Mahmudullah receives Guard of Honour, stands chance to retire with unique feat

Impact-maker Dwayne Bravo opens up on new role in batting department

Starting of his international career as a batsman who can bowl, Dwayne Bravo’s skill set with the ball in hand especially in white-ball cricket has overshadowed his prowess with the bat. In the last five years, Bravo has batted at the lower order chipping in with cameos here and there. However, on Sunday he was entrusted with the job of batting at No 5 after five years and the veteran cricketer didn’t disappoint. Being sent in to bat at No 5 with West Indies struggling at 59/3, Bravo steadied the ship with a 102 runs partnership with Shimron Hetmyer and made full use of his batting promotion. He remained unbeaten on 47 of 34 deliveries which included four and three sixes. Sending Bravo up the order might not happen on a consistent basis but this innings reminded everyone of his forgotten skill and what he adds to any team he plays for. "It was always in the team plan if we bat first and we lose early wickets for me to go in and control the innings with the bat - it's more my style of play," Bravo said after West Indies defeated Australia by 56 runs in the 2nd encounter. "Pick up the ones and twos lay that solid platform for the likes of [Andre] Russell, Fabian [Allen], Pooran, if Polly is in the squad, to do what they have to do in the back end. I must be honest, at some point, I was trying to get out at the back end to allow Russell and these guys to finish off,” he added. Bravo came at a time when West Indies had just lost the dangerous Chris Gayle. He played second fiddle to Hetmyer who was smashing the ball all around the park. Bravo proved to be a perfect foil for the left-hander and the century partnership proved to be decisive in the end as Windies managed to register a convincing victory. He also starred with the ball bagging the wicket of Daniel Christian to peg back Australia further in the run chase. Bravo spoke on his role in the team and how he tries to guide the young guns forward. "It's just about guiding the younger players: Hety, Pooran, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh...that's the kind of information we keep feeding to these younger players," Bravo said. " “We needed partnerships and the way Hetmyer batted in the first game and into this game, it's just a pleasure to see him bat. He's a batting leader in our group, we gave him the responsibility to take control of the batting and show some maturity. We all know how classy he is and how dangerous he can be, [the advice was] just to bat deep, it's a ground that has a big wind factor advantage,” he further added.

Shimron Hetmyer thanks team management for clarity of role after Man of the Match performance

Shimron Hetmyer repaid the faith shown by the team management before the series against Australia with a Man of the Match performance in the second T20 of the series that helped the Windies take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Having excelled to a 36-ball-61 innings, Hetmyer rated his innings as one of the best innings he has played in his 32-match long T20 international career. He outlined the role of setting up batting innings the team management has given to him after the triumph. “I think it was one of my best T20 innings. I think I paced it quite well. It really worked out for me with the guys backing me and giving me that role to be the person to take it as deep as possible. Once you do, you have a free license really and kudos to the team for giving me that role,” Hetmyer said. Hetmyer has not had a lot of runs in his armour coming into the series against Australia but the skipper Kieron Pollard has given him and Nicholas Pooran loud public support. He had said that Hetmyer is rich in talent and will come good for Windies sooner rather than later. Hetmyer ratified his captain’s faith by a blistering knock and would like to carry on with the momentum after a hard-earned return to form.

Irish wicket-keeper Neil Rock tests positive for COVID-19, two other members put into isolation

Irish wicket-keeper batsman Neil Rock who recently earned a call-up to the national side for the T20I series against the Proteas has tested positive for COVID-19 and has subsequently been put to self-isolation. Stephen Doheny has been named as his replacement and just like Rock he is yet to make his international debut. "Team management was informed of the positive result today, and Rock has been isolated from the squad as he awaits a follow-up test at the team hotel," Cricket Ireland was quoted as saying in a press release on Saturday (July 10). "Doheny, meanwhile, will undergo a COVID test this afternoon and - given a negative outcome - will join the squad tomorrow,” the statement added. It has been confirmed that one of the support staff and a player has been deemed close contact of Rock and has been put to isolation following the safety protocols at place for the Ireland-South Africa limited-overs series. "Due to our biosecurity measures and contact tracing, we are satisfied that we do not have any genuine close contact cases and this should therefore have minimal impact on the squad. "However, out of an abundance of caution due to the proximity of the series start, we will test one player and one staff member who had confirmed they spent a short amount of time with Neil with correct COViD safe precautions in place. We expect them to test negative and re-join the squad tomorrow,” the statement read. Meanwhile, the three-match ODI series between hosts Ireland and South Africa is slated to kick off on July 11 in Malahide. The three-match ODI series will be followed by as many T20s.

Harleen Deol's mother reflects on her commitment, bravery after world-class catch in England

Harleen Deol’s leap in the air to pluck a blinder of catch in the first T20i against England was a monumental occasion for the Punjab-born girl as the world recognised his feat calling it one of the best catches to have ever taken in the game of cricket. However, for her mother Charanjeet Kaur, it was a moment of reckoning and an opportunity to reflect back on the struggles and injuries Harleen had to deal with in the initial phase of her career. In an interview with The Indian Express, her mother explained that Harleen has had shown a big heart to pull out miraculous things from her early days only and she has had gone as far as playing with injured fingers in her domestic career. She said that the fact that great players and voices of the game such as Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Nasser Hussain commenced Harleen is nothing but rewards for her hunger and immense hard work. “Harleen started playing cricket at the age of seven and I still remember her coming home from the Yadvindra Public School ground after bowling with a broken finger within months of her starting her career. Once while playing for Himachal Pradesh in Gujarat, she bowled despite an injured finger. To see her take such a sensational catch without worrying about the fall and getting praise from players like Sachin Tendulkar, V V S Laxman and Nasser Hussain apart from leaders and fans is the biggest reward for Harleen’s hard work,” said Deol’s mother Charanjeet Kaur to The Indian Express. Her coach at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Academy, Pawan Sen too has fresh memories of Harleen’s fearless approach while doing fielding practices and recalled the unusual fielding drills the all-rounder did in her early career that is coming to help her at the international level. “Like any young cricketer, Harleen had her fears of diving and sliding to stop the ball. We trained the HPCA Academy trainees to slide on wet pitch covers to end the fear of sliding and diving on the ground. It helped her. Along with her bowling and batting. She has evolved to be a very good fielder and to earn praise from the cricketing world shows her hard work,” said 51-year-old Sen. Harleen Deol plays for India Women for her batting and bowling and with that catch, she has established herself as one of the potent fielders for the women in blue.