All posts by csb10.top

17.6 Naveen-ul-Haq to Azam Khan, OUT
Gottim! Good length, slanting in at middle, Azam wafts and it’s not through the line, Babar Azam at mid-off takes a brilliant catch under pressure. It’s really a fabulous catch and Peshawar are right back in the contest. Azam Khan will be gutted with himself to not get the job done. He was suckered with the hard length delivery and lost his shape while trying to smash him downtown.Azam Khan c Babar Azam b Naveen-ul-Haq 75 (30b 6×4 6×6) SR: 25018.1 Arif Yaqoob to Munro, OUT
Crowd roars as Peshawar pick another! Another set batter departs in quick succession! Yaqoob bowls a beauty, slow, mystifying and a tempting legbreak that never really arrived at him; Munro tries to insolently smash him over long-on and gets beaten by the beautiful guile, spin and he makes a complete mess of it while prancing down the track. Haseebullah with sharp glovework removes the bails in a flash and Munro has to take the long walk back into the pavilion. It’s proving to be another nail-biter!Colin Munro st †Haseebullah Khan b Arif Yaqoob 71 (53b 7×4 1×6) SR: 133.9618.2 Arif Yaqoob to Faheem, 1 run
Nicely bowled, not afraid to toss it up and give it flight, gets a decent amount of turn towards middle and leg, clipped off the pads to backward square18.3 Arif Yaqoob to Haider Ali, OUT
TAKEN AT DEEP MIDWICKET! Zalmi are on fire. Tosses up a delicious legbreak turning away from off, tries to whip it over the leg side and just didn’t quite get it far enough. A major twist in the plot! Islamabad United collapsing like a house of cards. This is not sensible batting by any means, everybody has tried to swing frantically from the first ballHaider Ali c Mohammad Haris b Arif Yaqoob 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 018.4 Arif Yaqoob to Imad Wasim, 1 leg bye
Floats a legbreak that has more twists than a mystery novel, Imad inverses his stance and tries to connect and wears it on his pads18.5 Arif Yaqoob to Faheem, OUT
This is madness from Islamabad! Trying an unconventional reverse sweep and playing a poor shot to point. Luke Wood took some steps to his left and pouches it comfortably. Yaqoob running all over the place in jubilation! More was expected from Faheem who has ample international cricket experience but it’s poor shot selection and not judicious from Islamabad’s stalwart. Meanwhile, Arif Yaqoob gets a fifer! Look at him go, elation conspicuous on his faceFaheem Ashraf c sub (DR Mousley) b Arif Yaqoob 1 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 5018.6 Arif Yaqoob to Hunain Shah, OUT
What is going on out there! Hunain gets down on one knee and takes an almighty swing. The ball hangs in the air for a while but goes straight to Rovman Powell who catches it brilliantly in his big bucket hands. Suddenly there is pandemonium! Yaqoob continues to produce magic in a match-turning spellHunain Shah c Powell b Arif Yaqoob 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0ESPNcricinfo Ltd

David Warner is relieved that retiring from international cricket will mean silencing the constant “flak” he has copped since the Newlands ball-tampering saga.Cricket Australia’s review into the events of March 2018 painted Warner as the chief orchestrator of Sandpapergate, a scandal that cast a shadow over Australian cricket and led to wholesale changes within the national team’s culture and leadership.Related

• Clarke and Finch question timing of Warner's ball-tampering comments

• Tim David 'working really hard' on his legspin

• The ball-tampering incident: full coverage

• Smith, Warner banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia

• Ponting: You want 'natural winners' like Warner at World Cups

Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month ban from the sport for rubbing sandpaper on the ball in Cape Town, while Warner and Steven Smith were each suspended for a year and the latter also stripped of his captaincy.But Warner has been left to feel the longest-lasting effects of the scandal; the opening batter was banned from holding any formal leadership role in Australian cricket, the only lasting sanction from the incident.As Australia prepare to enter the Super Eight stage at the T20 World Cup, the end of Warner’s international career is in sight; the 37-year-old will retire from T20I cricket at the end of the tournament after bowing out of Tests and ODIs last summer.Warner reflected on his cricketing journey ahead of Australia’s clash against Bangladesh on Thursday (Friday AEST), claiming he had been left to fend for himself in the aftermath of the Newlands saga.”Coming back since 2018 I’ve probably … been the only one that’s ever copped a lot of flak,” Warner told and in Antigua. “Whether it’s people who don’t like the Australian cricket team or don’t like me, I’ve always been that person who has copped it.”It’s fine if they want to do that, but I always feel like I’ve taken a lot of pressure off a lot of guys as well and I think understandably I’ve been that person to be able to absorb that. But one can only absorb [so much]. For me, it’s great to go out knowing I’m not going to cop it anymore.”Warner is not naive to the fact his name will likely always be linked with the scandal. But the opener is hopeful that is not the only thing for which he will be remembered, as he eyes the chance to finish a 15-year international career as a reigning T20I World Cup, ODI World Cup and World Test champion.”I think it’s going to be inevitable that when people talk about me in 20 or 30 years’ time, there will always be that sandpaper scandal,” he said. “But for me, if they’re real cricket tragics and they love cricket, (as well as) my closest supporters, they will always see me as that cricketer – someone who tried to change the game.”Someone who tried to follow in the footsteps of the openers before me and try and score runs at a great tempo and change Test cricket in a way.”

Pat Cummins is due in the USA. The Australia fast bowler, last seen in action during the T20 World Cup that took place in America and West Indies, will begin his stint with the San Francisco Unicorns midway through the season at the Major League Cricket tournament.Cummins signed a four-year deal with the franchise. The 31-year-old has previously played in only one overseas T20 league, the IPL, and has not featured in Australia’s Big Bash League since the 2018-19 season due to his international commitments.The Unicorns have won only one of their three games so far this year and will enjoy the boost that Cummins will provide. He made history, picking up back-to-back hat-tricks at the T20 World Cup and, prior to that, led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final in the IPL. He has played 151 T20s overall, picking up 172 wickets at an average of 26.66 and an economy rate of 8.11.Related

• Visa issues stop Baartman joining Hampshire for Blast

• Pat Cummins signs four-year deal with MLC's San Francisco Unicorns

Cummins’ arrival coincides with Sherfane Rutherford’s departure. The hard-hitting West Indies allrounder has not played any of the Unicorns’ matches so far and will miss the rest of the MLC due to a bereavement in the family.There were changes among the other teams as well with Ottneil Baartman replacing Gerald Coetzee (injury) at Texas Super Kings and Lungi Ngidi taking over from Wayne Parnell (player withdrawal) at Seattle Orcas.Baartman, the South Africa fast bowler, was ruled out of the T20 Blast currently taking place in England due to delays in getting his visa which left his schedule open. He has 107 wickets from 76 T20s and is known for his variations and death-bowling ability.Ngidi suffered a back injury during the SA20 at the start of the year and missed the IPL that followed but has since recovered and was part of South Africa’s squad at the T20 World Cup, along with Baartman.

Apart from hoping to play Test cricket more frequently going forward, Hashmatullah Shahidi wants “one good home venue” in India instead of going from place to place, as they currently cannot play international cricket back home in Afghanistan.Afghanistan will host New Zealand for a one-off Test starting on Monday in Greater Noida, near Delhi. Their other home Tests since becoming a Full Member have been in Dehradun, Lucknow and Abu Dhabi. Sticking with one home venue will make them a stronger and more effective team in red-ball cricket, Shahidi said.”If you see, India is our home and when we host teams, the other nations have played more cricket than us here,” Shahidi said while addressing the media the day before the Test. “So hopefully we will get one good venue here in India and we stick with that. If we stick with one venue, it will be more effective for us.Related

• Cricketing nomads Afghanistan hurt by lack of dedicated home venue

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“And one more thing, if you see our players, they have good record in first-class cricket because we play in our own grounds [in Afghanistan]. We know our own conditions very well. So hopefully that time comes in future that teams come to Afghanistan. Then our average will be even higher than what it is right now and hopefully our cricket board and BCCI give a good venue for us in India and we play a lot of cricket in one venue.”Afghanistan have played nine Tests in their six years at this level, and even though they are slotted to play 22 Tests in the current FTP – from 2023 to 2027 – only a handful are against the top sides. In the current FTP, Afghanistan have so far played against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ireland, and after the New Zealand game, have Tests scheduled against Zimbabwe (six), Ireland (three), India (one), Australia (one) and West Indies (one).”In six years, nine games is not, I cannot say it’s a lot,” Shahidi said. “If we get a lot more chances with the good teams, we will improve, and our cricket board is doing that job. Like with New Zealand, if you see their history of Test cricket and where they are in the rankings right now, it’s a good opportunity for us and hopefully our cricket board will try harder to give us opportunities against good teams in the future. I think if we get more chances on regular basis, we will improve a lot because if we see as a team and as a country, we are brave people and we always accept challenges.It all looked rather wet and forlorn the day before the Test in Greater Noida•Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfo

“If we get three- or four-match series in one time, I think it will be very good for us as a side. If you look at our past, we get one Test match and we start preparing for that ten days before. So it’s not easy to come to red-ball cricket. Playing matches will make us even better on judging the ball and playing good cricket in red-ball format, compared to playing in the nets. So if we play three-four games back to back I think it will be better.”Ranked 12th in the ICC Test rankings, Afghanistan are a force in the white-ball formats, ranked ninth in ODIs and tenth in T20Is. They took down teams like England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup last year and made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in June this year after beating New Zealand, Australia and Bangladesh.”About Test cricket, 100% we want to improve,” Shahidi said. “We want to show to the world our best format is Test cricket. And I mentioned before that we accept all kinds of challenges, and I am telling the boys also that these opportunities are very big opportunities for us, each and every one to show our skill, to show our talent and make… if I am a batsman, make a big score, big runs. So your name will be among the big names in the future. So if you want that, this is the place and time to show. I think we have that ability to do it and need to show it.”At this stage, it’s not clear how much red-ball action Afghanistan will get from this Test as a weather threat looms over the game, with rain and moderate thunderstorms forecast for the coming week.

Shamar Joseph could return to the scene of his triumphant start to Test cricket after nominating for the BBL while India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is among the first group of players confirmed for the WBBL draft.Initial batches of ten names for both the BBL and WBBL were released on Monday after nominations closed ahead of the drafts which will take place on September 1. New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson is among them having opted out of a central contract and could join Finn Allen in the tournament after his signing with Perth Scorchers was confirmed.England captain Heather Knight has nominated alongside left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone who is currently the No. 1-ranked bowler in both ODIs and T20Is. However, England players won’t be available for the entire tournament due to a tour of South Africa from late November.Related

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• Finn Allen set for two-year Perth Scorchers deal

Players being included in the nominations list also confirm that they have not been signed under the pre-draft mechanism but 14 of the 20 are eligible for retention by their teams. That includes South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt who has been part of back-to-back titles with Adelaide Strikers. Harmanpreet can also be retained by Melbourne Renegades. From India, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma have also been confirmed in the draft.Other notable retention options include Jamie Overton (Adelaide Strikers), Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder), James Vince (Sydney Sixers), Alice Capsey (Melbourne Stars) and Shabnim Ismail (Hobart Hurricanes). Although Danni Wyatt withdrew from last season’s WBBL, she is eligible for retention by Perth Scorchers having originally been signed in the draft.Schedule clashes will again be a key issue in the BBL. West Indies have a Test series starting against Pakistan starting on January 16 and after his Gabba heroics Joseph said he would always be available for Tests although his current availability is stated as full including finals. Meanwhile Vince and Hales are among those who have deals in the ILT20 which will start on January 11. Overton was also retained in the ILT20 but is currently down as having full BBL availability.Players are drafted in either Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze categories and clubs must select at least two during the draft. Those signed under pre-draft agreements are allocated a pick that matches their salary band. The gaps in the pre-draft signings are expected to be fill in the coming days.The WBBL runs from October 27 to December 1 and the BBL from December 15 to January 27.

BBL nominations

(retention eligibility in brackets)Laurie Evans (Perth Scorchers), Lockie Ferguson, Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder), Shamar Joseph, Shadab Khan, Jamie Overton (Adelaide Strikers), Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars), Jason Roy, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Melbourne Renegades), James Vince (Sydney Sixers)

WBBL nominations

(retention eligibility in brackets)Suzie Bates (Sydney Sixers), Alice Capsey (Melbourne Stars), Sophie Ecclestone (Sydney Sixers), Shabnim Ismail (Hobart Hurricanes), Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades), Heather Knight (Sydney Thunder), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Laura Wolvaardt (Adelaide Strikers), Danni Wyatt (Perth Scorchers)

Confirmed pre-draft signings

Adelaide Strikers: –
Brisbane Heat: Nadine de Klerk, Colin Munro
Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan
Melbourne Renegades: Hayley Matthews, Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Marizanne Kapp, Tom Curran
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Finn Allen
Sydney Sixers: Amelia Kerr
Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu, Sam Billings

Have Delhi Capitals bought Hampshire?
Not quite. Delhi Capitals are an equal-share joint venture between the sports arms of two Indian conglomerates: JSW Group and GMR Group. GMR bought the Delhi franchise – initially named Delhi Daredevils – ahead of the inaugural IPL season in 2008, and sold a 50% stake to JSW in 2018. GMR are the only relevant party in the Hampshire deal.So who are GMR, and why have they invested in cricket?
The group describe themselves as “a leading infrastructure developer” who own and manage projects in a number of different areas. They own and run six airports, including Delhi and Hyderabad. GMR says its sports division has the “social objective” of “promoting and nurturing potential talent at the grassroot level” in Delhi while the IPL has proved a lucrative investment: having paid US$84 million for the Delhi franchise in 2008, they sold a 50% stake in 2018 for US$66m.Do GMR own any other teams?
Yes. GMR are the owners of Dubai Capitals in the UAE’s ILT20, India Capitals in the Legend League Cricket (LLC), and have a stake in Seattle Orcas (MLC). JSW, their IPL co-owners, run Pretoria Capitals in South Africa’s SA20, and the two companies also co-own Delhi Capitals Women in India’s WPL. GMR also own teams in the Indian sports kabaddi and kho-kho.And have they taken over at Hampshire?
Hampshire announced on Monday morning that GMR have acquired a majority stake – understood to be around 53% – in Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Ltd, and will complete a full acquisition over the next two years. Rod Bransgrove (chair) and David Mann (chief executive) will retain their respective roles during that transition period.GMR have a 50% stake in Delhi Capitals in the IPL•BCCI

What does this mean for the Hundred?
The ECB started the process of selling stakes in the eight Hundred teams at the start of this month. The proposed model would see the ECB sell 49% stakes in each team to private investors, with 51% transferred to the host venue or county – in Southern Brave’s case, Hampshire.So will GMR become majority owners of Southern Brave by default?
No, not necessarily. The ECB’s sales process includes a mechanism which gives the ECB discretion over whether or not to transfer 51% stakes to hosts. They could opt to retain it if they feel that an investor is attempting to circumvent the wider sale process or buying a franchise via the back door. “The deal is not contingent on getting a Hundred franchise,” Bransgrove said.But in practice…?
The ECB have spoken to every IPL and WPL franchise about the prospect of investing in Hundred teams, and GMR appear highly likely to bid for the remaining 49% of Southern Brave as part of the sales process. If GMR’s bid is successful and is considered by the ECB to represent fair market value, Hampshire would then be transferred the other 51% and GMR would effectively become 100% owners of the Hundred franchise.What’s in it for Hampshire?
Most obviously, money. Hampshire said in their statement that the deal was “designed to strengthen the financial position” of their parent company, which also runs the on-site hotel and golf course at the Utilita Bowl. GMR will provide “a material injection of capital to reduce the leveraging” of the company – in other words, starting to pay off Hampshire’s £60 million debt.Bransgrove said GMR were chosen after a “thorough selection process” because of their “shared values and commitment to our vision”. The Utilita Bowl has been awarded its first men’s Ashes Test in 2027, and Bransgrove said investment was necessary to ensure Hampshire can stay “at the top table… in a leadership position”.What do the ECB make of it?
Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, welcomed GMR to English cricket in a statement. Gould said: “I am pleased to see their commitment to continuing to develop Hampshire’s cricket teams and pathways and enhance facilities at Utilita Bowl, and their respect for the traditions of the game in this country.” After recent criticism of the Hundred’s sale from Lalit Modi, Gould said that the deal “demonstrates the global interest” in investing in English cricket.Related

• Kevin Pietersen helped to broker Hampshire's 'historic' GMR deal

• Hampshire's previous franchise moves: A nebulous royal family

• Lalit Modi pours scorn on 'overambitious' Hundred in leaked financial projections

• GMR Group 'keen' on Southern Brave investment after securing Hampshire deal

• Colin Graves: Private ownership at Yorkshire 'essential for club's future'

Didn’t Hampshire do something like this before?
Yes. Hampshire were previously part of a short-lived tie-in with Rajasthan Royals in 2010, which saw them spend four years playing as Hampshire Royals as one of five ‘Royals2020’ teams around the world. The deal was quietly shelved amid a dispute between Rajasthan’s owners and the IPL which briefly saw the franchise expelled from the league.How long has this been planned?
Hampshire said that the principal terms and conditions of their agreement with GMR were “formally agreed upon by the parties a year ago” and Bransgrove clarified that talks started “the best part of two years ago”. The reported in January that the two parties were in advanced talks and in February, Bransgrove and Mann were GMR’s hospitality guests at the ILT20. Discussions have continued through the year, with GMR representatives attending England’s T20I against Australia at the Utilita Bowl earlier this month, and the deal has now been announced publicly.What’s KP got to do with it?
Kevin Pietersen played an informal role in helping to broker the deal as a “common link” between Bransgrove and GMR’s Kiran Kumar Grandhi. Pietersen represented both Hampshire and Delhi Daredevils (as they were then known) during his playing career, and described Monday as a “historic day” for English cricket.Will Hampshire’s deal be the first of many in county cricket?
Maybe, although not imminently. Hampshire are one of only three counties – the others are Durham and Northamptonshire – who are private limited companies rather than member-run mutual ‘societies’, though Yorkshire’s chair Colin Graves is attempting to demutualise the club to open up the possibility of private funding.The majority of counties are heavily reliant on central ECB funding for income and may consider private investment an attractive alternative. “I’m absolutely certain that we will not be the last to go down this route,” Bransgrove said.

Alex Carey continued his superb form and Liam Scott starred with bat and ball as South Australia rocketed to the top of the One-Day Cup table by smashing New South Wales by six wickets in their One-day Cup match.SA sit top of the table in the 50-over format after crushing last season’s beaten finalists at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. The result was set up by an accomplished performance in the field, rolling the visitors for just 197 after taking regular wickets during the 46 overs.It was a pair of former NSW players who did the bulk of the damage, with fast bowler Harry Conway collecting 3 for 27 from his 9.3 overs, and Jason Sangha picking up 2 for 16, including the key scalps of Nic Maddinson and Oliver Davies. Scott also picked up two wickets, claiming 2 for 31 off his eight overs.NSW’s best contributions came from middle-order batters, with Matthew Gilkes and captain Jack Edwards top-scoring with 35 each.In reply, SA ran into early trouble when Jack Nisbet took the wickets of Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew in consecutive balls as the hosts slumped to 8 for 2.But Carey continued his hot early-season form with the bat, smashing 75 from 63 balls to press his claim for a recall to Australia’s white-ball teams.Jake Lehmann (46 not out) and player-of-the-match Scott (42 not out to back up his two wickets) steered SA home, giving long-suffering supporters reason for optimism.As well as topping the One-Day table, SA are second in the Sheffield Shield after winning two and drawing one of their first three matches.The teams will have a day off before starting their Shield match back at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Rohit Sharma will not be available to lead India in first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Rohit, who stayed back home for the birth of his second child, will join the India squad ahead of the second Test, which is a day-night match starting on December 6 in Adelaide.While Rohit had communicated to the BCCI and national selectors in advance that he could miss the Perth Test, he had kept open the option of last-minute travel based on when the child was born. Rohit and his wife Ritika welcomed their second child on Friday, a week ahead of the first Test, prompting the possibility of his travelling to Perth. However, he told the BCCI he will be available to play the two-day, pink-ball warm-up game against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI from November 30 before the day-night Test in Adelaide.Related

• Rohit to join India squad in Australia on November 24

• India's likely XI: Rahul set to open, Padikkal No. 3, and Jurel in the middle order

• Can Jaiswal counter fire with fire in Australia?

• Injured Gill to miss first Test in Perth with fractured thumb

• Boost for India as KL Rahul returns to bat in Sunday training

Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead India in Perth in Rohit’s absence. Bumrah has led India in one Test previously, the fifth Test of their two-part 2021-22 tour of England at Edgbaston, when Rohit had tested positive for Covid-19.India are now set to begin the Test series without two members of their first-choice top three, with No. 3 Shubman Gill also set to miss the Perth Test with a fractured thumb. KL Rahul and the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran were the two main candidates to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Rohit’s absence, but there is now a chance that both will feature in the XI.Rahul had briefly come under an injury cloud himself, having gone off the field after taking a blow to the elbow while batting against Prasidh Krishna during the first day of the Indians’ intra-squad practice match at the WACA. Those fears were assuaged on Sunday morning, though, when Rahul returned to the crease and batted for about an hour.Apart from Abhimanyu and Rahul, India will have another top-order candidate in Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of India A’s shadow tour of Australia and has stayed back with the Test squad. Padikkal has played one Test for India, against England in Dharamsala earlier this year.With four days remaining for the first Test, the Indian think tank led by head coach Gautam Gambhir has been challenged on several fronts. This is India’s first overseas Test series under Gambhir and his coaching staff comprising Morne Morkel, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, and it follows an unprecedented 3-0 defeat to New Zealand, India’s first ever whitewash in a home series of three or more Tests.In the absence of Rohit and Gill, India may look to add to their batting depth by playing one of their two seam-bowling allrounders at No. 8. Both Nitish Kumar Reddy, a batting allrounder from Andhra, and Harshit Rana, a hit-the-deck bowling allrounder for Delhi, are yet to make their Test debuts.After training at the WACA over this week, India will shift to the Optus Stadium from Tuesday.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood believes a ball-tracking failure was at fault for his being given out lbw on the fourth and final day of the Cape Town Test match against South Africa. Masood, who scored 145 in Pakistan’s second innings, was ruled not-out by umpire Nitin Menon off the left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka’s bowling, and had the decision overturned on review when Hawkeye deemed the ball to be hitting off stump.Masood felt the pictures Hawkeye threw up did not align with the reality of what had happened off that delivery. “It’s simple,” Masood said after the end of the game. “It was an outswinger. If you see the ball that I was beaten by, it jagged away a long way. I was beaten on the outside edge, and it was shown as an inswinger. I was baffled by that to be very honest.”Related

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Masood, who had batted more or less chancelessly for over six hours over two days for his innings, had looked largely untroubled on the fourth morning until that delivery. Maphaka, bowling from left-arm over to the left-handed Masood, landed it on a length and got the ball to keep a touch low while straightening past the outside edge as Masood attempted to defend it, squaring him up and striking him on the back pad.Upon review, Hawkeye deemed the ball to have struck Masood in line with off stump, and did not show any significant deviation away from the stumps that would have saved him. “With the naked eye, you could see it felt like it was outside the line as well. I just felt it was a different picture. I didn’t get hit where Hawkeye was showing it to be hit. I was hit more on the outside of the leg than the inside; it shows it on the inside. That’s not an inswinger. I was beaten by an outswinger and that’s what the umpire thought as well, and that’s all I can say to that.”Masood made no attempt to conceal his displeasure when the pictures went up on screen. He stood rooted to the spot for an extended period, gesticulating in disagreement. When he did turn around to trudge off, he still wore an expression of anger and frustration. As he walked up to the pavilion, he once again gestured in an outward arc with his hands to mimic the movement of the ball.”It’s up to the administrators to see if that’s a fair decision or not, but I certainly felt that technology didn’t show the trajectory of how that ball was,” Masood said.Pakistan had ended on the right side of an lbw decision before lunch, also off the bowling of Maphaka. Saud Shakeel was rapped on the pad as the ball angled towards leg stump, and on that occasion, too, Menon had ruled it to be not out. South Africa did not review, with Hawkeye indicating it would have gone on to hit leg stump.

Big Picture: Unbeaten sides, solid bowling units

Two unbeaten sides. Two stories of significant progress over two years will culminate with the final of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.It might only be edition number two, but India have asserted themselves as the team to beat in this competition. They have outclassed every team in their path to the finals, and have looked stronger than the title-winning squad in 2023 with two capped internationals under Shafali Verma.Niki Prasad’s team has exhibited skills that might well mistake them for being a senior side, be it ball striking and power hitting with bat, accuracy and discipline with ball or athleticism and catching efficiency in the field. West Indies, Malaysia, Scotland and Bangladesh were brushed aside without sweat. Sri Lanka (in the group stage) and England (in the semi-finals) had their moments, but were unable to press the advantage across 40 overs, and India eventually prevailed comfortably.Related

• Van Wyk, Botha outclass Australia as South Africa reach maiden final

• Jemma Botha: If you don't have nerves in a semi … you're not human

• Sisodia and Kamalini lead the way as defending champs India cruise into final

India’s pathway to prepare for the tournament also trumps most sides, many of whom had never travelled overseas before the World Cup. They won the U-19 Women’s Asia Cup in December 2024, with all games played at the Bayumeas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, the venue for each of India’s World Cup fixtures as well as the semi-final and final. Prior to that, two Under-19 sides played a triangular series in Pune that also featured South Africa, their opponents for the final.That South Africa’s story in World Cups has moved from falling short of finals to falling short in finals might be considered progress in itself.Under captain Kayla Reyneke, one of seven players in the squad playing in their second edition, South Africa have shown significant progress after failing to go beyond the Super Six at home in 2023. They outclassed Australia in Friday’s semi-final, which was effectively their first experience of a full game in the tournament. Their previous wins were secured in severely reduced games, largely due to rain against New Zealand, Nigeria and Ireland, and Samoa’s 16 all out. Still they got the job done emphatically.After two consecutive senior women’s T20 World Cup final appearances in as many years, and just as many heartbreaks, South Africa have set their sights on the Under-19 women’s team to bring home a first women’s title, just as India did in 2023.

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five completed games, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWW

In the spotlight: G Trisha and Jemma Botha

Power-hitting takes time to evolve. It’s unlikely to be seen at the women’s Under-19 level. Try telling G Trisha and Jemma Botha that. Both, in their second edition of the tournament, are now promoted to open the batting. They both also have the power game that could decide the fate of the final.Jemma Botha scored 37 off 24 balls in the semi-final•ICC via Getty Images

Trisha is the tournament’s leading run-scorer and is likely to remain so regardless of what happens in the final after striking the first hundred in the competition, against Scotland. It’s not just the 265 runs though, it’s the strike rate of 149.71 that stands out.Botha might have been competing for similar honours had South Africa’s batters batted more than the 26.5 overs they did in the entire tournament leading up to the semi-final. Her 37 off 24 with five fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 154 in the semi-final against Australia gave South Africa a crucial head start that proved to be decisive in what could have been a tricky chase.

Team news

Both teams are likely to stick with the same XIs from their respective semi-finals.India (probable): 1 G Trisha, 2 G Kamalini (wk), 3 Sanika Chalke, 4 Nikki Prasad (capt), 5 Ishwari Awasare, 6 Mithila Vinod, 7 Aayushi Shukla, 8 VJ Joshitha, 9 Shabnam Shakil, 10 Parunika Sisodia, 11 Vaishnavi SharmaSouth Africa (probable): 1 Jemma Botha, 2 Simone Lourens, 3 Kayla Reyneke (capt), 4 Karabo Meso (wk), 5 Fay Cowling, 6 Mieke van Voorst, 7 Seshnie Naidu, 8 Luyanda Nzuza, 9 Ashleigh van Wyk, 10 Monalisa Legodi, 11 Nthabiseng Nini

Pitch and conditions: Spin to win

The Bayumeas Oval in Kuala Lumpur has two surfaces prepared with soil imported from Darwin, Australia, and another two with local red soil. Matches have been played on both pitches in the tournament, with the red-soil pitches offering more turn, like the game between India and Sri Lanka. The Australian soil pitches (numbers 2 and 3) have been conducive for run-scoring and yet sporting, like pitch No. 2 was for Friday’s semi-final. Pitch No. 3 will be used for the final, and should play similarly.Regardless of the pitch, India’s three left-arm spinners have been outstanding, having taken 35 wickets between them, including all eight in the semi-final. South Africa will need to find a way to score down the ground against them, given the success that Aayushi Shukla, Parunika Sisodia and Vaishnavi Sharma have had against batters sweeping. South Africa’s batters are the second-best team after India against spin, averaging 20.3.South Africa’s spinners also accounted for six of the eight Australian wickets in the first semi-final, with Reyneke (10) leading their wicket-takers list at an average of 5.50.While rain has been around all tournament, more so in Johor and Kuching than in Kuala Lumpur, the forecast for Sunday’s final is clear with temperatures reaching a high of 32 degreesCelsius and humidity around 60%. There is a reserve day for the final.

Stats and trivia

• Together, G Trisha and G Kamalini have scored approximately 75% of India’s total runs. Sanika Chalke is the only other batter to have faced more than 20 balls, leaving the middle order largely untested.
• South Africa’s pace bowlers, led by Nthabiseng Nini, have picked 16 wickets at an average of 5.60, the best among all teams in the tournament.
• India’s left-arm spinners Vaishavi Sharma (15) and Aayushi Shukla (12) lead the wickets tally for the tournament.