They need to win the two ODIs to give themselves the best chance of qualifying directly for the World Cup in India

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2023Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have been selected in a full-strength South Africa squad to play two crucial ODIs against Netherlands on March 31 in Benoni and April 1 in Johannesburg. Both fast bowlers were rested from the recent ODI series against West Indies, which was drawn 1-1 with one match washed out.This series will be the first time South Africa are facing Netherlands since they lost to them and were eliminated from the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. If South Africa win both ODIs without over-rate penalties, they will qualify directly for the World Cup in India this year if Ireland lose at least one ODI against Bangladesh in a three-match series in May.South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma will have a fitness test on Tuesday to make sure he has recovered from the hamstring niggle he picked up during his hundred in the second ODI against West Indies on March 18.”We have named our strongest possible squad for these games given the importance of these matches in the context of qualifying for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup,” South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter said. “We have a job to do and I am confident that with this group of players we can get the job done.”With the second ODI on April 2, Quinton de Kock (Lucknow Super Giants), Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Sisanda Magala (Chennai Super Kings), Aiden Markram (Sunrisers Hyderabad), David Miller (Gujarat Titans), Lungi Ngidi (Delhi Capitals), Anrich Nortje (Delhi Capitals), and Kagiso Rabada (Punjab Kings) will be able to join their IPL franchises only on April 3 at the earliest.South Africa squad for Netherlands ODIs: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

Visitors manage to defend 135 at Edgbaston to hand hosts their first defeat of the tournament

ECB Reporters Network23-May-2023Northern Diamonds maintained their 100 percent start to the 2023 Charlotte Edwards Cup with a three-run victory over Central Sparks at Edgbaston.With both sides having won their first game, something had to give and it was Diamonds who preserved their perfect record thanks principally to an impressive bowling display.Put in, Diamonds were bowled out for 135, far less than looked likely when they were motoring nicely along at 73 for 1 in the ninth over. The fall of Leah Dobson for 41 off 25 balls was the first of nine wickets to fall for 62 runs in 67 balls as Georgia Davis bowled her off-spin beautifully for 4-0-13-3, well-supported by Emily Arlott and Erin Burns who took two wickets each.The total looked a little under par but Sparks fell just short on 132 for 7 after their batters never escaped the shackles imposed at the start by accurate opening spells from Lizzie Scott and Katherine Fraser. Chloe Tryon bounced back from conceding 11 in her first over to take three vital wickets and end with 3 for 30.Only Eve Jones and Arlott passed 25 as tight bowling and a sluggish, used-pitch combined to make run-scoring difficult.After Sparks chose to bowl, they soon struck a big blow when Lauren Winfield-Hall lifted the seventh ball of the innings, from Arlott, to extra cover.Dobson and Hollie Armitage responded positively and raised the 50 from 37 balls. Their well-constructed stand stood at 68 from 43 balls when Davis bowled Dobson through an attempted leg-side flick.That wicket started a big slide as four fell for 19 runs in 23 balls. Davis had Sterre Kalis smartly stumped by Amy Jones, Bess Heath was brilliantly run out by Katie George’s direct hit from midwicket and Armitage skied Burns to mid off.Davis had her third victim when Tryon lofted to deep midwicket and only Fraser kept the innings from complete freefall. Fraser was ninth out when she top-edged a return catch to Burns and the last pair mustered just a single from five balls before Grace Hall was superbly caught by Davina Perrin at point off Arlott.Diamonds also took an early wicket when Perrin lofted Fraser to mid off and the bowlers applied good pressure as only four fours arrived in the first eight overs. England star Amy Jones was never fluent before she was deceived by a lovely flighted ball from Tryon and bowled off her pads.Katie Levick cranked up the pressure by conceding just six runs in two overs which also brought the crucial wicket of Eve Jones, caught at midwicket. Burns also fell on the offensive when she was well caught at wide long on by Abi Glen off Tryon.As the required rate escalated, Sparks, with half their batters out, required 38 from the last 18 balls. Abbey Freeborn struck the first four of those 18 for four to dent Scott’s figures but then lifted the fifth ball to point and 13 from the final over, delivered with great composure by Tryon, proved too many.

He played 16 Test matches for Australia between 1966 and 1970

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2023Former Australia and New South Wales wicketkeeper Brian Taber has died at the age of 83.Taber, who played 16 Test matches for Australia between 1966 and 1970, passed away on Friday.He made his Test debut against South Africa in Johannesburg where he claimed seven catches and a stumping. He would go on to also face England, India and West Indies during his career.His highest Test score of 48 came against West Indies at Sydney in 1969 in a match Australia won by 382 runs.Taber was widely regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers to represent Australia and was renowned for his impeccable glovework and calm demeanour behind the stumps.In his domestic career, he played more than 100 games for New South Wales and is a member of the state’s Hall of Fame.After finishing playing, he held various roles within the game, including NSW coach and selector and manager of the Australian Under-19 men’s team.”Brian’s vast popularity among former team-mates, and all those fortunate enough to have known him, is just one indication of the impact he had on our game,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said.”Brian had a passion for the development of young players, and it is fitting that the Player of the Tournament at the Men’s National Under-19 Championships will continue to receive the Brian Taber Medal.”Cricket NSW CEO, Lee Germon, said: “His contribution to Australian cricket was immense, as a player, coach, manager and selector. Tabsy was universally loved for both his skill as a wicketkeeper and his character as a person. He was such a nice, genuine guy and he will be greatly missed by all.”

Litton Das is set to replace the injured Najmul Hossain Shanto in Bangladesh’s XI

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Sep-20233:13

How will Bangladesh deal with Shanto’s absence?

Big picture: Teams share complicated relationship

Talk of rivalries has dominated the Asia Cup. India-Pakistan. Pakistan-Afghanistan. The derby. Heck, you could even throw in the Rohit derby.Here’s another sizzling rivalry to kick off the Super Four stage. Pakistan and Bangladesh have endured a long and complicated relationship on and off the field, and Wednesday will be their first ODI meeting since the 2019 World Cup.It was against Pakistan, of course, that Bangladesh had their breakthrough moment as a cricketing nation. It was also against Pakistan, however, that they experienced their most protracted struggle to turn the gains from that breakthrough into results on the field. Between Northampton 1999 and Mirpur 2015, Bangladesh beat every other opposition at least once in international cricket, but lost 40 straight games to Pakistan. Some of those defeats were genuine heartbreaks, not least those in the Asia Cups of 2012 and 2014.They have turned a corner since then, certainly in ODIs where they’ve beaten Pakistan four times in their last five meetings. Pakistan have dominated the rivalry since then, in Tests and T20Is, but those results will have little bearing on Wednesday’s match since the 50-overs format is where Bangladesh are at their strongest.You’d have to count Pakistan as favourites since they’re playing at home and seem to have every base covered as befits the world’s No. 1 ODI side. Bangladesh, already weakened by injuries to key players, are now also without Najmul Hossain Shanto, their most in-form batter. But they’re a smart, experienced group who know their way around ODI cricket, and they’re familiar with the conditions with Lahore, having pulled off a rousing win there over Afghanistan on Sunday. Expect them to be well-prepared and ready for whatever Pakistan have to throw at them.

Form guide

Pakistan WWWWL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)

Bangladesh WLWLLCan Fakhar Zaman make a big score against Bangladesh?•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Fakhar Zaman and Shoriful Islam

Since scoring three hundreds on the bounce against New Zealand in May, Fakhar Zaman has made 19, 14, 33, 2, 30, 27 and 14 in his last seven ODI innings. If he gets in against Bangladesh, he’ll try his hardest to make sure he stays in.It’s early days yet, but Shoriful Islam has a terrific record after 19 ODIs, with 30 wickets at an average of 24.93. The left-arm quick is fresh off a three-wicket haul against Afghanistan, and could cause Pakistan’s top order problems if he can get the new ball moving around.

Team news: Litton set to replace Shanto

Pakistan played the same XI in both their group games, but start the Super 4s with one change. They’ve left out Mohammad Nawaz for the Bangladesh game, and in comes Faheem Ashraf, the medium-pacer, who was included in the XI on the eve of the fixture. Pakistan’s decision to leave left-arm spinner Nawaz out could be because of the many left-hand batters in the Bangladesh line-up.Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Agha Salman, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Naseem Shah, 11 Haris Rauf.Litton Das, who has recovered from the illness that kept him out of the group stage, is expected to walk back into the top order in place of Shanto. It will be interesting to see if he opens, or if Mehidy Hasan Miraz remains there after his century against Afghanistan.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 3 Litton Das, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Towhid Hridoy, 7 Shamim Hossain, 8 Afif Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Hasan Mahmud.

Pitch and conditions

Conditions at the Gaddafi Stadium tend to be batting-friendly, with the last five ODIs here producing three 300-plus first-innings totals as well as Sri Lanka’s 291 against Afghanistan on Tuesday. The weather is expected to be hot and dry, with temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh are yet to beat Pakistan in Pakistan in any format. They have lost each of their meetings in 11 ODIs, five Tests and three T20Is.
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (22.39) has the best average of all Pakistan bowlers with at least 50 ODI wickets ahead of Sarfraz Nawaz (23.22), Wasim Akram (23.52) and Waqar Younis (23.84).
• Mohammad Rizwan is one catch short of 50 as a keeper in ODIs. He has also taken 12 catches as a fielder.

But with Magala and Parnell picking up injuries, South Africa are rather thin on fast-bowling resources

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2023Keshav Maharaj has been “cleared for selection” for South Africa’s white-ball squads for the ongoing exchanges against Australia at home. However, Sisanda Magala has been ruled out of the second T20I with a left knee injury, Wayne Parnell has had a recurrence of a left shoulder injury, and Marco Jansen has been released from the squad to take part in his sister’s wedding festivities and will miss the second and third T20Is.Maharaj hasn’t played international cricket since the Johannesburg Test against West Indies in March because of a ruptured left Achilles. He is available from the second T20I onwards, with South Africa 1-0 down having lost the first game by a whopping 111 runs. His rehabilitation “has progressed positively”, a CSA statement said, confirming that he had “successfully participated” in a pre-season 50-over match for Hollywoodbets Dolphins against AET Tuskers on Tuesday.This is along expected lines. When the squads for the games against Australia were announced on August 14, Maharaj was included, with white-ball head coach Rob Walter saying, “he is ahead of where we thought he would be, so things look positive”.Regarding Magala, CSA said that he “felt discomfort during training and subsequent scans revealed an infrapatellar tendinopathy”. The medical team will continue to manage him ahead of the third T20I on Sunday.With Parnell out for the immediate future and Jansen, who had played the first T20I unlike Parnell, South Africa’s fast-bowling resources look fairly thin. Apart from Jansen, the first T20I featured Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee and Lizaad Williams in the pace attack, and while Williams got three wickets, all five bowlers on view – Tabraiz Shamsi the lone spinner – conceded at least 40 runs from their four overs, Ngidi going for 49.The T20I squad doesn’t have another quick bowler.

Even though Sri Lanka have made large totals in recent games, a closer look reveals a deeper issue

Madushka Balasuriya16-Oct-20231:23

Maharoof: ‘Absolutely pathetic batting display from Sri Lanka’

Sri Lanka’s batting has been lopsided in all their three World Cup games so far but it was only against Australia that it was truly exposed. After racking up a 125-run opening stand, they lost 10 wickets for just 84 runs.While it’s easy to say it was just a bad day, it would be disingenuous not to acknowledge the signs leading up to this meltdown. While last month’s dire Asia Cup final – 50 all out – is still fresh in the memory, you could argue that was down to facing one of the best fast-bowling attacks in conditions that favoured them. What is of greater concern for Sri Lanka is how they have fared on more batter-friendly surfaces.If you include the two World Cup warm-up matches against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Sri Lanka have posted totals of 263, 294, 326, 344 and 209. A closer look, however, unearths promising positions wasted in each of those games.Related

• Angelo Mathews replaces injured Matheesha Pathirana in Sri Lanka's World Cup squad

Against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka scored only 131 runs after the 20th over; against Afghanistan they went from 240 for 2 in the 30th to 294 all out; and against Pakistan they scored only 115 runs in the final 20 overs. Even against South Africa there is an argument to be made that after Kusal Mendis’ blistering start, he might not have lost his wicket as early as he did if he had adequate support from his team-mates.”Despite our promising start, we deeply regret not being able to sustain it, resulting in us being limited to a score of 209 runs,” Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka said after their five-wicket defeat to Australia. “On a wicket like this, I believe we should aim for a total closer to 300 runs, and this was a contributing factor to our defeat.”Nissanka, who scored 61 off 67 balls during the opening stand of 125 with Kusal Perera, is doing his job for the most part.
The Sri Lankan blueprint is pretty straightforward – lay a platform and then launch. But they haven’t been able to launch as far as they would have liked to.”To be candid, the opposition’s bowlers consistently hit good areas during the middle overs, which created a challenging situation for our batsmen,” Nissanka said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t handle it as effectively as we would have liked. Had we managed to play better, we could have achieved a total of 300.”Against Australia, the openers performed but Sri Lanka’s two centurions this tournament – Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama – did not, falling to Zampa for 9 and 8 respectively.”That’s the nature of cricket. We performed admirably in the previous two games, but such fluctuations can occur,” Nissanka said. “Our focus now is to learn from our mistakes and strive for strong performances in the upcoming matches.”The lack of consistent output from the middle and lower order is of greater concern, but when asked why such collapses were happening, Nissanka evaded the question.”As a team, we play every game hoping to win. Unfortunately, we lost the last three matches. we had played well before that. And we hope to play well in the remaining matches.”After suffering three defeats in three games, Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order need to start chipping in before it gets too late. If not, when the top four crumble under the burden placed on them as they did against Australia, such collapses will become more commonplace regardless of the type of surface they play on.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-20232:53

Have England failed to plan well for this World Cup?

—Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament Index

Top Story: England’s title defence suffers another crushing blow as Sri Lanka coast to victory

England’s World Cup defence is not dead yet. And more’s the pity, to judge by this latest hollow-eyed display from Jos Buttler’s ex-worldbeaters. The humiliations are coming so thick and fast that they are losing their shock factor but, suffice to say, this latest crushing loss – by eight wickets and in just 59 overs of the match’s 100 – was neither the largest nor the most shocking of an abject campaign.It was, however, the one that confirmed beyond any lingering doubt that this team of genuine England greats no longer has any miracles left within its dressing-room. The match-up was nominally eighth versus ninth in the tournament standings, but by the time Pathum Nissanka had slammed Sri Lanka’s winning six over long-on with a massive 148 balls remaining, you were left to wonder whether this England team, in this miserable mood, could even have matched their conquerors’ achievement of making out of the qualifying tournament in July that did for the likes of West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland.Click here to read the full report

Match analysis: England’s lurching between attack and defence leaves them in no man’s land

There was more gloom heading Jos Buttler’s way who once again fell for a low score•Associated Press

The light at the end of the tunnel was a train. England have spent the last four weeks travelling around India talking about responding to setbacks and awaiting the statement performance that has never arrived. If their defeats to New Zealand, Afghanistan and South Africa were bad, this might have been the worst of the lot.The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was a venue that should have suited England perfectly. In the first of five effective must-win games, they chose to bat first on a flat pitch with short boundaries, rattled along to 44 for 0 after six overs and could finally afford to dream big: would 350 be enough to flatten Sri Lanka, or should they eye 400?Click here to read the full analysis from Matt Roller in Bengaluru

Must Watch: Shane Bond on England’s unwillingness to adapt

2:23

Bond: England showing no willingness to adapt

News headlines

• Jos Buttler said that England’s performance at the World Cup has been “a huge disappointment” and “a shock to everyone” within their set-up, after an eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in Bengaluru left them on the brink of elimination with four group games remaining.
• Shakib Al Hasan returned to Bangladesh’s World Cup camp in Kolkata on Thursday evening, cutting short his three-day Dhaka trip to two days. Shakib had gone to Dhaka on October 25 to have a nets session with his childhood mentor Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.

Match preview

Pakistan vs South Africa, Chennai (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEDT2:59

Bavuma: There is a temptation to chase in Chennai

As one campaign unravels, another gathers full steam. It’s a familiar theme for Pakistan and South Africa across much of ICC tournament history. While South Africa have often looked among the most formidable sides in the early stages of these tournaments, Pakistan stutter and stall until they’ve left themselves with no margin for error, and then they roar into life. This fixture, timed to coincide with that point of crossroads in the World Cup group stages, gives that narrative the extra thrust for South Africa to be that little bit warier, and Pakistan slightly more optimistic.But South Africa are looking to make history at this World Cup, while Pakistan are in danger of being consigned to it. The ferocious brilliance of South Africa has combined with clinical effectiveness, lending that side a steel and ruthlessness they have often been accused of lacking. The team might always look a batter light with Marco Jansen in at seven, but with nearly all of the top six in such glistening form, no side bar Netherlands have been able to burrow their way deeper into that line-up until explosive damage has already been done.Click here for the full previewTeam newsPakistan: (likely) 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq/Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Usama Mir, 9 Mohammad Wasim Jnr, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris RaufSouth Africa: (likely) 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Tabraiz Shamsi, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi/Lizaad Williams

Analysis: How Heinrich Klaasen bosses spin with a destructive quasi-pull

A rendition of the pull that has brought Heinrich Klaasen so much success against spin•ICC/Getty Images

When is a pull no longer a pull? If you’re the kind of person who spends an unhealthy amount of time dwelling on the precise meanings of cricketing terms, you might find yourself pondering this when you watch Heinrich Klaasen play the pull.Defined most simply, the pull is a horizontal-bat shot hit across the line of a short-pitched ball. Klaasen’s pull, particularly against spin bowling, routinely fails to check all three of those boxes.Read the full analysis from Karthik Krishnaswamy

He took aim at the match referees and the ratings some of the pitches received at the 2023 World Cup, held in India

Sidharth Monga04-Jan-20244:08

Rohit: I want to see how the ICC rates pitches

Rohit Sharma has called out the ICC and the match referees for what he sees as double standards at rating pitches. After winning the shortest Test in the history of the game, thanks to a lottery pitch loaded too heavily in the favour of the seam bowlers, Rohit was scathing about the slander against pitches in India, which don’t go the distance.”I mean, we saw what happened in this match, how the pitch played and stuff like that,” Rohit said. “I honestly don’t mind playing on pitches like this. As long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don’t talk too much about Indian pitches, honestly.”Because you come here [in Test cricket] to challenge yourself. Yes, it is dangerous. It is challenging. So, and when people come to India, it is again pretty challenging as well. Look, when you are here to play Test cricket, we talk about Test cricket, the ultimate prize, Test cricket being the pinnacle and stuff like that. I think it’s important that we also stand by it.Related

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“When you are put up against, a challenge like that, you come and face it. That’s what happens in India, but, in India on day one, if the pitch starts turning, people start talking about ‘Puff of dust! Puff of dust!’ There’s so much crack here on the pitch. People are not looking at that.”Rohit singled out the match referees and some of the ratings pitches received in last year’s World Cup, held in India. “I think it’s important that we stay neutral everywhere we go,” Rohit said. “Especially the match referees. You know, some of these match referees need to keep their eye on how they rate pitches. It’s quite important.”I still can’t believe that the World Cup final pitch was rated below average [it was rated average]. A batsman got a hundred there in the final. How can that be a poor pitch? So these are the things the ICC, the match referees, they need to look into and start rating pitches based on what they see, not based on the countries. I think that’s quite important.”So I hope they keep their ears open, they keep their eyes open and look into those aspects of the game. Honestly, I’m all for pitches like this. We want to challenge playing on pitches like this. We pride ourselves playing on pitches like this. Uh, but all I want to say is be neutral.”Rohit Sharma: “I honestly don’t mind playing on pitches like this, as long as everyone keeps their mouth shut in India and don’t talk too much about Indian pitches”•AFP/Getty Images

In the two-Test series that just concluded, South Africa didn’t bowl any spin at all. India bowled only 19 overs of it in the first Test, and none in the second innings. That is what Rohit railed against, asking why a pitch that turns on day is considered inferior to one that seams.”Honestly, I would like to see how the pitches are rated,” Rohit said. “I want to see that. Whatever… that chart, I would love to see it, how they rate the pitches, because Mumbai, Bangalore, Cape Town, Centurion, all different venues, overhead conditions are different. The pitches deteriorate quite fast when the sun is beating down that hard on the pitch.”And in India as well, we know that the conditions in India will spin without a doubt, but obviously people don’t like it because it spins from day one. But that’s not the point. If the ball seams from ball one, that’s okay, right, for everyone? That’s not fair. The ball starts spinning from ball one, it should be okay, in my opinion.”Otherwise, you stay neutral, and you start rating these kind of pitches also bad, because if you want the ball only to seam and not turn, in my opinion, that is absolutely wrong. So that’s my judgement, that’s my opinion on it. I’ll stick by it because I’ve seen enough of cricket now and I’ve seen enough of how these match referees and the ICC looks into these ratings. I have no issues in how they want to rate, but stay neutral to everything that you do.”