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Eoin Morgan, England’s one-day captain, says that his family were “very offended” by the criticism that he received after withdrawing from the tour of Bangladesh

Arun Venugopal in Mumbai09-Jan-20171:47

‘Don’t regret’ skipping Bangladesh tour – Morgan

Eoin Morgan, England’s one-day captain, says that his family were “very offended” by the criticism that he received after withdrawing from the tour of Bangladesh on security grounds last year, but has expressed his excitement at returning to national colours with a heavy diet of white-ball cricket in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in June.Morgan, 30, has not played for England since the visit of Pakistan in September last year, after he and Alex Hales chose not to travel to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series in October, following terror attacks in the country earlier in the year.Although Andrew Strauss, the managing director of England cricket, had assured the players that there would be “no consequences” for missing the tour, there was a considerable backlash in the English media over Morgan’s failure to lead his side from the front, especially in light of the unprecedented levels of security granted to the team.Morgan, however, maintained that he didn’t regret the decision, insisting that he had been unaffected by the furore even if his family were less comfortable with the backlash.”My way of dealing with it was to get away from things, which I did,” he told BBC Radio. “My family saw a lot of it and were very offended, but that is part and parcel of being in the limelight.”As a decision, I am very comfortable with [it] and it’s a decision I considered all consequences when I did, and sitting here or sitting at home, wherever I would have been sitting, I’d have been very comfortable with it.”Eoin Morgan found his form for Sydney Thunder in the BBL last week•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

In Morgan’s absence, Jos Buttler led England to a hard-fought 2-1 series win, and the regular skipper was full of praise for the manner in which his stand-in had stepped into the breach.”I think he [Buttler] really enjoyed the leadership role within the group,” Morgan said during his earlier press conference. “The proof was in the performances. I thought he was outstanding [in] the way senior players reacted, Ben Stokes in particular. In the first game when Ben played a screamer on a wicket that wasn’t that easy for us to come on and start the series. The younger guys reacted well and the senior guys led the way.”While Morgan believes, with some justification, that his success in leading England’s revival in white-ball cricket has earned him some leeway with the selectors, his absence in Bangladesh not only came at the end of a year in which he averaged less than 30 in 25 matches across all formats, it offered an opportunity for other candidates to stake a claim to a middle-order berth.In particular, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Billings can expect a fair hearing ahead of the Champions Trophy, while Ben Duckett, who scored two fifties in Bangladesh, was deemed by coach Trevor Bayliss to have been “desperately unlucky” to miss out on the limited-overs tour to India.”We’ve a couple of series in the next five-six months which is going to be a big part in our lead up towards the [Champions Trophy],” he said. “It is exciting that we’ve only white-ball cricket between now and then. The major part of that is getting some cricket under my belt in the run into the series, which I’ve managed to do. I am really excited, and everybody within the group is as excited as I am.”If there were any doubts about Morgan’s current form and focus, then his sign-off performance for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League last week was a good indicator. His final innings before departing for India was an unbeaten 50-ball 71 that culminated in a match-winning last-ball six. Despite that, however, he knows not to take his England place for granted.”Nothing is a certainty. Absolutely nothing,” he said. “I’d like to think that things have gone pretty well for us, and over a small period of time we have had a little bit of success, like I have added. But, again we have a fantastic group of players – very talented, very driven and they want to do well.Right up there in the “little bit of success” were England’s series wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh. After England had made 444 against Pakistan in Trent Bridge, Hales said he had to pinch himself in disbelief. Morgan believed England’s mindset had remained positive in the past as well, but their recent consistency had caught even him by surprise.”I think before we played a game together as a group, which was just under two years ago now, there’s always that nerves and anticipation about what’s to come,” he said. “I think the general mindset and attitude in which we went about our business was the right way, but the skill level doesn’t always deliver behind that. I’ve been surprised that the level of skill and consistency we’ve shown between now and then… I think it is impressive.”Everybody within the group, and how well we’ve grown and learnt in that time, has been accelerated by the bit of success. Obviously, playing abroad is different challenge, a challenge which everybody is looking forward to. India is a great place to come and win the series. It means that much more because they are very, very good at home.”The scars of the drubbing in the Test series, he felt, wouldn’t have a bearing on this team. “I think they are very motivated individually. Regardless of which format has been played first, the side has generally improved as the tour has gone on. Since the side has been together, there has been no backlash or repercussions from any performance earlier in the tour. I don’t expect it to have any effect.”

Tammy Beaumont anchored England’s run-chase with 78 from 79 balls to secure a 3-0 series lead against Sri Lanka in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2016
ScorecardTammy Beaumont made 78 from 79 balls•Getty Images

Tammy Beaumont anchored England’s run-chase with 78 from 79 balls to secure a 3-0 series lead against Sri Lanka in Colombo, with the fourth and final ODI to come at the same venue on Thursday.Despite losing the toss and being asked to field first, England seized control of the contest from the outset, pinning Sri Lanka down to a run-rate of three an over with a disciplined bowling performance in which their three spinners, Laura Marsh, Alex Hartley and Danielle Hazell, each picked up two wickets apiece.Sri Lanka’s innings never really gathered any momentum. Nipuni Hansika, the opening batsman, top-scored with 29 from 66 balls, but she was the second wicket to fall, bowled by Hazell in the 21st over, and England never relinquished their stranglehold. The hosts were all out for 161 with two balls of their innings left unused, having lost their last eight wickets for 82.In reply, England lost Lauren Winfield and Danni Wyatt in the space of six deliveries to slip to 60 for 2, but a fourth-wicket stand of 67 between Beaumont and Fran Wilson (30) carried the team to the brink of victory.Both players fell in the space of two runs to take the gloss off the win – Wilson was caught behind off Chamari Atapattu before Beaumont became Sugandika Kumari’s only wicket of the innings with six runs still required. But Georgia Elwiss and Amy Jones wrapped up the win with 20.3 overs left unused.

The Super Giants captain will welcome the better batting conditions in Mohali after a botched chase in the last game

Shashank Kishore27-Apr-20234:30

Shastri: Arshdeep can play all formats for India

Big Picture: Rahul back to scene of heroics

KL Rahul needs no reminding that he holds the record for the fastest IPL half-century, which he hit in Mohali. It’s a good time to rekindle those memories as he leads Lucknow Super Giants against his former franchise, the Punjab Kings, yet again, after going down narrowly the first time the two sides met earlier this month.Super Giants have had a few days off to reflect on a botched chase against Gujarat Titans. That Rahul took the game deep and batted through on a challenging surface, before he saw it all crumble, will hurt. But if he needs solace, Mohali should provide better value for shots which he’d be looking to feed off and play with more freedom than he did on that Lucknow slowburn.Kings have no such issues. They’ve backed themselves to play the high-risk, high-returns game, and find themselves on the same points – eight – as Super Giants. Without designated captain Shikhar Dhawan, they’ve had an inexperienced top three that hasn’t carried the baggage of the past and have tried to play with freedom. Liam Livingstone’s return after missing the first few games has been timely.It’s the bowling where Super Giants have a slight edge, their variety and class likely to bring the long boundaries into play. At 40, Amit Mishra continues to roll the clock back, while his apprentice Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya have been able to keep a lid on the scoring in the middle overs.Kings, meanwhile, have been over reliant on Arshdeep Singh, who’s delivered in crunch moments, like in the game against Mumbai Indians three nights ago. Rahul Chahar has looked off colour, while Nathan Ellis and Curran have proved expensive. If Kings can have a fully-fit Kagiso Rabada back and firing, they’ll add another dimension to an attack still trying to find its feet.Punjab Kings got the better of Lucknow Super Giants in their first meeting in IPL 2023•BCCI

Form guide

(Last five matches, most recent first)Punjab Kings: WLWLL (8 points from seven matches)
Lucknow Super Giants: LWLWW (8 points from seven matches)

Team News: All eyes on Dhawan and Rabada

Dhawan and Rabada’s return will lend teeth to the Kings’ batting and bowling respectively. Super Giants pacer Mark Wood remains doubtful due to an illness, having last played on April 15.

Toss and Impact Player Strategy

With Rabada set to return, it’s possible Kings will bring in Nathan Ellis as an Impact Player with the ball for Prabhsimran Singh.Possible XII: 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Liam Livingstone, 4 Harpreet Singh, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Shahrukh Khan, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Rahul Chahar, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Nathan EllisSuper Giants don’t have a lot of reasons to tinker with their line-up. Ayush Badoni could be substituted for K Gowtham’s offspin.Possible XII: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Krunal Pandya, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Naveen ul Haq, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Avesh Khan, 12 K Gowtham

Stats that matter: Kings openers in focus

• Legspinners bowling to a left-hander a bad idea? Well, Mishra has had tremendous success against Dhawan. He has dismissed him thrice in five innings, having conceded just 39 off the 32 balls he has bowled to him in T20 cricket.
• Curran has managed to keep a lid on Rahul’s scoring in T20s, having conceded less than a run-a-ball (97) over the 29 balls he’s bowled to him for one dismissal. With Curran likely to open the bowling, Rahul will need to find a way to break the shackles against him if Super Giants are to start well.
• Excluding the 90-run opening stand between Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh, the Kings openers have tallied just 45 runs in six innings. Their average of 19.3 is the lowest of all the teams in the tournament. They’ve also tried out three opening pairs in seven matches.

Pitch and conditions: Look out for the dew

The previous game in Mohali was played on a slightly dry surface where Royal Challengers Bangalore found enough grip to turn the tables on Kings after threatening to post a 200-plus score. But that was an afternoon game. In the evening, the effect of dew will mean the side batting first will want a little extra cushion in their defence. Spinners could have a bigger role given the ground dimensions.

The West Indies batsman said his match-winning 91 off 58 balls played out according to his plans in the first ODI against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-20171:40

‘Wanted to play myself in’

A better understanding of his own game and knowledge of coping with specific match situations has helped Jason Mohammed transform his game over the last year, leading to a knock like the unbeaten 91 off 58 balls in the first ODI against Pakistan on Friday. Mohammed’s half-century, his third of the year, was the bedrock of West Indies’ record chase of 309, as they rallied from 158 for 4 in the 34th over to complete a four-wicket win with an over to spare.

West Indies were brave in chase – Arthur

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said West Indies’ come-from-behind win in a record chase of 309 was very brave but conceded his team should have been able to defend their total.
“I think we should probably have got 20 more, with the bat,” Arthur said. “But, saying that, we should be defending 308 or whatever it was. But, you know, credit to West Indies; I thought they played really well. They took their time and they chased beautifully, they put us under pressure at the back end and then got over the line.
“I think from about 35 overs – that’s when West Indies put us under serious pressure. I thought they were brave: they took the game on and hit the ball extremely well, put us under pressure in the field took the game away from us. It was disappointing that we couldn’t close it out. Really disappointed we couldn’t execute properly there. Some of our main bowlers fell short of the mark today, and that’s the disappointing thing.”

“Starting from CPL [2016] with Guyana Amazon Warriors, my whole game has changed a lot,” Mohammed said after the match. “I have really gained a lot of confidence and momentum and I did well with the A team as well. I think I just know my game a little better now, in terms of maturity, and knowing how to play certain situations has definitely brought me a long way.”With 287 runs in 12 matches, Mohammed was the second-highest run-getter for Amazon Warriors after Chris Lynn, and played a few key knocks in the side’s successful chases during the tournament. Last month, in the home series against England, he played his first ODI in a year and a half, and was one of the few bright spots in West Indies’ 3-0 defeat, scoring fifties in the first two matches.On Friday, West Indies needed 128 off 13 overs with Mohammed batting on 15. He quickly switched gears, bringing up his fifty off 31 balls, and dominated the 70-run fifth-wicket partnership with Jonathan Carter, which revived the chase. That was followed by an unbroken 50-run partnership with Ashley Nurse for the seventh wicket.Nurse, who took 4 for 62 in Pakistan’s innings, slammed 34 off 15 balls, while Mohammed ended the match with 11 fours and three sixes. Mohammed said he was a momentum player, who needed to settle in before going for the big shots.”It was a very good innings. Coming in to bat early, there was a little bit of pressure in terms of strike rate and stuff but I knew that I had to play myself in and rotate the strike and gain momentum, and take it down to the end as much as possible. That’s exactly what we did as a team.”As I always say, I tend to start off a little bit slower. I am a momentum player and I know that so long as I get my game right, it’s going to come off. Try and work the ball around till I get a start and then I can hit the ball when I get in. That was my plan today and everything worked out excellently.”Nurse was pleased that three of his four wickets came in the last 15 overs of Pakistan’s chase, with the opposition looking for big overs. “My job first and foremost is to bowl and get people out so I was very happy with the wickets,” Nurse said. “I won’t say I was happy with the bowling because I bowled some bad balls in between but it was nice to get the Pakistan wickets when they were really going helter skelter at the back end, and it was nice to come back even in the last 10 overs and get some wickets.”Coming in to bat with West Indies needing 50 off 33 balls, Nurse went after Pakistan’s quick bowlers in the end overs, buoyed by the fact that he had been striking the ball well in the nets.”Jason was hitting the ball really nicely and he came out to rotate the strike,” Nurse said. “I was hitting the ball well in the nets so I knew my form was good and I just kept trying to hit the ball nice and straight and I backed myself to get the ball past the boundary and also give him the strike.”The second ODI will be played in Providence on April 9.

The pitch in Multan is expected to play like it did in the first Test. But can West Indies prepare and execute better this time around?

Danyal Rasool24-Jan-2025

Big Picture

It is not difficult to know what’s coming this Test match. It is an easy one to analyse, a straightforward one to predict. West Indies will have prepared studiously for the challenge Pakistan will pose, and Pakistan, themselves, have made no secret they will double down on the nature of the surfaces they prepare. The wicket might begin to break up when the two captains head out for the toss. Whoever wins will bat first, and spin bowling will feature right from the outset.But forewarned is not necessarily forearmed. The challenge Pakistan pose with these surfaces that crackle in the winter heat is much easier to understand than to do anything about. The outcome of the game hinges on West Indies’ execution; any mistakes they made in terms of understanding what kind of pitch this was will have been ironed out.Kraigg Brathwaite threw the gauntlet down to his team at the end of the first Test, while encouraging them with the reminder they were ahead in the game at a few key stages, and there was significant room for improvement to offer them belief.Related

• Aaqib Javed says Pakistan's spinning pitches are here to stay

West Indies’ own spinners showed they could go toe to toe with Pakistan’s, and Jomel Warrican registered better figures than any of his Pakistani counterparts. In Kemar Roach, they possess the best fast bowler on either side, on the few occasions that one will be required. They even worked out how to make the sweep and reverse-sweep productive, if not necessarily risk-free. And they found runs with the lower order, an inveterate Achilles’ heel of Pakistan’s bowling, no matter the conditions.Aaqib Javed made an impassioned defence of the pitches Pakistan have begun preparing at home, but he knows he has not won everyone over yet. Concerns about what it means for the country’s Test batting and fast bowling linger, and the only thing – the main thing, in his view – his style has got going for it is simple; it wins Pakistan Test matches. Pakistan are aware they must continue getting these wins, because the moment results turn, that spring-loaded criticism is waiting to be unleashed.

Form guide

Pakistan: WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)West Indies: LLWLD

In the spotlight – Shan Masood and Alick Athanaze

Pakistan cricket brings with it short attention spans, and Shan Masood knows he will not have much of it for the next nine months. He has now been now been captain for just under the full WTC cycle, and this is Pakistan’s last Test in a disappointing year and a half of Test cricket. Reports about his position as Test captain being vulnerable have surfaced more than once, and with a new cycle beginning at the end of the year, Pakistan will likely reevaluate at some point. However, this game represents a chance to finish off strongly, and continue making his case. With the bat, there are possible signs of a patch of form with a hundred and a fifty in his last three innings, and while he has not been viewed as the reason for an upturn in Test results, victory here will mean he finishes the cycle off with four wins in his last six TestsAlick Athanaze compiled a fine fourth-innings half-century on a tough Multan surface•AFP/Getty Images

Alick Athanaze came into this series with runs against Bangladesh, and appears to have enjoyed batting in Pakistan more than most of his team-mates He scored 99 and 58* in the three-day game before the series in Islamabad, and was responsible for nearly half of his side’s runs in the fourth innings in Multan, becoming the only visiting batter to score a half-century. Praise for the Dominican’s technique has come from exalted quarters, with Brian Lara and Ian Bishop among his admirers, and if the visitors top six are to rise to the challenge their captain laid out for them, Athanaze is expected to have a significant role.

Team news

Pakistan have not yet named an XI, with Aqib Javed saying they would take a final look at the surface.Pakistan (likely XI): 1 Shan Masood (capt) 2 Muhammad Hurraira 3 Babar Azam 4 Kamran Ghulam 5 Saud Shakeel 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 7 Salman Agha 8 Noman Ali 9 Sajid Khan 10 Abrar Ahmed 11 Khurram ShahzadWest Indies, too, have yet to name a starting line-up. Jayden Seales misses out with a slightly niggle in his leg. Kemar Roach is available again alongside Amir Jangoo.West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt) 2 Mikyle Louis 3 Keacy Carty 4 Alick Athanaze 5 Kavem Hodge 6 Justin Greaves 7 Tevin Imlach/Amir Jangoo (wk) 8 Gudakesh Motie 9 Kevin Sinclair 10 Jomel Warrican 11 Kemar Roach

Pitch and conditions

The pitch has been prepared in the same way as the one for the first Test was. Weather conditions have not changed in the week since, and it remains cold and dry. Any deviation from what happened in the first Test would be a surprise.

Stats and trivia

• None of the last 62 wickets Pakistan have taken in home Tests have come from a fast bowler
• Pakistan have not won back-to-back Test series since February 2021

Quotes“Of course we were right to prepare a spin pitch against West Indies. Their batters are not as proficient against spin when compared to fast bowling.”
“I’ve played on surfaces that spun from day one, but this was the first time I’ve seen such cracks on a pitch on day one.”

Offspinner will join Imam-ul-Haq at the club for the final month of this season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2022Somerset have signed Sajid Khan, the Pakistan offspinner, as their second overseas player for the final month of the County Championship season as they look to avoid relegation to Division Two.Matt Renshaw and Peter Siddle, their overseas players for most of the 2022 season, have both returned to Australia and Sajid joins his compatriot Imam-ul-Haq in signing for the final four Championship games.”I know that in recent years Babar Azam and Azhar Ali have enjoyed their time at Somerset, and I am looking forward to playing alongside Imam-ul-Haq again,” Sajid said. “I hope that I can contribute to Somerset winning the last four County Championship games of the season.”Related

• Azhar commits to Worcestershire for 2023 season

• Lynn returns to Northants, Pattinson released by Notts

• Gill to play for Glamorgan for remainder of Championship season

• Galle defeat highlights Babar's struggle in using his spinners

• Sajid and Pakistan rage against the dying light to snatch victory

Jack Leach, Somerset’s frontline spinner, will be unavailable for the next two games while on Test duty, and Andy Hurry, their director of cricket, said the club felt it was “important to recruit an international quality spinner for the County Championship run in”.”After detailed consideration of all the options available to us, we felt that Sajid Khan was the standout individual,” Hurry said. “He has proved his quality at the very highest level, and he is hungry to test himself in English conditions over the next few weeks.”He is a player with an outstanding attitude, and he is well aware of exactly what County Championship cricket means to this club and its members and supporters.”Somerset are ninth in Division One heading into the final month of the season, though have a game in hand on Kent and Warwickshire who sit seventh and eighth respectively.

Carlos Brathwaite has said adapting to spin in home conditions that aren’t too different from India, will be key for a young side that is looking to build from their gains in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2016West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite has said adapting to spin in home conditions that aren’t too different from those in India will be key for a young side that is looking to build from their gains in Australia.West Indies lost that series 2-0 but showed signs of improvement, mainly in their batting, as the tour progressed. Brathwaite made his debut in Melbourne by scoring 59 and followed it with an attacking 69 in Sydney.”As a team, we ended that tour on a high note, but transforming it now from Australia to West Indies will be a challenge,” he said after a training session in Jamaica. “The pitches are slow here and the Indians will attack with spin, unlike Australia who went with pace. So it’s about being patient for us.”Brathwaite said Phil Simmons, the head coach, has been working with the batsmen over a period of time to get them spin ready ahead of the four-Test series that starts in Antigua on July 21. “Spin has plotted our downfall over the last two years, but I think we’ve gotten better,” Brathwaite said. “The coach has done a good job by getting a few batters in even during the off season, and the focus has been on playing spin better. It’s a matter of us having a few options to each delivery, being patient and playing the waiting game.”With Jerome Taylor having ended his Test career and Kemar Roach searching for match fitness after recovering from an injury following a poor tour of Australia, Brathwaite is part of an inexperienced pace attack alongside Jason Holder, the captain, Shannon Gabriel and uncapped Miguel Cummins, who have a combined experience of 31 Tests.Brathwaite said the challenge as a bowling group would be to remain persistent against a quality batting line-up. “Bowling plans are important because India, undoubtedly, are one of the more strong batting line-ups in the world both home and away. Unfortunately or fortunately, conditions here aren’t too different from India now, but we have our plans for each batsman. It’s about executing the plans and keeping at it even if things don’t go our way.”It’s a lot tougher challenge than our regional first-class cricket. It’s about being patient and understanding momentum. When you’re on top, you stay on top. If the other team is on top, it takes just one good hour to wrest the momentum. Once we understand ebbs and flows of the game, we should do well to put smiles on the faces of the West Indies fans.”

The allrounder is still recovering from the ACL injury sustained last year leaving the club needing a new captain

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2023Melbourne Renegades’ captain Sophie Molineux has been ruled out of the entire WBBL as she continues her recovery from the ACL injury suffered last season.Molineux, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, picked up the injury against Melbourne Stars in November and is now hoping to return to domestic cricket in the second half of this campaign following the WBBL.It was announced on Thursday that Molineux had signed a new two-year deal with Renegades.”I’m really disappointed that my ongoing recovery from an ACL reconstruction means that I won’t be fit and available in time for this season,” she said. “But I’m very much appreciative of the support the club has shown me during the process and I’m very keen to repay their support by helping the team in any way possible over the coming months.”Molineux’s absence means Renegades will need a new captain for the upcoming season, and it could be they look to one of their overseas signings having secured Harmanpreet Kaur and Hayley Matthews at the draft. Another option would be Australia allrounder Georgia Wareham.”While we’d love to have her on the field this year, it’s important Sophie returns to full fitness and her leadership around the group off the field will be just as important,” Renegades general manager James Rosengarten said.Renegades will also be without fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck for the whole WBBL after she underwent shoulder surgery following the Australia A tour of England earlier this year.

Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, hopes that there will be an en masse decision to undertake the tour of Bangladesh

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's26-Aug-2016England’s players will be given time to consider their personal position on touring Bangladesh but Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, hopes that there will be an decision to undertake the trip.Strauss had encouraged the players “not to leave anything unsaid” during the meeting in London on Thursday, where it was confirmed that the trip would take place as planned. He believes that it is “100% safe” to tour, following the advice of the ECB’s head of security Reg Dickason, and is eager for a collective spirit among the squad, even though he has opened his door for any player to have one-on-one meetings about any concerns.The ECB, who will continue to monitor the situation in Bangladesh ahead of their departure on September 30, were given detailed information on the levels of security that will be provided in Dhaka, Chittagong and Fatullah, while the successful hosting of the Under-19 World Cup – for which England sent a team – also had a significant bearing on the decision.”At no stage did we ask players whether they would make themselves available,” Strauss said. “We are not at that stage yet. I’m certainly hopeful that we can convince the players that it is safe to tour. I’m 100% convinced that is the case. I have the utmost confidence in Reg Dickason and his experience.”My view is that the job of the ECB and Reg is to assure the players it is safe to go and, once they have that, I’m very hopeful that we’ll have all the squad coming together and saying ‘let’s go’ as a group.”We can’t force anyone to go on any tour and nor would we want to. Our job is to assure them it is safe and if that’s the case there is no other reason to pull out of the tour. We will answer any questions they have and hopefully put any fears they have to bed.”Strauss, along with Test captain Alastair Cook who also attended the meeting, were part of the England squad that returned to India for two Tests under the captaincy of Kevin Pietersen after the Mumbai attacks in 2008. Of current first-choice Test players, Stuart Broad and James Anderson – the latter who joined the team meeting via conference call – were also on that trip.Although it may not be something on the minds of players as they try to decide whether to tour, England’s return to India generated a lot of goodwill and they will be warmly received in Bangladesh after the country feared they could see a widespread withdrawal of touring sides following Australia’s pull-out last year. Earlier this week, Bangladesh’s one-day captain Mashrafe Mortaza said: “Our friendship will get deeper if we play in this series. It is not just about the game.””I’ve been there before, I know this is an emotive topic, and for a lot of people they are going through it for the first time,” Strauss said. “It’s not easy and we appreciate what they are going through and that’s why it’s really important we give them the space and time to digest it all and ask any questions.”There were a number of references to 2008 and what we went through. I don’t think it’s particularly relevant to say it will happen the same way, but those players who went through it before have a pretty good idea of how things will work.”Using his experience of India, Strauss hoped that once the initial uncertainty had been overcome and the tour was underway that, even with the considerable security presence that will be around the team 24/7, from ground to hotel and back again, that the cricket will allow players to feel more at ease.”Clearly when we went back to India there was a huge security presence around us but after the first few days you get back into cricket mode and are thinking about winning games. I can’t say for sure that will be the case in Bangladesh, but my experience is that it will be.”Strauss also confirmed that himself, Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, and chairman Colin Graves will be going out to Bangladesh for various parts of the tour. The squads will be named shortly after the T20 against Pakistan next month.

England players contribute with bat and ball under Manchester lights

ECB Reporters Network23-Jul-2022The first day/night women’s List A match at Emirates Old Trafford went the way of Thunder after the hosts beat Central Sparks by 28 runs on DLS in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.For Thunder it was a first victory in the competition this season with Emma Lamb’s 68 the pick of several good contributions with the bat before the England international struck with three late wickets to halt Sparks progress in the run chase.Abi Freeborn top-scored in the match with a run-a-ball 72 but the Sparks’ No. 3 failed to receive the necessary support to get the visitors over the line as the Thunder spun their way to victory, bowling their visitors out for 191.The win takes Thunder off the bottom of the table, level on four points with Sparks and Lightning, but with all three teams 10 points behind third-placed South East Stars.Opening Sparks pair Eve Jones and Davina Perrin made a steady start in pursuit of their 237 target, taking 34 runs from the 10-over powerplay, but in an explosive 12th over Jones pulled Deandra Dottin for the first six of the match before losing her off stump two balls later as the Thunder struck an early blow.