Big shoes to fill for legspinner-batter in absence of new club’s trophy-winning stalwarts

Andrew Miller05-Apr-2022It’s been lovely weather for legbreaks lately. Matt Critchley rolls his eyes in acknowledgement.”We’ve already had about three seasons in our pre-season so far,” he says. “It was 40 degrees in Abu Dhabi. Then two weeks ago here, it was lovely for about two days. And then last week at Middlesex, it was snowing… minus-one, seven layers on, five handwarmers in the pocket. It wasn’t ideal, but I managed to thaw out a bit on the last day and bowl a bit.”There, in a nutshell, is the thankless challenge faced by county spinners up and down the country. You can hone your skills in as many off-season camps as you wish, but if – come the start of the season – the conditions are likely to offer you as little traction as your frost-numbed fingers, you can be fairly sure which facet of your county’s attack is going to take centre stage.And yet, in spite of the invidious circumstances at Merchant Taylors’ School, it turned out to be a productive three days for Critchley – whose winter switch from Derbyshire to Essex was arguably the most eye-catching of the year’s county transfers. His fluent 64 in Essex’s first innings turned out to be the only half-century of the contest, and having demonstrated his value as a top-six batter, he popped up on the final day with the tidy figures of 2 for 31 in ten overs of legspin – an opportunity he probably would not have been on the pitch to grab had it not been for his many-stringed attributes.”Watching how the seamers have been bowling pre-season, I don’t think I’ll have to be doing too much bowling in April, hopefully,” Critchley adds with a smile. “I’m sure I’ll be all over it when needed, but watching Sam Cook, Jamie Porter, [Shane] Snater, [Aaron] Beard, [Mark] Steketee, and the rest of the lads bowling, hopefully I’ll be spending some less time in the field than at Derby…”However, Critchley is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge, and of the opportunity, that awaits him at Chelmsford. After six seasons of stealthy development as an allrounder, he joins the serial red-ball champions off the back of a brace of break-out years – first with the ball in 2020, when his 17 wickets at 26.88 proved a major factor in Derbyshire’s spirited challenge in that summer’s Bob Willis Trophy, and then with the bat last summer, when he made exactly 1000 runs at 43.47, including a century against Worcestershire.”For a club like this to want to sign someone like myself, it’s a huge vote of confidence in itself,” Critchley says. “I remember when I started in 2015, they were with us in Division Two, but then they got promoted and won all those Division One titles, the Bob Willis Trophy, that Finals Day [in 2019] when they beat Derbyshire in the semi-finals to win it in the end as well. That was something that I want to be a part of: not only progressing my own cricket, but being part of a squad that’s challenging in every format of the game to win trophies, and play with some of the best players in the country.”Critchley has four first-class hundreds to his name to date•Getty ImagesCritchley already knew he’d have one sizeable set of shoes to fill at Essex, following Ryan ten Doeschate’s retirement at the end of last season. Less predictably, however, he is set to be their senior spinner from the season’s outset, against Kent at Chelmsford on Thursday, following Simon Harmer’s recall to South Africa’s Test set-up. And given Harmer’s immediate impact, with seven wickets against Bangladesh in his first appearance since 2015, the club can expect to see rather less of their stalwart than has been the case throughout a trophy-laden few years.”I definitely came thinking that Harmer would play every game,” Critchley says. “And I’m looking forward to playing with him eventually and seeing how he goes about things. But this will be the role that I’ve played throughout my career anyway – batting in that top six, then playing as your first spinner behind probably four seamers.”I think that’s probably one of my biggest assets,” he adds. “The fact that, by doing both to a certain level, you can change the balance of the side to however they want to play it. But whatever role they get us to play, or not play, I’m quite open to learning and keeping improving. Ultimately I’ve come here to win Championships, so whatever role that fulfils, I’m more than happy to partake.”Critchley’s under no illusions that he’s a work in progress. Currently aged 25, he reckons it won’t be until he’s past 30 that he becomes a fully-rounded red-ball legspinner – with the tactical nous to work his fields and angles in accordance to the changing match situations. But as his fellow leggie – and former age-group rival at Lancashire – Matt Parkinson is discovering while waiting on the cusp of Test selection, there’s not much development to be had unless you can secure a place in the team in the first place.”Ultimately [being a batter] gives you another way in,” Critchley says. “A lot of spinners now are a lot more valued in the white-ball stuff, if you’re being brutally honest, rather than in April and May and September, when seamers generally do most of the damage. You tend to play the batsman who can bowl a bit of spin, rather than the spinner that can take 20 wickets, because you probably don’t need them as much, which is another whole kettle of fish in itself.”But it’s definitely helped me play more games than I probably should have in my career development stage,” he adds. “In my early stage, I was probably more of a bits-and-pieces player but I feel like I’ve grown into a genuine version of both now, and that gives you more of a chance of being in the field and contributing to a win.”Critchley consults with his captain at Derbyshire, Billy Godleman•Getty ImagesCritchley’s first-class stats speak to that gradual improvement – overall he’s taken 114 wickets at 43.05, but 104 of those have come in the four seasons since he attended an ECB spin camp with Stuart MacGill in Sydney in 2018, including 32 at 38.43 last summer, his joint-biggest haul to date.Shane Warne, inevitably, was a huge influence in his developmental years – in 2016, Critchley missed Derbyshire’s final game of the season to attend a spin clinic with Warne at Lord’s – but in terms of his technique, he regards himself as more of an Anil Kumble-style spinner.”I’m a little bit taller, with a bit more bounce and over the top, but I’ve spent hours watching Warne, watching McGill, trying to spin it as far as I can,” he says. “So I do like to try and do both, and now you watch the subcontinent legspinners that spin it both ways and bowl flat and quick. And you see how effective that can be, especially in white-ball cricket.”So you try and take as many ideas as you can from your contemporaries, including the English lads, and fit that to suit you, because you can only be the best version of yourself. If you try and be someone else, you’ll be the second-best version of them. I’m sure there’s stuff I’ll learn from Simon Harmer, although he’s a fingerspinner, and ideas that Adam Wheater has behind the stumps, or Alastair Cook at first slip or whoever. I’ll try to listen but the most important thing is to be authentic to yourself.”In terms of his environment, Critchley is on a familiar footing already when it comes to Chelmsford’s low-key surroundings. “At a smaller ground, there’s probably a bit more of a community, family feel about it,” he says. “You see the same people around each day, the office staff, the chief executive and chairman, your supporters as you walk in through and around them, and something that I’m obviously used to at Derbyshire. I’ve never played a white-ball game here, but I’m looking forward to that as I’ve heard it can be a good atmosphere.”For the time being, his base remains near his family and girlfriend in Derby – “It’s a nice part of the world round here but house prices are a bit more expensive than up north!” – but he’s found himself a flat for the season so won’t be “living out of suitcases 24/7”.Related

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“The biggest thing coming here is that you want to be here every day,” he says. “It’s such an enjoyable atmosphere to be in, because you know you’re going to come and have some fun and learn around the lads.”And in terms of his higher ambitions, Critchley is realistic but hopeful too. His retention by Welsh Fire for this season’s Hundred is a reminder of the burgeoning value of his white-ball game, but given the state of flux within England’s Test team, and the sense that a new generation of contenders may be required to reboot the country’s red-ball standards, the coming run of Championship opportunities is his only focus for noe.”I scored 1000 runs last year but only scored one hundred,” he says. “So if I want to try and contend higher up, I’ve got to try to score big hundreds. It’s probably a mindset thing, really, learning how to bat for long periods of time – sessions, two sessions, three sessions, days – as a solo batsman, let alone as a team.”That’s probably the main learning point for us as young batters throughout the country. But the beauty of it at the moment is you’ve got seven or eight games in a row at the start of the season. Obviously people who have done well in the past will probably be at the front of that queue, but it’s definitely a time where a lot of county cricketers will be thinking there’s spots to be had.”Seamers, spinners, batters, allrounders. There’s probably spots throughout the team, and only a couple that you’d say are nailed on at the moment. But I just want to compete for a batting spot against the batters and a bowling spot against the bowlers, look at constantly improving, and see where that goes.”

Bidding will be held via e-auction for the first time. Disney Star, Sony, Reliance are among the bidders in the fray

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jun-2022When is the e-auction?
The IPL has decided to carry out the bidding for the first time via the e-auction. It is scheduled to start at 11am IST in Mumbai on Sunday, June 12. There is no end date and the IPL has kept the option open for the e-auction spilling over into the next day(s). The auction will carry on until the bids are exhausted.What is the shelf life of the rights?
The rights cycle spans for five IPL seasons: from 2023 to 2027.What is an e-auction?
In an e-auction, bids are filed by companies through an online portal. Unlike a close-bid auction process, which the IPL followed in 2017, in an e-auction, potential companies file incremental bids till the other competitors drop out. The highest bidder left gets awarded the ownership of the rights.How will the e-auction work?
The highest bids across categories will be flashed live simultaneously on screen. The potential bidders will need to file the highest amount they would want to pay (per match) for each package. The names of the bidders will not be revealed so as to ensure rivals cannot bump up prices.How many packages are there?
There are four packages: A, B, C and D. Package A consists solely of TV rights for the Indian subcontinent only. Package B caters to digital rights only and exclusively for the Indian subcontinent. Package C contains digital rights for a special bouquet of matches, including the playoffs, for the Indian subcontinent only. Package D, which comprises rights for the Rest of the World for both TV and digital, is divided into two sub-categories: combined ROW or five individual regions.What matches comprise Package C?
Package C comprises ‘Special Package’ matches. The number of matches in this package, the IPL has said, will vary depending on the total number of matches in the season. If the IPL comprises 74 matches (like IPL 2022), the Special Package will have 18 matches. If there are more than 74 matches in a season, then the Special Package matches will rise in steps of two for every additional 10 matches. So if there are 84 matches in a season, then the Special Package matches will be 20 and if the tournament has 94 games, then the Special Package will have 22 matches. The IPL has also pointed out that in case the season comprises less than 74 matches, the number of games in the Special Package will be determined proportionally.This Special Package includes: the tournament opener, weekend evening matches, and the four playoffs, including the final. While the opening match and the playoffs will be mandatory, the IPL will determine the number and which of the evening matches from the double-headers will be included, based on the total number of games in a season.How does the bidding process work?
Each of the four packages has a separate per match base price. Bidders will need to list their quote on a per match basis. Once the highest bid is determined for individual packages, the cumulative base price amount for five years will be calculated.*What is the base price per match for each package?For Package A the per match base price is INR 49 crore (USD 6.3 million approx.). For Package B it is INR 33 crore (USD 4.2 million approx.) per match. For Package C it is INR 16 crore (USD 2.05 million approx.) per match. For Package D it is INR 3 crore (USD 390,000 approx.) per match. So the cumulative base price for Package A will be: 74 x 49 crore x 5 (seasons) = 18,130 crore (USD 2.33 billion approx). For Package B the base price will be INR 12,210 crore (USD 1.57 billion approx). For Package C the base price will be INR 1440 crore (USD 184.3 million) if the number of matches is 74 per season. For Package D it will be INR 1,110 crore (USD 142.8 million approx).Will all packages go up for bidding simultaneously?
Bids for Packages A and B will be submitted together. Once the winning bids for both packages are determined, bids will be submitted simultaneously for C and D.Can you bid for more than one package?
Yes, a bidder can contest for different packages. However, the winners of Packages A and B will have additional bidding advantages. The winner of Package A can enter into a bidding contest with the highest bidder for Package B (explained below) and the winner of Package B can similarly get into a bidding contest with the highest bidders for Packages C and D.The IPL has given the incentive for winners of individual categories to match the winning bids for different packages. For example, the Package A winner will get the automatic choice to offer a bid more than the highest bid for Package B within a stipulated time. The winner of Package A and the highest bidder for Package B will then lock themselves into a contest until a winner is determined.This will be followed by bidding for Package C. The winner of Package B will have the right to offer a bid more than the highest bid for Package C and both parties will then enter another contest by pitching incremental bids. Similarly, the winner of Package B can also tussle with the highest bidder for Package D.Who are the major bidders?
All the major broadcasting giants, including Disney Star, Sony, Zee and Viacom are in the fray along with Reliance.How much were the rights worth in the last cycle?
In 2017 Star India paid a record sum of INR 16,347.5 crore (US$ 2.55 billion approx. then) to bag the IPL rights for five years (2018-22). It was the biggest media rights deal in cricket and was 158% more than the amount paid for previous IPL rights cycle. Star had won the IPL rights on the basis of its global consolidated bid which was INR 528.5 crore (only 3.34%) more than the sum of all the highest bids for each category (INR 15,819.51 crore).
*July 11, GMT 1430 This story was updated with new base price per match for each broadcast package

Originals captain hands gloves to Phil Salt to “see if it feels different” leading from mid-off

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Aug-2022If one of the downsides of the start to the second season of the Hundred is the absence of England stars such as Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, then Friday at Emirates Old Trafford was a boost the competition needed.The cheers for Jos Buttler as he strode out to the crease to get this game underway, having opted to bat first upon winning the toss, was as cheap and reliable a pop you could get. This format might be pitched to those who don’t know, but not many are unaware of Buttler, as English cricket’s greatest white-ball talent and now captain of that code.Even though his Manchester Originals lost by six wickets with as many balls to spare as Northern Superchargers chased down a target of 162, the interest on Buttler was perhaps the closest the Hundred will get on finding that vital middle ground of the Venn diagram between newbies and traditionalists.His first act was to strike 59 off 41 deliveries to get the game up and running, including a huge six into the second tier at the Brian Statham End. Then he took the focus as captain as he marshalled his bowlers and fielders to defend their 161 for 4. And it was the latter, even in vain, that hinted at a potential new era in the world beyond the black, purples and greens of this one.Related

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Having kept wicket in each of the 26 matches he has led England’s limited-overs teams, including 12 times in 25 days last month as the permanent replacement for Eoin Morgan, Buttler decided to hand the gloves over to Phil Salt to test drive captaincy in the outfield.”I’m intrigued to see if it feels different,” he revealed at the end of the match. “If I feel like there’s any benefits, or if not. I’d rather find out the answer than just keep on keeping wicket and thinking, ‘oh, I wonder what it feels like to be at mid-off,’ or something. I’m just open-minded.””I’ve captained and kept wicket a lot as well, which I certainly think there’s a lot of benefits of that.”He went on to say he would be receptive to someone else keeping wicket for England instead, provided he decides his best leadership happens in the open rather than behind the stumps. Ultimately, it will be defined by feel: “I think it’s important for me to be comfortable with what I’m doing.”So, how did he do? Well he certainly got his ten thousand steps in for the day. Beyond the usual mid-on and mid-off, he put himself out in the deep – midwicket, long-on – after the powerplay, recognising himself as one of the better fielders: quick across the ground, good hands and with a very un-keeper-like cannon of an arm. It made chats with the bowlers that little bit harder. On a number of occasions he scampered in from the fence to offer either his ear or words of advice.When Ashton Turner was reverse-swept by Michael Pepper, Buttler was already in from the leg-side boundary before the ball had been returned, enquiring about a potential shift in the field. The next delivery, Pepper was out caught, failing to connect well enough to an inside-out shot over cover. Coincidence? No doubt, but the optics were pretty good.

“I don’t quite understand why spinners aren’t allowed to bowl at the end of an innings. A seamer is allowed to get hit for 20 or 25, so a spinner can bowl in that phase of the game as well.”Buttler trusted his spinners at the death with mixed results

Then there was the moment after the 49th ball of Superchargers’ chase, when he shouted from long-on to long-off, where Andre Russell was lost in his own thoughts between Matt Parkinson deliveries. Having got his attention, he gave him the universal sign to warming-up – rolling both shoulders like an optimistic chicken preparing to take flight – before pointing to the top end. On came Dre Russ and, two balls after making it to his half-century, out went Adam Lyth, caught by Sean Abbott at deep cover.”I enjoyed it,” Buttler said of the overall experience. “I’ve fielded a lot over my career. The IPL just gone, I fielded throughout the whole tournament. I’m personally just intrigued to see how I find it as a captain.”It doesn’t mean I think it’s better or worse, I just feel like it’s the time to try it and see how I find it. Is there any benefit to being in the field? Or do I find it a benefit actually keeping and being able to have that visual down the wicket? I’m just going to try it throughout the tournament. It’s something I just wanted to see. And personally, does it affect my batting, or any of those kind of things. I’m just giving it a try.”Importantly, he trialled more than just freeing his legs from the relentless crouching. In a bid to break a stand between David Willey and Harry Brook, he decided upon spin from balls 80 to 90. The first five did the trick, as Parkinson removed Willey to cut the partnership off on 41 off 29 before conceding five off the remaining four deliveries in his set.But with 30 required from the final 15, Tom Hartley’s left-arm orthodox was taken for 18 by Brook to all but confirm a Superchargers victory. While undoubtedly a bold call to opt for spin at that juncture, it was another aspect Buttler is keen to explore. Because, from his point of view, why not?Buttler brings out his scoop•Getty Images”It’s actually something I’m quite intrigued by: I don’t quite understand why spinners aren’t allowed to bowl at the end of an innings. A seamer is allowed to get hit for 20 or 25, so a spinner can bowl in that phase of the game as well. Especially here at Old Trafford, if the wicket gets used, it’s not easy to try and attack spin at the end.”Maybe with a little bit of dew, it made it a bit trickier for them [the spinners]. But I’m confident in anyone to bowl at any stage of the game. Someone like Parkinson especially can create wickets in that phase of the game. Adil Rashid’s done that kind of role for England a bit in the past. I think it’s something spinners can be able to do.”It is, in so many ways, a refreshing approach. One of the annoyances of Twenty20 leagues the world over is a lack of accessibility to their own top-shelf talent, both literally and figuratively. Often those that do take part in their own leagues mail in performances every so often because there is no great jeopardy to their output.So to see Buttler, reputation assured, status secure, juggling entertainment with experimentation was something of a novelty. With just four wins in 12 under his full-time tenure as England captain so far, it has become easy to wonder if giving him the responsibility of leadership was the right call. He is doing everything in his power to prove that it was.

Coming back after a 42-day break from cricket, he was India’s joint top-scorer without ever finding his fluency

Shashank Kishore28-Aug-2022The noise levels had soared by several decibels as Virat Kohli walked out to bat, third ball of India’s chase. As he stood marking his guard, the giant screen played a package of his imperious cover-driving against Mohammad Amir during the 2016 Asia Cup. Kohli took a fleeting glance at it before settling into his stance.As the first delivery tailed in, he left it alone, trusting the bounce. He looked at the spot from where the ball had lifted, giving it a wry smile. The surface was a little tacky. There was grip if the bowlers were willing to dig it in, like Hardik Pandya had done during Pakistan’s innings. Ravindra Jadeja had got it to turn sharply from leg to off. With India chasing only 148, maybe this was Kohli’s opportunity to dig in and not go after the bowling straightaway, despite the chatter around intent and India’s new batting template.Related

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Kohli was returning from a month-long break where he hadn’t picked up a bat. His ferocious intensity can lift the team. It can lift the entire stadium. As it did when he was among the first players to bound out to the nets in India’s first training session four days ago.Starting Wednesday, whatever he’s done on the field has been closely captured, reeled, storied, and shared widely: his towering hits, his exchanges with Babar Azam, his 50-metre sprints, the goals he’s scored in warm-up football.On Sunday too, he was among the first to walk out for India’s pre-match routines. The pleasantries with the opponents were done. He was a picture of concentration amid the noise. He took throwdowns initially, and then proceeded towards the boundary edge to take some catches. Within 10 minutes, Kohli was in and out. He wasn’t going to drain himself in the afternoon heat.It was a big occasion. His 100th T20I. He was about to become only the second player, after Ross Taylor, to play as many games in all three formats. Rahul Dravid invited Kohli to give the team a pep talk. He spoke passionately, and the huddle dispersed with a chorus of claps. With that, Kohli’s comeback was officially underway.He had played just four T20Is this year prior to this game. He hasn’t been a part of India’s changing template consistently, and so there’s this matter of having to buy into the philosophy, and then fit into it, which can be easier said than done. Perhaps it would have been a cakewalk for the Kohli of 2016, when he could flick on a switch and kill chases with ridiculous ease. Or blast his way out of the blocks while batting first and smash both pace and spin.Back to the present, though.It’s the second ball of his innings. Kohli’s instincts draw him into a drive. Except the ball isn’t quite there and it hits the seam and nips away. By the time Kohli has played the ball, he knows he’s in trouble, but a diving Fakhar Zaman grasses the chance at slip to the collective despair of the western block of the stadium, which is dominated by Pakistan fans in green.You begin to imagine what could have been had the chance been taken. ‘Kohli out for duck after opening up about mental-health struggles’? ‘Kohli’s much-anticipated return ends in damp squib’? There was potential for an explosion of headlines, memes and judgments. But luck has smiled on Kohli and he gets off strike next ball with a nudge to fine leg. He is off the mark.Virat Kohli slowed down against spin before chipping Mohammad Nawaz straight to long-off•AFP/Getty ImagesNow he’s up against Shahnawaz Dahani, the reason why Pakistan are defending 147 rather than 135. Kohli plays out three dots and then mistimes a lofted hit that plonks into the outfield after beating mid-off. Dahani is quick and zippy, and Kohli hasn’t managed to get him away. Whether he feels it or not, you feel the pressure.Square leg is in, and fine leg is out. The short ball could be coming, and it does. Kohli belts out a roar after getting into excellent position to wallop it to the midwicket boundary. He’s up and running.Or is he? Next ball, Kohli gets a thick inside edge. On another night, this may have rolled onto the stumps. Tonight it rolls down to short fine leg. India, 10 for 1 after two overs, have made a nervy start.It remains that way. KL Rahul is gone, Rohit Sharma is scratchy. In the next over, Kohli top-edges Haris Rauf for six over the keeper’s head. More luck. Surely it’s his night?Kohli is chewing gum, smiling, fist-bumping Rohit. The ball isn’t always flying where he wants it to, but he’s still in the contest. There’s a sliced drive over backward point off Dahani in the fifth over. He had been looking to go over cover only for his bat to turn in his hands.Multiple times over the last two years, Kohli has played imperious innings that haven’t lasted as long as they promised to. This innings is promising to be different – scratchy but enduring. But then he flicks a switch and plays a majestic flat-batted pull over wide mid-on. He stands and admires the shot until the ball crosses the boundary, and turns back to look at the replay on the giant screen. He’s nailed it off the sweetest spot on his bat.It’s been a perfectly imperfect Kohli knock – hard to categorise in any way.But in some respects, we’ve seen this innings before. At the end of the powerplay, he’s batting on 29 off 24. Then the spinners come on and the fields spread. Against Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, he scores 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1. In that time, India lose Rohit. A seemingly straightforward chase is turning rather tricky.Then Kohli steps out, and chips Nawaz straight to long-off. Just like that, his stay is over. A perfectly imperfect end to a perfectly imperfect innings.

Shakib is in charge of a team that isn’t performing well, and the scrutiny – and interference – from the BCB bigwigs won’t help

Mohammad Isam24-Aug-2022On Monday, speaking about Bangladesh at the upcoming Asia Cup, BCB president Nazmul Hassan said, “There’s not going to be a head coach. We have a batting coach, a spin coach, fast bowling coach and fielding coach. We have the captain. We also have a technical consultant for T20s. He will give the game plan. We will have the team director, Jalal [Yunus, the BCB’s cricket operations chairman] and myself. Who else do we need?”Related

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It might have sounded odd, but Hassan was just being honest. The BCB has called Sridharan Sriram the “technical consultant for T20s”, but he is the de facto T20 head coach, with Russell Domingo out of the picture in the format for the moment. Their back room does have Jamie Siddons, Rangana Herath, Allan Donald and Shane McDermott, as well as team director Khaled Mahmud. And, well, the Bangladesh team management, in reality, extends right up to the BCB president. If Hassan feels that line-up means having a designated head coach is unnecessary, it’s only the truth about how the Bangladesh team operates.But decisions being made by a group of Very Important People with Very Important Designations weigh heaviest on the captain. Right now, that’s Shakib Al Hasan. He will take the on-field decisions, and match result notwithstanding, will be answerable to not just the coach/es or the selectors, but the board chief and the directors. As if having an underperforming team to shepherd wasn’t tough enough.

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The situation isn’t new to Shakib, but that won’t make it any easier.The fact is that everything goes back to – and has for a while – Hassan in Bangladesh cricket.The players know it. The coaches are aware. The selectors have had to get Hassan’s sign-off on squads since 2016. Hassan has, in the past, openly criticised the team management for not consulting him on playing XIs. Hassan has exercised his power to make “drastic changes” to the coaching staff less than two weeks before a major tournament. Hassan can instruct players to appear in certain series and he really doesn’t like it when they retire when he doesn’t want them to.He slams performances during and after series. It goes without saying that Hassan sits in on team meetings. He regularly calls players and coaches to his residence for discussions. And, of course, he likes to speak to the media about it all.If Shakib Al Hasan can lead the team well in these times of chaos, he might be rewarded with a bit of peace and quiet.•AFP/Getty ImagesThe BCB has had this reputation of being meddlesome when it comes to team matters for more than a decade, ever since AHM Mustafa Kamal became the board chief in 2009, actually. He liked to be in control of all matters to do with the national team. Unwittingly or otherwise, Hassan picked up the trait a couple of years into his reign. Over nine years as the board chief, he has established that whoever the coach or captain are, Hassan and the board directors will call all the shots.

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So where does that leave Shakib, or Bangladesh cricket captains in general?On August 19, Hassan was asked about Shakib’s roles and responsibilities.”Remember one thing, there’s never an issue about who the coach is when Shakib is captain,” Hassan said. “He decides the best XI. You should know this. He decides it on his own. Of course he takes the advice of the coach. But the coach also prioritises the captain in regards to the best XI. He probably explains the game plan that he can do. Even if we don’t have a head coach, we will have Khaled Mahmud and Jalal Yunus.”When asked on Monday how difficult it is to captain a side in such unique circumstances, Shakib was diplomatic. “Challenges exist everywhere, whether it is our team, franchise cricket or another cricket board,” he said. “There are different degrees of this challenge, regardless of the size of the cricket board or the franchise.”Playing it safe? Of course. The way BCB has treated some captains in the recent past is enough of a warning, even for someone of the stature of Shakib.Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s most successful captain, was pushed out of the T20I team in 2017, and the ODI team in 2020. Mahmudullah, handed the T20I captaincy when the ICC banned Shakib, was sacked last month. When the controversy over Shakib endorsing a betting company erupted, Hassan named Mahmudullah as one of the captaincy candidates. Shakib backtracked. Now he is the captain.A pep talk for the players? Nazmul Hassan does a bit of that too•BCBMominul Haque couldn’t handle the Test captaincy on and off the field. On the field, his form suffered. Off the field, he appeared a nervous wreck. Eventually, he resigned from the role just days before the team left for the West Indies in June.Among the current lot of captains, Tamim Iqbal is in the strongest position. He has led Bangladesh well in ODIs, keeping them in second position in the World Cup Super League table, winning five of their six series in the league. He has also been a prolific scorer during this run, but Tamim will be aware that things can go pear-shaped any moment. He has done well to continue the work of Mortaza with a side that loves to play ODIs. The 2-1 series loss against Zimbabwe recently was a blip, but since it didn’t involve Super League points, it has escaped scrutiny.

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But the next few months are different. Bangladesh have at least two matches – and a maximum of six – to play before the T20 World Cup, and a poor lead-up wouldn’t just disappoint fans, it will put pressure on Shakib. With Hassan expected to travel to the UAE, the Bangladesh media contingent will expect a generous flow of news. He likes to host press conferences after every other game. If the team loses, like at the World Cup last year, there could well be hell to pay, especially for the captain. And the players learnt straightaway that they are not permitted to question, forget criticise, Hassan.Shakib will play it cool. He will hope to engage constructively with the board chief and the directors, and get the team to focus on matters on-field, rather than on Facebook Watch. Mashrafe turned around a tough campaign in the 2015 ODI World Cup. It can be chaotic, but Shakib will hope for a similar turn of fortunes, and prove to the team and the board that he can lead through this chaos. If he can, he might be rewarded with a bit of peace and quiet.

Offspin, legspin or left-arm orthodox – this is the choice facing Australia as they evaluate their support spinners

Alex Malcolm11-Jan-2023Australia could consider playing two offspinners in the same Test team in India after uncapped 22-year-old Todd Murphy was named in their Test squad, but Ashton Agar remains the preferred option to partner Nathan Lyon despite a modest return to Test cricket in Sydney last week.Australia’s selectors named four spinners, including two offspinners in Lyon and Murphy, a legspinner in Mitchell Swepson, and a left-arm orthodox in Agar for Australia’s four-Test tour of India starting in Nagpur on February 9.Australia played two spinners in their last Test match, with Agar playing his first game alongside Lyon since 2017, while legspinner Swepson partnered Lyon in four of five Test matches in Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year.Australia have had moderate success with two spinners in the same XI over the past 12 months, claiming two wins, two draws and one loss in Galle. Australia did win one Test in India on their last tour in 2017 off the back of playing two spinners, with left-arm orthodox Steve O’Keefe claiming 12 for 70 in Pune.Part of the reason for Agar’s return in Sydney, despite a very modest first-class record over 10 years and 64 games, was because Australia’s selectors would prefer a left-arm orthodox bowler in India both to complement Lyon and replicate the success of O’Keefe in India, and the success of India duo Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey believes that Agar would be better for the run in Sydney ahead of the tour of India.”Certainly in India, we would like to have the availability of a left-arm orthodox,” Bailey said. “[It’s] great that we have the opportunity to get Ash a game. He hasn’t played a great deal of red-ball cricket and then in horse-racing terms I think he will be better for the run. [It was] great to have him around the group again and with a focus to sort of build his red-ball stuff up over the next little period until we get to India.”Agar has played just seven first-class matches since the start of 2020, taking just 17 wickets at 50.64 and striking at 109.5 with an economy rate of 2.78. He took figures of 0 for 58 from 22 overs in Sydney, and was bowled sparingly by captain Pat Cummins compared to Lyon’s 55 overs for the match. But Cummins was pleased with Agar’s efforts.Todd Murphy has made an excellent start to his first-class career, but are Australia willing to play two offspinners?•Getty Images

Could Murphy’s emergence prompt Australia to play two offspinners?

While a left-arm orthodox spinner is preferred in India, Bailey conceded that Murphy’s emergence has made the selectors consider playing two offspinners in the same side. Murphy has only played seven first-class matches in his short career for Victoria, Australia A and the Prime Minister’s XI, all in the last two years, but has taken 29 wickets at 25.20, striking at 57.6 with an economy rate of 2.62.”Absolutely, he’s a chance to play,” Bailey said. “[It’s] certainly not a development tour. So he’s earned his spot through his performances and what we think he can do, clearly.”Whether he can play alongside [Lyon] is a question but they are different as far as offspinners go. So I don’t think you’re necessarily looking at the same type of bowler. We’ll get across and assess the conditions and what we think we need once we hit the ground.”Bailey and his fellow selectors, Tony Dodemaide and coach Andrew McDonald, have been consistent in their messaging around picking a complementary spinner to partner Lyon in order to balance out the attack. McDonald stated on record prior to Agar’s selection in Sydney that having a spinner who complemented Lyon by turning the ball away from the right-handers was more important than picking the next-best spinner.That desire is exacerbated by the development of Travis Head as a part-time offspinner within Australia’s XI. The idea of picking two specialist offspinners, along with the part-time offspin of Head, with only the part-time legspin of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith to complement them, could leave Australia’s attack unbalanced in spinning conditions, particularly given most of India’s top six will be right-handers in the absence of Rishabh Pant.Mitchell Swepson took 10 wickets at 45.80 on the tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka•Getty Images

The case for Swepson

Australia selectors have selected one legspinner in Swepson but have cooled on the idea of using him to complement Lyon. He bowled well at times without luck in Pakistan and Sri Lanka but took just 10 wickets at 45.80, striking at 89.2. He also didn’t quite contain the run-rate in the way Australia would have liked while they attacked with reverse swing from their quicks at the other end.There was a consideration to pick Australia’s white-ball spinner Adam Zampa after he made a return to first-class cricket for the first time in three years in December. But Bailey confirmed that Swepson remains Australia’s number one legspinner in red-ball cricket.”Swep’s on the tour because if we feel that we need a legspinner we think he’s our best option,” Bailey said. “I think Zamps has displayed a real keenness to be around the Test squad. And we just probably haven’t seen enough red-ball cricket from him. And to be fair to Swep we’ve liked what he’s given us when he’s had his opportunities and [we’ll] continue to invest in him.”But Australia’s selectors are aware of the difficulties overseas legspinners have had in India, with Australia’s greatest ever Shane Warne struggling in three tours of India, averaging 43.11 and striking in 81 with an economy rate of 3.19. But Warne played a pivotal role in Australia’s 2004 series triumph in India, though he played more of a defensive role as the lone spinner in Australia’s two Test wins in Bengaluru and Nagpur while Australia’s three fast bowlers in Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz did the bulk of the damage.

Pakistanis dominate overseas slots while Taskin is the only one picked from the bottom three teams

Mohammad Isam16-Feb-2023Najmul Hossain Shanto (Sylhet Strikers)
After five seasons of mediocrity, Shanto has finally broken through with a solid showing. He became the first from Bangladesh to cross 500 runs in a BPL season, through which he ended as the tournament’s top run-getter. His unbeaten 89 against Fortune Barishal was his highest score this time, although his fifty in the final, his fourth of the season, was a crucial effort. The highlight though was his consistency, something that he would like to transfer to the international stage.Rony Talukdar (Rangpur Riders)
This was Talukdar’s best BPL season, beating his 317 runs at 140.26 strike rate from 2018-19. He was all about fast starts for Rangpur Riders. He averaged 61.50 in the Powerplay, having been dismissed four times during the first six overs. His position among the top run-getters in the competition puts him in direct competition with the likes of Mohammad Naim, Munim Shahriar and Anamul Haque who are among those knocking on the T20I team’s door. Could it be Talukdar’s time when Bangladesh pick their squad for the England series next month?Towhid Hridoy (Sylhet Strikers)
If he hadn’t picked himself up for this season, Hridoy would have been a BPL footnote: the one who lost the 2022 final because he couldn’t hit the last ball for a boundary. But he restructured his T20 game and produced his first big performance at any level. He has added a number of shots to his armoury this season, including the pick-up over square-leg and the carves over point and extra cover. He even recovered from a hand injury to continue batting in the same way. The duck in the final would be a disappointment but it doesn’t diminish his effort.Related

Litton, Charles help Comilla Victorians to fourth Bangladesh Premier League title

Bangladesh's Below-Par League needs an overhaul, and quick

Shakib Al Hasan (Fortune Barishal)
He has made it to ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI for the seventh time, the most by any cricketer in this competition. Shakib led Fortune Barishal very well, especially in the first half of the competition when they could do no wrong. But he made a bit of a misstep in their last match – the Eliminator – when he kept going down the order and didn’t even get to bat. With the ball, he remained the ace in the pack, regularly picking up wickets, and giving away very little.Iftikhar Ahmed (Fortune Barishal)
If all the rage about Iftikhar this month was about his six sixes in a Wahab Riaz over in an exhibition match, one must also look at how he fared in the BPL. He played arguably the most entertaining innings, the 45-ball unbeaten 100 against Chattogram Challengers, including a 25-run over against Shamim Hossain. He struck two other unbeaten fifties as he grew into a middle-order giant for Barishal. They surely missed him after February 7, as they bowed out from the competition in the Eliminator match.Khushdil Shah (Comilla Victorians)
Another big-hitting middle-order presence in the BPL, Khushdil not only entertained with his sixes, he also bailed Comilla Victorians out from their early struggles. It took him a little while to get used to the Dhaka pitches, but when he did, Khushdil finished his time in the BPL with a 161.48 strike-rate. He also bowled handy left-arm spin, and was more than a safe fielder.Imad Wasim (Sylhet Strikers)
Only the Strikers will know just how valuable Imad was bowling with the new ball. He has always done well in the BPL, but this time it has counted towards the Strikers’ push to the final. Imad has the lowest economy rate (5.11) among bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 150 balls in the competition. In fact, his 5.11 economy rate is also the second-lowest in a season (minimum 240 balls) among all bowlers behind Sunil Narine’s 4.57 in 2017.Azmatullah Omarzai (Rangpur Riders)
Riders dropping the fast bowler Omarzai for the Eliminator match provoked shocked reactions around the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Of course the legendary Dwayne Bravo replaced him but Omarzai was a vital cog in the Riders’ league stage. He was the most effective with the new ball, taking 13 of his 15 wickets in the Powerplay. Those numbers get better with his 11.07 average and 5.53 economy rate in the first six overs. Omarzai’s 13 wickets is also the third-best in the Powerplay in a BPL season. Something worth looking at for T20 scouts from other leagues.Taskin Ahmed (Dhaka Dominators)
Taskin is the second player after Shakib to be a repeat occupant in ESPNcricinfo’s BPL XI. He remains Bangladesh’s best all-format fast bowler, after doing well in Tests and ODIs in the last two years. He played for the struggling Dhaka Dominators, and in that backdrop, his 4 for 9 against Khulna Tigers, defending 108 runs, equalling the second-lowest total defended successfully in this competition’s history, really stood out.Tanvir Islam (Comilla Victorians)
It is hard to stand out as a left-arm spinner in Bangladesh but that’s exactly what Tanvir’ did in this season’s BPL. His accuracy and effectiveness in all phases helped the Victorians greatly. Tanvir even has an action, with which he gets a lot of dip into fastish deliveries. He has a fine celebration too, unique within the BPL. If a smart scout is looking out for a good bowler in all phases of a T20, Tanvir can be that bowler.Hasan Mahmud (Rangpur Riders)
He may have a high average and economy rate compared to the other bowlers, but fast bowler Mahmud got the Riders what they really wanted: wickets. Captain Nurul Hasan and coach Shohel Islam ensured he bowled mostly in the right moments for them. For example, Mahmud is the best death bowler in the BPL this season. It is one of his strengths, particularly the yorker. But he has showed other deliveries too, and continues to grow into a strong performer with the white ball.