On Monday, he became only the second Bengal batsman to score a first class triple-hundred

Shashank Kishore21-Jan-2020On Monday, Manoj Tiwary became only the second Bengal batsman, after Devang Gandhi’s 323 in 1998-99, to make a first class triple-hundred, against Hyderabad. It allowed his side to charge to a bonus-point victory that puts them in a good position five games into the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season.Three times previously this season, Tiwary failed to convert his starts into substantial scores. He started the season with 51 against Kerala on a rank turner in Thiruvananthapuram. Then, on a green-top at Eden Gardens against Andhra, he made 46 – a knock he felt needed him to work as hard as he would to make 150 elsewhere.Last week, in a game that barely lasted two days, Tiwary made 48 as Bengal were handed a thrashing by defending champions Vidarbha on a dusty track. Coming back to home comforts, in Kalyani, he knew while the form hadn’t deserted him, he had to make a big one for the team’s sake to put them back in a good position building towards the knockouts.On the first morning, he walked in to bat at 32 for 2. It soon became 60 for 3 when he joined hands with Anustup Majumdar to rebuild the innings. “Initially I counterattacked to just throw them off their plans,” Tiwary told ESPNcricinfo after Bengal’s innings and 303-run victory. “After I raced past a half-century, I knew I had to slow down just a bit. But as the day progressed the pitch eased out, so run-scoring became easy.”The team needed it badly. In the game against Kerala, I kind of felt some pain in my back while evading a short-ball, and lost my focus after getting to a half-century. I could have come off, but I didn’t want a new batsman to come in. So I carried on, but somehow couldn’t get a big one. So I was determined to make this one count once set. In the other two games, as a batsman, you were never in because the conditions were really challenging. So when I saw this wicket, I knew if you spend time, the first hour or so, it will get easier and I was able to make it count.”Tiwary’s return to big run-making mode bodes well for the team heading into the second half of the tournament. They will soon be without Abhimanyu Easwaran, the designated captain, who is set to fly out to New Zealand for the India A tour early next month. There are murmurs that Tiwary could once again be handed the captaincy. For the moment, Tiwary has only a simple request: “Those judging us need to watch our matches before looking at stats, else numbers won’t give you a true picture.”The way I’ve been batting, I would say the season has gone well. Some of the scores have come in challenging conditions, so I’m happy deep down. It’s not always about the big knocks, you have to appreciate and value scores on rank turners or green tops. Every team is looking to maximise their home advantage because the competition in Groups A and B combined is stifling, and I see nothing wrong with that.”Playing on tough wickets adds to the charm of the Ranji Trophy and when you make tough runs, it’s pleasing. But my only request is for the selectors to actually start factoring in surfaces on which runs have come before forming their opinion, instead of just looking at score-books.”On the team front, he is particularly pleased to see Bengal back to winning ways, reserving special praise for Akash Deep, the 23-year old fast bowler, who has so far picked up 16 wickets in four matches. With Ishan Porel away with India A in New Zealand, Akash Deep and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, who picked up a hat-trick in the first innings and ended with match figures of 6 for 77, have become key components of their bowling attack.”Akash Deep is someone who should be looked after immediately. If India want another genuine quick who has promise, they should give him a try,” he said. “He bowls 140 and above, has an excellent bouncer, bowls consistently. He should be taken into the fast bowling talent pool at the NCA immediately and given chances. I think he’s India A material already. He deserves a proper road map, he could go great things going forward.”Tiwary had told ESPNcricinfo prior to the season that his aim was to play as long as possible, even maybe for another 10 years. He has had time to reflect on those words, but the commitment still remains.”Oh yes, without doubt. I’m ready to do what it takes,” he said. “I’m working hard on my fitness, I know I have to keep scoring runs consistently. I’ve always had to work hard, so that is nothing new. I want my son to see what his dad does on the cricket field, so that remains a motivating factor.”He’s just two, I’ve just started under-arming rubber balls to him at the park. When he’s seven or eight, hopefully he can watch his dad still playing.”

Lloyd to take charge of 50-over side while Cooke leads in Championship and T20 Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2020Glamorgan will be led by Chris Cooke and David Lloyd next season after a captaincy reshuffles. Cooke continues as Championship captain while also taking charge of the T20 side, while Lloyd will step up for the Royal London Cup, when Cooke will be absent at the Hundred.Cooke, 33, oversaw Glamorgan’s best Championship campaign since 2015, as the club kept alive promotion hopes until the final weeks before finishing fourth. He adds the Blast captaincy for 2020, with Colin Ingram relinquishing the position.”It was an honour to lead the club last year and I’m delighted to continue in the role,” Cooke said. “We saw a lot of improvement in our County Championship performances last season and it’s something we want to take into the Vitality Blast.”It’s going to be an exciting season and we can’t wait to get started and hit the ground running in April.”Allrounder Lloyd, 27, has been a regular member of the List A side since 2014 and took charge in one Royal London Cup game last season when Cooke was injured.”I thoroughly enjoyed stepping in as captain and it’s a really proud moment to be asked to lead the side in the Royal London Cup,” Lloyd said. “We have a great bunch of lads at the club and a lot of talent in the squad, so there is no reason why we can’t build on last season’s improvement and reach the knockout stages of the competition.”Cooke will be absent with Birmingham Phoenix during the Hundred, which will also feature Ingram, who was signed as a ‘local icon’ by Welsh Fire.Glamorgan’s director of cricket, Mark Wallace, said: “Chris did a fantastic job in his first season in charge and led the side with a great deal of enthusiasm and skill. He commands a lot of respect in the dressing room and deserves the opportunity to carry on his good work from last year and take the club forward.”It’s also great news for Glamorgan that David is taking over the 50-over captaincy. He showed many leadership qualities last year and did a good job under tough circumstances when he deputised for Chris.”

Former assistant coach says a player of Buttler’s talent should average ’40-plus’ by this point in his Test career

George Dobell29-Feb-2020Paul Farbrace has admitted he is “worried” about Jos Buttler’s form, but feels England should stick with him as their keeper for the Test series in Sri Lanka.While Farbrace, England’s former assistant coach, regards Buttler as a “brilliant professional” and a “selfless cricketer” he accepts he “needs to score runs” in Sri Lanka or “step aside” from the Test side.ALSO READ: ‘I’m too old now to get picked on potential’ – ButtlerButtler has made just one Test century in his 41 Tests (73 innings) and, since the start of the Ashes, has made one half-century in 10 Tests and averaged 21.31. He hasn’t reached 30 in his most recent eight Test innings.”I am worried about Jos,” Farbrace said. “I think Jos should be England’s keeper and batter but he knows he can’t keep going long periods of time without making contributions.”What should a player of his ability be averaging after 40 games? It should be 40-plus. It is a lot lower than he would want it to be.”I would definitely keep him for the Sri Lanka series but he needs to score runs. If not, then he has to step aside.”Buttler does look set to start the Sri Lanka tour as England’s first-choice keeper. But the recall of Ben Foakes, player of the series when England won in Sri Lanka in late 2018, is sure to increase the pressure on Buttler’s position.And Farbrace feels Foakes has proved his ability and shouldn’t be judged too harshly on a disappointing 2019 Championship season (in which he averaged 26.14) as it may well have been provoked by his being dropped by England. Farbrace retains belief in Jonny Bairstow’s ability, too, though he accepts he “did not score enough runs.”ALSO READ: Foakes refreshed after winter off and ready for second chance“Foakes is England’s best keeper bar none,” Farbrace said. “He is a quality act with the bat. He showed he is up to it in Sri Lanka.”Being dropped in the West Indies had a massive effect on him during the English summer. It kicked the legs from underneath him.”Jonny Bairstow’s keeping improved enormously, too, but he got bowled too often and did not score enough runs. To get the best out of Jonny, he bats at No. 7 and keeps wicket. A lot of us think he can nail down No. 5, but maybe No. 7 suits him.”While Farbrace, now director of sport at Warwickshire, does not have the influence around the England camp he once did, his views remain intriguing. In his role with England, he was a steadfast supporter of Buttler. If even he is losing confidence, it suggests Buttler is running out of chances.Still, Farbrace remains a fan of Buttler and feels he has the talent and technique to make it in Test cricket. Addressing a roomful of young cricketers on the PCA’s recent rookie camp, Farbrace told them how the previous team management had urged Buttler to simply relax and enjoy the game. Then, Farbrace believes, he requires only greater game awareness to enjoy more consistent success.Jos Buttler has endured a tough run in Test cricket•Getty Images

“I was watching the IPL on television a couple of years ago,” Farbrace said. “Jos’ shoulder were hunched. So I phoned him and asked ‘are you enjoying it?’ He said ‘not really.'”So I said, ‘what would your mum – who coached him when he was a boy – have said?’ And he said ‘try to enjoy it.’ I said, ‘well, there you are then.’ He went on to make 50s in his next five games.”We always told him not to worry about the level of expectation. Just go in and play the game and remember why you play: because you enjoy it.”Jos is a very selfless cricketer. Everything about him as a character and person, you can see why everybody wants him in the team. He has that great knack of saying the right thing at the right time, he is a brilliant professional, he has got a lot of experience and is a team-orientated person like Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Moeen Ali. You want those people in your team.”There are times when he has gone in and played in a way that worked for the team. He got one of England’s best hundreds in recent times against India where he had more dot balls in a hundred than anyone else for ten years [his leave percentage of 24 was actually the highest of England’s most recent 30 Test centuries]. It was a rearguard action at Trent Bridge.”I think it is being able to understand where the game is at and what he needs to do. That is what the best players can do. They work out the situation and play accordingly. That is what Root, Cook and Stokes can do.”I don’t think it is a technique issue. He knows he has the defence. It is a case of trusting that defence and being clear on the situation of the game and playing accordingly. He has to work out what the game needs from him at the given moment. It is what Stokes has done brilliantly.”Over the last 18 months he has worked out how he needs to play for the current situation. The more he does it, the more confidence he has. All Jos is lacking is consistency of being able to bat according to the situation.”England fly to Sri Lanka on Monday and begin their tour with a three-day match against a Board President’s XI starting on Saturday.

According WACA CEO, they were promised a guaranteed top-line Test every year once Perth Stadium replaced the WACA Ground as the state’s prime venue

Daniel Brettig28-May-2020Cricket Australia’s decision to bypass Perth for India’s four-match Test series this summer has left the WACA chief executive Christina Matthews and chairman Terry Waldron fuming on Thursday.The Western Australian cricket chiefs claim they were promised a guaranteed top-line Test every year once Perth Stadium replaced the WACA Ground as the state’s prime international venue. The new stadium hosted India and New Zealand successfully for Test matches over the past two seasons, but this time Perth is left with the inaugural Test match between Australia and Afghanistan. The match is contracted to be hosted by Perth Stadium, though the WACA Ground has been refurbished to host “non-marquee” international fixtures. CA is set to formally announce the international fixture on Friday but Matthews and Waldron made their irritation plain.”This is the second time we haven’t had India scheduled, the last time we were told it was because our venue wasn’t good enough and if we supported a new stadium, this would never happen again, and here we are again,” Matthews said in Perth. “I want to make it clear, hosting a Test is a privilege, not a right and we understand that, and we’re as privileged to host Afghanistan as anyone else and we’ll certainly put on a really good show and welcome Afghanistan to the Test arena in Australia.”But suffice to say, not having India tour here for the second time in six years is very disappointing for us, for our members, for our fans, and I daresay for the government who has put in a lot of time and effort into creating a stadium that has been recognised around the world as the most beautiful stadium in the world and in fact, was rated as the second-best cricket ground in Australia in a survey. So we’ve been a little bit bemused and disappointed how we haven’t been scheduled for one of the prime series in the cricket calendar.”The government invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to make Perth Stadium cricket friendly from the start, so all the facilities for cricket were built into that, and at the time Cricket Australia gave a guarantee to the government that they would absolutely be utilising that stadium to its fullest. Also, we have over 10,000 members, who year after year invest in cricket. Rusted on fans are here, the crowds are better, the facilities are better, the corporate hospitality has more flexibility and more potential. So to us, it doesn’t quite pass the pub test.”Waldron, who became the WACA chairman last year, described the decision as a “kick in the guts”. “I just want to say as chair of the WACA and on behalf of the WACA and all cricket lovers in WA, I’m really disappointed in this decision,” he said. “I actually think it’s the wrong decision, we made a really compelling case, along with the government to CA, I looked at that again this morning, and when I went through it, I just can’t understand why they’d make that decision.”I do understand it’s difficult for CA, they have to make the call and we will now pick up the cudgels and we’ll get on with it. Afghanistan are an exciting, emerging team. But I am disappointed and I actually think it is a kick in the guts to WA, to all our cricket-loving people in WA and to our WACA members. When you’ve got one of the best stadiums in the world and when you’ve got the second-best cricket venue, the time slot back to India for TV etc, to me it’s a no brainer.”I understand it’s a tough decision for CA, good luck to Queensland and we wish them all the best. We’ll keep putting the pressure on because I, as chairman of the WACA, and Christine and our team, we’ve got a responsibility to cricket in WA, to cricket supporters, to fans and to our members.”It has long been the strong preference of the Australian Test team to begin major series at the Gabba, something pointed out more than once by the captain Tim Paine in reference to India, who played the 2018-19 Test series in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Brisbane’s facilities are nowhere near those of the new Perth Stadium, but CA has also made a strong commercial case for choosing the Gabba as the venue for the series opener.”We’ve been told commercially Brisbane is more viable for Australian cricket and that over an eight-year touring period from 2015 to 2023, WA has a better schedule than anyone else. I’m not really privy to what’s going to happen in the next three years, but they were the key reasons,” Matthews said. “This is not about Brisbane or the Gabba. They, like us, have to fight for their fans and their cricket community, however, all the metrics associated with cricket over the last two years see us surpass Brisbane in every area.”Whether that’s crowds, broadcast ratings, even better rainfall at that time of year, more corporate seats. Just so many indicators and a brand new stadium and when Australian cricket’s primary objective is fans first, it is astounding the 10,000 members who pay money to support cricket year after year in this state, are not rewarded the No. 1 Test team to tour next year. It seems to me anything west of Melbourne doesn’t get the same consideration as anything around the east coast.”Asked about the financial cost of hosting Afghanistan rather than India, Matthews said that WACA memberships alone may slip down to the tune of up to A$4 million (US$ 2.6m approx.) on the state association’s balance sheet. “We hope our members will continue to support us, but we have to factor in, that could be a A$3-4 million hit on memberships alone,” she said. “Those things are not considered when these decisions are made. They’re not necessarily looking at the hardcore cricket fans when they’re making those decisions. You have a couple of days to digest and then you move on… [but] I think when we see India fly across the top of us to the other side of the country, we might shed a little tear.”

“A great opportunity to maybe bring a New Zealand team into the Big Bash or use New Zealand players as local players”

Andrew McGlashan05-May-2020Brendon McCullum has called for greater New Zealand involvement in the Big Bash League later this year if the availability of overseas players – and international cricket overall – remains restricted by the Covid-19 pandemic.There are positive signs that the Australian season could take shape somewhat as scheduled – there even remains hope that the men’s T20 World Cup could be played in October – with every effort being made to enable to the lucrative series against India to survive. Cricket Australia has started conversations with the federal government about what protocols would need to be in place to allow international teams to visit later in the year.While there remain plenty of hurdles to cross before full-fledged international sport can take place, there has already been progress in links between Australia and New Zealand resuming with the Warriors rugby team arriving in Tamworth, New South Wales at the weekend to prepare for the resumption of the NRL later this month and there are talks at the government level about a travel “bubble” between the two countries.”If there is a shortage of international cricket what an opportunity for the Big Bash, which if we are being honest has probably just tailed off a little bit of late, what a great opportunity to really morph that back into Australia sporting fans’ eyes,” McCullum, who had eight seasons with the Brisbane Heat, told . “And I think what a great opportunity to maybe bring a New Zealand team into the Big Bash or use New Zealand players as local players because there may be a distinct lack of overseas players.”A little bit of creative thinking. It may be just for one season but we have to prepare for the long-term if you are going to grow the game there may be some value.”However, if New Zealand’s international players are not playing in December and January – they are due to have a visit by Pakistan – NZC would likely see it as a chance to have them available for the T20 Super Smash, which usually runs concurrently with the first part of the Big Bash from mid-December.One of the contingency plans in place should next season be disrupted is the potential for Australia and New Zealand to play each other if movement between those two countries is more feasible than broader international travel. There are two ODIs left to play from the curtailed series in March plus three T20Is that were due to be hosted in New Zealand.The Big Bash will mark its tenth anniversary in the 2020-21 season and, before the pandemic, had commissioned a review by David Barham, the television executive who was central to the BBL’s rise while at Channel 10, into what could be done to revitalise the competition. The most intriguing suggestion out of the review was the prospect of four-innings T20 matches in an attempt to ensure contests are alive for longer.

James Anderson sympathises with team-mate’s plight after racism on social media

Andrew Miller22-Jul-2020Roddy Estwick, the West Indies assistant coach who mentored Jofra Archer as a young cricketer in Barbados, has encouraged the player to “lay low, focus on the game and on people you can trust”, after hearing of the racial abuse he suffered on social media while isolating in the team hotel during the second Test.Archer was fined £15,000 and required to stay in his room at Emirates Old Trafford for the full five-day duration of the last week’s Test, after breaching the biosecure team “bubble” for an unauthorised home visit after the first Test in Southampton.And while Archer’s decision to turn his back on West Indies and qualify instead for England was spurred, in part, by Estwick’s decision to leave him out of West Indies’ squad for the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, the pair have retained a strong relationship in the years since, and his support was in evidence during a difficult week in Archer’s career.ALSO READ: Archer reveals racist abuse on social media during isolation“Jofra will be fine,” said Estwick. “I’ve been in constant contact with him. I wasn’t prepared to leave him out there on a limb and I’ve been in constant dialogue, talking to him and trying to reassure him that we all make mistakes and you learn from them and move on.”Writing in his column in the Daily Mail, Archer described a career in sport as “fickle”, adding that he had “decided that enough is enough” after encountering racist abuse on his Instagram account, which has almost 300,000 followers.His predicament attracted sympathy from James Anderson, who admitted that he had not seen much of his team-mate in recent days given his isolation, but backed him to be mentally ready for an England recall, should the selectors turn to him for the series decider in Manchester that begins on Friday.”He’ll want to play in this game, I’m sure, with it being a such a crucial game, the series resting on it,” he said. “Obviously, he said about his frame of mind and that’s something that over the next few days is going to sit down with the captain and coach, and figure out if he’s in the right place to play.””It can be difficult for guys coming into the international set up, because the scrutiny is very different,” said Anderson, who made his own England debut in 2002. “You do feel more under the spotlight.”I was fortunate when I came into the England team,” he added. “There was no social media back then, so the ways that people can get their opinions out there is quite difficult.”So it’s about finding methods as a player to deal with that, and I think using the team around him as well – whether that’s family, friends, management and obviously the players and coaches. It is important that everyone does that, not just Jofra.”For all that this has been a socially-distanced series, the two camps have lived in close proximity for the past weeks, and have shared statements of solidarity with regards to anti-racism, with both teams kneeling in support of the Black Lives Matter movement prior to each Test.Jofra Archer was back in England training on Wednesday•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Estwick confirmed that he would continue to lend an ear to Archer for the duration of the campaign, and while he maintained that his recall would be a matter for England’s selectors, he backed the player to rise above his recent difficulties and get back to performing on the pitch.”I spoke to him yesterday, and he’ll be in a good space,” he said. “The support has got to be there for him. He’s a young man and I will continue to support him, there’s no doubt about that. He knows that if he needs a chat he can ring me any time and I’ll support him.”I think that once you do well, there’s always pressure wherever you come from,” he added. “Test match cricket is a pressure game and you’re a role model to a lot of people. He knows what he’s done. He’ll learn from it, and he will understand that he will get criticism.”It’s obviously disappointing to hear a player being racially abused but it does happen,” he added. “I’ve seen him come out and say he’s got to try and stay off social media a bit and that’s a start – I think if you’re off social media, they can’t racially abuse you from there.”He’s got to lay low for a while. He knows what’s coming, so he’s just got to lay low, focus on his game, focus on getting back on the park, and focus on the people that you can trust and the people that are there for you, and try to block out the rest.”

World Cup postponement offers fringe players chance to gain valuable experience

Andrew Miller27-Aug-2020Eoin Morgan says that the extra months of preparation ahead of next year’s postponed T20 World Cup could be crucial in getting the younger players in the England squad up to speed at international level.However, he also warned that it would be difficult for England to be considered among the favourites in Australia next year if they continue to take the field with a “half-strength” team.England’s white-ball squad was already lacking four key members of that World Cup squad in Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Jofra Archer, before the experience in their ranks was further eroded by the loss of Jason Roy to a side strain.And speaking on the eve of the first T20I at Emirates Old Trafford – England’s first outing since it was confirmed that the World Cup, originally scheduled for October and November, would be pushed back to 2021 – Morgan challenged the team’s fringe players to seize their chance in the absence of those more established names.”Given the circumstances surrounding Covid at the moment and the restrictions selection-wise, and having a priority on players’ wellbeing, this is another opportunity for guys who potentially would sit outside that 15, to try and present their best case, moving forward, for winter tours and the World Cup next year,” Morgan said.”I also think that opportunities like this don’t come around very often when we have our squad at full strength.”ALSO READ: Jason Roy out of series with side strainEngland’s triumph in last summer’s 50-over World Cup was made possible by a settled squad with clearly defined roles. However, Morgan recognised that this year’s unique circumstances – with England running concurrent Test and white-ball squads in a bid to fulfil their broadcast commitments after four months of lockdown – had left the development of their new-look team in a state of flux.”One of the challenges between now and the World Cup next year is going to be getting our strongest team on the park as often as we can to define those roles,” he said. “We will only know our strongest positions after we have guys achieving in those roles.”In the wake of a draining 2019 summer, England took an experimental T20 squad to New Zealand in November last year, where three of the current squad members, Tom Banton, Lewis Gregory and Saqib Mahmood, all made their debuts in a 3-2 series win, while a more experienced line-up came from behind in South Africa in February to win their three-match series 2-1.”It was a good exercise in the winter at different stages, particularly in South Africa, when we had the majority of people available – all bar Jofra, who was injured,” Morgan said. “But I don’t think we can have a scenario where we can play the majority of our games with a half-strength team and then expect to go into a World Cup as contenders.”Nevertheless, Morgan was torn as to whether the postponement of the T20 World Cup was actually an advantage to England, given that they would have been one of the only teams in the world to have had any meaningful match practice in the wake of the global sporting shutdown.”If the tournament went ahead, we would have been at an advantage over a lot of other nations given that we were already playing together,” he said. “But I think a lot of sides might have been up against it and it might have added a level of unpredictability to the World Cup.”Everybody’s favoured [by the postponement], simply because they haven’t been playing cricket. In a perfect-case scenario you lead into the World Cup playing good competitive cricket against sides in the conditions that you’re going to play, and the side has been together for a lot of the time.”Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow head to the nets•Getty Images

Instead, England may need their younger players to find their feet at the highest level as quickly as possible, particularly a player such as Banton, who has found himself playing out of his comfort zone in the middle order in ODI cricket, due to the wealth of top-order talent at England’s disposal.”The messaging from myself or the coach is to feel as comfortable in an England shirt as you do in a county shirt,” Morgan said, “and to actually feel free enough to play the expansive game that you would at your county within international cricket.”Our job is to get the best out of the guys who are in our squad. So, in order to achieve that, guys need to feel comfortable and free enough to take the risks that international T20 cricket demands.”Instead of the T20 World Cup, the main focus for many of England’s white-ball players will be the IPL, which will be held in Dubai during the same window after being postponed from the spring, and Morgan hoped that the lessons available in that tournament, as well as Australia’s Big Bash, will help to fast-track the development of players such as Banton, whom he will be playing alongside at Kolkata Knight Riders.”A lot of the guys we have in the squad at the moment are young guys coming through, and when you’re at that stage of development in your career, six to eight to 12 months is actually quite a considerable amount of time,” Morgan said.”I think the challenge for those guys is actually getting the opportunity to go away and play,” he added. “The IPL is going ahead, and we have a long tour to India which actually frees up guys to play a full Big Bash and then potentially put their case forward to be selected in an IPL in the new year.”So, trying to expose them to a lot more white-ball cricket can accelerate their development as opposed to just sitting at home, not playing anything and wondering about what next summer will look like for us.”

Head coach hasn’t ruled leg-spinner out of any possible tour of Sri Lanka and India in the winter

Valkerie Baynes09-Sep-2020England will hold talks with Adil Rashid about the possibility of returning to the Test arena for proposed tours of Sri Lanka and India once their ODI series against Australia is over, Chris Silverwood says.Leg-spinner Rashid, who has not played a Test since January 2019 on England’s tour of the Caribbean, claimed 3 for 21 off his four overs to send a huge scare through Australia before the visitors scraped to victory in their final T20I at Southampton on Tuesday.Rashid’s performance led Moeen Ali, standing in as captain for the match in place of the injured Eoin Morgan, to declare, “when he’s bowling like that, I think he’s the best in the world”. It also continued a strong home summer for Rashid, who troubled Australia throughout their three-match T20I series, won 2-1 by England, and bowled well during the ODIs against Ireland.Echoing comments by national selector Ed Smith last month which indicated Rashid is on the Test radar despite not holding a red-ball contract, Silverwood, England’s head coach, revealed on Wednesday that Rashid’s path back to the long format could come via a red-ball training camp now that the Bob Willis Trophy competition is drawing to a close.With England hoping to tour Sri Lanka for two Tests – postponed earlier this year when the Covid-19 pandemic struck – and India in the coming winter, Rashid’s skill could prove to be in high demand for the tourists.Asked whether his stated desire to see Rashid play red-ball cricket before being selected in the Test side ruled him out of such a tour, Silverwood said: “Maybe not.””There’s a possibility of a red-ball camp with some competitive games on there,” Silverwood added. “Only a possibility mind you, depending on what’s happening around the world.”ALSO READ: Malan goes past Azam to top ICC rankingsRashid suffered a shoulder injury during the 2019 home summer and needed two cortisone injections to get through the World Cup. He underwent a lengthy rehabilitation period and, as recently as April, said he had decided to concentrate purely on white-ball cricket until September before reconsidering his options.He signed a white-ball only contract with Yorkshire for this year and his involvement with England’s limited-overs sides during a condensed season would have given him little or no opportunity to play on the red-ball county circuit anyway.Silverwood said he had been in discussions with Rashid about returning to the longer format but he wanted to put those talks on hold for the rest of the international summer, which concludes with three ODIs against Australia from Friday.”My thoughts on that situation remain the same,” Silverwood said. “I’d like to see him with a red ball in his hand before we select him. Conversations are ongoing, it’s slowly-slowly. What I don’t want to do is cloud what we are doing at the moment with conversations outside of white ball. Obviously I have got another chat to have, but I would like to see him play red ball-cricket before selecting him.”Asked if Rashid had an appetite to play red-ball cricket again, having gone through a long recovery from injury and declared his focus on white-ball cricket for now, Silverwood said: “They are ongoing conversations with Rash and I wouldn’t want to cloud too much what we are doing, we have a one-day series to win first and we will then hold those conversations.”Adil Rashid played an important role in England’s series win in Sri Lanka in 2018-19•Getty Images

Rashid is part of England’s 14-man squad for the ODI series against Australia in Manchester which also features the return of Jos Buttler from family leave and Jason Roy from a side strain. Morgan is expected to return after missing the third T20I after dislocating his finger in the second match.Dawid Malan was drafted into the England bubble as a reserve following his performance in the T20Is in which he amassed 129 runs, won a Player-of-the-Match award for his 66 in the first game and went to the top of the ICC world rankings for T20 batsmen. Saqib Mahmood and Phil Salt are the other reserves.Despite a hectic season squeezed into three months and compounded by the strict isolation protocols designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Silverwood expected his side would have no trouble lifting once more for the remaining matches, particularly with a view to the Ashes at the end of next year.”It’s Australia,” he said. “They are all up for it, they all want to play against Australia. They have a really good team over with them and it’s always competitive. I’m looking forward to a good one-day series.”The one thing everybody feels in the dressing room is any win over Australia is great. They are a top side, and are very difficult to beat. Anything we can get psychologically over them [before the Ashes] would be fantastic. One thing you can guarantee is that every time they play they will come out fighting.”

A selection of names to keep an eye on as New Zealand’s domestic season gets underway

Andrew McGlashan17-Oct-2020

Devon Conway (Wellington)

Conway, the South African-born batsman who has been prolific in recent seasons, officially completed his qualification period in August although how soon he slots into any of the national sides remains to be seen. There is due to be an extensive New Zealand A programme this season so he can expect to be given a run in that. During the 2019-2020 season he topped the averages across all three tournaments – the Plunket Shield, One-Day Trophy and Super Smash – and his returns included a career-best, unbeaten 327 against Canterbury.

Jeet Raval (Northern Districts)

Last season was a forgettable one for Raval, who lost his Test spot after being worked over by the England and Australia attacks and then dropped off the NZC contracts list. He has moved from Auckland to Northern Districts in the off-season so will hope that a change of scenery can bring a change of fortunes. “A few issues started creeping into my game and then it sort of turned into a battle of the mind.” he told ESPNcricinfo during the winter. “But look, I’m content with the career I’ve had so far, and I’m determined to get back to where I was through the lessons I’ve learnt.”

Ajaz Patel (Central Districts)

Left-arm spinner Patel has been a very consistent performer in the Plunket Shield and now holds a NZC central contract following the retirement of Todd Astle. Since he made his first-class debut in 2012, he is far and away the best spinner in the competition with 215 wickets at 30.42. However, it’s a tough gig being New Zealand’s Test spin bowler on home soil. Patel has played three home matches out his eight Tests and has yet to take a wicket – in his most recent outing against India, in Wellington, he was needed for a grand total of six overs.

Daryl Mitchell (Canterbury)

One of the more significant off-season moves was Mitchell heading from Northern Districts to Canterbury. The allrounder made his Test last season, scoring 73 against England in Hamilton, but did not make the tour of Australia or series against India although he hit a century for New Zealand A against India A. He only made two Plunket Shield appearances but scored 197 runs without being dismissed including a career-best 170 not out. He will be a key component to the Canterbury side as they look to improve on just one win in six games last season.

Ben Sears (Wellington)

The 22-year-old pace bowler, who was part of the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, took 14 wickets in four matches at 18.57 last season and is highly regarded in the Wellington set-up, capable of pushing the speed gun towards 140kph. His returns included 6 for 43 against Auckland during which he took three wickets in seven balls. His father, Michael, had a four-year first-class career with Wellington in the early 1990s.

Glenn Phillips (Auckland)

More well-known for his exploits in T20 cricket, Phillips made a dash across the Tasman in early January to answer an SOS from the New Zealand Test squad and less than 24 hours later was making his debut at the SCG. He produced an excellent half-century in the first innings with a batting style that quickly drew comparisons with Steven Smith. He has a solid first-class record under his belt which included a century against England last year in a warm-up match.