Is This Your Celebrated Australian Summer? - International Cricket in 2021-2022

[Satchmo Distel]

T20 World Cup, Ashes, India v NZ, etc.

The world's two best sides, India and NZ, are ridiculously only playing a two-Test series, from Nov 25 to Dec 7, COVID permitting.

South Africa get 3 home Tests v India and two v Bangladesh. South Africa are also playing three ODIs v Netherlands in late-November. Netherlands and Australia are also due to play ODIs v Afghanistan in India, assuming this program is still accurate:

https://www.cricschedule.com/ftp.php

The plethora of 2-Test series is depressing but inevitable if they want to have a World Test Championship whilst maintaining a full T20 and 50-over schedule.

I think England will (inevitably?) play the most cricket (again?) overall - 14 Tests from Nov 2021 to Sep 2022 (15 if they reschedule the Old Trafford India Test) and six ODIs next summer sandwiched between the Tests. They are also going to play some ODIs in Aus in late 2022, under the pretext of World Cup prep (World Cup is Feb - Mar 2023 in India).

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/espncricinfo/status/1446523013374091265?s=21

[ursus arctos]

Will Pucovski suffered his tenth concussion when hit on the head in the nets earlier this week.

He's only 23.

[Kevin S]

Cheers for starting this up SD.

T20 world cup regional qualifiers are going on, with Rwanda - Ghana happening now. Anyone know of any streams?

[Jon]

No, but I'd love to find one. There's a lot of cricket going on at the Gahanga International stadium over the next few days. Lots of regional qualifiers for the T20 World Cup. The stadium, situated on the edge of Kigali, looks magnificent.

[Satchmo Distel]

Will Pucovski suffered his tenth concussion when hit on the head in the nets earlier this week.

He's only 23.

Adam Collins has followed his career closely and wrote this in January:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...t-india-at-scg

[ursus arctos]

I think that overstates it.

They have definitely expressed concern, but also thought he would definitely feature in the Ashes squad before this latest setback (I haven't heard them address it yet).

His talent is undeniable, but getting concussed during throwdowns is troubling for a professional cricketer.

[Satchmo Distel]

I suppose one factor would be that England might not have a fit bowler who is genuinely quick, but OTOH if he's getting hit by medium-pacers that's moot?

[ursus arctos]

I would love to see the neurologist reports, and tend to doubt that they are as upbeat as Langer claims.

That said, it does seem as if may be more of an "eggshell plaintiff" issue than one of technique.

My only hope is that all concerned have his long term welfare at the top of their agenda.

[Satchmo Distel]

A cynic might say that this is why we have concussion subs. If he plays, there's a backup.

[ursus arctos]

And it is also an easier situation for a team to face at home

[Ray de Galles]

Oman v PNG in the T20WC opener is worth it for the kits's alome. PNG trying to build back from being 0-2.

[Kevin S]

This has the feeling of a decent score three quarters of the way through now.

[ursus arctos]

Oman look to have this well in hand.

The mountain backdrop makes the ground much more scenic than the other Gulf venues.

[ursus arctos]

The PNG caps are outstanding (colours are more vibrant than they appear in the photo)

[ursus arctos]

The Desh are demonstrating that they have absolutely no business being in the qualifier

Scotland 52 for 5 in the 11th over

[E10 Rifle]

Should we have a separate thread for the world T20?

Anyway, today's games look like two drubbings

[ursus arctos]

I would be in favour of same

There isn't much conflict now, but there will be at the business end

[Levin]

If someone can operate the search I'm 95% sure there is an existing T20 WC thread.

[Ray de Galles]

Sorry! Snake is going to have to make Ursus the official Cricket Thread Tsar to sort this kind of thing out.

[diggedy derek]

tremendous win for Pakistan.

The BBC say Stokes has been added to the Ashes squad.

[tee rex]

How long is a cricket pitch? News from New Zealand ...

Manawatu won the toss and decided to bat first in the two-day fixture, but it only took Wairarapa strike bowler Stefan Hook two balls to realise that there was something amiss with the pitch, which he promptly pointed out to umpire Tim Shirriffs.

Despite regular complaints from Hook and the other bowlers, who struggled to find their rhythm and "hit the right lengths", it took Shirriffs and fellow umpire Pankaj Girhotra a remarkable 12 overs to come together and check the pitch measurements and discover that it had been marked out at nearly 23 metres, instead of the required 20.12 metres [or 22 yards].

Not surprisingly, the Manawatu openers Bevan Small and Mason had looked comfortable and had progressed the score to 50 without loss.

Play was immediately stopped, and the pitch was re-marked by ground staff. After a delay of about 45 minutes a new game was commenced.

(Wairarapa Times, today)

I blame the metric system. Nobody in NZ knows what 22 yards means these days.

Still, that's an impressively long discrepancy. There's a photo here:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/loc...DDNMRE4XZLJSE/

[tee rex]

Tim Paine quits as Australia captain (but available for selection). "Sexting" scandal ... as they say, more soon.

Steve Smith, all is forgiven?

[Satchmo Distel]

Smith's return has been on the cards for a while. Aussies traditionally make their best batsman captain so Paine was an anomaly - and not a great captain either, see Headingley.

OTOH Marnus Labuschagne is an option.

[Etienne]

On the face of it, doesn't seem to warrant a resignation. Cummins is the Vice Captain, so must be a possibility too, but as Satchmo says Australia don't tend to choose bowlers, and they often rotate fast bowlers in longer series.