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Says the final four is a realistic goal and a call on who will open in Tamim’s place will be taken on the morning of the Afghanistan match

Mohammad Isam06-Oct-2023These days, a public appearance by a member of Bangladesh’s team management inevitably means a flurry of questions about the Shakib Al Hasan-Tamim Iqbal issue.It was no different for Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe ahead of the team’s first World Cup game, against Afghanistan in Dharamsala. Hathurusinghe, though, deftly deflected most of these questions, saying it was his job to keep the pressure off his team.When asked whether Bangladesh would be better off without Tamim facing up to Fazalhaq Farooqi, Hathurusinghe called it a “weird question”. When asked about Shakib’s scathing attack on Tamim, Hathurusinghe just smiled.Related

• Hathurusinghe: Our batting let us down with 'high expectations'

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• Shakib: Tamim 'childish' and 'not a team man'

Hathurusinghe himself had caused a stir last month when he said that people should “wake up” if they were dreaming about Bangladesh winning the World Cup. Speaking to Dhaka-based newspaper , Hathurusinghe had said: “For whatever reason, our captain [Shakib] was appointed five weeks ago. I came six months ago. This is not ideal [so close to a World Cup]. But it doesn’t mean Bangladesh can’t do anything good in the World Cup…”Bangladesh’s biggest achievement is three wins in a campaign. So if someone is dreaming that we will win the World Cup, I will tell them to ‘wake up from their sleep’. It is possible to do something better than before. We are keeping our goal big – to reach the semi-finals.”Later, when these comments were pointed out to Tamim during the New Zealand series, he expressed surprise, saying, “I definitely think we should dream. You won’t achieve it if you don’t dream. Our Under-19 team never went past the quarter-finals but because they dreamt big, they became champions [at the 2020 World Cup]. This is our seventh World Cup, so when are we going to have a dream?”The question popped up again in Dharamsala, and Hathurusinghe responded: “My job is to take the pressure off from the players. People can dream, can aim. They can have goals. We are trying to have a good World Cup, win matches. Our aim is to get into the semi-final. It can be a dream.1:43

Steyn: It will be spin vs spin, and Shakib vs Rashid

“We all want to win the World Cup. Since you asked me our realistic goal, if we can win four or five matches we can get into the semi-finals. This is our first target. We have a good enough team to do this. We have to reach the semi-finals stage.”On the actual cricket front, foremost among the big questions is who will step into Tamim’s shoes at the top of the order? Will it be young Tanzid Hasan or will Mehidy Hasan Miraz remain their preferred opening option, particularly as coach and captain believe Mehidy is effective against offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is likely to take the new ball alongside Farooqi? The surface, too, will need to be taken into account, with talk of the Dharamsala pitch perhaps not aiding the spin trio of Mujeeb, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, who have often dominated Bangladesh across formats.”We have two options [to take Tamim’s spot]. We will be in a better place to make that decision tomorrow morning,” the coach said. “We will see if we bat first or second, and then take a decision. Wicket looks really good for one-day cricket. It has a nice covering of grass. I think it will be a really good sporting wicket. We are expecting high scoring in this ground. We will decide the combination tomorrow morning.”Often, a big win has papered over many cracks for Bangladesh. This World Cup opener, against Afghanistan, is a game which Bangladesh desperately need to win, and for more than just the two points.

“It’s a big moment for the whole team, but also whole Afghanistan as well,” Mohammad Nabi says

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-20232:38

Mumtaz: Panic should have set in for Pakistan during the Asia Cup

After seven defeats to Pakistan in ODIs, Afghanistan finally got one back, in Chennai on Monday. While Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, who scored the winning run, said the win “tastes sweet”, veteran allrounder Mohammad Nabi said this win was bigger than the one against England earlier in the tournament.”This win tastes nice. The way we chased was very professional,” Shahidi said at the post-game presentation ceremony. “The quality cricket we are playing for the last couple of years… the belief was there when we were playing Asia Cup also. At the start of the tournament, I said we want to make this tournament historic for our country’s people. First was England, today Pakistan, and looking forward for the other games.Nabi was thrilled to finally get a win over Pakistan in the format. “It’s a big moment for the whole team, but also whole Afghanistan as well,” he said. “We have been waiting for the last 10-12 years. We have played around eight games against Pakistan, and we won one game in a big event.Related

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• Gurbaz, Ibrahim, Rahmat boss 283 chase in Afghanistan's first ODI win over Pakistan

“It’s a big achievement for the guys. From the last three months, we’ve been working very hard. We played a series against Pakistan, then Asia Cup, and then come here to the World Cup. It’s a lovely moment today. We beat England as well, and now Pakistan. The team is confident now. And the team knows if we score around 280-290 on this kind of surface, it’s defendable and chaseable as well.”I think this is the favourite win, against Pakistan, because [earlier] in the last moments, we used to lose the game [to Pakistan]. Now the way Ibrahim [Zadran] and[[Rahmanullah] Gurbaz started the game, it was a fantastic start. The momentum from that, Rahmat Shah and the captain gave a lovely partnership.”We play against them the first game in 2014 [2012]. Then Asia Cup, then 2015 World Cup [they didn’t play each other in that tournament], then again Asia Cup, T20 World Cup and 2019 World Cup… a lot of close games. And this is a fantastic moment.”Half-centuries from Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam helped Pakistan post 282 in Chennai but a 130-run opening partnership between Ibrahim and Gurbaz laid the platform for Afghanistan’s chase, which was then completed by Rahmat and Shahidi without any hiccups.1:21

Has Noor Ahmad done enough to be a regular in the first XI?

Ibrahim earned the Player-of-the-Match award for his assured 87 in the chase, putting on big partnerships with first Gurbaz and then Rahmat. In the eyes of the adjuticators, that topped Noor Ahmad’s 3 for 49, the wickets those of Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.”Thankful that I performed well in this kind of big event,” Ibrahim said after the match. “I would say I wanted to play with a positive intent, with a positive mindset, so that’s why I did it.”He credited his long history of playing with Gurbaz for giving Afghanistan solid starts with the bat at the World Cup so far – this was the fourth 100-plus partnership between the two, all of them coming in 2023.”Many times Gurbaz and me, we have done a brilliant partnership together,” he said. “Few times, not [just] today. We have played a lot of cricket together, right from the Under-16 days. We have a good communication while batting.”

Pakistan, who had already wrapped up the series, were restricted to 137 in their 20 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2023Amelia Kerr shone with both bat and ball, while Suzie Bates chipped in with a half-century, as New Zealand took the third women’s T20I against Pakistan by six runs via DLS method.Pakistan, having been inserted to bat, began with a steady opening partnership of 64 inside ten overs. But Kerr provided the breakthrough to dismiss Muneeba Ali, as New Zealand wrested the advantage, and Pakistan proceeded to lose 4 for 31. Sidra Ameen, with 43, was Pakistan’s top scorer, while their captain Nida Dar also contributed a handy 25. But regular strikes from Kerr (3 for 11) and Eden Carson (2 for 20) meant the visitors were restricted to just 137 for 5.New Zealand, having already lost the series, began the chase well, as Bates provided a strong foundation. While her opening partner Bernadine Bezuidenhout fell cheaply for 4, Bates blazed her way to an unbeaten 51 off just 42 balls, stroking five fours. Bates also had able support from Kerr, who smashed a 31-ball 35, as the pair added 63 for the second wicket.Kerr eventually fell in the tenth over, before rain in Queenstown brought the game to a premature end after only 15 overs of the New Zealand innings, with the hosts six runs ahead according to DLS.

Amanda-Jade Wellington was confident she could defend 10 runs in the final over

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2023Tahlia McGrath lauded the all-round efforts of her team after Adelaide Strikers went back-to-back in the WBBL with a thrilling three-run victory in the final at Adelaide Oval.In a match that came down to the final ball, legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington held her nerve, having been lofted for six by Mikayla Hinkley, to bring the requirement down to five off two balls.But Hinkley fell agonisingly short of another six next ball, caught at long-off by Jemma Barsby, then Nicola Hancock couldn’t hit the boundary off the last that would have either won the match or earned a Super Over.Related

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It was another display of the strength of Strikers’ bowling attack, which had been the best during the regular season, with Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown and McGrath herself all coming to the fore.”I’m going to use my quote from last year because it is the exact same, that was pretty bloody special,” she said at the presentation. “We called it last year. We were sitting in the changerooms, we said we’re not done, we want to go back-to-back. And we’ve had that fight, that determination all year.”This team is a proper team. There’s no individuals, no ego. We know our role. We show up, day in, day out and it’s a lot of fun playing with this team.”Speaking to Fox Cricket moments after the title was secured, Schutt admitted that Strikers’ total had looked under par but that McGrath had given them belief.”[I’m] a bit emotional to be honest. A few tears out there,” she said. “We set out a bold goal last year to go back-to-back and to achieve it is amazing. Running out there, 125 didn’t look good but Tahlia said it was a tricky pitch after batting for the longest. We were confident if we could bowl well we could defend it.”The final was played in front of 12,379 spectators which made it the second highest for a standalone WBBL fixture behind the 2021 final at Optus Stadium in Perth. And for the second year in a row, Wellington was entrusted with the final over.”I’m just overwhelmed with joy,” she told reporters. “Two years in row to have the faith to bowl the last over is pretty special. For me, I love those moments, especially when there’s a crowd behind me and my team are backing him. I was feeling [the pressure] from the 17th over, especially when the [power] surge was happening. Was looking at the scoreboard taking note of how many runs I needed to defend off the last and thought anything over 10 I had in the bag.”Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen praised the performances of Strikers, terming them the “benchmark” of the competition, but looked crestfallen at not being able to chase 126.”To our girls, commiserations. I’m super proud of you all, we’ve worked very hard just to get to this moment,” she said. “Keep your heads up, I know it hurts, but we’ll be back bigger and better and stronger next year.”

Nathan Lyon was named men’s Test Player of the Year, while Ellyse Perry got the women’s prize for both ODIs and T20Is

Andrew McGlashan31-Jan-2024Mitchell Marsh has capped a remarkable rise to one of Australia’s most important players by being named the Allan Border Medalist at the 2024 Australian Cricket Awards, while Ashleigh Gardner has taken out the Belinda Clark Award for a year where her bowling became integral to the team across formats.Marsh made a stunning return to Test cricket during the Ashes in England in mid-2023 when he was recalled at Headingley, where he hit a run-a-ball 118. He then went on to make 441 runs at 49 during the ODI World Cup, including 177 not out against Bangladesh.He became emotional during his acceptance speech as he thank his wife, Greta, captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald”I’m a bit fat at times and I love a beer but you see the best in me always and you’ve changed my life,” he said. “For your support and your leadership, Patty, playing under you is a dream.” “I often spoke to my wife about…,” Marsh said before having to collection himself “… that I just wanted to get one more crack at it, and it’s been amazing. She gave me the perspective on life that I needed.”Overall during the voting period, which runs from January 22, 2023 to January 9, 2024, Marsh scored 594 runs in six Tests at 66. In ODIs, he hit 858 runs at 47.66, and had a strike rate of 113.94. He will also have gained points for his prolific T20I series against South Africa during which he hit 92* and 79* out of three innings.He polled a massive 79 more votes than second-placed Cummins in the overall medal tally, with Steven Smith at third.”I’m sort of hoping me winning this is not like Covid and you look back on it and three years time and go, ‘This was a weird time’,” Marsh joked. “One of my friends sent me the list today and I just thought – if I win it’s going to look weird.”Ashleigh Gardner spun Australia to victory in the Ashes Test•Getty Images

For Gardner, it was her second Belinda Clark Award after also taking the honour in 2022. Her performance in the Ashes Test, where she took match figures of 12 for 165, played a big part in her clinching the top spot, just 13 votes ahead of Ellyse Perry, while Annabel Sutherland was third.In ODIs across the voting period, Gardner claimed 20 wickets at 18.55, while in T20Is, including Australia’s title-winning run at the World Cup in 2023, she got 19 wickets at 22.73 with an economy rate of 7.49. With the bat, she averaged 33.16 in ODIs, and 24.10 – with a strike rate of 118.13 – in T20Is.”It’s been an interesting year,” Gardner said. “Think a lot of people probably think I’m more of a batter, or batting allrounder, but over the last 12-24 months think my bowling has probably evolved a lot quicker than what I was thinking. I’ve put a lot of trust in my captain to bring me on at different times and being able to reap those rewards of taking wickets has been a nice change.”To emphasise how close the Belinda Clark count was, Perry took both the individual white-ball honours after a stellar year in ODIs and T20Is – the latter where she has taken her batting to a new level.Marsh’s outstanding ODI form saw him walk away with the prize for that format as well, as he was named the Men’s ODI Player of the Year. Left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff, meanwhile, was chosen as the men’s T20I player of the year.Nathan Lyon, meanwhile, was named Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year despite missing three matches of the Ashes due to the calf injury he suffered at Lord’s. Either side of that, he took 8 for 64 in Australia’s victory over India in Indore, and played a key role in the opening Ashes victory at Edgbaston. Back on home soil this season, Lyon collected his 500th Test wicket against Pakistan in Perth.Nathan Lyon got to his 500th Test wicket during the voting period•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Domestic cricket

Matt Short was BBL Player of the Tournament for the second consecutive year after making 541 runs at 60.11 and having a strike rate of 153.25, as Adelaide Strikers reached the Challenger final after a superb late-season surge.Chamari Athapaththu had been announced as Player of the WBBL after that tournament finished in December, capping a remarkable few weeks for her having not originally been picked up in the draft.Among the rest of the domestic cricket scene, the voting period covered December 5, 2022 to December 5, 2023.Cameron Bancroft, who was overlooked for a Test recall, took the men’s award after dominating in the Sheffield Shield, and also for his consistency for Perth Scorchers in last season’s BBL before he switched to Sydney Thunder.The women’s award was a tie between Sophie Day, the Victoria and Melbourne Stars left-arm spinner, and Tasmania top-order batter Elyse Villani. Day was the leading wicket-taker in the WBBL with 27, and also took 14 in the WNCL during the voting period.Villani, meanwhile, led Tasmania to a second WNCL title, scoring 627 runs at 69.67 with a top score of 112, including striking a century in the dramatic victory over South Australia to clinch the title.The Bradman male young cricketer of the year went to Victoria quick Fergus O’Neill, while the Betty Wilson female young cricketer of the year was handed to Emma de Broughe from South Australia and Melbourne Renegades.

Award winners

Allan Border Medal: Mitchell Marsh
Belinda Clark Award: Ashleigh Gardner
Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year: Nathan Lyon
Men’s ODI Player of the Year: Mitchell Marsh
Women’s ODI Player of the Year: Ellyse Perry
Women’s T20I Player of the Year: Ellyse Perry
Men’s T20I Player of the Year: Jason Behrendorff
BBL Player of the Tournament: Matt Short
WBBL Player of the Tournament: Chamari Athapaththu
Men’s Domestic Cricketer of the Year: Cameron Bancroft
Women’s Domestic Cricketer of the Year: Sophie Day and Elyse Villani
Bradman male Young Cricketer of the Year: Fergus O’Neill
Betty Wilson female Young Cricketer of the Year: Emma de Broughe

The legspinner is set to play his first first-class match since the middle of 2022

AAP09-Mar-2024Tanveer Sangha still wants to become a three-format bowler for Australia, as the spinner prepares to play his first Sheffield Shield match in almost two years.Sangha will turn out for New South Wales against Queensland on Monday, marking his first red-ball game for his state since March 2022.In the time since, the legspinner has played two ODIs and seven T20Is for Australia while missing large parts of Shield action while overseas or injured.Related

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Such is Sangha’s predicament, the 22-year-old has now played more white-ball matches for his country than red-ball matches at first-class level. But despite that, Sangha maintains red-ball cricket can still be a priority as he hopes to one day add a Baggy Green to his limited-overs playing caps.”I definitely think all three formats is definitely up for play,” Sangha said. “There’s plenty of time still. Everyone says I’m young. I’m 22. You’re not going to peak until late 20s.”It’s the most difficult skill in cricket. I’m still learning, trying to pull leggies, wrong’uns, toppies, sliders and executing all these different variations. I’m just trying to think long term rather than short. It’s a long career if I do make it and I do get through all of it.”Sangha does not have to look far to see the impact of white-ball cricket on Test hopefuls. Adam Zampa has long stated his desire to earn a Baggy Green, but Sangha’s NSW and Australian white-ball team-mate has played only two Shield games in the past four seasons.Glenn Maxwell is another player virtually devoid of Shield matches in recent seasons, with only one since 2019.”That’s what I’m learning now while I was away,” Sangha said. “What can I still do while on a white-ball tour to make sure I’m maintaining my red ball-skills, shapes and bowling style?”Is there something I can just do once a week? Where in one training session I just focus on something specific to red ball, just so I can maintain it That’s the balance that now I’m trying to learn to be an all-format player.”For now, though, Sangha can also see his red-ball game benefiting his white-ball cricket as he maintains a goal of this year’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.”Red ball there’s so much more repetition. There’s so much more trying to get the batter out because they have so much time,” Sangha said. “But in white-ball cricket, they want to come at you. There’s more opportunity to get them out.”In red ball there’s quite a bit of thought and time that goes into trying to plan to get a better out, rather than just trying to be consistent. That’s where the art of spin bowling is. I’ve seen it with Warnie, [Ravichandran] Ashwin and Gaz [Nathan Lyon]. Each season I’m trying to get better and better, and not just be the same bowler in a few years time.”

The TV umpire checked the delivery for height and, according to the new ball-tracking technology, the ball would have passed the batter below his waist

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-20243:16

Explaining the new technology for tracking no-balls for height

The new Hawk-Eye technology to determine no-balls for height came into play during Virat Kohli’s dismissal in RCB’s chase against KKR at Eden Gardens on Sunday.Kohli was out for 18 off 7 balls in RCB’s chase of 223, caught and bowled off a high full toss from Harshit Rana in the third over, having played the ball well outside his crease. It was a slower delivery that seemed to be dipping on the batter, even though it was above the waist height when Kohli made contact with it.The TV umpire Michael Gough checked whether the delivery was legal for height and, according to the new Hawk-Eye ball tracking technology, the ball would have passed the batter at 0.92 metres from the ground if Kohli was upright at the crease. The height of Kohli’s waist had been measured beforehand at 1.04 metres, which means the ball would have passed below his waist had he been on his crease and not outside it, making it a legal delivery.Kohli was unhappy with the decision and was seen expressing his displeasure to the on-field umpire, along with the non-striker Faf du Plessis, who also thought it should have been a no-ball for height.To remove the subjective element in adjudicating no-balls above the waist this season, the IPL had introduced technology to measure the height of the ball as it passes the batter at the popping crease. That is then matched against the toe-to-waist height of the batter when in an upright position, which is measured and recorded in advance. If the height of the ball is higher than the recorded height of the batter’s waist, then it is declared a no-ball. Otherwise it’s a fair delivery.In this case, the projected trajectory of the ball would have taken it 0.12 metres below Kohli’s waist had he been upright on his crease.”Obviously, the rules are the rules,” RCB captain du Plessis said after the game. “Virat and myself at that stage thought that possibly the ball was higher than his waist. I guess they measure it on the popping crease.”In those situations, you’ll always have one team that’s happy and one team that doesn’t feel like it’s quite the right decision. But that’s just how the game works.”

Yorkshire breeze to eight wicket win after Worcestershire dismissed in 16 overs

ECB Reporters Network30-May-2024Left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty made life easy for Yorkshire’s star-studded batting line-up with a career best 4 for 25 as the Vikings brushed Worcestershire aside by eight wickets at Headingley to make a flying start to their Vitality Blast campaign.Moriarty, making his Yorkshire T20 debut, put the skids under the Rapids with all four wickets during the first half of an innings which saw them bowled out for 101 in 15.4 overs. Ethan Brookes, one of only two visiting batters to reach double figures, top-scored with a middle order 42 off 32 balls.It was little surprise when a Yorkshire top five, including current internationals Donavan Ferreira, Dawid Malan, Shan Masood and Joe Root, made light work of the meagre target. Ex-England Test opener Adam Lyth top-scored with 55 not out off 33 balls, the win sealed inside 12 overs. Root finished unbeaten on 13.Moriarty came to Yorkshire over the winter in search of more game time. Last season, he only made one T20 appearance for Surrey – their quarter-final win at Lancashire. His only wicket was England white-ball captain Jos Buttler.This evening, he struck twice with the new ball and returned just outside of the powerplay to add two more to ensure Yorkshire secured their first win of 2024 in all cricket, doing it in front of an 8,231 crowd.Having been asked to bowl, the Vikings made a dream start as the Rapids slipped to 15 for 3 in the first 20 balls, including the loss of captain Brett D’Oliveira bowled trying to scoop seamer Dom Leech after four balls.Moriarty had ex-Viking Matthew Waite stumped in the next over and debutant Josh Cobb caught at deep midwicket in the fourth.Leech also struck twice in the powerplay – Adam Hose was caught at midwicket – and Worcestershire were in serious trouble at 21 for four in the fifth over.Things didn’t get any easier for the 2018 champions. Moriarty returned to get Tom Taylor caught behind, leaving the Rapids 33 for 5 in the seventh. Now it was just about batting 20 overs on a pitch showing signs of turn, but Worcestershire failed to do it.Yorkshire’s seam bowling stocks have been depleted by injury, so they opted to pack their side with spinners. Moriarty, Dom Bess twice and Jafer Chohan all struck.Moriarty struck again in the ninth over, bowling Nathan Smith – 49 for six – to claim his fourth wicket. All-rounder Brookes did at least settle things down for the Rapids with his 42 filled with sweeps, reverse sweeps and ramps. He shared 43 for the seventh wicket with Gareth Roderick, who chipped in with 25.But both men were caught at cover off Bess’s off-spin in the 14th over, Worcestershire now 95 for 8. Leg-spinner Chohan then had Hayden Walsh Junior caught at long-on and Ed Pollock was run out to wrap up the innings.Unfortunately for Worcestershire, their task from there was forlorn. Lyth and Malan shared 43 inside five overs for the first wicket. And by the time the latter fell caught at short third for 25 off Adam Finch’s seam, it was nothing more than a consolatory strike.Cobb had Masood caught at long-on shortly afterwards, before Lyth and Root eased their side home with few dramas. Lyth reached his fifty off 31 balls and hit the winning runs.