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Alistair Campbell has resigned from his position as Zimbabwe Cricket’s director of international cricket and commercial affairs

Liam Brickhill22-Oct-2015Alistair Campbell has resigned from his position as Zimbabwe Cricket’s director of international cricket and commercial affairs. Campbell officially tendered his resignation four days ago, but asked in his letter to ZC chief executive Wilfred Mukondiwa for his exit from the position to be back-dated to October 1, allowing him to serve his three-month notice period by the end of the year.”Dear Wilfred, It is with great sadness that I tender my resignation as Director International Cricket and Commercial,” Campbell’s letter reads. “In the interests of getting this done as amicably as possible, I am suggesting that this (my resignation) be back-dated to 1st of October 2015 to allow for the three-month notice period to end 31st December 2015.”I do not think that it is in the interests of either parties for me to be in the office for that long, therefore I would like to complete the hand over by the 15th of November 2015 thus allowing my successor ample opportunity to get his feet under the desk.”Amid a general administrative reshuffle, Campbell, 43, had been appointed ZC’s managing director, cricket in January this year under former ZC board chairman Wilson Manase. Campbell’s appointment came days after Dav Whatmore was named head coach of the national side.Campbell, a former national captain who played 60 Tests and 188 ODIs for Zimbabwe, had previously held the positions of chief selector and chairman of the cricket committee, during which time he helped to guide Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket in 2011. More recently, he was instrumental in setting up Zimbabwe’s tour to Pakistan in May as well as arranging for home series against India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland and Afghanistan, who are currently playing a limited overs series in Bulawayo.But Campbell was controversially accused of racial bias by former national captain Prosper Utseya in a letter to the ZC Board in May this year, with Utseya claiming that Campbell intervened personally in his non-selection at the World Cup. Utseya also claimed that Campbell’s decision to give coaching roles to former players Heath Streak and Grant Flower, who have since moved on to coaching roles with Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively, were racially motivated. ZC appointed a committee to investigate the allegations, and it is understood that both Utseya and Campbell’s legal representatives have presented their cases to the committee.Campbell’s position as managing director of cricket was then changed to a new position as director of commercial affairs, international and franchise cricket amid further restructuring in June. However, his administrative powers were greatly reduced soon afterwards following the ZC annual general meeting in August, when Manase was replaced by current ZC Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani. It had been expected that Manase, who had held his position on an interim basis after Peter Chingoka’s departure last year, would stand uncontested for re-election at the meeting, but Mukuhlani announced his running for the role on the morning of the meeting, and then succeeded Manase.After Manase’s departure, Campbell was stripped of his franchise cricket and commercial portfolios, leaving him to run only ZC’s international cricket affairs, and his influence within the organisation dwindled considerably. The running of franchise cricket was transferred to the new managing director for development, Givemore Makoni, who had previously been convenor of selectors. Commercial affairs were transferred back to Esther Lupepe’s office.In his resignation letter to Mukondiwa, Campbell also claimed to be owed money by ZC, and asked to be paid before he leaves his position.”You will also be aware that I am owed money by Zimbabwe Cricket. I would appreciate it if this matter is dealt with prior to my departure,” wrote Campbell. “Please, would you kindly ask the Human Resources Department to finalise my exit package as soon as possible so as to achieve the specified exit timeline.”I would like to take this opportunity to thank Zimbabwe Cricket for the opportunity and I wish them well in the future.”

New Zealand’s captain Brendon McCullum is confident that fast bowler Tim Southee will be fit for the second Test at the WACA after suffering back pain during the loss at the Gabba

Brydon Coverdale at the Gabba09-Nov-2015New Zealand’s captain Brendon McCullum is confident that fast bowler Tim Southee will be fit for the second Test at the WACA after suffering back pain during the loss at the Gabba. Southee was the most threatening of New Zealand’s bowlers on the first day in Brisbane but an irritated disc in his lower back forced him from the field on day two, and he did not bowl again in the match.The depth of New Zealand’s attack was found wanting in Southee’s absence and with fellow new-ball bowler Trent Boult struggling to find his rhythm. Doug Bracewell finished with match figures of 0 for 170, Jimmy Neesham with 1 for 111, and offspinner Mark Craig leaked runs in both innings and finished with 3 for 234.The short turnaround between matches – the second Test begins in Perth on Friday – means that Southee has little time to prove his fitness. However, McCullum said the initial signs had been good and he was hopeful that Southee would be available to lead the attack again.”Pretty confident – he’s started to come right pretty quickly, which is a good sign,” McCullum said. “There’s a bit of an understanding with some back injuries that sometimes they can recover pretty quickly. We’ll give him every chance.”He’s one of our leaders within the group and he’s an outstanding bowler. He showed in that first innings that he’ll pose a lot of questions for them as well. Hopefully he’ll play and we’ll have a full squad to pick from in that second Test.”Adding to New Zealand’s concerns, Neesham has been ruled out of the rest of the series with a back injury, which has led to fast man Mitchell McClenaghan joining the squad ahead of the Perth Test. Neil Wagner had already been called in as cover for Southee, and regardless of whether Southee is fit, the balance of the attack will be altered by Neesham’s absence.Matt Henry was close to selection at the Gabba and will be firmly in the frame at the WACA, but consideration might also be given to including the spinning allrounder Mitchell Santner to balance the attack without Neesham. Southee’s fitness might leave the selectors reluctant to choose him in a three-man pace attack, as they did at Headingley against England this year.”If he is 100% fit then that’s something we’ve got to entertain the thought of, as we did at Leeds,” McCullum said. “If he is a little bit uncertain then we may have to bolster the stocks. We’ve got plenty of options within the squad and we’ll find 11 that we’re comfortable heading into a Test match with and I’m sure we’ll be better than what we were in this Test match.”I’m expecting Tim will be available. He’s hard as nails and if he is anywhere near fit then Tim will play. If Matt gets the opportunity we’ve got total confidence in him. We’ll get to Perth and look at the conditions and make sure everyone has pulled up as we expect them to and we’ll then make a decision.”

Mahela Jayawardene has proposed having greater participation from the USA national team players in future endeavours involving the Cricket All-Stars, including the potential for a USA v All-Stars exhibition match

Peter Della Penna20-Nov-2015Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has proposed having greater participation from the USA national team players in future endeavours involving the Cricket All-Stars, including the potential for a USA v All-Stars exhibition match.”If the opportunity arises, the ideal scenario would be for an All-Star team to play the USA team, if we come next time around,” Jayawardene told ESPNcricinfo in Los Angeles, during the final stop on the Cricket All-Stars tour. “If you get a few of the younger guys involved in it, who have just recently retired, you can probably have a good game. You can give [USA] an opportunity to play a match against some of the good players. I still think guys like Warney [Shane Warne] and Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] probably still can bowl the way they were bowling. So it is a great opportunity I think.”According to several sources, a push was made behind the scenes by local officials to have USA players included in the actual All-Stars squads. At the top of the list was Barbados Tridents wicketkeeper-batsman Steven Taylor, while several other USA players who were recently chosen to be a part of a combined ICC Americas team to play in the 2016 WICB Nagico Super50 were also believed to be in the mix.Instead, a compromise was reached to have USA national and regional players serve as net bowlers in the All-Stars training sessions, with two players designated as 12th Man for either team in the games in each city. This allowed local talent to participate in the festivities and soak up tips from the All-Stars. Jayawardene is vouching for them to get more genuine opportunities on a follow-up visit though, describing their skill level as “quite good” through his interactions with them on tour.”They were getting tips from Warne and Murali and [Glenn] McGrath and all these guys, it’s fantastic for them,” Jayawardene said. “That kind of interaction for them, you understand the game in a better way, how it works in the mind as well. So it’s a great opportunity, and this is just at practice. Imagine if you could get those guys to play in tournaments as well and proper matches.”That’s something that we could look forward to if everything goes well, and something that US cricket could come up with and see whether they can have a match organised. There are opportunities and things we could try to do to get the profile of cricket in the US to a different level. If we are to promote the game and to get the kids involved and get the ball rolling, I think we just need to keep doing these kind of events on a regular basis.”Jayawardene recalled his visit with the Sri Lanka team to Florida in 2010 when they played New Zealand in the first two T20Is by Full Members in the USA. At the same venue, USA played Jamaica separately in a pair of T20 matches that were scheduled as a doubleheader alongside the Sri Lanka v New Zealand matches. Jayawardene said he felt there is no reason why a tri-series or other multi-team tournament cannot be organised instead to give Associate teams opportunities against Full Members.”It gives them a bit of exposure so that people get to see where they are and what needs to be done to improve,” Jayawardene said. “[The All-Stars] is just a byproduct I think and you need to make sure the international game should come here as well, especially places like Toronto where you have good cricket grounds.”We went there [in 2008] and it was a good tournament as well. Pakistan, us, [Zimbabwe] and Canada played in it as well, so it gave their guys a national opportunity. So we should try to see whether that kind of tournament can be organised on a regular basis.”

A round-up of the WICB Regional 4 Day matches that ended on December 8, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Sulieman Benn’s six-wicket haul in the second innings dismantled Windward Islands•Associated Press

A second-innings half-century from the captain Paul Palmer helped Jamaica chase down 150 for a three-wicket win against Leeward Islands in Kingston. Jamaica made the early running in the game, as Leeward Islands, after opting to bat, were dismissed for 164 in 63 overs, thanks to a five-wicket haul from the seamer Sheldon Cottrell (5 for 38). The hosts fell to 68 for 6 in their reply and looked in danger of missing out on an innings lead, but Carlton Baugh (73) and Nikita Miller (51) counterattacked by putting up a 110-run stand. Rahkeem Cornwall picked up four wickets for Leeward Islands, but Jamaica managed to compile 243 to earn a lead of 79 runs.Leeward Islands showed more fight in their second dig, scoring 228 on the back of Shane Jeffers’ 61 and Orlando Peters’ 52. However, no other batsman was able to produce a score of note, as Miller collected 4 for 71 to run through the line-up. As was the case in their first innings, Jamaica found themselves on the back foot even in the second, precariously placed at 84 for 5. Cornwall was once again the pick of the bowlers, taking 5 for 39, but Palmer helped weather the storm, stroking six fours for his 127-ball 51, as Jamaica held on for victory.
ScorecardLeft-arm spinner Sulieman Benn’s second-innings six-for fired Barbados to a 181-run win against Windward Islands in Grenada. Barbados, opting to bat, were guided by handy knocks from their top-order batsmen as the team posted a total of 296; Kyle Corbin and Sharmarh Brooks chipped in with fifties. Fast bowler Kevin Stoute ensured Windward Islands remained on the defensive by collecting 4 for 30 to wreck the team’s line-up, as the hosts folded for 179, with no batsman managing a half-century.Brooks then compiled his second half-century of the game – a 183-ball 66 – and added 130 for the fourth wicket with Roston Chase (71), as Barbados eventually declared at 261 for 7, setting Windward Islands a target of 397. Despite starts from their top three batsmen – Tyrone Theophile, Miles Bascombe and Johnson Charles all made forties – the hosts did not get anywhere close to the target. Benn took 6 for 55 in 26.2 overs as Windward Islands were bowled out for 197.
ScorecardA century from Assad Fudadin, and an eight-wicket match haul from Veerasammy Permaul were the cornerstones behind Guyana’s innings and 49-run win against Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain.T&T, batting first, were wrecked by Chris Barnwell’s five-wicket haul, and only a fighting partnership of 108 for the ninth wicket between Marlon Richards (53) and Uthman Muhammad (53) got the team above 200. Guyana, though, remained unfazed and collected a massive first-innings lead, as Fudadin, Leon Johnson (92), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (82), Raymon Reifer (64) and Barnwell (79) all got in among the runs. Their efforts lifted Guyana to 475, with a lead of 265 runs.Kyle Hope (74) and Narsingh Deonarine (47) put up a 104-run partnership for the third wicket in T&T’s second innings, but once Permaul (5 for 62) got the breakthrough by dismissing Deonarine, the team subsequently folded. Gudakesh Motie provided support to the attack by taking 4 for 43, as T&T were dismissed for 216, falling to their second defeat of the season.

PCB executive committee chairman Najam Sethi has said Pakistan will “not go to India” in 2017, as the FTP currently states, until the BCCI “fulfill what they owe us”

Umar Farooq16-Jan-2016Another series between India and Pakistan is in doubt after PCB executive committee chairman Najam Sethi has said Pakistan will “not go to India” in 2017, as the FTP currently states, until the BCCI “fulfill what they owe us”. Sethi was referring to the scrapping of three series against India that Pakistan were supposed to host, the latest of which fell through in December 2015.According to a Memorandum of Understanding both boards signed nearly two years ago, India and Pakistan were due to play each other in six series from 2015 to 2023. The PCB was to host the first of those, but the BCCI were unwilling to play in the UAE, Pakistan’s adopted home since 2009. An agreement was brokered with Sri Lanka as a possible venue, but the BCCI could not get the Indian government’s permission to play Pakistan.”They will have to fulfill what they owe us this year or the next [before we can tour India],” Sethi told ESPNcricinfo. “They owe us four home series, and Pakistan gets to host the first one. It was supposed to happen in December but [it didn’t]. Eventually, they have to fulfill their obligation before we will go there. They either have to play us in the UAE, or Sri Lanka or wherever we can mutually agree on. They have to keep their contractual obligation.”India had offered to host the series in December 2015 themselves, but the PCB had rejected the offer because there was no guarantee they would get any revenue from it. “They had snubbed us in 2009, and when we went to India to play a bilateral (limited-overs) series in return in 2012, they didn’t share revenue,” Sethi said. “Now according to the current MoU I made them sign, Pakistan get four home series, two for them and they agreed. Despite that, they have held our 2015 series and postponed it for next available window but this time they have to play before getting to host us in 2017.”The MoU Sethi referred to was signed in 2014 and had helped in securing Pakistan’s support for the Big Three revamp. Six series were planned during an eight-year period, but the three that the PCB would host included only two Tests each and a single set of five ODIs. India, on the other hand, got three Tests on two occasions and 10 ODIs.Recently, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had said there was no chance of an India-Pakistan series even in 2016, but Sethi was of the opinion that a gap of two weeks could be created by the end of the year. “Where there is a will a way. I don’t see any reason why BCCI can’t play this year. If both governments allow us to play then it not really hard to find a 10 to 15 days, but for this there should be a will.”The strain in political relations between the two countries has impacted cricket, but the 2015 series came undone at a time when the Indian foreign minister and Pakistan Prime Minister had committed to the revival of bilateral talks.Pakistan touring India for the World T20 in March, however, is unlikely to be a problem. The PCB will write to the government for permission next month.

A century opening stand and some rapid hitting from Lizelle Lee saw South Africa to a five-wicket win in Centurion and levelled the series with England at 1-1

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2016
ScorecardTrisha Chetty was on the winning side in Sarah Taylor’s 100th ODI•Gallo Images

A century opening stand and some rapid hitting from Lizelle Lee saw South Africa to a five-wicket win in Centurion and levelled the series with England at 1-1. Sarah Taylor, playing her 100th ODI, made a two-ball duck as England lost ground in the ICC Women’s Championship.England’s total of 262 for 9 might have looked challenging on the basis of the first match in Benoni, when South Africa were dismissed for 196, but they put on a much improved batting display to win with more than an over to spare.Much of that was down to Lee, who cracked 12 fours in 69 off 56 balls just as the chase appeared to be getting close. Lee added 112 in 14 overs with Marizanne Kapp and had taken South Africa to the brink of victory, with two runs required, when she was caught off Danielle Wyatt.England had been forced to call on Wyatt after a back spasm prevented Katherine Brunt from bowling more than five overs. Laura Wolfvaardt and Trisha Chetty gave South Africa the perfect start to their chase, putting on 113 for the first wicket, and although the spin of Danielle Hazell and Heather Knight reined things in, Lee banished any fears of falling short.Having chosen to bat, England were quickly in trouble at 16 for 3. Taylor, who became the seventh woman to play 100 ODIs for England, was third out, bowled by Shabnim Ismail, after openers Lauren Winfield and Amy Jones both made single-figure scores.Captain Charlotte Edwards (45) helped revive England, adding 78 with Knight. Knight’s 61 was their top score but although Wyatt hit 40 off 27 balls from No. 7, England’s total was not challenging enough. They now lie fifth in the Women’s Championship, two points behind South Africa in fourth, with one match of the series to play.

A round-up of the Under-19 World Cup games played on February 5, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2016A splendid 113-run fifth-wicket stand between captain Mehedi Hasan and Zakir Hasan steered Bangladesh Under-19s to the semi-finals after completing a six-wicket win against Nepal Under-19s in Dhaka. The pressure steadily built on the pair after Joyraz Sheikh was dismissed for a patient 38. However, they found the boundary, rotated the strike and compiled fifties in the process as Bangladesh reached the target with 10 balls to spare.Earlier in the chase, Nepal had chipped away at the wickets and gained a slight edge despite contributions from Joyraz and Pinak Ghosh (32). Offspinner Sunil Dhamala was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 33 from his 10 overs.Raju Rijal had set up Nepal’s score of 211 with a fluent 80-ball 72, which featured eight fours and a six. He strung handy stands of 44, 51 and 32 with Dhamala (25), Arif Sheikh (21) and Rajbir Singh. Some useful cameos lower down the order helped eke out 51 from the last 10 overs. Fast bowler Mohammad Saifuddin picked up 2 for 38.Karim Janat smashed a 132-ball 156 to propel Afghanistan Under-19s to a massive 226-run victory against Fiji Under-19s in the ninth-place playoff in Cox’s Bazar. After being inserted to bat, Afghanistan piled on 340 for 9 and then bowled out Fiji for 114 in the 32nd over. Perwez Malakzai (74 off 69) combined with Janat to add 130 in a fourth-wicket stand to rescue Afghanistan from 47 for 3.The middle and lower order all contributed with handy cameos to help add 73 in the last 44 balls. Peni Wuniwaqa picked up three 3 for 41 and T Veitacini claimed two scalps.Fiji were never really in the chase after losing Delaimatuku Maraiwai off the first ball of the innings. They were soon reduced to 18 for 5 before Malakai Cokovaki (25) and Josaia Baleicikoibia (29) shared a 50-run stand. Another clump of wickets soon fell and Fiji were bundled out. Nijat Masood returned figures of 6-1-6-3, while Rashid Khan claimed 3 for 16.A collective bowling effort, led by Jeremy Ives, followed by a fifty from opener Shaun Snyder helped Zimbabwe Under-19s seal a comfortable win against Canada Under-19s in the ninth pace play-off quarter-final.After having opted to bat, Canada were quickly reduced to 21 for 2 and then 56 for 3. Harsh Thaker (23), Amish Taploo (37), Abraash Khan (32), Arslan Khan (31) all got starts in the middle order, but gave it away. Slow left-arm spinning allrounder Ives was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe with figures of 3 for 30. The lower order also struggled for momentum as Canada crawled to 186 for 8.Ives starred with the bat as well, making an unbeaten 43 off 55 balls to steer his side home. It came after a strong opening partnership of 89 between Snyder and Wesley Madhevere. While Madhevere was dismissed for 31, Snyder went onto stroke his second successive half-century. Ives and William Mashinge added 46 together to ensure that the chase was completed in 31.4 overs with six wickets in hand.

Yorkshire’s sights are set on a hat-trick of Championship titles – and they look well equipped – but the challenge will be to reinvigorate their T20 fortunes

David Hopps07-Apr-2016Head coach: Jason Gillespie
Captain: Andrew Gale (Champ); Alex Lees (T20, 50)
Last season
In: David Willey (Northamptonshire)Out: Josh Shaw (Gloucestershire – loan), Rich Pyrah (retired), Moin Ashraf, Dan Hodgson, Jonny Tattersall (all released)Overseas: Kane Williamson (June-July), Travis Head (July onwards)2015 in a nutshell
Yorkshire strode to their second successive Championship, spearheaded by Jonny Bairstow’s runs and Jack Brooks’ wickets, but essentially Andrew Gale’s side had matchwinners wherever you looked. Their ability to win competitions and provide players for England (virtually everybody possessed international potential) told of a county reborn, but a semi-final defeat in the Royal London Cup and a shocking T20 season ensured that satisfaction was tempered.2016 prospects
Yorkshire incontestably have the strongest Championship squad in the country and are favourites to win a third successive title. Their weakness is a lack of spin bowling, which would be exposed if Adil Rashid gets regular England calls, leaving Karl Carver and Tom Craddock hoping for progress. New signing David Willey is just one of seven seam bowlers chasing four spots (one of them, Tim Bresnan, misses the opening six weeks with a torn calf) which leaves options for rotation in the last 16-match season. Bairstow’s summer is likely to be England heavy, perhaps Gary Ballance’s too, so Adam Lyth, Jack Leaning and Alex Lees need strong seasons. Yorkshire’s young T20 side last season was an impatient reaction to the failure of senior players; it will be interesting to see who Lees leads on to the field. Travis Head’s T20 arrival tells of strong links between Headingley and Adelaide fired by Jason Gillespie’s coaching role in both cities.Key player
Alex Lees, in charge in both limited-overs competitions, is Yorkshire’s youngest captain since Lord Hawke and his challenge is to encourage a more inventive approach in T20 – a challenge not helped by the late arrival of both overseas players. But he also has his batting form to look at after averaging only 33.12 in the Championship last year despite being regularly touted as another young Yorkshire batsman who can graduate to the England side.Bright young thing
With so many seam bowlers at Yorkshire’s disposal – many handy with the blade as well – it will be a challenge for Will Rhodes to force his way into the side, but he showed up well during Yorkshire’s defeat against MCC in Abu Dhabi and can mature this summer with bat and ball.ESPNcricinfo verdict
A hat-trick of titles is within range – Middlesex and Warwickshire look the main threats to that – but much attention will also be on Lees can invigorate Yorkshire’s T20 cricket in a way that pulls in full houses at Headingley for more than just the Roses match.Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship, Div 1: 13/8F; NatWest Blast 7/1; Royal London Cup 5/1F

South Africa may have considered playing a day-night Test in Australia had they been given more time to prepare with the pink ball in domestic matches at home

Firdose Moonda19-Apr-20163:08

Cullinan: Teams need time to adjust to the pink ball

South Africa may have considered playing a day-night Test in Australia had they been given more time to prepare with the pink ball in domestic matches at home and if the stakes of the series were lower but for now, they are “not in favour,” of the idea.Tony Irish, CEO of the South African Players’ Association, told ESPNcricinfo that the players have not made a “knee-jerk” reaction in rejecting Cricket Australia’s request for the third Test of their November in Adelaide to be played under lights and even took the views of their hosts, who hosted the first day-night Test against New Zealand last year, into account.”Our team is not in favour of playing the match as a day-night Test with the pink ball. It’s an extremely important match – potentially a decider – of series to the Proteas. The players’ strong desire to play this as a normal Test match is testament to how much they actually care about the series,” Irish said.South Africa’s main concern over this series stems from the scarcity of Test cricket on their calendar. Despite being ranked the top Test team for more than three years before this recent season in which they lost back-to-back series against India and England, South Africa play significantly fewer Tests than teams such as England or Australia. This year, for example, while they have already played three Tests, South Africa do not take the field in whites again until August when they host New Zealand for two matches and then they have another break before visiting Australia for the three-Test series in November.Although it is unlikely South Africa will be able to challenge for top spot again in that series, they do not want to jeopardise the possibility of climbing the rankings and beating Australia for a third successive time on their home soil by playing in completely unfamiliar circumstances.”There are significant differences from normal Test cricket and our players have no experience of these conditions and are effectively being asked upfront to take a chance in this match,” Irish said. “On the other hand Australia’s players do have experience of this so they will have an advantage in what could be the series decider.”South Africa’s only dalliance with pink-ball cricket came in a first-class match in September 2012 when concerns were raised about the quality and conditions of the ball. Irish said many of the issues brought up then remain unresolved. “There remain concerns amongst players, as expressed by the Australian and New Zealand players, about the durability of the ball, the ability to see it properly at night and dusk and the need to ‘doctor’ conditions to make the ball last,” he said.However, given more game time, Irish indicated South Africa may have considered the option of a day-night Test. “I’m unsure why the wish to play of a day-night Test wasn’t clearly raised back in November or December after the Adelaide match. CSA could perhaps back then have raised the possibility of playing a few trial matches in our provincial competition and some of the players may have had the opportunity to experience it beforehand,” he said.Even that may have been difficult because South African international players are seldom available for first-class matches in the country. AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, for example, have not played in a franchise first-class game since 2009. In the past summer, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada also did not make a single first-class franchise appearance.Another factor is that South Africa’s players have heard that their opposition, Australia, are also wary of the pink ball. “They are well aware of the views of the New Zealand and Australia players expressed after the first day-night Test,” Irish said. “There were discussions with senior Australia players when the Australian team was in South Africa in March and the Test captains also discussed it. It has been clear from all of this that the Australian players are also reluctant to play the match as day-night and that they want to play a normal Test match.”Irish said South Africa had “an understanding for what CA is trying to achieve and the commercial advantages,” but could not put those above cricket. “This is still very experimental and there is also a strong cricket imperative, inside the ropes, and the players’ views should be important here.”

Playing their first IPL, Gujarat Lions came within one avoided masterclass of making it to the IPL final, but were left doffing their hats to AB de Villiers first in Bangalore and David Warner in Delhi on Friday

Sidharth Monga in Delhi28-May-2016Playing their first IPL, Gujarat Lions came within one avoided masterclass of making it to the IPL final, but were left doffing their hats to AB de Villiers first in Bangalore and David Warner in Delhi on Friday. Warner scored 93 of the 163 runs needed, single-handedly taking Sunrisers Hyderabad into the final. Aaron Finch, who scored a fifty batting in the middle order for Lions, said there wasn’t much that they could have done to prevent Warner’s success on the day.”Tonight, I think that we had a very competitive total, it was around par,” Finch said. “170 would have been nice as it turns out, but two of the best players in the world have both got big scores against us in the last two games. Sometimes you just have to take your hat off and appreciate how good cricketers them two are. And say well played.”It was an amazing knock, wasn’t it, the way that he controlled the innings the whole way through and went right through and got them home was outstanding. We have been at the receiving end of a couple of great knocks in this tournament, and it is just that one batter in every couple of games seems to get us. AB in the last game and Davey tonight. We can hold our head up very high. We played some really great cricket throughout this tournament but unfortunately we just couldn’t get them world-class players out when it counted right at the end there.”Among the positives for Lions is the emergence of left-arm wristspinner Shivil Kaushik, whom Finch picked as the find of the tournament for Lions.”I think we have seen an unusual spinner in this tournament in Shivil,” Finch said. “He has been outstanding for us. Anyone who can bowl with an unusual action like that and who can spin the ball both ways is a huge asset, and he has been outstanding. It was beautiful the way that he bowled tonight, under pressure in a big game, to come back into the team after a few games out, just shows a real lot of character and someone who hasn’t had cricket given to him easily. He has had to work very hard for what he has achieved. He was outstanding, he was great all season and I think he can play a big part going forward.”Kaushik bowled his four oevrs unbroken and took two wickets for just 22 runs to keep Lions in the game. The other spinner, though, wasn’t bowled at all. The more accomplished Ravindra Jadeja was sprightly in the field as usual, but there seemed a lack of confidence in him after he hasn’t had a great season. The presence of left-hand batsmen in the Sunrisers line-up went against him, Finch said.”I think that Raina probably couldn’t get that matchup for him,” Finch said. “They always had at least one left-hander in Warner in and it was a very short side out there on the far side away from the change room. Probably didn’t get the matchup at the time, and Raina happened to bowl a couple of overs there quite nicely. I think Jadeja played a big part for us. He probably played a different role with the bat than what he has in the past years for Chennai and also India. He’s usually been batting 7 and 8, but he has stepped up this year and made some really valuable runs.”Overall, though, Lions bowed out a team satisfied with their showing in their first season. “I think the way that we played throughout the tournament was fantastic from the team’s point of view,” Finch said. “To finish top of the table for a franchise in their first year was fantastic. I think it’s obviously disappointing that we couldn’t get through to the final but the way that we fought and fought…”We had our back up against the wall a couple of times. We started off the tournament fantastic, I think we went six wins, one loss and then we had a bit of a down period but then we hit back hard and beat two outstanding teams in Kolkata and Mumbai coming into the finals. But it goes to show what an amazing competition it was. If we had lost one of them games, we finish out of the four but we won both and we finish top of the table. Same with Bangalore. It was an amazing tournament all around, the way that it unfolded.”