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Imran Tahir, who went unsold at the IPL auction in February, has said how special it was to pick three early wickets to set up Rising Pune Supergiant’s win against Mumbai Indians

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2017Listed No. 1 in the ICC rankings for bowlers in ODIs and T20Is, Imran Tahir was “sad” and “down” after going unsold at the IPL auction two months ago. But an injury to Mitchell Marsh opened a door for Tahir: he was signed as a replacement and shone with 3 for 28 in Rising Pune Supergiant’s seven-wicket win in their opening match against Mumbai Indians.After Mumbai raced to 41 for 0 in four overs with consecutive sixes from Jos Buttler, Steven Smith brought on Tahir, who bowled Parthiv Patel around his legs and then removed Rohit Sharma and Buttler within the space of three balls in his next over.”The way they were playing it looked like they were going to end up getting 200,” Tahir told after the match. “I always love challenges, and when I bowl I always look to get wickets. I was very fortunate to get Patel out and obviously, the next two wickets were very special. Those guys were really good against spin bowling and it was very special for me that I got them out and [I’m] really, really happy with the way the ball came out. I’ve been here for one week and I’m trying to do well because it’s a new team and they gave me a lot of confidence.”I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight and try to give as much as I can. I love doing what I’m doing and I always look for a challenge.”Tahir expressed how disappointed he was when no franchise picked him at the auction in February, when he had a base price of INR 50 lakhs. He had been released by Delhi Daredevils after an unimpressive IPL last year, playing four matches for five wickets with an economy rate of 8.62.”I was obviously sad not to be part of this league [in the auction] but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Tahir said. “But really relieved and pleased with myself about playing the way I’ve been playing and just deliver it today.”I’m grateful to god and my family supported me, especially my wife. I was quite down when I didn’t get picked in the league. But our life carries on and I came here to prove myself again, that’s what my job is. I don’t blame no one for not picking me. My job, if someone picks me, is to come and perform, that’s what we do for a living.””I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight”•BCCI

Supergiant played two legspinners – Tahir and Adam Zampa – in the absence of R Ashwin and left out Faf du Plessis from the XI. Zampa, their highest wicket-taker last season, did not impress as much as Tahir on Thursday, with 1 for 26 from three overs, but Ajinkya Rahane said the strategy of playing two attacking legspinners worked for them.”Both of them are attacking, both of them look to take wickets, and that’s very important in T20,” Rahane said. “Zampa did well for us last year, and Imran Tahir is a world-class bowler. It’s good to have them both in our side, and we, as a team, know they’re always looking to take wickets.”Rahane gave Supergiant’s chase of 185 impetus, scoring 60 off 34 that featured six fours and three sixes. He brought up his half-century off only 27 balls; Supergiant were 79 for 1 in the ninth over.”When you’re chasing 180-190, it’s important to continue the momentum after the first six overs,” Rahane said. “I knew I was batting really well, and striking the ball well. So, for me, it was really important to play with that same momentum. Smith was completely new [on the pitch] at that time. So, I just wanted to take my chances and play my normal shots. I mean, I didn’t take any risks. But it was important for both of us to keep rotating the strike and hit one boundary or six in an over.”When you are chasing 180 plus, it’s the openers’ job to consolidate the innings. For me and Mayank [Agarwal], our discussion was to play positive cricket. We did not set any target for the first six overs. We just wanted to play our attacking game, and later on just capitalise on that. Unfortunately, he got out, but I was batting well. And Smith was there, I told him I’ll take my chances, and he should just carry on and play a long innings.”

Mashonaland Eagles beat Mountaineers in an eliminator to clinch the Domestic Twenty20 Competition at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2016
Scorecard
Eagles won the Super Over EliminatorThe Mashonaland Eagles players pose with the series trophy•Zimbabwe Cricket

Mashonaland Eagles beat Mountaineers in an eliminator to clinch the Domestic Twenty20 Competition at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.Chasing 17 in the one-over shootout bowled by Bright Mugochi, the left-arm spinner, Mountaineers fell one short. This despite Hamilton Masakadza’s power-hitting delivering a boundary and a six to bring the equation down to four runs off the last ball, off which only a brace was possible.That they needed an eliminator to decide the winner was largely because of Tendai Chatara, who conceded just four runs off the final over to force the game into a tie as Eagles also finished on 167 for 6 after 20 overs.Cephas Zhuwao (71) and Chamu Chibhabha (37) put on 69 in just 5.5 overs to set the chase up nicely, before Mountaineers struck twice in four deliveries. When Regis Chakabwa was dismissed, Eagles were in a hint of trouble at 80 for 3. A 42-run stand for the fourth wicket between Zhuwao and Tinotenda Mutombodzi, who made a sprightly 22, before the slower bowlers applied the choke to force the game into an eliminator.Earlier, Mountaineers rode on Masakadza’s 42-ball 66 to post 167. Despite his strong show with the bat, it boiled down to his big-hitting prowess at the end once again, but on the night, the Eagles managed to hold on by the thinnest of margins in a thrilling finale.

Akram Khan will leave his position as chairman of Bangladesh’s selection committee on the day the BCB election dates are announced

Mohammad Isam04-Jul-2013Akram Khan will leave his position as chairman of Bangladesh’s selection committee on the day the BCB election dates are announced. He confirmed this on Thursday after being asked to continue in the role till September, along with the other selectors Habibul Bashar and Minhazul Abedin.In the meantime, the BCB will formally ask the National Sports Council, Bangladesh’s sports regulatory body, to announce the board election dates. According to BCB president Nazmul Hassan, that could very well be this month.Akram has apparently been assured by the NSC that he will be elected unopposed as one of their designated directors on the board. In the 2008 elections, the number of NSC directors on the board was one, but it has not been made certain which constitution will be followed in the forthcoming election.”I will leave this position the day the election dates are announced,” Akram said. “If it happens to be before my term ends in September, I will let the board know. I am not interested in contesting elections in the present situation. I have been given an assurance. I may become a director through NSC’s quota.”I have already told the board regarding my desire to become a director, and I have done that before my tenured ended on June 30. I plan to make cricket better in the country, at all levels. I have a lot of plans about school cricket and age-group cricket. I have been a selector for six years, and I have worked with honesty and hard work.”

Mark Boucher has said he will consider delaying his retirement if the South Africa coach Gary Kirsten wanted him to be available for the tour to Australia in November

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2012Mark Boucher, the South Africa wicketkeeper, has said he will consider delaying his retirement from international cricket in August if the coach Gary Kirsten wanted him to be available for the tour to Australia in November. In March, Boucher had said that 15 years of international cricket had taken a “toll on his body” and that South Africa’s upcoming tour of England would be his last.”I’ve spoken to a couple of people and they’ve said it’s my last tour, but if people who count ask me to finish off against the Australians, then I’d have to think about it,” Boucher told SAPA. “I do understand that playing against Australia is a massive competition and if I get asked by my coach, Gary Kirsten, to stay on and play, then I might seriously consider it.”My mind is set on finishing after England, hopefully playing all three Test matches, and finishing my career on 150 Tests for my country. If that happens, I would walk away very happily. There is just one little ‘if’ – if my coach asked me – but I’m not putting any pressure on him.”Boucher, who started his international career in 1997 and holds the record for most dismissals in Tests, was given a long-service award by Cricket South Africa on Wednesday.”They didn’t have to do it. It’s not something I really wanted or asked for, but it’s just nice to know that people do appreciate the things you do and have done for your country,” Boucher said. “I’ve really enjoyed every single moment of my career. A lot of people ask me about the highlights of my career but there have been so many.”Just spending time with the team on tour, where they become your family, is special. I’ve experienced so many different cultures and toured different places around the world and it’s only when you get towards the end of your career that you realise that those are the important things.”Edited by Carlyle Laurie

Andrew Gale set up the easiest of Yorkshire victories at New Road and left Worcestershire stranded at the foot of Group A after their fourth defeat in five Clydesdale Bank 40 games

22-May-2011
ScorecardAndrew Gale set up the easiest of Yorkshire victories at New Road and left Worcestershire stranded at the foot of Group A after their fourth defeat in five Clydesdale Bank 40 games.Steven Patterson took four for 28 in the Royals’ laboured progress to 155 for 9 and Gale continued his good form in the competition as Yorkshire eased home by seven wickets with 21 balls to spare.The Yorkshire captain made 56 and lifted his aggregate to 285 from five innings after sharing in successive half-century partnerships with fellow-left handers Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth.Rotherham-born left-arm spinner Shaaiq Choudhry secured Worcestershire’s first success when Ben Scott stumped Ballance for 27 and Moeen Ali’s off-spin accounted for Gale with a tumbling catch at mid-wicket by Jack Shantry.Yorkshire never had to rush and Lyth was able to bat within himself until he took an unnecessary risk in going for a second run which would have completed a half-century. He was comfortably beaten by Alexei Kervezee’s return from deep square leg.Worcestershire were hopelessly short of runs despite James Cameron’s third successive CB40 half-century and an eye-catching innings by 17-year-old schoolboy Aneesh Kapil. Kapil, who later bowled five overs at a lively pace, joined Cameron in a stand of 88 in 20 overs, which was all that stood between the home side and total collapse.Struggling at 30 for 4 after two wickets each for Yorkshire’s new-ball pair, Patterson and Oliver Hannon-Dalby, they folded again as soon as Kapil departed, lbw for 44 when pushing forward to the fourth delivery in a second spell by Adil Rashid.Kapil who played for Wolverhampton in the Birmingham League at the age of 13, was unfazed by registering a duck for his club team only 24 hours before he was called up for a competitive debut in the county side.A flamboyant stroke-maker, he hit four of the dozen fours that Worcestershire mustered in the entire innings, and fortunately for Yorkshire, a glaring let-off, when Hannon-Dalby put down a simple opportunity at short third man, cost them only two runs.Similarly a let-off for Cameron – Ballance spilling an awkward chance at mid-wicket – was quickly brushed over. One run later, the Zimbabwean-born left-hander fell for 51, driving to mid-off as Patterson struck twice in his second spell.Along the way, Cameron hoisted Rashid for a straight six but managed only two fours as Yorkshire, despite missing a contingent of first-teamers, took an unshakeable grip on what became a one-sided contest.

Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle feels that captain Daniel Vettori should step down as a national selector because it might create a sense of insecurity among his team-mates

Cricinfo staff31-May-2010Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle feels captain Daniel Vettori should step down as a national selector because that responsibility could create a sense of insecurity among his team-mates. Astle fears the team spirit may be affected if the captain has a major say in selection, and added that if Vettori gave up that role, it would allow him to focus on his job as the team’s leading strike bowler, and captain.”He’s capable but deep down I think it is too much to take on. Being captain means you take on a certain role and while he should definitely have an input, he shouldn’t be a selector,” Astle told the . “You want your team-mates to be able to discuss things. Players won’t do that if they think it might hinder their selection.”Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Warren Lees was also concerned that Vettori’s role as a spinner may become redundant if he puts the team’s concerns before his own. Vettori is currently the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand, behind Richard Hadlee, with 325 wickets. “If he’s a good captain, there’s a risk he won’t get the most out of himself as a bowler because he’ll spend the whole time thinking of others,” Lees said. “He might need to be more selfish.”The former players also discussed another vital member of the New Zealand side, Brendon McCullum, whose dual role as a wicketkeeper-batsman in all forms of the game has been debated of late. McCullum, who gave up the gloves in Twenty20 internationals to focus on batting alone, isn’t sure whether he will follow suit in Tests and ODIs. He said he would take a decision in the coming months on the best way to preserve himself for New Zealand.Astle felt McCullum should give up keeping because New Zealand needed him as a batsman to shore up an inexperienced batting order. “Giving up the keeping should allow him more time to work on his batting. From what I’ve seen, it’s not that he doesn’t want to do it but it’s more of a physical thing and he’s looking for longevity in the game,” Astle said. “I think some people have been too quick to judge.”Lees, however, felt New Zealand couldn’t afford to lose him as a keeper. “We don’t know how bad his back is. I was surprised coach Mark Greatbatch did not originally know about that,” he said. “We are a weak team and need Brendon keeping to have the balance to beat the best in world.”Former New Zealand fast bowler, Danny Morrison, now a commentator, spoke out on the team’s recent performance. He felt the senior batsmen weren’t putting their hands up enough, going by New Zealand’s performance in the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean and in Florida, where they were bowled out for 81 in a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.”I think more onus needs to go on McCullum, [Ross] Taylor and [Jesse] Ryder as a core group of senior batsmen, who have a responsibility to perform. There was a glaring lack of runs in the Caribbean and it wasn’t good enough.”Shane Bond’s retirement from all forms has weakened the bowling attack, and Morrison called for the youngsters to fill the breach quickly. “It’s time young guys stepped up because big Daryl [Tuffey] and Chris [Martin] haven’t got long left at the top. They’re still useful, especially in New Zealand conditions with their pace and bounce, but aren’t getting it through at real pace. Brent Arnel is a prospect. He looks like he’s modelled himself on Shane Bond with a nice action and small delivery stride,” Morrison said.”I also saw Corey Anderson up close at the Hong Kong Sixes last year, albeit off a shorter run-up. He had a strong, powerful action with a top speed of over 140km/h. Andy McKay gets it through too.”

The team has been stranded in Barbados for the last two days due to Hurricane Beryl

Edited PTI copy02-Jul-2024The Indian team is set to fly home via a charter flight on Tuesday evening after Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley said she expected the airport to become operational in the “next six to 12 hours”, ending the shutdown forced by a category 4 hurricane.The T20 World Cup-winning squad, its support staff, some BCCI officials and the players’ families have been stranded in Barbados for the past two days due to Hurricane Beryl, which hit the island on Sunday evening.”I don’t want to speak in advance of it, but I have literally been in touch with the airport personnel and they’re doing their last checks now and we want to resume normal operations as a matter of urgency,” Mottley told PTI.”There are a number of people who were due to leave last night late or today or tomorrow morning. And we want to make sure that we can facilitate those persons, so I would anticipate that within the next six to 12 hours the airport will be open.”Related

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The Indian contingent is expected to leave Bridgetown at 6pm local time and land in Delhi on Wednesday at 7.45pm IST, according to a source. The players will be later felicitated by prime minister Narendra Modi but the schedule of that event has not yet been finalised.The window for the Indian team to leave Bridgetown is a narrow one as Mottley revealed “we have another hurricane coming on Wednesday”.Five of the players – Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed and Sanju Samson – were originally slated to travel to Zimbabwe for the upcoming five-match T20I series. But, Samson, Dube and Jaiswal will now travel to India with the rest of the T20 World Cup-winning side before leaving for Harare. The rest of the squad for the series left India earlier on Tuesday.Life-threatening winds and storms lashed Barbados and nearby islands on Monday. The country, with a population of close to 300,000, has been in lockdown since Sunday evening.”[We have] been working to ensure that everyone is safe in Barbados, Barbadians and all of the visitors, of course, who came for the cricket World Cup,” Mottley said. “We were very blessed that the storm did not come on land. The hurricane was 80 miles south of us, which limited the level of damage on shore. But as you can see, infrastructure and coastal assets have been badly damaged.”It could have been a lot worse, but now is the time to do the recovery and the clean-up.”

Gregory, Davey rebuild innings after Barnard, Hasan, Rushworth strike on debuts

ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2023Somerset 269 for 8 (Gregory 65*, Barnard 3-54) vs WarwickshireSkipper Lewis Gregory led an enterprising Somerset fightback on the second day of the rain-affected LV= County Championship match with Warwickshire at Taunton.The visitors’ new-look seam attack looked to have taken control when reducing their hosts to 136 for seven shortly after tea, Ed Barnard (three for 54), Hasan Ali (two for 62) and Chris Rushworth (one for 51) all taking wickets on debut.But Gregory and Josh Davey had other ideas. Somerset’s eighth-wicket pair added 105 in 25.1 overs with some attractive counter-attacking cricket to help their side to 268 for eight at the close.Gregory contributed an unbeaten 65, off 105 balls, with 9 fours, while Davey lost nothing by comparison, hitting seven boundaries in his 42 before falling lbw to Oliver Hannon-Dalby (two for 65) with the second new ball.After no play on the first day due to a saturated outfield, umpires Alex Wharf and Rob Bailey made a 10.30am inspection and ruled that the game could start at noon, with lunch at 1.30pm and 88 overs to be bowled in the three sessions.Gregory, acting Somerset captain while Tom Abell completes recovery from a rib injury, won the toss and backed his side’s new top order, including debutants Sean Dickson, Cameron Bancroft and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, by electing to bat first under clear blue skies.Rushworth impressed during an initial five-over spell from the River End and was unlucky not to claim a wicket when former Durham team-mate Dickson, on five, was dropped by wicketkeeper Michael Burgess, diving in front of first slip.The error did not prove expensive as, without addition to his score, Dickson connected sweetly with a drive off Hannon-Dalby, but directed the ball straight to Barnard, who pouched a sharp chance at point.Bancroft walked out at 13 for one in the fifth over. The Australian was soon making good use of the quick single, but both he and Tom Lammonby survived several close shaves as Warwickshire’s seamers went past the bat and had some confident lbw shouts rejected.The pair took the score past 50 before Lammonby, who had shown commendable patience, was caught behind for 22, victim of Barnard’s first ball having switched to around the wicket, a perfectly-pitched delivery that moved away off the seam.The umpires immediately signalled lunch with Somerset 52 for two in the 23rd over, Bancroft unbeaten on 24.Kohler-Cadmore was beaten by Barnard in the first over after the interval, but quickly responded with three boundaries through the off-side off the same bowler.Bancroft looked to have plenty of time to play his shots and appeared well set on 44 when chasing a short, wide ball from Rushworth and edging to Rob Yates at first slip. He had faced 104 deliveries and hit 5 fours.From 98 for three, George Bartlett helped add 22 for the fourth wicket before departing on 13 to a similarly poor shot, edging Barnard to Yates, who took another routine catch.Three balls later Kohler-Cadmore, who had just struck his seventh boundary to move to 34, became the third Somerset player to be pouched at first slip, Yates this time taking an excellent low catch to give Hasan his first Warwickshire wicket.By tea, the hosts were reeling at 128 for five and would have been in worse trouble had Burgess not spilled a regulation catch behind offered by James Rew on two.Again the wicketkeeper’s mistake was not costly. Rew had moved onto six when bowled by Hasan between bat and pad in the fourth over of the final session to make the score 135 for six.With only a single added, Barnard bowled Craig Overton with an in-ducker. It was an all too familiar tale for Somerset supporters, whose team struggled to post meaningful first innings totals last season.But their spirits were lifted by Gregory and Davey, who capitalised on a tiring attack with a flurry of positive shots all around the wicket to give Somerset serious momentum going into day three.Gregory moved to an entertaining half-century off 85 balls before Davey departed and Jack Leach came in to help Somerset to a first batting point with successive fours off Hasan.

Strauss says captain’s promotion is “a healthy thing” at start of Test team’s reset

Matt Roller09-Feb-2022Joe Root told England’s new selection panel “very categorically” that he wants to bat at No. 3 in the Caribbean and beyond, according to interim managing director Andrew Strauss.Root has been in career-best form over the last year, scoring 1777 runs at 55.53 – including six hundreds – in his 17 Tests since the start of 2021. He has batted at No. 4 throughout (with one innings at No. 5 due to a nightwatchman) and his overall record is significantly better there than at No. 3, but Strauss said Root had insisted that he should “take that responsibility on”.Alex Lees, the Durham batter, is set to open the batting against West Indies alongside Zak Crawley, with Root slotting in behind them. With Ben Foakes likely to keep wicket and bat at No. 7, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and either Ollie Pope or Dan Lawrence are set to fill the roles from No. 4-6.”The first thing he [Root] said in selection was that he was very keen to bat three moving forward,” Strauss told Sky Sports News. “That came from him; that was his request. And I think everyone agrees that that’s probably a healthy thing for the England cricket team at the moment.”Our issues have been in the top three, top of the order. So we’re going to see a new opening partnership out there with Alex Lees coming in and Joe’s stepping up to No. 3 – that gives a bit of space in the middle order for some of those less experienced players to show what they can do but also show what they can do more consistently, which has been the big problem.”