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A late assault from Louis Klazinga, including a brace of sixes in the final over, helped Namibia snatch an unlikely one-wicket victory in the second limited-overs game against Uganda in Windhoek

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2010
Scorecard
A late assault from Louis Klazinga, including a brace of sixes in the final over, helped Namibia snatch an unlikely one-wicket victory in the second limited-overs game against Uganda at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek.Uganda looked certain to level the two-match series when left-arm seamer Charles Waiswa removed Willem Groenewald to leave Namibia’s last pair needing 18 runs from 11 balls, but Klazinga and No. 11 Elton Ambambi responded in spectacular fashion to seal victory – and a 2-0 series victory – with two balls to spare.Namibia’s win was set up by a pair of aggressive half-centuries from opener Ewaid Steenkamp and captain Craig Williams. After the early loss of wicketkeeper batsman Raymond van Schoor, Steenkamp added 109 – the highest partnership of the match – with Wessel Myburgh to keep Namibia’s pursuit of 258 on course.Though Myburgh was somewhat subdued at the crease, hitting only one four in his 63-ball 27, Steenkamp had no trouble reaching the boundary, cracking eight fours and a six before he was run out for 84 by Ronald Ssemanda.His dismissal set Namibia back to 144 for 3 in the 34th over, giving Uganda an opening from which to attack the middle order, and when Louis Burger and Norbert Manyande fell in quick succession the home side slipped to 177 for 5. But Williams counter-attacked in style, clearing the boundary three times to bring Namibia back into the match and rush to a 38-ball 58 before he fell to make Uganda favourites once again.When Louis van der Westhuizen, Christi Viljoen and Groenewald were also prised out with the required run-rate rocketing past 9-an-over few would have given the tail much chance of chasing down the runs, but Klazinga responded with a career-best effort to crush Uganda’s hopes.Klazinga’s efforts made up for a wayward performance with the ball from him, as he gave away 62 runs while Uganda racked up 257 for 8. After Roger Mukasa launched the innings with an aggressive 38 Benjamin Musoke’s career-best 79 provided the ballast of the visitors’ innings as he added 101 for the fifth wicket with Frank Nsubuga, who contributed an enterprising 55, to lay the platform for a late charge.Musoke took Uganda to 228 before he was bowled by Viljoen, and though Deusdedit Muhumuza and Ssemanda added 29 in 3.4 overs to take the score past 250, Klazinga’s last-gasp hitting proved the difference between the two sides.After losing their Intercontinental Shield fixture and both limited-overs games, Uganda have one last chance to salvage some pride when the two teams meet in a Twenty20 match at the same venue on Sunday.

Patterson completed a very successful return to the Sheffield Shield side with twin half-centuries

AAP04-Nov-2024Former Test batsman Kurtis Patterson underlined his successful return to the Sheffield Shield, helping New South Wales bat out a draw against Queensland.After NSW were asked to start their second innings with a 167-run deficit on Monday morning, Patterson’s 66 helped the Blues to 256 for 4 when both sides agreed to end play.Ollie Davies also thrived for NSW, caught in the deep hooking in the final session for 88 after being measured early and taking the game on more late.The result left both teams without wins from the opening three rounds, with two draws each.But this fixture was an undoubted personal victory for Patterson.NSW’s captain as recently as two seasons ago, the left-hander was only picked for three Shield matches last summer and again started 2024-25 out of the side. But with a raft of players unavailable through Australia and Australia A commitments, selectors were forced to bring him back in, at No.3.And the two-time Test representative delivered, after admitting he once feared his first-class career was over. The 31-year-old played a lone hand with 91 for the Blues in the first innings, before again shining bright on Monday.Patterson played one of the shots of the day with a flourishing square-drive off Mitchell Swepson, as one of six boundaries in his innings.And he barely looked troubled until rain briefly interrupted play in the second session, and Swepson ripped one back between bat and pad to bowl him on his first ball back.But by then, the game had been saved for NSW, with Patterson and Davies’ 117-run third-wicket stand counteracting Queensland’s rain-interrupted first-innings total of 406 for 5.Davies’ runs also marked his best outing so far this summer, before he enters Australia A’s camp later this week to face India A in Melbourne.

Also, can Sri Lanka and Netherlands still qualify?

S Rajesh01-Nov-2023India
With 12 points already in the bag and three games still to come, India are almost through to the semi-finals. Another win will confirm qualification, but even if they lose all three, Afghanistan will have to win their three remaining games, while New Zealand and Australia will have to win two each. If those three teams have higher net run rates than India, then they, along with South Africa, can qualify ahead of India.South Africa
South Africa have as many points as India but have played one extra game. Two more points will confirm qualification, but even with 12, their exceptional NRR should keep them safe.Related

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Australia
After a slow start, Australia have come into their own with four wins on the trot. Three more wins will confirm the qualification, but two will also do if one of those comes against Afghanistan. Given that they also play Bangladesh, who are already out of the tournament, Australia are favourites to qualify.New Zealand
New Zealand won four games at the start but lost their next three matches. The huge loss to South Africa has also brought their NRR crashing down, while the numerous injuries are doing their chances no favours.If they win their last two and finish on 12, New Zealand will still have an excellent chance of qualifying, but a defeat on Saturday against Pakistan will put both the teams on eight points each from as many games, while a defeat by 84 or more runs (in a chase of 301) will push them below Pakistan on NRR. Afghanistan will get to eight too if they beat Netherlands on Friday, while Sri Lanka might also be in the mix.All of this means the next ten days will be crucial for all these teams. New Zealand’s last game is against Sri Lanka, and even if they win that one after losing to Pakistan, it could still come down to net run rates.Afghanistan
Afghanistan are the only team other than those in the top four that can still get to 12 points. However, two of their three remaining games are against Australia (in Mumbai) and South Africa (in Ahmedabad). Two wins in those three matches will keep them in the mix if the top four teams don’t all get to 12 points. A win on Friday against Netherlands will take them level with New Zealand on points, but they will also need to win by a significant margin to improve their net run rate, which is currently a poor -0.718.One of the teams that could benefit from New Zealand’s loss to South Africa is Pakistan•Associated Press

Pakistan
New Zealand’s walloping by South Africa has opened up the points table, and one of the teams that could benefit is Pakistan. They are now only one win behind New Zealand, and a victory against them on Saturday will mean both teams are level on eight points from eight games. Pakistan’s last match will be at Eden Gardens against bottom-of-the-table England. Depending on other results, Pakistan’s qualification chances could hinge on that result.If Pakistan lose on Saturday, their chances will hang by a thread: Australia will have to lose all their matches and stay on eight, while other results involving Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will have to go in Pakistan’s favour as well.Sri Lanka
If Sri Lanka win their three remaining games, they will finish on 10, but even then they will need other results to go their way. A defeat against India will mean they can end up with a maximum of eight points. For them to still be in contention, several other results will have to work in their favour, but it’s still possible for multiple up to seven teams to finish on eight points, fighting for two slots.Netherlands
Netherlands have the same points tally as Sri Lanka, but their NRR is much poorer. Wins in all their remaining games will give them a chance, but eight points is unlikely to cut it for them.England
England could still finish on eight points if they win their remaining games, and join the melee if several other results align, but with a net run rate that currently stands at -1.652, their best bet will be to try to make it to the top seven and qualify for Champions Trophy 2025.

The final schedule, where six teams will play a total of 34 games, is expected soon

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2023The second edition of the ILT20 is set to run in the window between January 19 and February 18 next year. The six teams – Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals, MI Emirates, Sharjah Warriors, Desert Vipers and defending champions Gulf Giants – will play a total of 34 games across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah within that 30-day period.Recently, the likes of David Warner, Mark Wood, Shadab Khan and Ambati Rayudu signed up for the second season. Warner and Wood, rivals at the Ashes recently, will play at Capitals, while Shadab joins Pakistan team-mates Shaheen Shah Afridi and Azam Khan at Vipers. Rayudu, who retired from all Indian cricket after IPL 2023 and is currently playing in the CPL, has been signed up by MI Emirates, while Martin Guptill and Maheesh Theekshana will play for Warriors alongside Lewis Gregory.The schedule will clash with the five-match India vs England Test series that begins on January 25 in Hyderabad; Wood and Joe Root, who are both part of the ILT20, are expected to be part of the England squad there. Warner, meanwhile, is expected to fulfil his BBL commitments with Sydney Thunder – the tournament will end on January 24 – before hopping across to the UAE to be part of the ILT20. He will require a No-Objection Certificate from Cricket Australia to play in the league.The second season of the ILT20 will also run more or less concurrently with the second season of the SA20 league in South Africa, which is expected to be played from January 10 to February 10. This was the case last year too. And while the dates for the PSL and the BPL haven’t been announced yet, there could be some overlap there too.The last stage of the squad-building process will involve selecting the UAE players, details of which will be “announced shortly” according to an official release.In February this year, less than a week after Gulf Giants were named inaugural champions at the first edition of the ILT20, it was announced that ILT20 2024 would kick off on January 13 2024. That has now changed. The ILT20 was one of two new men’s franchise leagues added to the calendar last year, along with the SA20, with a crossover of team owners in both leagues and the IPL.

Officials expect the three-member panel, which finished proceedings on Wednesday, to deliver a verdict with an impact that goes beyond cricket

Nagraj Gollapudi and Osman Samiuddin04-Oct-2018The ICC panel hearing a dispute between the PCB and BCCI could potentially deliver a “landmark” judgment with reverberations for all intersections between sports and politics.A three-person dispute panel, set up to arbitrate the PCB’s claims for monetary compensation for two bilateral tours the BCCI didn’t honour, finished proceedings in Dubai on Wednesday.There is no indication when the panel, headed by Michael Beloff QC and including legal heavyweights Jan Paulsson and Dr Annabelle Bennett, will return a verdict though it is not unusual in such cases for it to take anywhere between four and six weeks.Lawyers from both sides presented their cases over three days that began in what was described as a “tense” and “formal” atmosphere and which remained “intense” throughout. A couple of officials likened it to the tension of an India-Pakistan limited-overs encounter.The dispute centers around an agreement the two boards signed in 2014 to play six series over eight years between 2015 and 2023. That agreement was the price the BCCI paid for the PCB’s approval of the Big Three governance changes; those changes were first voted in before being reversed.The PCB is claiming compensation of USD 63 million for two series it was supposed to host in November 2014 and December 2015 as per the agreement, but which eventually did not take place.The primary reason for the BCCI’s refusal to tour is political. Ties between the two countries have been strained since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and BCCI officials have made it clear that the decision to tour ultimately hinges on the Indian Prime Minister’s office.To that end, the appearance of the most high-profile witness at the arbitration, Salman Khurshid, India’s foreign minister at the time the agreement was signed.Officials and witnesses are under strict instructions to not talk publicly about the proceedings but Khurshid explained to the panel that it was “beyond the control” of cricket boards to organise a bilateral series in the troublesome prism of India-Pakistan relations.”I gave my expert evidence to the ICC panel and explained how the Indian government reacts to situations where security of people are under threat,” Khurshid told the . “Fortunately, when I was minister we didn’t have to deal with such (crisis) issues but irrespective of governments, I could express how one would react to fulfilling obligations that’s beyond the control of cricket boards.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The BCCI also argued that the agreement was a letter of intent that would only become a binding agreement once government permission had been granted. The PCB’s counter was that under English law it suffices as an agreement.Khurshid was one of five witnesses the BCCI called up. Among the others were Sanjay Patel, the board secretary and signatory to the agreement, Sundar Raman, a key figure in the ICC revamp, and Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI administrative head who was a conduit between the board and government.Also appearing was Shashank Manohar, the ICC chairman who was BCCI president in 2015 when one of the series was scheduled (Manohar, in fact, had shown an inclination to play the series subject to government approval). His appearance as a BCCI witness while ICC chairman raised eyebrows – the PCB was unhappy with his role as a mediator in one of the good-faith meetings the boards had before this panel was set up. Conspicuous by their absence, however, were N Srinivasan, the BCCI president at the time of the agreement, and the then secretary Anurag Thakur. None of the witnesses were current BCCI officials.The PCB, in contrast, called upon just Najam Sethi, their board chairman at the time, and Subhan Ahmed, the chief operating officer. At least to PCB eyes that witness count is illustrative of the two approaches to the case: the PCB simplifying and focusing on what it believes matters most – the agreement letter – and the BCCI going beyond that and into the circumstances in which it was created and under which it could operate.Only two outcomes are now possible – that the PCB wins its claim or it doesn’t. The panel cannot force the lost series to be rescheduled. But as much as the money, both boards – and the ICC – will be relieved to receive some long overdue clarity on cricket’s most compelling but presently moribund rivalry.The pair are not going to meet in Test cricket’s new showpiece event, the two-year Test Championship starting next year. They are not scheduled to meet in the following two-year cycle either, or in the concurrent ODI league. That confines the rivalry to ICC limited-overs events and other multilateral tournaments such as the Asia Cup for the foreseeable future.Written closing arguments now have to be submitted to the panel within a week, into which new arguments could be introduced based on the evidence presented over the last three days.Officials expect the decision to have an impact beyond cricket. The issues at play – of government involvement, of the sport being used as a tool for diplomacy but also being held hostage to politics – resonates in several other sports. Any decision here – reached by a heavyweight panel with accomplished legal minds – could be used hereon as a precedent in other sports where geopolitics cannot help but get entangled.

Anti-corruption officers have sought clarification from the Pakistan team management after a couple of their players were seen wearing what appeared to be smart watches

George Dobell at Lord's24-May-20180:34

Watches won’t be worn again – Hasan

Anti-corruption officials have told Pakistan’s players not to wear smart watches on the field after a couple of their players were seen with them on the first day at Lord’s.As per the ICC’s Player and Match Officials Area Regulations, wearing smart watches is prohibited on the field and areas designated as player and match official area [PMOA]. An ICC release on Friday confirmed that such devices must be surrendered, along with mobile devices, upon arrival at the ground on match days.”The ACSU officer came to speak to us and told us it’s not allowed to wear them so we won’t be wearing them,” Hasan Ali said after the day’s play.In an effort to combat corruption in cricket over the last few years, players and officials have been obliged to hand over their phones (and any other transmitting devices) to anti-corruption officials ahead of the start of play. They are then locked away and returned to them shortly after stumps.ICC regulations state that: “Communication devices are prohibited within the PMOA, barring specific exceptions. Without exception, no player shall be in possession of, or use a communication device (such as a mobile phone or a device which is connected to the internet), while in the PMOA.”Asad Shafiq checks his watch•Getty Images

An ICC spokesman told ESPNcricinfo: “Apple watches in any way connected to a phone/WiFi or in any way capable of receiving comms such as messages, are not allowed. In effect, it is considered a phone unless ‘disabled’ and just a watch.”There are several legitimate reasons to continue to wear such a watch when disabled. It still tells the time, for example – though there is also a large clock overlooking the playing area at Lord’s – while fitness data can all be recorded and stored on a disabled device.Asad Shafiq, who wore the watch on Thursday, had said in a pre-series interview with the commentator Ramiz Raja that players use the watch to track their daily exertions, and that they burn “around 3000 calories” on a regular day of Test cricket.”We definitely get an idea [of fitness measures],” Shafiq said. “If you wear it the whole day you get an idea, you get the results of your workout in front of you, and you can calculate your targets for the next day.”ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC’s anti-corruption officer at the match, Peter O’Shea, was surprised by photographs appearing to show the devices and approached the Pakistan team management at the end of play. The ICC has the power to confiscate the devices and download all material from them in order to monitor recent activity.While there is no allegation of wrongdoing, the ICC on Friday stated that it will caution players against wearing such devices in order to avoid such confusion in the future. Their own regulations may well be tightened to reflect that stance.May 25, GMT 0600 The article was amended to include Asad Shafiq’s quotes.May 25, GMT 0745 The article was amended to reflect ICC’s PMOA regulations.

The PCB has nominated former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas for the ICC presidency, a day after Najam Sethi, the head of the board executive committee, withdrew his candidature for the post

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2015The PCB has nominated former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas for the ICC presidency, a day after Najam Sethi, the head of the board executive committee, withdrew his candidature for the post. Abbas was principal advisor to Sethi when he was the PCB chairman.The ICC had asked the PCB to nominate an ex-cricketer last year in September but Pakistan had came up with Sethi’s name. Sethi was slated to take over from Mustafa Kamal as the ICC president for a period of 12 months from July 1. In April, he had offered himself as the interim president after Kamal resigned and was willing to fill in for two months before taking a full-fledged role from July.Sethi’s decision to withdraw came after the ICC in its previous board meeting, it is understood, discussed encouraging former cricketers for the post from 2016 after what would have been Sethi’s one-year term.The post of the ICC president is merely a ceremonial and ambassadorial one and there was a sense prevailing after Kamal’s fall out that this post should be held by an iconic cricketer for the image and popularity of the game.

Paul Horton batted for more than seven and a half hours as Lancashire escaped with what had appeared more than once to be a draw that was beyond their reach.

Jon Culley at Edgbaston19-May-2012
ScorecardPaul Horton’s long stay grabbed an unlikely draw for Lancashire•PA Photos

Paul Horton batted for more than seven and a half hours as Lancashire escaped with what had appeared more than once to be a draw that was beyond their reach. It did not prevent Warwickshire overtaking Nottinghamshire at the top of the First Division table, but denied them the 15-point lead they were hoping to secure.Lancashire avoided a fourth defeat in their sixth match of the season and did so in such a way that it felt like a win. Horton finished unbeaten on 137, his best score in the Championship since September 2009 and his first century in the competition for more than two years, and found significant support too from Luke Procter, with whom he shared a partnership of 61 spanning more than 26 overs when the Warwickshire attack was at its most dangerous, and Gareth Cross, who himself survived for 13 minutes short of three hours for his unbeaten 75, playing his part in a stand of 139 that Warwickshire could not break in 51 and a half overs of trying.It could, perhaps, be a turning point in Lancashire’s season. Peter Moores, their head coach, will try to make it one for sure. “It does feel like a win in a way,” Moores said. “In some ways it is like a 19-point win, in that while we get only three we stop them getting 16, which makes it quite a significant result.”It was an opportunity to show some fight and get our season moving after a difficult start. We have struggled for runs so it was important to get some momentum to carry forward.”It was a great knock from Paul because he was under pressure throughout, in light that was not good against a Warwickshire side who went at us really hard. This was a chance to save a game in adversity and he took it. But Luke Procter deserved a lot of credit, too, as did Gareth Cross, of course.”Moores shied away from the opportunity to declare Lancashire’s title defence to be over already, although he would admit that the ground lost will be difficult to make up. Second-bottom of the table, they are 51 points adrift of Warwickshire, who have played one match fewer.”I don’t think you can say the title has gone but we are not thinking about that,” he said. “It is the time now to just think about the next game against Middlesex and take each session one at a time, as we always do. But this gives us some momentum, which you always want, and we just have to build on that.”A draw had scarcely seemed possible when Lancashire were 54 for 5 on the second evening after Warwickshire’s marathon first innings was finally declared. Nor when they were forced to follow on 360 behind midway through the third day.It still appeared unlikely on the final morning, given they had lost eight wickets in the course of Friday and somehow needed to preserve their remaining seven on a pitch, you supposed, that would be at its least benign.But Horton answered Lancashire’s call to shoulder the burden of responsibility by maintaining a vigil that revealed patience, good judgment and unwavering concentration. It was particularly merit-worthy not least because Horton had not scored a Championship century since April 2010 and had been out four times in the 90s last season, which only added to the psychological pressure under which he found himself.Warwickshire lead the First Division, yet will feel they should have taken the opportunity, having already won at Liverpool this season, to complete a double over the side that pipped them to the title last year, and put daylight between themselves and the pack.Lancashire were helped a little by the weather, in that the start was delayed until 11.45 because of rain, but reached lunch with only one more wicket lost after Steven Croft was given out caught at second slip in the seventh of the 84 overs left, the ball coming off a low part of the bat from a full length delivery by Chris Wright, the catch a brilliant one-handed effort by Rikki Clarke.But Horton, making light of the extra responsibility on his shoulders after Stephen Moore, Karl Brown and Ashwell Prince were out on Friday afternoon, had stuck to his task exceptionally well, adding only nine runs to his 56 overnight but more importantly preserving his wicket.The middle session was the toughest. Jeetan Patel did not find much help for his off-spin but was naggingly accurate, while he and Procter had to contend with a hostile spell from Clarke, who tested Horton’s supposed weakness against short-pitched bowling and was convinced he had him caught behind off the glove on 78, only for umpire Martin Bodenham to remain unmoved.A change of pace, with Darren Maddy entering the attack to skid the ball through, accounted for Procter, but Cross was no less dogged, and ultimately found opportunity to unleash some aggression as fielders crowded the bat. Once Warwickshire turned first to Ian Westwood and then even to Varun Chopra, Lancashire knew the job was almost done.Horton deserved his century, that came off 242 balls in a little over five hours and contained 14 fours, and equally so deserved to still be there at the end, at 20 minutes to six to be precise, when Jim Troughton, the Warwickshire captain, decided finally that the win had eluded him.

England Under-19s kept their hopes of levelling the limited-overs series against South Africa Under-19 alive with a two-wicket win in a low-scoring match at Canterbury

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2011
ScorecardEngland Under-19s kept their hopes of levelling the limited-overs series against South Africa Under-19 alive with a two-wicket win in a low-scoring match at Canterbury. Kishen Velani, the 16-year-old batsman who made his Under-19 debut at Taunton, guided England’s pursuit of 177 with a 60-ball half-century but it still took a late cameo from Jamie Overton to secure a vital victory in the 36th over.Quinton de Kock once again kept the tempo up despite wickets falling at the other end after South Africa had been put in to bat, striking five fours in his 40. His innings was complemented by Shaylin Pillay’s patient 30 and James Price’s typically adventurous 48, but there was precious little else from South Africa’s batsmen and had it not been for Prenelan Subrayen’s 25 South Africa would have been shot out for under 150.As it was, Peter Burgoyne had plenty to do with their sub-par total, snatching 4 for 8 in just over six overs as South Africa collapsed from 140 for 4 to 147 for 7. He had Pillay caught behind to spark the capitulation of the lower order, and followed that up by dismissing the dangerous Price, ending Subrayen’s cameo and trapping Lizaad Williams lbw to end the innings.Williams was soon getting his own back, picking up four quick wickets in his opening spell to reduce England to 25 for 4. Sam Wood, in partnership with Velani, helped England recover but Wood fell to South Africa captain Keaton Jennings for a 40-ball 48 and when Velani was dismissed by Duanne Olivier for 54 the home side were eight down with 21 still needed.Overton struck four fours to see them home in the tight finish, however, and with the scoreline now 3-2 England have the chance to level the series at Canterbury in two days time while South Africa will also be confident of ending their trip on a triumphant note.

Two matches, two close defeats, crucial mistakes in the final stages of both matches. South Africa have to be hurting

Sidharth Monga in Cape Town19-Jan-2011Two matches, two close defeats, crucial mistakes in the final stages of both matches. South Africa have to be hurting. Batsmen freezing might just be the lesser of the evils. They pride themselves on their fielding, and tonight they dropped two catches they would normally take nine times out of 10. Zaheer Khan got reprieved on nought, Harbhajan Singh on 12, and the duo carried India home. Something similar happened when they were batting: after recovering well from an average start, they slumped from 198 for 4 in 44.4 overs to 220 all out.Graeme Smith chose to focus on that period – during the end of an innings – that has hurt them the most in this series. “I think 220 gave us a chance. The wicket was very difficult to bat on, had sort of plates on it, and its two-paced nature made strokes very difficult. It also had up and down bounce,” he said. “[But] we were really hoping for 240. I think 240 would have been a really good total there. JP [Duminy] and [debutant] Faff du Plessis played well together to take us to a decent total [rescuing them from 90 for 4]. Our Powerplay was poor again, we lost JP and Faff within two overs, and we only got 19 overs in our last six overs.”I really felt if we got 240 we were in with a real good chance of winning the game. We came real close, we missed two crucial chances at the back end, but I can’t fault the guys’ commitment tonight, their intensity and the effort they gave.”The commitment was of course there, in the way Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn bowled, in the way they caught, Steyn off his own bowling and Morkel at third man. Also pleasing was how – despite an expectedly nervous start – du Plessis made it easier for the selectors to pick him for the World Cup.”Terrific to see a guy like him come in,” Smith said. “He had a good domestic season, and just to carry that on here is good. He has prepared well, I have watched him in training. He will bring a lot to the squad I think. It was great to see him and play that well. Especially under pressure. We were under pressure when he came in. I think he has something special, which is good.”Smith said the key to bouncing back from such close defeats in back-to-back games was to not change what has been working for them. “I think it’s always important to keep doing the right things at training,” he said. “Keep reiterating the same point. The margins have been so small in the last two games, we could easily be 2-1 up or 3-0 up. Just got to keep training hard and keep doing the right things and hopefully the things will kick into place.”The World Cup squad comes out tonight, that will ease a lot of minds and stress on players. Hopefully free up a lot of players, and make them play with sort of freedom in the next few games.”They will need all the freedom because the opposition – an under-strength one at that – is sensing they are under pressure. “Our team is full of confidence right now,” Yusuf Pathan, Man of the Match tonight, said. “South Africa will obviously be under pressure because they have lost two matches, and we have done better in pressure situation. We made a comeback in the previous game, and here too. So the pressure will be there.”