I think the ball will swing even without saliva: Ishant Sharma

India pacer Ishant Sharma who is likely to be a part of the playing XI for the final of the inaugural World Test Championship against New Zealand has said that the ball will swing even without saliva. 

“I think the ball will swing even without saliva and somebody needs to take responsibility to maintain the ball,” Sharma said on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’.

The right-arm fast bowler further said that the bowling unit would fetch wickets if the ball is maintained well. “And if the ball is maintained well in these conditions, then it becomes easier for the bowlers to take wickets in these conditions,” he added. 

Sharma also talked about the difference in conditions in England and how the bowlers have to adjust their lengths accordingly. 

“You need to train differently and adapt to the change. In India, you get the reverse swing after some time, but in England, the length is fuller because of the swing,” he said. 

“So, you have to adjust to the lengths. It is not easy to force that and the weather here is cooler so it takes time to acclimatize to the weather,” Sharma added. 

The WTC final will be played in Southampton from June 18. Earlier in the day, New Zealand had announced their 15-man squad for the WTC final. The selectors have included Ajaz Patel as the specialist spinner over Mitchell Santner who played in the first Test match against England. 

Opening batsman Devon Conway who scored a double-century in his debut game at Lord’s against England has also made it into the side. 

Discover more
Top Stories
news

PSL 2021 Preview: Struggling Peshawar, depleted Karachi seek redemption

Peshawar Zalmi will take on Karachi Kings on Wednesday in the second fixture of the day in Abu Dhabi. The two teams are coming into this match after suffering defeats in the respective previous games. While Peshawar is placed at number three spot with four wins and 8 points, Imad Qasim-led Karachi are following them at number four with three wins and 6 points in seven matches that they have played so far. The two sides struggled with their bowling unit in the last respective matches. However, Karachi skipper Imad Wasim accepted that he had run out of bowling options and wasn’t able to complete four overs himself after injuring his finger. While the bowlers struggled for both the sides, the batting units were up for the task surely and it would be interesting to see how Babar Azam who took on the Islamabad United’s bowling attack and struck a fine half-century in a losing cause fares against Peshawar. Babar is in some good form and has been among the runs for quite a while now. The only problem is his scoring rate while chasing a target. A bit of tweaking is surely required and if he does that, Babar can take the game away from the opposition at any given stage. Interestingly, in their last encounter with each other, it was Babar Azam who anchored Karachi to a win by 6 wickets after helping his side chase down 189 in Karachi during the first leg of the tournament. The right-handed batsman remained unbeaten 77 off 47 balls. So, if Karachi are chasing a total and Azam unleashes what he did a few months back against Peshawar, the Kings can generate some positive results for themselves and get themselves back on track. Match Details Match – Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings – 24th match Venue – Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Time – 11:30 PM IST, 06:00 PM GMT Pitch Report The tracks in Abu Dhabi have something on offer for the spinners but the teams chasing at night have also been benefited. In the last game between Islamabad and Karachi, the United team rode on some exceptional batting from Colin Munro and Iftikhar to chase down a mammoth target of 191 by 8 wickets. The dew might also come into play so, if you win the toss, elect to field. Team News Karachi Kings: Karachi Kings had a struggling time while bowling against Islamabad United and the captain Imad Wasim would be seeking some help from the team’s think tank to make some alterations in the bowling department. While bowling might be a cause of concern for Karachi, opener Babar Azam is in some fine form and would be looking to continue what he has been doing the best for the past few matches. Peshawar Zalmi: Peshawar Zalmi will be without the services of tDavid Miller and Fabien Allen and Fidel Edwards as the three players will be featuring in the five-match T20I series between South Africa and West Indies starting from June 26. “It is pity that I have to leave,” said Miller while speaking to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). “My time with the franchise has been amazing. We have a family environment and a combination of world-class players. A lot of young guys are coming up as well. I think they have a balanced squad and nice replacements available.” Zalmi’s bowling can be a cause of concern for the team management and the absence of Miller who was in some good touch also creates a void that needs to be filled cautiously. Probable XI Peshawar Zalmi: Imam-ul-Haq, Haider Ali, Kamran Akmal (wk), Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz (c), Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan, Amad Butt Karachi Kings: Babar Azam, Sharjeel Khan, Martin Guptill, Najibullah Zadran, Chadwick Walton (wk), Imad Wasim (c), Thisara Perera, Abbas Afridi, Waqas Maqsood, Mohammad Amir, Arshad Iqbal Fantasy XI Imam-ul-Haq, Haider Ali, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik (VC), Imad Wasim, Babar Azam (C), Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Imran, Wahab Riaz, Arshad Iqbal

news

PSL 2021 | Colin Munro, Iftikhar Ahmed anchor Islamabad to 8-wicket win over Karachi

Islamabad United were on a carnage on Monday after they thumped Karachi Kings by 8 wickets while chasing a stiff target of 191 in 20 overs. Islamabad suffered an early blow after Usman Khawaja was sent back in the hut by Abbas Afridi for 12 off 16 and it was then followed by Muhammad Akhlaq’s wicket who was undone for 1 by Maqsood. The United side was struggling at 41/2 in the sixth over when opener Colin Munro was joined by Iftikhar Ahmed in the middle. The two batsmen resisted well against the Karachi bowlers and then went after the target with precision. Munro who has been in some good form in the tournament remained unbeaten at 88 off 56 while Ahmed scored a 39-ball 71* during the course. Kings bowlers especially Thisara Perera, Arshaq Iqbal and Abbas Afridi were taken on by the batsmen and were hit for runs all around the park. Earlier, Karachi rode on some fine batting from Babar Azam and Najibullah to put 190/4 in 20 overs on the board. Babar notched up yet another half-century to score 81 off 54 while Najibullah remained not out for 71 in 42 deliveries. With this win against Karachi, Islamabad United now have six wins and 12 points from 8 matches and are sitting at the helm of the points table. Karachi captain Imad Wasim admitted that the side didn’t really have much options in the bowling department and he himself wasn’t able to complete his four overs because he had sustained an injury in his finger. “We don't have many options with the ball, to be frank. It was harder for the spinners and I couldn't bowl all my overs because my finger was injured, and we need to talk about this to be honest. We were 15-20 runs short, and we should've targeted the bowlers a lot better. We played poorly, didn't take our catches, and if we don't play well enough, we can't expect results to go our way. Nothing to lose, so we'll definitely try to come back hard,” he said. Winning captain Shadab Khan put his weight behind the balance that the team has. “It's a team game and when our top-order fails then our lower order performs well, so I think everyone understands their roles well,” Shadab said. Islamabad will now take on Peshawar while Karachi will be up against Lahore Qalandars on Thursday.