September 7, 2024

Herath, Rathour join NZ Test team for short-term roles

Rangana Herath and Vikram Rathour have joined New Zealand’s Test squad as support staff ahead of their upcoming six Tests in Asia over the next two months. Herath will serve as the spin-bowling coach for the first three matches—one against Afghanistan and two against Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Rathour will work with the team specifically for the one-off Test against Afghanistan, which starts on September 9 in Greater Noida, India.

“Both men are held in high regard in the world of cricket and I know our players are really looking forward to the opportunity to learn from them,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said.

“For our three left-arm orthodox spinners in particular, Ajaz [Patel], Mitch [Santner] and Rachin [Ravindra], having the chance to work with Rangana across three Tests on the subcontinent will be hugely beneficial.”

“Rangana has taken over 100 Test wickets in Galle which is the venue of our two Tests against Sri Lanka and so his knowledge of that venue will be priceless.”

New Zealand’s Upcoming Test Series and Coaching Changes

After their Sri Lanka tour later this month, New Zealand will head back to India for three Tests in Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai. Out of the six upcoming Tests, only the one against Afghanistan won’t count toward the World Test Championship (WTC).

Alongside Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand will have more spin options in Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips for the Afghanistan and Sri Lanka matches. The squad for the India Tests hasn’t been announced yet.

Rangana Herath, who took 433 wickets in 93 Tests, will take over as spin-bowling coach from Saqlain Mushtaq, the former Pakistan spinner now mentoring in domestic cricket. Herath was recently the spin-bowling coach for Bangladesh. Vikram Rathour, who played six Tests for India and was recently India’s batting coach, ended his tenure after India won the T20 World Cup in June. He also served as a national selector in 2012.

Champions One-Day Cup: Afridi, Rizwan, Shadab, Shakeel, and Haris Announced as Captains

Mohammad Haris has been named captain of the Stallions in the Champions One-Day Cup, Pakistan’s revamped domestic 50-over competition. Each of the five teams in the tournament is led by a Pakistan international, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Saud Shakeel, and Haris captaining the Lions, Wolves, Panthers, Dolphins, and Stallions, respectively.

Haris’ appointment, chosen by team mentor Shoaib Malik, marks a surprising comeback with the PCB. He last played ODI cricket a year ago and was left out of Pakistan’s World Cup squad. He also lost his place in the T20 side during Wahab Riaz’s tenure as chief selector. Now, Haris leads a team that includes Babar Azam, Pakistan’s white-ball captain, and his PSL teammate from Peshawar Zalmi.

Champions One-Day Cup: Top Players to Compete, Mentors Announced, and Tournament Details

For this year’s Champions One-Day Cup, the PCB has ensured that top Pakistani players will participate by scheduling the tournament during a period without international cricket. Most centrally contracted players will be involved.

At the mentors’ unveiling press conference, Misbah-ul-Haq, mentor of the Wolves, stated that any players who are unfit would be excluded from the competition. The PCB has released a list of players who didn’t make the cut due to fitness issues, including former opener Sharjeel Khan.

All matches will be held in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29, featuring playoffs instead of semi-finals. The tournament will end eight days before Pakistan’s first Test against England.

Each team has announced an extended squad, which will be finalized by September 10. The teams are named after historic domestic sides but don’t have city affiliations: Lions (Lahore), Dolphins (Karachi), Panthers (Peshawar), Wolves (Faisalabad), and Stallions (Sialkot).

Sarfaraz Ahmed is the sole player-mentor, leading the Dolphins. The other mentors are Misbah-ul-Haq with the Wolves, Shoaib Malik with the Stallions, Saqlain Mushtaq with the Panthers, and Waqar Younis with the Lions.