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Irfan Pathan has said he is fit and fresh, and in line to better his performance in his debut season for India

Nagraj Gollapudi and Tariq Engineer04-Dec-2011Irfan Pathan has said he is fit and fresh, and in line to better his performance in his debut season for India – 2003-04 – after emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy’s Elite group so far, with 21 wickets. It’s a timely return to form with the selectors due to name Praveen Kumar’s replacement for the tour of Australia on Monday.”I feel I am one step ahead of what I wanted to be in terms of the way I am bowling,” he told ESPNcricinfo.He did not want to talk about selection but reasserted his goal. “My dream is still to play for my country, play for that jersey, play for the pride. I would do anything. I would go and bowl 100 overs if need be; I would keep performing to fulfil my goal.”Irfan’s last international match for India was during the 2009 World Twenty20; his last Test match was against South Africa in April 2008. He spent most of last season out with a severe back injury and even his IPL stock was plummeting as his bowling lost its prodigious swing.”The whole experience was enlightening,” Irfan said about his recovery from the back injury. “When you are fit you do not concentrate on yourself, you concentrate on the batsman – how to set him up, how to lure him into your trap. At least you try; it might work at times and it might not at other times. When you are not fit, when your action is not within your control; that is when the trouble starts.”The trouble, though, seems to be in the past. This Ranji season Irfan has had three five-wicket hauls – the first two, against Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, came in the second innings, but last week he overwhelmed Delhi in the first innings with both the new and old balls to pick up a seven-wicket haul.”At the moment the way the ball is leaving my hand is nearly the way I want it to leave,” Irfan said. “It is a very good sign. At the same time I have been quite lucky and quite blessed to perform well for Baroda so far. If things progress in the same fashion I really think this season is going to be even better than the 2003-04 one.” He had announced himself during India’s tour of Pakistan in March-April 2004 during which he took 12 wickets in the three Tests.In the past Irfan had said he regretted being the first-change bowler for India, as bowling with the old ball did not help him get as much swing as would have liked. Now, though, he says he has learned how to use the old ball much better. “The new ball has been wonderful, but I have a very good feel of the old ball and that is a positive sign for me. If you are getting set batsmen out with the old ball, it is most pleasing.”Irfan said the guidance of fast-bowling coach TA Sekar, who worked on Irfan’s bowling action after the 2011 IPL, has played a big role in him re-building his confidence. “He worked hard with me for a couple of months post the IPL with the idea that by the time the domestic season arrived my [tweaked] action would be second nature.”Sekar had helped Irfan in 2007 when Irfan had a disastrous year: he was sent back to India midway through the South Africa tour. He lost his confidence then but Sekar worked hard with Irfan to make sure he would not fall apart.This time the pair worked closely again with Irfan sending Sekar his match videos. Sekar even travelled to Rajkot to watch Irfan during the Syed Mushtaq Ali domestic Twenty20 tournament. “Primarily, he changed my whole body alignment going towards the target,” Irfan said. “In the past I was bowling with a mixed action but we corrected that. That has actually made my line much tighter, it has helped me keep my wrists straight and importantly allowed me to bowl where I want to bowl.”Irfan played the JP Atray tournament, the Challenger Trophy and the Syed-Mushtaq Ali Trophy to refine his action. “I knew by the time the Ranji Trophy comes I should be on top of my game, I should be match fit and I should be bowling the way I want to bowl. It was a process of two months but by the first match of the Ranji season I was on top of my game.”Irfan said he is spending less time in the gym than in previous years but “more and more” time on the ground.One of the reasons Irfan had been dropped from the India setup was that he had lost a few yards of pace. He said he is bowling at good speeds now but does not bother about what the speedometer’s readings say. “It is very important for me to have that zip off the pitch with which I can get a batsman lbw. When I lost out on a lot of things, when my action went wrong, people started talking about my pace, my wrist position, my swing. A lot of things were not going towards the target. But after the IPL if you look at my dismissals I have got them bowled, lbw, caught-behind or caught in the slips. That is a sign that I am getting the right zip from the pitch and I am bowling at the correct speeds.”I need to stop looking at the speedometer. If I can concentrate on dismissing batsmen by swinging it late, or making them play and miss, keeping them troubled with my lengths, then speed can take care of itself.”He said a good example of the way he should bowl was his performance on the first day of the match against Haryana, when he took just one wicket but kept the batsmen guessing. “I was beating the bat and I was very happy with my bowling.”

A devastating spell from Kent’s left-arm seamer Adam Ball left their County Championship Division Two game against fellow strugglers Leicestershire finely poised at Grace Road

03-Aug-2011
Scorecard
A devastating spell from Kent’s left-arm seamer Adam Ball left their County Championship Division Two game against fellow strugglers Leicestershire finely poised at Grace Road. Ball took 3 for 14 in 7.2 overs as Leicestershire slipped from 126 for 2 to 148 for 5 to lead by 186 runs at the close of the second day.Earlier in the day Leicestershire offspinner Jigar Naik also produced an eye-catching performance with figures of 5 for 34 as Kent lost their last seven wickets for 58 runs, slumping to 219 all out to hand Leicestershire a first-innings lead of 38.The hosts then looked to be moving into a commanding position, with Will Jefferson and Matt Boyce sharing their second half-century opening partnership of the game. They put on 72 in 25 overs before off-spinner James Tredwell bowled Jefferson for 37 as the batsman tried to work the ball away on the leg side.Then Tredwell trapped Greg Smith lbw before Ball was brought into the attack and rapidly turned the match in Kent’s favour again. He first had Boyce caught behind two runs short of a half-century and then removed Josh Cobb in the same fashion as the youngster went for an ambitious drive outside the off stump.Ball struck again with what proved to be the last ball of the day, having Wayne White lbw for 14 to dampen Leicestershire’s hopes of achieving their first Championship win since the opening match of the season against Northamptonshire.Kent, who began the day at 47 for 3, had a good pre-lunch session with Martin van Jaarsveld and Darren Stevens sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 114 in 29 overs. They both enjoyed plenty of good fortune in the first hour of the day, with Stevens dropped at slip and several other shots flying through the cordon to the boundary.Both reached their half-centuries, with Stevens making it off just 60 balls and hitting 11 fours before finally edging Naik to slip shortly before lunch having made 67.But the afternoon session went Leicestershire’s way, with Naik the star performer. He picked up the big wicket of van Jaarsveld, who was also caught at slip, and then added the scalps of Tredwell, Ball and Geraint Jones to the list to claim his second five-wicket haul of the season.Nathan Buck also returned to something like his best form, picking up 3 for 49, with Kent’s last six wickets going down for 43 runs in nine overs.

In his first series as Test captain, Michael Clarke has delivered Australia a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka, moved them up to fourth in the ICC rankings, and broken his own personal drought with his first Test century in 18 months

The Report by Brydon Coverdale20-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Clarke made his first Test hundred as Australia’s captain•AFPSmart stats

Michael Hussey’s aggregate of 463 runs in the series is the fourth-highest overall by a batsman in a three-Test series in Sri Lanka and the second-highest among visiting batsmen after Brian Lara’s 688 runs in 2001-02.

This is the fourth time that Australia have scored over 400 in their second innings in Sri Lanka. On the three previous occasions, they went on to win the Test.

Michael Clarke scored his 15th century in Tests. It is also his first century since his 168 against New Zealand in March 2010.

Clarke scored 86 of his 112 runs in front of the wicket. In all, he hit 13 fours and three sixes. In contrast, Phil Hughes scored 63 of his 126 runs behind the wicket.

The five fifty-plus partnerships in Australia’s second innings is joint-second on the list of most fifty-plus stands for visiting teams in Sri Lanka. Pakistan are on top, with six fifty-plus stands in Galle in 2000.

The 176-run stand between Hussey and Clarke is the highest ever fifth-wicket partnership for Australia against Sri Lanka.

This is Sri Lanka’s first defeat in a home series since the 1-0 loss to Pakistan in 2006. The previous series defeat in a three-match home series also came against Australia, in 2004, when they lost 3-0.

Australia’s 1-0 triumph is their first series win since the 2-0 win in New Zealand in 2010. In between, they drew a series against Pakistan and lost to India and England.

Rangana Herath’s haul of 7 for 157 is the best bowling performance by a Sri Lankan bowler in Tests against Australia. He also became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to reach the 100-wicket mark in Tests.

In his first series as Test captain, Michael Clarke has delivered Australia a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka, moved them up to fourth in the ICC Test rankings, retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy and broken his own personal drought with his first Test century in 18 months. Not a bad way to start a new job. On the final day of the series, Clarke played a true captain’s innings to deny Sri Lanka any hope of winning the match, which ended in a draw that was as good as a victory for Australia.Sri Lanka began the morning needing quick wickets to knock Australia over and set up a chase. By tea, Tillakaratne Dilshan’s men had added only two breakthroughs to the three wickets they had taken on the fourth afternoon, and they were left not only to rue their slow batting in a match they had to win, but also to wonder how long their attack will take to deliver them a Test win in the post-Muttiah Muralitharan era.Rangana Herath toiled manfully to earn a career-best 7 for 157, but the harsh truth is that Sri Lanka haven’t won a Test since Murali last played for them in July 2010. And by losing a home series for just the third time in ten years, they have fallen to fifth on the ICC rankings list. Besides Herath, none of the bowlers looked threatening on the final day, not that their task was an easy one on a pitch offering nothing.There was a glimmer of hope early, when Phillip Hughes (126) top-edged Herath to square leg, having added only four to his overnight total. But that brought Clarke and Michael Hussey together, and they proceeded to bat Sri Lanka out of the game in a 176-run partnership, an Australian fifth-wicket record against Sri Lanka, beating the 155 set by David Hookes and Allan Border in the first Test ever played between the two countries.And while Hussey missed the chance to score his third hundred of the series, falling for 93, Clarke didn’t waste his opportunity to end a drought that stretched back to Australia’s tour of New Zealand last March. It was an outstanding effort from Clarke, for when he came to the crease late on day four, a Sri Lanka victory was very much a possibility.He batted precisely the way a captain should in such circumstances, first and foremost guarding his wicket fiercely, but also ticking the scoreboard over to add to Sri Lanka’s problems. At one point during the morning, he was 24 from 80 deliveries, but he lifted his rate as the day wore on, three times advancing down the pitch to Herath to drive him down the ground for six.Although he survived a stumping chance when Prasanna Jayawardene failed to glove the ball cleanly, Clarke provided a masterclass in handling spin, using his feet and smothering the turn where he could. He brought up his century in exactly that manner, from his 139th ball, dancing down the pitch to clip Herath wide of mid-on for a boundary, and it was a fine way to cap off a tour during which his captaincy has been bold and thoughtful.Eventually, Clarke fell for 112 driving a catch to mid-on from the bowling of Herath, following some banter between Clarke and Kumar Sangakkara, and the chirping continued as Clarke walked off the field. But the most important thing was that he had ensured a series win.The only remaining point of interest was whether Hussey would finish his incredible tour with a century in each innings of a Test for the first time, having scored 118 in the first innings. Alas, he top-edged a sweep off Dilshan and was caught for 93. Still, he was unequivocally the Player of the Series, with scores of 95, 15, 142, 118 and 93, as well as two wickets and a stunning catch.It continued a remarkable renaissance for Hussey, 36, whose past two series, the Ashes at home and this Sri Lankan tour, have been the most prolific in his Test career. Herath also produced his best Test series, easily topping the wicket tally from either side with 16 at an average of 23, despite missing the second Test to injury, but it will hardly be a series he’ll remember with fondness.Still, he finished off strongly, securing his first six-for when Brad Haddin (30) was caught at wide mid-off, and that became a seven-wicket haul when he trapped Peter Siddle lbw for 26 as the sun set on the SSC. It was also his 100th Test wicket, making him the fourth Sri Lanka player to the milestone, after Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga.Australia were finally bowled out for 488, and Sri Lanka had to bat for two overs before the captains could agree to an early end. Clarke handed the ball to Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon, who both debuted during the series, and finished with one over each.It was a fitting way to end a series in which Australia’s debutants – Lyon, Copeland and Shaun Marsh – played key roles. Their next job is to take on the world No.2, South Africa, in Cape Town and Johannesburg. For now, Clarke and his men can celebrate. Finally, they are moving in the right direction.

Shahid Afridi will not turn out for Hampshire in the English Twenty20 season after the revoking on Tuesday of his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the PCB

Osman Samiuddin01-Jun-2011Shahid Afridi will not turn out for Hampshire in the Friends Life t20 season after the revoking on Tuesday of his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the PCB, with whom he is presently at loggerheads. The ECB has suspended Afridi’s overseas registration and has said it is checking that the correct procedures have been followed with regard to his NOC revocation.Afridi announced his international retirement this week in protest at the PCB’s decision to remove him from the ODI captaincy earlier this month. After he criticised the PCB in a television interview, the board suspended Afridi’s central contract, revoked his NOCs and slapped him with a showcause notice on Tuesday.After several communications between the ECB and PCB today, Afridi confirmed that until the NOC remains withdrawn he “will not be playing for Hampshire.” Afridi had been signed by Hampshire as one of their two overseas players and was due to play on the opening day of the Twenty20 tournament on Wednesday.Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, also confirmed the news to ESPNcricinfo. “My understanding of the process is that Shahid retired two or three days ago, the following day the PCB announced they would withdraw his No-Objection Certificate, and from what I can gather today the ECB have removed his registration, which makes him unavailable to play. We’re still discussing with various parties whether he’s a retired player, a contracted player, but at the moment it looks as though he won’t be playing. If he’s not registered, he can’t play, so it’s an ECB issue at present.”Afridi will remain in the UK for some time now before he plans his next step. Legal action has not been ruled out. “They are using all their powers against me right now and they can use them all they want. We are looking right now at all various options and obviously when such actions are taken, unjust actions, then that [legal action] is a consideration,” Afridi told ESPNcricinfo. He also confirmed he had appealed directly to the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, who is also patron of the PCB and the man who appoints the board chairman.In the immediate future, Afridi had also been lined up to play in the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) and possibly lead a team. There are likely to be several complications though. Afridi was confident he would “be able to take part in the league” as his central contract – presently suspended – finishes in June this year. The league is scheduled to take place over two weeks between July and August but precisely what his status will be at the time cannot be predicted.If, as is the general practice and ICC requirement, the league requires NOCs from all players who take part – current or former, centrally contracted or otherwise – then obtaining it from the PCB might remain a problem for Afridi.Afridi’s retirement, as he made clear, is a conditional one and applied only to this administration. Asked if there was anyway he could return under this board, he said: “Absolutely not, no way at all.”

Jonathan Trott has been named England’s cricketer of the year at the annual ECB awards function, held at Lord’s on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2011Jonathan Trott has been named England’s cricketer of the year at the annual ECB awards function, held at Lord’s on Tuesday. The award, voted for by the British cricket media, is given to the player with the greatest impact upon England’s performances from the start of the 2010 international season until the end of the World Cup.”I am both extremely humbled and proud to have been named England cricketer of the year after what has clearly been the most enjoyable year of my cricketing career so far,” Trott said. “It is an honour to represent England and it has been a privilege to be involved in such a successful, hard-working team.”I wouldn’t have won this award without the commitment and support of my team-mates. This award really belongs to the entire England squad and management team that have provided such a supportive and professional environment that has allowed me to prosper as a cricketer and a person. There is still much hard work to be done and improvement to be made and I look forward to making further contributions to a successful England team for a long as possible.”During the assessment period, Trott played 32 matches for England across formats, scoring an astonishing 2246 runs at an average of 68.06. While his Test prowess has never been in doubt, Trott’s success in ODIs came as a surprise to some who questioned his skills in the format. He aggregated 422 runs in the 2011 World Cup, averaging 60.29 with five half-centuries in seven games.He has carried his good form into the new season, hitting a double-century in England’s dramatic innings victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka, in Cardiff. That left him with a Test average of 66.67 – second only to that Donald Bradman’s mark of 99.94 among batsmen who’ve played at least 20 Test innings.”I don’t think about that. I find numbers are for people to look back on afterwards,” insisted Trott. “I don’t focus on my average. As a youngster I used to set myself goals – 1,000 runs by a certain point, so many by the end of the season. But what happens is you go out and take guard in April and you think you are miles away from that number, and you put unnecessary pressure on yourself.”There’s lots more to life than cricket, but at the moment it is very important to me,” he added. “I just try to do the best I can, without putting any massive goals ahead of me.”After a handful of Twenty20s, Trott was handed a Test debut in the pressure cooker of an Ashes Test and responded in fine fashion, cracking 119 in the second innings at The Oval to help ensure that England reclaimed the urn in 2009.”Career-wise, you don’t really start playing your best until you’re about 27, so I was quite fortunate to get picked when I was 28. I’d been a work in progress. At the end of 2007, I sat down with [Warwickshire coach, and England selector] Ashley Giles – and we planned about how we were going to go about making me one of the best players in England.”I’d had a try [in limited-overs matches for England] but wasn’t ready then – and in a way, that was a good thing. It made me realise how far I had to go. I was sure I had the talent to do it but I wasn’t sure how I was going to get that best out of myself. It was all about having a plan, how I was going to go about it.”Lydia Greenway was adjudged England women’s cricketer of the year, while Umesh Valjee won the award for the best disabled cricketer.

Gladstone Dainty has said he wants USACA to hire staff at the regional level with money generated from the recent multi-million dollar deal that formed Cricket Holdings America

Peter Della Penna27-Dec-2010USA Cricket Association president Gladstone Dainty has said he wants his organisation to hire staff at the regional level with money generated from the recent multi-million dollar deal that formed Cricket Holdings America.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Dainty said he believed adding staff to represent each region would be an effective way to improve the country’s weak cricket infrastructure. “This is a very large country and just like USACA talks about a CEO and having full-time or part-time help, in every region we should have people thinking about cricket as their job, about weekends, what the pitches are going to look like, what the fields are going to look like and the number we’ll have participating.”USACA will have a minimum of US$9 million at its disposal over the next three years as part of its stake in Cricket Holdings America and Dainty hoped some of the money will be used to upgrade and initiate development programs, which have been put on the backburner for years. “What is necessary, and what is going to give us bang for the buck, is to immediately improve our infrastructure and that means getting more coaches trained and even getting coaches who are going to be paid on a part-time basis.”Cricket in America has been reliant on the service of volunteers for years, ones who aren’t able to dedicate the full-time resources that are necessary to focus on installing and building development programs. Asked if he wanted USACA to hire at least one full-time staff member for each of the eight regions, Dainty said that the organisation might not have the funds to do that, but at the very least each one should have a part-time paid person.”You call them whatever, regional development people, whatever, but that’s their job,” Dainty said. “They should have their job, they should be helping, and depending on what we can afford, they should be coordinating that. Every region should have that.” One of the reasons Dainty is reluctant to spend money on full-time staff is that he would like USACA to budget their newfound money to make it last longer.”Because this [investment deal] is driven by a business model, I would hope that we don’t go ahead and spend all the money right away or commit all the money right away,” Dainty said. “I think that we need to put aside some for a rainy day. But like I said the national programs need a little bit of better help.”Dainty’s plan goes in a different direction from the one laid out by former chief executive Don Lockerbie, whose main priorities were to hire a national coaching director and start putting national players on central contracts by the end of 2010. Dainty hinted that central contracts would not be a made a priority until the domestic Twenty20 league targeted for the summer of 2012 got underway.”United States cricket has had a chronic shortage of funds, and although this will not solve all the problems, it puts us in a better position to help grow the sport,” Dainty said. “The shortage of funds hurts grassroots development more than anything else because the little bit of funding we do get, the focus is on conspicuous things like putting national teams together. So when that’s done, there’s hardly anything left there for any type of organized or sustained grassroots development. So this then, I’m hoping that my colleagues will go along with a program of funding leagues and regions better, shoring up those administrations so that they can deliver in terms of having better grassroots programs and then from those grassroots programs we’d be able to substantially increase our talent pool and fan base.”In terms of the vacancy for the chief executive position, Dainty said he had not accepted any resumes or interviewed any candidates to fill the role since Lockerbie was relieved of his duties on November 19. “I would hope within the next 60 days or so we could have that done,” he said. “I think that’s going to be a priority in the beginning of the year.”USACA is also dealing with a lawsuit filed on December 10 in New York County court by the North American Cricket League (NACL). The suit is reported to be asking for approximately $90 million in damages, which falls within the $80-100 million range that Insite executive director Neil Maxwell placed the capitalised value of Cricket Holdings America at. NACL is claiming that it had entered into an agreement with USACA to promote and organise an official Twenty20 league in America.Sources said that NACL won the first bidding rights to USACA’s global tender for the formation of a Twenty20 league. However, NACL’s representatives were required to submit a $250,000 deposit by an unknown deadline in order to continue the process of negotiations. Sources said USACA’s position is that NACL failed to meet the deadline, which opened the door for USACA to negotiate with the consortium group that included New Zealand Cricket, Insite, Top Bloom and Podar Holding International.

Hot Spot will not be part of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) that will be used during the 2011 ICC World Cup

Sharda Ugra05-Feb-2011Hot Spot will not be part of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) that will be used during the 2011 ICC World Cup, reducing the system to its basic requirements: a ball-tracker (in this case Hawk-Eye), a super slow-mo camera and a ‘clear’ stump microphone.In October 2010, the ICC had announced that the Hot Spot cameras would be used in the semi-finals and final of the World Cup, to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Feb 19 to April 2. An ICC spokesman, however, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo on Saturday that, “the supplier of the Hot Spot technology advised that it was not willing to supply its cameras for the tournament so, accordingly, they will not be used at any stage in the tournament. The use of these cameras is not a minimum requirement for the DRS.”While the Hot Spot cameras are not a minimum requirement of the UDRS, they are thought to provide among the most accurate images of the contact between ball and bat, or pad, using infrared thermal imaging. The owners of the Hot Spot technology, Melbourne based BBG Sport, were unwilling to comment on their decision.The Hot Spot infrared cameras form part of military hardware used in jetfighters, tanks and warships, and they fall under the category of restricted equipment which, it is believed, needs a temporary export licence from the Australian Defence Department whenever they are taken out of the country. Part of that licence includes the return of the cameras to Australia within a seven-day period after the end of the event in which they are being used. An ICC spokesperson however said that the ICC was “unaware of the Australian government regulations to this effect.”The cameras were first brought into India during the 2009 Champions League Twenty20 event. It is possible that the logistical hurdle of moving the cameras, which are both expensive and sensitive security equipment, in and out of Sri Lanka and India could have led to the decision. India remains the only country in cricket that has not accepted the UDRS. Ironically, the only part of UDRS technology basket that is considered by the Indians to be the most trustworthy is the Hot Spot camera.

Round-up of the second day of the sixth round of Division Two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2010Raheel Majeed’s career-best 162 resisted the impact of Mohammad Irfan’s five-wicket haul as Pakistan Television progressed to 325 before reducing Khan Research Laboratories to 160 for 5 at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground in Rawalpindi. Majeed and Yasim Murtaza (60) extended their partnership to 147 before PTV lost their last three wickets for the addition of no runs. KRL’s reply was steered by a run-a-ball 82 from captain Mohammad Wasim, but Saad Altaf and Mohammad Ali, who bowled unchanged for 36 overs until stumps, made regular breakthroughs at the other end to leave the game in the balance.Peshawar’s batsmen stamped their authority on the second day at the Arbab Niaz Khan Stadium as Quetta lost ground following the bowler-dominated opening day. The visitors could only add 38 to their overnight 87 for 6, conceding a 87-run first innings lead. The wickets were shared around by the home seamers, with Imran Khan finishing with 4 for 50. Peshawar’s reply was driven by steady half-centuries from Ashfaq Ahmed, Sajjad Ahmed (1) and Tariq Khan. Quetta’s incisiveness was badly hampered by the absence of first-innings hero Arun Lal, who could bowl only three balls on the second day. Kashif Sattar picked up three wickets, but could not check Peshawar’s surge to an imposing 290 for 5 by stumps.It was slow progress all-round at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium where Abbottabad and State Bank of Pakistan were locked in an attritional battle for the upper hand. Resuming at 221 for 5, the hosts could not make much headway on the second day. Mohammad Naved, Ansar Javed and Nazar Hussain shared nine wickets to bowl Abbottabad out for the addition of 57 runs. SBP lost their captain Kashif Siddiq early in their reply and batted cautiously thereafter in search of the first-innings lead. Rameez Alam guided their reply to 150 for 3, and was unbeaten on an even 50 at stumps. Seamer Ahmed Jamal was responsible for all three breakthroughs.Karachi White’s bowlers dismissed Lahore Shalimar for 139, gaining a 122-run first-innings lead at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium in Karachi. Asif Khan was the only batsman to come to terms with the all-round host attack. Azam Hussain and Atif Maqbool finished with three wickets apiece while the remaining four were shared by Sohail Khan and Ali Mudassar. Inspired by the bowlers, the home batsmen responded with a strong start to their second innings, with unbeaten half-centuries from Asif Zakir and Rameez Aziz guiding them to 180 for 3 by stumps.Lahore Ravi were firmly in control of their match against Hyderabad, with centuries from Junaid Jan and Fahad-ul-Haq lifting them to 254 for 2 at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Opener Mohammad Saad departed for 14, but thereafter it was a long fruitless day for the visitors. Fahad was the more aggressive of the pair, hitting 13 fours in his 103 off 160 balls. He perished after adding 164 for the second wicket, but Junaid stayed put till stumps, finishing unbeaten on 107 off 231 balls.

Rangers turn their attention away from Premiership action for now as they face the prospect of a UEFA Europa League semi-final clash.

The Gers play in the first-leg of their last-four meeting tonight in Germany as they look to set up a tasty second-leg at Ibrox under the lights next week.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men come into the game off the back of four straight wins in all competitions, beating Motherwell 3-1 in their last domestic outing.

In their Premiership victory last weekend, one player let themselves down as Leon Balogun was given his marching order by the referee in the 28th minute. Although the red card does not rule him out of this clash, Rangers need as much positive momentum as possible heading into this match and playing a player off the back of a low like that could be a mistake.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must bring Calvin Bassey back into the starting XI to play next to Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence.

Leicester youth coach Steve Beaglehole previously dubbed him as “phenomenal” and that is exactly what he has been for the Gers since the Dutch head coach came through the door. 

In the Premiership this term, he has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.95 and he has been rewarded for his form by winning the club’s Men’s Young Player of the Year award. He has shown that he can excel at left-back and centre-back and his versatility is another reason why he has been phenomenal for van Bronckhorst as he has been able to slot into multiple positions whilst maintaining a high standard of performance.

Journalist Josh Bunting has described his improvement this season as “ridiculous” as the £6.4k-per-week gem has gone from playing eight times in the league last term to 27 outings in the current campaign.

Bassey has also caught the eye in Europe with an average score of 6.91 in the competition. He has made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game and won an impressive 70% of his ground duels – showing that he has been physically dominant for the Gers at the back.

The Nigerian brute has been a reliable, quality, player for van Bronckhorst in all competitions and that is why he must now be unleashed against RB Leipzig tonight. Balogun must be dropped after his red card and replaced by the 22-year-old, who has shown that he can put in excellent displays in the Europa League.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Gvb issues UEL injury claim that’ll leave Rangers supporters buzzing…

Leeds United journalist Beren Cross has labelled Burnley’s decision to sack Sean Dyche as ‘brilliant’ for the Whites.

The Lowdown: Dyche’s dismissal

Burnley are currently nine points behind Leeds with eight games remaining and are set to take on West Ham this afternoon.

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It looked as if Dyche would continue in the dugout for the trip to the London Stadium despite a 2-0 defeat to Norwich City last time out. However, the Clarets announced on Friday morning that they sacked Dyche and his coaching staff.

The Latest: Cross reacts

Cross took to Twitter on Friday evening, sharing a story for LeedsLive regarding Burnley’s dramatic call on Dyche.

He labelled it as an ‘appalling decision’ by Leeds’ relegation rivals but a ‘brilliant one’ for the Whites.

The Verdict: A gamble…

Leeds took a managerial gamble six games ago by bringing in Jesse Marsch for Marcelo Bielsa, a decision that has started to pay off with the Whites picking up 10 points from a possible 12 in recent weeks.

Burnley have now decided to follow suit later in the season, however, it doesn’t look as if they have a replacement lined up to come in.

That makes it a huge risk by the Clarets board, and with Burnley playing three times before Leeds are next in action, we’ll have a better understanding if their decision has been a smart one or not.

In other news: Leeds and Orta want ‘extraordinary’ ace in Bosman move; same agent as Bamford.