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Tom Curran heard of his England call-up during a 4am trip to the bathroom, and now has a golden opportunity to stake his claim for the Champions Trophy

David Hopps in Dambulla28-Feb-2017Waking up before dawn with the memories of a last-session defeat in exhausting heat still fresh in the mind is not normally designed to bring on a feeling of ecstasy, but that is exactly what befell Tom Curran as he awoke from a disturbed night in the heart of Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle.What does any self-respecting young cricketer do at such an hour other than check his mobile phone, delayed perhaps only by a quick visit to the bathroom? When Curran did just that earlier today, it was to discover an email from England’s national selector, James Whitaker, and a call-up to England’s senior squad for the first time for their one-day tour of the Caribbean.A knee injury suffered by Jake Ball, the Nottinghamshire seamer, has given Curran, the senior of the two Surrey brothers, an opportunity that has come faster than he might have expected.Batsmen must observe England’s one-day riches and imagine it is long odds that they might force their way into the reckoning before England host the Champions Trophy in June. The composition of the bowling attack, however, is a different matter: Curran’s timing might just prove to have been perfect.He leaves the forthcoming England Lions’ one-day series against Sri Lanka A – five matches in which he had hoped to prove himself – without bowling a ball, but a couple of stalwart performances in a two-match four-day series, drawn 1-1, was enough to persuade the likes of England Lions’ coach Andy Flower and Whitaker’s fellow selector, Angus Fraser, to recommend his elevation to the senior squad.”I woke up about half past four and saw I had a message from James Whitaker on my phone,” said Curran. “I thought I’d give it a quick read and he’d be saying well done on the series – and I wasn’t thinking very clearly at that time in the morning. But then I saw the words ‘West Indies’ – and I was awake then to say the least.”I read it a few times, couldn’t quite come to grips with it, trying to pinch myself to wake up. Put it this way, I couldn’t get back to sleep. So thanks again for the message James!”Those who have followed the exciting development of the Curran brothers at Surrey – not only their skill but their game sense and love of the big occasion being central to the county’s growth – have already cottoned on to the fact that few Curran stories are complete without the involvement of the other: so is the case here.Curran has impressed on England Lions duty this winter•Getty ImagesThe first person Curran told in the flesh was his younger brother Sam, who is also on tour with the Lions. “I waited until 7 and he wasn’t very pleased to be woken up – it’s our first day off,” Tom said. “But he understood when I told him, and he was as excited as me.”Congratulations duly bestowed, Sam, whose time will come, had a chance instead to look at a ruined city or two.Barely a month had passed since the Lions’ media day at the national cricket centre in Loughborough where visiting journalists were amused to witness another Curran brother escapade with a mobile phone, this time involving Tom ticking off Sam for not giving him a promised lift after he had delayed overlong in the shower. Once again, he will travel separately from his brother, but this time full only of optimism.Sam’s precocity has meant that he has had the majority of the attention often lavished on talented younger brothers, but if Sam has been a sizzling stir-fry full of life and promise, Tom has been the long, slow roast, treasured for his traditional bowling virtues. It is worth remarking that even the Older One is still only 21.Curran claimed 10 wickets in the two four-day matches at an average of less than 19, including 4 for 38 to turn a heavy defeat into a nervy three-wicket near-miss in the second game in Dambulla on Monday when Sri Lanka A lost seven wickets while making 90 to square the series.That follows good performances when the Lions played the UAE and Afghanistan at the end of their training camp in Dubai before Christmas. He also stood out in his first winter away with the Lions in 2015-16, in both the T20s and the 50-over series against Pakistan A.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket – old-school stickler that he is – can barely pass a pair of pads without whitening them. It was Stewart who advised Curran to get down to the hairdressers to remove his man-bun before he became the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Player of the Year, on the grounds that he would not want to look back one day and regret it. Since then, his on-field displays have been the very essence of reliability. Stewart will be able to observe the photographs that will follow his call-up with a growing sense of pride.”I’ve felt in a good place with the ball over the last few months which is where you want to be – and to get a few wickets in the four-dayers,” Curran said.”It’s happened as quick as a text. I wasn’t expecting it straight after the four-dayers. It’s all pretty surreal right now. But I’m giddy, I can’t wait to get out there.”Curran left the Lions’ rural retreat to the north of Dambulla at lunchtime on a minibus bound for Colombo Airport. Considering the queues just down the road in Kurunegala, a notorious traffic blackspot since the rapid growth of Sri Lanka’s tourist industry and economy (never mind the official advice that he should arrive at the airport five hours before a flight because of runway resurfacing), it was a fair bet that his patience would be tested even before he began the exhausting round-the-world journey to catch up with his England team-mates in the Caribbean. After all that is over, he will be expected to hit a length without a second thought.He was accompanied by the four players who were selected for the two four-day matches against Sri Lanka A but not the five-match one-day series, which begins on Thursday – Haseeb Hameed, who is set to undergo a sinus operation; Tom Westley, the Essex batsman whose stock has risen here; Nick Gubbins and Jack Leach, who will return to Somerset for some meaningful conversations about a rebuilt action about which, his figures suggest, he is not yet entirely comfortable.There was to have been another player on that minibus, but Toby Roland-Jones will now stay with the Lions for the one-day series. When the tour began, as their selection indicated, England were yet to be persuaded by Roland-Jones’ limited-overs potential even though they were aware of his destructive batting talents in the lower middle order; a workmanlike seamer, he gave the impression of being too easy to measure up.Since then, Roland Jones has also been called into the South squad for the North-South one-day series in the Middle East as a replacement for the injured Matt Coles, meaning an extra fortnight in Sri Lanka followed by an unexpected week in the UAE.

ESPNcricinfo’s review of where the teams stand at the halfway stage of the IPL season, and what they must do moving forward to clinch a spot in the playoffs

Gaurav Sundararaman26-Apr-2017Mumbai Indians – 1st (12 points)Unlike the previous three seasons, Mumbai have started this season on a high, having won six of their first eight matches. They are sitting on top of the league and have identified their best XI fairly early – evident from the fact that they have made the fewest changes of all the teams. Mumbai have won their games mostly on the back of their Indian players – Rana and the Pandya brothers – with little dependence on overseas recruits.Impact PerformersNitish Rana- 266 runs at an average of 38.00 and two Man-of-the-Match awards.Kieron Pollard – 199 runs at an average of 28.42 while being part of match-winning partnerships against Lions and Royal Challengers.Area of ImprovementLasith Malinga’s form: 4 wickets and an economy rate of 10.93 – two of his worst T20 spells have come in his last two matchesPotential strategy changesBatting Order: Rohit Sharma to open, Jos Buttler to keep wicket, and Ambati Rayudu to replace Parthiv PatelOn a pacy Kolkata surface, Sunil Narine has played a huge role with the bat, if not with the ball•BCCIKolkata Knight Riders – 2nd (10 points)Similar to Mumbai, Knight Riders have started well, winning five out of their first seven games. They have managed to cover up Andre Russell’s absence with a new strategy of playing aggressive cricket in the Powerplay through Chris Lynn or, in his absence, Sunil Narine. Knight Riders have the best run rate in the Powerplay (10.16) this season and most of their wins have come courtesy tight bowling performances. It therefore makes sense that three of their bowlers have clinched Man-of-the-Match awards.Impact PerformersChris Lynn and Sunil Narine as openers – 244 runs at a strike-rate of 193.6.Nathan Coulter-Nile – 8 wickets from three gamesArea of ImprovementBatting at the death: The absence of a finisher could pose a challenge in the business end of the tournament. At the moment Knight Riders have the lowest run rate between overs 16 and 20, at 8.78.Potential strategy changesRole of the finisher: Firm up the role of the finisher with either Colin de Grandhomme or Rovman Powell (who has not yet played a game).Rashid Khan’s googlies lit up the tournament’s start•BCCISunrisers Hyderabad – 3rd (8 points)Sunrisers have had a slightly inconsistent season so far with four wins from seven matches. They have won all their home games but don’t have a single away win yet. With one of the best bowling units in the competition, Sunrisers are on track to make it to the top four. Their wins have largely been set up by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan.Impact PerformersBhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan- together they have picked up 60% of the team’s wickets and have conceded less than seven runs an over.Area of ImprovementMiddle-Order batting: Last season, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan scored more than 60% of the team’s runs. Sunrisers need to avoid this dependence on their openers and ensure the middle and lower order perform consistently. Sunrisers have already taken a step towards that by playing Kane Williamson in their last two games.Potential strategy changesIdentify a fixed bowling combination: Sunrisers are spoilt for choice with their pace-bowling options. It is important that they identify the right bowling combination to use in most of their games as the tournament progresses, reducing the dependence on Bhuvneshwar and Rashid.As the tournament has progressed, Ben Stokes’ impact for Rising Pune has grown with both bat and ball•BCCIRising Pune Supergiant – 4th (8 points)Rising Pune’s performance so far has been a surprise. Barring Imran Tahir, they possess an inexperienced bowling line-up. That being said, they have managed to string three wins against more fancied teams, which will augur well for them leading up to the second half of the tournament. Their marquee players Steven Smith, MS Dhoni and Ben Stokes have all won games with quality individual performances.Impact PerformersImran Tahir – 10 wickets at 8 runs per over. He has been instrumental in containing the batsmen in the middle overs where Rising Pune hold the best record among all teams (7.15 runs per over).Ben Stokes – Began the tournament poorly but has collected two Man-of-the-Match awards for his bowling efforts. With six wickets and 127 runs, Stokes would be looking to finish the tournament on a high.Area of ImprovementDeath Bowling: If Rising Pune wish to go all the way, they will have to ensure their bowling does not continue leaking runs at the death. They are the second-worst team in the last five overs this season, conceding 11.56 an over.Potential strategy changesBat Manoj Tiwary higher and fix their bowling combination: Tiwary has been in good form so far and has played some useful knocks this season. He has the best strike-rate (167.07) for Rising Pune but has faced only 82 balls. They also need to identify their best bowling combination, having played 13 bowlers so far in the tournament.Hashim Amla’s batting for Kings XI has had class written all over it•AFPKings XI Punjab – 5th (6 points)Like the past two seasons, Kings XI have not ended their first half on a high. They have three wins from seven matches and are yet to get their combination right. They have made changes in almost every game and have been poor with the ball. Punjab may lose the services of Eoin Morgan, David Miller and Amla over the course of the next two weeks and would be eyeing a strong finish to the season in a bid to qualify for the playoffs.Impact PerformersHashim Amla – Has scored 299 runs at an average of 59.80 and a strike rate of 145.85. He is the top run-getter for Kings XI this season and has helped them make good starts in the Powerplay.Area of ImprovementDeath Bowling: If Kings XI have to beat the in-form teams they will have to ensure their bowling does not continue leaking runs at the death. They have been the worst team in the death, conceding 11.62 an over and picking up only eight wickets.Potential strategy changesGlenn Maxwell could look to open once Amla leaves. Kings XI, meanwhile, could play T Natarajan regularly: Natarajan has played only three games so far and not bowled four overs in a game yet. Picked as a specialist death bowler, he has bowled only one over in that phase so far. Currently, he has the best economy rate among all Kings XI’s pace bowlers.RCB’s openers hold the key as they look to do the improbable – win all their remaining games to be assured of qualification•BCCIRoyal Challengers Bangalore – 6th (5 points)AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli have played together in only three out of seven games. They have shown glimpses of their potential in two games but haven’t been consistent. After their humiliating loss against Knight Riders and the washout against Sunrisers, it will be very difficult for Royal Challengers to come back this season. They need to win all their remaining games to have a chance of making the playoffs, and without de Villiers towards the end, it will take a number of individual performances for Royal Challengers to qualify.Impact PerformersYuzvendra Chahal – 10 wickets at 6.76. He has been Royal Challengers’ best bowler, bowling in tough periods and picking up important wickets.Area of ImprovementPowerplay batting: Royal Challengers have been very poor in the Powerplay overs, scoring 6.78 runs per over while other teams score at more than 9 per over. Chris Gayle has a dot-ball percentage of 60 in this phase, which is the highest for any opener this season.Potential strategy changesRoyal Challengers could look to replace Gayle with Travis Head or Shane Watson to help the team get faster startsRishabh Pant has been a revelation for Delhi Daredevils this season•BCCIDelhi Daredevils – 7th (4 points)Daredevils have arguably the best bowling combination in the tournament, which is evident from their numbers as well. Their bowling unit has the best economy rate as well as the best average this season. However, their inexperienced batting and poor decisions with batting positions have caused some close matches to slip from their grasp. They are most likely to lose the maximum number of players (Sam Billings, Chris Morris and Kagiso Rabada) to national duty in the coming weeks and it is vital they gain momentum with some key wins at home.Impact PerformersChris Morris – He has 126 runs at an average of 42 and a Strike rate of 175. He has also picked up 12 wickets at 6.90.Area of ImprovementBatting Order: Delhi need to figure out their best batting order as soon as possible. With an inexperienced batting line-up it is important they get the best players to face the most deliveries.Potential strategy changesShreyas Iyer to open and Ankit Bawne to replace Karun Nair – Bawne comes to the Daredevils squad after strong performances in the domestic T20 tournament while Nair has undergone a prolonged run of poor form. Iyer has been impressive in his limited outings.Basil Thampi’s pace has been impressive but Gujarat’s lack of wicket-taking bowlers have hurt them•BCCIGujarat Lions – 8th (4 points)Lions started the season with a beefed-up batting unit and were dependent on allrounder Dwayne Bravo to provide balance. However, Bravo’s absence has meant bowling at the death was always going to be a challenge. Lions have been dependent on their domestic Indian bowlers who have had an average outing, and have leaked runs at the death. Like Kings XI, they are yet to find their best combination. They have two wins from seven games, and need to win six more to be assured of playoff qualification.Impact PerformersBrendon McCullum – He has 264 runs at 37.71 with two fifties and has helped Gujarat get off to good starts.Area of ImprovementBatting Order: The presence of four high-quality overseas T20 openers in the squad has proved a challenge for the franchise. Two of them have had to play out of position and have not been the force they were expected to be. Gujarat have swapped the batting order many times but have still not found a stable combination.Potential strategy changesDwayne Smith and McCullum to open, and Dinesh Karthik to bat at No. 4: Karthik has come off a superb domestic T20 season but is not facing enough deliveries. He could be used ahead of Aaron Finch at No. 4 and Lions could use James Faulkner as their fourth overseas player instead.

Exactly four years after posting the highest score in IPL history, Royal Challengers slumped to a record low

Bharath Seervi23-Apr-201749 Royal Challengers Bangalore’s total – the lowest in IPL history. The previous lowest was by Rajasthan Royals, who were bowled out for 58 in the opening game of IPL 2009 in Cape Town. On this day four years ago, Royal Challengers recorded the highest IPL total – 263 against Pune Warriors, achieved on the back of Chris Gayle’s 175. Royal Challengers’ 49 is the tenth smallest total in all T20s.9.4 Overs in which Royal Challengers were bowled out – the second-shortest T20 innings. The previous shortest was Bangladesh club Mohammedan’s 42 all out in 8.4 overs in 2013. Mumbai Indians held the previous shortest IPL innings – 87 in 12.5 overs – against Kings XI Punjab in 2011.1 This is the first instance in the IPL where no batsman got into double digits. Kedar Jadhav top scored with nine for Royal Challengers.2 This was only the second occasion where all 20 wickets fell in an IPL match. The first was between Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals in Nagpur in 2010.5 Instances of all ten wickets taken by fast bowlers in an IPL innings. Those to have achieved this apart from Knight Riders are: Mumbai Indians (twice), Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.82 Knight Riders’ victory margin – the highest for a team defending less than 150 in the IPL.

The head coach has achieved much during his four years, but a difficult tour of England may not have done his chances of staying in the job any favours

Firdose Moonda at Old Trafford03-Aug-2017Russell Domingo will finally know what it feels like to be David Moyes. On Friday, Domingo will take charge of a team at Old Trafford, not the same one Manchester United plays at, but it’s close enough.Four years ago when Domingo, a massive Manchester United fan, took over from Gary Kirsten, he compared his situation to Moyes’, who had just taken over from Alex Ferguson. Though the South African cricket team cannot claim to have the same global fanbase as Manchester United, both Domingo and Moyes were succeeding legends. Kirsten had won the World Cup with India and taken South Africa to No.1 on the Test rankings, Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles with Manchester United. Neither were easy acts to follow.While Moyes signed a six-year contract with Manchester United in May 2013, Domingo signed a two-year deal to coach South Africa in July. By April 2014, Moyes had been sacked. He has since been fired from two other jobs. In that same time, Domingo has had three extensions, but questions over his suitability for the role have been endless.Many of doubts stem from knee-jerk reactions to Domingo’s almost non-existent playing career and can be ignored as hot air but some of them put the microscope on where he has taken the team and should be addressed.Let’s begin with the numbers. In four years under Domingo, South Africa have won eight out of 13 Test series, during which time they dropped from No.1 to No.7 and bounced back to No.2 in the Test rankings. In ODIS they have won 14 out of 22 ODI series, which included a stint at No.1 and a first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match. The T20 team have only claimed six out of 16 series but the overall win-loss record of 23 wins from 42 games is still above 50%.The numbers are sound but the context less so. In this time, South Africa’s unbeaten run on the road, which stretched back to 2006, was broken in India in 2015 and a global trophy still remains absent from their cupboard. Still, Domingo’s run can be considered a success, especially because a coach’s tenure is not judged on results alone. It is also about man-management.During Domingo’s early days, South African cricket went through its biggest transition in more than a decade. The retirement of Jacques Kallis six months into his tenure removed the most reliable name on the team-sheet and Graeme Smith’s stepping down three months after that meant Domingo had to fashion a completely new side.South African cricket had got used to one leader, suddenly they had three in Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis and it took another two years before they distilled that down to du Plessis as the most competent. As much as they lost experienced personnel, they found promising youngsters. Under Domingo, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada have emerged as some of the most exciting prospects of this era.At the same time, a transformation policy was enforced on the national team which stipulated that they should field a minimum average of six players of colour including two black Africans over the course of the season. Strictly speaking, the selectors would have had to manage this more than Domingo but he also has a say on the panel. In the first season after the implementation of the targets, the 2016-17 summer, South Africa exceeded their requirements and won every trophy available.How much longer? Russell Domingo will know his future after the Test series•Getty ImagesBroadly speaking, Domingo has ticked all the boxes which is why it seemed strange that CSA were seeking to replace him. Their announcement to advertise his post came during a match in January, in the midst of the South African resurgence, and was quickly explained as an exercise in corporate governance.Having had his deal extended three times, Domingo was not entitled to another automatic rollover and so certain procedures had to be followed. Domingo was welcome to be part of the process. But in the months that followed, there were whispers that Domingo wanted out and even that he was more interested in being involved in the less-pressurised environment of the A side. It was only before this Test series that Domingo confirmed he actually wanted to carry on.”I love my job and it’s exciting to work with this group of players because we are by no means the finished article,” Domingo said after The Oval Test. “If you were rocking up with Smith, Kallis, Steyn, Morkel, Philander, de Villiers, it probably gets easier. But here your work is cut out. You’ve got to juggle and sit around and try and find the right balance. We’re ranked number two in the world but we’re a long way from being the best team in the world. There’s still a lot in our game that we need to work on. That’s exciting because that’s what coaching and managing are about, finding the right pieces of the puzzle.”South Africa have been trying to complete the picture during this England series. For the first time in five years they changed the balance of the side from seven specialist batsmen, three seamers and a spinner to six batsmen, four seamers and a spinner. At Trent Bridge it worked. At The Oval, it didn’t.At Old Trafford, it may decide whether South Africa are able to square the series and so, it would seem to be crucial to Domingo’s future. But du Plessis does not see it that way. “I honestly think that this match will have no bearing on whether Russell will be reappointed or not. I think they probably would have made that decision even before these five days,” he said.”They,” is the CSA board who are still waiting on the word of the five-man panel appointed to recommend a candidate for the coaching position. The panel were originally supposed to reveal their choice on July 21 but that day CSA said they were “delayed” in their work. It is more likely that they were asked to delay their work, for the sake of not disrupting the ongoing series.On the panel is one Gary Kirsten, the Alex Ferguson to Domingo’s David Moyes. Like Ferguson, Kirsten has previously endorsed his successor and there is no reason to think he won’t do so again. But as Moyes found out, the blessing of a predecessor can quickly become meaningless if expectations are not being met. And even though Domingo has met several of his, his days in charge may end at Old Trafford next week.

“It’s funny. I was doing exactly the same thing last year” – playing mostly off the back foot – “but I was making runs, so my technique was ok then.”

Daniel Brettig in Melbourne22-Dec-20171:34

Handscomb understands WACA decision

Every summer it seems to be a different player. A member of the Australian team having his technique or leadership dissected in detail from commentary and press boxes around the country.The pattern has repeated for so long it is difficult to know exactly who it started with, though the end of the World Series Cricket split in 1979 brought greater focus than previously through the zooming cameras of Channel Nine. No-one has ever endured an ordeal quite so intense as Kim Hughes before his tearful resignation speech in 1984, in which he pointed out that “constant speculation, criticism and innuendo, by former players and sections of the media, have finally taken their toll…”More recent victims of what one News Corp correspondent memorably called “the blowtorch of introspection” have included Damien Martyn, Marcus North, Shaun Marsh and Ricky Ponting – Michael Hussey and Mark Taylor were two to survive it and return to full productivity. All take it slightly differently. Martyn chose to offer his middle finger to cameras in 2003-04, while Taylor was unfailingly frank and open in addressing his slump and his critics. For Ponting, the combination of speculation and self-imposed pressure created self-doubt he had never previously experienced. Retirement swiftly followed.Last summer, Joe Burns and Adam Voges were among numerous players in the firing line as Australia staggered through early season defeat to South Africa. In their places came Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb, the former being dropped even before this Ashes series began, and the latter now hanging in as part of the Test squad but no longer, as of Perth, a member of the XI.

It’s funny that. I was doing exactly the same thing last year but I was making runs, so my technique was ok then.Peter Handscomb

An amiable, grinning figure, Handscomb by his own admission carried a stressed visage through the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests, as his technical unorthodoxy ran headlong into the accurate examinations of James Anderson in particular. Spelled for Mitchell Marsh at the WACA Ground, he spent much of the week grooving his game in the nets against throw-downs, and also Jackson Bird, and has found questions over his method – going back where many move forward – to be multiplying.He noted, too, that the captain Steven Smith has done a pretty good job of making an unusual technique work for him, and most now look for keys to batting greatness where once they spied for weaknesses. “It’s funny that,” Handscomb said. “I was doing exactly the same thing last year but I was making runs, so my technique was ok then.”This year I’m doing the same thing but haven’t made the runs so all of a sudden my technique’s not good enough. It’s just funny how that can happen. Steve’s technique is not something you teach but it works for him, so I’m not worried about how my technique’s going, I just need to keep backing it in and I’m pretty confident I’ll make runs if selected. Up in Brisbane I was seeing them well and unfortunately just missed a ball on the stumps and then in Adelaide I was batting in two difficult periods, both at night, and the ball was doing plenty there.Australia batting coach Graeme Hick chats with Pete Handscomb at a training session•Getty Images”So I’m not too worried about how my technique’s going or anything like that, but in terms of the selectors’ decision it was purely because Mitch can bowl a few overs, and he did and he did it well. It’s amazing what can come out when you have one bad Test, albeit in tough conditions as well. I’m not really that worried about my game at the moment, I know how well I can play and I know how tough Test cricket is, so if I come back in at any stage, I’m pretty confident I’ll be able to make runs.”Nothing underlines Australian cricket’s current scheduling like the fact that Handscomb is now part of the squad as a spare batsman but not expected to play in Melbourne. Rather than send him to the Big Bash League where he would look to go on the attack for the Melbourne Stars, the selectors have deigned to keep Handscomb in “red-ball” mode, ready to step in should he be required. Past experience – Shaun Marsh in 2011-12 most infamously – counsel against pulling players directly from the BBL to play Tests.”You need to be there ready to go with your long format, your Test skills ready to go rather than going back and trying to slog the white ball around and potentially changing a few things in your game,” Handscomb, also an eminently capable substitute fielder, said. “It’s good to stay around the squad and make sure I’m ready to go if called upon. We’ve got the facilities for myself to keep practicing red-ball cricket and if I have to go back into T20s to play then that’s not an issue either.”I managed to get a hit in every day [in Perth], we’ve got a great support staff team there and they were willing to throw balls and whang balls for as long as I wanted. Jackson Bird was there as well having a bowl so I got to face a quality bowler as well. It was a slightly more relaxing week than usual, playing Test cricket can be quite stressful and just to have a week of training and making sure my batting’s up to scratch was nice, but I would’ve rather been stressed and playing the Test match than relaxed and not playing.”

You can understand it, it’s part of the game, but yeah it sucks having to sit on the sidelinesPeter Handscomb on the possibility of missing a Boxing Day Test at his homeground

Handscomb’s next opportunity to play a game, should he not be thrust back into the Australian XI on Boxing Day, would be a Stars fixture in Perth on the same day. Whether or not he takes part in that match remains to be seen, but either way the BBL means that he has only the chance to play only one Sheffield Shield match before a four-Test series in South Africa in February.Bird is the other reserve player in the squad, but every image of Mitchell Starc on crutches seems to edge the Tasmanian closer and closer to a first Test appearance since Boxing Day against Pakistan a year ago. While his inclusion would mean a significant drop in speed relative to Starc’s 150kph bullets, Handscomb noted that what Bird lost in velocity he gained in accuracy, bounce and subtle movement either way.”In the nets he was bowling really well over in Perth, swinging it, seaming and hitting his line and length, so if he does come in for this Test I’ve got no issues there, knowing he’ll come in and do what’s required. He’s just relentless on his mark. He’ll hit the top of off and he’s still got a very good bouncer in him as well. So if he comes in his skills are right up there and he’s shown that in Shield cricket.”As for the prospect of watching his home Test match while wearing a drinks runner’s bib rather than a batsman’s helmet, Handscomb retained his equanimity and honesty. “You can understand it, it’s part of the game, but yeah it sucks having to sit on the sidelines,” he said. “Still awesome to be part of the squad and moving into the Boxing Day Test is going to be good fun. It was a dream growing up to be a part of it, especially an Ashes one as well.”One advantage of being scrutinised like Handscomb at the relatively youthful age of 26 is there is plenty of time for him to return to the team and to his batting best, like Smith once did. In that way, at least, the “blowtorch of introspection” can shape as well as destroy.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan were Sunrisers’ two biggest threats on the night of the IPL final. Shane Watson saw them off and waded into the rest of their attack, validating CSK’s faith in his experience and know-how

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai28-May-20182:32

‘A lot of emotion in the franchise, a lot of desire’ – Fleming

In Royal Challengers Bangalore’s disastrous campaign last season, Shane Watson played eight matches and scored all of 71 runs. He bowled 26.5 overs for only five wickets and an economy rate of 9.13. He was about to turn 36 then and did not possess a fresh pair of legs, and it seemed only natural when RCB released him ahead of the 2018 auction.There were rumours that he was playing his last IPL, and he himself admitted, “there may be a time when, hopefully, I get a chance to coach somewhere, and it just takes over from my playing days,” at the end of the tournament.When his name came up in the auction with a base price of INR 1 crore, only Chennai Super Kings bid for him initially before Rajasthan Royals joined in. Whenever Royals raised their paddle, Stephen Fleming, the CSK coach, replied immediately with a bigger bid. What was he thinking? Why did he want an out-of-form 36-year-old?Fleming had done his homework. Watson had found some form at home, with 331 runs from 10 innings for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. Two half-centuries, a strike rate of 139, nothing extraordinary. Fleming explained at the press conference after winning his third IPL title with CSK that he kept a close eye on Watson and had “no doubt” the allrounder would do well. CSK bought him for INR 4 crore.”When you look at his season with RCB, he was in and out, and he batted at No. 4,” Fleming said. “I also watched him closely at the Big Bash and there were signs that he was in good form. Certainly, every team that I have come up against, he seems in good form, so the best way to get rid of him is to buy him. I had no doubt he was going to make an impact. Fitness was an issue as it is a long tournament, but he is more professional than even I thought. He is a bit broken now. [His] bowling, we didn’t have to use much but he has got through with one of his greatest performances.”In the UAE a month after the auction, Watson finished as the fifth-highest run-getter in the Pakistan Super League with similar numbers to the BBL: 319 runs from 10 innings, two half-centuries and a strike rate of 135.With those numbers behind him, Watson got his “favourite” position in the line-up, in the IPL – the opening slot. He first showed against Rajasthan Royals what kind of damage he could inflict from there: a 51-ball century.On Sunday, in the IPL final, he was coming off a duck against the same opponents they were meeting in the final, Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was toying with him again, and it seemed as if Watson had no clue what was happening. The ball was bouncing, swinging both ways, and Bhuvneshwar was making it do whatever he wanted, at speeds in the mid-130s. Fleming admitted later CSK were “lucky” Watson didn’t lose his wicket.”Yeah, it was a good struggle, wasn’t it?” Fleming said. “The opening spell was, I thought, outstanding from SRH. He might’ve been none off 10 balls. It was a real battle in the first four or five overs. It was a great final in that sense. Shane gradually found a bit of range and rhythm. The boundaries aren’t too big for the big hitters like Watson, Brathwaite and Dhoni. He kept patience – again, that was experience – didn’t give it away. He knew his power game would get the team out of trouble, and it did in spectacular fashion. He got his second hundred of the tournament, he’s got over 500 runs. He has been a star performer for us.”BCCIWhen Watson was on 0 off 10 in the fourth over, Sunrisers fans could have made memes already of how Watson was going to cost his team the match, and the trophy. CSK were chasing 179 against the best attack in the tournament on the biggest stage. In Bhuvneshwar’s third over on the trot, Watson and Suresh Raina took four singles. Watson’s first job was done – to act like a sponge, absorb all the threats Sunrisers’ attack was posing, and not give a wicket to Bhuvneshwar. As soon as he was out of the attack, Watson changed gears, smacking a short and slow delivery in the last Powerplay over from Sandeep Sharma over deep midwicket for six. He must have expected the delivery next; he stood still, let the ball come to him, and drilled it back for four.Kane Williamson brought on Siddarth Kaul, Sunrisers’ best fast bowler this season, but he turned out to be a different bowler on Sunday night. He was bowling short, down the leg side, and into Watson’s pads. Watson can flick those away even in his sleep. The result – 16 off the over. All the pressure Watson had absorbed was now being transferred back onto Sunrisers.Williamson now brought on Rashid Khan. As with Bhuvneshwar, all CSK wanted was to not give him wickets. In his first two overs, Watson nudged him into the leg side whenever he spotted a googly and Suresh Raina kept dabbing him to midwicket one ball after another.Fleming explained later that having a strategy against Rashid was a “key focus” to win the final. “[Facing] Rashid Khan was a definite plan,” he said. “We actually have played him quite well, we’ve been more positive in the past, but we were afforded the luxury through Shane’s hitting of being more conservative, even playing out a maiden. At that point in time, we had really nullified his impact and that was a key focus for our tactics to win the final, and we did that well.”By seeing off Rashid’s first two overs without much fuss, the Watson sponge had done its job again. When Sandeep got the ball again, the Watson sponge became the Watson bludgeon again. In the 13th over, Sandeep kept missing his yorkers and Watson kept clubbing them. A drive over wide mid-off for four, three consecutive sixes off misdirected deliveries, and a four off the last ball, expertly guided between backward point and short third man, gave CSK 27 runs from the over. It brought the equation down to 48 runs from 42 balls, which ended the match right there. Rashid still had two overs left and Bhuvneshwar one, and they would bowl them with CSK facing no scoreboard pressure.In Rashid’s last over, Watson completed his hundred and stood still at the non-striker’s end while facing his team’s dugout, with a beaming smile and arms aloft. In the 19th over, Ambati Rayudu hit the winning runs and Watson ambled across the pitch to embrace his partner. His back was to the dugout, so he didn’t realise that a swarm of his team-mates was running towards him. Rayudu quietly slipped away, allowing them to clamber all over Watson.If this team management had not stood behind Watson when he was being written off, he wouldn’t have scored two centuries this season. And if Watson had not shown his patience and experience on Sunday, who knows how CSK would have handled the pressure on this big night.

After getting trolled on social media, being criticised over picking too many 30-plus players, losing out on home advantage and more, CSK have made it to yet another IPL final

Deivarayan Muthu26-May-20181:05

CSK’s journey studded with individual brilliance

First they were trolled on social media for picking a squad with an average age of 33 after the first day of the auction. Then they surprised everyone by scooping eight uncapped players on the second day. Then they had their home advantage snatched away. Then their slow-moving legs came into the spotlight. Two of their key players – Mitchell Santner and Kedar Jadhav – were then sidelined from the tournament. How did Chennai Super Kings even make the final of IPL 2018? ESPNcricinfo looks at the key factors behind their rather unexpected surge this season.Dad’s Army, really?Having picked 11 players over 30 in their roster, fielding was always going to be a bugbear for CSK. In their first match of the season against Mumbai Indians, they posted Mark Wood at backward point and later in the qualifier they had Harbhajan Singh at that position. CSK’s ground fielding was full of bloopers, but they have tried to cover up for that with their catching. Having taken 82.7% of catches in the league stage, CSK are among the best catching sides this season. Only Mumbai have fared better.

They’re 35-36, not 55-56. A massive amount has been made of it. I’m here to win the competition for the franchise. And that’s why we value experience because we think it gives us the best chance… Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson and MS Dhoni all these guys still have a lot of cricket left to playStephen Fleming on CSK’s ageing squad

CSK have managed to hang on to the pressure catches. For example, when Sunrisers Hyderabad needed 33 off 13 balls in Hyderabad, CSK’s gun fielder Ravindra Jadeja swooped in from long-on, dived forward, and dismissed Kane Williamson for 84 to tilt the match in CSK’s favour. More recently in the qualifier, Dwayne Bravo tumbled in his follow through to pluck a spectacular return catch and remove Yusuf Pathan. And the experienced players have also rolled out clutch performances with the bat.Rayudu’s hot streak
Setting the pace at the top: check. Anchoring the innings in the middle: check. Teeing off at the end: check. Having his CSK team-mate Wood and the Durham dressing room singing, “I just can’t get enough of Du Du Du Du Du Du…Ambati Rayudu”: check.Do you remember that Rayudu was Suresh Raina’s captain in the Under-19 World Cup in 2004? Raina then went on to play two senior World Cups and established himself as CSK’s MVP. Fourteen years later, Rayudu has become the new MVP for the franchise with his most prolific IPL season: 586 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 153. What has been special about Rayudu is that he has converted even good balls into boundary balls with his nifty footwork. He has stepped down the track to 50 balls this season and has hit 133 runs without being dismissed.

I rate him very highly as he can play fast bowlers and spinners very well. He is someone who doesn’t look like a big hitter but almost clears the field every time he plays the big shot.MS Dhoni endorses Ambati Rayudu’s big hitting

Watson’s second wind
In Shane Watson’s own words: “2017 was his worst IPL” and he wasn’t quite sure if he would be back in 2018. Sure, he found some form in the Big Bash League (331 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 139.07) and the subsequent Pakistan Super League (319 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 135.16), but there were still questions over whether he still had it. Stephen Fleming, however, relentlessly kept bidding for the Australian allrounder at the auction and ultimately bought him for four times his base price of INR 1 crore. And Watson has repaid the faith, featuring in all but one match for CSK this season, scoring 438 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 145.03. He had single-handedly won the game for CSK against his former franchise Rajasthan Royals in Pune with a 51-ball century.Signs of vintage Dhoni?
In 2017, MS Dhoni had a dot-ball percentage of 46.4; this season it has dropped to 36.4. More importantly, he’s the top-scorer in the death overs this season with 297 runs off 148 balls, including 24 sixes and 16 fours, at an average of nearly 100. The power game that seemed to be fading resurfaced against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Dhoni helped CSK pillage 71 off the last five overs. Having made 455 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 150.66, Dhoni is now just seven runs away from his most prolific IPL season.

We haven’t seen it [Dhoni at his best] as much, the gaps between [such] innings have been bigger, but in this IPL his batting has been excellent, and the innings was one of the best ones I’ve ever seen.Fleming on Dhoni’s unbeaten 70 off 34 balls in Bengaluru

Chahar: swinging ’em with ball and bat
Who’d have thought Deepak Chahar would start the season ahead of an India international in Shardul Thakur? Who’d have thought Chahar would become Dhoni’s go-to bowler? Who’d have thought Chahar would be the second-highest wicket-taker in Powerplays with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.33? If not for a hamstring injury, Chahar could have caught up with Umesh Yadav’s chart-topping tally of 14 wickets in the first six overs. Who’d have thought Chahar’s batting contribution would help CSK secure a top-two finish in the league phase?With his ability to swing the ball both ways and often get it to skid off the pitch, Chahar has grown to become the leader of the CSK pack. His smooth swings with the bat, meanwhile, have added more depth to a line-up that is yet to be bowled out this season.

Deepak Chahar is not a slogger like most think. He is a talented batsman capable of surprising the best of the bowlers in the #IPL18.Chahar’s first Ranji Trophy captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar on his batting, on Twitter

‘The luxury spot’
At the auction, CSK packed their side with spin and were ready to unleash them at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Their plans were later thwarted when they were forced to shift base to the MCA Stadium in Pune, which does not offer as much assistance to spin. So, one spot became a “luxury”, as Dhoni puts it.

There is a luxury spot in this team, sometimes on good day a bowler bowls three overs and if possible four, sometimes he doesn’t bowl. We have Bravo at the end [overs] but he doesn’t need to bowl four overs always as wellDhoni on the ‘luxury spot’

Ravindra Jadeja had bowled just 24 balls in CSK’s first four games put together. Some even joked that he was playing as a specialist fielder. Karn Sharma did not bowl against Delhi Daredevils in Pune and bowled only one over each against Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. In CSK’s most recent game against Sunrisers, Harbhajan did not bowl a ball at the Wankhade Stadium. A surfeit of options offered CSK a safety net and allowed them to identify their best combination ahead of the playoffs.

In the space of just 13 months, Khawaja has firmly overcome his problems against spin, an issue that had earlier seen him lose his place in the Test side

Daniel Brettig in Dubai10-Oct-2018Dhaka, August 2017. Usman Khawaja walks out to bat at the fall of David Warner’s wicket for his first Test match in Asia since being dropped for the earlier India tour. To his first ball, from Mehidy Hasan, he skips down the track and rushes a single. To his second, from Shakib Al Hasan, he leads with his front pad, not offering a shot, and for reasons without fathom charges down the pitch for a non-existent run. The innings ends with a frantic dive and a nonsensical run-out, the match with Australian defeat.Dubai, October 2018. Khawaja opens the second innings with Aaron Finch, having made a composed 85 in the first. For the start of the second over he faces Mohammad Hafeez, a master of the sliding new-ball offspinning delivery that whirs in to hit front pads for lbws. Faced by spin for the start of an innings, Khawaja steadfastly refuses to give Hafeez what he wants, leaning onto his back foot to cover up against balls he would once have met coming forward. One ball keeps slightly low and hits the toe of the bat, another turns a little and skitters along the ground to slip. Not pretty but pretty effective: Hafeez is withdrawn after two overs and does not return.

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Virtually from the start of his first-class career, and certainly from the moment of his first Test innings, Khawaja has been a much-admired batsman, blessed with elegance, patience and all the shots. From those same points, however, he has been seen as a batsman susceptible to quality spin bowling, somewhat surprisingly for someone who played so many of his formative innings for New South Wales at the SCG. On his 2011 debut, he was dismissed by Graeme Swann – top-edging a sweep – and later that same year he looked ponderous against the turning ball in Sri Lanka.Two years later in India he was a reserve batsman on Australia’s tour of India, and one of the four suspended due to the homework affair that led to Mickey Arthur’s sacking as coach. Recalled in England, Khawaja struggled once again against Swann, and found himself dispensed with by the new coach Darren Lehmann as he sought to pack Australia’s top six with right-handers. A recall and regeneration followed in 2015-16, albeit on familiar surfaces against minimal spin, and more troubles in Sri Lanka had him dropped a second time, and after the home summer he found himself running drinks in India.’Nice to have more Test runs than catches’ – Head

Across a nine-ball duck in the first innings and 12 without scoring the second, Travis Head epitomised the nerves of any Test debutant, particularly one for Australia in decidedly foreign conditions.
He drove indecisively at a Bilal Asif ball in the rough for a first-up duck, and after missing a ball on his hip in the second, was momentarily wondering whether a second-innings catch would be his only scoreboard contribution. But eventually a single came, and there were more runs to follow as he built a bridgehead with Usman Khawaja.
“I didn’t play to my strengths yesterday, I was probably a little bit too defensive,” Head said. “I’ve worked extremely hard on my forward defence and I was very eager to get out there, get in there and grind it out. But if the ball is there to be hit, you hit it. That’s what I got taught and that’s how I play my best. Today I was very sharp on [Bilal’s] length. Yesterday I played to his strengths and let him bowl to me. Today I was able to … if he bowled a bad ball I was able to at least get off strike.
“It was nice relief. I missed out on the first ball of the day, I got one on my hip. It’s always nice to get off them (a pair). It’s one of them things. I missed out on a chance in the first innings and I was pretty disappointed I didn’t get my innings going but I was nice and sharp today, got off the mark. It’s nice to have more runs than catches in Test cricket.”

So when the Bangladesh sequence took place, followed by a top-edged sweep and another brief stay in the second innings, Khawaja was dropped a fourth time for issues related to how he played spin bowling, and went on to criticise Australia’s selection policy in an interview with the : “They never used to do it before, I’m not really sure why they do it now. It creates a lot of instability in the team I reckon, going in and out for everyone.”You hear things like ‘the players are playing afraid’ or whatnot, but that’s what happens when you drop players all the time. We’ve been doing that a fair bit lately. I know as captain of Queensland I try and avoid that as much as possible; players I pick in the first game, I try to stick with them as long as possible, because they’ll always be the best players on the park.”For some reason it seems like lately in Australia that the best players always seem to be the next guy in, which I don’t totally agree with. [It is] very hard to develop your game and play some consistent cricket if you’re not getting consistent opportunities overseas, which I haven’t been getting. It’s frustrating but I’ve just got to focus on what’s in front of me.”These comments were not well received, and nor was Khawaja happy with the fact they were reported upon. The spin question was again placed on hold at home, where Khawaja prospered in the Ashes, and away, where the ball-tampering scandal of South Africa left the question of Khawaja’s tenure somewhat in the background. But when Steven Smith and Warner were suspended for a year each for the events of Newlands, Khawaja suddenly became Australia’s senior batsman, with a tour of the UAE looming.What happened next reflected the fact that Khawaja, at the age of 31, either sensed an opportunity or was made very aware of one by the new coach Justin Langer. Training intensively on his own and making this known on social media, Khawaja shedded no fewer than 7kg in a year that also featured a stint with Glamorgan. Selection for the Australia A tour of India provided another chance to play and demonstrate improvement against spin, something he did with a fluent century in the first unofficial Test – a score that sewed up his spot in the team to face Pakistan.But for all of that, the question of performance against the spinning ball still remained. What Khawaja has unveiled over two innings is a method now featuring distinctly different and thoughtful methods against all the types of spin he has faced. To Yasir Shah, he has used his feet to try to smother the spin, and made liberal use of both orthodox and reverse sweeps. To Bilal Asif, he has been decisive in getting forward or going back, with the exception of that one misread delivery in the first innings the reaped a half sweep-half pull and a top edge to short leg. And to Hafeez, he made sure to watch the ball intently, not propping forward and losing it as he had done in the past to the likes of Swann and Moeen Ali.Usman Khawaja countered Yasir Shah’s threat by reverse sweeping•Getty ImagesIn this decisiveness and precision, Khawaja has recalled nothing so much as the following advice from Ricky Ponting, who went on a similarly lengthy and painful journey to handling the spinning ball. “It was all about not getting trapped to good-length balls,” Ponting said in 2013. “Not trying to predict where the ball was going to spin to. It was about trying to hit it before it spun or [well] after it spun, and that’s what the good Indian players always did.”If you watched the way [Mohammed Azharuddin] played, he was always out in front, flicking his wrists, and for us that was so foreign,” Ponting said. “[MS] Dhoni does it really well as well. He’s not actually a great player of spin bowling but he’s got the technique there where they work the ball around and never get caught at bat-pad or done on length. When we go there we always get caught at bat-pad because we’re predicting where the ball is going to go.”But yeah, I first heard it from [Azharuddin], he talked about getting to it on the half-volley before it has the chance to spin or get back in your crease and wait for it fully spin and play it from there. It sounds pretty easy but it’s difficult to do in the heat of battle against good quality spin bowling. But the technique makes a lot of sense.”Alongside Shaun Marsh, Travis Head and Matt Renshaw, Khawaja joined Ponting’s close friend Langer as the Australia coach delivered an impromptu tutorial on the third evening. As revealed by Head, who showed evidence of his own development across the course of two innings, Khawaja became not only Australia’s top scorer but the example for the rest of the left-handed quartet to follow in the rest of their innings on this trip.”We just spoke with Usman,” Head said. “He played beautifully, and it was a lot about realising the work we’ve done over the last month, backing our plans, backing the way we’ve been playing and training extremely well. It was just to go out there, stay nice and relaxed, have a look at the wicket and talk about a few ideas and strategies Usman employed, and different guys have got different ways of going about it.”So it was about staying calm, enjoying the challenge, and going out there and being nice and relaxed and calm, being brave and backing your ability. Different guys have different ways of going about it, my way’s different to Usman, who swept really well, I’m trying to be as sharp as I can with my footwork, forward and back, and just making sure we have a clear plan and backing that plan.”Khawaja, then, has proven himself among the first beneficiaries of Langer’s arrival. Given the decidedly slim batting stocks that surround him – epitomised by Mitchell Marsh’s elevation to as high as No. 4 in Australia’s Test batting order – an enormous amount rests upon Khawaja being able to repeat the composure and sound planning evident in Dubai, where he has thoroughly shaken off the sense of confusion that seemed to have enveloped him so much in Dhaka little more than a year ago.

He arrived in New Zealand 10 years ago with one suitcase, not knowing if he had a future in cricket. Now, he’s the fifth best Test bowler

Mohammad Isam in Christchurch14-Mar-2019It’s the third morning – the first of the Wellington Test after two washed out days – and New Zealand have opened up the game. The ball pops in the air. Neil Wagner runs towards the catcher. Other fielders converge too. New Zealand begin celebrating Tamim Iqbal’s wicket. Wagner’s short-ball trick has had a role to play; the form batsman is out for 74.Wagner’s clenched fists punch the air upwards and his face goes all red. The idea of forcing a batsman, literally willing him into a pull or a hook shot that doesn’t go well, or making him fend to a catcher nearby, looks thrilling from far away. It must be exciting from the inside too.Wagner finishes the Wellington Test with career-best match figures of 9 for 83 to help his side burst to a big win within two and a half days effectively. He stands on 16 wickets in the Test series, 15 of which have come courtesy the short ball. Wagner has pitched it short for 82.43 per cent of the times he has bowled in the series, which is a whopping 258 out of 313 balls.Wagner will tell you that there’s nothing better than seeing the stumps blown away, or hitting the batsman’s pad for a big appeal, but he enjoys how the whole team comes together to give him his wickets.”You are gonna laugh about this but there’s nothing better for me than bowling someone out, or even getting them lbw,” Wagner tells ESPNcricinfo. “If you can beat the bat and question it, then you have done something special. My way of getting my wickets is a lot different. One thing, I do like the way I get my wickets, it is very team related, and brings the team together. The guys have to take the catches, so I feel I am part of a unit, rather than just a bowler doing individual skill.”New Zealand moving to No. 2 in the ICC’s Test rankings is just reward for a side that has thrived in difficult circumstances. Wagner is one of their several match-winners who has given them that opening in Tests that shifts the game rapidly. Wagner is now ranked No. 5 among Test bowlers, the third-highest rating of all time among New Zealand bowlers.

“The first year I arrived in Dunedin, I was questioning and wondering if I will be able to do it. How I will be able to do it? It was very cold and I had one suitcase. I had to try to set up a living for myself.”

For Wagner this doesn’t matter, it is more about playing with friends. This has been the New Zealand cricket story in recent times – a group of cricketers pushing themselves for the team’s cause, and giving friendship far greater importance. Wagner says that while his teammates keep him in good spirits as he keeps pounding in bouncers over after over, the bowlers at the other end also do the tough work of bowling into the wind just to give him the relief.”It is an absolute pleasure to play with these guys,” he says. “The way I bowl, it takes a toll on your body. It does get sore. It can be quite tough but you are doing it for your mates, people that you are really good friends with. It makes you feel like pushing the barriers.”We are good mates on and off the field. I try to fit into what I can do the best. They have also done a lot for me. The number of overs they have had to bowl in the wind, for me to strike and for them to bowl without any luck, goes a long way. We enjoy each other’s success. It makes you feel part of something really special.”Getty ImagesWagner has certainly come a long way, since arriving in cold Dunedin with little means almost a decade ago. After getting positive feedback from some of the Canterbury players, Wagner decided that New Zealand was going to be where he tried his luck, after struggling through South Africa’s quota system. Wagner hasn’t forgotten those who helped him in those early days in the country.”I have never looked back ever since, to be honest,” he reflect. “It is probably the best move I have ever made. The first year I arrived in Dunedin, I was questioning and wondering if I will be able to do it. How I will be able to do it? It was very cold and I had one suitcase. I had to try to set up a living for myself.”It was tough going, but I was lucky to have a very good group of people in Otago cricket around me. They helped me a lot to become the player I am today. I am grateful to New Zealand cricket to give me the opportunity to live out my dream. As much as I have said that I want to play the World Cup, Test cricket has always been the pinnacle for me.”While he’s now an established member of the Test side, the ODI dream keeps asking him for more. He missed the 2015 bus, and is likely to miss the upcoming World Cup as well. Wagner doesn’t regret not playing the shorter format, and that is because he understands his bowling style is unique and requires him to condition himself differently. He isn’t giving up, however.”I haven’t given up on it but I also don’t want to make it a focus,” he says. “In the past I used to have goals to want to really play ODIs and T20s for New Zealand, hopefully be part of a World Cup squad. It was my biggest dream. I have never really got close to it. Once I set my heart on a thing, it become too much of a focus. It became about me, rather than what I can do for the team.”When I started to play, I tried to be a very good swing bowler if not the best, but there were people who were lot better than me doing this job, and way more consistent. So I tried to complement them, and tried to be as good as I could be, to make them successful.”I feel that one day one guy gets the reward, the next day the next guy gets it. As a team we fight as a pack, and although one guy might get the accolade, you still play your role, and play your part for that guy to be successful on the day.”He is the perfect foil for the subtle variations of Tim Southee and Trent Boult, and the three-man attack has been key to New Zealand’s success, particularly in the last three years. Wagner meanwhile wants to “keep doing his job”, which is actually a formal way of saying that he wants to make batsmen jump around to his tune, as he softens them to take their wickets. That’s his job, and whether anyone likes him for it or not, Wagner is certainly a spectacle. Cricket as it should be.

Rubel Hossain’s famous four-for in Adelaide in the last World Cup remains his most memorable performance. He will look to change that in England

Mohammad Isam02-Jun-20192:25

Rubel sends England packing

Rubel Hossain was all the rage four years ago. His head-spinning move from Dhaka’s central jail to the cauldron of a World Cup match occurred in a matter of weeks, and he became the hero of Bangladesh’s historic win over England, which took them to their maiden World Cup quarter-final.While the entire country danced to the tune of Rubel’s last two wickets against England that day in Adelaide, and his real-life turnaround caught the imagination of an already excitable cricket nation, the performance didn’t quite transform his life.His 4 for 53 lives on in highlights montages, but despite having over ten years’ experience in international cricket, Rubel will play a much smaller role for Bangladesh in this World Cup. In all likelihood, 22-year-old fast-bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin will be preferred over Rubel in their opening game, against South Africa. Saifuddin is a more accomplished batsman and has also carved out a spot as a death bowler.ALSO READ: Bangladesh’s selection issues: Rubel or Saifuddin, or both?Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza considers Rubel a dependable bowler, mainly due to his ability with the old ball mid-innings and for being reliable in the death overs, but it’s a fact that he hasn’t lived up to his potential in international cricket. His Test bowling average is the worst among those who have bowled at least 3000 deliveries. And in ODIs, since the end of the 2015 World Cup, he has taken 46 wickets at an average of 33.23 from 36 innings.Rubel has never appeared as confident as many of his other more celebrated and successful team-mates even though he has starred in some of Bangladesh’s iconic wins – against Sri Lanka on debut in 2009, New Zealand in 2010 and 2013 (where he took a career-best six-for), and of course, the 2015 World Cup win in Adelaide.After his 6 for 26 against New Zealand, which contained a hat-trick, his captain at the time, Mushfiqur Rahim, said that it was the first time Rubel had used his head. What Mushfiqur meant was that Rubel had finally shouldered the responsibility of being a leader of the attack after four years of international cricket. Bangladesh fans will be quick to point to the lows too – when Muttiah Muralitharan smashed him in a tri-series final ten years ago; and the Nidahas T20 Trophy final, when Rubel, having bowled so well earlier in the game, and through the tournament, ran into a rampant Dinesh Karthik.”It is important to keep cool while bowling. One or two boundaries can rattle bowlers but it is necessary to think clearly and finish the over properly”•Getty Images”I consider myself a positive person, so I don’t let bad thoughts take control,” Rubel says. “After I have bowled a couple of deliveries to my liking – where the ball has pitched where I intended it to, and it goes through quickly – then I try to build a rhythm.”The Adelaide spell was a great moment in my career. In English conditions, I will keep that performance in mind. We usually go through footage before every tournament, but I will definitely review my good performances. My preparation will reflect the positivity I gain from remembering some of my best performances.”While great spells from him have been sporadic, Rubel’s main role, of bowling in the death overs, has been a constant in the Bangladesh bowling set-up. He is among the top three-wicket takers in the last five overs for Bangladesh. Rubel and Mustafizur Rahman have formed a partnership since 2018 and have done well at home against Sri Lanka as well as in the West Indies, where Bangladesh won the ODI series in July last year.”Bowling in the slog overs is getting harder,” Rubel says. “Batsmen are targeting boundaries every ball. It is important to keep my cool, read the batsman and bowl. Right execution brings success, and I am working on it in training.ALSO READ: Mohammad Isam picks Bangladesh’s all-time World Cup XI”We know that conditions in England now allow teams to reach 400 runs at times. It is important to keep cool while bowling. One or two boundaries can rattle bowlers but it is necessary to think clearly and finish the over properly. It is a batsmen’s game, so the bowlers have a battle in their hands.”Rubel won’t be a front-line option for Bangladesh in the World Cup. Over the last four years he just hasn’t bowled as well as the team’s second-most experienced pace bowler ought to have done. He will need to tap into his big-match temperament and remember that one great spell isn’t going to give him a regular place in the Bangladesh team.