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The season also includes an ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa followed by the Champions Trophy

Danyal Rasool05-Jul-2024Pakistan will host seven Tests in 2024-25 in what is set to become their busiest red-ball international home season this century. Bangladesh, England and West Indies will all play Test series in Pakistan between August this year and January 2025.The PCB announced the dates and schedule for the entire home season, which also includes hosting the Champions Trophy. However, it has released only a draft schedule for the Champions Trophy, which is expected to be held from February 19 to March 9 next year.Pakistan’s home season will begin with the arrival of Bangladesh to play two Tests – one each in Rawalpindi and Karachi – from August 21 to September 3, even though Pakistan don’t play home internationals in August traditionally because of high heat and humidity. It is also in the middle of the monsoon season, which makes any cricket more vulnerable to weather interruptions. Pakistan have played only two Tests at home in August in their history – also against Bangladesh, in 2003.Related

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After the Bangladesh tour, England will arrive to play three Tests in Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi from October 7-28.That will be followed by Pakistan’s limited-overs tour of Australia and Zimbabwe, and an all-format tour of South Africa. While the three ODIs and three T20Is in Australia will take place from November 4-18, Pakistan play a further three ODIs and three T20Is against Zimbabwe, all in Bulawayo from November 24 to December 5.Their tour of South Africa will begin with a T20I series from December 10, and ends with the two Tests from December 26 to January 7 in Centurion and Cape Town, respectively.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The home Tests against West Indies will start nine days later. West Indies, whose tour of Pakistan was due in January this year but was postponed due to a busy calendar, will play their matches in Karachi and Multan from January 16-28. However, the three T20Is that were also in the original tour will not take place.All seven home Tests will be part of the World Test Championship, where Pakistan are currently No. 5 on the points table. But the 2024-25 home season is a marked contrast to the one that preceded it, when Pakistan played no home Tests. The last Test in Pakistan was in January 2023, when Karachi hosted a two-match Test series against New Zealand.After the West Indies Tests, Pakistan will also host an ODI tri-series, which will have South Africa and New Zealand as the visiting teams. That will take place from February 8-14, and will comprise four games, all in Multan.Lahore, where the headquarters of the PCB is situated, is not scheduled to host a single fixture in any format until the Champions Trophy, owing to the Gaddafi Stadium being redeveloped. The PCB has said it is confident that the Stadium will be ready for the Champions Trophy, the first ICC event Pakistan will host in 29 years.However, it remains to be seen if India, the only team in the Champions Trophy to not have travelled to Pakistan since international cricket resumed in the country in 2015, agree to make the trip.

Pakistan’s home season 2024-25

Tests against Bangladesh
Aug 21-25: First Test, Rawalpindi
Aug 30-Sep 3: Second Test, KarachiTests against England
Oct 7-11: First Test, Multan
Oct 15-19: Second Test, Karachi
Oct 24-28: Third Test, RawalpindiTests against West Indies
Jan 16-20, 2025: First Test, Karachi
Jan 24-28: Second Test, MultanODI tri-series vs NZ and SA
Feb 8: Pakistan v New Zealand, Multan
Feb 10: New Zealand v South Africa, Multan
Feb 12: Pakistan v South Africa, Multan
Feb 14: Final, MultanChampions Trophy
Feb 19- Mar 9

The two-Test series, which will begin on February 4 in Tauranga, will currently clash with the latter stages of the SA20

Firdose Moonda19-Jul-2023The increasing encroachment of T20 leagues on the international calendar could force South Africa to seek a postponement or field a second-string side on next year’s tour to New Zealand. The two-Test series, which will begin on February 4 in Tauranga, will clash with the latter stages of the SA20, South Africa’s T20 franchise competition, and will present Cricket South Africa (CSA) with a conundrum over player availability.A significant proportion of South Africa’s Test players, including captain Temba Bavuma, new Durban Super Giants captain Keshav Maharaj and the entire frontline pace pack – Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen – are contracted to teams in the SA20 and will either have to miss parts of the tournament or opt out of the Tests, with the latter more likely.Although South Africa’s players are contractually bound to both CSA and the SA20, CSA has guaranteed the SA20 first rights to the players over the January window and as such, the players will be obliged to play for their franchises rather than the national team. It is, therefore, almost certain that South Africa will have to send a makeshift Test side to New Zealand. CSA’s CEO Pholetsi Moseki told ESPNcricinfo that the organisation will have a better idea of which players are available for the Tests, “after the SA20 mini-auction in September,” and that they are still trying to have the New Zealand Tests moved.The 2023-2027 FTP, which was made public in August last year, had South Africa scheduled to play two Tests in New Zealand in February 2024. NZC announced the fixtures this week which confirmed matches from February 4 to 17. Given the distance and time difference, CSA plans to send their Test squad to New Zealand about a week in advance, which will be around January 28 but would have preferred to send them at least a week later, at the conclusion of the SA20.The SA20 will begin in the week of January 7, after India’s tour to South Africa, and should end around February 4. Ideally, CSA would have wanted the New Zealand Tests to be held from mid-February, but NZC was unable to accede to that because they are also due to host Australia, whose players need to be free by late March for the IPL. The three T20I and two-Test series against Australia runs from February 21 to March 12, while the IPL is understood to be pencilled in for after March 20 at the earliest.South Africa forfeited the three ODIs against Australia earlier this year to play in the SA20 instead•SA20

CSA has also asked NZC to consider hosting the Tests during the IPL, in April, which would impact player availability for both sides, but this request could not be accommodated. Both CSA and NZC have players contracted to the IPL, though in South Africa’s case it is far fewer than those who will be involved at the SA20. CSA maintains that they are still trying to find an alternative window to propose to NZC but “if you look at the FTP – there’s nowhere to move the matches because we need to complete the WTC cycle by 2025,” Moseki said.Asked if South Africa, who only play two-Test series for the entire 2023-2025 WTC cycle, would consider forfeiting the matches, Moseki said they “want to avoid cancelling matches because we are aware of our bilateral obligations,” but also admitted “the SA20 is too important,” to jeopardise. The SA20 turned a profit in its first year and CSA is hedging the game’s financial future on the event which is why they have reneged on an international before. South Africa did not play three ODIs against Australia earlier this year in order to launch the SA20 with all their players available and as such, put themselves in a tough position on the World Cup Super League table.Despite making that concession, the first season of the SA20 still faced scheduling difficulties. A World Cup Super League series against England had to be sandwiched into the tournament window and it had to move out of the Cape Town, Paarl and Port Elizabeth in order for those venues to ready themselves for the Women’s T20 World Cup. As a result, the SA20 started off in the Western and Eastern Cape before fixtures were held up-country and on the east coast, and took an eight-day break after 22 matches to accommodate for the England ODIs.The organisers were hoping for a smoother schedule this time around but, because of the clash with the New Zealand series, will have to wait until 2025 for that. Moseki said CSA has ensured there are no future issues in the SA20 window for the remainder of the ongoing FTP. However, South Africa are due to host Pakistan for two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is deep into January in 2025, West Indies for five T20Is in January 2026 and England for three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is in early 2027.NZC has been contacted for comment.

Part two of our BBL previews takes a look at Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder

Alex Malcolm, Tristan Lavalette and Andrew McGlashan06-Dec-2023
Squads as of December 6 and subject to change

Melbourne Stars

Captain Glenn Maxwell
Coach Peter Moores
Fixtures Click hereSquad Scott Boland, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Dawson, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Usama Mir, Jono Merlo, Joel Paris, Haris Rauf, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Olly Stone, Imad Wasim, Beau WebsterHow the draft wentStars’ gamble to take Harry Brook with their first pick in the draft (having cheekily tried to take Rashid Khan for the second straight year before Adelaide Strikers intervened with their retention pick) backfired. Brook was always set to be unavailable for the last few games of the tournament but his selection in England’s two white-ball squads for the Caribbean in December was not a guarantee at draft time. Once England called, Brook’s BBL was cooked and it left Stars without their star recruit.Related

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They also took Stars’ favourite Haris Rauf with their second pick but his NOC from the PCB was very late in being approved after he made himself unavailable for Pakistan’s Test tour, to the displeasure of Pakistan’s new coach and selector. Stars then used their last pick on Pakistan legspinner Usama Mir. There were more established spinners available including Akeal Hosein, however Stars opted for Mir who showed some promise during the ODI World Cup, although he had a very tough day against Australia in Bengaluru.Stars have since added two left-arm orthodox as overseas replacement players with England’s Liam Dawson available for three games while former Pakistan spinner Imad Wasim will join Stars after Christmas and looks a shrewd signing as he will be available for the remainder of the season. England quick Olly Stone is in Australia and has also been training with the Stars squad and could be added as cover for Rauf.How they stack upStars look thin in terms of their overall depth having lost Adam Zampa and Joe Clarke from last season after they finished last with only three wins. But with Glenn Maxwell fully fit and in the form of his life he could single-handedly win them a lot of games early in the season and help the team get on a roll. A lot of the runscoring will fall on his shoulders along with Marcus Stoinis. Sam Harper has found some form in the Sheffield Shield coming off a 66-ball century while Joe Burns has also been in good nick for Queensland after missing the last BBL season with a hamstring injury. Hilton Cartwright and Beau Webster have also been in great Shield form but whether that translates remains to be seen.Opposition sides will certainly look to target Stars’ bowling line-up. Stars have gone bowler-heavy with their overseas picks but the availability issues make that a risky strategy. They are unlikely to see much of Scott Boland due to Test duty. The other new signing Joel Paris has had some injury concerns this year. They’ve also added Mark Steketee but he will miss the first game due to the Prime Minister’s XI match against Pakistan. Maxwell, Stoinis and Webster will be required to do a lot of bowling.Player to watchGlenn Maxwell is always the player to watch. He’s always done something spectacular in the BBL. But he’s never come into a BBL in this kind of form. He’s coming off scoring the fastest ODI World Cup century, the first ODI double-century by an Australian male, and another stunning T20I century in a winning chase in India. On top of that, he is bowling as well as ever, having been a vital part of Australia’s World Cup title with the ball as much as with the bat. If he’s not physically and mentally fatigued, he could have an enormous BBL.Availability issuesRauf is due to arrive in Australia on Wednesday, 24 hours before the first game and with Pakistan set for a white-ball tour of New Zealand starting on January 12 the PCB have only approved his NOC for five games up until December 28. He may only play in four if he is rested for the season opener. Mir has also been approved for five games with the PCB wanting to limit his workload ahead of the New Zealand series. Dawson is only signed for the first three matches but Imad’s presence after Christmas should provide the Stars with some stability for the final eight matches. Boland is unlikely to be available for the whole season.Three in a row? Batting and pace bowling looks strong for Perth Scorchers, but spin raises questions•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Perth Scorchers

Captain Ashton Turner
Coach Adam Voges
Fixtures Click hereSquad Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Zak Crawley, Stephen Eskinazi, Laurie Evans, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Mitchell Marsh, Hamish McKenzie, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman, Liam HaskettHow the draft wentReplicating what they did in the BBL draft a year earlier, Scorchers passed on their platinum pick. They selected Zak Crawley at pick 16 on the back of his spectacular Ashes campaign in an important signing after the departure of opener Cameron Bancroft. They also selected middle-order batter Laurie Evans, who was player of the final in BBL11 but did not play last season after his contract was terminated following a positive doping test.How they stack upScorchers are the BBL’s powerhouse having claimed a record five titles. Their latest challenge is to become the first team to win a hat-trick of titles having fallen short of the feat in BBL05. They will start as arguably the team to beat with Scorchers again backing their talented core of local players.There will be some tweaks with Crawley replacing Bancroft at the top, while WA Shield captain Sam Whiteman has returned after two seasons with Sydney Thunder. A three-time title-winning player with Scorchers, Whiteman has been in good white-ball form in the Marsh Cup and is also the back-up wicketkeeper to Josh Inglis. Top-order batter Stephen Eskinazi was a late signing having been part of last season’s triumph. Scorchers boast a formidable middle order led by Inglis, allrounder Aaron Hardie and captain Ashton Turner.Their pace bowling is stacked with Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris having returned to domestic cricket from injury layoffs, but Matt Kelly – a key bowler at the death – remains on the sidelines with a quad injury and is expected to miss the early rounds.An area of concern for Scorchers is their spin options with left-armer Ashton Agar likely to be unavailable for the start of the season due to the calf injury that ruled him out of the World Cup. Left-arm wrist spinner Hamish McKenzie, who recently made his first-class and List A debuts, is also on the sidelines due to a stress fracture in his back. Scorchers lost legspinner Peter Hatzoglou, who signed with Hobart Hurricanes having been an important member of the squad and he was particularly valuable on the slower wickets on the east coast.Player to watchWith Scorchers’ spin stocks severely tested, allrounder Cooper Connolly might just be able to fill the breach. While his powerful batting is a bit more advanced, as he memorably showed in last season’s BBL final, Connolly’s slow left-arm orthodox bowling is more than useful and he can tie up an end in the middle overs.There has been much anticipation over Connolly, 20, after his heroics in last season’s BBL made him a fan favourite. After making his List A debut to start the domestic season, Connolly was in line for a Shield debut until he suffered a toe injury during a freak boat accident. But he’s returned and has opened the batting in the Marsh Cup to underline his versatility. Connolly feels primed to be the type of breakout player that Scorchers seem to unearth almost every season.Availability issuesCrawley is part of England’s ODI and Test squads to India meaning his availability is limited to around six games, while Evans will be available for the regular season before flying off to the UAE’s ILT20. Allrounder Mitchell Marsh is in a battle with Cameron Green for the number six Test position making his status for the BBL unclear for the time being. Morris is part of Australia’s first Test squad against Pakistan as he eyes an international debut and will likely be around that group for much of the season.Sean Abbott is regularly one of the leading performers in the competition•Getty Images

Sydney Sixers

Captain Moises Henriques
Coach Greg Shipperd
Fixtures Click hereSquad Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Tom Curran, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Izharulhaq Naveed, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Steven Smith, James VinceHow the draft wentSixers went with familiarity and brought back club stalwarts Tom Curran (platinum) and James Vince (gold). Chris Jordan was another who they could have retained. “We know what Tom brings,” Shipperd said. “He’s a great team player, we think he’s got fight in him because he’s been injured for a couple of seasons now and he’s on his way back to his very best form.” They also selected England legspinner Rehan Ahmed at bronze but his call-up to England’s ODI and T20I squads for the West Indies has put paid to his stint given the limited number of games he would have been available for.How they stack upThey retain a very experienced core built around the likes of Sean Abbott and Moises Henriques who have been central to Sixers’ success over the years. They will hope that Josh Philippe’s lean red-ball season does not impact his T20 form and that he can reform a strong pairing with Vince at the top of the order (although Steven Smith will slot in for at least one game). The club will be looking for Todd Murphy to step up in the spin department after they didn’t re-sign Nathan Lyon and with Steve O’Keefe at the backend of his career.Player to watchJack Edwards produced some eye-catching Sheffield Shield performances early in the season and if he can have a similar breakthrough in T20 he has the makings of a valuable all-rounder player, particularly the power he could bring the bat. So far the format has been a struggle with 357 runs at a strike-rate of 104.08 in 29 matches and he has yet to bowl a ball. With Dan Christian’s retirement, there is a spot for a young allrounder to step up.Availability issuesCurran and Vince both have ILT20 deals and that tournament overlaps with the BBL finals. Among their domestic players, Smith will play the opening game against Renegades and the club hope also the Sydney derby on January 12 between his Test commitments. Elsewhere they shouldn’t be hit by international calls unless Murphy is needed. Abbott is unlikely to push for a Test spot unless there is a spate of fast-bowling injuries.David Warner should be available to Sydney Thunder after his Test retirement•Getty Images

Sydney Thunder

Captain Chris Green
Coach Trevor Bayliss
Fixtures Click hereSquad Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Davies, Liam Doddrell, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Liam Hatcher, Zaman Khan, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Alex Ross, William Salzmann, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David WarnerHow the draft wentThey went for an established Thunder player in Alex Hales with their platinum pick, and didn’t have to use their retention option, to bring the former England opener back. He made 245 runs in nine matches last season, at a strike-rate of 141.61, and overall is their second-highest run-scorer behind Usman Khawaja. He should be available for the full regular season. They then took Pakistan quick Zaman Khan at gold as a death-bowling option before passing on the final two rounds.How they stack upThey feel like a bit of a tricky side to read, but if their big names fire they certainly have the makings of a powerful outfit. The role they give Cameron Bancroft will be interesting and they will hope that Ollie Davies’ fractured finger picked up in the Sheffield Shield doesn’t sideline him for too long – he has the potential to be a gamechanger in the middle order. Liam Hatcher’s move from Melbourne Stars bolsters the pace attack while Nathan McAndrew has enjoyed a stunning run in red-ball cricket.Player to watchTanveer Sangha had to watch the entirety of last season from the sidelines after a stress fracture of the back wiped out his summer. That followed two campaigns where he had shone, taking 37 wickets at 17.89 and an economy of 7.52. But he has returned to action in the last few months and shown his skills at the international level with 4 for 31 on his T20I debut against South Africa. He looks primed to be the future of Australian spin bowling across formats.Availability issuesDavid Warner won’t be available until after the Pakistan Test series, but his retirement from the format opens up a window for him to play the latter part of the tournament. There still remain some questions marks as to when he will take up his ILT20 deal. That brings with it the prospect of him opening with Bancroft, who has signed from Perth Scorchers in one of the big off-season moves, although Bancroft may be Warner’s Test replacement and leave the tournament as he arrives. Daniel Sams is expected back from his Abu Dhabi T10 stint in time for the opening game.

Defending champions prove too strong as Jansen five-for caps powerful batting display

Andrew Miller10-Feb-2024Sunrisers Eastern Cape 204 for 3 (Stubbs 56*, Abell 55, Markram 42, Hermann 42) beat Durban’s Super Giants 112 (Mulder 38, Jansen 5-30) by 89 runsMarco Jansen led the line with an outstanding five-wicket haul, as Sunrisers Eastern Cape crushed Durban’s Super Giants by 89 runs to claim back-to-back SA20 titles in a formidable team performance at Newlands.After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Sunrisers put a hefty total of 204 for 3 on the board, thanks to a forceful batting display built around two distinct partnerships – 90 from 52 balls between Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell, and then an unbroken 98 from 55 balls between Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs, who top-scored with 56 not out from 30 balls.By contrast, Durban’s innings never got any traction. After travelling down from Johannesburg in the morning following Friday’s Qualifier victory over Joburg Super Kings, their batters were caught cold in a feisty powerplay performance, led by Dan Worrall’s attacking seam and swing, and capped by Jansen’s towering left-arm angles.Their innings was rocked by the early loss of Quinton de Kock, who drove flat-footedly at Worrall and inside-edged onto his stumps for 3. He might have had two in two had Jansen not spilled JJ Smuts at slip first-ball, but Jansen made immediate amends, inducing Smuts into a chipped drive to mid-off from his second delivery, before Bhanuka Rajapaksa flapped a loose clip to the same fielder, Patrick Kruger, for a third-ball duck.At 7 for 3, the contest was already as good as over, and though Wiaan Mulder did his best to reboot Durban’s innings in a 56-run stand with a near-strokeless Matthew Breetzke, Jansen would once again be the man to strike for Sunrisers, this time in the field. Few other players could have reached Mulder’s swing for the ropes off Simon Harmer at the end of the tenth over, but he stretched over the boundary with his arms at full extension, to send Mulder on his way for 38.One ball later, Breetkze’s static knock of 18 from 27 balls ended as he lost his off stump to Ottniel Baartman, and in the same over, Baartman ended any faint hopes of Durban miracle. Heinrich Klaasen has been the outstanding ball-striker of the tournament, in rushing along to 447 runs at an extraordinary strike-rate of 207.90, but this time he lasted a solitary delivery, as Baartman landed his inswinger and extracted the on-field lbw from Stephen Harris, with the ball shown to be clipping leg.The end came in a rush. Jansen returned for his third over and plucked off Keshav Maharaj’s off stump, then ended any remaining resistance with two wickets from his final three balls. Junior Dala flicked him off his pads for a token six before picking out Harmer at long-on one ball later, before another off-stump heat-seeker dealt with Reece Topley to cue the celebrations.Durban’s display arguably went awry from the very first over of the match. They deviated from the plans that had proven so effective against Joburg Super Kings in the Qualifier, handing an opening over to the left-arm spinner Smuts that was milked for nine chanceless runs – two more than Sunrisers would concede in claiming their first three wickets. It set the tone for a passive display with the ball, even after Topley had struck with his fourth delivery in the second over, a plumb lbw against Dawid Malan (6).That brought Abell to the middle, and though he would finish with the Player-of-the-Match award, he led a charmed life for the first 14 balls of his innings. He was dropped on 6 in Topley’s second over then survived a potentially innings-turning moment from his very next ball, as Maharaj scooped up a low chance at mid-off, but signalled to the umpires that he was unsure if it had carried. That doubt potentially informed the subsequent TV referral, despite the replays suggesting that his fingers had been under the ball.Abell’s innings kicked up a gear as he turned to his favoured scoop shot, with a four and a six from consecutive Mulder deliveries, and with gaps suddenly appearing in the field, he rushed through to a 30-ball fifty with seven fours and two sixes inside the 10th over, with Sunrisers’ 100 coming up in the same over.Durban hit back in style, however, with Maharaj bagging both set batters in the space of four balls. Hermann holed out to Klaasen at long-on for 42 from 27 balls, before Abell was beaten in flight on the slog-sweep to be bowled for 55 from 34. That brought Stubbs and Markram together in the 11th over, with a bit of a rebuild required at 106 for 3.Each man picked off an early boundary but it was Stubbs who was the first to step up the tempo with back-to-back fours to end Dwayne Pretorius’ second over. After that it was over to Stubbs’ long levers, with three sixes in eight balls powering the total past 200. In the end, it would prove to be more than enough.

DC finally rise from the bottom after winning four of their last five games

Vishal Dikshit06-May-20233:08

Moody: Salt a brave player who doesn’t fear for his wicket

The Delhi Capitals’ batting might has turned up a little late in the tournament but they gave their home crowd a dazzling display of boundary hitting, the centerpiece of which was Phil Salt’s 87 off 45 balls, to finish off a chase of 182 against RCB with 20 balls to spare.After three ducks and only one score over 10 in his last five T20 innings, Salt sent five of his six sixes over the leg-side boundary during at assault that featured a lot of horizontal-bat shots. The Capitals chase got going with their first half-century opening stand of the season, and Salt kept attacking to bring the asking rate under six in almost no time. They raced to 70 in the powerplay, 115 at the halfway mark with Salt’s 28-ball fifty, before plundering 24 runs off a Harshal Patel over to reduce the chase to 32 off 42 balls.Salt was eventually bowled for 87 but his eight fours and six sixes helped Capitals beat RCB for the first time in three years. It was Capitals’ fourth win in their last five games, and lifted them off the bottom of the table.

DC’s best powerplay

The Capitals chase was unlike any of their batting displays this season. David Warner began with two fours off the first three balls from Mohammed Siraj, before sweeping Wanindu Hasaranga’s first ball for six in the fourth over. In between, Salt took on Josh Hazlewood for two fours before a feisty fifth over from Siraj.Salt top-edged the first ball for six over the wicketkeeper, slapped the second one over cover and into the stands, and then flicked one bounce into the square-leg boundary. Siraj responded with a bouncer that was called wide and there followed a heated conversation between the bowler and the batter, and some animated finger-pointing from Siraj towards both Salt and Warner.Warner skied a catch off Hazlewood for 22 off 14 in the last over of the powerplay but Mitchell Marsh ended the over with a big six over midwicket and an edged four to power Capitals to 70 after six overs. They might not have got so much had Dinesh Karthik held on to a tough chance from Salt – an inside edge off Hasaranga – in the fourth over.It got heated between Phil Salt and Mohammed Siraj•Associated Press

Salt’s boundary bonanza

Salt was on 35 off 17 at the time and he threw his bat at anything wayward: wide balls disappeared over cover, short ones were pulled disdainfully, and a few edges also raced to the boundary.Marsh holed out off a full toss but the attack on RCB’s bowlers did not abate. Salt began the 13th over, from Harshal, with a six over the leg side and Rilee Rossouw smashed two more down the ground, before a misfield on the long-off boundary from Suyash Prabhudessai made it 24 runs off the over.Salt belted out two more boundaries before falling to Karn Sharma and Rossouw ended the game in the 17th over with his third six.

Kohli and Du Plessis solid but not spectacular

After RCB chose to bat on what was considered to be a slow pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Virat Kohli started by playing nine dot balls in the first three overs, but also found the boundary in each of them.RCB got a boost when Faf du Plessis struck Mukesh Kumar for three fours in the fifth over before he hit Khaleel Ahmed for a straight six and a four to make it 51 from the powerplay.

Marsh goes bang, bang

Kohli and du Plessis batted into the 11th over of the innings, when Marsh had du Plessis caught slapping a short and wide slower ball to deep point. He then had Glenn Maxwell caught first ball to reduce RCB to 82 for 2. Kohli was on 36 of 31 at the other end, and the run rate dipped slightly.

Mahipal Lomror lifts RCB

Mahipal Lomror raised the tempo of RCB’s innings quickly. He pulled his fifth ball for six off Kuldeep Yadav, and used the reverse-sweep and the loft down the ground to find the boundary, before pulling Marsh for another six to lift the run rate over eight an over.Kohli, meanwhile, found short fine leg for 55 off 46 and RCB were 137 for 3 with four overs left. Lomror didn’t get a lot of support and ended up doing most of the hitting himself. His two fours off Ishant Sharma, an edge for four off Khaleel, along with Dinesh Karthik’s six helped RCB collect 29 runs from the 17th and 18th overs. Mukesh then nailed a few yorkers and Khaleel used his cutters to keep RCB to 15 off the last two. Kohli said he thought 181 was a good score during the innings break, but the Capitals ran down the target with ease.

Athanaze and Hope blasted 75 in the powerplay to put Stubbs’ resilient 76 in the shade

Firdose Moonda23-Aug-2024West Indies 176 for 3 (Pooran 65*, Hope 51, Athanaze 40, Baartman 2-30) beat South Africa 174 for 7 (Stubbs 76, Kruger 44, Forde 3-27, Shamar 2-40) by seven wicketsWest Indies pulled off the highest successful T20 chase at the Brian Lara Academy in Tarouba to go 1-0 up in the three-match series against South Africa.After deciding to bowl first, moments before heavy rain delayed the start of play by an hour, West Indies took control when they had South Africa 42 for 5 after eight overs. South Africa recovered thanks to a sixth-wicket partnership of 71 runs from 50 balls between Patrick Kruger and Tristan Stubbs, before Stubbs and Bjorn Fortuin shared a seventh-wicket stand of 60 off 25 balls to give the innings much needed acceleration. Matthew Forde, playing his third T20I, equalled his career-best figures of 3 for 27.West Indies were always in control of the chase. Shai Hope and Alick Athanaze put on 84 in 49 balls for the opening wicket before Hope and Nicholas Pooran’s 54-run partnership, off 33 balls, broke South Africa’s back. Pooran was particularly severe on an inexperienced South Africa’s attack and scored his fastest T20I fifty – off 20 balls – and finished unbeaten on 65 off 26.Without the core of their attack, especially as Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the series with a calf strain before the match began, South Africa’s depth was tested. They fielded their youngest-ever debutant, Kwena Maphaka, at 18 years and 137 days, and he picked up his first international wicket when he had West Indies captain Rovman Powell caught at extra cover. By then, West Indies needed just three runs to win and Roston Chase finished things off with a four off the next ball. West Indies won the match with 13 balls to spare.

West Indies’ early triple-strike

Powell’s decision to bowl first paid off almost immediately when, after an impressive three-run opening over from Akeal Hosein, Forde made the first incision: Ryan Rickelton reached to cut a short, wide ball and toe-ended to Pooran. Aiden Markram countered with a strong reverse sweep and pull off Hosein but then hit Forde straight to Gudakesh Motie at mid-on. Two balls later, Reeza Hendricks got a leading edge to Shamar Joseph’s first delivery, which swirled to Hosein at deep third and continued a miserable run for the opener. Hendricks has gone past 20 in only two of his last 11 T20I innings.South Africa struggled through their powerplay and ended on 33 for 3. Rassie van der Dussen was strangled down leg as soon as the fielding restrictions were lifted and Joseph had his second.

Sensational Stubbs

South Africa were in trouble at 42 for 5 after eight overs with all their recognised batters, bar Stubbs, back in the dugout. Stubbs initially played out of character and had just 13 runs off his first 16 balls. His first sign of intent came when he sent Motie over long-on for the biggest six of the innings, but it was only after Kruger’s innings ended that Stubbs took control.Tristan Stubbs accelerated from 25 off 23 balls to finish with 76 off 42 balls•AFP/Getty Images

He took successive fours off full deliveries from Forde either side of the wicket, and then reached fifty off 33 balls when he hit Joseph over cover point. He scored 23 runs off the last six balls he faced, and was going for six more when he holed out to long-on on the penultimate ball of the innings. But with 174 on the board, he had given his bowlers something to defend.

Hope and Athanaze give West Indies dream start

It took ten deliveries before West Indies scored their first boundary, but when they did, the floodgates opened. Athanaze, opening the batting in his second T20I, swept Fortuin over long leg, then Hope deposited Ottneil Baartman over long-off and through deep-backward square-leg, but the real damage was done in the fifth over. Athanaze plundered 20 runs off Nandre Burger, including two sixes over deep square-leg, and a gorgeous late cut that went for four and forced South Africa to turn to a fifth bowler within the powerplay. Aiden Markram bowled himself but was even more expensive as he went for 21. Hope scored 16 of those runs off three balls – two of them down-on-one-knee sixes over long-on and long-off – to help West Indies complete an impressive 75-run powerplay.

Pooran’s four successive sixes all but finishes off

With 70 runs off 54 balls required for the win, Pooran saw an opportunity to end things quickly when Burger was brought back in the 12th over. After Hope got off strike, Burger tried a slower ball to Pooran, who had more than enough time to hit him straight over long-off for a 77-metre six. Burger’s next ball was also pace-off and ended up being a full toss and Pooran helped it over midwicket and into the stands. The next two balls were faster and still full and Pooran had his eye in. He hit Burger down the ground for two more sixes to take the equation down to 45 off 48 balls. West Indies lost a couple of wickets but reached the target comfortably in the end.

The news is a boost for India who had suffered injuries to several players following the Lord’s Test

Sidharth Monga21-Jul-20252:50

Nets watch – Pant keeps, Kamboj bowls and India’s slip cordon

With confirmation that Jasprit Bumrah will play the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, India’s team combination following their injury crisis after the Lord’s fixture is falling into place.”So far, we only know that Jassi [Bumrah] will play,” Mohammed Siraj said in Manchester on Monday when asked about India’s pace attack, which looked likely to be disrupted with injuries to Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh.Apart from Bumrah’s availability, the other good news for India two days before the Test was that Rishabh Pant, who had suffered a finger injury at Lord’s, came through a training session that lasted over two hours. India are still sweating on Akash Deep’s groin niggle and will give him time to recover.Related

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• Knee injury rules Nitish Reddy out of England tour

With allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played the second and third Tests and impressed at Lord’s as the fourth seamer, now ruled out of the series with injury, specialist batter Sai Sudharsan is likely to return to the XI. Sudharsan had played the first Test at Headingley and made scores of 0 and 30 but was left out for offspinning allrounder Washington Sundar at Edgbaston and Lord’s. If Sudharsan returns, India could replace Washington with Shardul Thakur if the conditions warrant a fourth seamer instead of a second spinner.Akash Deep’s fitness remains the big question. He bowled at the training session on Monday, but only into bowling coach Morne Morkel’s mitt. The medical staff and decision-makers will monitor him over the next two days to decide if he is fit and can last the duration of a Test match. There could be temptation to rest him if Bumrah plays at Old Trafford but misses the fifth Test at The Oval, which starts three days after the fourth Test ends.While this will be the third of the three Tests that Bumrah planned to play in this five-match series due to workload management, there is a chance the Manchester weather might reduce the strain on him. As things stand, the forecast is for light showers on the first two days and the fifth day at Old Trafford. If the series is alive at The Oval, don’t rule out Bumrah playing a fourth Test.If Akash isn’t fit to play at Old Trafford, the third fast bowler will be one of Prasidh Krishna, who played the first two Tests, or the uncapped Anshul Kamboj, who was brought in as cover. Prasidh’s average of 55.16 and economy of 5.33 in the series might suggest a lack of control, but in the first two Tests he was asked by the team to bowl spells of sustained short-pitched bowling, which brought him two wickets at Headingley but went for runs at Edgbaston.If Kamboj, 24, gets his Test cap, it won’t be as desperate a selection as it sounds. He has been on the selectors’ radar and is known to extract more seam movement than most, which could make him a like-for-like replacement for Akash Deep. Kamboj has 79 first-class wickets at an average of 22.88 since 2022. He comes with the approval of Chennai Super Kings’ MS Dhoni, who complimented his seam movement during this year’s IPL.While the identity of India’s third seamer remains uncertain, there was more certainty around Pant, who copped a blow on his left index finger while wicketkeeping during the first innings at Lord’s. He didn’t keep for the rest of the Test but batted in both innings. India were confident there was no fracture, but they didn’t want to risk making it worse.On Monday, Pant went through wicket-keeping drills and batted comfortably in the nets. The only doubt around Pant was that, unlike at Lord’s, he will not be able to get a substitute wicketkeeper at Old Trafford if he aggravates the same injury in-game. For a while, Dhruv Jurel was in contention to keep in the fourth Test, with Pant likely to play as a specialist batter, but his performance at the nets on Monday should settle those doubts.India are trailing 2-1 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, after losing the first Test at Headingley and the third at Lord’s.

India squad for fourth Test

Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.

Flower’s tenure with the IPL franchise has ended after his contract was not renewed at the end of two years

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jul-2023Lucknow Super Giants have appointed Justin Langer as their new head coach.Langer replaced Andy Flower, who served as the head coach at Super Giants since the franchise became a part of the IPL in 2022. LSG did not renew Flower’s contract after the end of the two-year term, during which they finished in the top four on both occasions.”Lucknow Super Giants are on the journey of building a great story in the IPL,” Langer said in a statement released by the franchise. “We all have a role to play in that journey and I am excited to be a part of the team moving forward.”