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“He is supremely confident about his own ability – the fact that he is fully fit now makes a massive difference,” Shastri says of Hardik

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-20235:13

Runorder: Ravi Shastri wants Hardik to be India’s full-time T20I captain

Ravi Shastri feels that with the next men’s T20 World Cup just over a year away, Hardik Pandya will be handed the captaincy of the India team immediately.”Everyone can qualify to play, but I think Hardik will lead,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s . “The next two World Cups [after the 2023 ODI World Cup] are T20 cricket. He’s already [standby] captain of India [in T20Is], so he will continue unless he is not fit. I think they [the selectors] will look into a new direction. There’s a lot of talent among the youth at the moment. You might have a pretty much new team; there will be some new faces if not a new team.”There will be still plenty who played in the last T20I match that India played, but there will be some new faces because what we’ve seen here in this year’s IPL is some refreshing young talent.”Related

• Shastri: Keep Kohli, Rohit for Tests and ODIs; 'current form' all that matters for T20I squad

• Hardik 'more than happy' to take over full-time captaincy

• The Hardik evolution: 'I don't mind playing the Dhoni role'

• Gambhir unsure if Kohli, Rohit, Rahul fit in 2024 T20 WC plans

Rohit Sharma is India’s designated captain across formats, but he hasn’t played a T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup. KL Rahul was his deputy at the tournament; his last T20I, too, was at the World Cup. In the meantime, India have played eight T20Is, and Hardik has led in all of them with Rohit resting. Of those eight, India have won five, lost two, and tied one.At the last T20 World Cup, India’s intent with the bat had come under scrutiny, not for the first time. In the semi-final, they scored 168, which England chased down with ten wickets and four overs to spare.Since then, India have tried many fresh faces, with good results. And Shastri suggested “the 2007 route” for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Then, with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and some others opting out, India had named a relatively inexperienced side for the inaugural T20 World Cup, and India lifted the trophy under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.”I feel they will go the 2007 route, where they will identify talent, and Hardik will have lots of choices when it comes to the selection,” Shastri said. “Because his ideas will be different; he has played the IPL as a captain of a franchise and seen a lot of the other players. He will have his inputs.”Hardik Pandya has led India in every T20I they have played since the last T20 World Cup•Getty Images

When asked if it’s Hardik then who should have a conversation with the senior players about the future, Shastri said, “Obviously. Because he is the guy who is going to take the guys out on the park. Whatever he says has to be given importance and listened to.”Until IPL 2022, Hardik had no captaincy experience at the senior level. But he created a stir when he led Gujarat Titans, one of two new teams that season, to the title. This season, too, Titans are all but through to the playoffs with the last few league-stage matches to go.The only concern with Hardik could be regarding his workload management, given he is expected to play a big role for India at the upcoming ODI World Cup as well and his struggle with injuries is well known. Shastri said it should not be an issue, given he no longer plays long-form cricket.”It is not that he is playing three formats,” Shastri said. “Everything now is separate. You have Test matches, so the moment a Test series comes, he gets a corridor of a month to rest and recuperate. He is supremely confident about his own ability. The fact that he is fully fit now makes a massive difference. Form plays an important role. When he is fit, then he is arguably one of the best T20 players in the world.”In November last year as well, Shastri had said that “there is no harm in identifying a new T20I captain, and if his name is Hardik Pandya, so be it”.

Rodrigues, Ghosh and Verma among five women’s cricketers awarded Grade B contracts

Shashank Kishore27-Apr-2023Deepti Sharma, the allrounder, is a new entrant to BCCI’s highest bracket of annual retainers – Grade A worth INR 50 lakh – alongside Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur for 2022-23.Poonam Yadav, the legspinner, who had previously been placed in the highest bracket when the central contracts were last made public in May 2021 (for the period October 2020-September 2021), drops out altogether along with the now-retired pair of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, who had both been placed in Grade B (worth INR 30 lakh).Raj retired after last year’s 50-overs World Cup in New Zealand while Goswami made her final appearance during a historic ODI-series win over England at Lord’s last September.Related

• Upping her power game and getting the finishing skills right – Deepti eyes a higher gear

• India women cricketers to earn same match fee as male counterparts, BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirms

Shikha Pandey, the allrounder, who earned a recall after 15 months ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa has been left out altogether. She had previously been in Grade B which had 10 players. That list has now been pruned to five, with Renuka Singh and Richa Ghosh, who was earlier handed a Grade C retainer, being the new entrants. The others include Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad.Renuka enjoyed a breakthrough 2022, where she played a stellar role in India’s run to a silver-medal finish at Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year and has since emerged as the leader of India’s seam attack after Goswami’s retirement. Ghosh, meanwhile, has emerged as the frontline wicketkeeper and the team’s designated finisher.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Grade C, which is worth INR 10 lakh, has nine players from six previously. Among the first timers are fast bowlers Meghna Singh and Anjali Sarvani, allrounders Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana and Devika Vaidya and batters S Meghana, Yastika Bhatia and Harleen Deol. Allrounder Radha Yadav is also part of this group, having earlier been given a Grade B contract.The formal announcement of annual retainers comes six months after the BCCI announced a pay parity, under which the women – like the men – stood to earn INR 15 lakh for a Test, INR 6 lakh for an ODI and INR 3 lakh for a T20I. These amounts are significantly higher than the flat INR 1 lakh that India women players earned for an ODI or T20I appearance, and INR 2.5 lakh for a Test match prior to that.The Indian team’s next assignment is a tour to Bangladesh in June. Earlier this month, board secretary Jay Shah said it was “imperative we have a dedicated, full-fledged support staff to drive the team forward” while also saying the “best coaches will be roped in to help players realise full potential and achieve excellence on and off the field.”The national team is currently without a full-time head coach since former India offspinner Ramesh Powar was asked to step away as part of a restructuring process. Since then, former India batter Hrishikesh Kanitkar has been in charge and led the team to a semi-final finish at the T20 World Cup.Applications for various positions, including head coach, will be announced soon before BCCI’s three-member Cricket Advisory Committee will conduct interviews to identify the new coaches.

Fast bowler says he has recovered from a stress fracture and quad grade 3 tear following extensive rehab at the NCA

PTI21-Feb-2023After struggling with two “big” injuries last year, India fast bowler Deepak Chahar says he is fully fit and set to make his comeback with the IPL, starting March 31.Chahar, 30, has had a tough time recovering from a stress fracture and more recently a quad grade 3 tear. He last played for India in the second ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur last December, where he broke down after bowling three overs.Chahar could only feature in 15 games for India in 2022, and was also ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to injury. Having done an extensive rehab at the National Cricket Academy, Chahar is now preparing for the IPL where he will represent the Chennai Super Kings.”I have been working hard for the past two three months on my fitness, I am fully fit and preparing well for the IPL,” Chahar told PTI. “I had two big injures. One was a stress fracture and one was a quad grade 3 tear. They are both very big injuries. You are out for months. Anyone who comes back after the injury it takes time, especially for the fast bowlers.”If I was a batter, I would be playing way back, but as a fast bowler, when you have a stress fracture, it is very tough to get back on track. You can see other bowlers struggling with the back as well.”Chahar made a return to competitive cricket with a first-class game against Services last month but that was his only appearance in the Ranji Trophy.Multiple injuries have pushed him down in the Indian pecking order but he hopes to be part of the team for the ODI World Cup at home later this year.”I have lived by one rule all my life. If I am fully bowling the way I want, if I am batting the way I want, there is no stopping me. That was the basic rule with which I started my career.”I don’t care who is playing, who is not playing , my motive is to get fully fit and perform with the ball and bat 100%. If I do that, I will get my chances.”The men’s IPL will be preceded by the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL), and Chahar could not be more excited for the new tournament.”IPL changed men’s cricket forever, people got a lot of opportunities. Same thing will happen with Women’s Premier League. Women’s cricket will grow very fast as they will face international players very early in their careers. It will also help a lot of women cricketers who have not been able to make money and will fuel competition.”

Former England opener Marcus Trescothick feels counties should be allowed more scope in preparing surfaces that aid spin bowling

George Dobell03-Nov-2018Marcus Trescothick has called for a “mentality change” in county cricket in a bid to better prepare players for overseas tours. Trescothick, the former England opener, feels counties should be allowed more scope in preparing surfaces that aid spin bowling and feels his own club, Somerset, have been “harshly put under the spotlight” for producing such pitches.”People are never going to get better playing on spinning pitches if they don’t play on spinning pitches,” Trescothick said. “It’s frowned upon when you produce something that is spinning but of course it shouldn’t be.”We’re so used to seaming pitches in England. That’s what we’re notorious for. Especially in April or late September. But what’s wrong with producing something different? It shouldn’t be frowned upon as it has been.”Somerset have attracted criticism for preparing surfaces that aid their spinners. Angus Fraser, the Middlesex director of cricket, called one such pitch in 2017 “dreadful” and “disgraceful”, while last season Paul Allott, the Lancashire director of cricket, said another was “below average verging on poor”. On that occasion, Somerset narrowly avoided sanction from the ECB.But Trescothick, who made his maiden Test century in Galle, the venue of the first Test of the series between Sri Lanka and England, believes that such surfaces provide a rare opportunity for England-qualified players to experience the sort of conditions that are prevalent in many other parts of the world.”If you’re going to learn to play spin you’re going to have to face it, and when you come to Taunton you have to learn the art of playing on tough pitches,” he said. “We at Somerset have harshly been put under the spotlight for producing pitches that have spun. Other counties have had pitches reported, but because it’s a seaming pitch it doesn’t get talked about. If you play on pitches that spin it gets highlighted quickly and wrongly.”[South Africa opener] Dean Elgar said he didn’t face a ball of seam throughout the series when he went to Sri Lanka. But how often do you get to face a spinner opening the bowling? If you come to Taunton, it’s pretty much the only place you’ll get to do it at the moment. It shouldn’t be penalised too much. Yes, there needs to be a mentality change.”Jack Leach finally got the chance to press his case•Getty Images

Apart from warning England they would face a large amount of spin, Trescothick feels the conditions render Sri Lanka an especially demanding tour. But he said he had “no doubt” that his Somerset team-mate, the left-arm spinner Jack Leach, would succeed.”It’s very hot,” Trescothick said. “It’s probably the hottest play they’ll go. It’s very demanding.”Jack has had a couple of nice pitches to bowl on at Taunton and he’s produced the goods. He’s worked really hard to come back from injury and hopefully he’ll flourish.”This is a great chance for him, whether he takes the new ball or not. He’s played on pitches that have spun more than anywhere else at Taunton, so he’s used to those sorts of environments. I have no doubt he’ll succeed. I’ve seen him produce it at Somerset for a number of years.”Marcus Trescothick was speaking at the relaunch of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, which provides support for PCA members and their immediate families when they need it most

Salil Ankola, SS Das, Subroto Banerjee and S Sharath are the other members of the committee

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2023Chetan Sharma has been reappointed as the chairman of the BCCI’s national men’s senior selection committee. Chetan, who was in the same position in the previous selection committee, which had been sacked in November last year, will have Shiv Sunder Das, Salil Ankola, Subroto Banerjee and S Sharath as colleagues in the new panel.The five men were chosen by the BCCI’s cricket advisory committee of Ashok Malhotra, Sulakshana Naik and Jatin Paranjape after “around 600 applications” came in response to a BCCI advertisement for the positions. The need to appoint a fresh committee came up after the BCCI removed the earlier panel on November 18 last year – the advertisement was published on the BCCI’s website the same day – not long after India were eliminated in the semi-final of the men’s T20 World Cup.Though the panel was removed, they continued to select the India men’s national teams for the limited-overs series in New Zealand, the ODI and Test tour of Bangladesh and then the ongoing limited-overs series at home against Sri Lanka in the absence of a new committee. It was understood that the panel, led by Chetan, had been given an extension until the end of 2022 and, along with picking the national squads, had also been tasked with tracking the Ranji Trophy matches till the end of the year.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Indications were that Chetan Sharma would continue

Then, last week, in perhaps a big indication that Chetan might not be replaced – even if the others were – he was part of the BCCI’s review meeting of India’s roadmap to the 2023 ODI World Cup along with Rahul Dravid, the head coach, Rohit Sharma, the all-format captain, and VVS Laxman, the National Cricket Academy chief, as well as top BCCI functionaries.The term for the selection panel is typically four years, but they are up for renewal every year.The CAC, meanwhile, was put in place on January 1 to interview the applicants, prepare a shortlist of candidates, and send the BCCI its recommendations, on the basis of which the five-member panel has now been put in place.The latest panel has a combined experienced of 48 Test matches and 95 ODIs. Chetan and Das have both played 23 Tests each, while Ankola and Banerjee played one each. Chetan also played 65 ODIs; Ankola, Banerjee and Das played 20, six and four apiece. Sharath, a domestic great who played 139 first-class matches and scored 8700 runs in the format at an average of 51.17, never played for India.Sharath, however, was the chairman of the junior men’s selection committee till recently, and it’s an elevation of sorts for him after his panel chose the India squad that went on to win the Under-19 World Cup in February last year.Ankola, the former fast bowler, was also a selector, heading the Mumbai selection committee till the new appointment, while Das and Banerjee were involved in coaching. Das is the only member of the selection panel to have any T20 playing experience, having played three games in October 2011.

Sri Lanka’s captain was impressed with his lead spinner’s ability to bounce back from tough outings in the fifth ODI

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo12-Aug-2018He conceded 81 runs in the third ODI, went at 10 and over in the next one, and yet, claimed 6 for 29 in the fifth ODI, in Sri Lanka’s 178-run victory over South Africa. So emphatically did Akila Dananjaya bounce back from those Pallekele pastings, that Angelo Mathews has declared him to be “made of steel”. Not only did Akila finish the series in possession of the best match figures for a Sri Lanka bowler against South Africa, he was also the series’ best bowler, having taken 14 wickets at an average of 17.85. Despite the expensive outings at Pallekele, his economy rate also finished at a respectable 5.95.

Quinton de Kock

On Akila
“We’ve picked him really well through the whole series, but tonight it was really difficult to pick him initially, in the night. He performed really well and bamboozled us.”
On SL’s batting improvement through the series:
“In the first two games we didn’t have the biggest targets to chase. In the last two matches the Sri Lankan batting lineup batted with a lot of freedom. They put a lot of pressure on us. They set us big, challenging totals. In the fourth ODI we batted really well but didn’t manage to finish it. Tonight, Akila just bowled really well.”

“Akila’s made of steel – going for runs in the last couple of games and coming back with a six-for in this game was fantastic,” Mathews said. “He has been bowling so well for us over the past year and a half. You can have a couple of off days but he has been consistent with his performances over the past year and a half. He showed once again what he’s capable of.”At Khettarama, it was the googly that was Akila’s most destructive delivery, claiming the wickets of Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks in consecutive balls, before dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock as well. It is, of course, unusual that someone who primarily bowls offbreaks has a googly and a legbreak in his repertoire, but an unusual bowler is what Akila has always been. It was on the basis of that unorthodoxy that he made his debut for Sri Lanka way back in 2012, as a 17-year-old. Though largely ignored by the selectors between early 2013 and the middle of last year, Dananjaya has become a more refined bowler over the past six years, and Mathews – who is also a teammate at Colts Cricket Club – has watched him grow.”There is a big difference when you consider his debut, and you look at him now,” he said. “He bowls with a lot of confidence. He’s not afraid to bowl his variations. And those variations are now also bowled with a lot of control. So those add up to a big difference.”As Sri Lanka attempt to nail down their World Cup combination, Akila is imposing himself as the team’s lead spinner – a position Sri Lanka have struggled to fill in limited-overs cricket since the declines of Sachithra Senanayake and Ajantha Mendis. Despite some expensive outings, Akila has at least been reliably penetrative, claiming at least one wicket in each of his last six matches. Though the offbreak has always been his stock ball, the wristspin deliveries are proving effective for him, he said.”I got most of my recent caught-and-bowled wickets with the googly, and I’ve got a lot of wickets with the legbreak as well. In this series I’ve also been trying to turn the legbreak as much as I can. The googly and the legbreak need to get better, so I’ll keep working on those.”

The result was tough on England allrounder Nat Sciver who made 95 off 57 balls then claimed 2 for 26

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2018
ScorecardIndia’s Harmanpreet Kaur held her nerve to secure a third successive Kia Super League win for Lancashire Thunder as they squeezed past Surrey Stars by five wickets with one ball to spare at The Oval.In front of a crowd of 2257, Surrey looked favourites when the last over began with Thunder needing 11 to win, especially when Laura Marsh ran out Ellie Threlkeld off the second ball. But Harmanpreet was now on strike and after taking two from the third delivery she hammered the fourth ball back over Marsh’s head to the boundary before launching the next delivery over the midwicket rope for six.Harmanpreet finished on 34 not out from 21 balls but Thunder’s win owed much to Australian left-hander Nicole Bolton who scored a superb 87 before she was dismissed in the 19th over when Surrey captain Nat Sciver also bowled Emma Lamb to drag her side back into contention.Bolton, who was dropped on 69, was leg before to a full toss before Lamb fell reverse-sweeping, but Harmanpreet’s power in her debut innings eventually got Thunder over the line.Sciver certainly didn’t deserve to finish on the losing side. Having earlier made an unbeaten 95 from 57 balls with two sixes and nine fours in Surrey’s 148 for 5 she took 2 for 26.She led an impressive fightback by the Stars who were 7 for 2 when she came in during the second over and quickly slumped to 17 for 3.The England allrounder enhanced her reputation as one of the most powerful hitters in the women’s game, striking nine fours and two sixes only to finish tantalisingly short of a deserved century.She wasn’t fazed by a sluggish pitch or some accurate spin bowling by Thunder, sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 74 in 11.2 overs with Dane van Niekerk before accelerating towards the end of the innings, putting on 41 off just 20 balls with Sophie Dunkley for the fifth wicket, of which her partner contributed five.It was just the response Surrey needed after their top three all went cheaply. Lizelle Lee edged the fourth ball of the innings from Kate Cross to wicketkeeper Threlkeld before offspinner Lamb picked up wickets in successive overs. Sarah Taylor came down the pitch looking to hit over the top only to send a leading edge to cover while Bryony Smith mis-hit to mid-on. Thereafter Sciver dominate, twice hitting Danni Hazell over mid-wicket during the 18th over.But Surrey’s total looked no more than competitive and Bolton and Eve Jones gave Thunder a solid platform in their chase by adding 62 in ten overs for the first wicket. Jones, dropped earlier in the over on 20, fell to legspinner Dunkley’s fourth ball without addition after she mis-timed a drive to mid-off.When Amy Satterthwaite holed out to long on off van Niekerk, Lancashire needed 79 off 8.3 overs.But Bolton was well and truly into her stride by now, reaching 50 from 42 balls before accelerating, although the outcome could have been different had Eva Gray held onto an easy chance at short third-man when Bolton was on 69. She hit 13 fours in 61 balls faced and also picked up the player of the match award.

Former Gloucestershire and England seamer succeeds Lisa Keightley in women’s role

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2022Jon Lewis, the former England Men’s seamer and coach, has been appointed as the new head coach of England Women. Lewis succeeds Lisa Keightley, who stepped down in September after three years in the role.Lewis has been the ECB’s elite pace bowling coach since 2021, supporting the men’s team on last winter’s Ashes tour, and previously coached the Young Lions. He will take charge of England Women ahead of their limited-overs tour of the West Indies, just a few months out from the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa.”It’s very exciting to have been appointed as head coach of the England Women’s team,” Lewis said. “It’s a new challenge, and one that I can’t wait to get stuck into. I’ve watched from a distance over the last few years and it’s clear that there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this team’s chances going forward.Related

• Lewis confirmed as Under-19 head coach

• Marcus Trescothick, Jon Lewis, Jeetan Patel named as ECB elite coaches

• Ashley Noffke in contention to be named England Women head coach

“The last couple of years have seen the introduction of some younger players and that, allied with the increased strength in depth coming from the regional game, is a really promising sign for the coming few years.”Our immediate focus is the West Indies, and particularly getting some points on the board in the ICC Women’s Championship, and then we’ll look ahead to South Africa and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.”Lewis, 47, played 16 times for England during a lengthy playing career that took him from Gloucestershire to Surrey and then Sussex. He retired in 2014 to become Sussex’s bowling coach, and was subsequently promoted to assistant coach at Hove before moving on to take charge of the Under-19s in 2018.He is understood to have beaten a number of candidates to the job, including his namesake, Jon Lewis, the former Durham head coach who has recently worked with the batters in the England women’s set-up.Jonathan Finch, the ECB’s director of England women’s cricket, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to appoint Jon as the new head coach of England Women following a thorough and competitive recruitment process. We set out to find a head coach with a range of experiences to help lead an exciting group of players across all formats and I am excited with what the future holds with Jon in the role.”Jon comes with excellent pedigree in the men’s game working across different levels of the international pathway, and we were really impressed by how he sees the role moving forward. We look forward to him coming on board and driving the future direction of this team.”England are due to announce their squads for ODI and T20I series in the Caribbean next week, with Heather Knight set to be fit to lead the side after hip surgery during the summer. Nat Sciver, who missed England’s series with India in September for mental health reasons, is also expected to return.

If Jos Buttler can turn IPL brilliance into a Test place, perhaps Tom Kohler-Cadmore can make enough white-ball runs to make Yorkshire think again in the Championship

ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2018
ScorecardYorkshire were in a ruthless mood on the day when Durham unveiled the Paul Collingwood Pavilion at Emirates Riverside, crushing them by 142 runs in their opening match in the Royal London One-Day Cup.Tom Kohler-Cadmore made his first start for Yorkshire in the 50-over format one to remember as he scored a career-best 164, dominating the Durham bowlers with a number of impressive shots to the boundary.Yorkshire’s total of 328 put Durham under pressure and their batting line-up was not able to rise to the occasion. Adil Rashid ripped through the lower order claiming figures of 4 for 47 to guide his team to a comfortable victoryKohler-Cadmore, who averages 31 in first-class cricket, has rarely seemed in Yorkshire;s plane for the longer format but if Jos Buttler can use IPL to force his way back into England’s Test side, anything is possible.He made his intentions known from the off, dispatching early boundaries off Natham Rimmington and James Weighell beginning the innings with momentum. Adam Lyth offered support in the early stages, with the opening duo reaching their fifty partnership in the eighth over. Yorkshire pressed forward, but Lyth was out going for on big strike too many for 30 when he was caught by Stuart Poynter off the bowling of Matthew Potts.His opener partner continued his assault as he reached his fifty from 50 balls, while the visitors brought the 100 up in the 17th over. Cheteshwar Pujara provided a solid foil for Kohler-Cadmore at the other end of the crease. Kohler-Cadmore took centre stage continuing his brilliant knock by reaching his third one-day century off 114 deliveries, which included 10 fours and two sixes.He stepped on the accelerator after notching his hundred. dominating his partnership with Pujara, which passed the 100-run mark when the opener smashed a huge six off the bowling of Weighell.However, he was then dismissed for a career-best 164 when he was caught on the boundary by Smith off George Harding. Pujara passed fifty to guide Yorkshire beyond 300, with Yorkshire posting 328 for 4 in their 50 overs, although he and Harry Brook were dismissed in back-to-back balls by Potts.Collingwood opted to open the batting for the first time in his Durham career since 2000 with Graham Clark. However, both were dismissed cheaply as Ben Coad and Tim Bresnan made early inroads into the home side’s line-up. Tom Latham failed to fire on his first appearance of the campaign loosely driving a Stephen Patterson delivery to Brook.A suicidal run-out saw the end of Will Smith before Rashid snagged the wicket of Ryan Pringle. Michael Richardson offered resistance in the middle order until he fell lbw to Rashid for 43, while the leg-spinner then removed James Weighell. Potts and Poynter made late runs, but Yorkshire were able to wrap the win with ease.

With Sri Lanka having slipped to ninth on the T20I rankings, this will be the first time they’ll not gain direct qualification into the T20 World Cup

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Auckland10-Jan-2019Once the No. 1 T20 side in the world, Sri Lanka should “never have let things get so bad” that they are now forced to play in a qualifying tournament in order to gain entry to the T20 World Cup proper. So went the lament of Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka’s World T20-winning captain, and a great of the format.With Sri Lanka having slipped to ninth on the T20 rankings after losing 12 of their 16 most-recent matches, the ICC announced earlier this month that they would not gain automatic entry into the “Super 12″ round of next year’s T20 World Cup. Instead, they will have to finish in the top two in a group of four in the opening round of the competition, in order to progress into the part of the tournament into which the eight top teams gain automatic entry.This fate is quite a fall for a team that had a history of performing extremely well at T20 global tournaments between 2009 and 2014. Three times they made the final of the event, losing to Pakistan and West Indies in 2009 and 2012 respectively, before finally going on to lift the trophy in 2014, defeating India in the final. They had also been the top-ranked T20 side between late 2012 and mid-2014, and had wielded one of the smartest attacks in the world, led by Malinga.”It’s really disappointing to need to qualify, because having won the World T20 in 2014, inside five years we’ve slipped lower than No. 8,” Malinga said. “We have a chance to get into the World Cup by playing qualifiers, but we’re not a country that should ever have fallen that far. We’re a country that’s won two World Cups (including one in one-day cricket). We’ve gone wrong somewhere. But if the right people come into the right places, things can be put right quickly as well.”Now tasked with turning the fate of Sri Lanka’s limited overs sides around, Malinga will captain in a T20 international for the first time since 2016, when Sri Lanka take the field against New Zealand in Auckland, on Friday. Malinga was hopeful the recent decline could be arrested.”If you look at the players we have, we can build a good team, but we need to put effort into that,” he said. “We need to cultivate the skills necessary for T20. As captain, along with the team management, I’ve got a responsibility to try and help our players tune their existing skills to the T20 format. We need to know as a team which skills should be used in which match situations.”The bowlers, in particular, could be cleverer in pressure situations, Malinga said. Reputed to be a quick thinker in the shorter formats, this is an area in which Malinga felt he had a role in helping improve.”At some stages the bowlers are confused. We have so much variation in our attack, but bowlers have to understand how to set up an over. Every ball can’t get a wicket. Bowlers have to set up a batsman and take that wicket. They have skill, but they’re not comfortable using those skills while the over is going on, I feel. In the training sessions, they are really good. But in the match situations, they are lacking confidence. I want to help them learn how to improve that aspect of their game. They have a lot to learn.”