Steven Smith is the only member of the Australian squad to have made a Test tour of New Zealand before © Getty Images Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers have been included as specialist seam bowling role players in Australia’s Test squad for the tour of New Zealand next month. In an assignment that can earn Steven Smith’s men the No. 1 Test ranking, Bird and Sayers have been included as…
How England won – key moments
England completed a superb series win over South Africa by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead following victory in the third Test in Johannesburg. Stuart Broad scythed through the South Africa batting line-up on the third day to set up a seven-wicket victory which leaves them two up with the final Test at Centurion still to play. Although it has very much been a team effort to pull of a first…
Kirsten enjoying Lions link up
Their friendship was forged in Cape Town four decades ago, and little could Gary Kirsten or Andy Flower have imagined then that they would one day come together, in Dubai of all places, working for the benefit of English cricket. They opposed each other on numerous occasions in outstanding playing careers but had never collaborated, officially at least, until Flower picked up the phone this autumn in his role as…
Napier tells Under-19s to enjoy World Cup
Olawale Kuponipe Graham Napier has advised England’s Under-19 squad to thrive off the international exposure ahead of the 11th edition of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh. Napier, who recently announced his plans to retire from all forms of cricket at the end of the 2016 campaign, was a member of the England team which won the 1998 edition in South Africa. And as the 36-year-old reflects back on…
Cook visits Waitrose Foundation project
[embedded content] Ahead of what proved to be series-clinching victory in Johannesburg, Alastair Cook took some time out of the firing line to visit Waitrose Foundation farms and community programmes in the Hex River Valley. Waitrose, which provides work by employing people to work on the farms, has a crucial role in the area, passing money back from the sale of products to the workers to spend on things such…
McKenna in Ireland's World T20 squad
Unbeaten Ireland were victorious at the ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier © ICC Ireland have named their squad for the World T20, adding batsman Kate McKenna to the 14 who secured a place at the tournament by winning the ICC Qualifier late last year. Isobel Joyce will captain the side, who have been drawn against Australia, the reigning champions, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka in Group A. “We’ve…
Mudgal report slams DDCA over 'deficiencies'
Mukul Mudgal was particularly scathing on a number of sub-committees that were formed to oversee various operations during the fourth India-South Africa Test in December © ESPNcricinfo Ltd Lack of transparency, poor record keeping, huge delays in bill payments, defunct sub-committees, mismanagement, rampant ad-hocism are some of the numerous issues listed as “deficiencies” of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) in a damning report prepared by Mukul Mudgal, the…
Phangiso sanctioned for drunken flight incident
Aaron Phangiso played in one ODI on South Africa’s India tour © AFP Aaron Phangiso, the left-arm spinner who has played 16 ODIs and nine T20s for South Africa, has apologised after being prevented from boarding a flight for being drunk and unruly. The incident took place on October 26 last year, after South Africa beat India in an ODI series and the squad was on their way home, but…
Rabada keeps the faith amid SA gloom
Kagiso Rabada has been one of South Africa’s shining lights in a disappointing series © AFP Kagiso Rabada said it five times but it was difficult to believe the mood in the South African camp was “positive,” as they prepared for the final Test against England at SuperSport Park. Before the session had officially started, the players milled about in the middle, some tossing balls to each other, others shadow-boxing,…
Dravid urges U19 players to work towards India cap
Rahul Dravid: “The important thing is you have to go on from here, score runs in first-class cricket, score runs in List A games and then get the recognition from the selectors” © PTI India Under-19 coach Rahul Dravid has said that best message he can give his players heading for the World Cup in Bangladesh is to treat it as a stepping stone on their journey towards the national…