Tag Futebol

Jonny Bairstow has been handed his first Test call up after injury ruled Ravi Bopara out of the opening match against West Indies at Lord’s starting on Thursday

Andrew McGlashan13-May-2012Jonny Bairstow has been handed his first Test call up after injury ruled Ravi Bopara out of the opening match against West Indies at Lord’s starting on Thursday. Bopara picked up a thigh injury during Essex’s Championship clash with Kent and has suffered another setback in trying to relaunch his Test career.Bairstow, who is a wicketkeeper-batsman but will not be required to have the gloves in the Test side, had gathered momentum in recent weeks after scoring two hundreds for Yorkshire this season and he struck a confident half-century for England Lions against the West Indians in Northampton. Over a 50-match first-class career he averages 46.37 with a highest score of 205.He has had a taste of international cricket with six ODIs and six Twenty20 internationals, playing a match-winning innings in each format when he hit an unbeaten 41 against India on his ODI debut and then struck 60 during the Twenty20 series against Pakistan in the UAE.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “Jonny Bairstow has put in a number of impressive performances both for England Lions and Yorkshire and has been working hard on the England Performance Programme over the last couple of years. He is an exciting young player who now has an opportunity to experience the Test environment.”Bopara will be left to rue the second untimely injury that has stalled his prospects of adding to 12 Test caps. He was in line for a recall against Sri Lanka earlier this year after Eoin Morgan was dropped but picked up a side strain which prevented him from bowling and Samit Patel was preferred with England keen for a fifth-bowling option in hot conditions.This time it appears that bowling has caused the injury after he went off following one over against Kent and although he batted with a runner, making 19 from No. 8, it soon became clear that his chances of making the Test squad were receding.”He’s got this grade one tear. He’s got to rectify that before we can revisit it,” Miller said. “He was very much part of the discussion, but as soon as the injury occurred we had to go somewhere else. He’s got to be fully fit to do himself justice and do a job for the side. On this occasion, this is not the case. He’s got to go away and put himself back in the frame.”Bairstow replaces Samit Patel from the side that levelled the series against Sri Lanka in Colombo in April, which was England’s only Test victory of a disappointing winter to leave them clinging to the No. 1 ranking by a fraction of a point ahead of South Africa, who they play later this season. The batting failed in four out of the five Tests but the top five have been given a vote of confidence ahead of the new campaign.”This is an important period for us following a challenging winter where we learnt some valuable lessons and we are preparing for a highly competitive series against a West Indies side full of quality players,” Miller said. “We have selected a very strong 13-man squad which allows us to consider a number of options before making a decision about Thursday’s side.”Elsewhere, the squad is as expected with Graham Onions earning a place among five quick-bowling options. Onions has not played Test cricket since January 2010 after which he suffered a career-threatening back injury but has been back around the national set-up over the last year following his recovery. He is vying for the third fast-bowling slot along with Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn.Squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham OnionsRavi Bopara must be wondering what he has done wrong after injury scuppered his chances of a Test place for the second time in two months. It is now getting to the stage where it feels as though he may never add to his 12 Test caps and that would be harsh given how long he has been on the fringes. The two Tests against India last year did not constitute a proper opportunity and although there is a suggestion he may not quite be good enough he is worthy of one more chance to establish a place.For now, though, that will have to be put to one side and instead Jonny Bairstow has been given centre stage. In choosing Bairstow, instead of a more experienced option such as Michael Carberry, the selectors have looked ahead to the future of England’s middle order. His talent is raw around the edges but the power and timing of his batting has stood out, coupled with a confidence to play his shots.England’s established top order needs to be put under pressure by the group of young batsmen emerging below them. The batting had a torrid winter, until the final Test in Colombo, and while that is being put down as a ‘blip’, competition for places – as is the case in the fast-bowling department – is the best incentive to perform.
Andrew McGlashan

Allrounder Elton Chigumbura has expressed his wish to step down as Zimbabwe captain, ESPNcricinfo understands

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2011Allrounder Elton Chigumbura has expressed his wish to step down as Zimbabwe captain, ESPNcricinfo understands. He is currently involved in talks with Zimbabwe Cricket and a final decision will be made in the coming week.”He has said that he wants to step down,” a source familiar with the issue said. “But talks are currently underway. He is talking to a board official and the coach as well about it. A final decision is expected to be announced on Tuesday.”Chigumbura, who took over from Prosper Utseya in May 2010, had mixed results in his tenure as captain but his previous assignment, the 2011 World Cup, proved a disappointment for Zimbabwe, who failed to beat any of the Test-playing teams. His own form, with both bat and ball, has failed to live up to expectations; he’s averaged 21.06 with the bat and 158.50 with the ball in 20 ODIs as captain.A report in , a Zimbabwe-based newspaper, suggested that Chigumbura’s decision was final. The paper quoted Chigumbura as saying in an interview, “First and foremost I am selected to score runs and get wickets. This is something I have not been doing to the best of my abilities of late, especially the last three months. They have been difficult with all the demands of the captaincy job.”I have thought long and hard about the job since my return from the World Cup and I have consulted my family and friends about it. While some still think I should have stayed on others agreed with me that I needed to concentrate on my own game and let somebody else lead the team.”I think I will be more useful in the team if I regain my form and I know having relieved myself of this burden I will get back to my best.”Among the highlights for Chigumbura as captain were victories against India and Sri Lanka in a triangular series, in which Zimbabwe finished runners-up, at home. Zimbabwe are currently serving a self-imposed isolation from Test cricket but are expected to end it in June when they play Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, has confirmed he received an approach from an unknown person whom he believed wanted him to manipulate the result of a one-day international against Ireland

Andrew Miller at Lord's26-May-2010Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, has confirmed he received an approach from an unknown person whom he believed wanted him to manipulate the result of a one-day international against Ireland.The incident is believed to have taken place in Dhaka in March 2008, and involved a brief phonecall on the eve of an ODI series against Ireland in which Shakib, who was not captain at the time, was offered “sponsorship” in return for his under-performance.In accordance with the strict guidelines of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, Shakib immediately reported the approach to a Bangladesh Cricket Board official and to Colonel Qaza Noor, the ACSU’s regional manager, and never heard from the caller again. Bangladesh had been expected to win the contest, and duly did, by a comfortable 3-0 margin.”It was a long time ago, probably two-and-a-half years ago, in our home conditions against Ireland,” Shakib said on the eve of the first Test against England at Lord’s. “I didn’t talk to him much because we had a team meeting to go to, so I told him ‘I’ll talk to you later’ and immediately told a member of the board and the ICC guy. They took action and after that he never called me again.”Shakib’s revelations come on the same day that the Daily Telegraph revealed that a senior county cricketer was asked to “name his price” to fix the result of televised one-day matches in English domestic cricket, and the ECB later confirmed two players had reported approaches to them. It confirms the fears of the outgoing head of the ACSU, Lord Condon, that the threat of match fixing will never be entirely stamped out, and that it could “spread like a rash” if the game’s players and administrators relax their vigilance.”Cricket probably has the strongest anti-corruption code for players and support staff of any international sport,” said Condon. “The modern generation of players know that if they bet on games, underperform for fixing, or even if they don’t report an approach that is a disciplinary offence in itself. If we have due reason we can ask for their phone records, and they have to provide them.”We introduced an education programme so that anyone who wanted to play international cricket had to go through a programme that raised their awareness of who the fixers were, how they fixed, and how they groomed players. That has been very well thought out and very useful, because we now have a generation of players who are supportive of what we are trying to do, and aware of how the fixers operate. They are the providers of the most important intelligence that we get.”Shakib added that the exact nature of the deal that the phone-caller was proposing was never fully revealed. “We didn’t have time to discuss all the things, and what I should do,” he said. “I took the phone, and from the way he was talking, I thought he might do something, so I told someone. He never exactly told me he wanted me to fix a match, he just told me he wanted to be my sponsor.”I can’t speak for anyone else, but as far as I’m concerned my head wasn’t turned at that time,” he added. “What I feel is I do not care about the money. I want to play for my country, because that is a great pride for me, and I want to continue to do well for my country. As far as my family is concerned we are settled enough to lead our lives, so I am not concerned about those monies. If I play well for the next ten years, the money will come and I won’t have to worry about it.”England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, said: “I’ve never heard or had any reason to suspect that a game I’ve played in has been fixed in any way. If it is happening, it needs to be stamped out straight away. There’s no place for it in any form of cricket, and we’ve got a duty as players to make sure that if we hear of it, or are approached by someone, we come forward and report it straight away.”It’s the only way of ironing it out. For players to be tempted by taking money is ludicrous in my mind. The authorities are doing everything they can, but there is a huge responsibility on the players to make sure it doesn’t take hold and spread.”

Warwickshire declared overnight to set Lancashire 232 in 44 overs before the weather intervened

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2024Any hope of an exciting climax to the last day of the Vitality County Championship encounter between Lancashire and Warwickshire was dashed by the rain after only 75 minutes of play was possible at Emirates Old Trafford as the game finished in a draw.Poor weather had dominated proceedings throughout the encounter. But with the visitors 96 for 3 overnight, leading by 231, all results were still possible in Manchester given Lancashire’s brittle batting order this season and Warwickshire’s desire to chase a first win of the campaign.But as heavy showers swept across the ground throughout the morning both sets of players were thwarted with repeated pitch inspections coming and going without any chance of play.Eventually, a break in the weather saw the game resume at 3:15pm with a generous Warwickshire declaration giving Lancashire the opportunity to embark on a desperate run chase with 44 overs still scheduled.Luke Wells quickly departed in the second over, pulling Michael Rae straight to Jake Lintott on the square leg boundary. But then, for a brief time, the hosts looked as if they could pull off something special.Keaton Jennings slapped three boundaries but was bowled comprehensively by Jacob Bethell when attempting a reverse sweep that ended with the Lancashire skipper lying on his backside and out for 18. Josh Bohannon upper cut Rae for six before he skied the same bowler to Alex Davies at mid on for a ten-ball 15.An almost identical shot saw George Bell hand Rae his third wicket leaving Tom Bruce and Matty Hurst at the crease. The pair put on 43 runs before the rain came for a final decisive time at 4:30pm, leaving the New Zealander unbeaten on 31 and the young wicketkeeper 15 not out as Lancashire closed on 89 for 4 off the 15 overs possible.Lancashire claimed 11 points from the game, taking them off the bottom of Division One, while Warwickshire took 12, leaving them seventh.

The final will be played on March 26, at the Brabourne Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-20237:15

‘Alyssa Healy an absolute steal at INR 70 lakh’

Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians will kick off the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on March 4. This was confirmed as the BCCI announced the fixtures for the WPL. The final will be at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on March 26, following 20 league games and an Eliminator. As expected, the tournament will be played in and around Mumbai only, split between these two stadiums.The games will be played at 3.30pm and 7.30pm IST, with four double-headers lined up in all. Each team plays the other four twice, before the league topper goes into the final, with teams finishing second and third on the points table facing off in the Eliminator for the other spot in the final.Once the tournament begins, during the league phase there are no matches lined up only on March 17 and 19, till the phase ends on March 21 with UP Warriorz taking on Delhi Capitals. The Eliminator is three days later at the DY Patil Stadium, before a day’s break and then the final.In all, 11 matches each will be held at the DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium.Related

• WPL FAQs – How many overseas players per XI? Where are the games? Is there DRS?

• WPL: Sania Mirza joins Royal Challengers Bangalore as team mentor

• WPL – How the five teams stack up after the auction

• WPL auction: Fight for Mandhana, demand for Australians

• Parth Jindal: 'People spent a lot on marquee players, didn't have much for others'

The schedule means the WPL kicks off following a five-day gap after the Women’s T20 World Cup concludes in Cape Town in South Africa on February 26 – it could be a gap of only four days, should the T20 World Cup final go into a reserve day. As ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier, it is understood that the first season has been limited to Mumbai to reduce the logistical challenges for players and coaches travelling from South Africa to India.The schedule was announced a day after the inaugural WPL auction, which was also held in Mumbai. In all 87 players were bought at the auction by the five teams, with INR 59.5 crore (USD 7.25 million approx.) spent. The biggest earners on the night were Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.4 crore or USD 415,000 approx to Royal Challengers Bangalore), Ashleigh Gardner (INR 3.2 crore or USD 390,000 approx to Giants) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (INR 3.2 crore or USD 390,000 approx to Mumbai).

He becomes the first batter to score three centuries in a BBL season

AAP29-Dec-2021Hobart Hurricanes opener Ben McDermott become the first player in BBL history to crack successive centuries, firing his side to a comprehensive 85-run win against Melbourne Renegades.McDermott clattered nine sixes and as many fours in a stunning knock of 127 from 65 balls at the Docklands Stadium on Wednesday night.It was the third-highest individual score in the BBL, behind Melbourne Stars’ Marcus Stoinis (147*) and Hurricanes team-mate Matthew Wade (130 not out).It came to an anti-climactic end when he was run-out by Sam Harper on the final ball of Hurricanes’ innings.At the halfway point of their innings, Hurricanes were ticking along slowly at 3 for 66, with McDermott unbeaten on 39 off 31 balls.But the got going during the power surge as he and Peter Handscomb took 44 runs off Zahir Khan in the 13th over and Kane Richardson, who finished with 0 for 63 from four overs on return from illness.Tim David came to the party late with four huge sixes in a nine-ball cameo as Hurricanes belted the most runs ever recorded in the back half of a BBL innings for a total of 5 for 206.In response, Renegades opener Harper whacked the first ball of their chase for six and made a gritty 57 off 35. But the hosts were never seriously in the hunt, bowled out for 121 in 15.5 overs.Tom Rogers and Sandeep Lamichhane took six wickets between them for Hurricanes.McDermott is the first player to hit three BBL centuries, with two of those against the team that delisted him at the end of 2016.Promoted to the top of the order on Christmas Eve, McDermott now has 304 runs in three innings as an opener at a strike rate of 180.95.He clubbed 67 off 43 against Stars and followed it up with an unbeaten 110 off 60 against Adelaide Strikers on Monday.The three monster efforts have led to a hat-trick of wins and put Hurricanes (with four wins and three losses) firmly back in the title hunt after a scratchy start to the season.Renegades (one win and five losses) are staring down the barrel of a third-straight wooden spoon after five consecutive losses.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on October 17 with the final on November 29

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2020The WBBL will feature a three-week hub in Sydney and won’t be played in Melbourne until late November as the tournament builds in contingencies to deal with the ongoing challenges posed by Covid-19.The sixth season of the tournament is scheduled to begin on the weekend of October 17 and 18 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane and in Perth before a weekend of matches in Adelaide and Tasmania ahead of the lengthy stint in Sydney which begins on October 28 and lasts through to November 15. The venues in Sydney will be Blacktown International Sports Park, Hurstville Oval and North Sydney Oval.Melbourne is then set to host the last period of group matches from November 19-22 ahead of the finals which will be played November 27-29. Melbourne is going through its second Covid-19 lockdown following a spike in cases, with the restrictions currently set to last until at least August 19, while there has also been an increase in cases in New South Wales.”The League is pleased to have delivered a fixture that includes matches in each club’s home market while also reducing the overall travel burden on clubs,” Alistair Dobson, the head of Big Bash Leagues, said. “By focusing parts of the competition in a central location (Sydney), it also provides optionality should the COVID-19 situation affect the flow of the season and we remain vigilant in all aspects of our planning to provide a safe environment for players and staff.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“As with all sporting competitions around the world, we must remain vigilant and agile in responding to the Covid-19 situation as it develops and we will continue to work with all relevant federal and state government agencies, biosecurity experts, venues, clubs, players, broadcast partners and our own internal teams to ensure a safe and successful summer.”There will be an increase in televised matches from the tournament, 26 in total, three more than last season with the remaining 33 games available via streaming.”Our clubs should be commended for their determination and commitment to delivering a full 59-game season for the rebel WBBL06,” Dobson said, “along with the commitment shown to the WBBL from our broadcast partners Seven and Foxtel to bring more of the WBBL action live to TV screens across the country than any of the previous five seasons of the competition.”The Brisbane Heat will be aiming to make it a hat-trick of titles in the 2020-21 season.

The Australia captain is keen for the format to expand beyond the single Ashes Test that is currently played every two years

Alex Malcolm09-Apr-2019Australia captain Meg Lanning wants to see more women’s Test matches beyond the Australia v England Ashes rivalry, and believes India are the key behind growing the format.Australia head to England later this year to play a single Test in the multi-format women’s Ashes series that includes three ODIs and three T20Is as part of a points-based seven-match series.There has only been one women’s Test in the last three years and India (two matches) and South Africa (one) are the only two nations outside of Australia and England to have played women’s Tests at all in the last decade.”We’d love to play more Test matches,” Lanning told . “Unfortunately, it’s only Australia and England that are interested at the moment, and we only play each other every couple of years. That probably is a bit of a problem.”Hopefully down the track more countries are interested. I think India would be great at playing Test matches. I think they’d probably be the big fish to get involved because they’ve got such a big influence in cricket.”If that was the case, I think that would definitely help that side of the game grow. But, unfortunately, one game every two years, it’s difficult to prepare for and play well. But we enjoy playing them so hopefully there’s a few more down the track.”Lanning, 27, debuted for Australia in 2010 but has only played three Test matches compared to 85 T20I matches and 72 ODI matches. She said preparing for Test cricket was a significant challenge given the women don’t play the format regularly and don’t play any long-form cricket domestically.”It is something we don’t do too often, so that presents another challenge to us, just in terms of training and the preparation for that,” Lanning said. “We’ve got to get the balance right to be ready for that format, because we play so much short-format cricket that it takes us a couple of days sometimes to work out what we’re doing in a Test match.”We obviously want to win that Test match. It’s not the be-all and end-all of the series, but it does play a big part, and putting on that baggy green is a very special moment for all our group, and we always look forward to that opportunity.”So preparing for that is something we’ve looked at, and we have certain days along the way, and weeks, where we have the focus on the longer format because we don’t obviously train too much for that given that we don’t play.”Lanning missed the last Ashes Test in Sydney in 2017-18. The match ended in a draw after Ellyse Perry made an unbeaten 213, which was the third-highest score in women’s Test history and only the seventh double-century.The women’s Ashes series begins in July with the lone Test to be held at Taunton in between the three ODI matches and three T20I matches.

A 106-run stand between India’s openers handed South Africa a nine-wicket drubbing in East London

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2018India openers Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana walk out to bat•Getty Images

A century opening stand, underpinned by fifties from Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana, handed South Africa a nine-wicket drubbing in East London and helped India go 2-0 up in the five-match T20I series with five balls to spare.Steering the 143 chase, Raj became the first woman to score four consecutive T20I half-centuries – it was also her third straight unbeaten fifty – as she closed out the chase in captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s company with 76 not out, her highest score in the format. They reprimanded a sloppy South African fielding unit that dropped both batsmen twice each before they reached their half-centuries. While Raj was put down by Mignon du Preez and Nadine de Klerk, Mandhana brought up her fifty with consecutive sixes after being reprieved twice in the same over that was Raisibe Ntozakhe’s first.Mandhana followed her 15-ball 28 in the first T20I with a 42-ball 57, before being trapped in front by Moseline Daniels while trying to play one across the line. Earlier, wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee had failed to snaffle a tough chance when Mandhana’s outside edge went to Lee’s left. Subsequently, Mandhana’s 106-run partnership in 14.2 overs set India on course for a comfortable chase as Raj hit the winnings runs – a four off Shabnim Ismail – while Harmanpreet finished unbeaten on a 12-ball 7.Put in to bat again, South Africa’s 142 for 7, however, had played out much in the manner of an antithesis to India’s. Propped up by a back-arch-and-leap take by Harmanpreet at mid-off that sent back her opposite number Dane van Niekerk for 15, and coupled with Veda Krishnamurthy’s three catches at the long-on boundary off spinners, India mustered a strong fielding performance with only one blemish that came in the final over. An Ismail slog-sweep to deep midwicket ended up being parried over the rope for a six by Radha Yadav, only in her second international game, and led to the offspinner Anuja Patil conceding 16 runs off the 20th over, including a free hit and a four.Earlier, as opposed to India’s 43 for 0 in the Powerplay, South Africa had lost the wicket of Lee for their 39 during the same period. Top-scorer Sune Luus’ 32-ball 33 and de Klerk’s 26, aided by Ismail’s unbeaten 16 off nine deliveries later on, marshalled much of the hosts’ innings but it wasn’t enough. Legspinner Poonam Yadav returned 2 for 18, while Anuja bagged a couple for 37.

Virat Kohli has expressed displeasure at the Christmas break England’s players will have between the Tests and the limited-overs series in India

Sidharth Monga in Mumbai07-Dec-20161:24

Virat Kohli: ‘Either they stay the whole tour or we come back for 25 days as well’

Virat Kohli has expressed displeasure at the Christmas break England’s players will have between the Tests and the limited-overs series in India. Kohli also asked for an eight-day gap between Tests on India’s away tours in the future, and did not sound happy that England, under pressure, were getting time to recuperate between the third and fourth Tests.”We didn’t ask for the gap, it was part of the schedule,” Kohli said, when asked if the eight-day gap had helped the team after three back-to-back Tests. “Make sure when we go there, we also have eight days’ gap after three Tests and a 25-day gap between ODIs and Tests. We didn’t ask for it, but seeing the long season ahead, it did us no harm. It actually helped us rest a bit, reflect on what we have done in the two games that we have won, and visualise again and come back even more fresh compared to the last two Test matches.On India’s previous tour of England, they had a five-day gap between the second and third Test, and six days between the third and fourth. The first two and the last two Tests were back-to-back, though a three-day finish in the fourth Test gave them a bigger break before the fifth.Kohli’s larger objection, though, was to the 25-day gap between the last Test and the first ODI on England’s tour of India. It has been a practice for England to go home for Christmas and return for shorter formats when touring India. Kohli felt it gave them an advantage, one India did not have during their tours.”Absolutely [England should not go home for the break],” Kohli said. “Or we should come back for a month as well from England. No point we play there for three-and-a-half months and everything we do is in the media’s eyes, even our off time is scanned. I don’t have any news of them enjoying their holiday in Dubai at all. I would like to see the same thing happen. Either they stay the whole tour or we come back for 25 days as well.”India’s tour of England in 2014 spanned 74 days from their first tour game to the only Twenty20 international. India were away for four months in 2014-15, when they toured Australia for Tests, a tri-nation ODI tournament and the World Cup. Due to Phillip Hughes’ death just before the Tests, the schedule had to be rearranged. India were accommodating in those circumstances: they played practically four back-to-back Tests, and got about a week off between the tri-series and the World Cup.No schedule is drawn up without the agreement of the BCCI, so this might be one for the bosses in Indian cricket.Kohli saw the merit of a break. “Very important, even when you go home during the break,” he said. “Honestly, between series, you can’t completely switch off because it will always be there on your mind as to what you have to do in a match. As a captain, you will keep thinking about the combinations you can play, how will be the wicket … But not too much also. It’s important that you enjoy life beyond your profession.”A lot of times in our country, we look at these things differently, that you have to keep thinking about cricket. But it’s up to you as an individual to weigh how much stress you can take, how much time you want away from cricket, and when do I have to refocus on the game.”