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The New Zealand batsman was the top-scorer in the domestic Super Smash T20 competition, and made his international debut in a T20I against South Africa earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2017New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips, who made his international debut in a T20I against South Africa earlier this year, is set to join Jamaica Tallawahs for CPL 2017.Auckland Cricket confirmed that 20-year-old Phillips will join Tallawahs as the franchise’s fifth overseas player, alongside Shakib Al Hasan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mohammad Sami and Imad Wasim.Phillips was the highest run-getter in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, the Super Smash, in the 2016-17 season with 369 runs in ten innings, at a strike rate of 143. He struck three fifties and a century in the tournament, becoming the first New Zealand player to hit centuries across first-class, List A and T20 formats in the same season.The performance earned him a call-up for the sole T20I on South Africa’s tour of New Zealand in February and he made his debut in Auckland.Tallawahs, the defending champions, have played two matches so far, with one win and a loss. Their assistance coach, Mark O’Donnell, who also coaches the Auckland Aces in New Zealand’s domestic set-up, said Phillips added value as a back-up wicketkeeper, too.”Glenn is valuable to any team he joins as he can turn a game on its head with his batting. He is also handy behind the stumps so to have him as a keeping option is also helpful for the Tallawahs.”

The draft resolution was sent to the state associations, including the Associate BCCI member units, on Sunday, and requires them to affirm that they will implement the Lodha Committee recommendations

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Sep-2017Anticipating appeals for funds for the ongoing domestic and international season in India, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has asked the various state associations to fulfil a draft resolution, wherein they must affirm that they will comply with the Supreme Court order to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

The draft resolution

Resolved the Name of the Association is agreeable to undertake, implement and support the reforms as proposed by the Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee and accepted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide judgment dated 18 July 2016 in letter and spirit.
Resolved further that in the event the Hon’ble Supreme Court passes any further orders in relation to the recommendations of the Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee and/or the judgment dated 18 July 2016, such orders shall also be accepted and implemented within one month thereof.

The CoA sent the draft resolution to the state associations, including the Associate BCCI member units, on Sunday. With India’s home season having got underway earlier in September, many states have already approached the BCCI, as well as the court, asking for funds to pay for cricket operations for hosting matches. In addition to the various domestic tournaments, India’s international commitments at home comprise a total of 11 ODIs, nine T20s and three Tests as they host Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka before departing for South Africa at the end of December.On Monday, the court rejected the appeals of the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) and the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA), both of whom had approached the BCCI funds for separate reasons. While the SCA wanted about INR 83 lakhs for cricket expenses, MCA wanted funds to the tune of INR 4 crores, to pay off the installment against a longstanding bank loan.Barring the Vidarbha Cricket Association, which approved the Lodha recommendations without any protest, no other BCCI member has complied with the court order so far. The CoA said despite the resistance, the BCCI had put forth, and will continue to make payments for the “conduct” of the cricket matches. The CoA also said it was “regrettable” that state associations continued to defy the court orders despite such a move having the “potential” to “prejudicially affect cricketing activity.”While the BCCI would continue to take care of the payments concerning cricket operations to third-party vendors, the CoA has said that going forward the state associations need to adopt the draft resolution. “In the hope that the defaulting State Associations would come around and comply with the orders passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, a draft of the resolution that should be passed by the General Body (or an equivalent forum) of the State Association is enclosed,” the CoA said in its e-mail. “By adopting this resolution, the State Associations will enable BCCI to release additional funds to them in a manner compliant with the orders passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”

USMNT prospect Paxten Aaronson has been spotted in a RB Salzburg coat while out for food.

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• Paxten Aaronson spotted in Salzburg coat
• Older brother used to play for Austrian club
• Currently playing for Frankfurt

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 20-year-old has been spotted out in Philadelphia with his brother Brenden, as the USMNT duo grabbed a pizza together in the off-season.

  After the two were pictured at Riviera Pizza, confusion has now emerged after Paxten was spotted wearing a RB Salzburg coat, despite playing for German side Eintracht Frankfurt currently.

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• WHAT WAS SAID

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Brenden, who is three years older than his brother, played for the Austrian club from 2021 to 2022, prior to completing a move to the Premier League with Leeds United.

  His time with RB Salzburg could explain why Paxten was wearing the coat, as the two visited Philadelphia having both previously risen through the ranks at MLS side Philadelphia Union.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PAXTEN AARONSON?

  The Frankfurt midfielder is currently enjoying the winter break away from Bundesliga action, like his brother who is currently at Union Berlin. The two will return to domestic action in the coming days, as Paxten prepares to face RB Leipzig and Brendan eyes up a clash against Freiburg.

The allrounder and Western Australia captain, slammed an unbeaten 80 to drive his side to a six-wicket win in the final against South Australia in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2017
ScorecardThe victorious Western Australia team with the trophy•Getty Images

Western Australia captain Mitchell Marsh led his state to a comfortable victory over South Australia to lift the domestic limited overs trophy at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Saturday.South Australia made a swift start after winning the toss, but the loss of regular wickets limited their chances of posting the sort of totals that had allowed them to beat Western Australia in the qualifying rounds and Victoria in the elimination final.Western Australia, who had been unbeaten before the SA loss, were then able to reel them in with 38 balls to spare, largely due to the efforts of Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Bancroft, the sometime-Test opening contender, but now a free-scoring gloveman.While Mitchell Marsh was named Man of the Match, at a time when his recovery from shoulder surgery rules him out of bowling and by extension an Ashes berth, it was his brother Shaun Marsh who was named Man of the Tournament for a string of outstanding displays at the top of the batting order.South Asutralia had started fluently through a first-over boundary from Alex Carey, but the early dismissals of the wicketkeeper and dual tournament centurion Jake Weatherald set a pattern. South Australia scored freely but lost regular wickets, which meant the later acceleration typical of their bigger totals was instead a steady stand between Tom Cooper and Cameron Valente followed by a late rush of wickets.Their new-ball bowling had been another feature of their progress, but after Michael Klinger fell early and Shaun Marsh had not fired from the start, Mitchell Marsh and Bancroft missed scarcely a beat in bringing the target under control. Long touted as a future leader by his coach Justin Langer, Mitchell Marsh has aced his very first exam as state captain.

USMNT leged Clint Dempsey believes that the 2024 Copa America could either be the peak or end of boss Gregg Berhalter's tenure.

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• Dempsey gives exclusive Berhalter interview
• Believes Copa America is make-or-break for USMNT boss
• Says 'questions' will come about if bad performances arrive

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On the set of with CBS Sports Soccer, Dempsey spoke to the Daily Mail about Berhalter's current form with the USMNT. The ex-striker believes, now, that the next year will define the American's time with the USA – NOT – the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The result of that tournament is in the past, and this is a new era for his squad, meaning they can only look forward.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Berhalter's performances of late have put him under the scrutiny of many after falling to Germany in an international friendly in October, and then suffering an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago in the Concacaf Nations League in November. Now, with the biggest tournament of 2024 upon him, Dempsey believes that Copa America could define his tenure with the USMNT.

• WHAT DEMPSEY SAID

  "I think Copa America is truly how you're going to be graded for the team,' Dempsey told Mail Sport, 'And, you know, for the coaches, are we doing the right thing? Because you're not gonna get another bigger opportunity to do well in the World Cup on home soil in 2026. So if you do well in [the Copa America] and you're building towards something, then that's great. But if you're not, I think there's still time to change things if you need to.
  "You don't do well, then you're always on the chopping block,' Dempsey added. "That's what comes with every job, right? If you're not performing, the question starts to be asked. So I think there's still time to show what you can do. But I think Copa America is going to be a huge test for this team and for this coach in terms of where we're going."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

  The USSF have scheduled an international friendly against Slovenia for January 20, with the first test of the year for Berhalter and co. being against the EURO 2024 side. For now, though, Berhalter will be having his eyes on his player's club performances, especially that of Ricardo Pepi, who notched a stoppage-time winner for PSV in the Champions League Wednesday.

Arsenal ensured they stay just three points behind Women's Super League leaders Chelsea after they ran out 2-0 winners against Liverpool on Sunday.

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• Arsenal dominant throughout WSL clash
• Miedema scored first goal in over a year
• Foord killed game off with second

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  TELL ME MORE

  Arsenal dominated possession and were the more imposing team in attack for most of the game as they managed to work the ball into the Liverpool box. The visitors were not able to find the breakthrough until the 60th minute when Vivianne Miedema took on a pass from Emily Fox in the middle of Liverpool's half and sent it sailing into the net from outside the box. It is Miedema's first goal for Arsenal since December 2022.

  Arsenal looked a bit braver following the opening goal and came close again when Caitlin Foord hit a shot from a tight angle but Rachael Laws managed to keep it out. It felt like a second goal was on the way and it was Foord who delivered it when Alessia Russo got onto the end of a Fox pass, squared to the winger and she tucked it in to kill the game off.

  Arsenal looked set to score a third when a nice high ball fell in behind the Liverpool defence for substitute Stina Blackstenius, but her effort went over the bar. The Swede had another great chance when it fell to her in the box, but Laws pulled off the save.

  Liverpool had their best chance to pull a goal back deep into stoppage time as the ball was headed on to Mia Enderby who raced towards the Arsenal goal, but Manuela Zinsberger did well to deny her. At the other end, Blackstenius came close yet again only to see her shot hit the post.

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  THE MVP

  There will be a lot of praise for Miedema and Foord for getting the goals, but Fox's excellent work in both goals should not be overlooked. She squeezed through three Liverpool players and down the wing before squaring to Miedema for the opener, then her perfectly weighted pass found Russo to create the second goal.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Liverpool centre-back Gemma Bonner will feel she should have closed down Miedema and attempted to block the Netherlands star's shot rather than simply tracking back and leaving the space for her to tee it up and unleash the shot.

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• WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Arsenal will fancy their chances of keeping the pressure on WSL leaders Chelsea when they take on struggling West Ham in their next game on February 4. That same day, Liverpool will host another north London team as they face Tottenham.

The Parisians are bracing themselves for the loss of their star man this summer, but might already have a capable replacement on their books

Kylian Mbappe is flirting with Real Madrid – he has been for quite some time. This melodrama, one which presumably concludes with Mbappe standing with a smirk in front of the famous wall of Champions League trophies at Valdebebas, is winding to its end. And although it will certainly leave Florentino Perez, Carlo Ancelotti and co. dreaming of another year of glittering success, Paris Saint-Germain will have to confront the reality of being without their all-time top goalscorer.

That is mostly because Mbappe cannot be replaced. The Parisians, though, can change. It's a process that football advisor Luis Campos kicked off last season by bringing in 12 new recruits, all signed to soften the blow of an Mbappe-less future in the French capital.

The biggest new arrival, though, might be a player who hasn't yet appeared for the club since his return in 2023. RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons is technically is currently in Germany on loan from PSG, and in all likelihood will make a proper return to Paris this summer.

After two seasons away, the 20-year-old could be the final piece in PSG's post-Mbappe puzzle, the face of a team refurbished and ready to stay competitive on Europe's biggest stage.

• La Masia upbringing

  Simons' football career hasn't been all success. Although he's just 20, it seems like the exciting attacker has been around for years. In a way, he has. Born in Amsterdam, Simons moved to south-eastern Spain at the age of three. By the time he was seven years old, Barcelona had snapped him up, and made him one of the biggest talents of a generation, alongside current Golden Boy winner Gavi.

  The hype around his upbringing was palpable from an early age. Simons appeared in commercials with Ronaldinho and Neymar as a child, and his name alone gave Barca fans reason for excitement (yes, he was named Xavi because of that famous midfielder). One social media account summarised the hype in modest terms: "Dribbles like [Andres] Iniesta, wins awards like [Lionel] Messi, face like Ronaldinho, hair like [Carles] Puyol, nationality like [Johan] Cruyff, and the name is Xavi."

  Simons never saw the field for a senior Barca team. Chelsea tried to take him to London at 12, but he declined the offer. However, he eventually left Catalunya when super-agent Mino Raiola came along in 2019.

  Barca reportedly offered Simon assurances that he would star for their Juvenil A (Under-19s) side, and teased a first-team role. But with Messi in the way and Raiola able to drum up interest from around Europe, Simons penned a three-year deal with PSG. Some reports suggested that he would earn up to €1 million (£850,000/$1.1m) per year as a 16-year-old. Barca, for their part, received just €130,000 – a meagre sum for a player who was regarded as a sure-fire world-class talent at the time.

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  Uncertain start to Parisian life

  PSG didn't offer Simons consistent playing time – at least not immediately. He spent his first season tucked away in their academy system, as the Parisians dropped him straight into their U19 set-up, handing the 16-year-old ample space to focus on football.

  It proved to be valuable development time for a teenager who had never really spent time away from the spotlight. PSG lived in a world of preoccupation at the time, with the antics of Neymar and Mbappe dominating the senior side. Simons, who had over four million Instagram followers and the watchful eyes of an expectant world on him when he first arrived, managed to snatch some valuable time to develop.

  Hopes remained high, though, and he trained with the senior PSG squad during pre-season in 2020, making his debut in a friendly that August. By early 2021, he was a fixture on the PSG bench, awaiting his chance to crack a line-up full of global superstars. He made his professional debut in February of that year, and his Ligue 1 bow soon after. By the summer of 2021, it seemed that Simons was well on track to work his way into the first team, especially with Mauricio Pochettino highlighting a specific role for him in the side.

  But it never worked out, and Simons spent most of the 2021-22 campaign on the bench. By the end of that campaign, the teenager had been on the pitch for just over 300 minutes, and was yet to score as a professional.

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  PSV breakout

  Simons needed a way out, and PSV provided it. Once again, he was afforded the opportunity to work out of the spotlight, functioning as a key cog for a PSV team that very few would tab as genuine contenders for domestic or European glory. But with Simons pulling the strings, Ruud van Nistelrooy's side came close. He scored 22 goals and assisted 12 more in all competitions, working in tandem with Cody Gakpo to drag an otherwise flawed side to a second-placed finish in the Eredivisie.

  For PSV, Simons was the catalyst, a player who could terrify opponents with his slick dribbling ability, before finding the cute passes around the penalty area to set up for his team-mates. It was everything that first Barcelona, then PSG hoped the player could be.

  “At this age, he’s not a real specialist,” PSV assistant coach Fred Rutten told in June 2023. “In the future, I think he can play at No.10, but he’s more of a No.10 who scores goals. He has the skills when he’s in the box and when he can come out quickly in the counter-attack — then he’s really dangerous.”

  Simons' form brought his future into sharp focus, with Premier League and Bundesliga clubs linked with moves for the youngster after he also broke into the senior Netherlands squad. However, it soon became clear that a return to PSG was on the cards, with a clause having been inserted into his contract that allowed him to return to the French champions, even though he had departed as a free agent just a few months prior.

  "It is a clause between me and PSV, not between me and Paris Saint-Germain. It’s a clause that, if I wanted to go to PSG, I could leave for a certain amount at the end of the season," Simons explained. "To be honest, it’s not in my head to leave. I’m settled here; I feel good here. You can also see that on the field, I think. I came here on a free transfer, so I have no obligations to anyone. I’m the one who has to make the choice."

  Simons may have had a say in the matter, but what he failed to mention was that PSG's buy-back clause was very affordable, and certainly came in at under market value. They showed little hesitation, then, in bringing one of the world's brightest talents back to Parc des Princes for just €6 million (£5.2m/$6.6m).

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  Leipzig and further development

  Simons arrived back in Paris last summer, only to confront the reality that PSG still had Mbappe and were busy retooling the rest of their forward line following Messi and Neymar's departures. Therefore, promptly after signing a four-year contract, he negotiated a loan move to Leipzig.

  The step up in quality has brought a new level out of Simons, who has been among the most impactful players in the Bundesliga this season. He has 16 goal contributions to his name in all competitions and is Leipzig's leader in assists.

  These days, he operates as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-2-2 setup, floating between the lines and buzzing around the edge of the box. His link up with Dani Olmo – also a La Masia product – has been devastating at times, and the catalyst for Marco Rose's expansive attack. Once a chaotic, all-action dribbler, Simons has become a refined passer who can find a killer ball with ease.

  He remains, however, a human highlight-reel. He provided one of the more memorable goals of the Champions League season so far, whipping an effort into the top corner from 25 yards out against Red Star Belgrade, while he also bagged the Bundesliga Goal of the Month award in January for his swivel, pivot and volley that opened the scoring against Bayer Leverkusen. He will undoubtedly be the player Real Madrid fear the most when the two sides meet in the Champions League last 16, with the first leg in Germany on Tuesday.

Seamer Akash Parkar’s triple strike set up Mumbai’s seven-wicket win over Maharashtra in Rajkot

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2018Dinesh Karthik struck his third successive half-century as Tamil Nadu brushed aside Goa by 25 runs in Vishakapatnam. Karthik followed up his 57 and 71 against Andhra and Kerala respectively with a 43-ball 56 to hoist Tamil Nadu’s total to 155 for 5. The spinners then took over as offspinner Washington Sundar (2 for 20) and legspinner M Ashwin (2 for 22) put the skids on Goa’s chase. Only captain Sagun Kamat made a substantial contribution with 41 off 42 balls as Goa managed only 130 for 7. With three wins from three games, Tamil Nadu are now on top of the South Zone standings with 12 points.Seamer Akash Parkar’s triple strike set up Mumbai‘s seven-wicket win over Maharashtra in Rajkot. Parkar’s 3 for 22 in four overs helped his side skittle Maharashtra for 89 in 15 overs. He was supported by legspinner Parikshit Valsangkar (2 for 22) and seamer Shivam Dubey (2 for 7). Captain Aditya Tare then struck an unbeaten 26-ball 42, ensuring Mumbai chased down the target with more than 10 overs to spare. This was Mumbai’s second win in four matches.

Graham Ford’s things to do list

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan10-Jun-2007

Enter low-profile, stay low-profile
When Ford’s name was first linked to India’s coaching job one board
administrator said in half-jest: “Who is this Ford? Next you’ll say Ferrari,
Mercedes and Toyota.” Ford must take full advantage of his relative
anonymity and try, as much as he possibly can, to stay low-key. After the
tumultuous Chappell era, when the focus often shifted from the players to
the coach, Indian cricket is in need of a backroom worker, someone who
can push rather than pull. Taking a cue from Wright, India’s first
foreign coach who was remarkably inconspicuous for most of his tenure,
might be a good way to start.Getting the best out of the seniors
Some have termed them Dad’s army: watch them play and it’s more like the
Geriatrics Club of India. The team comprises men who are
staring at retirement but Ford’s best option is to get the maximum out of
them. India’s first-class system isn’t exactly brimming with exceptionally
talented youngsters and those like Suresh Raina who’ve been given a
chance have stood exposed. Ford’s biggest challenge will be the senior batsmen, something that Chappell, despite his good record coaching some of the younger players, couldn’t achieve for a sustained period of time. Ford is said to possess a
“technical eye” and comes with a hard-nosed reputation, factors that could go a long way in extracting the best out of great batsmen in their twilight years.Balancing complacency and insecurity
Wright’s final year as coach saw a number of established names take their
spots for granted and make the cut despite some woeful performances.
Chappell’s tenure was characterised by a rash of insecurity, with players
unsure of when the axe would fall – what began as ‘Perform or Perish’ ended
up, as with Mohammad Kaif in Kuala Lumpur, ‘Perform
Perish’. Ford, captain Rahul Dravid and chief selector
Dilip Vengsarkar need to find a balance – gauging how long a rope can be
afforded to each individual.Basics please
Whether he adopts rolling camps or conducts sessions at the army paratroop
centre, Ford must device a method to sort out the basics. He must get the
batsmen to run better between wickets; hammer it into them that taking the
shortest route helps and stressing the importance of grounding
their bats; he must get India to stop a few more runs on the field and
somehow put in place an efficient slip cordon that holds more than a
sieve; he must also unearth a couple of good close-in catchers. It would
help if he has a word with his countryman, Adrian Le Roux, the former
trainer who some Indian players still swear by. Andrew Leipus, the former
physio who’s always ready to help, could also be another useful sounding
board.

Taking a load off Dravid
Dravid’s job was, no doubt, made harder by a domineering coach and it’s
important that Ford plays facilitator rather than doer. He needs to play a
big role in the internal dynamics of man management and the daily media
stress test that the team is put through. Wright did that wonderfully,
despite having his differences with Ganguly; Chappell struggled and his
dominant personality didn’t endear itself to many of the players.Earning the players’ trust
“Now that we’ve experienced Chappell, we’re ready for anyone”. This
statement, from a member of the team, reflects the loss of trust in the
coach who was tactless in his off-the-record briefings to the media.
Ford will no doubt face frustrations but coaching through the media is
fraught with danger, especially when you’re riling your own players.
Earning the confidence of the players – the same players largely responsible
for his appointment – will be vital.No immediate revolution
No one doubts Indian cricket needs a drastic overhaul but trying to instigate
an immediate revolution could lead to further trouble. Chappell tried to
create order from chaos but plunged into it well before
he’d proven his coaching credentials. Ford comes in with a fine record as
coach but he needs to establish himself as the right man for the job. His
personality doesn’t suggest he will spark off any major change in the
overall functioning of Indian cricket but if he chooses to do so, he must
wait for the right time before striking.

Can Virender Sehwag dominate Shoaib Akhtar like he did the last time the two played? Can Inzamam-ul-Haq thwart the Anil Kumble menace?

S Rajesh10-Jan-2006

Shoaib Akhtar v Virender Sehwag
The last time the two met in a Test series, there was little doubt who came out on top. With both teams straining to strike the early blow, Sehwag delivered a statement as emphatic as they come, with his triple-century. Of those 309 runs, 62 came off Shoaib, from 77 balls; in the entire series, Sehwag scored 124 runs off Shoaib at an average of 62. As the table below shows, Shoaib failed to make an impression on most of the Indian batsmen. However, now apparently in the form of his life, this could well be the chance for him to settle old scores.In his last seven Tests, Shoaib has nailed 36 wickets at 25.75, suggesting that he has finally learnt to match performance with pre-match bluster. More than just those stats, though, it’s the manner in which he has applied himself that has been so impressive – the 118 overs he bowled against England was the first time he bowled more than 100 overs in a series, while with the bat he was resoluteness personified. Sehwag, meanwhile, is struggling for form, with just one half-century in his last eight Test innings, and two in his last 25 ODIs. This might well be Shoaib’s best opportunity to even accounts.

Irfan Pathan versus Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yousuf’s tendency to waft into his lazy drives outside off was exploited superbly by Irfan Pathan in the previous series in Pakistan: after keeping him quiet with well-directed balls swinging back in, Pathan often delivered the sucker ball, wide of off, and drew an indiscrete stroke. In 119 balls, Pathan conceded just 35 and dismissed Yousuf twice. However, Yousuf learned from his mistakes and handled Pathan much better on the tour to India, scoring 42 off 64 for once out. Yousuf is coming off an excellent series against England, and unlike in 2003-04, he will know what to expect from Pathan. However, in his short career Pathan has shown an inclination to learn new tricks and experiment, and you can be sure he’ll have a few ideas to deal with Yousuf this time around as well.

Inzamam-ul-Haq versus Anil Kumble
After the initial opening acts from both teams, this pair could be at the forefront of their teams’ fortunes – Inzamam has been in the form of his life this season, playing with an assurance that has made him an immovable object, while Kumble has shown remarkable improvement – at least in Test cricket – with age, adding more weapons to his armoury.
Inzamam’s tendency to shuffle across his stumps is a flaw Kumble has exploited more than once. In fact, no bowler has nailed Inzamam more than Kumble (seven times), but it has hardly been one-way traffic: in the last two series, Inzamam has fallen to Kumble four times, but has also scored 188 runs off him for a handy average of 47. In fact, Pakistan’s top batsmen have a reasonably good record against Kumble over the last two series.

Rahul Dravid versus Danish Kaneria
One can bat seemingly interminably, the other loves to wheel away at the batsmen, over after over, with relentless accuracy. While Shoaib may be the prime strike bowler for Pakistan, Kaneria, with his ability to bowl wicket-taking deliveries and keep it tight, will play a critical role. He proved just how lethal he could be in that matchwinning effort at Bangalore last year, and the Indians, despite their impressive overall record against him, will do well to be wary.If Kaneria is Pakistan’s Duracell with the ball, then Dravid will be expected to play a similar role with the bat for India. As the table below shows, Dravid has played 411 deliveries from Kaneria in the last two series – how many more he adds to that number could provide an indication of India’s batting fortunes in the series.

While the results of these battles could determine which way the series goes, Pakistan will also want a much better performance from their fast bowlers, especially since they’ve announced that they’re putting their faith in pace. The table below shows just how badly Pakistan were let down by their fast bowlers in their last two series – their spinners gave away nearly 23 fewer runs per wicket, while the relatively less renowned Indian pace attack comfortably outdid them too.

The key culprit for Pakistan was Mohammad Sami, who, apart from the odd testing spell, did precious little, taking 17 wickets at 54.60. His stats against the Indian top order indicates just how ineffective he was. Shoaib may be in top form, but he will still want better support from the rest of the cast.