The Sri Lanka pair is currently recovering from injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2024The Sri Lanka pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Nuwan Thushara will not be available to play for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in CPL 2024. Both players had suffered injuries during the recent white-ball series at home against India.Patriots have signed Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortje as replacements for Hasaranga and Thushara.While slinger Thushara was ruled out of the entire series with a finger injury, Hasaranga played all three T20Is and the first ODI before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.Related

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Nortje is yet to make his CPL debut but Shamsi is a familiar name at the league, having played 32 games, including 27 for Patriots. Shamsi has taken 33 wickets in those matches for Patriots at an economy rate of 7.06.Nortje and Shamsi will reunite with their South Africa team-mate Tristan Stubbs at Patriots. The side had finished last in CPL 2023, with just a solitary win in ten games.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots squad for CPL 2024

Kyle Mayers, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Sikandar Raza, Anrich Nortje, Andre Fletcher, Tristan Stubbs, Dominic Drakes, Mikyle Louis, Odean Smith, Joshua da Silva, Veerasammy Permaul, Ryan John, Ashmead Nedd, Johann Layne

CWI has offered two-year contracts for the first time, even as senior bowler Kemar Roach is a notable absentee

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2024In an unprecedented move, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has awarded multi-year contracts to its top cricketers – both men and women – including men’s ODI captain Shai Hope, and women’s white-ball captain Hayley Matthews.It comes on the back of a new four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in January 2024 between CWI and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). The contract period starts from October 1, 2024 for all players, and ends on September 30, 2025 for those on a one-year contract, but on September 30, 2026 for the multi-year awarded players.Overall, 15 men’s players have been offered contracts, with six of those earning two-year deals. Hope aside, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie and Jayden Seales were given multi-year contracts. Among the women, Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle joined Matthews on the multi-year contracts list.Related

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“CWI has committed to maintaining open and honest dialogue with players, and being practical about the realities of the modern game,” Miles Bascombe, the board’s director of cricket, said in a statement. “The players have responded in kind, and the acceptance of multi-year contracts is an indication of clarity, confidence and commitment on both sides. I’d like to congratulate the entire contracted cohort on their performances in the last assessment period, and I look forward to them building on those in next one.”Senior fast bowler Kemar Roach, who is a notable absentee from the contracts list, is currently in discussions about a dual playing and mentor role as he prepares for the next stage of his career.Batter Kavem Hodge won his first central contract after having scored a vital first-innings 71 in West Indies’ first Test victory in Australia in 28 years, in Brisbane this January. Hodge then went on to score his maiden Test hundred, against England at Trent Bridge in July, earlier this year.Meanwhile, allrounder Roston Chase was the only other new entrant to the contracts list. He was among West Indies’ key players in their run to the Super Eight during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, though, missed out on a West Indies central contract, and will take up a franchise retainer contract with Guyana Harpy Eagles.Among the women’s players, allrounder Ashmini Munisar received her maiden West Indies contract.

WI men’s contracts

Two-year deals: Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie and Jayden Seales
One-year deals: Alick Athanaze, Kraigg Brathwaite, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Kavem Hodge, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell

WI women’s contracts

Two-year deals: Shemaine Campbelle, Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor
One-year deals: Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Rashada Williams and Ashmini Munisar

Bad light ended play early, but hosts were 81 ahead, recovering despite an early burst from Kagiso Rabada

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2024Bad light forced the third day’s play of the Dhaka Test to be called off at 4pm local time, an hour before the scheduled end of the day. Bangladesh fought back in the game and now lead by 81 runs, with South Africa still short of three wickets. The hosts ended the day on 283 for 7, thanks mainly to half-centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the debutant Jaker Ali.Play was stopped at 3.17pm after 17 minutes of play under floodlights at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. There was earlier a 78-minute stoppage due to rain from 1.42pm onwards. This is unseasonal rain in Bangladesh due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, which is forecast to turn into a cyclone on Wednesday.Mehidy was Bangladesh’s saviour on the day with his fourth half-century this year, once again saving the team’s blushes from a difficult position. They were 112 for 6, from where Mehidy and Jaker added 138 runs for the seventh wicket. It is Bangladesh’s third century stand from the seventh wicket in their last five Tests.Mehidy struck nine fours and a six in his 171-ball stay on the third day, batting confidently enough to pass some of that confidence to Jaker, who had got only 2 in the first innings. But the day had started horribly for Bangladesh, who lost three wickets in the first 30 minutes of play, with a Test to save.Kagiso Rabada had removed both of Bangladesh’s overnight batters Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mushfiqur Rahim by the fourth over of the day. Mahmudul edged a wide one, giving first slip an easy catch after making 40. Rabada then blew away Mushfiqur’s middle stump later in the over with a delivery that was similar to his dismissal of the same batter in the first innings; while Mushfiqur lost two stumps on the first day, this time it was the middle pole which came off.When Litton Das was caught behind off Keshav Maharaj shortly afterwards, Bangladesh slipped to 112 for 6, and were in danger of an innings defeat on the third day. Mehidy and Jaker then stepped in, battling through a tough first session, and helping Bangladesh go past South Africa’s 202-run first-innings lead.Jaker, who played second fiddle to Mehidy, struck the ball nicely through the covers. He pinched two fours through fine leg too, one of them getting him to a half-century. Jaker hammered Rabada with a confident pull shot too. He also took three fours off Rabada, twice through the off side and once through a pull.Mehidy, meanwhile, was mainly effective against Maharaj, hitting him for four boundaries through the covers – sometimes even lofted ones, but mostly along the ground. He generally handled spin well, as Bangladesh got within one run of South Africa’s lead at lunch.An hour into the second session, rain stopped play for 78 minutes. Before the rain break, Jaker reached had his maiden Test fifty. He fell lbw to Maharaj after getting beaten trying to turn the ball on the leg side. The umpire gave it out despite a casual appeal from the visitors, but replays showed it was the correct decision. Jaker struck seven fours in his 111-ball stay.

Bavuma was proactive and Verreynne stable to ensure Sri Lanka’s pacers, who were effective, could not skittle the hosts

Firdose Moonda05-Dec-2024Ryan Rickelton scored a first Test century in his eighth match and became the eighth batter for South Africa to bring up a hundred in 2024 on an evenly shared day at St George’s Park.After choosing to bat first in blustery conditions, South Africa teetered on 44 for 3 in the morning session but a 133-run fourth wicket stand between Rickelton and Temba Bavuma, who brought up his third successive score over fifty, saw them take control. They were rocked again at 186 for 5 but Rickelton and Kyle Verreynne put on 77 for the sixth-wicket to re-steady them. Sri Lanka came back with two late wickets in the day and will eye dismissing South Africa for under 300 and making the most of what are expected to be good batting conditions on day two.Sri Lanka, who wanted to bowl first on a surface with a significant grass covering and got their wish despite losing the toss, will feel fairly pleased with their performance, especially as their seamers asked plenty of questions. Asitha Fernando and Vishwa Fernando found just enough movement upfront while Lahiru Kumara was used effectively in bursts and all three were threatening with the short ball. They were not helped by two chances being put down and a few others falling short. But on what is usually a good batting surface on the first day, they will be pleased with their efforts.Temba Bavuma notched up his third fifty-plus score in as many innings•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa’s decision not only to include an extra batter but to use Rickelton in his preferred position paid off. This was the first time he has batted in Tests at No. 3, a position where he has a domestic average of 60.68, and he showed his suitability to being higher up the order. Called on as early as the second over Rickelton batted for most of the day. He showed restraint upfront and then pounced on any width. He was dismissed with eight minutes left in the day’s play and would have been disappointed to have played at a Kumara ball outside off and edged to gully but that was after he had demonstrated some of South Africa’s batting depth after an early wobble.Asitha, who took the new ball after Vishwa, struck with his first ball when he had Tony de Zorzi given out lbw to an inswinging yorker for a duck. De Zorzi reviewed but both impact and wickets-projection were umpire’s calls and the decision stood. Then, Kumara became the fifth Sri Lankan seamer to reach 100 Test wickets when he bowled Aiden Markram, who tried to drive a delivery that nipped back into him to end what could have become a dangerous innings. Markram struck four fours in his 20 and was unafraid to throw his hands at anything wide. Four overs later, Tristan Stubbs, in his first Test at his home ground, reached for a wide Kumara delivery with hard hands and edged to wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, who took a good catch moving to his right.That brought Bavuma, brimming with confidence from his Kingsmead ton, to join Rickelton. Bavuma flicked the fifth ball he faced off Prabath Jayasuriya behind square to bring up South Africa’s fifty. He played some deft strokes including steers between second and third slip and through point. He rode the bounce well and finished the morning session by hitting Jayasuriya over midwicket and out of the ground for six. South Africa got into gear immediately after lunch and took ten runs off the second over of the session. Bavuma was particularly assertive on the drive and in the area through point, where he hit the single that brought up his fifty. It came off 57 balls, his second fastest in Tests after the 52-ball fifty in the innings where he scored his maiden hundred.Asitha Fernando kept South Africa in check•AFP/Getty Images

Rickelton was more cautious and took 122 balls to reach fifty and never got ahead of himself even as things seemed easier against the spinners. As tea approached, Sri Lanka brought on Asitha for a short-ball burst and it worked. Bavuma tried to hook the last ball of Asitha’s 11th over and edged to Kusal.David Bedingham got to tea but was then determined to play as attackingly as possible. He swiped at the fifth ball he faced, from Asitha, and sent it up over the on-side. Three fielders were converging on it and Vishwa, from deep midwicket called for it and caught it momentarily but the chance slipped out of his hands. Two overs later, Bedingham went for it again, this time to a short ball that he top-edged to fine leg. Dinesh Chandimal was the only fielder out there and settled under the ball but it went straight through him. Bedingham’s luck ran out when he tried to take on Jayasuriya, advanced down the track, missed a slog and was bowled.Asitha almost had Verreynne gloving a short ball in the next over but he survived. Runs, however, dried up. South Africa scored 17 runs in 12 overs post tea and Rickelton added only four runs to his total before he broke the shackles by scything Kumara through point for four. Verreynne used the crease well to manufacture scoring opportunities and the pair ran well as the second new ball approached. Rickelton was in the 90s then and got to 98 with a cover drive before being given out lbw off Vishwa. He reviewed, reluctantly it seemed, and Ultra-Edge showed a spike. Two balls later, he hit the ball straight past Verreynne to bring up a 231-ball hundred to much applause.Sri Lanka took the second new ball as soon as it became available and were rewarded with Rickelton’s wicket. Marco Jansen smoked the first ball he faced through the covers for four but was bowled on the last ball of the day as Vishwa, who had toiled without success through the day, broke through his defences.

South Africa’s last pair survive nervy finish to salvage draw after Bulbulia century

ECB Reporters Network29-Jan-2025Farhan Ahmed was the star again with a five-wicket haul but it was not enough as England Men U19s fell one wicket short of claiming victory in the first Youth Test against South Africa Men U19s in Stellenbosch.Ahmed completed a dominant display with both bat and ball – returning match figures of nine for 181 after his first-innings 90 – only for the home side to snatch a draw chasing 317 to win.Opener Muhammed Bulbulia’s century had South Africa Men U19s on course before spin duo Ahmed (five for 103) and Tazeem Ali (three for 57) inspired a collapse of six for 56 and left the tail with over an hour to bat.Ali eventually broke a stubborn 84-ball ninth-wicket stand when Raeeq Daniels edged to Archie Vaughan at first slip, but with just eight balls left the home side saw it through to the close – albeit in unconventional style.Last man Nqobani Mokoena opted to attack the final over from Ahmed, who had eight fielders around the bat, finding the rope twice including smashing the final ball through cover.The Young Lions had earlier declared at 336 for nine after quick runs from Jack Home (60 not out) before the impressive Bulbulia – who made 88 in the first innings – paced the chase with 114 from 154 balls.Bulbulia fell victim to Ahmed, spooning back a return catch, and the Nottinghamshire 16-year-old all-rounder had his five-wicket haul in the same over when Divan de Villiers was bowled attempting a big shot.Lethabo Phahlamohlaka ushered his side to the draw though, with an unbeaten 46, despite nervously watching Mokoena’s final-ball antics from his haunches at the non-striker’s end.The second Youth Test begins at Western Province Cricket Club in Cape Town on Monday.

The former Australia captain believes that with a handful more runs and a fit Bumrah could have taken India to victory at the SCG

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2025Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has termed Jasprit Bumrah the best all-format quick bowler, ever after his Player-of-the-Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Bumrah took 32 wickets at 13.06 before pulling up injured midway through Australia’s first innings at the SCG in the final Test. India’s other quicks were able to secure a four-run lead, but in Bumrah’s absence, Australia chased down 162 on the third day to win the series 3-1.It meant Bumrah finished two short of equaling Sydney Barnes’ 1911-12 record of 34 wickets in a series by a touring pace bowler to Australia.Related

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“The thing I’ve thought about Bumrah, after the series finished and I was sitting and thinking about his performances, I actually think he’s the best fast bowler ever across all three formats,” Clarke told ESPN’s .”I know a lot of great fast bowlers, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath, didn’t get to play T20 cricket, so I’m not talking about those guys, but in regards to anyone who has played all three formats, I think he might be the best ever. He’s actually that good in any conditions, that’s what makes him great; any conditions, any format, this guy’s a freak.”Bumrah blew Australia away in Perth with eight wickets, claimed a six-wicket haul in the first innings at the Gabba, and almost turned the MCG Test on its head with his burst on the fourth afternoon. He then removed Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne early in Australia’s first innings at the SCG – the former following a confrontation with Sam Konstas – but could only manage one over after lunch on the second day when the game was in the balance.”I reckon India were probably 20 runs short [in Sydney],” Clarke said. “I reckon a 180 lead, with Bumrah in the team, I think India are home. I think Bumrah is that good… he’s so much better than the other bowlers they had in the team.”Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t quite reach the end of the series•Getty Images

Mohammed Siraj was the next highest wicket-taker among India’s quicks with 20 at 31.15, while Prasidh Krishna’s six wickets in Sydney suggested he might have been worth a run earlier in the series. However, Australia managed totals over 400 in both Brisbane and Melbourne, the latter with a short turnaround into Sydney, and Aaron Finch believed their tactics eventually paid dividends.”Australia were prepared to play the long game with Jasprit Bumrah,” Finch told . “They wanted to make him bowl over and over and over, make him come back for one more spell, bowl another three, four, five [more] overs and in the end, it worked, they broke him in the end. They played that long game, they won.”Had he bowled in the last innings in Sydney, would Australia have got over the line? Think they still just get over the line, but it would have been a lot more difficult than it was.”

Wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum has been handed her first call-up for the three-match T20I series in late March

Tristan Lavalette26-Feb-2025Australia captain Alyssa Healy will miss next month’s T20I tour of New Zealand, but there is “no doubt” over her status for the ODI World Cup as she rehabilitates after a wretched run of injuries.With Healy absent as expected due to a foot injury, Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper-batter Nicole Faltum has been called up in Australia’s 14-player squad for the three-match series starting in Auckland on March 21.Tahlia McGrath will captain with Ashleigh Gardner to be her deputy, while Beth Mooney will again take the gloves in Healy’s absence.Related

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Faltum, 25, has yet to play international cricket but is coming off a strong season for WBBL champions Renegades and captained the Governor-General’s XI against England in January. She beat out Tahlia Wilson and Maddy Darke for the New Zealand tour.”We just see Nic slightly ahead of the others, particularly for the T20 format,” Australia chief selector Shawn Flegler told reporters. “It’s really unlikely that she will play. Obviously, Beth will take the gloves for this tour and she did a really good job during the Ashes replacing Alyssa.”But we just thought it was a great opportunity for Nicole to come in and be around the group, train with them and get to see the environment first hand.”Healy, who turns 35 in March, was not named in the squad due to the stress fracture in her right foot. She missed the T20I portion of the Women’s Ashes and had to prove her fitness for the MCG Test before playing as a specialist middle-order batter.Healy had ruptured her plantar fascia in her foot at the T20 World Cup in October last year which saw her miss Australia’s final group match and the semi-final against South Africa. She also suffered a knee injury in the early stages of the WBBL which meant she missed the remainder of the season and the subsequent ODI series against India.Healy had to skip the ongoing Women’s Premier League, but a return to the field could take place at the women’s Hundred ahead of an ODI series in India in September that runs straight into the World Cup.”My understanding is that there’s no doubt that she’ll get through to the World Cup, that’s for sure,” Flegler said. “She’s had a complicated last couple of years with some different injuries that’s been related to foot…some Achilles and stuff.Nicole Faltum will be part of her first Australia tour•Getty Images

“We certainly don’t want to rush it. As far as I’m aware, there’s no risk that she’ll miss out on that World Cup.”Allrounder Sophie Molineux will continue to be on the sidelines as she recovers from a knee injury that ruled her out of the multiformat Ashes series. “We want to make sure that she’s right for that World Cup, we think she’ll be an important member of that side,” Flegler said.”When she came back into the team, she played a really good role for us across all formats. We’re not going to rush her back. It’s a bit of a complex injury, but we want to make sure that she’s good to go in September.”But there is no set timeline for Tayla Vlaeminck, who dislocated her bowling shoulder just moments into Australia’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan last October. She is hoped to return at some stage next summer.Australia will enter the T20 series against New Zealand in high spirits after their historic 16-0 Ashes triumph. But Australia should feel extra motivated facing the reigning world champions on their turf in what will be rare matches in the format ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in England.”We were really disappointed with how the T20 World Cup ended for us, and New Zealand did extremely well to win that World Cup,” Flegler said. “It’s a great chance for us to go up against them. There’s always a great rivalry against New Zealand and I’m sure they’ll be keen to play well against us.”We don’t have that many T20s leading into the next T20 World Cup, so every opportunity we get is really important to keep trying those different combinations and getting players used to those positions that they are now in.”

Australia squad for New Zealand tour

Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (capt), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Oman Cricket says the delay “was procedural, dependent on formal post-event clarifications from the ICC”

Osman Samiuddin23-Jun-2025Oman Cricket (OC) has finally agreed to pay the members of its men’s T20 World Cup squad the prize money due to them from that tournament, claiming that the long delay in clearing the dues was “procedural”. In a statement put out on Monday, OC said the US$225,000 amount would be disbursed to the squad and support staff by July 2025.ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier this month that players from the Oman squad had not been paid, a year after the event held in the USA and the Caribbean in June 2024.Agreements participating boards sign with the ICC for events stipulate that prize money must be disbursed to players within 21 days of the board having received it from the ICC. That money, the ICC confirmed, had been sent to OC on time, though the latter claimed in its statement “that the delay in disbursement was procedural, dependent on formal post-event clarifications from the ICC, which are typically received after global tournaments”.The players raised the issue of non-payment not long after the event, and matters came to a head last October, at the emerging teams Asia Cup, when the Oman players resolved to take unified action. That led to the players threatening to not play and being told to leave a day before the tournament began.Eventually, 11 of the players from that 15-man squad had their central contracts suspended and most had to leave Oman. As with most Gulf states, residency in the country is tied to employment and, in this case, a number of players had their employment revoked, compelling them to leave the country.Oman Cricket acknowledged that players had raised the matter but said that officials, including chairman Pankaj Khimji “had repeatedly assured the players that payments would be made in full following the ICC’s confirmation of the allocation and structure.” The players contend that the board’s assurances – by that stage already four months late on the payments – had begun to sound hollow.The board blamed the players for escalating the situation and refusing to play, which they claimed put Oman’s international commitment “at serious risk”.”The players had every right to seek clarity, and we were transparent about the timelines involved,” Khimji said in the statement.The players sought help from the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) after being made aware of the avenue by players from Canada and Nepal – who had faced similar difficulties. Khimji criticised WCA’s involvement, saying the global players’ body “misled” the players and “encouraged them to abandon their duties under the guise of advocacy.”The WCA CEO Tom Moffat told ESPNcricinfo: “We are pleased to see that Oman Cricket has put a timeline on paying the players the prize money almost a year after they received the money from the ICC, and almost a year after it should have been paid to the players under the ICC terms of participation.”Every player in the world should be afforded a safe space to raise concerns and advocate for themselves. It’s incredibly sad that the majority of Oman’s men’s World Cup team have lost their careers, employment, and were in turn forced to leave the country for doing so. WCA will always assist players who come to it for help, especially those who are vulnerable or who face with extremely imbalanced and unhealthy power dynamics.”Oman Cricket said it had constituted an internal committee to investigate “the communication gap” around issues of prize money as well as to avoid such a situation in the future. “This was an isolated incident, but it showed us the need for stronger systems,” the board treasurer Alkesh Joshi said in the statement. “We will ensure that players are never left uncertain about their entitlements — but also that professional commitments are never compromised.”

Bangladesh are searching for a 3-0 series clean sweep; Pakistan are looking for fixes

Danyal Rasool23-Jul-2025

Big picture: Can Bangladesh make it 3-0?

Bangladesh set aside Pakistan’s pseudo-paternalistic concerns about their home pitches not helping them away on Tuesday. After all, this series is taking place in Bangladesh, and in the corresponding one six weeks ago, Pakistan prepared surfaces designed to suit their own game; it hasn’t exactly helped them away in Bangladesh, either.A dominant bowling performance helped Bangladesh wrap up the three-match T20I series at the earliest opportunity, with the visitors grateful for a counterattacking knock from Faheem Ashraf that staved off sharper embarrassment, though not defeat.Coming a day after the tragic events of a plane crash into a school that took many lives, an emotional crowd in Dhaka were given something to cheer by a home performance which oscillated between steel and swagger. The former was required when Pakistan’s bowlers punctured Bangladesh’s top order repeatedly in the powerplay and beyond; Jaker Ali and Mahedi Hasan stanching the bleeding and keeping alive their hopes in the contest. The fast bowlers then lit the stadium up in a scarcely believable powerplay where they took five wickets.Related

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Even more satisfying, perhaps, for Bangladesh is the well-roundedness of their displays this series. They showed, in the first game, an ability to hunt down a low-scoring total with ease despite early pressure, before defending one in the second, holding their nerve in a tight finish. They even rested two of their best performers in the second contest – Tanzid Hasan and Taskin Ahmed – without leaving them too exposed in these conditions. At just about every stage in each game, they have found themselves ahead of Pakistan, and fittingly, that’s where they are guaranteed to stay.When Pakistan trounced this opposition at home a few weeks earlier, captain Salman Agha had said he would judge his team by intent more than results. However, that intent – particularly on Tuesday after Pakistan lost a heap of early wickets – was lacking for large periods. The asking rate ballooned to a point where, even in a low-scoring game, Pakistan scored 78 off the last 45 balls and still end up short. Salman himself scratched around for 23 balls, managing just nine.However, one thing going for Pakistan is that they have a large number of T20Is over the rest of the year. If they find themselves unable to implement the fixes they have so publicly promised they are seeking, it won’t be for lack of match practice. The final game against Bangladesh may offer a window into how quickly those fixes can begin to be implemented.

Form guide

Bangladesh: WWWWL
Pakistan: LLWWWMustafizur Rahman returned outstanding figures of 4-0-6-2 in the first T20I•BCB

In the spotlight: Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan Nawaz

Mustafizur Rahman has tormented Pakistan this series, using his famous offcutters on a surface designed to make them impossibly difficult to play. The pace-on variation makes that weapon even more deadly, and Bangladesh have wrapped up the series before Pakistan have figured out how to handle him. Across two games, he boasts an economy rate under five and has taken three wickets, including the one that finished Pakistan off on Tuesday. Should Bangladesh play him with the series already done, there’s little to suggest Pakistan won’t struggle similarly against him.Hasan Nawaz intersperses big scores and impactful innings with a string of low ones, and he’s in the latter cycle right now. He’s faced ten deliveries this series, but he’s yet to score, dismissed for a duck each innings. It’s been a story that’s repeated itself throughout his brief career so far; the T20I series against New Zealand in March saw him score one century but add just a solitary run in the other four innings. It is that explosiveness that Pakistan use to justify his selection, and what they will bank on as they try and avoid a series whitewash.

Team news: Farhan, Muqeem to get a chance?

Bangladesh may rest the odd player or two with the series done, but there are no new injury concerns.Bangladesh (probable XI): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali (wk), 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Mustafizur Rahman/Shoriful Isman, 11 Taskin AhmedWill Sufiyan Muqeem come into the side for the third T20I?•AFP/Getty Images

Sahibzada Farhan is yet to get a game this series, as is Sufiyan Muqeem. The inclusion of either won’t be a surprise, though Pakistan’s weakened bowling attack means they will continue to be forced to turn to part-timers to run through an innings.Pakistan: (probable XI): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Saim Ayub/Sahibzada Farhan, 3 Mohammad Haris (wk), 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Salman Agha (capt), 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Abbas Afridi, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Ahmed Daniyal, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Abrar Ahmed/Sufiyan Muqeem

Pitch and conditions

Mirpur has stayed dry even amidst heavy monsoon rain in Dhaka of late. There’s an afternoon shower forecast, while the pitch – a subject of such focus this week – is unlikely to be significantly different.

Stats and trivia

• Rishad Hossain is two wickets away from becoming the sixth Bangladeshi man to reach 50 T20I wickets
• Bangladesh have won two T20I series 3-0 against Full Members – once at home against England in 2023, and one in the West Indies last year

Bethell set to become England Men’s youngest-ever captain during Ireland T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2025Sonny Baker has won his maiden England call-up for the forthcoming ODI series against South Africa, while Jacob Bethell’s rapid rise continues after he was named captain of the T20I side to tour Ireland immediately after.Bethell is set to become England’s youngest men’s captain when he deputises for Harry Brook in three T20Is. Still only 21, Bethell will beat the mark currently held by Monty Bowden, who was 23 and 144 days when he led England against South Africa at Cape Town on the Test tour of 1888-89.Related

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South Africa will arrive to play three ODIs and three T20Is next month, which will conclude England’s home season. Brook will then sit out the three-match trip to Ireland, along with four other all-format players – Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith – as part of workload management.Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick will also take the reins from Brendon McCullum for the games in Malahide.Baker impressed with England Lions over the winter, which led to him being awarded an England development contract. Capable of bowling around the 90mph mark, he has caught the eye with Hampshire and Manchester Originals this summer.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

He joins an ODI squad that is largely unchanged from the group that beat West Indies 3-0 in Brook’s first series as permanent white-ball captain earlier in the summer. Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood and Tom Hartley drop out, though Wood is included in both T20I squads and Hartley will travel to Ireland. Atkinson will likely build up his red-ball loads ahead of the winter’s Ashes.Rehan Ahmed returns to the ODI group and is included in all three squads after a prolific summer with the bat. Baker is also in the Ireland T20I squad, as is Matthew Potts, who debuted in the format against West Indies.”Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads and the series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage,” England men’s selector, Luke Wright, said.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Sonny is a player we have identified for a while and he was impressive during the England Lions tours last winter. He has carried that form into this season in white-ball cricket with Hampshire and Manchester Originals and deservedly gets his opportunity.”England ODI squad to face South Africa: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie SmithEngland T20I squad to face South Africa: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Luke WoodEngland T20I squad to face Ireland: Jacob Bethell (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood