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Spin in focus again as high-flying England eye Pakistan scalp

Published

2 weeks ago

2026/02/23

Priyan

England picked up a convincing win over co-hosts Sri Lanka [Cricbuzz]

England gear up for their second game in Pallekele with early control of Group 2 in the Super Eights after their commanding win over Sri Lanka. Pakistan, meanwhile, have a solitary point following the washout against New Zealand and will be searching for more to boost their chances of a semifinal push. The table, though still young, already places a bit of an urgency on Pakistan, who cannot afford to drift. England, by contrast, have momentum but not necessarily complete clarity in all departments.

History has largely favoured England. They lead the overall T20I head-to-head 21-9 and have won all three previous meetings against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, including the 2022 final. In Pallekele, where surfaces have consistently brought spin into the contest, adaptability will again be tested. England hold a slight advantage in that regard, having already played the bilateral series here against Sri Lanka as well as their first Super 8 fixture, while this will be Pakistan’s first outing at the venue in the competition.

If there is one area England will want sharper returns from, it is the top order. Despite Phil Salt’s fine knock of 62 against Sri Lanka, England’s openers have produced the lowest aggregate amongst all teams in the Super Eights. They have just one 50-plus stand in ten innings and have failed to bat beyond the fourth over together in any game. That fragility at the top becomes particularly relevant against a Pakistan attack that has traditionally thrived when early pressure is created. Will Jacks has come to the rescue plenty of times for England in this World Cup, but the 2022 champions would prefer a firmer cushion from their top order.

The broader concern for England is their record against spin in this edition. They have already lost 21 wickets to spin, the most by any side in the tournament, with their average against slower bowlers sitting below 23. With both teams having relied heavily on spin at different stages of the innings, Tuesday’s contest could well hinge on which batting unit negotiates spin with greater control.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have their own points of focus. Sahibzada Farhan’s prolific run in T20 cricket since the start of 2025, including five hundreds in that period, offers them a game-changer at the top. However, while Farhan’s form is a major positive, the rest of Pakistan’s batting order is yet to make a significant mark. All average below 30 in this tournament and none has registered a fifty-plus score, placing added pressure on Farhan to provide strong starts. Against an England attack that did well to defend 146 against Sri Lanka, Pakistan’s batters could have their work cut out.

Having been under covers for long periods, the surface showed some stickiness in the previous Super Eights game here, making run-scoring far from straightforward. However, with no rain around now, the pitch has had time to settle, which could aid better batting compared to the England-Sri Lanka game. That said, spin is still expected to play a major role. On the weather front, there is no rain forecast for Tuesday.

Harry Brook’s side has remained unchanged for a while and are likely to stick with the same combination. Meanwhile, it is still unclear whether Jacob Bethell will be able to bowl after injuring his finger earlier in the competition.

Even though Shaheen Afridi spent a fair amount of time bowling in the practice session on the eve of the game, it appears unlikely that the left-armer will return to the XI, with Salman Mirza set to retain his place. Pakistan brought back Fakhar Zaman into the mix against New Zealand in place of Khawaja Nafay. With the game getting washed out, they would want to stick to their call and give the experienced Zaman a go.

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see where Babar Azam bats for Pakistan. Against Namibia, he did not come out to bat, with Khawaja Nafay and Shadab Khan sent ahead of him. “We got to the 12th over mark and at that point, Babar Azam is not the best person to come in,” said head coach Mike Hesson. He added: “I think he’s well aware his strike rate in the Powerplay in World Cups is less than 100 in T20s. So clearly, that’s not a role that we think we need here.”

In that scenario, Babar’s role could be limited to that of a stabiliser at No. 4 in case of early wickets.

England Probable XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

Pakistan Probable XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq

[Cricbuzz]

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Nepal election 2026: Counting continues with rapper Balendra Shah’s party close to super-majority

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

[pic BBC]

Counting is continuing in Nepal as the party of rapper and ex-Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah is potentially just one seat away from winning a super-majority in parliament.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party‘s win would mark the first time in decades that a single party has won a majority in Nepal, which has a two-system format that makes it difficult for any one party to win outright

If the RSP secures a two-thirds majority, it would also be the first time in decades that a single party has achieved this

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Madagascar military leader dissolves government in surprise move

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

Col Michael Randrianirina seized power last October in the wake of youth-led protests [BBC]

Madagascar’s military ruler Col Michael Randrianirina has dissolved the government unexpectedly, dismissing the prime minister and the entire cabinet, according to a statement from his spokesperson.

“The government has ceased its functions” it said, adding that Randrianirina will appoint a new prime minister “in line with the provisions stipulated by the constitution”.

No reason was given for the move.

Randrianirina seized power last October from Andry Rajoelina, following weeks of youth-led protests on the Indian Ocean island. Rajoelina had been elected president for a third term in a disputed poll in 2023.

The demonstrations were over persistent power and water shortages, culminating in the army siding with the demonstrators.

Randrianirina has pledged to call new elections within two years.

Last December, the regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), directed Madagascar’s military authorities to submit a roadmap for restoring democracy including plans for fresh elections by the end of February.

But in a surprise on Monday, Randrianirina sacked his entire government and assigned permanent secretaries to run ministries’ day-to-day operations until a new cabinet is formed.

Randrianirina has not explained the motivation for the mass sackings, but leaders of the Gen Z movement, whose grassroots mobilisation helped bring the military leader to power, have called for more inclusiveness in the transition process and greater representation in decision-making structures.

Activist groups, calling themselves Gen Z and Gen Y movements, had recently issued a 72-hour ultimatum for Randrianirina’s resignation, citing frustration with his performance, local media reported.

Businessman Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo had been appointed prime minister in October in an effort to bridge the divide between military leadership and civilian government.

The the Gen Z movement leaders rejected his appointment at the time, saying it was made in a “non-transparent” manner and “without consultation”.

The group demanded to know how Rajaonarivelo was selected given what it said were his connection to the previous government.

They then said that the decision “runs contrary to the desired structural change” the movement was seeking.

Monday’s dissolution of the government could mark a significant shift in the country’s political landscape with the military leader seeking to establish a new administration.

[BBC]

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ICC Board meetings in Doha called off due to West Asia conflict

Published

4 hours ago

2026/03/10

Priyan

Some ICC meetings will take place virtually over the next few weeks [Cricinfo]

The ICC Board and committee meetings scheduled for later this month in Doha have been called off due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia. ESPNcricinfo understands that specific meetings, particularly those pertaining to the finance committee will take place virtually over the next few weeks. The possibility of in-person meetings in April remains open but much will depend on whether airspace has sufficiently re-opened for the board and committee members to fly safely.

The meetings were originally scheduled for March 25 to 27 and were due to include ICC Board Directors, Chief Executives, Committee members and ICC senior leadership. Three of the key issues up for discussion were global broadcasting rights ,with the deal between the ICC and *JioStar set to end in 2027, initial discussions over the next FTP and Olympic qualification for LA 2028. The second of those have already begun informally with several members approaching others as they make plans for cricket’s next four-year calendar.

This was the first time the ICC was due to meet in Qatar, which reports a cricketing participation growth rate of 447%. With limited flights to and from the country, hosting the meetings was deemed impossible at this time.

The crisis in West Asia has had an impact on scheduling too. The white-ball series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, scheduled to be held in the UAE from March 13 to 25, is likely to be postponed indefinitely.

[Cricinfo]