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The XXXX Queensland Bulls have named rookie right-hand opener DanielPayne to replace Australian One Day player Jimmy Maher for this week’scritical Pura Cup clash against Victoria at the Gabba.Payne, 23, is in his first season with the Queensland Academy of Sportsquad after impressing in the past two seasons for Redlands in theBrisbane club competition.He and left-arm spinner Matthew Anderson come into the Bulls squad forthe Bushrangers match which starts on Wednesday at the Gabba.Queensland need a minimum of first innings points to ensure they hostthe Final, with Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia allvying for a berth in the decider.Payne, who has scored 540 runs for Redlands in the XXXX First Gradepremiership this season, will be the seventh player to make either hisfirst class or one-day debut for the Bulls this season.A Queensland Primary Schools and Secondary Schools representative, hemade his first grade debut for Gold Coast as a teenager before switchingto Redlands Tigers three seasons ago.He turned out for the QAS team that played matches against New Zealandin October, scoring a brace of half centuries against the Kiwis.Anderson, who was 12th man in the Bulls win over South Australia inAdelaide, replaces Nathan Nauritz who will depart along with Maher andthe rest of the Australia One Day squad on Saturday for South Africa.The Bulls will train tomorrow from 9am at the Gabba while Victoria havescheduled a session for 12.15pm at the Gabba. The Bushrangers are yet toname their team.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Victorian Bushrangers, Wed-Sat, The Gabba:Stuart Law (c), Brendan Nash, Daniel Payne, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds,Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Michael Kasprowicz, JoeDawes, Scott Brant, Matthew Anderson (12th man to be named).

Hampshire have signed Ottniel Baartman, the South Africa seamer, for the second half of their Vitality Blast campaign. Baartman replaces Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq, who has pulled out for personal reasons.Baartman, 31, has yet to be capped by his country but was named in South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad and could make his debut in their series in the West Indies starting later this week. He played under Adi Birrell, Hampshire’s head coach, for back-to-back SA20 champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, where he was also a team-mate of Liam Dawson.”I’m really looking forward to joining up with Hampshire Hawks for my first experience of county cricket,” Baartman said, “it’s great to link back up with Adi Birrell and Liam Dawson who I know well from the SA20. I’ve heard great things about the atmosphere at Utilita Bowl and I can’t wait to get playing in front of the Hawks fans this summer.”Related

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Baartman will take over from Michael Neser, who has signed for the first eight Blast group games, joining Ben McDermott among Hampshire’s overseas options. He will be available for six fixtures in July, starting with the trip to Middlesex, as well as the knockout stages in September if Hampshire progress.Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said: “It’s a great boost to the squad that Ottniel is available and keen to join us after the World Cup. He fits the role perfectly and comes off the back of an outstanding domestic summer in South Africa.”

Virat Kohli has indicated that he will bat at No. 3 during the T20 World Cup, reversing his desire to open with Rohit Sharma, which he expressed during the home T20 series against England in March. Speaking on Monday at the toss ahead of India’s first warm-up match against England, Kohli said KL Rahul’s commanding form in the IPL was so compelling that he was the best choice to be Rohit’s opening partner.”Things were different before IPL started and now KL Rahul is playing the way he is, so it’s very hard to look past him at top of the order,” Kohli said. “Rohit is a no-brainer. He has been a world-class player right at the top of the order for us. I will be batting at three.”In the 16 matches he has played at the previous three T20 World Cups, Kohli has always batted at No. 3. Kohli was the highest run-getter in the 2014 edition of the tournament, and the second-highest in 2016.But in March, after India’s emphatic win in the fifth T20I against England, Kohli said he would “like to partner” with Rohit because of the potential “damage” each batter was capable of causing once set.The 94-run opening partnership between Rohit and Kohli was the scaffolding on which India built the win, with the captain batting through the innings and scoring an unbeaten 52-ball 80. Rahul was dropped for the final T20I after scoring just 15 runs in the first four games, including two ducks.KL Rahul is set to reclaim his opening slot after finishing the IPL as its third-highest run-getter•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

That was only the seventh occasion on which Kohli opened for India in T20Is, but he said he would open for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL to prepare for the World Cup. Kohli finished this IPL with 405 runs at a strike rate of 119.46 and an average of 28.92.In 16 T20 games this year, including 15 in the IPL, Kohli has opened the batting and managed strike rates of 129.00 in the powerplay and 112.57 in the middle overs. The middle-overs strike rate is the lowest among Indian batters who have batted five or more times this year.In contrast Rahul, leading Punjab Kings, once again finished among the IPL’s most prolific batters, finishing as the third-highest runmaker with 626 runs. Although the Kings failed to make the play-offs, Rahul ended the tournament with a spectacular, unbeaten 42-ball 98 against eventual champions Chennai Super Kings, one of the innings of the tournament.Since 2018, Rahul has been the highest run-getter in the IPL with 2548 runs, winning the Orange Cap (most runs) in the 2020 edition. While announcing the India 15 for the World Cup, Chetan Sharma, India’s chief selector, had nominated Rohit and Rahul as the first-choice openers with Ishan Kishan as the back-up, without naming Kohli. Against England in the warm-up game, both Rahul and Kishan were part of the playing XI with Rohit resting.This World Cup is Kohli’s final assignment as India’s T20I captain after he announced recently that he would step down from the leadership position in the shortest format. Kohl said India were “pretty sorted” about their planning ahead of the first match in the tournament, on October 24 in Dubai against Pakistan.

Sammy-Jo Johnson, the Sydney Thunder and New South Wales allrounder, believes the Hundred can benefit the women’s game around the world with the increased exposure it has given players.Johnson, who played for Trent Rockets, finished as the tournament’s joint second-leading wicket-taker with 15 at 10.26 and an economy rate of 1.14 runs per ball. She was one of a group of fringe Australia players who took part following the withdrawal of the main international names although Johnson had been in discussions with clubs before the pull outs.She is still undertaking her two weeks quarantine on return to Australia having had three flights cancelled due to the government cap on the number of arrivals, but was prepared for the potential challenges of the journey and was in no doubt of the benefits for both herself and others players who had the opportunity to make a name for themselves.”I just wanted to go over and mix it with some different people, franchise cricket allows you to mix it with some of the best in the world and I had the opportunity to do that with Trent Rockets,” Johnson told ESPNcricinfo. “I wanted to learn from those sorts of people, play in different conditions and try to advance my skill set. I think it opens up avenues, for someone like me it’s an opportunity on a world-class stage with world-class players.Related

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“Especially with the way the world is at the moment, we are going to miss England players and maybe some other internationals who can’t make it to the WBBL and some may pull out due to the restrictions.”Looking at that tournament and seeing how the second tier players like myself [performed] will only be good for them and [maybe] teams will think get them into the Big Bash. It’s like the men’s franchises, you don’t have to be a nationally contracted player to give yourself a name in this short format circuit so I think it will only be beneficial for women’s cricket around the world.”Johnson was also of the belief that some of the new rules used in the Hundred could easily find a place in T20, picking out the new batter being on strike after a dismissal and bowling consecutive overs from one end as being two particularly successful ones.Sammy-Jo Johnson celebrates a wicket for Trent Rockets•Getty Images

“In T20, you might pick up a couple of wickets at the back end but if you still have an ‘in’ batter and you can’t get the new batter on strike that’s where you struggle,” she said. “Taking wickets and having the new person face up was crucial at swinging momentum. I think it’s a great initiative and they should bring it into T20 cricket because think it can swing the game, especially at the back end.”Another hugely successful part of the tournament, which came about due to Covid-19, was the double-header match days involving both the men’s and women’s teams from the clubs involved. It is a structure the Big Bash has moved away from with the WBBL now a standalone competition, but Johnson said the brevity and timing of the Hundred helped it work.”The difference from when we had WBBL and BBL double-headers in the past, you had such a big gap which is why it never worked for us. With the Hundred being such a short game and the way they time it, I think it’s fantastic for the game over there. That real franchise feel, doesn’t matter if it’s the boys or girls team, people were showing up in droves, they wanted to support the Trent Rockets, for example, as a whole.”When Johnson emerges from quarantine she will begin preparations for Thunder’s title defence in the WBBL with the early-season WNCL matches having been postponed to December. She is prepared for the likelihood of another period in quarantine before the tournament but said that players will do whatever is needed.”That’s the common theme around the traps, everyone wants to play WBBL,” she said. “There’s the prospect that if I go home I have to do a double quarantine to then participate and that’s something girls are willing to do so we can put this competition on and keep putting highly entertaining cricket on TV if Covid is going to be around. I’m all about entertaining and hopefully we can put on another good show this year.”

Mark Chapman, who represented Hong Kong at the T20 World Cup in 2014 and 2016, has been named in New Zealand’s 15-member squad for the 2021 edition to be played in the UAE and Oman this October-November.There was no place for Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme and Finn Allen. But Todd Astle, the 34-year-old legspinner and all of four T20Is old, was picked along with two other spinners in the squad – legspinner Ish Sodhi and left-arm spinning allrounder Mitchell Santner – for surfaces that will most likely aid turn.Fast bowler Adam Milne was named as a standby who will travel with the squad, but will be called upon only as an injury replacement.The same squad will also tour India later this year for three T20Is.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The squad features four frontline fast bowlers – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson. Barring Southee, the other three would have had considerable training and match time at the IPL leading into the World Cup.Boult is part of the Mumbai Indians attack, while Jamieson and Ferguson are key fast bowlers for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively. Like the faster men, Williamson and Jimmy Neesham, too, will head from the IPL into the World Cup, where New Zealand are yet to make a final.Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips are the two wicketkeeping options. New Zealand can also call upon a third, Devon Conway, if required. Conway’s inclusion in the squad is a possible sign that the finger injury he sustained while batting for Southern Brave in the Hundred earlier this month, isn’t very serious. The Wellington batter enjoyed a prolific maiden season as an international cricketer, one that culminated with New Zealand beating India to be crowned the inaugural World Test Champions.Among the absentees, Taylor, a veteran of 102 T20Is, last featured in a T20I in November last year and de Grandhomme, meanwhile, hasn’t featured in a T20I for close to 17 months, having last played India in January 2020. Allen, the highest run-scorer in the Super Smash last season, also missed out. Allen smashed 512 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 193 for tournament winners Wellington Firebirds. Those performances earned him a T20I debut against Bangladesh in March. He also earned a maiden IPL call-up on the back of a breakout season, picked by Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers.New Zealand are placed in Group 2 alongside India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and two qualifiers at the T20 World Cup. After that, they will fly out to India for a T20I series followed by two Tests. NZC will announce the Test squad after a month or so.Squad for T20 World Cup and India T20Is: Kane Williamson (capt), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Adam Milne (injury cover)

The BCCI’s special general meeting was adjourned on Sunday because the board decided to wait for a Supreme Court directive on whether disqualified office bearers could attend meetings of the Indian board or the ICC. The adjournment happened because some disqualified office bearers like N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah attended the meeting in Delhi. The court is expected to give its decision at a hearing on Monday.The Supreme-Court appointed Committee of Administrators, which runs the Indian board, had sought the urgent intervention of the Court in the matter two days before the meeting, following the likelihood that office bearers disqualified under the Lodha Committee’s recommendations would attend. The CoA had also warned state associations that only eligible officials could attend Sunday’s meeting.However, the special general meeting, chaired by acting BCCI president CK Khanna, was attended by former president Srinivasan, former Saurashtra Cricket Association secretary Niranjan Shah, and former Kerala Cricket Association president TC Mathew, who are in violation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. Both Shah and Mathew attended the meeting as representatives of their state associations. BCCI CEO Rahul Johri did not attend the meeting, neither did any member of CoA.One of the points on the agenda for Sunday’s meeting was to pick a BCCI representative for crucial ICC board meetings later this month, where resolutions concerning governance structures and revenue distribution could come up for voting. The Indian board’s office bearers reportedly want to nominate Srinivasan as the representative.Srinivasan, who represented the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association at the SGM, is in violation of the Lodha Committee recommendations on three fronts. He is past the age cap of 70 years and has also completed nine years as office-bearer of both the TNCA and the BCCI, which disqualifies him automatically. Srinivasan has not yet resigned as TNCA president, violating the Supreme Court’s order of July 2016, which had approved the Lodha Committee recommendations.Srinivasan, also a former chairman of the ICC, was one of the individuals responsible for a phase of governance and financial restructuring in cricket’s governing body that gave greater power to the BCCI, Cricket Australia and the ECB. The ICC has recently sought to overturn those changes with the introduction, in principle, of a new constitution that attempts to correct the imbalance of power given to the three boards. The Big Three rollback was initiated during the tenure of Shashank Manohar, who replaced Srinivasan as ICC chairman in November 2015.

Former team director Ravi Shastri has issued heavy criticism of the recently revised payment structure for India’s cricketers.Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators that now runs the BCCI had doubled the Grade A contracts from INR 1 crore to INR 2 crore (USD 300,000 approx). However, it was later learnt that the hike did not meet the player’s demands. Shastri felt similarly underwhelmed. “Two crore is nothing, two crore is peanuts,” he told reporters in Mumbai.The major point of contention centred around the current method of revenue sharing. The board receives a lion’s share of its income through television rights and 70% of it goes to the state associations. Additionally, the players were not pleased that their salaries were lower than counterparts in Australia and England.Sources suggested that Joe Root and Steven Smith were paid INR 8 crore to INR 12 crore. In comparison, the Grade A contracted players in the Indian team – Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, M Vijay and MS Dhoni – were on INR 2 crore retainers.”The grade contracts of a Test player should be the highest.” Shastri said. “Pujara should be the highest, on par with the top players. Your A grade contracts should be massive. I know it has been increased by double but there is room for [more].”An ‘A’ grade cricketer like Pujara should get a massive amount where he is not bothered whether he plays IPL or not. In fact, he will be happy, he can say ‘I will play two months of county cricket’.”There had been no changes to India’s retainer contracts since 2010. The first steps to the current revisions were taken earlier this month when head coach Anil Kumble met with the CoA on behalf of the players.

Morne Morkel has been included in South Africa’s Test squad to tour New Zealand in March after recovering from a career-threatening back injury, which kept him out of the national team since June. Morkel forms part of a six-member-strong pace pack, which also includes Vernon Philander, who has recovered from an ankle impingement sustained after the Sri Lanka Tests, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, and allrounders Wayne Parnell and Chris Morris.In the absence of AB de Villiers, who opted out of Test cricket for most of 2017, South Africa are taking reserve batsman Theunis de Bruyn and uncapped Titans wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, who finished seventh on the batting charts in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition.

South Africa’s Test squad to NZ

Faf du Plessis (capt), Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Theunis de Bruyn, Heinrich Klaasen, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris
In Heinrich Klaasen, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris

Klaasen was preferred over Knights’ keeper Rudi Second, who was a spot a above him on the run-scorers’ list and was considered the favourite to deputise for Quinton de Kock now that Dane Vilas has signed a Kolpak deal. However, the selectors decided to give Klaasen a go, although they have assured Second he still remains in their plans. “Heinrich is a guy that struck us as someone who has the capability of coping at international level. He is a good striker of the ball and tight behind the stumps,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors told ESPNcricinfo. “But it was touch and go between him and Rudi, and they are both on our radar.”South Africa’s batting line-up is unchanged from the seven specialists who did duty in Australia and against Sri Lanka with Dean Elgar and Stephen Cook at the top, followed by Hashim Amla, captain Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and JP Duminy, but there will be a conundrum in the bowling department, where South Africa have given themselves plenty of choice. “We are still looking to see who will assist Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander,” Zondi said. “But our plan is to use our senior guys.”That suggests Morkel will edge ahead of the rest, despite a lengthy period of time out of the game and limited game-time in the lead-up to the series. Since being diagnosed with a bulging back disc after the CPL last year, Morkel has played one first-class game for the Titans, three warm-up matches during South Africa’s Test tour of Australia and one List A game for his franchise. At the time of writing, Morkel had been named in the Titans XI for a second one-day cup game before heading off at the weekend. Zondi admitted Morkel’s inaction is a concern but insisted his experience is a necessity. “Time away is always a concern but we need experience in the bowling so we’ll see how he goes,” Zondi said.Morkel is not the only one who has had a long lay-off recently. Morris spent three months recovering from a knee injury before making a comeback in the ODIs against Sri Lanka and he has since impressed enough to also earn a Test recall. Morris played two Tests in January 2016 against England, when South Africa had a glut of injuries, and was thought to have fallen down the pecking order but has now forced his way back in. “What has been so impressive is how he has understood his job. His primary role is to bowl and the batting is a bonus and that is exactly how he is tackling things,” Zondi said. “We have always wanted a seam-bowling allrounder and now we are finding we have a few.”Morris and Parnell are the two in the Test squad but both could end up confined to the bench with Duanne Olivier also competing for the third seamer’s spot. Olivier, who was the leading bowler in this season’s first-class competition and the only one to take more than 50 wickets, made his debut during the Wanderers Test against Sri Lanka and impressed with pace, bounce and aggression. He was selected alongside Parnell in all-pace attack in that match; although he took one wicket fewer than Parnell, Olivier was more economical. In the aftermath of Kyle Abbott’s exit, Olivier has emerged as a serious contender for the third seamer’s spot and, if given the opportunity, could stake a serious claim in New Zealand.The only bowling place not up for debate is that of the spinner because South Africa are traveling with only one. Keshav Maharaj has retained his place in an expanded 16-man squad. Given the distance and time difference to New Zealand, South Africa are opting for extra men to ensure they have all bases covered. The Test squad members who are not already in New Zealand will travel there this weekend.The three-Test series will begin from March 8 with the first match in Dunedin, followed by Tests in Wellington and Hamilton.

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has insisted its warning to players thinking of playing in the Pakistan Super League final in Lahore is from “highly credible security experts” and “in line with advice from government agencies and diplomatic missions.”FICA was fiercely criticised by the PCB after circulating a memo to players, players’ associations and players’ agents that spoke of “an extremely elevated” risk level in Pakistan. And while they stopped just short of advising players not to travel – they do not have the power to prevent them from doing so – they did conclude that “an acceptable level of participant security and safety cannot be expected or guaranteed.”That warning infuriated the PCB who responded by calling FICA’s approach “careless and cavalier.” Stating that “not a single foreigner or hotel has been attacked in Lahore in the last five years” the PCB scolded FICA for making “a sweeping negative statement about the security situation” from “thousands of miles away.”Although FICA have now expressed “great sympathy for fans and players in Pakistan” and stated they “we would like to see the PSL succeed” they have reiterated that their responsibility and priority was “the safety and security of players” and have stood by their earlier comments warning of an “elevated security risk” when visiting Pakistan.Responding to the PCB’s claim that FICA “cannot name even one credible security expert” which might have informed their original statement, FICA clarified that they utilised the advice of Eastern Star International (ESI). That is the company headed by Reg Dickason, who has provided security advice to the ECB, CA, NZC and the ICC among others and who recently gave the go-ahead for England’s tour of Bangladesh.”FICA relies on advice given by expert security consultants, Eastern Star International (ESI),” their statement reads. “ESI has supplied security services over several years to a number of cricket boards and international teams around the world and to the International Cricket Council (ICC).”FICA sent a confidential memorandum highlighting the advice received from ESI relating to the elevated security risk for them of playing in Pakistan. The elevated risk is in line with advice from government agencies and diplomatic missions of several countries regarding travel by foreigners to Pakistan.”FICA also suggested the PCB was “not responsive” to attempts to discuss their security concerns relating to playing the PSL final in Lahore and reiterated the security situation which has led to the almost complete absence of top-level cricket from Pakistan since 2009.”Since the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore Pakistan has played bilateral home series matches against ICC full member countries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for security reasons,” the FICA statement says. “The only full member men’s team to tour Pakistan in this time was Zimbabwe in 2015. The ICC declined to send its match officials to Pakistan to officiate in this series for security reasons. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device outside the stadium in Lahore shortly before the 2nd ODI of the series, killing himself and a policeman.”The PCB is staging all PSL matches, except the planned final in Lahore, in the UAE for security reasons. Several months ago the PCB consulted FICA in relation to provisions of the standard player contract for the PSL. When FICA expressed possible security concerns relating to playing the final in Lahore the PCB was not responsive to FICA on this issue.”Tony Irish, FICA’s Executive Chairman, said: “Players around the world from affiliated countries have always looked to FICA to provide them with information relating to security risks of playing in various parts of the world. It is our responsibility to provide this information, which we obtain from highly credible security experts, so that players can make informed decisions.”The PCB has made clear that the PSL final will be played in Lahore on March 7 whether overseas players participate or not.

India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar has said that increased batting practice for the side’s lower-order batsmen has led to greater contributions from them.

India’s Nos 7 to 9 in series in 2016

• v England: 704 runs; average: 41.41; team tally: 3135

• v New Zealand: 312 runs; average: 52; team tally: 1984

• v West Indies: 305 runs; average: 30.50; team tally 1559

Under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, India have largely opted for a five-bowler strategy, and the lower order has taken some of the pressure off the frontline batsmen with their knocks, which have sometimes turned matches for the side.In the recent five-match Test series against England, which India won 4-0, the performances of the hosts’ lower order was a significant difference between the two sides. R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav played important knocks in Mohali, Mumbai and Chennai. Led by these three players, India’s last four wickets averaged 48.23 runs per completed partnership, while England’s average was less than half that value. Overall, in 2016, India’s batsmen at these positions scored 1321 runs in 12 matches – second only to England’s 2334 in 17 matches – and their average of 40.03 was the highest in Tests.”I believe the only way to polish your skills is to train in a correct manner with a lot of quantity and a clear plan,” Bangar told . “Your body must get into right positions such that you are able to execute all the shots you want to. From that perspective, we ensured that our lower order got the same amount of batting practice as our frontline batsmen.”Ashwin, who recently was named the ICC Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year, has been one of the big contributors in the lower order, often slotting in at Nos. 6 and 7. In 2016, he scored 612 runs at an average of 43.71 with two key centuries in the West Indies and four fifties to go with a haul of 72 wickets. Bangar said Ashwin was a “clever cricketer, always eager to better his technique”.”He has a cool head, his technique is superb, and he allows the ball to come to him,” Bangar said. “And you can’t tie Ashwin down. He has the cut, he will drive you down the wicket, and even against spinners, he’s a very busy player. Credit to Virat [Kohli] and the team management for putting him at No.6. With his experience, he could control the innings there considering Wriddhiman Saha was relatively new, just settling in Tests.”