All posts by n8rngtd.top

Equity of pay across international and domestic cricket by 2030 necessary to address “historic underinvestment” in women’s game

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Jun-2023The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) has recommended the ECB oversees “a fundamental overhaul” to the pay structure of women’s cricket in England and Wales.As part of the 317-page report published on Tuesday, the ICEC highlighted the disparity in the amounts paid to male and female professionals as an area to address. Its recommendations include equal pay at domestic level by 2029 and international level by 2030, as well as an immediate equalisation of international match fees for men and women.The commission found that in 2021, “England Men received 13 times the amount paid to England Women”. While the report acknowledges this reflects the fact women play less Test cricket, “credible evidence” showed the average salary for England Women was 20.6% the average of their male equivalents for playing limited-overs cricket – although the ECB considers this figure closer to 30%.Related

• Top Men's Hundred salaries to rise by 60 percent in 2025

• England Women get match fees hike to be equal with England Men

• Does English cricket have the will to put its house in order?

• Heather Knight unsurprised by ICEC report after experiences of sexism

• ECB issues 'unreserved apology' as ICEC report reveals deep-rooted discrimination within English cricket

Further disparity was unearthed around international match fees. While women receive 25% or less of the men’s fees, only those in the playing XI are paid, as opposed to the full squad as it is with the men. Given injury payments are calculated as a portion of match fees, that inequality becomes compounded.Differences in bonuses were also stark, with the report finding England Women’s fixed bonus pot equates to around 8% of the men’s, whose win bonuses are structured through a matrix considering each match win and then its contribution to a series win. Another area for improvement is ensuring women receive the same benefits as men at international matches. These include overseas tour premiums, hospitality provisions such as tickets, hospitality boxes for family at weekends, and transport for families to and from matches.The commission felt England Women’s average salaries, commercial pay, fees, bonuses and captain’s allowances should be equal to England Men’s in white-ball by 2028. They also advised the ECB to top-up prize money for the women’s ODI and T20I World Cups to mirror the men until the ICC fixes that gap.”There should be overall equal pay at international level by 2030,” the report said. “By this, we mean average pay, because we recognise that there will be different levels of pay within the teams, with the top players (men or women) being paid the most.”The recommendations around domestic cricket include salaries and bonuses in the women’s Hundred to be equal by 2025 and fully professional women’s regional teams by 2025. This includes rookie contracts introduced by the start of the 2024 season and a minimum salary equal to those in effect for first-class county players (circa £27,500).”The women’s game remains the poor relation of its male counterpart in English and Welsh cricket,” the commission said. “Whilst we found good evidence of significant year-on-year improvement, we also found undeniable evidence of inequitable investment and unequal treatment for which we found no reasonable justification. Significant pay disparities persist.”We consider it a matter of both fairness and justice that this is remedied at speed. Women have the right to equal pay for equal work and should not be penalised for having fewer opportunities to play than their male counterparts. Importantly, if the commitment to make cricket in England and Wales equitable is serious, it requires the game to acknowledge and address the historic underinvestment and lack of fair (or indeed any) remuneration that women have faced for decades.”

West Zone’s fight ended once Priyank Panchal fell early on the final day and they stopped 75 short in low-scoring title clash

Shashank Kishore16-Jul-2023″I opened the curtains and looked up towards the skies first thing after I woke up.”Hanuma Vihari knew South Zone wouldn’t have it easy picking up the five remaining West Zone wickets to win the Duleep Trophy final on Sunday. They still had 116 runs to defend, but Priyank Panchal was unbeaten on 92 overnight, having played an innings of great defiance and skill on a Chinnaswamy track that was showing signs of wear and tear.As it turned out, Vihari’s prayers were answered as the day dawned overcast and grey in Bengaluru, allowing the seamers to come into the game immediately. Vidwath Kaverappa, fresh off a career-best 7 for 53 in the first innings that earned him applause and a pep talk from the national selectors, nicked off Panchal in the second over of the day with one that held its line.The big hurdle in South’s way was out of the way. From there on, it seemed as though victory was a foregone conclusion. West’s batting might was subsided with precision and well-laid bowling plans.R Sai Kishore, the left-arm spinner, picked up three of the five wickets to fall on the final day; each of them courtesy flight that lulled lower-order batters into playing the big shots. It was a ringing endorsement of how well the pacers bowled right through the game, because batters were looking for a release at the first available opportunity against spin.Unfortunately, they didn’t get it.R Sai Kishore picked up four wickets in the second innings after not getting much of a bowl in the first•PTI

Dharmendrasinh Jadeja was out miscuing a slog to mid-off, Chintan Gaja was out caught at midwicket as he attempted a heave, and Atit Sheth, the last man out, was done in by the dip as he swung for the hills. Sai Kishore walked away with 4 for 57 after having minimal bowling to do for large parts.Seamer V Koushik was the pick of the bowlers, though. His spell late on the fourth day, which accounted for the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Suryakumar Yadav in the space of three deliveries, made the difference in the game.Koushik, whose bowling action is bit of a throwback to Mohinder Amarnath’s – the saunter and an air of languidness before finishing with a whippy action – profited from accuracy and late movement that didn’t allow batters to switch off.At 30, he may be a late bloomer, but the performance was another reminder of the value he brings to Karnataka in domestic cricket, and the potential they have to develop a fine bowling unit with Kaverappa, who earned the Player-of-the-Match award, and Vijaykumar Vyshak.In all, the Karnataka pace trio picked up 16 of the 20 West wickets. Kaverappa’s seven-for set up the game in the first innings and Koushik’s blows tripped West in the second at a time when the game was delicately poised.Vyshak, who is riding a wave of confidence following a debut IPL stint earlier this year, also impressed with his improved pace and sustained short-ball tactic that felled Prithvi Shaw at a crucial juncture in the first innings after he had made 65. That South found themselves in the final was incidentally because of Vyshak’s telling spell in the semi-final against North Zone, where he picked up 5 for 76 to limit the lead, in a game that was decided by fine margins.Vidwath Kaverappa was named the Player of the Match for his seven-for in the first innings•PTI

West were comfortably the more accomplished batting line-up on paper, but South proved cricket was played on the field. Pujara, who fill be flying off to the UK to finish his county commitments with Sussex, managed scores of 28, 133, 9 and 15 in his four outings; Suryakumar, India’s T20I vice-captain, had disappointing returns, managing just one half-century in four knocks.Shaw, who has chosen to play in England instead of in the Deodhar Trophy, managed 26, 25, 65 and 7 in his four innings. It’s a sign of how far he’s dipped that Shaw doesn’t even find himself in the mix in India’s second-string squad for the Asian Games. An opportunity at the Duleep Trophy, in that sense, was wasted. Like Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan too didn’t help matters with lean returns; the 48 he made on Saturday his only innings of substance in the tournament.For someone like Washington Sundar, finding his feet after a series of injuries, playing two straight games injury free must have felt like a win. It’s a different matter that he didn’t have too many overs under his belt with the ball, but he batted solidly in the time he spent in the middle, making one wonder why he didn’t bat a lot higher than at No. 7.As Vihari lifted the trophy and South posed for the winning picture, they belted (We won’t break this friendship) – a chartbuster about friendship from the 1970s. It told you why the zonal format was heaps better than players being assigned to random teams such as Red, Green and Blue.”Players were going through the motions with that format. Here, it didn’t feel like we were coming from different states. There was intensity right through, it felt different,” Vihari said after the win.It certainly did.

Legspinner heads back to Chester-le-Street, ahead of permanent move to Kent in 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2023Matt Parkinson, the Lancashire and England legspinner, is returning to Durham on loan, prior to his permanent move to Kent in 2023.Parkinson will be available for Durham’s next fixture, against Sussex at Chester-le-Street, as the Division Two leaders look to secure their return to the Championship top flight.It will be Parkinson’s second stint with Durham this season, having claimed 11 wickets at 41.00 in five appearances earlier this summer, including a best of 3 for 59 against Gloucestershire in July.He also played one match for Lancashire in the opening round of the Championship in April, when he claimed 5 for 120 in the second innings against Surrey, his sixth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.To date, his solitary Test appearance came as a concussion substitute against New Zealand at Lord’s in June 2022. After replacing Jack Leach midway through the opening day of the game, Parkinson claimed his only Test wicket, that of Tim Southee, with his final ball of the match.He has also played in 11 white-ball matches for England, between 2019 and 2022, five ODIs and six T20Is.

The Bangladesh batter says he still has a “lot of discomfort” in his back, but is hoping the physios will overcome it soon

Mohammad Isam24-Sep-2023Bangladesh’s batting crisis continued as they succumbed to a 86-run defeat against New Zealand in the second ODI in Dhaka. But the return of Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah will be encouraging, as both looked sharp although they couldn’t kick on after getting starts. Mahmudullah top-scored with 49 before hitting Cole McConchi’s long hop to short fine-leg; Tamim had earlier gloved while trying a lap-sweep against Ish Sodhi after making 44.Mahmudullah was playing his first ODI since early March, when he was part of the squad for the three-match ODI series against England. The national selectors had initially said that they were resting him but it was clear for the next six months that they were moving on from Mahmudullah. But with the World Cup looming and Bangladesh’s batting proving to be inconsistent, the selectors had to give Mahmudullah another chance ahead of the major event in India.Related

• Sodhi: 'Worked really hard on my run-up to bowl a fraction quicker'

• Bangladesh recall Sodhi after run-out at non-striker's end

• Spotlight follows Sodhi as he spearheads NZ victory

Tamim meanwhile had missed most of the Afghanistan series in July, amid his retirement U-turn. He also missed the Asia Cup through a long-standing back injury. Tamim admitted that his return to action was a nervous one, especially with the bat, but once he timed a few shots, he felt better.”I was nervous today. I will be lying if I said it was just another game,” he said. “Whatever has happened in the last couple of months, I had nerves going out to bat. But after the first over, it came down. It was nice to hit the balls again. I think it was good to be out there but there’s certainly still a lot of discomfort in my back. The physios are trying to overcome it.”Mahmudullah also took a bit of time to settle down, but he was forceful through all the wickets that fell at the other end. Tamim said that Mahmudullah reacted well to the situation when he came out to bat when they were 70 for 4.”I thought he was excellent. I was in a small partnership with him. His intent looked really good. I didn’t feel he was out for six or seven months. He looked good. He fielded well.”Tamim felt that though Bangladesh could have kept New Zealand down to 200 or 210, the pitch was good enough to chase down the 255-run target, urging the team to take a serious look at their top-order collapses. Only once in the last seven innings have Bangladesh gone past 100 runs before losing four wickets.”This run chase was gettable on this wicket. I think we could have restricted them around 210-215. But this was a good wicket. I don’t think we got out to really good deliveries.”We have to look into (losing four wickets early) very seriously going into the World Cup. We can’t win a lot of games if we lose four or five wickets quickly. We lost early wickets but there were good patches today. But to win any game, you have to stop this (collapse). We have to look to minimise back-to-back wickets. The coach and captain aren’t the only ones in charge of this, the responsibility is among all of us.”

Australia offspinner says he wants to push for the 2027 Ashes and is also keen to make his BBL debut for Renegades before the Test summer

Alex Malcolm30-Oct-2023Nathan Lyon is poised to sign a deal to play a full County Championship season with Lancashire next year where he will team up with long-time rival Jimmy Anderson and has reiterated his desire to continue to play Test cricket until the 2027 Ashes series in England.Lyon is also aiming to play in the BBL for his new club Melbourne Renegades against his old side Sydney Sixers, who he said “basically sacked him”, ahead of his Test return against Pakistan in mid-December.Lyon, 35, made a successful return to Sheffield Shield cricket over the weekend in New South Wales’ loss to Victoria at the MCG. Lyon bowled 36 overs across two innings in the match and returned figures of 1 for 81 on a pitch that favoured the seam bowlers.Related

• Bell joins Renegades as an assistant coach for the BBL

• Impressive Rocchiccioli eager to learn from Lyon as he seeks to master a hard craft

• Lyon would be ready if ODI World Cup call came

• Melbourne Renegades secure Lyon for three years starting BBL 13

• Boland joins Durham for 2024

Australia’s greatest-ever Test offspinner had not played a first-class game since he tore his calf badly during the second Test of the Ashes series at Lord’s in late June. Australia have seven Tests this summer against Pakistan and West Indies at home and New Zealand away but do not have another series scheduled between mid-March 2024 and the following home summer where they will host India in a five-match series.It presents an opportunity for Australia’s Test specialists to play county cricket with Scott Boland already signed to play with Durham. Lyon confirmed he has a contract on the table from Lancashire, which was first reported by the UK’s , and he is likely to sign this week.”There’s an offer on the table,” Lyon said at a cricket clinic in Melbourne on Monday. “I really wanted to see how this week went. It all went really well. So that’s a conversation when I get home with my wife tomorrow night. [We’ll] have a chat about heading over there. It’s looking pretty good that I’ll head over to Lancs hopefully, we’ll dot all the i’s, cross all the t’s, get that signed and head over there to play with Jimmy Anderson which will be good.Nathan Lyon played four games for Worcestershire in 2017•Getty Images

“At this stage, it’s a full season [contract] but there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge. But my intentions are to go over, play county cricket and go there and keep learning.”Lyon was set to do a stint in county cricket earlier this year ahead of the World Test Championship final and the Ashes but opted to remain at home. He played four matches with Worcestershire in 2017.His serious calf injury was a huge blow to Australia in the Ashes and he has admitted it took him to some dark places personally when he watched the remainder of the series from home in Sydney. But the injury has strengthened his resolve to continue playing Test cricket with the next away tours of India and England in 2027 clear targets in his mind.”It’s probably extended [my career], to be honest with you,” Lyon said. “I’ve always said I wanted to win in India and England. Haven’t been able to do that. So, it looks like we’ve got to go again.”Lyon is keen to play as much cricket as he can between now and then. He is scheduled to play two more Shield games for New South Wales against Western Australia and Tasmania before the Test summer begins, both at the SCG, but he will rest from the trip to Hobart to play Tasmania in between.He is also keen to make his BBL debut for Renegades on December 8 against Sixers at the SCG, just a day before the Test players are due to head to Perth to prepare for the first home Test of the summer against Pakistan at Perth Stadium starting on December 14.”That’s my plan,” Lyon said. “I haven’t spoken to Cricket Australia or the Renegades yet but my plan is to be available for selection. I’m looking forward to joining the Renegades. I feel like we’re getting all the old boys back together with Sids [Peter Siddle], and Sos [Shaun Marsh] and Finchy [Aaron Finch] and myself.Nathan Lyon has joined Melbourne Renegades in BBL after previously playing at Sydney Sixers•Getty Images

“But having someone like Quinton de Kock, who I absolutely idolised playing against, I think he’s exceptional and you can see what he’s doing for South Africa. It’s pretty special. I’m looking forward to it.”Lyon has been watching the ODI World Cup but said he is following as a fan and is not waiting by the phone after volunteering his services to coach Andrew McDonald prior to the tournament when Ashton Agar was ruled out with injury.He took great delight in seeing England lose to India overnight.”Absolutely loved it,” Lyon said. “It’s international cricket. I respect them as people. I think they’re very nice people. But when it comes to cricket, what do you want me to say?”

His calls at the toss and in the field have raised some valid questions, and batting form has deserted him – can he still somehow coax a tune from a team that is yet to hit a single note this World Cup?

Matt Roller27-Oct-20233:15

Buttler: A ‘huge low point’ for England

Jos Buttler sat at a round table on the first floor of the Gujarat Cricket Association clubhouse, holding court with the travelling English press pack on the eve of the World Cup. He had just spent 40 minutes on stage at a captain’s event and was midway through a long afternoon of media duties before an evening training session.It was there, in Ahmedabad, that Buttler explained in some detail the thought behind a phrase that has come to haunt England’s World Cup campaign: “We’re not defending anything,” Buttler said. “It’s probably the word I don’t like: I want us to attack, so I don’t like the word ‘defending’.” It has aged like milk.Even with eight survivors from the squad that won the 2019 title, he was wary of describing the team as defending champions. “You’re can’t recreate something, or hold onto it forever,” Buttler said. “You’ve given that trophy back now. It’s done. It’s about trying to create something new.”Related

• Tumbling down: how everything went wrong with England's World Cup campaign

• 'Everyone's under scrutiny,' but Matthew Mott determined to 'restore some pride'

• Buttler: 'I've not been able to lead with my own performances'

• England's lurching between attack and defence leaves them in no man's land

• England all but resigned to World Cup exit – Mott

Three weeks and a day later, it was a very different Buttler sitting in the press conference room at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He looked almost hollow, trying to process how a team with so much ability and experience finds itself on the brink of elimination after a fourth heavy defeat in five group games.”To be sat here now with the three weeks that have been is a shock,” he said. “I’ll walk back into the dressing room after this and look at the players sat there, and think: ‘How have we found ourselves in this position with the talent and the skill that’s in the room?’ But it’s the position we’re in.”Buttler was insistent that complacency had not been a problem, referring back to Ahmedabad: “Something we spoke about a lot as a team [was that] you have to go and create it again… that’s why, at the very beginning of the tournament, I said we weren’t here to try and defend our title; [that] we’re here to start something new and try and win something.”Jos Buttler has not been able to do much to change the script with his own batting•ICC via Getty Images

They have fallen a long way short. Buttler’s captaincy has already come in for criticism, some of it fair. Selection has been muddled in their last two games and his decisions at the toss have aged poorly: to bowl first against Afghanistan in Delhi was a miscalculation; to do the same against South Africa in the Mumbai heat was a serious error.He has looked powerless to change the course of an innings in the field. New Zealand and Sri Lanka cruised to victory with unbroken partnerships of 273 and 137, while constant bowling changes during South Africa’s sixth-wicket stand of 151 in 77 balls felt like trying to stop a burst dam with a bucket. Even when they dragged things back against Afghanistan, they had raced to 79 for 0 after 10 overs before Buttler finally introduced his spinners on a slow pitch.Moeen Ali, his vice-captain, was left out against Bangladesh and remained on the bench for the next two games, leaving Buttler isolated in the field. He found little support from his senior players: against South Africa, he found himself racing to the top of his bowlers’ run-ups and back again, with no calming voice to help out at mid-on or mid-off.But Buttler has not become a poor leader overnight. Even the best captains would have struggled to get a tune out of England’s bowling attack in this World Cup: their seamers have leaked a tournament-high 6.86 runs per over and, Reece Topley apart, have lacked any consistency, rendering setting a field or sticking to a plan almost impossible.Only a year ago, he got a response from a similar group of players after defeat to Ireland left them on the brink of elimination at the T20 World Cup. Then, his message to his squad was simple: “Put your chests out and enjoy your talent. You’re all here playing for England in a World Cup. Showcase how good you are.”The main difference? In Australia, he led from the front with the bat. In the first of four must-wins, he made 73 off 47 against New Zealand, setting the game up from the top of the order; in the semi-final against India, he put on an unbroken 170 with Alex Hales, sealing a 10-wicket win with a mighty straight six.In India, by his own admission. Buttler has been “a long way short” of his best. He made 43 off 42 against New Zealand, with a brace of sixes, but has been a shadow of himself since. He has managed scores of 20, 9, 15 and 8 and a trend has emerged in his dismissals: three times out of five, he has been caught behind flashing at length balls on a sixth-stump line.All too often, he has walked in with England already in trouble: at 68 for 3 against both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, and at 38 for 4 against South Africa. He has attempted to launch counterattacks, but has not lasted long enough to change the tide. That Buttler has only batted at No. 4 three times since the 2019 final – a role which would enable him to set games up – is a damning reflection on England’s long-term planning.England flew to Lucknow on Friday lunchtime and will train on Saturday afternoon before playing India on Sunday. The next two weeks will be a gauge of England’s pride and their professionalism: in theory, things can only get better; in practice, they could get seriously ugly.These four games will be a test of Buttler’s leadership, and whether he can get a tune out of players who are yet to hit a single note. Whatever happens, Buttler will be the favourite to lead them into next year’s T20 World Cup – but what comes after that is anyone’s guess.

Anthony Albanese referenced the batters attempts to promote human rights

AAP01-Jan-2024Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has praised Usman Khawaja’s courage in fighting to show solidarity with victims of warfare during the Test series with Pakistan.Since the days before last month’s series opener, Khawaja has been lobbying to voice his support for those affected by ongoing conflict in the Middle East, first by writing “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” on his shoes.Related

• Cummins curious on ICC not allowing Khawaja's dove logo

• ICC denies Khawaja's latest attempt to raise Gaza crisis awareness

The International Cricket Council (ICC) barred Khawaja from displaying the phrases during the Perth Test on the grounds that international players are prohibited from wearing personal messages on their uniforms.The veteran opening batter eventually taped over the messages, but the ICC charged him for breaching clothing and equipment regulations with the black armband he wore instead.Khawaja did not wear the armband in the second Test at the MCG from Boxing Day and had hoped to display a dove holding an olive branch on his bat, but this too was banned by the ICC.Khawaja, who has received widespread support from current and former Test players, wrote the names of his daughters on his shoes in the MCG Test in place of the original messages.Mr Albanese made mention of Khawaja on Monday as he addressed the Australian and Pakistani teams at Kirribilli House during his annual New Year’s Day reception before the SCG Test.Usman Khawaja’s attempt to display a dove logo and an olive branch on his shoes was denied by the ICC•AFP/Getty Images

“I’d like to congratulate [Khawaja] for the courage he has shown standing up for human values,” Mr Albanese said. “He has shown courage, and the fact that the team has backed him in is a great thing.”This week’s Test match will be Khawaja’s last batting with opening partner David Warner, who is hanging up his baggy green at the conclusion of the match, which begins on Wednesday.”When Ussie and Dave go out, it will be a very special moment, when you walk on to the SCG,” Mr Albanese said.The pair of childhood friends have formed a formidable duo at the top of the order since Khawaja’s recall to the Test team during the home Ashes series two summers agoWarner became emotional speaking about Khawaja in his pre-match press conference on Monday.”Just to see him come back the way he has the last two years has been absolutely amazing,” Warner said. “I know his family are really, really proud of him. I’m really, really proud of him as a mate.”When you’re childhood friends dreaming big and you get to go out here at the SCG, it’s fitting.”

Left-arm pacer looks back at his 2023, which he says was a “mixed bag” and is also working on developing new skills

Ashish Pant16-Jan-20242:50

Arshdeep: ‘Working on a new ball for slower wickets’

It’s been a busy 12 months for Arshdeep Singh, the T20I bowler. Since January 2023, no other Indian bowler has played more T20Is than Arshdeep (23) or taken more wickets than him – 29 at an average of 24.00 with an economy of 9.07.He has, however, been inconsistent in his performances. He began 2023 by going for 37 runs in two overs in a T20I against Sri Lanka and ended the year by taking 2 for 13 in two overs in an ODI against South Africa.”It’s been a mixed bag, these last 12 months,” Arshdeep said ahead of the third and final T20I against Afghanistan in Bengaluru. “There have been good performances, some average ones. I’d say that I have learned a lot and that experience is helping my game get a lot better.Related

• Jaiswal and Dube go full-throttle as India seal series win

• Kohli buys into India's plan to bat with wild intensity

“I am quite grateful that I am getting this experience, I have been getting a lot of backing from the support staff, from the team. I just want to reduce the ups and downs and be more consistent with my performances and get better results for my team.”The last time Arshdeep was in Bengaluru for a T20I he wondered whether he “would be the culprit of the game”. As it turned out he was the hero, as he defended nine runs in the final over against Australia to help India clinch the five-match series 4-1.It was a dead rubber then, and it is a dead rubber now, as India face Afghanistan having taken a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. But for Arshdeep and India, the scoreline is secondary, with this being their last T20I before the World Cup in June.”Our mindset as a team isn’t what the series scoreline is, or what has happened in the previous match,” he said. “Our motive is to determine what the conditions will be like in the matches ahead of us and how quickly we can adapt to the pitch and get used to the grounds.”It’s not as if it’s a 2-0 score or the series is done, that’s not our aim. Our aim is to improve our game one-two percent after every game and develop new skills.”One of those skills is a new delivery he has been developing. “I have been working on a new ball, which will be beneficial on slower wickets,” Arshdeep said. “I tried that ball in the last match against the lefties, the ball that moves away after pitching like a leg-cutter. I want to develop more confidence and use that ball more in matches.”It’s been a middling series so far for Arshdeep. He went wicketless in the first T20I but took 3 for 32 in Indore.How is he planning to contain batters at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where boundaries are short and 200-plus scores the norm?”As a bowler, I feel we have nothing to lose here [at the Chinnaswamy],” Arshdeep said. “The batsmen are under pressure, they feel that they have to score more and more boundaries and that is where as a bowler you are in the game and can get wickets. You are always in the game where the wicket is flat and the boundaries are short. There are more options for getting a batsman’s wicket, so you are always on your toes.”Rashid Khan underwent a minor back surgery•Associated Press

Trott: Don’t want Rashid rushing back from his injury

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott said the team management will be careful to not rush Rashid Khan into action following his back surgery.Rashid has missed the BBL, SA20 and now the three-T20I series against India. He is traveling with the team but isn’t fully fit yet.”It is a case of us making sure that we are really careful with his back,” Trott said. “He is such an influential player, we have to make sure he is 100% ready and not rush him back from that type of surgery. It is important to give him the right time and he is working extremely hard and he is here with the team.”He is very passionate and dedicated to the Afghan national side. When he is ready, he will be the first one to get on the field. He has got a few more appointments and check-ups to make sure everything is okay. So there is no real time frame. I hope it is sooner rather than later. But there is no pressure and no rush.”