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We keep track of how counties are dealing with delays to the start of the English season

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2020

Derbyshire

Players and the majority of non-playing staff have been furloughed. “We have a highly-valued network of staff across the club and this programme will allow us to protect jobs and plan for long-term sustainability,” said chief executive Ryan Duckett.”We will continue to proactively prepare for a return to cricket once it is safe to do so and I would like to thank all players, staff, supporters and stakeholders for their ongoing support and understanding.”Australia pair Sean Abbott and Ben McDermott will not now be contracted for 2020, with their signings deferred by a year.Head coach Dave Houghton is currently with his family in Zimbabwe.

Durham

Players and staff have been placed on furlough, though the club will top up salaries to ensure everyone receives full pay.CEO Tim Bostock thinks that bigger counties are more likely to suffer significantly as a result of the crisis due to the fact a lower percentage of their income comes from the ECB, with events, conferences and hotels all contributing significantly in a typical year.”They’ve got businesses that rely on income outside of ECB regular monthly funding – particularly I can think of Lancashire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire, the Ageas Bowl,” Bostock told talkSPORT. “They’ve done the right thing, they’ve diversified so that they can survive without ECB income, but what that has meant is… that has fallen off the edge of a cliff through no fault of their own. That is a major challenge.”A club like Durham – a larger percentage of our income comes from the guaranteed ECB income as a result of the new television deal, and therefore we are much less exposed. I can confidently say that what’s coming in is more than what’s going out.”Bostock told the it was unlikely that Cameron Bancroft would join the club this year, but said that he would be given “first option” as their overseas player in 2021.

Essex

The club’s playing staff and the majority of non-playing staff have been placed on furlough leave “until further notice”. Chief executive Derek Bowden said: “By utilising the coronavirus job retention scheme, we are able to preserve and protect jobs at The Cloudfm County Ground during a financially damaging period.”The signing of Australia seamer Peter Siddle, who was due back at Chelmsford for a third season running, has also been deferred until 2021.Alastair Cook has said that he would prefer there not to be a County Championship this season if the alternative is a less “meaningful” reduced campaign. Bowden has suggested a series of regional first-class competitions could be played instead.Players have been proactive in supporting the NHS, preparing thousands of hot meals for staff across hospitals in Essex and London, and releasing a charity music video.A sign on the gates at Sophia Gardens•Getty Images

Glamorgan

Players, coaches, and the majority of staff have been placed on furlough leave at least until the end of May, and senior staff have taken a 25% pay cut.Chief executive Hugh Morris said: “This is not a decision that the club have taken lightly, but it’s a necessary one to help preserve the jobs of all the staff at Glamorgan. We are incredibly grateful to all members of staff for recognising the challenges to the finances of the club and willingly engaging in the measures taken to help protect the future of Glamorgan.”Marnus Labuschagne said he was “very disappointed that I can’t be over there playing for Glamorgan”, but his deal is yet to be officially cancelled.

Gloucestershire

Cheteshwar Pujara’s stint at the club is off following the delay to the start of the season, while Qais Ahmad and AJ Tye’s deals have also been cancelled.The club confirmed in a statement that it had “significantly reduced the number of staff and players actively working” and that “sizeable savings” for April and May had been made.”Our financial projections show that, even on the worst case scenario of no cricket at all this season, the club should be able to break even this year and be ready to face the future in a strong financial position when this crisis has passed,” the statement said.

Hampshire

The signing of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon for the majority of the Championship campaign has been shelved, although Hampshire hope to still have Shaheen Afridi for the Vitality Blast.”There’s a lot of unknowns around Pakistan touring and he’s obviously an integral part of their setup,” director of cricket, Giles White, said. “So, we’ll just have to see what the tournament looks like and the positioning in the calendar before we can see whether it’s possible to have him with us.”

Kent

Playing staff have been placed on furlough leave, effective from April 9, with the situation to be reviewed regularly from the start of May. Non-playing staff were furloughed on April 6. Players’ salaries will not be topped up by the club. Captain Sam Billings remains non-furloughed to support the club’s efforts in the community, but has taken a temporary 20% pay cut in line with the rest of the squad.Director of cricket Paul Downton said: “This outcome has not been reached lightly and I want to thank all of our players who are standing shoulder to shoulder with their colleagues during the pandemic. We will continue to monitor this situation closely.”Executive directors have voluntarily agreed to a short-term pay cut of 20% and are in talks with local council to discuss terms of a loan repayment, among other measures.”We feel these are exceptional circumstances,” chief executive Simon Storey told ESPNcricinfo. “We will find a way through this for Kent.”New Zealand seamer Matt Henry’s contract with the club has been terminated.

Lancashire

The club confirmed on April 7 that it does not intend to furlough playing staff. “None of [the club’s training regime] would be available to the players if they were to be furloughed, and it is our intention not to do so, whilst keeping the situation under review,” said Paul Allott, the director of cricket.”Ultimately, we have to ensure they are as ready as they can be for a cricket season to commence and we will continue to work towards that objective over the coming weeks and months. All of the measures that the club is adopting and implementing are fully endorsed and appreciated by the PCA.”However, deals for overseas players BJ Watling, Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner have been cancelled for 2020.Chief executive Daniel Gidney has issued a statement to members, signalling his intention to keep hold of staff where possible.”We’re carrying that large staff payroll – when the turnover drops off like that and the phone just stops ringing, that has a catastrophic short-term effect on any organisation,” Gidney said. “We have some difficult measures to make, we have some cost-cutting to do, but we’re doing everything we can to protect our biggest asset which is our staff.”Chairman David Hodgkiss has died aged 71 after contracting the virus. A club statement said: “He was much loved by everyone at Lancashire Cricket Club and respected throughout the cricketing world. Our sincere condolences and thoughts and prayers are with his family.”The club will offer 5000 tickets for a T20 Blast game to NHS staff as “a gesture of support for their ongoing heroic efforts”.County groundsmen will have plenty of time to prepare their pitches for the summer•Getty Images

Leicestershire

The majority of the club’s staff, including players and coaches, have been placed on furlough leave for an initial three-week period until the end of April. “This has not been an easy decision to make, but I would like to thank all of our staff who have worked incredibly hard and acted professionally to perform their roles during a period of such uncertainty,” said chair Mehmooda Duke.

Middlesex

All of the club’s players, and the majority of coaches, admin and support staff, have been furloughed until further notice. Those with salaries above £27,500 have also agreed to take a 17% pay cut, initially until the end of May. Senior management have agreed 20% pay cuts.”We are operating in unprecedented times,” chief executive, Richard Goatley, said. “We have to make difficult decisions that not only protect the future of Middlesex Cricket but the jobs of our employees.”For all staff to agree voluntarily to a significant salary reduction for the next two months is testament to how invested they are in Middlesex Cricket and committed to helping the Club through this crisis. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone across the Club for their understanding in these difficult times.”Peter Handscomb, who was due to captain the side, admitted his contract is “on hold”. Head coach Stuart Law is in the UK.

Northamptonshire

Northants’ professional playing and support staff have been furloughed with players agreeing to take a pay cut consistent with other non-playing staff at the club. The agreement will initially run through April and May, with the situation being monitored during that time.Chief Executive Ray Payne said: “We see this as a positive move that will help ensure longevity across the club in these unprecedented times. One thing that has always been at the forefront of our minds has been a ‘one club’ approach and thankfully everyone at the club has shared the vision of being in this together.”It is going to hit us hard but we can survive this. Had this been five years ago we wouldn’t have got through it. But since then we’ve managed our debt, we’ve got a good business model for a small club and I think in terms of the ECB looking at all the counties, we’re probably one of the few they’re not too worried about.”Alex Wakely’s benefit year was pushed back to 2021. “We’d put a lot of work into it and most of my events were ready to go and we were in a really good place,” he told the . “But ultimately regardless of anything, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing it.”

Nottinghamshire

Dane Paterson’s attempts to join the club as a Kolpak player have been put on hold by the pandemic.The club has been active in supporting the local community, including helping provide hot meals to homeless, sheltered and vulnerable individuals and providing memorabilia donations to raise money for a Nottingham charitable fundraiser.

Somerset

67 of the club’s 76 employees have been furloughed.Chief executive Gordon Hollins said: “By taking advantage of the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme, we are able to preserve jobs at the Cooper Associates County Ground during such a difficult financial period for the club. It also ensures that we will be in a strong position to face the opportunities and challenges that will lie ahead once we have overcome this pandemic.”Vernon Philander’s two-year Kolpak contract has been cancelled.A sign at Taunton warns fans to stay away•Getty Images

Surrey

Australian seamer Michael Neser’s overseas contract has been cancelled, while D’Arcy Short and Shadab Khan will no longer join the club either.Players have not been furloughed. Work is continuing on the redevelopment project at The Oval.Head coach Michael di Venuto and seamer Morne Morkel are currently in Australia, Hashim Amla and Dan Moriarty are in South Africa, and Nico Reifer is in Barbados. “if and when we get the thumbs up to start playing cricket, we’ll get them back over here,” Alec Stewart, director of cricket, told a members’ forum.

Sussex

The club has furloughed the majority of its non-playing staff, plus all players and coaches. Chief executive Rob Andrew said: “The board of Sussex Cricket, with the support of the executive leadership team, are making decisions in the best interests of everyone’s health and in order to protect everyone’s jobs when we do return to normality.”Head coach Jason Gillespie is currently in Australia with his family. David Wiese and Stiaan van Zyl are in South Africa.

Warwickshire

Playing and non-playing staff have been furloughed, with the club guaranteeing 100% of players’ salaries. Edgbaston will become a coronavirus testing centre for NHS staff.”We’re all in the firing line,” Paul Farbrace, sport director, told ESPNcricinfo. “I genuinely worry about the state of the game, and whether we can build on what was a fantastic year for English cricket.”Stuart Cain is set to be appointed as the club’s new CEO.

Worcestershire

Playing and non-playing staff furloughed with the club offering players a guaranteed 90% of their wages.A club statement on April 6 said that provisional work had indicated the crisis could have a cost of over £1.1m, “which for a club that in 2019 made a statutory loss of £89.3k and has £4.3 million of debt is substantial”.Chairman Fanos Hira told BBC Hereford and Worcester that the club’s “lean structure” will be helpful during the crisis. “We’re the only county that doesn’t have a six-figure paid CEO,” he said. “We don’t have a director of cricket either, probably on similar pay, so we are a lean structure.”In the past where it has probably been disadvantageous to counties with non-Test match grounds, now we’re not reliant on the vast amounts of hospitality income or big functions that occur in these vast venues. So, in many respects, although the impact on us is great, for many other counties with higher fixed costs that impact could be a lot greater. Perhaps it’s an advantage to us during this period of enormous uncertainty.”Players and staff ran nearly 1,000 kilometres in a week between them as part of the ‘Rapids Relay’ to raise over £14,000 for the Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust.

Yorkshire

Playing and coaching staff have been placed on furlough leave, and have been asked to take wage cuts of up to 20% from June 1.”What you have to remember is that we have got absolutely no income coming in whatsoever aside from a little bit through the online shop. But monies are still going out,” said chief executive Mark Arthur.”We’ve reduced our overheads as best we can, with the final part of that being these salary deductions. Combined with the furlough scheme, it does mean we are not haemorrhaging day-to-day cash.”R Ashwin, Keshav Maharaj and Nicholas Pooran’s contracts have been cancelled.

Winfield wants the ECB to focus on ODIs alongside The Hundred when the game can be played again

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2020England women cricketers Lauren Winfield and Amy Jones are both stuck in Australia with worldwide travel restrictions in force due to the coronavirus pandemic.Winfield was in Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, celebrating her honeymoon after her marriage to long-term partner Courtney Hill. Jones was in Perth. Both have found themselves stranded in Australia, and are currently unable to return home with borders closing.”I was supposed to fly home on Friday,” Winfield told . “But my flight has been cancelled. Everything through Dubai, Emirates, has been cancelled for the next two weeks. They are reassessing in two weeks’ time. But rumours are it could be up to two to three months. At the minute I have a flight on the 8th (April), but I feel like that’s just going to come around and it’ll get pushed back and back.”Winfield said, meanwhile, that she and Jones had made a pact not to leave the other behind when they finally get to travel back home.The report also said the ECB had sent in a ‘care package’ with dumbbells, kettlebells and protein bars along with a program to follow. But Winfield was still uncertain about the impact of having no cricket for an extended time, pointing out that while The Hundred was the obvious focus given it’s money-spinning potential, the England team needed to play ODI cricket too.”It’s really nerve-wracking times. Essentially you could be wasting a year of your career,” Winfield said. “The talks are obviously about The Hundred which is the money-maker, but from an England point of view, we need to play 50-over cricket. And for me I’ve been in and out of teams and not faced too many balls over the last few competitive months. We’re kind of all just floating along and it’s certainly not easy.”

The CWAB is likely to set a date for the polls when all DPL players come to Dhaka for the 2019-20 season

Mohammad Isam09-May-2020Bangladesh’s cricketers’ body is planning to hold elections soon after the country’s Covid-19 general holiday ends. The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) is likely to set an election date when all Dhaka Premier League cricketers come to the capital to play the 2019-20 season.Following an online meeting that the CWAB held on Saturday, with several cricketers including Bangladesh captains Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque in attendance, the association has also decided to write to the BCB’s league committee officially to request that the DPL restart after Eid-ul-Fitr.”Our president raised the topic of the elections, and it has been decided that we hold it soon, possibly just before the Dhaka Premier League,” CWAB general secretary Debabrata Paul told ESPNcricinfo. “We will need a big presence of cricketers, which is what we have always wanted, and since this time the players had wanted elections, we want to hold it soon.”Paul was referring to the players’ demand – made last October, when they went on strike – that the current CWAB committee disbands and makes way for fresh elections.”The leadership of the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh must step down immediately, as the president and vice-president are both BCB directors,” read the players’ statement at that time. “The players will vote to elect the next committee.”At the time, even the FICA criticised the CWAB for having BCB directors on its committee, which was seven months expired at the time of the players’ strike last year.Soon after the strike ended, on November 9, Shakib Al Hasan, Imrul Kayes and Jahurul Islam met with the CWAB to discuss the elections but there was no further progress on the matter. The CWAB has also reportedly claimed that Shakib stood it up in a follow-up meeting earlier this year.Meanwhile, the CWAB is also looking for ways to distribute BDT 18 lakh (USD 21,200 approx) to cricketers needing financial relief during the Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

Former Western Australia and Tasmania seamer held post on interim basis through T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2020England Women have appointed former Western Australia and Tasmania seamer Tim Macdonald as senior assistant coach.Macdonald – who previously worked with England Women’s head coach Lisa Keightley at Perth Scorchers and Western Fury – took up the role on an interim basis for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year and will now take up the post full-time.The 39-year-old Macdonald joined the England Women’s squad’s bio-secure training camp at the Incora County Ground, in Derby, on Tuesday.”I’ve known Tim for a while and I’ve worked with him previously and I knew what skills he would bring to the group, especially with the fast bowlers,” Keightley said. “He was a great addition across the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia and when it came to interview he was the stand-out candidate in terms of helping the team continue their improvement.”Although plans for England’s international schedule are yet to be finalised, Heather Knight’s side are expected to host South Africa after India pulled out of a proposed tri-series. ODI and T20I fixtures are likely to be scheduled for September.The ECB has been working to salvage its programme of women’s cricket in the wake of Covid-19 impacting much of the summer. Centrally contracted England players returned to training in June, with the confirmation of South Africa’s tour expected in the coming weeks.

BCB says pacer will be needed for the October-November series against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2020The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has denied an NOC to Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2020, a BCB director said on Friday. Akram Khan, the cricket operations chairman, said that Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka in October and November was the reason for the denial.ESPNcricinfo understands Kolkata Knight Riders were interested in Rahman at one point to replace Harry Gurney.”There was an offer from the IPL but since we have a tour coming up, we didn’t give him the NOC. He is an important cricketer for us and this upcoming series is also important,” Khan told the Dhaka-based .Rahman, however hasn’t been in Bangladesh’s Test plans since March 2019. He took 20 wickets in the 2019 World Cup, after which he has only played ODIs and T20Is for Bangladesh.He last played in the IPL in 2018, turning out for Mumbai Indians. In seven matches that season, he took seven wickets at an average of 32.85 and an economy rate of 8.36. Rahman had much more success with Sunrisers Hyderabad, who he played for in 2016 and 2017, although he featured in just one game in 2017. In 17 matches for SRH overall, he collected 17 wickets at 26.16 and an economy rate of 7.14 – his figures somewhat spoiled by his solitary outing in 2017 in which he bowled 2.4 overs for 34 runs without picking up a wicket.He had returned from his stint in 2018 with an injury, after which BCB president Nazmul Hassan had said he won’t be allowed any more NOCs to participate in overseas leagues.

Chennai Super Kings optimistic about having Rayudu, as well as Dwayne Bravo, for their fourth match

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Sep-2020Ambati Rayudu has a minor hamstring niggle, which will likely keep him out of the Chennai Super Kings’ third match of IPL 2020, against the Delhi Capitals on Friday in Dubai. However, ESPNcricinfo understands that the Super Kings are optimistic about Rayudu and allrounder Dwayne Bravo, who has a knee injury, being available for their fourth match, which will be on October 2 in Dubai against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.Rayudu, who was shunned by national selectors for the World Cup and subsequently retired from international cricket, announced his form and intent with a match-winning 71 in the tournament opener against the Mumbai Indians. However, he was absent from the Super Kings XI on Wednesday, in the defeat against the Rajasthan Royals. At the toss before the second game, the Super Kings captain MS Dhoni only said that Rayudu was “not 100%”.It is understood that Rayudu picked a minor niggle in his right hamstring in the Mumbai match and has been rested as a precautionary measure for at least two matches.As for Bravo, who arrived with a knee injury from the CPL, he has recovered sufficiently. However, the team management had already decided that Bravo would be available to play from the Super Kings’ fourth match, with Sam Curran performing the overseas allrounder’s job well for the moment.The Super Kings are the only team to play three matches in the first week of the IPL, which shifted to the UAE as India grappled – and continues to deal – with the Covid-19 pandemic.They have also been hit by a series of incidents since landing in Dubai on August 21. First up, 13 members of their contingent tested Covid-19 positive, including two players – Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad. While Chahar recovered soon after and has played both the team’s matches, Gaikwad played his first match on Wednesday as Rayudu’s replacement.The Super Kings, the three-time winners who were runners-up in 2019, are also without two of their most senior Indian players in Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, who both opted out for personal reasons.

Rookie Will Smeed hits valiant 82 in reply, but Somerset lose by 11 runs

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2020Benny Howell announced his return to Gloucestershire’s team after more than a year on the injured list by blasting an unbeaten 49 off 18 balls in an 11-run Vitality Blast win over Somerset at Taunton.The visitors posted 203 for 6 after losing the toss, Howell and Jack Taylor (31 not out) cutting loose after Ian Cockbain’s 50 from 27 balls had provided early momentum. Max Waller escaped the carnage with 3 for 18.In reply, Somerset made 192 for 8, 18-year-old Will Smeed hitting a valiant 82 on only his second T20 appearance and Lewis Gregory contributing 38The game summed up the contrasting fortunes of the two West country sides in the competition. For Central Group leaders Gloucestershire, it was a fifth successive win, while Somerset’s dismal campaign has now featured four defeats.Chris Dent got the Gloucestershire innings off to a flying start in glorious sunshine with two fours and a six off the second over, bowled by Lewis Gregory, before falling for 16.Cockbain and Miles Hammond then both scored freely to take the total to 53 for 1 at the end of the six-over power play.Hammond reverse swept Roelof van der Merwe for six before holing out to deep cover for 27 to become Waller’s first victim.The ninth over cost Somerset 30 runs. It was begun by Tom Abell, who had to be removed from the attack after bowling successive no-balled full-tosses and ended by Ollie Sale, whose first three balls were each dispatched for six by Cockbain.Gloucestershire were 109 for 3 at the halfway point in their innings, Ryan Higgins having departed lbw to van der Merwe.But Waller then removed Cockbain and James Bracey in quick succession to catches by Gregory at mid-wicket and cover and for a short time Somerset applied a brake to the scoring rate.When George Scott fell to van der Merwe, Gloucestershire were 135 for 6 and in danger of squandering their advantage.But Howell came in to join skipper Taylor in a stand of 68 that occupied just 5.1 overs. Making up for lost time after his long spell battling hamstring and calf problems, Howell smashed five sixes and three fours in an exhilarating exhibition.Taylor lost little by comparison and their combined aggression and skill ensured Gloucestershire of a hugely competitive score.Somerset rarely threatened to make a game of it as Steve Davies and Babar Azam fell in the first five overs of their reply, Ryan Higgins and David Payne claiming the wickets. After six overs the hosts were 35 for 2.Dent then produced two superb throws from the deep to run out first Abell and then George Bartlett, attempting second runs, as Gloucestershire tightened their grip and Somerset required 13 an over off the last ten.All the while Academy product Smeed was quietly going about his business with precious little support. The youngster lifted Howell over square leg for the first six of the innings. Gloucestershire’s had featured 14.Smeed’s second six, off Tom Smith, took him to a hugely impressive maiden Somerset half-century, from 36 balls, with 6 fours. Both he and Gregory were dropped as they added 65 in 6.2 overs.When Gregory was stumped giving Howell the charge it looked all over. Tom Lammonby had other ideas and hit two sixes and a four in the 17th over, bowled by Higgins.Smeed followed suit with successive sixes off Howell and another off Higgins before being caught at long-on in the penultimate over. Lammonby followed next ball and Somerset’s race was run.

Virat Kohli has scores of 100, 84 and 68 in his last three games against the Knight Riders

Sreshth Shah11-Oct-20207:36

Has Chris Morris fixed RCB’s death bowling issues?

Big picture

Two teams on an upward surge meet on Monday when Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Dinesh Karthik’s Kolkata Knight Riders, with both men hitting half-centuries in their respective last outings.Kohli has returned to form after a slow start to IPL 2020, with an unbeaten 90 against the Chennai Super Kings. That has helped the Royal Challengers stay inside the top four despite Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal and AB de Villiers losing steam over their last few matches. Washington Sundar’s bowling in the powerplay has been another plus, and the addition of Chris Morris has added experience to their pace unit.ALSO READ: KKR vs RCB Fantasy Pick – Make Kohli captain and Morgan vice-captainThe Knight Riders have had many players chipping in with match-winning performances, starting with Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi with the bat and Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Prasidh Krishna with the ball. But there are question marks over the West Indies duo of Narine and Andre Russell, and how the Knight Riders navigate through that situation could decide if they can complete a hat-trick of wins or if the Royal Challengers go past them on the points table.

In the news

The Knight Riders’ most experienced overseas players, Russell and Narine, have given the team management something to ponder about. Against the Kings XI Punjab on Saturday, Russell injured his knee while fielding – after which he did not bowl – while Narine was warned for a suspect bowling action. If he errs again, he will be banned from bowling this season altogether.

Likely XIs

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 Gurkeerat Singh Mann, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 6 Andre Russell/Tom Banton, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Shivam Mavi, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Strategy punts

• The Knight Riders could bowl spin with the new ball because Finch has struggled against that style of bowling this season. He has faced spin in five innings and has been dismissed four times, while averaging just 14.8. They could perhaps even play Kuldeep Yadav to target Finch first up: across all T20s, Finch averages just 6.3 against the left-arm wristspinner, having been dismissed four times in five innings by him.
• The Royal Challengers could save Yuzvendra Chahal for Eoin Morgan, and ask the legspinner to bowl slower to him than usual. Morgan loves spinners who bowl quicker at him, and the numbers back that up. Morgan hasn’t been dismissed yet this season by spin bowling at over 90kph, but averages just 5.70 when spinners slow it down.

Stats and trivia

• With 223 runs, Kohli has scored the most runs among non-openers in IPL 2020. He is one among three non-openers to average over 50.
• Since 2018, Kohli’s best numbers in the IPL have come against the Knight Riders: most runs (283), highest average (94.3), highest strike-rate (154) and the most fifty-plus scores (three). His last three scores against the Knight Riders are 100, 84 and 68.
• This season, AB de Villiers has averaged 53 when the Royal Challengers have batted first, but only 24.55 while chasing. His strike-rate fluctuates too: 189 in the first innings compared to 144 in the second.
• The Knight Riders have won three games batting first this season. The last time they achieved this feat was back in 2014 where they won the title.

Livingstone pulled out after being named in England’s ODI squad to tour South Africa

Matt Roller08-Nov-2020Liam Livingstone has withdrawn from the Peshawar Zalmi squad for the Pakistan Super League playoffs and will be replaced by his Lancashire team-mate Saqib Mahmood.Livingstone, 27, scored 108 runs in seven innings in the Zalmi middle order during the 2020 season and was due to return for the playoffs, which start on November 14. But after being named in England’s ODI squad to tour South Africa, with the touring party arriving on November 16, he has pulled out of his stint.His spot has been taken by Mahmood, the 23-year-old fast bowler who made his England debut last winter. While he is clearly not a like-for-like replacement, Mahmood has impressed in county cricket, thanks to his slingy action and ability to extract reverse swing. This will be his first experience in an overseas T20 league. Mahmood was a surprise omission from England’s squads for their white-ball series in South Africa, with Ed Smith, the national selector, suggesting that after spending much of the summer in biosecure bubbles carrying drinks, it would not be beneficial for him to travel as a reserve.”He’s still someone we believe is a very talented and a high-potential player,” Smith said. “We are excited about his future. We have taken the decision not to take him on the tour as a reserve when he has been a reserve for a long period in the summer.”Mahmood was among a group of England players training at the National Performance Centre in Loughborough last week and has now arrived in Pakistan ahead of the playoffs. He is one of six Englishmen involved in the final stages, alongside Alex Hales (Karachi Kings), Samit Patel (Lahore Qalandars), Ravi Bopara, Adam Lyth and James Vince (all Multan Sultans).While Mahmood was born and raised in the UK, he has Pakistani heritage and his mother was born there. “First time back in 10 years, can’t wait!” he tweeted on Saturday.Zalmi will play the PSL eliminator against Lahore Qalandars in Karachi on November 14.

Holder and Ismail Dawood previously called for inquiry into lack of non-white umpires in English game

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2020John Holder, the former Test and county umpire, has reportedly lodged a claim against the ECB over alleged racial discrimination during his time in the board’s employment.As revealed by ESPNcricinfo last month, Holder and Ismail Dawood, who was on the ECB’s reserve umpire list until 2014, have previously accused the ECB of “years of racism” and called for an independent inquiry into the lack of non-white officials in the English game.They have now gone a step further, according to a report in the , and are suing the ECB under the 2010 Equality Act, seeking compensation and a recommendation from the employment tribunal on the governing body’s future conduct.Holder, 75, played for Hampshire before being appointed to the first-class umpiring panel in 1983. He was elevated to internationals in 1988, umpiring in 11 Tests and 19 ODIs, and continuing to officiate in county games until 2009.The ECB has been accused of subsequently overlooking non-white candidates. The last non-white appointment to the first-class list was Vanburn Holder in 1992.”I’ve lived in England for 56 years,” John Holder told ESPNcricinfo. “And I can tell you, hand on heart, I have never experienced racism before. But when you look at these figures, when you understand what is going on, it is hard to reach any other conclusion.”When I stopped working for the ICC, I contacted the ECB to offer my services to mentor umpires. I didn’t even get a reply. Instead, ex-players, some of whom have never stood as umpires, were appointed to the role. That is ludicrous. It’s like employing someone who can’t drive to be a driving instructor.”Dawood, who represented four counties during an 11-year playing career, claims he was overlooked for promotion despite being rated a “sound, technical umpire”.In response to ESPNcricinfo’s story in November, the ECB announced that it had commissioned a review into the management of match officials aimed at ensuring increased diversity.In response to the legal action, an ECB statement said: “We are not aware of the detail of this claim from John Holder and are therefore unable to comment upon it. The ECB is absolutely committed to ensuring there is no place for discrimination, of any kind, in our sport.”