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South Africa coach Russell Domingo indicated that AB de Villiers will come straight back into the side once fit, and acknowledged South Africa will have a problem of plenty as they try to find out a way of slotting him in

Firdose Moonda in Adelaide28-Nov-2016Russell Domingo wants to bring back consistency to the South Africa line-up, which will return home from a third successive series triumph in Australia this week. Under Domingo’s watch, South Africa slipped from No. 1 to No. 7 on the Test rankings last summer, but have now begun to climb. They are at No. 5 currently, and Domingo admitted there’s still a “great deal of work” to be done, beginning with the batting.”We haven’t had players in a consistent run of form. A guy like Quinton de Kock is the one guy who has contributed in just about every single game over the last couple of months. Other guys have sporadically performed,” Domingo said.De Kock was South Africa’s highest run-scorer in the three-Test series, with a century and two fifties to his name. Those innings formed a part of a run of five consecutive Test scores of fifty or more in a year that has seen de Kock come of age. In seven Tests in 2016, de Kock averages 65.44. In 17 ODIs, he averages 57.13, and in seven T20Is, he averages 32.71. It is, by far, his best year as an international cricketer yet.The same cannot be said of some of South Africa’s senior players. Hashim Amla has endured a torrid time over the last four away Test tours in which he averages 16.64, while Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy took turns being dropped last season, and the opening pair has yet to settle. Five of South Africa’s top seven scored centuries in the Australia series, but none of them did so more than once, and when AB de Villiers returns – he is pencilled in to come back for the Test series against Sri Lanka at home – there is expected to be competition for places.”AB de Villiers is one of the best in the world. He’s the current captain of the squad. Obviously, I need to sit with the selectors and plot the way forward, but I’m assuming he’ll come straight back into the side and somebody will need to make way for him,” Domingo said.As things stands, one of du Plessis or Duminy looks likeliest to miss out, but there has also been talk of moving another player into the opening spot to make room for de Villiers. Domingo did not seem sold on playing batsmen out of position or making knee-jerk changes, but he acknowledged that South Africa do have a problem of plenty. “We’re a pretty settled batting line-up. Rilee Rossouw has been around the squad for a period of time. He has been here and he’s the next batsman in as far as we’re concerned, but you’ve got to be fair to players,” he said. “I know a lot of people might have been questioning Stephen Cook, but you’ve got to give him an opportunity. It was a similar thing we did with Stiaan van Zyl. You can’t just play him for two or three games, and if he’s not in form, you get rid of the guy. So, you’ve got to give guys an extended run to find some form, particularly when you’ve got belief in them.”De Villiers’ return also raises the question of captaincy, which has bubbled throughout the Australia series. Du Plessis looked an assured leader, the team took to him, and there have been calls from the outside for him to stay on. The message from the South African camp is that de Villiers remains their commander-in-chief, and Domingo echoed that, although he also praised du Plessis. “As far as I know, the status quo will remain – AB de Villiers is the guy that’s in charge, and once fit, he will come back into the side,” Domingo said. “Faf has been outstanding. The team has supported him throughout. He’s a very team-focused person, he’s a very self-driven person and he has done an outstanding job over the last couple of weeks. I think everybody in the change room is very proud of what he has achieved.”Similarly, there is a lot of pride in South Africa. With the national rugby side in decline, the cricketers have given their countrymen something unexpectedly large to cheer. Few saw this coming after South Africa limped through the previous season. Even fewer thought Domingo would continue, but he has proved himself to be the right man for the job, one that he will keep until the end of the England series next August. Domingo did not take any aim at those who doubted him, while also being careful not to get carried away with the change in fortunes.”I’ve always said it’s not about me. It’s about the team and the players and how the team plays. If I’m the right guy for the job, I am. If I’m not, I’m not. That’s the bottom line,” he said.”We won seven games in a row against Australia. That doesn’t happen too often. The margins are so small between success and failure. You can’t think you’re the best side in the world when you’re winning, and you can’t think you’re the worst in the world when you lose. It’s the same with coaching – you can’t think you’re the best in the world when you’ve won a few games, and you can’t think you’re the worst coach in the world when you’ve lost a few games. You’ve got to keep a balance and you’ve got to keep perspective, and you’ve got to keep the focus on things you can control.”

South Africa seamer had been set to sign Kolpak deal before Covid-19 pandemic struck

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-2021Dane Paterson, the South Africa seamer, has signed a deal to play for Nottinghamshire as an overseas player in 2021.Paterson, 31, had previously been linked with a Kolpak move before Covid-19 struck last year. He has not played in his home country since the 2019-20 summer, when he made the first of two Test appearances against England.The right-arm quick has also featured in four ODIs and eight T20Is for South Africa after first being capped in 2017.Related

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• Balbirnie replaces Labuschagne for early-season Glamorgan stint

• Lancashire sign Finn Allen and Jackson Bird on overseas deals

• Joseph to join Worcestershire for start of County Championship

“We always look to sign players who will make us better, and there’s no doubt Dane has the pedigree to do that,” Nottinghamshire’s head coach, Peter Moores, said.”When overseas players commit themselves fully to a club and deliver consistently on the field, we’ve seen many times before how valuable they can be in the county game. In the case of Dane, we believe we’ve found a player of international quality, playing at the top of his game and who we think will represent the club in the right way on and off the field.”He adds quality and experience to our squad and we’re all looking forward to seeing him represent Nottinghamshire.”Paterson has taken more than 350 wickets in his first-class career, as well as 115 in List A and 91 in T20 cricket, the majority for the Cape Cobras franchise. He was released by the Cobras last year after the coach, Ashwell Prince, revealed Paterson wanted to “consider other options”.Paterson said: “Trent Bridge is a world-renowned venue and I can’t wait to call it my cricketing home. I’m committing myself fully to the county game with a club I will be passionate about playing for. Hopefully it can be the start of a long and successful association.”Retaining consistency of skills and physicality across a county campaign is a new and exciting challenge for me to throw myself into. I’ve been putting in the hard yards to make sure I’m ready to give it my all.”Nottinghamshire had earlier confirmed that Australia allrounder Dan Christian will be returning to lead the T20 side this summer.

Middlesex, bottom of South Group for the last two seasons, offered hope of a revival in T20 fortunes as new captain Dawid Malan inspired a comfortable victory over perennial contenders Hampshire at Uxbridge

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2016
ScorecardDawid Malan slugs one to the leg side•Getty Images

Middlesex, bottom of South Group for the last two seasons, offered hope of a revival in T20 fortunes as they launched this year’s campaign with an unexpectedly comfortable victory over perennial contenders Hampshire at Uxbridge.It was a contrasting tale of two new captains as Middlesex gained their first home win over the visitors since 2007, and their first of the season after six draws in four-day cricket. Dawid Malan, making his debut as Middlesex skipper, made light of the absence on IPL duty of Brendon McCullum and Eion Morgan with a 48-ball 93 studded with ten fours and five sixes. His counterpart Sean Ervine, leading Hampshire for the first time as James Vince is on Test duty, was out for a first ball duck.Ervine had put Middlesex in and was relieved at restricting them to 195 for 6 given the hosts were 150 for 3 with five overs left. However, Hampshire collapsed from 55 for 1 to 77 for 7 before eventually subsiding to 126 all out with more than four overs remainingSome batsmen become inhibited when entrusted with the responsibility of captaincy, others thrive upon it. Malan is clearly one of the latter. He hit his first ball, bowled by off-spinner Will Smith, straight down the ground for four. Remarkably he hit his next four balls, bowled by former West Indian quick Tino Best, for boundaries too. The next ball he blocked, and damaged his bat, requiring a new one.Malan made 121 against Hampshire in red-ball cricket earlier this season and continued that form to reach his half-century off 27 balls. The skipper continued to pepper the tree-lined boundary with sixes before being dismissed off Gareth Andrew with a slash to Tino Best at fly slip.Half-century partnerships with Adam Voges (23) and John Simpson (15) had put Middlesex on course for a substantial score but Shahid Afridi bookmarked his final over with the wickets of Ryan Higgins and Simpson. That kept Middlesex below 200 despite Best conceding 51 off four wicketless overs.Hampshire began slowly, being 12 for 1 off 15 balls with Jimmy Adams spectacularly caught by substitute fielder Nathan Sowter. Ten balls later they were 48 for 1 with Adam Wheater cutting loose. However, he miscued to be caught for a 15-ball 30 and Toby Roland-Jones knocked out Ervine’s middle stump next ball.Afridi hit the hat-trick ball for four but was run out attempting a second. With Michael Carberry having perished to a top edge in the interim Hampshire had lost four wickets for nine runs in 12 balls. Though Liam Dawson hit 46 off 29 balls the contest was effectively over.Hampshire have qualified for finals day for six seasons in succession while Middlesex have not escaped the group stages since winning the competition in 2008. It is early days, but this season could be different for both.

USA wicketkeeper-batsman Akeem Dodson has issued a plea to global administrators to work towards supporting an ICC application for cricket’s inclusion in the 2024 Summer Olympics

Peter Della Penna24-Jun-20162:51

‘T20 is a natural fit in the Olympics’ – USOC’s Chief External Affairs officer Patrick Sandusky

USA wicketkeeper-batsman Akeem Dodson has issued a plea to global administrators to work towards supporting an ICC application for cricket’s inclusion in the 2024 Summer Olympics, calling the Olympics “the grand stage of sport”. Dodson’s comments were made after Patrick Sandusky of the USOC told ESPNcricinfo in a recent interview that “Twenty20 cricket at least is a very natural fit” in the Olympics, though the ICC remains ambivalent to the idea.”I pray weekly, daily for cricket in the Olympics,” Dodson told ESPNcricinfo. “Right now USA is in the lower league and we have to work our way up. Cricket in the Olympics would mean cricket on a world stage where USA starts on a level playing field.”Everyone will start at level zero and we will now look to make whatever dreams we can come true from there. I believe that team USA, given that platform and a clean slate, cricket in the Olympics, I think we could [win a] medal. That is the prospect you all want. Can the USA win American gold at cricket? Hell yeah we can.”The 28-year-old from New York was USA’s leading scorer at the World T20 Qualifier last summer in Scotland and Ireland, with 165 runs in six games as USA won three and lost three to narrowly miss out on qualifying. Encouraged by an improved on-field performance, the ICC unveiled a strategic plan for USA late last year setting targets for the 2019 World Cup, the 2020 World T20 as well as making a bid for hosting a future World T20, as early as 2024.However, USA might alternately play a role in a push for cricket at the Olympics if Los Angeles wins the hosting rights for the 2024 Summer Games. When asked if he would rather reach a maiden World T20 or an Olympic T20 tournament for USA, Dodson did not hesitate to state his preference.”Olympic T20. Even though playing a World T20 competition is something very commendable and it is the grand stage of world cricket, the Olympics is the grand stage of sport,” Dodson said. “That’s where we want to play, that’s where every athlete dreams of playing, to do it at the Olympics.”Everyone always says you are a national representative when you’re playing for USA and you’re a representative to US cricket, but we would truly feel like national representatives if we played cricket as an Olympic sport for Team USA. That would be a dream come true. A US Olympian, that part of it is the most important. A lot of people are able to say they’ve played a sport but to say that you’ve done it at an Olympic level, that is unbelievable almost. To have that experience with you and to remember everything that goes along with the Olympics – the Olympic village and the opening ceremony – doing all of that would be unforgettable.”Dodson would be 36 by the time the 2024 Summer Olympics rolls around and his reputation as a fitness workhorse means he would still have a realistic chance to be part of a USA team, if cricket were to successfully gain inclusion in the Olympics. He is convinced that helping the USA qualify for a spot in an Olympic T20 competition would galvanise the sport’s growth around his country and the world. It is why he is pleading for administrators elsewhere and in ICC circles to come around to the idea of submitting an application to the International Olympic Committee.”Cricket was in the Olympics a long time ago, in the early 1900s,” Dodson said. “What can I say to you to make you want to put cricket in the Olympics? Please, do I have to beg? Cricket is the kind of sport that once you learn to love it, the passion and the feeling that cricket gives you, I haven’t experienced it anywhere else.”The amount of American spirit that we could generate and create in this beautiful game, it would be paramount. It would take over the world. Please let us play the Olympics.”

On a tough pitch to bat on, the visitors slipped to a 23-run defeat chasing a modest 132 for victory

Sreshth Shah03-Aug-2021Bangladesh recorded their first T20I victory against Australia in five attempts by defending 131 with the help of their frontline spinners who picked six wickets in 12 overs for just 65 runs.Australia had the upper hand at the halfway mark but the dismissal of Alex Carey first ball, followed by two more batters by the third over, meant that they had their backs to the wall early on. After that, though Mitchell Marsh tried to keep Australia in the contest with a patient run-a-ball 45 from No. 3, wickets at regular intervals left them 23 short in the end.Bangladesh used spin right from the first ball. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed shared the new ball with Mahedi Hasan and finished with 4 for 19, his best in T20s. Mahedi and Shakib Al Hasan picked up early wickets too, and kept things tight all through.Shakib also made a crucial contribution in the first half after Australia opted to bowl, scoring 36 off 33, on a surface that was not easy to bat on. Bangladesh’s batters struggled with timing too, as the Australia bowlers varied their pace. And it took a late cameo from Afif Hossain – 23 off 17 – to take them to a decent total.Australia flounder against spin
Mahedi and Shakib both struck with their first balls and Nasum struck with his fourth, leaving Australia reeling on 11 for 3 after 13 balls. Mahedi got one to slide in from around the stumps and beat Carey’s cut to shatter his stumps.Next over, Josh Philippe was stumped trying to drive Nasum through the covers. And Moises Henriques’ sweep off Shakib had the ball go between his legs and hit the stumps.Matthew Wade and Marsh tried to bring Australia back with patient play against the spinners, who were bowling with a lot of control and confidence. Wade explored the square region on both sides to keep the runs ticking, while Marsh preferred the straight region. But a lapse from Wade came soon after as, chasing a wide ball that pitched outside leg and turned away further, he pulled it straight to short fine leg, undoing all the effort of the previous 22 balls. Australia were now 49 for 4 in the tenth over.The two Ashtons – Agar and Turner – tried to stitch partnerships with Marsh but Bangladesh broke through again. Agar was hit-wicket trying to flick Nasum, and Turner sliced a catch to extra cover off Mustafizur Rahman.Marsh looked to change gears in between, and although a few boundaries did come, he perished looking to slog sweep. From 84 for 6, it looked like Australia might struggle to reach three digits but they just about got there, courtesy Mitchell Starc’s 14, before being shot out last ball.Hazlewood leads bowling effort
Barring Mohammad Naim’s two sixes off Starc early on, it was all Australia in the opening stages of the first innings. Hazlewood nearly had Naim chopping onto the stumps, and would soon account for Soumya Sarkar as the left-hand batter backed away to cut but ended up playing on.Shakib and Naim then carefully saw off the powerplay, in which Bangladesh scored only 33. Naim impressed by not giving into temptation by chasing deliveries too wide but was bowled for 30 trying an uncharacteristic reverse sweep off Adam Zampa in the seventh over.Although Shakib and Mahmudullah enjoy playing spin, Zampa and Agar did not give them much room. Bowling stump to stump, and with a little turn on offer, the batters kept getting the occasional boundary but the run rate hovered under six.When a change in gears was imminent after 12 overs with eight wickets in hand, Hazlewood removed both senior batters. First, Mahmudullah sliced a slower ball to mid-off on 20, and then Shakib also chopped on in Hazlewood’s next over as he finished on 3 for 24 in his four, with three overs left in the innings.Afif’s crucial cameo
Afif walked in at No. 6 with Bangladesh’s run rate still under six. With Shakib and Shamim Hossain – who had successfully finished games with his blitzy performances in Zimbabwe – both falling, Afif was the last recognised batter in the death overs.He began by clobbering Hazlewood to the long-on boundary, and then cracking a lofted cover drive off Starc. In between, he pushed his batting partners for doubles, even if it wasn’t him getting on strike, which added a few crucial runs. He would then end by reverse scooping Starc over the keeper in the final over, and although he fell off the last ball, his knock pushed the hosts to over 6.50 an over.

The Bangladesh captain explains why they named a 19-member squad for the Dhaka Test against Pakistan

Mohammad Isam03-Dec-2021Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque has put the size of their 19-member squad for the second Test against Pakistan down to unavailability of several senior players through injury and retirement rather than any experimentation tactics.Bangladesh will be without Tamim Iqbal because of a thumb injury, and Shakib Al Hasan missed most of the Tests this year, while Mahmudullah recently retired from the format. But though Taskin Ahmed was injured for the Chattogram Test, both he and Shakib are available for the Dhaka Test starting Saturday. So the make-up of the home side’s squad for the upcoming fixture had given the impression that their selection committee and team management were unsure of the combination to field after going down by eight wickets in the opening Test.”We are not really experimenting by just bringing in younger players,” Mominul said of having that large a squad. “We replaced Tamim who is injured. [Mohammad] Naim has come in as [a potential] back-up opener for New Zealand [considering the upcoming tour]. Rabbi [Yasir Ali] played the first Test in Shakib ‘s place. Riyad [Mahmudullah] has retired. We have had to take new players. We don’t have a lot of performing players. When the senior players will return, we will have these younger players around in the dressing room. If others are performing in domestic cricket, they will certainly be considered in the team.”Related

• Shakib fit for second Test; Saif Hassan out with typhoid

• Bangladesh batters bloom on better pitch, but questions remain

• Bouyed by Shakib's return, Bangladesh look to level Test series against red-hot Pakistan

The main talking point from the squad was Mohammad Naim’s inclusion. A T20 specialist, the left-hand opener played the last of his six first-class matches last year. He doesn’t have a great record in the longer formats as he has focused mostly on T20Is since his international debut two years ago. By contrast, Anamul Haque, who as an opener averages 63.15 in first-class cricket in the last three years with five centuries, was overlooked.Mominul explained that Naim, who has been a regular in the T20I set-up, has been picked as the back-up opener after Saif Hassan contracted typhoid fever, though he hinted that uncapped Mahmudul Hasan Joy is likely to fill the vacant opener’s spot.”We don’t have enough openers. Naim is someone who has been playing international cricket regularly,” he said. “He has played T20s recently, which is why he missed a lot of first-class cricket. We wanted an opener who has been playing international cricket. An opener from domestic cricket would have a tough time adjusting in this situation. We also have to consider the New Zealand tour.”Mominul said he was pleased to have a fit-again Shakib back in the side. The senior allrounder, who picked up a hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup match against West Indies which has forced him to miss six matches for his side since, passed a fitness test last week. And Shakib’s return means Bangladesh have the option of including five genuine bowlers as well as slot in an additional experienced batter in their top six.”Shakib makes it easy to make a team combination,” he said. “He is looking good. He has recovered from the injury. He makes life easier for any captain. He is important for team combination. His return is a positive thing for us.”But can Bangladesh, who have won only two out of their last 13 international matches stretching back to September, eke out a win against Pakistan in Dhaka? Mominul believes if they can bat for the best part of two days they stand a chance to level the series, but would also need to start well with the ball. They were down 49 for 4 and 25 for 4 in the Chattogram Test, where they also conceded opening partnerships worth 146 and 151.”The most important thing in the Test match is the first hour, regardless of who is batting,” he said. “If we can start well, things will be easier. Our strength is batting, so if we can bat for five or six sessions, we can certainly be in the game. We are going out there to win the Test.”

There was little evidence at Canterbury to support the notion that Kent are vigorous promotion candidates despite their lofty position in the table

David Hopps at Canterbury28-Jun-2016
ScorecardWayne Madsen again enjoyed the Kent bowling attack•Getty Images

There was little evidence at Canterbury to support the notion that Kent are vigorous promotion candidates despite their lofty position in the table. Derbyshire, without a win all season, drank their fill on a benign pitch against a threadbare attack before calling off their first innings with a lead of 195 and the last pair at the crease.Wayne Madsen and Shiv Thakor took hundreds off Kent in the corresponding fixture in Derby in May, and did so again, a feat thought by David Griffin, former Board member, freelance photographer and statistician, to be unique in Derbyshire’s history.They were a watchable combination: Madsen neat and orderly for his 163, Thakor displaying nimble footwork and wristy ambition as he contributed 123. Their stand of 144 in 37 overs dominated the third day.Whether Derbyshire will force victory, though, is highly dubious. Their declaration came with only 15 overs left in the day, hardly enterprising with rain forecast for the final afternoon. Kent’s pace bowler Mitch Claydon, fielding at third man, was heard to ask: “163 overs! I don’t think I’ve ever fielder for 163 overs. Why?” Such are the philosophical questions that concern fast bowlers with 30 overs next to their name.Derbyshire are expected be a bowler light after Will Davis broke down in the first innings with a recurrence of a hip injury. In fading light, Kent saw out the final hour without alarm.Madsen, whose innings ended when he played across one from Matt Hunn, has 22 Derbyshire hundreds now, a number beaten by only four players – Kim Barnett, now the county’s president; the casually talented John Morris; the New Zealander John Wright, a batsman of ungainly defiance; and the dapper South African, Peter Kirsten.Only Kirsten has scored his hundreds at a faster rate than Madsen’s one every 9.2 innings, although four-day cricket has had an influence on that, not forgetting the lack of world-class fast bowlers these days, especially in Division Two. Kent did little to challenge that notion.Thakor’s switch from Leicestershire to Derbyshire at the end of 2014 felt a bit of a sideways move, and his form last season was unspectacular. At 22, he has progressed this summer. This was his fourth Championship century and it was fun to watch, with all manner of little flourishes going on after he has played the shot.Seventy-five of his runs came off the spinners, James Tredwell and Joe Denly, both of them treated as a convenience, his hundred raised when he struck Tredwell for a straight six. He was dropped by Alex Blake at extra cover and long-off, soon after his hundred, in successive overs off Darren Stevens and Tredwell, eventually succumbing when he chipped to mid-on.The absence of one Kent pace bowler has already been remarked upon. Up on the dressing room balcony, as the players came off for tea, Matt Coles offered desultory applause and failed to stifle a sizeable yawn. Under scrutiny because of his drink-fuelled antics in Cardiff last week, he had a ponderous training session over lunch, and later sat on an exercise bike, but it did not endear him to every member. “Look at the size of him,” said one.Coles’ career is at a critical point and it would be regrettable if his issues are not seriously addressed by all parties, beginning with himself, because he is a good and entertaining cricketer.

Peter Younghusband, who has made cameos on the field as a substitute for New Zealand, gained the final Wellington contract as New Zealand’s six major associations completed their signing of players for the upcoming season

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2016Zimbabwe-born legspinner Peter Younghusband, who has made cameos on the field as a substitute for New Zealand, gained the final Wellington contract as New Zealand’s six major associations completed their signing of players for the upcoming season. Wellington had signed 14 players in the first round of the contract process last month.Younghusband will assist Jeetan Patel and Luke Woodcock in the Wellington spin department.Younghusband was told by Wellington coach Bruce Edgar that he would miss the cut, before the side knew of former New Zealand batsman Hamish Marshall’s availability. Marshall wasn’t contracted, but would be available for selection from early October, after ending his 11-year association with Gloucestershire.”I’d been told 3-4 weeks earlier that I’d missed out, so I thought it was back to zero and it was going to be another tough winter training and rushing off to work,” Younghusband told . “To get the text and meet up with Bruce, I was so grateful.”Canterbury filled their 15-man quota by adding former Under-19 left-arm spinner Jeremy Benton. Canterbury coach Gary Stead lauded Benton, but also said that he might not get too many opportunities in the upcoming season.”He’s not a massive turner of the ball, but he’s a smart cricketer,” Stead said. “He’s got some really smart leadership capabilities. He’s an excellent fielder. I think he’ll turn into a real quality spinner. He may not get a massive load of opportunities this year. Down the track, he’ll be an integral part of our Canterbury line-up.”Auckland signed Sean Solia while Northern Districts added Tony Goodwin. Central Districts and Otago had two slots open at the second round. Otago picked up batsman Sean Eathorne and seamer Michael Rae while Central Districts signed seamers Navin Patel and Bevan Small.The domestic contracts for this season have also been extended by one month and will run from September 1, 2016 to April 15, 2017. This was done after NZC and the players’ association agreed to extend the contract period to seven-and-a-half months.Auckland Cody Andrews, Brad Cachopa, Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Donovan Grobbelaar, Michael Guptill-Bunce, Shawn Hicks, Dane Hutchinson, Tarun Nethula, Rob Nicol, Robert O’Donnell, Glenn Phillips, Jeet Raval, Sean SoliaCanterbury Todd Astle, Leo Carter, Michael Davidson, Andrew Ellis, Cameron Fletcher, Peter Fulton, Kyle Jamieson, Timothy Johnston, Kenneth McClure, Cole McConchie, Edward Nuttall, Henry Shipley, Logan van Beek, Will Williams, Jeremy BentonCentral Districts Tom Bruce, Dane Cleaver, Greg Hay, Marty Kain, Andrew Mathieson, Ryan McCone, Ajaz Patel, Seth Rance, Jesse Ryder, Ben Smith, Blair Tickner, Ben Wheeler, William Young , Navin Patel, Bevan SmallNorthern Districts James Baker, Jono Boult, Dean Brownlie, Joe Carter, Anton Devcich, Daniel Flynn, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Nick Kelly, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Bharat Popli, Tim Seifert, Josef Walker, Tony GoodinOtago Warren Barnes, Michael Bracewell, Derek de Boorder, Jacob Duffy, Ryan Duffy, Josh Finnie, Jack Hunter, Anaru Kitchen, Rhys Phillips, Hamish Rutherford, Christi Viljeon, Sam Wells, Brad Wilson, Sean Eathorne, Michael RaeWellington Brent Arnel, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, Fraser Colson, Matt McEwan, Iain McPeake, Stephen Murdoch, Ollie Newton, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Michael Pollard, Matt Taylor, Anurag Verma, Luke Woodcock, Peter Younghusband

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has achieved a top-five ranking in all three formats, after his team’s 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh in the T20I series that concluded on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2017New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has broken into the top-five rankings for batsmen across formats, climbing to no. 4 on the T20I list after his team’s 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh. Williamson is ranked fourth in Tests and fifth in ODIs. Virat Kohli is the only other batsmen to occupy positions in the top-five rankings across formats.With 145 runs in the three matches, Williamson was the highest scorer from either side. His 57-ball 60 on Sunday helped his side recover to 194 after a slow start, before the bowlers snuffed out Bangladesh’s fight during the chase to win by 27 runs. With the 3-0 win, the team retained their No. 1 ranking in the format.”Really pleased with the series as a whole,” coach Mike Hesson said. “We were put under pressure at times during all three games with both bat and ball, and different players stood up and that’s critical for us as a developing side even though we are ranked number one in the world.”It shows our consistency over the last 18 months to two years. We’ve been the most consistent side in Twenty20 cricket around the world, and in different conditions, having played in India and other places around the world. It’s a nice mantle to hold, although it doesn’t drive us so much. But it is nice to reflect on.”Hesson was especially pleased with the manner in which a young team put its hand up. New Zealand handed out debut caps to four players during the series, and most players in the squad were in their 20s. “The nature of Twenty20 is that you need guys who can turn the game on its head. You need that with both bat and ball, and we’re fortunate enough that we’ve got some really talented players,” he said.”Sure, they might be a little bit inexperienced, but they’ve certainly got the ability to change a game on their day, and that’s what T20 is about. Some of our match winners are quite young and raw, but there’s some really good signs there.”Colin Munro, who slammed a 52-ball century in the second T20, leaped up 20 places to 19th position, while Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi achieved career-best rankings. New Zealand also succeeded in discovering young talent from the domestic circuit in the form of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Wheeler and Tom Bruce.”It’s a nice sign for us moving forward that we can bring players in from domestic cricket in the Super Smash and they can do well, which is great,” Hesson said.Among other big gainers, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman broke into the top ten among T20I bowlers, displacing Shakib Al Hasan as Bangladesh’s highest-ranked bowler.

Board says former pacer made his “irresponsible move on the eve of the team’s departure, based on personal monetary gain”

Madushka Balasuriya22-Feb-2021Just days after being appointed as Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach, Chaminda Vaas has resigned from the post with immediate effect, with SLC accusing the former fast bowler of holding “the game at ransom”. The move comes a day out from the national team’s departure for their tour of the West Indies, and has left SLC scrambling for a replacement.ESPNcricinfo understands that SLC will take a decision on Vaas’ replacement as a matter of urgency, with the selection likely to be from one of the coaches currently working at the high performance centre.Related

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• The lords of Sri Lanka's golden age

• Angelo Mathews: 'All these years later, Vaas is still the benchmark'

According to an SLC media release, Vaas’ resignation had come about as a result of a dispute over remuneration, with SLC administrators also believed to be unhappy with the timing of his demands.”It is particularly disheartening to note that in an economic climate such as the one facing the entire globe right now, Mr. Vaas has made this sudden and irresponsible move on the eve of the team’s departure, based on personal monetary gain,” stated the release.”The Management of SLC, and indeed the entire nation, hold Mr. Vaas in high esteem as a cricketer who has excelled for his country. His years of yeoman service have been appreciated and rewarded over the years both in status and in kind.”In such circumstances, it is extremely disheartening that a legend such as Chaminda Vaas has resorted to holding the administration, the cricketers, and indeed the game at ransom, by handing in his resignation at the eleventh hour, citing the administration’s refusal to accede to an unjustifiable demand for an increased USD remuneration, in spite of being a contracted employee of Sri Lanka Cricket, already receiving remuneration that is in keeping with his experience, qualifications, and expertise, in addition to which he would have been entitled to the usual USD per diems offered to all members of a travelling squad.”Vaas has since tweeted that he had “made a humble request to SLC and they turned it down.” ESPNcricinfo learns that Vaas had requested his salary be in the region of what was being paid to the outgoing Saker. SLC has long had a payment structure wherein foreign coaches earn considerably more than their local counterparts, primarily due to the former being paid in foreign currency and the resultant favourable exchange rate with the Sri Lankan rupee. Vaas’ resignation is the latest in a string of disruptions ahead of the West Indies tour. Vaas himself had been a replacement for David Saker, who had resigned prior to the tour citing personal reasons. Meanwhile earlier today, it was revealed that fast bowler Lahiru Kumara had become the latest Sri Lankan player to test positive for Covid-19, while head coach Mickey Arthur has also been in quarantine in recent weeks after returning a positive test earlier this month. The team also has several first team players missing through injury.