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IPL 2021 Punjab Kings Preview: Pooran, Malan, & Bishnoi the Keys to Success?

Time for Punjab Kings Preview edition.

IPL 2020 was ‘What Could Have Been’ for (then) KXIP. Kings XI Punjab no more, will the name change bring the much needed luck?

Here is my preview. What do you think?

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auctions Review, KXIP All-Time XI

IPL History

2014 (Runners-Up), 2008 (3rd)

How Did They Do Last Year?

6th. Results do not convey the whole story however.

  • Mayank Agarwal was the highlight for the first half with KL Rahul getting the Orange Cap (although his SR was in question).
  • Nicholas Pooran’s catch. Just watch it again. Best fielding side by a mile. Of course, with Jonty Rhodes as fielding coach, expectations are very high.
  • Super Overs, Double Super Overs. On the receiving end of some bad luck, but had themselves to blame.

Injury & COVID-19 News

One of the only teams to not receive any bad news as of yet. Hopefully things go as planned for PBKS.

Complete Punjab Kings Squad

Batsman: Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Shahrukh Khan

Fast Medium: Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Ishan Porel

Spinners: Murugan Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Ravi Bishnoi

All-Rounders: Deepak Hooda, Jalaj Saxena, Darshan Nalkande, Saurabh Kumar, Utkarsh Singh

WK: KL Rahul*

Overseas: Fabian Allen, Chris Gayle, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Riley Meredith, Nicholas Pooran, Jhye Richardson

*Captain

Predicted PBKS XI

  1. KL Rahul (C/WK), 2. Mayank Agarwal, 3. Dawid Malan/Chris Gayle4. Nicholas Pooran5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Shahrukh Khan, 7. Fabian Allen/ Moises Henriques8. Arshdeep Singh, 9. Chris Jordan/ Jhye Richardson10. Mohammad Shami, 11. Ravi Bishnoi

Watch Out For

  • Chris Gayle. Yes the same one. He is targeting a 3rd World T20I title and might even play till the age of 45. Gayle, KL Rahul, & Mayank Agarwal back in Bangalore. PBKS are scheduled to play their last 5 games at Bangalore. Carnage from the home boys?
  • From the bottom of my heart, I believe Nicholas Pooran is the next big star of world cricket. This has to be his year either in the IPL or the World T20I. Hopefully both. If you have not read his story, read it below. Truly inspirational stuff.

Also Read: Nicholas Pooran, A Story of Pain, Hope, & Inspiration

Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Kings?

Going back to the Chinnaswamy is good news…for the batsmen. Not so much for the death bowling. Chris Jordan is one of the world’s best exponent of the yorker, but his England form has been off color in 2020-21. Arshdeep was impressive, but this bowling unit does not give me confidence.

Venues & Fixtures

Venues

Bangalore- 5, Ahmedabad- 4, Mumbai- 3, Chennai- 2

Fixtures

  • 12 April: RR vs PBKS (Mumbai)
  • 16 April: PBKS vs CSK (Mumbai)
  • 18 April: DC vs PBKS (Mumbai)
  • 21 April: PBKS vs SRH (Chennai)
  • 23 April: PBKS vs MI (Chennai)
  • 26 April: PBKS vs KKR (Ahmedabad)
  • 30 April: PBKs vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
  • 2 May: PBKS vs DC (Ahmedabad)
  • 6 May: RCB vs PBKS (Ahmedabad)
  • 9 May: CSK vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 13 May: MI vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 15 May: KKR vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 19 May: SRH vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 22 May: PBKS vs RR (Bangalore)
  • 25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
  • 26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
  • 28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
  • 30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)

Prediction

The good news? Punjab play 4 games in Ahmedabad before they head to Bangalore. So if they make it to the qualifiers, they will have good experience of the conditions under their belt.

If they can win their Super Overs this time around, PBKS will be the team to watch out for.

Prediction2nd
Most Runs Nicholas Pooran
Most WicketsRavi Bishnoi
Emerging PlayerShahrukh Khan, the finisher
Surprise PackageFabian Allen
X FactorChris Gayle
Broken Cricket DreamDawid Malan, the No. 1 T20I batsman of 2020, has had some questions around his place recently. With Gayle breathing down his neck, can Malan come on his own in the IPL?
Punjab Kings Preview Predictions

What do you think of the Punjab Kings Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?

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Copyright (2021: 4/3/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Delhi Capitals (DC) Preview IPL 2021: Can Iyer-less DC Go One Step Further in 2021?

Delhi Capitals Preview IPL 2021.

The Delhi franchise has seen almost all kinds of seasons in the IPL. They have seen the height of the qualifiers & semi-finals, including a run to the final in 2020, as well as rock bottom. Everything except for an IPL victory.

Injury to Shreyas Iyer shifts the planning a little bit, but with Rahane & Steven Smith in the reserves, this should not be a problem. What do you say? Can they go one step further?

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auctions Review, DC All-Time XI

IPL History

2020 (2nd), 2009, 2012, 2019 (3rd), 2008 (4th)

How Did They Do Last Year?

2nd. Brilliant start, a steep fall, and a predictable ending—Mumbai Indians edging them in the final. Several positives regardless:

  • Shikhar Dhawan & Shreyas Iyer dependable with the runs at the top
  • Marcus Stoinis the finisher coming to the party
  • The pace duo of Anrich Nortje-Kagiso Rabada giving DC the edge

Injury & COVID-19 News

The Delhi Capitals have been dealt two big blows. The captain, Shreyas Iyer, suffered a shoulder injury during the India Vs England series. He will have his surgery during the IPL and is out of the season.

Rishabh Pant has been appointed the new captain.

In addition, Axar Patel has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in quarantine. Hopefully, he returns in time, but nothing is certain during these times.

Complete Delhi Capitals Squad

Batsman: Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Vishnu Vinod

WK: Rishabh Pant

All-Rounders: Ravichandran Ashwin, Lalit Yadav, Ripal Patel

Spinners: Amit Mishra, Axar Patel, Manimaran Siddharth, Praveen Dubey

Fast Medium: Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Avesh Khan, Lukman Meriwala

Overseas: Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Shimron Hetmyer, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes

Withdrawn: Shreyas Iyer

Predicted DC XI

Due to Patel’s & Iyer’s absence, the balance of the side may change. For the start, I will drop Rabada based on current form and bolster the batting with someone like Steve Smith in the middle order.

  1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Prithvi Shaw, 3. Shimron Hetmyer4, Steve Smith/ Sam Billings, 5. Rishabh Pant (C/WK), 6. Marcus Stoinis7. Ravichandran Ashwin, 8. Amit Mishra9. Anrich Nortje10. Ishant Sharma, 11. Umesh Yadav

*Axar Patel will slot at #7 if he can return to the squad

Watch Out For

  • Ravichandran Ashwin – Looks like Ravi Ashwin is having a second wind to his career. A viral YouTube channel, great IPL 2020, followed by a memorable tour of Australia both with the ball and the bat. To cap it off, a century & 9-for in his home ground at Chennai in the England Test series.
  • With the young Rishabh Pant as captain, the leadership group of Ashwin-Dhawan-Smith-Ishant-Mishra will be quite handy. Pant has been consistently destructive in the Indian colors recently, but can he transfer this form to the IPL?

Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Capitals?

Venues & Fixtures

Venues

Kolkata – 5, Ahmedabad – 4, Mumbai – 3, Chennai – 2

Fixtures

  • 10 April: CSK vs DC (Mumbai)
  • 15 April: RR vs DC (Mumbai)
  • 18 April: DC vs PBKS (Mumbai)
  • 20 April: DC vs MI (Chennai)
  • 25 April: SRH vs DC (Chennai)
  • 27 April: DC vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
  • 29 April: DC vs KKR (Ahmedabad)
  • 2 May: PBKS vs DC (Ahmedabad)
  • 8 May: KKR vs DC (Ahmedabad)
  • 11 May: DC vs RR (Kolkata)
  • 14 May: RCB vs DC (Kolkata)
  • 17 May: DC vs SRH (Kolkata)
  • 21 May: DC vs CSK (Kolkata)
  • 23 May: MI vs DC (Kolkata)
  • 25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
  • 26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
  • 28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
  • 30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)

Prediction

The IPL 2020 season displayed what DC are capable of. When they are on a roll, they are the team to watch, but when they get on a losing streak, things go south very soon.

Without Iyer, collapses are something DC need to guard against. My prediction? Always in the race for the qualifiers, but lose out to net run-rate.

Prediction5th
Most Runs Rishabh Pant
Most WicketsRavinchandran Ashwin
Emerging PlayerWill Lukman Meriwala, the SMAT star, get a game?
Surprise PackageAmit Mishra
X FactorAnrich Nortje
Broken Cricket DreamInjury to Shreyas Iyer
Delhi Capitals Preview Predictions

*SMAT – Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

What do you think of the Delhi Capitals Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?

If you like this content, please subscribe below for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.

Follow us here if you are on Medium or Bloglovin‘.

Copyright (2021: 4/3/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Afghanistan Vs Zimbabwe 2021 Series Review: Sean Williams, Rashid Khan Come To the Party

Afghanistan Vs Zimbabwe Series Review.

Some series are more hyped than others. That is the way of life. Amidst the India Vs England ‘marquee’ series, there was a much better spectacle of cricket in the UAE.

This series had everything—an overseas Test victory for Zimbabwe, first Test double century for Afghanistan by Hasmatullah Shahidi, Sean Williams’ 2 tons, follow-on fightback from Williams-Tiripano, Zimbabwe’s Blessing (Muzarabani), Rashid Khan’s toil of the century, and other heroes in Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Asghar Afghan, Ryan Burl, Ibrahim Zadran, Amir Hamza, and lot more.

Here is my series review—Results, video highlights stats, major moments, T20I World Cup squad predictions, awards, and much more!

Also Read: Ireland Vs Afghanistan Series Review

Results, Scorecards, & Video Highlights – Afghanistan Vs Zimbabwe

Test Series:

  1. Zimbabwe won by 10 wickets*Sean Williams
  2. Afghanistan won by 6 wickets*Hashmatullah Shahidi

* Player of Match

Series Stats

Player of SeriesAfghanistanZimbabwe
Sean Williams
Most Runs Hashmatullah Shahidi – 215 runs
(best of 200*, 100s – 1, average 107.50)
Sean Williams – 264 runs
(best of 151*, 100s – 2, average 132.00)
Most WicketsRashid Khan – 11 wickets
(best inn – 7/137, best match – 11/275, 99.2 overs bowled, average 25.00)
Blessing Muzarabani – 8 wickets
(best inn – 4/48, best match 6/62, 55.1 overs bowled, average 18.62)
Afghanistan Vs Zimbabwe 2021 Test Series Stats

T20I Series:

  1. Afghanistan won by 48 runs*Rahmanullah Gurbaz
  2. Afghanistan won by 45 runs*Mohammad Nabi
  3. Afghanistan won by 47 runs*Najibullah Zadran

* Player of Match

Series Stats

Player of SeriesAfghanistan
Karim Janat
Zimbabwe
Most RunsRahmanullah Gurbaz – 114 runs
(best of 87, 154.05 SR)
Ryan Burl – 81 runs
(best of 40, 122.72 SR)
Most WicketsRashid Khan – 6 wickets
(best of 3/28, 7.60 economy)
Blessing Muzarabani – 6 wickets
(best of 2/38, 10.25 economy)
Afghanistan Vs Zimbabwe 2021 T20I Series Stats

The Highlights

Afghanistan

  • Rashid Khan only played one Test match. In that one Test, he bowled more than anyone in the entire series. In fact, it was the most overs bowled in the 21st century in a single test. Digest that. He bowled 36.3 overs in the first innings & 62.5 overs in the follow on, taking 11 wickets overall. The fact that he left the PSL, missed the first Test with an injury, and played the rest of the series with full commitment is just something else. Also, he is only 22. Afghanistan needs to find more bowling partners to save Rashid from burnout.
  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz for me was the find of the series. 87 with 7 sixes in his player of the match debut performance. Not a bad start I would say.
  • With Gurbaz, Mohamamad Nabi, Asghar Afghan, & Najibullah Zadran all playing crucial roles in the T20I series, Karim Janat flew under the radar. Consistent all-round performances with 26 & 2/14, 53 & 1/27, and 21 & 2/34 got him the player of the series award.
  • A word on Hashmatullah Shahidi & Asghar Afghan. First double hundred by an Afghan batsman, 164 for Asghar, and a 307-run brilliant partnership. Afghanistan is improving, slowly but steadily. Good signs for world cricket.

Zimbabwe

  • With Brendon Taylor & Craig Ervine missing out due to illness, captain Sean Williams shouldered the responsibility with 105 in the 2-day Test victory & 151* in a follow-on. He was just a class apart. When Taylor & Ervine return, I am hoping for some progress for this Zimbabwean team (and possibly a 2023 WC qualification?)
  • Blessing Muzarabani was among the wickets in both the Test and ODI series. 4/48 & 2/14 in that first Test followed by 2 wickets each in the last Test and the T20Is. Slightly expensive in the T20Is, but will get better with time.
  • There was a time after the 2003 World Cup that Zimbabwe’s fast bowling stocks depleted. The bowling unit of Muzarabani, Victor Nyauchi, and Donald Tiripano bundled Afghanistan for 131 & 135 in the UAE. Gives me some hope.
  • The 187 run-partnership between Williams & Tiripano for the 8th wicket in the follow-on (highest for Zimbabwe at that spot) was very special. At the 20th anniversary of Dravid-Laxman’s partnership at the Eden Gardens, this would have been the perfect tribute. Unfortunately, Tiripano got out for 95 and Afghanistan chased the score with only a brief stutter. Brilliant Test match regardless.

The Awards

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

Afghanistan Zimbabwe
Emerging PlayerRahmanullah Gurbaz, Amir Hamza (6/75), Ibrahim Zadran (31 & 76, 72 & 29)Blessing Muzarabani
Surprise PackageKarim Janat Ryan Burl
Broken Cricket DreamAbdul Malik, Munir Ahmad, Abdul Wasi (Debutants)Brendon Taylor, Craig Ervine (miss out during illness)
Afghanistan Vs Zimbabwe 2021 Series Awards

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!

T20I World Cup Watch

We are doing a World T20 Watch from now till the T20I world cup next year. Here is our predicted T20 XI line up and a 16-men squad as of now based on this series. Several ifs and buts at this point, but it will get clearer along the journey.

Since the T20 World Cup is scheduled in India, several spin options are considered.

Afghanistan 2021 World T20 Squad – Prediction

  1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), 2. Usman Ghani, 3. Karim Janat, 4. Najibullah Zadran, 5. Mohammad Nabi, 6. Asghar Afghan*, 7. Rashid Khan, 8. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 9. Amir Hamza/Zahir Khan, 10. Naveen Ul-Haq, 11. Fareed Ahmad

Squad: 12. Qais Ahmed, 13. Gulbadin Naib/Hamid Hassan, 14. Wafadar Momand/Dawlat Zadran, 15. Hazratullah Zazai

Wildcards: Mohammad Shahzad/Afsar Zazai (WK), Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran, Karim Sadiq, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ibrahim Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Azmatullah Omarzai, Waqar Salamkheil

*Captain

Zimbabwe 2021 World T20 Squad – Prediction

  1. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, 2. Brendon Taylor (WK), 3. Sean Williams*, Sikandar Raza, 5. Ryan Burl, 6. Craig Ervine, 7. Regis Chakabva, 8. Wesley Madhevere, 9. Donald Tiripano, 10. Blessing Muzarabani, 11. Richard Ngarava/Victor Nyauchi

Squad: 12. Richmond Mutumbami (WK), 13. Taisai Musakanda, 14. Brandon Mavuta, 15. Kevin Kasuza

Wildcards: Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Milton Shumba

Where Do They Go From Here?

Zimbabwe is bound to tour Ireland in August for 3 ODIs (after Ireland tour Netherlands in June for 3 ODIs) . Important ODI Super League points up for grabs.

In the meantime, the Afghanistan trio of Rashid Khan-Mohammad Nabi-Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be headed to Sunrisers Hyderabad camp for the Indian Premier League.

What did you think about the Afghanistan Vs Zimbabwe 2021 series? What are your World T20 line ups? COMMENT BELOW, and let us know what you think!

Image Courtesy: Image by Makalu from Pixabay

Australia Vs New Zealand 2021 Series Review: Guptill, Finch Shine In Competitive Series

Australia Vs New Zealand 2021 Series Review. This series was competitive with a 3-2 result, although every match was more-or-less one-sided.

Several memorable moments though with the return of Martin Guptill’s sweet timing, Conway’s run of form, Jamieson’s rude awaking after IPL auction glory, Finch & Maxwell’s show, Ashton Agar & Ish Sodhi’s magic, & finally the spin experiment of Chapman-Phillips (wicketkeeper).

Positives for both sides with this series. New Zealand have solidified their batting order, while Australia had the chance to experiment with Big Bash performers since the South Africa-Australia series was controversially cancelled (Hence, no Smith, Warner, Cummins for this series).

Here is my series review—Results, stats, highlights, T20I World Cup squad predictions, awards, and much more!

Results – Australia Vs New Zealand

T20I Series: New Zealand Win 3 – 2

  1. New Zealand win by 53 runs *Devon Conway
  2. New Zealand win by 4 runs*Martin Guptill
  3. Australia win by 64 runs*Ashton Agar
  4. Australia win by 50 runs*Aaron Finch
  5. New Zealand win by 7 wickets*Martin Guptill

* Player of Match

Series Stats

Player of SeriesNew Zealand
Ish Sodhi
Australia
Most RunsMartin Guptill – 218 runs
(best of 97, 2-50s, 59.12 SR)
Aaron Finch – 197 runs
(best of 79*, 2-50s, SR 134.01)
Most WicketsIsh Sodhi – 13 wickets
(best of 4/28, 12.07 average, 8.26 economy)
Ashton Agar – 8 wickets
(best of 6/30, 14.62 average, 6.88 economy)
Australia Vs New Zealand 2021 T20I Series Stats

The Highlights

New Zealand

  • Martin Guptill was on the verge of being dropped. In the first T20I, even Brendon McCullum on commentary suggested this is a huge series for Guptill (only for the commentator’s curse to take place—Guptill dismissed for duck). What followed was a magnificent 97 which made him the leading six hitter in all of T20I cricket. He followed it up with 43 & 71 later in the series. Watch out—this version of Guptill could be even more dangerous.
  • Devon Conway continues to rise through the ranks. Hit a 99* in the first T20I. An average of 52.28 at 145.23 with 3 50s in his first 11 matches. He is here to stay and may even receive an ODI cap soon.
  • Ish Sodhi has never completely realized his potential. Even with leg spinners dominating international cricket for the last decade, he was always in and out of the side. A Player of the Series performance & upcoming World T20I in India should guarantee his spot in the XI.

Australia

  • IPL discard Aaron Finch showed why is the best T20I batsman in the world. After NZ led 2-0 in the 5 match series, knocks of 69, 79*, and 36 displayed his tough character.
  • Australia have a balanced squad with 2 spinning allrounders, Glenn Maxwell & Ashton Agar. Both came to the party in the 3rd T20I. Maxwell, a revelation in international cricket over the past 12 months, scored an impactful 70 (31), while Agar broke the New Zealand chase with a spell of 6/30.
  • Josh Philippe was the find of the series for me. Although he had already made a name for himself in the Big Bash, he finally shone at the international level providing quick starts of 45 (34) & 43 (27). Pressure on Matthew Wade when David Warner returns? (although he did score a decent 44 (29)).

The Awards

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

Watch Out For

  • Finn Allen. Just 21 years of age, he averages 48.81 with 183.27 strike rate in domestic T20. With 6 fifties in 13 innings & a best of 92*, there are talks of him being fast-tracked for the Kiwis. With Guptill solidifying his spot & Seifert-Conway-Phillips all but certain, Allen’s prospects may have closed the door for Ross Taylor’s T20I return.
New ZealandAustralia
Emerging PlayerFinn Allen (Not in the series)Josh Philippe
Surprise PackageMartin Guptill’s comeback Ashton Agar
Broken Cricket DreamKyle Jamieson
(15 overs, 175 runs, 1 wicket at 11.66 economy rate)
End of Matthew Wade?
Australia Vs New Zealand 2021 Series Awards

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!

T20I World Cup Watch

We are doing a World T20 Watch from now till the T20I world cup next year. Here is our predicted T20 XI line up and a 16-men squad as of now based on this series. Several ifs and buts at this point, but it will get clearer along the journey.

Since the T20 World Cup is scheduled in India, several spin options are considered.

New Zealand 2021 World T20 Squad – Prediction

Finn Allen is slowly rising through the domestic ranks. He was picked as an injury backup for RCB, although he has not made his international debut yet.

  1. Martin Guptill, 2. Tim Seifert (WK), 3. Kane Williamson*, 4. Glenn Phillips, 5. Devon Conway, 6. Jimmy Neesham, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Trent Boult, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Ish Sodhi

Squad: 12. Colin de Grandhomme, 13. Finn Allen/Ross Taylor/Mark Chapman, 14. Kyle Jamieson/Hamish Bennett, 15. Blair Tickner/Jacob Duffy, 156 Doug Bracewell/Scott Kuggeleijn/Adam Milne

*Captain

Australia 2021 World T20 Squad – Prediction

I will put Steve Smith on the bench and start with Philippe. Several options for Australia, but time running out to settle their squad.

  1. David Warner, 2. Aaron Finch*, 3. Josh Philippe (WK), 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. Marcus Stoinis, 6. Ashton Agar, 7. Mitchell Marsh, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Daniel Sams/Jason Behrendoff/Mitchell Starc, 10. Josh Hazlewood/James Pattinson, 11. Adam Zampa

Squad: 12. Steve Smith, 13. Matthew Wade (WK)/ Alex Carey (WK), 14. Jhye Richardson/Riley Meredith/Sean Abbott, 15. Kane Richardon/Andrew Tye, 16. Cameron Green/Moises Henriques

Wildcards: Marnus Labuschagne, Ben McDermott (WK), D’Arcy Short, Andrew Tye, Tanveer Sangha, Ashton Turner, Nathan Lyon

Where Do They Go From Here?

New Zealand travel to Bangladesh for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, starting March 19th. Several of the players will stay for IPL 2021. Finally, in July the Test squad will travel to England for 2 Test matches as well as the (not) much awaited WTC final.

Australia meanwhile are done for now till the World T20 later this year (unless fixtures are added). They won the ODI series against India 2-1, but went on to lose the T20I series 1-2, Test series 1-3, & this series 2-3. Also had the controversial South Africa series cancelled. Time for some much needed rest.

What did you think about the Australia Vs New Zealand 2021 series? What are your World T20 line ups? COMMENT BELOW, and let us know what you think!

Image Courtesy: Martin Guptill – YellowMonkey/Blnguyen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

England Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Review: Beaumont & Knight Too Much For New Zealand

England Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Preview.

This series was dominated by two individuals—Tammy Beaumont and captain Heather Knight. Apart from these two, England also found match winners in Nat Sciver, Freya Davies, Sarah Glenn, and Katherine Brunt.

On the other hand, except for Amelia Kerr & Amy Satterthwaite, New Zealand were not in the fight in their own backyard. There was stand-in captaincy for Sciver, injury to Lea Tahuhu, and even a bit of Billy Bowden as well. Here is a quick review—The stats, highlights, and more! Keep on reading, and let us know your thoughts!

Also Read: Ind Vs SA Women Series Preview, Who Cares About Women Cricket?

Results – England Vs New Zealand

ODI Series: England Win 2 – 1

  1. England Women won by 8 wickets *Heather Knight
  2. England Women won by 7 wickets *Natalie Sciver
  3. New Zealand Women won by 7 wickets *Amy Satterthwaite

* Player of Match

Player of SeriesEnglandNew Zealand
Most RunsTammy Beaumont – 231 runs
(best of 88*, 3 – 50s, average 231.00)
Amy Satterthwaite – 135 runs
(best of 119*, 1- 100, average 67.50)
Most WicketsNatalie Sciver – 5 wickets
(best of 3/26, average 16.60)
Amelia Kerr – 4 wickets
(best of 4/42, average 28.00)
England Vs New Zealand Women ODI Series Stats

T20I Series: England Win 3 – 0

  1. England Women won by 7 wickets *Sarah Glenn
  2. England Women won by 6 wickets *Freya Davies
  3. England Women won by 32 runs *Katherine Brunt
Player of SeriesEngland
Tammy Beaumont
New Zealand
Most RunsTammy Beaumont – 102 runs
(best of 63, 1 – 50, 100.99 SR)
Amy Satterthwaite – 76 runs
(best of 49, 122.58 SR)
Most WicketsFreya Davies – 5 wickets
(best of 4/23, 4.71 economy)
Leigh Kasperek – 4 wickets
(best of 2/24, 6.61 economy)
England Vs New Zealand Women T20I Series Stats

The Highlights

England

  • Individual runs do not win you matches, great partnerships do. Tammy Beaumont & Heather Knight were not only consistently among the runs, they stitched the English team together. Beaumont is literally in almost all the match-winning partnerships. Dream tour for her (although struggles for Danni Wyatt continued).
    • Beaumont-Knight 94 (113), Beaumont-Sciver 103 (129) & Beaumont-Jones 79*(87), Beaumont-Knight 109 (151)
    • Wyatt-Beaumont 59 (53), Knight-Beaumont 83 (73), Jones-Dunkley 36 (31)
  • While the experienced top order dominated the ODI leg, the bowlers were the stars in the T20Is. Sarah Glenn’s miserly 2/11 in 4 overs in the first T20I & Freya Davies’ wonderful outing of 4/23 sealed the 2nd T20I. Only 8 T20Is old before the series, Davies was the find of the T20I tour for England.
  • The experience of Katherine Brunt was on spot in the 3rd T20I. At half way stage, 128 seemed too low to defend but Katherine Brunt’s 2/19, Sophie Ecclestone’s 2/19, & Mady Villiers’ 3/10 bundled New Zealand for just 96.

New Zealand

  • It was a tough tour for Sophie Devine. After hitting the fastest women T20 century in the domestic Super Smash tournament, much was expected of her as the captain-all rounder. Scores of 16, 6, 15, 2, 8, 0 and only 2 wickets across the 6 matches was way below her usually excellent standards.
  • Amelia Kerr, the young prodigious (Devine used to babysit her) allrounder continued her dramatic rise in world cricket. Although the stats do not show it all, she was constantly threatening the pair of Beaumont-Knight in the ODIs. Performance of 4/42 & 72* in the 3rd ODI helped seal New Zealand their sole victory in the series.
  • The women of the hour in the 3rd ODI was Amy Satterthwaite, completing her 7th ODI century with magnificent knock of 119* (128) after the White Ferns were 15-2. Another 49 came in a T20I. The only real resistance from the New Zealand batting came from her. Otherwise, T20I scores of 96, 123, 96 & ODI scores of 178 & 192 are not much to write home about.

Also Read: What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?, What If India Won the 2017 World Cup?

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We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

England New Zealand
Emerging PlayerFreya DaviesAmelia Kerr
Surprise PackageKatherine BruntLeigh Kasperek
Broken Cricket DreamDanni WyattLea Tahuhu (injured)/Sophie Devine
England Vs New Zealand Women Awards

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!

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Where Do They Go From Here?

Australia Women will tour New Zealand for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, starting March 28th. For England, The Women’s Hundred will finally take stage from 21st July-21st August. This will be a huge game changer for women’s cricket.

The ODI World Cup (which was to be held during this time in New Zealand this year) is postponed to February of 2022.

Where do New Zealand cricket go from here? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!

Image Courtesy: Katherine Bruntpaddynapper, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021 Series Review: Young West Indies Rises Again In the East

West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021 Series Review.

Amidst the India Vs England series, the Pakistan Super League, and IPL Auctions around the corner, this series was not really supposed to be the marquee series. In hindsight, this series will be remembered forever due to the extraordinary feats of Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner.

As Ian Bishop exclaimed, “These men have achieved what many thought was impossible.”

There were other moments as well during the series—Shakib Al Hasan’s much anticipated return, Rovman Powell’s ODI resurgence, Mehidy Hasan Miraz & Mominul’s tons, and finally, the new West Indian ‘engine room’—Jermaine Blackwood, Bonner, Mayers, Joshua Da Silva, and Alzarri Joseph.

*Note: Underlined & Bolded links are videos. Underlined without bold are links to other articles.

Results – Bangladesh Vs West Indies

ODI Series: Bangladesh Win 3 – 0

* Player of Match

  1. Bangladesh won by 6 wickets Shakib Al Hasan*
  2. Bangladesh won by 7 wicketsMehidy Hasan Miraz*
  3. Bangladesh won by 120 runsMushfiqur Rahim*
Player of Series (Bangladesh)
Shakib Al Hasan
113 runs (1 – 50), 6 wickets (best of 4/8)
West Indies
Most RunsTamim Iqbal – 158 runsRovman Powell – 116 runs
Most WicketsMehidy Hasan Miraz – 7 wicketsAkeal Hosein – 4 wickets
ODI Series Stats

Test Series: West Indies Win 2-0

  1. West Indies won by 3 wicketsKyle Mayers*
  2. West Indies won by 17 runsRakheem Cornwall*
Player of SeriesBangladeshWest Indies
Nkrumah Bonner
231 runs (2 – 50s, best of 90)
Most RunsLiton Das – 200 runs
(2 – 50s, best of 71)
Kyle Mayers – 261 runs
(1- 100, best of 210*)
Most Wickets Taijul Islam – 12 wickets
(best of 4/36 & 8/144 match)
Rakheem Cornwall – 14 wickets
(best of 5/74 & 9/179 match)
Test Series Stats

The Highlights

West Indies

ODIs

  • The West Indies batting underwhelmed in the ODIs with scorecards that read 5-56 (122 all out), 8-88 (148 all out), 6-117 (177 all out). Questions will be asked for the second string squad & the necessity of mental health breaks during COVID, but the Test series saved those questions for now.
  • In all the collapses, one batsman stood out—Rovman Powell. 28, 41, & 47 briefly resurrected the West Indies’ innings, but he would want to convert those in the near future.
  • With not many runs on the board, only Akeal Hosein stood out with a 3-wicket haul.

Tests

  • Rakheem Cornwall joins the party. Ever since his international selection, questions have always surrounded him – whether it is his fitness or batting ability. 14 wickets in the series and great slip catches will ensure he stays in the squad for a while now.
  • Time to talk about the debutants—Kyle Mayers & Nkrumah Bonner. The talk of the town. Debuting at the age of 28, his maturity was on-spot with a 40 and a 4th innings 210*. Mind blowing. Successful chase of 396 with a partnership of 216. Although Bonner did not scale the heights of a century, he contributed in both matches with 17 & 86 and 90 & 38.
  • With the glory surrounding Mayers & Bonner, Joshua Da Silva has quietly emerged as a solid middle order option for the West Indies. Scores of 42, 20, 92, & 20 did not light the world on fire, but the partnerships surely did (99, 100, 88, 118).
  • Alzarri Joseph is turning out to be a gem for the West Indies. After his 86 against New Zealand recently, he came up with a 82 in Bangladesh. Future fast-bowling all rounder?

Bangladesh

ODIs

  • Tamim Iqbal’s batting has been effective without being flashy, unlike the pre-2015 Iqbal. A senior top-order batsman & now captain, he was responsible with scores of 44, 50, & 64. With 7360 runs in ODI, he is definitely Bangladesh’s all-time best ODI batsman. And he is only 31.
  • Shakib Al Hasan’s return to cricket after his 1 year ban was seamless. 4/8 in the first ODI, player of the match, and player of the series. Unfortunately, the injury cut his Test series short. Next place? IPL with KKR. What a steal (Although he is skipping the Sri Lanka Test series).
  • Mehidy Hasan Miraz is the next all-rounder in line after Shakib Al Hasan. Already a star, he regularly contributes with the bat and ball. In the ODI series, he was the highest wicket taker.

Also Read: Bangladesh Fab 5 – Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Mortaza Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad

Tests

  • Speaking of Mehidy Hasan, Test match batting. 103, 57, & 31 – losing cause but kept his shoulders high.
  • Liton Das, another budding youngster, has largely underwhelmed in his short career so far. Averages of 28.62, 30.97, & 22.71 in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, does not justify his talent. Pretty 20s and 30s are not going to get you too far in international cricket, but scores of 69, 38, 71, & 22 show growing signs of maturity for Liton Das.
  • Captain Mominul Haque quelled the voices around him with a second innings 115 in the first Test. 3048 runs at 41.18 with 10 centuries and best of 181 is a decent record, but he needs to play more of these “captain’s innings.”

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

Bangladesh West Indies
Emerging PlayerMehidy Hasan Miraj, the Test batsmanJoshua Da Silva & Ian Bishop’s commentary
Surprise PackageLiton Das Rakheem Cornwall
Broken Cricket DreamShakib Al Hasan (injured)Jason Holder’s captaincy (Braithwaite permanent?)
West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021: Awards

Who would have been your Emerging Player for the West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021 series? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please subscribe!

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Where Do They Go From Here?

Bangladesh

Bangladesh will fly to New Zealand for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs. Then they will tour Sri Lanka in April to complete the twice postponed WTC series.

West Indies

West Indies will tour Sri Lanka for a T20I series. Returns for Chris Gayle (who cut his PSL campaign short for international return) and Fidel Edwards (Kolpak deals end with Brexit). Definitely looking like a side who is willing to go for their 3rd World T20 World Cup title.

Gayle even said he will try to play cricket till 45. Wow. GOAT.

In the New Zealand Vs West Indies Series Review, we questioned if the sun has set on West Indies cricket? In Bangladesh, a young West Indies rose in the east.

Image Courtesy: Chris GayleNAPARAZZI Via CC by SA 2.0

Pakistan Vs South Africa 2021 Series Review: Pakistan Successfully Host Complete Series As South Africa Fail To Make a Mark

Pakistan Vs South Africa 2021 Series Review—a historical series. South Africa’s first visit to the nation after more than a decade.

The return of Aiden Markram and Hasan Ali, the absence of Mohammad Hafeez, lots of Mohammad Rizwan, and curtains to Faf Du Plessis’ Test career. We look at the highs & lows, broken dreams, emerging players, and World T20I Watch.

Also Read: Pakistan Super League 2021 – Everything You Need To Know Quickly, South African Players Who Play For Other Countries

*Note: Underlined & Bolded links are videos. Underlined without bold are links to other articles.

Results – Pakistan Vs South Africa

Test Series: Pakistan Win 2 – 0

* Player of Match

  1. Pakistan won by 7 wicketsFawad Alam*
  2. Pakistan won by 95 runsHasan Ali*
Player of SeriesPakistan
Mohammad Rizwan
166 runs, 100s – 1, best of 116*, 83.00 average, 1 catch
South Africa
Most RunsFaheem Ashraf – 171 runs
(50s – 2, best of 78*, 85.5 average)
Aiden Markram – 227 runs
(100s – 1, 50s – 1, best of 108, 56.75 average)
Most WicketsHasan Ali – 12 wickets
(best of 5/54 & 10/114 match)
Keshav Maharaj – 10 wickets
(best of 3/90 & 6/208 match)
T20I Series Stats

T20I Series: Pakistan Win 2 – 1

  1. Pakistan won by 3 runs Mohammad Rizwan*
  2. South Africa won by 6 wicketsDwaine Pretorius*
  3. Pakistan won by 4 wicketsMohammad Nawaz*
Player of SeriesPakistan
Mohammad Rizwan
(6 catches)
South Africa
Most RunsMohammad Rizwan – 197 runs
(1 – 100, 1 – 50, best of 104*, average 98.5, 145.92 SR)
David Miller – 116 runs
(1 – 50, best of 85*, average 116, 156.75 SR)
Most WicketsUsman Qadir – 4 wickets
(best of 2/21, 6.90 economy)
Tabraiz Shamsi – 6 wickets
(best of 4/25, 5.08 economy)
T20I Series Stats

The Highlights

Pakistan

Test

  • The energizer is back with Pakistan. Hasan Ali’s domestic resurgence has translated directly into international performances. 5/54 & 5/60 match winning 10-fer. Skiddy action, the passion, and the celebration.
  • In the last 5 first class matches, Fawad Alam has scores of 139 (vs NZ A), 102, 109, 45. Consistency and the 109 at home. Destined.
  • It is the season of Faheem Ashraf-Mohammad Rizwan partnership. After a streak of match-saving consecutive overseas 50s for Rizwan, he finally converted to a ton with 115* in Rawalpandi. Similarly, following his 91 in New Zealand, Ashraf followed up with 64 and 78* in Pakistan.

T20I

  • Rizwan strikes again. Followed up his Test century with a 104*, 51, and 42 in the T20Is. Brilliant. Just brilliant. And if you thought that was consistent enough, now has scores of 71 and 41 for Karachi Kings in the PSL.
  • Usman Qadir – Like father like son. Wonderful spell in the first T20I. Brilliant in his own right, he is here to stay in international cricket.
  • Let us talk about the ones missing in action (at least offline), shall we? Mohammad Hafeez and Sarfaraz Ahmed. The best Pakistan T20I batsman over the past year, Mohammad Hafeez opted out of the international series due to T10 league & clashes with the quarantine dates for the South Africa series. Yet, he was active on Twitter and had a few exchanges with former captain and current substitute, Sarfaraz. Hopefully, it is just a one-time thing and Pakistan cricket can move on.

Also Read: Umar Gul – The Magician With the Yorker

South Africa

Test

  • It seems that Aiden Markram debuted ages ago. After his brilliant start to Test cricket in 2017, it seemed that Markram was in an eternal downward spiral. Still only 26, this overseas tour of Pakistan may well be a watershed rejuvenation moment for Markram. Long career ahead.
  • When one door opens, another closes. While Markram excelled, Quinton de Kock had a horrific series with the bat. 4 innings – 46 runs. Now, he is also released as the Test captain and has taken a mental health break from South Africa’s domestic tournament.
  • Speaking of closed doors, Faf Du Plessis. The sun has finally set on a career marked with tenacity, grit, leadership, and hope. A Test career that started a bit late due to the great South African generation, a debut stonewalling to remember at Adelaide, a few blockathons here and there, a lot of Australia and India, captaincy records, and an iconic 199 to cap it off. Hats off Faf. Be sure to read our tribute to Faf below.

Also Read: Faf Du Plessis & ABD De Villiers – Friendship and the Quest of the World Cup

Embed from Getty Images

T20I

  • KILLER MILLER IS BACK!!!! Look at some of the hits here. 85* (45) with 7 sixes albeit in a losing cause. Almost half a decade since this type of innings. Good signs for the Proteas looking forward to the T20I World Cup.
  • Moving to the bowling side, Dwaine Pretorius slowly inking his name in the T20I XI. A 5 wicket haul including a brilliant yorker. Scalps of Babar Azam and in-form Mohammad Rizwan. Not bad.
  • Tabraiz Shamsi has been the unsung mainstay of South African bowling recently. The fast bowling unit bar Rabada (and now, Nortje) seems to be a revolving door, but the absence of Imran Tahir has not been felt due to Shamsi. Highest wicket taker in the T20I series with a miserly economy.

The Awards

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

PakistanSouth Africa
Emerging PlayerHasan Ali 2.0, Fawad Alam 3.0, and Rizwan-Ashraf partnershipLeft Arm Spinners
Surprise PackageUsman QadirReturn of Aiden Markram
Broken Cricket DreamMohammad Hafeez-Sarfaraz Ahmed Twitter Exchanges Test retirement of Faf Du Plessis
Pakistan Vs South Africa 2021 Review: The Awards

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!\

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Where Do They Go From Here?

These two teams will be back in action in April with Pakistan returning the favor with 3 ODIs and 4 T20Is, completing a postponed series from last year.

South Africa are still in a transition zone. The longer they stay here, the worse it gets. It is good to see the younger generation of players stand up, but hope it all meshes by the time the World T20 Cup hits later this year.

Pakistan are one to watch for the T20 World Cup. The PSL is being held at the right time, enough time for young stars to appear and get some international games under their belt.

World T20 Watch

Leading up to the World Cup, we are picking a 15 player squad after each series.

Pakistan

For reference, here was our earlier WT20 watch for Pakistan’s squad in our Pak Vs NZ series review. Some new faces have come into play, while some players have dropped off the list.

  1. Babar Azam (C), 2. Mohammad Rizwan (WK), 3. Haider Ali, 4. Mohammad Hafeez, 5. Shadab Khan, 6.. Imad Wasim, 7. Faheem Ashraf, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Haris Rauf, 10. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11. Usman Qadir

Squad: 12. Naseem Shah, 13. Mohammad Nawaz/Zafar Gohar/Zahid Mahmood, 14. Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK)/Sharjeel Khan, 15. Iftikhar Ahmed/Shoaib Malik

Other Reserves in Contention: Imam-Ul-Haq/Fakhar Zaman (opener), Mohammad Hasnain/Mohammad Musa/Aamer Yamin (fast bowler), Khusdil Shah/Hussain Talat/Asif Ali (lower order finisher)

Wildcard: Sohail Tanvir

Probably curtains for Wahab Riaz & possible Mohammad Amir comeback.

South Africa

  1. Quinton de Kock* (WK), 2. Janneman Malan, 3. Faf du Plessis, 4. Rassie Van der Dussen, 5. Heinrich Klassen (C), 6. David Miller, 7. George Linde, 8. Chris Morris, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Anrich Nortje, 11. Tabraiz Shamsi

Squad: 12. Andile Phelukwayo, 13. JJ Smuts, 14. Dwaine Pretorius, 15. Lungi Ngidi

Other Reserves In Contention: Lutho Sipamla/Bjorn Fortuin/Junior Dala, Pete van Biljon, Temba Bavuma/ Reeza Hendricks/Aiden Markram

Wildcard: AB De Villiers (WK), Marco Jansen?

What did you think of our Pakistan Vs South Africa 2021 Review? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below! Also feel free to share/discuss on our Twitter & Facebook pages!

Copyright (2021: 2/26/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Photo by Mehtab Farooq on Unsplash

Ireland Vs Afghanistan 2021 Series Review: Afghanistan Edge Out Paul Stirling’s Brilliance

Ireland Vs Afghanistan 2021 Series Review in the UAE.

Ireland’s ODIs against the UAE were enthralling, except 2 ODIs were postponed due to COVID. Then, Afghanistan swept the crucial 3 match ODI series against Ireland. However, the series was closer than the 3-0 score line suggests. The series had various moments: Paul Stirling’s 3 centuries across the 2 series, Curtis Campher’s golden run, Gurbaz’s dream debut, Rashid Khan’s magical deliveries, reliable Rahmat Shah, and Asghar Afghan finishing things off in style.

Keep on reading for our analysis, emerging players, surprise packages, broken cricket dreams, and much more.

Also Read: Eng-Ind Series Preview, Eng-SL Series Review, Ind-Aus Series Review

*Note: Underlined & Bolded links are videos. Underlined without bold are links to other articles.

Results

Ireland Vs United Arab Emirates ODI Series

Ireland Win 2 – 1

  1. U.A.E. won by 6 wickets *Chundangapoyil Rizwan
  2. POSTPONED
  3. POSTPONED
  4. Ireland won by 112 runs *Simi Singh

* Player of Match

Player of SeriesIreland
Curtis Campher
80 runs, best of 56, 2 wickets
United Arab Emirates
Most RunsPaul Stirling – 135 runs
(best of 131*)
Chundangapoyil Rizwan – 110 runs
(best of 109)
Most WicketsSimi Singh – 5 wicketsAhmed Raza – 3 wickets
Ireland Vs U.A.E. ODI Series Stats

Ireland Vs Afghanistan ODI Series

Afghanistan Win 3-0

  1. Afghanistan win by 16 runs *Rahmanullah Gurbaz
  2. Afghanistan won by 7 wickets *Rahmat Shah
  3. Afghanistan won by 36 runs *Rashid Khan
Player of SeriesIreland
Paul Stirling
Ireland
Most RunsPaul Stirling – 285 runs
(Best of 128, 2 100s)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz -180 runs
(Best of 127)
Most WicketsAndy McBrine – 6 wicketsNaveen-ul-Haq – 8 wickets
Ireland Vs Afghanistan 2021 ODI Series Stats

The Highlights

Ireland

  • Paul Stirling is having a stellar season. An aggressive batsman at the start of his career, he has truly transformed into Ireland’s top order main stay. Most ODI runs (576) since April 2020, 4 centuries, average of 82.28, 96 strike rate, and with age on his side (30), Ireland cricket is still in good hands. It’s a shame he did not make it to the final round of IPL 2021 auctions…
  • Curtis Campher, the South African expatriate, has been a revelation since his debut against England. Player of the Series in the UAE Series—this 21 year old is the next big thing of Irish cricket.
  • Kevin O’Brien, the hero of Bangalore and Ireland’s Test debut, is approaching the end of his career at the age of 36. With scores of 23, 2, 1, 0 & only 2 wickets, he really needs a second wind to justify his place against the incoming generation of Irish talent.

Afghanistan

  • Although star Rashid Khan won the man of the match in the final game of the series, Afghanistan’s series win was an all-round effort. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Asghar Afghan, and Rahmat Shah contributed with the bat, while Naveen-Ul-Haq & Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman were effective with the ball.
  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz had a stellar debut – 127 runs with 9 blistering sixes. What Campher is to Ireland, Gurbaz is to Afghanistan. At the age of 19, he has a long career ahead of him.
  • Mohammad Nabi is currently going through the Kevin O’Brien crisis. Nabi, the stalwart of Afghanistan cricket, who has been a part of their rise since Division V cricket, needs to reinvent himself. 35 runs (2 innings) and 2 wickets (3 innings) may not be enough for the spinning all-round spot.

United Arab Emirates

  • The UAE probably got the worst of the COVID postponement. Since the UAE are in World Cricket League 2, they have to rank in the top 3 for the 2023 World Cup Qualification. They are currently at 5th and after winning the 1st ODI, at home they would have fancied their chances.
  • An impressive maiden century by Rizwan along with a wonderful partnership with Usman ensured UAE ‘upset’ Ireland in the first ODI.

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

IrelandUnited Arab EmiratesAfghanistan
Emerging PlayerCurtis CampherChundangapoyil RizwanRahmanullah Gurbaz
Surprise PackageSimi SinghMuhammad UsmanNaveen-Ul-Haq
Broken Cricket DreamKevin O’BrienPostponement of ODIsMohammad Nabi

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!

If you like this content, please subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.

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Copyright (2021: 2/13/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Where Do They Go From Here?

Unlike the World Test Championship, the ODI Super League is still a fairly sensible idea. Ireland has already played as many games as England and Australia so far, while Afghanistan rank 4th. With the top 8 automatically qualifying (including India), Ireland are currently at 7th and need to be careful from here on now. Points against UAE and Afghanistan was their best bet. Of course, the sample size is small so far with Sri Lanka, South Africa, Netherlands, and New Zealand yet to play a game in the Super League.

Ireland are scheduled to play South Africa, Netherlands, and Zimbabwe this year, while Afghanistan are bound to play Sri Lanka and Pakistan (according to pre-COVID FTP, so this is bound to change).

A lot more cricket still to come, and we hope that Ireland finally starts reaping its rewards from the 2007 generation, while Afghanistan breaks into the big leagues.

Where do Ireland cricket go from here? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!

Image Courtesy: Mohammad Nabi & Hamid Hassan – Afghanistan Press Kit Uploads | Flickr via CC ND 2.0

Sri Lanka Vs South Africa 2020 Test Series Review: South African Cricket Back On Its Feet Against Injury-Hit Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Vs South Africa—With the Pakistan-New Zealand series and Border-Gavaskar Trophy underway, this series almost went under the radar. However, the importance of this series cannot be understated, especially after the abandonment of the England-South Africa ODI series.

Although short in nature, the series had its moments—Sri Lanka’s positive start, Faf Du Plessis’ 199, Elgar’s heroics, Temba’s hilarious/unfortunate walk, the Lankan injuries, and Nortje’s coming of age.

Here are my picks for the best moments, emerging players, and much more! COMMENT BELOW ON YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS.

Also Read: Eng-SA ODI Review, NZ-Pak Series Review, Ind-Aus Test Series Preview

Results – England Vs South Africa

Test Series: South Africa Win 2 – 0

* Player of Match

  1. South Africa won by an innings and 45 runs – Faf Du Plessis*
  2. South Africa won by 10 wickets Dean Elgar*
Player of SeriesSri Lanka
South Africa
Dean Elgar
1-50, 1-100, 127 best
Most RunsKusal Perera – 141 runs (4 innings)Dean Elgar – 253 runs (3 innings)
Most WicketsVishwa Fernando – 8 wickets (3 innings)Anrich Nortje – 11 wickets (4 innings)
Test Series Stats

The Highlights

Sri Lanka

  • Sri Lanka began the series with a complete team effort consisting of Chandimal’s 85, Dhananjaya de Silva’s 79, Dickwella’s 49, Shanaka’s 66* to get to 396, their highest ever in South Africa. In response, South Africa’s mammoth 621 was too much to save a match. Not even Kusal Perera could save the match with a 64, as he did with the best Test innings of all time in 2019.
  • 31.1, 2.1, 28.5, 21.1, 6.5 read Sri Lanka’s bowling card in the first Test, with injured bowlers. Even captain Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis had to contribute 13.5 overs.
  • Injuries were unfortunately the theme for Sri Lanka this tour. With 5 forced changes including Chandimal & Dhananjay de Silva (and Angelo Mathews injured pre-series), Perera’s 1st innings 60 and Karunaratne’s 103 were the only bright spots in the 2nd Test.

Honestly speaking, 0 tour matches, COVID uncertainty, and focus on Lanka Premier League was way too much for Sri Lanka’s longer format dreams.

Also Read: Lasith Malinga – The Slinga, The Slayer, The SuperStar

South Africa

  • Faf Du Plessis has been through a lot in the last few years. Waited 7 years for a debut, heartbreak in the 2015 WC Semi-Final, led South Africa admirably, with everything collapsing in the 2019 World Cup. He has stayed and become the beacon of leadership, helping the Proteas transition to the next generation. His 199 in the 1st Test—so close, yet so far. In context though, a very important statement. Another couple of years for Faf?
  • Dean Elgar had a brilliant series with a 95 & 127 in the 2 Tests. One of the best openers in tough conditions, his reputation continues to rise.
  • SA began this series with an appalling statistic – first time in a few decades that all batsman averaged below 40. Yep, you read that correctly. All, even Faf, Elgar, and captain Quinton de Kock were on the wrong side of 40. With welcome performances from Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Rassie Van der Dussen, and even Keshav Maharaj, the batting looks decent for the near future. Still need to guide against collapses.
  • In the absence of Rabada, Nortje rose to the occasion as the leader of the attack with a blistering 6-56. The supporting cast of Sipamla, Ngidi, and Wiaan Muldur chipped in with 10, 9, and 7 wickets respectively. Not quite Steyn-Morkel-Philander-Rabada, but these four displayed some potential for the future.

Also Read: Faf & ABD De Villiers – Friendship and the Quest of the World Cup

The Awards

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

South AfricaSri Lanka
Emerging PlayerWiann Muldur Dasun Shanaka’s Workload
Surprise PackageBatting Consistency Vishwa Fernando
Broken Cricket DreamQuinton de Kock (In a series where each player had a breakthrough performance, QDK was underpar)Injuries Galore

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please share and subscribe below!

Where Do They Go From Here?

England left South Africa early due to COVID concerns. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka arrived in South Africa for a Test series tour. While the SL-SA series was going on, England already reached Sri Lanka to quarantine. So England’s been in Sri Lanka before the home team, while Sri Lanka are completing the series in South Africa.

Interesting how life works.

In the next couple of weeks, England-Sri Lanka are due for a 2-match Test series, while South Africa travel to Pakistan after a decade for a historic tour. In terms of the World Test Championship, England are ranked 4th (with tours of Sri Lanka & India coming up), SA a distant 5th, and SL down at 7th. Although the WTC provides context for the teams that are still in contention, it is the opposite for teams that suffer early losses. Widens the gap for the lower teams. Things to think about for the WTC.

Finally, Brexit is complete, Kolpak deals out of the window, & Kyle Abbott back with the Titans. If talent stream does not go to other places like the USA, South Africa might be stepping in the right direction.

Anyway, where do you think Sri Lanka and South African cricket go from here? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below! Also feel free to share/discuss on our Twitter & Facebook pages!

Copyright (2021: 1/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Pixabay

New Zealand Vs Pakistan 2020 Series Review: Williamson, Jamieson, And A Little Bit of Pakistan

New Zealand vs Pakistan 2020 Series Review.

Both New Zealand and Pakistan had multiple stories in this series—Kane Williamson & Kyle Jamieson’s continued 2020 brilliance, Fawad Alam & Daryl Mitchell’s fairytale hundreds, Azhar Ali’s revival & Shan Masood’s decline.

Here is our review of both the T20I and Test series between New Zealand and the Pakistan—the rising stars, falling gems, broken dreams, and much more!

READ TILL THE END FOR THE WORLD T20I WORLD CUP WATCH!

Also Read: Pakistan vs New Zealand Series Preview, USA Cricket Guide, Umar Gul Retirement Tribute

Results – New Zealand Vs Pakistan 2020

This series mirrored the recently concluded New Zealand Vs West Indies series. In the WI series, the T20I series was dominated by Glenn Phillips. Similarly, this time it was another top order, wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert.

The similarity does not end here. In both these series, Kane Williamson won the Player of the Match award for the first Test match and Kyle Jamieson won that award for the second Test match. While Jamieson received the Player of the Series trophy for the West Indies series, Williamson won the Pakistan series award.

Oh yeah, Williamson scored double centuries in both.

T20I Series: New Zealand Win 2 – 1

* Player of Match

  1. NZ won by 5 wicketsJacob Duffy*
  2. NZ won by 9 wickets Tim Southee*
  3. Pakistan won by 4 wicketsMohammad Rizwan*
Player of SeriesNew Zealand
Tim Seifert
2-50s, 84* best
Pakistan
Most RunsTim Seifert – 176 runsMohammad Hafeez – 140 runs
Most WicketsTim Southee – 6 wicketsHaris Rauf – 5 wickets
T20 Series Stats

Test Series: New Zealand Win 2 – 0

  1. NZ won by 101 runsKane Williamson*
  2. NZ won by an innings and 176 runs Kyle Jamieson*
Player of SeriesNew Zealand
Kane Williamson
2-100s, 238 best
Pakistan
Most RunsKane Williamson – 388 runs (3 innings)Mohammad Rizwan – 202 runs (4 innings)
Most Wickets Kyle Jamieson – 16 wickets (4 innings)Shaheen Shah Afridi – 6 wickets (3 innings)
Test Series Stats

The Highlights

Pakistan

T20Is

  • Mohammad Hafeez keeps improving with age. The 99* in the 2nd T20I was one of the innings of the year albeit in a losing cause.
  • In absence of Babar Azam, stand-in captain Shadab Khan showed maturity with his 42 (32) in the first T20I, taking Pakistan to a decent score after being 20/4. Rizwan, similarly, took responsibility in the third match with a match-winning 89 (59). The Babar-Rizwan-Shadab leadership group holds well for the future.
  • Abdullah Shafique (2/3 matches), Haider Ali (3/3), and Khushdil Shah (3/3) all had opportunities, but could not capitalize with series totals of 0, 22, and 43 runs respectively. With a struggling top order, maybe some re-shuffling is required. At a T20I strike rate of 145.89, Imad Wasim at #8 was a bit wasted.
  • End of Wahab Riaz? 0/64 with economy of 13.24 economy (4.5 overs). I am sure he will fight & comeback as always but time is running out.

Tests

  • Fawad Alam, one of the unluckiest player of the last decade, had the last laugh at the end of 2020. 11 years since his last century, Alam scored 102 (296), battling along with Azhar Ali & Rizwan for six and a half hours. Good effort by Pakistan, dragging the game from 0/2 to 271 in 123.3 overs. Almost saved the game if not for Santner’s jumping catch.
  • Pakistan scored 239, 271, 297, & 186. Sounds respectable right? Well if the #7 and #8 had not done rearguard efforts thanks to Mohammad Rizwan (71, 60, 61, 10) & Faheem Ashraf (91, 19, 48, 28), Pakistan would have been skittled for not too many. End of the road for Shan Masood and gully-catch-thrower Haris Sohail?
    • Masood + Haris = 8 innings, 38 runs, 200 balls.
    • Afridi + Abbas = 8 innings, 34 runs, 224 balls.
  • The bowlers had a horrid test series—usually Pakistan’s strong suit. Although Afridi and Abbas were disciplined, the wicket column was dry. Both Naseem and Yasir Shah were off-color with Yasir’s overseas stats continuing to worsen. Comeback story Zafar Gohar (missed Test debut in 2015 because he overslept) went wicketless.

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New Zealand

T20Is

  • Tim Seifert shows his class – 57 (43), 84* (63), 35 (20) at 139.68 strike rate with 7 sixes.
  • Jacob Duffy – what a debut! Player of the Match performance with 4/33.
  • Devon Conway has solidified his spot for the T20I World Cup with 63 (45) in the last T20I. Looks like Ross Taylor is on the way out in this format….

Tests

  • Kane Williamson—should I even write anymore? From the eliminator of the IPL, Williamson’s scores read 50*, 67, 251, 57*, 1, 129, 21, 238 & 1/16. Ends the year as #1 Test batsman.
  • Nicholls might have had the rub of the green with Pakistan’s dropped catches, but now has scores of 174 and 157 against West Indies and Pakistan. Not only is he scoring hundreds, he is beginning to score daddy hundreds.
  • Kyle Jamieson has taken everybody by surprise. A Test batting average of 56.5, bowling average of 13.27, four 5-wicket hauls and 1 10-wicket haul in his short 6-Test career, he is my ICC Allrounder for the next decade.
  • Tim Southee picked up his 300th Test wicket. What a gem this guy has been for New Zealand cricket. What a gem Boult-Southee are. Here are their uncannily similar stats in the past decade (courtesy Twitter).

We like to spice things up with our own awards at the end of the series. Here they are:

New Zealand vs Pakistan 2020New ZealandPakistan
Emerging PlayerJacob DuffyFaheem Ashraf & Mohammad Rizwan
Surprise PackageTim Seifert & Daryl MitchellFawad Alam’s 2nd coming
Broken Cricket DreamDisappointed Fans (Because there weren’t any)The FIELDING, Wahab Riaz, & Haris Sohail

Who would have been your Emerging Player? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Like, share with friends & family, & don’t forget to hit the orange button below!

Where Do They Go From Here?

New Zealand

New Zealand finally achieve the #1 Test rankings, and they are inching ever close to the World Test Championship Final. Will be surprised if they do not make it.

And what do they get for being the #1 Test team? A mere FOUR TESTS in 2021. England get 17*.

  • Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell
  • Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner (played with a broken toe – Passion, commitment, but still needs to be careful there)

When Ross Taylor and BJ Watling are your 9th/10th best players in recent times, you know this is a damn good Test team.

Matt Henry had an understated outing, while Adam Milne is playing the Big Bash. Mitchell Santner, Jimmy Neesham, Sodhi, Blundell, Conway, Duffy, Phillips, Jeet Raval, Will Young – New Zealand’s depth in all formats is astounding.

*schedule may be subject to change given current circumstances

Pakistan

I predicted a 2-1 T20I win for Pakistan earlier in the Series Preview, but maybe I was too hopeful there. The T20I series looked close on paper, but New Zealand were, by far, the better side.

On the other hand, the Test result of 2-0, but losses of 101 runs/innings defeat does not reflect the true nature of the series. Pakistan had their moments. New Zealand had their moments. The only difference? New Zealand capitalized. Pakistan dropped. Azhar Ali’s 93 might have saved his career, but Masood & Sohail might be replaced by Babar and Imam (or who knows,…Asad Shafiq, anybody?).

In any case, looking forward, 2021 holds positive news for Pakistan as both South Africa and England are to travel to Pakistan after more than a decade of hiatus for a historic tour. In regards to the World T20I, apart from Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, several tweaks need to be made. They are a dangerous side if they can click together.

And finally….Hasan Ali is back.

In Quaid-e-Azam trophy, he was the Player of the Series and Player of the Match in the tied final. 106* (61) with 7 sixes in the final. Class player, had a dip, should make a comeback at the next tour to South Africa.

World T20 World Cup Watch

We are doing a World T20 Watch from now till the T20I world cup next year. After the end of each T20I series, we look at the current predictions of the WT20 squad as we get closer. Here is our predicted T20 XI line up and 15-man squad as of now based on this series.

Pakistan

  1. Babar Azam*, 2. Mohammad Rizwan (WK), 3. Haider Ali, 4. Mohammad Hafeez, 5. Shadab Khan, 6. Imad Wasim, 7. Faheem Ashraf, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Haris Rauf, 10. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11. Usman Qadir

Squad: Khusdil Shah/ Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed/Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hasnain/Mohammad Musa, Wahab Riaz/ Mohammad Amir comeback?

New Zealand

Since the next WT20 is in India, New Zealand might go with both Santner and Sodhi in the XI.

  1. Martin Guptill, 2. Tim Seifert (WK), 3. Kane Williamson*, 4. Glenn Phillips, 5. Devon Conway, 6. Mitchell Santner, 7. James Neesham, 8. Kyle Jamieson, 9. Tim Southee, 10. Trent Boult, 11. Ish Sodhi

Squad: Colin de Grandhomme, Mark Chapman/Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner/Jacob Duffy, Doug Bracewell/Scott Kuggeleijn

*Captain

What did you think about this New Zealand vs Pakistan 2020 Series? What are your World T20 line ups? COMMENT BELOW, and let us know what you think!

Image Courtesy: Kane WilliamsonDave Morton, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons