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Sunday, October 20, 2024

Saqib Mahmood keen to play all formats for England despite new white-ball deal

Pamela Rios October 20, 2024 Leave a Reply
Saqib Mahmood keen to play all formats for England despite new white-ball deal

Saqib Mahmood is upbeat despite taking a significant pay cut following the expiry of his England development contract and signing white-ball terms with Lancashire.

A three-year deal with the Red Rose includes a pay-as-you-play clause in the County Championship but is reflective of his availability being compromised by stress fractures in his back in 2022 and 2023.

Having made a heartening return to the international fold in two T20s against Australia last month, the fast bowler insisted his ambition to get back on England’s radar in all three formats is undimmed.

He regards the lucrative T20 franchise circuit, where he is likely to be in demand, as the fallback option but as he approaches the peak years of his career, Mahmood is just eager to be playing.

“I think if I was offered a development, I’d have probably turned it down anyway,” Mahmood told the PA news agency. “With what Lancashire offered me, it wouldn’t make sense to sign a development contract.

“My main aim is to try and play for England, if that central contract comes next year then great.

“Having missed a lot of cricket, I don’t want to be running drinks on, I want to try and make sure I get myself in the England side. I’m 27 now, I don’t want to be sat on the sidelines.

“If you’re not playing for England then you want to be able to play franchise cricket. You play the game for the love of the game but also it’s our way of earning a living.”

Mahmood, who had been on development deals with England since 2020, still envisages Test cricket in his future, having taken six wickets in two games in the West Indies at an impressive 22.83 in March 2022.

He admitted the 2025-26 Ashes is “at the back of my mind” but his next few months will be a diet of white-ball matches, starting back in the Caribbean for what could be regarded as a make-or-break tour.

In the squad to face the Windies in three ODIs from October 31 to November 6, Mahmood will travel to Antigua ahead of the main party this week in an attempt to boost his prospects of playing.

The tour, also including five T20s, is the last assignment before Brendon McCullum becomes overseer of all English cricket and Mahmood wants to make an impression with next year’s Champions Trophy in mind.

“If I don’t do the right things in the Caribbean, I might not even be working with Baz in January,” Mahmood said. “If I get a chance, I want to try and take it.

Saqib Mahmood celebrates taking a wicket
Saqib Mahmood wants to reclaim his ODI spot (Bradley Collyer/PA)

“I wasn’t in the ODI squad initially this summer and got in through guys being injured; I’m just trying to break in at ODI level and try to stake my claim for the Champions Trophy.

“The more I play cricket, I think I’ll just naturally get back to where I think I’ll be ready and then it’s just if the body is ready to go for red-ball cricket. I’m not thinking about that too much.

“I know I’ve just got to look after my game, if I start focusing too much on other people, there’s a lot of names that can get thrown about.

“The way I’ve always been is focusing on my game, trying to get back to my best in all of the formats and I’d like to think the rest will look after itself.”

:: Saqib Mahmood was speaking at the launch of cinch’s new store in Manchester.

The post Saqib Mahmood keen to play all formats for England despite new white-ball deal appeared first on Cricket365.



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Saturday, October 19, 2024

Brendon McCullum: Shoaib Bashir could earn vital experience with England Lions

Pamela Rios October 19, 2024 Leave a Reply
Brendon McCullum: Shoaib Bashir could earn vital experience with England Lions

Shoaib Bashir is set for a trip to Australia in January as England head coach Brendon McCullum continues to prepare the young spinner for an Ashes role next winter.

Bashir, who turned 21 earlier this month, was fast-tracked as first-choice spinner in the summer as McCullum began reshaping the team with an eye on reclaiming the urn in 2025-26.

But the ongoing series in Pakistan, locked at 1-1 as the teams swap Multan for a decider in Rawalpindi, has placed question marks over Bashir’s status.

Jack Leach holds the ball
Jack Leach has impressed in Pakistan (Mike Egerton/PA)

He has been outperformed by his Somerset team-mate Jack Leach, the man he leapfrogged in the Test team but has failed to usurp at Taunton, with the left-armer taking 14 wickets at 26.50 compared to Bashir’s haul of six at 51.16.

McCullum still believes the 6ft 4in off-spinner has huge potential and is keen for England Lions coach Andrew Flintoff to take him under his wing in January, when the development side head Down Under for a red-ball tour of Australia.

“That’s something we can look at, definitely. For Bash, the opportunity to be able to get some experience in those conditions could be really vital for us,” he said.

“That’s the beauty of the Lions programme, you have the opportunity to be able to get some cricket into guys. With Freddie there as well now and in charge of the Lions, he’s got a very similar view on the game to what I’ve got, so there’ll be consistency of message and that’s something that we’ve got to look at.

“But I’ve been really impressed by Bash. He’s one of those guys who, on his day, can be an absolute matchwinner and, on the right surfaces, he’s a real handful. That’s what we’ve just got to keep reinforcing: he’s such an exciting talent.

“We said right at the start when we picked him, he’s not the finished product, but his ceiling is so high and we’ve already seen glimpses of that with his performances both home and away so far. I think he’s tracking nicely.”

After thrashing Pakistan by an innings on a flat track and being spun to defeat on a crumbling dustbowl, England are waiting to find out what kind of surface awaits them in Rawalpindi.

It will be nearly impossible to recreate the level of wear and tear seen at the end of their time in Multan, which was created by reusing the same strip back-to-back, but McCullum is on alert.

“It’ll be the antithesis of a green seamer, I would’ve thought, but that’s the way it is,” he said.

“I would’ve thought there would be a little bit more rough than we saw last time we were there. I actually don’t mind that. I think home teams should be allowed to have conditions that suit them.

“We were very realistic about how difficult this challenge would be and that there could be some extreme conditions confronting us at some stage. Winning the first Test probably hastened that process, but we have no complaints so far. We’ll see what Rawalpindi’s got to offer and we’ll try and adapt accordingly.

“We’ll try to find as many brooms as we possibly can, I reckon, to get the boys playing their sweeps and the reverse-sweeps.”

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Friday, October 18, 2024

Saqib Mahmood still has Test ambition despite signing white-ball Lancashire deal

Pamela Rios October 18, 2024 Leave a Reply
Saqib Mahmood still has Test ambition despite signing white-ball Lancashire deal

Saqib Mahmood insists he still wants to play Test cricket again for England despite signing a new white-ball contract with Lancashire.

The 27-year-old fast bowler, who played two Tests for England in 2022, has been hit by serious back injuries over the last two seasons which have limited his participation for county and country.

Mahmood returned to the England fold by playing two T20s against Australia last month.

His new white-ball Red Rose deal, which runs until 2027, is aimed at increasing his availability for the Vitality Blast but includes the option to play County Championship cricket subject to fitness and availability around global franchise commitments.

“I am delighted to commit my future to Lancashire in the Vitality Blast for at least the next three seasons,” Mahmood said.

“2022 and 2023 were both difficult years for me injury-wise but it was brilliant to get through this summer fully fit. I’d like to thank the medical team at Lancashire for their hard work throughout this period and having their continued support was a key factor in signing this new contract.

“While this is a white-ball contract, I still have an ambition to play red-ball cricket for England again and for Lancashire in the County Championship, which is still the biggest test of skill and fitness outside of Test match cricket, and there are options within this contract for that to happen.”

Mahmood is in England’s squad for their white-ball tour of the West Indies which begins in Antigua on October 31.

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Ben Stokes apologises to England team-mates for acting like a ‘grumpy old man’

Pamela Rios October 18, 2024 Leave a Reply
Ben Stokes apologises to England team-mates for acting like a ‘grumpy old man’

Ben Stokes has revealed he apologised to his team for acting like a “grumpy old man” as the second Test in Pakistan slipped through England’s hands in Multan.

The tourists tumbled to a 152-run defeat as Pakistan squared the series 1-1 on the fourth morning, with 38-year-old spinner Noman Ali cleaning up with eight for 46.

On a pitch offering extreme turn England were set a near-impossible chase of 297 but were left kicking themselves on the third afternoon when they put down two catches in the space of three Brydon Carse deliveries. The lucky batter, Salman Agha, was spared on four by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and six by slip Joe Root and went on to make them pay with a vital 63.

Captain Stokes uncharacteristically let his exasperation show during the difficult session, glaring at the drops and yelling in frustration at England’s weary fielding.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, he admitted regretting his reaction.

“It’s the first time in my captaincy that I’ve let my emotions show in my body language, with how I was feeling as the game was unfolding,” he said.

“I apologised to the group and said that was poor of me. I was a tired and grumpy old man last night. You won’t see that happen again.

“I owned up to that and I’m very annoyed at myself for letting that out. It’s something that I don’t want to do, or be seen to be doing.

“No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are out in these subcontinent conditions, because they don’t come along that often.”

Stokes had cause to regret a handling error of his own as England slipped to 144 all out, charging Noman but swinging so hard that he lost control and launched his bat 20 yards in the air towards square leg as Mohammed Rizwan stumped him.

It was a neat visual metaphor for his side’s collective effort to make a wildly unlikely chase of 297: a big swing with nothing to show for it.

“Yeah, I’ll try and remember to keep holding my bat the next time,” Stokes said with a half smile.

“Look, it was always going to be a very, very tough task, but we backed ourselves to chase that down and I think it was pretty evident from the way we had to go and play.

“It was always going to be in the bowlers’ favour when there is so much going on (with the pitch). You couldn’t just look to sit in there at that time because there was always going to be one with your name on it.”

England leave Multan with scores level after back-to-back games on the same pitch. England won the first after making the most of a run-fest on a flat deck but became sitting ducks after Pakistan won the toss on the crumbling surface.

Nobody yet knows what awaits in Rawalpindi, a venue not known for offering drastic spin, but Stokes is ready for the shootout.

“I think it sets a series up brilliantly. That’s why I think it should always be an odd number of games in a series because you want there to be a winner,” he said.

“We’ve got no idea what type of conditions we’re going to be faced with for the last Test match and we’ll just have to wait and see what we get presented with.”

Opposite number Shan Masood, who tasted victory for the first time in seven attempts as captain and also registered Pakistan’s first win on home soil since February 2021, would love another dusty turner but knows it may not be possible.

“I would (love it), but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it turn in Rawalpindi, that’s another issue,” he said.

“Three years and many months (without a home win), that’s not acceptable for Pakistan cricket. You want a side that can win anywhere, hopefully we can start something in home conditions.”

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England sent in a spin as Pakistan win by 152 runs to level series in Multan

Pamela Rios October 18, 2024 Leave a Reply
England sent in a spin as Pakistan win by 152 runs to level series in Multan

England were ruthlessly demolished by Pakistan spinner Noman Ali as they crashed to a 152-run defeat in Multan, with Ben Stokes’ slapstick dismissal summing up their struggles.

Chasing a vast target of 297 on a raging turner, England were bundled out for 144 with their skipper stumped after advancing down the re-used pitch and accidentally launching his bat 20 yards in the air.

It was a grimly humorous moment, Mohammad Rizwan whipping off the bails as Stokes turned to see his GM blade disappearing towards square leg, and capped a chastening conclusion as the hosts levelled the series 1-1.

In the process, Pakistan ended their six-game losing streak, recorded their first win on home soil since February 2021 and set up a decider in Rawalpindi next week.

England had harboured hopes of producing one of their trademark turnarounds but were unable to contain Noman, who claimed stunning figures of eight for 46 as he and Sajid Khan completed the rare feat of sharing all 20 wickets in a match.

Only six other duos have ever done that in Test cricket, with Australians Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie the last to do so at Lord’s in 1972. The last spinners to do so were England’s Jim Laker and Tony Lock in 1956.

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Thursday, October 17, 2024

England up against it in second Test as Pakistan increase lead on Multan turner

Pamela Rios October 17, 2024 Leave a Reply
England up against it in second Test as Pakistan increase lead on Multan turner

England were facing a difficult fourth-innings chase as Pakistan stretched their lead in the second Test to 209 on an increasingly difficult Multan pitch.

Nine wickets fell in the first two sessions on day three, England losing four for 52 as they conceded a 75-run first-innings deficit and Pakistan reaching 134 for five by tea.

Most of the damage was done by spin as the reused surface began to offer lavish turn, Sajid Khan finishing with figures of seven for 111 in England’s 291 all out and Shoaib Bashir claiming three wickets before lunch to threaten a fightback.

But the impressive Brydon Carse found a way to make his pace count in the afternoon, getting Mohammad Rizwan caught at slip and seeing three edges go to ground as the game threatened to drift out of the tourists’ grasp.

Joe Root was too close in an advanced slip position to make a serious attempt at Saud Shakeel’s thick edge as it sailed past him at head height, but two drops in three balls left the Durham seamer covering his mouth in disbelief.

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith allowed the simplest of chances to pop out of his gloves to reprieve Salman Agha on four, then Root failed to hold a low catch just a few seconds later.

With run-scoring likely to be fiendishly difficult in the closing stages of the match, England must have been demoralised to see Shakeel and Salman head to the tea break unbeaten.

Resuming on 239 for six, England lost their first wicket in the fifth over, Carse pumping Sajid down the ground but failing to clear the man at long-on.

That sealed the off-spinner’s five-for and he soon added a sixth as he ripped one through the legs of Matthew Potts, nutmegging the Durham player with a big turner.

Smith was running out of partners and decided to take matters into his own hands, looking to release the pressure by planting Noman Ali for six down the ground. England’s number seven was always reaching and sent a skyscraper of a catch to long-off for 21.

Pakistan were still 104 ahead as the last-wicket pair came together and would have been slightly frustrated to see their lead whittled down to 75 as Jack Leach scored an unbeaten 25 at a run-a-ball.

It fell to Sajid to provide the final blow, Bashir looping into the on-side via a mis-hit sweep.

England had 15 overs to land some blows of their own and while Bashir was less controlled than Leach, who sent down five overs for eight runs, he found the wicket-taking deliveries.

Abdullah Shafique was first, DRS suggesting a tiny feather as the ball turned down the leg side despite the batter’s apparent disbelief.

Bashir then bagged a pair of left-handers as he attacked from round the wicket, drifting the ball in and spinning it away as Shan Masood then Saim Ayub nicked to Ollie Pope at second slip.

The latter came from the very last ball of the morning session, sending England back to the pavilion with some wind in their sails despite an already worrying lead building.

There had not been a single over of pace before lunch, but Carse stepped up in striking fashion in the afternoon with seven highly accomplished overs.

His solitary wicket, Rizwan poking around a fourth-stump line and diverting to Root, was the least he deserved as he repeatedly asserted himself on the Pakistan batters.

In the end, Pakistan’s return of 91 for two between lunch and tea was enough to strengthen their hold on the match but England had not yet conceded defeat.

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