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London, Oct 4 (IANS) England's charismatic all-format batter Jonny Bairstow has confirmed he will not play for the rest of the year, thought the outlook on the freak leg injury he suffered on the golf course is quite positive.

The 33-year-old Bairstow, who has been pivotal to England's Test resurgence this summer, broke his leg while walking to a tee box in an golf accident last month and was ruled out of the seven-match T20I series against Pakistan and the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

He has since successfully undergone surgery on his lower leg and is three weeks into rehabilitation with a view to returning to playing some time next year. Bairstow took to social media on Monday night to provide an update on his injury.

He posted some images of the affected limb on Instagram and wrote, "I am just writing this to give you all an update on my injury and progress. The actual injury was as such... a broken fibula in 3 places which required a plate, I dislocated my ankle which in turn meant I did my syndesmosis joint and lateral ligament along with a couple more bits. All in all I have done a proper job on it!

"Anyway... on the positive side the operation went well and I am now 3 weeks post-surgery and my staples have been removed. It's now all about swelling prevention and getting my ankle moving once again. These next few weeks/couple of months are the key to the recovery.

"As for a time scale on return to play I'm afraid it is too early to say, the first targets in mind are getting me back on my 2 feet again and making sure it's right. One thing is for sure and that is I shall not be partaking in anything more during 2022... however I cannot wait for what 2023 holds!! Thanks for your support as always!! JMB," wrote Bairstow.

The Instagram update means Bairstow will miss England's historic Test tour of Pakistan in December and will be in doubt for the two-Test tour of New Zealand in February 2023.

The cricketer should be fit for the next year's Ashes at home as it will be part of the next ICC World Test Championship cycle.

Bairstow had been in sublime form before he was laid low by the freak injury. The right-hand stalwart has already made six centuries from 10 Tests prior to the injury.

--IANS

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St. John's (Antigua), Oct 4 (IANS) Charismatic left-hand batter Shimron Hetmyer has been replaced in the West Indies squad for the ICC T20 World Cup beginning on October 16 after he missed the flight to Australia from Guyana.

The 25-year-old has been replaced by Shamarh Brooks and Cricket West Indies (CWI) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the change. Hetmyer reportedly missed his re-scheduled flight to Australia, which had been changed from October 1 to October 3 at his request, due to family reasons.

He was booked on another flight two days later from Guyana via New York. But on the morning of his scheduled departure, Hetmyer informed CWI director of cricket Jimmy Adams that he would not be able to reach the airport in time.

CWI took a stringent view and decided to replace Hetmyer.

"The decision by the CWI Selection Panel was made as Shimron Hetmyer missed his re-scheduled flight to Australia, which had been changed from Saturday (October 1) at his request, due to family reasons. With flight availability a real challenge, a seat was found for him to leave Guyana today (Monday, October 3), meaning he would unfortunately miss the 1st T20 International against Australia on Wednesday (October 5) at the Metricon Stadium," said a CWI statement.

"This morning (October 3), Mr. Hetmyer, informed the Director of Cricket (Jimmy Adams) that he would not be able to get to the airport in time for his flight this afternoon to New York," added the CWI statement.

"This afternoon we informed the CWI Board of Directors that the selection panel had unanimously decided to replace Shimron Hetmyer with Shamarh Brooks in our T20 World Cup squad. Whilst we changed Shimron's flight from Saturday to Monday due to family reasons, it was made clear to him that if there were any further delays and issues with his travel to Australia then we would have no choice but to replace him in the squad, as we are not prepared to compromise the team's ability to prepare for this extremely important global event," said Adams.

Hetmyer's replacement Brooks is no stranger to the West Indies team, playing for the side in all three international formats, including 11 T20Is, all in the last one year.

"Shamarh has been a part of our recent T20 International squads and delivered strong performances in the latter stages of the recently concluded CPL. He will fly out as soon as possible this week to Australia and I wish him and all the squad all the very best for the tournament (T20 World Cup)," added Adams.

West Indies are drawn in Group B of the first round at the T20 World Cup and have matches against Scotland, Zimbabwe and Ireland before a possible place in the Super 12 stage of the tournament.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup, West Indies will also play a two-match T20I series against Australia beginning on October 5.

--IANS

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Guwahati, Oct 3 (IANS) There's no denying that K.L Rahul has taken a bit of time in finding his groove in T20Is since coming back from a long injury layoff in the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE. Then, he showed glimpses of coming back to his best against Australia before battling hard for a slow fifty against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram.

On Sunday, against the Proteas at Guwahati, Rahul was in his free-flowing zone from the word go, placing a back-foot punch on a length ball from Kagiso Rabada between backward point and cover for four.

His attacking display grew when he whipped sixes off his wrists twice on the balls coming to his pads twice off Wayne Parnell and Anrich Nortje in his eye-pleasing 57 of 28 balls, laced with five fours and four sixes in India's 16-run series clinching win.

"There is a certain gift that all of us have gotten since birth and that is why we are all playing for the country. We have gotten this far as we have certain things naturally. We obviously train really, really hard. That shot (flick off the wrists) is something that I have practised quite a lot and it feels nice when it comes off in the game," said Rahul in the post-match press conference.

Asked further about the flick being a shot based on instinct, Rahul replied in the affirmative. "It is (on the shot being instinctive). In T20 cricket you have to try to hit sixes and get yourself in positions where you can hit sixes, I try to do that and react to the ball. When bowlers are bowling at 145 km/h there's not much time to see the ball and react. It is instinct, practice and a lot of hard work over the years."

In the last couple of years, Rahul had copped a lot of criticism for his low strike rate in T20 cricket. But Sunday's knock against South Africa put all of that into the back burner, with him batting at a strike-rate of 203. Rahul attributed this whopping strike rate to the demand of the situation in the match.

"Yes, that (going at a higher strike rate) was a demand of this innings. When you are batting first you obviously want to give yourself a couple of overs to try to assess the conditions and to see what are the shots that you can play, you talk to your partner."

"You sort of give yourself a target as to this might be a par total on this pitch and then you try and play according to that. We've always tried to be more aggressive, take a lot of risks and that was what was needed from me. I was happy with what came off in the match."

Rahul was a member of India's batting clicking in unison to make a mammoth 237/3, and continuing the ultra-attacking approach which the side has adopted after exiting last year's World Cup in the UAE at the Super 12 stage.

"That effort has been there for the last 10-12 months since the last World Cup, that (scoring big runs batting first) is something that we have consciously tried to get better at as a team. We've done it whenever we've gotten opportunities, that's something we took back and that was our learning. So, we have been doing that and have done it quite a lot of times," concluded the right-hander.


--IANS
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Melbourne, Oct 3 (IANS) India allrounder Hardik Pandya, and not charismatic batter Suryakumar Yadav, figures in legendary Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist's list of first-five cricketers he would pick in a dream World T20I XI.

With the ICC T20 World Cup set to begin on October 16 in Australia, Gilchrist called Pandya an awesome figure, while not mentioning Suryakumar's name, who again played a pivotal role in India taking an unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series against South Africa in Guwahati on Sunday.

Suryakumar smashed a 22-ball 61 as India scored a mammoth 237/3 and then restricted the Proteas to 221/3 for a 16-run win.

However, Gilchrist said he would go with Pandya for his ability to bat, bowl, field and entertain. Pandya is currently ranked fourth in the ICC's T20I ranking for all-rounders.

"Pandya is just an awesome figure straight across the board," Gilchrist was quoted as saying by ICC. "His ability to bat, bowl, field and entertain, he's definitely in there."

Besides Pandya, Gilchrist also picked country-mate David Warner (T20I Batting Ranking: 49th), Pakistan skipper Babar Azam (T20I Batting Ranking: 3rd), Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan (T20I Bowling Ranking: 4th) and England T20I skipper Jos Buttler (T20I Batting Ranking: 21st).

"He's (Warner) at the top of the order," Gilchrist said. "I think just his attacking attitude, the way he kick-starts innings at the top, and the confidence he'll have from the previous T20 World Cup," said Gilchrist of Warner.

On Babar Azam, the legendary cricketer said, "His versatility across all formats, but also when it's getting down to T20 cricket, just across all conditions, I think he can play all conditions really well."

On Rashid Khan, Gilchrist said, "He's just got to be there in any T20 team, doesn't he? Cricketer of the year in this format across the world. Over the last decade, Rashid Khan is in there."

For Jos Buttler, who has been laid low by a calf injury but is expected to fully recover for the T20 World Cup, Gilchrist said while the choice was between several batters, he would go with the England skipper. "It's a bit batting heavy I know, but Jos Buttler for me. He is just dynamic, his power and his courage to take it on. Simply a stroke of brilliance from him and its game over."

--IANS

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Sylhet (Bangladesh), Oct 3 (IANS) An impressive bowling show coupled with Sidra Amin's unbeaten 36 helped Pakistan defeat Bangladesh by nine wickets to win their second match in as many outings in the Women's Asia Cup at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) on Monday.

Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof's decision to bowl first was hugely justified as right-arm fast bowler Diana Baig dismissed Shamima Sultana for one as Bangladesh played 30 dot balls in the power-play yielding 12/3.

Spinners once again came into play for them on a sluggish pitch with some variable bounce and turn as Nida Dar (2/19), Omaima Sohail (1/4) and Sadia Iqbal (1/20) shared four wickets between themselves to bamboozle Bangladesh's batting.

Diana bagged two wickets for 11 runs from three overs, including Shamima's scalp early on, to restrict the hosts to a paltry 70/8 in 20 overs.

The match was stopped for some time in the 18th over due to rain, but resumed shortly without losing any overs in the match though it didn't give the hosts and defending champions the relief they needed from an off day on the field.

In reply, the openers, Sidra and Muneeba Ali shared a solid 49-run partnership for the first wicket. The duo scored 40 runs in the powerplay which included five fours.

Muneeba was the only batter to be dismissed in Pakistan's chase, making 14 off 19, hitting one four.

The right-handed Sidra -- who was included in the squad in place of Iram Javed, remained undefeated on a 35-ball 36, smashing four boundaries and was rightly named player of the match. Bismah scored an unbeaten 12 off 20 balls and stayed till the end to chase down the target inside 13 overs.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 70/8 in 20 overs (Salma Khatun 24 not out; Diana Baig 2-11, Nida Dar 2-19) lost to Pakistan 72-1 in 12.2 overs (Sidra Amin 36 not out, Salma Khatun 1/27) by nine wickets.

--IANS

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Lahore, Oct 3 (IANS) England's white-ball head coach Matthew Mott believes the victory in the T20I series decider over Pakistan is a massive confidence boost for his team ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this month.

After being inserted into batting first, England amassed a massive 209/3 and then restricted Pakistan to 142/8 to win the series decider by 67 runs and clinch the seven-match series 4-3.

"We certainly came over here for the seven-match series with a really clear plan to take it deep and see if we could rotate our squad through, leading obviously to a World Cup. I couldn't have asked for much more to be honest, I think Moeen Ali, in particular, has captained extremely well."

"He's put a lot of faith in different players, and had some debutants come in and do well. So from our perspective, to have pretty much a final-type atmosphere tonight and come out and play so well gives us a lot of confidence going into that World Cup," said Mott to Sky Sports after the match ended.

Asked for an update on the fitness of players like regular captain Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, Mott said the duo are on course to be fit for the showpiece event.

"Liam Livingstone is tracking well. He's back in England now, left this morning, and he'll be fine. He's just got to get some miles in the legs and he should be right to start when we get out there.

"I think Jos has been conservative. He was chomping at the bit for a game at the back-end here, but the risk-reward wasn't quite there. He's going to play a pivotal role in the World Cup and Moeen has done an exceptional job with the leadership."

"We're pretty confident where we're at. It was a lot of moving parts for this tour, getting everyone ready, but we've welcomed back some world-class players and we'll hit the shores of Australia in a couple of days."

Mott remarked that young Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and Dawid Malan have made a greater push for themselves through their performances in Pakistan to be taken seriously for England's playing eleven in T20 World Cup.

"There's been a lot (of players who have advanced their cases). "Harry Brook has had some really good hit-outs and done well. He's looked really composed out there and seems to just pick the right times to go for his boundaries."

"Duckett has been exceptional and played spin really well. He's asked a few different questions. He sort of turned the momentum for us after the early games where spin was playing a big part of it. Malan was outstanding (in series decider). I thought that was a brilliant knock in a final-like atmosphere."

"And all the bowlers. We came over here with some injury clouds but we got through it. (Mark) Wood got through a few games, (Chris) Woakes got through a couple, so we're building nicely with that depth we're after for that World Cup."

Mott signed off by admitting there will be tinkering with England's playing eleven throughout the T20 World Cup. "We've (himself and Buttler) looked at that first XI quite a bit, and there's always a bit of tinkering. There's form that comes into it, we've also got a series against Australia first and foremost. So we'll get an opportunity to have a really good look at how that balance goes."

"I think in Australia as well, there are some different conditions out there and we might tinker slightly throughout the tournament depending on who we play. But we're pretty close to that first XI and then you reassess from there."

England will now travel to Australia to prepare for the T20 World Cup, with three T20Is against hosts' and defending champions Australia on October 9, 12 and 14.

It will be followed by a warm-up match against Pakistan on October 17 before starting their Super 12 campaign in the mega event against Afghanistan in Perth on October 22.


--IANS

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Lahore, Oct 3 (IANS) Stand-in England captain Moeen Ali feels other teams will fear facing his side at the upcoming T20 World Cup, starting in Australia later in the month after the 4-3 series win over Pakistan on Sunday. After being inserted into batting first, England amassed a massive 209/3 and then restricted Pakistan to 142/8 to win the series decider.

"We're really happy to win this series and we go to Australia in a really good position, but I don't think we're favourites for the World Cup. If I'm honest I don't feel that way at all, but I know we are a very dangerous team to play and other teams will fear playing us. But I still think Australia and India are the two favourites," said Moeen after the match ended.

Pakistan were in the lead with 3-2 at the end of fifth T20I. But England made a great comeback from behind to win the last two matches and eventually, the series. "We were disappointed in the end, because looking back I think if we'd been really on it we'd probably have won (the series) 6-1. But we are in a really good position. We had two must-win games and the way we have come back to win so comfortably was amazing to see," added Moeen.

Moeen went on to talk highly of his side's depth in the squad, who stood up to the occasion in absence of players like Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Ben Stokes in the playing eleven.

"We have players to come in who can make a difference but this shows the depth we have in our squad as well. The batters put on a really good score."

"You could easily lose confidence with the bat after the two games when we didn't chase totals down but credit to the boys for the way they played. Our bowling was outstanding again. Throughout the series I think we bowled really well."

England's young batter Harry Brook was the leading-run scorer in the series with 238 runs at an average of 79.33 and was adjudged 'Player of the Series'. "I have just tried to hit the ball straight and play the ball on its merit. I look to hit straight first but if there is a gap then I will try and manipulate the field."

"We'll see if I play when we get to the T20 World Cup but all the lads are looking forward to getting out there and getting going," said Brook.

In the series decider, left-hander Dawid Malan slammed 78 not out off 47 balls to set the base for England's win at Lahore on Sunday and was named 'Player of the Match'.

"We saw this as a final so to be able to do it under pressure and put on a big score like that was fantastic for us as a batting unit. Our bowlers learnt from the lessons - bowling into the wicket, changing pace - and did fantastically well to defend our total," said Malan.

England will now travel to Australia to prepare for the T20 World Cup, with three T20s against hosts Australia on October 9, 12 and 14. It will be followed by a warm-up match against Pakistan on October 17 before starting their Super 12 campaign against Afghanistan in Perth on October 22.


--IANS

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Guwahati, Oct 3 (IANS) The second T20I between India and South Africa at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati was an absolute run-fest, with an aggregate of 458 runs giving the capacity crowd their money's worth.

But it was not just the sizzling knocks of Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul and David Miller which made headlines from the match. There were two interruptions -- one each in the first and second innings -- which made waves on social media.

The first one, happened during India's innings after South Africa inserted them into batting first. At the end of the seventh over, visuals of ground staff running quickly on the field with sticks and a bucket in hand were seen to remove a snake which was making its presence felt at the outfield.

Left-arm pace all-rounder Wayne Parnell, who was fielding at extra cover, was quick to spot the snake and alerted all on the field about it. The unusual incident left several fans amused, with former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop tweeting with a snake emoji, "I have so many questions."

There were no further interruptions in India's innings after the ground staff took away the uninvited intruder from the field. Eventually, Suryakumar Yadav and K.L Rahul became the stars in a collective commanding batting show from India to make 237/3, their fourth-highest score in all T20Is.

In front of a jam-packed crowd, Rahul sizzled with an eye-pleasing 57 of 28 balls, before Suryakumar brought out full carnage of 360 degree shots to make 61 off just 22 balls.

Captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik played their parts well as India made merry and enthralled the fans by feasting on an ordinary bowling performance from South Africa, barring Keshav Maharaj's 2/23 in four overs.

Then, in defence of 237/3, the proceedings came to an abrupt halt in the third over of second innings. One of the floodlight towers in the stadium went off, meaning the players went off the field. Play was stopped for just ten minutes before the lights came back on and match began.

"It's out of our control (on the floodlight failure). It kind of just gave us a little bit of time of process what happened. (It) gave us an opportunity to chat about in the powerplay after the first couple of overs went India's way. And then there was the issue with the snake as well (in India's innings). I thought there was a lot going on there," said South Africa batter David Miller in the post-match press conference.



--IANS

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Guwahati, Oct 3 (IANS) Though South Africa lost the second T20I to India at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, they had something to cheer for, thanks to left-handed batter David Miller's whirlwind 106 not out off just 47 balls to keep the losing margin to 16 runs.

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma heaped praise on Miller's performance, saying that the visitors will take tons of confidence from his unbeaten knock. "It shows why David Miller is one of the best T20 batters going around. Miller was looking good, lot of confidence to be taken from his performance," said the right-hander after the match ended.

Sunday was also a night to forget for South Africa's bowlers as they got smacked for runs with India's batting clicking in unison. Barring Keshav Maharaj's 2/23, no other bowler could keep their economy rate below 12.

"The conditions were tough, we tried to get it swinging the ball early. Their bowlers got the ball to swing at the top and once it stopped swinging, we saw how easy it was to bat," added Bavuma.

An ordinary bowling show from the Proteas meant India made a mammoth 237/3 in 20 overs. "It wasn't probably our best performance, the conditions were different. Execution is our plans is where our conversation is going to be. Later with the bat, I thought we could have given it a good go with 220 but 240 was too high," stated Bavuma.

Apart from his century, Miller also shared a 174-run stand off 90 balls for the fourth wicket with Quinton de Kock, who made 69 not out off 48 balls. De Kock, who struggled to find his timing and was at 32 off 33 balls at one point, did manage to get his big shots. But it was too little, too late for South Africa to avoid losing a bilateral T20I series in India for the first time.

"Quinton obviously struggled upfront but batted through the innings and kept us in the hunt. He is a capable batter of hitting fours and sixes, so it was just about getting in. As you saw, we were just 16 runs short. He (De Kock) walked up to me (after the game) and said, 'You batted well and I'm sorry'," said Miller.

Sunday's match was also played in extremely humid conditions, where the humidity percentage touched as high as 94 per cent. "It was a great wicket, and India put us under pressure from the start. We had to go from ball one and the freedom allowed us to express ourselves. It is raining out here and has been a bit wet (humidity). Was just taking as much water as possible," concluded the left-hander.



--IANS

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Guwahati, Oct 3 (IANS) Charismatic India batter Suryakumar Yadav might have missed out on the 'Man of the Match' award but his 61-run effort off just 22 balls against South Africa earned him several records in the series-clinching second T20 International at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium here on Sunday night.

Suryakumar completed an 18-ball half-century, the joint-second-fastest for India in the format to push India in the middle and end overs. Yuvraj Singh still holds the record for his 12-ball fifty in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. Surya equalled KL Rahul's feat to get to a brilliant fifty.

India set up a mammoth 237/3 in 20 overs in the second T20I of the three-match series and then restricted the Proteas to 221/3 to emerge victorious by 16 runs and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Suryakumar also created another record during his knock, getting to 1,000 T20I runs and becoming the quickest (in terms of balls faced) to the landmark. Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell had held the record for getting there in 604 balls, but Yadav easily surpassed that, making the feat off his 573rd ball in T20Is.

The partnership between Virat Kohli and Surya Kumar (102 in 42 balls) was also India's quickest stand of 100 runs or more in this format, according to ICC.

India also ensured their first-ever bilateral series win at home over South Africa. In the previous three series played in India, South Africa had come out on top once (2015) while the remaining two series were drawn (2019, 2022).

Put in to bat, India got off to a fine start with openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul putting on 96 in less than 10 overs. Kohli came out with good intent too, but it was Suryakumar who once again changed the entire complexion of the match.

India put on 237/3 batting first, their fourth-highest T20I total, a massive 141 runs coming in the last 10 overs. This was also the highest T20I total made against South Africa in T20Is.

In response, South Africa were reduced to 5/2 after Arshdeep Singh took two wickets in his first over, but Quinton de Kock and David Miller rebuilt with a century stand that gave South Africa a distant chance of scaling the target down.

Miller completed his second T20I ton off just 46 balls, but in the end, the target was too high for South Africa to chase down. The unbeaten 174-run stand between Miller and de Kock is now the highest for the fourth wicket or lower in T20Is.

--IANS

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