The preparations and the processes that have brought together their best Under-19 players

Sreshth Shah in Potchefstroom07-Feb-2020For the Bangladesh Under-19 side, making the World Cup final was always the plan. Akbar Ali, their captain, said so in as many words before the tournament began and as the competition progressed, each game has vindicated them. Here’s a look at the steps they took since the last Under-19 World Cup.The preparationsThe plan to create a World Cup winning squad began a week after their quarter-final loss at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. At the forefront of that was former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud, then the technical director of cricket and now in charge of the country’s developmental system, who created a plan that went 24 months into the future. The first thing the team needed was more experience away from home. The second was a core group that stayed the same through the period.”The main secret is we’ve played so much cricket,” Mahmud told ESPNcricinfo. “The BCB has arranged so many tours – England and New Zealand for starters. We played 30-plus games, won 18 of them.ALSO READ: Mahmudul takes big step towards becoming Bangladesh’s ‘Wall'”We didn’t chop and change the squad for the last two years. From an Under-17 team in 2018, we selected a set of 20 players, from where we’ve picked the 15. Being together, they’ve matured and learnt their roles in depth.”The switch happened last World Cup after realising that we were losing matches due to our inexperience in key moments. We didn’t bowl and bat well in the final overs. So when we appointed [former Sri Lanka batsman] Naveed Nawaz as the coach, we made foreign tours a priority. We made the board understand if we don’t play overseas, the team will be stuck at a level. The board said, ‘no, we’ll support you.'”That strong Under-17 squad was the result of a paradigm shift in how the BCB has approached the sport in the past few years, going beyond the traditional cricketing centers in the country.The processFour years ago, the BCB made a plan to give the sport an equal footing in all 64 districts of the country. They organised tournaments across three levels – Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 – to identify 45 players from each age group. Those 45 – a total of 135 players – were then split into three teams to take part in annual triangular tournaments. From the triangulars, the BCB handpicked a group of 15 that would receive a deeper focus.”Now you see, most of our boys in the senior team are from the rural areas, like Mustafizur Rahman. Even in this Under-19 squad, there are just two boys from Dhaka,” Mahmud says. “Because of the way we are organising cricket at the Under-14, Under-16 levels, nobody gets lost in the system. Everyone is being tracked.”Parents don’t need any convincing, they want their kids to play cricket – even in the rural areas. They think if their boy can play good cricket, he can earn good money just by domestic cricket, let alone international. Seeing Shakib [Al Hasan] and Tamim [Iqbal], parents know there’s a future. It’s helping us lose much lesser cricketers.”Over the years, Bangladesh have been known as a unit that crumbles when the occasion is big. In 2018 alone, the senior team lost three finals, two of them on the last ball to India: the Asia Cup in Dubai and the Nidahas Tri-Series in Colombo. Not to forget that narrow one-run loss against India in the 2016 T20 World Cup. It happened once in the Under-19 level too, when in the Asia Cup final five months ago, Bangladesh had bowled India out for only 106 in a 50-over game and then crumbled for 101 in 33 overs. Mahmud acknowledges the problem and explains what’s different at this World Cup.”Mental strength has come from two years’ practice,” he says. “If you see our batting, they are not batting hurriedly. When they get set, they know how to play when wickets are in hand, how to pace the innings. Even though they’ve won a lot of games, they have picked up lessons from their losses.”In the top five, everyone is among the runs. Someday Tanzid Hasan will score, on other days Towhid Hridoy will score. Mahmudul Hasan had a lean run, but because we continued to back him, he delivered with a hundred in the semi-final.”Even as a bowling unit, we have looked to not be one-dimensional. Fast bowling and legspin have been two key points in us coming forward. To play the top teams you need quality and varied bowlers, both with the new and the old ball. The boys have worked hard under Champaka Ramanayake, the Sri Lankan fast bowling coach at the academy. In four-five years, you’ll see a revolution in fast bowling.”Because we couldn’t arrange a tour of South Africa in 2018 and 2019, we came to this country a month before the tournament. The bounce of the wickets was a bit high, so we took our time to get used to it. We played four practice games even before the warm-ups.”The Bangladesh players and support staff celebrate with a victory jig•ICC via GettyThe personnelStrength and conditioning coach of the Under-19 team, Richard Stoinier, who has previously worked with the Afghanistan and Pakistan cricket boards, says: “The boys have had a lifestyle change. The one-percenters they’re doing, they’re willing to do it even when they’re not playing cricket. We’ve developed agility drills that athletes do in soccer and American football. They’ve become leaner and faster, getting closer to the global standards athletes in the west adhere to. They focus as much on recovery as they do on practice – it’s a total shift.”Mahmud, however, believes what happens on the field makes up for only 50% of the team’s success. Off the field, the players have been taken care of by Bangladeshi members of the community. Overall, it’s a happy, satisfied environment in South Africa.”I will give thanks to the management team – Shajul Chaudhary and Kawsar, our manager here,” Mahmud says. “The boys don’t want to eat steaks every day, so they have arranged food from outside. If you aren’t satisfied with what you’re eating then your mind won’t work. Some guys want rice and curries, so on most days we have arranged meals that will keep our boys happy.”You need to play good cricket on the field, but off-the-field ethics are important. They are like their sons. They look after them like their children. When you’re abroad, you miss your family, you know Akbar suffered a loss in his family, but they mentally boosted him up.”The road aheadAll those years of planning and preparation now boil down to one match – the final against defending champions India on Sunday. Reaching the final itself has been historic for Bangladesh. Mahmud says that players in the senior team have already gotten inspired by the juniors, irrespective of how the final turns out.”For years we knew we aren’t any lesser than the big national teams, but now we have proof in the form of results,” he says. “As BCB, we have also learnt that if we give what the players need, they can do wonders.”We can develop future teams from this template. The women’s team, other Under-19s, senior teams – each of them. Win or lose the final, we won’t let our successes be determined by one result on the cricket field.”Even if they don’t win, I won’t be unhappy. You should see how the country got boosted by their performances. We are a very small country, with little facilities, and the way they have played their cricket, we are very happy.”

Which teams will join Multan Sultans in the semi-finals? Here are all the permutations and combinations

S Rajesh14-Mar-2020Karachi Kings
Among the five teams fighting for a place in the last four, Karachi Kings are the best placed, since they are already in second place with nine points, and they are the only team with two matches still left: they play Islamabad United on Saturday and Quetta Gladiators on Sunday. A win in either of those games will seal second place on the points table.If they lose both games, though, things could get complicated. A win for Lahore Qalandars in their last game against Multan Sultans will lift them to 10 points, with the other four teams on nine each. Among them, Islamabad United already have a better net run rate than the Kings, while Peshawar Zalmi’s net run rate of -0.055 is only marginally below Kings’ -0.027. Two losses could easily push Kings’ NRR below Zalmi’s.If the Kings lose both games, they will want the Sultans to beat the Qalandars, so that four teams are level on nine points and fighting for three spots. Then the Kings should still be ahead of the Gladiators on NRR unless they lose both matches badly (say, by around 50 runs each).Peshawar Zalmi
Zalmi’s narrow three-run defeat against the Sultans on Friday means they are now dependent on other results going their way to qualify.Their worst-case scenario would be if the Qalandars win and move to 10, and if United beat the Kings, who in turn beat the Gladiators. In that case, the Sultans, the Kings, the Qalandars and United will qualify, as United already have a better NRR (0.259) than Zalmi (-0.055). However, if the Kings beat United but lose to the Gladiators, then that would work fine for Zalmi, as the Gladiators’ NRR is so poor (-1.052) that they will have to win by around 145 runs to go past Zalmi’s NRR.The best case for Zalmi will be if the Qalandars lose and stay on eight points. In that case Zalmi will surely qualify. Even if the Kings lose both games, Zalmi will still make the cut on NRR along with the Kings and United, as the Gladiators are too far behind on NRR.Shadab Khan lines up to hit the ball•Getty ImagesLahore Qalandars
A win against the Sultans will put the Qalandars in the semi-finals. If they lose, though, they can qualify only if the Kings win both their games, in which case both United and the Gladiators will remain on seven points. If the Kings lose either of their games, the Qalandars won’t qualify with eight points.Islamabad United
United are currently in fifth place, but they are the only team apart from the Sultans with a positive NRR (0.259). That means they will surely qualify if they win their final league game, against the Kings, regardless of other results: even if the Qalandars win their last game and move to 10 points, and the Kings beat the Gladiators, United will still take fourth place because of a higher NRR than Zalmi. If the Kings lose both games and there is a four-way tie on nine points, United will still have the best NRR among those four teams.That means the winner of Saturday’s game between United and the Kings will surely go through to the semi-finals.Quetta Gladiators
The Gladiators are in the same position as United in terms of matches played, points, and the opponent in their final league game, but the one difference between them is massive: United’s NRR is 0.259, while Gladiators’ is -1.052. That net run rate means Gladiators will struggle to make it if qualification comes down to NRR.Their best chance, therefore, is a scenario where net run rates don’t come into play. For that to happen, the Qalandars will have to lose to the Sultans and remain on eight points, while the Kings will need to beat United. Then, if the Gladiators win their last game, they will qualify along with the Sultans, the Kings and Zalmi.

It’s time to re-evaluate your loyalties and find out who you should be supporting

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2020Now that we all have to take an enforced break from supporting our favourite national teams, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate our loyalties. This test is designed to determine your personality type and tell you which national team you should really be supporting. Every country’s team plays a different brand of cricket and has a different history, and just because you are born in one country doesn’t mean you’re not actually meant to support another’s team. So don’t be surprised if the results of this quiz shatter some illusions.

He was 5 off 13. He finished 53 off 31. This innings made you want to believe that the tide can turn. Even in T20s

Sidharth Monga28-Sep-20205:59

Making sense of Tewatia’s ‘freakish’ knock

Among all the content IPL teams produce thanks to their access, “Dressing Room Talks”, Ricky Ponting’s debriefing after any Delhi Capitals game, is absolutely must-see. Players circle around Ponting, who often refers to his big black notebook, and listen to him break down the game. When Capitals win, it is done amid raucous laughter and applause. It is a rare window into how a team works.Ponting also introduced to Capitals a concept of “Change Room Man of the Match” to appreciate the support acts that don’t get spoken about during a match. He hands them badges for their contribution.Ponting debuted this at the start of the 2019 season, which they began with a big win after losing the toss at Wankhede against the winningest IPL team of all. Rishabh Pant had scored a scarcely believable 78 off 27 that night, but Ponting commended Colin Ingram for his 47 off 32 from 29 for 2, Shikhar Dhawan for a forty, and Ishant Sharma, Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada for their bowling. He said he didn’t care that Axar Patel went for 42 in his three overs because the conditions were unfavorable for spinners. He spoke of the fielding. He called Capitals a “f*cken good” team. He chalked plans for the next day, and then began to walk off.On his way, Rahul Tewatia stopped him. The conversation between the two wasn’t audible because of the noise, but Ponting turned around and patronisingly said, “Boys, Tewatia took four catches, and wants a pat on the back.” To the sound of mocking laughter. And walked off with an even more patronising smirk on his face.Oh the ignominy of being forgotten.A tender coconut in his hand, Axar immediately walked to Tewatia to mock him. “Who begs for recognition, bro?” Axar asked Tewatia in Hindi.”Bro, you have to fight for what you are owed,” Tewatia replied earnestly.

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**Tewatia had probably done all that was asked of him that night. He came out to bat with 16 balls remaining in the innings, made sure Pant got the strike for 12 of those, and also hit a six in the four he got. He was taken for 12 by Kieron Pollard in his first over before he took the wicket of the last batsman in his second. In between he took four catches; he had to dive for one, the other three were more regulation.You could see why Ponting didn’t choose him for the honours. More than that you could feel what Tewatia would have gone through that night. He was a proper journeyman. He had played only six first-class games, 18 List A games and 32 T20 ones. And he was about to turn 27. His T20 debut came in the IPL, for Rajasthan Royals in 2014, but he was soon traded to Kings XI Punjab. He next played in the IPL in 2017, only to be traded to Capitals (Daredevils back then) next year.Rahul Tewatia was the centre of attention after his spectacular innings•BCCITewatia would have known he was never going to be the star player. He wasn’t a good enough legspinner to play for his bowling alone, and he hardly got to bat. This was a night he had made contributions in every small window of opportunity he had been given. He was in the midst of possible heroes – Ponting, Sourav Ganguly, his team-mates, including Haryana legspinner Amit Mishra – and would have spent every second of that debriefing hoping to hear his name and the applause and the recognition to go with it.It never came. When he asked for it – not outside but within the team – the derision that did come wasn’t entirely unexpected in a cricket change room full of alpha male egos. Tewatia bowled 38 balls, and batted 22 that season. He was soon traded back to Royals. It was a sensible move. Tewatia wasn’t a finished product, and they didn’t have a slot where they could develop a player.**Tewatia is the kind of player who will not get a lot of opportunity. His legspin is not classic, his batting unproven. It shows in how his home state Haryana struggled to find him a regular spot in their sides. Twenty20 cricket brought cricketers such as Tewatia a chance to build a career. They could super-specialise to such an extent they could get a game for a certain match-up to contain just one batsman. The short duration of the format means you can even afford to waste one player in case you don’t get your desired set-piece. However, when you get that chance, you have to be precise and efficient with executing the skill you have been brought on to execute.Tewatia is also the kind of player who will be more at home at a team with budget constraints so that it is then in their best interest to develop such a player. Apart from being one of those teams, Royals also needed Tewatia’s super specialisation as the only Indian left-hand hitter anywhere near their first XI. Through this trade, Tewatia had come back to his spiritual home.**In his first match back for Royals, Tewatia managed to annoy the biggest fanbase in the IPL. Not only did he take three Chennai Super Kings wickets, he also brought out the “fingers in ears” celebration to mark one of those wickets. Later in the night he posted his photo with fingers in ears on his Instagram page. The comments section was inundated with abuse primarily from CSK fans. Some of them unimaginatively told him of alternate places to stick his fingers, some mockingly asked what noise he was blocking in empty stadiums, but the gist of the abuse was: “We have seen Philippe Coutinho celebrate this way for Barcelona, who are you? A walk-on player in a walk-on team.”The comments section was about to get busy in five days again.**Rahul Tewatia took two wickets in two balls•BCCITwenty20 cricket has freed batsmen up. They actually prepare to hit sixes. Earlier batsmen only used to practise in the nets, which could be claustrophobic. You didn’t quite know and watch for yourself how far you were hitting balls. A Lance Klusener, who would hit just sixes in a training session, was an exception. Now they have intra-squad contests to see who hits more sixes. Royals had one such in their camp to see who hit most sixes in an over. According to Sanju Samson, the six-hitting machine, Tewatia hit four or five sixes in that over.That day onwards, Andrew McDonald, the coach, and Zubin Barucha, the director of cricket, began to work on Tewatia’s batting. A potential move to open the innings had also been considered, according to Samson. The same Samson was reduced to turning down a single with Tewatia at the other end.**In his second match back for Royals, Tewatia’s 31-ball stay at the wicket brought forth the best and worst of T20 cricket the format. Its crunched nature leaves little room for personal struggle. Coaches tell batsmen if they are struggling, chances are others will too, so don’t give up the ghost, but what if your side has scored 100 in nine overs chasing 224 and you, promoted to do a job, are unable to get the ball off the square? It happened, most infamously, to Yuvraj Singh, one of the cleanest strikers cricket has ever seen, in the World T20 final of 2014. It happened to a young Ravindra Jadeja when he was promoted up the order in a 2009 World T20 game. It keeps happening to someone or the other.The essence of sport is to fight through tough situations. The crunched nature of this sport doesn’t allow for it. Those crunching numbers have been egging coaches on to pull back the batsman who is sucking the momentum out of an innings. You have only so many deliveries and 10 wickets to make use of them. Personal struggle is a nicety best left for the nets. The kindest of people wanted Tewatia to commit the less dramatic version of stepping on his wicket: just leave the crease and swing so that you can at least get stumped when you hit. At one point, even Samson asked him to do the same: run down the pitch and hit hard.4:02

Manjrekar, Chopra bat for ‘retired out’ concept

Tewatia didn’t want to. This is where the philosophical essence of sport comes into question. I once goaded Stephen Fleming to say retiring-out people should be normalised. He wouldn’t have any of it. I gave him the example of Yuvraj in the 2014 final. “That’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Not let someone get away with it just because they can tap out. ‘Not my day today, I am out.'”Fleming has played a lot of international cricket and now coaches a successful T20 franchise. To him, the philosophy was clear: you do not give up the struggle. Tewatia never tapped out. He kept doing the right thing. He kept picking the wrong’uns, kept trying to go over long-off, but kept getting beaten. With every dot and single, the walls kept closing in, the asking rate kept rising, and Samson kept getting frustrated. Imagine the abuse that awaited on his Instagram page.You wonder how Tewatia felt when Samson nearly holed out, playing a frustrated shot because of all the momentum loss. Or when Samson refused to take a single lest Tewatia get back on strike. This is where you saw T20 at its practical best. That match-up – Tewatia against Maxwell – was proving to be the worst, and Samson had just hit two sixes off the same bowler. Ego or pity was taken out of this decision making. “How will Rahul feel if I push him further into the dumps by not taking the one?” No sir, not the time to think that.That also showed how over-rated singles and rotating strike in T20s can be. On the night Kings XI Punjab hit 11 sixes, Royals cleared the ropes 18 times to make up for all the lack of rotation of strike. It happens in 80% of the matches: score more in boundaries, and win the game.The commentators rightly questioned the wisdom of promoting Tewatia on a night when orthodox hitting produced more and easy runs. Cameras kept panning to the dugout and kept showing worried faces. Tewatia kept the noise out. He kept trying to hit that one six to get him going. In the timeout, at 5 off 13, having failed to get the better of the legspinner, Tewatia told his captain, Steven Smith, he was still in it, that he could hit three sixes each of Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami, international bowlers both. A bemused Smith said, “Mate, that is great self-belief.” Was there some derision in that?In the end, the sensational turnaround – six sixes in the last eight balls Tewatia faced – didn’t prove any of the rationalists wrong. He was perhaps not the right choice to send at No. 4, but you have also got to look at the shallow batting line-up. Stepping on your wicket is perhaps the better solution if an Andre Russell is waiting in the dugout. There is no way this kind of an effort is repeatable. In hindsight, if Kings XI had bowled M Ashwin – remember Tewatia’s struggle against non-turning legspin earlier – instead of Sheldon Cottrell, this might not even have happened in the first place.This innings was not about all that. It transcended tactics. It went into the larger essence of sport. How can you be an elite competitor and just give up? This innings made you want to believe in the romance of the struggle. That the tide can turn. Even in a duration as small as T20 cricket. That tapping out, in life as in sport, is not really the option after all.”You have to fight for what you are owed.”

Rain hits as you captain an ODI World XI in a chase of 310, and you now need 171 to win off 19.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. Who bats at No. 3?

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2020Scenario: You are captaining an ODI World XI against a team of aliens in a day-night game in Mumbai and have been set 310 to win. Rohit Sharma and Jason Roy are your openers and you reach 50 for 0 after ten overs. Off the next ball, Roy falls, but before the No.3 can come in, the umpires stop play for rain. When the game resumes, the DLS target is 221 in 30 overs. So the equation is now 171 to win off 19.5 overs. You can pick any active ODI cricketer to come in at No.3.Danyal Rasool:
This is no longer an ODI chase but a T20 one. And for a T20 chase in Mumbai, it is hard to look past Buttler, whose recent IPL record is irresistible. He has averaged 47.72 and struck at 153.94 over the past two seasons. In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he played for Mumbai Indians, so he will be familiar with the conditions. Also, it helps that he often comes to the crease in situations where there’s little time to get settled, and with the asking rate fast approaching 9, that ability should pay off. He played a couple of important cameos at the Wankhede in the 2016 World T20 too. While his side will need more than that against an, ahem, unfamiliar bowling attack, a flying start after the resumption should help keep the asking rate in check for the middle order.Karthik Krishnaswamy:
Rain has turned a steep ODI chase into a fairly straightforward T20 chase. I’m not sure what the field restrictions are, but I’m assuming the second powerplay – with only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle – will be in place until the last four or five overs. I’d want the batsman coming in to be able to read fields and bowlers’ plans and pick off a boundary every now and then without taking too many risks. So step forward Shreyas Iyer. Over the last year or so, Iyer has more or less solved India’s long-standing No. 4 issue in ODIs with a clear head, fast hands, and a great understanding of which bowlers to target and when. This situation is tailor-made for his game.Nagraj Gollapudi:
This has to be treated like a T20 chase. Sharma plays the anchor, so the No. 3 needs to be someone who can both attack and bat long. If I had to pick a young Indian player, I would go with Shubman Gill. He has the temparament, skills, and the right technique to attack and rotate strike, but I will put him at No. 4. At three, how about ABD? The experience and the aura will come in handy. With both him and Sharma able to play strokes that others can only marvel at, there would be constant pressure on the aliens, who might need to grow brains to figure out a way to stall the assault that will come from nowhere and everywhere. Good luck, aliens!Alan Gardner:
After a relatively sedate start, this World XI is going to have start tearing things up pretty quickly. This is basically a T20 chase, albeit with the fielding restrictions off, so I would turn to a man who oscillates between opener in the shortest format and finisher in ODIs. Buttler is also used to being bumped up the order if England have made a good start, so he’ll be primed for the challenge. As a white-ball batsman who combines power with innovation, he has few peers, while his IPL experience should stand him in good stead to steer his side home under the Wankhede lights.Send your answers to the scenario to [email protected].More Hot Seat

With four matches to go, six teams are still in the fray for three spots

S Rajesh31-Oct-2020ESPNcricinfo LtdKings XI Punjab: Played 13, Points 12, NRR -0.133
The heavy defeats for the Capitals and the Royal Challengers mean the Kings XI Punjab now have a higher net run rate (NRR) than both those teams. That means a win by any margin in their last game, against the Chennai Super Kings, will keep the Kings XI above the team that loses Monday’s Capitals-Royal Challengers game. (The winner of that game will qualify with 16 points.)If the Sunrisers Hyderabad win their last match, they will go through for sure, which means the Kings XI will also have to ensure their NRR stays above that of the winner of the game between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders. Here is how that situation pans out: If the Kings XI score 180 and win by a run, the Royals will have to win by 65 runs (if they score 180) or in fewer than 13 overs (if chasing 160) to go past the Kings XI’s NRR For the Knight Riders, the corresponding margins are 85 runs and 9.3 oversThose look to be fairly difficult asks, so the Kings XI Punjab should be quite safe if they seal a victory on Sunday.Rajasthan Royals: Played 13, Points 12, NRR -0.377
Given the Royals’ poor NRR, their best bet for qualification will be if the Sunrisers and the Kings XI lose their last matches. Then, the Royals will progress to the playoffs without NRR coming into play if they beat the Knight Riders on Sunday.If one of the Sunrisers or the Kings XI win, then the Royals will have to ensure their NRR is higher than that of the loser of the Capitals-Royal Challengers match. If the Royal Challengers lose that match by a run, the margin for the Royals will be around 60 runs; if the Capitals lose by a run, it will be around 55 runs.If both the Sunrisers and the Kings XI win, then the Royals will have to go past the Kings XI’s NRR to win. That margin, as mentioned in Kings XI’s scenario above, will be slightly higher.For all these calculations to come into play, they will have to beat the Knight Riders on Sunday.Kolkata Knight Riders: Played 13, Points 12, NRR -0.467
The Knight Riders are in a similar situation as the Royals, their opponents on Sunday, except that their NRR is a bit poorer. Hence, the best-case scenario for them is exactly what applies to Royals: to hope that the Sunrisers and the Kings XI lose their last games. Then, the Knight Riders will qualify as the fourth team if they beat the Royals.If the Kings XI or the Sunrisers win their last game, then the Knight Riders will have to win by a big enough margin which lifts their NRR above that of the loser of the Capitals-Royal Challengers match, or the Kings XI. In any case, the minimum margin for the Knight Riders in any of these situations will be around 75 runs. Hence, their best bet, quite clearly, is to win their last game and hope that the Kings XI and the Sunrisers lose theirs.Royal Challengers Bangalore: Played 13, Points 14, NRR -0.145
A win against the Capitals will lift the Royal Challengers to second place. If they lose, however, then they will be at the mercy of other results. If the Sunrisers and the Kings XI win their last matches, then 14 points will not be enough for the Royal Challengers.If one of those two teams lose, then the Royal Challengers will be through provided the margin of victory in the Royals-Knight Riders game is not huge. If both the Sunrisers and the Kings XI lose, then the Royal Challengers will be through without NRR coming into play. In that scenario, the four bottom-placed teams will all finish with 12 points.ESPNcricinfo LtdDelhi Capitals: Played 13, Points 14, NRR -0.159
Not only have the Delhi Capitals lost their last four matches, they have also lost three by huge margins, which has shaved off a whopping 0.933 from their NRR.The Capitals are now in a similar situation as the Royal Challengers, their opponents on Monday. If they win, they will finish second; if they lose, their survival will depend on other results. Since the Sunrisers and the Kings XI both already have better NRRs, the Capitals cannot catch up with them if they win their last matches, and if the Capitals lose and stay on 14.If either the Sunrisers or the Kings XI lose, then the Capitals will qualify provided the margin of victory in the Royals-Knight Riders match is not huge.Sunrisers Hyderabad: Played 13, Points 12, NRR 0.555
The Sunrisers have made a late surge and have an excellent NRR, but their last game is against table-toppers Mumbai Indians. However, apart from the NRR, what might work in their favour is the fact that they will play Mumbai in Sharjah, the same venue where they beat the Royal Challengers so emphatically.The equation for the Sunrisers is the simplest: beat Mumbai, and they will be through regardless of other results; lose the match, and they will be out.

As a commentator, Robin Jackman gave viewers a sense of friendship both with the man who was talking to them and the game that was his metier. He will be missed

Mark Nicholas27-Dec-2020Christmas Day, 2020, 6.18pm. A text message from the former Northern Transvaal wicketkeeper and presenter-commentator Trevor Quirk:

“Yvonne was not sure about announcing Robin Jackman’s passing at 15.30 this afternoon because she didn’t want to upset everybody’s Xmas but the sad news was spreading like wildfire so we decided it had to be done…needless to say I am devastated but since last night I knew the end was near, he was at home, being nursed by Saint Vonnie. Regards, Trevor”

Yvonne – “Vonnie” – is Jackers’ wife; Quirky – or “Wash” – his best mate. On Christmas Day, of all days, Jackman died from lung and heart conditions that were compounded by a positive coronavirus test on 21st December. It was typical of Yvonne to think of others, even at the time of her husband’s passing. The calendar waits for no man.Four of us – that’s Jackers, Quirky, yours truly and Andre Bruyns, the former Western Province batsman, had lunch three weeks ago in Cape Town. It was predictable fare and none the worse for being so: a few beers, a piece of fish, and gallons of white wine. We told stories – some old, some new, some borrowed, one or two blue – and reflected on the game we love and its changing ways. Jackers was beside himself at the brilliance of the batting in T20 cricket and wondered how on earth the bowlers coped.Related

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“Everyone says bowl yorkers but they ramp and scoop those for six!” he says, before adding “I’d be hopeless and lose my rag and eff and blind and carry on and curse the people who invented the bloody format in the first place. But I love watching it; love the way the game has found a place for itself throughout the ages.”He arrived at the restaurant carrying a mobile respirator. (“All the fags – if you know any smokers, tell them to pack in, now.”) He had put on a bit of weight and bandages hid the cuts and bruises from a recent fall. Later, friends asked me how he was. Full of spirit and bonhomie, I replied, but short of breath. Truth was, he had admitted the respirator was evidence of the inevitable. “My own fault, those cigarettes, old boy.” I didn’t take it that he saw the inevitable as immediate. In fact, the impression was that he had a few years in him yet. We had lunch in the diary for March next year but instead of sharing it with him in person, we shall share his memory and raise a glass or two in his name.Bob Willis and Robin Jackman in little more than a year. Very good, if very different, cricketers, and equally the best of men: once at Surrey together until Bob broke ranks for Edgbaston and England; another Surrey man, John Edrich, in the past few days too. These are bad blows.I first came across Jackers in a Benson and Hedges Cup match at the Oval. Greener than green was I, and he, by no means long in the tooth, was typically off his long run. In this sparrow scampered, little legs working like pistons, to bowl swing and seam from a sideways-on action at medium-fast and dress it up with a bouncer or two and a volley of verbals. From the inside edge of my bat, past square leg, came my first run. “Another one coached by effing Sainsbury!” he exclaimed, in reference to the Hampshire coach and former allrounder whose penchant for the leg side was the stuff of county cricket legend. After which, I made to whip a straight ball through midwicket, only for it to swing away late and fly from the outside edge of my bat over gully for four. “Never, ever play against the spin son, never.” Somehow, I scored 10, I think, but was greatly humbled: Jackman one end, Sylvester Clarke the other was no country for young men. Guess who was the first to come and introduce himself in the bar after play, buy a drink and chew the cud. My tormentor, of course.

Jackers was hit in the throat by Malcolm Marshall. He slumped to the ground and for a moment lay still enough to have left us. We rushed to his side. As those bright eyes opened, he waspishly asked if our fast bowler might slow down a bit

A couple of years later, at the denouement of a tight, low-scoring match, again at the Oval, Jackers was hit in the throat by Malcolm Marshall. He slumped, dead weight, to the ground and for a moment lay still enough to have left us. We rushed to his side and as those bright eyes opened, he waspishly asked if our fast bowler might slow down a bit. Up he sprang to soldier on, in vain it transpired, by just three runs.It was the throat, of course, that was to cause him such grief later in life. After operations to remove malignant tumours eight years ago, he went through radiotherapy and never quite recovered his brilliance in the commentary box. That rasping voice, once a feature, was sadly diminished, and as fatigue set in, it became little more than a whisper.How he missed life on the road! At home he watched with a keen eye, sent texts with intelligent observations, and occasionally called if something was awry – a rogue graphic, perhaps, or a fact misplaced. He was a fine broadcaster, astute, accurate, and driven by a lifelong love affair with the game. His relaxed style of delivery brought informality to a medium overrun by stilted former players well short of his natural flair for the job. In short, he gave the viewers a sense of friendship both with the man who was talking to them and the game that was his metier.Last year he suffered a serious heart attack in the Eastern Cape and after a dramatic day trying to secure medical help, was booked into an East London hospital to be fitted with a pacemaker.There have been three lunches since and any number of laughs. We shared an infatuation with Tottenham Hotspur, and having rejoiced in Mauricio Pochettino, rather grumbled and mumbled of late about José Mourinho. We didn’t buy the trophy-winning argument. “Would rather they played with flair and adventure frankly,” he said three weeks ago. “Bloody good group of players, why tie them up in defence!” Agreed, Robin, agreed.Jackman signs copies of his autobiography in 2012, the year he was first diagnosed with cancer•Associated PressApparently, his death had nothing directly to do with the cancer, though clearly, such shortness of breath from the lungs left him open to Covid. The respirator provided essential relief for pulmonary fibrosis, and the virus, like a bowler examining the opposing batsman’s technique, fed from the weakness it found.Since hearing the news, I have thought about his mother and father, who loved to watch him play and took every opportunity to spend time with him and Yvonne in Cape Town. Jackers was born in the Indian hill town, Shimla, where his father, a colonel in the 2nd Gurkas, was serving the last months of his military life. He had lost a leg during the war and was invalided home and into semi-retirement. His wife, Joyce, was of the acting fraternity and her son’s early enthusiasm was for the stage. He sort of achieved that ambition, delighting friend and foe alike with an ability to transform even a pedestrian day of cricket into a little piece of theatre. He turned “pro” at the age of six – sixpence from the colonel if he hit the handkerchief, a penny deducted if he slipped one down the leg side. “Dad lost,” said Jackers. At The Oval, on soulless summer days in front of next to no one, he would respond to the echo of hand clap after a tight maiden with “Thanks Mum” or “Bless you Colonel!”Jackman took 1402 first-class wickets, by the way, and further 439 in one-day matches. Of these, 14 were claimed in four Test matches, all played past the age of 35. He achieved more than what might have been expected from his height of 5ft 9in, but boy, those Test caps made him feel ten feet tall.Jackers’ energy, zest and commitment were an ongoing lesson and inspiration to all, not least in South Africa, where his determination to justify the faith in him shown by both Western Province and Rhodesia was well rewarded. He was to make Cape Town home, a fabulous South African girl his wife, the Proteas his team, and Castle Lager his tipple of choice.I miss him already. He held little gems beneath that weathered exterior, and from all of them, I leave you with this from his days as coach of Western Province.”We’ve got a kid here who’s going to be as good as Barry Richards.” Yeah, right Jackers. And the kid’s name? Jacques Kallis. Good call old friend, good call. Again.In closing, I defer to a mightier force, a tweet from Lord Botham of Ravensworth, once just plain ol’ Beefy:

Today only gets worse….Robin Jackman passed away our thoughts are with Vonny and the family so sad …….see you at the watering hole in the sky Jackers. RIP X

— Ian Botham (@BeefyBotham) December 25, 2020