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Wi Vs Pak 2Nd Test Preview Windies Bank On Pacers To Deliver Series Win Over Battered Tourists

WI vs PAK | 2nd Test Preview: Windies bank on pacers to deliver series win over battered tourists

When teams are touring countries across the world, the theme and objective of the tours have been the preparation for the upcoming ICC World T20. But, India are touring England for a full-fledge Test series, Pakistan are there in the West Indies for a full series comprising of two Tests as well.

There could have been a narrative that the flow and wider reach of the high-profile series between England and India will overshadow the West Indies vs Pakistan series.

However, all those concerns and narratives were put down to rest when the Kraigg Brathwaite’s men snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Babar Azam’s men who were equally competent to deserve a Test victory at the iconic Sabina Park in Jamaica.

The win by the barest of a margin through the bat of Kemar Roach sparked fans of the game to discuss the flow of that game albeit there was a high-octane clash between India and England were underway at Lord’s.

The first Test was dominated by pacers across the sides and the game went in the favour of the side that batted least bad across both innings of the game. Both the skippers were some of the few bright spots with the bat but they did not find ample support from their teammates to bat their sides into a comfortable position.

It’s unlikely that the second Test of the series will be any different with the quality of pace attack on both sides and the inconsistency of the batting lineup. The tourists will be hopeful of their star duo Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan to stand up with the bat while the hosts will love to see the likes of Nkrumah Bonner and kyle Mayers regain the touch that made them heroes right at the start of their career.

West Indies vs Pakistan: Match Details

Match Number- 02

Date and Time: August 20-24, 2021, 08:30 pm IST, 11:00 pm Local, 03:00pm IST

Venue: Sabina Park, Jamaica

Live Stream: FanCode

Pitch Report

The pitch at Sabina Park is expected to give a lot of assistance to pacers and the sides will be looking forward to strong performances from their batsmen.

There will be the pace and carry for the pacers and if the bowlers will pitch in the right areas around the off stump line, there will be more and more trouble for batsmen on either side of the fence.

Team News

West Indies

The hosts will be tempted to give Shai Hope a chance at the top of the order after Kieran Powell failed in both in the innings of the last Test. However, there is no certainty that Brathwaite will overlook the difficult batting conditions and the struggles of the other batsmen as well while making that decision.

Jomel Warrican produced a subdued performance in the first game and the hosts could be tempted to bring the raw seam bowling option of Alzarri Joseph in his place.

Rest nine players select themselves for the Test which the hosts will be desperate to win to clinch the series which will be a happy end of the season for them after suffering massive defeats at the hands of South Africa.

Probable XI

Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Shai Hope, Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (WK), Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales

Pakistan

The visitors were in the game right till the last ball of the game which Kemar Roach hit through the infield to win the game, and in all fairness, they played their best possible playing XI.

The result did not go their way but they are unlikely to make any change in their playing XI except for some untoward problems right close to the start of the game.

Probable XI

Abid Ali, Imran Butt, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (C), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi

Fantasy XI

M Rizwan (WK), F Alam, K Brathwaite, J Blackwood, R Chase, K Roach, Hasan Ali, M Abbas, J Seales

Captain: Babar Azam

Vice-captain: Jason Holder

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Need to get better and better with so much competition: Varun Chakravarthy

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy is setting his eyes on the upcoming T20 World Cup which will be played in UAE and Oman from 17th October. For Varun Chakravarthy to realise his dream, he has out up a commendable performance in the second phase of the IPL which will also be held in UAE. He has been the go-to bowler for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the last two seasons and his aim is to make his side qualify for the playoffs. With a huge pool of spinners, Chakravarthy finds himself in a tricky situation at the moment. He was impressive during his stint with the national team in Sri Lanka but didn’t do anything extraordinary to guarantee his spot in the World Cup squad. Chakravarthy knows that he has to get better and better to vie a spot in the World Cup. "There's so much competition [for the spin spots for the T20 World Cup] and that's why I need to keep getting better and better. It's not in a negative way; the competition is positive and healthy,” Chakravarthy was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo. Varun Chakravarthy played all three T20I matches in the Sri Lanka tour. Given his attributes as a T20 bowler and with several players under isolation, Chakravarthy got an extended run but he could only bag two wickets but maintained an exceptional economy rate of 5.30. Chakravarthy who bowls in the powerplay for the Kolkata Knight Riders was entrusted with the job even in national colours and he didn’t disappoint. He believes that in international cricket, one cannot afford to chase which overs he would bowl. Rather, he needs to stand up whenever given the opportunities in any juncture of the game whether the powerplay or in the death overs. "In professional cricket, you can't say that I won't bowl at powerplay or death. I'm now used to bowling in the powerplay and death," he said. "I'm comfortable anywhere I get to bowl; it's just about executing properly. It's not about where you are bowling. If you execute properly, you will do well, that's what I feel. "The preparation changes when I bowl at the death, obviously. The way the batsmen approach at the death will be different from the middle overs. So, in the middle, the field will be there to save the single and in the death, obviously, there will be some protection at the boundary line and you bowl accordingly. I focus on bowling more fuller and yorker balls in the death,” he added.

Ranji Trophy returns back to domestic schedule of India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will hold the Ranji trophy from January 5 to March 20. The tournament was cancelled last year due to a pandemic. "The pandemic has been tough on all of us, we have all had to make some hard decisions that have kept us from playing a full-fledged domestic cricket season in India. On behalf of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), we thank all our state associations, administrators, match officials, coaches, and athletes, for their patience and understanding," BCCI secretary Jay Shah told the state units in a letter which is in possession of Cricbuzz. The board has also said that the domestic season will commence with Women's Under-19 One-Day and Men's Under-19 competition Vinoo Mankad Trophy from September 20 October 19. The T20 domestic tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy will take place between October 27 to November 22 while the Vijay Hazare Trophy which is a one-day tournament will be held from December 1 to 29. "The restart date for BCCI Domestic Cricket Season 2021-22 has been reviewed with all stakeholders, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic develops and we work together through this very challenging time," Shah wrote in his mail. The board has introduced Inter-State A competition for the Under-25 men and will replace the earlier U23 competition Col CK Nayudu and will take place from January 6 to April 2. The governing body has also cleared the air on Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy and will be held in November-December. The dates of the tournament are yet to be announced.

CPL 2021: Varied armoury brings solidity to Trinbago Knight Riders unit

What could be the most difficult aspect of this game? Batting, bowling or fielding? Probably, yes but more than anything, it is sustaining to stay at the top. That pressure of defending your title in comparison to lifting the trophy for the first time is immense. But this doesn’t seem to be the case with Trinbago Knight Riders. Team manager Colin Borde has already said that the team is under “no pressure” whatsoever. Well, as they say, attack in the best defence. For TKR, this seems to be the basic plan as the side goes into the tournament to defend the title. The defending champions begin the competition against Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 26, 2021 which will also mark the start of CPL 2021 in St Kitts. All the matches will be played at the same venue. TKR have always invested in experience and they have continued to do the same as they picked up the squad for this edition of the CPL. From Kieron Pollard to Sunil Narine and from Yasir Shah to Colin Munro, the unit has a bunch of players with vast experience especially in the shorter format of the game who have played cricket all around the globe and probably under all sorts of conditions. Trinbago Knight Riders squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Yasir Shah, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Isuru Udana, Tim Seifert, Anderson Phillip, Denesh Ramdin, Tion Webster, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Leonardo Julien, Ali Khan. Team News Trinbago made a bold decision after they let go experienced all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and traded him to St Kitts/Nevis Patriots, with experienced wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin who made a return to the franchise. “Obviously, to any team, Dwayne is an asset,” Borde had said. “We have the requisite expertise and experience to forge ahead.” TKR retained as many 12 players and completed their squad of 16 after the conclusion of CPL draft. They attained the services of Ravi Rampaul, Isuru Udana, Sandeep Lamichchane and wicket keeper batsman Leonardo Julien. But Lamichhane and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza were later replaced by Pakistan’s Yasir Shah and New Zealand keeper Tim Siefert respectively. Shah had featured in the CPL back in 2018 for the Knight Riders for a short span of time while Siefert was a part of it in the 2020 edition. Lamichhane would be busy with national duties during that time as Nepal would be battling it out against PNG in Oman. Let the willow talk Those who follow the Indian Premier League or are Kolkata Knight Riders fans would know what Sunil Narine brings to the table not just with the ball but with the bat too. Narine has opened the innings for the T20 franchises and the move has come as a success for his sides. The left-handed batsman can fetch runs at brisk pace in the power play overs that gives the side an edge and a basic foundation to post a big total. Apart from him, Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons are the other two batters who can be lethal against any bowling attack on their day. Both the players have the ability to go after the opponents’ bowling line up and hammer them around the park. West Indies cricket fans would remember how Simmons hammered India in the semis to notch up a 51-ball 82. Interestingly, that was his first game of the tournament. So, if Simmons along with Bravo or Narine go all guns blazing, the bowling attacks would be in all sorts of trouble. Next in the list are some international recruits such as Colin Munro and Tim Seifert. Munro’s tally of 300 T20 matches speaks for itself. The left-hander has scored over 7000 runs in T20 format at a strike-rate of 143.87 which gives one an idea about how menacing he can be with the willow in his hands. Tim Seifert on the other hand, if gets a chance in the final XI can prove to be an asset. The right-hander too has a lot of T20 experience. Captain Kieron Pollard would play a vital role in creating a balance in the batting unit as he is capable enough to steady the ship for the side if and when required while can score runs quickly and increase the scoring-rate whenever needed. The TKR would want him to play that anchor’s role especially while chasing. The presence of wicket-keeper batsman Denesh Ramdin and Isuru Udana in the middle and lower middle-order also brings stability in the batting department for TKR. Variety in bowling Sunil Narine, Yasir Shah, Ravi Rampaul, Isuru Udana, Kieron Pollard and now Jayden Seales. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see such a bowling line up? Experience? Yes. Strength? Yes. But most importantly, it is the variety that these bowlers bring. Narine is probably one of the most successful bowlers when it comes to power play. He has the ability to keep a check on the run flow especially in the starting of the proceedings. Then comes another spinner, Yasir Shah. The leg-spinners are said to belong to that genre of bowling who are at the receiving end if the batsmen are on song but the leggies are the most lethal and dangerous too. From the wrong-uns to tossed up leg spin deliveries, they can deceive the batsmen with authority and rip through any line up. Moreover, the amount of cricket that Yasir Shah has played, he is a well-equipped bowler. A left-arm pacer has a lot on offer for his team. He can deceive the batsmen with the deliveries coming in or the ones moving away quite efficiently. There came a time in the 2019 World Cup in England where almost all the teams barring India had at least one left-arm pacer in the unit. Though, the conditions were pretty different then but the responsibility would be similar. Trinbago have Isuru Udana in their ranks. The Sri Lankan has played some franchise cricket and his international exposure would come as a boon for the side. TKR have a mix of young lads and experienced campaigners in their side. Someone like Ravi Rampaul would not just only be an important cog in the wheel for the team but he can be one of those players who would mentor and nurture the young crop which includes someone like Jayden Seales. Seales would be riding high on the way he has performed recently in the Tests especially against Pakistan in their first encounter of the series where the pacer bagged a total of 8 wickets. Skipper Pollard will have an extra bit of responsibility on himself as he will have to chip in with some overs as well. The right-arm bowler has impressed everyone with his bowling in the past and would look to pick wickets consistently for the side. Overall, the team looks to be a balanced one and has a lot of variety as well. Probable XI: Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Colin Munro, Kieron Pollard (C), Denesh Ramdin, Isuru Udana, Ravi Rampaul, Yasir Shah, Jayden Seales, Akeal Hosein

ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier shifted to Zimbabwe owing to Covid situation in Sri Lanka

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday confirmed that the Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2021 will be held in Zimbabwe from 21st November to 5th December. Originally the tournament was slated to be played in the island nation Sri Lanka in July last year but had to be postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ten-team tournament will feature five sides from the regional qualifiers namely Thailand, The Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, the United States of America and Zimbabwe who will be joined by Bangladesh, Ireland, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The full schedule of the tournament will be announced in due course. The top three teams in the competition will feature in the 2022 Women’s World Cup which will be hosted by New Zealand in March-April 2022. Defending champions England, Australia, India, New Zealand and South Africa have directly qualified for the main event. The top three qualifiers along with the next two teams will book their places in the next ICC Women’s Championship. The remaining five teams will be the top five sides from the last time around. "The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier is an extremely important event in our calendar as it not only provides teams with a chance to qualify for the World Cup but will also determine the final two participants in the next edition of the ICC Women's Championship. I'm sure Harare will be witness to some keenly contested matches. I thank Zimbabwe Cricket for agreeing to host the tournament and wish teams all the best in their preparations for this important event," ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. "Firstly, I wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the ICC board for their magnanimous gesture in allowing us the privilege of hosting the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021. On our part, we will leave no stone unturned to ensure this prestigious global event stands out as a unique event that celebrates Zimbabwe in all its magnificent splendour, richness, vibrancy, diversity and glory. I believe being granted the right to host this tournament is a vote of confidence in what we as ZC are doing and what we are hoping to do. You can rest assured we will not disappoint. We will not disappoint the nation of Zimbabwe and we will not disappoint the game of cricket," Zimbabwe Cricket Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani quipped.