Imran Khan.
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force leg-spinner Imran Khan has hinted that the 2024 West Indies Championship could be his last.
A stalwart in regional cricket, the 39-year-old Khan has played 113 first-class matches, taking 450 wickets, a milestone he achieved in the final game of the 2023 West Indies Championship against Jamaica Scorpions at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
Khan also had 71 wickets in 53 List A games. With the bat, Khan has 3,622 runs with a lone century of 125. He also has a half-century in List A cricket.
Asked if he was thinking about the time he has left in the game, “I haven’t set a time frame to step away,” was his response in an interview with the Trinidad Express recently.
“I’m still fit and wanting to play. I’ve always put Trinidad and Tobago cricket first for many decades however, I know the time will come soon for me to step down to make way for younger players, but I’ll still like to be around to share my experience and knowledge,” he said.
Khan made his first-class debut as an opening batsman in 2005 and was part of the 2006 T&T squad that won the regional first-class competition, the last time the country has done so to date.
“In 2024, I am looking forward to the four-day and possibly another Super50 tournament, maybe my last, and of course maintaining my fitness and ensuring that I continue to pass each fitness test will be key,” he said.
Despite his regional success, Khan never represented the West Indies at the highest level and accepts that, at 39, that dream is likely over.
“I guess the dream playing for West Indies is over, safe to say...but I’ll like to be around to share my knowledge. Now I’ll like to explore more franchise cricket. Clearly, I have what it takes to perform,” he said.
“Yes, I have achieved being one of the best all-rounders regionally; I have several accolades to prove that, but it always will hurt that I never got the opportunity to play for West Indies. I did everything required of me, but God has a better plan,” he added.
He most recently represented the Manipal Tigers in the Legends League T20 in India from November-December last year, taking nine wickets in five matches for the eventual champions.
Khan didn’t feature in the Super50 for the Red Force towards the end of 2024 and played four out of five matches for the franchise in the West Indies Championship at the start of the year, grabbing 13 wickets with a best of four for 47.
Off-spinner Bryan Charles was the top bowler for T&T in the four-day competition, taking 21 wickets in five matches.
“I wasn’t selected in the playing 11 for the first four-day game, but I used that to get mentally stronger, which showed in my performance with the bat and ball,” Khan explained.
Having missed the season opener, Khan scored 92, his 15th first-class half-century, against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
“I really wanted to score runs this year and I definitely did. Of course, not being selected for the squad for 50 overs was disappointing but I’m happy the team won,” said Khan.
“However, not being selected for that tournament, other doors opened...I had a great Legends League tournament finishing with most wickets and the title. I’ll say 2023 has been good to me,” he added.
Australia move to two from two with comprehensive win over New Zealand
Australia became the only unbeaten team in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with an impressive 60-run win over New Zealand on Tuesday.
The defending champions made an imposing 148 for eight in Sharjah despite Amelia Kerr's four for 26.
In reply, Megan Schutt took three for three runs from 3.2 overs, dismissing Kerr for 29 before getting the final New Zealand wicket as they crumbled to 88 all out.
Having chosen to bat first, Australia skipper Alyssa Healy followed successfully overturning an lbw decision, by hitting 11 runs off Fran Jonas to also pass 3000 T20I career runs.
A fourth boundary for Healy came in the final over of the powerplay before she was caught by Georgia Plimmer for 26.
From there, Ellyse Perry slowly built the Australian innings alongside Beth Mooney, with the former surviving being dropped on the boundary while on four.
The partnership ended in the 12th over as Mooney was unable to carry her bat for a third successive T20 World Cup game, departing for 40 with Australia at 86 for two.
Perry began to motor on as she passed 2,000 T20I runs before she was dismissed for 30 to be Kerr’s second wicket of the day.
Kerr took her third with the very next ball as she bowled Grace Harris through the gate with a googly, to mark the power-hitter's return from injury with a duck.
Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu and Brooke Halliday each got the chance to bowl before Kerr could attempt to achieve a hat-trick, with Halliday dismissing Phoebe Litchfield for 18 to continue her fine run of form against Australia.
Kerr’s googly on the hat-trick ball did not deceive Georgia Wareham but she got another wicket two balls later, as Tahuhu held on to a firm shot from Wareham to leave Australia teetering at 129 for six.
Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland departed in the final two overs as Australia progressed to a total of 148, comfortably the highest score made at Sharjah in this World Cup.
The White Ferns’ opening partnership of Plimmer and Suzie Bates impressed in the powerplay of their win over India, but the partnership lasted only 14 balls this time around before Plimmer was out.
The youngster was bowled by Schutt, who became the outright most successful bowler in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups with 44 wickets.
Kerr and Bates rotated the strike well without worrying Australia as the required run rate climbed to 8.57 at the end of the powerplay.
By the halfway stage of the innings, the run rate had grown further before a struggling Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux for 20 from 27.
Kerr departed soon after before three wickets fell in five balls as Sutherland took two in two deliveries to see the White Ferns slump to 60 for six.
Sophie Devine departed for seven from 15 after attempting a big swing against Sophie Molineux. Schutt completed her big day with the final wicket of Eden Carson as New Zealand fell well short in Sharjah, all out for 88 in 19.2 overs.
Scores in brief
Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Australia 148/8 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 40, Ellyse Perry 30; Amelia Kerr 4/26, Brooke Halliday 2/16)
New Zealand 88 all out in 19.2 overs (Amelia Kerr 29, Suzie Bates 20; Megan Schutt 3/3, Annabel Sutherland 3/21)
Result: Australia win by 60 runs
England debutant Carse hopeful of closing ground on Pakistan
Brydon Carse is confident England can catch Pakistan after making a strong start to their chase on day two of the first Test in Multan.
Test debutant Carse took 2-74 but could not hold Pakistan back as the hosts scored 556 in their first innings.
It left England, shorn of opener Ben Duckett due to an injury, facing a daunting task. But despite Ollie Pope going for a duck in the second over of their chase, the tourists were steadied by the excellent Zak Crawley and Joe Root.
Crawley got to 64 from as many deliveries, while Root moved onto 32. He is now on 12,434 Test runs, meaning he is only 39 short of surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as England's all-time leading run scorer in the longest format.
With the pitch having been kind to batters so far, Carse believes England are well in contention.
"We spoke last night. To have them 328 for 4, I think if you had that score back home in England you're probably behind the game a bit," he said.
"We've scored nearly 100 there in 20 overs.
"If we could come here tomorrow and bat positively and put their score under pressure, let's see where we're at at the end of the day, with two days still to go."
Reflecting on his first innings as a Test bowler, Carse said: "It's been hard work and hard toil over the last two days. But I've thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and being out there with this group of lads.
"I've had loads of messages over the last two days, from friends and family, from people that have supported me over the last 10 years since I moved to England.
"A couple of the guys and Stokesy [Ben Stokes] said to me after we fielded, 'Look Brydon, it's not going to get tougher than these first two days.' They promised!"
Carse also offered an update on Duckett, who sustained a thumb injury while fielding.
"Ben’s OK. He's just taken a knock," Carse said via BBC Sport. "He'll be assessed overnight and he'll be back batting tomorrow."
Crawley and Root leading England fight after Pakistan cement dominance
Zak Crawley and Joe Root's assured start with the bat gave England hope on day two of their first Test against Pakistan, after the hosts had again impressed with the bat.
Just like on day one, the tourists struggled in the field as Pakistan racked up an impressive total of 556, before overcoming setbacks to steady the ship late in the day.
England were unable to build on their strong finish to day one, which saw them take three late wickets to halt Pakistan at 328-4, but Brydon Carse (2-74) got a wicket on his debut to end Naseem Shah's stand of 33.
Saud Shakeel's 82 put the hosts further out of reach, but it was Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten 104 off 119 balls that kept the momentum firmly with Pakistan, though it almost turned out differently.
Chris Woakes made a spectacular boundary catch with Salman on 15, but it was ruled not out as Woakes was judged to have stepped beyond the rope, denying England a chance to drop the hosts to 420-7.
Though England at one point took four wickets for 76 runs, it did little to end the onslaught, and they finished Pakistan's innings on a low note as opener Ben Duckett hurt his thumb taking the catch on the final wicket.
Ollie Pope then opened in his place, but the stand-in captain was taken for a duck on just his second ball.
However, Crawley (64 not out) and Root (32 not out) managed to calm any nerves as they reached stumps at 96-1, though they still trail by 460 runs.
Data Debrief: Pakistan race out of the blocks again
After making a flying start on day one, Pakistan caught England out with a similar tactic on Tuesday, adding 64 to the fifth wicket before Naseem was made to walk.
Jack Leach (3-160) was the pick of England's bowlers as they struggled in the heat, but for the most part, the tourists had no answers as Salman became the third centurion in the Test so far.
They will be hoping Crawley and Root can continue defying Pakistan with their stand on day three, with the latter now just 39 runs away from overtaking Alistair Cook as England's all-time leading run-scorer.
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