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Also says it’s unfair to judge Kohli’s batting “purely on the numbers” in IPL 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-20203:58

Gambhir: Kohli must put his hand up and be accountable

Eight seasons as captain, zero titles. And unlike most previous seasons, Virat Kohli didn’t enjoy a whole lot of success with the bat during IPL 2020 either, with his 466 runs coming at 121.35, his worst strike rate in any season he’s captained in.Those returns, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s poor finish – they lost each of their last five games, in the process squandering a possible top-two finish, only qualifying for the playoffs by the skin of their teeth and losing the Eliminator to the Sunrisers Hyderabad – have left critics, most notably the former India opener Gautam Gambhir, asking if Kohli should continue to lead the side.Simon Katich, the Royal Challengers’ head coach, has defended Kohli’s leadership, highlighting two facets in particular: his mentorship of younger players – notably the opener Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 473 runs, including five half-centuries, in his debut season – and his ability to lift the players and keep them fighting to the end, up to and including the team’s defence of a below-par 131 against the Sunrisers in Friday’s Eliminator.”We’re very fortunate to have spent these last 11 weeks working with him and I think what we’ve seen is someone that’s highly professional, someone that’s very, very well-respected by the group here, and not just for what he does on the field,” Katich said in a media interaction on Saturday. “I think his time around the group – both he and his wife Anushka [Sharma] spent a lot of time around the group, in the team room, and socialising with everyone – and what we saw, we saw someone that is very invested in this group, spent a lot of time with the younger players.Virat Kohli has a chat with head coach Simon Katich•BCCI

“We paired him up with young Padikkal as a mentor, and we saw the growth in him throughout the tournament, having that time speaking batting with Virat Kohli is invaluable for his growth, and that’s the side a lot of people don’t see with Virat.”The other thing we saw, which was very visible on the field, was that we’ve got a leader that, no matter what the game situation is, gets the other ten guys to follow him and stay in the contest. And one thing [for which] we’re very proud of this group throughout this season is that we hung in the contest, we fought right to the end, even last night [in the Eliminator] when it looked like we didn’t have enough runs on the board. We fought right till the end, and that’s something that we’re very proud of, and Virat can take a lot of credit for that.”On the batting front, Katich pointed to a few mitigating factors that contributed to Kohli’s returns, and said it wasn’t right to judge his season “purely on the numbers”.ALSO READ: RCB season review: Lack of lower-order firepower mars improved performance
“I think what we saw this year was, we did have consistent opening partnerships, between Padikkal and [Aaron] Finch,” Katich said. “Even though Finch probably [didn’t get] the volume of runs that he would have hoped for, we actually did get solid opening partnerships, so from that point of view, that was an area we wanted to address.”We got that, but then, as a byproduct of that, it probably meant that Virat came into the innings outside the powerplay on a number of occasions, which is never an easy time to start your innings, particularly here in the UAE where we found the conditions, particularly late in the tournament, starting to slow up.”That was a challenge for him, but we saw the class of Virat, particularly in the game against Chennai where he got that 90 off [52], or a number of times where the game situation didn’t help. He was looking like he was well on top of the bowling and we’d lose wickets at the crucial time, and that would sort of slow his progress, so you can’t just judge it purely on the numbers.”There were a number of games where he looked right at home and right at ease and then, unfortunately, we got schooled at times.”

South Africa coach concerned about workloads with Rabada having not played a Test since January

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-2020Kagiso Rabada is not an automatic pick for the Wanderers Test despite his status as leader of the attack and the match being on his home ground. Rabada was added to South Africa’s squad after four weeks on the sidelines with a groin strain, sustained during the T20 series against England.He was due to sit out the three ODIs, which were postponed, and missed the Boxing Day Test but has joined the South Africa bio-bubble where the national coaches will work with him to determine his readiness for Test cricket.”Because his name is Kagiso Rabada, we would want to play him but we’ve got to manage his loads,” Mark Boucher, South Africa’s coach, said. “He is coming back from injury so we will just monitor his progress.”South Africa also hope to have Beuran Hendricks back in the squad after he was withdrawn last week, alongside Keegan Petersen. “Beuran is going through medical protocols to come into the bubble,” Boucher said. “He has needed to have one or two Covid tests as well as checking what his antibody tests are.”Rabada and Hendricks will act as cover for Glenton Stuurman, who was tipped to make his debut at SuperSport Park but was left out with a niggle which is still being treated, and Lungi Ngidi, who had a small injury concern during the lead-up in Centurion. South Africa also have Migael Pretorius and Dwaine Pretorius in reserve. Petersen will not be added just yet, because all the batsmen in the current squad are fully fit.Related

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“The guys we are looking to get in are only to cover for injury. We need cover especially for bowlers because we have had one or two niggles,” Boucher said. “A player has to be injured in order to be replaced. If there is no injury to a batter then no batter can come into the bubble.”South Africa have Kyle Verreynne, Raynard van Tonder and Sarel Erwee in addition to the top six that played at SuperSport Park, which is likely to be unchanged for the Wanderers. “We just got 600, why would I want to change our batting order?” Boucher said. “In Test cricket, you wait for your opportunity to come. We’ve got a couple of very good batters waiting in the wings and we will keep working with them so they are ready if their opportunity comes. For now, it will be very difficult for me to swap a batting order that has been through a couple of tough times of late, and played well. I’ll take the 600 and keep working on that. We’ve got tough Test series coming up against Pakistan and Aus. It’s no time to start experimenting.”The same does not apply to the frontline bowlers, who Boucher recognises need to be rotated to protect them from injury and ensure the quicks have enough time to get their workloads up.”Sometimes with bowlers you just want to play a guy for the sake of playing him because he is your top bowler and you need to consider his workloads, from a mental side, from a physical side. You’ve got to take the emotion out of it and make a smart cricketing decision,” Boucher said. “Say for a guy like KG, we want to play him all the time, but he has got to get his workloads up [or] there is a high risk of him getting injured. Then we would be doing an injustice, not just to himself but to ourselves.”Rabada has not played a Test since January, against England in Port Elizabeth, and has not played any first-class cricket this summer. The lack of red-ball game time combined with the long period of inaction because of the Coronavirus lockdown could leave him more susceptible to injury if he goes into a Test underprepared. That much was evident in the opposition camp, where Sri Lanka lost two quicks in the Test, something that could be put down to their increased load in a short space of time.Boucher had some sympathy for his opposite number. “It’s very difficult in these times to prepare,” he said. “We haven’t had a lot of cricket – games have been postponed or cancelled. We are having to think out of the box continuously to try and get our workloads up in order to bowl 20 overs a day.”It’s easier for batters to work on their fitness. You can do shuttles. But, it’s difficult to bowl 20 overs in your back garden. You have to try to simulate a game situation. You might have to bowl 10 overs in the morning and then come back in the afternoon and bowl another 10 overs, and while you are busy waiting you walk around the field, and that is trying to simulate what you would do in a game. You can’t put guys in cotton wool and just have them bowl six overs and think they are ready for a Test match. You can’t just say to a guy rock up and bowl 20 overs now. You’ve got to build him up so if you do want to push him, his body can handle it.”All of South Africa’s attack were put through their paces in Centurion. Anrich Nortje, who had not played any red-ball cricket since January, bowled the most number of overs with 22, Wiaan Mulder, in his second Test, sent down 20 overs, while Ngidi and Sipamla bowled 19 and 16 respectively. If fit, all will be in contention at the Wanderers, as will Keshav Maharaj after Boucher indicated South Africa would not go all-pace.”I am not a big fan of going into a Test match without a spinner. It’s very dangerous,” Boucher said. “As we saw with Sri Lanka in this game, if they didn’t have a spinner, they would have struggled even more. I doubt we will go in without Keshav.”

Former captain scripts open letter to the team in Bangladesh, urging the inexperienced players to believe in themselves

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Jan-2021In 1966, 22-year-old Guyanese youngster Clive Lloyd made his international debut in the first Test of the India tour, played in what was then Bombay. Lloyd, the tall and bespectacled left-hander, was told he was playing the match less than an hour before the start due to the finger injury to Seymour Nurse.Lloyd scored 82 and an unbeaten 78 to help the visitors take the series lead. West Indies won the three-match Test series 2-0 with Lloyd finishing among the top five run-makers. Lloyd utilised that fortuitous break to grow into a solid batsman and one of the most successful and dominant captains in cricket.Related

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Now, at 76, Lloyd wants to use the story of his debut to motivate the inexperienced West Indies squads in Bangladesh. Several of West Indies’ first-team players in both the Test and white-ball teams opted out of the Bangladesh tour which comprises three ODIs followed by two Tests.In a heartfelt letter addressed to the contingent, Lloyd told the players that although they might feel they have “thrown in the deep” in what will be a “daunting” assignment, it is not “insurmountable.” The letter was distributed to the West Indies players at the behest of Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt.Following is Lloyd’s letter in full.Dear GuysI thought that I would send you this message as I’m aware that you’re embarking on a Tour which you probably weren’t prepared for and perhaps you feel like you’ve been thrown in the deep end and that people expect you to stand and deliver. What you should understand is that you have a chance of cementing a permanent place in the West Indies Team and not merely filling a gap. You have been chosen on merit. This is your destiny. It is your opportunity to fulfill it. This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your talents and skills to the world and prove to all and sundry that you’re not second-class cricketers. You can step up to the plate.In 1966 I was not selected in the original Test Team. Fortuitously, Seymour Nurse got injured and 45 minutes before the 1st Test I was informed that I was playing and I played 35 straight Test Matches because I performed well. We won the series. You see I recognized there was an opportunity to demonstrate my talent and capabilities and I seized it with both hands. Moreover, playing for the West Indies is one of the highest honors a citizen of the region can achieve. I believed it then and I believe it now.You have found yourselves in exactly the same position; therefore, the world is your oyster. This is your opportunity to prove yourself worthy of your selection and you should be proud to wear that West Indies blazer and cap. You are representing one of the best cricketing nations which possesses an enviable record of which we are very proud. Remember, we’re a nation of just over five million people.In the absence of Jason Holder, opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite will lead the West Indies Test side•RANDY BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images

Our records include: 29 Test matches without losing. 11 straight wins. For 17 years straight we never lost a test match.This is just a snapshot of our exploits and achievements in the past. It took hard work, commitment and a sense of purpose to realise them. Above all I would advise that you pay close attention to your levels of fitness and seek at all times whether as a batsman or a bowler to refine your techniques and skills. My team did it and I am confident you can too.You now have the opportunity to improve our Test match rating and instill some pride again in the standard of our Cricket. This is not just my expectation but that also of the entire Caribbean region. Your victory would be theirs also.Your trip to Bangladesh might look daunting but this task is not insurmountable. It is the ideal opportunity. With your determination, professionalism, youth and tenacity you can begin the dawn of a new era under the (Test) captaincy of the very astute Kraigg Brathwaite. Again, what I am saying to you is not idle speculation. It is based on my own experience. When I took over the West Indies cricket team we had lost more than twenty Test matches on a trot and there was a clear need for rebuilding and a re-purposing of the team. I also had a number of untried players, as many of you might be. But my team did not flinch from the challenge and we eventually emerged on top. I am confident you can begin the necessary rebuilding of the West Indies team. We did it because we believed in ourselves. You can too. Self belief is the first step to success.I would like you to remember this adage: ‘in order to gain altitude, you must have the right attitude’. A positive mental attitude will see you through many tight situations which I’m sure you will encounter during this Tour.Lastly, success comes before work only in the dictionary. I wish you the best of luck. Please remember most people are judged by the obstacles they overcome.

The role will have Moody overseeing Sri Lanka’s international programme and domestic tournaments

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Mar-2021Tom Moody has been appointed Sri Lanka’s director of cricket, a broad new role that will have Moody overseeing Sri Lanka’s international programme and domestic tournaments. The appointment was made on the recommendation of Sri Lanka’s new technical advisory committee headed by Aravinda de Silva.The role will see Moody spend at least 300 days in Sri Lanka over the next three years focusing on “analysis of the future tour programme, focusing on the domestic tournament structure, player welfare, education and skill development, coaching and support staff structure, high performance, and data analytics”.Moody had been Sri Lanka’s coach between 2005 and 2007 – years in which Sri Lanka tasted considerable success in the Test format and became World Cup runners-up. Since then he has been a coach at the IPL, the Caribbean Premier League’s director of cricket and has had several other high-profile positions.”Tom has worked with Sri Lanka Cricket in the past and has shown results, and I am sure with his working knowledge of the system, Tom will add greater value to our game,” SLC’s CEO Ashley de Silva said.On why Moody was specifically sought out for the role, Aravinda had told ESPNcricinfo that his committee needed “someone responsible and neutral working on certain areas with an open mind, who understands the culture, the players, the country’s culture, someone who’s been around. We need to blend and get the administrative side as well as the cricketing side.”Tom has got a lot of experience and understands more things about what some of the other countries are doing right, and we need to get the best things out of those countries that will suit our culture and then implement those.”Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan, who played under Moody during his tenure as coach, are also on the advisory committee.Moody starts his role on March 1. His contract runs for three years.

Director of cricket holds talks with player’s agent, two years after banishment from England set-up

Andrew Miller11-Mar-2021Ashley Giles has given the strongest hint yet that Alex Hales may be offered a route back into England’s white-ball set-up, almost two years after he was axed from the 2019 World Cup squad for failing two tests for recreational drugs.On Thursday Giles, England’s director of cricket, held what have been described as “positive” talks with James Cross, Hales’ agent, shortly after recording an interview for Sky Sports’ Cricket Show, in which he admitted that “the door can’t be closed forever” to a player who is regarded as one of the foremost batsmen on the T20 franchise circuit.”We all know what a good player Alex is,” Giles told Sky. “There has to be a way back in. In these times bringing someone back in – trying to reintegrate them – has been difficult to do because we’re living bubble life. But I certainly hope there are opportunities to do that this year.”Since his banishment from the England squad, Hales, 32, has carved himself a niche on the franchise circuit with a run of eye-catching performances – most recently at Australia’s Big Bash, where he finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 543 runs for Sydney Thunder.And the longer his exile has gone on, the more the questions have begun to stack up for the England management – not least the captain Eoin Morgan, who accused Hales of a “complete disregard” for the team’s values in the wake of his sacking, and has repeatedly stated that that such a fundamental loss of trust can only be rebuilt over time.Last month, Hales pleaded to be given closure on the matter, one way or the other, describing himself as “desperate” to return to the England set-up after the “sickening” manner in which his career crumbled on the eve of the World Cup.He claimed to have made significant lifestyle changes since his fall from grace, including a move to a village outside Nottingham, and during the recent BBL, his coach at Sydney Thunder, Shane Bond, criticised the ECB for failing to enquire after a player who would walk into most T20I line-ups in the world.Related

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Though Morgan has not yet spoken to Hales in his attempts to rebuild bridges between the pair, it is understood that he could be involved in a further round of talks with Hales’ management next month.Certainly, his stance appeared to have softened a touch when he was asked about Hales’ status on the eve of the first T20I in Ahmedabad.”A lot of players who aren’t in the squads have had really good winters,” Morgan said. “Alex is one of those, as is James Vince. The truth is it’s a very difficult side to get into at the moment.”Given the challenges around Covid, what we would normally do, if it wasn’t around, is try and have players that we perceive may be a part of the future coming in and spending time around the side, maybe two days out before the game,” he added.”Given that the regulations are being eased throughout our summer, that could be an opportunity for players outside of the squads to come in and be around the team, and Alex is in that place.”Giles added: “He is a high-class player. We are lucky at the moment we are blessed with a lot of high-class players in our T20 line-up particularly, but the door can’t be closed for ever. We all know that trust is a really important thing and that has to be won back.”

The Redbacks gave a big chase a decent attempt but ended with nothing to show across both formats for the season

Daniel Brettig08-Apr-2021Victoria 7 for 333 (Handscomb 131, Merlo 101, Agar 3-46) beat South Australia 312 (Head 77, Nielsen 51, Short 3-44, Merlo 3-45) by 21 runsNot once in the 28 years since the Australian domestic one-day competition became a league in which all states played each other at least once, in 1992-93, had a team gone through a full season without winning a single game in either limited-overs or first-class tournaments. That streak was broken by South Australia in their defeat to Victoria at the Junction Oval, consigning the Redbacks to 13 matches this summer without even one victory.Last winter SA’s cricket fortunes had been deemed so poor that an external review from the high-profile figure of Michael Hussey was commissioned by the SACA, leading to the appointment of Jason Gillespie as coach of the state team in addition to the Adelaide Strikers. Where the Redbacks go to from here is anyone’s guess, but it is likely to compel the state’s high performance wing to countenance the recruitment of more fringe dwellers from bigger states.Related