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Embarrassment caused by the recent abandonment of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Victoria has forced the review of the SCG’s transition from football to cricket season

Daniel Brettig10-Nov-2015Embarrassment caused by the abandonment of the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Victoria at the SCG has forced a review of the ground’s transition from football to cricket season and a commitment by Cricket NSW, the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sports Trust to work more closely together in future.Cricket Australia will also be involved in the review, which will look into the factors that contributed to the ground’s surface being deemed unfit for play between the Blues and the Bushrangers. Issues such as scheduling, climate and the technology available to the head curator Tom Parker and his ground staff will all be explored, as the ground seeks to meet the world’s best practice standards after the fiasco seen at the weekend.Emergency talks between the Trust and their cricketing tenants have resulted in several other measures designed to prevent a repeat, including a revised field of play inspection protocol in the lead-up to any men’s or women’s first-class or international fixture; an updated post-match review process and the formation of a joint working party to manage the NSW team’s training needs, with the ultimate goal of producing a new practice facilities plan.All these moves have been discussed and argued over in the past, but the loss of outright points for the NSW state team on their home ground and damaging headlines across the country have brought them to a head. In this, the abandoned Shield match may be seen as a catalyst for change in the same way the loss of the Ashes to England in Australia in 2010-11 wrought fundamental change to CA’s team-performance arm.”Cricket NSW has a long and proud tradition at the Sydney Cricket Ground, one of the most iconic cricket grounds in the world,” John Warn, the CNSW chairman, said. “Cricket NSW is keen to enhance that tradition by working closely with the SCG Trust to ensure that the playing surface and training facilities are of world-class standard.”It was disappointing that the recent Sheffield Shield match against Victoria had to be abandoned after match officials ruled the playing surface unsafe, forcing the following Shield game beginning on Saturday against Tasmania to be relocated to Bankstown. Cricket NSW and the SCG Trust have had positive discussions about how to achieve and maintain the high standards required for first-class and international cricket.”Tony Shepherd, the chairman of the SCG Trust, acknowledged that “without cricket, there is no Sydney Cricket Ground”. “Cricket NSW’s commitment to excellence can be seen in the vast numbers of Australian players produced and the record 46 Sheffield Shield wins,” he said. “They expect that same standard of excellence at their home ground and the Trust will work closely with Cricket NSW to ensure that this is the case.”After the loss of the SCG’s next Shield fixture to Bankstown Oval as a result of concerns about the playing surface, the ground is expected to have improved sufficiently to host first-class cricket in time for the next fixture on from November 27.

Ross Taylor has revealed that he had to consult an eye specialist after the Gabba Test for treatment of a pterygium in his left eye – an overgrowth of the thin clear membrane on the surface of the eye

Daniel Brettig at the WACA16-Nov-2015To say Ross Taylor was not seeing the ball well in Brisbane would be an understatement – he was not seeing it at all.Taylor has revealed that he had to consult an eye specialist after the Gabba Test for treatment of a pterygium in his left eye – an overgrowth of the thin clear membrane on the surface of the eye. This would be no surprise to those who saw him look completely out of sorts in the first innings of the series, and not much better in the second.Having trained his hardest leading into the match, Taylor knew something else had to be wrong, and was relieved to find there was a medical solution. Duly cleansed by eye drops and a less intense preparation for the WACA, he went out and constructed the most prolific innings ever made by a visiting batsman in Australia.”I had to get my eyes tested in between,” Taylor said. “I couldn’t really see the ball so the eye drops obviously worked. I have a pterygium in my left eye and I do that a lot [open eyes]. The optometrist said when it’s dark you’ll probably do this a lot [opens eyes] and I told the boys and they lost it because that’s how they take the mickey out of me.”The eye issue was just one of numerous obstacles Taylor overcame in order to bat so brilliantly at the WACA, a performance that left the Australians in wonderment at his concentration and ability to efficiently take advantage of anything loose. Back in August, Taylor had suffered a serious blow to the testicles in Zimbabwe that required a trip home and surgery – he is still under doctor’s instructions not to get hit amidships for another two months, a difficult assignment when faced with a fired up Mitchell Starc.”Yes, for four months, try to not get hit – it’s an interesting thing to tell a player,” Taylor said of the testicular injury. “I think I’ve got about two months to go so I’m counting down. It’s good to be hitting balls again but there’s no discomfort. It’s a bit nerve wracking when 160kph is coming at you but once you get into the fight the adrenalin kicks in and the instincts take over and you just bat.”Just batting was something Taylor was unable to do for anything like as long as he needed to in the lead-up to this trip. A practice fixture in New Zealand the week before departure for Australia was the first time he had picked up a bat since the Zimbabwe tour, and in the days before the Gabba, he trained hard. Perhaps too hard.”I was out of the game for six weeks, I couldn’t do anything,” he said. “I was anxious, it’s a big tour and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and I wanted to do well and was a bit underdone and all at sea.”I trained pretty hard leading in but sometimes when you try too hard you don’t get the results. Leading into this I let it all go to see where it took me.I’d put too much pressure on myself so I just relaxed, got on the balls of my feet and played straight. Chalk and cheese from where I was a week ago.”Set in Stone: Ross Taylor’s record-breaking score on the WACA scoreboard•Getty Images

There had been correspondence with Taylor’s longtime friend and mentor Martin Crowe also, a long email correspondence before this match and then the happy contrast of a short congratulatory text message this evening after the day’s play. Along the way to 290, Taylor had also surpassed Crowe’s 188 in Brisbane in 1985 as the highest Test score by a New Zealand batsman in Australia.”I heard from Hogan [Crowe] leading into the Test match,” Taylor said. “He sent me a long email. I heard a little bit from him before Brisbane. I got a text from him last night and he jokingly said he was disappointed because that was his proudest moment having the record here in Australia, 188, He was rapt – I received a text before and he’s very proud.”The other major player in Taylor’s story this week was Kane Williamson, the softly-spoken but quietly commanding young batsman who has led the way for New Zealand on this tour. Taylor looked on approvingly – if not comprehendingly – as Williamson showed Australia’s attack could be thwarted in Brisbane, and emulated him here.”Not only this series but the last 18-24 months every format of the game outstanding, consistent in way he prepares, his process is very meticulous,” Taylor said. “It’s great for the Australian public to see a world-class batter. You don’t often say that in New Zealand, good example for other batters.”Not a lot of words out there but know you’re going to have to work hard to get his wicket. He took a lot of pressure off me at start. For such a young man to achieve what he has achieved, it’s only the start.”Through an innings that occupied near enough to two days, Taylor witnessed numerous passages. The most thrilling was Starc’s second new-ball spell on the second afternoon, when Taylor got his bat behind a ball clocked at 160.4kph. The most amusing was his rollicking last-wicket stand with Trent Boult; it ended when it was Taylor who got out short of 300 rather than his nervous partner.”It’s not easy when you come out to bat after a partnership,” Taylor said of Brendon McCullum’s meeting with Starc. “Brendon had to wait a long time and Starc had his tail up. Fortunately we had a little bit of luck. It was very fast and hostile and both survived seven overs straight with the new ball in those conditions, it’s not easy. I’m sure that would have taken a lot out of him.”I was disappointed not to get 300, but if you’d said at the start of the day I would have been close, I would have taken it. I feel a bit happier that Boulty didn’t get out because he was so nervous out there, if he’d got out and I was close that could have broken him for a few years.”The final word on Taylor’s innings can go to Adam Voges, who watched a visitor show plenty of sense in how he handled the WACA, and grew in admiration for him with each passing hour. “I wish that nick carried early yesterday,” he said of an early Taylor edge. “I thought the innings he played was outstanding.”He pounced on any width that we gave him throughout the whole innings and I think he just grew into his innings wonderfully well. He didn’t really give us a sniff. I thought it was an exceptional innings. After we put on [almost] 560 in the first innings it actually gave them a bit of ascendancy back in the game. He batted really, really well.”Eyesight to the blind, and a record that will take some beating.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has met with Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez is hopeful of their joining the ongoing conditioning camp in Lahore

Umar Farooq25-Dec-2015PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan is hopeful that his meeting with ODI captain Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez will pave way for their participation in the ongoing conditioning camp in Lahore. Both players seemingly stayed away due to the presence of Mohammad Amir, who was suspended from international cricket for his involvement in the spot-fixing episode of 2010. Azhar and Hafeez are expected to provide their final response tomorrow morning, and according to Shaharyar, it is likely be a “positive” one. However, if they fail to return to training, Hafeez and Azhar may face disciplinary action.The PCB has been trying to reintegrate Amir to the national set-up for a while now, with the latest step being his selection among 26 others to take part in this camp ahead of the tour of New Zealand. Two days ago, he was declared “eligible” for Pakistan selection having completed his rehabilitation. But the response from some of his team-mates has been mixed.It is learnt that Azhar and Hafeez visited the camp grounds but did not want to train with Amir despite Waqar Younis and spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed trying to persuade them.Shaharyar had to intervene and called both players to the National Cricket Academy to explain the PCB’s policy regarding Amir. “It was a good meeting and the issue has been resolved,” Shaharyar said. “I met with our advisors and then invited them [Hafeez and Azhar] into the room and gave them a detailed briefing about our policy. We also heard their reservations, which they insisted, were not personal but based on principle.””After hearing their concerns we informed them that they have to abide by the policy or we won’t have any option but to take disciplinary action. They have agreed to the policy and we have requested them to come to the ground and be the part of the fitness camp. They have sought some time and will get back to us by 10 am tomorrow with an answer. I am fully convinced they will join the camp tomorrow as this matter has been resolved.”Shaharyar also said that Amir met with all the players again, apologised and offered to quit the camp if necessary.Since his return to competitive cricket, Amir has impressed in Pakistan’s domestic first-class competition and in the Bangladesh Premier League as well, but the PCB said that a final call on his international comeback ultimately rests with the selectors.

Neil McKenzie has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. McKenzie had already retired from first-class cricket in March, but continued playing limited-overs cricket for his franchise Lions.

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2016Former South Africa batsman Neil McKenzie has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. McKenzie had already retired from first-class cricket in March, but continued playing limited-overs cricket for his franchise Lions.The franchise has agreed to release McKenzie from his contract with immediate effect. The batsman is currently a part of the Virgo Super Kings franchise in the Masters Champions League, a tournament for retired players, and played his first match in the tournament on January 29.McKenzie scored 8571 runs at an average of 37.92 in his 298 List A matches and 3357 runs in his 155 domestic T20s. The Lions have agreed to release McKenzie from his contract with immediate effect.”Cricket has given me a career, passion and terrific memories. Few players can say that they have been able to play at a professional level for this long and I am grateful for the opportunities, friendship and memories that I can take away from my playing career. The Bullring will always remain my home away from home and I hope to still be involved in the game at some level,” McKenzie told .

Pakistan T20I captain Shahid Afridi has said he is facing “huge pressure” from family and friends to not retire from international cricket in April at the end of the World T20 in India

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Feb-20161:22

Shahid Afridi: T20I veteran

Pakistan T20I captain Shahid Afridi has said he is facing “huge pressure” from family and friends to not retire from international cricket in April at the end of the World T20 in India. Afridi, who will turn 36 on March 1, plays only T20 internationals for Pakistan and is now reconsidering his decision to quit the format.After the 2015 World Cup, Afridi had announced his intention to retire from international cricket following the World T20, but now it appears he has not made up his mind. “I’m not saying that,” he told ESPNcricinfo in Dubai, when asked if he was going to continue playing. “I am saying there is a lot of pressure on me that I shouldn’t retire from T20. That I can play on, and as such there is no real talent coming through in Pakistan whose place I am taking.”For a while now there is a lot of pressure from my family, a lot of pressure from my friends, including my elders, who say there is no need for me to retire from Twenty20. That is a huge pressure. For now, in truth, I am focusing only on the World Cup. That is a huge challenge for me.”First I want to see where Pakistan stand in the World Cup. Whether I am capable of taking the team forward on the back of my performances. I want to check where I am standing myself. As far as playing goes my fitness is (awesome). Energy is also there. I can play cricket. But I would be able to tell things clearly after the World Twenty20.”Afridi was the catalyst in Pakistan’s World T20 triumph in 2009 in England, when he made half-centuries in the semi-final and final. He has played in all five editions of the World T20 and has the most international caps and wickets in the format – 90 and 91. Afridi’s economy rate of 6.66 is third best in all T20s for bowlers with 200 wickets – only West Indies offspinner Sunil Narine and Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal are ahead of him in the list of 14. His batting strike rate of 154.61 is second only to Andre Russell among batsmen with 2000-plus T20 runs. Afridi’s T20I captaincy record is mixed with 16 wins and 19 losses in 35 internationals.In the Pakistan Super League, where he led Peshawar Zalmi, Afridi was the second highest wicket-taker for his team, with ten wickets. He scored only 87 runs in seven innings, though, and Peshawar were eliminated in the third qualifying final by eventual winners Islamabad United.

Mumbai have almost won more Ranji Trophy titles than the rest of India combined. Saurashtra, who started their journey this year in Group C, have none and will be looking to complete a giant killing

Shashank Kishore23-Feb-20163:02

Young Mumbai stake claim for 41st Ranji title

The only time Saurashtra have had a shot at Indian domestic cricket’s biggest prize before this was three seasons ago. But they spent more time plotting and planning than they did in the middle; being blown away by Mumbai in three days at the Wankhede Stadium.If Saurashtra wanted a taste of what to expect in the grand finale this time around, it came last week in Cuttack. The might of Mumbai, the 40-time champions who have almost won more titles than the rest of India combined, was in full view against Madhya Pradesh, the “underdogs”, who were buried under an avalanche of runs.Therefore, on paper, Mumbai should be the runaway winners, giving not even an inch to their opponents, who admitted to having a tinge of “nervous excitement”. But, cricket is played out in the middle; Saurashtra will vouch for it.”A lot of people asked me about what happened in the last final in 2012-13, but we shouldn’t forget that the last time we played them in the final, Sachin Tendulkar was playing along with Ajit Agarkar and Wasim Jaffer,” Shitanshu Kotak, the Saurashtra coach, said. “They definitely have good players in the side but those three, I don’t think you can match them. We have good a good side, one that can match them in every aspect.”

Squads ahead of Ranji final

Mumbai: Aditya Tare (capt & wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Nayar, Akhil Herwadkar, Shreyas Iyer, Nikhil Patil, Shardul Thakur, Siddhesh Lad, Dhawal Kulkarni, Vishal Dabholkar, Iqbal Abdulla, Badre Alam, Bhavin Thakkar, Sufiyan Shaikh, Balwinder Singh Sandhu
Saurashtra: Jaydev Shah (capt), Sheldon Jackson, Avi Barot, Cheteshwar Pujara, Chirag Jani, Jayden Unadkat, Prerak Manjad, Kamlesh Makvana, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Vandit Jivrajani, Arpit Vasavada, Dipak Punia, Hardik Rathod, Mohsin Dodia, Sagar Jogiyani (wk)

But that Saurashtra have a herculean task at hand would be an understatement. Since 1990-91, Mumbai haven’t lost any of the 10 finals they have played. But this one comes after a rebuilding phase and points to a resurgence that has been led by a young group. Mumbai’s fresh approach, unlike in the past where the focus was to grind the opposition down, has been fuelled by the solidity of Akhil Herwadkar and the belligerence of Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav.But Saurashtra, through their exploits which began in group C and particularly in their quarter-final and semi-final, have proved that they are more than just a one-trick pony. While Ravindra Jadeja was central to their plans on dry turners in the first half of the season, the pacers, particularly Jaydev Unadkat – who seems to have added a few yards of pace to his bowling along with variations in length – have stepped up on more even tracks.Now, with Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson hitting top form towards the business end of the competition, the all-round depth in Saurashtra’s ranks is unmistakable, even though their big-match temperament hasn’t entirely been tested yet.”There’s no doubt that Pujara will be a big threat,” Aditya Tare, the Mumbai captain, said. “He is an excellent long-form player, but I think we have a bowling attack capable of stopping him. It is not the first time that we are up against a Test player. The only thing we have to be careful about is not dropping our guard.”The 2015-16 season has been marked by a dramatic increase in the number of outright wins secured; 62 out of the 114 completed games, the highest over the last four seasons. While the stats may point to changed mindset within the camps, the truth is that the surfaces have had an equal part to play. There is little doubt then that the 22 yards in question at the MCA Stadium in Pune will have plenty to offer for the bowlers, particularly the pacers.An even covering of green – even if not as much as during the T20 between India and Sri Lanka earlier this month – will keep the pacers interested, according to the curator. That means both sides could look to considerably strengthen their pace attacks.On that front, Mumbai have an advantage, particularly with Dhawal Kulkarni returning from injury to share the duties with Balwinder Sandhu, Shardul Thakur and Abhishek Nayar. Meanwhile, Saurashtra will have to rely mainly on Unadkat and Hardik Rathod, with Deepak Punia in a run-containing role.This season has reiterated the impact Iyer has had on Mumbai’s batting. Such has been his approach that the surfaces have conveniently been taken out of the equation while he has batted. What plans Saurashtra have up their sleeve to counter that threat could go a long way in deciding the outcome of the final.Mumbai have won 27 out of the 53 contests between these two teams – 25 have been drawn (and one no result), with Saurashtra conceding a lead in 21 of those draws. If Jaydev Shah’s boys can buck the trend, it would mark yet another giant leap for them in what has been a near-perfect season.

Suzie Bates’ swift 60-ball 82 and her 104-run partnership with Sophie Devine for the second wicket set the base for New Zealand Women’s massive 93-run win over Ireland Women in the World T20 match in Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2016
ScorecardSuzie Bates’ swift 60-ball 82 and her 104-run partnership with Sophie Devine for the second wicket set the base for New Zealand Women’s massive 93-run win over Ireland Women in the World T20 match in Mohali.New Zealand got off to a blistering start after opting to bat, as opener Rachel Priest struck three fours in the first over before falling to medium-pacer Amy Kenealy in the second over. The wicket brought Bates and Devine together at the crease, and the pair built on the early momentum in their century stand. By the end of the Powerplay, New Zealand were 48 for 1 and except for a couple of quiet overs, the pair found the boundary with ease. Devine fell in the 15th over to Isobel Joyce, after a 34-ball 47, and Bates then propelled the score past 150. The New Zealand captain struck two successive sixes off Kim Garth in the penultimate over before falling for 82; her knock also included seven fours. She became the fourth player to score more than 2000 runs in women’s T20I cricket and is second on the list of highest run-getters with 2063 runs, ahead of Sarah Taylor and Stafanie Taylor.Ireland’s chase simply failed to get off the blocks. They lost two wickets within the first four overs for a score of 16 and by the tenth over had reached only 34 for 3. The required run rate was already more than 14 by that stage and it was only Joyce who showed some resistance with a 33-ball 28, the top score in an Ireland innings that eventually petered out to 84 for 5. Offspinner Leigh Kasperek had economical returns of 1-10 in her four overs while legspinner Erin Bermingham took 2 for 17.

Table-toppers Gujarat Lions appear well stocked with their bevy of allrounders, while Rising Pune Supergiants are struggling for variety

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu28-Apr-2016

Match facts

Friday, April 29, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Rising Pune Supergiants’ bowling does not seem penetrative enough•BCCI

Form guide

Rising Pune Supergiants WLLLL (last five completed matches)
Gujarat Lions WWLWW

In the spotlight

So what missing from the Supergiants bowling? Variety, perhaps. Ishant Sharma and RP Singh are useful with the new ball but are liabilities in the final overs. Thisara Perera, Mitchell Marsh and Rajat Bhatia bowl wicket-to-wicket and can be lined up. Ashok Dinda brought an infusion of raw pace and trumped Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, but he struggles with consistency. R Ashwin has the potential to keep the batsmen guessing, but he has bowled his full quota in only three of six games.How will the Lions middle order cope if the onus falls on them to rebuild an innings? A lot of their runs have come via the openers, which means Bravo, James Faulkner and Ravindra Jadeja have faced only 109 balls in 13 innings among them.

Team news

With du Plessis out for six weeks, Supergiants could bring in 24-year-old Australian batsman Peter Handscomb at the top of the order. Handscomb has a T20 hundred to his name and was the third-highest run-getter in the Sheffield Shield with 784 in 11 matches.Rising Pune Supergiants (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Peter Handscomb, 3 Steven Smith, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Saurabh Tiwary, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Rajat Bhatia, 9 R Ashwin, 10 M Ashwin, 11 Ashok DindaFinch sustained a hamstring injury two weeks ago, but yesterday was the first game he sat out. Even if he recovers, it would put Lions in a tough spot because Smith and McCullum have had explosive results and Faulkner’s inclusion makes the team look well-rounded.Gujarat Lions (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum, 2 Dwayne Smith, 3 Suresh Raina (capt), 4 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 James Faulkner, 7 Ishan Kishan, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Pravin Tambe

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium offered substantial turn on Sunday when the hosts lost to Kolkata Knight Riders, which led to stinging critiques from both captain Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming. Tomorrow will be the second-last match played in Pune due to the Bombay High Court ruling that the IPL move out of the drought-hit state.

Stats and trivia

• McCullum (300) and Smith (280) are among the top-five six-hitters in T20 cricket
• Supergiants have conceded runs at 7.66 per over, which is the third-best economy rate among all teams this season

Quotes

“You can come in with fresh ideas and you can build your culture from day one rather than perhaps having a pre-existing culture, or even sometimes some poor experiences of the past can also weigh you down as well.”

Anurag Thakur is set to become the youngest BCCI president on Sunday afternoon at the board’s special general meeting

Nagraj Gollapudi21-May-2016Anurag Thakur, 41, is set to become one of the youngest BCCI presidents on Sunday afternoon. Thakur, currently the BCCI secretary, will officially take up the most high-profile position in Indian cricket administration at the board’s special general meeting in Mumbai and his tenure will extend until September 2017.The president’s post had been vacated when Shashank Manohar had stepped down a week ago. Thakur, as a result of the support he has gained since he was appointed joint secretary in September 2011, appeared to be the automatic choice to replace Manohar, who has since been elected the ICC’s first independent chairman.As per the BCCI constitution, its president is elected by a rotational system where each of the five zones is given the chance to put a candidate forward at the special general meeting.It was the East zone’s turn this time and if there had been more than one nomination, an election would have been held. However, at the deadline to file nominations on Saturday, there was only one name doing the rounds. Thakur was formally endorsed by all six units of the East zone – Cricket Association of Bengal, National Cricket Club, Odisha Cricket Association, Tripura Cricket Association, Assam Cricket Association and Jharkhand Cricket Association.ESPNcricinfo understands Ajay Shirke, president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, is likely to become the BCCI’s new secretary.

Another match, another rout. At least for Pakistan they can leave this one knowing home is not too far away. It has been a tour to forget

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford07-Jul-2016
ScorecardLauren Winfield top-scored for England with 63 off 40 balls•Getty Images

Another match, another rout. At least for Pakistan they can leave this one knowing home is not too far away. It has been a tour to forget: a sizeable 6-0 blemish on the last six months that saw them turn over India, in India, at the World T20. From their inability to counter England’s top-order assaults, to their oversized playing kit, which billowed with every misfield and misguided hack across the line – this tour has shown they have much more work to do.A fifth won toss in six and Heather Knight had no qualms batting first: England had won all 11 previous matches at Chelmsford and, with that in mind, Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield ensured a 12th was sewn up early with an opening stand of 108.Across the six matches, the first England wicket has been worth 801 – more than half of their team’s runs. When Pakistan do return to their own beds, a few of their bowlers might want to check under them to ensure Beaumont and Winfield are nowhere to be seen. Both their half-centuries were typical of their play over the last month: Winfield willing and on the front foot, Beaumont wristy and devastating.The familiarity spread right through to the game’s conclusion. Pakistan were run ragged in the field and, facing a total they had no intention of chasing – Danni Wyatt pilfered 11 from the first four balls of the final over to help England set 170 – it was just a matter or whether they would be bowled out in the allotted time. In the end, they finished seven wickets down and 57 short.England rang changes with the ball, the most noticeable being left-armer Tash Farrant coming in for Katherine Brunt. Having made her debut at the age of 17, Farrant spent two years on the sidelines from January 2014 to February 2016, when Mark Robinson gave her a run out in England’s final T20I before the World T20.Hers is an example he was keen to address: a player picked young yet too young to cope with being dropped and overlooked for a prolonged period. Now 20, she looked at ease, cycling through her variations and even nabbing the wicket of opener Nahida Khan with a slower ball that was flat-batted back to her. There were first international wickets, too, for Alex Hartley.Talking about how easy you find things is one of cricket’s great taboos, but even Heather Knight, a measured individual who seems to cringe at her own success, might wonder what all the fuss of captaining your country is about.From the early part of Robinson’s tenure as head coach, it was evident that both he and Knight were on the same page. In one of their first coach-player interactions, Knight said she wanted to move away from feeling like the onus is on her to bat for as long as possible. She wanted freedom.As captain, she has been able to afford that to the rest of her team. All this while questions were being asked of whether life after Charlotte Edwards would really be so rosy. Those answers will not be able to be given just yet, but Knight was understandably punchy in the press conference.”There was a lot of noise around the squad before the series and the girls have responded. The cricket we have played has been really entertaining to watch. Everyone is feeding off the success of each other and it’s been a really nice place to be.”That last point is key. Perhaps one of the most noticeable elements of this England side is how much more open they seem. And while players young and experienced have commented on how Robinson has created a relaxed atmosphere, it has been particularly clear to former players no longer in the system.Caroline Atkins, who represented England between 2001 and 2011, was taken aback at how at ease the players were when she was around the team at Taunton as they prepared for the third ODI. It was not an atmosphere she was used to. Isa Guha and Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent have also presented caps to debutants during this tour, something that has rarely happened in English women’s cricket. Rainford-Brent, who  presented Hartley with her T20 cap before this match, was even invited into the team huddle – a ringed haven usually reserved for squad members.There are of course elements that still need work. On a personnel level, Kate Cross’ return to international cricket, after an impressive pre-season tour of Sri Lanka with the England Academy, was disappointing, as she took 1 for 56 from the 11 overs she bowled across the first two ODIs. Cross will spend the next few weeks up to the inaugural Women’s Super League fine-tuning some technical aspects of her game, such as her front arm, before leading the Lancashire Thunder in what is hoped to be a testing fortnight of high-level cricket. She will hope her name will be added to the long list of seamers Robinson has healed.Long term, it will be interesting to see whether the confidence gained from these six matches can carry through into something more sustainable. This is not a team that likes to blow their own trumpet. But after six matches of runs, wickets and outright dominance, and given the manner in which they are looking to play their cricket, they might have to get used to it.