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Ben Stokes’s hopes of making his return to Test cricket in the first Test against New Zealand at Auckland next week have received a set-back

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2018Ben Stokes’s hopes of making his return to Test cricket in the first Test against New Zealand at Auckland next week have received a set-back after he was ruled out of England’s opening two-day warm-up match at Hamilton on Wednesday with a back injury.Although the injury is not thought to be serious, the fixture against a New Zealand XI would have been his first outing in long-form cricket since the West Indies Test series in September, after he was omitted from England’s Ashes plans in the wake of his arrest in Bristol later that month.It would also have been Stokes’s one opportunity for match practice with a pink ball, ahead of the day-night first Test which starts on March 22. If he recovers in time, he may yet be able to feature in the second of England’s two-day games, this time with a red ball, which follows on immediately on Friday.Stokes had been a noticeably low-key presence at England training in the past couple of days, as had Chris Woakes, who will also miss the pink-ball fixture, along with Craig Overton, another of England’s seam-bowling options.

Mushfiqur Rahim has been informed that he will play the upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka as a specialist batsman. Liton Das will take over the wicketkeeping duties

Mohammad Isam02-Mar-20171:33

Isam: Liton’s gain, Sabbir’s loss

Bangladesh’s manager Khaled Mahmud has said that Mushfiqur Rahim has been informed he will play the upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka as a specialist batsman, and has to give up his position as the designated wicketkeeper. This means Liton Das, the other specialist wicketkeeper in the Test squad, will take over the role.Mushfiqur’s wicketkeeping came under focus after he missed plenty of chances during the Afghanistan series last year. In Bangladesh’s last Test, against India in Hyderabad last month, his missed stumping of Wriddhiman Saha cost the team and highlighted his frailties behind the stumps. During the interim, the BCB had said that the matter will be discussed with Mushfiqur, which is what the team management has done ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka.”The coach [Chandika Hathurusingha] and I have informed Mushfiqur officially [that he will play only as a batsman],” Mahmud told the Bengali daily . “He is the best batsman in the team. He is in such form that we believe he will be able to give more to the team, which is why he will bat at No. 4 and will not be keeping wickets. Mushfiqur has taken the decision positively, which is the best part.”We gave him examples of Kumar Sangakkara and Brendan Taylor whose batting improved as soon as they gave up wicketkeeping in Tests. It is hard to play as wicketkeeper, captain and batsman.”Liton kept wickets in the three Tests he played in 2015, against India and South Africa. The last time Mushfiqur was told to play as a batsman was during the 2016 Asia Cup T20s when he shared the duty with Nurul Hasan during the tournament at home.With Mushfiqur now slated to bat at No. 4 and Liton being confirmed a place in the XI, the team management will now have to decide between Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman in the middle order. While Mahmudullah has just struck his first Test fifty after a long gap, Sabbir hasn’t got a big Test score despite a promising start to his career.

Australia batsman Usman Khawaja was declared fit to play for his Big Bash League franchise Sydney Thunder’s next game at the MCG on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2015Australia batsman Usman Khawaja was declared fit to play for his Big Bash League franchise Sydney Thunder’s next game at the MCG on Sunday. This will be Khawaja’s first competitive match after he had sustained a “moderate strain” in his left hamstring while chasing a ball on the second evening of the Perth Test against New Zealand. He was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the series after scoring centuries in the first innings of the first two Tests of the series.Khawaja, however, was named in the squad for Australia’s next Test against West Indies at the MCG. Australia’s selectors will now face the difficult task in picking the XI for the MCG Test as his replacement, Shaun Marsh, scored 182 and was involved in a record partnership with Adam Voges in the first Test in Hobart.Speaking on the selection dilemma for the MCG Test, Australia coach Darren Lehmann had said that he would be happy for Khawaja to return to the team as an opening batsman, though he would have to run that past captain Steven Smith.”We will have to see if Uzzy is fit and then we will have a dilemma,” Lehmann said. “If he is fit, having scored two hundreds in the two Test matches [against New Zealand] yes, you would think he would be in form to play. We need him playing. With a hamstring, we don’t want him playing Test match cricket if he is not fully fit.”He will have to be sharp in the T20 games and then we will make a decision from there. If he comes back in someone will miss out. We have to work out that is. I would [be happy with Khawaja opening] but the captain might not want that. We have to work out the best six and the batting order from there.”

Gordon Drummond has stepped down as Scotland captain after deciding he was not able to commit enough of his time to the job and because he needs to justify his place in the side

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2013Gordon Drummond has stepped down as Scotland captain after deciding he was not able to commit enough of his time to the job. He said he wants to continue his playing career but needed to justify his place in the side.Drummond, who has played 28 one-day internationals and 15 Twenty20s, took over the captaincy from Gavin Hamilton in 2010. He was the only non-full-time professional cricketer in the squad for the recent tour to the UAE to play Afghanistan.Drummond said: “It’s been an unbelievable experience having had the opportunity to captain Scotland and the Saltires. I have given it my all and feel I have done my best to keep the squad moving forward.”However my professional life and playing situation mean that I feel it’s time to pass the leadership on to someone else. I want to continue to play as long as I can and will be working hard to maintain my place in the team and achieve the goals set out by this current squad.”Scotland’s head coach, Peter Steindl, added: “Gordon has led his country with distinction on every occasion he has captained Scotland. He has been a fantastic role model and excellent leader, working tirelessly to create an effective environment during a time of change.”Much of this work has been done selflessly and behind the scenes in a manner that has always matched his philosophy that the team always comes first. I am pleased that Gordon has decided to play on as he will continue to have a positive influence in the dressing room.”Scotland will play their final season of YB40 cricket this year and also have a run of internationals against Pakistan, Kenya and Australia. The matches against Kenya are particularly important as they are part of World Cricket League tournament that will provide two teams for the 2015 World Cup. Scotland are currently third behind Ireland and Netherlands.

Michael Clarke and AB de Villiers have gone joint-top of the ICC Test batsmen rankings after Kumar Sangakkara slipped from the spot

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2012Michael Clarke and AB de Villiers have gone joint-top of the ICC Test batsmen rankings after Kumar Sangakkara slipped from the spot due to a poor return in the Galle Test. Sangakkara, who had been on top of the rankings for four months, had scores of 0 and 14 in Galle, costing him 37 rating points and three places. Jacques Kallis, who was second in the rankings, also lost points, after missing the Wellington Test, meaning Clarke, who had moved to third after his outstanding series against India, moved to the No. 1 spot. de Villiers joined him there after a couple of important half-centuries in South Africa’s series against New Zealand.Not surprisingly, Vernon Philander has stormed into the top ten in the bowlers rankings, after taking 21 wickets in three Tests in New Zealand and becoming the second fastest bowler to 50 Test wickets. That means South Africa now have all their three frontline fast bowlers in the top ten, with Dale Steyn still leading the rankings and Morne Morkel in tenth place. Also moving into the top ten is Rangana Herath, who, in Galle, took the first 12-wicket match-haul in a Test since Jason Krejza’s in 2008.After losing in Galle, England must win against Sri Lanka in Colombo to retain their No. 1 ranking. Anything less would see South Africa claim the No. 1 spot. If England lose in Colombo, it would open the door for Australia to overtake them, though they would need to beat West Indies 3-0 to do it.

Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary says he’ll be targeting several Man-of-the-Match performances in IPL 2011, while Kolkata Knight Riders will be concentrating on just making it past the group stage

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2011Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary has said he’ll be aiming for match-winning performances in the IPL this year, while his franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders – who are coming off three poor seasons – will be concentrating on making it past the group stage before thinking of a maiden title.”We have a new team and a new captain [Gautam Gambhir]. Our first goal would be qualify for the semis and then take the final two steps,” Tiwary told the . “Personally, I would be looking to score consistently and I’m targeting four or five Man-of-the-Match awards.”Tiwary captained Bengal to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – India’s domestic Twenty20 competition – this year. He played for Delhi Daredevils in the first two IPL seasons, before moving Kolkata in 2010 and will provide the main local connect for fans in the absence of Sourav Ganguly.”To be honest, I didn’t have a proper feel of the IPL in the first two seasons. In my first season with the Delhi Daredevils, I batted in the middle order where opportunities were rather limited – with Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan in top form, the lower order didn’t have much to do,” he said. “In the second season, in South Africa, I got injured after playing just one match and didn’t play thereafter.”It was only after I moved to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010 that I got a real feel of the competition. I learnt a lot about batting in T20 cricket from Brad Hodge.”Though predominantly a batsman and an agile fielder, Tiwary has filled the role of a handy part-time bowler on the domestic circuit and this is an aspect of his game he’ll be looking to further during the IPL. “I would be looking to contribute substantially in all three departments of the game.” In a Kolkata practice match earlier this week, Tiwary made 86 off 44 balls batting at No. 3, but he’s not certain of where he will bat in the line-up.”I was asked to open the innings [in 2010] which I was not accustomed to doing, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. It [opening the batting this season] depends on the role assigned to me by the team management.”The entry of Yusuf Pathan and Brett Lee gives the new-look Kolkata side an edge, Tiwary said. “We have a very balanced side [this year] and can go all the way. L Balaji is a very effective bowler in T20, while [Jaidev] Unadkat is quite sharp. And I am looking forward to playing alongside [Jacques] Kallis, [Brad] Haddin, [Eoin] Morgan, Shakib [Al Hasan] and [Ryan] ten Doeschate.”Kolkata take on Chennai Super Kings in the opening IPL match, on April 8 in Chennai.

Pakistan and South Africa are considering playing a Test and ODI series in the UAE later this year

Cricinfo staff01-Apr-2010Pakistan and South Africa are planning a Test and ODI series in the UAE later this year, according to media reports. Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, has agreed to the PCB’s proposal of playing in the UAE but the schedule and the venues are yet to be finalised.”UAE has always been a viable cricket venue,” Majola told Gulf News. “We have played in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi before and we are looking forward to playing in the new stadium at the Dubai Sports City.”We have not yet finalised the itinerary. We have been exploring options of playing in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah but no decision has been taken.”Pakistan has not hosted an international series since the Lahore attacks in March last year, and was stripped of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup as a result of the volatile security situation in the country. The UAE, with strong links to Pakistan cricket, has emerged as an alternate ‘host’ and Pakistan have played ODI series against Australia and New Zealand in Dubai and Abu Dhabi since last year.The chief of the Emirates Cricket Association, Dilawar Mani, welcomed the news and said the Shiekh Zayed Stadium, a possible Test venue, was ready for the series. The ground hosted the inaugural game of the English domestic season this year, a four-day fixture between the MCC and Durham.”It is very, very encouraging that we will soon be an international Test match venue,” Mani was quoted as saying by . “This wicket looks so flat to me we could probably play a 10-day game on it,” he said. “It is absolutely ready for a Test match. I think our groundsman has done a great job.”Majola added he was keen to send the South Africa A team to the UAE to train in conditions similar to the sub-continent, and said it would also help the national team in its preparation for the 2011 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”We are hoping to send our A team also to UAE. I am able to see that UAE is currently doing very well and hence will be a strong opposition to our A team. It is also important for us to prepare our players to play in the sub-continent conditions. We will be speaking to UAE whether we can send our A team here,” Majola said. “Our A team is our second best team. We want our A team to play here because if anything happens to our top players the players from our second best team will also know to play under these conditions.”

Tasmania poach Australia Under-19 World Cup winning offspinner Raf MacMillan from New South Wales

Alex Malcolm03-May-2024Paddy Dooley has been left off Tasmania’s contract list after the Tigers went on a spin-recruitment drive to land Test spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and Australia Under-19 World Cup winning offspinner Raf MacMillan.Dooley was recruited from Queensland for the 2023-24 season after joining Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL and played seven of Tasmania’s eight Marsh Cup games last summer. He picked up nine wickets, including scalps in six of the seven he played, at an economy rate of 5.82. But the recruitment of fellow left-arm orthodox Kuhnemann, who has played Test and ODI cricket for Australia, has meant that there was no room on Tasmania’s contract list for Dooley. He joins retired duo Matthew Wade and Sam Rainbird as the only omissions from the contract list.Related

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Tasmania have also signed MacMillan from New South Wales after his outstanding performances in the Under-19 World Cup. The 19-year-old took wickets in every game as Australia won the title. He took 3 for 16 and smashed 19 not out off 12 balls against England. He took 1 for 29 from 10 and made 19 not out in a 17-run 10th wicket stand to win a nail-biting semi-final against Pakistan. He then took 3 for 43 in the final against India.Tasmania have also signed young fast bowler Will Prestwidge from Queensland. The 22-year-old made 37 and took 1 for 49 on List A debut for Queensland late last season.Tasmania coach Jeff Vaughan was pleased with the new recruits as they look to go one step further in the Sheffield Shield next year after losing the final to Western Australia.”I am very happy with the quality of the players on our list, on and off the field,” Vaughan said. “We took a massive step forward as a program last year with some big changes to our squad, and we rewarded players who stepped up for us and showed us what it means to play cricket for Tasmania.”While we did see some success on the field, there are still many facets of the game that we can look to improve upon, and we are confident the quality of players we are bringing into our squad will help us go to the next level as we look to bring more success to Tasmania.”Tasmania contract list 2024-25: Gabe Bell, Iain Carlisle, Nick Davis (rookie), Jake Doran, Kieran Elliot, Jarrod Freeman, Bradley Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Raf MacMillan (rookie), Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Aidan O’Connor (rookie), Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Nivethan Radhakrishnan (rookie), Jordan Silk, Billy Stanlake, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, Macalister Wright

Wes Agar took five wickets for South Australia after the visitors had to fly in a back-up wicketkeeper in the morning

AAP20-Feb-2023Junction Oval witnessed the fall of 15 wickets, the red ball return of Glenn Maxwell, and a reinforcement arriving after the start on a chaotic day of Sheffield Shield action as Victoria hosted South Australia in a potentially crucial match.Despite the steady flow of wickets, honours ended fairly even after day one with South Australia 5 for 75 in response to Victoria’s 169.A tricky pitch that was largely green but also worn-looking in patches greeted the teams as Victoria elected to bat.South Australia’s problems began prior to the commencement, with wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen ruled out with illness during the morning.A hastily-arranged flight booking led to uncapped wicketkeeper Harry Matthias being brought over from Adelaide, with the replacement taking to the field after an hour’s play and 12th man Thomas Kelly donning the gloves in the interim.Short-form specialist Maxwell lined up for a first Shield match since 2019, but his return to the crease lasted just nine balls.Matt Short was the only batter to dominate•Getty Images

Maxwell, who scored a half century in grade cricket on the weekend after a three-month absence with a broken leg, was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Jordan Buckingham in what appeared a questionable decision.Matt Short made what was comfortably the day’s top score with his aggressive approach yielding 70 off just 69 balls, including 10 boundaries.Wes Agar knocked over openers Travis Dean (34) and the in-form Marcus Harris (15) before running through the tail for a return of 5-54 – his second best figures in first-class cricket.Remarkably, a 31-run partnership for the second wicket between Dean and Ashley Chandrasinghe proved the highest of the day as Victoria were bowled out inside two sessions.In reply, South Australia faced a similar struggle and Nathan McSweeney (23) top-scored as the Redbacks grafted at less than two runs per over. Victoria seamer Mitch Perry was the chief destroyer with 3 for 28.The two teams share second place in a four-way charge for one available berth in the final with two further rounds remaining.

Desire is still there to remain a multi-format player, Buttler says

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2022Jos Buttler says he remains committed to playing Test cricket, despite a disappointing Ashes campaign and mounting pressure on England players and management.Australia took an unassailable 3-0 series lead with comprehensive victories in Brisbane, Adelaide and – most emphatically – inside two and a half days in Melbourne, but Buttler insisted England had plenty to play for to avoid a 5-0 sweep. Personally, he spoke of his desire to remain a multi-format player despite his Test form struggling to match his stellar limited-overs record and the demands of travelling for extended periods with a young family.”It’s certainly my ambition,” Buttler said from Sydney, where England are preparing for the fourth Test, starting on Wednesday (Tuesday night UK time). “I don’t think I’d have put as much into it as I have done if it wasn’t.Related

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“I have fantastic family support – they’re very supportive of me and my career, and make a lot of sacrifices for that. That’s one thing that gives you a lot of motivation and drive to try to make it all worth it. It’s certainly maintained my drive and ambition to try and play.”Asked if he hoped to be part of England’s squad due to play three Tests in the Caribbean in March, Buttler said: “Yes, I hope so.”During an Ashes campaign in which England’s highest team total has been 297, Buttler is averaging 19.20. In 56 Tests, he averages 32.53 with just two centuries.Buttler faced 207 balls for 26 in a spirited rearguard on the last day of the second Test in Adelaide, having come in on a pair, but he holed out to deep midwicket off Nathan Lyon on the stroke of tea in England’s first innings at the MCG. He took a brilliant catch to dismiss Marcus Harris in Adelaide but made costly drops in the same match.”In hindsight, just before a tea break is obviously a poor time to get out, but I wanted to be attacking and positive in that innings,” Buttler said of his dismissal to Lyon in Melbourne. “Mid-on and mid-off were up. I saw that as an opportunity to score, I didn’t execute that. That’s all it is.”It’s a very lonely place dropping a catch,” he added. “It’s one of the worst feelings in cricket, letting down your mates. It doesn’t just hurt you, it hurts the whole team. You’ve certainly got to be able to be very strong with your character to try to come through that. Especially when you’re wicketkeeping, there’s nowhere to hide.”Buttler’s comments came after South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock’s shock decision to retire from Test cricket at the age of 29.”That’s Quinton’s own personal situation, but as a fan of cricket and a huge fan of his, I’m disappointed that he’s at that stage,” said 31-year-old Buttler. “I love watching him bat, keep wicket and play Test cricket. The world of cricket will miss him in that format. But I guess commend him for making a decision that’s right for him.”Buttler said the entire England team were hurting, given their defeats by nine wickets in Brisbane, 275 runs in Adelaide and an innings and 14 runs in Melbourne. England have now lost 18 of their last 23 Tests in Australia, including 12 of the last 13.”There’s an overriding sense of disappointment and frustration with the situation we’ve found ourselves in,” Buttler said. “We’ve not competed or played the cricket we wanted to at the start of the tour. We’re not gelling as a group and individually playing well enough to compete with Australia. We certainly don’t want to be a team to lose 5-0.”