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“I really feel there’s going to be a big run of really good scores coming in from someone like him”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20225:27

Dravid: ‘Kohli has been a phenomenal leader and captain inspite of the noise around him’

The subplot of who said what, or didn’t, to whom, in the lead-up to Virat Kohli’s resignation as T20I captain and subsequent removal as ODI captain, has swirled incessantly around India’s ongoing tour of South Africa. All this could have been a distraction from Kohli’s immediate task as captain of India’s Test team in South Africa, but none of it, according to head coach Rahul Dravid, has affected his preparation or his leadership.”I know there’s been a lot of noise on other issues a little bit, outside of the group, even leading into this Test match, but honestly, in terms of keeping the morale high, it’s not been very difficult because, to be honest, it’s been led by the skipper himself,” Dravid said in a press conference on the eve of the second Test in Johannesburg. “I think Virat has been absolutely phenomenal over the last sort of 20 days that we’ve been here – the way he’s trained, the way he’s practiced, the way he’s connected with the group.Related

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“As a coach, sometimes, leading into the series, you know that there’s not really too much you can do once the game starts, or there’s not too much you can control in the results. But what you’re really looking to do as coaches or as support staff, we’re looking to prepare well and get the team into a really good space. And Virat has been phenomenal in that – the way he’s led the team, he’s been absolutely, truly a leader, and I couldn’t speak more highly about him and the way he’s committed to his own preparation, his own practice, and also just the way he’s connected with the group over the last two weeks.”On and off the field he’s truly been a fantastic leader and a really good captain, so that’s really helped in creating a really good space. I felt we were in a really good space leading into the first Test match, and a lot of that was led by Virat and his leadership really came to the fore. It’s not been hard, it’s been a pleasure to work with someone like Virat, he’s been a phenomenal leader, and even personally I think that he’s in a really good space.”Dravid went on to predict that Kohli was on the cusp of turning his batting form around as well. Kohli has averaged 26.08 over 14 Tests since the start of 2020, with no centuries, and his two innings in the first Test in Centurion stayed true to that theme: solid starts followed by a dismissal against the run of play, twice out to drives played away from the body.”Even though he batted well and couldn’t convert those starts, I really feel there’s going to be a big run of really good scores coming in from someone like him,” Dravid said, “just observing him around the group, how relaxed he’s been, how calm he’s been, how he’s preparing, and how switched on he is.”Might not happen in the next game – I would really hope it happens in the next game – but I do feel with someone like him, we’re going to see a really big run of scores once that clicks in place, because he’s really led the way, and I couldn’t speak more highly of him. I think he’s been a real credit to himself and to Indian cricket over these last two weeks in spite of all the noise that’s been there around him.”When asked about Cheteshwar Pujara’s recent form – he has averaged 26.21 since the start of 2020, with seven fifties and no hundreds – Dravid reiterated the view that batters could sometimes bat well in tough conditions without necessarily getting big scores.”I think he’s doing the best he can, and I do recognise that at times, certainly he would like to have scored more runs. I think someone like him sets really high standards for himself,” Dravid said. “He’s achieved a lot of success in the ten years that he’s played [Test] cricket, so he knows the highs he’s had and the kind of success he’s had, and the kind of performances or the run of scores that he’s had in the past. So obviously he would like to replicate that and he would like to keep doing that over and over again, sometimes it doesn’t happen.”It’s not a question of being worried, but it’s a question about recognising that as a batsman, as a middle-order player, as someone who bats in that kind of position, it is sometimes tough to bat and it’s not easy to bat in these conditions. But when you do get set it’s really nice when one of your top three or top four can convert that into a big score.”We saw the value of that in [KL] Rahul’s hundred [in the first Test]. If that happens, it really sets you up very well as a team, and it would be great if Pujara can do that, because we know that when he does that, a lot of times India do win those games or we put ourselves in really good positions.”

Ireland return three further Covid-19 positives in addition to injuries suffered by McBrine and Adair

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Jan-2022A combination of three fresh Covid-19 positive cases along with two injured players has left the Ireland squad “severely depleted”, thereby forcing the postponement of the second ODI against West Indies, scheduled for Tuesday. In a joint media statement both Cricket West indies and Cricket Ireland said “all possibilities” would be explored to complete the remainder of series, which comprises three ODIs and a solitary T20.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie and wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker, along with interim head coach David Ripley returned positive tests over the weekend. The trio join the pair of Simi Singh and Ben White who had been ruled out of the first ODI, held on Saturday, having tested positive previously. Both Balbirne and Tucker played in that match, which West Indies won by 24 runs. ESPNcricinfo understands the entire West Indies camp tested negative until Monday.Related

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With the series being played in Jamaica, the teams are following the medical guidelines set by the Jamaican government, which recommends regular RT-PCR tests until negative.The situation for Ireland has been worsened by injuries to the pair of Andy McBrine and fast bowler Mark Adair. The Ireland team management has decided to allow further rest to McBrine, who suffered “minor symptoms” of concussion after being hit while batting in the first ODI. Adair is understood to have picked up a foot injury, which is being monitored.A final decision on the remained of Ireland’s Caribbean tour is likely to be taken in the next two days. “CWI and CI are in discussions to review the match schedule and are working to explore all possibilities for the series to be completed,” the joint media release said.In somewhat positive news for the visitors, allrounders Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate have joined the squad finally, having earlier tested positive immediately after Ireland’s ODI series against USA was cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the managed environment. During the USA tour, while all the Ireland players were clear it was members of the support staff and partners or family membrs of the Irish players that tested positive for the virus. Consequently, the Ireland players were deemed as close contacts and the three ODIs were called off.

Khaka five-for pushed the game into overtime, and that’s when the WI powerhouse hit 19 runs in five balls

Firdose Moonda31-Jan-2022
West Indies Women won the one-over eliminator
Deandra Dottin’s career-best 150* on Friday could not beat the rain but her 19 off five balls in the Super Over sealed a rain-affect second ODI against South Africa. The main event was reduced to 41 overs a side and both teams were bowled out for 160 before Dottin and Hayley Matthews starred in a record Super Over of 25 without loss against Shabnim Ismail. South Africa’s Chloe Tryon and Tazmin Brits got off to a good start with 15 runs off the first four balls off Matthews, but managed only two off the last two to concede the match.Dottin was at her destructive best in the match proper, where she top-scored with 37, and especially in the Super Over. She swiped a full toss to mid-wicket for two to start off, then moved across her stumps to ramp Ismail for four, and then got down on one knee to drive her over long-on for six. She took three off the last ball she faced leaving Matthews one ball that she sent over the leg side for another six.When Deandra decides to bat, it’s quite difficult to have a plan,” South Africa’s captain Suné Luus conceded. “You can try and contain her on one side but she is a batter with a lot of experience and power.”And South Africa were unable to match that skill. With Lizelle Lee out of the series as she recovers from Covid-19, South Africa chose to use Tazmin Brits and Chloe Tryon, who started the reply with a six over mid-wicket. She scrambled through for one on the ball after before Brits hit Matthews for successive fours. South Africa needed 10 runs off the last two deliveries and scored two off the penultimate ball, which put victory out of reach.South Africa and West Indies were involved in the last tied match, with West Indies’ winning the Super Over while South Africa have been involved in the last five tied ODIs and stand-in captain Luus joked that she hoped they could come out on the right side of tense affairs fairly soon. But for that, their tactics in crunch moments needed examination. In this case, South Africa preferred Ismail in the Super Over over Ayabonga Khaka, who took a career-best 5 for 26 in eight overs, and Luus was left to explain why. “We felt Shabnim with her experience and she bowled the over before so she was confident she could keep West Indies to a low total,” she said.Ismail bowled what became the last over of the match and dismissed Shakera Selman lbw with scores level, to snatch a tie from the jaws of defeat after West Indies had clawed their way back into the chase. They were 83 for 6 in the 21st over, with danger-woman Dottin dismissed for 37, and South Africa’s slower bowlers enjoying success on what Luus called a “sticky” pitch. Chedean Nation and Chinelle Henry came together for the seventh-wicket with the intention to take their team over the line. “We had a discussion that it had to be between me and Chedean. It was about applying ourselves and keep it ticking,” Henry said. “We understand each other and we bat well together. We knew we had to take the responsibility to take the team to the end.”Henry became Khaka’s fourth victim to end their partnership on 54 and Shamilia Connell was out lbw off the next ball to leave West Indies needing 24 runs with two wickets in hand. Nation and Selman then shared 21-runs for the ninth wicket before Nation was caught off Masabata Klaas and West Indies were three runs short of victory. Ismail denied them that but could not stop them from winning the Super Over.Ultimately, South Africa may rue the way they batted, with collapses at the top and bottom of the innings. They started slowly but solidly and reached 53 without loss in the 17th over but then lost three wickets for five runs in 13 deliveries and the middle-order was required to rebuild. Luus shared a 33-run fourth-wicket stand with Mignon du Preez and a 29-run fifth-wicket stand with Tryon. She top-scored with 46 before South Africa’s lower order fell away. They lost five wickets for 18 runs in 30 balls. The five bowlers West Indies used took two wickets each, with Shamilia Connell and Hayley Matthews conceding at under three runs an over.The third match in the series will be played on Thursday, at the same venue, where according to Luus, the persistent summer rain is helping to replicate conditions the teams can expect at the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.

Beuran Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen have been dropped from the 16-man list

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2022Janneman Malan and Keegan Petersen are the new faces in CSA’s list of contracted men’s players for the 2022-23 season. The two from last year’s list to miss out are left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks and wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen.Malan and Petersen have been rewarded for making excellent starts to their South Africa careers in white- and red-ball cricket respectively. Malan has been outstanding at the top of the order in ODIs since his debut in February 2019, scoring 759 runs in 13 innings at an average of 69.00, with three hundreds and a best of 177 not out against Ireland. Those run-scoring feats also won him the ICC’s award for Emergin Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Petersen, meanwhile, was Player of the Series in South Africa’s 2-1 comeback win over India at home earlier this year, contributing 276 runs at 46.00 and scoring three fifties in six innings in consistently difficult batting conditions. In the process, he caught the eye of numerous observers including AB de Villiers, who took to Twitter to enthuse about the “composure, skill and technique” Petersen had shown “against one of the best attacks in the world.”In five Tests so far, Petersen has scored 320 runs at an average of 35.55.”It has been an exceptional season for the white-ball team that has not lost a series under the leadership of Temba Bavuma,” CSA’s newly appointed CEO Pholetsi Moseki said. “One of the biggest upcoming highlights for us is the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia and we are looking forward to supporting Temba and his men as they look to make history later this year.”The Test team has grown and shown significant improvement under the strong leadership of Dean Elgar. This season will see the Proteas play even more Test cricket, which is vital for the growth of the players, the format in our country, as well as the accumulation of points towards the ICC World Test Championship.”We at CSA are big advocates of rewarding excellence and I am pleased to be the first to congratulate Janneman Malan and Keegan Petersen on their newly awarded contracts.”The contracts for South Africa’s women’s players will be announced after the conclusion of the ongoing ODI World Cup in New Zealand.

Crompton served as chairman from 1992 to 1995 and gave 60 years of service to cricket in New South Wales and Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2022Former Cricket Australia chairman and long-time cricket administrator Alan Crompton has died aged 81.Crompton was the chairman of Cricket Australia, then known as the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), from 1992 to 1995. He had risen to the position after a long career in Sydney grade cricket that was followed by decades in cricket administration. He was chairman of Cricket New South Wales and delegate to CA prior to his chairmanship.As a board member, he also acted as team manager for Australia Test teams on three overseas tours. Crompton was awarded the Order of Australia medal for his services to cricket and life membership of Cricket NSW and Sydney University cricket club.Current CA chairman Lachlan Henderson paid tribute to Crompton in a statement.”Everyone at Cricket Australia who worked with Alan and all those who have benefitted from his service to cricket will be deeply saddened by his passing,” Henderson said. “The energy, enthusiasm and expertise Alan brought to cricket in New South Wales and Australia for more than 60 years was remarkable and he leaves an outstanding legacy at all levels of the game.”Our thoughts and sympathy are with Alan’s wife Gabby, his family and all those across the cricket world fortunate to have experienced his friendship and guidance.”

Matty Potts grabs two early wickets in reply as visitors wobble before close

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2022Glamorgan 31 for 2 (Potts 2-18) trail Durham 311 (Stokes 82, Petersen 78, Hogan 4-67) by 280 runsBen Stokes scored an impressive knock of 82 to continue his strong start to his LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two season as Durham were bowled out for 311 against Glamorgan at the Riverside.Following his blistering innings of 161 against Worcestershire last week, Stokes fell 18 runs short of a second-straight century as he top scored for the hosts. Keegan Petersen was also in solid form with an innings of 78, although the home side will feel that they left runs on the field after being dismissed before the close.Michael Hogan was on point with the ball for the Welsh outfit with figures of four for 67, including the key wicket of Stokes, that allowed the visitors to keep Durham in check. Two late strikes from Matthew Potts began a fightback, leaving Glamorgan with work ahead of them on day two, with Marnus Labuschagne unbeaten overnight on 16.Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field, facing the leading run-scorer in the County Championship heading into the contest, Sean Dickson. However, the opener only added five runs to his total before Michael Neser found his outside edge and Sam Northeast clung on at second slip.Alex Lees and Petersen responded against the new ball by building a solid foundation with a stand worth 62. Lees appeared set for another score of fifty after driving David Lloyd to the fence, but then chopped on from the following delivery to fall for 44.After lunch, Scott Borthwick and David Bedingham fell cheaply for the home side to Hogan and Andy Gorvin respectively, but Petersen worked his way past fifty for the second innings in a row.The South African was fortunate on two occasions against Neser, edging a bouncer between Chris Cooke and Andrew Salter at first slip and seeing a top edge land safely. Petersen looked to have come through a tough period, but he then presented Lloyd with his second wicket as he played a loose drive that landed in the hands of Labuschagne.Stokes made a measured start to his innings, but after the departure of Petersen he began to free his arms. His first signal of intent came with an element of fortune against his Ashes rival Labuschagne, edging his medium-pace over the slips. The left-hander then found his range with two crisp strikes to the fence against Lloyd, scattering the Glamorgan fields to the ropes.The England captain brought up his half century from a sedate 74 balls compared to his exploits against Worcestershire. However, he soon delighted the Riverside crowd by dispatching Labuschagne over the leg-side boundary with his first six of the innings, bringing up the Durham 250 in the process.A promising partnership of 61 between Stokes and Ben Raine allowed the hosts to push towards 300 at speed. Raine matched the intensity of his team-mate at the other end before Salter turned one through the gate, earning revenge after being struck for 10 from the first five balls of the 79th over.One wicket quickly brought a second as Hogan secured the vital scalp of the England captain with the new ball, with a rising delivery that he could only fend behind to Cooke for 82. Hogan then wrapped up the tail with two further strikes, but only after Durham scrambled past the 300-run mark to secure a third batting bonus point.Potts responded for the hosts by taking two wickets to remove Salter and Govrin to swing momentum back into their favour before stumps.

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, too, believes Pant is at his batting best when he’s “reckless”

Yash Jha10-May-20224:18

Shastri to Pant: Bat in the ‘Russell mode’

If Rishabh Pant wants to get the best out of himself as a batter and help Delhi Capitals in the remainder of this IPL, then he needs to bat in the Andre Russell “mode” without thinking too much . That is the simple suggestion of former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who also believes that Pant can become a matchwinner if Capitals use him at No. 3.Related

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“I feel once he gets the tempo going he shouldn’t change, he should be in the [Andre] Russell mould in this format of the game,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out. “You get your eye in, you’re striking it well – don’t think too much. No matter who the bowler is, if it’s there to be smacked, smack it. Who knows, you might win more matches than people expect you to.”It’s been an indifferent campaign for Pant, much like Capitals, who are four points behind the top four, having registered five wins and six losses in 11 games so far. Pant has reached at least 20 in eight of his ten innings in the campaign, but hasn’t converted any of those knocks into fifties.Shastri believes the clarity of mindset that sets Russell apart as one of the most destructive batters in the shortest format will serve Pant well.”Russell is very, very clear in his mindset. It is bang-bang-bang once he’s in the mood. There’s no stopping him, there’s not even a negative thought that will peep through his system – it is [all about] smacking. Rishabh is totally capable of playing in that fashion, and I hope he thinks in that way because you’ll see some special innings from him in T20 cricket.”Those special knocks in his early years are what set Pant apart as a batter with a tremendously high ceiling: he smashed 1172 runs from 30 innings in IPL 2018 and 2019, averaging over 45 and striking at nearly 170 (average 45.07, SR 168.88) – with nine 50-plus scores.Since taking over as Capitals’ skipper in 2021, though, Pant has had two middling campaigns in varying capacities. Last season, visibly bogged down in his approach, he finished with a strike rate below 130; this year, he’s striking at more than 150, but failing to kick on and deliver match-winning efforts. Shastri doesn’t think Pant needs to temper his approach. “He’s getting off to starts and then getting out in a manner which he wouldn’t like, but I don’t think he should change his tempo.”It’s a sentiment shared by former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.”Rishabh Pant is almost at his best when he’s reckless, and we’ve seen him play some exceptional innings when he just continues to take teams down time and time again,” Vettori said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out following Capitals’ latest defeat – a 91-run thrashing in pursuit of Chennai Super Kings’ 208 at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

That was the fifth time out of seven attempts where Capitals lost chasing – with targets in the range of 172 to 223 in those defeats – and Pant’s scores in those games read 43(29), 34(17), 44(24), 44(30), 21(11). While some of these matches demanded a hell-for-leather approach, there were a few where the equation appeared to be in Capitals’ grasp – against Gujarat Titans in Pune, they needed 54 off 36 (chasing 172) when Pant fell, and went on to lose by 14 runs; when he got out versus Lucknow Super Giants, a target of 196 had boiled down to 76 needed from 43 balls, and Capitals eventually lost by six runs.It hasn’t helped that the Capitals are short on finishing prowess, with the likes of Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel and Ripal Patel often batting as high as No. 6. And probably that has prompted Pant to put a lid on his uninhibited batting approach, which remains his strength. Shastri, however, said that Pant should understand the burden is not all his to finish the job.”It’s a team game, you don’t expect an individual to go and win the game all the time. But in that short period of time, if he does the damage, there’s enough damage to bring that required rate from say 12 an over to 10 an over. Then it’s for the other guys to take it home.”In their remaining three matches, Capitals face a virtual must-win scenario. To get the best out of Pant which will empower the team’s batting, Shastri has identified a clear route for his former ward. “I’d like to see him bat at three for Delhi Capitals, especially now when the heat is on, when they’ve got to win. Let him go and smack it.”Both Shastri and Vettori agreed that Pant was on the cusp of turning the corner. “He’s threatened, I feel like he’s threatened in every game,” Vettori said. “We’ve had discussions around whether he’s out of form and I’ve suggested because of his strike rate – against pace and spin, still over 150 for both facets – that he’s so close to having that big performance. I think that big innings can still happen in these last three games.”

West Indies captain expects resistance from Bangladesh batters, says “first hour on Saturday is crucial”

Mohammad Isam18-Jun-2022In a rare show of emotion, Kraigg Brathwaite slammed the bat on the pitch after getting out for 94. The Khaled Ahmed delivery had surprised him by keeping low as it hit him on the pads Jermaine Blackwood tried to convince him to take the review but Brathwaite knew what had happened. Replays confirmed that it would hit the leg-stump.Captaincy has brought the best out of Brathwaite, who has led West Indies to two impressive series wins in the last 18 months, and has now put his team ahead in the ongoing Antigua Test against Bangladesh as well. “I always enjoy captaining,” he said. “I like the challenge. I like to lead from the front. I am really enjoying it. I want to continue to lead to the best of my ability.”His captaincy is reflected within his batting. He is an accumulator, and takes his time to score runs. On Friday too, Brathwaite batted responsibly, not allowing the impressive Bangladesh pace attack to make any in-roads. He left most of what was bowled to him, scoring off deliveries pitched on the stumps. He made 61 of his 94 runs on the on-side, proving a batter’s discipline does indeed force bowlers into making mistakes.Related

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Brathwaite was candid about his displeasure at getting out six runs short of a well-deserved Test hundred, though it was a crucial innings on a two-paced track that pushed West Indies to a lead of 162.”When I started the innings, the pitch was a bit slow,” he said. “It got a little harder this morning but still it was on the slow side. But I think it was a decent pitch to bat on. I am obviously disappointed but I am happy that the team has an important lead. I was pleased (with the 94) but the most important thing was to build on a foundation for my team. I was happy with the time I spent. Obviously well done to the team for getting a lead.”Brathwaite added 62 and 63 for the third and fourth wicket with Nkrumah Bonner and Blackwood respectively, partnerships although not too big, were crucial in the context of the game.”The partnerships were really important. I think the Bangladesh bowlers did really well. Even the spinners held their line really well. The pitch was a little slow but it still had something for the pacers off the surface. I think those were crucial partnerships. I thought we did a good job to get a lead.”Bangladesh are 50 for 2 in the second innings, trailing by 112 runs and Brathwaite knows that his team faces a decisive period of play on the third day. “We lost some wickets in a cluster which wasn’t good but that can happen,” he said. The pitch doesn’t have as much moisture as it did on the first day. It is important that we start well (on Saturday).”The first hour is crucial. We have to keep it tight even if we don’t get wickets. Once we build pressure, that’s how we will take wickets. I don’t think we can run them over. We have to bowl well.”

Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott back after injuries; Travis Head on paternity leave

Alex Malcolm18-Jul-2022Legspinner Adam Zampa will be returning from paternity leave for Australia’s back-to-back ODI series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in late August and early September, while Test captain Pat Cummins will be rested from both ahead of a monster home summer.Australia face Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series on August 28, 31 and September 3, with all three games to be played at the Riverway Stadium in Townsville. That will be followed by three ODIs against New Zealand on September 6, 8, and 11 at the Cazalys Stadium in Cairns.Zampa missed the entire Sri Lanka tour due to the birth of his first child, and returns to bolster Australia’s spin ranks. Ashton Agar will also be back after a side strain that kept him out of the last four ODIs in Sri Lanka.Cummins played four of the five ODIs in Sri Lanka after resting from the T20I series. But Australia’s national selection panel made the decision to rest him from the upcoming series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in order for him to freshen up ahead of a home T20 World Cup and a huge Test summer that comprises five home Tests against West Indies and South Africa, before a four-Test trip to India early next year.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Travis Head will also miss both ODI series as he is expecting the birth of his first child during that period.Sean Abbott returns to the ODI squad in place of Cummins after missing the entire tour of Sri Lanka due a broken finger he suffered in the nets in Colombo on the eve of the opening T20I.Marcus Stoinis will also be back after a side strain that saw him fly home from Sri Lanka early. Australia have named a trimmed-down squad of 14 for the six ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, with Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Inglis and Jhye Richardson all dropping out of the group that played in Sri Lanka.The timing of the series has ramifications for four Hundred squads, with Glenn Maxwell (London Spirit), Zampa (Welsh Fire), Stoinis (Southern Brave), and Abbott (Manchester Originals) all set to be unavailable for the back end of the tournament as they are likely to return to Australia a week out from the first ODI on August 28.Meanwhile, bowling coach Daniel Vettori will be staying at the Hundred as coach of Birmingham Phoenix, thus missing both of Australia’s assignments.

She said her increasing work commitments overseas did not give enough time to commit to another term

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2022Mel Jones will step down from Cricket Australia’s board in October to focus on her media and other work commitments.Jones has served as one of nine board directors since December 2019 but also works as a cricket commentator in Australia and abroad, primarily with Sky Sports in England.She is also an advocate for inclusion, most notably working with the Victorian Government’s Change Our Game initiative to encourage female participation and leadership in sport.Jones, who played five Tests and 61 ODIs, said choosing not to stand for re-election to the CA board would allow her to focus on her work overseas next year.”It has been an honour to serve for three years on the CA board,” she said. “But my future work commitments, particularly given that I will be overseas for many months of the year, mean that I will not be able to devote the time required to fully support my fellow board members after this year.”I am delighted, of course, to be able to continue my long-standing connection to cricket through my commentary, sporting and business interests and broad range of cricket relationships.”CA chair Lachlan Henderson said Jones had been an “outstanding” board member.”Her unique perspective and insights have been invaluable as we have set the strategy to ensure the continuing future health of the game,” he said. “We look forward to formally recognising Mel’s contribution on the CA board at the AGM in October.”Jones was the only representative on the board with international playing experience. Fellow board member Greg Rowell played first-class cricket.