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Dropped batsman set to finish as he began, one match into a losing campaign against West Indies

Andrew Miller15-Jul-2020In the course of his long and not-entirely-lustrous career, Joe Denly has come to know all about being on the outside looking in – he spent nine years and an England-record 384 matches in the wilderness, after all, before his remarkable recall in Sri Lanka in 2018. For the next two weeks in Manchester, however, he can brace for something of the inverse experience – a wistful, poignant period of being on the inside looking out.Inside England’s bio-secure bubble at Emirates Old Trafford, looking out on his team-mates as they move on without him. Inside the team environment, for now, but looking out towards his new life as a former international cricketer – the status that will surely be conferred on him for good this time, after his run of 15 consecutive Tests ended as it had begun, one Test into a losing campaign against West Indies.ALSO READ: Stubborn Smith staking reputation on Buttler’s Test careerNever say never, you might argue. The door is not closed, as Joe Root insisted, but that’s surely only because to open it would risk allowing a series-threatening lurgy to breach the team’s inner sanctum. At the age of 34, and with the rising star Dan Lawrence already straining for the next opening in the team, there can be no way back from here.Instead, it seems that Denly’s final innings against West Indies last week will stand as testimony to every attribute – good, bad and infuriating – that he brought to a doughty but ultimately inadequate Test career.On Saturday at the Ageas Bowl, Denly was faced, not for the first time, with reinvigorating a failing England batting display. He showed grit in abundance as he settled in for another of his long hauls. But then, with the hardest work done, a flaccid clip to midwicket off the spin of Roston Chase meant that he bowed out for the 28th and final time with 29 from 70 balls – barely half a point shy of his final Test average of 29.53, and just five balls short of his mean stay at the wicket.There have been other, more lauded, Test batsmen who’ve averaged worse than that – Mark Ramprakash (27.32) and Moeen Ali (28.97) among them, while Graeme Hick (31.32) and the still unimpeachable Jos Buttler (31.46) are only a tick above.Joe Denly during a practice session with Zak Crawley in the background•Getty Images

A degree of mockery is inevitable, not least because of the close attentions Denly received from his former Kent team-mate and chief selector, Ed Smith, who talked him up as a “genius” prior to his Sri Lanka recall and tried so hard to crowbar him into England’s World Cup plans too. But Denly’s durability deserves to be celebrated with something more than just an ironic cheer.For history may record his highest Test score as 94, but it would be remiss to ignore his haul of nine “Denturies” in the space of 13 innings: stays of 100 balls or more that have entered a certain niche of cricket folklore, much as the “Cowan”, of Australian Ed fame, did during Michael Clarke’s rebuilding years of 2012-13.For that has been Denly’s fate in the course of a cross-over era for English cricket. Consider the chaos that he was asked to help sweep up on debut in the Caribbean 18 months ago – England had just been bowled out for 77 in the first Test in Barbados, losing nine wickets in a single session. And if that was bad, then at least it was a slight improvement on the ten-in-a-session that they had squandered at Auckland, Dhaka and Nottingham in the preceding seasons.The Test team was rudderless. Alastair Cook was long gone, the one-day stars were preoccupied with staying in character for the fast-approaching World Cup, and though England in theory had the most awesome lower-middle order in the game, with every man-jack from 5 to 9 considering himself an allrounder, there was no hope of them getting a toe-hold in any contest if the team was 30 for 3 in every innings.What England needed in that period, more desperately even than runs, was time. A chance to take a breath, whether that was the middle-order themselves, or England’s seamers who were getting justifiably sick of having their feet up for barely half a day at a time. And Denly, with the unglamorous grit of the seasoned pro, was able to oblige.In a five-month zenith between August 2019 and January this year, Denly evolved into a batting barnacle straight out of Chris Tavare’s playbook. It started most famously in the second innings of the Ashes Test at Leeds, where Denly’s dour, uncelebrated but ultimately priceless 50 from 155 balls provided the grit for Ben Stokes’ Headingley oyster.The pair did not share so much as a single delivery in that historic second innings – instead they crossed in the outfield after Denly’s dismissal in the 60th over of England’s innings. And yet, by enduring for that long, and in helping to gnaw 141 runs out of an improbable victory target of 359, he did what few England No.3s had managed since the demise of Jonathan Trott. He gave England’s middle order a rare chance to bed in before the new ball, and flourish thereafter.And more recently, his efforts gave England’s next big thing the leeway to blossom too. By drawing the heat away from Ollie Pope in the early months of his return to the side, Denly allowed him to settle into the team at No. 6, Ricky Ponting-style, rather than leave him to become yet another sacrifice to the team’s waning standards in the top three. That’ll be Pope’s berth soon enough, you sense. But doing things in a rush has been England’s downfall in Tests for far too many seasons now.”‘It’s never an easy decision to lose someone from the team,” said Root on the eve of the Test. “Joe has done a brilliant job over a period of time for us and I suppose he’s helped show our identity as a side and the way we want to play moving forward. He’s been a big part of that by batting long periods of time and laying the platform for the middle order to go on and make big scores.”That much is true, and at least on this occasion, Denly will depart with some gratitude ringing in his ears – unlike his experience back in 2010, when he was dumped on the eve of the World T20 in the Caribbean, and had to look on from the outside as England lifted their maiden global trophy.He spent the rest of the decade presuming he’d never get another chance. At least this time he gets to finish as an insider.

Grant Flower, the side’s batting coach, was encouraged by strong showings from a few Pakistan batsmen during the ODIs against Australia

Danyal Rasool07-Apr-2019The PSL hangover had barely ended when the five-match ODI series between Pakistan and Australia began in the UAE, and most Pakistan fans who tuned in will try to put it out of their minds as soon as they possibly can, given their side failed to win a single match. Most of the games were repetitive, somewhat tedious affairs with the outcome obvious long before the winning shot had been hit, or the final wicket taken. Pakistan’s batting coach Grant Flower, however, is emphatically not one of those people.The ODI series against Zimbabwe last year aside, this was the first time since 2003 that Pakistan’s batsmen hit five centuries in a five-match series. Further, all of the hundreds scored by players who wouldn’t necessarily be listed for a spot in Pakistan’s first-choice side. Haris Sohail marked his recovery from a second bout of the career-threatening knee injury that kept him out of the tour of South Africa with two hundreds against Australia. Mohammad Rizwan, who until recently hadn’t played an international match for a full two years also struck a pair of hundreds, while debutant Abid Ali recorded the highest score by a Pakistan batsman on ODI debut when his 112 took the home side within a whisker of winning the fourth ODI.Flower found Rizwan’s form particularly encouraging and told ESPNcricinfo he was convinced the 26-year-old could play as a specialist batsman, also lauding him as “one of the best fielders we have”.”It was always going to be difficult to beat Australia given how many players we were resting, so in that sense the series result appears worse than it perhaps is,” Flower said. “Rizwan’s been playing well, but he looked more in charge of his own mind this time. Less frenetic and paced his innings better. He’s good enough to bat in the top four, but I also think he’s versatile enough to play lower down. He doesn’t have the power-hitting, but he can still find the boundaries and the odd six and do a job. His running between the wickets is among the best of our players.”Flower was full of praise for Haris, Pakistan’s leading run-scorer of the series, and the other batsman to reach three figures twice in the series. Haris looked back to his flowing best, bringing back memories of 2014 when he had first burst onto the international arena. That was before a recurring knee injury kept him out of the game for nearly three years, one that flared up again as recently as Pakistan’s tour of South Africa in December last year. Flower also said there was a good chance his injuries were now firmly in the past.”Haris is a class player and he showed that. His knee’s getting stronger now, and he’s working a lot harder at his fitness. He’ll be the first to admit he didn’t put in the hard yards quite as much earlier in his career, but he’s seeing the benefits of the work he’s putting in now.”Abid’s century was of course brilliant to see. I wasn’t expecting it, since we hadn’t done much work with him before the series. I’d been told how good he was, but to see him timing the ball as beautifully as he did was very encouraging. Front foot, back foot, offside, legside, you name it. The Australians were very impressed by him. Just that his fitness [issue] showed at the end, otherwise I’m sure he would have won the match for us.”Grant Flower gives some throwdowns during a Pakistan training session•Peter Della Penna

The team’s fitness standards during the series against Australia were a recurring theme in Mickey Arthur’s press conference back home after the series. Flower confirmed some of the players hadn’t passed the yo-yo test during the series, which would be a mandatory selection requirement for the squad that was chosen for the World Cup.”There was a fitness test done at Sharjah cricket ground where everyone was tested. Some of the guys didn’t pass that test; Abid was one of them. But that was simply a wake-up call as to what was required. Everyone was told they would have to measure up to the minimum 17:4 in the yo-yo test if they are to go to the World Cup. Because we were trying our bench players and some guys who hadn’t ever played with the national team, it wasn’t a barrier to taking part in the Australia series, but it will be for the World Cup.”With the pressure to perform at the World Cup felt as strongly by the backroom staff as the players, Flower said he was encouraged by the progress Pakistan’s batsmen had made and excited by the players coming through. The Zimbabwean has been with the side for nearly five years – longer, by far, than any other member of the coaching staff – and said he would like to continue working with Pakistan after the tournament.”I really enjoy the players. I think they enjoy working with me; they know I’m honest,” said Flower. “When I speak with them, I’m not going behind their backs, I tell them how it is. I see them improving, and you’ll see the averages bear that out. But the World Cup’s the priority for now. It’s a very open tournament, so we’ll see how that goes for now. I’ve been here five years and it’s been a good ride.”

A 201-run second-wicket stand, built around centuries from William Porterfield and Andy Balbirnie, followed by a four-wicket haul from Kevin O’Brien, set up Ireland’s 67-run triumph over the hosts

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2018William Porterfield drives through cover for a boundary•Peter Della Penna

A 201-run second-wicket stand, built around centuries from William Porterfield and Andy Balbirnie, followed by a four-wicket haul by Kevin O’Brien set up Ireland’s 67-run triumph over United Arab Emirates. In doing so, Ireland consigned the hosts to a second successive defeat in as many games in the ODI tri-series in Dubai.Ireland’s decision to bat found early validation as Porterfield, the captain, got them off to a 44-run opening partnership with Paul Stirling. After Stirling (20) handed a return catch to Zahoor Khan in the ninth over, Porterfield joined forces with Balbirnie, trotting to a 147-ball 139 – his tenth ODI century – while plundering a combined 27 fours and three sixes with Balbirnie to propel the score to 301. Balbirnie, meanwhile, scored his maiden ODI century with the help of 12 fours and a six during their partnership that lasted 35.3 overs. Qadeer Ahmed struck in the 44th over, taking out Balbirne for a 109-ball 102. Just before Ireland reached 300, Mohammad Naveed had Porterfield caught and offspinner Rohan Mustafa’s double-strike in the last over accounted for the O’Brien brothers – Kevin and Niall – leaving UAE 302 to chase.UAE started slow in the chase, losing their openers – Ashfaq Ahmed and Mustafa – in 8.3 overs for 40 runs. While Barry McCarthy and Peter Chase sniped out the first two wickets, Andy McBrine sniped out wicketkeeper-batsman Ghulam Shabber in the 20th over. A fourth-wicket stand of 68 runs between Rameez Shahzad and Muhammad Usman took UAE close to 150, before Shahzad was caught behind off McBrine for a 56-ball 50. Kevin O’Brien subsequently took out the next three wickets – inclduing two in the 41st over – and left UAE reeling at 199 for 7 with only nine overs left. No. 8 Mohammad Naveed’s 31-ball 25 helped UAE inch towards 250 before O’Brien found his fourth wicket in Zahoor and McCarthy his second in Naveed, rolling the home side over for 234 in 48.4 overs.

England’s spinners will have the services of Saqlain Mushtaq to call up until after the third Test in Mohali after his contract was extended

George Dobell in Rajkot13-Nov-20161:59

Compton: Saqlain’s presence will give Rashid a lot of confidence

Saqlain Mushtaq will remain with the England team until the end of the third Test in Mohali after agreeing an extension to his deal with the ECB.Saqlain, the former Pakistan offspinner, is currently in the middle of a second spell as spin-bowling consultant with the England side but had originally been contracted to spend just a couple of weeks with the team. He was scheduled to leave the tour after the first Test.But with all three spinners in the England side enjoying an improved performance in Rajkot, it has now been decided to retain his services for a little longer. While there had been some concerns over whether they would be able to extend his visa due to the strained relationship between India and Pakistan, the ECB has confirmed that the issue has been resolved.The ECB has been criticised in recent times – not least by Graeme Swann – for not providing the same level of support to spin bowlers as other disciplines within the side. While batting and bowling coaches travel with the team nearly all the time, the likes of Saqlain and, before him, Mushtaq Ahmed, have been contracted for just a few days a few times a year. Sometimes this has been arranged only a couple of days before games, providing little time for meaningful coaching or improvement.Adil Rashid’s improved showing in Rajkot has, in part, been credited to Saqlain, though. Encouraged to bowl at his natural pace, rather than bowl quicker which has been a feature of recent performances, Rashid gained impressive turn and noted Saqlain’s input on field placement and game plans.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) is seeking a new chief executive after Angus Porter confirmed his plans to leave

George Dobell05-Nov-2015The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) is seeking a new chief executive after Angus Porter confirmed his plans to leave.Porter joined the players’ union in March 2010 having previously worked at BT, Abbey National and Thomas Cook. With the organisation facing several challenges, he presided over a much-improved relationship with the ECB and a more settled method of agreeing central contract payments.He also stabilised the organisation’s commercial operations and improved the education programmes provided to players to warn them of the dangers of match-fixing, gambling and drugs.”We are very sad to see him leave,” Glamorgan’s Mark Wallace, the PCA chairman, said. “But we are very grateful for the exceptional management, guidance and commitment he has given.”Angus joined us at a challenging time for the organisation and under his direction the PCA has steadied, developed and thrived. He is held in the highest regard not only at the PCA, but throughout the cricketing world.”Porter’s departure is not unexpected. He is understood to have notified the organisation around a year ago of his desire to move on and a recruitment firm, Odgers Berndston, has been appointed to find his successor.They may not have to look far. The PCA’s current assistance chief executive, Jason Ratcliffe, is a strong contender for the role. Porter is expected to remain in place until a successor is appointed.

Bangladesh women will face India for the first time, when they tour the country for three Twenty20s and as many ODIs, starting in Vadodara on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2013Bangladesh women will face India for the first time, when they tour the country for three Twenty20s and as many ODIs, starting in Vadodara on Tuesday.India have omitted senior batsman Mithali Raj and experienced fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, among others, from the 15-member squad for the series. Batsman Harmanpreet Kaur will take over as captain from Raj, who led India during their first-round exit in the recently-concluded Women’s World Cup.Bangladesh weren’t a part of that tournament. Having started playing international cricket in 2011, they last played the Twenty20 Asia Cup in Guangzhou, reaching the semi-finals of the tournament. Salma Khatun will lead the 15-member side on the ten-day tour, which will end with the final ODI in Ahmedabad on April 12.Squads:
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Poonam Raut (vice-capt), Thirush Kamini, Smriti Mandhana, Anagha Deshpande, Sneha Deepthi, Mona Meshram, Nagarajan Niranjana, Archana Das, Poonam Yadav, Ritu Dhrub, Swagatika Rath, Shubhlakshmi Sharma, Sushma Verma, Ekta BishtBangladesh: Salma Khatun (capt), Farzana Haque (vice-capt), Shohaly Akther, Ayesha Akhter, Fahima Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Lata Mondal, Nuzhat Tasnia, Panna Ghosh, Ritu Moni, Rumana Ahmed, Shahanaz Parvin, Shukhtara Rahman, Tazia Akhter, Yasmin Boishakhi

Ryan ten Doeschate will not be part of Netherlands squad that plays in the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in the UAE in March, because of ‘other cricket commitments’, Netherlands chairman of selectors Jeroen Smits has said

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2012

Netherlands squad

Peter Borren (capt), Wesley Barresi , Mudassar Bukhari, Atse Buurman, Tom Cooper, Tom de Grooth, Tim Gruijters, Timm van der Gugten, Tom Heggelman, Alexei Kervezee, Ashan Malik, Stephan Myburgh, Pieter Seelaar, Michael Swart

Ryan ten Doeschate will not be part of Netherlands squad that plays in the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in the UAE in March, because of ‘other cricket commitments’, Netherlands chairman of selectors Jeroen Smits has said. The selectors have announced a 14-man squad for the tournament, which will be led by Peter Borren.Sixteen Associate and Affiliate teams will compete in the 72-match competition that runs between March 13 and 24, for two available spots in the World Twenty20 that is scheduled for later this year in Sri Lanka. Netherlands are placed in Group A, alongside Afghanistan, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal.Following the qualifiers, Netherlands will play a one-day series against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Eric Szwarczynski will join the squad for that series.”It is a well-balanced squad, one that is well suited to both the format and the conditions that are going to be encountered in the UAE,” Netherlands coach Peter Drinnen said. “I know the quality of the work the players have put in over recent months and I feel they are well prepared. All who are competing know the significance of the tournament and it is going to be extremely tough couple of weeks, but I know we have the squad to do well.”Smith said the squad had the right mix of youth and experience. “Although Ryan ten Doeschate is not available due to other cricket commitments, we have been able to put together a very strong selection for both the World Twenty20 Qualifier, as well as the matches against Afghanistan.”It is a mix of experience and youth. For some players, like the little village Timm [van der Gugten], Stephan Myburgh, Ashan Malik, Tim Gruijters Tim and Tom Heggelman, this will be their first major tournament. For the Dutch cricket these are exciting months. We are convinced that with this group, we can enforce [secure] qualification.”

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been banned for 10, 7 and 5 years respectively after an ICC tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing

Osman Samiuddin in Doha05-Feb-2011Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been banned for 10, 7 and 5 years respectively after an ICC tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing stemming from the Lord’s Test against England last year. The sanctions against Butt and Asif have five and two years suspended, which means that the trio cannot play any official, sanctioned cricket, international or domestic, for a minimum of five years, until September 2015.The suspended sentences on Butt and Asif have been made conditional on their making no further breaches of the code and participating in an anti-corruption education programme, under the auspices of the PCB.Butt, who was captain during the series in England, received the maximum sentence but one charge against him – of batting out a maiden over during the Oval Test – was dismissed. However, he was found to have not disclosed an approach by Majeed that he should bat the maiden over. The other charges that were upheld relate to the subsequent Lord’s Test, where Amir and Asif were found to have bowled deliberate no-balls and Butt was penalized for being party to that. Amir will appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration Sports, but the other two players have not yet said whether they will.The announcement on Saturday evening followed a day of deliberations in Doha between the three-man tribunal – comprising the head Michael Beloff QC, Sharad Rao and Justice Albie Sachs – the players and their legal teams and the ICC’s lawyers. The three players began the day requesting the tribunal for a deferral of any verdict, in light of the statement on Friday by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that the players might also face criminal charges relating to the Lord’s Test as the result of a separate investigation carried out by British police. The players, who continued to maintain their innocence, argued that a judgment today by the tribunal could be prejudicial to any criminal trial in the UK, but the request was rejected.The length of the sentences may be considered surprising to the extent that at least one life ban had been predicted beforehand. Now, in theory, the 26-year-old Butt could return after five years if he complies with the conditions of the verdict. Amir, who will only turn 19 in April, could also conceivably harbour hopes of a return, though in practical terms a five-year gap from any competitive cricket makes the prospect of a return that much more difficult. The situation is most bleak for Asif, who will be 33 by the time the minimum five years are up.It must also be noted that not until the full judgment is released will the picture become fully clear, especially with regards to the nature of the rehabilitation programme they must undertake and the role the PCB will have in that. The tribunal asked the ICC to publish the full judgment as soon as possible and it is expected to happen tomorrow. The question, however, of whether or not the full judgment may be deemed prejudicial to any criminal proceedings in the UK still looms.A member of the ICC legal team told ESPNcricinfo that it is “very happy with the fact that the players were convicted.” But given that the governing body was pushing for maximum sanctions, there will be at least a tinge of disappointment within the governing body.The tribunal also recommended that the ICC make “certain changes to the code with a view to providing flexibility in relation to minimum sentences in exceptional circumstances.” The lawyers of Butt and Amir later said that the tribunal would’ve given lower punishments had their hands not “been tied” to the code’s range of sanctions., the tabloid that broke the spot-fixing story this summer, released a statement of its own, saying that “it is now clear to everyone in the game that corruption will not be tolerated,” and added that it will continue to assist the police in any way it can.A number of Pakistani fans waited outside the Qatar Financial Centre, some for the entire nine-hour duration of the proceedings, and gave vociferous support to the players when they eventually came out. Amir, in fact, was mobbed and had to return inside the building briefly.