Hussain is another pace bowler to come through the Lahore Qalandars development squad

Alex Malcolm24-Jan-2020Melbourne Stars have signed another uncapped Pakistan quick Dilbar Hussain as an overseas replacement player for Haris Rauf ahead of Saturday’s BBL clash with Brisbane Heat.Rauf has left the Stars to play for Pakistan in a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh starting in Lahore on Friday. Rauf is a chance to return for the Stars first final on January 31 but Hussain has been signed as an overseas replacement in the interim.Hussain’s path to the BBL is as unique as Rauf’s. He is also part of the Lahore Qalandars development squad after previously working on agricultural land in his village near Faisalabad. He impressed Qalandars coach Aaqib Javed in his first hard ball game in Faisalabad in 2018 and toured Australia with the Qalandars development squad in the same year.ALSO READ: Haris Rauf sets sights on World T20 following meteoric rise“It was the first time Dilbar played hard-ball cricket, the first time he was in a proper cricket stadium, and he displayed great passion for the game,” Javed said.Melbourne Stars’ connection with the Qalandars comes through General Manager Nick Cummins, who was previously Cricket Tasmania’s CEO. Cummins had been a key figure in firstly getting Rauf to Tasmania to play grade cricket before recommending him to the Stars’ list manager Trent Woodhill and coach David Hussey and now Rauf’s replacement has also come via the Qalandars development program.However, unlike Rauf, he has not been playing club cricket in Australia. He only arrived on January 20 meeting up with the Stars in Sydney on the day of their clash with the Sydney Sixers. He then flew to Melbourne while the squad headed to Adelaide.Hussain had a centre-wicket practice with former Stars player Michael Beer on Thursday in Melbourne and was added to the Stars’ 13-man squad for their clash with the Heat at the MCG on Saturday. The Stars camp are excited by what he could bring as another strong fast bowler with a very deceptive change of pace.Nathan Coulter-Nile also returns to the side and Glenn Maxwell will captain again after handing the reigns to Peter Handscomb for personal reasons for the game against the Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday.But the Stars have suffered a blow with in-form opener Hilton Cartwright ruled out of the Heat clash with a fractured finger. He was hit in the nets by Coulter-Nile prior to the match against the Strikers. It is unknown whether he will be able to return for the finals as he is awaiting further advice from specialists.

They will now meet India in the final on Wednesday at the Junction Oval

The Report by Alex Malcolm09-Feb-2020A brilliant bowling performance from Australia young duo of Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck has put Australia into the tri-series final against India after England were strangled in the middle overs chasing just 133 at the Junction Oval.Molineux took 3 for 19 off the back of Vlaeminck’s two early breakthroughs in the powerplay. Jess Jonassen also bowled a superb spell as England not only failed to chase down the total but they also fell short of the 124 needed to stay ahead of India on net run-rate after all three teams were tied on the table with two wins each from four matches.Earlier, Australia’s innings was held together by a calm and skillful half-century from Beth Mooney in the face of a top-order collapse against England’s spin twins. Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn bowled superbly to take 4 for 37 between them from eight overs to leave Australia in a huge hole. But Mooney’s defiance, plus a handy 24 from Rachael Haynes late in the innings gave Australia a defendable total of 7 for 132.Australia will now meet India in the final on Wednesday at the Junction Oval.Healy’s horror run continueHealy’s last T20I innings prior to this series was a women’s world record of 148 not out against Sri Lanka back in October last year. In this series, she has scored just 11 runs in four innings and yet again she fell to Katherine Brunt. After just three balls she pulled a length ball straight down the throat of Dani Wyatt who was perfectly placed at deep midwicket. Brunt has now claimed Healy eight times in T20Is. The spin of Ecclestone and Glenn then took control. Their lengths were outstanding, hitting the top of stumps consistently but they mixed their pace to cause Australia all sorts of issues with three big guns clean bowled. Ash Gardner was undone by Ecclestone, deceived completely in flight running down the track. Meg Lanning was bowled misreading length from Glenn after struggling to rotate the strike, while Ellyse Perry tried to create a cut shot from an Ecclestone arm ball that zeroed in on off stump. It left Australia 4 for 79 in the 13th over.Mooney shinesRather than punching balls to fielders in the ring for no reward, Mooney was prepared to drop and run with soft hands and wait for the bad balls to come. Any width that was offered she was able to carve through and over the offside. She made her second half-century of the tournament from just 39 balls with six boundaries. But she too made an error in judgement against Glenn trying to pull a ball that skidded low and crashed into the stumps. But Haynes picked up the slack after a lean summer. She made a valuable 24 from 21 with a six and a four late in the innings to ensure the total ticked up over 130.Valuable VlaeminckPerry noted during the week that extra pace would be a weapon in the T20 World Cup after Vlaeminck took 3 for 13 against India in Canberra last weekend. Vlaeminck’s injury history has seen the Australian hierarchy use her sparingly in this series, playing just one game per weekend. She was badly missed against India on Saturday and proved why with a rapid spell that changed the game. England were cruising at none for 21 in the fourth over. Vlaeminck hit Wyatt in the helmet via a top edge with a ball nudging 120kph. She then had her caught off the glove down the leg side two balls later. Two overs later Vlaeminck was unfortunate not to have Nat Sciver lbw but was too quick for Amy Jones, rattling her leg stump to leave England 2 for 39 at the end of the powerplay.Spin to winLanning held her spinners back until the ninth over with Sciver and Heather Knight looking very comfortable against Australia’s other medium pacers. Sciver tried to target Molineux straight away and holed out to deep midwicket. It started a rot with Molineux and Jonassen matching what Ecclestone and Glenn did earlier. The two left-arm orthodox bowlers targeted the stumps and mixed their lengths and lines to put England in a spin. Heather Knight was stumped running past one from Molineux after her and Fran Wilson scored just 7 runs in 10 balls following Sciver’s dismissal. Wilson was also stumped off Jonassen while Tammy Beaumont was bowled trying to reverse sweep Molineux as the run-rate ground to a halt. It left England 6 for 70 needing 63 runs from 42 balls. They were unable to get near Australia’s target with the tail only scoring five boundaries in the last seven overs to miss out on the final.

The arrival of the Zimbabwe allrounder strengthens a squad heavily hit by coronavirus-related departures

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2020Sikandar Raza, the Zimbabwe allrounder, has joined Peshawar Zalmi’s squad as a silver category player. He will be available for Zalmi’s PSL semi-final against table-toppers Multan Sultans, which is to be played in Lahore on Tuesday.Raza’s arrival will strengthen a Zalmi squad that has been hit particularly hard by the departure of overseas players due to the coronavirus pandemic. Zalmi lost the services of five players – Tom Banton, Carlos Brathwaite, Liam Dawson, Lewis Gregory and Liam Livingstone – along with coach James Foster.Batsmen Abid Ali and Agha Salman, meanwhile, have joined the Lahore Qalandars line-up ahead of their semi-final against Karachi Kings, which is also set to be played on Tuesday. Both players slot into the silver category. The Qalandars were the only team not to lose any of their players to the coronavirus exodus.

West Indies allrounder sets out personal aim for successful tour of England

Alan Gardner20-Jun-2020Roston Chase has played as much of a part as any of his team-mates in West Indies’ recent improvements as a Test side. He has scored five hundreds since his debut in 2016, including a six-hour rearguard against India in his second Test, and another in his last encounter with England. Two Tests before that, his eight-wicket haul condemned England to defeat in Barbados and set Jason Holder’s side on their way to reclaiming the Wisden Trophy.Chase also did his bit when West Indies won at Headingley in 2017, although that was an underwhelming tour generally as he averaged 13.33 with the bat. Perhaps that is why he has set his sights on scoring “at least one century” this time around. “Once you do well in England, I think your stock as a cricketer goes up on the international scene,” he said.”I’ve always wanted to score a century in England. I scored a century against England in the Caribbean, but I would love to get one in England. As I said, when you score hundreds in England, I think, as a batsman people take you more serious and rate you a bit higher. I’m looking to have a good series with the bat, score as many runs as possible. I will not be happy if I don’t get at least one century.”ALSO READ: Root sledge ‘blown way out of proportion’ – GabrielThe onus on Chase to provide a sturdy bulwark at No. 5 or 6 has only increased in the absence of Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer, who batted either side of him against England in 2018-19. Certainly runs in the forthcoming three-match series would bolster Chase’s overall record, which has seen him enjoy the majority of his success at home, with only one century – in India in 2018 – and an average of 24.75 in away Tests.Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope led the way in Leeds three years ago, while both Chase and Jermaine Blackwood have experience of English conditions, and the ability of a reshaped West Indies batting line-up to put up fighting totals will likely go a long way to determining their chances of success.”It’s fair to say that we haven’t had the best time as a top order,” Chase said. “But I think some of the guys have played 30 or more Test matches, so the guys are experienced and know how to get runs at that level – so we are ever improving. It’s just for us to get that confidence and belief back in our batting in the top order and I think that will be fine because the guys know they have the ability.”While Chase was England’s destroyer with the ball at the Kensington Oval 18 months ago – his second-innings 8 for 60 perhaps aided by some “complacent” batting – he is happy to stand in the not-inconsiderable shadow of Rakheem Cornwall when it comes to spin-bowling duties on tour. Depending on whether West Indies choose to deploy a four-man pace attack or not, Chase will fill in as required and aim to keep England on their toes.Rahkeem Cornwall celebrates a wicket with captain Jason Holder•Getty Images

“Yeah, he’s definitely the No. 1 spinner, but I have no problem with that,” Chase said of Cornwall, who made his Test debut last year. “I’m always willing to do whatever it takes for the team, if I have to back him up or if I have to be the main spinner, it doesn’t really matter to me. Once we’re going in the right direction and winning games and series, that’s all that really matters to me. Doesn’t matter if I’m No. 1 or No. 2 or No. 3, just want to go out there and do well for the country and for myself.”I’m comfortable with my role, batting in the middle order and bowling some overs when need be. The unit it a very close unit, all the guys are friends, we came up playing cricket from youth cricket days. We’re comfortable and just like to enjoy our company and enjoy the cricket and look to be successful.”In the first game [in Barbados last year], my lines and lengths and variation were spot on. And I guess the England batsmen – I wouldn’t want to say they underestimated me, but they were a bit complacent playing me. As the series went on they got a bit tighter. Having lost that first game, I thought they really tried to knuckle down and cope with my bowling and they did a good job.”One significant change from the previous meetings between these two sides is the addition of Jofra Archer to England’s bowling ranks. Like several of West Indies’ strong Bajan contingent, Chase came up against Archer during the young quick’s formative years – but their most-recent meeting came when the two appeared on opposing sides in the Sussex Premier League in 2015.”I do remember the game we played against Jofra,” Chase said. “This was before he even played for Sussex or anything like that. He actually got five wickets, he got me out as well. He pulled up after he got the five wickets and batting became a lot easier for us.”He was always a good talent but he wasn’t as rapid as he is now.”

Board sets focus on the revival of club cricket and the re-establishment of a national academy

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2020Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani has said that despite enduring among the worst years in the country’s cricket history, the board has emerged stronger over the past 12 months, with the body able to almost pay off its legacy debts amounting to USD 27 million.Zimbabwe had been suspended from the ICC in July 2019 before they were reinstated in October later that year. During that time, the ICC’s funding was frozen and Zimbabwe were not allowed to participate in the qualifying tournaments for the men’s T20 World Cup as well as the women’s event. Soon after they were reinstated, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, which led to further cancellations of tours, including a limited-overs tour by India, which ZC was counting on to shore up finances. Ireland’s tour of Zimbabwe was also called off in the wake of the coronavirus.ALSO READ – Alistair Campbell interview: ‘The smaller teams want to play more, but they can’t because the cash is not there’However, Zimbabwe’s players have now resumed training after having passed their Covid-19 tests earlier this month. Zimbabwe are supposed to host Afghanistan in July-August for a five-match T20I series before travelling to Australia to play three ODIs.”Perhaps the biggest irony of our lifetime, the very same horrible year saw us making huge strides towards making ZC debt-free,” Mukuhlani said during the board’s annual general meeting that was held virtually. “At the close of the just-ended financial year, we had whittled the USD 27 million legacy debt down to USD 1 million, in the process breaking the chains that had enslaved our organisation to an unending cycle of financial troubles.”Mukuhlani said ZC had managed to repay that debt by careful planning and “an intricate debt resolution plan” from the time he took charge in 2015. The repaid amounts included an obligation of USD 6 million to the ICC as well as loans worth up to USD 10 million that were housed under the Zimbabwe Asset Management Company (ZAMCO).”Under the arrangement, we were supposed to settle the ZAMCO obligations by 2023 but, as we take stock of the period under review, I am proud to report that – a whole three years earlier – ZC is nearly debt-free,” Mukuhlani said. He added that, with a significant portion of debt cleared, the focus would now be on the revival of club cricket and the re-establishment of a national academy.Apart from revitalising first-class cricket in the country, a provincial women’s competition was also in the works.ZC’s acting managing director Givemore Makoni also reiterated that the organisation would prioritise boosting its game development as well as domestic and international cricket structures.”The beauty of the mess – an oxymoron if ever there was one – was our ability to make the most of the difficult situation,” he said. “This would not have been possible without the commitment, hard work and massive sacrifices made by our management and staff who had to face layoffs, take pay cuts and operate within shoe-string budgets to ensure cricket continued being played at all levels.”The difficulties we faced – and conquered – in 2019-20 could only prepare us for a better future.”

Brijesh Patel, the IPL Governing Council chairman, has confirmed the development

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Aug-2020The BCCI has received the much-awaited permission from the Indian government to conduct the IPL in the UAE. Brijesh Patel, the IPL Governing Council chairman, has confirmed the development.Although the BCCI had received an in-principle nod from the government, it was waiting for written permission to finalise the contract with the Emirates Cricket Board. Patel did not confirm the exact date, indicating the government permission came over the weekend.The tournament will be played between September 19 and November 10 with 60 matches at three venues: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Although the tournament schedule has not yet been finalised, the eight teams have already been busy planning their travel to the UAE.Last week the IPL sent the franchises a set of draft standing operating procedures [SOPs] for the tournament including a rigorous testing process which commences before the teams board the flight to the UAE. Team members would need to undergo multiple tests including three tests upon reaching the UAE which would also involve a week-long quarantine before they can start training.The IPL made it clear that both team members as well as owners would need to strictly adhere to the rules laid out to be part of the biosecure bubble. Any breach of the protocols, the IPL warned, would be “punishable” under the tournament’s code of conduct.According to the draft SOPs, if the owners and family members step outside the bubble, they will need to understood a week-long quarantine and undergo fresh testing before re-entering the biosecure environment.During a virtual meeting last week, officials from various franchises communicated a set of concerns they had with the draft SOPs. One key concern was whether the quarantine measures could be relaxed for English and Australian players arriving from the UK after their limited overs series.

September white-ball series set to be confirmed but financial challenges remain

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl13-Aug-2020English cricket has received a significant boost with the news that Australia are set to confirm their limited-overs tour in September.Confirmation of the tour, which will see the sides play three ODIs and three T20Is, means England’s men’s team should be able to fulfil all 18 international fixtures which were scheduled ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the ECB should be able to avoid the bleakest financial predictions that were made ahead of the season.Significant challenges remain, however. The ECB management recently warned the first-class counties that the next broadcast deal could be worth up to 50% less than the current deal – due, in part, to less competition in the market – meaning a period of cost-cutting is inevitable.ESPNcricinfo understands that among the options being considered is a partial move away from Lord’s as an administrative base and a move away from Loughborough as a performance base. While it is understood that the ECB is given a relatively favourable rental agreement at Lord’s by the MCC, there is ongoing consideration towards moving to less expensive offices elsewhere.ALSO READ: England’s white-ball tour of India postponed until 2021This possibility has been considered previously. This time, however, there is not only a financial incentive but a growing view that a game intent on becoming more inclusive for all aspects of society might benefit from a move away from St John’s Wood, the suburb of London where Lord’s is situated, which is one of the most expensive and exclusive parts of the country.Thought will also be given to moving away from the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough. While the centre has outstanding facilities, there are suggestions it is largely replicating those offered at various other major grounds.Edgbaston, which is about to embark on the next stage of its redevelopment, is one location that is sure to be considered as an alternative for both the administrative and the performance set-ups. In the next few weeks, building work will begin at the ground on new residential and commercial premises which could easily be fitted as required by the ECB. Emirates Old Trafford is also likely to be considered.The ECB could move its offices away from Lord’s•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The most likely conclusion at this stage is that ECB could set up hubs in different areas of the country in order both to cut costs and to improve its relationships with the counties. While a complete move from London is unlikely, it does seem the ECB will follow other major companies – such as Channel 4, the BBC and HSBC – in moving away from the capital.A reduction in the headcount at the ECB, which has risen sharply in recent years, also appears inevitable. As part of a likely restructure, the pay of some executives could also be cut.While confirmation of the Australia tour will ease the ECB’s most immediate concerns, other scheduling issues remain. Most pertinently, there is ongoing discussion about a possible cut to the number of Tests played on the tour to India (from late January to late March) with suggestions it could be trimmed from five Tests to four or even three.England were originally scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is in India in September and October before returning for a five-Test series starting in January. Now, they will attempt to fit in as many of the limited-overs matches and Tests as possible in a window from late January to late March. At this stage, the tour is still scheduled to be staged in India, though there remains a strong possibility it will be moved to the UAE.There is also doubt about the viability of England’s limited-overs tour of South Africa, which had been pencilled in for December. The current Covid situation in South Africa suggests the tour would need to be staged behind closed doors in a biosecure bubble, which might prove both problematic logistically and prohibitively costly.Looking ahead to the 2021 English summer, the ECB is still waiting on confirmation over whether the World Test Championship final, which is planned for June, is to be postponed. In any event, it looks probable the Asia Cup, pushed back from September, will be held in June, which could see England’s fixture list hit as a consequence. England are due to host Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs from June, Pakistan (three T20Is, three ODIs) and India (five Tests).There are no immediate prospects of senior tours to either Pakistan or West Indies – the sides which have so far toured England in far-from-perfect circumstances this summer – though it appears there is some thought towards extending the next England tour of West Indies, in early 2022, from two Tests to three.

22 years after his first Surrey game at The Oval, Thursday could be Batty’s last

Matt Roller30-Sep-202022 years after his first appearance for Surrey at The Oval, Gareth Batty has accepted that Thursday’s T20 Blast quarter-final against Kent could be his last.It would be foolish to rule out the possibility of him extending his playing career, not least after a Blast campaign in which he has conceded a miserly 6.31 runs per over and recovered from a hamstring injury within two weeks. But at the ripe old age of 42, with his contract up at the end of the season and a coaching position at the club on the table, this may be his final week as a player.”We’ll get to the end of the season and then we’ll have a sit down,” Batty said. “I have a coaching role [already] so it’s about what is right for the group moving forward. We have to move forward as a club and if that means the claw replaces the pretty average old offspin, so be it.”If we do decide I don’t play, we’ll be going out for dinner. I’ll buy Vikram [Solanki] and Stewie [Alec Stewart] a slap-up meal for the first time ever, we’ll have a glass of something and I’ll say thanks, to move forward. The exciting bit is that whatever happens, I’m winning.”ALSO READ: ‘Old blokes win stuff’ – Why experience is key in the T20 BlastIn the absence of the injured Jade Dernbach, Batty captained Surrey for the first seven games of their Blast season before his hamstring problem. They began the tournament with a threadbare squad due to injury and international call-ups, but the number of available players has swelled since: Laurie Evans and Jamie Overton arrived on loan ahead of permanent deals next year, while Rory Burns, Jason Roy and Ben Foakes are back from England bubbles and Hashim Amla arrived from South Africa.”We played an intra-squad practice game yesterday and I think at one point we had 21 players all fit and available for selection,” Batty said. “It’s a bit of contrast to six weeks ago when we were scrambling around for 11.”There will be some disappointed boys, but hopefully it stands us in good stead – if we can get over the line tomorrow – with three games in three days. That is pretty full on, so having bodies available and ready to go – and obviously they are quality players – is an advantage for us.”There will be a dilemma at the top of the order, with a decision to make over who bats where between Roy, Amla, Evans and breakout star Will Jacks, while youngsters Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson may be squeezed out in order to accommodate more experienced players.Batty has been particularly impressed by Overton – whom he dubs Surrey’s “own Andre Russell: bowls rockets, and smacks it out the ground” – since his move from Somerset, and quipped that after a lean summer with the bat in international cricket, Roy has been saving his best for his county.”He knew he’d get back at some point and thought he’d save them for the good lads,” he laughed. “In our last game he showed what a good player he is: he’s world-class. When Jason plays like that you can count on one hand the better players in the world.”It’s obvious, but four into three doesn’t go so, someone will bat fractionally out of position. It will be covered off with that player, and no stone left unturned. We are very fortunate to have four exceptional players in the top order, and someone will have a change of role.”Surrey’s record in T20 has been underwhelming in recent years – they have not reached Finals Day since 2014 – but things have been different this year. They have exploited home conditions to their advantage, playing on used, central pitches to create enormous square boundaries to support their spinners and allow their seamers to bang the ball in, and are on a seven-match winning run heading into Thursday’s quarter-final.Vikram Solanki is in his first season as Surrey’s head coach•Getty Images

Batty was effusive in his praise for Solanki, and in particular the pre-match planning and preparation that he has put into place in his first season as head coach, and insisted that regardless how he fares against Kent, he will be playing with a smile on his face after wondering if he would step onto the pitch at all this year.”Whenever I get on the cricket field now it feels like a day out,” he grinned. “[Covid-19] puts things into perspective, it really does. I’m very aware that I’m pretty much done, but it’s nice that you can still contribute in a positive way.”There’s been some really good cricket played [this season] and there’s been a progression in how people are playing the game. People are learning from how different competitions around the world are accelerating T20 cricket. It’s not the same old mundane ‘he’s going to do this, he’s going to do that’, [teams are] trying to move the game forward.”Kent are a very dangerous team. We’re very aware of that. They’ve got some very fine players who tore it up with England this year, on a bit of a high. Hopefully we’re all going out there to fulfil our roles and help Surrey over the line. If some old sod manages to get a few wickets you’ll see a smile on his face; even if he doesn’t, there will still be a smile.”

“You keep talking about process, process… but the process of selection itself is wrong”

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2020Kris Srikkanth, the former India captain and chairman of the selection committee, had strong words for MS Dhoni after the Chennai Super Kings succumbed to a seven-wicket loss against the Rajasthan Royals, calling his selections throughout the season as “ridiculous” and “rubbish”.Monday’s defeat was the Super Kings’ seventh of the tournament, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the points table and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in their history. After the game, Dhoni told the official broadcaster Star Sports that the youngsters in the team had not showed him the kind of “spark” that would have warranted their inclusion in the side.A visibly distraught Srikkanth, however, rubbished all of Dhoni’s claims, taking particular umbrage over the continued selections of Piyush Chawla and Kedar Jadhav, who he had suggested needed a scooter to move around quickly on the field.”I will never accept what Dhoni is saying about this process,” Srikkanth told Star Sports Tamil. “This process he keeps talking about is meaningless. You keep talking about process, process… but the process of selection itself is wrong.”ALSO READ: Why Dhoni and Jadeja got stuck against RoyalsSrikkanth, who was the brand ambassador of the Super Kings franchise during the inaugural IPL season, singled out the case of N Jagadeesan as an example of someone who had not been given a fair chance in the team; Jagadeesan has played just one game all season, scoring 33 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Jadhav, meanwhile, has played eight matches making just 62 runs in total, and has struggled to make an impact.”What is Dhoni’s deal? He says Jagadeesan doesn’t have spark, but does ‘scooter’ Jadhav have that spark? This is ridiculous. I will not accept this answer today. All this talk of process, and Chennai’s tournament itself is over.”Dhoni now says that since the pressure is off, he’ll give the youngsters a chance. Come on, . I don’t understand this rubbish about the process at all. What spark didn’t he see in Jagadeesan? What spark did he see in Jadhav and Piyush Chawla?”Karn Sharma at least took wickets. Chawla simply goes through the motions of bowling, coming on when the game is already lost. Dhoni may be a (big shot) and there is no doubt he is great, but I cannot agree with him or accept this.”

He played an unofficial Test against Ceylon in Ahmedabad in 1965

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2020CK Bhaskaran, the former Kerala first-class cricketer who once played an unofficial Test for an Indian team led by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi against Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in January 1965, has died at the age of 79. Bhaskaran passed away in Houston, USA, where he had practiced medicine for the past many years.Bhaskaran, born in 1941 in Thalassery, played 42 first-class matches between 1957-58 and 1968-69 as a medium pacer, picking up 106 wickets at an average of 29.05. He had five five-wicket hauls to his name.That game against Ceylon, in Ahmedabad, was the closest Bhaskaran got to international cricket.Opening the bowling with Mumbai left-arm medium pacer Umesh Kulkarni, he returned 2 for 35 from ten overs in the Ceylon first innings, and bowled a further eight overs (none for 16) in the second as Pataudi’s star-studded team lost by four wickets.