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The Hindu
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Glenn Phillips ruled out of Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series due to injury
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I Tri-Series, which also involves host Zimbabwe and South Africa. 'BLACKCAPS batting all-rounder Glenn Phillips has been withdrawn from the tour of Zimbabwe after injuring his right groin. Phillips suffered the injury during the Major League Cricket (MLC) final and was assessed on arrival in Zimbabwe where it was determined he would require a number of weeks to rehabilitate. Wellington Firebirds batter Tim Robinson, who joined the squad as cover for players involved in the MLC final, will stay with the squad for the remainder of the T20 Tri-Series,' New Zealand Cricket said in a statement issued on Friday. 'It's obviously disappointing to lose someone of Glenn's calibre. Much like Finn, we really feel for Glenn and that he misses out on this series. We know he was eager to get out on the field for the BLACKCAPS and unfortunately, he won't be able to do that for this series. We know he'll work hard to get himself back onto the park, and I look forward to when that happens,' New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said. Phillips' replacement in the Test squad will be named later. He will return to New Zealand with Mitchell Hay and James Neesham, who were also called in as cover.
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Who is New Zealand explosive hitter Tim Robinson with a javelin past?
It's barely been 15 months since his international debut for New Zealand, but Tim Robinson has put behind the first impression of Shaheen Shah Afridi bowling him for a two ball duck. Midweek, he took on South Africa pacers in the T20 triseries in Zimbabwe and helped deliver a win after resurrecting a crumbling innings with his 57 ball 75 as NZ scored 173/5 and shot out SA for 152. The right-handed 23-year-old who's turned out for Northamptonshire, Wellington Firebirds, Guyana Amazon Warriors, might have struggled against Pakistan but has slowly picked up his average to 29.77 in 11 innings, striking at 131. What makes Robinson, an all-rounder, unique is his past as a javelin thrower. According to Robinson in addition to cricket was a leading javelin thrower, winning the intermediate title at the Secondary Schools Championship in 2017. He finished fifth in senior grade behind his brother Cam, who proceeded to study business agriculture at Massey University. His bowling might have needed managing with age old back problems that torment throwers, but his batting found a career top score in Zimbabwe against the Proteas. Robinson had thrown a 700 gm javelin to 54.43 for Wellington Amateur athletic club at 15, and 45.82 in 2021 for a 800gm javelin, before shifting to cricket. He replaced Finn Allen in the domestic franchise of Smash, as a rookalike batter, but the turning point was touring Pakistan in a Kiwi squad without IPL players, after he came to attention because of 139 off 64 balls with 10 sixes against Otago Volts. According to cricinfo, Robinson alongside Dean Foxcroft and Mitch Hay spent two weeks at the Super Kings academy in Chennai with old friend and Wellington coach Sriram Krishnamurthy to get used to red and black soil pitches last July. Learning to pick right deliveries to sweep was high on their agenda as per cricinfo. As New Zealand rebuilding their T20 side, Robinson will be key to their fortunes in the upcoming World Cup. In 2017 in his erstwhile avatar, with a javelin, Tim and Cam won junior and senior titles at Secondary School Championships,after which Cam had famously quipped to collegesportmedia, that, 'We've always been good at throwing things except tantrums.' Composed under fire – Tim Robinson, take a bow 🫡 With wickets tumbling around him, Robinson stood tall for NZ, crafting a classy 75* off 57, and steered them to 173 in a high-stakes tri-series clash.#SAvNZ #T20ITriSeries — FanCode (@FanCode) July 16, 2025 Tim's best throw of 54.99 had been 4th out of 6, though their spearing journey hadn't started too long before 2017. Winning at McEvedy shield athletics meet, an inter school, had piqued their interest in javelin. 'I gave up cricket because I thought I was fast, when I was not,' Cam had told At Wellington, they had been trained by coach Debbie Strange, coach of Olympian Stuart Farquhar. They spent their holidays shearing sheep at the family farm at Hunterville. Against Proteas, Robinson had a partnership of 103 in 63 balls with SA-born Bevon Jacobs (44 off 30) after all of Devon Conway, Daryll Mitchell, Mitchell Hay and Jimmy Neesham went for single digits as Proteas' Kwena Maphaka and Lungi Ngidi and Gerald Coetzee struck blows. Robinson later told New Zealand Cricket & CSA, 'We were obviously struggling when we lost those early wickets and it's something we discussed me & Bevon…during the innings and that's obviously… But I think the way we sort of thought about it was that longer we spent at crease easier runs would come and we couldn't afford to lose more wickets so we tried to take it as deep as we could and we had to run hard on long side but obviously we got lucky along the way. That's cricket.' On Jacobs, who moved to NZ at 3, Robinson said, 'You look at him and he's quite the big guy and will hit the ball long and he sure did. It's fantastic batting with him. What struck me was when he came out and seemed to enjoy it and looked comfortable out there and played a good knock. I think he's going to play a lot of cricket so it's a good sign.' Maphaka claiming wickets signalled arrival of new express pacer, and Robinson said, 'I think the Proteas balling is exceptional and their use of long side was exceptional. They bowled well with the new ball. It was hard when we continued to lose wickets. As we went deep we kept more wickets in the bank so we could capitalise in the end. As a batter that's one thing you do… Know where your feet are and play the ball that comes to you. For me, it's not about milestones, they are not on my radar but contributing to a win for your country is a great feeling and one I hope to replicate. Obviously it's nice you got to a 50 or something but it's about contributing to the win is rewarding.' He typified the NZ approach to adaptability. 'T20 cricket – When you lose wickets it's hard to keep momentum and it's about small moments. While getting the win gives us confidence which we hope to carry on to Friday. We pride ourselves in adapting as quickly as we can. But different game, different wickets, different bowlers,' he said. Robinson was enjoying playing in Zimbabwe. 'Zimbabwe's a great country to play in. Weather is fantastic, people are nice and accommodating. And I love steaks. Steaks are my favourite. They make it a little different,' he said. SA batting coach Ashwell Prince ceded the Robinson -Jacobs partnership had been costly. 'The target was gettable. It was a good pitch. We lost a few wickets early on and were up against it. But we got to get something going but kept losing wickets all the way through and fell short. We bowled well. Used the bouncers that got us some wickets. But their partnership towards the end gave them a competitive score,' he said. On their own batting he added, 'It's nature of T20 cricket. This is how we can go. They have a good side. We have a fairly young side. But we didn't get any batting rhythm going early on. And that's the key when chasing a score to get some rhythm and a partnership early on. We know we have power to catch up, and balance between runs required and how many we need to get.' The two teams rebuilding after some high profile retirements in T20 are trying out new names. Lhuandre Pretorius who scored a century in Tests was stuttering a bit in T20s, but Prince laughed off suggestions he was struggling. 'Lhuandre? Struggling? I don't think so. You gotta bear in mind he's 19. Not everytime he's going to walk out and smash 50, 100s. Against Zimbabwe he played a pull shot. Today against New Zealand he was playing well. Maybe he got a little cute with his shot and lost his wicket. He's a talented player but he's 19. He'll make errors that young players do. Against New Zealand today's lineup was also a bit experimental in terms of left right combination that you try to maximise the short boundary. Next time you play what's in front of you. But we are also beatable. We take it one game at a time.' When told none of Saffers had got to 50, he explained, 'It's not about getting to a 50. If it was that then he would've taken 6 more. It's not about that. It's about going out there and playing on the front foot – that is sticking to your style. If you are aggressive that's how you play. And what we encourage. It's not about getting to a 50. Brevis has played around the world, exposed to different leagues, teams and pressures. But at end of the day they have come to international cricket and its biggest stage at 18, 19. But we trust their abilities .'
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Azhar admits Pak bowling woes
Pakistan's bowling coach Azhar Mahmood has expressed concerns about the bowling unit's recent performances, admitting that as a group, they have not been delivering the expected results. While addressing to the media in Wallington on Tuesday, Azhar was optimistic to finish the series on a positive note. He also hinted at one or two changes in the playing XI for the final match of the series, as the team looks to improve its performance. He stated, "We need to understand that bowling, like batting, requires teamwork. All three bowlers need to perform together. While one bowler may bowl well, others are not always able to deliver the same level of performance." Mahmood emphasized the importance of consistency among the bowlers to achieve better results, something that has been lacking in recent matches. He also discussed individual performances, mentioning that Haris Rauf had bowled exceptionally well in the matches, but the rest of the bowlers were unable to maintain that level. "Our job is to motivate the players, and we are working hard to ensure that we finish the series with a 3-2 result," he said. "We have lost the series, we're not out of any tournament," he added. Mahmood further addressed the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Shaheen Afridi's performance, explaining that while Shaheen's deliveries were edged, it did not result in a wicket. He also noted that the pitch conditions had more bounce than usual, which added another challenge for the bowlers. Reflecting on the New Zealand series, Mahmood highlighted the challenges the batsmen faced with bounce and pace. He advised the batsmen not to fight against the pace but to use it to their advantage. For the bowlers, he instructed them to maintain a specific length, ensuring they could exploit the conditions effectively. With a young squad still in the learning phase, Mahmood is hopeful for improvements in the final T20I and remains focused on motivating the players. The bowling coach is working towards securing a stronger finish for Pakistan in the series, despite the challenges they have faced so far. The final T20I of the series will be played tomorrow, March 26, in Wellington. New Zealand ODI squad Having gained an unassailable lead in the ongoing five-T20I series against Pakistan, the hosts have named their squad for the upcoming ODIs. Tom Latham will take over as skipper in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan, with white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner missing out. While eight of the 13 players named in the squad featured in New Zealand's ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 squad, multiple fresh faces also earned call-ups for the home side. Top-order batter Nick Kelly and left-arm pacer Muhammad Abbas, both of whom play for Wellington Firebirds in New Zealand's first-class circuit, have earned their maiden call-ups to the national side. Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Santner all missed out, given their IPL commitments, while veteran Kane Williamson was unavailable for selection. Will Young, who forged a century in the opening game of the Champions Trophy against Pakistan, will join Kelly at the top of the order while Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith will form the middle order. In the bowling department, Will O'Rourke, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith and Ben Sears will feature in a four-prong pace attack with both Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson missing out. Henry is undergoing rehabilitation from a right shoulder injury, which led to him missing out on featuring in the Champions Trophy Final earlier this month. Jamieson, meanwhile, has been rested with the selectors managing his workload. In the spin department, all-rounder Bracewell will be joined by 22-year-old Auckland Aces leg spinner Adi Ashok, who has received his second call-up to the ODI squad, having made his debut against Bangladesh in 2023. New Zealand will play the first ODI against Pakistan on Saturday, 29 March in Napier. New Zealand squad: Tom Latham (c), Muhammad Abbas, Adi Ashok, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Mitch Hay, Nick Kelly, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young.
