Daniel Christian talks about his hat-trick at the MCG, the toughest bowlers he has faced, and the first player he would choose in a World T20 XI

Interview by Jack Wilson07-Jun-2014How would you assess your Australia career to now?
Unfulfilled. I’ve always been a fringe player in the short forms of the game for the last few years. It’d be nice to get my spot in the side nailed down. That has to be my aim right now.Do you still harbour hopes of playing Test cricket for your country?
It’d be nice to say yes. But looking at it realistically, I’m probably past that opportunity now. I have to concentrate on getting my short-form spot sealed.Talk us through your hat-trick against Sri Lanka in 2012. Did you genuinely believe Nuwan Kulasekara was out? It was slipping down leg.
I really did. It felt out from where I was. I was obviously in my follow-through but he fell over right in front. It wasn’t until I got off and we watched it back that I realised that Hawk-Eye had it missing leg. It makes you wonder, though, doesn’t it? How many hat-tricks have people got when they weren’t actually out?Was that the highlight of your career?
Quite comfortably. A hat-trick and five wickets at the MCG. It doesn’t get much better than that.Who is the best coach you have played under?
Darren Lehmann. The sense of empowerment he gives players is amazing. He makes us all feel incredible before we go out there.What’s more rewarding: scoring a hundred or taking five wickets?
It’d have to be making a hundred.Are you an allrounder who enjoys batting more than bowling, then?
It’s a tricky one. I enjoy them both and it varies day by day, really. If I bowl a bad ball, I get to go back to my mark and have another chance. If I play a bad shot, that’s me done.Which of your Australian team-mates has the most annoying habits?
Maxy [Glenn Maxwell]. He is very messy and has bad hygiene. In fact, he stinks!Who would you least like to hear sing at a karaoke night?
Maxwell again. He has no singing talent whatsoever.Who is last at the bar to buy a round of drinks?
David Hussey. He’s just been tight for a long time.Who is the most inspirational cricketer you have played with?
Ricky Ponting. He had such an aura about him. Everything he did had that sense of being in control. He was just brilliant.Who is the fittest in the Australian side?
Mitchell Johnson. Oh, hang on, maybe Brad Haddin. He’s pretty fit. It’s out of those two.And the least?
Finchy [Aaron Finch]!Who is the greatest Australian allrounder you have seen?
That’s a tricky one. I used to love watching the Waugh brothers in ODI cricket growing up. Steve used to come in and bowl his plethora of slower balls, then smash it about. I enjoyed that.What has been the best match you have ever played in?
The Twenty20 Cup final with Hampshire in 2010 was mad. I’d done my quad and needed a runner – and I still ended up running! I nearly lost us that.When did you realise that you could have been run out?
Everyone was going mad. The boys had run on the pitch and I went to shake hands with the umpire. The umpire shook my hand and said, “You might want to go and get back in.” I just thought I had to get in at either end. I didn’t know the rules!Which bowler have you found toughest to face in your career?
Murali. He just gives you no chance of getting him away. Lasith Malinga is up there too. He’s never got me out but he’s so hard to score against.You are out and have to perform a party trick. What would you do?
Try to avoid it! I’m not good at being the centre of attention.If you had to choose a World T20 XI, who would be the first name on the team sheet?
That’s so difficult. I can only choose one?Yes. Could this be your third answer of Glenn Maxwell?
Oh Maxy is incredible, unreal. He’s a freak with absolutely no fear of any game situation. It could be him, but I’ll go with Shane Watson. He bats and bowls and does everything.

Their failure at this stage was no mystery. South Africa haven’t won a knockout game at a global tournament since 1998, perhaps the only puzzle was that they got so close

Alan Gardner in Dhaka04-Apr-2014South Africa have stuck doggedly to the scent throughout this World T20, like a hard-bitten gumshoe detective chasing up leads, scribbling down notes and piecing together clues. But this was a case too far for them. The trail went cold as Virat Kohli waltzed off through a crowded street scene with a twinkle in his eye, while Faf du Plessis and his men scoured the area to no avail. Catch me if you can.They nearly solved the biggest mystery of all, their knack for being knocked out. This was a courageous attempt in unfamiliar conditions against a team that has yet to be really ruffled and a batsman in his pomp. India pulled off the highest successful run chase against South Africa in T20. Du Plessis’ side had prevailed by single-run margins in their three previous games but they couldn’t beat out a confession this time.Unlike the South Africa teams of caricature, this was not a well-oiled machine that conked out on the first incline. Their issues were manifold and much discussed. Hashim Amla’s proficiency as a T20 opener; AB de Villiers’ best batting position; the purpose of Albie Morkel. Should Aaron Phangiso have got a game on the slowest wicket the team encountered? Which left-arm seamer would you give your right arm for?The files of evidence were piling up for du Plessis, who like any good cop had problems of his own. Unfit for South Africa’s opening game, he was suspended for overseeing a slow over rate in the next two. In the semi-final, he took a slug from his hip flask and batted with a streetwise aggression, dragging the innings through the first ten overs by its lapels and setting it up for further interrogation by his partner, de Villiers.But they needed all the pieces of the jigsaw to fit together. De Villiers had pushed England out of the competition with a Catherine wheel 69 off 28 balls in his last innings but here he managed to hit a half-tracker to a man on the boundary. He walked off cursing. The stats, du Plessis has never tired of reiterating, say de Villiers performs best when he comes in after the tenth over. He arrived at 13.6 and departed at 15.3. You can’t defenestrate India in that small a window.JP Duminy, who came in at No. 4, finished unbeaten with 45 from 40. “Could AB have batted quicker than that?” wondered du Plessis afterwards, rhetorically. Plenty were ready to offer an answer. Duminy has batted everywhere from No. 3 to No. 6 at this tournament but his consistency helped South Africa through their group and 172 at least gave them something to bowl at – even if being only four down suggested some fuel remained in the tank.

With Steyn searching for wickets, India were able to steal boundaries. That meant they could be more circumspect against South Africa’s one genuine slow-bowling threat, Imran Tahir.

Morkel was due to be the next man in, though a record of 33 runs from four previous innings did not promise much. At least he didn’t bowl any wides in his two unremarkable overs. Dale Steyn, whose body could not on this occasion match his unbendable will, began with an errant delivery down the leg side – the first of nine conceded by five different bowlers – as South Africa’s line of questioning wavered.”If you’re looking to win a World Cup it’s really important that you do the small things and the basics well and that’s definitely one of the things tonight that put us on the back foot,” du Plessis said. “Nine extra balls, not just the extra runs but you have to consider the amount of runs that they score from that extra ball. So you’re probably looking at a 15-20-run swing just by bowling nine wides.”If you want to win close games, beat quality opposition like India, you’ve got to make sure you do those one percenters really well. When the pressure is really high, you can almost afford five wides but as soon as it goes to the nine-ten mark you’re under pressure from the word go.”With Steyn searching for wickets, India were able to steal boundaries: Rohit Sharma’s flat six and Yuvraj Singh’s punch down the ground ruined otherwise tight overs. That meant they could be more circumspect against South Africa’s one genuine slow-bowling threat, Imran Tahir.”I think Imran bowled well, his figures were good,” du Plessis said. “But obviously from a tactics point of view they made sure not to give him too many wickets because when he does get wickets his tail is up. It’s hard to expect Dale every time to be a match-winner for us, he’s also human. He’s going to have days when he’s not just cleaning guys up. Dale bowled well but the batsmen were up to the task and they played him very well. You have to give credit to them. Dale and Imran are our danger men, and India’s batsmen handled them very well.”The hunch that Duminy’s offspin might pick a lock or two was another curiosity. Du Plessis cited his ability to turn the ball away from India’s left-handers but of his three overs, all but three deliveries were faced by right-handers (for the record, one those three did nearly pin Yuvraj lbw). Duminy opened the bowling because South Africa “felt there was a bit of grip”; Rohit and Ajinka Rahane took 14 off the over and India were away.They were as good as home following the 17th, bowled by Wayne Parnell, as three boundaries leaked off the edges of Suresh Raina’s bat. Parnell had replaced Steyn, to allow the latter to bowl the 18th and 20th overs. “If Steyn bowled the 17th and Parnell the 18th, you would have asked me the same question,” du Plessis grimaced. The observations will remain on file but South Africa have been taken off the investigation.Their failure at this stage was no mystery. South Africa haven’t won a knockout game at a global tournament since 1998 (when they won the ICC Knockout Trophy, ironically). Perhaps the only puzzle was that they got so close.

Plays of the day from the match between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings at the Kotla

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-May-2014The three-man relay throw
Quinton de Kock was flying. He had smashed two sixes in the fourth over to move to 24 off 16, and Delhi Daredevils had reached 34 for 0. M Vijay dabbed the first ball of the fifth behind point, and the two fielders in the circle gave chase. Suresh Raina slid, stopped the ball well short of the boundary and passed it to Ravindra Jadeja.The batsmen completed two. De Kock, no doubt desperate to get back on strike, wanted a third; Vijay did not. With both batsmen at handshaking distance near the wicketkeeper’s end, Jadeja threw to the bowler Mohit Sharma, who was a good five yards from the stumps and had to aim a strong overarm throw at the stumps to complete the run-out. Mohit made a direct hit; if he wanted, he could have lobbed it to Faf du Plessis, who had backed up behind him, to complete what would have been a unique run-out involving four fielders.The switch-hit
Dinesh Karthik entered in the fifth over and exited in the 13th, after scoring 51 off 36 deliveries. Vijay, who had been batting since the start of Delhi’s innings, was on 26 off 25 at that point. He had not really got going, and R Ashwin was niggling away with his round-the-wicket, wide-outside-leg angle.
Third ball of the over, Vijay decided he would not let Ashwin keep dictating terms. Opening his body up, he quickly switched his hands around, gripped the bat like a left-hander, and swatted it high over the cover-point boundary.The dummy
After a big partnership between Karthik and Vijay, Super Kings had taken three wickets in nine balls. JP Duminy, having just walked in, tickled Ravindra Jadeja to short fine leg and set off for a single. Realising he had hit it straight to the fielder, Dwayne Smith, Duminy quickly turned back. Smith threw, low and flat.
MS Dhoni, realising he was standing between the stumps and the throw, moved his gloves as if he was collecting it, before withdrawing them and letting the ball slip between his legs. The ball hit the stumps but Duminy had made his ground.The scrabbling outfielder
With fine leg inside the circle, Duminy was eyeing the scoop over that fielder. Mohit Sharma knew this, and bowled it wide outside off. Duminy went all the way across his stumps, and didn’t quite time his shot. The short fine-leg fielder, Mithun Manhas, turned around and chased desperately to try and take the catch as it dropped over his shoulder, but let it fall through his hands. The momentum brought Manhas to his knees, and he scrabbled desperately to stop the ball as it bounced towards the boundary. He got on his feet for an instant, but the balance wasn’t quite right and he fell down again, and was reduced to a desperate crawl as the ball rolled over the boundary.Swinging Suresh
Super Kings had just lost Brendon McCullum, and Laxmi Shukla was in the middle of an unexpectedly tight spell, having given away just eight runs in 2.2 overs. In walked Suresh Raina. He hit the first ball straight back to Shukla, who did well to bend low and field it on his follow-through, before unleashing a shot that Shukla did even better to not get in the way of.It was a straight, length ball. Raina moved his front foot out of the way and swung meatily through the line. Shukla jumped out of the way, so did the umpire. Replays showed that the ball swung in the air just as it approached the umpire, as if it were a tennis ball struck by a topspin-imparting racquet.

Plays of the Day from the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi

Siddarth Ravindran18-Apr-2014The over
Dale Steyn was reliably menacing with the new ball, but the most searching examination of Rajasthan batsmen’s technique came from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The sixth over had Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane in major trouble: it began with Bhuvneshwar squaring up Watson with consecutive away-cutters, before a leading edge took Watson to the safety of the non-striker’s end. It was Rahane’s turn to grapple with the movement, as Bhuvneshwar showcased his ability to move the ball both ways, getting the next one to jag in sharply before flying over the stumps. A couple of defensive strokes ended an over that showcased how bowling in Twenty20s isn’t just about slower balls, yorkers or bouncers.The delayed decision
Ishant Sharma was also posing problems to the batsmen, and he was rewarded with the big wicket of Watson, who nicked a ball that curled away outside off to the keeper. There was a clear edge, Ishant was elated, and after a moment of celebration, looked back to see that the umpire Billy Bowden had not lifted his finger. The wicketkeeper KL Rahul too had thrown the ball up in jubilation, before belatedly joining in a loud and lengthy shout. By the time Ishant finished his appeal, he was past the stumps at the batsman’s end, before Bowden finally sent Watson on his way. Even Rudi Koertzen, Steve Bucknor and other umpires from the take-your-time school don’t take as long to decide.The wake-up call
In the 12th over, Rahane charged out of the crease and looked to pull a short ball from Ishant, only to miss completely and to be slammed flush on the grille. Rahane took off his helmet to ensure there was no damage to his ear, or his helmet. Even as the physio came out to take a look, Rahane’s discomfort would have increased as the DJ in the stadium egged the crowd to scream, “Sun-ri-sers, Sun-ri-sers”.The drops
Dropped catches have been about as regular as the strategic timeouts in matches so far this season. The first of them was in the sixth over when a Shikhar Dhawan chip came straight back at the bowler James Faulkner, who threw up his hands to save his face. He did protect his face but couldn’t grab onto the ball and ended up falling flat on the pitch, reprieving Dhawan. Faulkner later let-off David Warner as well, and fans of dropped catches got to see Aaron Finch put one down in the slips.

South Africa last played a Test series in Sri Lanka in 2006. What Hashim Amla should remember from then is that they remained in good spirits despite the heavy losses on the field and the civil war raging around them

Firdose Moonda02-Jul-2014The last time South Africa played a Test match in Sri Lanka was the year bird flu flapped its way across East Asia, Italy won the World Cup and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had the first of their three biological children. But perhaps more tellingly, the civil war was still raging in Sri Lanka in 2006. There would be cricket but it was on a collision course with real life. The South African team would have to concern themselves with both those things.Naturally, the first was their main focus initially. It had to be considering the state of the South African team that traveled to Sri Lanka. About eight weeks before the team was due to leave, CSA announced Jacques Kallis was unlikely to be able to go with them because he would be recovering from surgery to repair tendinitis in his elbow. Shortly after that, South Africa learnt Shaun Pollock would not be able to play in the first Test because he had to remain home for the birth of his second child.That was bad enough but it would get worse. About two-and-half weeks before the flight to Colombo, Graeme Smith tore ligaments in his ankle while running and was ruled out as well. Ashwell Prince was asked to stand in as captain, a significant appointment in a country with a racially-divided past because he was the first South African of colour to lead the team.Sounds familiar? Of course it does.South Africa are without Kallis and Smith this time as well but their absence is permanent. They are also under a captain of colour again and he is permanent too.Hashim Amla may not have time to consider the long-term implications of accepting the role he was once so reluctant to take up because his immediate task is more pressing. Sri Lanka is the place where South Africa last lost a Test series away from home when Prince’s depleted side was defeated.What Amla, who was part of that team, should remember from then is that they remained in good spirits despite the heavy losses and the incident in which Dean Jones called him a “terrorist” on air during a commentary stint.”The mood was pretty festive. We had a good few youngsters in the squad who had a proper introduction to the rigours of subcontinental cricket there; guys like Hashim, Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers who are so integral to our current squad,” Gordon Templeton, the media officer on that tour, told ESPNcricinfo. “And then we also had a good mix of experience- Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel – so we didn’t feel like we had no one senior.”While South Africa were completely outplayed in the first Test, after the massive 624-run partnership between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene condemned them to an innings-and-153-run loss, Templeton prefers to remember the next match where Dale Steyn claimed his first five-for away from home.”He was so young, just in his eighth match and he was very nervous,” Templeton said. “After he took those wickets, he had to address the media, one of the first times he was in front of a foreign press contingent. It was a good learning experience.”Gaining knowledge was one of the main themes of that tour. South Africa were confined to Colombo because of the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka, specifically in the north, and one of the first things they had to come to terms with was visiting a country at war. “From the moment we arrived, we could see there was a heightened security presence. We had military and police around us all the way from the airport to the hotel, much more than normal,” Templeton said.The three ODIs against Sri Lanka mark the start of South Africa’s planning for the 2015 World Cup and will see the return of Jacques Kallis to No. 3 in the batting line-up, which South Africa will build around him•AFPBecause the squad could not explore the other regions of the country, they had to make do with excursions close to the capital. Far from feeling cabin-feverish, Templeton remembers the interest in discovering local culture soared. “We went to one of the Ceylon Tea Plantations, which was quite interesting especially because a lot of us drank that tea,” Templeton said. “And then we also went to the Singer factory where a lot of South African seamstresses from Cape Town had found work. We were intrigued by the connection between the two countries.”The curiosity extended to the Liberty Plaza shopping centre, where the players spent “a fair amount of their down time,” according to Templeton, eating in the restaurants or buying trinkets. They would probably have been there on August 14, when the first match of a tri-series which also included India was washed out but then-coach Mickey Arthur wanted to have an indoor training session.”Mickey felt the bowlers needed to get a good workout and he wanted a proper practice so we went ahead with that instead of taking extra time off,” Templeton said. While they were training a bomb went off at the shopping centre, killing seven. The team found out when they got back to their hotel.”It came as a complete surprise to us because we felt safe in Colombo,” Goolam Rajah, the team manager at the time, said. “Nowhere that we had been in the city had we come across anyone who told us we shouldn’t be there or that it was dangerous. After the bomb went off we wondered if we’d been living in a fool’s paradise.”Team management met with security officials to decide what South Africa’s next move would be while Rajah fielded calls from families back home. “My wife heard about it on the radio and she was frantic. She was able to get through to me to find out we were okay but she was still worried,” Rajah said. “There were definitely concerns.”South Africa decided the best option was to leave and abandoned the tour. They had four more ODIs left to play, which were important for their build up to the Champions Trophy in India later that year. “We were disappointed that we couldn’t play those games and we didn’t want to leave a tour unfinished,” Rajah said.Arthur called the aborted tour a “disaster” and CSA organised fixtures against Zimbabwe to ensure there was game time ahead of the Champions Trophy. South Africa lost in the semi-finals to a rampant West Indies and the tournament was filed as another ‘what if’ in the long line of questions over performances in major competitions.This time South Africa are again using Sri Lanka as the springboard to begin preparations for an important global event. The three ODIs mark the start of their planning for the 2015 World Cup and will see the return of Kallis to No. 3 in the batting line-up, which South Africa will build around him. Their attack contains significant variation with the inclusion of left-armer Beuran Hendricks and Vernon Philander.Once they’ve tinkered with combinations in that format, they will move on to the Tests where only a series win will see them reclaim the No. 1 ranking they fought so long to gain. The fraction of a point that separates them from Australia cannot be closed with a positive result over Zimbabwe so if they do not gain it in Sri Lanka, they will have to wait until the home series against West Indies in December-January to begin searching for it again.Those are two big tasks which will put cricket firmly at the forefront of South Africa’s thoughts when their tour of the island begins. They’ve been back for the World T20 in 2012 and a limited-overs rubber last year but this will be different and again, they will be confronted with all the signs of real life, from their own rebuilding to that of the country they are visiting.Last year, Amla was struck by how the country had recovered from the 2004 tsunami. He said it left him feeling “humbled.” For a team in a time of transition, that is not the worst sentiment to have as they embark on a new era.

Stats highlights at the end of the second day of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at Dubai

Bishen Jeswant23-Oct-201480 Number of balls in which Sarfraz Ahmed got to his century, the fourth fastest by a Pakistan batsman. The record is held by Majid Khan who scored a hundred off 74 balls against New Zealand in 1976. Shahid Afridi has scored two 78-ball hundreds. Across countries, this is the 18th fastest century in Tests (where balls-faced data is available).1 Number of wicketkeepers who have made a faster Test hundred than Sarfraz. Adam Gilchrist scored a 57-ball hundred versus England at Perth in 2006. Safraz’s innings was the 12th time a wicketkeeper posted a 100-plus score at a 100-plus strike rate in Tests, with seven of those being by Gilchrist.5 Number of consecutive 50-plus scores by Sarfraz. The Pakistan record is six consecutive innings, jointly held by Zaheer Abbas, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq.6 Number of consecutive 50-plus scores for David Warner. His last six Test scores are 75*, 145, 135, 66, 70 and 115. The record for the most consecutive 50-plus scores is seven, jointly held by Andy Flower, Everton Weekes, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kumar Sangakkara.454 Number of runs that Pakistan posted in their first innings. This was their second highest score against Australia in the last 20 years. The only time that Pakistan scored more was when then posted 580 for 9 declared, at Peshawar, in 1998.25 Number of years since all five of Pakistan’s batsmen from Nos. 3 to 7 made 50-plus scores in a Test innings outside Pakistan. In all, Pakistan have done this four times.97 The partnership strike rate during Pakistan’s sixth wicket stand, of 124 from 128 balls, between Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed. This is the fourth quickest 100-plus partnership, in terms of strike rate, for any wicket, for Pakistan.7 Number of 100-plus opening partnerships for Australia over the last two years. No other team has more than three. Australia have three such stands in 2014, which is also the highest for this year.67 Number of wickets cumulatively taken by the Pakistan bowling attack at the start of Australia’s innings. The Australian attack had taken 619 wickets by the end of Pakistan’s first innings.

Stats highlights from the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka, in Hyderabad

Bishen Jeswant09-Nov-2014136 Number of innings in which Virat Kohli reached 6000 ODI runs – the fastest ever. This happened when he was batting on 48. However, Hashim Amla, who currently has 4790 runs from only 95 ODI innings, looks set to break Kohli’s record.48 Number of ODI innings in which Shikhar Dhawan reached 2000 runs – the fastest by an Indian and the joint fifth-fastest ever, along with Viv Richards.0 Number of bilateral ODI series that India have lost against Sri Lanka at home. They have now won eight, and drawn one.849 Number of ODI runs scored by Kohli in 2014, the most by any batsman. He is just ahead of Angelo Mathews, who is on 848.5 Batsmen who have scored 12,000-plus ODI runs – Mahela Jayawardene became the fifth. Jayawardene got to this mark in 426 matches, making him the slowest to this milestone. All the others took less than 400 ODIs.17 Number of ODI hundreds that Jayawardene has scored. He equaled Tillakaratne Dilshan, becoming the third-highest century-maker for Sri Lanka. On the overall list, he went past Adam Gilchrist and joined Jacques Kallis and Desmond Haynes on 17 hundreds.16 Number of Sri Lankan players who have won Man of the Match awards (MoMs) in ODI defeats – Jayawardene became the 16th after winning his first such award in this game. Zimbabwe have 18 players who have won MoM awards post an ODI defeat, more than any other country. India and England have 17 players each.4 Number of ODI hundreds scored by Jayawardene in India. Among overseas batsmen, only Ricky Ponting (6) and Chris Gayle (5) have scored more ODI centuries in India.18 Instances where Sri Lanka have been bowled out for 250 runs or less against India in the last ten years – that’s more than against any other team.2 Instances of Kumar Sangakkara scoring a golden duck in ODIs against India. He has two other first-ball ducks, against New Zealand (2001) and Pakistan (2014). Across formats, Sangakkara has four ducks in 2014, all first-ballers.25 Sangakkara scores a duck on average once in every 25 ODIs. Among Sri Lanka batsmen with at least 10 ducks, Sangakkara is the most infrequent scorer of ducks. This list includes the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Jayawardene, Marvan Atapattu, Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva. Romesh Kaluwitharana is the worst, with a duck every eight ODIs (24 ducks in 189 ODIs).4-53 Umesh Yadav’s bowling figures in this game, his best in ODI cricket. This was the first time that he had taken four wickets in an ODI. However, the 53 runs that he conceded were the most for any innings where he has taken at least three wickets.17 Number of 50-plus opening partnerships for India over the last two years – more than any other team. Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane posted 62 today.15 Number of times that Sri Lanka have lost to India after batting first and being bowled out for 250 or less. They have only won once in that situation. In the same situation, India have beaten Sri Lanka twice and lost seven times.

Pakistan’s 2-0 series sweep over Australia was forged by players who came in either struggling or with a point to prove, and ended as stars

Umar Farooq04-Nov-2014

Younis Khan

Younis Khan scored two hundreds and a double-century in four innings.•AFPAfter being dropped from the ODI squad for the Australia series, a “hurt” Younis Khan told the PCB, “Don’t select me. Not even in Tests. I sacrifice my future.”His words carried a lot of weight, and echoed in every floor of the PCB headquarters. Younis eventually made himself available and was selected for the Tests, but he was under massive pressure to cash in on the chance and prove his value to the squad.And prove his value he did, with scores of 106, 103*, 213 and 46 from four innings, and by breaking a number of records on the way. Younis put himself among the best batsmen in the history of Pakistan cricket by becoming only their third player to collect 8000 Test runs. His 213 in Abu Dhabi was the fifth double of his career, and took him to second in the list of Pakistan batsmen with most double-hundreds, behind Javed Miandad who has six. Younis also became the leading century-maker for Pakistan, with 27 tons. His 468-run tally in this series is the second best by a Pakistan batsman against Australia, after Saleem Malik’s 557 in 1994.It came as little surprise when the PCB later hinted that Younis would be a part of Pakistan’s 2015 World Cup plans.

Misbah-ul-Haq

Before the Test series, Misbah-ul-Haq was told by the PCB that the road ahead was his to choose: whether to lead, or leave. So poor was his form with the bat, that after losing the first two ODIs and the series to Australia, Misbah sat out the third game in Abu Dhabi.In the end, 24 minutes was all it took for Misbah to remind both the selectors and his critics just what he is capable of, as he scored the fastest ever Test fifty. Fifty minutes later, Misbah equalled the record held by Viv Richards for the quickest century, off just 56 deliveries. He became only the second Pakistan captain to score a hundred in each innings of a Test, and the first to do so against Australia.His efforts paved the way for a 356-run victory, Pakistan’s largest victory margin in terms of runs, and sealed the series 2-0.

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali had been nearly dropped from the team in January, but a quick-fire hundred against Sri Lanka in Sharjah gave his career a new lease of life. Azhar, however, failed to make good on those chances and his ineffective performances in Sri Lanka in August did not help his cause. What was especially worrying, though, was Azhar’s continued inability to convert his good starts into big scores.Those concerns, however, were eased in the UAE. After scores of 53 and 30 in the first Test in Dubai, Azhar became the ninth Pakistan batsman to register a ton in both innings of a Test by hitting 109 and 100 not out in Abu Dhabi. Those knocks also marginally increased his Test strike-rate, and made him a key middle-order batsman in the side. It’s now up to Azhar, who is also a competent close-in fielder, to sustain this good run of form following a forgettable 2013.

Zulfiqar Babar

Zulfiqar Babar’s slider was a deadly weapon throughout the series•Getty ImagesAt the age of 35, Zulfiqar Babar had to make up for plenty of lost time. Babar finally got his chance, but he was only a few internationals old, and was under massive pressure to fill a Saeed Ajmal-sized hole in Pakistan’s spin attack.Babar, though, was unfazed by the weight of the responsibility thrust on his shoulders. He bowled 115.4 overs – the most in a two-Test series – snapped two five-fors and became the top wicket-taker with 14 scalps at 26.35. His slider in particular was a deadly weapon. Babar might have had to wait until he was 34 to make his Test debut, but the left-arm spinner, who is nicknamed (old man) in the press box, has no regrets. “Better late than never,” he said.

Yasir Shah

Thirteen years after making his first-class debut, Yasir Shah had 279 wickets at 24.43 heading into the Australia Tests. He has been regarded as a bright prospect since making his ODI debut in 2011, but the presence of Ajmal meant Yasir always had to wait. He finally got to make his Test debut in Dubai, but as a specialist spinner against Australia, he had plenty to prove and live up to.Yasir picked up 13 wickets in the series at an average of 17.25. His variations, energy levels, and composure as a legspinner won him plenty of fans, including Shane Warne, who predicted a prosperous future for the bowler.”I like the look of this leggie Yasir Shah, plenty of energy and nice variations of pace,” Warne tweeted. “He is going to take 200-plus Test wickets.”

For a Sri Lanka fan, the team’s losing streak in the New Zealand ODIs is perhaps the equivalent of getting paralysed by poison. Your body is immobile giving the impression that you’ve died, but inside, you are still very much alive. Screaming.

Damith Samarakoon29-Jan-2015Sri Lanka have New Zealand at 93 for 5 in the 20th over. The game is being played in Dunedin, where Sri Lanka will return to in a month’s time for the World Cup. Having been woeful through the series, It is encouraging to see the visitors’ bowling roar back into contention.The eternally optimistic of fans might proclaim Lahiru Thirimanne’s genius as captain. Standing in for the injured Angelo Mathews, he has tidy figures of 2 for 17 and has eased a nervous twitch over Lasith Malinga’s absence. At last, the promised zeal before the big tournament is here.New Zealand make 360 for 5. In an ODI.Sleep walking tends to occur in the latter stages of sleep when there is the least amount of brain activity. For Sri Lanka’s bowlers this appears to strike, around the 35th over. The bits-and-pieces bowlers have been taken apart. There are no yokers, there are only boundaries. So many boundaries.Sri Lanka have the most experienced squad going into the World Cup, but it is disproportionately spread among a few players, most of whom are better with the bat. It becomes clear that any chance Sri Lanka have hinges on a bowler with one ankle. Malinga may or may not play in the World Cup and even if he does, there are questions over his match fitness. It is a big risk to pin your chances on one player, but one that Sri Lanka must take given the quality of the other bowlers.Without the experience of Malinga to help, Nuwan Kulasekara’s dip in form seems that much bigger. Jeevan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal and Thisara Perera have been outclassed in the latter overs against New Zealand. It is a very worrying trend for a Sri Lankan supporter.So the target is 361. When faced with these outlandish odds, fans largely pretend not to care while secretly harbouring some level of hope. Sri Lanka just need a couple of hundreds from the top order and they could get close. Dimuth Karunaratne just needs to play a solid innings to help Tillakaratne Dilshan out.Only Thirimanne opens with Dilshan. Karunaratne doesn’t bat until No. 9. In the next game he bats at No. 5.Now that Dilshan’s batting has become more stable instead of the ‘see-ball-hit-ball’ style he practiced early in his career, pairing him with an accumulator like Thirimanne or Karunaratne seems counterintuitive. Meanwhile, Kusal Perera has been dropped, inconsistent yet capable of providing that early momentum.Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are class batsmen. But they aren’t quite known for deflating opposition attacks unless Sangakkara turns his 2.0 mode on or Jayawardene has one of his silkier days. Much of the batting impetus must come from the first set of Powerplays to allow Sangakkara and Jayawardene to play their game.Karunaratne is not the man for this job and Sanath Jayasuriya, chairman of selectors, admitted picking him as opener was a mistake. Further, shuffling him all over the batting order feels like the team are now unsure of what to do with him.Mendis comes in and is out for 18. The next game, he scores just 3 runs. He is another one of the odd choices that Sri Lanka are hoping to justify before the World Cup.Along with Mathews, Thisara is the only claim Sri Lanka have for a power hitter down the order. In seven games this year, he has scored 27 runs. With the ball, he has given away 329 at an economy rate of 7. Sri Lanka rely heavily on Thisara for acceleration in the final overs and his failure tends to reduce their final total by a good margin.Sri Lanka’s batting has been very sporadic during the New Zealand ODIs. Their fielding seems to have succumbed to the relentless march of age. But these sub-standard performances were almost expected when Malinga looked uncertain for the World Cup. The story of this game could easily be that of any other. The gaping holes in the Sri Lankan ODI side have never truly been filled.Panic is a strong word. It may not have set in yet, but it is swirling around the Sri Lankan team. They are a side with a few great batsmen and a few good bowlers, but are yet to click as a team. They now have to make do with that squad, play the two spinners and hope Malinga can come back sooner than later. It might sound a worn out narrative but Sri Lanka’s campaign once again rest on their superstars and it is a reality that must be acknowledged.As fans, it’s a very tumultuous time watching your team crumble with the World Cup round the corner. It is perhaps the equivalent of getting paralysed by poison. Your body is immobile giving the impression that you’ve died, but inside, you are still very much alive. Screaming.If you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

Stats highlights from an enthralling game in Dunedin, where Afghanistan notched up their first World Cup win, and Scotland their 11th defeat

S Rajesh26-Feb-20155 one-wicket wins in World Cup games. There were none in 2011, two in 2007, and one each in 1987 and 1975.96 Samiullah Shenwari’s score, his highest in ODIs, and his ninth 50-plus score. It’s also Afghanistan’s highest in the World Cup, and their third 50-plus score in the tournament.147 Balls faced by Shenwari in his innings, the most by an Afghanistan batsman in ODIs. The previous best for them was 143, by Usman Ghani, who made 118 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2014.122 Runs put together for the ninth wicket in the match – for Scotland, Majid Haq and Alasdair Evans added 62, while Afghanistan responded with a 60-run stand between Shenwari and Hamid Hassan. It’s the second-highest in a World Cup match, next only the 1983 game between India and Zimbabwe, when Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani added 126 undefeated runs for the ninth, and Zimbabwe’s Kevin Curran and Peter Rawson added 41 to that. The Afghanistan-Scotland game, though, is the only one where the ninth-wicket pairs of both teams have added more than 50.11 World Cup games for Scotland without a win. Afghanistan have got their maiden victory in their third World Cup game.1 Time, in 11 World Cup games, that Scotland have topped 200 with the bat. This was the first such instance. Their previous best was 186 against South Africa in the 2007 World Cup. (Click here for Scotland’s scores in their 11 World Cup games.)14.19 Scotland’s batting average in their 11 World Cup games. It’s the lowest among all teams which have played at least 10 matches in World Cups.62 The partnership between Evans and Haq, Scotland’s highest for the ninth wicket in all ODIs. Their previous best was 48.4 for 38 Shapoor Zadran’s figures in the match. It’s only the second time he has taken four or more wickets in 33 ODIs – his best figures are 4 for 24, against Netherlands in 2009. It’s the first haul of more than two wickets for Zadran in 18 innings.