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Afghanistan captain hopes the ACB “will try harder to give us opportunities against good teams in the future”

Vishal Dikshit and Daya Sagar08-Sep-2024Apart from hoping to play Test cricket more frequently going forward, Hashmatullah Shahidi wants “one good home venue” in India instead of going from place to place, as they currently cannot play international cricket back home in Afghanistan.Afghanistan will host New Zealand for a one-off Test starting on Monday in Greater Noida, near Delhi. Their other home Tests since becoming a Full Member have been in Dehradun, Lucknow and Abu Dhabi. Sticking with one home venue will make them a stronger and more effective team in red-ball cricket, Shahidi said.”If you see, India is our home and when we host teams, the other nations have played more cricket than us here,” Shahidi said while addressing the media the day before the Test. “So hopefully we will get one good venue here in India and we stick with that. If we stick with one venue, it will be more effective for us.Related

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“And one more thing, if you see our players, they have good record in first-class cricket because we play in our own grounds [in Afghanistan]. We know our own conditions very well. So hopefully that time comes in future that teams come to Afghanistan. Then our average will be even higher than what it is right now and hopefully our cricket board and BCCI give a good venue for us in India and we play a lot of cricket in one venue.”Afghanistan have played nine Tests in their six years at this level, and even though they are slotted to play 22 Tests in the current FTP – from 2023 to 2027 – only a handful are against the top sides. In the current FTP, Afghanistan have so far played against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ireland, and after the New Zealand game, have Tests scheduled against Zimbabwe (six), Ireland (three), India (one), Australia (one) and West Indies (one).”In six years, nine games is not, I cannot say it’s a lot,” Shahidi said. “If we get a lot more chances with the good teams, we will improve, and our cricket board is doing that job. Like with New Zealand, if you see their history of Test cricket and where they are in the rankings right now, it’s a good opportunity for us and hopefully our cricket board will try harder to give us opportunities against good teams in the future. I think if we get more chances on regular basis, we will improve a lot because if we see as a team and as a country, we are brave people and we always accept challenges.It all looked rather wet and forlorn the day before the Test in Greater Noida•Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfo

“If we get three- or four-match series in one time, I think it will be very good for us as a side. If you look at our past, we get one Test match and we start preparing for that ten days before. So it’s not easy to come to red-ball cricket. Playing matches will make us even better on judging the ball and playing good cricket in red-ball format, compared to playing in the nets. So if we play three-four games back to back I think it will be better.”Ranked 12th in the ICC Test rankings, Afghanistan are a force in the white-ball formats, ranked ninth in ODIs and tenth in T20Is. They took down teams like England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup last year and made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in June this year after beating New Zealand, Australia and Bangladesh.”About Test cricket, 100% we want to improve,” Shahidi said. “We want to show to the world our best format is Test cricket. And I mentioned before that we accept all kinds of challenges, and I am telling the boys also that these opportunities are very big opportunities for us, each and every one to show our skill, to show our talent and make… if I am a batsman, make a big score, big runs. So your name will be among the big names in the future. So if you want that, this is the place and time to show. I think we have that ability to do it and need to show it.”At this stage, it’s not clear how much red-ball action Afghanistan will get from this Test as a weather threat looms over the game, with rain and moderate thunderstorms forecast for the coming week.

Afghanistan counterattacked in the chase but eventually fell to a 42-run loss

Madushka Balasuriya09-Feb-2024Pathum Nissanka’s historic double ton ensured Sri Lanka withstood a spirited Afghanistan counterattack to record a 42-run victory in the first ODI at Pallekele and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.That Afghanistan even got that close was down to a record 242-run stand between Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, the second-highest sixth-wicket stand in ODI history. Omarazai ended on a 115-ball 149, while Nabi scored 136 off 130, as Afghanistan fell short but with their heads held high.It would leave them wondering perhaps what might have been had there been more substantial contributions from their top order, but in a chase of the mammoth 382-run target set by Sri Lanka, many fell wanting in searching for a fast start.Related

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Pramod Madushan did the most damage sending three of Afghanistan’s top four packing inside the first powerplay. The right-handed Rahmanullah Gurbaz and the left-handed Hashmatullah Shahidi were both done in by in-duckers, Madushan adept at moving the ball both ways – either through the air or off the surface.In between the two he had Ibrahim Zadran caught at slip, and returned later in the game to break the stand between Nabi and Omarzai. He finished with figures of 4 for 75.With Dushmantha Chameera accounting for the scalps of Rahmat Shah and Gulbadin Naib at the other end, Afghanistan found themselves staring down the barrel of an ignominious defeat, having stumbled to 55 for 5 midway through the ninth over.But that was when the fightback began, as the pair of Omarzai and Nabi resolved early on to take the game as deep as possible.With not much batting to follow, it was clear the pair could not take undue risks, nevertheless they found boundaries to ensure the run rate never got too out of hand. That said, it wasn’t until the 36th over that their scoring rate went beyond six an over, by which point the required rate was touching 12 an over.By the 40th over the requirement was 137 needed off 60 deliveries, a tall ask but put into context by the fact that Sri Lanka had struck 120 in the same period.In the end the asking rate proved too much, especially with Sri Lanka having multiple overs available from each of their frontline bowlers.Mohammad Nabi is the oldest player to score an ODI hundred•AFP/Getty Images

It also put into perspective the batting effort put in by the Lankans, particularly the outstanding Nissanka, whose 210 had come off just 139 deliveries.Avishka Fernando, with a run-a-ball 88, was the next highest scorer, as he and Nissanka put on a 182-run opening stand – Sri Lanka’s first century opening stand in nine innings, and just the third to hit double digits in that period. But that was just the start of Afghanistan’s misery.The visitors, who had opted to go with a four-strong seam attack, were left to rue their decision to bowl first having won the toss, with conditions proving ideal for batting. After a subdued start in the opening five in which just 22 runs were scored, Nissanka began to let loose.There was a subdued period through the middle overs when Nabi was rifling through his overs, but at the start and the death the Afghan bowlers were at Nissanka’s mercy.Omarzai was the first to feel the heat, taken for back-to-back boundaries through midwicket and then cover. Two overs later Fareed Ahmad was taken for 19, inclusive of two fours and a six – the latter off a free hit. Ahmad went for a further 17 in his next over, Avishka doing the brunt of the damage on that occasion, as Sri Lanka raced to 90 by the end of the 10th over.The scoring tapered from there on, the occasional flurry of boundaries serving to keep the scoring rate hovering around the seven an over mark. It took a scorching grab from Hashmatullah Shahidi at backward point to bring an end to the opening stand, as Avishka flayed a wide one hard to his right.Kusal Mendis’ entry saw more of the same, as he scrounged around for a 31-ball 16 before skying a miscued shot after coming down the track. The entry of Sadeera Samarawickrama, midway through the 36th over, though was the catalyst for Sri Lanka to shift gears, as his ability to rotate strike and find boundaries dovetailed perfectly with Nissanka, who was beginning to see the ball bigger with every stroke.Their stand of 121 came off just 71 deliveries and scaled up in the final 10 overs. Of the 120 runs ransacked in this period Nissanka alone accounted for 76 of them.Having earlier brought up his century with a single eased to deep cover, he brought up his 150 with a double past backward point. But those milestones were surrounded by belligerence.Noor Ahmad was slog-swept twice in an over, with the wind, over deep midwicket. Fazalhaq Farooqi was clobbered down the ground, flicked over square leg, heaved over deep midwicket and paddled behind square. And when all else failed Afghanistan turned back to Fareed, but Nissanka would not err.Having failed to get away a string of wide Fareed yorkers two overs prior, Nissanka squeezed the first such attempt in the final over past backward point to bring up his double ton. Two balls later he swung one high over square leg and then he crashed a drive to deep extra cover to finish the innings.It was a knock worthy of winning any game, and so it proved in the end.

Deepak Chahar and Shreyas Iyer also missing in action despite being specifically told to play first-class cricket

Edited PTI copy16-Feb-2024Ishan Kishan’s absence from the Ranji Trophy continued as the wicketkeeper-batter, who plays domestic cricket for Jharkhand, skipped the final round of matches that started on Friday.Deepak Chahar and Shreyas Iyer were also missing in action. Iyer was, however, having issues with his lower back and groin. These three players – Kishan, Chahar and Iyer – were specifically told to play for their respective state teams in first-class cricket.Recently, BCCI secretary Jay Shah was asked about centrally contracted players missing domestic tournaments. Shah said he would send a directive that all fit centrally contracted players needed to make themselves available for selection in domestic cricket.”If you are fit then no excuse will be entertained,” he said. “This applies to all centrally contracted players, they have to play. The player cannot decide his future, the selectors need to decide that. If the player is good in red-ball, he has to play.”In the absence of Kishan, Kumar Kushagra continued doing wicketkeeping duties for Jharkhand. Jharkhand, who have only one win and ten points from six matches so far, are playing Rajasthan at home.Kishan, who had asked for a break midway through India’s South Africa tour, has been training in Baroda with his new Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya.Mumbai, Iyer’s domestic team, have already qualified for the quarter-final. They are playing their last league match against Assam, also at home.

Ghosh struck a quick 86 as India declared their first innings on 603 for 6

Srinidhi Ramanujam29-Jun-2024South Africa showed great fight to reach 236 for 4 on the second day of the one-off Test in Chennai after India declared their first innings at a record 603 for 6. At stumps, the visitors were still 367 runs behind. But on a pitch where Indians bowlers were able to extract sharp turn and bounce from the second session of the day, Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp, with their half-centuries and a 93-run stand for the third wicket, displayed commendable resilience and technique.After a 3-0 defeat in the ODI series and conceding 525 on the first day of the Test, South Africa did not let India dent their confidence on Saturday.Related

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After India declared their innings in the morning, Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch looked composed in the six overs before lunch, with the captain punishing a half-tracker from Sneh Rana and an overpitched delivery from Pooja Vastrakar for four. This was before Wolvaardt struck a confident drive through mid-off in the first over of the innings by Renuka Singh.However, Rana – who got the ball to spin more than any other spinner – got the first breakthrough in the eighth over when she bowled one rare short ball. But it kept low and Wolvaardt completely missed her pull to be trapped lbw. Bosch and Luus stayed on for the next 23 overs, stitching 63 runs. However, Bosch, who hit four fours and a six, fell a few overs before tea. Rana was at it once again. After the previous ball spun sharply, Rana bowled one full outside off. Anticipating the turn, Bosch leaned forward and nicked it to Deepti Sharma at slip.Richa Ghosh took just 54 balls to bring up her half-century•BCCI

At 96 for 2, South Africa found stability via Kapp and Luus who blended caution with aggression. Luus respected the good deliveries, scoring almost equally on the off and leg side. In all, she scored 65 off 164 balls that included six fours and one six over long-on against Rana.The duo put on 93 before Deepti broke the stand when she beat Luus’ inside edge and trapped her lbw. Luus reviewed the on-field decision but it was in vain. Delmi Tucker became Rana’s third victim when Richa Ghosh took a sharp catch to dismiss her for an eight-ball duck.Kapp, like Luus, played more off the back foot and scored predominantly on the off side, with seven of her eight fours coming in that area. She reached 50 off 87 balls and remained unbeaten on 69 off 125 at stumps. She fought cramps and a stiff back towards the end of the final session, but didn’t throw her wicket away.Once Tucker departed, Nadine de Klerk joined Kapp with the pair stitching an unbroken 38-run stand off 56 balls. De Klerk showed good intent in the final hour and hit five fours in her unbeaten 27 off 28 balls.Earlier, Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur started sedately but soon converted their starts into half-centuries. The pair stretched their stand to 143 runs. Harmanpreet made 69 off 115 balls before being dismissed in the 15th over of the day when fast bowler Tumi Sekhukhune trapped her in front to leave India at 593 for 5.Ghosh hit seven more boundaries on Saturday, 16 in all, her 90-ball innings, using her strong wrists to good use to play powerful cut shots. She fell for her career-best 86 when she missed a sweep off left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba and was lbw.

The swap – because Asha picked up an injury while warming up – needed Australia’s nod since the playing XIs had already been announced

Shashank Kishore13-Oct-2024In a late swap that needed Australia’s consent, India brought in left-arm spinner Radha Yadav in place of legspinner Asha Sobhana into the playing XI for their final group fixture in Sharjah on Sunday.Asha was seen hobbling in the middle of a warm-up session just after the toss and was quickly taken out of the playing area for treatment by the support staff. She also didn’t subsequently line-up for the national anthems. Since Asha had already been named in the playing XI, India needed Australia’s nod to make the change, which came through.Australia themselves had a big blow in the lead up with Alyssa Healy, their captain, ruled out with a leg injury. Healy, who had injured her right foot in Australia’s previous game, had to use crutches to walk. In another injury update, fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck was ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup after dislocating her right shoulder in the same match.”Asha Sobhana is unable to participate in the today’s game against Australia after she suffered a knee injury during the warm-up on the sidelines of toss,” a BCCI statement said. “The ICC Match Referee requested the Australian captain [Tahlia McGrath] who agreed to the request for a replacement in India’s Playing XI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring Asha’s progress.”Radha’s addition offers India not just a bowling option but also some lower-order batting depth. Radha didn’t start in the first three games but made a massive impact in their win over Sri Lanka by taking arguably one of the catches of the tournament at extra cover when she had come in as a substitute fielder.On match-eve, Radha was one of the bowlers who had a long one-on-one bowling session on a side net with head coach Amol Muzumdar.

Kuhnemann’s Brisbane Heat coach Johan Botha fears a long road ahead for the spinner even if he is cleared of a suspect bowling action

Alex Malcolm13-Feb-2025Former South Africa offspinner and current Queensland and Brisbane Heat coach Johan Botha believes Matthew Kuhnemann will always wear the stigma of having his action reported regardless of whether he is cleared or not when he undergoes testing in the coming weeks.Kuhnemann, who plays under Botha at Heat, was reported by match officials for having a suspect bowling action during Australia’s second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last week.Related

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Botha had problems with his bowling action throughout his career and said Kuhnemann faces a difficult road ahead even if he is cleared.”It is a long process and unfortunately either way if you get cleared or not it will always be there,” Botha told SEN in Brisbane. “Guys think it’s a one-off and you get rid of it. That is not how it is. It is a bit of a process. For now he will have to bowl at a very similar speed and revolutions as he did in the Tests. Nothing gets changed now.”He needs to try and prove himself not guilty and from there on if it is a ball or so over 15 degrees he will obviously have some work to do, then a long process starts. It never goes away because there is always someone in the crowd, someone in the opposition, or a match referee who wants to have a say or wants to feel a part of it.”Unfortunately this will be part of it now. It is never the guy who gets 0 for 100. It is the guys who get wickets and affect games. They are the ones under scrutiny. Guys want to have a look at it and try and find fault.”Kuhnemann has never been reported previously in an eight-year professional career, including when he first played ODI cricket for Australia in Sri Lanka in 2022 and when he made his Test debut and played three Tests on the 2023 tour of India.Johan Botha has his action tested in 2006•Getty Images

Botha added it is possible his action came under scrutiny at the back end of the second Test because of fatigue.”He bowled quite a lot balls in the Test series. As you get tired your action gets put under pressure,” Botha said. “I know he likes to bowl. He bowled quite a lot during the Big Bash. He went to Australia training when they were at the Gabba during the Big Bash.”I’d be interested to see when the umpires thought or the match referee thought it was not as clean as they would have liked it. And I would guess it could be later in the game. When you start getting tired, the ball is older and softer and you have to try and generate a little bit more pace. Whereas with the new ball it obviously comes off the wicket a bit quicker so I don’t think you need to force it so much.”Botha said his own experience had taught him that it is hard to recognise problems in your own action. He was first reported soon after his debut Test in January 2006 and was subsequently banned from bowling by the ICC. Another examination in August that year found his action to be illegal once again and he was cleared to bowl only in November.In 2009, following an ODI against Australia in Port Elizabeth, Botha was reported once again and this time the ICC ruled that his action while bowling the doosra was illegal and he was banned from bowling it. His other deliveries, however, were found to be within permissible limits.Botha was again cited in 2013 while playing an Australian domestic 50-over match for South Australia. He was once again tested and was cleared entirely.”I’ve looked at my stuff over the years and it doesn’t feel like it looks at times,” Botha said. “There’s a whole lot of different things. It’s a big process.”Hopefully for Kuhney’s sake it’s just a little hiccup and it’s nothing serious. I really thought in the last couple of days about things I did to change it which I might pass onto him. But I think for the first bowling test you’ve got to go and bowl as close to as you did in the Test match. There’s no use trying to change things now. That could make it worse.”Kuhnemann will now have to undergo independent testing at an ICC-accredited centre with Brisbane the likely location. Bowlers are permitted 15 degrees of flex in their elbow during their bowling action but anything more than that is deemed illegal.Kuhnemann is still available to play Sheffield Shield or Dean Jones Trophy (Australia domestic 50-over games) matches while undergoing testing but he cannot play in international matches during the process. He did not play in Tasmania’s 50-over clash with Victoria on Thursday.

England Masters comprehensively defeated South Africa Masters by eight wickets to take the Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009
ScorecardEngland Masters were winners of the inaugural Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup. They comprehensively defeated South Africa Masters by eight wickets with one over to spare to take the Cup and the US$50,000 prize money.Graeme Hick, who was Man of the Series, was at the forefront of the victory with a breathtaking, unbeaten 67. He and acting captain Mark Ramprakash, who chipped in with an attacking 51 not out, put on a wonderful 116 in 14. 2 overs for the third wicket.Ramprakash finished the tournament in grand style, driving through extra cover for a boundary. He hit two fours and one six, while Hick smashed three fours and three sixes.Graham Thorpe made a quick 32 from 19 deliveries with five fours and one six to give the innings the early impetus before he skied a catch to cover.The South Africans were put into bat and made 156 for five. They were reduced to 38 for 3, but Dale Benkenstein (52) and Lance Klusener (43) pulled things around with a stand of 71 in 9.2 overs for the fourth wicket.Benkenstein hit two fours and a pair of sixes, while Klusener lashed two huge sixes in John Emburey’s final over.Pat Symcox (18) and Adrian Kupier (15) and added 33 vital runs for the sixth wicket in 3.1 overs. In the end, another 20 might have made the difference.Fast bowler Devon Malcolm picked up the first three wickets to claim three for 17 from four overs and was named Man of the Match.

Opening batter arrives in time for four-day clash with Surrey at Scarborough; Jewell back at Derbyshire in 2026

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2025Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan opening batter, has joined Yorkshire as an overseas signing for the remainder of the season.Imam, the nephew of Pakistan great Inzamam, has scored three hundreds in 24 Test appearances, and a further nine in 75 ODIs, and has previously represented Somerset in the County Championship in 2022.He will go straight into Yorkshire’s squad for their Championship clash with Surrey at Scarborough, and will remain with the team for their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign, and the culmination of the Championship in September.Related

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In March, Imam helped Pakistan Television win the President’s Cup, Pakistan’s domestic tournament. He arrives at Yorkshire after Ruturaj Gaikwad, the India batter, withdrew from his planned stint at the club for personal reasons.”We’re delighted that Imam has joined us and that he will be available immediately,” Gavin Hamilton, Yorkshire’s general manager of cricket, said. “Whilst we were naturally disappointed that Ruturaj couldn’t join up with the squad, in Imam we have an exceptional player of proven international quality.”Imam has an impressive record and is already familiar with domestic cricket in this country which will stand us in good stead for a crucial block of fixtures.”We are grateful for the speed in which he has arrived in the country and everyone at the club is looking forward to working with him through until the end of the season.”

Jewell signs for Derbyshire return in 2026

Derbyshire, meanwhile, have confirmed that Australia A batter Caleb Jewell will be back at the County Ground next summer after signing a contract for the 2026 season.Jewell has been a key part of the Derbyshire side that is currently second in Division Two and looking to secure promotion for the first time in more than a decade. The left-hander is fifth on the division’s run-scoring list, with 821 runs at 54.73, including a career-best 232 against Kent.”Caleb has performed brilliantly in the first half of the season, despite adapting to new conditions, and we were keen to get a deal done quickly,” Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, said.”As well as his stellar performances, Caleb has also settled into our dressing room really well. He brings real grit and determination to our ranks, the exact qualities you want from an overseas signing.Jewell said: “I’ve loved my time with Derbyshire so far and I’m really happy to have signed for next season already. There’s a great bunch of players at this club, they’ve all made me feel so welcome and that’s been reflected on the field with positive results, particularly in red-ball cricket.”Hopefully we can have a strong 50-over competition and then focus our efforts on staying in the hunt for promotion, to give our supporters a really memorable season.”

He replaces Simon Helmot, who will leave the team because of personal commitments

Danyal Rasool25-Dec-2023There’s been another change in the Pakistan coaching set-up, with Yasir Arafat joining the crew for the side’s five-match T20I series in New Zealand. Arafat has been appointed high-performance coach, and will replace the current man in the role, Simon Helmot.ESPNcricinfo understands it was a relatively late decision on the part of the PCB, and Arafat will fly directly to New Zealand with Pakistan’s T20I specialists. It is understood that he has been assigned to the national side for just that one series for the moment. Helmot had been named as part of the coaching staff for the ongoing Australia series, but according to a PCB source, he has personal commitments.This marks yet another change since Mohammad Hafeez was given the role of team director and head coach for Pakistan’s tour of Australia, replacing Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn. Arthur and Bradburn are still on the PCB’s books, but did not travel to Australia, and have not yet been assigned elsewhere.Related

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Following Hafeez’s appointment, Umar Gul was announced as the fast-bowling coach, Saeed Ajmal as the spin-bowling coach, Adam Hollioake as the batting coach, and Helmot the high-performance coach. All of those appointments needed to be short-term because of circumstances – this is an interim PCB set-up and formal elections have not yet been held; it lacks the constitutional ability to make long-term appointments.Arafat, who has previous coaching experience in New Zealand as well as in England, played 27 international matches, including 13 T20Is, and was a part of Pakistan’s victorious 2009 T20 World Cup squad, though he played just one game in the tournament.The T20I series against New Zealand begins on January 12, with the final game on January 21.

The New Zealand batter was on 17 when he was caught backing up early by Hasan Mahmud, but he was quickly offered a second life

Mohammad Isam23-Sep-2023Bangladesh captain Litton Das recalled batter Ish Sodhi after fast bowler Hasan Mahmud had run out the New Zealand player when he left the crease early at the non-striker’s end.Senior Bangladesh batter Tamim Iqbal spoke about the incident at the post-match press conference and appeared to be against bringing batters back after dismissing them. Sodhi was on 17 off 26 balls when he was called back. After the reprieve, he scored 18 off 13 with the help of two sixes.The incident took place in the 46th over when Mahmud broke the wicket in his bowling stride as Sodhi backed up early. The bowler appealed to umpire Marais Erasmus who went straight to the TV umpire. Replays showed that Sodhi was out of his crease when Mahmud dislodged the bails.Sodhi walked off with a smile on his face but as he neared the boundary rope, Bangladesh’s captain Litton told the umpire that he wanted to call Sodhi back. Informed of the gesture, Sodhi ran back to the middle and gave Mahmud a hug.Litton’s decision could be seen as surprising considering the run-out at the non-striker’s end was destigmatised last year by the MCC. In March 2022, the MCC moved the wording of this dismissal from Law 41 (Unfair play) to Law 38 (Run out), to remove some of the stigma around such dismissals.”The bowler is always painted as the villain but it is a legitimate way to dismiss someone and it is the non-striker who is stealing the ground,” Fraser Stewart, MCC Laws Manager, told the , at the time. “It is legitimate, it is a run-out and therefore it should live in the run-out section of the laws.”New Zealand finished on 254 all out in 49.2 overs.