Punishment for the county must be weighed against further hits to inclusion and diversity

David Hopps01-Apr-2023Once a war approaches its end, it is instructional to remind yourself of the point of the peace. In the case of Yorkshire cricket, that should be blindingly obvious: to create an environment in which talented cricketers have equal opportunity to succeed in a culture free from prejudice and discrimination, and in which all spectators can feel a true sense of belonging. An outcome about which everyone – or at least everyone who really cares – can take pride.Now judgment has been passed on Yorkshire’s racism scandal, focus must be upon achieving such an aim. This should not be about a thirst for further punishment, or yet more trashing of reputations. Nor should it be about the further vilification of Azeem Rafiq or the parading of holier-than-thou responses towards those he has accused. And those who think it’s all about Michael Vaughan have clearly surrendered long ago to the cult of celebrity. Although with charges against him unproven, there is no justification to prolong his absence from the BBC.The ECB chair, Richard Thompson, has already set the direction of travel, pleading that if cricket is to find lasting benefit from this, it must be “a time of reconciliation”, a chance “to collectively learn and heal the wounds”. Many still remain aggrieved. But Yorkshire cricket must never visit here again.Related

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Such aspirations are not exactly groundbreaking. They were all enshrined in the Equality Act of 2010, a hotchpotch of laws brought together in a single act by the last Labour Government: protection against discrimination not just because of race, but religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age, disability, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy. An Act intended to underpin the basic tenets of a fair and equal society.Presumably Yorkshire were otherwise occupied at the time.Presumably much of English cricket was, too, because one of the reasons Rafiq’s allegations struck a chord was because English cricket felt guilty by association.But Yorkshire has a right to a wider context. As the media digested the guilty verdicts handed down by the ECB’s cricket disciplinary committee, Yunus Lunat, a Leeds-based lawyer with a particular expertise in discrimination in sport, underlined on BBC Look North that this is not a Yorkshire cricket problem, or even a cricket problem, this is a society problem. To deny that is to retreat into an act of supreme self-delusion.It is not to engage in “whataboutery”, or to dismiss Yorkshire’s failings as inconsequential, but merely to search for a sense of perspective, to reflect that the ECB cricket disciplinary committee announced its verdict at the end of a month in which the Metropolitan Police, the nation’s fire brigades and Welsh Rugby have been dubbed hotbeds of racism, homophobia and misogyny. Or to point to the vile racism openly on show during anti-immigration protests fanned by far-right groups last month in South Yorkshire, and captured by the News Agents podcast. There are countless other examples. All of them deeply disturbing.As culture wars play out across Britain, it is also instructional to reflect that Yorkshire admitted to institutional racism before the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Committee a year or so before the Home Secretary dismissed the phrase as “politically charged” and “not helpful”, appearing to blame the phrase itself rather than blame people’s inability – or refusal – to understand what it means.

Opportunity for disadvantaged and minority-ethnic kids is not best served by heavy fines that at best might cause cuts in development budgets and at worst tip Yorkshire into bankruptcy

In cricket, though, there is now cause to hope that the world has changed. From all this, Yorkshire cricket must move forward, owning its shame and committed to a more enlightened future. And here’s the thing: it already is. Those who value Yorkshire primarily as a convenient symbol of bigotry might be reluctant to concede as much, or chide that they have heard it all before, and indeed they have, but a recently-constituted and more progressive board has been driving change across the county even though trust is low, opinions are entrenched, feelings run high, and the county (not for the first time) is on the verge of bankruptcy.A joint statement from the interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and chief executive Stephen Vaughan, made the right noises, saying: “As a club we needed to accept and take accountability for the cultural issues which allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged. We are making great progress in our ambition to become a more inclusive and welcoming club for all.”But this is not just noises off while the scenery collapses all around them from a county that pled guilty on four amended charges – essentially, failing to address and act upon allegations of racist and discriminatory language. Matters had to come to a head for Yorkshire to recognise their wider responsibilities, but the facts bear out that they have embarked upon a new direction.Central to Yorkshire’s ambition has been their serious attempts to transform a previously narrow performance pathway that had favoured children of monied and well-connected white parents – a charge that it has long been established can be levelled not just against Yorkshire but, to varying degrees, every county club in the land.To increase access from lower income households, match fees have been removed, free kit has been provided, winter coaching has been free of charge and there has been a hardship fund for those worthy of further support.Potential bias in selection has been addressed by abolishing private one-to-one coaching from staff involved with age-group pathways – a recognition that parents who pay for such coaching expect results from those who can influence team selection. Selection committees have been established. It would be naïve, though, to imagine a perfect world. Already there are grumblings of parental pressure and potential conflicts of interest. Junior selection in sport is a perpetual minefield wherever the power lies.Nevertheless, these and other changes have brought a 60% increase in participants from minority-ethnic or poorer backgrounds in the age-group performance pathways. Poorer kids, too, because the issues of race and class are intertwined.Under the heading “Cricket is a Game for Me”, Yorkshire’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion plan, modelled on the ECB’s “Inspiring Generations” strategy, is being implemented with conviction. Inclusivity is also increasingly at the heart of the spectator experience.So much, so boring, some social media sabre-rattlers will be thinking. What’s our next campaign? As Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart indicated on a recent The Rest is Politics podcast, the coming generation might have a stronger moral conscience than many who passed before, but by their own admission they have less appetite for civic contributions. But only by tens of thousands of hours active commitment by hundreds of people does change occur. After the dislocation must come the vision and after the vision must come the dedication.Lord Patel failed to get everyone pulling in the same direction at Yorkshire•Getty ImagesWhat still seems to be lacking in Yorkshire’s approach – and what has been lacking on all sides since the Rafiq affair began – is a recognition of the importance of education in building deep and long-lasting trust in a multi-racial environment. Lord Patel did not go in for education – despite promising upon his emergency appointment to “take people on a journey”, he summarily sacked 16 people, a decision that eroded trust and divided the county. It did not just go against natural justice, or cost the club millions in legal fees, but erroneously concluded that the problem was in the individual, rather than the culture.It is worth remembering that as much as Yorkshire can, and must, use its influence to be a general force for good, its primary function is that of a professional sports club – to find and develop elite players and to run a successful and profitable business.What Yorkshire also need therefore is a social contract for all players who appear in their age group sides and beyond, an appreciation of the cultural and sporting codes of behaviour that underpin the right to a non-discriminatory environment, but also which makes clear their own responsibilities in a talent-driven sporting environment. A new code of White Rose values that goes beyond the traditional image of playing hard and telling it straight.There will never be a better chance for minority-ethnic communities to abandon their pessimism and trust that the opportunities are for real, to play an active part in a club from which they have largely regarded themselves as excluded. Not to do so would deny Rafiq a valuable legacy and a victory – because victory it has been – of lasting substance.While Yorkshire wrestle with the many social and ethnic challenges that (apart from a brief period earlier this century) have been beyond them, to punish a county that has now embraced change would seem to be entirely counterproductive.By announcing their verdict, but delaying their sentence, the ECB’s disciplinary committee appears to recognise that. They may be in a quandary, but opportunity for disadvantaged and minority-ethnic kids is not best served by heavy fines that at best might cause cuts in development budgets and at worst tip Yorkshire into bankruptcy. By showing evidence of progress to the disciplinary committee, as they now must because the process will drag on for a while yet, they will have reason to appeal for clemency.Not everyone will be placated. If not fines, they say, then points deductions. The ECB will fear reputational damage if they are seen to be lenient and considering that they recently deducted 10 points from Durham for an oversized bat precedent is hardly in Yorkshire’s favour.But even this – a more likely option – has little purpose nearly seven years after Rafiq first complained formally about racism, and then was eventually released for the second time at the end of that season. It would be a brutal response to a young Yorkshire side that is entirely unconnected with the racism allegations. In the meantime, they must begin a second successive season not knowing what points deductions they may face, but their consolation is that with every week that passes the extent of that punishment may lessen.It is time to embrace the positives. The success over the past three years of the African-Caribbean Engagement programme, tirelessly headed by Ebony Rainford-Brent, has become the template on what can be achieved to champion diversity in sport. ACE began in South London but it has expanded into Birmingham and Bristol, and has ambitions, among others, to gain a foothold in Leeds, too. Make that happen.According to figures from , the charity has already touched 10,000 pupils in their schools’ programme and provided 44 players for county age-group sides. As Lawrence Booth, editor of , asked: “If a charity can produce them from scratch in next to no time what on earth has the game’s governing body been up to?”ACE has enjoyed substantial financial backing, not least from Sport England and the ECB, as well as attracting individual donations. Yorkshire are a long way from building the credibility to receive such support. Building their own membership and attracting sponsors is battle enough. Their expansion of coaching is already a heavy drain on their finances.But the success of ACE is a reminder that for the ECB to debilitate Yorkshire financially at precisely the time they are striving to change for the better would be one more terrible miscalculation in a saga that has been full of them.

Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to reflect on England’s Test squad announcement, and Jofra Archer’s injury woes

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2023England’s squad announcement for the Ireland Test contained all manner of subplots… among them, the omission of Ben Foakes in favour of the returning Jonny Bairstow, and the desperate news of Jofra Archer’s latest injury setback. Alan Gardner, Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah digest the implications, both short- and long-term. There’s also a snippet from our new women’s cricket segment, as Valkerie Baynes and Firdose Moonda reflect on the retirement of the mighty Katherine Sciver-Brunt.

Fifteen freakish numbers from Virat Kohli’s 15-year international career

Sampath Bandarupalli18-Aug-2023

More than 500 kilometres between wickets

In his 15-year-long international career, Virat Kohli has run roughly 277km between wickets for his non-boundary scoring shots. He’s also covered some 233km for his partners’ runs when he’s been at the crease, taking the tally to approximately 510km. Only once has Kohli run an all-run four to date, during an ODI in 2013 against Zimbabwe.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

An average of 518

Kohli’s success with the bat in T20 World Cups is well documented. He was Player of the Tournament in both 2014 and 2016, and his record in chases is particularly outstanding. India have won nine of the ten matches during which he has batted in chases, and he’s remained unbeaten on eight occasions.Kohli averages 270.5 in those ten chases, which is nearly twice the average of the next best, Marcus Stoinis (146), among batters to have played a minimum of five innings. Kohli’s average shoots up to 518 in successful chases, close to five times that of the second-best, Cameron White (104).

Helmet off at 46 venues

Kohli has played at 83 venues in his international career so far, and has scored hundreds in 46 of them. Adelaide Oval is the standout venue for Kohli; it has witnessed five of his 76 tons. Only one player has had a hundred on more grounds than Kohli – Sachin Tendulkar, unsurprisingly, at 53 venues.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A perfect start to World Cups

Kohli made a dream start to his World Cup career with an unbeaten century against Bangladesh in Dhaka in the opening match of the 2011 edition. A year later, he scored a fifty on his T20 World Cup debut against Afghanistan, to become the first player to complete the double of a hundred on Men’s ODI World Cup debut and a fifty on Men’s T20 World Cup debut. Aaron Finch matched this double, with a fifty in the 2014 T20 World Cup and a century on the opening day of the 2015 ODI World Cup.

Excelling in oppositions’ backyards

Kohli has scored a century in all nine countries where he has played ODI cricket, and in seven of the eight countries in Test cricket, with Bangladesh the only exception. He has scored both Test and ODI hundreds in six countries against the home team – Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and West Indies. Only two players have had both Test and ODI tons against the host nation in as many or more countries as Kohli – seven by Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.

Nearly 1000 runs in ten innings

In 2018, between February and October, Kohli scored nearly 1000 runs in a span of ten ODI innings. Kohli amassed 995 runs between his 197th and 206th ODI innings at an average of 142.14, with five hundreds and three fifties. It is the best 10-innings ODI streak for any batter. He surpassed by 138 runs the previous record held by David Warner for scoring 857 runs between October 2016 and June 2017.

The allrounder has been instrumental in Netherlands getting to the tournament. He might easily have been there for New Zealand instead

Firdose Moonda24-Aug-2023The path of a professional sportsperson can rely as much on talent and luck as on preparation and planning, and Logan van Beek is a fan of the latter. Early in his New Zealand domestic career for Canterbury, he wrote down some goals. “Play in the 2015 World Cup” was one.It was more of a dream than an actual destination because by the beginning of 2015, van Beek had only played 15 List A matches over four years. He averaged 9.00 with the bat and 40.00 with the ball. If those numbers were the other way around, he would have been a shoo-in for the squad, but as they stood, he was nowhere near it and he knew it.”I was living with Tom Latham and Matt Henry at the time, and they both got picked in that squad and I didn’t get picked,” van Beek said in Harare, the day before Netherlands played Sri Lanka in the World Cup Qualifier final. “I wasn’t even close at the time, but it’s still pretty tough when you’ve got two of your close mates playing in a World Cup that you want to be playing in. Still, it was amazing to watch them.”Related

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New Zealand enjoyed a stellar run at the tournament. They won all eight of the matches they played at home, including a group stage match against eventual champions Australia, and quarter- and semi-final victories over West Indies and South Africa respectively. (Who can ever forget the South Africa match?) But Henry only made two appearances and Latham none, and so van Beek didn’t really need to feel too far behind.”The next goal was to play the 2019 World Cup,” he said. “I was going to be in my prime then [at 28], so if I could achieve that, that would be amazing.”In the four years between the World Cups, van Beek added over 30 List A caps to his name, including making his international debut – but not for the country you may think.Early days: van Beek bowls in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, in a game against Canada•Martin Hunter/Getty ImagesThough born in Canterbury, van Beek has mixed heritage and has always identified as “very much a West Indian and a Kiwi”. The West Indian half comes courtesy his maternal grandfather, Sammy Guillen, who moved from Trinidad and Tobago to New Zealand in the mid-1950s. Guillen played Test cricket for West Indies and New Zealand, and the majority of his matches for either team were against the other. Guillen was a big influence on van Beek, who ultimately chose cricket over basketball because of him.”I was very close to my grandfather. He was my idol. I looked up to him and I just wanted to be like him,” van Beek said. “He sang, he danced, he was the biggest character in our family, and so cricket was always going to be what I was going to play.”But it wasn’t West Indies who secured van Beek’s services between those two World Cups.”I also had this Dutch passport in my drawer somewhere,” he said.His grandfather on his father’s side moved to New Zealand from Holland, and though he died when van Beek was five, his origins meant the boy had a document that would prove crucial in the development of his career.In 2017, van Beek played for Netherlands in series against Zimbabwe and the UAE. He returned to New Zealand later that year to play domestic cricket in the southern-hemisphere summer and in 2018 was picked for New Zealand A in a series against Pakistan A.Switching from playing for an Associate member to a Full Member carries no qualification time, so van Beek could easily go from playing for Netherlands to doing so for New Zealand if he got selected, but his numbers did not improve quickly enough. His batting average rose to 17.27 in the time between the World Cups and he took 41 wickets at 28.43, but he still missed the squad while his friends, Latham and Henry, both made it and played in a final that remains among the best 50-over matches of all time.Van Beek and his house-mate Tom Latham were on opposing sides during a New Zealand-Netherlands T20I in Napier in 2022•Kerry Marshall/Getty Images”I was there, watching from the stands, and it was the most unbelievable game that I’ve ever experienced,” van Beek said. “I was so proud of them, but I was also very jealous because I wanted to be there.”So it was back to the notepad and pen. “Going into this year, I wrote another goal, of making the 2023 World Cup, and I felt like I was getting close, chipping away…”Van Beek played first-class and List A cricket for New Zealand against India and Australia in the 2022-23 season, but he only had two scores in double figures and his 14 wickets in six matches came at an average just under 30. That’s when reality hit. “I am not quite in the picture,” he admitted. “The quality of players we have in New Zealand is immense. The way that Kyle Jamieson came into the picture, the way Matt Henry is still bowling, and with Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Scott Kuggeleijn – all these guys – it’s a tough team to get into.”But it wasn’t the only team van Beek could play for. While struggling to make the New Zealand side, he was included in the Dutch team. He played white-ball formats for Netherlands, including at last year’s T20 World Cup, where the team reached the Super 12s, but it still didn’t take him closer to his ultimate aim. “It was a great experience but the 50-over World Cup is the pinnacle of cricket, in my opinion,” he said.There was a pathway for Netherlands to get there. They were the only Associate team included in the 13-team World Cup Super League, which gave them a shot at automatic qualification. But they were never really in the race to make it on the basis of points-table standings, with only three wins from their 24 ODIs. Van Beek played in 15 of those games and felt first-hand their chance to make the World Cup slip away.By this point he had learnt to deal with disappointment by focusing on other aspects of life. “My relationships with my wife, with my parents, with my brothers and sisters and with my friends, they are my No. 1 and then cricket comes after that,” he said. “It’s about doing everything I can possibly do to make sure that I’m fit and healthy, my relationships are super solid, and I’m improving as a cricketer. And then from that point, it’s almost: just let go.””The one thing I’ve been working on for my whole career is to be the finisher, the one who wins the game, who shakes the hands and pulls the stumps out and walks off”: Van Beek after the win against West Indies in the World Cup Qualifier earlier this year•Johan Rynners/ICC/Getty ImagesFrom the bottom of the table, the Dutch looked down and out, but in losing, they learned. Unlike other Associate teams, they had regular fixtures against Full Members, including World Cup holders England. They were humbled but they honed their skills. By the time the campaign to qualify for the World Cup arrived, though they were without their entire frontline attack, who all had county-cricket commitments, Netherlands felt as ready as they could be and van Beek was quietly hopeful. “I was thinking, ‘Okay, this is going to be tough to qualify for the World Cup. But you know, we’re here, we’ve got a chance.'”It helped that they had toured Zimbabwe earlier in the year and taken the first ODI off them then. It helped also that Teja Nidamanuru scored a century in that win; no Dutch batter had made one since Wesley Barresi’s hundred against Kenya in 2014. On good batting tracks in the Qualifiers, big scores would be important and Netherlands saw that as early as their first game, against Zimbabwe again. Though they made 315, they had no hundreds in their innings and Zimbabwe chased the score down with more than nine overs to spare. Van Beek was right: getting to the World Cup would be difficult.Wins over USA and Nepal were to be expected but it was only when Netherlands defied the rankings by tying a high-scoring clash with West Indies at 374 and then winning the Super Over – that talk of reaching the World Cup became credible. Van Beek was the main protagonist against West Indies. He scored 28 off 14 balls to level the scores, slammed a four or six off every ball in a 30-run Super Over, and then defended the target with the ball.It was the perfect game for him. “The one thing I’ve been working on for my whole career is to be the finisher, the one who wins the game, who shakes the hands and pulls the stumps out and walks off. I’ve been in that situation many times where I’ve fallen short,” he said.After a chat over dinner with Jade Dernbach, a team-mate from Derbyshire, van Beek realised that was something he needed to get used to. “He [Dernbach] said, ‘Look, if you want to be a finisher, you know that you’re going to fail a lot. And you’ve got to be able to take the failure just as well as the wins.’ And so that is the mindset I’ve got,” van Beek said. “If I think I’m gonna do well in every last over, then I’m delusional. But if I go into those moments and be realistic and just stick to my process, and give myself the best chance, every third or fourth time I might do it.””As soon as you think that you need to be in a certain spot at a certain time [in your career], more often than not, you will be disappointed”•Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated PressIn the World Cup Qualifiers, he did it twice in four games. Sort of. After the remarkable win over West Indies, Netherlands still needed to beat Scotland, and surpass their net run rate, to finish in the top two. That meant chasing 278 inside 44 overs. While Bas de Leede’s hundred kept Netherlands in the hunt, he let van Beek hit the winning run. “It was kind of nice that Bas gave me the opportunity to do that so I could tick another game off the list that I finished,” van Beek said.Finally, after eight years of wishing himself at the World Cup, van Beek has got himself there – if not quite in the way he had imagined. “The first thought that I had walking off the field was that I wrote down that goal of playing the 2023 World Cup and I probably didn’t get right which team I was going to play with,” he said. “You never know how your career is going to play out. As soon as you think that you need to be in a certain spot at a certain time, more often than not, you will be disappointed. Maybe I had to wait to have a Super Over and for my career to take a different turn.”Maybe that also explains van Beek’s mantra: “Get knocked down seven, get up eight”, which he hopes will be the title of his autobiography at some point. “I know I’m just going to keep picking myself back up and keep turning up. That’s the way I play and that’s how I’m going to keep playing,” he said. “I cannot wait to tick this goal off, of playing the World Cup. I cannot wait to get on the plane to India and just go out there and play and have no expectations and enjoy the battle.”Van Beek is not the only one taking that carpe diem attitude into the tournament; it’s the mindset of the squad as a whole. The Dutch don’t like the word “Associate” and don’t use it in their environment. They simply call themselves the Netherlands cricket team and they want to be seen in the same way as every other team at the tournament. “It’s a ten-team competition and we’ve earned the right to be there, so we should be treated just the same as any other team,” van Beek said. “We should have the respect of those other teams that are there. If they take us lightly, then they might cop the same thing as West Indies.”That’s a threat that no team will take lightly. West Indies are two-time holders of the World Cup, and for the first time in the tournament’s history, they will not be participants. Van Beek, who is part West Indian, had a big say in that. New Zealand are among the teams he will take on at this World Cup, and perhaps he is writing another goal down as you read this.

Trusting the process is all well and good but the ability to deliver when good batters are attacking is what separates fast-bowling greats from the herd

Ian Chappell31-Dec-2023As Australia captain Pat Cummins cleverly dissected the Pakistan batting line-up to bring his team a tough victory in the second Test, I thought: what does it take to amass Test victims – lots of them?I liken Cummins to the great former Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee in both inspirational qualities and heart size. Lillee wanted to get batters out, to have their number. He says, “Fast bowling is a mental job as well as a physical one.”At the top of his mark, Lillee envisioned the ball flying through to keeper Rod Marsh, who’d take the delivery at head height standing back. That’s what Lillee means when he talks about the mental side of fast bowling.The spectacular delivery that Cummins produced to bowl Pakistan’s Babar Azam – dismissing the opposition’s best batter once again – reminded me of Lillee’s greatness.Related

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At the Oval in 1972 a firmly entrenched England wicketkeeper Alan Knott was displaying exceptional grit and determination. When England’s ninth second-innings wicket fell for 356, we gathered to congratulate bowler Ashley Mallett. Lillee was having none of it and bellowed, “We can’t let these ba*****s score any more runs.”At that stage England led by 241. Lillee then bowled the obstinate Knott for a well-compiled 63, leaving Australia to chase 242 for a famous victory. He didn’t bowl Knott with pure pace – the delivery was nowhere near his fastest. Nor did he beat the bat with movement – the pitch by then was devoid of any green tinge. Lillee bowled Knott with sheer will power. He wanted the batter out.Like Lillee, Cummins wanted Babar out.It’s terrific to bowl a top-class batter, but you also have to rely on the fielders taking catches. A good slip fielder’s job is to catch the standard ones and occasionally add a blinder to his resumé . An excellent slip fielder should pouch around 90% of the catches that come his way.Pakistan were never noted for their slip catching. I recall saying on commentary, “Inzamam-ul-Haq isn’t at first slip because he’s their best catcher.” That applies to current Pakistan first-slip fielder Abdullah Shafique too, who has grassed eminently catchable chances in both Tests.

With the great improvement in modern bats it’s not so much how you bowl – Test bowlers are skilful – but how you perform when a good batter is attacking. That’s when the best bowlers come to the fore.

Then there is slip placement. If you are fortunate to have an excellent keeper, like Marsh, who had the widest range, both left and right, of any gloveman I saw standing back, then the slips can cover a lot of territory. That isn’t the case in Australia with Pakistan or many other international teams.At one point in their career the excellent Pakistan pace duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis had claimed 60% of their Test and ODI wickets bowled or lbw. That’s an outrageously high figure and suggests the two fast bowlers knew not to trust their own fielders.With the great improvement in modern bats, it’s not so much how you bowl – Test bowlers are skilful – but how you perform when a good batter is attacking. That’s when the best bowlers come to the fore.It’s also when you need every bit of the mental fortitude that Lillee speaks about and Cummins exudes.Occasionally I hear: “Adhere to the process and don’t worry too much about the actual consequences.”Well, in Pakistan’s case they beat the edge of the bat regularly at the MCG but also seemingly with resignation. And catches kept going down – chances that should have been taken and could have been crucial to the end result, because Pakistan had Australia four down and were back in contention.Wickets are important. Just ask Cummins.One of Lillee’s great traits was that a batter had to overcome his enormous skill first, which was no easy feat. However, if he achieved that difficult task, he still had to outlast his iron will, which took a monumental effort.On those hot, demanding days, give me a Lillee- or a Cummins-style character who cares only about not giving in and taking wickets rather than how the process feels.That’s why great fast bowlers like Lillee and Cummins are a captain’s dream and a batter’s nightmare.

Tactics board: Where the second semi-final between Australia and South Africa, in Kolkata, could be won or lost

Sidharth Monga14-Nov-20235:37

Finch on Australia’s champion mentality in World Cup knockouts

Australia are the second-quickest starters with the bat, and the second-most miserly starters with the ball. South Africa have been slow starters with the bat – even slower than Pakistan and Afghanistan – but explosive with the ball, taking more powerplay wickets than any other team. South Africa have recent form on their side, having beaten Australia in their last four encounters, including once in the group stages of this World Cup. Australia, though, have the momentum of having won seven matches on the trot, plus some knockout ghosts to remind South Africa of. These are some of the tactical moves to watch out for as they face off in Kolkata.What to do at the toss?
No secrets there. South Africa want to avoid chasing, and Australia want them to chase. Even when winning against Pakistan and Afghanistan when chasing, they huffed and puffed their way through. All their four recent wins against Australia have come batting first.There might be some respite for South Africa though. There is a forecast for some rain in the evening. If this forecast convinces Australia to chase or cuts short the duration of South Africa’s chase, it could mitigate South Africa’s chasing troubles.Related

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Still, expect both sides to risk the dew or the rain because the advantage to be gained by batting first is too big to ignore.Weighing up team combinations

Unlike India and New Zealand in the first semi-final, these teams have one selection doubt each. Australia have to choose between Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Stoinis. Labuschagne brings more solidity to the middle after the explosive top three whereas Stoinis in theory brings both powerful hitting lower down the order and a sixth bowling option. Current form – and indeed sentiment – is with Labuschagne, especially with some solidity required in the middle overs, but expect Australia to play him only if they are confident in Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh helping out with the ball as their fifth bowler is Glenn Maxwell. Also, Labuschagne’s record against left-arm spin can go against him because he will have to face a lot of Keshav Maharaj in the middle.South Africa played Tabraiz Shamsi in their league game in Kolkata. Shamsi didn’t have a great game, but they did read the conditions well: there was enough in the pitch for him and other spinners. This will be a conditions-based toss-up between Shamsi and Gerald Coetzee, the latter bringing some hitting lower down the order.Put pressure on Starc

Mitchell Starc hasn’t had many chances to bowl with a moving ball this World Cup, which partly explains his economy rate of 6.55 and average of 43.9. It hasn’t swung or seamed much in Kolkata either. So, especially if they are chasing, South Africa might want to target Starc because we have seen that generally if you fall behind in a chase this tournament, there is no way back.Australia might go for Marnus Labuschagne over Marcus Stoinis as he brings more solidity to the middle•AFP/Getty ImagesMaxwell before Zampa?

In his last three matches against South Africa, Adam Zampa has averaged 63.25 and gone at 8.43 an over. Expect Australia to go to Maxwell before Zampa not least because Quinton de Kock hasn’t quite liked offspin of late. His strike rate against offspin this World Cup has been 78.37; his release shot against them, the reverse-sweep, has got him out twice in six attempts.The problem for South Africa is that Temba Bavuma has even worse numbers against offspin. If there does come a situation where de Kock is stuck against Maxwell, they will need Rassie van der Dussen and those following to compensate.Reverse-swing on the cards

South Africa’s plan has been to start steadily and keep constantly accelerating. They have been the most explosive side at the death. However, do remember that Pakistan found reverse in Kolkata. That means the square is dry. Getting the old ball going will be a must for Australia if they don’t take early wickets.South Africa will look for the same if they end up bowling first. So watch out for a lot of cross-seam bowling, and umpires stopping fielders from returning the ball on the bounce.Target Jansen

Marco Jansen has been one of the big reasons South Africa have been successful in this World Cup. Even when he is not swinging the ball, his height gives him a big advantage. However, there have been two games where he has gone for more than 90. Once when Kusal Mendis got stuck into him, and once when he started waywardly, possibly out of nerves, and then Rohit Sharma took advantage.The trends suggest that Jansen is a handful if he gets into his groove. Australia will likely want Head and Marsh to go after him and see if he cracks, while David Warner bats normally at the other end. The first ten overs of Australia’s innings promise to be delicious either way.Maharaj key in the middle

South Africa will hope that the quicks have got past the top three by the time they introduce Maharaj because Steven Smith and Labuschagne don’t quite prefer left-arm spin. Ravindra Jadeja got them both out in Chennai, and Mitchell Santner managed to shut them off in Dharamsala. Even Josh Inglis, who comes in after the pair, is a right-hand batter. In the last match between these two sides, Maharaj dismissed Maxwell and Labuschagne.

Perennial T20 trophy bridesmaids, Punjab met a familiar foe in the final, but on this occasion, they were prepared like never before

Hemant Brar09-Nov-2023Anmolpreet Singh has just taken two excellent catches in the final of the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Running in from long-on and sliding in, he pouches Baroda captain Krunal Pandya. Two balls later, charging in once again and putting in a full-length dive, he sends back Shivalik Sharma.Anmolpreet’s brilliance has put Punjab on the cusp of victory in Mohali. But Mandeep Singh, his captain, is having flashbacks to the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semi-final against the same team.In that game, Anmolpreet misjudged a similar chance and it went over him for four. The reprieved batter, Kartik Kakade, went on to score a crucial half-century and steer Baroda to 160. It proved 25 too many for Punjab.”Anmolpreet is one of the best fielders in India; he has got great hands,” Mandeep says. “When he took those two catches, I got all those flashbacks, and how life comes full circle.”Related

• Mandeep Singh leaves home to find all-format comfort

• Anmolpreet ton, Arshdeep four-for help Punjab clinch maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title

In the last four seasons, Punjab had reached the knockouts six times across formats. But they couldn’t make it to the final until Monday, when they beat Baroda by 20 runs, thus ending a 30-year trophy drought.Punjab’s previous domestic title was the Ranji Trophy in 1992-93. Thirteen out of 17 members of their current squad were not even born then. So what worked for them this time? According to Mandeep, winning crunch moments was the biggest difference. And to make that possible, the whole ecosystem worked together behind the scenes.”We wanted to win a trophy for a long time, especially for Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh] and Bhajju [Harbhajan Singh] as they had done a lot for the team,” he says. “Unfortunately, it couldn’t happen when they were playing. Sometimes the preparation wasn’t that good, sometimes, the team was going through a transition phase.”Still, we are a very talented bunch. But we were not able to win the crunch moments in knockout games. For example, in the quarter-final and semi-final this year, we lost three early wickets and needed to stabilise the innings. Earlier, that wouldn’t happen. This year, we did that. I think that was a big change this year.”And the Coach Saab had a big role to play in everything.”Aavishkar Salvi (here with Mayank Markande) joined as head coach in August 2022•Ishan Mahal/Punjab Cricket Association as Mandeep refers to Aavishkar Salvi throughout our conversation, took over the reins in August 2022. Under Salvi, Punjab made it to the knockouts of all three domestic tournaments that season: semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, quarter-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy.”He is the backbone of our team,” Mandeep continues. “He has created a new value system. He also re-introduced the fitness culture. We set a benchmark for the Yo-Yo test. Last year it was 16.1; this time, we increased it to 16.5.”Salvi explains his philosophy: “Whatever the situation is, you think about the team first. I always thought that if you have a growth mindset, a strong work ethic and a brilliant attitude, then you’re talking business. And that’s what I gave the entire impetus on, to make these three pillars of our team.”He had a hand in getting Mandeep to lead the side once again as well. Mandeep became the captain of Punjab in 2012-13. When he started playing cricket, he had two goals: “To play for India, which I did in 2016, and to win a trophy for Punjab.””I had won three-four trophies at the junior level,” he says. “But when we were not able to win at the senior level, people started saying we could win only in juniors, not in seniors. Slowly, it started pinching.”Taking the losses to heart, Mandeep stepped down from captaincy in 2021, thinking a new leader with fresh ideas might change the results.”Last year, when Coach Saab came, he said I to lead and not think about all these things,” Mandeep says. “Honestly, he didn’t give me a choice .”For Salvi, it was a no-brainer: “Because if you see Mandeep, his work ethic is very strong, his attitude is superb, he inspires a lot of youngsters and seniors within the team, and he was still performing.”

“When Coach Saab came, he said we needed to decide whether we wanted to participate, or compete, or dominate. Last year, we felt we competed. So at the start of this season, we said we had to dominate this time”Mandeep Singh

Another thing that made a difference was the Punjab Cricket Association starting their own T20 league, the Sher-e-Punjab T20 Cup, in July. That laid the foundation for this season.Most players in Punjab’s T20 squad were already part of various IPL teams – including all 12 who played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. However, many of them didn’t get regular game time there. The Sher-e-Punjab T20 Cup provided that opportunity.”It was a fantastic initiative by our honourable secretary Mr Dilsher Khanna and our CEO Mr Deepak Sharma ,” Salvi says. “Our joint-secretary and, obviously, our president Mr. [Amarjit Singh] Mehta, all of them were behind conducting that. The boys were playing only district cricket against each other, but most of the superstars of Punjab cricket played in that tournament. And playing in Mohali under lights, live games, close finishes – it was a good learning curve for them.”Then, after a short break, Salvi conducted an off-season camp in Mohali. “I don’t think we have had such a camp before,” Mandeep says. “We were completely pushed out of our comfort zone.””In those 14 days, I wanted the players to challenge themselves in five aspects: tactically, technically, physically, mentally, and in life skills,” Salvi says. “There were a lot of activities from morning to evening. And in those activities, there were a lot of challenges thrown at them.”Mandeep goes into detail of some of the challenges: “At one side there was white-ball practice. For me, someone who bats in the middle overs, they would say it’s the last over of the powerplay, these are the next three bowlers, this is the field, and you have to play till the middle phase.”Once you are done with that, straightaway you go into the red-ball net. There the scenario is that you are batting with No. 10, you have to farm the strike, attack the first four balls and look for a single on the fifth.”For someone like Sanvir [Singh] and Raman[deep Singh], who are our power-hitters, they would do the white-ball simulation first. In the red-ball net, their target would be to save a match. Completely out of their comfort zone, but such situations can arise in a game.”Punjab beat Baroda in a high-scoring final to clinch their maiden T20 title•Mandeep SinghNone of this would have been possible without the association’s support, Salvi emphasises. “The kind of freedom our top management gave us is unmatchable,” he says. “They completely backed us and provided us with all the facilities we wanted – no questions asked.”At the same time, they were fully involved too. They took regular updates on what was happening on the ground, how the boys were shaping up, and if we needed further help. Bhajju , from the advisory board, and Dilsher Khanna, our secretary, were always there for us. It definitely helps when you have complete freedom and, at the same time, there is a lot of care shown as well by the stakeholders.”Punjab started their campaign with a defeat. Chasing 212 against Saurashtra, they were all out for 174. But they took positives from the fact that despite five of their top seven getting out in single digits, they got within 37 runs of the target.From there on, Abhishek Sharma found a purple patch. It started with 112 off 51 balls against Andhra when Punjab posted a tournament-record 275 for 6; he followed it up with scores of 82 off 38, 53 off 26 and 112 off 56. Punjab won their remaining group matches easily.The real challenge started with the quarter-final. Chasing 170 against Uttar Pradesh, they were 14 for 3, with Abhishek, Prabhsimran Singh and Mandeep back in the pavilion. This was one of those crunch moments Mandeep was talking about.Anmolpreet and Nehal Wadhera stabilised the innings, but Wadhera was struggling. At the end of the 13th over, when the asking rate was 12, he was on 25 off 29 balls. In the next ten balls, though, he hit two fours and two sixes, and with 53 needed from the last five overs, Sanvir and Ramandeep took the side home with five balls to spare.In the semi-final against Delhi, Punjab once again lost three early wickets in their chase of 184. Legspinner Suyash Sharma was the biggest threat and had just trapped Anmolpreet lbw with a faster one. But Abhishek and Mandeep neutralised him and Punjab won comfortably.

“If you ask me who my wicket-takers are in the middle overs, it’s Mayank Markande and Harpreet Brar; they have strike rates of 12 and 14 in that phase. But data and your conviction, you should blend both and come up with a decision”Punjab head coach Aavishkar Salvi

The final was against Baroda, a team that had beaten Punjab in the 2011-12 final and the 2020-21 semi-final. “It was not like we were seeking any revenge, but we had it at the back of our minds that they had beaten us a couple of times,” says Mandeep, who was part of both those losses.Put into bat, Punjab rode on Anmolpreet’s hundred and Wadhera’s unbeaten 61 off 27 balls to post a daunting 223 for 4. Baroda gave a tough fight, as Krunal and Abhimanyusingh Rajput brought the equation down to 76 needed from five overs.”One thought at that time was to give Arsh[deep Singh] an over,” Mandeep says. “But I trusted Ballu [Baltej Singh]. That was the most important over of the match because the Baroda batters knew Arsh had two overs left and Sid one. So they were looking to target that over. But the way Ballu bowled six yorkers on the trot, and conceded just one boundary, and ten runs in all, made me so proud.”The game was on the line again when Siddarth Kaul went for 24 in the 18th. Baroda needed 33 from two overs, with one of those overs likely to be bowled by left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar in dewy conditions. Arshdeep, though, all but sealed Punjab’s win with an excellent 19th over, in which he conceded just four runs and picked up three wickets.Apart from winning the crunch moments, what stood out was the attacking brand of cricket Punjab played. “When Coach Saab came, he said we needed to decide whether we wanted to participate, or compete, or dominate,” Mandeep says. “Last year, we felt we competed. So at the start of this season, we said we had to dominate this time. Play with full freedom without worrying about the result.”That fearlessness was reflected in Punjab’s batting. Of their seven regular batters, five had strike rates over 160. As a team, they hit a six every ten balls, and a boundary every four balls – the best in the tournament on both metrics. Overall, they hit 114 sixes; Assam were a distant second with 85.Anmolpreet was the biggest beneficiary of this new-found freedom provided. Before this season, he averaged 22.21 in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 115.61. Here, he scored at an average of 44.37 and a strike rate of 180.20. He almost doubled his six tally as well. Earlier, he had 21 sixes in 40 innings; here he smashed 20 in just nine.File photo: Siddarth Kaul, Baltej Singh and Arshdeep Singh – Punjab’s pace attack in the final•Ishan Mahal/Punjab Cricket AssociationSalvi is aware of all the numbers. It becomes even more apparent when he talks about Kaul, who is now the leading wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, overtaking Piyush Chawla during the tournament.”Every eighth ball Siddarth Kaul has bowled in the tournament with the new ball, he has picked up a wicket. That’s a very difficult task. One might be expensive in the slog overs [Kaul’s economy this season was 9.17], but he is picking up wickets for you with the new ball, that is what you want in the powerplay. And that is what he has done successfully. And it’s not just one season; he has done it season after season.”In the last season, he was the highest wicket-taker. This year he is the highest for Punjab; in the top five overall. He’s been playing regularly for the last 13 years – to maintain that consistency is not easy. T20 is not a game where every year you will come up with the economical spells. But if you see his career economy, it’s brilliant. For a fast bowler to have a career economy under seven [7.02 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy] is brilliant.”But Salvi likes to blend the data with instincts. “If you ask me who my wicket-takers are in the middle overs, it’s Mayank Markande and Harpreet Brar; they have strike rates of 12 and 14 in that phase. That’s something you should know as a coach. But data and your conviction, you should blend both and come up with a decision. And I think Mandeep is pretty good at that. At times you might be wrong, but at least there is some rationale behind our thought process.”For Salvi, too, it is his first BCCI trophy. And he is not the one to sit on his laurels. Two days after the final, he is busy preparing for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, working with Punjab’s back-up wicketkeepers Anmol Malhotra and Naman Dhir.He knows the journey has just started.

The cricket community mourns the death of one of its finest

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2023BS Chandrasekhar, Bedi’s longtime friend and fellow member of the great spin quartet, told PTI: “I have shared such a long friendship with Bedi. He was so much more than a teammate, a true friend whom I could call anytime and speak. It’s a huge personal loss.”He was a terrific bowler. His use of crease and angles were just stunning. Batsmen often were made nervous by the prospect of facing him, he had just about every trick up his sleeve, not to mention his flight.”Intikhab Alam, the former Pakistan captain, wrote in the , “I am heartbroken. I have lost a part of my heart today. I can’t express in words how I am feeling. I have lost a friend, a younger brother. Last year, around the same time, we met at the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara. He forced me to sing Louis Armstrong’s songs, held my hand, we smiled, we cried. Those were some of the most beautiful few hours of my life. I can still recall his smiling face, waving us goodbye once he crossed the border.”When contacted, Sunil Gavaskar said, “Sad news indeed. He was the finest left hand bowler that I saw.”On social media, Indian – and other – cricketers past and present spoke of the man they knew.

"Sashu," he'd say with warmth that only he possessed. To Bishan Paaji, I wasn't just another cricketer; I was like a son. Under his nurturing guidance, I scored my first 100 in England. On chilly NZ evenings, we'd sit over meals, and I'd hang on to every story he told, every… pic.twitter.com/z0ahschCvp

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 23, 2023