Khan Can: International Cricket 2019-20

[Kevin S]

Pikky Ya France has a glorious, balletic run-up.

[Kevin S]

US being skittled as they attempt to reach a tough target against Namibia. Live stream:
https://youtu.be/ozMcJNjuINo

[Kevin S]

Dananjaya banned for illegal bowling action:
https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1349580

[Kevin S]

Also, I hadn't realised that the World Test Championship divides up the points by the number of Tests in a series.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E...t_Championship

But this allows different teams to have different length series over the duration of the Championship, so it makes sense. It's also so-very-cricket that of the first three series to contribute points to it, two of them have been drawn.

[Kevin S]

Five Test series really seem to be an England-only thing, in fact. Outside of our summer, these are the only five Test series this decade so far:

2010-11 Ashes, AUS v ENG
2011-12 none
2012-13 none
2013-14 Ashes, AUS v ENG
2014-15 none
2015-16 none
2016-17 Anthony de Mello, IND v ENG
2017-18 Ashes, AUS v ENG
2018-19 none
2019-20 none

I think there is another possible five Test Anthony de Mello series in 2020-21; I suppose it's only the big three teams in audience terms who can sustain interest in a Test series that lasts more than a few weeks.

[Kevin S]

I'd been meaning to get a new thread underway for the start of the month but forgot with the Ashes rolling on. I think a September start is about where an annual thread should be - at least Wikipedia tends to agree anyway:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...019%E2%80%9320

South Africa in India is the current biggie, with the T20 matches coming first, the Tests second and the ODIs last. Unfortunately it's only a three-Test series but as you can see from the schedule for this winter there are no five-Test series scheduled at all. The longest one is England's four in South Africa, late December into January. So India v South Africa, Australia v New Zealand and South Africa v England are probably the big-ticket Test series. New Zealand v India having only two Tests but eight shorter form matches gets the 'FFS' award from me.

But lots of the other Tests look interesting too - wonder if Afghanistan can win their two 'home' Tests, against West Indies and Ireland?

A key event in the shorter matches is the Men's World T20 Qualifier from 18 October–2 November.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_I..._Cup_Qualifier
Six teams qualify for the Men's World T20 in October next year.

For women's cricket, the T20 World Cup is back again, from 21 February–8 March.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_I..._T20_World_Cup

Australia are hosting and will almost certainly walk it, but there should be some good matches along the way. The ODI Championship continues through the winter as well, with the three-match series contributing to the league table that determines who goes to the 2021 Women's World Cup.