The former captain said he extended his career due to concerns about the inexperience in the team

Daniel Brettig13-Feb-2020Ricky Ponting has revealed his belief that the road leading Australia to the Newlands scandal had started years before when he became fearful of a decline in the level of senior experience around the national team to adequately mentor younger players as to how to conduct themselves.Speaking to a fundraising dinner of almost 500 guests for the Chappell Foundation at the SCG on Tuesday night, Ponting said that he could see a link between the anxiety about leadership in the Australian team, that saw him play on for several years after he might easily have retired, and the eventual crisis in South Africa that saw Steven Smith and David Warner banned for a year while stripped of their leadership roles. Cameron Bancroft, a more junior member of the side, was suspended for nine months.Put simply, Ponting said, all well-rounded teams needed senior figures around them who have the ability to “say no” when questions of character, ethics or sharp practice are raised. This was conspicuously absent at the height of the Newlands scandal.”I was a bit worried that with a lot of the experience going out of our team at the same time, that there would be a bit of a void left with experienced players to be able to say ‘no’ basically,” Ponting said. “If I look at where things got at Cape Town I just don’t think there were enough people around that team to say ‘no’ to some of those guys. Things got completely out of control. That’s very much an outsider’s view on it. I had nothing to do with the team really until the last couple of years around some Twenty20 cricket and the World Cup last year.”I probably should have retired three or four years earlier than I did but I was really worried about where the direction of the Australian cricket team was going if I wasn’t around. And I wanted to be around to help Warner and Smith and Nathan Lyon and Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson. I wanted to help them through that initial phase of their international careers because I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for them.”Had Ponting retired at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season when he gave up the captaincy to Michael Clarke, he would have finished with 152 Tests, 12,363 runs and an average of 53.51, with 39 centuries. As it was, he stayed on until midway through the Test summer of 2012-13, adding two more hundreds and another nine Test match victories to take his career tally beyond 100. However, at the same time Ponting’s average was steadily eroded to 51.85 by the time of his last match in Perth against South Africa.”I was just a little bit worried with the void that was left on the experience side,” Ponting said. “Every great team that I played in, whether it be a club team or an Australian cricket team or a state team, there was always a lot of old hard heads around just to make sure when the younger guys came in that they understood what it meant to be playing for each of those teams. And if I had have retired … I was worried there wasn’t going to be enough people to point them in the right direction.”Working primarily as a commentator, Ponting kept a professional distance from the Australian side until he began to become involved in some T20 coaching from 2017 onwards, but his closeness to the set-up was greatly increased once his close friend Justin Langer became the senior coach in the wake of the Newlands scandal in 2018.”Having Justin around the national team now, I think we’ve already seen a bit of a change in behaviour and I think we’ve seen the public are really starting to enjoy and embrace the Australian cricket team again,” Ponting told the gathering. “Even looking at [Monday night], the way that David Warner spoke at the Australian Cricket Awards … wind the clock back 12 or 18 months, that wasn’t possible for him to do. I think he did a terrific job. And I think he’s slowly starting to gain a lot of the respect of the Australian public back again.”The Chappell Foundation, which collects funds for homeless youths, raised more than A$400,000 on the night, as Ponting and the foundation’s founder Greg Chappell also took guests on a guided tour of the Australian dressing room.

Flower had been confirmed as Kings XI’s assistant coach on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2020Andy Flower has been named as St Lucia Zouks’ new head coach for the 2020 CPL season.The Zouks were sold to KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, the owners of Kings XI Punjab, last month, and Flower was named as Kings XI’s new assistant coach on Saturday.ALSO READ: St Lucia Zouks sold to Kings XI Punjab ownersThe appointment mirrors the one made by Red Chillies Entertainment in 2019, who named Brendon McCullum as Trinbago Knight Riders’ head coach and Kolkata Knight Riders’ assistant coach. McCullum was later announced as KKR’s head coach, after the franchise decided he merited the top job.Flower coached England from 2009 until 2014, and stayed at the ECB until October last year as ‘technical director of elite cricket’. He stepped down from that position in 2019, and coached Maratha Arabians to the Abu Dhabi T10 title in his first role since his departure. He is currently coaching Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League, who are top of the table with five wins from seven games.James Foster coached St Lucia last season, and Brad Hodge held the role in 2018. The franchise last reach the knockout stages of the CPL in 2016.”I am excited to lead and coach this team,” Flower said, according to a press release. “I am a fan of the Caribbean Premier League and would love to be the coach to be associated with the team to bring victory home to the fans in St. Lucia.”Satish Menon, Kings XI Punjab’s CEO, said: “I am delighted to have some one of the caliber and eminence of Andy Flower; we sure look forward to a great season ahead. [sic]”

Wicketkeeper to captain in intra-squad warm-up as Silverwood preaches continuity

George Dobell30-Jun-2020Jos Buttler is set to retain his place in England’s Test team for the start of the series against West Indies.While Buttler has endured a lean run of form with the bat in recent Tests – he has averaged 23.32 in 13 Tests since the start of 2019 and 17.55 in five Tests since the end of the last English season – he retains the faith of the team management and is poised to keep the gloves ahead of competition from Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.Underlining that faith, Buttler has been confirmed as one of the team captains in England’s warm-up match, starting on Wednesday, and as England’s vice-captain in the first Test against West Indies next week. England’s regular Test vice-captain, Ben Stokes, has been promoted to the captaincy in the absence of Joe Root, on paternity leave, and Buttler is taking on Stokes’ previous role. England hope to have Root back for the second Test.The three-day warm-up match will feature 27 players – there are 14 on Buttler’s side and 13 on Stokes’ – so will not have first-class status. The only three players from the 30-man training squad not taking part are Amar Virdi, Jamie Overton and Root. All three are understood to be fit, but Root is leaving the squad on Wednesday to attend the birth of his second child and the team management have decided that, in order for key players to gain the match practice required, there is no room for the other two. The match will be live-streamed from static cameras at each end of the ground on the ECB’s website Although England’s head coach, Chris Silverwood, was giving little away when he spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon, he did confirm Buttler’s inclusion and hinted that, in general, those players “in possession” of places at the end of the South Africa tour might be in favourable positions. With the Sri Lanka tour subsequently postponed and the English domestic season curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, none of the players involved have played since the South Africa tour finished.”I wouldn’t say selection is a blank page,” Silverwood said. “You know the people who are the mainstay, the engine room of the team. It is difficult to go too far away straight away from where we finished off.Jos Buttler gives a thumbs up in England training•ECB

“Jos will be vice-captain and he is in possession [of the gloves] at the moment. No, you don’t [have to be a genius] to work that out.”That would appear to represent bad news for Foakes and Bairstow. While it remains possible England could recall Bairstow as a specialist batting replacement for Root – he is probably competing with Dan Lawrence and Joe Denly for the position – his preference for batting in the middle order may count against him.Equally, it is possible England could play Buttler as a specialist batsman and recall Foakes. Certainly Buttler’s Test record as a specialist batsman – 35.68 in 20 Tests – is significantly better than his record as an all-rounder – he averages 27.43 in 21 Tests when he has kept – but all the evidence suggests England are inclined to make few changes.If possession really is a key factor in this selection, it would appear to be good news for Denly and Dom Bess, too. But Denly could be squeezed by the return of Rory Burns at the top of the order, while Bess is fighting off competition from both Moeen Ali and Jack Leach as spinner. Moeen, with five Test centuries behind him, might have an especially strong claim for a recall in a side lacking Root.The beneficiary of Root’s absence could well be Lawrence. While Denly’s durability has been admirable, his failure to register a century in his 14 Tests and his age (he’s 34) may both count against him. Lawrence impressed on the Lions tour to Australia – he made 190 in the warm-up match and 125 in the unofficial ‘Test’ – and, aged 22, is seen as a growing force. With one eye on a return to Australia in 18 months, this could be the time to promote him. Zak Crawley, who seemed to grow in stature with each appearance in South Africa, looks set to retain the No. 3 spot behind Burns and Dom Sibley.ALSO READ: Ben Stokes to captain as Joe Root misses first Test for birth“Dan has settled in very well,” Silverwood said. “He’s a confident guy. He has come in, been himself and played well. He’s certainly one of them that has put his best foot forward.”The other area England are facing competition for places is in their seam bowling. The enforced break has given the bowlers an almost unique opportunity to rest and work on their strength and conditioning. The result is that, right now, they are all deemed fit.”The only thing the lockdown has done is delivered me a load of fit fast bowlers,” Silverwood said. “All the guys coming back have had a good break. They are refreshed and they’re firing. They are very, very motivated to crack on. The one thing I have been impressed with is the shape that everyone has come back in.”Crucially, the three quickest bowlers of those involved in this warm-up match – Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone – are all available, giving the selectors (and for this first Test, Stokes should be considered a selector) an intriguing dilemma. Wood, at his best, is hard to omit and claimed nine wickets in England’s most recent Test. But similar might be said about Archer, James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Tough choices loom.Team Stokes: Dominic Sibley, Keaton Jennings, Zak Crawley, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Jack Leach, Olly Stone, James Anderson, Saqib Mahmood.Team Buttler: Rory Burns, James Bracey, Joe Denly, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (c), Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Dominic Bess, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson.

The fast bowler has moved seven places to No. 3, a position he last occupied in August 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2020Stuart Broad enjoyed a hugely memorable Test match as England sealed a 2-1 series win over West Indies at Old Trafford. He picked up a 10-wicket match haul, the Player-of-the-Match award, and along the way his 500th Test wicket as well.That performance has also catapulted Broad seven places on the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings, up to No. 3 – a position he last occupied nearly four years ago, in August 2016.Broad is the lone England bowler in the top ten, behind Australia’s Pat Cummins and sandwiched between the New Zealand pair of Neil Wagner (No. 2) and Tim Southee (No. 4). West Indies captain Jason Holder, who took 10 wickets in the three Tests against England at an average of 30.10, completes the top five.Other big movers in the ICC rankings after the England-West Indies series are Rory Burns, who has moved up 13 spots in the Test batting rankings to No. 17, and Ollie Pope, who has gone up 24 places to No. 46.

Tent set up over outdoor training facilities comes in handy in wet conditions

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2020Trent Boult did not train on day two of New Zealand’s camp in Mount Maunganui; Boult, it is understood, was feeling unwell and stayed away as precaution. Ross Taylor said he was hopeful the pacer would be fit to go on the third day of the camp, which is running from July 19 to 24 at Bay Oval with cricketers from the national men’s and women’s teams based in the North Island.”I think he’s just tired from his eight overs bowling at us yesterday,” Taylor joked, adding, “Obviously, with what’s going around, you’ve got to be a bit smart around things like that. Hopefully he’s fine and raring to go tomorrow.”Taylor and Boult were two of eight men’s players to attend the first half of the North camp, alongside Colin de Grandhomme, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner. The second half of the six-day camp will have Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, Will Somerville and Will Young taking part.The camp will give the two groups of men’s players, as well as seven women’s players – Anna Peterson, Katie Perkins, Lauren Down, Holly Huddleston, Hannah Rowe, Rosemary Mair and Natalie Dodd – the chance to get a feel of the turf again, even while being protected from the elements in the New Zealand winter. A marquee tent has been set up at Bay Oval, over the outdoor nets, meaning the players could train despite it raining on Monday.New Zealand’s bowling coach Shane Jurgensen, who is part of the support staff present at the camp, explained the men’s camp had been split in two to limit the number of players present. “Geographically, with the way things are set out, we’ve got more [players training] on the North Island. We split this camp into two for that reason,” he said. “For now it’s a temporary [tented] structure, we’ve got two nets. The bigger structure will come in next year.”We want to make sure we maximise our time with the guys, give them every opportunity over three days, and then we have the second group coming in later in the week.”Jurgensen, who was part of the camp in Lincoln for players from the South Island last week as well, said that from a skills point of view, work has begun on tweaking bowling plans and habits to meet the new playing conditions – such as the ban on saliva to polish the ball – in the era of Covid-19. “We’re trying to adjust to potential new rules, in my department, with the bowling,” Jurgensen said. “We’ve got to look after the ball in a different way now, we’ve got to come up with some new deliveries. So this week’s been a good starting point.”Rowe, the seamer, said it was good to get back on turf, and to pick the brains of the men’s players. “We’ve all been training indoors. It’s really good to get that opportunity to get back on grass. If we didn’t have the marquee up here, we’d be back indoors [due to the rain],” she said. “Also, to share facilities and obviously to learn off [the men’s players] as well… I know the girls down South [Lincoln] had really good conversations with the boys regarding different ways to play the game, so, yeah, it’s awesome to be able to share that with them.”In all, New Zealand have six national camps scheduled this winter, three each in the north and south islands, in their bid to shake off the effects of the pandemic-induced lockdown.

Warwickshire captain unbeaten on 142 after 165-run stand with Sam Hain, who made 55

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2020Will Rhodes hit his career-best score and first century since being appointed Warwickshire captain to frustrate Bob Willis Trophy Central Group leaders Worcestershire on the opening day of the derby clash at Edgbaston.Rhodes ended unbeaten on 142 from 263 balls with 15 fours as the Bears closed on 228 for 3 from 90 overs after being put into bat by home skipper Joe Leach. It surpassed his previous highest of 137 against Gloucestershire at Edgbaston in August 2018.Rhodes received admirable support from Sam Hain, who made 55, in a second-wicket partnership of 165 from 60 overs on a flat and sluggish pitch.He completed the sixth first-class century of his career just two balls after tea with one of his few false strokes when he edged former England Under-19 team-mate Ed Barnard to the third man boundary. It came from 181 balls and contained 13 fours.Rhodes took over as skipper after Jeetan Patel had stepped down from the role last winter and had begun the season in decent form with three 40-plus scores in the BWT without fully capitalising. But this time he batted with great solidity and composure in laying a solid foundation for Warwickshire to build a substantial total in their remaining 30 first-innings oversRhodes gave only one chance when on 123 with Tom Fell at mid-on spilling the chance off Daryl Mitchell.Worcestershire went into the game a point ahead of Somerset and needing a substantial points haul in the battle to secure a place in next month’s Lord’s final. They will have to overcome history as their local rivals have won the last eight first-class meetings between them and are unbeaten in that format against Worcestershire for two decades.But their bowlers deserve credit for sticking to their task in the benign conditions and restricting the Bears to around two and a half runs per over despite Rhodes’ excellent knock.Worcestershire showed one change from the line-up which had triumphed at Northampton in mid-week with Charlie Morris replacing fellow paceman Dillon Pennington.Warwickshire made two changes – one enforced – from the drawn home game versus Somerset with Dan Mousley and Ryan Sidebottom replacing the injured Matt Lamb and Henry Brookes.Morris made the breakthrough when Rob Yates was squared up by a delivery which he nicked through to Riki Wessels at first slip with 13 on the board.Rhodes immediately looked in good touch and turned Morris through mid-wicket for the first boundary of the innings while Hain slowly played himself back into form after scores of 6,8,0,1 and 7 to start the campaign. He waited patiently until his 47th delivery before dispatching Morris for his first four.The Warwickshire pair accumulated in unhurried and untroubled fashion and the 100 partnership with Hain came up in 42 overs. Hain eventually fell to Barnard when he flicked at a leg-side delivery and keeper Ben Cox pulled off another fine one-handed catch.There was more joy for Worcestershire in the next over when Ian Bell drove at Leach and perished to a smart catch by Barnard at point at 179 for 3 in the 67th over.But Rhodes, who achieved his career best with a single off Brett D’Oliveira, and Dan Mousley, not out 18, saw Warwickshire to the close without any further alarms.

Player of the Series against West Indies, Sarah Glenn, takes next step alongside Sophie Ecclestone and Mady Villiers

Valkerie Baynes01-Oct-2020Sarah Glenn knows she’s part of something “special” so while she appreciates what she has from within, team-mates and fans can marvel at an exciting era in England women’s cricket.Named Player of the Series after England’s 5-0 sweep of their T20I series against West Indies on Wednesday night, Glenn is one element in a three-pronged spin attack that looks set to feature internationally for years to come.The variety offered by left-armer Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s No.1 T20I bowler, Glenn’s legspin and the offspin of Mady Villiers gives England a raft of options. Plus, Ecclestone and Glenn are just 21 and Villiers 22.”It’s really special,” Glenn said of being part of the close-knit trio. “I absolutely love it. We click really well together on and off the field and I feel like I can just go and talk to them about anything.”We help each other on the pitch, talk about what the pitch is doing, how they’re playing, what’s the best ball and then time off the pitch is great, we all have a great laugh. We’re just really happy for each other, seeing each other do well, it’s really exciting to see.”Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn arrive for the final T20I vs West Indies•Getty Images

She echoed similar sentiments at this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia from Ecclestone, who spoke of their “spin companionship”.”They are some of my best friends now, and it’s really nice to have them performing well and winning games for England,” Ecclestone said in March. “It’s a dream come true really.”Heather Knight, the England captain knows she’s been dealt an exceptional hand.”It’s great to have,” Knight says. “We’ve obviously got a lot of experience in our seam department and those spinners just give us a few different options so we can match up against different batters. In T20, that’s very important. They can take wickets, control other teams’ batters in different conditions. It’s really pleasing.”ALSO READ: Knight, five others head to WBBLWhat struck Knight most about her spinning youth brigade during the series against West Indies was their courage, epitomised in Glenn’s lbw dismissal of Deandra Dottin in the second T20I, a full, looping legbreak that Dottin aimed to sweep and missed.”Sophie and Sarah have been consistently in the side for a long time now and really done well for us,” Knight said “To see Mady take her opportunity like that – she obviously didn’t bowl in the first game due to a few tactical bits, but yeah really delighted for them.”They’ve been really brave as well, you saw Sarah Glenn get Deandra out the other day by tossing the ball up, and if you don’t quite get that right you know it’s going to go the distance.”It’s been really pleasing to see them be really brave in how they go about things in looking to take wickets which is something we want to keep on doing as a side – something we’ve addressed since the World Cup that we want to get better at, taking wickets particularly through that middle period – and those spinners are a massive part of that.”Glenn’s seven wickets for the series against West Indies came at an average of 12.00 and an economy rate of 5.60. Her 46 runs included a valuable 26 from 19 balls which rescued England from 96 for 6 and carried them to a what proved to be a winning total in a Player-of-the-Match performance in the second fixture.While Ecclestone played her first T20I as a 17-year-old in 2016, Glenn only made her international debut last December, against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, and she went on to impress in four matches at the global tournament, claiming six wickets.Villiers also truly came into the reckoning for England during that warm-up series in Malaysia having played just one international match, a T20I against Australia during the Ashes the previous July. She had to wait until the last group match against West Indies to feature at the T20 World Cup, but she dismissed Shemaine Campbelle with her fourth ball, a sharp return catch in a wicket maiden.Villiers’ fielding is seen as a huge asset and there are several observers keen to see her given more of a chance with the bat as well as the ball. Ecclestone has the ability to hit big and Glenn’s innings in the second match against West Indies prompted her to declare her ambition to become a genuine allrounder.Mady Villiers forms part of England’s formidable spin trio•Getty Images

It is a prospect Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain and now Sky Sports commentator, sees in the future for all three England spinners.”They’re so exciting as a three,” Edwards said. “All very different, so young, but in many ways quite experienced now. It’s unbelievable really to think how good they are and how good they can be.”I think with the three of them it’s their batting that’s the exciting element for me as well, not only are they going to be world-class bowlers but I think they’re going to be really handy allrounders.”To have to have some hard-hitting batters coming in down the lower order as well as world-class bowlers, that’s so exciting. The sky’s the limit for them all, I think.”Laura MacLeod, the former England international who is now Director of West Midlands Women’s Cricket – one of the eight regional hubs for the domestic women’s game – played against a teenage Ecclestone at club level. She saw then that Ecclestone was on the right path to the England team. McLeod has also been impressed by Glenn, who played two matches for her Central Sparks outfit in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and by what she has seen of Villiers.”It’s really exciting,” McLeod said. “It’s just a coach’s dream to have a left-armer, to have a leggy and an offie that have all got talent and they’re not just talented with the ball they can all bat as well. The future for England, from a spin point of view is certainly bright.”

A round-up from the latest WBBL action as the two Sydney teams secure victory

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2020Heather Knight produced another fine display as the Thunder maintained their strong start to the competition. Knight made her second half-century of the tournament, adding 108 with captain Rachael Haynes who top-scored with 61, then claimed two wickets as the Scorchers lost their way against spin. The Thunder were on the back foot early as they slipped to 3 for 22 inside the Powerplay – which was interrupted briefly by a fire alarm at the ground – but the Knight-Haynes axis again showed its experience as they firstly rebuilt and then started to accelerate. Both players were given a life – Knight on 32 and Haynes on 14 – and from 3 for 52 after 10 overs the Thunder added 92 in the second half of the innings, which included 18 off Sophie Devine’s second over and 15 off Taneale Peschel’s last which dented her previously excellent figures. Left-arm spinner Sam Bates again impressed, removing Devine in the fourth over, but comparatively the Scorchers were solidly placed at 2 for 68 in the 11th over. However, Nicole Bolton found deep midwicket then Knight struck twice in three balls which left too much on Beth Mooney’s shoulders and the game was done when she missed a slower-ball yorker from Sammy-Jo Johnson. Bates closed out her four overs with two wickets in two balls to take her tournament tally to seven.Ellyse Perry put in a wonderful all-round performance, including her best WBBL bowling figures, as the Sixers made it a Sydney double at the top of the table. At the outset it appeared the Sixers would set a steep target as Alyssa Healy made a rapid start. When she was caught behind, Ash Gardner continued the hitting but she fell to Jess Jonassen, but scoring became harder work after the Powerplay and the innings was set back when Jonassen report Marizanne Kapp and Erin Burns in consecutive deliveries. Perry did not get out of second gear during her half-century and it was with the ball, as she bowled her four overs straight through, where she decided the game. The Heat paid the price for poor shot selection as the top three all swiped across the line. When Grace Harris glanced down the leg side, they were 4 for 17. Jonassen briefly threatened but she was smartly stumped and the innings fell away to for 9 for 80 before some late defiance from Nadine de Klerk who suggested she may be worth a spot higher up the order.

South Africa set to play for first time since March with both teams looking for T20 World Cup pointers

Firdose Moonda26-Nov-2020

It’s been just nine months since these teams last met and while the world is an entirely different place, the situation they are playing in is not. Back in February, South Africa and England hoped to use their white-ball clashes to prepare for a T20 World Cup. Now in November, the upcoming matches serve the same purpose after the tournament was postponed.For South Africa, that’s no bad thing given the rushed circumstances in which their coaching staff took over last summer. They’ve had the luxury of lots of time to plan their approach going forward and this will be their first opportunity to show what they can do.They come into it entirely undercooked, especially in comparison to their opposition. England spent the last few months pioneering the cricketing bio-bubble while South Africa played around with a new format of cricket that saw three teams compete in the same game. South Africa’s highest-profile players have since been at the IPL while the rest had two rounds of red-ball franchise cricket to get ready but, as a squad, they haven’t played so much as a warm-up match together. Contrastingly, England had a home summer against West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and Australia, a (shortened) domestic season and two practice matches in South Africa. They have also had a much less chaotic backdrop against which to prepare.While South African cricket has been inactive, South African cricket news has not. The winter saw the CSA administration lurch through several more crises which resulted in the board resigning and an interim structure being imposed on the organisation by the country’s sports minister. At the same time, South Africa handled the Black Lives Matter movement as badly as they could, with a confused stance on how to tackle anti-racism that remains unclear even on the eve of this series.What we know is that the South Africa team will not take a knee (England did against West Indies and Ireland but not against Pakistan and Australia and will also not this time) but will make a statement in support of antiracism. They will also wear black armbands in support of the fight against gender-based violence and to commemorate those who have lost their lives to coronavirus. Flags will fly at half-mast as part of five days of national mourning in South Africa.Given the fractious last few months, in which several former players of colour shared stories of exclusion, South Africa’s challenge will be reflected in how they present a united front, as much as in whether they are able to end up on the right side of results.It’s about much more than cricket, as it often is here, and that is only amplified by the pandemic. The teams are housed in a bio-secure base in Cape Town and all matches are being played between Newlands and Paarl, behind closed doors. That means most South African may not even know the series is taking place. Negotiations with the public broadcaster, SABC, have not been finalised and these fixtures may only appear on pay television, opening up yet another debate about access and elitism in the game. So here we are. This is how the South African summer begins.Ben Stokes is set to return to England’s T20I side•Getty Images

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
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After a blistering IPL, where he topped the wicket charts Kagiso Rabada will be expected to set the tone for the summer. With Dale Steyn not selected in the squad, Rabada is now the undisputed leader of the attack and will work alongside Anrich Nortje, who showed fire of his own in the IPL, to form a formidable new-ball pair. South Africa have long based their strategies around their quicks and having two genuinely fast men leading the pack fits perfectly with their new aggressive – but smart – style.Jason Roy has not played a T20 international since England toured South Africa earlier this year and will want to use this series to nail down the opening spot. He is up against just about every other member of his squad, with Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler and even Ben Stokes all making cases as openers, but if Roy gets a run in this series he may seal the spot for the T20 World Cup. His domestic form makes a good case to give him first bite at the cherry. Roy had a decent run in the five matches he played in the Blast, scoring 206 runs at 41.20 in Surrey’s run to the final.

It’s almost impossible to select a team before match day because of the risk of positive cases of Covid-19 but, all being well, this is who South Africa may opt for. One of Temba Bavuma or Janneman Malan will open with Quinton de Kock, with Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller making up an experienced middle order. The No. 6 and 7 spots are anyone’s guess (and ours are below) with the bowling likely to split along the lines of three seamers and one spinner. Dwaine Pretorius has been ruled out of both the T20 and ODI series with a hamstring injury, leaving Andile Phehlukwayo as the sole seam-bowling allrounder.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (capt, wk), 2 Temba Bavuma/Janneman Malan, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 David Miller, 6 Heinrich Klaasen/Jon-Jon Smuts, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Lungi Ngidi/Lutho Sipamla, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiLike South Africa, England are not saying too much about the XI they will field as they wait to see whether any additional grass will be taken off the wicket. Roy is expected to open alongside Buttler with Stokes returning to the XI after missing part of the home summer to be with his father in New Zealand, completing a top order that will likely also include Bairstow and Malan, the No. 1-ranked T20I batsman. The No. 7 spot could be conditions-dependent, with Moeen Ali the man in possession but Sam Curran pushing for inclusion after an impressive IPL. And all eyes will be on Jofra Archer and Mark Wood’s pace, especially as a counterpoint to Rabada and Nortje.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Moeen Ali/Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Mark Wood

South Africa’s surfaces had an almost eight-month rest due to the inaction during the lockdown which has given them more time than usual to recover from the wear and tear of a busy summer. And it seems to have done them good. The franchise four-day competition demonstrated that there are runs and good bounce for the quicks and spinners. At Newlands earlier in the month, over 900 runs were scored between the Cobras and the Titans, seamer Lizaad Williams had early success with six wickets in the match and George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi took 16 wickets between them. Expect something for everyone in this series.

Stats and trivia

• England are unbeaten in their last seven T20 series, and have won six of those (with a draw against Pakistan). They’re still three away from equalling Pakistan, who won 10 series on the trot .
• South Africa have not won a T20 series since March 2019, when they beat Sri Lanka at home. Since then, they have drawn with India and lost to England and Australia.
• If he plays, Rabada will earn his 100th white-ball cap for South Africa.
• Chris Jordan is two wickets away from equalling Stuart Broad as England’s record-holder in T20Is.

“The last series that we played we gave them a run for their money. It was disappointing that we didn’t win the series but we always fought til the end. We didn’t sit back just because we knew it was England. This time around it should be a good contest again.”
“Winning at the moment would be great. But for us, given the luxury in players that we have at our disposal, it’s more important that we get their roles right and they feel comfortable within that, because if we manage to solve that problem, the results will look after themselves.”
Eoin Morgan on England’s priorities for the series