NZ vs BAN | 3rd ODI: All-round Blackcaps thump Bangla Tigers for series-sweeping win

Teams cancelled, postponed their South Africa tours, but we are committed to it: Misbah takes dig at England & Australia

Pakistan head coach Misbah-Ul-Haq believes that a full-strength Pakistan team touring South Africa and Zimbabwe is going to have a great effect on the game and also the hosting nations, which have seen several of their series being cancelled, postponed and left midway due to Covid-19. Speaking to the press before their departure from Lahore, Misbah informed that all players and support staff including Hasan Ali, who had earlier tested positive, have tested negative for the Covid-19 virus. Stressing upon the point how Pakistan toured England during the raging Pandemic last year and without naming Australia, who cancelled their South Africa tour just recently, Misbah said, “It’s very difficult for players to keep on playing while remaining in the bubble. However, being the stakeholder of the game, they are taking it as their duty to serve the game. We went to England last year and now e are touring South Africa even as others team postponed and cancelled tier tours midway.” Addressing the elephant in the room, the selection of players like Shrajeel on captain’s recommendations, Misbah said, “There is a prevalent notion that it is somebody’s team that we have picked. Let me clear this once and for all, it is not mine or the captain’s or the selector’s team, it is Pakistan’s team and whatever would be better for Pakistan, we would do that.” Agreeing to the fact that It’s going to be a challenging series as always because of the conditions and the strength of the hosts, the 46-year-old also showed confidence in the abilities of his leader Babar and the nucleus of the team to present formidable resistance. “Babar is a leader who just doesn’t believe in saying things, rather gives his 100 per cent and expects the same from his men. It is his ability to lead by example that makes him stand out from the rest. He has also got a lot of support from Shadab [Khan] and [Mohammad] Rizwan, So I think the team is going to give its best. Pakistan on its tour of South Africa will play three ODIs and four T20is and Misbah believes that the T20s would be very important with respect to the upcoming T20 wORLD cup in October- November in India. The team also plays three T20Is against Zimbabwe later on. The Zimbabwe leg of the tour, according to the former Pakistan skipper is mainly to give opportunities to the youngsters and then build proper bench strength for the Red ball cricket team. Pakistan will play the first game of the tour on April 2, an ODI at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. The first T20 would be played on 10th April at the Wanderers.

IPL 2021 | Team Preview: Mighty Mumbai Indians look to make it a hattrick of titles

Whenever you talk about IPL, you have to talk about the Mumbai Indians. Such has been their domination in the last eight years that they have gone onto win five seasons in the last eight editions. Under the able leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians have only gone on from strength to strength in every department of the game. The first few seasons didn’t prove to be that productive for the most successful team in the competition now. It was the year 2013 when Rohit Sharma was propelled as the leader of the outfit and from there on the rest has been history. The core of the Mumbai Indians has remained the same for the last 5 years and the ploy have reaped rewards for the 5-time champions. All their bases seem covered and there is hardly any chinks in their armour. Right from the top to the middle to the lower middle and the bowlers, the full squad oozes class and has the ability to dismantle any franchises in the tournament. The year 2020 proved to be another sensational year for the MI as they were by far the most superior team of the competition. They occupied the top position in the points table for the majority of the tournament and literally eased through to the finals and then thrashed the Delhi Capitals in the mega finale. Opening duo and the batting depth In all likelihood, Rohit Sharma will come out to open the innings with Quinton de Kock. The duo has been lethal for the Mumbai Indians at the top of the order and their combination is again expected to work wonders for the 5-time champions. Both these batsmen are very attacking and can make a mockery of the opposition bowling line-up when in full flow. Both these batsmen will look to contribute as much as possible and get their preparations right for the T20 World Cup slated to be held later this year in India. Rohit Sharma has been a sensational limited-overs batsman over the last 7-8 years and his records speak for it itself. In the IPL he hasn’t opened on a consistent basis but in the last two years, he has taken up the mantle and will look to get as many runs under his belt. On the other hand, Quinton de Kock packs a punch and has been a great addition for the Mumbai Indians. The batting line-up for the Mumbai Indians looks sorted and they have all their bases covered. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan lend the perfect balance in the middle with guys like Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya coming in the middle and order lower middle-order having the ability to demolish any bowling attack. Suryakumar Yadav’s form has been a huge plus for the Mumbai Indians. He can bat anywhere and his technique is equipped for any sort of bowling attacks. When it comes to finishing the innings, who better than Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya. Pollard’s form has been quite exceptional coming into the mega event. He recently smashed 6 sixes in an over in a T20I against Sri Lanka and will look to keep his power-packed performances going in the upcoming edition. The Pandya brothers have been phenomenal with the bat in the final overs and their ability to bowl their full quota of overs, it allows the team management to tinker with the team combination quite often depending upon the match-ups. Spinners vs Pacers When you compare the fast bowling cartel and the spin bowling unit of the Mumbai Indians there is no doubt about the fact that the pacers hold the edge with an attack that can bring variety and unsettle any batting line-up. With Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult leading the pack, the opposition batting line-ups will be wary of the fact that both bowlers will try to bowl at their full tilt and gain some confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup slated to be played in India later this year. Nathan Coulter Nile has been brought back to the Mumbai Indians set-up and in all likelihood will be the third pacer in the XI given the team combinations. Some of the new additions might also get a look in including the likes of Marco Jansen, Adam Milne. Arjun Tendulkar is also a left-arm pacer who was bought at his base price by the Mumbai Indians. He might not get a game but the exposure of rubbing shoulders with some of the greats of the game will surely keep him in good stead going forward. Marco Jansen is also a new find from South Africa who can generate some good pace. Meanwhile, it will be Adam Milne’s first season with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He is also a skiddy customer and came up with some impressive performances in the last Big Bash League. When it comes to spinners there are quite a few options with a blend of youth and experience. Piyush Chawla was snapped up in the auctions and might come into play if the team management decides to go for the experience. Krunal Pandya will be one of the frontline spinners and Rahul Chahar is also expected to be a starter at least for the first half of the tournament. Full list of players bought by Mumbai Indians at IPL 2021 auction Adam Milne - Rs 3.2 crore Nathan Coulter-Nile - Rs 5 crore Piyush Chawla - Rs 2.4 crore James Neesham - Rs 50 lakh Yudhvir Singh - Rs 20 lakh Marco Jensen - Rs 20 lakh Arjun Tendulkar - Rs 20 lakh Mumbai Indians Full Squad Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Anukul Roy, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Mohsin Khan, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Saurabh Tiwary, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Jimmy Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar Support Staff Icon - Sachin Tendulkar Head Coach –Mahela Jayawardene Director of Cricket Operations- Zaheer Khan Bowling Coach- Shane Bond Batting Coach- Robin Singh Fielding Coach- James Pamment Strength and Conditioning Coach- Paul Chapman Probable XI Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Ishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Coulter Nile, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Ben Stokes says teams entitled to their behaviour, but backs England's brand of cricket

The white-ball leg of England’s tour of India has shown a remarkable difference in the style of methods of both teams. In the ODI series, the difference got starker as India relied on preserving the wickets in the initial overs whereas England went berserk at the top and opted to carry on with it until it all unravelled and India won the game coming from behind. Discussing the loss and if they missed out on adapting to different situations where they could have opted for a conservative approach, Eoin Morgan has said that the same brand of cricket has given England resounding success in the past and they will not walk away from it just yet. Batting styles were not the only contrasting between the two sides as Virat Kohli has been known for his in-your-face attitude while Eoin Morgan has established his reputation as a captain who keeps a cool head irrespective of game situations. And, like Morgan ruled out a course correction in batting styles, Stokes, who has returned to the 50 overs format after a long break has ruled out walking away from playing with a cool and relatively lesser aggressive mindset. "Every team and every player has a certain way of operating in the field, which makes them successful. As a team over the last four-five years, that's not the way that works for us," Stokes said on the eve of the second ODI between India and England. "We stick to what we do best and what we make is to build a better side. Each team is entitled to their way of operations. India have there and we have ours. He was asked which version of Kohli—a clam, composed one or an aggressive one is preferable to him on the field, to which England’s world cup-winning all-rounder said that only a non-performing version of Virat Kohli is preferable to him and his side. "Personally, I prefer Virat doesn't get runs because that's not good for us,” Stokes said. Stokes reiterated the brand of cricket England have played and the success they have reaped out of their methods over the years to become the number one side in the world, and hence he does not find any reason to drop that idea of playing cricket. "We deserve to be No 1 because of our results and how we played our cricket and we won't go away from that. Being No 1 is obviously a fantastic thing to have next to your name as a team, but it's not our driving force,” Stokes affirmed. "Our driving force is the way that we go about it and our attitude towards playing the game. And that's what's made us be successful, and the more successful we are obviously the more chance and the more opportunity we've got to be at No 1." England have rested Joe Root for the ODI series against India and hence Stokes walked out to bat at the number three position. He could not last long in the first ODI and perished playing an uppish drive as England lost their way in what was deemed as an ‘inflexible’ batting approach by many. While Stokes realised the change in circumstances that he has to adapt as he will play a lot more balls than when he used to bat at the number five position for a full-strength England team, he said that there are not a lot of changes he is looking to bring in his batting style. "At No 3, potentially, I would be facing 100 balls, compared to maybe 60-70 like I normally do. I haven't looked to change too much, just might be facing a slightly different situation, especially when I'm starting off my innings,” Stokes added. Stokes said that the confidence to bat in his own way has come as even Joe Root has suggested to him that the best way to bat is his natural way and that because the right-hander got successful in a certain way does not mean it will prove to be successful for the left-hander Stokes as well. "I did actually message Root just asking about his mindset at No 3. He was pretty clear to me and just said play the way that you play. Just because he plays a certain way doesn't mean that I need to try and play like,” Stokes concluded. England are trailing the three-match long ODI series 0-1 and with the prospect of skipper Eoin Morgan missing the rest of the series due to finger injury, the onus will be on him to provide both stability and firepower to the English batting order.

Chennai Super Kings to keep practicing in Mumbai in lead up to IPL 2021

One of the most successful IPL teams, Chennai Super Kings travelled to Mumbai on Thursday and will keep practicing there ahead of the 14th IPL season. The CSK outfit led by the charismatic Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play their first 5 matches in Mumbai and that is the reason why they will be deployed there for the next one month. The yellow brigade had started practising at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from 8th March and had practiced there till Wednesday. The three time champions revealed in a press release that they will be practicing in Mumbai for a month. "The players felt the fortnight-long camp was very beneficial. We also had four or five days of open nets," CSK chief executive officer KS Viswanathan said. "After the previous season, Dhoni told us that he'd reach Chennai in March to prepare for the 2021 edition. True to his word, he was here," Vishwanathan further added. The CEO expressed his confidence at the fact that Chennai Super Kings will do well in the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league. "We are very confident that the team will do well this season given the kind of replacements that we've got and the preparations so far," he added. CSK had a good time in the mini-auctions where they snapped up 6 players including spinning all-rounders Moeen Ali and Krishnappa Gowtham. They also traded opening batsman Robin Uthappa from the Rajasthan Royals. With the IPL slated to begin on 9th April, CSK will play their first five matches in Mumbai before moving to Delhi and Kolkata. All the matches in the tournament will be played at neutral venues with the playoffs slated to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Hyderabad.