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Labuschagne produces more super-sub heroics; Cameron Green ruled out for eight days with concussion

Alex Malcolm08-Sep-2023Australia’s selectors might give Marnus Labuschagne’s mother Alta a call to get some insight into how the next three months of ODI cricket will unfold, after she correctly predicted that her son would play in Bloemfontein, where he saved Australia’s blushes as the supersub again through the most unlikely set of circumstances.Labuschagne made 80 not out to guide Australia home to a three-wicket win chasing just 223 after replacing Cameron Green as the concussion substitute.Green was hit behind the left ear when he ducked into a Kagiso Rabada bouncer off the second ball he faced after walking out at No. 4 for the first time in his ODI career. Green retired hurt and didn’t return. Cricket Australia confirmed he had a precautionary scan and will now enter an eight-day concussion protocol where he will be monitored daily by the medical staff. He is not going to be available to play again until at least the last match of the series on September 17.Related

• Bavuma urges South Africa to be 'relentless' in final stages of World Cup prep

• Labuschagne called in as Green's concussion sub

• Abbott earns World Cup berth, Australia confident about fitness

• 'Our next best have got work to do' – South Africa coach

• Labuschagne's lack of consistency puts paid to WC hopes

Labuschagne was initially left out of the ODI squad to tour South Africa and Australia’s provisional 15-man World Cup squad having averaged just 22.30 and struck at a lowly 69.87 over his previous 14 ODI innings dating back to April 2022, and had admitted he “wasn’t too shocked” he was dropped, when speaking in the aftermath of his sensational 80 not out on return.But as Labuschagne was preparing to play some 50-over matches for Australia A against New Zealand A in Queensland, which start this week, a wrist tendon injury to Steven Smith saw him getting called up to South Africa as cover for that series.Even then it appeared like he was just getting a free trip to South Africa to visit family as he was listed 15th on Australia’s team sheet for the first ODI, behind Tim David and Aaron Hardie.But despite all evidence to the contrary, Alta Labuschagne stayed at the ground in Bloemfontein for the entirety of Australia’s bowling innings and the start of the chase and was proven right. Green was hit in the head in the sixth over of Australia’s reply. Five overs later, Australia confirmed Labuschagne would be the concussion sub for Green, as he famously was for Smith at Lord’s in the second Ashes Test in 2019. And one over later he was out in the middle at No. 7 with Australia in dire straits at 72 for 5. From there he guided his side home with a classy 93-ball innings, looking every bit the world-class player he has been at Test level.”She’s an amazing woman,” Labuschagne said of his mother’s premonition. “She stayed for the whole game. Even though I wasn’t playing for the first three-and-a-half hours of the game. She had a feeling. She was adamant when I came here that I was going to play this game. And I told her, ‘I’ve seen the team, Mum, I’m not in the team’. She just got a feeling and, once again, she’s right. It’s hard to describe, to be honest.”Labuschagne’s innings will undoubtedly cause some external discussions around his omission from Australia’s World Cup squad. But Labuschagne was having none of it, taking full responsibility for his recent ODI form and being completely understanding of the reasons behind his omission.”I have been really disappointed with how I’ve played my one-day cricket, the last 10 to 12 games I felt like I haven’t shown the intensity and the courage that I would have liked,” he said. “I wasn’t too shocked when I was dropped. I said that to the selectors, I said, ‘I understand I haven’t made runs’. But I did say that I still want to be that person for you batting in the middle order. And then you’ve just got to sit tight and wait for your opportunity. And when the opportunity comes, you’ve got to be ready.”Ready he was, just like he was at Lord’s. Labuschagne revealed he only took three or four days off after the gruelling Ashes series and was straight back into the nets working on his white-ball deficiencies.That work immediately paid dividends. He admitted the lowering of expectations, both personally and externally, does help when entering as a concussion sub. But even with that, his performance was extraordinary. On a surface where every player struggled at times to find rhythm and timing, including South Africa captain Temba Bavuma during his outstanding unbeaten century, Labuschagne’s timing was sublime from the outset racing to 34 off his first 20 balls without really taking a risk.Marnus Labuschagne famously walked out as a concussion sub for Steven Smith and scored a battling half-century in the 2019 Lord’s Test•Getty Images

“It comes (down) to your training, I always pride myself on training well, and making sure I’m always ready,” Labuschagne said. “The opportunity that happens when you’re a concussion sub is sometimes a little bit of a free hit because the pressure of the game is out there but obviously the expectation is probably not as much on you.”He got outstanding support from Ashton Agar, who made his highest ODI score of 48 not out to help Labuschagne guide Australia home, reinforcing the selectors’ desire to have an XI that bats as deep as possible. It was just Agar’s third score above 30 in an ODI but he has recently been working diligently on simplifying his batting and his mental approach and that work was also evident.It is unlikely Australia’s selectors will second guess their initial decision to leave Labuschagne out of the World Cup squad but his performance, alongside Agar’s, will give them enormous confidence in their bench strength which continues to flex its muscle as South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter lamented after the T20I series.Australia’s injury toll remains a concern, with Green now added to the list of concerns alongside Smith, Glenn Maxwell (ankle), Pat Cummins (wrist) and Mitchell Starc (groin) ahead of the World Cup.Labuschagne proved he is ready to go at a moment’s notice and a man for a crisis, particularly on difficult pitches. His mum might tell him to keep his passport within arm’s reach at all times as the World Cup draws closer.

“We want to finish in the same way. We want to take it match by match, just like we did it three years ago”

Mohammad Isam08-Oct-2023Bangladesh have never won more than three matches in an ODI World Cup but a convincing win against Afghanistan in the opener means that they can dare to dream. And if they are looking for advice on how to go all the way, they have four players in the squad who have the experience of lifting an ICC World Cup trophy, albeit in the Under-19 format.Shoriful Islam, Towhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan and Tanzim Hasan were integral parts of Bangladesh’s first major global title, when they won the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.Related

• Chastened England need to make a noise, but Bangladesh can be loud too

• Mehidy is the impact allrounder Bangladesh didn't know they had

• Afghanistan's moments of brilliance underpinned by shoddy basics

• Mehidy, with a little help from Shakib and Shanto, takes Bangladesh past Afghanistan

From this World Cup-winning side, Shoriful was the first to graduate to the senior team when he made his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2021. The likes of Shamim Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Parvez Hossain, Hridoy, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Tanzid and Tanzim, all followed Shoriful’s footsteps soon after. Quickly graduating from Under-19s to the senior team isn’t new in world cricket. For Bangladesh, it is recognised as a natural transition as the BCB’s youth system has produced almost all top-level cricketers in the last 25 years.But the 2020 batch is slightly different because of their triumph. The immediate success of some of these young players has further vindicated their ability. Mahmudul started off superbly in New Zealand and South Africa last year. Hridoy became the first Bangladeshi batter to score more than 500 ODI runs in his debut year.Shoriful himself began brightly, and although he doesn’t have a huge haul of wickets, he has steadily improved into a position where he has been at times preferred over the vastly experienced Mustafizur Rahman. And he showed his penchant for the big stage picking 2 for 34 in 6.2 overs in his debut ODI World Cup game as Bangladesh started their 2023 campaign with a six-wicket win.While Shoriful did not want to compare the ODI World Cup to the Under-19 one, he said that the atmosphere in both campaigns was similar.Shoriful Islam was a key figure in Bangladesh’s Under-19 title win in 2020•AFP

“It was the Under-19 World Cup. This is the main World Cup. The difference is the world-class batters in this tournament. Under-19 has a few of them but here almost everyone is of the highest standard. They pounce on your smallest errors,” Shoriful said after Bangladesh’s opening game against Afghanistan.”Four of us are here, so we are really enjoying the World Cup. Everyone is friendly. We are mixing well among us. It is a similar start to the Under-19 World Cup, and , we want to finish in the same way. We want to take it match-by-match, just like we did it three years ago.”Shoriful’s two wickets in Bangladesh’s win came in his last spell as he made up for an ordinary opening burst. Bangladesh struggled to contain Afghanistan’s top three as they raced to 83 for 1 in the 16th over before Shakib Al Hasan provided the important breakthrough. Still, the Bangladesh pacers finished with four wickets between them.Shoriful said that the bowling unit had belief in themselves to bounce back. “We believed that someone from among the five bowlers can get us the breakthrough. Someone will step up with one or two wickets to turn the game around. We didn’t panic when someone had a bad over or spell. Someone or the other will step up.”We tried to bowl in the right areas at the start but unfortunately it didn’t happen. The captain pointed out that we were probably missing something so we should be more tight in the next spells.”Bangladesh’s World Cup has just started but a dominating win will provide them a boost especially ahead of the England game at the same venue on October 10. A few more wins in the early stages would spark the Bangladesh side, but apart from the technical and tactical sides, managing a winning environment is a lesson that this senior side can learn from the Under-19 world champions. They know who to ask.

“We are taking inspiration from Netherlands,” Shakib says of the game against South Africa, their next opponents at the World Cup

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-20234:35

Preview: Is batting first Bangladesh’s only chance to beat SA?

Shakib Al Hasan strolling past the Wankhede Stadium pitches and towards the North Stand meant that he was going to attend a press conference for the first time at the World Cup. It also meant, more importantly, that he had likely recovered enough to play against South Africa on Tuesday.What happened next wasn’t surprising at all – Shakib was testy, especially when discussing Tamim Iqbal and his own fitness.Shakib was asked whether it was he who had planned to bat Tamim down the order against Afghanistan in July; Tamim had taken it as an affront, especially at being told this over a phone call by a BCB official two weeks before the game.Related

• Bangladesh under pressure as South Africa aim for the No. 2 spot

• World Cup trends: Where have all the thrillers gone?

• Shanto: 'Nobody is satisfied scoring fifties'

• The new Tamim on the block rises above the noise

“How do I relate it with Afghanistan? What is my answer going to be? You want to know who told Tamim? I don’t know who called him. It wasn’t me,” Shakib said.Is he fit, after missing the game against India with a quad injury? Is he ready to play even if he isn’t 100% fit? “What is the fitness parameter? You are just here to ask questions… I don’t know what to say to you. I am pain-free, and if that continues, I hope to play.”Shakib is expected to play, but Taskin Ahmed is out with a shoulder injury.”Taskin is not available for tomorrow’s game. He will be available after tomorrow’s game,” Shakib said. “He has a shoulder issue that he has had for the last two games. The doctor decided a bit of rest will get him fit for the last four games. We don’t want to lose him for the tournament, as he is an important member of this side.”If there’s no problem with running, I can play tomorrow. I wasn’t 100% before the India game. It was also important that I don’t risk the rest of the World Cup. I am in a good shape now. I am pain free.”Bangladesh are at No. 7* on the points table, with just one win – against Afghanistan – in four games so far. Not much has gone right for them, most of all their batting, with Najmul Hossain Shanto, among others, not quite delivering up to expectations yet.1:30

Shanto says team has to make fewer mistakes to survive at the World Cup

“We didn’t come here to play only four matches. We are here to play nine or eleven matches. We know that a player can’t do well in every game,” Shakib said. “When he starts doing well, and can continue for five games, that helps the team. I don’t want to comment on this, but we want to do well as a team. We have room for improvement.”Shakib also defended the team management’s decision to move the batters around in the batting order – Mehidy Hasan Miraz walking out ahead of more established batters like himself, Shanto and Towhid Hridoy, for example.”When Miraz scored that hundred as an opener against Afghanistan [in the Asia Cup], we thought he should do it again in the World Cup,” Shakib said. “He made runs against England and Sri Lanka in the practice matches [at of the World Cup]. He again scored runs against Afghanistan. So you have to give a batter who is doing well more chance. This is why he is batting higher up the order.”I also agree that some of our established batters are going a bit low the order, but is there a guarantee that they will score higher up the order? These are difficult and tricky decisions that we have to take. It has mixed results. I think we still had chances to score 280-290 runs in all three matches. Only [Mahmudullah] Riyad batted well till the end [against New Zealand and India].”I don’t think you can criticise this. Riyad is doing well but if we bring him up and he can’t perform out of his usual position, then we will all feel bad about it.”Taskin Ahmed will miss the South Africa game, but Bangladesh are expecting him to play a role later in the tournament•ICC via Getty Images

Shakib: ‘Spinners won’t play a big role’ vs South Africa

South Africa come into the game after bouncing back in style against England following the loss to Netherlands. Shakib doesn’t expect spin to play a big role at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, and is backing his fast bowlers to do the job.”It doesn’t matter if you win or lose your last game in a World Cup, what matters who is performing better on the day,” Shakib said of South Africa. “We saw South Africa flying high. We saw them lose to Netherlands. They played brilliantly against England. We will prepare the way we usually prepare. We will try to play our best cricket and see where we are.”The spinners won’t play a big role in this venue, which is relatively a smaller ground. It is a high-scoring ground. Still, we are planning to restrict them to a low total. We are taking inspiration from how Netherlands restricted them. We have been looking at their weaknesses from the last one or two years.”Bangladesh’s pre-tournament aspiration of making it to the last four is looking shaky. A lot depends on this game against South Africa. Another loss, and it might be all over.”We still have the dream to play the semi-finals. Other teams are helping us also [by beating higher-ranked teams], so if we can help ourselves, it can happen,” Shakib said. “We still have the chance on paper. Let’s finish this campaign first and then you can whole-heartedly feel disappointed.”Combative to the end there, that’s Shakib.

“Catching has not been an issue so far,” says Head, who is yet to go full-tilt on fielding drills

Alex Malcolm22-Oct-20235:06

Should Australia change their batting order to be more effective?

Travis Head is optimistic he could return to play against Netherlands on Wednesday but Australia may err on the side of caution with his hand injury given he is still yet to have a full batting session against bowlers after only recently arriving in India.Head has linked up with Australia’s squad in Delhi having watched Australia’s first four matches of the World Cup from his couch in Adelaide while he recovered from the broken left hand he suffered just over five weeks ago on the tour of South Africa.Australia’s selectors took a huge gamble by keeping Head in the 15-man squad despite the fact he was unavailable for the early part of the tournament with chair George Bailey stating on Saturday that Head would slot straight back in at the top of the order despite the sublime form of Mitchell Marsh.Head revealed he has had four hits in the nets since getting his hand out of a splint. He began by hitting tennis balls only and progressed to facing the sidearm in the nets in Delhi on Saturday. He is optimistic about playing against the Netherlands on Wednesday but Saturday’s clash with New Zealand in Dharamsala looks a more likely return date.Related

• Netherlands out to claim another scalp as Australia look to build momentum

• Hayden calls for Green to open, Labuschagne to be left out

• Head will open straightaway once he returns, says Bailey

• World Cup trends: Where have all the thrillers gone?

“I had a really good hit yesterday,” Head said on Sunday in Delhi. “I think each session is getting better but again we’ve got to be mindful of the fact that I think it was five weeks [since the injury] a couple of days ago, and I sort of got told [around] that six-week mark.”Everything keeps going well, but again, it’s [about] how I woke up this morning. It’s how I can potentially back up tomorrow and train.”Still a few things I need to tick off but I’m optimistic. We’ll see what happens. If it continues on this rate, who knows. Keep doing things day-by-day to hopefully give yourself the best chance.”Head said he was confident the bone had healed, and it was only a bit of pain and stiffness in the hand that he had to deal with. He also needs to regain strength and mobility in his left hand given it had been immobilised in a splint for four weeks although he does not think it will affect his power.”I don’t hit massive sixes anyway, so maybe I’ll just keep them on the carpet a little bit more,” Head said.Travis Head is back with the Australia squad•Getty Images

He has been able to bowl during his time off but his bowling, whilst useful, is not critical to his return. Fielding is the other major query.”I’ve been doing some catching but not at full tilt yet,” Head said. “So that’s another thing we need to tick off over the next few days. I’m optimistic. Obviously, it’s important to understand the process. Not trying to rush it too much because that can set us back. But it feels good. Catching hasn’t been an issue so far. The progression over the next couple of days is to field and see where I’m at.”[I’ll] take it slow to make sure once I come back that I’m ready just to stay there.”Head was very grateful to the selectors for keeping him in the squad. Having missed out on selection for the 2019 World Cup he thought his chances had evaporated again the moment Gerald Coetzee’s thunderbolt cracked his left hand at Centurion in September.”It was not something that I expected at the time,” Head said. “Obviously [there was] a range of emotions through those three or four days early on to think that I [had] missed a chance again to be involved. And I felt like I was contributing well.”When I left [South Africa] and they put it on the table there was a lot of things that needed to go really well. Very fortunate the group stayed healthy as well because that was another scenario that might not have happened. So very happy the boys were fit and going well which meant they could keep me around, which is nice.”But it’s also nice to have the confidence to potentially do the right things and now it’s a case of hopefully day-by-day getting better and hopefully I can contribute at the end and I guess pay a bit of the faith back.”

India captain also confirms Jadeja’s return to fitness, which gives the team more depth and options

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20245:24

Rohit: ‘When you have an inexperienced attack, you have to show faith in them’

Ravindra Jadeja is fit and available for selection, giving India more batting depth and options when it comes to bowling combinations. He is also the only left-hand batter outside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jadeja had missed the first Test with spasms in the upper back on the morning of the match.While confirming Jadeja’s return to fitness, Rohit Sharma spoke of the importance of not judging inexperienced bowlers too harshly. “Although we’ve had a brief chat with the management, the coaching staff about what we want from this game, and what we want from the bowlers in this game, we’ve not completely finalised our playing XI. Everyone is available for selection. There’s no injury concern. All of them who are here are available to play. We’ll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one.”Having said that, I still feel that, sometimes we’ve got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling, and sometimes when you have that, you’ve got to show some faith in them, show trust in them, and that can happen to any team. Like I said in the last post-match press-conference [in Centurion] about Prasidh [Krishna] playing his first game, we all get nervous when you are playing your first game. It’s understandable, but I thought, and I’ll still back that thought of mine, that he’s got good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it’s just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them.”Related

• Rohit backs under-fire bowlers after three-day loss in Centurion

• Avesh to join second Test squad to replace Shami

• How India can bowl better in the second Test against South Africa

• Questions aplenty for India as SA look to give Elgar the perfect farewell

Apart from Krishna, it was Shardul Thakur, in his 11th Test, who disappointed with the ball in the first Test. Jadeja’s return opens up the possibility of playing two spinners as R Ashwin brings with the bat more than what Thakur does.However, the conditions might not support that idea. Rohit was asked if he expected the conditions to be less hostile to India in Cape Town. “I honestly don’t know too much about that,” he said. “You know, the conditions look pretty similar to what it was. I mean, the pitch looks similar to what it was in Centurion, maybe not so much grass, but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch.”But yeah, the overhead conditions will matter. I think it’s pretty hot here compared to Centurion, which was a little cooler the first two days. Again, when we played last time here, 2018 and ’21… I wasn’t here in ’21, but the guys were telling me it was pretty similar conditions. We know exactly what is required when the conditions are like that. Based on the pitches, how the conditions are, you gotta respond to that.”India do have reinforcements in the squad. Avesh Khan, who played for India A at the same time as the first Test, has been called up to provide the team management that option of a tall bowler. He took a five-for in that game. That India are giving themselves these options tells you how much they need a hit-the-deck bowler. They already have Mukesh Kumar, who has the best body of work in domestic cricket among contenders for a fast-bowling spot, but is a skiddy, shorter bowler.With Thakur struggling with the ball in his last six Tests, India could even think of sacrificing the batting depth and play four out-and-out fast bowlers. Any two of Thakur, Krishna, Avesh and Mukesh could play at Newlands.

Takes over from predecessor Will Rhodes after signing contract extension

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2024Alex Davies has been named as the new captain of Warwickshire, following Will Rhodes’ decision to step down after four years in the role.Davies, 29, has played more than 50 senior matches for the club across formats since joining from Lancashire in 2021, and in last season’s Vitality Blast, he led the side to ten wins out of ten after stepping into the job following Moeen Ali’s unexpected Ashes recall.His promotion comes alongside a new contract that will keep him at Edgbaston at least until the end of 2026, and he’s vowed to “give absolutely everything” to the club’s pursuit of silverware.”My overriding feeling is pride, It’s an honour captaining any club at any level, but to captain a club as big as Warwickshire is a huge privilege, “he said. “Edgbaston has become home to me. I won’t be leaving anything out there on the pitch, I’ll give it my all.”Taking the T20 reins last year has helped prepare me for the role, to really get to know the lads, their different characters and how they like to be dealt with on and off the field. That experience should stand me in good stead.”Warwickshire’s Performance Director Gavin Larsen added: “I’m delighted that Al accepted the captaincy role. We’ve had a good preview of how he operates after he captained for most of the T20 last year. Al was successful, popular with players, communicated superbly, and worked collaboratively with the coaches.”Al was always a strong candidate for captain given his vice-captain experience last year. He certainly displayed all the right attributes to take over should the opportunity arise.”The captain, ultimately, will only be as good as his team. What a good captain can do is bring out the best in his players and Al demonstrated that last summer in the Blast. He’s a people person, and will now be plotting how he can help to take this great club forward.”A decision will be made on the T20 captaincy once Moeen Ali’s Indian Premier League and England commitments are finalised.

This will be the England fast bowler’s first IPL stint

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2024Mumbai Indians have signed English left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood as a replacement for the injured Jason Behrendorff for IPL 2024.Wood has been signed for his base price of INR 50 lakh.Wood has 147 wickets from 140 T20s, including five matches for England. While he has featured in several T20 leagues like the BBL, PSL and BPL, apart from The Hundred, this will be his first IPL stint.Behrendorff was ruled out of the IPL after he broke his leg in a freak accident while training in Perth last Thursday just before leaving for India.The injury to Behrendorff, who returned 14 wickets from 12 games last season, compounds problems for Mumbai in their fast-bowling department. Sri Lankan left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka picked up an injury during the second ODI against Bangladesh which has likely ruled him out from the initial stages of IPL 2024.Related

• Behrendorff's T20 World Cup hopes dented after suffering broken leg in freak training accident

• Madushanka to miss rest of Bangladesh tour, initial stages of IPL 2024

• Suryakumar Yadav in doubt for Mumbai Indians' season opener

• 'I've been fit since January' – Hardik confirms he will bowl in IPL 2024

South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee is also recovering from a pelvic inflammation and could be unavailable for Mumbai’s first few matches.Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal, Nuwan Thushara and Arjun Tendulkar are the other fast bowlers in Mumbai’s roster, while their new captain Hardik Pandya has confirmed that he is fit to bowl in the tournament. They also have Romario Shepherd as a seam-bowling allrounder.Star batter Suryakumar Yadav, who is recovering after two surgeries, is also a doubt for Mumbai’s opening match against Gujarat Titans.

Injury-prone left-arm seamer plays eight games in a Shield season for the first time in his career including five in a row to bag 39 wickets and lead WA’s title-winning attack

Tristan Lavalette25-Mar-2024With Western Australia just one wicket away from a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles after an electric passage of play late on day four, Joel Paris was in a reflective mood and turned to experienced teammates Sam Whiteman and Hilton Cartwright.”I reckon this means more than the other two [titles],” he told them.Moments later Paris sealed WA’s comprehensive victory over Tasmania with a blinder of a catch in the gully to trigger scenes of jubilation on-and-off the field at the WACA. “The boys reckon I put a little bit of mayo on it,” laughed Paris as he recalled to ESPNcricinfo his diving effort to his right.”I was just happy it stuck. We had to grind away, we haven’t had it all our way. We played unbelievably well in Victoria to get a home final and then we’ve probably played our best cricket this week.”This one probably sits right at the top for me. We haven’t had the quicks available this year that we normally have and we’ve just had to keep going. It’s very special.”Related

• Rocchiccioli fights off flu to elevate his case to be Lyon's heir

• Whiteman: We have to be one of the great WA teams

• Gannon and Rocchiccioli lead Western Australia's surge to Sheffield Shield hat-trick

Without frontliners Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris and Matthew Kelly for most of the season, WA had to rely on their fringe quicks. Cameron Gannon, who took eight wickets in the final, and Charlie Stobo stepped up at the backend of the season, but it was the reliable presence of left-armer Paris that held the attack together.Paris was unlucky to only take two wickets in the final as he again set the tone with menacing new ball bowling in both of Tasmania’s innings. He exploited the grassy surface superbly and consistently beat the bat with sharp seam movement.Paris finished the season with 39 wickets at a remarkable average of just 15.2. In 44 first-class matches since debuting in late 2015, he has taken 174 wickets at 20.05 and striking at 45.9.As can be gleaned from his relatively limited number of first-class appearances, Paris has endured a litany of injuries during his career forcing WA to be cautious with his workload.After a delayed start to the season due to a hamstring injury suffered playing for Australia A against New Zealand A in Brisbane, Paris’ durability impressed as he played five straight Shield matches – along with WA’s triumph in the Marsh Cup against New South Wales – culminating with the Shield final.”When you’re in a situation where you just have to keep going, I think your body senses that and just finds something,” Paris said. “I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve this year. The amount of cricket I’ve been able to play…certainly haven’t been able to do it before.”We’ve probably been in a position in past seasons where I’ve been able to rest a little bit more than what I have this season. To get through was really special.”Paris, 31, played two ODIs against India in 2016, but his injuries and the depth of quicks in Australian cricket have kept him away from the international stage.Paris, however, remains on the radar of the Australian hierarchy. Along with playing for Australia A last year, Paris was in the frame for selection on the last Ashes tour.”That desire to play for Australia is always there. For me that will never go away until I put up the boots,” he said. “If an opportunity comes up, I’ll absolutely take it.”Paris is unsure of his offseason plans, with a stint in the UK a possibility but dependent on his body. Right now, however, he is eyeing a well-deserved breather.”I’ll be putting the feet up for a little bit,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy this one [title] as much as possible.”

Misses out on hundred but hefty stand with Pretorius puts team on course

ECB Reporters Network20-Apr-2024Craig Overton hit an unbeaten 95 off 111 balls as Somerset tightened their grip on the second day of the Vitality County Championship First Division match with Nottinghamshire at Taunton.From an overnight 116 for one, the hosts were bowled out for 454, building a first-innings lead of 261 after being 246 for seven. Sean Dickson made 72, Tom Banton 83, Migael Pretorius 77 and nightwatchman Josh Davey 45, while leg-spinner Calvin Harrison claimed four for 93.By the close, Notts had made 38 for one in their second innings, Ben Slater falling to a brilliant running catch by Dickson at mid-wicket off Davey, and still trailed by 223.It took Somerset until the final over before lunch to score the 78 runs needed for first innings lead as the Notts seam attack performed well under cloudless skies.Dickson had added only two to his overnight 70 when attempting to drive a wide delivery from Luke Fletcher. He made good contact, but directed the ball to Jack Haynes, who held an excellent low catch at cover.Tom Lammonby walked out with 241 runs already to his name in three Championship innings. He and Davey added 41 for the third wicket before he fell leg before to Brett Hutton playing across the line for 17.Lewis Goldsworthy had made only three when edging a defensive shot off Lyndon James to wicketkeeper Joe Clarke and Hutton was unlucky not to add Banton to the list of batting casualties, going past the outside edge of his bat three times in one over.But all the while Davey stood firm, looking in little trouble as he progressed to 44 not out at lunch, with eight fours. Banton survived the early scares to be unbeaten on 13, a single off the miserly Fletcher giving Somerset the lead with six first innings wickets in hand. They lunched at 194 for four from 63 overs, Fletcher having taken one for 36 from 17 overs.Those figures took a hit in the experienced seamer’s first over after lunch as Banton hit him for three fours off as many balls. The England T20 international, who has worked hard to establish himself in red ball cricket, was visibly growing in confidence.He lost Davey as a partner with the total on 218, bowled between bat and pad by Harrison’s third ball of the day. By then the nightwatchman had faced 104 balls and hit 8 fours.Notts were fighting back. James Rew, on 13, was beaten for pace by a short ball from James and top-edged a catch to Haynes at square leg. Then Lewis Gregory fell lbw to a quicker ball from Harrison, having contributed only a single.At 246 for seven, Somerset’s lead was just 53. But that was as good as it got for the visitors as Banton moved to his fifty off 80 balls, with seven fours, while Overton, fresh from a half-century against Surrey at The Oval, looked in prime form from the start of his innings.Notts took the new ball at 262 for seven. Overton greeted it with successive boundaries off Hutton, a sumptuous straight drive and a flashing cut shot. Banton had blossomed from early insecurity and it was a surprise when he departed, chipping a low catch to mid-on off Paterson, having faced 158 balls and extended his boundary count to 11.
Overton’s 67-ball fifty featured some of the best batting of the day. He was unbeaten on 57 at tea, which was taken with Somerset 347 for eight, leading by 154.The final session saw Overton and Pretorius turn the screw with a century stand off just 95 balls. They had extended it to 139 when Pretorius, having moved impressively to a 52-ball fifty and hit 2 big sixes off Harrison, was bowled by the occasional off-spin off Matt Montgomery in what proved his only over.Overton, who had struck nine fours and a six, was denied the chance of his second first class century when last man Shoaib Bashir inexplicably tried to slog Harrison and skied a simple catch. His clearly exasperated partner raced off the field without acknowledging the well-merited applause.

The former Australia fast bowler is all set to coach a Test team for the first time

Danyal Rasool29-Apr-2024Jason Gillespie’s resume makes him a strong contender for most coaching jobs, but there’s little doubt that in Pakistan, his nationality also carries weight. Pakistan’s admiration for, and in some cases obsession over, the Australian style of play has made them look to that country for roles as diverse as dressing-room mentors to pitch curators. Just weeks earlier, they made Shane Watson their primary candidate for the white-ball coaching role but he pulled out. Ever since, Gillespie has been first choice for Test coach and an agreement with him and Gary Kirsten – who takes over as white ball coach – is believed to have been agreed weeks ago.But Gillespie hasn’t become a respected coach by telling sides what they want to hear, and in his first remarks since his appointment, he warned that Pakistan shouldn’t simply look to emulate Australia or any other side. “My philosophy is – don’t try to be something that you’re not,” he told the PCB’s in-house media channel on a podcast. “I simply want the Pakistan cricket team to play the style of cricket that’s going to suit them; for me, that’s important.”You’ve got to be authentic in how you go about it. I will go out there and say: just be positive, aggressive, entertaining. Play with a smile on your faces and entertain our fans. There are going to be times when you have to grind it out, and that’s what Test cricket is. It’s a test of your skills, mental capacity, and patience. There are times to attack and times to soak up some periods of cricket from the opposition. If we can be as consistent as we can, then hopefully, the scoreboard will look after itself, and we can pick up some wins.”The former Australian fast bowler has had several coaches roles since he last played international cricket in 2006. Most successfully, Gillespie was Yorkshire’s head coach from 2011-16, overseeing their promotion from the second division in his first season, and won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. He has also taken up T20 coaching roles with Punjab Kings and Adelaide Strikers, as well as Sussex and South Australia.Related

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“The opportunity to be the head coach of Pakistan’s Test side is fantastic,” he said. “It’s an honour. I’ve been coaching for quite a while now in various roles around the world, but one thing I haven’t done is coach an international Test side. When this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it.”Just how Pakistan plays, and the talented and skillful players Pakistan has, it’s great to be part of the team, and hopefully, I can help the team progress, improve, and play some entertaining cricket.”Gary Kirsten has three ICC events in the next two years as Pakistan’s white-ball coach•Getty Images

Kirsten also spoke to the PCB, calling it a “wonderful privilege” to be offered the job of Pakistan white-ball coach. “I think Pakistan sits as one of the top four to five coaching jobs in the world internationally,” he said. “What is important is that I have the opportunity to work with some of the best cricketers in the world and that excites me.”Kirsten had arguably the highest profile coaching job in the world when he was appointed coach of India in 2008, famously ending his tenure on the shoulders of Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, who hoisted him up for a lap of honour after India won the 2011 ODI World Cup. If he sees out his current two-year contract, he will oversee Pakistan in three white-ball ICC events: two T20 World Cups and a home Champions Trophy in 2025.”The important thing for me is to understand where the team is at and where we want to go to – whether that is winning World Cup events, which, by the way, is not easy. Often some people think you just pitch in and you’re going to win the championship.”But if you can win one of those three ICC Events, that will be an amazing achievement on its own, whether it’s the upcoming event or it’s two years from now. My job is to make sure that the team operates at its best, it’s as simple as that. And if the team is operating at its best, we will always have a good chance of winning a trophy.”So for me, it is important to understand where is the team now and where its need to go to be able to compete right at the top of the pile, and that’s winning ICC events. You can’t guarantee a trophy, but what you can do is put the steps in place to give yourself the best chance of winning a trophy. And that’s really what I’ll tend to do.”