With the England-Sri Lanka series slowly meandering to an end, it feels like the time is right to see where the England team is currently at, and what personnel changes are set to be made.… More
The Golden Age of Associate Cricket?
‘How can we improve playing no cricket?’
These are the words of frustrated Scotland captain Preston Mommsen. This is probably the best way to sum up the state of Associate cricket. Every time an Associate teams plays; they’re playing for points, for contracts & for funding. The impact of the washout of the Oman v. Netherlands match saw the Netherlands eliminated from the tournament, after only 2 matches. Dutch captain Peter Borren summed up the horrible situation in 1 simple tweet – that 1 washed out match equated for 10% of Netherlands’ matches in 2016. That, right there, is the biggest problem with the modern game. Not only are the Associate teams not getting enough games against the top teams, but they aren’t even getting enough games against each other. Mommsen isn’t the first person to stand up and express their disgust at the state of Associate cricket. Anyone who tuned into the 2015 World Cup would have seen Porterfield make a similar plea to the ICC.
Guaranteed funding for Associate teams is a must. Over the last number of years, teams such as Scotland and Netherlands have been starved of International cricket. The majority of their T20 and ODI games have come against Associates, while they’ve each only played only a handful games against full members (outside of major events). Although Afghanistan and Ireland have both fared better over the same period of time, they have still seen very little cricket against the top teams.
Despite these problems, and the almost ‘us against the world mentality’, Associate cricket has gone from strength to strength in terms of quality of cricket and results. Ireland and Afghanistan immediately spring to mind as the top teams out there, those most capable of mixing it up with the big boys of international cricket. The game isn’t just about then though. Other teams have come to the fore with recent performances. Teams such as UAE, Nepal, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Scotland.
What is so special about this World T20?
Associate cricket is an underdog story. If the first round of the World T20 is anything, it’s an advertisement for the inclusion of Associate teams going forward. In the opening round of matches, we have seen Oman upset Ireland; while the two full members were pushed to the limit. Scotland ultimately fell to an 11 run loss due to some very good death bowling by Tiripano and Panyangara (Zimbabwe). Heavy favourites to qualify from Group A, Bangladesh beat Netherlands by just 8 runs. This is the same Bangladesh team who comfortably beat both Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup only a week ago. Just yesterday, we saw Afghanistan hammer Zimbabwe. The two best players of the tournament so far, Mohammad Shahzad and Mohammad Nabi simply tore Afghanistan apart. It’ll be very interest to see how they go in the main draw against the likes of England and West Indies. Not only is the inclusion of Associate teams in these tournaments better for the world game, but it’s a chance for the players to chance their arm at obtaining a domestic contract in one of the global T20 tournaments such as the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League and the newly founded Pakistani Super League.
The thing that separates this World T20 from other international events is that it is the last definite chance for Associate teams to perform on the big stage until 2020. With the reduction in the number of teams playing in the World Cup (ODI), it is unlikely that we will see more than one (if even) Associate team on the biggest stage. The World T20 schedule has been changed to a 4 year cycle, rather than the previous 2. In theory, this will increase the value of the tournament, similar to that of the World Cup. The problem is, the biggest damage that will be felt by the Associate teams. With the World Cup being reduced to just 10 teams, the platform for Associate teams to show their worth is already incredibly small. The ICC needs to find some alternative for the World T20 during that lieu period. Regional tournaments and tri-series might be a solution.
With regard to Ireland, William Porterfield, Kevin O’Brien, and Niall O’Brian are competing in their eighth major tournament in 9 years. Much has changed since 2007 when they captured the imagination of the world, beating the likes of Pakistan, Zimbabwe and England.
Although Ireland’s form hasn’t been the best over the last 12 months, there isn’t a need to be overly worried. The structure of Irish cricket has improved vastly. More contracts are being offered almost every year. The new domestic structure has been a massive success in its first year. Victories over full members have become more and more common over time. Yet, despite this, the future of Irish cricket is always in jeopardy. Not because Cricket Ireland aren’t investing enough; nor are Ireland’s stocks getting smaller. The exact opposite actually. The squad depth is better than it’s ever been. But, the ICC is still closing the door on Ireland. Even bigger than that; the ICC are closing the door on a whole group of Associate teams.
What is devastating is that exciting young players such as Andy McBrine, Andy Balbirnie, Stuart Thompson and Craig Young will not be given the same opportunities as the likes of Porterfield and the O’Brien brothers. Even George Dockrell and Paul Stirling who have been around for a number of years are slowly being shut out from the game. The consistency with which Ireland and the other associates upset the test teams makes the ICC’s future plans absolutely mind boggling. Cricket is never going to get a bigger profile in any of the associate nations by confining them to play among themselves. The short-sightedness with which the ICC attempt to protect the test nations from embarrassing losses against smaller nations is going to lead to a serious decline in interest worldwide. The alienation of the associates also leads to complacency on the part of the Test nations. The current problems we see today in West Indian cricket may be solved much quicker if there was a risk that they could lose their status due to poor performances during periods of player strikes. Similarly Zimbabwe are just getting back to playing regular cricket again now and although I love to see them play well against the bigger teams, it is hard to feel like they are not being favourably treated by the ICC. They have nothing that Ireland and Afghanistan do not have except that they have been a test team for a long time. I believe we are currently at a stage where the leading associates are as good if not better than Zimbabwe. The ICC fear what will happen if the associates are consistently beating their ‘elite’ counterparts and have so come to the only solution….prevent them getting any better.
The other team which stands alongside Ireland, with an even more heroic rise to the top is that of Afghanistan. Like Ireland in 2007, Afghanistan have almost come out of no where. They have a team packed with experienced players, some who have some invaluable experience in Pakistani cricket. One thing I will say is that I would be very surprised if Afghanistan don’t pick up a win in the Super 10s.
While Ireland and Afghanistan are undoubtedly the leading Associate outfits at the moment – there are a number of other teams who are knocking on the door. Teams such as Netherlands, Oman, UAE, Hong Kong and Scotland are more than capable of performing on the biggest stage. Only yesterday Scotland recorded their first win in a major ICC organised tournament. Netherlands have been around for a long time, much longer than both Ireland and Afghanistan. Their international history has ebbed and flowed over the last number of years, but they certainly have a lot of classy players littered throughout their squad. Anyone who tuned in today would have seen the Dutch cut through the Irish batting line up with ease. Is this because Ireland have taken a step backwards? I really don’t think so. I think it’s the other Associate teams who have started taking massive strides forward. These teams are slowly but surely getting more experienced players & better squad depth. These teams also need county teams and other domestic teams and franchises to take a chance on their players.
Oman have just broken on to the scene, and have already proven their worth by beating Ireland in their first match of the World T20. It’ll be interesting to see how then go against Bangladesh later today! The team with an almost meteoric rise over the last number of months are the UAE. After winning the Asia Cup qualifier, UAE won the chance to play against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & India. Already the UAE went without a win in the tournament, they created a lot of problems for Pakistan, who managed to hold on only thanks to a fantastic innings from Umar Akmal. The challenge is to ensure that these teams don’t merely fade away into the shadows, similar to the faith that the likes of Canada and Kenya have suffered.
Can the ICC really afford to shut out the Associates? I want to see the likes of Mohammad Shahzad, Mohamamad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Kyle Coetzer, Preston Mommsen, Stephan Myburgh, all the Irish players I’ve mentioned above, mix it up with the big boys.
The Solution?
It’s easy to talk about the problems and everything that’s going wrong – the difficult thing is finding a solution to these problems.
At the moment, the ODI world rankings place both Ireland and Afghanistan above of Zimbabwe. Only 12 teams are ranked. What about Netherlands and Scotland? Teams such as Oman, UAE, Hong Kong, PNG and Nepal are in early days of their development. They have made their impact, but they need to stick around a little bit longer to show that they’re here to stay. The only way to go is guaranteed fixtures. If the ICC can hold some sort of Associate tournament, with the reward of guaranteed fixtures against the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, it can only prove beneficial for all stakeholders. One possible, somewhat tricky idea is to create two divisions of cricket. Similar to that which has been suggested for Test cricket going-forward. The difficult side of the coin is that boards may object to this. After-all, money talks. The benefit? Teams are guaranteed fixtures. There is no more playing for ranking, rather teams are playing for their promotion to the upper tier. This would allow the top teams to keep on their toes and to avoid complacency.
Re-open the World Cup to 12 or even 14 teams. What about the World T20? Why did Bangladesh and Zimbabwe even have to qualify for the tournament, if they’re already full members. It would make a lot more sense to have all 10 full members qualify for the tournament immediately, while the remaining Associate teams battle it out for an extra 2 or even 4 places. The T20 game is designed to be short and snappy. Teams can comfortably play 5 games in 10 days without any problem. If anything, this would only add even more value to the tournament and increase the intrigue.
Set a standard number of ODIs and T20s for Associate members to play per year. Geographically, it makes sense for Ireland to host teams which travel to England for summer tours. This summer Ireland will benefit with fixtures against both Sri Lanka and Pakistan. But what about a tournament, maybe the ‘European Cup’? Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland & England. The problem is, the ECB don’t see the financial rewards, so interest immediately drops.
If anyone wants to check out Preston Mommsen’s comments on Associate cricket, I’d recommend you check it out! Check the link below: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/980827.html
And here’s Peter Borren as well!
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-world-twenty20-2016/content/story/981269.html
Ones to Watch – The Bowlers
With the World T20 nearly upon us, I want to take a look at a few of the young guns who are set to take the world by storm. For some, they are well-established names in international cricket at this stage. However, due to their recent climb up the cricketing ranks, there might be a lot of people who haven’t actually seen them in action yet.
All I can say is that in a few weeks’ time, you’ll know their names, and they aren’t going away any time soon.
Kagiso Rabada
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 4 months, you’ve heard of Kagiso Rabada, The Gazelle of Doom.
There is no doubt about it – Kagiso Rabada is the most exciting prospect in international cricket at the moment. His rise to the top has been more remarkable than anyone could have predicted.
Unfortunately for the visiting England (last month), they were on the receiving end of KG at his very best. Ultimately, he finished both the Test series and the ODI series as top wicket-taker, despite missing the first Test. Although he only took 2 wickets in the 2nd T20I, it was the manner in which he took them that would have got international batsmen worried. Both times he got the ball to nip back in and skittle the leg-stump. That opening over to Jason Roy was a treat to watch. KG continued to deliver unplayable ball, after unplayable ball. He managed to beat Roy’s edge twice in the first over before hitting that killer ball.
Anyone who saw him line out against Australia will have seen much of the same. His consistency has been key to South Africa taking wickets at the top of the order. Regardless of the situation, he seems completely unnerved. Any bowler who can bowl two at the top and two at the end of an innings is going to be a huge asset.
If he and Dale Steyn can both fire, South Africa have a very, very good chance of bringing home the gold.
What makes him so good? He’s aggressive. He doesn’t just try bowl line and length and try bore a batsman out of the game. KG wants to take wickets one way – bowled. And boy, there is no better sight!
What to expect? He will take wickets. No doubt about it. Expect to see a lot of stumps flying.
Jasprit Bumrah
IPL fans will have known about Jasprit Bumrah for a long time. However, only in the last three months has he gotten the chance to showcase his talent on the international stage. In that time, Bumrah has stood head and shoulders above his Indian counterparts.
Despite playing just 11 T20I games to date, he’s probably one of the first names on the team sheet at this stage. In his 11 games to date, he’s gone wicket-less just once. Funnily enough, this is the only time that he’s batted as well, such is the quality of the Indian higher and middle order.
Unlike KG, he doesn’t possess lighting pace, but he can get the ball to nip off the surface. Sometimes, this can be even harder to read as the batsman is forced to try generate the pace himself.
Anyone who caught some of the India v. Pakistan game will have seen Bumrah throw down 18 balls, 16 of which were dots. With an economy of just 6.30, he could very quickly become India’s most important bowler in the World T20. If someone has told you a few months ago that a pacer could be more important than the likes of Ashwin in a home tournament, you’d have called them insane.
Importantly for India, aside his IPL counterparts, a lot of India’s opponents won’t have faced Bumrah before.
What makes him so good? He offers a lot of variety. His ability to dry up the runs means that he can operate as both an attacking and a defensive bowler. He can also bowl at the death, something which India haven’t always been the best at.
What to expect? Consistent line & length, a low economy and a lot of Yorkers.
Mustafizur Rahman
Anyone who follows cricket, even casually will have heard of Mustafizur Rahman, the most exciting prospect in Bangladesh at the moment. In the shorter format, Mustafizur announced himself to the world with a spectacular 5 wicket-haul against India. In his second match? 6 more wickets. His form has coincided with some of Bangladesh’s most historic series victories as well. Bangladesh’s victims include South Africa and India – two tournament favourites.
He has been incredibly effective in drying up runs – which has undoubtedly contributed to wickets for his fellow bowlers. On pitches which have been known to offer a lot for the batsman, having a bowler who can dry up one end can be hugely important. Mustafizur’s pace could also be very problematic for batsmen. He has an incredibly dangerous slower ball, not too dissimilar from James Faulkner.
He’s currently sitting out of the Asia Cup with a side strain; however it is expected that he will recover in time for the World T20. If he isn’t at full fitness, Bangladesh’s chances will suffer a massive hit.
What makes him so good? He bowls a nagging line and length – that can be incredibly difficult to read. Bowlers very often find themselves caught between playing and leaving.
What to expect? Lots of nicks, a lot of edges. Indian pitches will reward bowlers who can get the ball to move out of the hand. The men behind the stumps will need to be on their game.
Martin Crowe – One of the Best
The Gentleman Cricketer.
The news of Martin Crowe’s passing overnight came as a shock to the whole cricketing world. Tributes began to pour in and memories of the New Zealand legend were shared around social media. The untimely passing reminded me a lot of that of Jonah Lomu last November. In the space of 5 months, New Zealand have lost their two greatest sportsmen.
Arguably the most telling tribute to Crowe was that of Wasim Akram, describing him as ‘the BEST I ever bowled against’. That coming from a man who has bowled to many of the cricketing greats over the last number of decades, including the like of Botham, Tendulkar and Lara. Another Pakistani legend, Inzaman-ul-Haq, considered Crowe as one of the three best batsmen he had ever seen; alongside the illustrative company of Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting. Crowe was well loved by his peers, and will be fondly remember by all those who were lucky enough to see him play (and those who still have Youtube footage to look back on).
Born into a cricketing family, Martin Crowe would rise above all expectations and become the greatest cricketer that New Zealand have ever produced. I am too young to have ever seen him play live; I have however watched highlights of dozens of matches, both Tests and ODIs. I have also followed his work after retiring as a player, become a renowned broadcaster and commentator.
Despite the hugely impressive numbers he has posted, the best ever, Martin Crowe represents much more. With a bat in hand – Crowe was a natural stroke-maker. He didn’t rely on any trick shots, his game wasn’t unorthodox, but it was special. Crowe’s impact to the game of cricket goes much further than what he accomplished with a bat in hand. As captain of the New Zealand cricket team, Crowe employed innovative and unorthodox techniques. Not too dissimilar from the tactics employed by Brendon McCullum during his tenure as NZ captain. McCullum himself has been credited with revitalising and reinventing the shorter format of the game, particularly noted during New Zealand’s impressive 2015 World Cup campaign.
T20:
Something which I’ve previously written about – T20 cricket is the reason I first started following the great game. T20 cricket was possible because of pioneers like Martin Crowe. Crowe conjured up a (now defunct) format of the game called Cricket Max. A number of international games were played between 1997 and 2003, before the format was effectively replaced with Twenty20 cricket. Without Crowe’s desire to go out on a limb and try something different, the most lucrative and, now most popular format of the game might never have existed. For the cricket traditionalist, that might have suited them. To me, Twenty20 cricket is something special. It’s a chance for families or friends to get together for a few hours and watch a game of cricket through. Without Crowe, that may not have been possible. Without Crowe, cricket might have stayed in the shadows.
How many people can say that they personally invented their own format of the game? Pretty special alright.
The Records:
A great sportsman is often defined by the records he breaks; or even the records he sets. For Martin Crowe, the records speak a thousand words. In 1995, forced to retire by injury – Crowe had amassed the most Test runs for New Zealand, posted the highest individual score, the most Test 50s and the most Test centuries. To this day, Crowe is still, fittingly, the New Zealander with the most Test centuries. With 17 Test centuries, Crowe sits 4 centuries clear of both Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. In years to come, I would be surprised to if KW isn’t sitting up there with Crowe himself. Crowe also held the record for the highest score (299 vs. Sri Lanka) by a New Zealander for more than 23 years, before being overtaken by Brendon McCullum in early 2014. Crowe was given the most prestigious award possible in 1985 – aged just 23 years – Wisden cricketer of the year. Again, Crowe sits with highly regarded company.
Crowe eventually succumbed to his persistent injuries; forced to retire at just 33 years of age. Despite finishing his career early, Crowe had amassed more than 10,000 runs in international cricket. In Test cricket, he sits behind only the recently retired Brendon McCullum and Stephen Fleming. That said; Crowe had played substantially less games than both.
Crowe’s last outing on a cricket pitch, saw him inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. The very last game of international cricket that he attended was the World Cup final, where New Zealand ultimately fell at the final hurdle. However; this was by no means a failure. The previously unfancied New Zealand had taken the world by the scruff of the neck with their brand of cricket. Crowe himself described the match as the ‘personal cricketing highlight of his life’.
One of the most insightful cricket articles I have ever read was actually written by Crowe and I recommend that any cricket fan have a read of it (follow the link below): http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/693959.html
While we mourn the death of a cricketing great, we thank him for everything he has done for the game, for the entertainment and for providing the template on which world cricket has grown.
‘’When folks ask me what the meaning of success is, I reply that it’s accepting who you are.’’
RIP Legend.
**Credit New Zealand Cricket (picture above)
Ireland – Taking the World by Storm
The World T20 is fast approaching. In just two weeks time, Ireland will set out their campaign to reach the main draw of the tournament. Before that, they face the tricky Qualifier stage. In this blog I just want to take a look at Ireland’s squad, how I’d like to see them line-up and the teams that stand in their way.
Form
Ireland’s form leading up to the World T20 is a little bit indifferent. Following a huge victory over Papua New Guinea in the Inter Continental Cup, Ireland stuttered through to a 2-1 T20I series victory, followed by a drawn series versus the UAE. That said, the pitches in Townsville were a little unpredictable, while UAE are a team on the up at the moment. Ireland did also use the two series as a means of testing out a number of different combinations as a means of identifying their best team.
Personally, I think this will only serve as an even bigger incentive for the lads. The older players in the squad will recognise that this may be the last ICC world tournament that they are involved in. The reduction of the size of the World Cup effectively removes Ireland from featuring in the 2019 edition, while the ICC have announced that the World T20 will be played every 4 years rather than every 2, after this edition. Players such as Tim Murtagh and Niall O’Brien will be looking to leave their mark.
Outside of the Irish camp, the World T20 2016 provides the perfect platform for the Associate countries to make a statement to the ICC.
The Squad
Ireland’s biggest asset is their experience. Despite their Associate status, the squad boasts 5 players who are featuring in their fifth tournament. William Porterfield is also the second longest standing captain in the tournament. Ireland also have the benefit of fielding a number of players with county cricket experience.
As I mentioned above, the T20 series’ against PNG and UAE served as a chance for the selectors to get a look at a number of players and make their final plans for the tournament qualifiers.
My XI: Porterfield, Stirling, Balbirnie, K O’Brien, N O’Brien, Wilson, McBrine, Sorensen, Murtagh, Dockrell, Rankin
Expected XI: Porterfield, Stirling, Balbirnie, K O’Brien, N O’Brien, Wilson, Thompson, Sorensen, Murtagh, Dockrell, Rankin
Depending on how the surface plays, McBrine may miss out for either Stuart Poyntner or Stuart Thompson. A lot will depend on how the pitches are prepared and if there is real spin on option.
Ireland’s Key Men
George Dockrell
There isn’t much to say about George Dockrell that hasn’t been said. Dockrell has a very good record in India, managing to pick up a number of key wickets in the 2011 World Cup. Since breaking into the Irish team aged just 17, Dockrell has been one of the best bowlers in the Associate game. Despite being aged just 23 years old, he is featuring in his 3rd World T20 tournament. If the pitches offer any spin, Dockrell will pose a potent threat for any bowler. The real test will be against the Bangladeshi batmen, who have the most experience against spin.
Paul Stirling
If any man in the Irish team can lead Ireland to a big score it’s Paul Stirling. Sometimes criticised for trying to go too big too often, Stirling is exactly what Ireland need at the top of the order. If you look across the international game, so many teams have an ‘accumulator / big-hitter’ opening combo. Stirling’s bowling could also prove crucial for Ireland. If Ireland favour a 5 bowler strategy, there may be a need for Stirling to throw down a few overs. Even if he doesn’t pick up wickets, his economic bowling could be a much asset.
Boyd Rankin
The most dangerous bowler in Associate cricket. Rankin is exactly what Irish cricket has been missing for the last number of years, a genuine fast bowler. Ireland are blessed to have him back in the team. His bowling will trouble even the best batsmen. Ireland will need something special to knock over Bangladesh, Rankin might just be that something special. In the two T20I’s he’s featured in since returning to Irish cricket, Rankin has picked up impressive figures of 3/17 and 2/16.
Kevin O’Brien
William Porterfield may be the captain of the Irish team, but Kevin O’Brien is most definitely one of the leaders. A man who always leaves everything on the pitch, KOB epitomises Irish cricket. If KOB can repeat his heroics of the 2011 World Cup just once in the Qualifiers, Ireland will reach the main draw. Despite having a high score of just 42 in T20Is, his batting is the perfect middle order foil. His bowling can’t be underestimated either, as he showed by clawing the UAE back just last week. He doesn’t smash the ball into the pitch, but he can certainly help dry up the runs and frustrate a batsman.
The Draw
Unfortunately, Ireland have yet again been drawn in the more difficult qualifier group. That said, in previous ICC events, particularly the 2011 World Cup, Ireland proved that they weren’t set to be the group whipping boys. Ireland have however struggled somewhat in the shortest format of the game on the biggest stage. Their most memorable performances (Pakistan, England, West Indies, Zimbabwe) have all come in ODI matches.
Ireland have been drawn against the stronger of the two full-members, Bangladesh; Netherlands and Oman. All matches are bound to be crackers. Ireland have however been separated from the strongest (other) Associate team, Afghanistan.
The Location
All of Group A’s Qualifier Matches are set to be played in Himachal Pradesh Cricket Stadium in Dharamsala, the most Northerly stadium being used in the tournament. For anyone who has followed the IPL, Kings Punjab XI have played a number of games in the stadium. What stands out most is that the stadium is almost 1,500m above sea-level.
What does this mean? When you hit the ball, it stays hit!
The ground is a bit of a mystery, with just 8 IPL matches, a handful of ODI matches, only one single T20I game having been played in the stadium. Any match that I’ve watched in the stadium has favoured the batsmen. Some huge scores have been notched up in the ground. The only T20I (India vs. South Africa featured a whopping 399 runs). Pace off the ball could be a huge factor in preventing the batsmen from getting the ball away.
March 9th vs. Oman
Oman are making their debut in the tournament. Oman have had a Nepalese like rise in Associate cricket. Despite being newcomers to the sport (debut in 2002), they have beaten both Afghanistan and the Netherlands on their way to the World T20 Qualifier. Their team is packed with spinning options.
Irish fans would have kept one eye on the Asia Cup Qualifier, with a hope of finding a few weaknesses in the Oman team. They performed admirably in two of their three matches, beating Hong Kong by 5 runs in a tense encounter, before losing to Afghanistan by 3 wickets. In their final match, Oman went down by 71 runs to the much fancied UAE side, who ultimately topped the group and qualified for the full tournament as a result.
Key batsman
The two openers are the best batsmen in the team. Zeeshan Maqsood finished the Asia Cup Qualifier with the 2nd most runs, despite the team struggling overall. Pressure has been heaped on Maqsood with Jatinder Singh struggling of late. If Ireland can knock him over cheaply, Ireland should steamroll to a big victory.
Key bowler
This is the tricky bit. Oman don’t really have a single bowler who has stood head and shoulders above the other. They have a crop of spinners, who will prove effective if the pitches offer up anything. They’re best looking bowler however is a medium-pacer. Mehran Khan has twice picked up a 3 wicket-haul against Afghanistan, not a bad feat at all. I really feel like this is an attack that Ireland should look to target.
March 11th vs. Bangladesh
Undoubtedly the hardest match in the whole Qualifier round. Afghanistan will have been very relieved to have avoided the Tigers. Looking at their form in the shorter formats over the last 12 months and you’d put them right up there with the big dogs in the tournament. What doesn’t exactly make good reading for any Irish fans is that Bangladesh have won their last 5 ODI series, including victories over Zimbabwe, South Africa, India and Pakistan. They seem to have the perfect balance, with Shakib in the middle order and Mortaza more than capable with the bat down the order. Unlike the Associate teams, knocking over the top order won’t be the breaking of the team.
As they’re currently playing in the Asia Cup, so I won’t want to write too much about them until I see how that tournament pans out.
Key batsman
There are a few to choose from, but it has to be Shakib Al Hasan. Luckily for Ireland, Shakib is struggling for form. In his last 10 T20 innings (for both Bangladesh & Karachi Kings), he has only scored one half century and has been dismissed for 20 of less 9 times.
Key bowler
Mustafizur Rahman has taken the world by storm. Mustafizur announced himself to the world with a 5 wicket-haul against India, which he followed up with an even better 6 wicker-haul. In ODIs he has 26 wickets across just 9 games, and 10 wickets across 8 T20Is. He bowls a consistent length, which will test even the best batsman.
March 13th vs. Netherlands
Another World T20 Qualifier. Another final match against the Netherlands. The Netherlands are Ireland’s longest standing rival in Associate cricket. Memories of than game in Sylhet will stay with Irish cricket fans for a long, long time. Ireland had a chance to avenge that defeat in the Qualifiers last July, however they struggled to do so. The Netherlands are in a bit of a lull in international cricket, but they always seem to bring their best against the Irish.
The squad includes a number of established players in the International circuit. The loss of Ryan ten Doeschate, arguably the most gifted player to have featured for the Oranje, a few years back definitely hurt. Despite this losses, their squad is still mightily impressive. With players such as Borren, Bukhari, Tom, Cooper, Ben Cooper, Roelof van der Merwe, Michael Rippon and Stephan Myburgh, Ireland will need to be on the top of their game. Their batting is undoubtedly their strength.
Key batsman
When I first published this blog, I chose Stephan Myburgh as the man to watch, despite his indifferent form of late. Irish fans will remember his 63 off just 23 balls for a long, long time. However, this morning (25th February), it was announced that Tom Cooper had rejoined the Netherlands squad for the tournament, having previously ruled himself out of international cricket in order to focus on obtaining more lucrative domestic contracts. Like Myburgh, his form isn’t the best of late.
Key bowler
No competition, Roelof van der Merwe. Van der Merwe has an unbelievable about of experience. Having qualified for Netherlands in 2015, van der Merwe has also played for South Africa, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Brisbane Heat. His experience in Indian conditions could be a huge factor.
Verdict
What will it take for Ireland to qualify for the main draw? The least Ireland can hope for are two convincing wins and a narrow loss to Bangladesh, in the hope that either Oman or Netherlands can provide an upset against the Tigers. Irish fans will remember that Ireland were unfortunately eliminated from the 2015 World Cup on run-rate.
Oman – big win.
Bangladesh – it’ll take a massive performance, a slice of luck, but our lads are more than capable of pulling off an upset.
Netherlands – a much tighter game than the Oman match, a win which goes down to the wire.
World T20 Preview
With the World T20 quickly approaching, I thought it best to fire up a preview of the tournament and how I feel like each team are lining up. I just want to have a quick look at their respective squads; their strengths; weaknesses and how I expect them to fare.
I’ve only taken a look at the 8 Full Members who are already qualified for the main stage of the tournament; I’ll get a preview of the Qualifiers up ASAP.
India (23/10)
Unsurprisingly India are outright favourites for the home tournament; the odds have even shortened despite the recent loss to Sri Lanka in the first game of the 3 match series. That said, India’s record in the shorter format (particularly at home) is phenomenal. It doesn’t hurt that they often keep their best for tournaments such as these.
The cricket cynics will hate to hear it, but the winning of this tournament may well rely on who has IPL experience and who doesn’t. The Indian team is packed full of players who have tasted a lot of success in the domestic competition over the last number of years. The batting line-up is probably the strongest in the tournament; the bowling is a little suspect. Bumrah is in a great vein of form and will need to continue to perform if India are to have a chance of winning the competition.
Squad: MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya.
Best XI: Dhawan, Rahane, Kohli, Raina, Dhoni, Pandya, Jadeja, Ashwin, Shami, Bumrah, Nehra
Verdict?
The batting line-up is one that no bowler would look forward to facing (Dhawan, Rahane, Kholi, Sharma, Raina, Dhoni).
The team has a lot of depth in terms of spin bowling; however they look to be a fast bowler light. Would Bhuvi have been a better inclusion? If their seamers struggle, India won’t stand a chance.
A lot of people see them as invincible at home, but at such a short price, I wouldn’t back ’em.
Australia (5/1)
It’s not a huge surprise that the bookies have Australia as the second favourites, especially considering their success in the shorter format over the last number of years. On the face of it, Australia appear to have the perfect balance of experience and youth in their squad, with power hitters littered throughout the team. Another huge positive for Australia is their ability to field both Watson and Marsh, which can lengthen the batting order and take pressure off the bowlers.
All-rounders are the order of the day. Faulkner is a very handy player to have down at 8 (he should arguably be higher) and is considered one of the best bowlers in the short format. Indian pitches will favour spin bowlers, and seamers who can execute the slow ball.
Peter Nevill is a very strange inclusion. With no international one-day experience, it’s hard to decipher why he was given the nod over Matthew Wade.
Squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Andrew Tye, Shane Watson, Adam Zampa.
Best XI: Warner, Finch, Watson, Smith, Marsh, Maxwell, Nevill, Faulkner, Zampa, Hastings, Hazlewood
Verdict?
Lot of power hitters – if Australia get off to a good start, they’re near impossible to catch (particularly Warner and Watson). Their batting is definitely their strongest suit.
Spin bowlers are questionable with little or no experience in India. Would Lyons have been a better option?
West Indies (6/1)
Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.
For anyone who has been following the news lately, or even over the last number of years; West Indian cricket is in disarray. The WICB is an incredibly poorly run organisation. The suspension of Phil Simmons in September 2015 showed how poorly aligned the system is. Fast-forward 5 months and they’re at it again. The board is currently in a stand-off with the players over their contracts (which on the face of it, are farcical).
If everything does get sorted out, they’ll be able to field a full strength team. If they don’t; it looks like a fully new squad will have to be sent to India.
If they stick with their squad?
It’s hard to know what to make of the West Indies. On 1 hand, they’re the number 2 ranked team (were number 1 up until yesterday). That said, places 2-6 are only separated by 3 points (or rating). The West Indies squad is the second most experienced in Indian conditions (only after India themselves). Chris Gayle has arguably been the best batsmen to feature in the IPL, ever.
Other players such as Darren Sammy, Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons and Sunil Narine all have had successful careers in India. Andre Russell is in the form of his life; Narine is unplayable in Indian conditions and Badree has been one of the most under-rated players in domestic T20 cricket over the last number of years.
If they don’t?
It’s hard to know who’ll make up squad, but they won’t get out of their group.
Squad: Darren Sammy, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor
Best XI: Gayle, Simmons, Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Russell, Holder, Badree, Narine, Taylor
Verdict?
With a full strength team, the West Indies are worth a punt. It’s just impossible to predict how this whole contract situation will sort itself out / explode even further.
Player’s won’t be in the mindset regardless.
South Africa (6/1)
Placed in Group 1, the easier of the two groups, South Africa have a very good chance to reach the semi-finals at least.
The three biggest issues for South Africa are;
- 1) Have South Africa finally have an all-rounder who can bowl a number of tight overs (Morris)
- 2) Will Dale Steyn be fit? Or will be break down again?
- 3) Will this be the tournament that they can overcome the pressures of the semi-finals?
I would have preferred to see Eddie Leie in the squad than Phangiso. This was probably Leie’s best chance to make his mark on international cricket.
JP Duminy’s form leading up to the tournament isn’t the best, however he is very experienced in India. Similarly, one look at his stats and it’s easy to see why he should be in the team. Is capable of throwing down a few overs as well to take the pressure of the front-line bowlers.
Squad: Faf du Plessis, Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Chris Morris, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, David Wiese.
Best XI: De Kock, Amla, du Plessis, AB, Miller, Duminy, Morris, Steyn, Rabada, Tahir, Abbott.
Verdict?
Looks like a much more balanced team with Morris.
A lot will rest on Tahir’s ability to bowl economically and chip in with a number of wickets.
If Steyn goes down, their bowling looks a very light.
England (13/2)
At 13/2, England are a very useful outside bet. This England team is not the same as the one that struggled in the 2015 World Cup. Since the failed World Cup campaign, England have adopted a much more attacking approach, to great effect. Jason Roy and Alex Hales at the top of the order finally provide England with openers who can give it a whack. A lack of experience in India for a lot of these players may prove crucial.
The inclusion of Liam Dawson was pretty surprising; especially considering that Bayliss said that he’s never seen him play. What is more surprising is that England already have two spinners in their squad, both who are very capable with both bat and ball. Was there a need for another spinner?
The inclusion of Finn is dependent on his fitness; if he doesn’t come through, will it be Woakes or Broad to get the nod? For me it has to be Woakes! I was surprised that he wasn’t in the squad in the first place; but then again very few expected to see Liam Dawson get the nod. Woakes didn’t have a great Test series against South Africa, but his T20 stats speak for them-self; batting average in excess of 28 and a bowling average under 27. Not bad stats for an all-rounder by any means.
Anything less than a semi-final will be a failure.
Squad: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey
Best XI: Hales, Roy, Root, Morgan, Buttler, Stokes, Ali, Rashid, Jordan, Willey, Finn
Verdict?
We might just see an Irishman lift the trophy on 3rd April.
The only problem I see on the face of it is the lack of experience in Indian conditions.
The above XI provides batting down to 10, 4 pacers and 2 spinners; a lot more than many teams have to offer. James Vince is knocking on the door if any of the batsmen struggle.
The squad has a number of good batsmen (Billings & Vince) in reserve, with Topley ready to step up should one of the seamers struggle.
Worth a flutter for sure!
New Zealand (8/1)
Why Brendan McCullum has chosen to retire before the World T20 is beyond me. The man is the master of the shorter format, with vast amounts of experience (and success) in Indian conditions. Were he playing, I would put New Zealand as near favourites for the tournament.
How New Zealand adapt will be interesting; but I don’t see them taking their foot off the peddle. Indian pitches encourage batsmen to come down the field and take it to bowlers. Of all the full-members, New Zealand are one of the best teams at this. It doesn’t hurt that (despite the retirement of McCullum), they’re still fielding a squad packed with experienced players.
Squad: Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Colin Munro, Nathan McCullum, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Best XI*: Guptill, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls, Elliot, Anderson, Ronchi, Santner / McCullum, Southee, Boult, McClenaghan
*probably the hardest XI to pick
Verdict?
Williamson, Taylor, Anderson, Southee and Boult are all very experienced in India. Whether New Zealand know their best XI may be one of their biggest problems.
A lot will rest on Santner / McCullum and Anderson to bowl some tight overs.
Sri Lanka (11/1)
On Tuesday, an understrength Sri Lankan side convincingly beat India, on home soil. Sri Lanka were without a number of the usual starters (Dilshan, Matthews and Malinga).
Admittedly Sri Lanka are always a strange one to watch, but they are defending champions and won’t give up their crown easily.
Another important factor sees Sri Lanka placed in the weaker of the two groups, so a semi-final must be the absolute least for them.
Squad: **not yet announced – will update at a later date**
Best XI: **will update when the squad is announced**
Verdict?
11/1 is worth a punt. They’re defending champions; ranked number 1 in the format (at the time of writing). It doesn’t hurt that Sri Lankan conditions are too dissimilar to those in India.
A lot will also depend on which Lasith Malinga shows up – on his day he’s the best T20 bowler in the world. Over the last 9 months he’s struggled somewhat for form however. That said, India is where he has produced some of his best spells of bowling.
Pakistan (11/1)
Of all the teams in international cricket, Pakistan are the hardest to read. On their day, Pakistan are capable of beating any team.
Rather surprisingly, Pakistan don’t have a single full-time spinner in their squad. A lot will rest on the likes of Afridi, Malik, Nawaz and Wasim to up their game. The loss of Yasir Shah is a massive blow to the team.
Something which I wrote about recently was the return of Amir, and how he will perform going forward. Although he hasn’t quite lit up the world yet, I don’t doubt that he’s slowly but surely working his way back to his best.
Squad: Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Khurram Manzoor, Rumman Raees
Best XI: Sarfraz, Hafeez, Malik, Afridi, Umar Akmal, Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Wahab, Anwar Ali, Amir, Irfan
Verdict?
This may well be Afridi’s swansong in international cricket, or at least in a major international tournament. It’s the perfect stage for him to go Boom Boom one last time.
Irfan, Wahab and Amir are all are good bowlers; however each can tend to be a little enigmatic at times.
A lot of things will have to come together for Pakistan to win the competition.
India’s Young Guns: Iyer, Sarafraz & Samson
I will however have a quick look at the three of my favourite emerging Indian players, who I expect big things of in 2016. I’d be very surprised if these three guys don’t make their stamp on the IPL this year, knowing that there is a real chance for them to break into the Indian national team over the next 12-18 months.
As I mentioned in my last post, Test cricket is the holy grail of the international sport. A lot of traditionalists look towards the T20 leagues (such as the IPL and Big Bash) with a lot of displeasure. Regardless of your preference, all forms of cricket are cricket. Just like different types of music; some like it, some loathe it. It doesn’t mean that it’s bad or wrong, it’s just not for you.
Arguably the greatest success of the IPL is the foundation it provides for young and uncapped players to make a name for themselves and perform under pressure. It doesn’t hurt that they get to face up against the best bowlers in the world while earning a tidy wage.
Without trying to sound too cliché, I have a bit of a love affair with the IPL. The IPL is the reason I first got hooked on cricket. The pace of the game is second to none, with a lot of whacky advertising and moments thrown into the mix. The IPL is also one of the few places that you can see a 44 year old throw the ball down to a 17 year old. Add in Danny Morrison on commentary and you’ve got yourself some first class entertainment!
Three guys who I’m expecting big thing from are Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan and Sanju Samson – each are more than capable of breaking into the Indian set up over the next 12-18 months.
Shreyas Iyer – Delhi Daredevils
If 2015 was the breakout year for anyone, it was Shreyas Iyer.
Scoring 439 runs at an average of 34 is a seriously good return for any player, yet alone a 21 year old featuring in his first IPL tournament. For those who follow domestic cricket in India it’s easy to see why he was rewarded by Delhi with an IPL contract. Iyer finished the 2014/15 Ranji Trophy 7th on the top run scorer list; with 809 runs @50.56.
Fast-forward one year and Iyer has gone from strength to strength. By the time the Ranji Trophy 2015/16 rolled around, Iyer was becoming a household name. However, few would have expected him to reach the heights he did, which included a remarkable 930 runs at an average of 72! Top run scorer in the whole country, not bad at all.
No matter what format you look at, Iyer appears to be a very complete batsmen. The Indian selectors would be insane to keep this guy away from, international cricket. I don’t care what format it is; first class, list A and T20 his figures are seriously impressive The way in which he has dealt with the pressure of the IPL clearly shows that he has the pedigree to perform on the big stage.
Sarfaraz Khan – Royal Challengers Bangalore
While Shreyas Iyer reminds me of Ajinkya Rahane (an accumulator who goes bang every now and again), Sarafraz Khan is more of a stand and deliver batsman. Aged just 17 at the start of IPL 2015, Khan didn’t wait around to show the older guys what he’s capable of.
At the moment, Khan is smashing every bowler who dares take him on in the U19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Scores of 74, 74, 21* and 76 aren’t too bad. Considering the current make-up of the RCB team, Khan’s role will be to provide quick runs down the order. Is he capable of smashing a few quick fire 20s and 30s down the order? You bet he is!
I would be very surprised if the Indian selectors didn’t get Khan into the T20 squad over the next 18 months, despite his lack of experience. If India don’t perform at the upcoming T20 World Cup, a few senior players may seem themselves pushed out of the squad going forward. Unlike some countries, India have never strayed away from rewarding young players who impress in the IPL. Maybe even more important than that is the success of Khan for the U19s.
Sanju Samson – Delhi Daredevils
Despite being just 21 years old, Samson has already featured in three IPL campaigns. One might look at his IPL averages (20, 26 & 26) and question whether he really has it. The simple fact is that Samson has much more talent than he has even shown us so far. It doesn’t hurt that he’s very solid behind the stumps, a position which India aren’t too sure about in Test cricket. Saha hasn’t quite cut it for me. The selectors will and should stick with him for the foreseeable future in order to give him a chance, but I just don’t see him making the grade. In the one day format, Dhoni is the man, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt India to give Samson some international exposure as Dhoni’s future replacement.
The big benefit of Samson’s game is that he is very adaptable; when he needs to stabilise an innings he is more than capable. Similarly, the 30 6’s and 60 4’s he has scored across 3 editions of the IPL shows that he doesn’t struggle to find the boundary when he needs too. I’m hopeful that his move to Delhi will provide him with the chance to improve his figures that little bit more.
Notable others: Deepak Hooda & Hardik Pandya
I’ll get an IPL 2016 preview up as soon as I can!
Ireland’s biggest Test
Since 2012, Cricket Ireland have expressed 1 ultimate goal: to play Test cricket. For any Associate country (non-Test playing nation with Associate status), this is the holy grail of cricket. To the most hard-core or traditional cricket fans, Test cricket is the only form of cricket. I’m not quite as traditional and see the value in both ODI and T20 cricket (particularly the growth it has inspired in countries such as Nepal and Afghanistan). After years of campaigning, as well as making its mark on the international game, Ireland are finally presented with a chance to play the most sacred form of the game.
Their passage? In January 2014 the ICC (in a rare moment of inspiration) announced that the winner of the 2015-2017 ICC Intercontinental Cup will be rewarded with a four match five-day (can we call them Tests?!) series against the lowest ranked Test nation, currently Zimbabwe. The series will be made up of two home matches and two away matches, meaning it’s highly likely that we’ll see some five-day cricket in, presumably Malahide and Stormont in 2018.
Ireland in the World Cup:
Ireland have played in three World Cups to date (2007, 2011, 2015), however there is a very strong chance that they won’t feature in another, at least for the foreseeable future. In each of their World Cup campaigns, Ireland have performed better and better, and beaten a full member. In 2007, Ireland managed to tie their first game with Zimbabwe and more remarkably, beat Pakistan in their second. Ireland managed bowl out a Pakistan line up which included a number of Pakistan’s best ODI batsmen (Hafeez, Younis Khan, Inzaman-ul-Haq, Shaoid Malik and Mohammah Yousuf). It’s difficult to put this into context, but it was undoubtedly one of the biggest upsets in the recent history of Irish sport. For a lot of the Irish public, this was also the first taste of cricket. Ireland ultimately managed to reach the Super 8 stage, where they did not fare as well. One win against Bangladesh was by no means a disgrace.
By the time the 2011 World Cup rolled around, there was a lot more interest, and a lot of dodgy haircuts in Irish cricket. The 2011 World Cup for every Irish fan will be remembered for one simple reason – Ireland pulled off the biggest heist in World Cup history. Simple as. After being battered by a strong English line-up for 327 runs, few people would have expected Ireland to even reach 300, and record a respectable loss. Kevin O’Brien had other plans and led Ireland to victory with the fastest World Cup century, a record which still stands. The win over the old enemy was particularly enjoyable because, well you know! Ireland finished the campaign with another high-scoring win over the Netherlands, although they failed to progress.
Fast-forward to 2015, Ireland’s best performance in the World Cup to date, which included a hugely impressive win over the West Indies, a narrow escape against the UAE and a somewhat lucky win over Zimbabwe (did he touch the rope, didn’t he?). What was important is that the investment in Irish cricket was providing tangible returns. Ireland were playing better and better, competing better and better and wins over full members were becoming less impressive. Why? Well we expect them nowadays.
2019? Well, hopefully the ICC get their act together by 2023. The ICC should took towards to World Rugby (the governing body for rugby union) as to how to correctly expand an international sport. While the ICC continues to restrict expansion, the WR have taken every measure to increase funding to smaller nations and try to grow the game globally. Such ventures include the addition of Rugby Sevens to the Summer Olympics 2016 as well as the rewarding of the 2019 World Cup to Japan (largely seen as a developing team in the world of rugby). The 2019 World Cup will consist of 20 teams, while there are plans to increase the number of teams to 24 or even 32 teams by 2023. In stark contrast to this, the ICC have been seen to reverse the number of teams competing in so-called ‘world events’. In 2011, 14 teams contested the World Cup. In 2015, the same number of teams competed, albeit in a different tournament structure. The 2019 edition however will only feature 10 teams, effectively removing the chance for any associate team to qualify.
Achieving Test status:
Cricket Ireland set a ‘Vision to 2020’ list of goals, which included gaining Test status by 2020; increasing the numbers of participants in the game to 50,000; to reach 8th in the world ODI rankings by 2015; to establish a domestic first-class structure and to reinforce cricket as the 4th-most major sport in Ireland. Over the last 3 and a half years, Ireland have achieved or begun to achieve a number of these goals. Unfortunately it is very difficult for an associate nation to climb through the ODI rankings as their fixture list is limited (in 2016 Ireland are scheduled to only play 6 ODI games).
Without trying to take to many swings at the so called ‘Big 3’, there is a need for these countries to support Ireland’s push for Test status. A number of people have expressed particular displeasure with the ECB, who would geographically be Ireland’s closest ally. While it is not the job of other cricketing boards to lobby on Ireland’s behalf, it is their job as members of the ICC to help grow the game internationally.
Back to the Intercontinental Cup. At present, Ireland stand top of the table with 60 points, the maximum number of points after three games. Ireland have more impressively recorded an innings victory in all but one of their matches so far, which also included a convincing victory against Papau New Guinea (they’ve managed to take 60 wickets across the 3 matches, while only batting four times themselves). Although the remaining fixtures include some of the more experienced and better fancied teams (Netherlands, Scotland and Afghanistan),I am of no doubt that Ireland can comfortable win all the remaining four matches and advance to the all important Test challenge against, well, Zimbabwe!
More Irish cricketers are playing county cricket at the moment than any other associate nations. Ed Joyce has been the standout player in the tournament so far, racking up 2 double centuries already; once again proving why he has been a stalwart of both Irish cricket and English domestic cricket for more than a decade. He may be retired from the shorter format from the game, but while there is chance for Ireland to obtain Test status, he won’t be going anywhere!
Ireland also have their own domestic first-class tournament which again, provides the players with a better basis to acquaint themselves with the longer format of the game. If anything, I would be very surprised if Ireland didn’t go on to record 4 straight wins from here on out.
A final point: Zimbabwe without Brendan Taylor? Let’s have ‘em.
An opinion on Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Amir was involved in spot-fixing, yes. Such scandals bring the game into disrepute, yes. I don’t want to dwell on these issues because in my opinion, Amir was punished accordingly and has served his time. Quite simply, Amir was young. He was undoubetdly drawn into the situation by older, more experienced players who has assured him that everything would be fine. As Michael Holding put it, Amir didn’t go looking for the bookies, he didn’t seek anyone out. Regardless of how you personally feel about the actions of Amir, it is impossible to doubt his skill.
Aged just 23 years old now; 24 by the time Pakistan return to England in summer 2016, time is most definitely on his side. Despite playing just 14 matches prior to his ban, Amir had picked up 51 wickets. Most noteable is that all those wickets were picked up away from home; including Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and England. Amir’s 2nd and 3rd test wickets were that of Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Not bad at all.
In the ill-fated Test Series which saw Amir subsequently banned for bowling a number of fixed no-balls, he was unsurprisingly adjudged the Man of the Series, picking up 19 wickets across the 4 matches, at an average of just 18.3. As a result, Amir became the youngest player to take 50 Test wickets and the youngest player to take a 5-wicket haul in England.
It was reported this morning that Westpac Stadium announcer Mark McLeod has been formally reprimanded for playing a cash register sound effect during the third T20 match between New Zealand and Pakistan, while Amir was reading himself for a spell. Unfortunately, incidents like this are bound to happen for the forseeable future. Although Amir has served his time, a lot of people will continue to use it as amunition against him. It is up to the Amir himself to rise above whatever is thrown at him and make his point with the ball in hand. Thereafter, it is the job of the PCB and other international boards to ensure that incidents such as those at Westpac don’t happen too often. One issue which received a lot of press over the last month was the refusal of senior players, Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez to join up with the Pakistan squad, knowing Amir was a member. They believed that his actions are inexcusable and highly damaging to Pakistani cricket. Fortunately, this issue was resolved and Amir was reintroduced to the team during the T20 Series. Although he didn’t perform particularly well, he did show some of the seam and swing that made him so successful all those years ago.
Right now Pakistani cricket is on the up. They have a number of quality players in Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Yasir Shah (although there is currently a cloud over his head), Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan. Their fast bowling stocks certainly wouldn’t suffer from the addition of Amir. The onus is on the selectors to decide whether they believe that he is ready to take the step up to Test cricket and prove his doubters wrong.
Will we see Amir in England?
I really hope so. It’s just a matter of whether there are enough places for him in the squad.
Junaid Khan isn’t the same player since returning from injury. He struggled during 2015, taking just 7 wickets across 8 matches. Wahab Riaz fared somewhat better, yet still failed to set to cement his place taking just 20 wickets across 14 games.
Umar Gul hasn’t featured in Tests since 2013, however a great domestic (28 wickets in 6 games at an average of just 14.54) season will surely push him back into the selector’s minds.
Imran Khan hasn’t put a foot wrong in international cricket. His numbers don’t set the world alight but he’s consistent in line and length and would provide some respite for the faster bowlers. To date Pakistan have not lost a test in which Khan has featured; surely a good omen? Similar to Imran Khan, Rahat Ali isn’t the fastest bowler in the world. His numbers aren’t too impressive but he is will operate in a similar style to Khan. It is likely that only one of these will make the cut.
The last issue is how many spinners Pakistan will look to include in the squad. Yasir Shah provides a significant problem as it is unlikely whether he will be available for selection during the summer. Babar hasn’t impressed despite selectors showing a lot of faith in him.
theopenerproblem
How do you solve a problem like, on opener? A look back at England’s biggest weakness in light of the Sunfoil Test Series
New series, check.
New opener, check.
Since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, England have unsuccessfully trialed 8 openers to partner Alastair Cook.
Alex Hales recorded just 136 runs at an average of 17 over the course of the four match series. However, there is no doubting his quality. At times he seemed uncomfortable that he was unable to play his natural aggressive game. The big question here is; why shouldn’t he play aggressive cricket? Because it isn’t the English way? Arguably the best opener in world cricket over the past 18 months is none other than David Warner, the most aggressive opening batsman in the modern game. When he played his shots, Hales looked a lot more comfortable at the crease. When he was forced to batten down the hatches and fend off South Africa’s bowling, he didn’t quite know what to do. The big question is whether Hales will get another run out at the top of the order, and if so, how he will look to make his mark.
Hales will look to become the first man since Andrew Strauss to play 10 games at the top of the order alongside Cook. But what happened the other 7 guys who tried?
Those who tried, thosewho failed, those who we won’t see again
Unfortunately age is not on Michael Carberry’s side and it is unlikely that he’ll get another chance to open in Test cricket. It is likely that the selectors will look to younger players, in a hope of providing a long term solution to the opener problem. In contrast to this approach, Cricket Australia has tended to select players on their merit, regardless of their age. Case in point: Chris Rogers & Adam Voges. Both players have been central to Australia’s success over the past 24 months. One particular problem which arises, particularly in relation to Carberry is that people tend to rest too heavily on the stats, rather than the individual performances. Carberry’s stats would suggest that he isn’t cut out to open in international cricket. Games: 6. Runs: 345. 100s: 0. 50s: 1. Average: 28.75. Unfortunately, what the stats don’t show you is that Carberry was one of the few players who provided any resistance against a fiery Australian attack, led by a reborn Mitchell Johnson. What the stats don’t show you is that every English player failed somewhat against an attack on top of their game.
Jonathan Trott is and has been a phenomenal player for England since his debut in 2009 , but he isn’t an opener. Opening is one of the very specialist positions; one which can’t simply be filled by any player with a bit of talent. Similar to Trott, Moeen Ali possesses a lot of talent, but he is not a Test match opener. His best position is down the order, when he acts as an attacking batsman to take it to the bowlers. Outside the England set-up, Stiaan van Zyl was trialed as an opener for South Africa to no avail. A middle order batsman can’t simply be converted to an opening batsman. Although his stats don’t scream ‘world-beater Test opener’, Michael Atherton epitomizes the ideal Test opener. His ability to take the shine off the new ball and build a platform for the middle order was undoubtedly his greatest asset.
Joe Root featured in 5 tests at the top of the order and statistically has been the most successful partner for Cook since Strauss. However, like Ali, Root should not be wasted as an opening batsman. Joe Root is England’s number 4 batsman. He simply doesn’t throw his wicket away, can hold an innings together and can really take it to any bowling line up. It isn’t by mistake that Root climbed to the top of the Test rankings.
The one batsman who I’m most unsure of and somewhat reluctantly include in ‘those who we won’t see again’ is Adam Lyth. Lyth’s test scores are poor, at best. 265 runs in 7 Tests simply isn’t good enough. However, Lyth is still only 28 years old. There is every chance that he returns to County Cricket next summer and leads Yorkshire to another Championship victory and forces his way back into the mix. Similar to Robson (who is discussed below), Lyth has some technical issues which need to be corrected if he wants to gain an 8th test cap. PersonallyI would love to see Lyth get another go, if not based on his scores, but solely on the fact that he is one of the most popular and well liked guys in the English circuit.
Who will get another chance?
Hales will get another chance, at least against Sri Lanka in the summer home series. England can’t afford to drop anotheropener after 1 bad series. Of the 8 trialed openers over the last four years, only Nick Compton has been given more than 7 games to make a claim for himself. Even if Hales manages to average out at 30 across the Sri Lanka series, he will have bought himself at least one more series.
A number of good scores for Nick Compton at number 3 would most likely see him be given another dig at partnering Cook at the top of the order, if Hales were to struggle during summer 2016. Compton is a natural opener, no doubt about it. It’s just a matter of making the most of any possible chance he is given to prove his credentials. The second issue is whether Compton himself has ensured his place in the squad during the summer. Although Compton was one of England’s better batsman over the course of the series, some concerns have been raised in regard to his style of play. Like a typical opener, Compton takes his time. He has no problem batting at a strike rate of 30, while eating up as many balls as possible. The big issue is whether this is an acceptable return for a number 3 batsman. Does this open the door for Gary Ballance?
Another player who may work himself back into Trevor Bayliss’ plans is Sam Robson. The only way that Robson can do this is by going back to Middlesex and putting on some big scores. His 2015 figures are particularly poor and reflect one of his worst seasons in the domestic game. If you put the runs on the board, you can’t be ignored for that long (let’s just ignore that triple century by KP). Similar to Lyth again, Robson has some obvious technical flaws which he will have to work on before he can be considered again. It wouldn’t hurt that he’s Australian, right!? My thoughts, we won’t see him back for a while, but he most certainly has age on his side to give himself a second chance.
Those who we haven’t seen before?
Another man who has age on his side and who I have particular admiration for is Alex Lees. Lees is very well respected by his peers, with Andrew Gale comparing him to the great Matthew Hayden as far back as 2014. What’s so good about him? Aged just 20 years and 95 days old, Lees became Yorkshire’s youngest ever double centurion, smashing 275* against Derbyshire. Is that all? Lees has features in an England Lions squad and has also been rewarded with a call-up to theEngland Performance Programme in 2014. A difficult year in 2015 may have reduced Lees’ stock somewhat, but it certainly hasn’t ruined his chances of pushing for a Test start over the next 18 months. I know I’m repeating myself, but one good season might be all it takes for Lees to become Cook’s next and maybe long-term partner. Notably, Lee’s won the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year award in 2014, recognizing hi
s great year which helped steer Yorkshire to championship victory. It doesn’t hurt that Lees is coached by one of the most respected men in the domestic game, Jason Gillespie.
Although he isn’t a first-class opener by trade, James Vince has opened the batting in the short format of the game. A naturally aggressive player, who has had a number of positive showings for the Lions, Vince could be an attractive prospect. One thing that is certain is that he wouldn’t happily tick along at a strike rate of 30.
Rory Burns definitely isn’t the biggest name in the domestic circuit, but the numbers don’t lie (not this time anyway). Anyone who can score 1019 at 48.52 is always worth a look. Unfortunately Burns hasn’t yet been rewarded with an England Lions call-up, which may bridge the gap from domestic cricket to the international game. Right now, I feel like he’s a good bit off, but his figures mean that he must be included in the conversation.
What about that guy who scored 1311 runs in 2015, at an average of 45.20, Marcus Trescothick?!? Naah.
Whatever England do, they need to back their opener and give them a chance to perform. Whatever happens, no player needs to operate in an environment in which it’s ‘perform within 6 games or get the chop’. The step up to Test cricket is a big enough challenge without the added pressure. The selectors may look to Cricket South Africa for a bit of guidance, who have given Dean Elgar a chance to settle down as a Test opener despite struggling during the early stage of his career. As a result, Elgar has developed into a key member of the South African squad over the last number of months.
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