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Three venues in the UAE will share the load of hosting 60 IPL matches this season. This, according to the Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan, could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the players won’t be flying between venues constantly like they do back in India. On the other, they might have to play a lot of matches on worn pitches.”Because there will be less travel, your body won’t tire as much,” Dhawan said during a media interaction organised by the Capitals. “Usually in the IPL, your match will finish late at night, and then you’ll take a flight at 11 the next morning. Now, all the players will be able to recover better between matches.”[From a batsman’s point of view], it’ll depend on the pitches. If we get good, true pitches, we’ll make plenty of runs, but it won’t be that easy if the pitches aren’t as good. We’ve not had cricket for all these months, so we’ll have to see how the pitches are prepared, how they are used. By the middle of the tournament, they’ll get used quite a lot [because there are only three venues], so it’s possible they will start turning, or keep low – all these things are possible.”ALSO READ: IPL 2020 schedule: A team-by-team guideTired, used pitches, however, might present the Capitals with an advantage over some of their rivals, given the strength of their spin attack, which has been bolstered by the acquisition of R Ashwin in an out-of-auction trade from Kings XI Punjab.”I feel that the wickets are going to turn a bit or get slower, because only three grounds are available, and that’s where we’ve got such great spinners in our side,” Dhawan said. “Ashwin has come in, Sandeep [Lamichhane] is there, Amit Mishra is there, Axar [Patel] is there, so we’ve got a very very strong side, and at the same time they bat well, so our batting goes deep, and with their experience, it’s going to be a huge advantage for us.”On-field challenges apart, the players in this season’s IPL will also need to endure two months inside a bio-secure bubble. Dhawan said players would need to be mentally strong to get through it.”There are challenges to living within the bubble, because you won’t get to meet new people, you’ll have to remain with the same people throughout. You can’t go to restaurants, you can only go to designated areas. Our team has an entertainment room, where we play TT or video games, so that’s a good thing we’ve been provided, plus we have team dinners.”Where there are challenges, there are opportunities as well, and it depends on the person and how he views things. I see it as an opportunity to bond with my team-mates and the entire team.”Secondly, whether a player is doing well or badly, they can’t go out, they’ll have to remain inside [the bubble] and go through those emotions. There won’t be an outlet. You can’t go out and relax and divert your mind. People have to be mentally strong – as I said, it can be a challenge, it can be an opportunity too. I see it as an opportunity – I’m going to explore it and get stronger.”Beyond the IPL, Dhawan hasn’t given up hope of making a Test comeback. He is a regular for India in white-ball cricket, but he hasn’t played a Test match since September 2018.Since then, India have used Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul as their Test openers, and all four remain above Dhawan in the pecking order for now. That, however, doesn’t discourage Dhawan. He said he was ready to make the best of any opportunity he might get to make his case, and used the example of the century he made for Delhi against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy last December – which had also strengthened his claims for an ODI comeback after Rahul had stepped in and scored plenty of runs in Dhawan’s injury-enforced absence.”I’m not in the Test team now, but that doesn’t mean I’ve given up the desire [to be part of it],” he said. “When I’ve got the chance… like last year when I made a century in the Ranji Trophy, I made a comeback into the one-day team, and if I get a chance, why not?”

The West Indies squad could provide a lucrative source of overseas signings for the BBL, after the competition added scope for a third foreign player in the XIs, if the tournament can take advantage of the travel bubble that exists with New Zealand.West Indies have a three-match T20I series in the country at the end of November followed by two Tests, and since earlier this month it is now possible to travel from New Zealand into New South Wales without needing to quarantine on arrival.The West Indies players will undergo managed isolation when they arrive at the start of the tour next month, but under current regulations, they will then be able to move around freely with the normal population unlike the restrictive biosecure bubbles which are in operation around the world. ALSO READ: BBL clubs to be allowed three overseas players in XIThat could mean they are able to fly directly to Australia to take up BBL deals without the need to quarantine for 14 days, although Cricket Australia (CA) stressed that all overseas players are subject to Australian Border Force approval. The T20I series finishes on November 30 and the second Test ends on December 15 in Wellington. The BBL, meanwhile, is expected to begin in the second week of the month.A significant number of the West Indies squad could be of interest to BBL clubs since it was confirmed there is now room for an extra overseas player, revealed by ESPNcricinfo earlier this week, which will be funded outside of the salary cap.Kieron Pollard is captain of the T20I side which includes Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer, the latter who is also in the Test group. West Indies Test captain Jason Holder is not part of their T20 set-up but is currently at the IPL and could interest clubs as might fast bowler Kemar Roach who has previously played in the BBL.Andre Russell, who would likely gain plenty of interest, Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis opted out of the New Zealand tour so they would need to go through 14 days quarantine to be part of the BBL. Dwayne Bravo recently withdrew due to an injury sustained at the IPL.The BBL is attempting to attract as many big-name overseas signings as possible to help compensate for the potential absence of more Australian internationals to the larger squads that will be needed this season. They’re also looking to ease tensions with broadcaster Channel Seven, although the postponement of New Zealand’s limited-overs tour in January means there is a clear window in the latter part of the competition. However, given the strains on multi-format players this season, it would appear unlikely the likes of David Warner, Steven Smith, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will feature.Steven Smith and David Warner may not be able to play in the BBL this season•BCCI

“It’s such a fast-changing environment with borders and different considerations. Our clubs have been really innovative and agile to be able to adjust their recruitment strategies so that [bubble] is a good example of one that’s opened up recently and I know there’s conversations happening,” Alistair Dobson, the head of the BBL, said. “There’s a unique opportunity to capitalise on it if that’s the way our clubs decide to go, there are a players that are available and suit the contracting strategies. That would be a great result.””I think having the best players in the BBL is always a primary objective of our clubs. You can see by some of the announcements in recent days that they’ve been really ambitious. The third player on the list just adds another dimension, [more] depth and quality to the teams. The types of players we get, there will be some names you know and some up and coming stars. There’s plenty of history in the BBL of players leaving the competition with much bigger profiles than when they arrived.”However, while the bubble exists with New Zealand it could be harder to get their own players involved. Pakistan tour after West Indies and though that series finishes on January 7, there is no more international cricket until late February. When the schedule was announced, NZC made specific mention of having their leading names available for the T20 Super Smash, although some could well be attracted across the Tasman.”One of the silver linings is that our Super Smash competition, which will be played in that window, will now be boosted by the presence of Blackcaps and White Ferns,” David White, the NZC CEO, said last month. “It’s going to be the best Super Smash yet, I’m confident of that.”Dobson said: “I know there’s some players from New Zealand we’d love to have in the BBL if it lines up. I can see a way for them to be part of it. They’ve got their own commitments at the same time, [so] it all comes down to the unique requirements of each club, borders and contract strategies. But it certainly looks like there’s a unique opportunity this year with that bubble opening.”Outside of the potential advantages of the New Zealand bubble, Dobson said that all indications were that other overseas players would still require 14 days hard quarantine including the England contingent who will have come from a biosecure series in South Africa. The WBBL players recently completed the same protocols and were not allowed outside of their hotel rooms for that period, but Dobson added he had not received any significant concerns from the BBL players already signed.The schedule itself is expected to be confirmed shortly after the rubberstamping of the Australia-India fixtures. That tour received government approval on Thursday and is awaiting final BCCI sign-off. On Friday, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated that state borders, expect Western Australia’s, could be open again by Christmas which may give the BBL more flexibility with the fixturing.

Beaten T20 Blast semi-finalists Gloucestershire and Lancashire held their hands up and offered no excuses after 11-over defeats, refusing to blame conditions for their exits and instead accepting that they were beaten by better teams.Both sides were defeated convincingly batting first after a day and a half of persistent rain in Birmingham, Gloucestershire losing to Surrey with eight balls to spare after posting a below-par 73 for 7, before Lancashire’s 94 for 4 proved to be too few against Nottinghamshire, who chased that target with 16 balls left.Instead, both teams’ captains pointed to their missing overseas players and hoped that the addition of international stars next season would propel them into the final.Gloucestershire had signed Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmed and Australian seamer AJ Tye for the Blast, but cancelled their contracts due to the impact of the pandemic on both club finances and international travel. In previous seasons, they have been led by the talismanic Michael Klinger, who has been the linchpin at the top of their batting order.”We’ve used our squad and guys have stepped up and chipped in at different times,” said Jack Taylor. “We’ve got such a competitive squad, and we’re having to leave guys out who want places in the team and that’s without having overseas players.””I’ve no doubt we’ll come back next year and put in another strong showing like we have done in the group stages in the past four or five years. I don’t think there are any excuses: we all wanted to play and prepared to play and were very excited to get out there but we weren’t quite good enough. We didn’t quite sum up the conditions – I reckon we only needed 15 more runs.”Lancashire, meanwhile, had planned to add Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner to their squad for the second year in a row, but again had to cancel their contracts. As a result, they lacked power in the middle order with the bat, and added only 20 runs in the final 2.5 overs of their innings.For Nottinghamshire, Imad Wasim bowled his three overs for just 20, while Dan Christian finished the game with four sixes in as many balls off Liam Livingstone after bowling a tight final over.”Tonight wasn’t our night,” Lancashire captain Dane Vilas said. “Their overseas stepped up and did the business, with overseas players maybe being the difference tonight.”I think momentum was with us: we were pretty confident at the halfway stage getting near that competitive 100 mark and then we squeezed with our spinners. But unfortunately, in any game Dan Christian hitting those sixes takes it away from you.”For the second year in a row, Vilas was left to rue his decision to bowl Livingstone at a crucial time. In last year’s quarter-final, he bowled the 19th over against Essex and disappeared for three sixes; this evening, Christian managed one more off the eighth to effectively end the game as a contest.”Credit to Livi,” Vilas said. “He stuck his hand up and he wants to be that sort of guy who does well for us and has done it in the past. I was confident, and I was backing him tonight. I thought we had a chance when he was going with the bat, but it wasn’t to be.”

Results Summary The Knights became the first team to record a win in this year’s first-class competition when they beat the Warriors by 179 runs in Bloemfontein. The match was Allan Donald’s first in charge of his home franchise and first as a head coach in South Africa.Whether the win would have been as resounding had the Warriors had a fully-fit squad to pick from is a matter of debate after six players were forced to withdraw ahead of this round of matches. As a result, the Warriors were without a significant number of their first-choice bowlers and it showed. Batting first, the Knights piled on 430 for 6, with all of their top five in the runs. In response, the Warriors managed only 158. The Knights’ 272-run lead gave them the luxury of being able to declare their second innings on just 93 for 8, setting the Warriors 366 to win. Given their first-innings effort, that was always going to be a bridge too far and they fell short by a distance.In Cape Town, the Titans came back from a first-innings deficit of 114 runs to beat the Cape Cobras by two wickets. They chased down 316 in the fourth innings of the game despite being bundled out for 150 in their first innings. The Cobras set the tone by declaring on 264 for 9 on day one, and took a big advantage into the second innings, where they scored 201. They would not have been too unhappy with setting the Titans a target over 300, but with several international batsmen and time on their side, the Titans won after lunch on the final day.Not long after that, the Dolphins joined the victory parade. They defied a rain-affected first-day to topple defending champions the Lions, who started proceedings with 258 in the first innings. If the Lions were wondering that was a middling total, the Dolphins replied with 458 for 3 declared, taking exactly the lead they would need – which was worth 200 runs – to push for an innings win. They didn’t get that, but needed just 11 runs to seal victory in a chase that lasted only 16 balls.Theunis de Bruyn plays the sweep•Associated Press

On the national radarPerhaps the best news for the new national selector Victor Mpitsang was that top-order batsmen performed well. Dean Elgar’s hundred made up more than two-thirds of the Titans’ first-innings total, while Theunis de Bruyn’s 127 took the Titans to victory.De Bruyn was dropped for last summer’s Tests but could force his way back in with form this season. Aiden Markram and Pieter Malan, two others competing for the openers’ role, could only manage scores of 2 and 48, and 51 and 1, respectively. Worryingly, Rassie van der Dussen’s returns were just 1 and 10 and Temba Bavuma, who was also captaining his franchise, made 43 and 25. Keegan Petersen, who trained with the South African squad last summer, made a strong case with his 173 for the Dolphins against the Lions.None of South Africa’s frontline Test bowlers were in action at home with all of them occupied at the IPL, but spinner Keshav Maharaj showed his ability to close out games. He opened the bowling for the Dolphins in the Lions’ second innings and took 6 for 101 to bowl his team to a win. George Linde, who made his Test debut in India last year, took nine wickets for the Cobras to become the early leader on the wicket charts, followed by Tabraiz Shamsi and Maharaj with seven wickets each, making the top three bowlers after round one all spinners.International allrounders Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius were in action, with Pretorius carrying a heavier bowling load. He bowled first change for the Lions – after Beuran Hendricks and Sisanda Magala – and delivered 21 overs, which brought him 1 for 44. Phehlukwayo only bowled in the Lions’ first innings and sent down 13 overs, with a return of 1 for 49.Reeza Hendricks gets behind the line•Getty Images

Top performers The Knights’ Jacques Snyman became the first batsman to score a century in this first-class competition before lunch since Rilee Rossouw did it back in 2010 to register his first century at the franchise level. His opening partner Matthew Kleinveldt scored 73, as Raynard van Tonder got 85 at No. 3.Also at the top of the order, Sarel Erwee’s 199 set the Dolphins up for their big win. Reeza Hendricks made 76 for the Lions and although the Warriors did not have much success with the bat, Matthew Breetzke’s 77 at the top of the order also sent a message to the selectors. In the middle order, Kyle Verreynne’s second-innings 85 for the Cobras stood out in an otherwise lean scorecard.Lizaad Williams, who moved upcountry from the Cape this season, is the leading seam bowler after the first round with six wickets. He took 4 for 51 in the Cobras’ first innings and 2 for 23 in the second to finish with an average of 12.33.

Melbourne Stars have re-signed Pakistan quick Haris Rauf on the day of the Stars’ first match of the season against the Brisbane Heat in Canberra.The Stars had initially ruled out the possibility of Rauf returning to the BBL due to Pakistan duty and they brought back Dilbar Hussain, who played one match late last season when Rauf returned briefly to Pakistan to make his international debut.Rauf was the most remarkable story of BBL09 taking 20 wickets in 10 games including a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul. His form led to his call-up to the Pakistan side and he has been a regular in their limited-overs squads this year and is currently in New Zealand for upcoming the T20I series.The Stars are hopeful he will be available in January but it is possible for him to play in their two matches between Christmas and New Year. Rauf won’t need to quarantine and will arrive with Pakistan team-mate Imad Wasim who has signed with the Melbourne Renegades.”Initially we understood Pakistan commitments would rule Haris out of this year’s tournament,” Stars general manager Nick Cummins said. “In the last week, we were advised there was an opportunity for Haris to join us again. With his outstanding performances last year and great connection with our fans, we moved pretty quickly to make it happen.”Rauf said he was thrilled to come back to the BBL. “I’m very happy that I can come back to the Melbourne Stars this season and play at the MCG again.”It was an unbelievable journey last season and changed my life in so many ways. The Stars fans were very supportive of me and I can’t wait to play in front of them again. The support of all the Pakistan community in Melbourne was fantastic and hopefully, we can put in some big performances this season.”The Stars have had to shuffle their overseas signings at short notice. They called in West Indian Andre Fletcher, who was in New Zealand, after Jonny Bairstow was withdrawn due to England duty. Nicholas Pooran is still in New Zealand playing with West Indies A. Zahir Khan is in quarantine and is unavailable for the first two games after his initial flight to Australia was cancelled forcing him to arrive nine days.

Perth Scorchers rolled back the years to win their fifth game on the bounce, trouncing Hobart Hurricanes by nine wickets at Optus Stadium to jump to third in the BBL table. A superb bowling performance restricted the Hurricanes to 139, with Jhye Richardson, AJ Tye and Fawad Ahmed all impressing, before a belligerent 123-run stand between Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone helped them home with 22 balls to spare.The Scorchers have missed out on the finals for two years in a row following a sustained period of dominance, but are beginning to resemble their former selves. They have won all four of their home games, conceding totals of 89, 97 and 168 before tonight, with Richardson leading an impressive pace attack, while their batting line-up is beginning to click.Their cruise to victory came in the absence of Colin Munro due to a quad injury, though he is expected to re-join the squad shortly, and with the possibility of Ashton Agar returning to fitness in time for the knockout stage, the Scorchers are quickly becoming the team to beat.The one blemish for the Scorchers came in the form of an injury to Mitchell Marsh, who went off with a side injury three balls into his spell and was replaced by X-factor sub Kurtis Patterson. Adam Voges, their head coach, told Channel 7 that it was a “precautionary measure” and that he anticipated Marsh would be available again soon, even if only as a specialist batsman.Jason Roy led Perth Scorchers’ victory charge•Getty Images

Scorchers’ fiery startThe competition’s leading run-scorer and leading wicket-taker came up against one another from the start after the Hurricanes chose to bat, but Ben McDermott was no match for the irresistible Richardson.Touching 90mph/145kph, Richardson conceded only two runs from his opening two-over burst, with his skiddy lengths proving impossible to get away. Ashton Turner posted attacking fields, hunting early wickets with two slips in place, and Richardson duly delivered. He made the breakthrough with a perfect length ball on a sixth-stump line to McDermott, whose attempted punch away from his body only managed to divert the ball onto the top of his leg stump via the inside edge.Dawid Malan has fond memories of Perth, where he made his only Test hundred in 2017, but chipped to mid-on for a six-ball duck. With D’Arcy Short out of nick and Peter Handscomb bowled by a Fawad Ahmed googly, the Hurricanes limped to 3 for 50 at the halfway stage – the joint-lowest 10-over total of the season.Hurricanes surge earlyThe Hurricanes became only the third team this season to use the Power Surge at the earliest possible opportunity, taking it in the 11th and 12th overs. Tye’s over ended with three consecutive boundaries – two off Short’s bat, one via his pad – and Richardson was taken for two himself as 24 runs came from the two Surge overs.With Marsh off the field, Colin Ingram decided to target Aaron Hardie, who would have to bowl at least three overs in the innings, but he skewed a catch to Patterson running back at extra cover to leave the Hurricanes four down after 14 overs.Ahmed’s tight figures were dented by two sixes from Tim David in his final over, but Short chipped to extra cover to fall for a scratchy 54 off 47 balls. Despite a late flourish between David and debutant Mitch Owen, the Hurricanes’ total of 139 always looked a long way short.Roy, Livingstone finally fireRoy and Livingstone have struggled for form since they came out of quarantine after Christmas, with neither reaching fifty in their first five innings of the season, and both took their time to get set as they struggled for timing early on in the chase. Livingstone was given a life first ball when Short put down a straightforward chance at backward point, but his ramped six off Scott Boland in the fourth over seemed to kick the Scorchers into gear.Roy has often struggled against wristspin in T20 cricket, but treated Short and Sandeep Lamichhane with disdain on a true pitch. He reverse-swept Lamichanne’s fourth ball for four, before clubbing Short for six over long-on and continuing to score freely as the Scorchers cruised towards their target.Livingstone had eked out 18 off 21 balls when he decided to target Owen’s first over as a BBL player, top-edging him over the keeper for four before spanking two sixes to take 18 from the ninth over. Roy added three consecutive fours off Short in the 10th, taking them to 86 at the halfway mark. He brought up his half-century off 35 balls, and Livingstone reached a 37-ball fifty in the 14th.Livingstone holed out to deep square leg off Boland with 17 required, but Roy sealed the deal, clubbing four through midwicket before Lamichhane put down a half-chance at long leg to allow them through for the winning runs.

New Zealand are hopeful that fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will be able to make his return from a back injury in the T20I series against Bangladesh at the end of March.Ferguson has been sidelined since the middle of December, when he was diagnosed with a stress fracture shortly after the T20I series against West Indies, in which he claimed a career-best 5 for 21 in Auckland. The plan put in place for Ferguson’s comeback involves a couple of club cricket outings this month before he links up with the New Zealand squad around the ODIs against Bangladesh to further assess his recovery.”At this stage, he will meet up with the team around the time of the one-day series to put finishes touches on things and make sure the intensity is where we want it to be then if all goes well he’ll be available for the Bangladesh T20 series,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead told reporters in Wellington.”You never know how people react to it [the injury], but in Lockie’s advantage he’s strong, he’s fit and he works very hard at that S&C [strength and conditioning] area. Hopefully all those things will have helped him in a quick recovery.”Ferguson is one of six current New Zealand players to have IPL deals – there are seven in all including Adam Milne – while Ish Sodhi will also work with the Rajasthan Royals in an administrative role. The starting date for the tournament is yet to be confirmed, but Stead is preparing to not have all his first-choice names available for the latter matches of the season against Bangladesh.Kane Williamson, Jimmy Neesham, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Kyle Jamieson are the other players heading to India in April. Mark Chapman and Hamish Bennett are part of the 13-man squad against Australia but it appears likely there will be opportunity for others – potentially including the hugely talented Finn Allen – against Bangladesh.Related

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“We are working through the final stages of that,” Stead said. “Don’t think we’ll scrap everyone from it… but think there will be cases where we say to some of those guys going away, don’t bother playing this series.”The IPL could also clash with New Zealand’s resumption of action overseas in England, when they are set to play two Tests ahead of the World Test Championship final.NZC have long taken a pragmatic view of their contracted players appearing in the IPL. Barring the absence of Ferguson, New Zealand have fielded a full-strength side in the T20I series against Australia, which sees them 2-0 up with two play. Earlier in the season, they had to mix and match their squad because of the proximity of the Tests against West Indies and Pakistan to the T20I matches on those tours.Overall this season, New Zealand have won six of their eight T20Is and in the first two matches of this series most of the side have made a telling contribution aside from Jamieson, who has struggled with his lengths, and wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.”It’s comforting that we’ve had some pretty good performances from just about all our players and that’s a little bit unusual,” Stead said. “Often people get on hot streaks, but it’s the quality of your side as well if someone misses out then the next person can step up. We are in a good position as a team.”

What remains of the 2021 Pakistan Super League might end up being played as soon as May this year, setting up a potential direct clash with the latter stages of the Indian Premier League. Given the packed nature of the international calendar, culminating with the T20 World Cup in October and November, ESPNcricinfo understands that if the PSL is to be completed this year, May is the only window for it. Otherwise the season may be in danger of being voided.The PCB CEO expressed confidence they would find time to complete the league, saying they were already looking at various options. “We will be looking at other windows and we hope to play the event at a later time,” Wasim Khan said. “What’s taking place right now is that we are carefully and slowly exiting, exiting players from our environment so that we can safely get them out and they can start to travel to wherever they need to travel in terms of moving forward. But we want to continue and finish the PSL.”Related

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The PCB had to break the previous edition of the tournament into two blocks as well. PSL 2020 was suspended in March, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the remaining matches, which were knockouts, were rescheduled to November last year with Karachi Kings crowned champions.”As we did with the fifth season, we found a window and we finished those matches,” Khan said. “It’s firmly our belief that we will continue to aim to do that and find a window at a later date. We had to deal with a minor breach at the beginning and we’ve done everything we possibly could. But with any assumptions for a bio-secure bubble, it takes partnerships, it takes discipline, it takes self policing. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that effectively enough, and that is why we find ourselves in this situation.”Khan admitted it was “a difficult day” for Pakistan, and that the PSL’s postponement would make adverse international headlines. With the PCB hoping to host a number of international sides later this year, the likelihood of those tours proceeding hinged in no small part on the board’s ability to complete the Pakistan Super League without setbacks. There will inevitably be a sense of much of the hard work building those perceptions up over the last few months having gone entirely to waste.”Seven players contracted the [Covid-19] virus since the 27th of February,” Khan said. “Once the players become affected, it becomes an issue. There was a trickle effect of that happening over the last few days. That for us became a prime concern and it was a huge concern for the franchises.”The situation was such that it is now outside ours and others’ reasonable control. When players are affected, and players start to lose confidence, then it all comes apart. The bio-secure bubble is all about trust. There has to be trust for players and all the partners working together to make it all work and self-police it. This will make international news; a lot of work has gone into this last premier event of our calendar, and we’ve had to put it off. We remain resilient and confident that with the support of the franchises to make sure we complete the remaining games before the end of the year.”Khan acknowledged that the faith stakeholders had put into the PSL and the PCB had not been fully rewarded, and the process to begin rebuilding it required both time and effort. That appeared to be a warning that not all the foreign players who had registered to be a part of the PSL this time around might be willing to return if and when the league resumes, and that the PCB had a lot of work ahead of it to make sure the tournament remained an international event.”There will be an issue of trust. We need to accept that the fans in particular have supported Pakistan cricket through tough times. Building back that trust will take some time and effort, but we’ll be willing to learn from the mistakes that were made; I hope that everyone will be able to learn from what’s happened.”If you really want to carve out a window, you can. But we have got a lot of cricket happening. You’ll have to think of player welfare, too. There are windows we’ll explore with the franchises to make this work. Trust will need to be built, there needs to be better partnerships to ensure everyone plays their part in policing this environment.”

Lachlan Stevens will step down as the Melbourne Renegades WBBL and Victoria women’s coach at the end of the season with the WNCL final against Queensland his final match.Stevens has been in the joint role for one season having taken over from Tim Coyle (WBBL) and David Hemp (Victoria). He is returning to his native Queensland for personal reasons.Stevens has held numerous roles in Victoria cricket and has also been part of three Sheffield Shield titles, a domestic one-day title and the Renegades’ 2018-19 BBL title.”I’d like to thank everyone at Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades – the players, my fellow coaches, support staff – everyone who has made this such an enjoyable place to do what we do,” Stevens said. “I’m proud to have been involved in both the women’s and men’s programs – from the inception of WBBL through to Shield titles with the men’s team. It has been a fantastic experience and opportunity.”Cricket Victoria general manager Shaun Graf said: “Lachlan’s transition between our programs over the last five years is testament to his ability to build great relationships and get the best out of cricketers – regardless of what stage they are at in their careers.”He’s a coach of outstanding character, a terrific mentor and a great exponent of skill acquisition for young cricketers.”Melbourne Renegades general manager David Lever lauded Stevens’ role amid the increasing professionalism of the women’s game. “He’s taken first time professional cricketers and guided them all the way through to the national team. Lachlan has led with integrity, empathy and grace mixed with immense tactical and technical cricketing knowledge.”Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades will commence the process for securing a new head coach shortly.

Big picture

Given there is a certain other tournament that happens to coincide with this four-match series, South Africa against Pakistan at the Wanderers is unlikely to have global eyeballs fixed firmly upon it. One of the few T20I series longer than three games, it must have appeared, on paper, as the perfect appetizer ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year. These are two evenly-matched sides who have produced some of the most evenly-matched cricket in recent times, with the T20I series in Pakistan earlier in the year producing three enthralling clashes that had ebbs and flows usually only associated with cricket’s longer formats.When Pakistan edged South Africa out 2-1 two months back, South Africa’s squad was severely depleted as they attempted to rest up for a then scheduled Test series against Australia that eventually never ended up taking place. However, the then visitors will have been buoyed by the performances of what was effectively a second-string XI, and must have been confident they would get their first-choice XI back in the return leg with a more seasoned side.But this series’ clash with the IPL has exacted a heavy toll on the South Africans, five of whom are in India at the moment. To make matters worse, injuries have struck a number of those waiting in the wings to replace them, with Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius – who famously took 5 for 17 in Lahore in February – both ruled out. Rassie van der Dussen is also a doubt, while Reeza Hendricks has withdrawn due to the birth of his child this week.All this gives Pakistan a clear shot at stamping their authority in a country where their T20I series-winning streak ground to a halt in 2019, with the wheels coming off the hottest T20I run since the format’s inception. Two years on, Pakistan are a shadow of that dominant unit but will fancy themselves to avenge that defeat with a squad that has no real injury issues of its own. Shadab Khan’s absence is well covered by Usman Qadir, while Fakhar Zaman’s ODI form has earned him a recall for this format. Mohammad Hafeez, one of the key absences for Pakistan in the home series in February, is also available.The Pakistan bowlers likely to feature are mostly the same personnel who did the job in the ODI series, though should the visitors wrap this series up early, there might be the possibility of younger players being handed international experience. Nineteen-year-old Mohammad Wasim was one of the most impressive PSL prospects earlier this year, and is a part of the squad. As is Arshad Iqbal, who followed up a stellar PSL season last year with another distinguished campaign this time around. With the T20 World Cup fast approaching and the opposition down to bare bones before the series even begins, Pakistan may find they have the chance to flex their bench strength in a way few sides do in South Africa.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WLWWL
South Africa LWLLLKyle Verreynne will be looking to grab a spot in South Africa’s T20I side•AFP via Getty Images

In the spotlight

Kyle Verreynne hasn’t yet played a T20I match, but already seems like he will be one of the key hopes for this depleted South Africa side. The 23-year old has long been regarded as one of the stars of the future generation and in the few ODIs he has had the chance to play, he has shown why. His most recent game – the third ODI against Pakistan – saw him drag his side from a near-certain defeat to well within contention with a 53-ball 62. It is that sort of confidence in his abilities that has sparked comparisons with some of his more decorated countrymen over the years. His domestic T20 record isn’t quite as impressive as his first-class numbers, but if he’s looking to grab a spot in this side, this is an obvious chance.Sharjeel Khan looks set to return to Pakistan colours for the first time in four years. Few selections have been as contentious or had as many points of interest as the inclusion of the left-hand opener. There have been questions about his past as well as his fitness, but despite all the baggage Sharjeel brings with him, there is a reason Pakistan’s selectors have been so keen to welcome him back. Half a decade ago, he was among the most fearsome strikers of the ball, and that hasn’t changed in all these years. A glimpse of his power was on display at the PSL, where only Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan scored more runs than him, though neither could match his strike rate of 170.94. Against this severely-depleted South Africa attack, expect Sharjeel to go in all guns blazing.

Team news

For South Africa, this squad inherently means an uncertain XI. van der Dussen’s inclusion would be a major boost for an inexperienced middle order, while Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder have been called up as cover.South Africa (possible): 1 Janneman Malan, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Pite van Biljon, 4 Kyle Verreynne, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (capt & wk), 6 Andile Phehlukwayo, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 George Linde, 9 Beuran Hendricks, 10 Lizaad Williams, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi/Daryn DupavillonZaman, who wasn’t a part of the original T20I squad, might slot back straight into the side, while Haider Ali might be included after being overlooked for the ODIs. It is unlikely Pakistan will line up with two spinners at the Wanderers, so Zahid Mehmood might miss out.Pakistan (possible): 1 Sharjeel Khan/Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 4 Haider Ali, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Hasan Ali, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf/Mohammad Hasnain, 11 Usman Qadir

Pitch and conditions

This should be a high-scoring game, in line with the Wanderers’ reputation. Inclement weather is unlikely to make its presence felt.

Stats and trivia

• Mohammad Hafeez will become just the sixth player to feature in 100 T20Is should he play on Saturday. One Pakistani has achieved the feat so far – Shoaib Malik.
• The Wanderers is the venue of South Africa’s heaviest T20I defeat – a 107-run thumping against Australia last year.

Quotes

“They are a quality side. It’s nice playing against them. We need to win this series to get back at them. They’ve played good cricket against us.”