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England’s assistant coach has been contacted by the club with a view to replacing Steve Rhodes.

George Dobell07-Jan-2018Paul Farbrace has been targeted by Worcestershire as an ideal candidate for the role of head coach.ESPNcricinfo understands that Farbrace, the England assistant coach, has been contacted by the club with a view to replacing Steve Rhodes.It is far from the first time a county has attempted to lure Farbrace away from England. Both Surrey and Yorkshire have made approaches in
recent times and he has a long-standing relationship with Kent, the club where he played and coached for several years.It would be a surprise if he leaves the England role now, though. He has been heavily involved in revitalising the limited-overs side with a view to leading them into the 2019 World Cup. He is also unlikely to want to leave on a low such as a resounding Ashes defeat.It is understood Worcestershire also contacted Graeme Hick, who showed little interest in the role, and Nic Pothas, who is currently working with Sri Lanka. Andy Flower has so far declined to confirm rumours that he, too, had been contacted with a view to talking about the role though in many ways it would be odd if he hadn’t. Vikram Solanki, the club’s former captain and a man recently interviewed for the CEO role, is also thought to be in the frame.Rhodes was sacked a few weeks ago after it emerged he had failed to report the arrest of Alex Hepburn, a young player in the staff, in connection with a rape. Hepburn has subsequently been charged.

In the absence of AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, South Africa will have to find a way to get past Virat Kohli and India to prevent the series from drifting away

Sidharth Monga in Centurion03-Feb-20185:28

Cullinan predicts Centurion runfest

Big picture

As is the case with teams facing India, South Africa have been talking up the visitors’ reliance on Virat Kohli. Even after losing the first ODI of the series, South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis said Kohli was India’s backbone, and that South Africa knew they could put India under pressure if they could go past him. What irony then that South Africa have lost AB de Villiers for three matches, and now du Plessis himself for the rest of India’s tour, trying to get Kohli out. De Villiers and du Plessis both injured their fingers trying to catch Kohli at slip. They now have a new captain, Aiden Markram, who will be playing only his third ODI.As if facing India’s wristspinners in the middle overs was not bad enough, South Africa are now left to do so without their middle-order bulwarks. In the first ODI, India laid down the marker. India do have arguably the best top three in the world, but they have been winning matches through the middle overs, which is when their spinners control the game. While Hashim Amla didn’t get to face the spinners in the first ODI, du Plessis looked the only one out of the top six comfortable enough against them. It was going to be hard enough in the short turnaround between matches to find a way past them, but to do so without their captain, who faced them for long enough will be a big task.Without the services of their middle-order mainstays, South Africa now need to go from 79 for 5 off the main spinners to 100 for 2 or so. It is not a good sign for any host side to be talking just about the pitches, but South Africa will hope the pitches are quicker in the rest of the series. South Africa started the series on a 17-match winning streak at home, and two days in, they are in a tough fight for the series. They need to make sure it is possible to win the series by the time de Villiers comes back, for the fourth ODI.India will enjoy the confidence in their ranks, and the confusion in South Africa’s. They are arguably the best ODI side in the world at the moment, with the variety at their disposal both in their batting and bowling. They came here with an ordinary record in bilateral ODI cricket in South Africa; now is their chance to correct it.Anesh Debiky/AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: LWWWL
India: WWWLW

In the spotlight

With du Plessis gone, the batting onus falls on Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock, but you can’t realistically expect them to bat through the innings. When the spin is on, JP Duminy and David Miller will somehow have to find a way if South Africa are to succeed. Neither of them carries a great reputation against spin, but their numbers against spin – even though they dip as compared to pace – are not bleak. Miller strikes at 6.67 an over against pace; it comes down to 5.4 against spin. The corresponding numbers for Duminy are 5.94 and 4.62. Their averages against spin are 39.08 and 39.93. If they can do what their averages against spin suggests, they should be fine, but India’s spinners are anything but average.Virat Kohli doesn’t offer too many chances in ODIs. In Durban, he offered one with no runs to his name, and South Africa had only one slip. What’s more, the diving first slip, du Plessis, even broke his finger going for the catch. Kohli was then involved in a run-out, but the genius of his ODI batting showed in how he never let the asking rate get big enough to put pressure on his side. He did so without so much as taking a risk. South Africa know they can put pressure on India if they get past Kohli, but it is the getting-past-Kohli part they don’t seem to know much about at the moment.

Team news

Aiden Markram, not a certain starter in the last match, will captain South Africa in du Plessis’ absence. Du Plessis’ spot could go to Khaya Zondo or Farhaan Behardien. While Zondo was there in the squad already, Behardien’s experience could count in his favour. After returns of 10-0-51-0, Imran Tahir will be under a little pressure, but he should keep his place.South Africa (probable): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Khaya Zondo/ Farhaan Behardien, 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran TahirThe Highveld might not be the ideal place to play two spinners, but India have been confident in their ability to do well in any conditions. Expect them to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. India could look to rest one of their quicks. Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t play the Centurion Test either so if Shardul Thakur comes in, it could be at the expense of Bhuvneshwar.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/ Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Pitch and conditions

The average first-innings score in Centurion in the last five ODIs is 332. However, they have all been day-night matches. The last day match played here was in November 2013, when Pakistan were bowled out for 179. In the last five day ODIs in Centurion, sides batting first have lost four times. Expect runs, but bowling first might be the way to go.

Stats and trivia

• Ajinkya Rahane has now scored five consecutive fifties in ODIs, only the third batsman to do so for India.
• Leaving out India’s wristspinners, South Africa lost only one wicket and went at 6.23 an over against the rest in the first ODI.
• Aiden Markram is South Africa’s second-youngest ODI captain, behind Graeme Smith.

Quotes

“I don’t necessarily see it as a problem. It’s just been one game. I believe there’s quality batsmen in our middle order, and it’s just about taking responsibility. Obviously we’ve had to adjust our game-plans just a touch going into this game, but it wasn’t addressing any sort of problem, I don’t think.””We all are confident about tomorrow. The way we played in Durban, especially our bowlers, those wristspinners did really well for us. It was a complete team effort but we want to start from zero because whatever happened in Durban is past now. This team is always living in the present.”

Mitchell Santner admitted he “didn’t know what to do” after striking the winning blow in the first one-day international against England

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton25-Feb-2018Mitchell Santner “didn’t know what to do” after he struck the winning blow in the first one-day international against England to take New Zealand to a victory that appeared to have slipped away.There was an element of modesty of assessing his performance in the remark, but in a sense it also reflected the role Santner plays in New Zealand’s one-day side where his batting has taken a definite back seat to his left-arm spin, in which role he is now their No. 1.Having briefly batted at No. 6 early his career he now resides at No. 8 – a spot higher on occasions – and is rarely talked about for his hitting. This was his fourth 40+ score in 39 ODI innings and three of those came in his first 11 knocks.One of those was against England at Trent Bridge in 2015, during his fourth ODI, when he plundered 44 off 19 balls which included taking 28 off an over Adil Rashid – the 48th over to be precise, the same one that swung the game back New Zealand’s way in Hamilton. Six of Santner’s 19 ODI sixes have now come off Rashid.When Santner began his innings he had Ross Taylor for company and the pair talked about getting the chase down to 10 an over off the last five. He was 14 off 17 balls at the beginning of the 48th over – which included an earlier pulled six off Tom Curran – with New Zealand needing 34 off 18 in a game where few batsmen had found timing easy, but immediately latched on to two drag downs from Rashid. A smite over square leg in the penultimate over eased the pressure, before a flick to fine leg and the final blow over midwicket off Chris Woakes.”I didn’t know what to do,” he said of the winning moment. “I don’t usually celebrate.”It was hard to start, the new batsman coming in having to hit straight away was always going to be difficult. It took a few dots to get in but you could catch up later on at the end.”He heeded the advice of his senior partner. “Good that he listened,” Taylor joked.England captain Eoin Morgan acknowledged the final shift in a topsy-turvy match. “He took advantage of two loose balls and he struck them well,” he said. “It was a big moment, to take them needing 12 an over to eight. That’s a big moment.”Taylor, who made a superb 113 off 116 balls to take the Man of the Match award, adding 178 for the fourth wicket with Tom Latham, said the short boundaries always kept New Zealand hopeful once they had overcome the poor start which left them 27 for 3.”You always knew in Hamilton that you were only a couple of big hits away from keeping up with the run rate,” Taylor said. “They made a few plays – bringing Rashid on to get me out, that was a bold move, then to continue him, also”Credit to this guy [Santner]. Tommy [Latham] and I did well but the way he was able to get us across the line was very important.”

The banned Australian batsman spoke publicly for the first time on Saturday, a week after the ball-tampering scandal broke in Cape Town

Daniel Brettig31-Mar-2018Former Australia vice-captain David Warner has conceded he may never play for his country again after being banned for 12 months, and from captaincy for life, by Cricket Australia for his part in the ball-tampering scandal during the Newlands Test against South Africa.In a press conference at the SCG where he stuck rigidly to script, Warner accepted responsibility for playing a role in the episode and apologised to supporters, CA, Cricket South Africa and his family. However, he declined to answer questions about how many other members of the team were aware of the plot, whether he had tampered with the ball on previous occasions, whether his relationship with the rest of the team had deteriorated, or whether he was being made a scapegoat for the affair by CA, who handed him the heaviest penalty of all three players.Less than two hours after the press conference ended, Warner took to Twitter to clarify why he had not answered some questions. “I know there are unanswered questions and lots of them. I completely understand. In time I will do my best to answer them all. But there is a formal CA process to follow,” he said on Twitter. “I am taking advice to make sure I properly comply with that process and answer all questions in the proper place and at the proper time. I should have mentioned that in my press conference, I’m sorry for not making it clearer. With so much at stake for my family and cricket, I have to follow this process properly. I think that’s fair.”During the press conference, Warner was not asked whether he intended to challenge the charges and sanctions imposed by CA under the code of behaviour. Asked whether he would retire from the game, Warner said he was considering all his options with his family.After about six minutes of questions, Warner left the room with plenty more hanging in the air. Warner, the captain Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft have until Tuesday to inform CA of whether they wish to take the matter to a hearing before an independent commissioner, and all are understood to have retained legal counsel while weighing this up.For Warner, who struggled at times to control his emotions, the most telling line of his prepared statement was that he was “resigned” to the fact he might never again play for Australia, and that he was committed to changing himself as a person.”It is heart-breaking to know that I will not be taking the field with my team-mates I love and respect and that I have let down,” Warner said. “Right now it is hard to know what comes next, but first and foremost is the wellbeing of my family.”In the back of my mind I suppose there is a tiny ray of hope that I may one day be given the privilege of playing for my country again, but I am resigned to the fact that that may never happen. But in the coming weeks and months I’m going to look at how this has happened and who I am as a man. To be honest I’m not sure right now how I’ll do this. I will seek out advice and expertise to help me make serious changes.”I want to apologise to my family, especially my wife and daughters. Your love means more than anything to me. I know I would not be anything without you. I’m very sorry for putting you through this and I promise you that I will never put you in this position again. I take full responsibility for my part in what happened and I am deeply sorry for the consequences of what I was involved in. I failed in my responsibilities as vice-captain of the Australian cricket team.”The abuse directed at Warner’s wife Candice and daughters in South Africa both on and off the field, starting in the first Test in Durban, was raised as a contributing factor to Warner’s decision, as alleged by CA, to direct Bancroft as to how to tamper with the ball using sandpaper at Newlands, with the knowledge and support of Smith. Warner said it was difficult to go back to where he was mentally at the time of the decision.”It’s tough for me to talk about where my thought space was on that day, given the circumstances that happened in Durban,” he said, before reverting to the message he repeated numerous times. “But I’m here to take full responsibility for my actions for the part that I played in what happened on day three in Newlands in Cape Town. I’m extremely sorry and I really regret that, and it’s going to be a decision that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”As for questions about where he stood with team-mates, Warner described the national team as “family”. “We’re mates, we’ve grown up with each other, we’ve played on the field for a long time with each other,” he said. “It’s going to be really tough not to partake in the next 12 months. Not just with the rest of the team but with Steve and Cameron, because we made a decision that was inexcusable and extremely regrettable.”Warner’s main intention appeared to be to show contrition for the specifics of the episode in Cape Town like Smith and Bancroft had done, but not to go anywhere beyond that, given the flurry of accusations that have swirled around him in particular.”To the fans and lovers of the game who’ve supported and inspired me on my journey as a cricketer I want to sincerely apologise for betraying your trust in me. I have let you down badly,” he said. “I hope in time I can find a way to pay for all you’ve given me and possibly earn your respect again. To my team-mates and support staff I apologise for my actions and I take full responsibility for my part in what happened on day three in the Newlands Test.”To Cricket Australia I apologise for my actions and the effect it has had on our game under your care and control. I want you to know that I fully support your review into the culture of the Australian cricket team. To South Africa, the players, administrators and fans, I apologise unreservedly for my part in this and I am sorry. I have brought the game into disrepute on your soil. South Africa is a fine cricketing nation, and deserves better from its guests and deserved better from me.”To all Australians, whether they’re a cricket fan or not, I apologise for my actions, and I’m sorry for the impact those actions have had on our country’s reputation. I can honestly say I’ve only ever wanted to bring glory to my country through playing cricket. In striving to do so I have made a decision which has had the opposite effect and it’s one that I’ll regret for as long as I live. I do realise that I’m responsible for my own actions and the consequences that brings.”Speaking a little less than two days after Smith and Bancroft made their public apologies, Warner said they had known the implications of making a “horrible” decision. “We know what the consequences are when you make horrible decisions like this,” he said. “We let our country down, we made a bad decision, I played my part in that and it’s going to take a long time to earn that respect back from the Australian public. It’s really hard to sit here today knowing and seeing my friends, my family that are playing in South Africa at the moment in this fourth Test which I wish I was a part of.”

Says she was given huge quantity of sleeping pills; Kolkata Police investigating the case

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Mar-2018Criminal charges have been filed against India fast bowler Mohammed Shami by his wife Hasin Jahan, accusing him and his family of attempting to kill her by giving her a heavy dose of sleeping pills. In a first information report (FIR), which was filed last Friday in Kolkata, Jahan has also accused her brother-in-law Hasib Ahamed of raping her.Jahan filed the FIR in the Jadavpur Police Station in Kolkata, pressing various criminal charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to Praveen Tripathi, Joint Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, charges under the following IPC sections were pressed against Shami and his family: section 307 (attempt to murder), 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc. with intent to commit an offence), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).According to Tripathi, who is the head of the detective division of the Kolkata Police which is handling the case, Jahan had alleged that Shami and his family had attempted to kill her last December. “She has complained sleeping pills were given to her in a huge quantity and they were trying to kill her,” Tripathi told ESPNcricinfo. “Section 328 concerns [an instance where] someone gives you a drug or something similar with the purpose of hurting you. Section 506 is threatening a person. And Section 34 is pressed when more than three to four people are planning to do a serious cognizable offence with a common intention.”Tripathi pointed out another serious allegation under section 376 of the IPC, which constitutes rape, was filed against Shami’s elder brother Ahamed.Tripathi said the police are now verifying the evidence in hand, and have asked Jahan to provide any further proof she might have to validate the allegations. Tripathi confirmed that the police had not yet contacted Shami. “We are verifying the allegations and collecting the evidence right now,” Tripathi said.The BCCI has decided to wait for the police investigation to conclude before taking a call on Shami’s contract, which is on ice, as well as taking a call on whether he can be considered for selection to play in domestic and international cricket.

Concerns over workloads and injuries prompted the board to impose such a restriction, and thereby limit a player’s earning potential

Umar Farooq09-May-2018Pakistan’s top cricketers are set to take further financial hits after the PCB imposed caps on their participation in T20 leagues around the world.The PCB has formed a new NOC (No-Objection Certificate) policy that limits their centrally-contracted players to playing only two leagues per season, which may or may not include the Pakistan Super League (PSL). That effectively means an in-demand cricketer such as legspinner Shadab Khan can only play in one league other than the PSL in a year.Already among the lowest-paid professionals in world cricket, and not allowed in the IPL, the PCB’s decision will come as a big blow.Last season, a number of contracted players featured in the world’s major T20 leagues – apart from the IPL – forcing national coaches and selectors to raise concerns over their fitness and vulnerability to injuries from the workload. Those concerns came to a head in the last few months with head coach Mickey Arthur pushingfor higher fitness standards across the board.Arthur’s worries first came up during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand last winter after the players returned for national duty from lengthy lay-offs. Given that players took part in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Big Bash and the newly formed T10 league, the management has now decided on a more hands-on approach to controlling how much a player plays outside Pakistan duty.The policy was made at a meeting last week between major stakeholders such as Mudassar Nazar, who heads the academies, chief selector Inzamam ul Haq and Haroon Rashid, director cricket operations.Ahmed Shehzad was bowled after losing his balance•Francois Nel/Getty Images

“Centrally contracted players will be allowed to participate in two leagues only in a cricket season,” the board said. “The non-contracted players are bound to play at least three domestic first-class matches for them to be entitled to receive the NOC. While retired players do not need any NOC from PCB, however as per ICC’s rule they are bound to obtain an NOC from PCB for two years from the date of their retirement.”Given that the Pakistan domestic season starts in September and ends in March, and that the BPL, the T10 League, and the BBL all take place in that time, it leaves the Caribbean Premier League and the T20 Blast as the major tournaments top cricketers can target.A decision was also taken at the meeting to leave this season’s domestic structure broadly unchanged, bar a few tweaks in fixtures. The national one-day tournament will be held alongside the first-class tournament, each one-day game following a day’s break after the first-class match.Last season, the teams in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy were put through a strenuous schedule of seven four-day games in just 41 days.The first-class format remains intact for the third year running, with 16 teams (eight regional and eight departments), but the selection process was tweaked last year, allowing eight players to be picked through the draft process.

The former Afghanistan coach is on a three-month deal, which might be extended based on results

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2018Former India batsman Lalchand Rajput has been appointed Zimbabwe head coach on a three-month deal, which might be extended based on the results.Rajput replaced Heath Streak, who, along with the entire coaching staff, was sacked in March after the team failed to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.Rajput’s first assignment will be a rather challenging one, with Zimbabwe set to play a home T20I tri-series against Australia and Pakistan in July.Rajput had also coached Afghanistan in the last two years. “They [Zimbabwe Cricket] called me up and showed an interest in me. For now, the deal is for three months. After that, if both parties agree, it will be extended,” Rajput told the ICC. “I am really happy with this, because this is what I was looking for after the job with Afghanistan.”Afghanistan did exceptionally well when I was the coach there, so the people in Zimbabwe must have seen something that impressed them. But yes, it’s a challenge. Challenges get the best out of me. I think people know me for that.”Zimbabwean cricket has been marred with crises in the last few years, especially on the financial front. In the current climate, Rajput said he needed to ensure the players playing as a unit.”My first job will be to get the players ready for the triangular series. I have not yet met the players; I will go there and slowly find out everything, meet them, understand them, motivate them,” he said. “There is a lot of talent there, but I need to turn things around quickly and hopefully take them to the next level. The main thing is to get the players together and get them to perform as a unit.”Rajput also coached India U-19s previously, and was the senior team’s manager at the inaugural World T20 in 2007, which they won. He has also coached IPL team Mumbai Indians. Rajput was in the race to become the India coach in 2017, before Ravi Shastri was appointed.

Reece Topley has hopes of a Lord’s final, but his father never trod the turf as he was made 12th man on four occasions and the jinx could strike again

Jon Culley29-Jun-2018Reece Topley is desperately hoping his four wickets for England Lions at Northampton on Thursday will be enough to clinch his place in the Hampshire line-up against Kent in the final of the Royal London One-Day Cup on Saturday so he can avoid the same disappointing memories of Lord’s finals that his dad carried with him to the end of his career.Don Topley reached four Lord’s finals during a 10-year career with Essex during the 1980s only to be taken to one side by the captain on each occasion and told he would only be 12th man.At 24, Reece is some way off calling time on his career – even if injuries have often made him feel that might happen sooner than planned – but this might still be his last opportunity to play in a Lord’s final.From 2020, the showpiece finale of the One-Day Cup will be staged at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, which will mean that for the first time since the inaugural Gillette Cup campaign in 1963 there will be no Lord’s final for county teams to aim for.”It would be nice to play in a Lord’s final, not just because of my dad’s experience but because especially as it is might be the last chance before it goes to Trent Bridge,” Topley said.But Topley junior faces a nervous wait to discover if he is going to make the Hampshire line-up.The South African fast bowler Dale Steyn, who was rested from the county’s Championship match against Lancashire this week, is a certain starter while Gareth Berg has been picked as first-change seamer throughout Hampshire’s run to the final.Given that Hampshire have only once gone with fewer than two spinners, it may mean that Topley will be up against left-armer Chris Wood and veteran Fidel Edwards for one remaining seam bowler’s place, unless the preference is for four seamers, as it was in the semi-final win over Yorkshire, in which Topley played.If the family jink struck again, it would be no surprise.Topley, who was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the back last August, is playing only white-ball cricket this season in a bid to keep himself at least able to play in some formats, so to miss out would be especially frustrating.”I’m obviously hoping to get the nod but you never know until the day of the game who is going to bowl,” he said. “It depends on which players the conditions will favour and on the balance of the team. At this point as a player you have done all you can and it is up to the guys who pick the team to decide.”I’m pleased with the way I bowled at Northampton. To get three wickets at the top of the order was very pleasing and gave us a good start in the match. I felt I was due some wickets and this time happily it was my turn to get them.”The nine-wicket victory for the Lions over West Indies A set up a Tri-Series final against India A at The Oval on Monday, which could mean two finals in three days for both Topley and England left-arm spinner Liam Dawson, who also took four wickets in the win over West Indies A.Dawson is surely a certain starter, with leg spinner Mason Crane, whose back-injury issues would make him a tremendous gamble, and off-spinning all-rounder Brad Taylor also hoping for a place in the eleven.

The England national selector justified the legspinner’s selection, despite his unavailability for Yorkshire in red-ball cricket, explaining that he had full support from fellow selectors and Test captain Joe Root

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2018Ed Smith, the England national selector, has defended the selection of Adil Rashid for next week’s first Test against India at Edgbaston, in spite of his unavailability for Yorkshire in red-ball cricket, saying that the decision was taken with the full approval of both his fellow selectors and England’s Test captain Joe Root, with Yorkshire kept informed at every step of the process.Smith took over from James Whitaker as the head of England’s selection panel in May, and was not therefore privy to the decisions that led to Rashid’s withdrawal from red-ball cricket, in the wake of his omission from last year’s Ashes. His first Test selection, for the Pakistan series in May, had also featured a notable recall on the strength of a player’s white-ball form, when Jos Buttler was successfully reintroduced to the side after starring in the IPL.”I believe strongly in the county game’s value,” Smith told reporters at The Oval. “In no way is there any sense that I would do anything to damage county cricket. However, in these circumstances where the context pre-dated my involvement as England selector, the panel unanimously felt that the right selection was Adil Rashid in the squad.”

Broad backing for Rashid

Stuart Broad has said Adil Rashid’s recall was testament to the spinner’s increased confidence from a successful spell in England’s limited-overs sides, and backed him to produce “wicket-taking balls” in the Test series with India.
“He’s bowled beautifully in the one-day series,” he said. “I know it’s easy to say it’s a very different format with different strategies and all that sort of thing but you can see he has got wicket-taking balls in him and he’s come through a couple of years of wonderful white-ball bowling which will give him a lot of confidence at the top level.
“I know Moeen [Ali] has said it’s different bowling with a Dukes and a Kookaburra red ball but I’m sure he’s building up for a big week’s prep in Birmingham. We training three days before Wednesday, so that’s quite a lot of prep time to get used to it.”

Smith revealed that he had sounded Rashid out about a Test recall prior to the ODI series against India. It was, he added, “a general chat about whether it was in his heart to play Test cricket for England again, what his aspirations were. At no stage did I give him any assurances about selection, even if he was available.”One thing that did not change, however, was that Rashid opted not to make himself available for Yorkshire’s Roses match at Old Trafford last week. Yorkshire chose to play on-loan legspinner Josh Poysden instead, and club officials were outspoken in their annoyance in the wake of a call-up that will now limit Rashid’s involvement in their Vitality Blast campaign.”We are pretty disappointed with both the ECB’s and Adil’s decision,” Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s Director of Cricket, said, while Mark Arthur, the chief executive, added: “I hope that England know what they’re doing to Adil, and the county game.”Smith, however, was unrepentant for picking a player whom he believes will help England to win a high-profile Test series. “I’m not party to the relationship between Adil and Yorkshire,” he said. “I am very sympathetic to Yorkshire’s position in terms of their planning. I’ve spoken with Martyn Moxon all the way through so it’s been no surprise to Yorkshire, they have been kept informed every step of the way.”I’m aware it will prompt discussion, but moving forward it’s been made clear to Adil that if he wishes to be eligible for selection in the 2019 summer, he must have a contract to play red-ball cricket.”I am tasked to put the best available squad together to give to the captain and the coach to pick the XI on the day. That’s the extent of my job. Given the circumstances, I feel very comfortable that, after a unanimous decision, we have picked Adil Rashid in the squad.”That unanimity, Smith reiterated, included the blessing of Root, whom he said he “did more than consult”.”The decision was a unanimous one, the decision makers being myself, James Taylor and coach Trevor Bayliss, and also round that table was Joe Root,” Smith said.”The number one question was ‘Joe, what do you need?’. I know Joe wishes to give Adil and Moeen [Ali] the best environment to thrive in the Test team, as they thrive in the one-day side. When it came to the final decision, I asked all four if it was the right thing to do and the answer was ‘yes’ from all four.””The decision involved quite a lot of context,” he added. “We are fully aware of the summer we are having and the likelihood or possibility that the pitches are going to turn. Secondly, in the event of needing two spinners, how would we get people into the side who turn the ball in different directions?”It would be quite eccentric to play two offspinners and Joe Root. In that context as part of that decision, obviously Adil’s form in white-ball cricket, his confidence, his touch, the fact that he has evolved so much as a bowler and is in the form of his life, and never felt more at home in an England one-day or T20 jersey.”

Test keeper pleased to get back behind the stumps after limited-overs series, and looking forward to playing with Yorkshire team-mate Adil Rashid

Melinda Farrell27-Jul-2018While some England players are raring to pick up a bat or a red ball against the No.1 Test team, Jonny Bairstow can’t wait to get his mitts on, well, the mitts. Having relinquished the wicketkeeping duties to Jos Buttler during the limited-overs leg of England’s summer, the Test gloveman will be back behind the stumps for the first match of the series at Edgbaston.Bairstow’s keeping has improved markedly since he first took up the gloves for England, as a replacement for the injured Matt Prior during the 2013-14 Ashes. His development is a testament to both hard work and a stubborn refusal to be considered as a batsman only.”It is quite good fun running around like a lunatic on the boundary,” said Bairstow of his time as an out-fielder during the one-day matches. “It is not quite as much fun getting abused by home fans… it is exciting.”I enjoyed it this week being back at Headingley. The last time I kept before then properly was the last Test match so we have had a little bit of a break and a lay-off, but I don’t see that as too much of an issue.”Your movements and everything like, you just settle back in. Yes, you have got a pair of gloves on and you are standing behind instead of out on the boundary. You are able to get your angles a bit better but it is something I have worked hard on for a number of years now.”It was good to get a bit of a break because it keeps your mind fresh, your body fresh, and it keeps that excitement and hunger to come back in and want to do well, keep pushing yourself and to keep having an impact on the game.”Leaving aside his glovework, Bairstow’s impact on matches this season has been significant. Earlier in the week he scored 82 in Yorkshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Lancashire, while he has made solid contributions for England batting up and down the order in all three formats since the start of the summer, calling to mind his form in 2016.”I am happy with the way I have been playing,” Bairstow said during the launch of the Specsavers Test Series. “There are differences that are going to change from white-ball to red-ball. With the white ball I have been opening the batting, with the red ball I am bit further down, hopefully batting for a longer time and your roles differ.”I would like to hope that is something over the last ten years of playing, with the way my game is and evolving, that I have been able to modify those in different scenarios and different conditions against different opposition.”Whether I am coming into it in good nick… I don’t want to jinx myself. I am content with my game is at but there is a lot more I can offer and a lot further I can go in the game.”Bairstow was, quite understandably, unwilling to be drawn into the controversy surrounding the Test selection of his Yorkshire teammate, Adil Rashid, who opted out of playing red-ball cricket for his county earlier this year. But he is optimistic that Rashid will be able to put aside the rumblings that have followed his England call-up.”That is for them to deal with,” Bairstow said. “That is for Yorkshire to deal with and Adil. That is something I am sure will be in the background but, at the same time, he has now been picked in a Test squad to represent England.”The biggest honour you can have is to go out and play Test cricket for England. I think deep, deep down, Yorkshire will be chuffed to pieces that another one of their players is going out and hopefully representing their country in one of the biggest series there is to play.”Bairstow knows Rashid better than most: the two Yorkshiremen have been playing together since they were teenagers, although Rashid is two years older, and Bairstow believes the legspinner is a better bowler now than when he last played for England against India in December 2016.”I think he has matured a lot,” said Bairstow. “You can see that in the way that he is starting, the way he is bowling in the Powerplays in one-day cricket. And I don’t think that’s hyping him up too much, yes he hasn’t played red-ball cricket – he has played white-ball cricket – but if he is landing his legspinner, if he is landing his googly, he just has to do it a few more times other than the 10 overs he has been bowling.”At the same time people are not necessarily [going to] come at him as hard in red-ball cricket as they will in white so the shape he gets on the ball, the line he might bowl, the length he might bowl, might differ as well. It is an exciting challenge for him, as for us all, going from white-ball cricket to red-ball cricket.The national selector, Ed Smith, has denied that Rashid’s call-up was heavily influenced by the leg-break he bowled to dismiss Virat Kohli in England’s victory over India in the third ODI at Headingley. Rashid took Kohli’s wicket twice during the ODI series and there has been speculation the Indian captain’s stunned reaction after missing the Headingley delivery, which Rashid later described as one of the best balls he has bowled at the highest level, may have significantly helped his selection.”He has bowled me with plenty of legbreaks over the years,” said Bairstow. “It is not just that one ball that he will get remembered for. For the rest of the balls he bowled, he’s used his googlies, varied his pace, he’s come over the top of the ball, round the side of it.”The utilisation of his side spin and top spin was very impressive as well. To have him [Kohli] out, get him stumped then to bowl him was really impressive.”He obviously bowled really, really nicely in the one-dayers and the way the white ball has been coming out of his hand… it is an exciting call-up for him. He is delighted and I am really excited for him.”Jonny Bairstow was speaking at the launch of ‘The Test Experts’ Specsavers as Official Test Partner for England ahead of the 1000th Test which begins at Edgbaston on August 1