Stats highlights from Day 1 of the fourth Test between Australia and England

Gaurav Sundararaman26-Dec-2017 Centurion Warner129 Innings taken by David Warner to reach 6000 Test runs – the joint-fourth fastest Australian batsman to achieve this feat. Don Bradman (68), Ricky Ponting (125), Mathew Hayden (126) and Greg Chappell (129) are the others on the list. Warner also scored his 21st century in Tests, 15 of which have come at home. Warner now has consecutive centuries at the MCG, having scored just one fifty from nine innings from 2011 to 2015.ESPNcricinfo Ltd 2 Instances this year of Warner centuries contributing more than 75% of the team’s total runs to that point. Warner started off 2017 with a century before lunch against Pakistan at Sydney, and has finished the year with another century against England. Since 2001, his centuries feature twice in the top five of highest percentages of a team’s total.

Highest %age of team runs when reaching 100 since 2001

Batsmen Opposition Team Score %ageDavid Warner Pak 122 81.97Chris Gayle RSA 125 80.00Virender Sehwag Aus 128 78.13Mominul Haque NZ 128 78.13David Warner Eng 131 76.34ESPNcricinfo Ltd England bowlers strike back 415 Balls taken by Stuart Broad to add to his wicket tally, after picking up Mitchell Starc in the first innings of the Adelaide Test. Broad was wicketless in the second innings at Adelaide and for the entire third Test at Perth. He finally dismissed Usman Khawaja for 17.100 Ashes wickets for James Anderson. He becomes the 37th bowler to take hundred or more wickets against a single opposition. Anderson is also the eighth cricketer and fifth pacer from England to achieve this in Ashes Tests. Ian Botham leads the pack for England with 128 wickets from 32 Ashes Tests while Shane Warne is the highest for Australia with 195 wickets from 36 matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd43 Runs from 26 overs in the second session of the Test. Australia lost David Warner and Cameron Bancroft in this session. Australia managed only four boundaries and faced 134 dots in this period. It was a stark contrast to the first session, in which Australia scored 102 runs, and 13 boundaries, without losing a wicket.39 Runs from 221 balls faced on a good length for Australia from the England pace bowlers. Australia also lost all the three wickets to the good-length deliveries and struggled to score from them. In the first session, Australia scored 73 runs from 79 balls that were not in the good length. However, post lunch with the older ball, even those runs dried up, as Australia managed only 75 from 157 balls from deliveries that were not in the good-length area. Warner, who had scored 59 from 46 non-good-length deliveries before lunch, managed only 17 from 34 such balls after the break.

England pacers

Length of delivery Before Lunch After LunchGood 14 runs from 71 balls 25 runs from 150 ballsOther Lengths 73 runs from 79 balls 75 runs from 157 balls Smith’s hunting ground 624 Balls since Steven Smith has been dismissed at the MCG. Smith now has scored 434 runs without being dismissed. By the close of play he averaged 140.60 with three centuries and two fifties from nine innings at this venue.

New Zealand went against several recent trends to stop India in their tracks at the Wankhede

Bharath Seervi22-Oct-2017 200 – Partnership between Tom Latham and Ross Taylor, the highest for any visiting pair against India in India while chasing. The previous highest was an unbroken 189 between Andrew Hall and Graeme Smith in Kolkata in 2005-06. Overall it’s the joint third-biggest partnership when chasing against India. 2 – Bigger partnerships for New Zealand when chasing than the one between Latham and Taylor in this match. Both had come in 2015: 236* between Latham and Martin Guptill against Zimbabwe, and 206 by Taylor and Kane Williamson against England. It’s also New Zealand’s highest partnership for any wicket against India. 2013 – The last time India failed to defend a total in ODIs at home – that instance had come against West Indies in Visakhapatnam. Since then, at home, they had batted first 10 times and successfully defended each time before this match. Overall this is only the second time India have lost after batting first in their last 10 ODIs. 0 – Number of bigger successful chases in ODIs at the Wankhede than the 281 by New Zealand in this game. Before this the highest was India’s 275 in the final of 2011 World Cup against Sri Lanka. 4 – Number of consecutive 50-plus scores for Latham in the last four ODIs. He scored 54, 104 and 84 against Bangladesh and Ireland in the tri-series in May before bringing up another century in this match. Before this sequence, he had only two centuries and six fifties in 54 innings. His average has increased from 29.40 to 34.54 in these four innings. He had also hit two fifties on the last tour to India, last year, in five innings. 2 – Centuries by New Zealand batsmen against India in India since 2000 – both have come in the two most recent tours. Williamson made 118 in Delhi last year and Latham an unbeaten 103 in this game. Before these two the last New Zealand batsman to do so was Nathan Astle in 1999. There were no centuries for New Zealand players in the 2003-04 and 2010-11 tours. The last visiting batsman to score a century in a successful chase against India was Ian Bell in Dharamsala in January 2013. 5 – Number of consecutive ODI series for India in which they had begun with a win before this. Starting from the series in Zimbabwe in June last year, India had won the first match of each series they played in and had gone on to win the series. The last time India lost the first game of a home series was against South Africa in 2015 and that was also their last home-series defeat. 95 – Ross Taylor’s score, his highest in ODIs in India. Before this he had made only two fifties in 13 innings at average of 28.53 with a highest of 74. This year he is the highest run-getter for New Zealand with 755 runs in 15 innings at average of 58.07 with two centuries and six fifties.

The two franchises will return to the IPL fold in 2018 and can each retain up to five players from their 2015 squads. Who should they pick?

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2017

A spirited late revival papered over several cracks, but England’s dire performance has not been entirely masked

George Dobell at Lord's26-May-2018At around 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon, a fair few people in England cricket were sitting mightily uncomfortably.It wasn’t just the fourth-day ticket-holders. It was the coaches who can demonstrate little progress from their players, the administratorswhose policies are looking more self-defeating by the day and the team who had been completely out-played in their own conditions by aPakistan side containing several players as green as the first-day surface. An innings defeat inside three days – and ignominy – loomed. Perhaps unemployment, too.But Jos Buttler and Dom Bess saved England’s blushes. And, perhaps, a few jobs.Sure, it remains highly likely that Pakistan, armed with a new ball on the fourth morning, will end the England resistance and that theirbatsmen, even without Babar Azam, will knock off a modest target. While there is some precedent for Somerset allrounders (and yes,Buttler is being termed a Somerset allrounder for the purposes of this piece) producing miracles, this one really would be up there with the very best of them. Headingley et al.But Buttler and Bess have given England hope. They have saved them from total annihilation – yes, that is setting the bar pretty low -and, more than anything, provided some justification to England’s somewhat avant-garde approach to selection going into this match.For Buttler, of course, has not played a first-class game since September. And he hasn’t made a first-class century since January2014. This was his first first-class half-century since December 2016. He joined the England squad directly from the IPL in a move that wouldhave seemed unthinkable even a couple of years ago.But it was also his sixth half-century in seven games. And while the previous five were in the IPL, they meant he came into this game withconfidence high. The self-doubt that is so clearly gnawing away at Mark Stoneman – a man who is currently so bereft of form he should beconsidered a gas – and has, perhaps, bothered Buttler in the past, was shoved into the background and he was able to vindicate his selectionand the judgment of those who made it.It will be noted, of course, that Andy Flower – the temporary director of the England team – had pointed out the dangers of allowing membersof the Test squad to participate in the IPL just the previous day. And, while Flower also pointed out the benefits of IPL exposure – the experience of playing in front of big crowds, learning to deal with pressure and getting to see other top players at close quarters – you can be fairly confident that part of his conversation, or the very reasonable issues he raised, may be lost in translation. Either way, this was an innings that would have delighted Ed Smith, the new national selector, and gone a long way to silencing those (of us) whofeel first-class form deserves more respect ahead of Test selection.Joe Root waits for news of his review•Getty ImagesCertainly Buttler reckoned his IPL experiences had helped him “massively”.”Absolutely, it helped,” he said. “I’ve had a good mindset for the last three weeks. I was feeling in good form [after the IPL] and [hadpicked up experience of] playing in front of good crowds in India. It was enjoyable to play in front of a crowd here that had a similarfeel. It’s a big occasion and I was trying to pull from those experiences and show that I can play.”You try and use all your experience. From every tournament and every Championship game. The game is all about making good decisions and I was trying not to worry about the colour of the ball and just keep a good mindset.”For all the pre-match talk of Buttler playing his natural, aggressive game, this was an admirably calm half-century. There were a couple ofthose characteristic drives, with Buttler somehow able to drive back-of-a-length deliveries through the covers off the front foot, and onefairly elaborate attempt – he missed on that occasion – to slap a ball almost directly past his leg stump with the bat face reversed.Perhaps the match situation helped him, too. With England in a desperate situation – England were 69 behind when Bess joinedButtler (they were 92 behind and seven wickets down when Graham Dilley joined Ian Botham at Leeds in 1981) there was no time for existential angst about how he should play. He was forced to confront the match situation and simply bat. And, as most batsmen will tell you, it is when their heads are clear they produce their best.So, generally he was patient. His half-century took an unremarkable 89 balls and contained only five boundaries and he was happy to rotatethe strike, pull when Pakistan attempted to bounce him, and take his time in the manner of an experienced builder of innings. Somethingthat, for all his talent, could hardly have been said about him previously. Whatever happens now – and the forecast suggests the drawis an outside possibility – this innings should have done his self-belief the power of good.Bess was almost as surprising a selection. He is just 20, after all, and is playing his first game at Lord’s. He’s only played fivefirst-class (and three Championship) matches away from Taunton and, were it not for injury to Jack Leach (and perhaps Mason Crane), hewould not be here.Already the records he has set are noteworthy: only Denis Compton and Haseeb Hameed have scored half-centuries on debut for England at a younger age and nobody batting at No. 8 (or lower) has scored more on Test debut at Lord’s. Buttler, only slightly tongue in cheek, saidBess’s back-foot punches and ability to rotate the strike reminded him of Joe Root and it is only fair to acknowledge the foresight of thecoaches and selectors who identified his talent. He has the sort of character England are after and, over the next day or two, he mightyet have a chance to bowl England to victory, too. That really would be Simply the Bess, as they say in Taunton.There are some mitigating factors. It does have to be acknowledged that, as the ball softened – it was changed at one stage – and stoppedreversing, batting became easier. The limitations of this Pakistan attack were also exposed when they attempted a barrage of short ballswithout the attack to really carry it off.You could even argue that, for the long-term good of English cricket, this partnership could prove unhelpful. It may allow all the faultsearlier in the game to be hidden and the spirit of denial that has pervaded in recent times to continue.But now is not the time for such talk. It would be churlish. Now is the time to acknowledge a terrific stand – 125 and counting – thatdrew the sting from Pakistan’s excellent bowlers and gave England’s long-suffering supporters something to cheer. We can forget about therest of the day until tomorrow. There’ll be time enough for recriminations.

He has played in every Test on the tours of South Africa and England, but his performances so far suggest he’s better utilised as a horse for helpful courses

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Sep-2018Virat Kohli feels safe playing a five-man bowling attack overseas. In each of the seven Tests India have played in South Africa and England this year, Hardik Pandya has been one of the five bowlers. Pandya does not classify himself as either a bowling or a batting allrounder. He wants to be known as just an allrounder.Let us look at his numbers. In four Tests in England, Pandya has been India’s fourth-highest runmaker with 164 at 23.42, including one half-century. He’s also taken 10 wickets at 24.70, including a five-wicket haul. Both the fifty and the five-for came in the same Test, in India’s victory at Trent Bridge.Take away the six riotous overs in which he ran through England’s middle and lower order in that Test, however, and his bowling figures look a little less impressive – five wickets in five innings at an average of 43.8 and a strike rate of nearly 70. It reflects his reliance on conditions to be penetrative as a bowler.In Southampton, where there wasn’t as much help for the quicker bowlers, he was only trusted with 17 overs over the two England innings, picked up just the one wicket, and went at over a run a ball in the first innings. At Edgbaston, Kohli didn’t use Pandya at all in the second innings, not even as a potential partnership-breaker when Sam Curran was rescuing England from 87 for 7.BCCIKohli, then, hasn’t shown faith in Pandya to bowl in all conditions, despite picking him in every Test of India’s overseas cycle so far. In 12 innings in South Africa and England, he has delivered 115.1 overs – that’s less than ten overs per innings – and taken 14 wickets.Those figures suggest Pandya is a batting allrounder capable of making an impact with the ball in helpful conditions rather than the pure allrounder he wants to be known as. Those figures would be more than acceptable if he was pulling his weight with the bat, but that hasn’t always been the case.In Southampton, for instance, he came in at No. 7 in the first innings and fell to a loose shot, just when Moeen Ali was looking dangerous and needed to be tackled with a little more care. In the second innings he was pushed up to No. 6, coming in after a century stand between Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, which had given India a 50-50 chance in a chase of 245. His early dismissal – squared up by Ben Stokes – showed his technical limitations, and put England right back on top.With those technical limitations, Pandya isn’t yet capable of consistently batting at No. 6. He has been working on his batting, aiming at becoming sounder technically. But his best work so far has come when he has played instinctively, played his shots, and transferred the pressure back onto the opposition. The end goal should be for Pandya to tighten his defence while continuing to be a positive-minded player, but he isn’t there yet.And while he keeps making efforts to get there, it’s important for India to be flexible about when to play Pandya. Kohli will need to better weigh the pros and cons of Pandya versus a specialist bowler or batsman in the given conditions.On the eve of the Southampton Test, Kohli himself said he expected the pitch to take turn from the footmarks as the match went on, hinting at the possibility of playing an extra spinner. Come match day, however, India went in with the same combination as at Trent Bridge. As it happened, Kohli’s prediction of spin playing a crucial role came true; Moeen Ali, just as he was at the same venue against the same opposition in 2014, was England’s match-winner, picking up nine wickets in the match.Getty ImagesFor India, R Ashwin, who looked less than 100% fit having picked up a hip niggle at Trent Bridge, bowled 51.5 overs across the two innings and only picked up three wickets. On the fourth morning, before the start of play, Ravindra Jadeja made a close inspection of the wear and tear at the Pavilion End. Would it not have been better for India to have played Jadeja rather than Pandya? With all the wear and tear on the surface, all India could do then was imagine – imagine the effect Jadeja could have had against England’s seven left-handers, ripping the ball into them from the rough outside the off stump.At Edgbaston, India benched Cheteshwar Pujara. Given it was the first Test, and that the fast bowlers would come into it with fresh legs, and given the conditions that transpired – where the four main bowlers made enough of an impact for Pandya’s bowling to not be that much of a factor – wouldn’t India have been better served with an extra batsman?Leaving Pandya out in Southampton would have been harder than at Edgbaston, given he was coming off a brilliant all-round display at Trent Bridge. But didn’t England send Sam Curran, Player of the Match in the first Test, back to Surrey when they had both Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes fit and available for the third Test in Nottingham? It did not do any damage to Curran, who came back hungrier in the fourth Test and made a match-turning impact once again.Pandya is an integral member of India’s Test squad and deserves to be part of the dressing room. He remains India’s best allrounder. He will probably be more effective on the harder, flatter pitches India will likely play on in Australia later this year. His batting technique may not be tested as severely, and he might be more required as a workhorse with the ball. He could even get more purchase out of the old, reverse-swinging Kookaburra.But as he continues evolving as a Test allrounder, it’s important India use him wisely, and less rigidly. It will only help his and the team’s growth.

Always under the radar in Bangladesh because his style of play isn’t as flashy as some of the others’, the opener has arrived in international cricket with the potential to go big

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka30-Nov-2018It had only been a few hours since Shadman Islam had made 73 against the West Indians in the practice game. But the news was already out. He had made the Bangladesh Test side. It was the final confirmation that the coach Steve Rhodes and selectors Minhajul Abedin and Habibul Bashar believed in his ability. He would be the back-up opener.Soumya Sarkar failed in the first Test in Chattogram. So did Imrul Kayes, who then picked up shoulder and toe injuries as well. Bangladesh needed a new opener and Shadman was there. The eighth debutant in a year when they have played only eight Tests.The onus was on the 23-year-old to make the most of his chance. Although he was the top-scorer of the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, some of his peers from that tournament – Imam-ul-Haq, Aiden Markram, Kusal Mendis, Liton Das – had overtaken him onto the international stage. He needed to catch up.Shadman certainly looked the part on his first day as a Test cricketer, going to lunch on 36 not out, with three sweetly-timed fours. More than that, he had batted without being overwhelmed by the fact that he was facing an attack that had caused several Bangladesh batting collapses in the recent past.Shadman struck three more fours in the post-lunch session, one of which brought up his half-century, and by the time he was finally dismissed, he had played 199 deliveries, the most for any Bangladesh debutant in the last 15 years.”It felt good,” Shadman said. “Everyone has a dream to play for their country. I tried to give my best for the team, and although I couldn’t fulfill expectations, I will try to do it in the future.”There’s no real regret [of not reaching a century]. I think everyone wants a century on debut. I tried to bat the way it was best for the team. I couldn’t finish the day properly. I felt I should have been around for longer.”Shadman is an old-fashioned opener. He has made most of his 3023 first-class runs by concentrating on his defence. And that is what he did against West Indies as well.”I didn’t think much more than trying to play to the merit of the ball, like the way I have played in domestic cricket,” he said. “I think the practice match helped me. I got an idea about their bowlers. My plan for the practice match also worked here. [My senior team-mates] are more experienced than me, so they kept telling me that I should do only what I do best, like I bat in domestic cricket. They told me to not try anything extra. You have trusted your natural game, so stay that way.”Shadman became a contender for higher honours in 2014-15, when he accumulated 1,323 runs at 55.12 in both four-day and one-day cricket. He’s had a good time in recent Dhaka Premier League seasons as well, averaging 47.00 in 2017 and 46.20 in 2018, and his chart-topping numbers – 680 runs at 64.80 – in the ongoing National Cricket League made sure he couldn’t be ignored by the national selectors anymore.Ironically enough, the reason behind his success is also the reason behind his taking so long to come to prominence. His steady approach to run-making goes under the radar when compared to some of the other, flashier talents in Bangladesh. But now that he has made good of his first opportunity at the highest level, Shadman certainly has the potential to catch up with the Under-19 class of 2014. His father – Shahidul, who has been a longtime talent scout for the BCB – made sure of that.”My father definitely has an influence in my life. When I was a kid, used to take me to all the U-15 and U-17 camps. I tried to prepare myself in academy and school cricket like my father guided me.”He supported my cricket a lot. He still tells me how to play, how to set my life as a cricketer. I try to keep myself that way.”Shadman could have easily sulked over his lack of opportunities. He could have been lost in Bangladesh’s rapidly shifting domestic cricket system. But he seems to possess patience, a very important characteristic for a cricketer, especially for one in this part of the world.

In the latest round of the Ranji Trophy, Jalaj Saxena put in another match-winning performance with bat and ball. But where’s the chance to perform on the bigger stage?

Saurabh Somani16-Nov-2018Consider these numbers: 3488 runs at 47.78 with eight hundreds, and 185 wickets at 23.18 with 13 five-wicket hauls in an innings. That’s what Jalaj Saxena has racked up since Ranji Trophy 2012-13, having won the Lala Amarnath award for being the best allrounder in domestic cricket in India three times during this period.In that same time period, Saxena has represented India A in first-class cricket only three times, all three in 2013, which the cricketer finds strange. And it’s hard to fault him for that, given that his three “best allrounder” awards have all come after that – in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2017-18. Last season, he was also the highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy.On Thursday, Saxena became the only Indian to hit a century and take an eight-wicket innings-haul in the same match twice. He had done it against Rajasthan last season, and this year he did it against Andhra. Against Rajasthan, the 184 runs he got are the most for any player who has taken 10 wickets in a match in the Ranji Trophy. He’s also the only player apart from Anil Kumble to take 16 wickets in a Ranji Trophy match.In his third year as a professional with Kerala, Saxena, 31, was happy he could keep churning out such performances, but admitted he wanted more. “I’m happy I am able to replicate the performances I had in MP with Kerala too,” he told ESPNcricinfo. ” I have the self-satisfaction of doing well, but I would have had greater satisfaction if performances like these would have taken me to higher levels too. If I had got rewards with the awards, it would have felt better.”While selector-baiting is as old as sport itself, it is revealing that in all these years Saxena has never played in an Irani Cup match – the annual affair between the Ranji Trophy champions and the best of the Rest of India. Saxena hasn’t been a Ranji champion yet, so he has been eligible to be selected in the Rest of India sides every time. As inexplicable is the arm’s-length distance at which he has been kept from India A sides, particularly given the greater frequency of A series over the past few years.”I still don’t think I’ve got many opportunities,” Saxena said. “The last time I played a first-class match for India A was four years ago. I had taken six wickets in that match and I was the highest wicket-taker in that series. After that I haven’t played any [first-class] cricket for India. As for one-dayers, I played a couple recently [against Australia A in the quadrangular series in August] and I think I performed well in them.”I spoke to the selectors and asked them [about this non-inclusion]. They told me that I am in their sights and they are watching me, and if they get the chance, they’ll give me an opportunity,” he added.That might sound like words of comfort. It might equally sound like the words a skilled HR professional tells a disgruntled employee.Saxena’s cricketing journey began in Bhilai, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, alongside brother Jatin, who is four years older.”When Jatin started playing cricket, we were living in Bhilai where my father worked. I also picked it up because of him,” Saxena said. “I played from an early age, but I thought only at 16-17 years old that I could have a career in cricket. We shifted from Bhilai to Indore, and I joined the Cricket Club of India (CCI), which is Sanjay Jagdale’s club. That is where I learned what is actual cricket and what is professionalism. Sanjay Jagdale has a very important role in my career. We didn’t have such good facilities in Bhilai, and we got them in Indore for the first time.”The professionalism, Saxena says, has stayed with him all these years. He attributed his consistent performances to the work he does on his fitness. “If you see, the job I’m doing is difficult. Thiruvananthapuram is a hot place. I bowl long spells, and open the batting,” Saxena said. “This match [against Andhra] I was on the field a lot. Bowled on the first day, batted all through the second day, bowled some 19 overs on the trot on the third day. So you need to be fit to do this in this heat. In my off-season, I devote equal time on cricket skills and fitness.”Saxena’s put in the hard work, and he has the results to show for it. A lot of results, over several seasons. Will higher honours come?

All your questions answered – from the most popular cricketer in the competition, to which games you should keep an eye on and what to expect from each franchise

Danyal Rasool13-Feb-20194:45

PSL had made a big difference to Pakistan cricket – Sarfraz

So, the Pakistan Super League? This might have been an existential question when it began it 2016, with doubts about whether it could even get off the ground. Now, the PSL is just one of the several T20 leagues that have sprung up around the world.Just one of many, so nothing special then?Au contraire. Despite its relative newbie status – there have been just three editions thus far – the PSL is often viewed as among the more lucrative and valuable leagues in the world. The IPL and BBL aside, it’s in close competition with the CPL and the BPL. Given that it is newer than all of them, its rise has been nothing short of meteoric.I might have a look then, when’s it on?From February 14 to March 17.Who’s playing, and where?There are six teams. It began with five , but since last year, they’ve taken on another one in Multan Sultans. The five teams that have been a part of this since inception are Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars.There is no league where the location of games is as anticipated or dramatic as the PSL. Hosting games with international players in Pakistan isn’t straightforward, so most of the tournament takes place in the UAE. Towards the business end, the tournament moves to Karachi and Lahore, and this year Pakistani fans will see more games in their stadiums than ever before.There are eight games in Lahore and Karachi with the latter hosting the final on March 17.International players you say? Proper big names?Take your pick. AB de Villiers, Darren Sammy, Shane Watson, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Colin Munro to name just a few. In the past, Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Kevin Pietersen have all participated.Darren Sammy dances with Pakistan players•Associated PressSo which games should I really watch out for?Well, three years ago, there was an obvious answer. Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars is probably still the marquee fixture. The two biggest cities in Pakistan with the richest cricketing legacies and heritage ensures there are never more eyeballs than at this particular match-up.Ironically, these are the two least successful franchises across three seasons. They are the only ones of the original five to never have reached the final. Talk of finals would give Lahore fans a head-rush anyway. The poor Qalandars, owned by the endearingly hapless Fawad Rana, have set up camp at rock bottom, finishing last in each of the three seasons so far.So those two aren’t that flash, who’s actually good?Well, on paper no one’s better than Islamabad. They’ve won two out of three seasons, so you can’t argue with that. What they do well is come alive in the knockout stages after slow starts. There’s no beating them then.Quetta and Peshawar are arguably more consistent in the group stages, often swapping places around the top early on. Quetta have been unfortunate, losing the first two finals, while Peshawar have won once and finished runners-up to Islamabad last year.That leaves Multan…It does indeed. Multan are yet to create an identity of their own. They had a good start last year in their maiden run, but after that the team fizzled out, failing to make it to the playoffs. This year, ownership has changed hands, with a consortium led by Ali Tareen, son of prime minister Imran Khan’s close aide Jehangir Tareen, taking over. Perhaps we’ll see more from them this year?Pakistan fans haven’t seen their players at home much – they must go nuts when the PSL comes around to Pakistan!Oui, bien sur! It is both a blessing and a curse to be in Lahore and Karachi on match days. The security isn’t commensurate with what is, after all, just a cricket match with thousands – yes, several thousand – police and army personnel patrolling the venue and an area several kilometres surrounding it. Fans are required to arrive hours ahead of the start of the game, often forced to wait under the scorching sun. Undeterred, they arrive in the thousands, always packing stadiums out.And who’s the most popular cricketer in the PSL?Well, some of the locals are absolutely worshipped, of course. Babar Azam was just another hopeful when he first played in 2016, but ever since he has become one of the world’s leading batsmen, particularly in T20 cricket. Karachi Kings, the franchise he plays for, will of course have big hopes from him just like Pakistan do. Shadab Khan was brought to prominence by the PSL with his precocious mastery of legspin in Islamabad United colours, and is now a global star.But the most popular man of all isn’t from these parts at all. Darren Sammy lives far away, across the world on the paradise island of St Lucia. He may be loved by his own countrymen (they named the national stadium after him) but the love is just as intense in Pakistan. Peshawar Zalmi’s captain – the only foreign captain at the PSL this year – has embraced the PSL with that famous generosity of spirit, and was the first player to commit to playing in Pakistan when most had decided to stay away. Following his example, his entire team came to the country, with most players now willing to make the trip. Sammy for his part has been to Pakistan several times, promoting the country with the enthusiasm and pride of a local, and the locals love him for that.Anything else I should know?Yeah, tune in for the opening ceremony while you’re at it. It starts at 8.45pm Pakistan time. It features, among others, Marcia Barrett from Boney M, Pakistan rock legends and recently reunited Junoon, and actor and hearthrob Fawad Khan*. Where else could you hope for that combination?*0245GMT: Pitbull’s name was removed after he tweeted saying he wouldn’t make it to Dubai for the opening ceremony