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A fan watches Afghanistan play Pakistan in Chennai in the World Cup, and comes away buoyed by the non-partisan support for both teams

Arjun Namboothiri25-Oct-2023We all know what happened in 1999 in Chepauk in Chennai after the end of the India vs Pakistan Test, and the outpouring of love for the victorious Pakistan team. I didn’t watch it live or even on TV. I was just ten years old then. I’ve only read stories about it, and it has always reminded me of why we love sport.Heading into the Pakistan vs Afghanistan match in Chennai, I was just expecting a good game of bat and ball. I watched Pakistan play Australia in Bengaluru and there were, to my surprise, a few fans in green. It was good to see, though more of them would have been nice. Then, when a few police officers took away a Babar Azam poster in front of me, it ruined the somewhat positive experience of watching Pakistan play live in India. Positive because fans were cheering on Babar and Shaheen Shah Afridi and most of the players who played good cricket. The cricket was the story.Then came Chennai, and twice the love for Pakistan on show. Maybe three times as much. Lots of Babar jerseys, and not just in my stand. In the stand above. In the stand to my left. To my right. Lots of faces painted the Pakistan colours. Some had an India flag on one cheek, Pakistan on the other. A huge cheer went up when Pakistan came on to bat.And when Babar came on. When Babar hit his first ball for four. Cheers when Haris Rauf came to field at the boundary. Rauf waved back, thanked the crowd with his hand on his heart. Same cheer for Shaheen. Louder this time. During the end of the game, Babar fielded at the boundary. Even louder cheers. “Pakistan zindabad” slogans to spur the team on from a losing position.There was freedom in the Chepauk air. That was it. People weren’t afraid to show their love for Pakistan. It was cricket that they came to see. Nothing else mattered.There was plenty of Babar love at the ground•Arjun NamboothiriPakistan’s misfields were lamented. The runs they gave away cheaply were bemoaned. Those complaints didn’t come with malicious intent. Like your mother giving you an earful for being careless, there was love in the criticism.I went to the game with a cousin of one of my best friends. It was his first Pakistan game. He is in tenth grade, and so I told him about 1999.True to the spirit of Chepauk, the Afghanistan team did a lap of honour after their win, their first against Pakistan in ODI cricket. Afghanistan were shown no less love, which was not unexpected.After we left the stadium, we came across a fan wearing a Babar jersey who had the Pakistan flag painted on part of his face. He spoke about how Pakistan were missing Naseem Shah and how he enjoyed watching the game without any fear. We parted ways with a long hug after a TV channel picked him for an interview.There were Afghanistan fans all around, celebrating the win. We congratulated the ones who came our way. They were just so happy. When we kept seeing more and more Afghan fans, the 15-year-old in my company wanted a picture with some of them. And we took one.There is something about Chepauk. I was emotional when R Ashwin hit a Test century against England here in 2021. Not because I am particularly a fan of Ash. It just happened. I don’t know how. Happy tears come when you least expect them. The whole place was fervent that day.That magic happened again at this Afghanistan-Pakistan game.Cricket is what Chennai came to watch. Isn’t that what sport is all about?

Injuries have held him back, but Stokes’ retirement could propel Surrey allrounder into the mix

Matt Roller02-Apr-2024England’s management have kept a close eye on Jamie Overton’s development as a T20 allrounder and his chances of inclusion in their World Cup squad have swelled with Ben Stokes’ withdrawal. Overton was already in contention for selection but is now certain to be discussed seriously when England pick a provisional squad for their title defence later this month.Stokes was pencilled in to balance the side from No. 4 in the Caribbean and while Overton is not a like-for-like replacement, he has become a destructive finisher and offers genuine pace with the ball. Simon Katich, his coach in the Hundred, has given him a ringing endorsement and said that he would “without a doubt” recommend Overton for inclusion.Rob Key, England’s managing director who chairs their selection meetings, said in a recent newspaper interview that he wants to inject some “new blood” into their white-ball set-up after a disastrous 50-over World Cup. He has had several conversations with Overton in the last six months, during a winter which saw him impress in the BBL and the ILT20.”At the end of last summer, he [Key] just said, ‘Go and play some franchise cricket and see where you get to,'” Overton told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve spoken to him a couple of times since, trying to gauge where things are, and I feel like I’m quite close to the World Cup squad. The white-ball squad has been quite settled but I feel like I’m close and if I get the nod, I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.”Unlike his twin brother Craig, who has played seven Tests and eight ODIs, Jamie Overton has made a single international appearance to date, winning a Test cap against New Zealand in June 2022. He was picked as a fast bowler but made 97 from No. 8 in his only innings and it was primarily his batting – 202 runs at 40.40 and a strike-rate of 181.98 – that led him to win the MVP award in the men’s Hundred last summer.Overton’s batting form with Manchester Originals was a stand-out feature of last year’s competition•ECB via Getty Images”Since the Hundred, he’s gone from strength to strength,” Katich, Overton’s coach at Manchester Originals, told ESPNcricinfo. “He did very well for the [Adelaide] Strikers and then did very well in the Emirates. I was really impressed with his professionalism and it hasn’t surprised me that he’s kicked on. I have no doubt that he’s an international cricketer, in my mind – it’s just whether the England selectors feel the same.”Overton’s plane ticket to Barbados is not yet secure but Stokes’ withdrawal confirms that his name will be up for discussion when England select their provisional squad, which must be submitted before the ICC’s May 1 deadline. “There’s not many guys in English cricket at the moment who can bowl 140kph [87mph] and smack them with the bat,” Katich said.Related

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What does Overton himself think he would offer? “Just something different,” he says. “We’ve obviously got loads of hitters, but maybe not primarily a lower-order hitter. I’ve shown this winter that I can bowl with the new ball, at the death and in the middle. Maybe in the West Indies, you might need a bit more pace, and the six-hitting side of things might come into it a bit more.”If that holds true then Overton could prove a better fit for the conditions than his Surrey team-mate Sam Curran. Curran was the player of the tournament at the 2022 World Cup, using the vast dimensions of Australia’s grounds to his advantage, but endured some rough treatment on the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December; he is finding his way back to form at the IPL but could find his spot under some pressure.When Overton joined Surrey three-and-a-half years ago, he had only batted in 23 of his 48 T20 appearances and had grown frustrated when trying to convince Somerset to push him up the order from No. 9. “I wasn’t seen as the person to finish an innings,” he says. “Coming here just felt like it was a fresh start and a fresh challenge, and the batting sort of took over.”Jamie Overton bowls ahead of his Test debut in 2022, as brother Craig looks on•Getty ImagesBy his own admission, he briefly regretted the move at first while using a club-owned flat as a base in London and regularly travelling back and forth to Ditcheat, the village in Somerset where he lived. But since moving to Guildford, where he lives with his girlfriend: “I haven’t looked back… I still find London a bit hectic, but I actually don’t mind it now.”His bowling with a red ball progressed to the point of that Test debut in 2022 but injuries set him back, twice ruling him out of the Hundred. He pinpoints last summer’s Blast, when he played as a specialist batter during stress-fracture rehabilitation, as a key point in his development as a T20 cricketer: “I learned a lot from that.”Overton took his form into the Hundred, playing for the Originals under Jos Buttler, his old Somerset team-mate, and hitting 83 not out off 30 balls in a win at Headingley. It was vindication for Katich, who twice retained him despite him missing the first two seasons through injury and has since rewarded him with a top-bracket £125,000 contract for 2024.Katich describes Overton as his squad’s “best trainer, particularly with the bat.” He explains: “He consistently went into his net sessions with a clear plan to bat properly, rather than just trying to smack balls as far as he can. It’s a common theme in T20 cricket – the boys all want to hit them 20 rows back – but he focused on his technique… that gave him confidence to adapt to whatever the game situation required.”

Up-and-coming seamer is in the running to replace Anderson in England’s Test team

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-May-2024They say moving is one of the most stressful things you can do in life. One imagines replacing James Anderson might rival that.Dillon Pennington has taken the former in his stride. A switch from Worcestershire to Nottinghamshire has been seamless with 21 wickets across five Division One matches so far. It is a start that puts him on course for his most productive County Championship season.The latter opportunity, however, has not presented itself just yet. But the manner of Pennington’s performances as a six-foot-four quick operating in the mid-eighties has had gums flapping.Men’s managing director Rob Key, having put the word out that England are looking for pace over dismissals from would-be Test quicks, mentioned Pennington when discussing possible debutants this summer in a recent interview with the BBC. Anderson’s impending retirement after the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s puts a little bit more on Key’s namecheck, particularly given that Pennington does not have a central contract.”My main aim was to get into the Notts team and perform well there,” Pennington tells ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve started okay, but I’ve got a long way to go. I mean, I’m only five games in.”It’s an exciting time in English cricket. There are opportunities, but there are some fantastic bowlers out there, and I think I’ve got a long way to go before anything like that happens, and that’s completely fair.”One of those “fantastic bowlers” is Josh Tongue, who, along with batter Jack Haynes, joined Pennington in swapping New Road for Trent Bridge. Tongue’s setback in his recovery from a pectoral injury has opened the door further for Pennington. As has a recurrence of a lower back stress fracture for Surrey’s Jamie Overton.Pennington’s emergence has been steady. His talents have always been earmarked for higher honours, reflected in U19 caps for England, notably at the 2018 World Cup. His cohort contained the likes of Harry Brook, Will Jacks and fellow opening bowler Ethan Bamber, who he calls a mate. “We have a bit of a sounding board after games,” he says of their friendship. “If ever either of us are struggling, we pick up the phone and have a chat about it.”Dillon Pennington was Worcestershire’s spearhead prior to his move to Trent Bridge•Getty ImagesProfessional debuts across all three formats arrived that summer, as did glowing early reviews from the likes of Morne Morkel and Kane Williamson, who were playing for Surrey and Yorkshire, respectively. But it speaks to where Pennington is at the age of 25 that such flattery does not mean all that much now.”Those sorts of comments were a long time ago, in 2018,” he says. “A lot has gone past. One of the reasons for the move was I almost needed a jump-start. I needed something a little bit different to play higher honours at some point in my career.”I think I was progressing nicely at Worcestershire. But since those comments and since the Under-19s, I just hadn’t kicked on enough for what I wanted and what maybe was projected on me.”That being said, 2022 was a breakthrough season, with Pennington taking 44 of his eventual 140 dismissals at Worcestershire. Work, primarily on lengths, with former head coach Alex Gidman and Alan Richardson (bowling coach at the time before replacing Gidman in 2022) paid dividends. It was the result of their guidance, Pennington’s hard work and the opportunities to learn while doing.”I had so many playing opportunities at Worcestershire, which was amazing, and it makes you learn very quick about how you need to perform. I’ve gradually got better just by playing and learning against different batters and different counties.”Over the years, that’s got better and better. I think I’ve just got more acclimatised to first-class cricket, really. There are some great people there. Playing under Leachy (Joe Leach) and Dolly (Brett D’Oliveira) was really good – they gave me a lot of confidence.”

One of the reasons for the move was I almost needed a jump-start. I needed something a little bit different to play higher honours at some point in my career.

The switch to Peter Moores’ Nottinghamshire was by no means a straightforward decision. “Of course, it’s daunting,” Pennington says. “There are loads of things in your mind that are pros and cons about doing it.”But I think when your ambitions are to play international cricket, you are going to face difficult times and decisions anyway.”The sweetener was Kevin Shine’s presence on the Nottinghamshire staff. Pennington had some dealings previously with him through the pathway during Shine’s time as the ECB’s lead bowling coach, a role that involved Shine travelling the counties to keep tabs on the next crop of quicks.As such, Pennington decided to spend the winter at home, as much to get to know his new teammates as begin working with Shine. The pair sat down in October and devised a plan to build on Pennington’s work at Worcestershire and evolve him as a bowler to make the step up to international cricket. “Any changes he (Shine) wanted to make, I just opened up to him and allowed him to crack on.”Related

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Top of the list were increasing pace and improving stamina to maintain that pace throughout a day’s play and over the course of the match. To achieve that, Pennington worked on getting more flow into his action by changing his gather, ensuring he held onto the ball for longer. That, in turn, buys him more time to assume a stronger position and ensure better alignment at the crease, at the point of delivery.It was a tweak Stuart Broad made, under Shine’s guidance, that allowed him to sign off a glittering career in style. Having workshopped a new gather over the 2022-23 winter and start of the 2023 County summer – even boasting about a new outswinger – Broad finished the Ashes as England’s leading wicket-taker with 22.”It’s more with my action – just try and create a bit more flow. I’ve changed my load-up a tiny bit, but it’s actually going back to when I was 18 – I had a similar thing. So we’ve basically gone back in time, but with the strength work I’ve done and the bits I’ve done at Worcester, all that has combined.”It’s helped with my engine – I’m able to go for a bit longer and the consistency of pace has got better.”The results, so far, are clear for all to see. Batters have been undone by combinations of pace and bounce, all while Pennington continues to seek improvements on the whole.He returns to where it all began this week as New Road hosts its first match of the summer. The awkwardness of coming up against former teammates was taken care of in the second round of the season in Nottingham. Pennington took 3 for 76 with the Kookaburra ball in a rain-affected affair.He’ll no doubt be given a warm reception and have more attention on his performance in this final round of Championship cricket before the Vitality Blast takes over. By the time it returns at the end of June, Pennington may have a better gauge of whether he is in the mix for that first Test on July 10. He has had no contact with the ECB about it just yet – which is fine by him.”There’s no point for me putting pressure on myself. I need to cement myself in a team that’s really good, I’ve got a new coaching staff to impress. The hope is that all of that will result in a better me.”

Batter finishes grim tour with 55 runs in five innings, and no sense that he’s answered doubts about role

Matt Roller25-Oct-2024There were only 22 minutes between Ollie Pope walking out to bat and bad light bringing the second day in Rawalpindi to a premature close, yet it was hardly a surprise that he was already back in the England dressing-room. Pope has become an all-or-nothing player, and will return home next week with only 55 runs to show for his tour to Pakistan.This has been a chastening trip for Pope, who has been heavily backed by England’s management over the last two-and-a-half years but is not delivering the returns that such investment demands. Since falling second-ball to a superb catch at midwicket in the first Test (a match in which his team-mates racked up 823 runs between them), he has managed 29, 22, 3 and 1 and has looked out of his depth on two turning pitches.Pope played one of the great England innings in January, a hyperactive 196 which set up an improbable comeback win over India in Hyderabad, but it increasingly looks like an outlier. He has played 23 Test innings since, averaging 26.21 with more ducks (3) than hundreds (2); in Asia, he has batted 13 times and averaged 13.30, without reaching 40.He stared back at the pitch after this latest dismissal, edging Noman Ali to slip as the sun set behind the Sohail Tanvir Enclosure. The ball did turn and bounce to take the shoulder of his bat, but what else was Pope expecting on a dry pitch that Pakistan have openly tailored to suit their spinners? He jabbed at it with hard hands, away from his body: the outcome was predictable.This was Pope’s first dismissal to Noman after three in a row to Sajid Khan, the ebullient offspinner who has changed the complexion of this series. In Multan, Pope was beaten on the inside-edge by a ball that spun sharply, and then chipped back to the bowler via the inside-edge while looking to drive through mid-off; in the first innings here, he was pinned lbw on the sweep.It has taken England a long time to find a settled top seven and with series against India (home) and Australia (away) looming next year, they will rightly be reluctant to make a change unless they are confident that the alternative is better. The problem for Pope is that the route to that change has never been as clear as it is now.England are set to name their squad to tour New Zealand at the end of this Test and it is highly unlikely that Pope will be dropped. But Jamie Smith’s impending paternity leave means Jordan Cox will play at least one match on that tour, and potentially all three: if he succeeds with the bat and Pope fails, there will be a decision to make.Noman Ali removed Pope in the penultimate over of a terrible day for England•Getty ImagesPope was presented his 50th cap by Zak Crawley ahead of the first Test in Multan, who said his ability to “really seize the moment” had helped him become “one of the best players in the world”. It felt like a platitude rather than a genuine belief: Pope has played some exceptional innings, but the world’s best find a way to contribute in between those big scores.Crawley reached the same landmark in Rawalpindi and has also endured a quiet series, falling to Noman four times in a row since his 78 in the first Test. The biggest difference between the two is that Crawley has already proven himself against Australia and India. Pope averages 22.05 in 35 innings against them, including 11.16 on his previous Ashes tour.Six of Pope’s seven Test hundreds have come since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over as England’s coach, as he has clearly valued their backing. But more than half of his dismissals in that time (28 out of 51) have been for scores below 20: that is the record of a lower-middle-order strokemaker, not a reliable No. 3.There has been one England batter who looked the part in that role on this tour, but it was not Pope. Joe Root was forced up the order in the first Test after Ben Duckett’s dislocated thumb prompted a reshuffle and had to walk out in the second over after Pope’s duck, but exuded calm on the second evening and eventually piled on a career-best 262..Root has expressed a clear preference to bat at No. 4, dating back to his time as captain. Back then, England’s openers would rarely bat long enough to give him a breather after he had exhausted his mental energy in the field, and often left him exposed to the new ball. The situation is very different now he is back in the ranks, with Crawley and Duckett’s established partnership one of England’s biggest strengths.In any case, Pope’s regular failures at No. 3 mean that Root already comes in soon after the first wicket more often than not. Root and Harry Brook moving up one spot each would either allow Pope a stay of execution in a more suitable No. 5 role, or Cox to be eased in: promoting Root is an option that England must at least consider revisiting.Unless England can manufacture an implausible comeback in Rawalpindi, they will suffer only their second series defeat under McCullum and Stokes. The first, in India, prompted ruthless and decisive change, with Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson not seen since. If he survives until New Zealand as expected, then Pope can count himself lucky.

The batters’ decision-making and execution were found wanting as they went down quickly on the final day in Kanpur

Mohammad Isam01-Oct-2024Mominul Haque sat with an empty look on his face in the Bangladesh dressing room minutes after his dismissal on the fifth day of the second Kanpur Test. Such empty looks have been a common sight among the visitors during this Test series where Bangladesh have been comprehensively out-thought by India.Mominul had employed the sweep productively in the first innings on his way to an unbeaten 107. But in the second dig, Rohit Sharma moved KL Rahul to leg-slip as an aggressive move. Within three balls, the fielding change paid off for India and the sweep brought about Mominul’s fall.India have almost been unbeatable at home for the last 12 years. But that hasn’t allowed complacency to seep into their system. Instead, they have looked like a team that plans meticulously, and more importantly, executes those plans with precision. How Bangladesh responded to their approach was, however, disappointing.Related

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Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe didn’t see anything wrong in Mominul playing the sweep shot, but said that his side’s decision-making and execution were found wanting on the fifth day in Kanpur.”We didn’t talk about survival [on the fifth day],” Hathurusinghe said after Bangladesh went down seven wickets. “We thought of playing according to the conditions and strength of the individuals. If you defend and get caught at bat-pad, it is the same when getting out sweeping on a wicket like this. If the batsman thinks his best form of defence or getting off strike, is a sweep shot rather than the defensive shot, that’s his option.”Execution probably let us down in this [second] innings. If you look at Mominul yesterday, he swept really well. I am sure they are disappointed at some of the dismissals and the decision-making. What stands out for me is that we lost a wicket when there’s been a bowling change. We didn’t give ourselves enough time to get used to the new bowler.”Mominul walking into India’s trap was typical of Bangladesh’s batters during this Test series. They have generally fallen in three scenarios. India’s well-planned traps were one thing, but the Bangladesh batters also hastily attacked a bowler early in his spell, and there were instances of losing concentration after seeing off a mini battle. There were examples of all three during the fifth day in Kanpur.

“We don’t have much time to make drastic changes. We have to improve our execution and decision-making.”Chandika Hathurusinghe on the changes needed before the series against South Africa

Of the three times Mushfiqur fell to Jasprit Bumrah in the Test series, his dismissal in the first innings in Kanpur was a well-thought-out plan. He packed the slip cordon which prevented Mushfiqur from playing at away-going deliveries. Bumrah then slipped a length ball that decked in, which Mushfiqur left like he was leaving the other deliveries.It wasn’t just Mushfiqur among the experienced lot to fall for such plans. Litton Das giving Rohit a catch at mid-off in the first innings was India trying to make him do something out of the ordinary. Litton could have seen off Mohammed Siraj’s spell, but instead charged the bowler, and although Rohit took a great catch, the shot was a result of a set plan. Shakib Al Hasan miscuing a heave against R Ashwin on the fourth day, the ball after hitting him for a four over extra cover, was another example.Shakib charged out of the crease again, which Ashwin definitely saw coming, so he bowled it slightly quicker but with a bit of dip on the ball and the allrounder fell into the trap.Bangladesh’s batters were also guilty of haste. Perhaps they didn’t want the Indian bowlers to execute their plans, but their choice of shot was confusing. On the fifth day in Kanpur, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto missed a reverse-sweep off the first ball he faced from Ravindra Jadeja. The shot felt unnecessary at the time and sparked a collapse after a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket.Hathurusinghe, however, said the reverse sweep was always on given how much the batters practice it, especially when they see it as an option on a spinning pitch. “[Playing the reverse sweep] is an individual and team plan as well. We are playing on a spinning wicket,” he said. “If the defence is getting challenged, it is a strategy to play the reverse sweep if you have practiced hard on the shot.”Falling just after seeing off a good spell or after batting well for a short period also brought about plenty of headaches in both Tests. Bangladesh’s last wicket in Kanpur was of Mushfiqur trying to slog Bumrah off the last ball before lunch.Ravindra Jadeja broke through with Najmul Hossain Shanto’s wicket•AFP/Getty ImagesShadman Islam had earlier fallen just after getting to his half-century with Sunil Gavaskar on air pointing out that the opener played a shot of a batter who got relaxed after reaching a milestone. He remarked that Shadman might not have played the shot, having shown control against deliveries outside the off stump all morning, if he hadn’t reached his fifty.Hathurusinghe agreed that the top-order had to make better decisions in the upcoming Test series against South Africa at home. “We don’t have much time to make drastic changes, ” he said. “We have to improve our execution and decision-making. We will be playing on different surfaces back home. We have to take it into account, and the opposition bowlers.”A cluster of wickets falling after a bit of a recovery isn’t just the top order’s problem. The middle order suffered from it, too. Litton and Shakib played needless shots after getting Bangladesh out of trouble with a decent partnership in the first innings in Chennai. Litton was caught in the deep while Shakib miscued a reverse sweep. In the second innings, Zakir Hasan and Shadman saw off a testing period in the second innings, before falling to tame dismissals.Bangladesh’s lack of fight in the two Tests was disappointing. They lost in three-and-a-half days in Chennai, while lasing technically just under two days in Kanpur. They had arrived in India on the back of a historic 2-0 win against Pakistan.This 2-0 defeat against India doesn’t necessarily cancel out their good showing in Pakistan, but it rams home the point that Bangladesh are a side still short of competing against top sides consistently. They weren’t expected to win 2-0 in Pakistan but they applied themselves in the best possible way. They, however, couldn’t withstand India’s heightened challenge, and now have to go back to the drawing board before the home series against South Africa later this month.

Crushing loss in Hamilton cannot dent celebration of series win, ahead of blockbuster 2025

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Dec-2024Two blokes walk into a pub in Hamilton.One is wearing Ben Stokes’ batting gloves, having donned them for the 10-minute scooter ride from Seddon Park, where he had obtained them from England’s Test captain. The other is wearing Brydon Carse’s Test jumper – a surprisingly good fit considering he was giving up about a foot in height to the Durham seamer.Punters revelling in freshly-acquired souvenirs felt like an sound allegory for the journey this England team has embarked upon in 2024. Their joint-busiest year of Test cricket has provided room for a regeneration. Of the 24 players have been used, seven had the honour of wearing that kit for the very first time.Each has seized their chance in different ways across a variety of roles. Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Carse have made themselves immediate first-teamers. Jacob Bethell’s assuredness over the last month has brought on a pleasing headache. Shoaib Bashir, for all his pluck, remains a work in progress.The new year offers more bucketlist moments for a new-look team, with India at home and Australia away. For those at the opposite end of the spectrum, 2025 promises to be a legacy year. Defining for the project Stokes and Brendon McCullum have embarked upon together. Legend-lifting for Joe Root. Status-deciding for Harry Brook. “Get a ticket early,” urged McCullum, as much to supporters as the cricketers desperate to be in the mix for those blockbuster events.Shoaib Bashir benefitted from Stokes’ empathetic captaincy in India, but that trait was misplaced in Pakistan•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesGetting excited about all that can wait. On Tuesday, much like those two punters, England were celebrating. It did not take them long to shed the frustration of a 423-run defeat in the third Test. Coolers of drinks made their way onto the field not long after the broadcast cameras were switched off. A first series win in New Zealand since 2008 was toasted, before morphing into a celebration of Tim Southee’s retirement. Both teams mingled late into the day, before everyone piled into the home dressing room. Games were played – namely “Zimmy Zimmy”, a staple of university students, essentially ‘pass the parcel’ based on rhythm and numbers – before goodbyes were said.Such geniality between these two teams is nothing new, of course. Nor is an England team’s affinity with the gorgeous vistas and range of outdoor activities (not just golf) this country provides. But while the extra-curricular parts of 2023’s New Zealand tour felt like a bit of a lads holiday – camaraderie high on the agenda ahead of that summer’s Ashes – this was more of a spa retreat.A Queenstown base to start, the odd course along the way, and encouraging players to take the scenic route from Wellington to Hamilton to enjoy the best of what the North Island has to offer after establishing an unassailable 2-0 lead in Wellington. England achieved the primary objective of this trip, but they also ticked off a secondary: de-stressing from a wearying 12 months.The 4-1 loss in India at the start of the year crushed a few older souls, the 2-1 loss to Pakistan on the other side of the home summer tested newer spirits. It was during the former that Stokes realised the team needed more dynamism. And as much as that would come from a refresh, his return as a functional allrounder would be integral to that.Fast forward to Pakistan and Stokes’ obsession to get back to the “old him” had reached untenable levels. By his own admission, he had “ruined” himself by ramping up his own training levels after a left hamstring tear in August had wiped out the hard work of the previous six months.Brydon Carse has inked himself into England’s first XI after some thrilling displays as the third seamer•Getty ImagesHe was tetchy, off the pace as captain and, worst of all, had lost the empathetic perspective that had been a vital crutch for his leadership. A trait all the more important given the number of players new to the environment.Stokes has been able to rediscover his emotional equilibrium on this trip. He came out to Christchurch ahead of time to surprise his family, many of whom, including his mother Deb, were in attendance at Hagley Oval for pretty much every ball of the first Test. Time with loved ones has perhaps brought a reminder for perspective. Reflections of his captaincy came in the weeks following the Pakistan series, and subtle changes have been made. Even with the recurrence of his hamstring injury, the 33-year-old seems to be in a much healthier place.Perhaps the most interesting strand of 2024 to tug at is the other side of the personnel transition. Punting on young “unproven” talents is the easy bit. The hard part has been moving on the established ones.James Anderson was the highest profile example of this. A necessary parting of ways, conducted via an uneasy hotel meeting, meant that Stokes, McCullum and managing director Rob Key came with a good deal of heat from all corners (including the man himself, of course). The silver lining for Anderson is, much like Southee this week, he got closure. The others have not been quite so lucky.Related

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Jonny Bairstow was parked after notching 100 caps at Dharamsala in February. The 2022 Bazball poster boy will enter the new year as a dead weight on the central contract list until October, without any clarity on whether his international future is actually over. Similarly, Ben Foakes sat out the last six months of his deal as Smith came in to offer the best parts of both keeper-batters.Ollie Robinson, once regarded as a vital cog in the Anderson-Broad succession plan, has also not been seen since that tour, He is unlikely to feature again under the current regime, as much through losing the trust of McCullum and Stokes as the emergence of Atkinson.Even serial reserve batter Dan Lawrence seems to have run his race after underperforming as a fill-in opener in the Sri Lanka series when Zak Crawley broke his finger. It was a thankless task in an unfamiliar role – both of which Bethell has excelled in the last month.Ollie Pope finishes 2024 with his place in jeopardy despite launching it with a hall-of-fame innings in Hyderabad•Getty ImagesIndeed Bethell has now brought a further awkward conversation around Ollie Pope. A man who started the year with a star-turn in the heist of Hyderabad now finds himself at a peculiar juncture in his international career.England’s vice-captain is a team man in a team of team men. His initial play for the No.3 spot was a way of getting into the XI, but as his stint has gone on, there has been a growing sense his presence in the role has been for the benefit of others. It allows Root to remain at four, and Brook at five. Just as importantly, Pope’s average remains above 40 in that position.But Pope’s selflessness is also why he now finds himself in a conundrum. There was no surprise when he took the hit of moving down the order to No.6 for this series, so that he could keep following the injury to Jordan Cox. Stokes in particular lauded him for doing what was best for the team. But the vacancy allowed Bethell to state an all-too-attractive case.It is a case that does not have to be answered for a good few months, given England’s next Test is not until May. But it is remarkable to think a player who began 2024 with a hall-of-fame innings and went on to captain four Tests in the middle is now ending it with such uncertainty.Alas, that is international sport. And the growing pains of a revamp are these necessary evils – tough decisions that, in the case of Pope, might seem contrary to the team’s promoted values of backing players unequivocally, ridding them of fear and rewarding their loyalty.Therein lies the main takeaway from this year. The results read nine wins and eight defeats, but majority of the year post-India has been about revitalization and amending the broad brushstrokes of the first two years.Stokes and the England team might not like the word “ruthless”, but there is no better word to describe the mentality they will need to adopt as 2024 comes to a close. With India and Australia on the horizon, 2025 will be about winning at all costs.

She speaks on a variety of topics and, of course, that delivery to Sophia Dunkley at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2025Alana King set the Women’s Ashes alight with her consistent bowling. She shares her thoughts on her T20 resurgence, making a WPL debut and ball of the century, while another Australia star, Beth Mooney, talks about the growth of the game ahead of International Women’s Day.

The auction for the 2026 season will take place on Thursday with 277 players going under the hammer

Sruthi Ravindranath25-Nov-20253:11

Lanning, Deepti, Wolvaardt – who will be the biggest buy?

Mumbai Indians (MI)Players retained: Nat Sciver-Brunt – INR 3.5 crore, Harmanpreet Kaur – INR 2.5 crore, Hayley Matthews – INR 1.75 crore, Amanjot Kaur – INR 1 crore, G Kamalini – INR 50 lakh
Money spent: INR 9.25 crore; Purse remaining: INR 5.75 crore; No RTM option available
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WPL 2026 auction – what teams need, what they can do about it

Deepti, Wolvaardt, Ecclestone, Healy in marquee set to kick off WPL 2026 mega auction

WPL: Mandhana, Sciver-Brunt, Gardner retained for INR 3.5 crore; Harmanpreet gets INR 2.5 crore

What they need most: MI have already secured a solid batting line-up in addition to excellent all-round options in Matthews, Sciver-Brunt and Amanjot. They have a young wicketkeeper in Kamalini but will nonetheless look for an experienced one to deepen their options, along with bolstering their attack with specialist bowlers and an Indian spinner.Potential big targets: Amelia Kerr, Kim Garth, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Ayabonga Khaka, Saika IshaqueRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)Players retained: Smriti Mandhana – INR 3.5 crore, Richa Ghosh – INR 2.75 crore, Ellyse Perry – INR 2 crore, Shreyanka Patil – INR 60 lakh
Money spent: INR 8.85 crore; Purse remaining: INR 6.15 crore; One RTM option available
What they need most: RCB will be looking to get a big-hitting opener to partner captain Mandhana. They will also prioritise strengthening their bowling line-up, with an experienced seamer high on the list.Potential big targets: Laura Wolvaardt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Renuka Singh, Lauren Bell, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Sophie EcclestoneDelhi Capitals (DC)Players retained: Jemimah Rodrigues – INR 2.2 crore, Shafali Verma – INR 2.2 crore. Annabel Sutherland – INR 2.2 crore, Marizanne Kapp – INR 2.2 crore, Niki Prasad – INR 50 lakh
Money spent: INR 9.3 crore; Purse remaining: INR 5.7 crore; No RTM available
3:50

Chatter: Uncapped players to watch at the WPL auction

What they need most: A solid opener to complement Shafali. With two high-quality pace-bowling allrounders in Sutherland and Kapp, their focus will be on building a strong spin attack and adding an experienced wicketkeeper. Having released their captain Lanning, they could also go for one of Alyssa Healy or Wolvaardt, who not only fill the opener gap but are also potential captain options.Potential big targets: Laura Wolvaardt, Alyssa Healy, Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana, Phoebe Litchfield, N Shree CharaniGujarat Giants (GG)Players retained: Ash Gardner – INR 3.5 crore, Beth Mooney – INR 2.5 crore
Money spent: INR 6 crore; Purse remaining: INR 9 crore available; Three RTM options available
What they need most: Having retained only two players, GG will focus on building an experienced lower order and a strong bowling line-up, the two departments that were their weak links last season. They will also target a few experienced Indian batters.Potential targets: Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Nadine de Klerk, N Sree Charani, Kim Garth, Renuka SinghUP Warriorz (UPW)Player retained: Shweta Sehrawat – INR 50 lakh
Money spent: INR 50 lakh; Purse remaining: INR 14.50 crore; Four RTM options available
What they need most: With virtually a blank slate and a purse of INR 14.50 crore, UPW will look to get several players from the marquee set. After finishing at the bottom last season, when their batting misfired until their final league game and the bowling looked out of sorts, they will be keen to add experience particularly among Indian players. They will also be in the hunt for a new captain.Potential big targets: Meg Lanning, Deepti Sharma, Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Sophie Devine, Kranti Gaud, Amelia Kerr