Unmukt Chand will lead India A in the upcoming tri-series against Australia A and South Africa A while Ambati Rayudu has been named as captain for the unofficial Test series against South Africa A

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2015Unmukt Chand, the former Under-19 captain, will lead India A in the upcoming tri-series against Australia A and South Africa A, while Ambati Rayudu has been named as captain for the two-match unofficial Test series that follows against South Africa A.Legspinner Karn Sharma, who missed the recent Zimbabwe tour due to a fractured finger, was picked in both squads and Karnataka batsman Karun Nair was chosen as the vice-captain for both the tri-series as well as the unofficial Tests against South Africa.Himachal Pradesh batsman Ankush Bains, 19, was selected on the back of a strong domestic performance – 568 runs in 11 first-class matches at an average of 47.33, with a highest score of 156. Saurashtra batsman Sheldon Jackson was picked after a stellar 2014-15 Ranji Trophy season, during which he made 819 runs in eight matches.Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Amit Mishra and KL Rahul, who were part of the India A squad for the unofficial Tests against Australia, were not available because of the Test series in Sri Lanka beginning on August 12.Robin Uthappa and Manoj Tiwary, who played in all the ODIs against Zimbabwe, were not picked for the tri-series.All the matches of the tri-series will be played in Chennai between August 5 and August 14. The two-match series against South Africa A begins three days later on August 18 in Wayanad, Kerala.India A squad for tri-series: Unmukt Chand (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Kedar Jadhav, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Parvez Rasool, Karn Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Sandeep Sharma, Rush Kalaria, Mandeep Singh, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan.India A squad for unofficial Tests: Ambati Rayudu (capt), Karun Nair, Abhinav Mukund, Ankush Bains, Shreyas Iyer, Baba Aparajith, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Axar Patel, Karn Sharma, Abhimanyu Mithun, Shardul Thakur, Ishwar Pandey, Sheldon Jackson, Jiwanjot Singh.

Two spectators were detained at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong for racially abusing a South African player on the second day of the first Test

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong22-Jul-2015Two spectators were detained at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong for racially abusing a South African player on the second day of the first Test. BCB security released them two hours later, however, because they were minors and admitted their mistakes.”We are aware of such an incident,” BCB’s security committee member-secretary Mohammad Ali said. “They were two minors, around 10 or 11-year olds. They saw one or two South Africa players and made some racial comments. We were informed by the match referee and when I went there, the police had already detained them. But we couldn’t really arrest them or take any more action. They were crying and admitted that they did abuse the players.”A South Africa team spokesperson said they were aware of such an incident but it had been “handled by the match officials and venue security”.The incident became public knowledge when the stadium’s PA system read out the ICC’s anti-racism code several times during the lunch break. There were a few more such announcements in the next couple of hours. The venue manager Fazle Bari said he was asked to make the announcements after the incident.”Several announcements were made to raise awareness among the fans and inform them about the consequence of any kind of abuse. After that, not one has repeated it,” he said.

Ishant Sharma and Dinesh Chandimal have been handed one-match suspensions for their behaviour in the SSC Test

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2015Ishant Sharma and Dinesh Chandimal have been handed one-match suspensions for behaviour that breached the ICC code of conduct during the SSC Test, while Dhammika Prasad and Lahiru Thirimanne were fined 50% of their match fees.This means that Ishant (who received “two suspension points”) will miss India’s first Test against South Africa, in Mohali, in November. Chandimal (“one suspension point”) will miss Sri Lanka’s opening ODI in the home series against West Indies.Chandimal was penalised, an ICC release stated, for a breach relating to “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player”. The incident occurred in the 76th over of India’s second innings, when Chandimal made what was deemed to be deliberate physical contact with Ishant, who was batting at the time, even while the batsman was in the middle of an exchange of words with bowler Dhammika Prasad.The ICC release said Thirimanne had also got involved at this time, despite two warnings from the umpires not to, and he hence was fined. Prasad too was fined for his role in this incident.India captain Virat Kohli, however, said after the game that this particular incident was to India’s benefit, as it charged up Ishant. “I was very happy with the incident when he was batting because it happened at the right time for us – we had to bowl yesterday and they made him angry and it couldn’t have happened at a better time for us,” Kohli said. “The timing was absolutely perfect and everything fell in place for us as far as being aggressive is concerned. And the way he bowled in the second innings, he didn’t concede a boundary for 19 overs. And that’s the kind of pressure he created on those batsmen because of one incident. So it had to be controlled but in the end it benefitted us.”Ishant received his suspension for a separate incident in the final innings of the Test, wherein he gave Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga a send-off after dismissing him. By doing so, he had breached the ICC codes relating to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an international match”.Ishant had also been fined for two separate incidents during the second Test, a total of 65% of his match fee for having given send-offs to Thirimanne and Chandimal. Hence he received a suspension this time. Another such breach in the next 12 months could have him suspended for a fixed period going up to a year.All four players admitted to their offences after the game, and so there was no formal hearing.Match referee Andy Pycroft said after the match: “Monday’s incidents were not good advertisements for international cricket. These experienced cricketers forgot their fundamental responsibilities of respecting their opponents as well as the umpires, and got involved in incidents which were clearly against the spirit of the game. Their actions cannot be condoned and must be discouraged.”Chandimal was not directly involved in the incident between Prasad and Sharma, but came into the conflict and made deliberate physical contact with Sharma, and had the umpires not intervened, the situation could have escalated.”As regards Sharma, he had been put on notice after being charged twice for send-offs in the previous Test. Any repeat of this action within the next 12 months will potentially see him suspended for a much longer period.”

England have embarked on what will be a hugely significant and demanding six months in the development of a free-spirited but still often raw side

Andrew McGlashan30-Sep-20151:46

England look to smooth rough edges

So England’s crammed year of international cricket moves to its next stage. With a young team, Ashes regained, the white ball not something to be feared and spirits lifted the squad embark on what will be a hugely significant and demanding six months in the development of a free-spirited but still often raw side.The UAE is the first destination: a neutral venue, but one in which Pakistan feel very much at home. Three years ago England arrived fresh from the triumph of reaching No. 1 in the world under Andrew Strauss’ leadership, only to come a cropper in the Test matches: whitewashed 3-0, defeats by 10 wickets, 72 runs (chasing 145) and 71 runs (despite bowling Pakistan out for 99). The next month will be about a challenge of the spinning ball – both playing it and bowling it – men around the bat and temperatures that could nudge the 40s.Alastair Cook was still Strauss’ lieutenant in 2012, now he is a captain with his authority and standing restored after a summer where he has shown immense character and fortitude – plus a willingness to adapt, a facet that will be tested again on this tour. He is one of just five survivors from the Test squad of the previous trip – alongside Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Steven Finn (who did not play) – and in an era when overseas wins are tough to come by he is aware of what lies ahead.”It’s definitely going to be a tricky tour with their history in terms of how strong Pakistan are and their record in the UAE,” Cook said. “I think they’ve played six or seven series and haven’t lost a series. That shows what is in front of us. The great thing is in Test cricket is trying to win away from home. It’s getting harder and harder.”In 2012 it was the batting that cost England. They crossed 300 once in six innings and did not score an individual hundred in the three Tests. The bowling, led by Anderson and Broad then allied with the spin twins of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar for the latter two matches, more than held its own (Pakistan only topped 300 twice) but the batting line-up proved hapless against Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, who combined to take 43 wickets.Neither will be around this time, but they have been handsomely replaced by Yasir Shah, the legspinner who became the fastest Pakistan bowler to fifty Test wickets, and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar. New faces, same threat for England.”You do learn lessons but it happened quite a few years ago. And this is a very different side. Only four of us are going back,” Cook said. “I think also that the pitches have changed a little. The matches seem to be a lot higher scoring than they were in 2012.”Clearly, in the modern way of international cricket, we’ll do some homework on the bowlers and the Pakistan team in general. We haven’t faced many of them, it is quite a different bowling attack to what we have faced in the past. I certainly haven’t faced a couple of them. The legspinner clearly has done incredibly well so far in his short career.”England faced a trial by spin the last time they played Pakistan in the UAE•Getty Images

A point which Cook recalled from the previous series was the manner of dismissals. There were a combined 43 lbws across the three matches – the joint most for any Test series – with England batsman falling 22 times and Pakistan’s 21.”The one thing I remember is that skiddy, back-of-a-length spin that is difficult to face. Rehman and Ajmal bowled well, quick spin, I think there was a world record number of lbws. Trying to force yourself to go forward was quite hard. With DRS now, you can’t just get your pad in the way and say you’re a long way down. If it’s in line, you’re out. We’re going to have to make sure we defend using our bats.”Although Ajmal and Rehman proved the trump cards three years ago, England were not cast adrift when it came to bowling spin: Swann and Panesar shared 27 wickets, Panesar taking 14 in two matches. This time they cannot match such quality in the spin department. Moeen Ali, with 45 Test wickets at 36.04, is the lead man and is likely to be joined by the uncapped Adil Rashid. Samit Patel, a late addition to the squad, has four Test wickets while Joe Root is the other supplementary offering.”I’m confident they can take the wickets, but in a different way to Monty and Swanny,” Cook said. “Mo has had a fantastic start to his international career with his all-round contribution. He’s not an out-and-out spinner in the way that Swanny was, he provides a lot of all-round value. Same as Rash. Monty’s Test record when he played was fantastic but Rash can also bring runs. That’s a real string to his bow. So we have a different balance to the side this time.”The hints appear to be, therefore, that Moeen is favourite to open alongside Cook and Rashid will earn a Test debut, probably as part of a six-man attack alongside four quick bowlers. Anderson, Broad and Ben Stokes are certainties, leaving the final decision between Mark Wood’s skiddy pace and Finn’s height and bounce. The former’s qualities could be more suited to conditions.However, England only have two two-day matches in Sharjah, the first starting on October 5, to get their game back into sync and make final decisions on the composition of the XI for Abu Dhabi. “That’s what we’ve been given. Would we want more? Absolutely,” Cook said. “The guys have just finished the one-day stuff against Australia and we’re now going to the UAE. But that’s what modern cricket is and it’s up to the players to adapt. That’s why it is so hard to win away.”The first Test begins on October 13, followed by matches in Dubai and Sharjah – the first time England will have played a Test at that venue. A four-match ODI series and three T20s make up the tour.

Australia’s new-look batting group will be unveiled on Friday when the squad for the first Test against New Zealand is named

Brydon Coverdale29-Oct-2015Australia’s new-look batting group will be unveiled on Friday when the squad for the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba is named. Openers Cameron Bancroft and Joe Burns, and top-order batsman Usman Khawaja are all hoping to be part of the squad despite failing in their final chance to impress the selectors during their Sheffield Shield innings on Wednesday.All three men, plus Shaun Marsh, were part of the 15-strong outfit named last month for the Test tour of Bangladesh, but the abandonment of that trip has left question-marks over who will be favoured for the first Test of the home summer. The Brisbane match will be Australia’s first Test since the retirements of Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers, key members of the top five over the past two years.David Warner was set to miss the Bangladesh tour due to a fractured thumb, but he is fit to play in Brisbane and the identity of his new opening partner remains a mystery. Bancroft, 22, may get the nod as a red-ball specialist and long-term prospect, although Burns scored a century in a tour match against New Zealand at the weekend and performed well in two Tests last summer.Khawaja appears likely to move into the No. 3 position, with captain Steven Smith considering a move down to No. 4, and Adam Voges looks set to retain his place at No. 5. That would mean the only way Burns and Bancroft could both fit into the XI would be if the selectors abandon their preference for an allrounder at No. 6, an improbable move given how keen they have been on a fifth bowling option.It is not out of the question that Bancroft, Burns and Khawaja could all be named in a 13-man squad, with a final decision on the XI to be made in the lead-up to the Test. All three men were comprehensively outperformed in the ongoing Sheffield Shield round by Michael Klinger, whose double-century was his 14th hundred of the past year across all formats, but his age – 35 – will go against him.Retired captain Michael Clarke wrote in his News Ltd column on Thursday that his preference would be for Shaun Marsh to open with Warner, but that would seem a retrograde step given the opportunities he has already had. Marsh scored two centuries in the recent Matador Cup competition but managed 0 and 2 when called into the Test team during the Ashes at Trent Bridge.Mitchell Johnson will be back in the squad after he was to be rested for the Bangladesh tour, and Josh Hazlewood may also slip back into the group after being dropped for the final Test of the Ashes series. Mitchell Starc should be a guaranteed starter given his recent form, and Peter Siddle will hope to retain his place in the squad after impressing when he replaced Hazlewood at The Oval.Gone from the 15-man squad named for the Bangladesh tour will be fast bowler Pat Cummins, who has again suffered a back injury, and there is unlikely to be room for any of Andrew Fekete, Steve O’Keefe or Glenn Maxwell, all of whom were part of the Bangladesh squad. The squad will be named early on Friday afternoon in Adelaide.Probable squad David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns, Steven Smith, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes set the platform by stroking 73 each, before Mahmudullah’s late fireworks helped Bangladesh ride a middle-order wobble to post 276/9 in the third ODI against Zimbabwe in Mirpur

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Mirpur11-Nov-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes put together their first century stand to set a strong platform for Bangladesh in the third ODI in Mirpur•AFP

In three spells that tested the skill of the Zimbabwe batsmen and drew plenty of oohs and aahs from the crowd at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mustafizur Rahman claimed figures of 5 for 34 to ensure Bangladesh’s 3-0 sweep of the ODI series. He is the first bowler in history to have as many as three five-wicket hauls in under 10 matches played.Mustafizur conceded boundaries from time to time but Zimbabwe’s batsmen could not dominate him. There were many plays and misses, and edges that almost carried to the slips. There were several occasions when the ball missed the stumps by a whisker as he got the ball to swing and cut. When he ran in to bowl with Zimbabwe nine-down, Mashrafe Mortaza gave him eight slips.Mustafizur’s first two strikes upset the boundary-filled start that Zimbabwe made in the first seven overs. Off the second ball of the chase, Chamu Chibhabha had little clue as Mustafizur got the ball to swing enough to get past his driving arms. Craig Ervine and Regis Chakabva kept finding fours but in the seventh over again, Mustafizur removed Chakabva with a slower delivery that the opening batsmen could only lob to cover.Ervine fell to Nasir Hossain in the ninth over when he played back to a delivery that didn’t get up as much as he anticipated and he was trapped lbw for 21 off 25 balls.Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura then joined Sean Williams in an attempt to resurrect the innings and get a measure of the required run-rate. Williams was given a lifeline when the substitute fielder Anamul Haque dropped him at mid-off on 23. The two batsmen found boundaries, too, and Mashrafe started to look for his sixth bowler. Sabbir Rahman bowled an excellent delivery to get rid of Chigumbura in the 23rd over after he had added 80 runs for the fourth wicket with Williams. Chigumbura made 45 with six boundaries and was removed before he could open up in a big way.Zimbabwe could have ended this ODI series without a single fifty from their batsmen had Arafat Sunny not trodden on the stumps in the 30th over when Williams – batting on 49 – was short of the crease.For the next six overs, Bangladesh had to contend with a dangerous partnership between Malcolm Waller and Williams but Nasir intervened, taking a head-high catch in the covers to dismiss Waller. Next over, Williams fell to an easy catch at cover after he failed to time a drive off Mashrafe. He made 64 off 84 balls with five fours.Mustafizur came back to remove Sikandar Raza, who was caught splendidly by Sabbir as he ran from mid-on to mid-off. Next ball, Luke Jongwe holed out at midwicket, but his hat-trick ball was kept away by Graeme Cremer. Later, Mustafizur took a return catch to dismiss Tinashe Panyangara and complete a third five-wicket haul in ODIs, figures that complemented the work of Bangladesh’s opening batsmen.Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings was split into two parts after they opted to bat. The first part comprised the 147-run opening stand between Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal. It was enough of a base to get close to 300 runs but it wasn’t to be, and the second part saw them restricted to 276 for 9.Tamim started the early rush of boundaries with a pull off Panyangara; it was his only four through the leg side as the remaining six fours were played through the covers. Tamim’s only six came off a blast over the bowler’s head. But by then Kayes had struck four sixes – three between midwicket and square-leg and, the best of the lot, one over extra cover. He also struck six fours, three on either side of the wicket.Kayes was dropped on 35 and survived a stumping and caught-behind off the same delivery on 48 after Chakabva missed a stumping and replays showed there was an edge. Both Tamim and Kayes fell for 73 in the space of five overs, but Bangladesh still had their eyes on a bigger total with Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle after the fall of the first wicket.Mushfiqur, too, fell before they reached 200, which meant much of the work depended on Liton Das and Mahmudullah, two batsmen who had struggled to get going in the first two matches. Liton gave a catch one to cover after making 17 while Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman fell to Luke Jongwe in the space of three deliveries, Cremer holding on to easy catches at point.Bangladesh slipped from 222 for 3 to 226 for 6 within 11 deliveries and were in danger of getting bowled out before 50 overs. Mahmudullah, who was on 32, then got mixed up with Mashrafe in the 45th over only for wicketkeeper Chakabva to knock down the bails seconds before Sikandar Raza’s direct hit found Mahmudullah short of the crease.Mahmudullah stood near the dressing-room while TV umpire Enamul Haque saw many replays and finally decided it was not-out. Chigumbura, however, protested the decision and the broadcasters then showed a replay in which Chakabva had uprooted the stump but did so after Aleem Dar had initially given out to the direct throw.With the second decision also not out, Zimbabwe gathered into a huddle for a few minutes but both captains shook hands and the game resumed.Mahmudullah added another 20 runs, and was run-out in the last over as Bangladesh scampered towards their highest score in the three-match series.Jongwe and Cremer took two wickets each while Panyangara, Raza and Waller took one each. Among them, Panyangara bowled the best spells.

Essex rising star Nick Browne heartened English county professionals who have ever experienced the hardsh glare of Sydney Grade cricket by striking a record 206 for Mossman

David Hopps23-Nov-2015More than a few English county professionals have struggled to adapt to the harsh glare of Sydney Grade cricket over the years, but nobody can accuse Nick Browne of being among their number. He has become the new star in town. Browne has become the first cricketer from the UK to hit a double century in Sydney Grade, advancing his reputation and sparing the blushes of a few English professionals in the process.Browne, one of the few bright spots in Essex’s 2015 season, struck 206 at the weekend for Mosman against Sydney University at the Allan Border Oval, following up a century in his first match in even more spectacular style.He beat the previous best score by an English batsman – 194 by Mike Gatting in 1979. Gatting had already won England recognition by then – making his ODI debut in 1977 and playing his first Test a year later – and went on to captain England and win 79 Test caps.Many in Essex believe that Browne should have received some sort of England development squad recognition this winter – but although he was overlooked it has driven him to a continuation of the form he showed in the county season.Browne was one of the few successes in 2015 in an Essex season that ultimately led to the removal of Paul Grayson as coach. He made six first-class centuries as he added his name to the long list of contenders urged by the England coach, Trevor Bayliss, to make an unanswerable claim to an England place in county cricket.He finished the season on a high – a career-best 151 not out against Leicestershire (albeit Division Two’s bottom club). His 1157 first-class runs represented the first time an Essex batsman had passed 1000 in the Championship since Ravi Bopara in 2008.This is the second year Browne has travelled to Sydney to play for Mosman during the English winter. His 206 was only four runs short of Mosman’s highest club score, so sparing one of Australia’s most famous clubs more emotional trauma than it could take. His opening partnership of 252 with David Lowery in a score of 406 for 3 was the second highest in the club’s history.

Usman Khawaja celebrated his Australia recall and Joe Burns his retention by combining for an unbeaten stand to shut out West Indies on day one of the Boxing Day Test

The Report by Daniel Brettig at the MCG26-Dec-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:06

Nicholas: Batting was straightforward against inconsistent bowling

Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja adjusted from Twenty20 to Test match gears with all the smoothness of a well calibrated sports car, as Australia’s top order put their stamp on Boxing Day despite a well grassed pitch and a slightly improved West Indies.Both Burns and Khawaja had turned out for their BBL clubs in the gap between Tests, but it was the unsigned and rested David Warner who let adrenaline get the better of him in an early flurry that ended with his wicket after Jason Holder sent the Australians in to bat.The vast majority of a day delayed by an hour due to considerable morning rain was then taken up by a union that reaped 258 runs and centuries to Burns then Khawaja, who joyfully passed their milestones in the space of three deliveries after tea. Burns was ultimately out stumped at the hands of Kraigg Brathwaite, and Khawaja glanced Jerome Taylor into Denesh Ramdin’s gloves before the close.Their exits should not detract from the ruthlessness shown by Burns and Khawaja, two members of the Boxing Day selection triangle that ultimately cost Shaun Marsh his place. Burns showed excellent judgment around off stump while finding the boundary 17 times. Khawaja carried on with the rich vein of form and confidence that began at the Gabba against New Zealand: few batsmen in the world are capable of making the game look quite as simple as he does at his best.Australia’s batsmen were aided by another disappointingly muted display from the West Indies bowlers, who conceded runs at a lesser rate than they had done in Hobart but were nonetheless unable to create sustained pressure on the batsmen. The debutant Carlos Brathwaite was at one point reduced to bowling well outside off stump to a 7-2 field, a gambit the umpire Marais Erasmus opposed by calling a pair of disapproving wides.The tourists’ fielding was also indifferent – one Khawaja flick through the leg side was chased so languidly by Jerome Taylor that the batsmen might easily have run five. Later Marlon Samuels, who had juggled Warner’s skier, turfed a ball Khawaja struck more or less straight to him at cover. Melbourne’s smallest Boxing Day crowd since 1999 expressed appropriate disbelief.Holder had expressed hope that his pacemen would be able to exploit the moisture evident in the pitch after rain delayed the start by an hour. But they were stunned by Warner’s early salvo, striking five boundaries in the second and third overs of the day as 27 were heaped in the first three.Having stated his desire to make a century on Boxing Day – the MCG is the only Australian Test ground where he is yet to pass three figures – Warner was flushed with adrenaline, and overreached to his 12th ball when he tried to pull Taylor over midwicket and skied to Samuels at cover.This episode had been manic, and Khawaja’s arrival signalled something more orthodox as he tried to find his rhythm after playing only one BBL match for the Sydney Thunder on his way back to fitness following a hamstring strain. Not quite as initially fluent as he had been when making hundreds in Brisbane and Perth, Khawaja slowly found his range, while Burns looked safe at the other end having been retained in a decision that showed the selectors’ faith in him.The scoring rate built up once more as lunch neared, with Carlos Brathwaite, included for the injured Shannon Gabriel, going for 11 runs in his first two overs. Kemar Roach extracted one edge from Burns as the interval near, but it fell short of the slips cordon. Few such moments could be found in the afternoon, as Khawaja and Burns accumulated steadily while the MCG crowd swelled nearer to the gathering of around 50,000 hoped for by the MCC. Even so, 53,389 was the smallest Boxing Day attendance in at least a decade.They were witness to some attractive batting but also an assortment of bowling and fielding that veered from mediocre to awful. Holder’s control of proceedings was loose at times, his fields invariably defensive due to inconsistent bowling, and his choices of bowlers also odd – having exploited some moisture on the first morning in Hobart to gain useful spin, Jomel Warrican was unused this time until the day’s 42nd over, by which time there was precious little purchase for his slow left-arm.The evening session’s highlight was undoubtedly Burns and Khawaja passing three figures in the same Warrican over. It was otherwise something of a slog as the batsmen accumulated soundly while Holder tried with some success to limit the flow of boundaries. Khawaja was to reach or clear the rope seven times in his 144, a testament to his strike rotation but also the freely available diet of singles.There was a hint of tiredness in the dismissals of both Burns, advancing at Brathwaite but misjudging a ball fired flatter and wider, and a leg-glancing Khawaja. Their graft had left the match and series firmly in Australia’s lap, with the captain Steven Smith and the Hobart double centurion Adam Voges there at the close.

Scotland will play T20Is against Netherlands and UAE in Dubai as part of their preparations for the World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2016Scotland will play T20Is against UAE and Netherlands in Dubai as part of their preparations for the World T20.The matches on February 4 and 5 will take place as Scotland head home from their current tour of Hong Kong. They will also face a County XI – expected to be an amalgamation of cricketers who will be in the UAE at the time – ahead of the two T20s with that match being played under floodlights.

Scotland in the UAE

February 3 v County XI
February 4 v UAE
February 5 v Netherlands

Grant Bradburn, the Scotland coach, said: “The players have prepared so well over the winter months and we have also tucked away some excellent preparation in Abu Dhabi, so the team is now ready to play. The three fixtures in Dubai will allow all players some game time to command selection in the playing 11.”These games also allow us as a squad to establish our first-choice combinations aligned to each opposition and the conditions we might face. As a team we are looking to build upon the major strides Scotland took in 2015 in the T20 format.”Scotland will begin their World T20 campaign against Afghanistan in Nagpur on March 8, before fixtures against Zimbabwe and Hong Kong as they aim to qualify for the main part of the tournament.

CSA has appointed Norman Arendse as convener of a task team to address the grievances voiced by black African cricketers last year

Firdose Moonda23-Feb-2016CSA has appointed their lead independent board director and chairman of the transformation committee, Norman Arendse, as convener of a task team to address the grievances voiced by black African cricketers last year, following a meeting with sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, in which it was made clear that the issue needed to be tackled as a matter of urgency.Last November, a group of cricketers calling themselves Black Players in Unity wrote a letter to CSA detailing their concerns at being picked in national squads but not playing enough games. They were driven by the case of Khaya Zondo who travelled with the limited-overs squads to India in October 2015 but did not play a single game.The minister’s immediate stance on the issue was made clear in an interview with City Press. “I support the stance taken by the players,” he wrote. “The issues of players being selected but not being picked for matches is old and has not only been raised by the players but the public. These players are not doing it for themselves but for generations to come.”Haroon Lorgat, CSA’s chief executive, and Chris Nenzani, the president, confirmed receipt of the letter while still in India for the Test series and insisted that it would receive “priority attention at the highest level”, with Mbalula responding that he was “encouraged” by a proposed meeting between the board and the players.However, in the weeks that followed, there were no updates on whether a meeting had taken place or a solution reached. The only mention of the issue arose when it emerged in January that Aaron Phangiso, a black African player, had been sanctioned for drunken behaviour on a flight in October. The incident, however, was not made public or even shared with CSA’s board, with Lorgat confirming to The Times that he and Nenzani had chosen to “contain the matter … in view of the black African player issue that had surfaced at that time”.In addition, CSA has been required to brief the minister on selection policies, guidelines and procedure which would include information on any transformation targets or quotas. The ministry said CSA’s report was “well received, however there was general agreement that there are glaring gaps and inadequacies in the policy that are in conflict with the sports barometer and transformation charter”.The ministry did not go into further detail on where it believes CSA is failing to meet its obligations. However, it said the board had agreed to consultation aimed at policy review, adding that the board would “discuss the principle of merit selection in relation to the quality of opportunity.” Broadly, that relates to whether players of colour are given sufficient chances to succeed at the highest level.The ministry confirmed CSA have signed a memorandum of agreement, similar to the one signed by the South African Rugby Union last year, in order to guarantee their commitment to achieving transformation targets. Currently, CSA have targets at domestic level that require that every franchise must field six players of colour, of which three must be black African. CSA claim not to have official national quotas but unofficially, it is recommended that at least four players of colour take the field in every XI, of which one is black African.