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Ben Stokes said that he remains committed to the England captaincy but conceded that his side proved unable to withstand a “barrage” from Australia across the first three Tests, losing the Ashes series in a record-equalling 11 days.Stokes, England’s Test captain since 2022, signed a new two-year central contract before this tour which runs until the end of the 2027 summer. He insisted that he “absolutely” still has the desire to continue as captain and said that nothing has changed since the start of the tour with regards to his future in international cricket.England arrived in Australia with high hopes of becoming the first team to win an away Ashes series since 2010-11 but have been thoroughly outplayed, losing by eight wickets in Perth and Brisbane and by 85 runs in Adelaide. Stokes conceded that Australia have been “a lot better” than England, and highlighted his bowlers’ inconsistency as a particular disappointment.Related

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“It obviously sucks,” Stokes said. “Knowing now that we can’t achieve what we set out to do here is obviously very disappointing… It’s quite simple to me that Australia have been able to execute batting, bowling and fielding a lot more than us on a much more consistent basis.”They’ve been able to execute everything a lot better than us [for] a much more consistent period of time. We’ve had moments where we’ve been very good, but Australia have been a lot better than us over a much longer period of time in this series so far.”We know the plans that work out here. We’ve just not been able to execute those plans for long enough. We did it in moments and did it in passages, but you just can’t be so poor with your execution as consistently as we have been over these first three games – and particularly with the ball, because when you’re off here, it gets punished, and we’ve seen that.”England have shifted away from the ultra-attacking batting that helped them win 10 out of their first 12 Tests since Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over as captain and coach, scoring at a significantly slower rate than Australia in this series. And while Stokes defended his side’s identity, Australia captain Pat Cummins suggested that England had changed course.”They seem to have changed their style quite a bit game to game,” Cummins said. “I think that can happen in overseas conditions: you’re always trying to fight for a method that works.”Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Will Jacks on the final day•Getty Images

Cummins specifically highlighted England’s approach on the second day of the third Test in Adelaide, when they added 154 for 5 in 54 overs across the final two sessions in sweltering temperatures. Stokes himself batted particularly defensively, finishing unbeaten on 45 off 151 balls before accelerating on the third morning.”Day two I thought was surprising: it was 40-odd degrees, it was hot, it was a very flat wicket and they shut up shop there for half of the day, which I was pretty happy with. Who knows? I’m sure they’ll talk about it and come at us with different plans for Melbourne and Sydney. I’m glad that we’ve been able to stick to our guns and play the way that we play best, and it’s worked.”Stokes insisted that England still have “a hell of a lot to play for” despite the fact that the series has been lost: “Walking out there and playing for England is a good enough thing in itself… We’re not going to turn around and kick the stumps over because we have so much more to play for in the series, although we can’t go back with the thing we came out here to do.”He also argued that England had played “our best game of cricket so far on this tour” in Adelaide, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith briefly threatening to pull off a “heist” on the final day, and said that the toss – which Australia won for the first time in the series – had been a major contributing factor to the result.”We bowled Australia out for a total that was under-par on a day-one wicket in Adelaide,” Stokes said. “We knew that we were actually ahead of the game then, before we even went out and batted. We knew that we had a great opportunity to get a big score on the scoreboard in the first innings and put Australia on the back foot. We weren’t able to do that, but we hung in there.”We showed that fight that I was talking about, and being able to get the [deficit] to 80-something [85] when Australia started their second innings and got ourselves back into the game… We were close, but not close enough, and being close ain’t going to do much for you when you need to win a game.”It’s a pretty emotional time for me and the dressing room and the guys – players, management, backroom staff – but when we get ourselves together and speak about the game and what we need to do in the remaining games, we’ll take a lot out of this game. This is how we can apply ourselves to give ourselves a better chance of being a much more consistent team.”

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced a pre-distribution surplus of NZ$14.67 million in its annual report for the 2006/07 financial year. Overall, NZC recorded a profit of $6.46 million after distributions to major and district associations amounting to $8.21 million.”Income from the ICC in relation to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 was in line with forecast,” Justin Vaughan, the CEO of NZC, said. “With most of NZC’s overseas revenues being received in US dollars the result for the year has been impacted significantly by the value of the US dollar.””The amounts being distributed to major associations have increased significantly in recent years, assisting the growth of the game throughout New Zealand.”Vaughan also thanked Martin Snedden, his predecessor, who had now joined Rugby New Zealand. “During his tenure, Martin was faced with a number of major issues both internationally and at home. He navigated his way through each of these issues with great skill and ensured the best interests of cricket in New Zealand were at the centre of each decision.”On behalf of the board I would like to thank Martin for his outstanding leadership of NZC during this time,” Vaughan said.New Zealand Cricket, meanwhile, confirmed two appointments to its board of directors. Sir John Anderson, the chairman, was re-elected for a further term.Brent King was also appointed on to the board, as a replacement director for Vaughan, who resigned from the board in May 2007 to take the CEO position. King is currently Chairman of the Auckland Cricket Association and a director of a number of private companies. Don Neely, President of NZC, was also appointed for a further one-year term.

Indian fans vent their anger at the time of the match-fixing hearings in 2000 © Cricinfo

Mohammad Azharuddin’s life ban could be on the verge of being overturned despite widespread concern at the message this would send out.Azharuddin was banned from the game for life by the Indian board (BCCI) in 2000 after a federal inquiry found him guilty of match-fixing. He denied the charges and is awaiting judgement on a suit filed by him in a court in his home city of Hyderabad challenging the ban.It is believed that the new BCCI leadership is convinced Azharuddin has served enough punishment and deserves to be pardoned. An indication of his possible return to favour came when it was revealed he had been invited to a function in Mumbai on November 4 to honour him and other Indian captains for their services to the game.The ICC, which has adopted a strict zero-tolerance policy towards anyone found guilty of match-fixing, is far from happy with the news and is thought be be considering boycotting the event if Azharuddin attends.In a statement unlikely to make him many friends in Dubai, Ratnakar Shetty, the board’s chief administrative officer, said that Azharuddin “had undergone enough punishment and he should be allowed to lead his life like cricketers who had faced similar charge in other countries but are going about as if they had done no wrong.”He then said that there was a feeling among the current board that while the punishment handed out might have been correct, it “was a knee-jerk reaction”. He continued: “In retrospect, they feel the board had been too harsh on its players considering the way the other boards went about protecting the guilty.”The Indian board are understood to be riled that other players who were implicated in the scandal continue to play, but Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, warned that “we need to be careful when we compare cases with cases … it was alleged and proved that Azharuddin was actively involved in match-fixing.”But that cut no ice with Shetty. “Azhar should not be compared with those who got away with murder, people who continued to play after serving a token punishment. One is being persecuted and condemned for life while others strut about as paragons of virtues.”The ICC are taking this seriously. Yesterday, it issued a statement detailing the process for a banned player to be reinstated. But at 43, Azharuddin is not likely to make a comeback and so his rehabilitation into the cricket world does not actually need any official approval.

Vikram Solanki: Worcestershire’s new captain will hope to lead them back into the Championship’s top flight© Getty Images

The England batsman Vikram Solanki will captain Worcestershire in 2005 as the club attempt to bounce back immediately into the top flight of the County Championship, following their relegation this year. Solanki, 28, has played for more than a decade for the first team at New Road, and he will have Gareth Batty as his vice captain.Worcestershire had been searching to replace Ben Smith in the captaincy role following the retirmement of Steve Rhodes, who stood in as captain at the end of the 2004 season.”I am honoured and delighted to accept the invitation,” said Solanki, “and look forward to working with everybody at the club over the next few years.”We have a very strong squad of players and I look forward to working with them and Tom Moody in our hunt for titles.”Moody, the director of cricket at New Road, believes Solanki’s appointment is an important step forward: “Vikram is a Worcestershire player through and through and we are confident he has the right qualities to lead us forward at this stage of our development,” he said. “The experience he has recently gained in the successful England set-up can only help us at county level and I look forward to working with him in the future.”And how Worcestershire will need all of Solanki’s experience, following their disappointing first-class showing this year. A key factor in their relegation was the failure of the attacking allrounders Andrew Hall and Andy Bichel. Hall took 29 wickets at 36 apiece, whereas Bichel’s 33 victims cost 46 runs each. Worcestershire have already confirmed that Bichel will definitely not return to New Road next year, while Hall’s future with the club is still in the balance.

Hardly a “mediocre boy”© Getty Images

When the current academic year commences, children in government-aided schools in and around Delhi will study a rather special subject – the life and times of Sachin Tendulkar. The new textbooks for those in the 10-12 age group include an interview with Tendulkar, in which he talks about his own childhood and what it takes to be a special player.Krishna Kumar, an education official, said that the move to include a first-person account of Tendulkar’s life was part of an effort to make education “a more pleasurable experience”. “Sachin is an icon in India and kids draw inspiration from him,” he said. “So we thought that having a chapter on him will interest kids, and at the same time make them understand that dedication and determination make a successful person.”By all accounts, the kids think it’s all right. “I read the interview the day I got the book,” said Nikhil Sharma, who is only 10. “I learnt many things about his schooldays. I always wanted to know the things Sachin did as a kid, and the chapter is really interesting.”In the interview, Tendulkar, who was a cricketing prodigy long before he was out of short pants, describes himself as a mediocre boy and an average student. He also says that he was very naughty, always wanting to “escape to the playground”.The “mediocre boy” has already rewritten one-day cricket’s batting records, and is now just one behind Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of 34 Test centuries. According to him, “strong determination, continuous practice, good understanding of the game, constant improvement of one’s abilities and courage to strike the ball with conviction” are central to his success. Something tells you that this is one lesson that will hold the kids enthralled, rather than reading comics under the desk.

Madisons from Northamptonshire go for a hat-trick of titles as the ECB’s Indoor Six-a-Side Club Championships reaches the National Finals stage later this month.The winners in 2000 and 2002 take on Canterbury in the semi-finals at MCC’s Indoor School at Lord’s on March 16.The other semi features Sudbrook from Wales, beaten semi-finalists in both 2000 and 2001, and Lancashire side Walkden – making their first appearance at Lord’s having been beaten regional finalists in both the same years.The National Final follows the same afternoon, with presentations and a reception in the Long Room.

After returning from a strenuous tour of England where the Pakistan team drew the short Test series but lost the NatWest final to Australia, some of the boys are enjoying a rare spree of rest and recreation. The 1st week of August will mark the start of a training camp to prepare the team for the Asian Test Championship followed by a 3-Test cum ODI home series against the visiting Black Caps.A 25-man ‘probables’ squad is to be announced at any time. I am sure the experts in the PCB know fully well the shortcomings of the team and would try to eradicate them during the forthcoming camp. The two most conspicuous weaknesses that often become instrumental in recent debacles are poor standards of physical fitness and fielding. The third, possibly the most important, needing immediate attention is not being mentally tough and the lack of a killer instinct.A horrible 9 wickets defeat at the hands of Australia in the NatWest final was the anti-climax of their superb performance in the earlier part of the tournament. While the team lacked any sign of a killer instinct both in batting and bowling, the Aussies proved to be a thoroughly professional outfit. They had planned to fight the last battle with meticulous care and executed their plan brilliantly.This was certainly not the first occasion the Pakistan team having emerged victorious in the earlier encounters flopped when it came to the all-important finish. The failure to conquer the peak seems to have become a psychological barrier for the team. There is a general belief that teams from these parts leave too much to fate. Though the part played by ‘lady luck’ in victories and defeats cannot be denied, it does not mean that the players should not apply themselves correctly and put in their best. Luck has its own mood and should better be left at that.Scanning the recent past, one finds that there have been at least three top tournaments in which Pakistan have credibly won the earlier matches but crumbled in the finals, letting the top honours slip away. World Cup 99 was the most important event where Pakistan’s defeat in the finals deprived the country of sharing the signal honour of winning the world cup twice with the West Indies.This was followed by the loss of the ARY Gold Cup at Sharjah and then the NatWest Trophy in England. While in World Cup 99, Pakistan did lose a few matches leading up to the final, it had a clean sweep in the ARY Gold Cup. In the NatWest Series, it marched alongside Australia gaining equal points to reach the final.Discussing the three events in a little more detail, one finds in the World Cup 99, Pakistan emerged with a sparkling success in its pool by winning four out of five matches. It defeated the West Indies by 27 runs, Scotland by 94 runs, Australia by 10 runs and New Zealand by 62 runs. In the 5th Pool match, however, it suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of minnows Bangladesh by 62 runs, a debacle that continues to haunt cricket lovers in Pakistan till today.Jumping into the Super-Six Stage, Pakistan lost two of the three matches. It defeated Zimbabwe by 148 runs but lost to South Africa by 3 wickets and India by 47 runs. By inflicting a glorious 9 wickets defeat on New Zealand in the semi final, Pakistan landed into the finals of the prestigious event.Though Australia and South Africa were the hot favourites, Pakistan made it to the final leaving South Africa behind. Reaching the final of the World Cup for the second time was a great achievement. This was perhaps the juncture where the team was required to bring into play the best of its skill together with the full weight of its physical as well as mental strength. It failed to do so. Overpowered by the ghost of Australia’s super-strength, Pakistan’s batting line crumbled for a paltry 132, a total too small for the bowlers to defend. The bowling arsenal of which Pakistan was always proud, thus failed to play its magic. Pakistan lost the coveted honour by 8 wickets. It was a clear case of breaking down under pressure.In the final of ARY Gold Cup at Sharjah, Pakistan suffered a 77 runs defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka. With full domination over the tournament Pakistan had reached the final undefeated. Surprisingly, the fact that Pakistan had defeated Sri Lanka twice in the league matches also failed to act as a morale booster. Pakistan obviously lost the battle of nerves.Coming back to the NatWest Series, Pakistan was absolutely at par with Australia before start of the final. Both the teams had defeated England thrice, lost once to each other and secured equal points. In the earlier encounter in which Pakistan defeated Australia, the team was able to pile up a total of 291 runs.As for bowling, the one-man demolition squad of Waqar Younis (6 for 59) devastated the Aussies for 254 runs, thus hoisting a 36 runs victory for Pakistan.With such performances in the league matches, what could be the reasons for Pakistan to lay down arms in the final without putting up a fight? The team was out for a petty 152 runs in 42.3 overs. Not being able to play the full quota of 50 overs in such a crucial match was perhaps the worst example of casual and careless batting.Look at master-batsman Saeed Anwar (highest scorer with 27) unnecessarily lifting a ball to mid-off and getting caught on a poor shot. And then the 5-star bowling squad led by superstars Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq completely failing to claim a wicket. The only wicket that Australia lost was on a run-out. Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat by 9 wickets.What does such a repeat of debacle in a final indicate? The team is not deficient of talent or prowess in batting or bowling. Fielding is poor but it only makes a marginal difference. Though it needs definite improvement, the weakness did not prevent the team from reaching the finals. By my understanding of the game, the reasons are psychological. The team lacks mental strength to fight and win the last battle. Overpowered by reputations of its opponents, it succumbs to pressure. It is shy of grabbing a target, which happens to be close but looks too far.I would advise the PCB to start some psychological training in the National Cricket Academy to handle such problems. By doing so, we will not only build up the mental strength but also save many talented players from extinction. For example, there is nothing wrong with players like Shahid Afridi except for temperament and lack of self-control. Once treated by a psychologist they can turn into gems for the future.

Things aren’t anywhere near as bleak as they were a couple of months ago, but this season is still set to be a brutal one for West Ham United.

Nuno Espírito Santo has got his team playing much better football than they were under the previous regime, and has lost just one of his last seven games in charge.

However, the East Londoners still sit in the Premier League relegation zone, three points adrift of 17th and in need of a better second half to the season.

Fortunately, if reports are to be believed, West Ham are looking to strengthen the team next month and have even been linked with someone who has shades of Declan Rice to them.

West Ham target Rice-esque star

With their Premier League survival far from guaranteed, it’s not been surprising to see West Ham linked with a host of talented players in recent weeks.

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For example, Norwich City’s American striker Josh Sargent has been touted for a move to the London Stadium, as has former Brentford star and England international Ivan Toney.

However, as talented as the two strikers are, and as much of an impact as they could have on the East Londoners, they couldn’t really be described as Rice-esque, unlike Charlie Cresswell.

Yes, according to a recent report from Hammers News, West Ham have reignited their intense interest in Charlie Cresswell.

In fact, the report has revealed that the club are so worried about their defence, that talks are already expected to take place ahead of the window opening next month.

The report does not mention how much the Toulouse centre-back might cost, but reports from earlier this year claimed that the French side wanted in excess of £18m to sell.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Cresswell’s ability and potential, it’s one West Ham should pursue, especially as there are shades of Rice to his game.

How Cresswell compares to Rice

Now, the first thing to make clear is that while there are similarities between the two, Cresswell is not as good a player as Rice, at least not at the moment.

It would be absurd to suggest otherwise, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t shades of the former West Ham star in the defender’s game, such as his temperament.

During his time in East London, the former Irons star was a model professional and even before he was handed the armband, a genuine leader in the team, someone who never appeared intimidated.

Fortunately, the same can be said about the Toulouse star, and in fact has, with respected analyst Ben Mattinson describing the 23-year-old as a “proper leader at the back” during his performances for England’s U-21s, who he helped win the European Championships this summer.

This ability to stand out at club and international level – albeit in the youth side – is another key similarity the former Leeds United gem shares with the now Arsenal star.

As is the fact that he’s able to combine his temperament off the ball with an ability and desire to fully commit to tackles, blocks, interceptions, and other less glamorous aspects of the game.

Subscribe for in-depth West Ham transfer analysis Hungry for more transfer insight? Subscribe to the newsletter to receive expert breakdowns of targets, scout profiles, and tactical recruitment analysis for clubs like West Ham — ideal for readers who want informed coverage of transfer decisions. Subscribe Subscribe for in-depth West Ham transfer analysis Hungry for more transfer insight? Subscribe to the newsletter to receive expert breakdowns of targets, scout profiles, and tactical recruitment analysis for clubs like West Ham — ideal for readers who want informed coverage of transfer decisions.

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This is also reflected in his underlying numbers.

Cresswell’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Goals

0.18

Top 1%

Goals + Assists

0.24

Top 1%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.12

Top 1%

Shots on Target

0.52

Top 1%

Aerials Won

3.73

Top 4%

Shots Blocked

1.12

Top 7%

Clearances

7.12

Top 11%

Assists

0.06

Top 14%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.15

Top 16%

Blocks

1.49

Top 20%

All Stats via FBref

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 7% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for shots blocked, the top 11% for clearances and the top 20% for blocks overall, all per 90.

Finally, the Preston-born monster has also shown an ability to help out in attacking situations, already scoring three goals and providing one assist in 16 league appearances this season.

Ultimately, while he might not be on Rice’s level at the moment, Cresswell certainly shares some of his characteristics.

Therefore, West Ham should be doing all they can to sign him next month.

Related West Ham star was their best signing since Bowen, now he's "shambolic"

It’s been a roller-coaster of a season for the West Ham star, who once looked as good a signing as Bowen.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes

Hamilton Masakadza fired Zimbabwe off to a rapid start, held the middle order together and remained unbeaten till the last over of the innings. A few hours later he was named Man of the Match and Man of the Series having played a big part in his team coming from behind to level the T20 series against Bangladesh 2-2.Masakadza’s unbeaten 93 in Khulna on Friday sealed a hat-trick – the top three scores for Zimbabwe in T20s belong to him. He also holds the record for most runs in a bilateral T20I series, and in the second game became the first from his country to complete 3,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket. Zimbabwe will hope his form continues with the World T20 coming up in just over a month.Masakadza needed only 58 balls to almost score a T20 century thanks to five sixes and eight fours, most of which came on the leg side. But there was beauty in his brutality as well.He used singles to feed an 80-run partnership with Richmond Mutumbami, but let the big-hitting Malcolm Waller take most of the strike during their 61-run third-wicket stand. Then when he saw Elton Chigumbura miss a few, Masakadza took the lead in their unbroken 31-run fifth-wicket stand to power Zimbabwe to 180 for 4.”I thought [my innings] went almost exactly like I wanted it to go,” Masakadza said. “We started off playing quite a few shots in the Powerplay. Then, just tried to support the guys in the middle and play some more big shots in the death overs.”Masakadza’s regret was more about failing to get a bigger total for Zimbabwe than missing out on a hundred. “I think I didn’t get as many as I would have liked to in the end overs. I didn’t clear the ropes as much as I wanted to. Other than that it set up the team quite brilliantly. I was more disappointed at not getting 190-odd. We were in a good position to get to the score.”In the first two T20s, Zimbabwe made good starts with the bat but their middle order gave it away at crucial stages. That shortcoming was addressed in the third T20 with Waller playing finisher. Zimbabwe had laid the foundation today as well and a set batsman was able to make sure they got to a formidable total.Masakadza said all the team needed to win was the middle order to take advantage of a fast start, and their self-belief had shot up after winning the third T20.”We were always confident, especially the way we played in the first game. We lost after posting 160 on the board but I thought the way the batsmen had gone, especially to start with, we just needed the middle order to click. We knew we could get over the line.”The momentum definitely helped after the third game. Obviously the guys got more confident with what they were doing. They had a little bit more belief after getting the first victory.”Masakadza said the 2-2 result would go a long way in helping the side overcome their 2-0 loss to Afghanistan earlier this month.”I thought the guys showed a lot of character to come back from 2-0 down. It is a big positive for us. We needed to put what happened against Afghanistan behind us. I think the guys showed good will power to make this comeback. It was very good for the team.”

Eight Ranji players belonging to Bihar Players Association (BPA) protested in front of the Indian board’s office demanding that Bihar be allowed to take part in the domestic cricket season.The cricketers sat on a hunger strike at the BCCI headquarters where its working committee meeting was on, but were taken away by the police.”We have met BCCI chief Sharad Pawar twice. He assured us that the matter will be resolved in a month’s time but nothing has happened,” said Mrityunjai Tiwari, BPA president. Sunil Kumar, Dheeraj Kumar, Raju Vals and Nikhil Ranjan were among others who took part in the protest.The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) became defunct in 2000, when the previous BCCI regime under Jagmohan Dalmiya granted affiliation to Jharkand, a new state carved out of Bihar.The present regime under Sharad Pawar took the decision of restoring the affiliation to the BCA. But the implementation of the decision was subject to approval by the Jharkhand High Court where the JCSA has filed a suit on the matter. “The matter is in the court but what is our fault,” Tiwary said. “All we want is to play cricket.”