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Sufyan Yousuf, Zikria Islam, Faisal Shah and Nadeem Khan are the uncapped players in the 17-man squad to be led by Jatinder Singh

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2025Oman have named as many as four uncapped players for their maiden Asia Cup appearance next month. Sufyan Yousuf, Zikria Islam, Faisal Shah and Nadeem Khan are the uncapped players in the 17-man squad which will be led by experienced opener Jatinder Singh.”It is real that we are participating in the Asia Cup – a major tournament and a fantastic opportunity for our players to showcase their skills on a global stage,” Oman head coach Duleep Mendis said while looking ahead to their first Asia Cup. “Playing against teams like India and Pakistan is a moment to embrace for any cricketer. Anything can happen in a fast-paced T20 game, where one over of brilliance can change everything.”Our build-up has been strong, with the ongoing National T20 tournament providing competitive exposure, and our training sessions have been intense and focused. It’s not just about skills – in high-pressure games against elite teams, mental strength is equally crucial. We are hopeful of making an impact in this Asia Cup and showcasing Oman as a growing cricketing nation.”Oman enters the Asia Cup with a blend of experience and youth, determined to leave a mark against Asia’s cricketing powerhouses. The tournament will not only test their skills but also their mental toughness on one of the most watched platforms in the sport.”Oman are in Group A and begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 12 against Pakistan before taking on UAE on September 15 and India on September 19.Oman’s most recent appearance was in the Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in Lauderhill in the USA in May. This will be their second appearance in a major multi-nation tournament after the T20 World Cup last year.

Oman squad for Asia Cup

Jatinder Singh (capt), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla, Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedara, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammed Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Karan Sonavale, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Shah, Faisal Shah, Muhammed Imran, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava.

Focus on Australia’s pace-bowling stocks, while England push Joe Root down to accommodate Jamie Smith at No. 3

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Feb-20255:01

Agar: Aussie youngsters will have ‘hunger to make a difference’

Big picture: Both teams coming off series defeats

Would you believe it, not only have Australia and England been drawn in the same group at a global tournament, but their Champions Trophy returns also start against one another. Universe (ICC), you’ve done it again! And yet, amid such predictable money-grabbing comes a bit of shameful excitement. Even without mentioning the “A” word, these are two bitter rivals in unique states. A champion Australia side shorn of some of those champions, and an England side increasingly desperate to rediscover former glory.The lack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood gives the ODI World Cup holders a less intimidating feel, and subsequently shifts the onus on a batting line-up led by Travis Head’s brand of “Ah, we’ll have a go”. Quite how that responsibility will manifest itself to what is more or less an established group of batters remains to be seen particularly as captain Steven Smith, standing in for Cummins and the injured Mitchell Marsh, who would have likely deputised, weighs up the right combinations for his top seven.That Australia can call upon Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshius to fill big bowling boots reflects the enviable depth of Australian cricket, even if those bowlers’ most notable successes – Abbott aside – have come exclusively in T20s. Extrapolating that to 50-over cricket will be its own challenge. Australia are not putting much stock in the fact they arrive off the back of a 2-0 ODI series loss against Sri Lanka. The same could be said of England, even if their 3-0 defeat to India elicited far more anger and ridicule.Related

• Smith, Australia hope champion DNA outweighs big-name absences

• Buttler: Smith has 'free hit' at No. 3 in reshuffled England batting order

Not training enough and golfing too much were the main takeaways outside a group that actually seems in good spirits considering they have now lost all four ODI series since the 2023 World Cup. To be expected, of course, as negative vibes have no place in Brendon McCullum’s house.In keeping, England’s break to the UAE came with a view of shedding the baggage from a travel-and defeat-heavy month in India, with added benefit of escaping the press hysteria around focusing on the wrong kind of white ball. But McCullum’s task requires a more hands-on and technically focused approach with a group which continues to look uneasy with bat and ball in this format.How much of that McCullum can change in such a short space of time – he has only been in charge of the limited-overs set-up for a month – will be determined over the coming weeks. Right now, it probably helps to have a familiar foe on the horizon to drum up a little extra heart and vigour.As for Jos Buttler, the next fortnight will go some way to determining whether he sticks with the captaincy. A promise to smile more at the start of the year felt optimistic at the time, and has proved as much. But after missing all of England’s ODIs in 2024, he will be better for the three ticked off earlier at the start of February.Of those Buttler missed last year due to a calf injury was the five-match series against Australia at the end of the home summer, which ensures greater familiarity at international level between the players, even if many of them have rubbed shoulders as team-mates or opponents at domestic level.Australia, made up of a few of the alternates substituted into their Champions Trophy squad, triumphed 3-2 on that occasion, having been 2-0 up before taking their foot off the gas. All five results were blowouts of one kind or another. And just as it was for India, Australia’s spinners made hay against England’s batters, with Adam Zampa doing the brunt of the damage, supplemented by handy contributions from Glenn Maxwell, Marnus Labuschagne and Head.Spencer Johnson replaces Mitchell Starc as the left-arm quick in Australia’s squad•Associated Press

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Australia: LLLLW
England: LLLLW

In the spotlight: Spencer Johnson and Harry Brook

Starc is as close to irreplaceable a bowler as you can get in white-ball cricket. But if you’re going to try, a bloke who is six-feet-four and also bowls left-arm rockets is a great place to start. The best of Spencer Johnson has come in the shortest format, and with only three ODI caps spaced out over more than a year, the burden of replacing Starc at the front and back of an innings will weigh heavy on his broad shoulders. After taking his maiden wickets in Sri Lanka earlier this month, much more will be required of Johnson in Pakistan.Speaking of Pakistan, is there a better place for Harry Brook to rediscover his groove? This country’s pitches have been kind to him, albeit in the Test format, where he averages 84.10 courtesy of four hundreds – the most recent being a triple. England’s newly-appointed vice-captain left the India tour in a funk, with a lowly average of 16.66 in the ODIs brought about by an inability to attack spin effectively. But he will take heart from flatter decks and skippering with distinction against Australia last year, which included registering his maiden ODI century in the 3rd ODI at Chester-le-Street.

Team news

Given the absences, Australia’s pace attack pretty much picks itself. Allrounder Aaron Hardie, the immediate beneficiary of Marcus Stoinis’ retirement from the 50-over format on the eve of the tournament, could sit out for Labuschagne to play as an extra batter. Dwarshius’ left-arm/left-hand option may see him pip Abbott to the bowling allrounder slot.Australia (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Sean Abbott/Ben Dwarshius, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer JohnsonEngland’s batting reshuffle will see Jamie Smith at No. 3 and Joe Root at No. 4•Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

England announced their XI two days out from the match – early by their unusually prompt standards – with Jamie Smith not just back fit from a calf injury, but also batting at No. 3 while also playing as wicketkeeper. It is not quite a nuclear option, but it does involve pushing Joe Root to No. 4 and taking the gloves from Phil Salt, who kept throughout the ODIs in India. With just four frontline bowling options, Root and Liam Livingstone must join forces effectively to provide a serviceable fifth. The pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, playing his first 50-over tournament since his Super Over heroics in 2019’s World Cup final, will present Australia’s starkest challenge.England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jamie Smith (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

ODI pitches at the Gaddafi Stadium are almost always flat belters. The venue hosted two matches in the recent tri-series, with New Zealand posting 330 for 6 to beat Pakistan, and then chasing down 305 with six wickets and eight balls to spare. Lahore is expected to be slightly cooler than it was for the tri-series, partly because of rain this week, which ended up hampering England’s preparations on Thursday. Dew is very rarely a factor at this time of year.5:44

Knight questions idea of Root, Buttler coming down the order

Stats and trivia

• Australia and England have a tight head-to-head record in the Champions Trophy, with England ahead just by a 3-2 margin.
• Maxwell and Buttler are the only members available from the two teams’ squads from the 2013 edition of the tournament.
• Archer is two wickets away from 50 in the ODIs.
• Jamie Smith has only previously batted at No. 3 once in 18 List A innings – for Surrey against Kent in 2019.

Quotes

“I’m going to have my work cut out for me with some of that fast bowling England have got. They’re high quality, highly skilled and high pace. I’ve got to make sure I start well, earn the right, and see where the game takes us. I’m just worried about making sure I start well for the team.”
“He’s been fit and firing now for 18 months or so since being out of the game for a while. He’s really excited to put together that kind of length of time back on the field, and he’s obviously a superstar of the game for us. He is someone, as a captain, you always know you can turn to and throw the ball. He’s obviously going to be really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”

ODI World Cup performers and uncapped Indians were in big in demand at IPL 2024 auction

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-20234:17

Starc: ‘It’s a bit of a shock to be honest’

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has shattered the record for the most expensive player at an IPL auction after being bought by Kolkata Knight riders for INR 24.75 crore (US$2,982,000 approx.). He surpassed the winning bid of INR 20.50 crore (US$2,470,000 approx.) that Sunrisers Hyderabad had made for Pat Cummins, Australia’s ODI World Cup winning captain, less than two hours earlier at the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai.Starc came up for bidding in the first set for fast bowlers – the fourth set of the day – and the battle for him began between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. However, it was swiftly taken over by Gujarat Titans and KKR, the only franchises with more than INR 30 crore left in their purse at that point, and KKR won the final bid.The last time Starc featured in an IPL auction was in 2018 when KKR had signed him for INR 9.4 crore. He didn’t play that season, though, because of injury; he hasn’t played the IPL since 2015, in fact.”I’ve probably prioritised international cricket firstly for a long time whilst having a bit of a taste of IPL and Big Bash in Australia,” Starc said after his bid. “I’ve always held firm that I’ve wanted to play my best cricket for Australia and make myself available for Australia where I can. At the same time, the temptation to go back to IPL and how exciting it is to be involved in such a great tournament, big names, big players, big stages -it’s too hard to pass up. There’s a place to play all of it. It’s just being mindful and putting the work ethic into being able to do all of it.”Related

• 'It will help us set up the family in many ways' – Mitchell after bagging 14 crore IPL deal

• IPL 2024 auction: How the 10 teams stack up

• 'Nothing that I could've ever imagined' – Starc reacts to becoming the costliest IPL auction buy

• IPL 2024 auction: The list of sold and unsold players

• As it happened – IPL 2024 auction

Before Starc’s record bid, Sunrisers had spent INR 20.50 crore (US$2,470,000 approx.) to sign Cummins, staving off competition from Royal Challengers Bangalore to get their man. Cummins’ price had surpassed the record of INR 18.50 crore that Punjab Kings had paid for England allrounder Sam Curran at the 2023 IPL auction. Cummins had skipped the 2023 IPL to focus on international cricket; his previous highest auction price was INR 15.50 crore, when KKR had signed him in 2020.”Pumped to be joining SRH for the upcoming IPL season,” Cummins said after he was sold. “I’ve heard a lot about the Orange Army, I’ve played at Hyderabad a few times and always loved it, so can’t wait to get started. Great to see another Aussie in Trav Head over there as well. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun this season, and hopefully plenty of success.”Sunrisers head coach Daniel Vettori said they were able to spend that much on Cummins because they already had most bases covered. “Someone else desperately wanted him as well, that’s why he got pushed to that high number,” Vettori said. “Because our team is relatively settled and we have the budget, and we have already picked up Travis Head and [Wanindu] Hasaranga, we felt like we’d covered most things that we wanted at the auction, so we had the ability to spend that much.”

ODI World Cup performers get big paydays

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra, Australia batter Travis Head, South Africa allrounder Gerald Coetzee, and Sri Lanka quick Dilshan Madushanka landed IPL deals on the back of impressive performances in the recent ODI World Cup in India.Mitchell was fiercely fought for by Capitals, Punjab and Chennai Super Kings, and was finally bought for INR 14 crore by CSK after entering the auction at a base price of INR 1 crore. Ravindra was also bought by CSK for INR 1.8 crore.CSK had also wanted to buy Head, the Player of the Match in the ODI World Cup semi-final and final, but lost him to Sunrisers, who signed him for INR 6.8 crore.Both Coetzee (INR 5 crore) and Madushanka (INR 4.6 crore) were signed by Mumbai Indians for a total of INR 9.6 crore – these were their first two buys at the auction.Afghanistan allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai also found a home at Titans, alongside his countrymen Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Uncapped Indians earn big bucks

UP top-order batter Sameer Rizvi, Jharkhand wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra and Vidarbha middle-order batter Shubham Dubey, three of the players in ESPNcricinfo’s picks for most in-demand uncapped Indian players at the auction, earned big IPL deals.Dubey went first, with Capitals going after him with intent, but he eventually got sold to Royals for INR 5.8 crore. Rizvi’s name came up not long after, and if Dubey’s fee was the highest paid for an uncapped batter with no IPL experience, topping the INR 5.25 Punjab paid for Shahrukh Khan in 2021, the record didn’t last long – Rizvi earned INR 8.40 crore after CSK beat off Titans and Capitals for his services.Kushagra, for a while, threatened to top Rizvi’s bid, but Capitals got him for INR 7.20 crore after fighting off competition from CSK and Titans. A scrap for Shahrukh was expected, and there was one between Punjab – who had released him prior to the auction – and Titans. His price soared until it stopped at INR 7.40 crore, with Titans getting the big-hitting middle-order batter.Titans also tried to buy back left-arm quick Yash Dayal, who eventually went to RCB for INR 5 crore. Titans, however, picked up another left-arm quick Sushant Mishra for INR 2.2 crore, while left-arm M Siddharth went to LSG for INR 2.4 crore.One of the biggest surprises came late in the auction when the uncapped 21-year old Robin Minz, a wicketkeeper from Jharkhand with a base price of INR 20 lakh, was up for bidding. Four teams wanted him, first CSK and MI, and then SRH, before he was eventually sold for INR 3.6 crore to the Titans. An aggressive batter from Gumla, Minz has not played any domestic T20 cricket. One of his three coaches is Chanchal Bhattacharya, who also coached MS Dhoni. Minz idolises Dhoni and was selected for a Mumbai Indians camp earlier this year.

The surprise big buys

The 2024 auction had begun with a surprise, when West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell was signed for INR 7.4 crore by Rajasthan Royals, who spent more than half their auction purse on one player. Powell’s previous auction price was INR 2.8 crore, which Capitals paid for him in the 2022 auction.West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph was also hotly fought for by CSK, Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and RCB. He had been released by Titans, who had paid INR 2.4 crore for him in the 2022 auction, and was signed for INR 11.50 crore by RCB, who needed an overseas fast bowler after having released Josh Hazlewood, Wayne Parnell and David Willey.Australian left-arm quick Spencer Johnson, who plays for Brisbane Heat in the BBL, was another big surprise buy during the accelerated round towards the end of the auction. Having entered the auction at a base price of INR 50 lakh, Johnson’s price skyrocketed as Capitals and Titans bid for him. He eventually went for INR 10 crore to Titans, who needed an overseas fast bowler as back-up for Josh Little. Having lost Johnson to Titans, the Capitals picked up Australian quick Jhye Richardson shortly after for INR 5 crore.After picking up overseas quicks Coetzee and Madhushanka, Mumbai bought a third overseas fast bowler in 29-year old Sri Lankan Nuwan Thushara, who has played five T20 internationals. KKR and RCB began the bidding for him, but MI eventually won the bid at INR 4.8 crore.South African batter Rilee Rossouw had gone unsold when he came up for bidding in the early part of the auction but he was in big demand during the accelerated round at the end of the day. Capitals had bought Rossouw for INR 4.6 crore at the 2023 auction and then released him, but they entered the bidding for him once again and took the price up towards INR 8 crore, at which point they lost him to Punjab.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

How did the capped Indian players fare?

The most expensive Indian player at the 2024 IPL auction was fast bowler Harshal Patel. The bidding for him began between Titans and Punjab, and then between Punjab and LSG, before he was finally sold to Punjab for INR 11.75 crore.Allrounder Shardul Thakur (INR 4 crore) will return for his second stint at CSK, who signed him for INR 4 crore. The last time Thakur had been sold at the auction, he had gone for INR 10.75 crore to Capitals in 2022.Fast bowlers Umesh Yadav and Shivam Mavi were also in high demand. SRH and Capitals tried to sign Umesh but Titans eventually did so for INR 5.8 crore. Mavi became LSG’s first buy at the 2024 auction, when they outbid RCB by spending nearly half their remaining purse to sign him for INR 6.4 crore.Jaydev Unadkat, who once commanded a bid of INR 11.4 crore in the 2018 auction, was sold for INR 1.6 crore to Sunrisers.

The steal deals

Sunrisers picked up Sri Lanka legspinning allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga at his base price of INR 1.5 crore as a like-for-like replacement for Adil Rashid, whom they had released. The last time Hasaranga had been sold at the 2022 auction, RCB had paid INR 10.75 crore for him.Capitals managed to sign England batter Harry Brook for INR 4 crore; Brook had been signed by Sunrisers for INR 13.25 crore last year and subsequently released after an unremarkable maiden IPL season.

By winning their last regular-season game Renegades also improved to fourth, while Sixers are third

AAP05-Dec-2025Melbourne Renegades duo Georgia Wareham and Courtney Webb have produced a match-winning partnership to sink Sydney Sixers and keep the defending WBBL champions in finals contention.The win had significant ramifications ahead of next week’s finals, ending Sixers’ three-game winning streak and meaning Hobart Hurricanes will finish top of the ladder.That means Hurricanes will host the final on Saturday week. Adelaide will host Hurricanes tonight at Karen Rolton Oval, with Strikers needing an upset win to stay in the top-four hunt.By winning their last regular-season game Renegades also improved to fourth, while Sixers are third. But Renegades must sweat on other results to find out whether they play in the finals.Chasing 131 for victory, Wareham (49 not out) and Webb (33 not out) took Renegades to 134 for 4 from 16.2 overs on Friday in Melbourne.The pair put on a whirlwind unbroken 85-run stand, rescuing Renegades from a wobbly 49 for 4 in the tenth over.Wareham, who earlier took three wickets, finished with a furious flourish, cracking five fours and two sixes from her 29 deliveries. And Webb also found the boundary four times as Renegades (five wins, five losses) climbed from sixth to fourth on the table.Sixers (five wins, three losses) remain third after failing to capitalise on an Ellyse Perryspecial with the bat.Perry top-scored with 65 from 47 balls but Sixers struggled to 130 for 9. The allrounder dominated Sixers’ innings, hitting nine fours and a six, despite frequently losing partners.Only one other team-mate – Ash Gardner (16) – reached double figures amid some excellent legspin bowling from Wareham (3 for 21 from four overs).Alyssa Healy made a six-ball duck and the middle order failed to fire around Perry, who was dismissed in the 18th over when caught at long-on from the bowling of Alice Capsey (2 for 27).Ellyse Perry put on a one-woman show with the bat for Sixers•Getty Images

Renegades hit early trouble in their chase when Maitlan Brown snared two wickets in the second over.Opener Davina Perrin (28 from 27) and Capsey (10 from 15) briefly steadied before both fell in a three-over patch, leaving Renegades in serious strife four down.But Wareham and Webb launched a power-packed counter-punch with Brown (2 for 45) the only multiple wicket-taker for Sixers.All three games over the weekend will affect the top-four finishing order. The Melbourne Stars are second and on Saturday cannot afford a slip-up when they host the Sydney Thunder, who are out of finals contention.The late Saturday game will feature fifth-placed Perth Scorchers at home against bottom side Heat, while Sixers host Adelaide Strikers on Sunday in a massive end to the regular season.Only three points separates Stars from the sixth-placed Strikers.Tuesday’s knockout final will feature the third-placed team at home against fourth.The winner of that game travels to the second-placed team on Thursday for the challenger final and that will decide who faces Hurricanes for the title.

“It’s nice to go out and show everyone the last 10 years haven’t been a fluke”

Andrew McGlashan17-Jun-2023Some centuries mean a bit more than others. But a few of Usman Khawaja’s since his triumphant return to the Test side have had added significance.Firstly, there was the comeback itself at Sydney in the last Ashes, an opportunity he thought may never come around. Then, having long carried a tag of being unable to play spin, which should really have been shed when he saved the game in Abu Dhabi in 2018, he dominated in Pakistan on a hugely significant homecoming tour. Then he followed that with a century against India in Ahmedabad a few months ago.And now Edgbaston in 2023, ten years on from his first Test tour of the country which had brought his only other fifty. Despite a prolific return to the side, his average in England – 17.78 before this match after two low scores in the World Test Championship final last week – had not gone unnoticed.When he late cut Ben Stokes down to deep third to bring up a 15th Test hundred the celebration showed what it meant. Never mind the dab or the LeBron James inspired dance, this was something more guttural as he let out a roar and hurled his bat in the air, leaving him standing with arms aloft holding his helmet.”I honestly don’t know,” Khawaja, with daughter Aisha on his knee at the press conference, said of what prompted the celebration. “Think it was a combination of three Ashes tours in England, being dropped in two of them. I don’t read the media, genuinely I don’t, but I’m getting sprayed by the crowd as I’m walking out there today and as I’m going to the nets that I can’t score runs in England, so guess it was more emotional than normal.Related

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• Khawaja learns from past Ashes failures ahead of 'toughest' challenge

• Stuart Broad vs David Warner: 17 and counting

• Usman Khawaja's day as he and Alex Carey lead Australia fightback

• Stuart Broad runs and runs even deeper into Ashes folklore

“Feel like I’m saying this all the time, same thing happened in India. Not that I have a point to prove, but it’s nice to go out and score runs for Australia just to show everyone that the last 10 years haven’t been a fluke.”The theme from Khawaja over the last few years has been how comfortable he now is being himself. “It’s just what you see is what you get, this is Usman,” he said. “I don’t try to hide it. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes, but I’m happy to be out there and show everyone the real me. Don’t know why the bat throw happened, but it happened. That was me.”As Khawaja said, his previous Ashes history in England had not been a happy one. A top score of 54 in the first of six previous meetings in 2013. He was dropped for the final match of that series at The Oval. He did not make the 2015 tour during a near two-year absence from the Test side, then in 2019 he was the fall guy to accommodate Marnus Labuschagne on Steven Smith’s return from concussion at Old Trafford. This time he had come prepared.”England is, in my opinion, the toughest place in the world to bat for top-three batsmen,” Khawaja said before the tour. “If I’ve learned anything, it is work hard, train hard and [when] going to England, go with low expectations. You are going to fail as a batsman, but when you do score you try to cash in as much as you can.”Usman Khawaja celebrates reaching his ton•PA Images via Getty Images

Cash in he did. And how Australia needed him. Khawaja had watched from the other end as David Warner dragged on against his arch nemesis Stuart Broad. He watched as Labuschagne edged behind for the first golden duck of his Test career. He watched as Smith was given lbw to Stokes to leave Australia three down before lunch.With some help from Travis Head, Cameron Green and latterly Alex Carey, he has been the key difference between Australia having a chance to stay level with England on first innings and conceding a likely match-defining lead.The century was in a mould of the previous six he had made on his return to Test cricket, with an almost zen-like calmness. Led by Broad, England were very good with the new ball early in the day. Khawaja was beaten on occasions but never ruffled although there was not the amount of seam or swing that has previously troubled him.While runs have flowed at home, he has equally left his mark overseas. Since January 2022, Khawaja has scored more than 1000 runs outside Australia. No batter has scored more runs in away Tests with the next most prolific batter in away Tests in this period being Joe Root, who has 802 runs in an equal 19 innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It appeared that the second new ball had finally done for him on 112 when Broad, from around the wicket, a line that has not troubled Khawaja the same as it has Warner, brought a terrific delivery back into off stump only for his foot to have been inches over the line.His play against Moeen Ali brought back memories of how he had dominated Pakistan’s spinners last year on some docile surfaces. Watchfully respecting the good balls, but quick to apply some pressure (not that Stokes sees his bowlers being hit for boundaries that way) with sweet, crisp footwork. He rarely misjudges length against the spin.”England, to their credit, they stuck to their guns, kept the field up and eventually got the wicket of Heady by just keeping the guys up,” Khawaja said. “It was good cat and mouse.”The comparison between Khawaja and his opening partner is hard to ignore. While Warner battles to get the ending he wants in Sydney early next year, Khawaja is mapping out the most glorious final coming to an international career littered with ups and downs. And though this is likely a final tour of England – “unless I pull a James Anderson,” he said – that finishing point may be some time off yet.

Shan Masood provides key support as Luke Procter claims three for Northants

ECB Reporters Network24-May-2024Adam Lyth celebrated his 200th Championship match for Yorkshire by scoring his third century of the season on day one of this Vitality County Championship game against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.In-form Lyth, who made his White Rose debut against Durham in 2008, looked in command throughout his innings of 109 (205 balls), playing his trademark cover drive and tucking the ball sweetly off his legs. His 35th first-class century follows scores of 101 and 113 against Leicestershire and Gloucestershire this spring, and a 97 against Derbyshire.While he was again unable to press home the advantage and post a big more emphatic total, his partnership of 116 in 33.4 overs with Shan Masood (60) provided Yorkshire with a solid platform.Northamptonshire failed to capitalise in the afternoon session despite winning the toss and sticking Yorkshire in on green top under lights. But the tide turned after tea as the hosts fought back, skipper Luke Procter (3 for 63) and former Indian international Siddharth Kaul (2 for 81) sharing the spoils as Yorkshire lost five wickets for 52, before rallying to finish on 312 for seven.Earlier Lyth produced the shot of the morning when he stroked Kaul silkily through the covers for four before taking consecutive boundaries off Procter and running a single to bring up his half-century off 81 balls.He survived big lbw shouts from Jack White on 24 and Ben Sanderson on 56 but dominated an opening stand of 86 with Finlay Bean (18) who was undone by one from Justin Broad which tailed back in and knocked back leg stump. Broad has clearly put on a yard of pace this season and was the fastest bowler on display, consistently in the low eighties mph.Northamptonshire were bolstered by the return of White from an ankle injury. Last year’s leading wicket taker, White was by far the hosts’ most threatening bowler, regularly beating the bat and unlucky not to have been rewarded with a wicket.After lunch Masood offered a sharp chance on 7 but Emilio Gay was unable to hold on at slip. It proved a costly mistake as the Yorkshire captain square cut Kaul to the ropes to bring up the 50 partnership in 19 overs. He brought up Yorkshire’s next milestone too when he tucked Broad off his legs to bring up the visitors’ 150 in the 50th over.Still living a charmed life, Masood was gifted a reprieve in Rob Keogh’s first over when, after surviving a close lbw shout, Lewis McManus missed a stumping chance off the next delivery.Lyth meanwhile straight drove White down the ground for four and picked up another boundary when he steered Sanderson behind square. He looked set for a big total after reaching three figures, stroking Luke Procter through the covers once more before chipping one back for the easiest of caught and bowled chances.After tea Masood clipped Broad off his legs for four to reach 50 and stroked Kaul through the covers before he loosely played at the Indian international’s next delivery and was sensationally caught by a diving Gay at slip who redeemed himself after his earlier drop.It set in motion a Yorkshire collapse, Kaul soon picking up a second wicket when he got one to jag back and trap George Hill (8) lbw.James Wharton (21) took the attack to Keogh, smashing him over long-on for six, but he was next to go when the ball ricocheted off his leg onto the stumps as he attempted to pull the spinning all-rounder.Will Luxton (12) attacked against the new ball, but Procter soon had his wicket when he edged to Gay at second slip. Procter and Gay then combined again as Jonathan Tattersall (14) edged low to slip.Jordan Thompson showed some defiance at the end of the day, driving Sanderson through the covers and pulling Broad away for another boundary.

In-form opener sought return south for family reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2022Somerset have announced the signing of top-order batter Sean Dickson from Durham. The 31-year-old joins on a three-year deal.Dickson, who was born in South Africa but holds a UK passport, has scored 824 runs at 54.93 in this season’s County Championship, with four centuries. He signed for Durham, initially on loan, from Kent in 2020 but recently informed the club that he wanted to return south for family reasons.”Sean has been an outstanding member on and off the field since joining the club two years ago,” Durham’s director of cricket, Marcus North, said. “Unfortunately for Durham, Sean has requested to leave so he can relocate to the south of England to be with his fiancé, his daughter Remi and family.”We thank him for his contribution and wish him success in the future at Somerset.”Dickson averaged 38.46 for Durham in first-class cricket, and 37.36 in List A as part of the side that reached the final of the 2021 Royal London Cup. His highest first-class score remains the 318 he made for Kent in 2017.Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said: “To secure a player of Sean’s quality is a coup for the club. He is a proven performer with the bat at this level and has strong aspirations to play on the very highest stage.”We have been looking to strengthen our batting at the top of the order and Sean fits that bill perfectly. He has started to establish himself as one of the more consistent openers within the English domestic game and will certainly add something to our dressing room.”Sean is a player that we’ve been monitoring for a while, and once we were aware of his availability it was paramount that we acted quickly.”Dickson added: “I’m delighted to be joining Somerset. They are a great club with a long tradition and I’m looking forward to getting started. I’ve admired how they go about playing the game from afar and it’s evident when playing against them that there is a genuine buzz about the place. I can’t wait to get started.”It’s an exciting challenge and I will be working hard to help the club win trophies. By doing that I will hopefully move myself closer to fulfilling my goals within the game over the next few years.”

Four half-centuries in Saurashtra’s innings, thus far, have put Bengal on the back foot

Shashank Kishore17-Feb-2023Stumps Bengal’s Ranji Trophy aspirations have taken a massive jolt with Saurashtra pulling away from their clutches slowly but surely on a leaden second day of the final at Eden Gardens.The match appeared to be on an even keel when Bengal, having been bowled out for a paltry 174, had Saurashtra fighting for survival at 109 for 4. Then they ran into Sheldon Jackson and Arpit Vasavada, who put together 95 to steady the innings.After Jackson fell for 59, letting aggression get the better of him in mistiming a pull to deep square leg, Vasavada flicked a switch and focused on crease occupation to blunt the bowling on a deck that had generous swing and seam movement on offer all day.Unlike Saurashtra, Bengal’s fast bowlers struggled for consistency and paid the price. This played into the hands of Chirag Jani, who used every opportunity to put the loose ball away to quickly race away to a half-century, before slowing down in the last half hour, in a bid to try and return undefeated on Saturday.Jani’s unbroken stand with Vasavada was worth 113, and as Bengal trudged off at the end of a long day, dejected and left to rue what could’ve been had they been more consistent.The morning began with a lot of promise for Bengal as Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep repeatedly troubled nightwatchman Chetan Sakariya in the air and off the pitch. In the first half hour alone, Sakariya was beaten thrice on the inside edge, hit on the box, roughed up by a bouncer and survived a close chance.Harvik Desai, though, was solid and brought up his half-century with a neat little flick. However, he didn’t last long and was superbly removed by Mukesh. After subjecting him to a succession of away-going deliveries, Mukesh had him lbw with a nip-backer with Harvik playing all around it.Five overs later, Ishan Porel got into the act as he struck in his very first over. After troubling Sakariya with two rib-ticklers, he had him rooted to the crease and playing inside the line of a delivery that hit the seam and nipped away to hit top of off. Bengal were now a boisterous bunch and smelt a real opportunity.Like he did in the semi-final against Karnataka, Jackson, coming off a match-winning 160, kept Bengal interested as he played some stylish drives on the up from time to time. In trying to stick with his attacking mantra, Jackson also ensured Saurashtra kept chugging along at a fair clip to eat into the deficit.Bengal were unlucky not have Jackson on 19 when a mistimed pull off Akash Deep landed short of deep square. Saurashtra were 134 for 4 at that point. But that was the only little blot in Jackson’s counterattack.After lunch, Bengal returned to try and rough him up with short balls but couldn’t sustain it long enough for them to build any kind of pressure. By the time they dismissed Jackson, Bengal’s mood was more of relief than ecstasy at having broken a key partnership.Vasavada grounded the bowlers and negated any threat they may have posed by playing copy book cricket, seemingly intent on playing late, leaving deliveries and eliminating any little risk he may have taken while he was batting with Jackson.Where Bengal lost wickets in clumps, Saurashtra were far more cautious and solid. As their pace trio of Mukesh, Akash and Porel grew tired, Saurashtra feasted on the more-friendly medium pacer Akash Ghatak and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, who failed to get any purchase off the pitch.Jani brought in the confidence of making a backs-to-the-wall 72 and 77 in the two knockout games coming into the final, and showed he was every bit effective as a regular batter would be. His two big wickets of Anustup Majumdar and Abishek Porel had helped Saurashtra crack make key breakthroughs with the ball. Now his innings had a deflating effect on Bengal, who know they have possibly one roll of the dice left to make some sort of a comeback in this match.A second title in three seasons can’t seem closer. If and when the moment arrives, it could yet be a fitting prize for both Saurashtra and one of their favourite sons, Cheteshwar Pujara, who is celebrating a special century of his own in faraway New Delhi.