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Harry Brook’s abundant talent and simple technique mean he could be on track to replicate the worldwide, all-format success enjoyed by Virat Kohli. That is the “massive shout” that Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, made after Brook’s second-innings hundred set up a 26-run win over Pakistan to seal the series with a game to spare in Multan.Brook is only 23 but has been discussed as one of England’s leading young batters for a number of years and made his Test debut at the end of the English summer after Jonny Bairstow’s ankle injury ruled him out of the third Test against South Africa at The Oval, having been the spare batter for the first six matches of the season.Related

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He made 12 in his only innings on debut but blitzed his way to scores of 153 and 87 in the first Test of the series in Rawalpindi, threatening Gilbert Jessop’s 120-year record for the fastest England hundred in both innings. And after being dismissed cheaply playing what he described as “a shocking shot” in the first innings in Multan, Brook responded with a well-paced 109 in the second – the only century of the match – to pick up the Player-of-the-Match award.Brook has also played 20 T20Is, finishing September’s tour of Pakistan as England’s leading run-scorer before a quiet run of form in the T20 World Cup triumph. Currently uncapped in ODIs, he will also come into contention to bat in the middle order for the 50-over side ahead of their title defence in India next October.”After the summer he had last year, getting all the big-ups before he made his debut at the back end of the summer, to come here and put in that kind of performance again was just phenomenal,” Stokes told Sky Sports.”He’s one of those rare players that you look across all formats and you can just see him being successful everywhere. It’s a massive shout, but Virat Kohli is one of those guys where his technique is just so simple and works everywhere. The pressure that he puts back onto opposition is exactly what we’re about.”Stokes added in his post-match press conference that Brook’s form was “not a surprise” to him. “The expectation on his shoulders coming into this team, because of how good he’s been for Yorkshire, was obviously huge,” he said. “But I think that just shows that kind of stuff doesn’t really affect him.”He’s a player whose technique is suited to all three formats, he wants to always look to be putting pressure back onto the opposition, and he’s won another game for England. [He made a] huge contribution last week, and the hundred he scored here was obviously massive for us in getting that big lead.Ben Stokes said Harry Brook is “a pretty simple lad to captain”•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

“He’s a pretty simple lad to captain: he just gets about his business, loves his batting, wants to constantly improve, constantly work on it. He’s a pretty easy bloke to have in your dressing room.”Brook was caught at mid-off for nine in the first innings, looking to hit debutant spinner Abrar Ahmed back over his head for six, but tempered his attacking instincts in the early stages of England’s second innings. After facing 41 balls, he had only scored 13 runs, but he gradually went through the gears to bring up a 137-ball century on the third morning.”I was pretty disappointed with my first-innings dismissal,” Brook told the BBC’s . “It was a shocking shot, to be quite honest. I wanted to learn from that. I went out there and tried to play the ball on its merit as much as possible. Obviously, I defended a few more balls than I have done in the last couple of weeks.”I felt good out there: long may it continue. I don’t like to look too far ahead. I like to stay in the moment and just play in the next game. All I’m focused on now is enjoying this win and then concentrating on next week.”His form since coming into the side means that England will face a middle-order logjam when Bairstow returns to fitness, which could come in time for their two-match series in New Zealand in February. With Ben Foakes left out of the second Test for Ollie Pope, who took the keeping gloves, it could be that Bairstow keeps wicket on his return after a significant period as a specialist batter.”We’re very, very lucky with the way in which we can replace Jonny, to have Harry coming in, because those two, batting No. 5, they both go about it in exactly the same way,” Stokes said. “They bring so much to the team and obviously Harry playing the way he has done at the moment with Jonny not being in the team, unfortunately, it’s the best thing you want.”You want competition for places, you want a strong squad to be able to pick from, and you want those headaches when it comes to the final XI every week, rather than saying ‘I’m not sure who we’re going to pick, let’s pick a name out of the hat.’ We’re definitely not in that situation, and we feel like we’ve got all bases covered at the moment.”

India head coach Rahul Dravid has defended his side’s decision to bowl first in the second T20I, by pointing out that there was a lot of dew towards the end of the game and one could not take such decisions only on the basis of historical numbers. Sri Lanka put on 206 for 6 after being put in to bat and India slipped to 57 for 5 before eventually going down by just 16 runs.Historically, teams batting first have been more successful at the MCA Stadium in all T20s, winning 34 games as opposed to 29 by the chasing teams before Thursday. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka too pointed that out after losing the toss, saying he was anyway looking to bat first. Dravid, however, said the pitch was good to bat on, and with the dew expected in the second half, it wasn’t a bad decision to bowl first.”The amount of dew there was at the back-end… it’s just that we lost a few wickets in the chase,” he said at the press conference. “If we had a few wickets in hand, I think we would have… we got close already. But there was a lot of dew.Related

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“You cannot go on past history. It looked like a really good wicket, to be honest, and it stayed a good wicket right through. It did a little bit for the fast bowlers if you pitched it in the right areas with the new ball. But other than that, I thought it was a good wicket. They played well to get to 207 [206], we made some mistakes with the ball. And even though we lost that many wickets, we ran them really close.”It was not easy in the back-end as you could see they couldn’t bowl their spinners out because of the ball being quite wet. I honestly think the decision was fine. If we could have done slightly better in a few areas in the game, we would have got the right result.”That India came so close to the target despite being 57 for 5 in the tenth over was because of Axar Patel. After picking up 2 for 24 from his four overs, he showed his wares with the bat for the second time in two games. With Suryakumar Yadav struggling to accelerate, Axar took the attack to Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. He smashed 65 off just 31 balls which included three fours and six sixes to give India hope. Using the long handle, Shivam Mavi too hit 26 off 15 balls towards the end.While their efforts failed to win the game for India, they did earn the coach’s praise.”I think his [Axar’s] batting is coming up leaps and bounds,” Dravid said. “We always knew his quality with the ball, and it was just about developing his batting. He is working really hard on it. He has been with the team for more than a year now and it’s an area of his game that we have identified. We know that it’s important for us to have that.”In whatever opportunities Axar has got, especially with injuries forcing [Ravindra] Jadeja out of a lot of cricket recently, he hasn’t let us down, whether it’s Test cricket, one-day cricket, or here. That’s really good signs for us, to have people like him, to have people like Washy [Washington Sundar], who unfortunately is not getting a game. He is playing really well, he is batting really well as well. And then obviously, hopefully Jadeja coming back gives us a nice little spin-bowling allrounder area.”Obviously in the fast-bowling allrounder area, we rely heavily on Hardik [Pandya], and we are looking around for other people to step up and maybe do a job for us. It was nice to see Mavi bat today. That brings a smile to your face when you can see one of your fast bowlers being able to bat like that. But I think in our spin-bowling allrounder, our stocks are pretty good at the moment. Shahbaz [Ahmed] was also part of the squad and considering that Washy is there, and like I said Jadeja as well, we are happy with that.”

Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Bjorn Fortuin, Sisanda Magala and Ryan Rickelton have been added to South Africa’s expanded list of centrally contracted players for the 2023-24 season. Cricket South Africa has made provision for four more players, increasing the list from 16 to 20.Heinrich Klaasen, who was upgraded during the past season, also keeps his new grade, while Wayne Parnell has been contracted for the first time since returning from his Kolpak deal in 2021. Three players have lost their deals from the last contracting cycle: Janneman Malan and Andile Phehlukwayo have been dropped off the central contracts list and Dwaine Pretorius has retired.Though CSA’s director of cricket, Enoch Nkwe, had initially indicated a split-contracting system, this was not specifically announced. Instead, Nkwe said the increased number of contracts was created to allow for single-format players to get national deals. “The number of contracted players has increased from 16 to 20 this season to ensure that we have a wider pool of white-ball specialists and Test players. We look forward to seeing them compete at the highest level in what is an important next 12 months for the limited-overs and Test sides, with the [ODI] World Cup taking place later this year as well as the start of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.”On the list, Quinton de Kock and David Miller are white-ball players only, with both having announced their retirement from red-ball cricket in previous years, while Dean Elgar and Keegan Petersen have only played for South Africa in Tests. The rest of the players on the list play in all formats at domestic level and would be in contention for national selection on that basis. There was some suggestion that de Kock and Elgar would walk away from international cricket soon but their re-contracting suggests they have committed to South African cricket for another 12 months.South Africa are currently playing their last Test of the 2021-2023 WTC cycle, where they could finish third, and will not play in whites until hosting India in December. For the rest of the year, their focus is on white-ball cricket, with the team yet to secure automatic qualification for this year’s 50-over World Cup. They play Netherlands in two must-win World Cup Super League matches on March 31 and April 2. South Africa will then go into a winter break – which may be interrupted by World Cup qualifying in Zimbabwe in June – and then play Australia in white-ball matches at home in August-September.The national women’s contracts are expected to be announced later this month.South Africa men’s contracts listTemba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen.

Charlotte Taylor, the star of Southern Vipers’ first Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy title, has earned a six-month professional contract with the club.Some two-and-a-half years since her 6 for 34 spun Vipers to victory over Northern Diamonds in the inaugural final of the competition, Taylor joins four other players on six-month deals announced on Tuesday as the club’s list of professional women’s players swelled to 16, compared with six when Taylor started out with the club in 2020.Fellow spinner Nancy Harman, allrounder Alice Monaghan and wicket-keepers Chloe Hill and Rhianna Southby were also awarded six-month elite domestic professional contracts for the first time. Along with Taylor, they join seven other players with existing elite professionals deals with the club, plus four Vipers players – Danni Wyatt, Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean and Freya Kemp – on England contracts.Related

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Adam Carty, Regional Director of Women’s Cricket at The Ageas Bowl, said the new deals came after he, Vipers head coach Charlotte Edwards, and senior support staff had recognised the hard work the recipients had put in over the English winter.”I am delighted to be in the privileged position to be able to award these professional contracts to a group of players who have demonstrated professional characteristics and attitudes in every way but contract status this winter,” Carty said. “With a massive summer ahead that will see more matches, a greater competitive challenge from an ever-improving opposition pool and, no doubt, a fluctuation in player availability, we will need a deep and meaningful squad to remain at the forefront of the elite domestic scene.”Monaghan and Taylor have been part of the Southern Vipers’ set-up since it became a regional hub in 2020 as part of a pivotal restructure of the domestic women’s game, having risen through the ranks at Hampshire.Taylor, who was just five matches into her career when she made her presence felt in that 2020 RHFT final while also working in customer service for an aerospace company supplying parts for helicopters, said her new professional contract would allow her to focus solely on her sporting career this season.”I am delighted to have been awarded a contract with the Vipers,” Taylor said. “It means I can focus fully on my cricket for the summer and not have to juggle a full-time job for the first time. I cannot wait for the season to arrive and hopefully I can contribute to some silverware this year.”Monaghan and leg-spinner Harman have represented London Spirit in The Hundred, playing under the captaincy of Vipers team-mate Dean. Monaghan said: “I’m so excited to be given this opportunity. This will allow me to elevate my game to the next level, and I can put in some performances to contribute to the Vipers having another successful season.”Hill, who also captains Worcestershire, spent the 2022 season on loan to the Vipers from Central Sparks before making a permanent move at the end of the year having scored 111 runs in five innings for the Vipers with a best of 55, while Southby joined from South East Stars in November last year.Vipers, who also defeated Northern Diamonds in the 2021 RHFT final before losing to the same opposition by just two runs in last year’s title decider, begin their 2023 season when they host Sunrisers at The Ageas Bowl on April 22. Sunrisers are yet to win a match in the RHFT and have won just one of their fixtures in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, in which Vipers are the defending champions.

CSA has made public its plans to tackle alleged racism in cricket in the country, its Transformation Committee announcing a sustainable response strategy project called Cricket for Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN).”The national outcry by cricket fans, the greater South African public and broad stakeholder groups could not be ignored,” CSA said in a statement while talking about the project.The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement became a part of cricket after Daren Sammy spoke of a “degrading” nickname he had been given in the Sunrisers Hyderabad dressing room, and then moved up a notch when Lungi Ngidi, in response to a question in a press interaction, called for the cricket community in South Africa to “make a stand”. Soon after this, 36 prominent South African players and coaches of colour expressed their support for Ngidi, followed by the likes of Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis speaking out. It all culminated in South Africa’s elite cricketers – as well as support staffers, CSA officials, and members of the commentary team – taking a knee at Centurion’s SuperSport Park ahead of the 3TC match last Saturday.ALSO READ: Bal – It’s time we South Asians understood that colourism is racismCSA will set up a Transformation Ombudsman responsible for managing complaints while also ensuring that players and fans unite. CSA aims to appoint the ombudsman by August, with Dr Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw, the independent director and transformation chair, tasked with ensuring that the process flows smoothly.”Transformation needs to happen in our lifetime and as the Board we need to fully deliver on that mandate. Having heard what our ex-players shared, my focus as the Transformation Chair was to come up with a solution, hence the Cricket SJN concept,” Kula-Ameyaw said. “I am grateful that the Board supports this initiative. The office of the Transformation Ombudsman is a solid brick that we can use as a foundation to deal with racism and discrimination in cricket.””We are sorry that our cricket players had to endure the emotional hardships that they did; subjugated by their peers along racial lines under our new democracy that enjoined us to embrace reconciliation and inclusivity,” CSA Board chair Chris Nenzani said. “SJN is the first-of-its-kind project meant to rid cricket of apartheid racial discrimination. This is the very important project that all stakeholders must make sure it succeeds for the future sustainability of cricket.”The fortunes of cricket, its players, stakeholders, and fans are not going to be held to ransom by the wayward few who definitely have no place within our ranks,” he added. “We are determined to pull out all stops to ensure that healing takes place for those who have been wronged, and that perpetrators are exposed, sanctioned, and isolated.”The SJN also aims to form a Restoration Fund in order to deal with the opportunity cost due to discrimination as well as “promote and intensify” the diversity, belonging and inclusivity programme implementation.Dr Jacques Faul, the CSA’s acting chief executive, said, “It has been a very challenging time for Cricket South Africa, and we have to acknowledge that what we have heard was not easy to digest. However, I am also encouraged by our plan to address this. We will need the buy-in from all our stakeholders to ensure a racism free future at Cricket South Africa.”We commit that never again shall we be found wanting and will consolidate our efforts to assure an inclusive cricket environment, free of any discrimination, racism or any other ill that negate the gains of the democracy that we fought so hard for.”

Tim Paine believes Australian cricket “can get very excited” at the potential of Western Australia allrounder Cameron Green, after having witnessed first-hand what the 21-year-old is capable of.Green was prevented from bowling for the majority of the 2019-2020 season due to back problems but is expected to be able to resume his full all-round role in time for this coming summer. His early numbers in first-class cricket are eye-catching with a batting average of 43.84 and bowling returns of 21.53.ALSO READ: Nathan Coulter-Nile and AJ Tye cut by Western Australia; Cameron Gannon joinsHe scored all three of his centuries last season – the most by any batsman in the 2019-20 Sheffield Shield – becoming just the second player after Doug Walters to have three hundreds and two five-wicket hauls before the age of 21. One of those centuries, an unbeaten 158, came against a Tasmania team featuring Paine, towards the back-end of last season. And the Australia Test captain also came up against Green with the ball in Perth earlier in the summer before the back problems intervened.”I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but I think all Australian cricket fans can get very excited about the prospect of Cam Green,” Paine said. “I’ve played a few Shield games against him and the first one all the senior guys noticed him bowling first and we thought ‘geez he’s a bit quicker and a bit better than I thought he’d be’ and all the young blokes are saying ‘just wait until you see him bat’, and we thought ‘there’s no way he’s going to be able to bat like he bowls’ and then he came out and hit a hundred.”Australia have long-searched for an allrounder to balance the Test side, particularly on flatter pitches or overseas when two spinners could be required. Paine was able to study Green’s batting closely from behind the stumps, especially during the match in Hobart where he faced 366 balls across the two innings.”He’s an exceptional talent,” Paine said. “Certainly playing against him he was really impressive out in the middle, looked like he was in complete control of his game and really knew what he was trying to do, and to see him moving around the crease, there were a couple of little things I noticed when I was keeping against him where I thought ‘he’s pretty impressive’, not only is he talented, but he looks like he really knows what he’s doing. It’s an exciting thing for an Australian cricket fan to have someone like that on the horizon.”