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Jos Buttler, England’s limited-overs wicketkeeper, has suggested that T20 could kill off all other forms of cricket within the near future

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2018Jos Buttler, England’s limited-overs wicketkeeper, has suggested that T20 could kill off all other forms of cricket within the near future. Buttler said that while he still viewed Test cricket as “the pinnacle”, he could see a time – in “15 to 20 years” or sooner – in which T20 dominated.His comments are likely to fuel fears that 20-over cricket, which has only been played professionally for 15 years, will eventually eclipse the more traditional formats.”I feel cricket could become a one-format game in the future – whether that’s soon or in 15 to 20 years,” Buttler told . “Test cricket is still, for me, the pinnacle of cricket but T20 fills out stadiums and is easy to keep up with and follow. Everyone wants things faster these days and things evolve so maybe Twenty20 could have a monopoly on cricket.”We all love the history of Test cricket – you will never have situations thrown up in T20 that Test cricket can do to you and you will never be tested as a player as you would in Test cricket. It’s a complete test of everything and it would be sad [if it disappeared], but as a product T20 is going from strength to strength.”Buttler has played 18 Tests, the last of which was as a specialist batsman on the 2016-17 tour of India, but was not selected for the Ashes tour party with Ben Foakes preferred as Jonny Bairstow’s deputy in Australia.Instead, Buttler plied his trade as a T20 globe-trotter, appearing in the Bangladesh Premier League and then the Big Bash League. In April, he will return to India for a third season in the IPL and he conceded that he is likely to put T20 opportunities ahead of furthering his Test chances by playing more first-class cricket.The softening of England’s stance towards the IPL saw several players bought for hefty amounts during last month’s auction – Ben Stokes commanded a fee of £1.37m from Rajasthan Royals, who also signed Buttler for £480,000 – and the financial rewards on offer in T20 are unmatched in other forms of the game.”Hopefully the administrators can find a way of making the Test game more popular – it’s awesome and I’d love to be playing in it,” Buttler said ahead of England’s T20 against New Zealand in Wellington, when he is again set to captain the side in Eoin Morgan’s absence.”[Not making the Ashes squad] was a wake-up call that I have slipped down the ladder in red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket is obviously my strength. I thought if I’m serious about playing red-ball cricket I could give up the white-ball stuff for two years and spend winters playing red ball, but I feel like there are too many opportunities to go down that route.”

AB de Villiers has been appointed South Africa’s permanent Test captain following a two-match stand-in stint against England

Firdose Moonda29-Jan-2016The uncertainty surrounding AB de Villiers’ international future has ended after he was appointed South Africa’s permanent Test captain following a two-match stand-in stint against England.Cricket South Africa had been due to debate the decision over the winter period but moved the process forward after a board meeting in Johannesburg on Friday.South Africa do not play Tests for the next six months which means de Villiers’ first assignment will be the two-Test home series against New Zealand in August. Before that, he will lead the ODI side in a five-match series against England which starts on Wednesday, as well as play a part in South Africa’s World T20 campaign.

South Africa contracted players 2016-17

Two years: Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn

One year: Kyle Abbott, Temba Bavuma, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Imran Tahir

IN: Temba Bavuma, Farhaan Behardien, Rilee Rossouw

OUT: Ryan McLaren, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

None of that will lessen the workload de Villiers complained about at the start of the England series, when reports of his impending early retirement first emerged. At the time, during the Boxing Day Test, de Villiers confirmed he was looking for ways to lighten his load and CSA duly responded by handing the wicketkeeping duties to Quinton de Kock for the New Year’s Test in Cape Town.By the third match of the series at the Wanderers, however, de Villiers had been appointed stand-in skipper, in place of Hashim Amla, who resigned in the wake of his double-century at Newlands. In his first press conference as captain, de Villiers clarified his concerns about the international schedule.”For two or three years I’ve been searching for the right answers, to play a little bit less cricket in one way or another, to keep myself fresh and to keep enjoying the game,” he said. “Every now and then in the past few years I’ve found myself on the pitch not enjoying myself as much as I should be, and that raises concerns within myself. I’ve been searching for answers and speaking to people and obviously that’s leaked a bit.”By the end of the Wanderers match, de Villiers explained he was fully committed to the longest format. “I was never thinking of leaving Test cricket at all. I was just to find a way to rest a little bit throughout the year. Playing on the cricket pitch has never been an issue for me, it’s just a matter of keeping myself fresh. It’s really tough to stay on top of your game if you play up to 12 months a year. I just have to try and find a balance to keep my fight going and keep that skill level up,” he said.But it was only after the Centurion match – South Africa’s first Test win 12 months – that de Villiers hinted at taking on the captaincy in a long-term capacity. “I’m keen to move forward,” he said on television before telling the post-match press conference that he had “no decision to make,” about his future, because it lay with South Africa.Three days later, he was confirmed permanent Test captain. “This is an exciting time for South African cricket, and I am honoured to have been asked to captain the Test team into a new era,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed captaining in the last two Tests against England, and although I still have a lot to learn in this role, it’s a new challenge that I’m excited to take on.”De Villiers takes over a team that has lost the No.1 ranking after holding it for the majority of the last three-and-a-half years, and which considers itself in transition. CSA’s aggressive approach to transformation has made the biggest waves in that regard, although de Villiers admits he is beginning to see the benefits of those plans.He described the performances of Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada in the England series as “one of the highlights of my career”, and said that they, along with “Dane Piedt, Dean Elgar and others have created the opportunity to build a team that delights and unites our country as never before.”There is little doubt that, in the likes of Rabada and Bavuma, South Africa see the future. Rabada was nationally contracted last year while Bavuma earned his first deal this year. Farhaan Behardien, who plays in South Africa’s limited-overs squad, and Rilee Rossouw, who was named in the Test squad to play England and has been part of ODI plans, also got their first deals.Ryan McLaren and Lonwabo Tsotsobe lost their places on CSA’s 18-man contracted squad list while Vernon Philander was upgraded to a two-year contract after being on a one-year deal last year.

Kenyon Ziehl, a former first-class player, has been appointed Zimbabwe’s convener of selectors. He had led the panel earlier as well, from the end of 2007 to 2009

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2015Kenyon Ziehl has been appointed Zimbabwe’s convener of selectors. He will head a panel that includes national coach Dav Whatmore, assistant coach Douglas Hondo and captain Elton Chigumbura.Ziehl, 52, has played two first-class matches, one List A game, and was part of a Zimbabwe A team as well. Although he did not play international cricket, a ZC release said he did represent Zimbabwe in rugby. He has previous experience as a selector, having led the panel from 2007 to 2009. He has also had a good reputation as the CEO of the Rhinos franchise.”It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed once again as convener. I will carry on the good work my colleague Givemore [Makhoni] has been doing because it is vital that as the national selection panel, we do our best to ensure a positive team performance,” Ziehl said.His predecessor Givemore Makhoni has been named the new director for development and club cricket.

Before heading to South Africa with Australia A, David Warner spoke to the media about the problems of the last month, missing the Ashes and what the future holds

Daniel Brettig15-Jul-2013David Warner is beginning his climb back to the Australia Test team•Getty Images

“Yeah, it’s been tough, reading the stuff that you [Malcolm Conn, Daily Telegraph] have been writing about me, it’s been hard but the thing that happens – you make mistakes and you suffer the consequences. and you learn from those mistakes. I think I’m a bit more mature now. It’s about getting down to business and playing as good a cricket as I can and scoring runs for Australia.””As everyone we all had to prepare as if we were playing, and two days out you sort of know in your own mind if you’re going to play or not. And I felt I did everything that I could possibly do to prepare for that first Test and I probably had an inkling in the last training session that I wasn’t going to play just due to the fact you generally have that full amped session where everyone is ready to go. So we got notified the night before and I wasn’t playing and it was up to me to go back to my room and try and think about what I can do to get back into this team.””We’re all on the same time path anyway so I’m not going to lose much sleep. The ideal thing was that this Australia A tour was put on at this time for this very reason, so that we could go over there and play cricket if need be. I’m just happy I’m getting the opportunity to go there. You see some of these county wickets here, they’re nice and green and as you saw the wicket the other day, it was a bit dry. So if I was to play a country game here…but now I’ve got the opportunity to go and play for Australia A and get some runs on the board.””I’d like to think I’m definitely up there for a chance to be back. Hopefully we’re winning and all the guys are scoring runs and it’s going to be hard for me to get back in. I want that to happen and that’s how fickle this environment is. If you stuff up or you’re not scoring runs the next person is going to take that opportunity and as long as we’re winning I’m happy.””He is a guy who will call a spade a spade and will pull you up if you are out of line. The fortunate thing is that I have grown up playing grade cricket and State cricket and he has always pulled me into line when every I have been going a little bit wayward. Having him back here is like another father for me. It is exciting for me and exciting for the team.””That’s something I picked up from Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting. You would be up in the changeroom about to have a shower and you would look out there and go why are they still out there? You actually start learning that to help your team-mates you have to do those extra things, whether it is waiting half an hour after training to do your stuff. A lot of the guys do that. I’ve caught on that you have to give this 100% not go at 60 or 70% and be content with that.”

South Africa’s bowlers will have to make strident improvements ahead of the second Test against Australia in Adelaide, according to vice-captain AB de Villiers

Firdose Moonda in Adelaide18-Nov-2012South Africa’s bowlers will have to make strident improvements ahead of the second Test against Australia in Adelaide, according to vice-captain AB de Villiers. The visiting attack, talked about as the best in the world, managed just four wickets to Australia’s 14 on an unresponsive pitch in Brisbane and will be under close scrutiny in the second fixture.”The bowlers can get better and they know they can,” de Villiers said. “We had chances [at the Gabba] and we just didn’t take them. There were a lot of edges and 50-50 chances didn’t go our way.”He also admitted what the bowling coach Allan Donald had suggested during the match – that the usually clinical South African attack became complacent after they made early inroads. “When we had them 40 for 3 I thought there was an opportunity to run through them,” de Villiers said. “It is a bit of a worry, but you’re not always going to bowl out a team for 150 and 200. Sometimes you have to work hard for that.”While such a statement is hardly revolutionary, South Africa have become used to slicing through their opposition. Since playing Australia in November 2011, they have beaten Sri Lanka at home and New Zealand and England away. The current Australian batting line-up is arguably the best South Africa have faced over the last year.Against more stubborn batsmen though, a different approach is needed. In his column for ESPNcricinfo, Ian Chappell accused South Africa’s bowlers of lacking imagination and waiting for Australia to make mistakes. He argued it was a tactic that was unlikely to work against good sides, like the one led by Michael Clarke.Ed Cowan and Clarke put on a fourth-wicket stand of 259 runs before Michael Hussey and Clarke combined for 228 runs to give the attack their worst day at the office since Colombo 2006. Then, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene were in the midst of compiling their 624-run record partnership.It did not get that bad in Brisbane but South Africa conceded more than four runs to the over and spent the entire fourth day without any of the bowlers taking a wicket. The only one to fall, Cowan, came through a run-out and de Villiers suggested a hard lesson had been learnt.”They sent a message that we have to work really hard to take wickets,” de Villiers said. “This attack of ours has performed on flat decks before. These are just two really world-class batting line-ups, and the bowlers are going to have to work really hard on what seem to be flat decks to take wickets.”The most recent example of that was at The Oval in July. South Africa took 20 wickets while England managed only two on a similarly batsmen-friendly surface. De Villiers believes that ability to repeat that remains and even peeped out at times in Brisbane.”We beat the bat a hell of a lot on the evening of the third day and the morning of the fourth,” he said. “It looks pretty but it’s not effective. For a really good attack to beat the bat that much and not take wickets is disappointing. But what can you do – we’re talking about millimetres.”Glaringly absent from the wickets column was Vernon Philander, whose run of 61 wickets in 11 Tests had to reach its end at some point. Philander is wicket-less in Australia so far. He did not claim any in the tour match at the SCG or in the first Test but de Villiers hoped he may just be waiting to pounce when it matters.”He’s not a concern,” de Villiers said. “His record speaks for itself. The games he was won for us in the past have been the big games, and we’re looking forward to the big game in Adelaide.”Philander is not solely to blame, though. The make-up of the attack also contributed to South Africa’s downfall. They went into the match with an all-pace battery of four seamers and were hopeful that JP Duminy’s part-time offspin would provide rest for the quicks.When Duminy was injured after the first day’s play, South Africa found themselves without a holding bowler. De Villiers, coach Gary Kirsten and assistant coach Russell Domingo all said they favoured the inclusion of a frontline spinner in a Test XI and de Villiers indicated the team will return to that strategy.”I wouldn’t say we made a mistake [in Brisbane] because I honestly don’t think the spinners played a big part,” he said. “I thought we made the right decision to play Rory [Kleinveldt]. It will be different here. We know it takes a bit of turn. It’s more like the traditional Test wicket where it’s a good wicket for a few days, then it starts turning a bit and then probably gets a bit up and down. I’m not going to pick the team now, but I’d say we will definitely go with a spinner.”That will mean changing the XI immediately, something South African sides of old were reluctant to do. They reached No.1 through consistent selection but may need to make adjustments to their XI as they look to stay there. De Villiers said they are willing to be critical of themselves, especially when they have underperformed.”We weren’t that happy with our performance which is always a good sign,” he said. “We are the No.1 team in the world, and for the No.1 team to say they can improve is a really good thing.”

Excellent half centuries by Naumanullah and skipper Moin Khan guided
Karachi Whites to the National One-day Associations Cricket Tournament
title when they defeated Sheikhupura by 79 runs at the Qadhafi Stadium
on Sunday

Muhammad Yaqoob10-Dec-2011Excellent half centuries by Naumanullah and skipper Moin Khan guided
Karachi Whites to the National One-day Associations Cricket Tournament
title when they defeated Sheikhupura by 79 runs at the Qadhafi Stadium
on Sunday.Naumanullah shifted the gears at the right time to score a 96-ball 74
while a cameo innings of 67 from 63 balls by Moin propelled the
visitors to an imposing 278 for five from 50 overs.Sheikhupura never recovered from the double shock in the first eight
balls to finish at 199 – thanks to a face-saving 106 by Test reject
Qaisar Abbas.Moin, leading Karachi Whites in the absence of an injured Shadab
Kabir, received the trophy from the sponsors chief executive Mr Asad
and a cash prize of Rs75,000.Sheikhupura’s skipper Aqib Javed received the runners-up cash prize of
Rs40,000.Karachi Whites, electing to bat first, made a shaky start losing both
the openers, including key man Shahid Afridi and Zafar Jadoon, at the
total of 12.Naumanullah with Saeed bin Nasir, however, stabilised the innings when
they added 99 runs off 134 balls to lift the total to 111.The partnership ended when Saeed was bowled by leg-spinner Faisal Virk
after scoring 49. He hit four boundaries and faced 79 balls.Moin Khan, promoting himself to No 5, joined Naumanullah and featured
in three productive partnerships which helped his team reach a
challenging score.Moin and Nauman added 55 runs off 67 balls for the fourth wicket
before the latter was stumped by Kaleem Imran off leg-spinner Farrukh
Majeed for 74. Nauman’s innings was studded with seven boundaries.Moin Khan, then found another ally in Hasan Raza with whom he added 34
runs off 29 balls before Hasan departed, being stumped by Kaleem off
Farrukh Majeed, for 23.Moin and Arif Mahmood then held Sheikhupura bowlers by the scruff of
their necks with some exquisite hitting to plunder 76 runs off the
final 42 balls.Arif blasted five boundaries and a six in his undefeated 23-ball 43
while Moin played a typical innings during which he struck three
boundaries and two sixes.Sheikhupura were made to pay for packing their bowling attack with
spinners when none of them could contain the rampaging tourists.Chasing a big target, Sheikhupura innings revolved around Qaisar Abbas
who played a sensible knock at a time when wickets continued to fall
like nine-pins from the other end.It was such a shame that despite hitting a brilliant century, the
left-hander had to end up on the losing side.Qaisar slammed 10 fours off 134 balls. He reached his 50 off 71 balls
with five hits to the fence when completed his century by pulling
Adnan Malik to long-on for a boundary.The writing for Sheikhupura was on the wall after Imran Nazir
disappointed his team-mates to be bowled off the very first ball of
the innings by Tanvir Ahmad.Sheikhupura had hardly recovered from Imran’s demise when in the
following over, Mohammad Javed also perished. The dismissal of the
openers left Sheikhupura playing for pride than anything else.Moin not only marshalled his troops like a shrewd leader, continued to
inspire his boys in the field by holding three catches.But the real star of Karachi in the sweating afternoon was left-arm
spinner Adnan Malik who bowled to a teasing line and length to be
rewarded with three wickets for 48 runs.Pacemen Tanvir Ahmad and Imran Javed and off-spinner Tabish Nawab got
two wickets each for 23, 46 and 32 runs respectively.

Ashish Bagai’s memory isn’t as clear as it should be perhaps, though given
what happened when Canada last met Sri Lanka at a World Cup, he is not to
be blamed

Osman Samiuddin in Hambantota19-Feb-2011Ashish Bagai’s memory isn’t as clear as it should be perhaps, though given
what happened when Canada last met Sri Lanka at a World Cup, he is not to
be blamed. That game, in Paarl, South Africa in 2003, was over in just
over half a Twenty20 game: Canada’s 36 all out remains the lowest World
Cup total.A day ahead of – for want of a more appropriate word – their rematch at
Hambantota, he’s not too keen to remember the game. “I don’t have such
good memories of that. The one before that is still in my mind, but I
think I have forgotten the Sri Lanka game,” Canada’s captain said. The one
before was a loss to Kenya, so it is the one before he
remembers: the Austin Codrington-inspired 60-run win over Bangladesh.
“There are only two guys from that World Cup here, myself and John Davison
and we don’t talk about that game too much.”Canada have made some strides since then. There are central contracts in
place. They also have a clutch of Under-19 players in the side, homegrown
products and a “brand” of cricket they are keen to show off. It is bracing
talk. “We’ve got some very exciting youngsters coming through the Canadian
program for the first time. It’s important to show our brand of cricket
and home-grown cricketers, as opposed to the past where lots of guys from
India and Pakistan came in after playing in their domestic leagues and ‘A’
teams. We want to show what Canada has produced for the first time.”Prime among them is Nitish Kumar, all of 16 and with much hype around him.
No wonder his listed nickname is Tendulkar. From Bagai’s words, the hype
may not be unjustified. “He’s my favourite batsman to watch in the world.
I’ve never seen a talent like that and a lot of coaches in world cricket
say that about him. He’s so young but very exciting.”An eye will be kept on others, like the left-arm spinner Parth Desai or
Ruvindu Gunasekera, the left-handed top-order batsman who’s done well
domestically in Sri Lanka, the land of his birth. Something, over the
course of six matches, will surely come from Rizwan Cheema and the
godfather-grandfather John Davison.A little insider knowledge is also available. Canada’s head and assistant
coaches are Pubudu Dassanayake and Chandika Haturusingha, both former Sri
Lankan internationals. The latter only joined recently, but together, says
Bagai, the pair has been crucial. “Pubudu has been crucial for us,
especially in grooming youngsters to play at this level. Hatu is an
excellent man when it comes to technical ability. Both of them together
form a good group for us and both have very good knowledge of subcontinent
conditions. Most of our players are from subcontinent roots so they can
relate to them really well.”Talent, inside information, spirit and all these things will take you only
so far when you step out on to the field against co-hosts and favourites
in a World Cup. There is no reason to suspect Bagai – an impressive man –
doesn’t know that. But freedom from fear and pressure are great,
mood-changing stimulants. There is no pressure on Canada, none whatsoever
and Bagai knows that too.”In the warm-up game against England, there were nerves for the younger
guys because we’ve got five Under-19s players in the side,” he said. “We got
that out of the way. Now, tomorrow is about no pressure, nobody expects us
to win and we want to spin that positively and use it to our advantage.
Play freely, see young guys play their natural game and some
responsibility from the older guys.”Simple really, when put like that.

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.

It is understood that the material which caught fire consisted mainly of the thatched roofing at Castle Corner

Firdose Moonda21-Jun-2023On Tuesday night, a fire broke out at Harare Sports Club, which is currently hosting several ODI World Cup Qualifier matches, but swift response from the authorities ensured there was no damage done to the ground despite the close proximity of the blaze. An inspection by the ICC’s security team and Zimbabwe Cricket as well has cleared the venue for continued use in the tournament.Around six hours after Zimbabwe completed a six-wicket win over Netherlands, there were flames seen at the southern end of the ground. ESPNcricinfo understands that the material which caught fire consisted mainly of the thatched roofing at Castle Corner, the area usually occupied by the Zimbabwe Cricket Supporters Union. It is not known what caused the initial spark but on an open field with highly combustible material, the blaze grew quickly. One video showed flames reaching about as high as the trees outside the ground and coming very close to the stands.