Nearly a decade after leaving it for the world of football, Paul DePodesta is reportedly returning to the sport that made him famous.

DePodesta plans to leave his current position as the Browns' chief strategy officer to become the Rockies' head of baseball operations, according to a Thursday afternoon report from Ken Rosenthal of . The 52-year-old has served in his role with Cleveland since Jan. 2016.

Despite not having worked there in over two decades, DePodesta remains heavily associated with the Athletics and the analytics-first approach they helped pioneer in the 2000s. He served as that team's assistant general manager from 1999 to 2004; in 2012, actor Jonah Hill received an Oscar nomination for portraying a character based on DePodesta in Bennett Miller's .

In '04, DePodesta became the Dodgers' general manager, only for Los Angeles to fire him after two years. He spent time with the Padres and Mets before moving to the Browns, where he struggled under the supervision of owner Jimmy Haslam.

Colorado is coming off one of the worst Major League Baseball seasons of this century; it finished 43-119 and finished 50 games behind the first-place Dodgers in the National League West race.

The former international umpire looks back at his career: the Ajmal lbw decision in the 2011 World Cup, two ball-tampering scandals, watching Steyn v Tendulkar, and more

Interview by Alan Gardner30-May-2020Ian Gould retired from the ICC’s panel of elite umpires in 2019, after standing in more than 250 international matches over a 13-year career. He has since written a book, My Life in Cricket, covering his time as a player for Middlesex, Sussex and England, his subsequent spell as a coach, and then the switch to umpiring. While on one of his regular walks along Hove seafront, he spoke about his experiences as an umpire, the importance of building relationships along the way, and his hopes for the season to come.You were set to be returning as an umpire on the county circuit this summer – but that must all be up in the air now?
I love umpiring. I really enjoy it and I owe it to the ECB because I’ve had 13-14 years swanning around the world and they’ve been looking after me. So I felt I deserved to come back and show my mettle that I want to carry on. Because whatever people talk about the Hundred, over the years I’ve been in the game, I’ve seen the 60-over game, the 50-over game, the 40-over game, and I remember doing the first T20 game at Bristol, and everyone said, “Well, this is just pub cricket.” Now we look back on that. It’s moved on very, very quickly.I was actually really looking forward to it [the Hundred] and I feel very sorry for the boys at the ECB that took some flak leading up to it. Now it’s wait until next year, but I’m sure it will take off.But you’re still keen to continue?
Oh yeah, without a doubt. I finished [as an international umpire] on July 6 and there was a big come-down. But then I went back to county cricket in the first week of August and I thought, hang on, I really do love this job and I really love the people involved in it. And it got me going again, so I’m not going to be sitting on me backside. I’m preparing for some cricket in late July. Whether that happens or not is two different matters.ALSO READ: Ian ‘Gunner’ Gould whistles his way into the sunsetDue to the Covid-19 situation, the ICC has signalled a “short-term” move to using local umpires in international cricket. Does that mean you could make a comeback, if the ECB succeeds in its plan to stage matches?
We’ve been warned it could happen. I think they’ll be looking at younger people than me. But I’d love to do that again. It was a proper stage and I thoroughly enjoyed it.But we’ve got a great group coming through. We’ve got the four boys [from England] at the elites – been strengthened now by Michael Gough replacing me. Michael is just going through the roof with his umpiring, and so are the other boys. Richard Illingworth, umpire of the year, Richard Kettleborough, three-times winner, Nigel Llong, very steady. I think they have appointed Martin Saggers, David Millns and Michael Burns, so if we do play any international cricket here, the game’s in real good hands.

“Umpires are not going to catch players [tampering with the ball]. Unless you do it right in front of my face, I’m not going to catch you. But cameramen will catch you”

In your book, you say that increased use of technology might lead to the end of neutral umpires. Do you think the ICC should look to make this a permanent change?
I have started to believe, probably in my last two years, that it might go down that road. Though I think the players would like it to stay neutral – that when everyone can travel again, we go back to where it was.I was lucky enough to go to the Under-19 World Cup this year, and I saw some outstanding umpires coming through. That was also at the same time as the Women’s T20 World Cup, so there’s another group of 12 there. The only difference will be that the guys that are here now have had 60-70 Test matches. Some of those other guys have maybe done two Test matches and 20 ODIs. But quite a number of those do the IPL with 80,000 screaming at you.I don’t think it’ll be a major problem, but the way the players are talking, from what I understand, they want to go back to how it was. I think there’s a fear factor. [The players] don’t know these other guys. People are saying there’s not four in South Africa. There are. There’s not four in Bangladesh. There are.I think they are talking now about six Test matches in nine weeks [as part of England’s reworked schedule], plus a few ODIs? So the four elite who are likely to do it, plus the three other lads, are going to have to be in lockdown for probably nine weeks. That is going to turn you stir-crazy.That also seems to be an argument for increasing the pool of eligible umpires.
The other side of it, not even in lockdown, was, we always thought it was a little unfair there was three Aussies and four English on the panel. It left five [who could officiate] when an Ashes series came, which is a massive series. I think three or four of those have done five or six [Ashes] series. Marais Erasmus, Aleem [Dar], Kumar [Dharmasena]. At the end of it, there’s just five of them. That makes it very, very difficult.I think the best umpires should umpire the biggest games. Whether it’s an Englishman at one end, say Richard Kettleborough, and Bruce Oxenford at the other end, or Rob Tucker, whatever way you want… because DRS now is not letting you go. If you’re making a mistake, you’re making a mistake. The only worry I think the boys would have is when you’ve got umpire’s call. You know, you can give an umpire’s call to England if you’re a Pom and not give it to Australia.You don’t want it going back to people saying, oh, this is biased. You can’t have that.Gould, a keeper-batsman, played 18 ODIs for England. Here, he bats against New South Wales in a tour game in 1982-83•Stuart William Macgladrie/Fairfax Media/Getty ImagesYou’ve written about the episode of burnout you suffered in 2016, in part due to the amount of travel and time away from home. Is that something the ICC should be taking into account?
I think it is. It was a very difficult time for me, and I pray that I don’t see [it happen to] anybody, but I do believe there’s been one or two that have not been their normal self. And there’s always this fear of [showing] weakness – “You shouldn’t be talking about this.”I’m listening to young Dominic Bess now. He’s a very bright, nice kid. And he’s openly saying: don’t have a fear of talking to people. If I bump into someone now, I say, “Are you are you okay? Look, mate, I’ve got an hour. Come on, let’s chat it out.” Whereas a year ago, I don’t think I would have said that.Putting your passport in the fridge after returning home was a sign to you that something was wrong. But how long did it take to confront the issue and talk about it?
Six weeks, eight weeks, maybe longer. Once I got on the field, I was integrated with some great players and really fantastic people. But it’s when you went back to your hotel room and you just thought, “Well, what am I doing?” Or a car comes to pick you up to take you to the airport. “Why am I doing this?'”ALSO READ: Which umpire fares the best when reviewed by DRS?I was going for a trip to the West Indies. St Lucia, Barbados, and somewhere else, somewhere beautiful. And I didn’t want to go. I’m looking at myself: “What you thinking here, Ian, you’ve got six weeks in the Caribbean. In February, when it’s freezing in London.” I didn’t want to do it. But once I got on that flight and got there, it was a different story.I was walking down through Hove and I was jumping into shops to avoid people. I didn’t want to hold a conversation because I knew someone would look at me and go, “What’s your problem?”I listened to Marcus Trescothick on a podcast talking about it. I spoke to Michael Yardy about it. Suddenly I was talking to people about it, and it was like, well, that’s me. The awareness now is much greater. We’re lucky that we have the ECB, who were outstanding when I sort of blurted it out. Chris Kelly [the ECB’s umpires’ manager] was unbelievable. He rang me every other day. Dennis Burns, my coach at the ICC, people that I really trust, just rang me and rang me and talked and talked, recommended books I should read and told me to stop drinking like a lunatic.

“I think the best umpires should umpire the biggest games, because DRS now is not letting you go. If you’re making a mistake, you’re making a mistake”

On the subject of scrapping neutral umpires, you would presumably have loved to umpire an Ashes Test?
I was speaking to Richard Kettleborough about it. Richard’s very quiet about things, but when we started talking, you could hear that little bit of joy in his voice. You could almost hear his mind ticking. “Well, how great would that be?” Immense amount of pressure, but he can turn around and say, “Look, I umpired a Test against Australia at Lord’s” – or Birmingham, or wherever.We’re lucky because we’ve got so much county cricket to gain experience, and that’s the biggest thing within the group now at ECB and international, is habit. England, April 1, the season starts and you just get in that routine.What do you think about adding an extra review, to deal with concerns from players about neutrality?
I don’t see any harm in it. I don’t think it’s going to make any difference. I think people now go along to watch Test cricket and they are waiting for a review to come – it’s a highlight of the day. People are putting pints down. I went last year to watch a game and there was a review. I even put my own pint down and watched the big screen. It’s now part of the game.What did you think the decision was going to be?
I got it wrong. I said it was out. It was missing by a foot. It was one of those things.Did you ever read what people wrote about your performances as an umpire?
I know one or two would read it, but I certainly didn’t. The daftest thing I ever did was write a book, because I didn’t like talking about cricket! There’s enough people around who text you or say, “You’d better go and have a check on Cricinfo.” But I’ve never minded journalists. All I’ve ever said is, say the truth and make it not personal.There’s some brilliant people around writing at the moment and some of it is very, very interesting to read. Some of the stuff – and I’ve been in the game for 40-odd years – some of it I didn’t even think of, and I think that’s well worth reading. But talk to the mental-health people and they say, “Don’t just read it when you’ve had a good day. You’ve got to read it when you’ve had a bad day too.”If you’re an international umpire, the one thing that’s going to tell you one way or the other is a 90ft screen at every ground. You’ve got to put your ego away. And I think this group of modern umpires have thrown it away because they understand DRS. They understand the one that just flicks the glove they’re never going to see. But if [the additional review] makes the game a better place, well, so be it.”You could walk into a restaurant and sit and chat with Kohli for hours. When you look at Virat, you’re thinking male model, pin-up boy, but he knows about the game, the past, history – lovely guy”•Cameron Spencer/Getty ImagesYou write in your book that you were “pretty hostile” towards DRS at the start.
Oh yeah, I kicked the stumps over in a West Indies-Zimbabwe game. Both teams had walked off the field. Straight ball by Dwayne Bravo, hit [Chris] Mpofu on the foot, he’s turned round, limped off. Everyone’s gone back. I’m standing there with my partner. There’s a review just because they had one left. We had to bring them all back.That was in the old days. Talking to Paul Hawkins [inventor of Hawk-Eye] about it – some of the things then weren’t as good as they are now. You can watch it now and there’ll be the odd one you go, “Hmm, wasn’t sure about that”, but a high percentage of it is spot on. I remember being told, “HotSpot can’t work because it’s too sunny, too hot.” What do you mean by that? But that was back in the dark ages. Now you don’t get any of that.Speaking of technology at the outset of DRS: your decision to give Sachin Tendulkar out lbw to Saeed Ajmal during the 2011 World Cup semi-final – subsequently overturned on review – is still subject of debate today.
Don’t go down that road. I get teased about that. People send me pictures of my reaction after I was told in my ear by Billy Bowden that it was missing leg stump. It makes me laugh. It didn’t make me laugh at the time, I can assure you. But I’d give it out again with my back to the wall. It was dead. I don’t know what happened.ALSO READ: Are umpires giving more lbws now than they did before the DRS?Given the level of support they attract, were India the hardest team to officiate?
It’s intimidating. Not the players. The players are outstanding people. I’ve done seven, eight India-Pakistan games and the guys are real good people. They get on with each other. If you allow a crowd to get to you, all that noise and Mexican waves, or whatever, can distract you. Then you start missing bits and pieces and it’s a difficult place to be. But, you know, a couple of lads, last year or two years ago, did Bangladesh-Sri Lanka and there wasn’t one seamer picked in both sides. That would have been pretty difficult.You write that turning pitches were the hardest to umpire on. Did you have to learn to pick spinners’ variations too?
Yeah, you just went to the nets. I think some of the younger generation are missing out on that. They don’t want to go to nets. One good thing about the four English guys is, they go as routine. We’ve always done that and it’s been brilliant. Suddenly there’s a guy making his debut. If you don’t go to the nets, you’re never going to have seen him, so you’re now guessing. I just think it’s a big part of being professional. It’s something we’ve learned from David Constant, David Shepherd, Peter Willey. They set such a high standard. We didn’t want to fall away.

” I’m looking at myself: ‘What you thinking here, Ian, you’ve got six weeks in the Caribbean, in February, when it’s freezing in London.’ I didn’t want to do it”Gould on struggling with mental-health issues

What were the hardest decisions to call on the field?
Left-arm over, pitching outside leg stump. Those are the ones you’ve got to try and get right. You had people like Mitchell Starc – if it was his day, it started off stump and swung – whoa, you knew you were in business. But then when he didn’t quite get his action right, you weren’t sure whether it pitched on or not. Same with Mitchell Johnson.Probably one of the most difficult is the legspinner in the subcontinent where it has pitched in line. But once you got used to Hawk-Eye, with seamers, you knew that with a certain part of the pad, it should be going over the top of the stumps.The ball pitching outside is probably the most disappointing, and the legspinner over the wicket to a right-hander. Has that pitched leg stump? Has it spun too much? Those are the ones that are difficult. If it clips the glove, you’ve got no chance. That’s not a problem. But once you see the ball-tracking on the 90ft screen and it pitches outside, that’s a little hard to take.Did umpires have to change the way they assessed lbw appeals after DRS came in?
Yeah, your mindset changed completely. And you go the other way also, thinking, don’t forget [the stumps] are only nine inches wide and you’ve got umpire’s call on leg stump. There’s probably times you’d give that out in the old days, but you say “not out” now. Come on, Hawk-Eye, prove me right. The standard rate of umpiring under DRS is in the 90s. That is phenomenal. If you went to a racetrack and got 90% of winners, you’d be doing handstands.You write about the importance of relationships with players. Did that come from experience?
If I walk into a pub, someone says hello to me, I say hello back. Don’t turn your back on them. I think that’s crept into the game where maybe one or two umpires are a little bit unsure of a player. The English guys, we go to the nets, we talk, we practise. I was obviously louder and more boisterous than the other three, but people knew who I was, they knew they could go and have a laugh and it would get to a certain level. But they knew when it went past that level, I would come down on them like a ton of bricks. Some very “nice” things were said about me afterwards and that shocked me a little bit, because all I was doing was my job.Virat Kohli was one you often shared a laugh with.
He’s a funny man. Yeah, he batted like me a couple of times. I had to tell him off for slogging it. He’s a charmer. He’s one of those guys who’s got, a bit like Sachin Tendulkar, the whole of India on his back, but you wouldn’t know. You could walk into a restaurant and sit and chat with him for hours. He’s a very worldly boy. When you look at Virat, you’re thinking male model, pin-up boy, but he knows about the game inside out, the past, history. Lovely guy.”The standard rate of umpiring under DRS is in the 90s. That is phenomenal. If you went to a racetrack and got 90% of winners, you’d be doing handstands”•Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesHe had his run-ins with authority in the past.
I can see why. But he’s learned to be respectful. He could have continued his career like that and people could be talking totally the opposite about Virat. He’s a nice man and the India boys are very, very good people, very respectful.You were the third umpire in Cape Town in 2018 and have said that Australia had gotten out of control in the lead up to the sandpaper episode. What was wrong with their general behaviour?
Laddish. Jack the lads they were. Now they are a completely different team. It’s probably the greatest thing that happened to them. You know, they were going through these pay talks. That would have been grinding people down. But there was only a few of them that were getting a bit hostile and in your face. I have spoken to some of the players and they probably didn’t see it, like me with my mental illness. But if there’s a few of you doing the same things, part of you thinks, “Well, that’s all right.” It just got out of hand.ALSO READ: Umpire suspicions about Australia led to Newlands stingHad you seen anything like players bringing sandpaper on to the field before?
No, not even in my social life. Not even someone stealing food from the tuck shop. I’d love to meet Cameron [Bancroft] again. Justin Langer is good friend of mine. He’s a great bloke, and he says, you’ve just got to meet this kid. I met him for about five minutes [at Newlands]. It was horrible for him. But I’d just like to sit opposite him and have a beer and talk it through. Because he’s got a great story. But I think he won’t be saying it until his career’s finished.A few weeks later in the Caribbean, you were on the scene of another ball-tampering controversy. Dinesh Chandimal denied a charge of altering the condition of the ball – but was later found guilty – and his team refused to take the field on the third morning of the Test. Why did that incident blow up in the way it did?
St Lucia. It was crazy. We tried asking the question. The thing was, Javagal Srinath, a brilliant man and very good referee, spoke to both teams before, concerning what happened in South Africa. Umpires are not going to catch players. Unless you do it right in front of my face, I’m not going to catch you. I’ve said this a million times and people look at me stupidly. But cameramen will catch you, so if you think you’re not going to get caught, I can guarantee you are going to get caught, because one camera will be designated to watch where that ball’s going all the time. I didn’t get why Sri Lanka were so hostile.

“Umpiring is now a young man’s sport. The players are expecting a lot more of you, to be a lot fitter”

You say in the book that Sri Lanka “got away lightly” and that you would have abandoned the Test and awarded it to West Indies.
They disrupted two and a half hours of international cricket. If everybody looked back on that, then I think there would be different decisions made. But that’s life. Those were the decisions made, those sanctions [a one-match ban for Chandimal] were in place at the time. I still can’t get my head around why they were so hostile. The manager and the coach were as hostile as I can remember. Dinesh Chandimal I knew reasonably well, but they started to say he doesn’t speak good English. Well, we did well not to giggle because we’d just listened to a post-match interview that he’d done in broad, fantastic English. I just think that if we went back on that, a lot of things would have been done differently.One other high-profile umpiring incident of recent times came during the World Cup final, when Ben Stokes deflected Martin Guptill’s throw to the boundary and was awarded six runs. Did you know the exact wording of the law on overthrows?
I’d be lying to say that I knew that. I had no idea. I know about the law, but the problem is that you’re looking at getting into position for prospective run-outs. Rod Tucker was third umpire and I don’t think he would have had enough time to be thinking that way. Thank god I wasn’t there. I was sitting on Brighton beach watching it. It all blew up later in the evening. Just some clever clogs went through a law book and it all came out.I think it was unfair. At the end of it, it’s going to be hard work trying to sort that all out. It’s split-second, and it’s a World Cup final as well. I should imagine the fourth umpire was scrambling around trying to find the balls that would be bowled [in the Super Over]. I can only imagine it.That World Cup was your last involvement as an international umpire. Do you miss it?
I miss the buzz. God, I miss the buzz. It was great fun. I just met some fantastic people, and I was so, so damn lucky to meet these people, and they were so kind, I’m just very grateful.Since you were in possession of the best seat in the house, who were the three best batsmen to watch during your time?
Jacques Kallis. I loved watching Jacques. He was a very, very fine player. Sachin. And probably Virat. I was unlucky in some respects. I didn’t see the best of Ricky Ponting. He was an outstanding character, outstanding captain, such a proud Australian. But his career was just starting to wane as I came on the scene. But he was incredibly helpful, so I’m disappointed I have to leave him out. Jacques Kallis, I could sit and watch all day, Virat, the same. And Sachin, if you want someone to bat for your life, he was the man.Within the space of three months in 2018, Gould was involved in two Tests that were overshadowed by ball-tampering incidents, in Cape Town by Australia and in St Lucia by Sri Lanka•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty ImagesAnd bowlers?
Mitchell Starc on his day. Mitchell Johnson on his day. He bowled some very, very quick balls. And probably the one who gave me the biggest heart attack throughout my years – Saeed Ajmal. Lovely man, but he bowled all sorts of balls. On wickets that spun – I think Saeed would tell you he wasn’t the biggest spinner of a ball, but when you could get it going both ways, that’s tough. So Saeed, yeah, he was a very fine bowler, very clever bowler.What was the best batsman-bowler duel that you stood for?
Steyn versus Tendulkar, Cape Town. That was fierce but fair. That was as good as it got. I was stood there with a brilliant umpire, Simon Taufel, and the two of us came off and said, “Wow, we’d pay for that.” Dale bowled very quickly and Sachin just had the railway sleeper in his hand and kept patting it back at him. Fantastic.Is umpiring something you would recommend to younger people take an interest in?
The job’s changed completely. I was talking to someone yesterday, about an old photo of Frank Chester – he had a trilby on, coat down to his ankles, and a pair of brogues. All he needed to do was take off his umpire’s coat, put on a blazer and go straight to the pub. He didn’t need to change.I think the more people get to read books like mine, listen to podcasts with Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough, and what’s written by the press – umpiring’s a very good job now. It can be exciting, exhilarating. I found umpiring, the day went quicker than playing, because you’re always doing something. It is a worthwhile occupation. At the ECB, we’ve got James Tredwell and James Middlesbrook, both ex-players, coming through at the right age. Because it is now a young man’s sport. The players are expecting a lot more of you, to be a lot fitter. It’s not the sort of job [where you can] play county cricket till you’re 42 and think, “Do you know what, I’ll go and do a bit of umpiring.” You’d have missed ten years of fun. On my behalf it’s a must, something that people should really look into.

Ian Chappell pays tribute to his first touring room-mate Graeme Watson

Ian Chappell25-Apr-2020You never forget your first touring room-mate; it’s not quite a love-of-your-life remembrance but a fond recall.My first room-mate on a five-month tour of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) and South Africa in 1966-67 was Graeme Donald Watson. His nickname was Beatle as he wore his hair long like the ‘Fab Four’. He was chosen as the replacement for Doug Walters who was called up for Army national service.Beatle was a genuine allrounder who batted in the top six for Victoria and bowled hit-the-deck-hard medium-fast. Before the tour, I’d played against Graeme, but I really only knew him as a slightly unusual Victorian in that he stayed around for a beer after play.On a five-month tour where you’re regularly cooped up in the same room, you get to know a guy pretty well. The friendship is either a lasting one or it runs out of steam pretty quickly. In our case, it remained firm until Friday, when sadly cancer claimed the Beatle’s life.There are many fond memories of that tour. We shared a lot together including a solid partnership against Eastern Province where we both completed our first centuries for Australia. The match was played at St George’s Park, which was then known as Pollockville because of the presence of the brothers, Peter the fast bowler and Graeme, one of the pre-eminent Test batsmen of the time.The second-innings battle of the Graemes ended with Pollock c Chappell b Watson 120.After commencing his debut Test at Newlands with an impressive half-century, Beatle injured his ankle while bowling and finished up on crutches with his leg in plaster. That resulted in the unusual sight of late-night crutch races being held in the corridors of Deals Hotel in East London, with the other participants being the fully capacitated but slightly inebriated Dave Renneberg, Brian Taber and yours truly.Unfortunately for Beatle injuries dogged his sporting life.I toured with Beatle again in 1972 but by that time I was captain and enjoyed a single room, so he had to make do with second best. He’d been included in the touring party despite suffering a near-death experience after an incident at the MCG in the Rest of the World series of 1971-72.I was batting with Watson when an unintentional beamer from Tony Greig hit him in the nose and he was carted off the ground bleeding profusely. He was extremely unfortunate as Greig’s delivery was affected when his bowling hand hit the stumps and Watson top-edged a ball that would’ve hit him in the chest if his attempted pull shot had missed.By 1972, Chappell was captain and enjoyed a single room, so Watson (back row, extreme left) had to make do with second best•Getty ImagesIt was only on that 1972 tour when I met one of his nurses at a social function that I found out Beatle had actually stopped breathing for a while when he was in hospital. It was typical of Beatle to say very little about the incident; he made light of any injury and at times was too brave for his own good.That serious injury occurred on January 5 but with a fervent desire to be selected for the 1972 tour of England, he defied doctors’ orders and played against South Australia on February 26. In the second innings with a gale blowing in the direction from mid-off to fine leg, I told fast bowler Kevin McCarthy the only option was to operate with a strong leg-side field.A bouncer from McCarthy struck Watson on the side of the head and for a moment my heart sank. Fortunately, it was only a glancing blow and he successfully continued his innings.In another season, he bowled for Western Australia with a broken bone in his leg and Rod Marsh swears that at times he was standing as far back for Beatle as he was for Dennis Lillee.However, there was one injury that did stop him; a broken jaw. A talented dual sportsman, he was in the Melbourne Football Club squad that won the 1964 Victorian Football League grand final. When he suffered two broken jaws in quick succession during the 1965 season, that brought his football career to an abrupt halt. On that South African tour, whenever Keith Stackpole wanted to annoy Beatle, he’d call out, “Hey, glass jaw.”His cricket career involved playing for three states Victoria, WA and New South Wales. During regular drink sessions with a group of mates it was a standard joke to claim that he played with four states – he was selected for Queensland but joined World Series Cricket instead – the same number as he had wives.I was in the official party at his first wedding which was attended by then Australian prime minister Harold Holt. I was unable to attend any of the other ceremonies which was unfortunate because it precluded me from using the hilarious line of England’s fast bowling funnyman John J Warr.When JJ attended England batsman Bill Edrich’s fifth wedding he was asked, “Which side – bride or groom?” Without a flicker of a smile, he answered, “Season’s ticket.”I know his last two wives well, Karina with whom he sired two beautiful girls in Laura and Louisa, and Jan who was at his side when he passed away. Beatle had generously offered a kidney to Jan who needed a transplant, but the dreaded cancer diagnosis put an end to that plan. Fortunately, Jan received a transplant and is now recovering well.Watson had a successful business life after sport, cleverly maximising his qualifications as an architect. He excelled in solutions for sports stadium management and was involved in that capacity in the highly successful Sydney Olympic precinct.His architectural background stood out in the functional design of his house at Burradoo in the NSW Southern Highlands and the farmhouse on his property at Wollombi, just north of Sydney. That was a favourite venue as a ‘male retreat’ and I have fond memories of the sessions enjoyed there with Tabsy and Beatle that made allowances for one female – our dog Bella.Beatle lived a very full life and he was looking forward to caring for Jan in her post-operation period, but unfortunately, the tables were turned and it was she who lovingly cared for him.His last public act was a selfless one as usual. Even in struggling health, he offered to help the Southern Highlands District Cricket Association raise funds for junior development.This culminated in a sold-out dinner in early March which provided much-needed funds for the association. Beatle – with his voice fading – made a fine speech that night, full of common sense and with a vision for the future.It was a long journey from Salisbury (now Harare) to Burradoo, but it was a successful one, with a lot of laughs along the way.

Offspinner has made steady progress this summer but is a long-term investment

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl24-Aug-2020In another era, an era before white-ball cricket dominated the middle of England’s domestic season, Dom Bess would probably be playing for his county now.He might even be playing for his county’s second XI. Either way, he would be learning his trade away from the unrelenting scrutiny that goes with the territory of playing international cricket and away from the expectation that comes with being his country’s first-choice spinner.But the world has changed. The production line that once saw a decent pair of spinners required by every county has all but ground to a halt. Young spinners emerging now usually have to learn to contribute in white-ball cricket if they are to entertain realistic hopes of sustaining a career. With first-class games squeezed into spring and autumn, they win few opportunities to learn their red-ball craft. Several talented hopefuls have drifted away from the professional game.So Bess, the talented young man that he is, has been asked to learn on the job. Instead of using all his skills and experience to ensnare batsmen, he’s at the stage of his career – aged 23 and with fewer than 50 first-class appearances – where he is still searching for a reliable stock ball and experimenting with his variations. He is, in short, a promising young cricketer who has been given accelerated promotion to fill the void left by England’s flawed domestic scheduling. It’s exactly the situation Moeen Ali found himself in at the start of the 2014 summer.Bess has bowled perfectly respectably here. On a painfully slow wicket that would have thwarted plenty of more experienced spinners and against admirably determined batsmen who would have done the same, he demanded respect and conceded fewer than two runs per over. Later in the day, when he settled on a line outside off stump, he even troubled the batsmen a few times. He did, by any realistic expectations, just fine.The problem is that at this stage it’s not obvious what Bess’ weapons are. He doesn’t gain the drift of Moeen, or the dip of Graeme Swann. He doesn’t have the pace of Monty Panesar, or the consistency of Jack Leach. As he showed in South Africa, he can provide control and prove dangerous given some assistance, but it is asking a huge amount – an unreasonable amount, really – to expect him to lead his country’s spin attack at this stage of his career.ALSO READ: Spinners thriving in Bob Willis TrophySo, why did England take a punt on Bess? There are two or three young, England-qualified spinners doing nicely in the Bob Willis Trophy this season, after all. But neither Amar Virdi nor Mason Crane has many pretensions with the bat and Matt Critchley goes for more than four an over across his first-class career. That would make it tough for him to play the holding role England are sometimes sure to require.Right now, Leach might well be a better bowler than Bess. He certainly warrants selection for Somerset ahead of him. So if England go to Sri Lanka and India this winter, Leach should play a significant role. On pitches offering assistance to spin, he has the tools to trouble batsmen. He was, you may remember, the equal top wicket-taker (with Moeen) when England won in Sri Lanka in 2018.There is, incidentally, a lesson here. It is clear that both Bess and Leach have – just as Swann and Panesar did at Northants in the early 2000s – enjoyed an accelerated development thanks to the spin-friendly pitches prepared for them at Taunton in recent years. If England are serious about developing more spin bowlers, they have to allow conditions – and a schedule – which encourage them.Either way, England prefer Bess as a long-term investment for a couple of reasons. For a start, he can bat. And brave though Leach was in his memorable one not out at Leeds and incredible though he was in his unlikely 92 against Ireland at Lord’s, those innings are considered somewhat aberrational. A bottom four of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Leach would leave England with a dangerously long tail.Equally, England feel that on pitches offering little, Bess may find a way to contribute a bit more – if not with the ball, then with the bat or in the field. And in Australia, where the batsmen are certain to come after him and Leach, they feel he may have more tools to cope.Dom Bess is currently England’s first-choice spinner•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesNot least among these tools is his positive attitude. Bess’ enthusiasm, his willingness to learn on the job, his apparent resilience in the face of adversity, are seen to render him suitable for the challenges ahead. There will, no doubt, be some long and tough days in India and Australia. England want a man in the side who can shrug those days off, come back for more and keep improving.It is a shame that there is currently no specialist coach with the squad to work with him. England had planned for Jeetan Patel, the former New Zealand offspinner, to join them in the bio-secure bubble, but visa regulations prevent him working as a coach. As a consequence, Bess is, for now, having to find his own way through the challenges ahead of him.You might also wonder how Moeen might have fared had he benefited from the same patience extended to the likes of Jos Buttler or Joe Denly. Moeen was, you may recall, the highest wicket-taker in the world in Test cricket over the previous 12 months at the time he was dropped.And while that decision was perfectly reasonable – it looked as if Moeen needed some time out of the firing line to decompress – the subsequent to decision not to offer him a red-ball central contract seemed to push him away from the squad just when he needed to feel embraced and valued. Again, the thought occurs that England may have coaxed more out of Moeen with better treatment. His best ball is still probably better than the best ball of any other red-ball spinner in England. And he has made five Test centuries.But you can see why England like Bess. And, by most reasonable judgements, he’s progressing nicely. We just have to be realistic in what we expect from him.

A host of leading players from around the world will be in Sydney for the WBBL

Andrew McGlashan14-Oct-2020Suzie Bates (New Zealand/Adelaide Strikers)T20I record: Matches 122; Runs 3301; Avg 30.00; S/R 110.62 | Wickets 50; Avg 25.52; Econ 6.73
WBBL record: Matches 70; Runs 1710; Avg 28.50; S/R 104.07 | Wickets 35; Avg 28.08; Econ 6.83Formed the formidable Smash Sisters pairing at the Strikers with Sophie Devine, but has lost her national team-mate who has moved to the Perth Scorchers. There is some doubt over her fitness heading in the tournament after she picked up a shoulder injury against Australia in BrisbaneTammy Beaumont (England/Sydney Thunder)T20I record: Matches 88; Runs 1382; Avg 22.29; S/R 108.73
WBBL record: Matches 40; Runs 854; Avg 22.47; S/R 95.20The England opener hasn’t quite been able to translate her excellent ODI record into T20 but was the leading scorer in the recent series against West Indies and remains a dangerous option at the top of the order. She has had previous BBL stints with the Strikers and the RenegadesKatherine Brunt (England/Melbourne Stars)T20I record: Matches 87; Runs 493; Avg 17.00; S/R 113.85 | Wickets 89; Avg 19.39; Econ 5.49
WBBL record: Matches 44; Runs 447; Avg 17.88′ S/R 103.47 | Wickets 49; Avg 17.71; Econ 5.15An aggressive seamer and hard-hitting batter, Brunt has been a stalwart of the England side and will be tasked to bring a cutting edge to the Stars attack. She has the best economy rate in WBBL history (5.15) of anyone to have bowled at least 250 deliveries.Nadine de Klerk (South Africa/Brisbane Heat)T20I record: Matches 20; Runs 241; Avg 24.10; S/R 94.50 | Wickets 18; Avg 14.38; Econ 7.06
WBBL record: Yet to playThe bustling seamer made a mark when she came into the South Africa side during the T20 World Cup, claiming 3 for 19 in the semi-final against Australia. She was awarded a national contract shortly after the tournament.Sophie Devine (New Zealand/Perth Scorchers)T20I record: Matches 94; Runs 2447; Avg 30.97; S/R 125.42 | Wickets 91; Avg 17.07; Econ 6.26
WBBL record: Matches 66; Runs 2174; Avg 39.52; S/R 129.40 | Wickets 60; Avg 22.13; Econ 7.12The New Zealand captain has become one of the most dominant players in the format. She is the highest scoring overseas player in WBBL history (behind just Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney) and was the Player of the Tournament last season. Her switch from the Strikers to Scorchers was one of the biggest off-season moves.Sarah Glenn has emerged as a formidable part of England’s spin attack•Nathan Stirk/Getty ImagesSarah Glenn (England/Perth Scorchers)T20I record: Matches 15; Wickets 22; Avg 12.63; Econ 5.34
WBBL record: Yet to playLegspinner Glenn is among the most promising emerging bowling talents in the game having impressed during the T20 World Cup and last month’s series against West Indies where she was named Player of the Series and was also awarded the PCA Player of the Year title.Maddy Green (New Zealand/Brisbane Heat)T20I record: Matches 51; Runs 385; Avg 11.66; S/R 86.32
WBBL record: Matches 16; Runs 309; Avg 20.60; S/R 112.36Green showed glimpses of her power in the matches against Australia and has also worked on developing her offspin. She could have an important part to play in compensating for the loss of Beth Mooney at the defending championsShabnim Ismail (South Africa/Sydney Thunder)T20I record: Matches 92; Wickets 99; Avg 18.65; Econ 5.73
WBBL record: Matches 15; Wickets 13; Avg 25.23; Econ 6.65Among the fastest bowlers in the world, it was Ismail’s economy that stood out last season as she conceded 5.88 but the Thunder will hope she can add further wicket-taking to the record.Hayley Jensen (New Zealand/ Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 30; Wickets 24; Avg 24.91; Econ 6.74
WBBL record: Matches 36; Wickets 32; Avg 19.21, Econ 6.55The medium-pacer has joined the Hurricanes, her fourth WBBL club, as a replacement player and won’t immediately be available unless one of the three other overseas signings is injured. She had a good T20 World with three-wicket hauls against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Amelia Kerr celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesAmy Jones (England/Perth Scorchers)T20I record: Matches 54; Runs 776; Avg 19.89; S/R 116.51
WBBL record: Matches 34; Runs 689; Avg 24.60; S/R 114.26Jones, the wicketkeeper-batter, is now in the middle-order for England it may be a role she plays for the Scorchers given they also have Mooney and Devine. She struck 55 off 37 balls in the fourth match of the series against West Indies.Marizanne Kapp (South Africa/Sydney Sixers)T20I record: Matches 78; Runs 946; Avg 19.30; S/R 96.23 | Wickets 58; Avg 20.65; Econ 5.42
WBBL record: Matches 70; Runs 637; Avg 18.20; S/R 101.11 | Wickets 77; Avg 17.67; Econ 5.18A fine allrounder, Kapp is the leading overseas wicket-taker in WBBL history after a long association with the Sixers and part of a formidable line-up. She started the T20 World Cup in excellent form but her tournament was curtailed by illness.Amelia Kerr (New Zealand/Brisbane Heat)T20I record: Matches 35; Wickets 37; Avg 19.89; Econ 5.75
WBBL record: Matches 16: Wickets 14; Avg 25.50; Econ 6.22Kerr, the legspinning allrounder, has just turned 20 but has already been around the international scene for four years. She will be a key weapon in the Heat attack and is also a very handy batter in the middle order, who could need to take on more responsibility this season. She took nine wickets across the six recent matches against Australia.Heather Knight (England/Sydney Thunder)T20I record: Matches 79; Runs 1256; Avg 22.83; S/R 119.96 | Wickets 20; Avg 25.00; Econ 5.71
WBBL record: Matches 55; Runs 1353; Avg 26.52; S/R 107.63 | Wickets 39; Avg 27.27; Econ 6.92The England captain, who has moved from the Hurricanes to the Thunder, has taken her T20 batting to a new level this year with 486 runs at 40.50 and a strike-rate of 135.75 which included a maiden century against Thailand in the T20 World Cup.Lizelle Lee’s power game will now be utilised by the Renegades•Getty ImagesLizelle Lee (South Africa/Melbourne Renegades)T20I record: Matches 74; Runs 1664; Avg 25.21; S/R 109.47
WBBL record: Matches 40; Runs 1100; Avg 29.72; S/R 125.57A thunderous striker of the ball, Lee has crossed town from the Stars to the Renegades and will be tasked with making the most of the Powerplay. In consecutive seasons she has produced the first century of the competition: 102 off 56 balls against the Sixers in 2018-19 and 103 off 65 balls against the Scorchers last summer.Hayley Matthews (West Indies/Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 55; Runs 986; Avg 18.60; S/R 105.68 | Wickets 51; Avg 18.00; Econ 6.00
WBBL record: Matches 43; Runs 737; Avg 18.42; S/R 99.46 | Wickets 28; Avg 25.71; Econ 6.84Matthews will be looking to revive her credentials as one of the finest young players around after a lean run in T20Is where her top score in the last 14 innings is 23. Her talent suggests she should be averaging much better than 18Rachel Priest (New Zealand/Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 75; Runs 873; Avg 16.77; S/R 104.42
WBBL record: Matches 69; Runs 1410; Avg 21.04; S/R 116.14After retiring from international cricket, wicketkeeper-batter Priest has set up her cricket base in Tasmania after previous WBBL spells with the Renegades and the Thunder. She will carry significant responsibility in what shapes as a potentially light Hurricanes top order.Amy Satterthwaite (New Zealand/Melbourne Renegades)T20I record: Matches 102; Runs 1595; Avg 21.26; S/R 96.02 | Wickets 24; Avg 22.00; Econ 7.07
WBBL record: Matches 53; Runs 1254; Avg 31.35; S/R 101.29 | Wickets 43; Avg 18.97; Econ 6.51Back as captain of the Renegades after maternity leave, Sattherthwaite will have a vital role at the top of the order which will be without Jess Duffin. She slotted back into international cricket impressively against AustraliaLaura Wolvaardt will be looking to bring these shots to the WBBL•Getty ImagesNat Sciver (England/Melbourne Stars)T20I record: Matches 80; Runs 1535; Avg 25.58; S/R 112.37 | Wickets 52; Avg 19.38; Econ 6.35
WBBL record: Matches 52; Runs 952; Avg 24.41; S/R 112.52 | Wickets 36; Avg 27.66; Econ 6.90A formidable allrounder, Sciver – one of the few players to have a shot named after them – joins team-mate Brunt at the Stars and is capable of match-changing performances with bat and ball. She had an outstanding T20 World Cup and made 82 off 61 balls against West Indies last monthLea Tahuhu (New Zealand/Melbourne Renegades)T20I record: Matches 60; Wickets 52; Avg 21.09; Econ 5.97
WBBL record: Matches 56; Wickets 49; Avg 24.61; Econ 5.96Continues to vie to be the fastest bowler in the game, Tahuhu is another injury concern heading into the tournament have suffering a back strain in the ODI series against Australia. If fit, she will be the pace-bowling strike weapon for the Renegades.Stafanie Taylor (West Indies/Adelaide Strikers)T20I record: Matches 108; Runs 3062; Avg 36.02 | Wickets 94; Avg 16.88; Econ 5.65
WBBL record: Matches 60; Runs 1074; Avg 26.19; S/R 101.41 | Wickets 49; Avg 18.51; Econ 6.55Taylor has an impressive T20 record and will be tasked with helping fill the void created by Devine’s departure after her 2019-2020 campaign was cut short by international duty and then injury.Chloe Tryon (South Africa/Hobart Hurricanes)T20I record: Matches 65; Runs 757; Avg 20.45; S/R 139.66 | Wickets 19; Avg 34.36; Econ 7.09
WBBL record: Matches 13; Runs 248; Avg 35.42; S/R 178.41
Few players in the world hit the ball as hard as Tryon – her WBBL strike-rate, albeit, from a small number of matches, is far and away the best in WBBL history (minimum 125 balls faced). The key for the Hurricanes will be finding the best spot in the order for her.Dane van Niekerk (South Africa/Sydney Sixers)T20I record: Matches 83; Runs 1839; Avg 28.73; S/R 94.79 | Wickets 63; Avg 21.06; Econ 5.45
WBBL record: Matches 63; Runs 795; Avg 21.48; S/R 105.67 | Wickets 64; Avg 20.00; Econ 6.35The South Africa captain is another of the leading allrounders in the game, although given the Sixers’ batting strength it is arguably her legspin that plays the more important role. She was Player of the Match in South Africa’s opening T20 World Cup victory over England earlier this year.Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa/Adelaide Strikers)T20I record: Matches 25; Runs 427; Avg 22.47; S/R 103.38
WBBL record: Matches 20; Runs 99; Avg 8.25; S/R 92.52It is best not to pay too much attention to Wolvaardt’s previous WBBL record which was two seasons with the Heat. The T20 World Cup felt like a breakthrough tournament for her in the format, with two dazzling unbeaten innings to highlight her as one of the most exciting emerging batting talents.

Who needs what ahead of Tuesday’s triple-header, the final round of group games?

Gaurav Sundararaman25-Jan-2021Perth Scorchers –
: Brisbane HeatAn amazing second half of the season has put Perth Scorchers in pole position. The Scorchers have guaranteed themselves a top two-spot owing to their superior Net Run-Rate. The only team that can go past them is the Sixers. The Scorchers need to win their final game against Brisbane Heat to guarantee finishing top of the league stage. If the Scorchers lose and the Sixers win, then the Scorchers would finish second.The Sixers will play the Scorchers in the Qualifier•Getty ImagesSydney Sixers –
: Melbourne StarsSimilar to the Scorchers, the Sixers have also guaranteed themselves a top two-spot in the play-offs thanks to Adelaide Strikers’ loss against Sydney Thunder on Monday night. The Sixers can aim for top-of-the-table finish by beating the Stars and hoping the Scorchers lose their game against the Heat.ESPNcricinfo LtdHobart Hurricanes –
: Melbourne RenegadesHurricanes have their fate in their control. Although they cannot finish in the top two, all they need is a win against bottom-ranked team Melbourne Renegades to qualify for the play-offs. This would take the Hurricanes to 31 points and a spot in the final five. Even if they lose, they can still qualify if the Stars lose to the Sixers and the Heat lose to the Scorchers. However, if one among Heat or Stars win then the Hurricanes will find it hard to qualify even if they get a Bash Boost point due to their inferior Net Run-Rate.The Stars need other results to fall their way – and to win, preferably with a bonus point•Getty ImagesMelbourne Stars –
: Sydney SixersThe Stars do not have their fate in their control. The Stars play the Sixers in the last league game. The Stars could be eliminated by the time the game starts if the Heat and Hurricanes both win their last league match. However, if the Heat and the Hurricanes both lose then the Stars just need to win their last league game – possibly with a bonus point – to make the final five since they have a higher Net Run-Rate than Adelaide Strikers or Hobart Hurricanes.The Heat will need to win well against the Scorchers•Getty ImagesBrisbane Heat –
: Perth Scorchers The Heat need the full four points against the Scorchers to guarantee they reach final five. The maximum they can get is 29 points and that would put them ahead of both the Strikers and also the Stars. If the Heat fail to win the Bash Boost point and win with three points then they would finish with 28 points, and would need to hope that the Hurricanes lose to the Renegades and the Stars do not get four points against the Sixers since the Stars have a superior Net Run-Rate.Adelaide Strikers – The Strikers missed an opportunity to qualify for the play-offs of their own accord when they lost to Sydney Thunder on Monday. Their best chance is if Hurricanes lose their last league match against the Renegades, and the Stars and the Heat don’t get four points from their matches. This would mean that the Strikers would qualify in fourth with 28 points.However, if the Hurricanes do win their last league match, the Strikers need the Heat and Stars to win without a Bash Boost point (or lose). This would mean that Strikers will go past Heat in terms of Net Run-Rate while they will be ahead of the Stars by one point.

Captain admits loss of several first-choice players contributed to team’s negative mindset

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jan-2021Sri Lanka lost 2-0, going down by an innings in the first match, and ten wickets in the second, but captain Dimuth Karunaratne is not about to beat himself or his team up.Partly this is because Sri Lanka have felt the injuries that felled around a third of their touring squad – mostly first-choice players – were somewhat out of their control. They were unable to prepare for this tour as they normally might, thanks partly to the Lanka Premier League, which had to be pushed into December due to Covid-19, and they also could not have a practice match before the Tests. None of Sri Lanka’s players had played long-form cricket since July.”A lot of players got injured, and I think that was the biggest thing we missed,” Karunaratne said after his team lost at The Wanderers. “When we were playing without those injuries in the first Test, we were in the match and could potentially have won it. We got a good start, which is a difficult thing to achieve, and then we lost our bowlers. When you lose six or seven players, you do go into a negative mindset and that’s difficult. On these tracks it’s a huge challenge.”Perhaps because Sri Lanka have another Test series looming in less than two weeks (at home, against England), Karunaratne also chose to dwell on the happier take-aways.”As a captain I’m really worried about the result. But at least we have some young talents we can use in the future. And there are a few positives from the series. Kusal Perera is in form. Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando and Wanindu Hasaranga also did well.Related

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“We did quite a few positive things, like score the most runs a Sri Lanka team has ever scored in South Africa [their first-innings total of 396 at Centurion], and also score more runs than any previous Sri Lanka teams at The Wanderers [their second-innings total of 211]. In patches we played well, but we weren’t able to sustain that, partly because of the injuries.”On a personal note, Karunaratne had hit Sri Lanka’s only hundred of the tour in the second innings at The Wanderers, and his 103 off 128 balls was also Sri Lanka’s first triple-figure score at this notoriously difficult venue for South Asian batsmen. Before the match, he had averaged a little over 20 in the country, across 12 innings, so the hundred meant more than most.”Of course there’s a sadness at the hundred not having taken us to a win. But playing for the first time after nine months, and batting with an injured finger, scoring some runs was a huge confidence boost for me.”I had missed out on getting starts on this tour. Previously when I was in South Africa that’s the one thing I had got – 20s or 30s – but I hadn’t been able to convert. I was also really nervous as I hadn’t played in a long time. It’s tough on these pitches for anybody. I looked at what my shortcomings were, and tried to fix them.”In the first 15 overs, I didn’t have any big plans. I just wanted to leave the ball well and play positively. Once I got set I realised the way to play on these tracks is to be positive. On a pitch like this a good ball can come at any time. I targeted certain bowlers, and respected the ones I found difficult. I was really determined to score a hundred in this innings.”

Also, why don’t Sunrisers Hyderabad pick Mohammad Nabi?

Alagappan Muthu22-Oct-2020
Why does David Warner have a hard time against Jofra Archer?
It’s the curse of the line bowler. And they are almost always notorious to face.Think of how Josh Hazlewood used to wrap Hashim Amla around his little finger. Seven Tests, seven dismissals, batting average 19. Or Sachin Tendulkar against Glenn McGrath. Nine Tests, six dismissals, batting average 22.These are all-time great batsmen. But to undo them, these bowlers only concentrated on a couple of things. One – hit the deck with the seam upright. Two – target the stumps.This made sure the batsman had to play the ball and if there is even the slightest movement, he is at a disadvantage.ESPNcricinfo LtdThat is what happened with Warner vs Archer. Except Archer was bowling at scary pace. Run that dismissal over and you’ll see the left-hander getting squared up. That’s the movement away from him. You’ll see him poking his hands at the ball. That’s him panicking and forgetting about his basics.Line bowling alone is so hard to face, but at Archer’s pace, it’s nearly impossible.Why do the Sunrisers never play Mohammad Nabi?
The Sunrisers bought Nabi in the 2017 auction. So this is his third year with the side. Guess how many games he’s played for them?It’s just 14 matches; 14 out of a possible 57 matches. The Sunrisers bought a bonafide T20 superstar and have used him for only a 25% of the matches they’ve played since he’s been on their roster.This is partly because they also brought in Jonny Bairstow in 2018 and he became an automatic pick. Warner is their captain. The face of the team. And Rashid Khan is their trump card. That’s three overseas slots done and invariably the fourth one ends up going to someone who can either hit hard (initially Mitchell Marsh this year) or bowl fast (Billy Stanlake earlier).That’s been the IPL way, even though Nabi has torched bowling attacks in the BBL, spun webs around teams in the CPL and been a driving force for the Afghanistan team in all limited-overs cricket.Why did Riyan Parag bat ahead of Rahul Tewatia?
When Jos Buttler fell with 27 balls left in the innings, it seemed like the perfect time for Tewatia to walk out and wreak havoc. But the Royals sent in 18-year-old Parag instead and it slowly became clear why. He was there for the yorkers.T Natarajan has bowled more yorkers than anyone in IPL 2020. The Sunrisers had saved two of his overs for the death.Parag was the Royals’ weapon against that. In the 18th over, after watching Natarajan bowl the perfect yorker to Steven Smith, Parag shifted outside off stump, got into a crouch and took a very low full toss – definitely intended as a yorker – and scooped it over fine leg for four.Then he had the game sense to realise the bowler would go wide of off stump – try to take the batsman’s power game away. But Parag was still able to reach it and he launched a huge six over extra cover.ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster suggested the Royals’ chances of victory increased by 6% in that over.Why didn’t Archer bowl a third over in the powerplay?He was in red hot form – 2-0-5-2 – and those two wickets were Warner and Bairstow, the backbone of the Sunrisers batting. So there was good reason for the Royals to have their speed demon to continue his spell. Another wicket could have helped them break into a middle order that has rarely shown itself to be stable this season.But Archer was taken off and Manish Pandey took control.”The third over for Jofra was on my mind,” Smith said at the presentation. “We discussed it with a couple of guys. In hindsight, yeah, maybe should have bowled a third straight over.”

Five tricky selection calls that India will ponder before the Boxing Day Test at the MCG

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Dec-2020Drop or retain Prithvi Shaw?From his backlift to his footwork, experts have picked holes in Shaw’s technique after the opener, playing only his first Test in Australia, was bowled twice in Adelaide in the space of six balls. Shaw has already made two ducks in the six innings he has batted in so far on this tour if you include the two warm-up matches the Indians played against Australia A. Still, Shaw would want to be judged after a longer trial. Should he get that?Pros: Shaw’s strength is the blistering pace at which he scores once he gets a start. A first-class average of 51.43 and strike rate of 80.96 and a century on Test debut support the idea that the 21-year-old Shaw is that rare talent that experts from around the world believe he is. Although Melbourne also has a drop-in pitch like Adelaide, the strip has tended to play quite flat in recent years, which could make life easier for Shaw. If he gets going he can help India set a strong platform quickly, and ease the burden on the middle order.Cons: Former India opener and captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Shaw plays too many shots too early and with hard hands. Dissecting his technique further on 7 Cricket, both Gavaskar and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting pointed out the yawning gap Shaw leaves between his bat and pad early against the new ball as well as the lateness of his front foot movement – he is often yet to plant his foot before he plays the ball. These are areas an expert Australia attack could continue to exploit relentlessly.Related

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Why it's not time to give up on Prithvi Shaw yet

Overseas debuts: Saini, Siraj better placed than their predecessors

Time to give Shubman Gill a Test debut?Shaw’s teammate in the Under-19 World Cup two years ago, Gill has been restless to make his Test debut ever since he got a maiden call-up to the squad around a year ago. If Shaw is dropped, Gill can open or bat in the middle order as a replacement for Kohli.Pros: Gill’s biggest strength is his classical technique and preference to play along the ground. Coaches who have worked with him point out that Gill has that extra time to play his shots, which is a key strength on fast and bouncy pitches. He also has a quiet temperament. Gill has tall first-class scores playing for India A overseas and at home including double centuries in the West Indies and New Zealand. Gill got good starts in the second warm-up match in Sydney against Australia A, scoring 43 and 65.Cons: Having started on a low note, will India be taking a risk by blooding an inexperienced batsman against a ruthless opponent at one of the most daunting cauldrons in cricket?Ravindra Jadeja would be extremely useful as a fifth bowler, but can he hold his own as a No. 6 batsman?•Associated PressCan KL Rahul take Kohli’s spot?Rahul is the most experienced batsman among the reserves to take the middle-order slot at No. 6 if Rahane and Hanuma Vihari move one spot higher than their regular positions in Kohli’s absence. A confidence player, Rahul came to Australia wearing the Orange Cap for the most runs this IPL season, which was played in the UAE.Pros: He knows Australian conditions and bowlers very well with this being his third tour. In 2014-15, he stroked a wonderful 110 in Sydney.Cons: The lack of first-class cricket. Rahul did not play in any of the two warm-up matches in Sydney, and his last Test was on the 2019 tour of the West Indies where he struggled to provide starts as an opener. He was subsequently dropped from the home Test series against South Africa and Bangladesh and not included for the two-Test series in New Zealand in February. Rahul’s struggles an opener have been longstanding. Having failed in England in 2018, he struggled once again in Australia later that year, opening, with a highest of 44 in three Tests.Should India play five bowlers?This would mean playing a second spinner in Ravindra Jadeja as an allrounder along with three fast bowlers and R Ashwin as the primary spinner.Pros: This would reduce the workload of a pace attack that is likely to include one debutant in either Mohammed Siraj or Navdeep Saini. Jadeja can provide plenty of control, as he showed while taking five wickets at the MCG on the 2018 tour, and play a holding role if need be. The other significant advantage of playing Jadeja is his experience and skill with the bat, with an improved defensive game to complement his ability to counterattack. Since the start of 2018, his average of 53.30 in Tests is the second-best among all India batsmen, and in this period he has scored six half-centuries – three of them away from home – and a maiden hundred against West Indies in Rajkot.Cons: It isn’t yet clear whether Jadeja has completely recovered from the hamstring injury that he picked up during the T20I leg of the tour, which ruled him out of the first Test. The other argument against Jadeja would be that a specialist batsman might be the need of India’s hour, given how brittle their batting proved during the first Test, and given the absence of Kohli.Is it time for India to add Rishabh Pant’s aggression to their lower middle order?•EPAShould Pant replace Saha?While Wriddhiman Saha battled injuries over the last two years, Rishabh Pant grabbed the opportunity with an impish smile, a motor mouth and let’s not forget his robust batting. After an eventful debut series in England, which included a fourth-innings hundred in the final Test at the Oval, Pant was an ever-present during India’s 2-1 triumph in Australia in 2018-19. He got starts in every innings and finished the tour hammering 159 in Sydney.Pros: In the absence of Kohli India will need solidity and big runs from at least one batsman in the lower order. Pant’s biggest strength is his intent to dominate, which Kohli said was missing when India folded inside an hour in the second innings in Adelaide last Friday. Overlooked in the white-ball segment of this tour, Pant hit a 73-ball 103 in the second innings of the second warm-up match the Indians played under lights.Cons: Before this tour, Saha was seen as India’s first-choice keeper in spin-friendly home conditions, and Pant as the preferred option away from home, where his prowess with the bat was seen as making up for any deficiencies he may have with the big gloves. But though Pant made a hundred in the warm-up game, Saha, who made two ducks and a half-century in those matches, was still preferred in Adelaide, suggesting India might see Pant’s glovework as a work-in-progress.

There are pace bowlers to keep an eye on and the superb Amelia Kerr

Andrew McGlashan26-Mar-2021Australia’s aggressionMatthew Mott has spoken about Australia pushing their boundaries. There is unlikely to be huge change to their approach to T20 cricket – they are a well-oiled outfit that rarely takes a backward step – but it will be interesting to watch their approach in the ODIs with a view to next year’s World Cup. There was a glimpse in the final match of the previous series where they racked up 325 in Brisbane; a blistering start led by Alyssa Healy capped off by a powerful finish from the middle order. When batters such as Jess Jonassen and Georgia Wareham make up the lower order there is immense depth to allow orders to play with freedom. If conditions and opportunity presents they have a batting line-up capable of large totals.Pressure on DevineNew Zealand need their captain to step up. Sophie Devine had a poor return against England with scores of 16, 6, 15, 2, 8 and 0 across six innings into the ODIs and T20Is. Kirsty Bond, a former New Zealand player and selector, recently suggested a change of captaincy was needed to revive both Devine’s and the team’s fortunes. “I know that my performances haven’t been up to scratch in the last series, but look, I more than back myself in terms of leading this team at this moment,” was Devine’s response. The prize of captaincy your country in a home World Cup is significant and it would seem unlikely there will be a change of leadership, but without doubt New Zealand need Devine’s runs.Getty ImagesThe pace packAustralia are excited about the pace-bowling resources they have coming through. Tayla Vlaeminck is back after a long injury while the uncapped Darcie Brown can bowl rapid outswingers. There is a sense Australia want to reshape their attack from the spin-dominated unit (which has been very successful) to one that has more speed on offer – a point of difference, as Rachael Haynes called it. Pushing the speedgun is one of the areas of significant development in the women’s game and, unsurprisingly, Australia want to make sure they are ahead of the rest.Who will help Amelia Kerr?It is easy to forget that Amelia Kerr is still only 20. She is both a senior figure in the New Zealand side and a key part of the future stretching many years ahead. It is no surprise that the two most recent victories they have managed – the third ODI against England and the third T20I against Australia in September – came with starring roles from her. But she needs others to develop around her. Oppositions are becoming smart at negotiating her overs with minimal damage (her excellence means they don’t always manage it) then cashing in elsewhere but it has been a positive move to elevate her in the batting order. The return of offspinner Leigh Kasperek (who missed the tour of Australia due to travel restrictions) has been a boost while Lea Tahuhu’s comeback will help the one-day side.Related

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Has Perry got her mojo back?What will the next phase of Ellyse Perry’s international career look like? She is one of the greatest players the game has seen and there is plenty of time to further enhance her standout numbers, but there is now more competition than ever. This will be her first international cricket in more than a year during which she has come back from a serious hamstring injury. In the WBBL her batting strike-rate was a talking point while she claimed just eight wickets with an economy rate of 8.25 and then in the WNCL, where she scored three consecutive fifties, she claimed just two wickets in six matches as she got used to some tweaks to her action. Will the two elements of her game come together on this tour?No. 22The first ODI next month will give Australia the chance to set a new record for consecutive wins after they equaled the mark of 21 of Ricky Ponting’s 2003 side. Many of the results in that run have not been close. The team talk of the record as not much more than a headline that others make, a result of them keeping a singular focus on their next match. But they do often recall the pain of the 2017 ODI World Cup when they lost in the semi-final to India. Since then, making amends for that has been high on the agenda. The results, so far, have been outstanding although it’s what happens next year that will decide whether it’s mission accomplished.