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Australia’s assistant coach said Labuschagne reached a level he had never seen before

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-202025:46

‘IPL is No. 1 when it comes to quality of cricket’

The rise of Marnus Labuschagne into the prolific Test No. 3 who dominated the Australian home summer even surprised some who had seen him close at hand.In five Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand, Labuschagne scored 896 runs at 112.00 with four centuries including a maiden double at the SCG. It followed his dramatic return to the Test side during the Ashes as Steven Smith’s concussion replacement at Lord’s and two matches later he was handed the No. 3 spot which he has now made his own.Andrew McDonald watched Labuschagne’s monumental season at close quarters having been appointed as Justin Langer’s assistant coach at the start of the summer. Though he had studied Labuschagne during his time as Victoria’s head coach, McDonald admitted the player who emerged was beyond what could have been imagined.”The real surprise for me, and it’s been pretty well documented, was Marnus. His growth into that Test No. 3 position was phenomenal and great to witness,” McDonald told ESPNcricinfo’s One-on-One series. “I’ve done a fair bit of coaching against him at the state level and had never seen the level he has been able to play at and long may it be the case.”Labuschagne also had his first taste of ODI cricket earlier this year when he made his debut in India on the tour where McDonald stood in for Langer as head coach. Across seven ODIs, Labuschagne is already averaging 50.83 with a strike rate of 94.42 and made a maiden century against South Africa in Potchefstroom.Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his double-hundred•Getty Images

“He was good in the 50-over game batting in the middle order, him and Steve Smith, he’s a very good player of spin,” McDonald said. “So going forward to a World Cup in 2023 think he’ll be a part of that one-day team with a view to being on the big stage in 2023 assuming all goes well. His ability to play spin, fast bowling, rotate [strike], he’s a good fielder, so there’s a handy package there. A good find for the selectors who persisted with him – no one saw that, so full credit to those who picked him.”Australia’s ODI form during the 2019-2020 season – mostly away from home with series in India and South Africa – was poor as they suffered five defeats in a row before returning to winning ways against New Zealand at an empty SCG, in what became the final match of the Australian season as the coronavirus pandemic shut sport down.However, their T20I cricket was much more impressive as they comfortably defeated Sri Lanka and Pakistan early in the home summer before clinching a 2-1 victory in South Africa. The notable tactical shift at the start of the season was to play five frontline bowlers with left-arm spinner Ashton Agar at No. 7, putting the onus on specialists rather than allrounders, before Mitchell Marsh was recalled for the series in South Africa.McDonald suggested a flexible approach will continue as Australia look to build their T20 side – although the T20 World Cup in October is now in doubt due to the pandemic – and that the return of Glenn Maxwell to the top order would further bolster the options.”We’ve seen Australia play five out and out bowlers – two spinners and three quicks – and finish their batting at No. 6 with Agar at No. 7. In that combination you have five strong bowling options, so your all-round option in the top six isn’t that critical. Whereas if you flip it around and want to lengthen your batting slightly then clearly your allrounder becomes pivotal.”We’ve seen Mitch Marsh come back into the fold, so he looks as though he has a little handle on that position at the moment and there are some other options in Australian cricket as well. Glenn Maxwell is missing as well so he could be classified as a spin allrounder.”

The Royal Challengers captain asked each of his team-mates for self-introspection

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2019For the sixth time in a row, Virat Kohli was asked to explain the freefall his team Royal Challenges Bangalore are experiencing this IPL. The defeat against Delhi Capitals on Sunday meant Royal Challengers have started the season with six successive defeats, equaling the record for the joint-worst start previously held by Delhi Daredevils in 2013.Royal Challengers Bangalore lost their sixth straight match this season•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

As pointed out here, Royal Challengers were embarrassing for the second successive game in the field, allowing the opponent to capitalise on the let-offs. Still recovering from the knockout punch to their gut from Andre Russell in the defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders two evenings ago, they once again dropped chances, failed to convert run-out chances, misfielded and bowled no balls.Instead of being harsh at the post-match presentation, Kohli just asked each of his team-mates for introspection. “When the mind is cluttered you wouldn’t be able to focus on the chances that come your way, so clarity of mind is very important in the game especially if you want to convert the half chances and pull the game back,” Kohli told the host broadcaster .Shreyas Iyer was dropped by Parthiv Patel on 4 on the last ball of the first over of the innings in which Tim Southee had already dismissed Shikhar Dhawan. Iyer proceeded to finish with a 50-ball 67.”Look, in T20 cricket no one is going to keep giving you chances. We got two there – Shreyas got 65 (67). He was on 8 (4) when he was dropped first and then on 20-odd again. Look that takes the game to a different dimension altogether. Like at the end they panicked a little bit.”Kohli admitted his team was once again not “good enough” when it mattered. He thought the under-par total of 149 was actually competitive only because the pitch was “dry underneath” and was hence behaving slow. “We thought 160-165 would be a very competitive total. Even 150, had we held on to our chances, would’ve been very difficult for them. Look, we need to grab our chances when they come our way. We can’t give excuses every day saying something or the other. We weren’t good enough on the day again, and that’s the whole story of RCB so far.”Although he was the top-scorer for Royal Challengers with 41, it was an unusual innings from Kohli who didn’t get much strike for the 17 overs he batted, facing only 33 balls, and when he did, his punch lacked any impact. Kohli explained that he decided to drop anchor once AB de Villiers fell in the sixth over.”When two senior batters are there in the team and one gets out, the other one has to take it deep. So that was the whole idea of that (my) innings. The pitch also didn’t allow us to play our shots that much in the first innings. I wasn’t too happy getting out to a ball like that. I thought if I had stayed [we] could have added maybe 25-30 more to the total. In hindsight you can look at all the things possible, but even with the total in hand, we thought 160 (150) would have been very competitive.”So what should Royal Challengers do to avoid further embarrassment? Kohli did not have much energy or words.”There’s nothing more you can say to the team,” he said. “We have asked the guys to take responsibility, come out here and perform to the best of their abilities. It hasn’t happened so far. That’s the reality of the situation. We do accept it. The more we get frustrated, the more it is going to get tougher and tougher. So the key is to just enjoy ourselves as much as we can, play expressive cricket in the remaining games. Personally as well, not trying to control the situation too much. There is to a certain extent that you can control, which is your own personal skill and try to give your own effort as much as possible and we expect that out of the team, too. Yeah, the team should just take it easy, relax. Whatever it is in front of us, it is in front of us. We can’t really change the situation.”

For the first time since 1974, two Indian bowlers – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – occupy the top spots in the ICC Test bowling rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2016Ravindra Jadeja’s maiden ten-wicket haul in the fifth Test against England in Chennai helped him rise to second in the ICC Test bowling rankings, a list led by team-mate R Ashwin. This is the first time since 1974 that two India bowlers occupy the top spots in the bowling rankings. The last pair was left-arm spinner Bishan Bedi and legspinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar. Having gained 66 points, Jadeja is now eight behind Ashwin.In the recently-concluded Test series against England, Ashwin took 28 wickets at an average of 30.25. Jadeja claimed 26 wickets at 25.84, and an economy rate of 2.31. Of the 93 England wickets to fall in the series, both combined to take 54. Jadeja overtook Josh Hazlewood, James Anderson, Dale Steyn and Rangana Herath on the list. Ashwin has held the top spot since overtaking Dale Steyn and James Anderson in October this year.Jadeja also leapfrogged to No. 3 on the allrounders list, also topped by Ashwin. Jadeja contributed with 224 runs at an average of 37.33 with two fifties. Ashwin chipped in with four fifties with the bat, making 306 runs at 43.71.Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc also moved up to a career-best sixth position after picking up seven wickets in the first Test against Pakistan at the Gabba. ‘

An emergency meeting of the ICC Board will be convened to discuss this matter, with fewer than 100 days left to the expected start of the tournament

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Nov-2024The ICC Board will convene next week for an emergency meeting to discuss the fate of the 2025 Champions Trophy. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the single-point agenda for the meeting, which is likely to be held on November 26, is to reach a consensus on whether a hybrid model should be adopted for the tournament with matches being spread between Pakistan, the host country, and a second overseas venue, which is yet to be confirmed.While several people privy to discussions confirmed the development to ESPNcricinfo, an ICC spokesperson said there had been no official communication confirming the meeting next week. It is not clear how many boards have been informed of the meeting at this point. A PCB official also said they had received no such information at the moment.The ICC Board comprises representatives from the 12 Full Member countries, three representatives from Associates, an independent director along with the ICC chairman and CEO.The meeting has been called for after the BCCI told the ICC that the Indian government has denied Rohit Sharma’s team permission to travel to Pakistan. That decision only came a fortnight ago; the PCB was awarded hosting rights for the eight-team ODI tournament three years ago, in November 2021, and has been steadfast about conducting the entire event in Pakistan, at three venues: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.Related

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The impasse has meant that with under 100 days to the expected start of the tournament – as hosts, the PCB have penciled it in to run from February 19 to March 9 – there is still no official schedule from the ICC for the event.Speaking to media in Pakistan this week, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said he retained “positive expectations” about the Champions Trophy taking place in the country. Naqvi, who is also the head of the Interior Ministry of the Pakistan government, said he was willing to have a dialogue with the BCCI to break the deadlock, even while the PCB awaits a response from the ICC to a set of questions about why India cannot travel to Pakistan for the tournament.This is the second time in successive years the PCB has been confronted with the hybrid model to host a multi-national tournament to accommodate India. The 2023 Asia Cup was played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka after the Indian team was refused permission to travel to Pakistan. It was Pakistan that travelled between their country and Sri Lanka where the tournament final was played. Pakistan travelled to India for the ODI World Cup soon after that tournament, a decision the PCB has said it expected to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy.Earlier this week the India team was also forced to withdraw from the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held in Pakistan, after failing to secure the Indian government’s clearance for the squad to travel to Pakistan.

Dulip Samaraweera had been handed the role in early May and will now be replaced by Andrew Christie

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2024The head coach of the Victoria women’s team, Dulip Samaraweera, has resigned after just two weeks in the role after being denied an appointment he wanted to make to his staff due to the state’s policies.Samaraweera, who played seven Tests and five ODIs for Sri Lanka between 1993 and 1994, had been appointed on a two-year deal earlier in May after being the interim head coach since Jarrad Loughman left the role last November.”During the recruitment process Dulip had expressed a desire to make a specific coaching appointment in his support team,” Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins said.”That appointment was unable to be facilitated due to internal policies we have in place. Following further conversations, Dulip decided he would prefer not to remain in the role.”Samaraweera will be replaced by Andrew Christie, Melbourne Renegades’ WBBL assistant coach, who had been part of the interviews for the initial job. Christie joined Cricket Victoria in 2021 leading the female emerging player program.

Test greats become legends in their own lifetimes, even as news of Shane Warne’s death casts launch in strange light

Cameron Ponsonby07-Mar-2022Ian Botham is sitting next to old friend Viv Richards as they unveil the new Richards-Botham Trophy that England and West Indies will now compete for in Test cricket. And with a press conference, a photo-op, and a handshake, they have officially done it. They have been immortalised, not for the first time, in their own lifetimes.After the press conference, Richards is asked if part of his friendship with Botham was down to the fact that took their games to a level that only the other could relate to and understand.No, comes the answer. He was attracted to the person before the cricketer. That there was a magnetism about Botham. And that he, Botham, was like Richards.Yeah, geniuses attract other geniuses.In all, it’s a strange, if nice, event that celebrates the friendship between two men, and honours them as cricketers. It’s easy to roll your eyes at gestures that are meaningless in the greater scheme of things but, on an individual level, there’s no doubt it means a lot to the two men being honoured. An act that rekindles the fires behind two names that are greats of the game, not just among the best.And people love that stuff. In 2016, we named our club’s third XI trophy after a former player. It’s still his WhatsApp profile picture. It’s nice to do nice things.What’s more, Viv and Beefy’s relationship is worth celebrating as two people who found home comforts in someone from the other side of the world. They are each other’s Irish pub on the beachfront in Benidorm.”We made our first-class [County Championship] debuts together in 1974 against Lancashire at Taunton,” Botham says. “And that was really the start of what was, well, it was there already, but to take it to the levels that it did. He is the godfather to my son and you know it’s a special relationship and these things don’t come along very often.”The event celebrated a friendship, but it also mourned the loss of another, with the uncomfortable balance of two men being immortalised while addressing the death of a friend running throughout.Related

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It was the press conference of one man (Botham) who had just lost a close friend and has unsurprisingly spent 48 hours thinking about what those around him really mean to him. And another (Richards) who was sitting next to a friend in mourning and wasn’t quite sure how to pitch it. Who really knows how to react in such circumstances.At one point Richards – who, as fate would have it, turns 70 today – made a joke about how the news about Shane Warne had him “checking my shoulder, you know – what’s coming next”.One person laughs. In fact, they find it hilarious. The rest of the room is trying to work out if they think it’s appropriate, let alone funny, but this guy is deep into a hero-worship laugh. The type your boss gets for saying, “oh, half-day is it?”, when a colleague walks in two minutes late.At one point, Botham is asked about the omission from the Test squad of Stuart Broad and James Anderson. And within an answer that eventually concludes that he thinks they will be back, he says, “Look, you move on. Time moves things on. You’ve got to look forward to the future and we can’t go on forever.”It’s a fine and sensible message. It’s just a bit of a peculiar one to emerge at a ceremony that is commemorating the past with a newly unveiled trophy, while at the same time celebrating a lifelong friendship and the memories of a recently deceased friend.And yet, there is a difference between living in the past and celebrating it. And through doing the latter, things do live on and legends and legacies remain. Otherwise, none of us would be here at the unveiling of the Richards-Botham Trophy. And that guy definitely wouldn’t have been laughing at Richards’ awkward joke.

Retirement hasn’t quite sunk in with the New Zealand batter focused on bouncing back from the Mount Maunganui defeat against Bangladesh

Alagappan Muthu07-Jan-2022Ross Taylor will soon be spending a lot less time on the cricket field and there’s at least one person who’s going to be fairly happy about that.”My daughter still hasn’t grasped the concept of five-day cricket yet. When I got out the other day she said, ‘Come on, Dad, let’s go home’.”Come Sunday, Taylor will be playing his final Test match of a career that began in 2007. He has seen great highs – hitting the runs that made New Zealand the first-ever Test world champions – and great lows, especially during a captaincy stint that went horribly wrong.”It doesn’t feel like it, my last game,” he said. “It hasn’t really dawned on me just yet. I suppose when you’ve still got one-dayers to go… if it was my last game full stop, then definitely it might feel a little bit different.”Related

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New Zealand will play Australia across three ODIs and three T20Is later this year. Perhaps that might be the time Taylor really figures out what it means to hang up those well-worn boots. For now, his focus is on bouncing back from 1-0 down against a fighting Bangladesh in Christchurch.”It’s all to play for here at a ground that we know well. I still think we’re learning how to play in the Mount,” he said. “But we know what to expect a lot more here than we did in the Mount (Maunganui), I think. It’s going to have bounce and carry the whole time. There’s going to be a lot of grass on it. It’s conditions that us batters are used to and I’m sure our bowlers are as well.”So, if we win the toss, we’re more often than not going to bowl and if you’re batting first, you’ve got to scrap through. Sometimes our lower order has got us out of trouble. So just trying to scrap to 200 can be well above par. We’ll just have to wait and see.”New Zealand have played eight Test matches at Hagley Oval. And they have lost only one of them. Mount Maunganui is a relatively newer ground which has hosted only three Test matches so far, and Ebadot Hossain, in particular, used it to throw up a challenge that, in Taylor’s estimation, they weren’t ready for.”They were patient, they brought the stumps into play, they made us hit straight down the ground and a lot of our players probably haven’t faced reverse swing for a majority of their careers,” he said. “It’s probably only been sporadic in the domestic circuit. And they bowled very well with it. Got it going both ways. But here, in Christchurch, the conditions will suit us a lot more than they probably did in the Mount.”So are things falling in place for a memorable Taylor farewell?”As a team, we definitely want to try and turn things around and send him off in a nice, positive way,” team-mate Devon Conway said. “It’s been a real honour to play alongside him even though it’s been sort of five Test matches for me personally but just to be in and around Ross in that change-room, it is an honour.”We spoke about it as the game ended in the Mount last week. We said we needed to try and bounce back and send him off on a positive note and try and remind him as to what he’s done throughout Test cricket.”The last New Zealand player who retired at Hagley Oval went off with a proper bang. Brendon McCullum exited the stage having struck the fastest hundred in all of Test cricket. What’s it like having to be his follow-up act?”Aw, jeepers – he’s set the bar very high,” Taylor said. “Jeepers! As I said, it’d just be good to have a win, I think. Get our first win of the summer under our belt. But in terms of being Bazesque, yeah, I don’t think there’s going to be many people who are going to be able to do what he did in his last match.”If there was one thing that Taylor did want from his final Test, it was to do well for his friends and family. “They’ve been a big part of my career today,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of the young kids that are in the side and I’ve been fortunate now that my kids are a bit older that they’ve been able to see me play, watch Dad go through the ups and downs and they’ve experienced a lot of things that I’m sure if it wasn’t for cricket they wouldn’t have been able to see. So yeah, it’s cool to have them here and hopefully we can turn up and play cool.”And will he miss the grind? “Oh 100%. But there’s aspects that I won’t miss as well,” Taylor said. “But, you know, all good things have to come to an end. I’m just looking forward to this Test match, then hopefully a few more one-dayers, and then on to the next chapter.”

The fast bowler could add to his two Test caps against England in the Ashes

AAP19-Nov-2021Jhye Richardson couldn’t help but doubt whether he would return to Australia’s Test squad during the past two and a half years of injury hell.Richardson need worry no longer, having demanded selection in a 15-man Ashes squad named on Wednesday with his eye-catching match haul of 8 for 61 at the Gabba last week.He made his Test debut at the same ground in 2019, taking the new ball while enhancing his reputation as the nation’s most exciting young paceman.Richardson was earmarked for big things at both the 2019 ODI World Cup and Ashes, only to dislocate his right shoulder while landing awkwardly during a fielding mishap in Sharjah.Related

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The 25-year-old weathered several setbacks but is now back to his best, looming as the most likely fast bowler to step up whenever selectors opt to rejig the triumvirate of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.”An injury like that, that sets you back for so long. There’s certainly some of those negative thoughts that come in,” Richardson told reporters in Perth. “Whether or not I’m going to get back to where I was.”Or could I swing the ball or have my variations or whatever? Getting consecutive games in, it makes it all worth it…to know that I can bowl that many overs, relatively unscathed, I think it puts me in a good place.”Jhye Richardson celebrates the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne•Getty Images

Richardson has snagged 16 wickets at 12.50 this Sheffield Shield season, delivering 85.2 overs in total. He spooked selectors and medicos in October, suffering a back spasm while warming up during a match in Perth.But he quickly got the green light to resume bowling then made a big impression on George Bailey last week, when the chairman of selectors was in the stands as Richardson bowled his side to a Shield victory.”Getting pretty excited by Jhye,” Bailey said. “Physically I think he looks as strong as I’ve seen ever seen him…he’s starting to build some resilience into his body.”One particular spell was really impressive. He ended up getting the wickets of Marnus [Labuschagne] and Joe Burns, who both commented that it was impressive quality.”Bailey shared news of Richardson’s call-up with the fast bowler during that same game, putting him on the cusp of fulfilling a childhood dream.”It’s one of the biggest series that you can possibly be involved in. Super exciting,” said Richardson. The focus is, if I do get a game, to just make sure that I’m doing everything that I have done up until this point. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself.”

Both teams are coming off wins, but might have to tweak their XIs to accommodate the star players

Shashank Kishore26-Sep-20206:58

Should it be Buttler in place of Miller or Tom Curran?

Big picture

The Kings XI Punjab recovered superbly – a 97-run win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore – after their Super Over heartbreak against the Delhi Capitals. Now they move to Sharjah, the smallest of the three venues, to take on the Rajasthan Royals, who made 216 at that venue earlier this week for a 16-run win over the Chennai Super Kings. We could be in for another high-scoring game on Sunday.The Kings XI have so far held back Chris Gayle. Is there a case for them to unleash him in this game? No ground is too big for him, but in Sharjah, where even mis-hits carry over the rope, Gayle will be a big threat even though he isn’t the force he once was. The Kings XI management is happy with his form in the nets, but bringing him could mean altering their balance because both KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, the regular openers, have done exceedingly well in the first two games. Yet, it is a good selection headache to have. Nicholas Pooran may have to miss out in case Gayle comes in.The Royals will be boosted by the return of Jos Buttler, but there is a possibility he’ll bat in the middle order. Steven Smith played anchor from the top of the innings in the first game, and might want to continue doing that alongside rookie Yashasvi Jaiswal. With Sanju Samson likely to play one-drop, Buttler could slot in at No. 4 to give the middle order some solidity, with Robin Uthappa and Riyan Parag to follow. David Miller, who was run-out without facing a ball on his debut for the Royals last week, could be the unfortunate one to miss out.Having competed hard and won a high-scoring game at this venue should give the Royals a slight edge in this contest, but on their day, Kings XI can topple any side like they showed two nights ago against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Whatever happens, expect another 200 vs 200 contest.

In the news

• Buttler is available for selection after completing his extended quarantine. That means the Royals may have to decide between David Miller and Tom Curran for one overseas spot.
• The Kings XI have no injury concerns. Everyone is fit and available for selection.

Likely XIs

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Steven Smith (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Jos Buttler (wk), 5 Robin Uthappa, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Shreyas Gopal, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Rahul Tewatia, 11 Jaydev UnadkatKings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Jimmy Neesham/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 M Ashwin

Strategy punt

• The Kings XI have an opportunity to surprise the Royals by fielding Gayle. Apart from the dimensions of the ground, the Royals have two legspinners – Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Tewatia – and Jaydev Unadkat, the left-arm pacer. Gayle strikes at over 200 against bowlers with these skillsets since IPL 2018. This will also give more heft to an in-form Kings XI line-up.
• Jimmy Neesham didn’t bat, and bowled just two overs in the previous game, and if the top three fire, it’s unlikely he’ll get too many opportunities. While leaving him out may seem a tad harsh, strategy could dictate the inclusion of Mujeeb Ur Rahman in his place.

Stats that matter

• Samson is two hits away from 100 sixes in the IPL, and Maxwell is nine away from the landmark.
• Buttler needs 97 more to get to 6000 T20 runs.
• Archer’s IPL best of 3 for 15 came against the Kings XI in IPL 2019.
• Kings XI’s opening pair has averaged 50.8, the best among all teams, since IPL 2019.

ALSO SEE: Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals live score 27 September 2020

Captain backs fast bowler to bounce back from tough New Zealand tour as thoughts turn to South Africa

Andrew Miller03-Dec-2019Joe Root, England’s captain, has backed Jofra Archer to learn his lessons quickly after a chastening first taste of overseas Test cricket, and believes that England will travel to South Africa for next month’s four-Test series all the better prepared for the challenge after two hard-fought Tests in New Zealand.Archer endured a frustrating series, in what was his first experience of first-class cricket outside of England, let alone at the highest level. With his speeds noticeably down as he struggled to get to grips with the Kookaburra ball, he picked up two wickets across 82 overs in the two matches. His fortunes were epitomised on the final day in Hamilton, where Joe Denly dropped a sitter at midwicket to deny him the prize scalp of New Zealand’s captain, Kane Williamson.Off the field he was distracted too, following an incident of racial abuse at Mount Maunganui that has led NZC to lodge an official complaint with the police. But speaking at the end of the series, Root reiterated that Archer, 24, is still very new to international cricket, and will continue to be an incredible asset to England if he carries on developing as he has done so far this year.”I think he’s found that Test cricket is hard, and you’ve got to keep backing up those performances over and over again,” Root told Sky Sports. “You can sometimes bowl extremely well and get no reward.”And he’s young,” Root added. “He’s right at the start of his career, and as I said at the start of the trip, there are big expectations on him. He’s still got a lot of learning to do, but one thing I know for sure is that he’s a fantastic talent and there’s no doubt he’s going to contribute massively for England in Test cricket.”But he has to keep wanting to learn, and to stay nice and resilient mentally and physically as well, because these conditions can wear you down. I expect him to bounce back quite strongly from something like this, because he’s a fast learner. He’s proven that when he’s played domestic cricket around the world, in all these big franchise tournaments. Hopefully we’ll see see him back at his best soon.”ALSO READ: Taylor, Williamson secure New Zealand series winEngland’s selectors will name their squad for the South Africa tour over the weekend, and Root said that in spite of the series scoreline in New Zealand, they could take heart from the manner in which the side bounced back from their innings defeat in the first Test, and from the lessons they took from New Zealand’s star peformers – not least the Man of the Series, Neil Wagner, who claimed back-to-back five-fors on the unresponsive decks.”I think we learned a lot about the group,” said Root. “Obviously the ideal scenario is perform extremely well, and come away with a 2-0 series win, so it’s not worked out how we would have liked, but [for South Africa] we’ve now seen what it can be like if the surfaces do get like this with the Kookaburra ball. And like we did at Mount Maunganui, we have to learn very quickly and take that forward into those four games.”You’ve got to learn from the opposition as well,” he added. “You look at someone like Neil Wagner – he’s got a big heart, a big engine, and keeps running. And that’s what you want, you want guys who, time and time again, want to be putting themselves in that position, to keep wanting to create chances and keep trying to change the game.”Wholesale changes for the tour of South Africa are unlikely, although James Anderson will doubtless return to the fray if he can prove his fitness after missing the bulk of the Ashes with a long-term calf injury. He is currently on a training camp in Potchefstroom with other potential selections, including Mark Wood and Jonny Bairstow, whose omission from the New Zealand tour left Ollie Pope with the wicketkeeping duties at Hamilton after Jos Buttler suffered a back strain on the eve of the match.Pope performed creditably in difficult circumstances, making a career-best 75 in England’s only innings, although he did drop a straightforward chance off Williamson on the final morning of the Test.”Look, we didn’t expect Jos to go down as late as he did, but it does happen,” said Root. “And we knew that that could happen when we picked the squad. And, bar one mistake today, Ollie made a very good account of himself. He showed great maturity with the way he batted throughout his innings and proved why he got given that opportunity.””Jonny is out in South Africa practising,” Root added. “He’s obviously not played red-ball cricket or been given an opportunity to prove himself, in terms of match time, so he’s doing some work with a couple of coaches and facing those [bowlers], and make sure he’s match-hardened if he’s to be selected.”One key decision will be the availability of Moeen Ali, who requested time away from red-ball cricket after a tough home summer, and who hinted to ESPNcricinfo last week that he is not yet sure he’s ready for a return to the Test arena. But, with England opting for an all-seam attack in Hamilton amid doubts about Jack Leach’s penetration with the ball, his prowess as a spin-bowling allrounder is still highly valued by his captain.”I need to sit down and speak to Ed [Smith, selector], and to Moeen, and find out exactly what the situation is with Mo,” said Root. “One thing is for sure, we know how talented he is. We know what he has produced in Test cricket over his career. It’s very easy to look at small sample sizes that have happened more recently, but he’s a he’s a fine, fine player and I’m sure at some point, he’ll be back in and raring to go. But once those conversations have happened, I’ll give you a little bit more.”