BCB to draft fresh contracts with players after Shakib’s IPL fiasco

Angelo Mathews named stand-in captain as Dasun Shanaka mess continues

A day after being appointed as the Sri Lanka T20 captain, Dasun Shanaka was forced to stay put in Sri Lanka while the whole team travelled to West Indies. The team left for their full-fledged West Indies tour involving three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests on 22nd February, but Shanaka could not join his teammates. “Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to inform that Dasun Shanaka, who was named in the ‘White Ball Squad’ to tour West Indies, did not travel along with the team due to an issue related to securing his Visa,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a press release. Shanaka, 29, lost his passport and hence was forced to face a visa-related issue. The Sri Lanka Cricket are said to have been working on the issue and the all-rounder would leave for the Caribbean as soon as the problem is resolved. “Sri Lanka Cricket is working closely with the relevant authorities to get the visa issue of Shanaka sorted, quickly as possible. He is expected to join the team once the issue is resolved,” the release added.

Ishant Sharma hails Bumrah as leader of attack, says winning WTC as good as World Cup

Starting out as a fiery right arm fast who could clock up to 150 kilometres an hour, Ishant Sharma later graduated to become a ‘workhorse’ who could challenge batsmen for long periods of time. Although the wickets column continued to dry, Ishant kept his spot based on India's demand for a bowler who could continue to bowl hard lines and length with the same energy and intensity throughout the day. His persistence with the back of length made him look lethal and always kept him in the game, but more often than not the barren wicket column made him earn the tag of being ‘unlucky’ even when he bowled with utmost control. Now, on the verge of a remarkable milestone that has been achieved only once by an Indian pacer before him, Ishant sat down to look back on his career, and gave an outlook of how he sees the Indian team going forward in the near future. He has been the go-to guy for his captains including MS Dhoni and later Virat Kohli in his career that is set to touch a big landmark of 100 Tests in the third Test against England. He believes that the clear communication between the captain and him has been the crucial aspect of his success on the international stage. "More than the captain understanding me, it is important for me to understand what the captain wants from me. If the communication is clear, things get easy for the team. The more time you spend with a captain, the communication gets easier,” Ishant said in a virtual press conference on Monday. Ishant will play an important role for India this year where India are scheduled to play at least five Tests in England and also a World Test Championship Final, subject to the results of the ongoing series. Only Kapil Dev (131 Tests) has played more Test matches for India than Ishant among all the pacers India have produced, but the lanky pacer understands the gaps is too big to cover in his career. He has been known for being in the present and looks forward to short-term goals instead of going for glory in the distant future. His eyes are zoned in on helping India to qualify for the finals of the World Test Championship, which he said will feel like winning an ODI World Cup. "There's a lot of time to 131. Right now I am only thinking about how we can win the next Test. And then the next so that we can qualify for the final of the World Test Championship. I have only format, so the WTC is like a World Cup for me. If we reach the final and then go on to win it, it will be the same feeling as winning the ICC World Cup,” Ishant added. He last played for India in ODI back in 2016 while his last T20 appearance was back in 2013 and he did not hide his desires of playing white-ball cricket once again. However, he does not allow his absence from the white-ball game affect his overall mindset and instead works on maintaining focus on whatever opportunities he gets to help India win a game. On the contrary, he believes that the long period of time away from the other two formats helped him reach the milestone of 100 Test matches at the age of 32, otherwise, it could have taken a decade longer for him to reach. "Obviously I want to play white-ball cricket. A sportsman's only job is to play. What will he do if he doesn't play? But I don't think too much about the formats I miss. I only think about the format I am playing. How can I perform better in the format I am playing? How can I make my team win? If you think positively about a situation, it is easier to stay grateful and perform for the team,” Ishant added. "Maybe not playing three formats has helped me play 100 but I don't think I wouldn't have got there if I was playing other formats. I am only 32 after all, and not 42. Maybe I wouldn't have got there this early, but I am sure the amount of time I have played and the way I stay fit and look after my conditioning, I would have played 100." Ishant was certain to play his 100th Test in Australia where his rise in international cricket began some 12 years ago, but the ankle injury prevented his plans and he, understandably, is pragmatic about things out of his control. He pointed out the skills of forgetting things and moving on in life and game in order to regain focus on what lies ahead otherwise being stuck in past will surely affect future performances. "I'd have loved to go to Australia and complete my 100 Tests there but there are things that are not in your control. Because of Covid restrictions, I couldn't have made it in time. But the sooner you forget things and move on in life, the better it is for you. This is the biggest lesson I have learned. If you are stuck on the past, you can't move ahead. The next match can also get affected by your past performance. I only keep trying to forget what has happened and focus on what lies ahead,” Ishant said on missing the Australia tour. Ishant has spearheaded the Indian pace attack since the retirement of Zaheer Khan, who he credits a lot for guiding at the start of his career. He still remembers the words of encouragement he received from Zaheer when he was coming up through the ranks. Now, Ishant sees that form of Zaheer Khan in Jasprit Bumrah who guides his teammates as per their strengths. Ishant hailed Bumrah as the leader of the attack and suggested that the pacer who has emerged as one of the main bowlers in the last few years has to be the leading guide for pacers after his departure from the game. "I learnt a lot from Zak [Zaheer Khan]. Especially his work ethic. He always used to tell me how important fitness is for a fast bowler. That's what I kept in mind. That's what I tell everyone in the team: keep working hard on your fitness and I am sure you will play longer,” Ishant said on Zaheer Khan. "Jasprit Bumrah has to lead the way for the youngsters after me. The way he grooms the youngsters, the way he talks to them is important. Saini has pace, Siraj has control. Everyone's skill is different. If you ask Saini to bowl in one area, you are not doing justice to his strength. If you ask Siraj to bowl consistently at 140, you are not backing his strength. So, it is important to understand their strengths first." Ishant reached another milestone of 300 wickets in Tests in his 98th Test which was the first Test of the series against England and Kohli will hope Ishant will have a lot of overs left under his belt in a very important year for India in Test cricket.

After 3 days in office, Chaminda Vaas resigns as Sri Lanka bowling coach

Sri Lanka bowling legend Chaminda Vaas has resigned from his position as Sri Lanka’s bowling coach citing a pay dispute with Sri Lanka Cricket. He was appointed to the position, three days ago. "It is particularly disheartening to note that in an economic climate such as the one facing the entire globe right now, Mr. Vaas has made this sudden and irresponsible move on the eve of the team's departure, based on personal monetary gain," SLC said in a press release post the fiasco. Vaas, who has 355 scalps in Tests and 400 in ODIs also resigned from his position as the SLC Academy coach. His resignation puts the team’s immediate future in jeopardy given SL have been forced to leave for West Indies without a bowling coach. The situation did not go down well with the board as they termed his decision equal to holding the game in Sri Lanka at ransom. "It is extremely disheartening that a legend such as Chaminda Vaas has resorted to holding the administration, the cricketers, and indeed the game at ransom, by handing in his resignation at the eleventh hour, citing the administration's refusal to accede to an unjustifiable demand for an increased (USD) remuneration...," SLC's statement read. The Sri Lankan team plays its first T20I game on March 3 at Antigua. Dasun Shanaka has been appointed as the skipper of the Sri Lanka T20I side. Sri Lanka T20 and ODI squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (ODI captain ), Dasun Shanaka (T20 captain), Danushka Gunathilake, Pathum Nissanka, Ashen Bandara, Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Thisara Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Asitha Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananajaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilshan Madushanka, Suranga Lakmal

IND vs ENG | 3rd Test: Pink ball, humongous Motera stadium add spectacle to fascinating series

Although England lost the last Test in Chennai by a big margin and their selection calls came under the scanner, the fact that the four-match series is still alive and they can still make a come back to win the series augurs well for the next chapter of the series. The contest now will shift from the southern part to the western part of India in Ahmedabad at the refurbished Motera Stadium scheduled to host its first international encounter. What happened in the second Test was all but on expected lines as India, hurting after facing their first loss at home since 2017 came roaring back in the series. They took a gamble of playing on a surface that could have brought English spinners in the game by providing more assistance than usual, but Rohit Sharma stood tall to steer them out to a position of strength. The rest of the job was well done by Ravichandran Ashwin, first with the ball and then bat and Axar Patel to remind England what they were up to, albeit it arrived a Test match too late. It will be easier for England to get into a siege mentality and feel that the monster of spin and bounce that they must have been discussing for a long time has finally arrived, but Joe Root’s side has shown enough spirit to suggest that they are not going to fold without putting a fight. It won’t be an easy task to stop what former England captain Micheal Vaughan calls a ‘juggernaut’ from the Indian side given the difference in the level of performances from both sides was on display in the last game. India gained ascendency in the second Chennai Test on the back of batsmen who were short of runs and their return to form does not necessarily bode well for the tourists. After Rohit Sharma’s return to his dominating best, and Rahane back to grinding it out for runs in the middle, the Indian batting unit appears to be a well-oiled machine while the addition of Axar Patel has not let fans and Kohli miss Jadeja with the ball as of yet. But, the spectacle of a Day-Night Test and the uncertainty the Pink Ball brings with itself gives England an advantage - of unknown conditions for both sides. Judging by history, this game should be dominated by pacers as the pink SG ball will aid bowlers more than usual, and England have two of the greatest ever pacers in their squad to maximise the advantage in their favour. If it was not to be a pink ball Test, experts and fans would have written England off after such a shambolic performance in the second Test in a turning pitch, but the pink ball should ideally allow England a way back in the game, and make up for a riveting contest. Selection conundrum The age-old narrative of not changing a winning team has been dismantled brutally in the series when England made as many as four changes in their playing XI after winning the first Test in remarkable fashion. The story is likely to remain the same with India now contemplating bringing another pacer or an all-rounder in place of the third spinner due to the help they are supposed to get from the pink ball. With Axar Patel picking up a fifer in the second innings and bowling tight lines as Jadeja used to do, it’s almost certain that he has jumped to become the second spinner in the line-up and that puts a spotlight on the place of Kuldeep Yadav who barely broke through in the playing XI after a gap of two years. Kuldeep is likely to be benched if India decide to bring an extra pacer in the line up however the team management will have their task cut out to select one among Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav who has been declared fit for this Test match. Or else, India may also think of giving Hardik Pandya a chance as he can bring balance in the team and can also chip in with overs (subject to fitness) when needed with the pink ball under lights. However, Hardik’s inclusion is least likely among all the probable combinations for India in the Pink-ball Test given his lack of bowling in the recent past. For England though, there are tough calls to make on the selection of top-order batsmen. Rory Burns has looked woefully out of sorts and the management might bring Zak Crawley in his place. Dan Lawrence looked good in Sri Lanka but the overall better quality of the Indian bowling line up has not allowed him a breathing space in the first two Tests and most likely he will be replaced by an incoming Jonny Bairstow. In the bowling department, England face the dilemma of the composition because of the pink ball. There are reports suggesting that the tourists might play one spinner in Jack Leach and unleash three front line pacers including James Anderson and Jofra Archer but that will put them in a disadvantageous position if they win the toss and bat first. India vs England: Match Details Match No.-03 Date and Time: February 24 -28, 2:30 pm IST, 09:00 am GMT Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad Broadcast and Live Stream: Star Sports, Hotstar Pitch conditions Ideally, for a Day-night Test, the pitch must have at least 6mm of live grass on it, but it seems unlikely that will be the case in the third Test between India and England. There is no doubt in any analysts’ mind that the pitch will turn from the first day, and it is just about the amount of assistance it will provide to spinners. The pitch since the day it was unveiled has had a thick layer of grass on it, but players from both sides are in agreement that all of it will be shaved off come the match day at Motera. England will hope though that it will have carry for the seamers along with some hopes of swing in the air as well, while India will be hoping for anything but turn and bounce from the pitch. Team News India Umesh Yadav has passed the fitness Test and replaced Shardul Thakur in the main squad. He will now compete with Mohammed Siraj to be the third pacer in the team after Ishant Sharma who will be featuring in his 100th Test match and Jasprit Bumrah if India decide to go ahead with three pacers-two spinners pronged bowling attack. India don’t have to do a lot of pondering over the selection of the other 10 players with having all other players performed at some stage in the last two Tests. Strongest XI Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj England Jonny Bairstow has returned to India after spending some time with his family in the UK and is certain to replace Dan Lawrence at the number three position, where he batted in the Test series against Sri Lanka. Pacer Jofra archer has recovered from the elbow injury that kept him out of the second Test and is certain to partner James Anderson with the new ball. If England decide to go with two pacers and two spinners, Dominic Bess will make his come back into the team, although low on confidence, knowing Moeen Ali was asked to stay on to play in the third Test. However, Ben Stokes’ lack of bowling in the second and first Tests and a probable niggle can put that plan in jeopardy and England may also opt for a three-pacer line-up, with Leach being the sole spinner in the team. If the tourists decide to take a gamble with a strong pace attack, one of Olly Stone or Stuart Broad who has not had much to do in the last Test with the ball will come in the team. Strongest XI Dom Sibley, Rory Burns/Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root ©, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wk), Jofra Archer, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Stuart Broad/Dom Bess