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Ijaz Butt will continue in his role as the PCB’s chairman until Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari decides on whether to extend his tenure

Umar Farooq08-Oct-2011Ijaz Butt will continue in his role as the PCB’s chairman until Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the Patron of the board, decides on whether to extend his tenure. The matter is under consideration at the moment, and till a decision is arrived at, the incumbent will continue in office.Butt, whose constitutional three-year tenure ended today, left for Dubai to attend the ICC’s executive board meeting, putting to an end speculation of an immediate removal. “The matter of the extension of his tenure is under consideration,” the president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar told ESPNcricinfo. “As per the normal practice in our governmental system, anyone whose tenure ends can carry on with [the president’s] consent.”So, while the case of his extension is being considered, he can work.”Butt took over from Nasim Ashraf on October 8, 2008 and, unlike several of his predecessors, completed his tenure – in the previous decade and a half Tauqir Zia, Shahryar Khan and Ashraf all had to step down before their tenure ran out.His tenure, though, has been plagued with controversies, including the armed attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore that resulted in Pakistan being denied the chance to co-host the 2011 World Cup, the spot-fixing scandal (and the problems with the ECB in its aftermath when Butt made controversial accusations against the England team), Zulqarnain Haider’s fleeing to the UK mid-way through a tour after receiving threats from bookies and, most recently, a much-publicised clash with Shahid Afridi.Pakistan’s on-field results in the same period though were commendable, the highlights being the team’s triumph in the World Twenty20 in England in 2009, the semi-final finish in the 2011 World Cup and a successful tour of New Zealand.

Zimbabwe’s proposed tour of New Zealand in the summer of 2012 will not be opposed by the New Zealand government

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2011Zimbabwe’s proposed tour of New Zealand in the summer of 2012 will not be opposed by the New Zealand government, the country’s Sports and Foreign minister has said. With New Zealand due to visit Zimbabwe in October this year – it would be their first tour of the African nation since 2005 – it is expected that Zimbabwe will tour New Zealand for a reciprocal series next year.Complicating the issue, however, is the New Zealand government’s travel sanction on sporting tours from Zimbabwe that was instituted to protest the political situation under president Robert Mugabe’s government. But Sports and Foreign minister Murray McCully told the on Saturday that a waiver would be given for the tour to go ahead despite the travel embargo.”New Zealand Cricket has advised us of their intention to travel to Zimbabwe which, I think, is in October,” McCully said. “They have asked us whether we have any concerns about that and, of course, made the point to us that the expectation will be that Zimbabwe is able to make a return visit.”The return visit runs smack into the travel sanctions that operate in relation to sporting tours from Zimbabwe. So I have taken some advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and what I’ve said to New Zealand Cricket is that we have no concerns about them touring Zimbabwe. We have therefore adopted the position that we are prepared to issue visas for the Zimbabwe team to come to New Zealand and to provide an exemption from the sanctions for that purpose.”That is all conditional, of course, on the situation in Zimbabwe not deteriorating in a significant way.”If the tour does go ahead, it would mark the first time Zimbabwe will play in New Zealand for 11 years. In 2005, the government refused to issue visas to the Zimbabwe team, resulting in the cancellation of that tour. That same year, New Zealand’s tour of Zimbabwe polarised opinion.New Zealand Cricket resumed bilateral ties with Zimbabwe last year when a New Zealand A team went on tour.”The situation [in Zimbabwe] is not fantastic, but there are aspects of stability there and our judgement is that we shouldn’t do anything to derail the planned sporting exchange,” McCully said.

With the slow pitches and key pace bowlers injured, the legspinner could have a big role in the knockouts

Daniel Brettig02-Mar-2020For most of this summer, Georgia Wareham could only have expected the most fringe-dwelling of T20 World Cup roles for Australia. After all, Ellyse Perry and Tayla Vlaeminck were set to blast opponents out with pace, Megan Schutt bewitching them with swing, and Jess Jonassen cleaning up whatever other resistance was left over.This script was largely followed in Australia’s tournament lead-up, as Wareham played only twice against India and England and then in one unofficial warm-up against South Africa before the tournament began. In a further dampener of expectations, the loss of Vlaeminck to a foot fracture saw Molly Strano vault into the team for the opener against India: unlike her key role in the Caribbean, Wareham was looking squarely at a lot of drinks running.

‘Best win of the tournament’ – Lanning

Meg Lanning called the four-run win over New Zealand in the must-win final group game Australia’s best win of the tournament. The loss to India earlier in the script had put Australia in a spot, and they rode on Beth Mooney’s 60 Georgia Wareham’s three-for to get to the semi-finals after a tight finish in Melbourne.
“Today’s performance was our best of the tournament so far,” Lanning said. “I don’t think we could be better placed for the semi-finals. It’s certainly nice to have a win against a really good team and I thought it was a really good performance. We started well and were able to calm the situation down early with Beth Mooney playing a really good hand.
“We were under the pump with the ball a little bit but I think we dealt with it extremely well to get over the line against a really good New Zealand team. Our first challenge for this tournament to get out of the group stage and to have done that now is certainly a nice feeling.”

Two things happened to change things drastically. First, Australia lost to India, and then nearly coughed up another defeat to Sri Lanka that would have meant instant elimination. Second, the pitches turned out to be far more suitable to Wareham’s art, rewarding spin bowlers who bowl stump to stump while varying their speed and degree of spin, while depriving batters of pace to work with or create angles through the field.If her first appearance against Bangladesh was not particularly memorable, Wareham produced her most incisive spell of the home season at the precise moment Australia needed it: even more so once Perry had limped out of the match and probably the Cup with a hamstring injury. At 20, Wareham has shown considerable evolution as a spin bowler even from the 2018 World Cup to now, and was too good for New Zealand’s key trio of Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Maddie Green as they contended with a steepling required run rate.Asked how she had summoned up this display with so little consistent cricket behind her, Wareham said she had recalled her important contributions to both the 2018 World Cup and last year’s West Indies tour, when she plucked four wickets while conceding just 46 runs from 11 overs in three T20Is.”It’s probably something I’ve looked back on and seen how I did things during that tournament and what worked for me,” Wareham said. “I think implementing those little things today helped out, and also I guess knowing that I can play that sort of role in the team because I did that in the last World Cup, it gives me a bit of confidence and it definitely helped out today.”Things started to turn for Wareham when she and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy correctly deduced that Bates was lbw to a skidder after trying a pull shot. “I was confident it was out, but Midge [Healy] had a pretty good say and that usually helps,” Wareham said.The captain Meg Lanning added: “We were talking about it maybe being too high. As soon as we felt that she hadn’t hit it, it was worth a gamble I guess and it paid off as well.”Devine’s exit, well stumped off a legbreak outside the off stump just as the game was starting to tighten, was the result of a more concerted plan. “It’s probably something that’s been in the works for a little bit,” Wareham said. “Just planning around if I see the batter coming at me just chucking one wide, it worked out for me today, which was good, but it’s been tough going and it was finally good to get one.”All this added up to the pivotal spell of the game, and perhaps also a blueprint for Australia to take forward into the semi-final and, if they get there, the final of the tournament they were widely expected to win. Lacking the pace of Vlaeminck and Perry, Lanning will likely need to call on Wareham, Jonassen and maybe even a third spin bowler – Sophie Molineux if fit, or someone like Amanda Wellington coming in from outside the squad – to deny opponents the chance to use pace onto the bat.”As the tournament goes on I think the wickets are played on a lot more and they become a bit slower and lower, and pace off the ball makes it more difficult for the batters to create it,” Lanning said. “So that seemed to work for us today, and I guess it just depends on where you’re playing – the SCG we’re not really sure what we’re going to get, there’s been no games on there so far, so we’ll have to look at that. But I think spin’s played a massive role across T20 cricket for a long time now and when you are under the pump as batters and you’ve got to force the issue a bit, it is more difficult to do it against the slower pace.Georgia Wareham celebrates after a successful review•Getty Images

“We’ve got 15 players here who can do a job and you need a squad to win a World Cup. You can’t rely on two players and the same XI each game, and we’re going to have to use the depth we have got, we’ve said we’ve got a lot of depth, I believe that, and we’re just going to have to use it. That’s just the reality of it, in elite sport you get injuries and things like that … I’ve got full confidence that any player who comes in can play a role and we’re just going to have to get through it and play maybe slightly differently, but that’s fine, we’ve got to adapt.”Having finished second best to Wareham to ensure her side’s elimination, Devine admitted that it had been a different feeling losing to an Australian side relying so much more on spin than speed. “I think it is, and I think as well the pitch conditions certainly haven’t been what we expected when we first came over to Australia,” she said. “As soon as we knew the World Cup was here, we thought we’d get nice, fast, bouncy wickets and probably haven’t had those, although today’s wicket was a lot better, had a bit more carry and bounce in it.”But spin has played a massive part throughout the tournament and it will continue to do so moving into the finals series. Certainly with Australia losing Tayla early in the competition, I know that was a massive blow fro them, but we also know their depth, spoken a lot about with the bat but certainly with the ball, the way Georgia Wareham stood up today was fantastic.”Megan Schutt as well – geez, I hate her sometimes! – but they’re world-class players and I think that’s the great thing about Australia, I don’t like blowing them up too much because they’ve got big enough heads already, but it doesn’t matter who on the day, someone always seems to step up for them.”From the moment they lost Vlaeminck, to the opening loss against India, the near-death experience against Sri Lanka and now the loss of Perry, Australia are becoming accustomed to doing things according to plans B and C. Wareham showed that, in her case at least, the back-ups are ready, willing, and most importantly able.

Hamid Hassan, the Afghanistan fast bowler, has welcomed the opportunity to play for the MCC against county champions Nottinghamshire in a four-day game in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2011Hamid Hassan, the Afghanistan fast bowler, has welcomed the opportunity to play for the MCC against county champions Nottinghamshire in a four-day game in Abu Dhabi. Hassan and offspinner Mohammad Nabi are the two Afghanistan players selected in the MCC squad.”It’s quite a big opportunity: for my country, for Mohammad Nabi and for me to play for the MCC,” Hassan told the . “They are a big name in cricket history, so we’re happy, very happy, to play this game for them against the county champions.”So this is quite a big opportunity for me, it can make my name but also my country’s name. There are other good players in Afghanistan, they can do it in the future as well, that is why we are very excited.”Afghanistan have enjoyed a rapid rise in world cricket over the past couple of years: they won the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers in Dubai in February last year and qualified for the World Twenty20 in the West Indies later that year. They beat Pakistan in the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November and won the silver medal after they lost to Bangladesh in the final. They also beat Scotland to secure the ICC Intercontinental Cup in December.”Sport is the only thing to bring the people together,” Hassan said. “We are all from different places and provinces, but all together we make a name for Afghanistan. It is our country, we have to play for the team, not for the province and not for the city. We are very keen and very happy to make a name.”The ICC’s decision to reduce the number of teams from 14 to 10 for the next 50-over World Cup has come under criticism from several quarters and Hassan said he was not in favour of it. “I think it’s not a good idea,” he said. “People will not take an interest. If you give a chance to these teams – Afghanistan, Ireland, Netherlands – if they play against the biggest teams then maybe they can improve. If Afghanistan had the chance, 10 ODIs against a big team, maybe they would win three or four.”However, Hamid hoped that Afghanistan would continue to impress at the international level, especially at the Twenty20 level, which he believed was a format suited to his team’s strengths. “Twenty20 is very funny cricket. No one knows what will happen, maybe you can beat any team in T20. Last year we played India and South Africa, it was a fun time and we learnt a lot from both teams.”The ultimate dream, however, is to one day play Test cricket. “Of course, we hope to play Test cricket. Three or four international stadiums are being built. We have good academies and turf wickets in Jalalabad, Kabul and Kandahar. Next year everything will be ready for cricket games.”

Stoinis and Hilton Cartwright added a BBL-record stand of 207 against Sydney Sixers

Alex Malcolm12-Jan-2020Marcus Stoinis set a new BBL record with a staggering 147 not out as the Melbourne Stars sent a statement to their rivals with a crushing win over the second-placed Sydney Sixers at the MCG.Stoinis smacked 13 fours and eight sixes in an extraordinary display, eclipsing D’Arcy Short’s previous record of 122. His 207-run stand with Hilton Cartwright was also the highest in BBL history overtaking the previous record of 172 held by Stars duo Luke Wright and Rob Quiney from 2012. He also faced 79 balls, the equal highest ever in a T20 game.Stoinis told Channel Seven after his innings: “That’s just the most fun you can ever have in the world.”Marcus Stoinis walks off after his breathtaking innings of 147•Getty Images

It meant the Stars’ in-form captain Glenn Maxwell faced just two balls for the innings as they posted the third highest total in BBL history. Hilton Cartwright played a critical hand making 59 from 40 in a supporting role that won high praise from his skipper for holding his nerve given Stoinis dominated the strike.Ben Dwarshuis broke an unwanted record for the Sixers, conceding 61 runs from his four overs, the most by any bowler in the BBL.The Sixers were never in the hunt in the chase despite scoring quicker than the Stars through the first 10 overs. Moises Henriques made a classy 41 but his departure in the 11th over snuffed out all hope. Clint Hinchliffe, who had never previously taken more than one wicket in a T20 match, finished with career-best figures of 3 for 20.A slow burnNeither Stoinis nor Cartwright exploded out of the blocks. Stoinis admitted after his innings that he was as nervous as he had ever been following a duck in his last game. They made 78 runs in the first 10 overs, absorbing 26 dot balls in the first 60 deliveries and struck just two sixes. Jackson Bird and Steve O’Keefe were particularly effective a really good batting surface, not allowing the batsmen to free their arms.No Maxwell, no worriesThere were concerns at halfway that Maxwell might be wasted sitting on the sidelines as Cartwright was 25 from 24 balls, but they had laid the perfect platform to target both Dwarshuis and Tom Curran in different ways. Stoinis sat deep in his crease and the Sixers failed to get their length full enough. Time and again he sat back and clubbed shorter length balls to and over the rope. Cartwright then punished the full balls, thumping them through the line down the ground. Stoinis reached his century off 60 balls in the 16th over but with four overs remaining the score was just 158. The last 24 balls were carnage as the Stars struck six fours and four sixes to all parts of the MCG. There were ramps, uppercuts, off drives, pull shots and an outrageous bottom-handed flick from Stoinis that cleared the long boundary at midwicket. Dwarshuis conceded 24 runs in the 19th over. Stoinis hit the last ball of the innings for six over square leg and the Sixers were fortunate it was not judged a no-ball for being a full toss above waist-high.The price of doing businessOnly once had a side ever chased more in the BBL, when the Hobart Hurricanes mowed down 223 against the Melbourne Renegades. That night the Hurricanes lost two wickets in the powerplay, including Short, in an attempt to stay with the required rate early. The Sixers went via the same route in the powerplay losing two wickets attempting to go all guns blazing. Josh Philippe skied one straight up in the air and Daniel Hughes holed out at deep square. James Vince also should have fallen but was dropped by Hinchliffe at deep square. They had two boundary-less overs in the powerplay, delivered by the wicket-takers Daniel Worrall and Haris Rauf. They managed to score 54 in the first six, which was higher than the Hurricanes’ 2 for 48 in that record chase, with both Vince and Henriques set.Scoreboard pressureHenriques was the biggest threat for the Stars. He thumped back-to-back boundaries in the seventh over and then a huge slog sweep for six off Sandeep Lamichhane over wide long-on. Vince rode his luck having been dropped twice, the second a sitter to Worrall at mid-on, but he didn’t survive the third chance he offered off Hinchliffe, picking out Maxwell. The Sixers were ahead of the Stars after 10 overs but the scoreboard pressure did for Henriques as he fell for a well-made 41. Maxwell was ruthless from there identifying Curran’s weakness against spin and he was stumped off Lamichhane. The Sixers never got close although Dwarshuis exacted some revenge with the bat smashing 42 not out from 17 balls.