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David Warner won’t have any qualms about engaging with England players in the middle during the Ashes, believing his verbal sparring performed a key role in the 2013-14 whitewash.No sooner had he returned from the limited-overs tour of India, Warner was thinking of the opening day at the Gabba as he talked of the need to find “hatred” of England in the heat of the Ashes tussle.Warner, lauded in recent years for a more mature approach to his game, wasn’t afraid of having a few words four years ago which included saying England had “scared eyes” during the Brisbane Test as they were dismantled by Mitchell Johnson although later admitted he had gone “too far” when he labelled Jonathan Trott’s second-innings dismissal as “poor and weak.””As soon as you step on that line it’s war,” Warner said on . “You try and get into a battle as quick as you can. I try and look in the opposition’s eye and try and work out ‘how can I dislike this player, how can I get on top of him?’ You’ve really got to find that spark in yourself to really take it to the opposition.”You have to delve and dig deep into yourself to actually get some hatred about them to actually get up when you’re out there. History is a big part in this and that is what carries us onto the ground.”Warner added, however, that he would leave the talk until he gets onto the field in Brisbane even suggesting he will take a “subtle” approach in trying to get under England’s skin.”Four years ago, during that first Test I made some statements in the media and at the time I thought it was a great thing to come out and speak what I said,” he said. “I have no regrets about that and I think that could have played a little bit of a role in the back of their minds.”At the moment I’m not going to put any vibes out there or get into a verbal stoush … but come day one when we walk out there, there will definitely be some words exchanged. But I think the subtle approach these days is how it is and how it goes.”Australia’s players have three rounds of Sheffield Shield matches to prepare for the first Test with the major question marks over their side revolving around who will bat at No. 6 and who will take the wicketkeeping gloves.England, who are set to be without Ben Stokes, depart at the end of the month and have three warm-up matches before the first Test which starts on November 23.

Big Picture

Finally, it is about the cricket once more. All the talk of the World XI’s tour of Pakistan being more than just a cricket tour may well have been poignant, but the competition can only be worthwhile if there’s something on the line and if the action on the cricket field actually matters.The first T20I especially suffered for this lack of consequence; the fans seemed simply happy that cricket was being played in their country, and were there for a party. With the game itself a bit of a dud, the whole thing felt rather flat afterwards.The second game, both in its competitiveness and drama, reminded everyone what it was they had so desperately missed in their country, and completely divorced from its wider perspective, achieved its purest purpose. A game of cricket was on, and boy, was it worth watching. The crowd may not have got the result they wanted, but Thisara Perera’s late heroics ensured that Gaddafi Stadium on Friday won’t just be a venue for the culmination of festivities, but a Colosseum that befits professional competition.Pakistan’s biggest concern, following their failure to defend 174 on Wednesday, is regarding the fitness of Hasan Ali. Coach Mickey Arthur expressed hope he would be fit to take the field on Friday but said they’d assess him on the morning of the game. Usman Shinwari, who played in Hasan’s place in the second T20I, wasn’t an option captain Sarfraz Ahmed looked too comfortable using; he bowled just one over in the innings.As for World XI, the bowling looks much stronger with the inclusion of Samuel Badree and Morne Morkel’s first three overs on Wednesday, in which he conceded just seven runs, means he could go into the final game with plenty of confidence. The visitors have the upper hand in the power hitting department, and if Thisara, Darren Sammy and David Miller all click, Pakistan would be in danger of having the game wrenched away from them.Hashim Amla steered World XI’s chase with an unbeaten half-century•AFP

Form guide

Pakistan  LWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)World XI  WL

In the spotlight

Recently appointed Pakistan’s all-format captain, Sarfraz Ahmed has so far had a quiet tour, scoring 4 in the first T20I, before being dismissed for a golden duck on Wednesday. In the field, his decisions came in for scrutiny, following the last-over loss, with some suggestions that the bowlers – Shinwari in particular – weren’t utilised to the best of their ability. There is nothing in the slightest that would indicate a sustained dip in form or judiciousness. But as the man leading the Pakistan side in such a feel-good series, nothing would cap the tour off better – at least for Pakistan fans – than the wicketkeeper-batsman making a winning contribution in the decider.Tamim Iqbal has offered tasters of what he is capable of in both games, cameos of 18 and 23 whetting the crowd’s appetite, but is so far yet to follow up with a main course. It’s not like he can’t score big runs in the format; he has a hundred and a pair of 80s, and the left-hander in his groove is perhaps the epitome of a subcontinental player’s talent being fully expressed. His opening partner Hashim Amla was able to kick on after a start in the second game, eventually making a match-winning contribution. If Tamim follows his lead on Friday, the results could be far more destructive.

Team news

Pakistan’s top six are fairly settled, and any tinkering that might occur is likely to happen lower down. Arthur stressed the importance of giving new players opportunities, so Faheem Ashraf, who faced just one ball and bowled just one over, could come back in. Hasan Ali, if fit, will also replace Usman Shinwari.Pakistan (possible): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 6 Imad Wasim, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Sohail Khan, 10 Hasan Ali/Usman Shinwari, 11 Rumman RaeesVery popular in Pakistan, Sammy’s omission from the playing XI in the second T20I came as a surprise, and he might start again. George Bailey is the only World-XI player yet to get a game and could find himself thrown in for the decider.World XI (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Tim Paine (wk), 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Thisara Perera, 6 David Miller/George Bailey, 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Ben Cutting, 9 Samuel Badree, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

The pitch will play no different to the first two games, and another high-scoring contest is on the cards. The second game was slightly disrupted by windy conditions, but nothing of the sort is expected for the finale.

Stats and trivia

• No player – who has played more than 10 innings – averages more in T20 cricket since the start of 2016 than Hashim Amla. The South African opener averages 78 in this period.
• Shoaib Malik’s 39 during the second match made him Pakistan’s highest T20I run-getter, taking his tally to 1702. He overtook Umar Akmal, who now occupies second place with 1690.

Ottis Gibson is expected to be named South Africa’s new coach within days.While Gibson is currently employed as the England bowling coach and is expected to report to Birmingham on Monday for training ahead of the first Investec Test against West Indies, it is understood the ECB now sees his departure as inevitable and expects a deal to be finalised imminently.Although England will hope Gibson is able to remain with them until the end of the Test series against West Indies – which could lastuntil September 11 – they are aware that South Africa’s next Test series (against Bangladesh) starts on September 28. South Africa will want him present at a training camp that precedes that series.Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, confirmed earlier in the week that Gibson was the first choice of the panel charged with picking a new coach. That decision now has to be ratified by Cricket South Africa.That only leaves CSA and the ECB to agree a compensation figure. While Gibson has a year of his England contract remaining, it is understood he has confirmed to the ECB that he wants to take the position with South Africa. It is not anticipated that the compensation discussion will delay his appointment.That means that the Edgbaston Test could well be his last with England.Richard Johnson, the former England seamer who currently performs the role of bowling coach with Middlesex, is a leading candidate to replace Gibson, though James Anderson could help out as a player-coach in the interim.Another intriguing possibility is the addition of Darren Gough to the coaching staff in some capacity. While Gough is not thought to be interested in a full-time role, he has emerged as a possible candidate as a bowling coach or consultant of the white-ball sides. He is Level 3 qualified and recently made a good impression working with the England U-19s. He is understood to be open to an approach.It is also understood that discussions continue with Saqlain Mushtaq. While he is currently contracted to spend 100 days a year with England, there is a good chance that role will be extended.

Australia’s young batsmen have a clear blueprint they would like to adopt mentally and on the field during the two-Test series in Bangladesh: the Ranchi Test against India earlier this year. In that Test, the visitors went into the final day trailing India by 152 with eight wickets in hand before fighting their way to a draw. Key to that effort was Peter Handscomb, who struck an unbeaten 72, and he stated that a similar mindset could benefit the side in Bangladesh, too.”Obviously for me it was quite an important innings but also for the team,” Handscomb said. “I think the whole team has been able to take a lot from that as well as what Shaun Marsh did. Playing as a left-hander, the ball spinning out of the rough and Jadeja and Ashwin bowling really well. I think we will be going with a pretty similar mindset to how we played in India. Hopefully that’s a good start for us.”Handscomb stated Australia’s lack of experience in the conditions – none of the 14 players have played in Bangladesh before – will not be a problem. He felt inexperience in subcontinent conditions could work in Australia’s favour as fewer bad memories would allow batsmen to play with a more open mind.”We don’t have the experience in the subcontinent as much as the other players,” he said. “Renshaw and myself were quite lucky to play in India, which will put us in good stead for these two Test matches.”I actually don’t think it is a bad thing as well, going in to the subcontinent with an open mind. I think if you haven’t played too many games in the subcontinent, you are not too worried about what the ball might do. You can play with a bit more freedom, rather than going in with the expectations that the ball will do everything.”Handscomb said that Australia’s preparation in Darwin, particularly the intra-squad three-day game, should suffice if the two-day practice match in Fatullah, scheduled for August 22 and 23, is called off. The ground has been waterlogged over the last few weeks but the Bangladesh Cricket Board is insisting the venue will be ready in time for the game. Australia, however, would not mind only training sessions in Mirpur in the run-up to the first Test, which starts from August 27.”I don’t think we will be going into that first Test cold, regardless of whether the tour match goes ahead or not,” Handscomb said. “We had a great preparation up in Darwin. We managed to play an intra-squad three-day game there. I think everyone got what they needed out of it.”We know obviously that the BCB is doing everything they can to get the pitches up for us. Whatever training we get here depends on the weather of course. I am sure the boys will be fine and ready to go.”

Match facts

May 27, 2017
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)2:32

Morgan’s innings was the game-changer – Amla

Big picture

With due respect to their recent triumphs over West Indies and Ireland, Wednesday’s emphatic win over South Africa, the No.1-ranked team in ODI cricket, was the result that Eoin Morgan’s men needed to rubber-stamp their credentials as favourites for next week’s Champions Trophy.For months on end, almost since the moment of England’s white-ball awakening after the 2015 World Cup, this is a team that has scotched all pre-conceptions – so much so that even the captain of one of the few teams to have got the better of them in recent times, India’s Virat Kohli, was yesterday forced to concede that England have “no weaknesses” going into a tournament that surely counts as their most outstanding opportunity to lift that elusive 50-over global trophy.Well, they have perhaps one weakness. Despite being passed fit to play at the Ageas Bowl following a scan on his knee, the sight of Ben Stokes, the team’s talismanic allrounder, limping from the pitch during the Headingley contest was enough to make both the management’s and marketing men’s blood run cold.Stokes, the newly-crowned MVP in his maiden IPL season, is utterly fundamental to the balance of England’s first-choice XI. With his tub-thumping presence in England’s top six, England have the luxury of including two spinners and four genuine quicks in what is surely the most versatile (if not necessarily the most incisive) attack in the competition. Without him, the choices become more stark – sacrifice a spinner to shore up the batting firepower (and Jonny Bairstow, to be fair, is just gagging to get involved), or trust the occasionally mercurial Moeen Ali to front up with bat as well as ball, as he did to fine effect with a match-turning 77 from 51 balls in the opening ODI.Mind you, these are not the sorts of worries that England are used to addressing on the eve of a global tournament. To cast one’s mind back to the horrors of the 2015 World Cup, for instance, is to be reminded of an era when Stokes’ temperament wasn’t trusted, when Gary Ballance’s ballast at No.3 was preferred to the long-levered walloping of Alex Hales, and when Jos Buttler was treated as an orthodox wicketkeeping No.7, rather than a order-roving deliverer of batting hellfire.None of this is to say that England are either shoo-ins for the Champions Trophy, or even out of sight in this still-to-be-settled three-match series against South Africa. But the underlying truth of their 72-run win in Wednesday’s opening match is that England didn’t actually play to their absolute potential, but still rolled out handsome winners – thanks as much to South Africa’s exhaustion in the closing overs of the run-chase, as much as anything else. As Kohli succinctly put it, “for them it’s all about attack, throughout the 50 overs, which is exciting for the fans and challenging for the opposition.”As for South Africa, there were plenty of reasons for optimism in the midst of their opening defeat. Hashim Amla showed enduring form at the top of the order, Faf du Plessis played a strong hand as well, while AB de Villiers showed glimpses of his true self before his 45 from 38 balls was undermined by wickets tumbling at the other end.But they’ll need their bowlers to regroup quickly if they are to restore their challenge in this series – not least the legspinner Imran Tahir, whose nine wicketless overs were milked for 68 runs at Headingley, a rare toothless day for one of his side’s most enduring one-day weapons.Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada are two other players to factor into South Africa’s challenge. Both are too good to fail for long, as de Kock in particular showed during England’s last ODI campaign against South Africa in February 2016, when his twin centuries helped turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win.It’s all food for thought as two of the best ODI teams in the world fine-tune their preparations. But, both sides know, there’s a far bigger prize than the Royal London trophy up for grabs in the coming weeks.Ben Stokes had to leave the field at Headingley after feeling pain in his knee•Getty Images

Form guide

England WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWLWL

In the spotlight

There’s surely no pressure being exerted from the England management, who know full well what Jason Roy is capable of, but there’s little doubt either that he is stuck in a bit of a fallow patch of form at present. His maiden IPL stint with Gujarat Lions was a disappointment – just three appearances and a top score of 31 – and following scores of 0 and 20 against Ireland, he chose to return to Royal London Cup duty with Surrey, rather than head back out to the nets in India. His game remains in good working order – one scorching straight drive off Tim Murtagh at Lord’s was a reminder of how effortlessly powerful his game can be. But he could do with a score going into the Champions Trophy.Roy, however, wasn’t the only stroke-playing international batsman to suffer a rough time at this year’s IPL. AB de Villiers fell a long way short of the standards that he expects of himself, and that his adoring fans at Bangalore Royal Challengers expect of him too. He produced flashes of his most brilliant self – not least in making 89 not out from 46 balls against Kings’ XI Punjab – but more often than not he appeared weighed down by the collective malfunction of RCB’s storied batting line-up. He looked a touch jaded in the Headingley ODI, if truth be told. And, shock horror, he even produced a fumble in the outfield. South Africa desperately need him to build on the relative success of his cameo in the first ODI.

Team news

Stokes was declared fit to play in the second ODI after taking a full part in England’s training on Friday. But nevertheless, having bowled just two overs in Wednesday’s opening rubber, and with a heavy IPL workload behind him, there must have been a temptation to protect such a talismanic figure with less than a week to go until the Champions Trophy opener. Jonny Bairstow is in the form to deputise supremely with the bat, even Stokes’ absence would have left England’s bowling options a touch stretched. David Willey was the obvious addition to the fast-bowling ranks.England: (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Mark WoodFew reasons for wholesale changes in South Africa’s line-up, despite the eventual size of their defeat at Headingley. It’s a case of improving what they’ve got, rather than reinforcing what they lacked. However, there may be a temptation to find room for Morne Morkel and his aggressive line of attack in light of the relative success that the short ball had against England’s top-order – Joe Root, for one, fell victim to a top-edged bouncer from Andile Phehlukwayo.South Africa: (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Andile Phehlukwayo/Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

The weather is gleaming and runs are all but guaranteed on a surface that rarely fails to offer plenty for the bat. Only once in the last seven ODIs at the Ageas Bowl, dating back to 2012, has the side batting first made less than 287, while New Zealand racked up a hefty 359 for 3 back in June 2013, thanks to Martin Guptill’s 189 not out.

Stats and trivia

• On the last 10 occasions that they have batted first in ODIs, England have racked up a formidable run of totals: 324 for 7, 444 for 3, 302 for 9, 309 for 8, 350 for 7, 321 for 8, 296 for 6, 328, 328 for 6 and 339 for 6. An average figure of 334 for 7.
• Amla needs another 47 runs to reach 7000 in ODIs. He has 12 innings in which to get there ahead of Virat Kohli and continue his record of being fastest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000.
• Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali both need four more wickets to reach 50 in ODIs.

Quotes

“”You get guys batting at 4 and 5 coming late in the game and getting a hundred, that’s why Morgan’s innings was a game-changer.”
“Batting at No. 7 is one of the hardest jobs going because you don’t know whether to shoot or not. [Moeen] was very calm and composed in what he did, gave himself some time at the crease and was able to take the game to South Africa at the end.”
England captain Morgan praises Moeen Ali’s game-turning innings at Headingley

A shock return for N Srinivasan to the boardrooms of the ICC has been ruled out by India’s Supreme Court.In a ruling delivered on Monday in Delhi by a three-judge bench, the court ruled that Srinivasan, a former BCCI president and ICC chairman, cannot attend crucial ICC meetings next week as the Indian board’s representative. Instead, the court directed the BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and CEO Rahul Johri to attend the ICC’s second round of quarterly meetings in Dubai between April 23-27.Vikram Limaye, the Committee of Administrators member who attended the previous ICC meeting as BCCI representative, will not be attending this time.The court had been asked by the CoA to clarify whether office bearers disqualified by the Lodha Committee’s recommendations could return as representatives of state associations or the BCCI. The judges said, however, that they would not deliberate the broader eligibility issue for now, concentrating instead on the one-point agenda to determine who from the BCCI will be negotiating in Dubai.”Mr Srinivasan cannot go,” the court observed during the hearing. The three Justices – Dipak Misra, AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud – were clear that there was a “cloud” hanging over Srinivasan’s integrity, which precluded him from being the right person to represent the BCCI.The ruling should temporarily end a recent push by BCCI officials to bring Srinivasan back into the fold for the ICC meetings. It is an important week for world cricket as members are expected to move closer not only to deciding how to govern the game, but, significantly, how to divide its financial pie. The BCCI left the last board meeting in February unhappy with the new financial model that was presented, in which its share of ICC revenues was considerably reduced from the previous model created by the Big Three.That Srinivasan was plotting a comeback was evident after he attended a special general body meeting (SGM) called by the BCCI, in which picking a representative for the ICC meetings was a main point on the agenda. That meeting, on April 9, was adjourned and will be held on April 18.By attending Srinivasan was ignoring court and COA warnings that office-bearers disqualified under the Lodha Committee recommendations could not attend the BCCI meetings.Srinivasan was ineligible on three counts: he is over 70 years of age, has completed nine years as an office-bearer both at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and the BCCI, and is also yet to resign as TNCA president, thereby flouting the court judgement of July 2016, which had approved the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.According to acting BCCI president CK Khanna, the SGM was still scheduled for April 18, but he would consult the other two office bearers – Choudhury and the treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry – before taking a final decision.

Match Facts

March 16-20 2017
Start time 11.00am local (2200GMT)1:09

Moonda: Matt Henry might get into the XI

Big Picture

As you were, then. Sort of. Four days of cut-and-thrust set things up for a fascinating fifth day in Dunedin. Then it rained. It’s done that quite a lot in New Zealand this summer. The good news, however, is after a wet and windy build-up the forecast for the five days in Wellington (and you always need to say this with fingers crossed) is shaping up nicely.If the first Test had gone the distance, South Africa had their noses in front going into the final day with New Zealand a batsman and a bowler down. But they were never allowed to dominate, even when their batsmen were building partnerships, due to a combination of a sluggish pitch and accurate bowling.However tight the opening skirmishes on paper South Africa now have a significant advantage with New Zealand having lost both Ross Taylor and Trent Boult. While Tim Southee can help sustain the bowling department, this match will be a test of New Zealand’s batting depth. A No. 4-5 axis of Neil Broom and Henry Nicholls looks flimsy and leaves even more on the shoulders of Kane Williamson who is now ranked No. 2 after his superb 130 in Dunedin.Half of South Africa’s attack also bring with them good memories – and valuable knowledge of the Basin’s characteristics – from the 2012 Test. Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel claimed six-wicket hauls – Morkel’s 6 for 23 remain his career-best – and both will have their sights set on that inexperienced New Zealand top order. That Test five years ago was a draw, though, with Williamson standing in South Africa’s way. It is likely he will need to do the same again.

Form guide

New Zealand DWWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa DWWWLTim Southee will help cover for Trent Boult’s absence, but Ross Taylor’s presence will be harder to replace•Getty Images

In the spotlight

At least to replace Boult, New Zealand have Southee. For the batting it’s a little different. Neil Broom has some big boots to fill, boots that have scored 6030 Test runs. New Zealand have backed his domestic experience – 136 matches of it spread across 14 years – and Broom’s debut will cap a remarkable summer which included quitting his deal with Derbyshire after a surprise recall. His scores in the one-day series of 2,2 and 0 were noted by Faf du Plessis – “we were quite successful in getting rid of him so hopefully that will continue,” he said in Dunedin – but at least Broom has seen enough ups and downs to keep his emotions level. He’ll need that composure this week.Quinton de Kock can expect to face Jeetan Patel as soon as he walks in (presuming New Zealand now don’t leave him out having brought him back) probably regardless of the state of the innings or age of the ball. Four times in four innings Patel has nabbed him and this presents a little challenge for de Kock who has been South Africa’s trump card at No. 7 in recent times, either staging a counter-attacking recovery or hurting tired attacks. This duel has become an enjoyable little subplot of the tour, and perhaps an unexpected one.

Team news

New Zealand did not confirm their final XI with a decision to be made over the balance of the attack. It would be a surprise if they did not return to a single frontline spinner and that leaves Mitchell Santner vulnerable. Colin de Grandhomme’s batting could mean he edges out Matt Henry.New Zealand (probable) 1 Tom Latham, 2 Jeet Raval, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Neil Broom, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 James Neesham, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Colin de Grandhomme, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Jeetan PatelSouth Africa are likely to remain unchanged, although du Plessis did leave the door ajar for an extra pace bowler at the expense of a batsman. That would mean dropping JP Duminy, probably for Wayne Parnell.South Africa (probable) 1 Stephen Cook, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Kagiso Rabada

Pitch and conditions

Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, has admitted he doesn’t want green seamers in this series. The strip was pretty green on Wednesday, but that can often be misleading at this ground. However, what the 22 yards does end up like is a little uncertain. Hagen Faith, the groundsman, has had a fraught build-up with 70mm of rain falling in Wellington the days before Test. The forecast for the five days is promising with currently just a chance of showers on Saturday.

Stats and trivia

• Kane Williamson needs 63 runs for 5000 and also one century to equal Martin Crowe’s record of 17
• South Africa have won four of their six Tests at the Basin Reserve – two coming since readmission although 2012 was a draw
• The previous Test on this ground, against Bangladesh, saw New Zealand overhaul the biggest first-innings score to secure victory – 595 for 8 dec.

Quotes

“With the weather they have had over the last week, it hasn’t been ideal. There might be a little bit to offer with the surface early on but it tends to be a good cricket wicket.”
“It sounds good. If you have that confidence where you’ve come to a ground in a different country and you’ve done well it sounds very good, but we know it doesn’t mean anything. We’ve got to see what the wicket produces because it has been a bit different this time around.”

The BCCI has sent a list of observations, of objections as well as suggestions, to the ICC regarding the new constitution that will be up for vote at the next round of meetings in April.While the major focus of the BCCI’s response was the ICC’s proposed new financial model, the board also sent its thoughts on a number of governance issues, including membership, the role of the ICC chairman and the composition of the ICC Board.The new constitution was passed in principle at the board meetings in February but each proposal is likely to be put to vote separately in April.Here is a summary of the main points the BCCI makes:Membership Committee
– The ICC Board must have final say on membership issues with power to re-examine all aspects of any recommendation of the Membership Committee.- The Membership Committee should be an independent external agency that is not part of the ICC. If not, then members that sit on the committee should not be ICC directors.- One member from each continent should be part of the committee. “This is because admission of a new member and/or re-classification of an existing member will impact all members and views of at least one member from each continent needs to be taken into account before assessing the comprehensive impact of the same,” the BCCI said.- If any member was to fall foul of any terms and conditions, then it should get at least 90 days to carry out remedial action before the committee examines the respective board.- If a member country is in serious breach of its obligations then unless there is “prima facie view” or “sufficient evidence” the ICC Board should not suspend or terminate its membership.- The Dispute Resolution Committee, which deals with appeals on membership issues, must be independent of the ICC. No member of this committee should be an ICC director or part of any other committee.- To avoid any impact on the FTP, any new admission or re-classification of an existing Full Member should only be done at the end of every revenue cycle.- To retain Full Member status, a country should have played a minimum number of Test matches.ICC Chairman
.- The chairman should not be elected through a secret ballot. A transparent procedure must be laid out in the ICC’s Articles of Association.- If a chairman fails to finish his tenure, the new entrant should be appointed only for the remainder of the term and not for a fresh two-year period.- The chairman, acting or full-time, cannot have a vote at ICC Board meetings because the post is an independent authority and the ICC is a members’ organisation.- The CEO should report to the ICC Board and not the Chairman. The CEO and ICC management should be appraised by an independent external agency considering the senior staff is paid “substantial bonuses” based on their performance.- The chairman cannot have binding powers. Only the CEO, under the ICC Board’s instructions, should hold such a power.- The chairman cannot call a special meeting or choose a venue for the same. Only the ICC Board has the authority.ICC Board of Directors
– There should be only one director, not three, representing the Associates on the ICC Board.- The Independent director should be a non-voting member.- A current or former player should have a seat on the ICC Board, but also with no vote.- A secret ballot cannot be triggered by two or more voting members on the ICC Board, which the present ICC constitution permits.- The rule about having a two-third vote to pass a resolution can only apply if all the voting members are present- ICC committees should be independent and not comprise any of the Board directors. “This will obviate potential situations where the same person is part of the MC which makes a recommendation, sits on the Board of Directors which reviews the recommendation to take a final decision, and is also part of the Dispute Resolution Committee which will decide any appeal on membership issues against a decision of the MC or Board of Directors.”

Match facts

Friday, February 10
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)1:33

‘Winning 5-0 important to get to No. 1’ – Du Plessis

Big Picture

Sri Lanka trail 4-0, have not yet batted out 50 overs in the series, and continue to lack menace with the ball, but around Upul Tharanga’s sleek 119 at Newlands, a little hope has built. The hope is not necessarily that Sri Lanka can prevent a whitewash – although that is their immediate concern. The larger expectation is that perhaps there are the makings of a competitive top order in this present unit. Niroshan Dickwella’s fifties through the course of the limited-overs matches have suggested he can play a strong role in Sri Lanka’s future short-format sides. The quality of Tharanga’s 14th hundred – his first since 2013 – has also led some to believe he is on the verge of a renaissance in his own game.Despite this, South Africa have still been completely dominant, and have not really looked like losing at any point in the series. Faf du Plessis has been their batting lynchpin, with scores of 55 not out, 105 and a career-best 185. Imran Tahir has held the bowling together while the seamers rotate around him. Even after being cracked for 51 off his first five overs on Tuesday, Tahir took 2 for 25 in his second five, and helped clinch the match.Around these two have been a cast of outstanding players who have taken each game by the collar at various moments and kept South Africa spikes on Sri Lanka throats. The top four have all scored half-centuries in the series. The bowlers have not been quite as consistent, but almost always recovered well from their bad spells.AB de Villiers has said it publicly: South Africa will be disappointed with anything less than 5-0.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

 South Africa: WWWWW
Sri Lanka: LLLLW
Upul Tharanga’s century in the fourth ODI provided some encouragement for Sri Lanka•AFP

In the spotlight

At 24, Quinton de Kock is already one of the premier batsmen in the game, so his runs against Sri Lanka have come as no surprise. The quality of his wicketkeeping, however, has. In the Tests de Kock completed several athletic catches behind the wicket, but in ODIs he has shown off improvements in his keeping to spin as well. The stumping of Dhananjaya de Silva in Durban and the leaping, one-handed grab to dismiss Sachith Pathirana in Cape Town were dismissals any keeper would be happy to have on their resume.Kusal Mendis has been one of Sri Lanka’s best batsmen of the tour but, by his own high standards, Mendis will feel he should have scored more than two fifties in South Africa. It has been the line outside off stump that has troubled him this series, with bowlers having learned to target him there at the beginning of his innings. Though he has only recently turned 22, Sri Lanka’s selectors have insisted on playing him in all three formats. He doesn’t have the luxury of time away from top level cricket to fix weaknesses in his game, and must instead find solutions on his feet, on the move.

Teams news

South Africa are unlikely to play two spinners at Centurion. Andile Phehlukwayo is in line for a recall, and will likely replace Tabraiz Shamsi.South Africa: (possible) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Dwayne Pretorius, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirIt is possible Dhananjaya de Silva could be omitted for the final ODI, given his modest returns right through the tour. Lahiru Kumara may also exit the side after conceding 10.42 runs an over on TuesdaySri Lanka:(possible) 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Upul Tharanga (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Sandun Weerakkody , 5 Dhananjaya de Silva/Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Sachith Pathirana, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lahiru Madushanka, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Lakshan Sandakan

Pitch and conditions

Centurion is typically a high-scoring venue, with 300 often on the cards in the first innings. There is a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have now won 10 successive ODIs, and their last 13 at home.
• Upul Tharanga’s 14 ODI hundreds put him fifth on Sri Lanka’s list of century-makers, behind Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene.
• Imran Tahir has only gone wicketless once in his 15 most recent ODIs. He has taken 34 wickets at an average of 18.55 in that time.

Quotes

“The problem I see here is not lack of talent but their inability to adjust quickly to situations and handle the pressure. You can’t play cricket if you can’t absorb pressure.”

ScorecardFile photo – Chris Hartley now holds the record for most wicketkeeping dismissals in Sheffield Shield history•Getty Images

Queensland’s stand-in captain, Chris Hartley, set Tasmania a hefty target of 352 for victory on the third day at the Gabba, after he earlier broke the all-time record for Sheffield Shield wicketkeeping dismissals. At stumps, the Tigers had survived five overs without damage and were 0 for 10, with Jake Hancock on 5 and Jordan Silk yet to score.The day began with the Tigers on 4 for 113 in their first innings, but the dismissal of captain George Bailey for 55 to Mark Steketee (3 for 73) allowed Queensland a look at the Tasmania lower order. However, it was an unexpected bowler who claimed the next wicket – bowling offspin, Joe Burns picked up his maiden first-class wicket when he had Jake Doran caught at short leg.Then came Hartley’s record-breaking catch, when he gloved Simon Milenko’s edge off the bowling of Michael Neser. It took Hartley clear of Darren Berry’s record of 546 Sheffield Shield dismissals, and into the outright lead. Tasmania were all out for 200, and Queensland added 6 for 146 in reply before declaring to set the Tigers a target.