League commissioner hopes the tournament will give more players exposure to the big stage and high-pressure games

Sruthi Ravindranath02-Dec-2022Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher are hopeful that the SA20, South Africa’s new franchise T20 league, will help the national team finally win a World Cup.”I actually thought we had a strong team in this World Cup in Australia, I thought we had a good chance,” Smith, the SA20 commissioner, said at an event in Mumbai. “But obviously disappointed with the way we finished. I think what we want to create in this league is that there’s so much talent – hope we can develop that talent to play under pressure on a global stage.”I know I keep talking about the IPL but you look at the amount of strong cricketers that have come through in the IPL,” Smith said. “Looking at trying to find 15 players, hopefully there’s 25-35 players in the next couple of years at a level where it makes the selectors jobs very, very difficult. Those that are used to playing big games, exposed to big games. Unfortunately South Africa has to deal with these questions all the time until they actually win a tournament.”Related

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South Africa have not won a men’s World Cup in 16 attempts – eight ODI World Cups and eight T20 World Cups. While they have come close in knockout games a number of times, they failed to make the semi-finals in five of the last six ICC white-ball events. In the 2022 T20 World Cup, South Africa lost their last group match to Netherlands and did not progress to the knockouts.Boucher, whose tenure as South Africa head coach ended after the T20 World Cup, said the IPL – where he will now be coaching Mumbai Indians – was one of the reasons for India’s success in world tournaments. India, however, have won just one World Cup – in 2011 – since the IPL began in 2008.”There’s reasons why you’ve got World Cups in your cabinets,” Boucher said, talking about India. “The reason is big stages, guys playing in finals and semi-finals. The more you play those games the better you get. This [SA20] is going to be on the big stage as well. You’re going to see youngsters. Guys are going to be put in situations they’re not used to and that’s going to be exciting to see who comes through. Then once that happens, our coaches and selectors can check and select the guys who are needed for the big moments and the big events.”South Africa’s direct qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup, however, hangs in the balance. They are currently at No. 11 in the Super League with only five matches to go, and need to win at least three to try and finish among the top eight teams that get direct qualification for next year’s World Cup.South Africa have won only five of their 16 Super League matches so far, having forfeited three ODIs in Australia to have all their top players available for the start of the SA20 in January.Graeme Smith, pictured here with Mark Boucher, Yuvraj Singh and Anil Kumble at the SA20 event in Mumbai, stressed on the importance of the league for South African cricket as a whole•PTI

Smith said South Africa had brought this situation upon themselves by playing “bad” cricket, and that CSA had no choice but to prioritise the SA20 at that point. CSA’s chief executive Pholetsi Moseki had also said previously that the board had taken a risk of withdrawing from the series against Australia with an eye on “securing the long-term sustainability of the game” in South Africa.”I think South Africa’s World Cup qualification was bad because they played bad. I mean, they had a lot of time to control that,” Smith said. “I think that this three-ODI cancellation, I actually feel for Cricket South Africa in many ways, because I know the effort that went in to move those three ODIs to open up a window for the league. The league will have a window free of international cricket in South Africa, like the IPL, for a period every year.”Australia never travel on Boxing Day or New Year’s. England are never away from home in their summer. It’s incredible that South African cricket still has decided that they’ll earn zero revenues this year because they’re going to Australia for three Test matches. So, I know that they went out of their way with Cricket Australia to find a way to make those three ODIs work, but it just wasn’t practical, and eventually South African cricket had to make a choice … it was going to start its own league and it needed to give it a chance and make a proper statement that it was going to make a success of it.”South Africa have not played a festive series in Australia since 2008, for the reasons Smith mentioned. Former CSA CEO Gerald Majola negotiated in previous FTPs that South Africa would only tour Australia outside of the Christmas-New Year period to maximise revenue at home. This series was decided in the 2019-2023 FTP, which was drafted in the post-Majola era. Cricket South Africa host only one incoming tour this season, against West Indies, but will launch the SA20 this summer.

He admitted that becoming a three-format player may have contributed to the injury issues

Alex Malcolm18-Dec-2022Injured Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is hoping to make himself available for selection for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa while admitting his repeated side injuries could be the cost of trying to be a three-format fast bowler.Hazlewood has missed Australia’s last two Test matches, including the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane, due to a side strain he suffered during the first Test against West Indies in Perth three weeks ago.Related

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The 31-year-old had a solid bowl in the nets on Sunday and said his chances of being available for Boxing Day were improving by the day.”[My chances are] much better after today’s session,” Hazlewood told . “Went very much according to plan and pushed upwards of 90% for a couple of deliveries. It’s all about the next three or four sessions before that [session on December] 24th and I can really tick it off. Everything is feeling really nice and I’m not noticing the side at all so fingers crossed.”I had a little bowl on Friday back in Sydney and started up off a few steps and pushed back to a half-run on Friday and today went really well. I pushed back to pretty much full run-up and around 85-90% intensity. Everything is ticking along nicely and going according to plan.”The Perth Test was Hazlewood’s first since March and just his third since January 2021. During last summer’s home Ashes series against England. Hazlewood suffered another side strain in the first Test in Brisbane, which was understood to be different from this current injury and missed the final four Tests of the series. He then played the first Test of the Pakistan tour but was left out of the final two Tests and Australia’s next two Tests in Sri Lanka in June and July when Australia selected two spinners.While not playing much Test cricket, Hazlewood has reached No.1 in the world in the T20I bowling rankings this year and become a highly sought-after player in the IPL.He admitted that becoming a three-format player, having dropped out of Australia’s white-ball calculations in 2019-20 before his re-emergence, may have contributed to the injury issues that have seen him play so little Test cricket in the last two years.”It’s been a bit of a frustrating period,” Hazlewood said. “Especially red ball. White ball has been going great. Maybe that’s the cost of playing all three formats and putting all your energy into every game you play. You don’t have that time to build your strength up or workloads up and get ready for a Test match. I might have to look at that and find a way around it somehow.”If he passes his fitness test at Australia’s main training session on December 24, Hazlewood’s availability creates a selection headache for Australia. Scott Boland has continued his outstanding form at Test level as Hazlewood’s replacement in Adelaide and Brisbane picking up seven wickets across the two games to maintain his staggering Test average at just 10.36. Boland will also be returning to his home ground at the MCG on Boxing Day where he has an extraordinary record in first-class cricket and took stunning figures 6 for 7 on Test debut last year against England.Hazlewood was chosen ahead of Boland for the first Test of the summer against West Indies when both men were fit and available and is seen by the selectors as a first-choice Test bowler when fit, given his career record.

Ben Stokes’ focus on “picking his moment” to make his own impact with the ball

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Feb-2023Stuart Broad will return to the England team for Thursday’s first Test against New Zealand after missing the series against Pakistan.Broad, on his fifth tour of New Zealand, sat out the three-match series at the end of 2022 for the birth of his first child, Annabella. With Olly Stone and Matthew Potts also hovering around selection, three seamers were vying for the final bowling spot in the lead-up to the day-night opener on Thursday.Speaking in Mount Maunganui after England’s training session on Tuesday, Ben Stokes confirmed the 36-year-old seamer will pick up his 160th cap.While the nature of the pink ball lent itself to flirting with a horse-for-course approach, with Stone’s extra pace attractive given the lack of sideways movement expected, the captain has gone with what he sees as his best XI.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The way in which we’ve gone about our selections and stuff like that, especially in England and in similarish conditions here, the team we pick – especially with the ball – has the bases all covered, especially in these type of conditions,” Stokes said.Broad will accompany fellow quicks James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, with Jack Leach offering the spin option. Outwardly, the bowling pack have been less than complimentary about the pink Kookaburra that will be used, which moves a little less and feels a little harder than the one they used in the 2021/22 Ashes series.

Stokes confirms bowling fitness

Short balls will have to be utilised during quieter moments, something which puts the onus on Stokes as the allrounder. The skipper did not take part in last week’s warm-up match in Hamilton, and did not bowl at training on Tuesday. However, he confirmed he will be able to play a full part in the match.”We’ve had really good preparation and build-up for this game and, even with the weather, we’ve still been able to train in the tent,” Stokes said. “Everything is good. Bowling-wise, it’s picking the right moment to bowl. I’ve had the last two days off bowling-wise, then will have a trundle tomorrow [Wednesday]. It’s just making sure I get in everything I need to before we start.”The bowling group have been great together. They have been discussing what they feel is working. People like Jimmy and Broady, who have played quite a few of these pink-ball matches, are still coming to terms with it. Some balls swing, some balls don’t, then they will try to bowl the same ball and it will react differently. They have bowled really well together and discussed how they feel is the best way to bowl with the pink ball. In terms of myself, it will be similar to Pakistan, picking the moment when it will be best to get my overs in.”Related

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This series marks the first time this new era team under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have come up against the same team. New Zealand got the first bitter taste of a “New England”, losing 3-0 at the start of the 2022 summer which sparked a run of nine wins out of 10.Though the team are further along in their development, Stokes called back to that series as one which showcased the team’s fighting spirit, beyond their destructive qualities.”That whole series, we were behind the game a lot but we managed to turn each game around completely on its head by the way we went out and did it. We know that we can be dominant but we also know that when we are behind in a game we can turn it around quickly.”New Zealand, meanwhile, were dealt a blow with the news that Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out for the foreseeable future with a suspected back stress-fracture, while Matt Henry will also miss the first Test at Bay Oval as he awaits the birth of his first child. The uncapped duo of Jacob Duffy and Scott Kuggeleijn have been called into the squad as replacements.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

Roach five-for and Blackwood fifty went in vain in Test that finished in three days

Deivarayan Muthu02-Mar-2023West Indies threatened to turn the tables on South Africa by rolling them over for 116 on the third morning at SuperSport Park, but their own batters collapsed in similar spectacular fashion, chasing 247. Kagiso Rabada was chiefly responsible for that collapse, bagging 6 for 50 to dismiss them for 159 and seal South Africa’s victory inside three days on a track that offered variable bounce.Jermaine Blackwood’s thrilling counterattack – 79 off 93 balls – raised West Indies’ hopes, but Rabada found a little extra kick off the pitch to take him out and ensure the new era under captain Temba Bavuma and coach Shukri Conrad began with a victory in Centurion, where the South Africa women’s team that reached the T20 World Cup final five days ago was also in attendance.It was Roach who had set the scene for the day with his 11th five-for in Test cricket – and first away from home since 2017. He also surpassed Joel Garner’s tally of 259 to become West Indies’ fifth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Just before lunch, Roach was warmly welcomed back by his team-mates, Jimmy Adams, West Indies’ director of cricket, and Brian Lara, the team mentor.However, the mood and tempo of the match changed quickly when Rabada struck either side of the lunch break. After having captain Kraigg Brathwaite caught down the leg side for a duck, he drew an outside edge from No. 3 Raymon Reifer.Tagenarine Chanderpaul kept playing and missing at full balls, but wasn’t particularly flustered against that length. It was the short ball that bothered him. He fell on his backside twice while trying to deal with them and then when he dared to hook a head-high bouncer from Marco Jansen, he could only top-edge it to midwicket for 10.Jermaine Blackwood played some outstanding shots•AFP/Getty Images

Roston Chase misjudged an inswinger from Jansen and was castled after offering no shot. Then, when debutant Gerald Coetzee produced extra bounce to get rid of Kyle Mayers, West Indies were 33 for 5 in the 15th over.Blackwood came in and hoicked the seventh ball he faced, off Rabada, over square leg for four. He continued to regularly pump the ball over the top, running away to a 51-ball half-century. At the other end, Joshua Da Silva was more circumspect and contributed 17 to a 58-run sixth-wicket partnership before he fell to Rabada.Blackwood, though, went after South Africa’s premier seamer and shanked him over his head for an imposing four. When Anrich Nortje shifted his angle to around the wicket, he ramped him over deep third for four. Jason Holder also operated at almost a run-a-ball in a 37-run seventh-wicket stand with Blackwood before Rabada had him nicking behind with a perfectly-pitched delivery. Though Rabada looked like wasn’t at his best earlier in the day, floating some balls in the lower 130-kph range, his seven-over spell post tea, in which he dismissed both Holder and Blackwood, was perhaps the most decisive passage of play.The day had started on a more promising note for West Indies. Roach struck with his first ball to cut Aiden Markram’s innings short at 47 off 58. He went wide of the crease, tricked Markram into playing for the inward angle from over the wicket but got it to straighten late off the seam and graze the outside edge. Marais Erasmus, the on-field umpire, didn’t rule Markram out initially, but he opted to walk back to the dressing room. In his next over, Roach went wide of the crease again, but this time he beat Jansen’s outside edge and hit the top of the off stump.Roach also helped snip the South African tail, but Coetzee’s spunky cameo (20 off 15 balls) pushed their lead closer to 250. Markram aside, Coetzee was the only South Africa batter to score more than 10 runs in their second innings. He then combined and Rabada, Jansen and Norje with the ball to compensate for their batting collapse and wrap the game up before drinks on the third afternoon.

This is Washington’s third straight injury-interrupted season in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2023Washington Sundar, the Sunrisers Hyderabad allrounder, will play no further part in the ongoing IPL season due to a hamstring injury, the franchise confirmed on Thursday.Washington played seven matches for Sunrisers this season, scoring 60 runs from five innings and taking three wickets overall, with his team currently in ninth place on the table.This is Washington’s third straight injury-interrupted season in the IPL. In 2021, Washington was ruled out of the UAE leg of the tournament due to a finger injury, after he had picked up three wickets for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first half of the season.Washington’s luck wouldn’t get any better, as he was then forced to miss the ODI leg of India’s tour of South Africa in January 2022 after testing positive for Covid-19, while a hamstring injury kept him out of the three-match T20I series at home against West Indies.During IPL 2022, Washington, having been signed by Sunrisers, missed four games due to a split webbing in his bowling hand. Last August, Washington injured his left shoulder while fielding for Lancashire during a county stint, and subsequently was ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.