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ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2016New Zealand suffered a massive early blow: Kane Williamson was unwell and had to sit out the match. Ross Taylor, standing in as captain, lost the toss, and India batted•BCCIShikhar Dhawan made India’s playing XI ahead of Gautam Gambhir, in place of the injured KL Rahul. But he did not last long, chopping on off Matt Henry for 1•Associated PressOn a pitch with some bounce and a sprinkling of grass, New Zealand continued to hold sway, but Cheteshwar Pujara was firm at his end, even getting away a fab straight drive•Associated PressHenry was not done yet though: he produced a peach, getting one to angle in and straighten, to have M Vijay edge behind•Associated PressTrent Boult bowled a typically testing spell, and was rewarded with the wicket of Virat Kohli, who was caught off a loose stroke outside off•BCCIJeetan Patel was called into the Test XI for the first time in over three years, and he too kept India in check – he had an edge off Pujara split the keeper and slip•BCCIIn general, though, Pujara was solid, holding India’s innings together with 31 not out in a total of 57 for 3 going into lunch•BCCIPujara found support in Ajinkya Rahane, who struck some pleasing fours of his own•Associated PressThe pair frustrated New Zealand and established some control for India, batting through the middle session to take them to 136 for 3 by tea•BCCIEventually Neil Wagner broke the stand, after they had added 141, getting Pujara to hit to short cover. Patel then got Rohit Sharma cheaply and Rahane soon after•BCCIAs the light faded, Henry took a third, R Ashwin lbw, to help New Zealand nose ahead on a tough day. India ended on 239 for 7•BCCI

Even with a revamped side, Australia demonstrated they can win the same way many of their predecessors have done in the past: with grit and flair

Daniel Brettig27-Nov-2016Peter Handscomb and Matt Renshaw crossed for the winning runs in their first Test, and a new Australian team won in an old familiar style. For all the talk of debutants and inclusions, the most telling contributions were made by senior players stepping up as they needed to, doubtless inspired by the change they saw around them.More broadly, Australia won in Adelaide because they had more members of their side pitch in at key times than South Africa did. Of the XI chosen by the reconfigured selection panel, only one player – a nervy Nic Maddinson – could not be said to have played a significant part in at least one sequence of the match.Two other players were still to make their presence felt when the fourth day began, but they did so in ways that put the capstone on Australia’s performance. Jackson Bird was chosen narrowly ahead of Chadd Sayers for Adelaide, his extra height and previous successes at Test level allowing his inclusion at the expense of a prolific hometown operator. Bird’s stump-to-stump line is pivotal to his game, and it was one such delivery that pinned Quinton de Kock in front to end the series of a batsman who had been a thorn in Australia’s side. That wicket alone justified Bird’s place.David Warner, too, had some work to do in order to match-up to the efforts of some team-mates. For most of the match he has been afflicted by a shoulder complaint, wincing when throwing and off the field for just long enough in the first innings to be precluded from taking his usual place as an opener. Brushed aside by Kyle Abbott’s seamers when he did get to bat, Warner resumed in the sort of scenario that suits his busy style.Matt Renshaw demonstrated that fluency isn’t the only quality an Australian opener needs•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesWhile Renshaw covered up judiciously in defence at one end, Warner took the initiative in the kind of manner essential to any chase of a small total. Infamously Australia were stuck in the dust of a fifth day SCG pitch in 1994 to hand South Africa their first Test win down under since readmission, and the early dismissal of the energetic Michael Slater was a critical element to that tale. Warner though was able to capitalise on early errors in line and length from Abbott and Vernon Philander to quickly take down the target.Renshaw was beaten countless times, but his temperament to survive was demonstrated amply even after Warner was wastefully run-out. In many ways, his impact transcended the number of runs he made on debut, for he showed the team and the public that stolid defence can, indeed must, be a part of a successful Australian batting combination in Test matches. His survival of the tricky 12 overs on the first night should not be forgotten, demonstrating supreme judgment around off stump and an unwillingness to do any more than cover the line of the off stump. Across two innings he soaked up 183 balls, a notable figure.This is partly because it shielded the Australian middle order until a platform had been laid, but also partly because Renshaw’s solidity allowed Usman Khawaja to grow into his finest Test innings to date. Avoiding the undue risks posed by driving and keeping out all that South Africa could hurl, he was deservingly Man of the Match. Team-mates, namely Nathan Lyon, had a good natured joke with Khawaja about his newfound “nightwatchman” status, but the truth is that his was an innings with that kind of selflessness at its heart. By departing from his usual methods, Khawaja did exactly the job the team required of him.So too did the captain Steven Smith and the debutant Handscomb. Plenty of times in this series Smith has appeared the batsman best placed to keep South Africa at bay, yet the first innings was his only half-century in the three Tests, and a good one at that. As a captain, most of his field placings and bowling changes had the desired results, not least the use of Nathan Lyon on the third evening.Handscomb’s debut innings was a lovely piece of middle order counter-punching, aided greatly by the hard work done by those above him in the order. His idiosyncratic method was picked apart on the air by the likes of Michael Clarke, with the inference that Handscomb will have to advance further forward from his crease in order to prosper overseas. But the attitude he demonstrated, taking the game to the bowlers and punishing minuscule errors in line and length, contrasted favourably with the inertia offered earlier by Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh and Peter Nevill, among others.Usman Khawaja struck a selfless match-winning century, an innings that handed Australia the advantage and momentum•Getty ImagesOf the bowlers, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc enjoyed the movement offered up by the pink ball and a well-grassed Adelaide pitch, while not getting carried away in their search for wickets. Hazlewood has been Australia’s leading wicket-taker for the series, and Starc admirably durable despite what was an abominable physical preparation for Test matches. Both will be better still against Pakistan.So too will be Lyon, author of the spell that tilted the match to the hosts on the third night. He had started the match with three men in the deep for his first over, but grew in confidence with every ball from there. JP Duminy’s dismissal, as important as any in the Test, was brought about partly by tempting the batsman with a gap at midwicket and a second slip, then sliding a quicker ball into off stump. Smith can take credit for floating the idea with Lyon, but so can the bowler for pulling it off. Lyon will sing the team song with plenty of pent-up gusto.Another likely to bellow will be Matthew Wade, a Test match winner on his recall for the first time in more than three years. Wade’s yappy visage behind the stumps has in turn been the cause for plenty of comment, so too his cheap first innings dismissal while Peter Nevill clouted an unbeaten 179 for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield. But six catches and a stumping were sound reward for a gloveman improved if not perfected, and most of all there was the fact that his winning habit with Victoria has now been returned to Australia.It should not for a moment be forgotten that this was a victory in a dead rubber Test match, of the kind that brought about many false dawns for England in the 1990s. Numerous areas of the game, notably running between the wickets, must be addressed. There also remains the possibility of further evolution for the team between now and the Gabba Test against Pakistan, notably the question of how to re-accommodate Shaun Marsh, perhaps for Maddinson.But the victory in Adelaide has at least provided all with a reminder of how most Test matches have been won by Australian sides over the years, and how they will be again: with grit as well as flair.

A five-match one-day series gives those jostling in the ranks for England recognition a chance to impress the selectors

David Hopps in Dambulla01-Mar-2017If England Lions needed any reminder that they are just one step away from the international stage as they embark upon a five-match series in Sri Lanka, Tom Curran’s dead-of-night text message from the national selector, James Whitaker, duly provided it.When Curran went to bed in Dambulla after the four-day leg of the tour, he was an England Lion, just looking forward to advancing his reputation in a series that he knew would make little impact back home. When he awoke around 4.30am it was to discover instructions to pack his bags and join England’s senior tour of the Caribbean. All it took was a couple of sentences for his aspirations, at 21, to move a step nearer reality.Andy Flower, full of vim again in his relatively new role as England Lions coach, recognises that fact. “The loss of a player from our squad and being promoted to the full England squad is always a reminder to them about how close they are to fulfilling their dreams,” he said.Such reinforcement does no harm as the Lions prepare the face Sri Lanka A, a series which will be quickly followed by the North v South affair, another 50-over series, in the UAE. Together they realistically represent the last chance for players to advance their case for late inclusion in the Champions Trophy in England this summer. It is quite a prize. Unbeloved in some eyes it might be, its future permanently under question, but this is the tournament that will dominate the first part of the English summer.

Clarke, Overton set to play

Joe Clarke and Craig Overton, the only two members of the England Lions’ four-day squad not to get a game in Kandy or Dambulla, will both play in the opening 50-over match against Sri Lanka A.
Clarke will play as a specialist batsman at No. 4, with Ben Foakes keeping wicket. Overton will join a pace attack which is missing Tom Curran, after his call to join the senior England squad in the West Indies.
Keaton Jennings, who continues as captain, is expected to open with Ben Duckett, who is one of five new arrivals for the one-day section of the tour with his Northamptonshire club-mate Graeme White, the Warwickshire legspinner Josh Poysden, Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond and Middlesex seamer James Fuller.
Lions one-day squad: Keaton Jennings (capt), Ben Duckett, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Toby Roland-Jones, Craig Overton, Tom Helm, Ollie Rayner, Josh Poysden, Graeme White, James Fuller, Tom Alsop

Curran might yet become a Champions Trophy bolter especially as the composition of England’s seam attack remains uncertain: Mark Wood’s recovery from injury is ongoing, Liam Plunkett’s enforcer role has not entirely convinced and Stuart Broad’s ambitions about a white-ball comeback have yet to receive much official encouragement.To come into the reckoning as a batsman seems a harder task, but Ben Duckett, in particular, will want to restate his credentials over the next 10 days after his blip in the Test series in India when his technique against spin, most strikingly involving his method of staying markedly leg side of the ball, was unpicked by R Ashwin.Duckett’s prolific 2016 was never more wondrous than during his appearances for the Lions last summer. Against the same Sri Lanka A opposition, he registered the highest-ever score by an England Lions player, making 220 in Canterbury in an unbeaten stand of 367 with Daniel Bell-Drummond, the joint-second highest List A partnership of all-time. Duckett and Bell-Drummond will be reunited on Thursday, but it remains to be seen whether confidence will come flooding back on subcontinental pitches.It might be asking a lot of Liam Livingstone to make his own case. He is only two years into his first-class career, still not all that well known outside Lancashire. But two hundreds in a match in the last four-day game against Sri Lanka A have already done much for his self-belief and reputation, revealing him as a destructive hitter with a selective cricket brain. “He hits the ball as hard as anybody I can remember,” said Flower, and he does not give praise glibly.In cricket’s brave new world, where international cricket and Twenty20 jostle for attention, England Lions tours can these days pass by almost unnoticed. Spectators will be virtually non-existent, media interest patchy at best. Passion has to come from within. England might no longer be able to discover at Lions level who can withstand the pressure of a shrieking and hostile crowd, but they can still find out a lot about the internal drive that should rightly turn every representative match into something to cherish.Flower accepts this fact of life. “Ideally we would love a packed crowd but realistically these days we aren’t going to get it so recreating the atmosphere of a true international game with that regard is not going to happen,” he said.”However, what they are getting is scrutiny. They have selectors watching their results constantly and they are competing with their peers. These are all ambitious young guys, looking at each other and judging each other. There is that individual ambition, but there is also the fact that they are representing their country with a lot of pride.”The presence of a selector on Lions tours is an admirable development (Mick Newell has replaced Angus Fraser for the one-dayers). It adds to the sense of scrutiny, enables players to develop a working relationship with those who sit in judgment on their careers, and also provides an opportunity for selectors to gain an impression of the next generation not just as players but as personalities.There was a time when a developmental side pulled in the crowds. Twenty-five years ago, with such trips still in their infancy, England A fulfilled a ground-breaking tour to Sri Lanka, which had been starved of international cricket for several years because of a nationalist uprising. Now tourism is booming; then a Sri Lanka dressing room attendant was able to say without too much exaggeration: “You are the first foreigner I have seen for years – I am lucky to be alive.”An unorthodox spinner called Muttiah Muralitharan attracted attention for the first time and, for England, Nasser Hussain, Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe all emerged with credit. The crowds flocked in. In Murali’s first appearance, the stand roof fell down like a pack of dominoes, but nobody much seemed to mind.These days, beginning with the first match in Dambulla on Thursday, the only certainty is that the ubiquitous Dambulla dog will put in an appearance. It sat attentively for England’s sole practice session before it was curtailed by a heavy downpour. Most of these young Lions might only have a dog’s chance of a Champions Trophy spot, but that won’t stop them trying to make it over coming days and weeks.

Nathan Lyon claimed 5 for 34 on Test debut in Galle in 2011 but since then he has had to grind for every bit of success

Jarrod Kimber in Dharamsala26-Mar-20171:13

Chappell: Lyon’s overspin, bounce deceived India

Nathan Lyon flings himself across the pitch like he’s trying to take a bullet aimed at a president. He completes the catch, tumbles across the Galle square before getting up and running a victory lap. It’s about as ethereally wonderful as your first ball in Test cricket can be.It all started when Lyon’s first ball in Test cricket was a wicket. It was not any wicket, it was Kumar Sangakkara’s. It was a hard-spinning offbreak that pitched wide of the stumps and found the edge with Michael Clarke hanging on to a diving catch at slip. Later, Lyon dismissed Angelo Mathews when he exposed his leg stump in an attempt to sweep, and was bowled.Rangana Herath then top-edged a catch to a sweeper while Suraj Randiv smashed a ball off his toes straight into the hands of short midwicket. Then he claimed caught and bowled, and finished with a barely believable 5 for 34.As wonderful as that was, almost everything since has been a struggle for Lyon.Australia had a similar start to this series. In Pune, Australia seemed to have found an Indian team that never played and missed, and only played and edged, when they played at all. It was essentially a magic pixie dream girl moment for the Australians. One that was so bizarre, so captivating and so ultimately surprising, that they were almost watching it happen with a self-deprecating, wisecracking, and ironic monologue. Since then, Australia have fought for every last scrap, and not won a single major battle, while they have managed to stay in the series.Lyon’s career trajectory has been much of the same: small battles won, endless struggle, and one failure from ending at any time. A question on #PoliteEnquiries on Sunday from @thejoshya read, “Don’t you think it’s time Australia accept the fact that they have one of the best spinners in the world?” The shadow of Shane Warne still looms over Lyon, despite the fact he is his country’s all-time greatest wicket-taking offspinner. Despite his decent average or that he has the second-highest wickets for a visiting spinner in India and basically had to learn Test cricket without playing much first-class cricket. Lyon must lay awake at bed at night, thinking: what more do I need to do?But Lyon doesn’t have any big, defining series. He’s either pretty good or not that great. Even his big meme, “Nice Garry” is more about Matthew Wade than him. It is something that can haunt him in a country that doesn’t really understand offspin as a thing. No matter how much last innings success he has, he’s seen as a failure to deliver Test wins. Even in 19 Tests that Australia have won when he has bowled in the fourth innings, he has taken only one five-wicket haul and averaged a decent – but modest considering the conditions – 28.85. He has seven and eight-wicket hauls in India, both in losing causes.Nathan Lyon had Cheteshwar Pujara caught at short leg with drift and turn•Associated PressEven before this match, there was some talk that maybe Jackson Bird might come in ahead of Lyon. There are not many players in world cricket who could be dropped two innings after an eight-wicket haul, but Lyon is one of them. And there was talk that if this pitch would help the quicks, Bird might replace Steve O’Keefe or Lyon. If Pune was Australia’s absurdist fantasy moment this series, the first innings in Bengaluru was Lyon’s. The ball spun the right amount, it bounced dangerously, and Lyon was scarily accurate. But he hasn’t been the same since even if since is only two innings.That could be down to the conditions, the batsmen (read Pujara) using their feet to him far better, or maybe it is as simple as his finger. The callus on your spin finger is a well-earned part of spin bowling. It means you rip the ball, not roll it. And when it opens up, bowling with the same kind of venom in each ball can be tough.On Sunday, Lyon started like the finger still wasn’t working. The first ball was overpitched, and a little wide, with KL Rahul crashing it through the covers. The next ball he turned a single so easily that Lyon looked like a change bowler. Lyon got one more over before disappearing out of the attack; so Steven Smith could bowl the fast men to near exhaustion. Lyon would come back later and would be better, but it was clear that Smith saw Lyon and O’Keefe as support for his quicks, on a pitch where Kuldeep Yadav tormented the Australian batsmen. Lyon and O’Keefe were never used in tandem until the 50th over.It looked like another fruitless day for Lyon when Wade or Smith shouted down the stump mic: “I like it when he comes down to you”. Which seemed desperate considering said that Pujara was averaging over 200 when coming down the pitch. But as good as Pujara looked, it was Lyon who took his wicket, not through coming down the pitch, but with bounce. It was bounce which caused Karun Nair’s dismissal as well. There was nothing surprising in those wickets; it was Lyon getting bounce on a pitch that most resembled what he bowls on back home. And India were still only four wickets down.They went on the attack after Josh Hazlewood had been crashed away by Ashwin, who then started feasting on O’Keefe as well. Then Lyon, who had bowled a maiden, was double tapped by Rahane who spooned him over midwicket before crashing away a short ball. India were trying to cash in on what had been brilliant and tight bowling, and in 37 balls they scored seven boundaries. Had such scoring continued for much longer, it would have broken the series for them.Lyon could have just kept hitting a good line and length, hoping for a bouncy bat-pad. Instead, he tried to think Rahane out. In Bengaluru, he sensed Rahane wanted to come at him, so he gave him a wide ball and sucked him in. Here, he was mixing his pace so that Rahane couldn’t sweep, and dictate the length. And then when he had Rahane re-thinking his plan, he went wide and full, the sort of ball that Rahane might have slapped through the covers. Instead, he was back and nervous, and when it didn’t spin Smith took a sharp catch. Two overs later, Lyon ripped one past Ashwin, the man he had pretty much outbowled so far this series, and Australia were on top.Behind the stumps, Wade shouted: “Shown you can do it all over the world Garry, not just a one-trick pony Garry”. The bowling team was pumped up and Lyon was at the heart of it.This wasn’t entirely unexpected. He had toiled, not just today, survived, not just today, and adapted his game, not just today. But today, much like Australia, he got something back for all his effort. Is it enough to keep him in the side the next time his form slightly waivers, there is a flirty young legspinner in form, or do they want four seamers? Who knows. And as always for Lyon, and as always for Australia this series, there is much left to do.The Hollywood beginnings for Lyon’s career and Australia’s series never continued. Instead, both have to fight for everything they get. Today in Test 67 of however many he will end up playing, and on the second day of the decider, both of them continued to fight. Australia could ask for nothing less from Lyon, even if they sometimes hope for something more. On the third day, they will ask and hope for Lyon’s most magical day, the one that wins them India and him the respect he has earned.

The fast bowler – who is returning from a ban for not reporting bookies’ approaches – says he had accepted his mistake right away, and is now looking forward to bowling his way back into the Pakistan team

Umar Farooq20-Sep-20174:47

Mohammad Irfan on how he stayed fit during his ban, and his hopes for his career going forward

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, who recently finished serving a six-month ban, has said that the period “felt like six years”. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, the 35-year-old said he didn’t “lose anyone’s respect” because he was banned for not reporting bookies’ approaches; there were no fixing allegations against him. He also said he sees himself as a good prospect in T20 cricket and is eyeing the PSL and first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to get back in contention for Pakistan.Irfan was barred from playing all forms of cricket for a year – with six months suspended – after he pleaded guilty to failing to report two corrupt approaches made to him. He was also fined PKR 1 million. During the suspension period – which started on March 14 – he took up gym work and fitness training privately. His contract with domestic team WAPDA has resumed after his ban period ended, and he will feature in the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam Trophy starting from September 26.”The last six months have been very tough on me. In fact, it felt like six years, during which I incurred great losses,” Irfan said. “Indeed, it was my mistake, and I admitted it instantly, but there was no fixing allegations against me. But, in all this, I am thankful the situation wasn’t any worse.”I was actually working in my private gym at home to keep myself fit. But I had been training privately, so I hope things will go well. These six months, I think I can view it as a rest period which will help me rejuvenate.”Irfan came under the scanner during the second edition of the PSL in Dubai when a fixing scandal broke that eventually had Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan banned for five years. Irfan was found guilty of failing to report two approaches over a six-month period, to which he had admitted. Besides him, Mohammad Nawaz was the other player banned for two months for a similar indiscretion.”I regret that I didn’t report it and I have realised how serious it is if you don’t report a corrupt approach. But I am still very much accepted and people still like me. I don’t want to go into details about whether the punishment was harsh. There were reasons I didn’t report instantly but I did reject them [the bookies] straightaway.”After my mother and father’s death, I was lost and wasn’t able to decide what to do, hence the delay. Then, I went to the PSL, where the PCB came up with some information and since it was correct [to report], I did so, and I am happy that I am back after a minor ban and still have a chance to revive myself.”Mohammad Irfan appears at the Federal Investigation Authority to record his statements•Associated PressBeing the tallest fast bowler in top-flight cricket and prone to breaking down, Irfan had been struggling with his fitness since he made his debut in 2010. He went on to play four Tests, 60 ODIs and 20 T20Is, but had been overly inconsistent with his fitness and hasn’t played for Pakistan since an ODI last year in September.Since Mickey Arthur’s arrival as coach, Pakistan has made improving their fitness standards a central priority, with high-profile players like Umar Akmal axed for failing fitness tests. “In the last six months, I have been resting with no workload, and that has really helped me,” Irfan said. “I got time to take a break from cricket; otherwise, the early part of my career, I was playing a lot. Due to my height and body structure, I get tired early, and need more time for recovery. In Pakistan, there was no one to manage me, but as soon as an English trainer [Grant Luden] came, I did exactly what he told me to do which really helped me.”Over the last few months, a lot of young fast bowlers have come in, pushing Irfan further down the pecking order. Appreciating the enhanced competition, Irfan said he still had a chance, but wanted to focus on limited-overs cricket, especially T20s, to remain in contention. “For now I am not really worried about the competition because I am unique because of my height. But over the last few months, I have seen there are a lot of young bowlers who have come in, which is actually a good sign for the country. And playing with competition around makes it more fun.”WAPDA’s captain Salman Butt believed that the player hasn’t lost much in the last six months but, being an extraordinarily tall bower, needed to be handled sensibly. “He has done well in the nets and in practice matches ahead of the tournament,” Butt said. “This is the first time I have seen him over the last six months and I believed he bowled well. He looks determined and we will try to use him in a way not to risk injury. We will manage his workload and use him in important games. He did well last year and I hope he responds well this year too.”Obviously he is not somebody who can bowl longer spells, but somebody who with short bursts can turn a game and we will try to take advantage of that. If he is used sensibly and kept fit, he is definitely a very good prospect for any form of the game.”

The eight-time champions have replaced the old with the new, and the changes are now bearing fruit for the title favourites

Akshay Gopalakrishnan15-Dec-2017Barring Mumbai, arguably no team in India’s domestic circuit has captured the imagination of fans quite like Karnataka in recent times. Since their historic double-treble over two successive seasons, plenty has changed in the state’s cricketing landscape. Top among them is a number of players – such as KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Stuart Binny – who were at the center of their rise earning the India cap. Several others are on the fringes of the India A team. And this, astonishingly, despite the state’s Under-23 side faltering in successive seasons.Karnataka’s inability to qualify for the semi-finals over the last two seasons may seem like a blot. But it doesn’t tell you that they dominated the group stage both times. A bad slip-up against Maharashtra, where they only needed a first-innings lead, cost them a knockouts berth in 2015-16. Last season, they were sent packing inside two days on a treacherous Visakhapatnam surface by Tamil Nadu. The results raised questions about team harmony, players’ commitment and their hunger to succeed.A year later, these seem a thing of the past. Under the captain Vinay Kumar, Karnataka are now frontrunners to win their ninth Ranji Trophy title. Their demolition of Mumbai, who suffered only their fifth innings defeat ever in the tournament, has added to their aura of invincibility ahead of their semi-final clash against Vidarbha starting on December 17 in Kolkata.Karnataka set the template for their supremacy early, starting their season with three successive outright wins. It helped them edge out Delhi in a tight finish for the top position on the Group A table. It was precisely the start Vinay had wanted. His message to the team at the start of the season had been pretty explicit: they weren’t settling for anything less than outright wins.

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In 2013-14, Rahul was Karnataka’s highest scorer with 1033 runs. The following year, it was Robin Uthappa. Those were the days when the likes of R Samarth, now a regular and one of the first names on the XI, and Mayank Agarwal were rookies. Today, Rahul has graduated to Test cricket and Uthappa has switched allegiance to Saurashtra. And with Nair and Manish Pandey, too, only sporadically available because of national commitments, it has given the two younger players a longer rope to establish themselves. And they have grabbed it to become driving forces of the batting unit.Agarwal is this season’s highest run-scorer, and should Karnataka go the distance, he even has a realistic chance of surpassing VVS Laxman’s all-time season record of 1451 runs. Agarwal and Samarth are already the third most prolific opening combination, after Mumbai’s Wasim Jaffer and Ajinkya Rahane, and Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal and Samit Gohel, in a single Ranji season in the last 12 years.K Gowtham, the offspinning allrounder, returned from a three-year hiatus last year, and has since reinvented himself. Stints with India A and notable performances at the KPL brought him back into the reckoning, and he has become a key member of the bowling group. Shreyas Gopal, the legspinner, has been groomed to become a more attacking bowler.These younger, less-heralded players have become the engine room of Karnataka’s success, and their emergence has underpinned the team’s season. “I’ll be very happy if most of them play for India,” Vinay, whose hat-trick set-up Karnataka’s quarter-final win, tells ESPNcricinfo. “It gives an opportunity for others to step up. We have so many talented cricketers. (Kaunain) Abbas is sitting out, Pavan Deshpande, Sunil Raju, KB Pawan, Amit Verma, Shishir Bhavane… these are names that can easily fill any team-sheet in the Ranji Trophy.”The success of these players has resulted in more names coming into the national reckoning. Agarwal recently returned to the India A fold for the home series against New Zealand. Samarth travelled with them to South Africa and also played a part against New Zealand A.PTI But the downside of this kind of individual success has already been felt by the team in the past, when individual goals preceded the team’s. The problem peaked in 2015-16, during the infamous CM Gautam-Uthappa wicket-keeping swap. For a team whose success was built on the virtues of a closely-knit group, that was a low.”I think last year too we weren’t gelling too well, because almost every other game we had changes, with two guys going into the Test team and two in the one-day team,” Gautam, who was vice-captain during their dominant run from 2013 to 2015, says. “It was tough for them also to get back and play. This year, we decided that we can’t say KL is coming and he has to take extra responsibility. We have some strong players waiting in the wings. So whether they come or not doesn’t make a difference to other batsmen.”Karnataka have now settled back into a harmonious group, and regained sight of the common goal. Vinay’s role in this transition, as a senior member and captain, has been significant. Since taking over as captain, Vinay has unfailingly led by example, fetching bagful of wickets season after season. Reticent by nature, he isn’t quite an in-your-face leader. But he is a quiet source of strength. He is smart about managing his bowlers’ workloads, as demonstrated when Sreenath Aravind, the injury-prone left-arm pacer, was rested midway through the season only to be brought back before the quarter-final.”Being a senior and captain, I need to be very shrewd,” Vinay said. “But I can’t keep everyone happy; if the captain is keeping everyone happy, he is not doing his job.”Quietly assisting Vinay in the background is PV Shashikanth, the coach. The former Karnataka captain, who led a severely depleted team to victory over Rest of India in the 1996-97 Irani Trophy, has often dipped into his own experience as a player to bring out the best from this team.The core of Karnataka’s pace pack, which has been their strength over the last five years, has largely remained the same. And so, when he took over as coach, finding a second line of batsmen was on top of Shashikanth’s list. So far, the pursuit has been rewarding.Abbas, who struck a half-century against Mumbai in the quarter-final, was once considered to replace Agarwal. Others such as Dega Nischal and Abhishek Reddy scored heavily in the CK Nayudu Trophy and pressed their cases for future selection. Nischal, in fact, struck 195 in just his second first-class match, against Uttar Pradesh, and shared a 354-run stand with Pandey.Though he took over from the hugely successful duo of J Arunkumar and Mansur Ali Khan, Shashikanth didn’t find it hard to impress his style of coaching upon the team. His 15-year experience in coaching age-group state teams had already made him a familiar face to several members of the squad.Coming in as coach of a team that has already recorded substantial achievements, Shashikanth set out trying to take them to the next level. The process began with introducing specific targets for players, which has given them more clarity regarding their roles.”JAK [Arunkumar] was a positive coach,” Gautam says of the former Karnataka captain. “He told us to play positive cricket and didn’t care about the number of balls or anything. He likes attacking players. PV sir, on the other hand, gave batsmen a target of playing 250 balls. But, at the same time, he encourages us to be positive. Such clear roles that are easy to follow have worked well for us.”On the bowling front, it’s about consistently delivering around the fourth-stump channel. “The important thing about this side is you give any surface to the bowlers, they are up there,” Shashikanth explains. “That’s a rare quality. Otherwise, it’s a horses-for-courses thing. If there is lot of grass, pacers come to the fore, or if it’s turning track, spinners come to the fore. But this team is unique in that whatever surface we bowl on, they are up there. That is a striking quality.”Those attributes were visible in Abhimanyu Mithun’s robust spells in Pune and Alur. On flat surfaces, Mithun steamed in with purpose to pick up successive five-fors. Hitting the deck hard, he has often made docile tracks look a lot livelier, in the process overcoming his own slump and injuries that have riddled him over the last two seasons.In the last three seasons, Karnataka have made the knockouts twice. By normal standards, that qualifies to be a more-than-decent performance for most teams. But for those that have followed this Karnataka side, especially through their ruthless, unblemished streak of six titles in two years, nothing short of winning the title would count as an acceptable result. Success does, after all, come at a price.

His T20 powers may be on the wane, but he couldn’t have asked for a better environment than the CSK set-up to reinvigorate his game

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai05-Apr-20181:56

IPL Lead Up: MS Dhoni

When MS Dhoni last captained in the IPL (in 2016), his side Rising Pune Supergiant finished seventh. When Dhoni should have last played the T20 format in March but was rested, second-choice wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik became an instant hero courtesy a whirlwind knock that helped India beat Bangladesh and clinch the Nidahas Trophy.Now, Dhoni returns to the shortest format as captain of a side that was suspended for the previous two seasons. He hasn’t led a T20 side since August 2016, when India played West Indies in Florida. Will he be rusty as a leader in IPL 2018?His tactical and verbal skills as picked up by the stump mics during the tour of South Africa in January-February suggest that may not be the case. Dhoni did them all: made minute adjustments in the field, advised bowlers on where to pitch the ball and made clear calls while running between the wickets. Even his yelp at a junior team-mate for not being alert enough for an extra run showed the hunger and passion.Now, will he be rusty as a batsman? In four ODI innings in South Africa, he managed to cross 15 only once and ended the series with a strike rate of just over 80. He batted at No. 6 in the three T20Is, coming out in the 15th over or later in two of those. When he got more time in the second T20I by walking out in the 11th over, he faced 28 balls and clubbed 52 unbeaten runs with four fours and three sixes.

Dhoni has all the support and backing of the owners, the management, the dressing room and possibly every Chennai resident who watches cricket

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming must have been aware of this when he said Dhoni will be promoted up the order this time. “MS will bat relatively high, not necessarily a position with him but a time that we may choose depending on what conditions we see. But he will definitely play a more prominent role as a batter,” Fleming said earlier this week.The numbers back Fleming. When Dhoni has batted at No. 6 in the IPL, his average is 27.50 and strike rate an unimpressive 113.20. At No. 4, the numbers go up to 35.83 and 141.44. But his best position, going by the numbers, is No. 5 where he averages 46.12 and strikes at 147.72.What will give Dhoni a bigger boost is the CSK environment and his camaraderie with his old mates. His fading T20I performances in the last year or so have attracted all the attention from the media and experts, but the IPL now brings him in his territory.There have been calls from some of his former team-mates, most notably VVS Laxman who wanted youngsters to be given a chance in India’s T20 set up. But there was no doubt that Dhoni was going to return as captain of Super Kings upon their re-entry.Dhoni has all the support and backing of the owners, the management, the dressing room and possibly every Chennai resident who watches cricket. He is their undisputed leader.MS Dhoni couldn’t have asked for a better environment than CSK to reinvigorate his game•BCCIWhy else would 20,000-odd people turn up at Chepauk to watch him and the squad play practice matches? Also, Dhoni calls Chennai his second home. So much so that he became teary-eyed while talking about their return to the IPL. This from a man who has barely shown emotions on the field in all these years.Dhoni also ensured they retained the core with Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo. Whether Dhoni makes way for youngsters in the Indian team or not remains to be seen but in the Super Kings squad, he has a team whose average age is 32.The change in setting for him is such that even the media may not criticise him if Super Kings don’t make it big this IPL. Sure, there might be columns if his batting fades, there might be discussions on TV if he is not able to finish games the way he used to, but seeing someone asking him to step down as CSK captain is unlikely. And the credit goes to Dhoni for that.He is the only player to have captained CSK in all these years and has even won back-to-back titles. No other captain has survived in the same role since. CSK have with them the most experienced Indian T20 player as their captain, and the most experienced T20 and IPL captain. He has also led different teams in 11 T20 finals and six IPL finals, the most by any captain.As great as those records are, recent form counts for a lot. What CSK will not want to know is that Dhoni scored under 300 runs in each of his two seasons with Rising Pune. The last time that happened was in 2010. To add to that, he struck under 17 sixes in each of the last two IPL seasons. The last time he did that was in 2012.Dhoni has averaged below 30 in just two seasons: 2012 and 2017. The previous IPL season was particularly harsh on him: he finished with a strike rate of 116, his lowest in IPL history, and took over eight balls on average to strike a boundary.To overcome all this and shake some pressure off, Dhoni could not have found a better place than CSK. To return as captain and lead his team to the playoffs yet another time, he could not have found a better platform than the IPL. And to kick things off, he will face the same team his side beat in the IPL 2010 final in the same city where he lifted that first IPL trophy for him – against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai.

India A and South Africa A will step into a weird universe where personal gains can trump those of the team

Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru03-Aug-2018″A lot of these [‘A’ team] tours aren’t necessarily about winning,” India A coach Rahul Dravid had told ESPNcricinfo, after his side secured the one-day tri-series title – involving England Lions and West Indies A – in London. It’s a different universe, where personal gains often trump those of the team. A universe where the second strings seek to catch the eyes of the selectors in order to break into the senior team. A universe where the selectors search for the missing pieces in the jigsaw. A universe which players use to hit form.In July 2015, Virat Kohli requested the selectors to include him in the A side for the second four-day match against Australia A in Chennai. And just like that the game was shifted from the SSN College ground, which is cut off from the city, to the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which is located in the heart of Chennai. For the record, Australia A, ultimately, won by 10 wickets and sewed up the series 1-0. But Kohli got what he wanted: game-time ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. Gurinder Sandhu, who was the top wicket-taker in that series, ditched fast bowling for offspin and even turned the ball sharply. Welcome to this weird universe.India A and South Africa A – led by internationals Shreyas Iyer and Khaya Zondo respectively – will step into this universe, starting with the first of the two four-day matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from Saturday. This will be followed by a quadrangular one-day series, involving India A, India B, South Africa A and Australia A in Vijayawada. Later in September, India A are set to face Australia A in two four-dayers in Vizag. These A-team series will then lead into a bumper domestic season.Iyer was part of the victorious one-day A team in England, but he managed only 93 runs in five innings, of which 44 came in the title bout. He subsequently did not get a game in the ODI series against England with the senior team. Earlier in the year, he wasn’t awarded a BCCI central contract despite showing flashes of brilliance against Sri Lanka and South Africa in ODIs at home and away. He now makes his way into an A series, having last played red-ball cricket in November 2017.”My approach towards the red-ball game has always been positive,” Iyer said. “I’m very flamboyant in terms of my shot-making and have always backed myself. Regarding selection in the senior team, it’s not in my hands. I will just do my job, keep performing and the rest will follow.”We had two good-quality sessions here [in Bengaluru] and the wickets we batted on had a lot of cracks on them, and not at all easy to play on. So batting in such conditions will make us positive when we play on the centre wicket because it will be considerably better than what we batted on. And obviously, inputs from Rahul sir have helped every individual in the team.”Khaya Zondo at the pre-match press conference•PTI While Iyer has suffered quite a few setbacks recently, he has also grown as a captain. After leading Bandra Blasters to the playoffs in MCA’s inaugural Mumbai T20 league earlier this year, Iyer took over as Delhi Daredevils’ captain following Gautam Gambhir’s resignation. Captaincy can make a young man feel like he’s shouldering the weight of the world – ask South Africa’s Aiden Markram. In his first match as Daredevils’ captain, however, Iyer batted like the world was at his feet, and launched the bottom-placed Daredevils to the second-highest total of the IPL season.”The transition process of captaincy has been really great,” Iyer said. “I think captaincy has changed me mentally and so I’m planning my innings accordingly. You have to take a lot of responsibility as captain and you need to set an example for your team. It not only helps me on the field but also off the field.”Then there’s the curious case of Haryana team-mates Yuzvendra Chahal and Jayant Yadav. Chahal has established himself as a match-winner in limited-overs matches for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore, so much so that his captain in both teams (Virat Kohli), hinted that he could find a place in the Test squad for England. The Test call-up did not happen eventually, and instead, Chahal is now with the A team for his first red-ball match since the Ranji quarter-final against Jharkhand in 2016.As for Jayant, after a stress fracture of the finger sidelined him from the entire 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, he is now steadily working his way back. He has returned to Bengaluru, where he had spent about three months rehabbing at the NCA with Narendra Hirwani. Could this series be the first step in a return to the national reckoning?Zondo admitted the visitors were also looking at the tour with a similar lens.”A tours, in general, are good experiences, especially for guys who are coming down from the internationals to get some form and get back into the [senior] team or guys who are just trying to make their international careers, coming from professional level and going up,” he said. “And it’s a good stepping stone for the internationals because you come across some really good players who’re playing in this series. So definitely, there will be competitive and good-quality cricket.”At AB de Villiers’ second home’, South Africa will look at possible options to fill the middle-order crater created by his shock retirement and also build towards “Vision 2019”. Zondo himself is a strong candidate, having made a compact half-century against India in Centurion in February. He was particularly fluent against the wristspinners Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, scoring 41 off 51 balls against them.He also started this tour with a fluent half-century against the Indian Board President’s XI in the warm-up game. The likes of Cape Cobras batsman Zubayr Hamza, who averages 51.01 in first-class cricket, CPL-bound Lions batsman Rassie van der Dussen, the top-scorer in South Africa’s 2017-18 first-class season, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second, who has been a consistent performer for Knights over the last four seasons, will press for higher honours.

The India captain produced a masterful display with the lower order to haul his team out of trouble and set a high benchmark for the series

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston02-Aug-20181:58

Kohli turns his good days into great days – Bangar

Virat Kohli walked to the middle at Edgbaston to the sound of boos. Quickly he took guard. The bowler was already waiting for him. Anderson. James Anderson.Three slips and gully waited for the edge. Anderson ran in. The first ball was 83.6mph. Kohli left it alone. It would be the first of many that he would leave alone, and many of those not of his own volition. Anderson was that sharp. That hungry. That cunning.For the next two-and-a-half hours the battle between the two men, broken at the beginning by the lunch break, lived up to its billing. If you were to remove the bias towards the player and the country of allegiance, the combat between Anderson and Kohli was one of the best spectacles witnessed in Test cricket.Test cricket has enjoyed many such battles: Flintoff against Ponting, Lee against Pietersen, Steyn against Tendulkar, Akhtar against Hayden, McGrath against all the best batsmen in modern Test cricket. These are all consuming bouts, part Test cricket’s hall of fame. They draw you in ball by ball, over by over, session by session.The crowd becomes a part of the contest, too. There is pin drop silence for a moment. Next moment the batsman edges and the home fans erupt, just like the Edgbaston faithful each time Anderson beat Kohli’s outside edge and inside edge.Those emotions reflected the gripping contest in the middle. And the best part came in the first hour after lunch. Anderson had bowled nine overs pre-lunch. Kohli could barely lay his bat on the ball. But Kohli had a plan. Unlike four summers ago where he was laid bare by Anderson, Kohli this time stood out of the crease.He had used that method successfully on the 2014-15 tour of Australia, but here in England the reasons for standing out of the crease are clearly different. Part of the plan was to negate the swing. With Kohli’s desire to stay aggressive at all times initially you also felt that by standing a bit in front of the crease he could meet the ball early.However, it also made him vulnerable as Kohli found out facing the first ball of the second over he received from Anderson. It was an away swinger. Kohli went for the drive. The outside edge flew to the left of Jos Buttler at gully. Anderson leaped with both hands in the air like a long jumper at the end of his stride. The ball did not quite carry to Buttler, but touched the fingertips of his outstretched left hand.Kohli farmed the strikes with the tail-enders•ESPNcricinfo LtdThen off the second ball of the first over he bowled after lunch Anderson swung it away, once again from the fifth or sixth stump. Kohli went feeling for the ball. The outside edge fell short off Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps. A wave of emotion swelled in the stands. The next ball was a short-of-length delivery, which Kohli played with soft hands off the outer edge off the top shoulder of his bat. The crowd clapped at his quick response.But Anderson would not leave Kohli alone. An old man (in fast bowling terms) he might be – turning 36 three days ago – but like a good fisherman he dangled the bait and stayed calm, waiting for Kohli to bite. Kohli almost did. Anderson kept pitching on the same spot, maintaining the same sixth stump line, allowing no space for Kohli to escape, allowing not even a single freebie.Eventually Kohli fell into the trap. He edged a delivery that once again shaped away. The ball was travelling straight to Dawid Malan at second slip. Anderson was already mid-leap, waiting for Malan to clasp the gift. But he spilled the ball. Anderson bent into two, placing his hands on the two creaking knees, hiding all that pain. The English fans let out a loud grimace. It was the final ball of Anderson’s spell – 15 overs broken only by Adil Rashid’s single over before lunch.Kohli placed his bat leaning on to his left leg and put his gloved hands clasped behind his back. This move he did frequently between balls to calm him down.That one hour after lunch was the most breathtaking one of the day. Kohli was attacked by Anderson and Ben Stokes. It was also the hour when the cloud cover was prevalent. England becomes a difficult place to bat when it’s overcast. Kohli was not ashamed at being beaten, at not being fluent.Remember the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, where the former took heavy, sinking blows to his body before telling the world never ever to call him an underdog? The duel between Kohli and Anderson was similar. The runs were not coming for Kohli. Anderson had once again left him exposed. Yet, remarkably, Kohli did not once show the urge to play aggressively to force Anderson to change the line. Kohli somehow manage to take the ego out of the contest.As India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar said, the beauty about Kohli’s batting is its vividness. The strength that Kohli possesses, Bangar pointed out, is being flexible in his mind. That helps him stay one step ahead of the opponent, allows him to defeat all the plans of the opposition. And then dominate.That is what Kohli did. And not in the company of the specialist batsmen, the last of whom, R Ashwin, departed with India still 122 runs behind. From there on, Kohli scored 92 runs from 116 balls while the three tailenders scored just eight runs from 37 balls. Malan had dropped Kohli, once again in the slips, this time off Stokes, when he chased a fuller length delivery angled wide. But Kohli did not let that hurt his progress.Kohli outscores his 2014 England tour tally in just one innings of 2018 tour•ESPNcricinfo LtdBatting with the tail allowed Kohli to switch on ODI mode, as if he were chasing a target. He knew the gaps, the areas to score, the bowler to attack. By the time Anderson returned for another burst of six overs, Kohli was in a more confident frame of mind. When Anderson pitched short of length, Kohli finally played the cut for the first time in the day and collected two. When Sam Curran bowled full next over, Kohli flicked to the left of the midwicket fielder to earn an easy four. Next delivery, he would hop and steer another boundary, leaving England captain Joe Root anguished.The hundred now felt inevitable – if he didn’t run out of partners. Of the various emotions Kohli put on display as he reached his maiden Test century in England, one was revealing. Kohli pointed his index finger to his head looking towards the dressing room. To keep his head when Anderson had flattened his ego. To keep his head when his partners were finding ways to get out. To keep his head when has just the tail to bat with, in the face of a growing deficit.One question that will be asked would be: who between Kohli and Anderson was the winner? Both. Both men strived. They set up a contest that has already made this Test and possibly the rest of the series engrossing.If this innings were to be a journey in his life, Kohli evolved a little. He became humble. He became a better Test batsman. En route he scored one of the great centuries in Test cricket.In the end, Virat Kohli walked out head high, with Root and his men joining the standing ovation.

AB de Villiers and Misbah ul Haq were picked up by Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi respectively, but what about Steven Smith?

Danyal Rasool20-Nov-20182:35

‘Hopefully this year Kings will break the jinx’ – Akram

Lahore Qalandars

Squad: Hasan Khan, Rahat Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Anton Devcich, Agha Salman, Sohail Akhtar, AB de Villiers , Mohammad Hafeez, Carlos Brathwaite, Corey Anderson, Sandeep Lamichhane, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Imran, Umair Masood, Brendan Taylor, Gauhar Ali, Aizaz Cheema, Haris RaufIt seems odd there was a debate at all about whether they should go for AB de Villiers or Steven Smith, given the South African’s destructive capabilities are second to none. The decision to appoint Mohammad Hafeez as captain is a sharp walkback from the Brendon McCullum era, which seems to have ended rather coolly.Strengths: Aggression at the top of the order has not been compromised. Fakhar Zaman and Anton Devcich were solid at the top in the second half of last year’s tournament, while with de Villiers and Hafeez to follow, there is a balance that didn’t exist last year.Weaknesses: There is an uncomfortably high reliance on spin bowling, with Sandeep Lamichhane, Yasir Shah, Hasan Khan and Mohammad Hafeez. The best fast bowler Lahore have is Shaheen Afridi, which is a heavy burden for a teenager to bear. Rahat Ali and Sohail Akhtar are the other options, but neither screams world-class.

Islamabad United

Squad: Luke Ronchi, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Asif Ali, Mohammad Sami, Rumman Raees, Hussain Talat, Waqas Maqsood, Sahibzada Farhan, Zafar Gohar, Ian Bell, Samit Patel, Phil Salt, Cameron Delport, Mohammad Musa, Nasir Nawaz, Wayne Parnell, Zahir Khan, Amad Butt, Rizwan HussainIf it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? That seems to be the reigning champions’ philosophy, having retained the maximum allowed number of players from the previous season.Strengths: This is a squad familiar with each other, as well as experienced in how to win this tournament. Ten players from this roster have played – and won – this title before, several of them twice. The keys to their success last season, Shadab Khan, Luke Ronchi, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Sami and Asif Ali will all reprise their roles.Weaknesses: More so than any other format, T20 cricket is unforgiving to those resting on their laurels. And this Islamabad squad doesn’t seem to have improved in a significant way, while most other sides have. The point could be made they did not need to, of course, which is a retort they have every right to make given their impeccable record.Islamabad United players and staff pose with the trophy•Getty Images

Quetta Gladiators

Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Sunil Narine, Umar Akmal, Shane Watson, Mohammad Nawaz, Rilee Rossouw, Anwar Ali, Saud Shakeel, Dwayne Bravo, Fawad Ahmed, Mohammad Asghar, Danish Aziz, Ahsan Ali, Ghulam Mudassar, Naseem Shah, Harry Gurney, Ahmed Shehzad, Azam Khan, Jalat KhanQuetta did most of their exciting business away from the glitz of this draft, when a bumper trade with Lahore Qalandars saw them secure the services of Umar Akmal and Sunil Narine. Fawad Ahmed’s addition is a good story, while with Mohammad Asghar and Jalat Khan, they have two players from the province they represent.Strengths: Dwyane Bravo is guaranteed T20 gold. The man with the most wickets in the format, he has delivered around the world, and is arguably the most intelligent T20 bowler from the generation of players who grew up before this format exploded. There’s a great blend of fast bowlers and spinners, and solid local talent.Weaknesses: The top order batting is a slight concern. Shane Watson will likely open the batting, but there are question marks over who accompanies him and what their pedigree is. They have both Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, but reliability is not a word you would associate with them.Fans pose next to cut-outs of Hasan Ali and Shahid Afridi ahead of the final•Associated Press

Peshawar Zalmi

Squad: Darren Sammy, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Kamran Akmal, Liam Dawson, Umaid Asif, Khalid Usman, Sameen Gul, Kieron Pollard, Misbah-ul-Haq, Dawid Malan, Umar Amin, Wayne Madsen, Sohaib Maqsood, Jamal Anwar, Nabi Gul, Chris Jordan, Waqar Salamkheil, Ibtisam Sheikh, Samiullah AfridiThe team that perhaps epitomises the joy of the PSL most of all, the biggest news from Peshawar was Misbah-ul-Haq joining. Kieron Pollard also came in, while Darren Sammy, of course, remains captain.Strengths: The fast bowling unit is a dream. Wahab Riaz is a different bowler when in the yellow of this side, while Hasan Ali is a diamond of a player for this format. Even fast bowlers who did not look to have much about them were at their best when playing for Peshawar, most notably Umaid Asif and Sameen Gul.Weaknesses: Misbah? Really? The 44-year old was almost a liability in the line-up for Islamabad last year, and when he played shunted himself down the order. That means Kamran Akmal and Dawid Malan aside, there is a lack of genuine batting quality among Peshawar’s ranks.

Karachi Kings

Squad: Imad Wasim , Colin Munro, Mohammad Amir, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Usman Khan Shinwari, Mohammad Rizwan, Ravi Bopara, Sikandar Raza, Awais Zia, Usama Mir, Aaron Summers, Sohail Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ali Imran, Abrar Ahmed, Aamer Yamin, Ben Dunk, Liam Livingstone, Jaahid AliDespite his reduced stock with Pakistan, Imad Wasim will captain his franchise again. This was another side that retained a number of core players, with Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir and Ravi Bopara prime among them.Strengths: The balance between foreign and local quality is rather impressive. Stellar additions such as Colin Munro and Sikander Raza are complemented by Babar and Amir, while Usman Shinwari and Iftikhar Ahmed have shown enough quality of late to make their mark.Weaknesses: Letting Joe Denly go could hurt them. The England opener was splendid all season earlier this year, his performance in the PSL arguably the catapult to his Man-of-the-Match return to the England T20 side after a decade out. With Imad more of an opening bowler and Raza a part-timer, there seems to be a bit too much pressure on Usama Mir to be the wicket-taking option Karachi will need him to be through the middle overs.Misbah Ul Haq is castled by Shahid Afridi•PCB/PSL

The Sixth Team

Squad: Shoaib Malik, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Irfan, Umar Siddiq, Mohammad Junaid, Steven Smith, Shahid Afridi, Joe Denly, Qais Ahmad, Nicolas Pooran, Laurie Evans, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Ilyas, Daniel Christian, Tom Moores, Ali Shafiq, Shakeel AnsarFormerly Multan, this team’s main errand before the tournament begins is to find itself an owner. In the meanwhile, they found a few players, snapping up Smith and Denly.Strengths: Perhaps the most exciting additions at the draft. Steven Smith, should he perform anywhere near the level of his reputation, is a rock through the middle, while Denly is an established player in this league. Even Afridi remains handy with the ball, while the ageless Shoaib Malik and the flawless Mohammad Abbas are ones to watch out for.Weaknesses: There are too many players who have not necessarily made their reputations in this format. The batting looks somewhat devoid of big hitters, with Nicholas Pooran the only obvious candidate. Denly can be as destructive as any, but is more of a classical shot-maker, and Afridi’s batting cannot be relied upon.