Afghanistan are nowhere near experiencing the reward of going through it, but they need to keep wanting to do that

Sidharth Monga in Bengaluru15-Jun-2018Test cricket is many wonderful things, but it is also a harsh reality check. If you are not ready for it, it exposes you in the most brutal manner. There could have been arranged a softer landing than playing the best Test team in their own backyard, one of the toughest challenges in all sport today; there could have been better preparation with a warm-up match against a first-class side; but the message is clear: there is a long way to go for Afghanistan.Test wickets are like felling trees. You have to keep striking at the same point before the final fatal blow. Afghanistan kept striking in different places when they bowled, and were nowhere near as resilient as a tree when India began striking. They know all this surely, but unfortunately Test cricket doesn’t come with an elaborate manual.Afghanistan were not ready. There should be no shame in admitting it. Yet it is what happens from here that is important because not many of the 12 Test teams were ready for this beast when they first encountered it. Conceding a a century in the first session of a Test, getting bowled out twice in one day, losing a match in two days – it is all embarrassing, but it has happened to established Test teams too in the past, let alone one making a debut with limited first-class experience in their ranks.Afghanistan have come here because their current generation and the one before it wanted to get here so badly that they overcame obstacles no other cricket team has had to tackle. “Here” is not necessarily Test cricket but just cricket, whichever format the sport has thrown at them. They are Test cricketers now. One of only 12 countries to have played it. While nothing that happens now can take it away from them, it can also become a cross to bear. Ask Bangladesh, who have had their Test status questioned every step of the way.It is important that Afghanistan still want to be Test cricketers. It can be easy to fall into the trap of caring only for limited-overs formats because that is what they have done till now and done so with phenomenal results. It can be easy to give up on Test cricket because it is so difficult, because a tenth of the T20 crowd turns up and still chants for a T20 franchise, because a bad day in T20 ends in that finite period… the reasons are endless.Afghanistan are nowhere near experiencing the reward of going through it. They need to keep wanting to do that. As badly as they wanted to play the World Cup. As badly as they wanted to learn when they watched the Pakistan stars on their TVs.That applies to players, leaders in the team, leaders outside the team and leaders in world cricket. This is going to be the steepest learning curve for a team that has taught themselves so much about cricket in such little time. Ten years ago, they were in World Cricket League Division Five, playing Bahamas and Japan. Now they are here. Cricket shouldn’t lose them. Coach Phil Simmons has been telling them for weeks how tough it is, now they know it for themselves. Now it is up to them to start doing what they need to do to belong here.Afghanistan’s players turned up to the ground in traditional attire on the occasion of Eid•BCCIGood signs are there. As Afghanistan players stood crestfallen after the match, waiting for the presentations to begin, on , a day of celebration after almost a month of fasting, India captain Ajinkya Rahane walked up to talk to them. Rahane later reported that even during that chat he could see they wanted to learn already. That they wanted to talk about how they could get better.Ireland were more ready than Afghanistan. They had more first-class experience, but they also had a generation of players who have been desperate to play Test cricket, who have grown up wanting to play Test cricket. Afghanistan, much like West Indies, have gone for what is most popular at that time. The learning curve is going to be steeper for them, but even for Ireland it is going to be difficult because this generation is coming towards its end, and Simmons, who has coached Ireland, acknowledged they haven’t been producing the talent to fill the breach.Had Ireland been given this status eight years ago, they might possibly have inspired the next generation to take up cricket much more than they reportedly have now. We now have a side arguably brought to Tests too late and another possibly too early. As much as it will call for their desperation to stay here, they could do with less selfish member boards. Twelve is a good number to start two divisions if boards like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can give up on the fear of missing out on India tours. It will reduce mismatches and will promote to the top group teams that are better prepared to face the best sides.At the end of it all, as India posed with the huge winners placard for a customary photograph, they invited Afghanistan to pose with them too. Cricket world needs to be as welcoming as Rahane’s team.

He didn’t keep wicket till he was almost out of his teens, but KS Bharat could soon find himself in the running for the national squad

Varun Shetty10-Sep-2018Until he was 19, the only reason KS Bharat wore the wicketkeeping gloves was because he got bored during his cricket summer camps. For about a month every year as a teenager, Bharat would pick up the gloves to keep himself entertained, before going back to being a “batsman and fielder”.”I used to do it in practice, but never kept in any state team till I was 19. Not even one over. I played for the state team for nearly ten years, but my last year, in the [Under] 19s, is when I started. I kept in two games – one full match and one in the second innings. That is when I came into Ranji cricket. There was a need for a keeper who could bat, so my association supported me,” Bharat says during a chat in Bengaluru, where he is playing for India A in the unofficial Test series against Australia A.It has been five years since his first-class debut for Andhra, a season during which he only kept in one full Ranji Trophy match for them. But, since then, Bharat has become their frontline wicketkeeper, and on two occasions has been the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals in the Ranji Trophy season.The most recent instance of that was during the 2017-18 season, when he effected 24 dismissals in six matches (23 catches and a stumping), ahead of CM Gautam, who also had 24 dismissals but in eight matches. It is why Bharat has been India A’s designated wicketkeeper during their last three series, only missing games when Rishabh Pant was being readied for the England series. Given India A’s penchant for rotation, this is a feat in itself.It also suggests Bharat could well be India’s second wicketkeeper when they tour Australia for the Test series in December this year.

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The poor handling of Wriddhiman Saha’s various injuries this season has put Indian cricket in a crisis it thought it was prepared for, but one that, at the end of their second away series of the year, they have barely been able to address with conviction.Such was the confusion that, even now, it is hard to tell how long India’s best wicketkeeper will be on the sidelines, with all recovery timelines still coming in measures of minimum time frames. According to most estimates, Saha isn’t likely to make the Australia tour. If he does, it will be with no match practice in the only format he plays at the international level.The consequence is a series of swaps that began on the tour of South Africa in January when Saha last played.The first back-up man was Parthiv Patel, whose sudden push back into overseas international cricket featured struggles against the moving ball both in front of and behind the stumps. It set the tone early in the season for India: their best-ever seam bowling attack is still finding unreliable support from the men who are supposed to grab the edges they produce.Dinesh Karthik’s return to Tests was highly anticipated, but his struggles mirrored those of Parthiv, as he too looked out of sorts with both bat and gloves.

“He would field with the older boys. That’s when we saw his movements – he catches the ball very softly, but strongly. He had good reflexes, hand-eye coordination, a lot of ball-sense. So why not wicketkeeping?”Krishna Rao, Bharat’s childhood coach

At the moment, Pant has the job, and, if for nothing else than the fact that he’s 20 years old and has a big learning curve ahead, he has inspired more confidence than those that came before him. But the grim truth is that he is India’s fourth wicketkeeper over nine Tests and with only 25 first-class games in his career, clearly not someone who was groomed to be in the Test team this quickly.Bharat’s regular appearances for India A and in various other representational squads suggest that had things not unravelled this quickly on the wicketkeeping front, he may have been ahead of Pant in the pecking order for red-ball cricket. What may have gone Pant’s way is his relative experience under pressure and his exciting batting potential, which has been tested against quality bowling thanks to the IPL.Otherwise, if the words of men who know him and a few days of observing him are anything to go by, Bharat is the better equipped keeper for the longest format.

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Bharat’s first-class career consists of two extraordinary moments.The first one was when he brought up his triple-century against Goa in 2015, which at the time was the first instance of an Andhra batsman making a 300-plus score. He was also the only wicketkeeper to make a triple-hundred in Ranji cricket.Later in 2015 came the second moment, a backhanded no-look stumping of Punjab’s Jiwanjot Singh, who had jumped down the track and managed to deflect the ball towards slip off his pad, but could escape neither Bharat’s quick hands nor his nonchalant strut afterwards.

Watch Andhra keeper @KonaBharat effect an amazing stumping of Punjab's Jiwanjot Singh. @ranjiscores @BCCIdomestic pic.twitter.com/PypDP1kAg9

— Circle of Cricket (@circleofcricket) November 21, 2015

In that stumping, Bharat made use of all the skills that Krishna Rao, head coach at the Centre of Excellence in Visakhapatnam, had spotted during his days in junior state cricket. It was Rao who saw the potential wicketkeeper in a restless teenager.”In Vishakapatnam, we had nets every evening. First-class cricketers, U-23s, U-22s, U-19s – everybody used to come. He would field with the older boys. That’s when we saw his movements – that he catches the ball very softly, but strongly. I thought he had good reflexes and good hand-eye coordination, and a lot of ball-sense. So why not put him in wicketkeeping? That’s how we pushed towards that job,” Rao says.It was restlessness that had led Bharat to cricket in the first place. As a boisterous child running about the neighbourhood in his hometown of Vishakapatnam, playing cricket on the terraces and just about anywhere else, Bharat admits he was a handful.”It took a lot of effort for my parents to stop my mischief at home,” says Bharat. “I had the passion for cricket from when I was 4-5 years old as far as I can remember. They found that I like this game and my dad supported my playing it. He started taking me to the right places.”One of those places was an academy at the naval grounds, not far away from the naval dockyards where his father worked, which was at the other end of the city from his school. After school, Bharat would hop onto a bus, wave out to his mother who would wait with his kit at a bus stop along the way, and the two would get to the nets everyday.

From that modest routine, Bharat started making his way up in the system quite quickly, breaking into the U-13 state team at the age of ten and never looking back. He was part of junior teams constantly, barring one year in the middle when he nearly quit the game after being dropped from the U-16 side. He was a “good student”, he says, and there was a choice. But like at many points during his career, Rao stepped in.”There was one phase, during the transformation into U-19s, he didn’t look very confident and he wasn’t getting many runs. One match, Bharat had failed and on the way home with his father, they got to discussing his performances and had some kind of an argument,” Rao recalls. “I don’t know what happened, but his father told him to get off and drove away angrily. My younger brother used to watch these matches when I couldn’t make it. On his way back, he spotted Bharat and drove him home.”Rao called Bharat’s father, and told him to go easy on the youngster and let him make mistakes. It took a couple of years for Bharat to discover the details of what was spoken.”They had a talk for a few hours, and my dad didn’t exactly tell me what they’d discussed. A few years later I made my first-class debut. That’s when my dad told me about what Krishna sir had said: he had assured him that I’ll be playing Ranji in a couple of years,” Bharat says.This relationship with Rao has been one of the most crucial elements of Bharat’s cricket, and he doesn’t understate it. At many points, he says, he had either no faith in himself or in Rao’s prescient words about him being part of the Ranji Trophy – that too as a wicketkeeper.”He told me that there’ll be a time when India will hunt for wicketkeepers, and I’ll be in that race. I’ve never believed my coach, to be honest. But it was nice to hear and I agreed reluctantly and continued, I could get on with the game and skip some college in the process! [Then] I started taking the game seriously, I started respecting the [wicketkeeping] gloves. I never believed that with wicketkeeping, I can come so far. Whatever he has told me is actually coming true. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be having this chat.”

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Whatever the contribution was in terms of mental strength and foresight, the biggest task was still making sure that someone could pick up wicketkeeping effectively at that age. Few jobs are harder in cricket, and by the age of 18 or 19 the body has already approached what will more or less be its peak in terms of height – a major factor in flexibility and mobility – making the transformation from fielder to keeper all the more difficult. Throw batting into it, and the challenge intensifies.Rao knew Bharat had what he called the “X-factor”, in that he had good lateral movement and agility from years of being the best close-in fielder in the state. But there were still some doubts.”I once asked [former India keeper] Saba Karim, if it is better if a keeper is shorter. Saba said that it’s just a myth,” Rao says. “If you look at modern cricket, he said back then, all wicketkeepers are tall guys. Modern cricket is a tall man’s game. Adam Gilchrist, Ridley Jacobs – he gave me a couple of examples. In my mind, tall wicketkeepers couldn’t last long, but that was a myth. Saba told me it’s not that way.KS Bharat has been selected for India A•Andhra Cricket Association”If you look at it like that, Bharat is quite tall, but he is a very quick mover. His arms are very quick, the way he picks the bails off the stumps. [He removes the bails very gently].”It’s a good way to describe it. During the first day of the second match against Australia A in Alur, Bharat was provided the opportunity to display this ability. Travis Head was beaten in flight by Kuldeep Yadav after stepping down, but Bharat was still in his crouch as the ball landed. There was still a long way for it to travel after pitching, and he did the basic tenet right – getting up with the ball – and this kept him in good shape despite the batsman being well outside the crease, something that can make keepers eager and their hands harder. Once the ball got to Bharat, Head could barely turn around before the bails were off.In a lot of ways, Bharat appears the more natural successor to Saha. He is more fluid on his feet than Pant, whose keeping in England so far has been heavily reliant on his hand-eye coordination and who has often been caught heavy-footed by committing to the angle too early.In England for India A in July, Bharat conceded six byes in the one game he played, whereas Pant conceded 42 in two games. Even with a conservative lens, given that none of these games were telecast and it was a different bowling attack all together, those numbers are striking. Pant’s strengths are his athleticism and his ability to move on from mistakes, but there is a lack of experience. After all, he is about five years younger than Bharat and only into his third first-class season.In the Alur game, Bharat did drop two catches against spin in back-to-back overs. With a lack of replays, it was hard to tell what went wrong in those cases. But they were the only aberrations in an innings of 109 overs where he didn’t concede a single bye.As someone who didn’t have specialist wicketkeeping training for most of his career, Bharat’s immediate priority when he started taking the gloves was to let nothing go past him. It’s a lesson that he picked up from watching MSK Prasad, an Andhra cricketing legend who served as director of the association, and is now the chairman of selectors for the national team.”MSK is someone who spoke to me regarding how things work. To my luck, Krishna Rao worked with him, so whatever MSK told him [about keeping], he used to tell me. How he would work, how he would take catches, that sort of thing. He told me he was a gem of a keeper and wouldn’t allow even a single ball to pass. And told me of how he used to adjust to the pitch.”Bharat’s keeping has been helped by regular stints in league cricket in Tamil Nadu, where invariably all work is against spinners on turning pitches. With the contrast that the bouncy wickets at home provide, he has gone through diverse tests.”I’ve made my lower body strong and I can hold my shape while getting up with the ball, which is very important for a keeper. I rate a keeper on how well he does against spin,” he says. “Only if you can hold your weight, only if you hold your position, you can be good against spinners.”So I’ve worked a lot on the Katchet board, one-bounce, holding the shape, getting a feel of it. It’s in my subconscious – with the ball pitching, I know how and when to get up and what position to be in. I’ve done a lot of work on my basic getting up. Lots of keepers tend to get up early.”

“I’ve made my lower body strong and I can hold my shape while getting up with the ball, which is very important for a keeper. I rate a keeper on how well he does against spin”KS Bharat

Starting off as a ball-stopper at the Under-19s, he has come through keeping in 50-overs, then 90, and has slowly progressed into a full-time wicketkeeper who opens the batting. When he made his triple-hundred, he had opened the innings, batted 504 minutes, and returned to take eight catches. It was a truly extraordinary moment when he reached that milestone because till about the time he took the keeping gloves, he wasn’t even an opening batsman. That match against Goa was the coming together of two of his most newly-acquired skills, both at domestic level.Should he break into the Indian team, Bharat will almost definitely bat in the lower-middle order and a successful past with shape-shifting will hold him in good stead. But there has been a slip-up as far as batting goes – and the Indian team is big on batting – in that Bharat hadn’t made a first-class hundred in nearly three years until his hundred on the third day in Alur. Having been among the top run-getters in his early seasons, his average now sits in the region of 35.In the first unofficial Test against Australia A, Bharat came in on a crumbling pitch in the fourth innings and was out third ball, looking to pull as India A were in the middle of a collapse. As an attacking batsman who is jumping about in the order, his batting needs to get tighter if that international cap is to come. His hundred in Alur, the innings that followed the Bengaluru failure, was considerably tighter; he survived an anxious early period before opening up and making India A’s first hundred of the series, almost entirely in the company of the bowlers.”Do I believe [I can play for India]? Yes. I’m capable of playing for India. Whether the selectors think of me or what others think of me, about how long I haven’t scored a hundred – those things don’t matter,” Bharat says on being asked about his batting. He believes he has made important contributions, and they needn’t all be hundreds.”I started trying too hard. Instead of enjoying the game, I became a little performance-oriented. I was always looking for a hundred. Anything less than hundred was a failure for me. I’ve scored around 17 fifties, so [I’ve contributed with the bat but] my conversion rate has come down.”I’m blessed to be a two-dimensional player. There’ll be 6-7 batters, and not all can have a good day. But there’s only one keeper. If you’ve failed to have a good day with the bat and you keep thinking about it, then you’re letting your team down. So I don’t want that to happen. I allow myself to have a bad day. It’s okay.”It’s this self-awareness and honesty that Rao will later tell me are Bharat’s best traits. But they’re also the words of someone who knows he is on the brink.”I would love for Rishabh to perform, DK to perform. I want to perform more and break in. I don’t want them to fail and then fit into their shoes. If they get a hundred, I’d like to get 150. That’s how I want it to be. I’m not waiting for someone to fail there and get my chance.”That is the healthiest way to approach the situation. But if we go by how his career has proceeded so far, then one man’s words are vital.”When I was younger,” Rao says, “[though] I didn’t see a lot of him but I remember [Syed] Kirmani was rated for his glove work. The way he collected the balls. We saw Kiran More, Nayan Mongia, we rate both of them as people with very good glove work. After that, MSK. After that, some of the best glove work I’ve seen is by this guy, Bharat. I am sure he will make his India debut soon.”Now we wait.

One of Shikhar Dhawan’s defining traits is the ability to forget failures, and so far it has resulted in making him one of India’s top openers in ODIs

Shashank Kishore in Dubai24-Sep-2018Rohit Sharma summed up Shikhar Dhawan’s confidence in a line, when asked about their double-century opening stand against Pakistan on Sunday. “First five overs we talk about cricket, discuss what we need to do, where we take singles and which fielders we can out-do under pressure. After that, it’s better to leave Dhawan alone.”Dhawan, in fact, has been doing most things alone on tour so far.On the only day India have trained at the Asia Cup – a day prior to their match against Hong Kong – ice buckets were arranged for all the batsmen to cool off after 15-minute batting stints. Dhawan, who was first in at the nets, was in a different world, still going strong 25 minutes into the session – first against pace, then against spin and finally against their new left-arm throwdown specialist from Sri Lanka.After his first batting session was over, he went over to an open net and kept asking Shahbaz Nadeem, who was with the Indian team for five days, to keep spinning the ball back in from the rough. A special mat had been put somewhere close to a length. Dhawan swept continuously. This lasted 15 minutes, before he finally walked out of the net, amused at the ice treatment his team-mates were receiving. Later, a member of the support staff joked at how didn’t need ice treatment. Why? (‘He’s from Delhi where 45 degress is normal, as it is in Melbourne [where his wife and kids live]’)Dhawan wasn’t done yet. Even as the others took 10-minute hits before walking off, Dhawan marched towards a separate net where Sanjay Bangar, the batting coach, and throwdown expert Raghu greeted him for a third session, hurling short-pitched deliveries. The instructions were to alternate between a pull in front of square and swaying out of the way depending on the line of the deliveries. In all, it was an intense workout in the heat to prepare for potentially four games in six days. He was roaring with the confidence that said ‘I’m ready, come and get me.’It seemed as if there was a remarkable difference in mindset and body language to the diffident Dhawan who had kept prodding and poking to the slips in the Test matches in England. It’s a remarkable Dhawan trait, to be able to put behind his failures as fast as it takes to guzzle a litre of water in the UAE heat. Just three days prior to his first nets session in Dubai, he’d left England with more questions than answers. Doubts lingered if he’d done enough to be India’s first-choice opener in Australia. Mind you, the home Tests in West Indies weren’t even in consideration because it was a given he’d score at home. Numbers back the popular perception that Dhawan is a subcontinent specialist.Seven of Shikhar Dhawan’s 15 ODI hundreds have now come in three multi-nation tournaments•ESPNcricinfo LtdDhawan’s larger issue in red-ball cricket is his tendency to stay inside the line of the ball, in trying to open up the off side. This has resulted in heaps of runs in the subcontinent, on tracks where there’s no lateral movement. On green tracks, however, he’s been found wanting. This approach may cast apprehension in a few batsmen but not Dhawan.On tracks where there has been true bounce – invariably the case in ODIs – he’s been more than happy to play without the fear of nicking behind. In any case, India have had three low-pressure chases in four matches so far at the Asia Cup, where he’s dominated right from the outset. He’s latched onto anything on a good length, pounced on the short deliveries, played the hook and pull, and against spin, there has been intent whenever he’s looked to sweep. This has resulted in scores of 127, 40, 46 and 114.Earlier this year in South Africa, he made 305 runs courtesy two half-centuries and a hundred in the ODIs. These runs came at a strike rate of 110.5. It superbly complemented Virat Kohli, who was by far the best batsman on tour. It was in stark contrast to Dhawan’s Tests during that tour, where he had scored 16 apiece in Cape Town and was left out in favour of KL Rahul for the Centurion Test. That didn’t, however, have any impact on his ODI form, a testament to his mental make-up.Four years ago too, he walked into the 2015 World Cup searching for his off stump and for answers against late swing. The slips were always in with a chance. Poor form had deserted him in the Tests before he made way for a nervy debutant in Rahul. In the tri-series with England that followed, Dhawan failed to hit top gear. A week’s break in Melbourne later, the batsman who arrived at the World Cup was a different version of the man whose confidence appeared to have been at its lowest barely a week ago.In just his second innings at the tournament, his century set up a stunning win over South Africa. He eventually finished the tournament with 412 runs in eight innings at an average of 51.50 and strike rate of 91.80. His remarkable consistency at the Asia Cup mirrors that World Cup form, and with a full series against West Indies at home before they travel to Australia and New Zealand, India would hope for this confidence resonates across formats.His ODI career began with a first-ball duck eight years ago against Australia in Visakhapatnam, but since becoming a regular at the Champions Trophy in 2013, he’s been one of the first few names on the team sheet, the stifling competition notwithstanding. His batting average of 47.13 and strike rate of 94.38 across 108 innings have established him as one of the best ODI openers in the country along with Rohit Sharma; their 210-run opening stand against Pakistan was the highest for India in chase and was also the fourth highest overall.For all his Test struggles, Dhawan’s Sehwag-like traits – whistling while batting and always having a laugh to spare, even in the tightest of situations – may give you an impression of him being carefree. But that’s just who Dhawan is, something India have learnt to embrace. They’d just hope now that the purple patch extends into the World Cup year.

By speaking without filters, Pandya has shown us a glimpse, if we needed it, of the conversation and mindset in the wider Indian society

Jayaditya Gupta11-Jan-2019First, let’s get the easy stuff out of the way. What Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul said on the talk show was misogynistic and unacceptable, and warranted the BCCI’s intervention. They are public figures and will, and must, be held to those standards; they are role models for hundreds of millions not only in India but, thanks to live streaming, beyond the regular cricketing world. Reports suggest a two-match ban is on the way and that will be fair enough. It will, hopefully, send out a message that there is a line that cannot be crossed, however big a star you are.There is, however, a silver lining of sorts to this controversy: by speaking without filters, Pandya has shown us a glimpse, if we needed it, of the conversation and mindset in the wider Indian society. It raises questions about the “surround” – not the statements themselves but the circumstances that prompted them. What made Pandya say what he did? Where was the failure? If Pandya is a symptom, what’s the disease and what’s the cure? Perhaps taking a step back and looking beyond the comments will help explain, and hopefully in the longer run weed out, the problem.ALSO READ: We definitely don’t support inappropriate comments – KohliFirst, whoever on Pandya’s management team – and the focus here is on Pandya because the most execrable statements came from him – thought it was a good idea for him to appear on a talk show that feeds off controversial revelations? Knowing Pandya, they would (must) have been aware of his candour and willingness to open topics others shy away from. Could he not have been prepped better? Ironically, Pandya was refreshingly frank for most of the show. He’s a high school dropout, barely able to read and write by his own admission and, while candid about his lack of literacy, did say it was not the example to follow. That he has made a career for himself despite those failings in the formal structure – and in a country where the formal structure still counts for a lot – testifies to his own character. He loves high fashion, he loves money, he loves women, he loves to talk about it. There is no issue with that.The problem is with the issue of how he treats, and refers, to women. And with a host as skilled as Karan Johar, once the genie was out of the bottle there was no pushing it back in. Pandya did as he was asked, as he was expected to; lacking the guile of the usual Bollywood guests, he answered questions as candidly as possible. The problem was in the line of questioning; once Johar realised the general drift, he could have moved away from that, it could have even been edited out. There are many ways of dealing with controversial content that isn’t being broadcast live. Ultimately, though, a commercial talk show has to do what it says on the tin; no one but Pandya (and his minders) is responsible for his own fate.Pandya’s statements should also be seen in the context of his journey, from a family environment in which, as he said, everything is discussed, nothing is off the table, to the over-the-top celebrity and riches of the IPL, the ultimate goldfish bowl – or platform, depending on your personality type. It’s the same IPL that brought in the cheerleader culture to India, the most definitive example of objectification of women in sport. The IPL brought in celebrity, blurring the lines between glamour and sport; of the original franchises, two were wholly or partially owned by some of the biggest Bollywood stars of the day, and a third was owned by the most flamboyant of Indian billionaires. It was a heady world where the after-parties were as entertaining and sought-after as the matches themselves and, though the celebrity quotient has waned (the flamboyant billionaire is now a millionaire, and a fugitive from the law), it is still a world of bright lights.KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya have a chat after the game•BCCIImagine Pandya – or any young cricketer – thrown into this cocktail, with the crores of rupees now at his disposal. The IPL took his persona, bling and all, amplified it, put it on the biggest screens across the country and turned him from a player “too shy to even approach ESPNcricinfo to have his bowling style changed on his player profile page” (as one 2015 story put it) to what he is today: despite not being one of India’s top cricketers, he has 11 million friends/followers across the three main social media handles and has made it to the Forbes India 100 list for 2018 (at 27, three spots above Karan Johar). There’s a reason for that and it’s not his cricketing skills alone.This is usually the part of the comment piece where one pulls up the BCCI for its own errors of omission and commission but their relationship with top players is complicated. Yes, they are the primary paymasters and yes, the primary disciplinarians too. But the task they face here is to change individual mindsets that go back 20 years or more into one’s childhood. There’s no debating that India is a deeply patriarchal country where the average adult male has huge issues with how to treat women. And a top cricketer is the alpha male among alpha males; the BCCI’s list of contracted players has about 25 names on average. That’s 25 cricketers in a country of several hundred million active cricketers. Imagine the privilege, the entitlement.Of course there’s lots that can be done in the medium and long term, and the BCCI has the wherewithal to be as proactive on this as possible. The world has changed even in the IPL era; social media, barely around in Season 1, now dominates the landscape and there are new rules and norms of social engagement that are no longer optional. The BCCI’s only case so far on gender issues – the case of harassment against its CEO Rahul Johri – was resolved in controversial and contentious circumstances. Here is a chance for it to be more clear and unambiguous in its approach on these matters.The board also has the responsibility to ensure that the playing field – the physical space as well as the wider world of cricket – is treated like any other professional work space, with the same rules and regulations. These are boys who’ve never grown up; help them grow up. Start gender sensitisation at the age-group levels; make it part of the formal structure across the board and especially up the ladder. Train your top players in every aspect of media management – not merely the cricket-focused questions at press conferences but also the googlies they may have to negotiate on talk shows. Make sure that the next time an Indian cricketer goes on a general entertainment talk show it will not be a national embarrassment.ALSO READ: Why the Johri investigation has been a kick in the gut for womenAnd talk to them about life. Make them not merely the best players but the best ambassadors. The New Zealand Cricket Players Association, in their latest annual handbook for players, has a chapter on consent that is explicit and unambiguous on the situations that will inevitably occur in a professional sportsman’s life. The National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru should have an in-house, full-time professional working on this.The last time Pandya and Rahul made the headlines together was for their “jersey-swapping” gimmick in IPL 2018. Their latest exploit has thrown up uncomfortable questions not just about them or their exalted bubble. It questions us: those of us who watched the show, those of us who have joked in locker rooms, those of us who have kept quiet when the banter has crossed the line. Those of us who have created the likes of Pandya and fed off his exploits.It’s possible that Pandya and Rahul will emerge from this with a better understanding of how to deal with half the world. Let’s hope that applies to the rest of us too.

Zubayr Hamza struck a sublime double-hundred against Dolphins, but it was not enough to secure the title for Cape Cobras

Liam Brickhill31-Jan-2019Results summary
The 4-Day Franchise Series ended in thrilling fashion, with Lions claiming the 2017-18 title on a nail-biting final evening in Potchefstroom. With five overs lost to rain on the final day of a game that Lions had to win, and Yaseen Vallie and Sinethemba Qeshile adding 85 for the fourth wicket, Warriors had almost reached safety before Nono Pongolo and Nandre Burger made inroads into their tail in the afternoon. There were just two wickets standing when the last hour was signalled at 5.15pm. Thomas Kaber held on, limpet-like, at one end, but when the new ball was taken after the 80th over, Lions broke through. Burger had Basheeru-Deen Walters caught behind, and in fading light Wihahn Lubbe then struck with his third ball, beating Sithembile Langa’s forward defence to spark wild celebrations.The eventual result would not have been possible without a record-breaking first-innings stand between Bjorn Fortuin and Delano Potgieter, who helped their side recover from a perilous 96 for 6. Fortuin’s 183 was his highest score in Franchise cricket – and just nine short of his best ever effort with the bat in all first-class cricket – while Potgieter’s 145 was the highest score of his career in just his 12th first-class game. Potgieter then took 4 for 81 to secure the first-innings lead, and Kagiso Rapulana’s 114 in the second dig allowed Lions to declare at 292 for 9. Warriors had almost reached a position of safety when, on the final day, they were only five down after 4pm. But then came Lions’ match-winning, title-sealing burst in the closing moments.That result meant that Zubayr Hamza’s magical double-hundred on the penultimate day of Cape Cobras’ game against Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg was not enough to secure the title for his team, who had led the points table for virtually the entire competition. Hamza’s 201 was his maiden double at franchise level and the second of his first-class career, and allowed Cobras to declare their innings at 523 for 7. On a flat pitch, Keshav Maharaj’s 2 for 217 were the best figures for Dolphins, but while the pitch might have been benign the weather was anything but, and overs were lost to bad light on every day of the game. The lost overs forced the game into a draw, with Dolphins’ top four all passing fifty before the captains shook hands midway through the final afternoon after bad light stopped play once again.In Benoni, Titans and Knights were finally put out of their misery early on the final day after their match was abandoned due to a wet outfield at Willowmoore Park. All three previous days were also affected for the same reason, with players on both sides left frustrated by the conditions underfoot in what was their last match of the first-class season.The final decision by umpires Abdoellah Steenkamp and Johan Cloete meant there was no cricket played at all after all three previous days had to be abandoned – the main problem area being the bowlers’ run-up. The shared points from the game meant the hosts and defending champions Titans, as well as the Knights, ended in the bottom three.On the national radar
Hamza’s double-hundred should be enough for him to be retained in South Africa’s squad for the upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka in February, while in the same game his team-mate Vernon Philander defied the placid batting conditions to take 4 for 46 in Dolphins’ first innings. At the other end of the spectrum, Maharaj bowled a whopping 56 overs for his two wickets and, given that he has also been left out of South Africa’s Test playing XI in a seam-heavy attack recently, Maharaj could do with a confidence boost.Confidence shouldn’t be a problem for Temba Bavuma, who registered scores of 22 and 48 in Lions’ victory, but more importantly captained the side to the 4-Day title.Top performers
Bjorn Fortuin has made more of a splash with his left-arm spin than his batting in domestic cricket of late, opening the bowling for Paarl Rocks during the Mzansi Super League, but his knock against Warriors turned the game around and he was rightfully named Player of the Match in their title-sealing 84-run win. He also ended the season with 23 first-class wickets at 22.78 to his name.Over the course of the season, however, Cobras captain Dane Piedt stood head and shoulders over the other bowlers across the franchises. He ended the season with 54 wickets at 27.74, 20 more scalps than second placed Dane Paterson.With the bat, Knights’ Keegan Petersen and Warriors’ Eddie Moore both passed 900 runs for the season to top the run charts.

Cricket’s biggest rivalry is back. Also, can RCB doing anything right?

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-May-2019Premature celebrations
Congratulations were withdrawn this month from James Faulkner, who initially seemed to have come out as gay, only to later come out as not gay (or should that be “go back in” – not really sure how specifics of this metaphor work). Several major news outlets swooped on the news that Faulkner had come out after the allrounder described the man he was having dinner with as “boyfriend” on an Instagram post. Hours later, though, Faulkner clarified that he was not gay, and described the whole thing as a misunderstanding, which, in turn, prompted criticism of Faulkner in some circles, for supposedly making a joke of what is understandably a sensitive process for many gay men and women. It seems clear that Faulkner did not set out to intentionally do gay people a disservice, but just to be safe, he should definitely steer clear of Ben Stokes at the World Cup.The IPL unites the world
March in the IPL ended in disharmony, with the pro-mankad and anti-mankad armies engaged in a furious online war. April, though, was different. This month, cricket fans the world over looked each other in the eye, linked arms, and with their differences forgotten, came together as one to laugh at Royal Challengers Bangalore’s state-by-state tour of incompetence.The copycat move
Having skidded through the first half of the IPL, Royal Challengers even tried to take a page out of Chennai Super Kings’ book by signing up an older player, Dale Steyn. But where Super Kings’ senior army sees the team win tough matches thanks to their collective experience, Royal Challengers have of course managed to find the biggest possible downfall in hiring older players. Having played just two matches, Steyn injured his shoulder, and is now not only ruled out of the IPL, he is also in some doubt for the World Cup.The showdown
While there is plenty of live cricket to look forward to in May, such as the conclusion of the IPL and the start of the World Cup, cricket has reminded us all that the biggest showdowns in our sport happen at the administrative level. The BCCI, who have one of the most storied running rivalries of all time with the PCB, have recently engaged in a mouth-watering tiff with Cricket Australia over scheduling – a clash that is likely to unfold in scintillating fashion in conference rooms in India and Australia. The contest looks like it will feature the best administrative talent from both nations, with all the delicious horse-trading and brinkmanship fans have come to expect from these encounters.Meanwhile, in actual live cricket news, the women’s IPL exhibition series, due to take place in May, will be without three of the finest cricket talents in the world, in Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy, as a result of the BCCI v CA fixture.A victory for professional honesty
Having been removed from England’s World Cup squad for failing a drug test for the second time, Alex Hales left it to his management company to issue a statement, instead of personally fronting up, which many have interpreted as insincere. Hales has undermined England’s World Cup campaign, his critics say, and owes his fans and team-mates a direct explanation.But were they ever going to get one? Isn’t every public statement from high-profile cricketers endlessly pored over and fine-tuned by a management team? In cutting out the middleman (i.e. himself) from the whole public-regret process, Hales is helping usher in a new era in which public-relations professionals get to deliver their calculated messages undiluted to the masses. With the rate at which Hales gets into trouble, perhaps he himself can continue to spearhead this campaign for professional honesty.Next month on The Briefing:- A talent agency issues an even more honest statement following a player gaffe: “Although in an ideal world, [the player] would loved to have both done [the thing he is in trouble for] and not got caught, his being caught has for sure made him wish he hadn’t [done the thing he is in trouble for].”- New MCC president Kumar Sangakkara spearheads laws to ban sledges containing four-letter words. Seven-letter words and above only.- “We’ll be sending in our biggest administrative superstars and using some of our most famous passive-aggressive tactics against,” says the BCCI, as hype for the clash with CA reaches fever pitch.

Halfway through IPL 2019, what are the teams’ biggest strengths, and what potential strategy changes can they employ to make up for their weaknesses?

Gaurav Sundararaman16-Apr-2019Halfway through IPL 2019, how have the eight teams fared? What are their biggest strengths, and what potential strategy changes can they employ to make up for their weaknesses? Here’s an analysis.

Chennai Super Kings: 14 points

Making the best use of home conditions, Super Kings have started the season at an all-time high, winning seven of their eight matches. Last year, their batsmen had to make up for the bowlers in batting-friendly conditions in Pune (their home games were moved out of Chennai). This season, it has been the bowlers that have made up for the batsmen’s shortcomings in spin-friendly conditions at Chepauk, on a pitch that has been criticised by many including captain MS Dhoni. What has not changed is Super Kings having multiple match-winners, which has once again made the defending champions strong favourites in the title race.Impact performers

• MS Dhoni – 230 runs at an average of 76.66 and a strike rate of 127.07
• Imran Tahir- 13 wickets at an economy rate of 5.76 and a strike rate of 13.8
• Harbhajan Singh- 7 wickets at an economy rate of 5.12 and a strike rate of 13.7
• Deepak Chahar- 10 wickets at an economy rate of 6.64 and a strike rate of 18.6

Where can they improve?
Super Kings’ batting has the highest dot-ball percentage and the poorest balls-per-boundary figure in this IPL. They also have the lowest average (18.68) and the lowest run rate (6.22) in the Powerplay. Shane Watson has been weak in the first half and the team needs good starts from him.Death bowling also remains a concern, with Super Kings having three of the top five most expensive death bowlers since IPL 2018.Potential strategy changeDhoni doesn’t like to tinker with the playing XI. Still, Sam Billings for Watson might be something to try out.Availability: All overseas players are available

Delhi Capitals: 10 points

A change in name has resulted in a change in their game. Capitals have made a sound start to the season, and are well-placed to claim a spot in the playoffs. A vibrant and young squad, consistency in selection and team effort are the ingredients that let them recover from a shaky first few matches. This is also a team with many match-winners, and one of their big strengths has been death bowling. It’s the best in the competition so far, with 25 wickets at the death at an economy rate of 8.43 and an average of 9.56.Impact performers

• Kagiso Rabada – 17 wickets at an economy rate of 7.70 and a strike rate of 10.9
• Shreyas Iyer – 266 runs at an average of 33.25 and a strike rate of 120.36

Where can they improve?
While batting in the Powerplay, they have lost 12 wickets with an average of 31.58 – the second lowest in the league. Shikhar Dhawan couldn’t get going at the start of the season, before hitting 97 not out against Kolkata Knight Riders, but he and Prithvi Shaw will have to provide more consistent and rapid starts at the business end of IPL 2019.Potential strategy change

Who among Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia and Amit Mishra are likely to play the high-pressure games is something the team should look to answer in the next six games.Availability: All overseas players are available.The Pandyas pile onto Kieron Pollard after Mumbai seal a last-ball win•BCCI

Mumbai Indians: 10 points

Mumbai have won five of their first eight games, a change from their usual slow starts. And this is despite stars like Rohit Sharma and Krunal Pandya not making a big impact yet, and the team scoring well below par on at least three occasions.Impact performers

• Kieron Pollard – 185 runs at an average of 37.00 and a strike rate of 177.88
• Hardik Pandya- 186 runs at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 191.75
• Jasprit Bumrah – 8 wickets at an economy rate of 6.81 and a strike rate of 23.0

Where can they improve?
Mumbai’s batting average in the middle overs (7-16) is just 23, and they have lost 27 wickets in that period – the most for any team in the league.The bowling of the Pandya brothers has also been below par so far: Hardik has gone at 9.91 runs per over, while Krunal has taken just five wickets while conceding runs at 8.28 per over.Potential strategy change

Perhaps Hardik and Pollard could be split to ensure that there is a run-rate acceleration in the middle overs too. Krunal, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav can float according to the situation.Another possible change is getting Bumrah to bowl more in the Powerplay. Right now, the overseas options of Lasith Malinga, Jason Behrendorff and Alzarri Joseph (before he was injured) have done the bulk of the bowling in the first six overs. Mumbai could get Bumrah to bowl a couple of overs and target early wickets, while Hardik can bowl in the middle overs. Availability: Jason Behrendorff will leave after May 1.

Kolkata Knight Riders: 8 points

This has been a strange first half for Knight Riders. Having got off the blocks with four wins early on courtesy Andre Russell’s all-round brilliance, Dinesh Karthik’s team has now lost three consecutive matches. Historically, Knight Riders have dominated at home, but this year they have lost two of the three games played at Eden Gardens. Their top order has failed consistently with Robin Uthappa, Sunil Narine and Nitish Rana being patchy. Karthik, too, is yet to make an impactful score.Impact performers

• Andre Russell – 312 runs at an average of 78.00 and a strike rate of 213.69

Where can they improve?
Knight Riders have depended on three spinners for a long time, but this season they have not delivered. Has the team become a bit too predictable with plans and personnel? The spinners average 39.11 and have an economy rate of 7.93 this season, the joint second-worst on both counts.Potential strategy change
Break the Narine-Chris Lynn opening combination and let Uthappa, or even Shubman Gill, bat at the top.Availability: All overseas players are available.Chris Gayle and KL Rahul put up a big opening stand•BCCI

Kings XI Punjab: 8 points

With four wins and four losses, Kings XI have their task cut out in the remaining six games, but they remain in contention for a final-four spot. They have won one match which they should not have, and lost two that they should have won. The loss against Mumbai at Wankhede Stadium could come back to haunt them, as they would have had five wins at the halfway mark if they had pulled through.Impact performers

• R Ashwin – 9 wickets at an economy rate of 7.62 and a strike rate of 21.3
• Chris Gayle – 322 runs at an average of 53.66 and a strike rate of 157.07
• KL Rahul – 355 runs at an average of 67.00 and a strike rate of 130.85

Where can they improve?
Gayle and Rahul have contributed 50% of the team’s runs, but the middle order has failed to capitalise on the starts. In the middle overs, Kings XI have slowed down, resulting in under-par totals.Potential strategy change
Including Moises Henriques not only provides balance to the batting order, but also provides a sixth bowling option. Also, Mujeeb Ur Rahman needs to play the remaining matches because he can tie up an end as well as take wickets with his mystery spin. Availability: All overseas players are available.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 6 points

Last year’s runners-up, Sunrisers have been disappointing mainly due to the failure of their usually strong bowling attack and a near non-existent middle order. If Sunrisers are afloat, the credit goes to the overseas opening pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow. They have not only provided explosive starts, but also gone on to bat deep. But with both men expected to leave for their teams’ World Cup preparations, Sunrisers need to get their batting sorted if they want to advance to the playoffs.Impact performers

• David Warner – 400 runs at an average of 80.00 and a strike rate of 140.35
• Jonny Bairstow – 304 runs at an average of 43.42 and a strike rate of 156.70
• Rashid Khan – 6 wickets at an economy rate of 5.78 and a strike rate of 28.00
• Mohammad Nabi – 7 wickets at an economy rate of 5.49 and a strike rate of 13.5

Where can they improve?
If last year the team was dependent on Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson for runs, this year they have been heavily reliant on Warner and Bairstow. The two have scored 66% of their team’s runs. Meanwhile, Nos. 4 to 11 average just 12.75 and score at a run rate of 6.83, which is the lowest in this IPL.Potential strategy change
A slightly radical suggestion: Williamson could open with Bairstow while Warner drops one slot, just to ensure at least one of the three main batsmen stays till the end.Availability: Shakib Al Hasan could leave for national duty around the start of May. Bairstow and Warner likely to leave on April 25 and May 1 respectively.Shreyas Gopal goes on a celebratory run after picking up a wicket•BCCI

Rajasthan Royals: 4 points

Royals are not in the pink of health. The team, which has changed its colours to a bright pink, is precariously placed with just two wins and five losses. Mistakes from last season have not been rectified, with Royals carrying four potential openers in the top seven, and certain players in key positions performing similar roles. In a tournament where early momentum is key to a playoff spot, Royals are still figuring out their best XI, and their dependence on Jos Buttler is hurting them. Last season, Buttler single-handedly took them to the playoffs, but Royals are likely to lose his services soon this year.Impact performers

• Jos Buttler – 288 runs at an average of 41.14 and a strike rate of 153.19
• Shreyas Gopal – 8 wickets at an economy rate of 6.41 and a strike rate of 18
• Jofra Archer – 7 wickets at an economy rate of 7.22 and a strike rate of 23.1

Where can they improve?
In the last four overs, Royals’ economy rate is 12.17 – the worst this IPL. Additionally, they have taken only eight wickets in the death overs. Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat and Ben Stokes have gone at 18.50, 16.00 and 12.8 respectively in the last four.Potential strategy change
Include the likes of Ashton Turner and Oshane Thomas ahead of Steven Smith and Stokes to improve the middle-overs batting and death bowling. Look to open with Rahul Tripathi to plan for Buttler’s departure.Availability: Buttler and Stokes will be available only till April 25, as will Archer if he is selected in England’s World Cup squad (the announcement is due on Wednesday). Smith is expected to leave by May 1.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 2 points

Royal Challengers’ campaign has almost ground to a halt at the halfway stage. Just one win with six games left means a playoff spot is highly improbable. Their dependence on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers has not changed. In their only win this season, in Mohali against Kings XI, Kohli and de Villiers made fifties in the chase. The matches they came close to winning were also due to the performances of these two.Impact performers

• Virat Kohli – 278 runs at an average of 34.75 and a strike rate of 124.66
• AB de Villiers – 307 runs at an average of 51.16 and a strike rate of 154.27
• Yuzvendra Chahal – 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.07 and a strike rate of 15.2

Where can they improve?
The bowling needs to improve in key phases of the match – in the Powerplay and at the death. In the first six overs, Royal Challengers have taken only three wickets at an average of 140.33 and an economy rate of 8.77. In the last four overs, their economy rate is 11.50.Potential strategy change
With the return of Dale Steyn, Royal Challengers would be hoping that their Powerplay and death-overs performances improve. The franchise paid big money for Mumbai’s batting allrounder Shivam Dube, who needs to be given more games to build his confidence.Availability: Moeen Ali is available till April 25 if he is picked in England’s World Cup squad, and Marcus Stoinis is expected to leave by May 1.

Given the divisive recent history of the Australian captaincy, in fact, the argument for Khawaja only grows stronger. Where Paine broke the mould, Khawaja would help to reshape it still further

Daniel Brettig28-Aug-2019Sometime after Australia’s international cricketers became fully professional, the captaincy of the national team became not just coveted, but a genuine prize.This was not necessarily just because of the honour it conferred, but also the privilege. Captains are paid more, get an additional retainer above the money applied to players on Cricket Australia’s contract rankings. They stay in the best suite at team hotels – a gift once bestowed on the team manager – and they also have the chance to monetise their leadership by all manner of additional endorsements.Along with the increasingly elevated place of the Australian team in public consciousness and corporate attraction, these factors helped turn the national captaincy into a prize. The phrase “second most important job after the prime minister” was thrown around more often in the late 1990s when Mark Taylor held it, but ever since he took over from Allan Border it was to become almost as sought after.What is awkward about this story is how much the lure of captaincy began to affect the team in terms of unity, or from the performance of its best players. Undoubtedly, some of the most prominent bust-ups, from Steve Waugh-Shane Warne to Ricky Ponting-Michael Clarke, had the question of captaincy or ambition for it at core.After Taylor the role went increasingly to the best batsman, without any other qualifiers. Waugh, Ponting, Clarke, Steven Smith: all were, either shortly before they took the job or during their tenure, regarded as the premier batsman in the world, let alone Australia.This process reached its apogee with Smith’s appointment, both the most outrageously talented batsman and the youngest and least experienced leader. The shortcomings were to be seen in the worst possible way in early 2018 when, exhausted by his workload, Smith could neither lead with the bat nor with his words and advice in the dressing room. The Newlands scandal pushed him and David Warner, the other obvious candidate, out of contention for captaincy.What happened immediately afterwards was a decision to hand the role to Tim Paine, a cricketer of worth but of the kind habitually ruled out in previous years. Before Newlands he would have been seen as one or all of too old, too inexperienced, ineligible as a wicketkeeper and not secure enough in the team. But the scandal left the board with few other options in their view, so setting up a period in which Australia’s definition of captaincy was redefined, and broadened.Eighteen months later and Paine’s captaincy has been successful in helping to restore respect for the team, but not outstanding in terms of results. The question of how much longer Paine goes on is an open one, although it is difficult to see him keeping it beyond the forthcoming home summer. Many have assumed that once his leadership ban expires in April 2020, Smith will take back what he lost at Newlands, but there are just as many judges adamant that he should not – as much to ensure a continual flow of runs as anything else.Justin Langer chats with Alex Carey and Usman Khawaja as Australia begin their camp•Getty ImagesMany have bemoaned the lack of options, commonly wondering aloud whether Travis Head is ready, or whether Pat Cummins can be expected to do the job as a fast bowler likely to be rested or rotated at some point in a series. In this discussion there has generally been one curious omission, but selection as captain for the tour game against Derbyshire has raised it at a notable moment: Usman Khawaja.In February 2012 I wrote a piece for ESPNcricinfo that summed up perceptions of Khawaja from the perspective of many inside Australian cricket. Essentially, it assessed him as a rich talent but lacking the work rate or yearning for constant improvement admired by coaches and selectors. Eight years later and this is still the perception among many, even though Khawaja has grown and improved an awful lot since, turning himself into a Test batsman of quality and a leader of considerable repute in Queensland.It may be a surprise to some to know he has held the state captaincy of the Bulls since 2015. it may also be a surprise to learn that team-mates regard him as one of the very best they have had. “In short, excellent,” says one. “Never once saw him get flustered even in pressure situations (he has that calmness that gets misinterpreted as not caring), very fair (listens to ideas and asks his chosen confidantes) and very decisive (never ums and ahs). Genuinely one of the better ones.”Khawaja has held a leadership role before, leading Australia A to a 1-0 series win over India A in India in 2015. A hallmark of the win was the nifty use of Gurinder Sandhu’s offspin. Otherwise, he has been passed over for vice-captaincy, although with an important rider – last year the selectors made it crystal clear that the deputy role was not to be for a captain in waiting. Khawaja’s captaincy appointment for Derby serves as a reminder that there is no line ruled through him.One figure who had his perception of Khawaja changed was Justin Langer. Among the first things Langer did when appointed coach was to seek out Khawaja for some firm discussions about his future. Counselled to get fitter and work on his fielding, Khawaja responded with a fitness regimen that saw him lose somewhere in the region of seven kilos while also improving his agility.His first Test for Langer was in Dubai, where he sculpted a fourth-innings masterclass that allowed Australia to squeak out a draw. If the runs have not been as consistent since, Langer was won over, and notably felt the World Cup semi-final against England would have gone another way had Khawaja not been sidelined with a hamstring strain.”I think he’s been the pin-up boy of Australian cricket in the sense that he knew what he had to do,” Langer said earlier this tour. “He had to get fitter and stronger. He had to improve his fielding. We know he’s a good player and he’s done all those things. He’s been very good as a leader and he’s different, he’s a bit quiet, he sits back and he’s unafraid to give an opinion. He’s got strong opinions. He’s played a lot of cricket now.”The young Queenslanders like Michael Neser and Marnus [Labuschagne] look up to him. I like how calm he is in big Test matches. Sometimes it comes across as him being very laconic but Mark Waugh was like that as well. There are different personalities, but I like how calm he is and I like his temperament.”

“You learn pretty quickly you can’t expect anyone else to do anything you don’t do yourself. Don’t try to be anything different just because you have a ‘C’ next to your name, it’s really important to stay consistent and clear and I think that’s what guys respect.”Usman Khawaja on captaincy

As an example of Khawaja’s thinking, his perspective on Headingley and how to deal with it was that of a mature cricketer at ease with the conversations any captain must have with distraught players.”You lose from a point where you don’t expect to lose and it hurts, probably hurts more,” he said. “It definitely sticks with you. It’s always tough to sleep that night because you’re thinking what could you have done, what could you have done differently as a team. Probably one of the toughest losses I’ve had, a lot of the guys would be the same.”But in the same respect you have a good night’s sleep and then you wake up the next morning, the sun does come up and you’re back at it again. It’s all about being a professional, try to learn from your past, try to learn from those past mistakes. When you’ve done it for a long time you know how quickly things can change in sport.”Asked about what is key to captaincy, Khawaja offers a response enriched by living through Australian cricket’s past decade. “Being yourself is the most important thing, You learn pretty quickly you can’t expect anyone else to do anything you don’t do yourself. Don’t try to be anything different just because you have a ‘C’ next to your name, it’s really important to stay consistent and clear and I think that’s what guys respect. I hope the guys back home in Queensland that’s what they respect me for, I’m pretty consistent and I don’t really change much whether I’m captain or not captain, I still carry myself.”I talk to Painey [Tim Paine] on the field about tactics and different things, not too much because I don’t want to get into his head. I know what it’s like to be a captain, to have everyone come up to you. So I pick and choose important times.”ALSO READ: Batting in spotlight as Australia plot resurrection of their ownOne of the new variables in leadership decisions is that the ICC has provided cycles into which a Test captaincy appointment can be focused, such as the run up to the 2021 World Test Championship final. While it looks unlikely that Paine could make it all the way to that juncture, it is equally true that naming Khawaja as captain for the same amount of time would allow younger candidates to emerge. Undoubtedly, Head would be older, wiser and more secure by then.Meanwhile, in Khawaja Australia has a candidate who has long, deep relationships with Warner and Smith at one end of the experience scale, but also the respect and admiration of Labuschagne at the other. And should the riposte to his mention as a possible leader be to an uncertain standing in the team in terms of selection at this very minute, then one need only look as far as Paine for an example of why the captaincy need not always go to the most accomplished batsman.Given the divisive recent history of the position, in fact, the argument for Khawaja only grows stronger. Where Paine broke the mould, Khawaja would help to reshape it further. Why Khawaja? Why not.

A look at eight Indian performances that stood out more than the others in the all-format series sweep in the Caribbean

Aishwarya Kumar in Kingston03-Sep-20191. Navdeep Saini’s 3 for 17, 1st T20I, LauderhillSaini is an easy pick on this list. In his first over in international cricket, he took out Nicholas Pooran with a short ball that took the top edge, and next ball he dismissed Shimron Hetmyer as the batsman played on. A neat spell was rounded off with the lbw of Kieron Pollard. The 26-year-old tearaway ended with 3 for 17, helping stop West Indies at 95 for 9 and set up a four-wicket win.2. Deepak Chahar’s 3 for 4, 3rd T20I, ProvidenceIt was like geometry, a medium-pace bowler forming perfect arcs with the ball in the air. First to Evin Lewis, then to Hetmyer, Chahar went outside off and then get the ball to shape in sharply, stay low, and hit the pad. On both occasions, it was plumb. Wickets two and three for Chahar, after he had dismissed Sunil Narine in the second over of the innings. He ended the match with 3-1-4-3 – Man-of-the-Match stuff, in a seven-wicket win.3. Virat Kohli’s 120 off 125 balls, 2nd ODI, Port of SpainKohli’s 42nd ODI century, celebrated with a big smile and, in case you didn’t know who he was, a lot of pointing to his name on the back of his jersey. It had sweet flicks, a few cheeky steers – and edges too – and some incredible drives. It was also the innings that took Kohli past Sourav Ganguly’s ODI run-tally, leaving him only behind Sachin Tendulkar’s mark among Indians. Not to forget his partnership with young Shreyas Iyer. The pair added 125 for the fourth wicket, with Iyer scoring a 68-ball 71 to take India to a respectable 279. Bhuvneshar Kumar’s four-for then finished West Indies off for 210.4. Shreyas Iyer’s 65 off 41 balls, 3rd ODI, Port-of-SpainKohli confessed to being reminded of his own early years when he watched Iyer bat in the third and final ODI of the series. His 41-ball 65 followed an important half-century in the second ODI, and in both games, he added century stands with Kohli. With India trying to figure out the upper-middle order in ODIs, Iyer could become a “strong contender and a regular feature,” Kohli said.Ajinkya Rahane drives down the ground•Getty Images5. Ajinkya Rahane, 102, 1st Test, AntiguaAugust 3, 2017 to August 25, 2019 – that’s how long it took Ajinkya Rahane to get from nine Test centuries to ten. The hundred in Antigua, in the second dig, was an excellent one, but it wasn’t his only contribution to India’s win. In the first innings, Rahane came out to bat with India at 25 for 3 and his patient 81 gave them solidity before a half-century from Ravindra Jadeja pushed them to 297. In the second innings, he came in at 187 for 4, with India looking to turn their 75-run lead into an insurmountable target. Rahane took 235 balls to get to the century, and finished on 102 – all the work, all the processes had finally paid off.6. Jasprit Bumrah, 5 for 7, 1st Test, AntiguaHe brought a new weapon out in the first Test, regardless of whether he was bowling to a right-hander or a left-hander. Bumrah forced the batsmen to commit to play the angle against his fast deliveries that moved appreciably. Both John Campbell and Darren Bravo, left-hand batsmen, misjudged the movement and had their stumps scattered. This, after a wide outswinger had Brathwaite edging uncertainly behind the stumps. Bumrah then went on to dismiss Shai Hope and Jason Holder with full balls around off, both swinging away from the right-hand batsmen just enough on to hit the off stump. By the time he was done with his spell, West Indies were 37 for 7 in a chase of 419 and eventually stuttered to a 318-run defeat.7. Hanuma Vihari, 111, 2nd Test, JamaicaVihari’s innings at Sabina Park was a mature one, especially for someone who had played only five Tests before this. As he had done previously in the series, he walked into a tricky situation. India were 164 for 4, having been put in to bat, and needed someone to build an innings and shepherd the lower order. That’s exactly what Vihari did, even putting up a century partnership with Ishant Sharma, who scored his first half-century in Test cricket. Thanks to Vihari and Ishant’s efforts, India, who would have been happy with 350 at one point, ended with 416.8. Jasprit Bumrah, 6 for 27, including a hat-trick 2nd Test, JamaicaA length ball swinging away from the middle stump. Darren Bravo edges it to second slip. Caught.Another length ball swings in from outside off. Shamarh Brooks looks to go across the line and is trapped in front of middle stump. Lbw.A full inswinger that raps Roston Chase above the toe, in front of middle stump. Bumrah doesn’t even appeal. Kohli yells, “There was no bat on that”. Review. Lbw. Hat-trick. Bumrah stares in disbelief, his hands on his mouth. He becomes only the third Indian bowler, after Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan, to claim a Test hat-trick.It was the ninth over of West Indies’ first innings after Vihari and Ishant had played their parts so well. Bumrah’s was the kind of effort that has Kohli screaming “what a bowler, man” from behind the stumps. What a bowler, indeed! Just 12 Test matches, a five-for in every country he has played in, a Test hat-trick, a series haul of 13 in four innings.

Will their suspension be lifted? What of their funding and future participation in ICC events? Here’s an explainer

Firdose Moonda11-Oct-2019The status of Zimbabwe’s Full Membership with the ICC might become clear during the board meeting of the game’s governing body in Dubai next week.Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) was suspended in July after the ICC deemed that there was government interference in the running of the board, which had been stood down by the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), a body tasked to regulate sporting organisations in the country.The suspension has left ZC without ICC funding – they were due to receive US $94 million over eight years – and their national teams are currently excluded from ICC events. However, with their status likely to be reviewed, a proper picture of their immediate future will emerge soon. Here’s a brief explainer:What are the potential outcomes for ZC?
The best case for ZC would be its reinstatement as a Full Member. If the ICC is still concerned about ZC’s governance, it could opt for a reinstatement with conditions. If the governing body deems ZC hasn’t met the requirements, it could remain suspended. The worst-case scenario remains having their membership terminated.ALSO READ: Liam Brickhill: Please don’t let this be the death of Zimbabwe CricketWhat did ZC need to do for their suspension to be lifted?
In a letter on July 24, the ICC asked ZC to “unconditionally reinstate” the board that was stood down by the SRC no later than October 8 and provide “satisfactory evidence” that ZC will “administer its affairs free of external interference and influence”.Has ZC met these requirements?
It claims to have done so.On August 8, three weeks after ZC was suspended, the SRC stated that it had lifted the suspension and that the interim manager they had put in place – former ZC chairman Dave Ellman-Brown – “would cease to be responsible for ZC’s affairs”. The board, chaired by Tavengwa Mukuhlani, has been reinstated since then, which meets the ICC’s first requirement.This is what a ZC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo: “The SRC has made an undertaking not to interfere in the affairs of ZC, and ZC has furnished this correspondence to ICC.” It’s now up to the governing body to decide if this correspondence is enough evidence to guarantee the ZC’s independence.Does this mean that ZC is now run properly?
What it mean is that an SRC-appointed board – one that included a number of names many consider to be credible – will not be running ZC. Mukuhlani’s board is back in charge, the same one that has overseen several years of financial and administrative crisis, including multiple player strikes.What will lifting the suspension mean for Zimbabwe’s cricketers?
This much is certain: it’s too late for them to participate in the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Dubai (from October 28), where Nigeria have replaced them. They could, however, feature in the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in January-February 2020 if ZC is reinstated.Will their home series against West Indies later this month go ahead, irrespective of ICC’s decision?
No. The visit was due to take place around the time of the T20 World Cup Qualifiers, which Zimbabwe would have been a part of. So the series stands postponed and new dates are yet to be worked out.What will lifting the suspension mean for ZC as an organisation?
For starters, it will start receiving ICC funding again. For an organisation steeped in debt, in a country with a struggling economy, money is a lifeblood. It could finance the Zimbabwean domestic season, renewal of player and staff contracts, and maybe even fund an incoming tour. Whether ZC will be able to satisfactorily manage and stretch that money remains to be seen. At the non-monetary level, reinstatement will also give ZC its ICC voting rights back.