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As many as seventeen batsmen have fallen to Lasith Malinga as part of one of his hat-trick sequences in international cricket. Can you tell them apart from the rest?

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2019Lasith Malinga takes hat-tricks for fun at the highest level. As if three wickets in three balls isn’t achievement enough, he’s had two separate sequences of four wickets in four balls in international cricket. The rest of humanity (and that obviously doesn’t include Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan) has managed just one of those. In fact, Malinga has more hat-tricks in one ground (three at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo) than most bowlers have in their entire careers.So regular – and so inevitable when he goes on one of his yorker sprees – has it become that we’ve got enough to put together a quiz on his hat-tricks. Which of these batsmen has the slingshot dismissed as part of his hat-tricks, and which of them are just making up the numbers here? Give it a shot and let us know how many you got right.

Frustration is mounting at Inter as Hakan Calhanoglu's future remains unresolved amid persistent transfer rumours and a lack of official bids.

No concrete bids received for Calhanoglu despite speculationInter schedule decisive talks to clarify midfielder’s futureClub open to offers but player likely to resume trainingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Serie A side are preparing for decisive talks with the midfielder, as Turkish Lig interest fails to materialise in concrete form, as reported by. Despite weeks of rumours linking the Turkish international with a move to Fenerbahce and earlier interest from Galatasaray, no official offers have reached the club. CEO Beppe Marotta made it clear that several “phantom” approaches never materialised, and without formal bids, there can be no negotiation. Inter have now scheduled decisive talks with Calhanoglu to clarify the situation, with the midfielder expected to return to Milan for discussions on his future.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A month of uncertainty has exacerbated existing tensions within Inter, following failed transfer discussions and reported dressing room rifts. Lautaro Martinez, the club captain, indirectly addressed disruptive transfer rumours after Inter’s Club World Cup exit. Marotta has underlined the desire for clarity, while the club remain open to substantial offers for Calhanoglu, who is seen as a high-value asset with two years left on his contract. Fenerbahce’s interest has not advanced beyond informal contacts, and Galatasaray have withdrawn after failing to meet Inter’s valuation.

WHAT BEPPE MAROTTA SAID

With talks set to take place to decide his future, Marotta was asked about the transfer speculation. He told reporters: "I wouldn't want something to become a coincidence when it isn't. We're faced with phantom requests that never reach us, and without them, there can't even be any consideration."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR INTER & CALHANOGLU?

Inter will hold face-to-face meetings with Calhanoglu and his representatives this week, intending to resolve uncertainty before pre-season training resumes. If no formal proposal arises from Fenerbahce or any other club, Calhanoglu will re-integrate with the squad and prepare for the new season. Inter are reportedly willing to consider bids of at least €25 million but maintain their stance of not forcing a departure. The upcoming discussions will be crucial in shaping both the club’s strategy and Calhanoglu’s immediate future.

‘Who knows what cricket is going to look like in even two years’ time?’ says England Test captain

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Jul-2024Ben Stokes has called for more player input over the international schedule, ahead of an overloaded 12-month period for England’s red- and white-ball sides.Speaking ahead of the third and final Test against West Indies, England’s Test captain reiterated his long-held criticisms of a congested fixture list, further complicated by the rise of franchise cricket. Having previously worried about its effect on the quality of cricket, Stokes is wary of the negative impact it could have on the development of England teams as a whole.While Stokes’ focus is on building towards the Ashes in the winter of 2025-26, the limited-overs set-up is looking towards a new dawn, with a decision to be made imminently on the futures of head coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler. Such are the commitments ahead for both squads, it is highly unlikely that each will progress at a similar rate.Related

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After the conclusion of this series in Edgbaston, the Test team will reconvene for a three-match series against Sri Lanka which begins at Emirates Old Trafford on August 21. The day after the third Test is due to finish in September, England begin a T20I series against Australia.That is followed by an ODI series against the same opponents that finishes just eight days before the start of a three-Test series in Pakistan. Three days after that tour concludes, England begin an ODI series in Antigua, which ends in St Lucia eight days prior to the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.The start of 2025 offers some respite with no overseas Tests in the first half of the year, but England will play five white-ball matches in India as preparation for the Champions Trophy in February. The home season then plays host to four visiting teams, with an ODI series in Ireland running parallel to the India Test series.England are blessed with a playing pool that can be adequately split for the obligations that await. But the pull on their multi-format players such as Harry Brook, Mark Wood and even Jofra Archer, who is mooted to return to the Test side in 2025, will become a problem, particularly as they continue to seek opportunities on the T20 franchise circuit.Stokes believes his role as Test captain allows him to have a firm hand on the tiller when it comes to what is best for his team. But he acknowledged problems on the horizon and urged boards such as the ICC, who produce the Future Tours Programme (FTP), and the ECB, who rubber-stamp it, to collaborate more with players at an uncertain time for the game’s ecosystem.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I hope not,” answered Stokes when asked if his ambitions with the Test team will be hampered by the schedule. “It is something that does need to be addressed.”Who knows what international cricket is going to look like, with all the franchise stuff that is going on as well? It does need to get looked at. The landscape is constantly changing. I don’t think anyone can put their hand on their heart and say they know what cricket is going to look like in even two years’ time.”I think some consultation might be quite nice, obviously to Jos (Buttler) and myself. The FTP could maybe see the people playing in it consulted, and I think we could have some good input in that.”Asked whether he had been consulted on the recent FTP running from 2023-27, Stokes was tight-lipped: “Yes and no. Make of that what you will.”He was similarly guarded when asked about his own white-ball career, unwilling to entertain the question on the eve of a Test match. Having reversed his ODI retirement to play in the 2023 World Cup, he subsequently opted out of the T20 World Cup last month to focus on his Test duties. He also refused to acknowledge reports in last week that he has signed a bumper £800,000 deal with MI Cape Town in the SA20, which clashes with the India white-ball series at the start of next year.

Bangladesh haven’t won a game in the last four T20 World Cups, and the skipper wants to end that streak

Mohammad Isam24-Sep-2024Nigar Sultana wants Bangladesh to beat Scotland in their opening match of the women’s T20 World Cup on October 3 and set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Beating Scotland would be a “huge achievement”, she said, since Bangladesh haven’t won a match in their last four World Cup appearances, and have won just one game in five editions.Nigar, however, clarified that Bangladesh were not taking Scotland lightly. “We want to win the first match,” she said. “It will be a huge achievement for the team. The team will get into a flow when that happens. We can then dream of something bigger. We are hungry for it.”Scotland, though, are playing good cricket. Generally teams arrive at the World Cup with a lot of expectations. They won’t let you win easily. They don’t give up without a fight. We are mentally prepared to face those challenges.Related

• Women's T20 WC winners to get big increase in prize money

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“I have played four World Cups but we have never won a game in those editions. The last time we won was in the 2014 tournament [against Sri Lanka]. We have played well in previous editions but playing well only means something when you can win.”Nigar and Bangladesh are dreaming big. They want to challenge England, West Indies and South Africa, the others in their group in the first round, and are hoping to get into the semi-finals.”To play in the semi-final, we have to win against those three teams, too,” Nigar said. “We have different plans against each team. If we can execute our game-plan, then it will good for us. We have defeated South Africa in T20Is [twice in 13 completed matches]. We rarely meet England, only in World Cups, so it might be difficult for them, too. We all know that we have a good spin attack.”The tournament was initially supposed to be held in Bangladesh, but following political unrest in the country in July-August, the ICC relocated it to the UAE.”For a long time, we prepared with the understanding that the World Cup will be held at home,” Nigar said. “It is not in our control, so there’s no point thinking about it anymore. We played in Abu Dhabi in 2021, where the wickets were nice. Sharjah is a new venue for us, but we will play two practice matches, which will give us some idea.”Other teams will face similar challenges, so the faster we can adapt to those challenges, it will help us play better in the tournament’s main matches.”Young Rabeya Khan has been a revelation for Bangladesh in recent times•BCB

Batting a concern for Bangladesh

Bangladesh haven’t done well with the bat in their last two home series, against India and Australia, and also lost to India and Sri Lanka in the women’s Asia Cup earlier this year.Giving Nigar confidence, though, are newcomers like Shathi Rani and the uncapped Taj Nehar, who was picked ahead of the more experienced Rumana Ahmed.”Batting is definitely a concern but we saw some improvements among the batters during the ‘A’ team tour [of Sri Lanka],” she said. “We still believe that we can do well as most of our players have also done well in the domestic tournaments. I hope they continue their form in the World Cup.”We included Taj for the middle-order, although she doesn’t have experience. We saw her in the league [Women’s National Cricket League] where she showed good approach and intent. She can play the big shots. If you have followed our recent international matches, we failed in showing intent. Shathi was the highest run-getter in the league. She can go after the bowling, and you can see those in some of her innings. She can use the powerplay quite well. She has proved herself to come at this stage.”Bangladesh have a strong spin attack that includes left-arm spinner Nahida Akter and 19-year-old legspinner Rabeya Khan. Nigar paid a glowing tribute to young Rabeya, who is the team’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year [14 wickets in 12 games]. “Rabeya is one of our finest bowlers. She has taken our team to a different level through her contributions in both formats. She is a great fielder. She is good with the bat too but doesn’t take batting seriously. She is maturing slowly. If there’s someone I rely with the ball in tough situations after Nahida, it is definitely Rabeya.”

علق مارك كوكوريلا ظهير تشيلسي بعد مساهمته في فوز البلوز على ليفربول بهدفين لهدف على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال كوكوريلا في تصريحات نشرتها “تليجراف” البريطانية: “بدأنا المباراة بشكل رائع، تجاوزنا أسابيعنا الصعبة، ندخل الآن فترة التوقف الدولي بثلاث نقاط”.

وأضاف بعد الفوز على ليفربول: “كنا نستحق هذه اللحظة، خلقنا زخماً مع الجماهير في دوري أبطال أوروبا وواصلنا الأداء الليلة”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. كايسيدو: كنت أعلم أن تسديدتي ستعانق شباك ليفربول.. “هدف رائع”

وواصل: “علينا دائماً تغيير اللاعبين بسبب الإصابات، وهذا ليس عذراً، لدينا الكفاءة للتكيف، نلعب لفريق كبير”.

وحول تقييمه للمباراة: “كنا نستحق الفوز، بدأنا المباراة بشكل جيد للغاية ثم بدأنا الشوط الثاني بشكل غير جيد مرة أخرى، علينا تحسين هذه الأمور، مررنا بأسابيع صعبة وكانت هذه اللحظة مذهلة ونحن سعداء للغاية”.

وأكمل: “لم يكن الأسبوع سهل علينا، في دوري أبطال أوروبا، نلعب كل بضعة أيام، هذا أمر جيد لأنه إذا خسرت فستخوض مباراة أخرى بعد ساعات قليلة، في منتصف الأسبوع عانينا في الدقائق الأخيرة، لقد بدأنا المباراة اليوم بشكل جيد وسجلنا مبكراً وبدأنا نستعيد ثقتنا”.

وعن هدف الفوز: “نعلم أن محمد صلاح يكون مستعدًا دائماً للهجمات المرتدة، لذا تدربنا على ذلك، وقال المدرب إن المساحة قد تكون موجودة على يمين ليفربول، رأينا أنها كانت اللحظة الأخيرة، لكننا واصلنا الهجوم، حاولت بذل قصارى جهدي ومرر لي إنزو الكرة ومررتها لإستيفاو”.

وأثنى على إستيفاو: “دخل المباراة، ربما لأول مرة ضد ليفربول في الدوري وكان رتم المباراة سريعًا للغاية، دخل بشخصية قوية، هاتو أيضاً دخل في وسط الملعب، من الصعب أن تأتي من مقاعد البدلاء بهذه القوة والسرعة، يستحق هذان اللاعبان هذه اللحظة، ليس من السهل التكيف مع البريميرليج أبداً واليوم أظهرا جودتهما”.

بهذه النتيجة، يتجمد رصيد ليفربول عند النقطة 15 خلال 7 مباريات من 5 انتصارات وهزيمتين، بينما يصبح تشيلسي برصيد 11 نقطة في المركز السادس من 3 انتصارات وتعادلين وهزيمتين.

With four back-to-back games in Mullanpur, Kings will hope home comforts help them get out of the mid-table points jam

Vishal Dikshit08-Apr-20241:48

What’s the secret to Abhishek Sharma’s success at the top?

Match detailsPunjab Kings (PBKS) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Mullanpur, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)Big Picture – Sunrisers might exploit Kings’ death bowlingSunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings look like two teams who have had very similar journeys so far this IPL – two wins from four games and sitting in the middle of the points table – but their passage to get there could have hardly been more contrasting. If Sunrisers have been the second-quickest batting team in powerplays this IPL (before the CSK vs KKR game on Monday) with a run rate of 11.66, Kings have been the second-worst bowling in the death overs (17-20) this IPL, leaking runs at 12.65.Sunrisers’ fresh batting approach this IPL has largely been because of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma’s success at the top. While Head carried forward his stellar form from 2023, Abhishek’s firepower has surprised many. Hardly a household name in T20 cricket, he has left many big-hitters behind in recent months with his boundary-hitting. Since October 2023, Abhishek has smashed 101 boundaries (47 fours and 54 sixes) in 326 balls, which adds up to one boundary every 3.23 balls, second only to Andre Russell’s 3.12 (taking into account stats for batters with at least 50 boundaries in this period).Abhishek’s methods might be high-risk but they’ve brought high-reward: he has not been dismissed very often while going for the big hits. His 101 boundaries have come across 14 innings in which he has averaged 46 while batting in the top three. He has struck two centuries in this phase, which also includes ten knocks for champions Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was the second-highest scorer while striking at 192. He has been smashing runs at 217.56 this IPL. If in the last two IPLs he hit a six almost every 25 balls, this IPL he is doing it five times as often, hitting a six every five balls.And he has done it against pace and spin, in the powerplay and the middle overs. With batters like Head alongside him, and Heinrich Klaasen and Abdul Samad to follow, the Kings bowlers will have to up their game significantly. They will be hoping their international bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel fare much better in the death overs.Kings will play their next four games in Mullanpur, and will want to take full advantage of home comforts to climb up the points table.Form guidePBKS WLLW (most recent first)
SRH WLWLTeam news and Impact Player strategyPunjab Kings
Kings were without Liam Livingstone in their last game because of injury. He was replaced by Sikandar Raza, who couldn’t make an impact with either bat or ball against Gujarat Titans. Livingstone resumed training with the team on Monday but is still being assessed.For their impact subs, Kings have consistently subbed out Arshdeep Singh for a batter like Prabhsimran Singh, or vice versa.Likely XII: 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Prabhsimran Singh, 4 Sam Curran, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Sikandar Raza, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 , 12 2:28

Punjab Kings: Indian batters > overseas batters

Sunrisers Hyderabad
T Natarajan returned in their last game after recovering from injury but Mayank Agarwal missed out because he was unwell. It is as yet unclear if Agarwal is fit for Tuesday, although he trained on Monday.For their Impact Player strategy, Sunrisers have kept it straightforward so far by swapping out one of the top-order batters – Head, Abhishek or Agarwal – for a frontline quick like Natarajan or Umran Malik, except in one game where they brought in allrounder Washington Sundar while batting first because they were 114 for 5.Likely XII: 1 , 2 Travis Head, 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Shahbaz Ahmed, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy/Washington Sundar, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Jaydev Unadkat, 12 .In the spotlight – Pat Cummins and Arshdeep SinghPat Cummins was once a powerplay enforcer with the ball for Kolkata Knight Riders who went for quite a few runs, but a change of role in a new team has seen his numbers improve. He is now bowling a lot more in the middle overs (7-16), conceding runs at just 7.75 an over, his second-best economy rate since his maiden IPL season of 2014. If he can continue that form, it will bode very well for Sunrisers.Arshdeep Singh made his name in the IPL with his swing upfront and his nerveless death bowling. However, his death-bowling exploits have faded in the last couple of seasons. If he was economical in that phase (7.58) in IPL 2022, he failed to pick more than four wickets. And when he picked seven wickets at the death in IPL 2023, he leaked 9.50 runs an over. This IPL has been even worse – just one wicket and an economy rate of 11.70 in 20 balls. Will the real Arshdeep please stand up?2:17

Moody: Jitesh Sharma also has the calmness for challenging situations

Pitch and conditions – Back to MullanpurThis is going to be just the second IPL game at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur. In the first, Kings started on a winning note against Delhi Capitals by chasing down 175. The spinners didn’t leak as many runs as the quicks on that night, but it’s been more than two weeks since then and conditions could easily have changed.Stats that matter – Cummins against Kings’ top order Cummins has a dominant record against both Dhawan and Bairstow. In the 25 balls Cummins has bowled to each of the two batters, he has dismissed them twice each while conceding 16 runs to Bairstow and 31 to Dhawan. Dhawan might be better off going after Jaydev Unadkat, off whom he has scored 70 runs off 44 balls in the IPL, while being dismissed just once. Sunrisers have a dominating 14-7 record against Kings, their best win percentage (66.67%) against any team. Two Sunrisers batters have a strike rate of over 200 in 2024 (minimum 100 runs) – Klaasen (204.85) and Abhishek (217.56). From Kings, the highest strike rate is 161.53 – by Prabhsimran Singh.Quotes”We are delighted to return to our home crowd and cannot wait to meet with everyone who comes out to cheer for us at the stadium.”
Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan is excited about the crowd support at Mullanpur“You’ve got to use variations in T20s, you’ve got to use everything you have, not just the slower bouncers but you’ve got to bowl wide, straight on the legs, and that’s how you have to keep the batsmen guessing. As a bowler, you’ve got to be unpredictable with your lines and pace.”
The experienced Jaydev Unadkat of Sunrisers Hyderabad on what it takes to be successful, even with the new two-bouncers-per-over rule

The Gabba continued to be a fortress for Australia in Test cricket, at Pakistan’s expense

Gaurav Sundararaman24-Nov-201931 – Consecutive matches in which Australia have been unbeaten at the Gabba. The last time they lost a Gabba Test was way back in 1988 against West Indies. This is their seventh successive win there. Their last draw at the venue was against South Africa in 2012.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13 – Consecutive losses for Pakistan in Australia – this is the longest streak for any touring team in a country. The previous longest streak was nine by India in Australia between 1948 and 1977, and West Indies in Australia between 2000 and 2009.18 – Wickets for the Australian pacers in this Test – the most in a Gabba Test since 2009. Mitchell Starc took seven wickets, Josh Hazlewood took six and Pat Cummins took five in the match.50.82 – Nathan Lyon’s average against Pakistan – his worst against any country he has played against. Lyon does not have a five-wicket haul against Pakistan and has a strike rate of 92.7. Lyon’s stats are not heavily influenced by his record in the UAE. His record at home against Pakistan is also poor – at home he has taken 13 wickets from eight innings against them, at an average 47.38.3 – Centurions for Pakistan at the Gabba. Babar Azam joined Saeed Anwar and Asad Shafiq on the list. All three centuries were scored in the second innings, but in a losing cause.36.21 – Babar Azam’s average at the end of his 22nd Test; he has 1340 runs at an average of 36.21 with two centuries. That’s up from an average of 25.94 at the end of his first 10 Tests.95 – Highest score made by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in Australia in Tests. Mohammad Rizwan’s 95 went past the unbeaten 72 scored by Sarfaraz Ahmed in Sydney in 2017.