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New Zealand captain believes the batting collapse on the third morning was the definitive portion of the match

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Sep-2024New Zealand tend not to do especially well in Galle. Of their five Test defeats from as many games at the ground, one has been by an innings, another by ten wickets, and one more by 202 runs. Their latest Test at the venue, which ended in a 63-run defeat to Sri Lanka on Monday, when they went into the fifth morning with an outside shot of victory – 68 more runs to win, with two wickets remaining – represents their closest result here.But two players, in particular, stuck out. In his first outing in steaming conditions, and on a dry deck, seamer Will O’Rourke was frequently menacing – often touching 140kph – while sending down short deliveries on a pitch not especially conducive to short bowling. Vitally, for a bowler in his third Test, there were also no hugely loose spells. His takings were 8 for 104. Six of those dismissals were of top- or middle-order batters. Captain Tim Southee was suitably impressed by the 23-year-old.”Will’s had a very short Test career so far, and he’s certainly announced himself,” Southee said after the match. “We saw in New Zealand how dangerous he can be. He’s got the skills to have a very good Test career. For him to come to his first Test in the subcontinent and walk away with a very impressive eight wickets for the match is nothing short of special. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, and he’s a big guy. So there’s a lot to like about Will O’Rourke.”Related

• Will O'Rourke's Canterbury Tales, ft. Peter Fulton and Brendon Donkers

• Southee hopes New Zealand 'learn and move forward' from Sri Lanka loss

• SL, NZ seek to make most of Galle conditions and prevent another collapse

• Sri Lanka look to ride on hot streak to stay in the fray for WTC final

• Asia specialist Ajaz says limited opportunities have made him hungrier

On the batting front, 24-year-old Rachin Ravindra produced his second-highest Test score – a characterful 92 on a treacherous fourth-innings pitch – as New Zealand pursued a tall 275. Ravindra is not quite so new to internationals, of course, having lit up last year’s ODI World Cup in India. But he remains a batter still finding his feet at the top level, and the clear-headed approach he took on day four – pouncing almost unnerringly on errors of length, while endeavouring to keep the score ticking – was especially impressive in his third Test in Asia.”Rachin kept us in the hunt with that chase,” Southee said. “We knew it was [a] tough ask, and that it was going to take something special, with the wicket taking a lot of turn in these last couple of days. It was a great knock in those conditions.”It’s not easy to bat – the ball was spinning, and doing all sorts [of things]. For a young guy without a lot of experience in this part of the world to go out and get 90-odd was great signs for him as well. He’s another one that’s an exceptional talent, and he’s had a little taste of international cricket as well, and done exceptionally well. He’s a great young kid with a good head on his shoulders.”Tim Southee called Rachin Ravindra an “exceptional talent” after the Galle Test•AP

For Southee, it was New Zealand’s batting collapse on the third morning that was the definitive portion of the match. They had been 255 for 4 in their first innings overnight, only 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s total. But they then lost six wickets for 71 runs, as the middle and lower orders succumbed to finger spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis. In the end, their lead was only 35, when it had threatened to be much more.”I guess the position where we got ourselves in, in the first innings, was good. But the last four or five fell for not many, and there was an opportunity to get a bigger first-innings lead,” he said. “We knew that that second new ball was going to be tough given the nature of the wicket and the quality of the Sri Lankan spin bowlers.”If you look at those moments, if we were able to press on and get more of a lead, things could have been different. It was still a good Test match. There’s plenty of good things we can take into the next couple of days.”

“You saw the number of tight finishes we had in last year’s IPL. So, you know, it has made a big difference”

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-202411:03

Impact Player rule – should it stay or should it go?

The Impact Player rule in the IPL has not gone down too well with some current players and coaches, but former India coach Ravi Shastri is in favour of it, saying it has contributed to a number of thrilling finishes.”The Impact Player [rule] is good. You have to evolve with the times,” Shastri told R Ashwin on his Youtube channel. “You know, it happens in other sports as well. It’s got tighter finishes. You have to evolve with the times and I think it’s a good rule. You saw the number of tight finishes we had in last year’s IPL. So, you know, it has made a big difference.”While some – like India captain Rohit Sharma – feel that the rule is detrimental to the development of allrounders, Ashwin cited the example of Dhruv Jurel, who began his IPL career as an Impact Player in IPL 2023 and went onto make his Test debut for India within a year.”You know when any new rule comes in, there will be…people will try and justify why that’s not right,” Shastri said. “But in time when you see the scores – 200 and 190 – and then like you mentioned individuals grabbing that opportunity and making the most of it, people will start re-looking at how they think about it.”Related

• Kohli not in favour of Impact Player: 'Not every team has a Bumrah or Rashid'

• Stuttering Royals look to find their form and firm up top-two spot

• Shah on Impact Player rule: 'Not permanent, but not saying that it will go'

• Ponting on the Impact Player: A 'nightmare' for coaches, a 'spectacle' for fans

• Rohit on Impact Player rule: 'I'm not a big fan'

Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, said last week that the Impact Player rule is “not permanent” and that a call on its use in subsequent editions of the IPL will be taken after a discussion with stakeholders after the 2024 T20 World Cup.”Impact Player is like a test case. We have implemented it slowly. The biggest advantage of it is that two Indian players are getting a chance [in each game], which is the most important,” Shah had told reporters at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday. “We will consult with the players, franchises, broadcasters [and take a call]. This is not permanent [but] I am not saying that it will go.”[We’ll see] if it’s making the game more competitive or not. Even then, if a player feels that this is not right, then we will talk to them. But no one has told us anything yet, so it will be decided after the World Cup.”Rohit was the first high-profile Indian player to criticise the rule, which came into the IPL in 2023 after being trialled in the domestic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, allowing teams to bring in a 12th player at any point in a match to replace a player from the original XI announced at the toss.Among others to speak out against the rule were Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar of Delhi Capitals (DC).DC head coach Ricky Ponting, however, had said he was happy for the IPL to retain the Impact Player if it was making the tournament a “better spectacle”. But from his perspective as a coach, he admitted he wasn’t too keen on the rule, calling it a “nightmare”.

Pooran, who suffered an accident in 2015 that prevented him from even walking for six months, knows what Pant is going through at the moment

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2023Nicholas Pooran has been where Rishabh Pant is at the moment. An accident similar to the one Pant was in late last year had put Pooran in hospital eight-and-some years ago; he required two surgeries, and it was a good six months before he could walk again. Pooran understands that the position Pant is in might leave him “depressed and frustrated”, but is confident he will bounce back.Pooran, playing for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2023, said he has been in touch with Pant, who will be out of action at least for the rest of the year. Pant was present at his team Delhi Capitals’ home game against Gujarat Titans a few days back, but needed help to get out of the car and get to his seat at the Feroz Shah Kotla.”It’s very challenging. It’s one where no one understands. Sometimes, I can remember… I have been chatting with Rishabh obviously. Both of us have a really good relationship. But there’s times when you go into a place where you’re very depressed, and frustrated, because you want the healing process to happen so fast. But it’s difficult,” Pooran said ahead of Super Giants’ next game, on Saturday at home against Punjab Kings.Related

• Rishabh Pant expected to return for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024

• Rishabh Pant expected to be out of action for most of 2023

• How Nicholas Pooran came back from the brink

On December 30 last year, Pant was driving to see his mother in Roorkee in Uttarakhand when his car hit a road divider at around 5.30am. He escaped without life-threatening injuries even as his car went up in flames. He has since undergone knee-ligament surgery at a Mumbai hospital.It was in January 2015, when he was just past his 19th birthday, when Pooran, while driving back from a training session at home in Trinidad & Tobago, swerved to avoid an oncoming car, drove into a sand heap and back on to the road, where another car rammed into him. He was knocked out and regained consciousness only after reaching a hospital. He required surgeries to repair the left patellar tendon, which had ruptured, and on his right leg to repair an ankle fracture.Speaking from his experience dealing with the low phase, Pooran said, “Sometimes you don’t see progress. In life, you want to see progress, you want it to happen so fast, but it doesn’t happen the whole time. It’s very challenging, but [you] need to believe in yourself.”Need to believe that whatever happened, happened for a reason. Can’t question it, because you won’t get an answer. You need to believe in your God as well. Have faith in yourself, have faith in your hard work.”And then, if all goes well, things change for the better. For Pooran, it was seven months before he could start jogging again, and another month before he took part in his first net session.”As soon as you see… that first step you take, once you can see that improvement, I think that’s when you become motivated,” he said. “Rishabh will come out of this. He’s a strong guy. He will come out of this. And he will be better. You just need to believe in yourself; he needs to spend time with himself and understand who are the people for him and who is against him. This is where you know who are your family and who are your friends.”It’s a difficult period in anyone’s life. Everyone has different challenges. Challenges come in different forms and ways. But it’s a blessing in disguise [in a way], and you’ll figure it out. Everyone goes through challenges. He’ll get back up.”

The Commonwealth Games have also agreed to grant accreditation to Bismah’s infant daughter

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2022Pakistan have announced a 15-woman squad for the tri-series in Ireland and the upcoming Commonwealth Games, with Bismah Maroof to captain the side through both assignments. The squad is unchanged from the one that achieved a clean sweep against Sri Lanka in a T20 series last week, with Player of the Series Tuba Hassan rewarded with a retention. Three reserve players – Ghulam Fatima, Sadaf Shamas and Umme Hani – have also been included.In another development, the Commonwealth Games agreed to issue accreditation to Bismah’s infant daughter Fatima and her mother, who will now stay in the Commonwealth village. The Games had initially declined to issue accreditation for the two, asking the PCB to remove two members of their original travelling squad to accommodate them. ESPNcricinfo understands the Games have backtracked, and will issue the accreditations without requiring a reduction in personnel elsewhere.”I want to thank the Commonwealth Games for accepting our request to accommodate our captain Bismah Maroof’s family at the games village which will allow her to focus on the task at hand without any worries about her young infant daughter,” head of women’s cricket Tania Mallick said.”Following a successful series against Sri Lanka, we have decided to retain the same winning combination,” chief selector Asmavia Iqbal said. “Not only our senior cricketers in the side displayed great cricketing acumen also our youngsters were outstanding and have raised their hands whenever the team needed them to.”We are delighted with the start Tuba Hassan has had to her international career and feel her leg-spin will be a potent weapon for us in the days ahead. Ayesha Naseem produced a match winning innings in the second match of the T20Is against Sri Lanka and proved her big-hitting ability.”The tri-series in Ireland and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games will test the abilities of our players and I have all the belief in them that they will live up to the expectations and show consistent results.”Pakistan will take on T20 world champions Australia and hosts Ireland in a tri-series in Belfast from July 16 to 24 and play Barbados, India and Australia in the Commonwealth Games on July 29, 31 and August 3. They will leave for the UK on July 12, before which they will have a training camp in Islamabad.Squad for the Ireland tri-series and the Commonwealth Games:Bismah Maroof (capt), Aiman Anwer, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza (wk), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan.

“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.”

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.

Maharashtra Cricket Association also says it will conduct a probe into the matter which will be independent of the ICC’s investigation

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Oct-2017Contrary to the BCCI’s assertion that Pandurang Salgaoncar has been “dismissed” from his role, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) says it has only suspended him as head groundsman of the Pune pitch. The MCA will appoint its own committee to conduct a probe, which will be conducted after investigation being carried out by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit (ACU).”He has been suspended as curator and as also the MCA member because of any actions which might bring disrepute to the association,” a MCA official told ESPNcricinfo. “There will be an inquiry and depending upon the verdict a final decision will be taken.”Action was taken against Salgaoncar on Thursday, hours before the India-New Zealand T20, for “malpractice” that was captured on camera by undercover reporters from . The decision to suspend Salgaoncar was unilaterally taken by the MCA president Abhay Apte, after the footage was released. It is understood that Salgaoncar had come to the ground on the morning of the T20, but Apte met him and explained the seriousness of the issue. Apte informed Salgaoncar that he was left with no choice but to suspend him. He also said that the best solution was for Salgaoncar to leave the ground.According to the MCA official, Salgaoncar asked if he could watch the match sitting in an MCA box, but Apte declined such a request as the curator’s presence would have added to the media furore. “There was the issue about perception. There is an issue about faith, about trust, and it was not appropriate to let him continue in the job and it would be incorrect,” the MCA official said.The MCA was relieved once ICC match referee Chris Broad gave the match the go-ahead upon examining the pitch.On Thursday, in an emergency meeting, Apte explained to the MCA members the logic behind suspending Salgaoncar. “The MCA suspended him pending enquiry. We cannot terminate him without any proof and finding. And we cannot let him go just based on a perception that he had done something wrong.”Asked whether Salgaoncar had committed a breach of the ICC’s ACU code, the MCA official agreed there was a violation. “Prima facie there is evidence and misconduct and hence he was suspended. If it is confirmed that there was [misconduct] then he will be removed. If it confirmed that was not the case, then he will be reinstated.”