Yuvraj Singh has said his first game for India after his battle with cancer was “a big emotional moment

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2012Yuvraj Singh has said his first game for India after his battle with cancer was “a big emotional moment.” He bowled two overs for 14 runs, took a catch, and scored 34 runs off 26 balls in the second Twenty20 international against New Zealand in Chennai. However, Yuvraj was dismissed in the final over of the chase and India lost by one run.”There are mixed emotions,” Yuvraj said after the game. “We lost a game that we should have won, but for me personally it was a big emotional moment to get on the field. I had tears in my eyes when we were fielding, luckily the cameras did not catch it. I think I am timing the ball well and it can only get better from here.”Yuvraj’s return was much awaited and he got a standing ovation from the spectators when he came in to bat at No. 4. “It was good to see Yuvraj come back and score some runs. It was a big game for him,” MS Dhoni said. “I personally feel that he gives us the right kind of balance we need. He is not someone who will bowl all four overs in a T20 game, but he is a variation that I can use especially since we have to play with four specialist bowlers.”India managed 24 runs between overs 14 and 18, making a chase that appeared in control slip out of hand in the last two overs. Dhoni said the slowness of the pitch in the second half of the chase made it tough for the batsmen to score.”The wicket slowed down and it was difficult to hit,” Dhoni said. “It’s among the bigger grounds. It was holding up and not all the balls had same bounce. In the end it became quite difficult. But we should have won this game.”Chasing New Zealand’s 167, India were boosted by a quick start from Virat Kohli, who opened in Virender Sehwag’s absence. Kohli’s 41-ball 70 included seven fours and a six, and he was well supported by Suresh Raina and Yuvraj. Sixteen runs came off the 13th over, but Kohli’s wicket in the next dried up the boundaries for India.Dhoni, who scored 22 off 23 balls, said the team was worried about the nature of the wicket towards the end of the match. “After the 10th or 12th over, it got tough. Had it remained the way it was in the first half, we would have fancied our chances.”However, Dhoni expressed satisfaction with the form of India’s top-order batsmen and said it bode well ahead of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. “Virat gave us a very good start. After that, Raina and Yuvraj also batted really well. It is a positive for us before the start of the World Cup. To play a few games before getting into the World Cup is very important. Two more games in Sri Lanka … that means we will get into the groove.”India are scheduled to play two warm-up matches – against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – before their first Group A match against Afghanistan on September 19.

ESPNcricinfo previews the Super Eights game between England and New Zealand in Pallekele

The Preview by Alan Gardner28-Sep-2012

Match facts

September 29, 2012
Start time 3.30pm local (1000 GMT/1100 BST)England’s bowlers will have to tame the tournament’s leading run-scorer, Brendon McCullum•ICC/Getty

Big Picture

Group 1 of the Super Eights may be a collection of runners-up but second-best is an accurate summary of England and New Zealand’s performances so far. After this match, one team is going to be propping up the group and, depending on the result of Sri Lanka versus West Indies, potentially checking the departures timetable from Bandaranaike International.Of the two, New Zealand should enter the match in better fettle, having scrapped like cornered kiwis in their exhilarating Super Over defeat against the tournament hosts. They also pushed Pakistan – fast turning into one of the favourites – all the way in the group stage and in Brendon McCullum they have the World T20’s leading run-scorer. By contrast, England made their lowest T20I score against India in Colombo and then followed that up by ushering Johnson Charles to his best showing in all senior cricket, and West Indies to a first win.Unsurprisingly, England’s green (not to mention KP-free) batting order has been the problem. Stuart Broad was explicit in blaming the batsmen after the failure to chase 180 against West Indies and first-over performances of 0 for 1, 2 for 1 and 0 for 2 in their three games have given England more of a stop than a start. If they can get through the first six balls, one crumb of comfort may be the fact that New Zealand’s slow bowlers are of the orthodox finger-spin variety.For New Zealand, the challenge is to convert the disappointment of two close defeats into match-winning momentum. The Black Caps are often dark horses but they have still tended to fall before the final fence. Their only T20I win against England came during the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, when they progressed to the semi-finals; the teams also met in the 2010 Super Eights, when England went on to lift the trophy. Of those two precedents, a repeat of the former looks more likely than the latter.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first) England LLWWL
New Zealand LLWWL

Watch out for

The sceptics have increasingly begun to circle Craig Kieswetter‘s name at the top of the order with red ink. Having not made a duck his first 21 T20I innings, Kieswetter has picked up two in three matches at this tournament. His anxiety to play the six-hitting blunderbuss, with Alex Hales a more subtle opening partner, appears to have clouded Kieswetter’s mind – he has made four of his six single-figure scores this year – while there is also concern about the number of dot balls he faces. Needs a big innings.Daniel Vettori has had a quiet World T20 so far, with one wicket at a cost of 83 runs and a 16-ball 18 when promoted to No. 4 as a pinch hitter against Pakistan. His experience and economy (Vettori’s rate of 5.63 is among the most miserly in T20 internationals) mean he remains a valuable member of the side and one who can remember what it is like to beat England, having played in Durban five years ago. England’s much-discussed uncertainty about how to tackle spin bowling adds further spice.

Team news

England set a lot of store by continuity and, even if they didn’t, their options are limited. Ravi Bopara’s batting form is unlikely to have improved while carrying the drinks and replacing Kieswetter with Michael Lumb at opener would be a gamble that would also require either Jonny Bairstow or Jos Buttler to take over the wicketkeeping duties.England (possible) 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Luke Wright, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Stuart Broad (capt), 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Steven Finn, 11 Jade Dernbach.New Zealand might be tempted to give Ronnie Hira a run-out, in light of the knockout matches being played in spin-friendly Colombo. His left-arm spin may not be exotic, and would replicate Vettori’s angle of attack, but after the gentle welcome England gave West Indies’ Samuel Badree it could be a tempting option.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Rob Nicol, 3 Brendon McCullum (wk), 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 James Franklin, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Kyle Mills.

Pitch and conditions

Broad described the Pallekele pitch as a “batter’s paradise” after the first round of Super Eight games there, with minimal spin or seam movement and plenty of pace. Saturday is expected to be clear, which should help the runs flow again.

Stats and trivia

• England have won four out of five T20 internationals against New Zealand, their only defeat coming at the 2007 World T20
• Graeme Swann needs two wickets to become the fourth man – and first non-Pakistani – to reach 50 in T20Is

Quotes

“We back the guys up there [at the top of the order], we know they’re all dangerous players. But losing wickets in the first over, especially, is not acceptable.”
“Personally, I don’t keep an eye on the strike rate or balls faced. If you can get your boundaries and your ones and twos, the strike rate is going to take care of itself.”
US readers can watch the match live here, coverage starts 30 minutes before the game begins.

Cameron Gannon’s six wickets helped Queensland wrap up an innings and 123-run hiding of Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield match in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2012
ScorecardCameron Gannon’s six wickets helped Queensland wrap up an innings and 123-run hiding of Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield match in Hobart.The Tigers were rushed out for 142 after the Bulls’ first innings concluded at 360, Aiden Blizzard’s 49 providing the only semblance of resistance as Gannon plucked the first five wicket haul of his first-class career.Queensland were indebted to their No. 3 batsman Usman Khawaja for a first innings 138 that towered over every other innings, and he was a clear choice for the match award.Tasmania, meanwhile, have a few questions to ponder, having suffered their second consecutive outright loss at home on a Bellerive Oval surface that has been treacherous for batting this season after being relaid.

After having been in the harsh spotlight with the India Test team, Punjab captain Harbhajan Singh, along with Mumbai’s Ajinkya Rahane, will enjoy the quaint set-up of a Ranji tie

Amol Karhadkar in Mumbai07-Dec-2012On Saturday, Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane will have turned from colleagues to competitors in less than 48 hours. From being part of India’s bench in Kolkata, the duo will go to playing playing the Ranji Trophy Group A tie between hosts Mumbai and Punjab. This will be at the Wankhede Stadium, the same venue where they were part of India’s ten-wicket mauling by England less than two weeks ago.After having been in the harsh spotlight, Harbhajan, the Punjab captain, along with Rahane – Mumbai batting’s backbone for the last five years – will enjoy the quaint set-up of a Ranji tie, with hardly any spectators and only a handful of journalists watching the game.While Harbhajan will look to extend Punjab’s dream run (they have qualified for the knockouts with three games remaining in the group stage), Rahane will hope to bolster Mumbai as they bid for their first victory of the season in their fifth game.”I just wanted to come back and play some game. It’s important to stay in touch,” Harbhajan said. “In Kolkata, the sun goes down so quickly. By 4pm it’s very dark, so you don’t get any practice if you’re sitting out. It’s good to be coming over and bowl a few overs before I join the [Test] team in Nagpur. It’ll be good to bowl few overs, pick up some wickets and score runs, hopefully, and join team again for the last Test.”Even without their regular captain Harbhajan, Punjab have been the highlight of the season so far. Led by Mandeep Singh, soon to turn 21, in four of their five games so far. Two of these wins have included bonus points. No wonder, then, that they find themselves at the top of the points table with 29 points – 18 more than the second-placed Madhya Pradesh, with Mumbai in third with 10 points.But that doesn’t mean Punjab won’t take the Mumbai game seriously. “It’s a bit challenging for us after doing well in Mohali, where the bounce is slightly less than what you get here in Mumbai,” Harbhajan, who has taken over from Mandeep, said. “Doing well in Mumbai is always good. Mumbai have always been a strong side, so scoring runs and picking up wickets here will definitely boost the confidence going into the next round.”While their results might not have been similar, Mumbai, just like Punjab, have had two captains so far this season, albeit for completely different reasons. Ajit Agarkar, who strained his thigh during their season-opener against Railways, was sidelined for the previous three games, has now taken over the mantle from Rohit Sharma, who had an indifferent run at the helm.Agarkar’s return and Rahane’s availability means Mumbai go in with a full-strength squad for only the second time this season. After Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan were available for the 39-times champions’ opening game of the season, neither the senior duo nor Rahane were available for Mumbai due to Test commitments. Wasim Jaffer too missed the first three games of the season while on pilgrimage, and Dhawal Kulkarni missed a game due to viral infection, so Mumbai have not had a settled XI.”It helps if there is a little bit of continuity,” Agarkar said. “We should have probably got over the line in the last game; it was unfortunate, but we’ve got another chance. We’ve got four internationals in our top five. We can’t ask for a better combination as a batting unit. But again, we will have to play well to get a positive result.”Agarkar admitted that Harbhajan’s return could further lift the already successful Punjab: “Any international player who is currently with the [national] team coming back to play for his state team is a big boost. A guy who has got 400 Test wickets is a big player. [But] we will just worry about what we need to do to play well.”If Mumbai indeed raise the level of their game, then they could end up being the first team to really challenge Punjab this season.

Dave Richardson, the ICC CEO, has said the ICC has a limited role to play in the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan

Umar Farooq12-Jan-2013Dave Richardson, the ICC CEO, has said the ICC has a limited role to play in the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan and it will be down to the PCB to convince other nations that it is safe to play cricket in the country.”Security is not something that is taken lightly by anybody,” Richardson, who was in Pakistan for the PCB awards ceremony, said. “Making a decision as to whether it’s safe or not involves a serious assessment of the risk. The ICC is not in a position to do [security assessment]. It’s up to the member countries to decide. They have to take advice from their own security advisors and make decisions themselves.”The bottom line is that the ICC views Pakistan as a very important part of international cricket,” he said. “Pakistan is going through difficult times through no fault of the PCB. It’s our role to support Pakistan in its efforts to make sure that international cricket returns to Pakistan. As soon as possible is what everyone would like, but it’s difficult to say exactly when and I think that’s about as much as far as we can go at this stage.”Pakistan has remained a no-go country for international teams since the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009. In the past three years, Pakistan have played their ‘home’ series mostly in the UAE but reciprocal series at the junior level are on hold.Though the PCB has been desperate to revive international cricket, the efforts so far haven’t yielded any positive results.The PCB relies heavily on the government to arrange security for the visiting teams, but last year it sanctioned the purchase of bulletproof buses. Apart from working on security protocols, the PCB has been working on identifying potential new venues across the country and upgrading them to international standards. The board is also lobbying hard to win back the confidence of the teams.”Coming from a country [South Africa] which was out of international cricket for a very large period of my career, I know that if you concentrate on your domestic cricket and you make sure you encourage people to play the game even if it’s at first-class level you can reap tremendous rewards and in fact negative can turn into a positive and at the end of it all you might find that Pakistan cricket is much stronger than it was even before these difficult times.”Richardson also visited the National Cricket Academy where he was briefed about the developments in Pakistan cricket and PCB’s plans with regards to promotion and management of the game in the country.”The initiatives that PCB has put in place over the last 12 months or so I think it’s the correct way to go,” Richardson said and added that the recent “revival of ties with India” is a step in the right direction as the ties between the two countries are critical for world cricket.”The announcement of the Twenty20 competition [PSL] where foreign players will be entitled to come and play if available, again that is, I think, an initiative on the right path because what you’ve got to do is to regain the confidence of cricketing world and I think that’s a very sensible step in the right direction.”

Canterbury recorded their second straight win in Nelson, where their score of 185 proved to be just out of reach for Central Districts

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2013
ScorecardCanterbury recorded their second straight win in Nelson, where their score of 185 proved to be just out of reach for Central Districts. Electing to bat after winning the toss, Canterbury’s innings was held together for the first half by Rob Nicol, who took them past the 50-run mark. But his wicket was followed by two more, leaving them at 73 for 5 in the eleventh. Andrew Ellis and Brendon Diamanti took charge from there, though, and clobbered 112 runs off 57 balls with 17 boundaries, including eight sixes. Maiden HRV Cup fifties and personal best scores for both the batsmen helped Canterbury reach the challenging score of 185.Central Districts were off to a flier as openers Mathew Sinclair (38) and Ben Smith put together 68 runs at more than nine runs per over before Smith was run out. Twenty-year-old Will Young and captain Kieran Noema-Barnett (38) then added 61 runs off 46 balls but couldn’t find boundaries regularly. The required rate went up and when the partnership was broken, Central Districts needed 32 off 14 and they eventually fell short by five runs.This was only Canterbury’s second win in six games, the other one being against the same opposition at the same venue on January 1. Central Districts have just one win from six, and sit at the bottom of the table right below Canterbury.

Sri Lanka’s new selection panel has chosen Angelo Perera, Tharindu Kaushal and Akila Dananjaya along with 21 other young players

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Feb-2013Sri Lanka’s new selection panel has chosen Angelo Perera, Tharindu Kaushal and Akila Dananjaya along with 21 other young players in an emerging squad from which the team for the warm-up match against Bangladesh in Matara will be chosen.Perera, a 22-year-old middle order batsman, has been in stunning form in the Premier League tournament, having made two aggressive hundreds and an 87 in his three innings so far.Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal, 19, has also been picked on form during his first season of domestic cricket, in which he has taken 22 List A wickets at 18.63, and 19 first-class scalps at 8.89. His first two first-class matches have yielded three five-wicket hauls. Kaushal was picked in the Sri Lanka squad for the home Tests against New Zealand in November last year, but did not get a game.Dananjaya meanwhile, has been part of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs squads since last year’s World Twenty20, and has also had a promising debut domestic season so far.Wicketkeeper-batsman and opener Niroshan Dickwella, who was the 2012 schoolboy cricketer of the year, has also had a successful introduction to professional cricket at 19, most notably scoring a match-winning hundred in the inter-provincial limited overs final.Ashen Silva, a 22-year-old opener in a more conservative mould, has been chosen, while middle-order batsman Kithruwan Vithanage, who has scored heavily in the Premier League Tournament so far, also earns a spot.The team will be coached by former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana, and play a three-day match against Bangladesh from March 3-5 to kick off the tour.Squad Ashen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Tharindu Kaushal, Akila Dananjaya, Angelo Perera, Udara Jayasundera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Kithruwan Vithanage, Ashan Priyanjana, Rumesh Buddika, Gayan Manishan (wk), Sandun Weerakkody, Lahiru Madushanka, Ishantha Jayaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage, Kasun Madushanka, Lahiru Jayaratne, Chaturanga de Silva, Ramith Rambukwela, Dulanjana Mendis, Maduka Liyanapathirana.

Shane Watson has committed himself to Australia’s Test team for the long term and will rejoin the squad in India ahead of the fourth Test in Delhi

Brydon Coverdale18-Mar-2013Shane Watson has committed himself to Australia’s Test team for the long term and will rejoin the squad in India ahead of the fourth Test in Delhi. Watson was due to leave Sydney on Monday evening for the final Test of the series, which begins at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Friday, ending any further speculation about his plans after he flew out of Chandigarh last week for the birth of his son, Will, and said at the time he would weigh up his future while at home.Watson also said he had spoken a number of times over the past week to Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance, and said they were now “on the same page” after they exchanged words publicly last week. Howard is also expected to arrive in Delhi ahead of the fourth Test this week.When he left India having been told his wife Lee was likely to give birth earlier than expected, Watson said he would use his time at home to weigh up his cricket future and said that “there are a lot more important things in life”. At the time, Watson had just been ruled out of the third Test in Chandigarh as one of the four players who failed to complete a task set by the coach Mickey Arthur, and he declared the punishment “very harsh”.The issue was exacerbated when Howard said Watson was a team player “sometimes” and alluded to problems between Watson, the vice-captain, and Clarke. However, Watson and Clarke spoke on the phone when Watson arrived home and Clarke said the best-case scenario was Watson returning as vice-captain for the Delhi Test.Watson said Howard did not know him well, and after the public words from both sides Howard offered to fly to Sydney to speak to Watson face to face to iron out any problems between them. Watson said the pair had spoken over the past week and ironed out their differences.”I’ve had several constructive discussions with team management back in Mohali over the past few days,” Watson said. “We’ve spoken about how we are going to work together to move forward, as Australia attempts to climb back to the top of the ICC rankings. I’ve a burning ambition to be an Australian Test player for as long as I can be and help Australia win those big Test Series as well as the big ICC tournaments.”I have also had a number of chats with Pat Howard over the last week and we are both now on the same page and are really looking forward to working together to get Australia to be the best team in the world. I’m looking forward to getting around the boys again and concentrating on moving forward. I’m entirely committed to the team and being the best player I can be.”Watson’s return will create a selection issue after Steven Smith scored a highly impressive 92 in the first innings in Mohali and Phillip Hughes also fought through his spin problems to post 69 in the second innings. The possible permutations are further complicated by uncertainty over the fitness of the captain Michael Clarke, who struggled with back pain on the fourth day in Mohali and was hampered by the problem while batting on day five.Clarke has never missed a Test due to his ongoing back problems but the short turnaround between Tests will create a challenge for Australia’s medical staff to ensure he is available. The team travels from Chandigarh to Delhi on Tuesday and then has two days of training before the Delhi Test. It is not outside the realms of possibility that Watson, the vice-captain, could lead the team in Delhi, which would be a remarkable turnaround after his comments a week ago.Regardless of the off-field issues, Australia also need a major improvement from Watson with the bat after he scored 28, 17, 23 and 9 during the first two Tests. Since becoming vice-captain in 2011, Watson has averaged only 25.20 with the bat and has not scored a century.

Northamptonshire’s hopes of taking full control of their Championship match against Glamorgan were held up by rain and the swing bowling of Jim Allenby on the second day

11-Apr-2013
ScorecardStephen Peters added seven runs to his overnight 60 on a rain-affected day•Getty Images

Northamptonshire’s hopes of taking full control of their Championship match against Glamorgan were held up by rain and the swing bowling of Jim Allenby on the second day in Cardiff.Only 17.1 overs were possible during 70 minutes of play, with Northamptonshire moving on to 145 for 5, a first-innings lead of 11. In that time Allenby gave Glamorgan hopes of a comeback with the wickets of Rob Newton and Stephen Peters.The morning session was washed out because of steady drizzle and, after an early lunch, play eventually resumed at 1.10pm with Northamptonshire on 108 for 3, 26 behind Glamorgan’s 134 all out.Captain Peters and Newton batted watchfully in the opening hour and edged the visitors into a lead. But that lead stood at just three runs when Northamptonshire lost their first wicket of the day.Newton was out leg-before to a swinging delivery from Allenby after making 39 in a 79-run partnership with his captain.Allenby struck again three overs later to dismiss Peters, who edged to Stewart Walters at second slip. Peters went for 67 having only added seven runs to his overnight score.Rain stopped play again at 2.25pm and the day was eventually abandoned at 4.45pm.

Mitchell Marsh, the Australia allrounder, is adamant he has learned from his disciplinary troubles at the Centre of Excellence and the Champions League in South Africa last year

Daniel Brettig03-May-2013Mitchell Marsh is adamant he has learned from his disciplinary troubles at the Centre of Excellence and the Champions League in South Africa last year, even if he remains equally sure they were “blown out of proportion”.Sent home from Cricket Australia’s academy in Brisbane for turning up to training “in an unfit state” then one of several players dropped from the Perth Scorchers’ team at the CLT20 after his 21st birthday celebrations slipped out of control, Marsh spent much of the summer pondering his priorities due to a serious hamstring injury. He returned with runs and wickets for the Warriors late in the season, and has now earned an ODI place with Australia in the Champions Trophy.After returning home to Perth from the CoE in July, Marsh had been somewhat indignant about his treatment, saying he had worked extremely hard between his lapses. Ten months and a few more misadventures on from that episode, he retained a sense that the scrutiny of his behaviour had been excessive.”Those things have happened and I learned from my mistakes,” Marsh said from India. “Although I felt that both incidents were blown out of proportion I took them on the chin and took full responsibility for them. I haven’t changed the way I am around people, I just need to make better decisions at the right times.”The Australian cricket side sets extremely high standards. I really think over the last six months I’ve pulled my head in and started making good decisions. On the cricket side of things like any batsman or bowler my only currency is wickets and runs, so it’s a matter of putting runs on the board and taking wickets.”So far, Marsh’s combination of wayward behaviour and big hitting has made him seem a young man destined for a lucrative limited-overs career – his attempts at becoming a first-class batsman have so far reaped a meagre 915 runs at 21.27 in 25 matches. But amid the buzz of this year’s IPL, Marsh said his ODI recall was merely a step on the road to the Test batting place he desires most.”The biggest thing for me is I’ve always grown up wanting to play Test cricket. That’s all I want to do, it’s the hardest format and the pinnacle of our game,” Marsh said. “So for me being in the IPL at such a young age was a bonus for international experience. Playing over here is great fun, but it’s also good for my cricket.”Although I’ve been more consistent in the shorter formats, they’re a bonus for me and I’m hoping that over this winter I can improve again and become better at the longer format. Because if that’s not my goal then I’m probably not in the right sport.”Growing up I’ve always been a batsman and batted in the top five. With my bowling it’s only really come up in the last couple of years. I’ve still got the goal that I want to be a top-order batsman and hopefully be able to do a job with the ball. But I’ve got a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead.”The call to travel to England was a just reward for Marsh’s most consistent format, as his 50-over efforts have outshone even the T20 hitting that has made him a valuable commodity well in advance of his maturation as a player of Test match capabilities. But he spoke earnestly of his intent to develop in the Sheffield Shield next summer, in concert with the Western Australia coach Justin Langer.”Having started well in that format I took a lot of confidence into it and I guess that’s carried over,” he said. “In the four-day format … if I want to play the longer format for Australia I need to score more runs and be as consistent as I can, that’s what challenges me the most. And coming in at such a young age I’m thankful for that, I’ve learned a lot and I feel that I’m making good gains.”JL’s been good not only for me but for West Australian cricket, so I’m really looking forward to working with him over the summer again. He’s set clear boundaries for me, which was exactly what I needed and I know exactly where I stand.”