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He is believed to have batted without any discomfort but did not keep wickets

Shashank Kishore21-Feb-20246:27

Rishabh Pant on his accident: ‘I felt my time in this world was up’

Rishabh Pant has begun going through a series of match-simulation exercises as he continues his recovery from a life-threatening car accident in December 2022 and targets a return to competitive cricket during IPL 2024.On Tuesday, Pant and Hardik Pandya, who is recovering from an ankle injury, played a 20-over practice game at the KSCA facility in Alur, Karnataka, under the supervision of National Cricket Academy physios and trainers. They are expected to have another round of conditioning and match-simulation drills on Thursday and it’s likely this exercise will continue until early March.ESPNcricinfo understands Pant experienced no discomfort while batting for the entire 20 overs and the team monitoring him is believed to be satisfied with his endurance levels. Pant, however, didn’t keep wicket and has reportedly been advised to resume that aspect of his training in March. If he’s ready in time for the IPL, he is like to play as a specialist batter for Delhi Capitals.On Tuesday, Pant had a posted a video on Instagram in which he’s seen doing some wicketkeeping and mobility drills, which have become part of his lower-body conditioning over the past six weeks. The NCA staff is mindful of not overloading Pant and want to ease him back into the rigours of training in a high-intensity environment.Related

• Pant to lead Capitals, play first half as batter in IPL 2024: Capitals co-owner

• Ponting: Pant is 'very confident' of playing entire IPL 2024

• Pant on his life-threatening car crash: 'I felt my time in this world was over'

• Rishabh Pant suffers multiple injuries in serious car crash

Ricky Ponting, Delhi’s head coach, had spoken earlier this month about “managing Pant” through IPL 2024, if he wasn’t ready to play every single game.”We’ll just keep our fingers crossed and hope that he can be out there and play,” Ponting had said. “Even if it’s not all the games, if we can manage him through 10 of the 14 games or whatever that might be, then whatever games you can get out of him will be a bonus.”Rishabh is very confident that he’s going to be right to play. In what capacity we’re not quite sure yet. But I’ll guarantee if I asked him now he’ll say, ‘I’m playing every game, I’m keeping every game and I’m batting at No.4.’ That’s just what he’s like, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”Pant hasn’t played competitive cricket since the accident in December 2022, when he was driving from Delhi to his hometown of Roorkee to meet his family. After being treated initially in Dehradun, Pant was airlifted to Mumbai, where he had knee surgery under the care of BCCI’s specialist consultant.Since last April, Pant has mostly been at the NCA in Bengaluru for his rehab under the guidance of physio S Rajnikanth, who has worked with several India age-group teams and also been part of the DC support staff.Rajnikanth had previously helped Hardik, Jasprit Bumrah and M Vijay recover from serious injuries. Thulasi Ram Yuvaraj, another NCA physio, has also been working with Pant on mobility and speed drills.In an interview aired earlier this month on , Pant had spoken about how he insulated himself from the outside world to focus on his recovery. “I am focusing on recovery cut off from the world,” he said. “It helps me in recovering fast, especially when the injury is so serious. For recovery, you have to do the same thing every day. It’s boring, it’s irritating, it’s frustrating, but you have to do it.”Hardik is believed to be recovering well from the ankle injury he picked up midway through the 2023 ODI World Cup. He had begun training in Baroda last month and checked into the NCA for regular fitness monitoring. He is reportedly on track to lead Mumbai Indians at IPL 2024.Last week, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said Hardik would be Rohit Sharma’s vice-captain for the 2024 T20 World Cup beginning on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies.

The mini-auction is expected to be held in the third week of December

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Oct-2022The IPL has started the process for the upcoming mini-auction by asking the ten franchises to submit their list of retained players by November 15. While a date for the auction has not yet been finalised, it is expected to be held in the third week of December.Unlike the mega auction last year, when two new franchises were added and the old teams could retain a maximum of four players, there is no such cap for the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2023. In addition to the money left over from the previous auction, each team will have an additional INR 5 crore (approx. US $607,000) to spend, making the overall auction purse INR 95 crore (approx. US $11.5 million).Punjab Kings had the largest purse left – INR 3.45 crore (approx. US $425,000) – after last year’s auction, while Lucknow Super Giants had exhausted their entire purse. Chennai Super Kings had INR 2.95 crore (approx. US $358,000) remaining, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (INR 1.55 crore, or approx. US $188,000), Rajasthan Royals (INR 0.95 crore or approx. US $115,000) and Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 0.45 crore, or approx. US $55,000). Defending champions Gujarat Titans were left with INR 0.15 crore (approx. US $18,000) while three teams – Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals – had INR 0.10 crore (approx. US $12,000).Despite franchises having smaller purses, mini-auctions have produced some of the most expensive buys in the past. At the 2021 auction, South Africa fast bowler Chris Morris became the most expensive player after Royals bought him for INR 16.25 crore (then approx. US $2.2 million), which was INR 25 lakhs more than Delhi’s winning bid for India allrounder Yuvraj Singh in 2015.Overseas players have often been big earners at mini-auctions with Pat Cummins getting INR 15.5 crore from Knight Riders in 2020, while Ben Stokes’ first IPL pay cheque was INR 14.50 crore from Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017.Stokes along with his England team-mate Sam Curran and Australia allrounder Cameron Green are some of the overseas players franchises expect to attract the biggest bids if they enter the auction.Three teams – Kings, Capitals and Super Giants – bought only seven overseas players at the previous auction, so they could be on the lookout to fill up the last spot. Other teams could release one or more of their overseas players to create vacancies and increase their purses.Also, six franchises had brought in injury replacements during IPL 2022. These franchises will have to decide whether to retain the replacement player or the original player, or both provided the player limit allows. Following is the list of players originally bought and their replacements:

• Adam Milne, replaced by Matheesha Pathirana (Super Kings)
• Tymal Mills, replaced by Tristan Stubbs (Mumbai)
• Nathan Coulter-Nile, replaced by Corbin Bosch (Royals)
• Mark Wood, replaced by Andrew Tye (Super Giants)
• Alex Hales, replaced by Aaron Finch (Knight Riders)
• Jason Roy, replaced by Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Titans)

Six Associate nations – Malaysia, Namibia, Oman, Scotland, the UAE and the USA – have also submitted proposals

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2021Seventeen member nations have put themselves forward as potential hosts for eight men’s white-ball ICC events – two ODI World Cups, four T20 World Cups and two Champions Trophies – to be held from 2024 to 2031. Especially notable among the candidates is Pakistan, which hasn’t hosted an ICC event since the final of the 1996 World Cup.Security concerns have severely limited the amount of international cricket played in Pakistan for more than a decade now. The country was originally scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in 2008, before the event was pushed back by a year and moved to South Africa. Then, Pakistan only sporadically staged any international cricket for a decade following the 2009 attacks on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore, and during that period lost out on being co-hosts of the 2011 ODI World Cup.Related

• ICC u-turn over allocation of global events as bidding process removed

Ten other Full Member nations – Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe – have submitted preliminary technical proposals (individual or joint), as have six Associate nations – Malaysia, Namibia, Oman, Scotland, the UAE and the USA.A separate process to determine the hosts of the World Test Championship finals as well as Women’s and Under-19 events during this cycle will begin later this year.”We are delighted with the response from our Members to hosting ICC men’s white-ball events post 2023,” Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s acting chief executive, said. “This process gives us an opportunity to extend our range of hosts and grow interest in cricket worldwide reaching more fans whilst creating a long-term legacy for the sport.”Cricket has more than a billion fans around the world and ICC events have a proven track record of bringing significant economic and social benefits for host counties. These events provide hosts with a wonderful opportunity to work closely with local communities to grow the game whilst supporting economic and social development public policy goals.”We will now move forward to the second phase of the process where Members will provide a more detailed proposal before the ICC Board takes decisions on our future hosts later this year.”Over the last decade or so, the ICC’s men’s white-ball events have largely been hosted by the so-called Big Three boards. The last three 50-over World Cups have taken place in India (co-hosted with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2011), Australia (co-hosted with New Zealand in 2015) and England (2019), with India set to host the 2023 event as well. India were due to host this year’s T20 World Cup before it was shifted to the UAE due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while Australia are set to host the next T20 World Cup in 2022.It is not yet clear how the next cycle of events will be distributed. Earlier this year, the ICC made a U-turn with regards to the process to pick hosts for global events, returning to a process whereby hosts will be selected by the ICC board rather than determined via open bidding.

This was an eloquent response to those suggesting that Test cricket should last only four days

George Dobell in Cape Town07-Jan-2020

This five-day Test cricket thing is pretty good

This match provided an eloquent response to those suggesting that Test cricket should last only four days. Absorbing until deep into the final session of the fifth day, it attracted large crowds and included fine displays of steadfast and aggressive batting, spells of intimidating fast and skilful seam bowling, intriguing spells of spin and, most of all, the wonderful ebb and flow that makes this game so special. It was, in short, an excellent advert for the game and strong evidence that it doesn’t require too much tinkering. Administrators meddle with it at their peril.

Winning overseas is tough

Going into this match, England had not won an away Test in a live series (one that was not already decided) against any team other than Sri Lanka or Bangladesh since they were last in South Africa four years ago. And while they may have fancied their chances when declaring shortly after lunch on day four, South Africa kept them in the field for 137.4 overs before victory was finally achieved. By then, there were only 50 deliveries left in the match.England bowled well throughout South Africa’s second innings but, on a surface that had slowed considerably, they lacked the weapons – in particular, perhaps, an attacking spinner – which might have coaxed anything out of the pitch or the Kookaburra ball. As a result, they had to toil relentlessly hard to work their way through the South Africa batting. It was England’s first Test victory in Cape Town since 1957.

There’s only one Jimmy Anderson

James Anderson gave everything he had in this game. Even after it became clear, just before tea on the final day, that he was struggling with a side strain, he was the man his captain called upon to bowl after tea. With pain etched on his face between deliveries, he only managed two overs and may well have worsened the injury. But it was typical of him to try and telling that, even aged 37, he was the first choice in such circumstances.James Anderson receives the plaudits for a wicket•Getty Images

It seems odd to report now but, ahead of this game, there were suggestions that Anderson might be left out. As it transpired, however, Jofra Archer was ruled out through injury and England were not forced into any such decision. But he responded with an immaculate performance. Despite rarely gaining much swing – his outswinger simply refused to move in the second innings – he maintained pressure in every spell and, in the first innings, became the oldest England seamer to take a Test five-for since Freddie Brown in 1951. It is true that several of those wickets included lower-order batsmen but England have been frustrated by such batsmen often in recent times and, on a surface that negated bowlers as skilled Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, Anderson finished with outstanding match figures of seven wickets for 63 runs from 37 overs. England now face an anxious wait to learn the severity of the problem. And, perhaps, whether Anderson can stand the thought of another stint of rehab.

Stats don’t tell the whole story

A regular refrain from some on social media is: ‘Ben Stokes isn’t that good; his stats are ordinary.’ Whether that point about his stats is true – a batting average of 36 and bowling average of 33 are really quite impressive – the fact is you cannot judge Stokes purely in those terms. In this game, he provided a record five catches in the first innings, an outstanding innings which helped England accelerate towards a declaration in their second innings – a more selfish player might have not have been prepared to risk his own wicket in such fashion – and a display of pace bowling that underlined, once more, his strength and fitness.Ben Stokes celebrates dismissing Vernon Philander to seal England’s victory•AFP / Getty Images

While the wickets didn’t come until late, he troubled all the batsmen with his pace and hostility and perhaps created wickets at the other end with the pressure he built. It was fitting that it was Stokes, when England had tried all other options, who tore in for one final spell and claimed the final three wickets. He was, quite rightly, Player of the Match.

The Vicar takes residence

The manner in which Dom Sibley (the vicar of Sibley, geddit?) batted throughout the second innings suggested England had found an opening partner for Rory Burns. In resisting for nearly 500 minutes, he saw the shine of the ball, wore down the bowlers and eased the role of his middle-order colleagues. This is exactly the requirement an England side rather heavier on aggressors than defenders have had for several years.Dom Sibley reverse-sweeps•AFP

Bess can perform a holding role

Dom Bess out-bowled South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in this Test. The 22-year-old Bess, called into the squad as injury cover and without a match since September, performed admirably in conceding just 2.29 runs per over (from 27 overs) in South Africa’s first innings and thereby allowing England’s seamers to remain fresh and operate in rotation at the other end. While, in a perfect world, he might have proved more potent in the fourth innings, we probably have to be realistic. This was his third Test and only his 39th first-class game. England couldn’t reasonably have asked for more from him. Fitness permitting, he looks certain to be included in the squad to play in Sri Lanka in March.Dom Bess claimed the crucial scalp of Faf du Plessis•AFP

The Barmy Army are an asset to cricket – and England, in particular

The sad truth is that, in some nations and at some grounds, this wonderful final day may have been witnessed by a handful of spectators. Here, however, the spectacle was witnessed by several thousand thoroughly engaged supporters. Not all were supporting England, of course, but many were and the noise they made and the atmosphere they generated contributed to a wonderfully memorable day. On a more practical level, the fact that England have attracted so many supporters to follow them – some estimates suggest there are 10,000 England supporters in Cape Town – with the economic benefits it brings to the cities they visit helps keep the longest format viable. They probably deserve a bit more respect than they are sometimes given.

William Somerville and Ajaz Patel took three wickets each to help bowl Pakistan out for 156 and seal the series 2-1

The Report by Danyal Rasool07-Dec-2018For all the excuses Pakistan and their support staff come up with, for all the platitudes of disappointment and frustration that will be bandied around in press conferences, no one could justify what has taken place over the past couple of days. Mickey Arthur said after the first Test here in Abu Dhabi that Pakistan cricket had the ability to move on, and it looks like they’ve moved on without learning a single thing from it.A remarkable turnaround from New Zealand produced a result that is more a heist than a series win. After the smash-and-grab in Abu Dhabi in the first Test, New Zealand repeated the formula in the decider, skittling out a listless, spineless Pakistan for 156. For several teams, it would be a match that stood out for years, the poster child for the need to learn lessons. For Pakistan, it won’t even be the most dramatic implosion of this three-Test series, which they relinquished 2-1 to the visitors. It is the second series loss in last three for Pakistan at their adopted home, after going unbeaten here for almost a decade.Where there was class from New Zealand on the fourth day, there was complacency from Pakistan on the third and a capitulation on the fifth. Having blown their chance to bat New Zealand out of the game, they lacked the powers of concentration to see out 80 overs on the final day. Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls’ partnership alone had spent 24 more overs out in the middle than the entire Pakistan lineup on a fifth day that could not have gone better for Williamson if he had demanded it at a wishing well.Ajaz Patel and William Somerville took three wickets each, with Somerville enjoying a brilliant debut. He can take satisfaction in being the architect of the comeback on the third day after a somewhat toothless start to his bowling career. On day five, however, he looked a completely different bowler, with confidence shimmering in all aspects of his game, tossing the ball up and beating the Pakistan batsmen in the flight. His seven wickets were the fourth-best figures by a New Zealand player on debut, and the glisten in the eyes told of how much it meant to the 34-year-old who had perhaps wondered if such a moment would ever be his.Sarfraz Ahmed and Babar Azam took some control during the middle stages, but nothing short of a wicketless session would do for the hosts. While Sarfraz played in the mould of the player he used to be before becoming captain, he seemed to have found a way to survive in the middle. One wonders why he has lost the confidence to play that way more often, because as things stand, his contributions have rarely amounted to something that advances his side’s cause. Babar’s half-century was a bright spot in a dispiriting series for Pakistan, and a reminder he will have to carry an increasing burden over the weeks and months to come, most immediately in the series in South Africa later this month. When he fell looking to go over the top, Pakistan just had Nos. 10 and 11 at the crease, and the end was inevitable.Getty Images

A chase of 280 had begun with Mohammad Hafeez dropped off the first ball he faced, allowing him to avoid a pair in his final Test. He was castled soon after by a dream of a ball from Tim Southee, pitching on middle and off and shaping away to clip the top of the off stump. Hafeez’s batting career had ended with a moment of cricketing brilliance. Just a shame it didn’t come from him.Any thoughts Pakistan might have had of chasing down New Zealand’s total – and they do seem laughably naïve now – were extinguished soon after, when Azhar Ali edged behind off Colin de Grandhomme. That slowed them down, but the worst was yet to come.Somerville then got rid of Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq off consecutive balls, blowing away realistic hopes of Pakistan salvaging a draw.
The day had started with New Zealand letting their hair down. In a wildly entertaining mini-session, Nicholls took charge with his unbeaten 126, and with assistance from de Grandhomme and Southee, New Zealand walloped 81 runs in nine overs. It was a final show of dominance from the visitors before they put Pakistan in to bat, a swift lashing to add to the bruises they had inflicted yesterday. Within a day, the situation was flipped completely, and with Pakistan set 280 in 79 overs, a win for the hosts looked impossible.Williamson’s dismissal off the first ball of the day failed to scare the visitors into conservatism, and two fours in the same over sent across that message. Another ten runs off the next, in which Nicholls moved to 99, made it clear that a quick declaration was on the cards. Nicholls’ third Test hundred – his first outside New Zealand – came in the next over, and after that, he too cut loose. The short balls from the fast bowlers were most mercilessly put away, while at the other end de Grandhomme, looking a much freer player, smashed Shaheen Afridi and Yasir Shah for sixes. Yasir removed de Grandhomme and BJ Watling off successive deliveries in response, but even Southee couldn’t be contained here.Pakistan could manage none of the commitment, quality, mental strength or dynamism of the visitors in just about every single moment that mattered across both Tests in Abu Dhabi. It seems a shocking claim, but in truth, they should have walked away with a 3-0 win. Instead, they ceded this series to a side that refused to believe it was beaten against one that, worryingly, looks like it has forgotten how to win.

The second and third 50-over matches between India A and New Zealand A will now be held on October 10 and 11 in Visakhapatnam

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2017The second and third matches of the unofficial ODI series between India A and New Zealand A has been postponed due to rain in Visakhapatnam. The first match, which was scheduled for Friday, October 6, was abandoned without a ball bowled.The second and third matches, originally scheduled for October 8 and 10, will now be held on October 10 and 11. The fourth and fifth matches will go on as scheduled, on October 13 and 15.There were no reserve days planned for the series originally, but the matches have been rescheduled to comply with a request from the New Zealand A management, who wanted their players to have some game time, with six among their squad set to be named in the senior New Zealand team that is touring India for three ODIs and three T20Is, starting October 22.

Andrew McDonald, the former Australia allrounder, has been confirmed as the new coach of the Melbourne Renegades

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2016Andrew McDonald, the former Australia allrounder, has been confirmed as the new coach of the Melbourne Renegades. McDonald has impressed as coach of Leicestershire over the past two seasons and has been linked with the job of Victoria coach, which like the Renegades position has been vacated by Australia’s new assistant coach David Saker.”I’m delighted to have been appointed head doach at the Melbourne Renegades and it’s a role I’m very much looking forward to,” McDonald said. “The Big Bash League is extremely competitive and you do need some luck in this league but you create that as well. The smarter we play as a team and the more pressure we can put on our opposition, the more we’ll find ourselves in winning positions.”McDonald, who played four Tests for Australia during 2009, began his BBL career with the Renegades before moving to the Sydney Thunder. He played one game for the Thunder last summer but at 35, coaching appears to be the future for McDonald.”We had a good field of people who were very interested in this role and we’re really pleased Andrew has agreed to come back to the Melbourne Renegades as our next coach,” Stuart Coventry, the Renegades CEO, said.”Andrew has a wide breadth of experience playing for Australia and from a T20 perspective in the Indian Premier League, the BBL and now in his coaching role at Leicestershire. He obviously knows plenty of the players in our squad so he’ll be a great fit to inspire our team towards a finals appearance this season.”

Rain has now become the dominant aspect of this Test – and the series – with a third successive day completely washed out in Dhaka

The Report by Firdose Moonda02-Aug-2015Play abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Dane Vilas and JP Duminy walk across a wet outfield in Mirpur•AFP

Rain has now become the dominant aspect of this Test – and the series – with a third successive day completely washed out in Dhaka. No play was possible even though the covers were removed and the ground was prepared for a 1pm inspection. An hour before the umpires were due to determine whether it was fit for any action, the heavens opened.The match is still in its first innings and only 88.1 overs have been bowled, all on the first day. Dale Steyn, who became the 13th bowler to 400 Test wickets on the opening day, is yet to complete his 17th over. Given the match situation and the time lost, a drawn game and a shared series seems the only likely scenario.Before the series started, Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes said a draw would be a “big achievement” for the team, considering they are ranked ninth on the Test rankings, while South Africa are on top. Bangladesh may not have wanted to share the spoils in this way.South Africa would also be disappointed with the outcome. These two Tests were the first of 10 they will play in the next seven months and the only long-format fixtures ahead of their high-profile tour of India later this year.

New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott has been named as a replacement for Corey Anderson, who has sustained a fracture to his left thumb

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2013New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott has been named as a replacement for Corey Anderson, who has sustained a fracture to his left thumb, for the ODI series against South Africa.Anderson was struck on his hand while bowling during practice. He will be in a cast for the next two weeks, thus ending his chances of making his ODI debut on this tour. Anderson played in all three T20s against South Africa last month, scoring 17 runs in two innings and failing to take a wicket.Elliott, who grew up in Johannesburg, has played five Tests, 37 ODIs and a single T20 for New Zealand but hasn’t featured in an international game since December 2010. He has scored four fifties and a century in his ODI career. He has played only once before against South Africa, in the 2009 Champions Trophy.New Zealand will play three ODIs against South Africa, between January 19 and 25.

Netherlands cricket has received a major boost after securing a four-year sponsorship deal with the major Dutch bank ABN AMBRO

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2012Netherlands cricket has received a major boost after securing a four-year sponsorship deal with the major Dutch bank ABN AMBRO. It will allow them to pump more money into central contracts as they build towards the 2015 World Cup.As with other Associate nations, Netherlands’ players have to balance their cricket careers with full-time jobs to ensure they can make a living. Some of their leading stars, like Ryan ten Doeschate and Alexei Kervezee, play county cricket – where Netherlands compete in the CB40 competition – while Tom Cooper has reached as far as the Australia A setup. Currently three players have contracts with the Netherlands board but they now expect that to increase.”We are delighted to be able to secure this deal, which also provides us with a two-fold opportunity,” Richard Cox, the Netherlands chief-executive, said. “Firstly we will be able to offer considerably more full-time playing contracts to our players and effectively turn professional for the foreseeable four years and beyond. Secondly we will be able to offer a career-path for our best young cricketers from our development programmes in to the national team. This is a sea-change for the future of Dutch cricket and is the fruit of many months of work by team manager Ed van Nierop and the KNCB.”Netherlands took part in last year’s World Cup but did not manage to win any of their group matches, although they gave England a tough outing when ten Doeschate struck 119 in Nagpur. In March they will be one of 16 teams taking part in the World Twenty20 qualifiers in Dubai, from which two sides will qualify for the main event in Sri Lanka. Their attention will then turn to preparing for the next World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, in 2015.