Back at the top of the order, Hayley Matthews proves she's still got it

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

She’s had a patchy run since the 2016 T20 World Cup final, but on Friday, the West Indies allrounder put in a performance to remember against New Zealand

Annesha Ghosh04-Mar-2022It was almost as if Hayley Matthews was sending out a message in the first five overs of the 2022 ODI World Cup opener: “Save the legs, I’ll do it in fours.”After all, at one stage, she had raced to 21 in 15 balls, just one of those runs not a boundary.Almost like she was asking us to remember her name, and her range, that was most memorably on view that day six summers ago, which you probably remember for another name.Related

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On April 3, 2016, just hours before Carlos Braithwaite scripted a heist for the West Indies men’s team, fellow Barbadian Matthews, too, had achieved cricketing immortality. With a 45-ball 66 in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup, she unseated Australia from the T20 throne, thwarting their hopes of a fourth straight title in the format.One of the narratives that emerged on that heady April evening of West Indies’ twin T20 World Cup triumphs in Kolkata was of Matthews’ likely dominance on the international stage in the foreseeable future. She was clearly destined for even bigger things, for herself and for her team.In the six years since, West Indies have somewhat fallen short of expectations that 2016 T20 World Cup-winning campaign set for them. They made the 2018 T20 World Cup semi-final at home but crashed out in the league stage in the 2020 edition, and their performances in the 50-over format especially have been on a downward spiral. Since their 2016 high, they have won 22 of their 49 T20Is and tied one; in ODIs, they have won 18 out of 55 games, including the win on Friday over New Zealand, and tied two.After an unbeaten hundred against Pakistan at home last year, Matthews scored only 12 runs in five innings as opener•CWI”I guess our batters probably like the shorter format of the game and find it more exciting,” captain Stafanie Taylor had said before the latest World Cup when asked why West Indies, finalists in the 2013 edition, have struggled to get going in ODIs more recently.Inconsistency has long been Matthews’ problem, too. In the last 20 T20Is, for example, she has a high score of only 32. Having debuted in ODIs in 2014, she made three fifties in her first three matches, but she has made 50 or more only seven times in the 58 innings that followed. More recently, after an unbeaten hundred against Pakistan at home last year, she scored only 12 runs in five innings as opener, following which she was pushed down to No. 5.In the opening match of the World Cup on Friday, Matthews was back in the opening position but only because the regular opener, Rashada Williams, was out, recovering from concussion. Partnering Deandra Dottin, Matthews scored 16 in her first four scoring shots to set the tone for her maiden ODI World Cup century.”Obviously, I’ve been shuffled around the order a little bit over the past maybe eight or nine months. But at the same time, I think my job is to do as best as I possibly can for the team wherever they need me,” she said after West Indies’ thrilling three-run win over New Zealand in Tauranga. “When I got the call yesterday that I had to go up the order, it was just about me going out there and doing as best as they possibly could. And, yeah, I got some (runs) today.”

“You talk about playing on the biggest stage, you talk about World Cups… To be able to put on a really good all-round performance obviously means a lot to me”Matthews on leading her side to an opening victory in the World Cup

Pivotal to West Indies’ total of 259 – their third-highest score in a 50-over world tournament – were Matthews’ three fifty stands in the middle-order – with Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation. Along the way, she struck 17 boundaries, with a solitary six, measuring 75 metres, against Sophie Devine.”Initially, going out there to open, I probably thought I try to take it a bit steady, obviously; [I] haven’t opened the batting in a couple of months,” she said. “But when we got out there and saw how good the wicket was playing, I was able to capitalise without trying too much.”That’s pretty much how I just played my whole innings – taking it ball by ball, setting small targets with my partner, always looking for partnerships. That happened to work really well and then we were able to push pretty hard at the end.”Asked of her up-and-down batting performances across limited-overs formats since the 2016 T20 World Cup final, Matthews said, “I feel like that’s what I’ve been doing over the last couple of years. Maybe I guess some people might say I haven’t hit the expectations I’ve wanted to.Remember the names! Carlos Brathwaite and Hayley Matthews pose by the sea in Mumbai after West Indies’ double triumph in 2016•Getty Images”But at the same time, I feel like over the last one year or two, I’ve really been able to improve. Yeah, just show what it takes, and yeah, hopefully I can continue doing that.”It wasn’t only with the bat that Matthews left a mark in West Indies’ final-over victory, twice pegged back as she was through the day by a hamstring niggle.First, Matthews dealt New Zealand a critical blow with the wicket of the in-form No. 3, Amelia Kerr. Her bowling forearm strapped with Kinesio tape since the start of New Zealand’s chase, Matthews pushed Kerr deep into the crease with just her second ball and trapped her lbw for 13. Later, in the 35th over, she had left-hander Brooke Halliday caught at first slip, the mix of Matthews’ high-arm action and generous revolutions in her offspin too good for the New Zealand No. 7.An innings of 119, and 2 for 41 with the ball from ten overs: did she ever have a more memorable all-round outing?”Probably not,” she said. “I think you talk about playing on the biggest stage, you talk about World Cups. First game, obviously – really, really big for us against the home team. To be able to put on a really good all-round performance obviously means a lot to me and even more to the team seeing that we got the win.”

Who could be in the running to replace Justin Langer?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Australia men’s team will need a new head coach. Here are a few names that could be in the frame

Andrew McGlashan05-Feb-2022Andrew McDonald
The senior assistant coach has been elevated into interim charge of the team following Justin Langer’s resignation. He was already due to coach the side in the T20Is against Sri Lanka and is now set to take the team to Pakistan. He will clearly be a frontrunner for the permanent role if he wants it. A number of players have spoken glowingly of him since he came into the national set-up, mostly recently Mitchell Starc on how McDonald helped him regain confidence in his run-up at the T20 World Cup. Before coming into the Australia dressing room he won a domestic treble in 2018-19 with the Sheffield Shield and One-Day Cup for Victoria and BBL with Melbourne Renegades, having also won the Shield in 2016-17. As will be the case for anyone in the frame, the time commitment for the job will be a major consideration. Taking it would also rule McDonald out of any IPL coaching roles.Trevor Bayliss
When Bayliss finished his stint with England in 2019 he said the only international role he would consider in the future would be Australia. During the recent Ashes he was linked the job by the and it would be a surprise if he wasn’t at least sounded out about taking over if, at 59, he feels he can commit to another heavy period of touring life. If the coaching role is split between red and white ball, Bayliss could be a serious contender for the latter. He recently returned to coaching in Australia with Sydney Thunder and may yet decide that continuing on the T20 circuit is his preferred option.Related

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Jason Gillespie
The former fast bowler, who took 402 international wickets, has been close to the top job with Australia and England previously. He was an option when Darren Lehmann resigned amid the ball-tampering fallout but so far has remained at domestic level with Yorkshire, Adelaide Strikers and now South Australia where he is attempting to rebuild the state’s fortunes after a barren run in the Sheffield Shield. The commitment to the full-time touring lifestyle may not be a fit for him.Michael Di Venuto
He returned to the Australia coaching set-up last year when the group of assistants was bolstered having left his role with Surrey early in the pandemic. Alongside McDonald and fellow assistant Jeff Vaughan he took on a greater role after the near meltdown in the squad last August. He had previously been the team’s batting coach between 2013 and 2016 with Steven Smith particularly glowing on his impact. “His knowledge and experiences in the game are second to none, he’s got so much experience to share with us,” Smith has previously said. “I think the advice he gives is outstanding as well.” Probably more likely to retain a batting-specific role.Gary Kirsten
If CA casts the net globally, it would not be a surprise to see Kirsten’s name linked unless he has already been signed up by England. He has made no secret of his desire for that role having previously been overlooked two years ago when Chris Silverwood was appointed. He coached India between 2008 and 2011, which included winning the ODI World Cup, and South Africa between 2011 and 2013. However, Kirsten may see there is more to gain by trying to lift England’s Test team off the canvas that maintain Australia’s success. And whether CA would want to go the overseas route again remains to be seen having watched the Mickey Arthur era run into problems.Ricky Ponting
Ponting is highly unlikely to be an option having previously said he would find it very difficult to commit to life the road. His IPL duties and lucrative commentary roles are a much better lifestyle fit and would also make him very expensive. However, maybe it’s wise to never say never. He has previously held consultancy roles, including during the 2019 World Cup, and before ball-tampering there were moves to have him more regularly involved in the white-ball set-up. If the teams were split – something that Ponting has said he does not think would work – it could be likeliest route to him being involved in some capacity.

Why did Pakistan sedate Rawalpindi, their liveliest Test pitch?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The occasion – a home Test against Australia – was great. But the game itself fell flat

Danyal Rasool08-Mar-2022Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique got together in the middle, and had a little chat and a fist-bump. It ended as it had begun with Pakistan’s openers at the crease and Australia’s bowlers toiling away. If something happened in the middle, you’d be forgiven for forgetting it; history certainly will.Five days, 1187 runs, 14 wickets, and lots of existential dread after this history-making Test started, the umpires put the players out of their misery. If Pakistan believed the reticence of the so-called Big Three (Australia, England and India) to visit this part of the world was detrimental to Test cricket, the last five days were an odd way to make the point.It was wholesome enough watching Australia touch down on Pakistani soil for the first time in overs 23 years, have the touring party gush over the hospitality and food, and listen to the CA and ACA chief executives talk about how safe everyone felt here. But the real proof of a corner being turned – and Pakistan Cricket’s end-goal – isn’t the wall-to-wall coverage of a box office side playing Test cricket in Pakistan. It’s for tours like this become so routine they no longer make newspaper headlines.The PCB might be relieved we’re not at that stage yet or the scrutiny on this surface would have been significantly more forensic, the criticism much more pointed. That the cricket is still secondary to the event has been the saving grace of the past week. Because, while Australia’s visit has been handled almost to perfection, the preparations for the cricket – you know, the reason they were here in the first place – have been rather more ham-fisted.Related

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There are myriad factors contributing to the orgy of ennui that consumed the ether around the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, but what’s most unforgivable is how utterly unnecessary this was. Pakistan cricket may have a million issues, but the Pindi pitch isn’t one. There have only been two other Test matches where a side had a worse strike rate than Australia’s 478 balls per wicket and they happened 64 and 50 years ago respectively. It’s little short of travesty that Rawalpindi will now rank so high up in a list it has no business belonging to.Recall that the most recent Test on this surface was one of the matches of 2021. South Africa’s stockpile of quality seam bowling is more intimidating than perhaps any other nation’s and so there was substantial angst about whether there was any home advantage to speak of. But despite Pakistan’s efforts to tame the natural predispositions of the strip, the need to ensure a quality contest was always at the forefront. In a game where the momentum ebbed and flowed, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi took nine of the ten South Africa wickets in the fourth innings, a time when the home side might have wanted the surface to start breaking up.Injuries to Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf may have played a part in Pakistan sedating their most lively pitch•PCBThe memories of that game had left a particularly tantalising aftertaste, and the brouhaha of the context of Australia’s visit aside, it was the prospect of similarly engrossing cricket that made the first Test feel like such a grand occasion. Australia’s well-rounded pace attack was equipped to adjust to the varying conditions Pindi throws up, and since Faheem Ashraf’s return to the Test fold, Pakistan’s inveterate problems with balancing their side appeared to have melted away. If you enjoyed the buzz around an Australian visit, there was plenty in it for you. And if you wanted to nerd out over Test cricket, you were still nicely sorted.However, as Pakistan’s injury list piled up, the furtiveness around the pitch grew. Haris Rauf contracted Covid-19 and was ruled out. Hasan Ali, Test player of 2021 for Pakistan, was also injured. And, it appears, once Ashraf’s absence became official, so too did any realistic hopes of a positive result for Pakistan in Rawalpindi. When the covers were removed on the morning of the first Test, they revealed a flat, dried out husk of a deck, not a blade of grass in sight.After becoming PCB chairman, Ramiz Raja had singled out the state of domestic pitches as one of the key reasons holding Pakistan cricket back. “Until the pitches are fixed in Pakistan, our cricket won’t rise. Pitches must be competitive, and there must be a balance between bat and ball. My mission statement is that I want Pakistan to defeat Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.” With a reputation for micromanagement, Ramiz went on to say he thought of himself as a curator and had a brochure he read every day called “How to Prepare a Pitch”. Turns out it might take more than a brochure to become a curator.Sports fans have fickle memories, and if Pakistan find themselves in the World Test Championship final, the decision to sedate the liveliest pitch in Pakistan might look like a masterclass rather than a miscalculation. But where Pakistan have yelled themselves hoarse reminding other nations of their wider obligations to cricket, they would do well to remember they are not exempt from those very obligations.Ultimately, the expense, the hassle, the stress, the inconvenience to residents, commuters and spectators, the security risks are all considered a fair trade in Pakistan so people can throng stadiums and huddle around TV screens enjoying what most countries take for granted: international cricket in their nation. Tour dates are announced with breathless excitement; every update is a headline, every press conference a moment. Ticket websites crash as they are overwhelmed; fans line up hours ahead of the start and brave excessive security measures.It’s hard to argue those crowds – it was one of the best-attended Test matches in Pakistan in ages – weren’t heavily short-changed. Even a captain as diplomatic as Pat Cummins couldn’t stop himself saying “it was probably clear” there was an “effort to nullify the pace bowling”, and that it wasn’t a fair contest between bat and ball.There has been reputational damage to Test cricket in general and the Pindi pitch in particular. This is the surface Pakistan supporters have used as evidence that the country offers a diversity of conditions not seen elsewhere on the subcontinent to this degree. They might find it’s suddenly become much harder to make that case after what the cricket world was subjected to over the last five days.It seems like a fair bit to lose for four World Test Championship points.

Australia choose risk as they set up potentially unforgettable finish to largely forgettable series

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

They have taken a gamble, hoping to land the knockout blow, when many teams might have preferred the security of an invincible position

Danyal Rasool24-Mar-2022Never mind the sedated pitches, which refuse to show signs of awakening from their series-long slumber. Forget, for now, the quality of the spin bowling, which will require serious evaluation from both sides as they prepare for tours to Sri Lanka later this year. And, perhaps hardest of all, put to one side the increasing conviviality between both teams, which might have begun as wholesome but has begun to verge on mawkish. All that seems to matter at present is that in a series where any escape from doleful draws has felt impossible, Pat Cummins’ Australia have set the series up for a grandstand finish it scarcely deserves.Like most pitch analysis, the wisdom of a declaration is generally evaluated in hindsight, a luxury the young Australian captain did not possess when the teams stepped out for the Test series’ penultimate day. Australia found themselves in pole position overnight, thanks in large part to Cummins’ brilliance the previous evening, but that will have done little to provide the 28-year old with any peace of mind.Related

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Cummins had to ensure he was giving his bowlers enough time to create ten legitimate wicket-taking opportunities; on the evidence of Australia’s recent slip catching, it would probably have to be more than ten. But then again, how do you prepare a target for a side that, just a week ago, kept you out for 171.4 overs, notching up 443 for 7 after surviving nearly two full days, while at the same time ensuring all the hard work of the 13 days doesn’t go to waste?Elite athletes may insist they stay in the moment, concentrating only on what’s ahead, but it’s difficult to imagine the baggage of past experiences doesn’t weigh them down. It isn’t just Karachi that saw Australia fail to snatch victory from a position where they made most of the running. Just two months ago, in what was Cummins’ fourth Test as skipper, Australia ended up one wicket short of inflicting defeat upon England at Sydney, having batted 68.5 overs setting a somewhat cautious target.A year earlier, in Sydney only, 131 overs were not enough to snuff India out, setting up the epic Brisbane heist, another final day when opposition batters trumped Australia’s bowlers. Even Headingley 2019, where he was at the receiving end of the winning runs, will have left an indelible mark on Cummins.But that was the past. Here, there was a match to potentially be won, and once it became clear Pakistan couldn’t run through the visitors cheaply, the onus of pacing the game fell entirely upon Cummins and Australia once more. The uncooperative pitch necessitated giving the bowlers more time, for it doesn’t matter how well you bowl if you haven’t enough time to get ten opposition wickets. It was a message Usman Khawaja, who racked up another unbeaten century, hammered away at in the post-day presser.”Personally, I think we declared at the right time,” Khawaja said. “I’m always of the belief that you want to leave yourself more time and not run out of time rather than trying to be too worried about them scoring the runs. They started well today but it’s not easy out there. So they have to do it again for the whole 90 overs.”Pakistan might have begun cogently enough, but an Australian defeat would still require Pakistan to score at a pace they haven’t come close to matching this series. Australia have been the most economical side in Test cricket since 2020, conceding at just 2.78. In this series, they have kept things even tighter, allowing just 2.73 per over. For Pakistan to chase down the 351, they will have to score the remaining 278 at over three runs an over. That’s a feat they only managed once this series – on the final day of the Rawalpindi Test, whose fate had already been sealed.

“[We’re] not really too worried about Pakistan chasing the total. Day five wicket, I feel like this is tougher than what Karachi was. Fingers crossed if we do everything right tomorrow we could be right in it to win this Test match”Usman Khawaja

On the final day in Karachi last week, Pakistan managed 271. The hold the Australia bowlers have enjoyed over Pakistan’s batters is unlikely to have been far from Cummins’ mind when he called his batters back in with nearly a full session to go on Thursday.”The wicket is starting to roll,” Khawaja said. “Once that ball gets soft and starts reversing for us, if we can get it reversing like we did in the first innings, like Pakistan have done all game, then we’re right in this contest. It’s really, really hard to score against the pace bowlers. Our pace bowlers will probably bowl a little bit more tomorrow and when they do the scoreboard will automatically shut down.”It’s just going to get harder and harder. The ball is going to soften up. It’s going to stay low. This is the lowest wicket I’ve ever played on in my life. It just felt like my pad was going to get blown off or the ball was going to go through and hit my stumps. So I think you’ve probably seen the easiest part of the batting up to now.”Pakistan’s team selection and the implications it bore for their batting adds another layer of intrigue and nuance to Australia’s early declaration. Just 24 hours earlier, Cummins had watched his side blow through Pakistan’s last five wickets for four runs, and probably realised what became apparent to all watching: Pakistan don’t have a lower order so much as a ragtag bunch of bowlers sent out into a gunfight armed with butter knives. If the top five can be prised out, then Pakistan, with Sajid Khan batting at No. 7, will never quite feel home and dry, no matter how close they are to the target.Khawaja might have been dabbling in mind games, but at a time when Australia famously occupy plenty of room in Pakistani heads, his words will give the hosts plenty to think about overnight.”[We’re] not really too worried about Pakistan chasing the total,” he said. “Anything is possible. But if we bowl consistently well, it’s a very hard wicket to push the scoreboard forward, because as soon as you try, the wicket – there’s a lot of cracks running through it. The spinners were all spinning it a fair bit. There’s rough on both sides of the wicket. Day five wicket, I feel like this is tougher than what Karachi was. Fingers crossed if we do everything right tomorrow, we could be right in it to win this Test match.”Khawaja might well be signing cheques he expects his bowlers to encash, but Australia, led by a captain who appears incapable of putting a foot wrong, have somehow manufactured a potentially unforgettable finish to a largely forgettable series. Prepared to risk losing a series to give themselves a shot of winning it on the final day, Cummins has taken a gamble when many might have preferred the security of an invincible position, à la Karachi.But if Pakistan were lulled into a false sense of security by Australia’s uncharacteristic warmth, more fool them. Australia aren’t here to make new friends, despite the goodwill tour this has sometimes felt like. The hostility of fast bowling comes much more naturally to the visitors than the affability of some of the theatrics. And in a series where the attritional nature has given it an old-school feel, it’s perhaps fitting the knockout blow of the Benaud-Qadir Trophy will be delivered, as it used to in old school boxing fights, in the 15th round.

Who is a genuine allrounder? Do Kallis, Hadlee and Jadeja fit the bill?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Looking at it on the basis of players’ batting and bowling contributions per match throws up some interesting lists

Kartikeya Date04-Jul-2022In his book , Trevor Bailey wrote that an allrounder is a player who commands a place in the XI either as a batter or as a bowler. Another common definition accepts any player as an allrounder if their batting average exceeds their bowling average. Among the 399 Test players who have at least 50 wickets in men’s Test cricket to their name at the time of writing, 46 satisfy this condition. Take away bowlers who bowl fewer than 20 overs per Test match on average and 31 satisfy it. The newest addition to this list at the time of writing is Kyle Jamieson, who has 372 runs at 19.6 and 72 wickets at 19.5.Jamieson’s example points to the difficulties presented by Bailey’s definition for the statistical standard. The next three players on this list of 31, arranged by increasing batting averages, are Vernon Philander (24.0), Alan Davidson (24.6) and R Ashwin (26.9). While these three are not tailenders, they would not command a place in their respective Test teams for their batting alone. The allrounder remains difficult to define.The “genuine allrounder”, remains even more controversial. Is Jacques Kallis a genuine allrounder? Was Richard Hadlee one?Considering batters and bowlers by position, the average runs, wickets and balls bowled per match in each position are in the table below. Readers should note that a team has used an eighth bowler in only 244 out of 2466 Tests, while a tenth has only been used in 18 of those matches. By contrast, a team has used a sixth bowler in 2012 out of 2466 Tests. The figures suggest that a Test XI includes up to eight players who can be considered capable of batting (either as specialists or as capable lower-order bats), and up to six who can be considered capable of bowling (part-time or otherwise)

This enables a couple of tentative definitions. A “genuine allrounder” is one who averages at least 49.3 runs per match with bat and takes at least two wickets per Test with the ball – i.e. their contribution with the bat is equivalent to that of a player batting in the top seven, and with the ball, equivalent to that of a bowler in the top five bowling positions.The 54,287 Test caps won by players at the time of writing have been plotted in the chart below. They are arranged according to the two measures considered here – wickets per match and runs per match. As an example, Dale Steyn’s Test caps are highlighted in the chart (outlined circles with no fills).All caps in Test history, plotted by runs scored and wickets taken per match. Dale Steyn’s caps highlighted (outlined circles with no fill)•Kartikeya DateEach point on the chart represents one Test cap. A Test cap is a selection to a Test XI earned by a player. Over his career, Sachin Tendulkar earned 200 Test caps.The caps in blue represent the genuine allrounders. There are 943 such caps, or 1.7% of all Test caps in the history of the format.The caps in red represent players whose contributions are equivalent to those of a top-eight batter and a top-six bowler, but not those of a top-seven batter and top-five bowler. There are 3345 such caps, or 6.2% of all caps.The caps in grey represent specialist batters or specialist bowlers (like Steyn).There is a relatively small number of caps in the bottom left corner of the chart; players who don’t contribute with either bat or ball tend to be dropped. The vast majority of caps won by players with zero wickets per Test and fewer than 40 runs per Test have been won by wicketkeepers.This is illustrated in the chart below, which shows all Test caps earned by players who have played at least 20 Tests; numbers from their first 20 caps are excluded.All caps in Test history by players who have played at least 20 Tests, plotted by runs scored and wickets taken per match after the 20th match. Dale Steyn’s caps highlighted (outlined circles with no fill)•Kartikeya DateAny player who played less than 20 Tests overall does not feature in the chart above. As readers will note, the bottom left-hand corner is emptied out, and the chart only features the specialist bowlers (the grey cluster between two and six wickets per Test and fewer than 37 runs per Test), specialist batters (fewer than one wicket per Test and at least 37 runs per Test), and the two categories of allrounders.The ruthless meritocracy of Test cricket is illustrated in these two charts. Only 479 out of the 25,261 Test caps won by players who have played at least 20 Tests (or 1.9%) have been won by genuine allrounders. By his 20th Test, Dale Steyn’s record had stabilised and his caps since then all hover around his eventual career record mark. Eagle-eyed readers will see some caps around the 130-140 runs per Test mark in the chart. These belong to Don Bradman.Five categories of players can be readily identified based on their average contribution per match (not per dismissal) at the end of each match:1. Genuine allrounders, who contribute on average at least 49.3 runs per Test and 2.00 or more wickets per Test2. Bowling allrounders, who contribute on average between 37.0 and 49.3 runs per Test and at least 2.00 wickets per Test3. Batting allrounders, who contribute on average at least 49.3 runs per Test and between 1.03 and 2.00 wickets per Test.4. Specialist batters, who contribute at least 49.3 runs per Test and less than 1.03 wickets per Test.5. Specialist bowlers, who contribute at least 2.00 wickets per Test and fewer than 37.0 runs per Test.We now have a systematic account of player contributions. Here, let’s introduce an admittedly arbitrary, though hopefully reasonable, threshold. Let’s say that to qualify as a successful Test player, a candidate must earn at least 20 Test caps. If the thresholds above are applied to all such players, then there have been 13 genuine allrounders in the history of Test cricket, 17 bowling allrounders, and 15 batting allrounders.

The figures in the tables above contain some categorisations that might seem surprising to cricket fans. There were certainly phases in the careers of a few players who are not in the first table during which they would qualify as genuine allrounders.Imran Khan’s categorisation as a bowling allrounder seems noteworthy. As his Test career developed, his batting advanced, and towards the end, his bowling declined. His last 15 Tests (out of a total of 88) brought him 947 runs (out of a career total of 3807) and only 28 Test wickets (out of a career total of 362). Taken as a whole, his career, the record suggests, is more similar to that of a bowling allrounder (perhaps the foremost in this category) than it is to a genuine allrounder. It goes without saying (as Imran’s chart below shows) that he was among the very greatest bowlers to ever play Test cricket.All caps in Test history by players who have played at least 20 Tests, graphing runs scored and wickets taken per match after the 20th match. Imran Khan’s caps highlighted (outlined circles with no fill)•Kartikeya DateThe batting allrounders list shows Kallis as being more similar to Frank Worrell, Ted Dexter and Wally Hammond, than he is to Garry Sobers or Keith Miller.There are a few notable omissions in these lists. Four of these players are listed below.All caps in Test history by players who have played at least 20 Tests, graphing runs scored and wickets taken per match after the 20th match. Ravindra Jadeja’s caps highlighted (outlined circles with no fill)•Kartikeya DateThe method of categorising Test players demonstrated in this essay involves giving greater emphasis to contributions than to ability. In Ravindra Jadeja’s case, his recent Test matches have featured several eye-catching batting performances, and much like Imran’s, the trajectory of his career indicates that he is transitioning from being a top specialist bowler to a top bowling allrounder.All caps in Test history by players who have played at least 20 Tests, graphing runs scored and wickets taken per match after the 20th match. Shaun Pollock’s caps highlighted (outlined circles with no fill)•Kartikeya DateFew would doubt that Shaun Pollock had the ability to be a genuine allrounder, let alone a bowling allrounder. But his record shows that his batting was a scarcely utilised luxury.All caps in Test history by players who have played at least 20 Tests, graphing runs scored and wickets taken per match after the 20th match. Andrew Flintoff’s caps highlighted (outlined circles with no fill)•Kartikeya DateAndrew Flintoff’s career represents both the stress and the triumph of the all-round contribution. His was a career with a pronounced peak following a long apprenticeship. It is extremely difficult to sustain all-round efforts with bat and ball of the kind Flintoff produced for about three years, over the length of a career.All caps in Test history by players who have played at least 20 Tests, graphing runs scored and wickets taken per match after the 20th match. Richard Hadlee’s caps highlighted (outlined circles with no fill)•Kartikeya DateWhat the record really shows is that allrounders in Test cricket are born as much out of necessity as from ability. Teams use players in roles and positions that are most advantageous to the side, even if this means keeping some of a player’s capabilities on the shelf. England, for example, use Ben Stokes as a shock weapon when their specialist bowlers have been used up. Stokes is an attacking bowler who hits the pitch hard, is capable of being seriously quick from time to time, and is prepared to concede runs in the pursuit of wickets. England’s circumstances have turned him into a genuine all-round contributor.Some of these categorisations may come as a surprise to readers. But while there have unquestionably been notable Test allrounders who dominated Test cricket at their peak, there have also been others who were consistent all-round contributors throughout their careers. Admittedly, this was as much due to their ability as to the circumstances which provided opportunities for them.Tony Greig for instance, was a freak player, who, quite apart from being a terrific middle-order bat, could also bowl seam and spin (much like the great Sobers). This ability, and England’s need to field an allrounder once Ray Illingworth retired, gave Greig the opportunities to match his capabilities. His extraordinary record is the result. Would Jadeja have had a Test record similar to Shakib Al Hasan’s if he played in a Test team that could accommodate him in the middle order? Very likely, yes. It just so happens that Jadeja has played in a very strong Indian Test XI, where his spin bowling has been far more valuable than his batting.

In an alternative universe, Pollock, Jadeja, Kallis and Hadlee would all play for teams that would desperately require every last bit of their considerable all-round talents. In this universe, the list of the most prolific Test allrounders would look very different.

Navgire, Meghana, Rodrigues knocks provide relevance to Women's T20 Challenge ahead of big-ticket season

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The trio lit up the high-octane Velocity-Trailblazers clash with breath-taking strokes

Annesha Ghosh27-May-2022It didn’t matter if a wicket had fallen off the previous delivery. Kiran Navgire was going to muscle a first-ball six anyway.The uncapped Indian batter had already hit a record 35 sixes in seven innings in T20s this domestic season. On Thursday, in her maiden appearance in the Women’s T20 Challenge, she added four more of those to her tally with a blistering 34-ball 69 that included a 25-ball fifty, the fastest in the tournament’s history, and set up her side Velocity’s entry into the final.”The way she batted, she took the final dream away from us,” Smriti Mandhana, the opposition captain, said after the 27-year-old Navgire dashed Trailblazers’ hopes of qualifying on a superior NRR to Velocity. “Somewhere I was a little sad that she was hitting against us but little happy as an Indian player that she was hitting hard and far and it was really good to see someone in women’s cricket hitting into the stands.”Mandhana’s team-mates, S Meghana and Jemimah Rodrigues, were no less a juggernaut with the bat themselves during the high-stakes clash at Pune’s MCA Stadium that had nearly 2500 ticketed spectators, the highest in the tournament so far, in attendance. Making her debut in the tournament, in a must-win game at that, Meghana joined forces with Rodrigues to get the defending champions off to the kind of rapid start they needed.Related

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Having lost the toss, Trailblazers had been after a tall total to defend. Only a win by at least 31 runs could have helped them overtake Velocity on NRR and Meghana’s 47-ball 73 proved the perfect tone-setter for her side to motor to 190 for 5, the highest total across the tournament’s four seasons.

“I believe this will be very close to my heart for a long time because the last few months haven’t been very easy for me. A lot of things to learn, lots of ups and downs, but I think that’s life and these times make you stronger”Jemimah Rodrigues

Despite losing her fellow opener Mandhana for 1, Meghana, replacing Hayley Matthews in the opening role, remained unfazed and played aggressor’s role to perfection. Making superb use of the crease and charging down the ground at will to muscle four towering sixes and seven fours, she added 61 in her 113-run stand with first-drop Rodrigues. Fresh off a 21-ball 24 in a losing cause, Rodrigues, by contrast, altered between relying more on touch and timing to hammer seven fours and a six in her 44-ball 66.”The thought processes was only what my team requires me to do I need to be there,” Rodrigues, the Player of the Match, said. “I knew [I could do that] because I was batting well. And even the way Meghana played – I think we were going really well. We were backing each other, supporting each other. When she was striking, I was rotating the strike. In between she was not getting the boundaries, [so] I was getting those odd boundaries.”Kiran Navgire scored a 34-ball 69 against Trailblazers•BCCINeither Meghana nor Rodrigues’ rapid fifties nor Trailblazers’ 16-run victory mattered much in the scheme of determining the finalists of a three-team, four-match tournament itself devoid of much meaning. With a big international season ahead, the pair’s innings could, however, go some way towards breathing new life into their stop-start international careers.”This knock was very special for me, very important, especially coming at this time,” Rodrigues, who was overlooked for the New Zealand tour and the Women’s World Cup earlier this year, said. “I believe this will be very close to my heart for a long time because the last few months haven’t been very easy for me. A lot of things to learn, lots of ups and downs, but I think that’s life and these times make you stronger.””Honestly, I didn’t think too much about the future,” she added when asked if her fifty on Thursday could improve her chances of a spot on the Commonwealth Games squad. “But, yes, definitely that will obviously be playing in my mind because a very important season is going to start now with the Commonwealth and the [T20] World Cup, so I definitely wanted to be in the best touch and the best form and it’s nice to score those runs. It gives you more confidence scoring runs and going back into the Indian team.”Meghana and Rodrigues, both capped top and middle-order batters who have spent more time on the bench than on the field for India in the recent past, made the kind of statements with the bat they needed to. Navgire, a relatively unknown prospect, showed why it might be imperative for the Indian T20I think tank to give her the chance to mould herself into a wrecking ball of a middle-overs accelerator or finisher in the international season ahead.Three days ago, South Africa and Velocity batter Laura Wolvaardt had spoken highly of Navgire’s skills. “I have been watching her in the nets in the last couple of days,” Wolvaardt had said after Velcoity’s win against Supernovas where Navgire didn’t get a chance to bat. “We did a power-hitting drill [at training] and she hit the biggest sixes that I’ve ever seen a woman hit.” On Thursday, Mandhana echoed Wolvaardt and described Navgire as an “exciting” talent with “great, great things to come for her going forward in the Indian set-up.”India are likely to play a bilateral series against Sri Lanka in June. The Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where women’s and T20 cricket make their debut, is set to be played in July-August. The 2023 T20 World Cup, in South Africa, is scheduled for February. With a slew of major events lined up, neither the platform to showcase why the national squad might be richer for Meghana, Rodrigues, and Navgire’s presence, nor the timing of their knocks, could have, therefore, been bigger or more opportune.Two internationals with a future as uncertain as their past in the Indian side, and an uncapped, unheralded player with no big-game experience lighting up a high-octane clash… the seemingly identity-less Women’s T20 Challenge hasn’t felt this relevant since the summer of 2019 when, in Jaipur, Shafali Verma announced herself to the world.

Healy, Gardner, McGrath: who could be Australia's next captain?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

If the decision needs to be made, it could come down to how short or long term the selectors want to look at

Andrew McGlashan27-Sep-2022Alyssa Healy
Healy may be one of the next players of this great Australian team to bring an end to her career, but she would perhaps be a shorter-term option to take the captaincy if there was a thought that Lanning could return or if the selectors just want to get through the T20 World Cup and the Ashes next year.”She’s probably going to hate me saying this, but I think it would be [an easy transition],” Rachael Haynes said when she had announced her retirement. “She’s obviously done a little bit of an apprenticeship in state cricket. I think they’ve got lots of different options they can choose from. It probably just comes down to what direction they want to head in – whether there thinking short or long term.”Related

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Beth Mooney
A fulcrum of the batting across all three formats, Mooney is a senior player, and at 28, should have a significant number of years left in her international career. When she was just 20, Mooney captained Queensland to the T20 Cup title – the precursor to the WBBL – in 2014.Two years ago, when the Brisbane Heat captaincy needed filling following Kirby Short’s retirement, Mooney said the timing wasn’t quite right for her. She has since moved to Perth Scorchers and Western Australia for her domestic cricket, but does not captain either side. The other factor for Mooney is that she could follow Healy as the team’s wicketkeeper which, while certainly not meaning captaincy has to be be off the table, would add to the workload.Ash Gardner
It very much feels like Gardner is a captain in the making; it might just be a question of whether this cycle – if it emerges – comes at the right time for the 25-year-old. Her leadership credentials already stand out – particularly her role in promoting Indigenous culture and history. As a 20-year-old, Gardner captained the Aboriginal squad to England to mark the 150th anniversary of 1868 tour.”I really love being a leader and I love leading in whatever team I can,” she had told cricket.com.au in 2021. “That’s something that I think I’ve learned later in life; those things do come naturally as well the more mature you get and the older that you get in certain squads. But it’s something that I’ve obviously tried to do given the opportunity to captain teams. That’s something I really aspire to do later in my career as well.”Jess Jonassen is among those who leads at state level•Getty ImagesTahlia McGrath
After a stunning return to international cricket where she has become one of the leading players in the world, McGrath shapes as another long-term option for the captaincy. She is a key player across all formats, and captains Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL. Like a few in the current Australia set-up, she has worked with Belinda Clark, the former Australia captain, on leadership.”I would have never seen myself as a leader, and it was never something that I thought about,” she had told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the ODI World Cup this year. “Then a few opportunities popped up through some [South Australia] Scorpions stuff and Australia A. [That] caught me by surprise, and I found enjoyment from it – especially leading the Strikers last year was an experienced I absolutely loved.”Jess Jonassen
Another senior player in the current set-up, Jonassen is someone Lanning has leant heavily on on the field over the years, and is known to have a calm presence under pressure. Having taken over from Short, Jonassen currently captains Queensland and Brisbane Heat, and has previously cited the composure of her former team-mate.”That’s something that I’d like to take from her – just this element of calmness, regardless of the situation…just being able to do [something] that gives around you a little more confidence, and helps keep them calm as well,” she had said in 2020. “I never will be – and never have been – someone that enjoys people what to do; I’d rather show them the way or walk with them along the way.”Sophie Molineux is currently out of the side but is highly-regarded as a young leader•Getty ImagesMegan Schutt
Could there be two fast-bowling captains in the Australian game? Schutt was named captain of South Australia as a 25-year-old and has continued to do the role when available. She is a key part of Australia’s ODI and T20I sides but was left out of last year’s Ashes Test, though the selectors said that was with an eye on the World Cup.At 29, there should still be a good amount of time left at international level, depending on how long Schutt wants to play for. When she was first appointed at South Australia, Schutt was asked what sort of captain she would be. “Firm but fair. I like to get things done and I’m pretty blunt sometimes about how I want to do it, but at the same time I like to think I’m very fair.”Sophie Molineux
Molineux is not currently in the Australia team, having picked up an injury last season before losing her central contract in April, but the 24-year-old is highly regarded as a developing leader. She led Melbourne Renegades to their first WBBL final last season and took over the Victoria captaincy when Lanning stepped down earlier this year. Like McGrath, she has worked closely with Clark.”It’s got me thinking about different things going into the season,” she had told cricket.com.au last year. “There’s so many different parts to captaincy I never really thought about. I’m learning a lot. BC is really big on different ways of communicating, and we’ve been going through different situations and role-playing different scenarios that could play out. And that’s really valuable.”

CPL 2022 – Patriots, Knight Riders the teams to beat; new-look Royals hope for turnaround

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

A look at all six men’s squads ahead of the tenth edition of the competition

Deivarayan Muthu29-Aug-20222:48

Dwayne Bravo backs Patriots to defend their CPL title

Trinbago Knight Riders

Coach: Abhishek Nayar
Captain: Kieron Pollard
Overseas players: Colin Munro and Tim Seifert (both New Zealand), Ali Khan (USA), Maheesh Theekshana and Seekkuge Prasanna (both Sri Lanka), Daryn Dupavillon (South Africa)In 2020, when Brendon McCullum was in charge of Knight Riders, he stated that they could be “highly competitive” against any franchise in T20 cricket. This year, Knight Riders have got even stronger with the return of West Indies’ white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran and the inclusion of Andre Russell. Notably, having represented Jamaica Tallwahs for eight years since 2013, this will be the first time that Russell will be the CPL in colours that aren’t from his home country. And judging by his with six sixes in a row in the 6IXTY, he looks in fine form.Related

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The presence of Sunil Narine, captain Kieron Pollard and Colin Munro, the top scorer in the CPL among all overseas players, make Knight Riders a star-studded line-up. However, that alone can’t guarantee success as they found out last season, suffering an early exit after losing the semi-final to St Lucia Kings.Mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana is currently with the Sri Lanka side in the UAE for the Asia Cup and will link up with the squad after that tournament. Knight Riders, though, will have the all-round services of another Sri Lankan: Seekkuge Prasanna who has played for them in the past. USA quick Ali Khan, who is working his way back from a fractured forearm he suffered during the T20 World Cup qualifier in July, missed the 6IXTY and if he doesn’t regain fitness in time, South African quick Daryn Dupavillon could be the overseas fast bowler for Knight Riders at the CPL.Verdict: Pollard’s men have nearly all bases covered once again and with the homecoming of Pooran and the addition of Russell, they are the favourites along with St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.Possible XI: 1 Tion Webster, 2 Tim Seifert (wk), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Seekkuge Prasanna/Maheesh Theekshana, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Anderson Phillip, 11 Ravi Rampaul/Daryn DupavillonESPNcricinfo Ltd

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Coach: Simon Helmot
Captain: Dwayne Bravo
Overseas players: Wanindu Hasaranga and Akila Dananjaya (both from Sri Lanka), Dwaine Pretorius, Duan Jansen and Dewald Brevis (all from South Africa), Qasim Akram (Pakistan), Izharulhaq Naveed (Afghanistan)Having completed the double of winning CPL 2021 and the inaugural men’s 6IXTY, Dwayne Bravo’s Patriots are the team to beat this CPL. Helmot and Bravo know how to win titles, having also done so at Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, and have created a team environment that nurtures youngsters.Chris Gayle, however, has opted out of the tournament, having turned all his focus to the 6IXTY. Evin Lewis is back in action after having been omitted from West Indies’ recent white-ball squads on fitness grounds. Andre Fletcher, who has moved from Kings, will partner Lewis at the top, with both batters looking to press their cases for T20 World Cup selection.Sherfane Rutherford and Dominic Drakes, the Player of the Match in the 2021 CPL final, lend depth to the line-up. Darren Bravo will reunite with his brother Dwayne at Patriots after they played together at TKR. However, it remains to be seen whether their powerplay specialist Sheldon Cottrell has recovered well enough from injury to take a first-team role. The left-arm seamer has not played a competitive game since February 2022.Wanindu Hasaranga, who is currently with Sri Lanka at the Asia Cup, Izharulhaq Naveed, the 18-year-old Afghanistan legspinner, Dwayne Bravo and Dwaine Pretorius could be particularly effective once the pitches get slower. Naveed has played only 10 T20s so far but has already got a taste of the big leagues. Earlier this year, he was at the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore as a net bowler and more recently he was picked up by Sydney Sixers in the BBL draft.Verdict: Patriots look good for a three-peat: CPL 2021, 6IXTY 2022, CPL 2022.Possible XI: 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 Joshua da Silva (wk), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 8 Dominic Drakes, 9 Jon-Russ Jaggesar/Izharulhaq Naveed, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Duan Jansen/Akila DananjayaFaf du Plessis is among the experienced players in the St Lucia Kings side•CPL T20/ Getty Images

St Lucia Kings

Coach: Daren Sammy
Captain: Faf du Plessis
Overseas players: Faf du Plessis (South Africa), Tim David (Australia), David Wiese (Namibia), Scott Kuggeleijn (New Zealand)Kings have plenty of substance in their batting line-up led by the vastly experienced Faf du Plessis and the in-form Tim David, but the bowling attack appears squishy. They couldn’t hold onto the likes of Obed McCoy and Keemo Paul and they also lack a quality spinner although Roston Chase’s offspin can be handy in slow and low conditions (there is a cloud over his fitness though). So, the onus will be on IPL 2022 winner Alzarri Joseph and CPL 2020 top wicket-taker Scott Kuggeleijn to carry Kings’ attack.Verdict: Kings seem over-reliant on their overseas stars and might struggle to make the playoffs this time, unless of course, Sammy and du Plessis pull off a miracle.Possible XI: 1 Johnson Charles (wk), 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Roshun Primus/Ackeem Auguste/Rivaldo Clarke, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Tim David, 6 Mark Deyal, 7 David Wiese, 8 Jeavor Royal, 9 Scott Kuggeleijn, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Kesrick Williams

Guyana Amazon Warriors

Coach: Rayon Griffith
Captain: Shimron Hetmyer
Overseas players: Imran Tahir, Tabraiz Shamsi, Colin Ingram and Heinrich Klaasen (all from South Africa), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)Shimron Hetmyer is set for his CPL captaincy debut, six years after he led West Indies to the Under-19 World Cup triumph in Bangladesh. There is no Pooran for Guyana Amazon Warriors, but Ireland opener Paul Stirling could bend attacks out of shape in the powerplay and Heinrich Klaasen is a good player of spin in the middle. Seam-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul has returned to the franchise, joining forces with Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith.Amazon Warriors’ biggest strength is the depth and variety in their spin attack. South Africa left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi is back with the tournament that put him on the map. Then there are Imran Tahir (legspinner) and a trio of left-arm fingerspinners – Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, and Shakib Al Hasan (who will likely fill in for Shamsi once he leaves the tournament midway).It will also be interesting to see whether fast bowler Ronsford Beaton can still be penetrative after having corrected his bowling action. The 29-year-old was suspended from bowling in November 2019 and has played only three games (all in the recent 6IXTY) since.Verdict: If the batters back up the spinners, Amazon Warriors could break their knockouts jinx.Possible XI: 1 Chandrapaul Hemraj, 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Jermaine Blackwood, 4 Shimron Hetmyer (capt), 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Odean Smith, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Ronsford Beaton/Gudakesh Motie, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Imran TahirAndre Russell’s move to Knight Riders has created a void in the Jamaica Tallawahs’ line-up•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

Jamaica Tallawahs

Coach: Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Captain: Rovman Powell
Overseas players: Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir (both from Pakistan), Migael Pretorius (South Africa), Chris Green (Australia)Andre Russell’s move to Knight Riders has created a massive void in the Tallawahs’ line-up, but it offers a chance for captain Rovman Powell to step up and carve out his own identity. There is a rich local Jamaican flavour in the squad in the form of Powell himself, Brandon King, who has shifted from Amazon Warriors, Fabian Allen, who has moved from Patriots and Kennar Lewis.Allen, who returns to top-flight cricket after a personal break, could potentially be their finisher while Imad Wasim could be used as a floater, his left-handedness a useful weapon against opposition spin bowlers.Sandeep Lamichhane and Chris Green often function on auto-pilot in the CPL, so regularly have they been here. Migael Pretorius could be the seam-bowling enforcer for Tallawahs.Verdict: Tallawahs have often adopted a top-heavy, boom-or-bust approach with the bat lately and this season is no different. They continue to be unpredictable.Possible XI: 1 Brandon King, 2 Amir Jangoo (wk), 3 Shamarh Brooks/Kennar Lewis, 4 Rovman Powell, 5 Fabian Allen, 6 Imad Wasim, 7 Chris Green, 8 Raymon Reifer, 9 Joshua James/Marquino Mindley, 10 Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Migael Pretorius/Mohammad Amir

Barbados Royals

Coach: Trevor Penney
Captain: David Miller
Overseas players: David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Corbin Bosch (all from South Africa), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan), Harry Tector (Ireland), Azam Khan (Pakistan)After having finished rock bottom in CPL 2021, the only way for Barbados Royals is up. They have now put together a more dynamic batting line-up that will be led by David Miller, who is perhaps in the form of his life, and Quinton de Kock. Miller also takes over as captain from Jason Holder while Rahkeem Cornwall has joined Royals from Kings.Pakistan’s Azam Khan, the son of Moin Khan, could slot in as a middle-order spin-hitter after having obtained an NOC from the PCB. Devon Thomas will likely float in the line-up and will look to push his case as a back-up keeper to Pooran for the forthcoming T20 World Cup. This CPL will also be a vital tournament, in terms of national selection, for legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr. who leaked runs in his recent international outings against New Zealand and India.Verdict: Royals have pedigree with the bat, but their hit-or-miss bowling attack might peg them back.Possible XI: 1 Quinton de Kock, 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Rahkeem Cornwall, 4 David Miller (capt), 5 Devon Thomas (wk), 6 Azam Khan, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Corbin Bosch/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 9 Obed McCoy, 10 Oshane Thomas/Joshua Bishop, 11 Hayden Walsh Jr.

Agar, Swepson, Murphy – Who will partner Lyon on India tour?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Offspin, legspin or left-arm orthodox – this is the choice facing Australia as they evaluate their support spinners

Alex Malcolm11-Jan-2023Australia could consider playing two offspinners in the same Test team in India after uncapped 22-year-old Todd Murphy was named in their Test squad, but Ashton Agar remains the preferred option to partner Nathan Lyon despite a modest return to Test cricket in Sydney last week.Australia’s selectors named four spinners, including two offspinners in Lyon and Murphy, a legspinner in Mitchell Swepson, and a left-arm orthodox in Agar for Australia’s four-Test tour of India starting in Nagpur on February 9.Australia played two spinners in their last Test match, with Agar playing his first game alongside Lyon since 2017, while legspinner Swepson partnered Lyon in four of five Test matches in Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year.Australia have had moderate success with two spinners in the same XI over the past 12 months, claiming two wins, two draws and one loss in Galle. Australia did win one Test in India on their last tour in 2017 off the back of playing two spinners, with left-arm orthodox Steve O’Keefe claiming 12 for 70 in Pune.Part of the reason for Agar’s return in Sydney, despite a very modest first-class record over 10 years and 64 games, was because Australia’s selectors would prefer a left-arm orthodox bowler in India both to complement Lyon and replicate the success of O’Keefe in India, and the success of India duo Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey believes that Agar would be better for the run in Sydney ahead of the tour of India.”Certainly in India, we would like to have the availability of a left-arm orthodox,” Bailey said. “[It’s] great that we have the opportunity to get Ash a game. He hasn’t played a great deal of red-ball cricket and then in horse-racing terms I think he will be better for the run. [It was] great to have him around the group again and with a focus to sort of build his red-ball stuff up over the next little period until we get to India.”Agar has played just seven first-class matches since the start of 2020, taking just 17 wickets at 50.64 and striking at 109.5 with an economy rate of 2.78. He took figures of 0 for 58 from 22 overs in Sydney, and was bowled sparingly by captain Pat Cummins compared to Lyon’s 55 overs for the match. But Cummins was pleased with Agar’s efforts.Todd Murphy has made an excellent start to his first-class career, but are Australia willing to play two offspinners?•Getty ImagesCould Murphy’s emergence prompt Australia to play two offspinners?
While a left-arm orthodox spinner is preferred in India, Bailey conceded that Murphy’s emergence has made the selectors consider playing two offspinners in the same side. Murphy has only played seven first-class matches in his short career for Victoria, Australia A and the Prime Minister’s XI, all in the last two years, but has taken 29 wickets at 25.20, striking at 57.6 with an economy rate of 2.62.”Absolutely, he’s a chance to play,” Bailey said. “[It’s] certainly not a development tour. So he’s earned his spot through his performances and what we think he can do, clearly.”Whether he can play alongside [Lyon] is a question but they are different as far as offspinners go. So I don’t think you’re necessarily looking at the same type of bowler. We’ll get across and assess the conditions and what we think we need once we hit the ground.”Bailey and his fellow selectors, Tony Dodemaide and coach Andrew McDonald, have been consistent in their messaging around picking a complementary spinner to partner Lyon in order to balance out the attack. McDonald stated on record prior to Agar’s selection in Sydney that having a spinner who complemented Lyon by turning the ball away from the right-handers was more important than picking the next-best spinner.That desire is exacerbated by the development of Travis Head as a part-time offspinner within Australia’s XI. The idea of picking two specialist offspinners, along with the part-time offspin of Head, with only the part-time legspin of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith to complement them, could leave Australia’s attack unbalanced in spinning conditions, particularly given most of India’s top six will be right-handers in the absence of Rishabh Pant.Mitchell Swepson took 10 wickets at 45.80 on the tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka•Getty ImagesThe case for Swepson
Australia selectors have selected one legspinner in Swepson but have cooled on the idea of using him to complement Lyon. He bowled well at times without luck in Pakistan and Sri Lanka but took just 10 wickets at 45.80, striking at 89.2. He also didn’t quite contain the run-rate in the way Australia would have liked while they attacked with reverse swing from their quicks at the other end.There was a consideration to pick Australia’s white-ball spinner Adam Zampa after he made a return to first-class cricket for the first time in three years in December. But Bailey confirmed that Swepson remains Australia’s number one legspinner in red-ball cricket.”Swep’s on the tour because if we feel that we need a legspinner we think he’s our best option,” Bailey said. “I think Zamps has displayed a real keenness to be around the Test squad. And we just probably haven’t seen enough red-ball cricket from him. And to be fair to Swep we’ve liked what he’s given us when he’s had his opportunities and [we’ll] continue to invest in him.”But Australia’s selectors are aware of the difficulties overseas legspinners have had in India, with Australia’s greatest ever Shane Warne struggling in three tours of India, averaging 43.11 and striking in 81 with an economy rate of 3.19. But Warne played a pivotal role in Australia’s 2004 series triumph in India, though he played more of a defensive role as the lone spinner in Australia’s two Test wins in Bengaluru and Nagpur while Australia’s three fast bowlers in Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz did the bulk of the damage.

Stats – Second-shortest Test since World War II

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

It was also the second two-day Test in Australia ever

Sampath Bandarupalli18-Dec-20222 Test matches hosted by Australia that were completed within the first two days, including the first Australia-South Africa Test in Brisbane. The first instance was between Australia and West Indies when they faced off in Melbourne in 1931. The Brisbane Test is also the second shortest completed Test in Australia by balls.7 Number of Tests with a result in fewer balls than the Brisbane Test’s 866. Only one of those seven took place since World War II – last year’s Test between India and England in Ahmedabad, which completed in only 842 balls.ESPNcricinfo Ltd25.5 Balls per wicket for bowlers in the Brisbane Test, the second-best bowling strike rate in a Test match with 30 or more scalps for bowlers. The 1888 Lord’s Test between England and Australia had a bowling strike rate of 20.8, where 38 wickets fell in only 792 balls.78 Runs added for the first three wickets in this Test match across the four innings. These are the second-fewest runs scored before the fall of the third wicket across four innings in a Test match (where at least three wickets fell in all four innings). The fewest is 77 runs in the 1935 Bridgetown Test between West Indies and England.99 South Africa’s total in their second innings in Brisbane, their second-lowest against Australia in Tests since their readmission in 1991. They were bowled out for 96 in their first innings of the Cape Town Test in 2011. South Africa’s 99 all out is also their fourth-lowest total ever in Tests in Australia.251 South Africa’s aggregate in this Test match is their second-lowest against Australia, where they were all out twice. Their lowest is 81 during the 1931-32 tour in Melbourne – bowled out for 36 and 45.8 Number of all-out totals below 200 in Tests for South Africa this year. These are the most sub-200 totals by them in a calendar year. They were bowled out under 200 on seven occasions in 1912, 2015 and 2018.

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