Marizanne Kapp made a half-century but was forced to retire hurt and the visitors collapsed either side of her

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2024Australian quick Megan Schutt celebrated her milestone match with a miserly spell in an eight-wicket thumping of South Africa in the series-opening ODI.Schutt took 1-1 from five consecutive overs as the tourists were restricted to 105 at Adelaide Oval. Australia, with Beth Mooney top-scoring with an unbeaten 52, chased the runs in 19 overs to emphatically win game one of the three-match ODI series and move 6-2 up in the multi-format contest.Schutt, the sixth Australian to play 200 internationals, took the new ball, claimed a wicket on her ninth delivery, and her sole run conceded came from an inside edge.”It’s a pretty unbelievable spell,” Mooney said. “To bowl five overs and only get hit for one run in international cricket against a real quality opposition … that probably just shows the quality of bowl that Shooter has been, across an extended period of time. It’s probably, I’d say, the best bowling she’s done for a long time and across her career.”Marizanne Kapp top-scored with 50, but she was forced to retire hurt. While completing a second run to reach her half-century, Kapp was struck on her left elbow by the throw although subsequent scans cleared her of any fracture.”Scans have revealed it is a soft tissue injury on the upper left arm,” a South Africa spokesperson said.Schutt 261st international wicket was the prized scalp of South African captain Laura Wolvaardt. She is a team-mate of Schutt in the WBBL with the title-holding Adelaide Strikers. When she was on 4, Wolvaardt gifted her friend her wicket, slicing a short and wide delivery to point, where Georgia Wareham completed a simple catch.Marizanne Kapp was forced to retire hurt after a throw hit her elbow•Getty Images

South Africa soon slumped to 9 for 3 after eight overs and never recovered. Kapp kept cool amid the carnage with a stellar knock, collecting eight fours from her 58 balls before misfortune literally hit.As the allrounder safely completed her 50th run, she was struck on the elbow. Kapp was ruled out for the remainder of the game and in her absence the tourists lost their last four wickets for 11 runs.In Australia’s run chase, openers Phoebe Litchfield and Alyssa Healy were dismissed inside nine overs. But stalwarts Mooney, who struck nine fours in her 34-ball innings, and Perry then cruised to victory.”We always talk about finishing games well and I find those smaller run chases a little bit tricky,” Mooney said. “If you lose a few wickets early it can send a bit of a ripple effect through the batting order.”It’s all about making sure we win those games well and don’t leave too much for the middle to lower order to do.”The three-game ODI series continues at North Sydney Oval on Wednesday and Saturday.

The Mumbai Indians fast bowler recorded 132.1 kph in the game against Delhi Capitals

Vishal Dikshit05-Mar-2024South African quick Shabnim Ismail has breached the 130kph barrier for the first time in women’s cricket since speeds have been recorded. Ismail bowled a delivery that the speed-gun on broadcast recorded at 132.1kph in the WPL game between her side Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals on Tuesday in Delhi.It was the second delivery of the third over in the game which Ismail bowled full to Capitals captain Meg Lanning, who missed the delivery and was hit on the front pad. Mumbai appealed for lbw but it was turned down. When asked at the end of the innings if she was aware of the fastest delivery she had bowled, Ismail said she doesn’t “look at the big screen when I am bowling.”Ismail had also recorded a delivery at 128.3kph in the opening game of the tournament, also against Capitals. She, however, missed a couple of games for Mumbai with an injury and returned to action on Tuesday.In international cricket too, the fastest delivery recorded is by Ismail, when she bowled one at 128kph against West Indies in 2016 and had breached the 127kph mark twice in the 2022 ODI World Cup.Ismail was far from her best on Tuesday though. She opened the bowling once Mumbai chose to field and was erratic with her full deliveries and bowled on the pads. After her first two overs went for 14 runs, Shafali Verma smacked her for consecutive sixes at the start of her third before Ismail had her caught behind for 28 and gave her an aggressive send-off. She finished with 1 for 46 from her four overs in the top-of-the-table clash.Ismail, 35, retired from international cricket in May 2023, months after the home T20 World Cup to end a 16-year career. She played 241 international games for 317 wickets across formats, which included 127 ODIs, 113 T20Is and a Test. She is now a regular in T20 leagues around the world.

Agar, Behrendorff and Tye will likely still play for WA when available but have flexibility to take franchise deals while Stoinis is still exploring his franchise contract options

Alex Malcolm20-Apr-2024The landscape of how Australian cricketers are contracted is significantly shifting with Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye all being left off Western Australia’s contract list, giving them flexibility to take freelance franchise opportunities.All four would be walk-up starts in WA’s first-choice Marsh Cup 50-over team and have not retired from international cricket but none are on WA’s contract list for 2024-25. It comes after Agar and Stoinis were left off Cricket Australia’s 2024-25 contract list while Behrendorff is Australia’s reigning T20I player of the year.Agar’s absence is the most significant of the four as the 30-year-old elected not to take a state contract to pursue freelance opportunities globally, in part driven by the lack of cricket he played late last season having fallen by Corey Rocchiccioli as WA’s No. 1 Sheffield Shield spinner.Related

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• Stoinis to play SA20 after BBL, says ODI omission makes 'complete sense'

Agar has made the decision in consultation with WA’s general manager of high performance Kade Harvey, WA coach Adam Voges, Australia coach Andrew McDonald and Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey.Not taking a contract frees Agar up to play franchise cricket during the Australian summer, with the SA20, ILT20, BPL and PSL all played during Australia’s domestic season.Tye signed a one-year deal last season with WA which did prevent him from playing in the ILT20 earlier this year due to the Marsh Cup final. He has opted to go freelance again as he did for the two seasons prior. Behrendorff will go freelance for the first time in his career having earned a CA upgrade last year. He had a year to run on his previous WA deal but opted to terminate it early to give him more flexibility.However, Agar, Behrendorff and Tye will all remain involved in WA’s program when they are not playing franchise cricket overseas even though they aren’t contracted and will be selected for Marsh Cup games when available. Agar is still keen to play Shield cricket whenever an opportunity may arise. All four would only need to play four Marsh Cup matches to qualify for a contract upgrade if they opted to take it.”Ashton, Jason and AJ will continue to be supported by our High Performance program as valued members of the WA Cricket setup,” Harvey said.Marcus Stoinis has not played for WA in any format since March 2023•Getty Images

Stoinis, 34, is in a slightly different situation, having not played for WA at all last season and only played four Shield matches and two Marsh Cup games since March 2020.He had long been planning to go freelance after missing out on a CA deal for 2024-25 but he is still keen to play for Australia beyond the T20 World Cup in June in both T20I and ODI cricket. It is understood that he is exploring the possibility of signing something akin to a year-round deal with his IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants which would see him commit to playing for the franchise’s various teams across a few different tournaments around the world across the calendar year. He has already played for Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 and LSG in the IPL this year.Stoinis has signed a three-year deal with the Melbourne Stars until the end of the 2026-27 BBL season. He also played for San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket last year and is expected to play in season two after the T20 World Cup despite not being retained by Unicorns. He has previously played in the Hundred but missed last year’s tournament to rest ahead of the ODI World Cup.Stoinis said earlier this year he was still open to playing for WA when available, including Shield cricket. Stoinis has long-standing relationships with many people at WA cricket and it is understood further discussions may be had around his playing schedule later in the year.Meanwhile, WA have added former New South Wales wicketkeeper Baxter Holt and Victoria quick Brody Couch to their squad. Holt is a replacement for Josh Philippe who departed for NSW and looks likely to get plenty of opportunities in Shield cricket while Josh Inglis is away on international duty. Couch is looking for a fresh start having played his only Shield match for Victoria in 2021 and the last of his six Marsh Cup appearances in 2022.”Securing another wicketkeeper was a priority with Josh Philippe leaving for New South Wales,” Harvey said. “We think Baxter has lots of potential with the bat and gloves, so we’re excited to see how he goes when an opportunity presents.”Brody generates good pace and bounce and loves the contest. We really like his raw attributes, which should be well-suited to the conditions in WA.”WA have also elevated Jayden Goodwin to their senior list after his excellent Shield season last year.Western Australia contract list 2024-25: Cameron Bancroft, Mahli Beardman (rookie), Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Cameron Green (CA contract), Sam Greer (rookie) Jayden Goodwin, Aaron Hardie (CA), Liam Haskett, Baxter Holt, Josh Inglis (CA), Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Mitchell Marsh (CA), Lance Morris (CA), Hamish McKenzie, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, D’Arcy Short, Charlie Stobo, Ashton Turner, Josh Vernon (rookie), Corey Wasley (rookie), Sam Whiteman, Teague Wyllie

England A captain shows class in run chase after Sparks recover from slow start

ECB Reporters Network01-May-2024A high-class century from Grace Scrivens ensured that Sunrisers continued their strong start to the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy season with a five-wicket victory over Central Sparks at Kidderminster.Put in, Sparks lost both openers for ducks and recovered only partially to post a moderate 213 all out thanks principally to Abi Freeborn’s accomplished 93. Only Freeborn stayed long enough against a disciplined attack led by openers Kate Coppack (3 for 26) and Nicola Hancock (3 for 34).It looked a under-par total on a decent batting pitch and Scrivens navigated Sunrisers’ pursuit of it to perfection, with a stroke-laden unbeaten 118 off 123 balls to take her side to 214 for 5 with 10.2 overs to spare.A third win from four games strengthened Sunrisers’ place among the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy front-runners but Central Sparks need to reboot after following their opening-round win with three successive defeats.Abi Freeborn scored 93•Getty Images

“It was great to get another bonus-point win,” Scrivens said. “I’m feeling nice at the moment and when you are feeling nice you have to cash in. I was just happy I did that today and helped get us over the line.”I thought we kept them to a total which was a little bit below par. We bowled well up top to take some wickets and then bowled well through the middle too. Sometimes you can let things drift when you don’t take wickets but we stuck at it really well and it was nice to restrict Freeborn to the mid-nineties when she was in and set.”Sparks captain Eve Jones endured a bracing start to the day: at 10am, she lost the toss. At 10.30am, she edged the first ball of the match, an absolute beauty from Coppack, to wicketkeeper Amara Carr.When Chloe Brewer edged Coppack behind, both Sparks openers had departed without scoring and debutant Courtney Webb walked in to bat with the score at 1 for 2. The pressure on the batters remained high – Coppack opened with 5-2-8-2 and Hancock 5-1-6-0 – but Freeborn and Webb withstood it to add 67 in 20 overs before the latter miscued a straight hit and was caught by Scrivens in front of the sightscreen.Freeborn completed her second half-century of the season from 99 balls but partners continued to come and go as Davina Perrin and Katie George sent up catches in successive overs from Jo Gardner.Freeborn had her good fortune – on 69 she should have been out twice to the same ball from Gardner, stumped at one end then run out at the other as she tried to scramble a bye – but batted with selective assertion. The 27-year-old struck 12 fours and was seven short of emulating her century against Sunrisers last season when she top-edged a pull and fell to a fantastic diving catch by Mady Villiers.Related

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• Villiers spins Sunrisers to resounding win over Blaze

Bethan Ellis offered some impetus with a 35-ball 31 which included the only six of the innings, but Coppack and Hancock returned to lop off the tail, supported by more excellent catching.When Sunrisers replied, the catching bar was raised still further by George’s brilliant, one-handed grab at second slip off Grace Potts as Ariana Dowse became the third opening batter in the day to bag a duck.The fourth opener filled her boots though. Reprieved on 22 when wicketkeeper Freeborn grassed a tough chance from an edge off Grace Potts, Scrivens played with the freedom and confidence of a batter in top form. She reached 50 from 53 balls and celebrated by lifting Ria Fackrell over long-on for six.Scrivens and Cordelia Griffith (37) added 110 in 19 overs before Fackrell struck twice to retain a Sparks toe-hold in the game. Griffith belted a full toss straight to a fielder and Jodi Grewcock fell lbw, sweeping. When George took another fine catch, at midwicket off Ellis, to end Villiers’ counter-attack, it was 149 for 4 and Sparks had a glimmer of opportunity.That glimmer was emphatically extinguished by Scrivens and Carr (26), the former reaching her century from 108 balls in a victory-clinching fifth-wicket partnership of 59 in nine overs.

Fifth-wicket stand of 124 ensures platform provided by openers does not go to waste

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2024George Bartlett and Rob Keogh led a solid Northamptonshire batting display on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.The pair both scored half-centuries and added 124 for the fifth wicket to get the innings back on track after Anuj Dal struck twice to reduce Northants to 121 for 4. Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay shared an opening stand of 99 but it was Bartlett’s 76 and Keogh’s unbeaten 75 that gave Northants the advantage, closing on 297 for 5.Ross Whiteley claimed his first Championship victim for nearly three years but Blair Tickner was the pick of the attack and deserved more than one wicket from 21 overs.Derbyshire began the day by naming allrounder Whiteley in the team for his first Championship match since he played for Worcestershire in June 2021.Whiteley spent the morning in the field after Northants decided to bat in sunny conditions although both openers needed some good fortune to survive on a pitch offering assistance to the seamers.South African fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon knocked Vasconcelos off his feet with a yorker first ball of the match although it was Tickner who posed the biggest threat.The New Zealander went past the bat numerous times in an outstanding six-over opening spell that included four maidens and cost only three runs. But the pressure eased once he was out of the attack with the other bowlers unable to maintain the same consistent line.When Tickner was brought back on, Vasconcelos pulled him for four to reach his 50 from 89 balls but just when it was looking like a fruitless session for the home side, he moved one back in to have him lbw.Northants would still have been satisfied with their position at lunch but the picture quickly changed after Gay was dismissed by the first ball of the afternoon session.It was an innocuous delivery from Dal but Gay played it into his stumps as he aimed to push it to the offside and Dal struck again in his next over. Luke Proctor had never looked comfortable and after facing 17 balls without scoring, he went across to glance and lost his leg stump.There was an even bigger success for Derbyshire when Zak Chappell got one to straighten to bowl Karun Nair for 6 to leave Northants in danger of failing to build on the foundations laid by the openers.Another wicket would have opened the door for Derbyshire but Bartlett and Keogh regrouped and batted through the rest of the session. Bartlett reached his 50 from 72 balls when he cover drove David Lloyd for his ninth four and by tea the pair had added 74 to shift the initiative back to the visitors.Whiteley was brought into the attack after the interval and after Keogh guided him past gully for four to go to 50 from 103 balls, he broke the stand in his next over. Bartlett was surprised by a ball that lifted from just outside off stump and could only fend it to slip where Aneurin Donald took a simple catch.It was an important breakthrough ahead of the second new ball which Derbyshire took immediately but Keogh and Justin Broad denied them any further success.

“These things happen; there are good times and bad times, these are phases than come and go. That is fine”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-20243:07

Hardik: There are ups and downs but you can’t leave the battle

It has been a tough few days in the life of Hardik Pandya, and he acknowledges it. But he won’t “run away from it” and will “keep working hard – hard work never goes to waste – and keep smiling”.”Eventually, I believe, you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won’t get what you want from your sport, or the results you are looking for,” Hardik said ahead of the T20 World Cup in an interview with . “So, yeah, it has been difficult, but at the same time, I have been process-driven, I have tried to follow the same routines I used to follow earlier.”At the same time these things happen; there are good times and bad times, these are phases that come and go. That is fine. I have gone through these phases many times and I will come out of it as well.”Related

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It all looked rosy for Hardik till IPL 2024 started. After that, as the new Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, he oversaw a last-place finish for his team. His returns with bat (216 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 143.04 and average of 18.00) and ball (11 wickets in 12 innings at an economy rate of 10.75) were mediocre. It appeared that he had offended the fans at both MI – where he had replaced a popular and well-loved captain, Rohit Sharma – and Gujarat Titans, his previous team, who he had guided to a title win and a second-place finish in his two years at the helm. For large parts of the IPL, he was booed at stadiums, even at neutral ones.Now he is at the T20 World Cup. As India’s vice-captain, deputy to Rohit. And as India’s premier fast-bowling allrounder.”I don’t take my successes too seriously. Whatever I have done well, I have forgotten about them immediately and moved forward. Same with difficult times,” he said. “I don’t run away from it. I face everything with [my] chin up.”As they say, this too shall pass. So coming out [of these phases] is simple: just play the sport, accept that [you need to] maybe get better at your skillset, keep working hard – hard work never goes to waste – and keep smiling.”Along with the hard work, Hardik stressed on the importance of going back to a point in time when things weren’t as good for him as they are now, when he had to fight for opportunities, a period that perhaps shaped him.”I think it comes down to self-belief,” he said. “I believe a lot in hard work. You can succeed only if you put in the effort for it. I want to give myself the opportunity to… why do I prepare and commit myself every time? The only reason is that while I am not guaranteed success, I am guaranteed an opportunity to be successful. I focus simply on how do I keep getting better. Speak to myself. Try to know my real version.”Hardik Pandya right now at 30 is a much, much easier job compared to what Hardik Pandya was when I was 16. So I go back to the 16-year-old and I ask him how did you do it, why did you do it?”At that point of time, I didn’t have facilities or opportunities. Hard work gave me opportunities and opened doors for me. So I am in that zone right now [where] I am going and asking the 16-year-old – because he is my actual motivator, because if that guy hadn’t set the platform I probably wouldn’t have been here.”India played Bangladesh in their only warm-up game ahead of the T20 World Cup today in New York on Saturday, and Hardik started his time in the USA well, with a 23-ball 40 not out and 1 for 30 in three overs. India’s first match at the main tournament is on June 5, against Ireland, also in New York.

Disciplined fielding and key run-out enables young team to claim 2-1 series win

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2024England U19 268 for 9 (Benkenstein 102) beat Sri Lanka U19 260 (Weerasinghe 80, Perera 53) by four runs – DLSSkipper Luc Benkenstein’s century and a disciplined bowling performance helped England Men’s U19s clinch their three-match one-day series against Sri Lanka with a four-run victory under the Duckworth-Lewis method in the decider at Hove.The Essex batter made 102 in England’s 268 for 9 in a contest reduced to 45 overs because of rain. In gloomy conditions Gayana Weerasinghe led Sri Lanka’s reply with a polished 80 off 76 balls and Mahith Perera’s half-century threatened to take his side to victory. But Perera was run out by Freddie McCann’s direct hit in the 43rd over and the Sri Lankan tail were left with too much to do.England had won the toss and Nottinghamshire’s McCann, who made 174 in Monday’s win on the same pitch, looked in the mood to make Sri Lanka pay when wicketkeeper Sharujan Shanmuganathan dropped a simple catch in the second over when he had yet to score. McCann took three boundaries in an over off Hivun Kenula but then gave off-spinner Vihas Thewmika a simple return catch in the eighth over.It was one of three wickets to fall before the rain arrived in the 16th over but when play resumed Benkenstein, who made 51 in the first match of the series at Chelmsford last Friday, and Essex team-mate Charlie Allison started to prosper.Benkenstein’s first 50 runs came off 69 balls and his partner was only slightly quicker (62 balls) to his half-century before both pressed the accelerator. Benkenstein needed just 29 more deliveries to reach his hundred, which included seven fours and five sixes, as he played aggressive shots on both sides of the wicket.Allison contributed an impressive 87 off 85 balls to a stand of 184 in 29 overs, with seven fours and two sixes, before he played on to Thewmika trying to hit him over mid-wicket in the 37th over. Benkenstein flayed a widish delivery from Dinura Kalupahana to deep backward point for 102 in the next over and England lost momentum.Sri Lanka’s bowlers dragged it back well in the closing overs, taking 6 for 44 in 7.2 overs with Thewmika finishing with 4 for 33. It left them needing 269 at 5.9 runs an over.England’s seamers chipped away when Sri Lanka replied. Harry Moore broke through by bowling Hiran Jayasundara through the gate and McCann picked up the first of two wickets with his off breaks when Pulindu Perera reverse-swept straight to gully.Debutant Alex Green had left-hander Shanmuganathan well caught by Allison, diving forward at deep mid-wicket, and when Noah Thain’s gentle away-swing accounted for captain Dinura Kalupahana with his first ball, Sri Lanka needed 144 in 21 overs.Weerasinghe and Mahith Perera kept them in the hunt, putting on 64 for the fifth wicket in nine overs, but England maintained a happy knack of striking when they needed to and Weerasinghe drove Dom Kelly’s slower ball to mid-off where Benkenstein held a good catch.Sri Lanka hopes now rested with the wristy Perera whose stand with Diniru Abeywickramasingha looked to be taking them over the line. But Abeywickramasingha mis-timed a scoop after they had added 46 for the seventh wicket and Perera (53 off 54 balls) was brilliantly run out by McCann’s direct hit from backward point as England held their nerve.

Earlier, the game was supposed to take place behind closed doors but now that it has been moved, the fans can come in as well

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2024The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh has been shifted from Karachi to Rawalpindi on account of ongoing construction at the National Stadium in order to get it ready for the Champions Trophy in 2025.According to the original schedule of the two-match series, Karachi was due to host Bangladesh between August 30 and September 3 and the game was supposed to go on without any spectators due to the redevelopment work, but now with the PCB moving the game to a new venue, fans will be able to attend as well.A press release from the PCB on Sunday said, “we have been guided by the construction experts on the timelines for the readiness of the [National Stadium in Karachi]. They advised that while construction could continue during playing hours, the resulting noise pollution would disturb the cricketers. Additionally, the dust from the construction work could also affect the health and wellbeing of the players, officials, broadcasters, and media.”Given that construction must continue uninterrupted to ensure the venue is operationally ready for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the PCB, after consulting all stakeholders and reviewing operational and logistical matters, has decided to hold both Tests in Rawalpindi.”Related

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Karachi is due to host England as well when they visit in two months. On that subject, the PCB said, “at this stage, we will not like to speculate on the hosting of the second Test in Karachi from 15-19 October and will continue to work closely with the architects and construction experts on the safe and secure hosting of the match, while keeping the England and Wales Cricket Board updated.”Pakistan have a bumper home season with seven Tests and an ODI tri-series featuring New Zealand and South Africa. But the Champions Trophy in February is the marquee event given it will be the first ICC tournament held in Pakistan since the ODI World Cup in 1996. To make sure it goes off well, the board has been working on sprucing up its stadiums.The PCB was hopeful of being able to split all these matches across the three venues they had available – Rawalpindi, Karachi and Multan. The Lahore upgrade had ruled the Gaddafi stadium out of contention for any of the home season’s matches until early next year. It is understood that the PCB was initially against taking the Bangladesh Test out of Karachi because of logistical challenges.The first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh begins on August 21 in Rawalpindi, where the hosts are preparing to go in without a specialist spinner in anticipation of a pitch with pace and carry. The second Test will start at the same venue on August 30.

New Zealand have separated the opening pair of Bates and Devine; Harmanpreet will bat at No. 3 for India

Vishal Dikshit03-Oct-2024

South Africa vs West Indies

Dubai, 2pm local timeSouth Africa squad: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe TryonWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonRelated

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• 'It can be tough to do both skills full out' but Kapp will do it for SA

• 'I'm still World Boss' – Dottin is as hungry as ever

Tournament form guide: South Africa and West Indies lost both their warm-up games in the lead-up to the tournament, although South Africa’s losses were more surprising. They were bowled out for 92 against New Zealand to lose by eight wickets and then couldn’t get close to their target of 145 against India. West Indies’ losses came against teams ranked much higher than them. They first lost to India by 20 runs and then to Australia by 35 runs, on both occasions struggling to chase down totals in the 140s.News brief: South Africa finished as the runners-up in the 2023 T20 World Cup and will be looking to carry their form into this tournament after a 2-1 away series win against Pakistan. Despite a poor 7-14 win-loss record against West Indies, South Africa have won three of their last four T20Is against them. West Indies, too, come on the back of a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka, although that was back in June. South Africa could go spin heavy by picking 18-year-old legspinner Seshnie Naidu along with allrounders Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus. It’s expected to be a hot afternoon in Dubai, with the temperature around 37°C at the time of the toss. It won’t be much cooler even when the game ends.Player to watch: She last played a T20I in August 2022. Since then, she has played franchise cricket around the world, retired from international cricket, and returned. Deandra Dottin is a powerhouse of a figure, not just a batter. Her presence in the West Indies line-up will be a massive boost who need to start on a winning note if they are to make the semi-finals.0:57

Shafali Verma: Dubai is so hot that we couldn’t even breathe during first practice

India vs New Zealand

Dubai, 6pm local timeIndia squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan SajanaNew Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea TahuhuTournament form guide: India won their two warm-up games with fairly convincing margins, by 20 runs against West Indies and 28 runs against South Africa. New Zealand, meanwhile, had a 50% success in the warm-ups. They beat South Africa by eight wickets and went down to England by five wickets.News brief: Two players were named in the India squad subject to fitness: allrounder Shreyanka Patil and wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia. Both played both warm-ups, which bodes well for India. Head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed on match eve that captain Harmanpreet Kaur would bat at No. 3, as was the case in the two warm-ups. She has batted there only five times since the start of 2019. The last time was against Ireland in the 2023 T20 World Cup when India’s opening stand lasted 9.3 overs. New Zealand come into the tournament after a streak of ten straight losses in T20Is, most recently being blanked 3-0 by Australia, against whom they play their second game. Therefore, they would be desperate for a win on Friday to push for a semi-final spot. If India have made a late call about their No. 3, New Zealand have decided to move their power-hitting captain Sophie Devine to the middle order recently, with Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates to open. Both teams are expecting plenty of dew in this evening game, so toss could play a massive role.Player to watch: Shafali Verma has worked on her mental game, she has worked on her consistency, and she is trying to mature into a more complete batter. If she can strike a balance between her early ball-bashing mentality with consistent performances from the first game itself, she could play a vital role in giving India a start similar to her nickname in the dressing room for her batting style: (dashing).

The camp was organised as Pakistan stutter through one of the bleakest periods in their history

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2024The PCB’s much-trailed ‘connection camp’ ended on Monday with what officials said was a roadmap to bring the game out of the doldrums it finds itself in at the moment.Officials and the team management, including both head coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, described a day of open and robust conversations, including about the lack of unity within the national side, with the two national captains, Shan Masood and Babar Azam, and a group of other players.The camp was organised as Pakistan stutter through one of the bleakest periods in their history, with administrative tumult begetting a succession of disastrous on-field results. Over the last year, Pakistan have lost to Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup, to USA at the T20 World Cup and most recently 2-0 to Bangladesh in a home Test series.Related

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Speculation has been rife throughout of growing differences in the dressing room, building from last year but propelled this year by the appointment and swift removal of Shaheen Shah Afridi as Pakistan’s T20I captain, and the return of Babar Azam as the T20I captain. Kirsten, the white-ball coach, is said to have been surprised by the degree of it when he first took up the job.Salman Naseer, the PCB’s chief operating officer, acknowledged that a lack of unity had been part of the discussions, not just within the team but between the board and players.”The session was about this, that we openly and candidly accept and identify [issues] and ask for a commitment from each other, demand it, on how we can improve our performances and how we work together as a team,” Naseer said at a press conference in Lahore after the camp ended. “Our unanimous view was that we need to resolve this going forward and need to identify how we do it.”Naseer did not go into the details of the discussions, saying that providing a “safe space” was essential in allowing people to open up. But tension between players and the board has also been building, especially after a number of top stars were denied NOCs to participate in leagues over the summer. Afridi, Babar, Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah were all prevented from playing in leagues before the start of Pakistan’s home season, with workload management the primary reason cited by the board.”Where the talk is of unity, it wasn’t only about the team,” Naseer acknowledged. “It was between the team and management and how we can work together to do things more successfully. These were definitely part of the discussions. We talked about planning, we talked about workload management.”Everyone is feeling that the performances of players, and management, can be better. The idea was to sit together, identify issues and what can be better. What our vision is and how do we get there?”The camp is not believed to have brought up the more immediate questions facing the Pakistan side, in the immediate aftermath of the loss to Bangladesh and with England’s imminent arrival for a three-Test series in October. But Kirsten, who has been in Pakistan for the last 12 days watching the Champions Cup, struck a note of optimism in praising the depth of talent in Pakistan – in contrast to the chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s recent observations on the same.”I’ve been here the last 12 days or so watching the Champions Cup and have been really encouraged at the depth of quality of players in this tournament,” Kirsten said. “It’s been fantastic to see. I’ve really enjoyed the tournament. The quality of the competition has been high. Been great to see a lot of young players showcasing what they are capable of.”The discussions will continue, according to Gillespie. “Because we’re new to the job, our job is to listen and learn and look to implement ways where we can be more effective as players, as a team, and as coaches. What was really clear today was the pride the Pakistan players have in playing for Pakistan and how they want to inspire the country. That was really exciting to hear. The players care and are desperate to do well. We’re on this journey together and we’ll do everything we can to help.”