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Uncapped 24-year-old Imran Butt was named in the 17-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2020Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq have been ruled out of the first Test against New Zealand, starting December 26 in Mount Maunganui as the duo is yet to recover from their respective thumb injuries. In Azam’s absence, vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan will lead the side.Meanwhile, Pakistan included uncapped 24-year-old Imran Butt in the 17-member squad. Butt was the top run-scorer in the 2019-20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 934 runs at an average of over 62. Faheem Ashraf returned to the Test squad after missing out for two years while Haris Sohail, who pulled out of the England tour due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was also back in the side. Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan and Yasir Shah continue to retain their place in the squad.

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“Although it will be nearly two weeks to Babar’s injury when the first Test starts, it will be hard on him and the team to play him without any net sessions,” head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said in a statement on Monday. “I remain confident and optimistic that other players will rise to the occasion in Mount Maunganui and use the opportunity to rise to the occasion and put the disappointment of the T20I series behind them.”Pakistan squad for the two Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Azam had fractured his right thumb a day after Imam had fractured his left thumb in training sessions in Queenstown last week. They have both not returned to the nets since then and a decision on their participation in the second Test, starting January in Christchurch, will be taken later.Pakistan are carrying two squads – the national team and the Shaheens – in New Zealand that include 34 players out of which 17 are in the Test squad. On the conclusion of the ongoing T20I series in Napier, as many as 10 players – Abdullah Shafiq, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Musa Khan, Usman Qadir and Wahab Riaz – will be released from the national side to join the Pakistan Shaheens for five T20s against the local and New Zealand XI sides.Imad Wasim will be released after the final T20I on Tuesday to travel to Australia to join the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, while Mohammad Hafeez will return to Pakistan. Rauf, who signed with the Melbourne Stars, will stay back in New Zealand for a little longer before flying out for Australia on January 6 after his stint with the Shaheens.Pakistan have already lost the T20I series and are trailing 2-0, after they failed to defend 153 and 163 in the two games.”It is disappointing to lose the T20I series against a well-settled New Zealand side, who utilised their resources and conditions to their advantage,” Misbah said. “We need to up our skill and improve our individual and team performances, including in Tuesday’s match, and the sooner we get these sorted the better it will be in terms of player confidences and team results as 2021 will not be any easier as we have two major events.”Contrary to the T20I side, the Test side appears to be pretty organised and we boast some experienced cricketers, both in batting and bowling departments. With some competitive cricket on the tour now under the belt, I am hoping we will be a better outfit in the longer version of the game.”Sarfaraz Ahmed who is the second-choice wicketkeeper for Pakistan will continue to find a place in a larger squad as Rizwan will become the country’s 33rd Test captain. Just over a year ago, Rizwan had played just one Test and none in three years. Since then he has cemented his place by impressing in Australia, playing at home against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and then having a standout series in England with both bat and behind the stumps. He was given the vice-captaincy when Azam was named the new Test captain to replace Azhar.Pakistan squad for first Test: Mohammad Rizwan (capt), Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah.Pakistan Shaheens for T20s: Rohail Nazir (capt & wk), Abdullah Shafiq, Amad Butt, Danish Aziz, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Musa Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz, Zafar Gohar, Zeeshan Malik.

England name 16-strong squad as fixtures unveiled for ODI, T20I series in February-March

Valkerie Baynes14-Jan-2021Anya Shrubsole will miss England’s upcoming tour of New Zealand because of a knee injury, with Tash Farrant earning a recall to the national women’s squad.The vastly experienced Shrubsole was ruled out of a 16-strong England squad named on Thursday to play three ODIs and three T20Is in February and March, as was fellow seamer Katie George, who has suffered another stress fracture in her back. George, the 21-year-old left-armer, has been troubled by back injuries during her career and has played just two ODIs and three T20Is since making her international debut in 2018.Sophia Dunkley retains her place in the squad, having scored 0 and 3* upon breaking back into the England T20 team after 18 months during the five-match T20 series against West Indies in September.While there was room for another left-arm seamer, Farrant, who impressed during last year’s inaugural Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Georgia Adams missed out on selection despite being the domestic 50-over competition’s leading runscorer with 500 runs at an average of 83.33 and including a highest score of 154 not out. Farrant made her solitary ODI appearance back in 2013 and played the last of her 14 T20Is against New Zealand in England in 2018.Related

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Talented 18-year-old pace bowler Issy Wong will travel with the group to New Zealand as part of her on-going development, having spent time around the squad during the series against West Indies. Georgia Elwiss returns after missing that series with a back injury.The England touring party will fly out on January 24 and spend 14 days in quarantine as required by the New Zealand Government. During that time, they will follow Covid-19 testing protocols which will allow them to train ahead of the first one-day match on February 23 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch with two fixtures at the Universtiy of Otago to follow. The T20Is will begin on March 3 at Wellington’s Sky Stadium before moving to Eden Park and then Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.Jonathan Finch, director of England Women’s Cricket, said that despite the challenges posed by a shortened 2020 season and ongoing limitations due to the global coronavirus pandemic, players were already working towards major tournaments in 2022-23.”We’re hugely excited about getting over to New Zealand and maintaining our commitment to play international cricket despite these challenging times” Finch said. “We have a really important 24 months in front of us with two ICC global events, the Women’s Ashes and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Our ambition is to be successful across all these events and this tour is the first step towards achieving that.”The T20 series against West Indies was the only international women’s cricket played in England last year after travel restrictions prevented India and 2023 T20 World Cup hosts South Africa from touring as was planned before the pandemic hit. New Zealand will host the ICC Women’s World Cup, where England will be defending champions, in early 2022 after the event was postponed for a year.England squad: Heather Knight (capt.), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt.FixturesODI series:
Tuesday February 23: 1st ODI, Hagley Oval, 1am GMT
Friday February 26: 2nd ODI, University of Otago Oval, 10pm GMT
Sunday February 28: 3rd ODI, New University of Otago Oval, 10pm GMTT20I series:
Wednesday March 3: 1st T20I, Sky Stadium, 2am GMT
Friday March 5: 2nd T20I, Eden Park, 2am GMT
Sunday March 7: 3rd T20I, Bay Oval, 11pm GMT

Melbourne Stars will finally get a chance to play at home as they try to ignite their BBL campaign

Alex Malcolm15-Jan-2021Living in the present and not looking too far ahead is the key to navigating the never-ending hubs professional cricketers are facing during the Covid pandemic, according to Melbourne Stars pair Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.The relationship between Stoinis and Zampa was a quirky feature of , an eight-part documentary series aired last year on the Australian cricket team’s journey through the 2019 World Cup and Ashes. The pair would meet in Zampa’s room every morning in England, which was dubbed the Love Café, for a hand-made coffee.As amusing as it was, it is little things like this that have kept the trio sane in this new post-Covid cricket climate.All three have spent half the year on the road playing in various hubs around the world with different restrictions imposed in different places. Haris Rauf said his 14-day quarantine in New Zealand with Pakistan was “very hard” while the Australian pair endured the same thing on the return from the IPL in the UAE, having previously been in a bio-secure bubble in England dating back to August.Stoinis and Zampa were able to pinch a week at home with their respective families prior to Christmas but tighter restrictions on the BBL teams since then and a looming T20I tour of New Zealand, featuring another 14-day quarantine looms on the horizon for two of Australia’s first-choice T20 players.Related

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Stoinis said the key to navigating the endless hubs was staying in the present.”For me personally, I do get in trouble when I do think too far ahead,” he said. “To think forward, which I’m saying we don’t really like to do but you go Big Bash, then you go there’s a New Zealand tour, there’s a South African Test tour, before you know it, you’re back to IPL. And then who knows from there, there’s the Hundred, the Caribbean Premier League, there are all these things so this could easily turn into another hub until next August, which is eight months away from now.”It can get a bit daunting when you think of it like that. At the moment, I’m just enjoying the little things, enjoying being back at Melbourne, looking forward to playing in front of 15,000 here [at the MCG], looking forward to winning games with the Stars. It sounds cliché but I think that’s all you can do.”We realise how lucky we are. It’s definitely not a poor me situation. It’s life and you’re lucky you’ve got good friends with you that make it enjoyable.”The Stars’ indifferent form is only adding the angst. The finalists from each of the last two seasons have lost five of their past six matches and sit second-last on the table after playing their first nine games on the road.”Cricket is a testing game as it is and then you add the hub, then you add losing games of cricket, you walk up the next morning and you dwell a little bit,” Zampa said.Zampa can hardly be blamed for the Stars’ malaise. He has been masterful with the ball this season taking 12 wickets at a stunning economy rate of 7.11. That is even more impressive given the difficulty of the overs he has been bowling. Against the Strikers he was claimed 2 for 20 from four, bowling the first over, the 10th when defending just seven runs for the Bash Boost which he did successfully, the 15th over in the Power Surge and the 17th.”I do really enjoy it, ” Zampa said. “Obviously it’s really nice that Maxy [Glenn Maxwell] backs me in to bowl those overs. So when I’m at the crease I feel really confident to get the job done but tactically, not too much changes. I try and keep things really simple. But I love competition, I love being competitive and I love bowling those overs.”While Zampa has thrived with the new rules, Stoinis is still trying to work how best to utilise them. He hasn’t reached the heights of last season with the bat but has been a solid contributor. He has been caught betwixt and between as to how to attack the shorter Powerplay at the start while trying to bat deep into the innings and use the Power Surge.”I’ve been struggling with how I want to go about that in my own head,” Stoinis said. “Even sometimes I’ve forgotten that we’ve got the two overs left in the back 10. An example of that is probably the last game where I was in at the 10th or 11th over and that could have been an option for me to do. But I’m just in my own zone and going at it. There’s still a few tactics that personally I can iron out that will help myself and the team. And the sooner I can do that, the better for the team.”

Allrounder eyes chance to fufil one of his career ambitions and win a series in India

George Dobell22-Feb-2021England’s seamers have been “licking their lips” at the thought of using a pink ball under floodlights in Ahmedabad, according to Ben Stokes.While England succumbed to a defeat by 317 runs in a second Test dominated by the spinning ball, Stokes believes the third could be “a completely different game” with the seamers expected to play a larger role.Indeed, Stokes claims the seamers’ net session under lights on Sunday had to be abandoned after conditions became “really dangerous” and “a few guys actually got hit”. Partially as a consequence, he feels England have a “great chance” to fulfil one of his career ambitions and establish a series-defining position in the coming days.”Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Jofra Archer have been licking their lips, I can tell you,” Stokes told talkSPORT. “It’s a completely different game.”It was funny in training yesterday, when the lights came on, the nets actually got really dangerous. The bowlers had to stop bowling in the nets because we were actually worried that some of the batters were going to get injured because the ball started jumping off a length and a few guys actually got hit.”We had to take the bowlers out into the middle to finish their spells. Whether that’s going to be similar in the middle we’re not sure. But you can tell the difference when bowling with a red ball in the normal times you see Tests played to bowling with a pink ball when the lights are on.”While England’s experience may turn out to reveal more about the quality of pitches in the nets rather than anything about the pink ball, it does strengthen the suspicion that England may revert to an attack including only one spinner in this Test. If that were the case, it would probably mean Joe Root operating as a second spinner to Jack Leach with no recall for Dom Bess.Anderson looks certain to return with the new ball, with Archer also likely to be recalled having overcome a minor elbow injury. That means Chris Woakes, whose batting could be crucial as England seek to avoid a long tail, could be vying with Broad for the final spot in the side.Archer, who missed the second Test through injury, revealed in a separate interview that he had had a cortisone injection to help settle an elbow complaint, adding that he had been expecting to sit out that contest anyway on account of England’s rest and rotation policy.James Anderson will be ‘licking his lips’ to use the pink ball, says Stokes•BCCI

“I tried to use the best of the two-week window,” Archer said. “I could have played the second Test if needed but I was going to be rested anyway so I just tried to get the cortisone injection then so I would have enough time to rebuild for the third Test”It’s always nice to be in competition for a spot,” he added. “If I don’t get it that’s fine. I would much rather win the Test series than try to play lots of games.”Stokes also admitted he had been inspired to make improvements in his own game by his captain. Such was Root’s hunger for self-improvement that Stokes said he had rethought his own game-plans and become a more consistent player as a result.”I look at Rooty,” Stokes said. “He’s one of the best players in the world. I’m going to say it now: he is England’s greatest batsman to play the game.”But he’s still looking at ways to improve as a player and a captain. It’s amazing to watch someone with his skill doing that. Even as a senior player, I look up to how he’s always trying to improve. That’s what I do: I always try and evolve and try to work things out to become a better player. No one is ever the finished article. There’s always room for improvement with every player.”I got rid of the ‘this is how I play’ excuse massively – in terms of always looking to be aggressive or attacking – when I realised that was just an excuse for when failures happen.”Every now and then the ‘that’s how I play’ mind-set would work and pay off ,and I’d do some decent things. But not as consistently as I can now. I expect a lot more of myself these days compared to back then.Related

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“Once I got rid of that mind-set, I had more understanding of the game situation. I understood when I needed to change the way I play in terms of being a little bit more defensive because, in the long term, that could be better for the team.”So, [I understood that], if I stay in longer and survive the tough bits, then I can go up into fourth or fifth gear.”While winning the Ashes in Australia remains one of Stokes’ key ambitions, he feels winning in India would represent just as big an achievement. And, with the series poised at 1-1 and the prospect of a match in which seamers could play a prominent role ahead, he feels the next couple of weeks presents “a great chance” for England to secure a rare series victory in India.”As a cricketer, if you can retire having won an ICC event, the Ashes at home, the Ashes away and this tour, for me, is one of those: beating India in India, it would be amazing,” he said. “It would be amazing to stay I’ve been able to accomplish all those things.”I still need to tick off another two: Australia in Australia and India here. But we’ve a great chance to do that over the next couple of weeks.”To follow the action from India, download the talkSPORT app, re-tune your DAB radio, listen at talkSPORT.com or tell your smart speaker to ‘play talkSPORT 2’. Coverage starts at 8am with live play from 9am.

He said he wants to be ready for a “big 12 months” with Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2021Australia and Chennai Super Kings fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has withdrawn from this year’s IPL in order to stay in shape for Australia’s upcoming calendar. He becomes the third Australian player, after Josh Philippe and Mitchell Marsh, to withdraw ahead of this season.Related

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Hazlewood, 30, has been jumping in and out of bio-secure bubbles since July last year, including with the Super Kings at the IPL, and said he now wanted to focus on staying physically and mentally ready for a big year with Australia.”It’s been a long 10 months in bubbles and quarantine at different times, so I decided to have a rest from cricket and spend some time at home and in Australia in the next two months,” Hazlewood told . “We’ve got a big winter ahead too. The West Indies is going to be a long tour, with Bangladesh (T20 tour) potentially thrown on the end of that.”Then potentially the T20 World Cup leading into the Ashes, so it’s a big 12 months, as it always is with Australia, and I want to give myself the best chance to be mentally and physically ready for that. That’s the decision I’ve made, and it sits pretty well with me.”Hazlewood wasn’t a frontline option for the Super Kings last year, playing in only three matches as they lined up their bowling with domestic options alongside allrounders Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo for the most part.

The franchises had requested the PCB to shift the games out of Karachi because of the pandemic

Umar Farooq07-May-2021The PCB has approached the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to host the remaining games of the rescheduled 2021 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the UAE. The original plan had been to play the matches in Karachi, but the PCB has decided against it following a request from the six franchises as well as advice from the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), which asked the board to avoid playing in Karachi because of the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.Upon the franchises’ request to move the matches out of Pakistan, the PCB met with all the teams via video conference to discuss the financial implications of postponing the tournament. The PCB has agreed to look beyond Karachi, with UAE as a preferred venue for the games. The UAE was where the PSL began, its inaugural edition in 2016 held there while international cricket was not taking place in Pakistan.Karachi had originally been announced as the venue for the tournament and even till last week, the PCB was proceeding on the basis that tournament would be held there, with the board making arrangements for a hotel. But earlier this week, the PCB met with the NCOC, whose forecast of the Covid situation in Pakistan over the next 20 days wasn’t reassuring. The NCOC informed the PCB there might be a rise in cases post-Eid, and that the government might subsequently enforce a stricter lockdown in the country. Already a nationwide lockdown has begun from today, to be in place until May 15.”We had an interactive and productive meeting in which we considered a number of factors,” Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, said. “While the UAE has emerged as a preferred venue, a number of challenges remain, which will be worked through over the coming days. We remain committed to doing everything possible to complete the HBL PSL 6.”The tournament was initially slated to start from June, but with the change of venue, the PCB will work on a revised schedule. The window to host the tournament is unlikely to alter too much though, as Pakistan are scheduled to begin a tour of England from June 23. Though the PCB and PSL have both agreed to playing in UAE, a final confirmation will be made only when the franchises give their approval upon seeing the revised opportunity costs of playing abroad.”The PCB will carry out a detailed financial and risk assessment as well as cost analysis before reporting back to the franchises, who will then review before a decision on the event venue is confirmed,” the PCB said.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the franchises had written a letter to the board last week, asking for the tournament to be played in the Emirates.The 2021 edition of the PSL was suspended after 14 games – played between February 20 and March 3, all in Karachi – following an outbreak of cases among players and support staff. After a date for resumption was finalised – June 2 to June 20 – the franchises took part in a replacement draft to plug holes in their line-ups because a number of overseas players would not be able to take part in the games on the new dates.The changed situation with the pandemic, however, made franchises nervous about the situation, which led to them approaching the PCB.Pakistan, meanwhile, has announced a decision to curtail inbound flights to the country from May 5 to May 20.A move to the UAE would not be without its own logistical and operational issues, though. Flights to the country from Pakistan are currently operating at a severely reduced frequency. And June is not a month in which top-level cricket is often played in the UAE, because of the oppressive heat at that time of the year.

Saha has just recovered from Covid-19, which he contracted during the IPL

Nagraj Gollapudi20-May-2021Andhra wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat has been included as a standby for Wriddhiman Saha for India’s tour of England comprising the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-Test series against the hosts. Saha had recently recovered from Covid-19.Bharat reached Mumbai on May 19 where most of the Indian contingent will be serving a two-week quarantine in their hotel rooms before boarding a flight to London on June 2. Bharat, who has been a regular wicketkeeper for India A, was also one of the standbys for India’s home Tests against England in February-March.Related

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Bharat’s inclusion – a last-minute development – is a precautionary move taken by the selectors. While announcing the 20-man squad for the England trip, they had announced Rishabh Pant and Saha as the two wicketkeepers. Saha had tested positive for Covid-19 a day before the BCCI suspended the IPL.Saha, who represents the Sunrisers Hyderabad, spent two weeks in quarantine in Delhi before returning home to Kolkata this week. Having been away on India duty since the England series in February followed by the IPL, Saha sought permission from the BCCI to visit his family before joining the Indian squad in Mumbai next week.

Spinner’s 5 for 20 led Lahore Qalandars to a ten-run win over Peshawar Zalmi in their PSL 2021 encounter

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2021The Peshawar Zalmi conceded 44 runs in the last two overs against the Lahore Qalandars in their game on Thursday, Wahab Riaz’s 19th over proving especially costly, going for 29 runs. But Shoaib Malik, who hit a 48-ball 73 in the chase, which stopped ten runs short, pointed to Rashid Khan’s 5 for 20 as the real reason for the Zalmi’s loss, saying the Afghan spinner “broke our back”.”In death overs, we gave a bit more runs and that was the area I think we need to improve. We were not really expecting them to get to 170. We did bowl well upfront and the missing element was a wristspinner, who could have made a difference with strikes in the middle overs,” Malik said after the game, which left the Zalmi at No. 4 and strengthened the Qalandars’ position at the top of the table. “But, at the same time, we have got to appreciate the way [Ben] Dunk and [Tim] David batted [48 in 33 balls and 64* in 36 balls respectively], and despite the tough pitch they not only scored runs but scored with a good strike rate to make sure they finish (on a) high to set a good target.”Asked to bat first, the Qalandars were reeling at 25 for 4 after 7.3 overs, but David partnered Dunk for 81 runs in 49 balls first, and then 47 off just 13 balls with James Faulkner for the seventh wicket. Riaz, the Zalmi captain, had conceded just seven runs in his first three overs, but was taken to the cleaners by David and Faulkner in the penultimate over. Faulkner then had the Zalmi at 5 for 2 after two overs, but Malik brought them right back in the game, till Khan changed the script. His strikes were those of David Miller, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Fabian Allen and Riaz, all big hitters, to leave the scoreboard reading 114 for 7. Malik couldn’t do it from there, his innings ending when he was out hit wicket to Haris Rauf.Related

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“Regardless of all the extra runs we conceded, it was still Rashid Khan who broke our back with his five wickets,” Malik said. “He took all those batsmen who have the good strike rate wherever they play in the world, and that haul was the one that changed the game.”With four games left in the league stage, Malik wants the Zalmi to focus on regrouping and execute their plans better: “The focus is to play the best game with every plan we have, and execute them at the fullest in the matches. Overall, if you look at the whole table, all teams more or less are standing equally, so every game is important. We try to go game to game, discuss the opponent and execute the plans accordingly.”For Khan, the match-winning haul came a day after he had returned 1 for 9 in four overs and hit a five-ball 15 not-out to help the Qalandars beat the Islamabad United – he won the Player-of-the-Match award then, too.”It’s a kind of start [to the second leg of PSL 2021] we needed as a team, as you always need to have a proper start. So with back-to-back wins, the morale is high,” Khan said. “Everyone is contributing and it’s not about just a single guy. Everyone is giving their contribution, especially today in batting we were struggling in the first ten overs. But Ben Dunk and David took the innings deep and brought us back in the game. It was very special, so it’s about the team efforts, and when everyone chips in with their part in T20 cricket, success comes in.”We never think about being champions, but rather always think about doing the right things and take the responsibility as a team. The more you fail, the more you learn from it and that’s what happened with us as a team as well. We had tough four years [the Qalandars finished runners-up last season after being in the bottom two each of the first four seasons], learnt a lot, and are now coming back strong.”It’s a time for us to step up as a team and we know how to deal (with failure) and where we were losing. We now have the best bowling attack, an experienced batting line-up, and now it’s all about expressing your skills.”

Chester-le-Street, Bristol, Oval, Edgbaston granted 50 percent capacities for white-ball fixtures

George Dobell21-Jun-2021There will be more spectators than anticipated at some of England’s international matches in the coming weeks, after a selection of fixtures in the series involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan were given the status of pilot events.When the UK government extended its current Covid-19 protocols until July 19, it was feared that grounds would be permitted to admit only 25 percent of their capacities.But it has now been announced that several games will be included in the Government’s Events Research Programme meaning capacities will be raised to at least 50 percent of capacity.The games identified for increased capacity at present are the ODIs against Sri Lanka at Emirates Riverside (on June 29), the Kia Oval (July 1), and Bristol (July 4), as well as the ODI against Pakistan at Edgbaston on July 13. It is anticipated that other venues will be included in the coming days. All the matches in both series are sold out.The T20I against Sri Lanka at the Ageas Bowl on June 26 is not part of the pilot, however, while the two T20I matches in Wales (June 23 and 24) are subject to separate discussion with the Welsh Government.”Summer is all about cricket and I’m delighted to be able to include England’s upcoming ODI and IT20 series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in our pioneering Events Research Programme,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said. “We will continue to do everything we can to get as many as possible back watching live sport and cultural events as safely and as quickly as possible.”Related

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The second Test of the series, against New Zealand at Edgbaston, was part of a similar pilot event. On that occasion, the ground was able to host 70 percent of capacity, though no U16s were admitted. On this occasion, it is understood that the rule forbidding U16s to attend will be lifted but there is no guarantee that capacities will be raised above 50 percent. This level is important to the hosting grounds, however, as it is likely to allow them to permit all corporate hospitality ticket holders, which account for a disproportionate amount of revenues.”The final capacity will be determined once we have had more detailed discussions with the Government, with our Safety Advisory Group and city stakeholders,” Stuart Cain, chief executive of Warwickshire, said. “We just ask all ticket buyers to please bear with us for a few days as we will have further news to confirm very soon.”With the Test series against India not starting until August, hopes remain that there will be full houses in England at some stage this summer.

Hasan Ali and co. made the hosts dig deep in the washed-out first T20I

Danyal Rasool30-Jul-2021

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A Covid-19 case got one T20I between West Indies and Pakistan cancelled, while Bajan weather took care of the other. That means what was set to be a luxuriant, slow-burn five-match series has instead turned into a snappy best of three, with little room for either side to put a foot wrong. The players spent the two days in between shuttling over from Barbados to Guyana, with Providence Stadium hosting all three matches.The nine overs that were managed on Wednesday might have appeared pointless on the scorecard, but both sides will have learned plenty from them. For Pakistan, it’s a shot in the arm for a bowling unit that head coach Misbah-ul-Haq admitted was below par in the recently concluded England series. The entire innings was a test of the visitors’ new-ball skills as well as death-overs ability, and on both counts there will be little cause for complaint.Hasan Ali’s return makes the bowling unit significantly more potent, while Mohammad Wasim, making his debut in difficult circumstances, made Chris Gayle his first T20I scalp. Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan and Usman Qadir only bowled an over each, but kept the runs down and picked up a couple of wickets amongst them for good measure.Related

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Babar Azam’s men might be well served not to get too smug about that performance, though, with West Indies sure to shrug it off as an occasional blip. The panoply of potential power-hitting in the home side means there will be days oppositions are blown out of the water through no fault of their own, and that means West Indies play each T20I on their own terms.If only two or three of Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran find their range, Pakistan could see games taken out of their hands entirely. With the bowling having wilted in the face of ferocious hitting in England, West Indies will be cognisant of a potential frailty they could take advantage of.There is, of course, an element of experimentation woven into the fabric of this series, with each side looking to stitch together a combination that gives them the best chance at the T20 World Cup. Some might argue that makes the results less important than the process, but little could be more useful for Pakistan than heading into that competition with an away series win against the defending champions. Similarly, West Indies got back on track with a thumping series win over Australia, and will want to put as much psychological distance as possible between this side and a series defeat at South Africa’s hands earlier this month. Besides, with Pakistan having proven their bogey side over the years, a first T20I series win over them should do West Indies confidence little harm.

Form guide

West Indies: WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Pakistan: LLWWLKieron Pollard vs Pakistan’s attack will make for enthralling viewing•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

Kieron Pollard – and the weather rescued West Indies in the first T20I, which was reduced to nine overs due to persistent rain. Theoretically, that should have been ideal for the home side’s power-hitters, except nearly all of them found themselves on a leash against an impressive performance by Hasan and the rest of Pakistan’s bowlers. Despite the nature of the game, no other batsman managed a strike rate north of 130, and Pollard – whose nine-ball 22 took his side to a respectable 85 – will be aware of the increased responsibility on his shoulders to ensure his side don’t find themselves in the same predicament. How Pakistan try to stifle the one batsman who had the better of them should be enthralling viewing in a full-length T20I.Sharjeel Khan began the PSL this year like a house on fire, leading to his call-up to the national side for Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe. In the matches that have followed, though, he hasn’t had things his own way, and found himself pipped by Fakhar Zaman for a top-order position. Part of the reason lies in a drop-off in the left-hander’s personal form; he managed just 26 at less than a run-a-ball in the two T20Is he played since, and crossed 30 just once in the second leg of the PSL. His strike rate, too, has slipped under 119 in this time against a career strike rate of 139. But with Pakistan looking for enough firepower to match the big-hitting West Indies, he was slated to open the batting in the first game. With time running out to book a T20 World Cup spot, he needs to summon up the form that got him here in the first place.

Team news

It’d be unlikely for West Indies to change too much just yet. Lendl Simmons might sit out, if he hasn’t shaken off the blow to the neck that forced him to retire hurt, which would bring Andre Fletcher back into the mix.West Indies (possible): 1 Lendl Simmons/Andre Fletcher 2 Evin Lewis 3 Chris Gayle 4 Shimron Hetmyer 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk) 6 Andre Russell 7 Kieron Pollard (capt) 8 Jason Holder 9 Dwayne Bravo 10 Haydn Walsh 11 Akeal HoseinPakistan should be unchanged after enjoying the better of what little cricket was played.Pakistan: (possible): 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 2 Sharjeel Khan 3 Babar Azam (capt) 4 Fakhar Zaman 5 Mohammad Hafeez 6 Azam Khan 7 Shadab Khan 8 Hasan Ali 9 Mohammad Wasim 10 Usman Qadir 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pitch and conditions

Showers are predicted throughout the week, so another rain-affected game is a real possibility. However, the forecast suggests a window of clearer weather around 11am, the scheduled start time, so the game could get underway on time after all.

Stats and trivia

• Providence Stadium has only ever hosted one T20I outside of the World T20 in 2010. It saw India beat West Indies by seven wickets in 2019.
• Kieron Pollard needs three wickets to become the 11th man to reach 300 T20 wickets. Two of the others are part of this current West Indies side: Andre Russel (325) and the all-time leader Dwayne Bravo (530).