Fast bowler believes eight-week break until Sri Lanka Tests will be ample time to recover from exertions in India series

George Dobell12-Sep-20182:08

Anderson: Cook is an idol to me and the team

James Anderson, who became the highest wicket-taking pace bowler in history when he passed Glenn McGrath at The Oval, has urged the England selectors to resist the temptation to rest him for either of this winter’s tours to Sri Lanka and West Indies.Anderson claimed 24 wickets at 18.12 in the course of the five matches against India, and went past McGrath’s tally of 563 wickets by bowling Mohammed Shami with the final ball of the Test series against India. His performance defied pre-series reports that both he and Stuart Broad might need to be rested to cope with the demands of five Tests in six weeks, and it suggested that, at the age of 36, he is still operating at something close to his physical peak.The England team management is considering blooding a couple of young fast bowlers with a view to planning for life beyond Anderson and Broad, who is expected to be out of action for a month after suffering a broken rib while batting at The Oval.Anderson felt the natural break in the schedule – there are about eight weeks until England’s next Test starts in Sri Lanka on November 6 – provides time for them to rest, recover and prepare, even though he may yet be made available by the ECB to play for Lancashire in their final County Championship fixture, starting on September 24, depending on whether the club is still in with a chance of avoiding relegation.

Key players rested for final county rounds

Alastair Cook, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes have all played their final matches of the 2018 season.
Cook has been stood down from Essex duty in the wake of his England farewell at The Oval, while the others have been rested ahead of next month’s tour of Sri Lanka.
Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson, Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings (all Lancashire) have been made available for T20 Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston on Saturday, with Moeen and Jennings both available for the final round of Championship games.
Sam Curran and Ollie Pope can play for Surrey as they seek to cement their title bid against Essex and Somerset, but a decision on Stuart Broad will be taken after an assessment of his rib injury.

“Myself and Stuart don’t play white-ball cricket so we have that time to be able to get ourselves in the right frame of mind and the right physical condition to cope with what’s ahead of us,” Anderson said. “I think I have enough time in between Test series to prepare myself well and get myself in good physical shape.”We came into this five Test series in six weeks with question marks: will the bowlers get through? Will we need resting or will we get injuries? And we’ve done it. We pride ourselves on working hard.”Anderson, who has now been playing Test cricket for more than 15 years, also refused to be drawn on a retirement date following the emotional scenes at the end of The Oval Test as his close friend Alastair Cook brought the curtain down on his England career.”I don’t really think about it,” he said. “I play my best when I focus on what’s ahead of me: the next game, the next series, whatever. I’ll go away now – we have a decent break before Sri Lanka – and I’ll try to get myself in the best condition possible to cope with the rigours of bowling seam in Sri Lanka, which could be tough. Then we’ll see how it goes.”I read something that Glenn McGrath said that he went into the 2006 Ashes with no intention of retiring and by the end of it he thought his time was up. That could happen to me. Who knows? I don’t like looking too far ahead. I don’t think it helps me or the team either, when we look too far ahead, whether it’s in a session or a day or a game. If you look too far ahead, you take your eye off the here and now and that’s what I like to focus on.”Meanwhile, Anderson has hailed Sam Curran as “a diamond of a player” following England’s victory in the Test series over India.Curran, aged just 20, was named Player of the Series and singled out for praise by India captain Virat Kohli in the post-match presentations at The Oval. He claimed 11 wickets at 23.54 and made a couple of vital half-centuries – including an aggressive 63 at Edgbaston which helped England recover from a precarious 87 for 7 – in averaging 38.85 with the bat.After Kohli noted Curran’s “important contributions” as a defining feature in the result, Anderson was full of praise for both Curran’s skill and character, suggesting the all-round depth he provided would prove a huge asset for England.”I think we’ve found a gem there,” Anderson said. “He’s an absolute diamond of a player to be able to score runs in crucial situations or to be given the ball in any situation. He’s extremely skilful with the ball and he loves the battle and the fight that Test cricket brings. He offers us that left-arm option as well.”I think we’ve made really good strides in this series. We’ve had a really inconsistent period in Test cricket and it’s something that we’ve really tried to do something about and make sure we improve and put in more consistent performances. I think we’ve done that.”We always knew we had a pretty strong team and some really exciting talent in there. We’re lucky that we’ve added to that this series.”

It will precede Australia’s three-T20I series against Pakistan starting October 24

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2018UAE will play their first T20I against Australia, by hosting them in Abu Dhabi on October 22. It precedes Australia’s three-T20I series against Pakistan in the UAE that starts from October 24.The game was handed T20I status after both Cricket Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board sanctioned the move. It will start at 2pm local time at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium (Oval 1) ground, with free entry to the ground.”We are delighted to be in a position to announce this fixture and we are extremely grateful to the ICC for their support in accrediting the Abu Dhabi Oval for T20 international cricket at such short notice,” Zayed Abbas, Emirates Cricket Board spokesperson said. “Our thanks also goes out to to Cricket Australia for approaching this opportunity so positively, and especially to the Pakistan Cricket Board for permitting this match during their home tour in the UAE with Australia. It has been an incredible effort from all parties to bring this match to fruition.”Waleed Bukhatir, UAE chief selector, said: “This match will provide an exceptionally good test for our players. We need them to be put under pressure and for them to focus more intently by being challenged by higher ranked, leading teams within our game. To do so it is vitally important for the Full member countries, and the ICC to support and provide the Associates with such opportunities.”UAE have played 26 T20 internationals with nine wins and 17 losses. Their last T20I assignment was against PNG at home in April 2017, when they swept the series 3-0.

Sunrisers completely retained their bowling unit, while offloading the England duo of Hales and Jordan

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2018David Warner will don the orange for Sunrisers Hyderabad again in 2019, two years after he last featured for the franchise. Warner, the designated captain, missed the 2018 season following the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.Sunrisers, however, released India wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, the England duo of Alex Hales and Chris Jordan, and West Indies T20I captain Carlos Brathwaite.

Sunrisers squad

Retained: Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey, T Natarajan, Ricky Bhui, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Khaleel Ahmed, Yusuf Pathan, Billy Stanlake, David Warner, Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi
Traded in: Abhishek Sharma, Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem (from Daredevils)
Released: Sachin Baby, Tanmay Agarwal, Wriddhiman Saha, Chris Jordan, Carlos Brathwaite, Alex Hales, Bipul Sharma, Mehdi Hasan
Traded out: Shikhar Dhawan (to Daredevils)

Saha was Sunrisers’ first-choice wicketkeeper through IPL 2018, but suffered a finger injury during the second Qualifier against Kolkata Knight Riders in May. Thereafter, Saha was diagnosed with a shoulder injury and missed India’s Tests against Afghanistan and England and will not be available for the upcoming Australia series as well. Shreevats Goswami, who kept wicket following Saha’s injury, has been retained.In all, Sunrisers retained six foreigners. Joining Warner were Australia fast bowler Billy Stanlake, Kane Williamson and the all-round trio of Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. Sunrisers, however, did not specify a team captain. With Warner set to return, the franchise is spoilt for captaincy choices.The other players released were Sachin Baby, Tanmay Agarwal, Bipul Sharma and Mehdi Hassan. None of them had played for Sunrisers in IPL 2018.Earlier this month, Shikhar Dhawan was traded to Delhi Daredevils, after he felt “unsettled” at the franchise. Sunrisers had received the services of allrounders Vijay Shankar and Abhishek Sharma, and the left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem from Daredevils in return.

Allrounder Hussain Talat and batsman Shan Masood, who are both uncapped in ODI cricket, were called up to the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2019Fast bowler Mohammad Amir and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan have been recalled into Pakistan’s ODI squad for the five-match series in South Africa. Seam-bowling allrounder Hussain Talat and batsman Shan Masood, who are both uncapped in ODI cricket, were also called up to the squad.Asif Ali and Junaid Khan, who were part of the ODI squad for the New Zealand series in the UAE, have been left out while Haris Sohail is recovering from a knee injury.Since the Champions Trophy final in June 2017, Amir has played only 10 ODIs, managing just three wickets at an average of 100.66. Amir, though, showed excellent form in the first two Tests in South Africa, picking up eight wickets at an average of 23.87.
“Amir’s good performance in the Test series not only made him an automatic selection, but also helped us in the decision to rest Abbas,” Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector, said.Inzamam clarified that Junaid was left out because of “fitness issues” while Asif was dropped after scoring 9 in the only ODI he played against New Zealand. Despite smashing a 33-ball 80 for Cape Town Blitz in the 20-over Mzansi Super League in South Africa and then hitting a 62-ball 97 not out for Islamabad in the National T20 Cup, Asif was omitted.”Junaid Khan has not been considered for this tour because we feel he has to work more on his bowling since the fitness issues that he had cut short his series against New Zealand.”Asif Ali has been dropped due to an inconsistent and below-par performance. In his place, we have decided to give Hussain Talat an opportunity to show his mettle and skills. He is a good left-handed batsman, who can also bowl.”ALSO READ: Shan Masood, from accidental starter to unlikely starTalat, who was Asif’s team-mate in the MSL, though, was rewarded for his good performances for the Pakistan emerging team in the 50-over tournament and the National T20 Cup. He had struck a match-winning 116 off 109 balls against UAE in Karachi in December last year. He followed it with 149 runs and six wickets in four matches in the domestic T20 tournament. Talat has been earmarked as an exciting talent from the 2017 PSL, when he cracked a 39-ball 56 for Islamabad United.Rizwan, who had last played an ODI in January 2017, was also rewarded for fine run with the emerging team as well as the A team. He is the second wicketkeeper in the squad, behind captain Sarfraz Ahmed.Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Usman Khan form the seam attack along with the recalled Amir while legspinner Shadab Khan, who is now fit to play the third Test in Johannesburg and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim are the only frontline spin options.Masood, who wasn’t initially in the fray for the Test series now finds himself in the ODI squad as well. He will be vying for a role in the middle order that includes Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik and Sarfraz.Pakistan ODI squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Shoaib Malik, Usman Khan

With a chance to go up to third place in the Test rankings, the New Zealand batting coach hopes the team can find its due reward for long-term excellence

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch24-Dec-2018New Zealand have trounced West Indies 2-0, squeezed past England 1-0, snatched a series away from Pakistan 2-1 in the UAE, and now the series against Sri Lanka comes down to one Test in Christchurch. With the chance to go 4-0 in terms of Test series in the last year, this is the opportunity to move up one spot to third in the Test rankings – reward for long-term excellence in the format, despite a frustratingly light Test schedule.”[Four consecutive series] wins would mean a lot to the side, in terms of consistency of winning against some very good opposition,” batting coach Craig McMillan said. “Quite often, when you’re talking about international sport, and cricket in particular, you’re talking about consistency. We’re very proud of our home record, and that’s the challenge for us now. This is a one-off Test, and the series is on the line.”The victory in the UAE had been especially important – New Zealand becoming the first non-Asian side since 2013 to win a Test against Pakistan there, and the first non-Asian side ever to win a series. “We’ve been challenged in a lot of areas in a lot of different conditions,” McMillan said. “This side has always found a way. They’re just finding a way to win, to perform well, which is all you can ask as a coach – that you adapt, that you have good gameplans, and you go out and just worry about executing. The challenge for us is just to do that for another five days.”In order to stretch their winning record, however, New Zealand’s batsmen will have to negotiate what are likely to be very seam-friendly conditions, on one of the most lively decks in the country. The first session of the match shapes as a vital one, McMillan said.”You know what you’re going to get at Hagley – it has pace and bounce. It’s something as a side we’re always looking for. It suits the bowlers and suits the batsmen.”History says you win the toss and you generally bowl at Hagley. There’s been plenty of times when we’ve won the toss and we’ve had to bat first. It’s about getting your head around it and adapting to the conditions. Quite often, that first session is crucial – especially if the sun is out and there’s a bit of wind about, it can be a pretty good batting track later in the day. It will be challenging for that first session.”Whether New Zealand bat first or not, opener Jeet Raval’s performances may be under the microscope. Raval has been a frequent contributor to the New Zealand cause, but is yet to cross fifty in 10 innings this year. Twenty-five innings into his Test career, he’s also yet to make a triple-figure score.”One of the messages to Jeet is that he’s actually batting very well at the moment,” McMillan said. “He’s made some errors, and errors can be very fatal at the Test level. The key for him is trying to eliminate those. In terms of some of his decision-making up to the point he’s got out, that’s some of the best I’ve seen him bat. He’s got a lot of confidence from that.”

The 30-year-old fast bowler is just concentrating on what he needs to do to make sure New Zealand win

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2019It isn’t often that Tim Southee ends up on the sidelines, least of all in a World Cup year, while New Zealand are facing one of the favourites for that tournament. The 30-year old fast bowler has played only two of six limited-overs matches in the ongoing series against India but was quite excellent during the T20I on Wednesday, taking 3 for 17 and helping his team to victory by 80 runs.

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Followers in the United States can watch the second T20I live on ESPN+

Southee said it was “tough” spending time out of the side but he understood the reasons. “A number of guys that needed game time and I know I haven’t been at my best with the white-ball for a while. It’s never nice missing out but just have to make the most of opportunities when you get them.”And he did, bouncing out the India captain Rohit Sharma in his second over in Wellington on Wednesday. Just as importantly, Southee showed signs of the swing that seemed to have gone out of his game, causing his ODI bowling average to shoot up to 45 since the end of the last World Cup.So, did it feel like he had a point to prove coming back into the XI? “Not at all. Any time you get a chance to play, you’re going out there to do your job and your role for the team. It was no different last night. Felt like I’ve been bowling really well in the nets and for me it was just about transforming that form from the nets to the game. Different when you’ve been sitting on the sidelines for a while and to go out there, there’s obviously excitement, few nerves, but obviously nice way to start the series.”Sometimes in T20 cricket, it can feel really nice and your figures can look really different. It was just a part of almost the perfect puzzle last night, the perfect team performance.When asked why he’s run into trouble in limited-overs cricket lately, Southee pointed to a “lack of wickets”, but was quick to add that there were mitigating circumstances.”There’s been times in the last year or so I’ve felt I’ve bowled extremely well at times and haven’t got wickets or supported [Trent] Boulty at the other end. So I guess you’re always looking at ways to get better, always looking at ways to try and improve as a cricketer. So it’s just always [about being] involved in the game and look in a different way so you can get better and looking back to when you were at your best and how you were operating then.”New Zealand handed India their worst T20I defeat, in Wellington, and were keen on sealing the series in Auckland, where Southee expects a full house.”Last night was a good atmosphere and I think tomorrow will be an amazing atmosphere too. I think it’ll probably be the first time Eden Park’s been sold out since the 2015 World Cup. Doesn’t happen too often when we play there. Will be a very noisy crowd and one the guys are very much looking forward to.”

Sri Lanka lost eight wickets for 63 runs, after a 110-run second-wicket stand, and their captain Chamari Atapattu’s 94 was in vain as South Africa defended 262 in revised chase

The Report by Liam Brickhill14-Feb-2019South Africa sealed their series against Sri Lanka with a 30-run win in the second game in Potchefstroom. Captain Chamari Atapattu powered Sri Lanka’s chase with a boundary-laden 94, but no other Sri Lanka batsman reached fifty and the visitors were bowled out for 231 in pursuit of a revised target of 262 in 47 overs. The visitors lost eight wickets for 63 runs, after a 110-run second-wicket stand.The hosts were without their captain, Dane van Niekerk, who was ruled out for three months due to a stress fracture, but in her absence, fifties for Laura Wolvaardt, Lara Goodall and Marizanne Kapp – who slammed four sixes in her 34-ball 69 – set up an imposing total of 268 for 7.Wolvaardt had been out for a golden duck in the first match, but this time around she struck seven boundaries inside the Powerplay and raised a 49-ball fifty in the 15th over. She added 71 with Andrie Steyn, who was a little more circumspect in compiling her 24. After Wolvaardt fell to an edge through to wicketkeeper Prasadani Weerakkody, Lara Goodall kept the scoreboard ticking despite Sri Lanka’s repeated strikes to dent the middle order.Goodall reached 52 – her maiden ODI fifty – before she became Kavisha Dilhari’s second victim with the score at 183 for 6 in the 42nd over. Her dismissal brought Kapp and Faye Tunnicliffe together, and they added a rapid 85 for the seventh wicket that put South Africa well on top.While Tunnicliffe focused on turning the strike over, Kapp’s first six brought up South Africa’s 200 in the 46th over. In the last five overs of the innings, the hosts added a whopping 69 runs, with Kapp and Tunnicliffe combining to take 20 off a single over from Inoka Ranaweera.Sri Lanka needed a strong start to keep their chase on track, and although Atapattu was immediately into her groove, Weerakkody fell almost immediately, slicing a catch to Mignon du Preez at backward point off Kapp in the fourth over. Rain washed over the ground soon after, forcing an adjustment to Sri Lanka’s target and the overs they would have to reach it.Atapattu’s response was to go on the offensive, and two fours and a six in Masabata Klaas’ first over took her racing into the 40s. Another boundary off Tumi Sekhukhune took her to a 53-ball fifty in the 16th over, the Sri Lankan captain smashing 18 runs off the medium pacer’s next over to raise her team’s 100.Atapattu took her stand with Anushka Sanjeewani beyond 100 with her third six, off Nadine de Klerk, and was in sight of what would have been her fifth ODI hundred when she fell against the run of play, edging a swipe at stand-in captain Sune Luus’ legspin.Her dismissal knocked some of the fight out of Sri Lanka, and when Sanjeewani and Shashikala Siriwardene fell in successive deliveries soon afterwards, the visitors really lost their way. A required rate that had been kept in check soon ballooned to more than a run a ball, and Sri Lanka were left needing 69 from the last ten overs of their innings with five wickets still standing.Wolvaardt followed her innings with the bat up with an excellent performance in the field, effecting two run-outs to tighten South Africa’s grip and also holding a catch at deep midwicket to get rid of Nilakshi de Silva. With the run rate rapidly inflating, two further run-outs deepened Sri Lanka’s woes, and Shabnim Ismail removed a Dilscooping Dilhari in the final over of the innings to bring the match to an end, and seal the series win.

Australia captain lauds the team’s resilience and for having emerged from India with belief in their plans and their ability

Daniel Brettig14-Mar-20193:32

Hodge: Australia showed they can do it without Smith and Warner

A matter of weeks ago, Australia’s touring team arrived in India with quiet optimism but little else. There had been scarcely a break since a draining home summer, and in the case of Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, all participants in the Big Bash League final, only a few snatched hours of sleep before they were on the plane to India.Benefiting from the rare format continuity, the T20 side emerged victorious in the two-match entree, but after a pair of opening defeats in Vizag and Bangalore, the second from a position where the Australians really should have won, it appeared that both the ODI sides; time in the wilderness would be continuing.Finch’s side had other ideas however, and over the ensuing three matches something notable emerged. Suddenly, Australia looked to be balanced, confident and capable, able to win game on three different pitches and in a variety of scenarios. Ashton Turner’s fireworks in Mohali were undoubtedly the highlight, taking the team coached by Justin Langer into the sort of territory that will cause even the World Cup fancies England to be worried, but there was much to savour in Ranchi and Delhi also.Most importantly, the Australians have emerged from India with belief in their plans and their ability, whether it was in putting runs on the board beyond the opponent’s reach or chasing down a mighty total in Mohali that was also kept within reach by the excellent late innings bowling of Pat Cummins. Spin bowling has also been a feature: both Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon can expect World Cup inclusion on the strength of their displays here.”The resilience and fight that we showed being down 0-2, it would have been easy to roll over in those small moments in the game, just let them drift away and India win the series,” Finch said. “But the fight that we showed, we’ve had our backs against the walls for quite a while now so I’m really proud of the group.The victorious Australian team poses with the trophy after winning the series•Getty Images

“From 2-0 down to win 3-2 is pretty special. I’ve been coming here for a while now trying to win and haven’t, so have a lot of Australian players, so it’s a special moment. People have written us off for quite a while now. We always knew that the plans and the style that we wanted to play are all there, can win us the World Cup, win us big series against great teams and India are definitely a great team.”It’s about ourselves believing we’re good enough and sticking to our game plan. We did that for four of the five games and India were too good in a close one in Nagpur. To get over the line in three of them was a great series all round.”Reflecting on how Australia had found the right balance, albeit with a combination of circumstances dating back to the bans on Steven Smith and David Warner, and then more recently an injury to Marcus Stoinis that allowed Turner his chance, Finch reflected on the fact that the selectors had looked for a better combination of heavy hitters and strike rotators, namely Peter Handscomb and Usman Khawaja.”If you go in with all attacking players in these conditions you’re going to struggle, because we know the wickets slow up and the quality of Chahal, Kuldeep, Jadeja these guys they’re too good to just walk out and blast them out of the park,” Finch said. “You need good batsmanship on these wickets and guys who know how to play situations.”Another man with something to prove was Cummins, who did not enjoy being bullied by England’s top order in the home ODI series a little more than a year ago and has subsequently pointed out that he needed more time to hone his white-ball skills. In India, Cummins was granted the new ball for the first time in some years and used it expertly before returning to the crease later in the innings with equally strong effect.”I’ve played a little bit of one-day cricket before but it felt like I hadn’t really clicked in this format,” Cummins said. “It felt like I bowled well in the Australian summer, so glad it keeps on clicking. Hopefully it continues for the World Cup.”We always seem to peak around the World Cup. I wouldn’t want to be a selector, it’s going to be a tough job whittling the team down to 15 and there are obviously a few to come back as well. Especially the batsmen, I thought the way they played the spin let alone the quicks, to get those scores on these kind of wickets, they made it look a lot easier than they were.”As far as selection is concerned, Cummins isn’t wrong. From a time a few weeks ago when Australia looked forlornly towards the returns of Smith and Warner. The success of the India tour now means that the suspended pair will have to do something many have wondered about in the 11 and a half months since they were ruled out: actually earn their places.

There is a World Cup at stake, but if South Africa are under any extra pressure, it won’t be coming from inside their camp

Liam Brickhill18-May-2019There is a World Cup at stake, but if South Africa are under any extra pressure, it won’t be coming from inside their camp. As his team departs for a tournament where – for once – they won’t start as one of the favourites, captain Faf du Plessis is not demanding anything extraordinary from them.Rather, he believes that a focus on enjoyment and on sticking to what has worked for them after a home summer during which they won 11 out of 13 one-day internationals and beat Australia 2-1 away, will provide a formula for success.ALSO READ: South Africa prepare to feel the heat … with one eye on England’s heavens“In previous World Cups, we wanted to do Superman things,” du Plessis said on the eve of South Africa’s departure for England and Wales. “We thought we had to be more special, we had to do something more than we usually do, and we did not do what was good enough. We haven’t always got that right in the past, to play our best cricket at the World Cup, because we put so much pressure on ourselves. We want to just focus on enjoying our cricket.”Seven members of South Africa’s squad, including du Plessis, were part of the 2015 World Cup campaign, when the side crashed out with a four-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the semi-finals. Du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, JP Duminy and Dale Steyn were also part of South Africa’s team at the 2011 tournament, when they came off second best in another high-pressure encounter with New Zealand.”We believed you had to be really special to win the World Cup, that you had to do something more than you usually do, which is not true,” du Plessis said of previous campaigns. “Whatever we’ve been doing consistently, the way we’ve played while beating teams that will work. We have to do the basics as well as possible, teams don’t win the World Cup by someone scoring a century off 50 balls or taking 7 for 20.”Du Plessis is a thinking captain, but he is also a feeling one. Rather than shying away from the pressures that come with international competition, he has urged his team to grapple with them in positive ways – and he hasn’t been afraid to talk openly about the mental aspect of South Africa’s game in the media either.”We started a year or two ago with a real focus on mental preparation and, as a captain, I probably speak more about that than previous captains, but I really believe it’s an area we can get better in,” du Plessis said. “I’ve been there and I know the pressures, I understand how to deal with them. There’s a reason why we want the guys to play freely – because we don’t want them to have a fear of failure, which is what the World Cup is for some of them. Our success in England over the next couple of months depends on how well we release that aspect of our play – we need that for the team to be at our best. Each player needs to find out his own strengths.Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis helped South Africa overcome a slow start•Getty Images

“The players relate better to fellow players and I’m on the same level as the coach when it comes to the importance of the mental side. I’m a big believer in positive visualisation, how to remain calm, and I feel it has had value for my own game. So I can relate that to the players, how important it is to be present in the moment; for instance when there’s been a dropped catch, there’s nothing you can do about it and it’s about how you change your mindset to make sure you are still strong mentally.”Du Plessis’ pragmatic approach will also be seen in South Africa’s selections during the tournament. He suggested that playing XIs would be picked on primarily on form, though he was also quick to point out that a player such as Amla, whose form – or lack thereof – has a been a major talking point in the lead-up to the World Cup, brings invaluable experience to the squad whether or not he is making runs.”In terms of team selection, that’s a call we will make when we get to that first game,” du Plessis said. “We have two warm-up games. Generally, we want to pick on form. If we believe Hash is the guy with the best form for the first game then he will be picked. But if we feel there are other guys that are more in form [we will pick them]. Form does play a huge role in a long competition like this – so hopefully Hash can go into those warm-ups, and bang, bang two centuries in a row and then we can smile from there.”At 36, and with 174 ODIs under his belt, Amla is one of the most experienced members of South Africa’s squad. He has played 18 of those ODIs in England, averaging 56.73, and has been part of two previous World Cup campaigns.”As an experienced player, he is important in our squad and that was one of the key reasons he was picked,” du Plessis said. “You cannot substitute experience. When I speak about the experience, I speak about experience having played in tournaments like the World Cup before. He understands what it means to play in a big tournament.”Whether that means runs or not, no one can give us that guarantee. But it’s just the calm composure Hashim has. Even if he doesn’t play a game, just the knowledge and experience that he can share with someone like an Aiden Markram is something you can only get from a guy like Hashim. He can talk him through those first 10 overs, he has a lot of experience playing county cricket, so his experience is vital to the group.”

Shadab Khan will be available for the World Cup, with Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed confirming he was fit

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2019Pakistan look set to confirm Shadab Khan in their World Cup squad, after the PCB announced in a press release* that the legspinning allrounder had been cleared to join up with the squad after their ODI series with England.Their captain Sarfaraz Ahmed had already allayed doubts about Shadab’s fitness in comments ahead of the third ODI in Bristol. Shadab, who was struck down with a bout of hepatitis ahead of the England tour, has been recuperating back home since the start of the ODI series.But speaking at the toss in Bristol, Sarfaraz told Sky Sports: “We have good news about Shadab. He will be fit for the World Cup and we are excited to have him back.”He is now set to leave Pakistan for England on Thursday, where he will again see a London-based specialist, before joining up with the rest of the World Cup party on Monday. Shadab’s fitness to play a part in Pakistan’s World Cup warm-up games will be determined nearer the time.Shadab was quoted by the PCB release as saying: “I am delighted to know that the blood tests are negative and I can now return to competitive cricket. I was always very confident that I would fully recover from the viral infection and will be available for the World Cup.”The development is a massive boost for Pakistan, who had selected Yasir Shah for this series instead. However, Yasir’s ODI form is a far cry from the quality that has marked him out as an elite Test match bowler, with an ODI average of nearly 50, and he was omitted from the Bristol match after a poor game at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday.It effectively left Pakistan with two options: taking Yasir to the World Cup, or deciding to go in without a legspinner at all. Shadab’s all-round ability also gave the team more flexibility with the batting order and squad selection, and as a legspinner, he is far and away the premier choice for Sarfaraz’s side.Whether he will be fully fit right from the outset is unclear yet. The virus was discovered in his blood following routine medical tests that the PCB conducts on its players. However, its early detection is believed to have helped his recovery, and one day after Mohammad Amir’s diagnosis of chicken pox all but ruled him out of the World Cup, Shadab’s arrival will certainly be a fillip.”It is fabulous news and on behalf of the Pakistan cricket team, I look forward to welcoming Shadab back in the squad,” Pakistan’s coach Mickey Arthur said. “Shadab is one of the finest of his generation and is an influential figure in the team. His presence in the dressing room and on the field of play keeps the side geared up and motivated.”Shadab’s inclusion also balances what is a young but extremely talented squad. I understand it will take Shadab some time to be back at his brilliant best as he has not played cricket for a few weeks, but our first game is on 31 May and he has got two weeks to regain complete form and fitness.”He is a brave lad and the way he has fought back to regain fitness is a testament to his attitude and approach, which gives us the encouragement that he will be hopefully available for selection for our World Cup opener.”*1500 BST – This story was updated with news from the PCB release