Cricket Analytix

The Pakistan bowler, Mohammad Amir, will not be participating in the two test matches against Australia next month. The left-arm fast-paced bowler, who only managed to miss one Test since he returned to international cricket in early 2016, looks like he’s paying the price for his poor ODI performance during the 2018 Asia Cup, which resulted in his exclusion from the squad that will play against Australia.

Mohammad Amir’s Performance

Amir went wicketless in the last 5 ODI’s and only managed to pick up 3 ODI wickets after the Champions Trophy final in 2017. He was extremely impressive in the 3 Tests played earlier this year where Pakistan faced England and Ireland. Amit managed to take 12 wickets with an average of 18.40. However, his bowling average in Dubai is far less satisfying where he only took 7 wickets with an average of 56.42.

The Pakistan Squad

There are several notable changes to the Pakistan cricket squad which was announced after their humiliating exit at the 2018 Asia Cup at the hands of Bangladesh, denying them a shot for the title on Friday against India. Their performance during the 2018 Asia Cup tournament was subpar. Numerous batsmen for Pakistan struggled to make runs, the fielding standards experienced a significant dip, and the spinners were extremely ineffective.

Shan Masood was included in the Pakistan squad during the 2018 Asia Cup but didn’t get the opportunity to make his debut. He is unfortunately not part of the upcoming Test, while Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, and Azhar Ali are designated to share the opening duties. Usman Salahuddin is also part of the squad after travelling to England to play one match, while Haris Sohail is also part of the squad against Australia.

For the first time in more than a year, a key inclusion is that of Mohammad Rizwan, a reserve wicketkeeper. After Sarfraz Ahmed took over captaincy duties full time in all three formats, he managed to play every single international match in all three formats and has been the only wicketkeeper with the Pakistan squad. This now changes as the team prepare for their clash against Australia.

Wahab Riaz is back in the squad after questions were brought up over his fitness during his tour in the UK, as well as a host of other spinners, indicating the nature of the cricket pitches that the Tests series against Australia will be played on. There’s also no place for Mohammad Hafeez who continues to have severe problems with his bowling, making him an unreliable option for the upcoming Tests. Mir Hamza, the left-arm medium-pace bowler, made it onto the squad as he picked up a total of 278 wickets in 56 first-class games at an average of 17-74.

The first Test will start on 7 October 2018 in Dubai. The last time Australia paid a visit, Pakistan managed to win both Test matches. However, Australia managed to repay the favour at home in 2017, beating Pakistan 0-3.

Kuldeep Yadav has finally be awarded a great gift from the BCCI, also known as The Board of Control of Cricket in India. The player, who was in the Indian squad previously, was given a place to play during the next three matches in the upcoming series against England. This follows him proving his skill in the previous months through one of the best ways – showing hos consistent skills throughout each match and determination to win.

Other players, such as Jasprit Blumrah, did not make the cut for playing in the highly anticipated matches despite impressing the board during the South African series. Although, this considerably happened after Blumrah suffered from a thumb injury that is still in recovery after the T20I match against Ireland this season. Though, he is still in consideration for the second upcoming test. On the other hand, Shardul Thakur will remain in his place for the developed test squad.

Other players that would’ve been considered are not being included due to injuries. One being Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who receive a lower back injury during the recent third match against England. Although, his injury is being accessed by the BCCI before a final decision whether the player will be able to play for the test squad or not. The well-known wicketkeeper for the Indian team, Wriddhiman Saha, has not been named due to a thumb injury, but depending on the player’s status, that might be changing soon.

Though the absence of these prominent players, others have finally been able to have a chance to shine and gain attention for their names. One being Dinesh Karthik, who was given a position in the test squad due to Shaha’s thumb injury. Though, Karthik has a history of being in the tests squads previously but was run out when playing against Afghanistan.

Many of the experts who have been on the test squad before, like Ishant Sharma, Ravindra Jadeia, and Cheteshawr Pujara are confident that they will be able to win the test series, which will be the first time since 2007. From all accounts, it seems like this upcoming match will show an interesting playing style from India.

After Yadav and the other players received their spots, there are two remaining. This has caused a three-way internal battle of showing off skill and dedication between Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, and Shikar Dhawan do two of these players can hopefully receive a spot. Out of all three, many experts are assuming that Rahul’s history if having impressive form as well as good playing techniques will easily put him in the place of one of the remaining spots. While Pujara may lack confidence compared to the former’s skill and reputation, his main hope is his history of playing country cricket which shows his experience.

The first match against England is scheduled to be August 1st. While the first test match will be played at Birmingham, the reaming four are expected to be hosted at Lord’s Trent Bridge, Kennington Oval, and the Rose Bowl. The new lineup for the Indian test squad is looking to be one that can bring home the win.

The England women’s team impressive their loyal fanbase as they were able to get their limited over trophy after playing as hard as they could during their matches this summer. On the other hand, New Zealand has gifted a depressing 123-run loss while at the second ODI at the Derby. Though watching the game just proves that it was a one-sided success as players from England, such as Heather Knight, ensured that her team would have a 2-0 win which guided England towards the path of finals.

New Zealand was chasing an unrealistic target of 242, which was shown as the team fumbled and struggled while on the field while some of England’s star players of the night, Katie George combined with Katherine Brunt, who worked together in perfect unison to score a total of three wickets. Although the surprises didn’t end there, NZ was then put against New England’s spin attack which helped the team gain its flawless victory. Online cricket betting sites took notice of their success and that is reflected in the favourable odds, and for punters wanting to place bets on cricket, there are many top rated cricket sites for just that.

For a while this season, New Zealand did not have the best record. It was made even more evident as the team, lost six wickets for 17 runs. Before the match even begun, it was assumed that it would end quickly and without a hitch for England due to NZ playing history this series. Though, this may have been the goal to finish the match before the highly-anticipated match between France and Belgium semi-finals game. Though throughout the series, England chanted their mantra loud and clear as the team has stated that football is finally coming home.

While many wouldn’t want to in the first place, there’s no way that anyone could ignore the final set during the England match. A star layer whose name has been seen more recently with England’s success is Sophie Ecclestone, who received the title of being the player of the tournament due to her calculated skill and precision. Ecclestone proved to be a challenge for the New Zealand players as she started off with a strong attack which gained some points for England as she claimed two wickets.

Another standout player was Katie George, who just seems to be adding more and more fame to her record, and this match was just another chapter. She created history with her career as she led with figures of 3 for 36. With the fumble of Sophie Devine did cause a small issue to form. Other players on the team made up for it, especially Amy Satterthwaite, who played skilfully on the field.

While England did ultimately have the success in the game, it is undeniable to state that they went out any issues. The team did face a few shortcomings, such as having the wrong footing or even having sluggish movements which could have created openings for New Zealand if the latter was on their A game of scoring a win. Despite the few fumbles, none of the shortcomings seen by England could compare to what happened with New Zealand, which is enforced by their impressive wins and upgrade to playing for the finals game this summer.

Alex Hales, a cricket player for England, leads the team into one of the most dramatic, attention-grabbing final-over wins that were seen in this season’s Twenty20 International match against India. During the match, England began to slip to the opponent which caused a 12-point difference between the teams. Many assumed once the difference became twelve at that point in the game it would surely be another loss for the English team.

Although Hales had a different plan. The player used his experience from his currently unbeaten 58 to change the table in the last minutes of the match. While England would need twelve points to secure a win – Hales went into action by hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for an impressive six points, followed by another four. Although David Willey was the player to score the final wins needed for the deciding factor for the Sunday match in Bristol.

Previous Downfall

England had a successful match against Australia previously during this season tournament. Although, after their winning streak, the English team was hit with a devastating match against India on Tuesday at Old Trafford. This is not too surprising as India has been playing a successful season with strong leads.

While in Cardiff, England realised that the intensive boundaries that India was known for playing this year would be a hard match for a spinner to overcome. That is why Jake Ball had his debut while Mooen Ali was placed on the sidelines. While Ball did have an impressive performance, he stood no match as he watched India strip away 22 from his final over. Then the ruthless team carried the same passion on the field during the match.

Hales, on the other hand, stepped up and tried his hardest to overcome the awkwardness of playing in the position four – all while trying to figure how to get a head’s up on India’s prominent spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep. Despite being in front of a plethora of fans for India, England kept India on their toes of the majority of the first half of the match.

How Did Hales Lead England to Victory

It’s undeniable. At first, England looked as it has lost all hope of achieving a win due to the combined efforts of Kuldeep and Chahal, which created the shocking 12-point difference between the two teams. Additionally, the English players did misread some of the actions of the Indian team which caused even more opportunities for the team to achieve wins.

Nevertheless, Hales and Eion Morgan held strong and gave it their all to achieve the win that England desired. While Morgan provided an expectational show, it was ultimately Hales who started taking off points from Bhuvneshwar which lead to the action-filled win.

While the results of this match roved favourably for England, the only question that remains is will the team be able to create a winning streak during their next match or will they have to cut it close once again.

It has been recently announced that Harmanpreet Kaur, the current captain for India T20I, will now be playing for the Lancashire Thunder during this year’s season for the Kia Super League. The news was released on June 29th by the club. While this is big news for Kaur, she will also serve as being the second Indian player in the Lancashire’s history to play in the league – the first being Smriti Mandhana.

Though there is a reason for her signing. Kaur is a phenomenal cricket player that made history in 2016 as she became the 1st Indian player ever to sign a contract with Sydney Thunder, a praised league in Australia. This happened after she impressed thousands with her strong performances during India’s Australian tour. This was also the time where Kaur made a shocking 31-ball 46 all while during the highest recorded T20 chase. Although she did have to take a temporary break from playing as she sustained a shoulder industry during the 2017 World Cup.

Kaur is Back in Action

Now Kaur is back in action and is already making waves in the cricket world. She expressed her excitement with the decision during one of her interviews as she stated that she is pleased to be signed with the women’s league. She continued on as she expressed how she watched the KSL (Kia Super League) for a while and finally being able to play in it and at an esteemed stadium like Old Trafford has always been a dream for the player, Kaur finished her sentiment as she reflected back on her days playing while in England fondly as it is the time where she scored her highest international score during the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Once Kaur travels to meet the Lancashire team, she will be flanked by the Sydney Thunder Captain Alex Blackwell. The former vice-captain of the team will be a part of the coaching stint after she announced her retirement from playing International cricket earlier this year in February.

Kaur is not the only player feeling excited regarding the transition. Blackwell expressed her own glee as Kaur will be a part of the team. She reminisced about playing against Kaur during the international matches, as well as playing alongside her in the Big Bash league previously. Blackwell truly believes that she is a superb addition to the team due to her experience and dedication to the game and can also be a needed helping hand during upcoming KSL.

It is expected that Kaur will be leaving to go to England during the middle of July to participate in the competition. The tournament is going to run from July 22sn through August 27th and will show six teams playing against one another in a new format – home-away. The Lancashire Thunder will be playing against Loughborough Lighting on an opening day.

As they eased to the highest one day run score, England got even more determined to close with a historic 5-0 whitewash. Johny Bairstow hit 79 for England as Roy scored his terrific century. Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh hit hundreds for the Australian team, although the result was never in doubt as Bairstow and Roy, openers for England put on 174.

The victory sealed by Jos Buttler, as he smashed 54 from 29 balls, and this excitement was happening right there since England have never managed to beat Australia 5-0 in any international one-day series. The score before entering the final game stood on 4-0, and every fan can simply not wait for the final taking place on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Bairstow and Roy Became England’s Favourite Opening Pair on Tuesday

On Tuesday after 481-6 in the third game of the series, it is understandable that Australia already expected the worse as Bairstow and Roy plundered their bowling attack again in what can only be described as a devastating hitting display. England’s second-highest run chase was the 311 chased by a team that took no or very few risks.

Australia Had No Answer to The Powerful Opening Partnership

The Australian team had no answer to the powerful partnership of the opening pair which quickly claimed the title as the best in modern cricket. In only sixteen games their fifth century stands together, surpasses that of Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick, which held the previous first-wicket record.

Marsh and Finch Hit Tons

Australia well short even though Marsh and Finch hit tons when they chose to bat after winning the toss. This choice later proved to be a mistake on the Australian side as England remained positive to claim their world-record score. Big shots came from Finch and Marsh as they approached their centuries, their innings laid the foundation for an onslaught in the final overs. Both players were removed once they passed 100.

Pretty Solid Performance All Round

Eoin Morgan, Captain of the England team, feels it was a solid performance all round in which the team kept their control of the run-rate exceptionally well. Australia simply never got away and for England winning against a good side holds more significance as the 5-0.

Tim Paine, captain of Australia, feels there was a patch where the team finally got themselves back into the game but then dropped a catch and England took the game away from them. He said in a press conference that Australia arrives with an inexperienced side and that England is the best team in the world and therefore hard to beat, although it is still not an excuse.

Only hours after the match ended news headlines over the weekend announced that Scotland stuns England. Scotland celebrated its biggest victory in its cricket history as they beat England in the one-day international by six runs, the number one-ranked side looked dejected on Sunday.

England was certain of a victory as the one-day international nearer and started Sunday’s match in Edinburgh with confidence. Jonny Bairstow took advantage of short boundaries and a good pitch, which put Scotland in danger. It was the middle order collapse that renewed Scotland’s hope. Paceman Sharif was the one that sealed the victory for Scotland since he had seven balls spare when he got Mark Wood out.

Scotland’s First Win Over England in International Cricket

Scotland was denied a place in the World Cup, and that made the victory on Sunday means so much more. Sky Sports interviewed Shariff, in which the Scotsman was so happy that he was, lost for words. He said England was a bright side and that is the reason why Scotland had so much to celebrate. Scoring 371 against England is what the Scottish team have been waiting for.

Sharif added that he is not going to say anything about the International Cricket Council’s decision to decrease the World Cup participating teams from 14 to 10, he feels they saw it all on Sunday. The match and victory are better than any message he could send the ICC. The ICC gave been criticised by heavily for their decision to shrink the International Cricket World cup teams to just 10.

Embarrassing 2019 Reverse for England

In an interview with England’s Morgan, he told reporters that Scotland was indeed a dangerous side, who played at their best on Sunday, while England did not. It was the highest total at their level for Scotland as they surpassed their 341 for 9 against the non-test nation Canadian team, 4 years ago in Christchurch.

England team fans were shocked as Joe Root was run out and then England lost Alex Hales and Morgan. For the Sole family, which includes the caption of the Scotland rugby union in the 1990s that beat England in Murrayfield, he enjoyed this victory and could watch his son Chris on the field as a new-ball bowler for Scotland.

England said it’s not the end of the world, although it was an embarrassed reverse for the World Cup 2019 hosts just before their upcoming five-match series against Australia.

The non-test Scotland team believed they had the potential to beat the sport’s elite in Edinburgh, it is the exposure they desired and proofed again showed just how competitive the team is.

The 27-year-old, D’Arcy Short has played for major teams such as Western Australia, Northern Territory, Rajasthan Royals and the Hobart Hurricanes, his rise from the Australian domestic scene best described, as a whirlwind since now he is pushing for his place in next year’s World Cup squad. During the Australian season he helped Western Australia enjoy victory at the JLT one-day cup, D’Arcy also enjoyed a productive Big Bash as part of the Hobart Hurricanes as he became the leading scorer in the tournament, while he also earned an IPL deal and made his T201 debut.

By far the favourite to step into the shoes of David Warner, an ODI debut is on the horizon for D’Arcy Short to play alongside Aaron Finch in the one-day series soon to start against England. It is indeed a significant achievement for a player who first started playing state cricket in 2011. After training at Lord’s, Short shared that he was contemplating on giving up cricket for a while after his 12-month whirlwind experience.

D’Arcy Short achievements earned him call up

Short’s BBL achievements earned him a call-up for the Australian T20 tri-series involving New Zealand and England as well as an IPL contract with the Rajasthan Royals. He became an instant international hit after 196 runs in just five innings, 76 off 44 balls in the Eden Park world-record run. He struggled a bit in the IPL, in which he proved somewhat less successful, Short said his run out twice, made the start challenging while he learnt a lot and had a great experience towards the end.

By working with Warne, Short developed his left arm wrist-spin, he now feels confident after his progress, and it could be a hint of great things to come during the one-day series. Justin Langer, now in charge of the Australian team played a significant role in the revival of Short’s career as he implored him to get fit and is responsible for him playing on the WA side in the JLT Cup.

D’Arcy Short’s sports career is significant for several reasons apart from the fact that he rejuvenated his cricket career, he is the first indigenous batsman to represents Australia. His story offers indigenous players a bit of belief into themselves, and Short feels making his way into the Aussie side shows others how to reach a good pathway towards the opportunity to play for Australia. At the end it was playing for the Australian Indigenous XI in Brisbane a year ago that got Short’s career back on path after he did at one stage came close to giving up on cricket.

The squad set to face the U.K will be with one less of their star players after Josh Hazlewood, the bowler with the most experience has been removed from the series that is upcoming. Hazlewood will be replaced by Queensland’s Michael Neser. Hazlewood has been dealing with soreness in his back and as a result, it has been determined that he lumbar spine stress.

David Berkley, the physiotherapist for Cricket Australia said,

“Josh has been managing some low level bone stress in his lumbar spine for a short period. He had a repeat scan today and although it has not progressed to a fracture he is starting to experience some lower back pain.

Berkley added that “As such, we are taking a conservative approach and he will not travel to England for the one-day series.”

Hazlewood, who was a major contributor to last summer’s Queensland’s JLT Sheffield Shield title is known for being a skilful swing bowler and is the leading wicket-taker for the Bulls when they played in JLT One-Day Cup.

Michael Neser to Join Squad in the U.K

Nesr is expected to join the Australian squad this week in the United Kingdom. The squad are due to leave on Monday and arrive on Tuesday. The absence of Josh Hazlewood is a kick to the squad as they are already without two of their fastest bowlers after Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc announced they would not be participating in the tour. Also missing is David Warner and Steve Smith who are serving out bans after rolls they playing in a tampering scandal in Cape Town. Mitch Marsh will also be absent.

After a heavy workload during the summer, one that saw Hazlewood playing in each of the five Ashes Tests, four in South Africa and three out of the fie Gillette ODI’s, the result and stress impacted the soreness in his back. As one of the four original picks for the squad, only one has played more games than Hazlewood, that being Kane Richardson.

Hazlewood has an outstanding record internationally, scoring sixty-nine wickets at twenty-four in forty-one games. He is expected to be a member of the squad in next year’s World Cup that is being held in the U.K.

Before the South African Women’s Squad goes on their tour in England that will last between June and July, two new faces have been added to the squad: Tazmin Brits and Stacey Lackay. This development happened in the aftermath of the pair’s iconic and noteworthy performance during a recent encounter with Bangladesh. The South African team is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against a few hosts for the ICC International Women’s Championship. Following these matches, a highly anticipated tri-series that features New Zealand will occur.

The new names in the squad were meticulously picked with a large consideration for the T20 format. Tazmin Brits, a wicket-keeper batswoman made her intimal T20I appearance during a match against the well regarded Bangladesh where she scored an astonishing 29 and 10 scoring in the two games she played. Though even before that, her name has been heard as she was a participant in the women’s tournament home game this April. Brits are looking to be a possible long-term, and maybe eventually, a full-time replacement for Trisha Chetty who is currently missing out of the squad.
On the other hand, Stacey Lackay did not get as many chances as Brit to show off what she can do during the three T20I’s that she participated in. However, this player is prized for her skills when using the ball and the bat. Accompanying Brits and Lackay is the well-known Zintle Mali, who plays medium-pacer. Mali claimed to surprising wickets during the Bangladesh game while gaining an average of 24 and a scanty 3.00 regarding the three ODI’s against the opposing team.

National Convenor of Selectors

The National Convenor of Selectors, Clinton Du Preez commented that this upcoming tour of England is going be a perfect chance to take 15 skilled players along and give them the platform needed to prove themselves and their capabilities while playing in tougher and most intense situations. He added on with a smile that he personally believes that Lackay will put up another show-stopping performance this week, while Brits have shown potential due to her great season alongside Mali who is the definition of how having great perseverance can lead to great rewards being earned. Preez ended his sentiments by stating the girls were chosen with the intention of planning ahead for the 2018 World T20 that will take place in the West Indies – having these two new additions can boost the squad up to the level needed to make winning a reality. Though his final message about the new additions to the squad showed his confidence of their performances during the England tour and how the team will begin to make even more of a name for themselves.

The matches that will take place during the ODI series will be in consideration regarding the Championship, which will be the determining factor in seeing who will play in the 2021 ICC Women’s World Cup. Both England and South Africa only played one series, which has been noted that they lost against India and Australia, which has set them down to sixth and seven places in the rankings.

Du Preez stated that their focus is going to be in preparation for the 2012 World Cup. The team and the managers are using the current time to fully prepare themselves to earn the chance to play in such a big Championship – and the debuts of the two new players are making the chances of winning even more realistic and will make the games even more interesting.