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The batsman was praised as “a gentleman, a leader and a friend” as he called time on his career

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2018Johann Myburgh, the Somerset batsman, has announced he will retire at the end of the season.He initially joined the club on a one-year deal in 2014 but was then retained. Last week he struck his maiden T20 century, off 42 balls, against Essex.He wrote an open letter to the Somerset team and the supporters thanking them for his time at the club.”What a special place this has been for me and I have felt so at home here in Taunton. My boy Joshua was born at Musgrove Park Hospital and I’m convinced that I now have Somerset blood pumping in my veins,” he said.

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“My team-mates have of course played a massive role in my enjoyable time here in the South West. I have made friendships that will last forever, seen young boys turn into men and enjoyed the inner child in the seasoned guys. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the great times both on and off the field and more importantly, for accepting me into your changing room and making it ours.”Myburgh had been highly rated as a youngster growing up in South Africa. In 1998, as a 17-year-old schoolboy, he broke Graeme Pollock’s record to become the youngest double-centurion in South African first-class cricket and played for South Africa U-19s alongside the likes of Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph.However, he then moved to New Zealand with the aim of going through the three-year qualification period to be eligible for them but as he came close to completing it he then opted for a Kolpak move to the county game where he joined Hampshire in 2010. In 2012 he had a T20 contract with Durham then after a year of club cricket joined Somerset.Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said: “During his time with the county, Johann has been a key member of the Somerset family. Not only is he an outstanding cricketer and athlete, he is a gentleman, a leader and a friend to all associated with the Club.”He is an outstanding role model and mentor, and our young players will have taken much from his experience over the years. He has taken the decision to retire whilst he is still enjoying the game, as well as positively influencing matches as he showed last week with his exceptional innings against Essex Eagles.”I feel privileged to have worked with Johann and I am certain that whatever he does next he will approach with the same passion and professionalism that he has demonstrated during his years here. Everyone associated with the Club wishes him and his family the very best for the future.”

Regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers of his generation, Foster was unlucky not to gain more international recognition

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2018James Foster, the Essex wicketkeeper widely regarded as one of the finest glovemen of his generation, will retire at the end of the English season.”I have really enjoyed my 19 years as a professional cricketer and it is with great sadness that I will no longer be an Essex player,” Foster said in an open letter. “It has been a real privilege to play for my home county and I am extremely proud to have represented England.”Foster, 38, made his county debut in 2000 and little more than a year later was in the England side when he was called up for the one-day series against Zimbabwe in 2000-01, before earning his Test debut against India at Mohali a few months later.His England career finished with seven Tests, 11 ODIs and five T20Is – his T20 appearances coming during the 2009 World T20 when he was recalled to England colours after a gap of seven years on the strength of his outstanding wicketkeeping. It was often felt he was harshly done by with his international appearances due to the perception his batting was not the quality required in the post-Alec Stewart era when England picked the likes of Geraint Jones, Tim Ambrose and Matt Prior.However, in first-class cricket Foster averaged over 36 and made 23 centuries with a career-best 212 against Leicestershire in 2004.There was never any doubt, though, about his work behind the stumps and his 901 first-class dismissals (839 catches and 62 stumpings) leaves him second in the Essex record books behind Brian Taylor.He was a part of Essex’s Pro40 titles in 2005 and 2006, their NatWest Trophy win in 2008 and, most recently, the County Championship title last season. Foster began this season in the Essex Championship side but has not played since mid-May.”I can’t put into words how great it’s been to share a dressing room with Fozzy,” Ryan ten Doeschate, the Essex captain, said. “He’s been the rock at Essex for all of the time I’ve played here, the most thorough professional and a cherished friend through thick and thin. Over the last 15 years he’s been a big presence and a great example in the dressing room, we’re going to miss him next season.”Foster had already made a move into coaching while still playing – he was involved in the GLT20 in Canada earlier this year – and has worked with both the England and England Lions set-ups. He was involved in the final Test against India, at The Oval, last week and will now take up roles with Sydney Thunder in the BBL and Khulna Titans in the BPL.”Whilst playing has now come to an end, I am incredibly excited about the next phase of my career,” Foster said. “I have been working extremely hard on building my coaching CV and experience over the last three years for various professional, franchise and international teams.”I am delighted to be working with Sydney Thunder underneath Shane Bond in the upcoming BBL and again with the Mahela Jayawardene at the Khulna Titans in the BPL this winter. Before that, I am very excited to be coaching the Afghanistan Boost Defenders during the ADT20 in Abu Dhabi and I will also continue to coach the talented youngsters at Forest School.”

The World Cup door isn’t yet shut on the Jamaican opener, but West Indies’ captain has urged the younger players to make the most of their opportunities on this India tour

Varun Shetty in Visakhapatnam23-Oct-20181:28

Sometimes par scores in India can be 320-350 – Holder

Jason Holder has called for a focus on the present as West Indies cricket grapples with Chris Gayle’s availability for next year’s World Cup, and has urged the younger players in the squad to make full use of their opportunities in India.”What I say is, Gayle is not here,” Holder said ahead of the second ODI. “We’ve got a pretty young core group of players. Regardless of what happens after this tour, that is too far and beyond at the present time. I’m just focusing on what we have to do and that is to play cricket here in India with the squad that we have selected. We’ve got young Chandrapaul Hemraj and obviously Kieran Powell at the top of the order. Hopefully these guys can get us off to a really good start. “

Don’t think I was out of contention before the IPL – Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu returned to international cricket after more than two years during last month’s Asia Cup but the batsman, who has been publicly backed by the management, doesn’t think that he was ever out of the race for a spot in the team.
“I don’t think No. 4 is new to me because it’s a position I’ve played a lot in and there’s nothing new they’ve asked me to do. They’ve asked me to go out and play my game. Even before the IPL, it’s not that I wasn’t in contention. It was just I had a few injuries and wasn’t fit.
“IPL is a good platform to come back strongly, specially fitness, and I think I’ve done that. And I had to do. In terms of fitness, I’d been working on it, not only now but right from my injury so the yo-yo test didn’t have any bearing on how I was preparing. I’m happy that I’ve cleared the test. [Lately] I’ve been going to the NCA for a week and then coming back, so there have always been these small pockets [where I’ve worked on fitness].”

During the first ODI, Gayle was at the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League, where he won the title with Balkh Legends shortly after retiring from List A cricket for Jamaica with a century. At the time, Holder had said he would welcome Gayle into the team at the World Cup and that the veteran would not have played in the qualifiers if he did not have West Indies’ best interests in mind.But Holder’s appeal to the youngsters to focus on their game rather than their place in the team adds weight to the words of head coach Stuart Law, who told ESPNcricinfo that senior players like Gayle and Andre Russell have been told that World Cup selection will come down to performances, and suggested that extra room for them in terms of criteria is not yet a given.”Dre Russ and Chris – Chris has given us his programme for the next three months. I think he and Russ have been told that it’ll now be down to performance, which is what selection should be based on. You’re talking about two special cricketers there though, ” Law said, “so whether or not they get extra room to move remains to be seen. But for me, you need players with good experience leading into a World Cup, guiding the youngsters how to play. We’re lucky to have Marlon Samuels here. And his job on this tour is to show these kids how to go about a game.”Who knows what the future holds. But yes, leading into the World Cup, this tour and the Bangladesh tour – you’ve got to be pretty settled and you go into the England series with the full ODI squad. We’ll still be thinking about different positions and how we go. It’s an opportunity for some to keep scoring runs and taking wickets – can’t ignore it.”If you have a batsman scoring hundred, and an 80 not out, all of a sudden their name’s up in our minds. A bowler coming in taking a four-for, or a five-for in a couple of games, their name’s up in minds. So at the moment it’s all about opportunity. “In keeping with that philosophy, West Indies fielded two debutants – Hemraj and Oshane Thomas – in the first ODI and have two uncapped players in Obed McCoy and Fabian Allen available in the reserves, among a few other inexperienced players. But while they hope to give everyone a run in the XI, it is unlikely that the batting order that made 322 in the last game will be changed, particularly on a pitch where India are likely to pick three spinners and form is going to be handy.”I had a look at the wicket,” Holder said. “Definitely, there is no grass on it. As we have seen, spinners tend to do pretty well here. Our spinners didn’t do as well as we would have liked in the last game. Credit to the two Indians who played outstanding knocks. I felt [Devendra] Bishoo came into his own in the second spell. He got the wicket of [Virat] Kohli, which is crucial for his confidence. It’s important for him to be a bit more expressive and look to take wickets. [Ashley] Nurse just needs to just build more pressure and take one or two wickets in the middle overs. The wicket might suit a little bit of spin. Hopefully, whoever is picked delivers.”

Sri Lanka coach terms series ‘closely fought’ despite whitewash; rues lack of hundreds from his batsmen

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo26-Nov-2018Ben Stokes turned matches, and Sri Lanka’s batting lacks maturity, but even with all that, and despite the 3-0 result, there wasn’t much separating the teams.These are Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha’s views after Sri Lanka were whitewashed at home by England. While in the first Test in Galle, Sri Lanka were blown away by 211 runs, the hosts had their moments in Pallekele and at the SSC. They lost the second Test by 57; the third by 42.”I thought it was a very closely fought series especially the last two games,” Hathurusingha said. “The difference between the two teams was very little. I thought England handled tough situations well. Ben Stokes was the difference in the last two games, I thought.
“Other than the first Test, I thought we fought hard in the second and third games. A few issues we have to sort out, no doubt. While batting, we took some wrong options and that is the reason why we lost. Had certain things gone our way, the result could have been different.”Stokes hit 187 runs at an average of 31.16 in the series, but it was his contributions in the field and with the ball that Hathurusingha made particular mention of. At Pallekele, he effected a crucial direct-hit run out of Dimuth Karunaratne – Sri Lanka’s best batsman of the series – to cut short what had been a promising second-wicket stand in the first innings. Then at the SSC, he delivered a furious 10-over spell of hostile bowling either side of tea on the second day, as Sri Lanka lost nine wickets for 67 runs, in what turned out to be the definitive passage of play.”When things were going our way, Stokes was brilliant with the ball and on the field,” Hathurusingha said. “He took the game away from us in both games. When we were 173 for one in the first innings here, again England took the initiative away from us.”In what was otherwise a dispiriting series, perhaps the only bright spark for Sri Lanka and Hathurusingha was the spin attack, which had to contend with the departure of Rangana Herath following the first Test. England never made 350, though they probably would have at Galle, where they declared on 322 for 6 in the second innings.Herath’s like-for-like replacement Malinda Pushpakumara took nine wickets in the series, but it was the younger spinners who made the more impactful contributions. In Pallekele, offspinner Akila Dananjaya, who is presently awaiting the results of his biomechanics test after being called for throwing, took 6 for 115 in the second innings. At the SSC, left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan claimed 5 for 95 in the first innings.Those efforts were not enough to cover for batting failures, however. Four Sri Lanka batsmen made it into the eighties in the series, but no further. England, meanwhile, had four centurions in Ben Foakes, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow.”I thought in these last two games, given our inexperienced attack due to the absence of Rangana we competed well,” Hathurusingha said. “The big difference is four hundred they scored and no hundreds from us. The toss has got lot to do as well when you are playing on these types of wickets. Of course we should have used the DRS better on hindsight. But all in all, England played better.”

New Zealand set Pakistan a target of 176 of which they knocked down 37 without losing a wicket

The Report by Danyal Rasool18-Nov-2018Stumps: Hasan Ali and Yasir Shah bagged five wickets each•AFP

This isn’t a Test designed for predictions, but a gruelling day where momentum ebbed and flowed ended with Pakistan in a strong position to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series. Five wickets each for Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali helped trigger a New Zealand collapse which saw them lose their last six wickets for 29 runs, leaving Pakistan 176 to win. Pakistan, spearheaded by Imam-ul-Haq, made a positive start in the eight overs before stumps, knocking down 37 of them without losing a wicket.New Zealand had threatened to take the game away with a steely 112-run partnership for the fifth wicket between BJ Watling and Henry Nicholls that spanned much of the middle part of the day. For 51 overs, they shut Pakistan out, quietly but steadily building on the lead, each run seemingly taking the hosts away from a win that had looked inevitable even as early as the first day.With a Test match strike rate of 43, a career average of 38 and a CV that boasts involvement in two partnerships in excess of 300, Watling is built for the grind of the UAE Test match cricket. Those traits came in handy for New Zealand, when he, alongside Nicholls, whose contribution was in no way any less valuable, ensured their side did not fall away after three quick wickets in the morning session had put Pakistan right on top. A session went wicketless for the first time in a Test match that has otherwise seen 30 wickets in three days, reinvigorating a contest that Pakistan had threatened to kill off at lunch.The pair, being the last specialist batsmen for New Zealand, played like men who understood the responsibility on them without being overburdened by it. Very rarely were false shots played in the pursuit of runs, but equally, the score did not stagnate altogether. 112 runs in 51 overs might not suggest fluency, but it did provide a glimpse of the steeliness with which the pair brought New Zealand back into the game. Nicholls had reached his half-century before tea; he finished with 55 off 171 balls, while Watling amassed an equally gritty 59 off 145.But it was another collapse that severely dented the New Zealand’s hopes of coming out of this Test match with a positive result. When Yasir, who had been plugging away all afternoon with no success, extracted a bottom edge from Nicholls, the house of cards came tumbling down. Within 26 balls, 220 for 4 became 227 for 8, and it was left to the tail to get their side as close to a lead of 200 as possible. 175 was as much as they could manage, with Hasan returning to join Yasir with five wickets to his name, cleaning up Ish Sodhi and Trent Boult, and for the third time in this match taking two wickets in one over.Kane Williamson was bowled by Yasir Shah for 37•AFP

The morning session had begun with Kane Williamson and Jeet Raval continuing their gritty resistance from last evening, growing ever more confident at the crease. The opening salvo from Mohammad Abbas was seen off without major trouble, and New Zealand moved into the lead without losing any more wickets. But once a perfect legspinner from Yasir clipped Williamson’s off stump, Pakistan surged once again.
Hasan took two in one over as Ross Taylor and Raval also made their way back, and the upshot of a session that had begun with New Zealand firmly in charge ended by Pakistan re-establishing the slim advantage they have held over their opponents.It really was a session defined by ball, though. Yasir drifted one in on a good length around a middle-stump line to the unflappable Williamson, and as Williamson offered a defensive bat off the back foot, it looped and spun away to beat his outside edge and clip the off stump so tenderly, it took a few seconds for the bail to come off. Williamson was nonplussed, as was the on-field umpire; he needed the third umpire to ensure the batsman really had been bowled.That appeared to change the mindset of both teams. New Zealand suddenly seemed to remember they were only 11 runs ahead of Pakistan, and Sarfraz Ahmed sensed the pressure he could place them under. Hasan came on, and just as he had on day one, produced an over that turned the game around completely. Taylor and Raval were removed within four unplayable balls of each other. Taylor was pinned in front by a fast, reverse-swinging ball, while Raval, who had been stuck on 46 since Williamson was with him at the crease, edged one to the keeper, and was denied a well-deserved half-century in the process.Every run may end up counting, with Pakistan having established an unwelcomed recent habit of falling short of low fourth-innings chases. Six times they have been bowled out under 200 in this decade, twice in 2017 alone. It is a habit New Zealand will look to keep Pakistan shackled to, and with 139 still to get, success is not an impossibility. Even if this Test looks like it might have finally shown its hand, it has over the past three days proven to be an excellent bluffer.

The batsman is expecting slow scoring but the opportunity for runs to be made by batsmen diligent enough to play within their lanes

Daniel Brettig in Melbourne23-Dec-20182:33

What are Australia’s plans for Kohli at the MCG?

No-one has spent more time batting on the MCG’s hotly-debated pitches this season than Marcus Harris, and he has counselled his team-mates not to judge the surface by the expected preponderance of green grass geared towards ensuring a result after last year’s bore draw during the Ashes series.Harris got the fright of his life when he saw the pitch for the Sheffield Shield match, admitting now that he expected the game between Victoria and New South Wales to be over in “a day and a half”, before proceeding to sculpt a monumental 250 not out that played a major role in vaulting him into the Test team.As a result, Harris is expecting slow scoring but the opportunity for runs to be made by batsmen diligent enough to play within their lanes. “Pre-match when I saw the wicket I was really freaked out and I thought ‘this game’s going to be over in a day and a half and we’ve got blokes trying to vie for Test spots’, so I went into the game with no expectations on myself and the wicket actually played pretty well,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “It was relatively slow and stayed together.”I saw this morning the wicket will probably be more similar to the South Australia game, where it had a bit more green grass on it, nipped around a bit but it was one of those wickets where if you play well you can make runs but if you bowl well you can take wickets.”I think it’ll be the same old thing of patience, the MCG is never a really quick scoring ground anyway, so that’ll be the key, just realising things will take a while to evolve. Not sure the wicket will break up too much, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Fortunately we’ve probably got the best bowling attack in the world so that looks after itself a little bit, but I think as batters a patience game will be the key and run rates won’t be as quick as what you’d like, but that’s the way it will be.”Like Harris, the MCG curator Matt Page is a former West Australian transplanted to the other side of the continent, now charged with ensuring the storied stadium has pitches to match its overall reputation. “We want to provide an opportunity for everyone,” Page said. “Whether it’s the spinners, it’s the pace bowlers, or the batters. Providing them opportunities to be able to produce their world-class [skills] throughout a game, whether that’s quickies at the front, batters in the middle, spinners towards the end. It’s producing a pitch that everyone can show what they can do.”I think this one will be very similar to the South Australian game which we were probably happy with the most. We were unlucky not to get a result through rain, but there seemed to be a bit there for everyone; a bit there for the quicks, a couple of guys scored hundreds and the feedback we got from that game was really positive. I know we are still three days out but are looking at a wicket that will be similar to that.”Both the NSW and SA fixtures benefited from plenty of early life, meaning the game could evolve at the requisite pace needed to ensure a result after it dried. Another Shield match, when Victoria hosted Western Australia, was not as lively as attempts to prepare a drier, harder surface resulted in a similar result to the soporific strip on which the Ashes Test was drawn. “We went in to that game and we tried to get a little bit harder and a little bit drier and didn’t get the result we wanted,” Page said. “We learned from that and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”Mitchell Starc, for one, is hopeful of something a little more equitable this time around. With typical bluntness, he assessed last summer’s Test pitch (“shocking”) and the ICC’s average rating for the Perth Stadium flier (“harsh”) that featured some of the characteristics Page is hoping to engender at the MCG over time.”There hasn’t been any discussion in the team but there has been plenty of traction in the public from past players at their disappointment of that rating,” Starc said. “You had a fantastic Test match over five days, a fantastic battle between ball and bat which is what you want. I think that was a bit harsh, I’d say, and the fact it was such an exciting Test match that’s what you want to promote. You want to see wickets like that in the future.”Test cricket isn’t meant to be comfortable, I know it’s a batters’ game, but that’s what makes the game exciting. If you look at the match here last year where the wicket did nothing, it was a pretty boring Test match. If wickets are closer to what we saw in Perth it will create more exiting Test matches and you’ll get more people watching.”It sounds like it will be similar to one of the Shield games few weeks ago so the likelihood is it will do more than last year, which is great because last year was shocking – I didn’t play, fortunately – but the early signs are there could be a bit of grass on it.”

Dotiwalla, who made his umpiring debut in the India-England Test in Kanpur in 1982, is best remembered for officiating the tied Test along with V Vikramraju

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2019Former umpire Dara Dotiwalla, who stood in the famous tied Test in Chennai between India and Australia in 1986, has died aged 85 on Wednesday. He officiated in six Tests and eight ODIs from 1982 to 1988.Dotiwalla, who made his umpiring debut in the India-England Test in Kanpur in 1982, is best remembered for officiating the tied Test along with V Vikramraju. The match, only the second tied Test in cricket history, ended with Vikramraju controversially adjudging India’s No. 11 Maninder Singh lbw to Greg Matthews.ALSO READ: Gold from a Madras furnaceDotiwalla’s first ODI as an umpire was the fixture between India and Sri Lanka in Bengaluru in 1982, while his last one was India versus New Zealand in 1988 in Cuttack. The Delhi Test between India and West Indies in 1987 was his last assignment as a Test umpire.

After a difficult start against Riley Meredith, Victoria were put in control by a 170-run stand between Maddinson and Marcus Harris

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2019Nic Maddinson made it three centuries in consecutive Sheffield Shield matches as he helped leaders Victoria put up a strong total on the opening day against Tasmania in Melbourne.Maddinson followed his 108 last week against Queensland with 136 off 197 balls, the brace of centuries coming after the 162 he scored against Western Australia in December before suffering a broken arm. He now has a tally of 445 runs at 111.25 for the season.Jackson Bird managed to make late inroads but Victoria closed on a healthy 7 for 376.Maddinson added 170 for the third wicket with Marcus Harris who fell just short of making back-to-back centuries when he was caught in the deep off Jarrod Freeman for 94. That followed Harris’ scores of 95 and 174 against Queensland.The pair had helped Victoria recover from early trouble at 2 for 7 after Riley Meredith caused problems with the new ball. He produced a beauty to take the off stump of Travis Dean and then five balls later had Will Pucovski caught behind for a duck with one that bounced to take the edge.Harris and Maddinson counter-attacked as conditions eased, moving along at more than four runs an over although there were a few near misses for both batsmen, especially in the slip and gully area.Meredith claimed his third when he bowled Cameron White but the runs kept flowing for Victoria as Maddinson and Matt Short added 69 for the fifth wicket.Maddinson’s innings ended when he was lbw, missing a pull at a back-of-a-length delivery from Gabe Bell, then Bird had Short taken at second slip – a juggling catch by Alex Doolan – followed by trapping Chris Tremain in front.

The Perth Scorchers and Western Australia fast bowler is inexperienced at the professional level, but has already been tipped to play for international honours

Andrew McGlashan12-Apr-2019How has he got his IPL gig?Through impressive performances in the recent Big Bash League for Perth Scorchers, where his skills at the death, particularly his yorker, stood out. Although the Scorchers had a miserable season, Kelly impressed in the seven matches he played taking 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.74. There is a Western Australia/Scorchers link to Knight Riders as well, with Simon Katich being the assistant coach of the IPL franchise, which could well have helped the move.”I think with the budget we had and the kind of options we had, we felt Matt Kelly fit the bill,” Knight Riders mentor Abhishek Nayar said. “He hits hard lengths, has bowled very well in the BBL in death overs. He also contributes with the bat. So we felt like when we invested in someone like Harry Gurney it was more about seeing the kind of skills he has that adds to the team, which is one of the reasons why we shortlisted Matt Kelly.”Yorkers, you say…Yes, indeed, that skill that has taken a bit of a back seat in recent years with bowlers trying a whole host of variations to try and overcome batsmen who are ever-more innovative with scoops and flicks. It remains a fact, though, that a good yorker (and they aren’t easy to deliver on cue) remains very difficult to score off despite all the shots batsmen have these days. Kelly’s ability caught the eye of someone who used to be world-class at delivering them…
Never mind the IPL, how about Australia selection?Australia are pretty well-stocked with quality quicks across all formats at the moment, but Kelly will certainly be one to keep an eye on with a view to the 2020 T20 World Cup and beyond. Mark Waugh, the former Australia selector, suggested Kelly could be a late inclusion for this year’s World Cup in England if any one of the first-choice picks are injured, even though he’s only played five List A matches.”One thing we do lack slightly is a really good death bowler – a guy who can bowl yorkers at the end of the innings and he’s really good at that,” Waugh told . “He played for the Scorchers and WA. He’s a bit of a smoky but I’d have him the mix.”
Will he get into the Knight Riders XI?Tough to say at the moment. Knight Riders are second on the table, so are going quite nicely although they were heavily beaten by Chennai Super Kings in their last match. That loss, however, was a failure of the batting unit, which could only make 108 for 9. Their four overseas players in that game were fellow Australian Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Gurney. Russell is enjoying the form of his life, Narine is a key allrounder and Lynn wouldn’t be a like-for-like role so it could come down to him playing off for a spot with Gurney.What about the other formats?As mentioned, he only has five one-day matches under his belt but his early numbers are good, with nine wickets at 22.77 and an economy rate of 4.69. It’s not just white-ball, either, where he has shown plenty of promise. He was Western Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield with 30 wickets at 28.53 including a career-best 6 for 67 against South Australia. He certainly has a chance of featuring in the Australia A squads for the tour of England, which will be named next week.

Not selected, meanwhile, are wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, offspinner Akila Dananjaya, openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Upul Tharanga, as well as Dinesh Chandimal

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Apr-2019Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne, spin-bowling allrounders Milinda Siriwardana and Jeevan Mendis, and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay have all been picked in Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad, despite not having played an ODI since at least 2017.Not selected, meanwhile, are wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, offspinner Akila Dananjaya, openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Upul Tharanga, as well as Dinesh Chandimal, who was captain of the ODI team as recently as October.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The squad also features 21-year-old opening batsman Avishka Fernando, despite his modest tour of South Africa last month. Nuwan Pradeep, who has been an infrequent presence in the ODI squad owing partly to injury, has been chosen as well.Several players have made it into the squad on the strength of their performances in the week-long Super Four Provincial Tournament played at the start of the month. Jeevan Mendis, for example, took six wickets in three matches, and scored an unbeaten half-century. Thirimanne was the tournament’s second-highest scorer, behind Angelo Mathews, having struck a century and an 82 through the course of the week.Vandersay, meanwhile, had taken five wickets in the tournament, but has largely been picked on the back of encouraging performances in T20 internationals. He is the only specialist spinner in the squad.Siriwardana’s inclusion, which was perhaps the biggest surprise of the squad announcement, was down to his versatility, chief selector Ashantha de Mel said. “To balance the side, the batsman coming in at No. 6 has to be able to bowl. We went with someone who has a bit of experience in that role.”Of the omissions, Dickwella and Akila are perhaps the most significant, with both players having featured in Sri Lanka’s recent ODIs in South Africa. Dickwella’s omission is down to loss of form – he had collected three single-figure scores against South Africa, and had failed to breach 20 in four innings in the provincial tournament. Akila’s, meanwhile, is down to decreased effectiveness since remodeling his bowling action.”We can’t take two offspinners to the World Cup, and right now we are considering Dhananjaya de Silva as an offspinner,” de Mel said. “Since Akila remodeled his action, Dhananjaya gets wickets at a much better strike rate than Akila, and he also turns the ball more than Akila.”On the fast bowling front, Sri Lanka have opted for experience over promise, omitting the likes of Dushmantha Chameera and Kasun Rajitha in favour of Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal. Although not in the 15-man squad, Rajitha has been named as one of four standby players, alongside allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, and batsmen Oshada Fernando and Angelo Perera.The team will, of course, have a brand new captain for the tournament, in Dimuth Karunaratne, who himself has not played an ODI since the 2015 World Cup. According to de Mel, it was Karunaratne’s leadership in the Test series victory in South Africa that prompted the selection committee to remove Lasith Malinga and make the captaincy change.”We saw in South Africa how Dimuth was able to unite the team, and have everyone playing together. That was what was important to us at this time. I spoke to Malinga yesterday and explained to him that as selectors we didn’t have any issues with his captaincy, but that although he was playing well, the other 10 players weren’t behind him. That’s not his fault, but that was the situation we had.”Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal