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It will take something incredibly special for Danni Wyatt to out-do her last innings in an England shirt – an astonishing 56-ball century against Australia at Canberra in November. But, she says, she’s got a secret weapon as England’s women prepare to take on India and Australia in a T20 tri-series later this month.”I’m using Virat Kohli’s bat now,” she says, grinning.The bat was a gift, given when the pair met at Derby during India’s tour of England in 2014. It was a somewhat awkward encounter. Earlier that year, having watched Kohli make 72 in the WT20 against South Africa, Wyatt had taken to Twitter with a now-infamous proposal: ‘Kholi [sic] marry me!'”Ten minutes later,” she recalls, “I picked my phone up and I’ve got 1000s of favourites and retweets, it’s all over Indian news, they’re emailing my dad at home.”When we met, he said to me: ‘You can’t do things like that on Twitter! They take things seriously!’ I was like, ‘okay. Sorry!'”Nonetheless, aware of what a big fan Wyatt was, Kohli handed over one of his own bats – Wyatt describes it as “a beast”. And now, for the first time, she is preparing to use it when she opens for England in this month’s T20 tri-series.”The bat I hit the century with broke not long ago,” she explains. “So now I’ll be using Virat’s.”That century, the first by an England women’s cricketer in T20s, was a stunning performance that enabled England to square the Ashes rubber at eight points all, even though Australia had confirmed they would hold onto the trophy following their victory in the second T20 two days earlier.Victory had seemed an unlikely prospect when England slumped to 30 for 3 in reply to Australia’s hefty 178 for 2. But Wyatt, promoted to the opening slot, responded with an onslaught of boundaries – 19 fours and a six – as England raced to victory with an over to spare.Virat Kohli celebrates his 35th ODI hundred•BCCI

For Wyatt, the hundred was the last thing on her mind that day. “I felt really ill,” she says. “I had a really bad cold, so I’d been training and going straight back to bed. I remember face-timing my Mum and Dad back home and I was like, ‘I’m so ill! But I’ve got to get up for tomorrow!'””On the day I didn’t even think about it – I just went out and batted. And everything just started going my way. I couldn’t really hit the ball cleanly until I was on about 30-odd, and then all the boundaries started flowing. And before we knew it, we only needed 10 to win.””Ellyse Perry came on, and I was like ‘please don’t bowl straight!’ because I was so nervous at that point. And then she bowled me a wide one outside off, and I don’t know what shot it was, I just stuck my bat out there and managed to get a bat on it!”England won the match, were triumphant in the T20 leg of the series, and drew the multi-format points series overall 8-8. While Australia retained the Ashes, the final scoreline provided an element of satisfaction for the England players: “It dampened the Aussie celebrations,” says Wyatt.Overall it was, truly, a coming-of-age series for a player who has oodles of talent but had somehow never managed to translate that onto the pitch when wearing an England shirt. Starting off batting at number 7 for England back in 2010, she has been moved up and down the order, as well as being dropped from the side on multiple occasions. In 70 T20 internationals prior to the women’s Ashes she averaged just 12.It was only last November that something seemed to click for her. In the first match of the Ashes T20 series she hit her first international half-century. Two matches later, she went one better and hit the hundred.What has changed? Like so many of the players, she attributes her recent success to coach Mark Robinson, as well as batting coach Ali Maiden. “To know that Mark and Ali believe in me helps me believe in myself,” she says. “I can go out there and smash it.”In my career I’d come in and been a pinch-hitter and got myself out, so it was also about being a little bit smarter.” One key technical change has been a focus on playing much straighter: “Before I had a tendency to fall across and then I’d get out bowled or lbw, so now I’m working more straight and hitting the sight screens – there’s no fielders there!”Another thing that seems to have changed is the hardening of Wyatt’s ambition. “Before, as long as I was playing, I wasn’t that bothered about where I was batting,” she says. “Maybe I should have been a bit more selfish.” Now, her aim in the tri-series is to help answer Robinson’s call for a solid opening partnership, ahead of the WWT20 in the Caribbean in November. “Now is my chance to nail down that opening spot.”She firmly believes that England, following on from their triumph at Lord’s last summer, can do the double and add the WWT20 trophy to their collection. But, having missed out on the 2017 World Cup final – she was 12th man – her personal ambition is also apparent: she wants to be the one opening for England in that final.Has she cracked it as a player now? “There’s always things to improve on,” she concedes, “but I’ve shown the world what I can do now. I’m ready to go out there and score another hundred.”England supporters will be hoping that Virat Kohli’s bat can do the trick.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA shattering spell of reverse swing by Tom Curran foiled Australia’s chase of a modest England total and in turn silenced a West Australian record crowd of 53,781 in the first ODI to be played at Perth’s new stadium. A trio of players from out west – Mitchell Marsh, AJ Tye and Marcus Stoinis – had prospered earlier in the match, but it was the effervescent Curran who had the final say, years after he had been childhood friends with Marsh when growing up in Zimbabwe.Australia seemed to be travelling comfortably in pursuit of 260 for victory, after England’s batsmen had squandered a series of starts, when Stoinis fell within sight of a hundred upon his promotion to No. 3 in the home side’s batting order. Having earlier ended a poor series for David Warner with a lively yorker, Curran was called back by Eoin Morgan and had his second ball curling back to confound the recalled Glenn Maxwell.Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Tim Paine followed, leaving England 4-1 victors in the 50-over series and underlining the fact that Australia are currently a long way from putting together a strong limited overs combination, less than 18 months away from next year’s World Cup. England were also well served by David Willey, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, while Jake Ball overcame considerable physical distress to complete his 10 overs. Winning the match without Mark Wood, Chris Woakes or Liam Plunkett was testament to the depth of the England ODI squad.The visitors had seemed headed for a tall total when Jason Roy was hitting the ball with plenty of power early on, but he, Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales all failed to go on from promising starts to leave Joe Root more or less stranded with the England tail. In the game after taking his first international wickets, Tye used his vast array of pace variations to scoop five, reaping the rewards of some earlier good work by Marsh and also Zampa, who delivered his best spell of the series.Warner again departed cheaply, but his exit provided the chance for Stoinis to demonstrate his combination of poise and power in a way that will put him very much in the mix to be a more permanent fixture at No. 3. A promising stand with Travis Head, again looking comfortable as an opener, was ended by Morgan’s direct hit run out, which found the left-hander to be fractionally short of his ground.Smith has looked out of sorts all series, and did little to change that impression by being nearly stumped off Rashid and then comfortably stumped off Moeen, who drifted one away from Australia’s captain before sliding it past the outside edge and into Buttler’s gloves. Marsh was victim to a simply outstanding return catch from Moeen, who thrust out his right hand and plucked a fiercely struck straight drive just as the umpire was ducking for cover.For a time it appeared that Stoinis and Maxwell would take the Australians home, leaving the hosts needing just 70 from 97 balls with six wickets in hand. But when Stoinis failed to clear long-on when electing to loft Rashid, he opened up an end for Curran, who made the most of it, turning figures of 1 for 23 after five overs into a match-winning 5 for 35 after 9.2.Smith admitted that his decision to bowl first was based largely on unknowns about the stadium’s drop-in pitch, which offered an odd-looking mosaic of dry grass and greener areas. But it played well from the moment Roy flicked Starc’s first ball of the match through square leg, the vast square boundaries for a stadium devised primarily for football matches allowing an all-run four.Having begun the series with a whirlwind 180 at the MCG, Roy seemed intent on ending it in a similar manner, driving powerfully down the ground and through cover across a fast outfield. The ball after hitting Starc back over his head for six, he edged a ball angling across him through to Paine, only to be reprieved by the detection of a no-ball on replays after the event. Starc beat Roy for pace with the subsequent free-hit, but the no-ball looked likely to be costly as England strode to 44 in the first five overs.Some tighter bowling from the West Australian duo of Marsh and Tye forced Roy’s scoring rate to slacken, and ultimately drew his wicket when trying to force the pace once more – beaten by one of Tye’s slower ball variations and skying to mid-on. Bairstow then took it upon himself to drive the scoreboard forward, but he too was dismissed after making a start, dragging an indeterminate prod at Starc onto the stumps after Smith brought back his No. 1 strike bowler.Marsh, who bowled with notable economy, also ensured Hales would not go on from his own start by coaxing a top edge from a short ball, and Morgan swiped unsuccessfully at another ball banged into the pitch, taken by Stoinis running in from deep point. Buttler briefly threatened to go on the offensive before he too was fooled by Tye’s subtle changes in pace, leaving Root to try to lift the tally with the bowlers.He paid a price in pain when one of Tye’s deliveries came through slower than expected, Root through the shot and struck a painful blow in the ribs that he took some time to recover from. None of Moeen, Rashid or Willey could endure, and when Root found Warner at long on, the end was Tye’s. Australia went to the interval with confidence, but they were to be humbugged by Curran, much as they have been by a more focused and tactically alert England throughout this series.

Opening batsman Aiden Markram is set to make his international debut in the first Test against Bangladesh, which starts from September 28 in Potchefstroom. South Africa have also recalled seam-bowling allrounder Wayne Parnell to the 13-member squad for the first match, pending a fitness test, with Vernon Philander, Chris Morris and Dale Steyn all ruled out due to injury.

SA squad for first Test

Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wk), Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj , Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Duanne Olivier, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada

Markram and allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo were the only two uncapped players in the format in the squad. Both were part of the Test side during South Africa’s tour of England earlier this year but did not get a game.Makram was picked for the England tour as cover for Faf du Plessis, who missed the first Test because of the birth of his child, but remained with the senior team to gain experience. He then captained South Africa A in the two four-dayers against a touring India A side, scoring two half-centuries in a series tally of 194. Markram, who captained South Africa to victory in the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, had a breakthrough domestic season in 2016-17. He was the third-highest run-getter in the Momentum One Day Cup, scoring 508 runs in nine innings with two centuries, including one that helped Titans clinch the title. He was consistent in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition, too, with two centuries and two fifties in a run tally of 565 at an average of 51.36.Nineteen-year-old Lions allrounder Willem Mulder was invited as cover for Parnell, who will undergo a fitness test next week. Parnell had missed the opening round of first-class fixtures this week after suffering a groin strain in training. He last played competitive cricket at the Caribbean Premier League. If Parnell is fit, Mulder will return to the Lions team for the Sunfoil Series. Parnell last played a Test for South Africa in the home series against Sri Lanka in January. He was included in the squad for the New Zealand tour in March, before being dropped for the England tour.Linda Zondi, the convener of CSA’s selection panel, lauded Markram’s maturity and said that Phehlukwayo and Parnell were picked to give the team balance.”Aiden has been knocking on the door for some time now,” Zondi said. “He gained valuable insight into the Proteas team culture during the tour of England and he has shown maturity beyond his years, having captained South Africa to victory in the Under-19 World Cup and as captain of the South Africa A four-day side.”The inclusion of Andile and Wayne provides the necessary all-rounders to give options as concerns the balance of the starting XI. The selection of some younger players is part of the process to build for the future and at the same time maintain our hard core of experience.”

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West Indies, looking to finish top of their World Cup Qualifier group and carry maximum points into the Super six stage, ran into some trouble against Ireland, falling to 83 for 5 after being sent in to bat. Enter Rovman Powell. After a cautious and at times edgy beginning – he was 9 off 34 balls at one stage and enjoyed some luck – he exploded to compile a run-a-ball hundred and lift his side to 257 for 8.That proved beyond Ireland’s reach, despite a controlled half-century from Ed Joyce, who put on useful stands with the O’Brien brothers and kept them in the game for a significant period.There was a sense of Ireland building up a proper head of steam too. The stand of 64 between Joyce and Niall O’Brien came at a run rate of 4.46, as the fourth-wicket pair rebuilt after their team had slipped to 32 for 3; Joyce and Kevin O’Brien then added 70 off 69 balls. At one stage, Ireland needed 92 off 83 balls with six wickets in hand.Kemar Roach, however, dismissed both Joyce and the younger O’Brien in the same over, dealing a body blow to Ireland’s hopes. They were eventually bowled out for 205 in the 47th over of their innings. Roach, who also took the key wickets of Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie early on, finished with figures of 4 for 27. There were four wickets for Kesrick Williams as well, and two for the captain Jason Holder.Powell’s was the first instance of a century coming from No. 7 or lower for West Indies in ODIs. He was ably assisted by his captain Jason Holder, who made his second-successive 50-plus score of the tournament.Ireland made excellent use of bowling first in conditions that suited their fast bowlers early on. There had been overnight rain in Harare and the pitch retained a tinge of green when the West Indian openers walked out to bat. Chris Gayle was repeatedly beaten on the outside edge before it was eventually taken. Evin Lewis was surprised by extra bounce, spooning a catch to point. Marlon Samuels got a jaffa that angled into him and straightened to flick his glove through to the keeper.The man doing much of the damage was Tim Murtagh, the 36-year-old seamer whose control more than made up for his lack of pace. And, in any case, it was Boyd Rankin’s job to hustle the batsmen, his 6’7″ frame coming in more than handy as he banged the ball into the pitch.The spinners Andy McBrine and George Dockrell took over in the middle overs, assisted by a pitch that revealed itself to be a slow turner once the early moisture dissipated. Holder and Powell battled hard to keep West Indies afloat; their 86-run partnership almost exclusively comprised of singles between the 18th and 26th overs before the West Indies captain began dictating terms.Holder finished with 54 off 71 balls, the landmark achieved with a monstrous six over wide long-on. He could, however, have been dismissed for 17 if Paul Stirling had held on to a return catch generated by his part-time offbreaks. Eleven runs later, he survived a run-out chance with his partner indulging in a last-minute change of mind about a single to square leg.Powell enjoyed a couple of lives as well: he was on 18 when a leading edge off the bowling of Dockrell was shelled by Gary Wilson running back and to his left from mid-off. On 39, he top-edged a pull that went straight up but the keeper was unable to catch up with the ball, which landed harmlessly near the middle of the pitch.Powell needed to take such risks, though, with time running out. He pulled Rankin down the ground with stinging disdain and later hit him over the top. West Indies lost a lot of firepower when Carlos Brathwaite ran himself out in the 45th over but Powell persisted until the end, doing exactly what his team needed off him.

The deciding T20I between Australia and India in Hyderabad was abandoned as a result of a wet outfield. Over two weeks of heavy rain leading up to the match meant the ground had taken in a lot of water. And even though there was at least two hours of clear weather before the first ball was due, the groundstaff were unable to make good enough progress for the game to begin.In fact, when the umpires went out for their inspection they found that some patches of turf were so soggy that large divots were created when they dug their heels in. It was reported that the pitch, the square and even the bowler’s run-ups were relatively fine but certain areas beyond the 30-yard circle were unsafe. As a result, play was called off at approximately 8.30 pm and the series ended with a 1-1 scoreline.”We are all very upset,” a member of the groundstaff said. “It has been raining for 21 days in a row now. There is no way we can fight against nature or God.” According to sources, pedestal fans had been used on the eve of the match to dry the outfield.While the official did not want to comment on the drainage facilities in the ground, there are murmurs about the fact that there are only enough covers to protect the square and that the majority of the ground ends up unguarded in the event of rain.

Sylhet Sixers have lodged an official complaint with the BPL’s governing council after Kamrul Islam Rabbi had to bowl a seventh delivery in the 16th over during Rangpur Riders’ chase of 174 in Chittagong on Tuesday. Rangpur went on to complete a four-wicket win with two balls to spare in a tight contest.After Rabbi had bowled the sixth ball, he went to take the cap from umpire Mahfuzur Rahman, who checked with third umpire Gazi Sohel, who in turn informed Mahfuzur that there was still one ball remaining in the over. It was an error from the umpires; Bopara took a single off that extra delivery and retained the strike.At the end of the game, Nasir was seen talking to the umpires and ESPNcricinfo understands that a BCB official also offered an explanation to the Sylhet officials. Nevertheless, a complaint about the error was lodged.The defeat, their sixth in the competition, puts Sylhet’s progress to the knockout stage in serious doubt, while Rangpur strengthened their position with their fifth win.

Shardul Thakur and Dinesh Karthik have made their way back into the ODI squad for the three matches against New Zealand starting October 22 in Mumbai. Shikhar Dhawan, who had sought leave for the Australia ODIs to be with his ill wife, also returned to the 15-man squad.KL Rahul, who was in the squad for the ODIs against Australia, was left out. India’s frontline spinners in Tests – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – were also not part of the squad which meant the spin trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel was retained. Jadeja had earlier been named a replacement for Axar, who had sprained his left ankle, for the first three ODIs against Australia but could not find a place in the XI given the performances of Kuldeep and Chahal, before Axar returned for the last two ODIs.In the pace department, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami were left out from the squad after both of them played only the fourth ODI against Australia in Bengaluru. While Umesh picked four wickets for 71, Shami went wicketless and conceded at more than six runs per over as Australia amassed 334 runs. Their omission means Thakur joins Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar among the quicks.Karthik’s selection, according to a BCCI official, was a reward for his consistent performances lately. In his most recent international games – a T20I and an ODI against West Indies in July – he scored 48 and 50* respectively. Karthik also finished with the second-highest aggregate in the Duleep Trophy behind Priyank Panchal, with 291 runs at an average of 72.75, including two centuries. Karthik is currently a part of the Tamil Nadu side that is playing Tripura in the Ranji Trophy.With Rishabh Pant not among the runs recently – he had an underwhelming series with the India A team in South Africa and didn’t exactly set the stage ablaze in the Duleep Trophy – Karthik has jumped ahead of him in the queue. In fact, Karthik, who plays as a specialist middle-order batsman for India in limited-overs cricket, was also preferred to Rahul, who didn’t get a game against Australia after a poor tour of Sri Lanka.”Karthik’s inclusion is a reward for the runs he has been scoring,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “There is no particular reason [behind Rahul’s omission] because Ajinkya [Rahane] has done well as an opener. He (Rahul) will play Board President’s XI or the Ranji Trophy. What’s the point in him just being in the squad and not playing? We will see how it goes [as far as his batting position is concerned]. Because, as of now, this is the best combination.”We are trying to rotate everybody. We are open to different combinations and options. DK instead of Rahul in the middle order is also a part of the process.”The official also said Pant would be better equipped to succeed once he found some form with the bat. “When somebody comes into the team, if he comes with a lot of runs, he will come with better confidence and will have a better chance of doing well,” he said.Thakur’s selection, too, appears to be a part of the selectors’ rotation policy. After having been a part of the India squad on a few occasions, Thakur made his international debut during the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in August. While he picked up only one wicket from two games, he bowled well for the most part and didn’t do much wrong. Thakur also picked up six wickets from the two four-day matches he played against New Zealand A and finished with two wickets in the 50-overs leg.Meanwhile, an ODI call-up continues to elude Shreyas Iyer despite his impressive run of form. While he racked up scores of 140*, 90 and 37 in his most recent List A games against South Africa A and New Zealand A, he has also scored two fifties and a century in his last four first-class innings against the same opponents. With several middle-order contenders like Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and Karthik, Iyer might have to wait a little longer.Squad Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur.

Angelo Mathews will be out of action for at least two weeks with the hamstring strain he sustained on Friday – another chapter in his long-standing woes with leg injuries.Mathews pulled up injured as he ran in to deliver the third ball of his third over in the T20 in Indore. He left the field without completing that over, and did not return to bat. Sri Lanka’s team management has since confirmed the presence of a grade one strain – an injury that will not only rule him out of the third T20 against India on Sunday, but will also put him in doubt for the start of the forthcoming Bangladesh tour. The official word is that Mathews may be fit again in two weeks, but his recoveries have often taken longer than expected.Though it is calf injuries that have given Mathews most grief over the past 18 months, hamstrings have also been problematic throughout his career. Since the middle of 2015, he has missed a full tour of Zimbabwe, come home early from a tour of South Africa, missed Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka, and missed a full tour of the UAE – all because of various leg injuries.The team management had already decided not to deploy Mathews’ bowling in Tests, in order to minimise risk of further complaints, but this latest injury also raises doubts over whether his body can sustain even a limited-overs workload.There is also the issue of his batting form. The stuttered nature of his international involvement over the past two years has coincided with a long lean stretch. He had just begun to produce runs again when this injury was sustained.*This article had originally said Mathews had sustained a tear in his hamstring. However, he has merely strained it – a less serious injury.

As has been pointed out, the margin between success and failure for Associate nations is incredibly small. On a rainy afternoon in Harare, the margin of difference between West Indies and Scotland was a mere five runs. One hit, if you will. But those five runs booked West Indies’ place in next year’s World Cup, while Scotland’s next opportunity on the world stage is not quite so clear-cut. Chasing 199, the rain arrived with Scotland 125 for 5 in the 36th over to divide the fate of the two teams.”We feel pretty rough right now,” said Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer after his team’s narrow DLS defeat. “There’s a bit of emotion going around. The guys are absolutely gutted. They’re sat upstairs right now, and finding it pretty tough at the moment. It’s not the way we wanted to end the tournament but we look back and it’s five runs… it’s just five runs. And it’s something pretty important that could have happened there.”Scotland have been one of the most watchable teams of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe, going undefeated through the group stage. But their last two matches have seen crucial umpiring decisions go against them. Against Ireland, Andy Balbirnie was given a reprieve on an lbw shout that looked adjacent, and he went on to hold Ireland’s innings together with a century. Against West Indies, Richie Berrington was controversially given out lbw to a delivery from Ashley Nurse that appeared to be heading down the leg side, setting Scotland back just before the rain arrived.”Clearly that lbw decision is not sitting very well with us right now,” said Coetzer. “It’s not the first one in this tournament. In a competition like this, it comes down to a big game like that. Two critical moments in two critical games have potentially cost us. So we’re not feeling too flash right now.”With no Decision Review System in place for this tournament, Scotland were unable to challenge either decision. While the lack of DRS in today’s match ultimately ended up benefiting West Indies, their captain Jason Holder pointed out, quite rightly, that the availability, or otherwise, of reviews was not under his control.”That’s beyond my control,” Holder said of the lack of DRS. “I think it’s a question for the ICC. At the beginning of the tournament, they set up the rules, and those are the rules we played with. It’s cricket. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you.”A lot of the games weren’t televised. So if you’re being consistent, if it wasn’t there at the beginning, you stick by it.”Despite his obvious disappointment, Coetzer insisted he was proud of his team’s performance through the tournament. Fast bowler Safyaan Sharif currently tops the wicket-taking charts, with 17 dismissals at 13.94, and their only defeats came against Ireland and West Indies.”I couldn’t say any more for our guys,” said Coetzer. “They have been absolutely outstanding. There’s obviously been a lot of pressure on them. There was extreme pressure today, with pretty much the whole world barring the West Indies wanting us to turn them over, for what we feel is for the good of the game. Try and make a scene and get us into that World Cup. But it wasn’t to be today.”Coetzer’s disappointment stood in stark contrast to Holder’s relief at having secured West Indies’ passage to England next year. Holder said that a collective effort had been key to West Indies’ success.”Definitely relieved,” said Holder. “Coming into this tournament, being here for the first time in a qualifier, we knew what was at stake. And I was really pleased with how the guys responded. We really came together as a squad and everyone put their heads together and tried to do what’s best for West Indies cricket and what’s best for ourselves. I can’t see two or three individuals dominating. It was a strong collective effort in every game. That’s a strong sign of a good side. I’m really relieved and pleased.”Scotland will leave this tournament having won over many new fans, and impressed even more with their development as an exciting and dangerous limited-overs side. With the World Cup in England and Wales limited to 10 teams, and only two qualifying spots available, several teams were always going to leave Zimbabwe with their hopes dashed.”We had the full backing of every Associate nation behind us today,” said Coetzer. “Everyone was wanting us to turn over the West Indies. But it was not to be. It’s hard to comprehend that there’s only going to be a 10-team World Cup. After all the hard work we’ve done, it’s a rough one to take. It’s a tough pill to swallow right now.”

Lasith Malinga has stepped down as Sri Lanka’s T20 captain ahead of the World T20 in India, but will remain part of the squad. Angelo Mathews will lead the team in his place. The team is hopeful Malinga can be available for their first match on March 17, though that is dependent on his recovery over the next week.Sri Lanka’s new selection committee have also made two other changes to their squad for the World T20, on the day the team is due to depart to India; Lahiru Thirimanne and Suranga Lakmal have been brought in to replace Jeffrey Vandersay and Niroshan Dickwella.Malinga had offered to step down as captain after concerns had grown over his slow recovery from a knee injury. He had handed Sri Lanka Cricket a letter voicing reservations about continuing as captain, as he could no longer guarantee participation in Sri Lanka’s full campaign. The overuse injury to his left knee had kept him out of competitive cricket for three months. Though he returned to play one Asia Cup match, he has been sidelined for almost two weeks since.

Sri Lanka’s squad for the World T20

Angelo Mathews (capt), Dushmantha Chameera, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Rangana Herath, Shehan Jayasuriya, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Dasun Shanaka, Milinda Siriwardana, Suranga Lakmal
In: Lahiru Thirimanne, Suranga Lakmal
Out: Niroshan Dickwella, Jeffrey Vandersay

Thirimanne’s initial omission from the World T20 squad had caused a stir, as his limited-overs contributions had been good throughout 2015, despite very lean Test returns. Both Kumar Sangakkara and Aravinda de Silva had publicly supported Thirimanne following that omission, and, having now been installed as selectors on Monday night, have made Thirimanne a late addition to this World T20 squad.He has been in good domestic form, albeit in first-class cricket, having hit two centuries and a fifty in five innings over the span of a month. Last year, he averaged 43.05 across 24 ODI innings. He had also made significant contributions to Sri Lanka’s 2014 World T20 campaign – particularly in the semi-final against West Indies, where he top-scored with 44.”If you look at what the other teams are doing, they’ve got a batsman who gives stability and helps consolidate, at no.3,” new chief selector Aravinda de Silva said. “We wanted someone who could do that, and Thirimanne has been scoring runs at home.”Lakmal comes fresh from captaining his first-class side to victory in the Premier League Tournament. He had been injured for parts of the domestic season, but claimed 19 wickets in the last four rounds of four-day matches. His inclusion bolsters the seam-bowling contingent in this squad, which now features three frontline pacemen, as well as allrounders Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera and Dasun Shanaka.The ousted selection panel had picked wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella as a potential opening partner for Tillakaratne Dilshan. But with the team now having moved Dinesh Chandimal to the top of the order, Dickwella finds himself left out by the new selectors. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay was unused during the Asia Cup, where tracks generally favoured seam bowlers.The Sri Lanka team is scheduled to fly to India on Tuesday evening.