In Case You Missed It: Kick-offs and cancellations
Our best content of the week
ESPNcricinfo staff
12-Dec-2020
Crowds, colour and crazy sixes - the tenth edition of the Big Bash League began this weekend • Getty Images
Even more cricket kicked off this week, with the start of the tenth season of the BBL, warm-up tour matches in Australia before the Test series against India, and Pakistan finally clearing all their Covid tests and beginning training for the series in New Zealand that begins on the 18th. At the same time, we had the first-ever ongoing series abandoned after a biosecure bubble breach. It's a tempestuous time for the sport, and there's plenty to catch up on in our weekly round-up.
Wade, Maxwell, Swepson help Australia avoid clean sweep as Kohli 85 is in vain
Matthew Wade and Glenn Maxwell struck fifties to get Australia to 186, and Virat Kohli's 85 looked like it might get India over the line before the rest of the batting came unstuck and the team had to settle for a 2-1 victory in the T20I series. Shashank Kishore took stock of what we learned from the series.
Matthew Wade and Glenn Maxwell struck fifties to get Australia to 186, and Virat Kohli's 85 looked like it might get India over the line before the rest of the batting came unstuck and the team had to settle for a 2-1 victory in the T20I series. Shashank Kishore took stock of what we learned from the series.
T Natarajan has been a good find for India, and there's more to him than just the yorker, Deivarayan Muthu says.
Aakash Chopra is particularly impressed with Hardik Pandya, who he says has made the transition from an allrounder to a proper, game-changing finisher.
Williamson, Southee, Wagner the stars of dominant New Zealand victory
New Zealand thumped West Indies by an innings and 134 runs in the first Test, despite a spirited rearguard fightback by Jermaine Blackwood and Alzarri Joseph. West Indies captain Jason Holder acknowledged that his team needed to "look into the mirror and understand that we've got to fight a little harder".
New Zealand thumped West Indies by an innings and 134 runs in the first Test, despite a spirited rearguard fightback by Jermaine Blackwood and Alzarri Joseph. West Indies captain Jason Holder acknowledged that his team needed to "look into the mirror and understand that we've got to fight a little harder".
'Suddenly we'd won in Pakistan and we were in the dressing room singing Who Let The Dogs Out'
Twenty years on, Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, Waqar Younis and others look back at a famous England win in the subcontinent.
Twenty years on, Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, Waqar Younis and others look back at a famous England win in the subcontinent.
England's South Africa tour called off after Covid-19 outbreak
After multiple postponements, positive Covid test results in both camps, and some mudslinging, England's limited-overs tour of South Africa was called off before the ODI series could begin. The England squad was eventually cleared to fly home after their Tests were confirmed to have returned false positives. The cancellation set off a chain reaction, though, as Australia considered relocating their tour of South Africa to Perth, and Sri Lanka contemplated cancelling their tour to the country entirely.
After multiple postponements, positive Covid test results in both camps, and some mudslinging, England's limited-overs tour of South Africa was called off before the ODI series could begin. The England squad was eventually cleared to fly home after their Tests were confirmed to have returned false positives. The cancellation set off a chain reaction, though, as Australia considered relocating their tour of South Africa to Perth, and Sri Lanka contemplated cancelling their tour to the country entirely.
Mark Nicholas looks past the doom and gloom of the curtailed tour and is just happy watching this new, free-spirited England play T20Is with a sense of adventure.
Why Jason Krejza never thought he was as good as he really was
Twelve years ago the offspinner took a dozen wickets on debut against India. He looks back with Daniel Brettig on how it all went downhill from there.
Twelve years ago the offspinner took a dozen wickets on debut against India. He looks back with Daniel Brettig on how it all went downhill from there.
Parthiv Patel retires from all forms of cricket
He debuted as Test cricket's youngest wicketkeeper in 2002 and made 65 international appearances before calling time on what Karthik Krishnaswamy calls a most unusual 18-year career.
He debuted as Test cricket's youngest wicketkeeper in 2002 and made 65 international appearances before calling time on what Karthik Krishnaswamy calls a most unusual 18-year career.
How England came to dominate the Big Bash League's overseas pool
The BBL kicked off this week, and this year, as in years before, the overseas pool has seen a large influx of English talent. Matt Roller takes a look at why that is.
The BBL kicked off this week, and this year, as in years before, the overseas pool has seen a large influx of English talent. Matt Roller takes a look at why that is.
Which players would make it to an all-time BBL XI? Andrew McGlashan takes a stab at selecting a team.
And how caught up are you on the last nine seasons of the BBL? Take our quiz and find out.
How many boundaries should a T20 team attempt in an innings? More than you might think
Himanish Ganjoo says that fours and sixes are the primary grammar of the format, and will increasingly be so
Himanish Ganjoo says that fours and sixes are the primary grammar of the format, and will increasingly be so
Is England's use of signals from the balcony a big deal?
England's tour of South Africa may have been short, but it did give the cricket world plenty to talk about, with the coded messages being flashed to players from the dressing room. Gaurav Sundararaman says there's not a lot in it at the moment, but there could well be in future.
England's tour of South Africa may have been short, but it did give the cricket world plenty to talk about, with the coded messages being flashed to players from the dressing room. Gaurav Sundararaman says there's not a lot in it at the moment, but there could well be in future.
Umpires need to call a dead ball if a batsman tries to switch-hit
Ian Chappell says the contentious stroke gives batsmen a huge unfair advantage that will eventually make bowlers take matters into their own hands if the officials don't step in
Ian Chappell says the contentious stroke gives batsmen a huge unfair advantage that will eventually make bowlers take matters into their own hands if the officials don't step in
Remember the keeper Australia rushed to Pakistan for a Test?
A sudden call-up, a chaotic tour, a broken thumb - Phil Emery relives his momentous first and last Test for Australia in 1994.
A sudden call-up, a chaotic tour, a broken thumb - Phil Emery relives his momentous first and last Test for Australia in 1994.