Calls for fewer games, better pitches and more overseas players to revive league

Matt Roller14-May-2020Shane Watson has criticised the expansion of the Big Bash season from 32 group games to 56, describing the tournament as “just too long” and suggesting that “the quality of the cricket has been put on the back burner”.Watson, an influential figure in the as the president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and one of Australia’s most experienced T20 players, proposed a four-step plan to “save our beloved BBL before it’s too late” on his blog ‘T20 Stars’ which involves: reverting to the format used in the 2017-18 season; only playing on “international quality” pitches; increasing the number of overseas players permitted per team from two to “three, if not four”; and stopping players from being mic’d up to ensure they can focus on the game itself.Discussions about the Big Bash’s format have been a near-constant feature of the Australian summer in recent years. The tournament’s group stage lasted 32 games in 2016-17, when the average attendance was over 30,000, but while aggregate attendance has grown steadily, the average has decreased markedly to around 18,000 in 2019-20.An expanded finals stage meant there were 61 games in total last season, and Watson said that “the writing was on the wall” ever since CA announced its new broadcast deal in 2018 that involved extending the season.”Continuing on after the kids go back to school is another reason why the tournament runs out of puff in the lead up to the finals, when this should be the time when the tournament really cranks up,” Watson said. “Again, the tournament is just too long. It’s disappointing for all of the families that follow the season so closely until school goes back, and the last thing parents want is for their kids to stay up [until] nearly midnight watching the matches on a school night.”Watson also criticised the standard of the tournament, suggesting that a combination of poor pitches, a lack of international players, and the distraction caused by conversations with commentary teams has diluted the quality of cricket.”A lot of the warning signs… have very sadly started to come to fruition,” he said. “I know all too well that the quality of the cricket that is being played in the BBL is now behind some of the tournaments around the world.”The one thing that the IPL and PSL do is make the quality of the cricket, the product, the number one priority. This is where the BBL has really lost its way. The quality of the cricket has been put on the back burner in the Big Bash and the entertainment gimmicks have been brought to the forefront.”As the BBL is comprised of 8 teams, the talent pool is already stretched pretty thin and now with the extension of the tournament, it is a challenge to keep your best players fit. Right now, if a team gets a few injuries, the franchise has to continue to find club cricketers to fill in. This happened way too many times during the season just gone. If the BBL wants to be one of the best T20 leagues in the world they need to have the best players in the world participating in the league.”Watson described the pitches he played on at the Sydney Showground as “very ordinary at worst and pretty good once in a blue moon”, and suggested that the Thunder should either ensure the drop-in wickets at the ground are “world-class” or consider playing all their home games at Manuka Oval in Canberra.The average scoring rate in the competition dropped from 8.37 in 2016-17 to 7.82 in 2018-19, coinciding with an increase in the number of fixtures played at outgrounds – though it did jump back up to 8.15 in 2019-20.”In theory, it sounds great to play games out in regional areas, so other BBL fans can watch their favourite players,” Watson said. “Well, they need to make sure that the pitches are up to a world-class standard to ensure that world-class cricket can be played at these venues.”

Some splits over 50-over competition remain but ECB ask for simple majority in secret ballot

George Dobell06-Jul-2020The outline for the county season will be decided on Tuesday following a vote by the chairs of the first-class counties.With all clubs agreed that the T20 Blast should feature, the choice facing the counties is whether to start the season with a first-class or List A competition.As things stand, it seems the first-class competition will narrowly win the vote. That will mean the counties splitting into three regional groups of six and playing five games. The top two would qualify for a Lord’s final to be played over five days. The competition will not be referred to as the County Championship and will have no bearing on promotion and relegation.It is a secret ballot, however, and not every club has been prepared to confirm which way they intend to vote.Those favouring the List A competition argue that it would be cheaper and safer to run as it minimises the necessity for hotel stays. At least one club reports concerns expressed by players – particularly those with pregnant partners or young families – about staying in hotels. The PCA have previously stated that players will be required to opt-in to be considered for selection but, with more than 130 players out of contract at the end of the season, some are understandably anxious not to put themselves at a disadvantageAnother club argues that players coming off furlough will require more time to prepare to regain the level of fitness required for first-class cricket. As a consequence, that club says it favours the List A option.Under normal circumstances, such votes have to be decided with a two-thirds majority. On this occasion, however, the ECB have asked the counties to agree to a simple majority. Even that has not been accepted by all the counties with some red-ball proponents adamant that, even if they lose the vote, they will arrange first-class friendlies against like-minded teams.Counties remain confident they will be able to welcome some spectators back into their grounds at some stage during what remains of the season. With pubs and restaurants now reopened, the counties hope that pushing the T20 Blast into September, when the bulk of its matches will be played, gives them the best chance to recoup some revenue from the season in ticket sales.Counties thought to favour a first-class competition:
Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Sussex, Yorkshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Somerset, Warwickshire, Kent, Durham and Worcestershire.Counties thought to favour a 50-over competition:
Essex, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Glamorgan, Northants.

Zak Crawley rises a remarkable 53 spots to reach a career-best No. 28 after scoring 267 in third Test

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2020Three England players made big strides in the rankings in the rain-hit third and final Test against Pakistan: James Anderson’s seven wickets in the match – which took him to 600 Test wickets, the first seam bowler to get to the mark – put him at No. 8 among bowlers, while Zak Crawley and Jos Buttler rose in the batsmen’s chart after hitting 267 and 152 respectively in England’s only innings.Anderson reaching the 600-wicket milestone was the story of the Test match, but Crawley was named Player of the Match for his mammoth double-century, his first three-figure score in his eighth Test. It was the second-highest maiden Test century by an English batsman and the seventh-highest overall, and gave him a lift of 53 positions in the list for batsmen to No. 28 with 605 rating points, both career highs.Only Ben Stokes (No. 8), Joe Root (No. 9) and Buttler, who got to the 21st position after hitting his career-best score, are ahead of Crawley for England in the rankings.Anderson had dropped out of the top ten, but the former world No. 1 got right back in to slot in at No. 8. In Southampton, not only did Anderson reach the 600-wicket mark in Tests, he also recorded his 29th five-wicket haul in Tests, in Pakistan’s first innings, before striking twice more in the second innings.There wasn’t much joy for Pakistan, apart from Azhar Ali and Mohammad Rizwan moving up the batsmen’s rankings. Ali’s 141 in their first innings took him up 11 spots to No. 23, while Rizwan, who hit 53 in the first innings to build on the 72 in the previous Test, got to the 72nd spot, a jump of three positions.At the end of the series, which England won 1-0 after winning the first Test by three wickets, the home side’s prospects of reaching the final of the World Test Championship had taken a hit. The WTC schedule is not halfway through yet, with 14 out of 27 series remaining, but England, after four series, are in third place behind India and Australia with just two series left – in Sri Lanka and in India – while Pakistan are further behind, at No. 5, with the second Test of their home series against Bangladesh, a tour of New Zealand and another home series against South Africa still to be played.

Seamers lead fightback after Jake Libby’s form continues

George Dobell07-Sep-2020Some would tell you there’s not much point in games like this. Some might even tell you there’s not much point in teams like these.There’s no money being made, for one thing. And there’s little chance of much of a new audience being attracted, either.But as Worcestershire and Somerset battled for what looks set to be the right to face Essex in the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s, the thought occurred that this was an exemplar of domestic cricket in any country.For here we have two highly motivated teams stuffed with locally developed talent who are driving the standard of the English game forward and producing players for their country. Indeed, 18 of the 22 players* involved here were developed through the academies of these two counties.To that list you can add Jos Buttler, who has just won England a T20 series against Australia and was player of the Test series against Pakistan. You can add Dom Bess, who can’t get into the Somerset side but is England’s first-choice Test spinner. Then there’s James Hildreth, who would have played in this match had a hamstring injury not intervened, and Jamie Overton, too. All four came through the Somerset system. Worcestershire, meanwhile, can also point to Adam Finch, who is currently bowling with impressive pace on-loan at Surrey alongside Overton.Yes, a few have moved on. But they will forever be associated with the clubs that identified and nurtured their talent.In short, these are clubs doing exactly what they’re meant to be doing: producing high-class players; playing high-quality, entertaining cricket. Anyone who think they’re superfluous to the English game can’t be judging them on cricketing merit.The prize for success in this game is pretty clear: the winner has an excellent chance of qualifying for that Lord’s final. The way bonus points have fallen, Somerset are now assured of making that final if they win this game, while Worcestershire may be reliant upon results elsewhere also falling their way.For a while, as Daryl Mitchell, Jake Libby and Tom Fell were building a strong platform, it looked as if Worcestershire might be on the way to establishing a match-defining position. Libby, showing the benefits of a fresh start at a new county, is now the highest run-scorer in the competition with one century and three half-centuries across eight innings.His game is built largely on patience and discipline outside off stump. But here he was particularly impressive against the spin of Jack Leach – playing his first first-class game since the Mount Maunganui Test in November – and skipped down the track to drive the bowler back over his head for a succession of fours and one six.On the brink of lunch, Libby enjoyed two moments of fortune from successive Jack Brooks deliveries. First he looked all the world to have been trapped leg before by one which kept a little low only to be relieved to hear the umpire’s no-ball call, before he edged the next ball through the cordon. Leach, a new face at first slip in place of Jamie Overton and Hildreth, was unable to cling on to the relatively straightforward chance.But the wicket of Fell, shouldering arms to one that shaped to leave him but ultimately went unerringly straight, precipitated something of a collapse. Worcestershire lost their final nine wickets for the addition of 77 runs with Somerset’s impressive quartet of seamers sharing the spoils. Libby fell driving at a wide one which left him – replays suggest he may have been a bit unlucky with the decision – Jack Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira played inside deliveries which were angled in but may have straightened a fraction, Riki Wessels’ counter-attack was ended by an excellent catch at square-leg as he attempted to pull and Ed Barnard was bowled – Barnard castled, if you will – off the bottom edge attempting a similar shot.If Worcestershire’s total of 200 might appear modest, it needs to be seen in context. For a start, this is not a straightforward surface. It’s sluggish – perhaps increasingly so – and offers enough off the seam to keep bowlers in the game at all times. Equally, there have been a few signs of just a little uneven bounce.More than that, 200 represents the highest score made against Somerset in the competition this season. Three times they’ve dismissed their opposition for below 80 and they will end the group stages of the season having conceded just one batting bonus point. Craig Overton, bowling as well as anyone in the county game, has taken his 26 wickets as a cost of just 10.00 apiece.Jason Kerr, the Somerset coach, reckons a target of 250 – 200, even – could prove tough to reach in the final innings. Right now, at the end of day two, the lead is 67. Both sides have some hard work ahead, though Somerset surely have their noses in front, particularly bearing in mind that Josh Tongue is unlikely to bowl in the second innings after suffering back spasms. Besides, it’s hard not to feel that winning the domestic first-class competition for the first time – they are one of three counties not to have done so in the modern era – in the year when it is not considered the championship would be Somerset.”The attack has been outstanding all season,” Kerr said. “We create pressure at both ends and we work as a unit. And if anyone is bowling better than Craig Overton at the moment… well, they must be bowling brilliantly.” Worcestershire may have their work cut out to deny him.*In case you were wondering who they are, only Riki Wessels and Jake Libby, of the Worcestershire side, and Jack Brooks and Josh Davey, of the Somerset side, did not develop through the two county academies. Davies, playing for Somerset, came through the Worcestershire academy, while Eddie Byrom was schooled in Taunton from sixth-form level and was part of the county academy.

Rohit Sharma, Mahela Jayawardene admit mental challenges of being in bubble, laud Mumbai Indians arrangements

Shashank Kishore17-Sep-2020Virat Kohli feeds off the energy of crowds and packed stadiums, but despite IPL 2020 set to be played behind closed doors in the UAE, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain foresaw no drop in his playing intensity.”The intensity and passion won’t drop even if there are no crowds,” Kohli said at a media session to launch Royal Challengers covid warriors campaign. “Yes, empty stadiums will give us a strange feeling, and I won’t deny it’ll not be different when we walk out. But the feeling has changed a little after many training sessions and practice matches.”You understand why you started playing – because you love the game. This is a chance for us to play with that feeling with the entire country watching. As long as we’re playing for the right reasons, all external factors become irrelevant. Yes, crowds are an amazing part of the game but this time, that’s not what we’re playing for. This time we’re playing for a bigger reason. To bring smiles back on people’s faces, those who’ve faced tough times due to the pandemic.”Being in the bio bubble has also given Kohli a new perspective and a new appreciation for the sport.”We’ve all become more accepting of the situation around us,” he said. “Acceptance is the biggest change I’ve experienced. Even in this bubble, when we spoke for the first time, we discussed the need to be appreciative of what we have. It’s easy to think of what we can’t do, but all of us have become relaxed. If people aren’t, they’ll be sad or upset. I don’t see any of that. Also there is no desperation of any kind in the ground. The biggest learning has been to become more accepting and appreciative of things around us.”Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians captain, also touched upon the challenges of being in a bubble. He admitted being in one was “tough mentally” but having families around – something the Mumbai franchise was happy to facilitate – as well as trying to create a “fun environment” with play stations, golf simulators, F1 simulators, virtual reality games, pool and table tennis, would provide some much-needed downtime.”Mentally it is tough [being in a bubble], but hats off to the MI management and the support staff,” Rohit said. “They have done an excellent job here in our hotel, they’ve created some amazing space for us in the hotel where we can relax and spend time with family and kids, so that mentally you’re fresh and not drained. We’ve been here for three weeks, all of us are in good spirits because of the space we have created here at the hotel. Hats off to the team management, now it’s all about our preparation and getting into game face mode.”Rohit’s words were echoed by Mahela Jayawardene, the Mumbai Indians coach. “A lot of the players will be away from home probably for more than two months, because of other commitments [after the IPL],” Jayawardene said. “It’s god to have this environment within the hotel, where everyone’s looked after.”Most of our players are with families, so that is good. They get to spend quality time with them. The rest of the guys are also trying to keep themselves occupied with different activities. It’s not just cricket-oriented, but we have different activities. Yes it is a challenge, but we’ve looked at all aspects, making sure it’s not just the cricket, but creating a good environment around the players so that they can grow, focus and enjoy the job at hand.”

The Victoria opening pair beat the previous mark of 464 set by Mark and Steve Waugh

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2020Marcus Harris and Will Pucovski broke the 30-year record held by Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh for the highest partnership in Sheffield Shield history as their monumental opening stand for Victoria extended to 486 on the third day against South Australia.The pair resumed on 0 for 418 with Pucovski on 199. He reached his second double century off the first ball of the day as he and Harris moved briskly up the records charts.Harris was dropped at slip by Callum Ferguson with the score on 436 and it was his cover drive which took the stand to 465, surpassing the Waugh-Waugh landmark which was made against Western Australia at the WACA in 1990-91.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

As attention turned to the all-time first-class partnership lists and a 500-stand loomed, South Australia finally ended the stand when Harris gloved a short ball to the keeper.They were just short of the first-class record for any wicket in Australia which is the 503 added by Aaron Finch and Ryan Carters against the New Zealand XI in 2015 during a game that was then abandoned due when the pitch became unsafe.The highest first-class partnership in history is the 624 added by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene against South Africa in 2006.Pucovski, opening for the first time in first-class cricket, finished unbeaten on a career-best 255 when Victoria declared on 3 for 569.

30% of recreational players in England and Wales are British Asian, but only 5% of professionals

George Dobell24-Nov-2020A new scheme which aims to encourage more players of Asian origin into professional cricket in England and Wales has been set up.The South Asian Cricket Association (SACA) will offer bursaries, education opportunities and coaching aimed at helping British Asian cricketers between the ages of 18 and 24 pursue a career in county cricket. Former England seamer Kabir Ali is among the directors, while Wasim Khan, the PCB’s CEO, Isa Guha, the former England swing bowler and current broadcaster, and Preet Kaur Gill MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, are among the patrons. Ambassadors include Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood.While there are already schemes aimed at encouraging players from the South Asian community – most notably, the ECB’s South Asian Action Plan (SAAP) – they are primarily aimed at boosting participation levels. The premise of SACA is built on the understanding that there are few problems at participation level – 30% of recreational cricketers in England and Wales are classified as ‘British Asian’ – but the figure drops alarmingly to around 5% when it comes to men’s professional cricket.

16 – White British players are 16 times more likely to convert to professional status than British South Asian players
22 – Privately-educated students are up to 22 times more likely to convert to professional status than state-educated students (excluding scholarship students)
62% – Percentage of contracted players released before the age of 25
89% – Percentage of regions in England where British South Asians are over-represented at U10-19 level but under-represented at professional level

Research also suggests that, while British Asian cricketers account for 15.5% of the numbers on the ECB’s talent pathway at the Under-10 to Under-15 levels, this figure drops to 12.9% at U16-U19 levels. And the situation is worsening: in 2014, there were 30 British Asian cricketers within the professional county game, but there were only 22 in 2020.ALSO READ: Surrey’s ACE Programme launches as charity after funding boostTo counter this trend, SACA aims to select a squad of around 16 players during the summer of 2021. To do this, they will consult with academy coaches across the land, stage a series of trial games and hold interviews.Those players will then be offered individual training programmes, including strength and conditioning and dietary advice, aimed at helping them find a pathway into the professional game. They will also receive educational opportunities with a view to providing them with employment options once their playing days have ended. The squad will play competitive matches against county second teams and the National Counties (formerly minor counties).By overcoming some of the obstacles which are routinely reported to inhibit their progress, SACA aims to increase the percentage of British Asian players within the professional game to 8% by the end of 2024 and 15% by the end of 2027. The scheme also aims to see 10% of coaches coming from the British Asian community by the end of 2027.The ECB has not yet pledged any funding, though it is understood a presentation was favourably received by Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, in recent days. SACA is understood to be close to naming a partnership with a major university and has some private investment and donations in place.The scheme is based upon the PhD research of Tom Brown, a pathway coach at Warwickshire, at Birmingham City University.

With next month’s series postponed, India women continue to be without cricket since March

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2020Cricket Australia has said that the three-match ODI series between Australia women and India women has been postponed to “next season”, dates pending. The series was scheduled for late January.The announcement follows ESPNcricinfo’s report that the BCCI wasn’t keen on going through with the series, which was originally scheduled to be part of the lead-up to the 2021 World Cup in February. The World Cup’s postponement to 2022 is understood to be a factor in this decision, which effectively means that India women will continue to be without cricket since the T20 World Cup final on March 8 this year.Cricket Australia interim CEO Nick Hockley hoped the postponed series might be a longer one, with three T20Is added to it.”We are very hopeful of delivering an expanded schedule between the Australian and Indian women’s teams for next season, which would be an outstanding result for fans in both countries,” Hockley said. “We had initially hoped to play India this summer, however the impact of the global pandemic made it necessary to postpone until next season.”It will be wonderful to once again host the Indian women’s team, who were centre stage for that unforgettable ICC T20 World Cup final at the MCG in March, and to do so with an expanded schedule from what was originally planned.”As things stand, India will at best take the field next in February, if a limited-overs assignment against Sri Lanka, presently being discussed between the two boards, does take place – either at home or away.

Allrounder declares himself ready to play his first Test in 18 months after waiting ‘long enough’

Valkerie Baynes30-Jan-2021Eighteen months since playing his last Test, Moeen Ali feels he has so much more to achieve, including passing the 200-wicket milestone.Back in Chennai, where he scored the last of his five Test centuries with 146 in England’s innings defeat as India won their series 4-0 in 2016, Moeen said that a sense of unfinished business with the red ball was now a driving force.”That is my biggest motivation really,” said Moeen, who has 181 Test wickets. “I still feel I’ve got wickets and runs in me and match-winning performances within me. I have little targets I want to achieve first. I am not too far away from getting 200 wickets. I know people say they don’t look at these things but it would be something I would look at. Then I would set another target after that.”Related

• Moeen Ali urges people to take Covid-19 vaccine

• Moeen Ali tests positive for Covid-19 as England arrive in Sri Lanka

• Moeen Ali returns to England bubble after release from quarantine

• Moeen Ali, Ollie Pope in line for India Test recalls, says head coach Chris Silverwood

• Jos Buttler: Wicketkeeping fun in spinning conditions

So much has happened since Moeen was dropped after one Test in the 2019 Ashes. Some of it he would have imagined when it sparked his decision to take an extended break from the long-form game, some of it he never would have seen coming, like becoming infected with Covid-19 and spending 13 days in isolation in Sri Lanka, watching England win both Tests from the sidelines.But perhaps what he did envisage, if opting out was to have the desired effect, was returning with no regrets and a renewed appetite for Test cricket.”At the time I felt I needed it,” Moeen said via Zoom. “I wanted to see if I missed it and if I yearned to play it again. At the time I was playing so much cricket – and I’d been dropped – I thought it was a chance to take a step back. And I enjoyed it, played a few leagues around the world – but ultimately it was Test cricket that I missed and I felt like I could still do quite well in.”The one thing I did learn is that when you’re playing Test cricket, you’re on top of your game in terms of your batting and bowling, your technique. I don’t think it’s great when you’re just playing white-ball, red-ball is very important for staying on top of your game.”Moeen emerged from isolation midway through England’s first Test in Sri Lanka and, after an initial period of easing back into physical activity under close monitoring, he has returned to full training. According to Chris Silverwood, England’s head coach, he is under consideration to earn a recall for the first Test against India, starting on Friday.Dom Bess and Jack Leach, England’s spinners in Sri Lanka, both claimed five-wicket hauls in the first Test without bowling at their best and took four wickets apiece in the second Test after going wicketless in the first innings. Moeen believed he would have completed a three-pronged spin attack in Sri Lanka had he not fallen ill and he has declared himself ready to go if called upon in India.”I think I’m fine,” said Moeen. “Whether or not I get picked is another matter. Bessy and Leachy I thought did quite well in Sri Lanka and are coming off some good performances. In terms of being ready to play, I think I’ll be fine to play, I’ll be ready. I’ve waited long enough.”During his long wait, Moeen has spent time on his batting and, having scored another century on that 2016 tour of India with a Player-of-the-Match performance in the drawn first Test, he has some fond memories to reprise.”I’ve been working hard with the guys in Sri Lanka and prior to that I was training quite a bit to improve my batting and tweak a few things technically,” he said. “It is usually a good wicket to bat and bowl on, even though they got 700 last time. I feel quite good and I’m just ready to go out and perform.”Returning for India will be Virat Kohli, their captain and Moeen’s IPL team-mate at Royal Challengers Bangalore, who missed the last three Tests of India’s triumphant tour of Australia.”How do we get him out? He’s obviously an amazing player, world class, he’s very motivated to do well and I’m sure he’ll be even more motivated after they did well in Australia and he had to leave for the birth of his child,” Moeen said. “I don’t know how we’re going to get him out [specifically] because I don’t think he has any sort of weakness but we have a good bowling attack, some pace in the line-up.”He’s a great guy and a good friend of mine – we don’t talk too much about cricket. We do a little bit but not too much.”Moeen would have been scheduled to be rested for part of the India series under the ECB’s policy of resting multi-format players over the winter. Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes missed the Sri Lanka leg of their Asian tour and Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Sam Curran will miss the first two India Tests, with Jos Buttler heading home after the first Test. Talks are ongoing between Moeen and team management about whether he will be rested at some stage during the India tour, given the length of time he will have spent away from home and the fact that he missed the Sri Lanka series through illness.” I’ve been speaking to the selectors and the coaches,” Moeen said. “They’ve picked the squad for the first two games and it all depends where I’m at really. I think I’m due to go home at some stage during the 3rd and 4th (Tests) but we’re not 100 percent sure yet. If I’m playing and doing well, then things could change.”It has felt like a long tour already so far but once you start playing and things gets better and you’re in a better frame of mind then we’ll see. At the moment I’m here for the first two games and depending on how things go, there’s a chance I’ll be going home after that.”Archer, Stokes and Rory Burns arrived in India while England were still in Sri Lanka and so were the first to complete their stints in quarantine, training outdoors together for the first time on Saturday.

Henry Ellison is currently in quarantine, but it is understood that he can work the system remotely if needed

Mohammad Isam18-Jan-2021The first ODI between Bangladesh and West Indies will go ahead with DRS in place, despite its technician, Henry Ellison, currently being currently in quarantine in Dhaka. The BCB has been busy trying to reduce his isolation time by writing to the government, but ESPNcricinfo has learnt that since the necessary DRS equipment has already arrived in the capital, he could even operate them from a remote location, ensuring the availability of the DRS in all three ODIs.According to a circular from the country’s civil aviation authority, all passengers arriving from the United Kingdom from January 16, in addition to a negative Covid-19 test certificate, must be placed in mandatory institutional quarantine for four days, and after testing negative again, go through another ten days of home quarantine.On Monday evening, it appeared that progress had been made with the BCB announcing a list of match officials who will be working on the three-match ODI series, with Ellison’s name listed as “DRS tech”.The civil aviation authority’s ruling has also delayed the announcement of a neutral umpire for the two Test matches that begins on February 3. Bangladesh does not have an umpire in the Elite panel, so the ICC has to send one from another country.Jalal Yunus, the BCB’s media committee chairman, said that they are in discussion with government officials to consider the situation, with the oncoming umpire likely to be from the UK as well.”There will definitely be DRS (in the first ODI) but the issue is with the DRS engineer coming from London,” Yunus said. “You are aware of the Covid protocol for passengers coming from the UK. They have to stay in institutional isolation for the first four days and then the next ten days at their own accommodation.”We have written to the health ministry about this and also spoken to the Covid authority who looks after this. We have to wait and see what happens. We have written to the government to give us a bit of leeway, but within the rules. For the neutral umpire we have a bit of time in hand as they are only coming for the Test matches.”The BCB were successful in reducing the 14-day mandatory quarantine for new batting coach Jon Lewis and bowling coach Ottis Gibson, both of whom arrived from the UK on January 8. The coaches were under BCB’s supervision for the quarantined period, but got out early to begin training of the Bangladesh team in BKSP.