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Irish batter available under updated Covid protocols following negative test

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2022Paul Stirling is set to become Islamabad United’s second high-profile surprise return in two days, this time for Friday’s eliminator against Lahore Qalandars. If Islamabad win tonight, they will have brought back the opening pair that lit up the opening stages of the season, for the PSL final on Sunday. Multan Sultans will be awaiting the winner of tonight’s game.A tweak in the PCB’s Covid-19 policy for the tournament that allowed Alex Hales to return for Thursday’s win over Peshawar Zalmi will see Stirling immediately eligible to compete. The franchise confirmed in a tweet on Friday that he had returned a negative PCR test. Before the amendment to the protocols, agreed upon by all franchises, anyone arriving from outside Pakistan would have had to quarantine for three days before being allowed to play.Stirling played the first five games of the PSL for United before leaving for international duty with Ireland. He took part in a T20 quadrangular series in Oman and then in the T20 World Cup qualifiers in which, though Ireland lost in the final to the UAE, they qualified for the World Cup in Australia. Stirling’s performances in Oman were not spectacular – he averaged just over 23 with a strike rate of 111 across five games. In the five games he did play for Islamabad, however, he was averaging 37.40 with a strike rate of 181.55. With Hales in tow, the pair were the most destructive opening pair during that first leg, especially in the Powerplay.Hales had also departed the season early, though in his case he cited the mental fatigue of bio-bubbles as his reason for doing so. But he returned for Thursday’s eliminator against Peshawar, with his 49-ball 62 – his third fifty of the season – helping set up United’s successful chase. The innings earned him the player of the match award.As with Hales, Stirling is expected to follow the same distancing protocols and will be kept apart from the team as much as possible, including not having access to the team’s dressing room, staying in a separate area of the hotel and traveling in a separate car to the stadium.

Yorkshire slump to 101 for 5 in second innings to open door for Division One rivals

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2022Yorkshire 428 and 101 for 5 (Duke 17*, Barker 3-22) leadHampshire 225 for 4 (Dawson 61*, Gubbins 58, Brown 52*) by 119 runs Keith Barker gave Hampshire hope of beating Yorkshire at home in the LV= Insurance County Championship for the first time since 2008 with a wicked evening spell of fast bowling.Lancashire-born Barker picked up three for 22 – with Kyle Abbott and Brad Wheal also picking up a wicket a piece – to ignite a match seemingly heading for a draw. Yorkshire slumped to 101 for five, a lead of 119 at the close.Earlier, Hampshire’s last four wickets put on 142 runs, which included a useful 38 from Barker, to frustrate the visitors before they were bowled out for 410. That meant Yorkshire took a slender 18-run first-innings lead, with the teams who started the round in second and third in Division One both picking up six bonus points each.In a juxtaposition of county team-mate Jonny Bairstow’s heroics in the Test match, things appeared to be meandering as Adam Lyth and first-innings centurion George Hill scored 36 in 18 overs. But wickets began to tumble, and trouble followed.Barker picked up Hill pushing to James Vince at a wide first slip and Lyth nicking a classic delivery on a fourth stump line behind. The left-armer then bowled Harry Brook, via a deflection, for 10. It was the first time Brook had been dismissed for a score lower than 41 this season.Will Fraine continued the collapse when Abbott found a patch of exaggerated bounce just back of a length to clip the shoulder of the bat through to keeper Brown.Wheal joined in the carnage when Matthew Waite clipped uppishly to James Fuller at square leg to leave Yorkshire 81 for five before a short rearguard before stumps.At the start of the day, Yorkshire needed to pick up the final six wickets before Hampshire passed the follow-on target, giving hope of repeating 2019’s innings victory here. A new ball 11 overs into the day gave hope of that possibility.Ben Brown and Liam Dawson, who both recorded half-centuries the previous evening, had their 118-run stand ended before the new ball appeared. Dawson was caught at first slip when attempting to drive spinner Dom Bess.Yorkshire’s fielding let them down at various points during the Hampshire first innings. Nick Gubbins had survived a drop and Brown a missed stumping on day two, and that trend continued into day three.Harry Duke fumbled another stumping chance when Brown was on 53 before failing to break the stumps when Brown looked short of his ground. Aneurin Donald was also given two lives by Dominic Drakes and Lyth, which Yorkshire would later rue as they fell a wicket short of a seventh bonus point.Brown departed seven overs into the second new ball when he pushed to first slip. Donald and Barker put on 57 before both fell within three overs; the former lbw to Matthew Revis and the latter bowled while missing a reverse sweep.Fuller and Abbott put on the afterburners to race past 350, the South African flicking the most nonchalant of sixes over mid-wicket before his partner thrice stuck Bess over the ropes. Their 50 partnership came up in just 45 deliveries and eventually reached 74.Jordan Thompson picked up the final two wickets in consecutive overs – Fuller and Abbott both holing out to the short legside boundary – to end up with four for 68.

Jake Doran left the field having felt ill after testing positive for Covid-19

AAP01-Dec-2022Tasmania wicketkeeper Jake Doran left the field feeling unwell after testing positive to Covid-19 and was replaced by Tim Paine on day one of the Sheffield Shield clash against South Australia.South Australia batters Jake Weatherald and Nathan McSweeney scored centuries to put their side in a solid position at 8 for 309 having been sent in to bat by Tasmania.Tasmania named former Test skipper Paine as 12th man but he was brought into the game as a substitute wicketkeeper when Doran left the playing arena.Doran had felt fine at the start of play and took an early catch but was replaced by Paine after taking ill. Paine, who will not be allowed to bat, took two neat catches.Weatherald made 100 and McSweeney (118) scored his maiden first class century.Peter Siddle, sporting a peroxide blonde hairstyle, was a constant threat on his way to 4 for 59 from 25 probing overs.Weatherald and McSweeney combined for a 149-run stand for the third wicket after Siddle struck early to remove Henry Hunt and Daniel Drew.Left-hander Weatherald struck 16 boundaries, including two sixes, and was particularly savage through the off side in a confident counter-attacking innings.McSweeney offered sensible support and was an excellent foil for his more aggressive batting partner before upping the ante. The 23-year-old brought up his century with a sweet on drive from the bowling of spinner Jarrod Freeman.It was a moment to savour for the former Australia Under-19s representative after he was stranded on 99 not out in March when he hit the winning runs in a five-wicket Shield win over NSW.South Australia were 6 for 196 just after tea but McSweeney received excellent support from in-form allrounder Benjamin Manenti and Nathan McAndrew.Weatherald said he was delighted to find form against a class attack.”This year has been a bit of a struggle for me with the bat so it was good to walk out there and play freely and score some runs,” he said. “[McSweeney] was able to absorb an amazing amount of pressure … and batted really well.”Tasmania sit second on the Shield table behind Western Australia after a hard-fought four-wicket win over Victoria in their most recent match. South Australia are second-last with two losses and three draws so far this season.

The opener made 155 out of a second innings total of 291 to leave Victoria a testing target

AAP10-Feb-2025Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield pacesetter Jake Weatherald blazed another big century to put the heat on Victoria ahead of a final-day run chase in Hobart.The hosts began their second innings 22 runs behind Victoria, but the former South Australian opener turned the tables with a blazing 155 off 212 balls on Monday as Tasmania made 291.Related

• McAndrew's 7 for 11 blows WA away for 66 in five session game

• Debutant Dixon fires for Victoria against Tasmania

Victoria, second on the Shield ladder with three rounds remaining, were 55 for 2 at stumps They need a further 215 to deny the last-placed Tasmania just their second win in the seventh match of the season.Weatherald found some support from Jake Doran and debutant No. 9 Raf MacMillan, whose bright innings came to an unfortunate end when he miscued a juicy Harry Dixon full toss.Weatherald clattered 20 boundaries in his innings, lathering drives through point and cover, and latching on to anything short with sweetly timed pull shots that sounded like cannons echoing around the Bellerive stands.He was the last man out, his crisp knock following 185 against Queensland in November to put him on top of the Shield run-scoring list this season.Opener Marcus Harris was an early casualty in the chase, trapped in front by Gabe Bell. Bell then dismissed Campbell Kellaway in similar fashion, Jon Merlo and Sam Elliott the unbeaten pair at stumps.

David Warner and Mitchell Marsh superb hundreds in Bengaluru, while Netherlands will hope for another big scalp and there’s a huge game in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-20231:04

‘What works for Warner is he’s super fit’

—Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament Index

Top Story: Warner, Marsh hundreds set up vital win over Pakistan

Australia may have drawn level with Pakistan today, but really, they were one step ahead all evening. A game that briefly threatened to break into a thriller ultimately had Australia clinching a routine win, the havoc unleashed by centuries from David Warner and Mitchell Marsh too much for Pakistan to overcome in the end. Pakistan fought back to contain – to the extent that word can be used for a team that posts 367 – Pat Cummins’ side, and gave the chase a good go.But despite a 134-run opening stand between Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique, Australia began to chip away with regular wickets, with Adam Zampa taking four for the second consecutive game. Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan looked to take the game deep, but eventually Pakistan would lose six wickets for 36 runs as Australia won by 62.Click here for the full report

Match analysis: Warner still the GOAT-to option for Australia at World Cups

David Warner leaps after his fourth successive ODI ton against Pakistan•Getty Images

Last year, Virat Kohli hit a six off Haris Rauf that everyone raves about all the time. On Friday afternoon at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, David Warner hit Rauf for a six that was just as astonishing. Take away the context of Kohli’s six, and maybe, just maybe…But why compare at all?Here’s how the Warner six unfolded – and that word is chosen with some deliberation, because the shot was a miracle of folding and unfolding. Rauf, angling the ball in from round the wicket, went full and at the stumps at 146.1kph. It was the kind of ball that’s difficult to get underneath and hit in the air in any direction. Warner didn’t just hit it in the air, but made it clang into the roof of the stand at backward square leg.Read the full analysis from Karthik Krishnaswamy in Bengaluru

Must Watch: Shane Bond on Mitchell Marsh

1:12

Bond: Continuity of selection brings the best out of Marsh

News headlines

• Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of India’s next World Cup game, against New Zealand in Dharamsala on Sunday, after hurting his left ankle against Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh’s acting captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has bemoaned their inability to turn starts into major innings as they campaign hangs in the balance after three defeats.

Match previews

Netherlands vs Sri Lanka, Lucknow (10.30am IST; 5.00am GMT; 4.00pm AEST)Can Netherlands take another famous scalp?•ICC/Getty Images

When these two sides met a little over three months ago, the picture could not have been more dissimilar. Sri Lanka had just racked up a clean sweep of the World Cup Qualifier and dispatched the Dutch twice over the course of the tournament. While the first was an edgy affair, the second – a final, though with nothing really riding on it – was as one-sided as most Sri Lanka-Netherlands games have tended to be.In all, these sides have squared off five times in ODIs with Sri Lanka winning all those encounters, including one where the Lankans racked up the then-highest ever ODI total of 443. But despite this lopsided history, it’s the Dutch that come into this game with all the momentum.Team newsNetherlands (probable) 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Colin Ackermann, 4 Bas de Leede, 5 Teja Nidamanuru, 6 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van MeekerenSri Lanka (probable) 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera/Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Mendis (capt & wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Lahiru Kumara, 11 Dilshan MadushankaEngland vs South Africa, Mumbai (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEST)1:47

Buttler: ‘Commitment to our style of play more important than the result’

Will it be England, the reigning world champions across 50- and 20-overs, whose quest for a third global title in four years is in danger of dissolving in a bisque of self-doubt? Instead of cementing a legacy to rival the great Australian team of the turn of the millennium, their humiliating losses to New Zealand and Afghanistan are threatening to cast England’s narrative back into their World Cup dark ages of the 1990s and 2000s, to make that 2015-19 resurgence seem more like a mirage than a miracle.Or will it be South Africa… the calmest, most serene force in the competition for two heady performances, as a team seemingly without baggage cruised past Australia and Sri Lanka with scarcely a backwards glance, to give the impression that this… finally… could be their year. And then, out of a clear Himalayan sky, came defeat in Dharamsala, and all bets were offFull previewTeam newsEngland 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt/wk), 6 Harry Brook, 7 Chris Woakes/Gus Atkinson, 8 David Willey, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Reece TopleySouth Africa (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Heinrich Klaasen, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi/Gerald Coetzee

Feature: South Africa unites for double World Cup clash with England

There are Super Saturdays and then there are Super Saffadays and this is one of the latter.South Africa and England (hence Saffa: the casual expression for someone from South Africa – which is also where a lot of English professional sportspeople come from) have only played each other in international cricket and rugby once before on the same day and that was 25 years ago. In 1998, South Africa and England were tussling on day three of the Manchester Test, which was eventually drawn, and the Springboks beat England 18-0 in Cape Town. This time, they’re both on neutral ground playing at World Cups, an unprecedented occasion, which means there’s at least 10 hours of entertainment and rivalry guaranteed.Read the full feature from Firdose Moonda

The allrounder was struck on the arm by a delivery from Hardik Pandya

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-20231:29

Moody: Massive step for Green in his IPL career

Australia appear to have avoided a significant injury concern after Cameron Green was able to resume his innings in the IPL Qualifier against Gujarat Titans having been forced to retire hurt from a blow on the arm.Green left the field in the second over of Mumbai Indians’ chase when he was struck just below his left elbow by Hardik Pandya from a delivery clocked at 146kph.He was initially treated in the middle by the physio before retiring hurt but was not absent for long when he returned in the seventh over with his forearm taped up.Related

• David Warner on the WTC final: 'It should be at least a three-game series'

• Hazlewood hopeful of WTC final: 'My fitness is pretty good'

• Hazlewood included in Australia's WTC final squad amid fitness race

• Neser looms as World Test Championship reinforcement amid Hazlewood's tight turnaround

• Peirson earns Ashes call as temporary Inglis replacement

He did not appear impeded at the crease as he collected two sixes in a brisk 30 before falling to Josh Little in the 12th over at a vital moment in the chase.Despite another superb display from Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai eventually fell well short in their steep chase to bring an end to their IPL which means Green will be able to head to the UK to link with the Test squad who left Australia on Friday.Cameron Green copped a blow to his left forearm off a short delivery from Hardik Pandya•BCCI

The balance that Green brings to the Test side is vital for Australia and his absence was clearly felt in the final Test of last season against South Africa and the first two matches in India when he was recovering from a broken finger.He will only have a short period of time to adjust his game from T20 mode, but coach Andrew McDonald said through the early stages of his career Green had shown how quickly he could learn and adapt.”The challenge for Cam now is as he starts to become a three-format player is how he focuses [on] that, shifts between formats, and he’s going to have another challenge in front of him going deep into the IPL finals to get ready for the World Test Championship match,” McDonald told SEN Radio. “So that will be a challenge for him, but he’s a fast learner and every hurdle he’s got over so far.”Australia will name their 15-player squad for the World Test Championship final against India on Sunday with the biggest question mark hanging over Josh Hazlewood. Mitchell Marsh also returned early from the IPL having suffered a minor adductor injury.

The spin attack has been rejigged with Washington, Saurabh and Mulani getting call-ups for the last two four-dayers against England Lions

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2024 • Updated on 23-Jan-2024Tilak Varma and Arshdeep Singh have been picked in the India A squad for the last two four-dayers against the visiting England Lions in Ahmedabad. Rinku Singh, who has made a big splash in T20 cricket, is set to play his first game for India A after having been selected for the second* and third four-dayers.Rinku was recently with the India Test squad in South Africa as a reserve player, after he was added to the squad for the four-day match against South Africa A. He has played 43 first-class matches so far, scoring 3099 runs at an average of 58.47. While Rinku was only selected for the last four-dayer, his UP team-mate Yash Dayal found a place in the squads for both the remaining games against England Lions.Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra was also picked in the squad, with Railways’ Upendra Yadav being the spare keeper. The pair replaced KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel, who both will join the senior side for the first two Test matches against England in Hyderabad and Vizag.Bengal’s Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was the reserve opener in South Africa but missed the cut for the home Tests against England, will continue to captain the India A side. Manav Suthar and Pulkit Narang, who are currently playing the first four-dayer against England Lions, though were not part of the squad for the next two games.Washington Sundar was also called up to the India A squad for both games. Saurabh Kumar, another spinner who has been on the fringes of the India Test team, will partner Washington in the second match. Mumbai left-arm fingerspinner Shams Mulani will replace Saurabh for the final game. His Mumbai team-mate Tushar Deshpande found a place in the squad for both matches.Washington had originally planned to link up with his state team Tamil Nadu for their Ranji Trophy clash against Railways in Coimbatore, which began two days after the Bengaluru T20I, where he came away with 3 for 18 in his three overs. But his name was withdrawn from the squad at the last moment to free him up for India A commitments.

India A squad for second four-dayer

Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Vidwath Kaverappa, Upendra Yadav, Akash Deep, Yash Dayal

India A squad for third four-dayer

Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Washington Sundar, Shams Mulani, Arshdeep Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Vidwath Kaverappa, Upendra Yadav (wk), Akash Deep, Yash Dayal

The cricket technical committee is expected to reach a decision on the fate of Pakistan’s coaching staff later this week

Danyal Rasool02-Aug-2023Misbah-ul-Haq will lead the technical committee that will advise the PCB chairman on cricketing affairs. The committee will include two other former Pakistan captains in Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez.Last week, PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf had announced the creation of a “high-profile” technical committee charged with reporting to him, to be headed by former Pakistan captain Misbah.Related

• Misbah-ul-Haq set to work with the PCB again

• Afghanistan to host Pakistan for three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka

• 'No concrete decisions' yet on Pakistan coaching changes – Zaka Ashraf

The committee has been given wide-ranging powers, encompassing just about all cricketing activity in Pakistan. “The CTC (Cricket Technical Committee) will provide recommendations on cricket-related matters, including, but not limited to the overall domestic structure, scheduling, playing conditions, appointment of the national selection committees, appointment of national team coaches, central and domestic contracts and plans for the development of umpires, referees and curators,” a statement from the PCB said. “The CTC will have the powers to invite additional cricket experts, and shall report to the head of the PCB Management Committee on a regular basis.”The most immediate task the committee faces is a decision on the fate of Pakistan’s coaching staff. In an interview earlier this week, Ashraf said the committee would share their findings with him before a final decision, which ESPNcricinfo understands will be reached as early as the end of this week.The CTC will also be tasked with preparing for the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which begins next month. The domestic structure will undergo a revamp this season, with departments returning to the fray. It is not yet clear if they will play alongside regions in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.”I am delighted to welcome Misbah-ul-Haq, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez on board for the betterment of cricket in our country,” Ashraf said. “These three former captains possess great cricket knowledge and understand the demands of modern-day cricket.”Domestic cricket structure is a pillar of any cricketing nation. We have to make it foolproof and its structure progressive. The presence of Misbah, Inzamam and Hafeez, three of Pakistan’s most experienced and decorated cricketers who rose through the domestic ranks, will help us in providing our cricketers the best system to thrive so that we can produce the best cricketers.”Misbah called his appointment as head of the committee a “great honour” and a “challenging assignment. I have no doubt whatsoever that we will be able to make a positive difference by providing recommendations that improve and enhance the state of the game from the grassroots till the very top.”The committee convenes ahead of Pakistan’s run-in to the World Cup in India in October. Pakistan play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka in August, before the ODI Asia Cup begins on August 30, with Nepal and Pakistan playing the opener in Multan.

Jemma Barsby’s catch off Amanda-Jade Wellington to deny Mikayla Hinkley a match-winning six was the pivotal moment in a thrilling final

AAP03-Dec-2023Adelaide Strikers spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington’s heart stopped. Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen’s heart leapt. Strikers captain Tahlia McGrath’s heart was in her mouth.The entire WBBL season, all 59 games of it, and the cherished trophy – came down to this. Brisbane needed five runs from two balls to win Saturday night’s final at Adelaide Oval.Heat tailender Mikayla Hinkley had just smashed her first ball for six. Then she went for glory.Related

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Hinkley cracked a Wellington legspinner high and long, towards the long-off boundary where Jemma Barsby was stationed.Wellington: “My heart stopped.”Jonassen: “We all thought on the sidelines that she potentially got it.”McGrath: “I thought it was out. I thought it was six. I thought it was out.”Near the boundary rope, Barsby took a few steps, then stood still – as time seemingly did.Wellington: “I saw Jemma getting settled under it about two metres in front of the boundary. I was like, ‘Oh, come on, just hold it’.”Barsby held her nerve. And held the catch.Wellington: “I let out a big scream of relief and joy.”McGrath: “Pretty relieved … her foot wasn’t on the rope. Talk about high pressure, it doesn’t get much more than that. We all ran up to her and everyone’s just saying, ‘that’s clutch’.”Jonassen: “If her [Hinkley’s] second shot went for two more metres, that’s a Heat victory. T20 cricket – a game of margins.”The moment meant Brisbane required five runs from the last ball. They got one.Adelaide won by three runs, with Wellington winning player of the match for her 3 for 16.Wellington: “I have bowled a fair few last overs and a fair few super-overs as well. I love the crucial moments and the big moments.”McGrath: “She [Wellington] had this look in her eyes. She knew what she wanted to do and then she executed for us. It was very similar to last year.”Last year, Wellington also bowled the final over in Adelaide’s title win – but she had more breathing space.Then, the Sydney Sixers needed 23 from the ultimate over. Wellington conceded 12 and took a wicket on the last ball.

Focusing fully on the cricket and not the external hype becomes all the more important for Pakistan, given they really need points on the board

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Feb-20252:40

Aaqib: Naseem, Shaheen, Rauf remind me of troika from 90s

India vs Pakistan matches will always be passionate affairs. But for Pakistan’s players, this is just another opportunity to do the cricketing things they train to do as professionals. The hype, Pakistan’s coach Aaqib Javed feels, is external.”For the cricketers, this is a profession,” Aaqib said. “For them, it definitely is an honour. But, it is a profession. You try your best. In that, you sometimes lose as well. It is a match… one team will win, one will lose. How does it matter? Why so much pressure? Every game is different.”In a Pakistan-India game, the energy will remain high. And this is the beauty of this contest. What does the crowd do? When you play well, the crowd supports you, they clap their hands. When you play poorly, be it India or Pakistan, the home crowd will go against you. As a player, you shouldn’t keep the crowd in mind. We never kept it and neither should these players. What’s your focus? Ball, bat – that’s it.”Related

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Focusing fully on the cricket and not the external hype becomes all the more important for Pakistan, given, after their opening-day loss to New Zealand, they really need points on the board.There is also particular focus on this game, because although Pakistan are the official hosts, they have had to travel to Dubai, where India have set up camp, and have already played a match. There have been suggestions that it is India who are enjoying the closest thing to home advantage in this scenario. But Aaqib played those suggestions down.”There’s no advantage [for India] at all, because if you look at all the Pakistani players, they have been playing leagues here,” Aaqib said. “The PSL has been played here. So there’s nothing really – there’s no advantage or disadvantage.” Not to forget, nearly all of Pakistan’s home fixtures were played in the UAE between 2009 and 2019.The surface in Dubai is expected to play slower and lower than those in Pakistan, partly because the ILT20 was played here over the past six weeks. Very few of the strips on the square are fresh.”We also have to see the pitch and the ground here,” Aaqib said. “Are these similar to the one we have in Pakistan or are they different? We will play in accordance with the pitches, conditions and the opposition team.”