England batsman joins a new-look Perth Scorchers squad following the retirement of Michael Klinger and the exit of Shaun Marsh

Alex Malcolm09-Nov-2019Perth Scorchers have signed Lancashire batsman Liam Livingstone as their first overseas player for the upcoming Big Bash League season.Livingstone, 26, played two T20 internationals for England in 2017 but has been become a highly sort after commodity on the global T20 circuit after his exploits for Lancashire in the T20 Blast in England.He played in the Pakistan Super League for the Karachi Kings earlier this season and also played four games for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.He is currently playing for Cape Town Blitz in the Mzansi Super League in South Africa alongside Melbourne Stars recruit Dale Steyn.The Scorchers have had to reshape their batting line-up following the retirement of Michael Klinger and the exit of Shaun Marsh to the Melbourne Renegades. Livingstone will add some much-needed power and explosiveness to the top order.”He has performed really well in T20 cricket all around the world over the past 12 months,” Scorchers coach Adam Voges said.”Liam’s a great all-round package. He’ll give us some aggression at the top of the order, he’s a handy spinner and a fantastic fielder.”Livingstone is well known in Perth having played a season of grade cricket for Willetton in 2015-16. He played alongside Scorchers batsman Cameron Bancroft at club level and showed his tremendous hitting ability with some dazzling T20 innings.He said he has watched the BBL closely for many years and was keen to be part of it.”I’m so excited to have signed with the Scorchers for the upcoming Big Bash, it’s a tournament I’ve always wanted to play in so I can’t wait to get to Perth,” Livingstone said.”I’ve spent a winter in Perth, I know the place well and I’m looking forward to getting back there.”The Scorchers have one more overseas slot to fill on their roster after opting not to renew the contracts of David Willey and Usman Qadir.

Fast bowler hopes to ‘bring a little bit of anxiety’ to England’s batting lineup

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2019Lockie Ferguson says that international cricket has had an “awesome year with fast bowlers”, and that he hopes to “bring a little bit of anxiety” to England and Australia’s batsmen after being named in New Zealand’s squads for their upcoming Tests against those opponents.Ferguson is in line for a Test debut, having exclusively played white-ball cricket in his international career to date, but has an impressive first-class record, with 153 wickets at an average of just 24.30 in his 42 games in the format.ALSO READ: Ferguson in line for Test chance amid packed schedule“[I’ve] been very much focused on white-ball [cricket] for the last year,” he admitted. “I think I played three first-class games – a couple against India A – last summer, and then obviously not a lot over the winter we just had.”I’ve played a lot of red-ball cricket for Auckland and some ‘A’ games as well, so I understand what it takes to be a fast bowler at that level, and you can’t always go at 100 percent like you can in one-day and T20 – you have to pick and choose when to bowl quick spells, and that’s all part of the learning process.”[Test cricket] is definitely going to be a new challenge. Obviously like in other formats, it’s a step up from domestic level, and fortunately I’ve played quite a lot of these players before at that level, so it’s not completely new. But the red ball is a whole new different beast, and it’s the longer form both mentally and physically, so it’s going to be a challenge.”Ferguson faces a tough challenge to break into New Zealand’s side. Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner have formed an impressive seam-bowling trio over the past five years, and since November 2017, they have played as a triumvirate in all but one of New Zealand’s home Tests.But head coach Gary Stead has hinted at rotation over the next five Tests, given New Zealand’s punishing upcoming schedule, meaning that there should be opportunities for Ferguson and Matt Henry at some stage.”We’ve got three internationally-recognised, world-class bowlers who have been doing an exceptional job for us, and put us [at] No. 2 in the Test rankings,” Ferguson said. “That’s fantastic, and it’s awesome to be in and around, and learning off those guys as well – it’s just nice to rub shoulders with them.”It’s going to be a tough team to break into, but there’s obviously a lot of Test cricket coming up.”Lockie Ferguson at his point of release•NurPhoto/Getty Images

Ferguson was the second leading wicket-taker at the World Cup this year, and said that international cricket has had a great year as far as fast bowling is concerned.”I think international cricket has had quite an awesome year with fast bowlers,” he said. “I know at the World Cup, earlier on perhaps they were talking about spinners being the real threat, and it was exciting for me as part of the fast-bowling fraternity to see fast bowlers at the top of [the wicket-taking] list.”I don’t think it changes at all for Test cricket: fast bowlers are going to cause problems and create a threat for batters just from pure pace. At the same time, you have to be accurate, and I guess personally that’s one thing I’ve worked on for a long time – bowling quick, but making sure that I’m putting it where I want to put it.”Ferguson admitted that if he does play, his role – as New Zealand’s fastest bowler – will involve trying “to bring a little bit of anxiety” to England’s batsmen, but added that raw pace was part and parcel of playing at the top level.”England obviously have some quick bowlers too with Jofra Archer in their line-up, and it does the same thing to both teams,” he said. “That’s probably the most exciting part about Test cricket – there’s no limit on overs, so you know you’re probably going to face [opposing quicks] at some point in time.”The first Test against England will be played at Mount Maunganui, which will be the inaugural Test at the ground, and Ferguson suggested that the wicket should be good for batting, though may offer some variable bounce.”I haven’t played there in a few years,” he said, “[but] my flat-mate Henry Cooper is an ND [Northern Districts] boy, and said that it’s not a bad batting track but it does go up and down a little bit. It’s hard to tell at this stage – every wicket you play on in New Zealand can be different, so I’m sure we’ll be turning up and assessing the conditions when we’re faced with them.”

The last two Tests have earned the MCG pitch ratings of ‘average’ and ‘poor’, and the previous Shield game was abandoned

Daniel Brettig18-Dec-2019Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia chief executive, is counselling the MCC (Melbourne Cricket Club) against overreacting to the abandonment of the recent Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Western Australia by preparing a safe, flat surface for the Boxing Day Test match next week.Under pressure from both CA and the MCC to produce a more equitable surface from the same ageing pitches in concrete trays that have helped cause the MCG to be regarded as the most moribund surface in the country, the ground’s curator Matt Page prepared a Shield pitch that retained too much moisture, allowing divots to be created by the ball on day one that made the pitch increasingly erratic as it dried.While the abandonment of the match was a source of considerable embarrassment to the MCC, Roberts said he was eager to ensure that the pitch for the Test match between Australia and New Zealand on December 26 – New Zealand’s first in Melbourne since 1987 – would have plenty of live grass on top to allow the bowlers to gain movement and pace off the surface.”We’re really keen to ensure that the MCC doesn’t overreact to the situation in the last Shield game. The great news was that no players were injured in that situation. We learned a lot from it. And they’re not overreacting,” Roberts said in Melbourne. “And, Matt Page is a master of his craft and we’re really looking forward to him expressing that with his team… So we’re confident that there won’t be an overreaction, and that will see a better balance between bat and ball at the MCG.””The preparation of that specific pitch started around last weekend, and we can expect more grass on that wicket than we’ve seen over the last couple of Boxing Day Tests, and we’re really appreciative of the work that Matt Page the head curator is doing. Also the calmness of Stuart Fox, the CEO of the MCC in this situation, no one’s overreacting to the unfortunate situation a week or two ago.”ALSO READ: Timeline of a troubled MCG pitchPage is working with a square that has been somewhat renovated from the 2017 surface on which Alastair Cook laboured to 244 during the previous Ashes series on Australian soil, after the removal of the concrete slab under the wickets. However, they remain old pitches laid in enclosed concrete trays, distinct from the porous steel tray on pillars used at Adelaide Oval and Perth Stadium, both of which are now considered leading surfaces among Australian grounds.Roberts, speaking at a launch for a scheme under which the car manufacturer Toyota will provide funding for the provision of extra equipment for grass roots women’s competition, said the broader trend for the season had been a positive one, before the pudding was slightly over-egged for the final Shield round before the start of the Big Bash League. “Other than that, the last Shield game, the condition of pitches at the MCG has been on a significant increase over the last period of time since Matt and the team took the concrete base out from under the pitches and replaced it with sand.””The feedback from the curators is that it feels different to roll, the feedback from players is that it feels different and even sounds different to play on. It sounds like proper turf wicket now rather than something that’s more like a concrete deck, so we’re really optimistic about Boxing Day.”

The home side has been dominant in bouncing back from a poor recent run of results

The Preview by Mohammad Isam26-Jan-2020

Big picture

Pakistan’s dip in T20I form was a cause for concern, but they have shown signs of being dominant again with back-to-back wins over Bangladesh at home, the wins giving them an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final game could be an opportunity to try out some new faces, but they would certainly want to make a statement with a series sweep.Not much has gone wrong for the home side in this series. They restricted Bangladesh to scores of 141 and 136 in the two matches, and then chased the targets down comfortably enough. The Lahore pitch hasn’t allowed for much flamboyance so far, but that shouldn’t bother a side that had lost eight out of their last ten T20Is before this series.Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez have made an impact with one good innings each, while Babar Azam led from the front in the second game. Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain bowled well in both games, while Shadab Khan has mostly been on the mark. Newcomers Ahsan Ali and Haris Rauf have shown glimpses of their ability too.Bangladesh, though, look unsure of how to go about handling Pakistan’s bowling attack. It’s not so much a lack of skills, but with roles not being defined clearly enough – there are six opening batsmen in the squad – it hasn’t been straightforward for captain Mahmudullah and coach Russell Domingo.Their bowling, too, hasn’t come to the party, with senior quick Mustafizur Rahman guilty of erring in lines and lengths in the first two games. Their lack of a genuine spinner has also added to the lack of balance, as Bangladesh are a team that has always banked on spinners to do a lot of the work, even in T20Is.

Form guide

Pakistan WWLLLBangladesh LLLLWMustafizur Rahman looks on as new boy Hasan Mahmud has a bowl in the nets•Raton Gomes/BCB

In the spotlight

Babar Azam is the No. 1 T20I batsman in the world, and bounced back from a duck in the first game with an an unbeaten 66 in the second. Pakistan would want him to have another good game as they look for the whitewash.Mustafizur Rahman has taken just one wicket for 69 runs in the seven overs he has bowled in the two matches. His areas have been off on a slow pitch that the ball has at times gripped on, exactly where he is expected to be most effective. He needs to get it right in the final game.

Team news

There’s a strong chance that Amad Butt and Usman Qadir will get their international debuts.Pakistan (possible): 1 Ahsan Ali, 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Imad Wasim/Amad Butt, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Haris Rauf/Usman Qadir, 10 Shaheen Afridi 11 Mohammad HasnainDomingo has said that Bangladesh will find space to field Najmul Hossain Shanto, Rubel Hossain and newcomer Hasan Mahmud.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Liton Das (wk), 3 Mahedi Hasan, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 5 Afif Hossain, 6 Mahmudullah (capt), 7 Soumya Sarkar, 8 Aminul Islam, 9 Shafiul Islam/Rubel Hossain, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Al-Amin Hossain/Hasan Mahmud

Pitch and conditions

The Gaddafi Stadium pitch has been difficult to score quickly on, though Pakistan did go past Bangladesh’s 136 for 6 with 20 balls to spare in the second game. The weather forecast isn’t great, as there’s a chance of rain.

Stats and trivia

• With the late Abdul Qadir’s son Usman likely to make his debut in the third T20I, we will have an addition to the list of fathers and sons playing international cricket for Pakistan
• In the last five years, Mahmudullah is the only Bangladesh batsman to have hit more than ten sixes in the last five overs of their innings in T20Is

Quotes

“I need to give everyone opportunity. We are 2-0 down in the series. The three boys who haven’t played will definitely come in and have a game, so that we can look at a few more options.”

Pollard, Rashid, du Plessis among several prominent players also slated to take part in tw0-match series in Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam25-Feb-2020Virat Kohli is likely to be available for one match for the Asia XI side that will take on a World XI in the two-match T20I series in Dhaka next month as part of the nationwide celebrations to mark the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, often referred to as the father of the nation. Kohli is among six Indian players named in the Asia XI side, with KL Rahul also slated for a one-match appearance. Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami have been included for both the matches.BCB president Nazmul Hassan announced the names of the players in Dhaka on Tuesday, naming Faf du Plessis, Chris Gayle, Rashid Khan and Jonny Bairstow among the members of the World XI side.However, although BCB said Kohli would play one game, ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI is still waiting for the India captain to confirm his participation. Workload management remains an issue with Kohli in particular, with India having a packed schedule.India’s second Test against New Zealand is scheduled to end on March 4, and their three-match home ODI series against South Africa runs from March 12 to 18. The two matches in Dhaka are slated for March 21 and 22, and the IPL starts on March 29.Hassan also explained that the squads didn’t include any Pakistan players because they would be busy with the PSL, with the tournament final scheduled on March 22.”We have already received four names from India,” Hassan said. “We haven’t signed contracts but Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan and Mohammed Shami are supposed to come. They have said KL Rahul and Virat Kohli will play one game each, but that hasn’t been finalised.”Players like Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have finalised with us, from Afghanistan. Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane will play while from Sri Lanka, we will have Lasith Malinga and Thisara Perera. From Bangladesh, we will have Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahmudullah and Liton Das.””I don’t remember all the names, but we will have three or four players from South Africa. Definitely, there will be the same number of players from West Indies. Australia and New Zealand will be playing but we will try to find some (players). Bairstow is definitely coming. Ngidi is coming. Chris Gayle is supposed to play. Faf du Plessis. We will have some of the best players around. We are uncertain about Pakistan since the PSL is will be ongoing. We will invite some of the cricketing greats.”While Hassan named all the players linked with the Asia XI, it has been learnt that the BCB is also contacting Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sheldon Cottrell, Brendan Taylor, Alex Hales, Andrew Tye and Mitchell McClenaghan, apart from the names mentioned already.Tentative squadsAsia XI: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Sandeep Lamichhane, MahmudullahWorld XI: Alex Hales, Chris Gayle, Faf du Plessis, Nicholas Pooran, Brendan Taylor, Jonny Bairstow, Kieron Pollard, Sheldon Cottrell, Lungi Ngidi, Andrew Tye, Mitchell McClenaghan

Seamer hopes reverse-swing expertise can earn him spot in side for first Test in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2020There was a time when Saqib Mahmood – a young seamer capable of reaching speeds of 90mph/145kph and extracting reverse-swing – would have been like gold dust for England.But with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood both regularly cranking it up over the last 12 months of Test cricket, Mahmood recognises that the bar has been raised.”For someone like me who touches 90mph, you’re looking at these guys and it’s almost like that’s not quick enough anymore,” Mahmood told PA. “I think those two guys have really raised the bar in terms of pace.ALSO READ: Kookaburra would bring ‘different skillset’ into Championship – Mahmood“A few years ago… we were crying out for 90mph bowlers. Now we’ve got two bowlers who can get it up past 95mph. These guys make me hungrier to keep working hard and get quicker.”Mahmood, a late call-up to England’s squad in Sri Lanka after Wood’s injury, is yet to make his debut in Test cricket, but is one of only four frontline seamers to have made the trip alongside Stuart Broad, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes, with Archer also missing out through injury. And while he is not taking anything for granted, Mahmood hopes that his skill with the old ball can help catapult him into the side following strong showings across two warm-up games.”In this team that’s probably what I’ll be looking to do: bowl short spells and try to be as quick as I can be,” he said. “As a seamer over here you’re not going to bowl the same number of overs you would in England so you have to make the most of them.”I want to attack with the new ball, but I also want to attack later in the innings and not just be a bystander in the field when the spinners are getting through their overs. Whether that’s by getting the ball reversing or by making something by bowling three or four overs as fast as possible, I just want to show everyone what I can do.”Mahmood has regularly touched 90mph in his televised appearances for Lancashire, but after struggling to reach such speeds in his handful of international caps to date, it has been suggested that he needs to focus on finding that mark more regularly.But Mahmood is confident that an extra yard of pace “will come naturally” as he grows older and stronger.Saqib Mahmood was a late call-up to England’s squad after Mark Wood’s injury•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

“There is a fine margin, you have to be careful as a bowler and not search so hard for something that you lose what you’ve got,” he said.”At the moment I can bowl high 80s and also have skill and control. I wouldn’t want to sacrifice anything in search of another three of four miles an hour but hopefully that will come naturally. I’m only 23 and as I grow older I should get stronger in my action.”England trained for the first time on their tour on Thursday at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Jack Leach, who has a calf niggle, warmed up on his own before bowling in the nets, while Ben Stokes has arrived in the country after delaying his departure to attend a funeral.Their first warm-up game against a Sri Lanka Board President’s XI begins on Saturday.

Her one-time coach Muslim Uddin passed away soon after the team had arrived in Australia

Annesha Ghosh in Melbourne29-Feb-2020Tears streamed down Bangladesh medium-pacer Ritu Moni’s face at the Junction Oval’s press conference room as she took her mind back to where her journey began – Bogra – and to Muslim Uddin, the man who helped her live her dream.It is in Bogra, a northwestern city in Bangladesh, that the dreams of many of the team’s current women’s cricketers started taking shape under local coach Muslim. As Moni, one of Muslim’s students, reflected on the career-best 4 for 18 – also the best so far at the ongoing T20 World Cup – she picked up against New Zealand on Saturday, memories of a personal loss – Muslim’s death on February 10 – left her sobbing inconsolably.ALSO READ: The toilet leading a women’s cricket revo-loo-tion“I started training under him and I am here today because of him,” Moni said after Bangladesh’s 17-run loss. “He passed away soon after we arrived in Australia for the World Cup. It is a big loss for all of us, considering how he helped so many of us to realise our dream of playing for Bangladesh. He was a great person, and has played a big part in my life.”We were to play a practice match a few days after his death, and it was quite difficult for me to get over the shock. But I told myself, ‘Muslim sir showed a lot of confidence in me. I must try to do my best in the tournament because it would be the best I can do for him.’ If he were alive today, he would have been able to see this day in my life.”In an international career spanning nearly eight years, Moni, now 27, has made 45 international appearances, scoring 292 runs and taking 17 wickets across the white-ball formats. The defining moment of her career, though, arrived on Sunday, her maiden four-for orchestrating New Zealand’s biggest collapse in T20Is – 8 for 25 – from the fall of the third wicket.By the innings break, Moni’s exploits, complemented brilliantly by captain Salma Khatun’s 3 for 7, had begun inspiring hopes of an unlikely upset in Group A as New Zealand set Bangladesh a modest target of 92.New Zealand’s slide began with the dismissal of Suzie Bates, their leading run-scorer in the format. Hurled at a gentle pace hovering just above 90kph, Moni’s inswinger on off had enough benignity to lure Bates to aim towards midwicket, only for her to lose her middle stump. Bates’ wicket in the 13th over was followed by Katey Matin’s in the next as she holed out to point, in a bid to force some pace on a slow, sun-baked Junction Oval track. It wasn’t long before Moni’s control and slowness through the air earned her two wickets in her fourth – and the innings’ 19th – over, with Fargana Hoque taking a stunning catch diving forward and Fahima Khatun gobbling up Amelia Kerr’s square drive with ease.”I didn’t do much, to be honest; just maintained my line and length,” Moni said, praising the role played by head coach Anju Jain and assistant coach Devika Palshikar, both former India players, in her growth as a medium-pacer. “Devika ma’am has been of incredible help. She makes sure that at the nets I am focused on my line and length. She asks me to bowl in, say, one area over after over.”And Anju ma’am says the same thing about bowling in my block, you know, to not try anything fancy. Sometimes simple and uncomplicated bowling can get you wickets, break partnerships, so that has been one instruction from our coaches I have tried to respect.”And Javed Omar [the former Bangladesh men’s Test cricketer, who was appointed manager of the women’s team last year] has also encouraged me to believe in myself. I hope that the confidence I have got from today’s performance takes me ahead in the future.”

Decision taken “in the face of debilitating economic challenges” following the pandemic

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2020Cricket West Indies has decided to temporarily slash salaries and funding across the entire regional cricket system by 50% starting July to deal with the “debilitating” impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left the board facing a major loss of income in the absence of regular cricketing activities.According to a CWI statement, the board of directors have agreed to “a plan” where they can deliver “at least a minimum level of job protection” for the employees and the ones contracted throughout the region’s cricket community as they foresee a long-term impact of the crisis on their operations.The measures, which have been recommended by a financial advisory committee formed by the board, also include a 50% cut in funding for territorial boards, territorial boards’ franchises and West Indies Players’ Association, as well as a 50% reduction in all retainers and allowances for directors and executive management. The board hopes that the measures, which all stakeholders were privy to, will only be in place for not more than three to six months.”This pandemic is hurting every West Indian and this decision to cut staff and player incomes has been a very difficult one to make; one that will impact so many members of the cricketing family around the Caribbean,” CWI president Ricky Skerritt said. “This business continuity plan unfortunately requires all stakeholders to make a huge sacrifice, but I am confident that it won’t be long before CWI will be in a position to ensure that the sport we love can restart and be enjoyed once again by the thousands of cricket fans across the region and diaspora.”In April, a severe cash crunch faced by CWI resulted in delayed payment of match fees of international and domestic players from earlier this calendar year, with Wayne Lewis, WIPA secretary, saying that the dues would be settled by the end of June. An audit into the financial problems affecting the board found a “massive hole” in its coffers. The report, compiled by external and independent auditors earlier this month, blamed historic factors for the situation.”The effects of this pandemic have been distressing for everyone – the worst crisis of our lifetime – and at present, we cannot be certain when the situation will be rectified,” Johnny Grave, CWI chief executive, said. “We recognize that this will cause financial pain for all our staff, players, coaches and umpires across the Caribbean, but having kept everyone on full-pay since the outbreak in March we have no choice but to take decisive action from next month onwards.”CWI’s greatest asset is our people and players and everyone sharing equally in the temporary reduction, we believe is the best way for us to ensure we get through this crisis and protect our organisation and all the jobs in the system. We will be reviewing the situation regularly with the hope that we can return to norm.”

Wicketkeeper’s selflessness is admirable quality, but he needs a score in third Test

George Dobell at Emirates Old Trafford23-Jul-2020Jos Buttler remains a “vital” member of the England team, according to his captain, Joe Root, and the national selector, Ed Smith.Buttler’s position has started to come under scrutiny after a year in which he has averaged 21.26 from 12 Tests. But both Root and Smith have defended Buttler’s longer-term record and insisted he contributes more to the team than is represented on the scorecard.”Jos was recalled to the side 27 Tests ago in May 2018,” Smith said. “Jos averages about 31 in that period and has contributed to a lot of wins with his own personal contributions.”Then, of course, there’s the team’s form. The team has, in that time, won 16 games, lost nine and had a couple of draws. The 27 Tests preceding that, exactly the same period of time, England had won 10, lost 14 and drawn 3. In the 27 Tests preceding that, exactly the same period of time, England won 10 [actually nine], lost 14 and drew three 3 [actually four].”So I suppose part of what we’re trying to do in selection is based around the team winning. Every player who has played in this period, even though there have been a number of players who haven’t performed as well as they would have wanted personally, have contributed to that good form as a team.”While Buttler has actually played in 15 winning teams in that period – he missed the Lord’s Test against Ireland – there is no doubt he remains highly respected within the England squad. And Root used the example of the second Test of this series to demonstrate the selfless cricket which so endears Buttler to his team-mates and which is not accurately represented by his career statistics.Twice at Emirates Old Trafford Buttler was required to accelerate the scoring: once, in the first innings, when he was left with the tail and eventually succumbed to a catch on the midwicket boundary and once, in the second innings, when he was promoted to open as England attempted to set-up a declaration. He fell for a duck in the first over after edging an expansive drive onto his stumps.ALSO READ: Root backs Archer to put isolation troubles behind him“If you look at the last game, both times he was left in a situation where he basically gave his wicket up for the good of the group,” Root said. “That’s the sort of player he is and how he goes about his cricket. That’s why he’s so vital to our team: because he’s willing to play in a manner that suits the situation that we need from him at any given point.”It must have been quite hard for him. In the first innings, he got himself in a position where he felt good and he was playing some good cricket. Then we lost a couple of wickets at the other end and he had to get on with it. I thought he could easily have got 70-odd not out and he’s in a different place, feeling on top of the world with his batting again.”In both first innings in this series, he has looked one of our better players in many ways. That’s the thing he’s got to try to look at. I feel a score is just around the corner for him.”There was, however, a first hint from Smith that England do have other options for the position. And while nobody in the team management will suggest Buttler is now playing for his place – “I would never frame things in that way,” Smith said, “as I don’t think that’s a good message for any player” – it does appear time may be running out for him. Another failure in this Test could well see Ben Foakes recalled for the Pakistan series.”What we like to have as a selection panel is depth across every position and that applies to wicketkeeper batting as much as anywhere else,” Smith said. “In the wicketkeeping position and middle-order batting we do have depth. That’s clear.”

“The request I made was for him to consider playing all formats,” says Puneet Bali

Shashank Kishore14-Aug-2020Puneet Bali, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) secretary, has requested Yuvraj Singh to come out of retirement and play for the state again in the upcoming domestic season. Bali is awaiting a response from the former India allrounder.It is understood Yuvraj has not committed to the PCA, and will need the BCCI permission in case he decides to take up the offer.Punjab has lost a number of key players to other states in recent years. Among them are Manan Vohra and Barinder Sran, who qualified to play for Chandigarh two seasons ago as locals, while Jiwanjot Singh and Taruwar Kohli moved to Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya respectively. Bali hopes a young team which is trying to rebuild will benefit from Yuvraj’s experience and mentoring.However, coming back from retirement may not be so straightforward. BCCI considers players to have officially retired to provide NOCs for overseas leagues. And Yuvraj has featured in two such tournaments in the past year – the Global T20 Canada and Abu Dhabi T10 League.Last month, Yuvraj spent time overseeing closed-door training sessions of Shubman Gill, Prabhsimran Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma and Harpreet Brar, all of whom are set to feature in IPL 2020, at PCA’s upcoming international stadium in Mullanpur, near Chandigarh.”These boys were all undergoing sessions with our physios and trainers to prepare [for the season],” Bali told ESPNcricinfo. “Yuvraj initiated sessions with these boys while he was in Chandigarh. Over the last couple of seasons, we’ve lost players to other states, many of our players to Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and Himachal. So we felt a player of Yuvraj’s experience and calibre could lend a lot of value and inspire the youngsters.”The request I made was for him to consider playing all formats. But if he comes back to and says, he’s available only for limited-overs cricket, for some reason, that will be fine too. I’m looking forward to hear from him soon. But as such, he’s been working hard with the boys.”In another key development, the PCA is also set to offer state contracts to their players. Bali confirmed the contracts list has been drawn up and will likely come into force from October 1, 2020. The contracts for this season will go upto April 30, 2021.The men’s category will have three grades – A, B and C. Grade A will come with a retainer of INR 8 lakh, B with a retainer of INR 6 lakh, and those in C – mostly for Under-19s and promising age-group talent – will get a retainer of INR 10,000 rupees a month. There will be 10 players in each of the contract grades.Players for Grades A and B will be considered based on seniority. Those in A should’ve played for Punjab in the previous Ranji Trophy season. However, exceptions will be made for those who have either represented India, India A or India Under-19 in the same period. “Essentially, we want to reward those who’ve performed in the Ranji Trophy, so that is first criteria,” Bali explained.The contract fee will be borne by the state association and comes outside the BCCI’s purview. The move is significant because at present, domestic cricketers earn a match fee of INR 35,000 per match day (for days’ cricket), and share among themselves 10.40% of the BCCI’s annual media rights income. An average player who plays all matches across formats in a season stands to roughly earn INR 15-20 lakh. This revenue pales in comparison to the amounts that players can earn from the IPL, with a minimum base price of INR 20 lakhs.”This will motivate players, especially those who don’t have IPL contracts,” Punjab captain Mandeep Singh said. “This is a welcome step, it will provide a lot of players financial stability.”The women’s contracts too will be divided into three, and will be valued similarly to the men’s. However, the number of players offered contracts will vary, with Groups A and B having three members each, while four players will be awarded Group C contracts.”We had a discussion in November last year, and then February, and then things came to a standstill due to the pandemic, but we’ve more or less formalised it now,” Bali said. “The men’s list has been drawn up. We’re waiting for our women’s squads to be picked before finalising the contracts in that category.”