England's Lionesses are set to face the Netherlands in a Nations League clash which will see Beth Mead come up against partner Vivianne Miedema.
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A radical overhaul of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is set to be presented before the PCB’s governing board despite some resistance to the changes
Umar Farooq27-Jul-2017A radical overhaul of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, is set to be presented before the PCB’s governing board on Friday. Though there has been some resistance to the changes, ESPNcricinfo understands that the resolution is likely to win the seven votes that are required for its approval.If approved, it will mean that regional sides in the tournament – such as Karachi or Faisalabad – will be picked via a draft selection, as happens in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has since also happened in the country’s premier 50-over tournament. News of the change was first revealed by ESPNcricinfo, but more details of the plan have emerged since then. Twelve players from each regional squad will now be allocated through a draft process, and the other eight selected in traditional fashion.A pool of over 140 players for the draft was initially thought to be made up only of players who are part of departmental teams in Grade 2, the level below first-class. But the PCB has since clarified that Grade 2 players from regional teams will also be shortlisted by the national selectors. The inclusion of more regional players in the pool is a key factor in appeasing critics who argue that regional teams will become further emaciated by the change.The rationale behind the plan, officials have said, is to make the tournament more competitive by populating each region with more experienced players. They also say that it aims to end a culture of nepotism hitherto rife in the selection of regional sides. However, the idea still hasn’t convinced two regional representatives of the PCB, Karachi and Rawalpindi. They worry that a draft selection process will obstruct a significant number of players coming through senior inter-district cricket in open trials.”Keeping in view the existing format, which includes eight departmental and eight regional teams in the first-class set-up, we have proposed meritocracy in selection through a player selection process since there were complaints that the regional teams were weak and hardly competed with the stronger departmental sides,” Haroon Rasheed, PCB’s director of cricket affairs, wrote in a blog on the PCB’s official website. Rasheed is one of the driving forces behind the change and the blog is the first time he – or any PCB official – has publicly explained the change.”Grade two players who are playing for departments or regions can be shortlisted by national selectors, and each region’s own selection committee can choose 12 players from the pool announced by selectors, while eight players belonging to the region can be chosen based on the performances in the inter-district tournaments.”Ijaz Faruki, the head of Karachi region, has written a letter questioning the process. Former players such as Javed Miandad and Mohsin Khan have also opposed the process, raising concerns about what this might do to regional associations.”With the draft coming in place, the production of the fresh players coming in the system will be lost with the passage of time,” said one regional head, who is likely to argue against it in the board meeting in Lahore tomorrow. “We have inter-district below grade cricket, and there is a huge number of players stepping up to play first-class cricket every year.”Yes, at an early stage, players are rookies in first-class cricket, but that is what it is all about. Nobody is born a Tendulkar or Younis Khan; they have to get in the system first to be developed, and domestic cricket is a platform where players get experience with time.”Peshawar and Islamabad regions are among those who support the plan, having been part of a working group that created the plan. The four departments, who are neither involved in the debate nor consulted, are not likely to argue against the proposed new system.The PCB has simultaneously also decided to revive a central contract mechanism for regional players. In 2011, the PCB had awarded six-month contracts for all 20-man regional squads. But with a change in administration, the concept was shelved, with regional players getting only match fees and the facility of lodging and boarding during tournaments.But the board will now hand 20 regional players a one-year contract, a stability many of them will not have seen before. “This will enable the PCB to work closely with them, monitor their progress, while the coaching staff can also work on improving their game and fitness throughout the year,” Rasheed wrote. “This example is followed by leading teams, as well as our own departmental sides. This way, we can produce a strong second string that can replace the national players in a state of readiness.”From now on, we have proposed induction of Under-19 players in the first-class system, which wasn’t the case until last domestic season. We want to concentrate on the development of young players and we might even set a quota for under-19 players in each team to ensure that the youngsters rub shoulders with the experienced lot which will help in developing their game.”
The Australians, like boxers bored of one-round knockouts, always claim to like a fight and now they have one
Charlie Austin10-Feb-2006
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Australians, like boxers bored of one-round knockouts, always claim to like a fight and now they have one. Fears that Sri Lanka were just making up the numbers in the VB Series finals, providing fodder for a greedy top order and target practice for Brett Lee’s thunderbolts, were cast aside by an electric allround display built upon intelligent batting, disciplined bowling and scintillating fielding. Sri Lanka’s dressing room has experienced a whole gamut of emotions during recent months, but they now leave for Sydney, their favourite ground in Australia, with their confidence sky-high and a chance for their first-ever tri-series triumph on Australian soil.Sri Lanka knew they had an opportunity at Adelaide on dry pitch that was likely to offer assistance to the spinners, but they also had accepted that victory over the world champions necessitated the ‘perfect game’. As one senior player remarked on the eve of the game: “You might beat South Africa at 90% but winning against this Australia team requires everyone to be firing at their very best”. Sri Lanka managed just that: the top order intelligently laid the foundations, quickly assessing the 250-mark as a target; the lower middle order, a weakpoint thus far in the tournament, provided some late-innings fireworks; the new ball bowlers keep a lid on during the Powerplays; the fielders, especially Tillakaratne Dilshan, were brilliant; and the spin twins, Muttiah Muralitharan and Malinga Bandara, finished it all off with 4 for 91 in 20 skillful overs. This was the finest Sri Lankan performance in a long time.The Man of the Match was Kumar Sangakkara, his 83 testimony not only to his obvious and now well-acknowledged talent, but to his street-smart cricketing brain. As an entertainer and competitor his natural inclination is to dominate, to assert primordial control and make the opposition know it. But today he nudged and nurdled and ticked the innings along, soaking up pressure and shouldering responsibility. He quickly realised and accepted that trying to break free by peppering the boundary hoardings would be too high-risk a strategy against an Australian bowling outfit that actually did little wrong. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves for some honest blue-collar hardwork.The batting revelation, though, was Chamara Kapugedera, an 18-year-old with only a handful of first-class games under his belt. He might have been starring in the Under-19 World Cup back in Colombo but to the credit of Sri Lanka’s selectors, and the team management that picked him today, they threw him in at the deep end. Once again, he appeared unfazed and utterly at home. Any teenager who can saunter down the pitch and loft Andrew Symonds, the grizzly dreadlocked epitome of Aussie bravado, straight for six has got spunk. As Richie Benaud observed dryly with his usual perfect timing: “Hmmm…there is no fear there”. And nothing could be more precious than fearlessness for an aspiring international cricketer; it’s what sets cricketers apart. Fortunately, he has skill too, as his crucial 38 from 21 balls showed.Kapugedera’s fireworks in the final five overs of the innings, helped by Dilshan’s hustling, lifted Sri Lanka from a moderate, possibly par, total to a commanding one. Suddenly, Australia, who would have felt in control up until the 45th over, realised it was game on.The next crucial match-turning phase of the game was the Dilshan Show, a remarkable quadruple of run outs that ripped out the rump of Australia’s top order. Australia’s running between the wickets, normally so exemplary, deteriorated into a shambles of miscommunication and mistrust. Dilshan pounced on each mistake, keeping his head to run-out Ricky Ponting by pitch-length, throwing down the stumps in one lithe swing to send back Damien Martyn, diving and throwing with pinpoint accuracy to remove Simon Katich and then underarming Mike Hussey out after a dazed call for a quick single by Michael Clarke.Sri Lanka’s fielding was lousy in India but clearly the hardwork of the team under the guidance of Trevor Penney, the assistant coach, is starting to bear fruit. His appointment was not greeted with universal glee in Sri Lanka because some pundits felt local contenders were considered more worthy. But if Sri Lanka’s fielding can continue to improve such critics, although rightly concerned about the development of local coaches, will be silenced. For that matter, the Tom Moody-bashers back home who resent his high salary and cannot see the much-improved preparation and planning behind the scenes, may now be pausing for thought.Sri Lanka, of course, are still far from the finishing line. Australia, despite their blunder-ridden run chase, finished only 21 runs adrift. They will surely come back stronger and raise their game in Sydney. But they will also be wary. Sri Lanka are a confidence-driven side. They lost their Mojo in India and New Zealand but they have reclaimed it emphatically. They now have the self-belief again to take on the best. They will not be scared of Sydney’s spin-friendly conditions and they also have a wonderful incentive to win 2-0 because, courtesy of the board’s planners, who clearly didn’t rate Sri Lanka’s chances very highly, this will give them a luxurious three-day break. A three-match final on the other hand leaves the team with only a handful of hours in Colombo next week to re-pack their bags before leaving for Bangladesh.
The ICC Americas staff begins a series of town hall forum meetings around the USA with an aim to create a governance structure under a new constitution
Peter Della Penna12-Sep-20173:18
‘Our success will be measured by new federation’ – Eric Parthen
The governance process to rebuild USA cricket in the wake of the USA Cricket Association’s expulsion in June takes another step forward this week as ICC Americas staff begins a series of town hall forum meetings around the country. The overarching aim is to create a governance structure under a new constitution to achieve the ICC’s repeatedly stated goal of “unifying the cricket community” according to the ICC’s USA project manager Eric Parthen.”Leading into the expulsion, obviously we continued to try and work with USACA and get them to reform with the new constitution,” Parthen told ESPNcricinfo in a recent interview ahead of the first town hall meetings to take place this week in New York City and Washington, DC. “That didn’t happen. So at the ICC annual conference we had a unanimous board decision and a unanimous full council decision to expel USACA. In the wake of that, we’ve done exactly what we said we were going to do and continue to focus on developing a national governing body that can unify the cricket community.”We will ultimately use the constitution that was created by the sustainable foundation group, potentially make a few tweaks to incorporate in the state of Colorado instead of the state of New York, but by all intents and purposes it will be the same document that was created by the cricket community and was proposed to USACA. We’ll use that document to ultimately elect a new board of directors that will then assume authority and hopefully by June of 2018 be before the ICC as a national governing body or federation for the United States in the sport of cricket.”Parthen says that despite USACA’s unwillingness to adopt the revised constitution put forward to them by the ICC’s Sustainable Foundation Advisory Group, the final straw preceding USACA’s expulsion as an ICC Associate Member, he is making it clear that current or former members of USACA are more than welcome to throw their hat in the ring to be a part of the new federation. That includes longtime USACA president Gladstone Dainty, a controversial figure whom many current and past administrators blame for the stymying the growth of cricket in the country.”This has never been about one individual,” Parthen said when asked about whether Dainty and other USACA executives would be welcome to run for office given the contentious nature of USACA’s expulsion. “This process has been about unifying the community. So whether it is Gladstone or somebody else from ACF, we’re going to put trust in a unified body to make good decisions for the directors that will ultimately be elected.”When we look at the board makeup, there’s going to be two athletes elected both male and female that will serve as a check and balance, there will be three independent directors that will serve as a check and balance. There will be some individuals elected by clubs and leagues and then there will be individual elected seats by the full membership. So we believe there’s enough checks and balances there to get the right people elected. If anyone is elected, I’d hope that they went through a great process that showed they have the majority of people interested in seeing them lead this organisation.”One of the main areas of focus for Parthen’s office in Colorado Springs is establishing a database to collect information about the wider cricket community. The purpose is to establish better communication channels but also to make sure as many constituents as possible are identified and registered to be able to take part in elections which are anticipated to be held in early 2018.”We want to set up a governing body that’s a governing body for all forms of the sport: softball cricket, hardball cricket, disabled cricket, all forms of cricket we think the national federation should ultimately govern,” Parthen said. “That’s why we’re focused on creating a database that can manage all of those pieces and ultimately communicate with all of those pieces.”Clubs, coaches, athletes, umpires, administrators, fans, we want them all to be a part of this new national federation, have a voice in the new national federation and ultimately be a part of it. So that database needs to be able to support all aspects of it. Once the database is created, we’ll shoot to have membership open in November of 2017 and ultimately elections starting in January 2018 with hopefully a finishing point of April 2018 where we have a new board of directors and a new national federation to govern the sport of cricket in the United States.”One of the ironic aspects of USACA’s suspension and expulsion has been that instead of having their ICC funding stopped – as was the case in previous suspensions and what occurs when most countries are suspended – their ICC funding mushroomed. USACA had been getting approximately $300,000 annually from the ICC prior to suspension but the caretaker administration in the USA has been operating on an annual budget between $2 and $2.5 million, equivalent to Ireland and Afghanistan before their elevation to Full Membership.When the new national governing body is put in place, the funding assistance from the ICC is expected to revert to pre-suspension levels. However, Parthen is optimistic that the new governing body will be able to maintain if not exceed those funding levels independent of help from the ICC.”The $2-2.5 million, we think that’s a drop in the bucket compared to what this country potentially could produce,” Parthen said. “The ICC hasn’t commercialised any aspect of this sport. A typical national federation in any other sport – USA Swimming, USA Basketball, Cricket Australia, you name it – are commercialising parts of the game and we have not done that.”We are very bullish and we hope the new national federation will be very bullish on the opportunities that exist for growing the amount of revenue that we can ultimately support cricket in the United States with. We hope that far dwarfs the $2-2.5 million that the ICC has supported this country with and I’d argue that in the time that I’ve been here, I certainly see those potential opportunities and I’d be disappointed if we only function on a $2.5 million budget in this sport moving forward.”Parthen was also in Florida during CPL weekend last month where staff and volunteers surveyed fans in person and online to seek out opinions on designing a logo for the new national federation. A new logo is something he feels is an important symbolic step in rehabilitating the image of USA cricket as they chart a new path with the formation of a fresh national governing body.”Specifically with the logo, we want it to represent the United States,” Parthen said. “This is a United States federation. So the imagery will be red, white and blue, USA, speak to cricket, hopefully speak to our identity as a sport with over 300 years of history in the United States but also do so in a way that is more progressive, more forward-thinking, looking forward, more exciting, a new future and a new era for cricket.”One thing that came out in our surveys is that we need to be thoughtful of both our past and our present. We’re very optimistic and bullish on what the future of USA cricket can be but we also need to keep in mind what our past is and the history that we have in the United States.”
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has shaken off the mockery about his hairline as the Egyptian sensation sported a brand new haircut.
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Jamie Carragher has admitted that he thought that Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool exit announcement was a hoax when he first saw it.
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Mumbai captain Aditya Tare wants to build on the team’s success; Naman Ojha thinks he has the personnel to challenge the 41-time Ranji champs
The Preview by Arun Venugopal05-Mar-2016If the nature of the competition in the Irani Cup over the last two editions were to be assessed, it wouldn’t reflect too well on the Rest of India sides. Karnataka swamped them by an innings and 222 runs in 2013-14 and followed it up with a 246-run thrashing last season.It is hard to argue against the logic of Ranji Trophy champions being successful; they are, after all, well-drilled units playing together for a considerable length of time and familiar with the winning habit. The Rest of India team, in contrast, is only an assembly of the best players that season, who have very little time to gel as a unit.However, a larger sample size over a longer period does not conform to such ‘logic’.Consider this: Karnataka’s victories have been the only instances of Ranji Trophy champions winning the Irani Cup in the last ten seasons. Mumbai have 15 Irani Cup titles, including one that was shared in 1965-66, but haven’t won in their last seven attempts. The last time they won the Irani Cup was in 1997-98. It is this anomaly that Mumbai, clearly big on history and legacy, is seeking to rectify.”I think our great history inspires us. It’s not easy for any team to win 41 championships,” Aditya Tare, the Mumbai captain, told ESPNcricinfo on the eve of the match. “If you see the 50s, 60s and 70s, that’s the time Mumbai dominated for three-four decades. Obviously the biggest attribute of Mumbai cricket is that hunger to win every season. The teams in the past have done that and we have to learn from that and take that legacy forward.”It will be great if we win because it’s been a long time since Mumbai have won the Irani Trophy, so it’s a big motivation to do something special, do a double in the first-class tournaments. It’s going to be a big challenge for us and I think the boys are pumped up. It is a great opportunity for us to showcase our talent against a tough opposition.”Tare said his team drew inspiration as much from Mumbai’s proud past as its own achievements in recent times. This synergy, he felt, gave Mumbai an advantage over other sides. “The style of cricket we play, the grit and determination, we have been groomed with that since childhood,” he said. “Even in the [under-]16s and under-19s we have coaches who talk about what teams in the past have achieved.”Having said that, it’s a young team and it’s important we keep motivating ourselves at every level we reach and keep that hunger going strong. In Mumbai everyone is on the same page, everyone wants to win games and everyone wants to keep that tradition going. That’s the difference. It makes us stand out from the other teams.”I think we have got the momentum and it’s not easy for a team [Rest of India] to quickly gel in a day or a two. That’s one thing that adds to our advantage, but by no means we can take the opposition lightly because there are players who have done well throughout the season. So we are wary about it and we are ready for the challenge.”Naman Ojha, the Rest of India captain, on the other hand, played down the relative disadvantage of not having enough time together as a team. “Playing for Rest of India is a great honour,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “They all want to play one level higher, and it would be good for them if they perform here, so automatically focus comes.”Ojha said he was impressed by Vidarbha batsman Faiz Fazal, Haryana offspinner Jayant Yadav and Assam seamer Krishna Das, and agreed it was a situation where individuals taking greater ownership for their performances would give the team a better shot at success. “I think that’s the only thing [that changes from a Ranji Trophy environment],” he said. “I think we don’t need to tell them [what their roles are]; they know why they are here. They need to do the same things that they are doing with their respective sides.”Mumbai play in a very disciplined manner; that’s the only thing where they are a little ahead of other teams. I think that [the will to counter Mumbai’s discipline] should come from within; if they want to play one level higher they will have to perform here.”There have been some strange omissions from the Rest of India side, like those of KB Arun Karthik, who scored 802 runs for Assam this season, Madhya Pradesh’s Jalaj Saxena (588 runs and 49 wickets) and Kerala’s Rohan Prem (705 runs).Mumbai, on the other hand, have been strengthened by the addition of young batsman Jay Bista, who scored a double century a few days ago to help Mumbai win the Colonel CK Nayudu under-23 trophy.Both Tare and Ojha agreed that performances in high-profile domestic matches like the Irani Cup carried greater weight. “It’s a game that a lot of people watch and pay a lot of attention [to],” Tare said. “If you take wickets or score runs in a Ranji Trophy final or an Irani Trophy game, there is a lot of impact. That’s one incentive I would say that players from both sides will have in this match.”
Opener Hasitha Boyagoda racked up the highest score in Youth ODIs, 191 off 152 balls, as he took Sri Lanka to their highest-ever Under-19 total of 414
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2018Sri Lanka players celebrate a wicket•Getty Images
Sri Lanka opener Hasitha Boyagoda and left-arm spinner Haren Buddila lead a brutal rout of Kenya, of 311 runs in the ninth place playoff in Lincoln. Boyagoda racked up the highest score in Under-19 ODIs, scoring 191 off 152 balls, as he took Sri Lanka Under-19 to their highest-ever ODI total of 419 for 4. In reply, Kenya were bowled out for 108 with a four-for from Buddila.Opting to bat, Sri Lanka’s openers brought up 87 runs in 11.2 overs. Boyagoda went on to stitch a 147-run partnership with Nishan Madushka (60) for the second wicket, and was then involved in an 89-run partnership with Jehan Daniel (37 off 24). Kenya seamers Sachin Bhudia and Jasraj Kundi were thrashed for over 60 runs in their respective six-over spells. It was Rene Were who found some respite with Boyagoda’s wicket, but after the batsman had struck 28 fours and two sixes. Soon, an unbeaten 21-ball 53 from captain Kamindu Mendis took Sri Lanka’s total past 400.Kenya slid in the chase from 18 for 0 to 49 for 6 in a span of nine overs, as Nipun Malinga removed the openers before Buddila ran through the middle and lower order. Allrounder Thomas Ochieng provided the only resistance, scoring 45 off 63 balls. Only two other Kenya batsmen reached double-digit scores, as they were flattened in 35.5 overs. Buddila finished with figures of 4 for 27 in 10 overs.
Chris Gayle’s laboured fifty turned out to be invaluable on a tricky surface, helping the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots make their first ever CPL final
The report by Peter Della Penna06-Sep-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Chris Gayle carried his bat for Patriots to score 54•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are one step away from completing a remarkable worst-to-first turnaround after defeating Trinbago Knight Riders by 38 runs on Tuesday night at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. Coming off the back of a last-place finish in 2016, and having never made the playoffs prior to this season, the win over Knight Riders put Patriots into Saturday night’s final.As was the case on the opening weekend in Florida, Chris Gayle turned in a slow, but steady, half-century that proved especially valuable by the end of play. The captain’s fifty was backed up by three wickets from seamer Sheldon Cottrell as the Knight Riders batting order was left exposed by the absence of the injured Brendon McCullum.One ball that shaped the course of the matchRonsford Beaton opened the match with a superb maiden to Gayle, but it arguably should have been a wicket maiden. Bowling over the stumps to the left-hander, Beaton swung a yorker into Gayle’s left toe in front of middle stump. Perhaps surprised at his good fortune, Beaton gave a mild appeal and umpire Johan Cloete responded in kind with a mild shake of the head to give it not out. Replays confirmed the ball would have cannoned into middle and off stump.Instead, Gayle went on to craft a patient 54 not out off 51 balls in a total of 149 for 7, earning himself a repeat trip to the final after leading the Tallawahs to the CPL title in 2016. The knock was reminiscent of his 66 not out off 55 balls against Guyana Amazon Warriors in a total of 132 for 3 earlier this season at Lauderhill. He dedicated the win to the people of Leeward Islands, who are bracing for Hurricane Irma.It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Super DanDan Christian was drafted in as a replacement for McCullum. Fresh off the plane from England, where he helped Nottinghamshire to the Natwest T20 Blast title, Christian gave Fabian Allen a stiff challenge for catch of the tournament.Evin Lewis skied a drive over extra cover off Beaton in the third over, that appeared as if it would fall safely with no protection on the off side boundary. But Christian would not be denied. The ball hung in the air for six seconds, enough time for Christian to sprint 40 yards to his right from mid-off. He called off Colin Munro, who had also been running back from cover, and lunged to pull off a dramatic catch before giving Munro a piggyback ride into the circle for raucous celebrations as Knight Riders had struck a key blow early on.Bravo’s mixed bagDespite Christian’s heroics, Knight Riders paid the price for being unable to dislodge Gayle. Dwayne Bravo ended with four wickets on the night, but he also conceded at least one boundary ball in each of his four overs. In almost every instance, the sequence started with a boundary, before a wicket to bounce back. It began in the 14th with a six over square leg by Brandon King, followed next ball by a top-edge that was taken by Denesh Ramdin.Carlos Brathwaite drove Bravo twice down the ground in the 16th and again to start the 18th, before Bravo nabbed him on the second ball of the 18th, splicing a catch to cover. Mohammad Nabi was beaten by a Bravo yorker to end the over to leave the score on 122 for 5 with 12 balls to go. But Patriots clipped 17 runs in a crucial final over, in which Gayle finally brought up his fifty with another straight four. Devon Thomas cracked a six over midwicket before he was caught at long-on off the last ball of the innings.Not so super subWilliam Perkins, who had yet to play this season, opened the batting with Sunil Narine but the results couldn’t have been worse.Perkins was already twitching after three scratchy dots in the first over; and his nerves were even more evident when he set off for a run off the fourth ball from Cottrell. He connected well and Lewis only needed to take four strides to his left at cover, before gathering and firing a direct hit at the striker’s end. Narine had given up and was well short of his ground. Perkins’ forgettable night ended soon after, when he feathered a pull shot to Thomas down the leg side off Ben Hilfenhaus. Knight Riders were 2 for 2, seven balls into the chase.Operation Knight FallMilitary man Cottrell accomplished his mission of tying down Knight Riders even further to help secure the victory. Munro’s attempted flick ended as a leading edge that floated tamely back to Cottrell, putting the hosts in a deep hole at 6 for 3. By the halfway point of the chase, the required rate had climbed to more than 10.By the end of the 14th over, the Knight Riders were seven down when Dwayne Bravo attempted to resuscitate the chase, smashing Nabi’s first two balls of the 15th over deep midwicket for six. But Cottrell dismantled the final threat posed by the Knight Riders, claiming Javon Searles at long-off and Bravo at third man in the space of three balls.
USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake was in confident mood ahead of his team’s opening match against Oman
Peter Della Penna in Kampala22-May-20170:47
‘We have come a long way from WCL Division Four’ – Dassanayake
As USA approach the start of WCL Division Three in Uganda, head coach Pubudu Dassanayake said the team had improved significantly from the group that won Division Four on home soil in November. According to Dassanayake, if the team chemistry and spirit is at its peak to match the talent on paper, “I don’t think anybody can come close to us.”USA’s three successive failures at Division Three in 2011, 2013 and 2014, prompted a reevaluation of their preparation methods. In 2014, a scheduled warm-up tour to Jamaica was scuttled due to a combination of lack of funds and inability for some players to get visas and as a consequence the team arrived in Malaysia a few days before with little cricket under their belts. Unsurprisingly, they finished in the bottom two and were relegated.
Brought on tour to Africa as insurance in case of any injury, the Sagar Patel policy has been cashed in on the eve of WCL Division Three in Uganda with the 20-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee set to come into the official 14-man squad in place of the injured Fahad Babar. An opening batsman, Sagar has previously represented USA at U-15 and U-19 levels and is now set to make his senior team debut against Oman on Tuesday.
“I just got the news right before our final practice session,” Sagar told ESPNcricinfo in Kampala on Monday of being drafted into the 14-man squad for the tournament. “It feels good to be in the 14-man squad but I have to go out there and perform.” Sagar first began playing cricket in the Arkansas-Tennesee Cricket League at age 11 and has made an impression on coach Pubudu Dassanayake at all of USA’s selection camps, ensuring he was brought along as the youngest member of the team.
“I’m pretty nervous but I’m excited at the same time,” Sagar said. “I just wanna go out there, make the most of this opportunity and do well for the country.”
This time around, the team gathered in Los Angeles for ten days of training, which included four warm-up matches against a strong local XI that featured a calibre of player such as former India U-19 medium-pacer Saurabh Netravalkar. They then traveled to Potchefstroom, South Africa where they had two more warm-up matches against a North West Invitational XI featuring numerous first-class players and captained by former South Africa U-19 allrounder Lesego Senokwane.The second match was an especially good simulation for the pressure USA will be under in Division Three. After setting their opponents a target of 281, USA were rocked in the field by former North West U-19 opener Louren Steenkamp, who blitzed 126 off 115 balls. After 34 overs, North West needed 82 to win with six wickets in hand and Steenkamp still at the crease, but a pep talk at the final drinks break resulted in a furious comeback in the field and USA eventually won by 11 runs. Dassanayake said it was just the challenge USA needed heading into their first match against Oman on Tuesday.”Overall I’m very satisfied,” Dassanayake said. “I think from Los Angeles we got a lot. Everyone has put in a lot of hard work in those 10 days. Coming to South Africa for five days, two games and a couple of practice sessions – the games, I could not ask for better. The first game we had to chase. All the batters were exposed to conditions and we got through. The second game was the best scenario where the batters set up nicely for 280, then we didn’t start well in the field so I think it was a good wake-up call for the team in the whole tournament.”The South African team batted really well and to come back from a situation where we were in a very bad position, I think that game gave confidence to the team how you can turn around a game. The bowling attack, a couple of bowlers who came back at that time, we were discussing a lot who was going to get a wicket so everyone was exposed to situations and I cannot ask for better preparation.”Mrunal Patel could have an important role to play for USA•Peter Della Penna
One player who starred in that match was left-arm spinning allrounder Mrunal Patel, who scored 45 off 43 balls coming in at No. 5 before taking 3 for 43, including the wicket of Steenkamp. Mrunal was in USA’s 2015 World T20 Qualifier squad, but missed selection trials for Division Four in 2016 because it clashed with his wedding. Available again, he impressed at the team’s trials in Houston and has been in superb form, with Dassanayake giving strong indications that he will be in the starting XI for the first match.”He’s one of the guys who can handle spin and pace well,” Dassanayake said. “He has the temperament and he’s very knowledgeable. When you ask him to bat through the innings and hold down one end, he’s been doing that from LA in many games. So I’m very happy how he’s shaping up and looking at the top order, with some of the senior guys and having him in the number six position, I think our team is going to be a very, very strong batting unit. I think he’s earned his place.”The only cause for slight concern for USA at the start of the tournament is that opening batsman Fahad Babar has been ruled out after failing to recover from a hand injury two weeks ago sustained during the team’s LA training camp. Babar, who was USA’s leading scorer at 2014 WCL Division Three in Malaysia, suffered a gash on his right-hand ring finger that required five stitches. He had the stitches removed on Tuesday but did not play in either warm-up match in Potchefstroom. Though he was able to bat in the nets, his hand is still not allowing him to field with the finger still wrapped in bandages.It means that 20-year-old Sagar Patel, who was the leading scorer for USA U-19s at the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Malaysia in 2015, will come into the squad. Dassanayake indicated Sagar will not just come into the 14 but straight into the starting XI, as a like-for-like replacement opening the batting. Sagar has been in decent form during the team’s warm-up matches, top-scoring with 83 in one of the games in Los Angeles.”Fahad, we tried until the last minute checking that he’s going to be okay or not,” Dassanayake said. “He’s getting better and better but he’s not ready to play tomorrow. We don’t want to take a chance so we made the switch. Sagar got the opportunity to play in every warm-up game and I think he proved that he’s capable of performing at this level.”I’ve been watching him for awhile and I think he’s capable of scoring runs at this level. In the last two weeks, he’s gotten opportunities to play and more than anything one of the key things that helped me make the decision was that he’s a good player against spin as well. So looking at these conditions, he’s ahead of Fahad and looking at all of these things contributed to the decision.”