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The role of a head coach in the Indian cricket team has never been as ambiguous as it has been since the first murmurs of trouble between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble began. Kumble himself didn’t have much experience as a coach, but in the one year he spent in the job, he came across as somebody actively involved in working with bowlers, passing on some tips to batsmen, playing a role in strategising and also keeping an eye on the supply line.However, as each passing day conspired to get Ravi Shastri back as the coach, you wondered what India wanted in their coach. Now there are specialist bowling, batting and fielding coaches in the side. If Shastri had not picked them himself, the Cricket Advisory Committee would have enforced through Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid. What exactly does Shastri do then?”My role is to be in charge of the entire support staff, and to make sure that we get the boys in some great mental space to go out and express themselves with nothing else on their minds but to go out and play a brand of cricket which you have seen India play over the last three years: positive and fearless,” Shastri said, two days before the SSC Test.When asked how exactly he does that, Shastri shot back: “That is a skill, that is why I am here and you are not there.”Later he said, though, that all he had to do to achieve the right atmosphere in the dressing room was “walk in”. “That was enough”It is instructive that a press conference two days before the middle Test of a series revolved more around Shastri’s role in the team than around the Test or the series. “For me, I don’t carry any baggage,” Shastri said about the winning start in Galle. “For me it was like walking into the dressing room as I had left it. Nothing had changed, and no special buttons I had to press. It was just that one play button, and off you went.”The boys were fantastic in the last Test match but what we are striving for is improvement. There are still areas to improve from the last game. And we have discussed that and what we want from this team as a unit collectively is consistency. Not just where you are good in one game and totally the opposite in the other. Your levels of consistency have to be high.”Shastri was even asked how he makes sure he is not “overbearing” and balancing out the need to speak to players and giving them their space. “When you have been around the game for 37 years, you probably learnt a little bit,” Shastri said. “So that experience is very handy for me in knowing exactly how to deal with the players.”Just walk in, press the play button and using his 37-year experience (as player and commentator), coaching India sounds easy. He was asked how easy it exactly was. “I have been manager, director, now I am head coach, and it’s the same role,” Shastri said. “Absolutely the same role. So there is nothing that I have to change. The fact that you played the game and watched the game for long periods of time without a break does help. So you know what’s contemporary and what’s happening at the moment and you relate with people in that fashion.”I don’t think at this level coaching is needed. At this level, it is all about fine-tuning and getting the blokes in a good mental space to go out and play the game. They know they have reached here because they are good. At times you might need to just fine-tune them a bit because the amount of cricket that’s being played you might just get into the odd bad habit without you realising it. That’s where the experience of having played, probably having watched you can pick it up and pass on the message.”Shastri also said this team had achieved what many Indian greats had failed to achieve. “They have already done things that a lot of Indian teams and a lot of big names couldn’t do in their careers,” Shastri said. “Like, for example, to win a series here [in Sri Lanka] for 20 years. A lot of big names have played for 20 years, they have come to Sri Lanka many times, and they have never won a series. But they [this team] have done that. They have won a one-day series in 20 years, which a lot of teams haven’t done.”This team is used to doing things that a lot of other teams haven’t done, and that too overseas. Forget Australia, I am not even touching the Australia tour, so when you say overseas like South Africa, England, it is a lot of tough cricket coming up. I see it as an opportunity. I am very positive here that this team can do things that probably no other Indian team has done.”

Australia’s players have been offered key concessions in their pay dispute with Cricket Australia, but the Australian Cricketers Association has been enraged by the board’s decision to simultaneously send out contract offers to players.A week before the expiry of the current MoU, and following the most recent meeting between the two parties on Wednesday, CA’s lead negotiator Kevin Roberts wrote to the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson stating that the board is willing to allow all players to share in profits above projections and also to significantly increase payment for domestic male players in recognition of their contribution.These two issues have been central to the dispute, after CA’s initial offer afforded “blue sky” payments above fixed wages to only the top male and female players, while at the same time placing a virtual freeze on payment levels for domestic male players at a time when the next Big Bash League broadcast rights deal is expected to offer a rich windfall to the game.However, the letter was accompanied by contract offers sent to all players despite talks between the two parties being a long way from resolved. The contracts do not specify their terms and conditions, moving the ACA to advise players not to sign.”The ACA notes that CA has made a revised MoU offer and sent it to the players. They have also issued ‘contract offers’ directly to individual players for their signature; bypassing the ACA,” the association said in a statement. “The ACA has advised players not to sign. The letter provided to players today from CA does not accurately reflect how far apart the parties remain with a week to go. The parties have not reached agreement on many fundamental issues.”The contract offers do not contain Revenue Sharing for all players, and are not what they appear to be. They do not include crucial information regarding terms and conditions. Further, as has been requested since August 2016, critical financial and forecasting information has yet to be provided so the ACA can properly assess the offers and advise the players accordingly. This remains unacceptable.”In the letter, seen by ESPNcricinfo, Roberts said that following his national “roadshow” to speak to state squads, CA is now prepared to “increase the international cricket surpluses that are shared with players, include all domestic players in the sharing arrangements, and increase annual pay rises to male state players with commensurate increases for WNCL and WBBL players to maintain gender pay equity”. The letter does not feature any financial details, as figures are believed to be open for discussion.At the same time, Roberts also indicated that players will now be offered contracts, with the provision to change their terms pending the outcome of further talks between CA and the ACA. “These contracts are conditional upon a new MoU being agreed,” Roberts wrote. “If further increases in pay are agreed for male state players, along with WNCL and WBBL players due to the increases contemplated above, the offers in the contracts would be varied accordingly.”The contracts would not require any variation for the inclusion of domestic players in the sharing of any international cricket surpluses above the level required to fund player payments. We trust that the ACA will respond positively to this new offer that CA is proposing in order to achieve a positive outcome for the players and the game.”While the concessions appear significant, there is no indication that CA is willing to budge on no longer offering the players a fixed percentage of agreed revenue over the next five years, the cornerstone of MoUs between the board and the ACA over the past 20 years. Equally, CA appears to remain intent upon rolling a portion of the “adjustment ledger” money from the current MoU into the next one, a move the players have rejected on the basis that it is money they have already earned.There was an adjustment ledger rollover in the previous 2012 MoU, but this was only due to the fact that the previous deal – a one-year agreement signed for 2011-12 – included far more money than would have been available in other years due to the fact that a lucrative India tour took place that summer. Without any carryover of money from that deal, the players’ wages would have spiked dramatically for one season then dropped off significantly in subsequent seasons.Domestic player payments would increase under Cricket Australia’s latest proposal•Getty Images

The ACA president Greg Dyer stated on Friday that “emergency mediation” was required between Nicholson and his CA counterpart James Sutherland to end the dispute and prevent a host of chaotic scenarios unfolding post-June 30, including around half of all players falling out of contract.”The current talks between the Australian Cricketers’ Association and Cricket Australia have failed to achieve a break through,” Dyer said. “With only seven days until the June 30 deadline, the ACA calls for emergency mediation to be conducted at CEO level. With this the ACA continues to search for ways to resolve the dispute. We are motivated by a sense of duty to the game and its players and frustration at the current process.”The ACA are instructed in this call by Australia’s male and female cricketers, who are determined to ensure every avenue is explored to avoid the post-June 30 cliff. We are hopeful that the common sense offers of flexibility made in negotiations will be treated more respectfully in an elevated and mediated environment.”As things stand, from June 30 most of Australia’s elite male and female cricket players will be unemployed, jeopardising upcoming tours and ultimately the summer of cricket. This creates uncertainty for broadcasters, sponsors, players and administrators. And potentially stains the game, in the eyes of fans, and Australia’s reputation in the international community.”Dyer said that, among other things, CA is yet to provide the ACA’s negotiating team with adequate financial forecasts about the state of the game over the next five years. CA has repeatedly claimed that the level of detail the ACA is seeking is not able to be provided due to a raft of commercial and broadcast deals needing to be negotiated over the next 12 months.”The ACA is yet to receive the necessary financial information and forecasts to inform Australia’s male and female professional cricketers,” Dyer said. “We have been calling for this since August 2016. To date, CA has only been willing to provide financial ‘scenarios’ and ‘formulas’, which lack the detail and scope required.”The players believe in the principle of sharing in the revenue they generate. The players asked CA for financial and forecasting information in August 2016. This has not been provided by CA, even though it has been provided in the past MOU negotiations. The players have offered two detailed submissions, spent seven months at the formal negotiating table and in May 2017 first called for mediation.”A CA spokesman said that more detailed financial information had been provided to the ACA during the most recent set of meetings: “Full financial information was provided to the ACA in confidence earlier this week, and the ACA currently has all figures and scenarios that Cricket Australia is working with. This information is sufficient for players and their union to assess CA’s pay offer. As CA has explained many times to the ACA, 80% of cricket’s revenue is uncontracted for the next five years, and confidential scenarios are the appropriate and financially responsible way to approach the issue.”

England have named five uncapped players in their 16-man squad for three T20s against South Africa at the end of June. Liam Livingstone and Mason Crane have won first call-ups, while Dawid Malan, Tom Curran and Craig Overton are also included ahead of potential debuts.Joe Root is among several white-ball regulars rested for the T20 series, meaning he can play Championship cricket for Yorkshire ahead of his first Test as England captain in July. Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Jake Ball and Ben Stokes have also been released to their counties, while Tymal Mills is missing through injury.Mark Wood will only be available for the first match of the South Africa series, with his workload likely to be managed by England after a starring role in their run to the Champions Trophy semi-finals. For the final two matches, his place will be taken by Somerset’s Craig Overton – who was previously called into the ODI squad in 2015, alongside his twin Jamie, but did not play. Jonny Bairstow is included for the first two matches before returning to Yorkshire.The inaugural round of day-night Championship matches on June 26-29 will see the involvement of Root, Moeen, Rashid, Ball, Stokes, Wood and Bairstow, as well as former England captain Alastair Cook and fast bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who is expected to have recovered from a groin injury.Livingstone had been tipped for inclusion in England’s one-day squad at the start of the summer and has been in impressive form for Lancashire and the Lions. “I found out yesterday and it’s obviously a very nice moment for me and I’m really looking forward to next week,” he said.”I’ve really enjoyed my time with the Lions whenever I’ve been involved. You’re given a lot of freedom and a free role to play. It’s a great environment to be involved in and especially with the way I play my cricket, it’s very exciting … I’ve always tried to not change how I am or the way I play so I’ll just go in and try to do what I’ve done for Lancashire.”From the very first day of hitting a cricket ball, it’s what you want to do and it’s what you work hard to achieve. A lot of hard work has gone into it, so if I was to make my debut it would be a very special moment for me and my family.”Crane, the Hampshire legspinner, made headlines when selected as an overseas player for New South Wales during the winter and was among the leading wicket-takers in the group stage of the Royal London Cup with 14 at 27.42. Malan, 29, is a former captain of Middlesex’s T20 side and was a non-playing member of the squad for the one-off T20 against Sri Lanka last year, while Surrey seamer Curran won his maiden England call-up to the ODI squad on the tour of the Caribbean in March.”The T20 series against South Africa presents us with an opportunity to incorporate several players who have come through the talent pathway into the senior group,” James Whitaker, England’s national selector, said. “The squad has an exciting blend of youth and experience and we are looking forward to a competitive series against strong opposition.”With five uncapped players selected, there is undoubted talent coming through the system and we are excited to see some of these players showcase their skills at the highest level.”Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tom Curran and Craig Overton have impressed for the England Lions over the past 12 months and have transferred their skills across all formats, in particular with their respective counties.”Young legspinner Mason Crane is another player with great promise and he has made great strides with Hampshire this season and has added to his experience with stints in the North-South Series earlier in the season, where he took crucial wickets and even earned selection for New South Wales in Australia’s premier domestic competition the Sheffield Shield.”England T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow (first two matches of series), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton (last two matches of series), Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy, David Willey, Mark Wood (first match of series)

ScorecardSteven Croft’s power-packed innings sparked Lancashire•Getty Images

Steven Croft’s violent century lifted Lancashire to a much-needed 26-run victory over Warwickshire in the Royal London Cup at Edgbaston.Croft exploited a very short boundary on the Hollies Stand side of the ground to smash 127 from 83 balls with eight fours and eight sixes, his best limited-overs score, which lifted Lancashire to 351 for 8.They then bowled Warwickshire out for 325 in the 49th over to record their first group win at the fourth attempt. The triumph at last got Lancashire up and running in the competition, though they still have little margin for error in their remaining games if they are to qualify.Cup-holders Warwickshire’s grip on the trophy, meanwhile, hangs by the slenderest thread after a fourth defeat in five games.Put in, Lancashire lost Alex Davies, lbw to Rikki Clarke, in the eighth over but were given a brisk start by Karl Brown before he edged Olly Hannon-Dalby to the wicketkeeper.Haseeb Hameed and Liam Livingstone added 54 in 12 overs but after Livingstone nicked Clarke and Hameed swept Ateeq Javid to short fine-leg, Lancashire were a wobbly 130 for 4.They were fortified by a stand of 103 in 87 balls between Croft and Dane Vilas (55) then, after Vilas lapped Javid to short fine-leg, Croft hit overdrive.The skipper and Jordan Clark added 114 from 56 balls, a thunderous assault which included a remarkable 35 from the 45th over, delivered by Hannon-Dalby. Of the over’s ten balls, four were lifted over the boundary rope with one, from a no-ball, scoring eight. Croft also biffed four sixes off Keith Barker in the penultimate over before holing out in the last.Kyle Jarvis then spiked Warwickshire big guns with two wickets in an excellent opening spell of 5-1-18-2. Jonathan Trott flicked to square leg and Ian Bell, having hoisted James Anderson for successive sixes, nicked behind.Sam Hain lifted a short ball from Anderson to deep point and Matt Lamb was bowled by Simon Kerrigan, at which point Warwickshire were 95 for 4.Tim Ambrose (68) and Clarke (76) kept their side in the game with a stand of 126 but both perished in the space of eight balls.Clarke charged at Simon Kerrigan and missed and after the in-form Ambrose, having taken his RL Cup run-tally to 222 in four innings, was beaten by Anderson’s direct hit, a target of 124 from the last 15 overs proved too much for the lower order.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:59

Moonda: Elgar has bedded in as senior opener

Could New Zealand’s twin-spin attack prove a masterstroke? It may yet depend on the Dunedin weather, with rain forecast for the final day of this nip-and-tuck Test, but late wickets under leaden skies set up what could be a wonderful final day. South Africa, who could barely push their scoring rate above two-an-over, closed with a lead of 191 and four wickets in hand.The shape of the day – a grey, chilly day that demanded deep resolve from players and spectators alike – changed deep in the final session. After Jeetan Patel removed Dean Elgar, 11 short of becoming the sixth South Africa batsman to make two hundreds in a Test, he cleaned up his bunny, Quinton de Kock, with a beauty (the tally of four successes in four innings not escaping Patel as he celebrated). Between Patel’s brace, Temba Bavuma also departed, the ball rolling back off his defensive shot to dislodge the off bail – success for Mitchell Santner who had been ignored for almost 60 overs.New Zealand’s strong end to the day came after being deprived the services of Trent Boult who did not appear after tea due to a sore hip. The second new ball initially went to the two spinners due to poor light, then the immense Neil Wagner – who has had a vast workload – wound himself up for another burst. Boult won’t be able to bowl for the first 90 minutes on the final morning and with a tight turnaround of three days to Wellington his prognosis will be a very significant factor.By close, when the light finally did close in with eight overs remaining, Faf du Plessis suddenly loomed as a crucial figure, unbeaten on 56 from 155 balls with the bowlers for company to try and push the lead over 250. The success for Patel and Santner will encourage him as Keshav Maharaj, who took five wickets in the first, could be a crucial weapon in defending a target alongside his pace trio.For most of the day it was about Elgar – given out caught behind 73 but saved by the DRS – as he took his time at the crease in the match to almost 13 hours before skipping down the pitch to Patel and finding deep mid-off. However, New Zealand had their chances to remove him earlier and put the heat on South Africa with more time to play with.On 35, James Neesham found his outside edge from round the wicket but BJ Watling could not gather the chance low to his left. It was the second time in the match that Watling had given an Elgar a life; in the first innings he was spilled down the leg side on 36. Then, on 48, a drive was drilled through the hands of substitute fielder Colin de Grandhomme at cover as Elgar went to his fifty from 144 balls.Coupled with poor use of the DRS, missing a chance to review against Duminy when he would have been lbw on 20 but using it when he got an inside edge, and dropping the same batsman on 6, it had been a messy first half of the day for New Zealand. However, as events later showed, South Africa’s scoring rate meant they were never out of touch and at risk if wickets fell in a flurry.South Africa resumed just five ahead and Hashim Amla departed early, flicking Wagner to the leg-side trap at midwicket to continue his poor time in New Zealand. Wagner returned after lunch to pin Duminy for a scratchy 39. At that stage South Africa’s lead was only 80. Duminy should have gone early when Boult, in the midst of a luckless opening spell, found the edge but Tom Latham, deputising for Ross Taylor at first slip, missed a regulation chance.For most of the first two sessions Williamson put the onus on Wagner, Boult (with potentially damaging results) and Patel – the latter bowling a 28-over spell – not using Santner until the 65th over. The left-arm spinner created an opportunity first ball when Elgar flicked firmly into Latham at short leg, but the ball ballooned in front of midwicket. Elgar then played a rare attacking stroke, advancing down the pitch to loft Santner straight, but the ball spinning into him created uncertainty and an outside edge fell just short of slip where Neesham and come up from his stance too quickly.Du Plessis was in no rush to try and escalate the scoring rate against accurate bowling. Late in the day he moved to his half-century off 142 balls with a hint of more aggression, with a brace of boundaries off Wagner, but it was South Africa who were the relieved players when the day ended. Du Plessis will have walked off knowing that his side have not been allowed to dictate terms in this match. Please, don’t rain.

Tom Latham will lead New Zealand for the first time in next month’s ODI tri-series against Ireland and Bangladesh. With ten players, including Kane Williamson, unavailable for selection due to IPL commitments, Latham will captain a new-look side that includes uncapped fast bowler Seth Rance and fast-bowling allrounder Scott Kuggeleijn.

New Zealand squad for Ireland tri-series

Tom Latham (capt), Hamish Bennett, Neil Broom, Scott Kuggeleijn, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Jeetan Patel*, Seth Rance, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, George Worker
*Patel will join the squad for the fourth ODI
NZ players in the IPL: Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Lockie Ferguson, Corey Anderson, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme

Neil Wagner, who was recently named NZC’s Test player of the year, could be in line for his ODI debut, five years after his first international appearance. New Zealand have also recalled fast bowler Hamish Bennett, batsmen Henry Nicholls and Colin Munro, and allrounder George Worker. Jeetan Patel, who is an overseas player for Warwickshire, will join the team for the fourth ODI.NZC has said that players involved in the IPL will join the squad in Ireland on a case-by-case basis, once their involvement in the league ends, while fast bowlers Ed Nuttall, Doug Bracewell and Ben Wheeler were not considered due to injuries.Both Rance and Kuggeleijn have been rewarded for consistent performances in white-ball cricket in the 2016-17 domestic season. Rance, who plays for Central Districts, was the joint highest wicket-taker in the Super Smash T20 tournament, with 15 wickets from 11 matches. Kuggeleijn, who represents Northern Districts, topped the charts in the Ford Trophy, taking 17 wickets in nine List A matches at an average of 25, in addition to a handy 242 runs in eight innings. Kuggeleijn had also been called up to the Test squad in the home series against South Africa last month as cover after injuries to Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson. Bennett, who last played for New Zealand in 2014, was the second-highest wicket-taker in the Ford Trophy with 16 wickets in nine games at an average of 20.18.Worker, too, has returned consistent performances in the Ford Trophy. He was the highest run-getter, striking two centuries and four fifties in a tally of 659 runs, nearly 200 more than the next highest. In addition, he also picked up 12 wickets with his left-arm spin, the most for Central Districts in the tournament.New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said the absence of senior players was an opportunity to give new players a taste of international cricket.”This is a fantastic opportunity to give new players a taste of international cricket, as well as reward guys who have pushed their way back into contention,” Larsen said. “Neil is an example of someone whose bowling has gone from strength to strength. He’s performed well in the Ford Trophy when he’s had the chance and also brings considerable international experience to the side.”Scott and Seth have worked their way into the side following superb domestic form over an extended period of time, which is equally true for George and Hamish who have earned recalls.”Larsen also said the decision to appoint Latham as captain ahead of Ross Taylor was done with a view to give Latham a chance to develop as a leader.”Tom has been a leader within the side for a while now and this is a chance to continue his development in that area,” Larsen said. “At 25 years old Tom is still a youthful captain, but he’s performed the role well for Canterbury and New Zealand Under-19 in the past. With the likes of Ross and Luke in the squad, there also are some experienced players to help support him.”It’s a great learning opportunity for Tom and a chance for other squad members to take on a bigger leadership role too.”The tri-series begins on May 12, with New Zealand’s opening game scheduled on May 14 against Ireland.

Shaun Marsh and Ashton Agar have been named in Western Australia’s squad for next month’s Matador Cup, despite both carrying injuries that will likely prevent them from being available for the start of the tournament. Fast bowler Jason Behrendorff has also been included and will make his return from a lengthy lay-off, having not played since the BBL in January due to a stress fracture of the lower back.Western Australia have named a near full-strength group for the one-day tournament, with only Mitchell Marsh unavailable due to Australian duties and Nathan Coulter-Nile injured. However, Shaun Marsh’s broken finger and Agar’s shoulder injury will likely mean they are unavailable until later in the tournament, in which case WA can apply to Cricket Australia for injury replacement players.”It’s great to see Jason [Behrendorff] back in the squad after a long time out,” coach Justin Langer said. “He’s a consummate professional with his rehab and has been diligent throughout so we’re confident he can return to his best during the Matador Cup.”It’s great to have Adam Voges here to lead the side, while we’ve got good experience with players like Michael Klinger and Nathan Rimmington around him.”Western Australia squad Adam Voges (capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Michael Klinger, Shaun Marsh, David Moody, Joel Paris, Nathan Rimmington, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Jonathan Wells, Sam Whiteman.

The MCC University (MCCU) scheme has received a significant boost with news that a sponsor has been found to cover previous cuts in funding.The MCC announced earlier this year that they were to cut their funding of the programme by around 50% (from over £550,000 a year to around £275,000 a year) from the start of 2017. With the ECB unwilling to make-up the shortfall, the long-term viability of the scheme had been in doubt.But now Deloitte, the accountancy and consultancy firm, have been secured on a two-year deal. While the search for more sponsors and longer term deals goes on, the centres can expect higher levels of funding than anticipated this year and less of a shortfall than feared next.Around 23% of current England-qualified cricketers involved in the first-class game developed in part through the MCCU scheme which has six centres in Oxford, Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, Loughborough and Leeds-Bradford. Among the players to have graduated through the system are director of cricket for the England team, Andrew Strauss, Ireland captain William Porterfield, Surrey’s Zafar Ansari, former England spinner Monty Panesar, Kent’s Sam Billings and England Women’s captain, Heather Knight.Set-up by former England opener Graeme Fowler in 1996, the aim was to ensure young people did not have to choose between education and cricket. By providing them with good quality coaching and playing opportunities at the same time as allowing them to gain a further education, the scheme not only encourages some into sport who might otherwise be lost, but prepares those who do break into the professional for the life after their sporting retirement.Fowler has long argued that the ECB have a “duty of care” to fund the scheme, suggesting it helps avoid some of the pitfalls encountered by players as they look for opportunities once their on-field careers come to an end.”Not only does this scheme encourage more of the best and brightest players to pursue a career in the game,” Fowler told ESPNcricinfo in March, “but it honours the duty of care we should have to them at both ends of their career.”While the programme perhaps does not generate the coverage it deserves – it sometimes suffers for being judged on its short-term, on-field results rather than its long-term, off-field impact – a strong case could be mounted to suggest it offers, alongside the PCA’s personal development programme, one of the most positive developments in player welfare since the introduction of pensions and insurance policies. It receives no direct funding from the ECB.It easily represents the biggest outlay of funds made each year by the MCC on cricket projects. The MCC has, over the last decade, spent more than £6.5m on the project and, in addition to the six MCCU centres, includes the funding of the MCC Combined Universities side (which consists of cricketers unsigned by the first-class counties and has just enjoyed its best season in the 2nd XI Championship) and the Loughborough Women side.Fowler stood down from his post at Durham MCCU in 2015. He was concerned by changes to the programme which he saw as an emphasis shift away from the development of excellence and more towards community based initiatives.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMisbah-ul-Haq salutes on reaching three figures•Getty Images

A story about the return of one Pakistan player to Lord’s became a tale about the maiden appearance at the ground of another, as Misbah-ul-Haq’s unbeaten century on his first Test in England led his side into a strong position on the opening day. Misbah’s correct call at the toss delayed the much-anticipated return to the fray of Mohammad Amir but his efforts ensured this would be still be an occasion for Pakistan – and cricket romantics of every persuasion – to remember.Alastair Cook had also wanted to bat first on a pitch that has had to withstand regular unseasonal soakings over recent weeks and on what turned out to be a fine summer’s day it was easy to see why. Still, four wickets for Chris Woakes – including bowling nightwatchman Rahat Ali with the last ball of the day – and an impressive showing from the debutant, Jake Ball, meant England’s attack was not entirely quelled by a commanding, 148-run stand between Misbah and Asad Shafiq as an occasionally cloudy afternoon melted into a sunlit evening.At the age of 42 years and 47 days, Misbah became the sixth-oldest man to make a century in Tests. After jogging the single to take him to three figures shortly before 6pm, he gestured to his team-mates on the pavilion balcony before getting down to do a series of push-ups – further proof, if any were needed, of his supreme levels of fitness. He has been the pillar that held up Pakistan cricket in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal that erupted on this ground back in 2010 and it was symbolically apt that he played the same role on the field in their first match back in England since those dark days.There are many threads to the tapestry of this tour beyond the redemptive element of Amir’s return, not least Pakistan’s qualities as a team. The first day of the series immediately flagged that they would provide stiffer opposition than Sri Lanka, the visitors to England earlier in the summer, and while Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan would have been disappointed not to build on useful starts, Misbah and Shafiq were not so profligate.Misbah had never before batted in a Test in England, never played more than a few T20 innings at Lord’s, but he was not going to overawed by his first outing. Eight months ago, after leading his side to a 2-0 win over England in the UAE, he was contemplating retirement but he eventually decided to carry on in the belief that Pakistan would need him on this tour. It was clear to see why when he strode out with his side 77 for 3, bearded and resolute, a grizzled captain leading his men into uncharted waters and ready to repel all boarders.”Let’s go to work,” was the slogan from Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 film and in Misbah and Younis, Pakistan have a couple of experienced wiseguys capable of doing a number on England. You have to go back to the 1990s for the last time Pakistan won a Test at Lord’s and their chances here relied on an experienced batting order being able to give a much-vaunted attack something to bowl at. England managed to chisel out Younis but, in the shape of Shafiq, there was another, equally determined Mr Green ready to step in and do business.England had resorted to subcontinental bowling plans, with short extra cover and short midwicket, by the time Stuart Broad coaxed a thick edge from Shafiq, on 34, but with only one slip in place the ball flew wide of Cook’s despairing dive. A clubbed square cut for four off Moeen Ali – who Pakistan never allowed to settle and conceded 46 runs from his seven overs – took him to a fifth 50-plus score against England but, with the shadows lengthening a feathered edge off Woakes finally broke the stand. Rahat then dragged on to give the persevering Woakes his best Test figures.Misbah and Shafiq might have been separated sooner, when a mix up left both batsmen running to the same end. Gary Ballance, making his own comeback after a year out of the side, threw hastily at the striker’s stumps when a lob to the bowler would have done the trick. Pakistan were on 184 for 4 at the time and still going about their recovery from being three down shortly after lunch.Ball nearly claimed a maiden Test wicket with his second ball but eventually removed Azhar Ali, to follow an early brace for Woakes in the morning session. Never mind devil, there was nothing so much as a mischievous imp in the pitch but Ball took that out of the equation with a yorker that knocked Azhar off his feet, though the No. 3 left the field shaking his head after utilising the DRS only for the Hawk-Eye to back-up Kumar Dharmasena’s decision that the ball was hitting leg stump by the finest of margins.Misbah began cautiously and he had made 2 from 19 balls when he gloved a Broad bouncer high and wide of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for his first boundary. A thin inside edge saved him from being lbw to Ball walking across his stumps on 11 and he might have been taken at second slip on 16, when the wayward Steven Finn found his outside edge only for Joe Root to shell a low chance, but he remained unperturbed.He unfurled some more aggressive strokes during Moeen’s exploratory overs, as well as taking easy runs off Finn. Later in the day, in struck four fours in five balls off Moeen – two sweeps, two reverse-sweeps – to move into the 90s and emphasise his mastery over England’s spinner.Despite Finn’s struggle, the bowlers did have some success. Memories had begun to drift back to England’s toil in the UAE following another fifty stand between Misbah and Younis when the latter, batting out of his crease such was the docility of the pitch, flicked a Broad delivery straight to midwicket to depart for 33.They had earlier pegged Pakistan back after a 38-run opening stand that involved a little bit of luck alongside some proactive batting from Hafeez. Anticipation of Amir’s first involvement had given way to a moment for Ball to savour and he nearly struck in his opening Test spell, Cook generously deigning to review an lbw decision against Shan Masood only for the replays to confirm Dharmasena’s suspicion the ball had pitched outside leg.Ball acquitted himself well as the stand-in for James Anderson, pushing the speed gun up towards 89mph and troubling both of the Pakistan openers. Hafeez could have been taken on 11, when a drive at Broad resulted in a thick edge low to the left of James Vince at third slip but he could not hold on one-handed. The same batsman flashed wide of the slips off Ball in the 10th over and Masood followed suit, off Woakes, moments after.Woakes, though, found success shortly before the drinks break, inducing a thin edge from Masood with a delivery than bounced a touch more than expected. He had his second four overs later when Hafeez, who had gambolled his way to 40, finally fell in lackadaisical fashion, trying to flip across the line only to offer a straightforward catch to Bairstow running across towards square leg.

Tymal Mills, the Sussex left-arm fast bowler capable of topping 90mph, could earn an England call-up for next month’s T20I against Sri Lanka when the limited-overs squads are named on Monday.Mills, who was forced to retire from first-class cricket last year after being diagnosed with a congenital back condition, is limited to the four-over workloads of T20 cricket. Prior to his diagnosis he was already on England’s radar because of his extreme pace – he was used as a net bowler during the 2013-14 Ashes tour – and has continued to be involved in the fast bowling programme during last winter.In a recent televised T20 Blast match against Somerset he was clocked at 93mph, when he gave Chris Gayle a working over before shattering his stumps, and also showed his variety of slower balls he often uses at the death. On Friday he claimed 3 for 15 from his four overs against Kent.Earlier this month he told ESPNcricinfo about his ambitions to be a T20 specialist for England. “In a perfect world I could make a career doing this for a long time. I’ve just got to stay fit,” he said. “Everything I do is aimed at being a top T20 player. I want to play for England even if it’s just in T20 cricket.”England’s squads for the five ODIs and lone T20 against Sri Lanka have a few spaces to fill due to James Taylor’s enforced retirement (he was the spare batsman in South Africa when England last played ODIs) as well as injuries to Ben Stokes and Reece Topley. David Willey has recently resumed bowling for Yorkshire after his abdominal injury so is on course to be available.Jonny Bairstow is expected to be the man to challenge for a middle-order role after his stellar Test form, while Jos Buttler resumes behind the stumps, although the selectors may ponder returning Bairstow to county cricket so he can continue to refine his keeping in the Championship for Yorkshire. England also need to decide the balance of the final XI in the absence of Stokes, who has been around the squad during the third Test against Sri Lanka continuing his rehab from knee surgery.Stuart Broad was recalled to the one-day side in South Africa after Steven Finn was ruled out through injury but may again be left out ahead of the Test series against Pakistan. James Anderson, who has not played an ODI since the World Cup, is not expected to earn a recall. Nottinghamshire’s Jake Ball, who has been in all three Test squads so far this season, is a contender for one of the pace-bowling slots.Possible squad Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Steven Finn, James Vince, Chris Jordan, Sam Billings, Jake Ball, Tymal Mills (T20 only)