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Australia find themselves in a familiar position: 1-0 up for the fourth home Ashes series in a row

Andrew Miller03-Dec-20252:29

Miller: England must back their approach to win second Test

Big picture: A big day three beckons for the Ashes

From two days of Ashes insanity, to two weeks of Ashes inanity. Rarely has the dead time between Tests felt so rich in promise, yet filled with pointlessness, as in this past fortnight. From that hyperactive 19-wicket opening gambit in Perth and the shock and awe of Travis Head’s romp to victory, we’ve since been pitched headlong into a waffle-filled void, fuelled by an Ashes hype-machine that had been in overdrive from the start of November, but has since been in desperate need of red-hot takes to slake its thirst for narrative.In the absence of actual action, we’ve had talk of beer matches and food mountains from the peeved executives at the Optus; we’ve had pontification about the value of pink-ball practice matches from a cast of ex-Ashes combatants (whom Ben Stokes is now adamant are not “has-beens” after all). And in Brisbane this week, we’ve even had talk of potential fines for England’s scooter-based traffic violations. Thursday’s resumption of hostilities under the Gabba floodlights will surely be sweet release for two sets of players who have heard enough yakking, and will now be ready to get back to some hard yakka.What have we learned in this impatient lull? Not a whole lot, if truth be told. In spite of the speed of their meltdown, England still competed more gamely in Perth than in any Test in Australia since their victorious tour in 2010-11. If they get the better of the conditions in what Stuart Broad has described as a pink-ball “lottery”, they could yet restore the optimism with which they launched this campaign. If they do not, or if they bat as frivolously as they did in that crucial post-lunch passage of play on day two, a third 5-0 whitewash in six tours could already be loading. Choose your path, there’ll be plenty opportunities to retro-fit your narrative come the end of the Sydney Test.Related

• Root unperturbed by Starc pink-ball challenge

• Pink-ball Tests still an Australian speciality after a decade

• Stokes primed for most important assignment as England captain

• Boland buoyed by Perth spell: 'I'm good enough to compete with anyone'

• Switch Hit podcast: Pink ball, Bazball, Gabba gamble

For the time being, it’s a chastened (if not reformed) England that has regrouped at the Gabba. This Ashes tour has been front and centre of their planning for three-and-a-half years, right from the inception of the so-called Bazball project, and they’ll know – notwithstanding their fightback from 2-0 down in 2023 – that they cannot afford another false start. There was nervous energy in spades in Perth, and while that translated wonderfully well into a kinetic frenzy with the ball in the first innings, even the most pigheaded advocate of England’s no-consequences mindset would acknowledge that the loss of 20 wickets in less than 70 overs was a dereliction of batting duty.As for Australia, they were scarcely any less shocked by what they witnessed in Perth – although the sight of Head launching Jofra Archer for a back-foot six over long-on might have been a key contributor to that. Amid the chaos caused by Usman Khawaja’s back spasm, and the unsatisfactory compromise that forced Marnus Labuschagne to open in the first innings, Head’s subsequent promotion proved a masterstroke. It met England’s go-getting attack head-on, and challenged them in the same manner that Yashasvi Jaiswal had done in his own six-laden onslaughts in India two years ago. If Bazball is all in the mind, then Head was in England’s heads by the end of that innings, rather than vice versa.England’s chosen route back to parity has already taken an interesting turn. Mark Wood reported soreness in his knee after a wicketless display in Perth and is out of the reckoning – who knows for how long, although his fitness for flatter decks to come (particularly in Adelaide) could yet be as much of a priority as the here-and-now. But into his place comes not another seamer, nor the primary spinner Shoaib Bashir (who had been England’s designated 12th man in the first Test), but the each-way-bet option of Will Jacks, a selection that smacks, ever so slightly, of a team second-guessing themselves.Travis Head hit 123 off 83 in the second innings of the first Test•Getty Images

It’s an interesting predicament that leans into the vacuousness of the discourse since Perth. So much of England’s mindset-led approach has been about blocking out the noise and doubling down on positive reaffirmation from within the dressing-room walls – the logic being that, if you believe that the team has your back no matter what, then you already own your half of the mental battle.But never before has this England team encountered noise quite like this – a 24/7 media bombardment that will surely have seeped into their subconscious decision-making, even if they are overtly still as bold as brass. Batting more sensibly at key moments, for instance, may be a pre-requisite for this Ashes fightback, but if that comes at the expense of bravery, then what will that do for their over-arching ethos? Scott Boland’s decisive burst in the second innings at Perth was arguably a case in point, after he’d been taken at more than six an over in the first, while Stokes has already admitted his captaincy was found wanting when Head started teeing off in the run-chase. It’s hard to imagine, for instance, that he’ll dare to declare after 60 overs to get bowling in the twilight, as was the case when England won their most recent pink-ball Test in Mount Maunganui two years ago.Australia, meanwhile, are in a happy and familiar position in this series: 1-0 up, for the fourth home Ashes in a row, and heading into a format in which their record is unparalleled, both in terms of volume of matches and victories secured. But, thanks in no small part to England tripping over their own feet when well set, they know they were spared a deeply uncomfortable denouement in that first Test. The onus is on the visitors to finish the inquisition they started, before it’s too late for beg for third chances.

Form guide

Australia: WWWWL
England: LLDWL

In the spotlight: Mitchell Starc and Joe Root

The story hasn’t changed for Mitchell Starc, but the expectations have been ramped up an extra notch. At Perth, he was the last man standing of the greatest pace trio of the modern era, and he responded supremely, with a career-best 7 for 58 and ten wickets in the match. Now, he’s been asked to do so again, in a form of the game in which he is simply without equal. His 81 wickets in day-night Tests include a startling haul of 6 for 9 in his most recent outing, as West Indies were routed for 27 in Kingston in July. If he makes the pink ball talk as loudly as it can do under the Gabba floodlights, there’ll be plenty more where that came from. Starc has a chance to put the Ashes beyond realistic reach, before Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have even bowled a ball in anger.Mitchell Starc dismissed Joe Root in both innings in Perth•Getty Images

There’s no ducking the issue for Joe Root any more. If his team are to turn their fortunes around in this series, then England’s greatest run-scorer desperately needs to come to the party. Notwithstanding Zak Crawley’s pair, Root’s performance in Perth was arguably the most culpable among many failures in that first Test, in particular his skittish second-innings drive that capped England’s post-lunch collapse. His scores of 0 and 8 did little to dial down the pre-series chat about his modest record in Australia, and were perhaps an indication of the very real nerves he felt coming into a legacy-defining campaign. Now, however, he needs his vast experience to steer his team’s agenda. Of all the ways that England might have envisaged losing in Australia, Root going missing was not among them.

Team news: Jacks in, Khawaja out

Usman Khawaja’s failure to recover from a back spasm has arguably spared Australia an awkward decision, seeing as his inability to open at Perth was what enabled Travis Head to stride up to the top of the order and turn the first Test on its head. Head now seems likely to retain his role alongside Jake Weatherald, with Josh Inglis looking set to slot into the gap in the middle order: his prowess against short-pitched bowling might be the clincher, with Beau Webster again unlucky to miss out. There’s still no absolute clarity on Pat Cummins, who remains with Australia’s squad and even batted in the nets on Tuesday, but he is not officially part of their squad for this Test as he continues his return from a back injury.Australia (probable): 1 Jake Weatherald, 2 Travis Head, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Josh Inglis, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Lyon, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Brendan Doggett.Will Jacks is back in England’s Test team after three years away•AFP/Getty Images

With Wood ruled out due to a knee issue, Jacks is the surprise inclusion in England’s XI. He comes into the side as England’s frontline spin option, ahead of Bashir, whose consistent selection over the past two years had seemingly been with a view to him playing a central role in this Ashes campaign. Instead, England have opted for the insurance that Jacks’ significantly better batting provides at No. 8, while hoping that his offspin can front up for England as it did on debut at Rawalpindi, three years ago to the week, when his six first-innings wickets proved crucial to a famous win over Pakistan. In part, it is a reflection of the “lottery” of the pink-ball Test – and given Jacks’ ongoing rebirth as a No. 7 in the ODI team, he could yet play some hybrid “finisher” role in a typically fast-paced innings – but it is a rare case of England hedging their bets in the Bazball era, rather than going all-in on a preferred strategy.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Will Jacks, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Gus Atkinson, 11 Jofra Archer.

Pitch and conditions

Curator Dave Sandurski said on Tuesday that he would leave 3mm of grass on the pitch, and the familiar green tinge may fade away under the Queensland sun. Despite some spicy practice pitches in the Gabba nets, there is a suggestion this track could be on the slow side, and with the current batch of Kookaburra balls reportedly going soft quickly, that could spell hard times for fielding sides if either team can keep wickets in hand heading into 50-60 overs. That said, England couldn’t bat beyond 35 on either occasion at Perth. New-ball swing, under the floodlights, is sure to be a feature at some stage of the contest.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won 13 and lost one of their 14 pink-ball Tests to date.
• All but one of these (their most recent, against West Indies in July) came on home soil, including each of their three wins against England in the Ashes, at Adelaide (in 2017-18 and 2021-22) and Hobart (2021-22).
• However, their solitary defeat in a day/night Test came at the Gabba, against West Indies in January 2024.
• England, by contrast, have lost five of their seven pink-ball Tests to date, although they did win their most recent, against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui in February 2023.
• Starc, with 81 wickets at 17.08 in 14 Tests, has almost twice as many pink-ball wickets as the next most prolific bowlers, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon (both 43 at 17.34 and 25.62 respectively), and nine times as many as the most experienced bowlers in England’s squad, Mark Wood and Joe Root (nine each).
• Starc needs three more wickets to overtake Wasim Akram as the most prolific left-arm fast bowler in Test history.

Quotes

“They’ve said for a while they’re not going to really change the way they go about their business. I don’t expect too much different.”
“Many teams have gone to the Gabba and lost to Australia, but this is a brand new outfit. Lots of guys are on their first Ashes tours, so this is going to be a new experience for them… It doesn’t hold too much fear.”

The wicketkeeper-batter was brought down from Diamond to Gold, and finally picked in Silver, following a PCB rejig of the player categories

Umar Farooq13-Dec-2021Kamran Akmal, the most-capped player in the history of the PSL as well as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, has refused to take part in the next edition of the league after being picked in the draft in the lowest category of players by his old team Peshawar Zalmi. Calling it a “humiliation”, Akmal told ESPNcricinfo, “If it has to end like this, so be it, but I am not going to play”.The PCB had tweaked the player categories before the draft, and Akmal had been moved down from the Diamond category to the Gold category but was eventually picked up by Zalmi as their last pick, from the Silver category. Zalmi head coach Mohammad Akram is expected to meet Akmal today, but as far as the player is concerned, his decision won’t change.”If it has to end like this, so be it, but I am not going to play with such humiliation,” he said. “This is an embarrassment. You don’t treat a player like this. With all the runs I have scored in the league, I deserve better.”I agree that rejigging the categories wasn’t the franchises’ prerogative, it was Ramiz Raja [PCB chairman] who reworked the categories. But being picked in Silver was a further demotion.”After the draft on Sunday evening, Akram told mediapersons that he had spoken to Akmal and offered him the same remuneration as a Gold-category player would expect to be paid. “Kamran has always been the closest to our heart. He has not only served Pakistan well, but has entertained PSL fans for last six years,” Akram said. “I had spoken with him earlier, and informed him that if we pick him in the Silver category, we will still pay him same money as he would earn in the Gold category by making him the team’s mentor.”We have also announced a benefit year for him and a certain amount from our earning will go back into that. With age [Akmal is 39], things change and we have to be realistic. But on paper, he is still with the team and that is why we picked him.Related

• Peshawar Zalmi clear the air with Kamran Akmal, confirm he is 'very much part of the side'

• Blog – Relive the PSL 2022 draft

• Draft picks, retained players and potential XIs: How PSL teams stack up ahead of the seventh edition

“He has been our key player and I hope I will be able to persuade him to play the season. But, at the end of the day, it’s their [the players’] choice, they are professionals and can play wherever they want.”The six franchises met in Lahore last evening to pick their squads for the seventh edition of the PSL, which will kick off on January 27 in Karachi. Each franchise had a chance to retain up to eight players, and Zalmi chose not to retain Akmal, the plan being to pick him from the draft instead. Wahab Riaz, the captain of the team, was retained, while Shoaib Malik was acquired from the Diamond category. The team has also brought in Mohammad Harris as an additional wicketkeeper.Akmal’s PSL record is impressive. He has 1820 runs from 69 games, the run tally second only to Babar Azam’s 2070 from 58 games. Akmal has scored his runs at a strike rate of 136.84 and is the only one to have scored three hundreds; Sharjeel Khan has two. A Zalmi player from the start of the competition in 2016, Akmal is also the leading wicketkeeper in the PSL with 60 dismissals to his name.

Though Tamim and Taskin are missing, Litton has Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah to rely on in three-ODI series

Mohammad Isam03-Dec-20225:33

Jaffer: India need to stick with 12-13 players going into ODI World Cup

Big picture

Cricket-mad Bangladesh is currently football-mad. The ongoing World Cup is not just watched in this country, but also celebrated in every corner, dominating most conversations. The visiting Indian players were welcomed by flags of Brazil and Argentina in the buildings overlooking their training ground in Dhaka. There’s little cricket paraphernalia for what is the BCB’s first marquee home series this season. International cricket, even if it is India’s first ODI in Bangladesh in seven years, will have to jostle for space.Bangladesh have qualified for the ODI World Cup next year, but they will not want to take the foot off the gas. India, with their first-choice players back in the squad, would want to start well, and lead into their home World Cup in October next year strongly. This series, remember, is not part of the World Cup Super League, but that shouldn’t reduce the intensity.Related

• Rohit on the ODI World Cup: We can't think so far ahead

• Litton to lead Bangladesh in ODI series against India

• Many contenders but little opportunity as India ring in changes

• Injured Shami ruled out of ODIs against Bangladesh

• 'It's not the ultimate goal' – Tamim on World Cup qualification

Rohit Sharma is back as India’s ODI captain, with KL Rahul his deputy. Virat Kohli has also returned to the side. The star players’ comeback in this format indicates India are starting their preparation for the next year, after sending a second-string side to the recent tour of New Zealand.However, this also means the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar and Rahul Tripathi might not get as many opportunities, as the top and middle orders are loaded with big names. With Mohammed Shami ruled out of the ODIs, and several allrounders like Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar in the mix, it will also be interesting to see how India balance their side with the match being played on the slow Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch.Bangladesh will be missing the services of two star players: Tamim Iqbal, the regular ODI captain, who had earlier pulled out of the series because of a groin injury, and Taskin Ahmed, who was ruled out of the series because of a back injury.Both players have been in good form in ODIs. Tamim has led the side to direct qualification for the World Cup while scoring important runs, and Taskin is seen as the lynchpin of the pace attack these days. Litton Das, who will lead the hosts, has a major role to play with the bat, too, opening against a solid Indian bowling attack.Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are back in the ODI side•AFP/Getty Images

Litton will have seniors in Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to bank on, while the likes of Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali and Anamul Haque will be expected to step up in their respective roles.Mustafizur Rahman, who broke through in India’s last ODI series in Bangladesh in 2015, has to lead the attack now, sharing the duties with Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain. Mehidy Hasan Miraz has risen to the challenge this year, often proving handy when the chips are down .India would not want to take Bangladesh lightly this time, particularly at home where the hosts have not lost a bilateral ODI series since the defeat to England in October 2016. Meanwhile, Bangladesh will rely on their experienced players to get them through.

Form guide

Bangladesh: WLLWW
India: LWWLW

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli is 30 runs short of becoming the second overseas batter to get 1000 runs in ODIs in Bangladesh, where he averages 80.83. In good form in T20Is of late, there couldn’t be a better place for Kohli to get back into rhythm in ODIs after averaging 21.87 in eight games in the format this year.Litton Das has been in excellent form this year•Getty Images

Litton Das has scored 500 runs in ODIs this year while averaging 62.50. But there is an added responsibility this time, leading the side in Tamim’s absence. How he responds to the new test will be interesting to see. The Bangladesh captaincy has, of late, been quite a story.

Team news

Shakib batting at No. 3 should mitigate Tamim’s absence. It would also allow Bangladesh to play an extra batter, which will likely be Yasir Ali. Taskin is also missing, which means Ebadot could get the nod for his pace.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Litton Das (capt), 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Yasir Ali, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ebadot HossainWith Shami ruled out of the series, young quick Umran Malik has been called up. Unless India decide to give Kuldeep Sen a debut, it is likely that both Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar will play.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Pitch and conditions

It is going to be a typical Mirpur pitch but not the raging turner we see often in Test cricket. The Shere Bangla Stadium last hosted an ODI in May 2021, and the pitch has mostly produced scores on the higher side for the teams batting first. Dhaka is cool this time of the year, with no rain forecast.

Stats and trivia

• Litton now has the most runs (1703) in a calendar year in all formats for Bangladesh, and is the second highest in 2022 behind Babar Azam.
• Bangladesh have won only five ODIs against India since 1988. They beat India the last time when the two teams met in 2015.

Quotes

“This format is such that we play well each time at home. We’ll miss two of our main players, but we still believe that who we have with us are very capable”

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

• Stokes on Leach absence: 'If we want to turn to Bashir, we will'

• Who should replace Jack Leach for second Test against India?

• Patidar vs Sarfaraz takes centre stage at India nets

• Ben Foakes embraces wicketkeeping's 'hardest challenge' on Indian pitches

• 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.”

Several leagues ran simultaneously at the start of 2024, and the ICC Champions Trophy is expected to further complicate the picture in February 2025

Matt Roller08-May-2024The Caribbean Premier League (CPL)’s chief executive has described overlaps between franchise leagues as “a nonsense”, and has called for regular meetings among their owners and administrators in an attempt to solve cricket’s global scheduling crisis. The CPL has overlapped with the Hundred in recent years but will avoid a clash this season after holding talks with the ECB earlier this year.And Pete Russell, one of CPL’s co-founders and the league’s CEO since 2021, believes that such collaboration should be commonplace to minimise the frequent clashes between the T20 leagues.”[The ECB] have a defined window that they have to play in, and it happened that we could move everything out to ensure that we didn’t clash [with the Hundred],” Russell told ESPNcricinfo. “It makes absolutely zero sense if you’ve got [Sunil] Narine and [Andre] Russell having to fly back the day before the final of the Hundred. That’s in no one’s interests, and certainly not the Hundred’s.Related

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• MLC 2024 to begin on July 5, set for six-day clash with the Hundred

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• 'A broken sport': Franchise free-for-all compromises players' incentives

“I hope that [collaboration] continues. It’s not rocket science; it’s what should happen with all leagues. It’s just a nonsense that we’ve got all this overlap when it just needs to be worked through. Scheduling is a challenge, I know, but it can’t be that you have two leagues going at each other at the same time. To my mind, it doesn’t make any sense.”There is a precedent for leagues negotiating to manage potential clashes as shown by the PSL and ILT20.Several different leagues ran simultaneously at the start of 2024. Australia’s BBL and New Zealand’s Super Smash finished in mid-January; South Africa’s SA20 and the UAE’s ILT20 started in January and ran into February; the Bangladesh Premier League started in January and finished in March; and the Pakistan Super League ran from mid-February to mid-March.The ICC Champions Trophy is expected to further complicate the picture when it returns in February 2025. The ILT20 is expected to confirm its dates for 2025 in the coming days following recent discussions with franchises, while the PCB has stated its intention to stage the PSL alongside the IPL in April-May 2025.There is broad support among players worldwide for global scheduling windows for franchise leagues and international cricket, thus minimising overlap between the two. The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) player survey will be published soon, and as confirmed to ESPNcricinfo by Tom Moffat, FICA’s CEO, will show that 84% of the 330 respondents support introducing windows.The MLC this year is set for a six-day clash with the Hundred•Sportzpics

“Unless the game can come together to find a system in which the domestic leagues and international cricket can co-exist, we will end up with two separate calendars running in parallel,” Moffat told ESPNcricinfo.”That will split the player employment-market, given most of the leagues rely on the inclusion of international players to be successful commercially. We currently don’t think that’s the right thing for the whole sport given it – and most professional players’ employment – is still largely funded by international cricket.”While representatives of national governing bodies meet regularly at ICC level – most of whom control their own leagues – there is no specific forum for the owners and administrators of franchise leagues to discuss scheduling.”It’s the logical way to go – because we’re all maturing, and we’re all getting to a point where we are sustainable,” Russell said. “They are generally regarded now as being part of the domestic calendar, wherever they are played. I think it is a case of, ‘OK, let’s have that group of people and say how do you figure out the schedule to the benefit of everyone?'”I think it’s workable. Others might think it’s not, but I just think the conversations at least need to take place, just to make sure [there’s no clash].”Moffat said: “With the exception of CPL and a couple of others, the controlling stake in most of the major leagues is generally owned by the same national governing bodies who schedule international cricket. That means co-ordinating scheduling between the leagues and international cricket to avoid scheduling overlap is possible – if there is a will to come together and do that.”Russell used the recent release of Major League Cricket (MLC)’s 2024 fixture list – two months before the tournament starts – as evidence of a shortage of “joined-up thinking” among administrators. MLC begins on July 5, and is thus set for a six-day clash with the Hundred.”They’ve only just come out with their schedule,” he said. “Why does it take leagues so long to put a schedule together? We have all year to figure it out.”Russell also encouraged administrators to find a solution to the perverse incentives that emerged for players earlier this year.”It can’t be right: I saw the other day that where leagues were overlapping, a player who got knocked out before the semi-finals or finals could actually make more money by going to another league. That shouldn’t be a thing.”

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.”

Melbourne Stars looked to be cruising but now their hopes of qualifying to the playoffs have taken a hit

Matt Roller20-Jan-2021An extraordinary, unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 63 in just 25 balls between Mackenzie Harvey and Beau Webster dragged Melbourne Renegades to only their third win of the season and put a dent in their cross-town rivals’ qualification hopes.Shuffling up and down the order, Harvey had struggled for any rhythm or form this season, and arrived at No. 6 with 71 needed off 37 balls in a chase of 159. But with licence to free his arms, he pumped three fours and a six in the Power Surge before punishing some shoddy death bowling with Webster for company to seal an improbable win.Melbourne Stars looked to be cruising to a four-point victory which would have taken them second after securing the Bash Boost thanks to a tight start with the ball, but instead their playoff chances are now in jeopardy. They sit third with 24 points, but have played a game more than the four teams hot on their heels, and play the in-form Perth Scorchers in their next fixture on Saturday.Mackenzie Harvey put on quite a show•Getty Images

For the Renegades, this was a happy homecoming after a 359-day stretch without playing at Marvel Stadium. They were already mathematically out of contention for the finals, but after their top five had contributed a combined 84 runs off 88 balls, they sent a 14,208-strong crowd home happy thanks to Harvey’s heroics.Harvey the heroThere was little in Harvey’s BBL career to suggest that he was capable of such a heist from the middle order. A slight, 20-year-old left-hander and the nephew of former Australia international Ian, he had managed only 268 runs in his 18 previous innings in the competition, at a strike rate of 118.58.He had generally been used as an opener rather than in the No. 6 role he played tonight, but his cameo of 29 off 17 in Sunday’s reverse fixture turned out to be a sign of things to come.Harvey arrived at the crease during a turgid innings of 14 off 18 balls from Jack Prestwidge, who had been promoted to No. 5. The Renegades had attempted to take the Power Surge ahead of the 14th over, but told the umpires too late and instead pushed it back until the 16th. When it was taken, Prestwidge was bounced out by Nathan Coulter-Nile’s third ball, but Harvey slapped the fourth through extra cover and hammered the fifth for six over backward square.He added two more boundaries off Adam Zampa’s final over, the second of the Surge, steering through third man and muscling over mid-on, before Liam Hatcher was taken for three fours as he sprayed the ball around in the 18th, with dew making it difficult to grip.With 25 needed from 12 balls, Harvey clubbed a juicy full toss from Coulter-Nile into the second tier, before Webster steered another through point then carved six over midwicket to leave six required off the last. After three singles, Webster smashed the winning boundary through mid-on to seal the win.Finch’s nightmare continuesAaron Finch’s BBL season has contained enough unfortunate dismissals for a 10-minute YouTube compilation, and his luck did not change tonight. He got down to sweep Zahir Khan in the final Powerplay over of the chase, but could only deflect the ball onto his stumps via the thigh pad. After his 10 tonight, he has managed only 169 runs in 11 innings.With Shaun Marsh falling to a perfect Coulter-Nile offcutter in the first over and Sam Harper and Jake Fraser-McGurk struggling to adapt to a slowish pitch, the Renegades were 3 for 53 at the halfway stage, 11 runs short of the Bash Boost target, and looked like they would come nowhere near chasing 159.Zak attackAfter winning the toss and choosing to bat, the Stars struggled for early rhythm, with Andre Fletcher soaking up a first-over maiden from Josh Lalor. Lalor bowled him with a slower ball in the third over, but Marcus Stoinis looked in fine touch, crashing six early boundaries as he looked to drive the Stars’ innings.When he fell in the ninth over to Zak Evans – playing after Kane Richardson was ruled out for the season with a quad strain – the Stars decided to shuffle things around. Hoping to maximise their 10-over total in order to secure the Bash Boost point, the Stars promoted Coulter-Nile – fit again after a calf injury – to No. 4, but the experiment was short lived.Shaping to work an Evans slower ball down to fine leg, Coulter-Nile managed to play on via the pad, and was out first ball. With Nick Larkin struggling for early rhythm, the Stars were 3 for 63 at the halfway stage.Larkin, the Stars’ fillipWith Larkin on 14 off 21 balls heading into the 12th over, Glenn Maxwell decided he needed to take Imad Wasim on, after managing just two dots and a single from the first three balls of his innings. But, shimmying outside leg, he skied a slog-sweep straight down deep midwicket’s throat, leaving the Stars in a spot of bother at 4 for 77.Nic Maddinson forced the pace with two heaves over midwicket and a slap through extra cover, but miscued to mid-off immediately after calling for the Power Surge at the start of the 17th over for 21 off 18 balls. Peter Hatzolgou, the idiosyncratic legspinner, picked up his second Surge wicket – and his fifth of the season – soon after, with Hilton Cartwright chopping on when cramped for room.After eking out 29 off his first 35 balls, perhaps trying too hard to hit boundaries, Larkin finally cut loose in the second Surge over with a slog-swept six and a slash through point for four off Wasim.Three streaky fours through third man and a carve through cover in the final two overs dragged the Stars up to 6 for 158, with Larkin finishing on 61 off 47. Thirty of those runs came between point and third man, including several thick edges, while ESPNcricinfo’s data suggested he was in control of only 62% of the balls he faced.

Seamer approaching his ninth Ashes with a relaxed mindset about how many Tests he plays

Andrew Miller06-Jun-2023Like a fine wine, has Stuart Broad mellowed with age? That would appear to be the impression on the eve of his ninth Ashes campaign, with his admission that he doesn’t mind when or how he is deployed in the coming five Tests against Australia, just so long as he plays his part in an Ashes-winning squad performance.At the age of 36, Broad demonstrated his enduring qualities as a strike bowler with five first-innings wickets in England’s ten-wicket win over Ireland at Lord’s last week. However, with James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood all in the running for recalls at Edgbaston, he knows there is no guarantee that he’s done enough to be in the starting line-up for the series opener next week.Such a prospect would have left Broad furious in recent years. Against West Indies in 2020, he declared himself “frustrated, angry and gutted” after being omitted for the series opener at the Ageas Bowl, despite having been England’s leading wicket-taker over the previous two years, an achievement that had led him to believe he was in possession of “the shirt”.Related

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• Pat Cummins 'aiming to play all six' Tests over English summer

• Moeen considering Test comeback after England Ashes call

And similarly, for the first Test of the last Ashes in Brisbane, neither Broad nor his veteran partner Anderson was selected for a series-defining nine-wicket loss, with England instead going in with a seam attack comprising Robinson, Wood and Chris Woakes, who had never previously played in the same XI.This time, however, with England boasting a record of 11 wins from 13 Tests under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, Broad says he has absolute faith in their methods and management, and will have no complaints if they decide to hold him back for a later date in the campaign.”I’m just flowing around at the moment,” Broad said, aptly enough, during a sponsor’s event for Laithwaites wine at Lord’s. “I feel really happy with how my cricket is, how life is. I feel fit, I feel fresh. Whether I play at Edgbaston, whether I play at Lord’s, Headingley … I don’t mind, I play really well at all of them.”I love playing against Australia, and whether that’s the first Test, the fifth Test, the third … I’m happy to try and strike whenever I get the chance. I think ultimately as a team we’re going to need every bowler, and we’re going to need to take 100 wickets to win the Ashes. But my ultimate aim is to be fit and fresh and playing at The Oval, because that’s the fifth, and that means I’ve done my job for the group.”It’s a far cry from his non-conformist attitude under the previous Test regime, typified by his anger at the Ageas Bowl and Brisbane, but best expressed in a memorable press conference midway through the fourth Test of that last Ashes. Facing up to another dire match situation at Sydney, he urged England to stop hedging their selection with future events in mind, adding that “if you don’t win the battle in front of you, it’s all irrelevant”.”At Brisbane I was raging. So yeah, I’ve definitely changed. And in a good way. I see my role as striking when I get the chance but also, we won’t be having interviews like the Ageas Bowl. I quite enjoy doing that but …”Broad was talking at a Laithwaites event•PR

As it happens, Broad bounced back after that Ageas Bowl snub with 16 wickets in the remaining two Tests against West Indies, including a ten-for in the series decider at Old Trafford. “Maybe that’ll be the tactic,” he joked. “Leave me out at Edgbaston so I fire up at Lord’s! But I’m very comfortable. I’m just really enjoying the environment.”The communication’s really clear, that we’re going to need everyone. It doesn’t feel like a closed shop. It’s a really addictive environment to be around, and we’re just happy for everyone’s success. So ultimately, if I only play one game and we lift the urn at The Oval, that’s a massive tick in England cricket’s box. It’s not about me, it’s about the collective. But I think I’ll play more than one …”Broad has already played ten more Tests than he might have envisaged 13 months ago, when he and Anderson were axed in the wake of England’s 4-0 Ashes loss. But the fact that England have turned their fortunes around with more or less the same set of core players is proof not only of the wizardry of the so-called Bazball mindset, but that Broad himself was right in his insistence about living in the now.”We had to change that habit of, every four years, going to the Ashes and if we lose it, tear it up and new people come in and start the process again,” he said. “It was just a cycle repeating too often.”You can’t take the emphasis off the Ashes because it’s our biggest series. You only have to be driving through service stations in the last year and it’s ‘come on guys, beat Australia’ – our country has a love affair with Ashes cricket, but as an organisation we had to get our mindset away from personnel losing their jobs if results didn’t go the way you want them to.”I think we have lived in a really healthy way in the last 12 months,” he added. “The Ashes was only mentioned for the first time in the post-match debrief against Ireland, and it was ‘it doesn’t matter what the results as long as we stick to how we play’. As long as we have kids watching and saying ‘wow that’s incredible’, then we have done our jobs.”Stuart Broad was speaking at the launch of wine merchant Laithwaites’ partnership with England cricket. For exclusive offers on great wines this summer, visit laithwaites.co.uk

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.”

Another extraordinary chapter to the allrounder’s World Cup was written in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-20232:52

Cummins: ‘It was just a one-man show’

Glenn Maxwell struggled to comprehend what he had achieved after his astonishing double century carried Australia to victory over Afghanistan in what had appeared a lost cause.Maxwell finished on 201 off 128 balls, reaching his double and finishing the match with a tenth six, in what was being described as the greatest ODI innings of all time.For much of the time after reaching his century Maxwell could barely move due to cramp and he had come very close to retiring hurt – so much so that Adam Zampa had made his way down the steps ready to come onto the field.Related

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• Glenn Maxwell stands tallest in adversity to deliver Australia their knock-out blow

“It’s so fresh at the moment I’m a bit numb to it,” Maxwell told reporters. “It was great fun. It just felt like it was me and Patty [Cummins] having fun out there. I’ll probably reflect a bit more over the next few days and hopefully recover and get some movement back in my hamstring and calves. It’s pretty raw at the moment.”On the host broadcast, Ricky Ponting said: “I’ve watched and played a lot of cricket, and I’ve seen nothing like that…unbelievable scenes, he was done. He was down and out, he couldn’t move.””We talked about coming off and trying to get some work into my back and trying to loosen up my legs a little bit,” Maxwell said. “The physio said it would be really hard for you to come back out down the stairs after that. It probably made the job a little more simple.