The sixth season of Pakistan’s domestic T20 competition, the Pakistan Super League, has been postponed indefinitely with immediate effect after a hike in virus cases amongst players and support staff. 

“Following a meeting with the team owners and considering the health and wellbeing of all participants is paramount, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to postpone the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 with immediate effect. The decision was made after seven cases were reported in the competition, which had started on 20 February,�?said a release from the Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday.

“The PCB, as an immediate step, will focus on the safe and secure passage of all participants, and arrange repeat PCR tests, vaccines and isolation facilities to the six participating sides.

“PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, Director �?Commercial Babar Hamid, will hold a media conference at the National Stadium at 3 pm to provide further updates.

“Due to limited space in the press conference room, TV camera persons are not allowed and the press conference will be live-streamed on the PCB YouTube Channel.�?/span>

It was earlier today, March 4, that three new virus cases were reported, including the likes of Quetta Gladiators batsman Tom Banton and Karachi Kings fielding coach Kamran Khan, which forced the organising committee to call for a meeting and make a decision. 

In a statement further, PCB said that those infected with the virus will self-isolate themselves for 10 days. “The three players were not part of the sides that featured in Wednesday’s HBL Pakistan Super League 6 double-header, and had been tested in the afternoon after showing symptoms,�?the PCB said.

“The HBL PSL 6 organising committee will hold a virtual meeting with the team owners and management later on Thursday, following which a further update will be provided,�?it added.

On Tuesday, PCB had reported that two foreign players have been infected with the virus and a day before, Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed had tested positive.

Feature Image Courtesy: Twitter/ Pakistan Super League

Despite being one of the most sought-after opening batsmen in T20 cricket, the Australia limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch has been hugely inconsistent in the Indian T20 League. His last tally of over 300 runs was recorded way back in 2016, following which he returned with strike rates of 166.11, 134, and 111.20.

Though Team Bangalore reached the play-offs last season, Finch’s contribution was very limited and the rise of Devdutt Padikkal further slashed his chances of getting retained.

However, Finch was one of Australia’s main run-getters in the recently concluded Indian tour of Australia, where the opener amassed 249 runs in the three-match ODI series. Hence, the Indian T20 League franchises are expected to throw their hat in the ring for Finch in the auction next month.

Here are three teams who should go for Aaron Finch in the auction:

Kolkata

The two-time Indian T20 League champions had felt the absence of Chris Lynn direly in the last edition of the tournament, when their constant experiment at the top with Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi and Sunil Narine could only fetch the side a fifth-place finish out of the playoffs.

With Team Kolkata releasing Tom Banton and Varun Chakravarthy rising as Narine’s replacement with the ball, Brendon McCullum will be looking for a seasoned opener to take onus at the top. And Finch, who has been a part of the Indian T20 League since 2010, will be a value for money option for the Eoin Morgan-led side.

Chennai

MS Dhoni’s Chennai are also looking to rebuild their side this season after they finished seventh in the Indian T20 League last time. And with veteran opener Shane Watson announcing retirement from the game, the side would be looking for a replacement for guiding young Ruturaj Gaikwad if and when their campaign goes south.

Unlike Finch’s previous team Bangalore, where there was always pressure to get off the mark early on, Chennai’s strong bowling line-up and Dhoni’s captaincy will allow Finch to settle well before going for the big shots. Finch partnering Faf du Plessis up top could give Chennai the much-needed stability that had gone missing last time.

Mumbai

Not the most ideal team for Aaron Finch after what happened with his compatriot Chris Lynn last season, but Mumbai have reasons to go for the Australian opener this auction. The biggest factor being Finch’s price, which is expected to fall significantly from his previous Rs. 4.40 crores tag of the 2020 Indian T20 League auction.

Finch won’t be Mumbai’s first choice either with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Quinton de Kock vying for that spot, but having such an experienced player as their back-up will be great for Mumbai who have been known for their smart purchases previously. Apart from his batting, Finch’s inputs as a limited-overs captain could also come in handy for Mumbai.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ David Gray

At a base price of INR 1 crore, Tom Banton was a huge steal for Kolkata at the Indian T20 League auction last year. Banton had done an exemplary job for Somerset in the T20 Blast and One Day Cup and was expected to be a back-up option for Sunil Narine this season at the top of the order.

Banton has played two matches so far this season - both against Bangalore - and opened the batting in one and came in at No. 4 in the other. He didn't quite click in both matches but was used in completely different roles in both games, separated by two other games where he wasn't played.

On the slower wickets in UAE, Banton's ability to strike cleanly was always in doubt. But that's basically an eyewash and hides the fact that Banton could just be the kind of player Kolkata need at the top to complement Shubman Gill.

There are many factors that favour Banton's case as an opener for the remainder of the season:

Kolkata's slow starts

Kolkata have been one of the slowest teams off the block in this season of the Indian T20 League. While Punjab and Bangalore start at 8.06 and 7.95 runs per over in the Powerplay, Kolkata do so at 7.14 runs per over, the second-worst in the season so far after Chennai. This is a significant drop from 2018 when they had the best scoring rate in the Powerplay (9.09). In 2020, their run-rate on Powerplay has gone down further after a terrible Powerplay against Bangalore where Mohammed Siraj's opening burst saw them reeling at 17/4 after six overs.

On a seaming wicket, Nitish Rana was exposed to the pace and movement when they had Banton in the ranks who had played on English wickets and could counter the swing. Banton also solves the problem of starting slow. A terrific striker of the ball, Banton has a strike-rate of 155.99 when opening the batting.

Banton's T20 record

Banton has had immense success opening the batting for Somerset. His style of play is ideally suited to the Powerplay overs and Brisbane showed this further in the Big Bash when he stormed the season with some majestic shot-making.

In his 40 T20 appearances before the game against Bangalore, Banton had not opened the innings in just four of those matches. As an opener, Banton has over a 1000 runs at a strike rate of 155.99 and an average of 29.63.

When not opening the batting, these numbers take a significant dip. The average is a meagre 11.33 and the strike-rate just 91.89. Playing someone like him out of position is detrimental for Kolkata, especially when they have a sound reason to use his striking prowess at the top of the order.

Feature image courtesy: Indian T20 League

England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan and Australian pacer Pat Cummins will both be available for Kolkata's opening game of the 13th edition of the Indian T20 League despite being involved in Australia's ongoing tour of England, team's chief executive Venky Mysore confirmed.

As per reports, Kolkata - who open their league season against Mumbai on September 23 - have asked to reduce the usual 14-day quarantine in Abu Dhabi to seven, meaning that not only Morgan and Cummins, but batsman Tom Banton too can play the opening game against the defending champions on Wednesday.

England, after successful 2-1 win in their T20I series, face Australia in a three-match ODI contest, which ends on September 16, three days before the commencement of the Indian Premier League. And Mysore confirmed that the trio will arrive on September 17, and have a high chance of featuring in the first game.

"While they are still negotiating with the authorities, we are reconciled to the fact that we may have to quarantine our three players," Mysore was quoted as saying.

"They arrive on September 17, but our first game is on September 23, by which time they would've finished their (six-day) quarantine. So it's worked out well, and it's good for the tournament."

He further added that the players arriving from a different bio-secured bubble such as the England-Australia series and even the Caribbean Premier League will not be expected to undergo the mandatory quarantine.

“What we did was put a plan together and shared it with the medical team at the Indian T20 League,�?Mysore added.

“We told them, ‘they’re in a bio-secure bubble in UK. What if we brought them on a sanitised charter flight and we took care of all the elements of immigration, testing, contactless stuff and everything to allow them to come right into a bubble here?�?To give credit to IPL, they took it very constructively and they have a written Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for that, which says if you’re coming from a bubble to another bubble, you don’t need the mandatory quarantine period.�?/p>

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington

After solid displays and confident wins against Ireland, West Indies and Pakistan at home, England now welcome Australia for a three-match T20I series that’s slated to begin from Friday, September 4. England, though, will be wary of the Aussies and know that getting the better of the men from Down Under won’t be as easy or straightforward as their last few victories.

With that in mind, we have a look at a few players to keep an eye on in the T20I series.

Tom Banton

Tom Banton was always tipped to have a big impact on English cricket and going by his last few outings in national colours, the young right-hander seems to be delivering on his promise. Considered one of the hottest prospects to emerge from English cricket since the days of Kevin Pietersen, Banton was a part of the English team that got the better of Pakistan in the recent T20I series. He contributed scores of 71, 20 and 46 in the series and will back himself to kick on against Australia and show them just what all the fuss is about.

Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer will be raring to go up against the old enemy Australia, having not played white-ball cricket since England’s World Cup triumph more than a year back. Part of the Test squad that went up against England in the Ashes last year, Archer will be keen to pick up where he left off against the Aussies, having enjoyed a lot of success when the two teams met in red-ball cricket last time around. He’s played four Tests this year and taken eight wickets in those matches but expect him to come at the Aussies at full flight and remind them just what he’s capable of doing.

Aaron Finch

The Australian skipper in limited-overs cricket loves playing white-ball cricket against England in particular and has a record against them to back him up. In T20Is, he’s scored one hundred as well as three fifties and boasts an average of 70.83 against England. His strike rate of 189.73 against England will also worry their bowlers, who will know that getting Aaron Finch’s wicket will be crucial to their chances of victory. Finch, though, will back himself to punish the English bowlers and will be confident after scoring a 37-ball 53 in a recent practice match between Finch XI v Cummins XI at the Ageas Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins was lethal against the English during the Ashes last year and the Australian pacer will be eager to make his mark against them in the T20Is as well. He’s taken 36 wickets in 28 T20I matches so far and has an impressive bowling average of 19.86 as well as a miserly economy rate of 6.87 in the shortest format of the game. Likely to be given the responsibility of bowling the opening overs in the powerplay and in the death overs, Cummins thrives in such situations of pressure, and how England’s batsmen cope against him will go a long way towards dictating the outcome of the series.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Mike Hewitt

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

After rain washed out the first T20I following just 16 overs of action, England and Pakistan will resume their three-match series with the second T20I at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester.

We take a look at two players from each side that will take centre-stage.

Johnny Bairstow

The English opener had a rather tame outing in the first T20I, scoring just two off four deliveries before hitting one straight back to bowler Imad Wasim.

The 30-year old has hit just two fifties in his 16 T20Is and is due a big score. With the IPL right around the corner, the opener will be aiming to get a big one before heading to the UAE.

Imad Wasim

All-rounder Imad Wasim continued to deal damage with the ball in England, picking up two wickets while conceding just 31 in his quota of four overs.

Wasim has a terrific record with the ball in England in T20Is. Before the first T20I, the all-rounder had picked up 15 wickets at a terrific economy rate of 6.11 and an incredible strike rate 14.80. The 31-year-old added to his wickets tally in the first T20I and is likely to continue the same form in the second game as well.

Eoin Morgan

Skipper Eoin Morgan had a rather disappointing outing in the first match, scoring just 14 off 10 before being dismissed by Iftikhar Ahmed.

However, the match could be a one-off for the captain, who has been terrific in T20Is since the start of 2019. Before the first T20I, Morgan had struck 404 runs at an insane average of 50.50 and a strike rate of 171.91 in 12 matches since the start of 2019.

Morgan may have failed with the bat in the first T20I, but that is likely to just spur the 33-year-old to respond in strong fashion in the upcoming match.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi's stock continues to rise after the youngster had another good outing in the first T20I in Manchester.

The 20-year-old bowled two overs and gave away just 10 and was surely going to bowl at the death but rain played spoilsport and the match had to be abandoned after just 16.1 overs.

Afridi is quickly becoming Pakistan's most reliable pace option in all three formats of the game and will be one of the key men for the visitors in the 2nd T20I.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Mike Hewitt

After getting the better of Pakistan in the Test series, England will be hoping for another series victory over the tourists in the upcoming three-match T20I series. Players from both teams will be eager to make an impression as the action returns to Manchester following two Tests at Southampton. With the first T20I between the teams slated to begin from Friday, we have a look at a few potential difference-makers from both sides.

Tom Banton

One of the most exciting youngsters to have emerged from English cricket since the days of Kevin Pietersen, Tom Banton will be keen to show the rest of the world what he is capable of in the T20Is against Pakistan. Blessed with an abundance of talent, Banton has all the shots in the book and comes with a similar batting style to that of Pietersen’s.

A top-order batsman, he enjoyed a breakthrough season with Somerset in 2019. However, he still needs to translate his county performances for country and will be confident in his ability to do the same after scoring 58 in his last outing in national colours during England’s final ODI against Ireland.

David Willey

The English all-rounder will be looking to kick on and re-establish himself in the limited-overs setup after making a successful return to the team in the recent ODI series against Ireland. Willey, who was an agonising last-minute exclusion from England’s World Cup-winning squad last year, has looked like a man on a mission ever since his return to the team and proved what he can do with the bat as well as the ball against Ireland.

He took eight wickets in three games against the Irish, including a career-best of 5-for-30. Willey will also be a threat while batting, having looked solid with the willow in hand and whacking an unbeaten 47 and 51 in his two innings against Ireland.

Babar Azam

Unsurprisingly, Babar Azam will be Pakistan’s most prized wicket against the English on Friday. Azam managed to get starts in all three matches against England in the Test series but failed to convert any of them into a century. However, the change of approach to his batting in the T20Is could suit Azam’s style.

He scored an unbeaten 63 in his last outing for Pakistan in the Tests and will be confident about being amongst the runs in the T20Is at Manchester, having scored 69 in the first innings of the only Test between the teams at the same venue earlier this month.

Mohammad Amir

The left-arm fast bowler has always enjoyed bowling in England and thrived in those conditions in the past. After retiring from Tests in July of last year to prolong his limited-overs career, Mohammad Amir’s focus has been on the shorter formats of the game.

One of the best exponents of swing, Amir will be relishing the opportunity of bowling in England and keeping things tight, at the very least. He’s already played T20 matches this season having participated in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) earlier this year. Amir, though, wasn’t always at his rhythmic best in the last edition of the PSL and will look to make amends with Pakistan’s national team at the expense of the English batsmen.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Mike Hewitt

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

One of the major highlights of the trade window and the auction for the 2020 season of the Indian T20 League (Indian T20 League) last year was Kolkata' decision to let Chris Lynn go and acquire the services of a 21-year-old Tom Banton as his replacement.

The franchise had decided to part ways with the Australian batsman after six seasons, and it wasn’t an easy decision as Lynn had been in fine form with the bat throughout these seasons for Kolkata.

Between 2014 and 2019, Lynn scored a total of 1274 runs for Kolkata at a healthy average of 34.43, and an excellent strike-rate of 141.4. These runs included 10 scores of fifty or more, underscoring how good a batting asset he had been for the team.

In the backdrop of such fabulous numbers, the Kolkata-based franchise's decision to release Lynn might seem to be a bit harsh. However, there are other facets that we need to understand before judging the management's decision.

For example, Lynn had encountered multiple shoulder injuries in the last few years and that had taken a toll on his agility on the field. He isn't the swiftest of fielders anymore and isn't fully committed towards diving around the field in an effort to protect his shoulder.

As a result, Kolkata's fielding was usually compromised whenever Lynn was in the playing XI. Moreover, he hasn't been the same power hitter that he used to be with the bat once. His innings now is based more on taking calculated risks.

So, when Kolkata sensed the opportunity of bagging a much fitter and younger version of Lynn in England's Tom Banton, they pounced onto the opportunity. Moreover, they got him at a much cheaper price of Rs 1 crore as well.

Banton has had a sensational rise in this format of the game ever since he burst on to the scene during the Natwest T20 Blast in 2019. He was the second-highest run-getter in the tournament, with 549 runs to his name at an excellent average and strike-rate of 42.23 and 161.47 respectively.

Since then, Banton has gone on to play for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, Qalandars in the T10 League and Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, alongside making his T20 debut for England during this period as well. He has found success during each of these stints and that speaks for his talent.

On comparing his career so far with that of Lynn since 2019, we'll find that Banton has been averaging almost similar to that of Lynn but his strike-rate has been much better than that of the Australian batsman.

Players	Average	Strike-Rate
Tom Banton	31.10	161.94
Chris Lynn	31.24	142.97

Table: Comparing average and strike-rate of Lynn and Banton in all T20s since 2019

While Banton has scored a total of 902 runs during this period in a total of 30 innings, Lynn has amassed 1281 runs in 44 innings. A higher strike-rate than Lynn, and the fact that Banton is far younger, makes him a lot more attractive asset to invest in than the 30-year-old Lynn. However, there are other key areas of their batting that need to be analysed as well.

It would be better to dig deeper and take a look at how they stack up in terms of scoring boundaries and number of 30+ scores since 2019. We'll consider five key metrics for this purpose - Balls per Six (Bp6), Balls per four (Bp4), Ratio of Innings to 30+ scores (Inn/30+) and Boundary Ball Percentage (BBP).

Players	Bp4	Bp6	BBP	Inn/30+
Tom Banton	5.57	12.66	25.85	2.14
Chris Lynn	7.53	12.62	21.21	2.20

Table: Comparison of key batting metrics of Lynn and Banton in T20s since 2019

The breakdown above shows that both batsmen have almost identical rate of hitting sixes and innings taken for each score of 30 or more. However, Banton has been much better when it comes to hitting fours, and his overall boundary ball percentage is much higher as well.

Therefore, it’s clear that the young English batsman not only matches some of Lynn's most destructive batting abilities but he is much better than the experienced campaigner in a number of other areas as well, making it safe to say that Kolkata have spent their money quite wisely.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Asif Hassan