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Kranti Goud picked up 3 for 20 to continue her rapid rise with India’s ODI side

Shashank Kishore05-Oct-20254:12

Goud, Deepti, Ghosh make it two from two for India

Kranti Goud, 22, was informed of her India debut at the R Premadasa Stadium in May 2025. She had largely been picked as an apprentice, with India waiting on two senior players – Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, both injured and in rehab.It was an unremarkable debut, for figures of 5-0-22-0. But among the many things she did right was hitting Chamari Athapaththu, a ferocious puller of the cricket ball, on her ribs. That tiny moment, lost amid Smriti Mandhana’s century and Sneh Rana’s four-for, encouraged India’s selectors to take a punt on her for the England tour.When she picked up a six-for in Durham, hooping the ball and leaving England’s top order gasping en route to an impressive series victory, it was fairly evident Goud had sealed her World Cup spot, irrespective of whether the injured senior pacers returned. Renuka has, Vastrakar hasn’t, but Goud has made herself undroppable after just two outings.Related

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• Harmanpreet: 'It wasn't an easy pitch to bat'

• Muneeba Ali run-out in unusual circumstances against India

• Goud, Deepti seal another big win against Pakistan

• Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo

A week after she opened the 2025 World Cup with 1 for 41 in India’s win over Sri Lanka, Goud stung Pakistan’s top order in a fiery new-ball spell. She finished with 3 for 20 in India’s 88-run win in Colombo, one that her neighbourhood watched on a giant LED screen they’d installed back in Ghuwara, a town in rural Madhya Pradesh.”The talk is about focusing on line and length only,” Goud said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “I haven’t thought of doing much extra. Variations like bouncer or slower balls, those depend on the situation. The coaches told me to pull my lengths back a little based on the conditions and surface, that’s what I did.”It wasn’t merely Goud listening to her coaches that did the trick. She also got the captain to give her the fields she wanted most times. In the 12th over, with the ball losing some of its shine, Harmanpreet Kaur pulled out Deepti Sharma from the slips, only for Goud to wheel her back to where she’d been.The result? Aliya Riyaz was defeated by late movement to get a healthy edge through to Deepti at second slip. A jubilant Goud immediately turned to her captain, who ran towards her to acknowledge her contribution.”The ball was swinging early on, I couldn’t understand what was happening,” Goud said with a chuckle when asked about her first spell. “One ball came in a long way. Then when the ball was old, Harman wanted to take the slip off, but I said, ‘no didi, let’s keep the slip for this over.'”I had that feeling from within that I could get a wicket, and I got it off the first ball. They found it tough to play our pacers. Because the ball was moving in and out, that’s why I had a lengthy first spell.”Goud bowled six unchanged overs with the new ball. The other small contribution she made to India’s win was her crucial lower-order runs with Richa Ghosh. Coming in with India 226 for 8, the ninth-wicket pair added 21 to haul India to 247.Goud’s contribution was 8 off 4 balls, including two fours: a cover drive off her first ball, against left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, and then a boundary off Diana Baig when she got inside the line to help a short delivery past short fine leg.”Richa told me, if there’s a ball to be hit, go for it. But if you’re not able to, just give me a single,” Goud said. “Because only a few overs were left, we needed to score as many as we could. First ball itself was hittable, so I hit a four. Then she told me, play like this only. The second [boundary] was a short ball, so I went for it. Look forward to playing well like this.”Goud would perhaps acknowledge tougher tests await, but the stage on Sunday wasn’t to be scoffed at, even if India did come in with a 11-0 record over Pakistan in women’s ODIs. With the men’s Asia Cup having been played in an environment far from the bonhomie the teams have shown in the past, the focus was on the women’s game to see if some of the hostilities would spill over. It didn’t, even though the teams didn’t shake hands before or after the match.But the off-field noise was far from Goud’s mind. “I wasn’t thinking of India-Pakistan or other things,” she said. “My duty is to bowl, and I was doing just that.”

Carey made 63 and Webster 60, while Alzarri Joseph took 4 for 61 as Australia were bowled out for 286 before bad light prevented the West Indies innings from starting

Andrew McGlashan03-Jul-2025Stumps Reckon you’ve seen this before? You wouldn’t be wrong. Australia’s top order again failed to inspire on the opening day in Grenada before Beau Webster and Alex Carey performed a familiar rescue act amid another crucial call by the third umpire and further fielding woes for West Indies.Australia were wobbling t 110 for 5 when Travis Head fell, the TV umpire ruling Shai Hope’s brilliant take clean, having earlier been 50 for 3 as a solid base vanished. Webster and Carey then added 112 in 25 overs and the game was threatening to run away from West Indies but they were able to chip away at the lower order and bowl Australia out for 286 inside 67 overs, with Alzarri Joseph claiming four wickets. To the home side’s benefit, light prevented Australia from having a brief bowl with the umpires taking the players off just as they returned to the field.Related

• Carey keeps on keeping on as Australia's quiet achiever

• Hard work done but no pay day for Green as questions linger

• Brathwaite: 'I was in disbelief that I could score a Test hundred'

Although not on the level of Barbados, there was assistance for the quicks – Roston Chase said he would have bowled had the toss gone his way – and suggestions that uneven bounce could play a part later in the game, particularly with the delivery which scuttled to remove Pat Cummins. So the true value of Australia’s first-innings total will only become clearer tomorrow, although it certainly felt competitive.Webster, who brought up an 87-ball fifty, again played superbly to follow up his vital second-innings performance in Barbados, and the runs he scored in the World Test Championship final. He was assured in defence and picked his moments to attack, including a slog-sweep for six off Chase and one of the shots of the innings when he laced Jayden Seales through the off side. But he was left frustrated when he gambled on a second run to deep point in an attempt to keep the strike and was beaten by Keacy Carty’s throw. It meant 300 proved out of reach.Carey lived something of a charmed life. He could have been run out on 10 and 51; was dropped by Shai Hope from an attempted ramp on 46; reached his half-century from 68 deliveries with an edge between the keeper and a wide slip; and edged wide of slip again on 55.Alzarri Joseph picked up four wickets in the innings•Associated Press

But he was also quick onto anything loose, showing the same counter-punching skills that have been so evident in his game over the last 18 months or so. In all, 46 of his 63 runs came in boundaries, including a swivel-pull for six off Justin Greaves only for him to cloth a long hop from the same bowler to midwicket when a significant innings appeared for the taking.Australia’s earlier batting performance had been dominated by unconverted starts. Sam Konstas put away a strong early pull shot and played with more urgency than in Barbados, but he was also beaten on multiple occasions, including three times in a row by Seales. There was also a flashing edge over gully against Shamar Joseph, which Roston Chase got a fingertip to, although it would have been a spectacular catch had it been taken. Konstas followed that with a sweetly struck cover drive.He and Usman Khawaja, who went to 6000 Test runs when he reached 2, had taken Australia to a promising 47 for 0 when the innings took on a very different look. For the second time in the series, Khawaja was lbw to Alzarri Joseph from around the wicket that proved a bail-trimmer when Khawaja went to the DRS. Four balls later, Konstas drove at the recalled Anderson Phillip, who had been preferred to left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, and edged behind for an unfulfilled 25.Beau Webster celebrates back-to-back fifties•AFP/Getty Images

Australia’s slide turned into 3 for 3 when Steven Smith, back in the side after the finger injury he sustained in the World Test Championship final, top-edged a pull against the lively Alzarri Joseph that flew high to fine leg where Phillip judged it very well. The scoreline read a familiar 50 for 3.The opening session ended with a dramatic over from Seales. Cameron Green, who had shaped up encouragingly even though he could have been run out on 16 if mid-on had collected cleanly, drove to cover where John Campbell spilled a regulation catch. But Green could still not make it through to the interval when, four balls later, he went for a big drive to the last delivery of the over and sent a thick edge to gully where Chase held it well.Head threatened to perform another rescue act but fell early in the afternoon following a brief delay for rain when the TV umpire, this time Nitin Menon, was back in focus as Hope took a brilliant catch low to his left when Head glanced a climbing delivery from Shamar Joseph. Hope was convinced of the catch but it went upstairs; unlike in Barbados, the decision went West Indies’ way and Head did not look thrilled as he walked off.Another quick wicket and Australia could have been bundled out but as they have tended to do, a couple of players found enough runs to give their high-class attack something to work with.

Both senior players feature in red as well as white-ball deals, but no contracts for Mashrafe and Shakib

Mohammad Isam09-Mar-2020Following their axing from the Bangladesh Test side, Mahmudullah and Mustafizur Rahman have been included only in the white-ball players’ list in the latest BCB central contracts (January to December 2020), which, for the first time, has players separated according to formats. Mashrafe Mortaza, who has stepped down as ODI captain – but hasn’t announced his retirement – and Shakib Al Hasan, who is serving a one-year ICC ban, have not been included in the contracts.

Bangladesh contracts for 2020

Red and white-ball contracts: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Only red-ball contracts: Mominul Haque, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain
Only white-ball contracts: Mahmudullah, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Afif Hossain, Mohammad Naim.

Apart from Mahmudullah and Rahman, three others were given white-ball-only contracts: Mohammad Saifuddin, and newcomers Afif Hossain and Mohammad Naim.Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan earned themselves full contracts, for red and white-ball cricket, while Mominul Haque, Nayeem Hasan, Abu Jayed and Ebadot Hossain got red-ball-only contracts.As such, players will be further divided according to categories: A+ (US$ 5000 approx.), A (US$ 3750 approx.), B (US$ 2500 approx.), C (US$ 1875 approx.) and D (US$ 1250 approx.).While Iqbal will be earning BDT 630,000 (an extra 30,000 as ODI captain), the highest salary, Rahim stands to earn BDT 600,000 (US$ 7500 approx.), as they are in both the red and white-ball lists, and are listed in A+ category in both. A player will get full salary for one format and half of the other format.Mahmudullah, who is only in the white-ball contract and also an A+ category player, will get BDT 400,000 (US$ 5000 approx.) per month.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the BCB had raised match fees for all three formats earlier this year. A Test match appearance will now fetch a player BDT 600,000 (US$ 7500 approx.), a jump from BDT 350,000 (US$ 4375 approx.) from 2017 to 2019. For playing an ODI and T20I, they will now get BDT 300,000 (US$ 3750 approx.) and BDT 200,000 (US$ 2500 approx.), respectively.Apart from Mortaza, who had requested the BCB to leave him out of the contracts, and Shakib, five others don’t figure in the list: Imrul Kayes, Abu Hider Rony, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Rubel Hossain and Shadman Islam.

Quetta quick had initially arrived at the tournament hotel in Lahore with a non-compliant PCR test

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2021After releasing Naseem Shah from the PSL only three days ago, the PCB has made a U-turn by allowing him to enter the team hotel in Lahore. The Quetta Gladiators fast bowler will be in isolation before flying to Abu Dhabi along with the contingent left behind by the first flights that carried 202 personnel on Thursday.Shah had initially arrived at the tournament hotel in Lahore with a negative Covid-19 test, but there was a problem. As per the Covid-19 protocols for the remaining PSL matches, all those traveling through chartered flights from Karachi and Lahore were directed to assemble at the team hotels on May 24 with negative reports from PCR tests taken not more than 48 hours prior.Related

• Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah return to Pakistan Test squad

• PSL set to resume on June 9, final on June 24

• Shahid Afridi, Naseem Shah ruled out of PSL

• Anwar Ali tests positive for Covid-19

• How the PSL plans to beat the Abu Dhabi heat

However, Shah presented a PCR report from a test that was conducted on May 18. So, upon the recommendation of the independent medical advisory panel for the PSL, the PCB released him from the competition.At the time, Babar Hamid, the director and commercial head of PSL 6, said “the PCB will not compromise on any violations and will expel the player or player support personnel irrespective of his stature and standing in the game if they are found to be flouting the prescribed protocols or regulations.” Things have changed a bit since then.After a meeting between the PCB and the PSL franchises, there has indeed been a compromise with Shah offered a way back to the PSL. All he has to do is clear a pre-isolation Covid-19 test, which will allow him to re-enter the team hotel, and then return back-to-back negative tests, which will give him the green light to board the flight to Abu Dhabi.

Rockets fall short as Sciver, Brunt can’t find support to chase tough target

Andrew Miller26-Jul-2021Northern Superchargers 149 for 7 (Rodrigues 60, Johnson 4-15) beat Trent Rockets 122 for 7 (Brunt 43*) by 27 runs Jemimah Rodrigues produced her second fifty in as many matches of the women’s Hundred, and Laura Kimmince pitched in with a riotous knock of 31 from 13 balls, as Northern Superchargers made it two wins from two at the expense of their hosts, Trent Rockets, who have now lost both of their opening home fixtures.After winning the toss, Superchargers broke with convention for the tournament to date by choosing to bat first – a reflection on an atypically slow Trent Bridge surface that was always likely to prove tricky for run-scoring in the second innings. That duly proved to be the case, with only Nat Sciver showing any real fluency in her 33 from 23.Katherine Brunt kept swinging to the end to top-score for Trent Rockets with 43 not out from 36, but she had been cutting a frustrated figure long before the chase petered out. Her crashing pull through square leg off Alice Davidson-Richards’ 90th delivery would prove to be the last boundary of the Rockets innings, and the first since Sarah Glenn had launched their second and last six from the 70th ball.At 98 for 4 with 30 balls remaining, Brunt and Glenn, two England allrounders, represented the last real hope of a fightback. But Superchargers’ strategic timeout resulted in a return to the frontline for the legspinner Katie Levick. She duly ripped a beauty past a floundering Glenn to have her stumped for 11 from 8, and with Linsey Smith serving up an outstanding spell of 1 for 12 from her 20 balls, pace off proved decisive as the innings fell away.Rodrigues’ costly reprieve
Rodrigues produced the innings of the Hundred so far on Saturday, when she powered Superchargers to victory with 92 not out from 43 balls against Welsh Fire at Headingley. Today, she could have been pinned by her first ball of the day, a leg-stump pad-thwacker from Brunt that straightened enough to overturn the on-field not-out, but Trent Rockets chose not to review.It was a predictably costly lapse. Not for the first time, Rodrigues was a sedate figure in the Powerplay, as Lauren Winfield-Hill dominated an opening stand of 64, but having nudged along to 16 from her first 21 balls, her change of tempo was startling to behold – 44 from her next 19, as Kimmince joined the run-fest in a gleefully unfettered cameo.At 76 for 2 with 35 balls remaining, Rodrigues signalled the Super-charge in predictable fashion, as a pumped-up Brunt – just six runs against her name from her first ten back-to-back deliveries – was thumped straight back over her head for four, the prelude to a devastating run of 13 fours in 20 balls.Lauren Winfield-Hill enjoyed the dismissal of Rachel Priest•Getty Images

Kimmince-meat

Kimmince took the cue, dinking a pair of slower balls to the boundary to further sour Brunt’s mood, and when Rodrigues unleashed on Heather Graham with two scintillating bottom-handed drives through the covers, the die was truly cast.Sciver took Rockets’ timeout after leaking 13 runs from her third set of five – three more fours to a now-ticking Rodrigues – but that pause for thought did not have the desired effect. Sarah Glenn was her go-to option, but Kimmince was poised to strike, and did so with devastating force. Five fours out of five flew forth, each to a different corner of the ground as Superchargers shelved the subtlety and went for broke.Johnson finds a response
As a late replacement for the likes of Elyse Villani and Sophie Molineux, Sammy-Jo Johnson is one of the less heralded Aussies in the Hundred – but she is also one of the sport’s natural-born winners, with back-to-back WBBL titles for Brisbane Heat in 2018 and 2019 immediately followed by a third for Sydney Thunder when she switched teams for the 2020-21 event.And her never-say-die approach dug her side out of a sizeable hole with the remarkable figures of 4 for 15 in 20 balls. Her first ten went wicketless, though she did miss a tough return chance off Winfield-Hill, but after making amends with a sharp grab off Laura Wolvaardt, she applied the emergency brake in her final set of five, with three wickets for one run including two from her last two balls.Kimmince was the first of those – blood pumping after her boundaries, she played all over a slower ball to depart for 31 from 13 – and Rodrigues followed moments later, another slower ball, this time a solid connection but only as far as Brunt on the long-on rope. Hollie Armitage fell one ball later, hacking to short third for a duck, and though Bess Heath and Smith found the boundary thereafter, Superchargers’ eventual total of 149 for 7 – the highest of the women’s competition to date – felt some 15-20 short of what had briefly seemed possible. In the end, it mattered not.

The total prize money of $10 million will be the same as it was in the 2015 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2019The winner of the 2019 men’s World Cup will walk away with a monetary reward of US $4 million, with the runner up getting half the amount ($2 million), as the ICC, on Friday, announced details of the total prize money on offer for the 10-team tournament.The total prize money of $10 million will be the same as it was in the 2015 World Cup, which was contested among 14 teams with Australia defeating New Zealand to take the trophy and the winner’s cheque.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The prize purse for both the winners and the runners-up is an increase from 2015, when the winning team was awarded $3.75 million, while the runners-up were given $1.75 million. The prize-money pot for the 2015 World had seen an increase by 25%, from $8 million previously to $10 million.In the 2019 edition, the two losing semi-finalists will get $800,000 each, also an increase compared to the 2015 edition, where losing semi-finalists were awarded $600,000. The winners of each league-stage match will receive $40,000 each, and teams whose campaigns end at the league stage will get $100,000 each.The 2019 World Cup format is similar to the nine-team edition played in 1992, where each team plays the others in the round-robin phase, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals. The 46-day tournament will be played across 11 venues from 30 May to July 16.The ICC also announced its panel of commentators for the World Cup, which starts from May 30. The 24-member panel features World Cup captains Graeme Smith, Nasser Hussain, Kumar Sangakkara, Wasim Akram, Brendon McCullum, Shaun Pollock, Mike Atherton, Sourav Ganguly and Michael Clarke. Clarke, who had led Australia to victory in 2015, will be making his ICC TV commentary debut. The panel also features other experienced commentators like Ian Bishop, Simon Doull, Michael Holding, Melanie Jones, Isa Guha and Alison Mitchell, as well as Sanjay Manjrekar and Harsha Bhogle.

Faf du Plessis bounced back from his pair at Centurion with a captain’s innings of 103 as South Africa stretched their lead above 200

The Report by Andrew Miller04-Jan-2019Faf du Plessis bounced back from his pair at Centurion with a captain’s innings of 103, his ninth Test century and first at his adopted home ground of Newlands, as South Africa ground out an imposing first-innings lead of 205 and counting to leave Pakistan needing an urgent revival of their batting fortunes to stave off a heavy defeat in the second Test.Though du Plessis’ vigil ended in the final half an hour before stumps, as Sarfraz Ahmed correctly gambled his team’s final review on a thin nick off Shaheen Afridi that had gone unnoticed by the umpire, Quinton de Kock remained unbowed to the close on 55, having settled into his knock following a manic flurry of boundaries and chances in his first dozen deliveries. A side that has yet to pass 200 in any of its three innings in the series to date already has its work cut out in this match – an hour of de Kock mayhem in the morning may push their hopes clean over the brink.The second day involved more grind than glamour but, for du Plessis, it was a sweet day’s work, and one that was greeted with glee in the home dressing room – not least by his veteran colleague Dale Steyn, who recognised that his captain’s five-and-a-half hours of application across 226 balls had allowed South Africa’s four-pronged pace attack to freshen up with a valuable day of rest.The same could not be said for Pakistan’s beleaguered pacemen, who toiled with spirit for much of the day but, on a deck on which their legspinner Yasir Shah found little assistance or role, had run out of steam by the close.Pakistan’s spirits also took a battering in the second hour of the morning session when, in a sliding doors moment that had uncanny parallels with Dean Elgar’s reprieve in the run-chase at Centurion, they were denied the wicket of Temba Bavuma, on 3 at the time, after a low catch to Azhar Ali at slip was contentiously overturned by the third umpire, S Ravi.In mitigation, it was an excruciatingly close call, with Azhar’s fingers seemingly wrapped around the ball, but with the turf appearing to assist the completion of the catch. However, given that the on-field umpire, Bruce Oxenford, had given a soft signal of ‘out’, Pakistan had plenty reason to feel sore that the benefit of the doubt had again not gone their way.Bavuma, who had only arrived at the crease in the previous over following Afridi’s extraction of Theunis de Bruyn, grew in stature after his let-off. He set himself for the long haul in an innings of 75 from 162 balls, showing a good awareness of his off stump but also a keen eye for the loose delivery with 10 often blisteringly harvested fours.In harness with his captain, Bavuma batted clean through the afternoon session in adding 156 for the fifth wicket – the same figure at which South Africa’s fifth wicket would have fallen had Azhar’s catch been upheld.Though Mohammad Abbas in particular was his usual wobbly self, bowling Hashim Amla with a snorter in his first over of the day and threatening the edge regularly thereafter, neither of the left-armers, Mohammad Amir or Afridi, could find much to trouble Bavuma or du Plessis as they persistently angled the ball across their bows in search of reverse swing, but found little deviation through the air.The pick of Bavuma’s strokes were a brace of slashed cuts through point early in his stay before he greeted Yasir with a gleeful lofted drive over long-on in the afternoon, and he seemed inked in for his second Test century – and second on this ground – not least when, on 65, he gained his second reprieve of the day, an lbw decision that was overturned on review after being shown to be missing the bails by millimetres.But then, ten runs later, Afridi produced the killer delivery in the midst of an erratic over. Moments after straying into Bavuma’s pads to gift him another boundary, Afridi got one to straighten and lift on off stump, and kiss the edge through to Sarfraz.Du Plessis, however, was not to be denied as he marched inexorably towards his hundred, most notably with a series of rasping cover drives, which were unfurled in all their glory whenever Pakistan’s quicks strayed in length. However, amid his moments of fluency, he too had his struggles, not least when he was struck a pair of stinging blows on the bottom hand as Pakistan’s left-armers found extra nip from round the wicket.The first, from Amir on 34, required running repairs after seemingly squashing a nail on du Plessis’ bottom hand. And the second, from Afridi on 81, had him flinging his bat to the ground in agony after finding the exact same spot. But he gritted his teeth and got on with the job, and when on 96, Sarfraz behind the stumps spilled the simplest of leg-side deflections off the toiling Abbas, he knew it had to be his day.Sure enough, five balls later, out came that cover drive for the three milestone-sealing runs off Amir, and off came the helmet – not for long, mind you, as Amir sconed him in the same over with an excellently directed bouncer to remind South Africa of the enduring threat in their ranks, even if on this occasion, they are in the process of being overwhelmed.

SLC will also be conducting an internal audit into all financial transactions over the past year

Madushka Balasuriya10-Sep-2018Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has thwarted an attempt by one of its employees to embezzle US$ 5.5 million to an offshore bank account, the board has confirmed. The money was due to the board from Sony Pictures Networks in relation to the broadcasting rights for England’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.”Immediately, upon finding of the attempted fraud, SLC CEO Ashley De Silva lodged a complaint to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division, under the direction of the Minister of Sports Faiszer Musthapha,” an SLC media release stated.The employee in question is understood to be part of SLC’s finance division, whose name has been withheld from the media until the completion of investigations.”We came to know about the incident on Friday, with the individual having sent the mail on Thursday. Following internal inquiries over the weekend we decided to lodge a complaint with the FCID,” de Silva told .In the meantime, SLC will also be conducting an internal audit into all financial transactions over the past year.England are scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for a full-fledged tour comprising five ODIs, one T20I and three Tests. The first ODI will be played on October 10 in Dambulla, and the tour will conclude with the final Test in Colombo on November 23.

Ingram’s illness came on suddenly while he was at his flat in Cardiff and he was taken to hospital

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2018Colin Ingram has spoken of his relief of overcoming a mystery illness, although there remains uncertainty over what caused the problem which left him with breathing difficulties.Ingram’s illness came on suddenly while he was at his flat in Cardiff and he was taken to hospital. As a result he missed two T20 Blast matches but returned with an unbeaten 46 against Middlesex.”There’s a lot of question marks at the moment,” he told . “Most of the specialists I’ve spoken to feel it’s some sort of auto-immune cause that could have built up over a length of time, or just triggered by something small.””It’s great to be happy and healthy again and to have made a full recovery so far.”Ingram needed clearance before he could resume playing because of the drugs he was given in hospital and the therapeutic exemption certificate came through as he was travelling to Richmond to face Middlesex.”Some of the things they gave me when I was hospitalised were necessary to revive me, but had to be cleared by Drug Free Sport, so I’m thankful to the medical team and the work they put in as well,” he said.Ingram’s absence meant Glamorgan were without a clutch of top-order batsmen due to injuries to Shaun Marsh and Joe Burns plus Usman Khawaja’s return to Australia for a training camp.They coped well, however, securing victories against Surrey and Gloucestershire, before the win against Middlesex on Ingram’s return made it three in a row to leave them fifth in the South Group.

A fit-again Temba Bavuma will lead South Africa for the first time in T20Is, against a West Indies side stacked with superstars

Firdose Moonda25-Jun-2021

Big picture

Things should get more interesting from here. After two Tests of one-way traffic, expect a closer contest between West Indies and South Africa as the two teams step up preparations for T20 World Cup 2021.West Indies have stacked their squad with superstars as they prepare to rise from the tenth position on the T20I rankings to title contenders at the big event. South Africa cannot allow themselves to dream of the same label, given the heartbreak of the past and the mess they have found themselves in during the last 18 months, which may take the pressure off a team that often goes into major tournaments with expectation but return empty-handed.South Africa are still in the combination-finding phase, having played second-string T20I sides in their last two series while juggling between biosecure bubbles and Test series – one of which, against Australia, never happened. This is the first time since the England series in November last year that they have a first-choice group of players together and they would be keeping it that way for the next few tours. They head straight to Ireland from the Caribbean and then hope to play Sri Lanka before the T20 World Cup.West Indies also have a busy schedule ahead of the main event. Thet will host Australia, who albeit will not be at full strength, and Pakistan over the next two months. They would want to solidify their squad and develop some consistency as they have won only two out of their last seven T20I series, both against Sri Lanka.

Form guide

West Indies LLWLW (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa LLLWL

In the spotlight

Temba Bavuma is not the least experienced T20I player to captain South Africa. Apart from Graeme Smith who did on debut when the format was introduced, Hashim Amla did it in just his fourth match, and Faf du Plessis and Johan Botha in their fifth, but Bavuma might be the least expected one. He has largely been thought of as a long-form player, while his white-ball form and aggression have flown under the radar. This is his opportunity to change the narrative and establish himself as both opening batter and leader in the build-up to back-to-back T20 World Cups.For all his form in leagues around the world, Andre Russell is yet to score a T20I half-century. He is likely to earn his 50th T20I cap in this series, which is as good a time as any to make a statement with bat or ball. Russell hasn’t taken more than one wicket in a T20I since May 2018, though he has only played five games since that match. That said, this may just be his time to re-establish himself as a senior figure in the national side.Kyle Verreynne may find a spot in South Africa’s middle order against West Indies•AFP via Getty Images

Team news

West Indies have named a 13-man squad for the first two T20Is, welcoming back some of their big guns in Chris Gayle, Russell and Dwayne Bravo. Alongside Pollard, the quartet last played a T20I together six years ago. Evin Lewis was retained despite a poor series against Sri Lanka, but he could face competition from Andre Fletcher at the top of the order.West Indies (possible): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Kieron Pollard (capt), 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Jason Holder, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Fabian Allen, 10 Kevin Sinclair, 11 Fidel EdwardsBavuma has recovered from both a hip injury and a dislocated finger and will likely partner Quinton de Kock at the top, which could leave no room for Janneman Malan. du Plessis’ absence could create a spot for Kyle Verreynne, although Heinrich Klaasen is the incumbent. South Africa have a wealth of fast bowlers to choose from and may want to start with their strongest suit. That will include the Test attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje, and could have room for one other quick in Andile Phehlukwayo or Sisanda Magala, and two spinners in George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 David Miller, 6 George Linde, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo/Sisanda Magala 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

Pitch and conditions

The National Cricket Stadium in Grenada has only hosted one T20I, in January last year. Over 400 runs were scored in that game when West Indies hosted Ireland. That run-fest did not look like an accident as an ODI between West Indies and England a year earlier featured over 800 runs.So expect big runs but only if the weather allows. It has been raining in Grenada in the lead-up to the match and showers have been forecast for the next week. The chance of rain on Saturday sits at 70%.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies and South Africa have played against each other in ten T20Is, with West Indies winning four and South Africa six. The last time they played was at the T20 World Cup in March 2016.
• Lewis needs 11 runs to reach 1000 in T20Is, and would be the sixth West Indies batter to reach that milestone.
• The last time Gayle, Bravo, Pollard and Russell, all featured in a T20I was in 2015 against South Africa when West Indies had chased down a then-record target of 232.

Quotes

“The Test series obviously went exceptionally well and one of the outcomes of that series is momentum, even if it is a different format. It’s only natural that we will carry that confidence into this series.”