All posts by csb10.top

Afghanistan raze Zimbabwe for 54 to seal series

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Scorecard
Rahmat Shah top scored with 50•Zimbabwe Cricket

Afghanistan’s bowlers combined to roll Zimbabwe over for 54, helping the visitors seal a 3-2 series win with a 106-run D/L victory in the final ODI in Harare.Afghanistan elected to bat and were provided a brisk start thanks to opener Noor Ali Zadran’s 49-ball 46, even as Zimbabwe got regular breakthroughs early on. Noor Ali eventually fell at the end of the 15th over, a wicket that put the brakes on Afghanistan’s momentum as captain Asghar Stanikzai and Rahmat Shah tried to steady the innings from 85 for 3. The pair put on 39 off 64 balls, which was followed by a fifth-wicket stand of 35 between Shah and Samiullah Shenwari. After Rahmat reached his fifty, both he and Shenwari were run-out as Afghanistan found themselves at 172 for 6 at the 40-over mark.Allrounder Mohammad Nabi then batted with the lower order, hitting four fours and a six in his 48 off 40 balls. Dawlat Zadran hit 14 off 6 balls to lift them to 253 for 9. Medium-pacer Chris Mpofu finished with figures of 3 for 46 while the spin duo of Graeme Cremer and Sean Williams kept things tight and conceded a combined 74 in 20 overs.Zimbabwe’s response was delayed by rain and a wet outfield, leaving them with a revised target of 161 off 22 overs. They suffered an early blow, losing Peter Moor in the second over. Three balls later, left-arm spinner Amir Hamza removed Solomon Mire, before returning two more wickets off four balls in his next over to reduce Zimbabwe to 13 for 4.There was to be no recovery, with only two batsmen getting into double-figures, as Nabi and Rashid Khan – who were both picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL auction earlier this week – took combined figures of 5 for 22. Rahmat was named Man of the Match for his fifty.

Smith, Lanning intervened in pay talks

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Australia’s captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning jointly contacted Cricket Australia to ask that the board respect the Australian Cricketers Association as the players’ collective bargaining agent, and stated that further attempts to the deal directly with the players would be a distraction from the performances of the national teams.As the board and the ACA attempt to work through drastically divergent positions over an MOU due for renewal in June, ESPNcricinfo has learned that Smith and Lanning felt compelled to write to CA chief executive James Sutherland, in a letter co-signed by their deputies David Warner and Alex Blackwell.The correspondence, delivered between the Brisbane and Melbourne Test matches against Pakistan last December, after talks between the two parties broke down, asked Sutherland that CA deal with the ACA as the players’ representative and called for ending attempts to go around the association by communicating directly with the players. The ACA confirmed the existence of the letter when contacted by ESPNcricinfo.It followed the invitation of Smith and Warner, alongside national team coach Darren Lehmann, to a dinner with the CA board directors and executives two days before the Melbourne ODI against New Zealand on December 9. That was trailed by a series of emailed communications from CA to all national and state-contracted players in Australia that sought to explain the board’s position.These included CA’s full initial submission, which stated among other things that only the top male contracted players deserved to continue to earn a fixed percentage of Australian cricket revenue. By contrast, the ACA are seeking, in a unified agreement for men and women, to expand the revenue-sharing model to include all players and also an expanded definition of that revenue. The MOU has not previously included female players.A subsequent email from team performance manager Pat Howard to the players sought to clarify the board’s pregnancy clause after it became the subject of heated argument during the Gabba Test against Pakistan. That email, in which Howard reiterated his view that he did not want to see the players become “the meat in the sandwich”, was a catalyst for the national team’s leaders to indicate to Sutherland that they were feeling quite the opposite.Earlier that week, CA had suspended negotiations with the ACA on the premise that the public slanging match between the two parties had begun to use oxygen that would otherwise be occupied by the Test matches and the Big Bash League.”Cricket Australia is committed to a negotiation that is conducted in good faith between the two parties,” CA said in a statement at the time, “but will not take part in a process which seeks to draw its players into a public dispute. Players deserve the opportunity to focus on the game, rather than being distracted by a negotiation that should be conducted in a professional and confidential manner.”Sutherland had previously kept at arm’s length from MOU negotiations, leaving them largely to CA’s head of strategy and people Kevin Roberts, head of team performance Howard, and David Peever, the CA chairman. Peever, an advocate of industrial relations reform when he was managing director of the mining giant Rio Tinto, has also involved his own IR advisor Ken Bacon.Smith and Lanning’s letter confirmed beyond doubt that the players were not wavering in their stance alongside the ACA, and that they wished to see negotiations resume in a more constructive manner. When Sutherland next spoke publicly about the breakdown in talks, he offered the most conciliatory words from the board in some weeks.”I think the facts of the matter are that both organisations have a lot more in common than they have not, and from that perspective, it’s all in the interest of the game, ensuring the game’s better,” Sutherland told ABC Radio during the Boxing Day Test.This week, Sutherland said the two parties still have an enormous amount of ground to cover. “I don’t think we’re close to a resolution,” he said. “We’ve got to work through a process of discussion on all sorts of different issues, there’s an agreement with a whole lot of different components to it.”Perhaps a little more complicated than it has been before where we’re wanting to professionalise the women’s game even more and to make sure there’s one collective agreement for men and women, so all those things need to be stepped through. We’ve got plenty of time, but at the same time, there are plenty of things to discuss. We’re down to it and we’ll progress, I’m confident of that.”

Du Plessis hails 'perfect' Rabada

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Faf du Plessis has called Kagiso Rabada the “perfect bowler for a captain” following the 282-run domination of Sri Lanka at Newlands, which he labelled a “perfect performance”. Rabada had not been at his quickest in Port Elizabeth, where he took four wickets at an average of 35, but was easily the most impressive South Africa seamer on the faster Newlands pitch, where he claimed match figures of 10 for 92, and a Man-of-the-Match award.”It was an amazing bowling performance from Kagiso,” du Plessis said. “Look, even when he’s bowling not so well, as a captain I’m really happy to have in my team. He’s just a guy that tries really hard. He’s never got any dramas. Basically the perfect bowler for a captain, because exactly what I ask him to do, he does. If I say I want him to bowl a thousand short balls in a row, he’ll do it. That’s the kind of bowler he is. That works well with me because I can work on a plan with him. He’s an extreme talent South Africa. He’s going to be very valuable to us in the future – to make sure he plays a lot of cricket for us.”Among the concerns about Rabada, however, is his high workload. Though he only made his international debut in mid-2015, Rabada was a fixture in South Africa’s teams for all three formats last year – in which he played each of South Africa’s nine Tests, 15 of their 17 ODIs and eight of their nine T20Is. Rabada faces the possibility of playing continuously in all three formats as South Africa seek to fulfil their transformation quotas, but du Plessis suggested this this was a workload he can handle, for now. He is not expecting Rabada to be rested for the dead rubber at the Wanderers.”We’ll only leave KG out if there are injury concerns,” he said. “If the medical staff feels he needs it. If he doesn’t need it from an injury point of view, I would say: ‘no’. For me it’s really important to make sure we keep winning Test matches.”I can understand the importance of resting players – yes there is a place for that. But I don’t think KG is there yet. Every fast bowler needs to bowl. As you saw in this Test match KG was double the bowler he was in the previous one just because he started bowling again. He would be the first to say that as well, and will want to play that next Test definitely.”South Africa were never put under pressure while they were in the field, but had briefly been in trouble with the bat, when Sri Lanka had them 66 for 3 on the first morning, and then 169 for 5 that afternoon. They would go on to post 392 in the first innings, however, and du Plessis lauded the mettle of the batsmen who saw South Africa through the minor wobbles.”On a tough wicket Dean Elgar batted excellently. For an opening batsman to get a 100 on a wicket like that was great batting. Our whole batting unit put on a decent total in the first innings. It was great from our batters. From then we were in a dominant position. When there are those moments in the game when we are under pressure, every time we’ve stood up. Every single time it’s somebody different, and for me as a captain, that makes it easy.”Rabada and Vernon Philander shared seventeen wickets between them, while Keshav Maharaj took the remaining three. Though Kyle Abbott did not take a wicket in either innings, in what transpired to be his final Test, he had nevertheless been miserly, conceding runs at 2.39 an over.”It’s pretty much the perfect performance, to be honest. There’s nothing that didn’t go the way I wanted it to go. All the plans – everything worked out perfectly. Even the declaration – we got it spot on. We thought it would take till day four lunch in a perfect world, and it did work out that way. We lost the toss on a green wicket. The plan was to try and be a little bit better than we were in Port Elizabeth, and we did that.”

'We know the importance of a Boxing Day Test' – Shafiq

by csb10.top Uncategorized

A decade or so ago, a Pakistan batsman was fielding on the boundary at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. There are plenty of big stadiums around the world but Eden Gardens, at capacity, is a big ol’ stadium. It was his first time there and for most of it, he remembered, he could barely hear himself think. But he does recall one piece of advice he got from a spectator right at the front.”See the crowd here, son? It’s bigger than the population of your entire country.”At that time, Pakistan still hosted matches at home but crowds had begun to dwindle for Tests and only the really big ODIs would draw full houses. And no stadium in Pakistan could come close to matching Eden Gardens for capacity. It was, the player felt at the time, as intimidating an atmosphere he had come across in his career until then.But that Eden Gardens moment was a long time ago and as at least eight of the Pakistan XI will turn up at the MCG in an atmosphere unlike any they would have come across before they too will know that they have just stepped up into the big time. Sixty thousand are expected on the first day and only Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Amir know what it is like to perform in front of a Boxing Day crowd.Pakistan did play to full houses on days of their England tour earlier this year, but this will be on a far larger scale. Only the non-breathing will not be affected by it. The significance of the occasion, and the place it holds in the Australian calendar is not lost on Pakistan’s players.”We know the importance of the game,” said Asad Shafiq. “It’s a big Test match, the Boxing Day one. We all grew up watching this match in Pakistan. We know the value of this Test.”We will feel it [pressure] a little because we probably haven’t played in front of such a big crowd. And this ground has a really prestigious history and playing here is a big honour for me, for everyone but especially for those playing here for the first time there is also a lot of excitement. But the way we played that first Test, we’re very united and are hopeful that we can get a good result in the next two Tests.”Brisbane was as good as a foregone conclusion before the series began (Pakistan had lost three and drawn one there before the last Test), though the nature of the defeat was a bonus. Pakistan’s chances in this series were always dependent on the less lively surfaces of Melbourne and Sydney; their four wins in Australia are equally divided at the two venues.The surface is not expected to turn unduly, not towards later in the Test in any case and conditions should ease up for batting as each day progresses.”Yes, I have heard about this [record] and seen it too that this wicket suits Pakistan a bit more,” Shafiq said. “This is in everyone’s mind, that if we do get to bat first and put up a good total, we are capable of winning the match. But every day is a new day, every match is a new match. You have to work hard and play hard for every win.”All week, word from the Pakistan camp – backed up to a degree from the evidence of their training sessions – is that the spirits are high, and so too their confidence, or at least that it is more than what a number of previous Pakistan teams ahead of playing a Test in Australia had.Not least Shafiq himself, whose hundred came on the back of a wildly fluctuating run of form – in his last 13 Tests, he has three hundreds, six fifties and five ducks (including two pairs). “We are hopeful, we are positive, especially after the first Test,” he said. “We are playing positive and good cricket. Nobody was expecting we would come back like that.”But we all showed the character, we all showed courage. And these kind of matches always give you confidence as a team, as a player. Especially if it’s the first Test of the series – it always helps in the next Tests.”

Agar takes six, but NSW claim lead

by csb10.top Uncategorized


ScorecardFile photo: This was Ashton Agar’s fifth five-for in first-class cricket•Getty Images

Ashton Agar collected a career-best 6 for 110 as Western Australia fought back on the second day against New South Wales at the SCG.After Western Australia were dismissed for 216 on day one, New South Wales had moved along to 4 for 250 before Agar sparked a lower-order collapse on a dry pitch that has suited spinners right from the start.Nic Maddinson anchored the New South Wales’ innings with 116 and combined with Kurtis Patterson for a 126-run stand that ended when Patterson was bowled by Jason Behrendorff for 60. Behrendorff also got rid of Maddinson and finished with 4 for 83, but it was Agar who then destroyed the lower order, having dismissed both openers as well.Agar claimed Moises Henriques for 41, which began a mini-collapse of 6 for 48 as New South Wales were dismissed for 298. It meant an 82-run lead for the New South Wales, but given the state of the pitch and the turn on offer, they could still face a difficult chase in the fourth innings.By stumps Western Australia were 0 for 14 in their second innings, with openers Cameron Bancroft on 6 and Jon Wells on 8.

Pervez, Dhindsa help Canada beat USA, retain Auty Cup

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Scorecard1:27

‘Bowled as per plan and it worked out’ – Nazar

Another superb spell by Cecil Pervez helped Canada stave off USA’s lower order and retain the Auty Cup, as they secured a 17-run win in the second match at Woodley Park on Friday. Pervez followed up his 3 for 38 in the first match on Thursday with 3 for 42, including the key scalp of Akeem Dodson for 73.USA, who had won the toss earlier, got off to a shaky start in their chase of Canada’s 216, when they stumbled to 10 for 3 in four overs. Abdullah Syed was bowled for a golden duck by a Pervez inswinger in the first over, before Alex Amsterdam and captain Steven Taylor were both caught driving to Canada captain Nitish Kumar at backward point, off Satsimranjit Dhindsa.Dodson and opener Fahad Babar then put on a USA fourth-wicket record partnership of 127 – also USA’s best ever stand against Canada for any wicket – to dig the hosts out of a major hole. Dodson counterattacked early in his innings, exploiting the short straight boundary as he skipped down the track to loft offspinner Nikhil Dutta over long-on for six in the eighth over. He eventually brought up his fifty off 62 balls in the 25th over, while Babar brought up the same landmark off 79 balls in the 30th.Kumar rotated his spinners in an effort to slow down the scoring rate and build pressure. It had its desired effect by the 32nd, when Dodson offered his first chance on 54, drilling a return catch to Varun Sehdev that ricocheted off the bowler’s hand and had the crowd gasping as it nearly carried to the fielder charging in from the long-off boundary. Babar eventually cracked at the other end with two balls to go in the 36th, when he tried to guide Junaid Siddiqui’s legspin behind point but played on to his stumps instead. This opened the door to the rest of USA’s fragile middle order.Dodson offered another chance just two balls later, driving Dutta flat to long off, where substitute fielder Shehan Kamileen spilled the chance. Dutta plugged away and eventually got his first wicket later in the over as Nicholas Standford played around his pads to be trapped in front for a third-ball duck.With USA needing 64 off nine overs and Dodson still at the crease on 73, Kumar brought back Pervez for his second spell. The seamer struck with his fifth ball, getting one to jag back from outside off and bowl Dodson. It was the first of four wickets in consecutive overs, as keeper Hamza Tariq caught Timil Patel – down the leg side – off Dhindsa in the 43rd over, and Hammad Shahid off Pervez in the 44th. Dhindsa then induced a leading edge from Jessy Singh for the ninth wicket, to put Canada within one wicket of victory at 163 for 9 in the 45th.Elmore Hutchinson, the only other USA player to reach double figures, gave them hope briefly when he sandwiched a cut through point for four between two monstrous sixes over the sightscreen to take Pervez for 19 in the 46th over. Dhindsa followed that up with a sloppy over that included two wides and another four through point, to bring the equation down to 21 off 18 balls.A long Canadian team discussion ensued before Kumar gave the ball to left-arm spinner Salman Nazar, who had figures of 0 for 25 in four overs at that stage and hadn’t bowled since the 17th over. After three singles off the first five balls, Nazar ended the match with an arm ball to No. 11 Prashanth Nair, who tried to dab it past the keeper, expecting turn, but instead chopped it onto his stumps. Hutchinson was left stranded on 37.Earlier in the day, five Canadian batsmen crossed 20 but nobody reached 50. Dutta, promoted to No. 4 after making a second-ball duck on Thursday at No. 8, top-scored with 43. He came in after Hutchinson dismissed both openers inside the Powerplay, having Bhavindu Adhihetty caught slogging to mid-on for 14, and Srimantha Wijeratne edging a flick down the leg side for 18.Nitish Kumar made a brisk 32 at No. 3, before he was caught in the covers off Nair’s left-arm spin. Coming together at 74 for 3, Dutta and Sehdev then produced Canada’s best partnership of the day, putting on 53 for the fourth wicket, before legspinner Patel had Sehdev caught behind for 26. Nazar then spooned a catch to Taylor at midwicket in Patel’s next over before Dutta fell in the 37th, chopping onto his stumps off Shahid, who was USA’s most troublesome bowler on the day and finished with 1 for 28.Singh came back for a late spell after going wicketless with the new ball and won three lbw appeals to dismiss Hamza Tariq, and then Siddiqui and Dhindsa off consecutive balls. Canada were reduce to 197 for 9, but USA’s inability to polish off the tail for the second time cost them. No. 9 Dilon Heyliger crashed Singh’s hat-trick ball for six over long-off to start the 49th, and followed it with a four over midwicket and another towering six over long-off. He finished with a vital 31 off 17 balls that helped add 19 runs for the last wicket which eventually accounted for the winning margin.

Uncapped Giddings in WI squad for first three England ODIs

by csb10.top Uncategorized

West Indies Women have picked 30-year-old uncapped allrounder Erva Giddings for the first three ODIs of the five-match series against England Women, which starts from October 8.

WI Women’s ODI squad

Stafanie Taylor (capt), Anisa Mohammed (vice-capt), Merissa Aguilleira, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Erva Giddings, Stacy-Ann King, Hayley Matthews, Shaquana Quintyne, Tremayne Smartt
In: Erva Giddings
Out: Kyshona Knight, Kycia Knight, Shakera Selman

The 13-member squad does not include Kyshona and Kycia Knight and Shakera Selman, who were part of the World T20-winning team earlier this year. Offspinner Anisa Mohammed has been appointed vice-captain.Giddings, who bowls medium-pace, was invited to attend the West Indies Women’s training camp in Jamaica last month. She had earlier been picked in the West Indies side for the tour of Pakistan in 2008-09, which was called off due to security reasons.The first two matches between West Indies and England – on October 8 and 10 – will be played at the Trelawney Stadium, Florence Hall. The last three matches, at Kingston’s Sabina Park on October 14, 16 and 19, will be counted for points in the ICC Women’s ODI Championship.West Indies are second on the table, with 20 points from 15 matches, while England trail them by one point. Australia Women, who lead the group with 30 points, have already secured their place in the 2017 Women’s World Cup.The top four teams at the end of the ICC Women’s Championship will gain direct entry into next year’s World Cup, while the bottom four teams will have to play the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier with six other regional qualifiers. The top four sides in the Qualifier will then advance to the World Cup.

Bangladesh bowlers excited by Walsh's coaching

by csb10.top Uncategorized

If young seamer Kamrul Islam Rabbi’s description of Courtney Walsh’s first training session as bowling coach was any indication, the Bangladesh players’ excitement at working with one of the best fast bowlers in history won’t be fading anytime soon.”We have been regularly talking among ourselves over the last week about our new bowling coach and when we heard that it was Courtney Walsh, we all became very happy,” Rabbi said. “He observed us today, without pointing out any mistakes. When he applauds at something that we do, it means a lot to us. Those of us who are in the pipeline looking forward to playing international cricket, we can learn a lot from him.”Walsh began his routine by asking the players to introduce themselves and their style of bowling, and made them target the stumps with no batsman facing.”After asking everyone’s name, he asked whether we are left-arm or a right-arm bowlers,” Rabbi, or Rab as Walsh calls him, said. “He didn’t tell us much since there is a [practice] match tomorrow. He told us to focus on the game. He made us do spot-bowling for six overs each. We bowled yorkers and length deliveries specifically [to prepare] for [the inter-team] match. We bowled yorkers to left-handers and length for right-handed batsmen.”He looked into our grip, run-up and action. I have been seeing his Youtube videos in the last few days. He is such a legendary bowler. We were little when he used to play. From what I saw today, I think he likes the basics, like a basic action. He said that my run-up is smooth and looked at the grip of Al-Amin [Hossain] and Rubel [Hossain].”Rabbi, 24, hoped Walsh’s experience would help educate uncapped fast bowlers like him about playing at the top level.”He knows what goes on in an international match. He can bring back a bowler from bad form. He would know my mental state when a batsman dominates me. He can prepare the bowler better in the next game.”

Saker named Australia's new assistant coach

by csb10.top Uncategorized

David Saker has been named as Australia’s new full-time assistant coach, taking over the role vacated by Craig McDermott earlier this year. Saker, who served as England’s bowling coach from 2010 to 2015, is also expected to step in as Australia’s acting head coach at some point next year to give Darren Lehmann a break, as occurred when Justin Langer stood in during the recent tri-series in the Caribbean.Saker’s appointment means Victoria will now be searching for a new head coach, after he took Victoria to the Sheffield Shield title in 2015-16, his only season in the role. South African great Allan Donald is acting as Australia’s bowling coach during the tour of Sri Lanka, which has just begun, and Saker will take over in time for the one-day tour of South Africa in September-October.”David’s experience working around the world with international teams will be invaluable, especially as we work toward the upcoming Indian Test series and the Ashes,” Lehmann said. “His technical expertise in all facets of the game is a real bonus and very important when working with the young group we have.”We spoke with a lot of people about this role and really took our time deciding what direction we wanted to go. David’s appointment gives us good clarity in our senior coaching group. What impressed me most about David was his vision of where he is heading as a coach and also where he wants to take our young group of bowlers and players.”He and I have always had robust discussions about the good of Australian cricket, he is passionate and I appreciate that. I love his attitude and he will bring great energy to our group.”Those “robust discussions” might have taken place behind closed doors, but spilled into the public arena on a couple of occasions last year. In October, Saker said he believed Victoria fast bowler James Pattinson was not yet ready for a return to Test cricket, which prompted Lehmann to suggest that: “David Saker should concentrate on coaching Victoria and leave us to pick the side for Australia”.Later in the summer, Saker said during a radio interview that it was “ridiculous” that the selectors had chosen Nathan Coulter-Nile in the squad for the Hobart Test against West Indies, when he had not played a first-class match since the previous season. But now, Saker will find himself working within the Australian camp.”David has had proven success with Victoria in the short time he has held the role, as well as success on the international stage, and that was a key part of the recruitment process,” Pat Howard, the Cricket Australia general manager of team performance, said.”It’s a testament to the success of our coaching pathway program in Australia, that Justin Langer and David have been elevated from within the system to senior roles in the Australian cricket team. The fact that David has been a head coach previously, also gives us an option should Darren be absent or need a break from touring. We anticipate he will lead the Australian team at some stage during 2017.”Saker, 50, played 72 first-class matches for Tasmania and Victoria during the 1990s and 2000s, taking 247 wickets at 30.10. As England’s bowling coach, he was part of one of the country’s most successful eras, during which they won their first Ashes series in Australia for 24 years, and collected the World T20 trophy in 2010.”The opportunity to work with Australia’s best cricketers and coaches is one that I simply couldn’t pass up and I am incredibly excited,” Saker said. “With two day-night Tests against South Africa and Pakistan this summer, it’s a great time to enter the Australian set-up.”Having reflected on the role and spoken to my family, I feel that it is the next logical career step for me and that I can add more value at the national level, particularly next year with the ICC Champions Trophy in the UK and when England tour for the 2017-18 Ashes.”I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past year with the Bushrangers and will miss the squad, especially as we managed to retain the Sheffield Shield. I have no doubt I’ll still be regular contact with many of the players I’ve coached when they play at the national level.”

Ganguly bullish about India's maiden pink-ball trial

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Eden Gardens has hosted a World Cup final, iconic Tests, and IPL games for nine seasons. This April, the ground was host to a thrilling World T20 final. On June 18, the venue will be dressed up to host India’s first ever pink-ball match, a Super League final between two prominent teams in Kolkata – Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore.Until two weeks ago, this four-day fixture was meant to be played with the red ball. An out-of-the-box idea from Sourav Ganguly, currently serving as president of Cricket Association of Bengal, forced the last-minute change. The former India captain is also head of the BCCI technical committee that recommended the Duleep Trophy be played with the pink ball this season.It’s an ambitious venture, given the monsoons arrived just a week ago, and the forecast is for thundershowers during the game. But Ganguly doesn’t deal with ifs; he didn’t tread that path during his time as India captain, and sees this new experiment as an opportunity to market day-night Test cricket.”Let’s start something,” Ganguly said at a panel discussion on pink-ball cricket that was attended by his former India team-mate VVS Laxman and former Australia batsman Dean Jones. “Our problem is that we jump to too many conclusions before starting something. Let us go through it. Let us see the problems. Let us try and address them. And hopefully in six months’ time, we’ll fix it.”Six other Full Members have already experimented with the pink ball – India aside, only New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are yet to play any pink-ball cricket locally. And given India are scheduled to play 13 Tests at home between October and March, it’s no surprise that Ganguly is keen on looking into the new format.”Pink ball, to me, is the way forward,” he said. “Firstly, with common sense, it gets people to the ground after work. You finish work at 5pm and then you come in the evening, spend a few hours, watch cricket and go back. Test match cricket is also played at a faster pace than what it used to be. You have got to market it.”You have got to find a way to bring people into the ground. Everything in life needs innovation. This [day-night Test cricket] is here to stay. It has got to be told to the people, like we sell IPL, like we sell T20 cricket, like we sell one-day cricket – that come have fun and go. Test cricket has to go that way.”Ganguly does not need to do the hard sell with the players from Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore. Players and coaches from both sides are excited to be part of the historic experiment.At their first training session, on June 15, all the Mohun Bagan players had a unique request for their coach Palash Nandy: they didn’t want to bat or bowl, they just wanted to hold the pink ball. Around five pink balls were procured from ball manufacturer Stanford – though the game will be played with pink Kookaburras – to let the players get acquainted with the colour. “No one wanted to bat or bowl, everyone wanted to see how it looked, how it felt in their hands,” Subhomoy Das, the Mohun Bagan captain, said.Bhowanipore will go into the match on the back of just one training session with the pink ball. That didn’t seem to concern their coach Abdul Monayem, who expects the prevailing overcast conditions to benefit his bowling attack. “It is definitely a challenge. But we will try to stand strong through the four days,” Monayem said. “It will swing mostly and in the first 15-20 overs, it will possibly be very difficult for the batsmen. But I expect the gloss on the ball to wear off later and bring the spinners into the picture.”The thrill of doing something new has clearly kept the doubts at bay. There are questions Das and other players have, but it is not something they are losing sleep over. “It will be challenging. How will it feel in the hands, how will it behave under lights, how easy or difficult will it be to sight the ball. These are a few things we are worried about,” Das said. In his first training session with the pink ball, Das, a one-time Bengal batsman, observed that it “swung a little more”.Sourav Mondal, who will share the new ball for Mohun Bagan with India fast bowler Mohammed Shami, was keen to figure out how the ball would behave once it became a little old. Unfortunately, both teams could not train for long enough to find out; a drizzle forced them to retreat to the dressing room after the CAB had provided them with three pink Kookaburra balls each on the match eve. “I could only bowl six or seven balls. I felt it was similar to the white Kookaburra,” Mondal said. “The ball was seaming and swinging. With the moisture in the wicket, this will continue to happen until the wicket gets drier.”Mondal reckoned that unlike the red SG Test ball, which tends to get softer soon, the pink ball would stay hard and the lacquer would hold for longer. But, he felt, the pink ball would not get enough movement once it got old – around the 30-over mark. “The seam is not prominent on the pink Kookaburra compared to the white ball,” he said. “But it is very bright and the coating is much more than a white Kookaburra.”Sujan Mukherjee, the curator at Eden Gardens, remains unperturbed by the excitement around him. “It will be the same white dress. It will be the same white sight screen. Only the ball is pink,” Mukherjee, who has left a “see-through” grass covering on the pitch, said. “I am preparing the wicket the same way as I would for a day-night ODI.”Ganguly, who was part of a similar experiment when he led an MCC side in Dubai five years ago, seems to have done his homework ahead of the game – even if the time frame was tight. In addition to writing to Kookaburra in Australia to gets the pink balls delivered, Ganguly also wrote to John Stephenson at the MCC to ascertain key things that needed to be in place to host the match. “The first thing John said is, ‘Please get the conditions right: you have got to leave a bit of grass on the surface and make sure pitches on either side have a bit more grass on them as well,'” Ganguly said.A general concern surrounding day-night games in the subcontinent has been the dew factor. Ganguly said he expected this to be an obstacle only in the winter months. “I don’t think there is going to be dew now. It is fairly hot. We will go through it easily. I don’t see any problem – if the white ball can be played under the lights, then pink ball, too, can be played.”The biggest challenge for Ganguly and the CAB will be to see whether the fans will turn up for the Super League final. The game received a massive fillip when it was announced that it will be broadcast live. Will that affect ground attendances, though? Ganguly does not think so: “I am sure when we get that pink ball on the park there will be a bit of problems. But I see it as a success because it will get fans into the ground.”