Proteas captain Dean Elgar believes he has a great attack for Australian conditions, but at the moment the pressure is on his batters to put enough runs on the board for the tourists to be effective in their three-Test series that starts on December 17.

The South Africans departed for Australia on Thursday and Elgar admitted the focus would be on their embattled batsmen.

“The style of cricket we play is tailor-made for over there. We have great fast bowlers,” Elgar said.

“It’s bad enough facing them in the nets, so I’m really glad I don’t have to do it in a match.

“But runs on the board is key in Australia and our attack needs those scores to be most effective.

“Our batting has not been good enough in the last year… and it’s up to the batsmen to take accountability and responsibility.”

READ MORE: Elgar reveals batting technical overhaul ahead of Proteas tour to Oz

There has been some criticism aimed at the recalling of Theunis de Bruyn and Heinrich Klaasen to the squad, both of whom are over 30 and last played Test cricket on the ill-fated tour of India in October 2019. But Elgar backed them as both having the experience and ability to dominate the strong Australian attack.

“Heinrich is a good, experienced international cricketer now and he has immense ability and a lot of character,” Elgar said.

“And I’ve always thought that Theunis is one of the most talented batsmen in the country, he just has that extra gear which not a lot of guys have. He can really take an attack apart.”

Verbal bait

Elgar also fully expects the Australians to try and bait his team with verbal jabs, and he said the Proteas must not back down when things get fiery.

“Australia is a tough place to play because there are a lot of external pressures and in their home conditions they are always pretty feisty. It’s the nature of them as individuals – brash and bold and in your face.

“But we enjoy that confrontation and we’ve shown the ability to keep calm heads. I would encourage the players not to shy away from it because that’s when South Africans show their best character.”

ALSO READ: Stuurman out of Proteas Test tour of Australia, Williams in

India batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad on Monday smashed an unprecedented seven successive sixes in one over of a 50-overs domestic match – courtesy of a no-ball.

Gaikwad, who has played one ODI and nine Twenty20 matches for India, hammered 42 runs for Maharashtra in a seven-delivery over against Uttar Pradesh.

The quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy — India’s inter-state 50-over competition — took place at the world’s biggest cricket stadium, in Ahmedabad.

Gaikwad is the first player to hit seven sixes in one over in a List A category match.

Bizarre over

But Lee Germon of New Zealand holds the all-time List A record with eight sixes in a bizarre 77-run over of multiple deliberate wides and no-balls in a 1990 Shell Trophy match, when Wellington intentionally gave away runs to try to tempt Canterbury into recklessness.

Gaikwad, 25, finished unbeaten on 220 as his team made 330-5.

Left-arm spinner Shiva Singh was on the receiving end of his six-hitting blitz in the 49th over.

ALSO READ: Elgar reveals batting technical overhaul ahead of Proteas tour to Oz

Gaikwad made his T20 international debut last year after a sterling performance as an attacking opener with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

It is the second record by an Indian batsman in as many weeks, after Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan smashed 277 against Arunachal Pradesh, the highest ever score in the 50-over format, surpassing the 268 of England’s Alistair Brown against Glamorgan in 2002.

Dean Elgar has a reputation among opposition teams for being a bit gabby, but the Proteas captain is not afraid to talk about his own shortcomings and on Sunday he revealed the hard work he has been doing to get his batting back on track ahead of the Test series in Australia.

Opener Elgar is one of the senior statesmen in the South African batting line-up, usually setting a solid tone up front, but he was disappointed with his output on the England tour, scoring just 107 runs in five innings.

Technical overhaul

The left-hander revealed that he has done a technical overhaul, that seems to be working judging by his form for the Northerns Titans in domestic four-day cricket.

Elgar scored 55 and 25 not out to help steer the Titans to a 10-wicket win over the Central Gauteng Lions at the Wanderers on Sunday. With his 137 against the Free State Knights, he is averaging 72.33 this season.

“It feels good to get runs under the belt, obviously to influence the team and to get my game in order with something big coming up (the Australia Tests). I’ve had a nice three weeks prep.

Read more: Malibongwe Maketa to take charge of Proteas on Australia tour

“I’ve been able to get my confidence back up high and sort out some technical stuff. Knowing where your off-stump is is important, one of the basic fundamentals, but there are a lot of other basics I’ve worked on too.

“I was doing stuff in England which I never used to do, so I broke down my technique and tried to make what I thought were weaknesses less so.

“Having experience really helps because I know when something is wrong, although it is easier said than done to fix it. But it’s nice to be able to do it at domestic level where there is less pressure,” Elgar said.

Feel the warmth

Visiting captains always feel the heat in Australia, so Elgar has been well-advised to make sure his own game is shipshape. The straight-talking skipper did not hide his disappointment that his vice-captain, Temba Bavuma, and senior fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who are both sure to feel the warmth Down Under too after underwhelming T20 World Cup campaigns there, have not played any four-day cricket before the tour.

“KG is maybe one exception because his workload is quite high and I can maybe understand him having the time off with fast bowling being extremely demanding,” Elgar said.

“But batsmen should ideally be trying to utilise time in the middle, although I have no control over the medical rules. But playing domestically is the best place to get form and confidence.

“Getting runs here can really change your thought patterns. So it has been nice to see a lot of the squad playing and working on technical flaws. A guy like Kyle Verreynne has obviously worked hard and scored a lot of runs.

“I’m a bit concerned with our seam bowling though. There has been a lot of emphasis on T20 cricket and the bowlers are not conditioned enough for long spells or bowling all day,” Elgar warned.

Read more: Stuurman out of Proteas Test tour of Australia, Williams in

Warriors fast bowler Glenton Stuurman has been ruled out of South Africa’s three-Test tour of Australia next month.

Stuurman’s place in the squad has been filled by Titans quickie Lizaad Williams.

The Warriors man picked up an abdominal injury while on duty for hiss franchise in the latest round of four-day domestic series action last weekend.

Stuurman will be out of action for six weeks.

ALSO READ: Why Theunis de Bruyn is back in the Proteas Test side

The Proteas leave for Australia in the coming days and play three Tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

They open their tour with a four-day game against a Crick Australia XI between 9-12 December.

Tour squad

Dean Elgar (capt), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

Fixture list

Tour match: 9-12 December (Brisbane)

First Test: 17-21 December (Brisbane)

Second Test: 26-30 December (Melbourne)

Third Test: 4-8 December (Sydney)

Until South Africa is able to strengthen its domestic game, the national cricket team can’t be expected to perform at the highest level, according to former Proteas star Herschelle Gibbs.

Though the SA team remain a threat as one of the world’s top sides, they were dumped out in the group stages of the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year and again failed to reach the playoffs at the global showpiece in Australia earlier this month.

Next year they will get another chance to secure their first major global trophy at the 50-over World Cup in India, but less than one year out, Gibbs believes they are working off a poor foundation.

Top six averages

“From a coaching perspective, I look at the standard of our domestic cricket, which has dropped over the years,” Gibbs said on the sidelines of the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational held at Sun City over the weekend.

“I think a lot of people are probably a little too hesitant to say that, but that has been the downfall.

“If we look at our top six (batters), in any of the formats, the averages haven’t gone forward at all. A lot of them who have struggled at international level come back into our domestic cricket, and within a week or two they get runs.

“That’s the first sign of where our standard of domestic cricket is, and it’s sad to see.”

ALSO READ: Proteas’ T20 World Cup exit: Where it went wrong for the South Africans

During his memorable career, Gibbs played over 360 matches for South Africa across all three formats, and he remains one of only four SA players to make more than 8,000 ODI runs.

Since his retirement in 2013, the 48-year-old batting and fielding legend has offered his services as a hired gun on the lucrative T20 circuit, taking on coaching roles in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Quality feeder programme

And with the current SA squad facing somewhat of a watershed period, with head coach Mark Boucher departing and white-ball captain Temba Bavuma facing controversy over his form, they are already dealing with significant challenges.

Without a quality feeder programme at domestic level, Gibbs feels the Proteas’ problems will only be compounded.

“Until we actually get strength versus strength with regards to our domestic cricket, nothing’s going to change with regards to how the guys perform at international level.”

NOW READ: Proteas ready to embrace ‘chokers tag’ in attempt to break it

Batting dynamo Suryakumar Yadav says his “special” century against New Zealand was forged on enjoyment and hard work as he steered India to a 65-run in the second Twenty20 International on Sunday.

Suryakumar struck an imperious 111 not out off just 51 balls as the tourists posted 191-6 at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval.

New Zealand were skittled for 126 in the 19th over, handing India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after the opening fixture was washed out in Wellington on Friday.

To win the final game in Napier on Tuesday, the Black Caps will need to find an answer to Suryakumar, who illustrated why he is ranked the world’s best T20 batter.

The 32-year-old struck 11 fours and cleared the ropes seven times as he compiled his second century in the format, having posted 117 against England at Nottingham four months ago.

He had already become the first Indian to score 1,000 T20 runs in a calendar year before Sunday’s knock and has passed 50 in seven of his last 11 innings.

“Of course in T20 cricket, 100 is always special,” Suryakumar told Spark Sport.

“Obviously I’m enjoying batting this way. I’m doing the same things in the nets, in all practice sessions.”

Opener Ishan Kishan provided the next-highest Indian score with 36 off 31.

Suryakumar ensured the run rate accelerated as the innings progressed and he raised three figures while taking 22 runs off the penultimate over bowled by Lockie Ferguson.

“It was really important for me to bat to the end, that’s what Hardik (Pandya) was telling me from the other end,” said Suryakumar, whose career strike rate has climbed to an extraordinary 181.64.

“We really wanted to maximise the last four overs and I’m really happy with the way things went.”

The final over provided the home side’s best moment, when seamer Tim Southee claimed his second career hat-trick, dismissing Indian captain Pandya before removing Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar for golden ducks.

New Zealand’s run chase struggled from the moment opener Finn Allen holed out on the second delivery.

Captain Kane Williamson top-scored with 61 off 52 but his struggle for timing was mirrored by his teammates against an Indian attack boasting variety and discipline.

Spinner Hooda took 4-10 off 2.5 overs, claiming the last three scalps in the space of four balls.

India’s cricket board has sacked its entire selection committee, led by former fast bowler Chetan Sharma, and put out the call for replacements after the team’s humiliating T20 World Cup exit.

Rohit Sharma’s men suffered a 10-wicket thrashing by England during the semi-final at Adelaide Oval last week, prompting fresh soul-searching by a team that last won a global title at the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Their exit dismayed India’s legion of diehard fans and prompted calls from commentators and the public for heads to roll.

A major shake-up had been mooted since the day after the loss, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took a big step Friday evening when it issued a statement inviting fresh applications to fill all five positions on its selection panel.

It comes a month after World Cup winner Roger Binny was appointed head of the cash-rich board to replace Sourav Ganguly, who was reportedly forced out in a political tussle.

Reports after the England defeat also said the T20 squad will undergo a major transition, with prominent senior players including Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin being gradually eased out.

Rohit, 35, currently leads India in all three formats of the game. 

The Indian Express newspaper said the new selection panel would be entrusted with the responsibility of appointing separate captains for various formats.

“Split captaincy was the likely direction in which Indian cricket will go after its major ICC trophy drought continued,” it said in a Saturday report.

Hardik Pandya, who is currently leading the Indian T20 squad for a short three-match series against New Zealand, is the favourite to take over the reins in the shortest format.

The all-rounder this year led Gujarat Titans to their Indian Premier League title in their inaugural season.

India’s first match against the Black Caps was washed out on Friday without a single ball bowled and the teams next meet Sunday at Mount Maunganui.

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has said he has no time for Australia “bully” David Warner.

In an interview with the BBC to coincide with the recent publication of his book, ‘Faf: Through Fire’, Du Plessis recalled the Australia batsman’s role in a now infamous incident during the first Test in Durban in 2018.

At tea on the fourth day, with South Africa’s Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock batting to save the Test, Warner started hurling a volley of abuse at De Kock in the players’ tunnel.

The already dismissed Du Plessis emerged from the home dressing room clad only in a towel wrapped around his waist and helped cool tempers.

ALSO READ: Revealed: The day Faf du Plessis’ hero Cullinan allegedly told him to ‘f**k off’

Australia won the match by 118 runs.

But it was South Africa who would take the series, which would see Warner, Australia captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft all banned for their roles in the ‘Sandpapergate’ ball-tampering controversy in the third Test, 3-1 in a highlight of Du Plessis’s four-year tenure as skipper.

“Australia wanted to bully us,” Du Plessis, 38, told the BBC as he reflected on the Durban match. 

“We had to stand up for ourselves. They abused us that whole game but the way we fought back turned the series around.”

And while he had some sympathy for the impressionable Bancroft and admiration for the talented Smith, there was no such goodwill towards Warner.

“He was a bully,” said Du Plessis. “I don’t have time for bullies.”

‘Self doubt’

But Du Plessis, who scored over 4,000 runs, including 10 hundreds, in 69 Tests at an average of 40, before calling time on his red-ball international career last year, made no attempt to shy away from his role in other controversial incidents.

There was ‘Zipgate’ — when he was found guilty of rubbing the ball on the zipper of his trousers against Pakistan in 2013 — and ‘Mintgate’ — an incident in 2016 against Australia where he was seen applying saliva from a mint onto the ball.

“I’m not perfect,” he said. “I’ve never claimed to be. I’ve never been the most talented player.

“Yes, I have talent, but it’s hard work and mental toughness that got me to where I am.”

But the batsman insisted his was a “story about failure”, adding: “I wanted to write a book about leadership, about relationships, about struggle…I was a person who was filled with self-doubt and insecurity. And that’s OK.”

While questions will continue to be raised about whether the new SA20 league can emerge as a success at the end of its first season, in terms of trying to garner support in advance, the approach of the organisers can be wrapped into a single word: appropriate.

Nearly two months before the first ball is bowled, the inaugural campaign has already been launched, teams have been unveiled, players have been bought and the schedule has been released.

Maintaining the hype in the build-up, organisers held another launch at the Wanderers yesterday to announce ticket sales, again showcasing some of the country’s top players who will turn out in the big-spending series.

And by way of what can be expected, this latest launch – complete with an electric atmosphere and live entertainment – reverberated in being entirely adequate.

That’s not to say it was dull. Quite the opposite. Organisers seem to be doing everything they can to try and ensure both fans and investors get their money’s worth.

Expected fanfare

Backed by owners of Indian Premier League teams, it has all the pomp and fanfare one would expect from the latest flashy campaign in the sport’s most exciting format.

In addition, the coaches of the team are world renowned, the players are among the best the game has to offer, and if yesterday’s latest attempt to attract interest was anything to go by, it’s going to have all the electricity associated with a T20 tournament.

Of course, organisers will have to stay on their toes if they’re going to maintain the buy-in they need from stakeholders and fans.

ALSO READ: SA20 franchises make a hash of auction, get Bavuma pick all wrong

League commissioner Graeme Smith offered an appropriate response yesterday, however, to any potential concerns about the series, insisting they were confident they could pull it off.

“We really want to inject new energy into the sport and attract new South African cricket fans,” Smith said.

“We also want to see the players performing at their best for years to come and we believe this series will be a real asset to the game.”

Tickets are available between R50 and R200 for all 33 matches of the SA20 series, which gets underway on 10 January.

Titans opener and middle-order batter Theunis de Bruyn is back in the Proteas Test squad for the first time in three years.

The 30-year-old will tour to Australia in December and January for the three-Test series and according to coach Malibongwe Maketa and convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang it’s almost a given De Bruyn will play in the Tests.

This after the Titans man was only able to score 428 runs in 28 innings between 2017 and 2019, at an average of 19.45 in his first spell as a national player. His highest score is 101 — the only time he has managed to go over 50.

Petersen absence

But the unavailability of Keegan Petersen because of injury and Aiden Markram being asked to regain his form and confidence in the domestic game have allowed De Bruyn back in, for a second shot at Test cricket.

“Theunis is an an experienced player and he’s been a part of the set-up before. And we felt we needed a bit more experience in what is a batting lineup lacking some experience,” said Mpitsang.

“It’s also true older batters make better decisions and are calmer, and in Theunis’ case he probably understands his game better now as well.

“The last time we played in England (a few months back) it was only Dean who had real experience, especially when Rassie (van der Dussen) got injured and Temba (Bavuma) wasn’t available. So, it’s massive to have them back.”

‘No-brainer’

De Bruyn’s first-class record is a good one. He has scored 5,187 runs from 79 matches (134 innings) at an average of 41.83.

Maketa says of De Bruyn: “There are injured guys (Petersen and Ryan Rickelton) and not a lot of guys who’ve played Test cricket. Theunis is in form and I’ve worked with him before. He’s gone out and said ‘I’m back’, so this is another opportunity for him. It was a no-brainer to get him back in the group.”

ALSO READ: CSA’s dictatorial treatment of Magala should receive more attention

Besides De Bruyn, Van der Dussen and Bavuma, the other batters in the Proteas Test squad are captain Dean Elgar and relative Test rookies Sarel Erwee and Khaya Zondo and batter-wicketkeepers Heinrich Klaasen and Kyle Verrynne.

Maketa said he was confident Markram would fight his way back into the Proteas Test team.

“I’m a believer that Aiden can play 100 Tests. He’s been going through dip and a decision was made to give him a break,” explained Maketa, who takes charge of the Proteas for the first time following Mark Boucher ending his time with the national men’s team.

“Aiden is a quality player. He’ll go down (to the domestic game) and I’m sure he’ll score the runs and again push for a spot.

“Sometimes a mental break is all one needs, being away from the glare of international cricket.”

The Proteas leave for Australia on 1 December.

Knights fast bowler Gerald Coetzee is the only newbie to crack the Proteas Test squad for the three-match tour of Australia next month.

The 16-man squad also features Theunis de Bruyn, who has been recalled for the first time since 2019, and paceman Glenton Stuurman, both of whom have been in Proteas squads before.

Coetzee, 22, has claimed 40 wickets at an average of 28.82 in his 13 first class matches so far. He has a career-best of 4-47.

Rassie van der Dussen is also back in a Proteas squad for the first time since since a finger injury cut short his tour of England a few months back and cost him a potential place in the T20 squad for the recent World Cup in Australia.

ALSO READ: CSA’s dictatorial treatment should receive more attention

In another change to the most recent Test squad, wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen replaces Ryan Rickelton, who has an ankle injury and was not considered. Rickelton featured in England in September.

Top-order batter Keegan Petersen is also unavailable for selection after sustaining a severe injury to his hamstring playing for the Dolphins in the CSA T20 Challenge final in Potchefstroom earlier this month.  

ALSO READ: Proteas ready to embrace ‘chokers tag’ in attempt to break it 

The squad will depart for Australia on 1 December and as part of their preparation, Dean Elgar’s side will play an unofficial four-day match against Cricket Australia XI from 9-12 December at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.  

Test squad

Dean Elgar (capt), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Erwee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Glenton Stuurman, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Khaya Zondo

Australia tour itinerary

Four-day match: 9-12 December 2022

Cricket Australia XI vs South Africa – The Allan Border Field, Brisbane  

First Test: 17-21 December 2022

Australia vs South Africa – The Gabba, Brisbane 

Second Test: 26-30 December 2022

Australia vs South Africa – MCG, Melbourne

Third Test: 4-8 January 2023  

Australia vs South Africa – SCG, Sydney  

As England basks in the glory of winning the Twenty20 World Cup, a video of the celebrations has gone viral surrounding the teams respect for its two Muslim players Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali.

England edged Pakistan by five wickets to win the coveted Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday and become the sport’s first dual white-ball champions, holding both the 50 and 20-over titles.

Performances

Left-arm pacer Sam Curran and leg-spinner Rashid bowled brilliant spells to restrict Pakistan to 137/8, before an unbeaten fifty from Ben Stokes helped England crown themselves as winners, with a five-wicket victory achieved and an over to spare.

The game was played in front of 80 462 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Celebrations

However, it was after the nail-biting game and the celebrations that got everybody talking.

When the trophy was handed to winning England Captain Jos Buttler, the champagne bottles were ready to open before Buttler came up with a beautiful gesture.

ALSO READ: WATCH: A beautiful conversation about faith and cricket

Respect of faith

The England team’s Muslim players Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali were both given time to step aside before the rest of the team started champagne celebrations.

Buttler, respecting the faith of his teammates, decided to click a picture with the whole team at first, and then reminded them of the champagne celebrations that were about to take place.

Rashid and Moeen left the place as the other team members opened the champagne bottles and celebrated.

England’s success  

It was England’s second T20 crown after tasting success in 2010, joining the West Indies as the only two-time winners since the tournament’s inception in 2007.

The game was billed as a showdown between Pakistan’s attack and England’s top order, and Shaheen Afridi bowled danger man Alex Hales in the first over of the run chase before he was ruled out for the rest of match with an injury after taking a catch.

South Africa were knocked out of the tournament last week after losing to the Netherlands.

ALSO READ: Stokes, Curran star as England win T20 World Cup

Ben Stokes and Sam Curran starred as England edged Pakistan by five wickets to win the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday and become the sport’s first dual white-ball champions, holding both the 50 and 20-over titles.

Jos Buttler’s side held Pakistan to 137-8 in front of a partisan 80,462 fans at a heaving Melbourne Cricket Ground, with player-of-the-match and tournament Curran bagging 3-12 and Adil Rashid chipping with 2-22.

In reply, England slumped to 49-3 in the sixth over as they struggled to get any momentum against a fiery pace attack, with boundaries hard to come by.

But Stokes (52 not out) and Moeen Ali (19) used their experience and cool heads to guide England to 138-5 with six balls to spare, climaxing a riveting tournament that spanned 45 games over nearly a month.

“In finals, especially when chasing, you probably forget all the hard work before that. To restrict them to 130, the bowlers have to take a lot of credit. Adil Rashid and Sam Curran won us the game,” said Stokes.

“Pretty good evening. Representing your country in World Cups is amazing, it has been a good one.”

Curran said Stokes should have been player of the match.

“We all look up to him. People question him, but he’s incredible. He’s the man,” he said.

“The way I bowl, I go into the wicket with my slower balls and keep the batsmen guessing. World champions, how good,” he added.

The victory added to the 50-over title England won in 2019, building on the legacy of former captain Eoin Morgan, who retired this year after transforming the team into a white-ball juggernaut.

It was England’s second T20 crown after tasting success in 2010, joining the West Indies as the only two-time winners since the tournament’s inception in 2007.

The game was billed as a showdown between Pakistan’s attack and England’s top order, and Shaheen Afridi bowled danger man Alex Hales in the first over of the run chase.

But that only fired up Buttler who smashed two boundaries off Naseem Shah.

Phil Salt, playing in place of the injured Dawid Malan, didn’t last, making just 10 before pulling Haris Rauf to Iftikhar Ahmed 

The ball was swinging and seaming and the menacing Rauf claimed the key wicket of Buttler just as he was getting in, edging to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan on 26 off 17 balls.

The runs dried up as they reached 77-3 at the halfway point of the innings, compared to Pakistan’s 68-2.

Harry Brook came undone on 20 against the spin of Shadab Khan, holing out to Afridi and came down to needing 41 runs off the final five overs.

Rashid strikes  

Stokes relieved the pressure with a four and a six off Ahmed and there was no stopping them with the England all-rounder hitting the winning runs.

With forecast rain staying away, England produced disciplined and economical bowling to stymie 2009 champions Pakistan, with Shan Masood’s 38 the top score.

Stokes was given the new ball after England won the toss and chose to field with Pakistan lucky to survive the over intact as opener Rizwan was almost run out going for a risky single. 

Rizwan and Babar Azam shared a century partnership in their semi-final against New Zealand, but another big stand wasn’t to be, with Rizwan dragging a delivery from Curran on to his stumps on 15.

The introduction of Rashid soon after the six-over powerplay reaped an immediate reward with Mohammad Haris (8) attacking him on his first ball only to sky a simple catch to Stokes.

Masood began swinging the bat in the second half of the innings, hitting a four and six off Liam Livingstone.

But once again Rashid got the breakthrough, pulling off a diving catch from his own bowling to claim the vital wicket of Azam, whose 32 came off 28 balls.

Ahmed only lasted six balls before Masood and Shadab Khan (20) fell in the space of two runs as Curran and Chris Jordan kept the lid on any hope Pakistan had of a late flurry.

Jos Buttler used to fantasise about captaining England to cricketing glory when he played with his siblings in their garden as a child. Now the dream is on the cusp of coming true.

The dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman will lead England in the Twenty20 World Cup final on Sunday against Pakistan in Melbourne in his first major tournament since succeeding Eoin Morgan as white-ball skipper.

“I’ve certainly had a few dreams about that kind of thing,” said the 32-year-old on Saturday.

“Of course I think it really links back to what you were like as a kid, the kind of things you would be doing in the garden with your brother and sister, pretending to lift a trophy.

“And now to be able to have the opportunity, to have a chance, to live that kind of thing out is incredibly special.”

As he prepares for his biggest day as a captain, Buttler admitted those childhood memories had come flooding back.

“I think it’s fine to sort of think about those things and what it might feel like or what it would mean,” he said of potentially being a World Cup-winning captain.

“They’re certainly feelings I don’t feel like I need to try and block out or push away.

“You almost accept those kind of things as like accepting the noise that comes with a World Cup final, accepting that it feels a little bit different. 

“But once you’ve accepted those things, it’s about focusing on the things that you know will serve us well as a group and as a team, as an individual what you need to do to prepare to play your best game of cricket tomorrow.”

Buttler’s appointment as skipper in July came just days after Morgan announced his retirement from international cricket.

Morgan oversaw England’s white-ball revival following their embarrassing first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup.

Buttler, who was Morgan’s vice-captain, says he feels like he is leading another new era after Morgan’s retirement.

“Hopefully I’ve got more time ahead myself as a captain and with (coach) Matthew Mott we can hopefully shape the next era of English white-ball cricket,” he said.

“Of course we’re still reaping the rewards of Eoin Morgan’s tenureship and the changes that have happened in the white-ball game in England, and that’s clear to see in the strength and depth of the talent we now have in the white-ball game in England. 

“We’re very much right in the back of that wave, of course, but there’s a bit of a new direction as well.”

Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma could be victims of wholesale change to India’s Twenty20 team after the catastrophic World Cup semi-final defeat to England.

England romped to a 10-wicket victory on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval, chasing down the 169-run target with four overs to spare to set up a final on Sunday against India’s arch-rivals Pakistan.

Openers Alex Hales (86 not out) and Jos Buttler (80 not out) did the damage against a muted Indian bowling attack lacking both fire and fury.

Cricket is by far the most popular sport in the world’s second most populous country, but India have not won a global title since the 2013 Champions Trophy and the painful wait goes on.

Transition

The thrashing was met with disappointment, anger and demands for heads to roll.

Reports on Friday said the T20 squad will start undergoing a major transition in the coming days, with prominent senior players including Rohit, Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin being gradually eased out.

Kohli hit four half-centuries at this World Cup, including heroics to beat Pakistan in India’s tournament opener, but at age 34 the superstar batsman is not seen as the future. 

“You will not see most of the seniors playing T20 next year,” the Press Trust of India quoted a source in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as saying.

The India team could look very different the next time the T20 World Cup comes along, in the United States and West Indies in 2024.

“Absolutely not the right time to talk about this stuff or think about this stuff right now,” coach Rahul Dravid said in the aftermath of his team’s beating when asked about the futures of his senior players.

ALSO READ: Proteas ready to embrace ‘chokers’ tag in attempt to break it

Former cricketer Sunil Valson told AFP that India were outplayed in every aspect against a ruthless England.

“The selectors must sit down and see and work out a new combination,” the former fast bowler said.

Former India bowler Harbhajan Singh suggested that India should install a new head coach who has retired from playing more recently than Dravid, 49, and name Hardik Pandya as captain in place of Rohit.

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar said that the Indian selectors had already “sent the signal” to senior players by picking the 29-year-old Pandya as skipper for an upcoming T20 series in New Zealand.

“There could be retirements, there are a lot of players in their mid-30s who might consider their future in international T20s,” he said on air after the semi-final.

Powerless powerplay

India are ranked the world’s top T20 team but they were criticised for slow scoring in the powerplay, huffing and puffing their way to 38-1 off their first six overs, while England raced to 63 without loss.

Veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai said India needed new blood who were less conservative.

“We lost (the) game in first 10 overs when we played timidly. Need a Gen next that bats at strike rate of 150 plus, and wicket-taking bowlers,” he tweeted.

Ban on tournaments

Dravid acknowledged that the Indian cricket board’s ban on players entering overseas T20 tournaments, such as Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), had hurt them.

“A lot of our boys maybe do miss out on the opportunities of playing in a lot of these leagues,” he said. 

But allowing them to do so would eviscerate longer forms of the Indian game, he added.

“It’s right in the middle of our season, and with the kind of demand there would be for Indian players, if you allowed all the Indian players to play in these leagues, we would not have a domestic cricket.”

He added: “Our domestic trophy, our Ranji trophy, would be finished, and that would mean Test cricket would be finished.”

Hales, who was only recalled to the England side when Jonny Bairstow broke his leg in September, brought his BBL experience to the fore as he smashed seven sixes in his 47-ball blitz.

The opener, who had a successful season with Sydney Thunder, is one of several English players who have taken part in the Big Bash and are familiar with Australian grounds.

“It helps, obviously,” Buttler said. 

They’ve tried ignoring it, they’ve tried shunning it, and now the Proteas are taking a whole new approach to wearing the ‘chokers’ tag they just can’t seem to shake: They’re going to try embracing it.

In another brutal chapter to a long-running story of South African teams at Cricket World Cup tournaments, the Proteas crashed out in the Super 12 stage of the T20 showpiece in Australia last week, again failing in their attempt to lift a maiden global title in any format.

ALSO READ: Proteas skipper Bavuma still in shock after World Cup exit

And though it’s obviously not something they want to carry – an ugly heirloom handed down by their predecessors who have repeatedly stumbled at crucial moments in World Cup matches – a crushing defeat to the Netherlands ensured the national men’s team extended one of the most disconcerting and lengthy droughts in South African sport.

No shying away

“As a group, we’ll have to accept that we’re going to carry that ‘chokers’ tag again, and I don’t think it’s something we need to shy away from. I don’t think it’s something we need to pour water over. It is what it is,” said Proteas captain Temba Bavuma.

“The way to overcome it is by seeing yourself in the final of an ICC event and winning that competition. I think that’s the only way… but for me as a leader it’s something I have to carry with this group of guys until we do something different.”

Cricket SA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe admitted the federation could not just ignore the core reason that fans had lost faith in the national side. They needed to step up and secure a trophy.

READ MORE: Cricket SA takes ‘full accountability’ for Proteas failure – Enoch Nkwe

He believed they had the ability, however, to overturn the Proteas’ troubled World Cup past, with another opportunity awaiting at the 50-over showpiece in India next year.

“It is a tag that we carry, but I have no doubt this group of cricketers moving forward, and the next generation, will make a difference and overcome these types of moments and situations and make sure they are always putting themselves in a position to win matches and World Cups,” Nkwe said.

“It’s important not to focus on the noises outside. We’ll go back, internally, and find the best strategies to help every single player moving forward.”

Alex Hales and Jos Buttler hammered brilliant unbeaten half-centuries as England crushed India by 10 wickets on Thursday to set up a Twenty20 World Cup final with Pakistan.

Chasing 169 for victory in the second semi-final in Adelaide, Hales smashed seven sixes in his 86 and Buttler, who made 80, hit three in a spellbinding batting performance to cruise into Sunday’s final in Melbourne with four overs to spare.

ALSO READ: Pakistan power past New Zealand to qualify for T20 World Cup final

Hardik Pandya’s 33-ball 63 guided India to 168-6, but the total proved inadequate for an inspired opening pair, as England chase their second T20 crown after their 2010 triumph.

England captain Buttler smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for three boundaries in the opening over of their chase and his side never looked back.

He kept up the batting onslaught and Hales soon joined the big-hitting party as England raced to 63-0 in six overs.

Hales reached his 50 off 28 balls and was severe on Axar Patel, who leaked 28 runs in his three overs as the match was torn away from India in a flurry of sixes and fours.

Hales raised the team’s 100 with another six off Pandya and Buttler soon changed gears to catch up with his partner.

The skipper reached his fifty with a six and a four off Pandya to douse any hopes of India attempting to end their world title drought since their 2013 Champions Trophy triumph.

He fittingly hit the winning runs with a six off Mohammed Shami to set up a repeat of the 1992 50-over World Cup final between Pakistan and England, which Pakistan won.

Pandya fireworks

Earlier Virat Kohli made his fourth half-century of the tournament and put on a 61-run fourth-wicket stand with Pandya, who tore into the opposition attack in the final overs, taking 57 off the final three overs, including 20 off one from Sam Curran. 

But it proved too little, too late, after a sluggish start with the bat against some disciplined England bowling and then a ragged performance in the field. 

Chris Jordan, in the side for the injured Mark Wood, picked up three wickets.

England invited India to bat and KL Rahul began with a cracking boundary off Ben Stokes.

Seamer Chris Woakes had Rahul caught behind off a rising delivery for five.

Skipper Rohit Sharma hit four boundaries after a scratchy start as he and Kohli attempted to rebuild but Jordan broke through in his first over and ended a 43-run partnership when Sharma mistimed to wide long-on with the score on 57.

Suryakumar Yadav smashed a six and four off Stokes but soon fell to Adil Rashid’s leg-spin for 14.

Kohli passed 4,000 T20 international runs with a boundary off Liam Livingstone that took India’s total to 100-3 after 15 overs.

Kohli, who leads the tournament batting chart with 296 runs, reached 50 off 39 balls but fell next delivery to a sharp catch at short third man by Rashid off Jordan.

Pandya smashed four fours and five sixes before treading on his stumps to be out hit wicket off Jordan’s final ball of the innings.

NOW READ: SA20 fixtures: Match schedule for new series announced

While the national federation insists it will take accountability for the SA team’s latest defeat, as part of an in-depth review into the Proteas’ poor performance at the T20 World Cup, Cricket South Africa (CSA) director of cricket Enoch Nkwe says it is most crucial to find a way to turn things around.

Looking to embark on a five-year plan in an attempt to shake off the ‘chokers’ tag the squad continues to carry, after the Proteas crashed out of the T20 showpiece in Australia ahead of the playoffs last week, Nkwe said CSA was willing to take some responsibility.

ALSO READ: Proteas skipper Bavuma still in shock after World Cup exit

In the wake of regular administrative issues behind the scenes in recent years, Nkwe said the players had been trained to switch off the “noise” off the field and focus on the game, but he admitted they needed to ensure the CSA ship was steady and the Proteas were competing in a stable environment.

“We’ll always take full accountability because we are like one team as an organisation. If the team loses we all lose, and if the team wins we all win,” Nkwe said after the Proteas returned home on Wednesday.

“If we lose we need to ensure we give the players the support needed so they are able to win moving forward and they can prepare better for World Cups that are coming.”

World Cup drought

Though the SA women’s team reached the semifinals of the one-day World Cup this year, neither the national men’s or women’s sides have ever reached the final of a global championship in any format.

Nkwe remained confident, however, that they could break their drought as CSA looked ahead to next year’s women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa and the men’s 50-over World Cup in India, and beyond.

ALSO READ: ‘We’ve got ourselves to blame,’ says Boucher after World Cup exit

“For the next five years there are going to be ICC events every year, so it’s important now that we don’t look back and dwell on the past,” he said.

“We find ourselves in a situation and we need to ensure we have the best possible systems and structures in place to support not only our men’s team but also our women’s team to win World Cups moving forward and dominate world cricket.”