England assistant coach reflects on mental health journey that began in Multan on 2005-06 tour

Vithushan Ehantharajah08-Dec-2022The Multan Cricket Stadium has not changed much since Marcus Trescothick was last here in 2005. The vast expanses beyond the ground remain as empty, while the inside has been refreshed without losing its enclosed, hot-box qualities. Full to the brim, it will be raucously loud, especially if Pakistan can put one on England in the second Test to square this series.The nets, Trescothick says, are as they were. As for the pitch, well he is expecting much of the same from the opening Test match of the 2005-06 series: “It did spin, and it did reverse going into day four or five. It was a Pakistan pitch you expected back then. I think this one will play similar, it might be good for a day or so but it might break up and take more spin.”Little might have changed here in 17 years, but the fact Trescothick is on this tour as England’s assistant coach shows plenty has for him. It was that tour of Pakistan that Trescothick believes triggered his depression and eventually saw him finish up as an international cricketer a year later.It began well when, as stand-in captain for the injured Michael Vaughan, he scored 193 (a 12th of 13 Test hundreds) in the first innings of the Multan Test. It was a strong response to Pakistan’s first effort, helping England to a lead of 144, though it would eventually flip to a 22-run defeat and eventually a 2-0 series loss. Sadly for Trescothick, that first day with the bat was as good as it got for him.Related

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On the evening of day two, news came through that his father-in-law had fallen off a ladder and suffered a serious head injury. The next evening, his wife, Hayley, asked him to come home. Bound by a sense of duty, Trescothick stayed, evening captaining the ODI series that followed. It was during the latter that Hayley’s grandfather also passed away. Upon returning at Christmas, his guilt was exacerbated by the fact his eight-month-old daughter did not recognise him.That snowballed into mental health issues that saw him unable to tour India and Australia with England, and pull out of a pre-season camp to Dubai with Somerset, and remains something he continues to deal with. But the progress over the years has been encouraging, allowing him to assume a year-round role with the Test side. Standing on the outfield having helped oversee England’s final practice before the second Test begins on Friday, the way he speaks about how the last couple of years have been for him is heartening.”It is great,” he says of his mental wellbeing at present. “I remember [the effects of the 2005 tour] and I talked about it a lot. Parts of touring I loved doing, even to parts of the world that were tough. Pakistan and India are different, tougher types of tours but I still loved it.”With the illness and struggling with anxiety it made it hard to enjoy those tours. Since that point I can get back on the road and enjoying it like it used to be because it is great. We have good times in the team room, eating together every night, playing a bit of golf when you can. Chilling out together it is very much what I used to expect from touring. It has taken a journey and a period of time, I still work at it, I still work on myself on various bits and pieces but it is a much better place than where I was 15 years ago.”His memories of the match itself are still fresh, and the annoyance at how the result slipped away from England on the final day just as raw. Especially given the expectation on the team after the high of the 2005 Ashes.”We chased, what 190 [198] was it, and got 170 [175]? Off the back of where we had been and going into that we all felt really confident it was going to be a walk in the park. Danish Kaneria got wickets and Shoaib Akhtar mopped up the tail. When you have a Shoaib in your attack, he continued on in the rest of the series, you have someone who can turn a game on its head and mop things up pretty quick. We were disappointed. It really hurt us going into last two games as it made us realise we were a bit more fallible than we thought in these conditions. The rest is history. We did not perform well enough.”Trescothick captained England in Multan in 2005•PA PhotosThere are some parallels between Trescothick’s group then and this one now. Primarily the sense of momentum, though that side were much longer in the tooth. And in many ways, they serve as a reminder for the current generation not only to push on but to enjoy where things are at right now.”The difference here is that going back to 2005 that team was coming to the end. We all thought it was going to carry on but it fell away pretty quickly whereas this team is only getting started. It is the start of a good long journey we are going to have for a period of time when we are going to have some exciting cricket and you will see some young players really flourish and stand out, ones on the up considerably at this stage.”For a couple of years before pinnacle of 2005 we built a different style of play, a more aggressive style. We knew we had to come up against Australia and play in that fashion. But scoring at 6.7 an over for 130 overs in a Test match is ridiculous. We have pushed it again. The boundaries have been opened, they have moved on the style of play and what they can achieve and it has gone away from 3.5 an over being good. I remember the Edgbaston game when we got 400 in 80 overs and it was ‘that’s incredible.’ These boys nearly got 600 in a day. Clearly they are finding more opportunities and different ways of pushing the boundaries.”As someone who throws regularly to the batters in the nets, he knows just how good this crop are. He occasionally wears a helmet and has even been hit in the chest by Liam Livingstone, of all people. Thankfully, it was “not too hard”. From his view, he notices the fundamentals have not changed much: balance, technique and head position. The mindset, however, is something that has clearly shifted, likewise the indulgence of players’ natural attacking verve.These are all characteristics Trescothick had, by the way. At his best, he was a destructive left-hander who would never let bowlers settle, picking the right moments to shift the scoring along. That his style was akin to the modern-day wedding of red- and white-ball skills is evident by the fact he was the No. 1-ranked ODI batter in June 2003, and was as high as sixth in the Test rankings in November 2005. Thus, it is no surprise his response when asked if he would have enjoyed slotting into this team comes almost immediately: “I would have loved to.””Any batter would have loved this apart from probably Paul Collingwood. We would have loved this environment because it is so free. It is enjoyable, the methods and way talking aout it in the changing room is exciting. You want to come out here every day, walk out with them and have the opportunity to bat. It’s still great watching from the balcony and what they do.”

On the brink of a milestone only seven other bowlers in history have crossed, the Australia spinner looks ahead to his side’s next six Tests in England

Andrew McGlashan05-Jun-2023Nathan Lyon is already in rarified air as a Test cricketer. But he’s close to joining an even more exclusive club.With six Tests over the next two months there is every chance that he will claim the 18 wickets he needs to reach 500 – a milestone only achieved by seven bowlers in the history of the game.Lyon is not someone who likes focusing on personal milestones during a playing career, but he is able to acknowledge the significance of the landmark that is within his grasp during the upcoming Ashes series. His 400th wicket also came against England, during the 2021-22 series, when he had Dawid Malan taken at silly point on the fourth day at the Gabba.Related

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“Yeah, I don’t like talking about myself in that light, but it is pretty amazing when you sit back and look at the names who have been able to take 500 Test wickets,” he said before flying to the UK. “I know I’ve been very fortunate and I’m grateful for my journey so far. It has been amazing, and if I’m able to tick that little box over the Ashes, it would be very special.”If I start looking at what I’ve been able to achieve, the Tests and the series that we’ve won, I’ll feel like the end can sneak up on you quite quickly. I still feel I’ve got a lot of cricket left in me and I know personally, I want to tick off some big goals in the many years to come. I’ll definitely look back at it when I do call stumps, but that’s not for a while yet.”Lyon, who made his Test debut in 2011 and claimed a wicket with his first delivery, now embarks on a two-month tour of the UK with two major prizes up for grabs: the World Test Championship and the Ashes, which Australia have not won in England since 2001.

Lyon’s key role in Australia’s WTC final

Facing India at The Oval on June 7 is the first matter of business for Australia before thinking about the Ashes, even though that series begins just four days after the Oval match ends. The WTC has been much more of a singular focus for the Australians this time after they missed the inaugural final due to over-rate penalties.”This is my World Cup final,” Lyon said. “Being part of the 2019 [ODI] World Cup, where we weren’t good enough against England in the semi-final, it did feel the World Cup dream probably slipped away.”Spinners Matt Kuhnemann (left) and Mitchell Swepson (right) in a BBL game. “I do feel the depth of Australia’s spin stocks has improved out of sight,” Lyon says•Bradley Kanaris/Getty ImagesLyon was a central figure in Australia’s campaign to secure their spot in this year’s WTC final. In this two-year cycle he claimed 83 wickets in 19 Tests at 26.97, 15 wickets more than the second most prolific bowler in this period, James Anderson. While history suggested Australia would dominate at home, they were handed a tough overseas draw with visits to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.Though only the tour of Pakistan produced a series win – and a very significant one at that – crucially Australia picked up three Test victories in those series, clinching their place in the final with the win in Indore where Lyon claimed 8 for 64. That followed five-wicket hauls in the other two successes: 5 for 83 in Lahore in a match that went to the final hour of the final day and 5 for 90 in Galle.”I’m pretty proud of the whole squad – players and coaches – the mentality of everyone, the way we played our brand of cricket, the different challenges of playing in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and at home,” Lyon said. “Feel like the World Test Championship final is a reward for our efforts over the last 24 months, but there’s a lot to play for now. We really need to make sure we go on with it and finish the job that we set out to do.”To go over to each country and play my role and be able to help contribute to a few wins, it’s been amazing, but it’s also been a massive learning curve for me and all our squad. Not one [performance] stands out – they are all equal in their own right. Saying that, it means nothing now. I need to make sure I’m playing my role [in the final].”

Lyon’s looming century

The proximity of the WTC final to the Ashes has made for a curious build-up. The match against India deserves its own billing but the prospect of the five contests that follow it is mouth-watering given the resurgence in England’s Test cricket over the last 12 months.Lyon, who has recently launched an online platform called GOATD, which will provide members exclusive behind-the-scenes access to his tour, is on his fourth Ashes trip.”Feel like every Ashes is getting bigger,” he said. “England have been talking about the Ashes for a long time but for us we are purely focused on the WTC final and feel like we’ve got to be. We know we are there for the long haul and it will be a big challenge with what England throw at us, but right now the focus is purely on India.””To hopefully crack 100 consecutive games would be an extremely proud moment, but let’s try play 98 first”•SuppliedLyon’s first Ashes trip, in 2013, can be seen as a key moment in his career. He was omitted for the first two Tests, when Ashton Agar was preferred – Agar famously left a bigger impression with the bat by making 98 at No. 11 on debut. Lyon returned at Old Trafford. He has not missed a Test match since, currently sitting on 97 in a row.”It’s something that I’m pretty proud about, having played 97 consecutive Tests. To hopefully crack 100 consecutive games would be an extremely proud moment, but let’s try to play 98 first,” he said.This will be the earliest Ashes series in the UK since 1997 and it will be wrapped up before August – a month where in recent times such series have just been getting going. Lyon had a brief spell with Worcestershire in 2017, which gave him a taste of bowling in early-season English conditions, but he does not think much will have to change.”I’ve been watching a fair amount of county cricket and talking to the likes of Sean Abbott [at Surrey] and getting some intel on the surfaces,” he said. “Stokesy has come out and said they want hard, fast, flat wickets, so that’s what we are expecting.”While India come first, what of the prospect of being taken on by England’s Bazballers and their batters trying to put him into the stands? “Won’t be the first it’s happened to me,” Lyon said. “I have the record of most Test sixes in history so a couple won’t matter to me.”

The shadow of Headingley 2019

Australia retained the Ashes in 2019 under Tim Paine’s captaincy, so that was certainly a success, but it was also a missed opportunity to come away series winners: England levelled the series at The Oval after, of course, the Stokes-inspired Miracle at Headingley.Enough time has elapsed that Lyon is philosophical at looking back at his impending return to that ground; this year’s series features the same venues in the same order.”I know 99% of people probably think the run-out [that Lyon failed to effect during England’s last-wicket partnership in their successful chase] cost us everything, but we should have won that game well and truly before taking it so deep,” he said. “But Ben Stokes is going to go down as one of England’s greatest. Definitely feels like we missed a trick but to go over there and retain the Ashes was extremely special.The missed run-out of Jack Leach at Headingley in 2019: “I’m expecting the crowd [at Headingley in 2023] to let me know, but it’s not the first mistake I’ve ever made and it won’t be the last”•Getty Images”I’m not scared of the ground, I’m looking forward to being back at Headingley. Was probably one of the best Test matches I’ve ever been a part of. I’m expecting the crowd to let me know, but it’s not the first mistake I’ve ever made and it won’t be the last.”

Future bright, but Lyon has no plans to leave

Unlike in 2019, Lyon has a fellow spinner alongside him in the Test squad. Todd Murphy has been one of the breakout stars in the Australian game over the last 12 months and claimed 14 wickets on his maiden Test tour, in India, including a seven-wicket haul on debut in Nagpur.Australia’s schedule over the next couple of years – they do not tour the subcontinent for Tests until they go to Sri Lanka in early 2025 – means that, barring injury to Lyon, and the end of his long unbeaten Test run, Murphy is likely to have to wait for his next opportunity – unless an SCG Test calls for two spinners.But his emergence has gone a long way to answering the question of who replaces Lyon when the time comes. Along with Matt Kuhnemann’s swift elevation to Test cricket in India, the presence of Mitchell Swepson, the emergence of Corey Rocchiccioli at Western Australia, and hopefully a return for legspinner Tanveer Sangha from injury next season make for a sense that the spin stocks are in a healthy place.”Think the depth is growing very fast,” Lyon said. “[Matt and Mitch] have done exceptionally well in their own right and have played a role in winning games overseas. Hopefully I’ve been able to help the guys out here and there but I do feel the depth of Australia’s spin stocks has improved out of sight and it will be a good space for the next decade or so.”Lyon has no plans on vacating his position anytime soon. “The hunger and drive to get better is still there, and I still feel like I have a lot to offer Australia. I’ve never conquered this game of cricket and never will – feel like I can keep learning and keep getting better. Until that day comes when I can’t get any better or the hunger dries. That’s when I call stumps.”No. 500 may not be the last of his landmarks.

From his early days as an anchor, he is now an enforcer, and well on his way to becoming a household name in Chennai

Deivarayan Muthu20-May-20232:34

How Gaikwad thrives in T20 despite being a conventional batter

In the lead-up to the match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, Aaron Finch suggested that the Delhi pitch resembled a “dry riverbed with jigsaw-puzzle-type cracks”. The ball didn’t turn that much, but it stopped on the batters regularly. Deepak Chahar later said it was a “160 wicket”. But Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, like they have often done this season, put up a batting clinic to propel CSK to 223 for 3 and seal their spot in the playoffs, perhaps even the second spot on the table.Let’s talk about Gaikwad. He had started his IPL career as an anchor who would allow others around him to bat at higher strike rates. In the past, he would only take the lead if he made it to the second half of the innings. His powerplay strike rates in his first three seasons were 100, 113.41 and 112.03.In IPL 2023, Gaikwad has shelved the caution and gone harder in the early exchanges, as his powerplay strike rate of 147.17 indicates. Only Ishan Kishan (147.57), Faf du Plessis (167.83) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (175.24) have better powerplay strike rates than Gaikwad this IPL among batters who have faced at least 150 balls during this phase.Related

Gaikwad, Conway script CSK's big win

At spin-friendly Chepauk, where Gaikwad had never played an IPL game before this season, that strike rate has jumped to 158.71. The ability to adapt to conditions on the fly against both pace and spin has even vaulted him back into the national reckoning.It was on show in what was a must-win game for CSK on Saturday afternoon. When Axar Patel pushed out a full ball – by no means a wide half-volley – outside off, Gaikwad stretched out, opened the face of the bat and pumped him over extra cover with the intended turn. When Khaheel Ahmed and Anrich Nortje tried to tuck him up with short balls, he dealt with them as confidently.Even after the powerplay, Gaikwad continued to attack. The passage of play against Kuldeep Yadav, in particular, highlighted Gaikwad’s evolution as a T20 batter. Kuldeep had just found some grip with his wrong’un, drawing a toe-ended mis-hit over extra-cover. When the left-arm wristspinner tried to find more grip by tossing the ball up, other batters, including the previous version of Gaikwad, might have sat back and just tapped it. But this version of Gaikwad brought both brawn and brain to launch Kuldeep for three successive sixes down the ground – the long-on and long-off boundaries are smaller than the square boundaries in Delhi.

“T20 can cater to different types of players. It can cater to brute force, the Andre Russell types, and the beautiful classical players like Ruturaj, who can still score at a very high strike rate as well by playing good cricket shots all around the ground”Mike Hussey on Ruturaj Gaikwad

“Playing the 50th game for this franchise, [it] couldn’t get better,” Gaikwad said after collecting the Player-of-the-Match award. “Really grateful and thankful for this wonderful franchise for backing me throughout. I think the wicket was holding up a little bit, but it was a bit difficult to hit the fast bowlers.”With the spinners, we have a chance because the straight boundaries are slightly shorter. In Chennai, there are always big boundaries, so you have to rotate the strike. Here you can take that extra risk of hitting it for six, and once we set a platform, with Shivam Dube to come in, Mahi [MS Dhoni] to come in, Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] to come in, we have that power. So back yourself and just go for it.”CSK’s batting coach Mike Hussey had spoken glowingly of Gaikwad’s evolution last month.”It’s been amazing to watch him develop since he was first here at CSK to where he is,” Hussey said. Now he’s such a self-aware player. He has a great understanding about his game and what he wants to improve. He has a beautiful all-round game, and he plays good cricket shots, and he is slowly adding more power to his game. He is making it very difficult for bowlers to bowl to him because he can hit even good balls for fours or sixes as well.”He is a brilliant player. T20 can cater to different types of players. It can cater to brute force, the Andre Russell types, and the beautiful classical players like Ruturaj, who can still score at a very high strike rate as well by playing good cricket shots all around the ground.”The CSK management takes a lot of pride in the progress of Gaikwad. When they snapped him up for his base price of INR 20 lakh in the IPL 2019 auction, Gaikwad was only in his second full season at Maharashtra and had played just five T20s. He is now one of the mainstays in the CSK batting line-up and perhaps a future captaincy candidate.”In cricket, you say you can play your way, but he can play according to what the demand of the game is,” Dhoni recently said of Gaikwad at an event in Chennai. “Over the years he has evolved and as Mo [Moeen Ali] said, he’s very calm and he doesn’t speak a lot. So, at times, initially it was difficult to assess whether he was under pressure or he’s not under pressure because he was quite the same .”Once, another Gaikwad with Maharashtrian roots, a certain Shivaji Rao, went on to become a household name in Chennai. That’s some way away, but if this Gaikwad continues to expand his range even further, he could soon become a huge name in Chennai, too. He is certainly headed that way.

They have lost 14 of their 15 matches across ODI World Cups but could pose a challenge in Indian conditions

Hemant Brar29-Sep-2023World Cup pedigree
Afghanistan have played only two ODI World Cups so far. In 2015, they lost five out of six games, their only win coming against Scotland. The 2019 edition was even more forgettable with nine losses in as many matches. This time, though, they are expected to fare much better with the pitches in India likely to suit their spinners.Recent form
Not many teams have been able to beat Bangladesh in Bangladesh in the recent past. Afghanistan did that in July, winning the three-match ODI series 2-1. Since then, however, they suffered five successive defeats. They challenged Pakistan in all three matches in Sri Lanka but couldn’t find that killer instinct and were whitewashed. Then, their Asia Cup campaign ended prematurely after an embarrassing net run rate miscalculation against Sri Lanka.Selection
The squad once again is spin-heavy with Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman likely to feature in the playing XI, and Noor Ahmad on the bench. To strengthen their seam attack, they called up Naveen-ul-Haq, who last played an ODI in January 2021.Squad
Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-HaqRashid Khan will have to step up if Afghanistan are to challenge other sides•Associated PressKey players
Irrespective of what side he is playing for, Rashid Khan is always a key player. But if Afghanistan are to improve their World Cup performance, they need Rashid to step up his game. His overall ODI record (172 wickets at an average of 19.53) is exceptional, but his numbers against Full Members who will be participating in this World Cup (41 wickets at 28.80) are ordinary. The good news is that with Hashmatullah Shahidi leading the side, Rashid can focus on his bowling.Batting has been Afghanistan’s weaker suit for many years but in Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, they now have an opening pair that can not only give them quick starts but also big totals. They recently added 227 against a full-strength Pakistan attack, and have six centuries between them in the 18 ODIs they have played together.Rising star
Fazalhaq Farooqi has played only 21 ODIs, but thanks to the IPL, PSL and Abu Dhabi T10, the left-arm seamer has already gone up against some of the biggest hitters in world cricket. Farooqi can swing the new ball, bowl yorkers and also possesses a slower one. If he can provide early breakthroughs, it will make the spinners’ job a lot easier.World Cup farewell
It’s a young squad apart from one man who has been ever-present: Mohammad Nabi. Afghanistan have played 152 ODIs; Nabi 147. He was the Player of the Match when Afghanistan played their first ODI, in 2009. Now 38, Nabi, in all likelihood, is playing his last ODI World Cup. At the other end of the spectrum is Naveen-ul-Haq. The T20 globetrotter just turned 24, and has played only seven ODIs, but he has already announced that he will retire from ODIs at the end of this World Cup.

Aka things we’re anticipating from this edition of the tournament

Alan Gardner and Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Sep-2023Rejoice, the ODI World Cup – the proper one – is almost here! Sure, give it a week and we’ll have remembered that it’s too long, too bloated and way too predictable. But for now, we’re excited enough to have compiled a non-exhaustive list of things we’re looking forward to about the tournament (whether they’re actually going to happen or not…)England getting the band back together
The UK obviously adores its national treasures, such as the Koh-i-Noor, the Benin bronzes, and Kevin Pietersen. Which is why England have stuck with the gang of legends who lifted the trophy in 2019 after their famous victory* at Lord’s, to the extent that pretty much everyone from the squad four years ago who’s still fit and able – sorry, Jason Roy – has been awoken from their cryo chamber and bundled onto the plane for one last tour. Will they smash it in India as well as they smashed it in England? Because so many of them have played in the IPL over the years, they might arguably smash it better. God, how they love smashing.*TieAssociates
Don’t laugh. There an Associate team at the World Cup, despite the best efforts of the ICC to weed out such plucky upstarts. Now all Netherlands must do for the next six weeks is run through fire, dodge swinging boulders and avoid being hit by a volley of poison darts in order not to be cast as a laughing stock whose very presence degrades the tournament itself (not to mention threatens those sweet, sweet broadcasting revenues).West Indies
Seriously, don’t go there. It’s still too soon. Light a candle, put David Rudder on the stereo, spray yourself with a little Daren Sammy 88. We’ll get through this.Related

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India fans rage-quitting the tournament
Never mind that it’s been almost impossible to buy a ticket, with the BCCI employing the methodology of social-media hucksters trying to flog their new energy drink (“Doesn’t matter how we distribute it, or at what price, we know you idiots will keep coming back”) – you can be sure the stands will be emptier than ICC gestures about growing the game just as soon as there’s any prospect of India’s World Cup being over. Sure, the format pretty much guarantees against total disaster – thanks for that, 2007 edition – but India had better make the final or else the swathes of empty stands in the Narendra Modi Stadium () will be visible from space.Stokes’ latest Laws loophole
Like the old secret agent who is asked to come out of retirement to complete one final mission, Ben Stokes is back in one-day pyjamas. His return was described as “a bit me, me, me” by Tim Paine – you remember, the sexting guy – and, to be fair, Stokes did look a bit of a show-off after smacking 182 from 124 balls against those poor schmucks New Zealand the other day. Big-game player, Bazball pioneer, purveyor of outrageous feats, you can see why England wanted him back. But can he still absolutely middle the living daylights out of throws from the outfield through an unprotected fine leg the way he did in the last final? Or was that merely a fluke?Boring middle overs
Do sports really need to be always interesting? Yes? Ugh. We thought you’d say that, you attention-span-of-a-goldfish 21st-century stimulant-chaser. You’re probably reading this on a phone, aren’t you? Of course your kind wouldn’t understand the profound pleasures of watching batters nurdle singles and twos endlessly through the middle overs while the spinners are in operation. Disgusting. You don’t deserve this tedium.How loudly will the echoes ring around the Narendra Modi Stadium if India don’t make it to the World Cup final?•Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesBoundary countback
Just kidding, New Zealand fans. Sorry, this one should have come with a trigger warning. The ICC, in all its wisdom, has of course done away with using boundary countback as the tie-breaker in knockout games. But just as with the rain rules used in 1992 or the farcical end to the 2007 final, cricket’s pinnacle event (outside of every IPL season ever played) is bound to come up with some dumb new way of looking stupid, and we can’t wait to find out what it is.The Modium
The 2015 World Cup memorably gave us the #MCGsobig hashtag on Twitter, amid suggestions New Zealand might be overawed by the size of the venue for the final (and boy, did they put paid to that idea). But anyway, stick this in your pipe and smoke it, MCG – because the Narendra Modi Stadium is just about the biggest thing cricket has ever seen. And like a divorced uncle with a brand-new Ferrari that definitely isn’t compensating for something, the BCCI is very keen for you to see the Modium. They’ve made it the venue for the opening game and the final, as well as the in-no-way-small group fixture between India and Pakistan. The “New Home of Cricket”, you might say. Or you will if you know what’s good for you.Sri Lanka being the new Pakistan
This trend was apparent four years ago, but Sri Lanka have really been nailing the geniuses-one-day-doofuses-the-next routine. From a record-breaking run of 13 consecutive ODI victories – behind only the great Australian meat-grinder of 2003 – to facepalming their way to 50 all out in the Asia Cup final, they have displayed a range that even the most mercurial mavericks would struggle to match. Expect them to lose their opening four games before unleashing a Mary run to the final that would make Pakistan proud.RONSBU
This has to happen. India is the spiritual home of running-out the non-striker backing up. There have been high-profile recent examples at the IPL and the Asia Cup, and there are a number of candidates to be the first to do it in a World Cup – R Ashwin (if he squeezes into India’s squad), Fazalhaq Farooqi, even Mitchell Starc, despite confusion in Australian circles about which side of the Line RONSBU falls. Ideally, it will happen against one of those countries who moralise and wring their hands about not doing it. Maybe at a crucial moment in the final, say, causing the defending champions to unravel… Sorry, England, it’s only fair after last time.

Returning to the land of his forefathers for the World Cup, the Netherlands opener is hoping to turn his excellent start into something bigger

Himanshu Agrawal07-Oct-2023Vikramjit Singh, one of the biggest positives for Netherlands in their opening match against Pakistan, is briefly lost for words as he thinks back to one of his favourite shots from that half-century. He mimics the flick shot that he picked from a near fourth-stump line off Shaheen Shah Afridi. “That was sweet, I really enjoyed that,” he says with a smile.Vikramjit hit Shaheen for three boundaries, all inside the powerplay, to give Netherlands an excellent start in their chase of 287. His third-wicket stand with Bas de Leede briefly kept Pakistan on tenterhooks, before his toe-ended pull shot that found deep midwicket led to a collapse. A couple of overs earlier, he had cleared the same long boundary by playing a similar shot off legspinner Shadab Khan. He said he didn’t rue attempting the shot, but wished to have timed it better.On Monday, Vikramjit will have another opportunity. Perhaps he will have the chance to put to action the learnings from having watched his “idol” Quinton de Kock make bruising century in South Africa’s World Cup opener in New Delhi. It was an off day for Netherlands, so Vikramjit watched the match closely. He first met de Kock at the T20 World Cup last year, where he couldn’t stop asking him questions.”The backlift, him playing away from his body, the way he cuts the ball – I want to bat like him every time I go out there,” Vikramjit had told ESPNcricinfo prior to the World Cup. “The chat I had with him [at the 2022 T20 World Cup] was about the way he goes about it, what he thinks when the bowler is running in, etc. Then we had a series against South Africa, when again I had a chat with him.”Related

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Vikramjit, like a couple of others from his team, is returning to the country of his forefathers for the World Cup. While there are no games in Punjab, where his family hails from, there is still an air of familiarity about it for him.Prior to coming to Hyderabad, he spent ten days in Bengaluru training on different surfaces. As such, Vikramjit often makes trips back to India to play, and has spent considerable time training with former India Under-19 World Cup winner Taruwar Kohli in Jalandhar. Kohli’s familiarity with Vikramjit grew during his club cricket stint in the Netherlands between 2017 and 2019, when he would often frequent Vikramjit’s house. That eventually grew into a mentor-mentee relation.Vikramjit Singh’s batting is more fearless than his mentor, Taruwar Kohli’s•KNCB/Gerhard van der LaarseSince 2021, the two have trained together at Kohli’s academy, with the help of robo-arms, bowling machines and dedicated coaches. Vikramjit has fed off the knowledge of his mentor-cum-friend, but there is one difference. While Kohli’s batting was mostly orthodox, Vikramjit’s is a little more enterprising.”For me, it’s about getting used to the speed of the game,” Vikramjit says. “In international cricket, everything happens so much quicker. Not only is the ball being bowled faster, but also the game is moving so quickly. Just getting used to that takes a little bit. When you get into the professional set-up, you learn not only cricket-wise but also off the field – like how disciplined you need to be.”Much of Vikramjit’s early learnings were shaped by his father, Harpreet, who was also his first coach. The solid grounding helped Vikramjit make a name in the Under-12s and Under-15s. At 14, he even got a bat sponsorship from Jalandhar-based manufacturers BAS, which was incidentally facilitated by Ramesh Kohli, Taruwar’s uncle and one of the partners in the company.The early age-group promise helped him earn a national cap at 16 when he made his T20I debut against Scotland in 2019 following a strong endorsement from former Netherlands captain Peter Borren. An ODI debut followed in 2022, one that set in motion his trip to the World Cup. This is a fresh chapter in a journey that began in a tiny village near Jalandhar called Cheema Khurd.Vikramjit, who was born there, moved to the Netherlands when he was “three or four” after Harpreet took over a transport business established by his father. Vikramjit remembers watching the 2011 World Cup on TV and dreaming of playing in one.”My grandparents are the ones who migrated to the Netherlands,” he says. “My dad, and all my uncles and aunts, was born there. Dad was an amateur cricketer. I joined him at times, and really walked in his footsteps.”

“In international cricket, everything happens so much quicker. Not only is the ball being bowled faster, but also the game is moving so quickly. Just getting used to that takes a little bit”

Vikramjit went to a Dutch school and made Dutch friends, which meant playing a lot of football, the country’s most popular sport. However, cricket didn’t leave him.The defining moment of his young career came during the ODI World Cup Qualifier this June, when Netherlands were fighting for one of the two qualifying spots. Against hosts Zimbabwe, Vikramjit was struggling on 8 off 23 but picked up pace to finish with a then-career-best 88 off 111 to lay the foundation for Netherlands’ total of 315, at the time their joint-highest in the format.When facing West Indies in the same tournament, he went from 0 off 6 to 37 off 32 in a chase of 375. Netherlands eventually won the game via a Super Over, having tied the game with their highest ODI total. His “best innings” came when he cracked 110 from 109 deliveries against Oman in the Super Sixes and took home the Player-of-the-Match award.”I don’t like remembering my innings, but you still always remember the first hundred,” he says. “That was quite special.” Ultimately, Netherlands – along with Sri Lanka – made it through to the World Cup. Netherlands had finished last in the 13-team ODI Super League but had managed to take down the big boys en route to India for the ten-team World Cup.”The Super League was a great opportunity for us to showcase what we’re made of,” Vikramjit says. “It was great playing big names and bigger teams. But hopefully we can do well in the World Cup, and the ICC looks at us and says, ‘These guys are here to play as well. They are not just an Associate team.'”Perhaps a win or two against the big boys in the coming weeks will further drive home that point. For now, Vikramjit is happy to revel in an excellent start that he hopes to transform into something bigger.

Both Litton Das and Lockie Ferguson do not remember Bangladesh beating New Zealand 4-0 and 3-0 in their last two ODI series in Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam20-Sep-2023It was incredulous that both captains Litton Das and Lockie Ferguson do not remember Bangladesh beating New Zealand 4-0 and 3-0 in their last two ODI series in Bangladesh, in 2010 and 2013. You can forgive Ferguson as neither series was broadcast live in New Zealand. Maybe at that age he didn’t take cricket that seriously.In Bangladesh cricket, though, the two series wins were big milestones. They were celebrated long and hard. Some of Litton’s current team-mates cut their teeth at the highest level with those series wins. Everyone in Bangladesh remembers it. Except Litton, it seems.When asked whether the long, unbeaten run for Bangladesh at home against New Zealand was an inspiration, Litton asked the journalist at the press conference whether New Zealand had toured Bangladesh after 2008. It was a strange start to his pre-match press conference which featured more clipped replies than proper answers. Litton is the stand-in captain for the series. In the last week, a lot has happened in Bangladesh cricket that needs a steady hand at the top. Litton was doing his best to get out of the press conference unscathed especially after his strange performance at a press conference on July 7, the day after Tamim Iqbal retired from international cricket, even if for 24 hours.Related

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Or perhaps, Litton and Ferguson play so much cricket these days that they had simply forgotten about what happened so many years ago.Ferguson is among the few in this New Zealand squad who haven’t played in Bangladesh yet. He said that those who haven’t played here will ask the likes of bowling coach Shane Jurgensen about conditions in Dhaka, but they have to adapt quickly to the pitches.”I didn’t know that (New Zealand haven’t won here since 2010),” Ferguson said. “Yeah, look, every series we play, we play to win. Bangladesh is very good in their home conditions and it is a huge challenge here. The boys are very much prepared to take the series out. However, we know it starts with the first ball in the first game. So, it’s important for us just to focus on what’s coming up tomorrow and try to adapt as quickly as possible to the conditions.”For some of us, we haven’t played here, so we’ll have to adapt quicker. But certainly leaning on the knowledge of the guys who have been here previously and leaning on Jurgo about how to play the game and construct our innings with the bat and then try to defend it with the ball. Or vice versa. But it’s going to be a great challenge, and hopefully we can do better than what you just said (about Bangladesh’s long unbeaten run at home).”Ferguson, who has never captained at the highest level barring a tour game last month, said that being a fast bowler and captain at the same time “brings a lot of benefits”.”It is a huge honour for myself to be captain. Obviously, I am just in an interim position while our other three captains are away,” he said. “But I am very privileged to be in this role. As a fast bowler, I guess things do change, but I think at the same time it brings a lot of benefits. Talking to bowlers, working out plans, obviously being in their shoes a lot of the time, in the pressure moments. So that’s the strength that it brings. But certainly just carrying on the great leadership we’ve had with Black Caps, and try to take that forward during the series.”Litton, meanwhile, has captained Bangladesh in seven international matches, including the ODI series win against India last year, and the massive 546-run win in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June. In a situation where he is not in great form and others need rest, Litton was the obvious choice for captaincy.The New Zealand team enjoy a game of football on the eve of the first ODI•Getty ImagesLitton will have a couple of stalwarts playing under him as Tamim and Mahmudullah returned to the ODI squad for this series. They also return from different circumstances. Tamim retired and unretired within a span of 24 hours in July, before resigning as the ODI captain in August. He is now returning from a back injury to get some game time before the World Cup.Mahmudullah was first rested in April this year, before it became obvious that the selectors and team management didn’t want him in the side. They have, however, brought him back for a last look before they pick the World Cup side by the September 28 deadline.”They are both senior players so they will certainly help me in every way possible,” Litton said. “They are returning after a while. I don’t want them to take any pressure. They should enjoy the game as it usually allows you to have more chance of success.”(Mahmudullah) Riyad bhai’s role will depend on the situation. If we lose early wickets, he will play his game for the remaining 30-35 overs. He is a very mature player. He will score runs at any given opportunity.”Ferguson acknowledged that players were being rested by both sides but said the Bangladesh side has “a lot of power”.”Bangladesh has a very strong side and we’ve been doing our homework on them,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of strong players still playing in the side. I know a few are being rested and that’s the nature of it.”Similarly with our side, but we certainly feel there’s a lot of power within the Bangladesh side and some crafty players. So we’ll be prepared for it tomorrow. We’ll just take it as it comes.”The first ODI series between the sides in Bangladesh in almost ten years comes at a critical time for both sets of players. New Zealand will be looking at possible back-up options for the World Cup with injuries affecting some of their top players while Bangladesh have a few spots open in their 15. New Zealand also have their record to fix in this country, but they could yet have to wait. There has been an unusually long monsoon in Bangladesh this year. September is usually drier, but rain breaks could give Litton and Ferguson chance to catch up on highlights from 2010 and 2013.

India vs Bangladesh has had send-offs, shoulder-barges, conspiracy theories, fake fielding – the works

Dustin Silgardo18-Oct-20232:11

How did the India-Bangladesh rivalry heat up?

2007: Mortaza gives Kumble some downtime
Before the first ever World Cup meeting between the two sides, Anil Kumble bumped into a 23-year-old Mashrafe Mortaza and joked that India wouldn’t have much time between the World Cup, which ended April 28, and their tour of Bangladesh, which began on May 10. Mortaza was annoyed that Kumble simply assumed India would go deep in the tournament. It fired him up, and his two early wickets meant India were on their way to winding up their campaign in March and having a month to prepare for that Bangladesh tour.2010: Sehwag calls Bangladesh “ordinary”
On India’s 2010 tour of Bangladesh, their stand-in captain, Virender Sehwag, infuriated Bangladesh with this quote: “Bangladesh are an ordinary side. They can’t beat India because they can’t take 20 wickets.” Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons warned Sehwag that his words might come back to bite him. While India did win both Tests, they lost 18 wickets in the first. Sehwag was booed at the grounds.Related

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2011: Did Kohli think Rubel Hossain was Ben Stokes?
Apparently, Kohli and Rubel had been feuding since their Under-19 days. At the 2011 World Cup, during his century against Bangladesh, Kohli mouthed something at Rubel that lip-readers were sure was his oft-repeated catchphrase – the same one, as the joke goes, some Hindi speakers might hear if you were to mumble the words “Ben Stokes”. Rubel let Kohli off with a stare but remembered the moment…2015: Rubel’s revenge
At the next World Cup, Rubel would dismiss Kohli and give him a send-off four years in the making. But that wasn’t even close to the biggest controversy from that game…2015: No-ball? No holding back
During a crucial stage of that 2015 World Cup clash, Rohit Sharma, who would go on to score 137, pulled a full toss straight to deep midwicket but survived as the umpires called a no-ball on height. Replays suggested that was not so. Bangladesh fans protested, suggesting there was a conspiracy against them, BCB president Nazmul Hassan wanted to lodge an appeal, even the ICC president himself, Mustafa Kamal, insinuated the umpires were biased. It was all-out pandemonium.2015: Dhoni and Mustafizur collide… literally
During Bangladesh’s 2-1 home ODI series win against India, Mustafizur Rahman was on the receiving end of a strong barge from MS Dhoni. Rohit had earlier complained of Mustafizur deliberately walking into the batters’ path when they were running between the wickets, and it seems Dhoni decided that if Mustafizur wouldn’t move, he’d do the moving for him.Bangladesh vs India at the 2016 T20 World Cup: When Mushfiqur Rahim celebrated a tad too early•AFP2016: ‘Don’t celebrate too early’
In a key Super 10s game at the 2016 T20 World Cup, the game came down to the last over. Two boundaries brought Bangladesh to within two runs of victory – that is, within two runs of registering their first T20I win over India, and knocking them out of another World Cup while they were at it – and Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah were already celebrating. But a hat-trick of wickets gave India a one-run win. After the game, Suresh Raina tweeted this: “Don’t give up till the end. Don’t celebrate before you win!”

Don't give up till the end Don't celebrate before you win! #IndvsBan Wat a gamepic.twitter.com/bej9uAk39W

— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) March 23, 2016

The decision over who plays, as with nearly everything about this debate, seems to come down to how it makes everyone feel

Danyal Rasool22-Dec-2023There are certain issues that start off with legitimate debate. But, much like political allegiances – or the supposed superiority of biriyani over pulao – they soon cease to be about what is true. What matters is how they make you feel, and before too long, you’ve fed off your side of the argument enough that it becomes almost impossible to make the distinction. Even facts sound partisan; every phrase is parsed over with a fine-tooth comb, and all debate is just heckling from across two sides of a fence that can no longer be pulled down.Which brings us nicely to Sarfaraz Ahmed vs Mohammad Rizwan, particularly about which of the two should line up on Boxing Day in the starting XI for Pakistan. The issue has been thrown into sharper focus following the first Test in Perth, where Sarfaraz was perhaps the least effective performer, aggregating the fewest runs for any batter across both sides. Though his wicketkeeping was, for the most part, solid, there was a crucial stumping chance missed off part-time spinner Agha Salman, with centurion David Warner the man reprieved.Much earlier, when Australia were on the rampage in the game’s first session, Usman Khawaja skied one that first slip rather than wicketkeeper charged after only to shell it; there is an argument Sarfaraz could have tried to chase after that. The data suggests slip fielders are twice as likely to drop catches as wicketkeepers, a measure of the advantage gloves offer.Related

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None of this is analysis by hindsight. Before Perth, who took the gloves for Pakistan was one of the most pressing questions, its urgency only matching their resolute refusal to engage with the debate. Team director and coach Mohammad Hafeez had talked up Rizwan’s ability as a fielder, seemingly flirting with the idea of playing him as a specialist batter. On the day before the Test, Shan Masood said Pakistan still hadn’t made up their mind, even, somewhat curiously, saying the side didn’t know who would keep if both of them played.Perhaps the very idea that there was uncertainty was an affront to Sarfaraz’s backers. Two Tests back, he had been Pakistan’s hero and saviour in the fading light of his hometown Karachi’s National Stadium, an epic 118 saving Pakistan from a certain series defeat. In the other three innings that series, he had scored three half-centuries, and he was named Player of the Series. Between then and now, Pakistan only played a two-Test series in Sri Lanka, where Sarfaraz had to be replaced by Rizwan early in the second Test after suffering a concussion ducking into a short ball from Asitha Fernando. Before that, he had scored 17 and 1 in the first Test.And therein lay the problem. Anyone can sustain a hit to the head anywhere, but getting concussed in Sri Lanka is optically not the best way to assuage doubts about one’s ability to play the short ball. That he lasted just 22 balls and scored seven runs while Mitchell Starc set him up beautifully on a fiery Perth surface in each innings wasn’t a surprise to anyone who has followed his career since he made his debut in this very country nearly 14 years ago in January 2010, scoring 1 and 5.”Sarfaraz is not new to Australia,” Hafeez said after the Perth defeat. “He’s played in Australia, England and South Africa before, so you can’t say he’s new here and couldn’t adjust.”ESPNcricinfo LtdHafeez then pushed back against the very idea of batters being suited to specific conditions. “Yes, he couldn’t perform as well as we expect from him as a batter or keeper, but to doubt someone’s skills and to label them as someone who can only perform in a limited set of conditions is not right.”Statistics, however, continue to have the temerity to say exactly that. In the time since, Sarfaraz struggling for runs on surfaces in Australia – and to a similar degree in South Africa – has become something of a theme. In ten innings in Australia, he now has 239 runs averaging 29.87. It includes Pakistan’s tour in 2016-17 where, when Sarfaraz was at his peak with bat and behind the gloves, he came away with plenty of credit, reaching double-figures in all six innings and scoring two half-centuries.Extend that record to include South Africa, and the average drops to 21.70 in 22 innings. His last tour there was egregious enough that it led to him losing his job as Test captain and being dumped from the Test side for almost four years – he had three ducks in six innings. Though he also scored two half-centuries, his other scores in these two countries over the last seven Tests read: 0, 0, 6, 0, 3, 4.And while hard wicketkeeping numbers are more elusive, it’s not as if Sarfaraz’s keeping is what’s keeping Rizwan out of the side. Even in that fairy tale comeback series against New Zealand, Sarfaraz had a poor time behind the stumps in both Tests, combining to miss at least seven catching or stumping chances, including two against Kane Williamson early on in an innings that saw the latter post an unbeaten 200.Mohammad Rizwan’s wicketkeeping in England in 2020 was a highlight despite the challenges•Getty ImagesSarfaraz’s omission from the side before then had also been partly attributed to a continuing decline with the gloves; and even at his best, Sarfaraz was a good – but never truly a great – wicketkeeper. By late 2016, when he was just about as sure of his place in the side across formats as ever, he had missed 63 chances behind the stumps, amounting to a miss percentage of 21%, higher than Kamran Akmal’s 20%. Over the years since, his miss rate continued to trend in that direction.Now to Rizwan. Rizwan has assumed a position of such prominence in Pakistan cricket that it is easy to forget he isn’t the first-choice red-ball wicketkeeper anymore. Much of that is down to his feats in T20 cricket, with his almost superhuman consistency to deliver reliable runs at the top of the order cementing his place in the side despite the availability of top-order hitters with greater intent. And while those astronomical numbers haven’t been replicated in Test cricket, a Test batting average a shade under 40 under no circumstances suggests a wicketkeeper failing to pull his weight with the bat.Like Sarfaraz, his first Test tour also came in Australia, and it was that series which bought him the capital to remain in the side for the next three years. In what was otherwise a dismal tour for Pakistan, Rizwan was a rare bright spot, a second-innings 95 in Brisbane showcasing his ability. Over the series, he was Pakistan’s third-highest run-scorer behind Babar Azam and, bizarrely, Yasir Shah, scoring 177 at 44.25. And though you might argue that sample size is much too small to read anything into, he is already just 62 runs behind Sarfaraz’s total career number, with Sarfaraz’s runs in Australia coming at an average nearly 15 runs lower.But much of the conundrum Pakistan find themselves in is self-inflicted, and perhaps not as much to do with pure cricketing reasons as you might expect. When Rizwan was relegated to the bench ahead of Pakistan’s home series against New Zealand last December, his Test numbers did indeed see a dip, though not nearly dramatic enough to suggest anything more than the sort of downturn most batters will go through. His last ten knocks had produced 261 runs at 26.10, with Rizwan picking up a habit of failing to convert starts, as just one of those innings saw him fail to reach double-figures.Sarfraz Ahmed averages just 29.87 in Tests in Australia•Getty ImagesIn addition, Rizwan really did what it said on the tin to superb effect; he was, after all, a wicketkeeper, and an exceptionally good one. While wicketkeeping alone hasn’t often been enough to win a place in an international side, he demonstrated the value of having one in top form. A rain-affected series in England in 2020 was the highlight, the pitches – and Pakistan’s bowlers – making wicketkeeping conditions challenging, but Rizwan had held his own, with a miss percentage in single digits.He would also keep up to Mohammad Abbas, who bowled in the 130ks at the time, restricting England’s ability to use their feet to mitigate the sideways movement. The value of that quality was further highlighted by his opposition number’s struggles, with Jos Buttler enduring one of the less memorable wicketkeeping series of his career, particularly in the first Test at Old Trafford.But, at the tail-end of last year, Ramiz Raja had freshly been swept aside as PCB chairman by Najam Sethi between the home series against England and New Zealand, and with the new administration in a populist mood, they rung the on-field changes. In Karachi, where both the New Zealand Tests were to be held, Sarfaraz is royalty, but even Mir Hamza, a cause célèbre within Karachi’s cricketing circles, played both Test matches, to rather less positive effect than Sarfaraz.As almost seems compulsory now, it is vital to preface all of this by saying Rizwan’s inclusion would have been extremely unlikely to alter the end result in Perth. Pakistan have never won a Test match there, or even taken 20 wickets in that city in half-a-dozen attempts. Even a side that included Majid Khan, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Mushtaq Mohammad, as wicketkeeper, and had triumphed in consecutive games in Australia – the previous victory had come in 1977 – saw that streak snap in Perth in 1979. It doesn’t, however, excuse Pakistan for fudging up their own selection, one of the few things under their control in a series in Australia.Sarfaraz’s sensational showing across the home series against New Zealand meant anyone could have seen this dilemma coming in a year. It’s always hard to drop a player who performed like that just two Test matches back, even if Rizwan took over in the most recent one partway, scoring an unbeaten half-century in an emphatic win. While it is perfectly mainstream to have a horses-for-courses approach when it comes to the bowlers – New Zealand dropped Ajaz Patel the match after he became just the third player to take all ten wickets in an innings – treating a batter that way, especially in Pakistan, comes with a different set of challenges.Mohammad Rizwan was Pakistan’s third-highest scorer in Australia in 2019-20•AFPIt was clear that Sarfaraz’s woes against Starc in Perth would not be alleviated simply because he had tonked Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell around in Karachi a year back, but it’s still anathema to think that way, particularly in Pakistan cricket.Hafeez strongly pushed back against any suggestions playing Sarfaraz in Perth was a tactical misstep, and referred to that New Zealand series as justification.”Sarfaraz has performed brilliantly for Pakistan in the past. His performance against New Zealand in Karachi was outstanding,” Hafeez said after the Perth defeat. “Of course it’s been about five or six months since then [12 months], but you have to give your best performer in the previous series first priority. It’s not as if we start thinking about someone else after one performance.”But then, he appeared to do just that with the next words he uttered. “Rizwan is an excellent cricketer and has played brilliantly for Pakistan. His inclusion is also possible.”A few miles down the road from the MCG at Junction Oval, Pakistan are playing a practice game against a Victorian XI side. The pitch is on the flatter side, and the bowling attack nowhere near as potent as what Australia will line up with at the MCG. Rizwan bats with Saud Shakeel, their partnership now in three figures. He has just reached his half-century with a six. These are the sort of easy runs Rizwan almost never misses out on.Perhaps they won’t matter, because on the day, this decision, as with nearly everything about this debate, seems to come down to how it makes everyone feel.