The hosts will have to iron out their inconsistencies at the top if they are to level the series

Danyal Rasool03-Apr-2021

Big picture

The first ODI painted a broad enough picture of both sides’ strengths and weaknesses in a way whole series often fail to do. Across exactly 100 overs of two mid-table sides jostling for position in the World Cup Super League, South Africa’s inconsistency at the top was laid bare, as were Pakistan’s struggles with their death bowling and a relatively lightweight middle order.Equally, the home side’s resilience lower down, as well as the purple patches Anrich Nortje and Rassie van der Dussen currently enjoy, took them within inches of an unlikely win, while the brilliance of Babar Azam and the assuredness of Imam-ul-Haq came in handy in a below-par chase of 274. Nothing that happened at SuperSport Park will convince anyone these teams will compete for the biggest prizes just yet, but the first ODI showed they’re still capable of offering up absorbing contests.

South Africa fined 20% of their match fees for slow over-rate

A nail-biting opening match of the series that went down to the last ball – and slipped out of South Africa grasp – has left the hosts with another wound to nurse.
Match referee Andy Pycroft found them to be one over short their target resulting in a monetary fine for each player from the XI.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma accepted the sanction, which meant there was no need for a formal hearing. He and his players will now be short 20% of their match fees from Friday

Pakistan have a chance of wrapping up the series at the earliest opportunity in Johannesburg, which, regardless of the state of South African cricket, would be a major feather in the touring party’s cap. Series in South Africa have historically been a struggle for Pakistan, and the inflation of ODI scores notwithstanding, Pakistan’s chase on Friday was the joint third-highest outside of Asia in their history. They took wickets up top, and just about killed the game off with one partnership. In many ways, it was a dominant performance, large parts of which they merely need to replicate to put themselves 2-0 up.South Africa will draw positives not just from intangibles like the spirited fightback and a never-say-die attitude, but the knowledge of significant room for improvement. The game might have gone down to the last ball, but they might believe they lost it in the first 15 overs; the loss of four early wickets meant they were always swimming against the current. That they almost got to the shoreline suggests a less disastrous start up top would place much greater pressure on Pakistan, and as we all saw on Friday, Pakistan under pressure always look like they might have a collapse in them.The hosts will play in a different kit to mark the annual pink ODI, which raises money for breast cancer awareness and treatment.Related

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Form guide

Pakistan WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWL

In the spotlight

Tabraiz Shamsi didn’t get any wickets, but the scorecard doesn’t quite tell the tale of his contribution to the late drama in Centurion. Even while Azam and Imam racked up the runs, Shamsi was a leash on the visitors’ otherwise incessant scoring, conceding just three boundaries; the fewest among his team-mates. His wrong’uns spun prodigiously and appeared to trouble most batsmen, and his consistency of line and variable turn gave off the impression any over he bowled could be eventful. It was telling that Temba Bavuma persisted with him at the other end while Nortje was picking off wickets at the other. In the T20I series in Pakistan, he coupled control with wicket-taking, and he doesn’t look too far away from doing that here, either.For an opener with an average over 50, it’s odd Imam-ul-Haq‘s place in the Pakistan side is subjected to as much forensic criticism as it is. Once more, he appeared to deal with it with aplomb, serving as the perfect foil as Azam helped him take the game away from South Africa in the first half. While Fakhar Zaman continues to misfire at the other end, Imam offers a level of poise to a top order that historically possessed little, but that may well be the stick that’s used to beat him with in the long-term. His strike rate is, by modern standards, somewhat pedestrian, and if Pakistan were to need runs at a faster clip than they did in a middling chase on Friday, Imam might have to show a more dynamic side to his game. With the confidence he appears to possess in his abilities, you wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled that out of his locker.

Team news

South Africa will suffer absences once the IPL begins, but for now, they have their full squad at their disposal, and should field an unchanged side.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram 2 Quinton de Kock 3 Temba Bavuma (capt) 4 Rassie van der Dussen 5 David Miller 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk) 7 Andile Phehlukwayo 8 Kagiso Rabada 9 Anrich Nortje 10 Lungi Ngidi 11 Tabraiz ShamsiPakistan might want to shore up the middle order with another batsman, with Asif Ali’s place under increasing pressure. Haider Ali could be in line for the nod, with everyone below Babar subsequently dropping a slot down.Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq 2 Fakhar Zaman 3 Babar Azam (capt) 4 Haider Ali 5 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 6 Danish Aziz 7 Shadab Khan 8 Faheem Ashraf 9 Shaheen Afridi 8. Mohammad Hasnain 11 Haris Rauf

Pitch and conditions

This should be a high-scoring game, in line with The Wanderers’ reputation. Inclement weather is unlikely to make its presence felt.

Stats and trivia

• Friday’s ODI was the first time in 16 years that Pakistan won an ODI off the last ball. On that occasion, in 2005, Inzamam-ul-Haq got the winning runs off Sachin Tendulkar in Ahmedabad.
• Pakistan have just won two of the ten ODIs they have played at the Wanderers. However, it does include their most recent contest, an eight-wicket win over the hosts.
• Among players with at least five ODI innings, no one averages higher than Rassie van der Dussen’s 83.

Brendan Taylor returns, Craig Ervine out with injury, four other uncapped players in the mix

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2021Zimbabwe have named five uncapped players – Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, Roy Kaia, Milton Shumba and Tanaka Chivanga – in their 16-man squad for the series of two Tests against Pakistan, the first of which starts in Harare on April 29.Brendan Taylor, who missed Zimbabwe’s last Test series against Afghanistan in the UAE because of health issues but made a comeback for the second and third T20Is against Pakistan, has made the cut. Craig Ervine continues to miss out because of a calf injury. Tendai Chisoro, who played his only Test match in 2017, has also been recalled.

Zimbabwe’s Test squad

Sean Williams (capt), Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chisoro, Tanaka Chivanga, Luke Jongwe, Roy Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Tarisai Musakanda, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Milton Shumba, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano

The players from Zimbabwe’s Test squad against Afghanistan to miss out were Sikandar Raza, who is recovering from a bone marrow infection, Ryan Burl, Wesley Madhevere, Richmond Mutumbami, and Brandon Mavuta.Of their replacements, right-arm medium pacer Jongwe was Zimbabwe’s most successful bowler in the T20Is against Pakistan with nine wickets, while left-arm quick Ngarava took two wickets at an economy rate of 8.36. Kaia, a 29-year-old middle-order batter, was part of the XI on his ODI debut against Pakistan in Lahore in May 2015, but didn’t get a chance to bat or bowl as the game was washed out. Shumba, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner, has played two T20Is, while 27-year-old fast bowler Chivanga has never played internationally.Joylord Gumbie, a wicketkeeper-batter, and Takudzwanashe Kaitano, an offspin-bowling allrounder, have been placed on standby.

Tax exemptions from government and Covid-19 pandemic are key factors

Nagraj Gollapudi29-May-2021The BCCI will ask the ICC to defer the decision on where the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup will be played this October-November. Board president Sourav Ganguly informed the members at a virtual special general meeting (SGM) on Saturday that the BCCI will ask the ICC for another month and utilise this time to gauge various factors that could determine if India will be fit to hold the marquee event.Ganguly is expected to place this request formally at the ICC Board meeting on June 1. In a media release after the SGM, the BCCI said the members – state associations – had “authorised” the board’s office bearers to write to the ICC to seek an “extension” to take an “appropriate call” on hosting the T20 World Cup.Why does the BCCI want more time?
There are two reasons. The Covid-19 pandemic has added another layer of complexity to an already knotted issue of tax exemption that the ICC wants the BCCI to sort with the Indian government. The ICC wants a complete tax waiver for it to maximise on the profits derived from running a global tournament.At the SGM, the members were informed that the BCCI would end up paying the Indian government close to 46% of the estimated total revenue for hosting the T20 World Cup. That amount, an official who attended the meeting, said was close to INR 900 crore (US $125 million approximately).The tax exemption has been ICC’s longstanding request to the BCCI, who were named hosts for two world tournaments in the current commercial cycle: the men’s T20 World Cup (October-November 2021) and the men’s ODI World Cup slated for October 2023.There is a precedent for ICC’s concern: having failed to procure the tax exemption from the government in the 2016 T20 World Cup, the global body withheld close to US$20-30 million from the BCCI’s share of the central revenue pool. Last year, the ICC even threatened to withdraw the BCCI’s hosting rights for the T20 World Cup if the Indian government didn’t offer a tax waiver.Last December, during another meeting, the BCCI told the state associations that the board was looking at finding a middle ground and could end up paying anywhere around INR 200-900 crore as tax to the Indian government for hosting the World Cup. The members had then said that despite a hefty amount involved, the BCCI should pay, if necessary, but host the tournament.Members have been informed the board’s talks with the Indian government have been encouraging, with a solution likely to be found.The BCCI plans to conduct the remainder of IPL in UAE. Will the T20 World Cup follow?•Sharjah Cricket

The second significant challenge for the BCCI is to see whether all 16 participating teams of the T20 World Cup would want to travel to India during the pandemic. The second wave of the pandemic has brought the country to a near standstill, with several states in the midst of consecutive lockdowns. The governments of several countries have red-listed travellers from India, in some cases even their own citizens, like Australia did.In April, just before the IPL started, the BCCI had proposed nine venues to the ICC: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Lucknow, Dharamsala, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, which was also marked to host the final on November 14.However, the ICC had to cancel a routine inspection in April after India was put on the red list by the UAE, where the global cricket body’s headquarters are based.Internally, the BCCI has acknowledged the concerns players and their respective countries will have about travelling to India. These include: a probable third wave coupled with the challenge of creating a tournament bubble across multiple venues, which would entail a lot of travel.As a fall-back option, the BCCI has decided the UAE would be the cover. On Saturday, the BCCI top brass told the members that the board would still retain the hosting rights even if the tournament was hosted in the UAE.How long can the ICC wait?
After the ICC Board’s June 1 meeting, the global body’s annual conference is scheduled from July 18. Usually the ICC sets up a local organising committee comprising its own officials as well as those from the host board at least a year before the event.One significant concern for the ICC will be procuring the clearances from the governments including the host country for the 16 teams to arrive in time for the tournament. That would also include the necessary quarantine period as well as putting together biosecure bubbles. That travel is one key area where teams can get exposed was identified as an area of concern by the BCCI once the IPL had been postponed at the mid-way stage.

Over the past three years, Afghanistan have gone through a very public struggle to find the right man to lead them

Umar Farooq03-Jun-2021Rashid Khan has declined the Afghanistan T20I captaincy, stating that he believes he is more valuable as a player than as a leader.”I am very much clear in my mind that I am better off as a player,” the 22-year old legspinner told ESPNcricinfo. “I am good in the role as vice-captain and help the captain wherever I am needed. It’s better for me that I stay away from this position.”I want to do well for the team as a player and my performance is a bit more crucial for the team rather than me thinking about different things being a captain. Also, it takes time, and right now the most important thing is the World Cup which is quite near and I feel it is too much for me to have. I am afraid it might affect my performance for the team which is a key so I am very happy as a player and whatever the decision board and selection committee make I am fully behind it and will appreciate it.”If you have a year or two, you manage yourself and understand things only then it’s easier to deal with the role. I was the captain once and they[board] know my mindset and which is why they kept the spot empty looking for someone else while I stay as a vice-captain.”Over the past three years, Afghanistan have gone through a very public struggle to find the right man to lead them.Two months before the 2019 World Cup, their board wrested the captaincy from Asghar Afghan and split it between Khan (T20Is), Gulbadin Naib (ODIs) and Rahmat Shah (Tests).But, after Afghanistan ended the World Cup without a single win, Naib was stripped of the role and Khan was named captain across formats.In December 2019, Afghan was brought back, but 15 months into his stint, he was sacked again. Hashmatullah Shahidi, the senior middle-order batter, took over as the new ODI and Test captain but the man who will lead them in T20 cricket continues to remain a mystery even though a World Cup is coming in five months’ time.Khan isn’t too worried though. “Asghar did a wonderful job for the last four-five years for the team and it was like he was the best option and he did really well,” he said. “So when an experienced captain goes then you tend to struggle to bring the right captain in and that is what’s happening with us and we are trying our best to give a chance to a player who can give his best for the team, for the country, and lead the team in a right way.”As a team, it doesn’t really affect us a lot as we all know our roles. We know someone will be named captain at some time but at the same time we all know what our job is and what our responsibility is to the team. We never thought a lot about the captaincy because it’s all about us as a team and what we are putting in at the ground. The mindset is all about how to contribute and whoever comes in as captain, we as players will support him and make him comfortable so that he doesn’t have to take the kind of pressure that may affect his own performance. Eventually, it’s about togetherness.”Khan is presently in Abu Dhabi, set to play for the Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan Super League, which resumes on June 9. Initially, when the tournament was supposed to take place in February-March, he only had a two-match deal, after which he would depart for international duty and then pop over to England to play the T20 Blast. Considering his contract with the Sussex county cricket club, he was never expected to be available for this second leg of the PSL, but things quickly changed.”It was tough to make this happen but the relationship I had developed with both Sussex and Lahore Qalandars made it easy to sort this out,” Khan said. “Sussex is like a family and we have a great understanding. I really appreciate them for allowing me to stay here and play the PSL and helping me to make this possible. They gave me tremendous support and the thing I love the most is them saying that, ‘we are going to support you whatever you do’. Their understanding, their love is what makes my job easier to decide where to go and where to play.”With Qalandars I feel the same. It all comes down to me in the end and it was my call to rejoin the Lahore Qalandars. All the fans I earned from just two games and the respect I got from the franchise is what made me come back.”

Home side move into three-figure lead after rounding up Derbyshire in first innings

ECB Reporters' Network05-Jul-2021Nottinghamshire, looking to book their place in the top division in the concluding phase of the LV= Insurance County Championship, will take a lead of 107 runs into day three against Derbyshire at Trent Bridge.Haseeb Hameed made 57 and Ben Duckett is unbeaten on 69, although Derbyshire’s pace-bowling allrounder Fynn Hudson-Prentice checked Nottinghamshire’s progress with 4 for 50 as the home county closed on 256 for 7.Related

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Earlier, from 91 for 5 overnight, Derbyshire subsided to 149 all out in the morning session, Luke Fletcher taking 3 for 36.Derbyshire’s last five wickets fell for 32 after the partnership between Hudson-Prentice and Leus du Plooy that began on Sunday was ended just inside the first hour when the former drove Dane Paterson straight to cover.With five fours, Hudson-Prentice had been the only Derbyshire batsman to hint at assertiveness against an attack that delivered 36 maidens, 10 each from Fletcher and Brett Hutton, nine in 15 overs from Paterson.Du Plooy fell without addition to the total, having faced 141 balls for his 30, drawn into chasing a wide delivery from Fletcher. Paterson removed Alex Thomson leg before, Michael Cohen – dropped on nought – drove airily at Hutton to be caught behind, and Ben Aitchison found the fielder on the square-leg boundary.Two wickets in two balls from Hudson-Prentice had Nottinghamshire 25 for 2 as Ben Slater miscued to mid-on and Ben Compton edged to third slip. But Hameed and Steven Mullaney fashioned a measured recovery to 94 for 2 at tea with six fours apiece, Hameed driving handsomely through the off side, Mullaney profiting mainly from cuts and pulls.Hudson-Prentice removed both soon after tea, Mullaney wafting at a short ball outside off to be caught at first slip after a stand of 78, Hameed passing fifty for the fifth time this season but then tickling a thin edge through to keeper Harvey Hosein.Duckett helped Lyndon James add a rapid 61 in 13 overs to give Nottinghamshire the lead but one wicket again brought another. James flashed at one from Cohen to be caught at second slip before Aitchison juggled and then held a chance at first slip as Liam Patterson-White departed in a double-wicket maiden for the left-arm quick.Joey Evison was caught behind as Aitchison claimed Derbyshire’s seventh wicket but Duckett timed the ball nicely and his 10 boundaries enabled Nottinghamshire to claim a second batting bonus point in a marathon final session of a 104-over day following Sunday’s rain.

The tournament starts on October 17; Super 12s begin on October 23 with Australia vs South Africa and England vs West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2021The India vs Pakistan Super 12s Group 2 game at the men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be played on October 24 in Dubai. The date was confirmed as the ICC announced the tournament schedule on Tuesday. The tournament’s first round kicks off on October 17 in Oman, with Oman taking on Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh playing Scotland. The final will be played in Dubai on November 14, with November 15 marked as a reserve day.The Super 12s – round two of the tournament, with two groups – will begin on October 23, with Australia facing South Africa in Abu Dhabi and England up against West Indies in Dubai. India vs Pakistan aside, another big-ticket encounter in this round includes England and Australia playing in Dubai on October 30. England and Australia are part of Group 1 in the Super 12s, along with South Africa, West Indies and two qualifiers from the first round of games. India and Pakistan are in Group 2, along with New Zealand, Afghanistan and two qualifiers.The top-two teams from the two Super 12 groups will play the semi-finals. The first on November 10 in Abu Dhabi and the second on November 11 in Dubai. Like the final, both the semi-finals will have reserve days.The tournament’s first round features Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia in Group A, and Bangladesh, Scotland, PNG and Oman in Group B. Oman and UAE are co-hosts for the tournament, with the first round being played in Oman, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The second round is spread around the three UAE venues of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

This will be the first time in over two years that India and Pakistan will play each other, their last meeting being at the 50-over World Cup in England in 2019. As has been the case often in the past many years, bilateral ties between the two countries are on hold because of political tensions, meaning they only face each other only in multi-team tournaments, like the World Cups.This edition of the World Cup was initially scheduled to be held in Australia in 2020, but it was postponed because of the pandemic. Then, it was slated to be played in India this October but, again, complications triggered by the pandemic forced a venue change. Incidentally, 2021 was also due to feature a T20 World Cup as per previous ICC schedules, and that second tournament will now to be played in Australia late next year.Sammy tags West Indies favourites
Daren Sammy, the two-time T20 World Cup-winning West Indies captain who unveiled the schedule in a virtual function on Tuesday along with Dinesh Karthik and Isa Guha, told that he expected West Indies to grab the most attention at the tournament.”When you look at West Indies – and I might sound a bit biased – in the last [three] tournaments we have managed to get to the final four, win in two out of that [2012 and 2016],” Sammy said. “Our players, the calibre of players we have – when you look at captain [Kieron] Pollard, the universe boss Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Evin Lewis – I could go on… it’s a long list of guys who can take the attack to you.”But, in this stage, every team looking at the group stages would be thinking, ‘Wow, you got to start well’. And I expect England and West Indies to come out of that group [Group 1 in the Super 12s]. [I predict that the team] that tops this group gets to the final.”Karthik said he expected Group 2 in the Super 12s to be highly competitive as well: “If five Asian teams come through and you have New Zealand there… that’s a tougher group; I am looking forward to some high-octane action.”It’s going to be close call for me between Pakistan and New Zealand [with India being the other team to get through from Group 2 to the semis]. My heart says I would love to see a Pakistan there, but New Zealand find ways to always punch above their weight. They are a pretty well-rounded team with a great leader in Kane Williamson.”

Former local favourite anchors Surrey innings after Chris Rushworth’s inroads

David Hopps17-Aug-2021Durham survived a run-laden homecoming by an old favourite, Mark Stoneman, to secure a place in the Royal London Cup final against Glamorgan on Thursday. Stoneman struck 117 on his first return to the northeast since joining Surrey five years ago, but Durham judged their demanding pursuit of 281 with aplomb, waltzing through the closing stages to win by five wickets with 15 balls to spare.”I’m coming to get you” was the gist of the light-hearted text message that Stoneman sent to Scott Borthwick, a former colleague at both Durham and Surrey, ahead of this semi-final, but it is Borthwick whose first season back at Durham, as a captain ambitious to bring back the good times to the northeast, who retains the chance of collecting a trophy. Nevertheless, with an entire team requisitioned for other duties, Surrey have acquitted themselves well.Stoneman, meanwhile, might well leave Surrey at the end of the season, with Middlesex among his most persuasive suitors. He does not immediately strike you as an all-format cricketer, but that ambition still endures and even though he envisaged seeing out his career at Surrey as recently as May it could tip him into moving across the river.Durham, who have lost only once over 50-overs this season, will start favourites against Glamorgan after emerging victorious in a contest between arguably the two most powerful batting line-ups in the competition. They were rewarded for putting Surrey into bat when overcast skies roused Chris Rushworth into a new-ball spell of 3 for 23 in seven overs – Ollie Pope among them for a six-ball duck – before their in-form batters took full toll of Surrey’s attack.Graham Clark now has 598 runs at 86.57 and he made a statement from the outset when he slapped Surrey’s first ball, from Matt Dunn, through extra cover for four; Alex Lees, now has 547 at 78.14, and drove vigorously for his 75. They are the top two run-makers in the competition and their confidence has spread to the entire Durham side.David Bedingham’s assertive half-century (56 from 35 balls) whistled Durham to victory, but it was Borthwick’s 71 that will have warmed their supporters most of all. His ambition for his native county burns through every innings – his legspin has been taken off the shelf to good effect too – and, although he was dropped twice, most badly on 51 when Dunn was slow on to a top-edged pull at long leg, when he departed with 63 needed off 10, Durham were well in control. Three off Durham’s top four fell to the pull, Borthwick the unluckiest as he middled one straight at Pope, lurking at deep square.Mark Stoneman walks off after making a century on his old home ground•Getty Images

Pope’s three-match return to Surrey in the RLC has been an unhappy one. Those calling for his return for England at Headingley to bat at no 3 clearly are determined to pay no heed of county form, which these days comes several rungs below “hitting it well in the nets”. To be fair, he fell to an excellent delivery as Rushworth seamed one back to uproot his middle stump, and Surrey slipped to 40 for 3 before Stoneman and Jamie Smith repaired matters in a stand of 155 in 32.Stoneman met Rushworth conservatively, taking only three singles off him in the 15 deliveries he faced in his opening spell. He needed no reminding that the life expectancy of a left-hander on an overcast morning in Chester-le-Street when Rushworth was on the prowl was a short one. Matt Salisbury allowed him more liberties – 34 off 24 in the same new-ball phase – loosening the stranglehold every time Rushworth tightened it.Borthwick and Stoneman might have texted light-heartedly ahead of the tie, but there was nothing sociable about their match-up, professionalism demanded serious expressions. Borthwick was convinced he had Stoneman lbw, sweeping, as he approached his half-century, and he stared aghast, a yard or so from Stoneman, for several seconds after umpire Graham Lloyd rejected his appeal.The stand with Smith, who provided the elegance to go with Stoneman’s proficiency, was well judged, only to be outdone by Durham later in the day. Stoneman played conservatively in mid-innings against the spinners, not just Borthwick, but the slow left-armer Liam Trevaskis, who might have been put under more pressure.His pragmatism was necessarily abandoned in Rushworth’s final over, which went for 17, including a six over long-on that he would not have contemplated when the ball was harder. When Smith was lbw to Borthwick for a career-best 85, Surrey had 10 overs to add to their 195 for 4. But Rikki Clarke top-edged to fine leg and Cameron Steel’s return to Durham brought only a single, forcing Stoneman to up the ante.He reached 99 with an all-run four against Borthwick (Clarke, lungs heaving, should have been run out gallantly undertaking the fourth only for Borthwick’s shy to miss the stumps), tucked away his sixth List A hundred shortly afterwards, and was run out at the start of the final over, beaten by Clark’s throw, as he tried to keep the strike. The Chester-le-Street crowd gave him a standing ovation. The Durham team kept their game faces on and saved their smiles until a place at Trent Bridge was achieved.