Tahir banks on subcontinent experience

South Africa legspinner Imran Tahir is confident the experience of playing on subcontinent tracks during the World T20 will hold him in good stead as he prepares for his first IPL stint with Delhi Daredevils. Tahir, who was the leading wicket-taker in the World T20 in Bangladesh, was brought in as a replacement for the injured pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile.

"The wickets are looking the same. Even in Bangladesh there were no spin-friendly wickets. I have that experience and it would help," Tahir said. "Spinners have a main role whether in the IPL or world cricket. But it's hard to be a legspinner, you have to be accurate. The Kotla wicket suits spinners, I will try to do something special."

His addition is important for Daredevils who are currently struggling at the bottom of the table with six losses in eight games and need to win most of their remaining games for a shot at the play-offs. Slow-bowling is one of Daredevils' glaring weaknesses with frontline spinner Shahbaz Nadeem struggling for wickets. JP Duminy, a part-timer, has had to chip in to balance a bowling attack that has relied largely on pacers.

Tahir comes into the squad with 12 wickets in five games at the World T20 at an average of 10.91. He has 99 T20 wickets from 91 games with a strike rate of 19.5 and an economy rate of 6.42. Moreover, he also has the experience of having played in T20 leagues in Pakistan, South Africa and England. He also said that while he did not have a lot of experience of bowling in the Powerplay overs, he would be willing to do so for Daredevils.

"I know the team is not doing well. I want to do something for the team," Tahir said. "They are working hard, [it's] just things are not going their way. But you can't do much about it. Destiny, too, has a role to play in it. Even if we can win four out of six games, we will be able to justify.

"I have not bowled in Powerplay but if the captain asks me then it has to be considered in the interest of the team. I would like to put myself in that situation. If not, then I would like to bowl after six overs."

The presence of his South Africa team-mates, Duminy, Quinton de Kock and Wayne Parnell has made the transition smoother for Tahir.

"It is an advantage. They know how I play and they also know what they can to do help me as I am new in the side," he said. "I have also played against some of the Indians in England."

PCB defends Waqar appointment

The PCB has defended its decision to name Waqar Younis as the national team's head coach, a day after Mohsin Khan blasted the appointment process. Mohsin, one of the contenders for the coach's job, had called the process a 'total farce', questioning why he had not been interviewed.

Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan captain who is now principal advisor to the PCB chairman, explained why Mohsin had not been interviewed. "The procedure is that we usually interview candidates about whom we have no or little information," Abbas said. "But Mohsin's case was different; he is quite familiar to us and we are aware of his strengths and weaknesses."

Mohsin had previously been Pakistan's coach in 2012, when he guided them to a famous 3-0 Test series sweep against then No. 1 England. Mohsin and Waqar were in the race for the top role and on Tuesday, the PCB appointed Waqar, who returned for a second term after his previous stint between March 2010 and August 2011.

Another former Pakistan captain, Intikhab Alam, who is now PCB's director of domestic cricket, also defended Waqar's appointment. "For the position of head coach we took a lot of other factors into account," Alam said. "We looked at an applicant's ability to be inclusive and take players along with him. After reviewing all seven applications on merit, we recommended Waqar Younis."

Ramdin focuses on mental challenge

Denesh Ramdin, West Indies new Test captain, is convinced there is the talent available in the Caribbean to revive their form over five days but they must overcome the mental frailties which have happened there attempts to climb the Test rankings.

He wants his team to play "smarter cricket" and is eager to impart his style of leadership and thinking, which he believes are the qualities the selectors have seen, on his team-mates beginning with the visit of New Zealand.

"For the last six to seven years, West Indies have gone off the boil in Tests because our opponents have out-thought us more. We need to think harder as a team," Ramdin told ESPNcricinfo. "The talent is there. The cricketing skill is always there but it's more mental with us. Since my West Indies U-19 experiences and Trinidad stints as captain, I've always focused and prided myself on proper analysis of the game and we need to improve on this to move up."

Ramdin is confident that he will be able to deal with the pressure, expectation and responsibility the captaincy brings having been vice-captain for five years but knows it will be an increasing challenge to ensure he continues to focus enough time on his own game, which is already to the dual role of being a keeper-batsman.

"Darren [Sammy] did well with the resources he had and many thanks to him but I'm relishing the challenge," he said, before the news of Sammy's retirement. "There will be ups and downs but I'm ready to balance it all. Over the past 12-15 months I've worked on my personal form and it remains the same - I want to help anchor the team and get the lower order to contribute more runs."

Ramdin was quick to pick out West Indies' batting as the area that needed immediate attention. "We need to bat better in both innings in a Test and not just one. We must have consistency because we've been faltering with the bat too much."

Ramdin mapped out his vision for the team on the pitch and said he felt the wicketkeeper's role was one that will benefit him in the captaincy. "I see a lot from behind the wicket - how the opposition bats to my bowlers - and this helps me in strategizing as it's the best view in the house.

"So now I have a more hands-on approach and more input to control things and to form tactics my way to get guys out based on what I see. This perspective would help in containing opponents and also, I get the best chance to assess the pitches constantly out there in the middle."

He sees the upcoming visit of New Zealand as a good litmus test as the teams are so close to each other in the Test rankings and because the teams have dominated each other in their respective home conditions over the past few years. Ramdin wants to overturn the losses suffered on tour of New Zealand, but despite beating them in the Caribbean on their previous visit has warned that they should not underestimate even though conditions are expected to favour West Indies' spinners far more.

With the captain involved more in team selection as per the recent mandates laid down by the WICB in accordance with the Pybus report, Ramdin said the door was open even to those who have been out of the Test side for a considerable time if they can show the required form.

This is particularly pertinent for Dwayne Bravo, who last played a Test in 2010 (or even first-class cricket since last year) but was termed "one of the best allrounders in the game and a matchwinner," who Ramdin "would love to have in the team as they have a great working relationship." Last month Bravo spoke of his frustration at having been overlooked for so long.

Ramdin also picked out Sunil Narine has having a key role to play in all formats, not just Twenty20, and said the likes of Bravo and Kieron Pollard can stake a claim for Test cricket although that will be difficult for the pair in the short term with Bravo currently nursing a shoulder injury and Pollard playing the IPL.

For now, Ramdin is starting to look forward to the Test series against New Zealand - the second match of which is in front of his home crowd in Trinidad. "The first Test in Jamaica is Chris [Gayle's] 100th so hopefully we can do well there and carry over the momentum to Trinidad. I am eager and happy to run out at home in front our fans."

Darren Sammy retires from Test cricket

Darren Sammy has announced his retirement from Test cricket after losing the captaincy. His decision on Friday evening came just hours after the WICB announced that wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was replacing Sammy as captain of the Test side for the upcoming three-Test series against New Zealand beginning on June 8 in Jamaica. Sammy will remain T20 captain for the West Indies and has informed the board that he will continue to make himself available for selection in ODIs.

Sammy was the first player from St Lucia to represent the West Indies Test side, making his debut as a 23-year-old in 2007 against England at Old Trafford. He took 7 for 66 in the second innings of a 60-run loss to the home side, the best bowling figures at Old Trafford since Malcolm Marshall claimed 7 for 22 in 1988. They were also the best for any West Indian on debut since Alf Valentine claimed 8 for 102 against England at the same venue in 1950 and would remain Sammy's best haul over his 38 Tests.

After having played only eight Tests, he was made captain of the Test side taking over from Chris Gayle in October 2010 after Gayle turned down a WICB central contract. It was a curious move at the time since Sammy was not an automatic selection due to his modest record with both bat and ball, claiming 27 wickets at 27.74 while maintaining a batting average of 19.40 with high score of 48 in 15 innings.

Sammy fought off plenty of criticism throughout his reign during which West Indies won eight, lost 12 and drew 10 of the Tests he captained. During a seven-month stretch beginning in November 2011, West Indies lost three consecutive three-match series - in India, at home to Australia and then away again in England - all by a final margin of 2-0.

The WICB continued to show faith in Sammy's leadership though and they were rewarded when he led them to six straight Test victories - two each at home against New Zealand, away in Bangladesh and back home against Zimbabwe - before a poor showing by the West Indies in India during Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series last November provided more fodder for Sammy's detractors. His final series in charge was in New Zealand last December where Darren Bravo's double-century saved the first Test in Dunedin before West Indies lost heavily in the final two matches of the series.

He leaves Test cricket at a time when his Twenty20 career is near its peak. After leading West Indies to the World T20 title in 2012, he led them to the semifinals in 2014 on the back of some impressive finishing displays, none more than against Australia when he scored 34 not out off 13 balls in a final-over six-wicket win.

Overlooked Mohsin slams PCB

Mohsin Khan, the former Pakistan batsman, has called the procedure adopted by the PCB to hire Waqar Younis as head coach a 'total farce'.

Mohsin was among the contenders for the job, which he held briefly in 2012 when he oversaw Pakistan's famous 3-0 Test victory over England.

Last month, the PCB decided to not renew Moin Khan's contract as head coach and started the hunt for a new coaching panel. The PCB placed a newspaper advert, kept the opportunity open for 18 days for anyone to apply and appointed a three-man committee to evaluate the applications until May 5.

Mohsin and Waqar were in the race for the top role and on Tuesday, the PCB appointed Waqar, who returned for a second term after his previous stint between March 2010 and August 2011.

"They lied in their own house," Mohsin, who was rejected without interview, said. "They had said that the candidates will be shortlisted, then there will be interviews but they trashed the whole process and made fun of everything. They threw dust in everyone's eyes. There were no criteria. I was a deserving candidate but I was getting messages that the whole process was a total farce."

There was a perception that the board was already in contact with Waqar and that he was the only one in line for the job. Though Waqar's appointment was made official only on May 6, his name was unofficially doing the rounds before the deadline for candidates ended.

"They should have picked whoever they wanted as coach and appointed him but they should not have made a fool of the others. It happened before as well before the Asia Cup and World T20. It happened to Waqar as well at that time. Without any process they made Moin Khan coach. Moin is like my younger brother, but that was also not correct. PCB is not their personal property; it is the board of 18-19 million people of Pakistan. They spoiled two years of the team by bringing a so-called qualified coach (Dav Whatmore). They threw dust in the fans' eyes. They have played with Pakistan's name, with its respect."

Mohsin was the chief selector in 2011 when Waqar quit after his first stint as head coach and the PCB was forced to go with the former as interim coach before he was replaced by Whatmore in March 2012. Though Mohsin was given a makeshift role, he wanted to carry on in the job but the then chairman Zaka Ashraf opted to engage Whatmore instead.

Mumbai Indians sign Praveen Kumar

Mumbai Indians have signed the right-arm seamer Praveen Kumar as their replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan. Zaheer, who played six games, was ruled out for the rest of the season after straining his left latissimus dorsi muscle. Praveen will be available for Mumbai's next game against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

Praveen went unsold in the auction in February. He was a regular for Kings XI Punjab in the 2013 IPL, taking 12 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 6.62. He picked eight wickets in six games for Uttar Pradesh in the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before the IPL. He last played for India in a T20 against South Africa in 2012.

Since his exclusion from the Indian team, Praveen has struggled with fitness and disciplinary issues. He couldn't play a full domestic first-class season in 2012-13 due to injury and his comeback was marred by a suspension, earned by an angry outburst against a player during a Corporate Trophy match in February 2013. Following a full season with Kings XI in 2013, injuries kept him out of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy.

Praveen, who was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2008 to 2010, moved to Kings XI Punjab in 2011.

England's no-win trip north

Scotland will aim to take advantage of England's vulnerability in a fixture that does little to aid the long-term planning of Peter Moores and Alastair Cook

Win and it is only to be expected; lose and it is a humiliation. Peter Moores' second stint as England coach begins with as close to a no-win fixture as is possible.

England should prove too strong for Scotland. Despite recent setbacks, England are No. 4 in the ODI rankings and reached the final of the last global ODI tournament. Their players enjoy every advantage of modern professionalism and several of them have played more than 100 ODIs. Some of Scotland's players have to fit cricket in around their day jobs.

But this game has many of the ingredients for an upset. Scotland, highly motivated and resurgent having recently qualified for the World Cup, have nothing to lose and know that, after a chastening winter, England cannot be high on confidence. It would be stretching things a bit far to say they smell blood, but they certainly sense vulnerability. Netherlands' victory over England has shown what is possible

England, meanwhile, have not played any white ball cricket this season. They have never played an ODI so far north - Kyle Coetzer, Scotland's captain, proudly described it as the most northerly ODI venue in the world - and, in doing so in early May in a match starting at 10.30am and incorporating two new balls, know that batting could be something of a lottery at times. Poor weather could also intervene - it would be a surprise if it didn't - increasing the prospect of a shortened run chase, bowlers struggling to grip slippery balls and Duckworth-Lewis inspired frustration.

It would be wrong to decry the pitch, though. New Zealand scored 400 here in an ODI in 2008 and seven men have registered ODI centuries on the ground. But the boundary is small, the outfield on Thursday surprisingly wet and the sell-out crowd likely to be heavily partisan. It all faintly evokes memories of first-class sides being embarrassed at the home of minor county teams in the Gillette Cup.

One thing England should not be is complacent. Indeed, after the shock of the Netherlands defeat - a defeat that might well have cost Ashley Giles his job - and the thrashings in Australia, it remains to be seen if England's scars have healed. It was a lack of confidence, not a surfeit of it, which was their main weakness in Bangladesh.

There is a sense that Moores, at the start of this new era for England, is keen to help the team rediscover the simple pride and joy of representing their country and playing a game they love for a living. As Alastair Cook admitted, there were times in Australia, in particular, when they forgot that.

"You have to remember how lucky we are to wear the shirt and play for your country," Cook said. "Sometimes after a long period away, you forget that. Last winter is probably a reminder of that. When you lose games of cricket it becomes very hard.

"Now we've all had bit of time away from the game, it's been a good time to reflect and realise how special it is to be playing for England. We have to remember that at all times. Chatting to a few of the guys who are no longer playing, they say it's the best days of your life even in tough times."

Furthermore, with 21 ODIs to play until the World Cup starts, places are at stake in both sides. This England team has only been assembled for this game so performances here will influence selection for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, which will be named on Tuesday.

Most urgently, England need to find some reliable 'death' bowlers - not a strong area in county cricket at present - and decide on their top-order batting tactics.

Harry Gurney, a left-arm bowler of sharp if not express pace, might be one answer. He has developed a good record in domestic white-ball cricket and could partner James Anderson or Stuart Broad in Powerplays and at the end of an innings. Ravi Bopara, who Alastair Cook revealingly named as one of two colleagues (Broad was the other) he consulted before deciding to continue as captain, is another underutilised 'death' option. Chris Jordan, who has looked the most dangerous new-ball bowler in England this season, rarely does the job for Sussex and struggled when pressed into service in the role in the Caribbean.

There is a sense that England would like to take a more aggressive approach to the first 15 overs of their innings. The argument for such a tactic is that, on the batsmen-friendly tracks anticipated for most of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, England's traditional steady approach will not generate the huge totals that may be needed to prevail.

But Aberdeen in May is not the place to experiment with aggressive top-order batting. It may well be that the games played against Sri Lanka offer little more help, either. England continue to be hindered by their scheduling.

Besides, Cook believes that the best players have the ability to adapt. So those players who are suited to seeing England through the new ball in Aberdeen should, if Cook is to be believed, also prove the men to get them off to a flyer in Perth and Brisbane.

"One of skills you need as an international cricketer is the ability to play in different conditions," Cook said. "You're challenged wherever you play in the world. The best players adapt and find a way of delivering results. The wicket here looks good, but it won't be an absolute belter, so going hard would be foolish."

But preparing for a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by playing in Aberdeen in May is like preparing for a sprint by going ice-skating.

All of which begs the question: why is this game taking place? The politically correct answer is that the ECB and ICC want to provide some encouragement to an Associate neighbour. But the fact that England have played only two of their previous 616 ODIs against Scotland, does not suggest that encouragement is especially effusive.

If the ECB really wanted to support Associate cricket, it would lobby the ICC to push for cricket to be accepted as an Olympic sport. Until it does, matches like this are little more than a perfunctory sop.

Lillee responds in CA pay dispute

Dennis Lillee has responded to Cricket Australia's announcement that the former Test wicket-taking record holder would no longer be working with the nation's fast bowlers due to a dispute over pay demands, citing the impact of Mitchell Johnson in the past two series as the best measure of his effectiveness.

Having played a major role in Johnson's resurgence, while also being on call to mentor the likes of Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, Lillee's request for a pay increase was knocked back by CA.

However, Lillee, who is presently attending a cricket festival in Philadelphia, said in a statement to Brisbane's Courier-Mail that he was merely asking for a fair financial return for the work he had done, especially given that Johnson was "the difference" between Ashes defeat in England and a rollicking 5-0 sweep at home.

"If my role and influence is to be assessed on any measure, perhaps the contribution to reinvigorating Mitch Johnson's career to becoming the best performing fast bowler in the world last year is a helpful yardstick,'' Lillee said. "We had many, many hours of contact and continual work to achieve his amazing performances of the last 12 months.

"It must be obvious the difference between the Australian team in England and the fantastic Ashes success in Australia was largely due to Mitch's presence, confidence, technique and impact."

While disputing reports that he was only required to work with Australia's pacemen for 11 days last year, Lillee said modern coaching and mentoring of cricketers had become a far more demanding and enveloping job than it had been during his time as a player.

"My role as coach with the Australian and Western Australian teams has obviously required a commitment that has embraced one-on-one coaching, computer analysis of players' actions and performance and remote coaching and support," he said. "Coaching and mentoring in the modern day is far more demanding than when I played, and this has been a substantial adjustment in resources and commitment for Cricket Australia and the coaches that are involved in the game.

"I am disappointed that Cricket Australia has chosen to debate in the public arena the value of the services I have provided to Australian cricket, along with what should have been a sensible discussion about nominal reward for ongoing performance. My career and my support role in the recent Ashes success speak for themselves and I remain ready, willing and able to continue Australia's resurgence in the cricketing world."

Lillee remains in touch with the bowlers he has mentored, but reiterated his earlier words in a radio interview during the South Africa Test tour that he felt compelled to take a stand over his pay. "I remain involved with and supportive of my group of bowlers, but as a working Australian, need to draw the line at some stage regarding what is fair and not fair," he said.

"I have been privileged in my career to be mentored by some of the best coaches and players of cricket in the game and it has been my pleasure to pass on and embellish the knowledge that I have gained. Coaching at this level is not about an hourly rate or time in the office -- it's a reflection of the experience and knowledge gained over many years and an ability to communicate skills and a trade craft that produces results. The Australian bowling performance during the Ashes shows those results.

"The work I have undertaken with Australia's fast bowlers has been very rewarding personally and feedback from those involved intimated that the feeling was mutual. At the end of the day the game is about the players and the memorable performances that bring us back each summer, regardless of the temporary administrators and politics of the sport.''

Morgan accepts MCC presidency

David Morgan, a past ECB chairman, and driving force behind the adoption of Cardiff as an international venue and the restructuring of the English domestic game, has been nominated as the next president of MCC.

The nomination of Morgan, made as tradition by the current incumbent Mike Gatting, was announced at the club's annual meeting at Lord's. His emollient skills may be necessary to help steer Lord's through a delicate period in its history as passions rise over the growth of the ground.

Morgan, whose long administrative career also included a spell as president of ICC, will take up the post in October. With ICC, ECB and MCC posts behind him, as well as the chairmanship of Glamorgan, he has worked his way through the alphabet.

Tredegar born, it is the silent W in ECB which holds most of his affection: he has always insisted on the importance of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

During his tenure, Gatting has presided over the progression of the Lord's Masterplan, with MCC having gained planning permission for the redevelopment of the Warner Stand, with work scheduled to commence, subject to members' approval, in September 2015.

He has also overseen the introduction of MCC's first community development programme, and has represented the club around the country and overseas, including official visits to Australia, Abu Dhabi and Oman.

He will continue in his role as president throughout this summer's celebrations of the bicentenary of Lord's - including managing the home side for the MCC v Rest of the World match on 5th July - before he hands over the office to Morgan in October.

After leaving Glamorgan in 1997, Morgan became Lord MacLaurin's deputy at the ECB until 2002, when he was elected to take on the chairmanship himself. After five years with the ECB, Morgan was nominated for presidency of the ICC for a two-year term, being succeeded by Sharad Pawar in 2010. He was made an OBE in 2008.

His most recent contribution to English cricket was the Morgan Review of 2011, which was considered to be the biggest shake-up of the county game in a decade. His commitment to hearing a wide selection of views was unstinting and the report's recommendations, an exercise in conciliation and compromise, were largely but not entirely implemented prior to the start of the 2014 season.

Gatting said: "Morgan has been and remains one of the most influential voices in the world game, and I'm sure he will do an excellent job in leading MCC through a very important time in its history. He is ambitious, creative and efficient and will be a fantastic leader for this wonderful Club.

"There is work to do to continue moving the Lord's Masterplan forward over the next year with the redevelopment of the south western corner of the Ground, including the Tavern and Allen Stands, next on the agenda. David has the perfect experience and temperament to make this and MCC's other areas of work a great success."

Yates weathers the storm

Lancashire 191 (Davies 59, Magoffin 4-36) and 19-0 drew with Sussex298 (Yardy 139) and 216-5 dec (Yardy 45, Hamilton-Brown 44, Machan 44*)
Scorecard

A match which had been threatened by the weather during the latter stages of its first three days eventually succumbed to the elements on the final afternoon. At 3.30pm a final heavy shower scudded in from the west and umpires Mark Benson and Steve Gale waved the white flag. They were quickly followed by the Old Trafford groundstaff who pulled on the white sheeting.

Only 8.4 overs had been possible on a last day in which Lancashire openers Paul Horton and Luis Reece had progressed to 19 for 0 against the predictable excellence of Sussex's new ball attack. Already it was fairly clear to neutral observers that the prospect of the home side scoring the 323 they needed to win after Sussex's overnight declaration was remote in the extreme, although the post-match bullishness of Lancashire coach Gary Yates was understandable.

"Today had the makings of a cracking game," said Yates. "If we'd batted for two sessions and got into a decent position at tea time would have had a chance of going for the runs. So we're a little disappointed the game didn't materialise in that way."

With all but Durham and Northants having played four matches, which is to say, a quarter of the championship programme, the draw leaves Lancashire in seventh place in Division One. That is an accurate reflection of the bowling virtues and batting problems of Glen Chapple's team. Sussex lie second, and for all that Somerset hammered them by an innings last week, they look capable of being in the mix come September.

"Overall, we have to say that Sussex had the better of the game and we don't deny that," admitted Yates. "They've probably been the strongest side we've played yet. Magoffin is an outstanding bowler and I think Sussex will do well.

"We fell horribly short of where we wanted to be with the bat in the first innings and that put us on the back foot for the remainder of the game. One of the problems we're facing is that we're not getting runs on the board in the first innings.

"We've been short, we know it and the batsmen are addressing the problem. I don't think it's through a lack of skill. The batters are working hard to come good in the next game. Confidence and belief plays a big part in that."

However, Yates was keen to praise the efforts of both wicketkeeper Alex Davies and all-rounder Tom Smith, for both of whom the Sussex match represented something of a triumph.

"I'm delighted for Alex," said Yates. "He came in off the back of a one-day hundred for the second team and he went in at a pressure time when we were in trouble, but he and Tom Smith batted beautifully."

"Alex is an aggressive young lad by nature and the way he bats but he mixed aggression with good defence and he had a really good game. He's a real good competitor who's got all the shots and he dealt with the pressure superbly."

Glamorgan claim Bragging rights

Glamorgan 155 (Andrew 5-40) and 229 for 7 (Bragg 91*) drew with Worcestershire 240 (Wagg 4-75, Cosker 5-39) and 296 for 6 dec (Mitchell 151*, Hales 63)
Scorecard

Glamorgan batsman Will Bragg produced a sterling effort to thwart Worcestershire's attempts to force a victory that would extend their lead at the top of Division Two.

Bragg's unbeaten 91 underpinned a Glamorgan second innings total of 229 for 7 as they batted all day for a draw after being 14 for 2 when he arrived at the crease.

Bragg found excellent support from skipper Mark Wallace and Stewart Walters during a knock that lasted 343 minutes and 285 balls, putting on 97 for the seventh wicket with Wallace and compiling a fifth-wicket stand of 52 with Walters.

Glamorgan were in all kinds of trouble at 38 for 4, having lost nightwatchman Dean Cosker caught by wicketkeeper Ben Cox off Gareth Andrew for eight, Gareth Rees lbw to Jack Shantry for three and then seeing Murray Goodwin bowled by Shantry following an attempted leg-glance.

With Goodwin back in the pavilion for just 7, Glamorgan looked as though their unbeaten first-class record this season would evaporate against the league leaders.

But after Bragg and Wallace steered the home side to 149 for 6 at tea, the recovery act was well under way, with Glamorgan's victory target of 382 at the start of play never a realistic target.

Wallace took a blow to his finger fending off a sharp Andrew delivery, but he was able to continue after treatment, before a heavy shower forced the players off with just 11.1 overs in the day remaining.

A loss of three overs before the resumption helped Glamorgan, yet Wallace departed when Saeed Ajmal trapped him leg before, leaving Graham Wagg to join Bragg as tension mounted.

The pair batted out 41 further deliveries, and although Bragg finished nine runs short of what would have been his second Championship hundred, it was a case of job done as Glamorgan took eight points and Worcestershire nine.

Northern giants lose winning habit

Durham 361 for 8 (Richardson 148, Stoneman 131, Rashid 3-70) and 100-4 (Jennings 54*) drew with Yorkshire 589 for 8 dec (Gale 124, Lyth 104, Williamson 97, Bairstow 95)
Scorecard

A month into the new season, the two sides who showed themselves to be the best in the County Championship last season have won one match between them, and that against the side currently in last place. Something to worry about? At this early stage, perhaps not, but something to ponder.

This match ultimately gave Durham a feather in the cap for character, given that they batted continuously for more than two days, even taking into account the rain that trimmed 11 overs off the time available to Yorkshire to bowl them out for a second time.

Yet their bowling and fielding in the Yorkshire innings had been well below par, allowing Andrew Gale's team to build a total of a size almost unheard of at this ground. Paul Collingwood, the Durham captain, said at the close that he would have bowled without hesitation had he had the choice, and put Yorkshire's 589 at about 300 runs above par.

For their part, Yorkshire must see the draw as an opportunity lost to score a significant win over a key rival. If, as Collingwood insisted, their first innings total was a freak, then they ought to have been capable, with their bowling resources, of dismissing Durham twice for fewer, within the seven sessions, or the best part thereof, that they gave themselves.

However, while each of their key bowlers at different times in the match bowled spells of high quality, as a collective they fell a little way short. Yorkshire were ruthless in defeating Northamptonshire in their one win so far, but they conceded more than 500 runs to Somerset in their drawn opening match at Taunton and their failure to prevent Middlesex chasing 472 to win at Lord's was a chastening experience, to say the least and Durham's 388 in the first innings here was perhaps a few too many.

Yet credit is due to Durham, who showed commendable resilience to bat through those seven sessions, having been asked to follow-on, and did find themselves in a crisis on the final afternoon, when their first four wickets fell for 42 and Yorkshire had their tails up.

With 60 overs to face in which not to lose 10 wickets, a little better than it might have been after 11 overs lost to rain, they endured a first 18.1 overs that were catastrophic, in terms of their chances of doing so.

Mark Stoneman, one of their two century-makers from the first innings, was out in the most unfortunate way, run out at the non-striker's end when Liam Plunkett deflected a Keaton Jennings drive into the stumps.

Then Scott Borthwick, a doubt for Durham's trip to Hove next week because of a finger injury that stopped him bowling here, succumbed to a ball from Jack Brooks that was the best anyone faced all match, rearing up and taking the glove as he tried to take evasive action, with Andrew Hodd taking the catch.

Kumar Sangakkara, out second ball in the first innings, was lucky not to be given out caught behind for nothing, was dropped at gully on four, just missed the fielder at point with his first boundary and got his second off an inside edge, none of which augured well. Then, with the streakiest 14 runs he may ever score to his name, he followed a wide one from Ryan Sidebottom to be caught at second slip.

Adil Rashid, who bowled superbly, dismissed Michael Richardson, the other big success from the first innings, with his first ball, at which point Yorkshire had 42 overs still to work with and a sense of gathering momentum.

But there were still some craggy rocks to shift, the craggiest of all being the captain, Collingwood, who joined Keaton Jennings, first offering sage advice to the 21-year-old at the other end and then setting about leading by example, facing 91 balls, 83 of them dots, enjoying a little luck at times, particularly against Rashid, but earning it. And, while doing this for more than two hours, guiding Jennings astutely enough through his business at the other for the young opener to finish with a highly creditable half-century.

Collingwood praised Jennings for having the character to finish the job in the face of bowling which, he said, touched on international class at times, particularly when Plunkett got up to speed and when Rashid was employed all the guile he could muster.

Equally important, though, had been the strength of will shown earlier by Jamie Harrison and Graham Onions, the overnight batsmen, whose 26-over, 45-run stand held back Yorkshire's quest for the last two first innings wicket until the day was into its second hour.

Depleted Warwickshire thrash favourites

Warwickshire 462 (Ambrose 167, Patel 105, Wright 52, Hain 42, Roland-Jones 3-66) beat Middlesex 167 (Finn 37*, Rogers 34, Wright 4-56) and 248 (Rogers 82, Robson 68, Patel 4-78) by an innings and 47 runs
Scorecard

To jump to the top of the Division One table might be considered a decent achievement in any circumstances. But to do so with an innings victory over the Championship favourites despite going into the game with a team lacking 10 players should be considered a clear indication that Warwickshire have the strength in depth to sustain a strong challenge for the title this year.

Warwickshire, who have now won two games in succession, were missing eight men with international experience (Boyd Rankin, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes, Rikki Clarke, William Porterfield, Freddie Coleman and Jim Troughton) from this side as well as two others (Recordo Gordon and Tom Milnes) who might well have been considered first choice alternatives had they been fit. They also lost Oliver Hannon-Dalby with a side strain on the first day.

But the acquisition of Richard Jones - a swing bowler of sharp pace - from Worcestershire in the off-season has already borne fruit. He might never develop into the consistent bowler that Worcestershire required but he has the precious ability to take wickets - a career strike-rate of a wicket ever 44.4 balls at this level is exceptional - and here added a dimension to an already impressive attack by gaining enough reverse swing to render the ball dangerous throughout its life span.

Not every wicket came from a fine ball - John Simpson slapped a long-hop to cover - but it was Jones who claimed the key wicket of Sam Robson, beaten by a late swinging yorker as he played across a straight one and Jones who dismissed Denly, prodding half forward, to another that swung late. The pitch remained good but, as Dougie Brown, the Warwickshire director of cricket said afterwards "having swing bowlers takes the pitch out of the equation."

Jeetan Patel, as ever, also contributed. His four wickets here included that of Chris Rogers, who never settled as well as Robson and fell attempting a sweep, as well as two wickets in two balls to wrap up victory just after Warwickshire had claimed the extra half-hour. It was a reminder of Patel's value as overseas player and the importance of his decision to decline an invitation to tour the Caribbean with the New Zealand squad in order to concentrate on his Warwickshire career. A contract extension beckons.

"That was a tough decision," Patel said afterwards. "I've always said that playing Test cricket was the be-all and end-all for me, but I've other interests now. My family is the most important thing. For them to be safe and happy is most important.

"Would I have played in the Caribbean? Maybe. Maybe I would have earned a one-year central contract. But I have to look further ahead than that and I could have sat on the sidelines and wasted an opportunity to cement my position here. And I love it at Warwickshire. Being a Bear is special."

Well though Warwickshire bowled, this was another painfully weak performance from the Middlesex batsmen. On the same surface where Warwickshire's No. 8 had thumped a century the previous day, Middlesex conspired to lose their last nine wickets for 93 runs. It was a surface called "benign" by Middlesex coach Richard Scott the previous evening and a surface of which any professional batsman might dream.

But there is a recklessness within this Middlesex middle-order that cannot always be masked by the excellence of Rogers and Robson. While the pair again made batting appear a straightforward business in adding 149 for the second wicket, this side is as brittle as egg shell: crack the top and the middle is soft and vulnerable. It was, no doubt, the point made by batting coach Mark Ramprakash in the long team meeting that followed the defeat.

The batting collapse is hardly a new phenomenon for Middlesex. In the first innings here they lost eight wickets for 32, in the previous game at Lord's they were bowled out for 123 in their first innings and against Sussex they were dismissed for 105 and 154.

The long-term form of some of the middle-order underlines the sense that this is not a one-off. Dawid Malan, whose dismissal here attempting an aggressive pull with half-an-hour of the day remaining and the second new ball just a few overs old might be considered a nadir, has made two Championship half-centuries in 26 innings since the start of 2013 and has a top-score of 61. Joe Denly's form - he has a top score of 77 in 31 innings over the same period - is little better.

"This is not quite good enough," Rogers said afterwards. "We've got to get better. Everyone is trying but to lose 8-30 on this pitch, a pitch with no demons, well, it's unforgivable. There are no quick fixes but we do have to fix this."

He did praise Warwickshire's opening pair, though, labelling Keith Barker and Chris Wright "excellent bowlers" with "good skills" and predicted a "decent future" for them.

James Whitaker, the national selector, was among the spectators - he sat for a while with Andy Flower - and also made a point of enquiring about Wright's form.

International calls will continue to dig deep into the Warwickshire squad. But they hope to have Bell, Woakes et al. back for the game at Yorkshire which already looks as if it could have a huge bearing on the title. And with the likes of Jones and Sam Hain, who both made huge impacts on debut in this game, in support, they seem to have the depth to cope with the demands they are sure to face.

Mickleburgh leads Essex fightback

Essex 281 and 101 for 1 (Mickleburgh 47*) trail Leicestershire 433 (Eckersley 110, Robson 94, Cobb 70, Panesar 6-111) by 51 runs
Scorecard

Essex battled back on day three with an impressive unbeaten partnership from Jaik Mickleburgh and Greg Smith to take a big slice out of Leicestershire's first-innings lead of 152 at Chelmsford.

After Tom Westley was lost for just 3 at the beginning of Essex's second innings, Mickleburgh and Smith frustrated the Leicestershire bowlers by putting on 98 runs. Mickleburgh will be on 47 and Smith on 43 when they return to the crease on Wednesday.

Leicestershire put themselves in good position to win away from Grace Road for the first time since 2010. They were 255 for 2 at the end of the second day and trailed by just 26 runs but added on 178 runs on Tuesday before being bowled out for 433.

Ned Eckersley, who had resumed his innings on 104, only scored six more runs before he became a first Championship wicket for medium-pacer Tanveer Sikandar. With Leicestershire having moved past 300, Angus Robson fell six short of a first century, becoming Monty Panesar's second wicket.

The momentum appeared to swing Essex's way when England spinner Panesar had Michael Thornely caught at slip for 21 by Mark Pettini. That was the first of three wickets that Panesar would snare in four balls.

Two balls after dismissing Thornley, he bowled Rob Taylor for 2 and then had Jigar Naik picked up by Ben Foakes at bat-pad with his next delivery.

Leicestershire were 356 for 7 at that point but they moved back into the ascendancy when scoring 77 more runs before being bowled out, captain Josh Cobb scoring 70. Panesar ended up with six wickets for 111 runs with Tanveer Sikandar finishing with two for 90.

Essex had a shaky start to their second innings when Westley edged to Eckersley off Charlie Shreck after scoring just three runs. Mickleburgh and Smith then steadied proceedings for Essex, putting their impressive partnership of 98 to leave the hosts trailing by just 51 with nine wickets remaining heading into the final day.

New South Wales sign 17-year-old Doran

The inclusion of 17-year-old batsman Jake Doran on a rookie contract is one of few changes to the New South Wales squad after a successful season in which they won the Sheffield Shield and made the Ryobi Cup final.

The only departures from last year's contract list were the fast bowler Chris Tremain, who signed with Victoria, and the rookies Nic Bills and Jay Lenton, who were dropped. Not surprisingly, Ryan Carters was upgraded from a rookie deal after an outstanding summer in which he finished third on the Shield run tally with 861 at 53.81, while 19-year-old allrounder Patrick Pisel was added to the rookie list.

Doran's inclusion came after he broke Doug Walters' record as the youngest player ever to represent the New South Wales Second XI last summer, when he debuted at the age of 16. He also played against the touring England side for the Cricket Australia Chairman's XI in Alice Springs and signed a rookie contract with the Sydney Thunder, before being Australia's top scorer at the Under-19 World Cup.

The Blues again have a strong contingent of Cricket Australia-contracted players, with seven men holding national deals, allowing the state to name a 27-strong list including rookies. The only change to the CA-contracted personnel was that Steven Smith now holds a central contract, while Pat Cummins has returned to a state deal.

"We have retained all but one full member of our Shield-winning squad and are also able to call on our Australian players at certain times of the year to reinforce the winning culture of the group," Andrew Jones, the Cricket New South Wales CEO said. "Last season was a successful one for the New South Wales Blues, but we need to keep improving and make sure that we are always challenging for titles in the Sheffield Shield and Ryobi Cup, and continuing to produce players for Australia."

New South Wales contracts Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Michael Clarke (Cricket Australia contract), Trent Copeland, Pat Cummins, Brad Haddin (CA), Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Scott Henry, Daniel Hughes, Josh Lalor, Nathan Lyon (CA), Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Steven Smith (CA), Mitchell Starc (CA), David Warner (CA), Shane Watson (CA). Rookies Harry Conway, Jake Doran, Ben Dwarshuis, Patrick Pisel.

BBL changes contracting rules

Big Bash League teams will be able to replace squad members who are unavailable due to national duties next summer, one of several changes to the competition's contracting rules. A second trade week will also be introduced to allow teams to refine their lists, and the salary cap has been bumped up from $1.05 million to $1.2 million for each side.

Last summer, the rules regarding replacement players were relaxed to allow injured players to return to a squad after being replaced - previously if an injured player was replaced, his tournament was over. This time, a similar rule will allow players called up by Australia to be replaced in the squad and return to their BBL side when they again become available.

The move should help those teams who are heavy on international talent, while also meaning sides are not disadvantaged if a player is unexpectedly promoted to the national side. Mike McKenna, the executive general manager of operations at Cricket Australia, said the change was an extension of last season's injury regulation.

"We want fans to be able to watch the best available players, so it's important the rules encourage clubs to continue to contract players who may have national commitments over the summer," McKenna said. "This rule change will minimise the impact on clubs for the period of time that their players are with the Australian team."

The eight BBL sides can begin contracting players from May 19 and must have signed at least 10 players by July 11, before finalising their 18-man squads by December 5. There will now be two trade weeks, one at the start of the contracting period and one in November, in which players may be transferred between teams, though it is not necessary for a side to receive a player in return for giving one up.

The trade periods can help sides to ease any salary cap pressure they may be suffering, although the salary cap has been boosted by nearly $200,000. Cricket Australia said the higher amount was part of an increase in player payments across all men's competitions after CA's revenue was bolstered by last year's media rights agreement, which included a $100 million deal for the BBL to be shown on free-to-air television.

A set of figures released to Sydney's Daily Telegraph has shown the effect of the exposure offered to the BBL by the Ten Network during the 2013-14 season. A tournament conceived and launched primarily to attract new follows to the game appears to be doing so.

BBL matches consistently attracted television audiences of around 1 million viewers per match, a figure near to those maintained by the AFL and NRL football codes and well in advance of those for the A-League and the Super Rugby competition. Ground attendances that averaged about 19,000 per fixture were on pace with every sport but the AFL.

Other figures in the study conducted by Gemba showed that:

* 42% of crowds came to their first BBL game

* 1 in 5 BBL attendees came to an elite cricket match for the first time

* Over 50% of attendees were with family

* 24% of BBL attendees are kids vs. 9% at Tests

* 51% of women attended their first BBL game

* BBL is the clear favourite format of cricket among kids aged 5-15

"We have unashamedly designed a competition and marketed a competition to attract new people to the game," the CA chief executive James Sutherland said. "If it doesn't do that it won't last because it's not a good investment for us. We're excited to see that data."

UAE ticket sales likely to cover BCCI's costs

The United Arab Emirates leg of the 2014 IPL has expectedly left a dent in the BCCI's coffers. However, the board is likely to recover most of its costs, thanks to the overwhelming response from cricket fans in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.

The first 20 matches were moved to the UAE as it clashed with the federal elections in India. The BCCI has not indicated the range of costs of staging the IPL in the UAE, though confirmed estimates from UAE indicate that the hosts of the first leg of the IPL gained to the tune of $1.25 million for staging 20 matches over two weeks. While the 15 evening games were rented out for $75,000 each day, the five double-headers fetched the Emirates Cricket Board $100,000 per day.

Even though the gate money for IPL matches in India is collected by the respective franchises, it is understood that the gate receipts for the first fortnight were retained by the BCCI since the BCCI bore all the costs, including the in-stadia arrangements for hosting games.

With 19 of the 20 matches in the Gulf being sell-outs, the BCCI is likely to make up most of the costs it has incurred. Especially considering that 82% of the spectators had reportedly bought tickets as against only 56% in 2009, when the IPL was staged in South Africa.

While the franchises are still waiting to get a final word on the compensation package for moving five of the 14 league rounds out of India, the BCCI remained tightlipped when asked to respond about the compensation package for the franchises.

In 2009, when the IPL was moved to South Africa for the same reason as 2014, the BCCI's total expenses of Rs 822.92 crore for the financial year 2009-10 were the highest in the last decade. The total surplus of Rs 63.18 crore was just one-third of the profit for the next year.

Emergency thermals for Sri Lankans

"The weather is our main challenge", admitted Angelo Mathews as the wind howled in across Dublin Bay yesterday. The Sri Lankan captain was speaking ahead of the first of the two-match RSA Insurance ODI series against Ireland at the Clontarf club, the opening fixtures in a tour that takes in all three formats and concludes at Leeds seven weeks from now.

The Sri Lankans have been in England at the start of two of the last three summers, but Mathews noticed the difference. "It's colder in Ireland than the UK," he grinned. "A bit of sunshine would be nice."

The most popular man in the Sri Lankan party was the liaison officer who arrived shortly before training with a large carrier bag from a Dublin city sports store. Inside were the sporting equivalent of long johns, the thermal underclothing that the Irish swear by to keep the winter chills at bay.

Even the local players were well wrapped up as they went through their drills with coach Phil Simmons, and the grey clouds and weather forecast was the main topic of conversation among players and groundstaff.

The Ireland captain, William Porterfield, knows that the conditions will assist his team as they seek their first big scalp at the venue. "The last few one-dayers we played here we've been able to utilise the conditions, especially by taking early wickets", he said. "Early in the season the ball will do a bit and the seamers are looking forward to it.

"What we have to do now is to keep taking wickets in the middle overs to set ourselves up. We've been looking at our death bowling - over the two Pakistan games and against England last year we let ourselves down."

In each of those games Ireland got themselves into winning positions only for it to slip from their grasp.

"We were disappointed with the second Pakistan game not to get over the line from position we were in. There were times when we slackened off but we need to be able to nail teams," said Porterfield.

His batsmen have been in excellent form, none less than Ed Joyce, who made 482 first-class runs in April for Sussex. "Ed has been one of the stand-out players in England, and Nobby [Niall O'Brien] also got a big hundred last week. I've had a couple of good starts myself, and guys like Kevin O'Brien have had good innings at home. I hope now we can all bring that out into the middle for Ireland."

Less encouraging has been the form of the bowlers. Spinner George Dockrell has been out of favour at Somerset and in a bid for some practice he turned out for Leinster Lightning at the weekend in the Newstalk Interprovincial Championship. The three Ireland bowlers on the Leinster side - Dockrell, Kevin O'Brien and Max Sorensen - returned combined figures of 29-2-150-0.

Sri Lanka arrive as newly-crowned World Twenty20 Champions, but also on a nine match winning streak in ODIs, including victory in the Asia Cup in March. Of that squad, five have been rested - Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thisara Perera, the latter because his visa was not sorted in time.

"We wanted to give the opportunity to the younger guys", explained Mathews. "They have been in and around the team for a while and they haven't had enough opportunities, so that was the main idea. I believe they can step in and do the job for us. All the younger guys are extremely talented and have enough potential to beat any team."

Porterfield had mixed feelings about facing a squad that, for all Mathews positivity, is undeniably weaker. "I can't say I'm too disappointed that Lasith Malinga didn't get on the plane," he grinned, "but they have a lot of good young cricketers with quite a bit of experience and they'll be champing at the bit to get going. We'd be foolish to take them lightly."

The Sri Lankans arrive in Clontarf just as the suburb celebrates the 1000th anniversary of a famous battle in which the Irish king, Brian Boru, repelled an invasion of Vikings led by Sitric Silkenbeard. That bloody Battle of Clontarf is still remembered in songs and stories, and while it's hard to imagine William Porterfield's name being revered a thousand years from now, victory over the invaders this week will ensure he finds his name in the cricket history books.

Amre appointed Mumbai Ranji coach

Pravin Amre, the former India batsman, has been named the coach of the Mumbai Ranji team. It's the second time Amre has been handed the role - he led Mumbai to three Ranji wins during his previous tenure that lasted five seasons between 2006-07 and 2011-12.

Amre was chosen over Ajit Agarkar, Balwinder Sandhu, Sairaj Bahutule, Rahul Mankad and Sandeep Dahad, the other five candidates interviewed by the Mumbai Cricket Association. Apart from the past success with the Mumbai team, Amre's CV also includes a stint with Mumbai Indians in 2009 as batting coach and three years as assistant coach with the now defunct Pune Warriors franchise.

Amre also started a new trend in domestic cricket when he took up the role of personal batting coach to Robin Uthappa. He has since helped Suresh Raina and Ajinkya Rahane in a similar capacity. It remains to be seen if he would continue his work with Uthappa with the increased responsibility.

The Mumbai coach's position had been left vacant due to the sacking of Sulakshan Kulkarni after Mumbai's quarter-final exit in 2013-14 Ranji Trophy. Mumbai appointed Lalchand Rajput as the interim coach for the remainder of the season, but the team continued its dismal run and failed to qualify for the knockouts of both the one-day and the T20 tournaments.

Paine steps down as Tasmania vice-captain

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine has stood down as Tasmania's vice-captain and been replaced by Alex Doolan. Paine's leadership potential has long been recognised and there was a time when he was considered a potential future national captain, but his own disappointment with his form over the summer has left him wanting to concentrate more on his own game.

Paine, 29, scored 473 Sheffield Shield runs at 31.53 during the 2013-14 summer and is still searching for his second century at first-class level, having not reached triple-figures since he made 215 in October 2006. He has played four Tests and 26 one-day internationals for Australia but has not represented his country since early 2011, having struggled with finger injuries.

"I made the decision to step down so that I can spend more time concentrating on my own game" Paine said. "I didn't have the season I would have liked with the bat and as a result I made the decision to step aside and let somebody else take the reins. I've given as much as I can to the role and it will be good to have someone with different ideas to lead the team."

Doolan, 28, will step up as deputy to Tasmania's captain George Bailey, although his availability for the state will depend in part upon his ability to retain his place as the incumbent Test No.3. The presence of Doolan in the Test team and Bailey in Australia's shorter formats should mean that one of them will be present for the Tigers at most times.

"I'm really looking forward to working more closely with George and [deputy vice-captain] Xavier Doherty as well as our coaching staff," Doolan said. "I'm excited to also possibly have the opportunity to lead the Tigers when George is off representing Australia. We have a fantastic group of talented players and I have no doubt we can continue to challenge for one-day and first-class titles next season and into the future."

Giles admits 'bitter disappointment'

Ashley Giles has spoken for the first time about narrowly missing out to Peter Moores as England coach, saying that the decision had left him "bitterly disappointed".

Moores has been recalled for a second spell in charge after Andy Flower stood down following England's 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia.

Giles appeared to be in pole position to replace Flower. He had been England's one-day coach since November 2012 and a member of the selection panel. But his cause was not helped by a poor run of results in one-day games in Australia and England's humiliating loss to the Netherlands at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh last month

"I was confident," Giles told Sky Sports. "I went into the interview and thought I had as equal a chance as anyone else, if not a better chance, having been close to the team and known what the systems are and, at the same time, not really had full control.

"I can't go into too much detail about that process, but I'm bitterly disappointed I didn't get the job. At no time or stage does that mean I wish anyone in that side any ill going forward. We all want England to do well."

The Bangladesh coaching role is available following the resignation of Shane Jurgensen, but Giles did not sound in a rush to advertise his availability as he faced up to the first inactive spell of his working life. He also decided to resign as an England selector.

"I think it's important in the short-term to take some time out and reflect - with the family as well, because since I retired in 2007 I went straight into coaching and since then I've been pretty busy, as a selector and a coach," he said. "It depends on opportunities, I guess, around the world and in this country. At the moment I'm not rushing.

"I love coaching, I don't think anything's changed on that front. Of course, through recent experiences your confidence takes a little bit of a hit. But I enjoy working with players, improving players, that's the buzz."

Verma questions ICC's silence on Srinivasan

Aditya Verma, the Cricket Association of Bihar secretary whose petition following the IPL corruption scandal has led to an upheaval in Indian cricket, has questioned the ICC's silence over the scandal and its decision to allow BCCI's stepped-aside president N Srinivasan to attend the ICC Executive board meeting in Dubai last month.

In an email that Verma claims to have sent to all the ICC office-bearers, he has expressed his anguish at the ICC's silence "on the issue of the IPL scam". "Cricket is a great sport and it's the duty of ICC and BCCI to maintain the credibility of cricket and players," the letter stated.

The letter has also questioned the decision to let Srinivasan attend the ICC Board meeting in Dubai last month despite Srinivasan in an "affidavit filed to the court had said he was stepping aside as the BCCI president till the probe concludes".

Verma had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court last July questioning the legality of a two-member panel appointed by the BCCI to inquire the allegations against Gurunath Meiyappan, Srinivasan's son-in-law, his team Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and one of its co-owners Raj Kundra. The matter has escalated to the Supreme Court stepping in to initiate a cleansing act in Indian cricket.

During the last hearing of the case last week, CAB's lawyers requested the court to bar Srinivasan, who is supposed to take over as the ICC chairman in July, from attending ICC meetings. Though the court didn't entertain the plea during its last hearing, the apex court has decided to ask Justice Mukul Mudgal - whose earlier report concluded that Meiyappan was a CSK official and had recommended further recommendations against 13 personalities involved in cricket - to continue the probe into the allegations. The court is likely to issue an interim order in the coming week.

Form, record firmly with Super Kings

Agarkar: Delhi need batsmen to fire

Match facts

May 5, 2014
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

It's with a touch of irony that Chennai Super Kings find themselves on top of the table before the halfway stage, for the two-time winners and regular finalists are known to be slow starters. Super Kings moved to the top on Saturday, after the then leaders Kings XI Punjab lost their first game and slipped one place below. After they were blitzed by Kings XI in their opening game, Super Kings haven't been stretched. They have persisted with Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis and Ben Hilfenhaus as their overseas players and have not felt the need to force changes.

Smith and McCullum have provided the starts at the top and set strong platforms on a couple of occasions, easing the pressure on Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni. They are yet to be bowled out and have lost seven wickets or more just once. That their lower order has hardly been tested in six games shows how dominant the batsmen have been.

One of the teams Super Kings vanquished during their winning streak was Delhi Daredevils, their opponents on Monday. Daredevils crashed to 84, chasing 178 in one of the most one-sided games so far. They were undone by brilliant catching by Super Kings and after six games find themselves second from bottom with only two wins. JP Duminy has been their most consistent player but what they need is for Kevin Pietersen to take charge with a big knock. Daredevils' bowling attack isn't the strongest so the batsmen would have to take on the extra load. Their opening game at the Kotla didn't end happily, as Rajasthan Royals chased 153 with ease. The Kotla pitch was a good one to bat on so if Daredevils have the chance to put runs on the board again, they would target a higher score.

Form guide

Chennai Super Kings WWWWW
Delhi Daredevils LWLLW

Players to watch

Faf du Plessis has a highest of 24 in four innings but his batting has slipped under the radar because the top order has fired. The highlight of his IPL so far has been his two breathtaking catches running backwards against Daredevils. Such fielding uplifts a side and Super Kings may persist with him for the value he adds on the field, with the hope that he will fire with the bat when the opportunity comes.

Dinesh Karthik's IPL performance for Mumbai Indians in 2013 helped him make a comeback to the Indian one-day team but his batting for his old franchise, Delhi Daredevils, hasn't been the same. After his 56 against Kolkata Knight Riders, his next highest is 21 and he had the chance to anchor the innings against Royals after Pietersen departed. He holed out in the deep for a 16-ball 12. He will look to turn the corner, now that the captaincy is off his hands.

Stats and trivia

Super Kings have beaten Daredevils in their last five meetings
R Ashwin conceded 41 off four overs against Kings XI, but since then he has come back well, and now has an economy rate of just 5.90 after six games

Quotes

"I am not going to put a dampener by saying that it's a long way to go, but we have been in a position before when we have realised how quickly things can change."
Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming warns against complacency

A Flintoff comeback? Surely not

Lancashire have sought to calm speculation that Andrew Flintoff will make an extraordinary comeback for the county in the NatWest T20 Blast this summer but they have not entirely ruled out the possibility that, at 36, he will be seen playing competitive cricket for the first time in nearly five years.

On the day when Old Trafford hosted early X-Factor auditions, cynical observers may conclude that the merest hint of Flintoff's return would do no harm to Lancashire's marketing plans as England's Twenty20 completion is relaunched as predominantly a Friday evening tournament over much of this summer.

Yet it was really was Flintoff, the former England all-rounder, batting and bowling in Old Trafford's outdoor nets on Sunday afternoon perhaps - just perhaps - suggesting that the rumour of a possible return was more than merely an advertising ploy.

It is almost impossible to believe that Flintoff would be anything like ready to play in Lancashire's early T20 matches - the county's programme begins a week on Friday - and it is surely much more likely that he will turn out for his old club St Annes in their 20-over matches and see how he feels then. Very tired, probably.

He sent a message to St Annes through his grandfather in April that he might fancy a hit in Twenty20 and the club registered him just in case.

Paul Allott, the former England bowler and Sky TV commentator, who is a member of Lancashire's seven-man board, was careful to downplay the prospect of Flintoff playing for Lancashire again after a story that the county wanted him to do so appeared in a Sunday newspaper.

"Andrew has been mentoring the Academy players and he has been helping Kyle Hogg," said Allott. "We haven't asked him to come back and he hasn't come to us saying that he wants to play. He has been more than useful helping the other lads.

"He has been voluntarily around the group and we are more than pleased to have him around. Whether it comes to anything more than that, who knows?"

It was the "who knows?" that left just a glimmer of hope for Flintoff fans.

Flintoff has not played competitive cricket since the Oval Test against Australia in 2009, when he famously bade farewell to international cricket by running out Ricky Ponting and has forged a TV career as a worldwide explorer and adventurer.

Soon after that his final game he had surgery on his left knee and he also needed shoulder reconstruction after winning a heavyweight boxing match in December 2012.

'Insular' England must reconnect with fans

Alastair Cook, England's Test and ODI captain, has conceded that the team became "insular" and failed to build up a reserve of public goodwill despite a lengthy period of success. After a 5-0 Ashes whitewashing brought an end to Andy Flower's time in charge amid criticism of the team's attitude and style of play, Cook and the new head coach, Peter Moores, are set to embark on a period of rebuilding England's reputation on and off the field.

England went to Australia in search of a fourth consecutive Ashes victory but ended up losing almost every game on tour, as well as several key players. The home side were backed up by feverish support, as Australia united behind Michael Clarke and Darren Lehmann in their attempts to regain the urn, and Cook picked up on that strength, echoing comments made by Moores in suggesting that England's new regime would be a more open and accessible one.

"Australia connected with their public very well," he said. "Maybe we became very insular as a side - it worked very well at some points for us but when it wasn't going well we didn't have anything to fall back on. The guys in the dressing room are good people, they are nice guys. The public don't see that enough. Hopefully we can copy Australia a little bit in the way they did it.

"We are very lucky - they [England fans] do support us through thick and thin. Just judging on since I have been back they have been very supportive, disappointed about Australia like we all were but hopefully we can reward them for that support now."

Cook's captaincy, which began with an historic victory in India and included leading England to a 3-0 win over Australia last summer, has also been subject to much scrutiny. Having sat out England's limited-overs trip to the West Indies and not been involved in a disappointing World T20 campaign, he will resume control in an ODI against Scotland on Friday, before the visits of Sri Lanka and India.

He has previously described the changes in the England set-up as providing a "clean break", intimating that now is the time to build a team in his own image rather than continuing to work along the lines established by Flower and his predecessor, Andrew Strauss, but Cook rejected theories that Flower was too controlling.

"I do disagree. What is written and what actually happened is not always accurate," he said. "Anyone who knows me knows I have an opinion and can be quite stubborn. Flower can also be quite stubborn. You are out there in the middle and you have to make decisions as a captain. Just because you consult other people doesn't mean you can't make your own decisions. You still have to make that final decision and are responsible for it."

Although Flower remains with the ECB in a development role, England's power axis now centres on Cook and Moores. Cook played under Moores during his first spell as England coach and the two have been getting reacquainted in between the early rounds of the Championship.

Moores was sacked in 2009 after falling out with Kevin Pietersen, England's captain at the time, and his style was felt to be overly prescriptive by senior players who had experienced success under Duncan Fletcher. Cook said he felt Moores was "harshly treated" at the end of his reign and was confident that the 51-year-old would not make the same mistakes again.

"The meetings with Peter have gone well," Cook said. "It was about getting to know Peter again and hammering out what he thought my values were and me asking him what his were and getting some middle ground, which wasn't too hard.

"He learned from last time and he will do things slightly differently. Five years extra coaching gives you extra experience. We all do things slightly differently but he's an energetic and enthusiastic guy who loves cricket and England. We've got to use that enthusiasm and drive.

"It was going well until the fall out - he'd only been in the job 18 months before the fall out and things changed. When you have grown up in one regime as a senior player and then a new guy comes in, it is difficult - Moores and Duncan Fletcher are obviously completely different guys and have different ideas."

England have cast admiring glances at the work of Stuart Lancaster with the rugby union side and Cook reiterated that they would be looked to as a source of inspiration. "Lessons should be learned from England rugby - huge credit to Stuart Lancaster and the guys for the way they have managed to change things," he said. "I imagine it's taken a hell of a lot of effort and work. But I think just the way they have gone about their business shows how they've improved. Everyone can see the development in their side."

Following the embarrassing defeat to Netherlands at the World T20, England cannot afford to look beyond next week's ODI in Aberdeen. However, the news that Matt Prior will miss Sussex's match against Lancashire beginning on Sunday due to his ongoing Achilles problem is unlikely to have aided planning for next month's first Sri Lanka Test. Jonny Bairstow, who replaced Prior as wicketkeeper in Melbourne and Sydney, is fit after breaking a finger and was named in Yorkshire's squad to face Durham.

Skills have developed dramatically in T20 - Moody

Tom Moody, the Sunrisers Hyderabad coach and former Australia allrounder, has said that players' skills have improved dramatically over the years in T20. Moody pointed to the emergence of unorthodox, aggressive batsmen such as Glenn Maxwell and said that players of his type were not to be seen in the early years of the shortest format.

"There is no doubt. It has changed enormously," Moody told ESPNcricinfo. "We have seen over the last seven years of just the IPL, for instance, a number of players develop their skills dramatically. We did not see the Maxwell-type cricketers in year one, two or three. We all remember the first innings in Bangalore when Brendon McCullum made a remarkable start to the IPL [with an unbeaten 158 off 73]. But that was more conventional cricket as we know it - the traditional sweep-slogs and hitting down the ground."

While McCullum's innings still remains the second-highest ever in T20s, Moody said hitting had become a lot more unconventional now, with newer scoring zones being uncovered by powerful batsmen such as Maxwell and David Warner. "Now we are seeing these reverse-sweep slogs - not just reverse-sweeps, but reverse-sweep slogs - that are going well in front of square right down to backward square. We have got Warner doing exactly the same sort of thing.

"We saw the other night Warner play a late cut right-handed against a quick. To think that was ever going to happen in year one [of the IPL], you'd be laughed at."

It wasn't only the batsmen who had developed their skills; Moody said the bowlers had done the same, and added that the process of change would continue as players sought to keep ahead of competition. "What we have also seen that is interesting is the bowlers suddenly also emerge and change their thought process as they have to keep up with the game. The disguise of slower balls has also improved. It is not just the standard slower ball that you see coming in these days. Most bowlers have to have two varieties of slower balls… the wide yorker we have also seen. So there have been a lot of changes.

"I still think it will continue to grow in that way because to be successful you need to keep moving. If you keep still you will be left behind. Both batsmen and bowlers will be very aware of that and coaches too for that matter. They need to keep moving and trying to find new ground to challenge their opponent."

Dhoni can lead India for three-four years - Fleming

Stephen Fleming, the Chennai Super Kings coach and former New Zealand captain, feels that MS Dhoni can lead his country for another three to four years but is not sure whether he will be able to do so across Tests, ODIs and T20s given the amount of cricket India play.

"I haven't spoken to him on this issue. But he is in fine shape and if he is fit, he can continue to lead for at least a good three to four years," Fleming told PTI. "Having said that, I don't know how long he will be playing all three formats. It's pretty hard as India have such a tight schedule.

Dhoni has been India's captain in limited-overs cricket since 2007 and in Tests since 2008. He has led his country in 53 Tests, 159 ODIs and 48 T20 internationals. No one has captained India in as many Tests and T20s, and only Mohammad Azharuddin led in more one-dayers than Dhoni has.

Dhoni will turn 33 in July. In January 2012, he had said he might have to give up one of the formats if he was to lead India's World Cup defence in 2015. Such a decision would be made only at the end of 2013, he had said then.

Fleming said that an international captain could have issues if he led for more than four years, but added that this did not seem to apply to Dhoni. "Dhoni and Graeme Smith have been exceptions, but I feel that an international captain has a shelf-life of four years. After that it is easier to get back as another normal cricketer; if you have been the leader for too long, then it becomes difficult once you leave the job. You tend to miss the decision-making authority and stuff like that. In fact, I faced similar problems after I quit captaincy."

Dhoni's leadership style had suited the Indian team very well over the years, Fleming said. "Indians look for consistency and have a pattern. They have such talents that on a given day, some of them can single-handedly win matches. You don't need too dynamic or too radical thought-processes when you have players like [Virat] Kohli, Dhoni. In the case of the New Zealand team, Brendon [McCullum] has to be a bit dynamic and try a different strategy as they don't have a talent pool like India."

Apart from his India responsibilities, Dhoni has also been Super Kings' captain right from the inaugural IPL in 2008. Fleming has also been involved with the franchise since then, first as a player for the 2008 season and thereafter as coach. He said he had tried to ensure Dhoni enjoyed his time in franchise cricket while taking a breather from India duties. "What I try to provide MS is with two months of enjoyment, so that he can come into the Chennai side having taken a break from the Indian team. He loves his game and looks a pretty comfortable man winning games for Chennai consistently."

Eranga replaces Thisara for Ireland ODIs

Sri Lanka have called up fast bowler Shaminda Eranga to their squad for two ODIs against Ireland after Thisara Perera failed to get a visa approved in time. Thisara is expected to join up with Sri Lanka in England later in the month ahead of a T20 and five ODIs.

The Sri Lanka party arrived in Dublin on Saturday but Thisara did not travel with them, after experiencing a delay in getting a UK visa for the main part of the tour. The allrounder, who hit the winning runs in the World T20 final, was part of Chennai Super Kings' squad at the IPL in Dubai and was unable to get his passport and documents processed.

Eranga is due to leave for Ireland on Sunday. He was not in the T20 squad for England and hasn't played a limited-overs international since last year but is a key member of Sri Lanka's Test attack.

Sri Lanka have rested five senior players - Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga and Tillakaratne Dilshan - for the ODIs against Ireland, which take place on Tuesday and Thursday next week.

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