All posts by csb10.top

Afghanistan are set to play their first full series against West Indies, travelling to the Caribbean in June 2017 for five ODIs and three T20Is. It will Afghanistan’s first full series against a Full Member other than Zimbabwe.The specific dates of the tour are yet to be announced, although a press release from the Afghanistan Cricket Board mentioned the tour would begin in mid-June.Afghanistan have played only two full series against Full Members previously. The first was when they visited Zimbabwe for five ODIs and two T20Is in October 2015; then, they recorded their first series win over a Full Member. In the return series, two months later, hosted by Afghanistan in the UAE, they beat Zimbabwe in both formats again and broke into the top 10 of the ODI rankings for the first time.Chairman Nasimullah Danish welcomed the series, saying: “Playing with Twenty20 champions will boost technical prospects for us.” WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead was happy to have more games on the calendar. “This series will add to the variety of cricket our teams will be playing for the next year and we are happy to be able to have teams visit the region to add exposure for all our players,” Muirhead said.Most recently, Afghanistan met West Indies in the Super 10 stage of the World T20 in March and beat them by six runs.

Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain who gave match-fixing evidence at Southwark Crown Court last year against his former team-mate and one-time hero Chris Cairns, has used the MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture to criticise the approach of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit.Cairns was effectively cleared of any involvement in match-fixing at the end of a nine-week trial in November, but complained that his reputation in cricket had been “scorched” despite being found not guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice.The first count, that of perjury, would have carried a maximum of seven years’ imprisonment and related to his successful 2012 libel action against Lalit Modi, the founder of the IPL, at the High Court in London.In the course of the libel trial, Cairns stated that he had “never” cheated at cricket, and nor would he contemplate doing so, a statement that attracted the interests of the Crown Prosecution Service in the wake of leaked testimony given by his former team-mates, Lou Vincent and McCullum, to the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU).McCullum told MCC members at Lord’s that he stood by the evidence he gave at the trial but condemned his first interview with a member of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit as “casual”.He said of the official: “[He] took notes – he did not record our conversation. He said he would get what I said down on paper and that it would probably end up at the bottom of the file with nothing eventuating.”Looking back on this, I am very surprised by what I perceive to be a very casual approach to gathering evidence. I was reporting two approaches by a former international star of the game. I was not asked to elaborate on anything I said and I signed a statement that was essentially nothing more than a skeleton outline.”McCullum made three statements in all, offering progressive detail, and said of his third statement to the Metropolitan Police: “Suffice to say, they were streets ahead in terms of professionalism. They asked me so many questions, testing my memory, and took a much more comprehensive brief.”McCullum went on: “I don’t think either of us could ever have foreseen that my first statement would be used in a perjury trial in London four years after it was made. But the point I wish to make is that it must have been feasible that I would have to give evidence somewhere, sometime. I think players deserve better from the ICC and that, in the future, the evidence gathering exercise has to be much more thorough, more professional.”In my opinion a person taking a statement should ensure that the witness is advised about what may occur – that if evidence were to be given in the future and the witness did not put everything in that initial statement or changed what they said in any way, then this would likely impact on their credibility.”When I made my first statement to the ICC, my impression was that it would be put in the bottom draw and never see the light of day again. No attempt was made to elicit a full and comprehensive statement from me on that occasion.”Referring to his “moral obligation” to give evidence, McCullum said: “I do wish that the ICC had handled my initial approach more professionally.”McCullum also complained that his evidence was leaked to the . “No witness who has provided evidence to the ICC should ever have to go through such a scenario again. The leak has never been explained to me; to my knowledge no one has been held accountable and, in those circumstances, it is difficult to have confidence in the ICC,” he said.”To report an approach and to give evidence requires considerable courage – players deserve much better. How can the game’s governing body expect players to co-operate with it when it is then responsible for leaking confidential statements to the media?”It goes without saying that if players do not have confidence in the organisation, they will be reluctant to report approaches and the game is worse off. If we are to get rid of the scourge of match-fixing, a robust governing body is essential.”

Babar Azam has returned to the Pakistan T20I squad for the first time in nearly a year. He was named in a 15-member squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, as well as the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe which follows. Mohammad Rizwan, who was removed from the captaincy in ODI cricket, keeps his place in the 50-over squad, while wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan and offspinner Usman Tariq come into the T20 side.Babar has not played any T20 cricket since the end of the PSL, after which he was not part of any squad for the shortest format. At the time, Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson said he would need to “improve a few things” to earn his way back into the side, with the Big Bash League in December believed to be the tournament Pakistan would use to assess his improvement. It is not yet clear what led to him being fast-tracked back in, but his inclusion means he is, once more, an all-format player for Pakistan.Related

• Asif Afridi finally gets his moment, 16 years and 90 deliveries in the making

• Deja Vu for Masood as SA's tail wags and Pakistan's plans unravel

• Ball not dead, bails knocked off – Why was Mohammad Rizwan not out hit-wicket?

Fast bowler Naseem Shah keeps his place in the ODI squad, and returns to the T20 side. He recently excelled in the CPL with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, where Tariq’s performance with champions Trinbago Knight Riders has also been rewarded. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Hasan Ali, who was part of the T20 Asia Cup squad, is not part of any of the white-ball teams, while Hussain Talat drops out of the T20 side.Shaheen Afridi will captain Pakistan’s ODI side for the first time against South Africa in November during a three-match series. Before that, Pakistan play three T20s against them. It is followed by the tri-series from November 17 to 29.

Pakistan ODI squad

Shahen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha

T20I squad

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq

Karabo Meso, the 17-year-old wicket-keeper batter, will go to her first World Cup after being included in South Africa’s squad for the ODI tournament in India and Sri Lanka which starts later this month.She has just two ODI caps to her name and has played seven senior internationals in all, but has featured in two Under-19 World Cups and won the SA20 Schools title with Steyn City earlier this year. Meso is one of two players who will play at a World Cup for the first time. Offspin-bowling allrounder Nondumiso Shangase, who was recalled to South Africa’s squad in May, is the other.Top-order batter Anneke Bosch and allrounders Nadine de Klerk and Annerie Dercksen will also feature in an ODI World Cup squad for the first time; they have previously been in T20 World Cup squads.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The rest of South Africa’s 15-player group is as expected, led by Laura Wolvaardt with significant experience in different departments. Allrounders Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon and seamer Ayabonga Khaka all played important roles in South Africa reaching the last ODI World Cup semi-finals and will be present again.As reported last week, there was no room for former captain Dane van Niekerk, who was included in a training camp but her international comeback remains a while away.Others present in that camp but not making the squad are batters Lara Goodall and Faye Tunnicliffe, seamer Ayanda Hlubi, legspinner Seshnie Naidu and allrounders Eliz-Mari Marx and Luyanda Ntuza. Miane Smit, an allrounder who bowls offspin, has been included as the lone travelling reserve.”The make-up of the squad is underpinned by the consistent selection process that was adhered to during the recent ICC Women’s Championship cycle, while taking into account the subcontinent conditions and the different characteristics of the group required for a successful tournament of this nature,” Clinton du Preez, South Africa’s convenor of selectors, said.Under head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, SA have lost four ODIs in 10 outings•Cricket South Africa

This will be the first major tournament South Africa will play under head coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who succeeded Hilton Moreeng in a permanent capacity last year. In Mashimbyi’s tenure, South Africa have been inconsistent, with four wins in ten ODIs, including a series win over West Indies in June. Mashimbyi was occasionally without some senior players – such as Kapp for the tri-series in Sri Lanka – but will have one more opportunity to fine-tune his combinations before the tournament starts.South Africa tour Pakistan for three ODIs to be played between September 16 and 22 before moving on to India for their World Cup opener against England. Their recent tournament run has included two ODI World Cup semi-finals and back-to-back T20 World Cup finals, and there is expectation for them to take the next step and claim a cup. Mashimbyi is confident this group of players can deliver.”From the moment I joined this team, and even before my time when the squad went through the qualification phase, it was all about working towards this moment,” Mashimbyi said. “We can look back at the amount of preparation we have put in and know that we have done our best. We are ready to send a squad to the World Cup that will make South Africa proud.”We believe we have the squad of players that can go out there and deliver on the world stage. Now it is all about carrying that belief with us every step of the way, along with the support of the entire nation.”

South Africa squad for Women’s ODI World Cup

Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloe Tryon
Travelling reserve: Miane Smit

Mitchell Starc joined the 400-wicket club in a dramatic fashion as he blew West Indies’ top order away with a triple-wicket opening over on the third day at Sabina Park and went on to take the fastest five-wicket haul in Test history, in just 15 balls.In his 100th Test, Starc produced one of the greatest opening overs. He removed John Campbell first ball, the fourth time in his career he had struck with the opening delivery of an innings, when the left-hand batter edged a perfect outswinger to substitute wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who was standing in for the concussed Alex Carey.Four balls later, debutant Kevlon Anderson shouldered arms as the ball swung back to strike his shin in front of middle stump, yet he reviewed the plumbest of lbws. Next delivery, another one curved back to take Brandon King’s inside edge and demolish the stumps. It was the sixth time in Test history a team had been 0 for 3.Related

• 'Heartbreaking' and 'embarrassing' – Chase laments WI woes

• 'Unreal' – Starc and Boland amaze each other with stunning feats

• Starc six-for, Boland hat-trick consign West Indies to 27 all-out and 0-3 defeat

Mikyle Louis survived the hat-trick ball at the start of Starc’s second over, but fittingly his 400th wicket came with another trademark inswinger as he trapped Louis lbw, becoming the fourth Australian bowler to the landmark after Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Lyon.The extraordinary scenes continued when, two balls later, he added Shai Hope lbw to bring up a five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries, beating the previous record – jointly held by Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Scott Boland – by four deliveriesStarc had already established himself as the king of pink-ball cricket, having dominated the format in Australia. This is the team’s first day-night Test overseas.

Before 2024, New Zealand visited India 12 times across 69 years from 1955 to play Test cricket, but they had never managed to win a series. On Saturday, in his first stint as full-time New Zealand captain, Tom Latham did an Edmund Hillary, leading New Zealand to their first-ever Test series win in India.Latham was part of the New Zealand team that won the inaugural World Test Championship after beating India in the final in Southampton in 2021. But beating India is a different challenge altogether and arguably the toughest challenge in world cricket right now. Latham was overwhelmed with emotion when he was asked to explain what the triumph in India meant to him, his team, and the New Zealand public.Related

• Changing of the guard: Pune 2024 a window into New Zealand's future

• Santner takes 13 to hand India their first home Test series defeat since 2012

• 'I don't want to do too much of a post-mortem' – Rohit after loss in Pune

• Side soreness no barrier for 13-wicket Santner

“I’m sort of lost for words,” Latham said. “It’s obviously an immensely proud moment for this group. I think coming off the back of a Sri Lankan series where we didn’t get the results that we wanted to come here and play the style of cricket that we played. We’re obviously immensely proud to be in the position of winning two Test matches here. A lot of New Zealand teams have come here over the past… I guess to be the first team to win a series over here is immensely special and, yeah, very proud of this group.”So what did Latham’s New Zealand do better than the other New Zealand teams of the past and this current India team?”I think we’ve been on the right side of a couple of tosses,” Latham said. “That obviously played a big part I think, especially in Bangalore. Just as I said, I think we’ve come here, and we’ve wanted to fire a shot. We’ve wanted to be the one that puts India under pressure, what that may look like from a batting point of view or a bowling point of view. I certainly think we’ve done that. I think the way we played in this game with the bat was really important. I think it was a wicket where time wasn’t necessarily an issue, it was runs.”Mitchell Santner was the hero with the ball•AFP/Getty Images

It’s incredibly rare for any overseas team to out-bat and out-bowl India in a Test match. This New Zealand team has managed to do that twice in contrasting conditions in Bengaluru and Pune.New Zealand’s bowlers had thrown the first punch in Benglauru in seaming conditions, where they skittled India for 46. New Zealand’s batters then threw the first punch in Pune on a turner, where they countered R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar with a variety of sweeps, including the reverse. Latham was pleased with his players buying into the attack-first approach.”We’ve come here, and we’ve wanted to compete, and we’ve wanted to fire a shot first up,” Latham said. “I certainly think we’ve done that in both games. Obviously with the ball in the first game but also with the bat here. Being able to put first innings runs on the board has been really important. Obviously the bowlers went to work over the last couple of days which has been very pleasing to see.” Latham hailed Mitchell Santner for wheeling away for 29 overs on the trot in the final innings despite a sore side. The left-arm fingerspinner came away with six wickets during that marathon spell and almost single-handedly spun New Zealand to victory. He finished with match figures of 13 for 157 – the third-best by any visiting bowler in India.”He did a fantastic job,” Latham said of Santner. “I think obviously the wickets that he got… But I think what will go unnoticed is the amount of overs he bowled back-to-back. I think Will [O’Rourke] bowled one over with the new ball from that end and Mitch bowled the rest. Someone like that to come and bowl that amount of overs, to keep in a threat for that amount of time.”I keep trying to take him off, but he keeps taking a wicket. So, I said ‘you can keep going’. Look, I can’t praise him enough in terms of what he’s done this game. He was simply fantastic.”

Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew scored magnificent One-Day Cup centuries while Spencer Johnson took four wickets to lead South Australia to an emphatic nine-wicket win over Victoria.The victory at Karen Rolton Oval completed a wonderful week for South Australia after they earlier completed their first Sheffield Shield win over the Victoria in nine years.Harvey’s unbeaten 134 off 110 balls, his first in the format, was complemented by skipper Alex Carey initially in an 80-run opening stand before Drew (108 not out off 86) made an equally impressive ton to chase down Victoria’s 286 for 7 in the 38th over to claim a vital bonus point.Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb had earlier rescued his side from a precarious position with an excellent 104 from 121 deliveries after Johnson and Brendan Doggett tore through the top order.Harvey, 24, gave the run chase a real kick along when he took 16 off Sam Elliott’s first over. It was a masterclass by the stylish left-hander who grafted for his runs early before accelerating and dominating his former team to earn player-of-the-match honours.Harvey, the nephew of former Australia allrounder Ian Harvey, easily surpassed his previous highest domestic one-day score of 61.Drew, 28, was just as impressive and lifted the tempo to ensure his team claimed the win inside 40 overs to get what could be a crucial extra competition point.Earlier, Johnson took 4 for 46 in a fast and furious spell that set up the win after Carey had won the toss. Johnson removed big-hitting Josh Brown when his former Brisbane Heat teammate was brilliantly caught by a diving Drew at mid-off.His second wicket was a tribute to the left-armer’s searing pace and attacking mindset. Johnson let rip with a straight short ball that had Campbell Kellaway rushing his pull shot and gloving through to Carey.Handscomb came in with Victoria reeling at 42 for 3 and showed aggression and patience depending on what was required. After lashing a suite of boundaries and two imperious sixes, Handscomb accumulated 15 singles in a row.He was dropped on 83 when Liam Scott was unable to grab a caught and bowled chance. An effortless lofted cover drive to the boundary against spinner Lloyd Pope summed up Handscomb’s absolute control for much of the innings. He found a willing ally in Jonathan Merlo (78 off 71) but the final tally was nowhere near enough.

Overshooting its own budget is not the only fallout for the ICC from its recently concluded men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. ESPNcricinfo understands that Disney-Star*, the ICC’s broadcast partners, have raised concerns about the event, asking whether the ICC believes it delivered a product that justified the investment made in the rights, and whether better value overall can be derived from the rights deal.Among the concerns raised was the schedulling of matches, in particular the timing of those games which ended up being broadcast in the early morning hours in the subcontinent, thereby affecting viewership significantly. These include most of West Indies’ games, the co-hosts and two-time champions, as well as the first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan.It is also believed that the broadcaster had communicated its worries about the drop-in pitches that were ultimately used for the Nassau County stadium for the New York leg of the tournament. The venue saw a succession of bowling-friendly surfaces on which two sides were bowled out for less than 100 and the highest completed score was 137.Related

• T20 World Cup 2024: New York, Tarouba pitches rated 'unsatisfactory'

• ICC Board seeks answers after costs spiral for US leg of T20 World Cup

• No rain, but still no play: Lauderhill washouts prompt questions

The first two surfaces were eventually rated as “unsatisfactory” by the ICC, only one rung above “unfit”. The venue also hosted the marquee India-Pakistan match, for which the pitch was rated “satisfactory” but where Pakistan failed to chase down a target of 120.Later in the tournament, the Trinidad surface for the semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan, where the latter was routed for 56 on a brutish pitch with excessive seam and uneven bounce, was also rated “unsatisfactory”.Through its various iterations, Disney-Star has held the the rights to every single ICC event since the 2011 men’s ODI World Cup. Last year, Disney-Star acquired the rights to broadcast ICC events in the India market in a four-year deal worth just above USD 3 billion. Dissatisfaction from such a long-term broadcast partner is likely to be taken seriously, given the implications it has for all ICC members, who receive annual revenue derived from the rights deal. Most members, other than India, Australia and England, rely heavily on these revenues.ESPNcricinfo understands that there were discussions within the ICC to swap the USA-West Indies event with either India in 2026 or England in 2028 in order to give the venues more time to get ready, but those discussions did not go far.Apart from New York, Florida came in for criticism as a venue as well, where matches could not be held even though the majority of the rain there fell in the preceding week. The ground’s drainage was not up to date, and it didn’t have enough covers to protect the whole playing area, which led to frustrating scenes where the pitch was ready but there were wet patches on the outfield despite strong sunlight. Three of the four matches in Florida were abandoned, one of them an India game.ESPNcricinfo understands that the disgruntlement is limited to this event, the handling of which is already undergoing an audit after it emerged that the original budget for the US leg ballooned over by up to USD 20 million. The event has prompted one idea to be floated to convert the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy to T20Is. There has not been any development on this since the grievance was first raised a month ago. This issue was not discussed in the ICC meetings this Tuesday.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been selected in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka, which is one of their two 50-over assignments scheduled before the 2025 Champions Trophy.Both Rohit and Kohli have spent time abroad with their families after the T20 World Cup felicitation event in Mumbai on July 4. There was speculation they would skip the tour of Sri Lanka and only return for the start of the home season in September, but they are now part of the 15-man squad for the series.Related

• Where does the elevation of Gill and Suryakumar leave Hardik?

• Harshit Rana credits Gautam Gambhir for his success 'above everyone else'

• Suryakumar confirmed as India's T20I captain for Sri Lanka tour

• Rathour on India's transition: 'Needs to be done gradually'

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire tour, while Hardik Pandya – who missed out on the T20I captaincy – will feature in just the T20I-leg.Shreyas Iyer, who lost out on a BCCI central contract earlier this year, has been picked in the ODI squad. KL Rahul also returns after a long injury layoff, one of two frontline wicketkeepers along with Rishabh Pant, who last played an ODI prior to his car accident in December 2022.

Shubman Gill named India’s vice-captain

Shubman Gill has been elevated to vice-captaincy in both white-ball formats, following his captaincy stint with a second-string squad in Zimbabwe, where India won 4-1. Gill’s also been prolific with the bat in ODIs of late – he’s the second-highest run-getter worldwide in the format since the start of 2023.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With Hardik absent from the ODIs, seam-bowling allrounder Shivam Dube, whose only ODI so far was in 2019, earns a recall. Dube’s stocks in T20 cricket have grown considerably since IPL 2023, when he made a name for himself as an enforcer against spin for Chennai Super Kings.The selectors also rewarded Riyan Parag by picking him in both formats. His one-day elevation can be looked at as a reward for his domestic form – he was the leading run-getter in the Deodhar Trophy as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, where he made seven straight half-centuries while leading Assam to their first-ever semi-final.Fast bowler Harshit Rana was also handed a maiden ODI call-up. Rana was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL-winning side of 2024 and finished as his side’s joint second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps in 13 outings.The pace attack will be spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj, with Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed completing it. Washington Sundar’s Player-of-the-Series performance in Zimbabwe earned him a berth in both squads for Sri Lanka; he’s one of two spin-bowling allrounders alongside Axar Patel.Ravindra Jadeja, who (like Rohit and Kohli) is now retired from T20Is, did not make the ODI squad.

No Kuldeep, Abhishek for T20Is

As many as nine members from the young squad that won 4-1 in Zimbabwe earlier this month have been picked for the Sri Lanka T20Is, led by new captain Suryakumar Yadav.Abhishek Sharma did not make the cut despite his T20I exploits in Harare•Associated Press

Gill, who led in Zimbabwe, is likely to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad.Sanju Samson retained his place (a second option with the gloves alongside Pant), but there was no room for Ruturaj Gaikwad or Abhishek Sharma, who struck a 46-ball hundred in just his second T20I in Zimbabwe. Rinku Singh and Dube are likely to be options as finishers.Kuldeep Yadav will play the ODIs but was not picked for the T20Is, leaving Ravi Bishnoi as the frontline wristspinner. There was no place for Yuzvendra Chahal, who didn’t feature in a single game during India’s World Cup campaign, in either squad.India’s tour of Sri Lanka is the first assignment for new coach Gautam Gambhir, who was appointed after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the T20 World Cup. The tour begins with three T20Is in Pallekele on July 27, 28 and 30, followed by three ODIs in Colombo on August 2, 4 and 7.

India squad for Sri Lanka ODIs

Rohit Sharma (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.

India squad for Sri Lanka T20Is

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

Match details

Australia vs England
June 8, Bridgetown, 1pm local, 6pm GMT, 10.30pm IST

Big picture – Defending champions under the pump (again)

The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh, would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head-to-head record is less impressive in T20, however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.Jos Buttler has Jofra Archer back to bolster the England bowling attack•Getty Images

Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those for games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh off an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.

Form guide

Australia WWWWL
England WWLWW

In the spotlight – Glenn Maxwell and Jos Buttler

Since smashing 120 not out from 55 balls against West Indies in February, Glenn Maxwell has been on a truly shocking run. In 14 T20 innings for Australia and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he has scored 115 at an average of 8.21, with five ducks – his last two knocks have each lasted just one ball. His recent T20I record against England is no better, with five single-figure scores in six dating back to 2020. Australia won’t be losing faith yet, though. “We know that Maxi’s going to win us games,” Marsh said in his pre-match press conference. Who would bet against him finding his touch on Saturday?Jos Buttler led England to their second T20 title in his first major assignment after taking the reins from Eoin Morgan in the summer of 2022, but things have not gone quite so smoothly since then. Questions mounted about England’s leadership – for both Buttler as captain and the coach, Matthew Mott – after their early exit at the 50-over World Cup, and Buttler has seemed increasingly tetchy in recent times when asked to address the team’s failures. His batting form has been good, since working with Rajasthan Royals coach Sid Lahiri at the IPL, but England need a win.Travis Head and David Warner are among the most dangerous opening pairs in the world•ICC via Getty Images

Team news – Cummins back, but who sits out?

Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.Australia (probable XI): 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Josh Inglis (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodThe one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.England (probable XI): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley/Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

Four World Cup fixtures at Kensington Oval have produced markedly different results for batting: at one extreme, the tie between Oman and Namibia saw totals of 109 all out and 109 for 6; at the other, Scotland’s charge to 90 for 0 from 10 overs between the showers against England. No team has scored more than Australia’s 164 for 5 against Oman, however. This fixture, a day game, will be played on a new surface, said to be the best one on the square – though a slightly patchy forecast could give the teams another thing to contend with.

Stats and trivia

• England have a slight edge in the overall T20I head-to-head with Australia, winning 11 and losing 10 – a record which includes winning their last two T20 World Cup encounters, in 2010 and 2021.
• There have only ever been two 200-plus scores in 25 completed T20Is at Kensington Oval, both in the same match between England and West Indies in 2022.
• In scoring 56 against Oman, Warner overtook Aaron Finch as Australia’s all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is.

Quotes

“A win is a win, it doesn’t derail us either way. We know we’ve got to win more games than we lose in tournament cricket. A win puts you in a position in the group which is obviously more favourable, but the other two games that we’ve got post this are must-win games anyway.”
“I daresay this will be full and it’ll be mostly English fans, so it’ll be like playing at Headingley all over, or anywhere in England where you get sprayed. But the atmosphere, the vibe of the game, there’s always a lot riding on it. As a team we always want to challenge ourselves against the best. England have been exceptional in this format for a long period of time now, so there’s certainly going to be a lot on the game and we’re pumped.”
Mitchell Marsh is braced for an Ashes-style reception from England’s travelling fans