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Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and a Kevin Pietersen-led consortium also express interest

Firdose Moonda05-May-2022Four IPL franchises – Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals – and a consortium led by Kevin Pietersen have expressed interest in buying franchises in South Africa’s new T20 tournament. The competition, scheduled for January next year, is set to include six privately owned teams, who will play each other home and away over a group stage of 30 matches before the playoffs.This is CSA’s third attempt at launching a T20 competition after the failed Global League T20 (GLT20) in 2017 and the now-defunct Mzansi Super League (MSL), which was played in 2018 and 2019. According to a document shared at a special meeting of Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) Members’ Council, CSA is aiming to create the “second best T20 league in the world” after the IPL. The document acknowledges that only the IPL has enjoyed “runaway success” and that there is a “clear gap” between India’s T20 league and the others, which leaves CSA with no choice but to focus on being second-best in the T20 tournament stakes.To that end it has involved the one person who knows how to create league success better than most: Sundar Raman, the former chief operating officer (COO) of the IPL, has acquired a minority share in the competition. The document has Raman owning a 12.5% share of the yet-to-be-named tournament, with CSA maintaining the majority share (57.5%) and broadcaster SuperSport owning the remaining 30%.CSA estimates that the league will cost it USD 56 million over 10 years, and will make revenues of USD 30 million in the same period. But added to that is also a commitment from SuperSport to pay USD 89 million, which will allow CSA and the franchises to make a profit – to be split 50-50 – in the first decade. The document claims the league will be “an economically viable project for CSA from day 1”, which makes it different to the other two attempts.The GLT20, which was abandoned for reasons including the absence of a broadcast partner, cost over R300 million (USD 19.1 million) and the two MSL events, which were screened on the public broadcaster, the SABC, for a negligible fee of R25 million (USD 1.6 million), cost over R200 million (USD 12.7 million). Both significantly reduced CSA’s reserves, which some say sit at such a low level that the game in South Africa is at risk of becoming seriously financially constrained in the near future.It is with that concern in mind that CSA has opted to dip its toes back into the T20 market, noting that the “success of the IPL has changed the face and the economics of the BCCI”, and hoping something similar can happen for CSA. As a result, it has ruled out any “experiments”, such as playing a T10 or 100-ball format, and aims to get “100 of the best and available players” with around half from South Africa. CSA’s aim is that by 2033, the tournament would have “redefined the landscape and economics of cricket in South Africa”, and plans that by the 11th year of the tournament, each franchise will pay CSA 20% of their revenues.South Africa also host three ICC events in the next five years, which will not only enhance the country’s profile as a major tournament host but also bring in much-needed revenue. They will stage the Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in January 2023, followed by the Women’s T20 World Cup in February and co-host Men’s ODI World Cup in 2027, along with Namibia and Zimbabwe.

They will, however, remain in quarantine for their first two weeks in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2020The India players who are on tour in Australia have begun training after the entire contingent tested negative for Covid-19. On Saturday, two days after the arrival of India’s touring party in Sydney, the BCCI tweeted photographs from the players’ outdoor and gym sessions. Though India have begun training, they will remain in quarantine for the first two weeks of their stay in Australia. The tour will begin with the white-ball leg – three ODIs and three T20Is shared between Sydney and Canberra – before proceeding to a four-Test series that begins with a day-night game in Adelaide from December 17-21, followed by the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests in Melbourne and Sydney respectively, and the final Test in Brisbane from January 15 to 19. The Indians will also play two warm-up games in Sydney before the Test series – the first, which clashes with the T20I series, from December 6 to 8, and the second from December 11 to 13.

Only two players – Sana Mir and Nida Dar – feature in the top bracket, with Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan demoted to the second grade

Umar Farooq25-Jun-2019The PCB has brought down the number of centrally contracted women cricketers from 17 to 10 in a bid to increase remuneration for those in the new retainers, and also, it says, in recognition of a small national pool of players. A condensed list has left Sana Mir and Nida Dar in the ‘A’ category, while Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan have been demoted to category ‘B’ and the fourth level, ‘D’, has been removed altogether.The trade-off for the reduction, however, is that the compensations are now higher. All three categories – A, B and C – come with higher pay now: a hike of 20%, 18.5% and 18% respectively. In addition, the length of each contract – hitherto always six months – has been increased to a year, starting from July 1. For the first time in 12 years, daily allowances have also increased – in training camps they have been doubled, making it Rs 2000 (approx. $13), as well as on foreign tours, going from $50 to $100. Travel upgrades for tours have also been introduced so that the team will now be traveling business class. All women cricketers will now also earn a match fee for each game of domestic cricket.

The contracted players

Category A: Nida Dar and Sana Mir
Category B: Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Sidra Ameen and Sidra Nawaz
Category C: Diana Baig and Nahida Khan

“The announcement of the new central contracts is a great story for the women’s game in Pakistan and indicates the exciting times that lie ahead for cricketers in the country,” Urooj Mumtaz, chief selector for the women’s team, said. “The women cricketers have shown tremendous improvement recently and this is reflected in the central contracts being offered to them, which are reward-and incentive-based.”With more international cricket scheduled over the coming months, this will motivate the girls to continue to perform strongly. Apart from the enhanced central contracts, we have also introduced incentives for the players in domestic cricket, who will now earn Rs 10,000 [approx. $64] per match. This is a small step in making women’s cricket more professional and inspiring young women cricketers to take up the sport with a realistic opportunity to represent the country.”Meanwhile, PCB managing director Wasim Khan stressed that the changes reflected the respect and importance the board have for women cricketers. “The enhanced new central contracts form a key part of the vision to enhance the profile of women’s cricket and our aim to strive towards a fairer system,” he said in a statement. “As a responsible and professional organisation, we remain committed to investing in the growth and development of women’s cricket. We want to strengthen the women’s and girls’ game at all levels so that our national team can continue to go from strength to strength.”That said, it’s worth noting that Pakistan recently won an ODI series against West Indies for the first time under Bismah’s captaincy – in February 2019 in Dubai – and subsequently drew the series in South Africa. Bismah’s form with the bat hasn’t been great in this period, but Javeria has been one of the stars, scoring 212 runs in nine innings in the past year, second only to Sidra Ameen’s 241. Their demotion, therefore, does strike as odd.Pakistan are currently fifth on the ICC Women’s Championship table, and have a top-four finish, which will help them qualify directly for the 2021 Women’s World Cup 2021 in New Zealand, very much in their sights. Their next assignment is against India.

Yorkshire seemed to have the game won with Northants six down for 101 but they needed a maiden fifty from Johnny Tattersall to sneak home

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2018
ScorecardYorkshire edged through to the Royal London Cup knockout stages for the fifth year running by beating already eliminated Northamptonshire at Emerald Headingley. The Vikings claimed a fourth successive North Group win by chasing 242 with four wickets in hand and an over remaining.On a tense final day in North Group, they had to be satisfied with third place and an away tie in the play-offs, missing out on a home semi-final eliminator tie by not reaching their target in 41 overs in order to better Nottinghamshire’s net run-rate.In fact, they nearly missed out all together by slipping to 134 for 5 with David Willey out for 71. But Gary Ballance and Jonny Tattersall, who made a maiden county half-century in his second attempt to make the grade at Headingley, went a long way to clinching the win with a calm 87-run stand for the sixth wicket inside 14 overs. Ballance made 66 off 61 balls and Tattersall 52 not out off 51.Yorkshire now travel to Chelmsford to face Essex next Thursday for the right to advance to the semi-finals.Willey, who was outstanding against Lancashire earlier in the week, starred with bat and ball against his former county, also taking 3 for 24 from 9.5 overs as Northants were bowled out for 241.In pursuit, Yorkshire slipped to 14 for 2 early in the fifth over of their reply as Adam Lyth and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were both caught behind off Kleinveldt and Hutton. The hosts then stuttered as Rob Keogh’s offspin (2 for 26 from 10 overs) tied them down.Willey was fast out of the blocks. He hit four of his first six balls for four, hit Kleinveldt for two leg-side sixes in the 10th over and reached 50 off 42 balls in the 17th over as the score advanced to 85 for 2. But shortly afterwards Keogh made two crucial breakthroughs, getting Joe Root caught behind reverse sweeping for 18 and Che Pujara lbw as the score slipped to 102 for four in the 25th over.A workman on Headingley’s new stand takes a breather•Getty Images

When Willey miscued Saif Zaib’s left-arm spin to long-on eight overs later, Yorkshire nerves were jangling. But Ballance and Tattersall held it together, reaching fifties to the delight of the 2000 strong home crowd before the former fell with 21 needed.Willey had claimed two of the first three wickets as the visitors, who elected to bat, fell to 23 for 3. He had Ben Duckett caught behind and Ricardo Vasconcelos at first slip before returning at the death to get last man Ben Cotton caught at mid-off, but Yorkshire made things more difficult for themselves as Northants recovered from 101 for 6.Debutant Charlie Thurston, 21, was the Northants standout with 53 off 62 balls. Thurston shared partnerships of 42 and 46 for the seventh and eighth wickets with Rory Kleinveldt and Graeme White, who finished 41 not out.

Both sides will miss key players as Delhi Daredevils aim to start their IPL campaign with a win while Royal Challengers Bangalore look to avoid losing the plot before the return of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

The Preview by Sreshth Shah07-Apr-2017

Match facts

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils
Bengaluru, April 8, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
3:11

Agarkar: A big test for Zaheer Khan

Head to head

Overall: Royal Challengers Bangalore lead Delhi Daredevils 10-6. Since 2011, Royal Challengers have only lost once to Daredevils in ten games.

In the news

Neither side will be able to field their first XI. Daredevils, slightly bowling-heavy and led by Zaheer Khan, are without JP Duminy and Quinton de Kock for the season. Angelo Mathews, who has been sidelined since January with a hamstring injury, remains uncertain after he missed the limited-overs matches against Bangladesh. Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, will miss the first match and is in doubt for the second after a bout of chickenpox. He will join the team in three-four daysRishabh Pant’s availability for the first game is also in doubt following the demise of his father, although Pant returned to Bengaluru and trained with the team. In the instance that Pant does not play, Aditya Tare could take over wicket-keeping duties. Kagiso Rabada looks set to make his IPL debut while the allrounder’s spot could see a toss-up between Carlos Brathwaite and Corey Anderson. On Friday, Daredevils announced Australian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus as a replacement for JP Duminy.AB de Villiers is doubtful for Royal Challengers’ first home game of the season but a call on his selection will be taken by the franchise after their training session on Saturday, leaving Shane Watson to lead the side again. De Villiers has confirmed that he will not keep wicket in the IPL, which means Kedar Jadhav could retain the gloves. Royal Challengers will have another wicket-keeping option in Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Vishnu Vinod, who will replace the injured KL Rahul. Virat Kohli, who has said he will play only if he feels “120%”, will miss the match, too.

The likely XIs

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Mandeep Singh, 3 Travis Head, 4 Kedar Jadhav (wk), 5 Shane Watson (capt), 6 Sachin Baby, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 S Aravind, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal , 11 Aniket ChoudharyDelhi Daredevils: 1 Sam Billings, 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Corey Anderson/Carlos Brathwaite, 5 Rishabh Pant/Aditya Tare (wk), 6 Chris Morris, 7 Shahbaz Nadeem, 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Kagiso Rabada

Stats that matter

• The team batting second has won 31 off 58 matches in Bengaluru. Daredevils prefer to chase: 38 of their 56 wins in the IPL have come batting second.
• Chris Gayle has scored 327 runs off 209 balls against Daredevils. He has never been dismissed by a Daredevils spinner, and has struck 15 boundaries – including nine sixes – off the 56 balls faced against them.
• Zaheer Khan has taken 26 wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His economy of 6.67 in the Powerplay last year was the fourth-best in IPL 2016.
• Royal Challengers have an economy rate of 7.35 runs per over in the Powerplay overall in the IPL. In matches against Daredevils in Bengaluru, Royal Challengers have conceded at a rate of 8.92 runs per over in the Powerplay.
• A top-heavy Daredevils team scores at 8.88 runs per over in the last five overs. Against Royal Challengers in Bengaluru, the rate jumps to 9.71 and Daredevils have lost only four wickets in seven matches during that period.
• Amit Mishra has been wicketless in his last four IPL games against Royal Challengers at an economy of 9.69. He has not taken a wicket for Daredevils in his previous three matches. Overall, in the IPL, he has dismissed Royal Challengers opener Mandeep Singh and Watson twice.
• Ankit Bawne, who may find a spot in the XI, scored 239 runs at an average of 79.66, including three fifties, in the domestic T20 tournament this season. Aditya Tare, too, had scores 79 and 71* in the tournament.
• Shane Watson has averaged less than 20 with the bat in IPL 2016 and Big Bash League 2016-17. In the recent Pakistan Super League, Watson averaged 21.37 in nine innings. In his last 30 games in the IPL, BBL and PSL, Watson has scored only one fifty. In his last two IPL matches with the ball, Watson has returned figures of 0 for 102 in seven overs.

A wrap of the Momentum One Day Cup matches on February 7, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2016Cape Cobras consolidated their position at the top of the standings with a comfortable six-wicket win over Lions in Paarl.Lions, who were sent in to bat, were shot out for 133. Save Dominic Hendrick’s unbeaten 44, there was little of note in the innings that lasted 40.3 overs. Beuran Hendricks, the left-arm seamer, returned figures of 3 for 18 off eight overs, while Dane Paterson, Wayne Parnell and Dane Piedt had two scalps apiece.The Cobras stuttered at the start by losing Parnell and Omphile Ramela early, but Andrew Puttick ate into the target with an unbeaten 63. He was helped by Stiaan van Zyl, who made 35, as Cobras won with 16.5 overs to spare.An unbeaten century from opener Rudi Second, followed by three-wicket hauls from Mbulelo Budaza and Michael Erlank, sent Knights to a 74-run win over Warriors in East London.The bonus point win meant that Knights were dragged from the bottom of the table, with 13 points, five behind the Warriors in the final play-off spot with two rounds to play.Having elected to bat, Knights lost Reeza Hendricks and Michael Erlank early, but Second and Botha drove them forward with a brisk 100-run partnership. Botha was aggressive, striking 63 off 54 balls, including seven fours and a six. Second’s century,which contained only four fours, was a measured effort. Werner Coetsee strengthened Knights’ advantage with a cameo lower down the order, as they finished with 258.JJ Smuts was the pick of the bowlers for Warriors, claiming figures of 2 for 49. He then gave the chase early thurst with his 21st List A fifty, but the rest of the batsmen fell away. Budaza, playing only his 10th List A game accounted for Smuts,Jerry Nqolo, and Yaseen Vallie to finish with career-best figures. Erlank then wrapped up the tail to dismiss Warriors for 184 in 43.3 overs and seal Knights’ third win of the tournament.

John Reid, former New Zealand captain and ICC match referee, has recently revealed that he is battling bowel cancer, and that he had to move from his native Taupo to Auckland in order to get better access to treatment

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2013John Reid, the former New Zealand captain and ICC match referee, recently revealed that he is battling bowel cancer, which forced him to move from his native Taupo to Auckland.Reid, during an interview with , said that he decided to move to Auckland following a mild stroke he suffered recently. When asked about how he was dealing with the diagnosis, Reid remained upbeat: “It’s manageable, my doctor says. I’ve got lots of faith in my doctors. It’s a little battle I’ve got to put up with now.”Reid, who made his debut for New Zealand against England in Manchester in 1949, played 58 Test matches and scored 3,428 runs before retiring in 1965. One of his six hundreds came in the second innings of the Christchurch Test against England in March, 1963, where he scored 100 out of New Zealand’s innings total of 159. That total still stands as a record for the lowest innings score with a batsman scoring a century. Reid last played for his country in 1965. After his retirement, he served as a selector and briefly coached teams in South Africa. He also officiated as an ICC match referee from 1993 to 2002.

Opening batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne followed up his first innings half-century with an unbeaten 99 in the second innings to put Sri Lanka A in a strong position in Durban

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2012Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOpening batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne followed up his first innings half-century with an unbeaten 99 in the second innings to put Sri Lanka A in a strong position in Durban. He was involved in a crucial 110-run opening partnership with Dilruwan Perera, who scored 51, to build on Sri Lanka A’s first innings lead of 46 runs.The day had started with the South Africa A side on 211 for 8. But Sri Lanka A’s hopes of achieving a big lead were dented by an 82-run ninth wicket partnership between Wayne Parnell and Simon Harmer. By the time the stand was broken, Parnell had scored 70 – the top score in the innings.However, when Sri Lanka came into bat for the second time, South Africa A bowlers struggled to make inroads. After a century opening stand, Karunaratne continued solidly and took Sri Lanka A past 200 putting Sri Lanka A in a position to square the two-match series.

A group of England’s talented young players have been given a chance to impress the selectors after a development squad was named to face Sri Lanka A

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2011A group of England’s talented young players have been given a chance to impress the selectors after a development squad was named to face Sri Lanka A at Old Trafford. Lancashire were initially due to provide the opposition but are now involved in the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals.That means a chance to have a look at players moving through the county system and who are a level below England Lions selection. Surrey provide four of the squad – Tom Maynard, Zafar Ansari, Jason Roy and Matthew Dunn – while Essex pace bowler, Tymal Mills, who is reportedly very sharp has also been included.A few of players could yet push themselves into Lions contention for the winter with Maynard, who left Glamorgan for Surrey before this season, probably at the top of that list after a productive summer where he has scored 758 Championship runs at 42.11. Roy, meanwhile, has been dubbed “a mini KP” by his coach, Chris Adams, because of his flamboyant approach with the bat.”We have selected some very promising young cricketers for the Development XI who have impressed in first-class cricket this season,” David Graveney, the national performance manager, said. “The majority of players have been involved in the England U-19 programme in recent years and this fixture is not only an acknowledgement of their progress since the U19s, it also provides an important opportunity for these players to impress selectors ahead the England Performance Programme this winter.”Squad Zafar Ansari, Moin Ashraf, Josh Cobb, Chris Dent, Matthew Dunn, Ateeq Javid, Tom Maynard, Tymal Mills, David Payne, Jason Roy, John Simpson

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan middle-order batsman, plans to quit international cricket at the end of next year if the selectors continue to ignore him for the national squad

Cricinfo staff27-Jul-2010Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan middle-order batsman, has plans to quit international cricket at the end of next year if the national selectors continue to ignore him. Misbah was dropped for the ongoing tour of England in favour of rookie players like Azhar Ali and Umar Amin, and his central contract with the PCB expires in December.”I know luck is not favouring me these days and with the youngsters making their way into the squad, I was forced to think again,” Misbah told the . “As a player, I feel sad to make such a decision but one day I had to decide when to call it a day.”I am 36 and feel fit enough for the international arena. I’m seeking an opportunity to play the 2011 World Cup in a bid to end my international cricket on a high note. But if I’m unable to find a place in the national squad, I always have an opportunity in the domestic circuit to do so.”Misbah made his Pakistan debut in 2001 but he wasn’t a regular fixture in the squad till the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, where he emerged as a dangerous Twenty20 batsman. A loss of form through 2009 led to him being dropped, initially, for the tours of New Zealand and Australia. He was however flown in midway through the New Zealand tour to shore up an inexperienced batting order. In the interim, he struck form in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Pakistan and that prompted the then captain, Mohammad Yousuf, to push for his recall. He last played for Pakistan in the World Twenty20 in the West Indies before being dropped for the Asia Cup and the England tour, a decision that had upset him.”My performance in the last 12 months hasn’t been up to the mark but my passion for the game remains,” he said. “Therefore, I have planned a time frame to my cricketing career and decided to quit cricket at the end of 2011.”