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New season arrives amid familiar handwringing about the state of England’s professional circuit

David Hopps05-Apr-2022Another county cricket season is upon us, arriving to the expectant trill of birdsong, the gradual awakening of a rain-lush landscape and the traditional sound of the disillusioned and dispossessed forever bickering over a professional system held to be on borrowed time.Every year we must endure this self-indulgent navel-gazing – the game reduced to near impotency by the endless debate over whether counties should be culled, and interminable theorising about structures and fixture lists. And somehow, a professional circuit continues – sheepishly, outmodedly, defiantly – and a summer of cricket is played with commendable spirit to the backdrop of a game forever consumed by self-doubt.People with most right to be aggrieved about county cricket are those from minority-ethnic backgrounds. Especially this year after a close-season narrative which has been unremittingly bleak. The evidence given by Azeem Rafiq about the institutional racism at Yorkshire will not have surprised them, nor will they recoil at growing evidence that Yorkshire are not an outlier, merely the crassest representatives of widespread prejudice within the game.Related

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Most have long suspected the county game is not for them. They will spend the spring following the IPL, and might even have taken a brief look at the Hundred draft only to find to their confusion that there are actually bigger names playing in the Blast. The identity of Derbyshire’s third seamer on an April greentop will find little connection here. (There again, considering the season they had last year, even Mickey Arthur is probably unsure about that).It is little wonder so few English cricket lovers from minority-ethnic communities feel any sense of excitement as another county season is about to get underway. Many working-class cricket lovers might also feel a similar sense of exclusion in a game propped up by an annual life-support of optimistic, well-schooled, and often well-heeled young professionals from the private system. And if you are working class and Muslim then frankly, not only in Yorkshire have you been wasting your time dreaming of a professional cricket career in England.To this audience, the insistence that county cricket is the best chance – perhaps the only chance – to develop a diverse professional cricket system in England, one finding talent from all classes, all races, all creeds, is not immediately persuasive. But to abandon an 18-team county system at precisely the time when diversity has become a live issue, when many counties are making strenuous efforts to right wrongs and respond to the demands of the age, and when even the laggards understand that they need to do some serious window dressing, would be a disaster for multi-ethnic professional cricket in this country.What might surprise the sceptics is that Rafiq thinks exactly the same. Nobody has ever challenged county cricket at so much personal risk yet, having fought the fight, Rafiq recognises that opportunity lies not in rejection but in rectification. To recognise his impact, ESPNcricinfo’s county-by-county guide includes a reference to every county’s progress on diversity. Some, such as Warwickshire, are showing the way. Others should be embarrassed by their current state. But the expected direction of travel has never been more clearly indicated.

The most enlightened approach is to widen the franchise, not just to feed off the private schools who provide roughly two in three of county cricketers, but to spread the talent search into all parts of society

Rafiq tweeted late last month: “Surely at a time when the game needs to be made accessible to everyone, reducing opportunities (counties) is incredibly silly?” He then followed up: “There’s absolutely no guarantee that reducing teams would make the England team better… make the game accessible to more people: I really don’t think it’s that complicated.”Anuj Dal, as vice-chair of the Professional Cricketers Association, gave evidence, as did Rafiq, to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport select committee about his own experience of racial stereotyping. Dal is on Derbyshire’s books and with all due respect might have struggled to win a contract in a slimmed-down county system.He stressed to the BBC at Derbyshire’s media day that Rafiq’s testimony has offered a chance to change the county game. “South Asian players, and players from different backgrounds, now feel as though they’ve got someone there who’s spoken out about issues that are there within the game. I don’t think there is that stigma anymore. Now people are thinking ‘how can I be actively positive to encourage guys and make sure we all get given the same opportunity, make sure we all get treated the same and feel respected?’ And that for me is a huge one.”That county cricket has fallen in standard in the past decade should be clear to every regular observer. Kolpak players were not universally popular but their loss has been felt. The perpetual withdrawal of England players of all formats to fulfil a bloated international fixture list separates them from the professional circuit, as indeed it separates the journalists who set the agenda. The advent of The Hundred has turned county 50-overs cricket into a developmental competition.One obvious solution is to address the excess of cricket and constant resistance to pyramid systems, both of which reduce intensity and dilute quality at the top level. But the most enlightened approach is to widen the franchise, not just to feed off the private schools (which are so indispensable that they provide roughly two in three of county cricketers), but to spread the talent search into all parts of society with more conviction than ever before.It is time to catch the wave. Instead, there are the usual demands for shrinking the game. The BBC commentator, Jonathan Agnew, has broken off from yet another rendition of his tiresome legover story to issue another call for the 18 counties to be drastically reduced to “save” English Test cricket. One might ask, who exactly is he saving it for? Certainly not for those for whom opportunity does not come automatically.Kevin Pietersen has long had strong views about county cricket•Getty ImagesWhen Aggers’ song is sung, the plaintive call of the privileged is taken up by Kevin Pietersen. KP uses the word “franchises” a lot, giving the impression that he would flog off county cricket to the highest private bidder faster than the culture minister, Nadine Dorries, would offload Channel 4. Loose talk of “franchises” can be attractive to those who feel excluded because it promises new owners with a more inclusive outlook, but if county cricket has failed on diversity, despite endless edicts, what chance a private enterprise would put idealism before profitability?There is no doubt what Pietersen would do with the revenue. “Pay the top players what they want; I don’t care,” is the gist of his message. In not so many words, sack every professional in the country without magic dust on their shoulders and lavish riches on the elite whose brilliance is assumed to develop purely by their own innate talent. There has never been a bigger divide between the best and worst paid professionals in England, but wealth inequality or lost jobs do not appear to give Pietersen sleepless nights.Somehow, amid all this, the imperfect County Championship goes on, prized not just by those it serves but those it doesn’t. In , the historian Duncan Stone offers a revisionist critique of county cricket’s history, but for all his doubts he remains drawn to the communal potential of the game in England.He says: “For better or worse the counties represent the game in England, and as much as the evidence suggests they are elitist (and racist) I want them to re-discover an authentic culture of cricket. Cricket is, at heart, a ‘people’s game’. If it is to survive, as anything more than a boutique pastime for wealthy white people, it must re-discover that spirit. It has a once in a century opportunity to be the game it always should have been: inclusive, meritocratic, and a true reflection of it’s constituency.”That message must also be heard by minority-ethnic groups. There has never been a better chance to claim their part in the English professional game. The first thing they have to do is believe it.

Every mega IPL auction reveals a bit more about how franchises plan when building a team. It was no different this time

Nagraj Gollapudi and Gaurav Sundararaman14-Feb-20225:30

Best and worst buys? Biggest surprise? Missed opportunity?

Got wheels and can bat? We’ll pay you a million dollars
“Fast bowlers were definitely the commodity of the auction,” Akash Ambani, Mumbai Indians’ owner, said. He decided to pay more than USD 1 million to secure Jofra Archer, who is not even going to play this season.This year there were 13 fast bowlers, including fast-bowling allrounders, who were million-dollar buys. Five of those were Indians. In 2018 (when the dollar exchange rate was INR 64), seven players in that category were paid at least a million dollars of which there was just one Indian player.The best fast bowlers have always been among the top buys in IPL auctions. However, during this auction the franchises were also on the lookout for fast bowlers who are handy batters too. Deepak Chahar, who has hit a couple of stand-out half-centuries for India in the last six months, entered the auction tipped to be one of the most expensive buys. That prediction came true as he finished as the most expensive Indian bowler at INR 14 crore.India bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur, another Chennai Super Kings product, missed out on returning to his original franchise after Delhi Capitals snapped him for INR 10.75 crore, the same amount paid by Royal Challengers Bangalore to get back Harshal Patel, the 2021 IPL’s highest wicket-taker who is also a handy bat. Former West Indies captain Jason Holder, who has been in scintillating form recently, was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 8.75 crore. Another West Indies allrounder, Romario Shepherd, who has never played the IPL but can bowl good pace and smack the ball hard, was picked by Holder’s former franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 7.75 crore.But it is not mandatory that the fast men need to bat. The franchises also placed big money on bowlers who either have extreme pace – Lockie Ferguson (Gujarat Titans, INR 10 crore), Mark Wood (INR 7.5 crore, Super Giants) – as well those with good pace and bowling smarts, including Prasidh Krishna (INR 10 crore, Rajasthan Royals), Avesh Khan (INR 10 crores, Super Giants) and Josh Hazelwood (INR 7.75 crore, Royal Challengers).As Anil Kumble, the Punjab Kings director of cricket, told ESPNcricinfo, “for once this was a bowler’s auction”.Chennai Super Kings bought back Deepak Chahar for INR 14 crore•BCCITeams focus on core strength
Successful franchises will agree that auctions are disruptive. Because after investing big money in players who are then looked after well and are assigned key roles, teams are forced back to the drawing board for a mega auction. However, at least four of the eight old franchises focused on retaining the core they had created in 2018 as part of their auction strategy this time. Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Capitals and Sunrisers decided that continuity was what would get them short- and long-term success.Little surprise that the franchise to sign the largest number of players who were part of their squad last year were defending champions Super Kings, with seven players. This bunch included Deepak, Ambati Rayudu and Robin Uthappa – all of them had played key roles in Super Kings winning the title in 2021. Super Kings also tried hard to get back Faf du Plessis and Thakur but had to quit the bidding race to the rivals with bigger purses.Super Kings even bought back the uncapped pairing of Prashant Solanki and Tushar Deshpande, who were mostly in the reserves last season.Knight Riders bought back Nitish Rana, Pat Cummins and Shivam Mavi and tried hard to buy back the uncapped Indian batter Rahul Tripathi, who became one of the million-dollar buys after Sunrisers signed him for INR 8.5 crore (USD 1.13 million). Sunrisers themselves were not shy to bring back Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan and the uncapped pair of Abhishek Sharma and Priyam Garg, all of whom played for them last season.Mumbai Indians held back their purse for Jofra Archer and Tim David•BCCIBut it was Capitals who matched Super Kings in bidding aggressively for virtually every player who had been part of their roster over the last two seasons. The fact that four key players from their 2021 batch were in the marquee set of ten did not help Capitals, but that did not dissuade them. Having already retained four players before the auction, Capitals bid hard for Shikhar Dhawan, R Ashwin and Kagiso Rabada in the marquee set and later for Shimron Hetmyer and Avesh Khan. In the case of Dhawan, Ashwin and Hetmeyer, Capitals made the penultimate bid. Even for Avesh, who was Capitals’ second-best bowler last season after Anrich Nortje, Capitals raised the paddle until INR 8.75 crore before Super Giants won the bid at INR 10 crore.Conservative and high-risk: franchises take different lanes on auction highway
The pattern of spending the purse this time around was very different from previous auctions. Different teams had different strategies to make up their squads. Most teams went heavy on the first day to pocket as many players as possible for their first XI. Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Royals and Knight Riders spent in excess of 85% of their purse for 9 to 11 players. Consequently, these teams were keen buyers during the accelerated phase of the auction to cover all the slots as well as get as close as possible to the maximum allowed squad size of 25. Royals bought four overseas players within five minutes at the fag end of the auction at base price.However, Punjab Kings and Mumbai were both conservative on the first day for different reasons, spending just around 65% of their respective purses. Kings’ strategy was to go big on a couple of marquee players and play the waiting game so that they could spread their purse till the end of the auction. Still, they managed to pick up 11 players on the first day.This allowed them to buy Liam Livingstone and Odean Smith, two multi-skilled match-winners, at high prices on the second day. In contrast, Mumbai went for the high-risk approach, spending INR 31.5 crore (USD 4.2 million) to secure just three players and a little above half of that figure – INR 16.4 crore (USD 2.2 million) – to get their 18 other players. But if Mumbai remained silent until the accelerated phase, it was because part of their strategy was to bag Jofra Archer and Tim David at high prices. In the end, Mumbai’s recovery was swift and while they might not have the best squad, they still have a decent first XI.Shahrukh Khan is proven finisher for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket•Deepak Malik/BCCILesser-known Indians a hit
Shahrukh Khan was bought back by Punjab Kings for INR 9 crore. Rahul Tewatia, too, got the same amount. Tripathi was clinched by Sunrisers for INR 8.5 crore. Knight Riders did not blink to spend INR 8 crore to bring back Rana, who has performed the No. 3 role for them for the past few years. Sunrisers staved off stiff competition to get Punjab allrounder Abhishek Sharma for INR 6.5 crore while India allrounder Deepak Hooda, who got his maiden international cap days before the auction, was picked by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 5.75 crore.Those were the top five buys among low-profile or emerging Indian talent. The one clear trend to emerge in this auction, and one that might also suggest that the IPL franchises have matured in their strategy, is picking uncapped and fringe Indian talent and willing to pay them more than established Indian names. Shahrukh is recognised as a power-hitting finisher in domestic cricket and has played a big role in Tamil Nadu’s white-ball success in the past few years. Tewatia has not made headlines since that memorable evening in Sharjah where he hit Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over back in 2020, but has the promise of being a good finisher and a decent legspinner.Tripathi has grown from playing cameos to becoming one of the most consistent Indian batters in the IPL. In 2021, he had a strike rate of nearly 147 in the middle overs (overs 7-15) which was the fourth-highest. As for Abhishek, scouts are impressed by his all-round talent that enables him to float in the batting order and also deliver a few overs of left-arm spin. The potential he has for growth is what compelled Sunrisers to pay him more than ten times the price they paid him in 2018 (INR 55 lakhs).Another name that can be added to the list is Punjab left-arm spinner and lower-order batter Harpreet Brar. Remember him? Brar, playing for Kings, silenced Royal Challengers’ top order last IPL by picking up Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell off successive deliveries and AB de Villiers in his next over. He can also smack the ball hard and that is what Kings are likely to have kept in mind before they shelled out INR 3.2 crore to buy him back. Kumble told ESPNcricinfo that the franchise did not think of filling up the eighth overseas spot because they had placed their belief in players like Atharva Taide, an uncapped 21-year-old from Akola in Vidarbha. Taide is an opening batter who bowls handy left-arm spin and impressed scouts during the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments last December.This approach of paying more to fringe talent is also another indicator of the vast pool of Indian players that keeps getting stronger. Not only will it make lesser-known players get exposure and big money, but also limit teams’ over-reliance on overseas players.David Warner was a bargain buy for Delhi Capitals•BCCI/IPLHow auction draw created bargain buys
Bargains are what make markets dynamic. You can get lucky in the IPL auctions, too, if a player comes up at the right time and you have the money and are proactive. Take Capitals, for instance. They knew they could not get all the four players who played for them in 2021 and were part of the marquee set this time. In fact, they got none of them, but bagged the prize catch of David Warner for just INR 6.25 crore. Warner is one of the IPL’s greatest players and was expected to become a multi-millionaire. In Warner, Capitals have found an opener who can play the aggressor or drop anchor, a proven IPL-winning captain, and an ace fielder. Also, his rapport with head coach Ricky Ponting will come in handy. Importantly, Warner and Prithvi Shaw could be one of the IPL’s best opening pairs in the powerplay.A conservative approach from a fair few franchises also ended up affecting the price points of players, especially up front. R Ashwin was bagged by Royals for INR 5 crore, Quinton de Kock went to Super Giants for INR 6.75 crore. Titans might have seemingly had a scrambled auction plan, but they would have been happy to get Jason Roy at his base price of INR 2 crore.Supply and demand can always skew the auction dynamics. If the pool for a certain skillset is shallow, one odd player can get an exponential price. This auction featured a lack of quality Indian wristspinners. Yet, it came as a bit of surprise when Rahul Chahar, Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were acquired at INR 5.25 crore, 6.5 crore and 2 crore respectively. Similarly, as the auction entered the accelerated phase, the likes of Alex Hales, Evin Lewis, Tymal Mills and Jason Behrendorff – performers in overseas franchise cricket – were all bought at significantly low prices.

He is often overlooked because of the buzz around the T20 superstars, but the middle-order batter has quietly been moving up the ranks

Mohammad Isam31-Aug-20222:21

Jaffer: Najibullah Zadran was spectacular

Najibullah Zadran has been moving up the big-hitters’ list for a while now, and took his game to the next level on Tuesday against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, hitting six sixes – the last finishing the match – in a seven-wicket win. That made it two wins in two for Afghanistan, and another of their number has emerged as a power-packed performer in an already impressive catalogue of match-winners.Despite his 140-plus strike rate in T20s, Najibullah usually goes about his business quietly in ODIs. Najibullah has become something of a regular in T20 franchise leagues around the world, recently even signing up with MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20. This, though, came at a crucial moment in a major tournament. As with any Najibullah innings, however, it was all calculated. He was in control while hitting each of his sixes, even the one where he ended up spinning a full 360 degrees. He packs a lot of power, after all, despite his not-too-powerful appearance.Related

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When he struck Mahedi Hasan for the first six of the Afghanistan innings, in the 16th over, it was perfectly timed. Bangladesh had established something of a chokehold with a lot of dot balls, and the scoreboard read 79 for 3. So Afghanistan needed one big hit, or at least a show of intent. Najibullah provided it.Mustafizur Rahman was next in his radar, as Najibullah swung him over square-leg, before pasting him down the ground. Both in the 17th over. That second was a simple reaction to what Mustafizur was trying to get away with, a dot ball. The finish line in the chase of 128 suddenly looked around the corner, with 26 needed from 18.But Najibullah was in a hurry. The two sixes off Mohammad Saifuddin in the 18th over were pleasing too. Against a short ball, he swung his body around completely, playing a sort of waft over his head. The ball-by-ball commentary on ESPNcricinfo described it as a “pull/hook/scoop/ramp”. It went soaring over deep square-leg. It will certainly make it to the end-of-tournament montages and packages, or social media memes.One more went over long-off, and then the last one, straight down the ground.”We understood it wasn’t going to be an easy total,” Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi said after the game. “We wanted to keep wickets in hand as we have the ability to hit the ball really hard. It is what Najib Zadran did. In the middle, Ibrahim Zadran [42 in 41 balls] rotated the strike, hit the (odd) four.

“We are known to defend totals, not chase totals. This time, we chased quite well. We weren’t under pressure. Our team looks properly balanced”Mohammad Nabi

“We put Ibrahim on top so that he can bat till the death overs. He would be in one side, and we (would) attack from the other side. We need this type of batsman to rotate the strike easily. He wasn’t under pressure all the time. He can also hit the ball quite well.”Najibullah has had a decent year so far, hitting three fifties in ODIs and two in T20Is. But he is somewhat low profile, often lost in the clamour around Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rashid Khan, or even Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.Nabi said that Afghanistan have been trying to break a few notions about the team’s batting in the Asia Cup, especially their ability (or lack of it) while chasing totals. Najibullah, obviously, plays a big role there.”As a unit, as a team, we showed in the Asia Cup that Afghanistan has quality batsmen, bowlers and fielders,” Nabi said after back-to-back – and comfortable – wins while chasing. “We are known to defend totals, not chase totals. This time, we chased quite well. We weren’t under pressure. Our team looks properly balanced. I hope we do well in the next round against big teams [likely to be India and Pakistan, unless Hong Kong spring a surprise].Job done, and the arms go up in celebration•Getty ImagesHe said that Afghanistan’s experience in playing a lot of their cricket in the UAE recently has come in handy, but they were also lucky that Bangladesh chose to bat first on Tuesday.”We have played a lot in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi in the last 15 years. We know the conditions better,” Nabi said. “We didn’t think we could score 200 in Sharjah. Sometimes a low total is tough to chase. It was better not to throw early wickets, it made us easier to target the bowlers, and finish the game with two overs [nine balls] left.”The pitch is new. They changed the soil. Nobody has played on this pitch. That’s why it was better to bowl first, to see the reaction of the pitch. The opposition team was under pressure as we took early wickets.”Afghanistan now have a few days to rest before hitting their stride in the second round, the Super 4s. The opposition might be tougher, but they seem to be relishing their new status, of not being a novelty in multi-team competitions, and being taken seriously, even feared.Expectations will go up, understandably, but with their line-up of T20 superstars, and the under-the-radar Najibullah doing his thing, they will be backing themselves to win more often than not.

Middle-order logjam caused by Harry Brook’s emergence raises questions about Foakes’ long-term future

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Dec-2022Ollie Pope says there is no animosity between him and Ben Foakes after he usurped his Surrey team-mate as England’s Test wicketkeeper in Pakistan.Foakes came into the tour as the first choice behind the stumps, having played in six of the first seven Tests under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. Regarded as one of the finest operators with the gloves in world cricket, he affected 34 dismissals this summer alone, while posting an average of exactly 40 with the bat along with a second career century against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford.Related

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However, on the morning of the first Test in Rawalpindi, Foakes fell victim to the virus that had taken out more than half the squad the day before which led to doubts over whether the match would start on time. England were eventually able to rouse an XI, but Foakes was ruled out and replaced by Will Jacks. It meant Pope, who had previously kept wicket for England against New Zealand in November 2019 and has also deputised as a stand-in on occasion, took the gloves, scoring a century in the first innings and then taking six catches and a stumping in the match.Even though Foakes was fully fit for the second Test, Pope’s performance meant England felt comfortable picking him as their keeper, meaning they could afford to bring in another bowler – Mark Wood – in Multan. Stokes insisted the decision was “definitely no sign of Ben Foakes’ future going forward” but Pope affected five dismissals, including two decisive catches on the fourth and final day off Wood, as England took the match and the series.Pope is expected to keep his place behind the stumps for the third and final match in Karachi which begins on Saturday. And though Foakes is likely to be dismayed by his misfortune, Pope insists he has received nothing but encouragement from his good friend. In fact, the pair have been working together between games, something for which the man in possession has been grateful.”Not at all,” Pope replied, when asked if there was any awkwardness their relationship at present. “You just do what you’re told. I didn’t expect it but I was happy to do the job. He’s a Surrey team-mate and the No. 1 keeper. It was just a way to get an extra bowler in these conditions.”I definitely didn’t expect to be keeping out here to be honest. It wasn’t on my radar. But with the guys getting ill last week, it gave us another bowling option so I was happy to take it on. I’ve enjoyed the experience. He’s the best in the world and one of my best mates – great to learn from.”Ben Foakes and Ollie Pope are Surrey team-mates•Getty Images for Surrey CCCReflecting on how he has fared, Pope ceded that there is room for improvement in his glove work. There have been a handful of missed opportunities and while nothing has cost England thus far, he enjoyed the rub of the green in Multan when third umpire Joel Wilson gave a marginal decision in his favour when he caught Saud Shakeel down the leg side, tilting the second Test England’s way.Shakeel, on 94, was given out on the field by umpire Marais Erasmus. Replays gave some indication that Pope might have grounded the ball while taking the catch, but Wilson, ultimately, decided that there was insufficient evidence to overrule the on-field decision.”I took my chances,” Pope reflected. “I can still do better. I’m not even going to compare myself to Foakesy as a keeper, but I took my chances in this game. Out there there isn’t the wobble you get in England but there is that low, skiddy bounce. You’re dealing with that, and you have to stand nice and close.”Ultimately, though, Pope’s priority remains his batting. When Stokes took over, Pope called up his new captain and implored him to give him a shot at No. 3 despite no experience at that position for Surrey. Since then, he has averaged 40.18 with two hundreds in 17 innings, compared to 28.66 and one hundred in 40 innings before the start of the 2022 summer.In Multan, after keeping wicket for 62.5 overs in Pakistan’s first innings, he dropped down to No. 6 with Jacks stepping up to assume the role at first drop. It speaks to the fact batting at the top of the order as a wicketkeeper is not viable.As far as Pope is concerned, 32 caps into his international career, his batting has never been in better place. Neither has his status in this team, underlined by the fact he was given the opportunity to captain England in a warm-up against the Lions in Abu Dhabi last month. Ensuring he remains on that upward trajectory is paramount for both himself and the rhythm of this team.Pope has thrived with the bat under Stokes and McCullum•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images”I’d still love to tie down No. 3, make that my own,” he said. “That will be my primary focus. Obviously in different conditions, somewhere like New Zealand, we might go with a more regular team. That’s not for me to decide: my main priority is to keep churning runs at No. 3.”I feel a new player at the minute, personally, to what I felt in the past playing for England. I feel I’ve been a bit more consistent, I’ve stopped fearing getting out. The two guys at the top have helped me grow – not confidence, but the freedom to express myself and how I want to play. It’s been great for me, hopefully I keep that consistency.”Quite what this all means for Foakes remains to be seen. But it is hard not to wonder if his days as first-choice keeper are numbered, despite Stokes’ insistence before the Multan Test that he sees him as “the No. 1 gloveman in England” and even “the best keeper in the world”.The emergence of Harry Brook, the top run-scorer in the series with 357 runs at an average of 89.25, presents a conundrum down the line when Jonny Bairstow returns to fitness. It seems highly unlikely – and counterproductive – that Brook might return to the sidelines; likewise, for Bairstow not to assume the role he filled spectacularly in the English summer.Perhaps the most tempting option would see Bairstow reassume keeping duties for the first time since September 2021, allowing Pope to focus on his batting at No. 3 and Brook to maintain his spot at No. 5. Not to mention it would take an already aggressive batting line-up to the next level.As cruel as that would be for Foakes, who has done everything asked of him, such a positive option is entirely in keeping with how Stokes and McCullum have operated so far.

T20 bowlers will always have fluctuating fortunes, and Mohit reminded us that being stoic at results is perhaps the best way to operate

Sidharth Monga27-May-20231:29

Moody lauds Titans’ relentless bowling attack

Mohit Sharma two matches ago: 4-0-54-0.

Akash Madhwal last match: 3.3-0-5-5.

Mohit on Friday: 2.2-0-10-5.

Madhwal on Friday: 4-0-52-1.Welcome to the world of bowlers in T20 cricket. The sooner they learn to be stoic, the better it is for their mental health.Or be like The Dude, to whom “The Stranger” said on a particularly bad day in : “A wiser fellow than me once said, ‘Sometimes you eat the b’ar, sometimes the b’ar, why, he eats you.”Related

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The b’ar here is “bear”, spoken in a thick southern American accent. It is a saying apparently prevalent among hunters. One day you get the bear, another day the bear gets you. And it depends on the bear more, and more often, than it depends on you. It is something that unbeknownst to The Dude at that time sums up his life’s unwitting philosophy: to be equanimous with his emotions, or as they say, “take it easy”.The bowler’s fate in T20s, too, depends less on their quality and more on the batters: are they taking risks, are the risks coming off? If you get caught up in the results, you might end up like The Dude’s angry friend, Walter Sobchak.Mohit was more like The Dude after his five-for. Asked by the broadcast how he managed to make wicket-taking look so easy – one every three balls – Mohit said he got lucky with the wickets. That is stoicism right there: being indifferent to 5 for 10 and 0 for 54.It is not to say you don’t plan and practise. As Mohit said, they had decided on a new plan for Suryakumar Yadav: don’t try too much against him, bowl length on pace.”When we analysed him in the team meeting, we concluded that if you try too much against him, it makes it easier for him because he has three-four shots in his mind already. We thought let him try his shots because his shots are slightly difficult to execute against the length ball. If we had gone for six sixes to length balls, we would have been okay with that.”Get fazed by a bad over? That’s, just like, your opinion, man•AFP/Getty ImagesMohit did get hit once for a six off a short-of-a-length ball, but he stuck to it, and Suryakumar tried his wristy ramp next ball and got bowled. On another day, that goes for a six over fine leg, and Mohit is actually questioning what they had decided: is it okay to get hit for six sixes to length balls? Yes Mohit planned, yes Mohit executed, but still a lot of it depended on what the batter decided to do with the ball. This time he ate the b’ar, but he knows it is just as likely the b’ar eats him next time.In longer formats, the batter is reacting to the quality of the ball; here he is obligated to hit out. In longer formats there are fewer restrictions on how much a bowler can bowl. So pulling one risk off is not enough. Just the length of the contest, and thus the increased value of the wicket, forces batters to react to the quality of the ball.There are some old-school hitters such as MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya, who still rely on being ruthless on balls in their area and doffing their hat to ones that are not. However, the game is moving on from that. There are batters who play different shots to the same ball for no apparent rhyme or reason. They are just as likely to turn a slot ball into a wicket ball through premeditation as they are to turn a ‘good’ ball into a six.You might look at Ashish Nehra so animated, in the ear of the bowlers on the boundary line, sending instructions through David Miller if the bowlers are not close to him, not hiding emotion, and you might want to ask a version of what The Stranger asked The Dude: “Do you to use so many cuss words?” In the heat of the moment, Nehra might respond with his version of: “The f*** are you talking about?”However, under Nehra and Hardik Pandya, the Gujarat Titans bowlers – good as they might be as a unit – have developed a tendency to not get caught up in the results. It helps that they have so much experience in their bowling attack. We might even draw comfort from knowing they are out there, “taking ‘er easy for all us sinners”.

In IPL matches where a batter has faced ten or more balls from Narine, Rajapaksa’s 23 off 11 was the sixth-highest strike rate

Sidharth Monga01-Apr-20231:13

Rajapaksa: ‘Plan was that I attack and Shikhar plays the anchor role’

This is Sunil Narine’s 12th IPL. Only nine times in all these years has he gone for 40 or more runs in a match. That event, rarer than once a season, has already happened in his first match of this IPL. Bhanuka Rajapaksa is to blame for it.Narine, with Andre Russell, is the most loyal Kolkata Knight Riders player, and the team relies too heavily on him. Oppositions have started playing Narine out, and targeting weaker bowlers, which Knight Riders tend to provide enough of.Last year, Narine took just nine wickets through the season, but he went at under a run a ball. His strike rate in every IPL since 2015 has been upwards of 20. The economy, though, has never touched eight.Related

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Even though Varun Chakravarthy made a good start to his 2023 IPL season with figures of 1 for 26, the start of the tournament seems to have demanded more of Narine. He is no stranger to bowling inside the powerplay, but asked to stem a marauding start from the Punjab Kings batters, Narine was taken down inside the powerplay by Rajapaksa.Narine bowled two dots to Rajapaksa in the fifth over to start with, and possibly felt the batter was itching to sweep. So he tried to block that shot, and brought mid-off in to send a fielder back on the sweep. Immediately, Rajapaksa told his captain and batting partner Shikhar Dhawan that if Narine gave it air, he was going to go down the track. He did exactly that.Rajapaksa is an interesting hitter. He is known for his strike rate, but rarely does he use brute power. His favourite shots seem to be the flick and the chip. He made sure he didn’t lose his shape when he went down the track the next two balls, and got two fours. Once over mid-off and then over extra cover. He went in the air but never looked like trying to hit a six.Bhanuka Rajapaksa took 23 runs off 11 balls against Sunil Narine•PTI Narine stuck to his guns, kept the field up, and denied Rajapaksa the sweep. But on the last ball of the over, Rajapaksa also unfurled some power, hitting a six, down the pitch and back over the bowler. This was only Narine’s sixth over in the last three IPLs that had gone for 14 (or more).He came back superbly to concede just four runs in the 18th over, but this was still a momentous occasion in the IPL for Narine – he was taken apart, conceding 40 in four overs.And Rajapaksa didn’t do it blindly. He said later that he gave himself some time because he remembered from the two practice matches in the pre-season that this Mohali pitch was not a belter.In IPL matches where a batter has faced ten or more balls from Narine, Rajapaksa’s 23 off 11 was the sixth-highest strike rate. There was nothing flashy about what Rajapaksa did, but the rarity of Narine having an off day goes against the grain of T20s, where batters will take risks, and they will come off more than once an IPL.Rajapaksa might as well savour this because Narine won’t be taken down often. If indeed he is, Knight Riders might be in for a lot of trouble.

There has barely been a session, let alone a day, without some drama

Andrew McGlashan13-Jul-2023The men’s Ashes is poised at 2-1 ahead of the Old Trafford Test next week, but to highlight the extraordinary nature of the series it could easily be 3-0 to either team. There has barely been a session, let alone a day, without some drama.With everyone pausing to take a breath before the battle resumes, it provides a chance to look back on how the first three Tests have unfolded in a contest that is living up to all the hype and arguably matching 2005.1st Test, EdgbastonDay oneZak Crawley drives the first ball of the series from Pat Cummins for four. Australia immediately look on the defensive with spread fields, although it’s part of their pre-series planning. England canter along at five-an-over but trade wickets in the process. Ironically, Harry Brook is bowled padding up to Nathan Lyon. At 176 for 5 when Ben Stokes edges behind it threatens to go wrong, but Joe Root compiles a brilliant century and adds 121 with Jonny Bairstow. Late in the day, England pull their first big trick of the series as, despite Root still flying, Stokes declares and gives Australia’s openers 20 minutes to face. Battle lines have been drawn.Related

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Day twoStuart Broad makes early inroads, resuming his hold over David Warner and claiming Marnus Labuschagne first ball with his ‘new’ outswinger. When Stokes (who else?) traps Steven Smith lbw, Australia are wobbling but Usman Khawaja and Travis Head steady things. Stokes’ aggressive captaincy tempts Head into taking on Moeen Ali – whose Test career was over before an SOS to replace Jack Leach – and he perishes, but crucially Cameron Green is missed first ball when Bairstow fluffs a stumping. However, Moeen produces a beauty to bowl him through the gate although England can’t find a way past Khawaja who brings up a first century in England – another landmark in his triumphant return to Test cricket – and celebrates by flinging his bat to the ground.Day threeOnly 32 overs are bowled, but plenty is packed in. Ollie Robinson gives Khawaja an almighty send off after yorking him for a magnificent 141. Stokes goes full funk with his fields and in the end the difference on first innings is just seven. As the weather closes in, Australia make good use of a brief 20-minute window under stormy skies to nab two top-order wickets. England are grateful they don’t get back on.Joe Root gets into position to play a scoop shot•Getty ImagesDay fourIn a completely normal piece of cricket, Root attempts to reverse scoop Cummins’ first ball of the day over the slips. He doesn’t connect, but soon does against Scott Boland sending him for six. Ollie Pope is yorked by a ball-for-ages from Cummins. England won’t rein themselves in and each time they threaten to pull away lose a wicket. In the end, Australia’s target is a tantalizing 281 – one short of the 2005 figure. Warner and Khawaja start well, but Broad does a Broad thing and surges late to remove Labuschagne and Smith.Day fiveAfter a delayed start there is nothing to split the teams all day. Moeen, whose spinning finger is not fit for purpose, removes Head for the second time in the game. At tea Australia need 98 with five wickets in hand, but Green falls shortly afterwards. Stokes, basically on one leg, ends another marathon from Khawaja and Alex Carey is brilliantly caught-and-bowled by Root. Australia now need 54 with just two wickets left. Cummins and Lyon proceed to put on a stand that will go down in Ashes history although Lyon is dropped, a tough chance to Stokes, with 37 needed. It proves England’s last opportunity. Cummins carves the winning runs at 7.21pm.Pat Cummins is jubilant after leading Australia to victory•AFP/Getty Images***Between Tests, England are very vocal. In a column for , Robinson relays what Brendon McCullum said after the game. “We played all the cricket in the game. If it wasn’t for us, the Australians wouldn’t have even had a chance to win… We’ve entertained the world, and we’ve put the Aussies on the back foot. For him to say that after a loss is quite significant for us.” Meanwhile, speaking to , Crawley shows no lack of confidence. “I think it will suit us a bit more, that pitch. So I think we’ll win by, I don’t know, 150 runs?”2nd Test, Lord’sDay oneJust Stop Oil protestors get onto the field. Bairstow carries one of them off. England can’t make the most of favourable bowling conditions and, again, miss vital chances with Warner spilled on 20. He and Khawaja lay the foundation then Smith and Head take control in a stand of 118 in 20 overs. However, Root just about saves England by removing Head and Green in the space of three balls.Steven Smith and Travis Head give Australia early control at Lord’s•ECB/Getty ImagesDay twoSmith reaches a 32nd Test hundred, but a fightback with the ball sees Australia bowled out for 416, their last seven wickets falling 100. England are superbly placed during the afternoon when what appears a pivotal moment occurs: in his 100th consecutive Test, Lyon pulls up with a calf injury. It’s clear his match – and series – is over. However, from 188 for 1, England offer Australia a helping hand as they fall for the short-ball plan, including Ben Duckett for 98, before Stokes brings a sense of calmness.Day threeStokes falls to the second ball of the day, edging Starc into the slips. There are gasps of disbelief when Brook carves into the off side. England lose their last six wickets for 46 and concede a lead of 91. Another solid opening stand puts Australia well ahead on a truncated day.Day fourThe bouncer barrage. It’s almost a complete diet of short bowling from England which doesn’t make for great viewing but removes Khawaja, Smith and Head in quick succession and Australia’s last eight for 88 in total. Lyon, who is barely able to walk, limps out to bat at No.11, adding 15 for the last wicket alongside Starc. But any hopes the home side have of chasing 371 appear to be blown away when they crash to 45 for 4 against Starc and Cummins. Moments before the close it is nearly five down, but Duckett is reprieved when replays show Starc scrapes the ball along the ground. Stokes is unbeaten at stumps.Day fiveJonny Bairstow’s dismissal triggers a huge controversy•AFP/Getty ImagesDuckett and Stokes start nicely and the requirement dips under 200 when the former is superbly caught by Carey off a top edge. A short while later, chaos ensues. Bairstow ducks a bouncer, walks out of the crease (after briefly tapping his back foot in) and is stumped by Carey’s underarm. England are furious. While Broad goes head-to-head with Australia’s close fielders – telling Carey: “That’s all you’ll be remembered for” – Stokes channels his emotions into the most extraordinary 155 including nine sixes. At lunch some of the Australian players are abused in Long Room. Memories of Headingley 2019 abound as Stokes and Broad get down to 70 needed when Hazlewood removes the England captain and it’s too much for the lower order. Australia are 2-0 up, but the fallout has only just started.***The three days between Tests are dominated by the Bairstow dismissal. Unsurprisingly, Broad takes a leading role. “I was angered by Australia’s decision, particularly having heard their lines about creating a new legacy as a team, and how they have changed since the tour of South Africa in 2018,” he writes in the . “I just said to Pat on repeat: ‘All these boos are for you, for your decision.’ And: ‘What a great opportunity you had to think clearly.'”Australia remain unapologetic. “I don’t think there’s any discussion; it’s out,” Cummins says. “If the shoe was on the other foot, I wouldn’t be looking at the opposition, I’d probably be thinking [about] our own batter, and would be thinking it’s pretty silly.”Three MCC members are suspended for their part in the pavilion fracas.3rd Test, HeadingleyMark Wood’s pace rattles Australia•Getty ImagesDay oneThe recalled Mark Wood produces some of the fastest bowling seen for England. His first spell does not dip below 90mph and nudges 96mph. Australia wobble on 85 for 4 when Mitchell Marsh, who has replaced the injured Green, constructs a remarkable 102-ball century in his first Test for four years. But Wood blows the lower order away to finish with 5 for 34. Cummins responds for Australia. It’s a breathless day.Day twoCummins strikes with the second ball of the day to remove Root for the 10th time in Tests. At lunch England are 142 for 7 and the Ashes are within Australia’s grasp. But Wood swings the first ball of the afternoon for six and Stokes plays another magnificent captain’s innings while barely able to stand. In 10 overs England add 95. It’s almost an even game. Warner goes to Broad again (No. 17) but Australia are building nicely and England are still dropping catches when, almost inexplicably, Labuschagne and Smith hand their wickets to Moeen. Khawaja falls, too. The lead is 142.Day threeIn rains, and it rains. Looks like a washout. Silliness ensues as Carey is mistakenly called out for not paying for a haircut. Then the weather clears for a two-hour session. England seize their moment under cloudy skies as Chris Woakes, Wood and Broad work through Australia. When Cummins falls the lead is only 196, but Head replicates Stokes and it grows to 250. Duckett and Crawley do very well to get through to the close and knock off a vital 27 runs in the process.Cummins: “Everyone kind of feels like you could have done something a little bit different that might have contributed to a different result. But we’ve all played enough cricket so yeah, brush this one off, and make sure we get ready for Manchester.”***Old Trafford awaits.