Former fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has reportedly quit as president of the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2015Former fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has reportedly quit as president of the WACA. The has reported that Lillee stood down on Tuesday evening, two days before a report was due to be released on how much cricket should remain at the WACA Ground and how much should be moved to Perth’s new stadium at Burswood.”I cannot stand by and watch what is happening at the WACA,” Lillee told the paper. “I do not wish to be part of it any longer.”According to the , the upcoming report is likely to recommend that Test cricket remains at the WACA Ground but most forms of limited-overs cricket, including BBL games, be moved to Burswood. The new stadium is due to open in 2018.Lillee’s departure comes after former Test fast bowler Sam Gannon last month announced that he would not seek re-election as chairman of the WACA. Both men joined the board in 2004 as part of a significant shake-up of the organisation.

Faf du Plessis hailed South Africa’s attack for putting in what he considered one of their best bowling efforts in T20 cricket, to seal a series win over India with a game to spare in Cuttack

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-20151:05

‘Best T20 bowling I’ve ever seen’ – du Plessis

Faf du Plessis hailed South Africa’s attack for putting in what he considered one of their best bowling efforts in T20 cricket, to seal a series win over India with a game to spare in Cuttack. “It was amazing to see,” du Plessis said. Many would agree.Before this game, South Africa had bowled out opposition teams for under 100 only four times in T20 cricket, and only twice was that opposition a Test-playing team. Scotland, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand have been dismissed for 81, 80, 86 and 96 respectively. Now India have been added to that list and their scalp will be the most celebrated.Not only did South Africa bundle India out for a total far below what is considered a good benchmark in this format, they did it in India in conditions the home side should have had the better of. South Africa adapted to the cracked, slow surface and a combination of aggression from Kagiso Rabada, pace from Chris Morris, discipline from Albie Morkel and some magic from Imran Tahir did the job.Tahir’s two wickets in the 13th over – including that of Suresh Raina – broke the back of India’s innings but it was his role in opening the bowling that caught attention, especially as using a spinner early in an innings is not the South African way.”I suppose it was a gut feel to try and use Immi upfront,” du Plessis said. “He hasn’t bowled in the PowerPlay but it was just a case of changing things up and trying to be unpredictable, so the batsmen can’t plan ahead.””I thought there was great variation in those first six overs. There was spin, there was pace and then we got wickets. Obviously there were two great run-outs as well but the key is to get wickets upfront. Our bowlers did that today. And then the guys coming in after six overs kept trying to do that as well.”Du Plessis deserves some of the credit as well. He managed his bowlers creatively – using Rabada’s four overs in a single spell, rotating Abbott and Morris, and calling on Albie’s experience just when it seemed India might be able to claw their way back. Du Plessis is establishing himself as an astute captain, something he explained he has been learning through association with none other than the opposition captain, with whom he shared a dressing room in the IPL while playing for Chennai Super Kings.”I played with MS when I just started captaining and as a young leader, you look at where you can learn from more experienced leaders. At the time, Dhoni was there and also Stephen Fleming,” du Plessis said. “What you do is try and see what works for them but the most important thing is that you don’t try and copy someone else. You need to be your own leader. You need to know what works for you. By getting through that process, you learn from making mistakes and doing things your way, trying a few other things and then you get to a stage in your career where you have your own identity as a captain.”In IPL 2015, Super Kings were awash with senior players, which allowed du Plessis to essentially crowd source different ideas from a quartet of captains around him. “At Chennai we’ve got very good leaders. This year we had Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, myself, Fleming and Dhoni. When you have a brains trust, you can only learn,” he said. “It was great with the conversations we had. MS leads the team always but there are good contributions from us in terms of input. Also, Graeme Smith has been a great leader for South Africa. So in the early parts of captaining, he was a person I learnt a lot from.”All that knowledge is starting to show. With the World T20 in India next year, Du Plessis has now led South Africa to two T20 series wins in their last three outings and both have come in the subcontinent. While the ODI side remains a team in transition, the T20 side is starting to appear settled and has, this time, set the tone for what du Plessis hopes will continue to be a successful tour of India.”The way you start is important. If we’d started with a couple of losses, it would have been hard to pull ourselves back up, especially with the conditions. When India is on top, they play really well,” he said. “It was really important for us as a T20 side to start well because we are the team that is starting the tour off. To be 2-0 up against India in India is a big achievement for us and we are really proud of that.”

Cricket Australia’s James Sutherland had declared the testing phase with the pink ball is already over, in reply to player criticisms of it

Daniel Brettig29-Oct-2015If James Sutherland didn’t quite say “mission accomplished”, Cricket Australia’s chief executive went mighty close. In responding to player critiques of the pink ball to be used in the inaugural day-night Test match between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide next month, Sutherland declared the testing phase was over, with the current Sheffield Shield round played purely by way of preparation.Players including Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, Josh Hazlewood and most recently John Hastings have all raised a variety of concerns about the ball, from the difficulty of seeing it at times to an apparent lack of durability that leads to passages of drab cricket when the ball is not swinging. Sutherland, though, said he had stopped worrying about such opinions a month out from the Test itself.”I was more concerned about criticism a couple of years ago when we were testing,” Sutherland said following CA’s AGM in Melbourne. “We’re in high performance preparation mode now, the trials are gone, they happened a long time ago. Right now these matches being played are about making sure our Test players have an opportunity to play under these conditions quite close to the third Test match of the summer.”That’s the thing here, we’ve been through a really rigorous process in conjunction with particularly Kookaburra, and as Brett Elliott said earlier this week more work has gone into preparing this pink ball than any ball in the history of the game. We haven’t learned anything new over the course of the last week or so that we didn’t know already. Having had a look at photos of the ball yesterday in Adelaide, I’m even more positive and comfortable than I was.”As for the view of the Australian Cricketers Association president Greg Dyer that it is not too late to reschedule the match as a day game if the players were too sceptical, Sutherland was firm, also observing that New Zealand’s cricketers seem to have accepted the circumstances ahead of them more readily than Australia’s.”Those comments were a bit late,” he said of Dyer. “The trials were conducted over the course of the previous couple of seasons and the ACA were an absolutely integral part of that process, particularly Graham Manou, who worked very closely with Sean Cary at CA and Kookaburra. We’re really comfortable with where the ball’s at.”The players are going into a bit of the unknown and these guys are elite athletes who are always challenged in a highly competitive environment. So you can understand form that perspective there’s a bit of trepidation, but at the same time it’s important they know and understand that it’s happening. They do know that but it seems the New Zealanders have accepted that a bit [better] and perhaps our players just need to focus on what’s ahead.”Some, including Hastings, have suggested that the pink ball would fare better if a new ball was taken earlier than the conventional 80-over mark, but Sutherland said that the playing conditions for the Test were already set. The ICC’s cricket operations chief Geoff Allardice will be one of many interested observers in Adelaide next month, with potential tweaks to the laws following after the game plays out.”The rules for Test cricket this summer are already there so nothing will change,” Sutherland said. “John Hastings’ comments are a reflection on a match played here at the MCG perhaps… Those things may develop down the track, but we know the playing conditions for this Test match and we’re confident it will be a very good and fair contest between both teams.”While declining to offer specific figures, CA have commented that ticket sales for the Adelaide Test are at “Ashes levels”, and Sutherland expressed his desire to see the match serve as proof to the rest of the world that floodlit Test matches could help to bring major growth to a format of the game that is healthy in Australia but moribund elsewhere.”If demand for tickets are any indication, it’s already a success, but let’s see how it goes,” he said. “We want to get the game up and going, we want to see great crowds, great atmosphere and a good contest between the two teams. We’ll make some judgements on that, but part of this is a proof of concept that will hopefully benefit cricket all round the world.”Not for one moment are we saying we want to play day-night cricket all the time that we play Test cricket, at certain times of year in certain parts of the world it is appropriate to play day-night Test cricket because you can capture greater audiences. When people work and kids are at school, it’s an opportunity for more fans to have access to the game.”

Australia begin a new era under the captaincy of Steven Smith against a more settled and experienced New Zealand side

The Preview by Daniel Brettig04-Nov-2015

Match facts

November 5, 2015
Start time 1000 local (0000 GMT)2:05

‘New Zealand’s best chance in 30 years’ – Hayden

Big Picture

In the four years since Australia last deigned to meet New Zealand in a Test match, they have played England in 15 Tests and India in 12. That discrepancy has helped make Cricket Australia enormous profits, but has also stored up a desire in New Zealand’s cricketers to prove themselves worthy of matches against the cross-Tasman rival. Trent Boult has even spoken of this encounter being a “reward” for New Zealand’s excellent results over the past two years, which would have earned them a higher ICC Test match ranking than No. 5 if they had been permitted to play in the longer series so commonly enjoyed by Australia. Even so, Brendon McCullum’s team is now the more experienced and settled of the two, and looked better equipped to defeat England during the northern summer had they been granted the privilege of a deciding Test match.Under a new leader in Steven Smith, the Australians will be eager to put a fresh stamp on the national side. They do not lack for talent but experience and knowledge are thinner on the ground, particularly among the top seven. Should Boult and Tim Southee bowl well there will likely be a heavy reliance upon Smith and his deputy David Warner to score the majority of their team’s runs, unless the likes of Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh can show themselves to have grown appreciably as batsmen. Smith has the advantage of a piercing bowling attack of his own, though in omitting the reliable Peter Siddle the selectors have indicated they expect Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc to balance speed with economy.Wickets can fall quickly at the Gabba. Most of New Zealand’s top order experienced the horrible sensation of a swift batting collapse in 2011 when a young James Pattinson got the ball swerving at pace to sway the match in the space of a couple of overs. The likes of Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and McCullum will remember that episode, but they will also be aware of the disasters that befell Australia in England against the type of bowling well within the grasp of Boult and Southee to produce. Both batting line-ups will be eager to create any sort of foundation, for it is upon that sort of base that a pair of highly skilled bowling attacks can capitalise.

Form guide

Australia: WLLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)


New Zealand: WLWWW

In the spotlight

Last time these two sides met, Usman Khawaja batted at No. 3 and was not a success. He made one decent start at the Gabba before being run out in a mix-up with Ricky Ponting and then twice falling cheaply on a dicey pitch at Bellerive. Dropped for Shaun Marsh, he was briefly recalled in 2013 before again finding himself on the outer. It is almost five years since Khawaj’s debut at the SCG in January 2011 and in that time his first-class record has declined appreciably despite a successful move to Queensland. A succession of retirements have opened up an opportunity for him again, and few doubt his talent. But against skillful New Zealand swing bowling on a lively Brisbane pitch, the world will quickly find out whether Khawaja has what it takes to become Australia’s first long-term No. 3 since Ricky Ponting.Another man who struggled in the 2011 series was Kane Williamson, who at the time had just turned 21 and was still finding his way. Four years on and he has scored prolifically enough to have Sir Richard Hadlee declare Williamson will be New Zealand’s finest ever batsman by the time he is finished. To do that, Williamson’s technique and temperament will need to hold up under Australian pressure in this series, as it did when he sealed a memorable victory for McCullum’s men in the World Cup group match at Eden Park earlier this year. Still, a red ball and white clothing is a different matter, and the Australians have already stated that if they can get through Williamson and McCullum they expect the visitors to crumble.

Teams news

Peter Siddle has been named 12th man despite his outstanding display in the final Test of the Ashes series at the Oval, meaning Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson will form the pace attack. Khawaja is set to bat at No. 3 with the captain Smith dropping back to No. 4, where he enjoyed enormous success last summer.Australia: 1 Joe Burns, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9, Mitchell Starc 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan LyonDoug Bracewell beat Matt Henry to the third seamer’s spot, with the former’s success in Australia in 2011 weighed up against the latter’s more recent incumbency. Jimmy Neesham will slot into the allrounder’s role in the absence of Corey Anderson.New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt), 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Mark Craig, 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell Jnr has tipped a surface of typical Gabba dimensions, offering lateral movement on day one before quickening up over the next two days and then possibly playing a few tricks towards the end. The Brisbane forecast is for tropical temperatures with the ever-present threat of late afternoon showers.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have not won a series down under since 1985, but did win the most recent Test match meeting between the two nations, in Hobart in 2011
• Australia’s XI boasts a combined tally of 253 Test matches played. The recent retirees Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson played 292 between them
• Australia’s captain, Steven Smith, has never played a Test against New Zealand. He was well out of contention for a Test spot the last time the two sides played in 2011

Quotes

The ninth-shortest non-abandoned Test ended just before noon on the fifth day, with wet conditions and intermittent drizzle washing out a fourth day in a row

The Report by Sidharth Monga18-Nov-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Persistent rain washed out the fifth day too•BCCI

The ninth-shortest, non-abandoned Test ended just before noon on the fifth day, with wet conditions and intermittent drizzle washing out a fourth day in a row. Only one Test in India has had fewer overs bowled than the 81 here. In that time, India put South Africa in, and their spinners bowled the visitors out for 214 before Shikhar Dhawan followed up his pair in Mohali with 45 not out. Playing his 100th Test, AB de Villiers scored 85, showing to his team-mates how to play spin in India.India led the series 1-0. The third Test is to begin in Nagpur on November 25.

Otago left-arm spinner Nick Beard has turned to a career in real estate as he takes time off cricket to work on his bowling action

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2015Otago left-arm spinner Nick Beard has turned to a career in real estate as he takes time off cricket to work on his bowling action. Beard underwent biometric testing in Australia and was subsequently cleared in May. But he was not picked in the final squad for the Georgie Pie Super Smash.He last played for Otago in October, during a first-class match against Canterbury, but was the highest wicket-taker when they won the T20 competition in 2012-13.”It is frustrating, and it has been a fall from grace I suppose,” Beard told . “But it is what is, I accept I am not good enough at the moment to be playing for Otago.”It was really difficult to go through,” he added regarding the scrutiny over his action. “But I look at the positives and getting my real estate papers done was definitely one of those.”It was a massive eye-opener for me. It is really only something that most guys look at once they look at retiring from cricket. I can now see the positives in having something behind me early and it provides a good balance for my life.”Beard had joined the real estate industry in September 2014 and has since made two sales while also juggling his duties as a contracted Otago player.”Cricket comes first. Obviously I am contracted to Otago, so cricket is No, 1. I do everything I can to be the best I can be for cricket. But I guess there is a lot of free time, especially at the moment when I’m not playing in this Twenty20 series. So I just pop up to the office when I have free time and try and juggle both.”Beard, who has taken 46 wickets in 55 T20s, said he wanted to make sure he doesn’t rush back. “I guess even now I’m still not 100 per cent comfortable in my action and I’m still striving to get better at it every day,” he said.”I monitor it myself, I do video work most days to make sure that I am not falling back into old habits. Because I pulled myself out, it is all off my own back – so I look at it myself more than anybody else.”

The Women’s Big Bash League has continued to gain strong support, with the Ten Network confirming it would move two of the remaining three matches to its main channel

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-20162:59

It’s fantastic exposure – Alyssa Healy

The Women’s Big Bash League has continued to gain strong support, with the Ten Network confirming it will now provide television coverage of the tournament semi-finals and also move two of the remaining three matches to its main channel.Each semi-final is to be played as a double-header with the men’s semis, and will be broadcast on the network’s digital channel One. That brings the number of games being broadcast up to 10 from eight.The Sydney derby between the Sixers and the Thunder on Saturday January 16 will be shown on Channel Ten, as will the final on Sunday January 24, which will serve as part of a double-header with the men’s final.The move comes after Ten moved last week’s Melbourne derby to its main channel and was rewarded with impressive ratings figures, a peak audience of 439,000 viewers nationally and an average of 372,000. Other matches had been shown on one of Ten’s digital multi-channels, but the network’s sport executive David Barham said the WBBL was proving to be a hit.”Network Ten is a big supporter of women’s sport,” Barham said. “We are putting the same resources into the WBBL broadcasts as we are for the men’s games and it is certainly proving to be a hit. We are thrilled with the WBBL ratings to date and are excited to be working with Cricket Australia on this initiative. It is a very exciting time for women’s cricket and women’s sport as a whole.”The post-game coverage for the remaining three broadcast matches will also be extended by half an hour. Cricket Australia is also reportedly in discussions with the Nine Network about the possibility of moving the upcoming three women’s T20 internationals between Australia and India onto its main channel.”This is another significant step forward for women’s sport and in particular women’s cricket in Australia,” Ben Amarfio, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager – media, communications and marketing, said. “We want as many people to be exposed to the game, so to have another two WBBL matches move to Ten’s primary channel is a great endorsement for the growing appeal of women’s cricket.”There is a proven TV appetite with the five WBBL broadcast matches so far this season averaging a TV audience of just under 250,000 across Ten’s secondary and primary channels, including a record national average of 372,000 tuning in for the women’s Melbourne derby last weekend.”We are committed to embracing all Australians and promoting cricket as being a female-friendly environment. Network Ten has been a great supporter and is playing a key role in inspiring females to understand that cricket is a game for girls and women too.”

UAE will be looking to give a good account of themselves against a Sri Lanka side that will be boosted by the return of Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Dhaka24-Feb-2016

Match facts

Thursday, February 25, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT)0:59

‘Lucky to have this kind of practice before WT20’ – Herath

Big Picture

After the 2-1 loss in India, Sri Lanka have a chance to ease their way into the Asia Cup by taking on the UAE in their first match. The return of the captain Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara will give the team a major boost as they look to start gathering themselves ahead of the World T20, where they have a title to defend.Sri Lanka have a well-balanced side for these two tournaments with an experienced batting line-up consisting of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dinesh Chandimal, Mathews and Chamara Kapugedara. The bowling attack has seam allrounders Dasun Shanaka and Thisara Perera, spin allrounders Shehan Jayasuriya and Milinda Siriwardana, as well as experienced spinners like Herath and Sachithra Senanayake. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay is a newcomer and could be a surprise package.The game against UAE will give Sri Lanka an opportunity to figure out how they can balance their spin and seam allrounders, with special focus on Jayasuriya and Siriwardana. There is also the question of whether Kapugedara will be able to use his vast experience in Mirpur to Sri Lanka’s advantage.The match will be a major test for UAE as they look to continue their good form from the qualifiers, where they won all three matches against Afghanistan, Oman and Hong Kong. Some new match-winners have emerged, which could help them not be just another Associate participant among the big boys. Watch out for Rohan Mustafa, Muhammad Kaleem, Muhammad Usman, Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar.Sri Lanka have historically been ruthless against Associates, so there is danger of this game ending up as a no-contest early in the evening. That should be motivation enough for UAE to make sure they remain in the contest.

Form Guide

(last five completed matches)Sri Lanka LLWLL
UAE WWWWL

Watch out for

Lasith Malinga last played a T20 series against West Indies in November before injuring his knee. He is back in Sri Lanka’s leadership, and like the rest of the line-up, will slowly wade into action. His vast experience will be a test for UAE.UAE will have Rohan Mustafa tackling the likes of Malinga first up. Mustafa is one of the new UAE stars who can be expected to put up a fight as they look to give a good impression of themselves against a major opponent. His offspin, too, will be handy in his side’s bid to keep Sri Lanka down to a manageable total.

Team news

The big call for Sri Lanka is whether to play Herath ahead of their seam allrounders, given how Mirpur has been good for seam bowling on certain evenings. Sri Lanka could also be in a dilemma about Kulasekara, while Jayasuriya and Vandersay are handy spin options.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Niroshan Dikwella (wk), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Milinda Siriwardana, 6 Chamara Kapugedara, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Dushmanth Chameera, 11 Lasith Malinga (capt)UAE are unlikely to go with Zaheer Maqsood, Fahad Tariq and Farhan Ahmed unless there is an injury to one of the players who featured in the victory against Oman in their last qualifying match in Fatullah.UAE (probable): 1 Rohan Mustafa, 2 Muhammad Kaleem, 3 Mohammad Shahzad, 4 Shaiman Anwar, 5 Muhammad Usman, 6 Amjad Javed (capt), 7 Mohammad Naveed, 8 Saqlain Haider, 9 Ahmed Raza, 10 SP Patil (wk), 11 Qadeer Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

Mirpur had a green top for the Bangladesh-India encounter but it is unlikely that a similar pitch will be greeting Sri Lanka and UAE. A surface devoid of grass and with slower speed can be expected. There is rain in the forecast but nothing that should threaten the game.

Stats and trivia

• This is the first encounter between Sri Lanka and UAE in T20Is, although the teams have met in ODIs in 2004 and 2008.
• Shaiman Anwar made only 48 runs in the three qualifying matches, but he is UAE’s highest scorer in T20s.

New Zealand’s ability to adapt to conditions has placed them in a great position to qualify for their second World Cup semi-final in as many years, but they have to get past Pakistan, a team known to spring surprises

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu21-Mar-2016

Match facts

Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Start time 1930 (1430 GMT)

Big picture

It was not that long ago that New Zealand were seen as dark horses at nearly every world tournament. In this one though, they’ve been a bit like chameleons, changing their colours to suit their surroundings and hoodwink those higher on the food chain. A victory against Pakistan in Mohali will take them to a second semi-final at a global event in as many years.Shahid Afridi and his men, no matter how much their erratic form hints otherwise, are no pushovers. News from the camp is that the batting still needs patching up, but the area more in need of improvement is their utilisation of resources. During their loss against India, their best bowler Mohammad Amir did not complete his quota. Pakistan’s reading of the Kolkata pitch too was also incorrect, although they couldn’t help the rain that arrived later, and lent it just enough moisture for the ball to grip and turn.It is in reading the conditions offered to them that New Zealand have been impeccable. They hadn’t played in the subcontinent since the previous World T20, but they assessed Nagpur would be spin-friendly and exploited better than the hosts did. Rains in Dharamsala meant they barely had any face time with the surface before a match against Australia, yet their only change Mitchell McClenaghan produced the match-turning performance.Coach Mike Hesson and captain Kane Williamson have been unafraid to make left-field choices and their frontline players have been quite accommodating. Tim Southee and Trent Boult, two of the premier fast bowlers in the world, have not yet played a single game in the World T20, although Mohali’s reputation of being a slightly more seamer-friendly venue might change that. Pakistan and their phalanx of left-armers wouldn’t mind that eventuality either.Pakistan, however, will have to contend with a few injury worries. The team doctor has said that Mohammad Hafeez could miss the match after a bone contusion in his femur. Fast bowler Wahab Riaz was hit in the neck region by a throw at practice and had to visit the hospital. He was assessed by a neurologist who said the bowler was normal. The fitness of both players will be assessed on Tuesday afternoon.

Call on Wahab, Hafeez on Tuesday

Pakistan will assess the fitness of both Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Hafeez on Tuesday afternoon before a crucial Super 10 match against New Zealand in Mohali, although it is likely Hafeez could miss the game. Wahab was struck on the left temporal region above the ear by a throw during a practice session on Monday. He was taken to a hospital for a precautionary CT scan and a neurologist’s assessment declared the bowler ‘normal’.
According to Dr Sohail Saleem, Pakistan’s team doctor, the fast bowler had “mild swelling but no loss of consciousness, vomiting or delusions and he was very well oriented in time and space.”
“His strength and reflexes were also found to be normal,” Saleem said in a PCB release. “He himself walked over to the dressing room from the ground. Subsequently he was taken to a medical facility for C.T. Scan as a precautionary measure, which confirmed that there was no fracture in the cranium and pericranial soft tissue appeared normal. He was also seen by a neurologist at the same hospital, who declared him normal. Wahab is being kept under supervision of the team doctor and physio overnight in his hotel room.”
Hafeez’s injury came to light in Kolkata a couple of days ago, according to Saleem.
“The senior batsman complained of pain in the right knee a couple of days ago. He was administered physio treatment several times but the pain didn’t subside. On examination he was suspected to be having a strain of one of ligament in his right knee.
“He was sent for an MRI immediately after arrival in Mohali from Kolkatta. The MRI report received today revealed bone contusion/edema in the inter-condylar region of the femur. There was also minimal amount of fluid in the knee joint.
“He would be further inspected on Tuesday, but it is likely that he would not be able to take part in the match against Black Caps.”

Form guide

New Zealand: WWWWL (last five completed matches)
Pakistan: LWWLW

In the spotlight

Before Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, Ross Taylor captured the imagination of Indian fans and a lot of that was down to how destructive he can be in the latter overs. That leg-side swipe over square leg and midwicket had been his go to shot in Twenty20 cricket, but now he has an all-round game to rely on. Taylor is coming back from injury and hasn’t hit his best form yet, but he remains a key member of this New Zealand batting line-up.Sharjeel Khan is a powerful man. Pakistan have kept him at the top of their order in the hope that he fires like he did in the PSL. But beating the ball into submission has not been the most productive tactic at this year’s World T20. In seven innings since the Asia Cup, Sharjeel has gone past thirty only once. He hasn’t faced 30 balls even once. Perhaps giving himself a little more time at the crease might help sort that out.

Team news

New Zealand kept their cards to their chest about their team combinations. “We will look up that pitch tomorrow, the pitch will covered overnight and will dry up a bit,” Hesson said. “We will pick a side that suits the conditions and the opposition, but won’t be thinking too far ahead.”New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Grant Elliot, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan/Trent Boult, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Adam Milne/Tim SoutheePakistan could be forced to make changes due to their injury concerns. Perhaps that may make room for left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz or Imad Wasim. Khalid Latif could come in for Hafeez.Pakistan (probable) 1 Sharjeel Khan, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez/ Khalid Latif, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Imad Wasim/ Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Mohammad Irfan, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Mohammad Amir

Pitch and conditions

The World T20 pitches have kept everyone on sharp notice. The one in Mohali was barely distinguishable from the outfield on match eve, although that may just be to keep the pitch from crumbling as a result of the prevalent hot and dry weather. So very little fear of rain, and very little fear of dew as well. “Mohali is probably more like New Zealand conditions than perhaps Nagpur and Dharamsala,” Hesson said.

Stats and trivia

• Mitchell Santner’s economy rate of 5.95 is the second-best by a New Zealander in T20Is under condition of at least 20 overs bowled. The man at the top is the one he is trying to emulate, Daniel Vettori, 5.7 after 131.1 overs. Ish Sodhi is third with 6.32 and Nathan McCullum is fifth with 6.86.
• Pakistan average 25.40 for their opening partnership in all T20Is, among Full Members only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have fared worse. New Zealand’s 36.31 is the highest.

Quotes

“They are unpredictable, but very skilful. We are fortunate to have played them recently. Whether that makes them less predictable or just gives us more information. As a batting unit, they are relatively predictable in the way they play and that gives us more opportunity with the ball.”
“In cricket, generally the team that makes fewer mistakes wins. India made fewer mistakes than us. We have to cut down on our mistakes.”

In some ways, every day is Marcus Trescothick Day at the county ground in Taunton, so greatly does his spirit seem to animate the place

Alan Gardner at Taunton04-May-2016
ScorecardMarcus Trescothick’s hundred took Somerset to a draw•Getty Images

It is Somerset Day next week. May 11, if you should like to mark the date. It officially commemorates the day King Alfred gathered the West Saxons together before the Battle of Edington in 878, although it has only been in place for a year and some might be inclined to think of it as a marketing gimmick by the local tourist board.There is a Yorkshire Day and a Lancashire Day, of course, probably one or two others as well, so who is to begrudge them? People will come together next Wednesday to talk about their Somerset heroes over a pint of scrumpy and, depending on how Somerset’s game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston is going, there might be discussion of the cricket. Marcus Trescothick’s name is bound to get a mention.In some ways, every day is Marcus Trescothick Day at the county ground in Taunton, so greatly does his spirit seem to animate the place. There is the Marcus Trescothick Stand over by the river and, in time, there might well be a Marcus Trescothick Pavilion (they do like a pavilion here). There can’t be many sportsmen who have experienced the feeling of playing in front of a section of the ground with their name already on it – the renaming of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand at Old Trafford a few years ago is the only comparison that springs immediately to mind – but it is a regular occurrence for Trescothick.There was a 60th first-class hundred to salute on this occasion, his second in as many weeks, as Somerset fought their way to a third successive draw in the Championship. For the last two or three seasons, Somerset have ended up grappling at the wrong end of the table – it took successive scores of 153, 210 not out and 87 from Trescothick last year to help ease fears of relegation – but they can take something from managing to remain unbeaten at the start of this one, despite having yet to play their best cricket.It was not a vintage innings but Trescothick’s unbeaten 129 had value far beyond its technical merit. Somerset had begun the day following on 180 runs in arrears but their former captain batted through until the teams shook hands, spending most of it in the company of his successor, Chris Rogers, who added a second half-century of the match. For the Somerset members basking in the uninterrupted sunshine, there was plenty of Banger for your Buck.The way Trescothick moves forward to leave these days is like a man setting himself against the back of a grand piano, ready to heft it up another flight of stairs. His cut may not emit the same sonic boom as it did a decade ago but the ball still flies off the blade; he sweeps as if trying to chop down a tree with one fell swing of the axe. The hands are still soft enough to cover for what the eyes – now peering out from behind spectacles – occasionally miss.He has agreed a contract to play red-ball cricket only and he may have some heavy lifting to do if Somerset’s start to the Championship is anything to go by. But he still has the appetite for it and, at 40, he is a couple of years younger than, for instance, Mark Ramprakash was when he finally hung up his bat. If the trend for flatter pitches continues and Trescothick remains fit, Harold Gimblett’s first-class runs record for Somerset – some 4000 in the distance – might creep into view.Things could well have been different in this match if Lancashire had experienced a little more fortune but – on Star Wars Day, appropriately – the force was with Trescothick. An edge down the leg side did not quite carry to wicketkeeper Alex Davies on 7 and plenty of his early runs came from nicks and nudges behind square; later in the morning session, on 42, a forward defensive bounced back towards the stumps, necessitating a hasty flick away (with the bat, of course). He survived a direct hit from midwicket on 85, legs pumping after being called through for a single by Rogers.Twice during an over after lunch, James Anderson threw his head back in disgust as controlled outside edges flew low through the cordon. There were no observations forthcoming from the bowler, just a look to the ground and a slow walk to retrieve his sweater from the umpire. “Anderson doesn’t look happy,” was the succinct view up in the Marcus Trescothick Stand. Their man was not going to be budged.At the other end, meanwhile, was a batsman with 73 first-class hundreds to his name. Together, Trescothick and Rogers have amassed more than 48,000 first-class runs and they formed the perfect old (rear)guard for Somerset, putting on an unbroken 168 before everyone agreed to call it quits. Not that Trescothick will be going anywhere else anytime soon.