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Record fourth-wicket stand of 267 leaves Worcestershire well off pace

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2023Wayne Madsen and captain Leus du Plooy rewrote the record books as Derbyshire moved into a position of considerable strength on day two of the LV=Insurance County Champoionship encounter with Worcestershire at New Road.The duo scored centuries and broke a 31-year-old landmark in establishing a new Derbyshire record of 267 from 70 overs for the fourth wicket against the home side. They went past the previous best partnership of 218 by Peter Bowler and Chris Adams at Derby in 1992.Madsen has always enjoyed batting against Worcestershire and in 24 innings has struck four centuries and nine other fifty plus scores.Their efforts have given bottom-placed Derbyshire a realistic chance of completing a first win in 10 Championship matches since they triumphed in the corresponding fixture last season.They will begin day three with a lead of 137 and five wickets in hand and du Plooy unbeaten on 159. But they were aided by an uninspired performance by the home side who dropped both of the batters before they reached three figures.Du Plooy was put down on 69 off Indian pace bowler Navvdeep Saini, a sharp chance to Ed Pollock’s left at slip. And Pollock also spilled a more straightforward chest-high opportunity offered by Madsen on 94 against Leach.Leach was head and shoulders above the rest of the Worcestershire attack and he made the only breakthrough with the ball during the opening two sessions.Worcestershire were guilty of bowling too many ‘four’ balls during the first part of the day to hand Derbyshire a momentum they never relinquished and their ground fielding was also below-par.Derbyshire resumed on 32 for 2 and Leach made a further breakthrough with the fourth ball of the day. Brooke Guest did not move his feet to a delivery which nibbled away as he edged through to keeper Gareth Roderick.It was Leach’s 33rd scalp of the season and he asked questions of both batters during a typically probing opening spell.But Indian pace bowler Saini initially found it hard to find the right line and length on his debut He was driven for a succession of boundaries by Madsen and du Plooy and Dillon Pennington also leaked runs during his initial spell and the fourth wicket pair looked untroubled against the Kookaburra ball on a slow pitch.Matthew Waite had a moral victory when du Plooy edged the allrounder for four. But Derbyshire scored freely and Madsen’s 56 ball half century contained 11 boundaries.The 100 partnership was completed in only 19.1 overs and du Plooy followed Madsen to his fifty from 68 deliveries with 10 fours. The morning session produced 126 runs off 28 overs.Saini bowled with plenty of pace and aggression in the post lunch spell and should have had picked up the wicket of du Plooy on 69 but Pollock spilled the chance at slip away to his left.Leach replaced the Indian pace bowler and Madsen on 94 edged him at chest height to Pollock who again spilled the opportunity and immediately left the field clutching his finger.Madsen completed his fourth hundred against Worcestershire off 148 balls with one six and 16 fours and du Plooy followed him to three figures from 144 deliveries with 14 boundaries.The first delivery with the second new ball finally broke the partnership when Madsen was lbw to Leach for 143 and then Haider Ali tried to cut Pennington and feathered through to Roderick. But du Plooy went onto complete his 150 from 249 balls with one six and 19 fours before the close.

Heather Knight, Sydney Thunder’s captain, is the most significant of the potential departures

AAP11-Nov-2023WBBL clubs are facing the prospect of being robbed of marquee English players for the competition’s final due to a scheduling clash.England named their squad for a looming multi-format series in India on Friday night, with nine WBBL players included ahead of the first T20 on December 7.The majority of those will be able to skip a team camp in Oman, but England officials have confirmed to AAP they will be expected in Mumbai by December 2. That is the same date as the WBBL final.Related

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AAP has been told that players will be able to remain in Australia through to the end of November, meaning they would be available for all games bar the final.Sydney Thunder captain Heather Knight headlines the list of potentially impacted players, along with Perth Scorchers pair Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones.Thunder quick Lauren Bell, Adelaide Strikers allrounder Danielle Gibson and Brisbane Heat batter Bess Heath are among other players who would be scheduled to return.Melbourne Stars would be the club most impacted with Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley all in England’s squad, but at this stage look unlikely to make finals.Clubs were aware of the possible scheduling clash when players were signed. Exemptions have been made in the past for players to stay on longer, and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that a similar push could be made in coming weeks for the English to feature in the final.The loss of Knight in particular would come as a significant blow to the Thunder. The club have been the feel-good story of this summer’s WBBL, going from winning one game last year to dropping just one of their opening eight this season.They are now the frontrunners to automatically qualify to host the final, after sitting at the top of the ladder at the halfway mark.Knight has been a pillar of Thunder’s top-order this season in capitalising on big starts from their openers, hitting 168 runs at an average of 42 and strike-rate above 140.Thunder coach Lisa Keightley does have strong links to the English setup, having previously coached the national side.Scorchers would also be desperate to hang onto their English pairing if they reach the final. Sciver-Brunt is one of the most dangerous players in the competition, and while she was only signed for part of the season, the 31-year-old is expected to play out the rest of the tournament until England calls.

He held the top position at PCB through one of the most chaotic and tumultuous periods in Pakistan’s cricketing history

Danyal Rasool03-Aug-2023Former Pakistan wicketkeeper and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt has died at the age of 85 in Lahore.In 2008, he was appointed chairman of the PCB by then-president Asif Ali Zardari. He held that position through one of the most chaotic and tumultuous periods in Pakistan’s cricketing history. Just five months into his tenure, there was a terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team and match officials that claimed the lives of eight people and stopped international cricket in Pakistan for the best part of a decade. It was followed by angry accusations of lax security by ICC match referee Chris Broad which Butt dismissed as “lies”.The Pakistan captaincy changed hands several times during his tenure, with Shoaib Malik famously described as “aloof and a loner” in a report, days after he was sacked. After a disastrous tour of Australia, the PCB hit back with huge sanctions against its own players. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan were banned “indefinitely” in 2010, Malik and Naved-ul-Hasan were handed one-year bans, while Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal were put on six-month probations. Yousuf and Younis were back playing Test cricket a few months later.Butt would also have to content with the fallout from the spot-fixing scandal that saw three Pakistan players – captain Salman Butt, and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – caught agreeing to bowl no-balls in a Test at Lord’s in exchange for money. The three players were banned, and relations between the PCB and England turned especially frosty, which Butt played a part in contributing to on at least one occasion.Butt was replaced by Zaka Ashraf, who is also the current PCB chairman, in 2011.He played eight Tests for Pakistan, making his debut in Karachi against West Indies in 1959 as a wicketkeeper-batter. His last match came at The Oval against England in 1962. He was the manager of the Pakistan team for a tour of Australia in 1982 and headed the selection committee a couple of times. He also served as the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan – the precursor to the PCB – from 1984-88.PCB management committee chairperson Ashraf said: “On behalf of the PCB, I want to express my deepest condolences on the sad demise of Mr Ijaz Butt.”I had the privilege of knowing him personally and I have nothing but utmost respect for Mr Butt. I offer my deepest condolences to Ijaz Butt’s family and friends, and assure them that he will always be remembered for the contributions he made to Pakistan cricket.”

Although Ireland scored their second-highest T20I total against South Africa, they did not have enough

Firdose Moonda27-Sep-2024South Africa completed the highest successful chase in Abu Dhabi and notched up a win in the first T20I to keep their unbeaten record against Ireland intact.It was officially a home fixture for Ireland but was played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium to solve cost and infrastructure challenges in Ireland. Ironically, South Africa seemed to be more familiar with conditions. After spending last week playing Afghanistan on dry, slow pitches in Sharjah, South Africa had adapted to the demands of the heat, and unlike in Sharjah, where the bounce was low, there was good bounce and carry in Abu Dhabi. Full, slower balls proved to be best wicket-taking options and South Africa understood that while Ireland struggled with dew and moisture in the field.South Africa’s strikes in the powerplay and at the end of Ireland’s innings meant that although Ireland scored their second-highest T20I total against them, they did not have enough. Ireland were pegged back after almost every acceleration but a fourth-wicket stand of 59 runs off 41 balls between Curtis Campher and Neil Rock anchored the innings.In reply, Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton shared in South Africa’s third-highest opening stand, and highest away from home, in T20Is and reached important milestones of their own. Hendricks scored his first fifty in 15 T20I innings and Rickelton registered a career-best 76, which was also his first international half-century. They complemented each other well, with Rickelton hitting high and hard over the leg side and Hendricks playing the classy off-side shots he has become known for. Neither stayed to the end, but South Africa got there with 14 balls to spare.

Push and pull in the powerplay

Ross Adair, not due to play this game until Lorcan Tucker was injured in training, made the first statement of intent when he hit a Lizaad Williams short ball over mid-on for the first boundary of the innings. He went on to take another 10 runs off Williams’ first over on the tour, after he missed out on the ODIs against Afghanistan, and hit Wiaan Mulder over his head for four before South Africa struck back. With Ross Adair’s strength down the ground, Aiden Markram placed Tristan Stubbs on the long-on boundary and he was in a good position to take the catch that dismissed the batter, who tried one big shot too many. Then it was the turn of another overlooked player from the Afghanistan matches, Ottneil Baartman, who struck with his third ball when he bowled Paul Stirling with a delivery that angled in and sailed through the bat-pad gap. But South Africa could not claim the early advantage.Campher, playing in his 100th international for Ireland, took five balls to get his eye in and then drove Baartman through mid-off and for two more fours to get his run-scoring underway. At the end of powerplay, Ireland finished on 63 for 2, their second-best against South Africa, after scoring 67 for 2 in Bristol in 2022.

Peter’s timely breakthrough

In his third T20I, legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter had to wait until the 11th over to be called on and it was a fairly tough introduction. Campher and Neil Rock were settled, South Africa were rattled after they dropped Campher on 17 at the end of the ninth over and then misfielded to allow four at the end of the 10th. Rock hit Peter for four in an over that cost eight and he was replaced by Bjorn Fortuin and allowed to change ends. And then he struck. Peter bowled Rock with a delivery that straightened as he tried to sweep and ended a partnership that was threatening to take the game away. That wicket would prove crucial in the target Ireland ended up setting South Africa.File photo: Patrick Kruger took four wickets•AFP/Getty Images

Death-bowling heroics from Williams and Kruger

At 163 for 5 after 18 overs, Ireland would have been eyeing a total over 180 but an excellent last couple of overs from South Africa’s seamers kept them to 171. Williams bowled the 19th over and, with a wide slip in place, stuck to a selection of wide yorkers. All Ireland managed were singles off every ball in that over. Then it was over to Patrick Kruger, who took pace off with immediate success. Dockrell played a swipe too early and was caught behind. Off the next ball, Fionn Hand tried to ramp Kruger but could only get the ball as far as short fine leg. Kruger’s hat-trick ball missed everything and cost a bye. His penultimate delivery brought another wicket as Mark Adair tried to hit him over the off side and was caught by Wiaan Mulder. Kruger finished with a triple-wicket maiden and South Africa only conceded eight runs in the last two overs.

Hendricks, Rickelton redeem themselves and South Africa’s batting

The big picture of South Africa’s batting woes against Afghanistan aside, the opening batters had questions over their form going into this game. Hendricks had only gone past 30 in three of his last 12 T20Is while Rickelton had a top score of 27 from eight white-ball internationals. Were they the best combination sans Quinton de Kock? Yes, they said, as they grabbed the chase by the scruff of the neck in the powerplay. Rickelton got the ball rolling with back-to-back boundaries off Mark Adair and showed his ability against the short and full balls. Hendricks only faced four balls in the first three overs but when given more of the strike, he made the most of it. He smashes four fours in six deliveries, to bring up 2000 runs in T20I cricket. Rickelton finished off the powerplay hitting Hand for two enormous sixes and South Africa were 58 for 0 in the powerplay. Two overs later, Rickelton reached his fifty off 30 deliveries. South Africa were 97 without loss at the halfway stage and the horse had bolted.

The surface for the second Test in Galle appears substantially drier than the track used for the first match, which Australia won by a massive margin

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Feb-2025″The wicket was very good last time. I’m hoping it will turn more in this match.”When a Sri Lanka captain says this in Galle on the eve of a Test, there might be a dustbowl in the offing. What is clear is that the surface Sri Lanka and Australia are set to play the second Test on appears substantially drier than the track they played the first match on.Partly, this is down to bright conditions in the lead-up. Where the days before the first Test had been beset by rain, this pitch has more or less baked in ferocious heat since the first match ended, on Saturday.Related

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There is also the theory that producing pitches that only break up after days three and four offers too substantial an advantage to the side batting first. Sri Lanka want to avoid conceding another score in the realm of 654 for 6 declared, which deflated them in the first Test. They are seeking an advantage and have fallen back to what they tend to rely on in Galle: big turn.”Our strength is spin,” Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said. “If you look through the history in Galle, a lot of spinners have been among the wickets, and hopefully ours can be effective.”The problem for Sri Lanka is that Australia have learned to thrive in spinning conditions as well. Their bowlers might have had the better bowling conditions in the first Test, but they made the unusual move of strapping three frontline spinners to the plow, and between them, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy shared 17 wickets, dismissing Sri Lanka for 165 and 247.Australia have been outspoken about their having prepared for “extreme” surfaces as well as flatter ones, partly through their week-long training camp in Dubai. Steven Smith revealed ahead of this Test that it was India’s spin-blueprint in Asia that Australia had chosen to emulate, to some extent. Devising bowling strategy around three frontline spinners is not a challenge that many Australia captains have had to contend with, but on the evidence of the first Test, Smith has been relishing it.”Looks a very dry surface and I dare say it will take a reasonable amount of spin,” Smith said. “In these conditions, it’s great to have more than two options of guys who can take wickets and build pressure. If you look at India, who have done it so well, they’ve had R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, and either Kuldeep Yadav or Jayant Yadav or Axar Patel – someone who bowls good spin – with them in their line-up.”In these conditions, it’s tiring for a spinner as well. It’s hot and humid out there, and you can get tired bowling spin as well as pace. If a batter looks comfortable against a bowler, you can take that bowler off and get someone else in. Even if a new bowler takes a wicket early in the spell, you can go back to the other guy, which is what India have done so well for a number of years. I just have a similar philosophy. “Australia’s batting against spin has also improved substantially, particularly since the 2016 tour of Sri Lanka, which they lost 3-0. Smith said many Australia batters’ exposure to big-spinning conditions – even through the T20 leagues in Asia – has helped raise their game.Ramesh Mendis has been recalled, and could slot into Sri Lanka’s XI straightaway•AFP/Getty Images

“Even in one-day tours you can get similar wickets in the nets to what you get out there,” Smith said. “Last time we played in Colombo in one-dayers, the ball was ragging all over the place. For guys that play IPL and things like that, and you can get nets there that can be extreme, you just learn on the go through those experiences. It’s almost been attack before defence and thinking proactively. I thought we did that magnificently in the first Test.”Because of how enormous the winning margin was in the first Test – an innings and 242 runs – Sri Lanka now find themselves having to prove that their own batting in spinning conditions is up to scratch. And that their own bowlers can be penetrative in helpful conditions. Early signs are that this game could be a classic low-scoring Galle shootout.”In the first Test, a lot of our batters got starts but didn’t carry on,” de Silva said. “During the match and afterwards, what we’d talked about was that someone has to make 150 or 200, because then others can bat around him, and we can get to a big score. That’s what Australia did. I’m expecting that will happen for us in this match.”

The opener’s 41-ball 102 set up Sunrisers Hyderabad’s record-breaking 287 for 3 at the Chinnaswamy

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-20242:47

Head: Impact Player rule has helped us push the boundaries

After helping Sunrisers Hyderabad amass 287 for 3 with a 39-ball century and break the IPL record for highest total for the second time this season, opener Travis Head said his side would fancy targeting 300 as their next challenge. He also credited the captain Pat Cummins and head coach Daniel Vettori for pushing the openers to keep being aggressive in the first six overs.”[Our total] needs a three in front of it, does it now?” Head joked, when asked between innings about the benchmarks Sunrisers are setting for themselves, after the first innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday. “It’s proper batting. We’ve wanted to be exciting the whole time, and we’ve wanted to take the game on, and Pat and then Dan have put pressure on the batting line-up to make sure we try and maximise the powerplay and then keep going.”We’ve got guys like [Heinrich] Klaasen, [Abdul] Samad and Nitish [Kumar Reddy, who] didn’t even get a hit today. We’ve got some power through the middle, and we want to keep just putting the foot down as much as we can. We know that’s not always guaranteed, but at the moment I think we’re setting it up really well in each game and getting to the score that we need.”Related

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• Shock and awe all around at Head's hair-raising hundred

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• Stats – Sunrisers Hyderabad break their own record for highest-ever IPL total

• Head, Klaasen play decisive hands in Chinnaswamy big bash

Sunrisers smashed 22 sixes, the most in IPL history, and Head hit nine of them. Along with Abhishek Sharma, Head helped Sunrisers race away to 76 for 0 in the powerplay while also getting to his fifty. After the game, Head said he was enjoying batting with Abhishek. “We complement each other really well. He’s a young player and pretty fearless. There was a little bit of spin in the powerplay and he was so dominant against them. I’m loving it.”Head was eventually out in the 13th over for a 41-ball 102. His wicket brought zero respite though, as Klaasen pumped a 31-ball 67 from No. 3. Klaasen too was full of praise for his team-mate for setting up the match and making his job easier. “Unbelievable start there from Heady. It’s a special knock that. Puts the bowler under a lot of pressure,” Klaasen told the broadcaster after the game. “[I] came in and wanted to be very sensible and knock it around and make sure he faces majority of the balls. It is difficult to out-hit players like that so when it’s his night, make sure I’m on the other side and wait for a couple of bad balls. And then I should take over when he gets out.”It was nice batting out there, the wicket was nice and good but the tempo was set there upfront. Its nice to have bowlers under pressure when you come in.”

Both teams were docked two points and fined 40% of their match fees as both sides were deemed two overs short of their targets

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2023Australia and England have both been penalised for slow over-rates in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston losing two World Test Championship [WTC] points each while players from both sides have been fined 40% of their match fees.Match referee Andy Pycroft ruled that both teams were two overs short of their targets after time allowances were factored in. Teams are docked one WTC point, and 20% of their match fee for each over they are short of their target. Both captains, Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes, accepted the sanctions.Related

• Shubman Gill fined for criticism of TV umpire's decision

There were just 82 overs bowled on day one of the Test, with Australia only bowling 78 before England declared and bowled four overs before stumps. England did bowl 90 overs on the second day, utilising the extra half-hour to do so. Rain affected both the third and the fifth day of the Test match, but England were deemed short of their targets on those days.The penalties mean England are on negative two points after losing their opening Test of the new WTC cycle, while Australia are on ten points, having accrued 12 for their dramatic two-wicket victory.Australia were fined 80% of their match fees in the WTC final at the Oval two weeks ago for slow over-rates. They also missed a spot at the 2021 WTC final in Southampton due to being docked crucial WTC points for slow over-rates in that cycle.

With spin set to play a major role in Dhaka, New Zealand may look to bring in Rachin Ravindra or Mitchell Santner

Mohammad Isam05-Dec-20231:59

Southee: ‘We have to trust that our methods are good enough’

Big picture: Bangladesh seek Sylhet repeat

Bangladesh will look for another all-round performance, in the second Test in Dhaka, as they chase their first-ever series victory over New Zealand. They beat the visitors by 150 runs in Sylhet, and while Taijul Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto stood apart with their individual performances, it felt like a comprehensive team effort.They batted and bowled in partnerships, with Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz contributing crucial half-centuries in support of Shanto’s third-innings hundred, and Mehidy and Nayeem Hasan backing up Taijul’s efforts with the ball.New Zealand will be itching to bounce back in a big way, and not just for the World Test Championship points. They’ve never lost a Test series in Bangladesh, and will want to keep that record intact. They’ll also want to make a statement because they’ve lost two of their last three Tests against these opponents.For their desired turnaround to come about, New Zealand will want to improve in a few key ways in Dhaka. After the first-Test defeat, their captain Tim Southee asked for more consistency from his bowlers, whom he felt did not match their Bangladesh counterparts in “apply[ing] pressure for a long period of time”. Ish Sodhi, who bowled a number of long-hops while going at more than five an over in the first innings, and Ajaz Patel, who was a tad expensive in the second, will certainly want to tighten up.With the bat, New Zealand will want more top-order support for Kane Williamson, whose first-innings century was one of only two 50-plus scores by a New Zealand batter in the first Test. On a Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch where they can expect more uneven bounce than there was in Sylhet, they’ll want to execute their sweep shots better: both Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls, who usually play the shot well, were out playing this shot, caught at short fine leg.For Bangladesh, Taijul and Mehidy will be back at a venue they relish bowling at. Nayeem will eye wickets too, given that he usually only plays home Tests, and will want to push for more consistent selection with Bangladesh set to play a lot of Test cricket next year. Bangladesh’s close catching was impressive in Sylhet, and they will look to keep the standards up in Dhaka. They will also hope for runs from Zakir Hasan and Nurul Hasan, who missed out in both innings in Sylhet, and for a big score from Mominul Haque, who looked in good form while scoring 37 and 40.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWWLL (last five Tests, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWWL

In the spotlight: Taijul Islam and Tom Latham

It is very rare for Tom Latham to score heavily against Bangladesh. He made 21 and 0 in Sylhet, and he would have been particularly disappointed with his first-innings dismissal, off a top-edged lap sweep, a shot he normally plays very well. Latham has scored three centuries – all 150-plus scores – and averages 75.50 against Bangladesh, and will want to get back to tormenting his favourite opposition.Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson were the only two New Zealand batters to cross 50 in Sylhet•AFP/Getty Images

Taijul Islam took over the bowling leader’s role in Sylhet with a ten-wicket match haul. He removed Kane Williamson in both innings, cheaply in the second, while exerting a lot of pressure on the New Zealand line-up. Taijul’s consistent line and length tests batting line-ups, and allows his captain to set tight fields. Taijul has a great record at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, where he averages 24.28: he’s the second highest wicket-taker at this venue, and needs eight wickets to go past Shakib Al Hasan’s tally of 76.

Team news: Will New Zealand consider Ravindra or Santner?

Nayeem Hasan suffered a blow on his non-bowling hand in practice but it is not yet considered too serious. Bangladesh are unlikely to change their winning combination, especially in Mirpur where they have historically played three specialist spinners.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shahadat Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Nayeem Hasan, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Shoriful Islam.Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner could be in the discussion, but New Zealand usually doesn’t tinker unless it is absolutely necessary.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Tim Southee (capt), 11 Ajaz Patel.

Pitch and conditions: Good ol’ Mirpur

Expect spin to return to centrestage at the Shere Bangla National Stadium after Bangladesh’s fast bowlers took 21 wickets in the two Tests here earlier this year, against Afghanistan and Ireland. Unseasonal rain is forecast, particularly on Thursday, the second day of the Dhaka Test.

Stats and trivia: Best Test year beckons for hosts

• Bangladesh are tied on three wins in 2023 with 2014 and 2018 with the most Test wins in a calendar year.
• In Sylhet, Kane Williamson became the first New Zealander to score four centuries in consecutive Tests.
• Najmul Hossain Shanto is the first Bangladeshi captain to score a century in his first Test in charge.

Quotes

“His record is phenomenal. He has nearly 200 wickets. He is very consistent. He showed great maturity in this Test match. Rangana Herath has done a lot of good tactical work with him. Similar to [Herath] in the way he set up some of the batters. I think he is going to serve Bangladesh cricket for a long time.”

The PCB was accused of failing to provide the fast bowler with appropriate treatment, which potentially led to the injury becoming more serious

Danyal Rasool14-Apr-2024Pakistan and Multan Sultans fast bowler Ihsanullah has left Pakistan for the UK for further medical treatment as he rehabilitates from a long-term elbow injury.The PCB said he would meet an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in sports injuries and elbow procedures and that it would foot the entire bill for Ihsanullah’s treatment, which is significant because that has been a matter of contention.Ihsanullah sustained an elbow injury in April 2023 following a white-ball series against New Zealand. At the time, the PCB did not believe the injury was severe and the initial treatment, which involved gym and weight work, potentially played a part in turning it into a much more serious one.There were almost no official updates on Ihsanullah in the year that followed, but his case received widespread media attention earlier this month when Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen accused the PCB of failing to provide appropriate treatment to the player, and said the franchise had borne a significant chunk of his expenses. He told ESPNcricinfo that Ihsanullah would likely require further surgery and later spoke to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi about the player.Related

• Ihsanullah's injury treatment puts PCB's medical department under scanner yet again

The PCB’s chief medical officer Dr Sohail Saleem defended himself and the PCB in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, denying mishandling the case. However, he did admit to a “delay in the proper diagnosis,” one that is widely believed to have exacerbated the injury.The PCB said the appointment with the UK-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr Adam Watts was secured after a collaboration with Multan Sultans, and that further updates would follow after Watts’ assessment and diagnosis.Ihsanullah’s case has shone a spotlight on a PCB medical record that has been patchy at best, especially when it comes to managing fast bowlers’ return from injury. Several players, as well as coaching and management staff, have privately expressed to ESPNcricinfo that there is a trust deficit between several players and Dr Saleem, an issue that is likely to be thrown into sharper relief now.In the last two years, multiple Pakistan fast bowlers have suffered lengthy injury layoffs. In July 2022, Shaheen Shah Afridi suffered a knee ligament injury that was also initially undiagnosed. He attended camps and travelled with the team for a month before flying to the UK while paying for himself and staying in a two-star hotel as he sought independent treatment. It was only after Shahid Afridi complained publicly that the PCB said they would cover all of Shaheen’s expenses.Naseem Shah was known to be managing a back and shoulder complaint that caused him discomfort in the build-up to his right shoulder injury, which happened two months after Afridi was injured, and caused a six-month lay-off. That led to Naseem missing the 2023 ODI World Cup and the Australia tour that followed.Mohammad Hasnain only recently returned from a long injury lay-off, while Khurram Shahzad was ruled out with a long-term injury following his Test debut in Perth last year.

By the end, they laid claim to the record of joint-lowest total successfully defended in a PSL match in Pakistan.

Alan Gardner02-Mar-2023Defending champions Lahore Qalandars staged a magnificent recovery from 50 for 7 to win by 17 runs at Gaddafi Stadium and keep Quetta Gladiators rooted to the bottom of the PSL table. Sikandar Raza was their hero with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 71 from 34 balls, before the Qalandars attack recovered from a poor start to comprehensively throttle the chase, led by Haris Rauf’s 3 for 22. By the end, they laid claim to the record of joint-lowest total (148) successfully defended in a PSL match in Pakistan.Qalandars were in deep trouble after being inserted, but were given something to bowl at by Raza’s first PSL half-century. The Zimbabwe allrounder struck eight fours and three sixes in a stunning counterattack, putting on an eighth-wicket stand worth 69 off 6.3 overs with Rashid Khan and helping to set Gladiators a target of 149 despite being bowled out early.Gladiators were seemingly cruising as they reached 53 for 1, with Yasir Khan falling to Rauf from the last ball of the powerplay. Will Smeed had struck six crisp fours in 32 off 25 balls to help get his side ahead of the asking rate, but after he fell lbw to Rashid in the seventh over, Gladiators began a slow-motion collapse that saw them add 11 runs in five overs while losing three wickets.It got worse for Gladiators when Martin Guptill launched David Wiese down the throat of deep midwicket, with the required rate crossing 10 per over. Odean Smith and Mohammad Nawaz were dismissed by Rauf as the home side took control, conceding just five boundaries in the second half of the innings and ensuring the victory was all but secure with an over to spare.For the first quarter of the match, it seemed nailed on that the Lahore fans would go home disappointed. Qalandars lost a wicket in the opening over of their innings, Umaid Asif marking his Gladiators debut with a direct hit that caught Fakhar Zaman short; Umaid’s night then got better when he struck with his third ball, taking a simple return catch after Mirza Baig top-edged a pull. Naveen-ul-Haq struck twice in as many overs as Qalandars limped to 29 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.Qalandars’ attempts to disrupt the flow involved sending the captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, out at No. 6 – he had never previously batted higher than No. 8 in a T20. It was a partial (and relative) success, as he outscored the rest of the top six with 16 off 16, before running himself out looking for a non-existent single in the ninth over. With Abdullah Shafique and Wiese falling to Nawaz either side of Shaheen’s dismissal, Qalandars were seven down at halfway.But Raza hit his sixth ball, from Nawaz, for six, added another in the next over from Umaid, hit Naveen for three fours in five balls and took a brace of boundaries off Naseem Shah as the recovery partnership swelled past 50. Even with Raza’s efforts, Qalandars were unable to bat their full 20 overs – but it turned out the league leaders had more than enough for a fifth win in six.