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Batting coach Thilina Kandamby said Sri Lanka had initially hoped to play three seamers, but changed their minds when they saw the pitch

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jun-2025Pitches at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo tend to come in two varieties. There were the mega run-fest flatbeds of the late aughts. Since then, they have tended to be be big-turning dustbowls.But the track for the second Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is unusual, as Bangladesh batter Shadman Islam and Sri Lanka batting coach Thilina Kandamby agree. Shadman is playing his first Test at this venue. Kandamby played domestic cricket here for more than a decade. But they’ve both arrived at roughly the same conclusion: this pitch is unexpectedly difficult to bat on.”It’s a two-paced wicket, when it usually has even bounce here,” Kandamby said after the first day’s play. “This is an unusual wicket at SSC because I’ve been playing here for almost 15 years. This is a totally different wicket. With the uneven bounce, even we were surprised by it.”Related

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Shadman, who is currently top-scorer for Bangladesh with 46 off 93 balls, also said that run-scoring was not easy. At least four of Bangladesh’s top seven batters were out playing aggressive strokes, including Shadman himself.”I think the wicket was a little bit slow,” he said. “You cannot score runs without playing shots. We played shots [during the first Test] in Galle too where those ended in boundaries. But unfortunately, maybe it was not our day today.”Having batted longer than anyone on this track, Shadman felt that 270 or 280 would be a good first-innings score for Bangladesh, who ended day one at 220 for 8. He also said there was enough juice in this pitch for Bangladesh’s own bowlers to exploit during Sri Lanka’s innings.”It’s very different conditions to Galle,” Kandamby said. “It was more batting-friendly than previous Galle wickets, and Bangladesh batted brilliantly. But here, we planned a few things about how to get them out, and some of those plans worked. We’d actually been hoping to play three seamers, but decided not to after coming here and seeing the wicket. For me, it’s an unusual SSC track.”

The allrounder has not recovered from the calf tightness he picked up in the last Sheffield Shield match

Alex Malcolm23-Feb-2024Western Australia have suffered a blow to their hopes of a hat-trick of 50-over domestic titles with Australia allrounder Aaron Hardie has been ruled out of the Marsh Cup final against New South Wales due to his calf injury.Hardie suffered calf tightness during WA’s last Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania. He only bowled four overs in the second innings of the game and did not field for the entirety of day three. Scans did clear him of any major damage but he was withdrawn from Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand as he was set to fly in on Monday to replace the injured Marcus Stoinis.Related

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WA were hopeful Hardie might be fit to play in Sunday’s final at Cricket Central in Sydney but he has not been passed fit to travel.WA do welcome back four players into their 13-man squad with Jason Behrendorff returning from Australia duty after missing their Marsh Cup win over Tasmania. Joel Paris has been included having not played a single Marsh Cup game all season and could play alongside Behrendorff as a dual left-arm new ball pairing. Paris has played just six Marsh Cup games in the last five seasons with WA preferring to rest him for Sheffield Shield games given they have Behrendorff and Andrew Tye contracted as white-ball specialists.WA have also named Australia Under-19 World Cup final player of the match Mahli Beardman in the squad for the final. Beardman made his Marsh Cup debut against New South Wales back in November but has not played since. Spin bowling allrounder Cooper Connolly also returns to the squad having not played since the BBL due to a quad strain.WA is playing in their fifth consecutive Marsh Cup final and is aiming to become the first side to win a hat-trick of titles since NSW did it between 2001-2003. WA are also gunning for their fifth title in seven years.NSW have picked a settled squad having won their last four matches in a row including beating WA twice.New South Wales squad: Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ollie Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques (capt), Daniel Hughes, Blake Macdonald, Jack Nisbet, William Salzmann, Tanveer SanghaWestern Australia squad: Sam Whiteman (capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Mahli Beardman, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Gannon, Nick Hobson, Joel Paris, Josh Philippe, D’Arcy Short, Andrew Tye

England’s new all-format head coach wants white-ball players to feel “bulletproof” again

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Sep-20241:51

McCullum excited to work with England’s ‘best-ever’ Jos Buttler

Cheering up a “miserable” Jos Buttler is key to revitalising England’s white-ball team. That is according to Brendon McCullum, the man tasked with rebuilding a fallen dynasty in his unified role as all-format head coach.The Test tsar watched on from a distance as a once-trailblazing outfit fell apart, culminating in two failed World Cup defences in the space of nine months. Matthew Mott lost his job as limited-overs coach as men’s managing director Rob Key sought a change of leadership, and Buttler was lucky to stay on as captain.Tactical errors across both 2023’s 50-over World Cup and the T20 edition earlier this summer, combined with undulating form with the bat, wore heavy on Buttler’s shoulders. As such, a once free-spirited cricketer, integral to England holding both ODI (2019) and T20 (2022) titles, adopted a far chippier disposition on the field and with the media.At this stage of Buttler’s career – he turns 34 on Sunday – the end is closer than the beginning, characterised by a setback in his recovery from a third calf injury in the last four years that has ruled him out of the upcoming T20I series against Australia. With Buttler also doubtful for the five-match ODI series, there is a chance he will not be able to fully oversee the initial stages of a much-needed generational shift.Related

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While McCullum will only take the white-ball reins from the start of next year with Marcus Trescothick holding onto them until then, getting Buttler back to his old, relaxed self is top of his priorities. “He’s been a little bit miserable at times,” McCullum said of Buttler. “I think he’s not naturally as expressive as what some may be.”But I think he’s done a great job, right? He won a [T20] World Cup as captain. He’s been part of World Cup-winning teams previously as well. He’s an incredibly gifted player. He’s a fine leader.”My job is to get the best out of him so that all those that sit in the dressing room feel like they can be 10 foot tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play. And they know that the skipper is going to give them that extra pat on the back and enjoy the ride with them. So it’s a great challenge. I’m so excited about it, and I know that Jos is too, which is great.”The confidence McCullum has in lifting Buttler’s spirits comes from their off-field relationship: the pair are good friends despite having never played alongside one another. McCullum believes this pre-existing connection – something he did not have with Test captain Ben Stokes – will be a key pillar for their professional relationship, and hopes he can show Buttler that the final stages of his career can be the most fulfilling.McCullum congratulates Buttler after his century at Edgbaston in 2015•AFP/Getty Images

“When I started the gig with the Test side, Stokesy and I knew each other – we had a natural respect for each other – but I wouldn’t say we were mates,” McCullum said. “What we’ve developed over the last couple of years is a very close friendship, to the point where I call him a very close mate. As much as you do this for cricketing reasons, ultimately you want good friendships and relationships to develop that last far longer than the time you’ve got in the job.”Jos and I actually start from a stronger base. We know each other, we’re mates, we have similar styles of play in our game. What I want from Jos is for him to enjoy the next few years. If he was to retire today, he’d go down as probably the greatest white-ball player England’s ever produced.”So, the opportunity for the next three or four years, however long he plays for, is just to enjoy it. Not to protect anything. Just get the most out of all those guys around him, keep walking towards the danger, play with a smile on his face and try to do something which is really cool. Where you can look back and say: ‘Gee, I really enjoyed those last few years’. I’m sure our relationship will go from mates to very good mates.”As for that friendship with Stokes, McCullum hopes to use it to squeeze more appearances in coloured clothing out of his Test captain.From reversing an ODI retirement to play in the 2023 World Cup to ruling himself out of contention for 2024’s T20 World Cup, Stokes has proved elusive to lock down as a limited-overs cricketer as far as England is concerned. Last week, men’s selector Luke Wright suggested Stokes is still considered available for the upcoming Champions Trophy.Ben Stokes has not played a limited-overs international since November 2023•AFP/Getty Images

With Test captaincy Stokes’ main priority, what itches he has for the white-ball cricket are scratched across the franchise circuit, which will include a maiden stint in the SA20 for MI Cape Town this winter. McCullum expects Stokes to stick around as captain throughout his tenure, which has been extended to 2027. As for his limited-overs future, there is a conversation to be had.”The skipper and I haven’t spoken about that [carrying on in Tests] actually, but I’m assuming he’s all-in,” McCullum said. “He seems like that sort of bloke. He’s been incredible and our relationship is fantastic.”You never know where the game’s going globally and what sort of opportunities will pop up for him which will challenge him, but I know how invested he is in English cricket and how determined he is to drive this team forward. I’d assume that will involve him being in charge for that period of time – even though he’s building a group of leaders around him that are growing and prospering in those leadership roles, too.”In regards to the white-ball – yeah, why not? I guess we’ll see where he sits. He loves big moments and big stages. As we’ll have to do with all our players, there’ll be times when they can’t play everything, so there’ll be some bilateral series where we simply can’t have all of our best players playing at the same time. But when it comes to major events and big series, I think those players are very much in those discussions.”

SA’s quicks Rabada and Jansen then tore through a line-up already missing the injured Ayub

Danyal Rasool04-Jan-2025Pakistan’s horror day in Cape Town was complete after South Africa ripped through their top order to leave them staring down the barrel of a huge defeat. Having posted 615 thanks to a double-hundred from Ryan Rickelton and a century from Kyle Verreynne, South Africa’s quicks Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen tore through a Pakistan line-up already missing the injured Saim Ayub. So effectively, South Africa are six wickets away from making Pakistan bat again, with the visitors a mammoth 551 runs behind after day two.Having taken command before lunch, South Africa ground Pakistan into the dust in the afternoon. Rickelton ended up with 259, falling just short of Stephen Fleming’s 262 as the highest score at Newlands. Verreynne brought up his fourth Test hundred. Jansen, out of form with the bat all year in 2024, heralded the new year with a whirlwind half-century. Six fours and three sixes helped him get there in 42 balls. Thus, as many as 137 runs were added in the second session, with South Africa having surged to 566 for 7 by tea, already their highest score at home in four years.Pakistan gamely battled on, but their efforts never looked like bearing fruit on a wicket that had long since flattened, and batters that had long since settled. Much of the second session became a milestone-marking exercise. Verreynne continued with the belligerence that had lit up the first session, a boundary off Mohammad Abbas and a single off the next ball bringing up three figures. It brought Newlands to its feet once more; they may have sore legs from the frequency with which they had to do that.Salman Ali Agha struck next over to prise him out as Verreynne went for a slog sweep, but it did little to stymie South Africa’s momentum. With no scoreboard pressure, Jansen let his natural talent speak for itself, swinging freely and timing it beautifully. He took 11 balls to get off the mark, but once he did, there was no stopping him. Two fours and a six off Khurram Shahzad in two successive overs helped bring up the 50 partnership in 46 balls, while each of Rickelton and Jansen helped themselves to sixes off Salman.Kyle Verreynne got to his fourth Test hundred•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan finally saw the back of Rickelton before tea was called. Having slapped Mir Hamza over his head for four, he top-edged the next ball to Abbas at long-on, who hung on to send him on his way, but not before he had nearly doubled his Test tally in one innings.In the morning, Rickelton had become the first South African in eight years to score a Test double hundred as South Africa tightened their grip on the Test. Pakistan began the session with some promise, taking the new ball immediately and striking within four overs, when Abbas tempted David Bedingham into a push outside off stump and induced an outside edge. It gave Pakistan a lift, but Rickelton merely carried on with the discipline that saw him go in overnight unbeaten on 176. He was cautious against the length deliveries and dismissive of everything else.Verreynne, meanwhile, was less discerning in his shot selection, a hook over deep backward square off Abbas revealing his intentions. It was a shot that defined the session for him; he picked up another two sixes off Jamal in the final over before lunch the same way. When Shan Masood put in three fielders close in at cover, he still found a way to pierce them through that region against Hamza, whose attempts to induce cover drives were successful, but just not in the way he had hoped.At the other end, Rickelton got to his double hundred with a punch through the off side, haring off halfway down the field in celebration. But the highlights all belonged to Verreynne, who greeted Salman with a reverse sweep for four off the second ball, and another one to finish the over off. Before the session was out, Verreynne had taken Jamal down by plundering 17 runs in an over.Kagiso Rabada got two early wickets with the new ball•Gallo Images

Pakistan finally did manage to bring the innings to a close after more than 140 overs under the hot Newlands sun, finishing, with pleasing symmetry, the way they started it. Abbas hit the top of off to knock back debutant Kwena Maphaka’s stumps, just like ball-tracking projected Abbas would have done off the innings’ first ball had Aiden Markram’s pad didn’t get in the way.But as soon as they started with the bat, they might almost have been left wishing South Africa’s innings didn’t end. Masood didn’t see out the first over, pushing at a Rabada delivery that nibbled away and took his outside edge along with it. Saud Shakeel fell in almost identical fashion as he uncharacteristically drove at Rabada, the same edge carrying to the same slip fielder, with David Bedingham making no mistake.In between, extra pace and bounce from Jansen forced Kamran Ghulam into an awkward position that culminated in his stumps being scattered behind him.So threatening was South Africa’s opening salvo and so listless were Pakistan’s batters that it felt the hosts might burrow deep into the tail this evening. But Babar Azam, opening in the absence of Ayub, dug in alongside Mohammad Rizwan, and South Africa’s replacement bowlers were not quite at Rabada and Jansen’s devastating level.It helped Pakistan that made sure they ended a day that had no redeeming features with the hope the next one may delay the inevitable a while longer.

There is no ICC requirement that World Cup knockout matches must be played on unused pitches

Matt Roller15-Nov-20233:44

Rohit: I believe toss is not a factor at Wankhede

The first semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, between India and New Zealand in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon, will be played on a used pitch that has already staged two matches in the tournament.ESPNcricinfo understands the semi-final was initially supposed to be played on Pitch 7, the central strip of the Wankhede Stadium’s pitch block. Pitch 7 is a fresh surface that was not used in the league stage of the World Cup.But a decision was made to shift the game to Pitch 6, which is slightly off-centre and has already hosted two matches in the tournament: South Africa’s 229-run win over England on October 21, and India’s 302-run victory over Sri Lanka on November 2.The change represents a late deviation from the pitch allocation devised before the World Cup. A source told ESPNcricinfo: “6-8-6-8-7 was the planned rotation at Wankhede. 6-8-6-8 is what has been used so far.”After the semi-final had begun, the ICC released a statement saying the change was not unusual. “Changes to planned pitch rotations are common towards the end of an event of this length, and has already happened a couple of times. This change was made on the recommendation of the venue curator in conjunction with our host. The ICC independent pitch consultant was apprised of the change and has no reason to believe the pitch won’t play well.”According to the ICC’s Playing Conditions for the World Cup, the relevant ‘ground authority’ is “responsible for the selection and preparation of the pitch” before any given match – in this case, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). The ICC also have an independent pitch consultant, Andy Atkinson, who works alongside local groundstaff.The Daily Mail reported that Atkinson has become frustrated by changes to pre-agreed plans throughout the World Cup, and that he speculated in a leaked email whether the pitch for the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday “will be the first ever ICC CWC final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared to their stipulation at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.”Should India make the final in Ahmedabad, they would face either Australia or South Africa. Pat Cummins put his faith in the ICC to oversee the pitch process.”Yeah, I saw that [the report]…obviously ICC have an independent pitch curator who manages that so I’m sure they are all over making sure it’s fair for both teams,” he said. “So far this tournament [on pitches] that we’ve played on I’ve not seen any issue.”There is no ICC requirement which states that knockout fixtures must be played on fresh pitches. The only stipulation in their Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process reads: “It is expected that venues that are allocated the responsibility of hosting a match will present the best possible pitch and outfield conditions for that match.”The semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup, in England four years ago, were both played on fresh pitches at Old Trafford and Edgbaston. But last year, both T20 World Cup semi-finals were played on used pitches: one at Adelaide Oval, the other at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Both India and New Zealand players inspected the pitch at the Wankhede from close quarters on Tuesday evening before it was covered by groundstaff early during India’s training session under floodlights.

The country was set to miss out on IPL screening for the first time in the tournament’s history before the agreement happened

Firdose Moonda30-Mar-2023Africa’s biggest sports broadcaster, SuperSport, has cut a last-minute deal to screen the entire IPL, less than three hours before the tournament begins. The agreement comes after South Africans were told they would not be able to watch the competition for the first time since its inaugural season in 2008 because SuperSport had lost the rights.*SuperSport has broadcast all 15 editions of the IPL prior to this year in full but lost the Sub-Saharan African rights to Viacom18 in June.Viacom18 also won the rights to Australia, New Zealand and England. It does not have a presence in any of the countries but viewers in Australia, New Zealand and England can watch the IPL via broadcasters who have subsequently made deals with Viacom18. SuperSport, on the other hand, has not.Related

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“SuperSport previously held broadcast rights to the Indian Premier League,” a SuperSport spokesperson had told ESPNcricinfo Thursday. “Commercial discussions with the rights holder for the next cycle of rights have unfortunately been unsuccessful and SuperSport will therefore not broadcast the IPL as of this year’s edition.”There are 15 South Africans at this year’s IPL and at least one in nine of the ten franchises (Kolkata Knight Riders are the exception), including some of South Africa’s biggest names. Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, David Miller, Rilee Rossouw, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Duan Jansen, Donovan Ferreira, Dewald Brevis, Sisanda Magala, and Dwaine Pretorius are spread across the IPL teams with former South African and now Namibian allrounder David Wiese set to play for Knight Riders. There are also several South African coaches at the IPL, including former men’s national team coach Mark Boucher, who will be in his debut season at Mumbai Indians.Cricket South Africa was understood to be disappointed for the country’s fans, especially after the momentum gained this season through the SA20 (where all six teams are owned by IPL owners) but has no involvement with rights deals.SuperSport is the biggest sports broadcaster on the African continent and broadcasts a host of major competitions including all South African tours home and abroad, the home series of England, Australia, New Zealand, India, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well as several franchise leagues. It most recently broadcast the Women’s Premier League in full.GMT 1145, March 31, 2023 The story was updated after the agreement happened.