A day for the Davids

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

There was something special from David Warner and David Miller, but it was Warner’s side that came out victorious. Here are five talking points from Sunrisers Hyderabad’s win

Amol Karhadkar12-May-2015Warner’s firsts
The moment he rocked back off two balls that were slightly short in the second over to send Anureet Singh packing over midwicket, one could sense David Warner would continue to be in an ominous touch. By the time he grafted back to the dugout in the 18th over after chipping Beuran Hendricks to Gurkeerat Singh at midwicket, Warner had registered plenty of firsts.To begin with, a single off Hendricks in the 10th over helped him cross Ajinkya Rahane’s tally of 461 to snatch the Orange Cap – one that doesn’t have a patch of black like it is on the Sunriers’ cap – from the Rajasthan Royals opener. Three overs hence, he drove Akshar Patel over covers for a six to become the first batsman to register six fifties in IPL 2015. The closest to him are Rahane and Lendl Simmons with four fifties each.Just before he took the long way back, Warner had also become the first batsman to cross the 500-run mark this season. But the first that would give him immense satisfaction was the one he didn’t know till the end of the match: he lead Sunrisers Hyderabad to three victories in succession for the very first time. The fact that the captain had played an instrumental role with the bat in two of those three wins would come as icing on the cake.The little-known Sharma’s day out
A change in team combination meant Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the game with just one Kumar as Praveen failed to make the cut. But it also meant that they took the field with three Sharmas, with Bipul joining the two Test bowlers – Ishant and Karn. But it was the lesser-known Bipul who earned more accolades than either of his fancied namesakes.With Murali Vijay and Manan Vohra getting off the blocks in no time – even plundering Trent Boult for 15 runs in his first over, his most expensive until he was taken for 18 in his last – Warner threw the ball to left-arm spinner Bipul to slow things down. And the Punjab spinner who moved to Himachal Pradesh in the last domestic season did his job to precision.The spinner who has an uncanny knack of slowing the ball down off his fingers despite a quick action got rid of both the openers in his first two overs to not only justify his selection but also to give Sunrisers the upper hand in the match.As for the other Sharmas, Karn, who was introduced in the 12th over, conceded 20 runs in his two overs while Ishant was consistent in spraying the ball all over, especially in the death over, to bear the brunt of Killer Miller.Hurricane Henriques
For most of the eighth edition of the IPL, Moises Henriques has emerged as a permanent fixture in the Sunrisers’ line-up while the likes of Dale Steyn, Trent Boult, Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara have struggled to keep their places in the side. Though the Sunrisers’ management’s decision has raised a lot of eyebrows, Henriques has been busy justifying the faith shown in him.If he flourished with the bat against Delhi Daredevils over the weekend, on Monday, he did it with the ball to peg Kings XI Punjab in the middle overs. Not only did he not concede a single boundary in his four overs, more importantly the medium-pacer hit the Kings XI middle order hard, accounting for Wriddhiman Saha, George Bailey and Gurkeerat Singh.Henriques’ exceptional spell reduced Kings XI to 99 for 6 in the 15th over and even before Miller cut loose, one could sense that Henriques’ economical spell had virtually sealed the deal for the Sunrisers.David overshadows David
If Kings XI Punjab had to break their six-match losing streak, they knew that their David had to overshadow his Sunrisers counterpart. For the whole of IPL 2015, the Kings XI fans had been awaiting a Miller special. The wait was finally over on Monday. Miller did overshadow Warner’s brilliant innings but still couldn’t help his team turn the tables in their favour.At the end of the 17th over, Miller was batting on 44 off 30 balls, with Kings XI needing 57 runs to win. The next 14 balls the left-handed batsman faced fetched him 45 [6, 0, 6, 1, 1, 6, 2, 1, 6, 6, 0, 4, 0, 6]. Had it not been for his decision to farm strike in the last over, which resulted in two dots, Miller could well have scored a fifty in 14 balls.He couldn’t play spoilsport to the Sunrisers but Miller’s blitzkrieg ensured that the hosts couldn’t really improve on their net run rate. If the Sunrisers’ charge is halted at the end of the league stage on the basis of NRR, they would know whom to blame. Not Ishant but Miller, who made a mockery of every Sunriers bowler he faced, barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar who contained Miller beautifully by consistently hitting the blockhole in the death overs.Kings conundrum: Wicked wickets
All through their forgettable season, skipper George Bailey has blamed the inability of his batting troupe to fire as the major factor for his team’s mediocre run. The same problem came back to haunt them again on Monday.Despite getting off to a quickfire start, only their fourth double-digit opening stand of the season, Kings XI threw away the good work in the middle overs. In fact, from 42 for no loss, they lost five wickets for 39 runs in 7.5 overs to nullify the momentum that had been generated at the start of the chase.Kings XI hold the unwanted of record of losing the most wickets in IPL 2015. Their tally of 90 wickets is higher by 20 than Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, both of whom have lost 70 wickets so far. In fact, with 7.50 dismissals per innings, Kings XI have the worst average of wickets. They are the only team to have not lost less than five wickets even once this year. It has hurt them big time this season. They will hope to rectify it to an extent in their last two games.

'Great bowler, even better bloke'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

A round up of the reactions on Twitter to Ryan Harris’ retirement announcement

04-Jul-2015

Sehwag's debut in controversial game

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After making his maiden Ranji Trophy appearance for Haryana, Virender Sehwag spent a day at the Sehwag International School. While offering tips to youngsters, he recalled some memories of his first Ranji match

Amol Karhadkar07-Oct-2015Sometimes I get confused about which exactly should be treated as my first Ranji match. I made my first-class debut in Chennai, against Tamil Nadu, but didn’t get to bat when the match was abandoned in controversial circumstances. So I had to wait till the next season to bat in a Ranji game for the first time, so I shall talk about both the matches.Well, it was in January 1998 that I returned from playing the Under-19 World Cup and soon after coming back was selected for Delhi’s Ranji Trophy Super League match against Tamil Nadu. Those days, Ranji Trophy used to be played on a zonal basis followed by a Super League. I had missed the North Zone league due to Under-19 camp so was excited to be making my Ranji Trophy debut, alongside some of the stalwarts who were up against quite a formidable Tamil Nadu team.We fielded for one-and-a-half days. I bowled, I got one wicket – a prize scalp of WV Raman. He was well set, past his fifty and set for a trademark big hundred, so somebody told our captain why not bowl Virender Sehwag, he bowls decent offspin. Since the bowlers were tired, they too felt it would be a good idea to let me bowl five-six overs. He was batting on 60-odd runs, Ajay Sharma let me bowl with long-off and long-on in place. Raman took me on, hit over my head but it wasn’t timed well and Mithun Manhas dived and took a good catch at long-on.Then when we started batting and I was waiting for my turn. We were four or five down, I was padded up and then something happened. On the third evening, somebody tampered with the wicket and our captain Ajay Sharma and Mithun Manhas were batting. After that the Delhi captain refused to bat on. We complained against the Tamil Nadu team that they had tampered the pitch and because of that we were not going to play the remaining match.As a youngster, I was only waiting for my turn to bat. I really didn’t know what all was happening. I was sitting outside and I was talking to Mithun because he was my age and he told me there were footmarks on good-length area. He said the marks will help the offspinner, if he lands it there, he would be very difficult to face. I told him, “Why are you worried about an offspinner, just step out and hit a four or a six. Let’s go out and play.” He told me that it wasn’t in his hands and the captain and coach would take the decision.Unfortunately for me, Ajay Sharma and the coach, Maninder Singh Jaggi, refused to play the next morning. It was followed by the BCCI banning both the teams for the rest of the tournament, so we couldn’t play any more matches that season.My dream was still a dream, I couldn’t bat in the game. I was still waiting to bat in first-class cricket. This happened in February and I had to wait till October or November for the next season to start to have a bat in Delhi’s whites. I played the first game against Haryana. I was still batting at No. 7 and scored a hundred in my first innings.What I remember is I batted with the tailenders Rahul Sanghvi, Amit Bhandari and Robin Singh. When Rahul Sanghvi got out as the eighth man, I was batting somewhere around 40 and when the last man, Robin Singh, came out to bat, I was somewhere around 60. He hung around and I didn’t let him face many balls. Most of the time I was facing the balls and then taking a single off the last ball.The Haryana bowling attack was pretty good, including Pradeep Jain, Vinit Jain and Pankaj Thakur. Ajay Jadeja couldn’t play that game because he was playing ODIs. It was quite a decent attack. Since the last man was in, I was in a sort of hurry so I started playing more shots. I remember I hit a couple of sixes off Pradeep Jain and Thakur. And then Vinit Jain came and I finally completed my hundred.It was as exciting as it could have been for any youngster to score a hundred in his first innings.

Australia dominate rain-hit contest

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ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2015David Warner struck seven fours and three sixes in his 84, and put on 139 for the first wicket•AFPIreland landed regular blows after breaking the opening partnership, dismissing Steven Smith for 21 while George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell fell for single-digit scores•Getty ImagesRain made brief but regular appearances and forced the first innings to be curtailed•Getty ImagesShane Watson’s unbeaten 25 and Mitchell Marsh’s 11 helped Australia finish on 222 in 40.2 overs•Getty ImagesMitchell Starc struck in the first over of Ireland’s chase – to remove William Porterfield•Getty ImagesAfter losing Paul Stirling for a duck six balls later, Ireland’s chase got some stability through an 86-run third wicket stand between Niall O’Brien and Ed Joyce•Getty ImagesA fiery Pat Cummins delivery took out Stuart Thompson’s bat•Getty ImagesGlenn Maxwell sped up Ireland’s slide with two wickets, after which the quicks came back to dismiss them for 157 and complete a 23-run win by the D/L method•Getty Images

Hurting South Africa begin new adventure

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A proud South African record has come to an end, but they will be keen to rekindle their spark for their summer of Test cricket has a lot more ahead

Firdose Moonda in Delhi02-Dec-20152:20

Results haven’t justified our preparations – Amla

The overwhelming feeling in Delhi is that some things in the city are not as they should be. It’s not supposed to be this warm at this time of year. There shouldn’t be so much smog but there is and perhaps because of it, kids shouldn’t be going to school. And the Test series between India and South Africa shouldn’t have petered out this way.The scoreline is not the issue. The home fans are delighted with 2-0 and rightly so, but India’s success has been overshadowed by the surfaces it’s been achieved on. Even the team has been left disappointed that the focus has been pulled away from their performance; from what what India call their own excellence to exploit home conditions or South Africa’s inability to adapt to them. Instead Virat Kohli and his men find the neutrals comforting the vanquished and not celebrating the victors.The swathe of sympathy has given South Africa some breathing room. Amid ‘tough conditions,’ and even the ICC has agreed where Nagpur was concerned, the tourists have not had to look deeper into whether they could have done things better to avoid their current predicament. “Whatever happened in the last Test match, I don’t think will leave any tattoos on the team because it was a difficult Test match for everybody,” Hashim Amla said.Amla could even afford an answer which may not have been entirely serious when he was asked what it is like to to be a batsman in these circumstances. “Exciting,” he said, complete with a diplomatic reasoning. “It’s a lovely challenge facing good bowlers on difficult tracks.”It wasn’t long before Amla seemed a little more earnest and even with the series gone, overcoming India in such conditions was firmly on his bucket list. “We want to get in. On wickets like this, you are never quite in. You can scratch around some runs,” he said. “Whereas on other wickets, that are a bit more truer, you can set your innings in and dig deep. It’s been very difficult at times, but been exciting and a good challenge for our batters. After this tour, a lot of us and younger guys will take a lot of experience out of it.”The truth is South Africa will not simply brush this off as an aberration on an otherwise outstanding record on the road. This was a crucial series for them, perhaps the most important of the last few years and certainly the most important of Amla’s tenure as Test captain. It was supposed to exemplify of how well they have transitioned, instead it has shown that their next generation of players are not yet up to scratch. To have fallen so far short of where they would have wanted to be will not sit well with them regardless of what they may say in public.They were bystanders in their own big show and on the eve of the Delhi Test, that became clear in the most cruel way. There are no South Africans in the ICC’s Test team of the year, mostly because in the time period under consideration – September 2013 to September 2014 – South Africa played just five Tests. They won two, to claim a series win over West Indies, and drew three, including two rain-affected games in Bangladesh, which explains why they were overlooked but it would be little consolation. After all, even without much cricket, players like AB de Villiers – who scored two hundreds in the two wins – and Amla would make most teams.Again, Amla’s answer revealed something about where South Africa stand. “The number of games played in the period is probably the most important criteria in something like that. That’s not a lot of cricket compared to the other teams, so I don’t think it makes much of a difference. When you play more games you score more runs or take more wickets.”Perennially, one of South Africa’s problems has been that they don’t play as much Test cricket as the big three despite their ranking. This season was supposed to change that. Two successive four-Test series to make up a mega summer. But the first half has given disappointing returns, which means South Africa have a lot of ground to make up in the second segment – at home against England.Nothing they physically experience in Delhi will prepare them for that series. The conditions, the opposition and the atmosphere will be completely different but somehow South Africa have to find a way to take something out of here.It may be something as small as a single spell from one of their reserve bowlers – and some of them will be in operation because Dale Steyn has been ruled out again – or it may be something much bigger about the spirit they show and the pride they salvage. The thought that the series is not at stake may sit uncomfortably with South Africa but they have to stomach it. It was not supposed to be this way but it is.

Ross Taylor treats himself

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How Ross Taylor reconciled with New Zealand cricket and made the highest score by a visiting batsman in Australia

Daniel Brettig23-Nov-2015Where Ross Taylor grew up, the dinner treat was a trip to KFC. There was no McDonald’s in Masterton, 100km north-east of Wellington, so the reward of fried chicken became customary to a polite, cricket-keen youngster with dreams of growing up to become one of New Zealand’s finest batsmen.A few days ago, after his epic 290 had not only thwarted Steven Smith’s team but also made him the holder of the highest score by a visiting batsman in Australia, Taylor re-enacted this childhood ritual. With the help of a couple of team staff members, he made a satisfying trip to a Perth drive-thru. It was a moment of simple enjoyment: given the travails of Taylor’s recent past, not even the most ardent dietitian could possibly begrudge him that.Taylor fought plenty of obstacles to reach a score so lofty, not least the eye trouble that had afflicted him at the Gabba and compelled him to visit a specialist between Tests. Then there was the blow to the testicles in Zimbabwe that required extensive treatment and is still a source of some apprehension – another two months need to pass before Taylor is considered 100% fine to cop another hit to the box.But these matters are merely subplots within the wider struggle that played out so publicly three years ago. In summary, Taylor’s fledgling captaincy was questioned by the coach Mike Hesson not long after he replaced John Wright. In Sri Lanka, Hesson told Taylor he did not think he was the best man for the job, and a compromise splitting the captaincy between Taylor and Brendon McCullum was mooted. A seriously hurt Taylor declined the reduced commission, and took time out from the game. New Zealand Cricket later apologised to him for how it all played out.It would be hard to find a more personable or likeable character than Taylor. After a couple of initial interviews in which he conveyed his dismay, he has chosen to keep these matters to himself, but in reflecting upon his achievement at the WACA Ground, Taylor admitted the adversity of 2012 had shown him what was possible.”When the captaincy issue happened, I was only sleeping for a couple of hours a night for two weeks leading into that, and I had to bat pretty much a day in Sri Lanka,” Taylor told ESPNcricinfo. “That more than anything showed me I didn’t need sleep, or that you are going to be tired, but your mental strength has to take over. From that point of view Colombo was just as hot and probably muggier, and to have batted that long on two hours’ sleep each night for two weeks just shows you the mental strength you can gather from previous experiences.”We were so far behind the game [in Perth] that the motivation to get close to their score was always in the back of your mind, and we’ve fielded a lot on this trip and I didn’t really want to field that day either. It was a pretty easy decision to try and stay out there. It was always a goal of mine to bat a day in a Test match, I’d never batted a day in any form of cricket, so to bat a whole day in that heat and against that bowling line-up was satisfying.”How different things might have been. For a few days after that Colombo Test, Taylor’s love for the game was seriously tested. Conversations with his friend and mentor Martin Crowe helped pull him back from that precipice. “It was what I wanted to do since I was a little kid, and there’s only one New Zealand team you can play for, so it was a pretty easy decision,” Taylor said on reflection. “To say that it’s been an easy ride since would be naive and an understatement, but it’s definitely satisfying when you have innings like the other day.”Even so, the mental anguish of that Sri Lanka tour did not abate quickly upon Taylor’s return to the team. Crowe has depicted a sense of isolation, nights alone getting room service and enduring fretful sleep. “While away overseas on tour, he was living a cricketing nightmare,” Crowe wrote in 2013. “In other words, his nights were spent fretting on what he thought was the only thing he had left in the game – his batting. He had forgotten about himself.””Goals aren’t the be all and end all, but they’re a point you can have a bit of motivation to get, and it’s a nice distraction to have. Some are short term, some are long term. The funny thing was, one of them was 300, so I’ve still got that to tick off!”•Getty ImagesCrowe helped Taylor to find a happier medium between intensity and relaxation, contemplation and socialising. As time went on, he found himself reintegrated with the team, and happy to contribute wherever needed – the night before the WACA Test, he could be glimpsed dining happily with a cadre of team-mates. The loss of face associated with the captaincy change was considerable, but three years on, Taylor can now see his own strengths, and likewise where his leadership had the occasional weakness.”First and foremost whether you’re a captain, a rookie, a batter or a bowler, you’ve got to do your job well,” Taylor said. “When I was captain I found it was easier to talk to the group when you’re scoring runs. It’s quite tough when you’re not scoring runs to put on a front and put that facade up that you’ve still got everything under control.”Some people do it well, they can not score runs and still say the big words, all the big speeches, but I was never that person. My job is to score runs and help the youngsters through that. The longer it’s been, the guys have got more experience and my role is probably even more so just scoring runs now.”I’ve played in New Zealand teams where I’ve been the senior batter and felt a lot of responsibility. Over the last 24 to 36 months it’s been nice to have a few other players step up. It’s been exciting not only as a player, but also as a New Zealand cricket fan to see the team grow and the depth that’s been created.”The standout in this growth is Kane Williamson, a batsman so serene at the crease that Taylor is happy to admit his 31-year-old nerves are calmed simply by watching his younger team-mate at the other end. “I don’t have to talk him through his innings as much as I used to three or four years ago,” Taylor said. “Even more so when I’m under pressure, he’s the one talking me through different situations in the game as well.”It’s not necessarily just Kane but every young batsman, you’re most vulnerable in your first 15-20 balls. Right until the last 12-18 months, Kane would come out to bat and would still be very quiet, very inward. I’ve always been a nervous starter, and Kane’s there every two or three balls saying ‘hang in there, it’s going to be easier’ and that’s nice to hear. That’s the art of batting, not necessarily you against 11, it’s two against 11 and you’ve got to help each other out.”It’s been a nice thing for Kane, he is a very quiet, humble person, but in a batting sense nowadays you’re almost disappointed when he only gets a 50. It’s great to watch, it’s not often we’ve got a world-class batter in our team, and he’s definitely up there, one of the best if not the best at the moment. He’s the rock and as the boys are starting to call him, ‘the Vault’. Hopefully that sticks, I might just call him the Vault, I’m not going to call him Kane anymore…”These days, Taylor still finds the occasional roadblock to success on the field, but apart from the eye and testicle issues, they are happily of the more commonplace kind for a young father on the international carousel. “I can remember at Lord’s I was surprised I could score any runs when I batted in the first innings,” he recalled.”I’d had about two hours’ sleep. My son had been up all night with teething and had mouth ulcers. So those are the little things that people probably don’t know about touring and they just expect you to go out there. That’s fair enough, but at the same time you do have to have a life and sometimes having your family your on tour is good, but it can be a bit of a distraction as well.”Having negotiated a uniquely difficult period of time in the game, Taylor is now well and truly out the other side. The Perth innings may well be seen as the end of the turbulence, and the start of a new and fruitful phase. There are plenty more goals to be achieved, not least the day when he can add another 10 runs to his WACA Ground tally.”One of the biggest things when I first met with Martin was setting some goals,” Taylor said. “Goals aren’t the be all and end all, but they’re a point you can have a bit of motivation to get, and it’s a nice distraction to have. Some are short term, some are long term. The funny thing was, one of them was 300, so I’ve still got that to tick off!”

The day of the debutants

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Plays of the day from the first ODI between Australia and India in Perth

Melinda Farrell in Perth12-Jan-2016The debutant: IIt was a big moment for Joel Paris, opening the bowling from the Members End in front of his home crowd (albeit mostly populated by vocal India fans). The left-armer steamed in for his first ball and served up a fine yorker to Rohit Sharma, who leaned in and played across the ball, just catching it with the toe of his bat. A huge lbw appeal from the Australians was rightly ignored and Rohit was barely troubled again.The debutant: IIIt was a tough initiation to the big stage for Scott Boland. The most expensive of Australia’s bowlers, he struggled to find the right length and was duly punished by Rohit, ultimately conceding the most boundaries. But he did have his moment in the Perth sun towards the end of te innings when MS Dhoni leaned back and spanked a short ball from James Faulkner. It flew fast and hard and had all but passed Boland, who dived to his right and, at full stretch, took a fine catch.The debutant: IIIDhoni also threw the new ball to his greenest left-arm bowler, but with far more success. In his second over, Barinder Sran landed a full delivery outside off that tempted Aaron Finch into the drive. Finch’s bat twisted in his hands and the ball skewed off the bottom edge. At 6 foot 3, Barinder showed sharp reflexes to get low and take the return catch to pick up his maiden international wicket.The let offIt was faintly disappointing to see George Bailey arrive at the crease in a regulation helmet rather than the gold, floppy-brimmed hat he had worn in the field. But it was his glove, not his head gear, that caused a DRS stir. Barinder was deprived of a third wicket when Bailey attempted to turn a short leg-side delivery off his hip. Dhoni took a low catch down the leg side but umpire Richard Kettleborough’s finger stayed down, after a stifled appeal from the Indian players. The replay and Hot Spot showed the ball clearly glancing off Bailey’s glove and he got a life on his first ball.Missing magic MitchWhen Mitchell Johnson bowled his final spell in international cricket during the second Test against New Zealand, only a few thousand people were at the WACA to say farewell. So it was pleasing to see the fiery left-armer receive such a warm reception from the crowd at the innings break when he was ferried around the ground on the back of a pick-up truck with his daughter, Rubika. It was also a reminder of what the Australian team has lost; no one managed to push beyond the ‘magic’ 140kph mark. Memories of Johnson regularly topping 150kph seem rather distant.

De Villiers' inspirational qualities are key for South Africa

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AB de Villiers’ ability to inspire will be the most important aspect of his leadership as he takes over South Africa’s Test team, according to those who know him

Firdose Moonda11-Jan-2016AB de Villiers’ ability to inspire will be the most important aspect of his leadership as he takes over South Africa’s Test team, according to his former coach Ray Jennings and team-mates, Paul Harris and Jacques Rudolph. The trio believe de Villiers was the right choice to succeed Hashim Amla and to turn the team’s fortunes around.Jennings thought so highly of de Villiers that he wanted him to captain the IPL team he was in charge of, Royal Challengers Bangalore, ahead of Virat Kohli.”AB is all things to all people,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “When you watch the way he presents himself as a captain, you fall in love with him. There are four reasons that he is the right man for the job. One is that he wants it. Two is that it brings the best out of him. Three is that he leads from the front and lastly, he is an unbelievable human being.”De Villiers made clear both his desire to lead South Africa when Graeme Smith retired in March 2014 and his disappointment when he was overlooked in favour of Amla three months later. When Amla stepped down at the conclusion of the Newlands Test and de Villiers was asked to fill in for the next two matches, he said it was the, “fulfilment of a lifelong dream,” and those close to him are convinced this enthusiasm will translate into success.De Villiers a ‘spur of the moment’ leader – Domingo

A captaincy change mid-series is often seen as a sign of a team in crisis but South Africa’s coach Russell Domingo has played down its effects.
“I don’t see too much of a change in the dressing room because it’s all the same players. They all played under AB in the one-day side. It’s not too much of an adjustment,” Domingo said.
He said that there will be some differences in the style of leadership but hoped it would be catalyst for a comeback in a series where South Africa find themselves 1-0 down.
“The rhythm hasn’t been great over the last five Tests and sometimes change is good. Hashim has done a great job but it might just be the change that can trigger something.”
“AB is really looking forward to doing it. He has always wanted to captain the Test side and he is really excited by the challenge. It will hopefully bring the best out of him. We’ve seen the type of innings in ODIs when he has been the captain. He is an inspirational leader by the way he goes about his business as a player.
“Hashim has done a really good job, he has taken over a team that’s been in in transition and some players have really come through under his leadership. That fatherly guidance that he has offered to some players will be missed.
“AB is a different leader. He is more of a spontaneous leader. Hashim might be a little bit more methodical and thoughtful. AB is very much a spur of the moment. He plans a lot but does things instinctively.”

“He will be aggressive on the field, probably more aggressive than Hashim was,” Harris said, while Rudolph, who is in the UAE, told . “He’s the type of guy who will rally the guys together.”All that suggests South Africa were struggling for direction under Amla, something even the opposition noticed. Chris Woakes has indicated that England felt Amla was not captaining in the traditional sense and that he thought de Villiers was calling some of the shots.”Even when I was on the field in Durban you could feel that Amla was not leading the side as much as a normal captain would, such as Cooky does for us. It felt like AB was having an input anyway,” Woakes said at an event organised by England team sponsor Waitrose.As vice-captain and captain of the ODI side, de Villiers would have been expected to contribute to the think-tank. But what Rudolph described as Amla’s “introverted,” nature meant de Villiers was doing more than he might have anticipated. Faf du Plessis, who leads the T20 side, was also often involved in the on-field decision-making along with senior bowlers like Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, all of which appeared to undermine Amla’s authority.However, Jennings does not quite see it that way. He encourages that kind of consultative captaincy to continue. “The sign of a good captain is that he has three or four people that he talks to. You need that. You can’t be one of those guys who thinks it’s my team and I will do it my way and AB is not like that,” Jennings said. “AB is a listener and he is smart enough to be moulded into the kind of leader the team needs.”Harris expects de Villiers’ style to be somewhat similar to Smith’s, if only because de Villiers was captained by Smith for more than a decade. “When you play under someone for such a long time, it’s only natural that you will be influenced by that person. But I also think AB will put his own spin on things,” Harris said. “And then it will be up to him about how long he wants to continue playing and whether he wants to do it full time.”At the start of the England series, amid rumours that de Villiers was considering early retirement, the man himself confirmed he needed to manage his workload and that he was pondering which formats he still wanted to play. Now that he is standing in as Test captain and also leading the ODI side, the demands on de Villiers have increased but Jennings hopes that will prolong de Villiers’ career instead of shorten it.”When he first started the ODI captaincy he was a little insecure and we’ve seen how he has just grown into the role. He wants the challenge and he will put energy into the side,” he said. “There are two matches in the series and two matches to win and under AB, South Africa could do it. He will bring the best out of the side.”If de Villiers does, it will only enhance his chances of being given the job permanently. South Africa’s selectors will use the break between February and August, during which the team will not play any Tests, to decide who to make full-time Test captain. De Villiers has already been described as the “front-runner,” for the job by coach Russell Domingo.

The best XI from the Asia Cup

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ESPNcricinfo picks its best XI from the Asia Cup in Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam and Alagappan Muthu08-Mar-2016Rohit Sharma, India (138 runs at 27.60)
The opening position suits his style – slow starts but stormy finishes. India have known this all along, and that’s why they have never tried to fiddle with his position. Rohit’s failures against a charged-up Mohammad Amir and in the Asia Cup final would sting, but he has been one of the batsmen that have made India a strong limited-overs side since the start of the year.Soumya Sarkar, Bangladesh (94 runs at 18.80)
He struggled against India in the tournament opener, but slowly got into his groove and launched some sumptuous flicks and pulls against Pakistan. He was well set for his maiden T20I fifty, but for a magnificent Mohammad Amir yorker. Soumya’s aggression makes him a key player for Bangladesh in the upcoming World T20 in India.Virat Kohli, India (153 runs at 76.50)
The batting leader in the India side. He likes imposing himself on the opposition, but recently has shown that he can sit tight if needed. He did just that, despite emotions running high and the Pakistan attack running rampant, to make a match-winning 49. The fact that he hasn’t hit any sixes in the tournament but is among the highest run-getters speaks about how well he knows his game.Sabbir Rahman, Bangladesh (176 runs runs at 44.00)
He has been tasked with the No. 3 slot for a few months to add some X-factor to the batting line-up. Sabbir had done well against Zimbabwe in January, but it was his 54-ball 80 against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup that proved that he was the right candidate to bat at the top of the order. Sabbir may have to curb some leg-side swings, but is expected to stick to his role.Shoaib Malik, Pakistan (121 runs at 60.50)
His return to the Pakistan team last year was a surprise, but his success since then has been less so. A steady presence in the middle order, capable of minimising dot balls with singles and twos at least, Malik seems to be slipping into the role Misbah-ul-Haq was often tasked with. In a dismal Asia Cup campaign for his team, he averaged 60.50.Mahmudullah, Bangladesh (121 runs at 121.00)
Having redefined himself as a top-order batsman in ODIs, Mahmudullah adjusted and then excelled as a finisher in the Asia Cup. In each game of the round-robin stage, Mahmudullah came to Bangladesh’s rescue. His best display came against Pakistan, his cameo helping the hosts seal a tense chase.Mohammad Amir unleashed a fiery spell against India•AFPMS Dhoni (capt & wk) India, (42 runs; 6 catches, 1 stumping)
He faced only 15 balls in the entire tournament, but had 42 runs against his name and was never once dismissed. By virtue of pushing himself down the order, he gave Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya some time in the middle before the World T20. Dhoni’s ability to manage a team and look at various angles makes him a shoo-in as captain too.Amjad Javed, UAE (12 wickets at 14.08)
Uses every bit of his height and generates just enough extra bounce to compensate for his middling pace. Javed’s control of line was also impressive and his spell against Pakistan was so good that Waqar Younis admitted things were a bit “scary” in the opposition camp. He took three-fors against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and ultimately finished as the leading wicket-taker.Mohammad Amir, Pakistan (7 wickets at 11.57)
His fiery spells offered Pakistan some consolation in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Amir rattled India with pace and swing after the Pakistan batsmen faltered. The fast bowler then nearly won Pakistan their must-win clash against Bangladesh. Coach Waqar Younis was impressed with Amir’s progress and said: “The way he swung the ball, the pace, the length, it was outstanding.”Al-Amin Hossain, Bangladesh (11 wickets at 12.18)
He was Bangladesh’s most consistent performer with the ball, mainly getting the job done at the death overs. He claimed back-to-back three-fors against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. His yorkers will keep Bangladesh in good stead heading into the World T20.Jasprit Bumrah, India (6 wickets at 15.66)
The unusual action, an ability to move the ball both ways, and those stump-stirring yorkers make him an attractive package. At 22 years, he was even able to withstand the pressure of bowling the last over of Bangladesh’s innings in the Asia Cup final and allowed only seven runs off it.

Brilliant Broad routs South Africa

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2016He fell for a magnificent 110•Getty ImagesKagiso Rabada was again impressive, en route to his maiden five-wicket Test haul•Getty ImagesMoeen Ali’s counterattack was delayed when Hardus Viljoen shattered his bat•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow wandered up to inspect the damage•Getty ImagesStuart Broad was given the hurry-up by a Viljoen bouncer•Getty Images… before being bowled by Rabada for 12•Getty ImagesMorne Morkel removed Steven Finn for a duck as England took a slender 10-run lead•Getty ImagesHe conceded one run in his afternoon spell, when Stiaan van Zyl was dropped at slip•Getty Images… and South Africa were powerless to resist•Getty ImagesHe conceded one run in his afternoon spell, when Stiaan van Zyl was dropped at slip•Getty ImagesBut Broad soon had van Zyl, caught in the gully for 11.•AFPBroad’s dismissal of AB de Villiers for a duck put South Africa in a tailspin at 30 for 3•Getty ImagesJames Taylor was in stunning form at short leg …•Getty Images… removing Hashim Amla and Dane Vilas off full-blooded leg glances•Getty ImagesBen Stokes bowled Chris Morris with a perfect inswinger•Getty Images… but Broad’s diving catch after tea completed his stunning figures of 12.1-6-17-6•Getty Images

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