All posts by n8rngtd.top

BCCI disburses longstanding Covid compensation for domestic players

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Players paid 50% of match fees for tournaments missed due to the pandemic

Shashank Kishore02-Jan-2022In a move best described by a domestic player as a “Christmas gift”, the BCCI has begun to disburse the match fees it owes hundreds of domestic cricketers – male and female – for tournaments that had to be shelved due to Covid-19 in the 2020-21 season.ESPNcricinfo understands that players from those associations who have duly sent in the filled in invoices have begun to be compensated 50% of their regular earnings.A number of players are yet to receive payments because of procedural delays with regards to invoices raised. The delays are understood to be due to issues at the state associations’ end. These are expected to be cleared soon upon receipt of invoices.The Ranji Trophy was cancelled for the first time in its 85-year history in 2020-21 for the senior men. In the women’s category, the T20 tournament was shelved due to the severity of the second wave of the pandemic in the country.The compensation payments are in line with the formula worked out by the Mohammad Azharuddin-led seven-member working group, which was tasked with formulating compensation for the Covid-19-affected season by the BCCI.A player who featured in eight games in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, for example, received INR 11.20 lakh (USD 15,000 approx.), the match fee per day for the four-day tournament being INR 35,000 (USD 470 approx.). For 2020-21, under the compensation structures drawn up, the same player will receive INR 5.10 lakh (USD 6,800 approx.).Players who didn’t make the XI for certain games in 2019-20 will be compensated for 2020-21 on a pro-rata basis. For example, if a player was part of a team’s XI for four games and on the bench for four games in the 2019-20 season, for 2020-21 he will be compensated with 50% of the match fees for four games and 50% of the corresponding fees for players outside the starting XI for the remainder of the games.The clearing of payments coincides with the start of the new Ranji Trophy season from January 13 to March 17 across seven venues, even as confusion reigns among certain players over further tweaks to the scheduling owing to the rise in Covid-19 cases across the country, accelerated by the Omicron variant.Earlier in the week, the BCCI was forced to postpone the Under-16 tournament, the Vijay Merchant Trophy, because “participants are still not vaccinated and as such, are vulnerable” as per BCCI secretary Jay Shah. Those below 18 years of age are still not eligible to take the vaccine in the country; eligible recipients in the age group of 15-18 years will only be administered Covid-19 vaccines starting from January 3.Regarding payments for 2021-22, the board had earlier announced a significant increase in match fees for domestic players. The new pay slabs, which will be in place from this season, will have the senior men earning between INR 40,000 and 60,000 (USD 540 to 810 approx.) per day of cricket while senior women will earn up to INR 20,000 (USD 270 approx.) per day.That hike is a small one for the players in the first category (under 20 matches) but an almost 100% hike for more experienced hands (40-plus games), while those who have played between 21 and 40 matches will earn INR 50,000 (USD 680 approx.). Earlier, senior men’s cricketers earned INR 35,000 (USD 470 approx.) per day for first-class and one-day games regardless of how many caps they had, and INR 17,500 (USD 240 approx.) per game for T20s.Related

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For the senior women players, who earlier earned INR 12,500 (USD 170 approx.) per one-day match and INR 6,250 (USD 85 approx.) per T20 match, the pay has been raised to INR 20,000 for playing XI members and INR 10,000 (USD 135 approx.) for those on the bench in both limited-overs formats. There currently isn’t a first-class competition for women in India, the last multi-day women’s tournament in the country – the 2017-2018 Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Three-Day Game – having been held in March-April 2018.While the hikes have been welcomed by the playing fraternity, there’s disgruntlement at a significant reduction in the number of matches. In 2019-20, for example, each side played eight group matches in the Ranji Trophy followed by three knockout games (if they made the final). This time around, teams will play just five group matches, which significantly reduce the net increase in pay.Players across the country are hoping to address this issue at the conclusion of the current season, when the BCCI organises their annual captains and coaches conclave.

Ashley Giles apologises for England's heavy Ashes defeat

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

But managing director of England men’s cricket warns against mass sackings as a solution

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2022Ashley Giles has apologised for England’s heavy Ashes defeat but warned against mass sackings as a solution, saying that “systemic change” is needed.Speaking to reporters in Sydney ahead of the fourth Test, Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, said “everything will be on the table” following an ECB investigation into the ongoing Ashes campaign after Australia sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead to retain the urn inside 12 days.”Being here now in this position, I absolutely feel the responsibility of losing this Ashes series,” Giles said. “Absolutely, we all do, and we can only apologise.”I know there will be a lot of emotion, a lot of anger about how we’ve lost it but we know it’s not an easy place to come. We can’t kid ourselves. Look, in 34 years we’ve come here and won once. We’ll review the tour and there will be a full review, everything will be on the table. We’ll have to send a report through Tom [Harrison, ECB chief executive] to the board.”Related

  • Chris Silverwood's position as England head coach untenable after Ashes drubbing

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England won only four of the 15 Tests they played in 2021 with two draws and nine defeats. In Australia, they lost the first Test by nine wickets, the second by 275 runs and the third by an innings before lunch on the third day. That means England have now lost 18 of their last 23 Tests in Australia, including 12 of the last 13 with pressure mounting on Chris Silverwood, the head coach, and captain Joe Root as well as the likes of Giles and Harrison.”In terms of my position, that’s not for me to decide,” Giles said. “But you can clearly tell by the way I’m talking that I’m thinking very much about the future and how we take this team forward.”If it was a failing of this leadership, then fine, I’d take that, I’m at peace with accountability. But I’m not the first and I won’t be the last unless we make some change… Unless we look at more systemic change and a collective responsibility and collective solutions, we can make whatever changes we want.”You can change me, change the head coach, change the captain, but we’re only setting up future leaders for failure. That’s all we’re doing. We’re only pushing it down the road.”Giles cited a range of factors in England’s disappointing performances, including a packed playing schedule which he described as “horrendous” and the restrictions and sacrifices that touring during a global pandemic demand. A three-Test tour to the Caribbean in March will do little to relieve his concerns over scheduling and travelling under Covid-related protocols, but it is part of England’s obligation to repay West Indies for agreeing to play in England at the height of the pandemic in 2020.”The last two years have probably been the most challenging of my career,” Giles said. “Performance has almost been the last thing we’ve had to think about. And that’s a really sad situation. But have we got the game on? Have we tried to keep the players fit and well? Yes, we’ve tried. And the wellbeing issue is a massive one.”Giles also blamed the failure of the domestic game in England to prepare players for international level as contributing to their current struggles.”Are we creating [domestic] conditions that will allow us to better prepare our cricketers for playing in the conditions out here? I’m not sure we are at the moment,” Giles said. “What we play, when we play, on what [pitches] we play – that’s a collective responsibility. It’s up to us as ECB but also a conversation to have with the counties.”He also noted the gulf between England, the fourth-ranked Test nation and those above them – India, New Zealand and Australia.”At the moment do we think we are a better side than we are? We are sort of at our level. Fourth in the world is probably where we are,” Giles said. “We’ve beaten the sides below us but, in these conditions, we’re not beating the sides above us.”What’s important is that we don’t try to paper over the cracks. We could easily go to West Indies and win, then win this summer. We could do ‘everything’s alright, rah, rah, rah’ but I think we still need to be truly focused on finding a way we can compete in Australia and in India.”

Ben McDermott 'more ready than ever to play for Australia'

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“If I don’t get picked up this year not sure when I will,” he says of his IPL expectations after a bumper BBL season

Andrew McGlashan25-Jan-2022Ben McDermott feels better placed to take on the challenges of international cricket after his prolific BBL season, and admitted that his earlier spells with Australia were difficult experiences.McDermott earned a recall for the T20I series against Sri Lanka next month on the back of 577 runs for Hobart Hurricanes and it comes just a few months on from being overlooked for the T20 World Cup after struggling in West Indies and Bangladesh. Those two tours were not easy for McDermott, who twice picked up injures and missed the birth of his first child, and he currently averages 13.66 from 17 T20Is, but is now one of the frontrunners to replace the rested David Warner at the top of the order alongside captain Aaron Finch.Related

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  • ESPNcricinfo's BBL team of the season

“I’ve had a lot of experience through maybe [being selected] prematurely; I don’t think I wasn’t ready to play for Australia but I do feel ready now,” he said after being named the BBL Player of the Tournament. “I feel like I’m on top of my game whereas in previous years I have sort of been in and out through player bans, Covid, all that sort of stuff, that’s how I’ve got my opportunities.”I feel like I’m more ready than ever to play for Australia and I’ve developed a lot of learnings through those experiences. They haven’t been good ones, I won’t shy away from that, but definitely learnt and come back better.”The lean tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh put paid to his chances of being in the World Cup squad but he has come to see that as a benefit. It allowed him to play domestic cricket for Tasmania before the BBL, although his Hurricanes campaign did have a delayed start after he edged a delivery into his groin during training and required surgery on a ruptured testicle.”In a way I was glad I was left out because you saw with a player like Josh Inglis, who took my spot, he went over there and didn’t play a game and missed a lot of the domestic cricket,” McDermott said. “I was very disappointed when I heard I wasn’t going to be part of that squad, that would have been awesome to experience, but at the same time, think I developed a lot this summer and through that West Indies and Bangladesh series.”It’s always tough to miss out on squads but nice to be playing domestic cricket instead of running the drinks.”His Hurricanes team-mate Matthew Wade remains the incumbent wicketkeeper in Australia’s T20I plans – despite McDermott having the gloves in the BBL – and while Inglis is ahead of him in the pecking order when time comes for a change, it is a role he is eager to keep improving.”It doesn’t hurt you to have that extra string to the bow,” he said. “I’ve been working hard at it, I really enjoy wicketkeeping when I do get the opportunity. I’ll definitely be working hard on it and keep doing it for the Hurricanes if I get the opportunity.”He is also hoping that his BBL success will attract interest at the IPL mega auction coming up on February 12 and 13. “If I don’t get picked up this year not sure when I will,” he said. “There’s not too much I can do now, it’s all up to those people in charge.”

Mithali wants to be part of 250-plus trend, Maroof is backing Pakistan to pull a West Indies on India

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With bilateral series cancelled because of non-cricketing reasons, the two teams have almost no experience of playing each other

Annesha Ghosh05-Mar-20221:09

Bismah Maroof – ‘When we play to our potential, we can beat any team’

Four of six innings at the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup so far have had totals in excess of 250, with at least one batter scoring a hundred in them. Mithali Raj, whose India will begin their campaign on Sunday against Pakistan, believes that – one batter playing a long, decisive hand – could well be the norm if the trend of high scores is to continue.”The first game [between New Zealand and West Indies] and even today, watching England versus Australia, I think the wicket is definitely helpful to the batters but 250 is something every team is looking at to put up,” Raj said on the eve of the big game. “But it’s equally important to have a set batter playing throughout the innings because the wicket is a little on a slower side, so it’s not something that a new batter can come in and straightaway get to scoring runs.”Having said that, the bowlers also have… they can use the variations on these wickets. So it’s not completely a belter of a wicket, I would say. To start off the tournament, it is good that they are posting totals of 250, but as the tournament goes on, I’m assuming that it might come down a little with the wickets tending to be used more.”Bismah Maroof, the Pakistan captain who is leading her team at an ODI World Cup for the first time, agreed on the trend, and was also hoping to add to the list of upsets after West Indies beat New Zealand in the opening game.”It was a really exciting match and I think the wickets (pitches) here are very good,” she said. “And they assist bowlers as well. And I think we will see very high-scoring matches – and yes, I think the teams can upset, and we can expect higher-scoring matches in this World Cup.”India and Pakistan have not played in an ODI since the 2017 World Cup•ICC via Getty

The 2017 ODI World Cup, which had as many matches (31) and teams (eight) as this edition, had 15 250-plus totals, and the overall run rate for the tournament was 4.69. In the ongoing edition, the rate is 5.03 at the moment. Two chasing sides have come close to overhauling totals in excess of 250 so far – New Zealand posted 256 in response to West Indies’ 259 and England made 298 for 8 in reply to Australia’s 310 for 3 – with at least one batter scoring a century in each innings. The only exception was the Bangladesh vs South Africa game, where Bangladesh made 175 after bowling South Africa out for 207.Related

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  • India have the ability, but are lacking in consistency

Since the end of the 2017 World Cup, India have made 250 or more only eight times in 40 matches, winning three of those, two while chasing. Their opponents for their 2022 ODI World Cup curtain-raiser, Pakistan, have made 250 or higher in three out of their 34 outings in the same period, winning two – both times batting first – and tying one game.Though both teams have historically relied heavily on spinners, Maroof expected the young Pakistan pacers, Diana Baig and Fatima Sana, to have a strong impact on the fixture.”Yes, we have improved as a fast-bowling unit, especially Diana and Fatima Sana have come far away and we have gelled together and we have the right combination in our bowling and all the bowlers complement each other,” Maroof said. “And yes, it’s just that (our) batting (needs to click). We’re looking forward that if we can put up a good show in batting, we really know that our bowling unit can do well.”

Pakistan’s circuitous entry into the World Cup – via the qualifier, which was cancelled because of the pandemic – has, to an extent, been because of circumstances beyond their control, one of them being the bilateral series against India not taking place, not for the first time. As such, the two teams haven’t faced each other in the format since the 2017 World Cup, when India won by 95 runs.”Of course, if we could have qualified directly [which might have been possible if Pakistan had earned full points for the cancelled series, like before the previous World Cup; this time, points were split], it would be a very good booster for our team,” Maroof said about the series that wasn’t. “But, having said that, yes, that was a missed opportunity – against India, we couldn’t play because of some reasons. If we could have played, it was very good for the subcontinent, the girls in the subcontinent, and now we are really looking forward in this World Cup. And we are really focused that we can put up a good show.”Raj said India’s approach going into the face-off with Pakistan would be one of taking things as they come, since the opponents are quite unfamiliar.”As a team, we need to get in with a clean slate, [as a] confident unit, and believe that we can always turn things around and play according to the situation,” she said. “It’s very important when you have a longer tournament, important to be present be aware on the ground and play according to the situation.”

Babar Azam: 'Soft dismissals the reason we lost'

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

“There were continuous discussions about chasing the total down, but when your main batters are dismissed, you start thinking differently”

Umar Farooq25-Mar-2022Pakistan captain Babar Azam rued “soft dismissals” after his side lost the series-deciding third Test against Australia in Lahore.Set a target of 351, Pakistan had finished the fourth day on 73 for no loss. On the final day, they were 165 for 3 at one stage but were eventually bowled out for 235, with Nathan Lyon picking up a five-wicket haul for the visitors.”We didn’t go defensive, we played positive cricket,” Babar said after the game. “You plan according to the situation. It’s not like you go out, play big shots and go for the runs. We had a good session early in the day but unfortunately we had soft dismissals and that’s the reason we lost the game.Related

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“We had a simple plan – to take the momentum in hand first and then think [about the target] after the tea. After lunch, we had a plan to play normal cricket. We weren’t able to decide whether to go for a win or a draw. But with all those wickets falling, we decided to go deep as much as we could but we were positive throughout. There were continuous discussions in our dressing room about chasing it down.”But when your main batters are dismissed, you obviously start thinking differently. Still, Sajid [Khan] and I were trying to build a partnership and extend as much as we could, hoping we could draw. Yet we never held back, kept on playing shots and utilised whatever came in our area. So the mindset was positive but it didn’t go in our way.”Overall, Babar was happy with his side’s performance, even insisting that they had “dominated the first two Tests”. Both Tests had ended in draws. In the series opener in Rawalpindi, only 14 wickets fell across five days. In Karachi, Pakistan batted out 171.4 overs to save the match.”Overall the series went well, especially the Karachi Test where we dominated and saved the match,” Babar said. “Unfortunately, I got out but even then we had our mind set on chasing. But mistakes are part of the game and it’s too early to think about changes [in the side]. We don’t have to forget their recent performances. Our entire team is experienced now, we have developed a good combination and I have full faith in them.”Throughout the series, Pakistan were faced with some selection dilemmas. In the first Test, they were missing Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali because of injuries. The duo returned in the second Test, but for the third, Ashraf was replaced by Naseem Shah as Pakistan went with five specialist bowlers.That left them with a long tail. In the first innings of the Lahore Test, Pakistan lost their last five wickets for 14 runs, and in the second, for 68.When asked about Hasan’s performance – he picked up two wickets in two Tests – and if legspinner Zahid Mahmood could have been picked, Babar said: “The main thing is the combination and you pick players accordingly. We have our offspinner [Sajid] who is a good batter and Nauman Ali is coming along with a good bowling show. I don’t think even their legspinner [Mitchell Swepson] got enough help. Most of the wickets were taken by offspinners. Hasan Ali is a matchwinner, he gave his best effort but sometimes things don’t go your way. It’s part of the game. There are ups and downs but I have my belief in him and it’s still there as ever before.”Throughout the series, the pitches were a big talking point. Pakistan had been pushing to produce spin-friendly tracks but all three Tests were dominated by fast bowlers until the final day of the series.”There is always a home advantage and you definitely have to take advantage of it,” Babar said. “Rest it’s in the curator’s hands and I think they prepared good pitches at all three venues. It had turn and break and helped both our and their bowlers. I think cricket was played well. We only lost by one session, otherwise in all three games our effort was commendable.”

Sams defends eight in last over after Rohit, David knocks

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Gujarat Titans fell short in the last over and lost their second game in a row

Sidharth Monga06-May-20223:30

Are Pollard’s powers on the wane?

Almost out of the tournament, needing a lot of permutations and combinations in the rest of the tournament to stay alive, Mumbai Indians still gave their raucous home crowd something to cheer about, defending eight runs in the last over with six Gujarat Titans wickets in handTitans, who have snatched wins from the jaws of defeat on a few occasions earlier in the tournament with some incredible six-hitting, took the defeat out of a victory’s grasp thanks to quick ones and twos that resulted in run-outs.For about 33 overs between the Mumbai powerplay and the last over of the match, Titans looked on track for a win that would all but seal their qualifications to the playoffs. They restricted Mumbai to 177 despite a flying start, Rohit Sharma’s best in all IPL matches. Then both Titans openers got fifties followed by quick innings from Hardik Pandya and David Miller. However, thanks to the run-outs, Titans contrived to lose on a night that Jasprit Bumrah went for 48 runs.Rohit shows form
Rohit began the match with an average of 17 and a strike rate of 123 this IPL, but looked in great touch. He took on Alzarri Joseph to begin with but went after every bowler in the first six overs, scoring 42, more than he has ever done inside an IPL powerplay. The smooth hitting was back on display. Ishan Kishan was not so smooth, benefiting from an edge or three, but he too kept scoring quickly. The 63 for 0 after six overs was easily their best powerplay in a disappointing season.Rashid strikes back
Teams have decided to not give wickets to Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine even if it means playing them out at a sub-optimal run rate. Rashid came into this match with just nine wickets but at under seven an over. Rohit, though, was looking to attack everyone because this was a good pitch and they needed a big total. Rashid went for 13 in his first, bowled inside the powerplay. In Rashid’s second, all it took was two dots to bring out the reverse-sweep. Rashid, though, was too accurate for that and trapped him lbw.2:51

Vettori, Bishop laud Sams’ execution of slower balls

Middle-overs muddle
Three Mumbai batters scored more than 40 runs at a strike rate higher than 150, but their eventual score was the lowest among 134 such T20 innings. Kieron Pollard, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav scored 38 off 41 between them to offset 132 off 78 between Rohit, Ishan Kishan and Tim David.Pollard, especially, was a slightly strange choice to walk in during the 13th over when he was going to play out Lockie Ferguson and Rashid. He was looking to play Rashid out, but Rashid was good enough to turn a legbreak past his forward-defensive and hit the top of off.To their credit, Titans responded well to the powerplay by mixing the pace in the rest of the innings to restrict Mumbai. David, who took them to 177 with two sixes in the final over, was despondent at the halfway mark, saying they were well short.The Saha-Gill show
 
At the start of the chase, Saha continued his excellent intent and took the pressure off Gill, who has been short of a gallop. He went after Bumrah, using his pace, taking 25 off nine balls in his first two overs, more than anyone has taken off Bumrah in a T20 powerplay. Around the end of the powerplay, it was Gill, who took the load off Saha, who tends to slow down once the field is spread. He took a six and a four off M Ashwin followed by a hat-trick of fours off Daniel Sams and then a six and a four off left-arm wristspinner Kumar Kartikeya.Now Gill must have fancied Ashwin after his earlier success off him, but it was perhaps time for Saha to go after the bowling and for Gill to set up to bat through. However, Gill was the first one to attack and holed out at the start of the 13th over. Saha followed in the same over, top-edging a sweep.Titans run themselves out
Hardik Pandya, though, continued in the flow he has managed through the season. Despite the hit-wicket dismissal of Sai Sudharsan – trying to hit the pants off a slower bouncer from Pollard and losing the bottom hand on the bat – Titans were on track, needing 22 off 15.This is when Pandya called David Miller through for a quick single when the ball was rolling through to the keeper. A dive or a full stretch would have got Pandya in, but the replays surprised him, catching him on the line when the wicket lit up.In the 19th over, despite an off night, Bumrah created some tension, conceding just four off four. Miller, though, seemed to have sealed the chase when he hit the fifth, a short ball, for a flat six to make it 10 required off seven balls.At eight off five, Rahul Tewatia missed a slower ball from Sams. Off the next ball, he tried a second but couldn’t make it despite a slow and an off-target throw from deep midwicket. Rashid took a single off the fourth ball to give it to Miller with six required off two.Sams managed to go past the bat on both occasions with full and wide slower balls.

Royals stand between resurgent RCB and final spot

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Explosive batting and exciting bowling will be on stage in Ahmedabad

Deivarayan Muthu26-May-20222:45

Should teams look to bat first in a pressure game?

Big picture

Last weekend, Royal Challengers Bangalore were on the brink of elimination, needing Mumbai Indians to knock Delhi Capitals out. Mumbai did them that favour, and now the stars are aligning for Royal Challengers.Harshal Patel, Royal Challengers’ designated death bowler, has recovered sufficiently from a hand injury. Rajat Patidar’s high-risk 112 not out against Lucknow Super Giants fetched them high reward and put them in the second qualifier. Dinesh Karthik, too, rode his luck on Wednesday, and now Royal Challengers are one step away from featuring in the final this weekend.

IPL Live in the USA

Watch live coverage of Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi

Standing between RCB and the chance to meet Gujarat Titans in the final are Rajasthan Royals. Jos Buttler’s brief slowdown and the lack of enough batting firepower beyond Shimron Hetmyer crippled them in the first qualifier against Titans in Kolkata. Prasidh Krishna and R Ashwin also erred in their lines and lengths at different points on Tuesday as the risk of playing six batters and five bowlers in T20 cricket was exposed.Both Royals and Royal Challengers will also have to deal with the challenge of adapting quickly to the conditions at the Motera. The venue has been Royals’ home ground in the past: in all, they have played 12 matches here and have won seven.

In the news

Royals’ allrounder Daryl Mitchell has exited the IPL bubble to link up with the New Zealand side in Chelmsford.

Likely XIs

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Devdutt Padikkal, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Prasidh KrishnaRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Mahipal Lomror, 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Strategy punt

Match up Wanindu Hasaranga with Sanju Samson once again. The RCB legspinner has dismissed Samson five times in six T20 innings while conceding only 18 runs off 23 balls. Mohammed Siraj also had a favourable head-to-head record against Samson: two dismissals for 21 runs off 20 balls.

Stats that matter

  • Since 2021, teams batting first have won six games, and teams batting second have won 11 games in T20 cricket at the Motera.
  • Karthik has been dismissed thrice in ten innings by Yuzvendra Chahal and averages just 12.66 against him in T20s.
  • After taking ten wickets in his first eight matches this season at an economy rate of 7.8, Krishna has managed only five strikes since, in seven games, with his economy rate shooting up to nine.
  • Royals and Royal Challengers have had the best spin attacks this IPL, in terms of wickets taken. Royals’ spinners have grabbed 38 wickets to RCB’s 35.
  • Friday’s game will be Hasaranga’s 100th in T20 cricket.

196%, 2, $950m – the key numbers from a record-breaking IPL rights auction

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A mind-boggling surge in the value of digital rights included

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jun-20222:42

Just how massive is the IPL’s new media-rights deal?

196% – That’s how much the overall value of the IPL media rights has skyrocketed compared to the previous cycle (2018-22), when talking in India rupees. In 2017, Star India had bought the consolidated IPL media rights (that is, TV and digital) for INR 16,347.5 crore for a set of 300 matches (60 per season, for five seasons). This time around, the overall value is INR 48,390.5 crore for 410 matches, which is 2.96 times or 196% higher than the previous cycle. In US dollar terms, the hike is 143%, from $2.55 billion to $6.2 billion.The per-game value of the IPL over the seasons•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

No. 2 – In terms of per-match value, the IPL is now only behind American football’s National Football League (NFL) and ahead of English football’s Premier League. Each NFL match is worth US$ 35.07 million* (based on the ten-year rights deal signed in 2022), while the value of a Premier League match as per the rights deal signed in 2022-25 is US$ 11.34 million**. Based on the overall value of INR 48,390.5 crore for a maximum of 410 matches in the next cycle, each IPL game is worth INR 118.02 crore (US$ 15.11 million approx.).1.96 – An IPL match, based on media rights, is now worth nearly double (1.96 times) that of an India home game. The average value of each India home game – as per a five-year deal bagged by Star India, in 2018, worth INR 6,138 crore (at the time US$ 944 million) – is INR 60 crore, while an IPL game now costs INR 118.02 crore ($15.11 million approx.).!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var a in e.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data["datawrapper-height"][a]+"px"}}}))}();

113.35% – In Indian rupees, the winning bid for TV rights in the Indian subcontinent in this cycle (Disney Star’s bid of INR 23,575 crore, or US $3.02 billion approx.) was 113.35% higher than the highest bid for TV rights from the previous cycle. In 2017, Sony had submitted the highest bid for TV rights in the subcontinent: INR 11,050 crore, or at the time US $1.72 billion. That Sony did not win the TV rights eventually was down to Star India submitting a consolidated bid across categories and markets to become the highest overall bidder.$950m – The overall sum spent on digital rights for the Indian subcontinent this time was INR 23,758 crore (US$ 3.04 billion approx.). Viacom 18 bid INR 20,500 crore (US$ 2.62 billion approx) to win Package B (digital rights for Indian subcontinent), and also bagged Package C (digital rights in India only for a selection of high-profile matches) with a bid of INR 3,257.5 crore (US$ 417.20 million approx.). This combined figure to secure the digital rights in the subcontinent for a maximum of 410 matches, in INR terms, represents a rise of 45% from the overall bid (TV + digital at INR 16,347.5 crore) for the previous cycle comprising 300 games – the difference stands at INR 7,410 crore (or US$ 950 million approx.). If digital rights for the subcontinent from this cycle are compared with the highest bid for digital rights in the Indian market in the last cycle – INR 3,900 crore (at the time US$ 0.61 billion approx.) from Facebook, which, again, did not stand against Star India’s consolidated bid – the digital rights in this cycle have seen a six-fold increase in value.* Forbes
** Athletic

Babar: Shafique can become 'one of the best' in the world

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Pakistan captain praises his opener for showing his “class and temperament” in “difficult conditions”

Umar Farooq20-Jul-2022Pakistan captain Babar Azam believes Abdullah Shafique is capable of becoming “one of the best” players in the world. Babar praised the opener for showing “class and temperament” in “difficult conditions” during the Galle Test. Babar also rated his own hundred in the first innings as “one of the best” because it came on a difficult surface.Shafique, playing just in his sixth Test, scored an unbeaten 160 in the fourth innings to help Pakistan chase down 342, the highest successful chase by any team in Galle, in the first Test against Sri Lanka. He batted for 542 minutes, the longest a player has during a successful chase in Tests. Having made his debut less than nine months ago, he has scored 720 runs in eleven innings at an average of 80.00, with two centuries and four half-centuries.Related

  • Pinch yourself, Pakistan; Abdullah Shafique is a real, living, breathing opener

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  • Shaheen Shah Afridi finds a way to prosper at Galle

“As a youngster, when you make your case, you have to perform in different and difficult conditions,” Babar said. “He [Shafique] showed his class, temperament, and how confident he is. Batting against quality bowling is going to boost his confidence. The way he plays is so clean, and how he remained focused makes it quite evident that there are many more [hundreds] to come. Though it’s just six matches and it’s too early to say that [he is the best opener in the world right now] but as a player, I think and hope that he can become one of the best.”The contest remained evenly poised for the first three days but Pakistan batters turned it around on day four, patiently getting through many moments of nervousness. Shafique and Babar’s strong stand left them with just 120 to get on the final day with seven wickets remaining, and the former stayed till the end to guide his team home.By doing so, Pakistan laid the ghosts of 2009, when they had lost their last eight wickets in 46 runs in a chase of 168 at this venue. Babar said Pakistan had prepared well ahead of this series to handle Galle’s spin-friendly conditions.”We basically planned and prepared to keep the pitch conditions in mind because at Galle, we know the spinner gets help,” Babar said. “With the game going deep in the later stage, when it gets rough, the ball carries more turns and bounces. So this is exactly what we had in mind while preparing. Hence, we have the result in our hands.”Pakistan were 112 for 8 at one stage in the first innings but Babar stitched crucial partnerships with Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah for the last two wickets to take the side within touching distance of Sri Lanka’s first-innings total. Babar called his knock of 119 a “special” innings and said it required “double concentration” to bat with the tail.”It’s kind of special, you can say, because the team needed me [at that point]. Scoring in difficult conditions, and achieving something from it, takes your confidence and satisfaction to a different level. One of the best, you can say, because it was different: wickets were down, batting with tailenders… you required double concentration with them at another end. You have to guide them and have to watch out for yourself as well. Then the field is open and you have to find scoring options. So in all this, you have had to plan and execute all around. So I am very happy with it.”While the Pakistan seamers, especially Shaheen Shah Afridi, found success in the first innings, it was the spinners who took control of Sri Lanka’s second innings, bowling 74 of the 100 overs. While Babar backed the fast-bowling unit, he did say the team management would decide the combination for the next Test, which starts on July 24 at the same venue, only after assessing the conditions.”Pakistan has produced fast bowlers and won games even on flats tracks but we will sit before the next match and decide what combination we should go with. Every match you play, it does have its good and bad [parts] and you obviously want to enhance the good ones, and work on your mistakes and improve [the bad ones].”

Santner and Mitchell fifties seal New Zealand's 11-0 Europe sweep

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

That’s 6-0 over Ireland in ODIs and T20Is, 3-0 over Scotland in ODIs and T20Is and now 2-0 over Netherlands

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2022New Zealand wrapped up their tour of Europe with an 11th straight victory as Mitchell Santner smashed an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls in a chase of 148.Netherlands appeared to give themselves hope of staying in the game when they picked up two early wickets, but enjoying the perks of being stand-in captain, Santner promoted himself to No. 3, hit a six off the second ball he faced, and took complete control.He was responsible for six of the eight boundaries that New Zealand hit in the powerplay on Friday, racing to his half-century in 29 balls.Alongside him, Daryl Mitchell, purred away on 32 off 21 balls, managing a strike rate of 157 despite hitting only three fours. Eventually he too opened up his shoulders and cruised to a fifty of his own – the boundary that brought up that landmark also bringing up the win.Netherlands, whose bowlers were able to stifle New Zealand in the first T20I, would have hoped for a similar performance but there really was no recourse after they could put up only 147 on the board. Bas de Leede was the top-scorer with 53 not out but he was part of a top four that barely managed a run a ball. Tom Cooper (26 off 17) and Scott Edwards (26* off 20) gave the innings a bit of impetus at the end but it wasn’t enough.Michael Bracewell, who began this tour of Europe with a jaw-dropping innings of 127 that rescued New Zealand from dire straits, ended it with a two-wicket haul. Overall, during the course of three ODIs and three T20Is against Ireland, two more T20Is and an ODI against Scotland, and one T20I against Netherlands, he has managed 272 runs at an average of 136 and 11 wickets (including a hat-trick) at an average of 19.63.

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