England’s decision to overlook Stuart Broad for first Test against West Indies raises questions over veteran quick’s future.

George Dobell in Barbados23-Jan-2019Where now for Stuart Broad?He had hoped, after a quiet time of things in Sri Lanka, that this tour would present an opportunity to resume normal service. The Kensington Oval has one end named after Malcolm Marshall and another named after Joel Garner, after all. It has a history – albeit a distant one – of encouraging fast bowlers. Any fast bowler would be excited by the opportunity to play here.But, for the third time in four Tests, England have been unable to find room for Broad. After a decade taking the new ball with James Anderson, they have now not played together for four Tests with every chance that they won’t in Antigua, where the pitch is expected to be slow and low, either. On this occasion Broad’s place has been taken by a man 12 years his junior. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to conclude that England are in transition and moving on from him.The truth may not be quite so simple. England’s last four Tests – including this game on an oddly sedate Barbados surface – have been played in what, for them, are slightly unusual conditions. In Sri Lanka, for example, they made room for three spinners in their side and, finding they could win with such a balance, have become more open-minded about altering the make-up of their side. Conditions will be different when England return to England. So will their team.Things have changed, though. For a long time, leaving Broad out was hardly considered. Until the first Test in Sri Lanka, he had played every time he had been fit since the end of 2012 when he was left out in India. Before that, he was previously left out in 2008. That his place is now negotiable does not bode especially well for him.The balance of England’s side is not helping him, either. With Ben Foakes making such a strong start to his Test career, England are no longer playing a wicketkeeper who is batting in the top six as Jonny Bairstow had at times. As a consequence they are having to take tricky decisions with every selection. Broad is currently the unlucky man based on the surfaces the team is encountering but, in other circumstances, it is not impossible that Bairstow – who has also been left out in recent times – Jos Buttler or even Foakes could be fighting for their places.Anderson’s enduring excellence may also count against Broad. The England management insist they try to select the strongest possible team for each game without too much planning for the long-term future. But they must know that both fast bowlers are closer to the end than the start of their careers. They know they have to plan for a future without him and don’t want to be left in a situation where they have to blood an entirely new opening pair. It does make some sense to explore their other options.

If England were picking a side for the first Ashes Test right now, there is a very strong chance Broad would be in it

Broad had, for a while, appeared to be in gradual but inexorable decline. His top pace was reduced and the away swing he once generated seemed to disappear. At times, when he talked of ‘never having been a swing or outright pace bowler’ it appeared he was in denial about both factors for, at his very best, he had both pace and swing. His Test bowling average in the 12-months up to the end of the 2017-18 Ashes was 38.80 and he has claimed only one five-wicket haul in the last three years.To his immense credit, however, he acknowledged the issue and resolved to improve. At an age where other fast bowlers might start looking at the commentary box and wondering if talking about the game might not be somewhat easier than playing it, Broad went back to basics in a bid to carve out another two or three years at the top level. He talked to various coaches and former players – including his father’s former Nottinghamshire teammate, Sir Richard Hadlee – and worked to improve his wrist position and shorten his run-up. This, he argues, helps him remain high at the crease – he has always had a propensity to fall away a little – and bowl with better rhythm and control. The figures – he has averaged 25.55 in the 12-months since that Ashes series – suggest he may be right.He has looked good in limited opportunities of late. He finished wicketless in Colombo, for example, but saw two chances put down off him in the slips and bowled with impressive pace in trying conditions. He claimed a hat-trick – and four wickets in five balls – in one of the warm-up games here and generated more swing than has been the case for some time. If England were picking a side for the first Ashes Test right now, there is a very strong chance Broad would be in it.His absence was felt here, too. For all the skill and promise of Anderson and Sam Curran respectively, it is hard to think of a contemporary new-ball Test attack that is so lacking in pace. Curran’s average speed in his first spell was under 80 mph, with Anderson’s just under 82 mph. Perhaps Broad, hitting the pitch a bit harder and offering something just a little different to the two swing bowlers, might have found a little more life in the surface? Those who know him best still believe that Curran will end up as a batting allrounder.Broad can’t taking anything for granted, though. Chris Woakes can also consider himself unfortunate to be left out and there are other seamers – the likes of Jamie Porter, Olly Stone and Jamie Overton – who will be pushing by the time the Ashes starts. Fast bowling doesn’t get any easier at his age, though, however the freak that is Anderson makes it seem, and there are many miles on the clock.The smart money still suggests that Broad will play a part in the Ashes, though. Such is his enthusiasm for the game and his hunger to remain at the top, it can be taken for granted that he will continue to work on his form in fitness in a bid to win a recall. England have only produced one bowler in their history with more Test wickets than Broad; they won’t discard him casually. It’s a different phase of his career, for sure. But it’s not quite the end.

His off-side game against spin is limited, but that actually works in his favour

Aakash Chopra01-Dec-20212:02

Vettori: ‘Latham is the perfect all-conditions opener’

New Zealand played 240 overs across the two innings of the Kanpur Test, of which Tom Latham faced 71 overs by himself. His occupying the crease for so long was one of the key reasons for New Zealand holding on to a draw.

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Most memorable knocks by overseas batters on Indian soil have come when the visiting team got the opportunity to bat first; that not only allows them to bat at the best possible time – the first day – but also lets them avoid having to bat in the fourth innings, when the pitch is at its worst for batting. It wasn’t that way for Latham, since New Zealand were asked to field first.The pitch in Kanpur was not a rank turner, but the lack of bounce, and the quality of the Indian spinners, made it tougher for the batters as the game progressed. But Latham stonewalled everything the spinners threw at him, and even his dismissals weren’t exactly caused by the bowler trapping him but instead the result of him being over-eager to reach the three-figure mark in the first innings, and a rather lazy shot in the second.So what did Latham do to negate the Indian spin threat?His batting reiterated that there are multiple ways of doing this.The first method that comes to mind is using the feet and having an all-round game against spin – skills you associate with almost every other batter who has done well in Indian conditions.Related

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The second way is how Latham did it – by having a robust game plan and an unwavering commitment to it. Latham didn’t drive the spinners, even with the spin. He rarely cut too. In fact, he has such a limited off-side game against spin that as a bowler you don’t feel threatened even while bowling really full deliveries without fielding protection. Of course, he’ll drive a half-volley but only if it’s right under the bat. He will also cut you but only if it’s really short and wide.As a bowler, you can continue bowling wide outside off while varying the length and he’ll happily play maiden after maiden. That makes bowling to Latham a fascinating challenge. He has a rock-solid defence, which is technically so perfect that even subcontinental batters can learn from him. His front-foot movement is fluid and optimum, the head is always on top of the ball and the hands nicely in front of the bat with the bat face slightly angled, the bat and his arms approximately making a figure nine.Too long a stride pushes the body weight behind and too short pushes the hands too far in front to be effective, but Latham’s movements are just right. And it seems like he has worked really hard on this aspect of his game, because during New Zealand’s last tour to India, he was dismissed four times by R Ashwin, three of those while defending on the front foot.It’s not that in Kanpur he didn’t get beaten while defending or that every defensive shot he played was impeccable, but that didn’t make him deviate from his game plan at all. They say the best way to bat is to forget what happened the previous ball, but that’s easier said than done. Every ball that turns more than you expected or bounces more or less than you expected leaves its imprint and, at times, dictates your response to the next one. Latham’s ability to not let it affect his game was commendable.Tom Latham has the subcontinental playbook down pat: leave balls wide outside off alone, scoring off those that stray in, and sweep with ease•Arjun Singh/BCCIImagine David Warner in a similar situation against Ashwin. Once Ashwin starts troubling him, Warner will likely go on the offensive by creating room or dancing down the track. While it’s not a bad idea to counterattack, and sometimes attack is indeed the best form of defence, on a lot of Indian pitches defence is the only form of defence; every other tactic is designed to fail.By defending so many balls outside off, Latham forced bowlers to pitch closer to him, and that’s when he scored his runs. In response, the bowlers would go wide again and he would happily defend once more. This sequence kept playing out time and again. While he doesn’t sweep as hard as Matthew Hayden or Adam Gilchrist, Latham has immense control and a fairly wide range of sweep shots.Just like against spin, his game against pace is also pretty sorted. He leaves a lot of deliveries outside off, defends the ones that are a little closer, and scores off those that drift on to the pads. But unlike against spin, he does like driving on the up to fast bowlers, though those shots end up a little squarer than traditional cover drives.Latham has been a thorn in India’s flesh and seems like the most competent New Zealand batter on these surfaces. That’s why it was surprising no bouncers were bowled to him; the lack of pace and bounce on a pitch like Kanpur makes the short ball really difficult to negotiate. Maybe we will see some of that at the Wankhede in the second Test.

McCullum’s coaching career has moved quickly since he retired as a player

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2022December 2015
McCullum announces he will retire from international cricket at the end of New Zealand’s home summer, ahead of the T20 World Cup in India. “I’ve loved my opportunity to play for, and captain, the Blackcaps, but all good things have to come to an end, and I’m just grateful for the wonderful experience of playing for my country,” he says.February 2016
McCullum signs off from Test cricket with a 54-ball hundred, the fastest in Test cricket, against Australia in Christchurch. “As a good team man, it would be nice to be remembered,” he says. “As a guy who played for the right reasons and who, if in doubt, was prepared to take the positive option.”June 2016
Delivering the annual MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture at Lord’s, McCullum criticises the “casual” approach of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, a year after giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court against his former team-mate Chris Cairns who was later cleared of all charges. “If we are to get rid of the scourge of match-fixing, a robust governing body is essential,” he says.May 2018
In an interview with the Cricket Monthly, McCullum suggests that T20 will supersede Tests. “I firmly believe that Test cricket won’t be around in time, because there’s only so many teams that can afford to play it,” he says. “And whilst we all adore Test cricket, and for me it is the purest form of the game – I’m loyal to it – I’m also a realist that people are turning up and watching T20.” He continues to play for various franchises around the world including Lahore Qalandars, Trinbago Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.November 2018
McCullum calls time on his stint at Lahore Qalandars after enduring two difficult seasons as captain. Qalandars finish bottom of the league on both occasions as McCullum struggles with the bat. In the first year, he manages just 93 runs in seven innings; in the second, his 218 runs in ten innings come at a strike rate of just 110.65. “A big thank you to Lahore Qalandars for the past two seasons,” he says. “Today we have parted ways but I leave with fond memories and friendships. I wish you all the best in the future.”Brendon McCullum takes a lap of honour in his final home game in the BBL•Getty ImagesFebruary 2019
After going unsold at the IPL auction and enduring an underwhelming season for Brisbane Heat, McCullum calls time on his career in the Big Bash. “I will continue to play T20 cricket in 2019 in various competitions around the world and will then look to transition into a coaching career,” he says.August 2019
McCullum announces he will retire from all cricket after the Global T20 Canada. “As much as I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in my 20 years of professional career – more than I ever could have dreamed of when I first entered the game – I have felt the drive to keep going harder to maintain in recent months,” he writes in a statement. He hits 36 off 22 balls in his final innings, days before his team Toronto Nationals refuse to take the field due to unpaid wages.Ten days later, he is unveiled as head coach of both Knight Riders franchises: Trinbago in the CPL and Kolkata in the IPL, taking over from Simon Katich and Jacques Kallis respectively.September 2019
Trinbago finish fourth in the six-team group stage in CPL 2019 following back-to-back title-winning seasons. They beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the eliminator but fall short against Barbados Tridents in the second qualifier, placing them third overall.September 2020
McCullum’s TKR side win all 12 of their games in CPL 2020, including an eight-wicket win against St Lucia Zouks in the final. “You could take this team anywhere around the world they’ll be highly competitive against any franchise that plays T20 cricket,” he says.KKR’s Brendon McCullum and Abhishek Nayar look on•BCCINovember 2020
Eoin Morgan, McCullum’s close friend, replaces Dinesh Karthik as KKR’s captain midway through the group stages but the team finishes fifth in IPL 2020, missing out on the playoffs on net run rate.April 2021
KKR start the season with five defeats in seven games before the tournament is put on hold because of the worsening second wave of Covid-19 in India. “It’s very, very disappointing,” McCullum says. “A saying that I’ve used throughout my career is that if you can’t change a man, change the man. So we’ll probably have to make some changes and try and bring in some fresh personnel who will hopefully take the game on a bit more.”August 2021
McCullum misses the CPL because of “personal reasons and Covid-related travel restrictions” and is replaced as Trinbago’s head coach by Imran Jan. He continues to work as a broadcaster as well as a coach, primarily for Spark Sport in New Zealand.October 2021
The IPL resumes in the UAE and McCullum’s KKR side charge to the final, winning seven out of nine games before falling to Chennai Super Kings at the final hurdle. “We’ll walk away with our heads held high,” he says.May 2022
With KKR struggling in IPL 2022, winning five of their first 12 games under new captain Shreyas Iyer, McCullum emerges as a candidate for one of the vacant England coaching roles, with new managing director Rob Key splitting the jobs down format lines. Initially linked with the white-ball role, he is appointed as England’s new Test coach. “I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we’ve confronted them head-on,” he says.

The Sri Lanka batter has had a tremendous start to his first IPL season, and he’s hoping to take lessons from it back home

Interview by Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Apr-20226:38

Bhanuka Rajapaksa: ‘The team knows I have the ability and they know I could be batting anywhere’

It has been a roller coaster year for Sri Lanka middle-order batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who announced his retirement from international cricket in January and retracted it a week later, only to be dropped from the touring T20I squad to India in February over fitness concerns. He was picked up by Punjab Kings in the 2022 IPL auction, and he started his debut season in the league with a blast, scoring 43 off 22 balls and 31 off nine in his first two games.It’s your first IPL. What has that experience been like?
It’s like a dream come true. It was my wife who broke the news to me that I had been bought by Punjab Kings. From my young days it was always Punjab Kings that my entire family had been backing. It’s sort of a miracle that I got into the same side that I’ve been supporting since I was a kid. It’s so nice to be around so many legends. They’re so humble. I’m looking forward to sharing as much information as possible.What is the team environment like?
I don’t think anyone can deny that this is the world’s best league. Unfortunately I was not able to play in many other leagues around the world even when I was picked, because I had some NOC [no objection certificate] issues with SLC. But fortunately this time during the IPL, SLC gave me the freedom to go and represent Punjab Kings. It’s a great opportunity, and it’s exciting.Related

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In your first match, against RCB, you hit 43 off 22. The bowler you took down most viciously in that match was Wanindu Hasaranga. You’ve played him many times in the nets. Can you tell us more about that innings?
We all know Wanindu is the No. 1 bowler. He hasn’t played cricket for a couple of months, but he had the top rank in the world a few months ago. We all were hesitant in the beginning about how to handle him, but we had a plan, and we knew that trying to block him wouldn’t do any good for the team. I spoke to the head coach and the team-mates, because it’s important to bring local knowledge. I’ve seen him and faced him many times as you mentioned.My game plan was that if the ball was in my area, I was going to go for it, because wickets are so good in India and you can trust the bounce. Everything turned out well for me that day. Hopefully if we meet again, it will go the same.Hasaranga’s googly is by far his biggest weapon. How confident are you at picking it?
One good thing from my school days is that I was coached by one of the best in Sri Lanka, Chulaka Amarasinghe, who taught us to pick the ball from the hand. That gives you that split second of an advantage, and you know if it’s going to be a googly. Then it’s a case of taking the length on and going for your shots. That’s especially true for a bowler like Wanindu.Rajapaksa was picked up by Punjab Kings in the 2022 auction as part of their push for an explosive batting line-up•Mark Brake/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesIn your next match against KKR, it was a seam bowler, Shivam Mavi, that you took apart in your 31 off nine. Tell us about that.
One thing I learned from Mahela Jayawardene [who was Sri Lanka’s consultant] in the T20 World Cup last year, was that sometimes it’s really good to take on a bowler, especially if it’s his first over. If you can put down a front-line bowler, they have to cover up and get a sixth bowler into the game, it could be very complicated for them afterwards. My plan had been that when I get an opportunity to score against a bowler, I try to take the maximum. It’s a high-risk game, but I got the green light from the Punjab side. They have trusted my ability. That’s something I’m confident with. If I feel like it’s going to be a big over, I’d rather get 30 off five or six balls than a 30 off 25 or 30 balls. I’ve given a good opportunity for another batsman to come and settle in.You haven’t taken long to start hitting boundaries, and you’re also batting at No. 3. Is that the role Punjab have given you?
The good thing with this team is that they know I have the ability and they know I could be batting anywhere from No. 1 to No. 7. In this era there’s a lot of wristspinners and they come to try and dominate the middle overs. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to face those wristspinners in the last couple of games, because I’ve being going hard and getting out. But one thing Punjab have told me is to go hard. That’s going to be our role this year. There are going to be days when we get 200-plus runs. And there are going to be days when we’ll get out for 75 or 80. We have accepted that. But we want to go hard. We’ve got the freedom to express ourselves. We don’t keep meeting for hours and hours, and we don’t analyse for days.You said there that there’s not been over-analysing. Does that suit you, because your batting seems very instinctive?
I’m someone who relies on my instincts a lot. I want to be as calm as possible. I might be in a rush when I score runs, but I just want to enjoy the game. It depends from person to person. Some people want to analyse for hours and hours and want to go through all the bowlers’ strengths and all. I’m a person who takes it as the day comes.”I’d rather get 30 off five or six balls than a 30 off 25 or 30 balls”•BCCIWhat is the coaching system in Punjab Kings like and what have you learned?
We’ve got a power-hitting coach, Woody [Julian Wood]. It’s something that I’ve done for the first time in my life. I’ve been in the system back home for a good ten years, but this is something very new for me. We might not be able to get the same facilities from SLC back home, but at least being given the opportunity to come and experience that here, and have that exposure [is good]. Then we can share that experience back home. With Woody we’ve been doing different drills, and you can see that’s helping us as players.Looking forward, it would be good to have this sort of set-up at home. It would help the boys. I’ve always felt like I was a rioter who would go and fight for the rights of the boys. I would still do that. I feel like we need the right people to come and support Sri Lanka. If we can get these sorts of coaches who are recognised, we could go a long way in our system back home.What does it feel like to have made a big impact in the first couple of games in the IPL?
There’s healthy competition within the camp, because there’s Jonny Bairstow coming in. We’ve got six really good international [overseas] players in the squad, and we can only have four coming in. I’ve been in good touch in the last two matches, so I’m hoping that will make it easier for me. I always believe in skills; I think we should make use of people who are peaking at the right time.”It’s not my fitness out on the field. It’s just my skinfolds. I’ve been on the chubby side from my school days”•Gareth Copley/ICC/Getty ImagesYou have had a difficult journey with your fitness, being left out of the Sri Lanka side on fitness grounds. Can you walk us through it?
It has been very challenging. It took me almost a decade to break into the national side. I played so many first-class games back home, and I went through the hardest times. But it was the right time for me. I was more mature. There were so many times when I wanted to give up, but my wife, my parents and my brother were always pushing me.The fitness journey has been quite tricky. It’s not my fitness out on the field. It’s just my skinfolds. I’ve been on the chubby side from my school days, when I got a reputation for having sweets. But I got a personal trainer, and got a break again to represent Sri Lanka. That’s the kind of person I am – I don’t want to give up on something I’ve been focusing on.

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