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Division One leaders seal second win from three games inside first session on day three

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2024Jamie Porter and Shane Snater blasted through a brittle Lancashire batting line-up to give Essex victory by an innings inside three days at Chelmsford. The Essex pace bowlers exploited a pitch playing low by taking three wickets apiece as Lancashire capitulated in just 41 overs for the second time in the match.Porter set the ball rolling with the first of nine Lancashire wickets to fall in the session to finish with 3 for 24 before Snater took his match figures to 7 for 59 with 3 for 17 in the second innings. Essex’s second win of the season, worth 22 points, took them further clear at the top of the Vitality County Championship with only three games played.”We have started the season fantastically well,” Essex captain Tom Westley said. “Even that last game against Kent we were a bit unlucky with the weather so potentially, it could have been three wins from three.”We’ve been successful for a while now as a club so every game is a big game and we look to win every single game. We’ve just played some fantastic cricket and I think this is one of our better, most complete performances.”I thought the bowlers bowled amazingly well and I think our challenge is to maintain this momentum and keep the standards as high as they currently are.”We know what a good side Lancashire are, they are always identified at the start of the year as contenders to win the division. So to control the game and win every session is a huge pat on the back for Essex.”Lancashire had started day three on 10 for 1 and requiring another 221 runs to make Essex bat again. They lost five wickets in the first hour and never recovered with the game wrapped up in extra time before the scheduled lunch interval.Essex were forced to field 19-year-old Ronnie McKenna as substitute behind the stumps when Michael Pepper pulled out with a finger injury suffered the night before. The Basildon-born 2nd XI wicketkeeper, the third to do the job for Essex in three Championship matches this season, had four leg byes sail past him down the leg side in the first over from Cook.However, 11 balls into his first-team appearance, he was celebrating a first significant contribution as nightwatcher Will Williams edged Porter into his gloves having hung around for 36 balls.That precipitated a catastrophic collapse with four wickets falling in 16 balls. Josh Bohannon lasted 25 balls before he walked across a delivery from Cook and was lbw, while Luke Wells was beaten all ends up by Snater to be bowled for a 54-ball 21. In the same Snater over George Balderson saw the umpire’s finger go up as he played down the wrong line before Tom Bruce had his off stump sent cartwheeling by Porter.There was a 10-over hiatus while Matty Hurst and George Bell put on 30 runs before the wicketkeeper scooped Snater into square leg’s hands.Offspinner Simon Harmer had not bowled much on this seamer’s paradise, but in his fourth over of the innings he had Tom Bailey walking down the wicket and patting the ball back for a simple caught and bowled. Next over Jack Blatherwick followed Bailey’s lead and gave Harmer more catching practice by chipping the ball back to the bowler.Bell had hung around for 40 balls and appeared to be heading for a third fifty in four innings at Chelmsford when he nicked Cook to Dean Elgar at first slip to wrap up the match.

Chris Green, making a rare appearance for his state, picked up four wickets

AAP17-Nov-2022Daniel Hughes smacked yet another century before spinner Chris Green weaved his magic with the ball to lead New South Wales to a crushing 160-run win over Tasmania in the one-day clash at Blundstone Arena.Just days after missing a Sheffield Shield clash due to Covid-19, Hughes scored 101 off 114 balls as the visitors reached 8 for 300 after being sent in to bat.In reply, Tasmania were skittled for 140 in 28.1 overs, with Matthew Wade (42 off 49 balls) the only home batter to post a score of any substance. Green starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 4 for 20 off nine overs.NSW entered the match yet to taste victory this season in either the one-day competition or the Sheffield Shield.But the 207-run opening stand between Hughes and Kurtis Patterson (92) put the Blues on track to end the rut. Hughes has now posted three one-day centuries this season and he can consider himself unlucky to be overlooked for Australian selection following Aaron Finch’s retirement.Thursday’s innings took his average to 67.8 for the past four seasons with only Shaun Marsh having more one-day domestic centuries – 10 to Hughes’s nine – of current players.The left-hander was strong square of the wicket, cutting, pulling and pushing off the back foot whenever Tasmania dropped short.Sitting pretty at 0 for 194 after 32 overs, the runs dried up slightly for NSW after Patterson picked out the man on the legside boundary while trying to pull Tom Rogers.It kickstarted a collapse of 5 for 35 in the next six overs as Rogers, Nathan Ellis and Tom Andrew pulled back the Blues. Jason Sangha and Baxter Holt were the only remaining batters to pass 20, as NSW took just 63 runs from the last 10 overs.Tasmania’s run chase started poorly with the home side crashing to 3 for 35. Wade sent a scare through the camp when he was struck on the side of the helmet by a Liam Hatcher bouncer. The veteran had raced to 21 off just 11 balls but struggled for fluency after being hit.Wade even fell to the ground later that over while evading another Hatcher bouncer and he eventually holed out 10 overs later in the search for quick runs.The bonus-point win lifted NSW (five points) off the bottom of the ladder, but they are still five points adrift of the third-placed Tasmania (10 points).

Kent fast bowler’s slower than expected recovery from knee surgery prompts decision

Matt Roller20-Jul-2021Tim Groenewald has called time on a 15-year professional career by announcing that he will retire from professional cricket with immediate effect.Groenewald, 37, had surgery on his knee in April and said that despite “amazing support” from Kent’s medical staff, his recovery has not been sufficient for him to resume his playing career.Born in South Africa – and educated at the Maritzburg College in Natal, the same school as Kevin Pietersen – Groenewald juggled his early county career with winters back home but he made a breakthrough in 2006, making debuts for Warwickshire in all three formats, and played for the club as a non-overseas player thanks to his English mother.He left for Derbyshire at the end of the 2008 season where he quickly became an integral part of their bowling attack across formats, and took 42 wickets in their promotion season in 2012. He led the attack in Division One but turned down the opportunity to extend his contract and joined Somerset on loan in 2014 as a precursor to a permanent move.He became a fan favourite at Taunton, not only for his whole-hearted efforts with the ball but also for his knack of playing match-winning innings with the bat, dragging them to famous one-wicket wins against Surrey in the Championship and Gloucestershire in the Royal London Cup in 2016, with Jack Leach and Jamie Overton for company respectively.Groenewald joined Kent on a permanent deal ahead of the 2020 season and took seven wickets in his nine appearances for the club. Paul Downton, their managing director, confirmed that he would stay with the club in a coaching capacity until the end of the season.”I feel privileged to have played professional cricket for 16 years,” Groenewald said. “I will always be extremely grateful to the clubs I’ve represented and the opportunities they have afforded me. I’ve made some lifelong friends and memories along the way and will cherish those forever.”Groenewald retires with 625 career wickets, 403 of which came in first-class cricket at an average of 29.53, with 16 five-wicket hauls. While England Lions selection eluded him, he was part of the North v South series in the UAE in early 2017 after earning a spot through his performances in the Royal London Cup.

Bengal have named fast bowler Ishan Porel in their squad for their match against Odisha

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2020India batsman Manish Pandey will join Karnataka’s squad for their Ranji Trophy quarter-final fixture against Jammu & Kashmir which starts from February 20, while KL Rahul will rest during the round. Both Pandey and Rahul have been with the Indian limited-overs sides since they helped Karnataka clinch the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in December. Neither has played in a Ranji Trophy match this season as a result.Pandey captained Karnataka to both the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali titles this season, and is the designated captain in the longer format as well. But Karun Nair has been leading in his absence and will continue to do so against J&K.Rahul, who has been in top form in limited-overs cricket, starting from the Vijay Hazare Trophy in October last year, has recently sealed a place in the Indian middle order in ODIs as well as at the top of the order in T20Is. He has featured in all of India’s last 11 matches across formats, and done so as a wicketkeeper on each occasion, having filled in midway through a match for Rishabh Pant in the first ODI against Australia in January. That is eleven matches in just under a month with the additional duties of keeping wickets.Elsewhere, Bengal have named fast bowler Ishan Porel in their 15 for their quarter-final against Odisha. Porel was on tour in New Zealand with the India A squad, alongside Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, but did not feature in their last match, in which Easwaran did.

The team’s plan for their main threat is from out of the box: an article that suggested Kohli is susceptible to deliveries pitched on a full length and seaming into him

Melinda Farrell in Adelaide03-Dec-20182:31

How can Australia tackle the Kohli threat?

Australia are exploring a data-driven, high-risk, high-reward tactic to negate Virat Kohli in the upcoming four-Test series that begins in Adelaide on Thursday.The India captain’s peerless form heading into the series and the challenge of breaking through his formidable defence makes him the most valuable scalp in the visiting side and data produced by Cricviz may have unearthed the most likely method for capturing his wicket.A recent article by Cricviz writer Ben Jones, which analysed Kohli’s batting, caught the eye of some members of the Australian camp, including Justin Langer. The head coach distributed the article among his players before they arrived in Adelaide and ESPNcricinfo understands it has been discussed in a team meeting to establish bowling plans to each Indian batsman.Teams and coaching staff typically use a range of analytics resources and video along with personal experiences and observations to formulate their plans and, while Australia’s final plans for Kohli will ultimately be decided over the next few days – and adapted as the Test and series unfolds – the fact that such an article has even been thrown into the mix shows they are willing to search far and wide while considering ideas from outside the established brains trust.The basic premise of the theory put forward by Jones is that Kohli is most vulnerable to fuller deliveries that deviate in towards the right-hander off the seam. In the eight Tests Kohli has played away from home this year, in South Africa and England, he has been dismissed significantly more often when bowlers have pitched the ball up. Cricviz figures show Kohli averages 46.28 against full deliveries compared to 66.33 against good length balls and 69.33 when facing short-pitched bowling.Virat Kohli strikes a pose during a photo session before the Test series against Australia•Getty Images

The caveat to the approach of bowling full – and it is a significant one – is that it leaves Australia’s bowlers open to the risk of leaking runs; Kohli is brutal in punishing balls that stray a fraction onto his pads.A theory is, of course, only as good as its execution and if Australia do adopt this tactic to the India captain it may be a question of the bowlers holding their collective nerve, particularly if he starts scoring freely. Speaking in Adelaide, Josh Hazlewood acknowledged there was a balancing act in containing Kohli while trying to remove him.”It’s a good point,” said Hazlewood. “He’s one of those guys who can score pretty freely, a number of the guys can in this Indian side, but sometimes those risks bring the most rewards as well. It’s just about weighing that up and assessing how long we stay at each plan for. We
might stay at it for 20 balls or 80 balls, depending on how we feel, and it’s about adapting once we’re on the field.”Kohli’s wicket also falls more often to deliveries that deviate more due to seam rather than swing. This factor could play to the strengths of Australia’s fast bowlers using the Kookaburra ball more than it did to England’s bowlers, who tend to exploit the more swing-friendly elements of the Dukes ball.Kohli has often countered the threat of the moving ball by batting outside his crease, even against those as quick as Mitchell Starc. In the 2014-15 series, when he made 692 runs in eight innings, including four centuries, ESPNcricinfo data logged him facing 142 deliveries that were of a full length. He was dismissed only twice.Bounce is a key factor in Australia as well, although former Australia players Ian Chappell and Jason Gillespie have warned the current set not to overdo the short-ball tactic.So, if Australia’s seamers do find success using full-length in-nippers to arguably the world’s most dangerous Test batsmen, it could go some way to swinging (or seaming) the series in their favour.

Auckland’s bowlers overcame a solid resistance from Canterbury’s middle order to pick up a 24-run win in a chase of 316 in Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2017Auckland‘s bowlers overcame a solid resistance from Canterbury‘s middle order in a chase of 316 to pick up a 24-run win in a well-fought Plunket Shield match at the Eden Park Outer Oval. Canterbury were 5 for 2 in the face of an opening burst from Auckland’s new-ball duo of Benjamin Lister and Matt McEwan. They recovered well through substantial partnerships, starting with a third-wicket stand of 85 between opener Chad Bowes (42) and Leo Carter (63). But Auckland’s trio of Danru Ferns, Michael Barry and Glenn Phillips struck at timely intervals to take seven wickets among them and send Canterbury packing for 291.Carter, Cole McConchie (42), Cam Fletcher (53) and Daniel Sams (33) made solid contributions in the middle order, but none could stay on to haul Canterbury to the finish. Andrew Ellis, their captain, kept Canterbury’s fight alive with 19, but Lister had him caught to seal 16 points for Auckland.With their third successive win of the competition, Auckland are now on third position with 59 points. Canterbury are one place behind but are stuck with one win after five games and have lost their last three matches.That Canterbury were set a stiff target was down to an electric second-innings century from Phillips – his second in first-class cricket, with Michael Guptill-Bunce (51), Robert O’Donnell (67) and Ben Horne (75) making for a capable support cast. Their efforts helped Auckland bounce back from a first-innings deficit of 30 and pile on 345 at 4.80 an over. Medium-pacer Fraser Sheat dismissed Phillips and finished with 3 for 45 while Daniel Sams, Will Williams and Andrew Ellis struck twice each.Both teams fared a lot worse in their respective first innings as 18 wickets tumbled on the opening day. Canterbury reduced Auckland to 39 for 4 after electing to bowl on a green pitch, before Mark Chapman’s arrival pushed them past 150. He was the ninth man dismissed, for 76 off 72 balls, as Auckland folded for 181. Medium-pacer Sams wrecked Auckland with career-best returns of 4 for 55, while Ellis took 3 for 50.Like Auckland, Canterbury were struggling, at 81 for 5, and were lifted by a late contribution. And it was Sams who again came to the fore, as he blasted five fours and three sixes on his way to a 51-ball 57. He fell with Canterbury 15 short of Auckland’s total, but contributions of 31 from the wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher and 21 from Tim Johnston gave them the lead. Despite the flurry of wickets, 375 runs were scored on the day and Canterbury went to stumps at 194 for 8.They folded in the ninth over of the second morning for 211 after Matt McEwan cleaned up Johnston for 21, leading a collective effort from Auckland’s bowlers with 3 for 49.

Kent’s irritation at missing out on promotion went some way to explaining the defiance of their skipper Sam Northeast

ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2016
ScorecardSam Northeast signed off the season with another hundred•Getty Images

Kent’s irritation at missing out on promotion went some way to explaining the defiance of their skipper Sam Northeast who, on the final day of the Specsavers Championship campaign, elected to notch his fifth first-class ton of the summer rather than conspiring in any sort of last-day contrivance with Division Two champions Essex.The top two sides in the second tier finally shook hands on a draw at 4.20pm, by which time Kent had reached 288 for 5 declared for an overall lead in the match of 437.Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, presented Essex with their trophy and winners’ cheque soon after, leaving Kent contemplating another season in the lower ranks and to mull over the opening match of the 2016 campaign at New Road, where not a ball was bowled over the four days.

Masters bows out in familiar surroundings

Essex seamer David Masters signed off on his 16-year first-class career with one final maiden on the ground where it all began for him as a Kent rookie.
“The lads said I must bowl the last over of the game which I guess was fitting, but it was a really nice gesture.
“I hadn’t expected Kent to line up in a guard of honour when I went out to bat either, it was a bit of a shock if I’m honest, but it was a lovely touch all the same.
“As farewell games go it doesn’t really get any better than that. On my old ground and with my dad and family all here watching. Added to which I’ve now won both the one-day trophies as well as the Championship Division Two title.
“I’m feeling complete as a cricketer, content with what I’ve achieved and proud of what Essex have done during my time with the club.
“Of course, I thank Essex for giving me so many opportunities and Kent and Leicestershire for giving me such a good start. I’ll never have enough thanks for Alan Ealham at Kent who took a punt on me and was the first to say ‘this boy’s got something’. I hope I’ve repaid his faith.”

The outcome of the Worcestershire match and Kent’s subsequent appeal still raises the blood pressure of supporters down in the Garden of England, and Northeast, as well as the county’s chairman, George Kennedy, have been reluctant to let the matter drop.Ahead of the final round, Kennedy said: “That Kent only received five points from that abandonment, when as the away team we were entirely blameless, still rankles with me. It can be argued it denied us the chance to play for 19 more points.”So, after Kent’s failure to make Essex follow on on the fourth and final morning, the top two sides had only bragging rights and averages to play for on the last day of the summer. And, having seen his side lose four early wickets in the quest for quick runs, Northeast took the pragmatic approach and let his bat do the talking.Starting their second innings within 15 minutes of the final day’s start, Kent – who banked a first innings lead of 149 – lost Daniel Bell-Drummond to the fifth ball of the innings. Playing across a David Masters off-cutter, the right-hander went leg before without scoring.With two boundaries quickly to his name, Joe Denly’s positivity got the better of him when he charged down the track to Matt Dixon only to drive into the hands of Nick Browne at extra cover to make it 13 for 2.Sean Dickson also perished when attempting the extravagant, leaning into a drive to a Will Rhodes length ball the South African right-hander edged to Varun Chopra at slip.The hosts lost first innings top-scorer Darren Stevens in the mid-session when he nicked a leg-glance against Masters to the keeper to depart for 18.Northeast and Will Gidman flourished either side of tea, adding an unbroken 185 for the sixth wicket with Northeast reaching three figures just before the interval from 119 balls and with 15 fours.In the final session Gidman, the on-loan all-rounder from Nottinghamshire, posted his fifth fifty in five starts for Kent, leaving Northeast to make hay against some part-time bowling to add an unbeaten 178 to his season’s previous three-figure scores of 191, 190, 189, and 166* and finish the summer with over 2,000 runs in all formats.Fittingly, Masters, the Essex stalwart who started his career with Kent, sent down the final over – it was a maiden.Essex had started the day on 289 for 9 and needing three to save the follow-on, a target they achieved within nine deliveries when Dixon’s airy drive at Matt Coles flew off a thick inside edge to long leg for the required runs.Dixon heaved at the next delivery to spoon a catch to Mitch Claydon at mid-on to end the innings with Essex on 292 all out.Without collusion between the skippers, the game duly petered out into a stalemate. Kent banked 13 points and Essex 10.

Reece Topley, the left-arm pace bowler, is to leave Essex and join Hampshire on a two-year deal

George Dobell31-Aug-2015Reece Topley, the left-arm pace bowler, is to leave Essex and join Hampshire on a two-year deal. Paul Grayson, the coach, is also leaving the club, while the future of the captain, James Foster, is uncertain.Topley, 21, who made his England debut in the T20 against Australia in Cardiff, rejected the offer of a new contract from Essex and was the subject of interest from eight other counties. It is understood that Hampshire did not offer the most money, but Topley was impressed by the plans of chairman Rod Bransgrove and the coach Giles White and felt the environment at the club would help him fulfil his potential.His signing in the face of so much competition – Surrey, Warwickshire and Worcestershire were among the other interested counties – represents something of a coup for Hampshire. Topley, a tall left-arm swing bowler, has outstanding red and white ball statistics for his age. He was the standout bowler at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Australia, is currently the leading wicket taker in this year’s Royal London Cup with 20 wickets and has 125 first-class victims at a cost of 25.78.Topley, who burst onto the professional scene in 2011 with successive five wicket hauls when just 17 and still at school, has said his ultimate ambition is to become the first left-arm pace bowler to claim 100 Test wickets for England.Leaving Essex will be a major wrench, though. Not only has he progressed through the club’s system – he has been there since he was nine – but his father, Don Topley, also represented the club for a decade as a bustling seam bowler and still commentates on the club for local radio.”I am extremely sad to be leaving Essex having played for the county since the age of nine and have thoroughly enjoyed my time in a great dressing room,” Topley said. “I would like to publicly thank all the players for their huge support and firm friendships.”In particular, I must also thank the two 1st XI coaches: Paul Grayson for the fantastic opportunity he has given me and to Chris Silverwood, who I have great admiration for and enjoyed working with.”It is understood Reece was unsettled by changes at the club. Since the return of Ronnie Irani as chairman of the cricket committee, the future of the coach, Grayson, has looked especially uncertain – ESPNcricinfo understands he is no longer working with the team while a severance package is agreed – with Irani his probable replacement.Grayson was appointed coach in July 2007. While Essex won the Friends Provident Trophy in 2008, they have not made the progress some expected since and currently sit mid-table in Division Two. Grayson’s supporters would argue, however, that he has never held much real power and was not given the authority to sign new players or agree contract terms.The future of the captain, Foster, is also unclear with the former England keeper understood to have received offers of employment from outside the game, including a role at a local private school. Topley remains close and appreciative of Grayson and Essex bowling coach, Chris Silverwood, but has a less obvious rapport with Irani. It could well be that Topley joins Hampshire on loan before the end of this season.It continues a worrying trend for Essex. While the club – perhaps as a result of its densely populated catchment area – has a fine record of producing talented players, Topley joins a list that includes Varun Chopra, Ben Foakes, Adam Wheater, Tony Palladino, Billy Godleman, Chris Wright and Tymal Mills as talented players who have recently left the club to pursue their county careers elsewhere.They are likely to sign another seamer – Surrey’s Tim Linely – as replacement for Topley, but losing a 21-year-old and gaining a 33-year-old – whatever his merits – is unlikely to impress Essex supporters.

England’s bowling coach David Saker has turned down an offer to become director of cricket at Warwickshire, saying that he still has “unfinished business”.

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2013David Saker has turned down a chance to become director of cricket at Warwickshire, saying that the prospect of back-to-back Ashes tours in the next year and the 2015 World Cup has left him “unfinished business” with England.Saker first revealed to ESPNcricinfo last month that he was attracted by the role relinquished by Ashley Giles last month after he took over day-to-day coaching duties with England’s one-day sides and Warwickshire were interested enough to pursue the matter.However, exploratory talks over the weekend have not come to fruition, leaving Saker to commit his future to England as he prepared to leave on Thursday with the team for their tours of India and New Zealand over the next three months.He told the : “I had talks with Warwickshire and it was certainly an attractive offer they made. But it has come a little too early for me. I have unfinished business with the England team and I would like to take that through at least until the end of the 2015 World Cup.”Warwickshire’s chairman Norman Gascoigne insisted that a firm offer had not been made. “We contacted David to clarify the situation with him and ask whether he wanted to apply or not. He came back to us and said that the timing was not right for him and that he intended to continue with England. That is as far as it went. I can categorically say that at no stage did we offer him the job.”Saker, lives south of Birmingham and, as a fulltime member of England’s backroom staff, still must withstand the heavy travelling demands that have caused Andy Flower to relinquish day-to-day management of England’s one-day sides to Giles.Since funding his own flight from Australia to be interviewed for the job, he has played a leading role in England’s home and away Ashes wins as well as victory in the Test series in India. He must be due a refund on his original ticket.His emphasis on the psychology and methodology involved in fast bowling, rather than biomechanics, has had a positive effect on England’s fast-bowling attack.His decision to stay with England increases the likelihood that Warwickshire will follow Giles’ initial recommendation and appoint somebody with links to the county.

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach, believes Misbah-ul-Haq’s side has the ability to become the best team in the world following its second successive Test victory over England

George Dobell in Abu Dhabi29-Jan-2012Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach, believes Misbah-ul-Haq’s side has the ability to become the best team in the world following its second successive Test victory over England.Pakistan’s 72-run win in Abu Dhabi gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series over the No.1 Test side. It also meant that Pakistan had won four series in a row. Mohsin did warn, however, that England’s struggles on Asian pitches illustrated how hard it can be for teams to adapt to a foreign environment and said Pakistan had “a lot to prove” in overseas conditions.”I think this team has the capacity to become the world’s best team,” Mohsin said. “Our target should be to gradually come in the top three in both Tests and one-day cricket, and then gradually go to world number one.”Now we have to perform when we play in other parts of the world. We have a lot to prove. When we go to England, our batsmen struggle against swing and seam bowling just as England struggle against spin. But give our bowlers credit: it needs skill to exploit rivals’ weaknesses. Our spinners bowled well.”Mohsin also praised Misbah’s leadership and credited the warm relationship between captain and coach as a key ingredient in Pakistan’s success. “He is a very good captain,” Mohsin said, “and I have a wonderful rapport with him. He gives me respect as coach and as his senior and I give him respect as captain, so it is a mutual thing.”We make a game plan and take inputs from senior and junior players. Maybe a junior player has something good and wise to tell us. Misbah respects my experience and as coach it is my duty to support him as he is to make the team fight. He is doing that.”When I became coach I knew that this team had talent in abundance. My first priority was to make them mentally and physically strong and that was on display when Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq batted. We won a lost match on Saturday and the kind of belief and self confidence this team has shown is great.”Mohsin’s own future remains unclear. He was only appointed as interim coach after Waqar Younis stepped down in September 2011 and it is still anticipated that Dav Whatmore will win the position on a full time basis after the limited-overs section of the series against England is completed. The manner in which the Pakistan players lifted Mohsin upon their shoulders in the immediate aftermath of the victory in Abu Dhabi, however, spoke volumes for the high regard in which he is held by them.”I am proud of my team and the moment when we won and then the players
lifted me and celebrated the win, that was a joy to behold,” Mohsin said. “It showed team spirit and the unity in joy. That was the biggest gift I can have from my players. Our actions are louder than words and I hope that this good work goes on and on.”