“We need to play a certain brand of cricket, which we have been known for. Fearless cricket is something I’ve always advocated”

S Sudarshanan05-Dec-20236:58

‘We are seeing the positive effects of the WPL on India’s squad’

In his first press conference as the head coach of India, Amol Muzumdar picked fitness and fielding as areas of top priority ahead of the women’s T20I series opener against England.”Fielding and fitness are of highest priority,” Muzumdar said on the eve of the first T20I. “There is no compromise on fielding and fitness. There will be lot of camps that will be happening post this series and getting into the next season. There will be a lot of cricket played either at the NCA or somewhere or the other.”More exposure, fitness and fielding will be my top priority. The fringe players – the new generation coming through – will get equal opportunities. These are the prime things that we will take forward after this series.”Related

• Where did India go wrong in the ODIs against Australia?

• Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt and Ecclestone star in clinical England win

• Charlie Dean doubtful for England's tour opener against India

• Dunkley finds 'new lease of life' in India after tough summer

• New Test dawn for India, but focus firmly on road to T20 World Cup

India kicked off preparations for the multi-format series against England and Australia – including two one-off Tests – mid-November at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. After a four-day practice match, they had a three-day camp before touching down at the Wankhede on December 2. Skill aspects aside, focus was strained in on the fitness aspects with parameters set.”Goals have already been set,” Muzumdar said. “We already had some [fitness] test done when we were at the NCA in Bengaluru. [The parameters] are already in place and we follow it very rigorously and religiously moving forward. There will be three tests in the season, that is already being followed.”Muzumdar called for the batters to play fearlessly, starting from Shafali Verma. In T20Is in 2023, India’s openers have had a fifty-run partnership only twice. Shafali averages 20.45 in 11 outings this year and has a strike rate of 112.50 – well below her career strike rate of 130.58.”We need to play a certain brand of cricket, which we have been known for,” Muzumdar said. “Shafali and Jemimah [Rodrigues] are both a very important cogs in the wheel. I would like them to continue what they have been doing.”Fearless cricket is something I have always advocated. We would be playing that brand of cricket.”It is the first time India are playing a T20I at the Wankhede and the opening clash against England will be only the second women’s T20I at the venue. Muzumdar, who played most of his domestic cricket for Mumbai, was nostalgic talking about the venue but cautioned against getting complacent.”Coming back to Wankhede, I am starting a new role at the home ground,” he said. “I have played all my cricket since childhood here. [It is] great to start the series here at Wankhede. [We are] familiar with the conditions but cannot be complacent as every game has its own challenges.”India have won only seven of the 27 T20Is against England, but Muzumdar brushed aside the numbers.”We have decided to leave the statistics and whatever has happened behind us. We are looking forward to a fresh start. The numbers are there to be seen, but these girls and the team are looking forward to the season ahead. We are not going to go back in history — of course it is important — but at the same time, it is also important to look forward to the season ahead.”Harmanpreet Kaur and Amol Muzumdar will combine as captain and coach for their first series together•PTI

DRS a first for a women’s bilateral series in India

The series will be the first to have the Decision Review System (DRS) for a women’s bilateral series in India. Each team will have two reviews in the T20Is and three per innings in the one-off Test.DRS was first introduced in women’s cricket at the 2017 ODI World Cup but it was inconsistent in bilaterals. The Women’s T20 World Cup in 2018 was the first T20 edition to have the review system in place. For bilateral series, it is up to the host boards to have the broadcast facilities for DRS.While England have had DRS in their home series for a while, Muzumdar said India have a “DRS committee” in place to deal with what he called “important aspect of the game”.”We have already had a discussion on this. We do have a DRS committee in place. It is an important aspect of the game. It could be a game-changer or a series-changer. Every small little aspect will be taken care of. We already have a committee in place to deal with that.”England captain Heather Knight, on the other hand, laid bare the key members of the on-field DRS decisions, having used to the system in the women’s Hundred as well.”We are really used to playing with DRS both internationally and domestically,” she said. “Myself, the bowler and [wicketkeeper] Amy Jones are really key cogs in terms of information. Not sure I am the best at it, don’t think if I have an amazing record at DRS. Yeah, one of those you trust your bowler and keeper to try and work it out.”

Clarkson was to come in place of Williamson for the match in Dunedin but has suffered a shoulder injury

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2024Josh Clarkson will no longer join the New Zealand T20I squad ahead of the third T20I against Pakistan after he sustained a shoulder injury. Will Young will instead take his place for the match set to be staged in Dunedin on Wednesday.Clarkson was to replace Kane Williamson for the third game as the New Zealand captain continues to monitor his knee injury. But Clarkson injured his shoulder while playing for Central Districts in the Super Smash. Young will join the squad after the second T20I on Sunday.Young has played 97 T20 games overall in which he has scored 2290 runs averaging 26.62 with 14 fifties and two centuries. In 14 T20Is, he has 260 runs at 20.00 with two fifties but at a much lower strike rate of 102.36 compared to his overall T20 strike rate of 133.83. Young comes into the squad on the back of a half-century and a hundred for Central Districts in the Super Smash in Napier. He smashed a 33-ball 50 against Wellington before scorching his way to an unbeaten 63-ball 101 against Otago in the next match.Related

• Williamson ruled out for remainder of T20I series vs Pakistan

• Mitchell, Williamson, Southee lead NZ to comprehensive win

Williamson will meanwhile be back for the final two T20Is, which will be played in Christchurch on January 19 and 21. The teams will leave for Dunedin on Monday.New Zealand had a strong start to their five-game T20I series against Pakistan. Strong fifties from Williamson and Daryl Mitchell helped the hosts rack up 226 for 8. In reply, Babar Azam struck a fifty but Tim Southee’s frugal 4 for 25 helped New Zealand bowl out Pakistan for 180 and take the opening game by 46 runs.Mitchell Santner, who was supposed to lead the New Zealand side for the third T20I in Williamson’s absence missed the opening game in Auckland due to Covid-19. It will be interesting to see who leads the side in case Santner does not recover in time for the third game. He was in isolation at the team’s Auckland hotel after testing positive on Friday.

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

• Hughes' 119 trumps Rogers' 196 to book NSW home final

• Hardie ruled out of NZ with Johnson called in

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

After Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath lifted Australia to 155 for 6, Bangladesh folded for 78

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2024Tayla Vlaeminck capped her comeback tour in impressive fashion as Australia wrapped up a successful visit to Bangladesh with a 77-run victory in the third T20I.Fast bowler Vlaeminck took a career-best 3 for 12 from her four overs as Bangladesh were dismissed for 78 after Australia had posted 155 for 6. The win ensured Australia completed a clean sweep of the three ODIs and three T20Is on their tour.It was Vlaeminck’s only second match back after two years out of the team due to a recurrent foot stress fracture and then shoulder surgery. She removed Ritu Moni in the fourth over and returned to claim Fahima Khatun and Shorifa Khatun in the space of three balls in the 11th.Australia’s bowlers shared the other success around with all seven used claiming at least one wicket.Captain Alyssa Healy put Australia on track for victory early in the tour finale with 45 from 29 balls while Tahlia McGrath scored an unbeaten 43 from 29 balls batting at No. 5.The visitors returned to their more conventional batting line-up for the final outing having experimented in the second match. But Healy and Beth Mooney could not race away in the powerplay and Bangladesh chipped away to leave them 98 for 5 in the 16th over with Mooney, Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner all kept below a strike rate of 80.However, McGrath and Grace Harris ensured a powerful finish as they added 57 off 27 balls, which gave Australia more than enough to defend.Australia now have a lengthy break from international action before facing New Zealand in September ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will be staged in Bangladesh.

Left-hander will start the season coaching Yorkshire’s batters after quitting red-ball cricket

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Apr-2024It speaks of the crossroads at which Dawid Malan finds himself that he will start the 2024 season moonlighting as a batting coach for Yorkshire.Even with the T20 World Cup two months away, Malan, the ICC’s No.11-ranked T20I batter – Phil Salt (second) and Jos Buttler (ninth) are the only Englishmen sitting higher – seems unlikely to make the squad for the 2022 title defence. Despite being halfway through his year-long ECB central contract, he is already looking at what comes after.Malan will turn 37 in September and announced during the 50-over World Cup in November that he would be parking first-class cricket to prolong his white-ball career, which includes the T20 Blast this summer. Though he was left out of the white-ball tour of the Caribbean at the end of last year, stints at the SA20 and PSL kept him busy in a winter that began with the 50-over World Cup in India.He returned from Pakistan two weeks ago and, at present, has no plans to hit balls again until the start of May. In the meantime, Yorkshire batters now have an extra sounding board at Headingley, with over 100 caps and centuries in all three international formats. For Malan, it will show him whether coaching is an avenue he would like to pursue once he decides to call it a day.”It’s quite exciting,” said Malan. “I’m going to do a bit of coaching in my off time and help the boys out two or three days a week. I’ll work with the firsts and seconds, whoever is around. I’ll see if I can share some of my knowledge, if anyone wants it, and if it’s something I enjoy for after cricket.”I still feel I’ve got two or three years of playing if things go well and I can still perform, but I want to give back as much as I can now. It’s exciting to be back and give myself a different kind of challenge for this time of year than I usually have.”It’s an unofficial capacity. Whoever is at home, be it first team or second team, I’ll throw some balls and speak to whoever wants to speak to me about batting without treading on any of the coaches’ toes.”Related

• Meet Jamie Overton, England's T20 World Cup bolter

• Malan dropped for England's Caribbean tour

• Stokes opts out of England's T20 World Cup defence

Malan pitched the role to head coach Ottis Gibson last week, who was surprised. Gibson was in for a further shock on Wednesday when Malan also revealed he could U-turn on his first-class retirement this summer if “that itch” comes back, or his summer is limited to just the Blast and the Hundred, in which he was picked up by defending champions Oval Invincibles in last month’s draft after his release by Trent Rockets.”At first I was a little bit surprised because I was thinking: ‘Is he thinking retirement already?'” Gibson said on the initial conversation, before adding: “And then you tell me that he wants to play red-ball cricket, so I’m like, ‘Wow, where is he going with this?'”Nevertheless, Gibson would welcome Malan back into the Championship fold. He has only played 17 first-class matches for Yorkshire since moving north from Middlesex in 2020, but boasts an impressive average of 55.93 from 1,622 runs, with five centuries. Anything resembling that output will go far in helping a young squad surer of their footing – and no longer weighed down by a 48-point deduction – in their push to return to Division One. Ultimately, the caveat to all the above is Malan’s schedule.At this juncture, international commitments look unlikely. Despite top-scoring for England at the 50-over World Cup with 404 runs at 44.88, Malan was left out of Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler’s squads for the Caribbean. Other high-profile batters missed out to preserve them for the Test tour of India at the start of 2024. Malan’s absence, however, felt like moving on outright.Malan was in and out of the Multan Sultans’ XI in the PSL•PSL

Ben Stokes’ decision to pull out of contention for the World Cup could yet open the door for a recall, with Malan fulfilling a similar role as a left-handed anchor. But Rob Key pointed to his recent output in T20Is when explaining his omission from the squads that faced West Indies and his form was middling over the winter.”I’d like to be,” Malan said, when asked if he was in consideration to defend the T20 title he contributed to two years ago. “I wouldn’t say performance would have anything to do with it. In 2023, I had a pretty good year in 50-over cricket and I wouldn’t say I’m old, considering Jimmy [Anderson] is 42 or something like that! I can’t see it being an age thing, and there’s a tournament in a few months’ time.”Obviously I know they might want to go in a different direction. That’s absolutely fine. They’re entitled to do whatever they need to do that they think is the best way to move English cricket in the right direction. I still feel I’m good enough and young enough to do it. That’s out of my control, selection-wise.”Malan was coy about why his time might be up as an international cricketer. He had a conversation with the management following the conclusion of England’s dire ODI campaign in India, but was unwilling to divulge what exactly was said. A meeting with Key in the next fortnight will give him clarity on where his future lies.”I have no idea what they are thinking at the moment,” he said. “We have got appraisals in 12 or 14 days so I’ll probably find out a bit more then. I will just take it as it comes. I am not looking too far ahead or wanting something that might not be there.”If it is, it is; if it isn’t, it isn’t. I have made peace with that. I have a different path that I am looking at at the moment in terms of the last two or three years in my career and if things pop up, they pop up. And if they don’t, they don’t. It’ll be interesting to see where things are and, yeah, it’ll be good to have a good chat with Keysy.”

Royals had dropped to second place on Sunday after five weeks at No. 1

Sreshth Shah06-May-20242:16

It’s Kuldeep and Axar vs Chahal and Ashwin

Match details

Delhi Capitals (sixth) vs Rajasthan Royals (second)

Delhi, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)

Big picture: More carnage at the Kotla?

Delhi has been a batter’s dream and a nightmare for bowlers in IPL 2024, with an average first-innings score of 249 and an overall run rate of 11.38 – the highest of any venue this season – in the three matches there so far.It has worked out well for DC, who won their last two games at home on the back of Jake Fraser-McGurk’s fireworks. DC’s openers have averaged 57.33 with a strike rate of 292 in Delhi.The powerful starts have allowed Tristan Stubbs, Rishabh Pant and even Axar Patel to continue the momentum. Stubbs is striking at 186 against both pace and spin, Pant is on track to have his best IPL season, and Axar’s left-handedness has proved to be a big weapon anywhere in the order. Those are all promising signs as DC need to win their remaining three league games, but the odds are stacked against them since they are facing Rajasthan Royals.It’s taken a lot to beat RR in IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans managed it by hitting a last-ball boundary, and Sunrisers Hyderabad denied RR two runs off the final ball in their previous game.Royals, who dropped to second on the points table on Sunday after leading for more than five weeks, have the standout bowling unit of IPL 2024. A win will not only help them reclaim the top spot but also assure them of a place in the playoffs. Their pacers’ economy of 8.22 and an average of 23.57 are the best among all teams. They are also exceedingly potent with the new ball, averaging three wickets per game in the first six overs. Add to that, the experience of their spinners and the form of their top order.If there’s any weakness, it is their undercooked lower-middle order. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell are finding big shots but not finishing games off. Dhruv Jurel has also struggled apart from one half-century, and their Nos. 5 to 8 are averaging only 20.93. That makes the eight overs from Kuldeep Yadav and Axar major factors for DC, but the spinners will need support from a lacklustre pace-bowling unit that has conceded 10.35 per over this season.

Form guide

Delhi Capitals LWWLW

Rajasthan Royals LWWWW

Previous meeting

In Jaipur, Riyan Parag’s 84 helped RR recover from 36 for 3 to finish on 185. In response, DC lost their way after a strong start to the chase, with the RR bowlers squeezing the middle order. Pant, Abishek Porel and Axar scored only 52 runs off 49 balls between them, and DC went down by 12 runs.Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson go head to head in Delhi•BCCI

Team news and Impact Player strategy

Delhi Capitals
Ishant Sharma is fit again, but a call on David Warner’s availability will be taken on match day. DC will also toss up between Prithvi Shaw and Kumar Kushagra but the latter may get the nod. Shaw struggles against the ball swinging in and has an average of 11.75 in his last four games. Wicket-taking fast bowler Rasikh Salam is the expected Impact Player.Likely XII: 1 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 2 Abishek Porel, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 6 Axar Patel, , 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Khaleel Ahmed, 10 Lizaad Williams, 11 Mukesh Kumar, Rajasthan Royals

Mitigating circumstances aside, RR are likely to play the same team. They have no injury concerns. Jos Buttler for Yuzvendra Chahal is the likeliest Impact Player swap.Likely XII: , 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Sandeep Sharma,

In the spotlight – Pant and Samson

Outside the IPL, there’s another contest to keep an eye on, the one between the two wicketkeeper-batters in India’s T20 World Cup squad – Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson.Both are approaching 400 runs and could finish with their best IPL seasons. There’s also little to choose between the two as Pant’s numbers (398 runs, strike-rate of 158.56, ball-per-boundary ratio of 4.56) are similar to Samson’s (385 runs, strike-rate of 159.09, ball-per-boundary ratio of 4.57).The one difference is that Samson is a better hitter of spin in IPL 2024 and his strike-rate of 150.92 between overs 7-16 is the best among all the players in India’s World Cup squad. One reason for that could be Samson, at No. 3, has more opportunity of being set before playing the middle overs. However, since 2019, Samson averages only 18.78 when walking into bat after the 11th over, while Pant’s performances are much stronger there. Who will take the upper hand with the World Cup approaching?

Stats that matter

• The team batting first has won all three games in Delhi this season, after making 220-plus each time.
• Kuldeep had dismissed Buttler three times in nine innings. The batter has a strike rate of 138.09 (87 runs off 63 balls) against the wristspinner.
• Rishabh Pant vs spin could be a key battle: he has a strike rate of 188 against pace this season, but only 118 against spin.
• Delhi is averaging 14.83 sixes per innings this season, the highest among all venues.

Pitch and conditions

Expect another highway. Dew should not be a major factor and conditions for batting will not change between innings. It will be a hot but dry in the evening.

Quotes

“We know that we are coming up against a very good Rajasthan side, but we know if we play our best cricket, as we have seen in the tournament so far, if we can play our best cricket for 40 overs, then I’ll guarantee we’ll be hard to beat. It doesn’t matter who we play or where we play them. We know we can beat anybody”

Bangladesh’s Hridoy says he should’ve finished the game off after putting his side in a strong position

Sidharth Monga11-Jun-20241:01

Manjrekar: Maharaj’s final over was poor, but Bangladesh’s batting was poorer

South Africa’s decision to bat first in New York on Monday, at a ground that they have won two matches chasing at the T20 World Cup 2024, was actually a tribute to Bangladesh’s bowling.”Third game on the wicket,” Player of the Match Heinrich Klaasen said about the decision. “These guys are incredible when the wicket becomes slow. So that was the biggest reason why we didn’t want to chase 120. Because the wicket was definitely better than other games. But given Bangladesh, when pressure is on, and they have to go into cutters, they’ve got some of the world’s best cutter bowlers and their spinners are high quality. So that was the biggest reason why we chose to bat first.”Then South Africa found themselves in trouble at 23 for 4, but chose to pull out of it like you would in the middle overs of an ODI. They went into a T20I knowing aiming for just a run a ball, not minding staying even below six per over as long as they were just a boundary away.Related

• South Africa target four-in-four with Nepal preparing for Kingstown party

• Bangladesh fall short as SA conjure a win from nowhere

• Stats – New lows for Bangladesh in chase to forget

“I think David [Miller] showed us in the previous game [against Netherlands] how to bat on this wicket and it’s almost a similar way that we bat in the middle overs in a one-day game,” Klaasen said. “So, our mindset is not even close to T20 cricket. You just want to get in and find a way to bat at a run a ball. And we know you’re one or two hits away just for going over the run-a-ball strike-rate.”2:25

Should cricket revisit the leg-bye rule on a referral?

Hridoy: ‘I should have finished the game’

Three teams have been involved in close chases in these conditions. South Africa, under Miller’s stewardship, won despite never getting ahead of the chase. Pakistan lost using the same approach. Bangladesh lost an early wicket, but never did – or were never allowed to – get ahead of the chase. Their best batter on the day, Towhid Hridoy, said there wasn’t much wrong with going at around a run a ball, just that he should have gone on for longer.”From that position I should have finished the match,” Hridoy said when asked if Bangladesh could have perhaps tried to get ahead of the rate sooner. “It’s difficult for new batsmen to adjust to the conditions. In that position, I should have finished the match.”Hridoy fell in the 18th over, leaving Bangladesh 21 to get off 17 with five wickets in hand. One would back the chasing side in most conditions, but this pitch has been difficult and the outfield slow.When you lose by just four runs, you do tend to assign greater significance to otherwise smaller events. Hridoy was left looking at some umpiring calls without complaining about them. One of them was an lbw that was given out but they got it reversed only to lose out on possible leg-byes.”See, ICC rule is not in my hands, but at that time those four runs were very important for us,” Hridoy said. “The umpires are also human beings, and they could have made a mistake. But we had two-three more wides, which were not given. So, in a match like this, where hardly a run is being made in a low-scoring match, one or two runs are a big factor. So, I think those four runs or two wide runs were close calls. Even my out was the umpire’s call.”

Former England captain says “ticking clock” of 2025-26 campaign down under was against James Anderson continuing

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Jul-2024Andrew Strauss has called for James Anderson to receive a knighthood as the England legend prepares for his 188th and final Test cap at Lord’s this week.As Test cricket’s most productive pace bowler with 700 career dismissals at 26.52, and England’s most capped cricketer, “Sir Jimmy” seems a foregone conclusion.Strauss is one of a number within English cricket to be recently awarded knighthoods, having received the honour in 2019 from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to charity, sport and cricket (his longtime opening partner Alastair Cook is also a Sir). Having captained Anderson for 42 Tests, and also worked above the 41-year-old as the ECB’s director of men’s cricket, Strauss has had a box seat to Anderson’s brilliance. He can also speak to his longevity, having retired from Test cricket 12 years ago, despite making his debut a year after Anderson in 2004.Related

• James Anderson set to be knighted in Rishi Sunak resignation honours list

• Anderson 'gutted' at spilling No. 705 as he leaves 'the best job in the world'

• James Anderson endures the beginning of his end

• James Anderson 'at peace' with retirement despite bowling 'as well as ever'

• James Anderson: England's reluctant retiree faces up to his end-game

When asked if Anderson was worthy of being knighted too, Strauss was unequivocal: “Very much so! I think any fast bowler that plays 188 Test matches deserves a knighthood, I’ll put it that way.”Strauss had previously tried and failed to park Anderson and Stuart Broad, who retired at the end of last summer. Off the back of a disastrous 2021-22 Ashes campaign, Strauss, in his guise as interim director of cricket following the departure of Ashley Giles, dropped the pair for a tour of the West Indies.Their absence was short-lived as Ben Stokes restored Anderson and Broad for the home summer with his first act as Test captain. Two years on, Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum and men’s managing director Rob Key, have finally pulled the plug on Anderson.”Jimmy’s still bowling well, as we saw from his performances at Lancashire [for whom he took 7 for 35 last week] but there’s a ticking clock there for the next Ashes, isn’t there?” Strauss said. “I think 18 games until the next Ashes. And at some stage you’ve got to juggle the needs for the future with the needs for the present. So I can understand why they’ve chosen this as the right time to do that.”One thing we know for sure is that to win in Australia, or to win any test match or any Test series, it all comes down to the quality and variety of your bowling attack. And so, to me, the next Ashes is too far away for Jimmy.”People have written him off many times, including probably myself, but that does feel too far down the road. And so at some stage you have got to start planning for that.”I think it’s a tremendous thing that he has the opportunity here this week to feel the love, I suppose, and to get the appreciation he deserves from the cricketing public for those 21 years. It’s going to be a very emotional and poignant Test match and, of course, the boots that need to be filled are immense. But I can understand why this is the right time.”Strauss will be present for Anderson’s farewell with Lord’s set to turn red on day two to support the Ruth Strauss Foundation’s #RedForRuth campaign.It will be the sixth year of the initiative, aiming to raise funds and awareness for the charity set-up in memory of Strauss’ late wife, which supports families facing the death of a parent from cancer, and funds more collaboration and research into non-smoking lung cancers.”Most of what I’ve done in my career, achievement-wise, has been about me but this isn’t,” Strauss said. “This is about a need that we can help fill and I feel very proud we are carrying out Ruth’s wishes to a certain degree. But our work is only just beginning, really.”We would struggle to do what we do without this ‘Red for Ruth’ Test match and we are incredibly grateful to the ECB, to Lord’s and to the cricket community for continuing to support us.”

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

• Comebacks king as Buttler's England take on star-studded West Indies

• James Anderson extends England bowling role for winter Test tours

• Phil Salt to captain England in Australia T20Is with injured Jos Buttler out

• Key goes all in on McCullum with white-ball gamble

• Root, Stokes still in Champions Trophy mix

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.”

Before changing his statement, Robi had indicated that he had been hit in his back and in his ribs, possibly by local fans

Daya Sagar27-Sep-2024A Bangladeshi fan at the centre of an alleged altercation at Kanpur’s Green Park on Friday ended up in a hospital. Robi, the Bangladeshi superfan, initially said he had been at the receiving end of some violence from other fans but retracted that claim from hospital later, saying he had been feeling unwell after suffering from dehydration in the Kanpur heat. Local police also said Robi had been taken away from the ground during the opening day’s play of the India vs Bangladesh Test because he was feeling unwell.It was during the lunch break that Robi, with the tiger stripes painted on his face, appeared to stumble out of a gate and appear near the gate for the media personnel. Security officials and Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) officials got him a chair, offered him water, and soon arranged for an ambulance to take him to a medical facility. Videos recorded at the time by ESPNcricinfo showed Robi in discomfort, and while his words were unclear, he indicated that he had been punched from behind in his lower back, and had been elbowed in the ribs. He appeared out of breath and struggling.Prior to this, before the interval, Robi had been spotted in Stand C at Green Park. He was the only fan – of either team – there, waving the national flag. Incidentally, parts of that stand had been deemed unfit for spectators prior to the Test, and Robi was in one of the barred areas. A few eyewitnesses ESPNcricinfo spoke to said that Robi had an argument with some Indian fans, after which there was some pushing and shoving, and his flag was snatched from him and thrown away. UPCA officials were unresponsive when ESPNcricinfo asked how and why Robi was able to get to that specific part of the stand.At the hospital later, Robi told mediapersons, “I was feeling unwell. The police brought me to the hospital, and I am feeling better after being treated.”Assistant police commissioner of Kalyanpur, Abhishek Pandey, said in his statement that Robi’s health had “deteriorated suddenly” and “reports of an altercation are baseless; he hurt himself when he fell”. “A liaison officer has been attached to him [Robi] so that he gets assistance whenever he requires it,” Pandey added. Police sources also said that Robi had undergone a number of tests and scans, and he has been found to be fit. At the time of filing this report, Robi was still in the hospital.All of this came even as protests against Bangladesh playing a Test match in Kanpur continued. Like on the eve of the match, activists connected to some right-wing political parties conducted protests barely a kilometre from the stadium on Friday. The protests are a response to reports that there have been attacks against members of the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh over the past month-and-a-half. It has been a period of tumult in Bangladesh, since July, when student-led protests led to the end of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.Incidentally, Shoaib Ali Bukhari, the celebrated Bangladesh fan who travels around the world with the team, was allegedly manhandled during an ODI World Cup match against India in Pune last year.