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Sunil Narine struck 69 off 34 balls to push the score to 205 for 5 and then Shakib Al Hasan took 4 for 8 to topple Rajshahi Kings

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2017Sunil Narine’s bat chips off at the bottom as he meets a full toss outside off•Getty Images

Dhaka Dynamites blew away Rajshahi Kings by 99 runs to confirm their place in the BPL playoffs. The result also means that Rajshahi has to win their last game and wait for other results to go their way to remain in the tournament.Dhaka rode on fifties from Joe Denly and Sunil Narine to pile up 205 for 5 in 20 overs. The pair added 129 runs for the opening stand with Narine top-scoring with 69 off 34 balls, an innings which included four fours and six sixes. Denly was more sedate, making 53 off 54 balls.Newcomer Qazi Onik, who took a four-wicket haul on his BPL debut in the previous game, was hammered for 52 from his four overs, taking two wickets.Then it was Shakib Al Hasan’s turn to delight the Mirpur crowd, as he took the big wickets of Lendl Simmons, Mushfiqur Rahim, Luke Wright and Samit Patel to finish with figures of 4 for 8. Mosaddek Hossain (2 for 9) and Shadman Islam (2 for 3) took two wickets each. Out of the four Rajshahi batsmen who got to double-figures, Patel’s 28 was the top score.

Ben Stokes has confirmed that his England comeback will be deferred after he was given a date of February 13 to appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2018Ben Stokes has confirmed that his England comeback will be deferred after he was given a date of February 13 to appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court to answer a charge of affray.That date coincided with the first of England’s T20 fixtures in New Zealand, when Stokes had initially been scheduled to make his return to action. Though he might have been able to enter a plea through his legal representatives, he has now confirmed his intention to remain in England and appear at court in person.”As has been confirmed in the media a first hearing date at court has been set for 13th February,” Stokes wrote on Twitter. “In the circumstances, I have decided that it would not be right to join my teammates until after attending court on the 13th.”Stokes was cleared for selection by England on Wednesday, following an ECB board meeting. He had greeted the news by tweeting: “I’m extremely delighted to be given this opportunity to do this again. I can’t wait to get back out on a pitch with the three Lions on my chest.”Having already been named as part of England’s squad for the T20 tri-series, which also involves Australia, he was set to join up with the tour party when they move to New Zealand. However, that comeback was quickly thrown into doubt when Avon and Somerset police confirmed the date of his court appearance.Affray, depending on the circumstances, can be prosecuted at either Magistrates Court or Crown Court. At a Crown Court, the maximum sentence is three years imprisonment, but if tried in a Magistrates Court it is only six months.The expectation is that Stokes will plead not guilty to the charge. “I am keen to have an opportunity to clear my name but on advice the appropriate time to do this is when the case comes to trial,” he said in a statement shortly after his England recall was confirmed.Trevor Bayliss, the head coach, had hinted last week that England would like Stokes to gain some match practice before his comeback, potentially in New Zealand, where he turned out for Canterbury before Christmas while unavailable for England. But that plan has now been complicated by his need to return to the UK.”Hopefully we can get him some cricket somewhere as part of his practice going into the New Zealand leg. That’ll be up to him,” Bayliss said.”It’s all about performance. We want him to be up and running and ready to go. I think there’s a few legal things to get through in the next week or so, 10 days, but then it’s about being prepared to play. We can’t get him to come in and perform in an international match straight away, so it’s about getting him ready.”The announcement that Stokes was free to return while awaiting trial provided the latest entry in a saga that has overshadowed England’s winter. After being arrested in September, Stokes missed the entirety of the Ashes with the police investigation ongoing, despite being named in the squad; he was also included in the ODI squad to play Australia, before being replaced.

India could potentially lose out on hosting two of the biggest global tournaments – the 2021 Champions Trophy and the 2023 World Cup – because of an ongoing tax issue

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Feb-2018India could potentially lose out on hosting two of the biggest global tournaments – the 2021 Champions
Trophy and the 2023 World Cup – in the next five years because of an ongoing tax issue. The BCCI is not at fault; instead it is the Indian government’s stance of not approving a tax exemption to the ICC that has given rise to the global governing body’s “concerns”. Fearing revenue losses of at least $100 million, on Friday, the ICC board directed its management to look out for alternative venues, beginning with the Champions Trophy, if the issue is not resolved.Although the Champions Trophy is still three years away, the ICC board has been stung by the experiences of the 2016 World T20 (hosted by India), for which tax exemption has not yet been approved. Because of that, the ICC has suffered a revenue shortfall of $20-30 million – in 2016, it is understood Star India, which owns the media rights for ICC events, paid 10% tax to the Indian government and recovered that amount by deducting from its payment to the ICC. Two years on, and despite constant reminders by the ICC and the BCCI, the Indian government has not budged in providing those exemptions.Despite the BCCI’s attempts at facilitation, the ICC board remains wary of exposing itself to what some officials calculate could be losses of $100-125 million if the Indian government fails to provide tax exemption for the Champions Trophy and the 2023 World Cup.That hits Full Members the hardest, because revenue from ICC events is distributed among all participating countries. “The Board expressed their concern around the absence of a tax exemption from the Indian Government for ICC events held in India despite ongoing efforts from both the ICC and BCCI to secure the exemption which is standard practice for major sporting events around the world,” the ICC said in a media release, after the board meeting in Dubai on Friday.”The Board agreed that ICC management, supported by the BCCI will continue the dialogue with the Indian Government but in the meantime directed ICC management to explore alternative host countries in a similar time zone for the ICC Champions Trophy 2021.”ICC’s chief executive officer, David Richardson, and management have been asked to explore alternative venues in the same time zone as India – which brings Sri Lanka and Bangladesh into the picture. But that decision is still some time away – any alternative venue will only be finalised in the next 12-16 months. A final decision on whether India will host the Champions Trophy will be taken by the end of 2019.Friday’s meeting was attended by BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, who is understood to have supported the ICC’s position. ESPNcricinfo understands, in its communication with the Indian government, the ICC has highlighted the fact that when countries host global sporting events like the Olympics, football’s World Cup, the World Athletics Championships and even the UEFA Champions League final, they are given special dispensation because of the positive impact they have on the local economy.The current impasse is new – in the last decade alone, the Indian government allowed tax exemptions for the 2006 Champions Trophy as well as the 2011 World Cup. For the former event, an ICC delegation, which included Ehsan Mani and the late Jagmohan Dalmiya, directly negotiated an exemption with the Indian government. On the basis of that negotiation, the government passed a legislation in the tax act which allowed, for instance, the Commonwealth Games of 2010 held in Delhi to also be tax-exempted, as well as other international sporting events.In that time, the ICC’s hosting agreements required the host board to compensate whatever revenue was lost if exemptions weren’t secured. New hosting agreements, in place post 2015, are not believed to be as explicit in that requirement, instead requiring the host board to resolve the issue to the best of its endeavour.

Matt Renshaw’s third century in as many Shield Games helped Queensland set Western Australia a target of 305. They fell 212 runs short, collapsing in just 38.2 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2018
ScorecardGetty Images

A staggering collapse from Western Australia on the final day has all but assured Queensland will host the Sheffield Shield final at the Gabba.Matt Renshaw’s third century in as many matches allowed the Bulls to set the Warriors 305 to win from 59 overs. Renshaw is the first Queenslander to score three centuries in three straight Sheffield Shield fixtures since Matthew Hayden in 1993-94.Charlie Hemphrey added an unbeaten 68 to his first-innings hundred to total 171 runs for the game without being dismissed and was rewarded with Man of the Match.On the same surface where Renshaw peeled off 143 not out, the Warriors folded in the fourth innings chase for 93 in 38.2 overs. Seven of the Warriors’ wickets came from outside edges to the wicketkeeper or the slips cordon.No Warriors player reached 20 as Jack Wildermuth, Michael Neser and Luke Feldman took nine wickets between them.The Warriors will now battle for the wooden spoon in the last round against South Australia.

The New Zealand captain also reflected on the importance of their culture, which has been cited as an example to be followed by coach Darren Lehmann in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal

Andrew McGlashan29-Mar-20183:29

Butcher: Never expected one-year bans

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has said that David Warner “is not a bad person” and has been in contact with the Australian opener during the fallout to the ball-tampering controversy in South Africa, which has resulted in Warner and Steven Smith banned for 12 months along with Cameron Bancroft for nine.Warner, who was due to be an IPL team-mate of Williamson’s before having his deal cancelled by the BCCI in the wake of his ban, will also never again be considered for a leadership position within Australia cricket.”We’ve spent a bit of time together in the IPL, played against and with each other. I’ve sent a few texts, that’s about it,” Williamson said. “He’s not a bad person by any means.””Through what’s eventuated in recent times, there’s been a lot of emotion and energy pointed at certain players which has gone to extreme lengths. It will blow over in time, but its grown and grown and like I say he’s not a bad guy.”He’s made a mistake and certainly admitted that and they are disappointed with that action. They will have to take the strong punishment and move on. You always learn from tough lessons and I’m sure they’ll do that. But it is a shame that two fantastic, world-class players have made a mistake.”Following the confirmation of the bans handed out by Cricket Australia, the coach Darren Lehmann spoke for the first time since the incident in Cape Town and admitted the team needed to change, citing New Zealand as an example of a side whose style on and off the field as worth emulating. Williamson agreed that New Zealand’s persona was very important to them, something instilled by Brendon McCullum when he was captain.”He [McCullum] was huge in that respect. Setting an environment where we wanted to play the game a certain way and it was reflected in the way we went about our business on the field, but the work went in off the field as well,” Williamson said. “That’s really important and can be hard to judge because it’s not always tangible, but it is so important – the team environment and culture. The performances in some ways, while not secondary, are an effect of all the hard work that goes on.”For us, it’s about how we want to play the game and that’s important to us. Its been a part of our environment for some time and we want to maintain that. We believe that suits us as people and we want to commit to that, play as hard as we can on the park, but at the end of the day, the game finishes and you are still people. That’s what we like to hang our hat on, but we certainly don’t point fingers. Everyone makes mistakes at times and you do need to learn from them and move on.”England captain Joe Root believes the severity of the sanctions handed down to the Australian trio have sent out a signal to world cricket. When the ICC laid out their one-Test ban to Smith for the ball-tampering charge, the chief executive David Richardson said the game needed to take a hard look at how it was being portrayed.”I think Cricket Australia has made a decision which is a bit of a statement to world cricket really,” Root said. “You see the amount of reaction it has got around the world. I think it just shows that everyone watching the game, and anyone who supports cricket, supports how they want to see the game played.”In terms of the bans, that’s a decision Cricket Australia had to make – and that’s for them to decide. But the point is they’ve put a statement out there not just for Cricket Australia but for world cricket – and the reaction is all to do with how people want to watch cricket. I think it’s quite a strong message for everyone.”The fallout to the controversy has continued with the first significant commercial impact for Cricket Australia being Test title sponsors Magellan ending their deal one year into a three-year contract.”A conspiracy by the leadership of the Australian Men’s Test Cricket Team which broke the rules with a clear intention to gain an unfair advantage during the third test in South Africa goes to the heart of integrity,” Magellan CEO Hamish Douglass said in the statement. “These recent events are so inconsistent with our values that we are left with no option but to terminate our ongoing partnership with Cricket Australia.”Warner has also lost a personal endorsement deal with electronics company LG. Kit manufacturer ASICS have also severed ties with the former Australian vice-captain and his opening partner Bancroft. “The decisions and actions taken by David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are not something that ASICS tolerates and are contrary to the values the company stands for.”

Presenting the full and – nearly – final schedule of the 2019 World Cup. It was approved by the ICC’s CEC (chief executives’ committee) and will be presented to the ICC Board, for final approval, on Thursday in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2018ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Home advantage?
Hosts England will be hoping to break their World Cup duck (they’ve been runners-up three times), but unlike other sides they won’t play at the same ground more than once in the round-robin phase. They have matches at The Oval, Nottingham, Cardiff, Southampton, Manchester, Leeds, Lord’s, Birmingham and Chester-le-Street. This schedule means they will have played at the three venues holding the knockout games: Manchester, Birmingham, and Lord’s.The day-night divide
Three* of the ten teams – England, India and Sri Lanka – won’t play any day-night matches in the round-robin phase. New Zealand will feature in four of the seven day-night matches in the tournament, while Australia and Afghanistan play three each. The semi-finals and final are all day games.Manchester the city to be in
The World Cup will be played in 10 cities and 11 venues, across the length and breadth of England and Wales. But fans in Manchester will relish a bumper schedule. Old Trafford will host the tournament’s big one – India-Pakistan – as well as another India game, against West Indies. On July 6 fans can expect an Australia-South Africa cracker and if all that wasn’t enough, Old Trafford will also host the first semi-final.1992, but longer
The last time the World Cup was played this way, with each side playing the other in a round-robin format, was in 1992 in Australia and New Zealand. It ranks among the most beloved of World Cups. From start to finish that tournament took 33 days. In 2019, the World Cup – with one more team than 1992 and a far smaller geographical area to cover – will take 46 days, or nearly two weeks longer. However, there will be 48 matches in 2019 compared to 39 in 1992. The 2015 World Cup, which had a different format, featured 14 teams playing 49 matches in 44 days.More downtime, for most
One benefit of a longer tournament is that sides get more recovery time in between games: some teams have gaps as long as four or five days. Possibly because of their later start in the tournament, India are one of only two teams who will have to play two games in three days – when they take on England on June 30 at Edgbaston and then Bangladesh on July 2 at the same venue. The other team is Afghanistan, who play India in Southampton on June 22 and then Bangladesh on June 24.

Kevin Pietersen has urged the cricketing fraternity to focus on the revival of Test cricket, while delivering the MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2018Getty Images

Why Test cricket remains the pinnacle
“In my humble opinion a hard fought five-day Test match remains the greatest all-round challenge in modern day sport.”A challenge as mentally demanding as it is physical. A challenge demanding the very highest levels of concentration of technique, of determination, of stamina, all, for the batsman at least, with no second chances.”Because, having played every form of cricket in every corner of the cricketing globe, I remain 100% convinced that the five-day Test remains the supreme form of the game.”This may surprise some of you. After all, I am not known as a traditionalist… Nor, I should add, am I anything but unstinting in my praise of T20 cricket – particularly the wonderful IPL. Twenty20 provides the thrill, the noise, the speed and no little genius. It has taken fielding to a new level and has redefined batting.”But it offers the cricketing buzz without the full sting. Wickets are less precious. Risks are taken without the same downside. There is less character and technique required. Few players have ever been met with the wrath of an entire population simply for getting out to an injudicious shot early in a T20 innings…””Trust me, there is no feeling like the exhaustion, the excitement, the sense of wonder at waking up on the final day of a Test match knowing that any result is possible. The aching thighs. The mental fatigue. The fear. And the possibility that this will be day.”How you keep Test cricket healthy
“I’m afraid that the answer to that isn’t in the hands of cricketers at all. It’s in a word that makes many shudder: commerce.”We may dream that cricketers will choose to play five-day cricket because of its history and tradition. Because it develops character. And because we seek to emulate the feats of [Don] Bradman, [Len] Hutton and [Sunil] Gavaskar.”But that would be no different to asking a Bollywood star to give up the screen for work in the theatre. It may be a more classical form of acting but it offers a fraction of the rewards.”If we wish cricketers to commit to five-day cricket we have to pay them. And as an ex-cricketer, I can now say this without being accused of self-interest…”So how do we pay them? Simply by throwing the same commercial nous and innovation [as in T20] at the Test game. Five days of action. They provide so many opportunities. Day-night games have demonstrated the enormous leaps that are possible. The IPL doesn’t play its biggest fixtures when many of its staunchest, wealthiest fans are at work. Neither should Test cricket…”Let’s make every game count. Push the profile of the World Test Championship. Develop marketing opportunities. Offer cheaper seats in the ground to provide a better spectacle for TV viewers.”Is there a game anywhere quite like Test cricket in which so many people are passionate despite rarely attending a game in person? We need to get them back through the turnstiles. It’s better for the players, the sponsors, and television…”Let’s throw equal marketing clout behind the Test game before we succumb to the lazy assumption that T20 rules.”How to raise Test cricket’s entertainment levels
“Let’s not compromise on entertainment… Let’s make Test cricket a spectacle. Garnish it with colour and fireworks. Fill the grounds. Play in the evenings. Give the umpires microphones to broadcast to the spectators. Allow sledging – as long as it remains the right side of the line. Communicate better with the fans.”Give the players a voice during play. Entertainment isn’t just about hitting the ball hard or bowling bouncers. It’s about creating an experience.”How to make Test cricket the best players’ priority
“As for the administrators wondering what the players really think. How do you ensure that Rashid Khan and his fellow stars in this room commit to Test cricket? How do you push them towards a career where they truly care about the five-day game?”It’s remarkably simple. Ensure that it becomes their priority. They are professionals. They are brands in their own right…”So ensure that they are paid as well over five days as they are over five hours of T20 cricket. You can’t blame a player for seeking financial security through his or her sporting talent. The days of amateurism are gone.”Let’s not kid ourselves that players will choose a classical art form over something requiring less effort that attracts greater rewards. When the greatest players can attract the greatest income by playing the greatest form of the game, then we will see nothing less than a renaissance in Test cricket.”

Pakistan’s win with 40.1 overs to spare is their biggest in a chase; seal series 3-0

Danyal Rasool18-Jul-2018
AFP / Getty Images

A hapless Zimbabwe side ran into red-hot Pakistan in the third ODI in Bulawayo, turning in a performance that made the first two games look like heroic over-achievement.Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan effectively killed off the contest in the first hour, Zimbabwe slumping to 43 for 7 within 15 overs. Slight resistance by Wellington Masakadza at the end took them past 64 – the lowest total for which Pakistan has ever bowled out an international side – but only just.As Faheem Ashraf’s yorker cannoned into Richard Ngarava’s off stump to give the allrounder his first five-wicket haul, Zimbabwe had been bowled out for 67, which Pakistan chased in just under 10 overs to wrap up their second consecutive nine-wicket win and a series win to boot.With Mohammad Amir rested, Usman Khan was the de facto leader of the attack, and he began proceedings by removing Prince Masvaure off just his second delivery. This began the merry-go-round between the Zimbabwean pavilion and the crease.Junaid Khan, who looked sharp despite not having played at this level for nearly a year, sent skipper Hamilton Masakadza and Tarisai Musakanda on their way. He managed to get good bounce from the surface, particularly for Musakanda’s wicket, lulling him into a hook as the ball rose on him far too sharply to control.The middle overs – if that’s what overs 8-14 could be called here – belonged to Faheem. Bowling with great pace and accuracy, he blew away the hosts’ middle order; what began as an unsteady start turned into an embarrassing catastrophe. He was accurate with his yorker, dangerous with his bounce and canny with his line and length.It was much too much for this dispirited Zimbabwean side, but Blessing Muzarabani conjured him one last act of resistance, removing Imam-ul-Haq off the first ball of the innings. That was all Zimbabwe had to celebrate though. Fakhar Zaman smashed 43 off 24 balls as Pakistan hurtled towards the target in record time; never before have Pakistan chased down a target with over 40 overs to spare.When he smashed the 59th ball of the innings through midwicket for four, the target had been achieved and the game was over, half an hour before the scheduled lunch break.

The newly appointed Zimbabwe captain says he will try to block out all of his side’s off-field troubles in the tri-series against Pakistan and Australia

Liam Brickhill30-Jun-2018Throughout his career, Hamilton Masakadza has complemented his brawny batting on the pitch by being a calm, amiable presence off it amid sometimes tempestuous times for Zimbabwe. Considering the ongoing brouhaha between the board and the absence of Zimbabwe’s senior core of players, his first press conference since being named captain could well have been laden with tension. But if there was any, it was immediately dissipated by his warm laughter when one of the Zimbabwean press corp suggested: “I don’t know whether to offer you congratulations or condolences.”This isn’t Masakadza’s first crack at the captaincy, and he’s led Zimbabwe in all three formats, but in the past he has served in the role usually only in an interim capacity. He has only led Zimbabwe once at home, in a Test against Pakistan that Brendan Taylor, who was captain at the time, missed to be present for the birth of his son Mason. Masakadza only found out he was to captain in that game when he got to the ground in the morning. This time around he was given 24 hours to ease into the role when his captaincy was announced on the eve of the tri-series opener, but in typical fashion Masakadza seems to be taking it all in his stride.”I’m very excited to be back at the helm and leading the team again,” he said. “There’s been a bit of stuff going on around the team, but the key is just to try and focus on the job at hand now and go out there and do a job for the team. And do a job for the country.””There’s actually been a lot of excitement in the camp, with a few guys coming back that haven’t played for a while and a few new guys making their first strides. It’s upbeat in the camp.”Masakadza’s level-headed optimism seems to have been amplified by the positive mental attitude of new coach Lalchand Rajput, something which has also rubbed off on the rest of the squad. “He’s a very positive guy, that’s the main thing that’s really stuck out, though we haven’t been with him for very long,” Masakadza said. He’s a very positive individual and he’s encouraged the guys a lot and got us thinking positively, which is very important for us.”Though the absence of Taylor and several other senior players has left a huge hole in Zimbabwe’s resources, the squad is not without its veterans and Masakadza welcomed the return of Elton Chigumbura to the national fold. Chigumbura, himself a former captain, last played an international for Zimbabwe 18 months ago, but returns with the experience of 205 ODIs and – vitally, for a team that doesn’t play much Twenty20 cricket – 47 T20Is.”There’s a lot of experience there, and that’s something I’ll be able to use and bounce ideas off him,” Masakadza said. “He’s still got a lot of international cricket left in him, and for me right now it will be important to have guys like that in the changing room. Guys like him and Chamu [Chibhabha] that have some experience behind them, it will really help my job to have guys like that around.”For all their positivity, Zimbabwe face a steep challenge in trying to better two teams that, on paper, vastly outgun them, but Masakadza insisted that “anything can happen” in T20 cricket.”When we play against these bigger teams we’re always underdogs. It’s not the first time that we’ve been here. The guys just have to understand that in T20, anything can happen and anyone can turn a game on their day.”His words were echoed by Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who would not get ahead of himself despite the fact that he is leading a team rated No. 1 in the world in this format, having won a world record eight T20I series on the trot, and seven T20Is in a row in 2018. Sarfraz insisted that a “favourites” tag had no place in T20 cricket.”In Twenty20, nobody is the favourite,” he said. “No team can be underestimated. Zimbabwe still have good players [despite missing some big names], and we’re not taking anything lightly.””Every game is important, and especially the first of the tour,” Sarfraz said. “Wherever you go, it’s not easy. The conditions here are not easy, especially early on. So the toss will be important as well.”

The South African allrounder will be available for the remaining six Vitality Blast group matches and the knockouts, and four of the remaining six county championship matches

Firdose Moonda30-Jul-2018South Africa allrounder Wayne Parnell will play for Worcestershire until mid-September in both the Vitality Blast and County Championship first division as part of his preparation for the home summer.Parnell recently returned to action from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him since the start of the year. He finished as the top wicket-taker for the Edmonton Royals at the Global T20 in Canada, with six wickets from six matches at 22.50.”It was encouraging to be back again after the long layoff and finishing as the leading wicket-taker was good,” Parnell said. “My goal is to get Worcestershire to the quarter-final of their T20 league and also to keep them in the first division, as they are currently in last place.”Parnell will be available for the remaining six Vitality Blast group matches and the knockouts, and four of the remaining six county championship matches. He will return to South Africa to play for his domestic franchise, Cobras, and has made himself available across all formats. “I fully believe in my unique skill set and I back my ability with bat and ball to contribute to Worcestershire and the Cape Cobras’ cause,” Parnell said.Whether that will be enough to see Parnell back in contention for the South African squad and for the World Cup next year, is a matter of speculation. Parnell lost his national contract ahead of the 2018-19 season and has not played international cricket since a Test against Bangladesh in October, at home, last year.