The latest Stump Mic podcast with Sidharth Monga and Kaustubh Kumar

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2024Between Texas, Florida and New York, how did USA react to the men’s T20 World Cup 2024? What was the vibe like for India vs Pakistan in Nassau County (compared to the MCG)? Who is really the audience for cricket in America?Sidharth Monga, who is traveling to cover the tournament in the US and the West Indies, joins Kaustubh Kumar to answer these questions and more.

The likes of de Kock and Charles need to find form ahead of the World Cup in this series of three T20Is

Firdose Moonda22-May-2024A trio of T20Is the week before a T20 World Cup seems like a good idea except, perhaps, if half your squad is unavailable.That’s the situation facing both West Indies and South Africa, who are without many players from their tournament squads, including their captains.Rovman Powell and Aiden Markram are both at the IPL, as well as Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell and Alzarri Joseph for West Indies, and Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada for South Africa. While they are not all still at the IPL some, like Pooran and Hope, are being rested and others, like Rabada, are recovering from illness.Related

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That makes this series an exercise that’s part warm-up, part experimentation as the T20 World Cup co-hosts face off against perennial major tournament hopefuls in the first of three engagements they will have in the next three months. South Africa will return to the Caribbean in August to play two Tests and three more T20Is, which will have far less riding on them than these matches, where there are statements to be made. Especially by the following:Openers need to find some formJohnson Charles has re-established himself as a first-choice opener alongside Brandon King (cue the monarch jokes) since making a comeback to the West Indies T20I side in South Africa last year, where he scored a 46-ball 118 to announce his return. The trouble is that he hasn’t done much since. In eight T20I innings after that, Charles has been dismissed in single figures four times and gone past 30 only once. There are signs that could change, though. He was West Indies A’s leading run-scorer on a recent tour of Nepal, and will want to build on that form ahead of the T20 World Cup.In the opposition camp, South Africa have concerns around Quinton de Kock, who has had three poor T20 league campaigns on the trot since retiring from ODI cricket last November. He was particularly out of sorts at the BBL, where he scored 104 runs in six innings, and then made 213 runs in 12 innings at the SA20 and 250 runs in 11 innings at the IPL, though that did include three fifties. At least his numbers have improved slightly at each tournament. De Kock was selected in the World Cup squad on reputation, not form, at the expense of at least two other candidates – Matthew Breetzke and Rassie van der Dussen – and in what could be his last international assignment, he will want to come good.Obed McCoy is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year, but not in West Indies’ World Cup squad•Getty ImagesDiscards with a license to dreamThe ICC only expects confirmed squads on May 25, so there’s a tiny bit of time (and perhaps one game) left for those looking to force their way into the final squads or, if that isn’t possible, just make a point about what their teams might be missing.Kyle Mayers has to be one of them. He scored no T20I fifties in 11 innings since touring South Africa in 2023 and was dropped thereafter, but made 243 runs in six innings at the BPL and boasts a T20 strike rate above 150 this year and above 143 from 40 matches last year. With power-hitting among the most talked-about attributes of top-order batters, this is his chance to show he still has it.The same will be in the back of Rassie van der Dussen’s mind. Despite being the second-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket this year, behind Babar Azam, van der Dussen could not find a T20 World Cup place ahead of de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton, but accepted the role of stand-in captain for this series, and will want to lead from the front in all aspects of his game.There are also some bowlers who might feel aggrieved at their omission. Such as Obed McCoy, who is one of the highest wicket-takers in T20Is this year but found no space in a squad that has Alzarri and Shamarh Joseph, Russell, Holder and Shepherd. He has an opportunity to show what he can do in home conditions. And Lungi Ngidi, who recovered from a lower back injury which kept him out of the IPL and made a decent comeback at the CSA T20s, will also want to prove the worth of his variations in the Caribbean. Ngidi took eight wickets in eight matches in South Africa’s domestic competition but Anrich Nortje, who conceded at more than 13 runs an over in the IPL, was preferred over him for pace.Matthew Forde’s T20I debut didn’t go too well, but he has shown promise•Associated PressNew kids on the blockSeamer Matthew Forde faced a baptism by fire when he made his T20I debut in December against England, finishing with figures of none for 54 in three overs.But he has shown that he has what it takes to be international quality. In the ODI series that preceded the T20Is then, Forde took 3 for 29 in the series decider with all three strikes in the powerplay to reduce England to 49 for 5. West Indies went on to win the series and Forde will hope to build on that promise.From South Africa, legspinner Nqaba Peter earned his first international call-up after just one season in the domestic top tier, where he took 20 wickets in the Lions’ run to the T20 title at an average of 9.50. Peter bowled exceptionally in the big moments, including taking 4 for 18 in the semi-final, and could provide South Africa with an attacking slower bowling option in the future.

The same qualities that brought Jayasuriya criticism when he was a selector have contributed to his success when he was interim coach

Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-2024Confidence, data-driven insight, and a little bit of luck. These are the core tenets of Sanath Jayasuriya’s coaching philosophy, which have worked well enough for him to be handed the reins of Sri Lanka’s men’s national team, following roughly three months in the role in an interim capacity.Those three months, while not being a runaway success, included a home ODI series win against India, a home Test series win against New Zealand and an impressive Test win in England – yes, they lost the series 2-1, but it was a crucial victory from the WTC point of view. The only real blip was Jayasuriya’s first assignment, a T20I series defeat to reigning world champions India.”What I have always said is that it’s all about confidence and trust. I created that around the team and that’s very important,” Jayasuriya said on Monday, as he faced the media following the announcement of his full-time appointment. “And I think there was a little bit of luck also. You may do a lot of work, but you need that luck sometimes.Related

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“At the same time, the players are determined to do well. They know what they went through over the last couple of years. They were really down and I asked the people to support the Sri Lanka cricketers. They are a good bunch of cricketers and they are talented. Only thing I gave was confidence, and I am there with them. They can talk to me and discuss anything.”That, in a nutshell, is Jayasuriya the coach. Arm around the shoulder, almost parent-like in the handling of his players. While during his time as chief selector, this was one of the criticisms directed at him – that he was at times too comfortable with his players, seen giving them advice and instructions in the lead up to, or even during, matches – now it’s seen as a strength.Jayasuriya has always been all action, with emotions firmly worn on his sleeves. Even during his short stint as interim coach, it was not uncommon to see him standing on the boundary line at the edge of the dugout, no attempt whatsoever at hiding his many emotions.”Yeah, he himself gets nervous sometimes, but he doesn’t let that happen to us,” Angelo Mathews had said recently during Sri Lanka’s second Test against New Zealand.And most times at the highest levels of team sport, it’s not so much about the actual coaching as it is your ability to get the message across effectively to the players. Sri Lanka have had 14 head coaches across their history (not including interim appointments) including some on multiple occasions, but Jayasuriya is only the fourth from Sri Lanka.

“In practice, we try and find different ways to do them [training sessions]. I want to make them interesting. Even before we start training, we’ve done little changes to create a nice atmosphere. So there are little things I do but it goes a long way”Sanath Jayasuriya

While foreign coaches bring a mountain of experience, their communication often relies on a translator, with several anecdotes abound about players over the years having tuned out during team briefings as a result of this language barrier. This, allied with Jayasuriya’s standing as a player , has provided him with a unique authority over the dressing room.”It’s easy for me to communicate first and foremost,” he said. “Any issues they have they can speak with me freely, and it’s easy to sort out. They have the confidence to do that. They also know what sort of cricket I played, so they know the value I bring.”But I have a responsibility as a local coach, I don’t have favourites. I will always play the team that is best for Sri Lanka cricket. I know that after me, it’s unlikely that a local coach will get this role. So there’s a responsibility I have on that end as well.”As for insights into Jayasuriya’s coaching acumen, there is yet to be any real information forthcoming, aside from the results. This is largely down to his role as a man-manager first and foremost, with tactical insights derived from the data gathered by SLC’s centralised hub for advanced cricket analytics – their “brain centre”.”The players also know what sort of cricket I played, so they know the value I bring”•Getty Images”In practice, we try and find different ways to do them [training sessions],” he said. “I want to make them interesting. Even before we start training, we’ve done little changes to create a nice atmosphere. So there are little things I do but it goes a long way.”The basics are very important. And that they enjoy, and that they are focusing [on]. But like I always say, focus maximum and when you finish, switch off. I don’t need to put them under pressure when they are not playing and the game is finished.”A very key area at the moment is the analysing department. That’s why Sri Lanka Cricket has invested a lot of money to the ‘brain centre’. We got some support from India too recently to educate our analysis department. It was very successful. And every tour we get data on the opposition, we go through it and discuss every detail. We then discuss our plans 48 hours before the match, so it’s easy for us to go out and execute our plan.”But while it’s been a satisfying honeymoon period, there are much sterner tests to come. For Jayasuriya, though, as a player, administrator, and now coach, a challenge is something to take head-on.”I think this is [something I] never expected, but I am very happy to achieve this and get this opportunity,” he said. “It’s a challenging job, I know that, it’s not a very easy job. But I want to take on that challenge and move forward with the team.”

A scuffed-up ball and a fired-up fast bowler combined for one of the great passages of reverse

Vithushan Ehantharajah28-Jul-2024It started with a six.Mikyle Louis, just as he had threatened throughout his debut Test series, was batting like a dream. West Indies were three down and only 12 ahead, but Louis was moving the dial in controlled fashion. And when he slog-swept Shoaib Bashir into the RES Wyatt Stand at long-on to bring up his first half-century, he had reason to believe the blow would resonate throughout the innings. In a way, he would have been right.About four hours later, the Botham-Richards Trophy was being polished before being handed to England for the last formalities of the post-series presentations. By then, West Indies were back in their dressing room, still trying to come to terms with being blown out of the water by Mark Wood’s 5 for 40, with assistance from Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson, in what will be remembered as one of the most remarkable spells of reverse-swing bowling of the modern era.The ball, now in Wood’s possession, with which he strung together five wickets across 21 deliveries and then held up to the adoring Birmingham crowd, carries a notable blemish on its rough side. One which it picked up off the back of Louis’ strike. From that point on, as Stokes put it, “It started doing loads.”Related

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“You need to blame Louis for this,” the England captain said to Kavem Hodge out in the middle as the No. 5 sat in the worst seat in the house, unable to avert his eyes for five of the seven wickets to fall in this hellacious spell of reverse.You can convince yourself Stokes was speaking with a bit of empathy until you realise he was the one that instigated all this.Upon realising the ball would start to tail, Stokes decided to have first dibs. An eight-over spell from the Pavilion End – which accounted for Louis, finding the edge with a lack of movement after lavish lead-up deliveries – was a throwback to previous such spells. Before he was captain, Stokes was used as the ideal conduit for reverse swing, with his slight left-lean in his gather and cantered right arm pushing the ball in, encouraging movement through the air before the rough-and-smooth work against one another.That he took just one wicket – Zak Crawley busted his little finger on his right hand dropping a deserved second – means Edgbaston 2024 won’t join the likes of Chattogram 2016 and Cape Town 2020 for memorable dalliances with the untameable craft. But this was another nod to a previously troublesome left knee that has a new lease of life.Reverse swing is a collaborative process. From Atkinson taking up the City End – and snaring Jason Holder, who Crawley had shelled – to the rest of the team ensuring the ball remained in condition. Joe Root has often been the one to buff, but this time it was Harry Brook charged with keeping the shiny side pristine, using the top of his right pocket to polish.The rough side is harder to manage, but every fielder did their bit. Touches on the ball were few and far between, holding the ball across the seam, with the sweatier members avoiding it altogether. Undoubtedly the most important part was recognising the scuffed side was the right kind of scuffed; ideally a fuzz rather than tatters. In a series that has had more ball changes than actual days of cricket (10), they did well to recognise that this defacement of the Dukes was to their benefit.Mark Wood roars after dismissing Kavem Hodge•Getty ImagesAnd yet, while reverse swing is never solely about one man, it certainly felt that way after lunch. “I think that’s one of the best reverse swing performances I’ve seen in a long time,” Stokes beamed of Wood’s six-over spell from lunch, which in isolation carried figures of 5 for 9. What a way to make a killing.Type in “reverse swing dismissals” into Chat GPT and not even AI would be able to conjure the kind of imagery Wood was serving up. Inswinging yorkers (Joshua Da Silva), uprooted stumps (Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales) and the thinking man’s reverse-swing dismissal – the nick (Hodge).Even before Wood made his Test debut in 2015, he was embued with reverse swing lessons from ECB coaches. During his time with the Lions he would hone those skills at Loughborough with balls that were deliberately scratched and loaded, a characteristic achieved by soaking one side in water.It was from these groundings that Wood figured out what works best for him. Slightly lowering his arm, bowling a little fuller than normal but not consistently yorker length, to get that extra zip to attack the pads. All with his use of the crease, which here included going wide to the right-handers to open their stances up a little more, thus further offsetting their front foot.As quickly as the wickets came, England were not all that greedy, which James Anderson preached at lunch. Anderson told the quicks that given the scale of movement out there, pace was not the priority. By focusing on skills, they would be able to gain just as many rewards. During his playing days (which only ended a couple of weeks ago) Anderson’s use of reverse swing centred around patience, with such skill that batters would not realise the ball was “misbehaving” until they were watching their dismissals back in the dressing room.Jayden Seales loses his off stump•ECB via Getty ImagesHe advised them to use the short ball, which Wood did to great effect as the lead-in to the dismissals of Joseph and Seales. And the focus on the right areas ensured West Indies’ scoring – and thus strike rotation – was kept to a minimum. It meant Hodge was caught cold; his looseness on 55 outside off stump was through facing just 18 deliveries in 10.1 overs of the middle session.For all the calculation and cold-hearted cunning, there was raw emotion on show as Wood finally got his flowers – and a player-of-the-match award – for what have been two exceptional Tests. He had just four wickets from three innings to show for it before Sunday, sending down the fastest overs by an Englishman and beating so many edges you wondered if he had taken up breaking mirrors in his spare time.There is also the fact that Wood has, peculiarly, found himself in the crosshairs of some of the West Indies players. A number of them have chirped him when he’s batting – nothing malicious or, well, out of turn considering he has bagged two ducks out of three. But as Kevin Sinclair found out at Trent Bridge, and Seales here after lauding his dismissal of Wood as the nightwatcher in the first innings, there are better targets to rile than someone who cracks bones and dislocates stumps. He was basically laughing at Seales when he sent his off stump so far back that Brook paced out the distance as he returned it.All in all, this has been a tame series. James Anderson’s farewell gave Lord’s a testimonial feel. Trent Bridge was more of a contest until the final half-session, when it was anything but. And what jeopardy there was at the start of day two in this dead rubber had dissipated by third morning.By Sunday afternoon though, the game was at its most febrile. Its most carnal. Its most watchable. For that, we have reverse swing, England and Mark Wood to thank. And, of course, Mikyle Louis.

Proactive captaincy will be hardest to replicate as inexperienced team face up to Pakistan challenge

Matt Roller05-Oct-2024England have only had a fleeting glance at a fully-fit Ben Stokes in the last three years but he has committed his long-term future to them, signing a new central contract which is expected to take in the 2025-26 Ashes tour. Stokes declined to specify the length of his new contract on Saturday, but it is understood to be a two-year deal.Stokes will miss a fourth consecutive Test in Multan, having torn his hamstring in August while playing in the Hundred. The timing was hugely frustrating, coming so soon after he had sorted out his chronic left-knee injury through surgery, to the extent he could bowl 49 overs at full tilt across three matches against West Indies in July.It is now two months since Stokes sustained the injury, but he said he is slightly ahead of schedule and does not believe it is a long-term concern. “Injuries are part of sport,” he said. “I’m 33 now, so I’ve put my body through quite a lot. But I’ve started working incredibly hard over the last two years… it’s not through lack of effort.”The ECB has not announced the latest batch of central contracts, though most of their regular players are already tied to multi-year deals. Stokes was an exception, leaving his options open last year after gambling that his value would rise during the subsequent 12 months. His new deal is thought to see him through until September 2026, taking in next year’s Ashes tour.It is a significant commitment, not least with the backdrop of a lucrative deal to play in the SA20 in January leaving Stokes fully aware of his value on the franchise circuit. But England are just as aware of Stokes’ importance to their Test team, not only as a player but as a leader and figurehead for Brendon McCullum’s regime.Related

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Without a genuine allrounder available, England have stuck with the five-bowler formula they used against Sri Lanka and with Chris Woakes at No. 7. It is Woakes’ first opportunity in two-and-a-half years to address his away Test record – 36 wickets at 51.88 – and throughout his career, he has tended to contribute more in Stokes’ absenceAs much as his batting and bowling, England will miss Stokes’ captaincy in Multan. He was the mastermind of their unexpected series sweep in Pakistan two years ago, not least in Rawalpindi when his early declaration – setting 342 in four sessions – defied conventional wisdom. Ollie Pope’s biggest challenge will be matching Stokes’ proactivity in changing the tempo of matches.Pope kept wicket in the first two Tests of the 2022 series, and is one of six men in England’s XI who was ever-present in that series. Jack Leach is their only bowler to have bowled a red ball in Pakistan before; Gus Atkinson will be playing his first overseas Test, and Brydon Carse is on debut. Pope cannot simply rely on his attack managing itself.”There are no doubts in my mind about the bowlers we have picked,” Stokes said, speaking inside an empty commentary box to avoid the 40-degree heat on the boundary edge. “We know they will be able to withstand it. We know it is going to be tough, but it will be great exposure for the first time for them… It will show them how hard Test cricket can be.”Pope tried to follow Stokes’ lead in setting attacking fields against Sri Lanka, but was too slow to react and adjust at The Oval as the third Test slipped away from England. He seemed to lack Stokes’ ability to grasp opportunities to change the pace or mood of an innings in the field, though will have learned plenty from his first experience of the role.Stokes will be on hand throughout to relay any advice, while James Anderson – who got the ball reversing in Multan two years ago – will arrive on the second day. “He has seen what can work out here,” Stokes said. “I’m sure at some point I will want to say something to him, but I will only do it if I think something is worth saying. I don’t want to say things for the sake of it.”[In 2022], it was about trying to push the game forward because of the conditions we were faced with. We were always trying to do something to force a result, even if it means potentially giving Pakistan a sniff of winning the game… me and Brendon will encourage Ollie to influence the game himself, and make sure that comes across in his captaincy.”Shan Masood’s public desire for surfaces that suit his seamers has piqued the interest of England’s players, and there was a significant grass covering on the Test strip two days out. Pakistan are a better side than recent results suggest, not least when Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are involved, and England will not take them lightly.England’s clean sweep in Pakistan remains their best series result under Stokes and McCullum, and was arguably the regime’s high point, with a 10-8 win-loss record in the past two years. With Stokes unavailable for at least the first Test, a repeat on this tour might trump it.

Rahul Dravid’s Adelaide 2003 performance voted as the best by fans

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-202425:34

Exclusive: Rahul Dravid relives his Adelaide epic

ESPNcricinfo LtdFinalRahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs Rishabh Pant’s 89*
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Semi-finalsSemi-final 1: Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Semi-final 2: Rishabh Pant’s 89* vs Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141
Winner – Rishabh Pant’s 89*Quarter-finalsQuarter-final 1: Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60*
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Quarter-final 2: Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53 vs Cheteshwar Pujara’s 123 & 71
Winner – Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53Quarter-final 3: VVS Laxman’s 167 vs Rishabh Pant’s 89*
Winner – Rishabh Pant’s 89*Quarter-final 4: Virat Kohli’s 123 vs Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141
Winner – Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141Round of 16Match-up 1: Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72* vs R Ashwin’s 3-57 & 3-92
Winner – Rahul Dravid’s 233 & 72*Match-up 2: Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60* vs Virender Sehwag’s 63 & 151
Winner – Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* & 60*Match-up 3: Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53 vs Cheteshwar Pujara’s 50 and 77
Winner – Jasprit Bumrah’s 6-33 & 3-53Match-up 4: Cheteshwar Pujara’s 123 & 71 vs Shardul Thakur’s 3-94, 67 & 4-61
Winner – Cheteshwar Pujara’s 123 & 71Match-up 5: VVS Laxman’s 167 vs Ajinkya Rahane’s 112
Winner – VVS Laxman’s 167Match-up 6: Rishabh Pant’s 89* vs Ajit Agarkar’s 6-41
Winner – Rishabh Pant’s 89*Match-up 7: Anil Kumble’s 8-141 & 4-138 vs Virat Kohli’s 123
Winner – Virat Kohli’s 123Match-up 8: Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141 vs Sourav Ganguly’s 144
Winner – Virat Kohli’s 115 & 141

The Afghanistan wristspinner has lofty goals and at just 26 years old he has time to achieve them

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Feb-20252:13

Rashid Khan: ‘DJ Bravo called me to congratulate on the feat’

In a batter-friendly format you have managed to create this record – that must give you incredible satisfaction?Definitely, it does. Especially when I look at my career, it’s not that long, where I feel like, say I played 15-20 years and this record has been broken and it’s under my name now. It is just nine years. And that’s how long DJ Bravo held that record for (eight years). But it’s a massive, massive achievement for me because if I look back in 2014-15, I never ever thought that I will play T20 Internationals and (franchise) leagues all around the world. I never ever had that in my mind. I’ll only try my best to continue (growing) and make it as bigger as possible.Has DJ messaged or called you?Yes, we spoke. He messaged me as well. He was so happy and said: “(I know) you are the one who (would) break this record. You totally deserve all this.” He’s always been very supportive and we had some great times and in (2024) T20 World Cup as well when he was Afghanistan bowling coach.Your climb to the top has been incredibly quick. At the end of 2016, your second year in competitive cricket, you had 38 wickets when Bravo was the leading wicket-taker in T20s with 367 wickets. By end of 2024 you had 622 wickets, only nine behind Bravo who retired last year. You did not take the staircase, you are on the escalator.I was thinking the same couple of days back. I was just checking my records: how many wickets DJ Bravo had when I debuted and how much I have now. I read that since I debuted, while I got 600-plus wickets, the difference between me and the next best bowler with most wickets in this period was nearly half (229 – South African legspinner Imran Tahir has 403 wickets). Like I said, it’s hard to believe. What makes it more special for me is the record now belongs to someone from Afghanistan.You should read the piece we did after you surpassed Bravo…I would love to. And keep an eye on which records I could break in the future (chuckles).There’s one you are withing touching distance: you are three wickets short of going past Tim Southee to become the highest wicket-taker in T20Is.That I already have in my mind. I tried my best to cross that in the Zimbabwe series recently, but I took only nine wickets. But hopefully in Asia Cup (scheduled later in 2025)Rashid Khan’s phase wise numbers•ESPNcricinfo LtdLast IPL when we met, you mentioned you have reached this far by sticking to that simple mantra – bowling in the right areas. As you evolve you will continue to stick to that?You never let your strength go away from you. That’s my strength and that’s why I’m more effective when I’m bowling there (points to the spot he wants to pitch) and that’s where batsmen struggle as well. As soon I start bowling here and here (away from the spot intended), maybe it becomes more easier for them. It’s more about that length, that line and that’s what makes it very hard (for the batter). Sometimes as a bowler, if you think a lot, like what will happen if I bowl there, then we forget to bowl in the right areas, then we forget what is our strength.

Every ball I’m bowling I want to take wicket, I want to bowl the best ball, I want to put the batter in trouble. As soon as you have that in the mind, wickets will comeRashid Khan about his mindset

I have seen so many bowlers, especially at the death, bowling the length ball and they are still hard to hit. I will give you an example of Mohammed Shami – he is bowling length balls at the death and still it’s hard for the batters to go after him because he is pitching on the right line and right length. [Jasprit] Bumrah is the same. He bowls the best yorkers, but at the same time also bowls the length ball which is equally hard to hit. Because he is pitching where he wants it and where he thinks it is hard for the batter to hit. For me it’s the same: it’s just the length and line and as long as I stick to that I don’t think I should change much. Yes, I can think about varying the pace and the grips, but not about change my line and length.Do you still use the bottle tops to sharpen your accuracy and consistency?Yes, sometimes when I face bit of a challenge, when I’m not hitting the right areas consistently, I bring them (bottle tops) and that really helps me. But nowadays when you are playing too much (T20) cricket and back-to-back games, it becomes harder to keep doing that all the time. But yes, in a longer format I still keep train (with bottle tops) like in ODI and Test cricket and it comes handy.I recently played a Test against Zimbabwe. The earlier part of my first spell was harder for me, around the first five overs. But as soon I got used to the rhythm, I pitched the ball in the right areas and I just enjoyed and I just wanted to bowl and bowl. I bowled 55 overs, but I still felt like I hadn’t bowled much. I should have bowled more than that. So that’s how I enjoy my bowling and that’s how I am focussing on hitting the right areas consistently, by challenging myself: can I hit that area now? Can I hit that area with this ball, with a leggie, with the straighter one?Batters have charged you and then played safe. As you have evolved, is your basic aim still taking wickets or you want to ensure you attack by being defensive?Taking wickets is thinking about how it’s going to happen. You can take a wicket on a full toss or on a back-of-length ball as well. But what you have in the mind is important, about how I’m going to get the wicket and that mentality you must have: if I’m bowling the wrong ‘un, because I want to hit him on the pad. Why I’m bowling legspin? Because I want to beat him, I want to get him caught behind, I want him caught in the slip. You need to have that wicket-taking mindset every ball unless you are bowling in death when you are bowling wide yorkers, wide slower ones, when you just need to try and deliver a dot ball. But your mentality should be taking wickets each and every ball. And that’s something which I mostly have in my mind: every ball I’m bowling I want to take wicket, I want to bowl the best ball, I want to put the batter in trouble. As soon as you have that in the mind, wickets will come, dot balls will come and good spells will come.Rashid Khan says making the semi-finals in the T20 World Cup in 2024 is one of the biggest moments of his life•ICC/Getty ImagesPersonally, can you talk about few top spells from your T20 career?I will name three. One was against Bangladesh in the last T20 World Cup where I got four wickets (4 for 23) where we were defending 115. That was a very crucial spell for me. Yes, I got four wickets against New Zealand (4 for 17) as well in the same World Cup, but that was different game and this was different game. Against Bangladesh, I’m defending only 115, which was a tough situation hence I felt that’s why this is a little bit higher. Another is against KKR in IPL 2018 in Qualifier 2 (3 for 19) which totally changed the game. The other I got 6 for 17 for Adelaide Strikers in BBL because bowling in Australia is something harder.Rashid Khan: If I look back in 2014-15, I never ever thought that I will play T20 Internationals•ACBAfghanistan reaching the semi-finals in the 2024 T20 World Cup – was the biggest moment of your T20 career so far?It is 100% one of the biggest moments of my career, in my life, to get to the semi-finals. And I still feel and I still think about that match. How we were (so) near to the final, we could have played the final. I still feel so bad whenever I remember that day that I thought if it was a better wicket, both teams could have done much, much better and it would’ve been one of the best games for us as a team. You know that ground (in Tarouba), we came two, three times for practice and we cancelled the practice because of the wickets.Currently 410 of your overall T20 wickets have come in leagues. You are leading MICT. You also play for two other MI franchises – in ILT20 and MLC. MI now also have acquired another franchise, Oval Invincibles, in the Hundred. From a player’s viewpoint, do you reckon it might be beneficial to you to stick to one franchise across leagues?Yes. It’s something which makes it so easy for you. You already know the set-up, the management, the environment, you feel like you know history of the franchise, how good it is and their mindset on cricket. I feel like that in future you just stick at one place. And that’s something for me personally, it’s quite important. I’m happy to be representing them (MI) all over: New York, here, Emirates. It plays a good role where it doesn’t allow you that okay, if I go a new set-up, how it’s going to be, how I’m going to adjust. But with this set-up, it becomes easier for you that you can adjust yourself quickly and you start focusing and start performing from the day one.This SA20, Paarl Royals became the first team to bowl 20 overs of spin. Do you reckon teams will bowl more spin as T20 evolves?Well, it depends on conditions as well. To be honest, I don’t think so (bowling spin for 20 overs). I still feel in the last few overs, you can still manage to hit one or two boundaries off the spinner in an over unless it’s a very, very, very slow wicket and/or a turning wicket. I feel you still need those skills of fast bowlers to bowl at death, those skills of fast bowlers to bowl with the new ball, swing the ball both ways, I will love to see the ball reverse, I still love to see fast bowlers bowling slower ones, wide yorkers. That is the beauty of this game, of the short format, and it shouldn’t go away. It shouldn’t be taken away where people think about, okay, let’s just go with (only) spinners and it’s easy. No, I don’t think so. It’s going to affect the game and the beauty of the game may just go away.You are 26 and already you are inching towards 700 wickets. If you keep your fitness, guess 1000 wickets is a milestone you might want to work towards?That’s the target (breaching the 1000-wicket barrier). It’s going to be massive to get 1000 wickets. Yeah, if I’m fit and I’m doing well, that’s something which will be a biggest achievement to take: 1000 wickets in T20s. And I can only just think about it, how good it would be and how it will be to have those four digits of wickets. That’s something which is going to be unbelievable. But yes, hopefully, hopefully I’m fit. I feel like if I (continue to) play the cricket I’ve been playing next three-and a-half-to-four years, I feel like I can get there.

A look at some of the takeaways from the men’s and women’s Super Smash that ended with Central Stags and Wellington Blaze winning respective titles

Deivarayan Muthu04-Feb-2025Stags’ youngsters roarNo Doug Bracewell (at the SA20 with Joburg Super Kings). No Ajaz Patel (injury). No Seth Rance (retired). No Josh Clarkson (impending fatherhood). No problem for Stags as they toppled a powerful Canterbury Kings side that included as many as ten players who have played international cricket for New Zealand.For the Stags, it was William Clark, 23, and Curtis Heaphy, 21, who sealed their chase of 136. Toby Findlay, another youngster, sparkled in the final, coming away with 3 for 29 in his four overs, including the big wicket of Daryl Mitchell. Having sussed out that the pitch was two-paced, Findlay used his variations well, often digging the ball into the track to mess with the timing of Kings’ batters. In his first season as a contracted CD player, Findlay emerged as a Super Smash champion and promises more for the future.Blair Tickner, the senior Stags seamer, finished with a chart-topping 16 wickets in nine innings at an average of 18.43 and economy rate of 9.21.Amelia Kerr shone with bat and ball in the Women’s Super Smash•Getty ImagesAmelia Kerr at it with ball and batHaving won the T20 World Cup with New Zealand in 2024, Kerr added the women’s Super Smash trophy to her cabinet. She racked up 441 runs in 12 innings – the highest in the men’s or women’s Super Smash this season – to go with 15 wickets in 11 innings at an economy rate of 6.06. Two of those wickets came in the final where Blaze successfully defended 104 in front of their home crowd.Kerr was also in the thick of the action in the Eliminator against Northern Brave, following up her 29 off 24 balls with 4 for 19. Blaze’s imports from across the Tasman, Hannah Darlington and Maitlan Brown, also played their part in them becoming back-to-back champions in the women’s competition.Jamieson, Shipley, Sears return to actionKyle Jamieson, Henry Shipley and Ben Sears, who were injured before the Super Smash, returned to action and hit full tilt in the competition. Having proved his fitness – and form – Sears also made New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming ODI tri-series in Pakistan and the Champions Trophy.Kyle Jamieson made a successful return from injury in the Super Smash•Getty ImagesAs for Jamieson and Shipley, they were part of an all-New Zealand Canterbury attack that troubled a number of batters. Jamieson, who didn’t play any competitive cricket for 10 months prior to the Super Smash, marked his return from back injury, with 2 for 26 against Otago Volts at Molyneux Park. Midway through the Super Smash, Jamieson earned a PSL deal with Quetta Gladiators and continued to operate without any apparent discomfort.In the men’s final, Jamieson burst through Jack Boyle’s defences with a sharp inducker and proceeded to dismiss Dane Cleaver, who had top-scored for Stags, but it was not enough for the Kings to wrest the title. Jamieson ended the tournament with 14 wickets in 12 innings at an excellent economy rate of 5.95.Shipley, who was also working his way back from a back injury, took 12 wickets in eight innings at an economy rate of 8.04. He also made some cameos with the bat in Kings’ run to another final.Meet Matt Boyle, the breakout star of the tournamentThough New Zealand don’t have the depth of India or England, they have some young talent bubbling through. Twenty-two-year-old Matt Boyle is the latest talent who is already being talked up as a future Black Cap. A tall left-hander who can hit the ball long and far, Boyle emerged as the top run-getter in the men’s Super Smash, with 377 runs in 11 innings at an average of 37.70 and strike rate of 156.43 for Kings. Matt is the younger brother of Jack, who has moved to Central Districts from Canterbury and son of Justin Boyle, who played for both Canterbury and Wellington.Central Stags are Men’s Super Smash champions•Getty ImagesBoyle had also showcased his power for New Zealand XI in December last year, when he clattered an unbeaten 57 off 34 balls against a Sri Lankan attack, which included mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana and slinger Nuwan Thushara, in a ten-over tour game in Lincoln.Bevon Jacobs watchAfter having secured an unexpected IPL deal with Mumbai Indians and having broken into the New Zealand squad, Bevon Jacobs turned up at the Super Smash for Auckand Aces, hitting 263 runs in eight innings at an average of 37.57 and strike rate of 140.64. His unbeaten 90 off 56 balls against Northern Brave in Hamilton was arguably the innings of this season. Having entered the fray at 30 for 3 in the fifth over, Jacobs propelled Aces to 187 for 5. Though Brave chased down the target, Jacobs served a reminder of his raw power and potential.After Aces were knocked out of the Super Smash, Jacobs headed to the UAE to link up with MI Emirates, the affiliate of his IPL side, in the ILT20.