Sun Mar 09 15:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Cricket Roundup: Close Calls and Leadership Questions Dominate
**Mumbai, India** – A thrilling day of cricket saw several nail-biting finishes and sparked renewed debate over South Africa’s ODI captaincy.
In the women’s game, Nepal edged out an opponent in a last-ball thriller, winning by 1 wicket with just one ball to spare. Nepal needed 79 runs from 81 deliveries to secure victory. Meanwhile, the Lions secured a comfortable 5-wicket win with 11 balls remaining, chasing down a target that required 33 runs from 36 balls against Namibia.
The South African men’s team’s performance in the recent Champions Trophy semi-final remains under scrutiny. Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn (name added for context) questioned the team’s decision to omit spinner Tabraiz Shamsi from the playing XI. This raises further questions about the leadership of Temba Bavuma, with many wondering if he remains the best choice to captain the South African ODI side. Veteran fast bowler Vernon Philander commented, stating that “Honest conversations will need to happen” within the team following the disappointing result.
First Piper 