Smith needed cortisone injections to get through the final two Tests of the series but is hopeful he will be right for the India ODI series and the World Cup

Alex Malcolm22-Aug-20230:41

Hazlewood: Conditions can change so much in India

Steven Smith has revealed that he carried his left wrist injury through the final three matches of the Ashes series after damaging it at Lord’s while fielding during the second Test.Smith has suffered a small tendon tear in his left wrist which requires him to wear a splint for a short period of time and has ruled him out of Australia’s upcoming limited-overs tour of South Africa.He is hopeful of being fit for Australia’s subsequent three-match ODI series in India which starts on September 22 in Chandigarh but it leaves him just three matches and a warm-up game to prepare for the 50-over World Cup in India beginning in early October.Related

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Smith told that he hurt his wrist in the field at Lord’s, after making a match-winning 110 in the first innings, but the full extent of the damage was not revealed until he began training again at home in Sydney in preparation for the South Africa tour.”I did it at Lord’s. I don’t actually know the moment, it was when we were in the field,” Smith said. “It wasn’t until that night I was like, ‘geez, what have I done here, it’s a bit sore’.”I played the next game and then I had a cortisone [injection] before Old Trafford. I got back [to Australia] and I was like, ‘[It’s] still not quite right. I still can’t do a lot of things properly.'”I had another scan. There was a small tear in the tendon as well as a couple of other things.”Smith and Mitchell Starc were late withdrawals from the South Africa tour last Friday. Starc has some residual groin soreness after the Ashes series and needs more time to recover. Pat Cummins also has a fractured left wrist from landing heavily on it in the field in the final Ashes Test at the Oval. Cummins won’t play in the South Africa limited-overs series but will join the group ahead of the fourth ODI in Centurion.Steven Smith hurt his left wrist during the Lord’s Test•PA Images via Getty Images

Marnus Labuschagne has been recalled to Australia’s ODI squad for South Africa in Smith’s absence after being left out of the World Cup squad of 18. Ashton Turner has replaced Smith in the T20I squad for South Africa.Smith’s injury does compromise Australia’s ability to settle their top four ahead of the World Cup. David Warner was absent for the first two matches of Australia’s last ODI series in March in India due to a fractured elbow. Mitchell Marsh opened the batting for the first time in his ODI career alongside Travis Head with extraordinary success, to the point where Warner batted at No. 4 for the first time in his career when he returned for the final game in Chennai, having only once previously not opened in 141 ODIs for Australia.Warner and Head have been a devastating combination for Australia sharing opening stands of 284, 147 and 269 in just seven innings together at the top of the order.But Marsh’s power-hitting ability inside the powerplay, as showcased by his recent form across all formats, makes him an irresistible option in the top three for Australia’s selectors meaning Smith could be forced to slide to No. 4 despite batting at No. 3 in his last 23 ODI innings since the 2019 World Cup and averaging 60.70, striking at 90.05 and scoring four centuries. Eleven of Smith’s 12 ODI centuries have come at No. 3 and he averages 54.56 at first drop compared to 35.61 at No. 4.Smith was also set to open in the T20I series against South Africa while Warner rested with the aim of trying to regain his spot in Australia’s first-choice T20I side after being squeezed out for the last World Cup in Australia in 2022. Smith did play in Australia’s final match of the tournament against Afghanistan, but only in the absence of Aaron Finch and Tim David after carrying the drinks for most of that tournament.Steven Smith made two BBL centuries last summer•Getty Images

Smith has never opened in T20I cricket but was dominant for Sydney Sixers in just five innings in last summer’s BBL, plundering two extraordinary centuries and striking at 174.74. The selectors had hoped to give Smith a chance in South Africa with a view to possibly cementing him at the top of the order for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA next year, where his ability against spin on low, spinning pitches could be a major asset given it has generally been a weak point for Australia’s T20 batting line-up.”I did speak to [Australian coach] Andrew McDonald about it,” Smith said. “He said I’d get more opportunities somewhere to press my case. It’s kind of the dream job. Everyone wants to open the batting in T20s.”There’s not much accountability there, you just sort of go out there and play. You’ve got two fielders out for the first six overs, and if you get going then you’re already in when the field goes out, so it’s a nice time to bat.”Australia play five T20Is in India immediately after the ODI World Cup but as with the upcoming South Africa series, some of Australia’s three-format players will likely be rested in order to be ready for the home Test series against Pakistan which begins just 10 days after the fifth T20I in Hyderabad.Following five home Tests against Pakistan and West Indies in December and January, Australia will have three home T20Is against West Indies and three away against New Zealand where they will likely bed down their best side ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.

Club hope to draw line under racism crisis after naming long-sought successor to Lord Patel

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2023Harry Chathli has been confirmed as Yorkshire’s new chair, following a lengthy search for a successor to Lord Kamlesh Patel, who stood down in March.Chathli, 58, will take over from the club’s interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, following an extraordinary general meeting, having joined Yorkshire’s board as a non-executive director in June. He will serve a three-year term.”It’s an honour and privilege to be appointed chair of one of the most iconic clubs,” Chathli said. “Cricket is at an inflexion point with unprecedented growth reaching new audiences who are attracted by the variety of formats. Yorkshire has played its part in this growth within the men’s cricket and has also been at the forefront of development of women’s cricket in the country. I am also proud of the fact we are championing disability and LGBTQ+ cricket.”I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tanni for her excellent stewardship of the club through a very challenging period this year.”It is hoped that Chathli’s appointment can draw a line under a turbulent period for Yorkshire, in the wake of the racism crisis that ripped through the club, following Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about his treatment during his playing days.Earlier this year, Yorkshire pleaded guilty to four amended charges of bringing the game into disrepute and were fined £400,000, as well as handed points deductions in the County Championship and other domestic competitions, for their mishandling of Rafiq’s case.Lord Patel, Chathli’s predecessor as full-time chair, was appointed to the role in November 2021 at the height of the crisis, which included the suspension of Headingley’s hosting rights for major matches, and the loss of a raft of principal sponsors including Emerald, Yorkshire Tea and Nike.Patel also sanctioned the sacking of 16 members of Yorkshire’s coaching and back-room staff in a bid to create “a culture which is progressive and inclusive”. That decision was later found to have been “procedurally unfair”, with Yorkshire required to set aside £1.9 million for compensation and legal affairs.Chathli, whose daughter, Kira, plays for South East Stars and was part of the Oval Invincibles team that won the 2022 Hundred, is a highly regarded business leader, and an experienced international capital markets expert, with a 25-year track record of advising global companies, organisations and government agencies.Stephen Vaughan, Yorkshire’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome Harry to the Board and as Chair at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
“Harry brings strong business acumen and experience, and I am sure this positive impact that will benefit Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Yorkshire Family as a whole.”The Board looks forward to working with Harry and collectively we are committed to delivering long-term success that YCCC members deserve.”

The legspinner has battled injuries and illness to thump life into Australia’s World Cup campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-20231:11

Pujara: Zampa’s flatter trajectory made the difference

Adam Zampa has had to deal with back, neck, shoulder, and glute complaints – and even illness – in this World Cup, but he has overcome them to revive Australia’s campaign. After taking 4 for 47 against Sri Lanka in Lucknow, the legspinner bagged another four-wicket haul against Pakistan in Bengaluru on Friday, to help Australia secure their second successive victory. This, after they had started the tournament with back-to-back losses.Australia captain Pat Cummins was pleased with Zampa’s latest effort, which helped his side defend 367 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which often spooks bowlers with its small dimensions and easy-paced pitch. Zampa claimed the key wickets of both captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the highest run-getter in the tournament so far, to kill off the chase.”Yeah, Lazarus [Adam Zampa] has been awesome,” Cummins told at the post-match presentation. “He’s been in the bed for the last week or two. He was fantastic, and he just showed his class. He’s a real wicket-taker in the middle. Babar Azam and Iftikhar [Ahmed] at the end when he was going – two big wickets.”Related

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Marcus Stoinis, Zampa’s close friend and team-mate, felt that this was Zampa’s best spell in this World Cup. “I’m very happy for Lazarus (laughs). He’s had a flu, he’s had a sore back, he’s had a bad neck and he’s had a bad glute,” Stoinis said. “But he’s been bowling really well. This game was the best he has bowled, I reckon. So, he will rest up today and come strong tomorrow.”Zampa – and Australia – will have a four-day break before they face Netherlands in Delhi.Cummins also credited David Warner and Mitchell Marsh for setting up Australia’s victory on Friday with a 259-run opening stand. Both batters scored century and at one point Warner even threatened to convert it into a double-hundred. Pakistan’s bowlers then clawed their way back in the slog overs, but the openers had already inflicted severe damage on their attack by then.”Yeah, that was a great win,” Cummins said. “Pretty tough playing here at Chinnaswamy, but good to get a win. Yeah, that was proper from those two [David Warner and Mitchell Marsh]. That kind of set the tone for how we want to play our cricket: take the game on. Eighty-odd in the powerplay was fantastic and I can’t ask for any more. That [batting through] in ODI cricket is key and it can look easy at times and hard to get the breakthrough. You just need one breakthrough and the next guy suddenly looks a bit different. So, it was great.”Just five days ago, Australia were rooted to the bottom of the points table. They’ve now climbed up into the top four and are looking like serious contenders for the title once again.

He was expected to be in high demand following a successful debut season with Delhi Capitals and his current England form

Cameron Ponsonby20-Dec-2023Phil Salt has described his IPL omission as “confusing” after he went unsold at the 2024 mini auction.Salt was expected to be in high demand following a successful debut season with Delhi Capitals where he averaged 27.25 with a strike-rate of 163.91. But despite a base price of 1.5 crore, the England opener went unsold.”It was a confusing morning,” Salt said in the moments after he’d scored a second consecutive T20I hundred for England against the West Indies. “I expected to be picked up, having gone there last year and done well and after the year that I’ve had, but these things happen. It’s part of the lottery of an auction, it happens in draft processes as well. There’s a few lads in our dressing room who are going to have a very good Christmas and I’m over the moon for them.Related

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“I was a bit confused but it can happen. There’s no bad cricketers on the list at the IPL. It’s one of those things.”England opener had purposely slept in late in order to miss as much of the auction as possible, with his agent giving him texts to update on how things were going. The timing of Salt’s snub is particularly incongruous given his international form which has seen him score back-to-back centuries for England who have won two on the bounce to tie their five-match series against the West Indies at two apiece. Until four days ago, Salt hadn’t scored a professional T20 hundred, now he has made two.”It was probably a little bit of it, subconsciously,” Salt said of whether his IPL snub had motivated his innings of 119 today. “I’m very aware of how lucky I am to be here playing cricket.”I’m playing good cricket, I’m doing what I came out here to do. More importantly than that, the boys have really pulled together and shown what a good team we are. The West Indies are a very good side that we’re playing against so to win back-to-back games and force the decider in a couple of days’ time, I’m chuffed.”Salt’s innings of 119 off off 57 balls in Trinidad was the highest-ever score in T20I by an English player and backed up his effort of 109 not out off 56 on Saturday.Salt had spoken previously of his disappointment at failing to turn starts in an England shirt into big scores, a trait that he has brought to an emphatic close in the last 72 hours.Alongside captain Jos Buttler, the pair has combined for back-to-back hundred run partnerships, with their effort in Trinidad the fastest century stand in England’s history, coming off just 52 balls.”When we’re in the middle, it’s more getting me back in my box,” Salt said of Buttler’s advice whilst the pair were batting together. “It’s either ‘you’re doing really well’ or ‘drop it down a gear’. We’ve had some good conversations away from the game, we’ve enjoyed spending time around each other as a group so we’re going nicely.”England went on to score 267 for 3, their highest ever T20 score and the second highest by a Full Member nation. Salt himself reached his century off 48 balls, muscling 10 sixes along the way.”I’ve worked specifically on hitting sixes over the off-side. I’ve always been good at hitting the sight screen and going over the leg-side. When Jason Holder took the pace off wide and I hit it over the offside, something Jos said to me was ‘teams can’t bowl to you’. That’s an area I’ve been working on for a good while so it’s good to see it’s working.”

South Africa’s Test coach says both he and the players have accepted the importance of the T20 franchise league to the game’s financial sustainability in the country

Firdose Moonda04-Jan-2024South Africa’s national team will have to “find a way to co-exist” with the SA20 and not fight against its primacy in the calendar, according to Test coach Shukri Conrad.His concession comes after South Africa announced a makeshift squad including an uncapped captain to play two Tests in New Zealand next month, sparking criticism, particularly from Australia, that they were disrespecting the oldest format. But Conrad called for a more nuanced understanding and indicated both he and the players have accepted the necessity of the SA20 to secure the game’s financial sustainability in South Africa.Asked to respond to Steve Waugh’s Instagram post on the South African squad, which questioned if it was a defining moment for Test cricket, Conrad did not hold back. “I don’t think Steve Waugh is going to really care what I say but I love how everybody outside South Africa have become experts on South African cricket,” he said. “Our hand has been forced. Everybody understands the SA20 has to happen. SA20 has to happen because it is the lifeblood of South African cricket. If it doesn’t happen, we are not going to have Test cricket anyway. We’ve got to find a way to coexist with the league, we’ve got to co-exist with leagues around the world to ensure the sustainability of the game.”