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It is understood that Mayank is recovering from a lumbar stress injury and has just resumed bowling at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Mar-2025Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler Mayank Yadav is set to miss the first half of IPL 2025. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mayank is recovering from a lumbar stress injury and has just resumed bowling at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he has been undergoing rehab after getting injured following his India debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh last October.There is no firm date set by the BCCI for Mayank’s return yet, but if he meets all the fitness parameters alongside increasing his bowling workload, he could feature in the latter half of the IPL.Mayank’s unavailability in the first half of the tournament is a setback for LSG, who had retained him for INR 11 crore ($1.31 million approx.) ahead of the mega auction. It was an astronomical leap monetarily for Mayank who had been bought for INR 20 lakh ahead of the 2024 season as an uncapped fast bowler.Mayank commanded such a huge salary primarily because of his ability to bowl at breakneck speeds, crossing 150kph-plus consistently, which earned him back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two matches in the IPL. Encouraged by his potential talent, the national selectors added Mayank to the pool of quicks given fast-bowling contracts.Related

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Mayank’s time in IPL 2024 was limited to just four matches due to a lingering side strain in the last two matches he played. During rehab, Mayank picked a separate injury which delayed his comeback but he eventually played the Bangladesh T20Is. However, he picked up another injury immediately after which forced him to return to rehab. While the BCCI has not officially shared details on Mayank’s injury, it is understood that Mayank has a stress-related injury in his lower back on the left-hand side.In February, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who has taken over as LSG’s team director, said that the franchise was working closely with the BCCI’s medical team to chart a roadmap for Mayank’s return. However, Zaheer stressed he would only want a totally fit Mayank back in the saddle. “As much as we are keen on having him [play IPL 2025], we want him 150% fit not just 100% fit so we’ll do everything possible to get him there,” he had said.LSG are set to play their first match of the season against Delhi Capitals on March 24 in Visakhapatnam, under new captain Rishabh Pant.

Nathi Mthethwa wants more people of colour in leadership positions both in the board and in the team

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-2020Cricket South Africa has come under severe criticism from the country’s minister of sport, art and culture Nathi Mthethwa who questioned the organisation’s commitment to transformation at a parliamentary briefing on Friday. Despite CSA exceeding their transformation targets on the field for the 2018-19 season, Mtethwa was concerned that several senior positions since an overhaul of the board last year were occupied by white men.In December 2019, CSA CEO Thabang Moroe was suspended on allegations of misconduct. His case is ongoing and Dr. Jacques Faul has been in the position of acting CEO since. Under Faul, Graeme Smith was appointed director of cricket, replacing Corrie van Zyl, who occupied the post in interim capacity but was also suspended.Van Zyl has since returned to work, under Smith, who named Mark Boucher the national men’s coach. Boucher displaced Enoch Nkwe, who was working as interim team director and took the South African squad to India, where they were whitewashed 3-0. Nkwe was named as Boucher’s deputy. Boucher also brought in Jacques Kallis as batting consultant and Paul Harris as spin bowling consultant, in addition to Charl Langeveldt (bowling coach) and Justin Ontong (fielding coach).At the parliamentary briefing, CSA President Chris Nenzani was asked if the appointments of Faul, Smith and Boucher represented a regression of the board’s transformation policy given that two of them had replaced black African employees. Nenzani’s response was that the appointments had been made on merit.”I felt insulted with your [Nenzani’s] intervention when you said you only take people on merit,” Mtethwa said. “When we talk of cricket and going to the heart and core‚ you look at the CEO‚ you look at the director of cricket and the coach; you’ll find the deputy being an African.””You look at the batting specialist and you come and say to the nation that there’s nothing wrong and there’s no regression in transformation. I feel particularly insulted. It says that there’s a particular posture that has been taken that says Africans can be elsewhere in other areas that are not core ones. There’s no core area above the top five. It’s only one and that person is the deputy to the coach. I’m not going to be smiling at that kind of statement.”Mtethwa found it incredulous that CSA could not find black African candidates to fill senior roles when it has been 26 years since the official end of Apartheid (1994) and almost three decades (1991) since the country’s black and white cricket boards were unified. “Does it mean that after 26 years‚ there hasn’t been anybody who hasn’t been able to fill one of these positions? The only people with merit are white. I take exception to that.”Since readmission, CSA have had two black African CEOs, Gerald Majola and Thabang Moroe and six (of eight) presidents of colour including Krish Mackerdhuj, Percy Sonn, Norman Arendse, Ray Mali, Mtutuzeli Nyoka and now Nenzani. Apart from Nkwe’s brief stint with the national team, they have had only one other home-grown head coach of colour, Russell Domingo, and only one permanently appointed national captain of colour, Hashim Amla.Although there will be no sanctions against CSA at this point, earlier this month, Mtethwa met with the Eminent Persons Group expressing similar concerns and proposed legislation to address the pace of transformation. “The Minister raised his concern on the leadership and governance matters that have consistently undermined the development and transformation of sport in the country. He highlighted the urgent need for a fundamental discussion of re-imagining sport in the country, a major part of that being transformation,” a sports ministry press release from June 5 said.CSA have long-stated their commitment to transformation and “welcomed” the EPG report when it was released, noting the areas that still needed improvement, especially at school level. “The participation of senior schools from townships (previously disadvantaged black residential areas) amounts to 515 schools of the 1023 participating high schools. The participation of girls in senior schools’ cricket is growing. This growth will accelerate in the foreseeable future,” a CSA statement said.However, the concern lies more at the top where big changes have been made in response to the chaos that engulfed CSA late last year, In the space of a few weeks, their major sponsor Standard Bank opted not to renew their arrangement, three board members resigned and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) voiced continued unhappiness with the CSA CEO. On December 6, Moroe was suspended, and 10 days later Nkwe was demoted and new appointments made. At the time, an organisation called the Black African Cricket Clubs accused CSA of a whitewash at senior level but Smith responded by providing an assurance of his commitment to transformation.

One-sided contest as bowlers combine to roll Lightning aside for 81

ECB Reporters Network10-Jul-2021Central Sparks 84 for 4 (G Davies 31) beat Lightning 81 (G Davis 4-12, Jones 3-14) by six wicketsCentral Sparks broke their duck at the third attempt in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, winning a low-scoring contest by six wickets with one over to spare as Lightning suffered a third defeat.Gwen Davies made 31, Eve Jones an unbeaten 27 and Thea Brookes 21 off 14 balls after Lightning had been bowled out for 81 in 19.1 overs.Off-spinner Georgia Davis, with 4 for 12, and all-rounder Jones, who took 3 for 14 with her left-arm seamers, each posted T20 career-bests with the ball.More than half of Lightning’s total runs were scored by their last-wicket pair as Shachi Pai and 19-year-old Sophie Munro put on 41 in 33 balls, Pai scoring 18 from 21, Munro unbeaten on 20 from 16 deliveries, including two nicely-executed offside boundaries.Munro then took 2 for 10 with her right-arm seamers in a Lightning attack that battled hard to contain the Sparks but ultimately had too little to defend.The 10th-wicket pair apart, only one other Lightning batter made it into double figures, albeit on a slow pitch that made it difficult to time the ball.Davis’s four dismissals were almost carbon copies as Abbey Freeborn, Teresa Graves, Sonia Odedra and Lucy Higham took it in turn to be out leg before, attempting to sweep.Jones profited from leading edges as Kathryn Bryce and Michaela Kirk found fielders on the off side, picking up her third success when Kirstie Gordon chipped back a return catch.Earlier, Issy Wong took a wicket with her second ball and another with her eighth as Beth Harmer and Sarah Bryce were bowled.With Lightning 40 for 9, Sparks might have envisaged a very early finish but it looked a more even contest once Davis and Jones had completed their stints. Pai eventually fell when she went aerial to Stephanie Butler’s off-spin but failed to clear mid-off.Sparks found it hard to get going and were six behind Lightning at nine for two from their Powerplay, having lost Marie Kelly and Milly Home in a double-wicket maiden from Munro.Davies and Jones were patient in adding 46 off 12 overs but when Higham had Davies stumped for 31, a requirement of 30 in as many balls could have been tricky.However, Brookes launched Gordon through midwicket for four and hit Odedra for six and four to change the picture as the 17th over went for 14 runs. Brookes swung and missed one from Bryce but with eight needed off 16 balls a couple of boundaries from Jones finished the job.

West Indies captain wants his batters to ‘be clear about whether you’re playing forward or back’

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Nov-2021Defend a lot. Be clear on whether you’re playing back or forward. And stick around for a couple of sessions. This is West Indies’ batting game-plan for the second Test according to captain Kraigg Brathwaite.With the surface for the second Test expected to be even more spin-friendly than the first, West Indies’ batters technique and application seems set for another major examination.”The plan is to be clear in what you want to do. Believe that you can do it, and do it for long periods,” Brathwaite said. “We’ve got to have the discipline and the fight to do it for 50 overs – more than two sessions, or three sessions.”We had a lot of discussions. One important thing is that you’ve got to defend a lot of balls. Having a straight bat is one thing we discussed.  That’s very important. And sweeping as well – especially the offspinner. It’s just about being clear and confident about whether you’re playing forward or back.”West Indies’ only half-centurions in the first Test were Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua da Silva, who put up a 100-run stand in the second innings, rescuing the side from 18 for 6. Brathwaite said the remainder of the batters had drawn inspiration from that partnership.”Bonner and Josh showed that when you have a solid defence, if you put the effort and energy in, you’ll be successful. Sometimes when doubt comes in, you can slip up a bit. Just trust that defence. When the bad balls come you get runs. It’s important to have that clarity, as to what you want to do here.”In terms of how they were able to manoeuvre different balls, they were a very good example for us. As a batting group, it was good to see, and something to learn from.”West Indies have had a mixed 2021. They began with an excellent 2-0 victory in Bangladesh, before drawing two Tests at home against Sri Lanka. Their worst series was the 2-0 defeat at South Africa’s hands at home, before drawing a home series against Pakistan 1-1. Brathwaite outlined the importance of the next match: if they beat Sri Lanka, they would have won more matches in 2021 than they’ve lost.”To be honest we showed good progress in 2021. It was not a good series against South Africa, but we bounced back decent against Pakistan. In Bangladesh we won that series 2-0. Winning this game will be very crucial from a points perspective for the Test Championship. As a team we’ve made some strides. Once the group stays together and keeps building, that’s crucial.”

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

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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.

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.

The Australia coach also defended his batsmen for their scoring rate against R Ashwin after their tactics were questioned by Sachin Tendulkar among others

Melinda Farrell in Adelaide08-Dec-20183:16

Laxman: Langer has got it wrong about Kohli’s celebrations

Justin Langer believes if the Australia players were to react in the same manner Virat Kohli celebrated the wicket of Aaron Finch, they would be considered “the worst blokes in the world”. Langer also fended off criticism from Sachin Tendulkar over Australia’s slow batting in the first innings.Langer’s comments showed the level of scrutiny that surrounds Australia on two distinct levels: their style of play and their on-field behaviour. Amid all the swirling fallout from the Newlands scandal, the question is hovering: can the Australian team win without resorting to the sort of behaviour that led to a widespread public backlash? When replayed Kohli’s celebration after Ishant Sharma bowled Aaron Finch, Langer’s answer suggested the team is still trying to find the right balance.”You love seeing that passion in sport, don’t you?” said Langer. “Mind you, I think if we did that at the moment we’d be the worst blokes in the world, but it’s a fine line isn’t it? That’s the truth of it. But I love seeing the passion, I mean that’s great passion but, as I said, there’s a fine line isn’t there?”In an interview to be broadcast later on Saturday on , Kohli says he had sympathy with Steven Smith and David Warner with what they had to go through after the ball-tampering.Langer, speaking as rain delayed the start of play on day three, defended his players for their scoring rate and suggested allowances should be made for youth and inexperience.6:10

Hodge questions Australia’s defensive mindset

As Australia battled to 7 for 191 on the second day on what has proved to be a difficult pitch for batting, Tendulkar tweeted, “#TeamIndia should make the most of this situation and not lose their grip. The defensive mindset by the Australian batsmen at home is something I’ve not seen before in my experience. @ashwinravi99 has been very effective and has played a role to help the team be on top, for now.””I saw the tweet from Sachin saying he’s never seen an Australian side bat so defensively,” Langer told . “That said every time he’s played Australia he had Allan Border or David Boon, guys who have played 300 or 400 Tests between them. We’ve literally got kids when it comes to Test cricket playing. They’re just finding their own skin, they’re fighting their backsides off, not only to help us win the Test match, but to find out what Test cricket’s about.”You’re always looking to score, every one of them is looking to score, but they bowled really well, Ashwin bowled well, we’ve got to find different ways of playing him, that’ll come. But it’s a very different team this batting order than what we’ve seen in past Australian teams.””After the day’s play I knew there’d be a lot of comments about, like Sachin’s comments, I knew that’s what they’d say,” Langer told . “And if that starts affecting our players then that’s going to really hurt us so the key is to get as close to the mark as we can and regardless of whether it’s no more runs or go ahead of them it’s going to be key how we bowl in the second innings.”Langer did concede that Australia could have been more attacking when R Ashwin was bowling. The offspinner took three wickets – all of them left-handed batsmen – while keeping one end tight during a 22-over spell.Virat Kohli shows his emotions•Getty Images

“Maybe Ashwin we could have been a little bit more pro-active against,” he said. “I think particularly our lefties we need to have methods of scoring on both sides of the wicket. I think Travis did it really well I think Marcus did it well in his first Test match so there’s areas we can get better at. It’s the first innings of a four Test match series so and they’re the number one ranked Test team in the world but I’m definitely not going to get caught up in this we were too slow, we weren’t attacking enough because we saw with some fantastic Indians the same thing happened.”One thing I learned from Allan Border 25 years ago is there’s a lot of time in Test cricket, you have to be patient. In Test cricket we’ve probably gone a bit away from it actually over a bit of time, but the great players are patient, they bat for a long time and that’s what we can do. I think we get a bit preoccupied with how T20 goes and to an extent one-day cricket, but in Test cricket there’s so much time, there’s five days to bat. Particularly in a long series like this we’ve got to wear down the opponent, so we probably missed an opportunity to do that.”

Naseem Shah expected to return for hosts; Tom Helm or Olly Stone likely to replace Mark Wood

Danyal Rasool24-Sep-2022

Big picture

The shapeshifting nature of a seven-match T20I series makes it difficult to capture the big picture in words that age well, so the first rule of doing this is accepting that.England, after all, have a seemingly bottomless pit of explosive T20 cricketers, and as Harry Brook and Will Jacks – who debuted on Friday – showed in the series, they’re nowhere near scraping the bottom of that barrel. Pakistan, who will be playing their 200th T20I, have the most consistent opening pair in the world, and a middle order that has so far been unable to live up to its vast potential. We all know this. We knew it three games ago, and we know some combination of these events will continue to define the final four games of this series, because that’s what you get with Pakistan and England. We didn’t need three T20Is on the best batting pitch in the world to figure that out.Related

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But that doesn’t mean there’s no value to be gained from this glut of games. Pakistan have seen the debates that are both furious in their intensity and tiresome in their repetitiveness around the top and middle order rage on, but that has shielded the bowlers from the scrutiny they deserve after two especially uninspiring performances. Shadab Khan’s return to fitness cannot come soon enough, with Usman Qadir having comprehensively failed to take the chances that have come his way. It might have been forgotten in the blur of boundaries that followed, but England hadn’t hit a six in the first half of the innings until Qadir landed a half-volley right in new batter Brook’s hitting arc and found himself dispatched over his head.The seamers, too, have repeatedly failed to find their lines and lengths at crucial points in overs, and evidence of match-up bowling has been scarce. The short-ball at pace was persisted with despite Brook’s prolific ability on the pull and behind the wicket, while rigidity with bowlers’ lines frequently allowed him to back away and open up cover, where deep protection often didn’t exist. The fielding hasn’t helped either, and in the ferocity of the culture war around batting intent, it escapes notice that the best way to limit the need for extreme risk-taking is by making sure you don’t need to chase down any more than necessary.England have problems, too, but of a much different kind. They have been the side happier to treat these games as experiments, tinkering around with both the batting and the bowling, even opting to set a total in one game, a modern T20 anathema. Alex Hales has shone on his England return, and Ben Duckett, Brook and Jacks have all enjoyed impressive starts to the series. Adil Rashid’s landed them with almost metronomic consistency, making him the most useful spinner from either side. And if you thought Luke Wood was a shot in England’s arm, what Mark Wood did on his return from injury on Friday – racking up a top speed in excess of 97 mph – becomes incomprehensible. All of this means there’s little England can complain about so far this tour.

Form guide

Pakistan: LWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

England: WLWLLMohammad Nawaz has conceded just 7.83 runs this series•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

When the opposition amasses huge scores for fun, don’t expect to get any credit as a bowler. Especially one who doesn’t pick up many wickets. And yet, Mohammad Nawaz, having conceded 94 in three games for just one wicket, is arguably Pakistan’s best T20 bowler. It is a selfless role of sorts he plays, operating as a left-arm spinner with only pace and line variations to rely on. He doesn’t possess the ability to turn it big, but it’s uncanny how often a slight slowing of an England innings tempo coincides with Nawaz’s introduction. He hasn’t been afraid to take on an over or two in the powerplay, either, and against an England side that’s scored 580 runs in just under 60 overs, Nawaz has found a way to concede just 7.83 in his dozen.In an England batting line-up so chock-full of natural power-hitters, Dawid Malan can stick out. He might have been the number one ranked T20I player fairly recently, but the big-hitting that comes so effortlessly to his team-mates is obviously not his forte in the same manner. Despite impressing as opener in the Hundred, it has been a tricky start to the series for him, his penchant for starting slowly offering Pakistan’s bowlers much-needed respite. The slow, low conditions haven’t helped – and, of course, won’t be a feature of surfaces in Australia at the upcoming T20 World Cup. But with his team-mates hitting sixes for fun, Malan might feel it’s about time he showed why he belongs in this glittering batting line-up.

Pitch and conditions

Evening conditions have cooled down slightly in Karachi, though it remains fairly humid. A fresh pitch will be used for this game.

Team news

Naseem Shah might return as Pakistan look to level the series, while the middle order could face a reshuffle as the hosts search for their best combination. Shadab will be expected to come in at some stage, and, if available, would slot straight in for Qadir.Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt) 2 Mohammad Rizwan/Mohammad Haris (wk) 3 Haider Ali 4 Shan Masood 5 Iftikhar Ahmed 6 Khushdil Shah/Asif Ali 7 Mohammad Nawaz 8 Shadab Khan/Usman Qadir 9 Mohammad Hasnain 10 Naseem Shah 11 Haris RaufEngland didn’t train on Saturday and would be expected to make a couple of changes for the fourth T20I. Mark Wood will likely be rested after his explosive burst on Friday, with Tom Helm or Olly Stone the likeliest replacements. Hales may also return despite Jacks’ impressive debut. David Willey might come in if Sam Curran gets a rest.England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Alex Hales/Will Jacks, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Duckett, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali (capt), 7 Sam Curran/David Willey, 8 Liam Dawson 9 Reece Topley, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Olly Stone

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan will be playing their 200th T20I on Sunday, the first team to this landmark.
• Babar is 97 away from 3,000 T20I career runs. Only four batters – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Martin Guptill and Paul Stirling have reached that mark.
• Malan hasn’t enjoyed playing against Pakistan. In nine T20Is, he averages 18.87 against them, down from a career average of 37.05, and strikes at 106.33, while his career strike rate is 137.61.

Quotes

“You tend to be a bit fresh after seven months out. It’s been a long time, and I felt very tired at the end. I know it’s only a T20, but it’s all the intensity of international cricket.”

Former England captain withdraws from Test Match Special following internal criticism

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2022Michael Vaughan has made the decision “step back from work with the BBC”, almost two weeks after being charged over the Yorkshire racism scandal, and will not be part of the Test Match Special commentary team for next week’s delayed fifth Test against India.Vaughan was dropped from last winter’s Ashes coverage after being implicated in Azeem Rafiq’s testimony about the culture of institutional racism at Yorkshire, but was restored to broadcasting duties for the recent three-Test series against New Zealand.That move, however, has caused disquiet for the BBC Sport’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic group, which last week sent an internal email criticising the “totally inexcusable” decision to re-employ Vaughan, whom Rafiq claims told a group of Asian players in 2009 that there were “too many of you lot, we need to do something about it”.That alleged comment led to Vaughan becoming one of seven Yorkshire players to be charged by the ECB’s Cricket Discipline Commission with bringing the game into disrepute.On Tuesday evening, Vaughan responded to the criticism by releasing a statement on Twitter.”On numerous occasions, I have put on record my views on the issues concerning YCCC,” Vaughan wrote. “It is always regrettable when commentary on matters off the field take the focus away from what’s happening on the field. In view of the ongoing dialogue on the subject, I have taken the decision to step back from my work with the BBC for the time being.”The key driver for this is my concern for the wellbeing of my family members and my wish to protect their family life. Stepping back temporarily is also in the interests of the game and I hope that it will minimise any difficulties for my work colleagues.”The BBC responded in a statement: “Following conversations with Michael Vaughan we have accepted his decision to step away from our cricket coverage. This is a decision we respect and understand. Michael remains under contract to the BBC.”

The injury-prone quick pulled up injured after bowling five balls against Mumbai Indians before completing his over and going off the field

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Apr-2023Deepak Chahar will undergo scans this week to determine the extent of the left-hamstring injury he sustained during Chennai Super Kings’ seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday night.Chahar, the leader of Super Kings’ seam attack, pulled up injured after five balls of his first over before receiving treatment from Tommy Simsek, the franchise’s long-serving physio, who appeared to tape up his left hamstring.He completed his over, tentatively bowling a 73mph/118kph half-volley which was hit for four by Rohit Sharma, but was then replaced by substitute fielder Subhranshu Senapati for the rest of the innings. During Super Kings’ run chase, Chahar was replaced by Ambati Rayudu under the Impact Player rule.Related

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Chahar has struggled with injuries over the last 18 months, and admitted recently that he had found it “mentally… very tough” to deal with missing so much cricket. “Chahar will undergo scans to identify the extent of the injury once the team returns to Chennai,” the franchise said in a statement on Sunday.Ben Stokes, Chennai’s INR 16.5 crore buy at December’s auction, was ruled out of Saturday night’s game with what the franchise described as “a minor toe injury”, which is understood to be unrelated to his ongoing left knee issue.Stokes travelled to the ground with the rest of the squad on Saturday night but only played a minor role in the warm-ups. “Stokes played Chennai Super Kings’ first two matches of IPL 2023 before injuring his toe during training ahead of the third game, which the Super Kings won by seven wickets,” the franchise said. “The Chennai Super Kings medical staff are closely monitoring both the players and will provide all support necessary for their recovery.”Moeen Ali, who missed Saturday’s game because of illness, is also expected to be available again soon. Chennai’s next fixture is on April 12, at home to Rajasthan Royals.