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The Australia Test captain believes he pushed himself a bit too hard during winter training

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2020In his drive to be as fit as possible for the summer, Australia’s Test captain Tim Paine has left himself nursing some hamstring tendonitis but confirmed he will be available for Tasmania’s opening Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide next week.Paine, who has spent the winter in Hobart amid the Covid-19 restrictions, revealed he had actually lost a bit too much weight during his fitness push and had been given “free rein” over his eating in recent weeks ahead of the start of the domestic season.”I did a bit too much running there at one point and I’m carrying a bit of hamstring tendonitis as a result,” he told Captain’s Call on . “Think I’m getting a bit old, but just tried to get myself very fit and probably ended up going a bit too far and losing a bit too much weight so the last month or so I’ve been given a bit of a free rein which has been lovely.”Paine is one of a group of Australia’s Test players who will feature in the opening rounds of the Shield which will be played in a hub alongside the likes of Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.”I’m heading over to Adelaide next week,” he said. “Everyone is looking forward to it, getting back on the park for their states and especially for our Test players to be able to prepare with three or four Shield games before such a big series [against India] which I’ll be really important for us.”Confirmation of the schedule for India’s visit is still awaited but it will involve four Tests from mid-December to mid-January with the series expected to start in Adelaide. With the Afghanistan Test postponed they will be Paine’s only international outings of the season and when he might play again remains uncertain with the fate of Australia’s scheduled tour to South Africa in February still up in the air.The members of Australia’s limited-overs squad that toured England and did not head to the IPL completed their quarantine period in Adelaide on Friday. The New South Wales players have a little longer to prepare for the Sheffield Shield with the defending champions not beginning their campaign until October 22 against Victoria and they will head to Adelaide on October 18.”We are hoping Nathan [Lyon] can play all those games, he’ll be keen for some cricket after not playing in the UK,” New South Wales coach Phil Jaques said. “I think Starcy will want to play a couple of games as well leading into the Tests so we’ll see how many we get from those guys. Whatever we get is always a bonus, we always prepare as if we aren’t going to have them and then when we do it’s great to have them back.”

South Africa’s captain has admitted that the early exit from the World Cup will tarnish the legacy of some of the senior players in the squad

Osman Samiuddin at Lord's23-Jun-2019South Africa’s exit from the World Cup will go down as the lowest point in Faf du Plessis’ career as captain. South Africa have lost their fifth game out of seven at this World Cup, to Pakistan at Lord’s, leaving them above only Afghanistan – the only side they have beaten – in the points table.It is the first time they’ve failed to make it past the first round of a World Cup since the disastrous 2003 campaign, and even then they went into their final game knowing a win would see them through. In 2019, they will play their last two matches knowing they don’t matter. Embarrassing, a resigned-looking du Plessis said, after a 49-run loss to opponents who had come in with plenty of their own issues.”Yes, definitely [it is the lowest point]. I’m a very proud player and captain, and playing for South Africa means a lot for me, and the fact that the results we’re dishing out at the moment – you know, it’s really, really tough, and borderline… today, it’s a little bit embarrassing. We’re trying but it’s just not good enough. Obviously I’m human as well, so it will keep chipping at me.”It’s important that the coach, myself, the senior players, are the guys that needs to front up to this challenge. That’s when your players need you the most. So right now, I need to be there for the other players as well.”The patterns that have emerged over the course of this bedraggled campaign were maintained at Lord’s. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi began poorly and so the rest were catching up; the top order got starts but didn’t move on, and thereafter the batting felt thin; most notably, the fielding was again ragged, far, far short of the very highest standards South Africa have traditionally set.Du Plessis didn’t think Lord’s was the worst performance South Africa have put in, but by now, given the run of results that preceded it, felt it must rank among the most frustrating.Faf du Plessis looks up after edging one off Mohammad Amir to Sarfaraz Khan•Getty Images

“You know, I feel we keep making the same mistakes over and over again,” he said. “Probably started off with the bowling. Our bowling has been the one thing that’s been working this tournament, and today, a well-below-par performance, probably bar Immy [Imran Tahir], who was exceptional once again.”But the rest of the guys, probably, you know, five-out-of-ten performance with the ball, 30 runs too many [given away] and the same thing with the bat once again. We’re starting our innings losing wickets again and then we build something nicely, get a partnership going, and then wicket and then wicket.”This World Cup will mark the end of at least two South African careers – both Tahir and JP Duminy will go once the tournament is done. But talk about white-ball futures will now hound the likes of du Plessis himself, Hashim Amla, and Dale Steyn, whose return home with a shoulder injury was one of the early markers in how badly this tournament was going to go for South Africa.It will, du Plessis was open enough to admit, tarnish the legacy of some of the senior players in the squad.”Yeah, I’d be lying if I say no. I think, as I said, as a player, I’m very proud. But I’ve always said that my most enjoyment that I get from the game playing for South Africa is captaining the side. The fact that we are really underperforming, as I said, chips away at me, as well. It’s really important for me.”I love captaining this team, and the fact that we are playing way, way below our potential is not something that sits with me well. There’s too much pride for me, and that’s why – I mean, I’m trying as much as I can, but unfortunately not everything is in my hands. You know, if I could, I would get my wand out and get some runs on the table for our batters, but I can’t, unfortunately.”So it is a challenge, and my character is one that will try and fix as many problems as I can and try and control the areas that I can, but unfortunately, I can’t control everything.”

The South Africa fast bowler will only be considered for the fourth Test against Australia, and not the third as initially hoped as he continues to recover from a heel injury

Firdose Moonda12-Mar-2018South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn will only be considered for the fourth Test against Australia on March 30, and not the third as initially hoped as he continues to recover from a heel injury.Steyn was due to play for the Titans in the first-class competition on Thursday, but will not turn out for the fixture. Instead, he is targeting the final round of franchise matches, which starts on March 22, the same day as the Newlands Test, with the aim to be fit for Johannesburg. That means if South Africa are without Kagiso Rabada – who is awaiting the outcome of a hearing on a Level 2 charge – they won’t have Steyn to take his place. Instead, Morne Morkel, who was left out for Lungi Ngidi, could come into contention.Faf du Plessis was not fully aware of Steyn’s situation in the immediate aftermath of the Port Elizabeth Test but his hopes of the fast bowler being available have been dashed.”I’m not 100% sure where Dale is. From my understanding, he would have needed to play a game this week, which he didn’t, which would probably set him back for the third Test, I would assume,” du Plessis said. “Our plan for him was to play a game. But I would be praying extra hard that he would be ready for that third Test to make sure we can have him available if he [is fit]. On the spot now, I would assume probably on the fourth Test.”Steyn needs three wickets to overtake Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker.

Warwickshire will build on the success of last season’s T20 double-header by once again scheduling fixtures for Birmingham Bears’ men’s and women’s teams on the same day

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2017Warwickshire will build on the success of last season’s T20 double-header by once again scheduling fixtures for Birmingham Bears’ men’s and women’s teams on the same day.The concept, successfully implemented for the latter stages of the men’s and women’s World T20 tournaments since 2009, proved popular when Warwickshire trialled it last season, and they will be repeating the concept at Edgbaston on Sunday, July 16.Birmingham Bears men will face Leicestershire Foxes at 2.30pm, followed by Birmingham Bears women against Sussex women at 5.30pm.”It’s essential that we continue to build on the success of the women’s team from last season, when we came very close to winning the NatWest Women’s T20,” said Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket.”Playing at an international venue, in-front of a big crowd is an invaluable experience for the development of this team and I’m delighted that we’re able to secure this second Double Header Day. Whilst we’re hungry for success, we’re also committed to growing the women’s game and hopefully the day can inspire many more women and girls to get involved in cricket.”Captained by Marie Kelly, Birmingham Bears women finished second to Kent in the NatWest Women’s T20 in 2016.

A batsmen’s battle unfolded between Australia and India at the WACA, which the hosts won by five wickets

The Report by Daniel Brettig12-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details6:18

Agarkar: India didn’t attack enough to defend 309

If this is summer’s main course, then Steven Smith and George Bailey wasted no time at all tucking in. A batsmen’s battle unfolded between Australia and India at the WACA, with the hosts seeing a 207-run stand between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli before raising it through the match-defining union between Smith and Bailey, worth 242.Things could have been very different had Bailey been given out caught behind when, sporting a new closed batting stance, he swivelled to pull the debutant Barinder Sran and gloved to MS Dhoni in the fifth over. India’s appeal was not altogether convincing, Richard Kettleborough gave the benefit of the doubt, and as Bailey said afterwards: “Would’ve been interesting to see on DRS, but we’re not the team that doesn’t want it.” Already the series has some spice.From that point, Bailey and Smith took impressive control to counter the early losses of Aaron Finch and David Warner, both victims of the tall left-armer Sran’s decidedly useful opening spell. Bailey, and then Smith, chose to target the spin of R Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja, hitting cleanly and straight, before the captain put on afterburners, rarely seen previously, to take Australia comfortably home.Rohit’s unbeaten 171 – which surpassed Viv Richards’ 153* as the highest ODI score against Australia in Australia – added to a growing library of monumental limited-overs innings, confirming his mastery of a format where if he gets through the first few overs he is able to hit through the line of the ball with something like impunity. Kohli provided ideal support after the early loss of Shikhar Dhawan.India heaped together 61 from the final five overs of the innings, as Rohit cleared the fence three times. Up to that point the hosts appeared to be reasonably happy with events, but as Rohit punished debutant Scott Boland for a trio of missed yorkers, by depositing him in the arc between midwicket and mid-on, they were forced to re-evaluate the dimensions of the chase that confronted them.Certainly Finch and Warner appeared to be in something of a hurry, both perishing to Sran when trying to force the pace. Finch was the victim of a superb, reflex return catch, before Warner shovelled to mid-off. After Bailey’s first-ball escape, he and Smith did not panic, using their knowledge of how WACA tallies can be gobbled up in later overs provided that at first a partnership is established.They sat calmly behind the progress India had made until the 18th over, when greater liberties were taken with Ashwin and Jadeja. This reached a crescendo in the 26th over when Bailey then Smith sallied forth to dump Ashwin into the stands; the over cost 19 and forced a double change from Dhoni. From that point the chase always looked well in hand, as Bailey and Smith posted their hundreds.While Bailey fell for 112, Glenn Maxwell was perhaps too hasty in swinging for the fences and even Smith was pouched at cover with two runs still required from the final over. However, the stand between two of the Australian ODI team’s most recent three captains was the decisive episode in the match.Joel Paris, who lacks the pace of his left-arm forebears, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, had found some new-ball swing in his first two overs as an international cricketer. But that was the extent of the questions asked of India’s batsmen, before Smith’s bowlers were reduced more or less to battening down the hatches and hoping for the best.Josh Hazlewood bowled tidily for the hosts, and James Faulkner was a welcome recall to the team after his suspension last year for a drink driving offence while playing Twenty20 matches for Lancashire in the northern summer last year. But there was a certain lack of speed to Australia’s bowling line-up that allowed Rohit and Kohli to get comfortable.The hosts had lost Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc from the team that faced India in the World Cup semi-final in March last year, and much was expected of Paris in his first match. His first ball swerved dangerously into Rohit, but the batsman managed to get the toe of his bat onto it, and thereafter was able to find his rhythm.This was not the case for Shikhar Dhawan, who struggled to pierce the field before hooking at Hazlewood and finding the allrounder Mitchell Marsh at deep-backward square leg. Kohli was quickly moving the scoreboard along, and his ease at the crease rather obscured the fact that this was his first 50 in an ODI against Australia in Australia.Rohit and Kohli pushed on without offering chances, content to score at around five per over until the start of the final bracket of 10. Rohit’s hundred duly arrived, and Kohli’s only eluded him when he was well caught by Finch, running around the fence from long-on.Dhoni promoted himself for a brief, and briefly explosive, cameo of 18, while Boland’s desire to bowl at the death was tested by Rohit’s ability to clear the boundary – seven times in all in his 163-ball knock. Combined figures of 0 for 127 from 18 overs made it a harsh initiation for Boland and Paris, but they were then able to sit back and watch Bailey and Smith gorge themselves.

Fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to the foot injury he picked up during a practice match last week, and Sri Lanka Cricket has replaced him with seam-bowling allrounder Dilhara Lokuhettige

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2013Sri Lankan fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara is unlikely to travel to England for the Champions Trophy, after failing to recover sufficiently from an ankle injury he sustained on May 18. Welegedara failed a fitness test on Wednesday morning, and Sri Lanka Cricket have since named seam bowler Dilhara Lokuhettige as a replacement. The selection was cleared by the sports minister, but has not yet been approved by the ICC.Lokuhettige, 32, played eight ODIs for Sri Lanka in 2005, and two Twenty20 internationals in 2008. He has six ODI wickets at 36.83. He has largely been picked on his form in the recently concluded List A tri-series in Pallekele, where he was the joint highest wicket-taker: nine scalps at an average of 17.66. If approved, he will be one of four pace specialists on tour, with Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga and Nuwan Kulasekara also traveling. Allrounders Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews are part of the squad as well.”SLC have written to the ICC Event Technical Committee regarding this replacement,” an SLC statement said. “The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.”Welegedara had picked up the injury during the penultimate match of the tri-series, which he left, in pain, during his third over. His chances of traveling to England had looked promising on Tuesday after scans revealed no breaks or fractures, but inflammation persisted and he was unable to put sufficient weight on his landing foot.Welegedara, also 32, was the leader of Sri Lanka’s Test pace attack, but has been plagued by injury in the last 12 months, in which he only completed one Test match. He strained his groin playing England in March last year, before tearing a shoulder muscle before the Pakistan series in July. He recovered in time to travel to Australia at the end of the year, but tore a hamstring early in the second Test in Melbourne, and has not played any international cricket since. Largely regarded a Test specialist, Welegedara has not played limited-overs international cricket since June 2010.The Sri Lanka squad leaves for England in the early hours of Monday morning.

Derbyshire’s impressive start to the season continued as they crushed Glamorgan by eight wickets with a day to spare in the Derby

18-May-2012David Wainwright spun Derbyshire to their third win of the season•Getty Images

Derbyshire’s impressive start to the season continued as they crushed Glamorgan by eight wickets with a day to spare in the Derby. Glamorgan’s fragile batting failed again with only Will Bragg offering any resistance with 78 as they collapsed to 188 all out in their second innings against the spin of David Wainwright, who took 5 for 51, and Wes Durston 3 for 43.That left Derbyshire needing only 70 and they took less than 13 overs to seal a 23-point victory which leaves them on top of Division Two and Glamorgan rooted to the bottom. The visitors’ chances of making a fight of it looked good when they wiped out Derbyshire’s lead of 119 with only three wickets down but they crumbled on a pitch taking turn and lost their last seven wickets for only 65 runs.Derbyshire had also lost cheap wickets in the morning when the pace of Hugh Waters and Simon Jones ran through the tail leaving skipper Wayne Madsen stranded on 130 not out. The home side were already 99 in front but they lost the last five wickets for 19 in nine overs to set the tone for a day of bowling domination.Jones got some lift to remove Wainwright in the second over of the day and Waters belatedly got his reward for a wholehearted performance by quickly removing Jon Clare and Tom Poynton. Waters knocked over the injured Mark Footitt, who batted with a runner, to finish with 3 for 78 but Glamorgan were soon in trouble when both openers went before lunch.Tim Groenewald struck twice in his third over by pinning Gareth Rees in front and knocking out Nick James’s off stump when he offered no shot to reduce the visitors to 6 for 2 and Durston struck a big blow when Marcus North edged a drive to slip when on 21. However, Bragg and Ben Wright appeared to be putting their team back in the game when they added 66 in 18 overs but when Wainwright and Durston removed them in successive overs, Derbyshire scented victory.Mark Wallace made 29 before he edged a drive at Wainwright, who took four of the last five wickets, the final one thanks to a stunning one-handed catch at cover by Madsen. The only question was whether Derbyshire could wrap up victory before the close but Martin Guptill with 30 from 23 balls and an unbeaten 21 from Paul Borrington ensured the home dressing room was celebrating a third Championship win before 6pm.

Jason Roy guided Surrey to a four-wicket win over Hampshire in a low-scoring Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B match at the Rose Bowl

02-May-2011
ScorecardJason Roy guided Surrey to a four-wicket win over Hampshire in a low-scoring Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B match at the Rose Bowl. The 20-year-old hit a match top score of 76 to help ease Surrey home with more than six overs to spare.Chasing Hampshire’s meagre 141 all out, made in 30 overs, Surrey were in trouble at 45 for 5, still needing another 97 for victory. But Roy teamed up with Matthew Spriegel in a match-winning stand of 95 for the sixth wicket as Hampshire ran out of ideas. Roy hit four fours and a six and faced 108 balls, but it was his ability to dig in during a crisis which proved vital to the Surrey cause.Hampshire chose to bat first and were in trouble from the start, losing both openers, James Adams and James Vince, with only 16 on the board in the third over. There was only one partnership of note, 41 for the fourth wicket between top scorer Liam Dawson and experienced South African Neil McKenzie.Jade Dernbach did most of the damage, removing the dangerous Adams in his first over and then returning to demolish the tail, sending back Benny Howell, Dominic Cork and last man Danny Briggs. Yasir Arafat and Tim Linley each took two wickets and Dawson was the only batsman who made any impression, hitting 34 with only two boundaries.But, if Surrey thought their target was a simple one, they were wrong because both openers, Rory Hamilton-Brown and Steven Davies, were out by the third over and Zander de Bruyn and Tom Maynard soon followed.Gary Wilson was out first ball as spinner Briggs made an instant impression, with two wickets in his first over. At 45 for 5, Hampshire must have fancied their chances of a second win of the season.But, then, Roy and Spriegel began the task of repairing the damage, taking few chances but taking Surrey within sight of their target. Chris Wood prevented Roy finishing off the job by bowling him at the start of the 33rd over, but Chris Schofield got the two runs required from the only ball he faced.Spriegel was 29 not out from 48 balls when the winning runs were scored and Briggs was the most economical of the Hampshire bowlers, taking 2 for 27 from his eight-over allotment.

Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat has been ruled out of the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies later this month due to a calf injury, the captain Shahid Afridi has confirmed

Cricinfo staff14-Apr-2010Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat has been ruled out of the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies later this month due to a calf injury, the captain Shahid Afridi has confirmed. Arafat, the world’s most successful Twenty20 bowler with 90 wickets, was anyway in doubt when the training camp began in Lahore last week.”Yasir Arafat is out because of the calf injury,” Afridi told the . “He told us that he was not fit, after which we had to take a decision.”Though a replacement hasn’t been named yet, Afridi suggested that they may draft in a batsman, Shahzaib Hasan. The 20-year-old right-hander appeared in last year’s World Twenty20 in England and provided the team with good starts.”Shahzaib is very much in the picture for us,” Afridi said. “He is a good pinch-hitter and could be useful for us in the West Indies.”Pakistan are also waiting on the fitness of their strike bowler Umar Gul, who hurt his shoulder last week during a fielding drill. He resumed bowling in the nets and he said his shoulder was showing signs of improvement.”We don’t have that much time which is why there is going to be a fitness test for him on the 18th,” Afridi said. “Gul himself is very keen and confident which is why I’m hoping that he would get fully fit.”Pakistan play their first match against Bangladesh on May 1 in St Lucia.

He hit the winning runs for India in their landmark Test win at The Oval in 1971, the highlight of a colourful career

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2025Syed Abid Ali, who represented India in 29 Tests from 1967 to 1974, has died in California aged 83.A medium pacer who was renowned for his high standards of fielding and lightning-fast running between the wickets, one of Abid Ali’s greatest moments on the cricket field came with the bat: he hit the winning runs for India from No. 8 at The Oval in 1971 to give India their first series triumph in England.These runs came via a “square cut that never reached the boundary as it was engulfed by jubilant supporters charging onto the ground”, as had been reported on ESPNcricinfo.Abid Ali also played five ODIs between 1974 and 1975, which also happened to be India’s first five ODIs.Related

• Rewind To 1971: India's day of glory at The Oval

• Ask Steven: Who was once no-balled for throwing in a Test?

He finished with 47 wickets from his 29 Tests, including career-best figures of 6 for 55 in his debut innings against Australia in Adelaide. His medium pace came with enough variations to test batters. He also recorded six Test-match fifties, including twin fifties in Sydney later in that debut series.It could be argued that he was an allrounder, given that those two fifties came as an opener, and he batted at the top of the order in 21 of his 53 Test innings and scored 1018 runs at an average of 20.36 in his Test career. Those fifties in Sydney included “cavalier treatment of the new ball,” the match report said. Overall, he batted across the order for India, everywhere barring Nos. 4, 10 and 11.Then, there were his impressive fitness levels and fielding. His ESPNcricinfo profile sums it up thus: “Abid Ali had the feet of a sprinter, the energy of a marathon runner and the will of a decathlete, but his misfortune was that he was born 20 years too early. His game was made to order for one-day cricket: he bowled brisk medium-pace, fielded outstandingly, and was a busy lower-order batsman who ran between the wickets as if on invisible skates.”His focus on fitness came at a time when it was not the norm in cricket, and helped him gain a reputation both as a close-in fielder and for his spot-on flat throws from the outfield. Former ESPNcricinfo columnist V Ramnarayan, who was a young cricketer in the Hyderabad domestic circles when Abid Ali was in his prime, wrote of him: “The punishing regimen of training he followed was often the subject of anecdotes, wildly exaggerated and embellished, but perfect entertainment in the evening after a long day at the ground.”Syed Abid Ali during his stint coaching UAE•AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

He was also quite a bit of a character. Ramnarayan wrote: “He was demonstrative in an age when most bowlers tended to hide their emotions. His appeals to God when he beat the edge, and his sardonic grins at batsmen blessed by the Lord – unfairly in Abid’s opinion – were sights to see and remember.”He was once no-balled for throwing in a Test match against New Zealand in Christchurch, but his blatant chucking apparently came in protest against Gary Bartlett having taken a six-for with an action that the Indian team felt was suspect.Abid Ali never went on to establish himself as a premier name in Indian cricket, in part because he had the misfortune of being a bowler in the era of India’s famous spin quartet. He was a mainstay for Hyderabad, though, playing 212 first-class games across 20 seasons, taking 397 wickets at 28.55 and scoring 8732 runs with 13 hundreds and 41 fifties. He played his last Test match in December 1974, his last ODI in June 1975, and his last first-class game in 1978-79.”Shri Syed Abid Ali was a true allrounder, a cricketer who embodied the spirit of the game,” BCCI president Roger Binny said in a statement. “His contributions to India’s historic victories in the 1970s will always be remembered. His dedication and versatility made him stand out. My deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”After his playing days, Abid Ali went on to coach Andhra at the Ranji Trophy, and also had stints with UAE and Maldives. At the time of his death, he was living in Tracy, California, with his family.