South Africa sense swift finish

South Africa are one wicket away from wrapping up the second Test swiftly according to AB de Villiers. Despite Pakistan being only four wickets down at the end of the third day, de Villiers said one more scalp would open them up.

"With the new ball around the corner we just need to be patient tomorrow. We feel if we get one more and then we have the wicketkeeper in there, we can run through them," he said.

Apart from Misbah-ul-Haq, who is at the crease on 42, Pakistan do not have much in the way of solid batting to come. Still trailing by 286 runs, they will need a massive effort from their captain and healthy contributions from the lower order to bat out at least a full day if they hope to avoid an innings defeat.

On a pitch that is expected to become more difficult for batsmen during the last two days, that would seem nothing more than fanciful but Saeed Ajmal was able to remain optimistic. "The wicket is not that bad," he said. "It's still good for batting. There was a bit for the new ball bowlers and it's spinning a little bit but there are still runs in the pitch.

"Although we didn't perform well in our first innings, we saw South Africa put on over 500 in their innings. If we can bat the whole day, runs will come slowly. We hope our batting can be as good as our bowling."

But de Villiers was not convinced that they would be up to task, especially when reflecting on how South Africa's lower-order coped on the third morning. They lost their last four wickets for 31 runs and struggled against the spin Ajmal was generating. "That shows you how well Graeme played. It's not easy," he said.

Smith added only seven runs to his overnight score and de Villiers increased his score by the same number but their quick dismissals barely had an impact on the state of the game. The hard work had been done the day before, when Smith and de Villiers shared in South Africa's highest fifth-wicket stand and wore down Pakistan's attack.

They swelled the lead to 361 by the end of the second day and only wanted a little more on the third morning. "We talked about declaring somewhere after lunch. That didn't happen but we still wanted the runs we wanted to," he said. "We wanted the lead over 400."

South Africa were bowling six minutes before lunch and took two wickets in that time, creating expectation for a third-day finish. Dale Steyn found considerable swing but the house of cards did not collapse as quickly as the early incisions suggested.

Instead of frustration, de Villiers said it was an important lesson for South Africa's bowlers. "We like to finish a Test in two days if we can," he admitted. "But it's important to remind the bowlers that you need to be patient to get wickets on this pitch."

He also did not expect lightening to strike twice for Pakistan's line-up. "I don't know if they played really poorly in the first innings. There were maybe a few soft dismissals. I think they will be quite angry with themselves," de Villiers said. "But it's not over. We still respect the game and the opposition a lot."

Niceties aside, de Villiers seemed certain South Africa will square the series on Saturday. "We missed a trick early on in Abu Dhabi and sometimes, the minute things turn on you it's difficult. Pakistan played too well," he said. "This time around we were a bit more ruthless."

Read More..

Hafeez agrees to BBL contract with Renegades

Mohammad Hafeez, the Pakistan allrounder, has agreed to a Big Bash League contract with the Melbourne Renegades. He will miss the first two games of the tournament due to international commitments with Pakistan in the UAE. This will be the first time he will play in the Australian T20 league, which begins on December 20.

"I have agreed [to] a deal with Melbourne Renegades," Hafeez told ESPNcricinfo. "Playing in Australia is always a tremendous experience and the opportunity will allow me to play around the best players. Since the 2015 World Cup will be in Australia, my stint will help me acquire ample acquaintance of Australian conditions."

Hafeez is currently Pakistan's leading run scorer in T20Is with 1093 runs, and has led the Pakistan T20 squad since June 2012 to 12 victories out of 18 matches. He last toured Australia in 2005, and had a poor run averaging just 12.50 in six ODIs. He most recently featured for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League.

Hafeez was recently dropped from the Test squad for the South Africa series in the UAE, and is likely to miss out on the Tests against Sri Lanka in December. Hafeez is currently training ahead of his departure to the UAE for the limited-overs leg of the South Africa tour, which begins on October 30.

Read More..

West Indies tour game set to be shifted from Cuttack

Incessant rains are likely to deal a double-blow to cricket fans in Cuttack: the fifth ODI between India and Australia is set to be washed out, and now the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is likely to lose out on hosting West Indies' three-day tour game, starting from October 31.

It is understood that OCA secretary Asirbad Behera and president Ranjib Biswal have already communicated their association's inability to host West Indies' match against Uttar Pradesh to the BCCI officials, ahead of the two-Test series beginning in Kolkata on November 6. While accepting the OCA's request since "the outfield won't be ready in time for the game", the BCCI has zeroed in on Mumbai as the venue for the warm-up tie.

Though the Mumbai Cricket Association hasn't been formally informed about the change in venue, the decision will be finalised during the BCCI working committee meeting in Chennai on Saturday. Both the MCA vice-presidents Ravi Savant and Vijay Patil will attend the working committee meet, with Savant showing up as the BCCI vice-president, while Patil as the MCA representative.

Despite the Wankhede Stadium being unable to stage the game less than two weeks prior to the start of the Test match, three more venues in Mumbai can stage the warm-up match. It would be interesting to see if the match is allotted to Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium or the Dr DY Patil Sports Stadium on the outskirts of the city, with MCA's facility at Bandra-Kurla Complex also being in contention. CCI was promised an allotment of matches by BCCI president N Srinivasan during the AGM in September, while Patil, the architect of DY Patil stadium, has been pushing for hosting more games in Navi Mumbai.

Read More..

Tough task for defending champions

Mumbai: Likely to face a challenging season

By Nagraj Gollapudi

Where they finished
As Ranji Trophy champions. However Mumbai's journey was not a smooth one: they could muster only two outright victories in eleven matches.

Big Picture
Until Zaheer Khan delivered an inspired match-winning, and season-turning, spell against Madhya Pradesh in the penultimate group match, Mumbai's ride last season had been wobbly. Once they reached the semi-finals, however, Mumbai's determination and much-talked-about aura was restored as they cruised to win the 40th Ranji title comfortably.

Their troubles have not been washed away in the new season. If Mumbai are honest, they will admit this is likely to be one of their most challenging seasons. Their weakest suit is their bowling. Ajit Agarkar's retirement and Ramesh Powar's decision to play for Rajasthan has left a void that cannot be filled immediately. In the last decade, Agarkar and Powar were pillars on which Mumbai's success story was built. Both men not only bowled tireless spells, but also returned to the crease to deliver match-saving cameos and, occasionally, match-winning ones. Along with another stalwart, Wasim Jaffer, the trio was the bridge that connected the new generation to the ethos of Mumbai cricket: cuss out the opposition.

So far only Dhawal Kulkarni, from among the newer lot, has shown the capability of coping with the rigours of domestic cricket. However, Mumbai's chief concern will be their inexperienced spin attack led by the left-arm spinners, Iqbal Abdulla and Vishal Dabholkar. Abdulla, three short of 100 wickets for Mumbai, has remained inconsistent despite chances over the last few years while Dabholkar has just played four matches so far. It is something opponents will aim to capitalise on.

Mumbai would do well to take advantage of the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane and gain early momentum in the group stage.

Players to watch
He is not attractive, but he can get under your skin - with bat, ball, and with his blunt sledges. A quiet man off the field, Abhishek Nayar showed his ability to make big noise when he finished as the second-highest scorer in Ranji Trophy with 966 runs and 19 wickets. So far this season, he scored two fifties and a century against the A teams from New Zealand and West Indies and also hit a fifty in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy. In the absence of established players like Zaheer, Rohit and Rahane - due to fitness issues or national commitments - Nayar is steadily growing into the go-to man for Mumbai.

Team speak
"To do well in Ranji Trophy, it is all about consistency. Along with that fitness and how we perform in the away games will be the three goals we will need to meet." Abhishek Nayar, Mumbai vice-captain.

Click here for the full squad.

Punjab: Young and well-rounded

By Nikita Bastian

Where they finished
Semi-finalists, after topping Group A.

Big Picture
After a couple of ordinary seasons, when they finished in the lower halves of their groups, Punjab were arguably the most dominant side in the group stages last year. They won four of their first five games - two by an innings, one by eight wickets and the other by nine - and despite not winning any of their remaining group games finished almost 10 points clear of the next team. In the quarter-final, they piled up a whopping 699 for 3 with Taruwar Kohli hitting an unbeaten triple.

Punjab's strength was that, in a batsman-dominated competition, their bowlers were very successful. In their ten games, they managed to bowl out the opposition for below 300 eleven times. They took full advantage of the traditionally seamer-friendly conditions in Mohali, winning all their home games. Among the tournament's top five wicket-takers, two were from Punjab. Siddarth Kaul was second on the table with 44, and Sandeep Sharma was No. 5 with 41.

That's not to say the batting was far behind. Three of their batsmen scored over 500 runs - Mandeep Singh (595), Uday Kaul (652), and the tournament's leading run-getter, Jiwanjot Singh (995). The only glitch in their season was being bowled out for 59 against Mumbai, when Ankeet Chavan ran rampant with a nine-for.

Coach Bhupinder Singh, the medium-pacer who played a couple of one-dayers for India in the mid-90s, said last year offered valuable experience for what is a "young team". "This is a young bunch and they played good cricket last year, and they are richer by one year's experience. I hope we are able to take the next step now, past the semi-finals."

Missing from Punjab's squad is batsman Karan Goel, who's out with a shoulder injury, but should be fit later in the season. Legspinner Rahul Sharma has also not made it for the first match, with Bhupinder saying Punjab has him in the reserves but views him primarily as a limited-overs option. Left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma has been dropped and is likely to shift to Himachal Pradesh. Then there's Yuvraj Singh, who, while not named in the squad for the first game, "has promised to play if he's not part of the Indian Test team [for the West Indies series]". If Yuvraj plays, he will be the go-to man for the team's young batsmen, while captain Harbhajan Singh will mentor the bowlers.

Players to watch The squad's big addition this year is pace bowler VRV Singh, who last played first-class cricket in the 2007-08 season before being sidelined by a back injury. VRV Singh, 29, who has played Tests and ODIs for India, underwent surgery on his back, and returned to competitive cricket last year when he played in the domestic T20s. Since then, Bhupinder said he has been easing his way back into cricket, playing for longer and longer periods. "He's bowling well and I think he can be my surprise package this year," Bhupinder said. "He seems in good shape and is generating good pace." Given that India always seem lacking on the bowling front, and that before the injuries arrived he was impressive enough to impress the likes of Ian Bishop, the Indian selectors might well be keeping a quiet eye on how he does.

Jiwanjot Singh, 22, was the tournament's top-scorer in his debut season. He has since made it to the India A team and the North Zone team for the Duleep Trophy. He has played 15 first-class matches, but not a single recognised limited-overs game. That, Bhupinder said, is down to his style of play: "Jiwanjot is more suited to the longer version. He's more into technical correctness. Batsmen from five, seven, ten years back, he's more in that mould. Plays very straight and has a good defence."

Click here for the full squad.

Jharkhand: Eager to shine in the big league

By Vishal Dikshit

Where they finished last season
Jharkhand finished second in Group C last year. Three outright wins and as many draws took them to the quarter-finals against Punjab. They were promoted to Group A for this season.

Big Picture
The beginning of Jharkhand's season will be watched for the comeback of two players who have had fleeting international careers so far - Varun Aaron and Saurabh Tiwary. While Tiwary had a shoulder operation in August, Aaron has been plagued with injuries since he last played for India in 2011. Jharkhand also have a new coach in Subroto Banerjee and two new recruits - Bhavin Thakkar and Bhavik Thaker.

Middle-order batsman Thakker last played a first-class game in the 2010-11 season, for Himachal Pradesh, and averages 35.62 from 37 first-class matches. Thaker, also 31, moved from Gujarat, who did not give him a chance in the last season, and averages 40.

Their bowling, an area of strength, features one of the most promising spinners in the domestic circuit. Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, captain of the side, was also their highest wicket-taker in 2012-13 with 42 wickets from nine games. He will be accompanied by offspinner Sunny Gupta who took four wickets against North Zone in the recent Duleep Trophy semi-final. Shankar Rao and Ajay Yadav will handle the pace attack. While Rao averaged 24.65 last season with 26 wickets, Yadav played only five matches and impressed with 23 wickets, mainly through his haul of 11 wickets against Services and 10 against Tripura.

Jharkhand began their Ranji campaign last year with an outright win - an innings and 31 runs against Jammu & Kashmir - but will face a stiffer challenge in their first game against Delhi this year. While they shone in the lightweight Group C last season, the more accomplished opponents this season will test how far Jharkhand have progressed.

Key players
Saurabh Tiwary amassed 602 runs in the previous season at an average of 46.30, including two hundreds and three fifties. However, his comeback is likely to be tough. He hasn't played a professional match in more than five months and will be facing more potent attacks this season.

Varun Aaron, on the other hand, hasn't played since IPL 2012 due to the recurrence of a back injury. The bowler recently said he had made a "slight adjustment" to his bowling action and hoped that the tweak would help him last the season. Jharkhand will be hoping it works out that way, as a fully fit Aaron will make the side's attack formidable.

Click here for the full squad

Haryana: Ajay Jadeja in the spotlight

By Devashish Fuloria

Where they finished
Eighth in Group B with one win in eight matches.

Big Picture

Last year, Haryana were bowled out for 55 on the first morning of their opening Ranji Trophy match - their lowest-ever Ranji total - against Vidarbha. In their second match, they were again bowled out for a lowly 66 but despite the batting debacles, the conversation every time teams played in Rohtak hovered around the seamer-friendly conditions in Lahli, their home ground.

Their batting line-up will have the services of old stalwart Ajay Jadeja this year, who came out of cricketing hibernation this year when he played Buchi Babu tournament for the team, at the ripe age of 42. Jadeja, with experience of 8046 first-class runs, will have the responsibility of not only leading the team with the bat, but also provide direction as the coach.

Haryana's first match this year will be under media glare for being the last first-class match for Sachin Tendulkar, Jadeja's former India opening partner. For Jadeja, though, it's a new start and he will have the tough job of setting the scene for the long season ahead.

Key players

With Amit Mishra likely to be away on national duty and the batting being the weak link, Haryana will depend on key contributions from seamer Mohit Sharma, who relished the conditions at the home venue last year. He collected a rich haul of 37 wickets, that included three five-fors, at an average of 23.24. But Haryana may have to do without him for chunks of the season as he is not too far from being called up to the national team, at least for the limited-overs matches against West Indies and South Africa.

Click here for the full squad.

Read More..

CCS demoted after arriving late to match

Cricket Coaching School has been demoted from the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League for arriving late for their match against Brothers Union on October 8 . They will play First Division Cricket League next season, and all points scored against them or by them will be removed from consideration as had happened last season when Surjo Tarun were relegated for a similar reason.

They were reportedly were stuck in a traffic jam on Jatrabari road while en route to Fatullah Cricket Stadium from Kalabaga. According to match referee Samiur Rahman, who was travelling with the team on the 20km journey, a lorry had collapsed on the other side of road, approximately 10km from the ground, forcing one lane to be closed and a collision between two buses caused more delay.

CCS reached the ground ten minutes before the toss, but about 45 minutes after their scheduled arrival time. The match referee asked for a delayed start, because a provision for a 30-minute grace period had been added to the by-laws because of the Surjo Tarun incident last year - they had arrived late to BKSP ground and were demoted to the First Division Cricket League. But Brothers Union refused to take part in the toss and boycotted the match.

The tournament was closed for Eid holidays but, on Wednesday, the league's organisers Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, who were investigating the matter, announced the verdict and said it was taken according to the tournament's rules.

The Dhaka Premier League will resume on October 27 and CCS's demotion means that only one other team will face relegation this season. Currently, Khelaghar and 17-time champions Abahani are at the bottom of the table, with one win each, but since Abahani's win was against CCS, those points will be taken away, leaving them winless.

Read More..

Kenya to play seven Twenty20s against Sri Lanka A

Kenya will play seven Twenty20s against Sri Lanka A in Colombo ahead of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in Dubai. The series, which begins on Sunday after being organised at short notice, will also serve as match practice for several Sri Lanka players, ahead of New Zealand's limited-overs tour of the country.

Sri Lanka Twenty20 captain Dinesh Chandimal will lead the A team, as he did on New Zealand A's recent tour, with Lahiru Thirimanne named vice-captain. Sri Lanka players Shaminda Eranga, Kusal Perera and Jeevan Mendis have also been named in the 24-man preliminary squad, alongside a host of emerging cricketers, including Akila Dananjaya and Kithuruwan Vithanage.

The series will be 42-year-old Steve Tikolo's first assignment after coming out of retirement for the World Twenty20 Qualifiers, and the team will be led by Collins Obuya. Kenya's squad for the series includes all of their WT20 Qualifiers players, and two more, in Gurdeep Singh and Emmanuel Bundi.

Five of the matches will take place at the Colombo Cricket Club and two at the Nondescripts Cricket Club. The series will end on November 2, with the tight schedule made possible by playing two matches a day, on October 29 and 31, and November 2.

The World Twenty20 qualifiers begin on November 15.

Kenya squad:
Collins Obuya (capt), Rakep Patel, Morris Ouma, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Hiren Varaiya, Shem Ngoche, Steve Tikolo, Ragheb Aga, Nelson Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Dhiren Gondaria, Thomas Odoyo, Gurdeep Singh, Emmanuel Bundi, Duncan Allan, Irfan Karim

Sri Lanka A squad:
Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirmanne, Kusal Perera, Mahela Udawatte, Shehan Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Ashan Priyanjan, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Angelo Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Yashodha Lanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramith Rambukwella, Chaturanga de Silva, Akila Dhananjaya, Seekkuge Prasanna, Milinda Siriwardene, Isuru Udana, Ishan Jayaratne, Kosala Kulasekara, Lahiru Jayaratne, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Jeevan Mendis, Shaminda Eranga

Read More..

Pune Warriors' fate set to be decided

The working committee of the BCCI is set to decide the fate of the Pune Warriors franchise during its meeting in Chennai on October 26.

On May 21, a day after BCCI encashed the bank guarantee due to non-payment of franchise fees, Sahara Pariwar, the owners of the franchise, announced their intention to pull out of the IPL.

Despite a public announcement, Sahara still has not conveyed its decision to the BCCI. As a result, even though the franchise is technically a part of the IPL, it hasn't furnished the bank guarantee for Rs 170.2 crore (about $27.7m) required for it to be a part of the IPL's next season. While the BCCI has sent Sahara "several reminders" to submit the bank guarantee over the last five months, Sahara has declined to do so unless their "promised arbitration proceedings reach conclusion".

The BCCI feels it's time to take a call on Sahara's fate and send out a message that IPL 2014 preparations are well on course following the corruption scandal during the 2013 season. As a result, all the members of the governing council have been invited for the working committee meeting to decide on the fate of the Pune franchise.

Since most IPL officials are convinced that by not furnishing bank guarantee, Sahara has committed an "irremediable breach" of the franchise, the working committee may issue a 30-day "termination notice", thus marking the beginning of the end of Sahara's controversial three-season stint. "The fact that they haven't paid us ever since paying 30% before IPL 2013 makes it evident they are not interested in running the team," an IPL insider told ESPNcricinfo. "Otherwise, even after their bank guarantee had to be encashed in May, they wouldn't have not bothered to submit the fresh guarantee for the coming season."

Sahara's top brass, meanwhile, termed the planned move as a "bullying tactic" by BCCI. "We will not furnish the bank guarantee unless the arbitration that has been stalled for a couple of years is completed. In an IPL set-up that's completely lop-sided in BCCI's favour, someone needs to stand up to BCCI and we are doing it," a Sahara insider said.

Despite Sahara pressing for an arbitration into the demand of revision in annual fees, the fact that the franchise hasn't submitted the bank guarantee will edge them closer to an exit from the IPL. It would be interesting to see if the BCCI decides to replace Sahara with a new owner or trims the IPL to an eight-team affair. In either case, it will result in a considerable loss of income for the Board since Pune Warriors was the most expensive IPL franchise.

Since joining the IPL in 2011 by bidding $370m, Sahara had been demanding that the franchise fee from their original agreement be reduced since the minimum matches per year have been reduced from the 18 promised to them (the 2013 season had 16 league matches per team). As a result, both parties had agreed to initiate arbitration but the process hasn't yet started due to their disagreement over the judges to be appointed.

Read More..

Mominul lends spine to Bangladesh batting

Mominul Haque's defiant century ensured Bangladesh, for once, did not collapse in the third innings of a Test match

Mominul Haque surprised a lot of people today. Not because he batted like a dream, as Tamim Iqbal described it, or because he outpaced the more experienced Tamim in a defiant 157-run stand. The sense of surprise came from seeing him remain not out at the end of day's play, after having completed his second century in two Tests.

The records he has set by these back-to-back performances are numerous. A Bangladeshi batsman has hit two centuries in a series only once before, when Tamim had been in top form in England more than three years ago. Mominul also beat Tillakaratne Dilshan's tally of 366 to become the highest run-scorer in a series in Bangladesh and is four short of becoming the highest run-getter in a Test series by a Bangladeshi.

Mominul has been considered as one of the best cricketers in the country from his age-group, and not just for his talent but also for being a cool-headed, even-tempered person. It is a rare quality and although it doesn't guarantee success, he has remained almost the same person who was first spotted hitting Abdur Razzak for straight sixes two years ago in a practice match at this ground. He didn't look too flustered by the attention, just as he hadn't been when he was selected to the ODI side last year, his first international call-up, or when he scored his maiden Test century in Chittagong.

He had to be patient at a very young age too. Someone like Anamul Haque, two years younger to him in school (both went to BKSP), had hit the headlines for his string of centuries in age-group and domestic cricket. Mominul chipped away with runs, but never really caught the eye apart from one big innings for Bangladesh A in West Indies in 2011. He was never rushed in to the team like Anamul was, and that definitely helped him.

These two centuries have lit up his short Test career and there are a few similarities between them, while at the same time the adjustments he made when situations demanded them were refreshing to watch.

The 181 in Chittagong was an innings of two halves as he had to temper his strokeplay after completing a century. Despite walking in at 8 for 2, he blasted 70-odd in one evening session before hitting five boundaries to blaze to a hundred off 98 balls. It was a very Bangladeshi response to any situation, and there had to questions about his temperament for that change from his usual manner of batting.

New Zealand bowled better to him after the hundred, giving him very little to play outside the off stump. His favoured shots square of the wicket on the off side were nowhere to be seen but that didn't frustrate him. He let the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim do most of the scoring, and made sure he dropped anchor.

Here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, it was about survival from the get-go. He walked in at 55 for 2, with the team behind by 100 runs and in risk of conceding the series. Tight batting was required but there were moments, especially early on, when he played across the line as the left-arm seamers slanted the ball into him. It looked risky but the wrist work involved made sure he played the ball down, and a balanced head position helped too - benefits of extensive training over the last few months to counter his line of attack.

His off-side strokeplay, particularly shots off the back foot through point and gully, were fully controlled. His cover drives are struck in the air sometimes, but his skill in placing the ball saved him on most occasions. On the on side, Mominul picked up runs with ease, particularly off deliveries that were pitched up.

It wasn't an all-out attacking innings from Mominul, though. Tamim, his partner, had impressed the need for both of them to stay at the crease as long as possible and when Mominul was stuck on 99, unable to pierce a seven-two field on the off side, Tamim told him to forget about the hundred and just wait.

It arrived soon after, and like he did in Chittagong, the hundred was celebrated rather sedately. "Mominul has worked very hard and is getting the results," Tamim said. "I have seen very few players play so fluently for Bangladesh. Only when success comes to people they stray down the wrong path, they don't take that walk without success.

"But I don't think he is that type of person who cannot handle success; he doesn't think much about these things. I have seen a similarity in this respect between him and Shakib. Both have the same mentality. They also have the same coach. So I don't think he [Mominul] will have problems."

There will be a lot resting on Mominul going into the fifth day, especially with Bangladesh's batting not known for its survival skills. He will have to shoulder the expectations now and just like he shifted gears during his 181 in Chittagong, knuckle down and end New Zealand's chances of winning the game.

Read More..

Ashes spot not on Bailey's mind

Australia captain George Bailey has said it is "ridiculous" for him to think about an Ashes spot in the Australian summer on the basis of his one-day form in India - 318 runs in four innings. He also said he felt "frustrated" during his 98 against India in the washed-out Ranchi ODI and said Glenn Maxwell took the pressure off him in cracking 92 off 77 deliveries.

Although he's played 33 ODIs and 19 T20Is, Bailey has not made it to the Test side, and has a first-class average of 38.29 from 96 matches. His scores so far this series have been 85, 92*, 43 and 98 but he denied having one eye on an Ashes berth. "No, both eyes on the ball. That's very important. I think there's probably eight guys who have got a chance of playing in that Ashes team. It's so far away. It's just ridiculous to look at it. There's guys who will be at home playing Shield cricket, we've got Australia A games when we get back. It's a completely different format. Completely different surface. I don't think there's anyone out playing in these games thinking about that series."

Despite his superb ODI form, Bailey said he didn't feel at his best in Ranchi."I was dropped twice. I was a bit frustrated out there and found it quite difficult," Bailey said. "I think Maxy's innings was absolutely superb. We've seen his hitting before and we've seen how he can take games away late in an innings. But to come in with the team under pressure, with the ball still doing a little bit, I thought he summed it up. He still hit the boundaries and sixes but he hit them off the balls that he needed to hit. He didn't take any risks. They were smart shots in his areas. He took the pressure off me. When you've got someone scoring at the pace he was, it put the pressure right back on India. It was a great knock."

Bailey and Maxwell - who was put down twice as well, though off difficult chances - put on 153 in 22.4 overs after Australia had been reduced to 32 for 3 at one stage by Mohammed Shami. The fast bowler got the new ball to move around initially, but Bailey said Maxwell's arrival changed things. "I thought Maxwell found it conducive to strokeplay. It was still a good batting wicket. Probably what it did that the other wickets haven't done is it swung and seamed and spat a little bit, particularly at the start. From the moment Maxwell strode to the crease he made it look like a different wicket."

Maxwell hit 11 boundaries in his innings, two of them reverse-swept to the deep -cover boundary off R Ashwin. Bailey said he had no reason to ask his partner to take it easy as Maxwell had worked on the shot in the nets. "He practises that as much as I've ever seen anyone practise it. No more so than I see Shane Watson practising the straight drive. If that's a shot he's put the time into - and we've seen him put that time into it - then he has absolutely every right to play it. As long as the circumstances are right. I think the field that he had and the plan that he had was spot on. And he executed them both very well."

Australia were positive about defending 295 before the rain came down with India 27 for 0 in 4.1 overs, Bailey said. "We were confident but I'm sure India probably were as well. Given the way the series has gone... strong batting line-up, I'm sure they would've been. We just felt there was enough movement in the wicket, particularly early on. Looking at our scorecard it would suggest that new batters found it difficult at the wicket. It was hard to get started. We were hoping if we could get a couple of wickets you could make that quite challenging. And certainly the pace that Mitch (Johnson) was getting it through early on, it looked like that was going to be quite difficult to play at different stages at the game.

"Certainly 50 overs we were confident and happy to back. I think the way Duckworth-Lewis is set up, I think if it had become a 20-over game it probably would've suited India quite a bit."

Read More..

'Deceptive' Shami earns praise

Mohammed Shami, the India fast bowler, has drawn praise from both captains, MS Dhoni and George Bailey, for his performance in his first game of the ODI series in Ranchi. Bowling consistently around the 140 kph mark, Shami ran through the Australia top order with a first spell of 6-1-21-3, accounting for Aaron Finch, Phillip Hughes and Shane Watson.

"Shami is deceptive," Dhoni said after the game was washed out with Australia having posted 295 for 8. "He bowls quicker than you would think. What was important was he bowled full and the wickets he got, he was hitting the bails. That shows he was bowling the right length on this pitch. And at the death he was getting the yorkers in pretty consistently."

Bailey, who revived Australia after Shami's burst in the company of Glenn Maxwell, also said the fast bowler did a fine job. "He bowled very well," Bailey said. "He's someone we haven't seen in the series and he was a little bit quicker than what we expected. He certainly got a bit of movement off the seam. That's something to be pretty aware of for the rest of the series. That's obviously what's going to be coming at us."

Shami himself did not think there was too much help from the pitch, although he did generate some bounce and movement off the seam and in the air under overcast skies. "Nothing special in the pitch," Shami said. "We were bowling first and there will be something for the fast bowlers when the wicket is fresh. There was not much bounce or carry. It was a little better before the rain but once it rained, the pitch slowed down a lot.

"The plan was not to give any room to the batsmen and make them play at the ball. The pitch in the beginning was assisting fast bowlers and we bowled accordingly."

Shami also said he had been spending more hours in the gym to increase his pace, but added that speed was also an outcome of the conditions. "How fast we bowl mostly depends on the conditions available," he said. "If there is some assistance, you get inspired to bowl quicker. As we saw today, if there is some swing, some movement, you put in the extra effort."

Read More..

Nasir unfazed by survival challenge

Bangladesh were nearly out of the contest when the sun finally made its appearance on the third evening of the Mirpur Test. By the end of the day's play, they were behind New Zealand by 137 runs. Survival has become their only option in the two full days remaining in the match, but it is a task they have not been too successful at in the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

The mind goes back to some of the recent failures when faced with survival in the second innings. It has happened at least once every year for the past six years except in 2009. But their arrival at the recurring scenario this time was due to their inability to capitalise after getting the big wicket of Ross Taylor early.

The wicket of Taylor in the fourth over of the morning was half the job done, if Shakib Al Hasan's statement from the second evening was anything to go by. They were targeting Taylor and Kane Williamson, but were blindsided by Corey Anderson's century. New Zealand's lower order had already showed what they are capable of in Chittagong with Trent Boult and BJ Watling putting on a big stand. This time, Watling was joined by No. 10 Ish Sodhi, and the pair have added 84 for the unbroken ninth wicket stand.

On the face of it, that last partnership sapped the remaining energy from the Bangladesh bowlers who lost their rhythm. But in their assessment later on, there was plenty of confidence.

"We have to bowl them out first," Nasir Hossain said. "We have to keep them within a 160-run lead. If we then score around 300 or 350 in the second innings, we have a chance to win the Test match. If we can bat long, we can force a draw. We have two days left but because this is Test cricket, there are changes in the tone of the game every session."

Nasir also hoped that the wicket remained as good as it has played the first three days. "They have only one spinner so if the sun is out, we will be in an advantageous position. They have four seamers, so the wicket is still fresh because it has been under covers.

"Pressure is quite natural, nothing comes easy at this level. We have to bat well in the second innings. We have to avoid the mistakes that we made in the first innings."

But the past doesn't inspire such confidence. Out of the nine previous Tests at this venue, on eight occasions Bangladesh have been defeated. Their chase against West Indies last year went bust when they were bowled out for 167 chasing 245. The most irresponsible of those third or fourth innings failures was the one against West Indies in 2011.

Most of the Bangladesh batsmen will have to curb their natural aggressive instincts, something that has caused their downfall in each of those eight past occasions. Nasir was buoyant about this team's chances but no one took him seriously.

When asked whether he would change his batting style in the second innings given the difficult state Bangladesh are in, Nasir countered, "How can you be sure we will even lose five wickets?" drawing laughter from the room.

Read More..

England top order must revive old habits

Alastair Cook has put the onus on England's top order to lay the foundations for another Ashes success, well aware they are unlikely to be able to afford the same stuttering batting displays which characterised the home series.

England did not reach 400 once during the previous series with their highest total being the 377 they made at The Oval. Australia, by comparison, went comfortably past that mark twice but the counter to that is they suffered more match-defining collapses. However, while it may appear quibbling after a 3-0 scoreline, Australia is not a place so forgiving of underweighted batting displays.

In 2010-11, England began with a disappointing 260 at the Gabba and were under immense pressure when Australia replied with 481, but then went on a run-scoring surge which was only interrupted by the Mitchell Johnson-inspired reversal at the WACA. A world record 517 for 1 to save the Brisbane Test was followed by first-innings totals of 620 for 5, 513 and 644 in the three matches England won by an innings to take the series 3-1.

"Clearly top-order runs out in Australia are vitally important," Cook said at Heathrow airport ahead of the team's departure. "Last time we saw that big runs make a massive difference and set the game up. Sometimes in England 240-250 can be a good score with the overhead conditions, but the majority of the time in Australia 400 is the bare minimum. That's the job of the top order to make sure we do that."

Cook was central to England's run glut three years ago with a monumental 766 in the series followed by 544 from Jonathan Trott at No. 3. In the recent home series the pair managed 570 runs between them without a century; Cook's reduced output could be partly put down to the strains of captaining in an Ashes series, but Trott had his technique unpicked by Australia's quicks and his response to that will be one of the early themes of the return contest.

"You'd love to score runs every time you bat. I could have done better, a lot better," Cook said. "As captain you want to lead from the front. I did quite a lot of the hard work and if you don't go onto make big scores as an opener there's always a few low ones around the corner against the new ball."

"I had a good time last time in Australia. It would be great to repeat some of those feats. I enjoy batting in those conditions, the ball can be flying past your ears quite a lot, it is a real test of the skill you need to play fast bowling. We are going to get plenty of that over the next two months. The first 15-20 overs with the Kookaburra ball can swing more than the Dukes, but get through that stage, in the afternoon sessions, it's fantastic to bat."

Despite the concerns about the top three - Joe Root, despite his 180 at Lord's, also found life tough (which is not a sin) in his first stint as a Test opener - England depart for Perth as favourites to make it consecutive away Ashes victories and four in a row, the latter not achieved since the 1890s. England have not always been at their best when billed as frontrunners but Cook believes his side, who spent last weekend in the Midlands for a team bonding trip that he termed "interesting", are comfortable with the tag.

"When you win the last three series, and the last series was just two months ago, that's a fair description," he said. "Last summer was the first time we'd gone into an Ashes series as favourites and I thought we coped with that pretty well, the outcome suggested we did.

"If you look how many sides go to Australia, winning there is no mean feat. Speaking to the lads over the last weekend, everyone is excited by the opportunity we have. As an Englishmen you know it will be like. It will be quite hostile at times."

Read More..

New Zealand T20 shifted from Sylhet to Mirpur

The venue of the only T20 international in the Bangladesh-New Zealand series has been shifted from the Sylhet Stadium to the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur due to construction work at the original venue. It will be played as per schedule on November 6.

The change was brought about in order to complete the construction of three important structures at the Sylhet venue. The ICC has given the BCB time till November 30 to finish the construction of the main pavilion building, the media centre and the scenic hill.

While the full construction of the pavilion building has been completed, there is some work left in the media centre and the hill that is being spruced up for a seated audience and a green bank.

Sylhet was earmarked as one of the venues for the 2014 World T20, but became the focus of attention along with the Cox's Bazar Stadium as the pace of work at both venues since June this year has been slow.

"Our priority is to complete this important World T20 venue ahead of the deadline given by the ICC," BCB's acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said. "Therefore we felt that to ensure uninterrupted work at the stadia in Sylhet, it was best to hold the Bangladesh-New Zealand match elsewhere."

Read More..

New ODI rules harsh on bowlers - Raina

Suresh Raina has said the combination of two new balls and only four deep fielders was putting tremendous pressure on bowlers in ODIs, but added there was no choice for them but to adjust and learn to cope.

"I think it's tough for the bowlers," Raina said in Ranchi ahead of the fourth ODI against Australia. "We have to admit that. When five fielders are inside (the circle), and if a regular bowler can't keep it tight, it will be very difficult for a part-timer. There's pressure on bowlers on what line and length to bowl. They have to be very sure of what their plans are and how they have to bowl to each batsman.

"You can bowl two bouncers, but there are four other deliveries to bowl also. The ball doesn't reverse much because it's quite new. The ball is only 25 overs old at the most. Even spinners don't get that much turn. But whatever it is, we have to adjust to how things are. We can't give excuses. We just have to bat well and bowl well. No doubt it's good for batsmen, and we have no complaints. We have to play by the rules that the ICC makes, and as players do our jobs."

Raina also backed the beleaguered Ishant Sharma to rebound strongly, after the fast bowler conceded 30 runs in the 48th over of Australia's chase to lose India the Mohali ODI. Ishant has been the most expensive specialist bowler in the series, going for 7.87 runs an over. "It can happen to any bowler in the last few overs," Raina said. "Ishant has practised well in the last two days. I hope he stays strong in his mind, and if he stays positive, we'll definitely see a good performance from him. He has worked very hard in the last two days. I hope he will come back strongly against Australia tomorrow."

Twice in three games, the home batsmen have been unsettled by Australia's quick bowlers, especially Mitchell Johnson, but Raina denied the visitors had gained any psychological advantage over India. "I wouldn't say we are under pressure. We won the first game (T20) in Rajkot, then they won in Pune, and then we won again in Jaipur and they won after that. It's a good contest. We are both young teams.

"Sometimes our batting clicks, sometimes our bowling does. But whoever does well on the day, whoever has good plans and positivity and can feel good about themselves is important. Everyone talks about so much cricket happening, but it's important to see how you're feeling, how mentally strong and tough you are.

"Johnson bowled well no doubt, and he had luck on his side. There's no doubt the batsmen have to do well in the middle order - Yuvi paa (Yuvraj Singh), (Ravindra) Jadeja and myself. We'll have to take responsibility and bat well."

Raina has made 39 & 17, Yuvraj 7 & 0 and Jadeja 11 & 2 in the series. In Mohali, it was MS Dhoni who revived India from 76 for 4 with his ninth ODI hundred. Dhoni accelerated gradually to play several powerful strokes at the death, and also brought out his trademark helicopter swing, a shot Raina said belonged completely to the India captain.

"That is a Mahi-bhai exclusive. It's very difficult to play that shot. You have to pick the length early. He has played it for many years. When someone is bowling yorkers at 140-145 (kph) and the ball is aimed at the toes, you have to put the entire load on the back and turn the bat. Other players have their own quality shots, but the helicopter shot suits only him, and it won't suit others. He always clears the rope with it because he has that kind of strength. All players try to hit low full tosses to midwicket or over the bowler's head, but you need to practice that shot a lot."

Read More..

Hughes wants to build on strong openings

Phillip Hughes is pleased with the consistency of his opening partnership with Aaron Finch so far in the ODI series against India. They put on 110, 74 and 68 in the first three matches and Hughes said they would have liked to have made larger stands.

"Aaron's very good to bat with," Hughes said on the eve of the fourth ODI in Ranchi. "Standing at the other end, I've got the best seat in the house when he goes off. We've had a really good relationship over the last five to ten years actually. We roomed together at the academy and always kept in touch. Aaron's just a fantastic guy and cricketer. I love going out to bat with him.

"The one disappointing thing is that we'd like to make the partnership bigger and try and take the game on even more. We've been quite consistent in the first three games and we've spoken about not looking too far ahead. Hopefully we can keep posting totals on the board and setting the guys that come in through the middle order."

Australia's captain George Bailey has built on the starts Hughes and Finch have provided. He is the second highest run-getter in the series after Virat Kohli, with 220 runs. Hughes said Bailey had been "outstanding".

"He [Bailey] is really leading from the front," Hughes said. "He is a real good character and we all love playing under George. He has been very consistent in the one-day format in the last 12 months. Again in this series, he has batted really beautifully, great to see the leader lead from the front."

Hughes has made 47, 83 and 22 in the series. When Australia lost all four Tests in India earlier this year, he had tallied 147 over eight innings at an average of 18.37, falling repeatedly against the India spinners. Hughes said Australia had moved on from that failure.

"The Test series a few months back wasn't as successful. For us to lose that series 4-0 was extremely disappointing. I suppose the wickets are different and it's a white ball. But there are a couple of things that I obviously picked up and worked on. That was the first time that I had toured India on an international tour and Test series. It's a nice thing to have toured and come back and score a few runs."

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had called Hughes "clearly our best young batsman in the country," and said he should be given a long run in the side. Hughes started the recent Ashes in England with an unbeaten 81 at Trent Bridge but was left out after following that up with a duck in the second innings and making 1 and 1 at Lord's. Hughes was grateful for Ponting's praise.

"That's the first I've heard of it. It's great when a great player of Ricky's calibre comes out and says that and supports you. It's a fantastic feeling. For me personally it's just about being as consistent as possible and continuing to keep performing. I'm just grateful to be in this one-day side. I want to keep putting consistent scores on the board and hopefully set up wins for Australia."

Read More..

South Africa must recall old lessons

It was finding a way to win in the subcontinent that was a key part to South Africa's rise to No. 1 in the world and now they need to recall some old lessons

Ten years ago yesterday, South Africa lost a Test match in Lahore. A week later they had been defeated in the series, after a drawn game in Faisalabad. They only went back to Pakistan once after that, four years later. Then, they won.

Graeme Smith, who was in his 16th Test, "does not remember much" about the 2003 defeat except that it was a "big turning point in our path as a Test team." That series was not the start of South Africa's remarkable unbeaten run on the road - that only started after they lost to Sri Lanka in 2006 - but it was a tour in which they discovered some what it would take to compete on the subcontinent.

"Any time you lose you learn lessons," Smith remembered. "We thought about a lot of things after that, things like what kind of cricketers could have made more of an impact. Those losses helped us with the successes we had away from home afterwards."

The most noticeable difference between the personnel South Africa employed for the two series is the type of spinner they used. In the first, it was Paul Adams, who was their leading wicket-taker despite the defeat. In the second, it was Paul Harris, who was also the chief destroyer in victory.

The composition and form of the Pakistan team they faced on both occasions was different but it's still worth noting that while Adams went for 3.38 runs to the over, Harris conceded only 1.96. Harris' job was primarily a holding one and if conditions and circumstances conspired for it to be more than that, he happily accepted.

If South Africa believe in learning from the past, that will tell them something. In Abu Dhabi, only Morne Morkel succeeded in keeping an end quiet for extended periods of time while the person who was supposed to do it, Robin Peterson, was the most expensive and least effective.

South Africa seem intent on not replacing Peterson but if they retain him, they need to issue clear instructions that he should concentrate on drying up runs. Smith said Imran Tahir's "attacking ability will come into consideration," especially if Dale Steyn is ruled out, which suggests that if he is used he may operate alongside, rather than in place of Peterson.

Whatever combination they go with, South Africa need a designated donkey bowler if they want to "find a way to make a greater impact with the ball at different times," as Smith said. He recognised that was what Pakistan did in Abu Dhabi. "Pakistan's spinners didn't dominate but they played crucial roles. They held the game and we weren't able to break free so they were always ahead of the game," he said.

If South Africa can find someone to do that, it will the first step towards squaring the series. The next, and perhaps more important, will be in the batting line-up.

When South Africa lost to Pakistan in 2003, they were bowled out for 320 and 241 in the match they were defeated in. When they won four years later, their first innings score was exactly 450. It does not even need revisiting that history to know that big totals set up wins and Smith knows that. He previously said South Africa need to look at posting scores of "above 400," in the UAE and today reiterated that. "We need to be posting more solid totals," he said. "We need to Pakistan work harder for the things that they get in this Test match."

While South Africa have accepted they were outplayed in the first Test, they also believe they allowed Pakistan to dominate. They have not identified a clear reason for their lack of fight but Smith expects the bulldog in them to be back for the must-win encounter. "We lacked a little bit of an edge," he admitted.

Smith is "looking forward" to South Africa regaining some of their razor-sharpness but conceded it will take immense character from a side that will be missing one of its heartbeats. Hashim Amla will sit out this Test as he waits for his second child to be born and Steyn could also be ruled out, depending on the severity of his hamstring tightness.

"It's a challenge to be without your best players," Smith said. "When you play sport you have injuries and obstacles that come your way and that's why you need to have a squad of players that can perform." South Africa's replacements have included heroics from JP Duminy - in Australia in 2008 - and Faf du Plessis - also in that country last year. Whether they have the depth to do it again will be seen over the next five days.

Smith thinks they do. "There is still confidence in our ability. We know we have won all around the world and we know we can win in different conditions." Pakistan 2007 is an example. Then, it was an indication they were on the up. Last year they reached the top and this is the series that was thought to be their biggest obstacle to staying there. Should South Africa overcome the hurdle, it will prove the lessons they were taught in the past have been learned.

Read More..

India's SA tour gets go-ahead

India's tour of South Africa later this year is all but confirmed, with a formal statement expected in the next 24 hours. The month-long tour is likely to comprise two Tests and three ODIs. The decision follows an assurance from Cricket South Africa that it will suspend its CEO, Haroon Lorgat, from dealing with matters related to India and the ICC pending an inquiry by the world body into allegations against him.

The allegations relate to Lorgat's role in the statement issued by David Becker, formerly the ICC's legal head, that the BCCI's flouting of the FTP could have legal implications. In his statement, released to the media last week, Becker had said it was "improper" to allow a member body to "blatantly disregard an ICC resolution".

The issue was touched upon during the ICC Executive Board meeting in London over the weekend and the BCCI's demand for an ethics committee inquiry against Becker and Lorgat gained a lot of support. Many ICC Full Members are believed to have expressed their reservations over Lorgat being a part of ICC proceedings.

Though an ICC spokesperson couldn't be reached for a comment, it is understood that Lorgat will be suspended from two of the most important responsibilities in his job profile but would continue to take care of all the domestic affairs at CSA as well as dealing with other ICC members.

The decision, which is expected to be made public through a joint statement by the two boards, will end a story that has been playing out for several months. It severely tested the relations between the BCCI and CSA, which have been on best terms since the end of apartheid in the early 1990s.

The origin of the issue was the schedule for India's tour of South Africa, which was announced by CSA on July 8. However, it immediately fell into problems because the schedule had not been endorsed by the BCCI. And though there was no official statement, the sticking point seemed to be CSA's appointment of Lorgat as its chief executive despite a series of run-ins between Lorgat and the BCCI during his tenure as ICC chief.

Read More..

Is Duleep Trophy no longer relevant?

With tournaments like Champions League T20 nudging Duleep Trophy towards the margins of India's domestic calendar, the once-popular event is facing an identity crisis

The last time the Duleep Trophy was shared, before this year's edition, was 16 years ago when the 1997-98 final between West Zone and Central Zone in Chennai lost three days of play due to rain. The common strands between then and now are the weather and the four-match format of the tournament.

However, the significance of the tournament to India's domestic calendar has changed. Sixteen years ago, the Duleep Trophy was the last hurdle on the domestic circuit to earning a national call-up. In 2013, the tournament is struggling to find a slot in the domestic calendar that allows at least the zonal stars to participate. The tournament has clashed with the Champions League T20 for the last few years, and had the status of the Duleep Trophy not devalued, it would have seen domestic stars in whites rather than the coloured clothing of their franchise.

In such a scenario, one of the semi-finals this year was decided by a coin toss, followed by a final that saw just 10 overs played over five days - the last thing the tournament, already in the midst of an identity crisis, needed.

Amay Khurasiya, who led Central Zone in that final 16 years ago, feels it's time to realise the declining worth of the Duleep Trophy.

"If there are so many avenues for a person to get selected for India, then some avenues are going to dip in terms of significance," Khurasiya, who is now the director of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association's academy, told ESPNcricinfo.

The Champions League matches were mostly held in cities that were unaffected by rain. A match scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad was moved to Jaipur following heavy rain. Yet that facility was not extended to the Duleep Trophy final that was held at the same venue where, 72 hours earlier, the semi-final had been washed out.

Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's general manager - game development, told Mumbai Mirror that October was the only slot available and the tournament could only be held in the southern part of India because other venues around the country were involved with the Champions League or the India-Australia series.

TC Mathew, the Kerala Cricket Association president who is also a member of the BCCI's senior tournament committee, also cited the same reasons.

"First and foremost, we must understand that the rains were expected to subside in October," Mathew said. "And it wasn't raining every day, so the question of informing the Board of our (KCA) inability to host the final after the semi-final disaster didn't arise.

"At the same time, I don't think the Board was in a position to shift the final at the eleventh hour because of the volume of cricket played around the country. At the end of the day, when Kerala has seen rains more than 180% of the average annual rainfall, despite putting in all the possible human effort, we couldn't have more than 10 overs in the game."

The BCCI finds itself in a conundrum of scheduling too many tournaments in limited span of time, with recent additions such as the Corporate Trophy, IPL, Champions League and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. With a prolonged Ranji trophy, which now assures each team of at least eight games per season, there are questions over whether the BCCI should let go of the Duleep Trophy that, until recently, used to be a marquee event. Khurasiya isn't averse to the idea.

"In an era when a four-over spell or an eight- or ten-over burst with the bat can catapult a youngster into the national team, Duleep Trophy has almost lost its value," Khurasiya said. "Nothing lasts forever. With times everything changes.

"You need to have vision. If something's not worth it, you better not continue with it. No doubt plenty of avenues have been created for cricketers to get noticed. At the same time, too much of cricket is also not good if it's affecting the quality. And I suppose the quality is being affected these days."

Read More..

Anderson eager for pace and bounce

James Anderson has welcomed the suggestion that Australia will prepare relatively helpful pitches for seamers in the forthcoming Ashes series.

After England prevailed 3-0 at home on surfaces that were generally low and slow, it has been suggested in some quarters that the pitches in Australia will provide far more encouragement to the home side's seamers. The groundsman at the Gabba, Kevin Mitchell, told the Courier Mail that his pitch would be "pretty different" from those used in England and would "definitely have a tinge of green" in it, while Darren Lehmann, the Australia coach, promised pitches that would "speed up" and where "those nicks will carry and you'll be able to bowl them out quicker."

But while Australia's seamers may well prefer their home conditions, they will also be to the liking of England's. And, bearing in mind that England's opening seamers currently sit at No. 1 (Stuart Broad with 45 wickets) and No. 2 (Anderson with 41) in the Test wickets tally for 2013, Anderson is confident that England have the bowlers to exploit any assistance. Graeme Swann, England's offspinner, is at No. 4 in the table.

"We'll love it if the pitches are more helpful," Anderson told ESPNcricinfo at a Slazenger event. "Over the last few years, wickets around the world have become flatter and flatter. And in England they've gone especially flat.

"So to go somewhere where they produce something in them for bowlers, we'll be delighted. It's 100% a good thing as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully with the bowling unit we've picked, we'll be able to make the most of it."

While Anderson accepted that conditions in Australia were slightly different, he felt that the experience of England's attack rendered them well prepared.

"Yes, they use a different ball in Australia, but it's not a huge deal," he said. "We use the Kookaburra ball loads of places and, although it's slightly different, the white ball we use in England is a Kookaburra and feels the same in the hand.

"The last time we went there, in 2010-11, the wickets had a bit in them for bowlers and I enjoyed it a lot. It doesn't swing for a huge amount of time, so having other weapons, such as reverse and consistency, is very important. Quite a few of us have played out there before, so I wouldn't anticipate too many surprises."

Anderson was particularly effusive in his praise for his new ball partner Broad, suggesting that, aged 27, he has time to improve further in the months ahead, and in Swann who, he felt, was likely to play a key role in the series, even if the pitches are designed to negate his bowling.

"People forget how young Broad is," Anderson said. "So he has time on his side. But it's great to have someone who can run through a side the way he does at times.

"Yes, he can blow a bit hold and cold, but what you see at the moment is that spells he showed against New Zealand at Lord's and Australia at Durham will become more frequent and the spells in between will be more steady. He's aiming for more consistency and he's getting there.

"The guys in the team know how important Graeme Swann is to us. Even if the pitch doesn't turn, he bowls that attacking line outside off stump and there aren't many orthodox offspinners that are brave enough to do that. He does an incredible job with the bat and at second slip."

And Anderson had encouraging words for Graham Onions, who missed out on selection despite being the most impressive seamer in county cricket for the second season in succession.

"He's unfortunate to miss out," Anderson said. "I've experienced that, too, and it's tough to take. It's really tough on him.

"But if I was him, I'd try and find a positive angle. He's going to South Africa to play domestic cricket so I'd recommend he focuses on that. Then, if there are any injuries among our bowling unit, he could be in a better position than some of the people who were picked originally. He would be match fit and he could fly straight in to the side."

James Anderson will be using the Slazenger V100 ULTIMATE TAS bat during this winter's Ashes series, part of the new 2014 Slazenger cricket range available to pre-order in November. For more information on the Slazenger range for 2014 visit Store.slazenger.com

Read More..

Toby Radford named Glamorgan coach

Toby Radford, the West Indies assistant coach and former Middlesex and Sussex batsman, has been named as Glamorgan's new head coach.

Radford, 41, who was born in Wales and previously coached Middlesex, will take over from Matthew Mott following a season where Glamorgan reached the final of the YB40. He will join Hugh Morris, the outgoing managing director of England cricket who has returned to his former county as chief executive, as part of a new management team at Glamorgan and is set to begin on November 1.

Radford said: "It was great to see the team reaching a Lord's final at the end of the season, and I believe we have a wonderful opportunity of building on this success and developing a team of which the Welsh nation can be proud."

"I am honoured to have been offered this position and look forward to working with chief executive and director of cricket Hugh Morris, and the playing and coaching staff of Glamorgan in bringing success back to the county I supported as a youngster."

Following a playing career that was limited to 14 first-class matches, Radford move into coaching firstly with Berkshire and then with the Middlesex Academy before taking temporary charge of the first team in 2007 when Richard Pybus quit midway through the season. He was then appointed on a full-time basis in 2008, the summer Middlesex won the Twenty20 Cup.

In 2010, Radford moved to the Caribbean to take up a post at the newly formed High Performance Centre in Barbados from where he became involved with the main West Indies squad firstly as a batting coach and then Ottis Gibson's assistant.

Gibson, himself, had been linked with the Glamorgan role but the WICB made it clear last week that they had not been aware of interest.

Morris, who takes up his Glamorgan role in January, said: "In recent years Toby has built a strong reputation as one of the most talented young cricket coaches in England and Wales, and his experience of managing and developing some world class cricketers will be a great asset to our club. He is a proud Welshman and is looking forward to working with our current players and nurturing local talent for the future."

Glamorgan's run in the YB40, which saw them secure their first Lord's final since 2000, was the high point of their season. Elsewhere, they finished second bottom in Division Two of the Championship and failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the FLt20.

Some young players showed promise in 2013 notably offspinner Andrew Salter in the Lord's final and pace bowler Michael Reed who will be involved with the England development programme over the winter.

Read More..

'New Zealand are under pressure' - Mushfiqur

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim wants his side to continue the consistency they showed in the first Test, and feels that New Zealand are the team under more pressure.

"I think they are under pressure," Mushfiqur said. "It is not easy to play in our home conditions. They wouldn't want to lose to a side ranked lower than them.

"We want to win this Test match. I think they would also want a result in this game. After the first two days, you can see which way the game is heading. The first innings is going to be vital in this Test. So we want to start well."

But in the last couple of years, Bangladesh's record in second Tests of the usual two-match series that they play have been poor, particularly after they impressed in the first match of the series.

Against Sri Lanka in March, they drew the first Test in Galle but were strangled in Colombo, to lose by seven wickets. Similarly at home in 2012, they ran West Indies close in the first Test in Dhaka before going down easily in Khulna. Against the same opponents in 2011, a similar theme continued when they drew the first Test but was crushed by 229 runs in the second game.

Mushfiqur believes that since the home team dominated long passages of play and had more individual performances in Chittagong, they hold the upper hand over the visitors.

"We are hungry to win the second Test," Mushfiqur said. "We had a lot of gains from the first game, but it was a draw. We wanted to win. The whole team is keen to win the game and the series. It is a huge challenge to play well in two Tests in a row, but the players are responsible these days. So I hope we remain consistent.

"We dominated three days of the Chittagong Test, so I would say we are ahead of them, mentally. Several players are just itching to get out there and perform. If we can combine it as a team, we will do well."

Some say that Mushfiqur's biggest advantage is that two of his best players, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, are yet to make big contributions in 2013. They have had quiet times in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and in the Chittagong Test against New Zealand. Shakib did get a fifty in the second innings, but still hasn't hit the level he has maintained in the last four years.

"Shakib and Tamim are relaxed. They are always thinking about doing well in the next match. There are more performers in the team, around seven or eight guys. But the records of those two in Mirpur are great, so I am hoping that they do well here."

Bangladesh are likely to keep the same playing eleven, but there were some murmurs of a third seamer being given a go in place of Abdur Razzak."It is likely that we will play the same combination. We will take a call tomorrow morning, but I am hoping to keep the seven batsman-four bowlers blend intact."

Read More..

Whatmore aims for strong series finish

Dav Whatmore has first-hand experience of how South Africa deal with losing. Thirteen years ago, they were cleaned up by an innings and 15 runs in Galle, thanks to a 13-wicket Muttiah Muralitharan special, and responded with a seven-run win in Kandy to square the series. Jacques Kallis is the only survivor from that tour but Whatmore believes South Africa still retain that attitude.

"They are very hard, very resilient," the Pakistan coach said. "You write them off at your peril because they come back hard." With that in mind, Pakistan know what to expect as they aim to account for another No.1 side and Whatmore believes they've had enough time to ready themselves for that.

He attributed Pakistan's success in the first Test to three key things, chief among them being sufficient practice. "We're better prepared against this opposition than we were the last time we played them in South Africa," he said. When Pakistan were white-washed 3-0 earlier in March this year, they had not played a Test for seven months but this time they had matches in Zimbabwe and practice games at home before the series.

With game time under the belts and changes to the squad, Pakistan were better equipped to exploit the 'home' advantage. "Conditions are different and we've had a slight change of personnel. It was a good, competitive effort over the four days."

Mohammad Hafeez's axing is thought to have sparked the change as Pakistan experimented with new openers and enjoyed success. Whatmore praised the selectors but stopped short of using one game to forecast long-term plans.

"Some credit should be given to the selectors, in terms of the ability to see Shan Masood. He is a good batsman, technically, and has a bright future," he said. "That's the thing with bold decisions, sometimes they come off, sometimes not.

"With Khurram, he played a lot of first-class cricket in Pakistan and you need that. Players have to go through a hard grind. He has the benefit of doing that. He came in with a bank of runs behind him and there was every chance he would do well. Now, he has to be consistent. This next match is a test for him but he certainly has the ability."

For Whatmore, Pakistan's win was a demonstration of their potential as a unit, something he knew all along. "I wasn't surprised we did well. Leading up to this series, people in Pakistan were alluding to the loss in Zimbabwe and were saying we didn't have a chance. In my mind that was never the case. I knew we could be competitive. We're better prepared. Conditions are different. We have other players. These things do matter."

And they will matter again when Pakistan take the field on Wednesday hoping to pull off another coup and prompt the decline of another No.1. South Africa's lead at the top of the Test rankings will be cut by 10 points if they lose two-nil (it currently sits at 19), which may be one reason Misbah said he would ask for a "result pitch" in Dubai.

Whatmore, however, said he had given the groundsman "no instructions" on what to do and that he has "prepared the pitch as he always does." Since Pakistan have been forced to make the UAE their home, Dubai has hosted four Tests with only one, against South Africa in 2010, a draw.

In that game, Pakistan had fought back after conceding a first-innings deficit. Misbah had said it felt like a win and Whatmore indicated he wouldn't be unhappy if the same thing happens again.

"I want to win the series. One-nil is just as good as two-nil," Whatmore said. "A hard-fought draw is very important for every team. I won't be upset if we don't win as long as we finish the game well." And that will mean not finishing it the way Sri Lanka did in Kandy.

Read More..

'Both teams are closely matched' - McCullum

New Zealand will be eager to register their first Test win in 2013, but they are not expecting one to be served on a platter by Bangladesh. Captain Brendon McCullum said he expects a tough fight in the second Test in Dhaka, and acknowledges that they are expected to win the series given the track record and difference in rankings between the two sides.

New Zealand have won eight out of the last ten Tests against Bangladesh, but the tide has started to turn since 2008. Bangladesh beat them in an ODI for the first time that year and pushed them a long way in the first Test, a few days later, before Daniel Vettori bailed them out. Bangladesh then surprised New Zealand with a 4-0 ODI series win in 2010 at home.

"We have a decent amount of respect for Bangladesh," McCullum said. "They are a tough opposition and we saw that in the last match. It was a very good match with both teams showing their skills and didn't, at any stage, relent.

"We said at the outset that we should be winning the series, and the expectation is on us to do so, and that hasn't changed. It didn't surprise me how close the last game went. Both teams are, in these conditions, closely matched. We have a real fight on our hands to get the result that we want."

New Zealand are likely to add Neil Wagner in place of one of the spinners to strengthen their pace attack. "We have a number of options which is good from the point of view of the squad," McCullum said. "We have to make sure we are completely comfortable with the way we go forward from here. It is something we need to look out and work out the balance of our team. If we do include the extra seamer it will be in place of one of the spinners."

He claimed that the wicket in Mirpur should be similar to that in Chittagong, where the first Test was played. Judging by the Dhaka Premier League matches this season, there should be more carry in the Mirpur wicket than in Chittagong, but it will remain a tough surface to get wickets for the bowlers.

"It should be similar to Chittagong where there is not much pace and bounce," McCullum said. "I think that's the challenge of playing in Bangladesh. It is a myth that it spins in Bangladesh. I think Sri Lanka and India offer a lot more for the spinners. In Bangladesh it tends to skid and you have seen it in the modes of dismissal in the last game. Their spinners bowled very well and they will ask us a lot of questions in the next five days."

New Zealand are unlikely to change their batting approach, which lets the top order take up a considerable amount of time before someone like McCullum comes in at No. 5. "I don't think they [top order] need to bat at a higher tempo," he said. "They did a good job. We have talked about batting four sessions in the first innings and around three in the second innings. I thought our batting was faultless in the first Test."

The bottom line will be how the New Zealand batsmen withstand another relentless innings of spin bowling. Sohag Gazi's second-innings performance served as a warning to the visitors who would be wary of the offspinner.

"Everyone will have their own plans against him," McCullum said. "He bowled exceptionally well in the last Test. When we looked to dictate terms, he got the wickets.

"Prior to that, I thought we played him pretty well. He had a very good game and thoroughly deserves the accolade that has followed. If we have to do well, he is one of the guys we have to overcome."

Read More..

McKenzie fifty gives Lions first win

Lions 212 for 6 (McKenzie 73*, de Kock 47) beat Cape Cobras 206 (Kemp 67, Viljoen 4-61) by 4 wickets
Scorecard

Veteran Neil McKenzie led Lions to their first win of the tournament with an unbeaten 73. Chasing Cape Cobras' 206, the Lions lost six wickets but sailed home on McKenzie's fifty with four balls to spare. Lions are now placed fifth out of the six teams, while Cobras are third with two wins from four matches.

After Lions lost their opener Stephen Cook for a duck to Charl Langeveldt in the first over, Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen almost took them to 50 before the latter fell for 15. De Kock was dismissed soon after for 47, which included seven fours. McKenzie and Temba Bavuma steered them to a comfortable position with an 83-run stand for the fourth wicket before Bavuma was run-out for 33. They needed 48 from the last 10 overs and even though McKenzie didn't get much support from Jean Symes and Chris Morris, he stayed unbeaten with his 56th List A fifty to seal the win with a six in the last over.

The Cobras got off to a shaky start after they were put in to bat, losing five wickets for 70 runs. Justin Ontong (37) and Justin Kemp's 44-run stand revived the innings fleetingly and the only other substantial contribution of 28 from Dane Piedt helped Kemp, who scored 67 off 76, take them past 200 but it wasn't enough.

Dolphins 212 for 7 (Smit 47*) v Titans 78 for 1
Scorecard

Titans were firm favourites in their game against Dolphins, having reached 78 for 1 in the chase of 213, when rain wiped out the rest of the match in Durban.

After being put in, Dolphins had a poor start, being reduced to 52 for 4 in the 16th over, making the rest of the innings an extended recovery mission. They still had David Miller in the middle, but though he made a start he was dismissed for 20 by David Wiese. The major contributions came from lower down the order, with No. 7 Daryn Smit and No. 9 Kyle Abbott hitting 40s to lift the total beyond 200.

Titans began the chase in a hurry, with opener Henry Davids lashing 35 off 26 as the 50 was raised in the seventh over. His dismissal brought down the run-rate, but there were no more wickets for Dolphins before the rain arrived and settled in.

Read More..

ICC extends Bangladesh's World T20 venue deadline to Nov 30

The ICC has accepted the Bangladesh Cricket Board's request to extend the deadline for the readying of its stadiums for the 2014 World Twenty20 to November 30. The ICC Development International (IDI) board took the decision after reviewing a report on the condition of the venues, put together by the ICC venue consultant.

The main issue is with the stadiums at Sylhet and Cox's Bazar, which are still being developed. An ICC team visited the venues last week. The Sylhet stadium's pavilion, the biggest reason for all the delay, is close to completion, with the structure in place, and the press box also almost complete.

The original deadline for the completion of the stadiums was September 30. BCB president Nazmul Hasan had said in August that he had "no doubt that the construction work will end by mid-October". The tournament is scheduled to be played between March 16 and April 6 next year.

Now, sources in the BCB have said it plans to finish the work by the first week of November, and host Indian state side Maharashtra at the ground to judge its readiness. Maharashtra Cricket Association president Ajay Shirke, however, said "no such proposal is in the pipeline". But Maharashtra have a break in first-class Ranji Trophy between October 30 and November 14, and given the association's severe cash crunch due to its ongoing dispute with Indian company Sahara Pariwar over title rights of the new stadium on the outskirts of Pune, it may agree to send over a team if all expenses are borne by the hosts.

While the BCB has been given more time by the ICC to complete work on the stadiums, the schedule for the tournament will be announced in Dhaka on October 27. These decisions were taken at the ICC board meeting in London, on October 18 and 19.

The other major decision taken at the meeting was with regard to the ICC's anti-corruption code. A revised version of the code, which an ICC release termed "more robust and strengthened" will be submitted for discussion at the board's next meeting, in January 2014. The matter of Mohammad Amir's ban, which the PCB is looking to get reduced, will be discussed only after the new anti-corruption code is finalised, the ICC said.

The board also decided to maintain the current playing conditions for ODI cricket, bad light and the DRS.

An ICC chairman will be appointed and take over only after the board's annual conference in 2014, the ICC release said. The post of ICC's chairman was first adopted in 2012 and will turn the role of the ICC president into a ceremonial one while vesting executive powers in a new chairman. It is understood that the BCCI and ECB are seeking a dilution of power to be exercised by the new chairman, and prefer that his role be reduced from head of executive office in the ICC to that of a convenor.

The ICC board also approved an increase in the financial assistance provided to Afghanistan, through its Targeted Assistance Performance Programme (TAPP), to US$ 1.1m. This move was prompted by Afghanistan's qualification for the 2015 World Cup.

The 2014 Under-19 World Cup will be played in the UAE, from February 14 to March 1, the board confirmed.

Read More..

The Ishant Sharma over that changed the game

With 44 needed off 18, India seemed to have the match well within their grasp. Then James Faulkner slammed 30 off an Ishant Sharma over, and the game turned on its head. Here's a ball-by-ball account of that over:

47.1 I Sharma to Faulkner, FOUR, full and wide, Faulkner throws the bat at that and connects well, that soars over extra cover for four, the first ball is hit for a boundary and the 50 partnership comes up.

47.2 I Sharma to Faulkner, SIX, what an amazing hit that is, this was short from Ishant, sat up for Faulkner, who clobbers that to cow corner, he enjoyed that shot, it went a long way beyond the rope, 10 off the first two balls, what will Ishant serve up now? First he has to get the ball back, it went into the crowd and hasn't been returned since.

47.3 I Sharma to Faulkner, SIX, superb hit from Faulkner, that was a length ball, 'hit me' it shouted, Faulkner obliged, that is as straight as they come, over the sightscreen, and some fans in the crowd hang their heads in disappointment.

47.4 I Sharma to Faulkner, 2 runs, goes short this time, Faulkner is swinging at everything, connects well, but only a couple to deep square leg

47.5 I Sharma to Faulkner, SIX, this game has turned on its head in five deliveries, fans are stunned into silence as Faulkner reels off another six, another short ball and that is hooked behind square leg for another six

47.6 I Sharma to Faulkner, SIX MORE, what on earth? Ishant Sharma had his critics before this game, there aren't going to be many people backing him after this, short once more, another pull, right off the middle off the bat, and that sails into the crowd once more, crowd not sure whether to be gobsmacked by this hitting from Faulkner or be thrilled by this sensational turnaround, that's Faulkner's 50 as well

Read More..

Faulkner launches premeditated assault on Ishant

India's death-bowling problems are well documented, and Australia's batsmen seemed to know all about them, timing their late assault in Mohali to perfection to complete an improbable chase. James Faulkner, India's wrecker-in-chief on the night, said after the game he knew better than to go after offspinner R Ashwin, while Adam Voges, Australia's top scorer, said Faulkner had specifically looked to get after Ishant Sharma in an over that changed the game.

"I didn't feel I could get Ashwin over to the long boundary, with his carom balls. So I thought if I could just get seven or eight off him and target the other end … that was our only chance of winning, to tell you the truth," Faulkner said after his team chased down 304, needing 44 off the final three overs. Ashwin had bowled the 47th over and the pair of Voges and Faulkner took eight off it, with just one boundary. The next over, Ishant was thrown the ball and, according to Voges, Faulkner said: "This is it, I am going after this."

And go he did, slamming four sixes, a four and running a two to take 30 off Ishant and bring the equation down to a very manageable 14 off 12. Ashwin bowled the following over too, and again Faulkner and Voges sensibly knocked him around for five, before easing to victory off seamer Vinay Kumar.

While Faulkner's innings was "extraordinary", as his captain George Bailey termed it, Ishant did provide him with the opportunities to hit out. The pace bowler pitched short repeatedly, bowled length and delivered only one full ball, and even that delivery allowed Faulkner the room to have a swing.

India captain MS Dhoni, who had hit the third-highest score for a No. 6 batsman to lift his wobbling side to above 300, admitted that the bowling is a headache that is getting worse for the team.

"I think the last few overs were disappointing, it is an area of concern and it is getting worse. There was a bit of dew but not like in the last game, the individuals will have to step up, you have to back your strength," Dhoni said. "You don't need to spoonfeed bowlers at the international level."

Bailey said keeping wickets in hand was where his team scored over India. "It was a fantastic partnership to finish it off. It was extraordinary hitting from Jamie, as good as I've seen. It was great that he had Adam at the other end who held the innings together nicely.

"The thing we kept talking about was trying to have wickets in hand. That was where we felt we might have the advantage over India. We kept taking wickets through the Indian innings to put them under the pump."

India had lost their fourth wicket by 13th over, when Dhoni walked in and proceeded to construct another one of his special ODI innings. After beginning slowly and building patiently, Dhoni teed off to finish on 139 not out off 121. He had offered a chance off Shane Watson in the penultimate over of the innings, but Bailey grassed what should have been a straightforward catch in the covers. Dhoni added another 34 runs to his score. Bailey had a laugh about that drop after the game: "If I could learn to catch, we'd possibly be chasing 20 or 30 lesser off MS' role."

Faulkner was one of the bowlers taken apart by Dhoni after that life, but it was Faulkner who ensured his team could laugh about that gaffe at the end of the day.

Read More..

Dhoni goes third at No. 6, and past 5000 as captain

A farewell left too late (380)

Tendulkar's legacy has been diminished by his long twilight, and the team he served for so long with such distinction has been damaged too

India's blunt spearhead (363)

Ishant Sharma has been a disappointment in ODIs, proving ineffective with new ball and old for the majority of his six-year career

Chasing glory (130)

Virat Kohli is already third in terms of most centuries when batting second in ODIs, but his rate of scoring them is unmatched in the format's history

Bold shots, bolder ambition for Finch (63)

After an early struggle, Aaron Finch now feels at home in international company, and wants to use his strong India batting form as a springboard towards an Ashes place

'I'm honest, and I stand up for what I believe is right' (39)

BCCI president N Srinivasan, currently in the eye of more than one storm, speaks about India's South Africa tour, the board producing TV telecasts, and the health of the game in the country

Read More..