Australia captain Meg Lanning and her squad leave for England on Monday night with great expectations, although recent history will be against them in their bid to regain the Women’s Ashes

Brydon Coverdale13-Jul-2015In 2013, Australia won the Women’s World Cup. In 2014 they took out the Women’s World T20. Now they are hoping that 2015 brings them the other major piece of silverware available: the Women’s Ashes. It is a prize the Australians have barely laid hands on over the past decade, despite their success in the shorter formats.Captain Meg Lanning and her squad leave for England on Monday night with great expectations, although recent history will be against them. Not since 2001 under Belinda Clark’s captaincy have Australia won the Ashes in England, and only once in the past 10 years have they claimed the trophy anywhere, with victory at home in 2010-11.This will be the third Ashes campaign that incorporates ODIs and T20s as well as Test cricket, and the weighting of points given to the formats has now been adjusted to ensure the Test result does not effectively dictate the outcome of the series. Coach Matthew Mott, who joined the group earlier this year, said the time for Ashes success was now.”The team’s record speaks for itself over the last 10 years,” Mott said. “But the one thing that has eluded us is the Ashes. It was 2001 the last time the team won in England. There’s a lot of payback ready and the girls are really excited about this opportunity coming up.”A lot of teams will say they’re in rebuilding phases. This is the time for these girls to capitalise. They’ve played together for a long time, they’ve had success and they’re all at the peak of their careers. It should be an exciting couple of years.”The series begins with three ODIs, followed by the Test match in Canterbury, and then three T20s that complete the campaign. The Test is worth a maximum of four points and the shorter matches two each, which means that a team needs to perform consistently across at least two of the formats in order to claim the Ashes.The Australian women’s team prior to their departure to England•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

“Given that we’ve had success in both the World Cups recently in both the T20 and one-day formats it should bode well for us,” allrounder Ellyse Perry said. “But there’s not much margin for error in this series because you only play a few games in each format.”Perry was Player of the Match last time Australia played a Test, against England at the WACA in 2013-14, where she scored 71 and 31 and claimed eight wickets for the match. However, it was not enough to prevent England claiming victory.Test cricket is a rare sight in the women’s game these days, and generally only occurs for Australia when they take on England – since 1996 they have only once played a Test against another nation, when they beat India in Adelaide in 2006.”It’s truly wonderful, to be able to put on the baggy green is what most young cricketers look forward to doing,” Perry said. “We’re really thankful for the opportunity. It’s a true test of your skill and ability on the cricket field. Because you spend so much time in the field as a team it brings you closer together as well. Every time we play a Test together we learn a little bit more about our own games and about each other. I’m really excited to play again.”Departing for England will complete a busy few days in women’s cricket in Australia, after the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League was announced last week. The T20 tournament will mirror the men’s BBL with the same eight teams and the potential for international players to sign on. Perry said she had been pleased with the public interest surrounding the WBBL since its announcement.”It’s a huge step forward in terms of the development of the women’s game, not just in Australia but globally as well, with the chance for a lot of international players to come and play in what is probably going to be the premier tournament in the world,” she said. “The interest in it is really pleasing and a little bit surprising. A lot of people are anticipating the competition starting, and the fact that it’s integrated with the men’s competition is a really good development.””Things have been developing so quickly in the last five or six years. Even when I came into the team about eight years there were no contracts for players, it was just tours every now and then. Now there are full-time contracts for some of the top players in the country, we have a professional competition in the WBBL starting.”That’s testament to the huge amount of effort and investment that Cricket Australia have put into the women’s game here, and also there’s more interest from the public across all women’s sport in the last couple of years.”

Craig McMillan has said the New Zealand players were “annoyed” that the first T20 international against South Africa in Durban was not broadcast on television in New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2015New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan has said the players were “annoyed” that the first T20 international against South Africa in Durban was not broadcast on television in New Zealand.A Sky TV spokesperson said they would continue negotiations for the rights and New Zealand Cricket said it would discuss the situation with Cricket South Africa, in the hope that the rest of the series – another T20I and three ODIs – would be televised. At the moment, however, the matches are not scheduled for broadcast.”The players are annoyed,” McMillan said on , a New Zealand radio show. “They want to be seen back home. We have some young guys playing for New Zealand for the first time, like George Worker … these are guys who are just starting out on their international careers. Let’s hope some resolution can be found in the next 24 hours and hope the next game will be on the box.”I know there are some issues with time difference but it’s very unusual for us to be touring around the world and be playing one of the world’s best teams and not have that on TV back home.”Sky TV spokesperson Kirsty Way said their bid for the rights hadn’t been accepted. “We are really disappointed, too,” she told . “We have put in a really good bid – a big bid – and it hasn’t been accepted. No one in New Zealand has offered more for it. We are not going to stop trying.”NZC said in a statement that it would try and reach a resolution with CSA. “The broadcasting rights for overseas tours are not owned by NZC: they are the property of Cricket South Africa. However, NZC will be discussing the situation with Cricket South Africa, in an attempt to ensure Black Caps fans will be able to watch the remainder of the series live in New Zealand.”New Zealand lost the first T20 international in Durban by six wickets, and the second game is scheduled for Sunday, followed by three ODIs from Wednesday. The Zimbabwe leg of New Zealand’s tour of Africa was available on television in New Zealand.

A round-up of the Ranji Trophy Group A matches on October 9, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Ishant Sharma ran through Vidarbha’s lower order•AFP

Ishant Sharma’s six-wicket haul restricted Vidarbha to under 300, before half-centuries from captain Gautam Gambhir and Nitish Rana helped the hosts recover from a mediocre start at Feroz Shah Kotla.Ishant removed three of Vidarbha’s last four wickets, as the visitors, resuming on 222 for 6, lasted 27 overs on the second day at the Feroz Shah Kotla.Ishant began by trapping Jitesh Sharma lbw in the fifth over of the day, but had to wait 20 more overs for his next wicket as overnight batsman Shrikant Wagh and Akshay Wakhare put on 57 runs for the eighth wicket. However, after Ishant had Wakhare caught behind in the 115th over, Vidarbha’s innings came to a quick finish.Delhi didn’t get off to the best start in their reply, with Unmukt Chand being run out in the fifth over. They were then reduced to 25 for 2 after Pradeep Sangwan was caught behind off Swapnil Bandiwar in the 15th over. But, Gambhir and Rana put on an unbroken 107-run partnership to steady things for the hosts.
ScorecardFast bowler Krishna Das completed figures of 5 for 32 on the second day in Guwahati, his performance helping Assam skittle out Rajasthan cheaply and claim a first-innings lead by stumps. Rajasthan began the day on 147 for 5, and Krishna Das took four of the remaining five wickets as the visitors added only 39 to their overnight score. They were dismissed for 186 in 83.4 overs.Assam lost Rishav Das for a duck in reply but were steadied by a second-wicket stand of 83 between Pallavkumar Das and Gokul Sharma. Ajay Singh dismissed both set batsmen in the 31st and 33rd over though, and Assam were wobbling at 88 for 3. KB Arun Karthik followed his century in the previous game with an unbeaten 60 and steadied the innings. His partnership with Tarjinder Singh for the fifth wicket was worth 74 at stumps and had helped Assam to a lead of 26 with six wickets in hand.
ScorecardAn unbeaten half-century from Govinda Podder steadied Odisha after a top-order slide and kept them in the hunt for the first-innings lead against Maharashtra in Cuttack. Odisha slipped from 29 for 0 to 68 for 4, with Shrikant Mundhe taking three wickets, before Podder held one end up and put on an unbroken 99-run stand with Pratik Das, who was unbeaten on 32 at stumps. Odisha ended the second day on 167 for 4, trailing by 114.The day had begun with Maharashtra on 231 for 5, and the visitors’ tail did not offer much resistance. Rahul Tripathi was lbw to Basant Mohanty without adding to his overnight score of 41 and the collapse was swift thereafter. Suryakant Pradhan finished with 4 for 90 as Maharashtra were dismissed for 281, having added only 50 on the day.Karnataka v Bengal – Nair 119* hands Karnataka advantage

Chadd Sayers made a fruitful return to South Australia’s Sheffield Shield XI to help roll Western Australia for 211 on the first day of their match at the Adelaide Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Chadd Sayers knocked over Western Australia’s top three•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Seamer Chadd Sayers made a fruitful return to South Australia’s Sheffield Shield XI to help roll Western Australia for 211 on the first day of their match at the Adelaide Oval.Having opted to bat after captain Shaun Marsh won the toss, the Warriors were unable to make the most of what appeared to be decent scoring conditions in the face of disciplined Redbacks bowling.Sayers had undergone ankle surgery during the winter, and was missing from both South Australia’s Matador Cup squad and the team that lost to New South Wales in the opening Shield round.But he wasted little time demonstrating his command of line and subtle movement, claiming the first three wickets of the WA innings to set SA on the path to a productive day.Joe Mennie followed up with four wickets of his own, and it took a series of pesky lower-order partnerships featuring William Bosisto and Sam Whiteman to allow the Warriors to eke out a tally of 211.Kelvin Smith and Mark Cosgrove then kept out the new ball in the hands of Jason Behrendorff and Michael Hogan in nine overs to the close, and will be hoping to build on their start on day two.

SLC has suspended Galle chief curator Jayananda Warnaweera from all cricket activities for two years following his failure to attend two interviews with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Nov-2015Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has suspended Galle chief curator Jayananda Warnaweera from all cricket activities for two years following his failure to attend two interviews with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). Warnaweera himself is understood to be the subject of the ACU investigation.SLC had issued Warnaweera a show-cause notice after he missed meetings with ACU officials in Colombo last month. His failure to respond to that notice prompted the suspension, though SLC had already unofficially asked him to step back from his role at Galle in October.”Following disciplinary proceedings taken by Sri Lanka Cricket arising from charges that Mr. Jayananda Warnaweera failed to attend two interviews scheduled to be held by the Anti-Corruption Unit of the ICC, and failed to cooperate with and assist the investigation being carried out by the Anti-Corruption Unit and related charges of misconduct, the Interim Committee of SLC has suspended Mr. Warnaweera from cricket, cricket management and representation for a period of two years,” a board statement said.The ACU had met SLC officials following Warnaweera’s failure to show up at meetings and is believed to have told the board that Warnaweera was under investigation. Specific details of that investigation were withheld, but the ICC revealed it had already built a substantial case against Warnaweera based on financial records and alleged contact with bookmakers.Warnaweera stepped down from his position in the interim committee days before he missed the meetings with the ACU staff. SLC officials have since described him as having “gone missing” and “very difficult to contact”.Warnaweera’s original appointment to the interim committee in March had raised minor criticism, because he had also been an executive committee member in controversial previous administrations. At the time, then-sports minister Navin Dissanayake had postured the new board as a clean break from the past.

ICC chairman Shashank Manohar’s plans of translating what he calls his “personal opinion” of a structural imbalance in the world body into the BCCI’s official position may face some resistance within the Indian board

Arun Venugopal26-Nov-2015ICC chairman Shashank Manohar’s plans of translating what he calls his “personal opinion” of a structural imbalance in the world body into the BCCI’s official position may face some resistance within the Indian board. The key sticking point among BCCI officials who spoke to ESPNcricinfo is that it would deny India its rightful share of the ICC’s revenues, as they feel has been the case over the past decade or so.Manohar, who is also the BCCI president, had said in his interview that he didn’t agree with the present revenue-sharing formula that was arrived at after the sweeping administrative reforms in the ICC last year. “It’s nice to say that India [BCCI] will get 22 percent of the total revenue of the ICC, but you cannot make the poor poorer and the rich richer, only because you have the clout,” he had said.Long-time administrator Niranjan Shah, who is also president of the Saurashtra Cricket Association, said Manohar’s ideas on revenue-sharing were “debatable” but agreed with his main contention that the big three shouldn’t bully other nations. “We must look at other teams also, without them competition is not there and if there is no competition there won’t be money for India also,” Shah said.”But some time ago, some boards tried to float the idea that they should also get revenue when India earn. That was not right. Until recently, every Test playing country were getting the same amount of money, about $11 million per year, where India would contribute around Rs 80 crore ($12m) from two ODIs. The amount was totally disproportionate.”Maybe now, the proportion [of revenue] can be fractionally reduced to give more to the needy boards. We have to find a middle way. This is Manohar’s idea, but inside the board also collective decision has to be taken.”Quite a few administrators that ESPNcricinfo contacted – most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity – admitted to being in the dark about Manohar’s plans and felt he was compromising the BCCI’s interests, especially on the financial front. “No question that India’s contribution is maximum,” a BCCI official said. “We have only asked for our rightful share. That [strengthening other countries] is okay but we should not surrender what we are getting today.”Another office-bearer said he had concerns over the wider practical implications of a change to the revenue-sharing system. “The BCCI has 25 states that are members, and six or seven states who are going to become members in the entire north-east region, and building stadia is costly,” he said. “Today you have other sporting leagues mushrooming, and you want to maintain the paramountcy of cricket. If this comes up in the Working Committee, it could face some opposition.”There is a theory that Manohar’s views on the revenue-sharing arrangement are guided by the need to pre-empt the Lodha Committee’s report next month, which is expected to recommend reforms to the board’s constitution. One member said that Manohar’s statements might be a plan to insulate the BCCI from any action taken by the Supreme Court. “Manohar probably wants to impress upon the Lodha Committee that we are not for money.”

Gauhar Hafeez has been named as the Pakistan Under-19 captain for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh

Umar Farooq19-Dec-2015Lahore Eagles batsman Gauhar Hafeez has been named as the Pakistan Under-19 captain for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Pakistan, placed in Group B, play their first game against Afghanistan on January 28 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.Pakistan named six specialist batsmen in the squad, including the top run-scorers of the recently concluded regional Under-19 One-Day Cup – Zeeshan Malik and Umar Barki, who notched up 582 and 442 tournament runs respectively. Legspinner Shadab Khan, who was the top wicket-taker of the tournament with 30 wickets at 7.73, was also included.”Each one of the squad members is talented and I personally saw some of them growing from the Under-15 circuit,” Masroor Ahmed, Pakistan’s Under-19 coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “The combination I see according to the condition in Bangladesh I am confident we can produce good results. This is an exciting job to coach the players at this level because they are the future and will lead the country from here.”I am not entirely involved in the selection process but I know many players, especially from Karachi, but the combination I see is outstanding. We have two genuine allrounders and two solid openers and given the condition in Bangladesh we have flavor in spinning department with a legspinner, left-arm spinner and offspinner. I am looking forward to seeing these players perform at the top level.”The only surprise pick in the 15-man squad is offspinner Arsal Sheikh. Arsal did not play the Under-19 One-day Cup but featured in the Under-19 three-day tournament in October, where he took nine wickets. The selectors, however, have rewarded the two best players from the much deprived FATA region- Barki and right-arm pacer, Sameen Gul.The squad is currently training in Lahore with NCA coaches, while the newly-appointed coaching staff is expected to join the squad within three days. The team, though, will lack international experience going into the World Cup, as they play just one series before the tournament- a tri-nation series involving Australia and New Zealand in January in Dubai. Nine players picked in the squad were part of the Sri Lanka tour in October, where Pakistan failed to pick up a win.Masroor, however, was upbeat about his team’s chances at the World Cup. “They have been staying together in Lahore and training with the high performance coaches at NCA and I am sure they all are getting what is required,” he said.”Half of the boys had also toured Sri Lanka [in October] this year and they understand the international experience as most of the boys have been overseas with Under-16 teams. All of the boys have been playing cricket continuously and now they are undergoing a reconditioning camp playing training matches so I don’t think they will be any problem for them as the conditions in Bangladesh are similar to what they have played most of their cricket so far.”Pakistan Under-19 squad: Gohar Hafeez (capt), Mohammad Umar, Zeeshan Malik, Hasan Mohsin, Muhammad Asad, Saif Badar, Hasan Khan, Salman Fayyaz, Shadab Khan, Umair Masood, Saif Ali, Irfan Liaqat, Sameen Gul, Arsal Sheikh, Ahmad Shafiq.

A calf injury to Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has ruled him out of the ongoing National One-Day Cup, which had been his final opportunity for competitive cricket before the tour to England in July 2016

Umar Farooq11-Jan-2016A calf injury to Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has ruled him out of the ongoing National One-Day cup, which had been one of his final opportunities for competitive cricket before the tour to England in July 2016. He may yet get the chance to find form with the Pakistan Super League, where he plays for Islamabad United, scheduled for February.Misbah was due to play his second match for Sui Northern Gas Private Limited against Peshawar on Tuesday, but now he is travelling back home to Lahore to gauge the extent of the damage. “I am not sure how serious the injury is, but I have been advised at least two weeks rest,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I am undergoing an MRI scan and the result will further reveal the level of injury. I am disappointed that I won’t be able to carry on with the ongoing one-day tournament.”Injuries have been rare in the 41-year old Misbah’s career. The most recent occurrence was in December 2014, when he missed the third, fourth and fifth ODIs against New Zealand in the UAE. He returned to lead Pakistan in the World Cup, and retired from one-day internationals at the end of the tournament.Misbah had intended to sign-off from Test cricket as well following the recent series against England, but at the request of the PCB decided to play on. He has kept himself game ready since then by playing in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class competition, and even turned out for Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League.Pakistan do not have any Test series lined up in that time and the domestic season is about to end as the PSL begins in February. Misbah has said he is open to playing English county cricket, but has not received any offers yet.Pakistan are scheduled to tour England for four Tests from July 2016, and then Australia for three Tests in the 2016-17 season.

Umpire Richard Illingworth was “distraught” when he discovered that he had incorrectly called a no-ball that reprieved Adam Voges on the first day in Wellington, according to match referee Chris Broad

Brydon Coverdale in Wellington15-Feb-20162:39

‘Credit to Voges for making umpiring decision count’ – McCullum

Umpire Richard Illingworth was “distraught” when he discovered that he had incorrectly called a no-ball that reprieved Adam Voges on the first day in Wellington, according to match referee Chris Broad.Voges went on to score 239 in a match-defining innings; he was on 7 at the time when he left a delivery and was bowled off the Doug Bracewell no-ball, despite a significant part of the bowler’s heel being behind the crease. Under the ICC playing conditions, a no-ball can be retrospectively called but not rescinded, so there was nothing that could be done about the call after Illingworth had made it.”Unfortunately Richard was distraught afterwards when he realised that it wasn’t a no ball,” Broad told the . “… I think when anyone is proved wrong in any decision that they make it’s clearly embarrassing at the time. But umpires, particularly on the elite panel have a great ability to be able to overcome that feeling and get on with the game.”There can be nothing done about it. The problem is that when an umpire calls a no-ball, you can’t change that decision because under the laws a batsman may change his shot when the no-ball is called. It was called – that’s the end of the matter. Richard is a Yorkshireman, he shrugs his shoulders and gets on with it. I’m constantly amazed at how the umpires, when they do make their occasional errors, are able to recover from it.”The mistake has led to debate about whether the on-field umpire is the best person to call no-balls, and whether the job would be better placed in the hands of the TV umpire. Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann, who sits on the ICC Cricket Committee which has discussed the matter in the past, said he would like to see the square-leg umpire take control of no-balls.”It’s a part of the game but I know it’s not right,” Lehmann said of Illingworth’s error. “We all make mistakes, I make plenty as a coach, umpires are going to make some. It’s heightened because he was on 7 and made 239 isn’t it? The no-ball situation is getting tough for umpires. I’d have the square-leg umpire do the no balls, but that’s me, that’s my cricket hat on.”Where do you go? How far do you go? How many no-balls are there in a game. How long will the day go, how many overs will we miss out on? All those questions have to be asked.””It’s something we’ve got to talk about at the ICC Cricket Committee. I sit on that so I have my views but there’s a lot of views and a lot of good players who have played a lot of cricket on that. We’ve got to get the solution right for umpires as well, there’s umpires on that commitee.”The incident occurred in the last over of the first day and was not replayed on the big screen at the Basin Reserve, so the New Zealand players did not realise the no-ball call was incorrect until they left the field at stumps. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said he had spoken to Broad about the no-ball but the New Zealanders had moved on and tried to refocus on the match.”I just discussed it with Chris Broad after the game, as you do, but it became fairly clear pretty quickly that there’s not a lot that can be done about it, so you move on,” Hesson said on Tuesday morning. The spirit [among the players] was fine, there’s no doubt at the time we were disappointed, there’s no doubt about that. We moved on pretty quickly.”After New Zealand’s loss, captain Brendon McCullum indicated he would have no problem with taking no-ball calls out of the hands of the on-field umpires, and Hesson was also open to the possibility.”The more decisions right the better,” Hesson said. “If we can use more technology to do that then decisions like that become less influential. It’s something the ICC are aware of and will discuss … The game’s about swings and roundabouts, sometimes you get a bit of fortune sometimes you don’t. In this situation many batsmen get a reprieve but some are good enough to make the most of it and Adam Voges certainly made the most of it.”

New South Wales were well poised to secure a place against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield final after dismantling Victoria’s top order late on the third day in Alice Springs

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2016
ScorecardDaniel Christian picked up 5 for 40•Getty Images

New South Wales were well poised to secure a place against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield final after dismantling Victoria’s top order late on the third day in Alice Springs. Chasing 249 for victory, which would put them in the decider instead of the Blues, the Bushrangers closed the day wobbling at 3 for 20, with Marcus Stoinis on 13, Matthew Wade on 1, and a further 249 runs needed.The day had started with Victoria 8 for 239 in their first innings and they added just 12 more for the loss of their last two wickets. New South Wales started shakily in their second innings and were 2 for 8 in the fifth over, but captain Nic Maddinson (40) helped to steady the effort before Ryan Carters (39) and Trent Copeland (47) added some important later runs.Daniel Christian picked up 5 for 40 for Victoria and Jon Holland collected 3 for 48 as the Bushrangers dismissed the Blues for 178 to give themselves a realistic hope of victory. However, Copeland removed both of Victoria’s openers in his first two overs and Sean Abbott also picked up a wicket before stumps to leave New South Wales on top.