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Under this amnesty, reporting any previous corrupt approach in Sri Lankan cricket will not result in the player being punished

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2019The ICC has announced a 15-day amnesty from January 16 to 31 to participants who have previously failed to report corruption-related offences in Sri Lankan cricket. Under this amnesty, reporting a previous corrupt approach now will not result in any punishment for the player.”This is the first time the ICC has held an amnesty and it is in response to the very specific challenges we face in Sri Lanka,” Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager, said.”If any player or participant has any information concerning corrupt conduct they should come forward and share it with us now without fear of any repercussions.”ALSO READ: Jayasuriya charged under ICC anti-corruption code; Zimbabwe series in focusUnder normal circumstances, failure to report a corrupt approach without delay can result in players being banned. With the amnesty in place, this won’t happen.Three former Sri Lanka players, including Sanath Jayasuriya, have been charged under ICC anti-corruption code in the past few months. In October after Jayasuriya was charged, Marshall stated that a team was on the island “as part of [their] ongoing investigations into serious allegations of corruption in cricket in the country”.Former fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa, who had been working as a coach in the Sri Lanka system, and allrounder Dilhara Lokuhettige, have also been charged.Reports can be made 24 hours a day in the following ways:ICC Integrity App, which is available for download by searching ‘ICC Integrity’ via the Apple ‘App Store’ or ‘Android Apps’ICC ACU Hotline: +971 565 458909ICC ACU e-mail: [email protected]

Pakistan captain asks why India don’t have to switch back and forth between venues when all the other teams do

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-2018Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, hasn’t taken the Asia Cup scheduling too kindly, given it will leave his team travelling back and forth from Abu Dhabi to Dubai for the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup. This will also be the case for Afghanistan and Bangladesh, while India have been exempted from the 90-minute trip.As per the rules, the team that finishes second in Group A will play their first Super Four game in Abu Dhabi. However, a late tweak has been made by the organisers to ensure India will continue to be based in Dubai, irrespective of where they finish in the pool.”If you talk about the pool, India remain here even if they lose,” Sarfraz said. “Travelling is an issue. If you travel for one-and-a-half hour during matches, then it’s tough. In this weather, it is tough because after one day you play another game. I think it should be even for all the teams, whether it’s India or Pakistan. If there are matches in Abu Dhabi, then every team has to play there. I don’t know what the Asian Cricket Council has done about it.”Scheduling aside, a focused Sarfraz fielded a variety of questions, from the pressure of an India-Pakistan game to the hype associated with it. His solution to prevent players from feeling the pinch of an India-Pakistan contest is to play every game with that intensity. He has, however, been telling his team one thing – “The Champions Trophy win is history. Don’t look too much into it.””It’s in the past now. Obviously, it was a great win and we have good memories that will be with us forever, but this is a new game, a new event,” he said. “The atmosphere has changed, we have winning momentum [from the game against Hong Kong] which we want to carry forward.”The one thing he has completely distanced himself from is social media and television news. He had a taste of the build-up for the clash back home, but wants to stay away from the hype to remain focused. He hopes his team would be able to do the same. There will be added attention to the match, with Imran Khan, their World Cup-winning captain and now Prime Minister of the country, likely to be in attendance.”We’ll try to take the game as a normal game. I’ve told the players to play the match in the same manner as we do normally,” Sarfraz said. “The fans say that whatever happens you have to win, but as a captain, I have to win against every team. It would be the same for India too. Yes, their [fans’] wishes give us inspiration. In the past, it has happened that whoever performs in the [India-Pakistan] match becomes a hero.”Sarfraz also didn’t make much of India being without Kohli. “As far as India is concerned, Kohli is their captain for the last two years or so, so as a team it [playing under someone else] is different for them,” he said. “I don’t know what Rohit’s thinking as captain is, whether he takes the same strategy. [Kohli] is a world-class player, but they have got some very good players and have done well in the past.”

Six major venues across South Africa will host the competition which is set to start in November

Liam Brickhill11-Oct-2018Wanderers, Kingsmead, Newlands, SuperSport Park, St. George’s Park and Boland Park will be the host venues for the six teams in Cricket South Africa’s new-look T20 league.CSA announced the venues following an assessment by Nielsen Sport, a sports industry data analysis firm. While CSA has asserted that they own all the teams, the chief executives at the various bodies that run South Africa’s cricket grounds – Cricket Boland, Western Province Cricket Association, Eastern Province Cricket Board, Gauteng Cricket Board, Northerns Cricket Union and KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union – will essentially be the team managers, appointing coaches.”The key mandate given to all our Members in applying to be a host venue was the primary goal of luring new and traditional fans, other sports fans and the wider general public to our stadia,” said CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe. “This process was, in fact, started some time ago when CSA embarked on a National Stadium Grading Process of all our first-class venues.”The various CEOs who have been running those stadiums will act as managers for these various teams. They will come out and announce the new names of the teams, the logos of what the teams will look like, and they are the ones who will then appoint the coaches, and the coaches will appoint their own support staff.”The league itself has not yet been named, but Moroe explained during a pitch-side interview at South Africa’s T20I against Zimbabwe in East London that it would have a “uniquely South African” name.”It won’t be called the Global T20,” he said. “I hope it’s a name that South Africans will be proud of. We just thought of a uniquely South African name.”Moroe’s interview during the game was aired on SABC 3, the same channel that the T20 league games will be shown on after CSA’s announced a partnership with SABC, South Africa’s public broadcaster. That deal reportedly gave the SABC exclusive official broadcast rights for the Sub-Saharan regionThe new league is set to launch on November 9, with the player draft scheduled for October 17. While the details of the draft are yet to be divulged, team names are expected to be announced in the next few days. But with under a month to go, the timeline to market and deliver the event is shrinking, especially as CSA and SABC are still yet to agree to the specifics of their deal and sign a full contract.”We’re working very hard with SABC in terms of drafting the contract, we just want to wrap up the long-form agreement between us, the SABC as well as our other partners then we can make all the necessary announcements,” Moroe said at Buffalo Park.”This is purely a step that we need to follow from a risk point of view, giving the disappointment of us having to postpone the league last year. The board has given me a strict mandate that before we announce anything, we have all the necessary agreements in place and they’re signed.”Despite losses of over R200 million following the failure of the inaugural GLT20, CSA has said that its annual financial statements would still show “substantial reserves”. They will have to dig a little deeper into those reserves in their new league’s first season, for which they are budgeting for a R40 million loss.While those sorts of costs are nothing unusual – it took years for IPL teams to start making a profit, the Big Bash League made a AUD33 million loss over its first five years, and the ECB’s new competition, The Hundred, is facing spiralling costs – CSA is also facing the threat of legal action from several owners of the initial GLT20. That may necessitate further costs before the new T20 league gets underway.

India and South Africa appear best placed at the moment, but there’s still room for all that to change

S Rajesh02-Nov-2022India
If India beat Zimbabwe, or if the game is washed out, then they will be in the semi-finals, as neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh can get to seven points. However, if India lose their last game, and Pakistan win both their remaining games, and South Africa lose to Pakistan but beat Netherlands, South Africa (on points) and Pakistan (on net run-rate) can finish ahead of India.South Africa
With five points in their kitty from three games, a superb NRR of 2.772, and two games still to come, South Africa are in an excellent position to seal a semi-final slot. If they win one of those two games and get up to seven points, they will finish among the top two. However, if they lose both matches, they will be in contention only if the Bangladesh vs Pakistan match is washed out, in which case both those teams will also finish on five points.Bangladesh
Bangladesh need to win their last match, and then hope that South Africa get no more than one point from their two remaining games. In that case, both Bangladesh and South Africa will be level on six points, but Bangladesh will finish ahead despite a poorer NRR because they will have three wins compared to South Africa’s two. (In case teams are level on points, the number of wins is the first tie-breaker, followed by NRR.)If South Africa move to seven points, then Bangladesh will almost certainly be knocked out as their NRR is too far behind India’s. For Bangladesh’s NRR to go past India’s, the sum of the margin of those two results – Bangladesh beating Pakistan and Zimbabwe beating India – will have to exceed 150 runs.Pakistan
For Pakistan to make it through with six points, they will have to finish ahead of at least one of India and South Africa. They can finish ahead of South Africa if South Africa get no more than one point from their game against Netherlands, as Pakistan will have more wins.Pakistan’s superior NRR, which is currently 0.765, means they can also move past India if India lose to Zimbabwe. For instance, even if Pakistan score 160 and win by just one run in each of their last two matches, they will finish ahead of India if Zimbabwe beat them by eight or more runs (after scoring 160). However, if India manage even one point from their last game, they will obviously move beyond Pakistan’s reach.Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe can get to five points, which means they can be tied on points with Pakistan, Bangladesh (if their game is washed out), and South Africa (if they lose both games), but Zimbabwe’s NRR is too low to make them serious contenders. Even if they beat India by 50 runs, they will need South Africa to lose their two remaining matches by a combined total of 80 runs to overhaul their NRR.

Dockrell, who played against Sri Lanka despite having Covid, continues to train in isolation from the broader group

Valkerie Baynes25-Oct-20223:35

Kumble: Death bowling is always an issue with England

Big picture

This T20 World Cup has already produced some notable twists and turns, from Logan van Beek’s snake-hipped celebrations as Netherland qualified for the Super 12s to India’s thrilling victory over Pakistan at a fever-pitched MCG, an early exit for two-time winners West Indies and New Zealand’s dismantling of defending champions Australia. But it is hard to see England vs Ireland venturing too far off-piste.England wobbled in their opening match against Afghanistan, where they were 65 for 3 in the 11th over chasing just 113 before winning by five wickets, a victory built largely on Sam Curran’s brilliant death bowling as he claimed 5 for 10 in 3.4 overs. Ireland, who successfully navigated the first round for just the second time in their history by knocking West Indies out with a convincing nine-wicket victory, dropped their first Super 12s match by the same margin when they were outplayed by Sri Lanka.England will want to address a misfire after their top four all failed to reach 20 against Afghanistan and the team managed just seven boundaries in all off the bat, including three in five balls to No. 5 Liam Livingstone. But seamers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes made continued good progress along their respective injury comeback trails to bolster Curran’s diamond run. Ireland opener Paul Stirling looks in decent touch with an unbeaten 66 against West Indies and 34 from 25 balls as his team’s second-highest scorer behind Harry Tector’s 45 against Sri Lanka, but both will need more against England.These sides have only faced off once in T20Is, when their match at the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in Guyana was washed out in the fourth over of Ireland’s run-chase with eventual champions England attempting to defend a meagre 120 for 8 and avoid bowing out in the first round. Ireland have beaten them twice in ODIs, however, including at the 2011 World Cup in India but, in winning 4-3 in Pakistan and beating Australia 2-0 (their final game was rained off) immediately before this tournament, England remain favourites.

Form guide

England WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Ireland LWWLWAndy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling will be key for Ireland•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

Alex Hales has a prime opportunity to rediscover the form on Australian soil that was key to his recall for England after three years on the outer. His return started brightly with a half-century against Pakistan in Karachi last month, his first international match since March 2019. Upon reaching Australian shores again, where he had amassed 11 fifties and a ton in 45 matches for Sydney Thunder during that time in the Big Bash League, Hales scored 84 in the first of three matches with the hosts.Since then, however, he has posted 4, 0, 9 (in the World Cup warm-up against Pakistan in Brisbane) and 19 in England’s tournament opener against Afghanistan. In the 10 T20Is he has played since his international comeback, Hales averages 23.70 with a strike rate of 137.9 and two fifties compared to a career average of 29.85 and strike rate of 136.80 with 10 fifties and a century. Getting back into a rhythm in the next match could spell danger for Ireland – and the sides to follow.Andy Balbirnie‘s quick-fire 37 off 23 balls against West Indies hinted at the Ireland captain playing a key role in his side’s fortunes at this event. But since a half-century followed by 46 at home to Afghanistan in August, it’s his only innings of note.Four single-figure scores, including 1 against Sri Lanka, during a stretch where he has otherwise failed to pass 15 could pique his desire to dig deep for a big innings. With Stirling, Balbirinie can forge a formidable partnership, as England discovered in their 50-over encounter at Southampton in 2020. Reprise that sort of stand and anything can happen.

Team news

The poser for England is whether they exercise caution with Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, making their way back from elbow and knee surgery respectively. Woakes, who had been in doubt for the first game because of a thigh problem before taking 1 for 24 from his four overs, said he was hopeful of playing all five Super 12s games. Jos Buttler said on match eve that he was keen to play his strongest available side according to conditions, which would suggest both play. Should they place one or both seamers in cotton wool, England have David Willey and Chris Jordan in the wings, as well as Tymal Mills – a late injury replacement for Reece Topley.England (probable): 1 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Harry Brook, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes/David Willey, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood/Chris JordanIreland have plumped for the same XI for their first four games, including two victories which followed their first-up defeat to Zimbabwe, and may well stick with their line-up. George Dockrell continues to train in isolation from the broader group while experiencing mild symptoms, having played against Sri Lanka after testing positive for Covid-19.Ireland (probable): 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 4 Harry Tector, 5 Curtis Campher, 6 George Dockrell, 7 Gareth Delany, 8 Mark Adair, 9 Simi Singh, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Josh Little

Pitch and conditions

Ireland lost five wickets to spin against Sri Lanka in Hobart, but with some vicious pace and bounce on offer from the MCG pitch during epic India vs Pakistan fixture, Wood’s express speed is a big plus for England. With rain forecast for the afternoon and evening in Melbourne, swing could play a part too, making England the happier side.

Stats and trivia

• England have hit a six once every 17 balls in T20Is since 2021, a record bettered only by India. Will this approach work against the big boundaries of the ‘G?
• Stirling averages just 24.64 from 17 innings at a strike rate of 120.62 in all World Cups.
• Ireland are yet to win a match batting first in T20 World Cup history. They have lost six in seven games with one no result.

Quotes

“Watching the game here between India and Pakistan, there was certainly some quality bowlers on show but they certainly got some assistance… it’s about seeing what’s in front of us on that day. If the ball is swinging, can we use that to our advantage? If it’s not, can we recognise that quickly and change plans if we have to?”
“It’s making sure that we understand the situation, the conditions, the opposition, use that as a competitive advantage that we know that they know that we know that they know.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the teams in the South Group for the Vitality T20 Blast

David Hopps02-Jul-2018

Essex Eagles

T20 best: SF 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013
2017: 8th, South Group; Run rate 8.70; Economy rate 8.58
Captain: Ryan ten Doeschate
Coach: Anthony McGrath
Overseas Players: Neil Wagner (NZ), Adam Zampa (Aus), Peter Siddle (Aus)Essex, perpetually nearly men, had qualified from the group stages five times in a row until last season’s blip and the addition to the coaching staff of Dimitri Mascarenhas, recently coach to the Melbourne Renegades, aims to recover that reputation. They also field a legspinner they have long yearned for – Australian Adam Zampa is available throughout. One fact not widely appreciated is that Varun Chopra was in the top three six hitters last season, quite a feat for an orthodox batsman not known for brutish strength. With their Championship defence misfiring, some raucous nights at Fortress Chelmsford could come at a good time.One to watch: Zampa was described in one Australian newspaper as “a deep-thinking vegan warrior” which might come as a shock on a raucous Friday night at Fortress Chelmsford. His primary task is to take wickets in the middle overs and he comes with a wealth of T20 experience. Eager to prove his worth, he has been warming up with a month’s club cricket in the Essex League for Brentwood.In a word: Unfulfilledbet365: 12

Glamorgan

T20 best: SF 2004, 2017
2017: SF; RR 8.82; ER 8.50
Captain: Colin Ingram
Coach: Robert Croft
Overseas Players: Usman Khawaja (Aus), Shaun Marsh (Aus)Which Glamorgan are we about to see? Will it be the county which reached the semi-finals in 2017 and, powered by Colin Ingram, were championed as the most dangerous white-ball side in the county’s history, or will it be the county that has had a nightmarish season in both Championship and 50-over cricket as efforts to build a team with a strong Welsh flavour have proved such a difficult challenge? Ingram’s 59 sixes last season won recognition as the PCA’s T20 Blast Player of the Year and attracted interest from Australia and Pakistan. Now captain and white-ball specialist, his task is to build a Glamorgan side in his own image.One to watch: Andrew Salter has long regarded as a natural successor to Robert Croft, his county coach, as a run-making offspinner and some useful overs would be of great benefit to a Glamorgan side that convinces more in batting than bowling.In a word:Yearningbet365: 18Michael Klinger flicks into the leg side•Getty Images

Gloucestershire

T20 best: BF 2007
2017: 9th, South Group; RR 7.53; ER 7.87
Captain: Michael Klinger
Coach: Richard Dawson
Overseas Players: Michael Klinger (Aus), Andrew Tye (Aus)Michael Klinger retired entirely from first-class cricket in Australia earlier this year, but he has two more seasons as a T20 cricketer with Gloucestershire, where he has been one of the most productive and popular overseas cricketers of recent years. He faces a considerable task to rally a Gloucestershire side that finished bottom last year and which looks short on star quality. Ryan Higgins, a shrewd acquisition from Middlesex, has proved himself more than just a batsman who makes things happen by improving his medium-paced swing bowling so much that he finds himself top of the county’s Championship averages: Gloucestershire need some exciting nights from him.One to watch: Benny Howell is one of English cricket’s most underrated T20 cricketers and that frustrates him so much that he even took to the pages of magazine to present himself as worthy of an international cap. Howell, who learned his change-ups by studying baseball pitchers, is likely again to prove himself one of the most skilful and economical T20 bowlers around.In a word: Resourcefulbet365: 20

ESPNcricinfo top four prediction

Surrey
Hampshire
Essex
Sussex

Hampshire

T20 best: Winners 2010, 2012
2017: SF; RR 8.44; ER 8.17
Captain: James Vince
Coach: Craig White
Overseas Players: Colin Munro (NZ), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afg), Dale Steyn (SA)Hampshire have made seven Finals Day appearances, more than any other county, and disposed of Kent over 50 overs in the Royal London Cup final on Saturday. It would be no surprise to see them follow up with the Blast. The Ageas Bowl should fairly be bouncing, such is the talent on show. The replacement of George Bailey and Shahid Afridi with Colin Munro and Mujeeb Ur Rahman gives the squad a more youthful feel and Sam Northeast brings more vigour to the middle order. James Vince has been in dreamlike batting form since his England omission and Reece Topley is desperate to reassert himself with the ball. Mason Crane’s fitness is a worry.One to watch: Discovering how Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, only 17, copes with a summer of T20 in England will be one of the great delights. No spinner with more than 10 wickets had a better average at the IPL this year and his ability to bowl off and leg spin identifies him as the most exciting teenager around.In a word: Eminentbet365: 8Darren Stevens bowls against Essex•Getty Images

Kent Spitfires

T20 best: Winners 2007
2017: 6th South Group; RR 8.63; ER 8.88
Captain: Sam Billings
Coach: Matt Walker
Overseas Players: Adam Milne (NZ), Carlos Brathwaite (WI), Marcus Stoinis (AUS)Canterbury is one of the sleepier T20 venues with indifferent advance ticket sales. They deserve a rush of enthusiasm because they have one of the most exciting batting line-ups in the country even without Northeast, who upped sticks to join Hampshire with a few sideswipes at what he regarded as old-fashioned committee ways. It has to be said that Kent have responded to his absence in positive fashion, on and off the field. The batting form of Heino Kuhn and Joe Denly swept Kent to the Royal London Cup final, and the skipper Sam Billings is back from IPL and England duties, but the seam attack is vulnerable and James Tredwell’s long-term shoulder injury puts a lot of spin bowling responsibility on Imran Qayyum.One to watch: Darren Stevens, at 42, fills every club cricketer with hope as they imagine if only they could match his guile and control then, at between 65 and 70mph, they to could become one of the stalwarts of the county circuit. Add his 3,128 runs at a strike rate of 141.92 and it is little wonder that Stevens is held in such regard. If this really is his final season, he deserves a great send-off on every ground he plays on.In a word:Unbalancedbet365: 16

Middlesex

T20 best: Winners 2008
2017: 7th South Group; RR 8.34; ER 8.41
Captain: Dawid Malan
Coach: Daniel Vettori
Overseas Players: Ashton Agar (Aus), Dwayne Bravo (WI)Much was made last season about the recruitment of Daniel Vettori as coach and Brendon McCullum as part-time captain, but the outcome was much as ever as Middlesex, often disappointing in the decade since they won the trophy, finished seventh. Vettori, who has also overseen some modest seasons at Royal Challengers Bangalore, is back again, this time overseas recruitment consisting of Dwayne Bravo and an Australian version of Vettori himself, if somewhat less hirsute – Ashton Agar. Middlesex will hope to be in contention when Eoin Morgan returns from England duties: his record last season of one fifty in 14 goes (average below 23, strike rate below 130) lacked the inspiration Middlesex need from an England captain and questioned his ability to mentally attune to the county game.One to watch: Ireland’s uncomplicated strokemaker Paul Stirling had a brilliant 50-over competition, making three hundreds in eight innings and averaging 73.57 at strike rate of 89.25. His impact at the top of the order will be crucial.In a word: Disappointingbet365: 14Corey Anderson gave Surrey a scare•Getty Images

Somerset

T20 best: Winners 2005
2017: QF; RR 9.04; ER 8.75
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Coach: Andy Hurry
Overseas Players: Corey Anderson (NZ)Somerset only field one overseas player and Corey Anderson, the New Zealand allrounder, is back to complete his “unfinished business” after his 2017 season was interrupted by a back injury while bowling his first over of the campaign, against Surrey at Kia Oval: he worked off his frustration by slamming 81 from 45 balls and managed four matches. Somerset’s impressive young Championship skipper, Tom Abell, steps down for Lewis Gregory in T20 which is not ideal with Gregory’s future still in doubt. Some high-scoring matches are in store at Taunton, but Somerset might be pushed to repeat last season’s quarter-final. Legspinner Max Waller is a homegrown T20 specialist.One to watch: Quite which of Somerset’s young batsmen will get opportunities in the Blast is uncertain, but if George Bartlett finds himself on the team sheet ahead of Fin Tremouth and Tom Banton he will not be overawed. Bartlett, who struck the highest overseas score by an England U-19 batsman last year – 179 against India in Nagpur – has followed up this season with a maiden Championship hundred and has shown flashes of great promise as a top-order batsman.In a word: Entertainingbet365: 12

Surrey

T20 best: Winners 2003
2017: QF; RR 8.49; ER 8.65
Captain: Jade Dernbach
Coach: Michael Di Venuto
Overseas Players: Aaron Finch (Aus), Nic Maddinson (Aus)Surrey should once again have bragging rights among the two London counties and packed crowds at Kia Oval should be rewarded with a last-eight place. The presence of Morne Morkel on a two-year Kolpak deal has allowed Surrey to major on two overseas batsmen: the Australians Aaron Finch and Nic Maddinson, who headed Sydney Sixers’ run charts in last season’s Big Bash. Youngster Will Jacks might also force his way in. Jade Dernbach, quite the trusted old pro these days, skippers an attack based on the two Curran brothers, England calls notwithstanding. Gareth Batty, overshadowed in the Championship these days by Amar Virdi, will be hankering for a scrap or two.One to watch: Ollie Pope’s invention created a favourable impression when he broke into Surrey’s T20 side last summer and since then his reputation has leapt ahead with three centuries and an average of 93 in the Championship. England is drowning in talented batsman-keepers and Pope’s exuberance has already won him a host of admirers.In a word: Exhilaratingbet365: 7Jofra Archer shows off his athleticism as he puts out a sliding stop•BCCI

Sussex Sharks

T20 best: Winners 2009
2017: 5th; RR 8.63; ER 8.31
Captain: Luke Wright
Coach: Jason Gillespie
Overseas Players: Rashid Khan (Afg), Tom Bruce (NZ)No county possesses a more talented bowling attack than Sussex – indeed, if they all stay fit, fitting them all in the side might be the biggest challenge for the coach, Jason Gillespie. The IPL-tested trio of Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills, the parsimonious left-arm spin of Danny Briggs and the teenaged Afghan leg-break bowler Rashid Khan (who might limit opportunities for Will Beer) are just for starters. Sussex’s major task will be to make enough runs which makes the New Zealander Tom Bruce, who replaces the injured Stiaan van Zyl, the most vital player of all in an XI that will need to bat deep and has the capacity to do so.One to watch: Laurie Evans is likely to take over the top-order role that Chris Nash, now at Nottinghamshire, performed so successfully for many years. Evans topped the batting averages in the 50-over competition and he will also be crucial to Sussex’s chances.In a word: Panachebet365: 7