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‘I had a lot of regrets about that,’ he says while looking back at his first-innings dismissal

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-20191:46

Missed the chance to put up a good first innings total – Azhar Ali

Regret from an uncharacteristically careless early swipe in the first innings led Babar Azam to a second Test hundred, cementing his growing reputation among the world’s foremost all-format batsman. Azam’s hundred, alongside Mohammad Rizwan’s 95, provided some resistance on the fourth day at the Gabba, though ultimately not nearly enough to prevent an innings defeat, and a 13th straight loss in Australia.Azam drove expansively at a wide delivery from Josh Hazlewood just four balls into his innings on the first day, part of a post-lunch collapse that wasted a sound start and eventually saw Pakistan fall to a distinctly underwhelming 240 all out. That dismissal was not only out of sync with his white-ball prowess but also a burgeoning body of Test performances.So good has his white-ball game been that it sometimes overlooks his steady rise in Tests. Since the start of 2018, he is Pakistan’s leading scorer in the format. An overall Test average of 36.21 masks that surge: he is averaging 50.88 since 2018 and has seen his Test average rise from less than 24 at that point. No Pakistani batsman has more than his nine 50-plus scores in that run, which includes two hundreds, a 99 (also against Australia, last season) and an electric battle or two with Dale Steyn.He came to these shores as Pakistan’s T20I captain and runs in the three-match series as well as in the warm-up games meant expectations going into Brisbane were high. No less an authority than Ricky Ponting had identified him as the one batsmen he wanted to watch this series.”There was no pressure [around the hype],” Azam said. “That is my shot [the drive he edged first up] but I went and played it too early, which I shouldn’t have done. I had a lot of regrets about that. So I practiced a lot on leaving balls that are slightly wide, and I applied it to my second innings. I went and took an unnecessary chance early on in my first innings and I shouldn’t have done that.”The discipline second time around was notable, not least in surviving a testing early spell from Hazlewood, who has dismissed him five times so far in Tests. But for much of the rest of it, he moved unperturbed to a second hundred, an innings stuffed full of not only the off-side whips and drives on which he has built his reputation but also an accomplished technical base.”I focussed a lot on my concentration, especially after I reach 50,” Azam said. “I want to look at how I can make it a big knock. So I try to maintain the same focus for the second 50 as I do for the first. I didn’t work separately with anyone. Test cricket teaches you all this. When I was failing to convert [earlier in his career], I sat and analysed why I am flopping. I just changed my mind-set and have given 200% on my concentration.”Inevitably and understandably given he is Pakistan’s best batsman, there will be discussion at some point about Azam moving up the order. He has moved up and down, beginning his Test career at No. 4, moving up one spot immediately before eventually moving down the order to where he is now: mostly at No. 5, with occasional forays at six. His highest average is from six – nearly 45 – but he won’t stay down there long.”When I started Test cricket I had no number since Younis and Misbah were still around,” Azam said. “At times I would also bat five or six. I batted No. 3 when I came to Australia last and then went off to No. 4. It’s not like they didn’t give me a number. It was based on the team’s requirement and the plan. I don’t ask for a number to bat at. My job is to perform regardless of where I bat.”Not that there is much of a sample yet to pick from but Azam did agree his hundred here was his best – or, more accurately, the better of his two Test hundreds thus far. “You can say that (it was my best). Scoring runs in Australia is very difficult. They play very well and bowl really well in their home conditions. To perform against them you get extra confidence, which I’ve got from scoring this hundred.”

West Ham could potentially sign a "top level" Premier League striker in January, and it is believed manager David Moyes is a big fan.

West Ham's transfer plans for January

The Hammers are in brilliant form overall so far this season, winning 10 of their last 14 matches in all competitions. Their impressive 2-0 win away to Arsenal has seen them climb to sixth in the table, just three points behind London rivals Spurs, and they've also sailed into the last 16 of the Europa League.

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However, Moyes is apparently eager to shore up key areas of the squad in January, and West Ham are tipped to busy when the transfer window reopens (Fabrizio Romano).

The east Londoners appear light in certain positions, like centre-half, with the barely-seen Konstantinos Mavropanos and Angelo Ogbonna forced to come in against Arsenal and do a brilliant job in the absence of Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna.

West Ham have been linked with signing a new defender to give Moyes more options, with the Scotsman also eager to sign a new left-winger next month.

Michail Antonio's injury has also forced the Irons to play Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus as makeshift centre-forwards this season, and while they've performed exceptionally in parts, you could still make the case that Moyes needs another striker option.

West Ham have displayed an interest in Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy as one option, while Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah is a name regularly mentioned by sections of the press.

West Ham could sign Nketiah

The Englishman, despite playing in nearly every Premier League game for Mikel Arteta's side so far this season, may well depart the Emirates mid-season.

Nketiah has scored five goals and assisted one other in his 18 league appearances for Arsenal, with journalist Malik Ouzia sharing an update on his future for The Evening Standard.

Detailing West Ham's "possible ins" next month, Ouzia names the forward, saying Nketiah could leave Arsenal and Moyes is a known admirer. The 24-year-old is apparently a candidate to strengthen West Ham's forward line, alongside PSG striker Hugo Ekitike who Moyes and co chased a deal for in the summer.

It appears Nketiah might well join West Ham as an option, depending on developments, and we believe he could be a good addition to Moyes' squad if they do end up pursuing a deal.

The former Leeds loanee is a proven Premier League player and still fairly young, with Arteta even calling him a "top-level" striker.

"Well to me he is top level,” said Arteta on Nketiah.

“He’s started nine out of our ten Premier League games, so that tells you how much we trust him and the importance he has in the team. I’m really happy for him, an academy player to experience a Premier League hat-trick. He needs to enjoy the moment, he fully deserves it, and hopefully there are many more to come.”

Former board member claims English cricket faces “financial crisis” if new tournament fails

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2019Senior figures at the ECB have been grilled by MPs on the budget for the Hundred at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, amid fears that projected costs for the new competition have grown significantly.In an oral evidence session that formed a key part of the DCMS inquiry into the future of English cricket, Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, repeatedly failed to give specific answers to questions regarding the budget for the new tournament.Former Somerset chairman Andy Nash – who resigned from the board of the ECB 18 months ago citing “standards of corporate governance… falling well short of what’s acceptable,” and a “move to promote eight counties as the first among equals” – gave evidence citing figures from an ESPNcricinfo article which demonstrated that the expected cost of the Hundred has risen significantly since the tournament was initially proposed.ALSO READ: ECB deny downplaying Blast amid fears for Hundred’s ticket salesJo Stevens, the Labour MP for Cardiff Central, questioned why the ECB had chosen to introduce a fourth format, asking “what’s wrong with T20?”Colin Graves, the ECB’s chairman, claimed that “the rest of the world is looking at it [the 100-ball format]. There’s at least four countries out there that are looking at how it develops, and they are certainly interested in it.”But the tensest exchange came between Stevens and Harrison on the subject of the budget for the Hundred, with the competition set to start in July 2020.”You presumably had a budget for it when you started the Hundred,” Stevens said. “What was the budget, and how much has it cost? How are you doing against your budgeting?”Unhappy with Harrison’s initial answer, Stevens repeated: “Can you answer the question I’m asking? What was the budget and what have you spent?”Harrison replied: “That is three years ago, the budget has obviously moved from that point as the development of the concept comes to light and there are costs… we actually added a women’s tournament…”Stevens continued: “Mr Harrison, it’s a simple question. What was the budget and how much have you spent?”In total, Stevens asked six times what the budget was for the new competition, and how the ECB’s costs had compared to expectations. Harrison said: “The budget is in line with the game’s expectations. I’m not going to reveal what that is.”We have a valuation which was met in the process of the broadcast budget, and the tournament budget which is… the tournament hasn’t happened yet. It’s happening next year. We’re in the budget-planning process. We’re planning the budget now for next year which will go through the board, through the proper governance structures and will be revealed… will effectively be confirmed in time for next year. We haven’t done budgets for any part of our business next year yet.”The budget is in line with the expectations of the Hundred board, and the ECB board.”In the second part of the session, Nash described the introduction of the new tournament as “an almighty punt and a reckless gamble” with “the potential to split and bankrupt the game”.”It will clearly will damage the other three formats,” he said. “We’ll be left with a financial crisis.”Andy Nash expressed concerns about the ECB’s financial position at a DCMS select committee oral evidence session•Getty ImagesNash claimed the first year of the Hundred would see the ECB lost £20m, and said that it “is going to cost about £60m a year to put on. So if no new fans come it will have cost £200m to cannibalise the existing game.”In fact, the first-year lost is likely to be closer to £7.5million. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the ECB is set to claim that the Hundred will make a profit in its first year. The board projects that it will gross £51million in its first year against costs of £35million – but those costs exclude the £1.3m fee guaranteed to each county. With those included, the competition is not projected to make a profit in its first five years, though it could break even in year five. For the 2020 edition, the costs including payments to the counties are projected to be around £58.6million.T20 leagues around the world have similarly struggled for profitability until several years after their inception. Harrison later claimed that he could not provide full budget figures as they are not yet fully agreed and signed off by the board.Nash later claimed that “fans feel as though the game is being taken away from them”.”[The ECB] really are betting the farm that the next TV deal will pay back the investment on the Hundred,” he said. “We have here the germ of a major financial crisis for the game. This year was a fantastic success for cricket. Why put it all at risk? A lot of people in the game are completely baffled.”We’ll be left with a financial crisis. Where’s the justification for such a high-risk route?”Nash reasserted his support for a T20 competition split between two divisions of nine counties, as proposed by a working party he chaired when at the ECB. The plan was initially backed by the CEOs of the first-class counties.”You’d have nine teams in each division and, hey presto, you have an English Premier League in the top division,” he said. “That option is still there. It’s still what fans would like. It would cost nothing like as much as The Hundred. It would present far less of a risk.”

Sibley follows unbeaten first-innings double-century with 109 as Warwickshire win by eight wickets

ECB Reporters Network19-Sep-2019Warwickshire 488 (Sibley 215*, Hain 76) and 271 for 2 (Sibley 109, Burgess 61*) beat Nottinghamshire 498 (Mullaney 179, Clarke 125) and 260 (Clarke 112, Hannon-Dalby 4-54) by eight wickets
Dominic Sibley followed his unbeaten first-innings double century with another hundred as Warwickshire completed a successful run chase on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.Sibley, who scored an undefeated 215 in the first innings, followed up with 109 as the visitors reached their target of 271 from a minimum of 58 overs with eight wickets to spare. The 24-year old opener Sibley scored his runs from 147 balls, with 10 fours, and shared in an opening stand of 146 with Will Rhodes, who made 65.Having been on the field for virtually the entire match, Sibley was eventually bowled by Paul Coughlin, who took 2 for 85.By that stage the victory was already in sight, with Michael Burgess hitting an unbeaten 61 after coming in at No. 3.Earlier, the day had looked as if it might belong to Joe Clarke, who registered his second hundred of the match.Clarke followed up his first innings score of 125 with 112 as Notts made 260 in their second innings. He was last out, bowled by Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who took 4 for 54, with Jeetan Patel picking up 3 for 52.Clarke’s championship season had begun with scores of 112 and 97 not out against Yorkshire in early April but off-field issues disrupted his campaign and he had failed to reach 50 in any of his 17 Division One innings since then.Dropped for the previous match, he returned to the starting XI as Notts rested players ahead of this weekend’s Vitality Blast Finals Day. His return to form now puts him in contention to figure on Saturday as well.The former Worcestershire batsman reached his sixteenth first-class century from 130 deliveries, having hit 15 fours.”Firstly, Dom Sibley is a man in form and has played unbelievably well,” Clarke said. “As a close mate of mine, hopefully I can see him in England colours this winter.”It was nice for me after missing out last week. I was gutted, so coming back in I worked really hard to show people I don’t want to be left out again.”On the prospect of playing at Finals Day on Saturday, he added: “I felt like I went ok in the T20s and feel confident but the decision is in other people’s hands, not mine. I’ll have a swing and be prepped to go if I get the nod.”Resuming from their overnight score of 105 for 5, a lead of 115, the home side had an early set-back when Coughlin was given out caught behind off Henry Brookes for 16.Ravi Ashwin joined Clarke and kept the scoreboard moving in a partnership of 73, made in only 13 overs.George Garrett broke the stand, gaining a positive lbw verdict against Ashwin, who made 42. The same bowler wasn’t able to build on his success, clutching his thigh as he limped out of the action during his next over.Clarke was on 89 when he lost his next partner, Luke Fletcher, popping Patel into the hands of Sam Hain at short leg.Patel dismissed Zak Chappell for a promising 29 soon after lunch and the innings was completed when Clarke was bowled trying to farm the strike. In his disappointment he knocked out a stump with his bat – apologising immediately to the umpires.Brendan Taylor, who made 114 and 105 not out against Durham in 2016 was the last Nottinghamshire batsman to record two hundreds in the same match.The visitors began well, reaching tea on 82 without loss, with Sibley unbeaten on 48 and Rhodes on 34.Gradual accumulation saw the openers advance the score to 146 before they were separated. Rhodes, who had hit Ashwin for two leg-side sixes in his 80-ball half-century, picked out Chappell in the deep, upper-cutting Coughlin.A tired-looking Sibley then wandered across his stumps but Burgess reached his 50 from 51 balls, leaving Matt Lamb to hit the winning run.The match aggregate of 1,517 runs is the largest in the competition this summer but leaves Notts still without a victory at the foot of the table. They now turn their attention to Finals Day on Saturday, before completing their red-ball season against Surrey at The Kia Oval next week.Warwickshire move up to sixth in the table with their victory and host Yorkshire in their final encounter.

England's Euro 2024 campaign has not gotten off to a start that Gareth Southgate wanted and tensions are reportedly rising.

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• England start Euros with win and a draw
• Reports suggest tensions within players' families
• Southgate criticised for selection biases

• GETTY
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  England travelled to Germany earlier this month for Euro 2024 and did so as one of the outright favourites to lift the trophy at the Olympastadion on July 14. However, despite them sitting atop their group, all has not gone to plan as they struggled to a 1-0 win over Serbia before a frustrating 1-1 draw against Denmark. Reports from the Independent suggest that there are tensions among the players' families.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report has suggested that when the players met their families in Frankfurt after the drab draw against Denmark, there was a lot of 'tension' between all that were involved but not due to the result. It is believed that a lot of players and their families are convinced Southgate has reservations towards certain senior players and will not select players in form over them.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  While the report suggests players' unhappiness towards Southgate for his biases towards senior players, that has not been the case in his squad picking for the Euros' 26-man squad. He left a number of big names back at home in favour of young talent like Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze.

• WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  The Three Lions' management and the players themselves will look to put behind the murmurs surrounding the 'brokenness' of their camp as they look to take on Slovenia in their final group stage match on June 25.

Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner doesn't know if Lionesses star Mary Earps has played her last game for the club, though he hopes not.

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Earps out of contract at Man Utd this summerToone linked with Barcelona moveSkinner addresses futures of bothWHAT HAPPENED?

Earps was in between the sticks for the Red Devils on Saturday as they were brutally beaten by Chelsea, a win that secured the Women's Super League title. There is a possibility that it could have been her final game for the club, with her contract up this summer.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

England's No.1 has been linked with Arsenal throughout the past year and although those rumours have now gone quiet, there is sure to be interest in one of the best goalkeepers in the world if she cannot agree a new deal at United.

WHAT SKINNER SAID

Asked if Earps had played her last game at Old Trafford at the weekend, Skinner replied: "I hope not. I hope not. They are still conversations that are ongoing. At some point, as a head coach, you have to walk away from that situation and allow your focus to be on the team – and the same with Mary. Me and Mary have got a really good relationship and I hope to work with her for many years to come. I'm hoping that we can come to some agreement, but I think it's important we leave Mary out of that situation and the two parties can continue to have conversations away from the player and the head coach."

DID YOU KNOW?

Ella Toone, another key member of this Man Utd team, has also been linked with a move away despite being under contract. Reports this week suggested that she could be a transfer target for Barcelona, though Skinner said: "I've heard nothing and I'm sure I would have been told if that was the case. From my perspective, everyone knows how important Tooney is to what we do at Manchester United, especially me."

An unbroken century stand between Billy Root and Marchant de Lange allowed Glamorgan to fight back from an indifferent start to claim their first victory of the Royal London Cup season, leaving Surrey stranded on just one win.Root was unbeaten on 113 and de Lange 58 not out as Glamorgan recovered from 160 for 6 to post a total of 323 for 7, thanks largely to the unbroken eighth-wicket stand between Root and de Lange, who put on 113 off 63 balls. The home side then bowled Surrey out with 20 balls to spare – de Lange chiming in with four wickets and Graham Wagg taking three – to win by 64 runs.De Lange accounted for the Surrey top order with a devastating spell of 3 for 14 from his opening three overs, as the visitors slumped to 28 for 4 in the fifth. Will Jacks was bowled off his pads and Rory Burns was well caught low down at third man, before Dean Elgar slapped one to cover. Earlier, Mark Stoneman was undone by Michael Hogan, with David Lloyd taking a low catch at first slipJamie Smith, a promising 18-year-old batsman, and Ben Foakes staged a recovery by adding 64 for the fifth wicket, before they were dismissed in quick succession. Smith was well held by Chris Cooke, standing up to Graham Wagg, who then had Foakes caught at mid-on.Jordan Clark, who joined Surrey from Lancashire this season, top scored for his new county with an aggressive 79, and his partnership of 107 with Stuart Meaker gave Surrey a glimmer of hope. There were 108 needed from the final 10 overs, but de Lange captured his fourth wicket when Clark, who had struck the previous ball for six, holed out at long leg.Meaker (50) achieved his career best List A score, but with 70 needed from the last five overs, there was little hope for the visitors, with de Lange ending with 4 for 63.The home team, who had been put in on a pacey pitch, were soon in trouble against Morne Morkel, who dismissed the first three batsmen with a superb display of seam bowling.Marnus Labuschagne was the first to go, plumb in front of a full-length ball, before Cooke was bowled by one that trimmed his off stump, then Jeremy Lawlor guided one the gully.Lloyd struck Conor McKerr for three successive boundaries but, attempting to pull a short delivery from Meaker, he holed out at mid-wicket.Charlie Hemphrey and Wagg helped Root take Glamorgan past 200, before de Lange began his assault. He began with successive boundaries, before a flurry of enormous sixes gave Glamorgan hope of a substantial total.Root reached his century – his second in List A games – from 111 balls and, from the next ball, de Lange reached his first fifty for Glamorgan from just 27 balls. They both achieved career best scores, as 113 runs were plundered from the final 10 overs and 51 from the final five.Root said: “It was great to get not only my career best, but also to win the game. Marchant played a terrific innings and it made my job a lot easier.”De Lange added: “I played my own game. I am not a top order batsman and if the ball is there to be hit I’ll have a go. My job was to support Billy, and it worked.”

England captain hopes to exploit Mandhana’s weakness, having seen her closely during the WBBL

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai21-Feb-20191:22

Opportunity for youngsters to step up and perform – Mithali Raj

England have more depth than India, a point captain Heather Knight touched upon ahead of the ODI series in Mumbai that counts towards the ICC Women’s Championship.They have proved it twice against India in recent times – none more famously than in the Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s in July 2017. England triumphed again, in a different format, in the semi-final of the World T20 in November.”We’ve got a lot of depth,” Knight said on the eve of the first ODI at Wankhede Stadium. “The ODI cricket we’ve played in the last couple of years, including the World Cup in England, has been very good. We have got performances from different players. We have got [some] inexperience [but also] a group that has been around for a while as well.”We’ve got quite a settled batting line-up and each of the batters in the top six or seven are match-winners. Hopefully a lot more players can step up, as they have done in the last two years.”By contrast, India are thin in the middle order, as exposed during the limited-overs series in New Zealand (India won the ODIs 2-1, but were blanked 3-0 in the T20Is). They now have a big void to fill as vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the series with an ankle injury. This is the first time since 2010, after 87 ODIs, that India will be without Harmanpreet in the format.1:22

Opportunity for youngsters to step up and perform – Mithali Raj

While Knight believes “any team in the world would miss” a batsman of her caliber, Mithali Raj, her counterpart, has suggested it is an opportunity for the younger players to step up.”Honestly, they should go about their business as they have been, because Jemimah [Rodrigues] and Smriti [Mandhana] gave us great starts in the last series. Our middle-order wasn’t tested much,” Raj said. “Yes, Harman’s not there in the side because of an injury, but we as a bating unit should be taking the responsibility to play that role of getting the team along.Knight knows India are no pushovers, and is gearing up for a challenge to stifle Mandhana, her WBBL team-mate and India’s most prolific run-scorer in the last 12 months.”I have obviously played With Smriti in Hobart [Hurricanes], very recently. She played in my team, so I know her very well,” she said. “I know she’s a very good player, and having seen a lot of her, obviously, it gives us the chance to look at her weaknesses as well, and try and figure out how we’re going to exploit them in the series.”England will be buoyed by the return of wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor and fast-bowling allrounder Katherine Brunt, two notable absentees from their World T20 squad. Knight, quite obviously, was delighted to have players of their ability and experience available.”The experience they bring to the side, obviously their skill level to the pitch is invaluable to us,” she said. “We’re really excited to have them back, and see how they go. They are both excited to be here as well. They bring different things to the group. They both really have a positive influence on the team, and the set-up in general.”Getty Images

Last year, Nagpur offered turning tracks when England toured for three ODIs, which they won 2-1. In Mumbai, the series will be played on two adjacent surfaces – one grassy and the other one on a belter. That said, much of England’s bowling plans will revolve around Sophie Ecclestone, their leading wicket-taker during the ODI series last year. Ecclestone has since been awarded a central contract.”I think Sophie Ecclestone bowled really well last year in India,” Knight said. “She sort of emerged on that trip, and has been the leader of our attack. She’s been outstanding, and she keeps developing all the time. So I’d really like to see how she goes.”A key player missing from England’s squad from their last tour of India is the now-retired offspinner Danielle Hazell. Knight was hopeful that Hazell’s like-for-like replacement, Laura Marsh will be able to plug that hole and, in turn, cement her place in the starting XI.”We miss Danni, but we’ve got a fitting replacement in Laura Marsh,” Knight said. “She’s been around for a long time, experienced in these conditions and how to bowl in these conditions. I’m really excited to see how she goes. She has a good opportunity to be our main offspinner.”With Danni around, Laura and her were constantly competing against each other – a one in, one out sort of thing. Laura’s now got that chance to be our only offspinner and really stamp her mark on it.”

The left-arm quick played 82 matches across formats for India between 2005 and 2011

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2018

Exactly 13 years after making his international debut in an ODI against Zimbabwe on September 4 in Harare, former India left-arm seamer RP Singh has announced his retirement from all cricket. The 32-year old played 82 matches across formats for India between 2005 and 2011.”Today as I hang [up] my boots and call it a day I wish to remember and give thanks to each and everyone who made this journey possible,” RP Singh posted on Twitter.”Even as I write this, there are conflicting emotions inside me. No matter how much one prepares for this day, there is no easy way to bid goodbye. But somewhere inside there is a voice that tells you – it’s time. And that for me is today.”Extracting steep bounce thanks to his height, and at his best finding late swing into the right-handers, RP Singh made a handful of important contributions across his 14-Test career. He bagged the Player-of-the-Match award on his debut against Pakistan in Faisalabad in January 2006, after claiming five wickets on a flat deck in a draw. He played a key role in India’s Test series win in England in 2007, getting onto the Lord’s honours boards in the process, and picked up six wickets in their Test victory in Perth in January 2008.The highs were intermittent, though, and he was left out after the home series against South Africa in 2008. He didn’t play a single Test for the next three years, until a surprise recall, when he was holidaying in Miami, to join India’s squad for the fourth Test against England at The Oval in 2011. He toiled away for 34 wicketless overs in England’s only innings, in what turned out to be his final Test.RP Singh was the joint second-highest wicket-taker (12 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.33) in India’s run to the World T20 title in 2007. Two years later, he topped the wicket charts in the IPL (23 wickets in 16 matches at an economy rate of 6.98) and led Deccan Chargers to the title.In first-class cricket RP Singh took 301 wickets in 94 matches at an average of 30.57, of which 209 came in the Ranji Trophy. He missed Uttar Pradesh’s triumphant Ranji Trophy season in 2005-06, but got his hands on the trophy late in his career when he was part of the Gujarat side that won the tournament in 2016-17. He took four wickets in the final against Mumbai, which turned out to be his last competitive game.

The Texas Rangers are bringing Nathan Eovaldi back after letting the right-handed pitcher test free agency.

According to Robert Murray of Fansided, Eovaldi and the Rangers are in agreement on new contract. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports the contract is a three-year pact worth $75 million. The 34-year-old will return to Texas, where he's played each of the last two years, and collect an average of $25 million per season over the life of his new deal.

Eovaldi made 29 starts last season and pitched a total of 170 2/3 innings, the most he's thrown since 2021. He registered 166 strikeouts, 42 walks and maintained a 3.80 ERA. Eovaldi, a two-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion, made six starts in the postseason during the Rangers' run to a World Series title in 2023.

2024 was a disappointing season for the Rangers, who failed to reach the postseason after winning the World Series the previous year. They'll hope to get back on track in '25, and ensuring they kept Eovaldi as a key cog of their starting rotation will go a long way towards competing for a postseason spot next season.