Month: March 2023

Big picture “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouf.” – Mike Tyson (quote reproduced here in the original Tysonian) Sri Lanka’s preparation for this Test series has very nearly been ideal. Before the squad even assembled, most were playing in the four-day National Super League, Sri Lanka’s top first-class competition. They then had a residential camp at the newly-refurbished ground at Radella (roughly 1330 metres above…

One hundred days before the start of the 2023 Women’s Ashes, England Women are set to attract record crowds this summer. Ticket sales started in November after a ballot process, and ESPNcricinfo understands that over 55,000 tickets have already been sold for England’s home fixtures. The Ashes, a multi-format series, start with the Test match at Trent Bridge on June 22, followed by white-ball fixtures from July 1-18, while Sri…

Steven Smith could not remember another occasion where he had been unsure which pitch he would be playing on for a Test match two days out from it starting. That was the situation which emerged on Wednesday in Ahmedabad with Australia leaving the ground still in the dark over which of the two surfaces would be used for the final Test. However, after the visitors had departed the picture became…

Former legspinner Samuel Badree has been appointed as West Indies’ assistant coach for the white-ball leg of their South Africa tour. West Indies play three ODIs and as many T20Is starting March 16. Badree has previously worked as a spin-bowling consultant for West Indies, and Delhi Capitals (in the IPL), and believes that this opportunity will be “a continuation and an extension of that”. In the latest role, he will…

Islamabad United 209 for 8 (Ashraf 51*, Shadab 44, Munro 40, Anwar 3-33, Ihsanullah 2-35) beat Multan Sultans 205 for 5 (Masood 75, David 60, Shadab 2-26) by two wickets Sometimes crash, bang, wallop is fun. It is the principle on which T20 cricket was founded on (look away, haters) and it came to the fore in an entertaining bout that Islamabad United took by a mere two wickets. Faheem…

A cushion of over 200 runs to defend in a T20 game can be a double-edged sword. While it certainly puts the chasing team under pressure, it could also induce bowlers into taking it easy – or the opposition taking the game head on with little to lose. Alyssa Healy did just that, giving UP Warriorz a fast start in their chase of 212. Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey bore…

Michael Vaughan‘s lawyer has said “due process” was denied to his client, and “sent on holiday” in the ECB’s investigations into charges that he made racist comments to four Asian and British-Asian players in 2009. Christopher Stoner KC, representing Vaughan, called the investigation “wholly and woefully inadequate” on the final day of the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) hearings in London, where closing submissions were being heard by a three-person panel….

Sam Billings insists he has no regrets about his decision to miss ongoing England’s white-ball tour to Bangladesh in order to play for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL. Several England players without central contracts – including Alex Hales, Liam Dawson and Tymal Mills – opted to fulfil their more lucrative PSL deals rather than travelling to Bangladesh, and Billings made the same decision after guarantees that he would play for…

Had India taken that one wicket – and all other global Test results remained what they were – they would now have 131 WTC points rather than 123. Ahead of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test match, which begins in Ahmedabad on Thursday, they would only have needed a draw to seal a spot in June’s WTC final at The Oval, rather than a win as they currently do. That Kanpur Test…

Remember the high full toss Virat Kohli faced in the 2022 T20 World Cup match against Pakistan that was called a no-ball by the umpire? Or the high full toss that Rovman Powell hit for six in Delhi Capitals’ tense chase against Rajasthan Royals that wasn’t called a no-ball and led to Rishabh Pant losing his temper? Or the wide from fast bowler Prasidh Krishna that his Royals captain Sanju…