An ECG test has “come out clear” and the doctors “suspect muscle spasms”, says SL team manager

Mohammad Isam and Andrew Fidel Fernando23-May-2022Kusal Mendis is still in a Dhaka hospital, after leaving the field holding his chest minutes before lunch on the first day of the second Test, but an ECG test has “come out clear”. The doctors “suspect muscle spasms” as the reason for his discomfort, Sri Lanka team manager Mahinda Halangoda said, adding that Mendis is “still under observation”.It was the 23rd over of the Test, with Bangladesh in their first innings, when Mendis appeared in discomfort and lay down on the field. He was immediately tended to by the Sri Lankan medical staff. He left the playing area holding his chest soon after.In the initial update, BCB doctor Manzur Hossain Chowdhury had said that Mendis had to be taken to the hospital for “proper diagnosis and better management”. According to Chowdhury, Mendis was suffering from dehydration leading into the match, which could be a reason behind his discomfort.It is unclear at this stage how long he will be in the hospital for, and on his participation in the Dhaka Test.Mendis scored a solid half-century in the first innings in the Chattogram Test, followed by a quick 48 in the second stint, helping Sri Lanka draw the game.The conditions in the first Test were extremely trying with the humidity getting to the players. Tamim Iqbal was forced to retire hurt due to severe cramps on day three, while on-field umpire Richard Kettleborough, too, had to leave the field during the fourth day because of the scorching heat. Players were often spotted having drinks breaks under giant umbrellas throughout the course of the Test.Sri Lanka also had to use a concussion substitute for fast bowler Vishwa Fernando after he was struck by a Shoriful Islam bouncer on the second day in Chattogram. Kasun Rajitha was his replacement. This is Sri Lanka’s last match on this Bangladesh tour.

Pair smash 95 from 50 balls to take Falcons to fifth straight victory, Saif Zaib’s 92 not enough for Northants

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2022Brilliant batting from Wayne Madsen and Shan Masood kept Derbyshire Falcons on course for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a six-wicket victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Derby.The pair smashed 95 from 50 balls to take the Falcons to a fifth straight victory for the first time in T20 cricket as they chased down a 187 target with six balls to spare.Masood scored 57 from 43 balls and Madsen a destructive 73 with 10 fours and two sixes from only 37 balls as the Falcons cruised home on 192 for 4.Saif Zaib scored a T20 career-best 92 from 58 balls to take the Steelbacks to 186 for 7 but it was not enough as the Falcons moved to within one point of North Group leaders Lancashire Lightning who they play on Friday.Zaib revived the Steelbacks after two of their key batters fell in the first four overs of the powerplay.Chris Lynn skied a swing at Sam Conners and Madsen held a steepling catch at cover before Hayden Kerr removed Josh Cobb.The Steelbacks skipper drove and pulled Conners for four consecutive fours but then lost his off stump making room to cut Kerr.That followed Ben Curran’s miscued clip at Mark Watts into the hands of mid on and at the end of six overs, the Steelbacks were 58 for 3.Rob Keogh was caught off a George Scrimshaw no-ball but after hitting the free hit to the boundary, top edged a pull to third man.Related

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Jimmy Neesham drove Conners over long off for the first six of the innings in the 10th over and Zaib added a second when he cut Scrimshaw over wide third man in the 12th.Zaib mixed improvisation with placement to reach 50 off 36 balls but the introduction of Matt McKiernanan in the 15th over removed the dangerous Neesham who was stumped charging the leg spinner.The Steelbacks plundered 22 from the 17th over when Zaib swept and drove McKiernan for two sixes but Scrimshaw and Watt conceded only 10 off the next two.Zaib pulled Kerr for his fourth six before he was run out but Lewis McManus drove the last ball for six to take his side to a competitive total.The Falcons lost Luis Reece in the first over when he chipped a return catch to Cobb but Kerr pulled Tom Taylor for six and repeated the shot against Ben Sanderson as 16 came from the last over of the powerplay.Kerr swung the first ball from Freddie Heidreich into the hands of deep midwicket but Masood took two boundaries from the wrist spinner’s next over to keep the Falcons on track.Madsen drove and pulled Neesham for two fours to leave the Falcons needing 97 off the last 10 overs and he reverse swept Graeme White for six as 14 came from the 11th over.The Steelbacks were struggling to contain the pair with Masood steering Sanderson to the third man boundary on his way to a 36 ball 50.Cobb returned but Madsen ramped him for two fours as the Falcons accelerated towards their target with 46 coming from three overs.A reverse-swept six took Madsen to a 24-ball 50 and although Masood holed out to long on, only 36 were needed off the last five overs.Madsen was caught behind off Neesham in the 19th over but the game was over as a contest and Leus du Plooy finished in style with a big six over deep midwicket.

India’s shortcomings with the ball in the first two matches makes visitors favourites despite uncertainty over de Kock’s availability

Firdose Moonda13-Jun-20224:03

Did India bat poorly or did South Africa bowl really well?

Big picture

South Africa could finish what they travelled to India for – to win the five-T20I series – in less than a week if they win the third game on Tuesday, with two matches left to play. Conversely, it’s put India in a situation where every match is a must-win. That makes the Visakhapatnam game the most interesting so far, as this is where the series could turn.For it to start to angle towards India, they will have to find a way to be more threatening, especially with the ball. Apart from one exceptional performance, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 4 for 13 in the second T20I, every bowler in India’s attack has been inconsistent at stages with South Africa appearing to have worked out a way to score off all of them. And they seem to have figured out how to do it under pressure.Related

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• Shreyas Iyer: Our plan is to attack 'even if we keep losing wickets'

• How Heinrich Klaasen tamed a tricky Cuttack pitch

Historically known for having a middle-order that crumbled when the heat was on, South Africa have found ways to win matches even when it looked like they were pinned down. They have racked up 13 victories in their last 14 T20Is, including all seven of the ones in which they have chased.Importantly, they have found runs from a variety of players and have not had to rely solely on the biggest name, Quinton de Kock, to post big scores. de Kock is in the squad but sustained what captain Temba Bavuma described as a “freak” hand injury two days before the second match and his availability for the rest of the series is unknown. That may give India one less thing to worry about but they will know they can’t take the South African side – superstars or not – lightly.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India LLWWW
South Africa WWWWW

In the spotlight

Rishabh Pant’s first foray into international captaincy is throwing up some interesting questions for him after a tough IPL. He has not scored a white-ball half-century since India’s series against West Indies in February and also has to deal with the additional challenges of managing the team’s strategy on the field. Depending on how he handles the rest of the series, with India facing three crucial matches, Pant may establish himself as third in the leadership pecking order, behind Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, or a case could be made for Hardik Pandya – who led Gujarat Titans to victory in the IPL – to step into the role.It was Rassie van der Dussen in the first match and Heinrich Klaasen in the second, so it’s only natural to wonder who will emerge as South Africa’s batting hero in the third. Reeza Hendricks has reason to impress: he has fallen behind the pecking order and will likely make way once de Kock returns. Temba Bavuma played a good anchoring role in Cuttack but his strike rate remains just above 120. Dwaine Pretorius could get another opportunity to show what he can do in a pinch-hitting No.3 role and David Miller, who has been a strong supporting actor so far and is in the form of his career, could make more headlines.3:41

Steyn: It looked like Klaasen batted on a different pitch

Team news

Deepak Hooda could displace Shreyas Iyer to bolster the batting stocks and provide India with an offspin option, which could prove handy against the South African left-handers (read: David Miller). Whatever they do, India have to find a way to keep South Africa’s middle-order quiet, which may force their hand to play one of Umran Malik or Arshdeep Singh in this crucial match. Avesh Khan could find himself on the sidelines if that happens.India: (possible) 1 Ishan Kishan, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Deepak Hooda/Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalAiden Markram remains unavailable as he completes his quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 on June 9 and if de Kock needs more time to recover from his wrist niggle, South Africa could go in with an unchanged batting line-up. de Kock underwent a scan on Monday, with results expected on match day when a decision on his inclusion will be made. The spinners have been under-utilised so far and one of them may be benched in favour of an extra quick.South Africa: (possible) 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 David Miller, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Dwaine Pretorius, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Lungi Ngidi/Keshav Maharaj, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

Pitch and conditions

There is a small sample size of only two T20Is at this venue to tell us what we can expect from the surface. Both were low-scoring encounters, won by the chasing team. In 2016, India bowled Sri Lanka out for 82 and chased it down inside 14 overs, and in 2019, India were restricted to 126 for 7 by Australia, who won by three wickets. Both spinners and seamers were successful here, which suggests another tricky batting track. There’s rain around on the eve of the match but only a 20% chance on match day, with temperatures in the 30s and high humidity expected again.2:38

Jaffer: ‘Chahal not transferring IPL impact into international matches’

Stats and trivia

• If South Africa win the third match, and therefore the series, it will extend their unbeaten run in white-ball series in India to 12 years. They have not lost a rubber since the ODIs in India in 2010, and have since won one ODI and one T20I series while drawing another T20I series.
• Shreyas Iyer has taken on South Africa’s spinners, against whom he has a strike rate of 220, but has struggled against pace in this series, against whom his strike rate falls to 76.19.
• Heinrich Klaasen has faced Yuzvendra Chahal in two T20Is. In 2018, he scored 41 off 12 deliveries and added 30 off 13 balls on Sunday.

Quotes

“That depth is something we’re always trying to build. A freak injury with Quinny (de Kock) and his hand, and Klaasen took that opportunity with both hands. He’s a big player for us in the middle of the innings. We know what he can do. We back him 100%. We have a lot of belief in him, and he showed again why he’s a part of this team.”

Nida Dar stands up with bat, ball and in the field to underpin her side’s victory

Valkerie Baynes19-Jul-2022An excellent combined Pakistan bowling effort through the middle overs stifled Ireland and sealed victory by 13 runs in their rain-hit T20I, which was reduced to 14 overs per side at Bready.Player of the Match Nida Dar set Pakistan up with a quick-fire 26 off 15 balls after Muneeba Ali had compiled a 24-ball 29 either side of an interruption after the rain that had delayed the start returned five overs in.Dar was also instrumental in containing Ireland after the hosts had enjoyed a promising four-over powerplay, as she, Tuba Hassan and Fatima Sana took one wicket apiece.Sana and Anam Amin were miserly over the last two overs which saw three run outs and an lbw in favour of Sana as Ireland’s task of chasing down the 23 runs still needed proved insurmountable.That came down largely to Hassan, Sana and Amin putting the clamp on Ireland through the middle overs after top-scorer Gaby Lewis and Rebecca Stokell reached 34 without loss after four overs.Hassan broke through when she bowled Stokell for 19 with one that skidded onto off stump. Lewis and Orla Prendergast managed just nine runs off the ensuing three overs before Dar had Prendergast caught by Iram Javed off a top edge behind point.Hassan and Amin combined to run out Laura Delaney, attempting a second after she had driven Amin to sweeper cover, Hassan firing the ball back into the bowler to great effect and Amin conceded just four runs off the over.Lewis had started brightly with 15 off just seven balls including back-to-back fours, pulled and swept off Amin in just the second over of Ireland’s reply. She dealt Kainat Imtiaz similar treatment through the off side in the seventh to reach 32 off 20 deliveries but from there the going got tougher.Lewis eventually fell for 47 off 41, run out in the final over, cutting Sana towards Dar, who collected and threw back to Sana at the batter’s end as Lewis came back for a second run.Two dot balls from Sana followed before she trapped Mary Waldron lbw and then Arlene Kelly was run out by yet another sharp throw in from Dar to the keeper.Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat, resuming on 34 for 1 after Ava Canning bowled Iram Javed on the first legitimate ball of the match, having sent down a leg-side wide to begin with.Delaney bowled Ali shortly after the restart with a full, straight delivery that pegged back off stump as Ali tried to swipe across the line to make it 43 for 2. Delaney struck again in her next over, bowling Bismah Maroof with one that skidded on and clattered into middle and off for 13.Dar and Ayesha Naseem put on 40 runs for the fourth wicket in the next four overs, Naseem striking Delaney for six over long off and Dar launching Jane Maguire over the midwicket fence.But Maguire accounted for both within moments of Dar’s m, bowling her with a slower ball before she had Naseem caught by Kelly at long on two balls later to finish with 2 for 14 from three overs.Ireland next face Australia on Thursday after their first match ended in a resounding nine-wicket win to the visitors.Delaney, the Ireland captain, said her side would “look to push the boundaries in the middle period” going forward.”Bitterly disappointing,” she said of the loss to Pakistan. “This is the challenge playing against some of the best sides in the world, you’re going to go out and you’re going to play good cricket and you’re still going to be beaten.”So we’ll go back, we’ll regroup again tomorrow with training. We play against Australia then on Thursday which we know again will be a really good contest but we’re just happy to be playing good cricket against competitive sides.”

Masakadza misses out due to a shoulder injury, while fast bowlers Muzarbani and Chatara are also unavailable

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2022Regis Chakabva, Zimbabwe’s wicketkeeper-batter, will continue to lead the side against India in the upcoming ODI series, with regular captain Craig Ervine still nursing a left hamstring injury.Zimbabwe, who announced their 17-member squad against India on Thursday, will also be without left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza, who is sidelined due to a shoulder tendon injury. Fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Tendai Chatara, who missed the T20I and ODI series against Bangladesh with a thigh muscle tear, and collarbone fracture, respectively, continue to remain unavailable.Chakabva, who made his Zimbabwe debut in 2008, led the side for the first time against Bangladesh in the recently-concluded ODI series, which Zimbabwe won 2-1. He also hit a match-winning 102 in the second ODI to help the hosts clinch the series. Senior allrounder Sikandar Raza, who captained the team in the third and final ODI against Bangladesh after Chakabva missed the game due to a hand sprain, was adjudged the Man of the Series for his 252 runs and five wickets.The three-match series against India is scheduled to begin on August 18 in Harare and is a part of the ODI World Cup Super League. Squad : Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva (capt), Tanaka Chivanga, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande (wk), Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, John Masara, Tony Munyonga, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar, Raza, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano

India captain confirms series finale will be veteran fast bowler’s international swansong

Valkerie Baynes21-Sep-2022India targeted victory over England in the second ODI so that they could give Jhulan Goswami a fitting send-off at Lord’s, captain Harmanpreet Kaur has said.Harmanpreet confirmed that Saturday’s third and final fixture of India’s tour will be Goswami’s last before she retires from international cricket after a career spanning two decades.Victory in Canterbury meant India took an unassailable 2-0 lead into the final match having clinched their first series win in the format against England in England since 1999. The margin of victory on Wednesday was emphatic – by 88 runs with 34 balls to spare – and built on Harmanpreet’s unbeaten 143 as she took her side to 333 for 5, their second-highest ODI total.Related

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“When you win the first game, the second game is always important and we always try to finish that game as a winning side and today also we were looking at that only because we don’t want to carry any extra pressure on ourselves going to Lord’s,” Harmanpreet said.”The Lord’s game is very special for us because it’s Jhulan’s retirement and we wanted to enjoy that game without any pressure and I’m really happy that we were able to win today and now we can just have fun in that game.”The next game will be the first time either side has played at Lord’s since their thrilling 2017 World Cup final showdown, which England won by nine runs, and Harmanpreet said India were keen to reverse the result for Goswami. But, more importantly, they wanted to enjoy the occasion.”It’s very important [to win] because that will be her last game,” Harmanpreet added. “It will be a very emotional moment for all of us and we definitely want to win that game.”Moreover, after winning the series now we just want to have fun because I know it’s the last game for her.”Goswami, 39, was named in India’s squad for the three ODIs in England after missing the preceding 50-over series in Sri Lanka in July. She had previously played for India during the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand in March, where she missed India’s final group game against South Africa with a side strain.All that set up a farewell tour of England on which she has so far taken one wicket from two games and where her presence, Harmanpreet said, had been invaluable as India look to build the experience of their younger seam bowlers.”She’s someone who has taught us a lot,” said Harmanpreet who made her ODI debut in the 2009 World Cup, when Goswami was captain. “When I debuted she was a leader and I learned a lot from her and now our young bowlers, like Renuka [Singh] and Meghna Singh, they are also learning from her. They are learning how she bowls and getting that rhythm from her. She’s been a great inspiration for all of us and we’ve learned a lot from her.”Goswami will leave the game as the highest wicket-taker in women’s internationals, with 353 wickets so far across formats. She began her international career as a 19-year old in January 2002, and has played 12 Tests, 68 T20Is and 203 ODIs. She holds the record for the most wickets in ODIs with a tally of 253.

Delhi replaced Hiten Dalal with Shokeen, with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka – among other teams – also using the tactical-substitute rule

Shashank Kishore11-Oct-2022Delhi’s Hrithik Shokeen became the first tactical substitute – known as “Impact Player” – in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that began across the country on Tuesday. Shokeen, an offspinner, was brought into the game at the start of the second innings, with Delhi defending 167 against Manipur in an Elite Group B fixture of the T20 competition.Shokeen replaced opener Hiten Dalal, who had earlier contributed 47 from 27 balls after Delhi were put into bat. Eventually, Shokeen had an impact with the ball, finishing with figures of 2 for 13 in three overs as Delhi opened their campaign with a 71-run win.Related

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Elsewhere, among other notable substitutions on the opening day, Tamil Nadu opener Hari Nishaanth replaced fast bowler T Natarajan in their game against Chhattisgarh, while Karnataka’s legspinning allrounder Shreyas Gopal came in for opener Devdutt Padikkal in their tournament opener against Maharashtra.The decision to play Nishaanth gave Tamil Nadu an extra batting option in their chase of 133 after it seemingly emerged that Natarajan, listed at No. 11 in the starting XI, was unlikely to have any further impact in the match. Nishaanth opened the batting and made 33 from 36 deliveries. However, defending champions Tamil Nadu ultimately fell short by six runs.In Mohali, Karnataka brought in Gopal in their defence of 215 after Padikkal became this season’s first centurion with a blistering 124 scored using only half the number of balls. Gopal ended up bowling three overs for figures of 1 for 15 as Karnataka won by 99 runs.The BCCI has trialled the impact-player concept at the SMA T20s to get feedback from players and coaches. Should it receive a positive nod, this rule could be introduced in IPL 2023.As per the rules, teams are supposed to list four substitutes along with the starting XI at the toss. One of these four players can then replace any member of the starting XI before the end of the 14th over of either innings, and will be able to bat and bowl his full allotment of overs.There are no restrictions on the role the incoming impact player can play. For example, the impact player can replace a batter who has already been dismissed, and still get to bat as long as the team only uses 11 batters; or he could replace a bowler who has already sent down a few overs and still get to bowl his full four-over quota.The only scenario where teams can’t use an impact player is when shortened games are reduced to below ten overs per side right from the start. However, if the match begins as a full 20-over match and is then truncated with the batting side having already faced ten overs when interruption happens, both sides will be able to use the impact player regardless.

Eighty-run victory keeps pressure on Nottinghamshire as Division Two climax looms

ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2022Having had Leicestershire on the ropes at 13 for four at Thursday’s close, Middlesex took rather longer than anticipated to finish the job, but duly completed an 80-run victory to set up an unexpectedly exciting finale to the Division Two campaign in the LV= Insurance County Championship, with still three contenders for the two promotion places.Toby Roland-Jones finished with four for 50 and seven wickets in the match as Leicestershire were bowled out for 194, Colin Ackermann mounting the most significant show of resistance, batting almost four hours for his 80.Tailenders Chris Wright and Michael Finan had some fun at the end, thrashing 61 runs in just over 11 overs for the final wicket.Nottinghamshire had looked to have the Division Two title in the bag after seven wins, but after their humbling defeat by Worcestershire at New Road earlier this week, Middlesex’s victory makes a substantial hole in their cushion at the top of the table.It means the leaders will begin the last round of fixtures on Monday with their advantage cut to just nine points, with Middlesex in second place, although themselves looking nervously over their shoulders at Glamorgan, whose win against Derbyshire in Cardiff puts them only nine points further back in third spot.Nottinghamshire’s final opponents are Durham at Trent Bridge, while Middlesex themselves travel to Worcester. Glamorgan take on Sussex at Hove.Leicestershire might have been in further disarray on the third evening had bad light not allowed them to return to the haven of the dressing room earlier than scheduled.They lasted just over half an hour on the final morning before losing their fifth wicket, Harry Swindells walking even before the umpire’s finger was raised after a swinging delivery from Roland-Jones hit him squarely in front.Tom Scriven, the former England Under-19s all-rounder, played nicely alongside Ackermann as the pair added 34 for the sixth wicket, but the introduction of Luke Hollman’s leg spin brought an immediate dividend, as it had twice previously in the match.Scriven was his victim this time, popping up a bat-pad catch to short leg as he sought to flick one away. When Barnes fell without scoring, beaten for pace when lbw to Ethan Bamber, Leicestershire were 70 for seven.Yet with the obdurate Callum Parkinson now at the other end, Middlesex were frustrated for more than an hour and a half before they could claim the eighth wicket, Leicestershire adding 65 runs in the process, with Ackermann surviving a chance to wicketkeeper John Simpson on 51.The breakthrough came via an unexpected route. Sam Robson succeeded where Hollman had been unable to make further inroads, the off-spinner deploying a leg break to have Ackermann leg before on the sweep.One wicket brought another as Parkinson fell in the next over, Tim Murtagh pushing one through to hit the front pad in line.Yet Middlesex were made to wait for a little longer before their celebrations could begin, Wright and Finan taking the opportunity to swing the bat under no pressure, the former finishing 36 not out after Finan holed out to deep midwicket off Robson to end the contest at 3.15pm.Leicestershire, deeply rooted at the bottom of the table, have one more chance – away to Derbyshire – to avoid another full season without a Championship win, a fate that befell them three times in the last decade.

The Pakistan legspinner will provide cover for Tanveer Sangha as he continues his recovery from a stress fracture

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2022Sydney Thunder have signed Pakistan legspinner Usman Qadir to bolster their bowling attack for the BBL.He will chiefly provide cover for Tanveer Sangha who has yet to play this season due a stress fracture of his back. Qadir is the fourth overseas player on Thunder’s list alongside Alex Hale, Rilee Rossouw and Fazalhaq Farooqi with a team able to field three in an XI.Farooqi, the Afghanistan quick bowler, was a recent signing after David Willey withdrew from his deal having been Thunder’s platinum signing in the overseas player draft earlier this year.Related

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• Guptill joins Renegades in BBL following release from NZ contract

Qadir, who has played 23 T20Is for Pakistan, has previous BBL experience having played for Perth Scorchers and three years ago had declared an ambition to play for Australia before pursuing his international career with Pakistan.His record for Scorchers was modest with six wickets in seven matches with an economy rate of 8.45. He was a reserve player for Pakistan at the recent T20 World Cup in Australia.”Usman joins us with plenty of experience, having represented Pakistan, and playing in T20 leagues around the world,” Andrew Gilchrist, the head of Sydney Thunder, said. “Importantly, he has firsthand knowledge of Australian conditions, he played for Western Australia and South Australia’s Futures League, so he knows what to expect.”Thunder begin their BBL campaign on the opening day of the tournament against Melbourne Stars in Canberra.Qadir’s father, Abdul, who died in 2019, was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.Sydney Thunder squad Ben Cutting, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Usman Qadir, Alex Ross, Rilee Rossouw, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner.

Teenage legspinner will become England’s youngest men’s debutant

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-Dec-2022Rehan Ahmed will become England men’s youngest Test debutant after being named in the XI for Karachi*. Ahmed comes in as one of two changes, alongside the returning Ben Foakes, as England look to complete a 3-0 series sweep.Ahmed, the 18-year-old legspinning allrounder, was added to the squad during the pre-tour camp in Abu Dhabi. He has not been directly involved in the first two Tests but has been a regular substitute fielder, in particular in the Rawalpindi Test when Liam Livingstone suffered a tour-ending knee injury.Ahmed came close to the XI for that first Test when left-arm spinner Jack Leach’s participation was thrown into doubt after he was struck down by a virus that infected half the squad. Leach pulled through and, along with the offspin of Joe Root and Will Jacks, has provided the slow-bowling options on two flat pitches.Livingstone’s injury, however, means that Ahmed is the only wristspinner in the squad. His work in the nets continued at Karachi’s National Stadium on Thursday, when he and the other alternates underwent a training session while those who played a part in the series-sealing 26-run win in Multan were given the day off to rest or play golf.Related

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• Harry Brook: 'If it's there to drive, drive, and if it's there to cut, cut it'

• Switch Hit podcast: No stopping the Baz bus

Stokes’ confirmed England’s team a day out from the final Test, with Ahmed and Foakes replacing Will Jacks and the rested James Anderson. Foakes’ return behind the stumps will allow Ollie Pope to focus on batting at No. 3.Speaking at the team hotel in Thursday, Stokes insisted that handing Ahmed his first cap would be a decision based on ability rather than an act of charity. His selection at the age in of 18 years and 126 days means he will surpass the long-standing record held by Brian Close (18 years and 149 days) as England’s youngest male Test player.”We’ve been thinking about it,” Stokes said. “We can’t go into too much detail until me and Baz [Brendon McCullum] have had a look at the wicket.”When we spoke about having Rehan into the squad, it was more than just bringing him in and integrating him into the squad. We did speak about us having no issues with selecting him if we felt it was the right option. I don’t think this is a case of, if he was to play, of giving caps away. We picked him in the squad not just because of his talent, but because we thought it would be a good opportunity to play if we thought it was necessary.”A maiden international cap ends a breakthrough year on a high for Ahmed. It began with 12 wickets during the Under-19 World Cup in February as England finished runners-up to India. A first-class debut in Division Two of the County Championship came in May, and he ended the summer with a maiden five-wicket haul and century against Derbyshire. In between whiles, he training alongside England’s white-ball squads during their series with India and South Africa, and played five matches for Southern Brave in the Hundred.Though Ahmed was not originally in the 15-man squad selected for this first series back in Pakistan since 2005, but his addition was not as last-minute as it seemed. The prospect had been floated in the initial selection meeting with two primary takeaways: the importance of insulating Ahmed from outside pressure, particularly from the media, and that head coach McCullum wanted to see and work with Ahmed first before taking him on tour.That opportunity came during the training camp, and McCullum was suitably impressed by both Ahmed’s ability and mentality. Though he did not enjoy the best time with the ball in the England versus England Lions warm-up match, conceding 73 in eight wicketless overs, he provided a snapshot of his pluck with the bat, striking 26 from 10 deliveries for the Lions.He has continued to make an impression over the last few weeks. And it was instructive that, when asked of what he has made of the youngster, Stokes admitted he isn’t sure which of Ahmed’s two suits is his strongest.Ahmed was an integral member of the England team that reached the Under-19 World Cup final this year•ICC via Getty

“I’m struggling to work out what he is, whether he’s a batter or a legspinner, which is I guess good, because it shows how much talent he’s got. We got snippets of what he can do with the bat in that warm-up game briefly.”But having a wrist-spinner is always exciting, especially for England, but it’s not getting too carried away with the potential that he has, because he is only young, and you’ve still got to nurture talent, even how exciting it is.”It is worth noting that Ahmed will be the first player from a minority background selected under Stokes’ captaincy. All nine XIs selected previously have been exclusively white.English cricket is currently enduring a period of introspection around race, with Azeem Rafiq saying the sport is in denial about racism during his DCMS committee hearing on Tuesday. The new year will see the delayed Cricket Discipline Commission hearing into allegations of racism against Rafiq’s former county, Yorkshire, along with recommendations to the ECB from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) to improve equality around race, gender and class.A lack of diversity around the England team is primarily a reflection of issues further down the chain. When asked about the issue, Stokes said he believed cricket was an inclusive sport but acknowledged Ahmed could inspire future generations.”Whenever I have been asked about this, I have always felt cricket is a very inclusive sport,” he said. “Certainly, in my time in the England team you have been selected on your skills as a cricketer first and foremost. That still should be the way going forward regardless of your beliefs or what you look like or anything like that. If you’re good enough to represent this country, you’re going to get picked.”Players especially like Rehan, he could be an unbelievable example to set to younger kids who want to come up. They may have maybe heard about what’s happened in cricket recently [but] he can be seen an example of ‘no, we’ve got this 18-year-old hopefully a potential superstar, why can’t I be that?’ But English cricket to me has always been if you’re good enough, you’re going to get selected and I don’t see it being any different going forward.”*December 16, 08.15 GMT – This story was updated with confirmation of Ahmed’s debut