Among other tours in the works, the New Zealand women’s team will host England for a series in February and March

Daniel Brettig29-Sep-2020New Zealand have secured a home Twenty20 international series against Australia in late February and early March – at the same time as the team coached by Justin Langer is meant to be playing a Test series in South Africa – as part of a more complete schedule than might have been expected in the time of Covid-19.On Tuesday, New Zealand Cricket announced that it would go ahead with Test Championship series against the West Indies and Pakistan as outlined in the Future Tours Program, while also fulfilling a commitment to play limited-overs matches against Bangladesh.The only home series that has fallen by the wayside relative to the original FTP is a tour by Sri Lanka, while the arrival of an Australian T20I side for five matches between February 22 and March 7 will be a considerable boost for the NZC coffers. It is unclear as yet whether this will be a full-strength touring team, given the FTP states that the Australians are due to play a Test series in South Africa in February and March as part of their own Test Championship obligations.Among other tours in the works, the New Zealand women’s team will host England for a series in February and March, while negotiations for an Australian tour of New Zealand is ongoing.ALSO READ: If Australia’s Test and T20I teams played on the same day, what would the XIs be?“Hosting these tours is incredibly important to us for two reasons: international cricket brings in revenue that funds the entire game of cricket in New Zealand and, also, it’s crucial that we look after the fans of the game and sport in general, especially during these difficult times,” the NZC chief executive David White said.”We’ve worked very closely with Cricket Australia in what is, really, a unique set of circumstances – and we can’t speak highly enough of their commitment to the global game. The same goes for the West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh and England – right across the board in cricket there’s been a real spirit of cooperation.”The schedule unveiled by NZC also leaves room for the country’s domestic T20 tournament, the Super Smash, to be played largely free of clashes with international cricket in January and early February, after the postponement of a limited-overs tour of Australia originally slated for late January.

Smith gives strongest hints yet after naming England squads for South Africa tour

George Dobell03-Nov-2020Ed Smith has provided the strongest hint yet that Joe Root is likely to miss out on the T20 World Cup and that there will be no Test comeback for Adil Rashid.Explaining Root’s absence from England’s squad for the T20 section of their tour to South Africa, Smith insisted the door for a recall was not shut. But he also suggested Root would continue to be “rested” from T20 cricket at the start of next year. With England currently focused on settling on a line-up ahead of the T20 World Cup less than a year away, that would appear to provide a clear indication of their intentions.And while Smith has previously suggested Rashid could be in line for a Test recall, he has now admitted his troublesome right shoulder means such a scenario “doesn’t seem likely” in the immediate future.ALSO READ: Wood prepares to pit his pace against ‘battle-hardened’ IPL starsHad it not been for a dramatic last over, Root could easily have been named player of the match in the last World T20 final. But although there have been glimpses of brilliance in his T20I career, his strike-rate since that final – 107.16 – is modest and the aggregate of runs – he has averaged 29.90 in that period – insufficient to compensate. With Dawid Malan, in particular, taking his chances when offered – in the same period, Malan is averaging 48.71 at a strike-rate of 146.66 – Root’s position as the accumulator has been squeezed. And, having not bowled in T20I cricket since September 2017, Root has had little chance to compensate with his spin.Smith’s hint that Root would continue to be rested from T20Is in early 2021 is also revealing. England are due to play both Tests and limited-overs series in India at the start of next year. It would seem perverse not to include Root for the T20 segment of that tour if he is a serious candidate for the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in the same country from October in the same year. By contrast, all England’s IPL stars – the likes of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer – have been included in this T20 squad despite their busy recent schedule. Root hasn’t played a game since September 20.So although there were flattering words from Smith about Root’s inherent class and ability when the squad was announced on Tuesday, it was hard to avoid the impression they were there for consolation.”It’s obviously true that Joe Root stays outside that T20 set-up for now,” Smith, England’s national selector, said. “We’re very aware just how great a cricketer Joe Root is; he’s one of England’s greatest ever cricketers. If there was a major tournament around the corner – as there will be next autumn with the T20 World Cup – we could easily include him.”But as it stands he’s not in the starting XI in T20s. And it’s also the case that Joe is one of those people who will need to have some rest over the next year. If I had to make a prediction, I would say that England would use T20s to rest Joe Root in early 2021.”That doesn’t mean that he’s in any way ruled out or couldn’t come in for a major tournament later on in the year. But looking after players like Joe Root who are so central to England’s success is very important.”Root’s involvement in the T20 World Cup cannot be completely ruled out. Such is his desire – he appeared for Yorkshire the day after England’s international summer was concluded – and such his ability, England could yet come calling once more. Equally, with Moeen Ali and Rashid the only two frontline spinners in England’s squad, it could yet be the selectors conclude Root’s spin could play the sort of role they once saw Joe Denly providing.But his opportunities to prove himself in the format would appear to be thin on the ground now. As a key part of England’s Test and ODI squads, he has little time to appear in franchise cricket and, when he has done so, his record has been modest. He could, at a push, yet make an impact in The Hundred or even in the inter-squad games that preface this tour.It was only a few weeks ago that Smith was expressing the hope that Rashid could play a part in England’s Test plans over the next few months. It now seems he has reluctantly concluded this is unlikely. Rashid hasn’t played a first-class game since January 2019 since when he has suffered a significant shoulder injury.”Adil is making a very successful comeback from a serious shoulder injury which kept him out of cricket for the second half of 2019,” Smith said. “He’s doing really well and that shoulder is getting better all the time.”But at the moment there is a real question mark about whether Adil feels it’s the right thing to do to push that by playing in four and five-day cricket. That doesn’t seem likely in the immediate term. However, I think Adil is an exceptional all-round cricketer in all formats and there might be a time when that’s something he feels able to do.”Although England did not announce the coaching set-up for the tour, ESPNcricinfo understands that Marcus Trescothick will fulfil the role of consultant batting coach.

Captain says both Rohit and Ishant could’ve been in rehab in Australia to be ready for Test series

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Nov-20202:15

No idea why Rohit wasn’t on the flight to Australia – Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli has said that the entire episode surrounding Rohit Sharma’s injury has been “very confusing”, exacerbated by a “lot of uncertainty and lack of clarity”. Speaking on the eve of India’s ODI series opener against Australia, Kohli said that ideally both Rohit and fast bowler Ishant Sharma should have been in Australia to complete recovery from their respective injuries which would have allowed them to play in the Test leg of the tour.Both players were ruled out of the first two Tests of the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is scheduled to start with the day-night Test in Adelaide on December 17.ALSO READ – Monga: Rohit injury debacle – Should we get used to players prioritising IPL over bilateral series?Speaking on the situation around Rohit’s injury, Kohli said that initially the senior batsman was ruled out when the squads for Australia tour were picked in October.”Before we had the selection meeting in Dubai, we had got an email two days before that, which said that he is unavailable for selection [as] he has picked an injury during the IPL,” Kohli said at the virtual media briefing on Thursday in Sydney. “And it mentioned there was a two-week rest and rehab period. The pros and cons and the implications of the injury has been explained to him and he understood that. And he was unavailable for selection. That was the information we got on mail before the selection meeting. After that he played in the IPL, so we all thought he would be on that flight to Australia, which he wasn’t. And we had no information whatsoever on the reason on why he is not traveling with us.”Rohit Sharma injury timeline•ESPNcricinfo

Having sat out four matches for the Mumbai Indians during the league phase of the IPL, Rohit made a successful return and made a half-century in the final to help the Mumbai Indians clinch an unprecedented fifth IPL title. However, he was not part of the Indian contingent that flew directly from Dubai to Sydney on November 11.Instead, Rohit returned to Mumbai to cater to what ESPNcricinfo understands were personal reasons. Last week he flew to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to work on his fitness. Incidentally, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had told , an Indian magazine, that Rohit had been “70% fit”.According to Kohli, the Indian team management was recently informed that Rohit would be next “assessed” on December 11 at the NCA, six days before the first Test. “And after that the only other information officially we have received on mail is that he is in the NCA and he’s been assessed and he’ll be further assessed on December 11. So from the time that the selection meeting happened to the IPL finishing now, when this email came about his assessment at the NCA, there has been no information, there has been lack of clarity. We have been playing the waiting game on this issue for a while now, which is not ideal at all. So, yeah, it’s been very confusing. There has been a lot of uncertainty and lack of clarity around the situation.”‘Would’ve been helpful if Rohit and Ishant did rehab in Australia’
Kohli also agreed that it would have been ideal for both Rohit and Ishant to complete their rehab in Australia, similar to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha’s case. Saha, who was originally named in the Test squad, hurt both his hamstrings in the first week of November, while playing for the Sunrirsers Hyderabad in the IPL. However, the selectors retained Saha after receiving the nod from the BCCI’s medical team, which was confident that he would regain fitness in time for the Test series, where he is one of the two wicketkeepers along with Rishabh Pant.”Yeah, [it] definitely would have increased the chances of both of them playing Test matches,” Kohi said. “Someone like Saha, who also had an injury during the IPL and is here and doing rehab with the team, so we are aware of his progress and he is on the right path to make sure that he is fit and available in time to play the Test series. And same would have been the case with Ishant and Rohit as well – it would have given them a chance to get themselves fit and be available for the start of the Test series.”Yeah, right now there is so much uncertainty on whether they are going to be able to make it, if they are going to be able to make it at all or not. It definitely would have been very helpful in them getting fit if they were here and doing the rehab just like Saha is with the team to get fit for the Test series.”

“It’s great to be back in the fold as a player and try to build on the good work that the guys have been doing”

Deivarayan Muthu19-Dec-2020After welcoming the birth of his first child with his partner Sarah Raheem, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson rejoined the side on the eve of the second T20I against Pakistan in Hamilton. The 30-year-old was on paternity leave when New Zealand beat West Indies in the Wellington Test and then beat Pakistan in Auckland to secure a 1-0 lead in the ongoing T20I series.Williamson described the past week as an “incredibly special” one and looked forward to returning to action on the field. “Obviously, you get a lot of advice on the way on what to expect and you try to take that into account, but you can’t quite expect it eh? It’s just so amazing, really, to be there through it, and obviously to have a few days at home has been really, really cool,” Williamson told NZC. “But at the same time, it’s nice to get back with the guys and looking forward to getting involved in some of these T20s.”Williamson was welcomed back by fellow dads Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, who isn’t part of the T20I squad, at the Seddon Park nets.

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“There’re a lot of guys in the team that now have children,” Williamson said. “In a lot of ways, you go through the years and you’re all the young guys, and now you’re not so young, and you have a few other interests. There’s a lot of kids in among the team which is really, really cool.”It’s just an incredibly special experience to have. It’s really hard to put words into how you feel and going through it, and the appreciation you have for your wives and partners that are obviously bearing so much of that whole experience.” While bowling coach Shane Jurgensen also joined Guptill and Taylor in embracing Williamson at training, head coach Gary Stead said he was “pleased” for Williamson and Sarah.”He’s quite tired, so a bit bleary-eyed, I think,” Stead said. “But, overall he’s hitting them well. Just normal Kane – gets about and does his business. It’s always nice, I guess, when you welcome a new addition into the family and we’re all so pleased for Kane and Sarah. Delighted that everything is well and back in with us in the cricket team as well.”Williamson had also been rested for the three T20Is against West Indies, which kicked off New Zealand’s international home summer, after playing a crucial role in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s run to the IPL knockouts. In his absence, newbie Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips took charge of the middle order, while Mitchell Santner got his first taste of captaincy. Then, in the series opener against Pakistan on Friday, Jacob Duffy came away with the best figures by a Black Cap on T20I debut.Williamson was enthused by the progress of the fringe players and hoped to build on the gains made over the last couple of months.”They’ve been playing beautifully well and with real energy and the team has changed a bit within the last series and this series,” Williamson said. “It has been awesome to see so many new faces step up really, really well. Guys who we’ve seen in the international scene that have come back in and played with heaps of confidence and that’s been really cool to watch. It’s great to be back in the fold as a player and catch up with some of the guys and try to build on some of the good work that they’ve been doing.”As for Stead, he felt that the selection headaches may not be a bad thing as New Zealand tune up for next year’s T20 World Cup in India. Other seniors like Tim Southee and Trent Boult are also back in the T20I side, but New Zealand will still be without Lockie Ferguson (injured) and Santner (rested). This could present another chance for the likes of Scott Kuggeleijn and Todd Astle to press their claims for a permanent role in the T20I side.Kuggeleijn consistently hit speeds north of 140kph and found steep bounce at Eden Park. Earlier this year in the CPL, he varied his pace cleverly and was the top wicket-taker with 17 strikes at an economy of 7.78 for Daren Sammy’s St Lucia Zouks. Astle had retired from red-ball cricket in January to focus on his limited-overs career and has been among the most economical bowlers in the 50-over Ford Trophy this season, conceding at only 4.90.”That’s [selection headaches] always a good sign – but the big focus is still the World Cup in 11 months’ time or something like that, so that’s the end goal,” Stead said. But we keep working back from there and that’s good that we’re creating some good, healthy competition for places. But soon we will get to the point where we actually narrow down what our best team is as well. Every game we do [that] we get a little bit closer to solving those puzzles.”Pakistan had a horror start at Eden Park, losing four wickets in the powerplay, but they got better as the game progressed and made the hosts dig deep. With the first match out of the way, Stead was wary of Pakistan and expected them to get even better.”I think teams always get better after the first hit-out and I mean they’re still a real quality team and certainly not a team we won’t be taking lightly,” he said. “So, hopefully we improve as well and we get better, but we also expect them to.”

The left hander signed a five-year deal in 2017 but has largely been short of runs for the Stars

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2021Ben Dunk has left the Melbourne Stars a year before his contract expires after the batsman and the club “mutually agreed” to part ways.Dunk signed a five-year deal with the Stars in 2017, having enjoyed strong returns with Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers, but in 42 matches has made 621 runs at 16.34 with 342 of those coming in the 2018-19 campaign. This season he has made 69 runs in five innings.”This was a difficult decision that will allow me to explore other playing opportunities and ultimately was in the best interests for me, my family and the club,” Dunk said “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time playing with the Melbourne Stars and wish them all the best for the remainder of this season and into the future.”In a social media post, he added: “Unfortunately I haven’t made the most of those opportunities but that is cricket. To the fans of the Stars, you guys are amazing and I’m sure in time, you will get the ultimate success you deserve.”To my team-mates from over the years, I thank you, and I look forward to seeing you all at some point in the near future.”