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Tahmid said switching between formats quickly is something the pair worked on

Mohammad Isam28-Dec-2024On the night before the Boxing Day Test, Sam Konstas told his batting coach Tahmid Islam that he would only play the scoop against Jasprit Bumrah after he reached 150. But, after a number of early plays and misses against the champion fast bowler on debut at the MCG, Konstas brought forward his plans for the scoop. It hardly surprised Tahmid, Konstas’ 29-year-old batting coach.Tahmid said as much in a conversation with Bangladeshi journalists on Saturday, a chat arranged by Prime Bank Cricket Club, Tahmid’s team in a short stint in the Dhaka Premier League several years ago. The news of Tahmid being Konstas’ batting coach has made headlines in Bangladesh.Tahmid, speaking via Zoom, said Konstas’ instincts took over on Test debut. “We were having dinner the night before when he told me that the plan was to only scoop once he got to 150,” Tahmid said. “It wasn’t really part of the plan [to play the shot so early]. But he is someone that plays on instinct. He plays with a lot of freedom. He doesn’t really think of the consequences of what people are going to say if he gets it wrong. I think it is his biggest skill and asset. Whereas loads of players think about the consequences like ‘what if I fail doing it’ or ‘what if I get out playing it’ or ‘the media and coaching staff will have a go at me’.”Related

• Konstas arrives at the Test arena like a supernova

• Konstas on taking on Bumrah: 'Beauty of being young and naive'

“Sam is quite assured in his game. After playing and missing six times in his first ten or 12 balls, he thought that the best way to put pressure on Bumrah was to try to put him off his length. He threw a different challenge at Bumrah, which was really good for Sam. It really shell-shocked India. They weren’t expecting a 19-year-old to come out and play with that sort of freedom.”Tahmid, who works with Elevate Cricket Coaching, said that he was hardly surprised by Konstas’ choice of shots against a bowler of Bumrah’s class.”It isn’t a surprise. The reason Australia picked him was to throw India a different challenge. Sam took on the Indian bowling attack, minus Bumrah, during his century for the Prime Minister’s XI against India about three weeks ago. He played with a lot of freedom. He played the reverse-scoop. He ran down the wicket to play back over the bowler’s head.”Sam is someone who will play some shots and put people off their lengths, as opposed to the traditional approach. It was a bit of a gamble. It paid off for Australia. Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith were talking about how Sam’s innings gave them the opportunity to go out and express themselves as well. It was the freedom which they probably lacked in the first three games.”Debutant Sam Konstas obliges fans at the MCG•Getty Images

Tahmid, who first took up coaching when he was playing in the Yorkshire Premier League in 2013, said that he first met Konstas when he was 14 years old, at Cranbrook School where Konstas was on a cricket scholarship. “Five years ago, I took up coaching at Cranbrook in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. That’s where Sam got a scholarship to go to school. That’s where we initially met. He was 14 years old. We had this really good connection from the first couple of sessions that we did in school.”Tahmid narrated the story of how he formulated a plan for his cricketing future with Konstas’ father. “I was having dinner with his dad one night. We had some Greek food, which is their heritage. I put together a bit of a programme for him to try to target for the next phase of his life, which was to play Under-16s cricket in the New South Wales (NSW) system. It was where it all started for him. It was about his technical, mental and tactical game.”As the journey evolved, we were lucky enough to have Shane Watson involved in the mindset side of things. I worked quite closely with Shane over the last few years. I worked with him in Major League Cricket (MLC) with the San Francisco Unicorns.”Konstas added power to his game in the last 18 months when, alongside Tahmid, he worked on his white-ball skills. “He was always a technically sound player growing up. He had the fundamentals of the game. He wasn’t a very powerful player though,” Tahmid said. “He didn’t score very quickly growing up, so he focused a lot on his white-ball cricket in the last 18 months.”He made his BBL debut two weeks ago. The focus was to make him a better T20 player. He was contracted last year but didn’t play any games. That’s where his white-ball game really started to develop and come along.”Tahmid said that his friendship with England batter Harry Brook helped him mould Konstas’ cricket. “Someone that we use [as a reference] is Harry Brook, with whom I was lucky enough to play in Sydney. He is the No. 1 [currently No. 2] Test batter in the world. He is a fantastic all-format player, with whom I am really good friends. I get a lot of information from him, which I relay on to Sam, on how to transition between formats.Sam Konstas debuted in the BBL earlier this month, and a baggy green followed quickly•Getty Images

“It can be quite challenging but nowadays, you have to switch between formats. Sam plays Big Bash five or six days before the Boxing Day Test. If you don’t have the ability to switch between formats, you will get left behind.”Of course Konstas also didn’t just come out with the scoops, reverse-hits and ramps overnight. He has worked hard at these shots in the nets. But, Tahmid said, to execute the same shots in a high-profile match at a packed MCG takes a lot of confidence, which remains a defining feature of Konstas. “He has been doing reverse-ramps for five or six years in the nets. It doesn’t happen by mistake. They need a lot of preparation to go out and execute in a game. And when you have clarity from your captain and organisation, it helps you to go out and express yourself. You don’t have the fear of getting dropped.”I think he was always a confident person. He always wanted to be the best player in the field. He used to tell me after training, ‘what celebrations do you want from me when I get a century tomorrow?’ That’s what he told me before the Boxing Day Test too.”

Shoaib Bashir is in contention to make his England debut in the second Test at Visakhapatnam on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2024Brendon McCullum has said that Shoaib Bashir is in contention to make his England debut in the second Test at Visakhapatnam on Friday, and has floated the possibility of fielding an all-spin attack at some stage in his side’s five-match series in India.Bashir linked up with the squad in Hyderabad on Sunday after a lengthy delay in the processing of his visa forced him to fly back to London from England’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, rather than straight to India. He has a sparse first-class record, with 10 wickets in six matches, but England’s management believe his attributes could suit Indian conditions.The touring party arrived in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday with doubts remaining over Jack Leach’s fitness ahead of the second Test, after a heavily bruised knee limited him to short spell in Hyderabad. But if Leach is passed fit and the pitch at the ACA-VDCA ground looks dry, it is not impossible that England could play all four of their spinners together.Related

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• Tom Hartley relishing India rematch after thrilling first taste of Bazball

England used Mark Wood as their lone seamer in their turnaround 28-run victory in Hyderabad and he had limited impact across both innings, sending down 25 wicketless overs. And while James Anderson, Gus Atkinson and Ollie Robinson will come into the picture at some stage, McCullum raised the prospect of England going into a Test without a seam option.”Bash, he was obviously with us during our camp in Abu Dhabi and he really impressed with his skillset,” McCullum told SENZ radio. “He fitted in seamlessly within the group and he’s a guy who’s got an immense amount of enthusiasm, albeit at a young age and pretty limited in his first-class experience.”Like Tom Hartley, he was a guy who we looked at and we thought he’s got some skills which could assist us in these conditions. The visa situation, that’s just life, right? Sometimes that happens and everyone was doing everything that they could to try and resolve the situation. There’s just some red tape you’ve got to cut through at times.”When he arrived, the boys gave him a huge cheer and he got to witness something pretty special with the fellas bowling us to a Test win. He comes into calculations for the next Test match. If the wickets continue to spin as much as what we saw in the first Test as the series goes on, look, we won’t be afraid to play all spinners, or a balance of what we’ve got.”Tom Hartley picked up 7 for 62 in the second innings•Associated Press

McCullum also praised Ben Stokes’ handling of Hartley, who recovered from a Yashasvi Jaiswal mauling on the first evening, to take 7 for 62 on the fourth day. “He’s only played a handful of first-class games and was probably a bit of a punt, selection-wise,” McCullum said. “But we saw something in him that we thought would work over there and he’s a tough character.”The way that the skipper handled him was quite remarkable and he obviously brought us to a Test win… I thought that was a real sign of leadership. It was a clear message to not just Tom, but those that are around the squad, that when we talk about freedom, taking the game on and trying to come in and make a difference, you’re not going to be cast aside or taken off the crease from the first sign of danger.”I thought it was a magnificent decision by the skipper to do that. And I think it allowed Tom to feel like he belonged and he knew what his role was. It came up trumps in the end, but you’ve got to have a bit of a punt sometimes. And this one came off.”McCullum said that England had been “brave” in selecting Hartley, who had only taken 40 first-class wickets before making his Test debut in Hyderabad. “But let’s not forget – and I think this is quite a pertinent point – but Nathan Lyon, he’d only played a handful of first-class games and averaged 40-odd when he first got picked for Australia,” he said. And he’s gone on to have a fabulous career.”When you see guys you think are good enough, and who you think are going to suit the conditions, it’s sort of horses for courses. You’ve got to back your judgement… no-one ever foresees 7 for 60-odd on debut, or nine for the match, or 60-odd runs, a run-out and a catch. But sometimes, you’ve got to be a little bit brave with selections. If you like a character and you like their skillset and you think it can be suited to conditions, then it’s kind of an educated punt.”

Paul Collingwood to work with London Spirit, Richard Dawson at Welsh Fire, Carl Hopkinson at Superchargers

Matt Roller29-Jun-2023Several England men’s assistant coaches have lined up jobs in the Hundred in August, which takes place between the end of the Ashes and the start of the white-ball team’s run-in to the 50-over World Cup.ESPNcricinfo understands that Richard Dawson is set to work alongside Michael Hussey at Welsh Fire, while Carl Hopkinson is due to link up with James Foster’s Northern Superchargers. The pair both act as assistants to Matthew Mott in England’s white-ball set-up.Paul Collingwood, who is an assistant coach to Brendon McCullum in the Test side, is also due to work in the competition. He will work at London Spirit, who are coached by the former England coach Trevor Bayliss.England’s white-ball team have not played since March and their next fixture is the first of four T20Is against New Zealand on August 30, leaving their coaching staff relatively short on work for the majority of the home summer.Mott encouraged Dawson and Hopkinson to apply for roles in the Hundred, and said that their roles would benefit the England team. “They’ve both been around the county scene for a long time, and I think they’ll do well at it in the Hundred,” Mott told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a good opportunity for them.”It’s great that we’ve got eyes and ears in those camps, too – even just around some of the international players that are coming in. It’s almost like having a couple of scouts out there, extra eyes and ears. There’s only positives to come out of that.”Mott himself was due to coach Welsh Fire Women in the inaugural season of the Hundred but pulled out due to Covid-related travel restrictions, and said that it “wouldn’t sit right” to be involved in the competition while working as England’s head coach.But he is open to working in franchise cricket at some stage during his tenure, most notably in the IPL – where he acted as Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach during the competition’s early years. “I’d be open to it, but it’d have to fit into my schedule,” he said.The 2024 edition is off the table due to its proximity to the T20 World Cup but there is a window in England’s white-ball schedule the following season, after the Champions Trophy. Mott added: “It’s definitely a goal to get back there at some point, but I’m not in a rush at the moment.”

Netherlands folded for 118 in their chase of 202 as SL’s varied attack proved too tough to handle

Madushka Balasuriya17-Jun-2024
Sri Lanka ended their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign in a resounding fashion with a dominant 83-run win over Netherlands in Gros Islet. It meant they ended on three points and third place in Group D behind South Africa and Bangladesh, who had confirmed their place in the Super Eight after beating Nepal in Kingstown.Sri Lanka’s victory set up by their batters and finished off clinically by the bowlers. Nuwan Thushara was the pick of the bunch with figures of 3 for 24, but each of Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka and Matheesha Pathirana also got in on the act as Netherlands were knocked out and bowled out 118 in chase of 202.Charith Asalanka had led the way for Sri Lanka with a blistering 46 off 21, which itself followed solid efforts from Kusal Mendis (46 off 29) and Dhananjaya de Silva (34 off 26). Jet fuel was then poured on proceedings by Angelo Mathews (30 off 15) and Hasaranga (20 off six), as Sri Lanka became just the second team to breach 200 this tournament.Netherlands briefly flirted with an improbable chase when Michael Levitt was going strong in the powerplay, but once the first wicket fell the rest offered up little resistance as Sri Lanka’s varied attack proved too tough to handle.

Sri Lanka keep things ticking

Losing Pathum Nissanka second ball put paid to any notion that Sri Lanka might come out all guns blazing, but a steady rotation of strike in the powerplay mitigated the lack of early boundary striking – the powerplay saw four fours and a solitary six, but they managed to score 45 runs despite losing two wickets.By the end of the tenth over Sri Lanka’s boundary count remained in single digits, but the continued consistent running between the wickets ensured that they maintained a healthy run rate. Between overs seven and ten only two boundaries were struck, but Sri Lanka nevertheless found themselves at a healthy 74 for 2 at the halfway stage of their innings.A shift in gears was however necessary on a ground in which 181 was chased down just a day prior, and this occurred swiftly and suddenly in the 13th over, as Dhananjaya pounded Paul van Meekeren for three consecutive boundaries – using the strong cross breeze to great effect.Nuwan Thushara stepped up with the ball for Sri Lanka•ICC/Getty Images

SL batters arrive…belatedly

Sri Lanka’s batting had been under heavy scrutiny coming into this game, particularly their middle order, which had been guilty of not showing enough intent and purpose. Here though they fired on all cylinders.From the 13th to the 20th over only one of those went without a six being scored, as Sri Lanka plundered 77 runs off the final five overs. Asalanka, Mathews and Hasaranga all had impressive showings, feasting on the Dutch bowlers’ inability to nail their lengths with most deliveries proving either too full or too short.The result was a score that was always likely to be a stretch too far against this Sri Lanka bowling attack.

Leave it to Levitt

He might have had only 12 T20Is to his name, but 20-year-old Michael Levitt had already made quite the impression, having made his debut earlier this year. Leading up to this game, in just 12 T20Is he had already racked up 368 runs at an average of 33.45 and strike rate of 150.20, including two fifties and a century.Regardless of opposition those are impressive numbers, and here against a challenging Sri Lankan attack, he (briefly) lived up to the hype. He took on both Thushara and Theekshana in his 23-ball 31, the highlight of which was a sumptuous back-foot lofted-cover drive off the latter for six.His inexperience showed when he charged and was stumped off Theekshana, but the future certainly does seem to be bright for the youngster.

SL bowlers take over

Levitt ‘s wicket towards the end of the powerplay followed Max O’Dowd’s an over prior. It meant two new batters were at the crease, but the required run-rate remained as steep as ever. What followed was a crash course in intent without execution.Vikramjit Singh fell pulling as Kamindu Mendis completed a very unique bobbling, juggling catch, while Sybrand Engelbrecht – having managed a sweet straight six off Hasaranga – would fall a short while later trying the same off Matheesha Pathirana Pathirana.A double-strike an over later from Hasaranga then suddenly left Netherlands reeling on 71 for 6. Scott Edwards hung around for a stubborn 31 off 24, but wickets kept falling around him as Netherlands were eventually bundled out in the 17th over.

Lancashire chase fizzles out despite half-century from Jos Buttler

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Jul-2025Jonny Bairstow hit 10 sixes in a stunning career-best 116 off 54 balls as struggling Yorkshire shocked high-flying Lancashire Lightning by claiming an entertaining 19-run Roses Vitality Blast win at Emirates Old Trafford.Yorkshire won in Manchester for the first time since 2014, claiming only their fourth win in 11 North Group games this season on the back of 236 for 6.Opener Bairstow shared 167 with up-and-coming Will Luxton, who finished 90 not out off 46 balls with seven sixes. Their second-wicket partnership was Yorkshire’s highest ever in Blast history and helped maintain their slim quarter-final hopes.Lancashire dropped out of the top two places in the group courtesy of a fourth defeat in 11, despite former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler’s season’s best 55 off 33 balls. Lightning finished on 217 for 7, with Jordan Thompson striking twice.Yorkshire, who lost Dawid Malan early to Luke Wood, started brightly by reaching 33 for 1 after three. Bairstow pulled James Anderson for an early six and later launched him over long-on as he reached 50 off 24 balls inside the powerplay, which ended with Yorkshire 72 for 1.The charge continued as Bairstow and Luxton, who also posted a career-best score, increased the pressure on the home attack, particularly England white-ball spinner Tom Hartley, whose only two overs went for 39. The pair took him on successfully down the ground, hitting three sixes as 24 came from the 10th and Yorkshire reached halfway at 115 for 1.Bairstow was at his belligerent best, savage on anything full or short. He was struck a nasty blow to the neck by a Jack Blatherwick bouncer, but it was only a minor inconvenience en-route to a 49-ball century – the fifth of his career.Meanwhile, Luxton was dropped three times as Lancashire’s fielders struggled to deal with the sun. Luxton was equally as dynamic as Bairstow, though obviously had more fortune. He was noticeably dominant down the ground.After Bairstow was caught at deep midwicket off Chris Green’s offspin, Luxton was starved off the strike late on and was unable to follow his partner to three figures.Australian Green claimed three of four wickets to fall in a final over which went for only three runs, finishing with 4 for 34.There was no doubt, however, that Yorkshire were in pole position in front of a crowd just shy of 15,000. Lancashire also started brightly with the bat, but Keaton Jennings was the subject of a smart back-peddling catch from Dom Bess at mid-on off Will Sutherland – 31 for 1 in the third over.Buttler and Salt then shared 72 in seven overs to raise home hopes, but the latter was caught at long-on by Bess off Thompson’s seam as the score reached 106 for 2 after 10 overs.Thompson and Bess, with his offspin, then struck twice in as many overs as Yorkshire took control. Buttler was caught behind off a top-edged pull and Luke Wells brilliantly held by James Wharton diving forwards at long on – 133 for 4 in the 13th.From there, Yorkshire comfortably wrapped up a third straight Roses win following two in the last two seasons at Headingley. One key factor was the visitors hitting 18 sixes to Lancashire’s nine.Bess claimed one wicket, two catches and half a hand in a run out.

Visitors recover from sticky start to post 282 after Blackpool weather relents

Paul Edwards11-Jul-2023
English fiction is replete with characters who repair to the seaside to help them recover from illness or other misfortunes. In Jane Austen’s Anne Elliot has “the bloom and freshness of youth” restored by the fine wind on the coast and even modern novelists such as John Banville and Ian McEwan use littoral settings for literary effect. At first glance, though, the comparisons between the gentle Elliot and Lancashire’s head coach, Glen Chapple, are not obvious. (At second glance, they disappear completely.) But Chapple’s players also appear to be using trips to their coastal outgrounds to restore their summer.In June, having drawn their first five Championship matches and sitting a miserable seventh in Division One, Lancashire went to Southport and defeated Hampshire by six wickets. This week, still bruised by their failure to qualify for T20 Finals Day, Keaton Jennings and his players are in Blackpool, attempting to assuage their disappointment by beating Essex, who will be travelling to Edgbaston for English cricket’s annual hogfeast on Saturday.On Monday, both sides were defeated by the omega block, a meteorological feature that brought fearsome downpours whistling in from the west and restricted the teams to just 28 balls, the final three of which were bowled over six hours after the preceding 25. Indeed, had not Stanley Park’s outfield been relaid at a cost of £180,000 over three years ago, the 100th first-class match to take place on this famous ground might have been abandoned soon after it started.Around three o’clock Chapple might have been wishing it had been given up as a bad job. For rather than build on their removal of three top-order batters on the sweating wicket in the first hour or so of the day, Lancashire’s bowlers had been punished by Tom Westley, who had reached his third century of the season with a cut off Colin de Grandhomme, and Paul Walter, who had clouted Tom Hartley for two leg-side sixes in the over before lunch and meted out the same indignity to Jack Blatherwick when the players returned. The pair had also set a new fifth-wicket record for Essex against Lancashire, beating the 147 stand shared by Sonny Avery and Tom Pearce, also at Blackpool, in 1948. What made things worse was that Hartley had dropped Westley on 78 when he grassed a low chance at midwicket off de Grandhomme. Rather than rebalance Chapple’s delicate humours, it was enough to cause a relapse.Medicine, though, was at hand, specifically the right hand of Blatherwick who clutched a firmly hit clip by Walter off de Grandhomme when the tall Essex left-hander had made 76 off 119 balls and extended his partnership with Westley to 155. That dismissal left Essex on 210 for 5, neither prosperous nor poor one might think on what looks a fine outground pitch. Simon Harmer, whose wicket is rarely donated to his opponents, then joined Westley and the pair added a watchful 65 in 24 overs before Lancashire took the second new ball and the game was changed by Tom Bailey, one of the circuit’s least lauded yet most skilful bowlers.The first breakthrough was made by Will Williams, who had Westley caught at slip by Rob Jones for 135 when the Essex skipper seemed disconcerted by a little extra bounce. The last four Essex batters, however, were removed by Bailey, who bowled Harmer with one that nipped away off a good length and then induced Doug Bracewell to sky a pull to midwicket, where Dane Vilas waited under the catch. Both Sam Cook and Will Buttleman fell leg before to the Lancashire seamer, who had by then taken four wickets in 20 balls to complete an innings return of 6 for 59.So much, so very satisfactory for most of the home supporters, some of whom had watched the rain thunder down 24 hours earlier and might have wondered whether the county match they had worked so hard to stage would be worth remembering. And any misgivings they still harboured can hardly have been eased by the sight of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook warming up on the outfield. Essex’s new-ball pair are skilled in making totals of 282 look mountainous, especially so when left with an evening hour in which they can expend their full efforts.And the prospect of an early tumble of wickets assumed a grim reality when Luke Wells attempted to leave Porter’s fourth ball of the innings but only inside edged it onto his stumps. That success merely spurred the bowlers to greater efforts; perhaps they even expected them. Certainly there was no shortage of appeals or near things as Jennings and Josh Bohannon played out the final 13 overs and home spectators postponed their plans for an early departure in favour of watching some of the day’s most gripping cricket. Three hours earlier, they had enjoyed Westley’s leg-side repertoire and his occasional cover-drive; now success was to be measured in forward defensive strokes and balls survived. The final over was bowled by Bracewell, whose penultimate delivery was leg glanced for four by Bohannon. A minute or so later he was punching gloves with Jennings and the players were leaving the long-shadowed field; the sight was far removed from the floods of the previous 48 hours and it offers a rich prospect for the remaining two days of this game.

Nadine de Klerk, who is recovering from an Achilles’ injury, is also part of the Laura Wolvaardt-led side

Firdose Moonda03-Sep-2024South Africa have named 18-year-old uncapped legspinner Seshnie Naidu and 20-year-old seamer Ayanda Hlubi in an otherwise experienced 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Both players were part of the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup held in South Africa last year.The rest of the squad members, apart from wicketkeeper batter Mieke de Ridder, were part of the playing group that reached the final of the 2023 T20 World Cup. From those, Lara Goodall, Masabata Klaas and Delmi Tucker miss out, and Shabnim Ismail has since retired.Dillon du Preez will continue to coach the side in an interim capacity, after taking over Hilton Moreeng in June. South Africa have yet to appoint a permanent head coach.The squad will be captained by Laura Wolvaardt, and includes the experience of allrounder Marizanne Kapp, opener Tazmin Brits and seamer Ayabonga Khaka. Nadine de Klerk, who is currently recovering from an Achilles’ injury, is expected to be fully fit for the tournament. Having last played against India in July, South Africa will play three matches in Pakistan en route to the UAE.The inclusion of Naidu and Hlubi comes amid talk of a comeback by Ismail and former captain Dane van Niekerk, suggesting South Africa are looking forward. While Ismail retired after the 2023 T20 World Cup final, van Niekerk quit amid controversy after she failed to make the T20 World Cup squad over fitness concerns. Ismail continues to play in T20 leagues. Convener of selectors Clinton du Preez said there was “no conversation” around a comeback but van Niekerk has signed with Western Province for the upcoming season. She told ESPNcricinfo she has “no timeline” on a possible return to the national side, and du Preez reiterated that she would have to re-earn her place.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The message is very clear,” du Preez said. “She has opted to come back and play provincial cricket and she has got to try and knock down the door, do whatever she does best, and then we will consider and see how it goes forward.”Du Preez called the current status of the squad as being in “transition”, and Naidu and Hlubi are among the first to benefit from that. Both play their cricket at the Durban-based Dolphins team, where Hlubi was among the top ten wicket-takers in 50-over cricket in Division One last summer. She also toured to Australia with the national team.”She’s got good attributes as a quick bowler,” du Preez said. “We followed her in the provincial competition, and definitely look at her excitement as a bowler, and going into a World Cup as a player that is not known to quite a few countries. We are looking at what she can bring towards and complement her bowling attack.”Naidu’s career is in its infancy but she has already played in a major continental tournament as well. She was part of the South African Emerging Women’s squad that competed at the Africa Games in Ghana earlier this year and has been identified as a future star.”Seshnie Naidu has shown significant growth as a bowler within our camps, and we see her as an X factor for the World Cup,” du Preez said. “She brings a unique element to our bowling attack, offering something different that could be pivotal.”Ayanda Hlubi made her South Africa debut last year•Getty Images

Nonkululeko Mlaba, another Dolphins player, who was once ranked second in the world in T20Is, will lead the spin attack. South Africa have several seam-bowling options, including Kapp, Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune and de Klerk. If there is a concern, it may be around batting depth with the squad overly reliant on Wolvaardt, Kapp and Brits especially as Sune Luus has struggled for form. Luus has not scored more than 19 in any of her six innings in T20Is this year and has been dismissed in single figures four times.Luus’ dip came after she led South Africa in their stunning run to last year’s T20 World Cup final and as a team, their performances have followed suit. Since that tournament, South Africa have only won five out of 18 T20Is and have lost series to Pakistan, Australia and Sri Lanka.At the upcoming World Cup, they will not play any of those teams in the group stage. They are in Group B and will open their campaign against West Indies in Dubai before playing England in Sharjah. They will then return to Dubai to play Scotland and Bangladesh.Like all the other teams at the tournament, South Africa have never played a T20I in Dubai but Luus and Khaka have some experience of Sharjah. They were in the squad that played against Pakistan in a T20I series in 2015.”The management group has consulted in depth in the past week around all the conditions and all the potential factors that could impact things,” du Preez said. “It’s going to be difficult to adapt. However, we feel that the squad that we have got will be able to complement us on the field of play.”

South Africa squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon
Travelling Reserve: Miane Smit

The opener picked up a quad injury in the field and is unlikely to recover in time for Australia’s next match

Andrew McGlashan01-Mar-20251:23

Agar: Johnson lived up to Starc comparisons

Australia are likely to have to alter their top order for the Champions Trophy semi-final after Matthew Short picked up a quad injury against Afghanistan which is expected to rule him out.Short suffered the injury late in Afghanistan’s innings and though he did open the batting alongside Travis Head, laboured between the wickets and was largely restricted to trying to hit boundaries.He managed to club his way to 20 off 15 balls in what became a useful opening stand of 44 in 4.3 overs before being caught at mid-on but captain Steven Smith admitted time wasn’t on Short’s side.”I think he’ll be struggling,” Smith said at the post-match presentation. “I think we saw tonight he wasn’t moving very well. I think it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover.”Related

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Jake Fraser-McGurk, himself a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh, is the spare batter in the squad and would be a like-for-like swap for Short at the top of the order. However, there are other options Australia could consider with allrounder Aaron Hardie a possibility if someone else is moved up to open.”We’ve got a few guys there to come in and we’ll be able to fill a job,” Smith said.Cooper Connolly, the left-handed batter and left-arm spinner, is a travelling reserve and could come into the squad if Short was officially ruled out for the rest of the tournament.Matt Short injured himself in the field•AFP/Getty Images

Short’s absence would also remove a spin-bowling option from the attack. He did an excellent job against Afghanistan with his seven overs costing just 21. However, Australia do have a number of batters who can bowl spin with Head and Marnus Labuschagne, who took two wickets against England, not used on Friday.Australia suffered a number of injuries leading into the tournament with Marsh (back), Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip) and Mitchell Starc (ankle) all missing while Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement.A complicating factor for both the teams who qualify from Group B – South Africa are favourites to join Australia – is that they won’t know whether they are playing the semi-final in Dubai or Lahore until the conclusion of the India-New Zealand game on Sunday night.Group B finishing positions will be known after South Africa play England on Saturday but while India (Dubai) and New Zealand (Lahore) are locked into their venues for the semi-finals their final group position will determine who they face.If South Africa beat England and top the group, Australia will play the winner of New Zealand-India; if England win, Australia will face the loser of that game.Both qualified teams will fly to Dubai early, to give whoever plays the first semi-final an extra day to prepare, but one side will then have to return to Pakistan*. Conditions in Dubai, where India play all their matches, have provided some assistance for the spinners. Australia do have legspinner Tanveer Sangha as another frontline option in their squad.Playing in Lahore would provide more familiar conditions for Australia with two of their group matches having taken place there including the one victory when they chased 352 against England. But there would still be a chance of them needing to travel to Dubai with the final hosted in the UAE should India qualify, otherwise it will be played in Lahore.10.30am GMT: This story was updated after confirmation of travel schedules