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The UAE, India and Sri Lanka are in the shortlist to be back-up venues in case the ICC is forced to shift the women’s T20 World Cup later this year out of Bangladesh.Bangladesh has been rocked by anti-government agitations over the last few weeks, leading to several deaths. On Monday, prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and flew to India, with army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman assuming charge with a view to establishing an interim government. Among properties belonging to members of Hasina’s Awami League party that were destroyed by the protestors was former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s residence in Narail, roughly 150 kilometres from Dhaka.As it stands, the ten-team women’s tournament is scheduled to be held from October 3-20 but the ICC has informally jotted down alternative venues.An ICC official said on Monday that the situation in Bangladesh was being monitored and all options had been kept open. “The ICC is closely monitoring developments in co-ordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB], their security agencies and our own independent security consultants,” an ICC statement said. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants.”Following Monday’s developments, the governments of at least three countries that will be part of the event – Australia, England and India – have issued travel advisories to their citizens against visiting Bangladesh.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the ICC has started working on options for the back-up venue. While India and Sri Lanka are well equipped to host a multi-nation tournament on short notice, some questions remain. With Sri Lanka, there is a threat of rain in October, while with India, the issue of visas for the Pakistan team could be a hurdle.The BCB, meanwhile, has postponed the Bangladesh A team’s departure for Pakistan for a series with the Shaheens “by 48 hours”. The Dhaka airport was closed on Monday from 6pm to midnight, and it’s not certain if the scheduled flight will take off on Tuesday.”The BCB has confirmed to the PCB their men’s ‘A’ cricket team’s departure for Islamabad has been delayed by 48 hours due to unforeseen circumstances,” the PCB said in a statement on Monday. “The BCB and PCB have been in regular contact for the past two days and will continue to work together on the revised tour itinerary with further details to follow in due course. The Bangladesh ‘A’ cricket team was due to arrive in Islamabad in the wee hours of Wednesday for two four-day and three 50-over matches from 10-27 August.”The Bangladesh senior team’s departure for Pakistan is slotted for August 17 and, as things stand, there is no change in that. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the PCB has suggested to the BCB that the Bangladesh Test team be sent to Pakistan in advance so that they can train and practice in Rawalpindi before the Test series, which starts on August 21. The BCB has not responded to the PCB yet.The last instance of a government abdicating or falling, in January 2007, led to the National Sports Council dissolving the BCB’s board of directors, and appointing an interim body.The last time the ICC moved a global tournament to a back-up venue was in 2021 when the men’s T20 World Cup was shifted out of India to the UAE and Oman because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Africa’s quicks ravaged Afghanistan’s top order, taking five wickets inside the first five overs, to send the opposition spiralling towards their eventual 56 all out in the first semi-final of T20 World Cup 2024.Then, although they lost Quinton de Kock early, Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks calmly navigated the small chase on an exceedingly tricky Tarouba pitch.For a team infamous for playing jittery cricket in the knockouts, this win was dominant and clinical. South Africa left next to nothing to chance. They bowled beautifully, fielded well, and weathered some difficult early overs while pouncing on the loose balls.Related

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As their reward, they have their first ever berth in a men’s World Cup final, and continued their unbeaten run in the tournament, which now is up to eight matches. The margin of victory, by nine wickets and with 67 balls remaining, underscored the control they exerted on this match, from start to finish.

Jansen and Rabada rip out the top order

The Tarouba surface not only offered lateral movement but also a lot of bounce early on. With the heights that Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada bring to the table, South Africa had a great attack to exploit conditions.Kagiso Rabada flattened Mohammad Nabi’s off stump•AFP/Getty Images

Jansen struck at the end of the first over to remove Afghanistan’s batter of the tournament – Rahmanullah Gurbaz – who edged a ball angled across him to Hendricks at slip. In his next over, Jansen bowled Gulbadin Naib through the gate with a delivery that darted back into him.Rabada’s first over sent Afghanistan really into a nosedive. He jagged two balls back and hit timber on both occasions. The ball that clipped the top of Ibrahim Zadran’s middle stump was the killer – Ibrahim at that point was Afghanistan’s best hope of getting to a good score. Fourth ball, he took out Mohammad Nabi’s off stump with an even more stunning delivery. That over was a double-wicket maiden.

Nortje and Shamsi do the rest

With the top five gone, and their middle order having failed to produce much right through the tournament, Afghanistan were seriously struggling. Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi closed down the innings from there. Nortje had Azmatullah Omarzai (the only Afghan batter to get to double figures) caught at deep point, then later knocked out Rashid Khan’s off stump.Shamsi bowled a leg-stump line to the right-handers and kept getting them lbw as the balls rushed onto them. They reviewed all three decisions, but the on-field umpires had given them out, and umpires’ calls on impact were good enough.Jonathan Trott and Rashid Khan during the innings break•ICC/Getty Images

Farooqi and Naveen can’t wreck South Africa’s top order

Coming into this match, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq had 29 wickets between them. Their only chance of defending such a paltry score was running through the top order together.Farooqi added to his tournament-high wicket tally in his first over, setting de Kock up with some big outswingers before jagging one back in and making a mess of his stumps.And Naveen should have had Markram the next over, but most of Afghanistan’s players didn’t hear the thin edge to the wicketkeeper, and Rashid wasn’t sure enough of it to review the decision.

Markram and Hendricks take the chase home

There were still testing moments, as the pitch continued to play up, still often keeping low. But whenever Afghanistan bowled poor deliveries, South Africa’s batters pounced. The fifth over itself yielded 13 runs – more than a fifth of the target. South Africa got home in the ninth over, sparking restrained celebrations, even though this was a historic victory for them.

Sydney Thunder have breathed life back into their WBBL season, recording their first win of the summer with a convincing nine-wicket victory over Perth.Set 151 to win at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval, Tahlia Wilson’s unbeaten 55 from 44 balls helped Thunder cruise to victory with ten balls to spare.Phoebe Litchfield then finished the game with a big six to bring up her 35-ball half-century, while Georgia Voll hit 43 from 31 at the top.Beaten in their first three games, Thunder remain seventh on the table but are now back in the hunt ahead of their clash with last-placed Brisbane on Friday.After being given a life early when Freya Kemp put down a sitter when on five, Thunder opener Wilson was clinical from there on.She sat at the other end while Voll was the main aggressor, before taking over the innings when the right-hander was caught behind.Leading run-scorer in the 50-over WNCL last summer, Wednesday’s knock marked only Wilson’s third half-century in 80 WBBL games.Earlier Katie Mack threatened to make the Thunder pay for a missed chance of their own, when the opener was dropped first ball at slip by Heather Knight before reaching 79.She hit Voll for three straight boundaries a few overs later, kicking off an innings where she drove through the covers at will and pulled the ball to the boundary regularly.Signed by Scorchers to offer more support to Beth Mooney, it was Mack that was the lead act on Wednesday night.But no other Scorcher passed 20, with the innings stagnating when Kemp was run out and Paige Schofield trapped lbw in the space of two balls in the 12th over.That ultimately proved decisive with the Scorchers’ 150 for 7 never looking like enough once Thunder got going.

Are India a bowler short? Why are India losing so many wickets to left-arm spinners? Are India using spin too much in the death overs? How does the team regroup and move on from the loss against South Africa?The way allrounder Sneh Rana was grilled at the press conference ahead of the match against Australia, it would create the impression that India weren’t winning anything at the women’s ODI World Cup . That’s not the case at all.But it’s true that though India have won two of their three games and came close to winning the third, they have been far from convincing. There have been batting collapses in all three outings with low scores from their senior batters Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues. Their fielding hasn’t been up to the mark either, and they have mostly had to complete their 50 overs with five bowlers.Related

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After seeing the ease with which boundaries were being scored in the death overs by both India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam, where India next play Australia on Sunday, the hosts would love the comfort of a sixth bowler, especially some added experience in the pace attack that currently features Kranti Gaud and Amanjot Kaur, who have all of 21 ODIs between them.Their options on the bench could tempt them. Either Renuka Singh, who was at the 2022 ODI World Cup as a squad member, or Arundhati Reddy, who has 49 internationals under her belt, are waiting for a chance. But such is the balance of this team that a bowler would have to come in at the cost of a batter because replacing an allrounder would again cut down a bowling option.”I think that call is for the management to take, and I can’t comment much on it,” Rana said about the make-up of the XI. “But we already have good bowlers, and even Pratika [Rawal] and Harman bowl, so it won’t make a big difference at this stage.”Harmanpreet and Rawal have been rolling their arms over in the nets but how many overs can they send down in batting-friendly conditions, that too against a top side like Australia? Harmanpreet has bowled all of 15 overs in the last three years and last picked up a wicket over three years ago.The other option is to drop a batter, but doing so early in the tournament is also unlikely, even though the dot-ball percentage of Rawal and Harleen Deol has come under scrutiny, and Rodrigues has bagged two ducks in three innings. Leaving out a batter would again make it tricky for a line-up that’s not been up to the mark at this World Cup.Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol’s dot-ball percentage has come under scrutiny•SLC

Replacing one batter with another in the XI later in the tournament – whether for form or a niggle – would also, possibly, not be an option for India because their only batting reserve in the squad of 15 is wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry, who hasn’t received her ODI cap yet.”See, I don’t think it’s a major concern because our batters have handled these situations very well in the past,” Rana said. “Ups and downs are part and parcel of the game, they can happen anytime. But we have some of the best batters in the world on our side. It’s just a matter of one good knock, and I’m hopeful they’ll bounce back very soon.”All the batters are working on their strengths, and everyone knows where they need to improve. Each player is taking individual training for that. If we talk about strike rate, whatever has been lacking in the past few months, everyone is aware of it and, as a team, we discuss it, regroup, and work towards improving it.”India will hope for a big batting effort against Australia on Sunday, which they got in the three-ODI series preceding the World Cup. There, India scored 369 chasing 412, won by 102 runs after scoring 292, and went down by eight wickets after scoring 281. The series was lost, but they put up good scores. Here, another loss will push them down towards the middle of the table, with their next game against England, the current table-toppers, and the one after that against New Zealand, who have returned to winning ways recently. Whatever they do, they must do it quick.

Directors from an embattled USA Cricket (USAC) board have called for the ICC’s immediate intervention to remove a rival group of directors, including the chair Venu Pisike, as the fallout and divide from the board’s suspension continues to deepen. They have also asked the ICC to conduct an investigation into the organisation’s “collapse.”In a statement issued on Tuesday by two current directors, Arjun Rao Gona and Kuljit Singh Nijjar, and Patricia Whittaker, who was removed by USAC last year as an independent director (she is legally contesting the termination), have also asked the ICC to conduct a forensic audit of USAC dealings and make the findings public. Gona and Nijjar are elected directors.”We call for immediate and decisive intervention not to punish, but to rebuild what has been broken,” the trio said in the statement. “This is no longer a crisis of management; it is a test of integrity and courage.” The directors’ statement follows USAC’s media release last week, where the board complained it could not “comprehend” the ICC’s decision on September 23 to suspend it.Related

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Pisike chaired a USAC Board meeting on October 1, after which USAC said it was filing for bankruptcy as part of a financial restructure. That decision was taken by five directors, including Pisike, Srini Salver, David Haubert, Pintoo Shah and Anj Balusu (USAC currently has nine directors after Whittaker’s exit). Four directors at that meeting – Gona, Nijjar, Nadia Gruny and Atul Rai – exited in protest.In a statement of his own issued on Tuesday, Rai said USAC’s public statement to its members on Friday was “not authorised by the Board” while alleging it was “clearly an abuse of power and authority.”The ICC Board decided to suspend USAC, citing “repeated and continued breaches of its obligation” as a member. The ICC’s major concern will be if the cycle of events since then could affect USAC securing NGB (National Governing Body) status from the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), necessary for all sports that are part of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.The ICC’s Normalisation Committee drew up a six-step roadmap for that, starting with an organisational revamp of USAC where three new independent directors replace the existing Board, which would step down and pave the way for fresh elections. The ICC would simultaneously carry out a comprehensive review of the USAC constitution to bring governance and structural reforms to a body enmeshed in controversies since 2019 when it was awarded Associate status.Gona, Nijjar and Whittaker want the Normalisation Committee to take control of USAC immediately and “go beyond administrative control and conduct a full, independent investigation into the root causes of USA Cricket’s collapse, identifying every act of constitutional breach, misuse of authority, and conflict of interest.”The three have also suggested appointing five new independent directors once the USAC constitution has been amended.”Conduct a full forensic audit of all financial transactions, contracts, appointments, and legal decisions taken under the current regime, and publish the findings to the public to restore trust, confidence and transparency.”Safeguard players, competitions, and development programs during this transition, ensuring that athletes and fans do not suffer for failures of leadership.”

South Africa 137 for 3 (Markram 86) beat England 131 (Smith 54, Maharaj 4-22, Mulder 3-33) by seven wicketsEngland’s batters lasted more than 100 balls, but not much more. They were dismissed in 147 balls for their fourth-lowest total against South Africa in a display of batting that could best be described as fatigued, perhaps from a month of playing in the Hundred.By the time South Africa’s batters had faced 100 balls, the job was as good as done. Aiden Markram scored the fastest fifty by a South African opener, off 23 balls, and dominated an opening stand of 121 with Ryan Rickelton to take South Africa home and open the series with an emphatic win. They batted for 125 balls.The whole match lasted just 272 balls, perhaps as a nod to the difference in preparation for these two sides for this series to where there are on the road to 2027. While South Africa played a series Australia, England only had an optional training session as they rolled in straight from the Hundred. That may also mean England are just beginning their planning for the next World Cup, while South Africa see themselves as on the path as they seek to adopt a more fearless style of play. England often use that kind of language but their loose drives and soft chips were more reckless than brave against a well-drilled South African attack.Keshav Maharaj, recently elevated to No. 1 on the ICC’s ODI bowling rankings, was the most successful bowler and picked up the third four-for of his career. Wiaan Mulder scooped 3 for 33 to mark only the second time he has taken three wickets in an ODI. South Africa also took all their catching chances, seven in total, after a ragged showing in Australia, and made good on Temba Bavuma’s decision to bowl first.England started off in signature style as Jamie Smith closed out the first over with back-to-back drives off full Nandre Burger deliveries and Ben Duckett pushed one past Lungi Ngidi that went for four. But Burger also found swing and in his second over, Duckett was tempted to play at a good-length ball without moving his feet and nicked off to continue a tough run. Duckett only had one score over 20 in eight innings in the Hundred but concerns about his form seemed immaterial when Joe Root drove Burger for four with a high elbow off the second ball he faced and held the pose for good measure.Runs kept coming in boundaries as Root took two off Ngidi and Smith took advantage of width from Burger. However, Bavuma stuck with his frontline seamers and it paid off. Root prodded at an Ngidi ball and edged behind, Ryan Rickelton diving to his right to hold the ball in his glove but it popped out as he hit the ground. He was able to get both gloves to the rebound and claimed the catch, which was confirmed on replay.Harry Brook responded by tonking Ngidi’s first ball for four and Smith just kept swinging. Corbin Bosch was brought on in the ninth over but was guided past third and then through midwicket as Smith entered the 30s. England finished the Powerplay on 57 for 2, with 44 of those runs in boundaries.The Smith-Brook partnership grew to 38 and the pair were on top of South Africa’s seamers when a moment of misjudgement separated them. Brook hit Mulder into the covers and called for two but the second run wasn’t on, Tristan Stubbs swooped in and threw to Rickelton, who broke the stumps and England were 82 for 3. Still, with Smith batting well, they would not have had many concerns. Smith brought up his second ODI fifty, and second successive one, when he sent Maharaj through the covers for four off the 46th ball he faced.At the end of that over, Jos Buttler hit the ball to the boundary, where Tony de Zorzi dived to stop four and hurt his hamstring in the process. He left the field for treatment, did not field again and was not required to bat.An incident like that could easily have shifted momentum England’s way but the opposite happened. In the next over, Smith flicked Mulder to fine leg, Bosch made good ground to his left and took an excellent one-handed catch and the collapse had begun. England lost seven wickets for 29 runs in 43 balls and almost all of them were avoidable.Jacob Bethell was lured into a drive by a floated up Maharaj delivery, got a thin edge and the ball was parried off Rickelton’s gloves to Markram at slip. He took the catch while almost blindsided by his own keeper. Will Jacks popped a simple return chance back to Maharaj; Buttler was leaden-footed when he drove and inside-edged Mulder to Rickelton and Jofra Archer nicked the next ball low to first slip, where Markram picked up another. Mulder was on a hat-trick but Maharaj cleaned up. He had Adil Rashid trapped in front of leg stump and removed debutant Sonny Baker’s middle stump to dismiss England inside 25 overs.Baker would be the first to attempt to defend their score. Given the opening over on debut, his second ball slid down leg and Markram helped it on its way for four. Baker then overcompensated and offered width as Markram cashed in on the off side. The first over went for 14 runs.Rickelton, who has struggled for rhythm from the Australia tour, could not find any early on in England either. He could not get Archer’s first four balls away and then edged the fifth one in the direction of first slip. Root claimed the catch as he seemed to think he got his fingers under the ball and while some replays agreed, others seemed to show the ball bouncing just in front. Rickelton was given not out. Archer finished the over by hitting him on the pads but England didn’t review. If they had, Hawk-Eye showed the ball would have been hitting leg stump and Rickelton would have been out for a duck.Instead, he watched as Markram continued to show Baker no mercy and took 20 off his second over, including two sixes. Rickelton’s opportunity finally came against Baker in his third over and he just about found his touch. He drove Baker for four, edged him short of slip and then flicked off the pads. Despite his first three overs costing 44 runs, Baker got a fourth over and still could not get it right. He overpitched, Markram drove for four, then down the ground and then over the covers to bring up his half-century off 23 balls, with 44 runs scored in boundaries.Baker’s four overs cost 56 runs and he was taken out of the attack before bring brought back in the 12th over and delivering a boundary-free six balls. His relief was short-lived. Baker’s next two overs cost 18 runs and his final analysis of 7-0-76-0 was the most expensive by an England player on debut.Markram had three figures in his sights but with 11 runs left to win was strongly caught by Smith at cover, who intercepted a ball that was destined for the boundary. Bavuma tried to finish it quickly but was caught at mid-off and Tristan Stubbs’ nightmare run continued as he was bowled for a duck to leave Rashid on a hat-trick. Across all formats, Stubbs has only scored one half-century in 35 innings this year. Dewald Brevis finished it off with a six as England lost for the third successive time to South Africa.