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Suresh Raina has not scored big runs as yet this season for Chennai Super Kings but he feels he is in the right mindset, and has acquired a better understanding of his role in the team

ESPNcricinfo staff05-May-2015Suresh Raina has not scored big runs as yet this season for Chennai Super Kings but he feels he is in the right mindset, and has acquired a better understanding of his role in the team. After their 24-run win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, he said he was enjoying his batting more now than he did in the past.”I have made runs in the last seven seasons and I am very proud of those performances, but I am enjoying my batting this season more than before. I may be scoring 20-30 runs but my frame of mind is very good this year,” Raina told . “I have been getting out playing proper cricketing shots and the ball is often going straight to the fielders. But I feel really good about my batting. I have been batting instinctively over the last 10 years, but now as No. 3, I have to be calculative about when and who to attack. Although the runs against my name are less, I have a better comprehension of my role.”Raina has made 256 runs at an average of 28.44, and a strike rate of 124.27, with two half-centuries in 10 matches. He said Dwayne Bravo’s run-out of Virat Kohli, coupled with the side’s fielding performance, turned the game around against Royal Challengers when they required 52 off 37 balls.”When Virat Kohli was batting, I was a bit worried,” Raina said. “I knew we had to get him out quickly because he is a master at chasing scores. The run-out that Bravo pulled off was brilliant. In such extreme conditions in Chennai, sometimes your focus wavers. But to have that kind of awareness and then act briskly is something special. Besides playing against each other, the two teams are up against the heat as well.”In T20s, one stop or one catch has a lot of impact. It changes the mindset of the batsman, he feels like everything he hits is going to the fielders, which forces the batsman to take risks.”Raina said he felt responsible for his team being unable to efficiently close out innings with the bat this season. “I wasn’t scoring runs which put pressure on the middle order. If the top order gives them a platform of 140 in 15 overs, these guys can score 70 in the last five overs.”

Shaheen shines at the death; Zalmi will face Islamabad United in the first Eliminator

Danyal Rasool21-Feb-2022Peshawar Zalmi 158 for 7 (Fawad 2-26) tied with Lahore Qalandars 158 for 8 (Hafeez 49, Afridi 39*) – Zalmi won after Super OverIt looked as if a lacklustre chase from Lahore Qalandars would doom them to defeat in this season’s final group stage game against Peshawar Zalmi, but a scarcely credible blitz from Shaheen Shah Afridi got them through to a Super Over. He thwacked an unbeaten 39 off 20 balls, including 23 in the final over and six off the last ball, to take his side there, but that was as good as it got for the Qalandars. A splendid Super Over with the ball from Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz saw the Qalandars manage just five, and Shoaib Malik put away the first two Afridi balls of the chase for boundaries, wrapping up a win that should have been Zalmi’s half an hour earlier, but ensuring they take momentum with them into the Eliminator against Islamabad United on Thursday.Until the thrilling finish, it seemed that a brace of top-order wickets from Arshad Iqbal had broken the Qalandars’ resistance to allow Zalmi to cruise towards their fourth successive win. A handful of cameos with the bat had helped them post a target of 159, and a Qalandars side which appeared less than fully engaged in what was effectively a dead rubber never maintained the tempo required for the chase.Mohammad Hafeez may have top scored in the chase with 49 off 44, but for the bulk of his innings, he failed to ensure his side was on top of the asking rate. With the big hitters failing to fire, the requirement kept ballooning to the point where the Qalandars needed 24 off the final over.Shaheen smashed a four and two sixes, and suddenly the Qalandars were back within seven of victory, only for a couple of dot balls from Mohammad Umar to take it down to the death. His final ball was in the slot, Shaheen pumped it over long-on for a huge six, and a Gaddafi crowd that had begun to filter out stormed back in for the one-over shootout.Coming into the game, both sides were assured passage to the next round, and barring a heavy defeat, the Qalandars were guaranteed to get two bites at the cherry. They ensured that remained the case despite defeat in a game where the lack of intensity was palpable for much of the contest. Malik top-scored for Zalmi with 32 off 28, with five of the top six reaching double figures. The electric Mohammad Haris was the only one who fell short, his Qalandars namesake Haris Rauf dismissing him in the second over, while Fawad Ahmed, playing his first game this season, was the pick of the crop, taking 2 for 26 in his allotted four.Related

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Fakhar Zaman fell off the first ball, just the second time all tournament he departed early. The other occasion came against Karachi Kings two days ago, and as on that day, the Qalandars’ ability to hunt down a target melted away. No one was able to replace him nearly as effectively, and at one point the Qalandars went almost seven full overs without a boundary.Right up until the frenetic final two overs, Zalmi’s discipline with the ball was excellent, with Wahab, Amad Butt and Khalid Usman all keeping the Qalandars on a leash. There was plenty of sloppiness in the field though, to the chagrin of an increasingly agitated Wahab, though for the best part, it appeared as if it wouldn’t make a difference to the outcome.Shaheen’s belligerence, though, meant the game with little riding on it turned into something of a cult classic. The high of that glorious final-ball six, though – after which Shaheen held his arms aloft in that iconic pose usually reserved for a top-order wicket – was followed by a flat Super Over. It wasn’t the result that mattered tonight, but the entertainment, and Shaheen had ensured, belatedly, there was enough of that to sate a nearly full house.

The offspinner takes the place of George Linde, who is unavailable due to his impending wedding

Firdose Moonda26-Jan-2022Simon Harmer has been recalled to South Africa’s Test squad for their two-Test tour of New Zealand next month. Harmer last played for the country on a tour of India in 2015 and signed a Kolpak deal with Essex in 2017. The offspinner has been included in the traveling group as back-up to Keshav Maharaj and in place of George Linde, who was unavailable for selection due to his impending wedding. Prenalen Subrayen, the other spinner who has recently been around the squad, was not considered because of a groin injury.There is also a recall for seam bowler Lutho Sipamla, who missed out on tours to West Indies and the series against India at home. Sipamla joins a seven-strong seam contingent that will be headlined by Kagiso Rabada, who was rested from the ODI squad against India and also include Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, another Kolpak-returnee Duanne Olivier and allrounder Wiaan Mulder. Sisanda Magala, who was in the Test squad for the India series, has been left out.Anrich Nortje, who missed the India Test with a hip injury, remains out of action. Selection convener Victor Mpitsang told ESPNcricinfo that Nortje is aiming to be ready to play in the ODIs against Bangladesh at home in March.The batters who did duty during the 2-1 series win against India all keep their places. Opener Aiden Markram remains part of the squad despite averaging under 25 in his last 19 Tests, with Sarel Erwee and Ryan Rickleton the other contenders for that berth. “We know Aiden has made some errors but the team has been doing well and we are opting to stick with him,” Mpitsang said. With Quinton de Kock retired from Test cricket, Kyle Verreynne is the designated wicketkeeper.But all eyes will be on Harmer, who returned to South Africa’s domestic set-up on the back of stellar county form. Since his last Test, across the County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy, Harmer has taken 303 wickets in 61 matches, more than any other bowler in that six-year period. He was also the leading wicket-taker in the the County Championship in 2019 and in the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020. This season, Harmer is the second-leading bowler in the domestic four-day competition, after Olivier, and has taken 27 wickets at 21.40.Lutho Sipamla is part of a seven-member pace contingent•Cricket South Africa

He is the third former Kolpak player to be recalled since the system ended post-Brexit on January 31, 2020. Wayne Parnell has been selected for ODIs and played against Netherlands in a washout in November last year while Olivier made his comeback during the Test series against India, suggesting CSA will now fully re-integrate Kolpak players into the fold. It’s a complete turnaround from the mood in April 2020, when Harmer said: “There’s a lot of bad blood towards the Kolpaks, and it would take, I think, South Africans and perhaps Cricket South Africa to swallow their pride and seek for those players to return to the South African set-up. There’s been a lot said in the press about the return of Kolpak players, but obviously the public perception still is not great.”Now, Harmer faces fresh public scrutiny as he returns to the country where transformation targets, which he has been critical of in the past, are a reality and have a direct impact on selection. In 2019, Harmer said the quota system worked against players of colour, whom he believed were not always ready to make the step up, and white players, who were denied an income-earning opportunity. “It’s affecting players of colour because they’re forced into a role and they’re not allowed to develop their skill. They get thrust in and then thrust out, and then they find the next person to come in,” he said at the time. “If I were to lose my place for a player of colour then I don’t have an issue with that. But as a sportsman, I need to maximise my earning potential, and to commit in South Africa where the transformation targets are constantly evolving … your opportunities do get less and less. It’s the nature of South African sport. It’s always going to be there, it’s never going to go away. It’s such a sore topic and taboo to speak about, but it is what it is.”Harmer sought to make a career in England and hoped to qualify for their international side, but with the Kolpak system ending his qualification hopes and with other visa options unavailable to him, he closed the door on that last August. He remains contracted as an overseas player to Essex until the end of the 2026 season, though his availability for the county could become dependent on his international career.Whether Harmer will make an immediate comeback into the playing XI is likely to depend on conditions. Both Tests will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, which over recent years has boasted the quickest pitch in New Zealand that is usually green and bouncy. This is a change from the original schedule that had the first Test in Christchurch and the second in Wellington but, with New Zealand under strict Covid-19 restrictions, travel has been minimised by staying in one venue.South Africa depart for New Zealand on February 2 and will undergo 10 days of mandatory quarantine before being allowed to train.South Africa squad for New Zealand tour: Dean Elgar (capt), Temba Bavuma, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne

David Warner has apologised for the language he used during his Twitter outburst on Saturday but said he felt the need to defend himself after a photo of him was used to illustrate a story on the seedy side of the IPL

Brydon Coverdale23-May-2013David Warner has apologised for the language he used during his Twitter outburst on Saturday but said he felt the need to defend himself after a photo of him was used to illustrate a story on the seedy side of the IPL. Warner has arrived home in Australia after his long stint in India with Delhi Daredevils and he spoke to reporters at the SCG on Thursday, the day after he was fined A$5750 at a Cricket Australia Code of Behaviour hearing.Warner said he had been woken during the early hours of Saturday by WhatsApp, an instant messaging application on his phone, and found that his friends had seen the article and asked him what was going on. Warner then took his anger out in a series of tweets directed at journalist Robert Craddock, who in the article had discussed the recent arrest of three Rajasthan Royals players over alleged spot-fixing.”I was just extremely annoyed with my image being used on that related article,” Warner told reporters on Thursday. “I was trying to defend myself because anyone who looks at the photograph can automatically assume that I’m related to what happened over there.”If I let it go and didn’t say anything, was I going to be defended by others? We just don’t know that. What I did through Twitter, for myself it was disappointing and I shouldn’t have done that and I shouldn’t have used the language that I did.”In his initial tweet, Warner wrote “Shock me @crashcraddock1 talking s*** about ipl jealous p****. Get a real job. All you do is bag people. #getalife”. He used similar language in a series of tweets directed at Craddock and his News Limited colleague Malcolm Conn, who weighed in on Twitter.”I’ve got to be a bit more professional with the choice of words that I use next time,” Warner said. “I’ll keep speaking my mind and always have my opinion and always continue to try and defend myself in the right choice of words … If I had my time again I’d definitely make a phone-call to Robert and ask him why the sub-editors used that image.”Warner sat down with Conn to put the issue behind them on Thursday morning and his focus has now turned firmly towards the Champions Trophy and Ashes in England. Warner is keen to ensure his Test form lifts from the disappointing tour of India in February and March, when he scored 195 runs at 24.37.”I don’t think [this adds] more pressure at all,” he said. “I just want to put a line under this and move forward defending the Champions Trophy and hopefully try to bring back the urn. That’s my goal, to score as many runs as I can for the Australian team and hopefully we can win both those tournaments while we’re away.”

The three games will be played in Edinburgh on July 27, 29 and 31

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2022Scotland will host New Zealand in July 2022 for two T20Is and a one-off ODI after New Zealand finish their tour of Ireland on July 22 in Belfast. The three matches in Scotland will be played at the Grange in Edinburgh, on July 27, 29 and 31.Scotland and New Zealand last faced each other in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup last year when Scotland scared their opponents by falling just 16 runs short while chasing 173.”We are excited to welcome the BLACKCAPS to our shores this summer,” Scotland head coach Shane Burger said. “We want to keep challenging ourselves versus ICC Full Members and New Zealand are up there as one of the best.”Having reached both of the most recent T20 and 50 over ICC world cup finals, they have proven to be the most consistent team across all formats of the game in recent years.”We have 12 international ODIs to be played prior to the New Zealand series and so the squad are training well and looking forward to a busy 2022.”New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said touring Scotland would be a “great occasion” for his team.”Over the past decade we’ve seen Scotland improve as a cricketing nation and develop into a force in international cricket,” Stead said. “Having played there personally myself at Brechin Cricket Club, I know how passionate the people are about the game and I have no doubt they will be eagerly looking forward to this tour.”Playing against associate teams as a major nation is a really important part of helping them grow and that growth can only benefit the world game long term.”Cricket Scotland is likely to announce further information on the tickets and crowd in mid-April.New Zealand will fly to the UK in May-end for the three Tests against England in June, followed by the three ODIs and as many T20Is starting July 10, before they head to Scotland.

Stand-in captain hits 20-ball fifty after Phoenix bowlers succeed in dragging back Superchargers

Matt Roller17-Aug-2021Liam Livingstone’s six-hitting blitz led Birmingham Phoenix into Saturday’s Hundred final at Lord’s after a remarkable comeback with the ball set up a cruise to victory against Northern Superchargers at Headingley.Phoenix needed to win – or tie – to guarantee they would finish top of the group stage and qualify automatically for the final, and when Chris Lynn and Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit 65 off the 25-ball Powerplay, their chances of doing so looked slim.But their three pace-off options – Livingstone, Imran Tahir, and the self-proclaimed “fast spinner” Benny Howell – returned 5 for 61 between them in 60 balls, and Adam Milne’s death-bowling masterclass meant Superchargers limped to 143, with Kohler-Cadmore starved of strike towards the end of his 71.Related

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Livingstone then smoked the fastest fifty of the competition to date, off 20 balls, to break the back of the chase inside the Powerplay. His 92 not out was the joint-highest score of the Hundred, alongside Jemimah Rodrigues in Superchargers women’s opening game, and his 10 sixes were the most in an individual innings.Phoenix look set to welcome Moeen Ali back into their side for the final, with an update on his availability expected shortly, and included Tom Abell for the first time this season following his hamstring injury. Few pundits backed them at the start of the competition but their ultra-attacking strategy with the bat and their canny bowling attack have seen them top the group with six wins out of eight.Phoenix will play the winners of Friday’s eliminator at The Oval, between Southern Brave and Trent Rockets. Superchargers were already eliminated, and missed Adam Lyth and Harry Brook, both of whom tested positive for Covid-19 last week. They finish fifth in the men’s table.Pepsi’s fizzy pop
Phoenix’s cruise to victory looked a long way off when they were under the pump in the Powerplay, with Chris Lynn and Tom ‘Pepsi’ Kohler-Cadmore swinging for the hills and treating Pat Brown and Dillon Pennington with utter contempt. Kohler-Cadmore, left out earlier in the season, hit two sixes and a four off Pennington’s first set of five, while Lynn got after Milne in his second set.But it was Brown’s first – and only – set that went the distance. Brown is a canny slower-ball specialist whose quicker ball is clocked at around 87mph/140kph, but Kohler-Cadmore set himself for the variations and swung him for three sixes and two fours, taking 26 off the last five balls of the Powerplay – the second most-expensive set of the tournament.Spin to win
Howell and Tahir dragged things back when the field spread, finding some purchase from the pitch as the ball stuck in the surface. Livingstone, standing in for Moeen, brought himself on after 50 balls and it proved to be a turning point. He struck with his fourth ball, Lynn flashing an outside edge to short third, and after David Willey whacked him over long-on for six, Livingstone tossed the next ball up and caught a skier off his own bowling.Howell conceded a single boundary when Jordan Thompson swung him over long-off for six, but he picked out Allen on the rope three balls later. Kohler-Cadmore was stranded at the wrong end, Livingstone rattling through his final 10 balls in a row for nine runs and the dismissal of Dane Vilas, and Milne bowled 10 on the bounce at the death, conceding only seven as he nailed his yorkers at above 90mph/145kph.Livingstone tees off
Howell described the pitch as a “Powerplay wicket” at the interval, by which he meant that it was by far the best time to score runs with the field up. Phoenix lost a wicket early on, Will Smeed dragging on for a first-baller, but Livingstone and Allen were never likely to consolidate.Liam Livingstone swings for the hills•Getty Images

Livingstone pulled his fourth ball, from Callum Parkinson, for six over deep backward square leg and stayed in fifth gear for most of his innings. He hit Parkinson for two more vicious straight sixes in his next set of five, and when he swung three Willey balls out of four into the stands on the leg side, the required rate was down at 1.13 runs per ball by the end of the Powerplay.Allen toyed with Adil Rashid in his second set of five, swiping him back over his head for two fours and a six, and Ben Raine was the next lamb to the slaughter as Phoenix’s batters traded sixes. Parkinson returned to have Allen stumped but Abell ticked over then watched from the non-striker’s end as Livingstone scooped and drove Matt Fisher down the ground, then let out a scream of delight when he pulled his tenth six over square leg to seal their final berth.Livingstone was Phoenix’s first pick in the initial draft for the Hundred and has more than vindicated their faith in him over the last month. “I’ve felt a little bit more pressure since Mo’s gone away,” he said afterwards. “We’ve got a young, fearless line-up and we’ve seen some great talent coming through. We’ve proved a lot of people wrong in this competition.”Leading Phoenix into the final is the latest landmark in what has been a remarkable summer for Livingstone after his T20I exploits for England against Pakistan. “I don’t think I’ve seen an England batter burst on the scene quite like this since Kevin Pietersen,” Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports. “In white-ball cricket, we have found another one. This guy can hit a seriously big ball.”

He hopes for an improvement in South Africa’s late-overs hitting, an area where he felt they “came up short” in the West Indies

Firdose Moonda08-Jul-2021Rassie van der Dussen is expecting easier conditions for batters during South Africa’s three-match ODI series against Ireland compared to what the side experienced in the West Indies. After finding the going fairly tough on slow, spinner-friendly surfaces in the Caribbean, van der Dussen, who played club cricket in Belfast six years ago, thinks runs could more freely in Ireland.”When the sun is out here and the wicket gets quite hard, it becomes favourable for batting,” van der Dussen said. “If there is a little bit of rain around in the preceding days and on the day, the ball swings and the grass livens up and the seam movement becomes a factor. But this time of year, the weather should be okay. The conditions will be good for batting, a lot more batter-conducive than we had in the West Indies.”Though there is some rain forecast for Dublin over the weekend and early next week, the reported lower than normal rainfall and warm weather will characterise the summer, which should support van der Dussen’s theory. That means South Africa will see an opportunity to improve on their scoring rate, especially towards the end of an innings, where they found themselves tied down during the T20I series in the West Indies. van der Dussen hopes they can use the longer version of the white-ball game to rediscover their run-scoring potential in the death overs.”In the last five overs, in all the matches [in the West Indies], we came up short,” he said. “The conditions were really tough to bat, especially for new batters coming in. In 50-over cricket, you get time in the middle, which sometimes in T20 cricket you don’t get, especially batting in middle to lower order. In 50-over cricket, you’ve got a bigger scope to identify where your game is at and you’ve got time to get yourself in and play your game from there. That can help for T20 cricket as well because it gives the batters a reference for where their games are at.”Apart from van der Dussen, David Miller is another middle-order batter who will like the prospect of facing more deliveries, and regaining form, after he had limited opportunity to do so in the West Indies. Whether some of the benchwarmers like Kyle Verreynne and Janneman Malan will get a chance to play in this series is not yet known, especially with the ODIs being part of the World Cup Super League. South Africa are currently at bottom of the points table with one from three games.”With the new competition structure, every game becomes important,” van der Dussen said. “Eoin Morgan said there is no such thing as a dead rubber because you get points from every game and that’s the qualification [route] for the World Cup. We’ve been away from home for five weeks and some guys haven’t had playing chances but for a coach and a selector, the priority is to win matches and you’ve got to pick your strongest team.”And van der Dussen also thinks Ireland are a strong enough side for South Africa to want to do nothing less. “I played club cricket here six years ago and to see where they’ve come from as a team compared to where they are now is really exciting. This is a massive series for them and they are going to throw everything they have at us. For us, it’s a challenge to firstly adapt to foreign conditions and then find ways to win games. We are really looking forward to the challenge.”

The confusion was because the umpires wanted to ensure Irfan’s injury was genuine

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2021A strange passage of play briefly left the Peshawar Zalmi fielding with ten men during the second PSL 2021 eliminator against the Islamabad United on Tuesday, after their pacer Mohammad Irfan left the field because of an injury.Haider Ali, the substitute sent out by the Zalmi, was asked to leave the field by the umpires, who were apparently not convinced that Irfan was injured, leaving Zalmi down by a man.In the 11th over of the United innings, Irfan, who was bowling the final over of his spell, went down after his penultimate delivery. Following a delay, he got back up to complete the over, but fell to the ground again. During the 12th over, Irfan was taken outside the boundary for treatment, with Ali coming on to replace him.However, at the end of the 12th over, bowled by Amad Butt, Aleem Dar, the onfield umpire, signalled that Ali should not be allowed to field, causing another lengthy delay.After a break in play, with Irfan still receiving treatment, Ali also stepped out of the field, meaning the Zalmi had to bowl the 14th and 15th overs without Irfan or a substitute fielder.Eventually, at the start of the 16th over, after a conversation between Dar, the Zalmi captain Wahab Riaz, and Shoaib Malik, also of the Zalmi, the team was allowed to bring in another substitute, Khalid Usman taking the field.ESPNcricinfo understands that the delay was caused because the umpires wanted to ensure Irfan’s injury was genuine, and when they got a confirmation of the same from the paramedics at the ground, they allowed the substitution.During a timeout in United’s innings, Irfan’s team-mate Butt suggested that the pacer’s injury was only a case of cramps.

ESPNcricinfo previews the match between Pune Warriors and Rajasthan Royals in Pune

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran10-Apr-2013

Match facts

Thursday, April 11, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Marlon Samuels will miss out on Thursday’s game due to a groin problem•BCCI

Big Picture

Pune Warriors’ middle-order should be the envy of any Twenty20 team. Marlon Samuels, Yuvraj Singh, Ross Taylor and Angelo Mathews form the nucleus of what could be one of the most dangerous batting line-ups around but so far, Warriors have put up the two lowest totals of the season.When Yuvraj missed out on the game against Kings XI Punjab, they couldn’t even manage to reach triple-figures, managing only 99. The good news ahead of the match against Rajasthan Royals is that Yuvraj, who was recovering from a back problem, has been confirmed fit. They still won’t be able to field their first-choice middle-order, though, as Samuels has picked up a groin injury. Samuels’ absence opens up an overseas player’s spot and Warriors have Australia batsman Steven Smith, who was an influential performer for them last season, and England’s Luke Wright in their ranks. However, coach Allan Donald said on the eve of the match that big-hitting Australian opener Aaron Finch would come in.*In contrast, their opponents have got off to a flying start. Royals, as in every season, were written off before the tournament began, but have won two in two, with victories over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and another highly rated team, Delhi Daredevils. As usual, low-profile players have played crucial roles, including Trinidad & Tobago allrounder Kevon Cooper and Jharkhand fast bowler Rahul Shukla.

Players to watch

Sreesanth was out of action for more than a year after surgery on his toes and only returned to action in December, having watched a host of young fast bowlers leapfrog him in the queue to the Indian team. The IPL provides him a high-profile platform to remind everyone he’s still good enough to turn out for the national side. He’s begun well enough, bowling tight spells in the opening matches, and even showed off one of his typically exuberant celebrations.Robin Uthappa is one of Sreesanth’s best friends in cricket, with the pair even launching a cricket homestay together. Like Sreesanth, Uthappa too has fallen out of the national reckoning, and his failings in the IPL have not helped his cause. Two years ago, Warriors splashed out serious money to build the franchise around Uthappa and Yuvraj but Uthappa hasn’t been the match-winner the franchise expected him to be, yet.

Stats and trivia

• Warriors’ Manish Pandey has the most number of ducks in the IPL – eight, an wanted record he shares with Amit Mishra
• Royals’ Samuel Badree has the best economy-rate among all bowlers in Twenty20s, having conceded only 4.90 runs an over in his career

Quotes

“Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa are attacking batsmen, but they seem to have gone into a shell during the Powerplay overs.”

*03.20GMT, April 11: The preview was updated after pre-match press conference quotes came in

Ryan Harris’ recovery from shoulder surgery has consumed his BBL campaign, as the highly regarded fast bowler strives to be considered for Australia’s 2013 Test tours

Daniel Brettig10-Dec-2012Ryan Harris’ recovery from shoulder surgery has consumed his BBL campaign for the Brisbane Heat, as the highly regarded fast bowler strives to be considered for Australia’s 2013 Test tours of India and England.Having undergone rotator cuff surgery in August, Harris had originally hoped to be fit in time to take part in Australia’s home Test series against Sri Lanka, starting on Friday in Hobart.But a careful recuperation process has taken longer than first thought, first ruling him out of any cricket before Christmas and now extending into the BBL phase of summer. While Harris has returned to the bowling crease, he is yet to deliver a ball at full pace or off his long run, and it has been decided that he is better off not rushing back for Twenty20 duty.”It’s disappointing because I am pretty close but to push now might not turn out to be the best thing for longer term,” Harris said. “Everyone agrees that I will be best suited to come back with Toombul in club cricket first up in January and then aim to be considered for the first Queensland games after the BBL.”I’ve been feeling pretty good in the nets so far, and while I’m not bowling off the full run-up or at full pace, I’m very positive about getting up to that level soon.”James Hopes, captain of the Bulls and the Heat, was hopeful that Harris’ conservative approach would reap benefits at the international level in the new year.”I pushed myself too hard with a knee injury last year for the first half of the BBL,” Hopes said. “I was fortunate enough to be able to take stock and opt for a less aggressive recovery schedule that got me back fit and well in time for the remaining Shield and one-dayers, and that’s what we’re going to do with Ryano.”He is bowling really well at this stage of his recovery, but it would have been unfair to throw him back into a BBL game and expect him to go full tilt from the outset. This is the best thing for him and will give him plenty of playing time for Queensland and allow him to build a case for the Australian tours to India and England.”I’m firmly convinced that with his bowling skill set, he is comfortably in the ranks of the best Test bowling line-up that Australia can field.”When fit, Harris is greatly valued by Australia’s captain Michael Clarke and the national selectors for his combination of swing, speed and accuracy. His bowling was a key plank of Australia’s series win in Sri Lanka in 2011, utilising a skidding, wicket-to-wicket method that will be suited to India.Beyond that lies the trip to England for the first leg of dual Ashes series.