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Pakistan look significantly stronger than their opponents at the moment but Sri Lanka will be looking to bounce back on the back of their undoubted ability

The Preview by Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2017

Big PictureWas the Test series a black swan event, not amenable to rationalisation after the fact? It certainly seems so after the proceedings of the first ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai, which firmly saw the cricket return to the realms of predictability. Essentially, Pakistan are pretty bloody good in the UAE, and Sri Lanka, at the moment, are poor.Within the space of one evening’s cricket, analysis seems to have reverted to favouring Pakistan heavily. Sri Lanka’s mystery spinners now simply look unreliable, their hard-working fast bowlers too impotent. In this format, at least, we claim, Sri Lanka have been at their worst, winning just four ODIs all year and now having lost eight on the trot. The game in Dubai showed why, since it was representative of their performance this year: the bowlers unable to take wickets in the middle overs, and the batsmen incapable of mounting a serious chase.They went into the first game fielding just two specialist fast bowlers. With allrounder Thisara Perera’s current bowling form, that is a concern. He went for 68 in his eight overs, and was extremely expensive in last month’s series between the World XI and Pakistan in Lahore, conceding 111 runs in 11 overs across three games. He isn’t easy to drop, however, due to his explosiveness with the bat, but his reliability as an all-round option at the moment is wearing thin.Pakistan, by no means a perfect ODI side, look significantly stronger than their opponents at the moment. The batsmen are in better form, with old hands and young guns working well together, highlighted by Friday’s match-winning partnership between Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam. Ahmed Shehzad will be desperate for runs, though, the opener’s duck not having gone unnoticed, not least because it came off 12 balls.That Mohammad Amir’s absence was not felt in the slightest attests to the depth of Pakistan’s fast bowling. Rumman Raees expertly took his place, managing to find swing with the new ball, and making the early inroads that snuffed out Sri Lanka’s hopes of a competitive chase. Junaid Khan bowled well despite going wicketless, while Hasan Ali’s star continues to rise.This, then, is the backdrop to the second ODI in Abu Dhabi, with Pakistan looking fairly settled as Sri Lanka wrestle with selection dilemmas and form concerns. However, predicting outcomes between these sides is as close as it comes to a fool’s errand. Pakistan are globally famous for their inconsistency while Sri Lanka’s undoubted ability – particularly with the ball – means anyone surprised by a Sri Lankan win probably hasn’t watched these sides take each other on too often.Form guideSri Lanka LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWWWIn the spotlightAside from impressing on the domestic and T20 franchise circuit, Rumman Raees’ temperament has helped him stand out on the international stage. His attitude – frankly, his cockiness – gets in the way of his nerves, meaning no occasion or opposition player seems to hold any fear for him. He first got his chance in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy against England in June, bowling brilliantly both up front and at the death, coming away with 2 for 44. Now, as then, he filled in for Mohammad Amir, and did not let Pakistan feel the pinch of his absence. This is an ideal series for him to show he can be more than just somebody’s replacement, and make a serious case of nailing down that coveted starting XI slot.Kusal Mendis is highly regarded among most serious followers of Sri Lankan cricket, but his form since the start of the ill-fated series against India hasn’t lived up to his ability. Other than a century during the second Test in Colombo, he has failed to reach a single fifty, his highest score being 36 in over two months. Even during the Test series against Pakistan that Sri Lanka swept, Mendis struggled for runs, managing only 58 in all at an average of 14.50. With Sri Lanka struggling, a player of his talent is badly needed to step up and lead the way. Mendis’ ability means that cannot be ruled out.Team newsSarfraz announced that Pakistan will be unchanged for the second ODI, choosing to stick with the XI that delivered the first game’s decisive win.Pakistan: 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt. and wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Rumman Raees, 9 Shadab Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid KhanAs with most struggling sides, Sri Lanka’s line-up is harder to ascertain, with several options surely being mooted in the hope that one particular combination solves the jigsaw puzzle that ODI cricket has proven to be for them in 2017. It would not be surprising to see Dusmantha Chameera or left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando get a game, perhaps in place of Jeffrey Vandersay as Sri Lanka look for more fast-bowling options.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella, (wk), 2 Upul Tharanga (capt.), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Suranga Lakmal, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Vishwa Fernando/Dushmantha Chameera/Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Lahiru GamagePitch and conditionsDew could be a factor once more, and on the slowish UAE surfaces, any score over 300 would certainly render the side batting first favourites. Rain – predictably – is not a concern.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have won just one ODI this year against a team other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh. That was during the Champions Trophy, where they chased down 322 to beat India by seven wickets. After a poor Test series, Babar Azam stormed back to form with a hundred in the first ODI. The difference between his ODI and Test averages is particularly stark: 55.64 and 23.75 respectively.

Jason Holder, West Indies’ captain, has challenged his players to “look themselves in the mirror” and find a way to fight back into the series after crushing defeat at Edgbaston

Andrew Miller at Edgbaston19-Aug-2017Jason Holder, West Indies’ captain, has challenged his players to “look themselves in the mirror” and find a way to fight back into the series, after being dealt a humiliating innings-and-209-run defeat in the first Investec Test at Edgbaston.West Indies lost 19 wickets in a single day, six of them in the final session under the floodlights, to lose a historic pink-ball contest inside three days, and now they face a massive challenge to recover their poise ahead of Friday’s second Test at Headingley.”It’s obviously very disappointing, we didn’t show enough fight,” Holder said after the match. “We were totally outplayed.”We’ve got to just believe, we have a few days off now, we have to use them wisely. We’ll sit and talk, and formulate some plans about how we are going to go, but it’s not impossible [to come back]. It’s just one game, the series is not lost, we have believe, regroup, and come back strongly.”Holder’s troubles, however, extend across every facet of West Indies’ game. Neither of their innings totals (168 and 137) came close to matching the individual contribution of England’s top-scorer, Alastair Cook (243), while Stuart Broad’s feat of overtaking Ian Botham’s Test wickets tally of 383 underlined the yawning gulf in experience between England and their opponents.”There’s inexperience in the side but we have to be professional and get over that,” said Holder. “I thought we were in the game for a session, but Cook and [Joe] Root put on a really good partnership and we were struggling in the end. We’re a young side with nothing to lose, we just have to believe and come back strongly.”The early finish to the Test does at least give West Indies the best part of a week to get over such a bruising defeat, but while Holder said that the coaching staff would do their best to formulate some plans to stage a comeback, it was up to the individual players to raise their games.”We can’t dwell on it, we have to critique each performance of each player, and look at ways we can move forward. But each player has to look himself in the mirror and see where they can improve.”West Indies lost 19 wickets on a day of abject batting at Edgbaston•Getty Images

Holder, whose own performance was well below the spirited standards that he has so far set in his Test career, singled out the efforts of Jermaine Blackwood and Kemar Roach for particular praise. Blackwood, who made a century against England in their last Test series in the Caribbean in 2015, top-scored with 79 not out in the first innings, having been recalled to the team for the first time since last year’s tour of the UAE.And Roach, whose first-morning extraction of Mark Stoneman was as good a delivery as was bowled all match, fought a lone battle to lift the standards of a seam attack that could yet be reinforced by a recall for Shannon Gabriel at Headingley next week.”I was really appreciative of the way Blackwood played,” Holder said. “He was his normal self after coming back into Test cricket. I want to keep encouraging him to be selective but play his natural game. And I thought Kemar Roach toiled and bowled well, he gave a tremendous effort every time I called on him.””Not an easy job but it’s not impossible,” he said of captaining West Indies. “We’ve got to stay in the game and stay in the fight. Only a couple of Tests ago, England were beaten by South Africa, and we’ve competed really well in the last few Tests we’ve played. We beat Pakistan [at Sharjah in 2016], and they beat England here last year. So it’s important for us to stay with it, and come back strongly.”

In the absence of AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, South Africa will have to find a way to get past Virat Kohli and India to prevent the series from drifting away

Sidharth Monga in Centurion03-Feb-20185:28

Cullinan predicts Centurion runfest

Big pictureAs is the case with teams facing India, South Africa have been talking up the visitors’ reliance on Virat Kohli. Even after losing the first ODI of the series, South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis said Kohli was India’s backbone, and that South Africa knew they could put India under pressure if they could go past him. What irony then that South Africa have lost AB de Villiers for three matches, and now du Plessis himself for the rest of India’s tour, trying to get Kohli out. De Villiers and du Plessis both injured their fingers trying to catch Kohli at slip. They now have a new captain, Aiden Markram, who will be playing only his third ODI.As if facing India’s wristspinners in the middle overs was not bad enough, South Africa are now left to do so without their middle-order bulwarks. In the first ODI, India laid down the marker. India do have arguably the best top three in the world, but they have been winning matches through the middle overs, which is when their spinners control the game. While Hashim Amla didn’t get to face the spinners in the first ODI, du Plessis looked the only one out of the top six comfortable enough against them. It was going to be hard enough in the short turnaround between matches to find a way past them, but to do so without their captain, who faced them for long enough will be a big task.Without the services of their middle-order mainstays, South Africa now need to go from 79 for 5 off the main spinners to 100 for 2 or so. It is not a good sign for any host side to be talking just about the pitches, but South Africa will hope the pitches are quicker in the rest of the series. South Africa started the series on a 17-match winning streak at home, and two days in, they are in a tough fight for the series. They need to make sure it is possible to win the series by the time de Villiers comes back, for the fourth ODI.India will enjoy the confidence in their ranks, and the confusion in South Africa’s. They are arguably the best ODI side in the world at the moment, with the variety at their disposal both in their batting and bowling. They came here with an ordinary record in bilateral ODI cricket in South Africa; now is their chance to correct it.Anesh Debiky/AFP/Getty Images

Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: LWWWL
India: WWWLWIn the spotlightWith du Plessis gone, the batting onus falls on Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock, but you can’t realistically expect them to bat through the innings. When the spin is on, JP Duminy and David Miller will somehow have to find a way if South Africa are to succeed. Neither of them carries a great reputation against spin, but their numbers against spin – even though they dip as compared to pace – are not bleak. Miller strikes at 6.67 an over against pace; it comes down to 5.4 against spin. The corresponding numbers for Duminy are 5.94 and 4.62. Their averages against spin are 39.08 and 39.93. If they can do what their averages against spin suggests, they should be fine, but India’s spinners are anything but average.Virat Kohli doesn’t offer too many chances in ODIs. In Durban, he offered one with no runs to his name, and South Africa had only one slip. What’s more, the diving first slip, du Plessis, even broke his finger going for the catch. Kohli was then involved in a run-out, but the genius of his ODI batting showed in how he never let the asking rate get big enough to put pressure on his side. He did so without so much as taking a risk. South Africa know they can put pressure on India if they get past Kohli, but it is the getting-past-Kohli part they don’t seem to know much about at the moment.Team newsAiden Markram, not a certain starter in the last match, will captain South Africa in du Plessis’ absence. Du Plessis’ spot could go to Khaya Zondo or Farhaan Behardien. While Zondo was there in the squad already, Behardien’s experience could count in his favour. After returns of 10-0-51-0, Imran Tahir will be under a little pressure, but he should keep his place.South Africa (probable): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Khaya Zondo/ Farhaan Behardien, 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran TahirThe Highveld might not be the ideal place to play two spinners, but India have been confident in their ability to do well in any conditions. Expect them to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. India could look to rest one of their quicks. Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t play the Centurion Test either so if Shardul Thakur comes in, it could be at the expense of Bhuvneshwar.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/ Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPitch and conditionsThe average first-innings score in Centurion in the last five ODIs is 332. However, they have all been day-night matches. The last day match played here was in November 2013, when Pakistan were bowled out for 179. In the last five day ODIs in Centurion, sides batting first have lost four times. Expect runs, but bowling first might be the way to go.Stats and triviaAjinkya Rahane has now scored five consecutive fifties in ODIs, only the third batsman to do so for India. Leaving out India’s wristspinners, South Africa lost only one wicket and went at 6.23 an over against the rest in the first ODI. Aiden Markram is South Africa’s second-youngest ODI captain, behind Graeme Smith.Quotes”I don’t necessarily see it as a problem. It’s just been one game. I believe there’s quality batsmen in our middle order, and it’s just about taking responsibility. Obviously we’ve had to adjust our game-plans just a touch going into this game, but it wasn’t addressing any sort of problem, I don’t think.””We all are confident about tomorrow. The way we played in Durban, especially our bowlers, those wristspinners did really well for us. It was a complete team effort but we want to start from zero because whatever happened in Durban is past now. This team is always living in the present.”

Ridiculed roundly after the innings defeat in Edgbaston, the team sat down to recognise what was needed of each player and the youngest of XI delivered a truly special performance

Melinda Farrell at Headingley30-Aug-2017Shai Hope shrugged the monkey off his back with a maiden Test century and then brutally booted it from the room with a second as he led West Indies to a thrilling victory – their first in England since 2000 – fulfilling the promise that led Clive Lloyd to present him with his cap as a 21-year-old two years ago.Hope became the first batsman to score centuries in both innings of a first-class match at Headingley, and the first West Indies player to perform the feat in a Test in England since Gordon Greenidge in 1976, as he helped his side pull off the second-highest chase at the ground.It was Hope’s partnerships with Kraigg Brathwaite – the two Barbadians have batted together since their early teens – in both innings that provided the foundation for a West Indies victory that was made all the more remarkable in coming just a week after their innings defeat in three days at Edgbaston.But Hopes was as cool in victory as he had been at the crease, seemingly unaware of his record in his post-match interview on Sky and exuding cool during the following press conference.”It was just clear mind, clear game plan,” Hope said. “I knew what I wanted to do in the middle and I just executed as best I can.”It was mainly about winning the game, especially after the loss at Edgbaston. Knowing how much the fellas really wanted this win, you could see the fight and belief in the dressing room on the faces of the guys.”I feel elated. We’ve worked hard as a team and we’re pleased to get over the line. I am a professional cricketer for a reason so I always believe in myself. We fought hard throughout the game, so we needed to do well with the bat.”Hope and Brathwaite came to the crease in the first innings with West Indies at 35 for 3 and then in the second innings at 53 for 2, steadying their side on both occasions before steering them towards victory with partnerships of 246 and 144. But while Brathwaite has shown his stubbornness at the crease in previous Tests, Hope’s twin centuries, following a lean run in his first two years of Test cricket, encapsulated the dramatic turnaround by a side that was publicly derided by former England and West Indies greats after the first Test.”I said if he gets one (hundred), he’ll get plenty – well he got one and he’s got another,” West Indies coach Stuart Law. “He’s been going through the form dip but he’s looked in good nick.”The stinging criticism from former players such as Curtly Ambrose and Geoffrey Boycott, who described the current team as the worst West Indies Test side he had seen, clearly struck a nerve with Jason Holder’s men in a similar way to Colin Graves’ infamous dismissal of them as “mediocre” ahead of England’s 2015 tour to the Caribbean.”It did something,” Holder said. “We had plenty of time to reflect, being in Birmingham three days. Each and every member of the team felt it, we were really hard on ourselves but it wasn’t a situation where we had to panic, it was a time for us to find solutions.”We sat down as a team and we had a really, really good meeting after the Edgbaston Test match and felt from there I could see most of the guys understanding a lot more about what was required of them and where we needed to be in terms of coming into this Test match and performing.”West Indies now head to Lord’s for a decider few would have foreseen with a confidence borne out of a victory that came despite dropped catches that allowed England back into the game after conceding a 169-run deficit in the first innings.”We have to be confident,” Hope said. “We’re Test cricketers for a reason and we know we have the ability to perform. We’ve got to make sure we put that almost perfect performance together because it’s very unlikely you play that perfect game but just try to string as many good consistent performances as possible in one game to get that win.””For many of us it’s a childhood dream to play a Test match at Lord’s and to come into Lord’s with a chance of winning the series,” Holder said. “Remember the first press conference we had people asked what are our chances. I gave us the same chances that England probably give themselves to win the series and that’s what we set out to do. It doesn’t always happen that way but the main thing for us is to keep progressing as a side and I think we’re showing that.”

New South Wales restricted Western Australia to a first-innings lead of only 11 but lost early wickets of their own to leave the Sheffield Shield match at the WACA Ground intriguingly poised

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2018
ScorecardHilton Cartwright punches the ball to cover point•Getty Images

New South Wales restricted Western Australia to a first-innings lead of only 11 but lost early wickets of their own when batting a second time to leave the Sheffield Shield match at the WACA Ground intriguingly poised.The tall young paceman Charles Stobo (3-32) bowled with considerable threat for the Blues, while Mickey Edwards picked up a wicket on his state debut and the Test spin bowler Nathan Lyon (3-59) also excelled as the Warriors were unable to make the most of bowling NSW out cheaply on day one.Hilton Cartwright played the most substantial innings for Western Australia (78 off 172 balls), but none of the Test batting trio of Cameron Bancroft, Shaun Marsh or Mitchell Marsh were able to provide long-lasting support in the middle.NSW made it to 45 for 0 before Simon Mackin struck three times in the same over to remove Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin and Moises Henriques. Kurtis Patterson and Ed Cowan then survived the remaining overs to the close with hope of building a significant lead on day three.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has hailed Mahmudullah after the allrounder held firm under pressure and hit the winning runs for Bangladesh to secure a spot in the Asia Cup final

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur02-Mar-2016

The 18th over had just begun with Bangladesh needing 26 runs to win. The captain Mashrafe Mortaza, wearing his pads, thigh-guard and gloves with the bat in hand, was pacing around the viewing area of the Shere Bangla National Stadium. The coach Chandika Hathurusingha went up to him with the type of plan that can make or break a game.Bangladesh had two very experienced batsmen in the middle with Mohammad Mithun, picked originally as a top-order batsman, in waiting outside the dressing-room, ready to go at the fall of the next wicket. Mashrafe was inside, subject of his coach’s pep talk.”I hadn’t even put on the helmet when the coach came up to me and said, ‘Amir is reversing the ball, and will be pitching it full so you go and take the chance. You will hit him straight down the ground’,” Mashrafe told ESPNcricinfo. “This was just before Shakib’s dismissal so going to bat at that point was the coach’s decision. Since he was so encouraging towards me, I felt brave. I knew that if I can connect, I could get fours or sixes. He had told me that I shouldn’t go to bat if Shakib gets out in the last ball of the 19th over but if he does fall in the next few balls.”The TV cameras had shown a glimpse of this conversation when it quickly panned back to Mohammad Amir running in to bowl the second ball. Shakib’s daft attempt at a scoop had him bowled and while the rage was about to get real, Mashrafe strode out to bat at No 7.He blasted the first ball, full and swinging away from him, down the ground and saw Mohammad Sami dive over the ball. Amir pinged him with a bouncer next ball but he managed to get inside the line of the delivery and put enough bat on it to guide it through fine leg for another crucial four. The hints that Mashrafe and Hathurusingha have been dropping for the last four months about his role as a floater in the batting order are now, for the first time, seeing a major use.As for Shakib’s dismissal, Mashrafe defended the allrounder’s shot selection. However, he gave a large amount of credit to Mahmudullah for soaking up the immense pressure at that crucial moment.”The best thing was that someone who didn’t think about pressure was coming out to bat after Shakib,” Mashrafe said. “I never think about getting out. Shakib plays that shot well in the nets. At that time the pressure was creeping in, he took the chance but he didn’t get it. He took a calculative risk, unfortunately it didn’t come off.”Even after I had hit those two fours, we needed 18 runs to win. [Mahmudullah] Riyad asked if he should still take chance. I didn’t want him to doubt himself. I told him to do whatever is possible. A bad ball is a bad ball. I didn’t want him to get out though. Riyad handled the scenario well.”Mahmudullah said at the post-match presentation ceremony that the match reminded him of the 2012 Asia Cup Final when he was the main batsman in charge as the game went into the last over. Bangladesh needed nine to win on that day against Pakistan but eventually lost by two runs. Mashrafe said that he had the belief that with Mahmudullah around in the last over, they would win it this time.”I was sure that we could win if we go to the last over,” Mashrafe said. “I wanted him to hit the winning runs. In the dressing room he said that this meant a lot for him. He thought about that a lot because it was a similar situation in 2012.”We wanted him to have the finisher’s role from the beginning of this tournament. Everyone remembers the big innings but what he has been doing, it was as important. He has been doing it almost every game though we didn’t think that he would be able to do so.”Mashrafe said that it was a big occasion for Bangladesh to win a virtual semi-final in a multi-team competition. He remembered the 2015 World Cup quarter-final when they bombed badly against India, but now he feels many of his teammates will enjoy such pressure matches.”This is quite big for Bangladesh cricket and it does excite me,” Mashrafe said. “We have done very well in ODIs recently but this is a big tournament and this was a virtual semi-final match. I think that Bangladesh will play a lot of matches like this in the future.”When we played in the World Cup quarter-final, we took pressure even though we really didn’t have to. Many of these players will get these situations and I just wanted them to enjoy. They were spot-on with taking their responsibilities.”

Dhaka Dynamites, banking on pure power hitting and a sensational trio of spin bowlers, reached the 2017 BPL final with a 95-run win over Comilla Victorians in the first qualifier in Mirpur

The Report by Mohammad Isam08-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRaton Gomes/BCB

Dhaka Dynamites, banking on pure power hitting and a sensational trio of spin bowlers, reached the 2017 BPL final with a 95-run win over Comilla Victorians in the first qualifier in Mirpur.Evin Lewis gave them the perfect start with the bat, top scoring with 47 before Kieron Pollard and Shahid Afridi powered them to 191 for 7 in 20 overs. Comilla’s bowlers suffered greatly, except for Hasan Ali who took 3 for 16.Comilla’s hopes of chasing their target were extinguished quickly – they were six down inside 10 overs – and were eventually bowled out for 96. Afridi, Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine presented combined figures of 10-2-44-6.Dhaka now await the winner of Sunday’s second qualifier between Comilla and Rangpur Riders.Lewis revs Dhaka up earlyLewis, who survived a close leg-before shout in the first over, started off with three fours in the third over. Lewis hit Mahedi Hasan for two sixes in the sixth over, and a third off Shoaib Malik, all over long off. With Lewis off to a flyer, Dhaka were quicker to get off the blocks in the qualifier.Malik, however, had the last laugh, dismissing Lewis in the ninth over. Lewis had struck six fours and three sixes in his 32-ball effort before he was bowled. Joe Denly and Lewis added 69 runs for the second wicket, thereby building a perfect base for the oncoming big-hitters.Sixes galore from Afridi, PollardWhile Denly manned one end, Pollard and Afridi ripped into the Comilla bowlers from the other. Pollard struck three sixes – straight, over cover and over square leg – in his 18-ball 31. Afridi hacked four sixes in his 19-ball 30, hitting two slog sweeps, a pull and a swipe over long off.Dhaka spinners break Comilla’s backLiton Das drove back to Mosaddek Hossain in the first over of Comilla’s chase to start poorly. Shakib then bowled Jos Buttler for 5 after the Englishman missed a cut after backing away too much. Imrul Kayes was Mosaddek’s second wicket when the ball stayed low to go beneath his bat. And soon after, Abu Hider had Marlon Samuels caught behind and Comilla slipped far too quickly inside the Powerplay.Afridi’s double-wicket maidenIn the 10th over, Afridi struck twice: he dismissed Tamim Iqbal and Dwayne Bravo to reduce Comilla to 55 for 6. They had lost three wickets in a space of ten balls without adding a single run. Tamim made 31 off 28 balls, and was stumped trying to add a second six to his name. Off the over’s fifth ball, Bravo was adjudged lbw for a duck, trapped right in front of middle stump.Comilla surrender meeklyWickets came thick and fast for Dhaka towards the end. Mohammad Saifuddin was run out, caught short of the crease when he tried for a second run with Malik, who himself fell in the 13th over. Narine took a second wicket before Afridi added his third, as Comilla’s surrender was complete with the team all for their lowest BPL score ever.

Both boards are in talks to play a Test as well, which Zimbabwe Cricket would prefer taking place after the World Cup qualifiers in March

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017

Zimbabwe and Afghanistan have agreed to play five ODIs and two T20Is against each other in Sharjah in February 2018. The tour begins with back to back 20-over games on February 5 and 6 before moving onto the 50-over leg scheduled to take place between February 9 to 19.Tour schedule

Feb 5 – first T20I, Sharjah
Feb 6 – Second T20I, Sharjah
Feb 9 – First ODI, Sharjah
Feb 11 – Second ODI, Sharjah
Feb 13 – Third ODI, Sharjah
Feb 16 – Fourth ODI, Sharjah
Feb 19 – Fifth ODI, Sharjah

Afghanistan were in talks to play their maiden Test against Zimbabwe around the same time as well. The original plan was for both teams to compete against each other across all three formats in Sharjah before Zimbabwe would travel Bangladesh for an ODI tri-series in January-February. But with the World Cup qualifiers due in March, Zimbabwe Cricket suggested to the Afghanistan Cricket Board that it might be better for the players to concentrate on limited-overs cricket.”We are still discussing the proposed Test and looking at playing it after the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier,” a ZC official said. With Zimbabwe suffering a cash crunch, they may also prefer to play their Test matches away from home.Afghanistan have also announced a three match ODI series against Ireland to take place in Sharjah on December 5, 7 and 10.The ACB chairman Atif Mashal appeared happy that the team was getting good exposure at a time they will need it. “The two T20Is and five-match ODI series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium will give both sides [Afghanistan and Zimbabwe] a valuable opportunity to face each other for competitive cricket ahead of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in March.”The tournament features 10 teams, including West Indies and Ireland, but only the top two will get to go to England for the 2019 World Cup.

Jake Weatherald followed up a first-innings score of 152 with a measured 143 to set up a five-wicket win for South Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017
ScorecardJake Weatherald celebrates his second century of the match•Getty Images

Jake Weatherald’s centuries in each innings led South Australia to a remarkable comeback victory over Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match at the WACA Ground.The Redbacks won by five wickets after conceding 514 to WA in their first innings – the highest losing first-innings tally in a Shield match since SA were themselves defeated by Victoria after posting 517 in 2009-10.Following up on his rollicking first-innings 152, Weatherald played more deliberately to make 143, largely in the company of Callum Ferguson. Their third-wicket stand of 180 took the visitors most of the way to their target, before Jake Lehmann helped collect the winning runs in the final session with an unbeaten 24.SA could not have won the match without the efforts of their bowlers, who rounded up WA for 173 in the second innings on what – as Weatherald was to prove – was an excellent batting pitch.

وضع نادي برشلونة الإسباني شرطاً من أجل الحصول على خدمات، ماركوس راشفورد، من نادي مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي في فترة الانتقالات المقبلة.

وأكد راشفورد أنه مستعد للرحيل عن مانشستر يونايتد والانتقال إلى مغامرة جديدة في مسيرته الكروية.

ويحتل برشلونة المركز الثالث في سلم ترتيب الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”، برصيد 38 نقطة.

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وذكرت صحيفة “سبورت الكتالونية” أن ماركوس راشفورد يعطي الأولوية للعب في الدوري الإسباني خلال الفترة المقبلة، رفقة نادي برشلونة.

وتابعت أن برشلونة على علم برغبة راشفورد في اللعب للفريق الكتالوني، لكنه لم يتخذ أي خطوة مع اللاعبـ حيث أنهم يدركون أن راشفورد يتمتع بجودة هائلة وأن أسلوب لعبه سوف يتكيف مع احتياجات الفريق.

وأوضحت أنه لن يكون من الممكن التعاقد مع راشفورد من قبل إدارة برشلونة، إلا إذا تم تخفيض راتبه إلى النصف وهو أمر يعتبرونه مستحيلاً إلا في حال أن وافق على هذا الأمر.

جدير بالذكر أن المهاجم الإنجليزي لم يعد في خطط وأهداف مدرب مانشستر يونايتد الجديد، روبن أموريم، ومسألة رحيله عن الشياطين الحمر باتت قريباً سواء في انتقالات الشتاء أو الصيف.