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The absence of Rising Pune Supergiant, the runner-up in the last IPL, has given rise to an interesting challenge for the tournament organsiers, who have not yet announced the final schedule for the 2018 edition. The IPL has only said that the tournament will commence on April 7 in Mumbai, which will also host the final on May 27.Usually, the eliminator and the second qualifier are held at the home venue of the runner-up in the previous season. By that token, Pune should be the automatic choice. However, ESPNcricinfo understands that some of the other state associations are lobbying to host those two play-off matches. Lucknow and Kolkata are two venues that have been pushed as potential favourites to replace Pune.In a move to eliminate rival states from staking claim, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president Abhay Apte sent an e-mail to the IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Monday, requesting that the eliminator and the second qualifier be staged in Pune as per norm.In the two-page letter, Apte noted the MCA request was only valid because the IPL had been following an “unwritten rule” of allotting the tournament opener, the Qualifier 1 and the final to the home venue of the defending champions. “For past several years we are observing a practice, which has become an unwritten rule of playing the first (tournament opener), and Qualifier 1 as well as the final match at the venue of last year’s champions and playing the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 matches at the venue of the runners up team,” Apte said in the e-mail. “Pune IPL team (Supergiant) was the runner-up during the last year’s IPL and of course the home venue was Pune. As such, the venue of the last year’s runners-up of IPL team i.e. MCA’s Gahunje, Pune should be the logical choice to stage the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 matches.”Apte pointed out that “history” could not be changed just because the Supergiant team no longer exists.Pune is also the second choice home venue for the Rajasthan Royals, who are awaiting a final verdict from the Rajasthan High Court on whether matches can be staged at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur.

Listed No. 1 in the ICC rankings for bowlers in ODIs and T20Is, Imran Tahir was “sad” and “down” after going unsold at the IPL auction two months ago. But an injury to Mitchell Marsh opened a door for Tahir: he was signed as a replacement and shone with 3 for 28 in Rising Pune Supergiant’s seven-wicket win in their opening match against Mumbai Indians.After Mumbai raced to 41 for 0 in four overs with consecutive sixes from Jos Buttler, Steven Smith brought on Tahir, who bowled Parthiv Patel around his legs and then removed Rohit Sharma and Buttler within the space of three balls in his next over.”The way they were playing it looked like they were going to end up getting 200,” Tahir told after the match. “I always love challenges, and when I bowl I always look to get wickets. I was very fortunate to get Patel out and obviously, the next two wickets were very special. Those guys were really good against spin bowling and it was very special for me that I got them out and [I’m] really, really happy with the way the ball came out. I’ve been here for one week and I’m trying to do well because it’s a new team and they gave me a lot of confidence.”I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight and try to give as much as I can. I love doing what I’m doing and I always look for a challenge.”Tahir expressed how disappointed he was when no franchise picked him at the auction in February, when he had a base price of INR 50 lakhs. He had been released by Delhi Daredevils after an unimpressive IPL last year, playing four matches for five wickets with an economy rate of 8.62.”I was obviously sad not to be part of this league [in the auction] but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Tahir said. “But really relieved and pleased with myself about playing the way I’ve been playing and just deliver it today.”I’m grateful to god and my family supported me, especially my wife. I was quite down when I didn’t get picked in the league. But our life carries on and I came here to prove myself again, that’s what my job is. I don’t blame no one for not picking me. My job, if someone picks me, is to come and perform, that’s what we do for a living.””I always come on the ground with a smile on the face but inside I’m always ready to fight”•BCCI

Supergiant played two legspinners – Tahir and Adam Zampa – in the absence of R Ashwin and left out Faf du Plessis from the XI. Zampa, their highest wicket-taker last season, did not impress as much as Tahir on Thursday, with 1 for 26 from three overs, but Ajinkya Rahane said the strategy of playing two attacking legspinners worked for them.”Both of them are attacking, both of them look to take wickets, and that’s very important in T20,” Rahane said. “Zampa did well for us last year, and Imran Tahir is a world-class bowler. It’s good to have them both in our side, and we, as a team, know they’re always looking to take wickets.”Rahane gave Supergiant’s chase of 185 impetus, scoring 60 off 34 that featured six fours and three sixes. He brought up his half-century off only 27 balls; Supergiant were 79 for 1 in the ninth over.”When you’re chasing 180-190, it’s important to continue the momentum after the first six overs,” Rahane said. “I knew I was batting really well, and striking the ball well. So, for me, it was really important to play with that same momentum. Smith was completely new [on the pitch] at that time. So, I just wanted to take my chances and play my normal shots. I mean, I didn’t take any risks. But it was important for both of us to keep rotating the strike and hit one boundary or six in an over.”When you are chasing 180 plus, it’s the openers’ job to consolidate the innings. For me and Mayank [Agarwal], our discussion was to play positive cricket. We did not set any target for the first six overs. We just wanted to play our attacking game, and later on just capitalise on that. Unfortunately, he got out, but I was batting well. And Smith was there, I told him I’ll take my chances, and he should just carry on and play a long innings.”

Debate sounded about the Dead Ball law after an unusual gaffe from the Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper Emma Inglis nearly cost her team their Women’s Big Bash League encounter against the Sydney Sixers in Victoria on Wednesday.In a dramatic finish, with the Sixers requiring three runs off the final ball, Inglis’ premature celebrations inadvertently allowed a second run as Sixers tied the Renegades’ score of 120. Renegades, however, prevailed in the one-over eliminator to spare their blushes.With two to defend, Renegades offspinner Amy Satterthwaite pitched up to Sarah Aley, the Sixers No. 9, whose drive trickled down behind square off the inside edge.With the throw from fine leg coming in accurately to Inglis, the two batsmen had just enough time for a single. However, Inglis, in her excitement, did not stand over the stumps and check an acceptance that the ball was dead.Instead, she threw the ball in the air after collecting it cleanly, and allowed it to drop to the ground, leaving the ball still in play. Amid celebrations from the Renegades players, Aley showed sharp presence of mind to spot the opportunity quickly and took off for the second.Satterthwaite seemed to be the only Renegades player to have understood the danger and began to frantically sprint towards the stumps. By the time Inglis had realised her blunder and turned around, Satterthwaite had swooped down on the ball. She dived towards the stumps with the ball in her outstretched right hand, but Aley had put in a timely dive of her own and Sixers secured the tie.Once discussions with the umpires had subsided, players and fans alike studied the Dead Ball law, Law 20, with a debate breaking out on social media. Some claimed that the Law was somewhat contradictory and created a grey area as to when the ball was actually dead.Law 20.2 clearly puts the onus upon the umpires to determine when the ball has come to rest, stating: “Whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for the umpire alone to decide.”Another relevant rule, Law 20.1.1.1, states that the ball becomes dead when “it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the bowler.” However, the Law goes on: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”*The MCC, the custodian of the Laws, backed the decision of the umpires. It said that since the bowler Satterthwaite reacted immediately after Inglis threw the ball, “clearly there is a member of the fielding side who believes it is still live.”In fact, Aley doesn’t set off for her second run until Satterthwaite is half-way down the pitch – at which point the ball cannot be dead under 20.1.2.”After the dramatic tie, the one-over eliminator also went to a last-ball finish. The Sixers lost two wickets as Renegades medium-pacer Hayley Jensen conceded just one four and restricted them to 8. Though the Renegades began with a first-ball four, Sixers stretched the game to the last ball, before Jess Cameron knocked off the requisite one run to seal the win.The Renegades collected two points to move past the Adelaide Strikers into fourth position, while the Sixers remained in second despite their defeat.* January 3, 2.30pm GMT The story has been updated with the MCC’s reaction

Scotland will host Pakistan for a two-match T20I series in Edinburgh next year. It will mark the first face-off between the two sides in the 20-over format since they met in the group stage of the 2007 World T20 in South Africa, where Shahid Afridi’s all-round performance eased Pakistan to a 51-run win.The series, set to be played in the same week that England arrive for an ODI, also at The Grange, will be the first instance of Scotland hosting a Full Member for a T20I. The fixtures against Pakistan will be held on June 12 and 13.Pakistan’s last visit to Scotland was in 2013 for a two-match ODI series, where they defeated the home side by 96 runs before the second game was abandoned due to rain.Weighing in on the significance of the series, Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer said: “To have the opportunity to take on a hugely talented Pakistan team at home in two T20Is is wonderful news for both the players and our supporters.”With these matches taking place in the same week that we host England in an ODI in Edinburgh it gives us a great chance to show how far we have come as a group in both of these formats of the game.”It also means that, having defeated Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka this year, we have another great chance to take some more Full Member scalps. As a squad we want to test ourselves against the world’s best and, in Pakistan and England, we have two of the current top sides in the world coming to Scotland next summer. Along with the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier taking place in 2018, the year is really starting to look like an exciting one for everyone involved in Scottish cricket.”Like many of the Associate nations, Scotland have struggled to arrange fixtures against Full Members. They face a challenge if they are to qualify for the 2019 World Cup, which has been reduced to 10 teams, but could target the next World T20, in three years’ time, as another opportunity to further their cause.

Domestic cricket in Bangladesh should be scheduled during the cooler part of the year, and venues must have better facilities, the former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud has urged. Mashud has asked the BCB to make these changes after many players suffered in the ongoing heat wave across the country.In the 2016-17 season, the National Cricket League first-class tournament began in September but took a break to accommodate the Bangladesh Premier League T20 competition, which was held from November 8 to December 9. The NCL ended after a second phase that stretched from December 20 to January 6.The Bangladesh Cricket League, the four-team first-class competition, then took place from January 28 to March 8. The Dhaka Premier League, which began this season on April 12 and is likely to end in mid-June, has a history of scheduling delays as the major clubs want the top cricketers to participate in the List A competition. Since September last year, the Bangladesh team has been busy playing home or away, so it was hard for the BCB to make the clubs agree to start the DPL in March, when the top cricketers were in Sri Lanka.Mashud, who is also Prime Bank Cricket Club’s coach, said the major domestic competitions such as the DPL and the two first-class competitions must be completed by mid-April.”Implementing the domestic calendar during the season is everyone’s priority,” Mashud wrote in a Facebook post. “It won’t be possible to hold back the [Dhaka Premier] league this season but these concerns should be addressed ahead of the next season. I would urge the BCB to finish the longer-version and one-day competitions by mid-April. They can think of a T20 tournament when the weather gets hotter. I believe such a step will help Bangladesh cricket.”The temperature in Bangladesh touched 38 degrees last week. Mashud cited the examples of Gazi Group batsman Jahurul Islam and Prime Bank wicketkeeper Zakir Hasan, who suffered severe cramps during DPL matches. Zakir was particularly affected during Prime Bank’s May 21 match against Gazi Group Cricketers, suffering seizures despite being given an ice massage in the dressing room. He still hasn’t recovered from his cramps.The DPL has had to deal with other issues too. Avishek Mitra, the Mohammedan Sporting Club batsman, suffered a hamstring injury at the BKSP ground, where there was no ambulance to take him for treatment. In the end, the team had to improvise and use a cycle-van.Mashud also pointed out the effect of power failures, at the BKSP and Fatullah grounds, on players.”Like every other place in the country right now, power failure is also affecting the stadiums,” he wrote. “Cricketers don’t get adequate rest after returning from fielding for 50 overs. While there are generators in place for international matches, it is not the case for domestic games.”It is quite embarrassing to find such a situation in the only List A tournament in the country in which local and foreign stars participate. A bigger challenge awaits from May 24 when the Super League begins. Ramadan is also starting on May 27 which is a major concern for me as a coach.”

ScorecardFile photo – Asela Gunaratne put in an all-round performance for Sri Lanka A•AFP

Asela Gunaratne followed up an impressive 38 with two top-order wickets to help Sri Lanka A close in on victory against West Indies A, who ended day three nine wickets down in their second innings and only 55 in front.Gunaratne first helped Sri Lanka stretch their overnight lead of 72 to 110, adding 49 for the ninth wicket with Lahiru Kumara. Then he took the wickets of Rajendra Chandrika, who failed to go past 5 for the fourth innings in a row, and Shamarh Brooks to hasten West Indies’ second-innings slide. Four West Indies batsmen got past 20, but none of them managed a half-century, with Vishaul Singh top-scoring once again with 46.Gunaratne and offspinner Charith Asalanka took two wickets each, and Asith Fernando removed Singh for 46 as the visitors were reduced to 132 for 8. Sri Lanka were then frustrated by Gudakesh Moti-Kanhai and Keon Joseph, the ninth-wicket pair batting for 19 overs before Lakshan Sandakan trapped Moti-Kanhai in front, off the last ball of the day, to pick up his third wicket.In the morning session, offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall picked up the last two Sri Lanka wickets to end with career-best figures of 8 for 108.

Super Over
ScorecardStafanie Taylor struck her first fifty of the season•Getty Images

In the end, not even a Super Over could separate the Sydney Smash.Having elected to bat, the Sydney Sixers made 138. In reply, the Sydney Thunder managed the same. In the Super Over, the Thunder made eight, then the Sixers did too.Confusion reigned, but the Thunder had won – on the basis that they had hit more boundaries in the 40 overs (16) than the Sixers (14). So, in a game normally won by a number of runs or wickets, the Sydney Thunder had beaten the Sydney Sixers by two boundaries. Eh?The first 40 overs had been an undulating, exciting advert for the Women’s BBL, and the Super Over had the national news on Channel Ten delayed – who knows how many new fans will have stumbled across the game as a result – and as many as 17,000 people watching at the ground.The main event
The 40 overs that were unable to separate the two sides were dominated by fine innings from two top-order batsmen, and the timing of their wickets decided the outcome.First came Ashleigh Gardner, whose stellar competition continued. She came to the crease in the first over with Alyssa Healy gone, and scored a fine 54 from 41 balls, including sixes down the ground and to cow corner. She shared a stand of 65 with Sara McGlashan, who was scratchy early on but grew into her innings. When McGlashan was caught and bowled by Erin Osborne, though, they lost five for 30 from the final 21 balls. Gardner was stumped by Alex Blackwell – making a rare appearance as a wicketkeeper – off Stafanie Taylor (who had earlier taken another key wicket, Elysse Perry), and Sixers hopes of making 150 were over.Ashleigh Gardner continued her fine form•Getty Images

Taylor’s excellent game continued as she made 68, he first half-century of the season, to dominate the chase. Blackwell, who fell to the excellent Kim Garth, then Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in, but Taylor rode her luck (she was dropped three times) to keep her team in it and looked to be guiding them to victory. The late introduction of Lisa Sthalekar in the 15th over put the brakes on the Thunder as she picked up two wickets, then Taylor fell slogging Sarah Aley in the penultimate over. Naomi Stalenberg and Osborne could only manage seven of the eight they needed from the final over; Super Over it was.Super finishSo, how did that Super Over pan out, then? The Thunder batted first. Garth, an Associate rookie and replacement for the absent South African duo Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk, limited Taylor – who earlier made an excellent 68 before falling in the final over – and Rachael Haynes, who was run out off the last ball, to just eight. Garth, continuing the beautiful line and length she had bowled when taking 17 for 1 earlier) had denied them any boundaries, which was a superb effort.Knowing that they had fewer boundaries in regular tim, the Sixers knew they needed nine to win, but the Thunder knew eight would work for them. Healy smote Rene Farrell down the ground for four, but was then carelessly run out. Perry found two through cover, then was caught at long-on. Needing three off the last two, Angela Reakes was run out turning for a second. Gardner, so brilliant earlier, could only scramble her first ball for a single. No one really understood why, but it was not enough.What it all meansBefore the Sydney Smash, the Sixers had won three games (in a run of seven straight victories). The Sixers still sit four points clear at the top of the table, and need to win one of their two remaining fixtures to qualify for a semi-final. The Thunder are sixth, and their hopes of defending their title remain alive.

3:38

Agarkar: Kings XI’s collapse the worst performance this season

Umesh Yadav ambushed KL Rahul and Chris Gayle with short balls and the rest of Kings XI Punjab’s batting line-up made lemmings seem cautious as they were knocked over for 88 in 15.1 overs. Royal Challengers Bangalore chased it down with almost 12 overs to spare and boosted their net run-rate, from -0.26 to +0.21, and their playoff qualification chances. The result also confirmed a top-two finish for current table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad.Kings XI had suffered a big blow even before the first ball was bowled: their top wicket-taker Mujeeb Ur Rahman was sidelined with a hand injury sustained in his previous game against Kolkata Knight Riders. On the flip side, they recalled Marcus Stoinis to bolster a batting line-up that had Axar Patel at No. 6 on Saturday. Stoinis, however, yorked himself against Yuzvendra Chahal and was part of an irreparable collapse. Three of the last four wickets were chaotic run-outs, which summed up Kings XI’s approach on a pitch that wasn’t as flat as the one that produced a run aggregate of 459 on Saturday, but it wasn’t unplayable either.Short ball leaves Kings XI short-changed
Umesh teased Gayle with a brace of outswingers in the corridor, including one that grazed the outside edge, but Parthiv Patel dropped it to reprieve the batsman on 0 in the first over. He then ventured short and kept attacking the body of Gayle, who took seven balls to get off the mark against Umesh. In all, Umesh bowled 15 short or short-of-good-length balls in his three-over first spell, and fetched two wickets in doing so. In his third over, he first had Rahul pulling a catch to deep square leg for 21 off 15 balls and then dismissed Gayle in similar fashion. In the next over, Mohammed Siraj dug one in outside off and coaxed an outside edge from Karun Nair to leave Kings XI at 41 for 3 in the sixth over.The middle-order implosion
In the next over, Stoinis misread the length of a googly from Chahal and was bowled for 2. His Australia team-mate Aaron Finch, though, threatened to haul Kings XI to three figures, but the other end was a revolving door with batsmen entering and exiting in a flash. Besides Rahul and Gayle, Finch (26) was the only other Kings XI batsman to move into double figures. He, however, fell in the 12th over, when he pulled a short ball from Moeen Ali straight into the lap of Virat Kohli at deep midwicket. The RCB captain was simply having fun. He broke into an animated jig, and his team was in such a dominant position that he could afford at least one slip till the end of Kings XI’s innings.Kings XI’s misery, on the other hand, deepened when R Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, and Ankit Rajpoot all ran themselves out. Kings XI’s 88 was the second-lowest total this season, and their joint second-lowest overall. RCB’s ‘perfect’ dayIn the absence of swing and scoreboard pressure, Kohli and Parthiv Patel launched a flurry of boundaries and took RCB to 66 for 0 in the Powerplay. Fourteen balls later, Kohli capped an early finish with a top-edged four. He later said: “It was a perfect day for us. We are in the nothing-to-lose zone and it will work well for us. Other teams will be wary of a team with such a mindset.”If RCB win their remaining two matches, at home against Sunrises Hyderabad followed by an away game against Rajasthan Royals, they could sneak into the playoffs.

Liam Plunkett has signed a three-year deal with Surrey and will leave Yorkshire at the end of the season after becoming the first casualty of the IPL rivalry to England’s county gamePlunkett’s future at Yorkshire was thrown into question on the eve of the season when he accepted a last-minute offer to go to the IPL as a replacement for the injured South African quick Kagiso Rabada at Delhi Daredevils.His departure, plus that of his team-mate David Willey, who also won a late deal with Chennai Super Kings, severely weakened Yorkshire in the early part of the season and prompted Martyn Moxon, the county’s director of cricket, to call for a cut-off window for late IPL call-ups.Willey did sign a new contract at Headingley, but Yorkshire came to the conclusion that Plunkett no longer offered value for money, also taking into account his regular absence with England’s ODI side, and presented white-ball only deals as an inevitable future consequence of divided loyalties.Surrey have the financial clout to play the longer game, in the anticipation that Plunkett may soon be available more regularly, but even for them, and even considering Plunkett’s exceptionally high level of physical fitness, a three-year deal at 33 for an out-and-out fast bowler represents a calculated risk.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, made light of that, saying: “When a player of Liam’s ability and experience becomes available it makes perfect sense to sign him. Adding him to our squad gives us great options in all formats and we look forward to seeing him playing for Surrey over the coming years.”Yorkshire’s emphasis, meanwhile, is on developing a group of young pace bowlers with good availability to foster consistency and togetherness.Moxon said: “We are trying to assemble a squad that has availability and is within our budget to compete in all three domestic competitions. With that in mind we are not in a position to be able to offer Liam a new contract. He has played a big part in our recent success and we obviously thank him for that and wish him well for the future.”In 2017, Plunkett claimed 36 one-day international wickets in the calendar year, the joint-second best haul in the world behind only Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan. He is ranked No. 20 on the ICC’s list of ODI bowlers.But 2017 saw him play only 10 times across all three forms for Yorkshire, with injury ruling him out for large parts as well as the regular international commitments. This year could be even more unproductive as he has played only three Royal London Cup matches and one game in the Vitality Blast.Plunkett, a four-time Specsavers County Championship winner – twice with Durham in 2008 and 2009, and twice with Yorkshire in 2014 and 2015 – was a faltering county pro when Yorkshire took him from Durham, his confidence low and his accuracy awry.Moxon, who had worked with him at Durham, retained faith in his ability and he rebuilt his career under the tutelage of Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s former coach, as he concentrated on fast, aggressive bowling – short or full.That method should be suited to The Oval’s pitches and Surrey will surely make better use of him than Yorkshire as a dangerous lower-order hitter in T20. That reluctance in a side not overstocked with late-order firepower has been hard to understand.”It’s disappointing that it has come to an end,” Plunkett said. “Obviously Yorkshire took a chance on me after Durham and I appreciate everything they’ve done for me. I feel as though I’ve played some of my best cricket at Yorkshire, including getting myself back in to the England team.”There comes a time in people’s careers where you don’t get offered a contract. Obviously, Yorkshire want to go in a different direction. I feel like I’ve met some really good people, made some fond memories and won some good trophies for an incredibly passionate club.”

Sam Billings has said that the chance to learn from MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings during this year’s IPL was an opportunity that made his subsequent struggles for form worthwhile.Billings started his IPL campaign in impressive style with a matchwinning 56 from 23 balls, in partnership with Dhoni, against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he was unable to touch those heights again, as he finished a stop-start stint with 108 runs at 13.50 in ten innings all told.That lack of time in the middle then seemed to spill over into Billings’ sketchy start to his home international summer – he was overlooked for England’s T20 and ODI squads against India after failing in two innings against Scotland and Australia last month.But Billings insists he has few regrets about his time at CSK and says that, as a wicketkeeper-batsman who is now settling into his captaincy role at Kent, Dhoni is a role model whose input and advice can only improve his game.”It was incredible batting with him in the first game, and to get us across the line as well,” Billings told ESPNcricinfo at a Chance to Shine event in Sussex. “What struck me most was his calmness. He’s just so calm the whole time.”I asked him about it, and he said that, through experience and being able to train, he’s got better and better at it towards the latter part of his career. It was amazing to witness – he selects the bowlers that he looks to take down, then executes it as well. It’s pretty special being at the other end and in the same dressing room as someone like that.”The lessons were manifest at the other end of the pitch as well. In light of England’s struggles to pick the variations of India’s mystery spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, in the first T20I, Billings said that exposure to such bowlers on a daily basis was another valuable reason for having a stint in the competition.”You have to adapt very quickly to two high-quality spinners, but that is the benefit of playing in the IPL,” Billings said. “You come up against quality spin every time you play the game. It’s about adapting, having a gameplan and putting the pressure back onto them.”Chahal is a great bowler, he got me out at Bangalore this year, and Kuldeep with his variations is high class as well. The challenge is to adapt as quickly as possible, and certainly the reverse-sweep and sweep are good options, especially if you are not picking them.”Billings returned to form with the bat in the recent Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, although his 75 from 60 balls wasn’t enough to get Kent across the line against Hampshire. Nevertheless, he found himself implementing some of Dhoni’s techniques while marshalling his troops from behind the stumps.Sam Billings will hope to make the most of a rare chance in England’s side•Getty Images

“It was about being conscious of body language, not giving too much away to the batsman but the bowler as well, to be honest,” he said. “People don’t mean to bowl bad balls, but the way Dhoni deals with it and relaxes, ultimately it makes them feel a hell of a lot more comfortable.”Dhoni, however, isn’t the only star batsman from whom Billings has been picking up a few tips in recent months. Jos Buttler’s form, both for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and for England in all formats, has been revelatory – particularly, in T20 cricket, since his move to the top of the order.”He’s one of the best players in the world when he’s playing like he is at the moment,” Billings said. “It’s a pleasure to watch. I’ve known him a long, long time and he’s a great mate of mine, so to see him going so well is brilliant.”To be honest, his game has always been there, it’s just his consistency. Now that he’s putting those consistent scores together, he’s pretty much unstoppable when he gets into full flow.”Consistency for Billings has clearly been lacking of late, although his natural confidence has not been dented by his struggles out in the middle. On the contrary, he sees Buttler’s flowing form as proof that his own good times can roll again.”I’m a similar type of player to Jos, and I’m looking to up my game as well and emulate what he’s done,” Billings said. “To see him go from a middle-order role to excelling at the top of the order is really pleasing. As cricketers now you’ve got to be versatile and he’s doing it as well as anyone now.”It’s tough being in and out of the team and feeling like you have to prove yourself every single time you go out to bat,” Billings said of his stop-start international career. “You play one ODI, then you don’t play another one for nine months. But that’s international sport.”I average over 40 in List A cricket, so my stats are on the board. It’s about reminding myself of what I’ve done with Kent and for the [England] Lions, and focusing on that some more going into the future.”I’m just looking forward to getting another opportunity. It will come at some point, and it’s about taking it, as simple as that. It’s a really hard side to break into at the moment, but there’s plenty of competition around, and when the opportunity arises, hopefully I’ll be ready.”Sam Billings was speaking at an event for National children’s charity Chance to Shine, who are teaming up with ICC and ECB to deliver the Cricket World Cup 2019 Schools’ programme