Stunning all-round performance against Ireland at home has lifted Hayley Matthews in all three tables

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2023Suzie Bates has moved up three spots to No. 5 in the women’s T20I batting rankings following scores of 44 and 52 in the first two games in Sri Lanka, while Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr have both closed in on Ashleigh Gardner at the top of the allrounders’ table.Chamari Athapaththu batted New Zealand out of the ODI series that preceded the T20Is, totalling 248 runs while being dismissed just once in three innings to give her side a 2-1 win, but New Zealand hit back in the T20Is, winning the first two to pocket the series. Their star performers in the two T20Is were Bates and Kerr with the bat and Lea Tahuhu with the ball, and that reflected in the ICC rankings.Bates went up to 677 rating points, behind Tahlia McGrath (784), Beth Mooney (777), Smriti Mandhana (728) and team-mate Sophie Devine (683), and another good performance could take her higher before she leaves Sri Lanka.

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Kerr has scored 34 and 33 not out in Sri Lanka so far and the two wickets she picked up in the two games took her closer to the top of the allrounders’ chart, placing her at No. 3.The standout all-round performance of the week came from Matthews, the West Indies captain, who scored 135 runs and picked up eight wickets, including a hat-trick in the final game, to script a 3-0 sweep of Ireland at home. She is at No. 2 among allrounders, up two spots to No. 17 among batters, and up three spots to seventh among bowlers.Tahuhu also moved up within the top ten among bowlers, her four-for in the second T20I against Sri Lanka lifting her two places to sixth.On to Bangladesh vs India, where Harmanpreet Kaur was the Player of the Match with her 35-ball 54 not out to lead India to a comfortable win in the first T20I. That took her up four places to joint tenth.At the end of the T20I leg of the Ashes, which got over on July 8 with England winning 2-1 and bouncing right back in the contest after conceding the one-off Test, Mooney, who scored 115 runs, closed in on McGrath at the top of the batters’ table, just seven points separating the two.

Texas Chargers caught up with New York Warriors at the top of the table, while New Jersey Triton’s were bowled out for 53

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2023Darren Stevens smashed 36 off 18 deliveries, while Mohammad Hafeez picked up three vital wickets for Texas Chargers as they completed a 34-run victory over Morrisville Unity. Sreesanth picked up four wickets, but his effort was ultimately in vain.Chargers got off to a poor start as Sreesanth sent Hafeez and Mukhtar Ahmed packing in the second over. Unfazed by the early dismissals, captain Ben Dunk smashed Dane Piedt for a four and a six in the next over.Dunk and Thisara Perera rotated strike consistently to keep the scoreboard ticking, before Piedt ended the 35-run third-wicket stand in the fifth over, Corey Anderson completing a brilliant catch diving forward to send back Thisara.Dunk couldn’t hold the fort for much longer as a straighter delivery from Piedt rattled his stumps three balls later. Darren Stevens took matters into his own hands and increased the run rate with his attacking display. He hit Calvin Savage for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries in the seventh over before his partner Upul Tharanga slammed a six over long-on to complete the over.The English all-rounder hit Najaf Shah for consecutive boundaries in the next over, with Tharanga adding a six in the final delivery. Sreesanth then hit back, dismissing both Stevens and Tharanga in the ninth over.Unity were rocked early in their chase as Fidel Edwards had Parthiv Patel lbw with the first legal ball of the innings, after he had started with a wide. Hafeez then sent back Chris Gayle, having him caught and bowled in the third over.Shehan Jayasuriya kept the Chargers in the chase by hitting Ehsan Adil for three fours and a six in the fourth over. However, Edwards ended his stay at the wicket with a surprise bouncer in the next over.Hafeez struck two more times in the sixth to leave Unity 48 for 5, requiring 62 off the last 24 balls. Their task grew even more difficult when Tanvir dismissed Navin Stewart in a one-run seventh over.With Corey Anderson struggling to get going, scoring at less than a run a ball, the chase fell apart. Anderson hit the last two balls of the match to the boundary to finish unbeaten on 16 off 17 balls.Ashley Nurse smashed 22 off just nine balls•Ace Images/US Masters T10

Quickfire cameos from Aaron Finch and Ashley Nurse handed California Knights their second win of the campaign as they beat New York Warriors by 15 runs. Finch scored 24 runs off 12 balls, while Nurse smashed 22 off nine deliveries to keep the Knights’ hunt for the top four alive.Finch’s decision to bat paid off as Knights stitched together a total of above 100. The stand-in captain found the fence once in the first over and hit two boundaries in the second. He then hit Abdur Rehman for a six in the third before the Warriors left-arm spinner struck back to have Finch caught at long-on.Jacques Kallis took the run-scoring baton after that, hitting Dhammika Prasad for a four and a six in the fourth over. However, Prasad had his revenge in his next over, when Kallis miscued an attempted big hit.Nurse was the next batter in and he made his intent clear as he dispatched Abdul Razzaq for a six over long-on off the first ball he faced. Ricardo Powell joined in the fun with two successive sixes off Jerome Taylor, before falling lbw to give the former West Indies quick his second wicket. Nurse hit two more sixes, one each in the last two overs, leaving Warriors needing 107.The chase began on a positive note as Kamran Akmal and TM Dilshan stitched together 22 runs in the first two overs. Devendra Bishoo turned things around, though, having Akmal stumped in the third over and Richard Levi caught in the deep in the fifth, while only conceding 10 off those two overs. With Ben Laughlin bowling a tight fourth over as well, Warriors were left needing 71 off their last 30 balls.Dilshan and Misbah-ul-Haq kept their hopes alive, putting on 43 off 24 for the third wicket. Fortunes swung rapidly: Dilshan was run out in the penultimate over, only for Misbah to hit the next ball, a no-ball from Pawan Suyal, for six. It came down to 21 off six balls, and Pathan finished the game with an excellent last over, fiving away just five runs.Hammad Azam and Hamilton Masakadza put on 74 in 32 balls•Ace Images/US Masters T10

A stellar display with bat and ball helped Atlanta Riders register a colossal 48-run victory over New Jersey Triton’s. Both sides are level on points at the wrong end of the table, but both still have a chance to qualify for the knockouts.Opting to bat, Riders lost their top three before hitting the 20-run mark, with Bipul Sharma getting Triton’s off to the perfect start by dismissing Robin Uthappa with the first ball of the innings. Hamilton Masakadza (43 off 25) and Hammad Azam (38 off 16) then revived Riders with a fourth-wicket stand of 74 off 32 balls.Masakadza began cautiously, scoring 8 off his first 10 balls, before launching Monty Panesar for a six in the fifth over. In the next over, Hammad hit Peter Trego for three consecutive sixes. He dealt similarly with Panesar in the seventh over, hitting him for two sixes in a row.The duo kept finding the fence consistently in the last three overs, before Trego ended their scintillating partnership in the final over.The Triton’s faltered in the chase from the word go, with Gautam Gambhir following his former Kolkata Knight Riders opening partner Uthappa in being dismissed off the first ball of the innings. Kamrul Islam was the bowler, and he struck again in the first over by getting Naman Ojha to play on.Two more wickets fell in the second over, with Harmeet Singh dismissing Jesse Ryder and Cameron Delport. Yusuf Pathan flickered briefly, hitting Kamrul for two sixes, and Chris Barnwell gave him some support with a pair of fours in the fourth over. Mohammad Irfan cleaned up both batters in the fifth over, though, leaving Triton’s 36 for 6.They were eventually bowled out for 53, their innings folding up in just nine overs.

Will become the first female standing umpire in men’s first-class cricket in England and Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2023Sue Redfern will become the first female umpire to stand in a men’s first-class match in England and Wales after being appointed to officiate the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Glamorgan and Derbyshire in Cardiff.Redfern, who became the first full-time professional female umpire on the ECB list last year, has previously made history by serving as the fourth umpire in a men’s T20 international, also at Cardiff in 2021, and becoming the first woman to stand in a Vitality Blast match in June.Related

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“I have worked hard to earn this opportunity and I look forward to taking the next step in my career by umpiring a men’s first-class match,” Redfern said. “That has been an ambition of mine for a long time and, while it is a new challenge that will test me, I know that I am ready for it.”Umpiring has become such a fulfilling part of my life and while my focus is on being the best umpire I can be, I hope my journey can also be an inspiration to others.”When I started umpiring I had to balance other work commitments with my umpiring, but it is now a career I can solely focus on. I am proud of the steps I have taken and that I am proving that opportunities now exist in umpiring for anyone if they’re willing to work hard and dedicate themselves.”

“We are lucky that we have guys who have played plenty of cricket in these parts of the world,” the stand-in captain says

Sidharth Monga04-Oct-20232:47

Can New Zealand make it to their third straight ODI World Cup final?

New Zealand are usually one of the best-prepared teams for world tournaments, which lets them even the scales against teams that have larger populations to choose from. They need to latch onto any small advantage in order to have the kind of proud record they have: making at least the semi-finals in the last four World Cups.Four years since losing in the final to a cruel boundary countback rule, New Zealand begin what will almost certainly be the most attended World Cup against the same opposition, but without perhaps that extra preparation advantage of advance scouting.This is a weird old tournament. New Zealand made it to the venue of the tournament opener in Ahmedabad two days before the match but had not been to the ground even once when their stand-in captain Tom Latham spoke to the press. The day was jam-packed with a quick training session to be followed by a launch event involving all the captains.India is anyway a tough place to scout. There are so many venues that they have to wait years to get their next ODI, which gives little data about the characteristics of the surfaces. Some venues – such as Ahmedabad – have two different kinds of soil on the square with two completely different sets of behaviour.Related

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To make it worse, the teams have hardly played their full-strength squads between the two World Cups, either through injury or preserving their best players in what have become gruelling schedules.All this makes it critical that New Zealand’s other celebrated quality – adaptability, which is not independent of the scouting – does the heavy lifting. That is what Latham spoke the most about in his press conference on the eve of the World Cup opener.”Obviously, the end goal is to be there at the end [of the tournament], which I’m sure every team has,” Latham said when asked if he was confident they could adapt. “But I think something we pride ourselves on as a group is being able to adapt as best we can. We are lucky that we have guys who have played plenty of cricket in these parts of the world, whether it be against India or in the IPL.Tom Latham says New Zealand will tap into players’ experience of playing the IPL•Getty Images

“We have got that mix of experience where we are able to lean on guys around. [Some] guys have played at this ground, some guys haven’t. So adapting is a really important part of playing over in these conditions that can change throughout the game. It is being able to think on our feet a little bit and make sure we stay ahead of the game.”The build-up to the tournament hasn’t been great for New Zealand. They are effectively selecting from a squad of 13 for the first match: Kane Williamson and Tim Southee are recovering from their injuries and are not yet ready.Since the band is not yet properly together, it hasn’t perhaps put them in a contemplative mood around how some of them might be coming towards the end of a golden run of three or four World Cups.”I’m sure guys don’t want to jump the gun,” Latham said. “Everyone is in a slightly different situation in terms of what the future may look like. But for us, we are trying to enjoy the next sort of couple of months together as a group, and have it however that pans out. Hopefully for the good. We are just trying to enjoy each other’s company over the next period of time at such a special occasion playing cricket over here in India. Embrace what comes with being over here, I’m sure guys will make decisions around what that may look like for them in the future.”

Latham on Williamson: It’s like he had never left

“It’s obviously great to see Kane back, to see him batting. It’s like he had never left to be honest, in terms of with the bat. It’s great to see him moving really well. He is playing all the shots that he used to play, which is great, and to see him back in the field is another stepping stone in terms of where he needs to get to in terms of his recovery. It’s a day-by-day process with him making sure that whenever he is available he has ticked everything off all that he needs to do.”

Southee is tracking along well, says Latham

“He is tracking along really well. He is nearly two weeks post-surgery. So for him, it’s a day-by-day process as well in terms of making sure that he is in the right frame in terms of bowling and fielding. I’m sure once he gets back into his skill, he will be willing to go if that opportunity comes.”

Wolvaardt is expected to be unveiled ahead of South Africa’s assignment against Bangladesh at home next month

Firdose Moonda11-Nov-2023Laura Wolvaardt is set to be confirmed as South Africa’s permanent captain after taking on the job in a temporary capacity for the series against Pakistan and New Zealand earlier this year.At the time of accepting the job on an interim basis, Wolvaardt had said she wanted to assess whether the leadership would impact her batting, but ESPNcricinfo understands that after topping the run-chart in the T20 series against Pakistan and finishing second on the list for in the ODIs against New Zealand, she has decided she wants the job full-time.Wolvaardt is expected to be unveiled in the role ahead of South Africa’s next assignment, against Bangladesh at home in December. That series will also be the final one for the current coaching staff, led by Hilton Moreeng, who has been in charge of the side since 2012 and oversaw their progression to the T20 World Cup final earlier in this year. Moreeng’s contract ended at the conclusion of that tournament but CSA dragged its heels in advertising for the post and, in August, his tenure was extended to the end of 2023 despite player grievances.Moreeng’s post has since been advertised and interviewed for and a new coach is set to be announced before South Africa tour Australia earlier next year.”We had interviews last week and we are still finalising a couple of things. As soon as we are done with the post-interview process, we will be able to make an announcement,” Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said in Ahmedabad, where he is attending the men’s ODI World Cup. “The current coaching team will carry on until the end of December, but we want to give clarity as soon as possible because it will impact the Australian tour.”CSA is also set to put in place a head of women’s cricket, who will report to Nkwe. Applications for that post closed on July 14 but Nkwe indicated that the appointee is yet to be decided on.”The head of women’s cricket [role] has taken a while [to finalise]. We want to make sure the person that is going to take that position is not short-term,” Nkwe said. “We’ve just professionalised the domestic structure and there are plans within the high performance to get a South Africa A women’s side over the next 12 months, so we have the same structure as the men’s. The women’s structure is really growing nicely and we are really excited about it.”As part of the legacy of hosting the T20 World Cup, South Africa have taken significant steps to professionalise the women’s game. Their top-six domestic teams can now contract up to 11 players each and the national women’s players now get equal match fees as the men.

Franchise leagues are attracting all the top talent so cricket boards are having to adjust their parameters for selection

Firdose Moonda08-Dec-2023Welcome to the future of South African bilateral cricket.This is a place where players who don’t feature in international series will still remain available for the national side at major tournaments. And where players who grind it out in the bilaterals might just be placeholders for the superstars.Does this sound revolutionary? It might not, because it’s been done before. Kind of. West Indies have long selected from their T20 franchise superstars for World Cups, even if they had not played for the national side. Trent Boult gave up his New Zealand central contract in 2022 but was part of the 50-over ODI World Cup this year. And Jofra Archer last played international cricket in March and was ruled out for the entire summer but remained a traveling reserve for this World Cup.Related

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Now, having conceded defeat to the financial clout of T20 leagues, that’s how South Africa will treat Quinton de Kock (and maybe even Faf du Plessis), who are currently playing cricket – just not for them. They’re both at the Abu Dhabi T10, where de Kock is opening the batting for the Delhi Bulls, which clashes with his other commitment to play for the Melbourne Renegades at the BBL, which also clashes with South Africa’s white-ball series against India. In that order, that’s his priority list.That means de Kock will not play any international cricket for at least six months but he remains nationally contracted and is still expected to be named in the T20 World Cup squad. Du Plessis’ name has popped up again after white-ball coach Rob Walter mentioned him in a press conference earlier in the week and he subsequently confirmed his interest in a World Cup comeback. In the meantime, the show must go on.It will from this weekend, where South Africa’s short international summer begins with an all-format visit from India in what would normally be a headline series. Instead, the white-ball games – three T20Is and three ODIs – will be played without several frontline players on both sides as workloads are managed, a fifty-over World Cup cycle ends, and the priorities of the global game shift.The upshot of all this is that there is opportunity for players to establish themselves in the national side, whether or not they are able to sustain that through to a World Cup spot.Take Matthew Breetzke. He made his debut in the third T20 against Australia in September – a series South Africa lost 0-3 – and scored five runs batting at No. 3. Given that de Kock and David Miller had been given a break for that series, and both are certainties in South Africa’s T20 XI, that could have been that for Breetzke and he knew it. “I only got one shot at it, in the last game of that series,” he said from Durban, where the series starts on Sunday. “This time, hopefully I will get all the shots. It frees me up to be the best that I can be.”He doesn’t have to hope. Walter named Breetkze as the designated opener alongside Reeza Hendricks, after Breetkze impressed him with his work ethic and temperament against Australia. While it is only a sample size of one, Walter said Breetke’s approach in the innings, where he made room and tried and to hit Marcus Stoinis over the mid-on early in the innings showed “the courage to make a play in that situation is sometimes worth more than the actual result.”And Breetkze intends to continue in that vein. “I like to play positive cricket,” he said. “I will be looking to play the conditions but if it’s a good wicket, I will be out there trying to put the first foot forward.”Donovan Ferreira is another experimental pick in the South African side•Gallo Images/Getty Images

So far this summer, Breetzke has not managed to do that. He has played five List A games with a total of 57 runs and a top-score of 36 and two first-class matches, while only crossing 40 once. “The runs haven’t been where I’ve wanted them to be and I have been getting out in silly ways,” he said. “But I have been hitting the ball really nicely. In terms of form I have been feeling good.”He also has the pedigree to back that up. After finishing the 2018 Under-19 World Cup as South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer, Breetzke was also the second-highest run-scorer in the 2021 domestic T20 Cup and the highest run-scorer in the 2022-23 first-class competition and is regularly in the conversation when it comes to the next crop of South Africa’s batters. So much so that he was picked up by Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20, where he batted as a floater and rubbed shoulders with some of the game’s greats, including the player he is now replacing, de Kock. He described the experience as “awesome,” because of the “crowds and the way we got treated on and off the field. It gets you used to international cricket in terms of media and crowds. I feel a bit more relaxed than if I had come in two or three years ago.”And that’s really what sums up the way South Africa (and likely other countries) aim to develop their T20 game going forward: through their own league structure and then by having more high-profile players like de Kock in overseas leagues. Like most others, their schedule of international T20 fixtures is limited – South Africa play these matches and a three-match series in West Indies just before next year’s World Cup – so choosing a squad is based as much on performances in bilaterals as on league stats.Another example is allrounder Donovan Ferreira, who earned an international call-up on the back of his SA20 performances and will also have the three-match series against India to make a case for future selections. South Africa’s other experimental picks are Ottniel Baartman, a medium-pacer who has been playing professionally for almost a decade and earns a call-up as Kagiso Rabada is rested, and Nandre Burger, a left-arm quick who is seen as a replacement for Anrich Nortje in this squad. Those are shoes for both to fill, as are Breetzke’s in de Kock’s spot and it will be important for the players to remember that’s not really the point.As Breetzke said, facing India is a “special opportunity,” and even though the sparkle of bilateral white-ball games has been dimmed by leagues, there’s still a lot to play for.

He found success on India’s slower surfaces last year, and with the WI and USA offering somewhat similar conditions, Behrendorff hopes to make the same impact

Tristan Lavalette05-Feb-2024Again fit and firing, and coming off an eye-catching year where he enjoyed a breakout IPL season, left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff hopes his success on slower surfaces will prove alluring as the national hierarchy contemplate Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup.Behrendorff will be pushing his selection case in the upcoming three-match T20I series against West Indies starting on Friday in Hobart. He is one of four quicks in Australia’s squad with Behrendorff likely to play in two of the matches, including game three at Optus Stadium in what will be his first international appearance on his home ground.”There’s probably going to be a bit of rotation [with the quicks],” Behrendorff told reporters in Perth. “Anytime you get to play cricket for Australia in a World Cup year… it’s a great opportunity to put your name up. I’m really happy that I’m involved in the squad. Hopefully, I can continue to play some good cricket.”Behrendorff, 33, has long been identified as an appealing option for Australia. Towering at 6 foot 4, Behrendorff generates an awkward bounce and can swing the ball sharply. Behrendorff was once considered a potential Test replacement for Mitchell Johnson, but constant back issues meant he had to focus on the shorter formats.He has not played a first-class match since late 2017, but continually starred, over the years, for BBL powerhouse Perth Scorchers and for Western Australia in the 50-over Marsh Cup.Related

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Behrendorff occasionally played white-ball cricket for Australia and memorably claimed a five-wicket haul at Lord’s during the 2019 World Cup, where he ripped through eventual champions England in a 64-run Australia victory.But Behrendorff’s body constantly betrayed him and he appeared to be overtaken by a slew of emerging quicks, including state team-mates Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris.As he entered his 30s, there were fears that Behrendorff might have missed his chance but he’s been able to stay on the park for the last couple of years leading to a revival at the international level.”I’ve had a decent run at just playing cricket and staying on the park, so I’ve been able to develop my game and just get that consistency,” he said. “That was the thing with those injuries from 24 to 29, I played maybe six months out of every 12.”Hopefully I can really tack that [years] onto the back end of my career and play as much as I possibly can into my late 30s.”After an impressive IPL season with Mumbai Indians, where he claimed 14 wickets in 12 matches, Behrendorff last September ended a two-year international absence when he took 2 for 25 in a T20I against South Africa in Durban.He subsequently was a standout for Australia during the now-forgotten T20I series against India in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup. In uncompromising conditions for quicks, Behrendorff was outstanding in four matches with 6 wickets at 17.83 and an economy rate of 6.68.Behrendorff had an epic performance of 1 for 12 in four overs, including 17 dots, to defy the conditions in Guwahati as India racked up 222 for 3 in game three.He was a constant threat with the new ball in trademark fashion but also showed his prowess at bowling through different phases in the innings as he unfurled his repertoire of canny slower balls, cutters and yorkers. It led to Behrendorff recently being named Australia’s T20I player of the year.”I played four out of five games and there were short turnarounds, so that was really a big confidence boost for me in terms of getting on the park day after day,” Beherendorff said. “I was able to execute my skills, that was the biggest thing for me.”It was a great learning opportunity for me and getting to bowl in different phases of the innings in an international match.”The slower surfaces in India are somewhat similar to the pitches in the Caribbean, where Australia will be entirely based at the T20 World Cup also co-hosted by the United States.Australia haven’t toured the Caribbean often in the past decade, but Behrendorff did play two T20Is in Saint Lucia in 2021. Australia will travel there to play Scotland in a group fixture on June 15.”It was an amazing experience to play over there…get used to those sorts of wickets which are a bit different,” he said. “Some of them are similar to what we faced in India in recent times.”So I guess drawing on that bank of knowledge, knowing what I do really well but also adapt to those conditions and the size of the grounds [if he plays].”While he waits for his T20 World Cup fate, Behrendorff will soon return to Mumbai as he looks to build on last season’s IPL campaign.”It’s an exciting period with Hardik Pandya coming back and it’s going to be a great feel around that group again,” he said. “Hopefully we can get back up towards the top of the table.”

England World Cup winner attracts no interest, as Pooran, Pollard, Powell, Russell, Hetmyer earn top deals

Matt Roller20-Mar-2024Jason Roy will not feature in the Hundred this summer after going unselected in Wednesday night’s draft at the Shard in London, leaving him without a team for the 2024 season following his release by defending men’s champions Oval Invincibles.Roy played every game for the Invincibles last summer but failed to make an impact, with more ducks (three) than half-centuries (one) and was released by their coach Tom Moody last month. He entered the draft with a reserve price of £100,000, but the eight men’s teams prioritised overseas players in the early rounds.Mark Wood, who also entered with a £100,000 reserve price, also went unpicked, but his non-selection was less notable given that he had pulled out of the first three seasons of the Hundred through injury or to manage his workload. England’s red-ball players will miss the start of the competition, which begins on July 23 this year, due to a clash with the third Test against West Indies.Roy would have been unavailable for the first few days of the Hundred due to his commitments with LA Knight Riders in Major League Cricket – which is expected to run until July 28 – and is also set to miss some of Surrey’s T20 Blast group games for the same reason. He could yet feature in the Hundred this summer as a replacement but his snub highlights a swift decline in Roy’s standing in the four-and-a-half years since England’s 2019 World Cup win.Andre Russell will feature for London Spirit after turning out for Manchester Originals in 2022•ECB/Getty Images

Five of the seven players signed on top-bracket £125,000 contracts in the men’s draft were West Indies power-hitters, with the new Northern Superchargers coach Andrew Flintoff choosing Nicholas Pooran as the first signing of the draft. Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer will play for London Spirit, Kieron Pollard has joined Southern Brave and Rovman Powell was a top pick at Trent Rockets.While some West Indians may miss the first game or two due to their involvement in MLC, they are expected to be available for the majority of the season and may skip a T20I series against South Africa. The ECB held talks with the Caribbean Premier League’s organisers earlier this year to avoid a clash with the Hundred, which appears to have been vindicated.Tom Kohler-Cadmore will again be a top earner, joining Welsh Fire on a £125,000 deal. He will play alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was brought back after his success last summer, while Shaheen’s Pakistan team-mate Naseem Shah was a top-bracket pick by Birmingham Phoenix.Ash Gardner was one of the big-money earners in the Women’s draft•Getty Images

Laurie Evans has moved to Southern Brave after two seasons at Manchester Originals, while Dawid Malan – the leading run-scorer in the Rockets’ 2022 title – was a £50,000 signing by the Invincibles. Ollie Pope and Richard Gleeson have both joined London Spirit, while the Originals have brought in Sikandar Raza and Fazalhaq Farooqi.The ECB’s decision to raise the top salaries in the women’s Hundred was vindicated by the number of leading Australian players who entered the draft, with Beth Mooney (Manchester Originals), Meg Lanning (London Spirit), Ash Gardner (Trent Rockets) and Annabel Sutherland (Northern Superchargers) all picking up £50,000 contracts.Amy Jones was a surprise first pick of the draft, returning to Birmingham Phoenix after failing to agree a retention last month, while Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu was the first pick for the Invincibles. Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave) and Richa Ghosh (Birmingham Phoenix) were the two India internationals picked up.Each team will add a further two players to both their men’s and women’s squads ahead of the start of the season in July, who will be offered ‘wildcard’ contracts based on their performances in domestic T20 cricket. These will be worth £30,000 in the men’s competition and £8,000 in the women’s.

How the squads stack up

Birmingham Phoenix

Men’s squad: Chris Woakes, Naseem Shah, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Jamie Smith, Will Smeed, Sean Abbott, Tom Helm, James Fuller, Dan Mousley, Jacob BethellWomen’s squad: Amy Jones, Sophie Devine, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Katie Levick, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott, Hannah Baker, Seren Smale, Alisa Lister, Chloe Brewer, Sterre Kalis, Charis PavelyAdam Milne will return to Birmingham Phoenix•PA Images via Getty Images

London Spirit

Men’s squad: Zak Crawley, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Nathan Ellis, Dan Lawrence, Liam Dawson, Dan Worrall, Olly Stone, Adam Rossington, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Matthew Critchley, Michael PepperWomen’s squad: Meg Lanning, Heather Knight, Grace Harris, Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Cordelia Griffith, Georgia Redmayne, Eva Gray, Sophie Munro, Hannah Jones, Tara Norris, Niamh HollandMeg Lanning will join London Spirit•Getty Images

Manchester Originals

Men’s squad: Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton, Phil Salt, Sikandar Raza, Paul Walter, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Hartley, Usama Mir, Wayne Madsen, Josh Tongue, Max Holden, Josh Hull, Fred Klaassen, Mitchell StanleyWomen’s squad: Beth Mooney, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Molineux, Laura Wolvaardt, Lauren Filer, Eve Jones, Emma Lamb, Mahika Gaur, Fi Morris, Kathryn Bryce, Phoebe Graham, Ellie Threlkeld, Liberty HeapSikandar Raza will play in the Hundred for the first time•PSL

Northern Superchargers

Men’s squad: Ben Stokes, Nicholas Pooran, Adil Rashid, Harry Brook, Reece Topley, Daniel Sams, Matthew Short, Brydon Carse, Adam Hose, Tom Lawes, Matthew Potts, Graham Clark, Callum Parkinson, Ollie RobinsonWomen’s squad: Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Bess Heath, Linsey Smith, Alice Davidson-Richards, Hollie Armitage, Grace Ballinger, Marie Kelly, Lucy Higham, Ella Claridge, Devina PerrinNicholas Pooran was the top pick in the men’s draft•CPL T20/Getty Images

Oval Invincibles

Men’s squad: Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Adam Zampa, Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson, Sam Billings, Saqib Mahmood, Spencer Johnson, Dawid Malan, Nathan Sowter, Donovan Ferreira, Tom Lammonby, Tawanda MuyeyeWomen’s squad: Chamari Athapaththu, Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tash Farrant, Mady Villiers, Paige Scholfield, Sophia Smale, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Jo Gardner, Lizzie Scott, Georgie BoyceChamari Athapaththu will play for Oval Invincibles•Getty Images

Southern Brave

Men’s squad: Jofra Archer, Kieron Pollard, James Vince, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Laurie Evans, Leus du Plooy, Akeal Hosein, Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton, Finn Allen, Danny Briggs, George Garton, Alex DaviesWomen’s squad: Smriti Mandhana, Danni Wyatt, Chloe Tryon, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp, Naomi Dattani, Georgia Adams, Lauren Cheatle, Kalea Moore, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Rhianna Southby, Mary TaylorSmriti Mandhana will return to the Utilita Bowl•Getty Images for ECB

Trent Rockets

Men’s squad: Joe Root, Rovman Powell, Rashid Khan, Imad Wasim, Alex Hales, Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, Tom Banton, John Turner, Sam Hain, Sam Cook, Calvin Harrison, Jordan Thompson, Adam LythWomen’s squad: Ash Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Grace Scrivens, Alana King, Heather Graham, Bryony Smith, Katie George, Kirstie Gordon, Grace Potts, Alexa Stonehouse, Josie Groves, Kira Chathli, Cassidy McCarthyRovman Powell is joining Trent Rockets•Pakistan Super League

Welsh Fire

Men’s squad: Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, David Willey, Shaheen Afridi, Joe Clarke, Haris Rauf, Tom Abell, Glenn Phillips, David Payne, Luke Wells, Roelof van der Merwe, Jake Ball, Stevie Eskinazi, Chris CookeWomen’s squad: Hayley Matthews, Sophia Dunkley, Shabnim Ismail, Tammy Beaumont, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Elwiss, Sarah Bryce, Freya Davies, Phoebe Franklin, Emily Windsor, Ella McCaughan, Claire Nicholas, Alex Griffiths

Also backs the retired Imad Wasim to make Pakistan comeback ahead of T20 World Cup following his stirring run in the PSL playoffs

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2024If Shadab Khan came across as slightly unsure about receiving the Player of the Tournament award after the PSL final on Monday night, he certainly didn’t feel undeserving. Quite the opposite in fact.” (Nothing like that, I deserve it),” he quipped after leading Islamabad United to their third PSL title.It’s difficult to argue. Captain of the title-winning team, joint fifth-highest wicket-taker with 14, ninth-highest run-getter with 305 runs at a strike rate of 142.52 (neck and neck with Babar Azam’s strike rate), eight catches and a couple of run-outs.Related

• Imad Wasim the hero as Islamabad scramble to two-wicket win in epic PSL final

• PSL 2023-24: Babar, Imad and Naseem headline star-studded team of the tournament

Shadab was instrumental in the thrilling final-ball win over Multan Sultans in Karachi in the PSL final, picking up 3 for 32 including the wicket of his Multan counterpart, Mohammad Rizwan. It made Islamabad the most successful PSL franchise, with a third title, and Shadab’s second after the 2018 win. There was little doubt which triumph was more memorable.”This title is the really big one,” Shadab said. “In 2018, it was only my second season. I had had success very quickly in my career. This one has been a lot of hard work, and built on the belief of a lot of people, including our owners, Rehan ul Haq (the team manager) and the other management. Our belief as a team is such that we never let any doubt in. That is how you recognise a good team, because it doesn’t let in any doubt. So very satisfied that we’ve won.”It wasn’t a straightforward campaign for Islamabad by any means. They stuttered early on with three consecutive losses after a season-opening win. That included an almighty collapse against Peshawar Zalmi when they fell from 181 for 3 to 191 for 9, also losing four wickets in an over.But belief in their ways and methods remained firm and some old hands came good, not least Faheem Ashraf and the player of the final – and the playoffs – Imad Wasim.”The way we started, then lost three consecutive games, our belief remained the same. The matches we lost were close ones, last-over games, or we controlled games and then lost. Cricket doesn’t let you relax,” Shadab said.”From the Karachi [Kings] game, it had become knockout matches for us, and we took it one game at a time. We’ve always had the belief in our group that we have players who can win us games from anywhere.”Imad Wasim was Islamabad’s main man in the PSL playoffs•Pakistan Super League

Imad’s return to form was especially critical, a series of match-winning performances starting from the must-win group game against Multan. After a torrid start to the tournament, Imad won the Player of the Match award in every game in the playoffs, taking wickets and finishing games with the bat.The run has been accompanied by increasing chatter to get him back into Pakistan colours, Imad having retired last November from international cricket, not entirely content. Shadab was unequivocal in his support.”He must have had some issues to take such a big decision [when he announced his retirement],” Shadab said. “It’s his own decision if he wants to take it back. If someone talks to him about it, I think he might return. It is a World Cup season. Our best players, and those in the best form should play. That’s my wish that he plays. What his own thinking is, that’s different.”Indirectly, part of the reason for the clamour for Imad has been Shadab’s own form for Pakistan. After a disappointing Asia Cup and ODI World Cup at the end of last year, he was not picked for Pakistan’s T20I series in New Zealand at the start of the year. As such, his performances and form in this PSL have served as an audition for a return, even if he hasn’t seen it as such.”Whatever team I play for, I want to help them win,” he said. “Even this tournament, I wasn’t playing so that it would get me back in the Pakistan side. My effort was just to improve and do the things I can do. Playing for Pakistan is not in your hands. Your discipline and process is in your hands. Sometimes you’ll perform, sometimes you won’t, sometimes you’ll be in the team, sometimes out of it. But if the process is consistent you will improve. Everybody wants to play for Pakistan and in a World Cup, that is my wish too. But it’s not in my control.”I understand criticism on performances, but when it becomes personal then it is difficult. We are a one-sport nation, so everyone wants the team to win, or players to perform. That pressure is there every day you have to perform.”I believe in the process, if that is good, then results will come. When you don’t do well, you have to accept it. You can’t deny that. If your attitude is 100%, that’s it, you can’t control beyond that. If there is too much focus on results, then that process suffers.”