BAN vs AFG | Tamim Iqbal furious over dropping ICC Super League points

Important to have a plan when ball is consistently spinning: Marnus Labuschagne

The historical bilateral tie between Pakistan and Australia is scheduled to begin on March 4, 2022 with the first Test of the three-match series taking place in Rawalpindi. For any side touring the Asian continent, negotiating spin bowling is considered to be a task. In an interaction with Cricbuzz, Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne talked about his preparations, adapting to the conditions and a Pakistan great whom he has been following lately. “Mohammad Yousuf is a beautiful batter. Jeez I hadn't watched him for a while. I had watched him but not heaps. He's one guy that I've seen a lot of now. Younis Khan is one that changed his technique a lot when he played in different conditions. He gets quite low and is willing to look ugly to just be effective,” he said. The Australian batter also shared his thoughts on negating the spin and the chat he had with Joe Root after the Ashes series. “The big hurdles to come across is when that ball is new and it's spinning big, and also sliding on. You need to have really good plans for that type of bowling. Also having a plan for when the ball is consistently spinning, and every ball is spinning big. I picked up a few small things here and there. I spoke to Joe after the Ashes and asked him a few things about playing in those conditions,” Labuschagne said. “The way Joe plays spin is very close to the set of skills that I have. Being able to work the ball around, being able to sweep, being able to tuck the ball off my legs. And I think that's why I always like watching what he's doing quite closely,” he added. Talking about the sweep shot, the Australian batter insisted that he is a believer that it is primarily a premeditated stroke. “I'm a firm believer that the sweep shot is primarily a premeditated shot. So, you just need to find a way with which you can play any version of the sweep shot-in front or to square if it's wider, or if it's straighter, behind square. Making sure, you do whatever you can so that the ball can't get under the bat,” he said.

Maharashtra Government likely to allow 25 percent of crowd in stands for IPL 2022: Reports

The IPL 2022 is slated to commence on March 26, 2022 with 70 matches to be held across four venues in Mumbai and Pune. There is good news for cricket fans as the Maharashtra Cricket Association and Mumbai Cricket Association have been reportedly allowed to have 25 percent of the crowd in the stands. According to Cricbuzz, Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray had a meeting with the MCA officials and assured of all the help and also allowed 25 percent of crowds. In the recently concluded T20Is between India and Sri Lanka, Dharamsala which hosted the second and third encounter accommodated around 10000 fans in the stadium during the third match. “Yes, we have come a full circle," Arun Singh Dhumal, the treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was quoted by Cricbuzz at the end of the T20I series against Sri Lanka. “It was in Dharamsala where the Covid threat to Indian cricket started in 2020. It halted the game there. Subsequently the matches in Lucknow and Kolkata also got called off due to the Coronavirus threat. We are glad that cricket with crowds got revived from Dharamsala itself. It was great to see the enthusiasm of the crowds for both the games. I hope there is no stopping Indian cricket from here," the BCCI treasurer further said.

NZ vs SA | 2nd Test | Day 5: Team effort & bold decisions pave pathway for Dean Elgar's South Africa

South Africa staged an unbelievable turnaround in the second Test match against New Zealand to draw the series. Thrashed in the first Test by an innings and 276 runs, the visitors were in no position to compete, let alone win the Test match, but they managed to pull off the unthinkable on Tuesday, 1 March. South Africa captain Dean Elgar was questioned over his strategy to bat first after winning the toss, but the move paid off at the end of the day, on a flatter track in the second Test match. Elgar, speaking at the post match presentation looked dead straight at the presenter and said “I just remember the look on your face when I said we’d bat first,” and emphasised on the bold decision. South Africa went on to set the tone with Sarel Erwee's century in the first innings, before the pacers ripped through the NZ batting lineup despite a stupendous century from Colin de Grandhomme. The match shifted momentum even till the third day, when NZ seemed like they were back in the game after ripping through the South Africa top order early in the second innings, but a Kyle Verreyne century put South Africa ahead on Day 4. Elgar’s men seized the advantage that the wicket keeper brought them, and did not let go of the match since. Kagiso Rabada, after taking 5 wickets in the first innings, played his best Test innings scoring 47 runs off 34 balls to demoralise Kiwi hearts and then returned to take three more wickets in the second innings. If New Zealand were to win the game, they would have had to down the highest second innings total in the history of Test cricket, something that was clearly not on offer in this wicket. Keshav Maharaj grew increasingly threatening as the days passed in the Test match and submitted the South African team with his discipline and control over the flight. Maharaj was key in removing the middle order of Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell before Marco Jansen’s short ball barrage did the rest. The young 21-year-old showed a lot of heart in the flat batting track, hurrying up every single one of the Kiwi batters, forcing them to play false shots against the rising ball. Kyle Jamieson - NZ’s best lower order batsman struggled thoroughly against Jansen’s bounce and got out in desperation of trying to hit one out of the park. First innings’ centurion, de Grandhomme was caught at leg gully after setting a leg side trap - one that clearly played tricks with the batsman’s mind. A little rain in the final overs of the lunch session delayed the victory, but SA did get there at the end with 198 runs remaining. Kagiso Rabada was awarded man of the match for his exceptional all round ability in the second Test, as South Africa managed to defeat the Kiwis at their home after five years.

IPL 2022 | Jason Roy pulls out of tournament citing bubble fatigue

Swashbuckling English opener Jason Roy has pulled out of Indian Premier League citing bubble fatigue, reported ESPNcricinfo late on Monday evening, 28 February. According to the report, Roy communicated his decision to his team Gujarat Titans earlier last week, however, the franchise has not chosen to name a replacement just yet. Roy, who was in excellent form in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League is one of the most sought after players in the shorter formats of the game, for his ability to pick apart any opposition in the first six overs. Now that Titans do not have Roy’s service, they are in a little pickle, considering their depth in the top order. Shubman Gill is fixed in one spot and the other might be taken by Matthew Wade unless the team chooses another player. Wade is not at all a bad option considering his ability to play all around the park, but is a very different batter than Roy, and lacks the explosiveness the Englishman provides. The availability of English cricketers has been an issue this season, with several players pulling out of the tournament in the aftermath of the Ashes series. However, for Roy, it was the extended period of bubble that turned out to be the reason, which might be an issue for several others as well considering that this is a World Cup year and players might like to spend more time with their family before going into an extended bio-bubble programme in Australia - a country that has put strict conditions on visiting parties. The Indian Premier League is not new to bubble pull-outs. Last year, several players left the cash-rich league midway through the tournament during the rise of the second wave of the pandemic. Australians in particular had a harrowing experience with the government choosing to close off their borders without making ample arrangements for their citizens staying overseas.