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An evolving England side are not only searching for consistency with bat and ball but also in the field where missed chances proved costly in Cape Town

George Dobell in Johannesburg11-Jan-2016Like the man who tells himself the cigarette he sneaks after a cup of coffee doesn’t really make them a smoker, so it can be hard to distinguish – or at least admit to – the difference between ‘a habit’ and ‘a blip.’It was natural for Jonny Bairstow to dismiss the spate of dropped catches in Cape Town as “a blip.” You could hardly expect him to say anything else. Besides, it is true that the likes of Joe Root and James Anderson, who put down chances during the Test, have a fine record in the field. These things happen.But as England started their training ahead of the Johannesburg Test with an intense fielding session, it was a reminder that they remain a work in progress in every way. England missed somewhere between five and 10 chances, depending on how charitable you feel, in the second Test and have reprieved both AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla in each of the first two matches. Had they caught better, it is entirely possible they would be 2-0 up in this series.Yet, just as several young batsmen are finding their feet at this level, just as Moeen Ali and Steven Finn are developing bowlers, so England are searching for the right combination in the field that gives them the best chance to win games. Ian Bell – increasingly fallible in his final months in the side – has only recently left the slip cordon and James Taylor has only just moved to short-leg.It appears Ben Stokes may replace James Anderson, whose concentration is drained by the demands of bowling, as slip fielder to the spinners, while Nick Compton has yet to totally convince at point – he dropped the most straightforward of the chances in Cape Town – and Alex Hales is still bedding in at third slip. It will take time for all of them to acclimatise.And then there is Bairstow. His batting in this series has been as reliable and polished as anyone. In both Tests, he has made hugely valuable contributions and, if England had to name a Man of the Series right now, he would be in a reasonable choice.But batting is only half his job. And while his own keeping was better in Cape Town than it had been in Durban – he let through just four byes in 211 overs – he did maintain an uncomfortable habit of missing a chance a game. This one, a catch to his right that was not straightforward, followed a very tough missed stumping and another catch to his right at Durban. He also missed a routine stumping in the warm-up game in Pietermartizburg and a stumping and a catch in his previous Test in Sharjah.All of which sounds more like a habit than a blip.But we knew Bairstow’s keeping was “a work in progress,” as Trevor Bayliss described it, when he was selected. Just as we knew Moeen was not the finished article as a spinner and Stokes is learning his trade as an allrounder. All will, no doubt, benefit from patience and Bairstow cannot be faulted for his hard work or dedication. His selection remains a risk, though.The same could have been said for Jos Buttler. His keeping had improved through his period in the side and, given time, perhaps his batting would have done, too. But the team management felt, with some justification, that prolonging Buttler to the torture that his struggles had started to become would do him more harm than good. He was dropped for his own benefit in much the same way that Finn was sent home early from the tour to Australia in early 2014.Which left Bairstow the next in line. He knows that much hard work remains, but makes the point that he is a relative novice in the role and will improve over time.”You’re only going to learn by doing and that’s the way I’ve always done things,” Bairstow said. “When I first kept for Yorkshire, it was my second first-class game and I think I’d kept in two games for the second team. It was three years before I kept a full season.”So my keeping is a work in progress. But I’m pleased with the way I’m catching the ball and pleased with the way I’m moving. I don’t think you can ever say you’ve nailed it, but I’m pleased with the contribution I’ve made. It’s still a massive learning curve.”Jonny Bairstow: ‘I don’t think you can ever say you’ve nailed it, but I’m pleased with the contribution I’ve made. It’s still a massive learning curve’•Getty ImagesThe game has changed a great deal since England found room for a specialist keeper such as Bob Taylor and it seems most unlikely that it will change back. Indeed, it is debatable whether Taylor, for all his talent, would have been able to sustain a career in the modern game. Perhaps even the likes of Jack Russell and Keith Piper, who played such huge roles in the success of their county sides in limited-overs cricket, might struggle today.Michael Bates, perhaps the closest comparison with Taylor in the modern game, is an outstanding keeper but, due to a batting average under 20, is struggling to sustain his career despite the fact that his keeping played a huge role in Hampshire winning the Lord’s final in 2012.In time, Ben Cox – a vastly improved keeper who benefitted from working with Saeed Ajmal during the 2014 season, in particular – might be an option for England? Or Ben Foakes, if he can ever win the gloves at Surrey, or the steadily improving Sam Billings? In the longest term, Joe Clarke, like Cox a Worcestershire player, may be the one to watch, though it is hard to see how he and Cox can fulfil their potential at the same club.In the meantime, Bairstow has a chance to make the position his own.The one England player to miss training on Monday was Compton. He is the latest member of the team to succumb to a nasty stomach bug and, while the England camp insist he should be fine for the game, he must be a slight doubt given how long it has taken other people to recover. Gary Ballance would come into the side if Compton does not recover. Training is optional for England on Tuesday.The Test pitch, already bearing cracks, looks unusually dry. But rain is expected in the next few days and, if Cape Town taught us anything, it is that cracks do not always crumble and offer assistance to bowlers. Bethuel Buthenizi, the assistant groundsman here for more than two decades, is proud of his first Test surface as senior groundsman and expects it to offer pace, bounce and some assistance to bowlers of all types. “350 would be a good score,” he said.England are confident that playing at altitude will have little negative impact upon them. They spent a week or so at the start of the tour in Potchefstroom – which is similarly high above sea level – and their seamers will enjoy any extra bounce and carry as much as South Africa’s. They will need to ensure the errors of Cape Town really were a blip, though, if they are to defeat the No. 1 rated Test team.

Stats round-up from the quarterfinals stage of the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy

Bharath Seervi07-Feb-20160 Instances of Assam reaching the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy, before this season (excluding the Plate League). In 2006-07, they reached the semi-finals of the Plate League. (The Ranji Trophy was split into two groups then, with the top teams playing in the Super League, and the lesser teams playing in the Plate League.) This season, they defeated Punjab by 51 runs in Valsad to reach the last-four stage.788 Target set by Madhya Pradesh against Bengal, the fifth-highest in Ranji Trophy history. The highest of all is 959 set by Bombay against Maharashtra in Pune in the semi-final of 1948-49 Ranji Trophy, which is also the highest across all first-class matches. With the 355-run win, Madhya Pradesh have reached the Ranji Trophy semi-finals for the first time since 2005-06. They had reached the Plate League semi-finals thrice in last ten years. The win is also their biggest in first-class matches beating the 287-run win against Maharashtra in Indore in 1994-95 and Bengal’s second-biggest defeat behind their 420-run loss to Bombay in 1958-59 final.432 Runs scored by Bengal in the fourth innings, in reply to Madhya Pradesh’s target of 788. It is the third-highest fourth-innings total in Ranji Trophy. The two higher than this are: 604 by Maharashtra against Bombay in 1948-49 (target of 959) and 492 by Holkar against Bombay in 1944-45 final (target of 867).3 Number of wins by an innings for Saurashtra this season, the most for them in a single Ranji season. They won by an innings and 63 runs against Jammu and Kashmir in their last match in the group stage and then by innings and 85 runs in the quarter-final against Vidarbha. They had won by an innings and 118 runs in the first match of this season against Tripura. They had two such wins in the 2008-09 season and only seven innings victories till the last season. There hasn’t been an instance in the last ten years where a team won by an innings in the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy.2 Batsmen who have completed 1000 runs in a Ranji Trophy season at a younger age than Shreyas Iyer. The Mumbai batsman, aged 21 years, six months and 30 days, got there on the third day of the quarter-final against Jharkhand. The youngest to achieve the feat is Rusi Modi at 20 years, three months and 24 days in 1944-45, while Ajinkya Rahane is next at 20 years, six months and 29 days in 2008-09 (age as on the day of 1000th run). Modi was also the first batsman to aggregate 1000 or more runs in a Ranji Trophy season. All the three youngest to do so have all been for Mumbai. KL Rahul comes next at 21 years, 9 months and 13 days for Karnataka in 2013-14. In the same innings, Iyer also completed 2000 runs in his first-class career. Click here for highest run-getters in this season of Ranji Trophy.2006-07 Last time a bowler took 50 or more wickets in a Ranji season, before Shahbaz Nadeem did it for Jharkhand this time. Ranadeb Bose had taken 57 wickets for Bengal in 2006-07. There were four bowlers who took 50 or more wickets in the 1999-00 season (Kanwaljit Singh 62, Venkatapathy Raju 52, Utpal Chatterjee 52 and Aashish Kapoor 50) and only two since then. Nadeem is also the first from Jharkhand to take 50 or more wickets in a season. Previous highest for Jharkhand was also by him: 42 wickets in 2012-13 season.3 Number of Man-of-the-Match awards for Akhil Herwadkar in this Ranji Trophy season for Mumbai, the joint-most with four other players – Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohan Prem and Rajat Paliwal. His 107 and 3 for 26 against Jharkhand in the quarterfinal in Mysore got him his third Man-of-the-Match award.704 The previous-highest aggregate by an Assam batsman in a Ranji Trophy season, by Dheeraj Jadhav in 2011-12 at an average of 176 in nine innings. Arun Karthik has gone past him this season with 728 runs at 49.15, with two games left, potentially The next two highest aggregates are also by Jadhav: 626 runs at 48.15 in 2013-14 and 623 at 56.63 in 2012-13. Similarly, the 47 wickets by Krishna Das are also the most, by far, for an Assam bowler in a season. Sarupam Purkayastha had taken 36 wickets in the last season. 32 wickets by Arup Das this season are the third-most for an Assam bowler in a season.8/83 Figures of Arup Das against Punjab, the best in a Ranji quarter-finals since Harshal Patel’s 8 for 40 for Haryana against Karnataka in 2011-12. These are fifth-best figures for Assam and fourth-best by any bowler against Punjab in first-class matches.401 Wickets for Pragyan Ojha in first-class career. He picked up his 400th wicket in the quarter-final match playing for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh.0 Number of half-centuries for Ashok Dinda in his first-class career, before this quarter-final match, in 108 innings. He scored 52 off 42 balls batting at No. 9 in the fourth innings for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh. It is his maiden half-century across all formats – First-class, List-A and T20 cricket. His previous best was 45 against Haryana in the last Ranji Trophy. Last player to score 50 or more at No. 9 in the fourth-innings in Ranji Trophy was Jammu and Kashmir’s Samiullah Baig in 2013-14.

22-Apr-2016AB de Villiers came out all guns blazing and smashed his third half-century of the tournament•BCCIVirat Kohli wasn’t at his most fluent, although Rising Pune Supergiants helped his cause as Ankit Sharma dropped him on 50•BCCIThe de Villiers-Kohli partnership recorded their third 100-plus stand. Such was their domination that at one point it prompted MS Dhoni to use his shoe to prevent a Kohli late cut from crossing him•BCCIDespite the relative scratchiness, Kohli hit seven fours and two sixes before holing out to deep midwicket for 80 off 63 balls•BCCIDe Villiers fell for 83 with two balls remaining in the innings, caught by an off-balance Ankit Sharma. RCB ended on 185 for 3•BCCIThisara Perera was in the thick of the action, taking all three wickets to fall to finish with 3 for 34•BCCIAn untimely injury to Kevin Pietersen compounded Supergiants’ woes after the early loss of Faf du Plessis•BCCIAjinkya Rahane held firm at his end to keep the fight alive•BCCIMS Dhoni played a quiet supporting act, and the duo added 91 for the third wicket•BCCIRahane swung wildly at a slider only to be stumped and give chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi his first IPL wicket. With MS Dhoni falling soon after, RCB inched closer•BCCIThisara Perera and Rajat Bhatia gave them a scare, though, by blasting 25 runs off a Harshal Patel over – the 18th of the chase•BCCIBut Shane Watson held his nerve in the 19th before Kane Richardson struck twice in the final over to restrict Supergiants to 172 for 8•AFP

Dav Whatmore talks about how things went downhill fast during his curtailed stint as Zimbabwe’s coach

Tristan Holme28-Jul-2016Dav Whatmore is not a happy man. More than seven weeks after he was fired as Zimbabwe’s coach, his pulse still quickens in anger as he talks of never having been treated as poorly in his 21 years of coaching at international level as he was in his Zimbabwe stint.According to Whatmore, there was nothing about the team’s lack of performance under the termination clauses in his contract. He says that the end came suddenly, without warning, during a training camp in Bulawayo at the end of May, when managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa delivered the news while ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani stared at the floor.Mukuhlani declined to comment on the specifics of Whatmore’s sacking, pointing to a signed agreement between the parties that he believes is confidential. “We have never commented on our parting with him in the media based on that agreement,” he says.Whatmore believes he was on notice from the time Mukuhlani became chairman last August, taking over from Wilson Manase, whose overtures in December 2014, Whatmore says, were the main reason he decided to take a job that looked increasingly like a poisoned chalice.”These challenges are nothing new to me – taking on sides that are struggling,” Whatmore says. “But more than that, this chairman [Manase] followed up every call and every email and he wanted me, which was a great motivational factor.”

“If Dav Whatmore was coaching India and he lost three times in a row to Afghanistan, would he have survived? Why on earth should he survive for doing that in Zimbabwe?”Tavengwa Mukuhlani, ZC chairman

ZC had at the time recently sacked coach Stephen Mangongo after a tenure that culminated in a poor tour of Bangladesh, where Zimbabwe lost all eight of their matches. Whatmore believes that tour had a knock-on influence on his own poor results as Zimbabwe coach.”We were competitive in all the World Cup matches [in 2015] after I took over,” he says. “But the afternoon of the Pakistan match in Queensland, when Brendan Taylor told me, ‘Dav, I’m sorry but I’m leaving’, I felt so dejected. I knew then that was the beginning of the end for that team. He was the only player who was able to win some games for you. When he told me that, it was a horrible feeling.”When he’d made that decision to leave, he hadn’t known that I was going to be around, he didn’t know that there were going to be so many matches to be played in 2015, and he didn’t realise that the environment would be so much healthier for the whole team. So we were competitive in all of those games, but after he left, that’s when it became really difficult.”Whatmore’s assertion that Taylor would have stayed on in Zimbabwe is backed up by an interview the batsman gave in January this year, when he said: “If it wasn’t for the tour to Bangladesh at the end of 2014, I would probably have seen myself still playing for Zimbabwe – certainly for another year.”I’ve never hated cricket so much as on that tour. The way the players were handled and treated, especially spoken to, I couldn’t comprehend it. I think with the change of coach and the change of atmosphere, the way the players were so confident and relaxed when changes were made, I think that’s why I felt I could play my best cricket again at the World Cup, whereas in Bangladesh it was a torrid seven weeks.””When Brendan Taylor [right] told me, ‘Dav, I’m sorry but I’m leaving’, I felt so dejected”•AFPDespite Taylor’s superb World Cup, where he was the fourth highest run scorer, Zimbabwe only beat the UAE. They did, however, run South Africa, Pakistan and India close, and lost to Ireland by just five runs. Without Taylor, Whatmore’s Zimbabwe continued to struggle, but they did beat India in a T20I and won one-day games against New Zealand and Pakistan. Overall they won nine out of 33 completed ODIs under Whatmore, and six out of 20 T20Is, giving him win percentages that were slightly higher than Zimbabwe’s all-time records, and very similar to those of other coaches over the past six years.But it was the twin series defeats to Afghanistan that irked Mukuhlani and his board. “If Dav Whatmore was coaching India and he lost three times in a row to Afghanistan, would he have survived?” asks Mukuhlani. “Why on earth should he survive for doing that in Zimbabwe? Our ranking fell below Ireland and Afghanistan under his watch, so we need to be fair with each other.”If Dav Whatmore was fired after losing to India, I would not even have accepted the board to do that. But we struggled against Ireland in Harare and scraped through [Zimbabwe won a one-day series 2-1 in October]. We lost to Afghanistan three times in a row. We struggled against Scotland in the World T20. We were not very convincing against Hong Kong in that tournament, and we were completely outclassed by Afghanistan in the final match in Nagpur. So put yourself in my position and the board’s.”In truth, Zimbabwe have never had a side that won frequently for over a decade now. The difference from one incarnation to the next is generally how competitive they are when they lose, and Whatmore’s team showed improvement in this regard. Just six out of their 24 defeats were by 100-plus runs or more than five wickets, whereas his two predecessors, Andy Waller and Mangongo, saw their teams lose ten out of 27 ODIs by those margins, and win just six. In the wake of Whatmore’s dismissal, the three ODIs against India were all lost by eight or more wickets under interim coach, Makhaya Ntini.

“They’re making arbitrary decisions, as people sitting around a table who know nothing about the game. There is no clear pathway. Four [franchise] teams? I mean, bloody hell”Whatmore on the Zimbabwe cricket board

There was also improvement in the batting during Whatmore’s tenure. In 2014, only Sikandar Raza scored a century in Zimbabwe’s 16 ODIs. Under Whatmore, ten hundreds were scored by six different batsmen in 32 ODIs between January 2015 and January 2016.Whatmore accepts that his win-loss record was poor, but also points to the limiting factors. “To be smart about it, you look a bit deeper to see what you had to work with. That is paramount. And considering the available talent and the amount of times we had injuries to key players as well, I thought that we did as good a job as we possibly could. The biggest miss there was Brendan Taylor, and then we had a little gem in Graeme Cremer coming back. So one really good player left and one good one came back. If we had both of them, I reckon it would have been a bit different. We might have still had our fair share of losses, but we would have won one or two more.”He adds that the defeat to Afghanistan in Bulawayo was not helped by the conditions Zimbabwe delivered. “We were giving them tailor-made conditions for the visiting team,” he says. “I just asked for something that’s hard and true. A little bit of spin is all right. Instead, we had subcontinental conditions. And don’t forget Graeme Cremer, our No. 1 spinner, was not available. But they don’t understand the game.”The other major point upon reflection is that the decisions made by the [Mukuhlani] cricket board were taken by the board themselves, rather than going through the proper committees. They’re making arbitrary decisions, as people sitting around a table who know nothing about the game.”Also, you’ve got to have a structure that has a pathway through which players can perform and then get promoted and then play meaningful competition and get promoted again, and so on. It’s non-existent in Zimbabwe. There is no clear pathway. Or no good pathway anyway. Four [franchise] teams? I mean bloody hell. And they play each other twice, so that’s six games a year, and that’s it. Some players are just playing the odd game a year because there’s no second team. Internationals come back into franchise teams and then your franchise guys are just carrying water. It is really a dereliction of duty for the game.”Dav Whatmore believes that Wilson Manase’s (left) departure as chairman was the start of the end for him as Zimbabwe’s coach•AFPAnother bugbear for him was the fact that he had no say in the hiring and firing of assistant coaches once Mukuhlani took over. According to Whatmore, Waller was axed as batting coach – despite the batsmen’s gains – without his input, and Makhaya Ntini and Marvin Atapattu were brought on board. “I thought it was disrespectful,” he says. “I’m expected to work with these people and they report to me, but I have no say about who they are.”Mukuhlani claims that Whatmore’s complaint is inconsistent: “When he was appointed by the previous administration, Dav Whatmore did not come with backroom staff and he had no issue with that. Now that we are giving him backroom staff, he has an issue with our appointments, I find that very confusing. That’s number one.”Number two is that after every series, the technical staff must give their feedback. There was no request from Dav that he would want to appoint his backroom staff. We have a duty – not only a moral one but a constitutional one – to appoint the technical staff. It is within our rights.”Whatmore says that he was entitled to the final nine months’ pay from his contract when he was sacked. Instead he settled for three months, plus leave owing, bonuses owing and reimbursement for flights. “I could have sued them but it would have been like another Phil Simmons,” he says. Simmons’ legal wrangle with ZC has stretched for more than a decade following his dismissal as Zimbabwe coach in 2005, when he had two years remaining on his contract.Whatmore’s dismissal at the end of May meant that Zimbabwe had been through three coaches in two years. They also shuffled through three captains, three selection convenors, two bowling coaches and three batting coaches or consultants between India’s tour in July last year and their visit this June. “The main issue is that ZC looks to blame everyone else and never points the finger whilst looking into the mirror,” Whatmore says.”I think it will end up like Kenya. Cricket will never die because it’s in the schools and some of the schools take it seriously even if they may not play enough cricket. And it will be exposed on television – there will always be some competition there. But already, players are preferring to go overseas to further their careers. If you really had to predict, I can’t see it surviving internationally – particularly if they don’t get the same funding. They’re getting US$8-9 million a year and they’ve got a debt of almost $20m. If they get a reduced amount of funding, what’s going to happen then?”

Plays of the day from the first ODI between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur25-Sep-2016The send-offMashrafe Mortaza has hardly given any batsman an expletive-laden send-off as he did to Mohammad Shahzad at the end of the seventh over. After Shahzad had disdainfully flicked Mashrafe over midwicket for six, the bowler came back and had him caught behind with a slower ball. Mashrafe then laid into Shahzad, who din’t care to look at him. It is rare to see Mashrafe go after a batsman in this manner.The anguishMirwais Ashraf, the medium-pacer, let out a roar after Hashmatullah Shahidi dropped an easy catch at point at the start of the 13th over. Tamim Iqbal had sliced a cut shot straight at the fielder, but Shahidi couldn’t latch on to the chance. Shahidi looked disappointed, but Ashraf didn’t prolong his stare towards the fielder, and walked back to his mark. Having been dropped on 30, Tamim kicked on to make 80.The dropThe second dropped catch came in the 39th over when Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai fluffed a simpler chance, reprieving Mahmudullah on 58. Fielding at cover, Stanikzai misjudged the flight of the ball after Mahmudullah had mistimed a drive off Mohammad Nabi, the offspinning allrounder. Stanikzai immediately gestured towards one of the light towers, suggesting he couldn’t spot the ball in the bright background. Fortunately for Bangladesh, Mahmudullah fell after adding four runs.The T20 bashHaving been given the role of a finisher in T20s earlier this year, Mahmudullah has transformed his batting. One of the big shots he has developed is the blast over long-off after charging at the bowler. He also has the ability to ride high bounce and hit it over extra cover.In the 38th over, he brought out the T20 shot against the pace of Dawlat Zadran, hammering him over long-off for his second six. His first six came when he mostly stood still and cleared long-off in the 25th over off Ashraf.The light complaintLike Asghar Stanikzai, Mahmudullah complained of the light tower coming in the way of him taking a catch in the 38th over, after Hashmatullah Shahidi had pulled one towards him at deep square-leg. The ball fell well short of him, but two overs later, he dropped a chance at deep square-leg again, this time off Taijul Islam, to let off the same batsman. This time though, Mahmudullah didn’t complain about the light, as that would have made him look rather foolish.

Stats highlights from the second day between Bangladesh and England in Chittagong

Bharath Seervi21-Oct-201664.77 Tamim Iqbal’s average against England in Tests – his highest against any team. He has scored two centuries and five fifties in nine innings against them. His average is the sixth-best by any batsman to score 500-plus runs against England.1982 Last time four spinners (as categorised) bowled for England in the same Test innings – against England in Kanpur. In their first innings of this Test, Gareth Batty, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Joe Root bowled spin.1 Figures better than Mehedi Hasan’s 6 for 80 by a Bangladesh bowler on Test debut – Sohag Gazi took 6 for 74 on his debut against West Indies in Dhaka in 2012-13.14 Wickets by spinners in the first two innings of this match so far, already the joint seventh-most in a Test in Bangladesh. In fact, the first 14 wickets fell to spinners before Ben Stokes struck among the fast bowlers.2 Instances of Bangladesh spinners taking all ten wickets in their first innings of a Test. The first innings of this Test was their second such instance. The only previous occasion was also in Chittagong against New Zealand in 2008-09.1987 Last time England lost all ten wickets in their first innings to spinners – to Pakistan in Faisalabad. This was the 12th instance for them and 10 of those are in Asia.293 England’s total in their first innings, is their lowest all-out total against Bangladesh. Their previous lowest was 295 in Dhaka in 2003-04.10 Spinners who have bowled in this Test so far, is the second-most in any Test. Six spinners bowled for Bangladesh in the first innings.

Australia’s top performers at the Gabba against Pakistan have changed, in varying degrees, from the players they had once been

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane15-Dec-2016To evolve is a good thing. Had humans not evolved from apes, none of us would be here. There would have been no Leonardo da Vinci, no Shakespeare, no exploration of our galaxy beyond Earth. There would also have been no , but you can’t win them all. On the whole, survival of the fittest gets the job done.So it is in cricket too. From slow under-arm bowling in the 19th century to Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding in the 1970s, from timeless Tests through one-day internationals to Twenty20, the game has evolved, and survived. And 26,343 people watched it continue to evolve on Thursday, the first day and night of pink-ball Test cricket at the Gabba.Evolution was evident also in the players. Six years ago at the home of cricket, Steven Smith made his Test debut against this same opposition. Back then he played as a legspinner and batted at No.8. Only Azhar Ali and Mohammad Amir remain from the Pakistan XI that faced Smith in his first Test at Lord’s, and on the first day in Brisbane they saw him complete his 16th Test century.Smith is the No.1-ranked batsman in Test cricket, and now the owner of a Test hundred against every opposition except those that he hasn’t met – Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He had some good fortune – dropped on 53, caught behind on 97, though Pakistan failed to appeal – but good fortune does not account for 4421 Test runs at an average of 58.94.When he started, Smith had more moving parts than a one-man band. He has tightened his technique considerably, and now relies as much on his brain as his eye. As a batsman he is a great success. As a captain, his evolution continues. His task is to lead Australia out of their recent dark age and into a renaissance.He must do so with a new-look team. Five changes in last month’s Adelaide Test represented an evolutionary jump, and Australia continued with that group in Brisbane – the first time in more than a year that they had used the same XI in consecutive Tests. Of the three Adelaide debutants, only Nic Maddinson is yet to prove himself at Test level. His chance will come on day two in Brisbane.Peter Handscomb impressed with a half-century in Adelaide and brought up another at the Gabba. Brad Haddin recently observed that while coaching Handscomb with Australia A this year, the batsman asked to be taken out of his comfort zone with difficult net drills. Handscomb actively seeks to evolve as a batsman, and in consequence is hard to fluster at the crease.By stumps, Handscomb was on 64 and had combined with Smith for a 137-run partnership. He had built significantly on the work done by fellow Adelaide debutant, Matt Renshaw, who scored 71 and was part of a 70-run opening stand with David Warner and then a 76-run third-wicket partnership with Smith.Matt Renshaw, who was born in 1996 and could not have known cricket before T20, does not have a Big Bash League deal•Associated PressRenshaw is what biologists call an atavism. In simple terms, an evolutionary throwback. He would recall little of life before Twenty20 – he was born in 1996 while T20 began in 2003 – yet idolises Alastair Cook and places on his wicket a price, almost as high as Bill Lawry did. He was at the inaugural T20 international in 2005 as a spectator, yet has never played elite T20 himself.Renshaw is remarkable for a 20-year-old in that he doesn’t have a Big Bash League deal and doesn’t care. Until he was called into Australia’s Test side, he expected December-January to be his golf season. Instead he ended up on the world stage proving his long-form credentials. In Adelaide, Renshaw scored slowly, but steered Australia to victory. Here, he showed he can change gears.Against the new ball, Renshaw was happy to leave anything outside off stump, and waited for his scoring opportunities to come when the bowlers went too straight: nearly two-thirds of his runs came through the leg side. And yet he was willing to use his feet and drive the spinners down the ground, in the air, reckoning it a safe scoring opportunity if executed well.His final tally was 71 from 125 balls, including nine boundaries. It was as if Renshaw had evolved in the fortnight between Adelaide and Brisbane. It should not be forgotten that this was just his 15th first-class match. He is still learning, but has an outstanding base from which to work. His development will be fascinating to watch.Given that Renshaw is a Queenslander, perhaps the most remarkable absentees from the 26,343-strong crowd were his parents. They had been at his debut in Adelaide, but on Thursday chose his sister’s graduation over his first Test appearance at home. Still, the crowd figure was a record day-one attendance for a non-Ashes Test at the Gabba.Among them, Garry Sobers and Alan Davidson watched Test cricket under lights with a pink ball. It looked different, but was fundamentally the same game they had played. Fifty-six years ago this week, they played in Test cricket’s first tied match at this very ground. Before that memorable series between Australia and West Indies, the health of Test cricket was waning. Sometimes, it needs rejuvenation. Or, like teams and individuals, a touch of evolution.

The birthdays of Tom Pritchard and Jack Laver this week draw notice to an exclusive band of cricketers who have lived 100 years and more

Brydon Coverdale10-Mar-2017There is scoring a century, and there is reaching a century. Tom Pritchard never scored a century, not in a first-class career spanning 200 matches. Neither did Jack Laver, who played only 13 first-class games himself. But in a delightful coincidence, both men have now, at long last, reached centuries within a day of each other.Pritchard is New Zealand’s oldest living first-class cricketer; Laver Australia’s. In Tasmania on Thursday, Laver celebrated his 100th birthday; across the Tasman on Friday, Pritchard enjoyed his 100th. Two days, two countries, two tons, two messages from the Queen.”It’s just one after 99,” Laver said this week, in an interview with Launceston newspaper the .Laver’s flippancy aside, his and Pritchard’s achievement is phenomenally rare, considering that more than 33,000 men have played first-class cricket. Of those, more than 8000 are known to have centuries, but only 20 are known to have centuries – though it is necessary to include a caveat that such a list may not be exhaustive.The first cricketing centenarian was George Deane, whose entire first-class career consisted of one match for Hampshire that occurred so long ago that he was bowled by John Wisden – yes, John Wisden. The year was 1848 and Deane made a duck in both innings, but later created history by living until 1929 and the age of 100.The latest cricketing centenarian can boast a much more prolific career. Pritchard claimed 818 wickets and was considered one of the fastest bowlers of the 1940s. In fact, after he took 4 for 46 for Warwickshire against the touring Indians in 1946, India captain Vijay Merchant wrote a letter of thanks to the county, in which he called Pritchard “the fastest bowler in England at the time”.Why was Pritchard, a New Zealander who had earlier played for Wellington, in England playing for Warwickshire? Because he served in the armed forces in Europe during World War II, married an Englishwoman, and set up home there after the war.In an interview this week with Andrew Alderson of the , Pritchard told of how in the post-war era he would have “at least two beers before I went out at lunchtime, some at afternoon tea and a couple afterwards. All with the magnificent people we played against.”

Player Date of Birth Died Country/First-class team Age (yrs) MatsGeorge Deane 1828-12-11 1929-02-26 England 100, 77 days 1Charles Braithwaite 1845-09-10 1946-04-15 English Residents/USA 100, 217 days 4John Wheatley 1860-01-08 1962-04-19 New Zealand 102, 101 days 12Ted English 1864-01-01 1966-09-05 England 102, 247 days 18George Harman 1874-06-06 1975-12-14 Univ. of Dublin 101, 191 days 1Rupert de Smidt 1883-11-23 1986-08-03 South Africa 102, 253 days 4D.B.Deodhar 1892-01-14 1993-08-24 India 101, 222 days 81Jim Hutchinson 1896-11-29 2000-11-07 England 103, 344 days 256Alan Finlayson 1900-09-01 2001-10-28 South Africa 101, 57 days 2Ted Martin 1902-09-30 2004-06-09 Australia 101, 253 days 2Harry Forsyth 1903-12-18 2004-07-19 Univ. of Dublin 100, 214 days 1Syd Ward 1907-08-05 2010-12-31 New Zealand 103, 148 days 10Cyril Perkins 1911-06-04 2013-11-21 England 102, 170 days 57Norman Gordon 1911-08-06 2014-09-02 South Africa 103, 27 days 29Fred Gibson 1912-02-13 2013-06-28 England 101, 135 days 2Neil McCorkell 1912-03-23 2013-02-28 England 100, 342 days 396John Manners 1914-09-25 – England 102, 166 days 21Harold Stapleton 1915-01-07 2015-09-24 Australia 100, 260 days 1Jack Laver 1917-03-09 – Australia 100, 1 days 13Tom Pritchard 1917-03-10 – New Zealand 100, 0 days 200Pritchard bowled fast outswinging offcutters – the change of direction made him a particularly difficult customer for batsmen to face – but playing in England for much of his career limited his opportunities to play for New Zealand. He represented his country only once, in a match against Sir Julien Cahn’s XI in Wellington in 1939.Like Pritchard, Laver served in World War II, though in New Guinea. He was born in Melbourne into a sporting family – he is the second cousin of tennis legend Rod Laver, who sent Jack a card for his 100th birthday, and the nephew of cricketer Frank Laver, who played 15 Tests for Australia.Laver moved to Launceston after the war and played first-class cicket for Tasmania – they were not yet part of the Sheffield Shield competition – including three games as captain. After retirement, he went on to serve as a state selector.”In those days, the NTCA [Northern Tasmania Cricket Association] had all the visiting countries come, and I played against all the countries, two Australian sides, two English sides, one West Indies side and one Indian side,” Laver told the this week.Laver and Pritchard are not the only living centenarians among former first-class cricketers: John Manners, who played 21 matches for Hampshire from 1936 to 1953, is 102. Manners is the only living man to have played first-class cricket in England before World War II, and was the subject of a fine piece in last year’s .The remainder of first-class cricket’s late centenarians form a fascinating bunch.There was the Australian Ted Martin, who upon turning 100 in 2002 – the year after Don Bradman’s death aged 92 – quipped that “it’s nice to have beaten Bradman at something”.Pritchard at 100•Andrew AldersonThere was the Irishman Harry Forsyth, whose entire first-class career consisted of one game for Dublin University in 1926, and whose team-mate in that match was the future Nobel Laureate playwright Samuel Beckett.There was Alan Finlayson, the South African who doubled the age of his brother Charles, who also played first-class cricket but died at 50.There was DB Deodhar, once known as the Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket, who was one of very few people to play first-class cricket both before World War I and after World War II, and whose name lives on in the Deodhar Trophy.There was the 19th-century cricketer Charles Braithwaite, unique in this list in that his entire first-class career of four matches occurred in Philadelphia, USA.There was Fred Gibson, who was born in rural Jamaica, stayed on in England after serving in the RAF during World War II, played for Leicestershire, worked for Rolls-Royce (sometimes surprising opponents by arriving in one of the company’s cars) and served as a Labour councillor.There was Cyril Perkins, the left-arm spinner who made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire in 1934 and, remarkably, made his List A debut for Suffolk at the age of 54 in 1966, and died in 2013 at the age of 102.

Eileen Ash turned 105 last year. She played seven Tests for England either side of World War II, worked for 11 years with intelligence agency MI6, still drives a yellow Mini, and doesn’t look or sound a day over 80

And there have been others, though none who have lived longer than Jim Hutchinson, who began working in a coal mine at the age of 14. A decade later he was spotted while playing for the colliery XI, and a week after that, he was making his first-class debut for Derbyshire. Hutchinson went on to play 256 first-class matches and lived to 104, claiming that his longevity was due to a diet of “pork chops and onion rings”.If Hutchinson is the first-class cricketer with the longest lifespan, the South African Norman Gordon is the Test cricketer who has lived the longest. A fast bowler who played in the famous ten-day timeless Test against England in Durban in 1939, Gordon died at the age of 103 in 2014. He is the only Test cricketer to have reached a century.Actually, that statement must be clarified: the only Test cricketer to have reached a century. For there is one person who surpasses all of these men not only for longevity, but for the remarkable nature of the long life still being lived.Eileen Ash (nee Whelan) turned 105 last year. She played seven Tests for England either side of World War II, worked for 11 years with intelligence agency MI6, still drives a yellow Mini, and doesn’t look or sound a day over 80. She puts down her longevity to the fact that she still practises yoga once a week – see for yourself – and enjoys two glasses of red wine a day.She is so fit that she has not only reached a century but jokes about one day reaching a double-century. “I’d like to know when I’m going to be old,” she said in a BBC interview last year, shortly before her latest birthday. “Do you think it will be when I’m 105?”

The quotes from nine seasons of the IPL that caused laughter, embarrassment and controversy

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2017

“There was a little element of feeling like a cow.”

Getting auctioned for US$700,000 before the 2008 IPL got Adam Gilchrist in touch with his bovine side. When the IPL began, the concept of players being bought and sold was completely new to cricket. Any misgivings Gilchrist had about the auction process didn’t affect his game, though. He went on to lead Deccan Chargers to victory in the 2009 season.

“This is not cricket. This is the greatest divide between the rich and the poor. With that kind of money, you could have built another cement factory.”

Jaswant Singh, then leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had this to say about the IPL in 2008 during a session of the house. For some, the IPL was a welcome show of financial muscle by Indian cricket, but for others, the idea of a developing country hosting such an extravagant event was abhorrent. That sentiment still exists in some form today. Just last season, games were shifted out of drought-stricken Maharashtra to ensure water was not wasted on maintaining the grounds.

“Violence between players? Scantily clad cheerleaders? Toss in a rant by Charles Barkley and three minutes of commercials for every 45 seconds of actual game time and cricket may finally be ready for a mainstream American audience.”

This excerpt from a article in 2008 predicted the IPL could help cricket appeal to new markets. The IPL was modelled on American sports leagues, but nine years on, cricket is still trying to make serious inroads in the American market.

“I don’t mind really … except she really did seem to be doing her job very well when I was out. She didn’t have to look so pleased.”

Jacques Kallis was supportive of his sister Janine performing as a cheerleader in the 2009 IPL, but wasn’t too happy when it was his wicket she was celebrating. Janine, a dancer and physiotherapist, was part of Chennai Super Kings’ cheerleading squad in 2008 and Delhi Daredevils’ in 2009. When Kallis’ Royal Challengers Bangalore faced both sides, she was obligated to cheer her brother’s misfortune. Janine told an Indian newspaper that Kallis had ribbed her later on Facebook, saying if she ever danced like that again when he got out, he would hit her in the shin with a cricket bat.Gurunath Meiyappan was a bit too close to Chennai Super Kings’ players for people to buy that he was simply “enthusiastic”•AFP

“How can you take this tournament seriously now? All the money in the world, and they can’t get a dog off the pitch. Imagine if it started relieving itself on a good length.”

Rob Smyth wondered on over-by-over commentary why a pitch invasion by a dog during a 2009 IPL match couldn’t be dealt with quickly. This tongue-in-cheek jab sat alongside more forceful criticisms of the IPL by sections of the English press that did not look kindly upon the tournament.

“I know who the favourite son is now. Dad actually said he was keen on me and I didn’t even get one bid off him.”

Australia batsman Shaun Marsh reacted with humour after his father, Geoff, then coach of Pune Warriors, bid only for younger brother Mitchell at the auction ahead of the 2011 IPL. Geoff was in the invidious position of having his sons available in the auction while he was advising a franchise on which players to buy.

“He would go [for the matches]… he was enthusiastic.”

After then BCCI president N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested for betting on IPL games in 2013, Srinivasan insisted Meiyappan was not a part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise but only a mere cricket enthusiast, despite tons of evidence to the contrary. Meiyappan had been seen sitting in the Super Kings dugout, wearing an official team badge and at IPL auctions. There were also quotes from other Super Kings players and staff confirming Meiyappan was an integral part of the franchise. Srinivasan’s statements were seen as a dishonest attempt to protect the Super Kings from being tainted by Meiyappan’s arrest and were among the many reasons for the loud appeals for him to step down from the BCCI. The Super Kings were suspended after the 2015 IPL. Srinivasan, though not a part of the BCCI, is still active in cricket administration.Piyush Chawla scored the winnings runs in the final of the 2014 edition•BCCI

“Life is all about taking the right decision. Seeing Gayle bat today, I think I took the right decision of being a wicketkeeper.”

This quote from MS Dhoni summed up Chris Gayle’s innings of 175 not out off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Pune Warriors in 2013. Dhoni was not even playing in the game, but Gayle’s knock sent shivers down the spine of every player in the tournament. He had reached his 100 in 30 balls and, for a while, it seemed possible that he might do the unthinkable and get a double-century in the IPL.

“I don’t want to sound politically incorrect, but what will they do if I enter? Shoot me?”

Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, said before the 2013 IPL that he was ready to defy the Mumbai Cricket Association’s ban on him entering the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In 2012, Khan had been involved in a scuffle with security personnel at the Wankhede and had subsequently been accused of being drunk and abusing officials. Khan claimed he had reacted angrily because the security guards were manhandling his children and their friends. In 2015, the ban was lifted, and in 2016 the Mumbai police said that their investigation had revealed no cognizable offence committed by Khan.

“One four and the whole world now knows that Piyush Chawla can bat.”

Piyush Chawla hit the winning boundary for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2014 IPL final and was not shy about celebrating it. In 10 games prior to the final, Chawla had scored a grand total of 18 runs, but his 13 not out in the final saw his team over the line.

The baby of the New Zealand team, Amelia Kerr, talks about coming up in the game alongside illustrious team-mates

Interview by Annesha Ghosh05-Jul-2017Your grandfather, Bruce Murray, played 13 Tests for New Zealand. How much of an inspiration has he been for you?
He didn’t coach me or anything, but it’s cool to have that sort of knowledge in the family. It’s been good fun having all my cousins play cricket and growing up with them playing in the backyard and then going away for cricket camps with family and friends. [Cricket] made our family gatherings so much more fun and social.Your father, Robbie, and mother, Jo, played cricket for Wellington. What is it like having cricketers for parents?
It’s mainly the support I’ve got from them. They have encouraged me through my earliest days of training. They let my coaches coach me, but it’s nice to have them as parents, to be able to talk to them about the game when I want. My dad has been helping me since I was young. Just when I first started training properly, Dad and I would go down to the nets, in Tawa, where we live. That’s when he’s coached me a little bit, although it was mostly about the tactical side of the game, not technical too much.Then I got my own coaches. I have been with Ivan Tissera since I was ten or so. Pete Younghusband, and Matthew Bell, the New Zealand women’s batting coach, have also been there to help me improve my game.How did you get into cricket?
When I was younger, my sister was always really active, playing sport, and I was really interested. Me and one of my best friends, Kate, would watch all the siblings play. We decided to start from there, playing with my cousins and friends from school when I was about six. We all joined a team and played through together till about 12 or 13.How did bowling wristspin come about?
Not really, it kind of just happened. I always bowled pace till I was about ten – a scary fast bowler. And then one day I was bowling outside my house with my sister, my dad, and in the end I was just mucking around, pretending I could bowl spin. Watching my action, Dad said it wasn’t quite bad and actually looked quite natural. Since that day, I started practising. I got into Ivan Tissera, my coach, who taught me to bowl legspin.

“My friends have no idea about cricket, really. But they are all proud of me”

Who presented you with your ODI and T20I caps?
Sophie [Devine] presented me with the T20 cap, because both of us come from Tawa, so maybe they decided to go with her. The ODI cap, I think it was Suzie [Bates]… umm, I’m pretty sure it was Suzie who handed me that one.In eight ODIs so far, you’ve bagged two four-wicket hauls – the first one against Pakistan and the other against Australia. Which performance is more dear to you?
I have to say the one versus Australia, because that was one of the best I’ve bowled in my life. The fact that it was the Rose Bowl, and it was my first one against Australia, made it pretty special. Besides, to be able to bowl to those players and dismiss them [Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Elyse Villani and Alyssa Healy], you know, the players you grew up watching, was special.What, in your assessment, has made your legspin so effective?
The fact that I have variations is a big part, and being able to back them and then making batters to think more about what I’m going to bowl. I think that makes my legspin a lot better.Is there a nickname your team-mates have given you?
The media manager gave me the nickname AK-48 – that’s basically my initials and my shirt number.Does that mean you’re considered the trusted weapon of assault in the team?
Nah, I don’t think too much of it. It’s more a bit of banter among the group.Kerr (back row, second from right): “I’ve been really lucky that I fell in love with the game of cricket and have been growing up in a supportive family and good coaches and friends”•Getty ImagesWhy 48 for your jersey number?
When I was little, my favourite numbers were always 4 and 8. And then, once at a cricket camp, I had a raffle ticket with No. 48 on it and I won $50 (laughs). Then, on the same day, our team won and I got 48 not out. So it’s just kind of meant to be.Do you have a sporting idol you love to watch?
Yeah, I’ve always admired the way Kane Williamson bats. I guess, also Sophie Devine, for the similar kind of upbringing we’ve had: both coming from Tawa, playing for Wellington Blaze, and both playing boys’ cricket when we were young.What’s it like playing with and sharing the dressing room with Suzie Bates?
It’s pretty cool. She’s always been someone I’ve looked up to. Being able to play with her is special, and she’s such a great leader both on and off the field. She gets along with the group and is very positive, encourages everybody. I like how she can do all this and then still perform at her best.Given your age and the fact you have already created several records while setting up wins for New Zealand, are you the baby or the boss of the team?
I’m definitely not the boss in the team. I’m a bit quiet and laid-back (giggles). As team-mates, we are all here to do the same thing. It’s nice to have players like Suzie and Amy [Satterthwaite] in our team, to be able to learn off players with so much experience.In your first match overseas – at Adelaide Oval – you were involved in four dismissals as Australia were bowled out for their lowest T20I total – 66. Among those dismissals was a run-out in the first over of Australia’s chase, and a one-handed screamer at cover off Bates’ bowling. Is fielding an aspect of the game you particularly focus on?
We do a lot of fielding in the New Zealand side’s training and practices. Matthew Bell has developed my fielding a lot. Even when I was young, my uncle and my dad would always carry those tennis rackets and tennis balls on holiday outings. They would make me and my cousins play those catching and fielding games, in the manner of a competition. So it was both fun and competitive. I guess the fact that I can move kind of well on the field has got a bit to do with growing up that way.

“I don’t remember the team winning [the Women’s World Cup] in 2000. I would have been, maybe, only two months old? But yeah, I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity to be able to play here”

You are the first player – male or female – to score a T20 hundred at the Basin Reserve, and the only one to have made two.
The first one was during the NZCT Secondary School Girls’ final when I was 13. But I didn’t know that nobody had scored a hundred there before me. It was a special occasion to play at the Basin at that age, and I was glad I could do it for my school, Tawa College. The second one came at 15. But Sophie [Devine] had also smashed a ton between the two I made. Batting is something I want to keep developing for the future at the international level.You have opened the batting for Tawa College Boys 1st XI in Wellington’s Premier Youth Grade. How has playing with boys helped your game?
Yeah, it definitely has, in a big way. It has been one of the biggest bonuses for me to develop my cricket. It’s great being able to play tough cricket every weekend and I’ve been lucky that I’ve grown up playing with boys and my friends from school. So to be able to play with them even now is cool.Where were you when you got the news of your maiden international call-up?
I was called up for a T20I in Australia after Leigh [Kasperek] got injured. Haidee [Tiffen] just called and asked me to be ready, pack my bags, because I was to fly to Australia that afternoon. I had just got dropped home from the boys’ 1st XI Cup [game] that I was to play in school earlier that day. The match had got cancelled, so I was lucky I had my phone on me. Had it not been called off, I would have been out on the field and wouldn’t have had my phone on me. I got back home as fast as I could and then my sister dropped me to the airport.The first ball you bowled to Meg Lanning in international cricket crashed into her stumps. Talk us through that delivery and how it felt bowling to the No. 1 batsman in the world.
The dismissal was quite special. I was pretty glad to not have to bowl to her for longer, and that I got around her quickly. She was going pretty strong and I was glad to have broken the partnership and also do the job for my team.What did you do with your first New Zealand shirt?
I gave it my coach, Ivan Tissera, to thank him for everything he has done for me. Without him I would have probably not been where I am today.How do your friends and classmates react to your playing for the country?
My friends have no idea about cricket, really. But they are all proud of me. They support me, enjoy watching me play. At home they get all the games recorded, but they don’t quite understand the game. In a way it’s good to have that balance, so when you go home, you can relax, hang out with friends and not talk about cricket.What about your teachers?
They are very supportive, especially my principal. They are good with giving me extensions to catch up with my work. And they are very proud of me.How are you able to juggle your studies with cricket?
It hasn’t been too much of a problem so far, but I have a feeling when I get back from the World Cup, it’s going to be pretty hectic for a few months.”I’m definitely not the boss in the team. I’m a bit quiet and laid-back”•International Cricket CouncilWhat subject do you like the most?
I enjoy food and nutrition and psychology. I like English writing quite a lot.Do you like maths?
Oh, not at all. I don’t like maths at all. I enjoy bowling in cricket a lot more than maths. I dread maths.Is there any other career you’d like to pursue?
Definitely want to carry on with cricket and see where it takes me. If I keep enjoying the game as much as I do now, I could be playing for a long time.How do you spend your free time?
I enjoy hanging out with my friends, seeing my family. I love my family. I’m really fortunate that all my family is really close, all my cousins, we’ve grown up together. I’m probably at my aunty and uncle’s house more than I’m at my own.What’s the most teenager-like thing you’ve done of late?
I’ve just got my restricted [licence] back home, which means I can drive. That is pretty cool. It’s going to be a new experience.Do you play any other sport?
Nope. I used to do football along with cricket, but I had to stop that.If you are stuck in an airport lounge, what would you choose to do: sleep, watch video clips of Kane Williamson, or solve a crossword?
I’d probably eat a lot of food. At the Dubai airport, there was a kids’ room and it had a lot of games, like PlayStation. So maybe I would hang out in there, play the car games on the PlayStation.What’s your favourite TV series?
I enjoyed Riverdale on Netflix and 13 Reasons Why.Are you a prankster?
When I’m with my friends, I can be the joker a little bit. When I’m with the team, I’m pretty laid-back.What advice would you give to fellow 16-year-olds who aspire to play at the international level?
They’ve just got to love it, love what they do, work hard and surround themselves with good people. I’ve been really lucky that I fell in love with the game of cricket and have been growing up in a supportive family and good coaches and friends.If you were to bag a five-for in the World Cup final, which side would you like it to be against, and whose wicket would you most want to have in that haul?
Any opponent, any player would do. To be given a chance to play in the final and win it would be good enough, doesn’t matter who it is against.