Hayden appointed Pakistan's mentor for 2022 T20 World Cup

 

Hayden will join the side in Brisbane on October 15, after the team arrives from Christchurch following a T20I tri-series involving Bangladesh and New Zealand © Getty

Matthew Hayden, the former Australian batter, has rejoined the Pakistan men's team as mentor for the upcoming World T20, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Friday. The 50-year had previously served as the batting consultant of the team in last year's T20 World Cup where Pakistan reached the semifinals.

Speaking of his appointment, PCB CEO Ramiz Raja said, "I welcome Matthew Hayden back in Pakistan colours. He is a proven performer with his credentials acknowledged and recognised world-over. He brings with him wealth of knowledge about Australia conditions and I am confident his involvement will significantly benefit our extremely talented cricketers for the World Cup and future tours Down Under.

"I would like to offer my gratitude to Bank AlFalah who have once again partnered with us on this appointment and hope they will remain connected with the PCB."

Hayden added, "I am extremely excited to be reuniting with the Pakistan team as their mentor for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia and can't wait to join the culture again and feel the spirit of One Nation One Passion.

"I have seen how Pakistan have been performing in the ACC T20 Asia Cup and Sunday's win over India was brilliant. I think this Pakistan side has got what it takes to excel in Australia and the conditions will really suit them, both from a batting and bowling perspective. This team has all of its bases covered and I am sure it will light up the World Cup as it did in the UAE last year.

"I feel privileged to be given an opportunity to pass on all my experience and knowledge about all conditions in Australia and can't wait to be back in the Pakistan dressing room."

Hayden will join the side in Brisbane on October 15, after the team arrives from Christchurch following a T20I tri-series involving Bangladesh and hosts New Zealand. Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against India on October 23 in Melbourne. They will then face two teams from the qualifiers in Perth before heading to Sydney for a contest against South Africa followed by their last group match against Bangladesh in Adelaide.

England-South Africa Test and all cricket set to resume from Saturday

 

All cricket in England is set to resume from Saturday, September 10 © Getty

All cricket in England is set to resume from Saturday, September 10 after the games were stopped on Friday due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. This includes the resumption of the third Test between England and South Africa, which had its first day washed out due to rain after the toss. The first T20I between England Women and India Women is also set to take place in Bristol on Saturday.

Saturday will be Day 3 of the third and final Test, which effectively makes it three-day encounter. England had won the toss and opted to field before rain ruined the entire first day.

"We have been in discussions with Cricket South Africa but they have to fly home on Tuesday to spend a few days at home before heading to India and Australia. Tomorrow (Saturday) is therefore confirmed as Day three of a five-day Test Match," confirmed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"CSA is in full support of the ECB's decision to go ahead with the third Test match between England and South Africa following the UK's day of mourning. After consultation with the Proteas' team management and given the schedule ahead, it was clear that it would not be in the players' interests to extend the Test and reduce the few days the players have with their families before another long tour," said Pholetsi Moseki, CSA's CEO.

The ECB has said that the there will be a minute's silence observed before each match, and that all players and coaches will be wearing black armbands.

The decision follows recommendations from the government that had given the guidance for national mourning.

"There's no formal obligation for organisations or national governing bodies (NGBs) to postpone or cancel sporting fixtures or events, at either elite or grassroots level, between now and the State Funeral. Instead, it's up to the discretion of individual organisations and sports to consider how they should proceed during the mourning period," said the advisory.

5 Bowlers to look out for in the CPL 2022

The CPL 2022 will see many international players participating in the competition. The tournament promises to be hugely exciting and is much anticipated by the West Indies cricket fans. 

Here are 5 bowlers to look forward to in the Carribbean Premier League 2022:

1. Sunil Narine:

Last 5 bowling performances:

2/21 vs Birmingham Phoenix
1/24 vs Trent Rockets
0/19 vs Southern Brave
3/11 vs Northern Superchargers
3/21 vs Welsh Fire

Sunil Narine is one of the most economical and effective bowlers in the T20 format. His recent performances in the Hundred 2022 speak lengths about his ability with the ball in hand. He has picked up 9 wickets in the last 5 matches he played. It is a clear indicator of the fine form he is in. His last match in the Hundred was against Birmingham Phoenix, where he performed brilliantly with the ball and picked up 2 wickets in a losing cause.

Sunil Narine has experience of playing all around the world and has bowled to most of the batters participating in the Caribbean Premier League. He not only provides breakthroughs at important junctures but also keeps the batters quiet for long phases. It is no less than a lethal weapon a bowler can possess in T20 cricket.

Sunil Narine has played 424 T20 matches so far and picked up 461 wickets at an average of 21.06 and an economy of 6.02. Not many bowlers in the world have maintained such economy rate after playing that many games.


Sunil Narine is an important asset for Trinbago Knight Riders going into the Caribbean Premier League 2022, given his recent form and overall ability to trick the batsmen.



2. Obed McCoy (Barbados Royals):

Last 5 bowling performances:

0/31 vs GAW
3/40 vs New Zealand
1/39 vs New Zealand
0/27 vs India
2/66 vs India
0/34 vs India

Obed McCoy is a regular in the West Indies T20I setup. He has produced great performances in the recent times. Although he went for plenty in his last outing against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Sixty60 tournament, Obed McCoy is a pure match winner. He has great variety in his bowling arsenal. He can bowl slower Yorkers with precision along with off cutters that can trouble the batters.

Obed McCoy has played 57 T20 matches so far and has picked up 86 wickets at an average of 19.48 and an economy of 8.56. His best bowling figures in T20 cricket are 6 for 17.

He is a specialist death bowler and keeps the batters quiet when they wish to go all guns blazing. He will play an important role for Barbados Royals in this season's Caribbean Premier League.

3. Sandeep Lamichhane (Jamaica Tallawahs):

Last 5 bowling performances:

3/26 vs Kenya
2/33 vs Kenya
1/41 vs Scotland
4/29 vs Namibia
2/35 vs Scotland

Sandeep Lamichhane is one of the most promising young players in World T20 cricket. He is currently the captain of the Nepal side in T20 format. He has a brilliant googly in his arsenal that bamboozles the best of the batsmen around the world.

Sandeep Lamichhane is currently playing for his national team against Kenya. He has produced phenomenal performances with the ball in the last 2 T20I's against Kenya. Sandeep Lamichhane will join Jamaica Tallawahs after finishing with his national commitment to Nepal cricket team.

Sandeep Lamichhane also features in the Big Bash League and has produced brilliant performances in the tournament. He plays all around the world and possesses a great experience of playing in diverse conditions.

Sandeep Lamichhane has played 131 T20 matches and picked up 181 wickets at an average of 18.18 and an economy of 6.85. These stats sum up his skills as a bowler. He is definitely one of the bowlers to look forward to in the Caribbean Premier League 2022.


4. Imran Tahir (Guyana Amazon Warriors)


Last 5 bowling performances:

0/34 vs Oval Invincibles
1/24 vs Northern Superchargers
1/26 vs Trent Rockets
0/11 vs Welsh Fire
0/19 vs Southern Brave


Imran Tahir needs no introduction to the cricket fraternity. He is an experienced campaigner who loves his cricket and participates in T20 leagues around the world despite taking retirement from International cricket.

Imran Tahir has played 361 T20 matches and has picked up 453 wickets at an average of 19.71 and an economy rate of 6.94.

Imran Tahir has already found his mojo back while playing in The Hundred. He has picked up just 2 wickets in the last 5 matches he has played, but he has surely kept the batters quiet for long spells in the tournament. His fitness is spot on and he looks like the old Imran Tahir taking wickets and celebrating like there is no tomorrow. It is a brilliant sight to see and hopefully we will see a lot of such celebrations from him in the Carribbean Premier League. He is surely one of the bowlers to look forward to in the Carribbean Premier League 2022.


5. Akeal Hosein (Trinbago Knight Riders)

Last 5 bowling performances:

1/20 vs Barbados Royals
0/60 vs New Zealand
2/28 vs New Zealand
1/28 vs India
1/28 vs India


Akeal Hosein is an integral part of the West Indies T20I cricket setup. He has been performing superbly against strong cricketing nations at the international level. Akeal Hosein has a great ability to keep the batters quiet in T20 cricket.

Hosein has played 79 T20 matches so far and has picked up 59 wickets at an average of 25.49 and an impressive economy of 6.44. His best bowling figures are 4/30.

Hosein has picked up 5 wickets in the last 5 cricket matches he has played. In his previous outing against Barbados Royals in Sixty60 tournament, he came out with a brilliant performance with the ball, giving away just 20 runs and picking up 1 wicket.

Hosein will be leading the spin attack for Trinbago Knight Riders along with Sunil Narine. He is a hard bowler to go all guns blazing against and he is certainly one of the bowlers to look forward to in the Caribbean Premier League 2022.

Caribbean Premier League 2022 Weekly Wrap - Top run-scorers, Wicket-takers and Leaderboard - 6th September

 

Here is the Caribbean Premier League 2022 Weekly Wrap comprising the Top run-scorers, Wicket-takers and Leaderboard as of 6th September.

Barbados Royals are placed at the 2nd spot in the Men's Caribbean Premier League 2022 points table with wins from their 2 matches of the league. The team has 4 points.

Kyle Mayers is the top run-scorer for Barbados Royals with 109 runs at a strike rate of 157. He has struck 5 sixes and 12 fours. Rahkeem Cornwall has also made 71 runs at a strike rate of 169.

Kyle Mayers has been the best bowler for Barbados Royals and has picked up 4 wickets while bowling at an average of 1.00 and an economy rate of 2.00.

St Lucia Kings are placed at the 6th spot in the Men's Caribbean Premier League 2022 points table with losses from their 2 matches of the league.

Faf du Plessis is the top run-scorer for St Lucia Kings with 47 runs at a strike rate of 235. He has struck 4 sixes and 2 fours. Roshon Primus has also made 38 runs at a strike rate of 131.

Alzarri Joseph has been the best bowler for St Lucia Kings and has picked up 6 wickets while bowling at an average of 8 and an economy rate of 6.00.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots are placed at the 4th spot in the Men's Caribbean Premier League 2022 points table with 2 losses from their 4 matches of the league. The team has 2 points.

Andre Fletcher is the top run-scorer for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots with 112 runs at a strike rate of 125. He has struck 2 sixes and 13 fours. Sherfane Rutherford has also made 42 runs at a strike rate of 144.

Dwayne Bravo has been the best bowler for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and has picked up 3 wickets while bowling at an average of 26 and an economy rate of 9.88.

Trinbago Knight Riders are placed at the 3rd spot in the Men's Caribbean Premier League 2022 points table with a win from their 2 matches of the league. The team has 3 points.

Tion Webster is the top run-scorer for Trinbago Knight Riders with 58 runs at a strike rate of 128. He has struck 3 sixes and 6 fours. Tim Seifert has also made 34 runs at a strike rate of 87.

Akeal Hosein has been the best bowler for Trinbago Knight Riders and has picked up 4 wickets while bowling at an average of 3 and an economy rate of 3.25.

Jamaica Tallawahs are placed at the top spot in the Men's Caribbean Premier League 2022 points table with wins from their 2 matches of the league. The team has 4 points.

Brandon King is the top run-scorer for Jamaica Tallawahs with 121 runs at a strike rate of 147. He has struck 7 sixes and 12 fours. Rovman Powell has also made 74 runs at a strike rate of 139.

Mohammad Amir has been the best bowler for Jamaica Tallawahs and has picked up 4 wickets while bowling at an average of 11 and an economy rate of 5.63.

Guyana Amazon Warriors are placed at the 5th spot in the Men's Caribbean Premier League 2022 points table with one loss from their 2 matches of the league. The team has one point.

Shimron Hetmyer is the top run-scorer for Guyana Amazon Warriors with 39 runs at a strike rate of 86. He has struck one six and 2 fours. Romario Shepherd has also made 36 runs at a strike rate of 211.

Gudakesh Motie has been the best bowler for Guyana Amazon Warriors and has picked up 2 wickets while bowling at an average of 5 and an economy rate of 2.50.

Squads

Barbados Royals: Quinton De Kock, Jason Holder, David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Obed Mccoy, Kyle Mayers, Azam Khan, Hayden Walsh, Oshane Thomas, Rahkeem Cornwall, Devon Thomas, Joshua Bishop, Justin Greaves, Corbin Bosch, Nyeem Young, Teddy Bishop, Ramon Simmonds

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Tabraiz Shamsi, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Colin Ingram, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope, Paul Stirling, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Jermaine Blackwood, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton, Matthew Nandu, Junior Sinclair

Jamaica Tallawahs: Rovman Powell, Sandeep Lamichhane, Fabian Allen, Imad Wasim, Brandon King, Kennar Lewis, Mohammad Amir, Shamarh Brooks, Migael Pretorius, Chris Green, Raymon Reifer, Jamie Merchant, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Springer, Nicholson Gordon, Kirk Mckenzie, Joshua James

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sherfane Rutherford, Dwaine Pretorius, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Dewald Brevis, Izharul Haq Naveed, Johsua Da Silva, Jon Russ Jaggesar, Keacy Carty, Kelvin Pittman, Jaden Carmichael, Qasim Akram

St Lucia Kings: Faf du Plessis, Tim David, Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Kesrick Williams, David Wiese, Alzarri Joseph, Scott Kuggeleijn, Mark Deyal, Jeavor Royal, Matthew Forde, Leroy Lugg, Preston Mcsween, Larry Edwards, Ackeem Auguste, Rivaldo Clarke

Trinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Colin Munro, Akeal Hosein, Maheesh Theekshana, Tim Seifert, Seekkuge Prasanna, Jayden Seales, Ali Khan, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre, Anderson Phillip, Terrance Hinds, Leonardo Julien, Shaaron Lewis, Ravi Rampaul

Women's Asia Cup 2022: Squads as they are announced

 

Pakistan have recalled opening batter Sidra Amin © Getty

The 2022 Women's Asia Cup will be held at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Bangladesh. As reported by Cricbuzz, the seven-team tournament will be held from October 1 to 16.

Hosts Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and the UAE are the participating nations.

Here are the squads as they are announced:

Pakistan

Bismah Maroof (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Tuba Hasan.

Reserve players: Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Umme Hani and Waheeda Akhtar

Opening batter Sidra Amin and wicket-keeper Sidra Nawaz have been recalled into the Pakistan squad. The selectors have also named uncapped bowling all-rounder Sadaf Shamas in the 15-member squad announced on Wednesday (September 7).

"I want to congratulate the 15 players selected for the all-important Asia Cup next month. These players have been selected after observing their performances in the recent practice matches in Lahore," said Asmavia Iqbal, the national chief selector for the women's team.

Speaking about the inclusions of Amin and Nawaz, Iqbal noted that the recent form and duration of the upcoming tournaments were taken into consideration. "Sidra Amin has been in good form of-late. She did well in the practice matches and became only the second Pakistan women batter to score two ODI centuries recently. Her presence at the top of the order will instill stability," she said.

"We have also selected an additional keeper in Sidra Nawaz because of the long duration of the tournament. On these tracks, we need a specialist wicketkeeper as a backup for Muneeba Ali, in case she becomes unavailable," she further added.

Both Amin and Nawaz weren't part of the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. Anam Amin, Gul Feroza and Iram Javed have all been left out from the squad that took part in the tri-series involving hosts Ireland and Australia in July-August.

Shedding a light on the uncapped all-rounder Sadaf Shamas, Iqbal mentioned that "she did extraordinarily well in the recent practice matches and we feel this was the right time to elevate her to the national side. I am sure she will prove to be a good addition to the national side. Her ability to bat in the middle order and bowl medium fast makes her a good fit in the side and promises to provide balance to the playing XI whenever she gets her chance."

Players will undergo a 10-day camp at Lahore Country Club, Muridke from 18 to 27 September before flying out to Bangladesh on 28 September.

Bangladesh set eyes on improving T20 skillset under new guidance

Bangladesh posted 183 against Sri Lanka in Dubai. but failed to hold their nerve with the ball © AFP

Bangladesh team director, Khaled Mahmud, lauded the efforts of the team's newly appointed T20's technical director Sridharan Sriram for his cricketing philosophy and approach in the dressing room even as Bangladesh lost both their group games and thus, failed to qualify for the ongoing super fours of Asia Cup tournament.

''I always say that different people have different philosophies and perhaps Russell (Domingo) and Sriram's philosophy is totally different. It's too early to make a comment but I am happy with the way he (Sriram) worked in the Asia Cup. I liked his cricketing philosophy and the way he tried to distribute it among the players,'' Mahmud told reporters at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) board had recently asked head coach Russell Domingo to focus on ODIs and Tests following the team's under-par show in the shortest format in the recent past. Mahmud insisted that they need to give time to Sriram to bring success, but added that he left a long-lasting effect in the dressing room during his stay with the team in UAE that also saw their batsmen play a different brand of cricket against Sri Lanka, putting up a challenging total on the board with a positive approach from the onset.

''This is my personal observation and he came for a very short period so how we can execute it( Sriram's cricketing philosophy) only time can say, because it won't be easy. It will be challenging because we are not performing as a team in this format and to be honest we are at the bottom and cannot go down any further,'' he said.

"We will have a three day camp from September 12 where we will do scenario training and we will break it( training session) into pieces. We will focus on training for specific roles like what will be the target of the opening batters. We might call some new players, I mean not new ones who are proven in the camp that will have 30-31 cricketers while there might be one or two uncapped players in the camp as a surprise. There will be a lot of pace bowlers and it will be wrong to think everyone will be for selection,'' he further added.

''Because Sriram is new and hasn't seen a lot of (local) cricketers and with him guiding the team in T20s, we feel it is important for him to see some new players which was the reason behind organizing such a camp. In the camp, we will focus on the middle-order batting role and also batters' intent, game-plan and their impact against pace. We want the boys to play attacking cricket,'' he noted.

Sriram will arrive in Dhaka on September 11 to take charge of the camp while the Bangladesh team are scheduled to leave for New Zealand later this month to take part in the T20I tri-series involving New Zealand and Pakistan. play. It is understood that the same squad is expected to be announced for the T20 World Cup in Australia next month.

BCB cautious with recovery process of the injured ahead of the ICC World T20

A Bangladesh Cricket Board official, on Wednesday. said that they are expecting the four injured cricketers - Nurul Hasan Liton Kumar Das, Yasir Ali and Hasan Mahmud - to be fit before the ICC World T20 in Australia next month.

BCB chief physician Debashish Chowdhury, however, told Cricbuzz that they are not trying to push them in a hurry as far as the recovery is concerned considering the possibility of a recurring injury. Liton was ruled out from the tour of Zimbabwe in July-August after sustaining a hamstring injury while Nurul too returned home during the same tour after suffering a blow on his finger that forced him to have an operation.

Pacer Hasan was ruled out of the Asia Cup after sustaining an injury to his right ankle during a training session ahead of the tournament while Yasir Ali returned back from West Indies after injuring his back during the three-day practice game.

''Sohan (Nurul) will do skill training now like keeping and other things. His pin is removed and his range is good though he is yet to pick the bat. I don't think he will have a problem,'' said Debashish.

''Yasir recovered well and did not complain about anything to us. He will definitely have a fitness test and he is expected to give the test today,'' he said, adding that Liton and Hasan will take some more time to recover from their respective injuries. "'Liton and Hasan are recovering gradually and they will take another week or so. They will make progress but whether they will play or not (in New Zealand) we need to see because we don't want to take risks,'' he said.

"If needed we will bring him (Liton) afterwards (not immediately after a week) because we still have time (before the ICC World T20),'' he said.

''Hasan's pain is gone and we can talk about him only after 21 days and tomorrow we will remove his bandage and assess accordingly. If they ( Liton and Hasan in particular) are not healed properly, the recurring injury will take time to heal,'' he concluded.