to keep him out for a "lengthy rehab period."

Tillakaratne Dilshan, the explosive Sri Lankan opener, took a subtle dig at current captain Angelo Mathews over the all-rounder's bowling workload during his 10-month captaincy stint in 2011 post the ICC Cricket World Cup. Dilshan took over the reigns once Kumar Sangakkara stepped down after the final but revealed on Sunday (August 28) that he didn't find enough support from his teammates.

Without a doubt, the best asset a captain can have is a good team. New West Indies Twenty20 International (T20I) captain Carlos Brathwaite certainly has that. He inherited it from previous two-time ICC World Twenty20 winning captain Darren Sammy, who despite his recent uncertain form, led a scarily fearsome side. In all departments of the game, the Caribbean team is staffed by some of the best and most heavily sought after players in cricket's briefest format.

George Bailey, Australian batsman, has praised the leadership of interim One-day international captain David Warner after his side's two-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on Sunday (August 28).

Warner has taken the reins for the remainder of the series after skipper Steve Smith controversially went home after the second ODI for rest and recuperation ahead of a busy Australian summer. The 29-year- old had never captained Australia previously but had received acclaim as a highly-respected leader for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

Joe Burns, the dumped Australian Test opener, will get a timely opportunity for redemption after being named in Australia A's squad for the upcoming four-day matches against India A in Brisbane.

The 26-year- old was named vice-captain on Monday (August 29) for the first match starting September 8 before taking the reins as skipper from Peter Handscomb for the second and final game, which gets underway September 15.

Carlos Brathwaite, the West Indies Twenty20 captain, has highly commended his senior players for the sterling support they have afforded him. Speaking unprompted near the end of the press conference after the second game at the Central Broward Regional Stadium in Florida on Sunday (August 28), the West Indies captain almost seemed to get emotional.

There was no room for one final 'Dilshan special' in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), but the emotional crowd at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium gave one of their best batsman in the current era a fitting goodbye. Tillakaratne Dilshan, one of the most devastating modern-day batsman and a fine accumulator of runs, brought down the curtains on his ODI career in the third 50-over game against Australia in Dambulla on Sunday (August 28).

If training sessions are anything to go by, Ben Stokes looks all set to resume bowling duties in the third One-Day International against Pakistan at Trent Bridge. The pacer has been restricted to be playing just as a batman because of a recent spate of injuries.

Salma Khatun, the 25-year-old all-rounder, has been ruled out of Bangladesh Women's tour to Ireland, scheduled for September this year. Salma, who bowls off-spin and bats in the lower-middle-order, sustained an injury to her shoulder during a practice session about two weeks ago.

Afghanistan will travel to Bangladesh for a three-match One-Day International series in September, the cricket boards of the two countries confirmed on Sunday (August 28). The tour with games scheduled for September 25, 28 and October 1 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium will see the associate nation play a bilateral series against a non-Zimbabwe full-member side for the first time.

Marcus Trescothick, former England opener, penned a one-year contract on Sunday (August 28) with Somerset, and will play his 25th season for the County next year. The veteran opener is on the verge of compiling 25,000 first-class runs. He also has 49 centuries for Somerset, which is the joint most for his county.

Tamim Iqbal is in a race against time for the upcoming home series against England after he fractured his left hand during a training session on Saturday. The left-handed batsman was sent for an x-ray on Sunday (Sunday 28) that confirmed the injury, which will rule him out for close to three weeks.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to waive off the annual fee of the two temporarily-suspended Indian Premier League franchises Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, leading daily newspaper The Indian Express reported on Sunday (August 28).

West Indies took an eternity to bowl the final ball in the first Twenty20 International on Saturday (August 27) when India needed just two runs for victory. Bravo kept engaging with his teammates to devise strategies and kept the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni waiting. In the end, the move to bowl a slower delivery outside off worked in their favour as Dhoni guided it into the hands of Marlon Samuels at short third man which gave West Indies a thrilling one-run win.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's limited-overs skipper, praised the in-form batsman KL Rahul by calling him a 'complete cricketer' after his side's agonizing one-run loss against the West Indies in the first Twenty20 International in Florida on Saturday (August 27). Rahul smashed the joint second-fastest T20I century while chasing 246 for victory and remained unbeaten on 110.

Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan's opener, will miss the remainder of the England tour due to a calf injury that he sustained before the second One-Day International (ODI) played at Lord's on Saturday (August 27).
Hafeez, who didn't play the second ODI due to his niggling calf problem, has suffered a minor strain in his left calf. However, the all-rounder is expected to continue his rehabilitation in England but won't be staying with the squad.

Australia's decision to rest Steve Smith, the incumbent captain of the national team across formats for the remainder of the Sri Lanka tour due to a packed schedule, created a furore in the cricketing circles with former players and fans criticising the move.

It brought back memories of the days when you'd turn up two hours early at Sabina Park in Kingston for a Test match, only to be greeted by horrendously long lines and no certainty of gaining admission. That is how it looked approaching the Central Broward Regional Stadium for the first of two Twenty20 Internationals between the West Indies and India. It was 8.00 AM. The match was scheduled for 10. And already it seemed there were enough patrons there to fill the venue.

Chris Gayle turned up injured and could not play, but Johnson Charles at first, and then Evin lewis, made sure the powerful Jamaican, owner of cricket's most destructive blade was not really missed. The St. Lucian, playing in his 30th T20I began like a rocket. The day's second, third and sixth legal deliveries, bowled by Mohammad Shami were struck for six, four and four respectively.

The pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad will miss the rest of the domestic season due to injuries, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Saturday (August 27). Anderson, England's leading wicket-taker in both Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODIs), sustained an injury to his right shoulder blade during the third Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's, while Broad has been troubled by an ankle problem.

Worcestershire secure Hasting's services for 2017 season

John Hastings, the Australian all-rounder, has been signed by Worcestershire as their overseas player for the 2017 season, the club confirmed on Friday (August 26). Hastings, who is currently in Sri Lanka for the two-match Twenty20 International series, will be available throughout the season for the English County side subject to international commitments.

Adam Zampa, the Australian legspinner, has spoken of his desires to play Test cricket but believes a debut is a "while off".

After Australia was humiliated during their 3-0 Test whitewash in Sri Lanka, recriminations ensued with critics believing that the 24-year-old should have played on the spin-friendly pitches. Zampa impressed during the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 in India early this year, taking five wickets in four matches, to be a shining light in Australia's disastrous campaign.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is contemplating preparing a turning track for the Duleep Trophy final at Greater Noida from September 10 to 14 as final practice for the New Zealand series, especially if the likes of Virat Kohli and other top cricketers turn out for the game.

India Red registered their first victory over India Green on Friday (August 26) in the Duleep Trophy largely due to the efforts of Abhinav Mukund. The Tamil Nadu opener returned to form, contributing with 246 runs, which included a century in the second innings. The runs, scored against the pink ball, which had most batsmen struggling, are all the more important.

With England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) agreeing to go ahead with the Bangladesh tour, the focus of the English players have shifted from the ongoing One-Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan.
Jos Buttler, England wicketkeeper, who spoke to the press ahead of the second ODI at Lord's said: "It was a positive meeting last night with lots of information to digest. Its tricky for us at the moment. Weve got a game tomorrow."

With Pakistan languishing at No. 9 in the ICC One-Day International (ODI) Rankings, they have little time to make their presence felt in the top 8 of the standings in order to qualify automatically for the ICC World Cup 2019. With the cut-off date for the mega-event set as September 30 next year, Mickey Arthur, Pakistan's head coach, has his work cut out.

MS Dhoni, India's limited-overs captain, believes that with a slew of power-hitters and all-rounders in the ranks, West Indies have the ideal template for the shortest format of the game. The 35-year-old wicket-keeper-batsman also reckoned that it would be a challenge for India to overcome the explosive Caribbean side in the two-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series, starting on Saturday (August 27).

With the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Kingsmead getting washed out, leaving the final Test of the series to decide the outcome of the two-match rubber, captains of the two teams - New Zealand's Kane Williamson and South Africa's Faf du Plessis - have called for more matches in a Test series.
"I don't know if you have too many lotteries in Test cricket," Williamson said ahead of the second Test on Friday (August 26). "Over five days, the team that plays more consistent cricket over a period of time wins the match, but it is a shame that we aren't able to play two full Tests, perhaps even more."

It's a short turnaround time for the Indian team to switch from the Test format to Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) when they play their first international game on US soil on Saturday (August 27). Coach Anil Kumble had no qualms in admitting that it won't be a walk in the park for the MS Dhoni-led side against the current World T20 champions, who have a squad filled with players fresh from the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Phil Simmons, the head coach of West Indies, said he is relieved that his team's Twenty20 (T20) set-up consists of quite a few experienced players, which in turn 'makes things easy' for the think-tank to prepare for the upcoming T20 International series against India, commencing on August 27.

Mark Wood, the England pacer, has promised to crank up his pace during the remainder of the One Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan. Playing in his first international match in 10 months, Wood clocked impressive speeds in the first ODI at Southampton on Wednesday (August 24), generating speeds exceeding 90 mph.

Australia are considering making changes to their team ahead of the third One-Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka, to be played at Dambulla, on Sunday (August 28). The visitors will have at least one forced change after skipper, Steven Smith, was allowed to leave the tour, rested ahead of a packed international season.

Anil Kumble, the head coach of India, said the players are focused on making the necessary adjustments to switch from playing Test cricket to the shortest format of the game. Speaking at a media briefing held before the two-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series against West Indies scheduled to take place on August 27 and 28, Kumble also conceded that it would be a tough task to topple the reigning World T20 champions, West Indies, in the T20I format.

According to the United States census, there were 2,843,391 Asian Indians living there in 2010. That figure grew from 1,678,765 in 2000, a whopping 69.37% change, making it one of the most rapidly increasing ethnic groups in the country. That figure has now swelled to well over 4,000,000. Pakistanis now number somewhere in the region of 453,000 persons and also increasing rapidly, as are the Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan populations.

Thisara Perera, the Sri Lanka cricket team all-rounder, was fined 15 percent of his match fee for breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during the second One Day International (ODI) in Colombo on Wednesday (august 24). Meanwhile, Australia pacer Mitchell Starc received an official reprimand in a separate incident, which also happened during Sri Lanka's series-levelling 82-run win at the R.Premadasa Stadium.

Darren Lehmann, the head coach of Australia, has justified the move to rest Steve Smith for the remainder of the Sri Lanka tour to help the incumbent captain to recuperate before a busy home summer.

Australia are slated to tour South Africa to play in a five-match One-Day International (ODI) series before hosting the Proteas for three Tests. Australia are also scheduled to play New Zealand and Pakistan at home, before they embark on tours to New Zealand and India.

West Indies, who are placed third in the latest Twenty20 International (T20I) rankings for teams released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday (August 25), have a chance to topple India from the second position, when the two teams lock horns in a two-match T20I series in Florida, commencing on August 27.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Monday, August 29, 2016

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Saturday, August 27, 2016