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Launching a domestic T20 professional league by 2022 and submitting joint bids with Cricket West Indies to host a major ICC tournament part of objectives

Peter Della Penna15-Oct-2020USA Cricket has released a foundational plan document presenting an outline for its target of becoming an ICC Full Member by 2030. As part of the document, USA Cricket has reaffirmed its intention to launch a domestic T20 professional league by 2022 – one which has been pushed back by the Covid-19 pandemic – and to submit joint bids with Cricket West Indies to host a major ICC tournament such as a T20 World Cup within the 2023-31 ICC commercial rights cycle.In order to achieve some of these objectives, USA Cricket has stated it intends to have at least two more ICC ODI accredited venues by 2021. Currently, the only such venue in the USA is Broward County Stadium located in Lauderhill, Florida, which has hosted 10 T20Is since 2010 and hosted USA’s first ODI on home soil in September 2019.USA Cricket has stated it will put specific emphasis on T20 cricket domestically over the next decade, spearheaded by the planned T20 league it has branded Major League Cricket. Compared to the pathway taken by Ireland and Afghanistan to achieve Full Membership, which utilized success in the four-day Intercontinental Cup competition and establishing a domestic first-class structure, USA’s plan would need the ICC to go ahead with proposals to decouple Test status with Full Member status.Growing girl’s and women’s participation figures across the country is also a focus area laid out in the document. At present, there are roughly between 150 and 200 female players spread across the entire country compared to men’s players which are between 10,000 and 20,000 hardball cricket players if not more according to various registration data figures.However, the document lacks specific measurable growth or performance targets within the plan’s framework. A previous document issued in 2015 by the ICC’s Project USA transition team stated specific goals for USA over the next five years which included qualifying for the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup, the 2020 Men’s and Women’s T20 World Cup and the 2020 U-19 World Cup. USA fell short of achieving all four targets, though they did secure ODI status in April 2019.Though the new foundational plan document targets qualification for the 2022 U-19 World Cup, there is no similar performance goal laid out for the men’s or women’s national teams. Instead, the document states that “we will develop a clear and balanced long-term international playing calendar for our national teams that includes more content, played more frequently against competitive opposition.”According to the ICC’s current criteria requirements for obtaining Full Membership, several of the measurable objectives that must be met include: qualifying for at least three 50-over or T20 World Cups in an eight-year span, registering at least one win over a Full Member in a World Cup or World Cup Qualifying event plus four wins over Full Members in bilateral matches, qualifying for at least one Women’s World Cup and two U-19 World Cups. The only one of these that USA has achieved at any point in history is qualifying for the U-19 World Cup, which was last done in 2010.USA Cricket most recently announced plans to resume a national domestic championship, dependent on passing individual state health protocol during Covid-19, for the first time since 2015. This would be the first step of the domestic competition infrastructure framework requirements to satisfy Full Membership criteria.USA is currently ranked second in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two competition that has been stalled by the pandemic. USA has won six of its 12 ODIs in the tournament, putting them second behind table leaders Oman and three points ahead of Scotland. They failed to advance past regional qualifying in 2019 for the next edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup. The women’s team finished winless in group play at the women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier held in Scotland in August 2019 and the U-19 team finished as runner-up to Canada in the most recent U-19 World Cup regional qualifier in July 2019.

The left-arm seamer, who underwent back surgery last year, will initially be available for T20 selection

George Dobell03-Jul-2019Reece Topley is set to return to professional cricket having signed a contract with Sussex.Topley, the former England left-arm swing bowler, underwent back surgery in July 2018, having sustained a fifth stress fracture in the back.He was released by Hampshire at the end of the 2018 season – he had been seeking his release for some time – and declined contract offers from several smaller counties at the start of this season so he could complete his rehabilitation at his own pace.Initially Topley will be available for selection for the T20 side though the hope is he will be able to play Championship cricket before the end of the season. While the contract at Sussex currently only runs until the end of September, both parties hope it can be extended.Topley has been training with Sussex on and off for a couple of months. He has represented their second XI in T20 cricket and played for Reigate Priory in the Premier Division of the Surrey Championship.Having been out of cricket for so long, Topley is clearly not in the frame for an imminent return to the England set-up. He is just 25, though, and it was noticeable that he was quickly recalled to the Lions set-up midway through the 2018 season despite having played little cricket previously. England are still looking for a left-arm seamer; if he can avoid further injury, Topley could yet be that man.”I’ve had to take a step back with my game for a while, so to be back in a place where I can contribute for Sussex is really exciting,” Topley said. “I’m looking forward not only to be playing again, but to being back in the dressing room and working with the rest of the squad and the coaches here at the club.”It’s been a long time out rehabbing, so if I can make it through to the end of the season fit and having contributed to the team and then work hard during the off-season so I am at my best for the start of next summer, I’ll be thrilled.”I’m so grateful to Sussex for the use of all the facilities and personnel over the last few month. Everyone here has given me 100% effort and the ‘can do’ attitude around the place has been incredible and has surpassed any expectations I had.””We’ve had our fair share of guys unavailable for various reasons this season, so to have another bowling option for the rest of the season is great news,” Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie said.Topley has played ten ODIs and six T20Is for England. In 34 first-class matches he has taken 127 wickets, 84 wickets in 62 T20s and 93 wickets in 55 list A games.

Smith is understood to have been preferred from a shortlist that also included Andy Flower, Derek Pringle, Mike Selvey and one of the current selectors, Mick Newell

George Dobell18-Apr-2018Ed Smith has emerged as the favourite to be appointed as England’s new head selector.While the ECB have not confirmed the appointment, Smith is understood to have been preferred from a shortlist that also included Andy Flower, Derek Pringle, Mike Selvey and one of the current selectors, Mick Newell. Angus Fraser, another of the current incumbents, is understood not to have reapplied for a selection role.Smith replaces James Whitaker in the lead selection role. He will be involved in picking another member of the selection panel who will complete a three-man line-up alongside England coach, Trevor Bayliss. The trio are expected to be advised by a dozen or so scouts whose names will be announced imminently.An elegant batsman, Smith was good enough to play three Tests for England in the summer of 2003 after a prolific run of form in county cricket. He scored 64 in his first innings but managed only 23 more runs in his next four innings and was dropped. His playing career ended somewhat when he suffered a badly broken ankle in 2008. He was 31.While much of his subsequent career has been in the media – Smith has, among other things, commentated for the , as well as written books and articles for a variety of outlets – he also had a spell as a consultant to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016, when they reached the final of the IPL.A former captain of both Kent and Middlesex, Smith was at the latter with Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket. Smith’s leadership style was not always popular, however, and he left Kent not long after something approaching an on-field mutiny from some senior players.

Usman Khawaja’s absence is a significant pointer as the probable inclusion of an allrounder in Australia’s XI means only five specialist batting positions will likely be available

Brydon Coverdale17-Feb-2017Usman Khawaja could be facing the axe from Australia’s team for the first Test against India, after being left out of the XI for the tour match against India A in Mumbai.Shaun Marsh was preferred for the three-day game, which is Australia’s only warm-up match before the first Test in Pune. Although the tour-match XI will not completely correspond to Australia’s Test XI – Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are both being rested – the absence of Khawaja is a more significant pointer.The probable inclusion of an allrounder in Australia’s XI means only five specialist batting positions will likely be available: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith, Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh were all named in the tour match XI.Khawaja’s disappointing record in Asian conditions could leave him on the outer. In four Tests in Asia – all in Sri Lanka – he has scored 115 runs at 19.16, and he was dropped mid-tour during Australia’s series in Sri Lanka last year. His wider first-class record in Asia – including tour games and Australia A matches – is 389 runs at 32.41. In his past 14 first-class innings in Asia, he has not passed 50.Marsh, by comparison, has played three Tests in Asia – like Khawaja, all in Sri Lanka – but has made two centuries and averages 78.60 in those games. Unlike Khawaja, who has played Australia A first-class matches in India, Marsh is yet to make any first-class appearance in India, and the selectors hope that his ability against spin might help strengthen Australia’s batting order in this series.However, despite his struggles in Asia, Khawaja is coming off a productive home summer, in which he scored 581 runs at 58.10 from six Tests against South Africa and Pakistan. Last month, when the Test squad for this tour was announced, national selector Trevor Hohns was asked whether Khawaja’s retention for the first Test would depend on his form in the training camp in Dubai, and the tour game.”We see Usman as one of our best five or six batsmen,” Hohns said at the time. “He’s included because of that. We would expect Usman to do everything he possibly can to improve his play. He wasn’t great in Sri Lanka – and once again, he knows that and understands that. We want to see him improve his play in those conditions against spin bowling. He’s one of our best batsmen, so there’s no reason why he can’t do the job.”Marsh began the home summer as Warner’s opening partner, but after scoring 63 and 15 in the first Test against South Africa in Perth, he missed the remainder of the Tests due to injury. In his previous two Tests – against West Indies in Hobart in December 2015, and against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2016 – Marsh had scored centuries.Writing for ESPNcricinfo this week, former Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said if he was choosing the XI for the first Test in Pune, he would pick Marsh ahead of Khawaja.Australia XI for tour game David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.

Fiji Under-19 captain Saimoni Tuitoga has spoken of his excitement in taking part in what he believes is “a big opportunity” for the team

Mohammad Isam21-Jan-2016Fiji Under-19 captain Saimoni Tuitoga has spoken of his excitement in taking part in what he believes is “a big opportunity” for the team.Fiji are competing in the Under-19 World Cup for the very first time, and perhaps it was to put Tuitoga’s mind to ease that he was being accompanied to the press conference room by their head coach Shane Jurgensen, who is no stranger to Bangladesh.”We are very excited to be in this big event,” Tuitoga said. “Back at home, everyone knows that we are going to take part in the biggest event of the U-19 level. It is going to be a tough challenge for the boys. We are looking forward to play the first match against England. We are training hard.”Raju Rijal, Nepal Under-19’s wicketkeeper-batsman who was also at the press conference, was comparatively less shy. Rijal revealed that his team had been training in India to prepare for the tournament following last year’s earthquake in Nepal.”We had a huge disaster in Nepal last year. We have prepared in Himachal Pradesh, and we will try our best in this tournament. I can’t think too much ahead in the tournament. We will try to do it game-by-game. We will try our level best,” he said.Rijal said that he was a fan of Paras Khadka, the captain of Nepal’s senior side, with whom the U-19 team has sometimes shared training facilities. He added that Shakib Al Hasan was another player he followed closely.”Paras Khadka is very good as a person, as a cricketer. They practice with us sometimes in the stadium. We also chat at times.”We follow Bangladesh’s matches. We started together but Bangladesh have risen very high. They have many stadiums and host so many events. We can’t afford this in Nepal. We are inspired by Bangladesh. My favorite cricketer in the Bangladesh team is Shakib Al Hasan.”

Steven Crook starred with bat and ball as Northamptonshire claimed their first home win in one-day cricket for two years with victory over the Warwickshire in the Yorkshire Bank 40.

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2013
ScorecardSteven Crook followed up his 40 with his best List A bowling figures•Getty Images

Steven Crook starred with bat and ball as Northamptonshire claimed their first home win in one-day cricket for two years with victory over the Warwickshire in the Yorkshire Bank 40.It was a result that may well have ended any hopes that Warwickshire, the trophy winners in 2011 and finalists in 2012, had of progressing in the competition but one that sustains Northants’ aspirations. The club are also currently top of the Division Two Championship table.Northants posted 229 for 9 from their 40 overs, Crook top-scoring with 40 off 29 balls with Chris Wright taking 3 for 47 for the visitors. The Bears then collapsed to 193 all out with Rikki Clarke’s 65 from 76 balls providing the most resistance as Crook took a career-best 5 for 36.This was Northants’ second consecutive win in the competition and their first with the white ball at Wantage Road since they beat Scotland in May 2011.Northants won the toss and chose to bat only for Rob Newton to blast Wright to Jeetan Patel at cover in the second over. David Sales perished on 26 when he played Boyd Rankin’s delivery on to his stumps before Kyle Coetzer edged Ateeq Javid to Warwickshire wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose on 35.Northants lost captain Alex Wakely after he too plundered 35 when Patel’s delivery clipped his off stump and Matthew Spriegel then went for the same score when he was run out by William Porterfield at long-off. Wright then bowled Andrew Hall before James Middlebrook was taken at point by Porterfield off the same bowler.Steffan Piolet claimed two wickets from the penultimate over when Crook was taken at cover by Bears captain Jim Troughton before he castled Trent Copeland.Chasing 230, Warwickshire lost two wickets in five balls in the second over when Crook trapped Varun Chopra lbw for 2 before Troughton, on 4, slashed the same man to substitute Rob Keogh at point. Ambrose was then run out by Wakely from mid-off after trying to run a quick single off Crook from the second ball he faced.Clarke was to reach 50 off 54 balls but Porterfield perished for a patient 47 when he was taken at point by Newton off Copeland to break a fourth-wicket stand of 101.Darren Maddy nudged Spriegel to Northants wicketkeeper David Murphy before the the hosts got the wicket they really wanted when Murphy stumped Clarke to give Hall his first wicket.Crook was brought back into the attack in the 32nd over and soon bowled Piolet for a four-ball duck before pinning Patel lbw for 1. He then completed his first-ever five-wicket haul in one-day cricket by taking out Wright’s off stump before Hall rounded off proceedings by bowling Javid for a bright 31.

Australia’s coach Micky Arthur has said that Mitchell Johnson will have to compete with Pat Cummins for a place in the playing XI

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2012Australia’s coach Micky Arthur has said Mitchell Johnson will have to compete with Pat Cummins for a place in the starting XI during the one-day series against Ireland and England in June and July.Both Johnson and Cummins were recalled to the squad after recovering from foot injuries they sustained during Australia’s Test tour of South Africa in November 2011. “Mitchell Johnson returns and we can’t wait to have him back around the group,” Arthur said. “He may have to wait his turn though, as we are taking such a talented group of bowlers on the tour with us.”Arthur said he was excited with the prospect of seeing Cummins, who took seven wickets on Test debut against South Africa last November, return to top-flight cricket. “The player I am most excited about is Pat Cummins, we all saw what he could do in his one and only Test match and to have him back in the mix is fantastic,” he said. “He has the ability to become one of the best in the world. He and Patto [James Pattinson] will take a huge amount out of this tour.”Arthur hoped the Pattinson-Cummins combination would make their attack a force during the Ashes in 2013. “We hope they both will be firing this time next year when we go to England to claim the Ashes back and drawing on the experience of touring the UK before will certainly give them an edge.”Arthur also expressed support for Australia’s Test batting line up. “I am very happy with where our Test team is headed. Continuity in selection and role clarity is so important in creating team culture and I know that all players now know where and how they fit in,” he said. “We have a settled top six now and, together, this unit has played seven Test matches.”Edited by Carlyle Laurie

West Indies have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate in the one-off Twenty20 against Pakistan which they won by seven runs on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2011West Indies have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate in the one-off Twenty20 against Pakistan which they won by seven runs on Friday. ICC match referee Jeff Crowe said the hosts were assessed to be one over behind the required rate, after time allowances were taken into consideration.In accordance with ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10% of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.As such West Indies captain Darren Sammy was fined 20% of his match fee, while the rest of the side were penalised 10% each. Sammy did not contest the penalty, so there will be no hearing.

When it comes to their respective heights, about a foot or so separates Bangladeshi batsmen Mohammad Ashraful and Jahurul Islam, yet in terms of Test experience the two stylish right-handers remain poles apart

Mark Pennell10-May-2010Bangladeshis 372 for 6 (Jahurul 159, Ashraful 89) lead Surrey XI 318 for 7 (Spriegel 108*, Meaker 94) by 54 runs

ScorecardWhen it comes to their respective heights, about a foot or so separates Bangladeshi batsmen Mohammad Ashraful and Jahurul Islam, yet in terms of Test experience the two stylish right-handers remain poles apart.The diminutive Ashraful, the Tigers’ Test captain until last year, is his nation’s most capped player with 53 Test appearances to his name, while the taller, willowy Jahurul, only made his Test bow in March, scoring 0 and 43 in the nine-wicket defeat by England at Mirpur.But, when it came to run-scoring during their tour opener against Surrey at a bitterly cold Oval on Monday, it was the 23-year-old Jahurul who shaded the issue with an excellent 159 compared to Ashraful’s more measured 89 during a second-wicket stand worth 194 in 46 overs.In pursuit of Surrey’s first day total of 318 for 7 declared, the little and large partners filled their boots on a placid pitch and against a hugely inexperienced Surrey attack to lead their side to 372 for 6 and an overall lead of 54 going into the final day of this three-day friendly.The duo came together with their side on 49 following the loss of Imrul Kayes (16) in the 14th over of the morning and, after enjoying a slice of early luck, went on to dominate proceedings for the best part of two sessions.
Kayes, shuffling across his stumps in aiming to work a straight one from Laurie Evans through midwicket, was bowled around his legs and shuffled off toward the dressing room with leg stump pegged back having gifted Evans a maiden first-class wicket.Against a rookie Surrey attack and a host team with an average age of only 23, the visitors re-grouped painstakingly through Ashraful and Jahurul, who is only in the side due to the extended absence of Bangladesh’s star batsman, Tamim Iqbal.The 21-year-old Tamim fractured his left wrist during the tail end of 2009 and exacerbated the injury last month, curtailing his World Twenty20 campaign to a single appearance against Pakistan.Bangladesh physiotherapist Michael Henry confirmed Tamim would be seeing a London-based specialist on Wednesday, only then will the tourists know if their crowd-pleasing left-hander will stand a chance of playing in the first Test at Lord’s at the end of the month.If he fails to recover in time, Jahurul made sure he will be seen as ‘next cab on the rank’ with his studious career-best at The Oval. His half-century took nigh on two hours and included nine fours, yet there were no signs of the nervous nineties as he moved into three figures in the space of two deliveries.A sweetly-timed cover drive against spinner Matt Spriegel bashed into the picket fence to take him to 98 then, to the next delivery, he danced down the wicket and deposited a flighted one over long on for the second six of his 158-ball hundred.Ashraful looked destined to join him in three figures until, seven overs before tea, he shouldered arms at a Tom Jewell off-cutter that plucked out off stump and sent him packing for 89.Jahurul surged past his previous career-best of 139 on the way to 158 from 256 balls before his five-hour stay came to a surprise end when he was dismissed by Simon King in only his third first-team appearance for Surrey. Dancing down the pitch trying to deposit one from the offspinner into the OCS Stand, Islam miscued into the hands of Chris Schofield to go with his side only two runs short of first innings parity.Mushfiqur Rahim (52) sliced a drive to cover to be caught overhead, Mahmudullah Riyad (27) pulled loosely to deep midwicket and Naeem Islam (0) chopped the final ball of the day onto his off stump to give seamer Matt Dunn somewhat flattering figures of 3 for 48.

Luke Hollman’s career-best 5 for 16 in the format to no avail at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2024 Surrey 185 for 9 (Curran 48, Evans 41, Hollman 5-16) beat Middlesex 129 for 8 (Davies 35, Abbott 5-18) by 56 runsSean Abbott’s 5 for 18, including wickets with successive balls led the way as Surrey crushed London rivals Middlesex by 56 runs at Lord’s to return to the top of the South Group table.The Aussie seamer mixed slower balls with great yorkers to expose the home side’s fragile batting and ensure they were never in the hunt for a victory target of 186.Abbott’s wasn’t the only five-wicket haul of the night with Luke Hollman taking a career-best 5-16 in the format, including three in one over, but Tom Curran (48 from 28) and Laurie Evans (41 from 20) steered Surrey to a challenging 185 for 9 despite the Middlesex leg-spinner’s heroics.For Middlesex defeat was their 13th in a row at home in the Blast, a run now stretching back more than two years.Dom Sibley, dropped on nought by Martin Andersson, soon departed lbw for 5 after Surrey were invited to bat, but thereafter Dan Lawrence and Laurie Evans dominated the remainder of the powerplay for the visitors.Evans was particularly belligerent, upper-cutting one from Henry Brookes over the ropes before bludgeoning Tom Helm over mid-on for a second six. Lawrence was more classical, creaming one for four through the covers and cutting to good effect.The introduction of Hollman though changed the landscape. The leg-spinner began the fightback, pinning Evans lbw attempting to sweep one off the stumps before causing skipper Ollie Pope to sky one to extra cover in his next over.He wasn’t done there producing a trio of wickets in his third over – and it might have been more. Lawrence found the hands of Helm at long-on, while Rory Burns should have been stumped first ball, Jack Davies fumbling the chance, but the wicketkeeper atoned two balls later when Surrey’s red-ball skipper was undone by a googly. And Hollman capped a magical over, trapping Jamie Smith, a man with a strike-rate of 210 this season, lbw.The Brown caps had stumbled to 106 for 6, but Curran remained and counter-attacked fiercely. Three times the allrounder cleared the ropes with Brookes the bowler to suffer most, though the former Warwickshire quick gained some recompense when Curran holed out two short of 50 in the last over.Chasing 186, Andersson perished early caught in the deep off Abbott and when he removed Stephen Eskinazi and Holden with the last two balls of the powerplay, the latter for a first-ball duck, undone by a yorker, the rate was already over 10.Leus Du Plooy, recovered from a virus, fell in the next over to Curran and the hosts, dismissed for a worst ever score of 78 in the format nine days earlier, were staring at defeat once more at 41 for 4.Davies (35) cracked Abbott’s hat-trick ball through mid-on for four, but the usually explosive Ryan Higgins was trapped in front later in the over.At the other end, Curran was forced out of the attack after being struck on the arm, but Hollman was unable to repeat his heroics with the ball bat in hand and Davies became Abbott’s fifth victim as the visitors won comfortably.