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National selector Trevor Hohns and national talent manager Greg Chappell will be more focused on Tests and ODIs

Daniel Brettig26-Jul-2018Australia’s selection panel has been formally shaved down to three members, with the new coach Justin Langer to take primary responsibility for the Twenty20 format after the resignation of Mark Waugh.Langer will act as “chair” in discussion around T20I squads, while the national selector Trevor Hohns and national talent manager Greg Chappell will be more focused on Tests and ODIs. State talent managers and Big Bash League coaches will also be consulted more thoroughly, with the reduced panel unable to be present at every Sheffield Shield match.The panel changes were approved at a meeting of the CA Board in Melbourne.While the new structure is not as dramatic a change as that adopted previously by New Zealand – essentially placing selection in the hands of the national coach with help from a selection manager – it increases Langer’s say in selection beyond the level previously granted to Darren Lehmann and Mickey Arthur, after the 2011 Argus review recommended that the coach be a selector.”We believe the changes to the structure of the selection process will deliver the best possible result for the Australian Men’s Cricket Team across all formats,” Cricket Australia’s team performance manager Pat Howard said. “Having a selector focus on the T20 format for the past 18 months was viewed as a success, particularly as we now sit third in ICC rankings in this format, and we will look to continue this in a slightly modified way.”This sees Justin take on additional responsibility as both the head coach and lead selector in Twenty20 cricket, as we build towards the ICC World T20 in Australia in 2020. Justin has performed a similar role previously while coach of the Perth Scorchers, and has a wealth of knowledge around the Big Bash League and its players.”The changes also see the State Talent Managers and Big Bash League coaches involved in the selection process for Twenty20 cricket, as we consult our experts in Australian cricket.”Australia’s T20 selections have grown increasingly BBL-focused over the past seven years with a trend of improving results in 2018 which included winning the tri-series involving England and New Zealand. However, the Test and ODI teams face an uphill task during the 2018-19 season, dealing without the suspended Steven Smith and David Warner in particular.Waugh resigned from the panel to take up a larger scale role commentating for Fox Sports as part of the new AUD1.18 billion broadcast rights deal that also includes the Seven Network. He had previously juggled selection with BBL commentary for Ten.

The home side slipped to 12 for 2 after England’s captain had got their first innings close

Andrew McGlashan29-Jan-2022A stirring England fightback was halted by rain in Canberra after Heather Knight’s magnificent career-best 168 not out carried England to within 40 of Australia’s first-innings total on the third day before Katherine Brunt rattled the home side with two quick wickets.It left Australia with a precarious lead of 52 and a ball moving significantly for England’s quicks, but there was no more play after lunch as heavy rain swept through. There will be an early start on the final day with 109 overs to be bowled, but time is now running out to force a result. England are the side more desperate for the four points as they trail 4-2 overall. However, the fact they were even in such a position to consider it was down to the performance of their captain.The ninth-wicket stand between Knight and Sophie Ecclestone was extended to 100, an England record, then No. 11 Kate Cross chipped in with a useful hand until Ellyse Perry’s third wicket ended the innings.Brunt then made immediate inroads as the weather closed in. She found Alyssa Healy’s outside edge with one which bounced and moved away as the wicketkeeper bagged a pair and had Rachael Haynes taken at short leg with the penultimate delivery before rain arrived on the stroke of lunch. It took Brunt’s match haul to seven wickets and carried her to 50 overall in Test cricket.”Brunty’s having a brilliant Test and the way she bowled – the aggression, the skill – hunting Australian wickets, and to pick up those two wickets felt like we could really break the game open, try and get them out for a cheap score and set up a chase so obviously a little bit frustrating,” Knight said. “We are still holding out a little bit of hope…there’s a little bit of time left in the game so we are going to have bowl absolutely out of our skins to try and take early wickets and put the Aussies under the pump. We live in hope.”Knight, who resumed on 127, went past her previous best of 157 made in 2013 and become just the second batter to make two 150+ scores in Ashes Test after Karen Rolton. She had come out with positive intent from the start, unfurling a glorious cover drive, a hook against Perry and a slog-sweep off Jess Jonassen which took her to 150 off 274 balls.”Think it’s my best innings for England, definitely,” Knight said. “The situation we were in, in an Ashes game against probably the best team in the world, so super pleased. I felt quite rusty at the start, they bowled pretty well with the first new ball, but when you’ve played a lot of white-ball cricket and you have a red-ball moving it’s quite hard not to have a little flirt with it, and I did that a few times, but managed to get through that tricky period and when the spin came on I felt a lot more comfortable and found my rhythm.”The way Sophie batted was unbelievable, the team really need her to stand up. She’s got a really sound technique and really chuffed for her that she was able to put in that patient knock…to get us so close to the score. I was looking at a great situation being 70 or so behind, so to get to the deficit we did was a real effort.”It was a frustrating morning for Australia who had hoped to secure a far more substantial lead. When they finally bowled England out it felt a long time since there was talk of the follow-on.Ecclestone was given two lives, both by Meg Lanning at slip, the first coming in the opening over of the day and another when she had 33 but that was a tough one diving to the right. She was eventually trapped lbw by Tahlia McGrath who became the seventh bowler to take a wicket.

Half-centuries from Marizanne Kapp and Fargana Hoque go in vain in their respective matches

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2022South Africa will head into the World Cup on the back of two losses in their warm-up games. After going down to India, they were handed a comprehensive six-wicket defeat to England in Lincoln on Wednesday.Heather Knight opted to bowl in a clash reduced to 35-overs-a-side, and South Africa let themselves down with the bat, slumping to 138 for 9 as Anya Shrubsole and Sophie Ecclestone picked five for 41 between them. In reply, England lost four wickets, but knocked off the runs in just 26.3 overs.Laura Wolvaardt, fresh off a 95-ball 83 against India, fell for a duck. Tazmin Brits, her opening partner, struggled to get going, making a 44-ball 13 as a follow-up to her duck against India.Shrubsole, Ecclestone, Katherine Brunt and Kate Cross were all among the wickets as the South African failed to get momentum at any stage. It was only a 65-run stand for the sixth wicket, between Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon, that gave South Africa some respectability.The two got together at the fall of Brits’ wicket, and while they didn’t set the game alight, they chipped away. Tryon fell for 27, but Kapp carried on till she became the ninth batter out, for a 60-ball 52, with five fours.Stopping England short was always going to be a tall ask for South Africa, but Ayabonga Khaka gave them a great start with the ball, taking out Lauren Winfield-Hill and Heather Knight cheaply. But a 33-run stand between Tammy Beaumont, who scored 35, and Nat Sciver, who scored 33 before retiring hurt, put England in the box seat.By the time they were done, the target was just a few hits away, and Amy Jones, Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley finished off the job.Fatima Sana gestures to the camera after returning a four-wicket haul•AFP/Getty Images

In an even contest, Pakistan edged Bangladesh with a seven-run (DLS) win in Lincoln, Fargana Hoque’s 95-ball 71 ending up being second-best to Fatima Sana’s 4 for 47 on the day.After keeping Pakistan to 199 for 7 in 42 overs, Bangladesh had a revised target of 202, and gave it a good tilt, mainly courtesy Hoque. Sana did the initial damage, reducing Bangladesh to 29 for 2, but Hoque and captain Nigar Sultana fought back with a 42-run stand.That, and the 49 runs Hoque and an enterprisingRumana Ahmed added for the fourth wicket, gave Bangladesh a good shot at overhauling the target, but there wasn’t much support for Hoque as Sana came back to pick up two more wickets, including that of Hoque, and Bangladesh were bowled out seven runs short with four balls remaining in the chase.Earlier, good hands in the middle order from Javeria Khan (44) and captain Bismah Maroof (32), and lower down from Aliya Riaz and Sana meant that Pakistan put up a total that was eventually enough for them.Before any of them came into the picture, though, it was the Fariha Trisna show, as the left-arm medium-pacer sent back the Pakistan top three of Nahida Khan, Sidra Ameen and Muneeba Ali with just 38 on the board by the tenth over.But the senior pros, Javeria and Maroof, took control after that with a 73-run stand in 15-and-a-half overs. Riaz and Sana then provided the innings with some muscle towards the end with a 66-run stand for the seventh wicket, the runs coming in good time, in 12 overs. That, in the end, made the different in a weather-affected game.

The wicketkeeper-batter played 74 Tests, 139 ODIs and 71 T20Is, and hopes to continue being a part of T20 leagues around the world

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2022Former West Indies captain, the wicketkeeper-batter Denesh Ramdin, has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect.”It is with great pleasure that I announce my retirement from international cricket,” Ramdin, who last played for West Indies in a T20I in December 2019, said on Instagram. “The past 14 years have been a dream come true. I fulfilled my childhood dreams by playing cricket for Trinidad and Tobago, and the West Indies.”My career afforded me the opportunity to see the world, make friends from different cultures and still be able to appreciate where I came from.”He will, however, continue to play franchise cricket, Ramdin said. He hasn’t found a team at the upcoming edition of the CPL, though, despite having represented Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Trinbago Knight Riders from 2013 to 2021. He has also played for Multan Sultans at the PSL, in 2017 and 2018.Ramdin, who played 74 Tests, 139 ODIs and 71 T20Is, started out in Test cricket, making his debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2005. His ODI debut, against India, followed later on the tour in a tri-series involving the three teams.He played a part in West Indies’ T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016. In the first, he hardly got a chance to bat in seven matches, but effected six dismissals behind the stumps. In the second, he was unimpressive in front of the wickets, with 36 runs in four innings – in six games – at a strike rate 69.23, and had three dismissals behind the stumps.More recently, Ramdin fell off the radar of the national selectors. His last Test and ODI appearances were back in 2016.”Yea Viv Talk Nah!”•Getty Images

A competent batter usually, Ramdin hit four Test centuries across his career, three of which came away from home. His second Test hundred – against England at Edgbaston in 2012 – caused controversy when he took out a note from his pocket on achieving the milestone, stating “Yea Viv talk nah”. This was in response to Viv Richards having questioned Ramdin’s poor form in the first two Tests of that tour, where he managed only 51 runs, and wasn’t consistent with his wicketkeeping either.As a result of his antics, Ramdin was fined 20% of his match fee by the ICC.He was in trouble with the ICC again only a year later, when playing against Pakistan, he claimed a grounded catch off Misbah-ul-Haq in the Champions Trophy. Ramdin had fumbled while trying to take the ball falling forward, but still went up in celebration. On that occasion, Ramdin was suspended for two ODIs, and docked his entire match fee.Ramdin was named West Indies’ Test captain in 2014, taking over from Daren Sammy, who had retired from the format. Overall, Ramdin led his country in 17 matches – 13 Tests, three T20Is and an ODI – before being removed in September 2015, when Jason Holder replaced him at the helm.The results were mixed. West Indies won four of those 13 Tests, all at home against New Zealand, Bangladesh [two] and England, but lost seven, including five at home. West Indies won the only ODI he led in, while it was one win and two losses in T20Is.Later, in mid-2016, Ramdin tweeted about his exclusion from the Test side against India before the West Indies squad was made official, triggering some chatter. He had played all three Tests in Australia in 2015-16, scoring half-centuries in Melbourne and Sydney, but never played a Test again.

Postponement of second WI vs Aus ODI has domino effect on Pakistan series

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2021Complications due to Covid-19 has cut an entire T20I out of Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies. Set to begin a day later than originally scheduled (July 28), also due to the pandemic, the series will now feature only four T20Is, instead of the previously planned five.

The new schedule for WI vs Pakistan

July 28: 1st T20I, Bridgetown

July 31: 2nd T20I, Providence

August 1: 3rd T20I, Providence

August 3: 4th T20I, Providence

August 12: 1st Test, Kingston

August 20: 2nd Test, Kingston

This is the result of one of the non-playing staff in the West Indies set-up testing positive for the virus two days ago. It forced one of their ODIs against Australia to be postponed and that in turn has had a domino effect on the Pakistan series, prompting the PCB and the CWI to strike off one of the T20Is that was part of the original tour calendar.Ricky Skerritt, the Cricket West Indies president, said: “Together with the PCB, CWI have examined various scenarios, and we jointly agreed that the best solution in the present circumstances is to cancel the first T20I and play a four-match T20I series starting on Wednesday and keep the rest of the tour schedule unchanged.”Both Pakistan and West Indies, who are the defending champions, are on the final legs of their preparation for the T20 World Cup to be held in the UAE from October 17.

By not announcing its squad and keeping the uncertainty on India’s participation alive, it appears the BCCI wants the ECB to facilitate negotiations with the ICC

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Apr-2017Will the BCCI use its participation in the Champions Trophy as a bargaining chip in its tussle with the ICC over its share of global revenues? On Wednesday the BCCI was outvoted 13-1 (nine Full Members, three Associates and the ICC chairman) as the ICC Board approved the finance model which granted the Indian board a share of US $293 million from ICC events until 2023.Although that is still $17 million more than the $276 million that was proposed in the original model in February, the BCCI remains disgruntled. In the words of one Full Member director, present at the meeting, BCCI representative Amitabh Choudhary managed to walk away with “some pieces”, and not an “insignificant” amount.Not significant, says the BCCI. Choudhary, along with the Indian board treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, tried hard to sell a deal to other members in which the BCCI got $570 million (as per the Big 3 distribution) while the rest got the enhanced amounts promised in the ICC model. The BCCI found no buyers. Even the old trick of using bilateral series as bait proved futile.The ICC chairman Shashank Manohar has remained firm in his negotiations with the BCCI. He has kept alive the prospect of an extra $100 million that would take the BCCI share close to $400 million, leaving the ball in the BCCI’s court. What the BCCI does now, and what options it has, will become clearer when the board holds a special general body meeting (SGM) on May 7 in Delhi.According to one BCCI source, the Indian board might settle somewhere “in the middle” of the two figures: anything in the range of $450 million could be satisfactory. Manohar, it is understood however, might not be keen on any further negotiation.The BCCI has already delayed announcing a squad for the Champions Trophy and, according to one source, it has been done as an attempt to pressure the ECB, the hosts for the tournament. The ECB is an influential voice at the ICC Board – its president Giles Clarke was part of the working group that has drawn up the new model and constitution. Clarke is also said to have aspirations to replace Manohar – when Manohar returned as chairman after his short-lived resignation, it was supposed to be until the AGM in June, though there has been speculation he may carry on.”All the India games (in Champions Trophy) are sold out. The BCCI will wait to an extent to see if it can make the ECB sweat.”By not announcing a squad and keeping the uncertainty on India’s participation alive, the BCCI wants the ECB to facilitate negotiations with the ICC. This kind of brinksmanship is something the BCCI is good at. But given that it isn’t legally straightforward to revoke the Members Participating Agreement (MPA, which governs participation in ICC events) this will not be so easy to do. There could be financial consequences, according to an official well-versed with the MPA if India doesn’t play.Importantly the new ICC constitution and the latest finance model will only be ratified at the annual conference in the last week of June, after the Champions Trophy. “The concern is India could pull out of the Women’s World Cup which follows the annual conference,” said one official.For now the ECB and the Champions Trophy organising committee, led by Steve Elworthy, carry on as normal with the preparations. Neither are losing sleep, not yet at least. The feeling is, however, if matters come to it, the ECB will want to have a dialogue with the BCCI. “The BCCI is in a very difficult position because it had five representatives in five ICC meetings,” the Full Member director said.”That is a hugely problematic for the ICC to build up a relationship. But there are some of us who consistently feel we need to be having a dialogue with the BCCI.”By this director’s assessment, India will not pull the trigger on Champions Trophy. “No, I don’t think so. The BCCI, ECB, PCB etc. are all members of the ICC. The ICC is an entity on its own. We members on the other hand deal with each other and are involved in developing and running cricket around the world. BCCI have some things to consider now. But there is always scope for a dialogue. Most of the senior administrators at BCCI will take a long-term view. I am confident.”Elworthy told the that the uncertainty on India’s participation so far has not hurt the preparations. “The blow, if you think of the number of games we have sold out across the tournament, would be huge. India have an incredibly strong support base in this country. Never mind the operational issues, which would be immense. But at the moment we are just cracking on and planning everything as if they are coming.”Meanwhile, the Committee of Administrators (CoA), appointed by the Supreme Court of India to supervise the BCCI, is following the developments closely. Vinod Rai, the CoA chief, said the committee was not thinking too far ahead about the subsequent steps they would take if the BCCI pulled out of the Champions Trophy at all. “This is a hypothetical question. Let the SGM first take a decision,” Rai said at a book release event in Mumbai on Friday. Rai also said India were well within its rights to delay the squad announcement. “There is no such thing as a deadline. The Champions Trophy will start on June 1. The deadlines are fixed so that there is some kind of system in place,” he explained.

Somerset fast bowler Lewis Gregory took three wickets as the visitors enjoyed the better of the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Hampshire

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2017
ScorecardSomerset fast bowler Lewis Gregory took three wickets as the visitors enjoyed the better of the opening day of their day-night Specsavers County Championship clash with Hampshire.Gregory along with his fellow attack bowlers Craig Overton, Tim Groenewald and Jack Leach, who celebrated two wickets a piece, seemed to enjoy bowling with the pink ball – which failed to offer any great assistance for much of the day.The quartet battled through a seemingly flat track, which seemed to grow livelier in the evening and night sessions, to give the bowlers the advantage.Only a promising partnership between Liam Dawson and Jimmy Adams, and James Vince’s 47, handed the hosts any positives during the maiden day of day-night Championship cricket.Hampshire eventually declared on a modest 211 for 9 before bowling six overs at Somerset – who reached 18 without loss.Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat in the warm afternoon sun, with a wicket appearing primed for high-scoring batting.Adams and Dawson made that early pitch prediction seem correct as they blustered through the opening exchanges.
The pair, who scored ten of the day’s 19 boundaries between them, looked comfortable with driving through the covers a common sight.They reached 74 for lunch, with just Adams dropped at first slip by James Hildreth off Leach the only blip of the session.
After the tea interval, Somerset turned the screw to gain control of the game.Overton, who missed out on making his England debut in the T20 series against South Africa, was the first to eke life out of a flat wicket.The fast bowler broke the 84-run partnership between Adams and Dawson in the fourth over after lunch, when he had the former caught at first slip by Hildreth.While the ball to get that wicket had jagged away slightly, the delivery to see off Rilee Rossouw was a standard short delivery.The out-of-form South African top-edged before Steven Davies pulled off a wonderful diving catch to hold the steepling chance – Rossouw has now scored five ducks in his last eight Specsavers County Championship innings.Dawson, who returned after his stint in the England team, appeared in complete control as he was promoted up the order to open – with the out-of-form Michael Carberry dropped.He patiently reached a 132-ball half-century before Gregory got one to keep low and move in to see the England international lbw.Captain George Bailey soon followed when he clipped a Groenewald delivery off his legs to Overton at midwicket – who struggled to keep out of the action in the session.The Australian’s wicket saw Hampshire fall from 84 without loss to 132 for four and after supper the collapse would continue.Sean Ervine got tempted into a late cut to Leach and feathered behind before James Vince reached a sluggish yet classy 47 before attempting to tickle the spinner around the corner, but only found the gloves of Davies.Groenewald took his second wicket when he cut Ian Holland in two with a sharp inducker.Hampshire appeared in danger of missing out on a batting point entirely when Gregory had Gareth Berg leg before and Lewis McManus bowled – with the score on 198 and 199.But a hoick into the leg side from Kyle Abbott secured a point before Bailey decided to declare and have a short burst at the Somerset batting.But Marcus Trescothick and Zimbabwean debutant Edward Byrom saw out the remaining overs under the floodlights.