All posts by csb10.top

Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Shafiq Stanikzai has presented an argument in favor of the proposal for two-tier Test cricket, saying the side deserves the opportunity to play Tests through their solid performances in the ICC’s Intercontinental Cup first-class multi-day competition for Associates.”We think that we are ready to play Test cricket and we have proven that,” Stanikzai told ESPNcricinfo in a recent interview. “Since we entered into the Intercontinental Cup arena, we were beaten only once. That was in the [2013] Intercontinental Cup final where we got beaten by Ireland but that’s the only loss we have in a four-day game or multi-day game.”Afghanistan are currently in second place behind Ireland on the 2015-17 Intercontinental Cup table after four rounds, with three wins and a rain-marred draw against Scotland. Afghanistan’s overall record in the first-class competition is outstanding with 14 wins, one loss and four draws. Right from their debut in the competition – a high-scoring draw in which they claimed first-innings points against a Zimbabwe XI in 2009 – they have made an effort to demonstrate their versatility rather than be pigeonholed as a limited-overs specialist outfit.Nowhere was that more evident than in their victory against a then elite Canada outfit in 2010, who at the time were preparing to play their third successive ICC World Cup. Set a target of 494 to win in the fourth innings, Afghanistan recorded the ninth-best successful chase in first-class cricket history spearheaded by Mohammad Shahzad’s unbeaten 214. That win propelled them to a maiden Intercontinental Cup title later that year with a win over Scotland in the final. That victory also broke Ireland’s streak of three successive titles.Overall, Afghanistan have scored 400 or more in an innings six times and batted for more than 100 overs in an innings on 11 occasions in the Intercontinental Cup, showing their versatility. They have also shown adaptability to foreign conditions, notching victories in Scotland, Kenya, Canada, Namibia and twice in the Netherlands.Three of Afghanistan’s last six Intercontinental Cup wins have come by an innings margin, while the other three were by margins of ten wickets, eight wickets and 201 runs. Stanikzai says there is not much more for them to prove against Associate-level competition in multi-day cricket and they are eager for a chance to show their skills in a Test scenario.”We have a real good package for every single format of the game,” he said. “If you have a look at the Afghanistan cricket team, we have almost a different squad for every single format. We have T20 specialists, we have ODI specialists, we have multi-day players, specialists not just in batting but in bowling as well. So we are carrying a different bunch of players in every single format we are playing.”Stanikzai’s point is backed up by the fact that core players from their limited-overs squad – bowlers Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran and Rashid Khan, and batsmen Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib – were all absent from Afghanistan’s starting XI in their most recent Intercontinental Cup win over Netherlands. Afghanistan also has a domestic four-day competition since 2014, which features teams from five regions, although this has not yet been assigned first-class status.”It means the talent is huge in Afghanistan and things have shaped up quite nicely and we have improved quite rapidly in the cricketing world,” Stanikzai said. “Afghanistan is a team that is ready to play Test cricket. We are just looking forward for this [two-tier] proposal to get passed by the ICC board. My stance and Afghanistan Cricket Board’s stance is quite clear that we need more opportunities.”

Keaton Jennings has signed a new four-year deal to remain at Durham. Jennings, who had been out of contract at the end of the season, had emerged as a target of several rival clubs with Warwickshire having held talks with him in recent days and seeing him as a potential leader of their side.But, despite their well-documented financial pressures, Durham have been able to hang on to Jennings and have now secured him on a long-term deal. He has stood-in as captain in recent days and looks a potential club captain of the near future.Despite being born in Johannesburg, Jennings emerged through the Durham academy and made his first team debut for the club in 2012. A solid, patient, top-order batsman, he is currently the top run-scorer in the top division of the County Championship and has emerged as a valuable medium-pace bowler in limited-overs cricket. Aged just 24, he has the bulk of his career ahead of him.”Durham has afforded me the opportunity over the past few years to learn the trade and start to build a career and I am grateful for their support,” Jennings said. “As a team, we have an exciting future ahead in search of the same success that we experienced in 2013 and 2014. It’s a privilege to be part of this environment and I’m looking forward to adding value where possible.”The singing will come as a considerable relief to Durham. Already resigned to losing Mark Stoneman to Surrey, there have been fears that the club could lose several other top players to rival clubs as money troubles inhibit their ability to pay comparable wages. But news of Jenning’s new contract will boost hopes they can also retain the services of Scott Borthwick and Mark Wood.The news will be a setback to Warwickshire, though. Having lost the service of Varun Chopra, who has announced he is returning to Essex at the end of the season, the club were hoping to sign a replacement top-order batsman with many years in front of him. Jennings fitted the bill perfectly.

Justice Mukul Mudgal, appointed by the Delhi High Court to oversee conduct of matches in New Delhi during the World T20 and IPL this year, has suggested that the BCCI should appoint an ad-hoc committee and appoint a full-time officer to run the controversy-ridden Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA).”It is advisable the DDCA has a full-time CEO who independently looks after the administration and financial aspect of the association to ensure continuity and smooth functioning,” Mudgal noted in a 27-page report – which was viewed by ESPNcricinfo – to the court, which records his findings, observations and recommendations. “The current state of affairs in DDCA requires the scrutiny of BCCI.”It is for BCCI to decide whether to constitute a specialised ad-hoc body or a committee to take over and manage the affairs of DDCA to improve the situation in DDCA in the interest of cricket so that Feroz Shah Kotla again becomes a venue which has international standards to upkeep.”

DDCA netted 7 crore profit during WT20

The Mudgal report has revealed that the DDCA earned approximately INR 7 crore (as per provisional Income and Expenditure of accounts) from the World T20 matches played at Feroz Shah Kotla. The report also stated that that figure was likely to increase once the BCCI would reimburse DDCA expenses against hosting ICC guests.
The report asked the Delhi High Court to make sure this “large profit” is not “frittered away” and utilised properly.
“It is advisable that the said amount is utilised for improving the stadium facilities and cricket facilities under the supervision of an independent financial expert of credible reputation with the assistance of a specilaised team of dedicated DDCA official constituted by BCCI.”

This is the second time this year Mudgal has exposed DDCA’s shortcomings. In January, Mudgal had prepared a damning report pointing towards “numerous deficiencies” based on his work as a court-appointed observer for the fourth Test of the India-South Africa series in December 2015.Just as he had done during that assignment, Mudgal, who was assisted by IP Singh, former deputy Comptroller & Auditor General of India, carried out a diligent analysis of every committee and every activity conducted by the DDCA listing out the minutiae.”The recommendations made in the present report and all my earlier reports are not exhaustive for improving the state of affairs at DDCA,” he observed. “Several complaints were received regarding the selection process of players during my tenure at DDCA, which requires a thorough investigation by an independent person or body. The proxy system is the bane of Delhi Cricket and subject to other legal requirements deserves to be jettisoned.”Some of the office bearers and the executive committee Member of DDCA only act for their own personal gains and for maintaining their relationship at the expense of DDCA. It is a pity that the coaches, players, vendors and employees of DDCA are not paid on time. The office bearers, executive committee member and the sports working committee members of DDCA should be concerned for improving the cricket facilities in the city of Delhi.”According to Mudgal, the BCCI, as a “parent body” must ensure that DDCA “is transparent in its functioning as it is a public body responsible for promoting cricket in the city of Delhi”. The report categorically listed the various grey areas related to tendering, accounts and finance, administration, player selections and ticketing and accreditation.Mudgal said he was also surprised at the association’s dependency on last-minute permissions and preparations to host matches despite receiving BCCI affiliation in 1928. He also pointed out that the association could function smoothly, like his team had shown during their recent assignments, if the right processes were applied.The report specified that the World T20 matches were played with “proper certification” from various civic and government bodies for the first time in contrast to the desperate dash to seek provisional certificates which had become a norm over the last few years.Mudgal pointed out that the most “controversial aspect” of his tenure as a DDCA observer was ticketing and accreditation. “It was noticed that several unwanted and unnecessary accreditation cards were being issued to various person at the behest of the office bearers of DDCA.”Mudgal also said it was “extremely disheartening” to note that the DDCA’s administration department had not updated records of all players representing the state at various tournaments. “The lists of women players were made for the first time in the history of DDCA during World T20 matches.”Among other areas, Mudgal said the association blatantly abused rights to issue parking passes during matches by citing a personal example. “When IPL-9 started neither I nor any of my associates was given the Parking ticket,” he stated. “On being asked why the parking ticket was not sent to me, Mr Subhash Sharma, member of the Security Committee, said that all the passes have been consumed by the Executive Committee Members and hence no pass was left for the person who was appointed as an observer by this Hon’ble Court.”

ScorecardRoss Taylor has made a big impact at Sussex [file picture]•Getty Images

New Zealand Test batsman Ross Taylor proved an immovable rock at the Nevill Ground hitting an unbeaten 142 as Sussex were dismissed for 333 on a day of cut and thrust under the sun.Kent will go into the final day of this Specsavers County Championship clash holding a 242-run lead and with the option to enforce the follow-on and push for their third win of the Division Two campaign.But it was the former Blackcaps Test skipper, Taylor, who batted a shade under six hours on the hottest day of the year, who made Kent work hardest. In praise of his team-mate’s work ethic, Sussex opener Chris Nash, said: “Ross has been brilliant for us in all formats. He’s won three T20s for us off his own back and in four-day cricket he’s shown tremendous application.”He leaves us at the end of the week to go off for a Test series with South Africa and it’s perfect timing for him that he goes with a 140 under his belt. We’re chuffed to bits for him and we all hope he’ll come back to Sussex at some time soon.”As for his early morning battle with Kent’s South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada, who looks set to extend his battle with Taylor in the Test arena later in the month, Nash added: “He tested us all with the new ball, hit good areas and extracted everything he could out of the new ball and a pretty dead pitch.”When he’s been on he’s been very threatening. He was fast with the new ball and then, when he came back with the older ball, he got that reversing. It was really good fun to try and get through it. It really gets your beans going, because you realise you are facing one of the top young bowlers in the world. On a quick wicket he’d be really hard work.”Rabada, who bagged three for 81 on the fairly lifeless Nevill pitch, said: “A lot of the guys are exhausted, that was a hot day wherever you might be in the world. We fought very hard and tomorrow we’ll be looking to finish these guys off. There’s a bit of turn for the spinners, and some footmarks, so hopefully they can create problems.”This has been a magnificent effort by the team and everyone bowled well today and played their part. We’re giving it our best shot and even though some complained about the heat, it was all in good spirits, it was all banter. When we have to do the business and execute our skills we will and hopefully we can come out tomorrow fully rested and blow them away.”Taylor teamed up with England T20 star Luke Wright to add 114 in 34 overs either side of lunch before Rabada broke the stand with the second new ball. Swishing outside off stump and on the back-foot, Wright edged to Kent’s stand-in keeper Callum Jackson to make it 219 for four.Ben Brown sidled out but, with his score on five, proffered no shot to a Rabada length-ball to go leg before and give the 21-year-old his third wicket.Just before a delayed tea, Chris Jordan (7) lent back aiming to force one from Darren Stevens through the covers only to edge to James Tredwell at second slip.Six wickets down at tea, Sussex did their utmost to bat out the session, losing their last man in the final over of the day. Will Beer was run out by a direct hit by Stevens from mid-off and, after taking a fearful blow on the helmet from a Rabada bouncer, Danny Briggs was caught behind off James Tredwell who, together with Imran Qayyum, polished off the innings with lbw decisions.Having resumed on their overnight total of 69 for one – a first innings deficit of 506 – Sussex suffered their first casualty of the day after half-an-hour when Nash fell for 55.Moments after posting a 128-ball 50 with nine fours, the veteran right-hander was pinned on the back foot by a Rabada off-cutter that appeared to keep low. Indian umpire Virendra Sharma, officiating in the game as part of an ECB exchange scheme, duly raised his finger for the first time in the match.Rabada was rested after a morning stint of 5-3-7-1 and replaced at The Pavilion End at The Nevill Ground by Mitch Claydon. He struck in the 51st over to remove Luke Wells for 22. Looking to square drive, the youngster found a thick inside edge to drag the ball onto his own leg stump.

ScorecardSam Northeast, Kent’s captain: top spot, runs but more frustration•Getty Images

A lifeless pitch and two injury-hit bowling attacks provided all the ingredients for a high-scoring draw in Canterbury where promotion-chasing Kent drew with a Derbyshire side still fighting to open their win account in the Specsavers County Championship second tier.Derbyshire banked 12 points for the draw, while Kent claimed 10 to move above Essex to the top of the Division 2 table ahead of their four-day trip to Chelmsford starting on Sunday.Kent skipper Sam Northeast hit 191 and an unbeaten 76 on a surface he believed was too placid for four-day cricket.”Yes we’ve gone top of Division 2 but who knows if this was a good draw or not,” he said. “I’m a little bit disappointed if I’m honest. I felt we should have posted a bigger score to help set the game up, but it was a tough pitch to bowl on and I’m hoping that for our remaining games here we’ll produced a surface with a little bit more pace and carry in it.”After Derbyshire’s mammoth first innings total of 574 for nine declared had helped the visitors to secure a 195-run first innings lead, Kent set out their stall to bat out the final three-and-a-half sessions of the match for their sixth draw of the summer.That they readily achieved the stalemate was mainly due to dogged half-centuries from Tom Latham and Joe Denly and sprightlier 47-ball 50 by Northeast, yet it was tame fare for the handful of purists who remained in the drizzle to witness the umpires’ inspection and abandonment at 4pm.By then Kent had wiped out the Derbyshire lead and, at 238 for three, had edged 74 ahead on a day when Derbyshire had hoped to dismiss Kent cheaply in order to secure their first four-day win in 2016.They were hampered greatly by the loss of rookie pace bowler Will Davis through injury. The 21-year-old pulled up with a sidestrain after trying to stop the ball in his follow through and was unable to bowl throughout Kent’s second innings. He could be sidelined for several weeks.John Sadler, Derbyshire’s coach, said: “Will was our most threatening bowler on day one, having also bowled magnificently last week against Worcestershire. For such a young lad who has not played that much cricket he’s a really exciting prospect, so he’s one we really have to look after.”He’s being assessed by the physio right now, but the early signs are that he’s going to have a spell off, that’s a real shame for him. But he’s young and his body isn’t perhaps totally ready for fast bowling yet. It’s a shame, but we think very highly of him and hope to welcome him back soon.”Sadler also paid tribute to Wayne Madsen, who scored his 22nd century for Derbyshire during the four-day draw. “Wayne is a magnificent player in all formats and I’m wondering what else he has to do to prove he’s good enough to get noticed by England and talked about in terms of international cricket,” said Sadler.”You could plonk him into the middle of a Test or an ODI anywhere in the world and he would succeed – he’s that good a player in my opinion. He’s a great lad with a superb attitude and I look forward to him getting an opportunity to step up.”Derbyshire began their task well enough when Ben Cotton removed Sean Dickson for 22, barely 20 minutes into the final day. Dickson received a belting leg-cutter that lifted and left him as he played in defence. The ball feathered the edge and flew to wicketkeeper Tom Poynton to make it 39 for one – it proved to be the only delivery of the day that misbehaved.Second-wicket partners Latham and Denly combined to add 103 either side of lunch with New Zealand Test opener Latham scoring a 115-ball 50 with five fours. It was his first half-century in all forms of cricket since early May.Three overs into the mid-session and with his score on 74, the Kiwi left-hander lapped leg-side against Wayne Madsen only to pick out Rob Hemmings, the 12th man substituting for Davis, who took a simple catch at square leg.Denly soldiered on to go past 50 for the third time this summer. His watchful half-century coming from 135 balls and with five boundaries, then Northeast pulled a Ben Slater full-toss for four to wipe out the deficit, one of six boundaries in his eye-catching knock.To their credit, Derbyshire tried eight bowlers and set some enterprising fields in a bid to force an error – including a short spell of Tony Palladino leg-theory bowled around the wicket to a 7/2 split field – but Kent were not to be tempted into an indiscretion.With drizzle in the air, Nick Broom enjoyed yorking Denly for 64 for his sixth first-class wicket to break a third-wicket stand worth 93, but rain soon forced the players in for an early tea. The rain and wind strengthened thereafter forcing the abandonment.

Brisbane Heat are staring down the barrel of the first winless season in WBBL history, after falling to a six-wicket defeat to Adelaide Strikers at North Sydney Oval.After Heat managed 149 for 9 batting first on Sunday, Strikers chased it down with two balls to spare to keep their finals hopes firmly alive.Laura Wolvaardt anchored the innings with 49 off 45 balls in her last game before leaving for national duties, while opening partner Tammy Beaumont hit 64 from 40.The English opener was explosive, belting Nadine de Klerk over the midwicket and long-on ropes and also jumping down the deck and lifting Charlie Knott over long-off.And while Strikers almost looked like falling short in the chase when the equation got down to 14 from Knott’s final over, Ellie Johnston and Tahlia McGrath got them home.Related

• Rodrigues to miss rest of WBBL for Brisbane Heat

After a poor stretch, where they lost three games in a row, Strikers now sit fourth but could be overtaken by the Sydney Sixers later on Sunday.Heat now look all but certain to collect their first wooden spoon in the competition’s 11-season history.Runners-up in the past two campaigns, Heat’s only point this summer has come from a washed-out game against the Sixers on Friday.Making matters worse for Heat will be the fact they lost Nicola Hancock to a hamstring injury, after she was stumped on the final ball of their innings.Heat are already without captain Jess Jonassen (shoulder) and first-round draft pick Jemimah Rodrigues for the rest of the season.Heat’s innings never really got going, with de Klerk (25 from 13) and Hancock (22 from 8) the only batters to really fire.McGrath took 3 for 27 for Strikers, while Elanor Larosa and Amanda-Jade Wellington took two wickets each.

An appeal by a prominent player agent against his five-year ban from cricket-related activity has been dismissed by an independent arbitrator, which upheld the original finding by the Cricket Regulator in March, that he had made a corrupt approach to the head coach of an English county.Moghees Ahmed, who fronts the International Cricketers Association and represents a number of prominent Pakistan players, was found to have proposed an arrangement whereby a coach would receive a share of his commission in exchange for selecting certain players he represents in franchise leagues.The coach reported the approach later that day, and after a tribunal had been satisfied that the case met the necessary criteria, he was found guilty of four charges of breaching the ECB’s anti-corruption code and had his registration to act as an agent suspended in August.He was “declared ineligible” for five years from March 26, 2025, with the first 30 months served in full and the remaining 30 suspended on condition of no further offences and the completion of an anti-corruption education programme.Ahmed told ESPNcricinfo at the time that he categorically denied all allegations made against him and rejected the decisions of the ECB tribunal. His appeal was lodged on the grounds that the Cricket Discipline Commission had reached a decision on the evidence that no reasonable tribunal could have made and had misdirected itself as a matter of law as to the interpretation of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.However, an independent arbitrator, Raj Parker, dismissed the grounds of the appeal, stating that the tribunal’s verdict had been reached “after careful examination of the evidence and an assessment of the credibility of the complainant and Mr Ahmed”.Chris Haward, the managing director of the Cricket Regulator, said: “We welcome the decision of the Sole Arbitrator dismissing the appeal and upholding the decision of the CDC.”The decision of the Arbitrator reinforces the position that the actions of Mr Ahmed can correctly be described as corrupt conduct. The Cricket Regulator will ensure that where there is corrupt conduct suspected it will be investigated and those responsible held to account.”

Sean Williams slog-swept Rashid Khan in the 24th over of Zimbabwe’s innings, but the ball ballooned off the top edge for Hashmatullah Shahidi at midwicket. Shahidi looked to catch it with a reverse cup, but dropped the ball – possibly because of the sun in his eyes – and invited the loudest cheers until then from the sparse crowd at Harare Sports Club.They didn’t have much going for them, really, since Zimbabwe were 89 for 8 at that stage. Williams, on 33 at the time, went on to score 60 at just under a run a ball, and dragged his side to 127 in 30.1 overs. Afghanistan wiped out the target of 128 with eight wickets and 23 overs in the bank. Sediqullah Atal followed up a knock of 104 from the second ODI with 52 off 50 balls in the third, hitting four fours and two sixes on the way, and Afghanistan completed a 2-0 series win over Zimbabwe after the first ODI was washed out.That gave Afghanistan their sixth successive ODI series win over Zimbabwe, who are yet to beat them in a bilateral series in seven attempts – the first one, back in July 2014, was shared 2-2.The chase began with just 15 runs from the first six overs, as Zimbabwe kept it tight. But Atal drove and got a top edge for four off Richard Ngarava in the seventh over, and that got Afghanistan going. Although Abdul Malik, the other opener, took his time, Atal attacked from the other end to raise the fifty stand in the 11th over. The partnership ended at 83 when Ngarava had Malik chopping on for 29, before Brian Bennett took a blinder running and diving to his left to send Atal back. Shahidi and Rahmat Shah, however, didn’t have any bothers finishing the job.[File photo] Sean Williams was the only Zimbabwe batter to take the fight to Afghanistan•Getty Images

But Afghanistan’s win on Saturday was set up by 18-year-old offspinner AM Ghazanfar. He bowled his quota of ten overs unchanged starting from the seventh, and finished with 5 for 33, his second ODI five-for in just 11 games. Shahidi chose to bowl first after winning the toss, and his bowlers proved the decision right. Afghanistan’s seamers were getting appreciable swing even after the powerplay, while their spinners almost magically turned the ball both ways.Eight of the ten wickets went to Ghazanfar and Rashid, who got 3 for 38. That, though was aa result of both batters not reading them well, and the on-field umpires making debatable calls – perhaps not reading the bowlers well either. In a series where the teams don’t have DRS to turn to, Craig Ervine and Ben Curran walked back unhappy. Even Sikandar Raza shook his head on being given out lbw off Rashid, but whether he did that because he was disappointed with the umpire or with himself… who can tell.Zimbabwe’s innings featured a mini-collapse as well as a big crumble. But before either of those, Afghanistan’s new-ball bowlers Fareed Ahmed and Azmatullah Omarzai kept a tight leash on opening batters Curran and Joylord Gumbie. Twenty-two of the first 28 balls were dots; there were four more to start the seventh over, after which Zimbabwe lost three wickets for five runs in next to no time.It started with Gumbie top-edging an attempted sweep off Ghazanfar to short fine-leg. Next over, Omarzai got one to seam away from Ervine, who was squared up as the ball went past. Ervine was given out caught behind, but there was no visible nick. Ghazanfar then got his second when he trapped Curran in front for 12 in the ninth over, although the first impression was that the ball was heading down the leg side.Rashid Khan picked up three wickets, but played second fiddle to his junior colleague, AM Ghazanfar•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Senior hands Raza and Williams briefly rebuilt thereafter. Williams had 21 runs off his first 22 balls, including three fours and a six, after 14 overs. But come the 16th, Raza’s wicket triggered a period where Zimbabwe lost five wickets for 29 runs. He was hit on the back leg by one which turned in from Rashid, and was adjudged lbw for 13. In his next over, Rashid had Bennett lbw with a googly as well, as Bennett played down the wrong line.Ghazanfar then got two more back to back, almost in identical fashion. He cleaned up both left-hand batters Tadiwanashe Marumani and Wellington Masakadza in the one over, the 19th of the innings, and each time, going around the wicket, the carrom ball fi the trick. Both batters swung across the line, and left a big gap between bat and pad for the ball to hit the off stump. On the hat-trick ball, Ghazanfar beat Newman Nyamhuri on the outside edge, with Shahidi placing as many as three slips for the right-hander.Williams, meanwhile, continued ticking at the other end even as he kept running out of partners. He whacked Rashid for four over midwicket, and slogged him for six over square leg, while Ghazanfar completed his five-for by having Nyamhuri top-edging to slip in between.Williams added 30 for the ninth wicket with Ngarava, and brought up his 36th ODI fifty when he hammered debutant seamer Bilal Sami to deep backward point. Williams had also bashed birthday boy Sami for a four and six off consecutive balls in the 14th over.But when going for a reverse sweep against Rashid in the 28th, Williams ended up tickling one to slip, where Mohammad Nabi caught him. Zimbabwe’s innings lasted only another 15 balls, in which Ngarava and Trevor Gwandu added eight runs. The defeat capped off a year in which Zimbabwe’s collective batting average was at its lowest at 14.22 (with a minimum of nine batting innings).

The revival of the Afro-Asia Cup – a series of white-ball matches played between an Asian XI and an African XI – is on the cards according to the Africa Cricket Association (ACA). The continental body held its AGM on Saturday, where it appointed a six-person interim committee to restructure the ACA and increase the number of competitive opportunities for players on the continent.One of its aims is to reach out to other organisations, such as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and explore cross-continental opportunities such as the Afro-Asia Cup. The tournament was only played twice before, in 2005 in South Africa and 2007 in India. A third edition, scheduled for 2009 in Kenya, never took place but almost two decades later, it may happen after all. Should the tournament take place again, it presents a unique opportunity for players from both India and Pakistan – who do not play bilateral cricket against each other currently – to be part of the same Asia XI team.”The Afro-Asia Cup, apart from the cricket, brings the much-needed financial input to the organisation, and the appetite is huge from both ends,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, interim chair of the ACA, who is also the Zimbabwe Cricket Chair, said at a press conference. “We have had conversations with our counterparts within the Asia Cricket Council, and obviously our African contingents, they want the Afro-Asia Cup to be revived.”While ACC representatives did not respond to ESPNcricinfo at the time of publication about the return of the Afro-Asia Cup, it is learned that no formal request has been made to the ACC, neither has any discussion around this taken place at the body’s recent meeting in Malaysia. In 2005, the three-match ODI series was shared 1-1 after a rained-out final game, and in 2007, the Asia XI won all three matches.The 2005 Asia squad was captained by Inzamam-ul-Haq and included Rahul Dravid, Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble while the 2007 Asia XI squad included MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar alongside Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Yousuf and Shoaib Akhtar. At the time, relations between India and Pakistan were warm on and off the cricket field, and the two countries played regular bilateral cricket. The 2008 Mumbai attacks changed that equation, however, and the sides have played one white-ball bilateral series since, in 2012-13. They have only played in ICC events otherwise, with Pakistan traveling to India on a couple of occasions: India have not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.The ACA is also planning to launch a “mini version of the IPL,” according to CEO Cassim Suliman, called the Africa Premier League, though it remains in the planning phase. “We are planning to, after board approval, bring the Africa Premier League. That’s what we’re busy with at the moment on the sponsorship. Once that comes together, we will go to the board, the board will okay it, and then we will take it from there,” he said. “It’s the mini vision of the IPL. So we’re taking that concept of the IPL and driving that concept to ensure that everybody benefits in that aspect. As far as where we’re going to play, the board will decide. We’re going to look at facilities that are going to warrant spectator viewership. It’s still at the initial stage. Obviously, we want to do things right the first time to make sure we get the ball rolling on it. But the board will decide exactly who’s hosting and from there, we’ll take it to them from there. It’s going to be like the IPL format, but with a lower status and then we’ll grow it from there.”There is currently only one franchise tournament in Africa, South Africa’s SA20, but Mukuhlani was hopeful that a South African franchise could be involved in the Africa Premier League and committed Zimbabwean players to the proposed tournament. “The participation of South Africa and Zimbabwe gives context to the competition, and there is also the experience that the upcoming teams get from playing alongside players from South Africa and Zimbabwe,” he said. “So yes, we will participate.”

Wriddhiman Saha had already made up his mind to retire from cricket when he casually went to the Eden Gardens this June. But after he returned from a meeting meant to amicably resolve differences with certain factions within the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which had led to his departure to Tripura for two seasons, Saha had a change of mind.The reason: Sourav Ganguly. The former India captain had convinced Saha to stay on so that he could end his career with Bengal. And so, Saha, who has had plenty of taping around his fingers and strapping around his hamstring and pain-relief patches on his back, decided to continue with the team’s physio on speed dial to be able to help him fight through another season.”You can say it was because of emotional attachment,” he says as he sits down for a chat on the opening day of Bengal’s fourth-round Ranji fixture against Karnataka in Bengaluru. “I wasn’t going to play this year but Sourav Ganguly and my wife pushed me to play and finish with Bengal after two seasons with Tripura.”When he gave his nod to play, Saha made it clear he won’t be available for the white-ball leg of the domestic season. He knew he wouldn’t last the rigours of another full season. It was also partly influenced by his desire to have his spot taken by someone else, because he’d already informed his previous IPL franchise, Gujarat Titans, he wasn’t going to play in the tournament anymore.As it turns out, one of the direct beneficiaries of Saha’s exit (from when he moved to Tripura) has been Abishek Porel, who has flourished so much over the past year across formats that Delhi Capitals considered him worthy of being retained. For Saha, a mentor to the young group of wicketkeepers across the country, there couldn’t have been a better validation.”I’ve been pushing myself for the last year. But because of my body condition and injuries, I won’t be able to play for the full season,” he says. “That’s why I chose the most vital format – Ranji Trophy. It will be tough [to carry on] but I will play and hopefully we qualify. If we do, I will play till the end of the season, else I’ll finish off at Eden Gardens.”Related

• Captain Jaydev Unadkat wants Saurashtra's transition 'to be smooth'

• Saha returns to Bengal for upcoming season

• Saha looks to wipe slate clean with Bengal

• Saha to retire from cricket after Ranji Trophy season

Saha laughs when asked if the decision to contemplate retirement was tough. “It was very easy,” he replies spontaneously. “I was already prepared that I won’t play this year. But when my wife and Sourav Ganguly pushed me, I couldn’t refuse.”Still considered among the best wicketkeepers in India, perhaps even around the world, Saha seems at peace with his decision. He’s fully happy with the way his career has panned out, even though his career coincided at different times with two mavericks: MS Dhoni in the early years and Rishabh Pant in the later. Has he ever considered himself unlucky?”No, I don’t think so,” he says. “There are so many of them who didn’t play despite toiling so hard. Amol Muzumdar, Padmakar Shivalkar sir. I feel fortunate and proud to have played 40 Tests for India.”Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps: acrobatic and safe•BCCI

As he looks ahead, Saha is open to opportunities in coaching and mentoring. He’s clear the first rights will be with Bengal. “Not yet [thought of the immediate future], but if I get an offer from another state or Bengal, I will think about it,” he laughs. “If not, family life (laughs). I have been playing cricket since childhood. I haven’t done anything else. I want to share as much knowledge as I have in cricket. I’ve already started doing that at a couple of academies back home.”Saha ended his Test career with 1353 runs in 56 innings at an average of 29.41, with three centuries and six half-centuries. Arguably, his finest moment on home turf when he hit unbeaten half-centuries in both innings to help India beat New Zealand in 2016. Saha admits “maybe I could’ve done more” with the bat, but insists his career graph was largely a reflection of his emphasis on being a wicketkeeper first and a batter next.”When I started, I was a wicketkeeper. I knew I could never be as good as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli,” he says. “I wanted to earn a name in what I did from childhood – that’s why I put more emphasis on wicketkeeping.”He grew up working with Kiran More, Saba Karim and Deep Dasgupta. Chats with Dhoni over the years, and occasional interactions with Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy fueled his pursuits of being his best version. As a seasoned professional, Saha says he’s happy to chat with young keepers and help them.”I’ve spoken to keepers from the women’s team, we keep talking to each other,” he says. “Last IPL, Dhruv Jurel spoke to me. Rishabh [Pant] has done it all along when we played together. The understanding was good, he used to share his experiences, I used to give him as much input as possible.”As Saha reflects on his career, he’s happy he continued to play for three more years despite being told in late 2021 by then coach Rahul Dravid that the Indian team were moving on from him.”That door got closed, but I knew domestic, and IPL was still there,” he says. “It wasn’t like I got demoralised because of that. I’ve played now for three-four years since that. Why did I start playing? Because I like it. Last year, I’d stopped liking the game and planned to leave. After this season, I’m moving on.”Hopefully we can make the final. If not, I’ll finish off at Eden Gardens.”