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The games will be played in Dehradun, a north Indian city that has not hosted international cricket before

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2018Ahead of their highly anticipated Test debut against India next month, Afghanistan will also host Bangladesh for three T20 internationals in Dehradun, the capital of the state of Uttarakhand in north India.The matches are all day-night fixtures beginning at 8pm IST and will be played on June 3, 5 and 7. They will be the first significant fixtures held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.”From the report I got, the ground looks fine and there are enough facilities. The hotels are also quite good,” Akram Khan, BCB’s cricket operations chairman, said. The only slight problem being the hotel is about 45 minutes from the ground. Otherwise everything seems fine. I think we will also be playing a practice match ahead of the three-match series.”The two countries have played each other only once previously – at the 2014 World Twenty20 in Dhaka – where hosts Bangladesh routed Afghanistan by nine wickets. Afghanistan are currently ranked eighth on the ICC T20I team rankings, and Bangladesh are tenth.The Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Shafiq Stanikzai said: “The ongoing training camp in India in which players from the national and U-19 teams as well as top performers from domestic cricket will help the selection committee to select a strong side for the T20I series against Bangladesh. These matches will be important for both sides to gain valuable points in the ICC rankings and the lead up to the 2020 ICC World Twenty20″.”This promises to be a very competitive series,” BCB chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said. “Afghanistan have some fine players for this format and they will have the advantage of familiarity with the conditions in Dehradun. However, the Bangladesh team is a confident and experienced unit and we are really looking forward to the matches.”Afghanistan’s one-off Test against India begins in Bengaluru on June 14.

It was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’

George Dobell at Edgbaston22-Apr-2017
ScorecardIt was just after tea when the question arose in the Edgbaston press box: ‘Has any side ever lost their first three Championship games in a season by an innings?’Whether they have or not*, the fact that the question came up provides a fair reflection of the mood around Warwickshire at present. Kumar Sangakkara had just reached his 50 with a pull so dismissive you half expected him to ruffle the bowler’s hair and ask him what he wanted to be when he grew-up and Mark Stoneman had just reached his second Championship century against Warwickshire this season. Warwickshire still had a first innings lead of almost 100 but the sense persisted that, if Surrey decided to make pelts from the Warwickshire players before the end of this match, there wasn’t much to stop them.In the grand scheme of things, the Warwickshire performances this season don’t even register in a ‘top 10’ of their shockers of the last 20 years or so. And, in a way, that is more of a worry. Because it’s not that they’re playing that badly. They’re just up against sides that are substantially better than them.The second day here exemplified it. Presented with a flat pitch and a strong batting line-up, Warwickshire’s bowlers might have been a fraction tighter. But, basically, they put the ball in pretty good areas, they showed their variations and they demonstrated their heart. But they lacked the pace, the skill or the assistance to break through against a strong side and might reflect that, playing against Sangakkara with one boundary as short as this is like covering yourself in bacon and going to pet a tiger.The truth is, Warwickshire failed to make use of a good batting surface in their first innings. While they undoubtedly had the more testing conditions on the first day, it is worth remembering that they were 126 without loss at one stage. And it’s worth remembering, too, that they were 290 for 4 when Surrey took the second new ball. The final six wickets added only 42 and that included a tenth-wicket stand of 28.Why? Because Surrey’s bowlers – younger, hungrier and yes, a bit quicker – gained a little bit more from the surface and in the air. And Warwickshire’s batsmen, all too often crease-bound and flirty, were not equal to it. Surrey will bowl much better than this in much more helpful conditions.Perhaps Warwickshire were a bit unfortunate. The weather was substantially brighter on the second day and there was no need for floodlights. But by losing their final seven wickets for 69, they pretty much forfeited the opportunity to bat in such conditions. Besides, they still had four wickets in hand when they resumed on Saturday.Most of all, they were unfortunate to come up against two fine batsmen. Stoneman, who has now scored three centuries in his last five Championship innings (he finished his Durham career with one against Hampshire), looked terrific. Having made 165 against Warwickshire on his Championship debut for the club a couple of weeks ago, he dealt with Keith Barker’s swing expertly and looks hungry to ensure this move to Surrey brings the rewards he wants. That career average – in the low 30s – is no reflection of his class.Maybe, on another day, he might have been dismissed without scoring. Certainly his first scoring stroke was his least convincing with Ateeq Javid, at point, flinging himself to his right but finding the sliced drive just out of reach, while later, on 83, William Porterfield at gully should have held on to a sharp chance offered off the admirably persistent Chris Wright.Those moments apart, he looked wonderfully solid and unhurried. He played within himself and, when the bowlers strayed, either picked them off with deflections – he took 18 off one Barker over without needing to play a shot in anger – or cut or drove without fuss or trouble. He added 116 with Scott Borthwick, the pair of them running so fast that it proved impossible for Warwickshire to stem the flow, and then 140 with Sangakkara. It was some surprise when he was adjudged to be leg before and not just because it seemed a little high.As for Sangakkara… to see him skip down the pitch and thread his drive off Jeetan Patel between the fielders in the covers; to see him pull and upper cut sixes when the seamers dropped short; to see him somehow cut Patel behind square so that the ball gained speed as it split the field… however many times you’ve seen him bat, however many centuries you’ve seen and whatever you think of the standard of county cricket, it was refreshing, it was classy, it was beautiful. If you’re in the Edgbaston area on Sunday – hell, if you’re anywhere near the Midlands – it may be worth coming to witness him reaching the 58th first-class century of his career. There won’t be too many opportunities and they really don’t come along like this very often.Not that Warwickshire will be thinking in those terms. They have to believe they can turn around this match – they do still lead by 33, after all – and this season. We’re not even in the last week of April. The sense from those watching, though, is that while they may not have sunk yet, they have struck the iceberg.*Admit it, you were wondering about sides which had started the season with a hat-trick of innings losses, weren’t you? Well, thanks to statistician Andrew Samson we know that Somerset (in 1899) and Glamorgan (in 1922) both lost their first four Championship matches in a season by an innings. But no team has ever lost three by an innings before the end of April. Warwickshire supporters will be hoping they are not on the cusp of history.

Mumbai Indians will have a new coach for IPL 2017 as former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will take over the role from Ricky Ponting

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-20161:01

Quick Facts: Mahela Jayawardene in T20 cricket

Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has been appointed head coach of the Mumbai Indians franchise. Jayawardene will replace former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, whose two-year contract in the role will expire soon. Jayawardene’s contract is reportedly for more than one year, but the franchise did not reveal the details.”Mahela Jayawardene’s appointment has come in the wake of Ricky Ponting – coach for the previous two years – contract coming to a close,” the franchise announced in a media release issued on Friday.Jayawardene has played for three franchises in the IPL since the tournament’s inception in 2008. He began with Kings XI Punjab (2008-2010), before switching to Kochi Tuskers for one season (2011), followed by two seasons with Delhi Daredevils.After retiring from international cricket in 2015, Jayawardene has featured in T20 leagues around the world, with teams hiring him as a mentor-cum-player. This will be the former Sri Lanka captain’s first stint as a coach.”I am very excited by the appointment and glad that the Mumbai Indians management appreciated my presentation and ideas,” Jayawardene said. “In what is a new chapter in my career, I will be striving hard to bring them [Mumbai] more on-field success and joy.”The franchise did not explain why Ponting’s contract was not being renewed, and did not reveal whether this decision was taken by the management or Ponting. Having won their second IPL title in 2015, Mumbai failed to make the knockouts, finishing fifth in IPL 2016.Ponting, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2013, was bought by Mumbai for his base price of $400,000 in the IPL 2013 auction. He was appointed captain for that season but stepped down midway through the tournament due to bad form. Mumbai eventually went on to win their first IPL title that season under Ponting’s replacement, Rohit Sharma.Ponting was appointed in an advisory capacity for the 2014 season and signed a two-year contract as coach the following year.

India captain MS Dhoni has said one of the challenges facing the side in England for the Champions Trophy will be adjusting to the new ODI rules

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2013India captain MS Dhoni has said one of the challenges facing the side in England during the Champions Trophy will be adjusting to the new ODI rules. He said the team had enough time to acclimatise, with two warm-up games scheduled before the opening match against South Africa on June 6.Since the new rules were implemented in January, India have played ODIs at home but this will be their first experience of them in foreign conditions, where the seamers will have a bigger role. Captains have said the rules haven’t been fair on the bowlers, especially the spinners, with not more than four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle at any stage of the innings. Bowlers can bowl two bouncers an over and the Powerplays will have to be completed by the 40th over.”There are a few challenges like the new ODI rules and we will be playing outside the subcontinent for the first time under the new rules,” Dhoni said in Mumbai ahead of the team’s departure for England. “We will have to adjust to the new rule of five fielders being inside (the circle), the length they need to bowl, how quickly they adapt to the wicket, which areas to bowl.”The good thing is we have two practice matches leading up to the tournament. We also have enough time before the first game, so there is enough time to adjust.”In the past, India have fared poorly in tournaments staged immediately after the IPL. The team failed to make the semi-finals in the 2009 and 2010 World T20 tournaments, but Dhoni said the players’ form during the IPL was encouraging.”With the kind of fitness level that is going around right now, each and every member is looking fit,” Dhoni said. “All of them have played good cricket in the IPL or before the IPL. So most of them are in very good touch. As far as the fitness is concerned we have not received any official reports about any player being unfit, so that is a good sign.”Though the seamers are expected to play a major role, the squad has three spinners in R Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja. India’s coach Duncan Fletcher felt the spinners will have an important role to play at certain venues.”As MS mentioned earlier it is generally going to be seamer-friendly, you never know, like Cardiff for example, it is known there to be a turning wicket, very slow and not very different to what you might get in India,” Fletcher said. “You’ve got to be prepared to play two spinners. If one is injured, there is a back-up. We have a balanced side.”India will be without their regular opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, both dropped on form. Dhoni was confident that the new pair of Shikhar Dhawan and M Vijay would carry forward their form from the Test series against Australia.”Our two openers had done well at the Test level recently,” Dhoni said. “I know it is a different challenge in the ODIs, you have to accelerate but at the same time it is important that we have a good start from which we can capitalise on, and as Duncan rightly said this is an opportunity for the youngsters. Shikhar and Vijay have been very consistent.”Dhoni was reminded of India’s last ODI series in England, in 2011, where the side lost the five-match series 3-0 after losing all four Tests. Dhoni said the team had fared better than the results suggested.”Rain was a big factor, we lost all the tosses. It didn’t even reach the stage where it could have decided by Duckworth/Lewis,” Dhoni said. “The spinners had to literally deal with the wet ball and it was not possible for them to use their skills. The performance of the ODI squad was good, if you don’t see just the results.”

The ICC has asked its president Sharad Pawar to intervene in a growing controversy over the sale and distribution of tickets for the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2011The ICC has asked its president Sharad Pawar to intervene in a growing controversy over the sale and distribution of tickets for the World Cup. A letter written to Pawar by David Becker, the ICC’s legal head, and published by the Indian channel , warns of the growing discontent among the ICC’s commercial partners over tournament tickets due to them and the possible financial fallout.It has also recommended that the 4,000 general tickets for the World Cup final not be sold at the “box office” but instead “sold to defined cricket fans that are associated with the event and have requested purchase”. This, it said, was because the high demand for these tickets created the “potential for chaos and physical injury when the box office sales open”.Pawar is the chairman of the tournament’s Central Organising Committee and a former president of the BCCI, where he still enjoys considerable influence (He is also president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, which is responsible for the Wankhede stadium). As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the hosting agreement makes the national boards (the hosts) responsible for the distribution, stamping and printing of gate tickets and hospitality tickets; it also says the hosts “will exercise strict control” to conduct efficient orderly production and distribution and hospitality. “It is apparent that certain Hosts have failed to comply with this requirement,” the letter said.The sale and distribution of tickets among the public has become a matter of concern for two main reasons: the small number of tickets available for the final, and the poor distribution system, online and through snail mail, of tickets to buyers. Becker’s mail says the issues have been regularly highlighted at Board level in recent months.”We understand that Kyazoonga have been unable to distribute all of the tickets purchased online by customers some months ago for the reason that they have not as yet received all the physical tickets from the respective cricket venues/associations,” the letter said. “We have received many complaints from fans who purchased tickets but are yet to receive them despite having paid for these tickets more than six months ago and being informed at the time that these would be couriered to them by early February. Apart from the threat of claims for compensation from these customers, this is causing a significant public relations issue for the ICC.”We also know that the Kyazoonga website crashed on several occasions yesterday due to the massive demands placed on the system when tickets for the final were placed on sale.”The letter also deals with the supply of tickets to the ICC’s commercial partners. It said the ICC had not received any tickets for matches in the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and had received complaints from its commercial partners, “who have paid millions of dollars to receive rights and benefits which include the timely provision of tickets and hospitality”. It notes the impact this could have on the relationships with these partners and says it is “highly likely that some or all of them” will seek compensation from the ICC and/or withhold payments. The letter quotes an ICC commercial partner writing to CEO Haroon Lorgat saying, “This is an $80m sponsorship and to say you are bound by the BCCI is inexcusable.””The ICC is awaiting a response from him [Pawar] to decide on further course of action,” Colin Gibson, the tournament media director, told .The problems with ticketing have arisen because the BCCI chose to print and distribute tickets through multiple state associations rather than one central ticketing agency. This has led to delays in the physical tickets being made available for those who have bought them online and the inability to forward the sponsors share of the tickets so they can invite their guests to games.For example, the tickets for Sunday’s India v England match which has been shifted to Bangalore were only received on Wednesday. Whenever it was brought into discussions over the course of the past year, the hosts had informed the ICC that matters were under control. As the tournament got underway, the lack of centralised control that has led to ticketing chaos. Organisers say that the official ticketing agency, Kyazoonga.com, has not been informed about how many tickets will made available for online sale and at what cost for the Mohali semi-final on their website. It says, however, that such claims for compensation from either disgruntled fans or unsatisfied commercial partners will be set off against any distributions due to the relevant hosts.ICC chief Pawar is in New Delhi today and will be at the Kotla match between West Indies and South Africa and is expected to discuss the issue with officials.

Sachin Tendulkar has won his first ICC award, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, by being named the Cricketer of the Year during the 2010 ICC Award ceremony in Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2010Sachin Tendulkar has won his first ICC award, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, by being named the Cricketer of the Year during the 2010 ICC Award ceremony in Bangalore. Tendulkar, however, lost out in the other major categories he was nominated in, with Virender Sehwag winning the Test Cricketer of the Year award and AB de Villiers claiming the ODI prize.”This last season has been really special for the entire team,” Tendulkar, who also received the People’s Choice Award, said. “I think right from the start of the season, when we won in Sri Lanka and I scored a hundred in the finals, and from there on the season took off for us. We became No. 1 in the Test rankings, something we all wanted to achieve, and we’ve been able to maintain our performances in the last ten months.”Tendulkar said Gary Kirsten, the India coach, had played an important role in the success of all the batsmen. “He has been instrumental in making all the batters play plenty of deliveries in practice sessions, he himself throws thousands of deliveries,” Tendulkar said. “Gary has been able to keep us in the right frame of mind, whatever areas we needed to work on, he is making sure we are addressing that.”Tendulkar fought off competition from Sehwag, Hashim Amla and Graeme Swann, the other nominees in the Cricketer of the Year category. Previous winners of the Cricketer of the Year award include Rahul Dravid, Andrew Flintoff, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Mitchell Johnson.During the period under consideration for the award – August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010 – Tendulkar scored 1064 runs at an average of 81.84 in ten Tests. He made 914 runs in 17 ODIs at 65.28, and also scored the format’s first double-century against South Africa in Gwalior. Tendulkar is presently third on the ICC’s rankings for Test batsmen, and tenth in ODIs.MS Dhoni was named captain of the Test team of the year, which included Sehwag, Kumar Sangakkara, Swann, Tendulkar, Amla, Simon Katich, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, James Anderson and Doug Bollinger.Ricky Ponting was captain of the ODI team of the year, leading a side comprising Tendulkar, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, de Villiers, Paul Collingwood, Dhoni, Daniel Vettori, Stuart Broad, Bollinger and Ryan Harris.Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand batsman, won the award for the best Twenty20 Performance of the Year for his 116 not out against Australia in Christchurch in February. McCullum edged out Hussey, Mahela Jayawardene and Ryan McLaren, the others nominated for the Twenty20 award.Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate won the Associate Player of the Year award. ten Doeschate’s performances during the English domestic season has made him a sought-after player in international Twenty20 competitions. He has been signed by Tasmania for the Big Bash and by Canterbury for New Zealand’s domestic tournament.Steven Finn, the England fast bowler, won the award for Emerging Player of the Year. Finn, 21, made his Test debut against Bangladesh in March and has since taken 32 wickets in eight matches.New Zealand won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for the second time in row and the third time overall. Aleem Dar, the Pakistani umpire, also won the Umpire of the Year Award for the second time in a row.Rachel Heyhoe-Flint, the former England women’s captain, was the first woman cricketer inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame, while Shelley Nitschke, the Australian allrounder, was the Woman Cricketer of the Year.

Curran’s 86 counters Vaughan’s six wickets with Somerset 190 in front – for nine – in the second innings

ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2024Tom Curran launched an extraordinary assault on the Somerset bowlers as Surrey turned up the heat on the third day of the crucial Vitality County Championship match at Taunton.Making his first appearance in the competition for two years, the all-rounder smashed eight sixes and six fours in a game-changing innings of 86 from 75 balls, which rescued the Division One leaders from a perilous 228 for 8 in their first innings and allowed them to post 321 all out.Eighteen-year-old off-spinner Archie Vaughan finished with 6 for 102, while Jack Leach claimed 4 for 105. But Surrey had gained a slender advantage of four runs and soon built on it, reducing their opponents to 194 for 9 by stumps on a rain-interrupted afternoon, which saw Shakib Al Hasan take 4 for 83.Craig Overton was unbeaten on 40, having added 41 for the last wicket with a stricken Tom Banton (28 not out), batting heroically with a runner after suffering an ankle injury playing football in the warm-up for the day’s play.Only the most optimistic of Surrey fans could have expected a first innings lead when their team lost five wickets for 32 runs from a promising 196 for 3. Ryan Patel had added nine to his overnight score of 61 when top-edging a sweep off Leach to short third-man.Shakib made 12 before being caught and bowled by Leach off a leading edge. Then Vaughan added to his three second day victims by having Ben Foakes caught at short leg for 37 off 122 balls.It was 228 for 7 when Jordan Clark chipped a catch to the diving Tom Abell at mid-wicket off Vaughan, who struck again two balls later as Cameron Steel played down the wrong line and was bowled off stump.Surrey trailed by 89 runs. But Kemar Roach played a key role in contributing just five runs to a stand of 54 with Curran, who had begun his blitz with a six over long-on off Vaughan.Two more maximums off the same bowler followed by a four through the covers took Surrey to their first batting point and the all-rounder was far from finished. When Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory took the decision to remove Vaughan from the attack and introduce part-time spinner Lewis Goldsworthy, the left-armer’s only over went for 18 runs.The first ball was a full toss, dispatched over the mid-wicket boundary by Curran, who followed up with two straight sixes of the fourth and fifth deliveries. The story of the day was being transformed and by the time Roach was pinned lbw by Leach, Somerset’s lead was only 35.Still Curran ran riot, a six off Leach taking Surrey to a second batting point, celebrated by another six in the same over. A four off Vaughan gave the visitors the lead before the memorable exhibition ended with a skyed catch to long-on.Surrey team-mates gathered on their dressing room balcony to cheer Curran off the field, while Vaughan followed holding up the ball to acknowledge applause for his outstanding contribution to Somerset’s bowling. Lunch had been delayed and was taken between innings.Momentum was with Surrey and their bowlers soon increased it, reducing the hosts to 85 for five by the time rain forced an early tea. Vaughan was bowled playing around a delivery from Shakib and it was 12 for 2 when Goldsworthy suffered the same fate attempting to pull a short ball from Roach.Shakib claimed the key wicket of Tom Abell, lbw for 18 and, with Banton absent, Jordan Clark bowled Kasey Aldridge with his second ball of the innings before pinning Tom Lammonby LBW for 24.The final session, starting at 4.05pm, saw Gregory fall leg-before for 13, pushing forward to Shakib after a stand of 35 with Rew, whose composed innings of 29 ended when he edged the Bangladesh left-arm spinner to Dom Sibley at slip.Brett Randell fell cheaply and when Curran’s great day continued by having Leach caught behind for 13, Banton hobbled painfully and slowly to the crease with the total 153 for 9.Incredibly, with little or no foot movement, he struck four fours in helping Overton give Somerset genuine hope for the final day.