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ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2016PAKISTAN’S DECADE-WISE RESULTS128 Tests won by Pakistan, out of 399. At the same stage in their Test history, four teams had more wins – Australia (176), England (160), West Indies (146), and South Africa (144). India had 87 and New Zealand 80.57 Away Tests won by Pakistan. In terms of win-loss ratio, Pakistan’s 0.678 (57W, 84L) is fourth, after those of Australia (1.203), England (0.877) and South Africa (0.825). (Away Tests excludes those played in neutral venues.) However, their ratio is by far the best among Asian teams.AWAY RECORDS OF TOP THREE ASIAN TEAMS——PAKISTAN CAPTAINS WITH MOST WINS2.33 The win-loss ratio for Javed Miandad, the best among Pakistan captains who have led in 15 or more Tests. The next best is Mushtaq Mohammad, with an 8-4 record in 19 Tests.13 Pakistan captains, out of 14 who led in at least 10 Tests, with at least as many Test wins as losses. The only exception was Intikhab Alam – one win, five losses in 17 Tests.11 Away Test wins under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy, the most for any Pakistan captain. Saleem Malik and Wasim Akram are next with six wins each, followed by Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis (five each).——PAKISTAN’S RECORD BY OPPOSITIONPakistan have won more Tests than they have lost against all opposition teams except South Africa, Australia and England.——PAKISTAN’S PACE GEMS3 Pakistan fast bowlers who have taken 350-plus Test wickets at averages of less than 24. Overall, only ten fast bowlers have achieved this feat, and no other country has more than two such bowlers.60 Percentage of Pakistan’s wickets that have been taken by pace bowlers; they have averaged 30.47 runs per wicket, compared to 33.20 for the spinners.——BEST AND WORST SEQUENCES24 Most Test wins for Pakistan in any sequence of 50 successive Tests; their best win-loss record in this sequence was 24-12, in the period between 1990 and 1998. Their most defeats in a 50-Test sequence is 23, in the 2004-2010 period.6 Pakistan’s longest sequence of successive Test wins, between May 2001 and February 2002; they won against England (1), Bangladesh (3) and West Indies (2). Their longest sequence of defeats is 5, between November 1999 and March 2000.16 Pakistan’s longest sequence of consecutive Tests without defeat, between November 1986 and April 1988. They won 4 and drew 12 during this period.——MOST MAN-OF-THE-MATCH AWARDSOnly two players have won more Man-of-the-Match awards than Akram – Jacques Kallis (23) and Muttiah Muralitharan (19). Shane Warne has also won 17.In away Tests for Pakistan, Akram has won 12, while the next best is 6, by Imran and Younis Khan.MOST MAN-OF-THE-SERIES AWARDSOnly two players have won more Man-of-the-Series awards than Imran – Muralitharan (11) and Kallis (9). Hadlee and Warne also have 8 each.

How the England wicketkeeper has reaped the rewards of putting in the hard yards on coming to grips with a technical flaw

George Dobell15-Dec-20161:12

Jonathan Trott analyses the reasons for Jonny Bairstow’s rise

England’s warm-up matches in St Kitts at the start of the 2015 Caribbean tour were, in many ways, lacklustre affairs.So modest were the opposition (they were bowled out for 59 in the first innings of the first two-day game) that the teams were rearranged with England players loaned to the hosts to provide a sterner test. The only points of interest seemed to be Jonathan Trott’s emergence as Alastair Cook’s new opening partner, and the news from London that Paul Downton had been sacked as managing director of the England teams.In retrospect, the second game also provided a first glimpse of something that was to prove more significant. Jonny Bairstow, who had not made the England side for the first game, came in at No. 4 for the St Kitts Invitational XI side in the second match and, using the unusually high backlift that has now become his hallmark, made a fluent 98 against an attack that included Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Ben Stokes.”He timed the ball beautifully,” Paul Farbrace, the England assistant coach, recalls. “He looked a million dollars.”Farbrace half-expected the improvement. He had spoken to Martyn Moxon, the Yorkshire director of cricket, just ahead of the tour and Moxon had remarked on some technical alterations that appeared to be working well.”‘Whatever you do,’ he said to me, ‘keep an eye on where the bat is before the bowler delivers,'” Farbrace says now. “He said, ‘Please make sure it is above the stumps.’ He really stressed it: ‘Please do it.'””The aim was to make the bat come down straight. Before that, his head had often been outside the ball and the bat tended to come down from the direction of gully. He was missing full-length deliveries. By standing taller, his balance was better and the bat was able to come through straighter.”Before that, he was always searching for a method that worked for him. But now the search was over.”He is much more comfortable with his game and he has just gone from strength to strength. It sounds like a minor change but the results have been massive.”Run-making keepers

Jonny Bairstow (Eng, 2016): 1420 at 61.73
Andy Flower (Zim, 2000): 1045 at 80.38
AB de Villiers (SA, 2013): 933 at 77.75
Andy Flower (Zim, 2001): 899 at 89.90
Kumar Sangakkara (SL, 2001): 891 at 55.68
Adam Gilchrist (Aus, 2001): 870 at 51,17

They sure have. Having averaged 42.99 in first-class cricket up until the end of the 2014 English season, with 11 centuries, Bairstow has averaged 64.81 since then, with 11 centuries. Furthermore, he goes into the Chennai Test – England’s final Test of a busy year – having already set a new record for the most Test runs in a calendar year by a wicketkeeper and requiring 61 more to equal Michael Vaughan’s England record of 1481 Test runs in a year (set in 2002).Only seven men (Mohammad Yousuf, Viv Richards, Graeme Smith, Michael Clarke, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Ricky Ponting, who did it twice) have reached 1500 Test runs in a year. For a specialist batsman, that is a fine record. For a wicketkeeper, it is exceptional. Nobody has scored more Test runs this year.”Martyn deserves all the credit for that,” Farbrace says. “He has known him his whole life, really. He played with his dad and he had seen him grow up. Whatever has happened, he has been there to pick up the pieces and encourage him. The support and consistency they have shown to Jonny at Yorkshire has been outstanding and England are now reaping the benefits.”Moxon sees it a little differently. He recalls the technical change as Bairstow’s own idea and part of a package of improvements that saw him graduate from promising to consistent over the course of a few weeks.”It wasn’t me who suggested the backlift,” Moxon says. “He worked that out for himself. We helped him drill it and reinforce it, but he had a period of self-reflection where he tried things and saw what worked and what didn’t. He now trusts his method and no longer feels there is any need of chopping and changing it.”My work was more about helping him control his emotions. He has always enjoyed being in the heat of battle, but there were times when his arousal levels took him past the line of control and meant he was going hard at the ball. I had to remind him to respect each delivery and prevent him from becoming complacent. I worked with him on making sure the point of contact was in front of the eyes and keeping him under control of what he was doing.”It was the attempt to play the ball closer to his eyes that convinced Bairstow to start tinkering with his technique. The 2014 season was over, and having not won a recall to the Test team since an ill-fated return in the last couple of Ashes Tests, he was searching for solutions.”I was just messing about on the bowling machine in the nets at Headingley,” Bairstow says now. “I felt I was playing the ball too far in front of myself and that was leaving some flaws.”I wanted to slow the bat-path down, make myself play later and in front of my eyes rather than getting in front of myself. The objective was to play the ball later by making the bat travel further.”He also believes that his balance changed for the better.”If you look at pictures of me batting at Lord’s in 2012, I was low, my knees were bent, my head was across and my elbow was pointing to mid-off,” he says. “I’m really crouched. It looks completely unnatural to me. That’s why I was falling over and missing the full, straight ones sometimes. I try not to overthink batting – or anything, really – and I’m not a big one for video analysis, but I look a lot more natural now and everything seems to flow more easily.”Bairstow has set a new record for Test runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year•AFPThe fact that he worked it out for himself is relevant. He was, he says, “taking in a lot of info” over the summer of 2012 as there was no shortage of advice from former players and coaches. “I wasn’t sifting it very well,” he says now. “Everyone wanted to help, but I wanted to keep everything as natural as possible. I really don’t think about it much and that’s the way I like it.”So keen were Yorkshire to ensure Bairstow’s mind was not further cluttered, they resolved not to mention technique to him again.”When he returned to Headingley after the 2013-14 Ashes tour, Jonny said he had received plenty of well-intentioned advice regarding his technique,” Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s head coach at the time, wrote in the . “We came to the conclusion this has inadvertently created more confusion in his mind. So we made a pact: the Yorkshire coaches agreed we would not speak to him about his method. No longer would he have support staff stopping him every second ball in the nets, telling him to change his grip, stance, backlift or alignment. Ultimately, we backed Jonny to take responsibility for his own game.”It took a while to win a Test recall. He was a frustrated onlooker throughout the Caribbean tour and missed both the New Zealand series and the first two Ashes Tests. But back at Yorkshire he was prolific, gaining confidence in his new technique by the match. By the time he won a Test recall – at the end of July 2015 – he had already scored five centuries and four-half-centuries in the season and was averaging an eye-watering 100.66.”That success gave him more confidence in every way,” Farbrace said. “You quite often see players doubt themselves when they are dropped by England, and Jonny probably went through a period of that after the 2013-14 Ashes.”But he came back into the England side confident in his method. He felt more comfortable than he had in the past, and each time he practised he did so with the sense that he knew exactly what he was trying to achieve and with confidence in the way he went about things. He didn’t score huge amount of runs in the UAE, but he was one of our better players of spin, and by the time he scored that century in Cape Town, well you felt the floodgates were opening.”But it is, as John Inverarity used to say, competence that breeds confidence. And Bairstow’s confidence was built not on something as shallow as a couple of good net sessions, but the sense that he now had a technique that allowed him to be balanced at the crease. It has been the foundation of all the success he has enjoyed since.In Cape Town, he made a maiden Test century, in his 22nd Test – an emotional affair on a ground where his father had often played in the English winter – and precipitated a run that saw him score three centuries in six Tests. For the first time in his career, he was an automatic selection in the side.”That innings gave him confidence he could play at this level,” Alastair Cook explains. “He’s always had the talent.

“The Yorkshire coaches agreed we would not speak to him about his method. No longer would he have support staff stopping him every second ball in the nets, telling him to change his grip, stance, backlift or alignment. Ultimately, we backed Jonny to take responsibility for his own game”Jason Gillespie, former Yorkshire head coach

“I remember the first time I saw him play: it was at Scarborough and I was really impressed. He timed the ball beautifully and we just couldn’t stop him scoring. He made 60-odd. Clearly, he was very talented.”But then he had a difficult introduction to international cricket and he has had to go away and work really hard on his game. He’s come back a better player and a player who is more comfortable in their own skin. When you combine that with greater confidence, it all comes together.”I suppose the most surprising thing is how consistent he has been and that is only credit to him for how hard he has worked.”The England environment developed by Farbrace and Trevor Bayliss might also be a factor here. Whereas some previous dressing rooms had appeared tense and divided, this one has been more welcoming. He was no longer seen as another player passing through but as an integral member of the side.”When you know you’re going to play every game, you don’t doubt yourself in the same way as if you’re playing for your place,” Farbrace said. “You don’t wonder how you’re perceived, and over time the real you comes out.”That’s what we’ve seen with Jonny. In the past he was in and out of the team and it is probably only natural that you’re a bit on edge. But now we’ve seen him relax and enjoy himself.””It has helped enormously that he has felt part of the team,” Moxon agrees. “In the past, there was a sense that every performance could be his last. You have to earn that feeling of security in the England team, but he has now.”He has always been at his best when he is attacking. Now he can do that without worrying what anyone will think if he is out or thinking it will cost him his place. If you go out there thinking ‘I mustn’t get out’, you’re going to struggle. Now he can relax and express himself.”He’s driven, though. He has a very strong sense of wanting to prove himself to the people who doubted him. Once he had the technique and composure he needed, I always thought he would score a lot of runs.”Bairstow has worked tirelessly to remedy wicketkeeping faults•Getty ImagesProgress has not been completely smooth. His excellence with the bat in South Africa was contrasted with some less polished work with the gloves. Nobody doubted his worth as a batsman, but that success was tarnished a little by the catching blemishes.”He was quite down about his keeping after the South Africa Test series,” Farbrace recalls. “He had missed some chances that he felt he shouldn’t have. There wasn’t much time during the series to work on it, but we did have a chance during the ODI series.”They concluded that so anxious was Bairstow to ensure he didn’t miss the outside edge, he had taken to standing a foot or so further to the right than might have been the case previously. But that meant that, as the bowler delivered the ball, he would find himself moving to his left in order to get back into line with it. If an edge then followed, he found himself with his weight on the wrong foot, his head out of line and poorly positioned to move for the chance.”He pretty much worked it out for himself,” Farbrace says. “And he’s been a lot better since.”The confidence he has taken from doing a better job with the gloves has undoubtedly helped his batting, and at the same time, the confidence he has in his batting has probably helped him with the gloves. He looks more comfortable in everything he does. He has matured as a person and a player. It’s been great to see.”And it’s such a simple method he used when he bats. You feel there’s not much than can go wrong with it. There’s no reason he won’t be able to stay in this run of form.”Moxon isn’t in the least surprised.”I know that sounds like being wise after the event,” he says, “but I’ve known for a long, long time that he had a special talent. I’ve known for a long time that he can time the ball as well as anyone I’ve seen. I always thought the cream would rise to the top.”And you know what? I think the next couple of years can be even better.”His family have been through such a lot. It is great to see him – to see all of them – enjoying his success. He’s worked bloody hard and he’s enjoying a big year as a result. After all the disappointments and setbacks, it really has been great to see.”

Our countdown to the tenth IPL takes a look at the ten most economical bowlers in the tournament’s history

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-20171. Sunil Narine – 66 matches, 85 wickets at 6.17 per overA mystery spinner who was barely known when Knight Riders bought him in 2012, Narine’s impact was instant, going on to win the Man-of-the-Series award in his first season in the IPL. The true value of Narine’s overs are evident when you consider that teams have scored at 8.02 runs per over in the time he’s been around, and the astonishing fact that 97 of his overs have come between overs 16 and 20.2. R Ashwin – 111 matches, 100 wickets at 6.55 per overAshwin sprang onto the scene in the third edition of the IPL, with match-winning spells en route to Super Kings maiden title, which earned him a spot in the Indian side for the 2011 World Cup. Over the years, he has gone on to become his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s go-to weapon, be it with the new ball or in the death overs. In 2015, he finished an entire IPL season going at less than a run-a-ball, a rare achievement in the tournament’s history.3. Anil Kumble – 42 matches, 45 wickets at 6.57 per overAfter their disastrous start in 2008, The current India coach took over as Royal Challengers captain mid-way through the 2009 season and led from the front to take them to the final, with 21 wickets at just 5.86 runs per over, including a magical 5 for 5 spell on a difficult Cape Town track against Rajasthan Royals. Kumble went on to have yet another impressive season in 2010, before hanging up his boots before the 2011 auction.4. Glenn McGrath- 14 matches, 14 wickets at 6.61 per overA year after retiring from international cricket after winning his third World Cup title, and in the middle of his wife’s terminal illness, McGrath had one of the best seasons for a fast bowler in IPL history, picking up 12 wickets, including a match-winning 4 for 29 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite being his side’s most economical bowler in the first season, McGrath was on the bench for much of the next season, before retiring from all competitive cricket.Lasith Malinga’s slinging toe-crushers have been invaluable to Mumbai Indians over the years•BCCI5. Lasith Malinga – 98 matches, 143 wickets at 6.67 per overThe IPL’s highest wicket-taker has also been among its most economical over nine seasons. Malinga’s wickets and tight bowling in the death overs have taken Mumbai Indians to two IPL titles, apart from two Champions League T20 trophies. His importance to the Mumbai side is exemplified by the fact that he remains one of the IPL’s few single-franchise players, alongside team-mates Harbhajan Singh and Keiron Pollard, retained by Mumbai every time so far.6. Muttiah Muralitharan – 66 matches, 63 wickets at 6.67 per overMuralitharan was purchased for a relatively cheap $600,000 in the inaugural auction, and never failed to live up to his reputation through his first three seasons for Chennai Super Kings, putting in crucial performances en route to their 2010 IPL title. His miserly bowling performances were a feature of his subsequent seasons with Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Royal Challengers Bangalore, before he retired in 2014.7. Dale Steyn- 90 matches, 92 wickets at 6.72 per overWhile Steyn’s performances have dipped of late, forcing him to warm the bench last season, his overall economy rate of 6.72 is only testament to his value in his first six seasons. In 2013, his performances led Sunrisers to the playoffs in their maiden season, with 19 wickets at a sub-six economy rate, a rare feat for a fast bowler in the IPL.8. Roelof van der Merwe – 21 matches, 21 wickets at 6.74 per overVan der Merwe’s is perhaps the most surprising name on this list, considering he never found a place in the starting XI regularly for both his franchises. While his batting never took off, his left-arm orthodox kept things tight at one end. It is to his credit that, despite bowling most of his overs on South African wickets in the 2009 season, he has managed an economy rate below 7.Daniel Vettori’s spells led RCB to one of their most successful IPL seasons in 2011•AFP9. Daniel Vettori – 34 matches, 28 wickets at 6.78 per overVettori’s IPL career did not get off to the best of starts, often being forced to sit out at Delhi Daredevils. However, he came into his own for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011, picking up 12 wickets at 6.01 per over, captaining them to the final. He continues to be involved with the franchise as their coach, after retiring following a relatively average 2012 season.10. Mustafizur Rahman- 16 matches, 17 wickets at 6.90 per overAfter just one season, where he was often chosen ahead of the likes of Dale Steyn and Trent Boult, Mustafizur finds himself among the 10 most economical bowlers in IPL history. He was named the tournament’s Emerging Player of the Season, as his bowling performances led Sunrisers to their first IPL title.

Russell Domingo has often followed in Mickey Arthur’s footsteps, always seemingly going one step further. Who will come out on top at Edgbaston?

Firdose Moonda in Birmingham06-Jun-2017When South Africa meet Pakistan in their second group match of the Champions Trophy, it will not just be a tale of two teams clashing, but two coaches too.South Africa’s – Russell Domingo – was second-in-command in 2013 and on the verge of taking over the main job. Pakistan’s man Mickey Arthur was in charge of Australia and on the eve of an Ashes series he never made it through. The pair were on contrasting journeys then, after years of Domingo walking in Arthur’s shoes and always going one step further.In 2003, Arthur coached Eastern Province shortly before South Africa migrated from a provincial to a franchise system and, in his last two seasons there, oversaw their progression to the final of the domestic T20 competition. Domingo succeeded Arthur when the latter took over the national side in 2005.By then, Eastern Province and Border had amalgamated to form the Warriors and in Domingo’s fifth-season with them, they won both the one-day cup and the T20 trophy. To date, that remains the only silverware in the Warriors cabinet.While Arthur enjoyed great success at Test level with South Africa – it was under him that they won their first series since readmission in both England and Australia – major tournament glory eluded him. In fact, it was during Arthur’s tenure that South Africa suffered some of their more noteworthy defeats. At the 2007 World Cup, they crumbled in the semi-finaland then they endured heartbreak at both the 2009 World T20 and the Champions Trophy, which South Africa hosted.Arthur never got the chance to take South Africa to the 2010 World T20 after an acrimonious split with administrators. Instead, Corrie van Zyl presided over that event and the 2011 World Cup before Gary Kirsten was appointed, with Domingo as his assistant. Kirsten endorsed Domingo as his successor when he stepped down after the Champions Trophy, having failed to break South Africa’s major tournament drought.Of all South Africa’s coaches, Domingo is the only one to win a major tournament knockout game post-1998. Though he too could not claim a cup, there is a lot of belief from the suits that he will be the man to change South Africa’s fortunes – be it now or at the 2019 World Cup – even the South African players believe he will be the man to see them to glory.”Yes, definitely,” was the answer AB de Villiers gave when he was asked whether he would like Domingo to stay on as South Africa’s coach after the ongoing tour of England, which is when his contract expires.De Villiers played under both Arthur and Domingo, at opposite ends of his career and while he could not elaborate on the ways Arthur offered guidance, he was glowing in his praise of Domingo.”They are completely different. Obviously different human beings. Both very nice guys, really good men and I get along with both of them,” de Villiers said. “Mickey was such a long time ago. I can’t remember his coaching style really. We had a lot of success under him, and I have good memories of him as coach with us. But that’s long gone. It’s something in the past. We’re with a great coach at the moment who is really leading the side well. We all get along with him and we all love him as our coach.”While de Villiers was praising Domingo, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed’s relationship with Arthur is rather more complicated. The pair did not seem to see eye to eye on certain issues – most notably Arthur’s comments on his unhappiness that Mohammad Hafeez wasn’t asked to bowl. Some former players have been even more direct, with Mohammad Yousuf calling for Arthur’s head after the loss to India. Although that was a knee-jerk reaction to one match, it’s not too difficult to see how the bigger picture might support that.Arthur’s results do not cover him in glory, especially when he puts it like this: “If you have a look at our records over the last year we’ve won two series. We’ve got ourselves from No. 9 to No. 8 in the rankings.” Not exactly awe-inspiring.In that time, Pakistan have also lost two Test series (the same number as they have won) and two ODI rubbers. Add to that the recent retirements of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan and there are not that many reasons to be optimistic about the immediate future of Pakistan. And immediate could be as immediate as tomorrow.Pakistan need to beat South Africa to stay in the tournament. Another defeat – especially a heavy one – will crank up the pressure on a coach already under significant scrutiny, even if he is not in danger of losing his job. Well, not yet, anyway.At the other end, South Africa may not to beat Pakistan to progress but it will make their chances much easier. Domingo, on the other hand, might need South Africa to beat not just Pakistan, but everyone else in this tournament if he is to keep his job. As yet, the exact process Domingo will have to go through if he hopes to continue in the job is not known, but it would seem obvious that a Champions Trophy in his hand could seal the deal.

The bowling attack was pretty straightforward, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the way, but the batting order has a few surprise entries

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2017Sixteen ESPNcricinfo staffers, having spent their evenings over the last two months immersed in the IPL, picked their teams of the 2017 season. The collated votes produced an XI like no other previous IPL season. No AB de Villiers, no Virat Kohli, no Chris Gayle, no Lasith Malinga, no Rohit Sharma, no Suresh Raina, and no Sunil Narine. Only three players from last year’s XI made it to this year’s list as well. Here you go …Openers1 David Warner – 641 runs, average 58, strike-rate 1422 Gautam Gambhir – 498 runs, average 41.50, strike rate 128Rahul Tripathi (nine) and Hashim Amla were the openers with the next highest number of votes. Amla had a terrific season personally – 420 runs, an average of 60, and surprisingly a strike rate of 146. Two of his best performances came in defeats though and his team – Kings XI Punjab – did not make the playoffs. Chris Lynn was the blockbuster, but his shoulder injury limited his opportunities and he was behind Warner and Amla in the pecking order of overseas openers.Middle order3 Robin Uthappa – 388 runs, average 30, strike rate 1654 Steven Smith (capt) – 472 runs, average 39, strike rate 1225 Rishabh Pant – 366 runs, average 26, strike rate 166Most of the usual middle-order heavyweights had poor seasons. Uthappa was the favourite in this category and he too got only five votes. Apart from the three that made it, Manoj Tiwary, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni were other contenders. Pant blew hot and cold, but when he was hot he was irresistible. Karthik and Smith had the same number of votes but Smith gets the nod because he led his team to the final.Allrounders6 Ben Stokes – 316 runs, strike rate 143; 12 wickets, economy 7.187 Krunal Pandya – 10 wickets, economy 6.82; 243 runs, strike rate 136Stokes and Krunal were clear favourites. Stokes was one of two unanimous choices, while Krunal was in all but one selection. Notable mention for Axar Patel, who scored 227 runs at a strike-rate of 140 and took 15 wickets and had an economy of 7.54.Bowlers8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 26 wickets, economy rate 79 Rashid Khan – 17 wickets, economy rate 6.610 Jasprit Bumrah – 20 wickets, economy rate 7.411 Jaydev Unadkat – 24 wickets, economy rate 7The bowling attack was really easy to pick. Bhuvneshwar was the second unanimous choice, while Unadkat, Bumrah and Rashid were in almost every team too. The only other specialist bowlers to even get a vote were 17-year old Washington Sundar (two votes), Imran Tahir (one) and Harbhajan Singh (one).

Scoring has been so vast in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast that it is believed to have been exceeded only once before in a tournament staged in a Test nation

Tim Wigmore30-Aug-2017It has been the summer of the six: 1257 of them, to be exact, comfortably a record in the T20 Blast. The average run rate has soared from 8.30 to 8.61 and, there have been 27 scores of 200 or more, up from a previous high of 20 with finals day still to come. These are the raw numbers underpinning the T20 batting revolution.These statistics have been underpinned by the T20 schedule being reformed to become more conducive to six-hitting. Compared to previous summers “the pitches were so much better” this year, believes Somerset’s T20 captain Jim Allenby. The block format has led to pitches, tailor-made for T20 cricket, in lieu of wickets that have previously been used for a Championship game.In the last three years, incongruously, the T20 Blast began in mid-May, the night before the FA Cup final, when fresher pitches made it harder to score freely; this year’s competition didn’t begin until July 7. The “warmer weather” aids big-hitting, believes Gary Wilson, who led Derbyshire to the quarter-finals.But that is only part of the reason. The surge in scoring reflects a broader shift in T20 approach: how teams are redefining what scores are possible.This season, Nottinghamshire have topped 180 eight times and 200 three times. They chased 184 against Durham with a ludicrous 37 balls to spare and, almost as absurdly, chased down 224 against Yorkshire with five balls and five wickets to spare.”It felt attainable,” says Peter Moores, Nottinghamshire’s coach. “Go back a few years and if someone got 200 in T20 you’d just think you had absolutely no chance. Now, to score at 13 an over on the right surface has become possible because people can clear the ropes better. We talk a lot about the bats but the skill of the batters has gone up.”More and more now batters are becoming very skilful at not just hitting the ball but opening up spaces and deflecting the ball into different areas, which makes it really hard for bowlers to decide where they’re going to bowl.”Moores cites Samit Patel in the Blast quarter-final against Somerset, lofting a delivery over mid-on and then, when third man had been brought up to allow mid-on to drop back, deflecting the next ball through short third man for another boundary.

‘It used to be that you got a little bit of leeway… I don’t think that happens any more’Peter Moores, Nottinghamshire coach

Higher scores are also the product of broader tactical shifts in T20, with teams recognising the possibilities, and necessity, of scoring quicker. There is better “awareness of successful game plans,” Allenby believes. “It’s become obvious that you need to be aggressive the whole 20 overs.”Moores has noticed three particular tactical shifts during games.First is attacking from the very first ball. “It used to be that you’d get a little bit of leeway – the first over might not be attacked, and you might get a couple of cheap overs in. I don’t think that happens anymore. With someone like Alex Hales, if the first ball is in the place to hit he’ll put it out of the ground.”In T20 history, the first over of an innings has been the most frugal, conceding just under six runs, but coaches are increasingly regarding cautious accumulation in the opening over as an inefficient use of resources. In the first two overs of the Blast, run rates have soared from 7.19 to 7.91 this summer. Sixes in the first two overs have become almost 50% more common, rising from 61 to 88 since 2016.Secondly, Moores has observed how an old T20 trope – the notion that a batsman could hit one of the first two balls of the over for a boundary, and then bring up ten runs in the over through risk-free accumulation thereafter – has been torn up. “No longer are batters satisfied with getting an early boundary and then knocking it around for the rest of the over. Once they get an early boundary, they see that as an indicator to try and put a bowler under real pressure and go hunting for more boundaries in that over straight away.”Ross Whiteley struck six sixes in an over against Yorkshire•Getty ImagesThirdly, the traditional post-Powerplay lull – after the first over, the seventh and eighth overs have been the two cheapest of the innings – is now regarded as a luxury that teams cannot afford. “We’re aware that we want to keep the pressure on the opposition coming out of the Powerplay,” Moores explains. “You don’t want to take a breather in T20 because it’s too short. If you take breathers in the game and another side don’t then that could be the difference between winning and losing.”Across the seventh and eighth overs, the average run rate has risen from 6.97 to 7.59 this summer.Most important of all is simply more skilful batting. “Players can hit 360 degrees more than ever now,” observes Kent’s skipper Sam Northeast. “You’ve got guys who have grown up with T20 and now you’re seeing the rewards of that.”Wilson agrees, seeing the effervescence of young batsmen as a reflection of T20’s growing importance in cricket’s ecosystem from the professional game to the lower levels.”More players are coming though now having grown up on a diet of short-form cricket and therefore back their skills to be able to hit it over the ropes. When T20 started and for the subsequent 10 or so years it was only those players playing at domestic level that had given it a go. Now, it’s being played at every level and I think that is a big influence.”Players and coaches all agree that the block format has helped increase average scores – “We can enhance our skills a lot more in training now,” Northeast reflects. Yet this invites the question of why should this benefit batsmen more than bowlers? After all, a block format allows both to hone their T20 skills.

‘People recognise that they need to be able to at any given time be able to hit the ball out of the park.’Tom Moody, tournament director of the Caribbean Premier League

The first answer is that the block allows all players who bat to harness their batting skills – not merely frontline batsmen. As such, teams are becoming far better-equipped to reach big scores if their leading batsmen fail; this knowledge, in turn, actually liberates top-order players to attack with more impunity.”The more we play, people understand that if you’ve got good depth, even though you’re being aggressive, you won’t get bowled out,” Moores explains, adding to the general notion among analysts that wickets have been overvalued in T20, artificially limiting total team scores. “Sides don’t get bowled out very often in T20 cricket. Most sides have got batting down to eight or nine so it gives some freedom for the guys up top to go and play.” As such, “rebuilding is still being very aggressive – you’re still looking to go at tens often.”There is also a basic physiological reason why a block favours batsmen over bowlers. “The difference between batting and bowling is the physical nature of bowling which means you can’t practise as much bowling, because of injury risk,” Moores says. “The batters can practise striking a lot now whereas the bowler can only practise so much before you offer yourself up to risk of injury.”That’s why the growth in scoring isn’t really an English phenomenon at all: it can only be properly understood in the context of the direction of travel in T20 leagues the world over. Since 2012, the Indian Premier League run rate has increased by 0.59; the Caribbean Premier League run rate has increased by 1.51; the now defunct Ram Slam in South Africa by 0.60; and the Big Bash by 0.71.The surge of run rates in this year’s T20 Blast, which is believed to have quicker scoring than any league ever in a Test nation ever apart from the 2012 T20 tournament in New Zealand, mirrors what is happening throughout the T20 world.Tom Moody, tournament director of the CPL, reckons the pool of players able to hit sixes reliably has “doubled” in the past ten years – so scores will continue to rise. “You’ve got guys down the order now that can bang it out of the ground too – because it’s a practised still now. People recognise that they need to be able to at any given time be able to hit the ball out of the park.”As recently as the 1999 World Cup, he says, Lance Klusener was the only player “to actually specifically practise hitting sixes. So it wasn’t just ‘I’m having a net and I’m slogging a few’, it was a specific drill that he was practising. Everyone does that now.”Few expect that shift to be undone as the bowlers find a way to respond. “I don’t expect it to go back,” Moores says. “Bowlers are starting to move, but batting has moved faster than bowling in T20.” Whether bowlers can find a compelling riposte will determine whether scores stabilise – or cricket’s great divergence grows greater still.

Also: the highest ODI innings totals without individual hundreds, and the Indian who played all ten of his Tests against England

Steven Lynch23-Oct-2017What is the record for Test centuries made at a single venue by a player? asked Allan Alexander from the United States
Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene leads the way here, with 11 Test centuries at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. Jayawardene scored 2921 runs (another record) in 27 Tests at the SSC, which also happens to be his home club ground. Don Bradman made nine centuries at the MCG – from just 11 Tests, in one of which he was injured and didn’t bat – while Jacques Kallis hit nine at Newlands, in Cape Town, but from twice as many matches.Kumar Sangakkara scored eight Test centuries at the SSC, and also collected seven in Galle, as did Jayawardene. Michael Clarke made seven in Adelaide. For the list of players who have scored five or more Test centuries on a single ground, click here.The record for centuries on a single ground in one-day internationals is seven, by Ricky Ponting at the MCG, and by Saeed Anwar and Sachin Tendulkar in Sharjah.Was South Africa’s 369 for 6 against Bangladesh the other day the highest one-day international total without a hundred? asked Bob Heath
South Africa’s 369 for 6 in East London at the weekend, in which the highest score was Faf du Plessis’s 91, was actually the second-highest ODI total without an individual century. But the record is nonetheless held by South Africa: when they ran up 392 for 6 against Pakistan in Centurion in 2006-07, the top score was Jacques Kallis’ 88. The next highest is England’s 365 for 9 (Eoin Morgan 88) against New Zealand at The Oval in 2015.Virat Kohli played his 200th one-day international the other day. Has he scored more runs and hundreds than anyone else after 200 ODIs? asked Steve Rafferty
Virat Kohli’s century in the first one-day international against New Zealand in Mumbai at the weekend was his 31st, in his 200th match, and took him to a neat-looking total of 8888 runs. Both these figures are records: AB de Villiers had scored 8621 runs and 24 hundreds after his 200th ODI. But Kohli’s figures are nonetheless under threat: Hashim Amla has played 158 ODIs to date, and has so far made 7381 runs and 26 centuries.Ajit Agarkar made a Test hundred at Lord’s and finished with an average of under 17, but eight other players have made hundreds and have lower averages than him•Odd Anderson/AFP/Getty ImagesWhich Indian player figured in ten Tests – all of them against England? asked Bjorn Lindholm from Sweden
The player concerned here is Vijay Merchant, one of India’s first great batsmen. His ten Tests, between 1933-34 (India’s first one at home, in Bombay) and 1951-52 (when he bowed out with his highest score of 154, in Delhi), were all against England: he missed India’s tour of Australia in 1947-48, and West Indies’ visit in 1948-49, apparently because of illness.The overall record dates to before 1928, when West Indies joined the Test-playing club, soon to be joined by New Zealand and India. Back in the days when main protagonists in Test cricket were England and Australia, with occasional appearances from South Africa, Archie MacLaren (England) and Jack Blackham (Australia) both played 35 Tests, all Ashes matches.I noticed that Ajit Agarkar has a Test batting average of 16.79, despite having a century to his name. Is this the lowest Test batting average to include a century? asked Irfan from Pakistan
The Indian fast bowler turned ESPNcricinfo pundit Ajit Agarkar might be relieved to learn that he comes in quite a way down this particular list. Agarkar’s hundred came at Lord’s, no less, in 2002; his next highest score was 48.There are eight players with lower batting averages who also scored a Test century, one of them a current player, the Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer (16.27). Top of the list is someone who might also yet reappear in Test cricket: the West Indian fast bowler Jerome Taylor averages only 12.96, despite having slammed 106 against New Zealand in Dunedin in 2008-09. Taylor’s 106 that day is exactly double his next highest score.The other Test centurions with a lower batting average than Agarkar’s 16.79 are Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq (14.48), Xenophon Balaskas of South Africa (14.50), Australia’s Jack Badcock (14.54), Frank Hayes of England (15.25), the West Indian Ivan Barrow (16.23), and Nasim-ul-Ghani of Pakistan (16.60).Leave your questions in the comments

India’s record at the Wanderers is an outlier when it comes to away touring

Bharath Seervi25-Jan-2018India’s bowlers prevailed once again at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, managing to get the hosts all out for 194. It’s India’s most successful bowling venue in South Africa and one of the reasons they’re unbeaten in four previous Tests here. India average 28.22 with the ball at the Wanderers – their best at any venue in South Africa.

Best South Africa venues for India bowlers

Venue Bow. Ave Mat Won Lost Draw W/LJohannesburg 28.22 5 1 0 3 -Durban 29.90 5 1 3 1 0.33Cape Town 35.87 5 0 3 2 0.00Port Elizabeth 39.42 2 0 1 1 0.00Centurion 50.54 2 0 2 0 0.00Bloemfontein 56.09 1 0 1 0 0.00In fact, this is the venue where India have recorded their best figures in all away Tests where they played five or more Tests. Next on the list is Eden Park in Auckland, where they average 29.61, followed by Durban. Nagpur is the only venue where India have a better bowling average (28.07) – anywhere in the world – with a qualifier of five Tests played.Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul in the first innings is the fourth such haul by an Indian bowler at Wanderers – the most at any South African venue. Before Bumrah, Anil Kumble in 1992-93, Javagal Srinath in 1996-97 and S Sreesanth in 2006-07 took five-wicket hauls. In the one Test in which Indian bowlers didn’t take a five-for, in 2013-14, there were two four-wicket hauls, taken by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma. Since 1992, only at Lord’s and Sabina Park in Kingston have India had more five-wicket hauls away with five each.South Africa batsmen have struggled against Indian bowling at the Wanderes like against no other visitor. Their average runs per wicket at the venue against India is their lowest against all visiting teams. Against the other subcontinent teams, they have averaged the best: 41.37 against Pakistan and 40.60 against Sri Lanka. They have won at least two Tests against all other teams at Wanderers, but not once against India.

Lowest batting average for South Africa at Wanderers

Opposition Bat. Ave Mat Won Lost Draw W/LIndia 28.22 5 0 1 3 0.00Australia 29.04 11 3 6 2 0.50England 33.46 9 3 3 3 1.00New Zealand 35.21 6 3 1 2 3.00West Indies 38.09 2 2 0 0 -Sri Lanka 40.60 2 2 0 0 -Pakistan 41.37 3 2 0 1 -India are yet to face a whitewash in South Africa and that has been solely due to their domination at the Wanderers. Leading by 42 runs with nine wickets in hand after day two and considering their previous results at the venue, India have got the best chance to finish the series on a high after two defeats.

Overcoming a poor start in international cricket and an unimpressive IPL season earlier this year, the fast bowler is churning out one memorable performance after another with the red ball

Varun Shetty in Bengaluru02-Sep-2018Mohammed Siraj makes you wonder if he knows how big a deal it is to take eight wickets in a first-class innings. At the press conference after taking career-best figures of 8 for 59, Siraj strutted in calmly, gave insipid answers to highly technical cricket questions, and reassured the journalists that, really, no extra effort had gone in at all into his recent transformation into a red-ball bowling beast. It’s a word loosely used to describe sportsmen, but Siraj’s streak has been markedly beast-class over the last few weeks. When Australia A’s innings ended with Siraj’s eighth wicket on the first day, the fast bowler from Hyderabad had completed his third five-wicket haul in four innings, and his tally after a below-average IPL season with Royal Challengers Bangalore is now 37 wickets in eight innings.ESPNcricinfo LtdSiraj is seemingly a boisterous personality at other times. Just ask Abhimanyu Easwaran, who got the first dose of Siraj’s fury when he dropped a catch at gully early in the day. Or every single one of his eight victims, all of whom saw Siraj leap up in celebration near the batting crease. The slim crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium will also testify to Siraj’s nature, having struggled all day to get a wave out of Rahul Dravid, but barely having to hiss to get an animated response from Siraj as he led the team off.Still, it is easy to understand why Siraj is calm about what he has done. It’s not the first time he has gone on a manic wicket-taking streak in a very short career. It’s not even the first time this year.During the Vijay Hazare Trophy in February this year, Siraj took three five-wicket hauls in six List A games. His career average in the one-day format is 20.78. Before that, and before his journey into the big leagues with a Sunrisers Hyderabad contract in 2017, Siraj had gone on a rampage to take 41 wickets for Hyderabad in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season, second on the charts overall behind Anupam Sanklecha’s tally of 43. As of Sunday evening, Siraj’s first-class bowling average was 18.71.It is justified, then, when Siraj says he is merely “doing what I always do” to explain this burst of form.”I was selected for the Indian team in the T20s. And then I came directly to days cricket. Rahul [Dravid] sir told me to focus on line and length and after that I spoke to Bharat Arun (India’s bowling coach), asking him what I should do as I transitioned directly into red-ball cricket. He told me to focus on the same things I’ve always done and not to try anything new. So I kept at it,” Siraj explained.Siraj has said in the past that his biggest strength is the inswinger to the right-hander, and it was screamingly on display through the day. When the ball had just begun to reverse, Siraj had switched to the end that would bring him eight wickets, and Australia’s batsmen didn’t stand a chance. Impressively, though, Siraj was also managing to swing them the other way, into the left-handers and away from the right-handers. Both Kurtis Patterson and Marnus Labuschagne were out to the same yorker.”I didn’t really learn it from anyone,” Siraj said of his new skill, “just every time I have an issue with my bowling, I call Bharat Arun sir and tell him what’s going on. He takes a look and sends me video analyses to fix whatever is wrong.”Siraj hadn’t played leather-ball cricket until 2015, three years ago, and unlike a lot of bowlers of his generation, is not accustomed to speaking the science of strategy, or about biomechanics when it comes to his craft. As a bowler who thinks in much simpler ways about the game, Siraj can sometimes be frustrating to watch when a plan isn’t working.On many occasions in T20s, Siraj has gone for plenty. In his three T20I games, he has bowled full four-over spells each time, and his economy rate is 12.33. For RCB earlier this year, he conceded 40-plus runs four times in 11 matches. Despite possessing a lethal yorker, Siraj seems to find ways to go for runs.Mohammed Siraj takes off in celebration•BCCIBut Dravid, who has worked with the fast bowler, says Siraj’s maturity means he has been learning and getting better, even if he doesn’t say so.”Maturity is one thing,” Dravid told ESPNcricinfo before the series. “The last three four-day games, in England and here has been terrific. To get 26 [29 at the time] wickets in the last three games is terrific. It’s his maturity that stands out.”He is someone who has played very less first-class matches. He hasn’t been really part of the system as he hasn’t played much junior cricket. He is learning all the time. So even in white-ball cricket, I won’t be too harsh on him too quickly because he hasn’t played that much, may be a little bit of IPL. He had one good season and then he was in and out. It’s been great to give him the chance to perform. He has been bowling in much better areas and he has grown better physically.”Usman Khawaja, who was the only batsman who seemed to keep Siraj at bay during his century, said that the bowler’s bowling form was comparable to a batting innings: “You start scoring and it just keeps rolling. I think it’s the same with his bowling at the moment.”He just bowled really accurately. He looked like he had a simple plan too. He’s got good skills. So obviously he’s high on confidence too, because he’s taken a few wickets over the last few months. He was telling me how he took a lot of wickets in England too. Looks like he’s been bowling pretty well recently.”For now, to prolong the batting analogy, it’s an innings of fluidic efficiency. With an India-West Indies Test series lurking, Siraj will do hard to avoid an injudicious slog.

St Lucia Stars are stuck in a rut, while Colin Munro has set the early pace with the bat and David Warner has kept finding bizarre ways to get out

Deivarayan Muthu15-Aug-2018Dre Russ’ perfect captaincy debut
A breathtaking catch to dismiss Chris Lynn. A hat-trick – only the second in the CPL. A 40-ball hundred – the fastest in the CPL. Jamaica Tallawahs’ Andre Russell marked his captaincy debut with perhaps the greatest all-round performance in T20 cricket.ESPNcricinfo LtdRussell’s athletic intervention at extra-cover first snaffled his Kolkata Knight Riders team-mate Lynn for 46. Then, a ball after Trinbago Knight Riders had muscled their way to 216, the highest total in the league, Russell dismissed Brendon McCullum, Darren Bravo and Denesh Ramdin in a hat-trick.Russell, however, saved his best for the chase. All right, he was dropped off the first ball he faced, but securing a 224-run chase from 41 for 5 with three balls to spare takes some doing. He shellacked 13 sixes, including a monster blow off Sunil Narine that disappeared over the Carib Beer stand and out of the Queen’s Park Oval. That’s how you ace your captaincy debut.No way out for St Lucia Stars?
Is there any bottom to the abyss St Lucia Stars are hurtling into? They are winless in their last 14 matches, a streak stretching back to CPL 2016, and even their ever-smiling former captain Darren Sammy looked despondent after they botched a chase of 142 from 113 for 2 in the 17th over against Guyana Amazon Warriors. In all, St Lucia have lost three matches so far in CPL 2018 and are the only side with a negative net run-rate.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhether it’s the curse of the Zouks, St Lucia’s former moniker, or a lack of confidence, Stars to find a way out of this rut, if they are to salvage this season.Warner, Smith watch
David Warner had found bizarre ways to get out in the Global T20 Canada, and managed only 109 runs in eight innings at an average of 13.62 and strike-rate of 114.73. He fell to another bizarre dismissal against Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence. When Imran Tahir bowled a full-toss on middle stump, Warner shaped to reverse-sweep but instead only gloved the ball towards point. Umpire Nigel Dungid, however, gave him out lbw, despite the tickle and the impact with the gloves appearing outside the line of off stump. The ball might have missed off stump too. In all, the decision left Warner peeved.Steven Smith, on the other hand, had a more encouraging start to CPL 2018, with a match-winning 41 off 37 balls for Barbados Tridents against Guyana. After crawling to 17 off 21 balls, he made 24 off his next 16 balls.Best batsman of the week
TKR’s Colin Munro has set the early pace with back-to-back fifties. We all know of his might against the seamers, but he was also fluent against Imad Wasim’s left-arm drift and Adam Zampa’s legbreaks on Friday. He read a wrong’un from Zampa, forayed down the track, and pinged the sightscreen with a six. He also took Imad for a brace of pulled boundaries in the arc between midwicket and long-on. So far, Munro has hit 164 runs in three innings at a strike-rate of 153.27; Russell is hot on his heels with 124 runs in two innings.Best bowler of the week
After impressing his captain Dwayne Bravo at Winnipeg Hawks in Global T20 Canada, USA quick Ali Khan was called up to replace Ronsford Beaton at TKR, who are also captained by Bravo. He has caught the eye in the CPL as well, with his skiddy pace and dance moves that aren’t too far behind those of Bravo and the franchise’s owner Shahrukh Khan, who was in attendance for TKR’s match against Tallawahs.Ali Khan hit a hard length – neither driveable nor pullable – with the new ball and claimed three wickets in six balls to set up his side nicely against Tallawahs before he dropped Russell first ball and watched him unleash an unrelenting assault.ESPNcricinfo LtdAli Khan, however, put that drop behind him in the next match against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and took three more wickets, including that of Carlos Brathwaite. In addition to being the top wicket-taker with seven scalps, Ali Khan has saved 29.37 runs, the most by a bowler this CPL, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats.