Not one of the young players in whom so much time and money has been invested has thrived under Silverwood’s watch

Matt Roller29-Dec-2021It was a comment that stuck in the craw. “I think there are positives coming out of this,” Chris Silverwood said in an interview to , after his England side lost by an innings and 14 runs at the MCG to give Australia an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Ashes. “I’ve got to give our boys credit for the way they pushed back yesterday.”If Silverwood’s intentions were sound – defending his bowlers’ efforts after they had come in for heavy criticism after the Adelaide Test – then his response still betrayed a coach whose outlook seems increasingly out of touch with reality. His side has lost nine of their last 12 Tests, including six consecutive thrashings away from home: this was the time for honesty and introspection, not empty cliché.Those results mean Silverwood should be well-versed in fronting up after a defeat but his words have suggested otherwise. He has referred to a batting line-up containing “youngsters that are learning on the job constantly”, when five of the top seven in all three Tests have been aged 30-plus. He has described the dressing-room debrief after the thrashing in Adelaide as “a good, honest chat” and evidence that the players respond to him, despite the manner of the defeat. Most bizarrely, he insisted that England know what their best XI is, despite the very notion being outdated in this squad-based era of Test cricket.But Silverwood has a history of making a rod for his own back. He has stressed the importance of preparing his side for this series ever since his appointment 26 months ago to the extent that everything had been geared towards it: why focus on winning the series at hand or making qualification for the World Test Championship final a priority when you can talk in vagaries about long-term Ashes preparation?The nadir came at the start of the English summer. “Playing the top two teams in the world, in New Zealand and India, is perfect preparation for us as we continue to improve and progress towards an Ashes series in Australia at the back end of the year,” Silverwood was quoted as saying in a press release before his side went on to win one out of six Tests across their home season. Under his predecessor, Trevor Bayliss, England were dominant at home but struggled away; under Silverwood, England sacrificed their stellar home record to prepare for the Ashes, but results overseas have been just as bad.

When Silverwood was unveiled as England coach, he had said his “job number one” was to improve the Test side so that they could “make a real impact” in Australia in 2021-22. Perhaps circumstances and a creaking system have let him down but he has clearly failed to achieve his primary goal

“Our gameplan is not rocket science – we need big first-innings runs,” Silverwood wrote in his programme notes at the start of the India series in August, like a football manager revealing that his team’s strategic masterplan was to try and score goals in the first half. In their seven Tests since then, England have been bowled out for 236 or under in the first innings four times and have made 400 only once. Silverwood highlighted old-school virtues of batting time but has been unable to implement that philosophy.Their failure to do simple things well has been a damning reflection on Silverwood’s training sessions: dropped catches, missed run-outs and wickets off no-balls have added to a wider sense that a focus on small details has caused England to lose sight of the basics. Jofra Archer’s absence is a mitigating factor – but his excessive workload in Silverwood’s first Test and beyond doubtless contributed to his injury.Asked about England’s response to Rory Burns’ first-ball dismissal in Brisbane, Silverwood spoke about the management’s wargaming and their attempts to think: “Okay, we expected this – let’s move forward.” Combined with his insistence that they picked the right team for the first two Tests in spite of all evidence, it has become clear that he lacks the humility to admit his own mistakes.In a winning team, that might be framed as a positive, demonstrating strength in his own convictions. But it has jarred badly with an unassuming public persona and either an inability or an unwillingness to explain England’s decision-making after defeats, and has been out of kilter with an understated defiance about his own future. “I do feel like I am capable of leading this team to winning things and that’s what I’m going to stay focused on,” he insisted after the MCG defeat.The response to a third consecutive drubbing in an Ashes series in Australia has been to look for systemic issues within the English game, to blame the rotation policy which saw first-choice players rested in India, to criticise the domestic schedule and to focus on the prioritisation of white-ball cricket. Covid, too, has contributed to a meagre warm-up period, a brutal schedule and an intense team environment.Silverwood is under growing pressure after his side conceded an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Ashes•Getty ImagesAll have contributed to this defeat, but Silverwood must shoulder some of the blame. Right now, his position appears untenable. Not one of the young players in whom so much time and money has been invested has thrived under his watch – in fact, most appear to have regressed – and two years of planning has unravelled within 12 days of cricket. Clearly, the players he has worked with have been limited, but it is damning on the management team he leads that aside from Joe Root, the only batter to emerge from the first three Tests with any credit – Dawid Malan – is the one who has spent the least time training with the Test squad in the last two years.Another defining feature of the Silverwood era has been his mistrust of spin, which has seen England go into seven out of his 27 Tests without a frontline spinner. Ironically, his primary qualification for the job was his Championship win with Essex in 2017 – a title underpinned by Simon Harmer, the outstanding spinner in county cricket, who took 72 wickets at 19.19. He clearly does not rate Jack Leach, who has not played a home Test under him, yet opted to throw him to the wolves on a green-top at the Gabba.Not since Ray Illingworth has an England coach had as much power as Silverwood, after Ashley Giles, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, opted to give him lead selectorial duties and dismiss Ed Smith earlier this year. Yet that power has manifested itself in theory alone: after the T20 World Cup, Silverwood admitted he would not even consider removing the out-of-form Eoin Morgan as captain: “He’s got to make that decision himself… the longer he is there, the better,” he said.Giles’ own position must also be in question after the decisions to promote Silverwood twice: first from bowling coach to head coach, beating Gary Kirsten to the job, and later from head coach to overarching supremo. “His head is on the block,” he said when Smith was axed. “If we lose in Australia, the pressure will be on all of us. You might as well have a free run at it: it’s your team.”Giles hoped Silverwood could be cricket’s Gareth Southgate: a best-of-British choice who has used the knowledge and experience he gained in a junior role to galvanise a team that had lacked a clear identity. Instead, he has resembled Steve McClaren: hopelessly out of his depth after an overpromotion, as reflected by results.Related

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The recruitment process appeared flawed, with reports highlighting the strength of Silverwood’s presentation. Kirsten himself has revealed a disconnect between what he had been led to believe heading to his interview at Lord’s in 2019 and the reality of the situation: “It was a very weird process,” he said last year. “I think they wanted Chris to do the job but if I arrived and I was convincing enough they might have offered it to me; but I was thinking they were going to offer me the job.”The refusal to split the head coach’s role in two was an obvious mistake, exacerbated by the pandemic further squeezing the international schedule. Silverwood has regularly missed white-ball series in order to take time off and contributes little to the limited-overs set-up; he was appointed due to his credentials as a red-ball coach after leading Essex to promotion and then the title, but had a losing record overall in the T20 Blast.Kirsten is already indirectly on the ECB’s payroll as Welsh Fire’s head coach and has at least some knowledge of England’s talent pool through his role in the Hundred. If his family commitments allow, he would be the standout candidate as a Test coach, with Paul Collingwood – already a regular and popular stand-in for Silverwood – well-placed for the white-ball job.Graham Ford, who left his job as Ireland head coach after growing increasingly frustrated with their lack of facilities and fixtures, would be another strong candidate for the Test job, but many of the world’s best coaches will justifiably have limited interest in spending hundreds of nights a year away on tour when they can earn just as much from two months at the IPL.When Silverwood was unveiled as England coach in 2019, he had said that his “job number one” was to improve the Test side so that they could “make a real impact” in Australia in 2021-22. Perhaps circumstances and a creaking system have let him down but he has clearly failed to achieve his primary goal.

Whether through luck or tactical ingenuity, Titans, LSG, RR and RCB have all had to overcome adversity to reach the playoffs

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-May-2022Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, PuneBefore the season began, you probably wouldn’t have tipped Gujarat Titans to qualify for the playoffs, let alone get there as table-toppers. That they’ve achieved this despite having obvious holes in their batting has largely been down to three things: their strength as a bowling unit, the match-winners in their lower middle order, and luck going their way in a number of close games.Related

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There’s been no shortage of dramatic games in their journey to this point, but their comeback win over Chennai Super Kings defined their season. It began with the bowlers. Super Kings were 124 for 2 after the 14th over, but Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal and Rashid Khan conceded just 27 off the next five overs. It left Titans chasing 170 rather than, say, 190.Even so, Titans were still vulnerable because Hardik Pandya was out injured, compromising their depth to the extent that Rashid was slotted at No. 7. At 87 for 5 in the 13th over, that lack of depth was going to be severely tested, even with David Miller batting brilliantly.You know what happened next. The 18th over began with Titans needing 48 off 18 – ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster gave them a 4.2% chance of victory – before Rashid whipped Chris Jordan for 6, 6, 4, 6 to transform the match. Cometh the hour, cometh another unlikely hero.R Ashwin brought out the big hits against Lucknow Super Giants, but didn’t overstay his welcome, opting to retire out in the 19th over•BCCIRajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants, Wankhede StadiumEven before a ball was bowled this season, Rajasthan Royals’ strengths and weaknesses were clear. Their top five and their bowling attack were among the best in the league on paper, but it wasn’t clear how they would bridge the gap between those two ends of their line-up.They unveiled the solution to that issue in their fourth match of the season, against Lucknow Super Giants. Reduced to 67 for 4 in the tenth over of their innings, Royals promoted R Ashwin to No. 6, giving viewers their first glimpse of their intention to maximise his batting ability. They would use him in other roles in future games – most often as a pinch-hitter at No. 3 – but now they were sending him in to see out the remainder of the middle overs in Shimron Hetmyer’s company, with Riyan Parag held back for later.Ashwin performed his role perfectly, but just when he threatened to overstay his welcome, his innings stretching into the 19th over, he ran off the field and became the first batter to tactically retire out in the IPL. With Hetmyer rushing to an unbeaten 59 off 36, Royals set Super Giants a target of 166.Royals’ bowlers then did their bit to seal an enthralling victory. Trent Boult picked up two wickets in his first over, Ashwin bowled four boundary-free overs, and Yuzvendra Chahal – whose last two overs were held back for the 16th and 18th of Super Giants’ chase – made the decisive intervention with figures of 4 for 41.Mohsin Khan has been instrumental in giving Super Giants crucial breakthroughs•BCCILucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals, Wankhede StadiumThe flexibility afforded by a plethora of allrounders was tipped to be Super Giants’ trump card. As things have turned out, that flexibility has been a bit of a mixed blessing so far, at least with the bat, leaving Super Giants with an unsettled middle order.With the ball, though, the flexibility has allowed KL Rahul to use and hide bowlers as and when needed. This was particularly in evidence in a successful defence of 195 against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium.With Mohsin Khan and Dushmantha Chameera dismissing the Capitals openers early, Rahul gambled by bringing Krunal Pandya on for the fourth over despite Rishabh Pant being at the crease. He may have hoped that Pant would treat the left-arm spinner with more respect than normal given the match situation, or for Pant to go after Krunal and lose his wicket in the process. The move backfired, however, with Pant hitting three fours and a six in a 19-run over. Capitals took 34 off the next two overs and ended the powerplay at 66 for 2.But Super Giants’ wealth of bowling options eventually helped them claw their way back. It allowed them to hide their fingerspinners, who weren’t having the greatest of days; Krunal bowled just that one over, and Krishnappa Gowtham – who was taken apart by Rovman Powell in the 12th over – only two. Then, with Capitals needing 50 off the last four, Super Giants were able to use up their main fast bowlers’ last three overs in the 17th, 18th and 19th, since they had Marcus Stoinis in reserve. It came down to 13 needed off four balls, and Stoinis did his job, stringing together three crucial, back-to-back dots by denying Axar Patel elevation.Dinesh Karthik slammed a 34-ball 66 to lift Royal Challengers Bangalore to 190 against Delhi Capitals•BCCIRoyal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, Wankhede StadiumRoyal Challengers Bangalore have been IPL 2022’s worst powerplay team. With the ball, they’ve been both the most expensive (economy rate of 8.05) and least penetrative (average of 45.13) team in this phase. With the bat, they have the lowest run rate (6.40) and the third-worst average (25.61). But they’ve found ways to make up for this, just about often enough to sneak into the playoffs.Perhaps the best example of Royal Challengers overcoming their powerplay weaknesses was their victory over Capitals, who were eventually their closest rivals for fourth place.Sent in, Royal Challengers lost both openers in a 40-run powerplay, and Virat Kohli two balls later, before crucial knocks from Glenn Maxwell (55 off 34 balls), Shahbaz Ahmed (32* off 21) and Dinesh Karthik (66* off 34) helped them recover and set a challenging target of 190.David Warner put Capitals on track, propelling them to a powerplay score of 57 for 1. But Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maxwell and Shahbaz combined to give away just one boundary in the next four overs, and Capitals’ required rate climbed to 11.10 at the halfway mark.Forced into taking chances, Warner hit Harshal for two boundaries in the 11th over but fell while attempting to switch-hit Hasaranga in the 12th. It began a collapse that saw Capitals lose four wickets for 21 runs in the space of 22 balls, and Royal Challengers were now in control, with 75 required off the last 30 balls. Late hitting from Capitals’ lower order spoiled the figures of Harshal and Hasaranga, but the result was never in doubt.

“I feel that 21-24 is a good age to get a debut for the Indian team and I’m just trying to give my best,” Kumar Kushagra says

Deivarayan Muthu24-Aug-2025After recovering from a back niggle that had prevented him from training during the last month, Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has returned to action with a fifty and a hundred in the first two rounds of the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. Ahead of the Duleep Trophy, which will kick off on August 28 in Bengaluru, Kushagra has declared himself fully fit for the domestic grind.”Last month, I was not practising [my batting] or keeping, but I’m totally fit and good now,” Kushagra said on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu tournament. “While going into the Duleep Trophy, this [Buchi Babu] is a good match for us Jharkhand players and for me as well. The facilities, grounds and environment are a good preparation for the Duleep Trophy.”A separate back injury had earlier forced Kushagra to miss a chunk of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy and the Emerging Asia Cup last October. In the lead-up to a new domestic season, Kushagra has prioritised fitness, having worked hard with his father Shashikant, his de facto trainer, back at home, and with the BCCI’s medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.Related

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“Before this tournament, I was at the NCA [CoE] and before that I was working with my dad,” Kushagra said. “I was going early in the morning at 4.30-5am to work on my fitness and batting and keeping. Being at the NCA also helped because there are good coaches and physios there. I gave my yo-yo test and was ready for the Buchi Babu tournament.”Missing the [Emerging] Asia Cup was a setback because it was important ahead of the IPL auction. The one who helps me is my dad. Even when I’m not with him, like when I’m in Tamil Nadu now, he gives me inputs on the phone and sends batting videos of players who are playing at the international level.”Kushagra, 20, has been part of a wider pool of targeted players shortlisted by the CoE in recent times. He made his India A debut in February 2024, scoring a run-a-ball 40 in the second innings against an England Lions attack that included Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts. That knock gave Kushagra the belief that he could succeed at the top level too.”At that moment, I was sold in the IPL for [INR] 7.2 crore [to Delhi Capitals] and I was a bit confident to play for India A as well because I had scored a [Ranji Trophy] hundred against Services in Delhi. I scored 40-odd against England, so I was confident that I could score runs here also.”Kumar Kushagra has played for India A already, suggesting he is in the wider pool of players the BCCI is looking at•PTI Kushagra, who is set to play for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, sees the tournament as a springboard for higher honours.”Yeah, it definitely helps being in the eyes of the selectors,” he said. “If you perform in these matches like Buchi Babu and Duleep Trophy, it can take you to the Indian team, but you have to be consistent at the same time.”I’m keeping things very simple at the moment and I want to go there and express myself. I feel that 21-24 is a good age to get a debut for the Indian team and I’m just trying to give my best.”With Jos Buttler being Gujarat Titans’ frontline keeper, Kushagra didn’t get a game during IPL 2025 [after moving from DC], but he used the training sessions to pick the brains of Buttler, Matthew Wade (GT’s assistant coach) and Parthiv Patel (who is also part of GT’s backroom staff).”I was not playing matches, but I thought I should keep because in domestic tournaments you bat a lot [during training] but don’t keep much. Parthiv sir, Matthew Wade and Jos Buttler helped me a lot,” he said. “Actually, I was not that comfortable when keeping to fast bowlers when the ball was wobbling too much. I [learnt] how I can tackle that [wobbling ball] in windy conditions like in England and all that.””I’m keeping things very simple at the moment and I want to go there and express myself”•PTI Jharkhand had a poor start to the 2024-25 Ranji season, having no outright win to show for in their first five games. Then they beat both Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu at home to close out the season with back-to-back victories. Kushagra said the team had drawn confidence from toppling a strong Tamil Nadu team.”We were brilliant in the last two matches at the Keenan Stadium [in Jamshedpur],” Kushagra recalled. “Our spinners were all over the batters, and we were performing above the Tamil Nadu team, which was good for us.”The last time Jharkhand’s senior men’s team won a domestic title was back in 2010-11, when their current association secretary Saurabh Tiwary had led them to glory in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy.”I just want my team to win a particular format, and we also discuss these things about winning a tournament in my home, also because every day my mom says that you should win because Jharkhand have so many talented players,” he said. “So, in my mind, there is always one thing: I want to win a trophy for my team and do whatever the team wants from me.”

ESPNcricinfo examines the roles of various South Africa players via their recent IPL performances

Gaurav Sundararaman07-Jun-20222:02

David Miller: ‘I pride myself on finishing off games’

David Miller
Runs: 481 Average: 68.71 Strike rate:142.72
Miller had a fixed role for Gujarat Titans and played it so perfectly that he had his best IPL season. He remained not out in nine matches and was one of the best finishers this IPL. Of the 58 batters to face at least 500 balls across the six IPL seasons from 2016 to 2021, Miller had the second-lowest strike rate – 118.65. He, however, turned it around this season with impressive strokeplay against spin and stated that the role clarity he had with the Titans was instrumental in his success. Miller plays a similar role for South Africa and he will be hoping that he can continue his scintillating T20 form.Quinton de Kock forged a strong opening partnership with KL Rahul at Lucknow Super Giants•BCCIQuinton De Kock

Runs: 508 runs Average: 36.28 Strike rate:148.95
Having retired from Test cricket, de Kock has now turned his focus to white-ball cricket. He may not get the top billing that other IPL superstars get but he has averaged 36.28 and struck at almost 150, with three fifties and one century, this season. Powerplay performance is usually key to setting the foundation and de Kock did the job during this phase by striking at 136.7 with 12 sixes.Only Jonny Bairstow and David Warner scored at a faster pace than him among overseas openers. Most oppositions look to match up de Kock with offspin as he has struck at only 124 against this type of bowling. de Kock will look to remedy this in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.Kagiso Rabada was the highest wicket-taker among seamers in IPL 2022•BCCIKagiso Rabada
Wickets: 23 Average:17.65 Economy rate:8.45
No pacer has bowled more balls than Rabada across formats since 2016. Also, no bowler has conceded more sixes than Rabada across the last three IPL seasons. Since start of 2020, Rabada has 98 T20 wickets at an economy rate of 8.23. In IPL 2022, Rabada was the most prolific wicket-taker among pacers, picking up 23 wickets at an average 17.65. However, Rabada was below par in a couple of areas: taking wickets in the powerplay and keeping it tight at the death. Since January 2020, Rabada has struck only once every 24 balls in the powerplay and has conceded 9.45 an over at the death. He, however takes wickets at the death, striking once every 10 balls. South Africa will be hoping for early wickets and death-overs bite from him in the forthcoming series.Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran finished games for Sunrisers Hyderabad•BCCIAiden Markram
Runs: 381 Average:47.62 Strike rate:139.05
Markram was a surprise addition to the Punjab Kings set-up in the second half of 2021. Many players from various countries were not willing to fly to the IPL, citing bubble fatigue, while Markram was ready to fly in from Sri Lanka. The move proved a turning point in his T20 career.In IPL 2022 he hit higher notes, scoring 381 runs at a strike rate of 139.05 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Markram has played only 18 T20Is so far and will look to build on that. He now plays one of the toughest roles in T20 cricket – batting at No.4 or 5. In his short T20I career at this position Markram has done an excellent job. Since June 2021, only five batters have scored more T20 runs than Markram while striking at over 135 and averaging over 35. Markram also is a good player of spin and can be handy with his own offspin.Marco Jansen sent Virat Kohli back for a first-ball duck•PTI Marco Jansen

Wickets: 7 Average:39.14 Economy Rate:8.56
Jansen is yet to make his T20I debut but in his short T20 career, he has shown that he is ready for the big stage. In IPL 2022, Jansen took seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.56. He is best suited to bowling three overs upfront; in the recent IPL season he went at just 7.7 an over during the powerplay while taking five wickets. His left-arm angle could pose a threat to Indian players who often struggle with this type of bowling.Anrich Nortje’s bowling lacked enough penetration in IPL 2022•BCCIAnrich Nortje
Wickets: 9 Average:24.51 Economy rate:9.71
Nortje’s return to Delhi Capitals from injury seemed a bit rushed as he could not replicate his form from IPL 2020 and 2021. Nortje played only six matches this season, conceding 9.71 an over. He ended up giving up 12 runs or more in an over on nine occasions. Returning from an injury can be particularly hard and hence South Africa need to manage his workload well. Nortje is at his best when he is paired up with Rabada. However, if he continues to leak runs for the national team as well South Africa may turn to other options.Rassie van der Dussen, Dwaine Pretorious, Tristan Stubbs and Lungi Ngidi were the others who had IPL gigs but did not get enough games to prove their worth. They will be looking to push for T20 World Cup selection if they get more opportunities against India.

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