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As John Hastings is forced to retire at 33, we look at the several Australia fast bowlers who have debuted before the age of 25 and struggled with injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2017Bruce Reid played his last Test at just 29•Getty ImagesBruce Reid
Debuted at 22 years
Last international at 29 years
Games: 27 Tests, 61 ODIsIt was after left-arm quick Bruce Reid’s career ended prematurely that Australia began trying to protect young fast bowlers. Reid, who was 6.6-foot tall, became Australia’s spearhead in the mid 1980s and had an impressive average of 24.63. But his slight frame was put under too much stress by the rigours of fast bowling, and after repeated injuries, he played his last Test at just 29.Jo Angel
Debuted at 24 years
Last international at 26 years
Games: 4 Tests, 3 ODIsAnother 6.6-foot quick, Angel looked a dangerous proposition in his early career, particularly on wickets that offered extra bounce, such as the WACA, his home pitch. While it was below-par performances that saw him dropped from the team initially, it was a succession of injuries that prevented him from making a comeback. He lost some of his pace, though he was still able to have a successful first-class career.Damien Fleming picked up some strange injuries, such as a strained patella•PA PhotosDamien Fleming
Debuted at 24 years
Last international at 31 years
Games: 20 Tests, 88 ODIsDamien Fleming won a World Cup and had some memorable performances in ODIs, but in Tests, his career never took off the way some expected when he announced himself with a hat-trick on debut. Injuries were a major reason for that. When he retired, Christian Ryan wrote of Fleming, “Fleming injured body parts that sounded more like pasta dishes. A strained patella here, a swollen rotator cuff there. Then maybe a stiff neck for variety, or a broken finger, or a bout of knee tendinitis. Fleming had ’em all.”Nathan Bracken
Debuted at 24 years
Last international at 32
Played 5 Tests, 118 ODIsNathan Bracken was injured before he could even make his Test debut. He was in Australia’s touring squad for the 2001 Ashes, but had to go home midway due to a shoulder injury. He became a regular in the one-day squad, but then had to undergo knee surgery. His knee was in such bad shape, the doctor said that during the surgery the cartilage came off like “old paint peeling off a wall”. Despite that, Bracken managed a comeback in limited-overs cricket and even became the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world. He had to reduce his pace significantly and bowled with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps, relying on cutters and slower balls to restrict the batsmen and take wickets. A recurrence of his knee problems forced him to retire early.Shaun Tait’s shoulder-heavy action took its toll on his body•Getty ImagesShaun Tait
Debuted at 22 years
Last international at 32 years
Games: 3 Tests, 35 ODIs, 21 T20IsShaun Tait is one of the quickest bowlers to have played the game and bowled the second fastest recorded ball ever when he sent one down at 161.1kph in a 2010 ODI against England. But the quest for speed and a slingy, shoulder-heavy action took its toll on Tait’s body. Having played just three Tests, he quit the longer format when he was just 25. After further injuries, he retired from ODIs at 28 and focused just on Twenty20 cricket for the rest of his career.Mitchell Starc
Debuted at 20 years
Still active
Games: 36 Test, 68 ODIs, 22 T20IsAt just 27, Mitchell Starc is already being wrapped in cotton wool by Cricket Australia, rested from even series as high profile as one in India so that he can be fit for the Ashes. A list of his injuries provides explanation for the board’s caution. In his short career, Starc has injured almost every part of his right leg, his left knee and shin and sustained a stress fracture in his back. He’s been out for extended spells, the longest one being six months in 2015-16, when he underwent a second surgery on his right ankle.James Pattinson
Debuted at 20 years
Still active
Games: 17 Tests, 15 ODIs, 4 T20IsIn 2011, Australia fans had reason to feel optimistic, with Pat Cummins and James Pattinson both debuting and looking like they would form a dangerous pace attack in the ears to come. But Pattinson picked up serious injuries at an early age. In his short career, he has already spent 38 months out with injuries. A recurrence of chronic back problems ruled him out of the 2017-18 Ashes, and he only returned to playing first-class cricket this November.John Hastings suffered several injuries before a lung condition ended his career•Getty ImagesPat Cummins
Debuted at 18 years
Still active
Games: 5 Tests, 36 ODIs, 18 T20IsAnyone who watched Pat Cummins’ Test debut, against South Africa in 2011, would never have expected that seven years later, he would have played just 14 Tests. Cummins had pace and the ability to get seam movement at a young age, but injuries to his foot and back kept him out for long spells, and he did not play a second Test till 2017, when he made what he called his “second debut”. Australia were, understandably, cautious in ushering Cummins back to international cricket after his early injuries, only considering him for limited-overs games until the India tour in 2017. Since that tour, Cummins has had another back injury, which kept him out of a Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018.John HastingsDebuted at 24 years
Retired from Tests and ODIs, active on the T20 circuit
Games: 1 Test, 29 ODIs, 9 T20IsJohn Wayne “Duke” Hastings started off on the Australian domestic circuit as a 24-year-old, burly fast bowler with an ability to contribute with handy lower-order runs. Hastings was not an express quick like a number of others on this list, but suffered a spate of injuries as his career progressed. Debuts for Australia in both ODIs and T20Is were followed by a serious shoulder injury that ruled him out of the entire 2011-12 season, after which he took to the county circuit, representing Durham and Worcestershire. His purple patch at the international level came in 2016, when his 29 wickets from 15 ODIs made him the top wicket-taker among pace bowlers for the year. A back injury in early 2017 led to his decision to retire from both first-class and List A cricket, and he joined a growing band of cricketers who ply their trade as T20 professionals in franchise competitions around the world. In 2018, a mystery lung condition led to his retirement from all forms of cricket.

James Anderson’s rematch with Virat Kohli was the most hotly anticipated head-to-head of the summer. It exceeded all expectations

Sidharth Monga02-Aug-2018This is an extract from ESPNcricinfo’s Live Report, written midway through Kohli’s innings, and in the immediate aftermath of his epic duel with James Anderson“I’m not sure he’s changed. I just think any technical deficiencies he’s got aren’t in play out here. The wickets just take that out of the equation.”It takes a brave man to say that when the “changed” batsman has scored 655 runs in the series. These were James Anderson’s words when asked about how Virat Kohli had overcome the issues that had plagued him in 2014. India were incensed. India fans hated Anderson for it. R Ashwin had a go at Anderson on the field. As a cricketing statement, if you take out emotion, this was a fair comment: Kohli was scoring all the runs with three things absent: movement, pace in the pitch and a Dukes ball that does things even when old.Kohli v Anderson: Round one went to the Englishman at Edgbaston*till tea on Day 2•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe build-up to the series was all about Kohli against Anderson, regarding which Michael Atherton made the best comment: Kohli is four years wiser, Anderson four years older. Yes Kohli has his issue with that defensive push to balls he could be leaving alone, but Kohli is indeed a much-improved batsman. And Anderson is 36 years old. He is a 36-year-old who remembers the pasting in India. A 36-year-old who beat Kohli’s bat only four times in a whole series in India and had those words he said then to back up now. A 36-year-old with still the best release in the game. A 36-year-old who had been reunited with two of those three ingredients that were missing in India: movement and a Dukes ball.Anderson had bowled seven overs already when Sam Curran removed M Vijay and KL Rahul in the same over to bring Kohli in. Those who covered India’s tour of England in 2011 have a great story to tell. Whenever India lost their second wicket, and no matter where Anderson was fielding at the time, he would start loosening up even as Sachin Tendulkar strapped his gloves on on the balcony. Here Anderson refused to be taken off.His 15-over spell was broken by a solitary Adil Rashid over before lunch and the lunch break. That’s how badly Anderson wanted to have a go at Kohli. What a go it was. He bowled 43 balls of laser-like precision, drawing movement each way. He took four edges – three that fell short, one that was dropped – he had Kohli risking a run-out in a desperate attempt to get off strike, and even nearly bowled him.Look at the pitch map for those 43 balls. There is not one ball on the stumps, but enough with movement back in to threaten them. This is personal. There is Kohli’s ego. He doesn’t want to get out to Anderson, but for that he has to swallow his ego and forget about scoring. He even tries to dominate Anderson early on, driving at two balls, but after one edge short of gully and another mis-hit, he goes back to playing disciplined cricket. He takes his risks against other bowlers. When he can get off strike and face them, that is.Getty ImagesWith Anderson getting the odd ball to move back in, Kohli knows he has to be watchful with every leave. Even getting off the strike involves opening the face, and that is a risk. Anderson is accurate. He doesn’t have the pace of four years ago, but he is deadly accurate. He simply delivers one patient blow after another on the tree. Weakening it every ball, asking Kohli how long he can leave balls alone before he tries a risky drive.Kohli is adamant. He will not repeat that early mistake. Yet the physical and mental demands are huge. Watching every ball so closely for, first, swing and, then, seam movement can be mentally taxing. You leave, leave, leave. Defend the ones that come back in. And once you are sapped mentally, you start to flag physically. Except Kohli doesn’t. He is alert to every loose ball at the other end. He is alert to quick singles. He is physically strong enough to take them.Anderson, though, is a wizard. In the course of these 43 balls, he has thoroughly worked Kohli over. Kohli might have kept himself from driving at Anderson, but he has played on Kohli’s bigger weakness. That defensive prod to a wide ball. If you middle it, it gets you nothing. In the process you leave yourself open to outside edges. Anderson draws one every 10 balls. One falls agonisingly short of gully, and sends Jos Buttler, the fielder, to hospital for scans on the finger. Reminiscent of how Kohli knocked AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis out of the South Africa tour with his outside edge. The second one falls short of a diving Jonny Bairstow and bounces over his glove for four. The third falls short of second slip.This all happens during a spell of play in which Anderson bowls 26 straight balls to Kohli. There hasn’t been anything to get him off strike either. When he tries, he nearly runs himself out. Both of Kohli’s scoring shots off Anderson have come off edges. The 26th ball is the coup de grace. Right in the channel, drawing that Kohli defensive shot, taking a healthy enough edge, but because the edges have been staying low, third slip begins to dive in front of Dawid Malan at second. Perhaps it puts him off. Either way, he drops Kohli.It could have been Kohli caught once again at slip for 21. It could have been India 100 for 6. It could have turned out to be the defining wicket of the series. It is none of the above. This is Kohli’s day. He has all the luck. On a quicker pitch, against a better slip cordon, Kohli doesn’t get out of single digits. To say otherwise – despite the epic effort from Kohli to keep India from folding for 120 – is to deny the existence of that beautiful concept in cricket: luck. To put Kohli’s effort down to plain luck is to deny his fortitude, his mental and physical fitness, his will to be personally the best player in the world and in the process try to carry his team with him.Anderson has to put all behind him, come back for another spell, keep beating Kohli again and again without success, watch him whittle down the deficit with a bloody-minded effort in the company of the tail. He has to forget his bad luck. He has to play like he doesn’t care about these things when he knows fully well that sometimes these things matter the most.

Australia’s four-session battle to save the Dubai Test is part of a select group of such performances by teams batting last, since 2010

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2018

Is Sarfraz Ahmed considering picking the allrounder Faheem Ashraf in place of the offspinner Bilal Asif?

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2018Two months ago, Bilal Asif made a sensational start to his Test career, bagging a six-for on debut to spark an Australian collapse from 142 for no loss to 202 all out. Since then, however, the offspinner’s wicket threat seems to have dulled: in his next seven innings, he has taken only five wickets, at an average of 52.20 and a strike rate of 129.60.In the first two Tests of the ongoing series against New Zealand, Bilal has only taken two wickets in 56 overs. While his economy rate (2.48) has been excellent, he hasn’t come close to matching his spin partner Yasir Shah (22 wickets at 15.81) as an attacking force.Perhaps this has made Pakistan ponder picking an extra seamer in their XI for the third and deciding Test in Abu Dhabi. On the eve of the game, they have named a 12-member squad that includes the uncapped left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi – who is almost certain to replace the injured Mohammad Abbas – as well as the seam-bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf.It raises the possibility that Pakistan could go in with three seamers in Hasan Ali, Shaheen and Faheem, and Yasir as their lone spinner.”That will be decided only tomorrow, we will look at the pitch tomorrow and then decide whether to go with three seamers or not,” Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said on Sunday.Sarfraz hinted that Faheem’s inclusion may also have had something to do with Pakistan’s next Test assignment, their tour of South Africa where they will play three Tests starting with the Boxing Day game in Centurion.”We are trying to give more confidence to Bilal,” Sarfraz said. “The focus is on this Test, [but] of course we have an eye on the South Africa tour, there you will play with four seamers.”Faheem has played three Tests so far, all on Pakistan’s tour of the UK in May-June, where he served a useful function as one of two allrounders in the lower order alongside the legspinner Shadab Khan. He is yet to play a Test in the UAE.Apart from Bilal’s lack of wickets, another reason behind Pakistan mulling three seamers could be Shaheen’s rawness – he is 18, and has only played three first-class games so far – which might necessitate the security of an extra seamer.Even otherwise, Sarfraz is known to favour having three three seamers in his attack, even on the slow pitches of the UAE. In his first two Tests as captain, during the home series against Sri Lanka last year, he fielded Yasir as a lone spinner alongside a three-man pace attack.It was a notable departure from the selection policy under Sarfraz’s predecessor Misbah-ul-Haq, who tended to favour playing a pair of spinners.Pakistan lost both Tests against Sri Lanka, and Sarfraz came in for criticism for the workload Yasir was put through – he bowled 151.5 overs in the two Tests.Sarfraz went back to a 2-2 combination when Pakistan began their 2018-19 home season against Australia, but Faheem’s inclusion in Pakistan’s XII suggests there is a chance of a return to 3-1.

Getting back into the zone is never easy, not even if you’re returning to the Ranji Trophy after compiling one of the greatest overseas performances by an Indian batsman

Hemant Brar in Lucknow16-Jan-2019A meditation instructor once told me the most difficult thing in the world is to do nothing at all. Later, I came to know it was actually a quote from Oscar Wilde, but that did drive his point home: meditation is essentially achieving a state where one is not thinking about anything.”I don’t have any thoughts when I am batting,” Cheteshwar Pujara told after his 193 against Australia in Sydney earlier this month. “For me, batting is like meditation. I try and keep my mind blank. If you have any thoughts in the middle, then you can’t concentrate for long periods.”At the end of the series, Pujara said he would be playing first-class cricket after going back home.

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Monday, January 14, Ekana International Stadium, Lucknow.11.30amSaurashtra are practising ahead of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh, but Pujara is nowhere to be seen. It’s learnt that his flight from Delhi is delayed.One hour has passed and there are murmurs that he may not turn up for training.12.45pmSomeone appears near the boundary. At the pavilion end. In jeans and a striped t-shirt. Dragging a suitcase. Beaming. Smiling ear to ear. Looking so fresh he could have come out of a spa. It’s Pujara.He waves excitedly to his team-mates who are practising in the middle. They wave back. And then Pujara disappears again.12.56pmHe appears again. This time in his training gear. T-shirt, shorts, spikes. A bit of warm-up. A banana. And he’s ready. He takes throwdowns before batting in the nets. The journalists at the ground are talking this up as Pujara vs UP. “We want his wicket, we’ll go all out for it,” UP coach Mansur Ali Khan says.

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On Tuesday, UP captain Akshdeep Nath opts to bat. The day belongs to Rinku Singh, who counter-attacks to make 150 off 181 balls.On the second morning, UP’s lower order frustrates Saurashtra for almost an hour before the visitors bat. In the 11th over of Saurashtra’s innings, Ankit Rajpoot breaks through to remove Snell Patel.A fair sprinkling of spectators stand up in anticipation of Pujara walking out. The official photographer has been instructed to capture his every step to the crease. On video.But it isn’t Pujara who walks out. It’s Vishvaraj Jadeja, who has occupied the No. 3 spot in Pujara’s absence this season, scoring 282 runs in three innings at 56.40. Vishvaraj lasts only one ball, though, nicking Rajpoot behind and leaving Saurashtra 35 for 2.There’s anticipation again. And here comes the moment everyone has been waiting for. Finally, it’s time for Pujara vs UP.Cheteshwar Pujara gets ready for nets•Ekana Cricket Media/ Randhir DevPujara walks to the crease, fist-bumps Harvik Desai, the 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman. He seems to ask Desai about the last dismissal. Desai gestures, seeming to suggest Vishvaraj was done in by an outswinger.Now, Pujara is ready to face. He stretches, arches back, looks at the sticker on the back of his bat.”Where do I focus while concentrating?” makes it to the FAQs of most meditation manuals. Focusing on one’s breathing is a common answer. For Pujara, that focus point seems to be the back of his bat. He looks at it before every ball he faces.When you meditate, your immediate concern is the first thought that crosses your mind. For Pujara, it is Rajpoot’s hat-trick ball. There are four slips in place and he edges it to the fourth. The fielder gets his fingertips to it but fails to grab on.Pujara survives the first stray thought. He gets to the other end with a single.”Whenever I am at the non-striker’s end, I try not to think about anything, just enjoy the moment and still be aware of what is happening around me,” Pujara said in that interview. At the other end, Pujara is trying to re-focus – by looking at the sticker on the back of his bat.Rajpoot is bowling a tight line, in the corridor outside off stump. Pujara is trying to survive. Leaving outside off. Playing out dots. He’s getting beaten as well. In Rajpoot’s next over, he is distracted by something near the sightscreen. He’s definitely not in that zone where a batsman sees only the ball and everything else is a blur.He survives until lunch. Ten minutes before the start of the second session, he comes out to take throwdowns near the boundary.When play resumes, it looks like he’s getting there. Into that zone, or near it. Rajpoot pitches one short and he cracks it past point for four. Then Shivam Mavi pitches one right up, and he caresses it through the covers.Perhaps the 50 or so spectators who have gathered here will now get to watch the Pujara of Australia. The Pujara who blunted Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon. The Pujara who amassed 521 runs at 74.42. The Pujara who looked invincible.Today he’s batting at a level below Test cricket, in Indian conditions. But Pujara knows more than anyone else that nothing is easy. There’s a bit of help for the fast bowlers, and Rajpoot and Mavi are making the most of it. Rajpoot is moving it away, Mavi is swinging it in. One of those inswingers has already nearly breached his defence.And whether you’re in Perth or Lucknow, one thing remains the same: it only takes one ball. Two balls after that cover drive, Pujara fends at a short one near his rib cage, and is caught at square leg.. For 11. His meditation has lasted 28 balls, 49 minutes.Normal life resumes. UP’s fast bowlers share seven wickets, and despite Desai’s 84, Saurashtra end the day 170 for 7 in reply to the hosts’ 385.

Most of India’s World Cup squad has been firmed up, but the competition for the remaining places throws up the familiar question of the No. 4 slot and the second allrounder’s position

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Apr-20199:50

Gloves off: Prithvi Shaw for the World Cup, yay or nay?

The biggest buzz in India right now is over the ongoing general elections but, for a few hours on Monday, cricket fans will be focused on selection – the selection of India’s World Cup squad, which will be announced on Monday afternoon. Here’s your guide to the key questions facing the five-man selection committee, led by former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad.First, who are the certain picks?
There’s no debate over 11 of the 15-man squad. Based on a combination of consistent selection over an extended period, form, seniority and skillsets, the certs are captain Virat Kohli and (in no particular order): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami.So the debate is about the remaining four places?
Yes. And the four are likely to be picked from a pack of six players comprising Ambati Rayudu, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar and Ravindra Jadeja.So the best four players will be picked?
Well, that’s the simple interpretation. But Prasad and Kohli have (separately) stressed that the selectors and the team management are clear about the combinations and it is just the one spot that needs to be filled: the No. 4 slot. And in the past six months more than one contender has emerged.Wait, wasn’t Kohli clear about Rayudu being their chosen No. 4?
Yes. Last October, a month after Rayudu made a strong impression in the Asia Cup (where he batted No.3), Kohli said the Hyderabad batsman was the “right” choice for the No. 4 slot. Rayudu had returned to the Indian dressing room after a successful IPL last year where he had piloted Chennai Super Kings’ run to the title as an opening batsman. Since his return, India have played 24 ODIs, with Rayudu missing three matches.So Rayudu should be the No. 4?
True. However, a couple of statements from Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma earlier this year during the ODI series in Australia and New Zealand revealed the state of confusion in the Indian dressing room, and reopened the No. 4 debate.After the defeat in the first ODI in Sydney, where Dhoni scored 51 off 96 balls – his first fifty since December 2017 – at No. 5, Rohit said the No. 4 slot was ideal for India’s seniormost player, but that was his personal opinion. Then, mid-way through the New Zealand series, Kohli said India were looking to “solidify” the No. 4 position.Why has Rayudu’s position become vulnerable?
In the 20 innings, he has played since the start of Asia Cup, Rayudu batted 14 times at No. 4, scoring 464 runs including one century and two 50s, at an average of 42.18 and strike rate of 85.60. He also opened the batting once and played at No. 3 on a handful of occasions. These are not standout numbers – and the stats, as well as the manner in which he has been defeated by bowlers, has left Kohli and the coaching team, led by Ravi Shastri, thinking about alternatives.Getty ImagesSo who are the other contenders?
Dhoni and Pandya have been tried out at No. 4. Even Kohli can slide down, but he prefers to bat one-down. The other contenders are Rahul, Karthik and Pant. Rahul has played 14 ODIs for India but has received the backing of seasoned pundits like former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who believes the Karnataka player can bat at No. 4. However, the three times Rahul has batted in that position, he has scored 17, 9 not out and 0. The last two scores came during the ODI series in England last year, where Rahul endured a terrible tour, barring a century each in the Manchester T20I, and in the Oval Test.Karthik is vastly experienced but has never managed to cement his slot in the middle order. He is known mostly for cameos in the lower order but has rarely provided the confidence batting higher up. Since the 2015 World Cup Karthik played at No. 4 on nine occasions with four not outs. The 264 runs he scored came at 52.80, at a strike rate of 71.35 and included two half-centuries.And Pant?
The Pant question is the raging debate. While his glovework remains work in progress, his fearless batting could be an X-factor, as seen during the Test series in England and Australia. One advantage Pant has over the other contenders is he is left-handed, which is considered to be an advantage. Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina proved that during India’s successful campaign in the 2011 World Cup.But can Pant be flexible in his mind, be mindful of the situation and bat accordingly? Can you put the pressure on a 21-year-old, who has played just five ODIs, and ask him to bat in a position that, according to Kohli, demands a balance of caution and aggression? All three – Rahul, Karthik, Pant – have the skillset. The selectors have a headache.What about Vijay Shankar?
Yes, Prasad did point out recently that Vijay had added a “new dimension” to the selections. But Vijay is likely to fight more with Ravindra Jadeja for the allrounder’s spot.And does Vijay hold the upper hand?
It is not so straightforward, with Jadeja’s considerable experience being a factor. Vijay has shown he can handle tough situations with the bat, can float in the middle order and has the ability to play the big shots. But he has played only a few ODIs. As a bowler, he is slow-medium, which might not pose a challenge to opposing batsmen in the middle overs, especially with teams upping the ante in that period of play. If Vijay fails to tie up one end, it will add pressure on the spinner at the other end, as was the case during the home ODI series against Australia in March where Kuldeep struggled to dominate.Getty ImagesJadeja has always been used by captains as a defensive bowler, who can execute well most times. He can pair off with Jadhav to bowl the middle overs quickly, and he remains India’s best fielder. The key question for the selectors would then be which player among the two would be more effective on what are likely to be slow pitches during the World Cup.Is there scope for a fourth specialist fast bowler?
It does not fit the combinations Kohli has tried in his captaincy. He prefers having a bowling unit that includes at least one specialist spinner along with three fast bowlers and at least one allrounder.Any dark horses?
Prasad’s team had already shortlisted a pool of 18-20 players from which the 15 will be picked. Some of those darkhorses include Delhi fast bowler Navdeep Saini and Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw.Will IPL form be considered?
Kohli and Prasad have been clear that the IPL form of only those players that have been shortlisted in the World Cup pool will be followed.Who are the five selectors?
The five-member selection panel comprises Prasad, Sarandeep Singh, Debang Gandhi, Jatin Paranjpe and Gagan Khoda.Anything else?
The ICC has allowed teams to make changes to the final squads until May 23.Between the one-month window – April 23 to May 23 – changes can be made to the squads without needing to provide a reason. After May 23, through the tournament, the tournament technical committee will process any requests for squad changes.ESPNcricinfo understands that April 23 is the deadline because that allows the ICC to start the logistical processes of booking rooms, travel, etc, but the 30-day allowance lets teams that are playing series in that period to get their squads up to full strength.

It was not just the runs he scored – 525 – but how whenever he was at the crease the opposition wilted

Saurabh Somani26-Oct-2019″I’m sad I didn’t get to bat in the last couple of matches, where I was very eager to bat.” The twinkle in Manish Pandey’s eyes when he said that matched that in his footwork all through this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy.Pandey is now the captain who has led Karnataka to a major domestic triumph on home ground, a privilege not given to many. He has also been the tournament’s best batsman. There may be four players above him on the run-scorers list – Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinav Mukund, KL Rahul and B Aparajith – but the only real rival he’s had over the past few weeks was Mumbai’s teenage double-centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal. And here’s why.The score Pandey has been dismissed for in the entire tournament was 48. It came against Hyderabad, the only game Karnataka lost in the whole Vijay Hazare Trophy. For a team that boasted a batting line-up of Rahul, Padikkal and Karun Nair besides Pandey, that Hyderabad match showed just how vital their captain was.It was not just the quantum of runs, of which Pandey scored 525 at an average of 105. It was not just his pace of scoring – a tournament strike-rate of 108.02 and 22 sixes, the third highest in the tournament. It was not just that after that Hyderabad game, Pandey ensured he stayed unbeaten in all subsequent chases. It was all this and the ability to look completely the master of the situation every time he batted.Karnataka had Rahul at the top of the order, and though he was coming off a poor tour of West Indies, he was facing bowlers who were a notch lower in pace and quality. Still, he played well within himself, always focused on seeing out the early spells, and opening up only when he was well entrenched. Padikkal was similar in his approach, while Nair – who had begun the season with a glut of runs in the Duleep Trophy – suddenly found them hard to come by in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Manish Pandey takes on the short ball•Associated PressSo Karnataka turned to Pandey, who looked like he had more than one shot to every ball most times. His dismissals always came against the run of play. It wasn’t as if the bowlers had built up pressure, or started troubling him. When he stayed the course, as he did against Chhattisgarh in the league stages after coming in at 25 for 2 in eight overs, he ended up with 142* off 118 balls that completely shut the opposition out. He looked, in short, like a batsman who belonged to a higher level than the one he was playing at.”It was a good season for me,” Pandey said. “I thought, batting at No.4, I had to be there at the end, taking that extra responsibility for the team’s cause.”That Pandey can do it at the highest level, against tough opposition is not in doubt. His stunning century at Sydney in early 2016 to salvage a win for India was evidence of his batting chops. His ‘one step forwards, two steps back’ international career is more a product of bad luck combined with bad timing than a reflection of his skills.So perhaps he can take inspiration from his team-mate, who flew down specially to take part in the semi-final and final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. That Pandey didn’t get to bat in those two games was also down to how well Mayank Agarwal played. In the semi-final against Chhattisgarh, he sauntered to 47 not out in 33 balls, almost casually dismantling the bowling attack. In the final, he was even better. A century seemed there for the taking, but rain meant he had to be content with 69* off 55, an innings that was almost exclusively composed of stunning shots one after another.”Oh look, when an Indian cricketer who has done so well against a nation like South Africa… and he’s played the top bowlers, he comes and plays at this level, obviously it looks far more easy than what actually is happening,” Tamil Nadu captain Dinesh Karthik said about Agarwal’s knock. “You can plan (for the batsman), but at the end of the day you’ve got to give credit where it’s due. He kept us at bay with whatever we could try and throw at him, and made sure he had answers for it.”Karthik could have well been describing any of Pandey’s innings through the tournament. Now all that remains for Pandey is to replicate how Agarwal has transitioned domestic dominance into sustained international success.

BJ Watling faced 473 balls on the way to becoming the first designated New Zealand keeper to score a double in Tests

Shiva Jayaraman24-Nov-20191 – Number of Test innings by wicketkeepers longer than Watling’s 473-ball effort. Sri Lanka’s Brendon Kuruppu had faced 548 balls for his unbeaten 201 against New Zealand in 1987. Click here for a list of the longest innings by keepers in Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd9 – Number of double-centuries by designated keepers in Test matches before Watling’s 205. Watling is only the ninth gloveman to hit a double-century in Tests. Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim has got two double hundreds as the designated keeper.ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 – Number of double-hundreds by wicketkeepers against England in Tests before this. Budhi Kunderan’s 192 at Chepauk in 1963-64 was the previous highest. Watling’s 205 is also the first double-century by a designated New Zealand keeper in Tests. Brendon McCullum’s 185 against Bangladesh in 2010 was the previous best.872 – Balls faced by Watling in his last three Test innings. The New Zealand keeper has batted out 949 deliveries in his six Test innings in 2019. Watling has faced an average of 189 deliveries per dismissal in Tests in 2019, which is the most by any batsman this year. Among batsmen who have faced at least 500 balls this year, Steven Smith is second on this list having faced 151 balls on an average per dismissal.968 – Balls faced by in total by New Zealand’s fifth-wicket pair onwards in this innings – the third most by the last six wickets in any Test innings. New Zealand’s innings lasted 201 overs after they had lost their fourth wicket as early as in the 40th over of the innings. New Zealand feature at the top of this particular list too. Their last six wickets had faced 1055 deliveries in the Wellington Test against India in 2013-14.500 – Balls faced in the stand between Watling and Santner – the fifth-longest partnership for any wicket for New Zealand in Tests. It is also the third longest for the seventh wicket or lower in Tests.2010 – The last time there was a longer innings than Santner’s 269-ball innings by a batsman at No. 8 or lower in Tests. Stuart Broad had faced 297 balls at Lord’s against Pakistan on that occasion. Santner’s innings is the tenth longest in recorded Test history by a batsman at No. 8 or lower.0 – Number of totals by New Zealand against England in Tests higher than their 615 for 9 dec in this innings. Their previous highest was 551 for 9 dec, which they posted at Lord’s back in 1973. This is New Zealand’s ninth 600-plus total in Tests, and the second this year. They had amassed a score of 715 for 6 dec against Bangladesh earlier this year in Hamilton.5 – Number of 600-plus totals conceded by England in away Tests in the last-three years – the most by any team in this period. Bangladesh are the only other team to concede more than one such total playing away.