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Zimbabwe captain and allrounder available for entirety of tournament’s group stage

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2024Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe’s captain and premier allrounder, has agreed to join Northamptonshire for the 2024 Vitality Blast.Raza, 37, is currently ranked as the fifth-best allrounder in T20I cricket, and recently became the first player in the format’s history to score five consecutive half-centuries. He has been nominated as the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year.Raza has made more than 200 T20 appearances in his professional career, including appearances in the IPL, Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League and Lanka Premier League. This, however, will be his first appearance in England’s T20 competition.”I’m delighted to be coming to Northamptonshire.” Raza said. “This will be a different challenge for me but I’ve loved playing cricket in England in the past. It’s always been a wish to play in the Vitality Blast so I’m looking forward to fulfilling that.”John Sadler, Northamptonshire’s head coach, said: “We’re delighted with the signing of Sikandar for the Blast. He’s a very experienced, high performer on a global scale. He’s a three-dimensional cricketer who always has an impact in every game he plays, we know he’s also a fierce competitor which will be fantastic for us.”Raza will join the squad ahead of the tournament and is available for all 14 matches of the group stage.”I would like to entertain the fans and put a smile on their face with as many wins as possible,” he said.”Our first task is to secure a quarter-final spot and then take that momentum and belief into the latter stages and hopefully lift the trophy.”Looking at the side we have a decent squad and a lot of good players, I’m looking forward to using my experience to help us win as many games as possible and help the younger players as well.”

The former Australia captain is set to play a first-class game after a gap of more than 18 months

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2022Tim Paine is in line to play his first first-class match for more than 18 months after being named in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield squad to face Queensland this week.Paine last played for Tasmania in early 2021 but returned to club cricket at the weekend where he took the keeping gloves and made an unbeaten 20.”Was nice to blow off some cobwebs,” he told reporters at Hobart airport. “Been training for five or six weeks. Ready to go. Excited, a bit nervous, but looking forward to it.”Paine did not find a place on the Tasmania contract list earlier this year but approached the state’s coaching staff about being keen to return.”It was nice for him to get out there and play a game of cricket again,” Tasmania’s coach Jeff Vaughan told reporters on Tuesday. “He was quite nervous before that match.””He has been training with us the last couple of months. And it wasn’t until we selected over the last week or two, firstly his name was on the table for one-day cricket and then he was on the table last week when we selected [the Shield]. And it was quite unanimous that everyone wanted one of the world’s best wicketkeepers into our side.”We have absolute faith and trust in Tim and his preparation. Physically he is probably in the greatest spot of his physical career, emotionally he is sound. He has been training really well with us the last two months. We have got full faith in his wicketkeeping skillset so he has ticked all of the boxes.”Paine resigned the Test captaincy amid a text-message scandal last November and a short while after that said he was taking a break from the game for his mental health.Tasmania squad Jackson Bird, Jake Doran, Jarrod Freeman, Caleb Jewell, Riley Meredith, Ben McDermott, Tim Paine, Sam Rainbird, Peter Siddle, Jordan Silk (c), Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Beau Webster

All the matches will be hosted by Antigua after the Pakistan contingent arrives on June 23

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2021Pakistan Women will travel to the Caribbean for three T20Is and five ODIs, with their A team set to shadow the senior side for an additional six matches. All the matches will be hosted by Antigua after the Pakistan contingent arrives on June 23, exactly a week before the first T20I. The ODI series will be played from July 7 to 18.As for the A teams, they will play three T20s, which will be played on the same day and at the same venues as the T20Is as “double-headers”, followed by three one-dayers from June 30 to July 16. All matches will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Pakistan Women’s tour of West Indies schedule

• June 30: 1st T20I and A teams’ T20

• July 2: 2nd T20I and A teams’ T20

• July 4: 3rd T20I and A teams’ T20

• July 7: 1st ODI

• July 9: 2nd ODI

• July 10: 1st A teams’ one-dayer

• July 12: 3rd ODI

• July 13: 2nd A teams’ one-dayer

• July 15: 4th ODI

• July 16: 3rd A teams’ one-dayer

• July 18: 5th ODI

This is the latest step from Cricket West Indies (CWI) in their bid to expand women’s cricket in the Caribbean. It comes soon after rookies Qiana Joseph and Kaysia Schultz were offered their first West Indies central contracts, for the 2021-22 season.”This is a very significant home tour for our women and we are delighted that our counterparts at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have worked with us to arrange these two series despite all the challenges we face with Covid-19,”Jimmy Adams, CWI’s director of cricket, said in a media release. “CWI continues to invest in our international Women’ program by hosting extended High-Performance camps between tours, two of which have already been held this year. In addition, the opportunity to host our first-ever ‘A’ Team Series is brilliant, as it means that our developing players will get the chance to compete against high-quality international opponents and push for selection to the senior team.”This will be West Indies Women’s first international series at home since the pandemic hit. In September last year, they had toured England, where they were blanked 5-0. The upcoming series will also be West Indies Women’s first under Courtney Walsh after he had been appointed to the post in October 2020 following the UK tour. Walsh had also worked with the women’s team during the T20 World Cup held in Australia in February and March last year. The management will look to use the Pakistan ODIs as preparation for the ODI World Cup Qualifier in December in Sri Lanka.Related

• Only fully vaccinated fans for West Indies Women's home series against Pakistan

• Twin sisters Kycia Knight and Kyshona Knight return to West Indies side for Pakistan T20Is

• Javeria Khan, Rameen Shamim, Sidra Nawaz to lead Pakistan teams on West Indies tour

• Pakistan to undergo 25-day camp in 40-degree heat

• Joseph, Schultz handed WI central contracts

“Our goal post this Pakistan series, is to have our squad play against more international opposition and take part in our Regional Tournament before heading to the Qualifiers in Sri Lanka at the end of the year,” Adams said.Pakistan, meanwhile, have been prepping for the 50-over Women’s World Cup Qualifier by participating in a 25-day camp in the 40-degree heat of Multan from May 29, before moving to Karachi on June 9 when the temperatures soared in Multan. Much like West Indies Women, Pakistan Women haven’t played much cricket since the pandemic struck. Since the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia, Pakistan Women have had just one tour so far – of South Africa, where they lost the ODI series 3-0 and T20Is 2-1. They then visited Zimbabwe, but that tour ended abruptly because of flight restrictions.

Panchal and Vihari hit centuries as visitors bounce back after conceding big first-innings lead

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2020Shubman Gill hit an unbeaten double-century while Priyank Panchal and Hanuma Vihari got centuries of their own as India A, under pressure somewhat when play started on the final day, dominated the day’s play to draw their first four-day match against New Zealand A at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.India had conceded a 346-run first-innings lead when New Zealand piled on 562 for 7 declared after bowling the visiting side out for 216. India were in early trouble in their second innings too, losing openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and Mayank Agarwal cheaply to be 59 for 2, though Panchal and Gill had taken the score to 127 at stumps. They stretched that to 226 on the final morning before New Zealand got their first – and only – breakthrough of the day, Panchal falling to Ajaz Patel for 115.At that stage with India still 120 runs in arrears, New Zealand had a brief opening, but Gill was joined by Vihari and the duo ensured there were no further wickets lost.Gill and Vihari batted on for the next two-and-a-half hours, Gill converting his sixth first-class century into a double and remaining unbeaten on 204, with 22 fours and four sixes. Vihari scored 100 not out, with 11 fours and three sixes, before the teams agreed to call it off after 64.1 overs, immediately after Vihari got to his 20th first-class century.The two teams next play the series-ending second four-day fixture in Lincoln from February 7.

Keemo Paul was dropped twice at crucial stages of West Indies’ chase, and Mashrafe believed the hosts could have pulled things back had the catches been held

Mohammad Isam12-Dec-2018Bangladesh came away from their four-wicket loss to West Indies in the second ODI ruing two dropped catches at crucial stages of the game, which Mashrafe Mortaza felt affected the confidence of the bowlers.Keemo Paul was the batsman to benefit from both chances, in the 44th and 48th overs, and the fielder on both occasions was substitute Nazmul Islam. In the first instance, Paul was on 6 when Nazmul rushed in to catch a mis-timed slog sweep but couldn’t hold on to it. Then, with West Indies needing 23 off 13 balls, Nazmul overran Paul’s full-blooded pull but managed to stop a boundary. Paul’s unbeaten 18 was a perfect foil for Shai Hope during their 71-run unbroken seventh-wicket that helped the visitors level the ODI series.”We definitely suffered due to the dropped catches especially when we dropped Paul twice,” the Bangladesh captain said. “If Kemar Roach had come to the crease, it would have been slightly more difficult for them to rotate the strike. [Rubel] did get hit for a six first ball but he came back in the last four balls. He created two chances, and if that catch was taken off his bowling, the last ball would have been a dot. These small moments give confidence to bowlers.”We had two fielders [Liton Das and Imrul Kayes] outside today. We had Ariful [Haque], our best fielder, when Imrul left the field. [Nazmul Islam] Apu is the quicker of the two. He was having trouble seeing the ball on that side, although you can’t give excuses at this level.”Nazmul wasn’t the only one to put down chances on Tuesday. Imrul Kayes dropped a sitter at short fine leg before Shimron Hetmyer had opened his account. While it didn’t really hurt Bangladesh at that stage, as Hetmyer fell a couple of overs later, it brought to attention their fielding mixed-bag during this ODI series.While Tamim Iqbal took one of the best catches of the year in the first ODI, Ariful Haque, Rubel Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim dropped catches. Darren Bravo was given reprieves on 13 and 18, after Ariful dropped a sitter at point while Mushfiqur was stretched by a chance that wicketkeepers usually want to take. Rubel dropped Rovman Powell’s skier off Shakib and although it didn’t affect the fielding side in terms of runs, the lapses brought unwanted focus on an area that has seen improvements in recent months.”You have seen the type of training we do. We do fielding drills every day, even on days when we don’t bat or bowl,” Mashrafe said. “But it is about confidence in the field. When you are uneasy dropping a catch, you tend to drop an easy one. It is totally about one’s mentality.”We missed a number of catches in these two matches, but we still want to move from this game with the positive things.”In the second ODI, Bangladesh were also slowed down by wickets right when they were looking to accelerate. Tamim and Mushfiqur fell in the space of a few overs after they had added 111 runs for the second wicket, and scored fifties. Mahmudullah fell in the 41st over, at the start of his favoured time in an innings. Shakib also fell three overs before the end.”We should have scored 15-20 runs more. We may have reached nearly 300 had Tamim and Mushfiqur batted longer. If the Shakib-Riyad partnership would have extended by 6-7 overs, we may have at least reached 270-280, which would have definitely helped the bowlers,” said Mashrafe.

A century stand from Yorkshire’s newly minted opening partnership began the long climb in pursuit of Surrey’s first-innings 592

Alan Gardner at The Kia Oval13-Sep-20171:36

The latest shifts of fortune encapsulated in our Specsavers Championship round-up

An autumnal chill blew through The Oval, even as the sun shone and the pitch played true. There are things still to be decided in the Championship but they will be decided in their own good time. As Somerset’s rally continued in the west country, Yorkshire fans may have begun to study the table in a little more detail – though they could take some solace from a century stand from their newly minted opening partnership as they began the long climb in pursuit of Surrey’s first-innings 592.It was May 2012 when Yorkshire last began an innings without one of Adam Lyth or Alex Lees taking guard (Joe Root and Joe Sayers, for the record). With Lees having dropped down to No. 3 in Yorkshire’s last outing and Lyth absent here due to the birth of his daughter, Tom Kohler-Cadmore was given the chance to step in alongside the experienced Australian Shaun Marsh. He duly compiled his first Championship half-century for Yorkshire since moving from Worcestershire in mid-summer.Kohler-Cadmore has already built a reputation as a buccaneering white-ball batsman but this was a different kind of test, one centring on how hard he could concentrate rather than how hard he can hit. Yorkshire must mount a substantial response if they are to avoid being dropped into the bottom two at the end of this round (Uxbridge’s poor drainage may also help in that regard) and a partnership of 162 between Kohler-Cadmore and Marsh provided something to keep out the cold.Although this was Kohler-Cadmore’s first innings as an opener in first-class cricket, it is a position he views himself as ready to fill. His only regret was in not being able to go out again and continue in the morning, after “slashing at a wide one” and being caught at point five overs from the close. “It’s something that I want to do and I’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity this week, with Adam having his baby girl,” he said. “So it was nice to get the nod and put a good stand on with Shaun.”I think a lot of people look at your red-ball stuff because they see white ball as kind of, well, the way I play, you come off or not. Whereas red ball, you have to really work hard, you can’t go out and try and hit every ball for four – though I’d like to. It’s about building your innings and setting up the game, which for us was getting to the close with as few wickets down as possible.”With England’s national selector, James Whitaker, watching on, it was a timely display of patience and technique from Kohler-Cadmore. There are a plethora of England squads to pick these days, including the Lions and Performance Programme, and Whitaker may have made a note in his black book. He would doubtless have enjoyed the performance of another young England candidate in the morning, too, as Ben Foakes recorded his first Championship hundred of the season.Kumar Sangakkara returned to inflict more pain•Getty Images

Foakes has been tipped as the likely understudy for Jonny Bairstow in England’s Ashes party and, with a first-class average above 40, he could also provide competition for a batting spot. A princely straight drive in the morning welcomed Tim Bresnan into the attack and he went on to complete a century that was both unobtrusive – a good quality for a wicketkeeper – and fluent, slipstreaming the outgoing great, Kumar Sangakkara, as Surrey piled up the runs.Being unobtrusive is more straightforward when Sangakkara is batting at the other end, of course. This was the seventh hundred of what is to be his final first-class season, as he popped back in from a few weeks at the Caribbean Premier League (where he was the second-leading scorer) to resume filling his Championship boots.For Surrey, the summer of Sanga has been both richly rewarding and slightly underwhelming. When they beat Warwickshire by an innings in the first round of the Championship (Sangakkara contributing a modest 71), Surrey were touted as potential champions. They have not won a four-day game since.That is reflective of Surrey’s bowling, more than anything else. Their two leading wicket-takers – Tom Curran (away with England) and Mark Footitt (who left in mid-season for Notts) – are not playing here and, as this match has so far showed, The Oval can produce surfaces that swiftly reduces an attack to a defence. This will be their tenth draw if they cannot convert scoreboard pressure into the currency of 20 wickets.Sangakkara, in his final first-class season, has done everything possible to leave Surrey fans wanting more. Yorkshire will probably be pleased to see the back of him, however. In three innings against them this season, Sangakkara has made scores of 121, 180 not out and 164. Those innings have come while facing three different coloured projectiles: pink, white and red. Yorkshire do not like to hand over candy so readily.His stand with Foakes yielded 258 as Yorkshire’s bowling creaked – at least until Jack Brooks produced some welcome zip during a four-wicket spell. That and the youthful promise of Kohler-Cadmore’s 78 just about kept the visitors from seizing up.It is barely 12 months since Yorkshire were battling out for a third title in succession, a three-way tug-of-war that also featured Middlesex and Somerset. Those three teams are now locked in a battle to avoid joining Warwickshire (most likely) in relegation to Division Two. Winter is coming for someone.

Mohammad Kaif, the former India batsman, will lead Ranji Trophy debutants Chhattisgarh in the 2016-17 domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2016Mohammad Kaif, the former India batsman, will lead Ranji Trophy debutants Chhattisgarh in the 2016-17 domestic season. The announcement was made by Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh at a press conference in Raipur, also attended by newly-appointed head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni.Kaif’s two-year contract with Andhra, which could have been extended by a year based on performance, wasn’t renewed after the 2015-16 season where the side finished bottom of their group to be relegated to Group C for the upcoming season. Kaif endured a lean season with the bat, scoring 330 runs in 13 innings at 27.50.Prior to his association with Andhra, Kaif, who played 13 Tests and 125 One-Day Internationals, was an integral part of the Uttar Pradesh set-up for close to a decade-and-a-half since making his first-class debut in 1997-98. He was instrumental in UP’s march to their maiden Ranji Trophy title in 2005-06, where they beat Bengal on the basis of a first-innings lead in Lucknow.Renowned for being a gritty batsman and an excellent fielder, Kaif has 9974 runs in 177 first-class matches at an average of 39.89.The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, which was an associate member of the BCCI, was elevated to full-member status after a special general meeting in February this year, paving the way for their Ranji Trophy debut in the forthcoming season. They will be the 28th team to feature in the tournament’s 83rd edition, and will be the tenth team in Group C.

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said the win in the first Test in Galle has helped his side regain confidence and got rid of the nervousness they felt ahead of the series

Umar Farooq in Colombo24-Jun-20151:24

We were nervous to begin with – Misbah

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said the win in the first Test in Galle has helped his side regain confidence and got rid of the nervousness they felt ahead of the series. He also said that offspinner Mohammad Hafeez, who was reported for a suspect action in the first Test, could still have a significant role to play in Colombo.”We got a lot of confidence from the first Test and we just want to carry that momentum in the second Test here,” Misbah said. “Every series and match is on a new day and you can’t just live in the past. From two years, we were playing good cricket but we haven’t been able to win here, so with the victory in Galle all the nervousness is gone.”You can’t just change many things in just two days but regardless of anything we all know that Sri Lanka is a tough competitor at their home ground and we are not taking them lightly. There is no sense of complacency at all and we can’t even afford that. We still have a winning spirit but at the same time we have to be wary about the opponent.”Misbah said it was frustrating to see Hafeez being reported yet again though he recently cleared his action. However, he will play in Colombo before being released for the third Test in Pallekele. “The good thing is he can still bowl in this Test match and that’s the plus for us, but it’s really disappointing that he just came after clearing his test and now is again on the radar.”I mean this will go on like that if we don’t have technology to assess the bowler’s action during the game as there would be a lot of ifs and buts in the bowler’s and the team’s mind questioning what’s going on. We are again relying on the naked eye so sometimes it could be frustrating for a player being called again. But Hafeez still has a role to play and we are looking forward to it.”Until the Galle Test, Pakistan’s last win in Sri Lanka was in 2006. Last year, Rangana Herath alone outclassed them. Pakistan, though, responded well against him in the previous Test, not only by giving him just one wicket but also scoring briskly against him. But Misbah said he knew Herath could be a threat and that his team will have to guard against complacency.”We have to respect him and everybody knows that he [Herath] is a top performer,” Misbah said. “He could be a threat, it’s a new game and we have to start over again, tackling him with a more focused technique. We know that we can’t take him for granted merely on the basis of the Galle Test so we have to be careful, as we know he is capable of making a strong comeback.”The pitch at the P Sara Stadium is one of the best pitches in South Asia in terms of obtaining results over the past 20 years. Each of the last eight Tests at the venue have led to results, and only one of the past 12 matches has ended in a draw. The pitch until the eve of Test had a lot of grass on the top, appearing supportive for the seamers but likely to offer turn for the spinners as the game progresses.Pakistan’s bowlers looked threatening in the first Test with Junaid Khan being the only weak link, but Misbah said he had no confusion with the make-up of his side ahead of the match.”I haven’t had a final look at the pitch. Yesterday it looked like a good pitch and we know that it helps the seamers but it also has something for the spinners as well. But let’s see how it goes and we will take a decision after giving a final look. But at the same time there is no confusion, we are very clear what we have to do.”There is always a surprise factor when a bowler plays for the first time against any opponent. This is exactly what happened in the first Test as both Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah were playing for the first time against Sri Lanka and that really made a difference.”Misbah paid tribute to his team-mate Younis Khan, who will play his 100th Test, in Colombo. “He is the backbone and a very special member of the Pakistan team. Playing 100 Tests is a huge achievement whoever you represent. He is a top batsman for Pakistan at the moment and brings a lot of value to the team. He brings a lot of good, positive energy and has given great performances for the country.”

It took England 55 minutes of intense drama but they achieved victory without major damage

The Report by Sidharth Monga09-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ian Bell saw England through after an early wobble•BCCI

It took England 55 minutes of intense drama but they achieved victory without major damage. They got the last Indian wicket for eight runs added to India’s overnight lead of 32, but their top order batted with a bit of complacence and a bit of nerves to be reduced to 8 for 3 before Ian Bell and Nick Compton eased the situation with sensible batting. This is the first time since 1999-2000 that India have been beaten in back-to-back home Tests.England began the day with a three-over old ball. R Ashwin, who batted well for his overnight 83, refused singles twice off the first four balls of the first over, bowled by Steve Finn, but when the field came up he pierced it for boundaries off the last two balls. James Anderson, though, tickled Pragyan Ojha’s off bail with the fourth ball he bowled.Ashwin came back to bowl his hat-trick ball, which Alastair Cook took a single off. However, in the same over, Cook tried to loft Ashwin over long-off and was stumped only for the second time in his career. Pragyan Ojha built pressure from the other end with maidens. He got Jonathan Trott plumb lbw with a ball that didn’t turn. Kevin Pietersen soon edged Ashwin to MS Dhoni, and the 33 remaining runs felt like 99.However, Ashwin released the pressure with a full toss – an attempted carrom ball – to Bell, who flicked it away for four through midwicket. How symbolic then that the lack of patience eased England’s nerves. Bell hit two more pretty boundaries, and Compton remained solid, showing no hurry whatsoever to get off the park. Along the way, the two ran well and exposed once again the poor fielding of the tired Indian players.Bell finished it off with a push to square leg, pumped the fist for a second, kicking off scenes of jubilation in the dressing room. The England players soon went on a victory lap to acknowledge the great support they get from their fans in foreign lands, and India were left with a lot of soul-searching.

The PCB coach hunt committee has decided on its choice for head coach and specialised coaches, but will make a formal announcement after the Bangladesh tour

Umar Farooq05-Dec-2011The PCB coach hunt committee has decided on its choice for head coach and specialised coaches, but will make a formal announcement after the Bangladesh tour, with the incumbent in place for next January’s series against England. Dav Whatmore is seen as the front-runner for the top job with Mohsin Khan, Aaqib Javed and Julien Fountain tipped to get the batting, bowling and fielding roles.Col Naushad Ali, a member of the committee and currently assistant manager of the national team, said the committee had made its decision. “The person we have picked as head coach is very well suited to Pakistan,” Ali said. “He is the one who suits the temperament of Pakistan cricket and [that] of its team.”Whatmore, currently coach of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, was linked with the post on an earlier occasion, when the PCB eventually picked Geoff Lawson. This time, his name is believed to be favoured by the committee members – Ali, Intikhab Alam, Zaheer Abbas and Ramiz Raja (though the last-named has been out of loop while on tour as a commentator).When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, Whatmore refused to shed any light on the issue. “I can’t say anything,” he said. “I am in no position to say anything.”The committee – which is believed to favour home-grown batting and bowling coaches, given Pakistan’s traditional strengths in those disciplines – is yet to conduct a formal interview with any of the candidates, but is understood to have been in touch through mail and phone. It is believed the PCB had set up a meeting between Alam and Whatmore under the Ijaz Butt regime but it was cancelled following the change in administration.The appointment of a coach will fill a slot that’s been lying vacant for the past five months, since Waqar Younis stepped down on health grounds. Mohsin Khan was named interim coach and it’s understood he wants to continue in some coaching capacity rather than return to a selectorial role.”I think I have done fairly a good job,” Khan told ESPNcricinfo last month. “I haven’t applied for the coaching job but if they [the PCB] ask me to carry on, I’d love to do so.”