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The board’s CEO Warren Deutrom lays out the obstacles in hosting matches under the current climate

Matt Roller15-Apr-2020Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom has conceded that there is a “high risk” that home series against New Zealand and Pakistan this summer will fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.The start of the Irish season has already been pushed back to the end of May, meaning that Bangladesh’s scheduled tour for three ODIs and four T20Is has been postponed, and with international travel severely limited as things stand, it is possible that Ireland will not play a single home fixture this summer.New Zealand are due to play three ODIs and three T20Is from June 19, while Pakistan are scheduled to play two T20Is in July in between series in the Netherlands and England.”We’re all going to have to take a pragmatic approach – we just don’t know what’s going to happen even if sport does get back up and running in June,” Deutrom said. “With regards to international cricket, we remain in a wait-and-see holding pattern. Clearly, there is a high risk that our men’s home series against New Zealand and Pakistan… may be postponed if government restrictions remain in place.”Of course, some of the challenge we face in trying to bring some degree of certainty are no different to any other sport with international opposition – for example attaining visas for visiting teams and their support staff may not be possible as the Department of Foreign Affairs and the UK Foreign Office are currently not processing visa applications.”In addition, each country will take the advice of their home government, so teams may not even be in a position to travel to Europe. More specific to our situation, both New Zealand and Pakistan are visiting multiple countries on their tours, so that adds an extra layer of complexity. Then there are more logistical issues such as hotel and international flight bookings, the movement and staffing of broadcast facilities, and complying with the restrictions that may still exist around large group gatherings.”Two weeks ago, NZC chief executive David White indicated that the tour to Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands and the Caribbean was “most unlikely”, while PCB chairman Ehsan Mani told the board’s podcast this week that “preparation for the tour might become an issue if this keeps going the way it is.””It will also depend to a large degree on what the situation is like in England and Ireland,” Mani said. “If those series are disrupted, it will have a lot of impact. [The national boards] will also obviously have a huge financial impact. To reschedule those [tours] to fit into a future FTP will become a big challenge.”Irish cricket faces a further obstacle in that it has no permanent stadium, and relies heavily on temporary infrastructure at home fixtures. “Not only does this extend our lead-times for series preparation,” Deutrom said, “but also – at this time of crisis – we are aware that there is a shortage of temporary or portable infrastructure on the market as most is understandably in use by [Irish and Northern Irish health services].”The groundsman at Malahide – the ground near Dublin due to host both fixtures against Pakistan – has been temporarily repatriated to England by the local club, and Deutrom has previously indicated Cricket Ireland would monitor its readiness to host international cricket once restrictions are lifted.Deutrom also confirmed that the board has taken measures to preserve jobs and “to buffer the organisation through at least the next two months” with revenue shortfalls expected through loss of broadcast and sponsorship revenue. All non-playing staff have taken a 20% wage cut for April and May, while Deutrom himself will take a 25% cut for the rest of the calendar year.Centrally-contracted players have not been asked to take a cut on their retainer, on account of the losses already incurred due to the absence of match fees. “To ask them to take a further cut to their base remuneration… would be unreasonable,” Deutrom said.It remains to be seen how well-equipped Cricket Ireland is to deal with the crisis financially, with the annual report for 2019 due to be published within the next few weeks. The board’s 2018 accounts showed that cash reserves had been depleted to just €13,470 (14,700 USD approx), with the achievement of Test status leading to vastly increased costs, while Mani has warned that many boards will “feel the pinch” of the crisis, not least if the T20 World Cup is postponed.

The left-arm spinner rarely fails to deliver and is shaping as a vital part of the plans for next year’s T20 World Cup

Deivarayan Muthu11-Nov-2019The ultra-short boundaries at Eden Park, known as the postage stamp, are mean to the bowlers. They can be even meaner when rain cuts a 20-over series decider into 11 overs. After England’s bowlers suffer at the hands of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro, Eoin Morgan launches the visitors’ chase with a hat-trick of boundaries. Sam Curran then goes one better, clubbing Scott Kuggeleijn for four boundaries in a row. Jonny Bairstow, too, joins the carnage as England rack up 52 in just three overs. Bairstow has now nicked off for 47, but England are fairly well-placed at 100 for 4 in seven overs.Captain Tim Southee turns to Mitchell Santner in search of a wicket. The left-arm spinner delivers a double blow, but then the match goes into another Super Over and we all know how that unfolds. However, Santner’s strikes and composure under pressure showed why he’s New Zealand’s MVP heading into the T20 World Cup across the Tasman Sea next year. Once he saw Sam Curran advance down the track, he speared a back-of-a-length slider well past the tramline and had the batsman stumped off an off-side wide for 24 off 11 balls. Wicketkeeper Tim Seifert, who was mic’d up, suggested that Santner probably knew that the batsman was coming at him.Mitchell Santner celebrates a wicket•AFP

Santner then made a rare error, looping a non-turning half-volley, which Lewis Gregory muscled over long-on for six. But he wasn’t flustered and bravely floated the next one up at 85kph, and got it to turn away, daring Gregory to manufacture pace for himself. Gregory swung hard, but Santner’s clever change-up defeated him as he could only scoop it as far as extra-cover. He conceded only singles off the next four balls to finish an excellent 11-run over. Earlier, in his first over, the fourth of the chase, Santner had given away only nine runs. In daunting defence against a power-packed line-up on flat track, Santner came away with the two most economical overs. What might have been had Santner been handed another over?While Santner doesn’t quite demand the attention that Sunil Narine or wristspinners do these days, there’s no denying his class and control. It was on bright display during the 50-over World Cup in the UK earlier this year and also during this T20I series against England. Santner ended the series as the top wicket-taker with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.83 and strike rate of 9.8. Ish Sodhi and Adil Rashid, the purveyors of the more glamorous variety of spin – wristspin – managed only three wickets each while proving more expensive. Sodhi went at 11.73 an over while Rashid fared somewhat better, conceding at 9.54.Meanwhile, left-arm seamer Sam Curran, who had the benefit of bowling as many overs as Santner did (18), picked up six wickets at an economy rate of 8.50. It’s no secret these days that Santner bowls one over in the powerplay and then works his way through the middle overs. Yet, batsmen haven’t been able to line him up as he hits the hard length in the early exchanges and then, when the batsman is desperately searching for the big hits, Santner slows up his pace. He also thrives by shifting his lines wide of off, challenging the batsmen to fetch the ball and then slog it. More than 80% of Santner’s success this series is down to hanging the ball up outside off or even wider. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, he has bowled 62 balls around that line, grabbing nine wickets and conceding 81 runs.Santner’s wiles, in particular, were key to New Zealand pinning England down at the Westpac Stadium in the second T20I. Chris Jordan had shellacked Sodhi for four successive sixes and then cracked Lockie Ferguson over mid-off for four, threatening a late jailbreak. England were needing 49 off 30 balls when Southee tossed the ball over to his main man Santner. After his first ball was sent over extra-cover for four, Santner responded strongly by having Jordan holing out with a nifty drop in pace. Game over for England.”Chris Jordan was hitting it pretty well there at the end,” Santner said at the post-match press conference. “When you bowl slow as a spinner, I guess you’ve quite a fine margin – you can be swept square or pulled square. You try to hit a couple in the [block]hole and mix it up. You try not to be too predictable and it was nice to get that wicket and go from there.”Speaking to Radio Sport, Santner said that the wickets of big-hitters like Morgan and Jordan gave him extra pleasure. “They’re one of the best T20 sides at the moment and the way they like to play T20 cricket is to come pretty hard and that’s what they do whether you’re taking wickets or not. It’s one of things that even if you get a wicket, you’ve got to be on top of your game because the English can come hard and put you under pressure. And the best way to stall momentum is to take wickets throughout.”All told, Santner has bagged 20 T20I wickets in 2019 – the most among bowlers from Full Member nations in the shortest format. This time last year, Santner was recovering from a knee surgery, wondering if he could prove his fitness in time for the World Cup. He, ultimately, made it to the UK and almost helped New Zealand win the tournament. Then, he almost helped New Zealand win the T20I series against England. If he keeps up his form, Santner could prove more effective on the larger grounds in Australia by this time next year and could (actually) help New Zealand win a World Cup.

“More or less for me now it’s just about having fun and enjoying however many days I have playing international cricket”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2021″It was kind of a shock” for Jason Holder to be relieved from the West Indies Test captaincy, and while he admits to finding it difficult to transition from being the leader to an ordinary member of the team, he wants to focus more on his game, and be a sounding board for youngsters looking for guidance.”Yeah, it’s been difficult. I probably may not show it, but it has been difficult,” Holder told ESPNcricinfo in an interview a couple of days away from the start of West Indies’ first Test against South Africa in St Lucia. “For the last five-six years, I’ve been captaining West Indies, whether that be Test-match cricket or one-day cricket. So now being relieved of both captaincies, it has been a strange transition for me personally.”Related

• Clash of pace attacks in favourable conditions under new leaders

• Jason Holder calls for more action around anti-racism in cricket

• Fast-tracked into 13-man shortlist, Jayden Seales hopes to build on 'dream come true'

• Brathwaite: Taking over from Jason Holder is a 'privilege'

• 'Holder is an integral part of West Indies cricket' – Harper

Kraigg Brathwaite led West Indies in Bangladesh when Holder, as well as a number of other regulars, opted out of the tour because of the Covid-19 situation around the world. West Indies swept the two-Test series, and when it was time to select the squad for the home series against Sri Lanka in March, the team kept faith in Brathwaite. Roger Harper, the lead selector, said at the time that Brathwaite’s role in shepherding the team successfully in the absence of many first-choice players in Bangladesh had played a big role in his appointment on a permanent basis.That meant Holder’s stint as captain, which had begun in October 2015, ended after 37 matches, which included 11 wins and 21 losses. It was a period in which he climbed to great heights as a player, piling on big hauls with the ball and even hitting a double-century with the bat. After 47 Tests, Holder has 123 wickets at an average of 27.41, 2253 runs at an average of 33.13, and the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for Test allrounders.Holder played the home series against Sri Lanka, in Antigua, and did well. In the first Test, there was a five-wicket haul (his eighth in Tests) and in the second, there were scores of 30 and 71* – both matches were drawn.”It was kind of a shock. Yeah, still lost for words in regards to that, but I am not dwelling on it. I don’t think it’s something I should dwell on, to be fair,” Holder said. “I am just trying to find ways to move on and transition back to just being a regular player. For me now, it’s about showing a bit more of my character, and being a lot more… I would say outspoken. I am relatively outspoken, but just expressing myself a little bit more and having fun.”I feel as though I have been really, really committed to West Indies cricket – I am still committed to West Indies cricket, but more or less for me now it’s just about having fun and enjoying however many days I have playing international cricket.”Holder is still only 29, and has spent most of his career at the highest level in leadership roles. Without that responsibility, Holder felt he would have to redesign his role in the team.”There is a lot less pressure, a lot less responsibility. It’s just about me now personally… I’m a 100% team man. So I’ll play my part to help the team and if there are other players who are seeking out advice or guidance, no doubt I’ll be here to give them that,” he said. “But it’s no longer a time where you’ve got to look to select teams, look at combinations… all these things have just gone through the window. So for me now, it’s just a little bit more detailed as to as to my preparation into myself, particularly, and not having to deal with the team aspect of it.”I guess my contributions now will be more so in small groups and one-on-one basis with the players. And team meetings obviously I’ll share my expertise, and give as much guidance as I possibly can, but I still think the captain has to be given his leeway to lead the team the way he wants to lead the team, and we’ve got to give him confidence and support that we can as the group.”The first West Indies vs South Africa Test starts on June 10, with the second set for a June 18 start at the same venue.

Lizelle Lee, Emma Lamb ease Manchester side home after Ecclestone keeps Rockets grounded

Matt Roller15-Aug-2021Beware the wounded animal. Manchester Originals were the first team knocked out of the women’s Hundred but have played party poopers in their final two games, winning away at Northern Superchargers to dent their qualification prospects and now thrashing Trent Rockets to eliminate them at the group stage.Rockets were pegged back by regular wickets after being asked to bat first: Sammy-Jo Johnson hit four sixes in her 33 and Sarah Glenn played an important cameo at the death, but their highest partnership was 29 for the first wicket as Originals’ attack dented their prospects of posting a defendable score.In the chase, their attack was impotent and their fielding sloppy as Emma Lamb and Lizelle Lee spearheaded a cruise to victory with nine wickets in the bank and 13 balls to spare. Lee was happy to go along at a run a ball with Lamb flying at the other end, but took on the responsibility after Lamb’s dismissal and flat-batted Katherine Brunt for four to seal the win.The result not only eliminates Rockets, but also guarantees Oval Invincibles a berth in Friday’s eliminator at their home ground. They will play the winner of Tuesday’s fixture between Northern Superchargers and Birmingham Phoenix, barring an improbable net run-rate swing towards London Spirit on Wednesday night.Rockets fail to launch
Rockets knew they needed to break their losing run at home and win by a decent margin to give themselves a decent chance of qualifying, but seemed to play within themselves under the pressure of the situation. Nat Sciver, their captain and key batter, threw her head back in frustration after her dismissal, caught at mid-on off Kate Cross, and in the field they were distinctly average.To stand a chance of defending a score that looked 15-20 runs light on a good batting pitch, Rockets needed to be tight and alert in the field but conceded 21 extras – 16 of them in wides – and gave Lamb an early life when Glenn put down a straightforward chance in the covers. The scoring rate was never a problem; Georgia Davis removed Lamb for 46, but the back of the chase had been broken long before.Economical Ecclestone
Sophie Ecclestone is the best T20I bowler in the world according to the ICC’s rankings, but she has not been as effective as she might have expected in the Hundred. Ecclestone bowls at the same pace, if not faster than, most male spinners, and teams have generally played her like a medium-pacer rather than a slow left-armer in this tournament, with plenty of success.She came into Originals’ final game with only three wickets for the season and none in her last four appearances, but proved almost impossible to get away at Trent Bridge. She conceded a solitary boundary, when Brunt paddle-scooped her over the keeper, and struck with consecutive deliveries in her final set of five to finish with 2 for 11 from her 20 balls – the most miserly spell by an Originals bowler in the season.Universe Cross
Cross has carried a heavy burden for Originals: she is their captain, their main strike bowler, and their only senior seamer, but has coped well with the pressure on her to perform. She is joint-second in the wickets charts, with 12 scalps at 14.08, and has led her side into mid-table after a slow start to the season.Unusually, she did not strike with the new ball at Trent Bridge, but returned to take two key wickets in her third and fourth sets of five. She returned after 50 balls with Sciver getting set, and induced a false shot as she pulled a length ball straight to mid-on, and in her final set, she had Brunt caught well by Lee at backward point.After their qualification hopes evaporated early in the season, Originals have grown into the competition and may only miss out on the knockout stages by a single point. With one of the younger squads in the competition, there is reason to believe they will bounce back well next summer.

South African bowling all-rounder to play seven matches when competition resumes

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2019Wiaan Mulder has signed with Kent for a stint in the County Championship, starting later this month.Bowling all-rounder Mulder has played one Test for South Africa, in Sri Lanka’s historic series-clinching victory at Port Elizabeth in February. He will play seven county games, starting with Kent’s second match after the competition resumes, against Surrey at Beckenham from May 20, and ending at Hampshire from July 13.Kent won their only Championship match for the season so far, an eight-wicket victory over Warwickshire. They suffered a terrible run of injuries during their Royal London Cup campaign, where they have won two of their seven games and lost four. Captain Sam Billings has been ruled out for the rest of the season after dislocating his shoulder while fielding in a Royal London Cup match and vice-captain Joe Denly is with the England squad for the one-day series against Pakistan.Mulder played the first of his 10 ODIs for South Africa as an 18-year-old, taking 1 for 32 off eight overs against Bangladesh in October, 2017.In first-class cricket, he has taken 66 wickets from 22 matches at an average of just 22.93 with best bowling figures in an innings of 7 for 25 in only his second first-class appearance for the Lions against the Dolphins in 2016. Usually batting at No. 5 or 6, Mulder also averages 39.50 with the bat in first-class cricket with a high score of 146 in Bloemfontein in January.”I have always wanted to play county cricket and I am stoked to be joining a top-division side such as Kent,” Mulder said. “I’m fully focused on proving my abilities at this high level and hope to contribute to success at this historic club.”Kent director of cricket, Paul Downton, said: “With Sam Billings and Joe Denly unavailable for differing reasons, Wiaan’s ability to bowl a heavy ball and bat in the top six will be a huge asset to the side as we look to establish ourselves in Division One following our exciting win at Edgbaston earlier this season.”

Stand-in captain Suranga Lakmal is “trusting” that the team’s batting will come good as Sri Lanka look to level the series in Pallekele

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele13-Nov-2018Sri Lanka have asked for a turning pitch – a proper one this time – and they will go in with three spinners and a lone quick again, but for the hosts to level the series, the batsmen still have to pull their weight.So said Suranga Lakmal, who has captained three Tests and won all three, thanks largely to his attack. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka’s bowlers have dismissed oppositions for scores such as 93, 73, 123 and 124. One or two batsmen – Dimuth Karunaratne in particular – have scored heavily on one or two of those occasions. But as a group, Sri Lanka’s top order has fallen short of excellence.”Unfortunately over the recent past we haven’t got what we expected from the batsmen,” Lakmal said. “But we can change that in this match. No one goes to the middle trying to make a low score. I’m trusting that a lot of things will change in this Test.”What I’d say as a captain or vice-captain is that we need to bat positively. That’s one thing we can do. If you get a good ball, any batsman can get out. Think about that and go to the middle with the intention of scoring runs. Have positive body language. That’s what I expect from our players.”One batsman who can generally be relied upon for a positive approach, although not always for runs, is Kusal Mendis. While much has been made of Mendis’ poor ODI form over the past few months, his Test output has been modest as well – he has failed to cross fifty in eight innings now. Lakmal hoped Mendis would be among those leading the batting turnaround.”Any player, bowler or batsman, fails in cricket – in that time it’s the players who are mentally strong who come out of it quickly,” Lakmal said. “In the last match Kusal scored a few runs [19 and 45], and he’s pretty good psychologically. I’m sure he’ll make a difference in this match. He backs his game plan, and I’m trusting that he’ll produce a good innings here.”On the bowling front there may never have been room in this XI for 21-year-old quick Lahiru Kumara, but that doesn’t mean the curfew-breaking antics that saw him dumped from the squad prior to the series has not caused disappointment within the side. Kumara was among those who bowled well under Lakmal in Barbados, where Sri Lanka’s bowlers helped overturn a 50-run first innings deficit. With any luck, Lakmal said, Kumara will make a comeback, and play a role in such team performances again.”There’s something called discipline in the team,” he said. “You could be a senior, or someone who is not very experienced, but if the team suffers even a little because of your indiscipline, then we have to take action. That’s what we’ve done here.”That’s not to say Lahiru Kumara will keep making that mistake, nor are we saying he’s out of the team forever. We’ve sent him a message, and hopefully he will learn from that. This can happen to any player – senior or junior. If they break the rules, we’ll take that action.”

Brett Lee is unsure what his body will allow him to do next

Peter English17-Nov-2009

Lee’s latest setbacks

2006-07
Tears ankle ligaments in New Zealand, misses 2007 World Cup
2008-09
Suffers giardia during India tour
Broken foot leads to more surgery
2009
Side strain rules him out of first three Tests of Ashes tour and not picked for final two
2009-10
Elbow problem sends him home from India one-day series and recurs in Sydney on Sunday

Self-belief has been one of Brett Lee’s best assets along with extreme speed. Throughout his Test career, which began with a wicket in his first over, Lee has known what was going to happen next, whether it be achieving a milestone or pin-pointing a date for his return from a well-managed injury. This time, coming to the end of an awful year, he is unsure what his body will allow him to do next.The bone spur problem in his right elbow means he will probably face surgery and be out for up to three months, ending his chances of appearing in a Test this summer. Previously he would have accepted the setback with a grimace and headed for the surgeon, physio and fitness trainer to plot a way back.Following his recovery from foot surgery at the start of the year came a side strain that kept him out of the Ashes in the middle of it, and with this latest problem he is starting to doubt whether he will play a 77th Test or take a 311st wicket. His last appearance was at the MCG last December when he limped off to the surgeon.”At this point in time I do not need to make a call,” he said at the SCG. “I still want to play for Australia but that all depends on how the operation takes place and then how the fitness is and how much I want it.” He finds the prospect of not playing Test cricket “scary and challenging”, but as he accepts this injury his mind switches from being desperate to play on to thinking about signing off.Desire has never been a problem before, not when he thought his career was over after breaking the same elbow in 2001, or when he was sitting behind Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Stuart Clark in the pecking order during the fourth Ashes Test in Leeds. He was fit, ready and shattered when the team was named, but he still wanted to field under a baggy green. Now he craves – and needs – a break.”I have had setbacks before and I can’t see why I cannot come back from this, but I also, to be honest, need to get away from the game for a little while to work out what my future holds,” he said. “I want to have this forced rest and if surgery needs to happen that means anything from six to 12 to 14 weeks away from the game, which would be the perfect opportunity for me to get away from everything and work out what I want from cricket.”He sounded like Shaun Tait when he stepped off the international circuit due to mental and physical exhaustion caused by the depression of so many comebacks. It won’t just be care for Lee’s 33-year-old body that will be needed over the next couple of months.Another issue pecking at him has been being away from his young son Preston for the long periods demanded of a player wanting to appear in all forms of the game. Since the start of last year’s India tour Lee has been troubled by personal problems as well as fitness ones.”The hardest things for me over the past 12 months were getting injured during the Ashes but, most importantly, being six months away from my little boy, that has been really tough,” he said. “They are all things I need to weigh up.” Don’t expect him to be flying out of Sydney any time soon.While any comeback will be subject to a number of fitness and family conditions, one thing is not negotiable. “If I can’t bowl fast then I won’t bowl,” he said. His job has led his body to this rickety condition but he has always refused to follow the method of Dennis Lillee, who extended his career by slowing down and focussing on swing and seam.For Lee it has always been about speed. “When you try to bowl 155kph for over 16 or 17 years, there is a lot of wear and tear on the body,” he said. “I will try to get the elbow right.”If I don’t play another game for Australia or play another game of cricket again then yes, I am very pleased with what I have achieved. It’s more than I would ever had expected at the age of 10. But I still think there is a lot of cricket left in me yet, which is why I am not making any call on my future.”

“Started in Johannesburg finished in Birmingham,” his retirement post read on Instagram

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2018Allrounder Grant Elliott, who starred in New Zealand’s historic win in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, has quit all forms of cricket after finishing his stint as the captain of Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast in England. After finishing sixth in the North Group in the T20 tournament and not being able to qualify for the quarter-finals, Elliott announced his retirement on his Instagram account on Tuesday evening.”Started in Johannesburg finished in Birmingham,” his post read. “I remember being 12 and writing down my life goals. To play in a World Cup, play international cricket and play county cricket. 27 years on and I have loved every minute of it. Thanks to all the memorable people I have met that have made this journey special. To family and friends who have given me unwavering support despite all the sacrifices I have had to make that have impacted them.”This game is a special one but it doesn’t define us. Looking forward to the future with great excitement and sharing a drink with those selfless players I shared a change room with.”Elliott’s form this year in the Blast was highlighted by his bowling performance, being the leading wicket-taker of his team with 19 scalps from 14 innings with an average of 19.57 and economy rate of 7.91. With the bat, he managed only 80 runs in 10 innings.Elliott, 39, had signed with the Bears last year when he retired from international cricket and signed a Kolpak deal to play in the T20 tournament only. He had earlier retired from ODIs in 2016, two days after New Zealand were knocked out of the World T20 by England in the semi-final.He continued as a T20 specialist to represent Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, Chittagong Vikings in the Bangladesh Premier League, Wellington in New Zealand’s domestic T20s (Super Smash), and was part of the World XI squad that toured Pakistan almost a year ago for three T20 internationals.Born in Johannesburg, Elliott began his first-class career more than 20 years ago, in South Africa in 1996-97. He then moved to New Zealand in 2001 in search of new challenges and made his international debut for New Zealand in 2008. He played five Tests, 83 ODIs and 17 T20Is. His six off Dale Steyn in the dying moments of the rain-curtailed 2015 World Cup semi-final will probably be the highlight of his career. He top-scored with 83 in the final too, against Australia, but New Zealand finished runners-up.

They took five wickets between them after Babar Azam’s 68* carried Pakistan to 155 for 8

The Report by Danyal Rasool24-Oct-2018
At the trophy unveiling on Tuesday, Aaron Finch and Sarfraz Ahmed stood together, posing for the pre-series picture with the silverware the two teams would fight for. That it was called the TUC Cup for sponsorship reasons was unsurprising in today’s age, but when you looked closely, you saw the Cup was rather aptly named. Perched on top of a set of three stumps and a cricket ball was a monstrously large TUC biscuit.That word is used advisedly. The trophy might have looked horrendous if it wasn’t comical. It was hardly a prize worth fighting for.And so, on Wednesday, as Pakistan took on Australia in the first T20I, the visitors seemed to simply not fight for it. If they didn’t want to take that trophy home, the way the top and middle order batted went a long way towards ensuring they wouldn’t have to. Pakistan bowled well – of course they did; they’re the No. 1 T20I side. But Australia seemed to be lining up to give their wickets away with a slew of shocking shots to collapse to 22 for 6, chasing 156. It was a minor miracle they lost by only 66 runs, making it to 89 before being bowled out in 16.5 overs.Imad Wasim, playing his first international match in almost a year, bowled an impressive first over. But it wasn’t like Finch and D’Arcy Short made it hard for him. Third ball, Finch stepped towards leg stump to make room to a ball that kept drifting in, his ungainly slash missing it as it clattered into middle stump. Three balls later, Short got his feet stuck in the crease and was bowled for 4.Faheem Ashraf at the other end was suffocatingly tight as well, and Glenn Maxwell soon ran out of patience. Attempting to launch the ball out of the ground, he swung at thin air, while the ball rocked the middle stump again. The self-destruction continued from Finch’s men, when Ben McDermott set off for a crazy run after punching to mid-off. Fakhar effected a direct hit, and Australia’s chances were all but over.Things were so different just half an hour before. Australia had even come into the innings with momentum on their side after inflicting a startling collapse: Pakistan went from 105 for 1 to 133 for 8. Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Imad were all dismissed inside two overs for the addition of three runs.In what was a staccato batting performance by Pakistan, they had much to thank Babar Azam for. His relentless hunger for accumulation shows no signs of satiating, at least in the limited-overs game. At 57.85, he averages nine points more than the man with the second highest T20I average – Virat Kohli (minimum 20 innings). He batted through the innings, leading Pakistan’s charge for the first 15 overs, and looking in his own element as he did so. Along with an old hand in Mohammad Hafeez, he kept Australia under the pump during the middle overs. Much of the work the pair did helped cushion the blow of the collapse that came towards the end, and even as the madness unfolded at the other end, Babar, a picture of clarity, was there to steer Pakistan to a total they were comfortable defending.Nathan Coulter-Nile struck a few late blows to take Australia out of humiliating into merely embarrassing territory, ensuring too many records didn’t tumble as swiftly as the top order had. Pakistan are too good for most teams in this format these days, but the visitors’ ineptitude perhaps defined this game.