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Michael Di Venuto, the former Australia batsman, has been named in the Italy squad for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers to be held in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2012Michael Di Venuto, the former Australia batsman, has been named in the Italy squad for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers to be held in the UAE between March 13-24, 2012. The ICC has finalised all 16 squads for the tournament, from which the top two teams will qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7, 2012. The other notable inclusion is that of Geraint Jones, the former England wicketkeeper, in the Papua New Guinea squad.The Hobart-born Di Venuto, who is of Italian origin, played nine one-dayers for Australia in 1997. When he left the Australian domestic scene he was Tasmania’s leading one-day run-scorer, was second to Jamie Cox on the state’s lists of Pura Cup-Sheffield Shield appearances and runs scored, and owned the most half-centuries in Pura Cup-Sheffield Shield history. He was also a prolific scorer in county cricket, representing Derbyshire and Durham.Afghanistan will be defending the title they had won in 2010, when the qualifying tournament was an eight-team event. They had beaten Ireland in the final in Dubai by eight wickets, and both sides qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 2010 in the West Indies.Ed Joyce, the left-handed batsman who has played limited-overs matches for England, returns to the Ireland squad. The squad also features the uncapped fast bowler Max Sorensen.Notable omissions from the squads include Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate, who has opted out due to ‘other cricket commitments’, and Canada’s Ashish Bagai.Afghanistan – Nawroz Mangal (captain), Javed Ahmadi, Merwais Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Zamir Khan, Mohammad Shahzad, Gulbadin Naib, Shabir Ahmed Noori, Karim Khan Sadeq, Samiullah Shinwari, Dollat Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Shapoor ZadranBermuda – David Hemp (captain), Jason Anderson, Lional Cann, Fiqre Crockwell, Terryne Fray, Joshua Gilbert, Stefan Kelly, Kamau Leverock, Stephen Outerbridge, Josclyn Pitcher, Samuel Robinson, Curt Stovell, Rodney Trott, Janeiro TuckerCanada – Jimmy Hansra (captain),Manninder Aulakh, Harvir Baidwan, Rustam Bhatti, Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, Tyson Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Zahid Hussain, Nitish Kumar, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Raza Rehman, Junaid SiddiqiDenmark – Michael Pedersen (captain), Aftab Ahmed, Shehzad Ahmed, Sair Anjum, Bobby Chawla, Basit Javed, Frederik Klokker, Jacob Larsen, Kamran Mahmood, Rizwan Mahmood, James Moniz, Martin Pedersen, Bashir Shah, Hamid ShahHong Kong – James Atkinson (captain), Irfan Ahmed, Muhammad Moner Ahmed, Nadeen Ahmed, Waqas Barkat, Babar Hayat, Asif Khan, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Mohammad Nizakat Khan, Courtney Kruger, Roy Lamsam, Kinchit Shah, Daljeet Singh, Maxwell TuckerIreland – William Porterfield (captain), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Rory McCann, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Andrew White, Gary WilsonItaly – Alessandro Bonora (captain), Gareth Berg, Damian Crowley, Gayashan Munasinghe, Luis Di Giglio, Michael Di Venuto, Dilan S. Fernando, Damian C. K. Fernando, Andrew Northcote, Hayden Patrizi, Dell’agnello, Vincenzo Pennazza, Peter Petricola, Stanly H. J. Samaraweera, Carl SandriKenya – Collins Obuya (captain), Ragheb Aga, Duncan Allan, Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Nelson Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Morris Ouma, Rakep Patel, Hiren VaraiyaNamibia – Craig Williams (captain), Sarel Burger, Merwe Erasmus, Hendrick Geldenhuys, Zhivago Groenwald, Louis Klazinga, Christiaan Opperman, Bernard Scholtz, Nicolaas Scholtz, Gerrie Snyman, Ewald Steenkamp, Louis Van Der Westhuizen, Raymond Van Schoor, Christoffel ViljoenNepal – Paras Khadka (captain), Pradeep Airee, Mahaboob Alam, Prithu Baskota, Amrit Bhattarai, Shakti Gauchan, Krishna Karki, Paresh Prasad Lohani, Gyanendra Malla, Anil Kumar Mandal, Basant Regmi, Sanjam Regmi, Chandra Sawad, Sharad VesawkarNetherlands – Peter Borren (captain), Wesley Barresi, Mudassar Bukhari, Atse Buurman, Tom Cooper, Tom De Grooth, Tim Gruijters, Timm Van Der Gugten, Tom Heggelman, Alexei Kervezee, Ahsan Malik, Stephan Myburgh, Pieter Seelaar, Michael SwartOman – Hemal Mehta (captain), Sultan Ahmed, Qais Bin Khalid Al Said, Syed Amir Ali, Adnan Ilyas,Syed Aamir Kaleem, Awal Khan, Farhan Afzal Khan, Ajay Lalcheta, Sufyan Mehmood, Rajeshkumar Ranpura, Zeeshan Ahmed Siddiqi, Jatinder Singh, Vaibhav WategaonkarPapua New Guinea – Rarua Dikana (captain), Geraint Jones, Jack Vare-Kevere, Jason Kila, Willie Gavera, Chris Amini, John Boge Reva, Tony Ura, Assadollah Vala, Chris Kent, Mahuru Dai, Vani Vagi Morea, Joel Tom, Hitolo AreniScotland – Gordon Drummond (captain), Richard Berrington, Kyle Coetzer, Joshua Davey, Ryan Flannigan, Gordon Goudie, Majid Haq, Calum Macleod, Preston Mommsen, Matthew Parker, Safayaan Sharif, Jan Stander, Craig Wallace, David WattsUganda – Davis Arinaitwe (captain), Arthur Kyobe, Brian Masaba, Deusdedit Muhumuza, Roger Mukasa, Benjamin Musoke, Frank Nsubuga, Jonathan Sebanja, Asadu Seiga, Ronald Semanda, Laurence Sematimba, Henry Ssenyondo, Charles Waiswa, Arthur ZirabaUnited States of America – Sushil Nadkarni (captain), Orlando Baker, Adil Bhatti, Ryan Corns, Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Asif Mehmood Khan, Aditya Mishra, Azrudeen Mohammed, Nauman Mustafa, Abhimanyu Rajp, Gowkaran Roopnarine, Usman Shuja, Steven Taylor

England’s injury crisis deepened as the team arrived in Perth ahead of the seventh and final ODI against Australia, as Paul Collingwood was officially ruled out of the series

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2011England’s injury crisis deepened as the team arrived in Perth ahead of the seventh and final ODI against Australia, as Paul Collingwood was officially ruled out of the match following the back spasm that prevented him from bowling during Wednesday’s two-wicket defeat at the SCG. He will return to the UK immediately, but is expected to be fit for the start of the World Cup, with the team setting off for Bangladesh on February 12.”He had a back spasm so he couldn’t walk very well and he certainly couldn’t bowl,” Strauss said in the aftermath of the Sydney defeat. “At the moment we are a bit short on bowlers full stop.”Collingwood is the fifth member of England’s one-day squad to finish the series back in England, with Tim Bresnan (calf) and Graeme Swann (back) already in the country, and Ajmal Shahzad (hamstring) and Chris Tremlett (side) currently flying back from Sydney.Stuart Broad, who tore his abdominal muscle during the second Ashes Test in December, is back with the squad but is unlikely to be passed fit for the Perth ODI, which means Durham’s Liam Plunkett, a recent arrival from the Lions tour in the Caribbean, is a near-certain starter for a match in which Australia already hold a 5-1 series lead.Plunkett, who was a part of the England team that unexpectedly won the CB Series on their last tour of Australia in 2006-07, arrived in Perth on Tuesday following a 40-hour journey, but believed he would be fresh and ready for action if called upon for the match.”I went from St Kitts to Miami and then Miami to Heathrow. I was there for 10 hours so I had a sleep there and then went to Singapore and here,” Plunkett said. “But I’ve been here two nights now. I’ve had plenty of time to rest and slept on the plane thanks to some sleeping tablets.”With 28 ODIs to his name already, Plunkett offers greater experience than either of England’s recent debutants Steven Finn and Chris Woakes, who along with Jimmy Anderson are the only three fit seamers still remaining with the squad. However, his most recent outing was a one-off fixture against Bangladesh in Chittagong back in March, having not been selected since the visit of West Indies in 2007.”I was [surprised to get selected].” he admitted. “But I’ve got the call-up, I’m here and hopefully I will play. I’ve got fresh legs. I feel strong and confident in my bowling so hopefully it goes well and we’ll see what happens from there.”

With their fairytale mission resting on the game, Afghanistan held their nerve to overcome a tenacious UAE side in a low-scoring thriller and take their place in the World Twenty20 that starts in May

Cricinfo staff13-Feb-2010
ScorecardNoor Ali’s unbeaten 38 won him the man-of-the-match award and took Afghanistan through to the World Twenty20 showpiece in the Caribbean•International Cricket Council

With their fairytale mission resting on the game, Afghanistan held their nerve to overcome a tenacious UAE side in a low-scoring thriller and take their place in the World Twenty20 that starts in May.Rarely has an Associate competition inspired so much emotion as people from around the world willed Afghanistan on through the tournament. Their defeat to the Netherlands yesterday brought back bitter memories of Afghanistan’s near-miss on qualification for the 50-over World Cup, but today there was no mistake.Their win was crafted on a number of useful contributions, rather than an outstanding individual but on a tired surface Noor Ali’s unbeaten 38, to guide his side home in a tense run chase, must be one of the most important innings in Afghanistan’s history.Asked to field first by home captain Khuuram Khan in front of a big crowd, Afghanistan settled into the contest immediately. The new-ball pair of Mirwais Ashraf and Shapoor Zadran have been important in giving Afghanistan control early and unlike yesterday, when they bowed under the pressure of the Netherlands’ batsmen, the pair responded well. Within four overs UAE were restricted to 11 for 3, with Ashraf claiming two wickets and Zadran getting the important scalp of Afran Haider, who after a couple of dot balls slashed one straight down the throat of third man.UAE have proved throughout the tournament that they are a resilient side and Abdul Rahman and Saqib Ali, who played so well against Ireland, set about undoing the early damage with 42-run stand. Having taken the score to 53 for 3 in just over 10 overs, Rahman got a grubber from Mohammed Nabi, that scuttled along the ground from a short length, straight into middle stump. Ali fell two overs later, having made a patient 24 and it was left to Naeemuddin Aslam to shepherd as many as he could from the tail. Nabi and Hamid Hassan, Afghanistan’s specialist death bowler, prevented any hopes UAE may have had of pushing beyond 100 with tight and penetrating bowling. Nabi ended with 3 for 17 and Hassan 2 for 23, as UAE posted what looked to be a below-par total.At this stage, Afghanistan would have backed themselves to coast home but they lost two wickets within the first four overs with only 16 on the board. Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Shahzad were both bowled by Shadeep Silva from deliveries that kept low and it was left to captain Nowroz Mangal to join Noor Ali to try and steady the ship. The pair carefully recovered the situation, running hard to add 32 important runs in six overs. When Mangal was out, trying to slog Fayyaz Ahmed over long on, for 14, his side needed 53 in 10 overs and the game was Afghanistan’s to lose.Ali continued to work the ball around well and found a willing partner in Asghar Stanikzai. They calmly pushed the score to 88, before Stanikzai needlessly tried to smash Ahmed over long off and was caught. It set nerves fluttering but in the 19th over, with 13 still needed, Ali swatted a short ball through midwicket for his only boundary of the innings, and followed it up with a two and another single. Nabi was bowled, deceived by a slower ball, but Samiullah Shenwari swept his first ball for four to leave just one needed from the final over.Fittingly, it was Ali who secured the winning moment, chipping over mid off to cue celebrations that will continue all the way to the Caribbean.He was named man of the match and is now eagerly looking forward to testing his skills against the top sides. “It has always been our dream to qualify and play in a World Cup. We missed out on the 50-over Cricket World Cup last year, so I am very happy we will play in the Twenty20 event,” he said. “It is our dream to play against the best teams and have the chance to play against fast bowlers like Dale Steyn or Ishant Sharma. We will prepare ourselves very well for this event and we need to keep on getting better ahead of the World Twenty20.”

Vice-captain Pope said that the issue was the result of “the amount he’s pushed his body” during this series but insisted he’d be fit to bowl on Saturday

Matt Roller25-Jul-20254:14

Manjrekar: ‘Serious chance’ for Root to break Tendulkar’s record

England played down concerns over Ben Stokes’ workload after he was forced to retire hurt for the first time in his international career in Manchester due to cramp in his left leg. Ollie Pope, Stokes’ vice-captain, said that the issue was the result of “the amount he’s pushed his body” during this series but insisted that he would be fit to bowl on Saturday.Stokes had scored 66, his highest score of the series, when he retired hurt on Friday evening, as England built a substantial first-innings lead over India. He returned after the fall of three further wickets, reaching 77 not out overnight, but appeared to be in some discomfort while running between the wickets.While Stokes was fit enough to resume his innings, the fact that he retired hurt will sound alarm bells, particularly after a heavy bowling workload. Stokes dedicated five months to his rehabilitation from surgery on his left hamstring this year and has bowled 129 overs against India, the most that he has bowled in a Test series.Related

• Ironman Stokes beats his body and recaptures his peak

• Stats – Root second only to Tendulkar for most Test runs

“I think he’s okay,” Pope said. “He’s just cramping down his leg, and it managed to spread to his whole leg. It’s probably just a build-up of the amount he’s pushed his body over the last four or five weeks. He’s obviously pushed himself to some serious limits so far, and that was probably just a build-up of it. I think he will be good to go tomorrow, I’m sure, with bat and ball.”Ben Stokes retired hurt on 66 before coming back at the fall of the seventh wicket•Getty Images

Pope has previously said that he considers helping Stokes to manage his workload to be one of his responsibilities as vice-captain but conceded: “That doesn’t always go my way.” He said: “Everyone knows what a competitor he is, and the lengths he’s prepared to push his body to get the job in hand done… There’s times where you can’t take the ball off him.”Stokes clutched the back of his left leg while playing a reverse-sweep off Washington Sundar during the evening session, and suffered cramp while taking a single off Mohammed Siraj. He briefly consulted England’s physio before batting on, but retired hurt at the end of the following over, grimacing as he walked off the field.Stokes became the second player to retire hurt during the fourth Test, after Rishabh Pant was forced off with a foot injury on the first day. Pant later returned to the crease on the second day to score a further 17 runs but was unable to keep wicket and is unlikely to feature in the fifth Test at The Oval next week.Pope stood in for England’s media duties on Friday night because Joe Root – like Stokes – was suffering from cramp, but said that Root would be fit to field on Saturday. “He just didn’t fancy the media tonight,” Pope said, laughing. “He’ll be here in the morning.”

Spinner says the delay in being granted his visa made his debut “more memorable”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2024Shoaib Bashir, England’s debutant offspinner, has described the dismissal of Rohit Sharma for his first Test wicket in Visakhapatnam as “very, very special” – and said that the lengthy delay in being granted his visa had made his debut “more memorable”.Bashir bowled 28 overs on his first day as a Test cricketer, returning figures of 2 for 100. He dismissed Rohit in his fourth over, caught at leg slip, and had Axar Patel caught at backward point in the final session as India closed the opening day of the second day on 336 for 6.”If you were to tell me that two years ago, I would laugh,” Bashir told , asked about becoming a Test cricketer at the age of 20 with only six previous first-class appearances to his name. “It was a very special moment receiving my Test cap and for me to get Rohit Sharma as my first wicket was very, very special.”He’s a great player of spin as well. I’m just so grateful to God and my family. They’ve supported me through thick and thin. I had a lot of ups and downs in my journey, so I just want to thank them as well.”Bashir only arrived in India on the fourth day of the first Test in Hyderabad after a delay in receiving his visa caused by his parents’ Pakistani heritage. It meant he had to fly back to the UK after England’s training camp in Abu Dhabi.”I always knew I’d get the visa,” he said. “I did have a few troubles with it, but look, we’re here now and I got to make my debut and it’s such a special day. It makes it more memorable, yeah. I had a bit of trouble, bit of hassle with it but to come out to India now and make my Test debut is unbelievable.”Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum told Bashir he was playing at training on Thursday, and Jack Leach, his Somerset team-mate, presented him with his Test cap on the morning of the game. “He had some nice words to say,” Bashir said. “Me and him get on really well.”We’re very tight and he’s the one that saw me on the scene when I was playing for Somerset 2s. He was just talking about how proud everyone is of me, and my family and my journey. It was just so special receiving it from him as well.”Assessing England’s day, Bashir said: “It was a tough pitch to bowl on. It didn’t offer too much, but I thought the way the boys went about it was awesome for us to pick up six wickets… we’ll get again tomorrow, hopefully get a breakthrough and get batting out there.”

Hayley Jensen took two wickets in a three-run final over to drag the game into overtime

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2022

Sophie Devine started and ended the Super Over with sixes as New Zealand hunted down 16 to seal the series and break West Indies’ hearts in the fourth T20I in North Sound. Devine faced all but one ball in the Super Over, bowled by West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, and ushered New Zealand home under pressure.How did it even come down to a Super Over? West Indies were cruising 52 for 2 in the tenth over chasing 112. Wicketkeeper-batter Rashada Williams’ run-out triggered a collapse as the hosts lost their last seven wickets for 59 runs to level the scores in regular time. Hayley Jensen, who was also recently in action in the Caribbean for Trinbago Knight Riders Women, took the wickets of Chedean Nation and Afy Fletcher in a three-run final over to drag the game into overtime.Super Overs are a familiar territory for Devine. She has hit 87 runs off 26 balls in Super Overs being dismissed. Devine had also contributed handsomely with the ball by removing West Indies’ top three.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Much like Devine, Matthews had played a role with both bat and ball – she even did the dual job in the Super Over. She helped West Indies score 15 in the Super Over, bowled by Jensen, but her all-round effort went in vain.After having been asked to bat, New Zealand had lost both Devine and Suzie Bates early. However, Amelia Kerr’s unbeaten 49 off 47 balls hauled them to 111. Amelia and previous match-winner Maddy Green (14 off 13 balls) were the only New Zealand batters to strike at over 100. Fletcher was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies, returning 2 for 16 in her four overs.Amelia’s sister Jess and Jensen picked up two wickets each to assist Devine pull off a stunning win.The fifth – and final T20I – will be played at the same venue on Thursday.

Sri Lanka’s top order have lacked runs, while Bangladesh’s bowlers have hunted in a pack

Mohammad Isam27-May-2021

Big Picture

Although they are 2-0 up and have sealed the series, Bangladesh will not allow themselves to relax in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Dhaka. The home team has just got out of a ten-match winless streak and there remain many areas to still get right, with bigger challenges coming up later in the year. The same, if not more, applies for Sri Lanka. It has so far been a tough few days for the visitors who, after enduring a Covid-19 scare, went down in both ODIs quite easily.Sri Lanka’s biggest headache on this tour has been the lack of runs from their recognised batters. Wanindu Hasaranga is their highest run-getter with 80 runs, including a half-century in the first game. But those runs were made from No. 8, with Sri Lanka’s top seven yet to register a half-century across both matches.But as much as there has been criticism of their selection policy to drop some of their experienced players from the squad, the likes of Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva have been around for long enough to carry a batting line-up. Pathum Nissanka, Ashen Bandara and Dasun Shanaka are relatively new, but they all possess the ability to play spin.What should have heartened the team must be their bowling and fielding in these two matches. Dushmantha Chameera and Lakshan Sandakan have been among the wickets, while Hasaranga has bowled some accurate legspin too. Sri Lanka have had Bangladesh on the ropes a few times, but the home side has fought back from situations like 99 for 4 in the first ODI, and 15 for 2, 74 for 4, and 184 for 7 in the second to eventually post match-winning totals.This is where the experienced Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah have made the difference between the two teams. Whenever they have faced trouble, one of the three has stood up with the bat. While Rahim has made 209 runs in the two matches, equally important have been his partnerships of 109 and 87 with Mahmudullah from difficult positions.The lack of runs from the likes of Liton Das and Afif Hossain could be a worry though. Mohammad Mithun and Mosaddek Hossain have got a match each, but on the whole, there has been an over-reliance on the senior batters, who may not always manage to score at a higher rate in every phase of the innings.Bangladesh’s bowling, though, has really come forth in difficult times. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mustafizur Rahman have been great support acts to Shakib Al Hasan, while youngster Shoriful Islam didn’t look out of place either on his ODI debut in the last game.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWLLL
Sri Lanka LLLLLMehidy Hasan Miraz has picked up seven wickets in the two matches so far•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

Mehidy Hasan Miraz is now the second-best bowler in the ICC ODI bowlers’ rankings, having picked up seven wickets in the two matches. He has taken control of Sri Lanka’s middle overs while using a fine mix of flight, spin and accurate length.Dushmantha Chameera bowled a superb first over in the second ODI, removing both Tamim and Shakib in the space of four balls. And though Sri Lanka couldn’t take advantage of it, Chameera has come off as one of the highlights for the visitors on this tour.

Team news

Mohammad Naim’s inclusion in the squad suggests that the team management must be seriously considering Das’ spot. Soumya Sarkar and Mahedi Hasan are the others who remain unused in the squad so far. A decision on the availability of Mohammad Saifuddin will be taken on match day. The allrounder had suffered a blow to his head during the second ODI, but was cleared of anything serious.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Liton Das/Mohammad Naim, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5
Mosaddek Hossain, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanNiroshan Dickwella could replace Ashen Bandara to beef up Sri Lanka’s middle order. Although allrounder Ramesh Mendis and Akila Dananjaya are also in the squad as spin-bowling options, it is the team’s batting that needs more attention.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Kusal Perera (capt), 3 Pathum Nissanka, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Dushmantha Chameera

Pitch and conditions

Bangladesh chose to bat first in both matches as the pitches appeared two-paced, thus hardly encouraging big-hitting. The pitches also seemed to get slower as the game progressed, and it is unlikely to be too different in the third ODI. The weather forecast is mostly for clear conditions in Dhaka.

Stats and trivia

• Shakib needs one wicket to become the highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in ODIs. But he needs two more to overtake Mashrafe Mortaza as the one with the most wickets from his country in the format, as Mortaza took 269 for Bangladesh and one for Asia XI against Africa XI in 2007.
• When he reached 113 in the second ODI, Rahim became the fourth cricketer to cross 6000 ODI runs as a wicketkeeper. Kumar Sangakkara, MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist are those above him.

Quotes

“When I see the guys playing in the net they look really good. They’re playing with freedom. But when I see the guys out in the middle, it’s different – there’s pressure. A lot of the guys are freezing.”

The former South Africa captain will join Darren Sammy in a mentoring capacity for the upcoming season of the PSL

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2020Peshawar Zalmi have roped in Hashim Amla as a batting mentor for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The acquisition was announced on Twitter by the owner of the franchise, Javed Afridi. “His gracious presence in the PSL 5 festivity will not only adorn the Zalmi dugout but also inspire and craft the cricket skills of the emerging players in the squad,” Afridi said. Amla never played in the PSL, but brings vast T20 experience to the Zalmi side. The South African played 44 T20Is for his country, including three T20 World Cups. He has played in several T20 leagues around the world, most notably for the Kings XI Punjab, with whom he enjoyed a particularly prolific season in 2017, smashing two hundreds and finishing as the franchise’s top scorer for the season.Amla joins former West Indies international Darren Sammy in a mentoring capacity, with the former Zalmi captain moving into a mentoring role, starting this season. Head coach Mohammad Akram, manager Arshad Khan and spin-bowling coach Saqlain Mushtaq are also part of the backroom staff for the side. Zalmi, who reached the last three PSL finals, will look to go one better on the runners-up result they managed last season, ultimately falling short to Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Quetta Gladiators.

South Africa could include two debutants, in Pieter Malan and Zubayr Hamza, while Pakistan are mulling whether to play allrounder Faheem Ashraf

The Preview by Liam Brickhill10-Jan-2019

Big Picture

Many a team has arrived in South Africa with historic visions of breaching the fortress, only to end up battered and bruised at the wrong end of a series defeat. Seven in a row have now tried and failed to better South Africa at home, which is a home winning streak as hot as any in the hosts’ history. Although captain Faf du Plessis will have to sit out the third Test, he has spoken of South Africa’s desire to maintain their intensity and complete a clean sweep despite this series already being won.The end goal is the world No. 1 ranking, and while a 3-0 win won’t quite get them there, it will raise South Africa to second and add further context to the Tests against Sri Lanka in February, as well as England’s trip to the Caribbean as the teams behind India in the rankings jostle for position.For Pakistan, the third Test offers one final shot at shoring up some of the problems that have haunted their tour before focus shifts with the change of format in the second half of their trip. Out-bowled by a South African pace group that is quickly becoming legendary, outlasted by batsmen who haven’t flinched despite receiving a battering of their own on two spicy tracks at Centurion and Newlands, Pakistan have multiple issues to confront.Alas, those in the touring party who have been to the Wanderers before will not have any happy red-ball memories of the place, and the challenges confronting a brittle top order are unlikely to get any easier. Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed were all witnesses to Dale Steyn’s devastating 6 for 8 here in 2013, when Pakistan slipped to the nadir of 49 all out.If injury battles have at times dimmed the fire in Steyn’s eyes in the interim, his return to full fitness lends an air of ominous foreboding to Pakistan’s trip to Johannesburg. Now, of course, South Africa also have the world No. 1 Test bowler to call on in Kagiso Rabada, while Vernon Philander will also be a menace at a ground at which he averages just 15.08. It won’t win them the series, but if Pakistan are able to rouse themselves and stand up to the challenge South Africa’s pace attack will once again present, such success would be a timely boon ahead of the ODIs.Dale Steyn claimed a four-wicket haul•AFP

Form guide

South AfricaWWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLWL

In the spotlight

As a group, Pakistan’s batting has failed on this tour, but Shan Masood‘s individual performances have provided some light in the gloom. Tall and elegant, Masood’s soft hands and quick reading of South Africa’s lengths have helped him to survive and prosper, going from an accidental starter to Pakistan’s unlikely star. Back in his usual opening slot, the job won’t get any easier for Masood in Jo’burg, but if he is able to replicate his success Pakistan will have a much better chance of giving their bowling attack the cushion of a few more runs.Zubayr Hamza will likely become the 100th Test cap for South Africa since readmission (though he could be the 101st if Pieter Malan slots in for Aiden Markram). Hamza’s ability to absorb pressure and score big – attributes which have been enhanced by the excellent work of his franchise coaches Ashwell Prince and Faiek Davids – has got him this far and he seems an ideal candidate for a middle order always on the look-out for grit. The pressure of a Test debut will be an entirely new feeling for Hamza, but he has an excellent opportunity to stake his claim.

Team news

With du Plessis suspended, and a couple of South Africa’s top order nursing some bruises of their own, there will be a few changes to the hosts’ line-up. There are two possible debutants in the squad in Malan and Hamza, though Malan will play only if Markram fails a fitness test on Thursday. Du Plessis insisted that his pace attack would be fresh and ready to go after an extra couple of days off due to the early finish in Cape Town, and conditions will decide whether South Africa stick with their seamers or adjust the balance with the addition of Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin.South Africa: 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Aiden Markram/Pieter Malan, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Theunis de Bruyn, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Zubayr Hamza, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Duanne Olivier/Keshav MaharajPakistan are also likely to ring some changes, and allrounder Faheem Ashraf could get a look-in. If he is included, it may be for Fakhar Zaman, who was shunted down to No. 6 in the second innings of the Newlands Test and hasn’t enjoyed conditions. A fully fit Shadab Khan would also give Pakistan the option of playing a fifth bowler – something that was missing from Newlands. Pakistan may also look to rest Shaheen Shah Afridi, who looked a little tired after back-to-back Tests.Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Shan Masood, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), 7 Shadab Khan/Yasir Shah, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi/Hasan Ali

Pitch and conditions

The conditions at the Wanderers made headlines for all the wrong reasons during India’s visit last year, and given the potential ramifications for another poor pitch rating, the curator may look to err on the side of caution. The tracks here during the Mzansi Super League were sometimes a little dry, and in the last first-class game played at the Wanderers, first-innings runs were important. At this time of year, afternoon thunderstorms are always a possibility.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have never won a Test at the Wanderers, but did draw here in 1998 – though rain washing out the fourth day helped.
• Pakistan’s 49 all out on their last trip is the lowest score in their Test history.
• Masood is the leading run-scorer on either side in this series, with 189 runs at 47.25.
• Philander picked up a career-best 6 for 21 at the last Test played at the Wanderers against Australia last year.

Quotes

“We also have a mission to win not just these three Test matches, but the next two we play against Sri Lanka as well.”
“I think it’s a much better surface than the other two. Yes, this does have grass and a few cracks, but I think they will widen a lot later than Centurion and Cape Town.”

Highlighting the importance of workload management, Lungi Ngidi’s franchise coach said he would not like to see his seamer rushed back to the international stage

Firdose Moonda26-Oct-2017Lungi Ngidi’s nine-for for Titans on return from a back injury that sidelined him for four months is as much as cause for celebration as it should be a cautionary tale, highlighting the importance of managing the young quick. Ngidi’s franchise coach, Mark Boucher, told ESPNcricinfo he would not like to see his seamer rushed back to the international stage for at least “a few months”, and hopes his workload is monitored closely as he develops.Ngidi, 21, enjoyed a rapid rise last summer, in which he debuted in List A and first-class cricket and followed it up with an international debut earlier this year. With an ability to clock speeds of 140kph, he had massive expectations placed on him. Boucher believes the workload escalated too quickly and ultimately forced Ngidi out of action.”Lungi came from the Tuks’ team where he was bowling maybe 10 overs a day, and then went to provincial cricket, bowling maybe 15 overs a day, and then franchise cricket, where he had to bowl around 20 overs a day and all of that happened in the space of one season when he also made his international debut and got picked for the South Africa A side to tour England. By the time he went over, he was tired; he had a long season and maybe the selection should have been looked at,” Boucher said. “He needed a proper off-season to rest and recover so maybe his injury was a blessing in disguise.”After playing in three List A matches for South Africa A in the UK, he was forced to return home before the first-class fixtures and was diagnosed with a stress fracture. He was unable to play for South Africa in a triangular 50-overs competition against India A and Afghanistan A, nor could he take part in the four-day matches against India A . Moreover, he could not play in the first four franchise matches of the summer either.Instead, he had to work on his recovery, conditioning and overall well-being and that is where Boucher feels he has made significant strides. “We sat down with him and had a chat about the kind of player he wants to become, the work he needs to do on his bowling and even things like the kind of food he puts into his body, and he really committed to the things we decided,” Boucher said.Two weeks ago, Ngidi played a three-day game for the provincial side Northerns, and on Monday, he returned for the Titans with spectacular results. He took the new ball and delivered an opening spell of five overs, in which he took 4 for 24 and then returned to take two more wickets with the older ball later in the day. Ngidi’s first innings figures of 6 for 37 ensured the Lions were bowled out for 180 and set Titans up for a nine-wicket victory.Though he was bowling on a lively pitch, even the opposition was in awe of Ngidi’s performance. “He was by far the quickest bowler on display,” Geoffrey Toyana, the Lions coach, said. “And he found really good areas.”While observers were impressed with Ngidi’s pace and leaner physique, Boucher was happier to see that Ngidi could operate with the same intensity at the end of the game as he did at the start. “Now you will probably find that after 17 or 18 overs in the legs, he is still running in hard, bowling quickly and causing problems for the batsmen,” Boucher said.All that will come as good news to a South African camp beset with bowling injuries, with six quicks – Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell and Duanne Olivier – all recently sidelined. Boucher, however, does not want to see Ngidi rushed back as a quick-fix. “We understand that there is a lot of anticipation around Lungi and getting him ready but I don’t think it should be rushed,” he said.For now, that call has been heeded. Ngidi did not recover in time to play the T20s against Bangladesh and with the national team out of action until Boxing Day, his most pressing assignment will be the franchise T20 competition which starts on November 10. Then, South Africa play four Tests (one against Zimbabwe, three against India), before limited-overs fixtures begin in February, for which Ngidi may be considered.By then, all the above mentioned bowlers should be back in action, with Boucher expecting Steyn to turn out for Titans in the franchise T20 tournament from the get-go and Morkel and Morris to join them half-way through. Philander has already returned for the Cobras in the ongoing round of first-class fixtures.However, with a busy season ahead – eight Tests, six ODIs and three T20s on top of a franchise competition that all national players are expected to be available for – bowlers’ workloads will continue to be a topic of discussion. South Africa’s franchise coaches will meet with national coach Ottis Gibson and CSA’s medical committee in Johannesburg on Friday to discuss matters relating to fitness, form and player management.