The board are conscious of the amount of time some players will spend away from home in the World Cup and Ashes

Daniel Brettig02-Feb-2019In the wake of Will Pucovski’s early exit from the Australian squad to better deal with his mental health issues, the Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts has revealed that the governing body will seek to extend the amount of time the families and partners of players and support staff can spend with the team during the long-haul World Cup and Ashes tour of England this year.Speaking the morning after Pucovski chose to leave the Australian squad to return home to the support network he has established after taking time out from the game for mental health reasons earlier this summer, Roberts said that CA was looking at ways of establishing more of a “home base” for the touring teams, particularly players and staff likely to be needed for both the ICC tournament and the five Tests against England to follow.The World Cup squad is set to depart for England in mid-May, with players and staff involved in both assignments not set to return home until late September following the fifth Test at The Oval, entailing a trip of more than four months. Roberts said that it was important for CA to find ways to allow the players and staff to find some semblance of normality and family connection over this long period away from home, beyond the period of about two and a half weeks in which partners and family are usually offered financial support to travel with the team.”If you look at this winter we’ll have some players who are competing in the World Cup and then the Ashes – they’ll be over there for more than four months,” Roberts told . “So we’re actually having discussions now about what can we do to establish a bit of a sense of a home base in the UK for those players and our support staff who are there for such a long time.”How can we get their families in perhaps more than we might have in previous times, because that’s going to be a really exciting period, having a World Cup and an Ashes back to back in England, it’s a once in a lifetime experience for a player or a member of our support team, but at the same time we’ve got to help manage through that process, so it’s something we’re actually talking about now.”Addressing Pucovski’s situation, Roberts said that CA needed to be conversant with the fact that similar episodes are only going to become more prevalent in sport and life in general. “Mental health and wellbeing challenges are more prevalent right across society now aren’t they and it is a rollercoaster that people suffering mental health issues are riding,” he said. “Will’s handling that really maturely and we’ve got a lot of support around him in the form of the team doctor, the sports psych with the men’s team…I’m really proud of the network we’ve now got in place.”I spoke with Will yesterday morning and he was in good spirits in that conversation but it’s really important that he and we acknowledge how he can manage those challenging times. Good on him for identifying that he was experiencing more challenges and that it would be helpful not playing in this Test now, more helpful to move away from this environment and prepare him for getting back on the field in other forms of the game in coming weeks.”Roberts also pointed to the amount of investment committed to player welfare and development under the terms of the MoU struck with the Australian Cricketers Association in 2017. “We’ve invested about AUD13 million over five years in professional development and wellbeing for players,” he said.”It’s just so important to help players manage their wellbeing and also to have something outside their cricket so in those down times, all cricketers experience the bad times as well as the good, it’s really important they’ve got something to think about to occupy their minds outside their cricket.”Australia’s coach Justin Langer, meanwhile, denied that the process of picking Pucovski so soon after he returned to the game, exposing him to the hype of international cricket and then choosing not to select him for either of the two Tests in Brisbane and Canberra, had contributed to the decision to return home early.”I don’t think that [hype then non-selection] has anything to do with it. He and I have had a lot of really good conversations,” Langer told . “There’s a lot of hype, but that’s the Australian cricket team. I’ve been fascinated by the scrutiny coming into the job, I’ve been in this business for 25 years and I’m feeling it.”I can only imagine how some of the young guys are feeling about all the scrutiny. That’s just part of the business we’re in I think it would be great experience for him to have stepped into the jungle for a couple of weeks and see what it’s like, and I’m sure in the future he’s a good young player and he’ll get another chance.””In one way it’s sad, in other ways it’s great courage for a young man. There’s a lot of talk about mental health and he’s been fantastic. He’s been with the group in the last couple of weeks, he’s a sensational young bloke, love watching him bat, he’s a gun fielder, works really hard, but he’s obviously wanting to get on top of it and he’s gone home for a few days and he’s got some Shield cricket coming up and looking forward to seeing him healthy and well. He deserves it, because he’s such a good young bloke.”

Kumar Sangakkara, a member of the MCC World Cricket committee, said there’s “a real opportunity to cement” the future of the format

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Mar-2019Test cricket is dying? Think again. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) announced on Saturday that an overwhelming 86% of fans prefer watching the five-day matches compared to the limited-overs versions, many of them saying Test cricket was the “ultimate” form.The longstanding custodians of the game wanted to assess the popularity of the longest format against the limited-over versions and put out a survey. Here are its major findings.

MCC World Cricket committee members

Mike Gatting (chairman), Suzie Bates, Ian Bishop, Kumar Dharmasena, Sourav Ganguly, Shakib Al Hasan, Rod Marsh, Tim May, Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, Ramiz Raja, Kumar Sangakkara, John Stephenson, Vintcent Van der Bijl and Shane Warne.

What was the MCC survey about?

Titled the ‘MCC Test Cricket survey’, the idea behind the research was to test the popularity and relevance of the longer format among fans, and whether they had the time and inclination to follow the oldest format of the game.

What were the results?

The survey was carried out across 100 countries with over 13,000 fans participating. “Overwhelmingly, Test cricket came out as the format that interests fans the most, regardless of country supported or age,” the MCC said in a release. The results allowed the MCC to conclude that there was a “positive future” for Test cricket based on the review of the survey.One of the most striking findings of the survey was that an average of 86% of the responders said Test cricket remained their “preferred” format followed by ODIs, T20Is and domestic T20s in that order. “Responders to the MCC Test cricket survey still consider the Test format to be the pinnacle of cricket and the favourite format of cricket to attend, follow and watch, with respondents describing the game as the “ultimate” form of cricket,” the MCC said.That finding may raise eyebrows considering global cricket administrators, including the ICC, have acknowledged T20 cricket is the vehicle that is driving the growth of the game.

Have there been other such surveys?

Yes, the ICC conducted one last year, which said cricket had more than a billion fans globally, and close to 70% (of 19,000-plus people between ages 16-69) supported Test cricket.Recently, Dave Richardson, the ICC’s outgoing chief executive who also sits on the MCC World Cricket committee, stressed that Test cricket was not dying, but merely striving for relevance, which would be sorted once the World Test Championship kicks off in July.

Other key findings in the survey

The MCC said over half of the respondents wanted to watch Test cricket regularly but would still like some improvements:

• Addressing the cost and availability of tickets to enable more fans to attend
• Increasing access to Test cricket on free-to-air TV
• Including half-day tickets to encourage families to attend

Any reactions to the MCC survey?

Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain who has been on the MCC World Cricket committee since 2012, said that he was not entirely surprised by the results. He pointed out that series triumphs by India in Australia, Sri Lanka in South Africa and West Indies surprising England at home in the past few months have allowed Test cricket not only to enjoy an “incredible” year but also injected enthusiasm among fans for the longer format.”There’s a real opportunity – and responsibility – for us all to cement the future of our superb longer form,” Sangakkara said.Former England captain Mike Gatting, who is chairman of the MCC World Cricket committee, said that administrators ought to listen to the fans’ concerns in order to stave off the imposing challenge that T20 leagues and forthcoming tournaments like The Hundred pose. He also pointed out that there was a lot of demand for day-night Tests, especially in Asia, and the administrators needed to capitalise on that.”Virat [Kohli] has expressed his commitment to maintaining the position of Test cricket at the top of the sport, while off the back of South Africa’s one-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka Faf [du Plessis] insisted such matches demonstrate Test cricket is still the number one format,” Gatting said.”When you have high-profile leaders like Virat and Faf being part of hugely exciting series, it shows what Test cricket can be. It is easy to see why the format is viewed as the pinnacle of our sport and we want to see it future-proofed and that could include looking at more day-night Tests, which we can see there is a big demand for, especially in Asia.”

Ireland’s last-wicket pair of George Dockrell and Tim Murtagh put together 87 to keep them in the contest after Afghan bowlers run riot

The Report by Shashank Kishore15-Mar-2019Afghanistan were utterly dominant for large parts of the opening day of the one-off Test against Ireland in Dehradun. So much so that a snooze for 25 overs in the second session didn’t cost them much.They let Ireland recover from 69 for 8 to 172, with 37-year old Tim Murtagh becoming the second-oldest No. 11 to score a Test fifty; only South Africa’s Pat Symcox was older when he scored a half-century. The last-wicket pair of Murtagh and George Dockrell added 87 together to frustrate Afghanistan and give their bowlers some leeway, though not much.Afghanistan shelved their firebrand approach to batting, which they displayed during a nervy Test debut nine months ago. Mohammad Shahzad kept lunging forward and defending, pottering to 6 off 35 deliveries as Ireland opened with pace and spin in trying to adopt the very methods that brought Afghanistan much success earlier in the day.But where Afghanistan’s spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Waqar Salamkheil got the ball to bite and zip off the pitch, Ireland were much more traditional, relying on the batsmen to make mistakes. The turn they extracted was slow and Shahzad adjusted nicely. Even then, the odd ball that was dropped short or bowled full was either cut, lofted over mid-on or paddled fine.In the second hour of the final session, Ireland finally managed to induce a mistake as Shahzad stepped out and drilled one back down the pitch. It needed outstanding reflexes from offspinner James Cameron-Dow to move low to his left and pouch the catch to send the danger man back on 40. Cameron-Dow had earlier taken the first wicket when he trapped debutant Ihsanullah Janat with an arm-ball for 7.Tim Murtagh raises his bat after reaching fifty•AFP

Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah ensured there were no further hiccups as Afghanistan closed the day on 90 for 2, trailing Ireland by only 82.As such, Ireland are not entirely out of it, and will be in business if they can strike early on Saturday. That they are in a slightly better position than looked likely after the first session where they were reduced to 69 for 7 was because of their lower-order defiance.William Porterfield called right, but all the batting unit had to show in the first couple of hours was Paul Stirling’s aggressive 26 at the top, 24 off which came off fours, three of them in a single over off Yamin Ahmadzai, Afghanistan’s best fast bowler on the day with returns of 3 for 41. Ireland raced to 37 without loss in the ninth over, and at that stage Afghanistan were struggling, not having bowled a single maiden over.The impressive Ahmadzai, who took the new ball, finally struck when he had Stirling after Afghanistan had strung together 20 dots. He bowled one that nibbled away to take the edge through to the keeper. Exactly six balls later, Porterfield was done in by drift, squared up by one that spun away sharply to be lbw off Nabi.Andy Balbirne walked in at No. 3 and looked every bit a nervous wreck looking for his first Test runs. The debut against Pakistan was far from memorable as he had bagged a pair. Here, he managed just four off a thick outside edge before being done in by Ahmadzai’s nipbacker that sent the off-stump cartwheeling. Spin soon took over.Rashid’s Test inception was forgettable. He was walloped for three fours in his first over by Shikhar Dhawan, and then smacked for two fours and a six off his fourth. Then, he kept over-bowling the googly, dropped short, and failed to have any control over the red ball like he does with the white ball. Here, he was on the money straightaway, picking up two wickets – James McCollum with a googly and Stuart Poynter with a dipping full toss that struck the batsman on the toe – off the first three deliveries.At that stage, Ireland were in danger of being bowled out before lunch. But with Dockrell in the middle, they hobbled to 69 for 7 at the break, and after that Murtagh and Dockrell made sure to turn some of the tide Ireland’s way.In the third ODI earlier on tour, Ireland scripted a remarkable turnaround to level the series, which went on to end 2-2. On that occasion, Dockrell had added 143 for the fifth wicket in a match-turning stand with Balbirnie. Here, with only the No. 11 for company, he batted with plenty of calm and tremendous application to negate Afghanistan’s spin threat.Dockrell wasn’t concerned about farming strike, happy to give Murtagh the strike whenever singles were available – quite easily, because Afghanistan had gone on the defensive. Murtagh, who has solid experience of playing on trickier surfaces at Surrey, repaid that faith. His solidity and strokeplay belied his batting position, and his use of the crease and swift footwork to move forward or rock back to cut the spinners stood out.What started off as a partnership with Dockrell looking the more accomplished batsman soon turned into a stand among equals. Murtagh’s expert reading of the spinners by picking lengths early was a practical lesson his mates in the dressing room would have done well to take note of.Murtagh remained unbeaten at the end, looking good for much more, when Dockrell became Ahmadzai’s third and final wicket of the day.

The latest round-up of how the Australians are performing in the IPL and county cricket as the World Cup and Australia A tours edge closer

Alex Malcolm23-Apr-2019Who’s in form and who’s notSteven Smith has bounced back to form after a bizarre week with back-to-back half-centuries in the IPL. He was dropped by Rajasthan Royals last week for scoring too slowly before being recalled and made captain for the remainder of the season. Against Mumbai Indians on Saturday he was Player of the Match after crafting a classy 59 not out from 48 balls to guide his side home chasing 162. On Monday against Delhi Capitals he made 50 from 32 balls in a 130-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane, although it was in a losing cause.The debate surrounding whether David Warner should open the batting in the World Cup has almost become redundant. He is tearing the IPL apart at the top of the order for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He made his fourth consecutive half-century on Sunday and he has passed 50 in seven of his nine IPL innings so far to be the tournament’s leading scorer by some margin, striking at 148.56.Marcus Stoinis has done some good things for Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last two wins. He made 17 off 8 balls and took 1 for 32 against Kolkata Knight Riders. His late hitting was impressive but it was the three dots he bowled to the rampaging Andre Russell in the 19th over that were just as important in helping RCB to a vital win. He bowled well again against CSK on Sunday, conceding only 20 runs from three overs including just five runs in a crucial 15th over that left MS Dhoni with too much to do. Earlier he took an excellent catch at slip to remove Shane Watson. But he did face five dot balls in making 14 off 13 with the bat.Glenn Maxwell’s first three 50-over outings for Lancashire have yielded scores of 35, 21 and 22. He fell victim to Victoria team-mate James Pattinson trying to move around the crease and hit him over the off side in a cracking game against Nottinghamshire. Maxwell has bowled well in the last two high-scoring games, being used in the Powerplay and conceding only a run-and-a-ball and taking key wickets.Jason Behrendorff has not played in Mumbai’s last two games as they have shuffled their line-up.Chris Lynn, who is not in the World Cup or Australia A squads, made a third half-century for the tournament but it was his slowest, from 45 balls, as his Knight Riders were beaten into submission by Warner’s Sunrisers.James Pattinson bowls•Getty Images

#AsheswatchThe County Championship season gave way to the Royal London One-Day Cup this week and although 50-over white-ball form may not carry as much weight towards Ashes selection there were some noteworthy performances for Australia’s selectors to ponder.James Pattinson raised eyebrows in his first game of the season for Nottinghamshire. In a game where more than 800 runs were scored at Trent Bridge he took 5 for 61 in 10 overs with 30 dot balls, including the prized scalp of Maxwell. But he only bowled five overs in the win over Derbyshire two days later.Cameron Bancroft made a statement with two brilliant unbeaten centuries for Durham to deliver two wins in three days. Batting in an unfamiliar position at No.4 he made 151 not out from 130 balls against Northamptonshire, taking the long handle to West Indies skipper Jason Holder, before adding 118 not out from 117 balls against Leicestershire to control a chase of 234.Matt Renshaw made his first List A century on Sunday for Kent in a loss to Sussex, having missed out in his previous two innings last week. Batting at No.3 he struck four sixes and nine fours, two of which came off England international Chris Jordan, in scoring 109 from 111 balls.Marnus Labuschagne struggled in the three 50-over matches for Glamorgan last week. He managed just 19 runs in three innings. But he took 3 for 46 against Somerset and 1 for 45 against Hampshire with the ball.Peter Siddle took 2 for 27 for Essex in a win against Labuschagne’s Glamorgan. But he was expensive in his second game last week taking 3 for 71 in 10 overs as Middlesex racked up a winning total of 366 at Chelmsford.Daniel Worrall made a successful start for Gloucestershire taking 2 for 22 from four overs in a huge win over Surrey and 2 for 30 in six overs in a loss to Middlesex.Did you see?Ashton Turner has had a disastrous start to his IPL career for Rajasthan Royals. He has become the first player in T20 history to register five ducks in a row after he was dismissed for three consecutive first-ball ducks in the IPL. He replaced Smith against Kings XI but came out to bat in a brutal situation needing 53 runs off 22 balls and understandably holed out first ball. In his second game against Mumbai, he walked out with 15 runs needed from 14 balls. That equation became 9 off 12 when by the time he faced his first ball but Jasprit Bumrah trapped him plumb in front. Against Delhi Capitals, he took strike with 21 balls remaining with a licence to go after a great platform had been set but he chipped his first ball to cover. Turner’s last five T20 innings read 0, 0, 0, 0 and 0 dating back to the end of the BBL season. However, he did make that stunning 84 not out from 43 balls in Australia’s ODI miracle at Mohali in the middle of that sequence.Injury listMoises Henriques hadn’t played a game in this year’s IPL but was due to get his first against the Royals last week only to injure his ankle in the warm-up. His injury looks likely to have ended his tournament before it even started. However, there is good news on Smith’s elbow with the new Royals captain declaring he is only “two weeks away” from being able to throw properly again.Performance of the weekThere were lots of runs plundered by Australians in India and England, but it was hard to go past Pattinson’s performance. Nottinghamshire and Lancashire made 823 runs in 100 overs at Trent Bridge. Three players made centuries including former South Africa international Dane Vilas who made 166 from 100 balls in the chase for Lancashire. Not only was Pattinson incredibly economical in the run-feast, his five wickets included Maxwell and Vilas to help Nottinghamshire ice the game.

Notts batsman will begin county comeback as England team-mates begin their one-off ODI against Ireland in Dublin

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2019Alex Hales has been given a clear warning about his future as he prepares to make his return to action for Nottinghamshire against Durham in Grantham on Friday, following the 21-day drugs ban that led to his axing from the England World Cup squad.Fitness permitting, Hales – who was said to be “devastated” after being stood down from England’s 15-man preliminary squad for the World Cup – will begin his comeback in the Royal London Cup at the same time that his former team-mates begin their one-off ODI against Ireland in Dublin.He will do so with an unequivocal warning from his county ringing in his ears, after the club said in a statement that his actions, which include two failed tests for recreational drugs as well as his role in the fracas outside a Bristol nightclub in September 20117, “have, at times, fallen way short of the behaviours the club expects from any of its staff”.Hales, who is on a white-ball-only contract at Nottinghamshire after making himself unavailable for four-day cricket last season, has missed the entirety of the club’s Royal London campaign to date. He is out of contract at the club at the end of the season, making the remaining two group matches, as well as the knock-out phases for which the club is well placed to progress, especially crucial to the rebuilding of his career.”The recent events in relation to Alex Hales have been difficult for everyone involved with Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club,” said the club on its website. “Alex’s off-field actions have, at times, fallen way short of the behaviours the club expects from any of its staff.”Hales attended an England squad get-together in Cardiff over the weekend, but was removed from the squad on Monday morning, reportedly with the blessing of the team hierarchy, who believe his behavioural issues, and his lack of repentance, are an unwelcome distraction on the eve of the team’s biggest challenge.And, having met with Nottinghamshire’s management to assess his readiness for a comeback, Hales would appear now to have recognised that the situation he is in is one of his own making, having initially accused the ECB of reneging on a commitment to back him in spite of his ban.”Following his withdrawal from all England squads this week, we have met with Alex to express our concerns and to re-iterate that such actions cannot continue,” said the club.”The meeting was open, honest and constructive and a way forward was agreed between both parties. Alex has expressed a great deal of regret and contrition for his actions and he has ultimately paid a heavy price.”He accepts that the position he finds himself in is of his own making. He knows he has a long road back to redeem himself in the eyes of many people, but that now has to be his aim.”After much deliberation, we believe it’s in the best interests of all concerned for him to get back to playing cricket for Nottinghamshire as quickly as possible.”With his suspension now served, he is available for selection for all white-ball cricket for the remainder of the 2019 season, starting with the fixture against Durham on Friday.”As Alex’s County Club, we will work with him, the PCA and the ECB to look after his welfare and to ensure he receives the support and guidance he needs to work through this experience and to prevent any re-occurrences.”

Can South Africa end New Zealand’s unbeaten run at the 2019 World Cup? Follow ESPNcricinfo’s Live Report to stay tuned in on all the action

Liam Brickhill19-Jun-2019

Waugh will link up with the tour ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1 as Australia seek to win their first away Ashes since 2001

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2019Australia will continue to dip into their deep supply of former greats with former captain Steve Waugh joining the Ashes squad as a mentor.Waugh will link up with the tour ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1 as Australia seek to win their first away Ashes since 2001.Waugh played in nine Ashes series, losing just his first in 1986-87, and piled up 3173 runs in the contests at an average of 58.75. He captained two of the series, including 2001 on English soil.Head coach Justin Langer has been keen to integrate the knowledge and experience of former players. Ricky Ponting has been an assistant coach during the World Cup while Matthew Hayden and Mitchell Johnson worked with the squad on the tour of India earlier this year.”I know it is something that JL [Langer] and myself have been quite big on, that is to try and get some of our past legends in and around the team,” Test captain Tim Paine told . “I think to have someone like him around during a Test series is going to be great for our whole group.””I know I will be trying to bounce off him as much as I can. As I said, coming to England at times, particularly with the pressure and scrutiny that is around the team at the moment, I think he is someone who is regarded for handling that sort of stuff really well.”

Head coach leaves after almost fours years in the role, having overseen 2017 World Cup success

George Dobell20-Aug-2019Mark Robinson is to leave his role as head coach of England women’s team. Robinson oversaw England’s victory in the 2017 World Cup but has subsequently seen his side overwhelmed by Australia in the Ashes amid criticism that few young players have established themselves in the side.Appointed in late 2015, Robinson created waves with his decision to drop Charlotte Edwards, his side’s captain and senior player, after a disappointing showing in the 2016 World T20. But when his new appointment, Heather Knight, led the side to victory at Lord’s in 2017, it seemed English cricket could be at the start of a bright new era.It was not to be. A lack of depth in the game and improvements in the development programmes of other nations saw England’s results falter, with a 12-4 defeat to Australia this summer suggesting a chasm had grown between the sides. Like many coaches before him, Robinson has found that Ashes failure will not be tolerated. England are currently third in the ODI rankings and second in the T20I rankings.”Mark can reflect on his time as England coach with a great deal of pride,” Clare Connor, the ECB’s managing director of women’s cricket, said. “Winning the Women’s World Cup in 2017 in front of a packed Lord’s was a landmark moment for the whole game and his leadership and professionalism were an integral part of our success.”He drove high standards across young players to become the best team in the world as well as coaching them to understand the demands of professional sport.”Mark passionately championed the development of the women’s game during his time in this role and we thank him for all he has contributed to England women’s cricket during such an exciting stage of our journey. However, after discussions with Mark, we have agreed that now is the right time for him to step down as England Women’s Head Coach.”It is important that we give Mark’s successor time to shape the team’s future direction and to begin to develop strong relationships with the players as we plan for the next phase of our international calendar.”Assistant coach, Alastair Maiden, will take temporary charge of the team, whose next commitment is an ICC Women’s Championship series against Pakistan in December. The first task for Robinson’s successor will be to oversee England’s campaign at the 2020 Women’s World T20, taking place in Australia early next year.”Although the recent Ashes was a difficult series, a few hard weeks doesn’t take anything away from what has been a wonderful four years,” Robinson said. “I’ve had so many highlights and memorable moments with the team.”Nothing could ever surpass winning the Women’s World Cup on home soil, but from a pure coaching perspective, reaching the T20 final last November – with a depleted team, three non-contracted players and three players twenty years old or younger – is a huge personal highlight.”It’s been exciting to watch so many players grow and to watch so many records broken, but it feels the right time for me to take on a new challenge and to allow a different voice to come in before the next T20 World Cup in Australia. We have put a lot of groundwork in place, and this, coupled with the new investment into the women’s game will make a huge difference in time.”I would like to thank everyone associated with England Women for all the kindness and support they have shown me and wish Heather and the team all the best for the future.”

Gunathilaka and Sandakan make ODI comebacks after missing Bangladesh series; Rajapaksa and Banuka uncapped members in tour party

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2019Lahiru Thirimanne and Dasun Shanaka have named Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20I captains respectively for the limited-overs tour of Pakistan.The announcement comes two days after Dimuth Karunaratne and Lasith Malinga, the incumbents, informed the Sri Lanka Cricket of their unwillingness to tour Pakistan, along with eight others, citing security concerns.Minod Banuka, the 24-year old wicketkeeper-batsman, is the only uncapped member in the 15-man ODI squad. Banuka along with Bhanuka Rajapaksa are the two uncapped names in the T20I squad. Banuka has been part of Sri Lanka’s Emerging squad while Rajapaksa was on Sri Lanka A’s tour of India in June.Danushka Gunathilaka, who was dropped for the home ODIs against Bangladesh along with left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan have also been included in both squads.Thanks in part to the withdrawals, batsman Oshada Fernando also finds himself back in the ODI squad, following an encouraging start to his career in South Africa earlier this year. He’s been picked for the T20s as well.The attacks will ostensibly be led by Nuwan Pradeep, as well as left-armer Isuru Udana, who is missing the Caribbean Premier League to be available for this tour. Younger quicks Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha are also in both squads.Sri Lanka and Pakistan are scheduled to play three ODIs in Karachi on September 27, 29 and October 3 before they move to Lahore for the T20I leg that concludes on October 9.By hosting the limited-overs series first, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hoped to convince Sri Lanka Cricket that the nation was secure enough to host Test cricket, starting with the teams’ World Test Championship matches, presently scheduled for December.ODI squad: Lahiru Thirimanne (capt), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru KumaraT20I squad: Dasun Shanaka (capt), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Minod Bhanuka, Lahiru Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara

First Championship win for four months in sight after a day of dominance at New Road

ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2019 Worcestershire 205 (Hogan 4-53) and 153 for 2 (Rutherford 52, Mitchell 52*) lead Glamorgan 193 (Morris 5-73) by 165 runs
Paceman Charlie Morris and openers Hamish Rutherford and Daryl Mitchell have left Worcestershire daring to dream of a first Specsavers County Championship win for four months after a day of dominance against Glamorgan at Blackfinch New Road.Paceman Morris earned Worcestershire a narrow first innings lead with his third five wicket haul of the season. He finished with figures of 5 for 73 from 17.5 overs as the visitors were dismissed for 193 in 65.5 overs to give Worcestershire a 12-run advantage.Rutherford then raced to a 51-ball half century and, with Mitchell digging in for an unbeaten 52, Worcestershire closed day two on 153 for 2.It was a rare day of success for the home side who began the campaign as one of the favourites for promotion but who went into this game just five points ahead of bottom-placed Leicestershire.Glamorgan will be hoping to make significant inroads tomorrow morning otherwise they could be facing a major fourth-innings target on a wicket still offering some assistance to the bowlers.Morris struck in successive overs after Glamorgan resumed on 44 for 2 when West Indian opener Kraigg Brathwaite (19) was caught behind and Billy Root (8) drove a wide delivery to cover.Samit Patel (5), on loan from Nottinghamshire, pulled a short ball from Adam Finch straight to deep backward square, before Moeen Ali held onto a sharp head high return catch offered by David Lloyd (35). Captain Chris Cooke (24) then fell victim to a low first slip catch by Riki Wessels off Joe Leach.Morris returned after lunch to bowl Ruaidhri Smith (18) and completed his five-for by having Michael Hogan (15) caught at deep fine leg while in between Lukas Carey (16) drilled Moeen straight to cover.Rutherford (52) ensured Worcestershire built on their narrow first innings advantage in quickfire fashion. He reeled off a series of impressive drives and raced to a 51-ball half century with nine boundaries out of an opening stand of 70 with Mitchell.The New Zealander eventually edged Smith to second slip but Moeen kept the momentum going for the home side. He swept Patel for four and twice cover drove Smith to the ropes as the Worcestershire 100 came up in the 26th over.But after making 26 the England all-rounder aimed a big shot through mid-wicket off Patel and holed out to Hogan at mid off.Mitchell completed his first half century since an unbeaten 64 against Glamorgan at Cardiff in early July shortly before the close with a cover drive for four off Smith. It was his sixth boundary and came from 143 balls.Jack Haynes also batted with great maturity and patience on his home Championship debut and was unbeaten on 22 at the close after surviving an early chance.