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BCCI to wait for Supreme Court nod to roll back key Lodha reforms

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To avoid being held in contempt of court, the BCCI will wait for the Supreme Court of India’s approval before carrying out sweeping changes to its constitution, which would result in significantly rolling back the Lodha Committee’s reforms. The court is likely to hear the matter on December 3, listed “tentatively” as the date for the next hearing.The board has, however, reversed one key decision taken by the court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) that supervised the BCCI’s operations until October this year: secretary Jay Shah will attend the next meeting of the ICC’s chief executives’ committee (CEC) instead of CEO Rahul Johri, who had been attending the meetings in accordance with the CoA’s decision. This is a throwback to how it was to before the court took over the BCCI’s administration, when the board secretary attended the ICC’s CEC meetings.The BCCI took these decisions on Sunday at its annual general meeting (AGM) in Mumbai, which was attended by all its 38 members (state associations).Immediately after taking charge of the BCCI in October, the new administration led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly recommended six amendments to the board’s constitution. The proposed changes included stopping the court from having a say if the BCCI wanted to tweak its constitution, modifying the cooling-off period rule for the board’s office bearers, revising the disqualification criteria, and allotting supreme powers to the board’s secretary.The recommendations were meant to be passed at the AGM – with no opposition expected – if proposed. As per the constitution, a three-fourth majority is required to pass any amendment. It is understood that once Ganguly read out the recommendations to the general body, a majority of the representatives gave their verbal agreement, indicating they were willing to pass the amendments.However, according to one state representative who was present at the AGM, the amendments were not officially put to vote. “There was no passing of the amendments,” the representative said. “They did not put the amendments to vote or in front of the general body. They just said this would be required to be clarified by the Supreme Court first.”It is understood that more than one state association was willing to voice concern if the amendments were put to vote, pointing out that passing them without the court’s approval would amount to contempt of court. Shah to attend ICC CEC instead of Johri
Ganguly’s proposal that Jay Shah attend the ICC’s CEC meeting was approved by the general body, reversing the decision taken by the CoA.At its very first meeting after being appointed as the supervisory authority by the court in January 2017, the CoA had decided that Johri would attend the meetings. Incidentally, the court had said that the BCCI’s then acting secretary Amitabh Choudhury and treasurer Anriduh Chaudhry would accompany CoA members to the ICC’s meetings, comprising the CEC meeting, finance & commercial affairs (F&CA) committee meeting, and the ICC Board meeting.In a note to the state associations, sent as part of the AGM agenda last month, the BCCI pointed out that in order to “protect interests” of the Indian board, which it feared were being “eroded”, representatives to ICC meetings needed to be experienced and have the skills to negotiate.As for the BCCI representative for the F&CA and Board meetings, the general body left the decision to the board’s Apex Council. The next round of ICC meetings are scheduled for March 2020.Before the court got involved in BCCI matters, the board president attended the F&CA and ICC Board meetings, while the secretary would sit in on the CEC meeting.No committee to pick selectors, yet
As per the constitution, the BCCI has to appoint a cricket advisory committee (CAC) at the AGM, which in turn will appoint the men’s senior selection panel and – whenever the need might arise – the head coach. At the moment, the terms of two members of the men’s senior selection panel – MSK Prasad (chairman) and Gagan Khoda – have expired.The general body was told that the CAC and the other cricketing committees would be finalised by the BCCI office bearers “very soon”.Ganguly’s administration wants to approach the court to relax the conflict of interest rules, which would then allow it to have reputed former players as part of the CAC as well as other key committees, including the selection committee.”We met [the BCCI’s ethics officer Justice (retired)] DK Jain yesterday regarding the conflict of interest issue,” Ganguly told reporters after the AGM. “We need to get proper clarity from him about what is conflict and what is not conflict, because we don’t want to appoint someone [for the CAC] and then again he gets cancelled like it has happened in the past. So those clarifications were required.”

Ish Sodhi returns to Rajasthan Royals as spin consultant, operations executive

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Ish Sodhi, the New Zealand legspinner, is set to take on a new role for Rajasthan Royals. After being released earlier this year following a two-year stint, the 27-year old will rejoin as spin consultant and operations executive.”Ish was very keen with the managerial side of things, and was particularly interested in how things work behind the scenes, so we thought while we bring him on board in an operational capacity, he can also double-up on the coaching front by assisting our spin coach Sairaj Bahutule,” a Royals official told ESPNcricinfo.An active cricketer seeking to broaden his horizons into the business operations of a franchise, Sodhi could be a pathbreaker of sorts. But such an association isn’t entirely new for the Royals, who earlier had Pravin Tambe in their roster.The Mumbai legspinner was once a a venue manager at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. He also served as liaison officer for Deccan Chargers at the same venue in 2010. In 2013, he was part of the Royals squad despite not having played a single game of top-flight cricket.In 2020, at 48, Tambe will be the oldest player in the competition following a bid at his base price (INR 20 lakhs) from Kolkata Knight Riders, while Sodhi, nearly two decades younger, works in the backroom. According to the Royals, Sodhi’s rapport with their young spinners – Shreyas Gopal, Riyan Parag – played a hand in him being signed in a dual capacity. This season, he’ll also get to work with 20-year old legspinner Mayank Markande, who has been traded in after two years with Mumbai Indians.”It is a fascinating opportunity for me to involved with the coaching staff at such a young age, while also supporting and learning about the operations of the business,” Sodhi said in a statement. “I am looking forward to developing my coaching skills alongside Sairaj and learning from Jake Lush McCrum [chief operating officer] on business operations.”Sodhi picked up nine wickets in eight matches for the Royals at an economy of 6.69. While he isn’t part of New Zealand’s Test plans at the moment, he’s still on their radar for limited-overs selection. In all, Sodhi has an impressive 161 wickets in 143 T20 matches, with a best of 6 for 11 for Adelaide Strikers against Sydney Thunder in BBL 2017-18.”We are very happy to welcome back Ish to the Royals family in his new role,” Royals’ head of cricket Zubin Barucha said. “The induction of Ish in this dual role demonstrates the Royals’ commitment to recognise and reward young talent to develop into masters in their field of work.”

Pakistan set up semi-final showdown against India

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In what was built up as a tense clash between two neighbouring countries, Pakistan’s all-round bowling effort combined with a solid batting performance helped them set up a semi-final clash against defending champions India. Afghanistan, meanwhile, can at best hope to finish fifth if they beat Australia in a play-off fixture,Pakistan’s efforts were led by half-centurion Mohammad Huraira, who ensured they didn’t have any hiccups in their chase of 190. They crossed the line with plenty to spare.ALSO READ: Noor Ahmad mankads Mohammad Huraira in Under-19 World CupAlthough the win was straightforward, it featured a moment of quick-thinking from Afghanistan’s left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad, who ran out opener Huraira for 64 in the 28th over for walking out of his crease at the non-strikers’ end.However, that dismissal did not alter the result. The unbeaten fourth-wicket stand between Qasim Ahmed (25) and Mohammad Haris (29) took Pakistan to victory in the 42nd over.”Our batsmen did not take the responsibility today, and that’s where we lost,” Afghanistan captain Farhan Zakhil told ESPNcricinfo after the match. “We want to congratulate Pakistan on the way they controlled the game. They deserved to win today.””I had self-belief that whenever I get a chance for the team, I’ll try to do my best,” Huraira, the Player of the Match, said. “The coaches told us to not go for the big shots against the spinners. When they bowled bad, only then did we go for the boundary shots. The pacers were wayward and we waited for the bad ball. When it came, we banged them away.”Afghanistan, opting to bat first, were bowled out for 189. Pakistani right-arm pacer Mohammad Amir Khan led the way, taking 3 for 58. Afghanistan had begun their innings well, putting on 41 runs for their first wicket in quick time, but Ibrahim Zadran’s dismissal to left-arm quick Tahir Hussain opened the gates for a middle-order collapse.The score of 41 for 1 soon became 99 for 4 as Pakistan’s bowlers upped the pressure by their tidy bowling in the middle overs. If it wasn’t for No. 9 Abdul Rahman’s 41-ball 30 towards the end, Afghanistan could have been bowled out for much less. Each of Pakistan’s six bowlers picked up at least one wicket, with Fahad Munir taking 2 for 29 in his seven overs.Pakistan’s chase began smoothly, as their openers struck exquisite drives and hearty pulls off the Afghanistan pacers in the first Powerplay. Haider Ali was the first man dismissed, run out in the 12th over, but by then they had already put on 61.Pakistan captain Rohail Nazir then struck 22 in the company of Huraira to take them past 100, and despite Noor’s efforts of taking two wickets plus the run-out of Huraira, they eventually had too few runs to defend.Huraira was the best batsman on the day. He struck eight fours and a six, peppering most of his boundaries through the covers and even holding his pose for the cameras on a few occasions.
Half-centuries from George Hill and Jordan Cox helped England Under-19 to a 75-run victory against Zimbabwe in the ninth-place playoff. England posted 286 for 9, buoyed by an 83-run fourth-wicket stand between Cox and Hill, who made 59 and 90 respectively.After Cox’s dismissal, Hill anchored the best part of the innings, peppering six fours and six in his 119-ball knock. By the time Wesley Madhevere had him caught in the 48th over, England already had 260 on the board.Hill was ably supported by captain George Balderson, who chipped in with a quickfire 30-ball 45 not out. Madhevere shone for Zimbabwe, finishing with 4 for 42.With the bat, too, Madhevere, stood out, smashing a 45-ball 52 in the opening position. While he kept the scoreboard ticking, the opposition kept chipping away at Zimbabwe’s top order. By the close of the 14th over, Zimbabwe had lost their top four, Madhevere among the only batsmen to notch a double-digit score.Emannuel Bawa and Taurayi Tugwete led the repair task thereafter, adding 70 for the fifth wicket, but fell for 31 and 58 within two overs of each other. With 118 needed off 17 overs, Zimbabwe folded for 211 inside 41 overs. Balderson took 3 for 29, while Scott Currie and Lewis Goldworthy bagged two wickets each.

Yashasvi Jaiswal century leads India to third straight Under-19 World Cup final

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Having been deflated with a collapse of 6 for 26, Pakistan Under-19 could pose no challenge to the India Under-19 opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena, who shared an unbeaten stand of 176 to lead the defending champions to a thumping ten-wicket win in the first semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup in Potchefstroom. India’s victory took them to their third straight final and closer to a fifth Under-19 World Cup title; they will play the winner of New Zealand and Bangladesh in the final on February 9. Jaiswal reached his first hundred in the tournament with a six to seal India’s win while Saxena remained unbeaten on 59.Pakistan, who opted to bat, seemed on course for a respectable total as their opener Haider Ali and captain Rohail Nazir put on a half-century stand for the third wicket. The duo helped Pakistan recover from 34 for 2 in the ninth over, but Haider fell soon after reaching his fifty while trying to cut part-timer Jaiswal. At 96 for 3 in the 26th over, Haider’s wicket pegged Pakistan’s progress significantly, as Nazir saw four more wickets fall in front of him. India’s two quicks Sushant Mishra and Kartik Tyagi did most of the damage – sharing five wickets between them – while legspinner Ravi Bishnoi finished with two from his 10 overs.Pakistan’s collapse began in the 35th over, with the score at 146 for 4, and it took a spectacular effort from Saxena at deep square leg to trigger the slide. Mohammad Haris’ sweep off left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar seemed destined for a one-bounce four, but Saxena ran across and dived full length to complete the catch just inches from the ground. That effort pushed the other India players to raise their game, and Tyagi delivered a yorker three overs later to bowl Irfan Khan. Only five balls later, Bishnoi trapped Abbas Afridi lbw with a contentious decision as Pakistan slumped to 163 for 7. Nazir was dismissed for 62 three overs later and by the 44th over, they were bowled out for 172.India’s chase started with caution, with Saxena and Jaiswal scoring at under four per over for the first 15 overs. They played out the new ball under overcast conditions with a strong crosswind blowing across the ground, offering no chance for Pakistan to come back into the game via an early wicket.After Jaiswal got his fifty off 66 balls in the 22nd over, he started using his feet against the spinners to hit over long-on or pull the pacers behind square. Saxena stroked the ball along the ground for the most of his innings, letting Jaiswal be the aggressor. Saxena reached his fifty in the 30th over by driving to deep cover off 83 balls and the asking rate had now come down to two runs per over. Saxena hit six fours while Jaiswal struck eight fours and four sixes, including one that brought up his hundred and India’s victory. After sealing the chase, Jaiswal raised both arms in the air, looked upwards and kissed the chain around his neck.Nazir praised India’s bowlers for their effort but said that Pakistan’s batsmen failed to live up to their potential.”It’s hard, but cricket is all about the game. One team wins, and we didn’t play good cricket today. India were better in the field and with their bowling. They outclassed us,” Nazir said in the post-match press conference. “When me and Haider were batting, we were going really nice. But after Haider’s wicket, we didn’t build partnerships.”That’s the reason why our batting line-up could not get the big runs. With the batting, our shot selection was poor in the crucial time. Three middle-order wickets fell cheaply in crunch situations. Because there weren’t enough runs on the board, our bowlers could not penetrate either.”The game had the best attendance of all the matches in the tournament thus far, with Pakistan supporters twice as many as India’s. Chants, both of the friendly and not-so-friendly kind, rang through the JB Marks Oval from both sides, the Pakistani voices diminishing as the game progressed. India have now pulled level with Pakistan as far as the sides’ Under-19 World Cup head-to-head record goes. Jaiswal is leading this edition’s run-scoring charts, having earned his fourth 50-plus score in five games. India’s victory was also the first ten-wicket win in the history of Under-19 World Cup (non-Plate) knockouts.

PCA stall on ECB's request for players' 20% pay cut

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England’s centrally contracted players appear – at this stage – to have declined the offer to accept a temporary pay cut as part of the sport’s efforts to combat the challenges set by the COVID-19 pandemic.Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, wrote to Tony Irish, his counterpart at the Professional Cricketers’ Association (the PCA; the players’ union who negotiate pay on behalf of centrally contracted players), on March 29 to broach the subject. ESPNcricinfo has a copy of this letter.In the letter, Harrison revealed that he personally would be taking a 25% pay cut “for at least three months” as the ECB “confronted… the biggest challenge the sport has known in the modern era.” It is understood that other ECB executives have volunteered a 20% pay cut and some staff will be informed on Wednesday morning of a decision to furlough them.It is unclear how much direct input the players had on the decision, although writing on Twitter, Ben Stokes responded with fury at the suggestion that England’s centrally contracted players had personally turned down the request.While there were some exchanges between the PCA and the players on WhatsApp groups, the PCA stance has remained that pay cuts should only be seen as a last resort. Jos Buttler, meanwhile, is auctioning off the shirt he wore when England clinched the World Cup to raise money for a health service charity.ALSO READ: Losing whole summer would cost over £300m – ECB chief executiveWhile the ECB understood they could not compel the players to accept a pay cut, they had hoped they might volunteer one as a “gesture” in an unprecedented crisis. But, after receiving a less than enthusiastic response to the idea, in a media conference on March 31, Harrison said the ECB “are not seeking pay cuts from England players”.”In these circumstances,” Harrison wrote, “it is my strong belief that a leadership example must be set.”These measures will be far more effective with the support of our professional players and we seek your help and understanding in this. We are rightly proud of the role our England players play in wider society and how they are helping people through these difficult days and across the country we recognise the valuable role that professional cricketers play in support of the cricket family. In unprecedented times like these, it is important for the whole cricket family to show a willingness to be part of the solution.ECB chief executive Tom Harrison sent a letter to PCA CEO Tony Irish last week•Getty Images

“Whilst the health of the nation is under threat, the future of our sport depends on every single one of us sharing the load right now. In light of this, I am encouraging the PCA and all professional players to support the recommendations the first-class counties present to you next week, which may very well propose a 20% reduction in salaries for April and May, with a view to revisiting this on a monthly basis until we have navigated through the crisis.”I am hopeful that our players are able to contribute in rising to this unprecedented challenge. If we can all pull our weight in working together and come through this, then we will not only reinforce the truly inspiring spirit of the cricket family, but we will safeguard the future of our sport and the livelihoods of everyone who works within it.”An excerpt from Tom Harrison’s letter to Tony Irish•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCA is yet to receive a proposal from the first-class counties, and will wait for that to arrive before considering it. Irish’s most recent public comments stressed the need for collective solutions. Many county players have now beenfurloughed. While some counties are making-up the full difference between the government contribution and their full salaries, some arenot.There is an additional element of negotiation for centrally contracted players due to the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP), which effectively decides the value of central contracts for international players. Irish is also chair of TEPP.It remains possible that the PCA stance will change but it does seem they have not taken the first opportunity to act in this unprecedented situation.

CSA reiterates suspension of CEO after Thabang Moroe tries to return to work

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Cricket South Africa (CSA) has clarified that its CEO, Thabang Moroe, remains suspended after he attempted to return to work on Thursday morning.Moroe was suspended on December 6, 2019 amid allegations of misconduct, and Dr Jacques Faul was appointed as an acting replacement, initially for a period of six months.CSA hoped to wrap up Moore’s disciplinary proceedings in that time. However, they have not completed a forensic audit which is key to some of the allegations Moroe is facing – including credit card misuse – and his case remains unresolved. While it is understood Faul was given an extension for “as long as needed”, Moroe tried to resume his position but found the organisation’s doors locked as CSA’s staff have been working from home since late March when South Africa went into lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic. CSA’s Board has now confirmed he remains suspended and cannot return to work.”The letter of suspension issued to the Chief Executive Officer explicitly stated that he was suspended until the conclusion of the independent forensic investigation. This investigation is not yet complete and therefore the Chief Executive Officer remains suspended and any assertion that his suspension was for a pre-determined period is without basis,” a CSA statement issued late on Thursday read.They also confirmed the delay in Moore’s case is due to the unfinished forensics audit, which they expect “imminently.”Earlier in the week, the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) accused CSA’s Board of lacking the will to complete the Moroe case and of deliberate delaying tactics. SACA cited that six other staff members, who were all suspended late last year, have had their proceedings completed and SACA believes CSA has sufficient evidence to proceed on Moroe without the audit.CSA denied SACA’s claim. “This remains a matter of utmost concern to the Board. The Board wishes to assure all stakeholders and the public that this matter is receiving all the attention it deserves. However, the Board is also at pains to ensure that due process is followed at all times,” the statement said.They promised “more clarity” before the end of June. Until then, Moroe remains in full pay of R 350,000 a month (approx US$ 20,800), even though CSA is facing major financial losses.

IPL 2020, tweaked domestic schedule high on agenda as BCCI Apex Council meets

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Conducting a delayed season of the IPL, possibly in September-October, and other domestic tournaments, likely to be fewer than usual, will be topmost on the BCCI Apex Council’s agenda when the members meet via video conference on Friday to discuss the immediate future despite rising Covid-19 cases in the country. That aside, there will be discussions on the senior men’s team’s calendar, with three series – away white-ball tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and a home series against England – already deferred.
Items on the agenda

  • IPL – the way forward
  • Domestic cricket schedule
  • FTP – rescheduling of the England home series for February, 2021
  • Tax exemption certificates, which are mandatory for hosting the T20 World Cup in India
  • The NCA facility in Bengaluru
  • Extension of contracts for BCCI and IPL digital platforms
  • The administration of the Bihar Cricket Association
  • Appointment of new BCCI staff
  • Procedure to appoint new CEO after Rahul Johri’s resignation
  • Payments to the north-eastern states
  • Discussion on tender for apparel partnership

“Obviously, all options need to be explored (when it comes to the IPL),” an unnamed BCCI official told PTI. “First option is India but you don’t know how the situation will be. Obviously, there is UAE and Sri Lanka but taking out the IPL will increase the overheads. I think the president also recently said that.”I don’t think we are still in a position to fix venues in a situation which is so fluid. But the plans and the tentative window needs to be ready so that once ICC makes a formal announcement of T20 World Cup (scheduled for October-November) cancellation next week, we can proceed.”The thorny issue of getting a tax-exemption certificate from the government in order to host the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup in India is also high on the agenda. As such, the BCCI has been given time until December to get the necessary clearances from the central government. Meanwhile, a final decision on the 2020 edition of the tournament, scheduled to be held in Australia, is pending, and might emerge from the ICC Board meeting, slotted for next Monday.As far as India men’s FTP is concerned, the white-ball series against England in September could be rescheduled to February, following the Test series. In case the BCCI wants to squeeze in the white-ball games, it could mean curtailing the five-Test series to include six white-ball games (three in each format). The postponed white-ball tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe also need to be rescheduled.Coming to the domestic season, which includes tournaments for senior men, senior women, men’s Under-23s, Under-19s and Under-16s, women’s Under-23s and Under-19s, a lot of tweaking could be on the cards.”Obviously, the Ranji Trophy schedule needs to be tweaked,” the official said. “We need to discuss whether we can have Vijay Hazare, Duleep Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali in one go. Maybe we have to let go (of) one of the tournaments as considerable time would be lost. We have to fit in the junior domestic events (too).”As for the apparel sponsorship, with the deal with Nike having come to an end, the BCCI is expected to follow the process of inviting tenders from potential bidders.

Dom Sibley vows to be 'a bit more proactive' after spin slowdowns

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There is every chance that Dom Sibley will finish his first home summer as a Test cricketer as England’s highest run-scorer. As things stand, he is second only to Ben Stokes in the charts, who will miss the final two Tests due to family reasons; since his debut in November, only Stokes and Joe Root have been more prolific.With that in mind, it is something of a surprise to hear his assessment of his time in the side so far. “I do feel, sitting here now, that I’ve got a lot more to give,” he said on Tuesday. “I’ve only sort of shown myself to a certain level at this stage, and I do feel like I’ve let opportunities slip to score maybe four or five hundreds. That might be sounding greedy and it might sound unrealistic but that’s the way I think.”That mentality has served Sibley well to date. After piling on the runs in county cricket last season – he scored 300 runs and faced 1000 more balls than anyone else in Division One of the County Championship – he has bedded into his spot at the top of the order after an unconvincing start, with hundreds against South Africa and West Indies and an average a shade below 40.ALSO READ: Buttler clicks, but have England found the key to unlocking his potential?And yet there have been several occasions – most notably in the two Manchester Tests against West Indies – when Sibley’s presence at the crease has provoked groans and mutters. His strike rate across the course of his career is a sedate 36.57 – 2.19 runs per over – and his caution against spin in particular has been a point of frustration for those hoping England will accelerate.”I am trying to learn and improve as much as possible,” he said. “That’s the thing that I probably need to do a bit better, especially against spin, is to try and rotate the strike as much as possible; be a bit more proactive. I’ve been working really hard on that.” He has picked the brains of Graham Thorpe, England’s assistant coach and himself a strong player of spin, as well as asking some of his team-mates for advice.But in the first Test against Pakistan, his desire to show a more proactive side to his game against spin proved his undoing in the second innings. Yasir Shah had joked to England’s batsmen on the fourth day that conditions in Manchester suited him even better than those in Dubai. And after padding away two overs of legspin from round the wicket, Sibley was suckered into a drive when Yasir came back over, slashing to slip and muttering in frustration to himself as he dragged himself off.

“I was obviously extremely disappointed with the way I got out in that second innings because I had worked really hard, [and had] been really disciplined against him,” he said. “I did feel like I wanted to be that person, not out at the end when we chased that down. But it wasn’t to be and you try and learn from those mistakes.”It’s a fine balance, I suppose, because I want to be out there and put such a high price on my wicket and do a good job for the team. But at the same time, trying to find that balance between [that and] having the bravery to play the shots that I feel like I know I have in the locker.”It’s just a case of having the bravery and confidence to do that in the Test arena when the scrutiny is higher and you might get judged in how you get out.”Sibley was “extremely disappointed with his dismissal to Yasir Shah•Pool/AFP via Getty Images

In particular, Sibley has realised when batting with Root – who averages 63.38 against spin over the course of his career, rattling along at a strike rate of 59.50 in the process – that there is work to be done. And while he is happy with his record against spin in county cricket, he is aware that with more attention on him, it might not be so easy to drop anchor.”I feel confident in playing spin and I have done. When you get to this level, and suddenly loads of eyes are on you, and you may not be scoring as quickly as other people in the team, you get judged.”I have always felt very confident and scored runs against good bowlers in country cricket. But when you get to international cricket, with the spotlight being on you, you get those things pointed out a bit more. It’s made me think that I need to work a bit harder.”When you are batting with someone like Rooty at the other end who is making playing spin look pretty easy, it makes me think that I need to try and take my game against spin to the next level.”With as many as seven Tests in Asia in the pipeline this winter – two in Sri Lanka, and five in India or UAE – there is a sense that this biggest challenge is still to come.

Mike Hesson 'certainly open' to mid-season loan transfer of players

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How about a football style mid-season loan transfer at IPL 2020? An option that was first mooted by the IPL Governing Council last year could be exercised by at least Royal Challengers Bangalore this season in the UAE.The Royal Challengers are open to such a possibility due to biosecutirty protocols, quarantine requirements and travel restrictions that could make it difficult to summon late player replacements at a short notice as they have the smallest travelling contingent of 21 players.”Looks if needs must, later on, we are certainly open to it,” team director Mike Hesson said at a virtual media conference on Wednesday. “We’ve got a small squad and we’ve done that for a reason. If something [injuries] was to occur, we’d certainly look at that.”You, however, need both teams to buy into any potential loan. So you need to make sure the other side is happy with the loan and think they’ll get benefit from it later on in the tournament as well. So it’s not a matter of identifying someone you want, they also have to be allowed to be released as well.”ALSO READ: Mike Hesson: ‘Wilful breach of IPL bubble will have strong consequences’Last year, the IPL had opened up a five-day window for uncapped players to be loaned mid-season in the manner of football transfers, subject to the player not having featured in more than two games. It was a move that found support from Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Mahela Jayawardene.This time around, for the first time, the IPL has permitted loans of capped players – Indian or overseas – between teams at the halfway point in the season. Teams could use it should they have injury concerns going into the second half of the tournament.”It will come in at some stage due to the fact that it’s hard to get potential replacements,” Hesson explained. “We are very comfortable with the squad we have, but if we get injuries or so forth then loan opportunities could become an option. It’s certainly something that BCCI are well aware [of] as well.”If teams were to loan players, the arrangement would be between the franchises, with the money paid from outside the auction purse. The player will be entitled to his fixed auction price and won’t benefit from such a transfer. The IPL, however, will be notified about the transaction.

Cricket Ireland cancels interprovincial T20 over links to Northamptonshire Covid case

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Cricket Ireland has cancelled an interprovincial T20 scheduled for Wednesday because of concerns about a possible Covid-19 “chain of transmission” to the Bob Willis Trophy match between Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire that was abandoned at the weekend.The T20 between Munster Reds and Northern Knights was due to take place in Cork, but was called off before the Knights travelled down on Tuesday. Cricket Ireland said that Paul Stirling, the Ireland batsman who has been playing for Northants in the Vitality T20 Blast, had come into contact with some Knights players and although he was not part of the squad the game would not go ahead.Northamptonshire have maintained largely separate red- and white-ball squads, and have not revealed the name of the player whose positive test led to the Bristol abandonment. However, three of his flatmates are part of the T20 set-up along with Stirling, who had taken advantage of the break in Blast fixtures to return home to Belfast.Cricket Ireland’s high performance director Richard Holdsworth said that they had been waiting for confirmation from Northamptonshire that the three had all tested negative, but one result had not come back time.”While highly unfortunate, we have taken a risk management approach to our decision,” Holdsworth said. “There is absolutely no suggestion that Paul has contracted the virus, but until all three tests of his Northants team-mates have been returned, we don’t know conclusively whether the chain of transmission has been broken.”This is a case of a ‘close contact of a possible close contact’, but while Paul is somewhat removed from the player who tested positive, we left the decision on the game as late as possible to see whether Northants had received the test results of Paul’s team-mates.”Paul wasn’t in the squad for tomorrow’s game but had been in contact with some Knights team-mates over the weekend. Given the lengthy bus trip the Knights have to take for the match in Cork, they were heading down today and staying overnight in Cork. We delayed the bus departure time as long as we could hoping Northants would get the test result, but it didn’t come in time, so we reluctantly had to cancel the trip as a precaution.”These are unprecedented actions, but we are concerned first and foremost with protecting the health and safety of players, staff, match officials, volunteers and those family members close to the players.”