Khulna go on top with six-wicket win

Khulna Titans went to six wins off eight matches as they beat Barisal Bulls by six wickets

Mohammad Isam25-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMahmudullah’s 36* was his fourth 30-plus score in eight BPL matches•Raton Gomes/BCB

Khulna Titans took sole lead of the BPL after their six-wicket win over Barisal Bulls. Khulna’s bowling returned to its parsimonious ways, rattling Barisal with early wickets and remaining disciplined as they notched up their sixth win in eight games. Junaid Khan, Shafiul Islam and Mosharraf Hossain took a wicket each, and their fielding was mostly tight.Barisal lost their openers by the fifth over before Shahriar Nafees and Mushfiqur Rahim added 42 runs for the third wicket. But once Nafees fell lbw to Mosharraf, Barisal further lost Nadif Chowdhury and Mushfiqur to run-outs, with Nadif falling to a cheeky bit of work by Khulna wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran.It could have been worse had Junaid latched on to an easy chance at long-on, offered by Thisara Perera who, along with Enamul Haque, helped Barisal eke out 38 runs in the last five overs.Khulna’s first chase in the tournament started poorly after they lost two wickets cheaply. Mohammad Hasanuzzaman and Rikki Wessels were both unlucky, having been bowled by deliveries that kept low.Taibur Rahman and Shuvagata Hom got the chase on track with a 33-run third-wicket stand, before Shuvagata and Mahmudullah got them closer to the target with their 57-run fourth-wicket partnership.Shuvagata’s 40 off 34 balls was his highest score in the BPL. His boundaries came mostly on the leg side, pulling fours over mid-on and fine leg, while hammering Monir Hossain for a big six over long-on. Mahmudullah struck a four over cover apart from hitting two beautiful straight sixes. The win was achieved with eight balls to spare.

Head ton tips thriller South Australia's way

South Australia’s last pair of Joe Mennie and Chadd Sayers eked out the last eight runs required for the Redbacks to complete a thrilling last-day chase of 317 and beat Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match at the Adelaide Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Travis Head stroked his maiden first-class hundred•Getty Images

South Australia’s last pair of Joe Mennie and Chadd Sayers eked out the last eight runs required for the Redbacks to complete a thrilling last-day chase of 317 and beat Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match at the Adelaide Oval.The hosts appeared to have the chase well in hand for most of the day, thanks to a long-awaited maiden first-class hundred from their captain Travis Head, after 17 previous scores of 50 or more.Mark Cosgrove had also contributed a sturdy 63 at the top of the order, and at 4 for 269, South Australia looked headed for a more comfortable victory than they could have imagined when the Warriors were 2 for 217 the previous afternoon.But Alex Ross, Head, Tim Ludeman, and Adam Zampa all fell in quick succession to allow WA a glimpse of victory, with Michael Hogan and Simon Mackin both bowling well.It was left to Mennie and Sayers, who had combined well with the ball on day one to roll the Warriors for 211 in their first innings, to scramble the last few runs, something they managed to achieve to the delight of the new captain-coach combination of Head and Jamie Siddons. WA and SA now have one outright win apiece entering round three of the Shield.

Chopra back in the old routine

Everywhere you look at Edgbaston, there seems to be a picture of Chris Wright and Keith Barker, grinning broadly, one hand each on the LV= Championship trophy, but Varun Chopra had an equal part to play.

Jon Culley at Edgbaston12-Apr-2013
ScorecardVarun Chopra settled back into the old routine with runs for Warwickshire on a dismal day•PA Photos

Everywhere you look at Edgbaston, there seems to be a picture of Chris Wright and Keith Barker, grinning broadly, one hand each on the LV= Championship trophy. And with good reason. With 118 wickets between them, their strike bowling partnership was the key to many a Warwickshire victory.Yet there was another key alliance at the heart of Warwickshire’s success and the scoreboard at the close of day three in this rain-ruined beginning to their title defence might indicate that it remains in fine working order. The Varun Chopra-Ian Westwood partnership at the top of the order developed into one of the most reliable in the competition. Both batsmen ended the season averaging in the forties and five times they gave the Warwickshire innings the perfect platform by scoring more than 100 runs without being parted.It was a contribution not to be underestimated. If the ability to take 20 wickets is key to winning Championship matches, then amassing totals that can be defended comes a solid second. The left-handed Westwood has endured some tough times in the last few years, fulfilling a career ambition by landing the captaincy but giving it up at the end of the 2010 season when he struggled for form. Subsequently, his place in the side was often little more than a stop gap when Ian Bell was on England duty.He started last year slowly but his form picked up in the second half, when the partnership with Chopra was at its most formidable. In one six-innings sequence the pair compiled stands of 100, 175 and 136. Westwood made two centuries in August, 19 days apart.Westwood’s recovery has been to Chopra’s benefit, too. The more at ease Chopra has become in the partnership, the more consistent has his form been. The only other England qualified batsman to pass 1,000 first-class runs in Division One last season was Nick Compton, who earned his elevation to the Test side as a result.Chopra, a 25-year old right-hander, has prospered, like his team-mate, Wright, since moving to Edgbaston from Essex. He made 1,000 runs in 2011 as well. His reward — alongside Wright — was a place in the 17-man England Performance Programme squad in India and a Lions tour to Australia, where he scored centuries in two 50-over matches, the second in the first meeting with Australia A in Hobart. Like Wright, he has been named also in in the provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.Those spectators with the patience to wait for some action at a dank and gloomy Edgbaston yesterday saw Chopra and Westwood finish 10 short of another three-figure partnership, which will offer Warwickshire encouragement from a match destined to end in a draw. After the fragmented action that followed a 3.30 start, about 90 minutes of play was possible, and the conditions, in terms of pitch and atmospheric conditions, and the need to focus and refocus as stoppage followed stoppage, were hardly ideal for batting. Yet Chopra and Westwood set about their business with a familiar efficiency.Derbyshire might consider themselves a little unlucky. Tim Groenewald saw Chopra dropped on 10, albeit off a very hard chance high in the air to Ross Whiteley at point, and edge just short of first slip on 19. But Chopra picked off nine boundaries to illustrate to the newcomers how narrow are the margins for bowling error in First Division cricket as Warwickshire finished the day with a platform for a decent yield of batting points on the last day, if nothing else.

Bangladesh to seek review of final-over collision

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has said it will lodge a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council about an incident in the final over of Bangladesh’s chase in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2012The Bangladesh Cricket Board has said it will complain to the Asian Cricket Council about an incident in the final over of Bangladesh’s chase in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan. The incident, during the first ball of the 50th over, involved a collision between the bowler Aizaz Cheema and Mahmudullah as the latter tried to come back for a second run – something the BCB claims the Pakistan bowler did deliberately.”We have seen video footage of the incident repeatedly. It is clear that Cheema blocked Mahmudullah deliberately,” Enayet Hossain Siraj, the chairman of the BCB cricket operations committee, told reporters in Dhaka. “We will lodge a written appeal with the ACC very soon and will also give a copy to the ICC.”The rules of cricket (Law 42.5) sanction a strict penalty for the fielding team if a fielder is found by the umpire to deliberately obstruct a batsman while attempting a run. Neither batsman can be dismissed (if a run-out has taken place), five penalty runs are awarded to the batting side, the delivery will not count as one in the over, the run will count even if the batsmen haven’t crossed and the batsmen can choose which of them faces the next delivery. Whether or not there was intent behind the collision is for the umpire to determine; in this case, after the players had collided, the umpire Steve Davis was seen having a word with both players. The delivery yielded a single.”It is clearly written in the playing conditions that it will be a dead ball if the batsman faces an obstacle while running by a bowler or fielder. The batting side will get a five-run penalty,” Siraj was also quoted as saying in the . “In that case, we would have required only four runs off six balls. We have footage which clearly shows that the bowler in question created an obstacle to [Mahmudullah] Riyad.”Intikhab Alam, the PCB director, said it was “sad and disappointing” to hear Siraj’s statement. “It was a thrilling final and everyone praised Bangladesh for their fight. Their decision to appeal is just an afterthought after the result,” Alam said. “The fact of the matter is that no match umpire or referee complained about this to Pakistan management and Bangladesh’s complaint will spoil a wonderful final which everyone enjoyed.”Bangladesh needed nine to win at the start of the 50th over; they lost by two runs. Had Pakistan been penalised, Bangladesh’s task of chasing down 237 for a win would have been made significantly easier.

Razzaq, Kamran axed for West Indies ODIs and T20s

Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal have been axed from Pakistan’s combined ODI and Twenty20 squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2011Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal have been axed from Pakistan’s combined ODI and Twenty20 squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies, while senior players Umar Gul and Younis Khan have been rested. Shahid Afridi remains in charge of a team that will feature a new wicketkeeper, Mohammad Salman.The Test squad will be named at a later date and it is expected that Gul and Younis – the former had asked selectors for a rest from the limited overs portion of the tour – will return.Kamran’s wicketkeeping has been a source of concern for some time now, though various selectors have persisted with him in the belief that his batting provides the side with flexibility. But a poor World Cup campaign, with bat and gloves – the low hit in the game against New Zealand where he dropped centurion Ross Taylor three times, including twice early on, as well as fluffs in games against Sri Lanka and the semi-final with India – have finally proved too much. Coach Waqar Younis had hinted that it was time for a new wicketkeeper to be blooded, and Salman got the nod.With 103 first-class games to his name, the Karachi-born Salman, 29, has been on the fringes of selection for a while. A few years ago he was thought by many to be the best wicketkeeper in the land though in recent times, he had been overlooked behind Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider and Adnan Akmal.”He is the best of the lot,” Rashid Latif, former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper, told ESPNcricinfo. Salman was Latif’s deputy at Allied Bank Limited (ABL) in 2000 and worked with him later as well. “He came into ABL as my deputy wicket keeper and I worked with him then. After that we both joined Port Qasim Authority team in 2006, me as coach and Salman as a main wicketkeeper. He is an athletic man and a good batsman too for all formats.”Though the Test squad has not yet been announced, it is likely Kamran’s younger brother Adnan will retain his spot in the side as the wicketkeeper.Pakistan have also embarked on a search for a new allrounder, with the highly-rated Hammad Azam drafted in to replace Razzaq. The veteran Razzaq had a strange World Cup, playing all matches but almost as a spare part in the XI, taking only five wickets and making 104 runs.He did not complete his quota of 10 overs even once, and managed only a single half-century, though he usually batted as low as number eight. He was often given the new ball, but taken off after short opening spells to make way for Gul and the spinners. After the first couple of games, he had expressed a desire to play a larger part in Pakistan’s World Cup campaign, but continued to play a peripheral role.Azam was a central figure in Pakistan’s last U-19 World Cup campaign and was selected in the squad for the World T20 in the Caribbean last year, but he did not feature in a single game.”At the moment there’s no place for Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal in the team,”
chief selector Mohsin Khan told reporters. “We want to try out few youngsters and that’s why we have picked those players who have performed outstandingly in the domestic circuit.”Left-hand opening batsman Taufeeq Umar, who recently worked his way back into the Test side, is another surprise inclusion for the shorter formats. Aizaz Cheema, the 31-year-old seamer who plays for Punjab, has also received a call-up to replace Gul. Cheema has 221 wickets from 62 first-class matches, and will tussle for the new ball with Wahab Riaz, Tanvir Ahmed and Junaid Khan. Usman Salahuddin, another youngster who made an impression at the Under-19 level, also got the selector’s nod for the tour. Salahuddin scored 927 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy last year and will fight for a middle-order spot.The tour kicks off with a warm-up game from April 18, while the only Twenty20 will be played on April 21 in St Lucia. The five-match ODI series will begin on April 23, and the Test leg of the tour will commence on May 12.Squad: Shahid Afridi (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Taufeeq Umar, Usman Salahuddin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Salman (wk)Reserves: Rameez Raja (jnr), Sadaf Hussain, Asif Zakir, Sohail Khan, Zulifqar Babar

Cook succeeds where Shakib falls short

Plays of the day from Bangladesh v England, 2nd Test, Dhaka, 5th day

Andrew Miller in Dhaka24-Mar-2010Innings of the day
Shakib Al Hasan was 22 not out overnight, with a nightwatchman for company, four second-innings wickets still intact, and a slender lead of 94 on which to build. He knew full well that, after a series in which his batting had fallen a touch short of his recent high standards, today was the day to make his presence known to the opposition. And how superbly he responded to the match situation, first in partnership with Shafiul Islam, and then as a soloist while the tail loitered alongside him. A second Test century was the only just reward, but alas on 96, his adrenalin got the better of him.Anticlimax of the day
Shakib’s rush through the nineties was exhilarating to watch, as he took on James Tredwell with a series of slamming sweeps. With a horizontal bat and perfect power and timing, he picked off two fours and a two in the space of five balls, to move to 96 for the third time in his career. But then, from the final ball of the same over, Tredwell tossed it up, and Shakib – fatally – opted for a straight-bladed charge. Instead of dragging the ball through midwicket, he tried to seal the century in style with a six over long-off, but Matt Prior gathered and whipped off the bails. As had been the case with Tim Bresnan on the fourth day, a rush of blood ended a fine performance.Fielder of the day
After dropping the easiest catch of his life on Tuesday, Jonathan Trott came within an elbow of making spectacular amends during Bangladesh’s spirited morning performance. On 54, Shakib climbed into a pull off Stuart Broad, and sent the shot spinning down towards deep square leg where Trott, sprinting round from midwicket, dived and grabbed with his outstretched left hand. For a split-second he had it, but the impact on the turf jolted the ball loose from his grasp. One over later, however, he finally got it right, as Shafiul Islam top-edged a sweep, and Trott this time swallowed the chance on the edge of the rope. It was the hardest easy catch he will ever take, and his face was a picture of fear and relief as he tugged at his England badge to indicate his heart palpitations.Decision of the day
Trott could hardly stay out of the limelight as the match built towards its climax. After his excitement in the field, he was called upon to launch the run-chase, which he did with a decent turn of speed as he moved along to 19 from 30 balls. But then, however, Alastair Cook pushed a single into the covers, where Jahurul Islam slid and threw with impressive speed. A run-out appeal was referred to the TV umpire, Nadir Shah, who had only one angle from which to work. In one frame, Trott was out of his crease with the bails yet to drop, in the next he was home and the stumps were broken. Ordinarily, the benefit of the doubt would have gone to the batsman, but given the events of the past few days, Bangladesh deserved a break.Last word of the day
Alastair Cook has had a match that he’ll want to forget, particularly that horrible second morning when Bangladesh’s tail made a mockery of his field placings. But as he prepares to hand the captaincy back to Andrew Strauss, at least he can say that he took it upon himself to sort out his own mess. A fluent and focussed 109 not out was his final contribution of the tour. It was his second century of the series and, while the pressure evaporated once the result became inevitable, it nevertheless confirmed the strength of his character. Lesser players would have let the pressures of the past few days undermine their natural game. Cook just compartmentalised, and gone on with the business of run-scoring.

Pretoria Capitals name Ganguly head coach, Pollock assistant coach in SA20

The former international captains join the team ahead of the SA20 auction on September 9

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2025Sourav Ganguly is going to be the new head coach of Pretoria Capitals for the fourth season of SA20, starting on December 26. He will be joined by former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock, who was named the franchise’s assistant coach on Monday.*Ganguly replaces Jonathan Trott in the role, having already acted as the director of cricket for JSW Sports – the parent company of Pretoria Capitals – since last year. Pollock will take over a coaching role after a while, having been a part of the Mumbai Indians coaching staff in the IPL in the early years of the tournament. He also worked with the South Africa team as a consultant briefly.Pretoria Capitals have had an uneven time in the tournament so far: they finished the first season at the top of the table in the group stage, before losing to Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the final. In the two seasons since then – in 2023-24 and 2024-25 – they have faced more middling results, finishing in fifth position both times and failing to qualify for the playoffs.Pretoria Capitals will be hoping that their luck turns around with the new appointments. Their first point of focus will be the player auction on September 9, where Capitals will be looking to refresh their squad.This will be Ganguly’s first time as a head coach. For four years, between 2015 and 2019, he was the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal. He joined Delhi Capitals as a mentor for the 2019 season, but left the franchise soon after to become the president of the BCCI.In the time since then, his appointment as JSW’s director of cricket last year moved him closer to a coaching role at the helm of one of their franchises, which also include Delhi Capitals in co-ownership with GMR in the IPL and WPL.* 0900 hrs: The story was updated after SA20 issued a release about Pollock’s appointment

Stokes steps up bowling workload but will continue as specialist batter

Test captain eyes return to allrounder status in time for England’s T20 World Cup defence

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Feb-2024Ben Stokes continued his return to operating as a fully functioning allrounder on Wednesday with a 20-minute bowling session in Rajkot, but will not bowl in England’s remaining three Tests in India.The England captain has been stepping up his bowling on this tour after an operation on his left knee at the end of November. Following a first walkthrough in the build-up to the second Test in Visakhapatnam, he has been gradually increasing his bowling, sending down three overs on Tuesday at about “70 percent” before a similar stint on Wednesday, a day out from the third Test.Stokes has reiterated he will not be bowling in this series. But the progress, even at this early stage, suggests he is on course to play as an allrounder in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which takes place in the Caribbean and the United States in June.”No, I still won’t bowl in this series,” Stokes said. “I’ve pinky-promised my physio I won’t be loosening up to bowl even if everything is feeling well because that would just be a risk that’s not worth it.”It’s good. Little and often now. I managed to step it up from when I bowled around the last Test match… just growing with more confidence.”Stokes last bowled competitively in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s in June 2023. Such was the state of his left knee that his participation in the 50-over World Cup was in major doubt until he finally brought himself out of ODI retirement in August.Related

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The return of the 2019 hero did not lend itself to a successful world title defence, with England knocked out at the group stages. One of the many issues to emerge from a dismal campaign was the lack of balance in the XI, not helped by Stokes only being able to operate as a batter.Stokes will want to make amends by defending the T20 World Cup after helping England over the line in 2022. The tournament is part of a bumper 2024 for Stokes, which will also see him lead England in home Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka before tours of Pakistan and New Zealand before the year is out.Stokes has already pulled out of the IPL, having played for Chennai Super Kings last year, with a view to managing his workload. For now, he is happy with his physical progression, particularly as the rest of his body gets reaccustomed to the rigours of fast bowling.”We don’t have a plan with where I go with my intensity,” Stokes said. “It’s just how I feel at the time, but also not getting too far ahead. I’ve said a couple of times that the rest of my body has to get up to speed with bowling. It was another step forward.”

Du Plessis and Inglis turn on the power in huge Scorchers win

The visitors hit the most sixes in a BBL innings while the total was the third-highest ever

AAP23-Dec-2022Faf du Plessis and Josh Inglis provided the fireworks with blistering half-centuries that powered the Perth Scorchers to a 61-run thrashing of the Melbourne Stars.Inglis posted the fastest fifty of the season – from just 25 balls – as the reigning champions flexed their muscle at Junction Oval on Friday.He bettered the mark set by opener du Plessis (68 off 33) earlier in the innings, with the pair helping the Scorchers reach 229 for 7.Related

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It was the third-highest score in competition history – setting a new franchise record in the process – and the first total of 200-plus by any team this season.Du Plessis’ dazzling innings included six fours and five sixes before he was eventually out caught off Luke Wood, who claimed career-best figures of 5 for 50 amid the carnage.Inglis picked up where the former South Africa skipper left off, smashing five fours and six sixes, while Nick Hobson (46 off 26) also made a strong contribution. He and Aaron Hardie (30 off 17) hit three sixes apiece.Scorchers’ batters combined to send 17 deliveries clear over the short Junction Oval boundaries, a tournament record.It left Stars needing to pull off the highest-ever BBL run chase, but they only managed 168 for 8.Stars started positively, skipping to 32 for 0 from three overs, before Scorchers quick Jason Behrendorff removed openers Joe Clarke and Tom Rogers in the fourth.Powerful allrounder Marcus Stoinis’ struggles continued as he managed just 4 from seven balls, following consecutive ducks in the opening two games.Beau Webster and Nick Larkin tried to lift the Stars but the damage had already been done.

West Indies' power-hitting vs Pakistan's bowling as teams prepare for T20 World Cup

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

Danyal Rasool30-Jul-2021

Big picture

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).
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