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Aizaz Cheema, the Pakistan fast bowler, has said Pakistan will have the advantage of being more used to conditions similar to those in the UAE when they take on England there later this month

Umar Farooq05-Jan-2012Aizaz Cheema, the Pakistan fast bowler, has said Pakistan will have the advantage of being more used to conditions similar to those in the UAE when they take on England there later this month. The pitches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are generally slow and batsman-friendly but Cheema said they were not too different from those in Pakistan and therefore he was confident of taking wickets on them.”Through my life I have played on similar pitches and I earned my place in the national side with the wickets I took on them,” Cheema said after the second day of Pakistan’s training camp in Lahore. “The conditions won’t make a difference to me. I have pace but the main thing is being disciplined in my bowling. If I hit the right line and length it will be a problem for any batsman.”I will try not to give runs in any spell I bowl and will try to take wickets. Our experience of the conditions is more than theirs because there is not much difference in the tracks in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.”Cheema only played in one of the Tests during the three-Test series against Sri Lanka in the UAE last year, with Pakistan picking two spinners for the matches in Dubai and Sharjah. He will face further competition for his place this series with Wahab Riaz, the left-arm quick, returning to the squad. Cheema has impressed since earning his Test cap days before his 32nd birthday. He picked up eight wickets on debut in Zimbabwe and nine over the two Tests in Bangladesh in December last year, and has hit speeds up to 145kph. He recognised, however, that the England batting line-up was filled with quality players and that the series against the World No. 1 Test side would be a stiff challenge.”I can’t pick one name from the England line-up whom I am targeting because on the whole the England side is a quality side. I will try to dismiss whoever comes in.”Pakistan went through 2011 without losing a Test series, and go into this series after beating Zimbabwe away, Sri Lanka in the UAE and Bangladesh away. Cheema said they had not allowed themselves to become complacent, and he and some of the other players had started training just two days after returning from the tour of Bangladesh. “We are doing extensive hard work. Many of us started training just two days after we came back from Bangladesh. The camp in Lahore is helping us keep our rhythm and avoid becoming complacent.”Pakistan have recalled Umar Akmal for the three-Test series against England after leaving him out of the Tests against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Umar continued to do well in the limited-overs formats but after repeated failures in Tests, the selectors suggested he go back to domestic cricket and learn how to play long innings. Mohsin Khan, the chief selector and interim coach, said Umar needed to “stop being selfish”, and convert starts into important knocks. Umar, who averaged 71.00 in the six innings he played in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division Two, said he would not stop playing his shots but would try to do a job for his team at the No. 6 position.”I have played at No. 6 throughout my career, and I enjoy playing under pressure. When you take the team out of a pressure situation, only then can you be called a player for your country.”Nobody is stopping me from playing my shots but I am trying to play according to the situation and I feel there’s a lot of improvement in my batting.”Umar will find it hard to displace Asad Shafiq from the XI after Shafiq scored a century in Chittagong, but if given a chance said he would concentrate on contributing to the team’s cause rather than looking for big scores.”I will try to give 100%. At the number at which I am playing it’s rare to score big totals. You usually get around 50, 60, 70; whatever I can contribute to the total is an achievement for me. When I get promoted up the order, only then can I try to score hundreds.”The first Test between Pakistan and England starts January 17 in Abu Dhabi.

Graeme Smith, South Africa captain, felt that he had the time but not the conditions to bowl India out on the last day of the deciding Test in Cape Town

Firdose Moonda at Newlands06-Jan-2011Graeme Smith, South Africa captain, felt that he had the time but not the conditions to bowl India out on the last day of the deciding Test in Cape Town. “I expected more from the wicket today,” he said at the post-match press conference. “It didn’t have much swing, like we saw on the first three days.”The Newlands pitch began crumbling on day four and was expected to remain tricky for batting. There was variable bounce on offer, which Morne Morkel made us of, while Dale Steyn gave everything he had and more, and succeeded in bowling outswing despite the conditions. Smith said that the two quicks, aided by Lonwabo Tsotsobe, could have used the help of an additional seamer to carry some of the load. “Having the extra seamer is a massive bonus. MS Dhoni has worked the whole series like this [with three seamers]. Having bowlers fresh is obviously nice.”South Africa had to juggle just three pace bowlers because Jacques Kallis’ rib injury prevented him from bowling.Smith was also hoping for a 12th man in the form of the pitch, which had cracks that should have worked to the spinners’ advantage, but Paul Harris had no joy at all. “I expected the cracks to play more of a role,” Smith said. “If you hit the rough, you got spin, but on the straight there wasn’t much.”Even though Smith knew that with the mercury reaching 38 degrees for three successive days the pitch would “become a really good batting unit, as we saw against England last year,” he still thought South Africa had the firepower to claim 10 wickets and was “disappointed that we didn’t get close today and only managed to have them three down.”Still, he was pleased with how the pitch had behaved over the course of the match. “It’s provided really good Test cricket. Compared to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which were roads, it was nice to play a series where everyone had the opportunity to do well.”South Africa have failed to register a series win at home for the third successive season but Smith did not see that as worrying sign. “We’ve played some good cricket around the world in recent times. You do want to be really strong at home. For two Tests here we played really, really well and for one we were poor.”That one was not the decider, Smith emphasised, but the Boxing Day Test that South Africa lost by 87 runs. “We were really disappointed with the way we played in Durban. There were moments were we needed to fight a little harder and India were better than us in those moments.” Smith thought his team bounced back from those lows and laid claim to the key moments in Cape Town when they recovered from 130 for six to reach 362. “We showed a lot of character to get into a position to win.”The fact that they didn’t win did not appear to irk Smith too much. “It’s good for world cricket that the top four teams are competitive. We don’t need to fool ourselves that we are better than what we are.” Smith spoke as though a period of assessment for his team had ended and they were satisfied with the result. “The majority of our Test side has been very successful over the last few years.”In some ways, this series does mark the end of an era for the South Africa Test side. It is Corrie van Zyl’s last series as coach of the national team. The next series is scheduled for September, against an Australia in decline and there will be a new set-up in place. “The next Test is nine months away and we’ll have new coaching staff. Hopefully it will be someone who can challenge us and take us to the next level.”

Shane Warne has raised concerns about playing in the IPL this year and believes the organisers may need to think about moving it again after a terror threat against sporting events in India

Cricinfo staff17-Feb-2010Shane Warne has raised concerns about playing in the IPL this year and believes the organisers may need to think about moving it again after a terror threat against sporting events in India. Last year’s event was relocated to South Africa and Warne said it was something that should be considered again this season.”The threats of the past 24 hours have certainly got me thinking twice and is of deep concern to athletes across several sports,” Warne told the . “If the threats are proven to be real, then organisers of the IPL may look at moving the tournament.”We moved it last year at short notice, so it can be done. There is no way organisers will risk the safety of players and officials.”Warne will wait for advice from security expert Reg Dickerson before deciding whether to head to India for the tournament, which begins on March 12. The threat specified the Hockey World Cup, the IPL and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where players will be staying in the relative safety of an athletes’ village, unlike the IPL players.”We’ll be staying in hotels and travelling on buses and as we saw with the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, it can be dangerous,” Warne said. The paper also reported that Australia’s high-profile players were considering hiring their own security staff for the tournament.

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.

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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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.”

Opener in the runs once more as Northants are made to work for first-day wickets

ECB Reporters Network05-Sep-2022Hampshire 229 for 5 (Organ 71) vs Northamptonshire
Felix Organ continued his fine form with 71 as LV= Insurance County Championship title-chasing Hampshire batted out a truncated even day with Northamptonshire.Opening batter Organ ended the Royal London Cup with 54 in the semi-final against Kent Spitfires, having scored 72, 118, 41 and 65 in his last four Championship matches.He also almost single-handedly helped his club side, Winchester-based St Cross Symondians, to the ECB Southern Premier League title on Saturday with a masterful 135, in addition to four wickets.Against Northamptonshire, he put on fifty stands with Joe Weatherley and Nick Gubbins to take Hampshire to 229 for five at close – with Jack White claiming two for 35.Organ started the season batting at No.7, in the team predominantly for his off-spin option in the fourth innings.But after Weatherley damaged his finger in the slips against Lancashire, he was promoted to open – his more familiar position – and immediately made an impact with a century.He slumped with a lean spell but arrived in this match averaging 46 in his previous seven innings.Having been put in by Will Young on a green-tinged wicket and seen his opening partner Ian Holland edge to second slip to the first ball he faced, Organ faced a great deal of pressure.But the 23-year-old was compact with the ball nipping around, with Ben Sanderson particularly finding good subtle movement to find the outside edge of Weatherley’s bat to again find Emilio Gay at second slip.Organ set up deep in his crease with an off-stump guard, and knew exactly where his stumps were, even if there were regular plays and misses from either end either side of the early lunch – with rain and bad light eventually lobbing 34 overs off the day.He particularly peppered the off side although his fifty came up with a sumptuous straight drive off 88 balls.With him, Gubbins and James Vince showed moments of their carefree nature but failed to capitalise on solid starts.Luke Procter entered the attack, got cut for four by Gubbins but found movement in off the seam to bowl the left-hander for 23, while Vince was caught behind for 19.Organ eventually departed when he failed to move his feet to White and feathered off the under-toe of the bat to Ricardo Vasconcelos.But Liam Dawson and Aneurin Donald briskly put on 62 unbeaten runs, with the latter often showing glamour with his driving ability before the light worsened to end play just after 6pm.Hampshire are hoping to get a jump of title rivals Surrey in this round of fixture, but the forecast is not looking too kind to their bid for a first Championship since 1973.

“Everyone backs everyone, it doesn’t matter which XI is playing”

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2021On a high after their emphatic series win at Edgbaston on Sunday, New Zealand will now have plenty of selection headaches to deal with for the World Test Championship final against India starting June 18 in Southampton. With a combination of injuries and their decision to rest a few players, New Zealand made six changes to their playing XI for the second Test, and still showed enough depth in both batting and bowling to beat England by eight wickets.If most or all of their injured players recover, New Zealand will have numerous options for only a few spots available. How are some of their players on the fringe of a permanent spot in the playing XI coping with that competition?”I try not to put any pressure on myself,” spinner Ajaz Patel, one of the six inclusions for the second Test, said. “Faith is a big factor for me, which allows me to stay grounded and be comfortable with whatever is thrown at me. I make sure I’m still working hard, developing my game and continuing to grow so when the opportunity does come, I make the most of it.Related

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“There is no added pressure, whenever I put the cap on, I look at it as a privilege. [I] try and have fun because that’s why we play cricket. It’s still reliving a childhood dream, representing New Zealand and putting that black baggy on. We take a lot of pride and privilege in that. Every time I get the opportunity, I try to put out there what I’ve been working on while I’ve been away. Sometimes you have to take a back seat, and sometimes you’re thrust in the front.”New Zealand’s incredible discipline on the field, and subsequent success, has roots in the culture that the team has bought into over the last few years.”It was probably six or seven years ago, the leadership group sat down and thought we want to play a brand of cricket that was true to us as Kiwis,” New Zealand’s stand-in captain Tom Latham said. “Something that we could hold our head on. The change came around that World Cup time in 2015. To try and enjoy cricket, enjoy each other’s company. That’s something we hold true to this group.”Patel also alluded to that culture as an influential reason in New Zealand’s recent success. “The culture around this team is very good. Everyone is quite positive, there is no negativity, and that breeds so much success we have. Everyone backs everyone, it doesn’t matter which XI is playing. Everyone has been putting in a 100% and it was from the guys that weren’t playing to the guys that were in the playing XI.”I was carrying drinks last week, there was a different group carrying drinks this week. We had a lot of seniors players carrying drinks and they still did the job for the team and I think that shows our team culture and how we go about our cricket, and what it really means to be a part of this team for everyone. There’s no ranks in here and everyone does what they need to which is a great environment to be in.”Even though the Ageas Bowl in Southampton favours spin as the match progresses, New Zealand will probably have to choose between Mitchell Santner and Patel for the WTC final. “We have some good conversations about spin, a lot of in-depth analysis and tactics that we can use while we’re out there. We have a good healthy competition but at the same time, we work well together as well. Competition is always good, we’re growing together,” he said.”I’ve done my part, my preparation. Now it’s up to the selectors. My foundation of faith allows me to be at peace with whatever happens. For me, it’s about preparing and whatever happens from there, happens from there. I wouldn’t want to be a selector right now because there are some pretty tough decisions. It has been highlighted in the last couple of games how much depth we really have.”Patel took four wickets at Edgbaston, while also performing the role of a holding spinner. He bowled eight maidens in 23 overs with an economy rate of well under three in both innings, and chipped in with the bat as well in the first innings with 20 useful runs at No. 10 which helped New Zealand in taking an 85-run lead.”I tried to make use of whatever was out there. Being able to bat, that was fun. Mark Wood bowling some serious pace, trying to take your block off isn’t the most amusing. It’s something I’ve been working on, it was nice to showcase that. But also doing a job in the second innings where conditions start favouring you a bit more.”

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

The fast bowler is yet to fully recover from his shoulder injury. Shadab Khan is out too, but Fakhar Zaman is fit to play

Danyal Rasool in Centurion24-Dec-2018Pakistan will have to fight for just their third Test match win in South Africa without the services of Mohammad Abbas. Sarfraz Ahmed confirmed at a press conference at Supersport Park that the Boxing Day Test came too soon for Abbas, with the shoulder injury that kept him out of the third Test against New Zealand ensuring he will play no part in the opening Test.”Abbas is not fit for the first Test, hopefully he will be fit for the second Test,” Sarfraz said. “Shadab Khan, too, will be back for the second Test, but Fakhar Zaman is fit.”Legspinner Shadab has been nursing a long-term groin injury which caused him to miss the home Tests against Australia and New Zealand, although he did take part in the limited-overs games against New Zealand. Opening batsman Fakhar, meanwhile, has not featured for Pakistan since November 11 thanks to a knee injury, but played in the tour game against a CSA Invitation XI last week.Abbas’s sensational performance in the two-Test series against Australia on the generally placid UAE tracks in October – he took 17 wickets in two Tests at 10.58 – meant he was considered Pakistan’s trump card for the seamer-friendly pitches in South Africa. After the shoulder niggle last month, he was initially thought to be ruled out for the entire South Africa tour, before it emerged that he could participate in the bulk of this series. He had at one point been believed likely to win the fitness race by Boxing Day, only for Sarfraz to confirm otherwise.Abbas’s absence means Pakistan are left with just three specialist seamers in Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi along with the allrounder Faheem Ashraf. That quartet is all set to feature in the Centurion Test now. Sarfraz also hoped the surface would allow the legspinner Yasir Shah some purchase in the later stages, effectively confirming the spinner’s involvement in Shadab’s absence.

All national players will feature in the tournament, which is scheduled to be played from November 10 to December 16

Firdose Moonda23-Oct-2017South Africa’s domestic franchise T20 tournament has been confirmed as the replacement for the postponed T20 Global League.CSA had unveiled the GLT20 as a 57-match event, featuring eight privately-owned teams, to be played from November 3, but it is now under investigation to determine whether the organisational process was above board.Instead, South Africans fans will have to make do with a six-team domestic tournament that will now take place four months ahead of schedule. Originally due to be played from March 14 to April 15, it will now run from November 10 to December 16, with each franchise playing another in the home and away format. The competition features a total of 33 matches. Each franchise will play one another at home and away with two semi-finals and a final.A bonus is that all national players will be available, a rare occurrence for domestic T20 cricket in South Africa, which is usually played when the senior side is occupied. Dale Steyn, Chris Morris, Morne Morkel, Duanne Olivier and Wayne Parnell are all expected to make their returns from injury in this competition, while Vernon Philander and Lungi Ngidi were back in action during this week’s first-class fixtures and will also take part in the T20 tournament.South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis, who has been ruled out of the T20s against Bangladesh this week with a lower-back strain, could also come back during this period. However, no foreign internationals are expected to participate in the tournament. Most of those who had signed up for the GLT20 are already otherwise engaged and, in any case, CSA’s transformation targets make it tricky to accommodate them.An insider told ESPNcricinfo that there is already unrest in the domestic ranks. “The players are still very angry and disappointed that the T20 Global League is not going ahead and it is going to take time to restore their confidence.”One way of going about that is to ensure speedy compensation for the T20 Global League payouts. CSA have been in talks with the South African Cricketers’ Associations about that and Tony Irish, the SACA chief executive, said after “several hours of negotiation, the ball is in now in CSA’s court.”The possibility of increasing salaries for those playing the domestic T20 tournament has also been raised and it may yet pan out despite the board’s current financial problems. Apart from the millions it has lost in the planning, marketing and launching of the postponed T20 Global League, the domestic T20 tournament is without a sponsor for a second successive season. While CSA are in talks to find a corporate backer, it may prove tough given the competition’s recent history.Two summers ago, it was hit by a match-fixing scandal that has since seen seven players, including four internationals, banned. Ram, the courier company that had the naming rights to the event, chose not to renew their deal in 2016. It claimed the decision was the result of a disagreement with the board, as opposed a reaction to the news of match-fixing.Another company which did not see eye to eye with CSA is broadcaster who have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of this change in the South African cricket calendar. It is likely to telecast a higher-quality T20 tournament – considering the availability of national players – without having to pay for any extra television rights. A source said they understood would use this event as a test case for negotiating the rights figure for the GLT20.With 24 fewer games than the T20 Global League would have had, and with some matches taking place at the same time, not every game will be televised. But the presence of star players will allow to judge the worth of a high-profile T20 event in South Africa. “They will be able to see what the viewership figures, what kind of ad revenue they can get and that sort of thing so that it when it comes to talking about a T20 League, they will know what to ask for,” the source said.CSA will have to return to the negotiating table with again if they aim to stage a version of the GLT20 next year but the source believes the board needs a completely different business model going forward. “They [CSA] shouldn’t be talking about it [GLT20] as a postponement because they will need to completely scrap it and relaunch it. The financial model fell over and now they need to look at whether privately-owned franchises is the way to go. There’s a lot of work ahead for them.”