Saifuddin started training but his recovery was not good enough whereas Yasir could not start his rehab

Mohammad Isam23-Jun-2022Bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin has been ruled out of the white-ball leg of Bangladesh’s tour of the West Indies. Saifuddin was deemed not fit enough to bowl after recovering from a back injury. It is the second pullout due to back injuries in as many days after Yasir Ali was also ruled out from the ODIs and T20Is on Wednesday.ESPNcricinfo understands that the selectors are likely to ask a couple out of Tamim Iqbal, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Ebadot Hossain to be part of the T20I squad as they are in the Test and ODI sides. The ODIs are the last segment of the West Indies tour, so the selectors don’t have to fly in a replacement from Dhaka.Bangladesh’s injury count for the tour has reached three after quick bowler Shohidul Islam had already been ruled out of the Tests and T20Is due to a side strain he suffered during training.Saifuddin trained with the white-ball specialists in Dhaka during the last few weeks when his bowling fitness was deemed insufficient. Yasir, meanwhile, was in the West Indies with the Test squad where he found out he had to return home.”Although Saifuddin is training, we feel that at the moment he has not reached the bowling fitness level required to cope with the intensity of international cricket. He will miss the West Indies series as he continues his rehab and works on his fitness,” Dr Debashis Chowdhury, BCB’s chief sports physician, said.Yasir, meanwhile, picked up the injury during the practice match in Coolidge which had ruled him out of the Tests.”Yasir Ali has not been recovering as anticipated from his back injury and could not start his rehab,” Bangladesh physio Bayjedul Islam said. “As he is still restricted in his physical work after nearly two weeks of rest, we can conclude that his injury time will be extended. He will be missing the remaining matches and is therefore out of West Indies series.”Yasir made his international debut in all three formats in the last eight months, rising through the ranks after being with the Test squad throughout 2021. He is seen as an understudy batter, who was going to play in Mushfiqur Rahim’s absence. Saifuddin has been injury-plagued for much of his five-year international career. He got the back injury during the T20 World Cup last year.The second Test of the series will begin on Friday before the T20Is are played on July 2, 3 and 7 in Roseau and Providence. The three ODIs will be played in Providence on July 10, 13 and 16.

“I always felt there will be at least one chance to come back. I knew I would give it 100%”

Sidharth Monga09-Jul-20222:08

Giles: India have a ‘real powerhouse of a T20 team’ available

It’s a weird old summer in England where the red Dukes Test ball is swinging less and going soft quickly and the white Kookaburra is not only swinging, it is swinging for longer than usual. It is quaint that such an integral part of the contest is not homogenised but also strange that such little research on such an integral part of a professional sport is available in the public sphere. Its practitioners are almost resigned to be at the mercy of the batch of balls they get.”Honestly I don’t know that [why the ball is swinging],” Bhuvneshwar Kumar said after helping India complete a 2-0 T20I series win against England. “Because I’ve been here quite a few times and it didn’t swing in the last few series I’ve played here.”So yes, even I was very surprised that the white ball is swinging and swinging for a long period of time, especially in the T20 format. And that there’s more bounce in the wicket as well. So yes, when the ball swings you enjoy more. But honestly, I don’t know if I’m swinging it, [if it is] some conditions or it’s the ball, but yes, I’m glad it’s swinging.”Related

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Not surprisingly, Bhuvneshwar right now is a kid in a toy store. The ball is swinging for him and swinging for long. Accordingly he is 6-1-25-4 after two matches. He admitted he is tempted to show off and bowl inswing-outswing-inswing-outswing but that’s not how you get wickets. And there are very few in contemporary cricket who know how to make use of the swinging ball better than Bhuvneshwar.”If the ball swings, which is my strength, I look to attack,” Bhuvneshwar said. “Batsmen attack on flat wickets, they play their shots there, but it swung in these two matches, and I have been on the attack. But it is important to not get ahead of yourself. You feel like bowling one inswinger, one outswinger, one inswinger, but it is important to control that urge. Bowl consistently and set the batsman up.”Even in T20 cricket, you can apparently do that. In the first T20I, the non-striker Jos Buttler watched him bowl four straight outswingers to Jason Roy. The last of those got Roy a single. It brought Buttler on strike. The first ball to Buttler was a big inswinger, castling him. In the second, he didn’t need a set-up. Starting off with a slip in place, he bowled the perfect outswinger first and up and took Roy’s edge.Twice in two matches Bhuvneshwar Kumar saw the back of Jos Buttler•Getty Images

When Buttler and Dawid Malan started to walk at him in a bid to thwart the swing, Bhuvneshwar didn’t mind bringing the wicketkeeper up. And he had Buttler for a second time this series.Bowling so well was a distant thought when people wondered if it was curtains for Bhuvneshwar when he struggled in the T20 World Cup. Aspersions were cast on his commitment, replacements looked readily available, but when India saw he had come back to full fitness, they had no second thoughts in going back to Bhuvneshwar. But did he doubt himself ever?”After an injury, you know you have to do well when you come back,” Bhuvneshwar said. “There’s no other option. I always felt there will be at least one chance to come back. I knew I would give it 100% then but there is no guarantee the results will be good.”Because when you get injured, you get frustrated. There is some disappointment. It is not strictly doubts but you are not in a good frame of mind. Luckily I got a chance and did well. Of course the way the captain and the coach have backed me, it is good… if they backed me and I am doing well, they also must be feeling good that the player they backed is doing well.”In this mood, with the ball swinging, it is a miracle the captain has been able to take the ball off him and bowl him for just three overs in each of the matches.

South Africa are hoping to have their premier quick back for the three-Test series against England

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2022Kagiso Rabada, South Africa’s pace frontman, has been ruled out of the two-T20I series against Ireland, to be played in Bristol in August, “following a review of his left medial ankle injury by the Proteas medical team”.”He [Rabada] will continue medical management and rehabilitation and his progress will be closely monitored in preparation for the upcoming three-match Test series against England later this month,” a CSA media statement said.Related

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Rabada was rested for the three-match ODI series in England recently as part of his workload management but took part in the T20I series. He played the first two T20Is in which he picked up just one wicket. He was replaced by Anrich Nortje for the final outing in Southampton owing to a niggle. South Africa drew the ODI series 1-1, with the last fixture washed out, before clinching the T20I series 2-1.The two T20Is against Ireland will be played on August 3 and 5 in Bristol. South Africa will then take on England in a three-Test series that begins on August 17 at Lord’s – these matches are part of the World Test Championship. South Africa are currently leading the championship table, while England are placed seventh.With Temba Bavuma nursing an elbow injury, David Miller will continue leading South Africa in the shortest format.

Taniya Bhatia and Simran Bahadur are the standby players for the squad of 15

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2022Fit-again Jemimah Rodrigues has returned to India’s 15-member T20I squad for the Women’s Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh from October 1-15.Rodrigues missed the ongoing England tour because of a wrist injury that she picked up during her stint at the Women’s Hundred with Northern Superchargers. Since her return, Rodrigues has undergone three weeks of rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.Rodrigues’ inclusion is the only addition to the squad that lost 2-1 in the T20I series against England. Richa Ghosh, who impressed with her lower-order hitting during the series, retains her place as the frontline wicketkeeper.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

That meant Taniya Bhatia, who was the first choice wicketkeeper at the Commonwealth Games and didn’t get a game in the T20Is against England, has been consigned to the standby list along with medium-pacer Simran Bahadur. Hard-hitting top-order bat Kiran Prabhu Navgire, who made her debut during the England series, retains her place in the squad led by Harmanpreet Kaur.Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh are the two frontline seamers, with allrounder Pooja Vastrakar being the third-seam option. India’s spin stocks, meanwhile, are significantly varied. They have two left-arm spinners in Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav, while Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma, both allrounders, offering right-arm variety.The Women’s Asia Cup is returning after a four-year gap. The seven-team tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with each team playing six matches in the league phase, before the top four advance to the semi-finals.India begin their campaign on the opening day (October 1) against Sri Lanka, before taking on Malaysia and debutants UAE on October 3 and October 4 respectively. They will then play Pakistan and Bangladesh on October 7 and 8 before rounding off their league engagements against Thailand on October 10.All matches will be held in Sylhet, where India last played during the T20 World Cup in 2014. Bangladesh are the current defending champions, having beaten India in a last-ball thriller in 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, S Meghana, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Dayalan Hemalatha, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Radha Yadav, Kiran Navgire. Standby players: Taniya Bhatia, Simran Bahadur

Although conditions in Perth should suit the quicks, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga looms as a threat

Tristan Lavalette24-Oct-20224:41

What makes the SL spinners a threat even in Australia?

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh has declared himself fit to bowl in a much-needed confidence boost for Australia, whose T20 World Cup title defence is on the line against Sri Lanka at Optus Stadium on Tuesday.While fellow favourites India and England started their campaigns with statement wins, albeit in contrasting fashion, hosts Australia are on the back foot after a thumping 89-run opening defeat to New Zealand at the SCG.It has meant Australia’s net run rate is already an eyesore and winning their remaining four games might not be enough to get into the semi-finals given the cut-throat nature of the tournament.Having finally recovered from a lingering ankle injury, Marsh should add much-needed versatility for an Australian attack still reeling from a pummeling by rampant openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway.Related

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He has not bowled since the Zimbabwe ODI series in August, playing as a specialist No. 3 batter in the lead up matches and against New Zealand.”I’m available to bowl. I love preparing as an allrounder and making sure I’m in the game the whole time,” Marsh told reporters in Perth on Monday.His seam bowling will provide another option for skipper Aaron Finch in the powerplay after Australia leaked 65 runs against New Zealand. To balance the attack, Finch prefers utilising an allrounder – either Marsh, Marcus Stoinis or offspinner Glenn Maxwell – in the opening six overs.Against New Zealand, Stoinis, who himself had only recently returned from a side strain, conceded 10 runs in the fourth over as Finch only used five bowlers with Maxwell strangely overlooked on an SCG pitch that gripped as the game wore on.”I think with me bowling, it gives us that added flexibility of myself, Maxi or Stoin can get four overs out. And we can bowl anywhere,” Marsh said.After such a disastrous start to their title defence, question marks continue to hover over Australia with Steven Smith and young allrounder Cameron Green, who replaced the injury Josh Inglis, on the outside looking in.Mitchell Marsh would be a valuable bowling option for Aaron Finch•AFP

But Australia are expected to back the same line-up, packed with big-hitters, as they attempt to lift off the canvas much like they spectacularly did 12 months ago in the UAE.In the aftermath of Saturday’s defeat, spinner Adam Zampa said Marsh attempted an ice breaker in the team’s dejected changing rooms by saying: “Perfect, this is right where we wanted to be – backs against the wall”.While a smiling Marsh doesn’t recall the quip, jokingly saying he was “thrown under the bus” by Zampa, he did believe it was an approach worth adopting.”We don’t really have a choice,” he said. “The nature of the tournament…you lose one game, your back is up against the wall and we know what’s in front of us. It’s just really important to stick together.”Even though Perth has experienced inclement weather in recent days, fortunately not impacting the tournament, there is no forecast for rain on Tuesday with the Optus Stadium pitch expected to again be bouncy and fast.England speedster Mark Wood bowled the fastest spell recorded in T20Is during Saturday’s game against Afghanistan, whose batters consistently holed out on the deep square boundaries on a ground with the same dimensions as the MCG.Marsh tipped Australia quicks Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to bowl rapidly. “We’ll certainly have an aggressive approach. We know that the three big bowlers when they get going, theý’re very hard to stop,” he said. I think certainly after the other night we’ll see a big response from them.”Even though Optus Stadium, which essentially mimics the WACA’s iconic pitch, has characteristics perfectly suited for quicks, spinners can be effective in the middle overs by bowling back of a length, stymying batters on the vast square boundaries.England’s high-octane batting order was tied down by Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack as they made hard work of chasing 113, which they reached with 11 balls to spare.After being stunned by Namibia in their opener in Geelong, Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka have steadily improved with three straight wins led by legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga who has taken nine wickets at an average of just 9.78 in the tournament.”He’s obviously a very good bowler and someone we’ll have to counteract,” Marsh said of Hasaranga, who has taken 10 T20I wickets at 16.40 this year against Australia in five matches over two series in Australia and Sri Lanka.”Hopefully spin doesn’t play a huge factor at Perth Stadium and we can really attack them [Sri Lanka’s spinners]. We play spin very well in Australian conditions.”After Sri Lanka, Australia face England at the MCG which is still probably heaving after last night’s epic game between India and Pakistan.England allrounder Sam Curran has lit fuel to the high stakes contest by saying he wants to put Australia in a “tricky position”.Marsh, however, said Australia’s focus was solely on Sri Lanka. “That’s all that matters to us,” he said of the clash expected to attract around 25,000 fans to the 60,000-seat stadium.”Hopefully we play well, get past that and then move on to England.”

Shakib Al Hasan wary of Netherlands threat, and wants his team to remain flexible in their roles

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2022Netherlands batter Tom Cooper feels his side has the advantage of being a more in-the-groove outfit heading into their opening Super 12s fixture against Bangladesh, having already played three tough games in the first round of the Men’s T20 World Cup.”There are some strong sides in the Super 12s stage, but we like our chances [against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe],” Cooper said. “We’ve come off a few competitive games, and Bangladesh are just starting out. They have had a [warm-up] game washed out, and just one practice game. We will hit the ground running.Related

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“You guys suggested it will be an upset [if Netherlands win], but we don’t see it that way. We are here to compete. We have got close against these guys in the past. I don’t see no reason that we can’t knock them off tomorrow.”The path to the Super 12s had been anything but smooth for the Dutch side. They made it on the back of tough wins over UAE and Namibia. Netherlands then went down to Sri Lanka in the last qualifying game and had to wait anxiously to see UAE beat Namibia before their progression was confirmed.Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said that his side would in no way treat Netherlands any differently to any other team.”We will prepare for every game in the same way. Whether we are playing against Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India or Pakistan, we will think and prepare properly against each of these teams. Netherlands were expected to play at this stage,” Shakib said. “I think it is you [the media] who have created the perception that Bangladesh are relieved that we are playing against Netherlands.”I don’t think any team in the world thinks this way. Similarly, we don’t feel that way. We are always trying to win. We are preparing the same way, even if Sri Lanka or West Indies were our opponents.”Shakib Al Hasan urged his team-mates to be flexible with their roles•Getty Images

Shakib urged his team-mates to be flexible about playing in different positions with both bat and ball, based on what the situation demands. “We have 15 fit and ready players. Everyone has the potential to play in any situation. I want everyone to play freely. They will be prepared to bowl [any] particular over, field in [any] particular position, and generally play according to the team’s needs. Teams that can fit situations do well in T20s. I am hopeful our team has this knowledge.”Shakib also played down questions of pressure on him as he returns as captain in a World Cup for the first time since 2011. Shakib lost his captaincy shortly after that tournament, and this has been his first opportunity since to lead his side full-time in a World Cup (he led Bangladesh in one game during the 2015 campaign).”I don’t believe there’s a challenge for me, or I have to prove something. We have come here to play a World Cup in which Bangladesh hasn’t done well in the past. We have the ability to do something this time that we have not done before,” Shakib said.Cooper meanwhile said that his side’s busy summer – they faced West Indies, England, New Zealand and Pakistan – is another source of confidence. While the results were not always in their favour, Cooper believes the experience will do Netherlands a world of good.”We come here with a lot of confidence. We played a lot of cricket against the big teams this summer. We had the chance to knock them off, so we are taking that experience into this tournament. We are here to compete, not just to make up numbers. It starts with Bangladesh,” he said.Cooper however has the result against Bangladesh at the T20 World Cup six years ago at the back of his mind.”They are a dangerous team. Anyone can beat anyone in T20s. We won’t be looking too much into their record in the past [but] on their day, they can beat anyone. We have had some really close contests with them in the past, so it will be nice to compete and get a win against them tomorrow.”

WI coach says their fortunes could have been different with some “breaks”

Tristan Lavalette30-Nov-2022West Indies coach Phil Simmons has defended his bowlers and believed luck didn’t go their way on a grassy Optus Stadium surface after an increasingly ragged attack claimed just two Australian wickets on the opening day of the first Test.”We bowled well, especially in the first two sessions, but the luck didn’t go our way,” Simmons said. “It was just one of those days. We bowled well in spurts.”West Indies sensed an opportunity when Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch with 10mm of grass left on it.Related

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But after a promising start from their highly-rated attack, with opener David Warner falling in the fourth over, West Indies struggled to penetrate and faded as the day wore on, in their first Test match against Australia since January 2016.Capitalising on wayward bowling and sloppy fielding, Marnus Labuschagne grabbed a stranglehold of the contest with an unbeaten 154 as Australia reached stumps at 293 for 2.West Indies’ confidence might already be shaken in their bid to end a 25-year Test drought in Australia, but Simmons believed their fortunes could have been different with some “breaks”.Simmons also said West Indies could take heart from a disciplined effort in the earlier part of the day, where line-and-length bowling from their quicks was backed up by aggressive captaincy from Kraigg Brathwaite, who implemented attacking fields complete with five slips.”The first two sessions were good because we didn’t let them get away,” said Simmons, who will depart as coach at the end of the tour after resigning following West Indies’ early exit at the T20 World Cup.”I think the last session a few too many runs leaked…makes the day look bad but I think the first two sessions were good.”Brathwaite has copped criticism over his use of offspinner Roston Chase, who released the pressure late in the opening session when he came into the attack. He also struggled later in the day to finish with 0-63 from 15 overs.”We will discuss [Chase] in the morning,” Simmons said. “Maybe, the captain sees things out there. He runs the show and I think he’s been doing a very good job with his bowlers.”Simmons said West Indies’ batters could take heed of the performance from Labuschagne, who weathered an early storm to share century partnerships with Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith.”I think that’s the way you have to bat, especially with the new ball swinging around,” he said. “As we saw in the last session, it belonged to Marnus because he had fought out the hard times before that.”Before West Indies front up with the bat, they need to restrict Australia on a pitch Simmons tipped to quicken up. “We need to get a couple of wickets early tomorrow,” he said. “Realistically, looking at maybe 400…even 450 you’re still in [the game] because I think the wicket looks like it can get better.”

“David served his time like I did. We know he’s a leader around the group, and on and off the field he’s doing a tremendous job”

Andrew McGlashan11-Dec-2022Steven Smith has called David Warner’s lifetime ban from leadership “fundamentally wrong” and conceded that the lengthy saga of trying to get it overturned had been a distraction for him.Warner dropped a dramatic statement on the eve of the second Test against West Indies in Adelaide when he announced he would be withdrawing from the process implemented by Cricket Australia after they had rewritten their code of conduct to allow Warner to appeal the ban.Related

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“From my point of view, banning for life from leadership is just fundamentally wrong,” Smith said after Australia’s 419-run victory. “David served his time like I did. For us, we know he’s a leader around the group, and on and off the field he’s doing a tremendous job. “Warner, and CA, had wanted a private hearing in front of the independent panel but the commissions ruled that it should be held in public which Warner argued would have become a “lynching” and he wasn’t willing to put his family and team-mates through a retrial of the events at Newlands in 2018.Nick Hockley, the CA chief executive, defended the organisation’s handling of the situation, saying the independent panel was needed for transparency and was “disappointed” Warner had withdrawn. However, Todd Greenberg, his counterpart at the Australian Cricketers’ Association, argued Warner had been left with no choice and expressed the frustration that CA had not handled the appeal themselves.”It’s been a difficult one for him, it’s been a difficult week,” Smith said. “It has been more of a distraction for Davey, no doubt, going through that himself. David has said he’s done and dusted and get on with it. He’s got our full support. Hopefully he can have a really big series for us against South Africa with the bat.”Warner made 21 and 28 in the second Test – after making 5 and 48 in Perth – to continue a lean run in Test cricket over the last two years where he is averaging just 28.12 without a century. He is due to play his 100th Test against South Africa in Melbourne at the end of the month, but questions are being asked as to whether he should be part of the tours to India and England where his record is poor with averages of 24.25 and 26.04 respectively.In the series against West Indies, Warner has twice been out inside-edging the ball onto his stumps•Associated Press

“I didn’t realise it was that lean, to be honest,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, speaking on on Saturday, said of Warner’s recent record. “Coming on for two years for a Test-match century. Four half-centuries in his last 26 innings.”You talk about how things are getting tougher for Warner with the attack the South Africans have got. Well, it’s never easy in India either. We know what wickets we will get there. We will get turning pitches. No doubt. It’s never been easy for any Australian batsman going there and trying to play in those conditions. Then on the back of that, what’s after that? The Ashes, in England as well. We will get conditions that will suit [Stuart] Broad, [James] Anderson and [Ollie] Robinson.”Smith, however, believed that more than anything Warner needed a change of luck to see the big runs return. One thing perhaps in his favour is that South Africa are among his most productive opponents with an average of 52.26 from 12 Tests including four centuries although that dips to 40.18 in Australia.His dismissals in this series have been inside edges driving against Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase, a nick to the keeper chasing a wide delivery, and a bat-pad catch to short leg.”Davey’s a once-in-a-generation player, he’s arguably the best-ever opener for Australia,” he said. “The way he’s able to put pressure on bowlers from the outset helps everyone down the order as well.”He’s been an incredible player for a long period of time, his record suggest that. There’s no reason why he can’t have a big series for us coming this week as well. He’s batting nicely. He hasn’t had a great deal of luck lately either, it seems like every time he gets an inside edge, it goes onto the stumps. A lot of the time when you’re scoring runs you need some luck.”For me it’s in his body language the way he goes out there – he’s really positive and just in a good frame of mind. Particularly yesterday when he went out to bat he was in a good frame of mind, the way his feet were moving was really sharp.”

Allrounder and former captain will undergo further treatment for back injury in Cape Town

Valkerie Baynes01-Feb-2023Stafanie Taylor has been named in West Indies’ squad for this month’s T20 World Cup, subject to a final fitness test.Taylor, the experienced allrounder and former captain who led West Indies to the title in 2016, has been troubled by a back injury. Her last international appearance was an ODI against New Zealand in September, when she scored an unbeaten half-century but retired hurt after a Player-of-the-Match performance, and she has not played a T20I since July 2021.Taylor is joined in a 15-strong squad announced on Wednesday by three other senior players recovering from injury, Shakera Selman, Chinelle Henry and Chedean Nation. CWI also said via Twitter that Taylor had consulted a back injury specialist in Johannesburg and travelled to Cape Town for further treatment and to “commence her return-to-play protocols” ahead of the squad’s arrival on Friday.”The Cricket West Indies medical team will continue to support and care for Stafanie and we wish her all the very best in her efforts to return to full fitness in time to participate in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” CWI added.West Indies have also called up three players from the side which contested the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, also in South Africa and won by India on Sunday. Allrounders Djenaba Joseph – who featured in the recent home series against England – and Zaida James were included, as was Trishan Holder, who represented Barbados at last year’s Commonwealth Games.All three played in West Indies’ eight-wicket defeat to India in their final match of the tri-series in South Africa on Sunday after being called in as cover for those senior players undergoing injury rehabilitation.”We continue the developmental pathway to grow women’s cricket in the region, hence we feel the time is right to include three of the Under-19 Rising Stars in the squad,” lead selector Ann Browne-John said. “Zaida brings both left-hand batting and left-arm orthodox bowling, both of which the team has been missing in recent times. Djenaba is a batting allrounder and Trishan a powerful striker and wicketkeeping option. They have all proven that they can hold their own at this level.”Getty Images

Wicketkeeper-batter Shemaine Campbelle will be Hayley Matthews’ vice-captain. The duo are among six players – alongside Taylor, Selman, Shamilia Connell and Afy Fletcher – who lifted the trophy seven years ago.West Indies’ recent form has been a concern, however. They have gone winless in their last 13 T20Is since September last year and all four of their defeats in the tri-series, which concludes with the final between India and South Africa on Thursday, came by considerable margins.Drawn in Group 2 alongside England, India, Pakistan and Ireland, West Indies will open their World Cup campaign against England at Paarl’s Boland Park on February 11.West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Shemaine Campbelle, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Trishan Holder, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams

RCB still have a mathematical chance to qualify for knockouts but will need a number of results to go their way

Sruthi Ravindranath13-Mar-2023Royal Challengers Bangalore’s winless streak in the tournament continued as Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen kept their cool to guide Delhi Capitals home in a close encounter at the DY Patil Sports Academy.On a two-paced pitch, Royal Challengers got off the blocks slowly but ended up posting a competitive 150 thanks to Ellyse Perry’s half-century. In return, after losing the dangerous Shafali Verma early, Capitals got a good start thanks to Alice Capsey, but a few quick wickets pushed them to play watchfully.The chase looked tense at a point after Jemimah Rodrigues’ wicket, with Capitals needing 42 runs off 33 balls. But Jonassen and Kapp not only patiently ran singles, but also turned the pressure back on the Royal Challengers’ bowlers with their big hits from time to time.It came down to Capitals needing nine off the last over. Renuka Singh conceded just two runs in the first two balls. With seven needed off four, Jonassen clattered the ball over a leaping Perry at deep midwicket. She then smashed a full delivery emphatically down the ground to silence the “RCB, RCB” chants at the stadium.However, it’s not all over for Royal Challengers yet. They are still mathematically in, but will need a number of results to go their way if they want to secure a top-three finish.

Shikha Pandey – far from finished

Before she was recalled to the India squad after a gap of 15 months for the T20 World Cup in February, Shikha Pandey wrote up an affirmation poster on her bedroom wall which read “our greatest growth comes from our darkest times. You go.” At 33, she’s growing and growing, not only showing she’s still got it, but also that she’s here to stay.She had a decent outing at the T20 World Cup, with economical spells and a total of three wickets in three games. Now, she’s got those wickets coming too.So far at the WPL, she has taken eight wickets in five matches. In a tournament that has seen a number of high scoring games, her economy of 6.84 is the third-best among fast bowlers who have bowled more than 10 overs.On the day, she took out Royal Challengers’ captain Smriti Mandhana in her very first delivery, luring her into a pull to deep square leg with the short ball. She mixed her lengths on the day and made use of the slight movement on offer. On the last ball of her next over, she angled one into Sophie Devine and rattled her leg stump to leave Royal Challengers at 41 for 2 in nine overs.Perry and Richa Ghosh came together for the fifth wicket and began to rebuild. The duo then started accelerating after gaining a grasp of the pace of the pitch, scoring 67 runs in four overs between the 15th and 18th.It was Pandey’s turn to bowl again, and she broke through immediately. She had Ghosh, who was looking to scoop, edge one to the keeper, with a slow-ish full delivery. She finished with figures of 3 for 25 at an economy of 5.75.In between all the wicket-taking, she also took a brilliant diving catch at short fine leg to send Heather Knight back.Pandey’s bowling display and her energy on the field clearly showed that she’s far from finished. Her performance probably went unnoticed given how the chase unfolded, but captain Meg Lanning did not forget to credit her during the post-match chat with the host broadcaster.”I think Shikha Pandey has gone under the radar a little bit,” Lanning said after the match. “She’s been bowling extremely well.””We executed really well. Obviously, throughout this tournament we’ve shown that if you can hit that good length nice fast and straight is the way to do it. I think for most part we did that really well.”

Capsey turns it on

Before Jonassen and Kapp played those calm knocks, it was Capsey who laid the platform for the chase.Teenager Capsey made up for Shafali’s early dismissal. She played a counter-attacking knock, hitting eight boundaries in her 24-ball stay, making the required run rate go down. Lanning faced just two balls during their 26-ball partnership.After smashing Renuka Singh for three boundaries, she took Preeti Bose on for four boundaries in a row in the fifth over before holing out.”I’ve been able to watch Meg abs Shafali do their thing almost every game,” Capsey told the commentators during a chat from the dugout. “So I have taken a few tips from them. It’s about playing through the line a little bit more and trusting it a little bit more which as a batter is a pretty nice adjustment to go that way than the other.”Capitals have been using Capsey largely as a floater in the line-up. She came in at No. 5 in the match against UP Warriorz and played at No. 3 in the last two games. While she has played at No. 3 in the England side barring one game, she’s batted in the middle order regularly in the women’s Hundred.”It’s a different role, but it’s a role I’m quite used to in England,” she said at the press conference. “England use me where, if there’s a wicket in the powerplay, I go in and try to create a bit of counterattack and if there’s a good partnership up top I slot into the role of [Nos.] 5 or 6 which I’ve done a couple of times. I really enjoy both roles. They’re very different roles and I do enjoy both roles. For me it is not too much difference I just go out to bat put pressure on bowlers.”I felt a bit short of runs this tournament so far, so it was nice to contribute to the team’s win. Nice to hit a few boundaries, and [to] get us ahead of the game in the powerplay was brilliant.”