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Cricinfo assess the performance of the England players after their 2-0 series victory against New Zealand

Andrew Miller09-Jun-2008England were expected to win this series, and win it well, and in the end they did. But it was by no means as easy as the 2-0 scoreline suggests. A series of outstanding personal performances at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge masked long periods of mediocrity. Cricinfo runs the rule over the 11 men who took part:

Andrew Strauss – 8
It’s hard to believe the Strauss we’ve just witnessed is the same Strauss who was battling for his Test career only three months ago in New Zealand. The fretfulness that characterised his game on that trip has been buried beneath the Napier outfield, and instead he is back to his compact, thoughtful and fluster-free best. During his Old Trafford masterclass, he forced New Zealand to feed him runs on the leg-side by declining any temptation outside off – an approach that echoed his remarkable debut season in 2004 and demonstrated a renewed self-assurance. He suffered a slight relapse at Trent Bridge, where he chased a wide half-volley after lunch to trigger England’s first-innings collapse, but his Player of the Series accolade was richly justified.James Anderson – 8

England fast bowlers with a “-son” suffix are an infuriating phenomenon, but they don’t half impress when they get in the mood. England lost patience with Steve Harmison after his Hamilton no-show in March, and since then James Anderson has taken over that enigmatic role with incredible success. When he pitches up to the blockhole, the natural whip in his action causes the ball to perform tricks that the bowler himself struggles to understand. None of the New Zealanders had any answer, that’s for sure. The pair of pearling outswingers that detonated the stumps of both Aaron Redmond and Brendon McCullum were collector’s items, and set Anderson on his way to the best match and innings figures of a mercurial career.Ryan Sidebottom – 8

What a year Sidebottom is having. Twenty-four wickets at 17.08 in New Zealand; and now 17 more at 20.47 in the first series of the home summer. Last year he was arguably the unluckiest bowler in the world game, with dropped catches ruining his figures against India and Sri Lanka, but now he’s picking up wickets on reputation as well as skill. By his own admission he was off the pace at times in this series, not least on the opening day at Lord’s, but New Zealand’s batsmen were in such a funk whenever his unruly barnet bounced up to the wicket, he still harvested a bagful. His 6 for 67 in the final innings of the series was his fifth five-wicket haul since his recall last summer. He is firmly ensconced as the leader of England’s attack.Michael Vaughan – 7

Two series wins in a row, and Vaughan is the daddy once again. His authority was being questioned after a lean winter in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, but the captain silenced the doubters with a determined hundred at Lord’s, then followed that up with a vital and imposing 48 as England turned the tables at Old Trafford and chased 294 for victory. His strokeplay was as sublime as ever, even if his shot selection went awry at times, but as a leader you can sense he’s finding his level with his new charges. His marshalling of his troops at Trent Bridge was spot on – he backed his bowlers with attacking fields, and showed the same nous for a timely bowling change that was his hallmark in 2004-05. South Africa will be his biggest test since his return to the side last summer, but there’s no doubt he’s ready for it.Stuart Broad – 7

A series that began amid talk of Andrew Flintoff’s comeback ended with the arrival of another serious allround cricketer. Broad’s rich promise had been plain to anyone who witnessed the Napier Test in March, when he took vital wickets and scored vital runs in all four innings of the match, but this was a first chance for the English public to watch a man who has already attracted rave reviews from the former coach, Duncan Fletcher. In truth, Broad’s bowling was a touch disappointing. He wasn’t left much to do given the success of his new-ball colleagues, but he’d have hoped for better than seven wickets at 43.57. His batting, on the other hand, was composed, technically impeccable, and above all ballsy. He reignited England’s flatlining performance at Old Trafford with a crucial first-innings 30, then put the boot in at Trent Bridge with a maiden half-century that broke New Zealand’s resolve. He’s only 22, and he’ll only get better.

Monty Panesar – 7

This was a one-spell series for Monty, but what a spell. On Sunday morning at Old Trafford, England were staring at humiliation. They’d limped past the follow-on having succumbed for 202 to Daniel Vettori, but when New Zealand reached 85 for 2 in their second innings, their lead was 261 and there was surely no way back. Enter Monty, with a performance that irrevocably transformed the dynamics of the series. His career-best figures of 6 for 37 included 5 for 10 in nine overs, as New Zealand’s last seven wickets tumbled for 29. The haul included his 100th in Tests, from only 28 matches, and the fact that he was unable to add to that tally at Trent Bridge was a testament to his team-mates rather than any shortcoming on his part.Kevin Pietersen – 7

Started slowly when Daniel Vettori pinned him for 3 at Lord’s, but finished with aplomb, with his second vital century in four Tests against New Zealand – it was Napier revisited when Pietersen faced up to England’s post-lunch scoreline of 86 for 5, but then as now he responded with a calculating counterattack and a superbly paced century. His celebrations on reaching three figures were a neat insight into his mindset – at Napier he produced little more than a sheepish bat-wave, but at Trent Bridge he was back to full-frontal bombast. The message is clear – KP is back in the mood, and with his favourite opponents, South Africa, awaiting, the timing could not be better for England.Tim Ambrose – 6

Blameless with the gloves, but took a while to get going with the bat after three runs in the first two Tests at Lord’s and Old Trafford. Made impressive amends in partnership with Pietersen at Trent Bridge, however, where he revived memories of his series-changing century at Wellington in March. New Zealand seemed to have got his measure after that game, as they pitched up by an extra half a yard to compensate for his diminutive frame and restricted him to 50 runs in his next five innings, but they lost their discipline during a crucial 161-run stand for the sixth wicket. In the long term, Ambrose still faces a fierce challenge from his former Sussex team-mate, Matt Prior, but at least he enters his one-day debut flushed with renewed confidence.Alastair Cook – 5

It’s been a quiet year so far for Cook. His highest score in home and away campaigns against New Zealand was a mere 61 at Lord’s, which is the first time in his young career he’s gone consecutive series without a century. New Zealand’s seamers are, in Michael Vaughan’s memorable estimation, no more than “workmanlike”, but their diligence in the channel outside off stump was sufficient to reawaken some familiar troubles for Cook – that gap between bat and pad led to his dismissal in each of his last two innings. He and Strauss did at least prove they can work together as a partnership with their maiden century stand, at Lord’s, but the younger partner is the one with the form worries at present.Ian Bell – 3

It’s getting a bit monotonous to criticise a player who, over the past four years, has averaged a healthy 41.79 from 39 Tests, with seven centuries and more than 2500 runs, but Bell’s anonymity when the heat is truly on is becoming more than just a coincidence. England’s top six has been under scrutiny from the first ball of the Lord’s Test, and while three of the top four have responded with centuries, the man at No. 5 has mustered 45 runs in four innings. He and his fellow struggler, Paul Collingwood, steered England over the finish line in tense circumstances at Old Trafford, but his three-ball abomination at Trent Bridge was a truer reflection of his foggy gameplan – England were in the throes of a post-lunch wobble at 85 for 3, when Bell exacerbated them by playing around a straight ball from Iain O’Brien and falling lbw for a duck. His talent is unquestioned, and England’s current winning streak means he’s sure to be retained. But England need him to be more than just a pretty bit-part player.Paul Collingwood – 3

Collingwood’s returns were even worse than Bell’s – 30 runs in four innings, including that single unbeaten innings at Old Trafford. His problem, however, has never been one of temperament – he’s dug England out of far too many holes for that to be called into question. He’s simply suffering from a shocking run of poor form. He entered the series with concerns about his long-term fitness after a second cortisone injection in his shoulder, and who knows how that has been weighing on his mind? There’s little time to dwell on his woes, however, because as England’s one-day captain, he’ll need to pick himself up ahead of the Twenty20 international at Old Trafford next week.

The PCB said ICC rules prevented the player from being named until the chemical report was confirmed by the government’s anti-doping agency

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2018A prominent Pakistani cricketer has tested positive for a prohibited substance. This was confirmed by the PCB on Twitter when it said ICC rules prevented the player from being named until the chemical report was confirmed by the government’s anti-doping agency.
While the dope test has come back positive, the report from the laboratory that tested the player’s blood sample has yet to be confirmed by Pakistan’s anti-doping department. The PCB is awaiting the results of that test, saying it would be available in the next day or so. The test is understood to have taken place during the recent domestic 50-over tournament in Faisalabad.Depending on the nature of the prohibited substance, the player could face up to a two-year ban. The last Pakistan international to suffer that fate was Raza Hasan, who tested positive for cocaine in 2015, and was banned till 2017. In the last few years, Pakistan spinners Yasir Shah and Abdur Rehman were also banned for minor doping offences, each serving three-month bans.

Desire to play best six batters may prompt team to push Labuschagne up to open the batting against West Indies

Alex Malcolm10-Dec-20231:30

Bailey: ‘Ultimately, Warner is in our best XI’

Australia’s selectors are unlikely to pull any surprises for the first Test of the home summer, against Pakistan on Thursday, but the conversation around who will replace David Warner once he retires continues to bubble away. Head coach Andrew McDonald once again hinted that they could lean towards picking the best six batters in a reshaped order rather than a specialist opener whenever a decision needs to be made.Despite a lot of external noise around the potential debut of express pace bowler Lance Morris, the home side looks set to make only one change from the last Test XI they fielded in the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval with Nathan Lyon returning from injury in place of Todd Murphy.Mitchell Marsh is set to remain at No. 6 while the big three quicks in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins all looked in fine fettle at Australia’s first training session since being crowned ODI World Cup champions in Ahmedabad three weeks ago.McDonald did not name the XI that would face Pakistan at Perth Stadium but said “it will look the same as it did before” after the quicks had returned in very good shape from a long World Cup campaign. Lyon is also a welcome return after the head coach noted he was a “huge loss” for the final three Tests of the Ashes series that had “destabilised” Australia’s attack.

The hunt for Warner’s successor

In the absence of any selection debates in the lead-up to the first Test of the home summer, speculation continues to mount over how Australia’s batting line-up will shape up once Warner finishes. He has been guaranteed the first game against Pakistan and it seems very likely that he will play all three to get his desired Sydney Test send-off.Australia coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins want to field their best available XI•Getty ImagesMcDonald reaffirmed the selection panel’s stated position that they would continue to pick the best Test XI for the here and now in the World Test Championship era, with future building not part of any current discussions. Still, there is continued interest over who ends up replacing Warner, prompting McDonald to double down on his previous statement on that a desire to pick the best six Test batters in the same side, which could include both Marsh and Cameron Green, might trump the need to blood in a new specialist opener.Related

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“I think it feels as though anytime that you mention that you want to put your best six batters into the Test team, then there’s always speculation about who’s going to open and when Davey goes,” McDonald said.”We’ve got time to make that decision. Davey’s playing the first Test match and we’ll go from there. Until we have to make the decision, then it’ll continue to bubble away and the speculation will be there.”I think for us, it’s gathering information and making a decision when we need to make the decision. So that’s as simple as it gets. We’ve got no firm views on it at the moment.”It appears that part of the selectors thinking surrounding replacing Warner with Green rather than a specialist opener and then reshuffling the order to have either Marnus Labuschagne or Marsh open the batting is linked in with Australia’s fast bowling stocks. In any case, it seems unlikely that a decision will need to be made until the new year when West Indies arrive for a two-Test series in late January.The Prime Minister’s XI tour match against Pakistan did offer a lot of information to that end, but it was not the selection “bat-off” that some may have hoped it would be.”They all showed what they can do,” McDonald said. “We know that they’re all quality players. I thought Cameron Green was impressive again. Matt Renshaw clearly got a hundred, and a couple of starts to the other boys as well, a half-century and 49 to Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris. We know they can play. They’ve got good numbers in Sheffield Shield cricket and I think if we were to go down that path and choose one of them, I think they would do a really good job.”Lance Morris ramps it up in training•Getty Images

Morris closing in on Test bow

Despite a stated policy of selecting for the here and now, Morris remains an enticing prospect. He bowled a rapid spell in the centre-wicket practice at the WACA ground in Perth on Sunday, ruffling Labuschagne and Marsh at times with Marsh walking off wide-eyed at the pace he’d just faced.There is, however, an understanding that Morris has played almost all of his Sheffield Shield cricket for Western Australia as part of a five-man bowling attack with four fast bowlers and a spinner sharing the load so he could be used in short bursts as a strike weapon. His history of back stress fractures is also a factor in that thinking. In light of all that, Morris is only set to play for Australia this summer if one of the main three quicks, particularly Starc, misses a match through injury or soreness.Meanwhile, Marsh usurping Green as the team’s allrounder has created a headache for the selectors. While Marsh can bowl some very useful overs and will bowl throughout the home season, he cannot be banked upon for the same number of overs and the same bowling impact as Green given Marsh’s recent injury history. The Ashes series was the first time Marsh had played back-to-back first-class matches in four years. He experienced soreness that kept him off the field in the Old Trafford Test and meant he didn’t bowl at all during the subsequent eight-match white-ball tour of South Africa.If Morris were to play in Australia’s Test XI at some stage this summer or moving forward, it appears there would be a clear preference for Green to play in the same side, and if Marsh is entrenched on batting form, the selectors would need to find Green another place in the top six.For the moment, Green will carry the drinks in Perth as Australia remain wary of a Pakistan side that arrives down under in a state of never-ending flux. McDonald was unsure whether the positive new Test brand, the Pakistan Way, that had been unfurled in Sri Lanka in the middle of the year, would be replicated under a new captain and coach against the World Test Champions in a country where they have not won a Test match since 1995.”I think the last series they played, they played a more up-tempo brand,” McDonald said. “They’ll try and put more pressure on the bowling unit. So I think we’ll see a little bit of that. But like anything, if we execute well with the ball, it’s going to be difficult to be able to maintain that over long periods of time. So we’re not sure the way that they’ll play. They’ll signal their intent from the first ball once we get out there. We’ll see what happens.”

Chanderpaul stood head and shoulders above his middling team, and the board bumbled it’s way all through

Vaneisa Baksh03-Jan-2009

When West Indies ended 2007 with a surprise victory in the first Test against South Africa, it invited salutary comments that Chris Gayle’s comradely leadership was suitably laidback so as to eke out the best efforts from his players. But tour results begged to differ, with South Africa winning the next two Tests and easily whitewashing the West Indies in the five one-day matches.It was merely a flutter after all, the kind that typified the year for West Indies. After his retirement, Brian Lara faded from sight, and almost entirely from cricket conversation. He surfaced in January with a century in the regional tournament, but fractured his arm and only flitted across the international scene when he announced he was not taking part in the Indian Cricket League on account of the “permanent problem” with his shoulder.Meanwhile Allen Stanford was overhauling his Antigua ground in preparation for the intoxicating US$20-million tournament that would provide year-round intrigue. Not to be outdone, the West Indies Cricket Board thoughtfully launched its giddy agenda by firing Ian Bishop, Desmond Haynes, Andy Roberts and Courtney Walsh from its cricket committee in February, leaving the four to wonder if their role as Stanford-contracted “Legends” had made them redundant. Frankly my dears, said WICB president Julian Hunte, you don’t fit into our strategic plan, but within a month they were reinstated.Marlon Samuels had his bowling action analysed after the final South Africa Test, but his real trouble came when he was found guilty of breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct regarding receiving monies disreputably. The WICB banned him for two years, but the CEO, Donald Peters, “offered him all the help needed to get his life in order”. Samuels’ lawyers asked for a judicial review instead, but the ICC was unmoved and upheld the ban.The West Indies captain, whose capacity to unite and inspire had been heralded, revealed the illusory nature of regional bonds during the Carib Beer Series. Complaining about poor umpiring “year in, year out”, Gayle fumed: “Jamaica always seem to have it tough, and decisions always seem to go against us.” The umpires’ association waited to see what the WICB would do, but they had other fish to fry… and according to incoming manager Omar Khan, “a new era” to begin.The WICB was kept twittering with the Indian Premier League schedule threatening to disrupt tours by Sri Lanka and Australia, the prospect of a two-tiered Test ranking system, and the looming Stanford Super Series tournament.Pedro Collins effectively retired when he chose Surrey over West Indies (against Sri Lanka) after two years on the sidelines.For the first time, Sri Lanka beat West Indies on home ground, provoking Ramnaresh Sarwan to complain that the pitch at Providence Stadium lacked pace and bounce, but the WICB made up for that by bouncing the Sri Lankans off their practice match with “flight problems”, and the pitch in Trinidad had enough pace to help the WI draw the two-Test series.Sarwan had starred in the second Test, and was called to replace his replacement as captain against Australia when Gayle’s groin injury flared. Amit Jaggernauth made his debut after heated Caribbean debate about the value of spinners on the team, and though he collected a wicket he was not picked again and the debate continued.Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued his working ways, shrugging off a knock out from a Brett Lee bouncer to score 118 in the first Test, and positioned himself so implacably as a dogged accumulator that he was named the ICC’s Player of the Year and topped the batsmen’s rankings at year-end.Australia won the series 2-0 and it was on to the ODIs, which ended with Gayle declaring his unhappiness with the selectors. By the end of July he sent the WICB a resignation letter, but after “discussions” had a change of heart. At the same time Peters was sent on leave by the WICB and its corporate services manager, Tony Deyal, was fired. Peters was returned to his post within days; Deyal would later give testimony against the WICB in London’s High Court.The matter arose out of Allen Stanford’s $20-million match between the Stanford Superstars and the England team. The sponsors, Digicel, contested the right of the WICB to sell to Stanford what it had in essence already sold to them regarding the West Indies players. The row had raged for months, and it ended in the courts, with the WICB losing and facing legal costs that would easily erase the profit made from staging the World Cup.The match went on as arranged, the Superstars beat England by ten wickets and kept the money, but no end of bacchanal over everyone’s behaviour and moral standings surrounded the event. In December, Stanford disbanded his board of Legends and announced that he would be revising his relationship with cricket in the future.Unfazed, the team went off to New Zealand, where both Tests were drawn, Chanderpaul scoring 126 and Gayle 197 in Napier. As with other matches, and with the consistent exception of Jerome Taylor, no one else ever seemed to do much more than flutter into sight fleetingly.

Off the field, the pace was as dizzying as usual, with no decision standing unchanged, no sign of a cohesive management plan and, with the Stanford funding riding abruptly off into the sunset, no sense that the shadows would ever lift.New kids on the block
Perhaps Sulieman Benn and Brendan Nash are worth watching, and if spinners ever get something like tenure in the West Indies, Jaggernauth may have a thing or two up his sleeve.Fading stars
Barring Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jerome Taylor and Xavier Marshall, the team seems to be a stagnant bunch inside a comfort zone, without the desire to fulfill the potential that got them thus far. Dwayne Bravo has been strung out on his injury, and while he still seems skittish, may be the only other who demonstrates zest for the game. Everyone else seems to be simply standing in the same place.High point
Shivnarine Chanderpaul deserved all the accolades of the year, proving the value of his stoic, unflappable determination to get on with the game. On the third day of the first Test against Australia, he was knocked flat out after a Brett Lee ball smashed into his helmet. He rose up and resumed his innings, scoring a hundred, and then in a spell of inspired bowling, his team-mates reduced Australia to 17 for 4. The Chanderpaul effect was clear, though they lost the match.Low point
The WICB sank even deeper into the culture of ineptitude, bumbling through the entire year until it finally hoisted itself on the petard of greed as the row with Digicel went to court and the board lost millions in the process; it lost Allen Stanford’s millions too. It was as disgraceful as watching the captain stand his ground after he was clearly out in one of the ODIs against Pakistan in November.What 2009 holds
England tours from February for four Tests and five ODIs before West Indies visit England in May for two Tests and three ODIs and the ICC World Twenty20. India will also play West Indies once venues are confirmed.

The France forward made headlines after refusing to sit with his team-mates after being replaced against Monaco, but he can have no complaints

There were only four Paris Saint-Germain fans holding up the banner, but its message was clear. The quartet of ultras stood before the industrial brick of the Parc des Princes on Sunday, proudly displaying a piece of fabric with the block text "KM: Vivement LE 30/06." Or, in English, "KM, looking forward to 30/06."

And so has begun another turn in the Kylian Mbappe story, perhaps the sour beginning of what could be a turbulent final chapter, after the Parisian star revealed his intent to leave the club at the end of the season. Mbappe, for his part, has insisted that he will try his utmost to win trophies before his departure, and has always asserted his desire to fight on all fronts as long as he is still clad in the flashy Air Jordan strip of PSG.

That goodwill might not be mutual, though. Since it became clear that Mbappe will not be PSG player next season, his relationships with manager Luis Enrique and sections of the club's fanbase have deteriorated, the early signs of reluctant acceptance steadily fading. Instead, we now have the Parisian poster boy falling out of favour at his hometown club.

And in this messy organisation – one that Mbappe has had de-facto control of for years now – he should know more than anyone that ruthlessness is embedded within the club. He is now, ironically, suffering from the consequences of an environment that he helped cultivate. Luis Enrique, the relentless authoritarian, has every right to phase his soon-to-depart star out of the line-up – and bench him whenever he wants.

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  The inevitable confirmed

  At first, this all seemed rather civil. The news of Mbappe's pending departure broke inconspicuously, a Thursday mashing of keyboards at laptops all around the world breaking up an already busy news cycle. But there was nothing insidious about the timing. This was not a Wayne-Rooney-esque announcement on the day of a Champions League clash.

  And there seemed to be an acceptance from everyone involved. Mbappe behaved normally on social media and in interviews. Nasser Al-Khelaifi didn't look happy – how could he be? – but he didn't seem despondent, either. Luis Enrique, characteristically, snapped at a question or two, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. No boos rang down from the Parisian ultras; no insulting comments made the rounds on the internet. Even Mbappe's team-mates resisted the urge to express any ill-will.

  The early vibes were good. Him leaving was inevitable, and everyone seemed to know it.

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  Mbappe benched

  The good times only lasted for about 48 hours, though. On February 17, just two days Mbappe's pending Parisian departure was confirmed, he started on the bench for the Parisians' 2-0 win over Nantes. The official club line was that Mbappe needed a day off after playing all 90 minutes in a taxing Champions League clash with Real Sociedad.

  But Mbappe had failed to start in only one previous game for PSG all season, when he played just 40 minutes against Toulouse after working his way back into the side in the wake of a turbulent summer. Back then, Mbappe was forcing his way back into Luis Enrique's good graces after trying to force his way to Madrid a year earlier than the club had planned. He was unable to play the whole game, largely because he was short of full fitness after sitting out a chunk of pre-season.

  So, February 17 felt more like a warning shot. Mbappe, inevitably, came on and scored – burying an effort to finish off a comfortable victory. Since then, he has started both of PSG's subsequent matches, but lasted just over an hour against Rennes, while against Monaco on Friday, he was replaced at half-time. Mbappe reacted by opting not to sit on the bench with the rest of his team-mates for the second half. Instead, he ascended into the Stade Louis II stands, and took in the rest of the game alongside his mother, Fayza Lamari – making time for a few selfies on his walk up.

  Everything looked calm, but Mbappe is clearly not untouchable anymore.

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  Concerning performances

  Mbappe may feel hard-done by here, and he has every right to. No top-level athlete likes to sit on the bench. However, there still is a nagging feeling that the forward hasn't quite been at his best of late. He has scored just once in last three outings, and that came via a late penalty against Nantes in a game that PSG were already leading.

  His most recent showing against Monaco, in particular, was of some concern. In 45 minutes, Mbappe managed just 29 touches, completed only one dribble, and took one shot – which went off target. His work rate in that contest, too, was lacking, and PSG looked better without him after the break.

  This is, admittedly, a small sample size. Zoom out, and Mbappe is still one of the best in the world. He has scored 31 goals and added seven assists for the Parisians this season. Only Harry Kane and Lautaro Martinez have found the net more in domestic competitions. If this were a normal season – and if Mbappe was to play every minute – he could quite comfortably score 50.

  This, then, may be a short-term stumble in his form. Mbappe, under most circumstances, is too good to bench.

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  Luis Enrique doesn't take any sh*t

  And in a way, Luis Enrique has been awaiting this opportunity. His appointment was an inadvertent stroke of luck for the Parisians. It is unclear how far exactly he was down Al-Khelaifi's long-list for the job, but he was certainly not the man they originally wanted. Luis Enrique is supposed to be too strong-willed for a club like PSG.

  But in the nine months since his hiring, the Spaniard has casually taken on more power. First, he showed Neymar the door. Then, he let Marco Verratti walk. And when Mbappe played a high-profile game of brinksmanship over a Saudi Pro League move, it was Mbappe, not Luis Enrique, who blinked first.

  It's the kind of challenge the Spaniard has publicly relished in the past. He had no problems letting Xavi go at Barcelona, and showed little hesitation in challenging both Neymar and Lionel Messi at Camp Nou when needed.

  Mbappe's departure, then, is the change he has been looking for to implement his Parisian vision. The manager oversaw a busy summer of 12 incomings, pushing for the signature of a glut of emerging young talents. And with Mbappe being fazed out, his new post-galactico PSG wave has crashed into the side. Bradley Barcola, Goncalo Ramos and Lee Kang-In have all been offered more minutes.

  Luis Enrique hinted at it last month: "Sooner or later, we have to that we get used to playing without him. It’s my philosophy to think about what's best for the team. I don’t want to argue. It’s my decision.”

Also, what does the series draw mean for Australia, and where do the other teams stand?

Dustin Silgardo12-Jul-2022ESPNcricinfo LtdAre Sri Lanka in with a realistic chance of making the final now?
While Sri Lanka are third, their points percentage of 54.17 needs to improve for them to be contenders. They have four Tests remaining – two at home against Pakistan beginning July 16 and two in New Zealand – the defending champions who are out of the running this time – next year. They need to blank Pakistan 2-0 to be in with a serious chance and would still have to win a Test in New Zealand to take their points percentage to 61.11, which may be enough to qualify if other results go their way. South Africa, currently No. 1, have 71.43, while Australia are on 70.What does the series draw mean for Australia?
The loss in Galle was Australia’s first of this WTC cycle and pushed them to second, behind South Africa. They are still in a strong position. If they win all five of their remaining home Tests – two against West Indies and three against South Africa – they will finish with a points percentage of almost 65 regardless of the result in the four-Test series in India next year. If they lose a Test at home, they will need to win one in India to get to 65 percentage points.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat’s at stake in the Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Test series?
As mentioned, Sri Lanka need a 2-0 win to stay in the hunt. For Pakistan, currently fourth in the table, a 2-0 win would improve their points percentage to 62.96. They would then need to win three and draw two of their five home Tests – three against England, two against New Zealand – to finish above 65 percentage points. If they draw 1-1 against Sri Lanka, they would need to win four home Tests, while losing 0-2 would leave them with no room for error at home.What’s at stake in the England vs South Africa Test series?
The series, starting August 17, is a big one for table-toppers South Africa, who also travel to Australia in December. A 2-1 victory would leave them on a points percentage of 70, meaning even a 1-2 series loss in Australia would still allow them to finish above 65 percentage points as long as they win both home Tests against West Indies. A series loss for South Africa would leave them needing to win 2-1 in Australia to finish above 65 percentage points.Where do India stand?
While India, runners-up in the last WTC final, have slipped to fifth in the table, they will start favourites in the fixtures left in their cycle – a two-Test series in Bangladesh followed by four home Tests against Australia. Winning all six Tests would give India a points percentage of 68.05, which should be enough to make the final. If they lose one out of six, they would finish on 62.50 and would need other results to go their way.

Australia outdid themselves by benching Stuart Clark, but Ben Hilfenhaus ensured Australia’s day wasn’t entirely dominated by defensive tactics from Ricky Ponting

Alex Brown at Cardiff08-Jul-2009Most assumed Steve Harmison’s record for earliest Ashes shock would never be bettered after his opening delivery of the 2006-07 series angled its way to an unamused Andrew Flintoff at second slip. But Australia, ever the innovators, went one better on Wednesday, stunning all and sundry before a ball had been bowled by benching Stuart Clark, the leading wicket-taker of the corresponding series two years ago, in favour of a four-man attack with precisely zero Ashes Tests to their name.The move to elevate Ben Hilfenhaus was widely expected, given Brett Lee’s injury and predictions of heavy atmospheric conditions in Cardiff this week. Though omitted from Australia’s final warm-up match against the England Lions in Worcester, Hilfenhaus’s conventional swing and bustling pace were viewed as desirable assets against an England batting line-up yet to establish itself as an international force.Nathan Hauritz, however, was another matter entirely. If, as one theory goes, selectors should pick their best four bowlers irrespective of conditions, then Hauritz’s record of 2-260 from 68.2 overs in Australia’s two tour matches did not compare with Clark’s 5-151 from 50. His lack of penetration in those matches provided selectors with few grounds for optimism, particularly as they were played on slow, holding pitches similar to the current Sophia Gardens strip against opposition inferior to that offered by England.Clark, undoubtedly, is a force subdued on sluggish pitches, where his generally awkward bounce carries at a less threatening height, but his metronomic accuracy can asphyxiate even the most resolute of batsmen. Still, Australia opted to play for balance and conditions, and the first surprise of this series was sealed before a coin had been flipped. A new Ashes record.Hilfenhaus immediately justified the faith of Andrew Hilditch with an energetic opening spell that yielded the wicket of Alastair Cook. His union with the hard-charging Peter Siddle appeared the most threatening of the morning – the latter roughed up Ravi Bopara and troubled right-handers with inward angling deliveries – but it was Mitchell Johnson who proved the most prolific with the scalps of Strauss and Bopara.The dismissal of Strauss to a brutish, tailing bouncer was comfortably the highlight of Johnson’s outing, which was otherwise notable for a low arm action and, on occasion, a lower head. The intimidating, talismanic paceman of South Africa seldom surfaced on Wednesday, replaced by a throwback model whose lack of lateral movement and periods of inaccuracy blunted his effectiveness. Still, Australia’s prevailing mood was one of optimisim entering the lunch break, with England’s top three back in the pavilion and a jittery Kevin Pietersen to resume.It would not last. Twice in as many hours, Australian fans hollered “why, why, why?” into the ether – the first on account of a Welsh warbler’s rendition of “Delilah”, the second due to a numbing session of play in which Hauritz and Michael Clarke were deployed for an extended period to little effect. Commentators, including Ian Chappell, were underwhelmed at Ponting’s tame field settings, while others questioned the defensive mindset of bowling Clarke, a part-timer, for five overs in the second session of an Ashes series.Hauritz was by no means disgraced, but neither was he threatening after lunch. Extracting subtle turn from the first day wicket, Australia’s oft-criticised spinner was treated with more reverence than in the previous two tour games, albeit at a time when the England run-rate ticked along steadily. His judgement will be deferred until the second innings, when footmarks and a loosening surface should suit, but given his recent history, there must be concern among the Australian camp as to whether he can get the job done.Hauritz will at least be buoyed by the wicket of Pietersen, claimed not so much out of spin or flight but rather the lamentable decision-making of the batsman. Scorecards aren’t so judgemental, though, and the wicket of Pietersen, coupled with that of Paul Collingwood to Hilfenhaus five overs early, rekindled Australian confidence at a time when the day appeared to be lurching England’s way.The tourists’ spirits were lifted further in the final hour when Siddle and his internal V8 engine returned for the wickets of Andrew Flintoff and Matt Prior. Guilty of straying onto the pads in his earlier spells, Siddle tightened his line and troubled England’s batsmen with a full length and swing into the right-handers. Such levels of skill and tenacity are generally associated with spearheads, and it would not surprise if Siddle assumed that mantle from Johnson before the series is out. Hilfenhaus might also have something to say on the matter; the old-ball swing generated in his final spell was Alderman-esque on occasion.

The two batsmen hit counterattacking centuries in the second innings after Central Zone had secured a 111-run first-innings lead in Rajshahi

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2018Mohammad Mithun and Mosaddek Hossain hit centuries to help South Zone secure a draw against Central Zone, after they had conceded a 111-run first-innings lead in Rajshahi.After being sent in, South Zone collapsed to 191 all out in 49.5 overs, with only opener Fazle Mahmud (40) passing 30. Seamer Ebadot Hossain and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took four wickets each for Central Zone.Central Zone’s batsmen showed greater fight and posted 302, with opener Shadman Islam top-scoring with 93. Left-arm spinner
Abdur Razzak, who had recently made a comeback to the national team, claimed 6 for 106 in 31 overs for South Zone.South Zone started shakily in their second innings, too, and were 84 for 3 in the 26th over. Mithun, however, revived the innings with a 193-run stand for the fourth wicket with Tushar Imran. Mithun hit 118 off 121 balls, including 16 fours and a six, while Tushar made 88 off 141 balls, with 10 fours and a six.Mosaddek then took charge of the innings, despite a shoulder injury. He added 53 for the seventh wicket with Ziaur Rahman before adding 121 runs for the eighth wicket with Nayeem Hasan, who chipped in with 43. Mosaddek stayed unbeaten on 102 off 107 balls.Central Zone were 158 for 5 when play was called off on the final day. Razzak took three wickets to stretch his match tally to nine.

In a team shorn of flashy players and big-hitting heavyweights, it was perhaps no surprise that Rajasthan’s win was down to a good old-fashioned all-round effort

Jamie Alter at the PCA Stadium in Mohali24-Mar-2010He wasn’t nearly as quick as Shaun Tait. He didn’t engage in verbal jousts with batsmen or erupt after a wicket like Munaf Patel. He wasn’t the Man of the Match. He didn’t even have the best figures of the game but, as his captain Shane Warne acknowledged later, a “fantastic” Siddharth Trivedi delivered the goods when the ball was thrown to him. Trivedi’s tight first spell revived Rajasthan Royals when Kings XI Punjab were cruising along smoothly and set in motion a dramatic collapse that leapfrogged Rajasthan to joint fourth on the points table.Three nights ago it was Punjab who applied the squeeze on a lacklustre Chennai Super Kings, chipping away with wickets to force a Super Over and then taking the match in tense manner. Tonight, it was their turn to collapse, albeit against a tougher target, from a place of dominance. From a manic 76 for 1 after the Powerplay overs, Punjab lost nine wickets for 67 runs from the time a rampant Manvinder Bisla was dismissed by Warne in the eighth over.Trivedi’s contribution was outstanding. His role, coming in at second change, was not to hurl the ball down at pace but rather to rely on his variations. There was extra bounce on this surface and Trivedi did just that at the right time for success. His first spell came immediately after the Powerplay. At 76 for 1, Punjab had set down a platform, and Bisla was threatening to see them home. From the word go Trivedi settled down to bowl a tight line, using the offcutter and slower delivery to good effect. In his first over he set about the change in tone, conceding just four runs, one of which was a leg bye. Bisla twice tried to skip out and dictate terms, but failed both times. Ravi Bopara, keen to play the sheet anchor’s role, had trouble spotting the slower ball.Only five followed in his second over, during which he surprised Yuvraj Singh with a snorter. The use of the short delivery, particularly against the Indian batsmen, has been successful this season and Trivedi was well aware. In a chase where Punjab needed to score at 9.20 an over, Trivedi had given just nine runs in two overs, and the pressure led to a wicket. Bisla tried to break the shackles against Warne and picked out the fielder in the deep.In his next over, the 11th, Trivedi again repeated the short delivery and got Yuvraj to miscue a pull out to deep square leg, where Michael Lumb put down a straightforward chance. There was hardly time for Rajasthan to react in despair, for two deliveries later Yuvraj misread a slower ball and skied to long-on.Warne kept Trivedi’s last over for later and brought him on for the penultimate over – after Tait bowled a superb 18th – with Punjab needing 43 from 12 balls. The game was Rajasthan’s, but a loose over wasn’t what they required. Trivedi capped his evening with Mahela Jayawardene’s wicket, finishing with 2 for 25.It is important to have wicket-taking options after your new-ball pair and Trivedi provides that. He certainly doesn’t have the conventional fast bowler’s build, but a sprightly leap as he nears the crease and a whippy arm action help him generate decent pace and good bounce. He’s also fairly accurate, and an economy rate of 6.37 after three games is something that some of the established international stars can’t boast of.Trivedi really was a star tonight, bowling at crucial periods, but there were other contributors along the way. Munaf hadn’t had the best of tournament so far – in fact he had yet to bowl a complete spell in any of his matches – but his wobbly medium-pace was ideally suited to conditions under lights. His second and third overs were painful, with Kumar Sangakkara and Bisla tearing into him, but when Warne tossed him the ball ahead of the 13th over, with Punjab 112 for 3, Munaf delivered. Until this time Munaf had appeared disgruntled, and keen to shoot off his mouth at the batsmen, but here he kept a cool head and shut his mouth to bowl a decisive over with two lovely slower deliveries producing wickets.Tait’s evening seemed headed for another poor outing when he had his first delivery put down by the wicketkeeper down the leg side, and soon after when Sangakkara took him for three boundaries in four balls. But Tait banged in a short ball and got the Punjab captain steering to third man. Later, when he was called back to bowl two overs at the death, Tait snuffed out the tail.Punjab’s run-chase stumbled as Warne fell back on his domestic players, and Trivedi and Munaf took pace off the ball in a manner that made them extremely effective in crunch situations. While the master tactician continues to disappoint with the ball, his apprentices are starting to find their feet in this season’s competition. Warne was the first to admit that the manner in which his group responded was brilliant.Much of the credit for this win must go to handy 60-run fourth-wicket partnership between Faiz Fazal and Adam Voges, which in the end was the difference between the two sides. When Rajasthan lost their third wicket wicket they were 111 in 13 overs; Punjab lost their third wicket at 107, after 11 overs. From there, the two innings shaped up differently: while Fazal and Voges lifted Rajasthan’s middle order with a fifty partnership, Punjab’s middle order fell apart in 23 deliveries. Voges, whose last and only two IPL innings have transformed the tone of the innings, was deservedly named Man of the Match.In a team shorn of flashy players and big-hitting heavyweights, it was perhaps no surprise that Rajasthan’s win was down to a good old-fashioned all-round effort.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was guilty of causing damage to a part of the ground during their two-run defeat to hosts Zimbabwe in Bulawayo

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2018Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been suspended from his team’s two remaining Group B matches in the World Cup Qualifier, after he was guilty of causing damage to a part of the ground during their two-run defeat to hosts Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

Injured Stanikzai ruled out of tournament

Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai, who underwent surgery for appendicitis, has been ruled out of the tournament. Stanikzai, whose surgery happened on the eve of his side’s first warm-up match against West Indies, was initially expected to be out for 10 days. Nineteen-year old legspinner Rashid Khan has been captaining Afghanistan in Stanikzai’s absence.
Stanikzai has been replaced by Afsar Zazai, the 24-year old wicketkeeper-batsman, with the ICC’s event technical committee approving the replacement on Wednesday.

Shahzad was the second wicket to fall in Afghanistan’s chase of 197, in the ninth over, after he had settled in with three boundaries. Upset with himself, Shahzad slammed his bat hard onto the adjacent pitch, leaving behind a noticeable divot as a result. He was fined 15 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point for his actions.As this was Shahzad’s second breach of the ICC’s code of conduct within a two-year period – he was fined the whole of his match fee and handed three demerit points after a T20I against UAE in December 2016 – the accumulated four demerit points, as per the ICC’s norms, translated into two suspension points.The latest penalty comes two months into his return to the national squad, after he spent a year out serving a doping ban. Shahzad’s suspension also leaves Afghanistan on shaky ground for the remainder of the group play. Having lost both their matches so far, Afghanistan are desperate to bounce back in upcoming matches against Hong Kong and Nepal to give themselves the best chance of advancing to the Super Sixes round and maintain hope of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in England.In separate incidents during the same match, Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor and 16-year old Afghanistan offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman were also handed out penalties. Taylor was fined 15 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point for showing dissent when umpire C Shamsuddin withheld an lbw appeal against Dawlat Zadran late in the Afghanistan chase. Mujeeb was handed out a 50 percent fine and three demerit points for throwing the ball back at batsman Taylor off his own bowling during the first innings in what the umpires deemed a dangerous manner.Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Nizakat Khan was fined 50 percent of his match fee and given three demerit points for making deliberate and inappropriate contact using his shoulder to barge into Scotland bowler Alasdair Evans while attempting a run.